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ENROLLMENT TRENDS · SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina schools in decline

South Carolina public schools with the largest enrollment loss from 2017-18 to 2024-25.

Schools in this report
50
steepest declines in state
Largest drop
-100%
Empowerment and Enrichment Academy
Range
-100% to -33%
2017-18 → 2024-25
TOP 50 SC PUBLIC SCHOOLS BY ENROLLMENT LOSS · 2017-18 → 2024-25
SchoolCityDistrict2017-182024-25% change ↑
Empowerment and Enrichment AcademyCOLUMBIADept of Juvenile Justice1140-100%
The Palmetto Empowerment and Enrichment AcademyCOLUMBIADept of Juvenile Justice1240-100%
Turbeville HighTURBEVILLEDept Of Correction N0419355-71.5%
Rosenwald ElementarySOCIETY HILLDarlington 0114671-51.4%
Burton Pack ElementaryCOLUMBIARichland 01492255-48.2%
Ronald E. McNair Junior HighLAKE CITYFlorence 03518275-46.9%
Lake City HighLAKE CITYFlorence 03900492-45.3%
Carolina Springs ElementaryLEXINGTONLexington 01800438-45.3%
Thornwell School for the ArtsHARTSVILLEDarlington 01343188-45.2%
Bennettsville IntermediateBENNETTSVILLEMarlboro 01439244-44.4%
West Lee ElementaryREMBERTLee 0117698-44.3%
Deer Park MiddleNORTH CHARLESTONCharleston 01561315-43.9%
Chicora ElementaryNORTH CHARLESTONCharleston 01562316-43.8%
Charleston ProgressiveCHARLESTONCharleston 01324184-43.2%
Lower Lee ElementaryMAYESVILLELee 01224128-42.9%
Central Child Development CenterROCK HILLYork 03359206-42.6%
Arcadia ElementarySPARTANBURGSpartanburg 06694400-42.4%
Savannah Grove ElementaryEFFINGHAMFlorence 01658385-41.5%
McCormick ElementaryMCCORMICKMcCormick 01380225-40.8%
Mitchell ElementaryCHARLESTONCharleston 01316188-40.5%
Hemingway ElementaryHEMINGWAYWilliamsburg 01449269-40.1%
Lady's Island MiddleBEAUFORTBeaufort 01550338-38.5%
Wilder ElementarySUMTERSumter 01484299-38.2%
Kingsbury ElementarySUMTERSumter 01829514-38.0%
Aiken ElementaryAIKENAiken 01817508-37.8%
John C. Calhoun ElementaryCALHOUN FALLSAbbeville 60189119-37.0%
Chester Park Elementary School of Literacy and TechnologyCHESTERChester 01475300-36.8%
North Vista ElementaryFLORENCEFlorence 01706446-36.8%
Pleasant Hill MiddleLEXINGTONLexington 011,186750-36.8%
Hemingway MB Lee MiddleHEMINGWAYWilliamsburg 01207131-36.7%
Marion IntermediateMARIONMarion 10616390-36.7%
North Charleston ElementaryNORTH CHARLESTONCharleston 01519329-36.6%
Fairfield Magnet for Math and ScienceWINNSBOROFairfield 01295188-36.3%
Gregg MiddleSUMMERVILLEDorchester 021,262810-35.8%
Blenheim Middle School of DiscoveryBLENHEIMMarlboro 01569367-35.5%
Wando HighMOUNT PLEASANTCharleston 013,9972,588-35.3%
Carolina School for InquiryCOLUMBIARichland 01176114-35.2%
Alice Drive ElementarySUMTERSumter 01817530-35.1%
Lemira ElementarySUMTERSumter 01525342-34.9%
St. James Santee Elementary-MiddleMCCLELLANVILLECharleston 01256167-34.8%
Saxe Gotha ElementaryLEXINGTONLexington 01758499-34.2%
Slater Marietta ElementaryMARIETTAGreenville 01466307-34.1%
Lee Central HighBISHOPVILLELee 01610402-34.1%
Arden ElementaryCOLUMBIARichland 01327216-33.9%
Richmond Drive ElementaryROCK HILLYork 03706467-33.9%
Whale Branch MiddleSEABROOKBeaufort 01367243-33.8%
Hemingway HighHEMINGWAYWilliamsburg 01285189-33.7%
Lee Central MiddleBISHOPVILLELee 01434288-33.6%
E. P. Todd SchoolSPARTANBURGSpartanburg 07838559-33.3%
Calhoun Academy of the ArtsANDERSONAnderson 05635424-33.2%
50 of 50 rows · Brick-and-mortar only. Virtual, online, and cyber schools excluded. Schools must have had ≥100 students in 2017-18 and be open in both school years.↓ Download schools-in-decline-by-state-sc.csv

How this list was built

Every South Carolina public school that reported total enrollment in both the NCES SY 2017-18 and SY 2024-25 vintages was scored on percent change in enrollment. Schools needed at least 100 students in 2017-18 to qualify, and must have been open in both school years. Schools that closed entirely are tracked in the separate school closures report. Virtual academies, cyber charters, and online schools are excluded so the list reflects neighborhood schools that families have moved away from rather than program-design changes.

Enrollment loss is not a verdict on a school. Schools shrink because catchment populations shrink, because new schools open nearby, because a magnet program elsewhere pulls transfers, because districts redraw boundaries, or because the building physically aged out. Use this list as a starting point for understanding which South Carolina schools are operating with substantially fewer students than they were seven years ago.

Source data

NCES Common Core of Data, EDGE_ADMINDATA_PUBLICSCH MapServer, vintages 2017-18 and 2024-25. Refreshed yearly when NCES publishes a new admin-data release. School names, slugs, and current district affiliation come from the 2024-25 snapshot.

HOW TO CITE THIS REPORT

Anyone is welcome to cite or republish these findings. Please credit allk12.com and link back to this page so readers can verify the underlying data.

allk12 (2026). "South Carolina schools in decline: enrollment loss 2017–2024." Retrieved from https://allk12.com/reports/in-decline/south-carolina
For interview requests or custom data pulls: [email protected]
DOWNLOAD THE DATA
↓ schools-in-decline-by-state-sc.csv
RELATED
South Carolina schools on the rise · All South Carolina schools · Best South Carolina schools · All states
DATA NOTICE

allk12 is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NCES, the US Census Bureau, any state education agency or assessment program, or any other government agency. Source data is compiled from public records and provided "as is," without warranty of accuracy or completeness. You rely on it, and any analysis derived from it, at your own risk. See the full disclaimer.