The 2020-21 academic year brought Rock Hill Schools both continued successes for our school community as well as the most challenging year many of us have ever experienced. We remain so very proud of and humbled by the way our Rock Hill Schools’ students, employees, parents, and community handled the demands we were faced with to protect everyone as we further educated our students under most-challenging circumstances. It is evident through the pandemic crisis that our parents and families are our most vital resource as they bridged the gap between home and school as a constant presence for our students, faculties, and community members.

Innovative teaching practices and district-created digital resources allowed student learning to continue through both in-person and virtual modalities. Rock Hill Virtual Academy (RHVA) was launched and allowed over 6,800 students the opportunity to engage in synchronous online learning. Devices were provided to all students, as was internet access to families in need. Continuous learning models of instruction were present to help ensure learning continued whether students attended school face-to-face or in a remote or virtual environment.

Student wellness remained a priority in 2020-21, and the district partnered with Winthrop University and the SC chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) to offer virtual Parent Academy classes to families on varied topics related to social and emotional health. This summer, Rock Hill Schools created a district-wide mental health department, among the first of its kind in the state, that is receiving national accolades. Rock Hill Schools served over 1,000 students with its Back the Pack program, hosted School Mobile Food Pantries throughout the academic year, and continued to provide free meals for all school-aged children over the summer months.

School nurses established COVID-19 testing sites in schools and supported efforts to vaccinate district employees. Plexiglass shields were installed and other Personal Protective Equipment provided, and stringent cleaning and social distancing protocols were put in place. Other safety enhancements included the creation of a district-wide Centralized Command & Control Center, implementation of Standard Response Protocol for emergency procedures, the addition of Campus Safety Associates at each high school to assist with security operations, and the addition of four School Resource Officer positions.

Summer learning expanded with six reading and enrichment camps offered at the elementary level, summer STEAM camps for middle school students, increased summer school at both the middle and high school levels, teacher-developed summer lessons produced on local cable service, and the largest distribution of summer reading materials to all Pre-K through Grade 8 students through a program entitled “My Books Summer: You Pick!” During 2020-2021, Rock Hill Schools and the School Board recognized one senior as a National Merit Scholar, seventeen students who earned maximum scores on SC READY, one student who earned the maximum score on SCPASS, eighteen IB diploma recipients, forty-one AP Scholars, and thirty-one students for receiving the Global Seal of Biliteracy. Among many career-ready programs available at the Applied Technology Center (ATC), twenty students successfully completed their written and skills certifications to become Certified Nursing Assistants, and four students completed their FAA licensing exams in a new program to certify students as drone pilots. Several athletic teams and athletes placed as finalists in state and regional competitions. Arts programming remained steadfast as schools navigated issues related to the pandemic to offer as many arts experiences as possible. The district’s Dual Language Immersion program entered into a dual credit partnership with Winthrop University that will offer DLI high school students the opportunity to take college-level courses delivered by university faculty and earn college credits. Sullivan Middle School’s School Improvement Council (SIC) was named to the state’s SIC Honor Roll for 2021 for their significant efforts to foster civic engagement in public education. 

There is no doubt that Rock Hill Schools and the community were pushed to the limit during 2020-2021; however, with the support of our valued stakeholders, the school system remains both excited and focused about the possibilities for students in the year ahead.  The commitment of all involved with our schools can only lead to a stronger district and truly exemplify “One Team…One Mission…One Rock Hill.”