Lexington School District Two students posted gains on 2026 SC School Report Cards released Monday by the SC Department of Education, with the majority of schools attaining “Good” to “Excellent” ratings in year-over year growth,  and half of the district’s schools improving their overall rating over last year. 

Lexington Two, as a district, also saw increases in core subject areas like English and Math, along with gains in other key measures:

• The annual dropout rate decreased from 5.0% to 1.8%.
• The five-year student success rate increased to 81.7%, up from 75.4% in 2024.
• College-or-career readiness increased to 62.9% in 2026, up from 51.4% in 2024, while career readiness increased to 62.9% from 49.8% over the same period.
• Students eligible for the LIFE Scholarship increased to 32.5% from 21.9%. 
• The four-year graduation rate increased to 79.3%, up from 75.0% the previous year.
• SC READY ELA performance increased to 50.2% in 2026 from 40.0% in 2024, a 10.2-point increase.
• Over the same period, mathematics increased to 37.7% from 30.5%, and English 2 increased to 59.8% from 55.2%.
• Science increased to 44.2% in 2026 from 38.0% in 2025.

All Lexington Two schools rated “Average” or better in Student Progress, a key indicator of year-over-year academic growth and improvement, with three schools achieving “Excellent” – Riverbank Elementary, Fulmer Middle, Northside Middle – and five achieving “Good” (Congaree Elementary, Saluda River Academy for the Arts, Wood Elementary, Busbee Creative Arts Academy, Pine Ridge Middle). 

The majority of district schools attained “Average” or better in Academic Achievement scores as well as in Overall Rating, with six at “Good” (Riverbank Elementary, Saluda River Academy for the Arts, Springdale Elementary, Busbee Creative Arts Academy, Northside Middle, Fulmer Middle) and five at “Average” (Cayce Elementary, Congaree Elementary, Wood Elementary, Pine Ridge Middle, Airport High). 

Lexington Two Superintendent Dr. Angela Cooper praised the hard work behind this year’s gains, while noting there is still work to do.

“We are proud of the strides our students and schools have made, and these results reflect the hard work of our students, teachers, school leaders, staff, and families across Lexington Two,” Dr. Cooper said. “We are seeing meaningful progress in Academic Achievement, Student Progress, graduation, and college and career readiness, and that progress gives us much to celebrate. At the same time, we know there is still important work ahead. Our expectation is that every school continues to grow and that every student has access to the opportunities, instruction, and support needed to be successful.”

Deputy Superintendent Dr. David McDonald attributed the district’s gains to “a more intentional and consistent focus on instructional quality, student progress, and the use of data to drive decisions,” adding that results “show encouraging evidence of student growth across the district, particularly in the Student Progress indicator.”

“Moving forward, we will continue to focus on standards-aligned, high-quality instruction; consistent use of formative and progress-monitoring data; targeted intervention through MTSS; and strong instructional leadership and coaching,” Dr. McDonald said. “The distinction between Achievement and Progress in this year’s results is important. While several schools demonstrate good or excellent Student Progress, the Academic Achievement ratings indicate that there remains significant opportunity to move more students to higher levels of performance.”

The annual SC School Report Cards provide information about each school and district, including test performance, teacher qualifications, student safety, awards, parent involvement and more.  Students were tested in the 2025-2026 school year.

“As we continue our work toward becoming Destination Schools and a Destination District, we will build on what is working, address areas where improvement is needed, and remain focused on measurable results,” Dr. Cooper said. “We are proud of our progress, but we are not finished.”