Best Public Schools in Zip Code 29486

Schools in zip code 29486, located in Summerville, SC, serve a family-oriented community through four public schools—three elementary/middle schools and one charter school—with no traditional high school in the immediate area, meaning students transition elsewhere for grades 9-12.

For parents, the standout academic performer is Cane Bay Elementary, which holds a 4-star rating and consistently ranks in the top 20% of South Carolina elementary schools. Its test scores far exceed both district and state averages, particularly in 3rd-grade ELA (78.5% proficiency vs. 64.1% state) and math (74.5% vs. 59.2% state). In middle school, Berkeley Preparatory Academy leads in ELA, with 6th-grade proficiency at 80.3% and 8th-grade at 73%, while Cane Bay Middle shows strength in 6th-grade math (41.7%). Carolyn Lewis School is the lowest-ranked (52nd percentile) but improved from 2 to 3 stars last year. The most impressive finding is Algebra 1 performance: all three schools offering the exam have proficiency rates above 95%, dramatically outpacing the state average of 73.95%.

Chronic absenteeism is below the state average (22.3%) at all four schools, with Berkeley Preparatory Academy lowest at 18.4%, though that's higher than its Charter Institute at Erskine district average of 11.5%. Carolyn Lewis School spends the most per student ($12,358), while Berkeley Preparatory Academy is most efficient ($9,894) with the smallest class sizes (12:1). Cane Bay Middle is the largest school (1,464 students) with an 18:1 ratio. A notable concern is the "middle school slide" in math—5th-grade proficiency at Cane Bay Elementary is 56.1%, but 6th-grade at Cane Bay Middle drops to 41.7%. Overall, these schools are strong within their respective districts (Berkeley 01 and Charter Institute at Erskine), but families should plan for the lack of a local high school.