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Public elementary school · Charleston 01 · Charleston, South Carolina

James Island Elementary

James Island Elementary rates 6.5, right at the middle of Charleston 01's elementary schools, whose rated median is 6.8.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.5this school

6.5 on a one-to-ten scale; the Charleston 01 median is 6.8.

#549 of 1,190 schools in South Carolina · Charleston 01: 49 elementary schools rated, median 6.8

The brief

A Charleston 01 elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.

Students at James Island Elementary score 70% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 68%).

It ranks 549 of 1,190 schools in South Carolina and 43 of 79 in Charleston 01.

Math69%15 points above the South Carolina average of 54%Grades 3–5 · 236 students tested · 2026 SC READY
Reading71%7 points above the South Carolina average of 64%Grades 3–5 · 236 students tested · 2026 SC READY
In 2026, 69% of students were proficient in math and 71% in reading, against South Carolina averages of 54% and 64%.2026 SC READY; 37 test records from SC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
5.5
50% of the rating
Academics
7.8
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
7.2
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 62% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 64% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 SC READY · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 SC READY · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 29412; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
James Island Elementary and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$99,443
Median home value
$458,000
Median rent
$1,744/mo
College educated
54.8%
Homeownership
72.5%
Poverty rate
7.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 29412; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
4
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
26
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,889/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Charleston. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Charleston), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
44.2%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 7.7Compare →
  2. 7.4Compare →
  3. James Island Elementarythis school
    6.5
  4. 5.3Compare →
  5. 4.7Compare →
Four grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and two rate higher than James Island Elementary.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does James Island Elementary serve?

James Island Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend James Island Elementary?

James Island Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 616 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at James Island Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at James Island Elementary is 16.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does James Island Elementary rank in SC?

James Island Elementary ranks #549 of 1,190 schools in SC.

What is James Island Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

James Island Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.5 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at James Island Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, James Island Elementary has 62% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 64% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is James Island Elementary a charter school?

No, James Island Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is James Island Elementary a Title I school?

No, James Island Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for James Island Elementary?

44.2% of students at James Island Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
616
Student-teacher ratio
16.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
38
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Charleston County
Rank in district
#43 of 79
Schools in district
82
District spending per student
$16,635
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
13.8%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 29412)
40,495
Area average commute
23.1 min
Area median age
40

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, South Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.