Gold Hill Elementary in Tega Cay scored 97.69 out of 100 in the 2027 U.S. News Best Elementary Schools rankings, earning the No. 16 spot among 651 ranked South Carolina elementary schools.
Four other district elementary schools also landed in the top 70 statewide. Tega Cay Elementary placed No. 28 with a 95.85 score. River Trail Elementary in Fort Mill came in at No. 34. Pleasant Knoll Elementary ranked No. 43, and Kings Town Elementary placed No. 67.
At Gold Hill, 84% of students scored at or above the proficient level in reading and 79% in math, according to the school's U.S. News profile. Both figures topped the York 04 district averages of 77% in reading and 72% in math. Statewide, 53% of students tested proficient in reading and 47% in math.
Tega Cay Elementary posted even slightly higher proficiency rates: 85% in reading and 80% in math. Both schools earned "well above expectations" ratings in reading and math performance, and both share a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio.
The U.S. News profile lists 815 students at Gold Hill in grades K-5 at 1000 Dave Gibson Blvd. in Tega Cay. The school has 65 full-time teachers, all of whom are certified, and two full-time counselors.
The rankings use data from the 2023-2024 school year, according to U.S. News. The formula weights four factors equally at 25% each: math proficiency, math performance, reading proficiency and reading performance. Half of the formula assesses raw scores, and the other half factors in socioeconomic demographics, according to the U.S. News methodology.
In a separate measure, South Carolina released its 2026 School Report Cards in October. The Fort Mill School District said in a news release that 18 of its 21 schools earned the state's top "Excellent" rating, and the district posted the highest SC READY proficiency in English language arts, math and science among all districts statewide.
