Beaufort Middle school, tucked under the mossy oaks of the Lowcountry, boasts a long history of growth and development. It began as a Jr high school many years ago, then transitioned into a middle school as three local high schools combined into the current Beaufort High School. Our school has been awarded Palmetto’s Finest, SCDE Distinguished Arts Program (DAP), and recognized as an ABC school for more than 13 years. The Arts have been an integral part of our school’s history of achievement and recognition. Our school population is comprised of 392 students with the slight majority being African American, followed by Caucasian students. We have less than 10% Hispanic and other races. In addition, we are a Title One school with 74% of our students identified as poverty level. Thirty-five teachers in our building serve students in classrooms, and we have three administrators, two counselors, and one parent liaison. Five years ago, our student population was approaching 500, but since the pandemic, our population declined. With the shift in population, our SC Ready achievement scores also decelerated. Prior to the pandemic, we were approaching 50% proficient in ELA and math, but post-pandemic, we are hovering at 30% for ELA and about 20% for math. We are hopeful to meet our growth goals this year and continue building a strong arts program that will support overall academic achievement and engage learners through creative and critical thinking. Beaufort Middle has developed a student-centered school culture that promotes academic success for all. We currently offer a variety of courses and programs in order to help guide our students to create their personalized learning pathway. Classical Studies, MedTech7, Project Lead the Way STEM, and the Gifted/Talented programs all support our student achievement under our foundation of Arts Integration.