COLUMBIA, S.C. — Palmetto’s Finest is an award given to the best schools in the state, according to the South Carolina Association of School Administrators.
The group announced Tuesday that two Midlands schools received this award for the 2019-2020 academic school year.
Dutch Fork High School in Lexington Richland District 5 and Walker-Gamble Elementary School in Clarendon District 3 took home two of the three Palmetto’s Finest Awards for this school year.
Dr. Gerald Gary, principal of Dutch Fork High School, was excited to bring home the award, especially for 2020 seniors, who said they wanted to win the award.
“We’ve been doing everything we can to recognize them...We won the football state championship... just so many accolades this class has done in the past few years and this was another thing to help them go out with a bang.”
“It really makes our teachers feel great that have continued to put forth so much hard work for our students and go the extra mile during this closure," Dr. Gary said, "For our students that work hard every day and get recognized some of them and parent sin our community that put so much into Dutch Fork High School to have that extra set of eyes come in and take a look and say ‘this is a pretty good school.’”
Walker-Gamble Elementary won one of the two Palmetto’s Finest Elementary Schools and principal Allen Kirby says it’s a huge deal for the Clarendon community.
“This means the world. Everybody’s so supportive and I always refer to it- I don’t usually call them my faculty and staff but our WGE family and our Clarendon County family. We use that word a lot, but it truly is and its just- I cannot be anymore proud than I am.”
The school’s collective leadership approach has led them to one of the state’s most prestigious honors.
“We might have a building that was built in the 1950’s but when you walk in it’s the people that make a difference. We just have a phenomenal group of students, teachers, all of our faculty and staff, the parents, the businesses, every one just rallies around the school district so its really a special place- I’m really blessed to be a part of.”
Both principals say they plan on celebrating in the fall and wanted to thank the SCASA for the Palmetto’s Finest Program.
Woodland Elementary School in the Greenville County School district took home the other Palmetto’s Finest Elementary School award.
Batesburg-Leesville High School and White Knoll Elementary were finalists for this year's awards.