District 56 serves the southern portion of Laurens County and attempts to live by its motto, “The Experience Matters,” for every student from 4K through 12th grade. Our district focuses on the whole child by providing community eligibility, which offers cost-free breakfast and lunch for all students. We embrace and excel in academics, athletics, fine arts, and the development of ethical and productive citizens. We focus on producing well-rounded students who excel in higher education, military service, or the workforce after high school.
Professional development remains critical to addressing student learning and ensuring our teachers prepare students for college and careers. Our teachers meet in content area teams to ensure consistency across all grade levels and vertical team alignment. Within our schools, teachers meet weekly in teams to learn best-practice strategies and examine benchmark data to ensure every student has the support needed to meet grade-level academic standards.
Eastside Elementary School was named a “Leader in Me” Lighthouse School for its demonstrated excellence in embodying the program's principles. Clinton Elementary, Joanna-Woodson Elementary, and Clinton Middle School also began implementing “Leader in Me” during the 2025-2026 school year. Joanna Woodson was recognized by the Education Oversight Committee with the Data Trailblazer Award, which recognizes South Carolina schools for successfully using student-centered data to improve academic outcomes, maintain data privacy, and keep families informed.
Clinton High School won first place in the 2025-2026 WPEC Division I Academic Challenge. The Clinton High School and Clinton Middle School teams continued their reign as South Carolina State Champions and competed at the National Science Olympiad at the University of Southern California in late May.
We had many regional championships for fall, winter, and spring sports, including football, boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ tennis, and girls’ soccer. Clinton High School’s boys’ tennis team was the 2026 Upperstate Champion, and the varsity baseball team won the 2026 AA State Championship.
Our district partnered with the Laurens County Community Theatre (LCCT) and hosted several county-wide plays that our students were encouraged to participate in! LCCT hosted our students for a performance of Finding Nemo Jr.
The CHS Concert Band earned a rating of “Superior with Distinction” for the first time ever at the annual Concert Performance Assessment event. This was the highest possible rating. The CHS Winter Guard earned two first-place awards during the AA competition season and was promoted to Class AAA midseason. In the state championship, the Winter Guard earned third place in the higher division. Our CHS Devil Regiment Marching Band earned 5th place at the South Carolina Band Directors Association 2A State Championships, which was the highest placement the band had received since 1988. The district had numerous students invited to participate in the USC Honor Band, the Newberry Honor Band, and/or the SCBDA ( South Carolina Band Directors’ Association) Region Honor Band.
The Class of 2026 earned $9,651,866 in scholarships, an increase of nearly $1.5 million compared to the Class of 2025.
As you can see, “The Experience Matters” is far more than a motto — it is an active, ongoing pursuit of excellence, independent of the size of the school or even the district. District 56 is proud of its six schools, even prouder of its students' accomplishments, and most proud of the opportunities we provide our students beyond the regular school day.
Dr. David C. O’Shields, Superintendent
Jim Barton, School Board Chair
