Summary:
Lugoff, South Carolina is home to three elementary schools—Lugoff Elementary, Wateree Elementary, and Doby's Mill Elementary—all serving grades PK through 5 within the Kershaw 01 school district, which holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 64th percentile statewide.
For parents, Lugoff Elementary stands out as the top academic performer, ranking 206th in the state (68th percentile) with a 3-star rating. It leads all three schools in English Language Arts across every grade level, with an especially impressive 77.5% proficiency in 5th grade—nearly 14 points above the state average. It also leads in 3rd and 5th grade math. Wateree Elementary is a solid, consistent choice, ranking 253rd (61st percentile) with a 3-star rating, and it excels in 4th grade math (59.4% proficiency) while maintaining steady ELA scores across all grades. Doby's Mill Elementary trails with a 2-star rating and a 46th percentile rank, but it shows promise: it leads in 4th grade science (54.2%) and posted the largest year-over-year improvement in 5th grade ELA, jumping from 57.2% to 65.3%.
All three schools share similar student-teacher ratios (15.0–15.5) and per-student spending between $12,351 and $13,475, yet higher spending doesn't guarantee better results—Lugoff Elementary spends the most and performs best, while Wateree Elementary spends the least but still outperforms Doby's Mill Elementary. Chronic absenteeism is a concern across the board (17.2%–19.5%), though all remain below district and state averages. A notable challenge is 5th grade math, where all three schools see a significant drop in proficiency, suggesting a systemic issue worth addressing. Overall, Lugoff Elementary offers the strongest academics, Wateree Elementary provides reliable consistency, and Doby's Mill Elementary shows encouraging signs of improvement.
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