That's a wrap on our latest ACE Attendance Challenge!
Our Aviators have been SOARing with their attendance, and we are excited to celebrate! Every class earned a special visit from Ace, complete with some tasty dog bone treats! Three of our classes had their bone snacks delivered this week to officially wrap up the challenge. We love seeing our students show up, stay on track, and make attendance a priority! A big congratulations to all of our classes for participating! Be on the lookout for our next ACE (Attendance Creates Excellence) Challenge coming soon!


A little rain can't stop the Congaree spirit!
As students were unloading from the buses, one of our amazing teachers grabbed an umbrella to help keep our Aviators dry as they made their way inside. It's little moments like these that remind us what makes Congaree special. From lending a helping hand to going the extra mile, our staff works together to make sure our students feel cared for, supported, and loved. At Congaree, going above and beyond isn't just something we talk about — it's something we do every day!


Our Congaree PTO has had a BUSY week!
Wednesday night was full of fun as we welcomed our Aviators to PTO Skate Night! We had lots of Aviators showing off their moves on wheels, and even Ace joined in on the fun! Word is, Ace is actually pretty good at skating! We wrapped up the week by celebrating our November birthdays! Each month, our PTO makes birthdays extra special by treating students celebrating a birthday that month to a yummy cupcake and a birthday card. A huge THANK YOU to our PTO for continuing to create special memories, celebrate our students, and find ways to make Congaree an even better place to be!


#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool

WEST COLUMBIA, SC – Lexington School District Two students posted gains on 2026 SC School Report Cards released Monday by the SC Department of Education, with the majority of schools attaining “Good” to “Excellent” ratings in year-over year growth, and half of the district’s schools improving their overall rating over last year.

Congaree Elementary School also saw increases in key measures.
- Increased from Below Average (39) to Average (50) — 11-point gain!
- English Language Arts (ELA): Increased from 49.8 to 51.2 — 1.4-point gain!
- Math: Increased from 26.9 to 40.9 — 14-point gain!
- Science: Increased from 31.3 to 39.6 — 8.3-point gain!
- Multilingual Learners (ML): Increased from Below Average (32.3) to Average (42.3) — 10-point gain! Highest ML progress in the district!
- Student Progress: Increased from 33.6 to 53.2 — 19.6-point gain!

Congaree Principal Christopher Dickey states, “Our progress reflects a school-wide commitment to improving learning conditions and strengthening daily instruction. By reducing chronic absenteeism, enhancing small-group instruction, and providing targeted interventions, we are creating more opportunities for student success. We have also strengthened our use of high-quality instructional materials, evidence-based strategies for multilingual learners, and student data to guide instruction.

Moving forward, we will continue building on these practices and adjusting to meet our students’ needs. While improving our Report Card score is important, our ultimate goal is to establish a strong school culture and effective instructional practices that support continued academic growth for every student at Congaree.”

DISTRICT OVERVIEW
Lexington Two, as a district, also saw increases in core subject areas like English and Math, along with gains in other key measures:

- The annual dropout rate decreased from 5.0% to 1.8%.
- The five-year student success rate increased to 81.7%, up from 75.4% in 2024.
- College-or-career readiness increased to 62.9% in 2026, up from 51.4% in 2024, while career readiness increased to 62.9% from 49.8% over the same period.
- Students eligible for the LIFE Scholarship increased to 32.5% from 21.9%.
- The four-year graduation rate increased to 79.3%, up from 75.0% the previous year.
- SC READY ELA performance increased to 50.2% in 2026 from 40.0% in 2024, a 10.2-point increase.
- Over the same period, mathematics increased to 37.7% from 30.5%, and English 2 increased to 59.8% from 55.2%.
- Science increased to 44.2% in 2026 from 38.0% in 2025.

All Lexington Two schools rated “Average” or better in Student Progress, a key indicator of year-over-year academic growth and improvement. The majority of district schools also attained “Average” or better in Academic Achievement scores, as well as in the Overall Rating.

Lexington Two Superintendent Dr. Angela Cooper praised the hard work behind this year’s gains, while noting there is still work to do. “We are proud of the strides our students and schools have made, and these results reflect the hard work of our students, teachers, school leaders, staff, and families across Lexington Two,” Dr. Cooper said. “We are seeing meaningful progress in Academic Achievement, Student Progress, graduation, and college and career readiness, and that progress gives us much to celebrate. At the same time, we know there is still important work ahead. Our expectation is that every school continues to grow and that every student has access to the opportunities, instruction, and support needed to be successful.”

Deputy Superintendent Dr. David McDonald attributed the district’s gains to “a more intentional and consistent focus on instructional quality, student progress, and the use of data to drive decisions,” adding that results “show encouraging evidence of student growth across the district, particularly in the Student Progress indicator.”

“Moving forward, we will continue to focus on standards-aligned, high-quality instruction; consistent use of formative and progress-monitoring data; targeted intervention through MTSS; and strong instructional leadership and coaching,” Dr. McDonald said. “The distinction between Achievement and Progress in this year’s results is important. While several schools demonstrate good or excellent Student Progress, the Academic Achievement ratings indicate that there remains significant opportunity to move more students to higher levels of performance.

The annual SC School Report Cards provide information about each school and district, including test performance, teacher qualifications, student safety, awards, parent involvement and more. Students were tested in the 2025-2026 school year.

“As we continue our work toward becoming Destination Schools and a Destination District, we will build on what is working, address areas where improvement is needed, and remain focused on measurable results,” Dr. Cooper said. “We are proud of our progress, but we are not finished.”

Lexington School District Two students posted gains on 2026 SC School Report Cards released October 12 by the SC Department of Education, with the majority of district schools attaining “Good” to “Excellent” ratings in year-over year growth, and half of the district’s schools improving their overall rating over last year. “We are proud of the strides our students and schools have made, and these results reflect the hard work of our students, teachers, school leaders, staff, and families across Lexington Two,” Superintendent Dr. Angela Cooper said, noting "there is still important work ahead." Read more about the results by clicking this link: https://www.lex2.org/article/3186562