Education - Child Care And Education

Grand Stranders take great pride in their reputation as a beach community where family concerns receive their full attention. For example, parents here take education very seriously. In fact, 99 percent of area parents had participated in a parent-teacher conference in 2005. In addition, the student attendance rate was 96 percent.

The fine schools of the Grand Strand—from private religious schools to technical academies—make good use of the amazing resources available in this area. For example, Horry Telephone Cooperative, a local connectivity provider, helped get the schools online. The tools are in place for the next generation of Grand Stranders to be able to read, write, and compete with their peers nationwide. As a result, Horry County school district was chosen to be a recipient of the “What Parents Want” award, as presented by School Match, an independent educational consulting firm. More than 60,000 parents were surveyed nationally to determine the criteria for this designation, and only 14 percent of schools nationwide qualified. The Horry County school system serves nearly 38,000 students. Horry County ranks first in the state for in-migration; in 2007 enrollment reached 36,142, representing a 15 percent increase from 1998. While South Carolina schools as a whole have not ranked very high in the nation, Horry County scholastic statistics rate higher and are improving.

The Horry County School District has been recognized as a national leader in technology. All classrooms are networked to the Internet, and the ratio of computers to students is just over 5 to 1. Wireless labs continue to expand. Since 2006, more than $3 million has been allocated for a laptop-computer initiative for teachers, giving them equipment and training to enhance the use of technology and instruction.

In 2004 a $240 million bond referendum was approved to provide for six new schools and additions, and renovations for 20 others.

The Horry County school district is the third largest of 85 state districts, and it still maintains a relatively low dropout rate of 1.5 percent, with 75 percent of graduates going on to higher education. Of the county’s 2,073 classroom teachers, 1,616 hold advanced degrees. The board of education is elected democratically, hires a superintendent, and works with the National Education Association. Class sizes in grades kindergarten through eighth have been limited to 25 or less, and seven schools in the area have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. In 2008 the Horry County School District SAT scores were 12 points above the national average. In fact, HCS students outpaced the state in each of the subject areas tested in 2008. Efforts also include such practical measures as placing a school resource officer or a security guard on campus and full-time drug and weapon canine surveillance teams in all high schools, middle schools, and career centers.

The first portion of this chapter discusses child care for the youngest of your gang. Then we move on to discuss primary- and secondary-education options.