Dutch Fork High School is committed to creating an educational environment that will ensure our students' success in school and life. We understand that the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired now will be the foundation for future learning.
Critical Thinking - This year Dutch Fork High School continued to excel academically. We have a superior cadre of teachers who are truly dedicated to student success and develop lesson and activities that require our students to think critically. We have established a rigorous and relevant curriculum that ensures our students exceed established standards. Our SAT, ACT, and AP scores are some of the highest scores in South Carolina and above the national average. US News and World Report, and Niche.com ranked Dutch Fork among the nation’s most academically rigorous and challenging high schools. Additionally, 263 or our seniors have GPAs of 3.0 or higher, which qualified them for the Hope and Life Scholarships and the graduating class of 2021 had 4 National Merit Finalists and 35 Palmetto Fellows. Our band, chorus, orchestra and drama students performed in concerts virtually this year as a result of the pandemic while our Dazzlers received superior ratings at all competitions they were able to participate in this year.
Communication - District Five has implemented a comprehensive technology plan. The guiding principle for that initiative is to ensure that our students can be successful in school and compete globally. Our focus is to help students become creators, communicators, critical thinkers, and collaborators. The Dutch Fork learning environment allows students the most freedom to work collaboratively and independently as they engage in authentic, personalized, and inquiry-based learning opportunities. Many students take advantage of AP and honors course offerings, where they learn to be prepared for future opportunities. PLTW offerings are university accepted and have a demonstrated history of helping students achieve their post-secondary goals.
World Class Skills - At Dutch Fork High School our goal is also to provide our students with experiences and programs of study that will make them good citizens. We know that characteristics taught in school will carry over to their college and career successes. At Dutch Fork High School, we continue to implement PBIS, which is a decision-making framework that guides selection, integration, and implementation of the best evidence-based academic and behavioral practices for improving student outcomes. The focus of PBIS is teaching and acknowledging positive behavior while providing a targeted support system to individual students.
Dr. Gerald Gary, Principal
Dr. Jim Mensch, SIC Chair
