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Dewey-Carter Elementary

Q: Is Dewey-Carter Elementary a good school?

Dewey-Carter Elementary ranks 295 th of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

295^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 55% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Dewey-Carter Elementary in Effingham, SC, is a PK-5 school in the Florence 01 district, serving 606 students in a predominantly low-income area where all students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The most encouraging news for parents is the school's steady upward climb. Over the past decade, Dewey-Carter has transformed from a 1-star school to a consistent 3-star rating, jumping from the 36th to the 55th percentile in a single year. The school shines brightest in early grades—3rd-grade math proficiency (64-77%) consistently beats both district and state averages, and the school ranks in the 70th percentile statewide for its African American students, a notable strength. Class sizes are also favorable, with a 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio. However, there's a clear "tale of two grade levels": while 3rd-grade reading hits 71% proficiency, 5th-grade reading drops to 53%, and 5th-grade math falls to just 33.7%—far below nearby Carver Elementary (65.3%) and Royall Elementary (60%). This suggests strong early intervention but a struggle to maintain momentum as students advance.

Compared to its neighbors, Dewey-Carter sits in the middle of the pack—outperforming Greenwood Elementary and Savannah Grove Elementary but trailing Royall and Carver. The school operates efficiently, spending $13,632 per student—60% less than North Vista Elementary, which achieves lower rankings. Two areas need attention: chronic absenteeism (28.4%, well above the state's 22.3% and nearly double Royall's 15.1%) and support for disabled students, where the school ranks in the 3rd percentile. Addressing attendance and upper-grade instruction will be key to continuing the school's impressive turnaround.

606

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,632

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4937 South Irby Street
Effingham, SC 29541

(843) 664-8479

District: Florence 01

Students who attend Dewey-Carter Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Southside Middle
High:	South Florence High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

43.2%

White:

40.6%

Hispanic:

9.9%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Dewey-Carter Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 31st percentile in 2016 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 24 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the South Carolina median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

District avg57%

South Carolina avg58%

295^th of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 45%▲ up 24 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 13Elementary Schools in the Florence 01

29^th of 75Florence 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	52.6	295 of 661	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.1	295 of 639	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.8	286 of 643	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.1	414 of 644	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.6	342 of 625	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.8	391 of 622	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.7	441 of 643	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.0	475 of 624	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	33.8	432 of 639	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	34.0	426 of 619	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	36.7	415 of 638	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	39.9	415 of 630	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	34.9	428 of 599	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	38.8	409 of 594	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	31.9	459 of 597	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	39.0	399 of 589	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	32.2	433 of 580	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	37.2	409 of 577	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	29.1	454 of 566	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	26.8	453 of 559	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	26.3	452 of 557	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	22.9	469 of 550	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	28.4	425 of 542	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.4	115 of 384	70.1%	★★★★☆
2025	59.7	134 of 380	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.8	104 of 369	71.8%	★★★★☆
2023	51.7	175 of 394	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.2	163 of 393	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.2	236 of 350	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.5	264 of 421	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.2	302 of 412	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	11.2	142 of 147	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	31.9	131 of 189	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.0	109 of 161	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.5	278 of 599	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.6	249 of 580	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.5	221 of 568	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	32.3	401 of 580	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.1	290 of 573	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.8	308 of 554	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.7	394 of 588	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.8	449 of 570	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	33.0	92 of 105	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.7	246 of 634	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.7	248 of 612	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.7	221 of 602	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.2	374 of 608	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.2	285 of 600	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.2	348 of 580	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.2	389 of 600	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.8	408 of 588	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.9	279 of 591	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.6	328 of 585	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.2	314 of 571	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.1	367 of 582	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.9	354 of 579	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.2	408 of 561	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.6	445 of 590	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.0	448 of 571	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.7	261 of 463	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.3	315 of 459	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.0	262 of 446	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.5	377 of 463	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	44.3	279 of 455	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.3	295 of 439	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.6	390 of 472	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.5	432 of 457	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)70th percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)61st percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)54th percentile~ school

Male (2026)53rd percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)44th percentile-12 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2023)12th percentile-23 vs school

Disabled (2025)3rd percentile-50 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts63%~ state avg

Mathematics52%~ state avg

Science50%~ state avg

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Schools Near Dewey-Carter 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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th 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
Dewey-Carter Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4937 South Irby Street	Effingham	29541	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8479	606	44	13.7	100.0%	246 (40.6%)	262 (43.2%)	60 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.3%)	52.6	295^th of 661 public elementary schools	55.4%		52.1	295^th of 639 public elementary schools	53.8%		71.0	65.3	53.1		64.0	57.9	33.7		50.5		$13,632	$982	$959	$1,941	$10,252	$1,439	$11,691
Greenwood Elementary	Public	K-5	2300 East Howe Springs Road	Florence	29505	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8451	530	39	13.5	100.0%	123 (23.2%)	337 (63.6%)	16 (3.0%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (8.9%)	30.2	459^th of 661 public elementary schools	30.6%		31.2	440^th of 639 public elementary schools	31.1%	19	55.9	60.5	48.8		36.9	47.8	26.9		41.3		$14,184	$1,028	$1,335	$2,363	$10,019	$1,801	$11,821
Savannah Grove Elementary	Public	K-5	2348 Savannah Grove Road	Effingham	29541	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8463	385	31	12.4	100.0%	69 (17.9%)	267 (69.4%)	19 (4.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (7.0%)	40.1	401^st of 661 public elementary schools	39.3%		53.4	285^th of 639 public elementary schools	55.4%	116	56.6	54.3	71.9		48.9	38.6	40.3		50.0		$16,581	$1,045	$1,569	$2,614	$12,226	$1,741	$13,967
Briggs Elementary	Public	K-5	1012 Congaree Drive	Florence	29501	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8169	451	34	13.4	73.7%	216 (47.9%)	168 (37.3%)	22 (4.9%)	6 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (8.4%)	67.4	209^th of 661 public elementary schools	68.4%		71	192^nd of 639 public elementary schools	70.0%	17	78.2	70.8	71.3		71.8	50.0	52.3		49.4		$14,690	$562	$925	$1,487	$11,546	$1,657	$13,203
McLaurin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	1400 McMillan Lane	Florence	29506	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8457	552	40	13.8	100.0%	182 (33.0%)	273 (49.5%)	37 (6.7%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (9.6%)								(n/a)											$16,637	$823	$1,259	$2,082	$12,500	$2,055	$14,556
Royall Elementary	Public	K-5	1101 Cheraw Drive	Florence	29501	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8167	512	40	12.8	100.0%	216 (42.2%)	199 (38.9%)	38 (7.4%)	13 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (8.6%)	87.4	70^th of 661 public elementary schools	89.4%		83.2	93^rd of 639 public elementary schools	85.4%	23	89.0	78.4	87.5		76.7	74.3	60.0		67.5		$15,720	$1,184	$813	$1,997	$12,114	$1,610	$13,724
Delmae Heights Elementary	Public	K-5	1211 South Cashua Drive	Florence	29501	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8448	988	63	15.6	68.6%	269 (27.2%)	458 (46.4%)	111 (11.2%)	57 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	93 (9.4%)	57.5	265^th of 661 public elementary schools	59.9%		66.6	212^th of 639 public elementary schools	66.8%	53	75.3	74.0	61.3		63.9	49.1	40.0		46.5		$12,415	$834	$941	$1,774	$9,161	$1,480	$10,641
J. C. Lynch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	124 Hicks Road	Coward	29530	Florence County	Florence 03	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 389-3323	353	28	12.7	100.0%	239 (67.7%)	60 (17.0%)	40 (11.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.1%)	47	334^th of 661 public elementary schools	49.5%		40.7	369^th of 639 public elementary schools	42.3%	35	67.8	77.3	50.0	47.7	60.7	70.4	26.4	23.8	45.4	35.7	$13,662	$2,126	$1,189	$3,315	$8,839	$1,509	$10,348
Carver Elementary	Public	K-5	515 North Cashua Drive	Florence	29501	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8156	615	44	14.1	67.9%	245 (39.8%)	281 (45.7%)	21 (3.4%)	26 (4.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.3%)	72.7	172^nd of 661 public elementary schools	74.0%		80.8	110^th of 639 public elementary schools	82.8%	62	72.0	71.4	79.6		60.0	61.4	65.3		56.3		$13,840	$675	$884	$1,559	$10,641	$1,641	$12,282
Theodore Lester Elementary	Public	3-5	3501 East Palmetto Street	Florence	29506	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8459	362	30	12.0	100.0%	109 (30.1%)	190 (52.5%)	26 (7.2%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (9.4%)	53.2	291^st of 661 public elementary schools	56.0%		49.5	311^th of 639 public elementary schools	51.3%	20	68.2	71.7	60.2		51.4	51.5	41.1		54.5		$18,734	$935	$1,323	$2,258	$14,315	$2,161	$16,476

Frequently Asked Questions about Dewey-Carter Elementary

How many students attend Dewey-Carter Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 606 students attended Dewey-Carter Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Dewey-Carter Elementary?

Students at Dewey-Carter Elementary are 43% African American, 41% White, 10% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Dewey-Carter Elementary attend?

Students who attend Dewey-Carter Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Southside Middle
High : South Florence High

What district is Dewey-Carter Elementary in?

Florence 01

Is Dewey-Carter Elementary a good school?

Dewey-Carter Elementary ranks 295^th of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Dewey-Carter Elementary!

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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.