Construction hits rock but still on track in Claxton
Dr. Tim Parrott
Anderson County Schools Director Tim Parrott gave an update on this and other construction projects during the Board of Education meeting Thursday, June 12.
“We’ve hit bad dirt. We’ve hit rocks. We’ve hit tires,” he said. “Anything that could happen has.”
Contractors discovered a rock the size of the board’s meeting room. It will need to be removed using explosives, but Parrott said the construction contract includes funds to cover such issues.
Preliminary plumbing for the new building is already underway.
Parrott said the school is expected to be ready by the start of the 2027-28 school year.
Parrott also said a new Career and Technical Education building is nearly complete and will be ready to host welding and agriculture programs by Aug. 1. As of the board meeting, the facility was 85% finished.
Earlier this month, Anderson County High School held a ribbon-cutting for its new girls’ soccer dressing facility.
New leadership and staffing
Ben Downs has been named the new director of secondary education.
Parrott said the district began interviewing for his replacement as Anderson County High School principal on Monday, June 16.
According to a school system news release, Downs has served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal and, for the past eight years, principal of ACHS. Under his leadership, the school became a state-designated Reward School and he was named Principal of the Year.
Downs will now oversee the district’s high schools and the Anderson County Innovation Academy.
“We are excited to welcome Mr. Downs into this important leadership role,” Parrott said in the release. “His experience, passion and unwavering commitment to excellence make him the ideal leader to guide our secondary-education programs into the future.”
Parrott said most schools are nearly fully staffed, which is earlier than usual. “Usually, we’re still looking for people in the middle of August,” he said.
He added that the candidate pool has been well-qualified, with new hires coming from California, Texas and New Jersey.
Starting teacher pay is now $50,000 following a 3% raise.
Student board members
The new student representatives to the Anderson County Board of Education for the coming school year are Chloe Freeman of Anderson County High School and Brooklyn Wilkerson of Clinton High School.
Code of conduct
The Board of Education approved the district’s updated student code of conduct for the coming school year.
Legal counsel Elizabeth Burrell reviewed the policy before its adoption.
