Strategic Spartanburg

South Carolina ranks in the bottom third in the nation in both the number of adults with bachelor’s degrees and in median household income. These statistics from the US Census Bureau and Postsecondary Education Opportunity show the correlation between education and financial stability. To prosper in the global marketplace, Spartanburg must make higher education and specialized training a priority. The county is moving in the right direction. In the last 10 years, the number of high school graduates has increased. The number of these individuals who go on to attend college or technical school, however, varies from year to year and within each of the county’s seven school districts. Helping Spartanburg youth and young adults make good choices with regard to education is essential to the county’s future.

The purpose of the 2006-2010 Community Improvement Plan is to use the data in Strategic: Community Indicators VI to influence the improvement of Spartanburg and the quality of life for its citizens.  More than 300 Spartanburg citizens contributed to the creation of the Community Improvement Plan.  Each Taskforce developed a comprehensive executive summary report plan  for addressing the issues.  In the following pages you can see the priorities, opportunities, best practices, and partnerships that the Taskforces recommend using to make significant improvement.  By sharing this information it is our hope to provide a common ground for public, private and non-profit leaders to work together to address these and other related issues.