Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Lancaster

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
B+

Lancaster County School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 4 towns

Serves Lancaster, Kershaw, Van Wyck and Heath Springs.

Lancaster’s School Grade B+ better than 71% of South Carolina school districts

Students
15,417
Schools
22
Spent per student
$13,299
SC $15,090
Students per teacher
15:1
Debt
$197.7M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Lancaster County School District

  • Its letter, B+: results better than 71% of South Carolina districts
  • Spends 12% less per student than the SC average
  • 15 students per teacher
  • Enrollment up 10.6% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $197.7M, about $12,823 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B+: better than 71% of the 92 South Carolina school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math above the state, 2021–22
B+
GraduationFour-year graduation close to the state, class of 2023
C+
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
B+Lancaster 9,623B+Kershaw 2,038B+Van Wyck 1,065Heath Springs 860

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Lancaster. Grade by grade →

PK–52 elementary schoolsThis district
6–85 middle schoolsThis district
9–12Lancaster HighThis district

Test scores vs. SC

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency45%
State average 41% · 7,692 students tested
Reading / language arts52%
State average 52.1% · 7,828 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)83%
State average 83.8% · 1,031 in the class

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$13,299 per student · 12% below SC
Spending
Classroom instruction 55%Support & administration 40%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 40%State 48%Federal 11%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
13,940’20
14,609’21
15,114’22
15,298’23
15,417’24

Up 10.6% since 2020–21.

Students
White 52%Black 23%Hispanic 14%Two or more races 6%Asian 5%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

22 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with South Carolina’s other public schools.

Harrisburg Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Indian Land
A
1,161 students17:1
Van Wyck Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Lancaster
A−
820 students15:1
Buford Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Lancaster
B+
792 students17:1
North Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Lancaster
B
645 students15:1
Kershaw Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Kershaw
C+
512 students14:1
Erwin Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Lancaster
D
418 students13:1
Clinton Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Lancaster
D−
412 students12:1
Brooklyn Springs Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Lancaster
D−
398 students13:1
McDonald Green Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Lancaster
C+
337 students13:1
Heath Springs Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Heath Springs
B−
297 students13:1
Indian Land Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–4 · Indian Land
A
1,042 students16:1
Discovery Charter of Lancaster
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Lancaster
B
146 students15:1
Indian Land Intermediate
Middle · Grades 5–6 · Indian Land
1,181 students16:1
Andrew Jackson Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Kershaw
C−
480 students15:1
A. R. Rucker Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Lancaster
D−
477 students13:1
South Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Lancaster
C−
439 students12:1
Buford Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Lancaster
C+
374 students13:1
Indian Land Middle
Middle · Grades 7–8 · Indian Land
B+
1,102 students17:1
Indian Land High
High · Grades 9–12 · Lancaster
A
1,905 students16:1
Lancaster High
High · Grades 9–12 · Lancaster
B−
1,390 students16:1
Andrew Jackson High
High · Grades 9–12 · Kershaw
A−
557 students11:1
Buford High
High · Grades 9–12 · Lancaster
B+
532 students12:1

Left off: 1 school reporting no students for 2024–25.

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within South Carolina.