Summary:
Zip code 29477 is home to just one elementary school, Williams Memorial Elementary, which serves grades PK through 5 in Saint George, SC, with 553 students enrolled.
For parents considering this area, Williams Memorial Elementary is the only option, and it presents a mixed picture. The school has seen its state ranking decline over the past three years, dropping from the 51st percentile (3 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 38th percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026. This downward trend is concerning, but there are notable bright spots. The school shows consistent year-over-year improvement in English Language Arts (ELA) across all grade levels, with 5th grade proficiency (62.5%) nearly matching the state average (63.6%). However, mathematics is a significant weakness, with proficiency rates running 8.5 to 14.3 percentage points below state averages—5th grade math proficiency sits at just 37.5%. Chronic absenteeism is also elevated at 25.4%, which is 3.1 points above the state average and likely a barrier to academic progress.
On the positive side, the school benefits from a favorable 13.1:1 student-teacher ratio and spends $16,841 per student, indicating solid resource investment. It also generally outperforms its district, Dorchester 04, which currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks 56th out of 75 districts in South Carolina. While the school trails state averages in most subjects, the ELA gains suggest momentum that could close the gap within a couple of years. For parents, the key takeaway is that this school offers strong ELA instruction and small class sizes, but math intervention and attendance initiatives will be critical to reversing the ranking decline and better preparing students for middle school.
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