EVALUATION AND DETENTION CENTER

Evaluation and Detention Center is a Title I public high school that is part of the Dept of Juvenile Justice school district, located in Columbia, SC with about 237 students offering grade levels from 5th Grade to 12th Grade. A Title I school provides supplemental financial assistance to school districts for children from low-income families. Its purpose is to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education. With about 23 teachers, Evaluation and Detention Center has a student/teacher ratio of about 10:1. The national average for public schools is about 15:1. A lower student/teacher ratio is a key factor that determines how much a teacher can devote his/her time to each individual student thus improving, or reducing (in the event of a higher student/teacher ratio) the attention each student is given for their educational needs.

The facility located at 1731 Shivers Road in Columbia, South Carolina, is known as the **Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) Evaluation Center**. It functions as a secure, short-term residential facility designed to provide comprehensive assessments for youth who have been remanded to the custody of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice by the family courts. Unlike a traditional school, the primary mission of this facility is to evaluate the psychological, educational, social, and behavioral needs of minors to help the court determine the most appropriate placement or rehabilitation plan for each individual.

While the facility operates as a detention and assessment center, it maintains an educational component to ensure that students remain engaged with their academics during their stay. Youth housed at the facility receive educational services tailored to their specific grade level and academic standing, adhering to state curriculum standards. The environment is highly structured and security-focused, balancing the necessity of detention with an emphasis on clinical evaluation and schooling to help stabilize and guide the youth through the juvenile justice process.

For more information, contact Evaluation and Detention Center at (803) 896-7455 or visit the school personally to speak with a faculty or administrative member about any specific questions you may have.