High Schools in Florence 03

The Florence 03 school district in Lake City, SC, contains two high schools serving roughly 877 students in grades 9-12 (with one school also covering grades 7-8), and the district currently holds a 1-star rating, ranking 62nd out of 75 districts statewide.

For parents comparing the two schools, J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet is the clear standout. It boasts a 93.4% graduation rate versus 80.1% at Lake City High, a dropout rate of just 0.4% (compared to 1.6%), and significantly lower chronic absenteeism at 17.9% versus 30.0%. The magnet school also outperforms on state rankings (188th vs. 205th) and even exceeds the state average on English 2 proficiency (86.67% vs. 83.79%). Interestingly, Lake City High spends $3,119 more per student ($18,544 vs. $15,425) yet lags behind on nearly every academic metric, suggesting the magnet's specialized programming may be more effective despite lower funding. However, both schools have seen their state rankings decline over the past three years, with J. Paul Truluck dropping 54 positions and Lake City High falling 23 positions.

Several patterns are worth noting. Both schools show a dramatic improvement from English 1 to English 2—Lake City High jumps from 32% to 74.78% proficiency, while J. Paul Truluck goes from 34.21% to 86.67%—which may reflect student growth or differences in exam rigor. U.S. History remains a major weakness at both schools, with proficiency rates of 30.7% and 39.13%, far below the state average of 62.57%. Additionally, despite its "Science" magnet label, J. Paul Truluck struggles in middle school math, with 7th and 8th grade proficiency at 26.6% and 34.4%, both below state averages. Chronic absenteeism appears to be a critical differentiator between the two schools, likely driving many of the performance gaps. With both schools in the bottom quartile statewide and rankings trending downward, the district faces systemic challenges that current interventions have yet to reverse.