SDPC is beginning the search for our next superintendent.
Following 13 years of leadership, Superintendent Dr. Danny Merck will conclude his service at the end of the 2026–2027 school year. With advance planning, the Board of Trustees is beginning the search process now to support a thoughtful and seamless transition.
The search will be guided by our Innovate ’28 Strategic Plan and shaped by input from the people who know and care about SDPC — our students, employees, families, and Pickens County community.
🗣️ Your voice matters.
The Board of Trustees, in partnership with the South Carolina School Boards Association, is gathering community input to help identify the qualities, experience, and leadership priorities that should guide the search for SDPC’s next superintendent.
The first opportunity to share your input:
📅 Tuesday, September 29, 2026
📍 Liberty High School (124 Red Devil Drive, Liberty, SC 29657)
⏰ 6:00 PM
Additional opportunities for community input will be announced as the search progresses.
Learn more about the superintendent search and how you can participate: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/article/3112602
#SDPC #EngagingToday #EmpoweringTomorrow
Following 13 years of leadership, Superintendent Dr. Danny Merck will conclude his service at the end of the 2026–2027 school year. With advance planning, the Board of Trustees is beginning the search process now to support a thoughtful and seamless transition.
The search will be guided by our Innovate ’28 Strategic Plan and shaped by input from the people who know and care about SDPC — our students, employees, families, and Pickens County community.
🗣️ Your voice matters.
The Board of Trustees, in partnership with the South Carolina School Boards Association, is gathering community input to help identify the qualities, experience, and leadership priorities that should guide the search for SDPC’s next superintendent.
The first opportunity to share your input:
📅 Tuesday, September 29, 2026
📍 Liberty High School (124 Red Devil Drive, Liberty, SC 29657)
⏰ 6:00 PM
Additional opportunities for community input will be announced as the search progresses.
Learn more about the superintendent search and how you can participate: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/article/3112602
#SDPC #EngagingToday #EmpoweringTomorrow
Mark your calendars, SDPC! There will be no school for students on Monday, September 7 in observance of Labor Day. Enjoy the long weekend!
For additional important dates throughout the school year, visit the SDPC District Calendar.
Welcome back to school!!!!!!
🎉 75 YEARS OF IMPACT 🎉
For 75 years, the School District of Pickens County has been more than a collection of schools - it has been a place where students discover their passions, build lasting relationships, and create memories that shape their futures.
Throughout this anniversary year, we’ve celebrated the people, places, and programs that have made SDPC special by sharing stories from across our schools and community.
Now, those stories come together in one place.
📖 "75 Years of Impact: Past. Present. Potential." is a commemorative magazine that celebrates the legacy we’ve built and the Experience SDPC that continues to make our district unique.
Inside, you’ll find the moments, milestones, and voices that reflect who we are - and the commitment that continues to guide us as we engage students today and empower them for tomorrow.
👉 Explore the magazine: https://www.flipsnack.com/BFD76799E8C/75-years-of-impact-sdpc-2026
#75YearsOfImpact #ExperienceSDPC #EngagingToday #EmpoweringTomorrow
For 75 years, the School District of Pickens County has been more than a collection of schools - it has been a place where students discover their passions, build lasting relationships, and create memories that shape their futures.
Throughout this anniversary year, we’ve celebrated the people, places, and programs that have made SDPC special by sharing stories from across our schools and community.
Now, those stories come together in one place.
📖 "75 Years of Impact: Past. Present. Potential." is a commemorative magazine that celebrates the legacy we’ve built and the Experience SDPC that continues to make our district unique.
Inside, you’ll find the moments, milestones, and voices that reflect who we are - and the commitment that continues to guide us as we engage students today and empower them for tomorrow.
👉 Explore the magazine: https://www.flipsnack.com/BFD76799E8C/75-years-of-impact-sdpc-2026
#75YearsOfImpact #ExperienceSDPC #EngagingToday #EmpoweringTomorrow
🚌 SDPC Families – Does your child need bus transportation this school year?
If your student will be riding the bus to or from school, please take a moment to complete the 📝 SDPC Transportation Form to ensure they are scheduled for 🚌 pickup and drop-off before August 1.
🔗 Find the form linked here: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/page/transportation
If your student will be riding the bus to or from school, please take a moment to complete the 📝 SDPC Transportation Form to ensure they are scheduled for 🚌 pickup and drop-off before August 1.
🔗 Find the form linked here: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/page/transportation
🚌 SDPC Families – Does your child need bus transportation this school year?
If your student will be riding the bus to or from school, please take a moment to complete the 📝 SDPC Transportation Form to ensure they are scheduled for 🚌 pickup and drop-off before August 4th!
🔗 Find the form linked here: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/page/transportation
If your student will be riding the bus to or from school, please take a moment to complete the 📝 SDPC Transportation Form to ensure they are scheduled for 🚌 pickup and drop-off before August 4th!
🔗 Find the form linked here: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/page/transportation
🥞 FREE Meals for All Students This Year! 🍎
We’ve got great news for SDPC families!
Thanks to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), all students will receive FREE breakfast and lunch every day during the 2026-2027 school year - no forms, no fees, no hassle! 🙌
✅ No need to submit a meal application
✅ Every student is automatically eligible
✅ Healthy meals = focused minds + strong bodies
This program ensures that every child has access to nutritious meals to fuel learning and success. It’s one more way we’re supporting our students - together!
Questions? Visit www.sdpcnutrition.com or contact Jenaffer Stevenson, Director of Student Nutrition Services:
📧 jenafferstevenson@pickens.k12.sc.us | 📞 864-397-1166
#SDPCNutrition #EngagingToday #EmpoweringTomorrow
We’ve got great news for SDPC families!
Thanks to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), all students will receive FREE breakfast and lunch every day during the 2026-2027 school year - no forms, no fees, no hassle! 🙌
✅ No need to submit a meal application
✅ Every student is automatically eligible
✅ Healthy meals = focused minds + strong bodies
This program ensures that every child has access to nutritious meals to fuel learning and success. It’s one more way we’re supporting our students - together!
Questions? Visit www.sdpcnutrition.com or contact Jenaffer Stevenson, Director of Student Nutrition Services:
📧 jenafferstevenson@pickens.k12.sc.us | 📞 864-397-1166
#SDPCNutrition #EngagingToday #EmpoweringTomorrow
📚 The first day of school for SDPC students is Tuesday, August 4! We can't wait to welcome everyone back for an amazing year of learning.
Please note: Students in our 4K and 5K programs have a staggered start to help ensure a successful transition to school.
🍎 4K Families: Your child's school will contact you to schedule:
• An assessment appointment on August 4 or 5
• A half-day orientation on August 6 or 7
• Full-day classes begin Monday, August 10
🍎 5K Families: Your child's school will contact you to schedule:
• An assessment appointment on August 4, 5, or 6
• Full-day classes begin Friday, August 7
We look forward to seeing our students soon! 💙
🍎 Still looking for the right Pre-K option for your 4-year-old this fall? We have a few openings remaining!
Give your child a great start with the SDPC Academy for Early Learners — a FREE 4K program designed to inspire curiosity, build confidence, and prepare students for kindergarten and beyond.
Through hands-on learning in immersive environments, students explore, create, problem-solve, and grow while developing important early literacy, social, and emotional skills.
🚌 FREE transportation is available to all Pre-K students!
Don’t miss this opportunity to give your child an engaging learning experience that sets the stage for future success!
🔗 Register for 4K today: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/page/four-year-old-kindergarten
📩 Questions? Contact the Academy for Early Learners at aelreg@pickens.k12.sc.us or 864-397-1000.
Give your child a great start with the SDPC Academy for Early Learners — a FREE 4K program designed to inspire curiosity, build confidence, and prepare students for kindergarten and beyond.
Through hands-on learning in immersive environments, students explore, create, problem-solve, and grow while developing important early literacy, social, and emotional skills.
🚌 FREE transportation is available to all Pre-K students!
Don’t miss this opportunity to give your child an engaging learning experience that sets the stage for future success!
🔗 Register for 4K today: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/page/four-year-old-kindergarten
📩 Questions? Contact the Academy for Early Learners at aelreg@pickens.k12.sc.us or 864-397-1000.
Guess what time it is?? Time to register for next year!!! Check out our registration schedule below.
Join us in celebrating Channing for earning her GED! Her hard work, determination, and commitment truly paid off, and we couldn’t be more proud! This is a big accomplishment and just the beginning of an exciting future ahead. Keep reaching for your goals—you’ve got this!
Student Spotlight - November Graduate
Hard work doesn’t stop when the workday ends! Huge congratulations to this dedicated student, William, for earning his GED after attending evening classes after work! Long days didn’t stop him—he stayed committed, showed up, and got it DONE. We are so proud of you, William and can’t wait to see what you accomplish next. The future is yours!
Hard work doesn’t stop when the workday ends! Huge congratulations to this dedicated student, William, for earning his GED after attending evening classes after work! Long days didn’t stop him—he stayed committed, showed up, and got it DONE. We are so proud of you, William and can’t wait to see what you accomplish next. The future is yours!
Student Spotlight - December Graduate
Big congratulations to this incredible student for earning his GED, Ty!!! He stayed focused, worked hard, and reached his goal—and we are so proud of him! Here’s to new opportunities and an exciting future ahead!
Big congratulations to this incredible student for earning his GED, Ty!!! He stayed focused, worked hard, and reached his goal—and we are so proud of him! Here’s to new opportunities and an exciting future ahead!
Student Spotlight - October Graduate
Congratulations to Taeha-Marie for earning her GED! There was not a stumbling block that would get in her way! She kept showing up and kept giving maximum effort. Her hard work and determination truly paid off, and we couldn’t be more proud. This is just the beginning of a bright future ahead!
Congratulations to Taeha-Marie for earning her GED! There was not a stumbling block that would get in her way! She kept showing up and kept giving maximum effort. Her hard work and determination truly paid off, and we couldn’t be more proud. This is just the beginning of a bright future ahead!
Congratulations to Tonita for earning her GED! It took hard work, determination, and the courage to keep going. So today, we want to celebrate her HUGE accomplishment and the start of an exciting new chapter! We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see all the great things ahead. Keep shining—you earned this!
Student Spotlight - November Graduate
Huge congratulations to Justine for earning her GED in just 5 weeks! From day one, she came in focused, determined, and ready to make it happen—and she did exactly that! We are beyond proud of you, Justine and can’t wait to see what you do next. The future is bright and moving FAST—just like you!
Huge congratulations to Justine for earning her GED in just 5 weeks! From day one, she came in focused, determined, and ready to make it happen—and she did exactly that! We are beyond proud of you, Justine and can’t wait to see what you do next. The future is bright and moving FAST—just like you!
Huge congratulations to Kenleigh for earning her GED—and doing it as fast as her paperwork could process! That’s what we call determination AND talent! She will keep accomplishing her goals. No doubt about it—she can achieve anything she sets her mind to!
Student Spotlight - November Graduate
Congratulations to Harley for earning his GED!! With hard work, determination, and a great attitude, he made it happen and crossed that finish line! This is a HUGE accomplishment, and it’s just the beginning of all the great things ahead. We’re so proud of you—keep chasing those goals and showing the world what you can do!
Congratulations to Harley for earning his GED!! With hard work, determination, and a great attitude, he made it happen and crossed that finish line! This is a HUGE accomplishment, and it’s just the beginning of all the great things ahead. We’re so proud of you—keep chasing those goals and showing the world what you can do!
Student Spotlight - October Graduate
Huge congratulations to Landry for earning his GED! No matter the obstacles, he kept pushing forward, stayed determined, and refused to quit—and that perseverance paid off! This is what resilience looks like. This is what hard work looks like. This is what happiness looks like when you prove to yourself that you can do it!!!! We are proud of you, Landry!
Huge congratulations to Landry for earning his GED! No matter the obstacles, he kept pushing forward, stayed determined, and refused to quit—and that perseverance paid off! This is what resilience looks like. This is what hard work looks like. This is what happiness looks like when you prove to yourself that you can do it!!!! We are proud of you, Landry!
Student Spotlight - December Graduate!
BIG congratulations to this hardworking graduate, Justin! He officially earned his GED—and did it while putting in the extra effort by attending night classes! After long days, he showed up, stayed committed, and got it DONE. We are so proud of you and all the hard work you put in to reach this goal. This is just another tool to use to keep climbing the ladder of success!!
BIG congratulations to this hardworking graduate, Justin! He officially earned his GED—and did it while putting in the extra effort by attending night classes! After long days, he showed up, stayed committed, and got it DONE. We are so proud of you and all the hard work you put in to reach this goal. This is just another tool to use to keep climbing the ladder of success!!
