State lawmakers have their work cut out for them.

At a SC Press Association legislative briefing this month, lawmakers promised they would make public education reform their top priority this session.

Many talked as if they thought the state’s failing schools were something new.

Lexington County has some of the top performing schools in the state. South Carolina schools generally do not perform well, and student test scores indicate that.

South Carolina and Mississippi have annually been at or near the bottom in such educational grading.

Critics say some states score higher on such national comparisons because they allow only top students to be tested.

Current data shows a correlation between higher education levels, higher income and lower unemployment rates, according to the online research firm WalletHub.

To find where the most educated Americans live, WalletHub compared the 50 states in 20 key metrics. This ranged from adults with at least a high school diploma to average university quality to gender gap in attainment.

They found South Carolina:

• 38th in high school diploma holders

• 39th in associate degree holders or college experience

• 37th in bachelor’s degree holders

• 35th in graduate or professional degree holders

• 46th in racial Gap in educational attainment

• 50th in gender gap in educational attainment

For the full report, please visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/most-educated-states/31075/ .