We had an exciting year in Lexington School District Three! The entire Batesburg-Leesville community shared the pride as Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School was named a 2018 Palmetto’s Finest School! Additionally, Batesburg-Leesville Primary and Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School were both named as Transform SC schools and committed to implementing innovative instruction as part of their three-year partnership. The early college experience at Batesburg-Leesville High School continued to expand, as did Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) at both the middle and high school. Batesburg-Leesville High School was named 1 of 16 AP Capstone schools in South Carolina which will allow students to earn AP Capstone diplomas as part of the high school experience. The district was selected for an Innovation Collaborative Pilot which will enable a partnership with Saluda County School District to receive funding to expand Career and Technology Education (CATE) opportunities which will include welding and firefighting for students in both districts. The district’s 1:1 technology initiative also expanded to include chromebooks for all second graders with plans to include first grade in the 2018-19 school year.
The district partnered with Saluda and Edgefield schools to host our first annual Innovation Institute. The two day professional learning event was planned and led by teacher leaders from the three districts and allowed our teachers to share innovative strategies for using technology in the classroom. Our teachers also facilitated and shared professional learning on AVID, Lucy Calkins Units of Study, various digital innovations, and personalized learning just to name a few. Our students continued to excel out of the classroom as well with 8 region championships across boys and girls sports. Two students were named state champions in track and field and numerous students were awarded all-region and all-state honors. The district also updated communications with the launch of the district’s YouTube channel featuring videos highlighting student activities throughout the year. All of the district social media sites were updated and saw an increase in followers.
We are deeply committed to preparing all of our students towards the skills and characteristics outlined in the Profile of the SC Graduate. As we look to the future, we are excited to partner with our families and the community to provide our students with a world-class educational experience.
With Panther Pride,
Dr. Randall R. Gary, Superintendent
Dr. Gariane Gunter, Board Chair