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Very Good

#377 of 1,176 schools in SC

Top 32% in state

Palmetto Bays Elementary

Elementary School · Horry 01 · Myrtle Beach, SC

A Horry 01 elementary school where students score 14 points above what's typical for similar communities.

8900 Highway 544, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588

  • Math 47% proficient (2022)
  • Reading 54% proficient (2022)
  • 12.6:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress6.2Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-3.32 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2022
TrendDeclining
Academics7.8Very Good30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency47% (2022 EdFacts)
Reading/ELA Proficiency54% (2022 EdFacts)
Overall Proficiency51% (2022 EdFacts, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)36% (model expectation from 2022 EdFacts)
vs. Expected+14.2 pts
Adjusted Percentile67th
Resources & Environment8.1Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio12.6:1
District spending per student$13,222
Chronic Absenteeism18.6%

Students at Palmetto Bays Elementary score 50% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 36%).

How we calculate scores →

2022 EdFacts proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. SC average.

Math Proficiency47%(2022 EdFacts)
School
State
Not reported(2022 EdFacts)
ELA Proficiency54%(2022 EdFacts)
School
State
Not reported(2022 EdFacts)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 6 points since 2019, to 51% in 2022, across a 14-year record (2009–2022).

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
86%
ELA
88%
2010
Math
79%
ELA
81%
2011
Math
81%
ELA
82%
2012
Math
86%
ELA
87%
2013
Math
82%
ELA
82%
2014
Math
47%
ELA
32%
2015
Math
50%
ELA
45%
2016
Math
49%
ELA
39%
2017
Math
59%
ELA
46%
2018
Math
62%
ELA
50%
2019
Math
62%
ELA
50%
2020*
Math
41%
ELA
48%
2021*
Math
41%
ELA
48%
2022
Math
47%
ELA
54%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 62% (multi-year average, 2009-2022) · reading/ELA 59% (multi-year average, 2009-2022)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 28 test records from SC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

100%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Palmetto Bays Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 8Car-Dependent
  • Bike 28Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High6,796/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Myrtle Beach), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$66,854

Median home value

$241,700

Median rent

$1,220/mo

College educated

26%

Homeownership

77.2%

Poverty rate

10.1%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 29588; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Forestbrook ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.8PK–52.0 mi881Compare →
Socastee ElementaryEnrollment path unverified5.5PK–54.0 mi815Compare →
Carolina Forest ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.6PK–54.4 mi1,306Compare →
Calvary Christian SchoolPrivate · tuition5.2privatePK–124.5 mi314Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Horry 01

Schools in district
57
Rank in district
#20 of 55
District spending per student
$13,222NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
21.6%Census SAIPE · 2024

Palmetto Bays Elementary is listed in Horry 01; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Palmetto Bays Elementary

Palmetto Bays Elementary is a public elementary school in Myrtle Beach, SC, part of Horry 01, serving approximately 569 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 12.6:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 7.1 out of 10 and ranks #377 of 1,176 schools in SC. State assessment records show 62% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022) and 59% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Palmetto Bays Elementary

What grades does Palmetto Bays Elementary serve?

Palmetto Bays Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Palmetto Bays Elementary?

Palmetto Bays Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 569 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Bays Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Bays Elementary is 12.6:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Palmetto Bays Elementary rank in SC?

Palmetto Bays Elementary ranks #377 of 1,176 schools in SC.

What is Palmetto Bays Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Palmetto Bays Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.1 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 Palmetto Bays Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Palmetto Bays Elementary has 62% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022) and 59% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

Is Palmetto Bays Elementary a charter school?

No, Palmetto Bays Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Palmetto Bays Elementary a Title I school?

No, Palmetto Bays Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Palmetto Bays Elementary?

100.0% of students at Palmetto Bays 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 factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
569
Student-Teacher Ratio
12.6:1
Teachers (FTE)
45
Type
regular
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Horry County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
18.6%
Area population (ZIP 29588)
53,114
Area average commute
21.4 min
Area median age
45.5
About this school's data

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

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 · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • 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 · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • 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)
NCES EdFacts · 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 29588; 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, 2009-2022; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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