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Pickens County board praises academic gains, approves $700 monthly stipend and multiple policies
Summary
The Pickens County Board of Education heard district academic and literacy gains, received a financial update that reported routine budget performance and large ESPLOST collections, and approved an increase in board member stipends and several policies during its regular meeting.
The Pickens County Board of Education on Oct. 9 heard school officials report improved graduation and test scores and approved several routine and policy actions, including a proposal to raise board member pay to $700 per month.
Chief academic officer Dr. Andy Matty told the board the preliminary graduation rate for the Class of 2025 is 95.4%, up from an estimated 91.8% the prior year, and said the district’s SAT average rose by 67 points, placing Pickens County “the fourteenth in the state.” He presented early-literacy gains measured by the DIBELS screener, including a 13% increase in overall composite scores for the cohort now in first grade, a 27% increase in word-reading fluency between kindergarten and first grade, and additional double-digit gains in reading accuracy and comprehension across second through fourth grades.
The academic report, Matty said, shows “these numbers indicate our absolute commitment to these things for our seniors” and reflect districtwide work on…
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