Greenville County School District
Encyclopedia
Greenville County School District (GCSD) is a public school district
in Greenville County
, South Carolina
(USA
). It is the largest school district in the state of South Carolina and the 50th largest in the US. Greenville CSD also takes students from some areas of Spartanburg and Laurens counties.
Led by Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher, GCSD serves 70,000 students and employs , 5,074 faculty members with 8,567 total employees spread across 82 schools and 12 special and early education centers. GCSD has an operating budget of $407 million for the 2011 - 2012 school year. GCSD has 13 National Blue Ribbon Schools, 9 Newsweek's Best High Schools, 20 Carolina First Palmetto's Finest Schools, 48 Red Carpet Schools, and 29 National PTA Schools or Excellence.
On August 23, 1951 the Greenville County Board of Education, chaired by J. B. League, established the School District of Greenville County and appointed nine trustees, with A. D. Asbury as chair. Dr. William F. Loggins was the first superintendent. An educational program of greater equality began to emerge, mainly by consolidating smaller schools.
Integration did not go smoothly and in May 1968 the state supreme court
declared freedom of choice
plans unacceptable. Opposition organizations were formed including Citizens for Freedom of Choice, Citizens to Prevent Busing
, and Concerned Black Parents, chaired by H. L. Sullivan. In February 1970, most all-African-American schools were closed. 60% of the African-American and 10% of the European-American students were reassigned. 75% of the busing involved African-American students.
During the 2011 school year 4,380 students graduated from GCSD High Schools. Out of these nearly 90% pursued higher education, with a scholarship total of $95 million.
In 2005, six Greenville County elementary schools and two middle schools were identified in a study released by the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC) as reducing the achievement gap for at least one historically underachieving student group.
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
in Greenville County
Greenville County, South Carolina
- External Links :*...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). It is the largest school district in the state of South Carolina and the 50th largest in the US. Greenville CSD also takes students from some areas of Spartanburg and Laurens counties.
Led by Superintendent of Schools
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher, GCSD serves 70,000 students and employs , 5,074 faculty members with 8,567 total employees spread across 82 schools and 12 special and early education centers. GCSD has an operating budget of $407 million for the 2011 - 2012 school year. GCSD has 13 National Blue Ribbon Schools, 9 Newsweek's Best High Schools, 20 Carolina First Palmetto's Finest Schools, 48 Red Carpet Schools, and 29 National PTA Schools or Excellence.
History
At the end of World War II, Greenville County had 86 school districts. The smallest was a one-room school; the two largest, Parker and Greenville City, served two-thirds of the student population.On August 23, 1951 the Greenville County Board of Education, chaired by J. B. League, established the School District of Greenville County and appointed nine trustees, with A. D. Asbury as chair. Dr. William F. Loggins was the first superintendent. An educational program of greater equality began to emerge, mainly by consolidating smaller schools.
Public schools desegregation
In 1963, the local NAACP filed suit in the federal district court, for the children of A. J. Whittenberg and five other African-Americans to attend all-white schools. They were represented by Willie Smith and Matthew Perry, while the district was represented by its attorney E. P. (Ted) Riley. On April 14, after a federal judge gave the school board thirty days to reconsider, Superintendent Marion T. Anderson announced that fifty-five African-American students would be transferred to sixteen white schools in 1964.Integration did not go smoothly and in May 1968 the state supreme court
South Carolina Supreme Court
The South Carolina Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices.-Selection of Justices:...
declared freedom of choice
Freedom of Choice (US school desegregation)
Freedom of Choice was the name for a number of plans developed in the US during 1965-70, aimed at the integration of schools in states that had a segregated educational system.- The Plans :...
plans unacceptable. Opposition organizations were formed including Citizens for Freedom of Choice, Citizens to Prevent Busing
Desegregation busing
Desegregation busing in the United States is the practice of assigning and transporting students to schools in such a manner as to redress prior racial segregation of schools, or to overcome the effects of residential segregation on local school demographics.In 1954, the U.S...
, and Concerned Black Parents, chaired by H. L. Sullivan. In February 1970, most all-African-American schools were closed. 60% of the African-American and 10% of the European-American students were reassigned. 75% of the busing involved African-American students.
Educational structure
GCSD students attend schools based primarily on the geographic location of their homes. Schools of a lower level 'feed into' a certain school of the next highest level, meaning that students leaving the lower level schools attend the higher level school. Exceptions to the feeder system are students wishing to enroll in the magnet schools programs offered in 12 schools, or those who participate in the International Baccalaureate, which is offered in its three levels at four clusters over the county. Parents of students may also request transfers out of their students' assigned schools for various reasons (such as to take classes unique to a particular school).During the 2011 school year 4,380 students graduated from GCSD High Schools. Out of these nearly 90% pursued higher education, with a scholarship total of $95 million.
In the news
In 2006, 21% of the 22,850 AP exams completed in South Carolina were taken by Greenville County students. The percentage of exams qualifying for college credit increased from 43% to 48% (2,192 of 4,568 exams).In 2005, six Greenville County elementary schools and two middle schools were identified in a study released by the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC) as reducing the achievement gap for at least one historically underachieving student group.