Over 90% of BCSD schools are rated excellent, good, or average
BEAUFORT – The SC Department of Education (SCDE) and the SC Education Oversight Committee (EOC) released the 2025 SC Report Cards for schools, which provide families, educators, and the community with a clear snapshot of how schools are performing, helping everyone stay informed and engaged.
The SC Report Cards measure schools across key performance indicators, including academic achievement, student progress, college and career readiness, and school climate. These report cards indicate that 91% of Beaufort County School District (BCSD) schools are rated excellent, good, or average.
BCSD’s success is part of a larger surge across South Carolina. “These report cards tell a clear story: South Carolina students and educators are rolling up their sleeves and getting results,” said State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver. “From the Lowcountry to the Upstate, we’re proving that when teachers are empowered, communities are engaged, and high expectations meet strong support, students soar.”
An Excellent rating is defined as school performance that substantially exceeds the criteria to ensure all students meet the Profile of a South Carolina Graduate. District schools at the elementary level that received this rating are Bluffton, Lady’s Island, Okatie, Port Royal, and Red Cedar. Notably, Okatie Elementary has earned the Excellent designation for four consecutive years. At the middle school level Riverview Charter (grades 6-8) received this top rating. Bluffton High School earned an Excellent rating for the fifth year in a row.
A Good rating is defined as school performance that exceeds the criteria to ensure all students meet the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. District schools at the elementary level that received this rating are Beaufort, Coosa, Hilton Head Island, Mossy Oaks, Pritchardville, and River Ridge (grades K-5). Bluffton Middle School and River Ridge Academy (grades 6-8) received a Good rating alongside three high schools: Hilton Head Island, May River, and Whale Branch Early College.
An Average rating is defined as School performance meets the criteria to ensure all students meet the Profile of the SC Graduate. District schools at the elementary level that received this rating are Broad River, Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts, Joseph Shanklin, Michael C. Riley, Riverview Charter (grades K-5), Robert Smalls Leadership Academy (grades K-5), and Whale Branch. Schools rated Average at the middle school level are Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, Lady’s Island, Robert Smalls Leadership Academy (grades 6-8) and H.E. McCracken Middle. Beaufort High School was also designated with an Average rating.
Port Royal Elementary School has increased three levels from last year, going from Below Average to Excellent. Elementary schools seeing gains, increasing by one level, include Bluffton, Lady’s Island, Red Cedar, Beaufort, and Mossy Oaks. Lady’s Island Middle School also jumped a level.
The district’s gains and successes across elementary, middle, and high schools reflect unwavering school leadership and staff commitment to the students of Beaufort County.
“Driven by purpose and dedication, our teachers planned targeted instruction to meet every student’s unique needs as we continued to stretch toward our goals with district support throughout the year to move up three report card levels to Excellent in just one year,” said Vicki Goude, Principal of Port Royal Elementary School. “I am so proud of the work our team did to support students through positive relationships and high expectations for all students.”
“We are incredibly proud of the growth reflected in our latest School Report Card rating,” said Dr. Chavon Browne, Principal of Lady’s Island Middle School. “Moving up a level in one year with gains across every category—from student achievement and progress to preparing for success, multilingual progress, and school climate—speaks to the collective effort of our entire school community. Our teachers and staff have been intentional and relentless in implementing stronger instructional practices, and our students have embraced the challenge by setting goals, practicing with purpose, and taking ownership of their learning. This progress is a true reflection of what happens when commitment, collaboration, and high expectations come together for student success.”
“We’re extremely proud and excited of our Excellent report card rating,” said Matt Hall, Principal of Bluffton High School. “Our staff and our students have always held themselves to a high standard of performance academically and it’s been reflected year after year. Five straight years of earning an excellent rating since the state report card metrics were updated is a testament to the relentless effort of our teachers, support staff, and students taking pride in their work. It truly is, better to be a Bobcat!”
2024 was the first time since 2018 no BCSD school has been ranked as Unsatisfactory and this trend continued for 2025. “This is a testament to our Superintendent,” said Chief Instructional Services Officer, Dr. Mary Stratos. “We are continuing to make progress and Dr. Rodriguez’s commitment to our educators, staff, and students is making it happen.”
Under Dr. Rodriguez’s leadership, SC READY English Language Arts performance remains a bright spot for BCSD with the highest score in district history on the current state assessment since its inception, with scores across grades 3-8 continuing to surpass pre-pandemic levels. Students meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA for the district stood at 60.5% in 2025, higher than 2024 achievement of 55.6% and significantly higher than the 44.7% recorded in 2021. This data underscores the steady improvement and sustained growth achieved over the past few years.
The graduation rate in the report card is measured by the percentage of students who complete high school “on time” and earn a diploma in four years. BCSD’s graduation rate for the class of 2025 reflects 89.3 percent of students completing “on time,” the highest state reported rate in district history.
According to the SCDE, “College and Career Readiness remain a top priority for South Carolina students. While South Carolina’s on-time graduation rate is at a ten-year high, only 75.1% of students within the state are either career or college ready.” However, BCSD’s students have outperformed the state with 85.3% of students being College or Career Ready, the highest in district history and significantly higher than the 73.9 reported in 2021.
Academic Supports
“Schools working toward growth for the 2025-26 academic year will have the opportunity to further engage in district supports and initiatives,” said Stratos. “Instructional and data reviews, academic support meetings, and highly qualified instructional materials aligned to the rigor of state standards, alongside tighter alignment of personal learning opportunities, have become a part of BCSD’s instructional culture.”
Additionally, BCSD has implemented a South of the Broad Magnet School Assistance program to Hilton Head Island Schools through a $14.9 million Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will be anchored in inquiry-based learning, International Baccalaureate, dual language immersion, Project Lead the Way, and global and digital citizenship. Additionally, Whale Branch Elementary and Middle schools are now part of the Community in Schools program that connects students to school and community resources to succeed in the classroom and beyond.
Embracing a collective approach, BCSD is continuing to expand the district’s extended learning opportunities with community partners made possible by a $2.3M Catalyst Grant from the Coastal Community Foundation and is offering additional tutoring opportunities as well as increased support for learners.
Looking Ahead
Dr. Rodriguez acknowledges academic successes require both system and community wide efforts. “The progress we have made in our overall report card ratings is a reflection of our educators, students, administrators, parents, staff, and community members,” he said. “It’s no secret that there is a nationwide teacher shortage. Our Board of Education has tackled this issue by supporting significant salary increases, making BCSD one of the top-paying districts in the state. Additionally, our Human Resource recruitment efforts have paid off. Our current vacancies are the lowest they have been in years, which will no doubt serve to keep our student achievement momentum moving forward.”
“BCSD is the best choice for parents in Beaufort County; we have so much to offer,” said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez. “In fact, I encourage everyone to come to our BCSD Showcase events this month to discover for yourself all of the world-class opportunities available to students right here in Beaufort County.” For more information, please see: https://www.beaufortschools.net/showcase.
For more statewide report card information, please see the SCDE’s Report Card release at https://screportcards.com/.