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Wednesday, February 18, is an Early Dismissal Day for students.

On Early Dismissal Days, elementary school students are dismissed at 11:30 a.m., middle school students at 12:10 p.m., and high school students at 12:30 p.m.

Early dismissal times are slightly different for Aiken Scholars Academy, as well as our schools in the Ridge-Spring area. Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary dismissal is at 11:55 a.m., Aiken Scholars Academy dismissal is at noon, and Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle and High dismissal is at 12:15 and 12:20 p.m., respectively.

These Early Dismissal Days are part of the 2025-26 Aiken County Public School District Calendar and are necessary to support the training and development schedule for state-required teacher training. Please make any necessary arrangements for your child's early dismissal. Elementary school student after school care through Quest Zone is available.

Students receiving transportation services on half-day schedules, such as Early Learning Special Education students, will not be provided school bus transportation on Early Dismissal Days as buses will be unable to make mid-day routes.

Afternoon classes at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center are not held on Early Dismissal Days. Students enrolled in an afternoon class at the Career Center will remain at their high school on these designated days.

Help us congratulate Dr. Richard Ball, a math teacher at North Augusta High School, on being named a Golden Apple Award teacher by WJBF News Channel 6.

On Friday, February 13, he was surprised at North Augusta High School alongside several community business partners, Kroger, Universal Plumbing and Great Deals on Furniture.

“I think that the goal at the end of each day is for a kid to walk out with a little bit more joy from math,” Dr. Ball said during an interview with WJBF News Channel 6. “You have to treat them like they are like kids and teaching them a subject in a way that lets them be kids is the way I like to approach each lesson.”

Dr. Ball teaches a variation of math courses at North Augusta High School from Algebra to AP Calculus. The Buffalo, NY native moved to South Carolina and says he has been welcomed with open arms calling it his home away from home.

“Dr. Ball represents exactly what this profession is about. He challenges our AP Calculus students to think deeper, push harder, and reach higher, while at the same time meeting Algebra I students right where they are and refusing to let them give up on themselves. That range is rare. He makes advanced mathematics accessible and struggling students confident. The WJBF Golden Apple Award is well deserved—our school is stronger because of his commitment to every learner who walks into his classroom.”

“I think watching them grow is the pleasure of the job,” Dr. Ball said. “Yes, it would be fantastic if we all got A’s but it’s the person they become in the room. It’s great for all of us to achieve greatness, but it’s the person and the journey that is more important.”

Two other North Augusta teachers were surprised by WJBF News Channel 6: Mrs. Heather Parliament-Griffith, a 7th grade math teacher at Paul Knox Middle School and Mrs. Christine Witt, a kindergarten teacher at Hammond Hills Elementary School.

You can catch a news segment on each of the teachers starting Feb. 17 during the 5:30 PM broadcast. The remaining segments will air on Tuesday's on WJBF News Channel 6.

Silver Bluff High School student-athlete Adrian Gray is taking the next step in his football career.

On February 12, 2026, in front of family, friends, coaches, and peers, Gray signed his NCAA Letter of Intent to play football at Brevard College starting Fall 2026.

“Being able to play this sport is a good thing,” Gray said. “Especially after high school, because most people don't get to do that.”

Gray is a multi-sport athlete for the Bulldogs, playing offensive line in the fall on the football field and throwing shotput for Track and Field in the spring.

His coach, Matt Hayes, is proud of the hard work and leader Gray has become at Silver Bluff.

“When I was hired two years ago, I kind of identified that core groups of guys that would be not just starters, but the kind of guys with leadership qualities, guys that we were going to lean on in the weight room and in practice. And Adrian kind of jumped out. He's a really good football player, obviously. Works hard at his craft. A little bit undersized, but what he lacks in size, he has with technique, and he plays with the nastiness that you need to play offensive line,” Hayes said. “Being his teacher in the classroom, he takes pride in his athletics and his academics. So, Brevard is getting a student athlete, not just an athlete.”

Celebrating student athletes and their next steps into collegiate athletics is something that Silver Bluff takes pride in, according to Athletic Director Phillip Strother.

“Anytime we get an opportunity for a kid to sign and go on to the next level, you know, it means that we're obviously doing something right,” Strother said. “That's kind of my thing. I want to make sure we're doing the right thing for our kids. So, we're giving them a real idea of what life is going to be like so they're suited for real life.”

“You cannot talk about Silver Bluff without the tradition of the student athletes here,” Hayes continued. “We've had a lot of success with guys going to the next level. It's a testament to their family, this community, but also those student athletes who want more than just being a good athlete in high school. They want to take their talents to the next level. It's hard, especially in today's climate. It's very hard to go from high school to college to go compete at that level. Adrian's part of a long line of student athletes who took that challenge, and I'm excited for him and Brevard.”

AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, FEBRUARY 10 BOARD MEETING
The Board of Education will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, beginning at 6:00 p.m.  Please visit Board Meeting Livestream | District to view the meeting agenda and access the livestream when the meeting begins. Board Meetings are open to the public, although seating is limited. Our School Board Representatives may be contacted for any questions from our community stakeholders. Their contact information is available from that link as well.

Our final category for our STARS of Public Education Honor Court is our Classified Staff finalists for the Giving Even More (GEM) award. These hard working and dedicated GEM finalists were surprised by District Leadership, family and coworkers. 

Congratulations to our Classified Staff Honor Court! 

Wanda Baynham, Guidance Clerk at Silver Bluff High School 

James Ingram Jr., Safety Monitor at New Ellenton STEAM Middle Magnet School 

Ashely MacDonald, Secretary at Greendale Elementary School 

Nikki Powell, Sped Aide at Kennedy Middle School 

Karen Ulmer, Student Information Clerk at North Augusta Elementary School 

Congratulations to all of our Honor Court nominees!

 #ACPSD #AikenCountyPublicSchools #StarsHonorCourt #ACPSDcelebrates

Virtual Classes, Same Cap & Gown 🎓 Aiken iNNOVATE = Home School Pride 💛

What do these schools have in common? 🎓 Students can learn virtually with Aiken iNNOVATE & still graduate from their home school!

Now accepting applications: www.acpsd.net/ai #AikenInnovate #SchoolChoice #VirtualLearning #K12 #AikenSC #HomeSchoolPride

REGULAR OPERATIONS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3

ACPSD will return to regular operations tomorrow, Tuesday, February 3, following this weekend’s historic snow event. With temperatures below freezing overnight, please use caution in travelling as some shaded areas may still be partly frozen. We have appreciated the patience and flexibility of our school community and look forward to welcoming everyone back in person tomorrow.

Aiken County Public School District celebrates and appreciates the impact of our school counselors during National School Counseling Week. This week brings public attention to the unique contributions of school counselors within our schools and the positive impact they have on students. This week highlights the vital role school counselors play in helping students achieve success.

Aiken County Public School District is proud to have 25 elementary school counselors, 21 middle school counselors, 30 high school counselors, and 5 special programs counselors. Each day, our counselors support the social, emotional, academic, and career development of our students. They are solution-focused professionals who collaborate with teachers, administrators, parents, and community organizations to help students thrive.

Thank you to our school counselors for the incredible impact you make each day in our school communities.

E-LEARNING DAY /REMOTE WORKDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2026

Following this weekend’s winter storm and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of students, families, teachers and staff, tomorrow, Monday, February 2, will be an e-learning day for students. All teachers and staff will be on a remote work day as well.

Student e-learning will be available online, and our teachers are available for support. Should your student have any questions, difficulty, or need assistance with their e-learning assignments, please reach out.

Continued cold temperatures refreezing the snow that accumulated this weekend may impact our district’s operations for Tuesday as well. A decision regarding Tuesday will be announced no later than 3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon and will be made with the safety of all students, families, and employees at heart.

As always, we are grateful for the flexibility of our school community. Please be safe, enjoy the snow, and stay warm.

Aiken County is forecasted to experience our most impactful winter weather since February 2010. At this time, our area is under a Winter Storm Warning beginning this evening at 10 p.m. lasting until 10 a.m. Sunday morning.

There are no required weather-related changes to any school or district-sponsored activities scheduled for this evening. However, any school or district activities planned for Saturday and Sunday will not be held due to projected snowfall accumulation and safety-related concerns.

Our district’s leaders are continuing to collaborate closely with Emergency Management Officials. A final determination will be made and an update will be shared by 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 1. Please note that a decision regarding operations for Monday haven’t yet been made. However, in preparation for possible e-learning on Monday, all students were sent home this afternoon with their laptop or other school-issued technology.

Please stay safe this weekend, enjoy the winter weather, and we will share information about our operations on Monday later this weekend.