ork School District One ranked 43rd of 74 school districts in South Carolina in Niche’s 2027 Best Schools and Districts rankings and received an overall grade of B from the school review website.
The district placed fourth of four districts in York County. The Fort Mill School District ranked first in the county and Rock Hill Schools third.
The rankings are a common starting point for families comparing schools before a move, and they draw notice in a county where four districts share borders. York School District One serves the city of York and western York County, including Hickory Grove and Sharon.
District rankings
Beyond its overall placement, Niche ranked York School District One 35th of 74 in South Carolina for Most Diverse School Districts and second of four in York County in that category.
The district ranked 62nd of 74 in the state and fourth in York County for Best School Districts for Athletes.
Niche did not publish a national ranking or a Charlotte area ranking for the district in any category.
On Niche’s site, York School District One holds a 4.24 out of 5 rating from 21 reviews, the highest average rating among the York County districts covered in this series.
Elementary schools
Hunter Street Elementary School ranked highest in the district, placing 263rd of 718 public elementary schools in South Carolina with an overall grade of B+. Jefferson Elementary School followed at 281st with a B.
Harold C. Johnson Elementary and Cotton Belt Elementary, both graded B minus, did not receive a published state rank. Neither did Hickory Grove Sharon Elementary, which serves prekindergarten through sixth grade and also received a B minus.
York’s elementary schools serve students through fourth grade, according to Niche’s listings, with the exception of the Hickory Grove Sharon campus.
Middle and intermediate schools
York Intermediate School, which serves fifth and sixth grades, and York Middle School, which serves seventh and eighth grades, each received a B minus. Neither received a published state rank on Niche’s list of 356 public middle schools.
High school
York Comprehensive High School, the district’s only high school on Niche’s list, received a B minus and did not receive a published state rank among South Carolina’s 264 public high schools.
The school’s reviews tell a different story. York Comprehensive holds a 4.15 out of 5 rating from 310 reviews on Niche, higher than the average review rating at any of Rock Hill’s three high schools. Its enrollment on Niche’s list is 1,511 students.
Niche removed SAT and ACT scores from its high school formula this year, saying colleges now give less weight to test scores in admissions.
How the rankings work
Niche builds its rankings from U.S. Department of Education data, state test results, graduation rates, college readiness measures and reviews submitted by students, parents and educators. Elementary and middle school rankings also factor in the overall quality of the school district, which means a district’s standing can pull its individual schools up or down.
The full list of rankings is posted on the York School District No. 1 profile at niche.com.
York School District One in Niche’s 2027 South Carolina rankings
Elementary schools, of 718
263. Hunter Street Elementary (B+)
281. Jefferson Elementary (B)
Unranked: Harold C. Johnson Elementary (B minus), Cotton Belt Elementary (B minus), Hickory Grove Sharon Elementary (B minus)
Middle schools, of 356
Unranked: York Intermediate (B minus), York Middle (B minus)
High schools, of 264
Unranked: York Comprehensive High (B minus)
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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.
