Aiken, Edgefield High School Exit Exam Scores Drop Along With Rest Of SC

The number of South Carolina high school students passing the state’s exit exam dropped this year for the first time in three years. Results released by the state Tuesday show only 76% of the state’s students passed both the math and English sections on their first try this year. Last year, 81% passed.

Aiken schools also saw a drop…down from almost 82.8% last year to just 78.3% per cent this year.

And in Edgefield county, the number of kids passing the test dropped from 81.5% last year to 77.1% this year.

One official says the drop in test scores showed up in almost every district and in every demographic group.

South Carolina Education secretary Jim Rex says he’s concerned the slide may be a symptom of school budget cuts.

To view the statistics for each county, click here.