Summary:
Pelion, South Carolina is home to a single public high school, Pelion High, which serves grades 9 through 12 and enrolls approximately 718 students within the Lexington 01 school district.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that Pelion High is a well-funded school that is struggling academically, largely due to a severe attendance problem. The school spends a substantial $17,799 per student and maintains a favorable 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio, yet it has consistently ranked in the bottom third of South Carolina high schools (2 stars) for three straight years. This is especially striking because it sits within a highly-rated 4-star district. The graduation rate is 80.6%, which is 8.5 points below the district average of 89.1% and 6.1 points below the state average. The dropout rate of 2.6% is nearly three times the district rate. The biggest red flag is chronic absenteeism: 48.1% of students are chronically absent, which is more than double the district (22.7%) and state (22.3%) averages. This likely drives the lower test scores and graduation rates.
Academically, the school shows mixed results. English 2 is the strongest subject with a 74.1% proficiency rate, but it still trails the district by over 13 points. U.S. History is a consistent weak spot, sitting roughly 15 points below the district. Most concerning is the sharp decline in English 1 proficiency, which dropped from 60% to 51% in one year while the district improved. Algebra 1 is a relative bright spot at 70.2%, close to the state average. In short, Pelion High has the resources to succeed, but its chronic absenteeism crisis is undermining those advantages. Addressing attendance should be the top priority for improvement.
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