We’re No. 1! And No. 4, 10 and 24. How York, Lancaster Co. schools stack up in U.S.

As children and parents head back to school next week, many in and around York County will be arriving at some of the best schools in the state.

That’s the message from one online ranking group that puts the Fort Mill school district at No. 1 in South Carolina and three in York County in its top 10.

“Our teachers and staff strive to provide a world class education and learning environment to all students in our district,” said Chuck Epps, superintendent with the Fort Mill district. “This effort is especially important as we continue to grow at a rapid pace.

“We are proud to see those efforts be recognized by niche.com and it serves as proof of the wonderful things happening in our district on a daily basis.”

Niche, a Pittsburgh, Pa.-based data analyzing and ranking group that studies communities nationwide, recently put out its annual best schools rankings. Niche analyzed more than 83,000 public schools and almost 11,000 school districts. Rankings cover 150 metro areas. Results are available on niche.com.

“Our aim is to provide families with the most important information to help guide their school search,” said Niche CEO Luke Skurman.

Joining Fort Mill among the best public school districts in the state are the Clover school district (No. 4), York school district (No. 10), Rock Hill school district (No. 24).

Federal education, population, socioeconomic and crime data are used to determine rankings, along with surveys of community members including, in the case of school rankings, students and teachers. While Fort Mill and others scored at or near the top overall, a breakdown of the data shows where each district excels most.

Fort Mill school district

Fort Mill ranked in the top five out of 81 districts statewide in four categories. The district was No. 1 overall, No. 2 for safest schools, No. 3 for districts with the best teachers and No. 5 for best places to teach. Fort Mill ranked No. 24 in school districts for athletes, and No. 65 for most diverse districts.

Fort Mill also ranked No. 1 for best district, district with the best teachers and safest schools among 10 Charlotte-area districts. It was only No. 7 for best districts for athletes and last for diversity.

Fort Mill was ranked No. 427 among almost 11,000 districts nationwide.

All 23 district reviews put Fort Mill either at four or five stars, on a five-star scale.

“Fort Mill school district has exceptional academics and well-qualified teachers at all levels to ensure that every child succeeds,” one reads.

Clover school district

Clover had top 10 rankings for best overall (No. 4), best teachers (No. 4) and best places to teach (No. 8). Clover finishes No. 16 for safest schools, No. 41 for best districts for athletes and No. 63 for diversity.

Clover was No. 2 behind only Fort Mill in the Charlotte area for best overall, best teachers and safest districts. Clover was the eighth best for diversity and last out of 10 Charlotte area districts for best places for athletes.

All but two of the 28 reviews put Clover at four or five stars.

“This school district has our best interest in mind,” reads one from a high school student. “The schools in this district are truly top notch, the teachers care about the students and are willing to spend their down time to help students.”

York school district

Safety and athletics put York toward the top of state listings. The district came in at No. 4 for safest districts, No. 7 for best districts for athletes and No. 10 overall.

The district scored almost as well in best places to teach (No. 13), best teachers (No. 17) and most diverse (No. 25).

The district averaged more than four stars among its dozen reviews.

“This district tries to help its students prepare for life after high school,” one reads. “It offers opportunities for both the student who is headed to college and the student headed to the work force.”

Rock Hill school district

Athletics and diversity are strong factors in Rock Hill. The district came in at No. 2 in South Carolina and No. 1 in the Charlotte area for best districts for athletes. Rock Hill was No. 6 in the state and No. 3 in the Charlotte area for diversity.

Rock Hill was No. 24 overall in South Carolina and No. 38 for districts with the best teachers.

The largest district in York County, Rock Hill had 47 reviews with an average of four stars.

“Rock Hill schools offer a mix of diverse opportunities for students to succeed,” reads one. “The strong support from both the district and local school administration is wonderful and the teachers are great.”

Lancaster County School District

Lancaster County ranks No. 20 among most diverse school districts in South Carolina, No. 25 for having the best teachers, No. 35 for best places to teach and No. 48 for best districts for athletes.

The district ranks in the top half of districts nationwide in all those categories, including in the top 8 percent for diversity.

Schools in the Indian Land area ranked a little better in scoring than others across Lancaster County. Overall, the district ranked almost four stars. Several reviews mentioned a difference between Indian Land and other county schools, but many also mentioned a solid overall district performance.

“Lancaster school district provides safety and great education and opportunity for the community,” one reads.

Chester County School District

Chester County had the lowest overall grade in the area with a C rating. The district ranked No. 27 in South Carolina for safest school districts, No. 31 for best places to teach, No. 33 for diversity and No. 44 for best districts for athletes.

The district averaged 3.76 stars among 25 reviews.

“It has great teachers and amazing programs throughout its many schools,” reads one from a student who attended kindergarten through high school graduation. “I would like to see the Chester County School District continue to grow and flourish in helping teach and prepare young people for the world before them.”

This story was originally published August 14, 2018 at 8:58 PM.