About Spartanburg School District Seven

Established in 1884 and located primarily in the City of Spartanburg, Spartanburg School District 7 has a rich tradition of excellence in education. Today, our mission to "inspire and equip our students for meaningful lives of leadership and service as world citizens," is emphasized in all that we do. Thanks to a long legacy of tremendous leadership in the district, our facilities are some of the finest in the Southeast. Our student outcomes speak to strong academics and innovative teaching and learning - both in and out of the classroom. 

Our mission, vision and values point to a district entirely committed to educating the whole child. In partnership with the community, District 7 has cultivated a culture that substantially contributes to the hope and well-being of thousands of District 7 students and recent graduates. Robust partnerships with civic, faith-based, business, and non-profit groups throughout Spartanburg have become part of District 7 fabric – from Spartanburg Academic Movement to revitalization initiatives with the Northside and Highland communities, from the City of Spartanburg to the Mary Black Foundation, and many more.

District 7 is a small urban school district that enrolls approximately 7,600 students each year and is staffed by a team of 1,200 professionals. The district is comprised of 13 schools, including six elementary schools, two middle schools, and our flagship Spartanburg High School; as well as a partnership with Spartanburg School District Three for the Daniel Morgan Technology Center, partnerships across all seven districts for the Whitlock Flexible Learning Center, the McCarthy Teszler School, and Spartanburg County Adult Education; and a partnership relationship to provide early learning at The Franklin School. All public schools in the district are fully accredited by the State Department of Education and Cognia.

District 7 is a majority-minority district with a poverty index of 70%, a graduation rate of 85%, and a post-secondary enrollment rate that averages 62%. The district is guided by a nine-member Board of Trustees.

Our 1:1 technology program puts Apple devices in the hands of every student in the district from K5-12th grade. Cited by The League of Innovative Schools, Apple, Inc., and Future Ready Schools for our best practice efforts, we are commitment to blended and digital learning that advance student outcomes.

In addition to awarding high school degrees, District 7 student cohorts can simultaneously earn an associate’s degree through the Viking Early College and the Spartanburg County Early College High School. Both of these programs put the completion of a bachelor’s degree much more within reach for students who are often times the first in their family to attend college. Additionally, numerous students earned dual college credit and industry certifications at Spartanburg High School, Daniel Morgan Technology Center, and the Scholars Academy. 

With support from our staff, parents and local leaders, we are taking the road less traveled to transform teaching and learning in and out of the classroom. As we seek to inspire and equip our students, we do so with the understanding that they must be prepared for a highly competitive and increasingly global community.    At the same time, we think it’s equally important to instill in our children a sense of hope, an optimistic outlook, and a “can do” attitude – nurturing in each of them a sense of belonging and self-worth. These bright and talented young people are more than student outcomes – they are the future of our city, our state and our world. 

District 7's Mission, Vision and Values statement represents the voices and insights of our students, teachers and staff, our families, community partners and stakeholders who have all been invested in charting our direction. The District 7 community was instrumental in helping us develop our mission “To Inspire and Equip,” our vision, and our values. Delving into the quintessential questions that every organization must revisit from time to time, we talked about who we are as a District, what we stand for and what we strive to accomplish. We talked about how best to serve and support the students we educate and what we hope to look like in the next 25 to 50 years.   As a living document, our Mission, Vision and Values will continually evolve over time as the needs of our students and our community also evolve.

We will inspire and equip our students for meaningful lives of leadership and service as world citizens.

Our graduates will be creative, critical thinkers, collaborators, effective communicators and ethical citizens.

Tradition. Excellence. Innovation. Hope. Engagement. Well-Being. Relationships.

While large-scale statistics like the ones above may be helpful, we think it’s far more meaningful to define our demographics by scaling down the numbers. In other words, if you imagine the District to be a village of 100 children – this is what we would look like:

Our Village of 100

• 51 African-American

• 33 Caucasian

• 11   Hispanic

• 3   Asian

• 2   Other

• 89 attend school each day

• 18 are served in the gifted program

• 33 are enrolled in Advanced Placement

• 14 have a learning disability

• 72 live in poverty

• 84 will graduate in 4 years with a diploma

• 85 will attend college or enter the military within a year of graduating

Our flagship Spartanburg High School, enjoys the following distinctions:

• An 85% graduation rate 

• More than 80% of graduates plan to enroll in post-secondary study or the military after graduation

• Spartanburg High School is proud of its many National Merit Finalists, U.S. Presidential Scholars and Rhodes Scholar distinctions. These are the highest academic honors available to secondary students and Spartanburg High School consistently leads the state in the number of students so honored.

• The high school’s passage rate for Advanced Placement tests is well above the state and national rates.

• Spartanburg High School was the first in the nation (public or private) to be awarded the US Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon School award four times. Blue Ribbon Schools are selected for their overall academic achievement and their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. The highly coveted national award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content.

• Since the establishment of Advanced Placement Courses in SC’s public high schools, Spartanburg High School has offered more Advanced Placement courses than any other school (public or private) in South Carolina and its record of AP scores is among the best in the state.

• Spartanburg High School is consistently recognized by US NEWS & WORLD REPORT as one of the top high schools in the nation.