Mayo ranked 4th-best high school in S.C.
By Bobby Bryant, Editor
Darlington’s Mayo High School for Math, Science and Technology is the fourth-best high school in South Carolina, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual rankings. Mayo, a magnet school with 280 students and a graduation rate of 100 percent, was immediately praised for cracking the publication’s coveted Top 5 for the state when rankings were announced May 26. “This is truly an excellent accomplishment by the educators and students of MHS,” Darlington County Education Superintendent Tim Newman said in a statement. “We are proud of Mayo’s successes and the high-quality student preparation there. Congratulations to you all on behalf of the DCSD.” Mayo Principal Arlene Wallace said: “It is truly a privilege and honor to be recognized by a national publication as a leading high school for academic achievement in the state of South Carolina.” “Our faculty, staff, students and parents share a deep sense of pride and a commitment to our school’s goals and mission,” she added. “I hope the ever-growing ‘Mayo family’ knows that the children we strive to educate every day are getting a world-class education that prepares them to make the world a better place.” The No. 4 spot puts Mayo one rank ahead of Chapin High School in the affluent Chapin area near Columbia and one spot below Wando High School in Mount Pleasant. According to U.S. News and World Report’s rankings, the top 10 high schools in South Carolina are: 1. Academic Magnet High School, North Charleston 2. Charleston School of the Arts, North Charleston 3. Wando High, Mount Pleasant 4. Mayo High, Darlington 5. Chapin High, Chapin 6. Nation Ford High, Fort Mill 7. Wade Hampton High, Greenville 8. Fort Mill High, Fort Mill 9. Dreher High, Columbia 10. Hilton Head Island High, Hilton Head The three other public schools in the Darlington County School District were ranked by U.S. News and World Report as follows: Hartsville High (No. 75), Lamar High (No. 100) and Darlington High (No. 165).