This school just won a national award. It’s the first for the district since 2015

One Horry County school has won a national award.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes 342 schools nationwide for academic achievement or progress in closing the achievement gap.

This year, Horry County’s Early College High School was one of those schools.

“I think it’s just such an honor to be recognized on a national level,” said Principal Kandi Fleming.

The school caters to first-generation college students and offers the chance to earn dual high school and college credits from Horry-Georgetown Technical College.

“I absolutely love early college high school,” said Fleming. “Early College is about first-generation college student, non-gifted and talented. And had early college been around when I was in high school I would have been an early college high school student because I was first-generation.”

The high school consistently has graduation rate (100 percent in 2016) and some students graduate with an associate degree.

“I think it’s a wonderful acknowledgment for early college high school recognizing that we are preparing our young people to succeed in college and career,” said Superintendent Rick Maxey. “They’re doing a fantastic job here. We’re very proud of the early college high school staff and Ms. Fleming as well.”

The district last won a Blue Ribbon award in 2015, when three schools won the national award.

Horry County Schools is the only district ever to have three schools win in one year, according to spokesperson Teal Britton.

This story was originally published September 28, 2017 at 4:17 PM with the headline "This school just won a national award. It’s the first for the district since 2015."