South-Carolina
What SC is doing to combat rising rates of students missing school
COLUMBIA, S.C. — More students across the country and in South Carolina are missing school now than in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The latest data, from the 2022-2023 school year, shows one in four students in the Palmetto State were considered chronically absent from school, just below the national average of 26%.
That state figure is nearly double from the 2018-2019 school year, when South Carolina’s rate was 13.1%.
A student is considered chronically absent when they miss at least 10% of the school year, so 18 days in a standard 180-day calendar.
Some education researchers call chronic absenteeism the greatest challenge facing American public schools post-pandemic, and South Carolina will soon put more focus on combatting it.
“Chronic absenteeism can really impact student achievement and student success academically,” Tenell Felder, communications manager for the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee, said.
The Education Oversight Committee oversees the accountability system for the state’s public schools.
It will soon launch a study and focus groups with South Carolina students to try to get to the heart of this issue and then develop recommendations later this fall.
“That could assist schools, teachers, principals, and parents in making sure that students are indeed present in school and ready to learn,” Felder said.
Studies have shown the negative impacts of chronic absenteeism include students being more likely to read below their grade level as well as later dropping out of school.
South Carolina School Report Cards indicate all districts grapple with chronic absenteeism but in varying degrees, ranging from a statewide low two years ago of 7.3% in Fort Mill to a high of more than half of all students, 51.9%, in Lexington School District Four.
On the higher end was Laurens County School District 56, where nearly one in three students were considered chronically absent.
“It’s just old-fashioned hard work and consistency and persistency, and not giving up,” Assistant Superintendent David Pitts said.
Pitts said the district has taken a hands-on approach to addressing absenteeism that includes making phone calls, not robocalls, for every absence, home visits, and even court orders if it rises to the level of truancy.
In one year, Laurens 56 cut its chronic absentee rate from 31.2% percent to 20.7%, which Pitts attributes to the work of school staff and principals.
“They just would not give up on a kid,” he said. “They would not accept, ‘I’m just not coming to school.’”
You can see the chronic absentee rates for all school districts across South Carolina for the 2022-2023 school year below.
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An 87-year-old businessman in Columbia, South Carolina says he has no plans to retire.
Leonard Fabrizio works as a retailer at Brittons of Columbia, a locally-owned men’s clothing store.
“I’m not the type of person who can sit around by myself,” said Fabrizio. “I just enjoy the interaction and that’s the big thing, is the interaction with people. It’s always been the drive in this business for me, said Fabrizio.
Fabrizio’s retail career began as a college student when he worked at J.C. Penney. He has watched Columbia grow and has owned a store and managed several others.
His advice is to “Be patient. It takes time to build a business. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s rewarding. It’s fun. But you have to have compassion for the business.”
Fabrizio recently celebrated another birthday alongside those who have supported his career.
(WPDE) — June 9 marked International Batten Disease Awareness Day, shining a light on a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disorder.
It primarily affects children and causes harmful waste material to build up inside the cells of the brain and nervous system.
One South Carolina family used the day to raise awareness as their 2-year-old son, Sam Stockton, lives with CLN2 Batten disease.
Sam was diagnosed at 16 weeks old, and his family says they travel every other week for enzyme-replacement therapy while also searching for clinical research opportunities.
Through Hope for Sam, the family is working to spread information about Batten disease and support other families facing rare diseases.
“Just the more you know about rare diseases, I never knew that over 300 million people worldwide live with rare diseases. And that means there’s less access to care because people aren’t researching it and not as many people have it. So the more information that’s out there, we feel is the better,” Jordan Stockton said.
There are 13 known types of Batten disease, and there is no cure. Researchers estimate the disease affects about two to four out of every 100,000 births in the United States.
The Stockton family says they have found support through the Batten Disease Support, Research and Advocacy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families navigate the disease while providing resources.
More information and donation details are available at this link.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Contestants in the 2026 Miss South Carolina and Miss South Carolina’s Teen competitions will showcase their talents on Thursday at the Township Auditorium.
Miss South Carolina’s Teen’s Got Talent is set to begin at 5 p.m., followed by Miss South Carolina’s Got Talent at 7 p.m.
READ MORE | Miss South Carolina kicks off with preliminary rounds
The talent competitions are part of the weeklong Miss South Carolina Scholarship Organization competition, which brings delegates from across the state to Columbia to compete for scholarships and the opportunity to represent South Carolina on the national stage.
READ MORE | Miss South Carolina’s Teen preliminary round begins
Contestants competed in fitness, evening wear, and onstage question preliminaries on Wednesday, while Miss South Carolina’s Teen contestants completed their preliminary competition on Tuesday.
Preliminary winners include:
Preliminary Fitness Award winners:
- Jenna Huggins, Miss Clemson
- Lindsay Jones, Miss Charleston
- Reagan McMahon, Miss Chapin
Preliminary Evening Gown Award winners:
- Mary Kimball Osborn, Miss Palmetto
- Chelby Drafts, Miss Golden Corner
- Reagan McMahon, Miss Chapin
Teen Preliminary Fitness Award winners:
- Alissa Claire Rhodes, Miss Fox Creek High School’s Teen
- Kamryn Mathis, Miss Greer High School’s Teen
- Logan Wells, Miss Palmetto’s Teen
Teen Preliminary Evening Gown Award winners:
- Logan Wells, Miss Palmetto’s Teen
- Cleo Floyd-Johnstone, Miss Ballentine’s Teen
- Kursten Long, Miss Newberry’s Teen
The Miss South Carolina’s Teen finals are set for Friday night, while the Miss South Carolina finals will take place Saturday.
Watch the 2026 Miss South Carolina Competition LIVE at 8:00 PM on Saturday, June 20. Tune in on WACH FOX 57 in Columbia, ABC 4 in Charleston, ABC 15 in Myrtle Beach/Florence, and My40 in the Upstate.
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