A message from Ms. Driggers

Welcome to The Forest – Home of the Panthers! 

In the fall of 1997, the Carolina Forest Education Center opened its doors to students in grades 6 -10 from areas of Conway, Myrtle Beach, and Socastee. With phenomenal growth, we soon became Carolina Forest High School and began to build a tradition of excellence in academics, athletics, and the visual and performing arts. We continue to see growth after 27 years of tradition.  

We are bringing positive energy and building relationships with each other and our community as we continue to be recognized for excellence in academics, fine arts, sports, and extracurricular offerings for our students. Our Science,Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program continues to flourish through our AP Computer Science, AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Calculus, and AP Statistics classes as well as Project Lead The Way (PLTW) with its Engineering, Architecture, Biomedical, and Cybersecurity classes. The success of our PLTW program is demonstrated by Carolina Forest High being recognized as a Distinguished Project Lead The Way School. Our Principles of Biomedical teacher Jenna Miller was named an Outstanding PLTW Teacher. Known for academic rigor and its continued high passage rate above the state and international level, our AP program, including AP Capstone and Research, offers our students an opportunity to receive an AP Diploma from the College Board. Students may choose from 24 advanced placement classes, the highest number offered in our district. In fact, CFHS ranks high in the state in AP rankings. In addition, US News & World Report ranked us as one of the best high schools in the state. With a continued emphasis on fine arts, such as Creative Writing, Journalism, Digital Photography, Orchestra, Marching and Symphonic Band, Musical Performance and Theory, and Technical and Performance Theatre, as well as Career and Technology Education (CTE) classes, dual enrollment with Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC), and Completer Status in Business and Agricultural Science Programs, the Panthers have opportunities unmatched by any other HCS high school.

Our students continue to excel on both state and national assessments. Course offerings and enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) classes have steadily increased as we expand opportunities for academic challenge and success. During the 2024–2025 school year, Carolina Forest High School offered 24 AP courses on campus. Six of these classes achieved a 100% passage rate, and 19 surpassed both state and global averages. With a total of 534 AP exams administered, our overall student passage rate was an impressive 89%, remaining well above state and global benchmarks.

Now in its eighth year, our STEM Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program continues to grow, offering pathways in Engineering, Biomedical Science, Cybersecurity, and Computer Science. Students earning Accomplished or Distinguished scores on PLTW assessments receive weighted GPA credit at the college level—an achievement attained by 82% of our participants. Carolina Forest is proud to offer high-quality STEM courses and professional learning opportunities, earning Cognia STEM certification this year with an impressive score of 3.4.

Our visual and performing arts programs continue to shine across the district. The CFHS Marching Band is the largest in Horry County, and our Concert Band earned three Superior with Distinction ratings at the state level. Carolina Forest also boasts the largest high school orchestra in the county, with 116 talented students. Among them, 42 students represented CFHS at Horry County’s All-County Orchestra, 33 at the regional level, and eight at the state level. The orchestra also received the highest rating of Superior with Distinction at the South Carolina Music Educators Association Concert Performance Assessment.

The Performing Arts Department gave eight sold-out performances of Mamma Mia in the spring of 2025, which included an onstage reunion of the 2020 cast. The Drama Department gave three intense performances of 12 Angry Jurors in the fall of 2025, which highlighted the dramatic talent at CFHS. Additionally, the CFHS Competition Theatre Group earned the title of State Champions and proudly represented South Carolina at the SCTC in Baltimore.

The CFHS athletes has extensive athletics, including cross country, football, golf, tennis, swimming, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, baseball, soccer, track, softball, and lacrosse. Carolina Forest High School offers a variety of athletic opportunities for students. We proudly provide state-of-the-art facilities, including a rubber track and turf field. The CFHS athletes had an incredible 2024-25 year offering 22 varsity sports, with 16 teams qualifying for the 5A State Playoffs. Eleven of those teams captured the Region V-5A Championship, and the wrestling team won the SCHSL 5A State Championship.

Carolina Forest offers over 40 clubs and organizations. These offerings include Mock Trial, Future Farmers of America (FFA), We the People, Gaming/Esports, and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). For more information on the entire list of offerings, please visit our school website.

Carolina Forest High School remains committed to excellence in academics, athletics, and the performing arts by upholding rigorous standards, fostering a strong competitive spirit, and maintaining high expectations for success. The school continues to strive toward achieving HCS goal of ensuring that 95% of students perform on grade level and graduate on time.

When you have the opportunity, I encourage you to visit our campus and see the displays of our athletic and academic accomplishments for yourself. I also encourage you to visit our website (https://www.horrycountyschools.net/Carolina_Forest_High_School) and follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/carolinaforesthighschoo)l to discover all the academic and athletic programs CFHS has to offer. Our students, faculty, staff, parents, and community have been instrumental in our successes. 

Remember, the relationships built during the school year with staff and students will last a lifetime.  As we move throughout the school year, let us be mindful of the importance of being encouraging, patient, and thankful. 

Sincerely,

Gaye Driggers