Summary:
The Lexington 05 school district in South Carolina is home to 13 elementary schools serving approximately 6,726 students in grades PK through 5, and the district as a whole ranks in the top 17% of districts statewide with a 4-star rating.
For parents, the standout choice in this district is Lake Murray Elementary, which holds a 5-star rating and ranks in the 92nd percentile statewide. It has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at just 4.8% and posts the highest 3rd-grade math and ELA proficiency scores. Ballentine Elementary is also on the rise, jumping to the 88th percentile with the district's best 4th-grade ELA scores, while Chapin Elementary offers consistent 4-star performance and the highest 4th-grade math proficiency at 76.9%. On the other end, Seven Oaks Elementary is the most challenged school, ranking in the 18th percentile with a 1-star rating and a chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4%—more than five times higher than Lake Murray's. Dutch Fork Elementary also struggles, sitting in the 29th percentile with persistently low proficiency rates.
Across the district, schools outperform state averages by roughly 7-9 percentage points in math and ELA, but there is a wide internal gap. Chronic absenteeism is a strong predictor of performance: top schools like River Springs Elementary (6.8%) and Chapin (9.0%) have single-digit rates, while struggling schools like Leaphart Elementary (23.2%) and Seven Oaks (25.4%) far exceed the state average of 22.3%. Interestingly, the highest-performing schools spend the least per student—Lake Murray spends $13,913 while Seven Oaks spends $18,362—suggesting extra resources are directed to struggling schools but haven't yet closed the gap. A notable "5th grade slump" in math proficiency appears district-wide, and Piney Woods Elementary stands out for its exceptional 4th-grade science scores at 72.8%, despite not being the top overall performer.
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