J. L. Cain Elementary

Summary:

J. L. Cain Elementary is a public elementary school in Darlington, South Carolina, serving 551 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Darlington 01 School District, which is ranked 41 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

J. L. Cain Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (69.33%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 38.71% to 89.87% African American. The school consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of South Carolina elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Its proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are significantly lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels. Additionally, the school has a 100% free and reduced lunch rate, indicating a high concentration of students from low-income families.

Nearby schools, such as Brockington Elementary, St. John's Elementary, and Henry Timrod Elementary, have higher academic performance and better overall ratings compared to J. L. Cain Elementary. These schools serve a more diverse student population and have lower percentages of students from low-income families. The high concentration of African American students and students from low-income families at J. L. Cain Elementary may be contributing factors to the school's academic challenges, which have been widening over the past few years.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

607 First Street
Darlington, SC 29532

(843) 398-6220

District: Darlington 01

SchoolDigger Rank:
538^th of 638 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Students who attend J. L. Cain Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Darlington Middle
High:	Darlington High

Student/teacher ratio: 12.8

Number of students: 551

Racial breakdown:

African American:

69.3%

White:

18.3%

Two or more races:

8.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details J. L. Cain Elementary ranks worse than 84.3% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 7^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Darlington 01 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.43. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details J. L. Cain Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Darlington 01 School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

J. L. Cain Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks J. L. Cain Elementary 538^th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See J. L. Cain Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Darlington 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Darlington 01 41^st of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for J. L. Cain Elementary

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Rank History for all students at J. L. Cain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2021	12.97	548^th	622	11.9%
2022	13.26	550^th	625	12.0%
2023	18.64	538^th	644	16.5%
2024	18.43	538^th	638	15.7%

See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at J. L. Cain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2021	16.85	501^st	580	13.6%
2022	15.70	533^rd	600	11.2%
2023	24.09	492^nd	608	19.1%
2024	25.31	464^th	599	22.5%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at J. L. Cain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2021	12.23	499^th	554	9.9%
2022	13.30	505^th	573	11.9%
2023	16.88	504^th	580	13.1%
2024	20.85	459^th	565	18.8%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at J. L. Cain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2021	13.67	494^th	561	11.9%
2022	14.53	504^th	579	13.0%
2023	20.82	475^th	582	18.4%
2024	14.60	498^th	568	12.3%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at J. L. Cain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2021	30.99	257^th	350	26.6%
2022	28.87	303^rd	393	22.9%
2023	31.58	291^st	394	26.1%
2024	36.64	241^st	369	34.7%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at J. L. Cain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	4.95	446^th	455	2.0%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: South Carolina Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

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Enrollment information for J. L. Cain Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Total
2021	116	332	19	33	500
2022	114	383	22	48	567
2023	101	382	24	44	551

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at J. L. Cain Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	500	35.0	14.2	100
2022	567	40.0	14.1	100
2023	551	43.0	12.8	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio J. L. Cain Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	500	35.0	14.2	100
2022	567	40.0	14.1	100
2023	551	43.0	12.8	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Schools Near J. L. Cain Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SC READY English Language Arts (2024)			SC READY Mathematics (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
J. L. Cain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	607 First Street	Darlington	29532	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 398-6220	551	43	12.8	100.0%	101 (18.3%)	382 (69.3%)	24 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (8.0%)	18.4	538^th of 638 public elementary schools	15.7%		18.6	538^th of 644 public elementary schools	16.5%		38.3	25.7	40.0	39.5	24.4	27.6
St. John's Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	140 Park Street	Darlington	29532	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 398-5130	535	42	12.7	100.0%	169 (31.6%)	295 (55.1%)	16 (3.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (9.9%)	35.9	406^th of 638 public elementary schools	36.4%		25.6	484^th of 644 public elementary schools	24.8%	78	50.0	35.9	45.5	57.9	38.4	27.3	$16,143	$2,838	$1,414	$4,252	$10,401	$1,491	$11,892
Brockington Elementary	Public, Magnet	3-5	413 Brockington Road	Darlington	29532	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 398-2500	316	23	13.7	100.0%	79 (25.0%)	180 (57.0%)	15 (4.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (12.7%)	34.3	419^th of 638 public elementary schools	34.3%		39.5	392^nd of 644 public elementary schools	39.1%	27	38.9	54.0	41.2	43.5	37.7	42.1	$15,843	$2,560	$2,488	$5,047	$9,360	$1,436	$10,796
Pate Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	1010 Indian Branch Road	Darlington	29532	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 398-5070	410	31	13.1	100.0%	90 (22.0%)	254 (62.0%)	23 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (10.5%)								(n/a)							$14,223	$2,501	$1,681	$4,181	$8,877	$1,165	$10,042
Lucy T. Davis Elementary	Public	K-5	201 Westfield Drive	Florence	29501	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 665-5977	564	41	13.7	66.5%	223 (39.5%)	258 (45.7%)	23 (4.1%)	22 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.7%)	72.5	169^th of 638 public elementary schools	73.5%		74.8	156^th of 644 public elementary schools	75.8%	13	71.9	65.7	60.0	73.2	52.2	52.0	$12,242	$972	$1,132	$2,105	$8,868	$1,269	$10,137
Carver Elementary	Public	K-5	515 North Cashua Drive	Florence	29501	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8156	570	41	13.9	71.1%	252 (44.2%)	233 (40.9%)	26 (4.6%)	13 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (8.1%)	78.9	129^th of 638 public elementary schools	79.8%		59.5	247^th of 644 public elementary schools	61.6%	118	71.9	68.9	61.4	71.9	65.0	53.5	$12,158	$754	$1,061	$1,815	$9,118	$1,226	$10,343
North Vista Elementary	Public	K-5	1100 North Irby Street	Florence	29501	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8159	464	49	9.4	100.0%	8 (1.7%)	417 (89.9%)	15 (3.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.7%)	45.7	348^th of 638 public elementary schools	45.5%		33.4	432^nd of 644 public elementary schools	32.9%	84	49.3	50.8	46.1	53.6	55.0	34.9	$14,897	$1,142	$2,056	$3,197	$10,294	$1,406	$11,700
Delmae Heights Elementary	Public	K-5	1211 South Cashua Drive	Florence	29501	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8448	981	58	16.9	78.0%	294 (30.0%)	454 (46.3%)	88 (9.0%)	54 (5.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (9.2%)	68	199^th of 638 public elementary schools	68.8%		70.3	185^th of 644 public elementary schools	71.3%	14	63.4	66.9	62.0	58.6	54.4	47.4	$11,534	$1,010	$1,429	$2,439	$7,915	$1,180	$9,095
Royall Elementary	Public	K-5	1101 Cheraw Drive	Florence	29501	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8167	478	38	12.5	100.0%	193 (40.4%)	202 (42.3%)	38 (7.9%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (8.2%)	95.3	22^nd of 638 public elementary schools	96.6%		95.6	14^th of 644 public elementary schools	97.8%	8	84.3	82.7	85.9	75.9	80.2	81.4	$14,780	$1,068	$1,023	$2,091	$11,218	$1,470	$12,688
Briggs Elementary	Public	K-5	1012 Congaree Drive	Florence	29501	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 664-8169	434	32	13.5	72.6%	203 (46.8%)	168 (38.7%)	18 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (10.1%)	78.6	132^nd of 638 public elementary schools	79.3%		68.5	197^th of 644 public elementary schools	69.4%	65	76.6	63.2	67.1	71.6	60.6	52.7	$14,260	$946	$1,169	$2,116	$10,887	$1,257	$12,144

Frequently Asked Questions about J. L. Cain Elementary

What schools do graduates of J. L. Cain Elementary attend?

Students who attend J. L. Cain Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Darlington Middle
High : Darlington High

Is J. L. Cain Elementary a good school?

J. L. Cain Elementary ranks in the bottom 15.7% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of J. L. Cain Elementary?

Students at J. L. Cain Elementary are 69% African American, 18% White, 8% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

How many students attend J. L. Cain Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 551 students attended J. L. Cain Elementary.

What district is J. L. Cain Elementary in?

Darlington 01

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.