A Letter from Dr. Ann Marie Taylor
Dear HCA Village,
As we release our 2026 South Carolina School Report Card results, I want to begin by saying how incredibly proud I am of the growth we are seeing across our Village!
These results reflect hard work, intentional instruction, perseverance, and the collective commitment of our students, teachers, counselors, administrators, staff, and families. We have so much to celebrate, and we absolutely should!
But before we talk about numbers, ratings, and percentages, let me be very clear: WE ARE SO MUCH MORE THAN A TEST SCORE.
A test score is a snapshot of student performance on a particular day. It is one measure of academic success, but it will never tell the complete story of who we are, what we value, or the difference we make in the lives of children.
A test score doesn't measure the child who finally feels like they belong. It doesn't capture the teacher who stays late to help a struggling student, the staff member who notices when a child needs someone to listen, or the student who discovers a passion they never knew existed.
It doesn't measure kindness, creativity, resilience, leadership, service, or the courage it takes to try again after failing. It doesn't measure the relationships we build, the confidence we inspire, or the countless moments when a child realizes someone believes in them.
And it certainly doesn't measure the heart of our Village.
At Horse Creek Academy, we believe education is about so much more than academic achievement. It is about growing good humans. It is about creating a place where children are known, loved, challenged, and celebrated. It is about helping students discover their strengths, find their purpose, and understand that they have something meaningful to contribute to this world.
Now, don't misunderstand me. Academic achievement matters. Growth matters. Accountability matters. Connection matters.
We take our responsibility to provide an excellent education seriously, and we will continue to examine our data, celebrate our successes, acknowledge where we need to improve, and do the hard work necessary to get better.
But we will never allow a single number to define our students, our teachers, or our school.
We can be proud of our test scores without allowing our test scores to determine our worth.
So today, we celebrate the growth. We celebrate the progress. We celebrate the educators who pour their hearts into this work and the students who show up every day ready to learn.
And tomorrow? We keep growing. We keep improving. We keep loving children. We keep building a Village where every child has the opportunity to thrive.
Because at the end of the day, our greatest success will never be just the scores our students earn. It will be the people they become and the lives they go on to impact.
That is the heart of who we are. That is the Village we are building. And that is something no state report card could ever fully measure.
Now, with that perspective, let's celebrate some wonderful academic growth across our Village!
Celebrating Our 2026 School Report Card Results
High School: Moving from Average to Good
Our High School made tremendous progress this year, increasing its overall report card score by 10 points, from 56 in 2025 to 66 in 2026. That growth moved our High School from an Average rating to a Good rating, placing us just one point away from Excellent!
We also have several additional High School accomplishments worth celebrating:
Graduation Rate: Excellent
Career Readiness: Excellent, improving from Average
School Climate: Good, improving from Average
These results reflect the dedication of our High School students and educators and the intentional work taking place to prepare our graduates for life beyond HCA.
Elementary School: Six Points of Growth
Our Elementary School also demonstrated encouraging academic progress, increasing its overall score by six points, from 46 in 2025 to 52 in 2026.
Elementary maintained an Average rating, but this growth places our school just one point away from earning a Good rating.
That progress is something to celebrate! It reflects the daily work of our elementary teachers, support staff, students, and families as we continue building strong academic foundations for our youngest learners.
Middle School: Building on Our Progress
Our Middle School maintained an Average overall rating in 2026. While we know there is work ahead, we have big plans for the coming year and are already seeing encouraging progress.
One particularly positive result was our Middle School's School Climate rating improving from Average to Good.
That improvement matters. The experiences our students have at school, the relationships they build, and the environment in which they learn are important parts of their development. We are proud of this progress and committed to continued academic growth.
Our Work Continues
As proud as I am of these accomplishments, I also know that our work is never finished.
We will continue to study our results, identify opportunities for improvement, strengthen instruction, and support the educators who make learning possible every day. We will celebrate what is going well while remaining honest about where we need to grow.
And through it all, we will remain focused on the children and families we serve.
Thank you to our students for their hard work, to our teachers, counselors, and staff for their unwavering dedication, and to our families for trusting us with what matters most.
We are proud of our accomplishments, but we are even prouder of the people who make up our Village.
With pride and gratitude,
Dr. Ann Marie Taylor
Chief Vision Officer
Horse Creek Academy
Explore Our School Report Card Data
Families and community members are encouraged to explore the full South Carolina School Report Cards, including detailed academic performance, growth, school climate, and other accountability measures.
You can access the report cards anytime at hcacs.net under About → Accountability.