A Letter from Aiken County Public School District Superintendent King Laurence
August 15, 2023
Aiken County Public School District Board, Staff, Students, and Families:
Tonight, I share with you a decision that I’ve made, alongside my family, to retire as superintendent of Aiken County Public Schools at the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year. Serving as superintendent for the past four years has been my great pleasure. Retirement will mark the end of my 38-year career as an educator in South Carolina, and I join my wife Teri, daughters Sarah and Sydnie, and our extended family in excitement to fully enjoy with them this next chapter. With respect for the Board and our community, I am making this announcement now to ensure there is ample time to select the next superintendent and that a smooth transition plan can be put into place.
I want to emphasize that my work as superintendent is not finished. My team and I will work just as hard for the students and families of Aiken County this year as we have in previous. We have made significant gains academically, been innovative in how teachers help students engage with the curriculum and have provided broader opportunities for learning. We’ve developed a culture of continuous improvement, and will remain committed to student wellbeing and achievement as priorities.
Our students, teachers, staff and community deserve state-of-the-art educational facilities, and I’m proud to see those being constructed across our county thanks to community support. This school year will see the completion of the new Wagener-Salley High School and the start of construction on the new Aiken County Career and Technology Center on the campus of Aiken Technical College. Our partnership with Aiken Tech is just scratching the surface of partnership opportunities we have with higher education, government, and private industry.
The safety and security of our students and staff continue to be on everyone’s mind and it remains our highest priority. In recent years, we have made security upgrades to buildings, added equipment and staff, and worked closely with law enforcement to both prevent and respond to emergencies. Moving forward, we will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to secure school resource officers for all of our schools, upgrade facilities to maximize security, and practice our emergency response procedures.
Aiken County is a special place, and it has been a privilege to serve its families for more than 25 years as a principal, district administrator, and superintendent. I will miss being a part of this school district, but I have great confidence in our school board, in our staff, and in our communities to continue the positive work we are doing.
With great joy for my years in Aiken County, I am,
King Laurence