Lexington County School District One Superintendent Keith Price highlighted student opportunities when he was the guest speaker at the Lexington Chamber and Visitors Center’s Community Conversations series.

Price took on the role of superintendent in July 2025, bringing 29 years of experience in education as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent.

In total, the district has 32 schools and currently serves 26,460 students. 

At the session, Price told community members the district has a graduate profile in place to ensure students thrive after high school. The nine characteristics include being knowledgeable, creative thinkers and problem solvers; independent learners; communicators; collaborators; future-ready literate; personally and socially responsible; kind and resilient. 

During the 2023-24 school year, 88.2% of students in Lexington One were on track to graduate in time, slightly above the state’s 85.4% rate.

In the same cohort, 42.7% of students were considered college-ready, compared with the state average of 32.5%. In addition, 75.3% of students were career-ready, above the state’s 69.6%.

Price also shared that the district’s dropout rate is 1.2%.

Lexington County School District One offers advanced coursework through its Centers for Advanced Study, which provides districtwide access to classes in agribusiness research, STEM studies, law and global policy development, media arts design and production, public health and advanced medical studies and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Students also have access to internships and apprenticeships. 

The NextGen Educator pathway prepares students for careers in education. The pathway offers dual enrollment for college credit and students get experience inside the classrooms with mentor teachers.

Students also earn a General Studies Certificate from Midlands Technical College upon graduation.

Lexington Medical Center and Midlands Technical College partnered with the district on the MedStart career pathway, offering apprenticeships and early college experiences for students pursuing surgical technologist or a radiologic technologist career. 

A partnership with Michelin provides scholarships that cover tuition, fees and books, part-time paid work and a pathway to employment. 

A partnership with USC McNair Center for Engineering Dual Enrollment gives students a chance to work alongside graduate students in lab settings.

Price noted that while a teacher shortage has been a problem around the state, the district currently has no teacher shortage. Last school year, it had more than a dozen vacancies in special education, which is considered a hard-to-fill position. This school year, it has zero vacancies, Price said.

“Lexington School District One is a special place, and it’s the people in the district that make it so special,” he said.