Summary:
Ladson, South Carolina, is served by 7 public schools—4 elementary and 3 middle schools—spanning three districts (Charleston 01, Dorchester 02, and Berkeley 01) with a combined enrollment of 5,245 students, and no high schools within city limits.
The standout school is Joseph R. Pye Elementary, which ranks in the 82nd percentile statewide (4 stars) and leads the city in both ELA (76.5% proficiency) and math (68.3%), while also posting the lowest chronic absenteeism at 15.8%. In contrast, Ladson Elementary ranks in the 7th percentile with just 40.5% ELA and 24.7% math proficiency, alongside a 30.2% absenteeism rate—the highest in the city. Among middle schools, Oakbrook Middle is the strongest (67th percentile, 61.1% ELA), while College Park Middle struggles at the 16th percentile with math proficiency as low as 11-29%. Sangaree Middle is the most improved, jumping from the 25th to 39th percentile, and boasts 95.32% proficiency on the Algebra 1 EOCEP.
A clear district divide emerges: schools in Dorchester 02 consistently outperform those in Berkeley 01, with even the weakest Dorchester school (Oakbrook Elementary, 34th percentile) beating all Berkeley 01 schools. Notably, higher spending does not guarantee results—Ladson Elementary spends $19,704 per student (59% more than Oakbrook Middle) yet has the lowest performance. Math is a universal weakness across all schools, though all three middle schools report near-perfect Algebra 1 scores, reflecting a self-selected advanced cohort. Chronic absenteeism strongly tracks achievement, making attendance a key intervention target, particularly at Ladson Elementary.
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