Return to School: A Fresh Start for Spartanburg Students

Spartanburg – Students across all Spartanburg School Districts are set to return to school on Monday. Buildings filled with anticipation and excitement as students get ready to meet their new teachers and explore recently unveiled facilities.

New Facilities for Enhanced Learning

In the past three years, Spartanburg school district has taken an assertive path towards revamping their infrastructure to accommodate an upward trend in the number of students. A $295 million bond referendum facilitated the expansion of school districts from six to eight elementary schools and two to four middle schools, all at zero cost to taxpayers.

Apart from increasing the capacity at Reidville Elementary, a series of renovations and extensions have also been inaugurated at Byrnes High School. Additionally, the district accomplished the construction of two brand new schools – an elementary and a middle school.

Wellford Academy: A leap into the Future

Wellford Academy of Science and Technology, previously the oldest school in the district, is now equipped with a state-of-the-art building. The renovation enables the academy to broaden their science magnet program while offering a modern environment for teaching and learning.

“We desire our students to excel not only in District 5, but across the Upstate”, stated EJ Bringer, Principal of Wellford Academy of Science and Technology.

STEM Implementation all round

The district leaders are prioritizing the need for students to grow and are thus integrating a STEM curriculum in all elementary schools this year. The initiative named “Lead The Way” is aimed at equipping students with real-world problem-solving skills.

Amanda Fortenberry, Project Lead The Way Launch Instructor said, “We give students a relevant problem or project and guide them collaboratively to solve it or enhance it.”

Preparing for the Influx

Ahead of the new academic year, the School Superintendent Dr. Randall Gary reports an influx of over 1,000 newly registered students for school bus routes. Parents are advised to prepare for additional traffic during morning and afternoon hours for next week.

As he enters his sixth year as Superintendent, Dr. Gary along with his team expressed their readiness to provide their students and their families with an enriched educational experience this academic year.

“It is going to be an exciting year”, Dr. Gary emphasized.