Summary:
Zip code 29404 in South Carolina is served by two elementary schools, Hunley Park Elementary and Minnie Hughes Elementary, both part of the Charleston 01 school district, which ranks in the top third of districts statewide.
For parents comparing the two schools, Hunley Park Elementary is the stronger academic performer despite serving more students (487 vs. 174) and having a higher chronic absenteeism rate (25.8% vs. 13.3%). Hunley Park achieves proficiency rates in the 39-48% range across most subjects and grades, while Minnie Hughes Elementary has dropped to the 5th percentile statewide and earned a zero-star rating. The most striking difference is cost: Minnie Hughes spends $42,121 per student—71% more than Hunley Park’s $24,637—yet produces worse outcomes in nearly every subject. For example, in 5th-grade math, Hunley Park posts 31.7% proficiency versus Minnie Hughes’ 23.8%, and in 3rd-grade math the gap widens to 48.2% versus 29.6%. Minnie Hughes also has a lower student-teacher ratio (10.6:1 vs. 12.8:1), meaning it spends more per pupil and provides more teachers per student, but this advantage is not translating into academic gains.
Both schools trail their district averages by 20-37 percentage points, indicating they serve populations with significant challenges. At Hunley Park, 4th-grade math saw a sharp 9.6-point decline year-over-year, while 5th-grade ELA improved slightly. Minnie Hughes is missing all 4th-grade test data for 2025-2026, raising concerns about data reliability. Parents should note that while Hunley Park offers more consistent performance and better resource efficiency, both schools are significantly below state averages. The data suggests that additional funding and smaller class sizes at Minnie Hughes are not driving success, pointing to deeper issues with instructional quality or school leadership that families may want to investigate further.
Thank you for your feedback!