Summary:
There are four elementary schools serving grades PK-5 (with one extending to 8th grade) in zip code 29020, which covers the Camden, SC area, enrolling a total of 1,791 students across two districts: Kershaw 01 and the Charter Institute at Erskine.
Pine Tree Hill Elementary is the clear academic leader in the area, ranking in the top third of the state (64th percentile) and outperforming both district and state averages in nearly every subject and grade level. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (13.4%) among the traditional public schools. In contrast, Jackson School is a critical concern, ranking in the bottom 2% of South Carolina elementary schools, with proficiency rates dramatically below district averages—for example, only 9.3% of 5th graders are proficient in math compared to 50.7% at Pine Tree Hill. Camden Elementary performs reasonably in English Language Arts but shows a troubling decline in upper-grade math and science, with 4th grade math proficiency dropping from 51.9% to 30.9% in one year. The Montessori School of Camden offers a distinctly different model with a very low student-teacher ratio of 8.9:1 and the highest per-student spending at $14,674, though it lacks state ranking data.
Notably, higher spending does not guarantee better results—Jackson School spends $2,789 more per student than Camden Elementary yet achieves far lower scores. Chronic absenteeism strongly correlates with performance, as Pine Tree Hill has the best attendance and highest achievement, while Jackson has the worst attendance (23.8%) and lowest scores. Even within the same Kershaw 01 district, the performance gap between Pine Tree Hill and Jackson is enormous, spanning 402 rank positions. For parents, school choice in this area dramatically impacts educational outcomes, with Pine Tree Hill being the standout traditional option and Jackson School representing an urgent priority for intervention and support.
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