St. James Middle School

Horry County Schools
Horry County Schools Logo (introduced Fall 2013)
335 Four Mile Road Conway, South Carolina 29528 United States
District information
Type	Public
Grades	PreK-12
Superintendent	Rick Maxey, Ph.D.
Schools	51
District ID	4502490
Students and staff
Students	42,500 (2015-16 school year)
Teachers	2,601
Staff	5,540
Colors	HCS Blue      and Black
Other information
Website	www.horrycountyschools.net

Horry County Schools (HCS) is a public school district serving Horry County, South Carolina and is the third-largest school district in South Carolina. It serves over 42,500 students (as of the 2015-16 school year) in 51 schools (as well as additional education programs) around the county in 9 attendance areas. The district office is in Conway, South Carolina on Four Mile Rd.

The Horry County School district is made up of 51 schools in 9 attendance areas. Each area consists of a high school and the elementary and middle schools that feed into it. The district has 27 schools serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grades, 11 middle schools, 9 high schools, 3 career and technical academies, a Scholars Academy, and four charter schools. Two of the high schools, Aynor High School and Socastee High School, offer International Bacculaureate programs. The career and technical academies are: Academy for Arts, Sciences and Technology; Palmetto Academy for Learning Motor Sports, and the Academy for Technology and Academics. The Palmetto Academy for Learning Motor Sports (a charter school) serves middle and high school students while the remaining two serve high school students. The Scholars Academy serves high-achieving students in grades 9-12. The HCS Early College High School targets students in grades 9-12 who are under-represented in post-secondary education, and allows them to achieve two years of college credit while also earning a high school diploma. The district also has the Playcard Environmental Education Center which "instruct[s] students in the natural sciences on site, enabling them to experience first-hand the inter-relationships of living things." The Adult Education Center has a variety of educational opportunities for adults. These range from GED classes to career and college transition, community classes, English as Second Language classes, and community classes. The community classes are: computer literacy classes, arts & crafts classes, Spanish, CPR/AED certification, and Tai Chi for arthritis/health. The Adult Education Center also provides free child care and early education for children of parents attending classes at the Adult Education Center. In addition to these programs, students from seventh grade up may also take classes via either the HCS Virtual School Program or the South Carolina Virtual School Program.

A twelve-member Board of Education, elected from single-member districts, governs the school district, with the chairman being elected at-large. The Superintendent is appointed by the Board. Board meetings are generally held on the last Monday of the month and work sessions held on the 2nd Monday of the month though the district calendar contains an accurate listing of all board meetings. Normal board meetings are open to the public and agendas, minutes, and video of the meetings are available through the school district's website.