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Jefferson Elementary

Q: Is Jefferson Elementary a good school?

Jefferson Elementary ranks 472 nd of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

472^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 29% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Jefferson Elementary in Jefferson, SC, serves approximately 329 students from Pre-K through 5th grade in the Chesterfield 01 school district, a small, rural community where every student qualifies for free or reduced lunch.

Jefferson Elementary is currently ranked in the 28th percentile of South Carolina elementary schools, a significant improvement from its 9th percentile ranking in 2022-2023 but still well below its pre-pandemic performance when it consistently earned 3-star ratings. The school shows remarkable volatility in test scores from year to year—for example, 3rd grade math proficiency jumped from 20.4% to 50% in a single year, while 4th grade ELA swung from 35.3% to 67.4% and back to 52.5%. This instability likely reflects small class sizes where individual student performance heavily influences overall results. One clear bright spot is the school's recent 3rd grade math performance, which at 50% proficiency significantly outpaced the district average of 41.2%. However, chronic absenteeism remains a serious concern at 25.8%, the second-highest rate among nearby schools and above both the district and state averages. The school spends approximately $15,427 per student—notably more than Buford Elementary ($12,139) and North Central Elementary ($13,728)—yet those schools achieve dramatically better results, ranking in the 92nd and 73rd percentiles respectively.

For parents, the picture is mixed. Jefferson offers a favorable 12.1:1 student-teacher ratio, which allows for personalized attention, and the school has demonstrated it can achieve strong results, as seen in its recent math gains and its 4th grade science performance that nearly matched the state average in 2024-2025. The school also showed exceptional effectiveness with African American students in 2018-2019, ranking in the 95th percentile statewide. However, the persistent attendance challenges, high year-to-year score volatility, and declining effectiveness with certain student groups suggest the school is still working to find consistency. Compared to Ruby Elementary (50th percentile) and Edwards Elementary (41st percentile) in the same district, Jefferson sits in the middle of the pack, but the higher spending without corresponding results raises questions about resource allocation. Parents should consider the school's small class sizes and recent academic improvements alongside the attendance challenges when making decisions.

329

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,427

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

809 West Elizabeth Street
Jefferson, SC 29718

(843) 658-3295

District: Chesterfield 01

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	New Heights Middle
High:	Central High

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.7%

African American:

26.1%

Hispanic:

9.4%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Jefferson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 9th percentile in 2023 → 29th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 29th (2026) from a 9th-percentile low (2023)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (45% vs 58% meeting standards)

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

!Science scores 22 pts below the South Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg42%

South Carolina avg58%

472^nd of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 29%▼ down 31 pts since 2016

From top 41% (2016) to bottom 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Chesterfield 01

59^th of 75Chesterfield 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	28.2	472 of 661	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.4	456 of 639	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.0	449 of 643	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	11.9	584 of 644	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.0	473 of 625	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.4	360 of 622	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.4	218 of 643	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.2	203 of 624	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.5	216 of 639	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	57.5	251 of 619	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	72.0	122 of 638	80.9%	★★★★☆
2014	81.3	81 of 630	87.1%	★★★★☆
2013	75.6	125 of 599	79.1%	★★★★☆
2012	70.1	168 of 594	71.7%	★★★★☆
2011	53.4	309 of 597	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	54.3	289 of 589	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	47.0	338 of 580	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	43.4	365 of 577	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	48.1	331 of 566	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	39.2	381 of 559	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2005	41.4	366 of 557	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2004	40.0	370 of 550	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2003	46.6	317 of 542	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	23.5	332 of 393	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	88.6	19 of 421	95.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.0	508 of 599	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.7	406 of 580	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.7	345 of 568	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	7.6	558 of 580	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	21.0	455 of 573	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.5	366 of 554	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.0	248 of 588	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.3	186 of 570	67.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.5	451 of 634	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.6	402 of 612	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.8	413 of 602	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	11.1	581 of 608	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	22.6	486 of 600	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	45.0	326 of 580	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	72.3	141 of 600	76.5%	★★★★☆
2018	66.3	189 of 588	67.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.2	451 of 591	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.0	409 of 585	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.2	439 of 571	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.2	497 of 582	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.2	427 of 579	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	50.0	276 of 561	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.2	196 of 590	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.6	195 of 571	65.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	13.8	415 of 463	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.5	400 of 459	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.3	376 of 446	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	3.2	456 of 463	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.9	402 of 455	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.5	321 of 439	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.0	259 of 472	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.5	236 of 457	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)29th percentile~ school

Male (2026)24th percentile-5 vs school

African American (2022)16th percentile-9 vs school

Female (2026)15th percentile-13 vs school

White (2026)10th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts51%-13 vs state

Mathematics44%-10 vs state

Science30%-22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Jefferson 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
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	809 West Elizabeth Street	Jefferson	29718	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 658-3295	329	27	12.1	100.0%	180 (54.7%)	86 (26.1%)	31 (9.4%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.5%)	28.2	472^nd of 661 public elementary schools	28.6%		29.4	456^th of 639 public elementary schools	28.6%	16	46.0	52.5	55.1	50.0	40.0	40.8	30.0	$15,427	$2,126	$1,136	$3,262	$10,787	$1,378	$12,165
Pageland Elementary	Public	3-5	715 West McGregor Street	Pageland	29728	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 672-2400	365	24	15.2	100.0%	84 (23.0%)	158 (43.3%)	72 (19.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (13.7%)	11.2	617^th of 661 public elementary schools	6.7%		11.6	583^rd of 639 public elementary schools	8.8%	34	45.3	40.2	44.4	34.4	22.4	26.9	21.9	$12,514	$1,506	$1,142	$2,648	$8,443	$1,424	$9,866
Petersburg Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	326 North Arnold Street	Pageland	29728	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 672-6241	418	30	13.9	100.0%	96 (23.0%)	166 (39.7%)	101 (24.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (12.9%)								(n/a)								$15,156	$2,055	$1,248	$3,303	$10,445	$1,408	$11,853
Kershaw Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	108 North Rollins Drive	Kershaw	29067	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 475-6655	512	36	14.0	100.0%	344 (67.2%)	95 (18.6%)	17 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (10.5%)	65.4	217^th of 661 public elementary schools	67.2%		70.3	194^th of 639 public elementary schools	69.6%	23	69.3	60.0	63.2	70.6	61.5	67.8	47.7	$13,903	$925	$241	$1,166	$10,519	$2,219	$12,737
Ruby Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	249 Thurman Avenue	Ruby	29741	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 634-6310	256	22	11.6	100.0%	184 (71.9%)	27 (10.5%)	19 (7.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.4%)	47.6	329^th of 661 public elementary schools	50.2%		43.7	351^st of 639 public elementary schools	45.1%	22	61.9	58.0	72.1	59.6	42.0	48.9	40.0	$13,428	$970	$1,201	$2,171	$9,924	$1,333	$11,257
McBee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	284 E. Maple Ave	Mc Bee	29101	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 335-8347	349	30	11.6	100.0%	230 (65.9%)	62 (17.8%)	44 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.7%)	29.9	463^rd of 661 public elementary schools	30.0%		35.6	412^th of 639 public elementary schools	35.5%	51	55.1	53.9	62.3	36.8	34.6	45.3	27.0	$15,844	$1,422	$1,100	$2,521	$11,833	$1,489	$13,322
Buford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1906 North Rocky River Road	Lancaster	29720	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 286-0026	792	48	16.6	66.2%	657 (83.0%)	46 (5.8%)	45 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (5.3%)	90	49^th of 661 public elementary schools	92.6%		85.1	85^th of 639 public elementary schools	86.7%	36	84.5	78.1	76.8	91.4	88.3	74.6	67.1	$12,139	$574	$142	$715	$9,491	$1,933	$11,424
Heath Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	158 Solar Road	Heath Springs	29058	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 273-3176	297	23	13.2	76.6%	191 (64.3%)	67 (22.6%)	10 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.8%)	53.2	290^th of 661 public elementary schools	56.1%		36.8	401^st of 639 public elementary schools	37.2%	111	62.2	61.9	50.1	73.3	59.6	41.6	54.8	$16,355	$732	$398	$1,130	$12,722	$2,503	$15,224
North Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Leonard Price Lane	Kershaw	29067	Lancaster County	Kershaw 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 432-0266	509	34	14.9	79.4%	359 (70.5%)	73 (14.3%)	31 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.4%)	72.3	176^th of 661 public elementary schools	73.4%		73.8	169^th of 639 public elementary schools	73.6%	7	55.4	73.8	74.3	64.1	78.3	58.1	74.7	$13,728	$1,859	$882	$2,740	$9,552	$1,436	$10,988
Edwards Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2411 West Boulevard	Chesterfield	29709	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 623-2351	538	37	14.5	100.0%	295 (54.8%)	166 (30.9%)	20 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (10.2%)	41.9	387^th of 661 public elementary schools	41.5%		39	386^th of 639 public elementary schools	39.6%	1	53.3	48.8	66.7	57.3	52.6	51.4	32.5	$13,528	$1,422	$1,019	$2,441	$9,679	$1,409	$11,087

Frequently Asked Questions about Jefferson Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson Elementary?

Students at Jefferson Elementary are 55% White, 26% African American, 9% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races.

Is Jefferson Elementary a good school?

Jefferson Elementary ranks 472^nd of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Jefferson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : New Heights Middle
High : Central High

How many students attend Jefferson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 329 students attended Jefferson Elementary.

What district is Jefferson Elementary in?

Chesterfield 01

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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.