Summary:
Zip code 29201 in Columbia, SC, is served by just two schools—Clear Dot Charter School (PK-11) and Logan Elementary (PK-5)—together educating about 711 students, with no dedicated middle or high school in the area, meaning families face a significant transition after 5th grade.
These two schools offer very different experiences. Logan Elementary stands out for its strong academic performance, particularly in English Language Arts, where 4th graders hit 71.4% proficiency—well above the state average of 65.4%—and in 4th grade science at 64.2%, beating the state by 12.6 points. It also showed dramatic year-over-year gains across all subjects, with math jumping from 31% to 53.6% proficiency. This success comes with a hefty price tag: Logan spends $29,701 per student, more than double the per-student spending at Clear Dot Charter School ($12,810). In contrast, Clear Dot, which operates under the Charter Institute at Erskine, struggles mightily in mathematics—3rd grade proficiency is just 2.7% versus 50% at Logan—and its middle-grade math scores remain critically low (5.4% in 7th grade). Clear Dot does show a bright spot in English 2 EOCEP scores at 57.15%, but its overall math crisis spans every grade level.
Both schools share a chronic absenteeism rate around 22-23%, matching the state average, though Logan fares better than its district, Richland 01, which sits at 26.7%. Clear Dot’s dropout rate (2.5%) is below its district but above the state. For parents, the choice is stark: Logan offers proven academic results with high investment, while Clear Dot provides a broader grade span but faces serious math challenges and declining scores in several subjects, including a dramatic U.S. History drop from 45.83% to 8%. Given the lack of middle schools in the zip code, families should weigh Logan’s strong elementary foundation against Clear Dot’s ability to keep students through 11th grade, albeit with significant academic risks.
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