Orangeburg, South Carolina, known as “The Garden City”, is located midway between the capitol city of Columbia and the port city of Charleston. It is just a short drive away from Charlotte, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, and Hilton Head. Orangeburg County is located centrally within a regional economic market known as the “Global Logistics Triangle” because of its proximity to I-26, I-95, I-77, I-20, and US 301. The natural beauty of the area, mixed with gently rolling terrain, presents an ideal setting for the beautiful homes and the residential areas located in and around the city. The area enjoys a temperate climate that allows year-long opportunities to enjoy outdoor recreational activities at Lake Marion, the Edisto River, several challenging golf courses, and many public gardens and parks.
Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five (OCSD5) is the largest of the three public school districts in Orangeburg County with an enrollment of approximately 7,000 students coming from the communities of Orangeburg, Bowman, and North. Orangeburg is also home to three institutions of higher learning including South Carolina State University, Claflin University, and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. The district benefits from numerous partnerships with these institutions, thereby enhancing the educational opportunities of its students and the professional development of its faculty and staff.
District schools have earned numerous awards for their achievements including 40 Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards won by our schools since the program began, a Blue Ribbon Lighthouse school winner (The Technology Center), and a school honored twice by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best high schools in the nation (Bethune-Bowman High School). District students have also been the recipients of many prestigious honors and awards. Last year, two OCSD5 students from Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School were named Gates Millennium Scholars. There were only eleven Gates Millennium Scholars statewide and Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School was the only school in the State with more than one winner. The district has also produced numerous South Carolina Junior Scholars and Duke TIP (Talent Identification Program) honorees in recent years.
OCSD5 is comprised of one high school, two middle/high schools, a Technology Center, two middle schools, and eight elementary schools. The district is also home to a charter school, the High School for Health Professions. Approximately 75 percent of our students pursue post-secondary education at colleges and universities across the United States. Last year, OCSD5 graduates earned scholarship offers in excess of $14 million, the highest single year total ever for the district. This is why we say with total confidence, “If a child is willing to work hard and their parents are willing to encourage and push them, a student in OCSD5 can get the best education available anywhere”.
Each and every student in OCSD5 is important to us because, after all, children are always the most important resources in any district, and indeed, in any community. Here in OCSD5, we have designed programs to (1) meet the needs of each any every student, (2) enhance their ability to learn, and (3) challenge their creativity.
Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five • 578 Ellis Avenue • Orangeburg, SC 29115 • 803.534.5454
MISSION
OCSD5 exists to provide effective teaching and learning through equitable, high expectations and digital learning environments to ensure academic success for all students through collaborative partnerships.
VISION
OCSD5 will graduate all students with life characteristics, world-class knowledge and skills, college and career ready.
