Summary:
The Lexington 04 school district in South Carolina is home to three elementary schools—Lexington Four Early Childhood Center (PK-K), Sandhills Primary (grades 1-2), and Sandhills Elementary (grades 3-4)—that together serve roughly 1,495 students in a unique three-campus pipeline. The district ranks in the bottom tier of South Carolina districts (68th out of 75, with a 1-star rating), and all three schools face significant challenges, particularly around attendance and academic proficiency.
Chronic absenteeism is the most pressing issue, with all three schools exceeding the state average of 22.3%. Lexington Four Early Childhood Center has the highest rate at 43.6%—nearly half of its youngest learners are chronically absent—compared to 30.9% at Sandhills Primary and 28.8% at Sandhills Elementary. This early disengagement likely contributes to the low test scores seen later. At Sandhills Elementary, the only school with available SC READY data, proficiency rates are 20-25 points below state averages across ELA, math, and science. For example, 3rd grade math proficiency is just 35.1% versus 59.2% statewide, and the school's overall ranking has dropped from the 29th percentile to the 12th percentile in two years. Per-student spending is relatively high ($13,497-$14,260), yet outcomes remain poor, suggesting that money alone isn't solving the problem.
There is one relative bright spot: 4th grade science shows the smallest gap versus the state (34.0% vs. 51.6%), compared to larger deficits in ELA and math. Also, Sandhills Primary has a slightly better student-teacher ratio (14.1:1) than the 13:1 at the other two schools, though the difference is minimal. For parents, the key takeaway is that this district's elementary schools are struggling with an attendance crisis that begins in pre-K and carries through to low academic performance by 3rd and 4th grade. Addressing absenteeism at the Lexington Four Early Childhood Center level may be the most critical step for improving outcomes across the entire pipeline.
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