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James Island Elementary

Q: Is James Island Elementary a good school?

James Island Elementary ranks 166 th of 640 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

166^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 640 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 74% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

James Island Elementary is a public elementary school serving 616 students in grades PK-5 in Charleston, South Carolina, which is part of the Charleston 01 school district. The school consistently outperforms the district and state in standardized test scores, with 80.8% of 3rd graders, 61.5% of 4th graders, and 70.1% of 5th graders scoring proficient or better in English Language Arts, and 77.5% of 3rd graders, 59% of 4th graders, and 65.7% of 5th graders scoring proficient or better in Mathematics.

While James Island Elementary's Gifted and Talented program is a strength, with the school ranking in the top quartile of South Carolina elementary schools for this student subgroup, the school's performance for African American students and Low Socioeconomic Status students is relatively lower, ranking in the bottom half of the state. Additionally, the school has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism rates, rising from 15.3% in 2021-2022 to 24.7% in 2022-2023.

Compared to nearby schools, James Island Elementary outperforms Mitchell Elementary, Stono Park Elementary, and Memminger Elementary in academic performance, but schools like Stiles Point Elementary and Harbor View Elementary have even stronger academic outcomes. The significant increase in spending per student at James Island Elementary, from $11,513 in 2020-2021 to $32,596 in 2023-2024, may be a factor contributing to the school's strong performance.

580

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$26,743

Per pupil spending ?

44.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1872 Grimball Road
Charleston, SC 29412

(843) 762-8240

District: Charleston 01

Students who attend James Island Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Camp Road Middle
High:	James Island Charter High

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.0%

African American:

26.2%

Two or more races:

4.5%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare James Island Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 55th percentile in 2015 → 74th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (67% vs 56% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 19 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the South Carolina median (74th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school67%

District avg62%

South Carolina avg56%

166^th of 640

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 26%▲ up 19 pts since 2015

From top 45% (2015) to top 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

18^th of 43Elementary Schools in the Charleston 01

23^rd of 75Charleston 01 among South Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	74.3	166 of 640	74.1%	★★★★☆
2024	66.1	208 of 638	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.5	234 of 644	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.0	188 of 625	69.9%	★★★★☆
2021	65.6	202 of 622	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.5	251 of 643	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.3	215 of 624	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	64.1	208 of 639	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.0	179 of 619	71.1%	★★★★☆
2015	51.8	287 of 638	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	57.9	279 of 630	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	55.6	297 of 599	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	63.5	224 of 594	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	68.4	185 of 597	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	61.8	219 of 589	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	59.7	243 of 580	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	51.0	320 of 577	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	65.8	183 of 566	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	68.3	171 of 559	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	71.6	141 of 557	74.7%	★★★★☆
2004	60.5	226 of 550	58.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	50.1	187 of 381	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	20.4	336 of 369	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	32.4	280 of 393	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.6	176 of 350	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.8	156 of 421	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.6	170 of 412	58.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	75.9	131 of 581	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	52.4	273 of 565	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.0	264 of 580	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.8	195 of 573	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.3	234 of 554	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.1	247 of 588	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.3	185 of 570	67.5%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	66.6	29 of 101	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	43.3	87 of 105	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	39.3	120 of 147	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	47.7	316 of 613	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.6	321 of 599	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.3	347 of 608	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.5	374 of 600	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.9	291 of 580	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.0	290 of 600	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.6	256 of 588	56.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	67.1	198 of 586	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.0	182 of 568	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.5	206 of 582	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.5	197 of 579	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.2	147 of 561	73.8%	★★★★☆
2019	58.9	243 of 590	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.8	238 of 571	58.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	76.2	97 of 460	78.9%	★★★★☆
2024	63.1	173 of 441	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.9	210 of 463	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.5	132 of 455	71.0%	★★★★☆
2021	69.7	122 of 439	72.2%	★★★★☆
2019	53.1	232 of 472	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.5	165 of 457	63.9%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2025)79th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)77th percentile+3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)71st percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)66th percentile-8 vs school

African American (2025)51st percentile-23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)48th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts71%+9 vs state

Mathematics68%+15 vs state

Science52%+3 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, February 10, 2016

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Schools Near James Island Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SC READY English Language Arts (2025)					SC READY Mathematics (2025)					SC READY Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
James Island Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1872 Grimball Road	Charleston	29412	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 762-8240	580	41	14.1		377 (65.0%)	152 (26.2%)	19 (3.3%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (4.5%)	74.3	166^th of 640 public elementary schools	74.1%		66.1	208^th of 638 public elementary schools	67.4%	42	80.8	61.5	70.1			77.5	59.0	65.7			51.8	$26,743	$4,799	$1,534	$6,333	$16,689	$3,721	$20,410
Murray-LaSaine Montessori	Public	PK, KG-8	691 Riverland Drive	Charleston	29412	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 762-2765	347	25	14.1		283 (81.6%)	28 (8.1%)	22 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.7%)	78.9	127^th of 640 public elementary schools	80.2%		81.1	111^th of 638 public elementary schools	82.6%	16	77.5	84.2	80.0			65.0	60.5	47.5			68.4	$26,181	$3,783	$1,369	$5,152	$16,995	$4,034	$21,029
Stiles Point Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	883-A Mikell Drive	Charleston	29412	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 762-2767	866	51	17.1		772 (89.1%)	34 (3.9%)	19 (2.2%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (4.0%)	96.2	15^th of 640 public elementary schools	97.7%		95.4	19^th of 638 public elementary schools	97.0%	4	90.8	94.9	88.3			82.9	83.6	76.0			82.8	$17,245	$3,274	$1,316	$4,590	$10,588	$2,066	$12,654
Harbor View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1576 Harbor View Road	Charleston	29412	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 762-2749	621	42	14.6		483 (77.8%)	71 (11.4%)	29 (4.7%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	28 (4.5%)	91.1	41^st of 640 public elementary schools	93.6%		89.7	58^th of 638 public elementary schools	90.9%	17	80.9	83.0	82.1			77.6	75.8	69.5			73.7	$16,949	$2,536	$1,313	$3,849	$10,363	$2,737	$13,100
Mt. Zion Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3464 River Road	Johns Island	29455	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 559-3841	295	28	10.6		99 (33.6%)	69 (23.4%)	114 (38.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	37.6	395^th of 640 public elementary schools	38.3%		41.7	374^th of 638 public elementary schools	41.4%	21	48.4	37.1	57.1			51.5	42.8	79.4			28.5	$27,978	$6,509	$2,009	$8,518	$15,871	$3,589	$19,459
St. Andrew's School of Math and Science	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	30 Chadwick Drive	Charleston	29407	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	Yes	No	No	(843) 763-1503	769	52	14.8		450 (58.5%)	166 (21.6%)	82 (10.7%)	15 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	54 (7.0%)	86.3	75^th of 640 public elementary schools	88.3%		89.7	57^th of 638 public elementary schools	91.1%	18	75.9	73.6	80.6			80.0	70.5	70.9			65.6	$18,113	$3,633	$1,283	$4,916	$10,805	$2,392	$13,197
Stono Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	314 Huntley Drive	Charleston	29407	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 763-1507	337	25	13.4		56 (16.6%)	232 (68.8%)	23 (6.8%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.2%)	16.8	551^st of 640 public elementary schools	13.9%		20.9	514^th of 638 public elementary schools	19.4%	37	44.2	42.9	40.9			39.6	39.3	25.0			28.5	$28,562	$6,379	$1,956	$8,335	$15,932	$4,295	$20,227
Memminger Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	20 Beaufain Street	Charleston	29401	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 724-7778	438	37	11.8		221 (50.5%)	176 (40.2%)	11 (2.5%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.9%)	30.2	450^th of 640 public elementary schools	29.7%		19.7	526^th of 638 public elementary schools	17.6%	76	62.1	47.6	40.7			56.7	38.0	34.4			28.6	$26,342	$4,773	$1,844	$6,616	$15,297	$4,429	$19,726
Charleston Development Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	233 Line Street	Charleston	29403	Charleston County	Charleston 01	Yes	No	No	Yes	(843) 722-2689	151	15	10.2		0 (0.0%)	151 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				65.2	87.5				0.0	16.7
Charleston Progressive	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	382 Meeting Street	Charleston	29403	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 720-2967	184	21	8.5		2 (1.1%)	173 (94.0%)	3 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.3%)	44.8	342^nd of 640 public elementary schools	46.6%		44.8	353^rd of 638 public elementary schools	44.7%	11	54.5	65.7	52.0			63.6	40.6	64.0			25.0	$36,481	$7,724	$2,465	$10,188	$20,136	$6,156	$26,292

Frequently Asked Questions about James Island Elementary

What is the racial makeup of James Island Elementary?

Students at James Island Elementary are 65% White, 26% African American, 4% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

What district is James Island Elementary in?

Charleston 01

Is James Island Elementary a good school?

James Island Elementary ranks 166^th of 640 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of James Island Elementary attend?

Students who attend James Island Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Camp Road Middle
High : James Island Charter High

How many students attend James Island Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 580 students attended James Island Elementary.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.