One-on-one with Georgetown County School Superintendent Dr. Bethany Giles

GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – More than 8,000 students will head back to the classroom in Georgetown County on Thursday.

The district is one of two Lowcountry districts to head back to the classroom first. Students will head back to school with new leadership, new cell phone rules, and additional safety measures.

Georgetown County School District interim superintendent Dr. Bethany Giles is a familiar face in the district. She grew up in Andrews, and for over twenty-three years, she worked as a teacher, and principal, holding several district leadership roles before she was named interim superintendent in May.

“I’m just honored to serve as interim superintendent. This is home. It’s a pleasure to always be home, but I’m looking forward to serving and leading our team to greater accomplishments and successes together,” says Giles.

GCSD has 8,500 students in 18 schools. Last year, Georgetown was among the first local school districts to implement a modified year-round calendar, and while they will continue the modified schedule, this year there is a minor change when it comes to academic support days.

“We took advantage of the opportunity to also provide academic support days during that time for our students. We did not have as many students as we would have liked to take advantage of that opportunity, but we want to be able to continue to provide time for our students for remediation maybe in the after-school setting, and not during those weeks,” Giles added.

There are changes to security as well, with safety monitors, a new position the district will pilot at their four high schools. Dr. Giles says, “We’ve added safety monitors. Safety monitors will be responsible in our high schools for setting up our weapons detection and helping to run our metal detections as we have them in the morning and throughout the day in our high schools’ settings. That’s a new initiative to use the monitors instead of school staff.” 

The Green Tag Bus System is also new. “This year, we will have a bus system, the green tag system in grades K through two. They will have green tags to alert the bus driver to know which guardian they can safely exit the bus with,” says Giles.

GCSD will also restrict the use of personal electronic communication devices. Students will not be permitted to use cell phones or other devices that are not authorized for classroom use.  GCSD also plans to expand programs.

Giles says, “We do have the Teach to Teal program that was implemented last year towards the end of the year. That’s a program students can take advantage of classes at high school that matriculate into Horry Georgetown Tech and Coastal Carolina, in which those students can earn a degree in education. We’re looking forward to that and we’re trying to launch one in our health care program as well similarly. We’re just looking forward to helping our students to be successful post-graduation.”

Teachers will also see a $2,500 pay increase, but no sign-on bonuses. The district is also looking for bus drivers.

“We have most of our routes covered. We do solicit or ask those in our audience to please sign up. We do welcome new bus drivers, or those who can assist us, but we thank those coordinators and drivers who have taken on additional routes to ensure our students go to and from school safely,” said the Superintendent.

Dr. Giles’ new school year message for everyone in GCSD, embrace your inner champion. 

“We are embracing the Olympic theme, as we celebrate Melissa Jefferson, who is our very own Carvers Bay 2019 graduate. We’re going to embrace the Olympic theme of let’s move and celebrate. We want to encourage our students to move forward in athletics, academics, arts and all areas and activities. We want to celebrate those students as well as staff members throughout the year, much of that will be relied upon the team, and our team concept here in Georgetown County School District, so as we look forward to Team GCSD, we definitely want to let’s move and celebrate those students.”