| Beaufort County School District | |
| Streetaddress: | 2900 Mink Point Boulevard |
| City: | Beaufort |
| State: | South Carolina |
| Zipcode: | 29902 |
| Country: | USA |
| Superintendent: | Dr. Frank Rodriguez |
| Accreditations: | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Free Label1: | Telephone |
| Free Text1: | (843) 322-2300 |
Beaufort County School District (BCSD) is a public school district in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The school district is led by Superintendent Dr. Frank Rodriguez, who began the role in July 2019. The district is governed by an eleven-member board of education of elected members who represent the electoral district in which they live and serve.
The majority of the district's schools are accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[1]
It serves all residents of most parts of the county for grades K-12.[2] However the children of Department of Defense employees and children of civilians working for the United States federal government, who are living in the permanent housing,[3] on the property of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort;[2] are zoned to Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) for schools for grades Pre-Kindergarten-8.[4] However Beaufort County Schools does serve the MCAS Beaufort property for high school,[2] and in sum has the highest number of students, of any school system, affiliated with MCAS Beaufort.[4] Additionally, while BCSD does not specify school zoning for MCAS Beaufort for the elementary level,[5] in 2024 it stated that there is a zoned BCSD middle school for MCAS Beaufort.[6]
Beaufort County Adult Education is an alternative school within the Beaufort County School District. Students over the age of seventeen can complete coursework for their South Carolina high school diploma or study for the GED examination. The program also offers classes through South Carolina Virtual Schools.
In October 1901, the school started with seven pupils. By January 1905, 150 students attended. A group of northern abolitionists and Beaufort citizens founded it. The school's mission was to instruct African American students in better cultivation of land, care of stock, and manner of living. The school offered instruction in carpentry, bricklaying, printing, and other trades. Courses for girls included cooking, sewing, nursing, and homemaking. By 1920 The Port Royal Agricultural School became the Beaufort County Training School, but it was still known as The Shanklin School by area residents. With public and private funds, it met the need for African-American teachers and was known as a teacher's training site. The school maintained 800acres of land, two barns, two dormitories, a power plant, equipment, and an endowment of around $11,000. Today, the school is located at 121 Morrall Drive.
The school opened in 1962. The school has met federal AYP (adequate yearly progress) since its initiation and has been a Title One school for the past two years. The school serves students from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade and has one resource class, and one self-contained classroom for students with special needs. Mossy Oaks is one of South Carolina's newly named "Red Carpet" schools by the State Department of Education.