Florence 3 board approves continuous improvement plans for four schools

The Florence County School District 3 Board of Trustees voted Jan. 20, 2025, to approve continuous improvement plans for four schools: JC Lynch, Ronald E. McNair, Atlanta Elementary and Lake City High School.

District instructional staff presented the plans, which set specific targets and listed interventions. For JC Lynch, staff identified target counts for math and English/language arts: 50 students in math (third through sixth grades: 14 third grade, 10 fourth grade, 12 fifth grade, 20 sixth grade) and 39 students targeted in ELA (third: 11; fourth: 8; fifth: 9; sixth: 11). Instructional staff said those targets would put the school at or above the stated percentage goals.

At Lake City High School, the plan set targets to raise college-and-career-readiness (CCR) from 34.8% to 40% and increase the graduation rate from 67.7% to 70% (one presentation noted a 75% goal as well). The plan also identified target gains on end-of-course exams: Algebra I from 17.9% to 25%; English II from 44.4% to 55%; Biology I from 10.7% to 20.7%; and U.S. History from 10.4% to 20%.

Administrators and instructional staff described strategies used across the schools: targeted small-group instruction, extended-day programs, Saturday school, READ 180 and Math intervention labs, advisory/test-prep blocks, transcript audits, and quarterly data reviews focused on students in the bottom 30%.

Rebecca Yates moved to approve the continuous improvement plans; Maddie Thomas seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote with no objections recorded.

Board members had no questions at the time of the vote, and the board formalized approval that will allow schools to proceed with the listed actions and supports.