Middle School Science Teacher

Jasper County School District (JCSD) is a small rural school district located in Jasper County, South Carolina. Jasper County is located in the Lowcountry region of SC. According to the 2010 census, Jasper County had a population of 24,777 people and 8,749 households. The racial makeup of the county was 53.9% White, 43.1% Black or African-American, 0.37% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.39% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Of the population, 15.1% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the percent of persons age 25 years +, the educational level of Jasper County Residents consists of 78.3% high school graduate or higher and 13.0% bachelor’s degree or higher.

 Jasper County School District serves approximately 2,500 students, Pre-K – 12th grade. 

 JCSD has two campuses. The north campus is located in Ridgeland and houses Ridgeland Elementary School, a K-5 school, and Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School, a 9-12 school. The south campus is located in Hardeeville and houses Hardeeville Elementary School, a K-5 school and Hardeeville-Ridgeland Middle School, a 6-8 school. The overall configuration of the district is two elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative school. The system provides college and career support through offerings at the Beaufort-Jasper Academy for Career Excellence (BJ-ACE) for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. BJACE offers 14 different vocational programs, and all programs focus on producing students who are qualified either to attend college or begin their careers.

 JCSD is governed by a nine-member Board of Education. During April of 2015, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Gergel of Charleston approved a plan to redistrict the school board to address compliance issues with the “one person, one vote” requirement due to population growth in some areas of the county. The redistricting resulted in a split of districts 6 and 7. A special election was scheduled for September 22, 2015. The election resulted in four new members joining five incumbents.

 The district’s superintendent is Dr. Rechel Anderson, the Board of Education, administrators, staff, and stakeholders have embraced our new motto, “Jasper County School District: Student-Centered...Future-Focused!.”

JCSD has three Title I schools (Ridgeland Elementary, Hardeeville Elementary, and Hardeeville-Ridgeland Middle School) and two Priority Schools (Hardeeville Elementary and Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School). All schools have been challenged with high teacher and administrator turnover and low student performance on State Performance Assessments. There has been a concerted effort on the part of the district and stakeholders to increase parental involvement and volunteer services. A growing number of volunteers from communities throughout Jasper County and a large population of the Sun City retirement community are being recruited and will be placed in our schools and Community Outreach Programs to provide a variety of services to our students and parents.

 To accelerate student performance and ensure they are college and career ready, JCSD continues to evaluate its educational practices, resources, governance, and student services to determine areas of strengths and challenges. Structures and programs are being put in place to move the district forward. The following are a few of our current priorities:

•    Instructional Technology

•    A high level of accountability
•    STEM/STEAM Initiatives
•    Executing J.A.G.S (Jasper Academic, Growth Systems)
•    Balanced Literacy Platform
•    Expansion of JCAP Student Choice Opportunities
•    Theme-Based Focus Schools
•    Targeted Mental Health and School Safety and Cleanliness
•    Launching of the new district-wide logo
•    Center for Instructional Quality (CIQ)
•    Boys and Girls Club at Hardeeville Elementary
•    Recruitment and Retention Initiative
•    K-8 Computer Science Classes
•    STEM U Labs at Hardeeville Elementary, Ridgeland Elementary, and Hardeeville-Ridgeland Middle School
•    MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) District-wide Framework (in progress)
•    District-wide Literacy Initiative: Implementation of Open Court in elementary schools
•    Development of District Data Team