Summary:
Woodland High is the sole high school in Dorchester 04, serving grades 9-12 with 680 students in the Dorchester, SC area. This single-school district offers a straightforward picture for parents: what you see at Woodland High is the entire district's performance, with no other local high school for comparison.
Woodland High stands out most for its student retention and graduation success. The school boasts a 93.7% graduation rate—7 points above the state average—and an exceptionally low dropout rate of just 0.4%, compared to 2.1% statewide. This suggests the school is highly effective at keeping students engaged through to graduation. Academically, results are mixed. English 2 proficiency is a consistent strength, hovering near 81-83% in recent years, while English 1 improved significantly from 55% to 63% proficiency, now slightly above the state average. However, U.S. History remains a persistent weakness, with only about 45-47% of students proficient—roughly 15-18 points below the state average. The most concerning trend is in Algebra 1, which plummeted from 84% proficiency in 2024-2025 to just 61% in 2025-2026, a dramatic 23-point swing that parents should watch closely.
Operationally, the school spends a substantial $18,952 per student with a favorable 13.6:1 student-teacher ratio. Yet chronic absenteeism is a red flag at 28.8%, notably higher than the state's 22.3% and even above the district's own reported rate. The school's state ranking has improved overall, climbing from the 25th to 41st percentile over two years, though it slipped slightly in the most recent year. For parents, the takeaway is a school that excels at graduating students and maintaining strong English programs, but faces real challenges in math and history proficiency, alongside a concerning absenteeism rate that may be impacting academic outcomes.
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