Theodore Lester Elementary

Theodore Lester Elementary operates as a tight-knit elementary school in Florence, South Carolina, one of the schools within Florence 01. Current enrollment sits at 362 students spanning grades 3 through 5. Compared to the state average of about 526 students per school, that is 31% leaner than typical.

Within Florence 01, which oversees 23 schools and 15,861 students, Theodore Lester Elementary is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Theodore Lester Elementary logs that 52% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest consists of 30% White, 9% multiracial, 7% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 43% Black, putting the school's mix considerably more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Theodore Lester Elementary has 30 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.1:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.3:1 average.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Florence County put median household income runs about $58,305, roughly 24% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 13% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Theodore Lester Elementary is one of 39 public schools in Florence County (combined enrollment of about 21,641 students).

Nearest neighbor: Henry Timrod Elementary, around 2.3 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 7 other public schools cluster around Theodore Lester Elementary.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 17%: 435 students in 2018 compared to 362 in 2025. Over the same period, the Black share edged down from 67% to 52%.

On this page, the feed for Theodore Lester Elementary typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.