Fort Mill schools strong in quality, commitment

How time flies. It is hard to believe that it is nearing the end of summer and parents are preparing their children to go back to school.

A new school year presents new opportunities for your children and we want all students to start the year with energy and excitement.

The Fort Mill School District continues to be the fastest growing district, per capita, in the state. We project approximately 600 new students this year, or a growth rate of 8 percent.

As a result, we are adding more than 22 teachers in an effort to maintain favorable teacher-pupil ratios across all grades. Total school enrollment should exceed 12,900 students, which means growth will have quadrupled since the mid-1990s.

I share these numbers with you to point out what I believe will be the silver bullet to continued success as we go forward, i.e., maintaining a “Children First” family atmosphere in spite of the phenomenal growth that we are experiencing.

I feel that if we can make every child and parent feel special, we can continue to offer an individualized educational experience for every student. This approach will enable the district to maintain that special one-to-one teacher pupil relationship.

The one constant in a fast-growing district is change. Renovations to Fort Mill High School and Nation Ford High School will be completed by the start of the school year.

Due to the successful passage of a $226 million school bond referendum, the district will begin construction on the fifth middle school this year.

New school-based administrative assignments include:

▪  Jason Johns, principal at Nation Ford High School

▪  Michael Pratt, principal at Banks Trail Middle School

▪  Matthew Johnson, principal at Orchard Park Elementary School

▪  Holly Logan, assistant principal at Fort Mill High School

▪  Marc Pyrc, assistant principal at Banks Trail Middle

▪  Jim Wilkie, assistant principal at Springfield Middle

▪  Amanda Brogdon, assistant principal at Springfield Elementary

Due to increased demands on the district bus system, new school opening and closing times will be implemented. These new times are as follows:

▪  Elementary schools, 7:40 a.m. to 2:25 p.m.

▪  Middle schools, 8:10 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.

▪  High schools, 8:40 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.

The strength of our school district is exhibited in the quality and commitment of our people. The willingness to go the extra mile for students is what separates us from other districts.

It is this attitude and dedication toward continuous improvement that will enable us to address the challenges currently before us.

Because of this outstanding work ethic, I am convinced that Fort Mill School District will continue to be a leader in student achievement and remain a contributing factor to the excellent quality of life that we enjoy. Additionally, a strong school system contributes to favorable property values in our community.

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Fort Mill schools strong in quality, commitment."