James H. Spann Elementary

James H. Spann Elementary, a mid-tier elementary campus in Summerville, South Carolina, overseen by Dorchester 02, educates 577 students, covering grades pre-K through 5.

Dorchester 02 runs 25 schools in total, collectively educating 25,928 students. James H. Spann Elementary is one of those campuses.

On demographics, James H. Spann Elementary records that the most-represented group is White (44%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. The remainder is composed of 27% Black, 20% Hispanic, 8% multiracial. That is noticeably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 62%.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 47 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 12.4:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 13.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Dorchester County indicate median household income runs about $78,198, roughly 30% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. James H. Spann Elementary is one of 35 public schools in Dorchester County (combined enrollment of about 29,832 students).

Summerville Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The campus sits in a commuter-belt setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 16%: 690 students in 2018 compared to 577 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment climbed from 10% to 20% over that span. Class-load math has tightened: from 14.1:1 in 2018 to 12.4:1 in 2025.

On this page, members of the James H. Spann Elementary community share and discuss open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.