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Public elementary school · Cherokee 01 · Gaffney, South Carolina

Luther L. Vaughan Elementary

Luther L. Vaughan Elementary rates 4.3, below most Cherokee 01 elementary schools, whose rated median is 6.5.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
4.3this school

4.3 on a one-to-ten scale; the Cherokee 01 median is 6.5.

#1,061 of 1,190 schools in South Carolina · Cherokee 01: 8 elementary schools rated, median 6.5

The brief

A Cherokee 01 elementary school where students score 18 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,061 of 1,190 schools in South Carolina and 12 of 14 in Cherokee 01.

Luther L. Vaughan Elementary is listed in Cherokee 01, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math26%28 points below the South Carolina average of 54%Grades 3–5 · 197 students tested · 2026 SC READY
Reading30%34 points below the South Carolina average of 64%Grades 3–5 · 197 students tested · 2026 SC READY
In 2026, 26% of students were proficient in math and 30% in reading, against South Carolina averages of 54% and 64%.2026 SC READY; 37 test records from SC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
4.6
50% of the rating
Academics
2.1
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.9
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 27% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 31% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 SC READY · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 SC READY · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 29341; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Luther L. Vaughan Elementary and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$55,631
Median home value
$171,300
Median rent
$857/mo
College educated
27%
Homeownership
72%
Poverty rate
16.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 29341; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
8
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
20
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
3,128/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Gaffney. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Gaffney), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
100%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Cherokee Charter Academy2.5 mi · charter
    7.1Compare →
  2. 6.7Compare →
  3. 6.2Compare →
  4. Luther L. Vaughan Elementarythis school
    4.3
  5. 3.5Compare →
Four grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and three rate higher than Luther L. Vaughan Elementary.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Luther L. Vaughan Elementary serve?

Luther L. Vaughan Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Luther L. Vaughan Elementary?

Luther L. Vaughan Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 397 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Luther L. Vaughan Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Luther L. Vaughan Elementary is 12:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Luther L. Vaughan Elementary rank in SC?

Luther L. Vaughan Elementary ranks #1,061 of 1,190 schools in SC.

What is Luther L. Vaughan Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Luther L. Vaughan Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Luther L. Vaughan Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Luther L. Vaughan Elementary has 27% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 31% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Luther L. Vaughan Elementary a charter school?

No, Luther L. Vaughan Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Luther L. Vaughan Elementary a Title I school?

No, Luther L. Vaughan Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Luther L. Vaughan Elementary?

100.0% of students at Luther L. Vaughan Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
397
Student-teacher ratio
12:1
Teachers (FTE)
33
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Town
County
Cherokee County
Rank in district
#12 of 14
Schools in district
15
District spending per student
$13,668
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
20.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 29341)
19,564
Area average commute
22.6 min
Area median age
37.8

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, South Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.