Best High Schools in Manning, SC

Manning, South Carolina is served by a single public high school, Manning High, which is part of the Clarendon 06 school district and enrolls 741 students in grades 9 through 12.

For parents, the most important takeaway is that Manning High shows a clear split between strong graduation outcomes and concerning academic test performance. The school’s graduation rate of 90.4% is better than the state average of 86.7%, and its dropout rate of 1.3% is well below the state’s 2.1%. However, proficiency rates on state exams are consistently lower than both the district and state averages. For example, only 42.94% of students scored proficient in Algebra 1 compared to 64.58% statewide, and English 1 proficiency was 32.26% versus 60.91% statewide. The one bright spot is English 2, where 73.34% of students were proficient, which is much closer to the state’s 83.79% and suggests a relative strength in upper-level English coursework.

There are several red flags that parents should be aware of. Chronic absenteeism is a significant issue, with 27.4% of students missing substantial school time, compared to 22.3% statewide. This likely contributes to the academic struggles. Additionally, test scores dropped sharply from the previous year—Algebra 1 proficiency fell from 59.18% to 42.94%, and English 1 fell from 46.24% to 32.26%. This decline is reflected in the school’s state ranking, which fell from the 23rd percentile to the 9th percentile. With a student-teacher ratio of 19.6:1 and per-student spending of $12,859, the school’s resources appear typical, so the challenges are more likely tied to attendance and instructional effectiveness than funding. Overall, Manning High succeeds at keeping students on track to graduate, but parents should be aware that academic proficiency, especially in math and early English, is an area needing significant improvement.