Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Summerville, South Carolina - 25 schools
An equity score of 22/100 ranks Dorchester 02 #65 of 74 districts in South Carolina (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,212 per pupil, Dorchester 02 ranks #72 of 75 South Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (South Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
Dorchester 02 operates 25 public schools serving 26,135 students, placing it in the mid-size range in South Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 15 combined, 7 middle, 3 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Dorchester County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,212 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 8 of 75 South Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how South Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 32.4% local, 53.8% state, and 13.8% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 22/100, ranked #65 of 74 in South Carolina against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 25 schools offering Advanced Placement (59 AP courses district-wide), a 337.2:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 30.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 45.0% White, 28.5% African American, 15.0% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Eagle Nest Elementary, with a diversity index of 73.9/100.
Its largest campus is Summerville High, enrolling 3,361 students (13% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Summerville Elementary, at 548 students, a 6x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Dorchester 02 school enrollment ranges from 548 students (lowest) to 3,361 students (highest), a spread of 2,813 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Dorchester 02 is typically wider than the Dorchester 02-aggregate figure suggests.
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.
Average demographic composition across 25 schools in Dorchester 02.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across Dorchester 02's schools, above the South Carolina average of 52.7.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.
| School | Enrollment |
|---|---|
| Summerville High | 3,361 |
| Ashley Ridge High | 2,599 |
| Fort Dorchester High | 2,344 |
| Sand Hill Elementary | 1,169 |
| Beech Hill Elementary | 1,079 |
| East Edisto Middle | 1,031 |
| Charles B. Dubose Middle | 947 |
| William M. Reeves Elementary | 930 |
| Newington Elementary | 862 |
| Oakbrook Middle | 861 |
| Knightsville Elementary | 833 |
| Gregg Middle | 810 |
| Fort Dorchester Elementary | 801 |
| Rollings Middle School of the Arts | 797 |
| Dr. Eugene Sires Elementary | 791 |
| Flowertown Elementary | 783 |
| Joseph R. Pye Elementary | 775 |
| Alston Middle | 732 |
| River Oaks Middle | 728 |
| Eagle Nest Elementary | 653 |
| Oakbrook Elementary | 649 |
| Alston-Bailey Elementary | 646 |
| Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary | 622 |
| James H. Spann Elementary | 577 |
| Summerville Elementary | 548 |
The South Carolina districts closest to this one in total enrollment.
| District | Enrollment | Spending | Funding Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington 01 | Similar size | Higher spending | Similar funding mix |
| Richland 02 | Similar size | Higher spending | Similar funding mix |
| Aiken 01 | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Charter Institute at Erskine | Similar size | Higher spending | Less locally funded |
| Richland 01 | Similar size | Higher spending | More locally funded |
Comparisons are relative to Dorchester 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.
See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.
Compare vs Greenville 01 →Dorchester 02 has 25 schools, including 3 high, 15 combined, 7 middle. Total enrollment is 26,135 students.
Dorchester 02 spends $11,212 per student. The district has an equity score of 22/100, ranking #65 in South Carolina.
Dorchester 02 students are 45.0% White, 28.5% African American, 15.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% Asian, averaged across 25 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
Dorchester 02 has an equity score of 22/100, ranking #65 out of 74 districts in South Carolina.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.