School Characteristics

In 1916, a school for Johnsonville students was built on land donated by Sylvester Briley Poston. The main building consisted of twelve rooms and served 250 students in grades one through eleven. The building had no electricity, running water, telephones, or restrooms. On Friday, October 18, 1974, the move was made to the current high school. Between 9 am and noon, students literally moved desks, books, materials, and themselves into the new facility. In 1982, a gymnasium was added to the school campus. In 1986, the school added a cafeteria, band room, and three classrooms. The most current additions to the school are a new science wing completed in 1998 and a Campus Health Center and computer lab in 2007.

With a 2022-2023 enrollment of 356 students, Johnsonville High School is a very small rural public high school in Florence County, South Carolina. Located in the southeastern part of the county, Johnsonville was once a thriving community supported by three local international companies. These companies helped financially support the school district in academics, athletics, and extra-curricular activities. Over the years, due to cheaper production available overseas, these have left the community all together, changed to foreign ownership, or tremendously downsized. Due to these changes, the town and school have suffered economically. More people are moving to the area from out-of-state due to Johnsonville’s lower cost of living and relative proximity to the Myrtle Beach area.

The curriculum has developed into a very rigorous program. There are 16 honors classes in math, English, science and foreign language in grades 9-12. About 29% of juniors and seniors take Dual Enrollment through either Francis Marion University or Florence Darlington Technical College at the Continuum in Lake City. There are over 70 Dual Enrollment courses offered by FMU and FDTC in English, math, science, social studies, fine arts, and foreign language. FDTC also offers technical training in healthcare, industry/manufacturing, transportation & construction, and welding.

Each year approximately 41% of students attend 4-year schools; 30% attend either 2-year schools or technical colleges; 16% of enter the workforce; and 4% enroll in the military.

Students can choose to participate in the different extra-curricular activities offered at Johnsonville High School.

Athletic opportunities include baseball, boys and girls basketball, cheerleading, boys and girls cross country, football, golf, softball, girls tennis, boys and girls track and field, and volleyball. Other clubs include academic challenge, art club, Beta Club, book club, color guard, craft club, Crusaders on Campus, debate club, drama club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, music club, photography club, Student Angler League Tournament Trail (SALTT), student council, and yearbook.

Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year the state of South Carolina implemented a 10-point Grading Scale of 90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, 0-59=F. Courses are now calculated using the updated scale.