Summary:
Irmo, South Carolina, is served by 9 public schools—7 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school—enrolling approximately 5,746 students, with most schools belonging to the highly rated Lexington 05 district (ranked 13th of 75 districts statewide) and one charter school under the School Public Charter School District.
For parents, the standout options are Ballentine Elementary (ranked 76th of 649 elementary schools, 88th percentile) and River Springs Elementary (80th percentile), both earning 4 stars with exceptional proficiency rates—Ballentine posts 87.5% in 3rd grade ELA and 82.6% in 3rd grade math, while River Springs has the district's lowest chronic absenteeism at just 6.8%. Dutch Fork High is the top high school (67th of 245, 73rd percentile) with a remarkable 92.85% English 2 proficiency, though its state ranking has slipped from 37th to 67th over three years. Dutch Fork Middle shows a striking math gap—7th grade math proficiency is just 49.6% versus 61.4% in ELA—yet its Algebra 1 pass rate of 97.22% far exceeds the state's 73.95%, suggesting only the strongest students advance to that level.
Two schools need attention: Dutch Fork Elementary ranks in the bottom 30% (1 star) with 3rd grade ELA at just 50.8% and 5th grade math at 40.0%, despite spending $18,586 per student—the second-highest in the district. GREEN Charter School Midlands also struggles (30th percentile) with 6th grade math proficiency at only 11.1% and the highest chronic absenteeism at 22.1%. Notably, spending does not predict success: H.E. Corley Elementary spends the most ($18,644) but ranks mid-tier, while Ballentine spends below average yet excels. The clearest predictor is attendance—schools with absenteeism under 11% (River Springs, Oak Pointe, Ballentine) all rank in the top 25%, while those above 18% rank in the bottom 30%. Even struggling schools show elementary ELA strength, with all traditional schools exceeding state averages in at least two grade levels.
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