Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Robert Smalls Leadership Academy

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-8

532^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 640 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Robert Smalls Leadership Academy is an elementary school in Beaufort, South Carolina, serving 729 students in grades PK-8. The school is part of the Beaufort 01 school district, which is ranked 28 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being a magnet school, Robert Smalls Leadership Academy has consistently ranked in the bottom half of South Carolina elementary schools, maintaining a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past five years. The school's performance is below the district and state averages across various student subgroups, including female, male, African American, Hispanic, and low socioeconomic status students. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics were 20-30 percentage points lower than the district and state averages. Additionally, the school has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 18.7% to 29.7% over the past few years, significantly higher than the district and state averages.

When comparing Robert Smalls Leadership Academy to nearby schools in the Beaufort 01 district, such as Coosa Elementary, Riverview Charter School, and Beaufort Elementary, it consistently underperforms, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics that are 10-20 percentage points lower. These performance gaps may be influenced by factors such as high chronic absenteeism, a high percentage of low-income students (100% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and relatively low per-student spending compared to some of the higher-performing nearby schools.

785

Students ?

11.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,315

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

43 W. K. Alston Drive
Beaufort, SC 29906

(843) 322-2500

District: Beaufort 01

Students who attend Robert Smalls Leadership Academy usually attend:

High:

Battery Creek High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

45.6%

Hispanic:

31.6%

White:

13.8%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Robert Smalls Leadership Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 15th percentile in 2017 → 17th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (31% vs 51% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (30% vs 22% South Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg51%

South Carolina avg51%

Elementary school

532^nd of 640

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▲ up 2 pts since 2017

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

262^nd of 320

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 18%▼ down 2 pts since 2017

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 19Elementary Schools in the Beaufort 01

28^th of 75Beaufort 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	19.6	532 of 640	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.7	562 of 638	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.3	553 of 644	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.1	506 of 625	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.9	568 of 622	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.0	565 of 643	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.4	542 of 624	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.4	544 of 639	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	25.0	319 of 381	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.0	275 of 394	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.9	263 of 393	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.8	319 of 350	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	33.9	305 of 421	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.2	369 of 412	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	30.4	111 of 147	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.7	127 of 174	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	63.8	53 of 151	64.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	11.4	98 of 104	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.9	56 of 72	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.5	67 of 84	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.1	68 of 84	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.2	100 of 104	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.3	78 of 82	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	24.9	450 of 581	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.6	506 of 565	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.8	512 of 580	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.6	480 of 573	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	5.6	547 of 554	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.0	466 of 588	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.3	487 of 570	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	12.3	149 of 156	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.1	99 of 115	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.4	97 of 115	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.8	78 of 86	9.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	7.9	115 of 116	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.2	88 of 104	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	28.3	461 of 613	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	500 of 599	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.5	552 of 608	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	26.3	461 of 600	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.3	516 of 580	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.7	531 of 600	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.3	534 of 588	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	12.5	527 of 586	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.9	497 of 568	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.6	450 of 582	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.5	450 of 579	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.7	484 of 561	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.7	524 of 590	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.4	513 of 571	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	49.2	251 of 460	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	7.2	446 of 463	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	37.6	301 of 455	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	19.4	402 of 472	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.6	362 of 457	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	19.2	262 of 320	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.7	261 of 325	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.6	255 of 325	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.2	264 of 310	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.3	279 of 311	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.7	247 of 315	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.3	242 of 303	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	23.8	253 of 317	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	31.6	185 of 252	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.5	137 of 248	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.0	167 of 253	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.3	212 of 249	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.8	222 of 235	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	30.4	193 of 252	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.9	197 of 237	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.6	108 of 184	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.6	92 of 177	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.8	158 of 187	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	54.8	65 of 183	64.5%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	18.5	98 of 108	9.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.8	93 of 105	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.7	75 of 95	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.6	88 of 97	9.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.7	62 of 87	28.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.2	96 of 117	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.3	69 of 93	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	23.8	230 of 295	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.4	234 of 294	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.9	244 of 299	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	262 of 290	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.3	258 of 279	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.3	236 of 296	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.2	220 of 281	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	14.3	146 of 156	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.1	133 of 144	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.3	114 of 141	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.6	117 of 129	9.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.1	98 of 111	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.9	103 of 139	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.5	92 of 123	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	23.8	248 of 307	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.9	228 of 307	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	240 of 313	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.9	245 of 300	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.0	248 of 288	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.2	236 of 289	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.0	231 of 280	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	14.7	264 of 296	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.2	246 of 294	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.5	229 of 303	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.8	237 of 292	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.6	239 of 279	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.6	221 of 296	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.2	233 of 284	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	35.5	171 of 257	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.6	187 of 255	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.4	237 of 260	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	25.8	191 of 249	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.4	178 of 258	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.8	181 of 250	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

White (2025)45th percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)25th percentile+8 vs school

Disabled (2025)24th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2025)23rd percentile+6 vs school

African American (2025)16th percentile~ school

Male (2025)10th percentile-7 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)6th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2025)4th percentile-12 vs school

Middle school

Disabled (2025)41st percentile+23 vs school

White (2025)33rd percentile+15 vs school

African American (2025)27th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2025)22nd percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)19th percentile~ school

Male (2025)11th percentile-7 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)9th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2025)6th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts42%-17 vs state

Science30%-19 vs state

Mathematics20%-24 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Robert Smalls Leadership Academy and help other families decide.

Rate Robert Smalls Leadership Academy

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Robert Smalls Leadership Academy

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SC READY English Language Arts (2025)						SC READY Mathematics (2025)						SC READY Science (2025)		EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	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
Robert Smalls Leadership Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	43 W. K. Alston Drive	Beaufort	29906	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 322-2500	785	71	11.0		108 (13.8%)	358 (45.6%)	248 (31.6%)	13 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (7.0%)	19.6	532^nd of 640 public elementary schools	16.9%		13.7	562^nd of 638 public elementary schools	11.9%	30	55.1	37.5	45.7	40.6	39.2	43.8	44.9	27.1	34.8	16.1	17.0	13.1	20.9	32.2		$19,315	$1,285	$518	$1,803	$14,691	$2,821	$17,512
Broad River Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	474 Broad River Road	Beaufort	29906	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 322-8400	467	46	10.1		86 (18.4%)	172 (36.8%)	134 (28.7%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (14.8%)	32.4	433^rd of 640 public elementary schools	32.3%		32.7	430^th of 638 public elementary schools	32.6%	3	51.5	54.0	63.0				52.8	32.9	33.4				32.5			$20,751	$1,859	$806	$2,665	$14,866	$3,221	$18,086
Riverview Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	81 Savannah Highway	Beaufort	29906	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	Yes	No	No	No	(843) 379-0133	694	52	13.2		392 (56.5%)	175 (25.2%)	78 (11.2%)	11 (1.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.0%)	69.8	197^th of 640 public elementary schools	69.2%		74.5	155^th of 638 public elementary schools	75.7%	42	73.8	65.8	76.3	67.6	76.8	80.0	61.3	50.6	62.6	52.0	56.5	63.3	38.0	62.4	97.2	$18,820	$278	$140	$418	$15,525	$2,877	$18,402
Mossy Oaks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2510 Mossy Oaks Road	Beaufort	29902	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 322-2900	327	42	7.7		92 (28.1%)	131 (40.1%)	41 (12.5%)	7 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	54 (16.5%)	50.7	305^th of 640 public elementary schools	52.3%		43.3	362^nd of 638 public elementary schools	43.3%	57	45.7	67.9	63.8				36.9	62.2	42.6				54.7			$23,408	$1,041	$702	$1,742	$17,227	$4,439	$21,666
Beaufort Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1800 Prince Street	Beaufort	29902	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 322-2600	375	46	8.2		110 (29.3%)	185 (49.3%)	40 (10.7%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.6%)	53.3	286^th of 640 public elementary schools	55.3%		47.2	342^nd of 638 public elementary schools	46.4%	56	63.5	60.3	64.3				59.6	50.0	47.3				43.1			$29,935	$2,095	$755	$2,849	$23,096	$3,990	$27,086
Joseph S. Shanklin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	121 Morrall Drive	Beaufort	29906	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 466-3400	416	47	8.8		30 (7.2%)	189 (45.4%)	166 (39.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.5%)	9.7	604^th of 640 public elementary schools	5.6%		11.5	583^rd of 638 public elementary schools	8.6%	21	35.4	35.9	36.9				21.5	34.3	28.1				20.9			$25,040	$1,999	$739	$2,738	$19,051	$3,250	$22,302
Port Royal Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1214 Paris Avenue	Port Royal	29935	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 322-0820	179	24	7.6		51 (28.5%)	71 (39.7%)	42 (23.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (8.4%)	41.2	365^th of 640 public elementary schools	43.0%		26.8	468^th of 638 public elementary schools	26.6%	103		55.5	46.1					51.8	46.2				44.4			$25,799	$1,441	$766	$2,207	$19,767	$3,824	$23,592
Coosa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	45 Middle Road	Beaufort	29907	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 322-6100	467	36	12.9		289 (61.9%)	76 (16.3%)	50 (10.7%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (9.6%)	87	69^th of 640 public elementary schools	89.2%		92.3	36^th of 638 public elementary schools	94.4%	33	80.0	82.7	76.6				74.4	71.6	59.4				70.4			$18,666	$671	$431	$1,102	$14,686	$2,877	$17,563
Lady's Island Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	73 Chowan Creek Bluff	Beaufort	29907	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 322-2240	241	30	8.0		48 (19.9%)	111 (46.1%)	62 (25.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (8.3%)	59.3	258^th of 640 public elementary schools	59.7%		54.3	288^th of 638 public elementary schools	54.9%	30	37.0	66.7	74.3				48.1	72.7	65.7				39.4			$28,727	$2,051	$955	$3,006	$22,219	$3,502	$25,721
Whale Branch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15 Stuart Point Road	Seabrook	29940	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 466-1000	409	47	8.7		16 (3.9%)	289 (70.7%)	75 (18.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.8%)	24.3	496^th of 640 public elementary schools	22.5%		11	587^th of 638 public elementary schools	8.0%	91	41.7	59.6	32.8				45.0	48.9	28.5				34.0			$26,592	$1,931	$875	$2,806	$18,854	$4,932	$23,786

Frequently Asked Questions about Robert Smalls Leadership Academy

How many students attend Robert Smalls Leadership Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 785 students attended Robert Smalls Leadership Academy.

What schools do graduates of Robert Smalls Leadership Academy attend?

Students who attend Robert Smalls Leadership Academy usually go on to attend:

High : Battery Creek High

Is Robert Smalls Leadership Academy a good school?

Robert Smalls Leadership Academy ranks in the bottom 16.9% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What district is Robert Smalls Leadership Academy in?

Beaufort 01

What is the racial makeup of Robert Smalls Leadership Academy?

Students at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy are 46% African American, 32% Hispanic, 14% White, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Rate Robert Smalls Leadership Academy!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

SCSouth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

SCSouth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Beaufort, SC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Robert Smalls Leadership Academy!

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.