Horry County Schools, South Carolina
| Horry County Schools |
|---|
 |
| Horry County, South Carolina |
| District details |
| Superintendent:Clifford Jones |
| # of school board members:12 |
| Website:Link |
Horry County Schools is aschool district inSouth Carolina.
Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...
- Superintendent
- School board
- Elections
- Budget
- Teacher salaries
- Academic performance
- Students
- Staff
- Schools
- Contact information
Superintendent
 | This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Pleasecontact 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 electedby district and the chairman of the board electedat large to four-year terms.[5]
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 forNovember 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.
Join the conversation about school board politics
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
Budget
The following statistics were published by theNational Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of theU.S. Department of Education.[8]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $125,951,000 | $2,706 | 16% |
| Local: | $378,470,000 | $8,130 | 48% |
| State: | $285,004,000 | $6,122 | 36% |
| Total: | $789,425,000 | $16,958 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $676,373,000 | $14,529 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $595,141,000 | $12,784 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $365,938,000 | $7,861 | 54% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $69,135,168 | $1,485 | 10% |
| Administration: | $59,520,000 | $1,278 | 9% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $100,547,832 | $2,159 | 15% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $53,579,000 | $1,150 | |
| Construction: | $14,300,000 | $307 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $2,455,000 | $52 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $14,132,000 | $303 |
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 theU.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result,proficiency levels are not comparable between different states andyear-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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 48,205 | 1.8 |
| 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 |
| RACE | Horry County Schools (%) | South Carolina K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.3 | 1.9 |
| Black | 16.3 | 31.2 |
| Hispanic | 17.5 | 13.4 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 7.2 | 6.0 |
| White | 57.1 | 47.2 |
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 censushere.
Staff
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Horry County Schools had 3,323.20 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 14.51.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 63.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 135.00 |
| Elementary: | 2,021.60 |
| Secondary: | 1,103.60 |
| Total: | 3,323.20 |
Horry County Schools employed 27.00 district administrators and 187.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 27.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 453.40 |
| School Administrators: | 187.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 262.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 842.00 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 86.00 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 134.50 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 77.50 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 57.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 52.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 42.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 144.30 |
| Other Support Services: | 1,277.50 |
Schools
| SCHOOL NAME | NUMBER OF STUDENTS | GRADES |
|---|---|---|
| Academy For Arts/Science/Technology | 0 | 9-12 |
| Academy For Technology And Academics | 0 | 9-12 |
| Academy Of Hope Charter | 106 | PK-8 |
| Aynor Elementary | 784 | PK-5 |
| Aynor High | 878 | 9-12 |
| Aynor Middle | 747 | 6-8 |
| Black Water Middle | 796 | 6-8 |
| Bridgewater Academy Charter | 128 | KG-8 |
| Burgess Elementary | 690 | PK-4 |
| Carolina Forest Elementary | 1,306 | PK-5 |
| Carolina Forest High | 3,181 | 9-12 |
| Conway Elementary | 593 | PK-5 |
| Conway High | 1,711 | 9-12 |
| Conway Middle | 630 | 6-8 |
| Daisy Elementary | 624 | PK-5 |
| Forestbrook Elementary | 881 | PK-5 |
| Forestbrook Middle | 820 | 6-8 |
| Green Sea Floyds Elementary | 572 | PK-5 |
| Green Sea Floyds High | 695 | 6-12 |
| Hcs Early College High | 342 | 9-12 |
| Hcs Scholars Academy High | 184 | 9-12 |
| Homewood Elementary | 668 | PK-5 |
| Kingston Elementary | 483 | PK-5 |
| Lakewood Elementary | 883 | PK-5 |
| Loris Elementary | 791 | PK-5 |
| Loris High | 864 | 9-12 |
| Loris Middle | 729 | 6-8 |
| Midland Elementary | 664 | PK-5 |
| Myrtle Beach Early Childhood | 504 | PK-KG |
| Myrtle Beach Elementary | 1,038 | 3-5 |
| Myrtle Beach High | 1,595 | 9-12 |
| Myrtle Beach Middle | 1,132 | 6-8 |
| Myrtle Beach Primary | 675 | 1-2 |
| North Myrtle Beach High | 1,654 | 9-12 |
| North Myrtle Beach Middle | 1,321 | 6-8 |
| Ocean Bay Elementary | 1,109 | PK-5 |
| Ocean Bay Middle | 763 | 6-8 |
| Ocean Drive Elementary | 810 | PK-5 |
| Palmetto Academy Of Learning And Success Charter | 322 | KG-8 |
| Palmetto Academy Of Learning Motorsports (Palm) | 190 | 9-12 |
| Palmetto Bays Elementary | 569 | PK-5 |
| Pee Dee Elementary | 933 | PK-5 |
| River Oaks Elementary | 1,415 | PK-5 |
| Riverside Elementary | 673 | PK-5 |
| Seaside Elementary | 429 | PK-4 |
| Socastee Elementary | 815 | PK-5 |
| Socastee High | 1,712 | 9-12 |
| Socastee Middle | 540 | 6-8 |
| South Conway Elementary | 622 | PK-5 |
| St. James Elementary | 901 | PK-4 |
| St. James High | 1,880 | 9-12 |
| St. James Intermediate | 872 | 5-6 |
| St. James Middle | 907 | 6-8 |
| Ten Oaks Middle | 1,270 | 6-8 |
| Waccamaw Elementary | 1,003 | PK-5 |
| Waterway Elementary | 845 | PK-5 |
| Whittemore Park Middle | 956 | 6-8 |
Contact information
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 byBillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| South Carolina | School Board Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Horry County Schools
- South Carolina Department of Education
- South Carolina School Boards Association
Footnotes
- ↑Horry County Schools, "Clifford “Cliff” Jones appointed Superintendent of Horry County Schools.," accessed April 15, 2025
- ↑Horry County Schools, "Superintendent," accessed April 21, 2025
- ↑Horry County Schools, "HCS Superintendent," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑Myrtle Beach Online, "Horry County Schools Superintendent Cindy Elsberry resigns," November 17, 2014
- ↑Horry County Schools, "Horry County Board of Education," accessed December 30, 2014
- ↑Horry County Schools, "Request to Speak," accessed April 21, 2025
- ↑Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑Horry County Schools, "Teacher Salary Scale 2024-25," accessed April 21, 2025
- ↑Horry County Schools, "Teacher Salary Scale 2023-24," accessed February 4, 2024
- ↑Horry County Schools, "Teacher Salary Scale 2019/20," accessed May 3, 2021
- ↑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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