Dorchester 04 School District

500 Ridge Street
St. George, SC 29477
(District boundaries shown in map)
3/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Dorchester 04 School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in South Carolina for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Student Attention
Lowest student:teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 3 public preschools serving 1,035 students in Dorchester 04 School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 4/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public pre schools in South Carolina.
Public Preschools in Dorchester 04 School District have an average math proficiency score of 33% (versus the South Carolina public pre school average of 45%), and reading proficiency score of 39% (versus the 48% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 62% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the South Carolina public preschool average of 54% (majority Black).

Overview

This School District
This State (SC)
# Schools
4 Schools
578 Schools
# Students
1,704 Students
307,049 Students
# Teachers
127 Teachers
22,837 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Dorchester 04 School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 76 school districts in South Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 90-94% has increased from 85-89% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (SC)
#58 out of 81 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
26%
41%
42%
52%
40%
50%
90-94%
84%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.63
0.67
% American Indian
1%
n/a
% Asian
1%
1%
% Hispanic
6%
14%
% Black
47%
32%
% White
38%
46%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
7%
7%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $22,011 is higher than the state median of $15,220. The school district revenue/student has grown by 23% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $21,684 is higher than the state median of $14,817. The school district spending/student has grown by 23% over four school years.
This School District
This State (SC)
Total Revenue
$38 MM
$12,084 MM
Spending
$37 MM
$11,764 MM
Revenue / Student
$22,011
$15,220
Spending / Student
$21,684
$14,817

Best Dorchester 04 School District Public Preschools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
William Memorial Elementary School
(Math: 39% | Reading: 43%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
290 South Metts Street
Saint George, SC 29477
(843) 563-3231
Grades: PK-5
| 597 students
Rank: #22.
Clay Hill Elementary School
(Math: 20-29% | Reading: 40-49%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
387 South Railroad Avenue
Ridgeville, SC 29472
(843) 851-7386
Grades: PK-5
| 173 students
Rank: #33.
Harleyville Elementary School
(Math: 20-24% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1650 East Main Street
Dorchester, SC 29437
(843) 462-7671
Grades: PK-5
| 265 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 4 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 1,704 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 13:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 62%
  • : 90-94% (Top 20% in SC)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 26% (Btm 50%)
  • : 42% (Btm 50%)
  • : 40% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), SC Dept. of Education

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