Aiken County is South Carolina's fifth largest public school district educating a diverse population of nearly 25,000 students in 20 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, 7 high schools, 3 charter schools, a career and technology center, and an adult education program. Our primary focus is to enable all students to become productive members of society, empowered with the knowledge and ability necessary to compete and contribute in a global society by providing challenging and rewarding academic and extracurricular experiences. In 2011-2012 our schools continued the tradition of excellence by doubling the previous year's Palmetto Gold or Silver awards with twenty-eight schools being acclaimed for academic achievement. Four of those schools were also recognized for closing the achievement gap. Two elementary schools were named to the Dick and Tunky Riley Award for School Improvement Council Excellence Honor Roll. One school, Hammond Hill Elementary, is a finalist for the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools award. Aiken County students taking SAT and ACT national assessments continued to perform above the state average. Our graduates again set a district record in 2012 by earning over $41.3 million in scholarships, including two National Merit Scholarships. An Aiken High School student was named one of two Presidential Scholars from South Carolina.

We attribute our enduring success to our emphasis on reading achievement, our early focus on Common Core State Standards, our collaborative approach to curriculum alignment, and school restructuring based on Making Middle Grades Work and High Schools That Work. The District also continues to emphasize reading success with intervention services in all elementary schools focusing individual and small group intervention on struggling readers. In addition, working closely with our local colleges, we are preparing students for post high school success by increasing the number in dual-enrollment and concurrent enrollment classes. Partnerships with local colleges also included continued education courses for teachers, an expanded algebra I and II alignment project, and an elementary fractions institute.

Extracurricular and supplemental programs such as the FFA, Culinary Arts, FBLA, and Career and Technology Education (CATE) programs received numerous state and national awards and recognition. Students were honored for state and national citizenship, artistic endeavors, and athletic accomplishments. Our JROTC programs were recognized as state and national winners in drill, rifle, cyber defense, orienteering, and academic competitions. Schools and teachers regularly receive grants and awards for science, math, arts, literacy, social studies, and healthy living programs. As superintendent of Aiken County Public Schools, I am afforded the distinct opportunity to work alongside highly motivated, qualified faculty and staff. With the shared vision of academic success, our communities and the Aiken County Public School District will surpass goals and set the achievement bar even higher during the 2012-13 school year.


Beth Everitt