The district received an $842,689 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities “The Orangeburg Connection” service grant that will be used to equip ten sites with distance education equipment.

“We are going to be able to install state-of-the-art equipment throughout this district that will help with educational and telemedicine services for our community,” OCSD Superintendent Dr. Shawn Foster said during his annual “State of the District” address on Dec. 14.

The district will provide a total of $148,714 in matching funds toward the $991,403 project.

The equipment will help the district work with the Tri-County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Edisto Health Coalition to deliver mental health and substance abuse disorder education throughout the district.

Both agencies focus on substance abuse treatment and behavioral health issues.

“We are certainly happy to partner with the school district to provide substance use disorder and mental health education and treatment for the students,” Tri-County Executive Director Mike Dennis said. “The details of this project are still fluid at this point so it would be premature to speak of how this will be implemented. However, we are excited about assisting the district and community to address these issues.”

The grant will also provide three regional sites for telemedicine access to meet the needs of residents who live more than 30 miles away from mental health and medical services.

It is the second time in two years the district has received a USDA grant.

In 2021, the district received a $1.5 million grant to fund several school improvement projects. The money went toward security access doors, cameras, painting, new flooring and track improvements at Lake Marion High, Orangeburg-Wilkinson High, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, Lockett Elementary, Branchville High, Carver-Edisto Middle, the Cope Area Career Center and the Cope area office.