The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Bells Elementary
Bells Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the unincorporated rural community of Ruffin, South Carolina, part of the Colleton 01 school district. The school is a regular public elementary school, neither a charter nor a magnet.
The student body reflects the racial and economic makeup of this part of the Lowcountry: the enrollment is roughly split between Black students and white students, with a smaller share of Hispanic students and a small number of students who identify as two or more races or American Indian or Alaska Native. Every enrolled student qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which places the school in a high-poverty context. The school is of a moderate size for an elementary, with classes that grow a bit larger by the upper elementary grades.
On the 2024-25 South Carolina state assessments, reading performance stood as a relative strength. In third grade and fifth grade, a clear majority of students scored proficient or above in English language arts. Fourth-grade reading came in lower, with about a third of students reaching that bar. Mathematics results were more modest across all three tested grades, with proficiency rates below a third in each, and fifth-grade math showed the lowest figure among the three subjects tested at that level. Science, tested only in fourth grade, also showed a proficiency rate below a third. The state changed its cut scores for English language arts and science in this testing cycle, so direct comparisons with earlier years are not possible from the data on hand. The multi-year trend data contains only the single 2024-25 point, offering no earlier reading or math results to track change over time.
Because Bells Elementary serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not have data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, or staffing in the available record. A parent looking for those details would need to ask the district or the school directly.
Ruffin itself is an unincorporated community with no town government, spread along US Route 21 about a short drive from Walterboro. The area is quiet and rural, with farms and homes scattered across the landscape. Homes are well below state and national averages in value. The walkable commercial district is essentially absent; the nearest significant shopping and services are in Walterboro. The post office and a few churches serve as the main civic anchors. Growth and development in the ZIP code have been limited, and home values have seen a modest decline recently. The district brief turned up no recent changes or initiatives that would alter the picture for families considering the school.
For a parent, Bells Elementary presents a straightforward profile. The school serves a high-poverty, rural population and produces reading results that are noticeably stronger than its math and science outcomes. A parent considering the school would want to understand how the school supports math learning and whether the resources available in a small, unincorporated community meet their family's needs for enrichment and services beyond the school day.
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