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Horry County Schools, South Carolina

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Horry County Schools
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Horry County, South Carolina
District details
Superintendent: Clifford Jones
# of school board members: 12
Website: Link

Horry County Schools is a school district in South Carolina.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...

Superintendent

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 		This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Clifford Jones is the superintendent of Horry County Schools. Jones was appointed superintendent in December 2024 and took office in February 2025.[1] His career experience includes working as a high school social studies teacher and chief of staff.[2]

Past superintendents

  • Rick Maxey was the superintendent of Horry County Schools. Maxey began serving as the acting superintendent in January 2015 and was appointed superintendent in June 2015. He left the position on June 30, 2024. Maxey's previous career experience included working as the district's deputy superintendent.[3]
  • Cindy Elsberry was the superintendent of Horry County Schools from 2008 to 2014.[4]

School board

The Horry County Schools school board consists of 11 members elected by district and the chairman of the board elected at large to four-year terms.[5]


Office Name Date assumed office
Horry County Schools school board, District 1 David Koch January 9, 2023
Horry County Schools school board, District 2 Debbie Edmonds January 9, 2023
Horry County Schools school board, District 3 Tracy Winters November 15, 2021
Horry County Schools school board, District 4 Wendy Hodges March 6, 2023
Horry County Schools school board, District 5 Howard Barnard January 11, 2021
Horry County Schools school board, District 6 Pam Dawson January 9, 2023
Horry County Schools school board, District 7 Janet P. Graham
Horry County Schools school board, District 8 Melanie Wellons 2021
Horry County Schools school board, District 9 James Edwards January 11, 2021
Horry County Schools school board, District 10 Neil James
Horry County Schools school board, District 11 Darrell Ricketts January 13, 2025
Horry County Schools school board chair David Cox January 9, 2023

Elections

See also: Horry County Schools, South Carolina, elections

Members of the Horry County Schools school board are elected to four-year terms and are up for election on a staggered basis every even-numbered year in November.

A general election for five seats on the board was scheduled for November 5, 2024. A primary was scheduled for June 11, 2024.


Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.


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Public participation in board meetings

The Horry County Schools school board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[6]

“

If you wish to address the Board of Education at its regular Board meeting, you must complete the form below and submit it up to six hours prior to the scheduled opening of the meeting at which you wish to speak. At the appropriate time, you will be recognized by the Board Chair and you will be given up to a maximum of 5 minutes to speak, depending on the number of people who have requested to speak. A maximum of 30 minutes during the regular Board meeting will be allocated for citizens to speak. Citizens will speak in the order in which they register.

In cases of abusive or vulgar language, profanity, threatening remarks or comments of purely personal attacks on students, staff or Board members, the Chair will rule the person out of order and require her/him to relinquish the floor.

In cases of speakers promoting unsolicited commercial services/products, or of speakers promoting political candidates or related political activities, or confidential information about students, employees, Board Members or others, the Chair will rule the person out of order and require her/him to relinquish the floor.

Opportunities to address the Board of Education are not provided at Work Sessions, retreats, committee meetings, or special-called Board meetings.

Please note: The purpose of the Public Forum is to give the public an opportunity to make the Board aware of issues the administrative staff have been unable to resolve or to express a viewpoint concerning Board business. The Board will listen to the viewpoint expressed but will not respond to the individual(s) at the meeting. The Board will direct the Superintendent to do so within two weeks, if possible.[7]

”

District map

School district map

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[8]

Revenue, 2020-2021
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $74,960,000 $1,685 11%
Local: $338,637,000 $7,613 50%
State: $266,792,000 $5,998 39%
Total: $680,389,000 $15,297
Expenditures, 2020-2021
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $613,769,000 $13,799
Total Current Expenditures: $530,500,000 $11,926
Instructional Expenditures: $324,240,000 $7,289 53%
Student and Staff Support: $64,091,659 $1,440 10%
Administration: $45,457,000 $1,021 7%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $96,711,341 $2,174 16%
Total Capital Outlay: $51,729,000 $1,162
Construction: $28,089,000 $631
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $2,005,000 $45
Interest on Debt: $15,616,000 $351


Teacher salaries

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year Minimum Maximum
2024-2025[9] $48,275 $101,749
2023-2024[10] $46,269 $99,742
2019-2020[11] $37,826 $82,982

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[12]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 46 65-69 23 37 30-34 41 56
2018-2019 57 78 35 50 60-64 54 66
2017-2018 57 79 35 50 45-49 53 66
2016-2017 54 75 34 46 45-49 52 63
2015-2016 55 79 33 48 40-44 50 64
2014-2015 57 77 36 51 40-44 53 64
2013-2014 74 85-89 54 70 75-79 76 81
2012-2013 76 90-94 56 73 70-79 75 82
2011-2012 76 90-94 56 73 60-69 76 83
2010-2011 76 85-89 57 73 70-74 74 83

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 54 71 31 42 50-54 50 63
2018-2019 54 72 32 43 60-64 51 64
2017-2018 52 69 31 43 50-54 49 61
2016-2017 49 70 27 39 45-49 44 57
2015-2016 54 72 31 45 45-49 51 62
2014-2015 44 62 23 33 40-44 39 51
2013-2014 76 85-89 54 70 85-89 78 83
2012-2013 78 85-89 59 75 80-89 79 84
2011-2012 76 85-89 55 69 60-69 77 83
2010-2011 75 85-89 56 69 65-69 75 82

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 83 85-89 78 78 >=80 86
2018-2019 83 >=95 77 77 70-79 86
2017-2018 82 85-89 75 80-84 60-79 85
2016-2017 80 80-89 73 75-79 60-79 83
2015-2016 81 90-94 71 75-79 60-79 85
2014-2015 82 80-89 76 75-79 >=50 84
2013-2014 79 80-89 70 75-79 >=50 83
2012-2013 78 75-79 71 75-79 40-59 80
2011-2012 77 80-89 71 65-69 60-79 80
2010-2011 75 70-79 66 65-69 >=50 79


Students

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023 47,357 1.7
2021-2022 46,551 4.5
2020-2021 44,479 -2.9
2019-2020 45,759 1.8
2018-2019 44,931 0.3
2017-2018 44,801 1.8
2016-2017 43,991 1.8
2015-2016 43,188 2.2
2014-2015 42,222 3.0
2013-2014 40,943 2.3
2012-2013 39,998 2.6
2011-2012 38,957 1.1
2010-2011 38,534 1.9
2009-2010 37,790 -0.4
2008-2009 37,948 2.0
2007-2008 37,200 2.9
2006-2007 36,124 2.5
2005-2006 35,218 4.7
2004-2005 33,566 5.7
2003-2004 31,648 2.6
2002-2003 30,826 5.0
2001-2002 29,283 -2.1
2000-2001 29,894 6.4
1999-2000 27,989 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2022-2023
RACE Horry County Schools (%) South Carolina K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.3 0.3
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 1.3 1.8
Black 16.9 31.6
Hispanic 16.3 12.7
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.2 0.1
Two or More Races 6.8 5.8
White 58.2 47.8

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


Staff

As of the 2022-2023 school year, Horry County Schools had 3,242.50 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 14.61.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 64.00
Kindergarten: 126.00
Elementary: 1,978.70
Secondary: 1,073.80
Total: 3,242.50

Horry County Schools employed 27.00 district administrators and 183.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 27.00
District Administrative Support: 460.50
School Administrators: 183.00
School Administrative Support: 263.50
Other staff, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 805.50
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 88.50
Total Guidance Counselors: 128.50
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 75.50
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 53.00
Librarians/Media Specialists: 53.00
Library/Media Support: 42.00
Student Support Services: 134.30
Other Support Services: 1,337.00


Schools

Horry County Schools operates 57 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Academy For Arts/Science/Technology09-12
Academy For Technology And Academics09-12
Academy Of Hope Charter115PK-8
Aynor Elementary810PK-5
Aynor High8829-12
Aynor Middle7696-8
Black Water Middle8026-8
Bridgewater Academy Charter133KG-8
Burgess Elementary711PK-4
Carolina Forest Elementary1,246PK-5
Carolina Forest High3,0599-12
Conway Elementary559PK-5
Conway High1,7139-12
Conway Middle5976-8
Daisy Elementary645PK-5
Forestbrook Elementary881PK-5
Forestbrook Middle8296-8
Green Sea Floyds Elementary587PK-5
Green Sea Floyds High6796-12
Hcs Early College High3139-12
Hcs Scholars Academy High1319-12
Homewood Elementary707PK-5
Kingston Elementary442PK-5
Lakewood Elementary880PK-5
Loris Elementary790PK-5
Loris High8759-12
Loris Middle7206-8
Midland Elementary615PK-5
Myrtle Beach Early Childhood516PK-KG
Myrtle Beach Elementary1,0423-5
Myrtle Beach High1,6339-12
Myrtle Beach Middle1,1246-8
Myrtle Beach Primary6751-2
North Myrtle Beach High1,6439-12
North Myrtle Beach Middle1,2866-8
Ocean Bay Elementary1,054PK-5
Ocean Bay Middle7156-8
Ocean Drive Elementary827PK-5
Palmetto Academy Of Learning And Success Charter314KG-8
Palmetto Academy Of Learning Motorsports (Palm)1629-12
Palmetto Bays Elementary594PK-5
Pee Dee Elementary871PK-5
River Oaks Elementary1,314PK-5
Riverside Elementary691PK-5
Seaside Elementary432PK-4
Socastee Elementary798PK-5
Socastee High1,7199-12
Socastee Middle5586-8
South Conway Elementary608PK-5
St. James Elementary844PK-4
St. James High1,8379-12
St. James Intermediate8615-6
St. James Middle9206-8
Ten Oaks Middle1,1346-8
Waccamaw Elementary993PK-5
Waterway Elementary810PK-5
Whittemore Park Middle8926-8

Contact information

Horry County Schools.png

Horry County Schools
335 Four Mile Road
Conway, SC 29526
Phone: 843-488-6700


About school boards

Education legislation in South Carolina

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

South Carolina School Board Elections News and Analysis
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Horry County Schools, "Clifford “Cliff” Jones appointed Superintendent of Horry County Schools.," accessed April 15, 2025
  2. ↑ Horry County Schools, "Superintendent," accessed April 21, 2025
  3. ↑ Horry County Schools, "HCS Superintendent," accessed July 19, 2016
  4. ↑ Myrtle Beach Online, "Horry County Schools Superintendent Cindy Elsberry resigns," November 17, 2014
  5. ↑ Horry County Schools, "Horry County Board of Education," accessed December 30, 2014
  6. ↑ Horry County Schools, "Request to Speak," accessed April 21, 2025
  7. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  8. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
  9. ↑ Horry County Schools, "Teacher Salary Scale 2024-25," accessed April 21, 2025
  10. ↑ Horry County Schools, "Teacher Salary Scale 2023-24," accessed February 4, 2024
  11. ↑ Horry County Schools, "Teacher Salary Scale 2019/20," accessed May 3, 2021
  12. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
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