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North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

522^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 20% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary is a PK-5 school in North Charleston, SC, serving 399 students within the Charleston 01 school district, where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch.

This school has faced significant academic challenges in recent years, with proficiency rates running 24 to 37 percentage points below district averages in both ELA and math. For example, 3rd-grade math proficiency sits at 31.5% compared to the district's 68.3%. The school's ranking has declined from the 49th percentile in 2016-2017 to the 20th percentile in 2025-2026. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern, with 27.3% of students missing significant school time—higher than both district (20.5%) and state (22.3%) averages. On a positive note, the school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.5:1, better than nearby W. B. Goodwin Elementary (13.3:1) and Matilda F. Dunston Elementary (12.9:1). There's also a bright spot: African American student outcomes improved dramatically from the bottom 1% statewide in 2023-2024 to the 51st percentile in 2025-2026.

When comparing nearby options, Meeting Street at Burns (2.5 miles away) ranks in the 65th percentile with ELA proficiency of 60-76%, while Malcolm C. Hursey Montessori (1.9 miles away) achieves 71.7% in 3rd-grade ELA and 71.8% in math. These nearby schools demonstrate that stronger outcomes are possible with similar student populations. The school's creative arts focus appears to benefit literacy more than math—5th-grade ELA proficiency reaches 50.7%, approaching the state average, while math remains flat across grades. Spending has been volatile, swinging from $33,937 per student in 2023-2024 to $8,489 in 2024-2025, which may impact program continuity. Hispanic students represent an urgent area of concern, ranking in the bottom 1% statewide for that subgroup.

399

Students ?

10.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,489

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5200 Lackawanna Boulevard
North Charleston, SC 29405

(843) 529-2831

District: Charleston 01

Students who attend North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Morningside Middle
High:	North Charleston High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

44.1%

Hispanic:

27.3%

White:

19.5%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 8th percentile in 2024 → 20th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 20th (2026) from a 8th-percentile low (2024)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (40% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg65%

South Carolina avg58%

522^nd of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 20%▼ down 23 pts since 2016

From bottom 43% (2016) to bottom 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

31^st of 45Elementary Schools in the Charleston 01

21^st 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
2026	20.6	522 of 649	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.9	550 of 640	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.8	589 of 638	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	556 of 644	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.6	548 of 625	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.0	484 of 622	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.6	502 of 643	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.4	382 of 624	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	48.3	327 of 639	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	43.9	353 of 619	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	32.7	455 of 638	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.9	184 of 379	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	25.9	314 of 381	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.1	364 of 369	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.5	377 of 394	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.9	389 of 393	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	23.4	301 of 350	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.2	360 of 421	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	47.4	214 of 412	48.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.3	455 of 589	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.2	496 of 581	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.3	539 of 565	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.5	515 of 580	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.1	549 of 573	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	16.5	469 of 554	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.8	446 of 588	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.7	343 of 570	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	6.5	153 of 155	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.3	527 of 624	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.1	577 of 613	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.0	598 of 599	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.4	590 of 608	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.5	597 of 600	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	16.4	507 of 580	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.6	536 of 600	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.2	382 of 588	35.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.0	514 of 583	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.8	513 of 586	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.9	508 of 568	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.2	502 of 582	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.4	462 of 579	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.3	415 of 561	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.2	489 of 590	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.5	391 of 571	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	55.1	221 of 463	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.8	241 of 472	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

White (2023)52nd percentile+39 vs school

African American (2026)51st percentile+32 vs school

Female (2026)23rd percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)16th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2026)12th percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)1st percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts46%-18 vs state

Science42%-10 vs state

Mathematics34%-20 vs state

5.0

4 ratings · 4 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, October 2, 2019

My daughter has attended North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary for the past three years. The teachers are passionate and the students are engaged. I would highly recommend the school! Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, March 3, 2017

Or family just moved to Charleston from Charlotte, NC. Our daughter went to a semiprivate school that had great reviews for kindergarten and first grade. Within our first six months in this school I have seen my daughters interest and retention of materials grow by leaps and bounds. It brings me great pride to see her get up every morning enthusiastic and willing to go to school. I would highly recommend this school to anyone who is considering taking a look. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, February 22, 2017

both our daughters go hear and love it. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, June 2, 2016

Phenomenal teachers and administration at this school. We have been at this school since day 1 of it opening and love the education our three children are receiving. The ratings are not a true representation of the school and caliber of teachers. Close Quote

Schools Near North Charleston Creative Arts 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	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 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
North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5200 Lackawanna Boulevard	North Charleston	29405	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 529-2831	399	38	10.5		78 (19.5%)	176 (44.1%)	109 (27.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (8.5%)	20.6	522^nd of 649 public elementary schools	19.6%		16.9	550^th of 640 public elementary schools	14.1%	28	38.6	50.0	50.7				31.5	36.2	33.8				41.7		$8,489	$2,604	$1,112	$3,717	$3,819	$954	$4,773
North Charleston Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	4921 Durant Avenue	North Charleston	29405	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 745-7107	329	28	11.9		31 (9.4%)	196 (59.6%)	85 (25.8%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.3%)	4.9	640^th of 649 public elementary schools	1.4%		21.9	512^th of 640 public elementary schools	20.0%	128	32.2	29.0	29.2				32.8	18.6	16.7				22.8		$36,935	$9,663	$3,128	$12,791	$17,851	$6,292	$24,143
Matilda F. Dunston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1825 Remount Road	North Charleston	29406	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 745-7109	569	44	12.9		36 (6.3%)	147 (25.8%)	362 (63.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.9%)	8.2	631^st of 649 public elementary schools	2.8%		4.4	636^th of 640 public elementary schools	0.6%	5	38.9	24.6	29.6				36.1	29.5	27.8				18.0		$21,324	$3,979	$1,821	$5,801	$12,531	$2,992	$15,523
Compass Collegiate Academy	Public, Charter	K-4	5010 Wetland Crossing Road	N Charleston	29418	Charleston County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	No	(843) 410-9765	155	12	13.4		20 (12.9%)	115 (74.2%)	6 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (9.0%)	17.6	552^nd of 649 public elementary schools	14.9%					(n/a)	41.2	47.1	60.0				32.4	26.4	28.0				35.3		$16,078	$395	$360	$755	$8,952	$6,371	$15,324
Malcolm C. Hursey Montessori	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	3910 Verde Avenue	North Charleston	29405	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 745-7105	471	36	13.0		202 (42.9%)	161 (34.2%)	62 (13.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (9.1%)	56.3	263^rd of 649 public elementary schools	59.5%		42.1	361^st of 640 public elementary schools	43.6%	98	71.7	64.1	53.3	55.5			71.8	50.0	40.0	48.1			56.4	48.1	$25,470	$4,315	$1,521	$5,836	$16,107	$3,527	$19,634
Meeting Street Brentwood	Public	PK, KG-8	2685 Leeds Avenue	North Charleston	29405	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(843) 529-3130	806	109	7.3		38 (4.7%)	451 (56.0%)	290 (36.0%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (2.7%)	35.2	422^nd of 649 public elementary schools	35.0%					(n/a)	33.9	47.7	33.4	63.9	61.5	50.0	59.3	46.2	25.0	37.5	32.3	51.5	23.9	59.7
Meeting Street at Burns	Public	PK, KG-5	2750 Dorchester Road	North Charleston	29405	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(843) 745-7113	295	33	8.9		7 (2.4%)	211 (71.5%)	66 (22.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.4%)	64.2	226^th of 649 public elementary schools	65.2%					(n/a)	76.3	66.6	60.4				73.7	52.4	52.3				54.7
Mary Ford Early Childhood Learning and Family Center	Public	PK-K	3180 Thomasina McPherson Boule	North Charleston	29405	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 745-7131	244	26	9.3		2 (0.8%)	214 (87.7%)	17 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.5%)								(n/a)															$98,909	$15,099	$9,014	$24,114	$59,023	$15,772	$74,795
Chicora Elementary	Public, Magnet	1-5	3100 Carner Avenue	North Charleston	29405	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 746-2210	316	33	9.4		4 (1.3%)	254 (80.4%)	50 (15.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	10.4	613^th of 649 public elementary schools	5.5%		8.8	611^th of 640 public elementary schools	4.5%	2	39.5	40.3	30.7				35.5	23.1	34.7				21.1		$26,963	$6,512	$2,510	$9,021	$14,607	$3,335	$17,942
Midland Park Primary	Public	PK-K	2415 Midland Park Road	North Charleston	29406	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 574-2183	357	32	11.1		10 (2.8%)	102 (28.6%)	236 (66.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.2%)								(n/a)															$49,289	$10,165	$4,897	$15,062	$24,681	$9,546	$34,227

Frequently Asked Questions about North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary

What district is North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary in?

Charleston 01

Is North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary a good school?

North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary ranks in the bottom 19.6% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary attend?

Students who attend North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Morningside Middle
High : North Charleston High

What is the racial makeup of North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary?

Students at North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary are 44% African American, 27% Hispanic, 20% White, 9% Two or more races.

How many students attend North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 399 students attended North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary.

Rate North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary!

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresNewAug 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.