Marion High

Marion High serves approximately 572 students in grades 9-12 in Marion, South Carolina, as part of the Marion 10 school district, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The most encouraging news is the school's dramatic turnaround between 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, when it jumped from the 2nd percentile to the 40th percentile in state rankings—an improvement of 89 positions in a single year. This progress was consistent across nearly every student group, including African American students (4th to 59th percentile) and low-income students (2nd to 54th percentile). The graduation rate has also climbed steadily to 86.0%, nearly matching the state average. However, the most recent year shows a mixed picture: Algebra 1 proficiency soared from 37.5% to 65.0%, but English 1 dropped from 60.8% to 39.4%. The school's biggest ongoing challenge is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 37.6%—nearly double the state average of 22.3%—and likely undermines many other improvement efforts.

Compared to nearby schools, Marion High spends more per student ($18,499) than any of its peers, yet outcomes remain below most of them. Mullins High, in the same district with similar demographics, consistently outperforms Marion despite spending $1,800 less per student. Aynor High, just 16 miles away in the Horry 01 district, ranks 41st in the state with a 96.1% graduation rate and 25.0% chronic absenteeism. One area of genuine strength is English 2, where Marion's 92.4% proficiency rate in 2024-2025 exceeded both district and state averages. The school's most pressing concern is support for disabled students, who remain in the bottom 10% statewide despite gains elsewhere. If Marion can address its attendance crisis and extend its successful strategies to all student groups, the recent upward trajectory suggests real potential for continued improvement.