Horry 01

The Horry 01 school district in South Carolina serves 55 schools across the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area, including elementary, middle, and high schools, and ranks 9th out of 75 districts statewide with a 4-star rating.

For parents, the standout options are the specialized academies. HCS Scholars Academy High is the crown jewel, ranked #1 in the state with a 100% graduation rate and perfect proficiency on all state exams, while HCS Early College High ranks #5 with 97.3% graduation. Among traditional schools, St. James High leads the pack at #25 with the district's best Algebra 1 proficiency (97%), followed by Aynor High (96.1% graduation) and Green Sea Floyds High (93% graduation). The Carolina Forest cluster is a notable success story, with River Oaks Elementary jumping 81 spots to the 92nd percentile, Ocean Bay Middle at the 91st percentile, and Carolina Forest High at the 81st percentile. Schools needing attention include Loris Middle (29th percentile, 23.3% math proficiency), Myrtle Beach Elementary (29th percentile, declining trend), and Myrtle Beach High (dropped 63 spots to the 38th percentile with 30.3% chronic absenteeism).

Key takeaways: Math proficiency is the district's weakness, especially in middle grades where 8th grade math sits at just 48.9% proficiency. Chronic absenteeism strongly correlates with underperformance—schools like Conway High and Loris High (both 32.5% absenteeism) rank in the bottom half, while top performers like Scholars Academy (1.6%) and Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter (5.3%) have minimal absenteeism. Interestingly, per-student spending doesn't predict success—Palmetto Academy of Learning Motorsports (PALM) spends the least ($10,311) yet ranks in the 88th percentile, while Green Sea Floyds High spends the most ($19,841) but ranks lower. English 2 proficiency is a district strength at 87.2% average, but achievement gaps are stark, with up to 55-point differences between the highest and lowest performing schools in key subjects.