Marion Intermediate School, located in Marion County, sits on the edge of the city limits of the historic town of Marion, a small community with a strong sense of history and pride.  The school was newly constructed in 1995 at the time when the county had three districts.  Marion Intermediate School originated in Marion District One and was established when Southside Elementary, a school housing third and fourth grades, and Marion Elementary, a school housing fifth and sixth grades, were closed to reorganize the students of the district.  Marion Intermediate School thus became the only intermediate school in the district, housing third, fourth, and fifth grades.

Marion County was established in 1785 and named in honor of General Francis Marion, the notorious “Swamp Fox” of the Revolutionary War. Today, a statue honoring General Francis Marion, the hero of guerilla warfare, stands in the City of Marion’s town square, one of many reminders that an exciting history remains vital to the life in the city and county of Marion. The city of Marion began in 1799 as the Village of Gilesboro, and its name was officially changed to Marion in 1847. Marion is home to 6,466 residents in a county of 31,308. At one time, the county boasted an array of industries and working opportunities; however, the present unemployment rate is over five percent with the loss of many industries over the last 15 years.  With this economic downfall, it is extremely difficult to hire and retain highly effective teachers when our district salaries are not comparable to neighboring districts.

Marion Intermediate School, a third through fifth grade school, is the only elementary school in the city of Marion but one of three in the district.  The school serves 461 students from diverse backgrounds. The demographics at Marion Intermediate are 80 percent African American; 14 percent Caucasian; 1 percent Hispanic; and 5 percent other. We are a Title I school with all students eating free breakfasts and lunches through a federal program that involves areas with high poverty rates. We have a new administrative team at Marion Intermediate consisting of the principal and assistant principal.  The school is home to 21 regular education teachers, seven in each grade. Other certified staff members include two self-contained teachers for students who have mild to profound intellectual disabilities; a physical education teacher; and three resource/inclusion teachers. Also included in our certified staff is an art and music teacher. We share another physical education teacher with our primary school. Our gifted and talented teacher serves our students as well as the students at the elementary school in Mullins, our neighboring town. In addition, we have one computer lab classroom managed by a para-professional. To complete our team, eleven instructional assistants/inclusion facilitators, one Character Coach, a Guidance Counselor, a librarian, a registered nurse, two office staff personnel, three custodians, seven cafeteria personnel, a Reading Coach, and Lead Teacher work to provide a comprehensive education for our young students.

With an ever-changing society and the lack of employment opportunities, many social ills plague our community and school.  Many of our parents struggle to provide for their children, but non-traditional work hours and unemployment make it difficult for students to experience sustained academic, emotional, and social growth.  In addition, numerous single parent homes exacerbate these problems.  We have made every effort to provide supports to help our students achieve through our School Intervention Team (SIT), Character Coaching program, and our guidance program.  Our School Intervention Team (SIT) assists students who are having academic, social, health, attendance, or behavioral difficulties.  The team devises a plan of interventions to improve the student’s school performance.  Also, our Character Coaching program targets students who are in need of immediate behavioral intervention to optimize emotional and behavioral functioning in the living, learning, and social school environment.  Our Character Coach conducts group and individual counseling sessions, provides computer assisted programs, and assists students with their regular classroom assignments.  The overriding goal of the program and services is to maximize school success for students, both behaviorally and academically.  In addition, we have a mental health professional based at our school provided through the PERSIST program, a grant Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) partnership that works with younger students who encounter behavior issues in rural areas; and Rehabilitative Behavioral Health Services counselors who come to the school to serve students needing assistance, as well.  Furthermore, our local churches assist us by providing an abundance of school supplies for our students and contribute to the Back-Pack Buddies Program, which provides some students food items to take home over the weekend. 

Marion Intermediate School’s staff is diverse, technologically-savvy, professional, and willing to make a difference in children’s lives.  During this difficult economic period in our community, our staff strives under challenging circumstances to work with parents so our students receive the best education possible to ensure academic and social success.