Recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School and South Carolina Palmetto's Finest High School, Chapman High School is helping all students develop world-class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by focusing on rigorous instruction, increased opportunities through new courses, and providing a comprehensive educational program which supports students both academically and socially in an equitable environment. Additionally, students graduating from CHS are well-versed and prepared in the 4 E's of postsecondary life: Enrolled (2 or 4-year college), Enlistment (military service), Employable, and Entrepreneur. We believe students graduate with the skills to fit in one or more of these categories. We are also boasting a 96.4% graduation rate for the 2023-2024 school year.
Chapman High School continues to excel in the classroom. The CHS Class of 2025 earned over $7,665,600.00 in scholarship offers, with more scholarships being calculated at the time of writing this. Additionally, many of our students are receiving SC lottery scholarships to colleges in South Carolina. Our report card data indicates strong academic achievement and post-graduation plans for our graduates.
At the core of Chapman High School is a strong commitment to developing well-rounded students. Students at Chapman High take full advantage of the various academic, athletic, and arts programs available, with over 70% of students involved in extracurricular activities such as sports teams, clubs, or academic art programs. We are also introducing the opportunity for students to get school credit and life skills through work-based learning and internships.
The Academic Arts Programs and Athletic Programs at CHS continued to demonstrate excellence with increases in participation and success. Our Performing Arts programs demonstrated great success throughout the 24-25 school year, with multiple individual and program accolades, ranging from individual selections to All-State programs like SCBDA, SCMEA, and SC Theatre Association, to group accolades like Superior Ratings. Our band program won the SCBDA Outstanding Performance Award and had 22 All-Region, 1 All-State, and placed 6th overall at the state competition. The chorus had 9 students selected for the state Honor Choir, and 2 were selected for the National ACDA Honor Choir. Additionally, the chorus auditioned and chose to perform at the SC School Boards Association Convention. The orchestra had 2 students selected for SCMEA Region 1 Honors Orchestra, and 2 were selected for the Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. The theatre program had two students win All-Star Awards for performances at the SCTA state competition, and one student placed 2nd in the state for persuasive speaking. The theatre program also put on three major productions: ART, Peter and the Starcatcher, and Descendants. Our visual arts program had 6 students' pieces of work presented in a myriad of outside art shows.
Chapman High School's Athletic Department also experienced unprecedented success. We had three individual state champions, one in wrestling and two in track and field. Six of our athletic teams captured Region Championships, with multiple coaches and region players of the year honors. 14 of our student-athletes committed to continuing their academic and athletic careers at college institutions, with more signing after the time of this posting. Nine region coaches of the year and seven players of the year were included, as well as 58 All-Region and 16 All-State players. Our athletes were selected to compete in All-Star events as well, including 1 player in the North-South football game and 1 coach who was selected as an assistant coach for the North-South volleyball game.
Our strong tradition of excellence remains intact, and our motto of "Find A Way" is alive and well. Chapman High School continues to move on a journey to excellence and continues to set the standard for other high schools in our great state. In line with our district vision to provide "Quality, student-centered education," the 2024-25 school year at CHS saw an increase in instructional rigor, as well as the addition of more Dual Credit classes, leading to students being more college/career-ready. Continuing to implement our flexible schedule called "ROAR" allows students to take advantage of specific, tailored individual learning time. This 25-minute period each day allows for students to have their social, emotional, and physical needs met during the school day. We look forward to continuing this initiative and making informed decisions on the best practices for our students and teachers as we interpret data from this flexible learning time. Student programs such as Panorama, the CHS Yearbook group, were featured in the Jostens 2025 Look Book, which features yearbooks across the country in a "best of the best" showcase of excellence in yearbook design. This is the 10th time that CHS has been included in the Look Book out of the last 11 years.
All of our successes can be traced back to dedicated faculty and staff, fantastic students committed to their success, and a community that wholeheartedly believes in the power of education. We are thankful and blessed with a tremendous support system and both school and district leadership that are professional, engaging, and transformational-servant leaders.
Chapman High School looks forward to the 2025-26 school year with optimism and excitement, and we believe it will be the best year yet. We look forward to a renewed sense of purpose in our calling as educators to be consistently excellent at what we do and who we are, intentional about our rigor, relationships, and real about our work that we do with young people. We are continuously moving forward in pursuit of even higher expectations and challenges, and we are confident in the future of the students who attend Chapman High School.
Mr. Matthew Davis, Principal
Dr. Alex Hollis, SIC Chair
