Summary:
The six elementary schools in the Colleton 01 district serve approximately 2,256 students across grades PK-5, and the district itself ranks in the bottom 4% of South Carolina districts, facing significant academic and attendance challenges.
If you are looking at school options in this area, Bells Elementary is the clear standout. Despite being the smallest school with just 249 students, it ranks 510th out of 649 schools statewide—far above the district’s overall 3rd percentile. Bells achieves 60% proficiency in 4th grade ELA, nearly matching the state average, and has the lowest student-teacher ratio in the district at 11.8:1. In contrast, Hendersonville Elementary is the lowest-ranked school (627th), with only 17.1% of 5th graders proficient in math. The other three traditional elementary schools—Forest Hills Elementary, Northside Elementary, and Cottageville Elementary—fall in between, with 4th grade ELA proficiency ranging from 46.2% to 50.6%. Black Street Early Childhood Center serves only PK-K students and has no test scores, but it spends a remarkable $26,046 per student—67% more than any other school—while also having the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 52.1%.
Across the district, mathematics is the critical weakness, with proficiency gaps of 24-30 points below state averages, compared to 15-25 points in ELA. Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide crisis, averaging 37.6% versus the state’s 22.3%, and every school exceeds 36%. Spending does not correlate with performance: Bells spends $18,199 per student and outperforms Hendersonville, which spends $2,198 more. Year-to-year volatility is also notable, with some schools swinging 12-16 points in proficiency between years, suggesting unstable cohorts or instructional inconsistency. For parents, Bells offers the most promising environment, while the district as a whole faces systemic hurdles that will require addressing attendance and math instruction to improve outcomes.
Thank you for your feedback!