Kershaw County School District (KCSD) continued to keep its focus on helping all students develop the world-class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by ensuring that our students are college and career ready during the 2021-2022 school year.

KCSD offered face-to-face instruction for all students all year, as well as a virtual learning option for students. Although the ongoing pandemic created its own challenges, we continued to hold high expectations for students’ academic performance and success.

Through rigorous learning opportunities, we inspire students to think critically and solve real-world problems. Teachers differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners and improve student achievement. The continued use of Delayed Start Wednesdays allows weekly professional development time for teachers. Advanced Placement classes and numerous dual-enrollment courses through a partnership with Central Carolina Technical College (CCTC) offer our students opportunities to obtain college credit. An innovative partnership provides qualified Kershaw County graduates with full two-year scholarships to CCTC.

This year again, KCSD’s financial operations received the best audit results possible with “unmodified opinions” from an external independent CPA firm.

North Central Elementary School opened in October of 2021, consolidating three small schools into one, and construction continued on the new North Central High School.

Our schools continued to receive state and national honors. KCSD won many awards in the SC chapter of the National School Public Relations Association’s 2022 Rewards for Excellence communications contest. KCSD earned five Golden Achievement Awards including Leslie M. Stover Middle School’s “Prisma Breast Cancer Walk,” North Central Elementary’s “A new chapter in our community – Opening a new school,” and at the district level for the “Governor’s Roundtable,” “Teacher Forum,” and Teacher of the year program. KCSD also won many Publications and Electronic Media Awards.

Leslie M. Stover Middle School has earned the national honor of being designated as a "School to Watch." This is the first time that Stover has earned this recognition. Lugoff-Elgin Middle and Camden Middle were re-designated with the national award this year. Blaney Elementary School (BES) was selected for the SC Department of Education's (SCDE) Collective Leadership Initiative for the 2022-2023 school year. BES is the first KCSD school to participate in the program that focuses on a cohesive vision for teacher leadership roles within South Carolina’s schools. The Camden High School football team played in the SC High School League AAA state finals.

Woolard Technology Center (WTC) is home to the state champions in the Third Annual South Carolina Department of Education's Farm to School Junior Chef Competition. WTC's team members each received a $10,000 scholarship to Sullivan University's Culinary Arts School and represented SC in the southeast region competition. After winning the state FIRST Tech Challenge robotics competition, the KC Robotics Team headed to the World Championship in Houston, TX. In May, fifteen seniors representing Camden, Lugoff-Elgin, and North Central high schools participated in Kershaw County School District’s first Future Educator Signing Day. The event, sponsored by KCSD’s Teacher Forum, celebrated students who have decided to pursue careers in the field of education.

KCSD has talented and highly-skilled employees, many of whom were recognized at the national and state levels this school year. Kershaw County Deputy Superintendent was selected by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA) as a 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award winner.

Dr. Don Copley and Kim DuRant—were recognized for reaching milestones in their years of school board service. Copley has served on our school board for 10 years and DuRant is the longest-serving Kershaw County School Board member with 20 years of service.

These accomplishments are a tribute to the excellence of our staff and the unwavering support of our families and the larger community. We appreciate these partnerships that help us to continue our academic success.