High Schools in Calhoun 01

Calhoun 01 is served by a single high school, Calhoun County High, which enrolls 397 students in grades 9-12 in the rural community of Saint Matthews, South Carolina.

For parents considering this school, the most encouraging news is that Calhoun County High reports a perfect 0.0% dropout rate, far better than the state average of 2.1%, and its 88.1% graduation rate also edges out the state figure of 86.7%. The school also invests heavily in its students, spending about $19,860 per pupil and maintaining a favorable 12.8:1 student-teacher ratio, which should allow for more personalized attention. Chronic absenteeism (19.7%) is actually better than both the district and state averages, suggesting that getting students to class is not the core challenge. However, academic proficiency is a mixed picture. English 2 scores are strong, ranging from 77% to 87% and often meeting or exceeding state levels, while English 1 showed a dramatic 12.7-point improvement to 50% proficiency in the latest year. On the other hand, U.S. History proficiency (about 45%) lags well behind the state's 62.6%, and Algebra 1 data is incomplete but was near 70% the prior year.

The school's overall ranking has slipped from the 34th percentile to the 26th percentile over three years, even as some test scores improved—meaning other schools across the state are advancing faster. This decline is reflected in the district's 1-star rating, which directly mirrors this single school's performance. The high per-student spending combined with below-average proficiency in several subjects raises a legitimate question about whether resources are being allocated as effectively as possible. Still, the zero dropout rate, strong graduation numbers, and notable gains in English 1 suggest that the school is making meaningful progress in keeping students on track, even if state rankings have yet to catch up.