Beaufort County School District
The Beaufort County School District educates nearly 20,000 students in Beaufort County, South Carolina, the second fastest-growing county in South Carolina. The district manages five early childhood centers, 17 elementary schools, seven middle schools, and five high schools. The district shares operating responsibility of the Beaufort-Jasper Academy for Career Excellence (along with the Jasper County School District) and also sponsored the charter for Riverview Charter School, a K-8 facility that opened in 2009. The district also sponsors an Adult Education alternative school where students above the age of 17 can earn a diploma or GED in both virtual and traditional settings. The superintendent is Jeffery Moss who began the role in July 2013. The district is governed by an 11-member board of education elected members represent the electoral district in which they live and serve staggered, four-year terms.[1]
Contents
Academics
According to data released by the South Carolina Department of Education, the Beaufort County School District earned a "B" letter grade for the 2012-2013 school year, exceeding academic expectations put forth by the state in standardized testing and graduation retention.[2] The district received an "average" score on the Absolute Rating and a "good" score in the Growth Rating metrics on its 2012 state report card. The majority of its schools are accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[3]
List of Schools
High schools
- Battery Creek High School
- Beaufort High School
- Bluffton High school
- Hilton Head Island High School
- Whale Branch Early College High School
Middle schools
- Beaufort Middle School
- H.E. McCracken Middle School
- Hilton Head Island Middle School
- Lady's Island Middle School
- Robert Smalls Middle School
- Whale Branch Middle School
Elementary schools
- Beaufort Elementary School
- Bluffton Elementary School
- Broad River Elementary School
- Coosa Elementary School
- Daufuskie Elementary School
- Hilton Head Island Elementary School
- Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts
- Joseph Shanklin Elementary School
- Lady's Island Elementary School
- Michael C. Riley Elementary School
- Mossy Oaks Elementary School
- Okatie Elementary School
- Port Royal Elementary School
- Pritchardville Elementary School
- Red Cedar Elementary School
- Saint Helena Elementary School
- Whale Branch Elementary School
Early Childhood Centers
- Bluffton Early Childhood Center
- Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center
- James J. Davis Early Childhood Center
- Michael C. Riley Early Childhood Center
- Saint Helena Early Learning Center
Charter schools
- Riverview Charter School (K-8)
Other schools
- Beaufort-Jasper Academy for Career Excellence (9-12)
- Beaufort County Adult Education
Closed schools
- James J. Davis Elementary School
- Shell Point Elementary School
Specific schools and programs
Beaufort County Adult Education
Beaufort County Adult Education is an alternative school within the Beaufort County School District. Students over the age of seventeen can complete coursework for their South Carolina High School diploma or study for the GED examination. In addition, Beaufort County Adult Education offers classes through South Carolina Virtual Schools.
Joseph Shanklin Elementary School
On October 1901, the school started with seven pupils. By January 1905, 150 students attended. It was founded by a group of northern abolitionists and Beaufort citizens. The school's mission was to instruct African American students in better cultivation of land, care of stock and manner of living. The school offered instruction in carpentry, bricklaying, printing and other trades. Courses for females included cooking, sewing, nursing, and homemaking. By 1920 The Port Royal Agricultural School became the Beaufort County Training School, yet it was still known as The Shanklin School by area residents. With public and private funds it was able to meet the need for African American teachers and was known as a teacher's training site. The school maintained 800 acres (3.2 km2) of land, as well as two barns, two dormitories, a power plant, equipment and an endowment of around $11,000. Today, the school is now found at 121 Morrall Drive.
Mossy Oaks Elementary School
The school opened in 1962. The school has met federal AYP (adequate yearly progress) since its initiation, and has been a Title One school for the past two years. The principal is Donald Gruel. The school serves students from PK to fifth grade, has one Resource class, and one Self Contained classroom for students with special needs. Mossy Oaks is one of South Carolina's newly named "Red Carpet" schools by the State Department of Education.[4]
