School District of Pickens County Revenue and Competitors

Fifth-grade Engineers to Compete in SDPC JetToy Challenge Fifth-grade design teams and their balloon-powered toy cars will be in competition at the SDPC Jet Toy Challenge on Friday, February 17 at the Pickens County Career and Technology Center located at 990 Chastain Road in Liberty. The competition begins at 9:00 a.m. Approximately 140 students from Central, Chastain Road, Clemson, Crosswell, Forest Acres, Hagood, Holly Springs, Liberty, McKissick and West End elementary schools will participate. One team will represent each fifth-grade classroom from the participating schools. Teams were selected during classroom challenges. Two teams with the highest points will advance to the regional challenge, competing with teams from Anderson 1, Anderson 2, Anderson 4 and Oconee school districts. The regional competition, held at Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research on February 24, will determine which team will advance to international competition in Detroit. News Release DHS Students Named National Merit Finalists Seven students from Daniel High have been named finalists in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship competition. These students will advance through the selection process and be considered for National Merit Scholarships to be offered in 2012. Merit Scholarship awards are based on the student’s abilities, skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in college. Congratulations to these outstanding students! Pictured are: Kirin Khan, John Custer, Paul Fang (front row) and Henry Liu, Megan Hembree, Jessica Creager, Zachary Templeton (back row). Board Names Merck, Pew as Finalists for Superintendent Dr. Danny Merck and Dr. Kelly Pew, both assistant superintendents in the School District of Pickens County, have been named the finalists for the superintendent. The new superintendent will succeed Dr. Henry Hunt, who is retiring at the end of June. Dr. Merck has been assistant superintendent of administrative services since August 2011. Dr. Pew was named assistant superintendent of instructional services in May 2011 after serving as the district’s assistant superintendent of human resource services for three years. In a statement, Board Chairman Alex Saitta said, “Last year board members fanned out and spoke with each principal. This year we are visiting the faculties at each school. One of the questions we asked is what would you like to see in the next superintendent? All stressed the need for an internal hire, someone who knows our culture and has first-hand knowledge of our district office operation. By narrowing the search to Dr. Pew and Dr. Merck, the board has taken this input, thereby giving employees and principals some ownership in the selection.” At a called board meeting on February 20, the board will interview each candidate. According to Saitta, the board may vote following the interviews or wait until the regular meeting on February 27. News Release In 1868 the first tax was assessed for public education in Pickens County. In 1870, Pickens County was divided into 8 townships for the purpose of taxation and school administration. The townships were Pickensville (Easley after 1873), Salubrity (Liberty after 1873), Garvin (Central after 1873), Hurricane, Pickens Courthouse (later Pickens), Dacusville, Pumpkintown, and Eastatoe. Schools in each township operated under the authority and control of a three member board of trustees. The trustees had the responsibility of providing school facilities, selecting teachers and setting teachers pay. Often, a teacher's pay was as low as $10 per month. In 1893 an act was passed by the legislature which divided Pickens County into more than fifty school districts. Each district was to contain a minimum of nine square miles with the schoolhouse to be located as close to the center of the district as possible. McElhaney Hunt, a surveyor, was hired to survey and plat the districts. His fee was $3.00 per district. This small district concept continued until 1951 when the districts were consolidated into a countywide school system. Upon consolidation the school district was divided into 5 attendance areas: Dacusville, Daniel, Easley, Liberty and Pickens. Area superintendents, one for each attendance area, directed the day-to-day operation of the schools. In 1964, the area superintendent positions were abolished and the administration of all schools in the district was centralized under one district superintendent.