Summary:
Zip code 29078 in Lugoff, South Carolina, is served by five schools in the Kershaw 01 district, including three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, with a combined enrollment of roughly 4,246 students.
For families, the standout options are Lugoff Elementary and Lugoff-Elgin Middle. Lugoff Elementary is the top academic performer among the elementary schools, ranking in the 68th percentile statewide, with particularly strong 5th-grade ELA proficiency at 77.5%. Lugoff-Elgin Middle is the district's rising star, climbing from 129th to 79th in state rankings over two years and earning a 4-star rating; its 8th-grade math proficiency of 59.5% is 15 points above the state average. Lugoff-Elgin High also earns 4 stars, ranking in the 69th percentile, and excels in English 2 with 88.75% proficiency, though its graduation rate of 82.8% trails the state by nearly 4 points. Wateree Elementary performs adequately (61st percentile) but showed a concerning 16-point drop in 5th-grade math. The main concern is Doby's Mill Elementary, which ranks in the bottom half (46th percentile) and saw 3rd-grade ELA plummet from 64% to 49% year-over-year.
Spending does not clearly drive results—the middle school spends the most per student ($14,199) and performs well, but Lugoff Elementary spends less and outperforms Doby's Mill, which spends more than Wateree yet lags behind. Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide issue, rising to 22.6% at the middle school, above the state average. Notably, the middle school's Algebra 1 pass rate of 99.99% contrasts sharply with its 7th-grade math proficiency of 28.4%, suggesting a highly selective advanced program. Overall, this area offers strong options at the elementary and middle levels, but families should be aware of the volatility in year-over-year scores and the high school's graduation gap.
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