Summary:
Zip code 29078 is home to a single high school, Lugoff-Elgin High, which serves grades 9 through 12 as part of the Kershaw 01 school district, a 3-star rated district ranked 27th out of 75 in South Carolina.
For parents considering this area, Lugoff-Elgin High is a large school with 1,759 students and a student-teacher ratio of 18:1. The school is on a clear upward trajectory, improving its state ranking from 113th (52nd percentile) in 2023-2024 to 75th (69th percentile) for 2025-2026, earning a 4-star rating. Its standout strength is English: English 2 proficiency is an impressive 88.75%, well above the state average of 83.79%, and English 1 also exceeds state averages at 64.59%. U.S. History proficiency (65.55%) also beats the state average. However, Algebra 1 is a weak point, with only 62.5% proficiency, below the state's 64.58% average. The graduation rate of 82.8% trails the state average of 86.7%, and the dropout rate (2.5%) is slightly higher than the state's 2.1%. Chronic absenteeism (21.1%) is marginally better than the state average of 22.3%.
The most notable takeaway is the "English 2 anomaly" – a nearly 89% proficiency rate that far outpaces all other subjects and is a key driver of the school's rising rank. This suggests a highly effective English program, while math clearly needs targeted intervention. There is also a disconnect between the school's strong test-based ranking and its below-average graduation rate, indicating that while academics are improving, student completion remains a challenge. With per-student spending of $10,583, the school achieves above-average results in several areas at a typical cost, suggesting efficient resource use, particularly in English. Overall, Lugoff-Elgin High is a school showing consistent year-over-year improvement, with clear academic strengths in humanities and a specific area for growth in mathematics.
Thank you for your feedback!