Ladson Elementary, Ladson SC - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ladson Elementary

Ladson Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Ladson, South Carolina. It sits within Charleston County, part of the Charleston 01 school district. Ladson itself is a census-designated place, not an incorporated town, and it has a suburban, car-dependent character. Interstate 26 and U.S. Route 78 run through it, and most residents commute by car to employment centers in nearby North Charleston, Summerville, or downtown Charleston. The area has no traditional downtown core; its civic life centers on Exchange Park, a large events venue that hosts the Coastal Carolina Fair each October. Ladson has been growing steadily, with population increases over recent decades and rising median home values, though its boundaries have shrunk as neighboring cities have annexed portions.

The school enrolls a large student body for its grade band. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with modest household incomes. The student population is diverse: the largest groups are Black and Hispanic students, with a smaller but notable share of White students, and smaller numbers of students who are Asian, two or more races, or other categories.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, Ladson Elementary’s results show that a minority of students reached the proficient level in reading and math. In English language arts, across grades three through five, roughly one-third of students scored proficient or above. In math, the share was lower, around one-quarter. In fourth-grade science, about one in five students met the proficiency benchmark. These figures place the school well below statewide averages, though the state’s assessments in ELA and science underwent cut-score changes in recent years, making direct comparisons to prior years unreliable. Social studies testing data is only available from 2018-19 and uses a different assessment, so it does not give a current picture.

Because Ladson Elementary serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school is not a charter or magnet school, and no information was available about Title I status, discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, or course access for enrichment programs. The school’s staffing and attendance data were also missing in the available records.

For families considering Ladson Elementary, the core facts are straightforward. This is a high-poverty school where most students are not reaching state proficiency benchmarks in reading, math, or science. The school is located in a growing suburban area that requires a car for most errands and commutes. It does not offer the specialized programs or academic selectivity that some families seek, and it lacks the test-score profile that often accompanies higher-income or magnet schools. Parents who value a neighborhood school with a diverse student body in a developing part of the Charleston metro area may find it a natural fit for their zoned attendance area. Those looking for stronger academic outcomes on state measures or a wider array of enrichment offerings would want to investigate further, possibly by contacting the school directly to ask about specific programs, tutoring, or support services that are not reflected in the available data. What is clear is that Ladson Elementary serves a community in transition, with a student population whose economic circumstances present real challenges, and the school’s academic results reflect that reality.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 63% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 60% · ▼ 37 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 57% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 65% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 66% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 67% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Science

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 54% · ▼ 34 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 68% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

This schoolCharleston 01, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income35%Higher-income34%0 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income32%Higher-income49%17 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income38%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income31%Higher-income28%3 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income21%Higher-income26%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income23%Higher-income33%10 pp gap