Spartanburg District Five Schools has announced the four finalists for the 2026-2027 District Teacher of the Year award. The finalists are Candace Griffey, Lea Elizabeth Harrison, Jared Hembree and Tonya Williams, who were selected from a group of teachers chosen by each school across the district. The finalists will participate in interviews and classroom observations before the District Five Teacher of the Year is announced later this month.
Dr. George Austin has been appointed as the new principal of D.R. Hill Middle School in Spartanburg District Five Schools. Austin, who has been a member of the district since 2021, is currently the assistant principal at Florence Chapel Middle School. He has a background in teaching at-risk middle school students and has served as an assistant principal at Brewer Middle School and Pinecrest Elementary School. Austin holds a doctorate in teaching and learning and will officially begin his new role on July 1.
Spartanburg District Five Schools has announced three new leadership appointments: Trey Bailey as Assistant Principal of Duncan Elementary School of the Arts, Kyle Baron as Assistant Principal of Byrnes Freshman Academy, and Dr. Victoria Garrett as Coordinator of Special Services. Bailey, a former PE teacher and coach, will be returning to Duncan after having served at Beech Springs Middle School. Baron has been a Social Studies teacher at BFA since 2013 and will take over from retiring Assistant Principal Curtis Plumley. Dr. Garrett, a special education teacher, will be joining the district's special education team in her new role. All three appointments will take effect in July.
Spartanburg District Five Schools in South Carolina has announced a change to its 2025-2026 school year calendar to make up for instructional time missed due to winter weather. Friday, March 6 will now be a makeup day for all students, replacing a previously scheduled staff development day. The change is necessary due to a weather-related closure on Feb. 3, when schools were closed because of snow and ice across the Upstate. District Five had already used the five e-Learning days allowed each year by the South Carolina Department of Education, and state law requires that the missed instructional day be made up in person.
Brian Thompson, the assistant principal at Beech Springs Middle School in Duncan, has been charged with failure to report child abuse/neglect. According to reports, Thompson was informed of an incident involving two juveniles in October and neglected to report it to police. He turned himself in on Monday, Dec. 8, and was released the following day on bond. He is set to return to court in early 2026. The incident is currently being investigated by the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office.
