James F. Byrnes High School

James F. Byrnes High School is a public high school located in Duncan, South Carolina. A part of Spartanburg County School District 5, it is named after the former Governor of South Carolina and U.S. Secretary of State, James F. Byrnes. The current principal is Erin Greenway.
The James F. Byrnes Freshman Academy is situated at the former location of D. R. Hill Middle School.

History

James F. Byrnes high school was established in 1955 in Duncan, SC, named after former Governor of South Carolina and U.S. Secretary of State, James F. Byrnes
The opening year there were 21 teachers and 500 students in grades 9–12. The school population has had trends of significant growth since then. In 1969, students in grades 10-12 attended Byrnes high and all ninth-grade students attended Florence Chapel School. In 1971, the ninth grade moved back to Byrnes High School. In 2007, the ninth grade moved to Byrnes Freshman Academy. Presently there are 2315 students and 124 faculty and staff. There are approximately 850 students and 50 staff members at the Byrnes Freshman Academy.

The Byrnes High School campus has undergone many additions and renovations and is currently undergoing construction. The new expansion is the most extensive of all the projects in Spartanburg County District Five's growth plan. The new construction and renovations aimed to modernize the campus, and replace the schools original wing, which has stood since the 1950s. Construction included 127,401 square foot additions consisting of 42 additional classrooms and science labs. The addition added a brand new, state of the art media center and new administration and guidance wing. The three-story building features collaborative work spaces for students and staff, a satellite food service station to assist in feeding students, and enhanced storage space to house the district's technology needs. Construction began on Phase 2 of the Byrnes project in July 2022, And finished near the start of the 2024–25 school year.

In March 2024 Members of the District Five board voted on a bond referendum to demolish the old facility at Nixon Field, and construct a new state of the art facility at the site, including a new stadium with seating for over 8,000 people, a larger parking lot accommodating at least 100 more vehicles than what the current stadium parking lot can handle, a spectator entrance plaza, upgraded concession and ticket stands, a turf field rotated 90 degrees from the original, track and field storage shed, new locker room facilities and a security room, just a few of the amenities featured in the presentation. In the summer the board gave approval and on June 5, 2024, Demolition began on the old site. On July 29, 2024, a ground-breaking ceremony was held where construction began. And in August 2025 the project was completed.