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J. D. Lever Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

501^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 23% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

J. D. Lever Elementary is a PK-5 school in Aiken, SC, serving 452 students within the Aiken 01 school district, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

J. D. Lever currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the 23rd percentile statewide, placing it well below most nearby elementary schools. For example, Millbrook Elementary and East Aiken School of the Arts rank in the 45th-76th percentile range. The academic gap is most visible in 5th grade English Language Arts, where only 43.4% of J. D. Lever students are proficient compared to 60-75% at those nearby schools. Math proficiency also declines sharply as students advance: 54.4% of 3rd graders are proficient, but that drops to 37.9% in 4th grade and just 26.7% in 5th grade—a pattern not seen at schools like Millbrook Elementary, where math performance stays relatively consistent across grades.

One of the most significant challenges is chronic absenteeism. At 34.1%, J. D. Lever has the highest rate among comparable schools—more than triple the rate at Byrd Elementary (10.2%) and more than double that at Warrenville Elementary (14.0%). This rate has nearly doubled since 2021-2022, and it closely mirrors the situation at North Aiken Elementary, which also struggles with high absenteeism and low rankings. Notably, J. D. Lever spends above the district average per student ($13,333) and maintains a favorable 12.5:1 student-teacher ratio, yet outcomes remain low—suggesting that attendance and other factors, rather than resources, are the primary drivers of performance. The school has remained stable in the bottom quartile for five years, indicating that meaningful improvement will require deliberate, sustained intervention.

452

Students ?

12.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,333

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2404 Columbia Highway
Aiken, SC 29801

(803) 641-2760

District: Aiken 01

Students who attend J. D. Lever Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Schofield Middle
High:	Aiken High

Racial breakdown:

White:

42.7%

African American:

34.3%

Hispanic:

13.5%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare J. D. Lever Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 20th percentile in 2016 → 23rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (42% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (34% vs 22% South Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg54%

South Carolina avg58%

501^st of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 23%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

16^th of 21Elementary Schools in the Aiken 01

37^th of 75Aiken 01 among South Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.9	501 of 649	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.3	488 of 640	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.8	499 of 638	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.5	488 of 644	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.3	470 of 625	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.5	431 of 622	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.9	337 of 643	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.3	480 of 624	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	37.0	405 of 639	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	25.3	496 of 619	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.8	534 of 638	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	25.2	521 of 630	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	41.3	381 of 599	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	35.5	428 of 594	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	39.9	410 of 597	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	56.6	271 of 589	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	36.5	409 of 580	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	35.3	418 of 577	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	50.0	312 of 566	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	43.6	359 of 559	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2005	48.0	324 of 557	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2004	53.5	283 of 550	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2003	46.3	322 of 542	40.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.4	190 of 379	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	39.2	241 of 381	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.3	244 of 369	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.3	228 of 394	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.5	254 of 393	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.3	242 of 350	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.0	283 of 421	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	18.6	378 of 412	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	25.6	128 of 161	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.3	456 of 589	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.0	444 of 581	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.3	462 of 565	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.7	490 of 580	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.9	449 of 573	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.8	400 of 554	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.4	317 of 588	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.9	429 of 570	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.6	504 of 624	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.0	492 of 613	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.3	517 of 599	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.7	478 of 608	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.1	445 of 600	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.6	378 of 580	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.9	282 of 600	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	28.9	451 of 588	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.8	464 of 583	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.1	461 of 586	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.1	392 of 568	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.9	388 of 582	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.7	430 of 579	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.3	406 of 561	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.3	350 of 590	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.4	473 of 571	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.4	400 of 454	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.3	385 of 460	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.0	379 of 441	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.1	412 of 463	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.2	426 of 455	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	27.1	335 of 439	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.4	273 of 472	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	14.9	413 of 457	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2026)50th percentile+27 vs school

Female (2026)23rd percentile~ school

Disabled (2018)20th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)20th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)12th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts50%-15 vs state

Mathematics40%-13 vs state

Science30%-21 vs state

5.0

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1★0

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Schools Near J. D. Lever Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)			SC READY Mathematics (2026)			SC READY Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2024)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
J. D. Lever Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2404 Columbia Highway	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2760	452	36	12.5	100.0%	193 (42.7%)	155 (34.3%)	61 (13.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.3%)	23.9	501^st of 649 public elementary schools	22.8%		25.3	488^th of 640 public elementary schools	23.8%	13	52.9	51.2	43.4	54.4	37.9	26.7	30.5	$13,333	$1,152	$1,188	$2,340	$10,022	$971	$10,993
North Aiken Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Bears Rock Road	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2690	440	35	12.5	100.0%	53 (12.0%)	279 (63.4%)	67 (15.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (8.6%)	22.8	511^th of 649 public elementary schools	21.3%		29.4	455^th of 640 public elementary schools	28.9%	56	60.3	52.0	44.3	57.3	18.6	21.4	28.0	$13,875	$1,067	$1,174	$2,240	$10,318	$1,316	$11,634
East Aiken School of the Arts	Public	PK, KG-5	223 Old Wagener Road	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2450	534	39	13.6	100.0%	203 (38.0%)	219 (41.0%)	46 (8.6%)	5 (0.9%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.9%)	69.8	190^th of 649 public elementary schools	70.7%		75.8	156^th of 640 public elementary schools	75.6%	34	74.4	69.6	71.5	64.7	50.5	60.5	61.4	$12,989	$1,218	$1,174	$2,393	$9,648	$949	$10,596
Millbrook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	255 East Pine Log Road	Aiken	29803	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2580	664	48	13.9	62.9%	267 (40.2%)	232 (34.9%)	72 (10.8%)	12 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (12.2%)	75.5	153^rd of 649 public elementary schools	76.4%		73.6	175^th of 640 public elementary schools	72.7%	22	74.3	78.3	74.7	64.2	57.6	56.1	67.5	$12,264	$1,056	$1,048	$2,104	$9,203	$957	$10,160
Aiken Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2050 Pine Log Road	Aiken	29803	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2740	508	36	14.1	100.0%	211 (41.5%)	219 (43.1%)	32 (6.3%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.9%)	59.1	251^st of 649 public elementary schools	61.3%		66	217^th of 640 public elementary schools	66.1%	34	65.9	69.4	67.1	52.9	61.1	38.5	63.9	$13,252	$1,381	$1,084	$2,465	$9,561	$1,227	$10,788
Graniteville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Willis Circle	Graniteville	29829	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 663-9998	417	30	13.9	100.0%	170 (40.8%)	134 (32.1%)	78 (18.7%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.4%)	46.7	333^rd of 649 public elementary schools	48.7%		35.8	410^th of 640 public elementary schools	35.9%	77	65.0	65.5	60.0	53.3	47.3	40.0	45.4	$10,525	$852	$898	$1,750	$7,777	$997	$8,774
Byrd Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1225 Weldon Way	Graniteville	29829	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 663-4320	708	46	15.3	58.3%	251 (35.5%)	240 (33.9%)	152 (21.5%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (8.3%)	44	358^th of 649 public elementary schools	44.8%		50.3	307^th of 640 public elementary schools	52.0%	51	70.3	62.2	64.1	64.5	31.9	36.0	31.9	$11,143	$737	$1,128	$1,865	$8,278	$1,000	$9,278
Warrenville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	569 Howlandville Road	Warrenville	29851	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 663-4270	391	30	13.0	100.0%	214 (54.7%)	67 (17.1%)	65 (16.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (11.3%)	54	281^st of 649 public elementary schools	56.7%		46.9	326^th of 640 public elementary schools	49.1%	45	63.9	64.5	60.8	64.0	51.6	43.2	50.8	$14,446	$1,117	$1,279	$2,396	$11,076	$974	$12,050
Oakwood-Windsor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3773 Charleston Highway	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2560	427	33	12.9	100.0%	160 (37.5%)	76 (17.8%)	139 (32.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (12.2%)	54.1	279^th of 649 public elementary schools	57.0%		32	435^th of 640 public elementary schools	32.0%	156	64.7	67.6	54.2	66.1	63.5	45.9	40.6	$13,511	$1,237	$1,113	$2,350	$10,151	$1,009	$11,161
Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	69 Nicholson Road	Trenton	29847	Edgefield County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	No	(803) 663-7266	118	10	11.8	100.0%	14 (11.9%)	96 (81.4%)	3 (2.5%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.5%)								(n/a)	28.5			33.3				$11,533	$952	$563	$1,515	$7,475	$2,544	$10,019

Frequently Asked Questions about J. D. Lever Elementary

What district is J. D. Lever Elementary in?

Aiken 01

What is the racial makeup of J. D. Lever Elementary?

Students at J. D. Lever Elementary are 43% White, 34% African American, 13% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of J. D. Lever Elementary attend?

Students who attend J. D. Lever Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Schofield Middle
High : Aiken High

How many students attend J. D. Lever Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 452 students attended J. D. Lever Elementary.

Is J. D. Lever Elementary a good school?

J. D. Lever Elementary ranks in the bottom 22.8% of South Carolina elementary schools.

Rate J. D. Lever Elementary!

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.