• Happy Thanksgiving

    Schools will be closed November 26-28 for Thanksgiving. Staff and students return on Monday, December 1st.

    Monday, Nov 24 2025

  • American Education Week

    This week we want to celebrate and say a huge "Thank You" to all of our employees!!

    Monday, Nov 17 2025

  • November Board Meeting Highlights

    SDOC School Board Meeting Highlights November 10, 2025 Watch a video update about the November board meeting by Interim Superintendent Dr. Scott Mercer. Oconee Insights   Walhalla High School Army JROTC RIfle Team Recognized Mrs. Jennifer Crawford, principal, and Col Kevin Mangan, JROTC Instructor, introduced the Walhalla High School Varsity Rifle Team. The team competed at the national JROTC championships where they finished 3rd in the the Army category, and 7th out of all units.  Col. Mangan also introduced Kaitlynn Burrell as the individual national champion! Pictured (left to right): Jennifer Crawford, principal; Col. Mangan, JROTC Instructor; Kaitlynn Burrell; Kenna Jordan, Samantha Lowery, and Sonya Macak.   Call Me Mister Program Recognized Dr. Elizabeth McDonald recognized guests  from the Clemson University. Call Me Mister Program.  The mission of the Call Me MiSTER® (acronym for Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) Initiative is to increase the pool of available teachers from more diverse backgrounds, particularly among the State’s lowest performing elementary and middle schools.  Dr. McDonald shared about the successful partnership between SDOC and Call Me Mister in the 2025 summer reading program    District School Report Card Report Mrs. Betsy Kelly, Director of Data and Accountability, shared information on the recently released school report cards.  Overall trends in student achievement include:  graduation Rate increased; on track to graduate increased; college and career ready increased; multilingual progress increased; math performance increased; SC Ready ELA performance increased; US History performance increased; biology performance is above state average.     Regular Business  Reviewed monthly financial report Discussed updates and approved on first reading policy GCC/GCD  and policies in Section K&L of the Administrative Policy Manual Approved updates to policies in Section I on 2nd reading, final approval Ravenel Elementary and Seneca High presented school highlights   Upcoming Meeting:   December 8, 2025 6:00pm   SDOC District Office  414 S. Pine Street, Walhalla View Meeting Agendas, Exhibits, & Meeting Minutes

    Tuesday, Nov 11 2025

  • Superintendent Search Update

    The School District of Oconee County Board of Trustees voted on November 10 to select three candidates as finalists for the position of Superintendent.  The board made its selection of the three finalists after a thorough review of all applicants and interviews with semi-finalists on November 3 and 4, 2025. The finalists will be in the district at a date to be determined to tour schools and meet with staff. There will be a Community Meet and Greet that evening to allow parents, staff, and community members to have an opportunity to meet all three finalists. The finalists will have their final interviews with the Board that day as well.  “The Board is proud to present three exceptional finalists whose leadership, experience, and vision align with the values of Oconee County,” said Board Chair  Dr. Meghan Ketterman. “Each brings a proven record of success and a shared commitment to accountability, transparency, and student-centered excellence. This next phase marks an important step toward selecting a superintendent who will continue building a system worthy of our community’s trust and belief.” The three finalists are (in alphabetical order):  Dr. Amy Edwards Chief Instructional Officer, Aiken County Public School District Dr. Edwards currently serves as Chief Instructional Officer for Aiken County Public School District, a role she has held since August 2022. Dr. Edwards brings a wealth of experience across multiple levels of education, having served as a classroom teacher, math interventionist, Title I Curriculum Facilitator, assistant principal, principal, district leader, and state-level coach. Before joining Aiken County, she worked with the South Carolina Department of Education as a Transformation Leadership Coach. Her previous district-level leadership roles include Assistant Superintendent and Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction in Dorchester and Orangeburg Counties. She has also served as Director of Testing, Research, and Accountability; Director of ELA K–12; Director of Staff Development; and District Literacy Coach. Dr. Edwards holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from South Carolina State University, an Educational Specialist and Master of Education from The Citadel, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the College of Charleston Anthony Smith Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Instruction, School District of Oconee County Mr. Anthony Smith currently serves as Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Instruction in the School District of Oconee County, where he provides leadership and support to three middle schools, three high schools, the Hamilton Career and Technology Center, Oconee Academy, and the Adult Education program. Since joining SDOC in 2023, Mr. Smith has worked closely with principals, teachers, and district teams to align instruction, strengthen academic outcomes, and enhance professional learning. Under his leadership, the district achieved high ratings during its 2024 Cognia Accreditation Review and advanced continuous improvement plans centered on data-driven instruction, collaboration, and student growth. Prior to his service in Oconee County, Mr. Smith was a Cluster Superintendent in Gwinnett County Public Schools (GA) from 2017 to 2023, where he supervised 16 schools serving approximately 30,000 students. He oversaw the successful opening of Paul Duke STEM High School and McClure Health Science High School—two of the district’s first theme-based schools—and led targeted school improvement initiatives that resulted in multiple schools exiting state-identified status. Eric Williams Assistant Superintendent of Secondary School Leadership, Greenville County Schools Mr. Williams is a veteran educator with more than 24 years of service as a teacher, principal, and district leader. He currently serves as Assistant Superintendent of Secondary School Leadership for Greenville County Schools—the largest district in South Carolina—where he oversees multiple secondary schools and five career centers. Previously, as Executive Director of College and Career Readiness, he led the district’s Graduation Plus initiative, increasing the number of students earning industry certifications from 2,000 to more than 13,000 and tripling dual enrollment participation. Under his leadership, Greenville County high schools achieved their first-ever districtwide graduation rate above 90%, and his efforts have been recognized for expanding workforce partnerships with organizations such as Michelin, BMW, and Prisma Health. Mr. Williams holds a B.S. in Physical Education and Athletic Training from Grand Valley State University, an M.A. in Health and Exercise Science from Furman University, and both a Master’s and Specialist in Educational Leadership from the University of South Carolina.

    Tuesday, Nov 11 2025

  • Mrs. Stephanie Vissate Awarded Palmetto Resilience A...

    Stephanie Vissage, our district PowerSchool Administrator, was awarded the first annual Palmetto Resilience Award by the South Carolina Association for Educational Technology. This award is given to a woman working in public school technology who "creates lasting positive impact in South Carolina's K-12 education technology community with strength, perseverance, and leadership through adversity."  Mrs. Vissage has been with SDOC for over 25 years working in several departments including Instruction, Special Education, and Technology.   Thank you Mrs. Vissage for all you do to support our staff and students! 

    Friday, Nov 07 2025

  • Mrs. Melissa Rosier Awarded Richard M. Kuffel Memori...

    Mrs. Rosier, an SDOC Special Education Program Specialist, was recently awarded the Richard M. Kuffel Memorial Award by the Transition Alliance of South Carolina. This award is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the field of career education and transition through means other than direct classroom instruction.   Thank you Mrs. Rosier for all you do to support our students! 

    Wednesday, Nov 05 2025

  • National School Psychology Week

    We appreciate our school psychologists and all they do to support our students and schools.

    Tuesday, Nov 04 2025

  • SDOC School Report Cards Released

    SDOC 2024-2025 School Report Card Release The South Carolina Department of Education has released 2024–2025 School Report Cards. The annual report cards, required for all elementary, middle, and high schools, evaluate each school’s advancement toward the goals outlined in the  Profile of the South Carolina Graduate .  They provide a comprehensive overview of student achievement, educator qualifications, school climate, graduation rates, and overall academic performance.  Schools receive ratings of  Excellent ,  Good ,  Average ,  Below Average , or  Unsatisfactory  based on a 100-point score.  For the 2024-25 school year, 100% of SDOC schools received ratings of “Average” or better .  Of our 16 SDOC schools measured this year, one school was rated  Excellent , six were rated  Good , and nine were rated  Average . No schools in the district received a  Below Average  or  Unsatisfactory  rating, continuing the district’s trend of strong performance.  Highlights from the 2024-2025 School Report Cards: SDOC on-time graduation rate rose to 83.8%, an increase of 1.6% over the previous year and the highest rate in the last four years. Keowee Elementary, Ravenel Elementary, Walhalla Elementary, and West-Oak Middle Schools moved up a rating level.  Parents overwhelmingly report a positive environment in our schools, including 90.2% of parents reporting they are satisfied with the learning environment; 89.7% reporting they are satisfied with the social and physical environment, and 89.6% reporting they are satisfied with home-school relations.  “We are proud to see our schools’ continuous progress reflected in this year’s report cards,” said Dr. Scott Mercer, SDOC Interim Superintendent. “Our commitment to successful student outcomes is evident in the dedication of our staff, students, and families. While we celebrate the progress shown by our students and schools, we know we have work to do to ensure that all students in Oconee County leave meeting the Profile of a South Carolina Graduate.” Complete report cards are available at  www.screportcards.com .

    Monday, Nov 03 2025

  • Celebrating our Occupational Therapists on World Occ...

    We appreciate our Occupational Therapists!

    Monday, Oct 27 2025

  • Inclement Weather Procedures

    As the time of year for bad weather approaches, please review SDOC inclement weather information below: SDOC Public Inclement Weather Memo Date:   October 16, 2025 To:        SDOC Parents, Guardians, Students and General Public From:  Steve Hanvey, Associate Superintendent for Administration RE:       Inclement Weather eLearning Days This memo is being sent as a reminder of the district’s inclement weather procedures. When there is potential for hazardous conditions, administrators will visually check road conditions in each attendance area.  Officials may also consult with Oconee County Emergency Management and law enforcement to assess driving conditions.   Any decision to move to eLearning will be made by 6:00AM .   Announcement of a decision to move to eLearning will be made through the following outlets: • SDOC/school websites & ParentSquare App • Radio (WGOG–101.7FM, The Lake 94.1FM) • Local TV (WYFF-4, WSPA-7, WHNS-21) • Twitter @OconeeSC_school • Facebook – School District of Oconee County As a county school district with several district wide programs (Adult Education, Hamilton Career & Technology Center, etc.), it is best for the operation of the district to move to eLearning for all locations even if inclement weather is only affecting parts of the county. The two possible announcements for inclement weather are listed below.    Announcement Explanation 2 Hour Delay Students will report to school 2 hours later than normal. eLearning Students will not come to school buildings.  Assignments will be posted by 10:00am in Google Classroom (elementary and middle school) or Canvas (high school). Teachers may provide live instruction, a pre-recorded lesson, online resources or choice boards (elementary only)  according to the following schedule.  Elementary School:  10:00am to 12:00pm Middle & High School:  10:00am to 12:40pm; with specific times for each class period with details communicated by teachers through email.   Students will have 5 days upon returning to school to turn in assignments.  If assignments are not completed and turned in within those 5 days, the student will be considered absent for the eLearning day. Afternoon & Evening Activities Canceled Practices, games, concerts or any other evening activities are canceled.  2025 SDOC Public Inclement Weather Memo

    Thursday, Oct 16 2025