Hillcrest Middle wins Palmetto Silver award

The state Department of Education announced Monday that Sumter School District's Hillcrest Middle School is a Palmetto Silver award winner for its report card ratings performance last school year.

Hillcrest, in Dalzell, earned the award by achieving an "average" rating in academic achievement and an "excellent" rating in student progress. The school was the only district school to receive an overall ranking of "excellent" on the report cards.

A total of 249 schools across the state received Palmetto Gold and Silver awards, according to the Department of Education.