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.
Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.
Copyright 2024 WIS. All rights reserved.
South-Carolina
Trump jumps into 2 GOP governor primaries, backing Evette in South Carolina and Feenstra in Iowa – WTOP News
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump endorsed two Republican gubernatorial candidates Friday, wading into contests in South Carolina and…
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump endorsed two Republican gubernatorial candidates Friday, wading into contests in South Carolina and Iowa that have pitted allies against each other in a fierce competition for their party leader’s blessing.
In a pair of social media posts, Trump gave his backing to South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstra, as primary elections in both states approach.
Iowa’s primary is Tuesday, and South Carolina’s is on June 9.
For two terms, Evette has served alongside Gov. Henry McMaster, one of Trump’s earliest backers during his first presidential campaign. Earlier this year, the long-serving governor endorsed his No. 2, telegraphing to some that Trump’s backing could be next.
On Friday, Trump expressed both appreciation for Evette and the state she represents, noting that she stumped for him in 2024. He also said “A BIG added plus” for her campaign is that Henry McMaster Jr. — the sitting governor’s son — may be Evette’s running mate.
In the deep red state of South Carolina, the competition for the president’s support has been the most intense part of the primary race.
In a separate post, Trump described Feenstra as “MAGA all the way” and said he would “fight tirelessly” for the state on issues including the economy, border security and support of law enforcement.
Both Evette and Feenstra have been vocal about wanting Trump’s endorsement, in the hopes that it would carry weight in states that helped propel Trump’s return to office in 2024. Feenstra said earlier this year that he asked for Trump’s support, and much of Evette’s campaign media has featured photos of her next to Trump.
Along with Feenstra, four other Republicans — state Rep. Eddie Andrews, businessman and former conservative political director Zach Lahn, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former director of the state Department of Administrative Services Adam Steen — are in the primary to replace outgoing Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who opted out of a third bid.
Evette is competing for the South Carolina nomination against Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman and state Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Both states are having their first competitive Republican gubernatorial primaries in years, with Reynolds and McMaster in office for roughly a decade each.
___
Hannah Fingerhut contributed reporting from Des Moines, Iowa.
___
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
Copyright
© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — A loud boom was heard and felt across the Midlands around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Viewers reported hearing and feeling the boom from as far as North Augusta to Darlington County.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a M 0.0 sonic boom occurred 3.7 miles northeast of the St. Andrews area.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (2)
WACH FOX has reached out to authorities and will have more information when it becomes available.
-
Los Angeles, Ca33 minutes agoMan arrested for multiple Los Angeles freeway shootings: CHP
-
Detroit, MI53 minutes agoArchdiocese of Detroit’s list of parishes chosen for halted Masses grows
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoGiants reassign 3B coach Borg; Wotus named interim replacement
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoVigil honors victims of Dallas apartment explosion that killed three and injured five
-
Miami, FL1 hour ago
Miami kosher, Mutra, restaurant earns Michelin star | The Jerusalem Post
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoRed Sox outfielder Roman Anthony suffers another injury setback
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoDenver weather: Warm weather to end May
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoSeattle City Council proposal would use street closures to curb gun violence
