Last year, Lexington County School District One emphasized our new vision of “Empower Each Child to Design the Future” across the district. No matter their attendance zone, age or race, we work to prepare all students for the challenges and opportunities that await them.
We make decisions that shape this goal with input from Lexington District One’s Board of Trustees, staff, students, parents, business leaders and community members. They provide us with real-world feedback about the skills our students need in order to succeed in higher education and the workforce.
Lexington District One educators at all grade levels emphasis “power skills” such as accountability, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, interpersonal skills, integrity, perseverance and willingness to take risks. Their innovative methods challenge students to ask questions about the world around them, collaborate with partners and eagerly take on leadership roles in their schools.
You can find power skills demonstrated through initiatives such as the Seal of Biliteracy, Code To The Future, the Google Partnership–Dynamic Learning Project, International Baccalaureate, Blended Learning, industry certifications, dual credit offerings and Expeditionary Learning.
As a result, Lexington District One students continue to surpass state and national averages on national assessments, including SAT and ACT. The district’s scores ranked fourth among South Carolina school districts on ACT and fifth on SAT. Students continued to exceed state averages in mathematics, science, English and social studies on End-of-Course Exams.
Lexington District One’s 2019 high school graduates earned more than $158.7 million in scholarships.
In addition to core academics, our schools and teachers empower students by offering unique and engaging learning opportunities in technology, arts and athletics. Our schools emphasize life and career characteristics, such as sportsmanship, interpersonal skills, work ethic and good citizenship from kindergarten through grade 12.
We are very proud of “Project Hope,” an initiative that serves both the emotional and behavioral needs of our students, by providing eight more mental health counselors across the district.
Students put character education into action by supporting charities and volunteer work. One of our high schools won the national gold award from the Jefferson Awards Foundation for outstanding community service in support of cancer patients and their families. All schools support organizations such as Relay For Life and the United Way, as well as local nonprofits such as Mission Lexington. In 2018–2019, students sent care packages to deployed military personnel, raised money for animal rescues and collected items for hurricane victims.
Our celebrations included an elementary school achieving FranklinCovey Leader in Me Lighthouse status; a middle school winning Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase School; another middle school receiving a milestone EL Education Credential; a school counselor winning Palmetto State School Counselor Association 2019 Middle School Counselor of the Year; and the recognition of one of our own as National Principal of the Year.
As we pursue excellence with the guiding vision “Empower Each Child to Design the Future,” we look forward to more achievements and success during the 2019–2020 school year.
Gregory D. Little, Ed.D., Superintendent and Cynthia S. Smith, Board of Trustees Chair
