Summary:
Trenton, South Carolina, is served by just two elementary schools—Douglas Elementary and Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy—which together enroll about 333 students, with no middle or high schools located within the city limits.
For parents comparing the two options, the most striking difference is in spending and attendance. Douglas Elementary, part of the Edgefield 01 district, spends $17,829 per student—about 55% more than the $11,533 spent at Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy, a public charter in the School Public Charter School District. Yet Bettis posts a much lower chronic absenteeism rate (14.0% vs. 23.9% at Douglas) and a comparable student-teacher ratio (11.8:1 vs. 10:1). Academically, Douglas shows stronger 3rd grade ELA proficiency (46.7% vs. 28.5% at Bettis) and slightly better 3rd grade math (43.4% vs. 33.3%), but Bettis’s test data is only available for 3rd grade, making full comparisons difficult.
The bigger story is Douglas’s dramatic turnaround: its state ranking jumped from the bottom 4% in 2023-2024 to the 16th percentile in 2025-2026, with 3rd grade ELA scores nearly doubling. However, it still trails district averages by 15-25 points, and its 4th grade math proficiency drops to just 30.3%. Bettis, meanwhile, offers a K-8 model that avoids an early school transition, and its efficiency suggests leaner operations without sacrificing engagement. For parents, Douglas offers improving academics but higher absenteeism, while Bettis provides better attendance and continuity through 8th grade, albeit with less performance data to evaluate.
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