Seven of the Clover School District’s 10 rated schools earned the state’s top overall rating of Excellent on the 2026 South Carolina School Report Cards, released Monday by the South Carolina Department of Education. That is up from six a year ago.
Two schools moved up a level. Oakridge Middle School rose from Good to Excellent, and Bethany Elementary School climbed from Average to Good. Kinard Elementary School was rated Average for the second straight year, the only Clover school below Good.
The report cards are the state’s yearly public accounting of how every school and district performs. This year’s results also capture Clover’s final year before a major reshuffle. In its report card narrative, the district said the past school year included reassigning students and staff to prepare for three new schools, Liberty Hill Elementary, Roosevelt Middle and Lake Wylie High, which opened Aug. 3. Those schools will not receive ratings until next year.
Statewide, the number of schools rated Excellent rose from 270 to 320, according to the department. State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver announced the results at the State House.
How the Schools Rated
Clover High School, the district’s only high school during the year measured, was rated Excellent with 73 points, up from 72. It earned Excellent ratings for graduation rate, college and career readiness and school climate.
Crowders Creek Elementary School posted the district’s top elementary score, 71 points, up from 62, and was one of two Clover schools rated Excellent in Student Progress. Larne Elementary School, the other, rose seven points to 69. Oakridge Elementary School also scored 69, up from 67.
Oakridge Middle scored 57 points, up from 54, which moved it into the Excellent range for middle schools. Clover Middle School was rated Good with 53 points, up from 51. It was the only Clover school not rated Excellent in Academic Achievement.
Bethany Elementary gained eight points to reach 59. Kinard Elementary held at 50 and was rated Below Average in Student Progress, the indicator that measures how much students improve from one year to the next. Griggs Road Elementary School (64) and Bethel Elementary School (62) kept their Excellent ratings.
Reading and Math
On the SC READY tests taken by students in grades three through eight, 75.4 percent of Clover students met or exceeded expectations in English language arts, compared with 61.5 percent statewide. That is up from 72.3 percent last year and 66.7 percent in 2024.
In math, 67.5 percent of Clover students met or exceeded expectations, up from 63.9 percent. The state average was 47.8 percent.
On the Algebra 1 end of course exam, 84.4 percent of Clover students scored a C or higher, up from 64.9 percent in 2025. Scores also rose sharply statewide. In English 2, 79.1 percent scored a C or higher, about the same as last year and well above the state’s 67.8 percent.
Science results were mixed. On the SC READY science test, 65.3 percent of students met expectations, down from 67 percent. The share passing the biology exam fell to 65.7 percent from 70.2 percent, while the U.S. History and the Constitution passing rate rose to 60.3 percent from 56.3 percent. All three remain above state averages.
Graduation Rate Slips
Of the 709 students in Clover’s graduating class, 660 earned diplomas within four years, a rate of 93.1 percent. That remains well above the state’s 87.5 percent, but it is the third straight year the district’s rate has declined, from 96.6 percent in 2023 to 94 percent, 93.8 percent and now 93.1 percent. Over the same period, the state rate climbed nearly four points.
Students with disabilities graduated at 65.6 percent, compared with 95.7 percent for their classmates. The state release named closing achievement gaps for students with disabilities as a major priority for the Department of Education.
The report card lists 81.5 percent of Clover’s graduating class as college or career ready, slightly above the state’s 78.9 percent but down from 87.2 percent in 2024. The share eligible for the state’s LIFE Scholarship fell to 59.5 percent from 67.7 percent.
Clover students who took the SAT averaged 1,057, compared with 1,013 statewide. Students passed 93 percent of the 430 Advanced Placement exams they took.
Career Training
The district’s narrative pointed to its Center for Career Innovation. According to the district, 408 seniors completed one of the center’s 22 career pathways, students earned 2,900 industry credentials, 129 completed internships in the community, and students earned 810 college credit hours through York Technical College or dual enrollment courses.
The report card shows 46 percent of Clover’s graduating class completed career and technical education with a certification.
The district also noted state championships for Clover High in girls cross country, boys wrestling and boys soccer, and the Pride of Clover Marching Band’s appearance in the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day.
Classrooms and Climate
Clover enrolled 8,987 students during the year. Chronic absenteeism, reported from the prior school year, fell to 13.4 percent from 14.4 percent. The share of students living in poverty rose to 36 percent, and total spending per student in the prior fiscal year was $15,634, up from $14,405.
In state surveys, 96.4 percent of responding parents agreed their child feels safe at school, though only 432 parents returned surveys. The district reported no incidents involving firearms and no expulsions.
Full report cards for each school and the district are posted at screportcards.com.
Clover School Ratings at a Glance
2026 overall rating and score, with 2025 in parentheses
High School
Clover High: Excellent, 73 (Excellent, 72)
Middle Schools
Oakridge Middle: Excellent, 57 (Good, 54)
Clover Middle: Good, 53 (Good, 51)
Elementary Schools
Crowders Creek Elementary: Excellent, 71 (Excellent, 62)
Larne Elementary: Excellent, 69 (Excellent, 62)
Oakridge Elementary: Excellent, 69 (Excellent, 67)
Griggs Road Elementary: Excellent, 64 (Excellent, 65)
Bethel Elementary: Excellent, 62 (Excellent, 61)
Bethany Elementary: Good, 59 (Average, 51)
Kinard Elementary: Average, 50 (Average, 50)
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
