State report cards released for school districts 55 and 56

Both Laurens County school districts showed improvement when the statewide report cards were released this week by the South Carolina Department of Education.

District 56 received good or average ratings in all five of its schools. Its three elementary schools – Clinton, Eastside and Joanna-Woodson – received good ratings, which were improvements from the 2021-22 school year. Clinton Middle and Clinton High schools received average ratings, the same as last year.

District 55 saw improvement in five of its 11 schools, while three schools’ remained the same and one rating fell.

Waterloo Elementary made the biggest jump among all county schools, going from an Average rating to Excellent, which District 55 officials said was one of the biggest jumps in the state in the department of education’s complex rating system.

Hickory Tavern Elementary and Gray Court-Owings Middle schools went from Average to Good ratings from the previous school year, while Hickory Tavern Middle, and E.B Morse improved to Average from Below Average this year.

Ford Elementary, Gray Court-Owings Elementary and Laurens District High kept Below Average ratings from the previou syear, while Laurens Middle and Sanders Middle maintained their Average ratings. Laurens Elementary fell from Below Average to Unsatisfactory in the ratings sytem.

Laurens District 55 Superintendent Ameca Thomas said she sees positives in the numbers across the board for the district.

“Our dedication and commitment to excellence have yielded positive results as we have successfully improved overall rating

levels at E.B. Morse Elementary, Hickory Tavern Elementary, Waterloo Elementary, Gray Court-Owings Middle and Hickory Tavern Middle,” Thomas said in a release from the district. “This achievement is a testament to the unwavering efforts put forth by our students, educators, staff, and administrators. While we take pride in our growth and hard work, we remain mindful that there is still much work to be done and we continue to focus on continuous improvement. We are confident in our

plan, structures, and initiatives to continue on this positive trajectory and ensure ongoing improvement for our schools.”

Hickory Tavern Elementary fell just two points shy of an excellent rating.

District 56 officials said their district was among only a few in the state that could claim an Average or Good rating in each of its schools. All three District 56 elementary schools improved from Average ratings a year ago to Good ratings this year.

“We are very encouraged by and appreciative for the

hard work our teachers give on a daily basis to increase student learning,” said District 56 Superintendent David O’Shields. “Having all three elementary schools rated as ‘Good’ indicates all of our elementary schools are building the foundation for our middle and high school.”

S.C. Board of Education Report Cards

District 55 Schools

E.B. Morse: Average; Ford Elementary: Below Average; Gray Court-Owings Elementary: Below Average; Hickory Tavern Elementary: Good; Laurens Elementary: Unsatisfactory; Waterloo Elementary: Excellent; Gray Court-Owings Middle School: Good; Hickory Tavern Middle School: Average; Laurens Middle School: Average; Sanders Middle School: Average; Laurens District High School: Below Average.

District 56 Schools

Clinton Elementary: Good; Eastside Elementary: Good; Joanna-Woodson Elementary: Good; Clinton Middle School: Average; Clinton High School: Average.