Richland Two residents may be jealous, but school begins Aug. 28 at schools in Kershaw County.

That means students at Blaney Elementary, Lugoff Elementary, Lugoff-Elgin Middle and Lugoff-Elgin High get an extra week off, compared to students across the county line.

Kershaw County schools will see some marked changes this year, according to school officials who note enrollment increases, new faculty members and the implementation of new programs.

Due to overcrowding at Lugoff Elementary, Blaney Principal Carl Robinson said the student enrollment this fall will increase by about 100 students. The school will have about 647 pupils in grades kindergarten through five.

Susan Cooper will be Blaney’s first guidance counselor. A district mandate requires all elementary schools to have counselors, Robinson said.

The school will also add eight new faculty members, including a librarian. A grant has enabled the school to add 20 computers for student body use.

Lugoff Elementary’s new principal is James Ann Lynch, replacing retired principal Amy J. McLester. The new assistant principal is Debra Edwards.

Lugoff also welcomes its first guidance counselor, Carolyn DeBruhl.

With a projected enrollment of 850 students, Lugoff will show an increase of approximately 143 students over last year. In addition, the school has two new portable classrooms and has implemented two programs — the “Writing to Read” program for first-graders and the child study team concept.

Willie Mickle, principal of Lugoff-Elgin High, said the school day will begin five minutes earlier and end 10 minutes later this year. Morning bells will ring at 7:50 and 7:55 a.m., and the day ends at 3:10.

“We’re going to have seven class periods as opposed to our former six,” said Mickle, who expects an enrollment of 1,025 students. “The main reasons for the changes in the schedule are to increase enrollment in the vocational school and to establish a BSAP lab setting for deficient students.”