Elementary Schools in Edgefield 01

The Edgefield 01 school district in South Carolina contains four elementary schools serving grades PK-5, with a combined enrollment ranging from just over 200 students at the smallest school to over 750 at the largest, and the district currently holds a 3-star rating, ranking 39th out of 75 districts statewide.

For parents, the district is clearly split into two tiers. Merriwether Elementary and W. E. Parker Elementary are the clear standouts, both ranking in the 62nd percentile with 3-star ratings. Merriwether is the district leader, with the strongest overall test scores, particularly in English Language Arts where proficiency rates hover around 70% or higher, and it achieves these results while spending the least per student ($12,365) and serving the most students. W. E. Parker is the most improved school, having jumped an incredible 156 spots in the state rankings over two years, with dramatic gains in 5th grade ELA and 4th grade math. On the other hand, Johnston Elementary and Douglas Elementary are struggling, ranking in the 30th and 16th percentiles respectively with 1-star ratings. Johnston spends the most per student ($19,037) yet has the lowest test scores and the highest chronic absenteeism rate (26.6%), while Douglas, the smallest school, shows extreme year-to-year score volatility that makes its true performance hard to gauge.

Across the district, two academic areas need attention. Fifth grade math is a systemic weakness—even top-performing Merriwether falls below the state average, and Johnston sits at just 34.2% proficiency. Science achievement also lags, with every school except W. E. Parker scoring below the state average. Chronic absenteeism is a strong predictor of performance: the two top schools have the lowest absenteeism rates, while the two lower-performing schools have the highest. The district's overall 3-star rating masks this significant internal gap, and parents should look closely at individual school data rather than the district average when making decisions.