Summary:
Saint Helena Island, South Carolina is home to a single public magnet elementary school, St. Helena Elementary, which serves grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 326 students. The school is part of the Beaufort 01 school district, which is ranked 28 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.
While St. Helena Elementary is a public magnet school, it does not appear to be a standout performer in the state. The school's statewide ranking has declined over the past three school years, from 554th out of 644 elementary schools in 2022-2023 to 570th out of 640 in 2024-2025, with a consistent 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are consistently lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels, with only 35.6% of 3rd graders proficient or better in ELA in 2024-2025, compared to 59.7% in the district and 61.8% statewide.
Despite the school's high per-student spending of $24,556, which is significantly higher than the state average, and its low student-teacher ratio of 7.7 to 1, the school's academic performance remains poor. Additionally, the school has a chronic absenteeism rate of 22.5%, which is significantly higher than the state average, and 100% of its students receive free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. While the school's status as a public magnet school and its low student-teacher ratio could indicate opportunities for innovative approaches to teaching and learning, the data suggests that the school is facing significant challenges in serving its high-needs student population.
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