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Denmark-Olar High

Q: Is Denmark-Olar High a good school?

Denmark-Olar High ranks 125 th of 235 South Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

125^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 235 South Carolina High Schools

Better than 47% of South Carolina high schools

Summary

Denmark-Olar High in Denmark, SC, is a small, rural high school serving 181 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Bamberg 03 district, and it has undergone a remarkable turnaround in recent years.

This school stands out for its dramatic improvement, climbing from the bottom 3% of South Carolina high schools in 2022-2023 to the 47th percentile in 2024-2025—a leap from a 0-star to a 2-star rating. A key differentiator is its strong performance with specific student groups, ranking in the 78th percentile for female students and the 71st percentile for African American students statewide, a huge jump from just two years prior. The school also invests heavily in its students, spending $24,830 per pupil—far more than nearby Barnwell High ($15,013) and even its district peer Bamberg-Ehrhardt High ($19,508)—and maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 9.5:1, fostering personalized attention. Academically, Denmark-Olar excels in English 2, with a 90.9% proficiency rate that outpaces the state average (86.4%) and beats Bamberg-Ehrhardt (84.6%), while Algebra 1 proficiency is a strong 85% compared to 68.3% at the district's other high school.

Despite these gains, the school faces challenges. Chronic absenteeism is a significant concern at 29.7%, the second-highest among nearby schools and well above the state average of 22.3%. Additionally, test scores are inconsistent—U.S. History proficiency is only 38.88%—and the high per-pupil spending hasn't yet resolved all issues. This creates a mixed picture: a school with a powerful success story in academic improvement and targeted support, but one that must still tackle attendance and subject-specific gaps to sustain its momentum.

181

Students ?

9.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,830

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

197 Viking Circle
Denmark, SC 29042

(803) 793-3307

District: Bamberg 03

Racial breakdown:

African American:

95.6%

White:

3.3%

Hispanic:

1.1%

See top rated South Carolina high schools

Compare Denmark-Olar High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 3rd percentile in 2023 → 47th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 44 percentile points since 2023

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (65% vs 71% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (30% vs 22% South Carolina)

!U.S. History and the Constitution scores 23 pts below the South Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school65%

District avg69%

South Carolina avg71%

125^th of 235

South Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 47%▲ up 44 pts since 2023

From bottom 3% (2023) to bottom 47% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Bamberg 03

53^rd of 75Bamberg 03 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
2025	44.2	125 of 235	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.7	183 of 235	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	5.5	230 of 237	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	61.5	56 of 194	71.1%	★★★★☆
2024	47.2	96 of 194	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	14.8	186 of 199	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.8	50 of 225	77.8%	★★★★☆
2024	26.7	166 of 225	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.2	216 of 223	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	46.7	107 of 226	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.0	161 of 229	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	7.5	220 of 226	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	28.6	164 of 228	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	5.2	224 of 229	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2025)78th percentile+31 vs school

African American (2025)71st percentile+24 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)53rd percentile+6 vs school

Male (2024)28th percentile+6 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English 291%+4 vs state

Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 285%+11 vs state

English 150%-12 vs state

U.S. History and the Constitution39%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Denmark-Olar 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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SC READY English Language Arts (2025)			SC READY Mathematics (2025)			SC READY Science (2025)	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (2025)	EOCEP English 1 (2025)	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution (2025)	EOCEP English 2 (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	EOCEP English 1 End of Course	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution End of Course	EOCEP English 2 End of Course	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
Denmark-Olar High	Public	9-12	197 Viking Circle	Denmark	29042	Bamberg County	Bamberg 03	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 793-3307	181	19	9.5		6 (3.3%)	173 (95.6%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44.2	125^th of 235 public high schools	46.8%		21.7	183^rd of 235 public high schools	22.1%	58								85.0	50.0	38.9	90.9	$24,830	$2,834	$1,313	$4,147	$17,354	$3,329	$20,683
Bamberg-Ehrhardt High	Public	9-12	267 Red Raider Drive	Bamberg	29003	Bamberg County	Bamberg 03	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 245-3030	383	32	11.9		147 (38.4%)	216 (56.4%)	13 (3.4%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	46	118^th of 235 public high schools	49.8%		36.8	142^nd of 235 public high schools	39.6%	24								68.3	67.6	37.5	84.6	$19,508	$1,323	$1,082	$2,405	$14,356	$2,747	$17,103
Cope Area Career Center	Public	9-12	6052 Slab Landing Road	Cope	29038	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg 80	No	No	No	No	(803) 534-7661	0	11	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Blackville-Hilda High	Public	9-12	76 Atkins Circle	Blackville	29817	Barnwell County	Barnwell	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 284-5700	140	16	8.7		12 (8.6%)	113 (80.7%)	10 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.6%)								(n/a)
Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High	Public	6-12	7066 Norway Road	Neeses	29107	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 263-4832	220	17	12.8		33 (15.0%)	180 (81.8%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.3%)	14.9	209^th of 235 public high schools	11.1%		13.2	212^th of 235 public high schools	9.8%	3	30.0	54.0	26.9	0.0	5.4	0.0	25.0	50.0	42.9	38.2	77.5	$19,181	$1,403	$1,582	$2,986	$13,866	$2,329	$16,195
Barnwell County Career Center	Public	9-12	5214 Reynolds Road	Blackville	29817	Barnwell County	Barnwell	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 259-5512	0	13	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Edisto High	Public	9-12	500 R.M. Foster Drive	Cordova	29039	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	No	(803) 536-1553	614	48	12.6		227 (37.0%)	320 (52.1%)	45 (7.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.3%)	17.5	199^th of 235 public high schools	15.3%		14.3	207^th of 235 public high schools	11.9%	8								71.6	38.9	36.4	76.8	$18,528	$1,158	$2,688	$3,846	$12,275	$2,407	$14,682
Barnwell High	Public	9-12	474 Jackson Street	Barnwell	29812	Barnwell County	Barnwell	No	No	No	No	(803) 541-1390	557	39	14.4		231 (41.5%)	262 (47.0%)	31 (5.6%)	11 (2.0%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.5%)	17 (3.1%)								(n/a)
Williston-Elko High	Public	9-12	12233 Main Street	Williston	29853	Barnwell County	Barnwell	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 266-3110	192	14	14.2		65 (33.9%)	116 (60.4%)	6 (3.1%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Denmark-Olar High

Is Denmark-Olar High a good school?

Denmark-Olar High ranks 125^th of 235 South Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Denmark-Olar High?

Students at Denmark-Olar High are 96% African American, 3% White, 1% Hispanic.

How many students attend Denmark-Olar High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 181 students attended Denmark-Olar High.

What district is Denmark-Olar High in?

Bamberg 03

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataAug 28, 2025

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.