Loading ...
VFSC COMPILES ALL 185 FAILING SC SCHOOLS
We are well aware by now that education in South Carolina is an epic failure. And we also know that State Schools Superintendent Jim Rex is the architect of that epic failure.
But far too often Rex’s rhetoric attempting to claim otherwise is allowed to pass for truth with some folks. So every now and again, it’s good to take a look at what he’s actually done to South Carolina.
The Voice for School Choice has compiled a list of the 185 public schools which received a failing grade from the SC Education Oversight Committee — one of Rex’s taxpayer-funded own shill groups — on the report cards issued list month.
“Sadly this is more of the same news we have been receiving from the other indicators in the last two years – if you are poor or black, you are further behind your wealthy or white peers in South Carolina, and if you are lucky enough to live in one of the ‘good’ districts you are still not regionally or nationally competitive,” said Randy Page of South Carolinians for Responsible Government.
Here’s the list:
District Name:
SCHOOL NAME (# of students) (Elem, Middle or High ) (”Persistent” for schools with 2 or more years on list)
Abbeville:
CALHOUN FALLS HIGH 238 M Persistent
Aiken:
RIDGE SPRING-MONETTA ELEMENTARY 673 M Persistent
LLOYD-KENNEDY CHARTER SCHOOL 31 M Persistent
MIDLAND VALLEY PREPARATORY SCHOOL 166 M
RIDGE SPRING-MONETTA ELEMENTARY 673 E Persistent
A L CORBETT MIDDLE 248 M
Allendale:
ALLENDALE ELEMENTARY 569 E Persistent
FAIRFAX ELEMENTARY 301 E Persistent
ALLENDALE-FAIRFAX HIGH 421 H
ALLENDALE-FAIRFAX MIDDLE 346 M Persistent
Bamberg 2:
DENMARK-OLAR ELEMENTARY 421 E Persistent
DENMARK-OLAR HIGH 256 H
DENMARK-OLAR MIDDLE 224 M Persistent
Barnwell 19:
BLACKVILLE-HILDA JUNIOR HIGH 115 M Persistent
MACEDONIA ELEMENTARY 446 E Persistent
Barnwell 45:
GUINYARD-BUTLER MIDDLE 412 M Persistent
Beaufort:
WHALE BRANCH MIDDLE 305 M Persistent
WHALE BRANCH ELEMENTARY 357 E Persistent
JAMES J DAVIS ELEMENTARY 347 E
ST HELENA ELEMENTARY 532 E Persistent
Berkeley:
CAINHOY ELEMENTARY/ MIDDLE 247 M Persistent
CROSS HIGH 414 M Persistent
ST STEPHEN MIDDLE 268 M Persistent
Charleston:
SUSAN G. BOYKIN ACADEMY 183 E Persistent
HAUT GAP MIDDLE 207 M Persistent
R D SCHRODER MIDDLE 268 M Persistent
NORTH CHARLESTON ELEMENTARY 549 E Persistent
JAMES SIMONS ELEMENTARY 362 E
R B STALL HIGH 901 H Persistent
WEST ASHLEY MIDDLE 385 M Persistent
WILMOT FRASER ELEMENTARY 217 E Persistent
GREG MATHIS CHARTER 83 H Persistent
EDMUND A BURNS ELEMENTARY 476 E Persistent
EDITH L FRIERSON ELEMENTARY 141 E
MILITARY MAGNET ACADEMY 521 M
MIDLAND PARK ELEMENTARY 693 E Persistent
MORNINGSIDE MIDDLE 567 M Persistent
MORNINGSIDE MIDDLE 567 E Persistent
MITCHELL ELEMENTARY 283 E Persistent
NORTH CHARLESTON HIGH 854 H Persistent
ALICE BIRNEY MIDDLE 639 M Persistent
JANE EDWARDS ELEMENTARY 183 M
MATILDA F DUNSTON ELEMENTARY 283 E
MARY FORD ELEMENTARY 460 E Persistent
MALCOLM C HURSEY ELEMENTARY 290 E Persistent
BURKE HIGH 823 M Persistent
CLYDE SANDERS ELEMENTARY 310 M
BRENTWOOD MIDDLE 435 M Persistent
CHARLESTON PROGRESSIVE 291 M Persistent
CLYDE SANDERS ELEMENTARY 310 E
Cherokee:
MARY BRAMLETT ELEMENTARY 290 E Persistent
GAFFNEY MIDDLE SCHOOL 679 M
LUTHER VAUGHAN ELEMENTARY 300 E Persistent
Chester:
CHESTER PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 405 E Persistent
CHESTER MIDDLE 716 M Persistent
THE ACADEMY FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING 287 M Persistent
Chesterfield:
NEW HEIGHTS MIDDLE 579 M Persistent
PAGELAND ELEMENTARY 395 E Persistent
Clarendon 1:
SCOTT’S BRANCH MIDDLE 191 M Persistent
Clarendon 2:
MANNING JUNIOR HIGH 493 M
Colleton:
FOREST CIRCLE MIDDLE 626 M Persistent
HENDERSONVILLE ELEMENTARY 483 E Persistent
BLACK STREET ELEMENTARY 439 E Persistent
BELLS ELEMENTARY 346 E Persistent
COLLETON MIDDLE 482 M Persistent
COLLETON COUNTY HIGH 1728 H Persistent
Darlington:
ROSENWALD ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE 210 M Persistent
ROSENWALD ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE 210 E Persistent
BRUNSON-DARGAN ELEMENTARY 257 E
CHOICES 42 M Persistent
SPAULDING MIDDLE 231 M
Dillon 1:
LAKE VIEW MIDDLE 218 M Persistent
Dillon 2:
J V MARTIN JUNIOR HIGH 536 M Persistent
Dillon 3:
LATTA MIDDLE 401 M
Dorchester 4:
ST GEORGE MIDDLE 358 M Persistent
CLAY HILL MIDDLE SCHOOL 134 M Persistent
Fairfield:
FAIRFIELD MIDDLE 505 M Persistent
FAIRFIELD PRIMARY 531 E
FAIRFIELD INTERMEDIATE 422 E Persistent
Florence 1:
PALMETTO YOUTH ACADEMY 62 E Persistent
NORTH VISTA ELEMENTARY 624 E
Florence 2:
HANNAH-PAMPLICO ELEMENTARY/MID 881 M
Florence 3:
LAKE CITY ELEMENTARY 494 E Persistent
RONALD E MCNAIR MIDDLE 431 M Persistent
MAIN STREET ELEMENTARY 454 E Persistent
Florence 4:
JOHNSON MIDDLE 210 M Persistent
BROCKINGTON ELEMENTARY 489 E Persistent
Greenville:
WOHALI ACADEMY 72 E Persistent
LAKEVIEW MIDDLE 464 M Persistent
WOHALI ACADEMY 72 M Persistent
WOHALI ACADEMY 72 H Persistent
ALEXANDER ELEMENTARY 381 E Persistent
TANGLEWOOD MIDDLE 614 M
GROVE ELEMENTARY 664 E
FULLER NORMAL ADVANCED TECHNICAL 161 E Persistent
CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL AND ACADEMY 726 H Persistent
Greenwood 51:
WARE SHOALS HIGH 524 M
Hampton 2:
ESTILL ELEMENTARY 539 E Persistent
ESTILL HIGH 420 H Persistent
ESTILL MIDDLE 261 M Persistent
Jasper:
HARDEEVILLE ELEMENTARY N/A E Persistent
HARDEEVILLE MIDDLE/HIGH N/A M N/A
RIDGELAND ELEMENTARY 1185 E Persistent
RIDGELAND MIDDLE 468 M Persistent
Kershaw:
JACKSON SCHOOL 416 E Persistent
Lancaster:
CLINTON ELEMENTARY 385 E
Laurens 55:
SANDERS MIDDLE 315 M
Laurens 56:
BELL STREET MIDDLE 524 M
Lee:
M L DINKINS HIGHER LEARNING ACEDMY 93 M Persistent
BISHOPVILLE PRIMARY 545 E
WEST LEE ELEMENTARY 193 E Persistent
DENNIS MIDDLE 404 M Persistent
DENNIS INTERMEDIATE 184 E Persistent
LOWER LEE ELEMENTARY 299 E Persistent
M L DINKINS HIGHER LEARNING ACEDEMY 93 E Persistent
MOUNT PLEASANT MIDDLE 129 M Persistent
Marion 1:
JOHNAKIN MIDDLE 701 M Persistent
MARION INTERMEDIATE 415 E Persistent
Marion 2:
PALMETTO MIDDLE N/A M Persistent
Marion 7:
BRITTON’S NECK ELEMENTARY 514 E Persistent
CREEK BRIDGE HIGH 436 M Persistent
Marlboro:
CLIO ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE 348 E Persistent
WALLACE ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE 348 M Persistent
BLENHEIM ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE 352 M Persistent
CLIO ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE 239 M Persistent
BLENHEIM ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE 428 E Persistent
BENNETTSVILLE MIDDLE 440 M Persistent
MCCOLL ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE 717 M Persistent
BENNETTSVILLE ELEMENTARY 717 E
McCormick:
MCCORMICK MIDDLE 220 M
Newberry:
NEWBERRY MIDDLE 617 M Persistent
Orangeburg 3:
HOLLY HILL-ROBERTS MIDDLE 508 M Persistent
ELLOREE ELEMENTARY 468 M Persistent
VANCE-PROVIDENCE ELEMENTARY 348 E Persistent
HOLLY HILL ELEMENTARY 522 E
Orangeburg 4:
HUNTER-KINARD-TYLER HIGH 327 M Persistent
CARVER-EDISTO MIDDLE 601 M Persistent
HUNTER-KINARD-TYLER ELEMENTARY 373 E Persistent
Orangeburg 5:
ROBERT E HOWARD MIDDLE 461 M Persistent
WILLIAM J CLARK MIDDLE 701 M
BETHUNE-BOWMAN MIDDLE HIGH 380 M
Richland 1:
GIBBES MIDDLE 380 M Persistent
ARDEN ELEMENTARY 338 E
WEBBER ELEMENTARY 337 E Persistent
JOHN P THOMAS ELEMENTARY 407 E Persistent
ST ANDREWS MIDDLE N/A M Persistent
W A PERRY MIDDLE 308 M Persistent
FOREST HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY 442 E
W G SANDERS MIDDLE 433 M Persistent
HALL INSTITUTE 70 H Persistent
HOPKINS MIDDLE 444 M Persistent
MILL CREEK ELEMENTARY 340 E
MIDLANDS MATH & BUSINESS ACADE 138 E
LOGAN ELEMENTARY 284 E Persistent
HYATT PARK ELEMENTARY 529 E Persistent
HALL INSTITUTE 70 M N/A
CARVER-LYON ELEMENTARY 344 E Persistent
EAU CLAIRE HIGH 805 H Persistent
MIDLANDS MATH & BUSINESS ACADEMY 138 M Persistent
BRADLEY ELEMENTARY 375 E
ALCORN MIDDLE 390 M Persistent
Richland 2:
JOSEPH KEELS ELEMENTARY 599 E
WINDSOR ELEMENTARY 615 E
Spartanburg 7:
MCCARTHY/TESZLER LEARNING CENTER 230 E Persistent
PARK HILLS ELEMENTARY 423 E Persistent
MCCARTHY/TESZLER LEARNING CENTER 230 M Persistent
CARVER JUNIOR HIGH 646 M
CLEVELAND ELEMENTARY 471 E Persistent
MYLES W WHITLOCK JUNIOR HIGH 361 M Persistent
Sumter 17:
CHESTNUT OAKS MIDDLE 333 M Persistent
CROSSWELL DRIVE ELEMENTARY 361 E
Sumter 2:
MAYEWOOD MIDDLE 181 M Persistent
FURMAN MIDDLE 925 M
R E DAVIS ELEMENTARY 523 E Persistent
Union:
JONESVILLE MIDDLE 128 M Persistent
Williamsburg:
GREELEYVILLE ELEMENTARY 355 E
HEMINGWAY HIGH 643 M Persistent
KINGSTREE SENIOR HIGH 862 H
C E MURRAY HIGH 513 M Persistent
D P COOPER ELEMENTARY 183 E
YOUTH ACADEMY CHARTER 22 H N/A
KINGSTREE ELEMENTARY 470 E
KINGSTREE JUNIOR HIGH 468 M Persistent
York 1:
YORK JUNIOR HIGH 800 M
York 3:
CHILDREN’S ATTENTION HOME 20 M Persistent
“Sadly this is more of the same news we have been receiving from the other indicators in the last two years – if you are poor or black, you are further behind your wealthy or white peers in South Carolina, and if you are lucky enough to live in one of the ‘good’ districts you are still not regionally or nationally competitive,” said Randy Page of South Carolinians for Responsible Government.
And the Voice for School Choice wants to make sure it stays that way.
Isn’t it odd that the counties with the highest property tax bases in the state, and the highest number of private schools in the state (Charleston and Greenville) also have the highest number of failing public schools. Isn’t it also odd that the counties with high property tax bases and almost no private schools (Lexingtion, Horry, York) have no schools on the failing list.
South Carolina schools systems break down into three types. The counties with a solid property tax base and a commitment to public education have excellent public schools; Counties with a very low tax base have crappy schools; and rich counties who have no interest in funding public education have crappy public schools. To my utter amazement the push for shifting public dollars to private schools comes mainly from rich counties with no interest in funding public education.
These statistics tell you only one thing, the higher the percentage of middle class students in the public schools the better the public school are, because the parents are interested in the schools and have the resources to support the schools. The belief that vouchers will allow the poor black children of Charleston to go to private schools is a joke. All it will do is send a message to middle class families to get your kids out of public schools because we are not going to support those schools.
The bottom line is people who send their kids to private schools do not feel they have an obligation to support public education. But public education is the most important thing we do to preserve liberty in this country. It is an obligation we have. I had no desire to spend my tax dollars building that new bridge in Charleston, but I was not given a choice.
I’m not sure how someone who’s been in office for just over two years can be the “architect” of a system that’s been failing for about 100 years.
Oh, and if you want to have any credibility at all, you might want to know that the EOC isn’t “one of Rex’s taxpayer shill groups.” It is in fact a separate state agency created to oversee implementation of the Education Accountability Act. The EAA was the centerpiece of the Beasley Administration, passed into law by a GOP-led legislature and greatly helped in that effort by your employer.
For two years one of my kids attended one of the Greenville schools on this list. I’d describe myself & my wife (Master’s degree each, if that matters) as involved in our kids’ education. I’m not surprised by the failing grade, but I do not believe it has to with the school, per se, but the the kids’ socioeconomic circumstances (my daughter was an exception). I believe the teachers and administration there are as motivated and capable as any I’ve seen in other public & private schools my 5 children have attended. Unfortuately, there doesn’t seem to be a reliable mechanism to account for the the home circumstance of the student body, and to give out an unqualified F only serves to dicourage both the teachers and the students.
Re: paying for public school, as a taxpayer I do believe in paying for all children to be educated, but I do not care where it happens. My kids have attended public, private, and Charter schools, and given that my first responsibility is to my kids, I’d've preferred that my tax money go where I decided they’d be best educated, not just to the government’s plantation schools.
I am no defender of Jim Rex, but considering the alternative (his opponent was both an idiot and a facist) he is perhaps as good as we can hope for, and his feeble efforts are fighting an intrenched system fostered by those who control the state and designed to produce a poorly educated electorate and workforce. It is a legacy of the textile industry and sharecropping. God forbid that we should have a populace that demands decent wages and effective governnment. The children of the folks who own and run this state mainly go to private schools or if public their influence and money ensure that they are GOOD public schools. And so it shall be forever and ever.
These schools have been failing for many many years. Its not Rex’s fault. It’s not Tennebaum’s fault…
The fault belongs to every citizen of South Carolina for allowing it.
No God, No Hope, No reason to do well in school.