Laurens School District 55, South Carolina, elections
| Laurens School District 55 |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 7 |
| Students: 5,206 (2023-2024) |
| Schools: 9 (2023-2024) |
| Website: Link |
Laurens School District 55 is a school district in South Carolina (Laurens County). During the 2024 school year, 5,206 students attended one of the district's nine schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Laurens County School District 55 school board, Seat 1
General election
General election for Laurens County School District 55 school board, Seat 1
Tabitha Keitt ran in the general election for Laurens County School District 55 school board, Seat 1 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Tabitha Keitt (Nonpartisan) | ||
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Laurens County School District 55 school board, Seat 3
General election
General election for Laurens County School District 55 school board, Seat 3
Heather Hall Elders ran in the general election for Laurens County School District 55 school board, Seat 3 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Heather Hall Elders (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Laurens County School District 55 school board, Seat 5
General election
General election for Laurens County School District 55 school board, Seat 5
Anthony B. Carpenter ran in the general election for Laurens County School District 55 school board, Seat 5 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Anthony B. Carpenter (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Laurens County School District 55 school board, Seat 7
General election
General election for Laurens County School District 55 school board, Seat 7
Chip Jenkins ran in the general election for Laurens County School District 55 school board, Seat 7 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Chip Jenkins (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
About the district
School board
The Laurens School District 55 consists of seven members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Carpenter | Seat 5 | ||
| Heather Elders | Seat 3 | ||
| Mike Hughes | Seat 4 | ||
| Chip Jenkins | Seat 7 | ||
| Tabitha Keitt | Seat 1 | ||
| Cathy Little | Seat 2 | ||
| Peggy Nance | Seat 6 |
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District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $17,504,000 | $3,216 | 21% |
| Local: | $25,401,000 | $4,668 | 30% |
| State: | $41,976,000 | $7,713 | 50% |
| Total: | $84,881,000 | $15,597 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $74,277,000 | $13,648 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $70,745,000 | $12,999 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $40,807,000 | $7,498 | 55% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $9,793,820 | $1,799 | 13% |
| Administration: | $7,164,000 | $1,316 | 10% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $12,980,180 | $2,385 | 17% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $2,313,000 | $425 | |
| Construction: | $1,179,000 | $216 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $220,000 | $40 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $999,000 | $183 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 20 | 40-59 | 9 | 17 | PS | 10-14 | 27 |
| 2018-2019 | 31 | >=50 | 21 | 29 | PS | 25-29 | 37 |
| 2017-2018 | 33 | >=50 | 24 | 28 | PS | 30-34 | 39 |
| 2016-2017 | 35 | >=50 | 26 | 28 | PS | 30-34 | 41 |
| 2015-2016 | 39 | 40-59 | 29 | 34 | 35-39 | 46 | |
| 2014-2015 | 48 | 40-59 | 38 | 45-49 | 50-54 | 53 | |
| 2013-2014 | 64 | 60-79 | 50 | 60-64 | PS | 60-69 | 71 |
| 2012-2013 | 66 | >=50 | 54 | 60-64 | PS | 60-64 | 73 |
| 2011-2012 | 68 | >=50 | 55 | 60-64 | PS | 70-74 | 75 |
| 2010-2011 | 65 | >=50 | 53 | 55-59 | 60-69 | 72 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 29 | 40-59 | 16 | 20 | PS | 30-34 | 40 |
| 2018-2019 | 36 | >=50 | 21 | 26 | PS | 40-44 | 46 |
| 2017-2018 | 32 | >=50 | 20 | 22 | PS | 30-34 | 40 |
| 2016-2017 | 32 | <50 | 20 | 23 | PS | 30-34 | 41 |
| 2015-2016 | 38 | 40-59 | 23 | 30 | 30-34 | 48 | |
| 2014-2015 | 35 | 21-39 | 26 | 25-29 | 25-29 | 41 | |
| 2013-2014 | 69 | 60-79 | 56 | 55-59 | PS | 60-69 | 76 |
| 2012-2013 | 71 | >=50 | 61 | 60-64 | PS | 75-79 | 78 |
| 2011-2012 | 70 | >=50 | 56 | 50-54 | PS | 70-74 | 78 |
| 2010-2011 | 66 | >=50 | 54 | 50-54 | 60-69 | 74 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 79 | PS | 75-79 | 80-89 | 75-79 | ||
| 2018-2019 | 80 | 75-79 | 70-79 | 80-84 | |||
| 2017-2018 | 80 | PS | 80-84 | 80-89 | PS | 75-79 | |
| 2016-2017 | 81 | PS | 80-84 | 60-69 | 80-84 | ||
| 2015-2016 | 85 | PS | 85-89 | 70-79 | 80-84 | ||
| 2014-2015 | 79 | 80-84 | 60-79 | 75-79 | |||
| 2013-2014 | 80 | 75-79 | 70-79 | 80-84 | |||
| 2012-2013 | 74 | PS | 75-79 | >=80 | PS | 70-74 | |
| 2011-2012 | 72 | PS | 65-69 | 60-79 | 70-74 | ||
| 2010-2011 | 69 | 65-69 | >=80 | 70-74 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 5,206 | -2.7 |
| 2022-2023 | 5,344 | -1.8 |
| 2021-2022 | 5,442 | 2.0 |
| 2020-2021 | 5,333 | -6.5 |
| 2019-2020 | 5,678 | -1.4 |
| 2018-2019 | 5,755 | -0.5 |
| 2017-2018 | 5,781 | -2.5 |
| 2016-2017 | 5,928 | -1.7 |
| 2015-2016 | 6,030 | -0.9 |
| 2014-2015 | 6,082 | 0.3 |
| 2013-2014 | 6,063 | 3.0 |
| 2012-2013 | 5,881 | -1.0 |
| 2011-2012 | 5,941 | 0.6 |
| 2010-2011 | 5,908 | -1.8 |
| 2009-2010 | 6,017 | 0.2 |
| 2008-2009 | 6,007 | -1.0 |
| 2007-2008 | 6,069 | 0.9 |
| 2006-2007 | 6,015 | 0.1 |
| 2005-2006 | 6,009 | -2.9 |
| 2004-2005 | 6,182 | 0.6 |
| 2003-2004 | 6,146 | -1.6 |
| 2002-2003 | 6,242 | -0.7 |
| 2001-2002 | 6,287 | -1.3 |
| 2000-2001 | 6,366 | 2.5 |
| 1999-2000 | 6,209 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Laurens School District 55 (%) | South Carolina K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.2 | 1.9 |
| Black | 28.1 | 31.2 |
| Hispanic | 16.8 | 13.4 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 3.5 | 6.0 |
| White | 51.0 | 47.2 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Laurens School District 55 had 430.30 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 12.1.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 4.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 7.00 |
| Elementary: | 289.30 |
| Secondary: | 130.00 |
| Total: | 430.30 |
Laurens School District 55 employed 6.00 district administrators and 26.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 6.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 52.50 |
| School Administrators: | 26.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 30.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 167.90 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 16.80 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 17.00 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 10.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 7.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 9.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 0.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 30.00 |
| Other Support Services: | 141.00 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]
About school boards
Education legislation in South Carolina
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | South Carolina |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
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