We say it all the time: It takes a village to raise a child! But, the pearl of wisdom lost in that slightly overused cliché is that it should take a village to raise our children. District 7's Mission, Vision and Values statement represents the voices and insights of many. Our students, teachers and staff, our families, community partners and stakeholders have all been invested in charting our direction.

In a process that started with pen and paper (yes, pen and paper!), the village we call 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.   

While our mission, vision and values clearly define the purpose and promise of District 7, it’s important to note that these objectives must evolve over time. As they do, we’ll continue to look to the D7 community (our village) to help advance our progress and realize our goals.

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.

Located primarily in the city of Spartanburg, District 7 enrolls approximately 7,300 students each year and is staffed by a team of 1,300 professionals. You’ll find 13 schools in the District, including six elementary schools, two middle schools and our flagship Spartanburg High School. District 7 is a majority-minority district with a poverty index nearing 70% and a graduation rate of 85%. While statistics like these 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

With a visionary school board at the helm, 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. 

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.