Clover High is runner up for “Palmetto’s Finest”

For the second year in a row, Clover High School came up short in the race to be named “Palmetto’s Finest.”

The winners of the Palmetto’s Finest Schools Award, which are given by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators, were announced Tuesday afternoon on S.C. ETV. Each of the 11 finalist schools had a viewing event to hear the winners.

Chapin High School took home the top prize for high schools, beating out fellow finalists Clover and St. James High School.

Clover also was a finalist in 2014.

“I sort of feel like there aren’t many people who can say they’ve been to the Super Bowl twice two years in a row,” said Clover schools Superintendent Marc Sosne.

While he was disappointed with the outcome of Tuesday’s announcement, he said he was very proud of Clover’s teachers, administration and staff and all the work they did to prepare for the extensive Palmetto’s Finest process.

As long as Clover’s schools focus on doing what’s right for children and provide opportunities and resources for all of them, “the awards are secondary,” Sosne said.

Several students sat in Clover High School’s media center to watch the announcement. While they said they wished Clover would have gotten the top prize, it doesn’t change the way they feel about their school.

“All of the teachers at Clover are open-armed,” said sophomore Robert Hicks. “And we have the best student body out there.”

This story was originally published March 24, 2015 at 9:17 PM with the headline "Clover High is runner up for “Palmetto’s Finest”."