Summary:
The city of Mc Cormick, South Carolina, is served by four schools—one elementary, one middle, and two high schools—totaling about 604 students across the McCormick 01 district and the independent School Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe district.
For parents, the standout is the School Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe, a specialized grades 10-12 school with a perfect 100% graduation rate, 0% dropout rate, and just 10% chronic absenteeism—less than half the state average. It also leads in U.S. History proficiency (82.85% vs. 62.57% statewide) and has the lowest student-teacher ratio at 7.9:1. By contrast, McCormick High shows a remarkable turnaround, jumping from the 9th to 51st percentile in two years, with Algebra 1 proficiency (72.97%) now exceeding the state average and U.S. History scores nearly tripling to 66.67%. However, its graduation rate (88.9%) and dropout rate (3.7%) lag behind the Governor's School. McCormick Middle is a bright spot in ELA, with 7th and 8th grade scores exceeding state averages, while McCormick Elementary struggles most in math, with proficiency between 24-33% versus state averages of 49-59%.
Across the district, math is the critical weakness, with a persistent 10-30 point gap from 3rd through 8th grade. Chronic absenteeism (22-26%) affects all three traditional schools, likely contributing to these gaps. Despite high per-student spending ($27,000-$31,000) and excellent student-teacher ratios (under 11:1), outcomes are uneven—highlighting that the Governor's School's focused mission and selective enrollment drive its superior results. The district's 40th percentile ranking masks this wide variation, so parents should evaluate schools individually rather than relying on district-level summaries.
Thank you for your feedback!