Whale Branch Early College High

Summary:

Whale Branch Early College High is a public high school located in Seabrook, South Carolina, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 476 students. The school is part of the Beaufort 01 school district, which is ranked 26th out of 75 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Whale Branch Early College High stands out for its consistently strong academic performance, particularly among its predominantly African American (80.04%) and low-income (100% free and reduced lunch) student population. The school outperforms the Beaufort 01 district and the state of South Carolina in several end-of-course assessments, with an impressive 87.38% proficiency rate in Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 compared to 76.85% for Beaufort 01 and 72.5% for the state. This suggests the school is effectively supporting its students and helping them achieve academic success, despite serving a population that often faces educational challenges.

Interestingly, Whale Branch Early College High's academic performance exceeds that of nearby Beaufort High and Battery Creek High schools, which serve more racially and socioeconomically diverse student populations. This may be attributed to the school's higher per-student spending ($20,324 vs. $14,950 and $16,610, respectively) and lower student-teacher ratio (12.3 vs. 14.5 and 12.1, respectively), which could be contributing factors to its strong academic outcomes. Overall, Whale Branch Early College High appears to be a model for effective education in similar demographic contexts, providing valuable insights for other schools serving predominantly African American and low-income student populations.


Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

 169 Detour Road
       Seabrook, SC  29940


(843) 466-2700

District: Beaufort 01

SchoolDigger Rank:
99th of 235 South Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $20,324 Help


Feeder schools for Whale Branch Early College High:

Elementary:    Whale Branch Elementary
Middle:    Whale Branch Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  12.3 Help
Number of students:  476

Racial breakdown:

African American:
80.0%
Hispanic:
10.3%
White:
6.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Whale Branch Early College High ranks better than 57.9% of high schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 4th among 6 ranked high schools in the Beaufort 01 School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.17. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Whale Branch Early College High has the smallest high school student body size in the Beaufort 01 School District. Racial makeup is: African American (80%), Hispanic (10.3%), White (6.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Beaufort 01 School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Whale Branch Early College High is 12.3, which is the 2nd best among 6 high schools in the Beaufort 01 School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Whale Branch Early College High employs 38.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Whale Branch Early College High is $20,324, which is the highest among 6 high schools in the Beaufort 01 School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Whale Branch Early College High:

SchoolDigger ranks Whale Branch Early College High 99th of 235 South Carolina public high schools. (See Whale Branch Early College High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:


Beaufort 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Beaufort 01 26th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Whale Branch Early College High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Whale Branch Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2013 14.60 179th 203 11.8%
2014 25.01 161st 210 23.3%
2015 31.07 158th 232 31.9%
2016 32.86 153rd 231 33.8%
2017 36.26 124th 223 44.4%
2018 37.80 113th 216 47.7%
2019 35.70 120th 225 46.7%
2021 43.40 118th 227 48.0%
2022 45.66 113th 226 50.0%
2023 47.10 113th 237 52.3%
2024 50.17 99th 235 57.9%
See the entire list of South Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Whale Branch Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.98 93rd 214 56.5%
2019 41.29 104th 217 52.1%
2021 53.67 72nd 213 66.2%
2022 51.72 89th 220 59.5%
2023 55.49 79th 226 65.0%
2024 59.93 68th 229 70.3%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Whale Branch Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.68 108th 210 48.6%
2019 32.93 128th 213 39.9%
2021 40.98 121st 213 43.2%
2022 37.61 137th 220 37.7%
2023 40.52 125th 223 43.9%
2024 51.83 97th 225 56.9%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Whale Branch Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.57 127th 213 40.4%
2019 40.68 111th 218 49.1%
2021 44.39 112th 215 47.9%
2022 53.78 86th 224 61.6%
2023 51.73 93rd 229 59.4%
2024 48.38 103rd 228 54.8%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Whale Branch Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 67.84 35th 183 80.9%
2019 56.70 59th 184 67.9%
2021 71.69 30th 178 83.1%
2022 70.09 40th 190 78.9%
2023 66.61 43rd 199 78.4%
2024 73.07 36th 194 81.4%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina High Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: South Carolina Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Whale Branch Early College High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: South Carolina State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Whale Branch Early College High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2011 74 306 2 16 0 0 4 0 402
2012 102 383 3 16 1 0 6 0 511
2013 93 368 1 18 0 0 15 0 495
2014 105 398 0 21 0 0 14 0 538
2015 93 393 1 28 0 0 15 0 530
2016 71 387 0 33 1 0 13 0 505
2017 58 401 0 25 1 0 13 0 498
2018 51 380 2 22 0 0 21 0 476
2019 46 355 2 24 0 0 17 0 444
2020 38 358 1 29 0 1 23 0 450
2021 30 355 2 32 0 1 18 0 438
2022 33 345 1 43 0 1 15 0 438
2023 33 381 0 49 0 0 13 0 476

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Whale Branch Early College High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2011 402 23.0 17.4 69.2
2012 511 31.0 16.4 67.3
2013 495 34.0 14.5 71.3
2014 538 32.0 16.8 65.8
2015 530 35.0 15.1 80.6
2016 505 33.0 15.3 100
2017 498 31.0 16.0 100
2018 476 34.5 13.7 100
2019 444 34.0 13.0 100
2020 450 35.5 12.6 100
2021 438 37.5 11.6 100
2022 438 39.0 11.2 100
2023 476 38.5 12.3 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Whale Branch Early College High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2011 402 23.0 17.4 69.2
2012 511 31.0 16.4 67.3
2013 495 34.0 14.5 71.3
2014 538 32.0 16.8 65.8
2015 530 35.0 15.1 80.6
2016 505 33.0 15.3 100
2017 498 31.0 16.0 100
2018 476 34.5 13.7 100
2019 444 34.0 13.0 100
2020 450 35.5 12.6 100
2021 438 37.5 11.6 100
2022 438 39.0 11.2 100
2023 476 38.5 12.3 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Whale Branch Early College High

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $869 (5.8%) $723 (4.8%) $1,592 (10.6%) $9,909 (66.1%) $3,479 (23.2%) $13,388 (89.4%) $14,980
2020 $440 (2.8%) $106 (0.7%) $545 (3.5%) $11,026 (70.3%) $4,112 (26.2%) $15,138 (96.5%) $15,683
2021 $659 (3.9%) $838 (4.9%) $1,498 (8.8%) $11,747 (68.8%) $3,832 (22.4%) $15,579 (91.2%) $17,076
2022 $737 (4.3%) $754 (4.4%) $1,491 (8.7%) $12,262 (71.7%) $3,339 (19.5%) $15,601 (91.3%) $17,092
2023 $1,429 (7.0%) $1,366 (6.7%) $2,795 (13.8%) $13,558 (66.7%) $3,971 (19.5%) $17,529 (86.2%) $20,324

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Whale Branch Early College High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 120th of 225 High schoolsRanks 113th of 237 High schools
 5.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (Whale Branch Early College High)85.587.9
 2.4%
   End of Course Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (Beaufort 01)80.171.2
 8.9%
   End of Course Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (South Carolina)68.668.3
 0.3%
End of Course Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 (Whale Branch Early College High)58.957.1
 1.8%
   End of Course Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 (Beaufort 01)73.468.8
 4.6%
   End of Course Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 (South Carolina)67.259.1
 8.1%
End of Course English 1 (Whale Branch Early College High)80.884.3
 3.5%
   End of Course English 1 (Beaufort 01)81.185.9
 4.8%
   End of Course English 1 (South Carolina)78.984
 5.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students444476
 7.2%
African American355381
 7.3%
American Indian00
Asian20
 100%
Hispanic2449
 104.2%
Pacific Islander00
White4633
 28.3%
Two or More Races1713
 23.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Whale Branch Early College High

Whale Branch Early College High ranks 99th of 235 South Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Whale Branch Early College High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Whale Branch Elementary
Middle : Whale Branch Middle

Students at Whale Branch Early College High are 80% African American, 10% Hispanic, 7% White, 3% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 476 students attended Whale Branch Early College High.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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