Over 90% of BCSD schools rated excellent, good, average
From staff reports
The S.C. Department of Education (SCDE) and the S.C. Education Oversight Committee (EOC) released the 2025 S.C. Report Cards for schools, which provide families, educators, and the community with an indication of how schools are performing, and for the second straight year, the news is good for the Beaufort County School District (BCSD).
Last year, 2024, was the first time since 2018 no BCSD school had been ranked as Unsatisfactory and this trend continued for 2025.
“This is a testament to our Superintendent,” Chief Instructional Services Officer Mary Stratos said in a BCSD news release. “We are continuing to make progress and Dr. Rodriguez’s commitment to our educators, staff, and students is making it happen.”
The S.C. 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 BCSD schools are rated excellent, good, or average.
Ratings for BCSD schools north of the Broad
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, north of the Broad River (The Island News’ coverage area) at the elementary level that received this rating are Lady’s Island and Port Royal. At the middle school level Riverview Charter (Grades 6-8) received this top rating.
Port Royal Elementary School has increased three levels from last year, going from Below Average to Excellent. Lady’s Island improved one level to Excellent.
“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,” Port Royal Elementary School Principal Vicki Goude said in a BCSD news release. “I am so proud of the work our team did to support students through positive relationships and high expectations for all students.”
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, north of the Broad River, at the elementary level that received this rating are Beaufort, Coosa, and Mossy Oaks. Beaufort and Mossy Oaks each improved a level to Good.
At the high school level, Whale Branch Early College received the Good rating.
An Average rating is defined as School performance meets the criteria to ensure all students meet the Profile of the S.C. Graduate. District schools at the elementary level that received this rating are Broad River, Joseph Shanklin, 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, Lady’s Island, and Robert Smalls Leadership Academy (Grades 6-8). Lady’s Island Middle School jumped a level.
“We are incredibly proud of the growth reflected in our latest School Report Card rating,” Lady’s Island Middle School Principal Chavon Browne said in a BCSD news release. “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.”
Beaufort High School was also designated with an Average rating.
Inside the numbers
Under Superintendent Frank 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.
Looking ahead
“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.”
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,” added 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 on the BCSD Showcase, visit https://www.beaufortschools.net/showcase.
For more statewide report card information, please see the SCDE’s Report Card release at https://screportcards.com/.
