Kershaw County Schools and Education - Camden - Kershaw County - South Carolina
The Kershaw County School District is a great place for our county’s most precious resource—our children—to grow and learn. With a school population of approximately 10,000, our school district has 11 elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, an area applied technology center, and an alternative school. Each school has an excellent faculty and staff and a learning environment that puts student achievement first.
Exciting things are happening in the Kershaw County School District. A $102.2 million school facilities equalization program will improve the learning spaces at schools across the county including two brand new middle schools in Camden and Lugoff. All three high schools will receive enhanced wellness and fitness facilities, and two elementary schools—Midway and Blaney—will benefit from major renovations. Jackson School will receive a new facility. Although this is only phase one of the school equalization efforts, it is the largest public or private construction program that Kershaw County has ever seen. The goal of the program is to provide all students with the same opportunities for learning, regardless of where in Kershaw County they live.
We are in the fourth year of our i-CAN initiative implementation, which provides every high school student with a laptop computer. KCSD is the only district in the state with this innovative program that is revolutionizing high school instruction. It will make our students some of the best prepared technologically in our state and possibly the nation. A visit to our i- CAN high school classrooms will show students actively engaged in hands-on learning. Our laptops are making every desk in a classroom a front row seat!
Kershaw County’s student achievement is increasing every year. Our state test results are improving our rankings among school districts, and our SAT scores continue to be above the national average. Recent improvements in monitoring instruction are assuring our students are being taught an appropriate and equitable curriculum in all our district’s schools.
We have received a record number of state and national awards including a Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School Award for ATEC, a Carolina First Palmetto’s Finest School honor for Doby’s Mill Elementary and a School to Watch Award for Lugoff-Elgin Middle. In addition, our District Teacher of the Year Ann Marie Taylor was named the South Carolina Teacher of the Year. Six of our schools received Red Carpet awards, four schools were recognized for reducing the achievement gap and eight schools received either Palmetto Gold or Silver awards. More than 10 percent of our certified staff is nationally board certified.
The Kershaw County School District is progressive and proactive in preparing our students to compete in a global economy. Parent and community support, a visionary school board, and an outstanding faculty and staff are the keys that are helping us succeed. I encourage you to learn even more about our schools by visiting our website at www.kershaw.k12.sc.us. I believe you will like what you see!
Frank E. Morgan
Superintendent of the Kershaw County School District