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District 55

Meetings Monday, Tuesday evenings for community input in Dist. 55 search

Laurens, South Carolina – As a part of the District 55  superintendent search, South Carolina School Board Association (SCSBA) will be conducting several focus group meetings with stakeholders, and there are two opportunities for members of the community.  SCSBA will share an overview of the process, and collect responses and comments regarding what characteristics, qualities…

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District 55 selected for $13.5 million in educator incentive grant

Laurens, South Carolina – Laurens County School District 55 announced at a recent press conference that it had been selected for a highly competitive, federally funded Teacher and School Leader Incentive Grant totaling $13.5 million over a three year period. To prepare for the application process, the district partnered with the National Institute for Excellence…

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More District 55 trustees resign, election date set

Laurens County, South Carolina – While each had a different reason, District 55 trustees Todd Varner and Neal Patterson both submitted letters of resignation late afternoon prior to Monday evening’s special called meeting of the Laurens District 55 Board of Trustees. Both were in their first terms and Patterson had been serving as vice chair.…

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Quick exits abruptly end Dist. 55 Trustee meeting

Laurens, South Carolina – Barely 10 minutes after it started Monday evening, a meeting of the Board of Trustees for Laurens County School District 55 ended abruptly when three trustees walked out, leaving only Chairman Cathy Little, Trustee Mike Hughes and Superintendent Ameca Thomas remaining in their seats. Held this month in the LDHS Amphitheater,…

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District 55 adopts Clear Backpack policy

District 55 has finalized its decision to enhance student safety by requiring clear backpacks starting with this upcoming school year, and it announced the decision in a Wednesday, July 7 press release. “With efforts to continue enhancing safety measures in Laurens County School District 55, the district will require all students to use clear backpacks…

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District 55 plans metal detectors at LDHS

Laurens, S.C. – Starting next fall, Laurens District High students will need to navigate new entrances to the sprawling LDHS building due to the addition of four metal detectors which District 55 administration has ordered for the next school year. The decision to order the metal detectors was announced last Monday during the May 23…

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District 55 board adopts modified calendar for 23/24 school year

Laurens, South Carolina – Laurens District 55 School Board on Monday night approved a change to a Modified School Year Calendar starting with the 2023/24 school year, meaning children will get eight weeks of summer vacation instead of ten weeks under the traditional schedule. In a presentation by Assistant Supt. for Pupil Services Jody Penland, the…

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Teacher discovers handgun at Laurens Elementary

A loaded handgun was discovered Friday morning in a classroom at Laurens Elementary School, Laurens County School District 55 officials reported. The weapon was discovered by a teacher who notified the School Resource Officer, an officer with the Laurens Police Department. The LPD will hold a press conference concerning the incident at 2 p.m. today…

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District 55 goes to a week of virtual for three schools

Laurens, S.C.  – Laurens County School District 55 announced Wednesday evening that three of the district’s schools will transition to virtual learning beginning Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, and continuing through Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021.  The campuses affected include Gray Court-Owings School, Hickory Tavern School, and Laurens District 55 High School.  Students at the district’s remaining six…

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