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Fort Dorchester Elementary

Q: Is Fort Dorchester Elementary a good school?

Fort Dorchester Elementary ranks 111 th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

111^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 83% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Fort Dorchester Elementary in Summerville, SC, is a mid-sized public school serving 801 students in grades PK-5 within the highly regarded Dorchester 02 school district. The school has built a strong reputation for academic excellence, consistently earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past five years, though it was a top-tier 5-star school just a few years ago.

What truly sets Fort Dorchester apart is its remarkable success with student groups that often face achievement gaps. The school ranks in the 97th percentile statewide for African American students, the 94th percentile for English Language Learners, and the 90th percentile for students from low socio-economic backgrounds—all 5-star ratings. This makes the school a standout model of equitable education in the region. When compared to nearby schools, Fort Dorchester outperforms most of its neighbors, including Dr. Eugene Sires Elementary (53rd percentile), Oakbrook Elementary (34th percentile), and Eagle Nest Elementary (15th percentile). It is on par with Joseph R. Pye Elementary (82nd percentile), its closest academic competitor. The school also maintains a chronic absenteeism rate of 17.9%, significantly better than the district average of 24.0% and the state average of 22.3%.

While Fort Dorchester excels in many areas, there are a couple of notable challenges. The school's math scores show a concerning downward trend as students progress through grade levels—3rd-grade math proficiency is 75.5%, but this drops to 67.2% in 4th grade and 57.9% in 5th grade. Additionally, the school's performance with its Gifted and Talented students ranks in the 38th percentile, suggesting that while the school is exceptional at supporting students who need extra help, it may not be adequately challenging its highest-achieving learners. Despite these areas for improvement, Fort Dorchester achieves superior outcomes with comparatively fewer resources than many lower-performing schools in the neighboring Charleston 01 district, making it an efficient and effective choice for families seeking a strong, inclusive academic environment.

801

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,047

Per pupil spending ?

50.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5201 Old Glory Lane
Summerville, SC 29485

(843) 832-5550

District: Dorchester 02

Students who attend Fort Dorchester Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Oakbrook Middle
	Rollings Middle School of the Arts
High:	Fort Dorchester High

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.2%

African American:

27.1%

Hispanic:

16.4%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Fort Dorchester Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 73rd percentile in 2023 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (71% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of South Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 83rd (2026) from a 73rd-percentile low (2023)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school71%

District avg61%

South Carolina avg58%

111^th of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 17%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From top 8% (2016) to top 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 15Elementary Schools in the Dorchester 02

20^th of 75Dorchester 02 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	81.9	111 of 649	82.9%	★★★★☆
2025	74.3	164 of 640	74.4%	★★★★☆
2024	77.3	142 of 638	77.7%	★★★★☆
2023	71.9	176 of 644	72.7%	★★★★☆
2022	73.2	164 of 625	73.8%	★★★★☆
2021	70.9	167 of 622	73.2%	★★★★☆
2019	93.7	26 of 643	96.0%	★★★★★
2018	90.2	48 of 624	92.3%	★★★★★
2017	90.7	39 of 639	93.9%	★★★★★
2016	87.8	50 of 619	91.9%	★★★★★
2015	85.3	60 of 638	90.6%	★★★★★
2014	83.2	63 of 630	90.0%	★★★★★
2013	87.9	28 of 599	95.3%	★★★★★
2012	84.4	51 of 594	91.4%	★★★★★
2011	85.8	42 of 597	93.0%	★★★★★
2010	85.2	53 of 589	91.0%	★★★★★
2009	84.6	54 of 580	90.7%	★★★★★
2008	78.6	92 of 577	84.1%	★★★★☆
2007	70.6	157 of 566	72.3%	★★★★☆
2006	76.1	109 of 559	80.5%	★★★★☆
2005	76.6	105 of 557	81.1%	★★★★☆
2004	77.2	109 of 550	80.2%	★★★★☆
2003	76.7	112 of 542	79.3%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	91.9	13 of 379	96.6%	★★★★★
2025	76.6	60 of 381	84.3%	★★★★☆
2024	80.7	41 of 369	88.9%	★★★★☆
2023	78.9	52 of 394	86.8%	★★★★☆
2022	83.1	36 of 393	90.8%	★★★★★
2021	84.5	25 of 350	92.9%	★★★★★
2019	97.7	4 of 421	99.0%	★★★★★
2018	97.8	5 of 412	98.8%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	66.5	45 of 151	70.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	91.1	6 of 103	94.2%	★★★★★
2025	87.4	11 of 104	89.4%	★★★★★
2024	93.7	6 of 79	92.4%	★★★★★
2021	93.0	6 of 84	92.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	76.8	122 of 589	79.3%	★★★★☆
2025	71.1	167 of 581	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	81.5	91 of 565	83.9%	★★★★☆
2023	75.4	134 of 580	76.9%	★★★★☆
2022	73.1	141 of 573	75.4%	★★★★☆
2021	71.4	146 of 554	73.6%	★★★★☆
2019	91.7	28 of 588	95.2%	★★★★★
2018	88.5	50 of 570	91.2%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.8	56 of 91	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.7	91 of 109	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	51.1	109 of 147	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	71.8	38 of 156	75.6%	★★★★☆
2024	76.4	20 of 115	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	85.4	14 of 115	87.8%	★★★★☆
2022	92.7	7 of 115	93.9%	★★★★★
2019	97.8	1 of 116	99.1%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.5	61 of 624	90.2%	★★★★★
2025	75.9	117 of 613	80.9%	★★★★☆
2024	77.8	101 of 599	83.1%	★★★★☆
2023	71.6	146 of 608	76.0%	★★★★☆
2022	68.9	170 of 600	71.7%	★★★★☆
2021	78.1	101 of 580	82.6%	★★★★☆
2019	95.9	6 of 600	99.0%	★★★★★
2018	90.0	35 of 588	94.0%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	83.9	83 of 583	85.8%	★★★★☆
2025	73.4	151 of 586	74.2%	★★★★☆
2024	67.8	179 of 568	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.8	190 of 582	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.3	170 of 579	70.6%	★★★★☆
2021	64.4	183 of 561	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	93.4	24 of 590	95.9%	★★★★★
2018	89.2	46 of 571	91.9%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.1	142 of 454	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.9	142 of 460	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.5	112 of 441	74.6%	★★★★☆
2023	64.6	162 of 463	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.7	195 of 455	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.5	230 of 439	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	88.9	35 of 472	92.6%	★★★★★
2018	80.4	78 of 457	82.9%	★★★★☆

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)

African American (2026)97th percentile+14 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)94th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)90th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)86th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)79th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)76th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)70th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)69th percentile-14 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)38th percentile-44 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts78%+14 vs state

Mathematics67%+14 vs state

Science63%+12 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Thursday, May 28, 2015

My grandaughter, who lives with me, has been at FDES for five years and will be entering fifth grade in August. We could not be more pleased with the education she is receiving. The teachers care about their students and truly want them to learn. I come from a family of educators and am delighted with the education that is provided, both academic and social. The administration knows the students by name and seems to support the teachers. It is a shame that SC does not financially value their teachers, who work very hard and use their own money in many cases, for the students' benefit. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

If you are like most involved parents you are reading this because you are new to the area or considering the area. This school like other schools these days are pushing for high state test scores. They have completely lost sight of a good curriculum with innovative staff. But if you were underpaid and left without support of your principal how much would you do? If you don't mind your children treated like cattle and ignored when bullied or don't mind being ignored as a concerned parent then this is the school for you! If you want genuine concerned staff teaching your child and want a school full of opportunity and true parent involvement and consideration then you should RUN THE OTHER WAY! On a side note you should cringe at the thought of sending your child here if they have ANY SPECIAL NEEDS! FORGET IT! You will be disappointed and frustrated at the very least! Close Quote

Schools Near Fort Dorchester 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 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 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
Fort Dorchester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5201 Old Glory Lane	Summerville	29485	Dorchester County	Dorchester 02	No	No	No	No	(843) 832-5550	801	57	13.9		330 (41.2%)	217 (27.1%)	131 (16.4%)	52 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	69 (8.6%)	81.9	111^th of 649 public elementary schools	82.9%		74.3	164^th of 640 public elementary schools	74.4%	53	76.3	83.2	75.4			75.5	67.2	57.9			63.2		$14,047	$763	$834	$1,597	$11,031	$1,420	$12,450
Oakbrook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	306 Old Fort Drive	Ladson	29456	Dorchester County	Dorchester 02	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 821-1165	649	43	15.0		199 (30.7%)	291 (44.8%)	90 (13.9%)	12 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	54 (8.3%)	33.8	428^th of 649 public elementary schools	34.1%		39.6	384^th of 640 public elementary schools	40.0%	44	50.6	65.7	57.2			39.6	36.4	39.6			43.4		$14,038	$823	$910	$1,733	$10,600	$1,706	$12,305
Joseph R. Pye Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9701 Patriot Boulevard	Ladson	29456	Dorchester County	Dorchester 02	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 695-2979	775	55	14.0		319 (41.2%)	222 (28.6%)	111 (14.3%)	31 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	92 (11.9%)	80.6	119^th of 649 public elementary schools	81.7%		75.9	155^th of 640 public elementary schools	75.8%	36	75.8	74.4	79.3			79.8	59.8	65.4			62.8		$13,007	$760	$806	$1,566	$9,780	$1,662	$11,441
Eagle Nest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8640 River Oaks Drive	North Charleston	29420	Dorchester County	Dorchester 02	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 695-2460	653	45	14.4		135 (20.7%)	213 (32.6%)	204 (31.2%)	19 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.6%)	77 (11.8%)	17.2	554^th of 649 public elementary schools	14.6%		26.1	479^th of 640 public elementary schools	25.2%	75	53.7	50.0	45.4			43.0	26.1	22.6			27.1		$14,279	$627	$919	$1,546	$11,274	$1,459	$12,733
Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8600 William Moultrie Drive	North Charleston	29420	Dorchester County	Dorchester 02	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 760-9820	622	54	11.6		114 (18.3%)	271 (43.6%)	154 (24.8%)	22 (3.5%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	57 (9.2%)	42.8	372^nd of 649 public elementary schools	42.7%		37.7	394^th of 640 public elementary schools	38.4%	22	70.4	63.3	45.9			68.4	41.2	32.3			38.8		$15,236	$938	$939	$1,877	$11,602	$1,757	$13,359
Dr. Eugene Sires Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Chandler Creek Road	Summerville	29485	Dorchester County	Dorchester 02	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 695-5205	791	54	14.7		332 (42.0%)	242 (30.6%)	110 (13.9%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	97 (12.3%)	50.5	308^th of 649 public elementary schools	52.5%		62.1	241^st of 640 public elementary schools	62.3%	67	67.7	62.4	62.3			62.8	41.4	50.0			42.1		$12,121	$583	$950	$1,534	$9,021	$1,567	$10,588
Pepperhill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3300 Creola Road	North Charleston	29420	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 767-5905	453	34	13.4		25 (5.5%)	214 (47.2%)	185 (40.8%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.7%)	7.8	632^nd of 649 public elementary schools	2.6%		6	629^th of 640 public elementary schools	1.7%	3	34.5	37.4	30.1			39.7	28.0	18.8			22.7		$24,397	$5,692	$2,064	$7,756	$13,563	$3,078	$16,641
Ladson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3321 Ladson Road	Ladson	29456	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 764-2225	907	63	14.3		139 (15.3%)	427 (47.1%)	283 (31.2%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (5.8%)	11.2	604^th of 649 public elementary schools	6.9%		8.1	616^th of 640 public elementary schools	3.8%	12	40.8	44.0	36.6			20.8	29.8	23.5			35.1		$19,704	$4,216	$1,808	$6,024	$10,897	$2,783	$13,680
Summerville Prep	Public, Charter	K-8	1899 Bacons Bridge Road	Summerville	29485	Dorchester County	Limestone Charters Association	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(843) 278-9726	595	39	15.4		314 (52.8%)	165 (27.7%)	42 (7.1%)	9 (1.5%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (10.3%)	54	280^th of 649 public elementary schools	56.9%					(n/a)	60.0	63.0	72.6	55.7	52.7	57.0	38.3	61.3	30.4	23.0	61.6	50.0
Pinehurst Elementary	Public	1-5	7753 Northside Drive	North Charleston	29420	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 824-8728	758	66	11.4		30 (4.0%)	111 (14.6%)	599 (79.0%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	10 (1.3%)	10	620^th of 649 public elementary schools	4.5%		11.3	590^th of 640 public elementary schools	7.8%	30	27.9	28.6	38.7			40.4	29.3	29.2			24.6		$20,017	$6,304	$1,759	$8,063	$9,469	$2,484	$11,953

Frequently Asked Questions about Fort Dorchester Elementary

What schools do graduates of Fort Dorchester Elementary attend?

Students who attend Fort Dorchester Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Oakbrook Middle
Middle : Rollings Middle School of the Arts
High : Fort Dorchester High

What district is Fort Dorchester Elementary in?

Dorchester 02

Is Fort Dorchester Elementary a good school?

Fort Dorchester Elementary ranks 111^th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Fort Dorchester Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 801 students attended Fort Dorchester Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Fort Dorchester Elementary?

Students at Fort Dorchester Elementary are 41% White, 27% African American, 16% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

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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.