According to data released by the South Carolina Department of Education, Beaufort High School earned a "B" letter grade for the 2012-2013 school year, exceeding academic expectations put forth by the state in standardized testing and graduation accomplishment. The school previously earned a "C" for the 2011-2012 school year. Beaufort High School received "excellent" scores on the Absolute Rating and Growth Rating metrics on its 2012 state report card. In 2012, 94.3% of students passed the state-mandated High School Assessment Program. The four-year graduation rate was 75.6% in 2012, an increase from 71.1% in 2011. The teacher retention rate was 86.0%. Based on 2011 financial data, the dollars spent per student was $7,060. In 2012, the average student-teacher ratio in core subjects was 26.7 students for every 1 teacher. In total, 25.2% of students were enrolled in Advanced Placement courses and 56.3% of students were enrolled in career/technology courses. Beaufort High School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The school has seen tangible academic improvements in recent years due in part to a variety of initiatives. In 2010, the "small schools" concept was adopted by Beaufort High School, in which learning academies were created to help foster students into their career paths. The school is split into four academies: Freshman Academy, International Studies, Arts, Communications, and Technologies, and Health Professions. In 2011, the "Everyday Math" and "Everyday English" programs were set in place for incoming freshmen students who scored in the lower third of their middle school competency exams.
Athletics
Beaufort High competes at the Class AAAA level in the South Carolina High School League. The school fields teams for boys in baseball, football, wrestling, basketball, swimming, cross country, track & field, tennis, and golf; and for girls in cheerleading, volleyball, basketball, swimming, cross country, track & field, tennis, softball and golf. Beaufort's rival is cross-town Battery Creek High School, but due to the relegation of Battery Creek to Class AAA, the schools do not play each other at the same frequency as before. With Bluffton High School having moved to Class AAAA, it is anticipated that the proximity of the schools will help foster a future rivalry.
