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Average

#540 of 1,176 schools in SC

Top 46% in state

Waterway Elementary

Elementary School · Horry 01 · Little River, SC

A Horry 01 elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.

700 Sandridge Road, Little River, SC 29566

  • Math 53% proficient (2022)
  • Reading 55% proficient (2022)
  • 15.9:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress6.7Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-3.02 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2022
TrendDeclining
Academics7.2Very Good30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency53% (2022 EdFacts)
Reading/ELA Proficiency55% (2022 EdFacts)
Overall Proficiency54% (2022 EdFacts, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)55% (model expectation from 2022 EdFacts)
vs. Expected-0.8 pts
Adjusted Percentile59th
Resources & Environment5.1Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15.9:1
District spending per student$13,222
Chronic Absenteeism19.2%

Students at Waterway Elementary score 54% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 55%).

How we calculate scores →

2022 EdFacts proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. SC average.

Math Proficiency53%(2022 EdFacts)
School
State
Not reported(2022 EdFacts)
ELA Proficiency55%(2022 EdFacts)
School
State
Not reported(2022 EdFacts)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 36 points across the 14-year record (2009–2022) and has held near 54% recently.

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
87%
ELA
92%
2010
Math
85%
ELA
82%
2011
Math
81%
ELA
82%
2012
Math
81%
ELA
84%
2013
Math
78%
ELA
81%
2014
Math
55%
ELA
30%
2015
Math
55%
ELA
46%
2016
Math
56%
ELA
46%
2017
Math
62%
ELA
51%
2018
Math
62%
ELA
55%
2019
Math
62%
ELA
55%
2020*
Math
50%
ELA
48%
2021*
Math
50%
ELA
48%
2022
Math
53%
ELA
55%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 66% (multi-year average, 2009-2022) · reading/ELA 61% (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

59.5%

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 Waterway 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 7Car-Dependent
  • Bike 27Somewhat Bikeable
  • County Safety: Low3/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. A newer release may be available.

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

Median income

$63,358

Median home value

$275,600

Median rent

$1,488/mo

College educated

24.7%

Homeownership

80%

Poverty rate

9.4%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 29566; 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
Ocean Drive ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.5PK–51.5 mi810Compare →
Riverside ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.3PK–52.4 mi673Compare →
North Myrtle Beach Christian SchoolPrivate · tuition7.1privatePK–123.1 mi69Compare →
Kingston ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.7PK–5Not available483Compare →

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
#38 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

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

About Waterway Elementary

Waterway Elementary is a public elementary school in Little River, SC, part of Horry 01, serving approximately 845 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 15.9:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 6.5 out of 10 and ranks #540 of 1,176 schools in SC. State assessment records show 66% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022) and 61% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Waterway Elementary

What grades does Waterway Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Waterway Elementary?

Waterway Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 845 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterway Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Waterway Elementary is 15.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Waterway Elementary rank in SC?

Waterway Elementary ranks #540 of 1,176 schools in SC.

What is Waterway Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Waterway Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.5 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 Waterway Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Waterway Elementary has 66% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022) and 61% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

Is Waterway Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Waterway Elementary a Title I school?

No, Waterway Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

59.5% of students at Waterway 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
845
Student-Teacher Ratio
15.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
53
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Horry County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
19.2%
Area population (ZIP 29566)
21,194
Area average commute
25.2 min
Area median age
60.2
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 29566; 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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