Summary:
Zip code 29920, located on Saint Helena Island, SC, is served by a single school: St. Helena Elementary, a PK-5 school with 325 students in the Beaufort 01 district.
For parents considering this area, St. Helena Elementary presents a mixed picture. The school’s standout strength is its 3rd grade performance, where math proficiency reached 65.5% in 2025-2026—actually surpassing both the district (59.5%) and state (59.2%)—and ELA jumped to 55.2%, a 19.6-point improvement from the prior year. This dramatic turnaround suggests a highly effective 3rd grade teacher or intervention program. However, this success does not carry into upper grades. By 4th grade, ELA proficiency drops to just 30% (35 points below the state), and 5th grade math falls to 24.5% (25 points below the state). Science is a critical weakness, with only 24% proficiency in 4th grade versus 51.6% statewide. The school has ranked in the bottom 15% of South Carolina elementary schools for three consecutive years.
Notably, the school spends $27,964 per student—nearly double the national average—and maintains an excellent 8:1 student-teacher ratio, yet these resources have not translated into strong overall outcomes. Chronic absenteeism sits at 22.3%, matching the state average, meaning about 1 in 5 students misses significant instructional time. The school also underperforms its own district, which ranks in the top 37% statewide, indicating school-specific challenges rather than district-wide issues. For parents, the key takeaway is that while 3rd grade shows promise, the school struggles to sustain academic momentum in 4th and 5th grades, particularly in math and science. The high spending and small class sizes suggest a supportive environment, but families should be aware of the significant achievement gaps that persist in upper elementary grades.
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