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Mt. Zion Elementary

Q: Is Mt. Zion Elementary a good school?

Mt. Zion Elementary ranks 395 th of 640 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

395^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 640 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 38% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Mt. Zion Elementary is a public elementary school located in Johns Island, South Carolina, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 299 students. The school is part of the Charleston 01 School District, which is ranked 23 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the school district's relatively strong performance, Mt. Zion Elementary has consistently underperformed compared to the district and state in academic achievement, with low proficiency rates in ELA and Math across multiple grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in ELA was 48.4% at Mt. Zion, compared to 64.5% in the district and 61.8% statewide. Additionally, the school has had high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 16% to 24.7% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

The challenges faced by Mt. Zion Elementary may be related to the high percentage of students from low-income families, as the school has a 100% free and reduced-price lunch rate. Despite the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11 to 12.5 students per teacher, and a significant increase in spending per student, from $13,852 in 2020-2021 to $38,578 in 2023-2024, the school's academic performance has not yet improved. Addressing the root causes of the school's challenges, such as chronic absenteeism and socioeconomic factors, will likely require a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to support student learning and success.

295

Students ?

10.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,978

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3464 River Road
Johns Island, SC 29455

(843) 559-3841

District: Charleston 01

Students who attend Mt. Zion Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Haut Gap Middle
High:	St. Johns High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

38.6%

White:

33.6%

African American:

23.4%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Mt. Zion Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 24th percentile in 2015 → 38th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (49% vs 56% meeting standards)

!Science scores 21 pts below the South Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school49%

District avg62%

South Carolina avg56%

395^th of 640

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 38%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 24% (2015) to bottom 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

26^th of 43Elementary Schools in the Charleston 01

23^rd of 75Charleston 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
2025	37.6	395 of 640	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.7	374 of 638	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.3	401 of 644	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.7	406 of 625	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.0	384 of 622	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.0	474 of 643	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.9	396 of 624	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.1	381 of 639	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	32.7	441 of 619	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	29.3	488 of 638	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	23.4	540 of 630	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	32.3	461 of 599	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	42.1	389 of 594	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	70.2	169 of 597	71.7%	★★★★☆
2010	51.5	306 of 589	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	42.0	374 of 580	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	59.2	248 of 577	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	51.6	300 of 566	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	31.0	434 of 559	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	24.8	459 of 557	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	38.1	381 of 550	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2003	31.0	412 of 542	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	46.9	58 of 104	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	16.8	77 of 82	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	31.8	427 of 588	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.2	437 of 570	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	52.6	58 of 116	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	11.4	99 of 104	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.4	367 of 613	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.8	272 of 599	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.4	341 of 608	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.8	278 of 600	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.0	299 of 580	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.6	361 of 600	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.0	282 of 588	52.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	42.4	325 of 561	42.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2019)50th percentile+24 vs school

English Language Learner (2019)44th percentile+18 vs school

Male (2021)42nd percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)40th percentile~ school

Female (2019)27th percentile~ school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics58%+5 vs state

English Language Arts48%-15 vs state

Science28%-21 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Wonderful family school. The teachers are extremely attentive to my children and are always welcoming. Close Quote

Schools Near Mt. Zion Elementary

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)		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	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
Mt. Zion Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3464 River Road	Johns Island	29455	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 559-3841	295	28	10.6		99 (33.6%)	69 (23.4%)	114 (38.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	37.6	395^th of 640 public elementary schools	38.3%		41.7	374^th of 638 public elementary schools	41.4%	21	48.4	37.1	57.1				51.5	42.8	79.4				28.5		$27,978	$6,509	$2,009	$8,518	$15,871	$3,589	$19,459
James Island Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1872 Grimball Road	Charleston	29412	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 762-8240	580	41	14.1		377 (65.0%)	152 (26.2%)	19 (3.3%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (4.5%)	74.3	166^th of 640 public elementary schools	74.1%		66.1	208^th of 638 public elementary schools	67.4%	42	80.8	61.5	70.1				77.5	59.0	65.7				51.8		$26,743	$4,799	$1,534	$6,333	$16,689	$3,721	$20,410
Angel Oak Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6134 Chisolm Road	Johns Island	29455	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 559-6412	828	57	14.5		505 (61.0%)	116 (14.0%)	163 (19.7%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (4.8%)	69.5	198^th of 640 public elementary schools	69.1%		62.8	230^th of 638 public elementary schools	63.9%	32	69.5	65.9	67.7				66.7	58.9	56.5				55.1		$18,949	$3,333	$1,475	$4,808	$11,769	$2,372	$14,141
Murray-LaSaine Montessori	Public	PK, KG-8	691 Riverland Drive	Charleston	29412	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 762-2765	347	25	14.1		283 (81.6%)	28 (8.1%)	22 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.7%)	78.9	127^th of 640 public elementary schools	80.2%		81.1	111^th of 638 public elementary schools	82.6%	16	77.5	84.2	80.0				65.0	60.5	47.5				68.4		$26,181	$3,783	$1,369	$5,152	$16,995	$4,034	$21,029
Harbor View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1576 Harbor View Road	Charleston	29412	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 762-2749	621	42	14.6		483 (77.8%)	71 (11.4%)	29 (4.7%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	28 (4.5%)	91.1	41^st of 640 public elementary schools	93.6%		89.7	58^th of 638 public elementary schools	90.9%	17	80.9	83.0	82.1				77.6	75.8	69.5				73.7		$16,949	$2,536	$1,313	$3,849	$10,363	$2,737	$13,100
Stono Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	314 Huntley Drive	Charleston	29407	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 763-1507	337	25	13.4		56 (16.6%)	232 (68.8%)	23 (6.8%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.2%)	16.8	551^st of 640 public elementary schools	13.9%		20.9	514^th of 638 public elementary schools	19.4%	37	44.2	42.9	40.9				39.6	39.3	25.0				28.5		$28,562	$6,379	$1,956	$8,335	$15,932	$4,295	$20,227
Oakland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	505-A Arlington Drive	Charleston	29414	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 763-1510	556	40	13.9		231 (41.5%)	205 (36.9%)	42 (7.6%)	23 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	52 (9.4%)	68.1	206^th of 640 public elementary schools	67.8%		67.2	203^rd of 638 public elementary schools	68.2%	3	71.4	65.9	60.0				75.0	64.7	43.1				55.7		$23,557	$3,753	$1,441	$5,194	$14,671	$3,692	$18,363
St. Andrew's School of Math and Science	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	30 Chadwick Drive	Charleston	29407	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	Yes	No	No	(843) 763-1503	769	52	14.8		450 (58.5%)	166 (21.6%)	82 (10.7%)	15 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	54 (7.0%)	86.3	75^th of 640 public elementary schools	88.3%		89.7	57^th of 638 public elementary schools	91.1%	18	75.9	73.6	80.6				80.0	70.5	70.9				65.6		$18,113	$3,633	$1,283	$4,916	$10,805	$2,392	$13,197
Stiles Point Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	883-A Mikell Drive	Charleston	29412	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 762-2767	866	51	17.1		772 (89.1%)	34 (3.9%)	19 (2.2%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (4.0%)	96.2	15^th of 640 public elementary schools	97.7%		95.4	19^th of 638 public elementary schools	97.0%	4	90.8	94.9	88.3				82.9	83.6	76.0				82.8		$17,245	$3,274	$1,316	$4,590	$10,588	$2,066	$12,654
Carolina Voyager Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	721 Wappoo Road	Charleston	29407	Charleston County	Charleston 01	Yes	No	No	No	(843) 203-3891	402	30	13.6		287 (71.4%)	51 (12.7%)	21 (5.2%)	12 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.7%)	74.1	167^th of 640 public elementary schools	73.9%		70.5	179^th of 638 public elementary schools	71.9%	12	77.8	63.1	73.9	60.9	74.0	48.9	77.8	71.7	71.7	52.1	60.9	27.3	47.8	45.7

Frequently Asked Questions about Mt. Zion Elementary

What schools do graduates of Mt. Zion Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mt. Zion Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Haut Gap Middle
High : St. Johns High

What is the racial makeup of Mt. Zion Elementary?

Students at Mt. Zion Elementary are 39% Hispanic, 34% White, 23% African American, 4% Two or more races.

Is Mt. Zion Elementary a good school?

Mt. Zion Elementary ranks 395^th of 640 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Mt. Zion Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 295 students attended Mt. Zion Elementary.

What district is Mt. Zion Elementary in?

Charleston 01

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Schools in Johns Island, SC

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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.