Charleston County School District Superintendent Anita Huggins scored 31.5 out of 33 on her annual evaluation, earning an "Exemplary" rating from the Board of Trustees for the second straight year.
The board voted to approve the evaluation at a special meeting on Monday, Oct. 19, according to a CCSD press release. Huggins' score rose from 30.89 the previous year. Eight of the board's nine trustees participated.
Her score went up. So did the district's academic numbers.
The district's 2026 SC READY results showed English Language Arts proficiency up 18.6 percentage points since 2021, with math proficiency climbing 12.9 points over the same period, the district stated. CCSD outperformed the state in both subjects.
CCSD's graduation rate reached nearly 92% with the Class of 2026. On the 2026 school report cards, 43 schools earned an Excellent rating, up from 34 the year before. Overall, 92% of rated schools earned Average or higher, compared with 84% the previous year.
The board identified instructional delivery, literacy, math achievement, graduation rates, college and career readiness, teacher retention and fiscal management as the evaluation's strongest areas, according to the press release.
Board Chair Pamela McKinney said the results reflect "meaningful, measurable improvements in academic achievement, graduation rates, and opportunities for our children."
In a written statement, Huggins credited the district's teachers and staff, saying the recognition belongs to the educators and support professionals across CCSD. She pointed to a 97% teacher retention rate and the board's approval of a Weighted Student Funding model as factors behind the gains.
The Post and Courier also reported on the evaluation results.
Trustee Darlene Roberson was absent from the Oct. 19 meeting, according to approved minutes. Roberson told The Post and Courier that her decision not to participate in the evaluation was made “thoughtfully and in the interest of maintaining the integrity, fairness and objectivity of the evaluation process.”
