Twenty-five teachers left Lexington County School District Four after the 2024-25 school year, leading district officials to evaluate strategies to retain and recruit educators at a recent board of trustees meeting.

Of the 25 who left after last school year, 14 transferred to another South Carolina public school district, seven retired and the remaining resigned for other reasons, according to Chief Human Resources Officer Jamal Sanders. 

Because of this, he said the district is focused on planning retention and recruitment strategies to keep high-quality educators in the district.

The district is engaging in recruitment efforts by attending recruitment fairs, Sanders said. So far, the district has been to the University of South Carolina, Lander University, Clemson University and Winthrop University.

Sanders also said the district has been supportive of educators and staff across the schools, and is regionally competitive in teacher salaries. The district raised the starting teacher salary to $51,500.

Retaining early-career teachers, Sanders said, is a priority, too. Currently, the district enables first, second and third-year teachers to have mentors. These assigned mentors provide support and guidance to new teachers. 

The mentors have also received district-level support with a training session, the last of which was held in December.

District officials are also considering alternative pathways to recruiting teachers. In October 2025, according to district data, 12 teachers were earning certification through South Carolina Teachers for Tomorrow, six through the Carolina Collaborative for Alternative Preparation, five through PACE and one through the American Board Program.

The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement released its annual educator supply and demand report, detailing statistics on vacancies across the state. 

Data was collected from 74 of 75 South Carolina public school districts in September and October 2025. 

The report noted some of the vacancies may have been filled, and new ones may have emerged since districts submitted their surveys.

Teacher vacancies at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year showed a 32% decrease statewide. Districts reported 706 vacancies at the beginning of the school year, compared to 1,043 vacancies during the 2024-25 school year. 

Districts in South Carolina saw a decrease in teacher departures, which refers to certified educators from the 2024-25 school year who did not return to a teaching or service position in the same school district for the 2025-26 school year. 

Districts reported a 5% decrease in teacher departures compared to last year. Of those departures, 19% retired from the profession and 25% transferred to another public school district in the state.