Beaufort County School System

The Beaufort County School District is comprised of three regional clusters - Battery Creek, Beaufort and Hilton Head, South Carolina - each with its own elementary, middle and high schools.

There are 26 schools (four high schools, six middle schools and 16 elementary schools) that educate the growing student base. Each year student enrollment increases by around 400-600 new students.

Renovations, additions and construction are constant as Beaufort County strives to maintain low student-teacher ratios and safe, easy-to-monitor facilities. Beaufort County School District has two different school schedules. One is the traditional schedule in which students begin school around mid-August and finish in May with a single long break for summer. A second school schedule, commonly referred to as the year-round schedule, has students attending school for approximately 8 weeks then breaking for 3 weeks all year-round. Students have a 5 week summer break then begin school again in mid-July. Students on both schedules attend school for 180 days each year.

The best way to get to know a school - besides visiting it - is by reading its annual report. Each year the BSCD Office of Communications compiles information about the past school year for every school. It is assembled into a standard format, published and distributed to each school's community. This annual report provides useful information regarding demographics, testing and assessment and instructional philosophy.To access the schools' annual reports go to beaufort.schoolnet.com. There is additional information on any of the schools listed on this website.

 

Primary Education

An aggressive community outreach program provides in-service training to all local childcare providers, with the idea that a well-prepared youngster becomes a well-adjusted student. Also, parenting workshops are conducted regularly and the District leads the county's Success by 6 program.

The Readiness Continuum of kindergarten through third grade provides the basic building blocks of education, accented by exposure to art, music and hands-on learning. Multi-age groupings allow students to move forward at their own pace, within their own classrooms, providing ample challenges to fast learners and extra tutoring to those who need added attention. The Foundations Continuum of third through fifth grades builds upon the basics.

 

Middle School

The 1996 Middle School Initiative raised the level of academic and behavioral expectations for students in grades six through eight. Students at this level can receive high school credit for algebra, English and foreign language courses. Middle school sports are available primarily as club and intramural activities. Chess and debate are offered as competitive activities with interschool contests. The programs are also available to middle school students.

 

High School

Options abound for students in grades nine through twelve, including vocational courses at the Academy for Career Excellence, mentoring through the School-To-Work project, college prep with Advanced Placement classes, and the International Baccalaureate program. Beaufort County School District seniors, placing in the top ten percent of their class, averaged 1185 on their SAT (596 verbal, 589 math).

Interscholastic activities include football, basketball, wrestling, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, golf, tennis, track & field, cheerleading, chess and debate. Three alternative programs are available to discouraged students who have trouble learning in the traditional classroom. Communities in Schools works with middle school students; Project Soar targets high school students; and a K-5 Interim Skills program, new to the 1997-98 school year, is designed to offer counseling, behavioral and academic assistance as soon as problems arise at the elementary level.

 

Beaufort County Private Schools

There are five private schools located in Beaufort County: Beaufort Academy, Hilton Head Island Christian Academy, Hilton Head Preparatory School, St Francis Catholic School on Hilton Head Island and St Peter's Catholic School in Beaufort. For more information visit www.sciway.net.

Cross Episcopal School of Bluffton opened it's new facility on the Buckwalter parkway in the fall of 2005. The state of the art facility houses both Cross Episcopal School, currently grades 1-7, and the Cross Early Childhood Center, serving children ages 2 through kindergarten. The high school is to be added in 2007, and construction of this facility will begin in the fall of 2006. Cross Episcopal is currently the only privately funded school in Bluffton, SC.

 

Higher Education

With three major research universities, South Carolina has established a number of strategic alliances to meet the needs of various industries for innovation and intellectual support. For instance, state-sponsored initiatives like the Endowed Chair Program channel tens of millions of dollars toward advancements in Automotive Research, Marine Genomics, Nanostructure and Regenerative Medicine.

Moreover, each of our research universities has its own unique marquee initiatives. At the forefront of engineering, Clemson University is making significant investments to further the automotive industry in South Carolina. Its International Center for Automotive Research has already generated more than $90 million in public and private support. The University of South Carolina is home to a $33 million, state-of-the-art Graduate Science Research Center. And the Medical University of South Carolina maintains contracts with more than 100 business partners to conduct various specialized research initiatives.

Imagine a specialized labor force, skilled and ready to perform the day a new company opens its doors. Since 1961, that has been the reality for 1,748 businesses and 223,091 workers in South Carolina. Thanks to the internationally recognized CATT program, a resource established to design and implement customized training programs for private industries, incoming and native entrepreneurs and spared training hiatuses, certification fees and delayed cash flow. Instead they receive recruiting and training services tailored to their specific needs before a dime is spent on payroll. The end result: dependable productivity and immediate revenue.

 

1115 College Drive, Gaffney, SC 29340 | 800.795.7151

Limestone College offers another flexible alternative to traditional on-campus college education for students who have families or full-time jobs. Through the Block Program, courses are offered in the evening for adult students at various sites around South Carolina - our traditional curriculum on your time schedule.

The Block Program divides a calendar year into two 6-month semesters: Fall and Spring. The Block Program offers 11 blocks, each lasting four weeks. One three-credit hour course is studied intensively and completed each block.This allows the student to complete up to 33 credit hours per year. A student can complete a degree in the normal time - 4 years for a Bachelor's degree or 2 years for an Associate's degree. Students may choose to take all 11 blocks or any number of blocks based on their schedules, allowing them to miss only the block in conflict with their schedules, rather than an entire semester. Classes usually are held on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings for twelve class sessions. We even offer Wednesday/Friday classes over a five-week time frame at some locations. These classes meet for ten class sessions in the evenings. Students may attend either format or a combination of these evening classes.

- Tuition: $190 per Course (1 semester hour), $570 per Course (3 semester hours), $760 per Course (4 semester hours)
- Book Fees: $40 to $130 per Course
- Lab Fees: $25 per Computer Course (if required)
- Graduation Fee: $35

 

921 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC 29901 | 843.525.8211

As the area's two-year, comprehensive technical college, the Technical College of the Lowcountry offers a wide-range of programs and services to meet the needs of students wherever they are in life.

• A high school student can get a jump start on college credits through the dual enrollment programs.
• A student can complete the first two years before transferring to a four-year program or earn an associate's degree in a professional or technical program.
• A mid-career professional can upgrade their skills, or train for a new career.
• A seasoned professional can take advantage of skills training and professional development opportunities.
• An individual managing a household or busy professional can find numerous Distance Learning opportunities through broadcast and internet offerings.

- 2,700 students
- South Carolina resident tuition: $1,375/semester - Nonresident tuition: $1,855/semester

 

P.O. Box 6168-C, Beaufort, SC 29902 | 843.524.1851

Webster University is a private, nonprofit, accredited University that offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in many fields including business, computer science, psychology, communications, international relations, science, education, fine and performing arts, and liberal arts.

The home campus is located in Webster Groves, a picturesque suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1915 as a small private college, Webster has grown into an international network of over 100 campuses across the United States, Europe, China and Thailand.

Currently the University enrolls approximately 22,000 students worldwide who range in age from traditional college age students to adult learners, and represent over 100 nationalities.

Webster University is dedicated to academic excellence, innovation in higher education, meeting the needs of students in an ever-changing world and incorporating an international perspective throughout the curriculum.

- Tuition: Varies by degree program