Summary:
Zip code 29909 in Bluffton, SC, is served by a single elementary school, Okatie Elementary, which enrolls 648 students across grades PK-5 and is part of the Beaufort 01 school district.
For parents considering this area, Okatie Elementary is a consistently high-performing school with a 4-star state rating for three consecutive years, placing it in the top quartile of South Carolina elementary schools. The school’s greatest strength is its early-grade instruction: 3rd graders achieve proficiency rates nearly 20 points above state averages in both English Language Arts (83.8%) and Math (78.8%), and 4th graders also outperform state averages by 8 points in ELA and 16 points in Math. Science proficiency in 4th grade is similarly strong at 66.4%, well above the state’s 51.6%. The school also excels in student engagement, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 11.0%—less than half the state average of 22.3%—and maintains a favorable 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio with per-student spending of $17,061, indicating strong resource allocation.
However, the data reveals a notable "grade slide" pattern. While 3rd and 4th grade performance is exceptional, 5th grade proficiency drops dramatically: ELA falls to 55.6% (8 points below the state average) and Math falls to 51.3% (only 2 points above state). This represents a 28-point decline from 3rd to 5th grade in both subjects, and year-over-year data shows 5th grade scores dropped nearly 19 points in both ELA and Math from the previous year. This suggests either a particularly strong cohort has moved on, or upper-grade instruction may need attention. Overall, Okatie Elementary is an excellent choice for families with younger children, but parents of upper-elementary students may want to monitor progress closely as the school works to replicate its early-grade success in later years.
Thank you for your feedback!