Horry County School Board Launches ‘Rise with Reading’ Initiative

Conway, South Carolina — The Horry County School Board met on Monday to discuss a new initiative aimed at improving student literacy. Named “Rise with Reading,” the program seeks to ensure that 95% of students can read at or above their grade level by the year 2030.

Currently, only about 75% of students in the district meet this target. Board members explored ways to better support parents in helping their children improve their reading skills.

Lisa Bourcier, Director of Communications for Horry County School District, highlighted the crucial role of parents in this effort. “A lot of parents would like to go home and provide some additional instruction or resources for their students, but they don’t know exactly what’s being taught inside the classroom,” she said. “Being able to provide those additional parental resources for parents to just give some additional support for our students is very helpful.”

During the meeting, the board proposed creating a designated area for parents to access tailored reports about their children’s learning needs. This would help parents understand the curriculum and enable them to assist their children more effectively.

There was also discussion about partnering with the Horry County Library to implement these new resources. The initiative is being led by the district’s new superintendent, Clifford Jones.