Image by Flickr user j.o.h.n. walker

A report was recently released showing that the rate of high school student dropouts in the Lowcountry and throughout the state declined during the 2009-10 school year.

South Carolina's number of dropouts fell by more than 800 students. This is the second year in a row that the state's dropout rate has improved; the rate declined in 49 of S.C.'s 86 districts. For the record, the state's dropout rate is the lowest that it's been in four years.

Specifically, the following rate changes were noted:

• Berkeley - from 5.5% in 2008-09 to 2.0% in 2009-10
• Charleston - from 2.9% in 2008-09 to 2.8% in 2009-10
• Dorchester 2 - from 4.3% in 2008-09 to 2.9% in 2009-10
• Dorcehster 4 - from 2.6% in 2008-09 to 1.5% in 2009-10
• Statewide - from 3.4% in 2008-09 to 2.9% in 2009-10

For more details, check out The Post and Courier's in-depth report here.