Through strategic planning and leadership, Florence 1 Schools continues its trajectory toward making an impact for all students. Among its major accomplishments have been the arrangement for innovative use of facilities and successful goal-setting for the construction of new ones (facilities), all while maintaining extreme pride in serving as good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars.
Validation of its excellent fiduciary management is the national recognition received this year by Florence 1 Schools, named the most equitable school district in South Carolina, according to a new study by WalletHub. The study evaluated nearly 13,000 school districts across the country ranking them based on per pupil spending and the average household income. According to the Superintendent Dr. Richard O’Malley, “This national recognition for our district validated through explicit independent data that when students in Florence 1 Schools are all treated the same and have access to similar resources, equity and achievement are possible.”
With a theme of “Unlocking the Potential of Every Dollar,” the Florence 1 Schools Board of Trustees passed its $200.9 million-dollar budget. Included in the $9.7 million dollar increase from last year’s budget is a Personnel (salary and fringe) increase of $6.9 million which covers a $3,000 pay increase for the majority of the teachers; 2.75% plus a year of step experience for the bus drivers, placing their starting hourly rate at $15.57.In addition, Shadows will be paid on the Classroom Assistant salary schedule, increasing their hourly rate from $11.18 to $15.00 or higher depending on number of years of service as a Shadow. In this year’s budget is also an 11.8% increase for employer health insurance; $780,000 is budgeted to maintain the employer health insurance subsidy for employees making less than $36,000 which was previously funded the ESSER-ARP funds.
To transport students to school safely and to ensure parents of the location of their students during the travel periods, Florence 1 parents now have their students’ daily bus transportation information in the palm of their hands with the rollout of the new Traversa Ride360 app. The school year started with eighty-eight school buses equipped with the Ride360 tracking available.
A new and innovative plan went into effect this year in order to maximize the use of facilities where there were decreasing enrollments at Timrod Elementary, Lester Elementary and Wallace-Gregg Elementary. This plan also accommodates the success of the growing Montessori school population, at McLaurin Elementary. Grade configurations were shifted at these schools resulting in a smooth transition which required no boundary changes, no loss of jobs and use of the same bus routes.
As safety remained a number one priority in Florence 1, coverage of the schools increased with the placement of armed security guards in the elementary schools and assigned deputies to middle schools, high schools, Rush Academy and Brockington Elementary.
To tackle the teaching shortage, Florence 1 Schools hired an Executive Director of Teaching and Learning to run an alternative certification program giving the district another option to the current pathways offered by the South Carolina Department of Education. This is a new opportunity for anyone interested in becoming a teacher in Florence 1 to earn teaching credentials. Teach Florence 1, a local-created alternative pathway, approved by the SC Department of Education, helps highly motivated individuals interested in starting a new career in education earn teaching certification.
Plans for a new initiative with a focus on healthcare and target learning for students- who have an interest in the medical field thanks to a $10 million grant from the Florence County Legislative Delegation. The initiative will include partnerships with McLeod, MUSC and Hope Health. Construction began in June of 2024 with targeted dates of December 2025 for completion and January 2026 for the projected opening date.
Through a partnership with the newly located industry AESC, Florence 1 Schools is reviving its mechatronics program to help students find jobs at the AESC electric battery plant coming to Florence. A brand-new program will put students on a pathway to an engineering career right out of high school. Mechatronics Integrated Technologies will be offered at Advantage Academy beginning in 2024-2025.
In other innovative measures, Florence 1 Schools is celebrating the conversion of North Vista Elementary School into Williams Middle School with construction changes which include upgrades to accommodate middle school students including a new gymnasium. Additionally, Florence 1 Schools held a ribbon cutting for the opening of a new North Vista Elementary School. In other new facility celebrations, Florence 1 Schools held a ribbon cutting for its new Culinary Arts Facility on the campus of Advantage Academy earlier this past school year.
Ten schools in Florence 1 received a rating of Excellent or Good on the 2023 school report cards. Rating levels remained Excellent for Lucy T. Davis, Delmae Elementary and Royall Elementary. Briggs Elementary, Brockington Elementary, Lester Elementary, McLaurin Elementary, Moore, Savannah Grove Elementary, South Florence High. Timrod Elementary, and Wallace-Greg Elementary all made rating level increases.
Delmae Elementary School received the Palmetto’s Finest School Award from the South Carolina Association of School Administrators, one of the most prestigious awards of excellence bestowed upon schools in South Carolina. West Florence High is a National banner unified champion school. According to the Special Olympics National Recognition Program, a special Olympics unified champion school has an inclusive climate and exudes a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body and staff.
West Florence High is also one of approximately 1,000 schools worldwide to implement AP Capstone—an innovative diploma program that allows students to develop the skills that matter most for college success: research, collaboration and communication.
Savannah Grove Elementary joined six others schools in Florence 1—Carver, Delmae, Royall, Moore, Southside and West Florence to become STEM certified.
Again, Florence 1 Schools surpassed the state’s graduation rate. During this past school year graduates earned $26,508,462 in scholarships. Among these graduates was, a West Point appointee, 28 International Baccalaureate graduates (many of whom are headed to Ivy League colleges and universities including Duke, Columbia and Harvard); 365 HOPE scholarship recipients; 42 Palmetto Fellows’ 200 Board of Trustees Scholars; 139 double cord grads; 319 single cord grads; 27 Military cord grads; 15 achievement scholars and 9 STEM Grads
The year of 2023-2024 again reflected the areas of high student achievement as indicated by award-winning students. Stellar accomplishments include 47 perfect scorers on the standardized SC Ready and SC Pass; 39 junior scholars-students with exceptional academic talent, selected based on their performance on the PSAT, students who have excelled on national language exams (German and Spanish), another record number of all state band and orchestra students, state choral participants highly recognized young visual artists and a representative group all state and all region athletes.
Keeping up with the trends in culinary services to delight and excite students about healthy eating habits, the Florence 1 Schools food truck debuted this year, making its way to all F1S schools.
With a focus on the future, Florence 1 Schools released its strategic five-year plan for building one of the nation’s premier school districts: Florence 1 2028 – One Vision. One Voice. One Future. Detailed plans have been outlined for Student achievement; facilities; recruitment and retention of staff; finance and professional development.
