Readers pick their favorite school of Beaufort, Jasper counties

The competition is over.

The dust has settled.

And our readers have had their voices heard.

Click here for full tournament results

After seven weeks of competition, the readers of The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette have named their favorite school of Beaufort and Jasper County.

It is River Ridge Academy.

The Bluffton school blew past another Bluffton school, Bluffton Elementary and Early Childhood Center, to claim the bragging rights.

On Feb. 29, nearly 60 area schools were seeded akin to the NCAA March Madness tournament. River Ridge was seeded no. 7, according to student population, while Bluffton Elementary was no. 19.

Schools were pitted against each other on a weekly basis, with votes determining which school would advance and which would be eliminated.

In the weeks that followed, we learned it was the support of the school - not its size - that mattered. Like when no. 1 seed Bluffton High fell to no. 16 seed Red Cedar Elementary. And when Bluffton Elementary blew by no. 4 seed H.E. McCracken Middle.

Thank you to all who participated, voted and shared the tournament with their friends and family. And congratulations to River Ridge Academy!

This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 2:03 PM with the headline "Readers pick their favorite school of Beaufort, Jasper counties."