Alice Birney Middle School and Pepperhill Elementary School

[dylan33]

I find it difficult to get a good reading about SC public schools.
First of all, the gov. website, https://ssl.sc.gov/SchoolReportCards seems designed to not let you see which schools are the best. For instance, it doesnt even list all the schools in a particular county or district. It should be very easy to have the site list, for example, all the elementary schools in Charleston County and then allow you to review them.
Also it has a rating for each district which lumps all schools together and comes up with a pretty useless grade. For instance Dorchester District 2 and 4 both receive grades of "average" when it is pretty common knowledge that 2 is preferable.

I also find it very unhealthy that whenever some posters have something derogatory to say about particiular schools or districts certain people denounce them and accuse them of being spiteful and mean-spirited, as if no one should say anything unless its 'positive'.
Well, I, for one, want to hear the good with the bad, and especially the 'bad'. People who have uncomplimentary things to say should not be intimated by those who have vested interests to conceal unpleasant facts.

And lastly, could anyone please tell me if there are any nonreligious elementary and high schools in Summerville or mt P?

[OleTomCat]

Pinewood Prep is a Non Religious private school, it is on Orangburg Rd.

[MaryFCarson]

It's my understanding that if a school is rated "At Risk" (which used to be the "Unsatisfactory" category) parents can apply to have their child attend a school that is not "At Risk". I believe there is a timetable involved (may have to request this in June) but don't know if timetable applies to a family just moving into the district. I recommend checking with the County District office, which is on Calhoun St. in Charleston.

[OleTomCat]

They have to be failing for three years in a row before you can move you children at no expense to you...