SDPC Graduation Rate hits New High

The South Carolina School Report Cards released this week revealed the School District of Pickens County’s (SDPC) four-year high school graduation rate to have hit a new high of 84%. The number tops last year’s record of 83.4%. “Improving the graduation rate has been a point of emphasis from the school board for about a decade, and we continue to see steady improvement,” said Dr. Danny Merck, SDPC Superintendent. “I’m also very proud of the fact that for the first time in our history, each of our four high schools had a graduation rate above 80%, and that Daniel High School has topped 90% for the second year in a row. Our schools foster positive relationships, and the rising graduation rate is a result of a culture that continues to improve.” The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), will require states to give every school a report card that will include an overall rating in 2018. The accountability system developed by the South Carolina Department of Education and the Education Oversight Committee earned strong reviews from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in a report released this month.