Sumter High School

Sumter High School is a large public high school in Sumter, SC, serving 2,122 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Sumter 01 district.

For parents, the most encouraging news is that Sumter High does a solid job keeping students on track to graduate. Its graduation rate of 83.6% is notably higher than nearby Crestwood High (78.8%) and Lakewood High (74.1%), and its dropout rate of 1.3% is the lowest among the three district high schools. The school also shows a clear strength in English 2, where its proficiency rate of 73.54% outpaces both Crestwood and Lakewood. However, academics are inconsistent overall. While English 2 scores are solid, Algebra 1 proficiency sits at just 39.52%—well below the district average—and performance in other subjects swings significantly from year to year. This volatility suggests the school hasn't yet found a stable, long-term instructional approach.

The biggest red flag is chronic absenteeism. At 36.3%, Sumter High's rate is far above the state average of 22.3%, and while it's better than Lakewood's 43.9%, it's still a major barrier to learning. The school serves a high-needs population, with 100% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, which adds to the challenge. There are some bright spots: the school has shown meaningful progress with its Hispanic students, jumping from the 12th to the 46th percentile in just two years. However, performance for students with disabilities and gifted students has dropped sharply. Despite spending more per student ($13,332) and having a favorable 17:1 student-teacher ratio, those resources haven't translated into stronger test scores—a sign that attendance and socio-economic factors are powerful forces the school is still working to overcome.