Laurens 55 School District

301 Hillcrest Drive
Laurens, SC 29360
(District boundaries shown in map)
3/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Laurens 55 School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in South Carolina for:

Category
Attribute
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 8 public elementary schools serving 3,550 students in Laurens 55 School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public elementary schools in South Carolina.
Public Elementary Schools in Laurens 55 School District have an average math proficiency score of 25% (versus the South Carolina public elementary school average of 41%), and reading proficiency score of 30% (versus the 47% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 49% of the student body (majority Black), which is less than the South Carolina public elementary school average of 54% (majority Black).

Overview

This School District
This State (SC)
# Schools
9 Schools
974 Schools
# Students
4,984 Students
557,404 Students
# Teachers
459 Teachers
40,571 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
11:1
11:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Laurens 55 School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 74 school districts in South Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 81% has increased from 80% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (SC)
#59 out of 74 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
28%
43%
38%
52%
35%
50%
81%
84%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.64
0.68
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
n/a
2%
% Hispanic
18%
15%
% Black
27%
30%
% White
51%
46%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
4%
7%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $15,388 is higher than the state median of $15,175. The school district revenue/student has grown by 22% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,483 is less than the state median of $14,773. The school district spending/student has grown by 18% over four school years.
This School District
This State (SC)
Total Revenue
$77 MM
$12,084 MM
Spending
$72 MM
$11,764 MM
Revenue / Student
$15,388
$15,175
Spending / Student
$14,483
$14,773

Best Laurens 55 School District Public Elementary Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Waterloo Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 30-34%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
10457 Highway 221 South
Waterloo, SC 29384
(864) 677-5610
Gr: PK-5 | 254 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 27%
Rank: #22.
Hickory Tavern Elementary Middle School
(Math: 28% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
163 Neely Ferry Road
Gray Court, SC 29645
(864) 575-2126
Gr: PK-8 | 623 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 15%
Rank: #33.
Laurens Elementary School
(Math: 33% | Reading: 33%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
301 Henry Street
Laurens, SC 29360
(864) 984-3067
Gr: PK-5 | 465 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 54%
Rank: #44.
E. B. Morse Elementary School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 30%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
200 Parkview Drive
Laurens, SC 29360
(864) 984-7777
Gr: PK-5 | 447 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 63%
Rank: #55.
Gray Court-owings Elementary Middle School
(Math: 23% | Reading: 29%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
9210 Highway 14
Gray Court, SC 29645
(864) 876-2131
Gr: PK-8 | 715 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 47%
Rank: #66.
Laurens Middle School
(Math: 18% | Reading: 29%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1035 West Main Street
Laurens, SC 29360
(864) 984-2400
Gr: 6-8 | 373 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 59%
Rank: #77.
Ford Elementary School
(Math: 20-24% | Reading: 20-24%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
601 Lucas Avenue
Laurens, SC 29360
(864) 984-3986
Gr: PK-5 | 423 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 71%
Rank: #88.
Sanders Middle School
(Math: 17% | Reading: 23%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
609 Green Street
Laurens, SC 29360
(864) 984-0354
Gr: 6-8 | 250 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 66%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 9 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 4,984 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 11:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 49%
  • : 81% (Btm 50% in SC)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 28% (Btm 50%)
  • : 38% (Btm 50%)
  • : 35% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), SC Dept. of Education

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