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Lamar High

Public Grades 9-12

230^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 248 South Carolina High Schools

Better than 7% of South Carolina high schools

Summary

Lamar High is a small public high school in Lamar, South Carolina, serving roughly 268 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Darlington 01 school district.

Lamar High is currently facing significant academic challenges. The school's state ranking has fallen dramatically over the past three years, dropping from the 54th percentile to the 7th percentile. This decline is visible across every subject and student group. Most striking is the collapse in English 1 proficiency, which fell from an impressive 88% just a few years ago to just 28% today. Math and science scores have also dropped well below state averages. While the school spends more per student ($24,681) than most nearby high schools—including West Florence High ($11,418) and South Florence High ($12,574)—this investment has not translated into better outcomes. In fact, those neighboring schools in the Florence 01 district achieve more than double Lamar's English 1 proficiency rates while spending roughly half as much per student.

There are some bright spots worth noting. Lamar maintains strong graduation rates (88.7% in 2024-2025), exceeding both district and state averages, and its dropout rate of 1.1% is well below the state average. The school has also made significant progress reducing chronic absenteeism from 49% to 22% over the past few years. Additionally, English 2 proficiency remains relatively strong at 73.6%, and the school has historically performed well in Biology. Within the Darlington 01 district, Mayo High For Math Science & Technology stands out as a top-performing magnet school, while Darlington High and Hartsville High also face challenges. For parents, this picture suggests a school that keeps students in school and graduating, but where academic proficiency needs significant attention and improvement.

268

Students ?

12.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,421

Per pupil spending ?

66.8%

Directly certified for free meals (2023-24) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2023-24)

≥ 96%

Students (all grades) with required immunizations (2025-26)

216 North Darlington Avenue
Lamar, SC 29069

(843) 326-5543

District: Darlington 01

Feeder schools for Lamar High:

Elementary:	Lamar-Spaulding Elementary
Middle:	Spaulding Middle

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.9%

White:

38.4%

Two or more races:

8.6%

See top rated South Carolina high schools

Compare Lamar High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 25th percentile in 2016 → 7th in 2026

Strengths

✓92% graduate in 4 years — above the South Carolina average (88%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (47% vs 69% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (7th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg56%

South Carolina avg69%

230^th of 248

South Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 7%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From bottom 25% (2016) to bottom 7% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4High Schools in the Darlington 01

45^th of 75Darlington 01 among South Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	12.1	230 of 248	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.1	224 of 240	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.6	187 of 243	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.1	109 of 237	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.8	136 of 226	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.2	120 of 227	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.0	115 of 225	48.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.8	102 of 216	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	37.4	117 of 223	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	26.2	174 of 231	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	32.8	152 of 232	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	49.8	111 of 210	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	31.9	152 of 203	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	65.6	70 of 202	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	32.3	142 of 199	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	54.8	97 of 199	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	71.8	50 of 188	73.4%	★★★★☆
2008	36.4	135 of 185	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	50.9	131 of 191	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	37.9	160 of 191	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	35.1	153 of 187	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.9	186 of 200	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.1	188 of 196	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	27.6	157 of 197	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.0	93 of 199	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.3	72 of 190	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.7	53 of 178	70.2%	★★★★☆
2019	50.3	76 of 184	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.5	66 of 183	63.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	13.0	207 of 229	9.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.3	208 of 229	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.7	197 of 231	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.4	170 of 223	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.8	172 of 220	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.8	124 of 213	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.7	133 of 213	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.5	150 of 210	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	7.7	232 of 241	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.7	216 of 230	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	27.4	180 of 235	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.6	86 of 226	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.8	116 of 220	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.4	67 of 213	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.4	83 of 217	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.7	70 of 214	67.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	11.7	219 of 233	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.5	211 of 228	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	30.5	159 of 234	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	65.6	62 of 229	72.9%	★★★★☆
2022	57.2	78 of 224	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.4	111 of 215	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.2	98 of 218	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.5	74 of 213	65.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	10.2	195 of 203	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	20.4	169 of 200	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	156 of 202	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	74.7	42 of 197	78.7%	★★★★☆
2022	31.5	130 of 192	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	71.2	40 of 189	78.8%	★★★★☆
2019	43.5	89 of 191	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	78.1	13 of 185	93.0%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2026)10th percentile~ school

African American (2026)7th percentile~ school

Male (2026)6th percentile~ school

White (2026)4th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)4th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English 274%-10 vs state

U.S. History and the Constitution39%-24 vs state

Biology 1/Applied Biology 228%-33 vs state

★

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Schools Near Lamar High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (2026)	EOCEP Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 (2026)	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution (2026)	EOCEP English 2 (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2026)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2023-24)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	EOCEP Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 End of Course	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution End of Course	EOCEP English 2 End of Course	Vaccination: Students (all grades) with required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Lamar High	Public	9-12	216 North Darlington Avenue	Lamar	29069	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 326-5543	268	21	12.7	66.8%	103 (38.4%)	131 (48.9%)	11 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.6%)	12.1	230^th of 248 public high schools	7.3%		10.1	224^th of 240 public high schools	6.7%	6		27.6	39.0	73.6	≥ 96%		$21,421	$595	$872	$1,467	$16,850	$3,103	$19,953
Lee Central High	Public	9-12	1800 Wisacky Highway	Bishopville	29010	Lee County	Lee 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 428-4010	402	56	7.1	81.8%	24 (6.0%)	362 (90.0%)	12 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	20	213^th of 248 public high schools	14.1%		18.9	199^th of 240 public high schools	17.1%	14		43.0	34.0	77.5	≥ 96%		$52,544	$3,305	$16,976	$20,281	$16,883	$15,380	$32,263
Lee High	Public	9-12	990 Wisacky Highway	Bishopville	29010	Lee County	Dept Of Correction N04	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 896-2531	5	4	1.2	—	0 (0.0%)	5 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Darlington County Institute of Technology	Public	9-12	160 Pinedale Drive	Darlington	29532	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 398-4796	0	19	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Hartsville High	Public, Magnet	9-12	701 Lewellyn Avenue	Hartsville	29550	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	Yes	No	No	(843) 383-3130	1,129	74	15.2	61.9%	449 (39.8%)	476 (42.2%)	89 (7.9%)	8 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	107 (9.5%)	21	209^th of 248 public high schools	15.7%		31.8	164^th of 240 public high schools	31.7%	45		36.7	53.1	71.9	≥ 96%		$16,105	$531	$601	$1,132	$12,840	$2,133	$14,973
West Florence High	Public	9-12	221 North Beltline Drive	Florence	29501	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 664-8472	1,827	106	17.3	50.5%	677 (37.1%)	802 (43.9%)	158 (8.6%)	45 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	144 (7.9%)	63.3	89^th of 248 public high schools	64.1%		53.1	100^th of 240 public high schools	58.3%	11	78.2	63.7	67.0	83.6	≥ 96%		$14,476	$508	$700	$1,208	$10,936	$2,332	$13,268
Mayo High For Math Science & Technology	Public, Magnet	9-12	405 Chestnut Street	Darlington	29532	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	Yes	No	No	(843) 398-2650	309	23	13.4	36.7%	167 (54.0%)	89 (28.8%)	19 (6.1%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.7%)	97.7	3^rd of 248 public high schools	98.8%		95.1	4^th of 240 public high schools	98.3%	1		96.6	97.5	100.0	≥ 96%		$19,374	$519	$944	$1,463	$15,548	$2,363	$17,911
School Governor's School for Science and Mathematics	Public	11-12	401 Railroad Ave	Hartsville	29550	Darlington County	Governor's School for Science and Mathematics	No	No	No	No	(843) 383-3900	296			—	148 (50.0%)	25 (8.4%)	18 (6.1%)	81 (27.4%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.4%)								(n/a)			100.0		≥ 96%
Darlington High	Public, Magnet	9-12	525 Spring Street	Darlington	29532	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	Yes	No	No	(843) 398-5140	965	71	13.5	76.5%	189 (19.6%)	613 (63.5%)	46 (4.8%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	112 (11.6%)	13.9	228^th of 248 public high schools	8.1%		14.5	214^th of 240 public high schools	10.8%	14		33.2	36.4	74.9	≥ 96%		$17,704	$521	$716	$1,237	$14,303	$2,164	$16,467
South Florence High	Public	9-12	3200 South Irby Street	Florence	29505	Florence County	Florence 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 664-8190	1,580	104	15.2	58.1%	569 (36.0%)	786 (49.7%)	98 (6.2%)	10 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	116 (7.3%)	57.1	106^th of 248 public high schools	57.3%		52.4	102^nd of 240 public high schools	57.5%	4	79.2	56.3	62.8	82.6	≥ 96%		$14,805	$446	$678	$1,125	$11,773	$1,907	$13,680

Frequently Asked Questions about Lamar High

What is the racial makeup of Lamar High?

Students at Lamar High are 49% African American, 38% White, 9% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

How many students attend Lamar High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 268 students attended Lamar High.

Is Lamar High a good school?

Lamar High ranks in the bottom 7.3% of South Carolina high schools.

What district is Lamar High in?

Darlington 01

What schools feed into Lamar High?

Lamar High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Lamar-Spaulding Elementary
Middle : Spaulding Middle

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 immunization ratesOct 20, 2026

2025–26 school spending dataOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data & dropout ratesOct 12, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.