Florence School District 3 has announced the appointment of Terri Burgess as an administrator at Lake City Early Childhood Center for the 2025-2026 school year.
Ms. Burgess brings nearly three decades of dedication and experience to her new leadership role, having served as a second-grade teacher at Lake City Early Childhood Center of the Arts. A proud veteran educator, she has been a valued employee of Florence School District 3 for 28 years.
A passionate mentor and advocate for students, Ms. Burgess is the founder and current mentor of the “Exquisite Pearls” girls club at Lake City Early Childhood Center of the Arts. She has also served as a liaison for the district’s summer camp and is the site coordinator for the school’s 21st Century Community Learning Center afterschool program.
A 1990 graduate of Kingstree Senior High School, Ms. Burgess earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Claflin University in 1995, a Master of Education in Early Childhood in 2005, and most recently, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University in 2023.
Ms. Burgess is the current Teacher of the Year for 2025-2026 at Lake City Early Childhood Center of the Arts, an honor she also held in 2018-2019. She was a top-three finalist for FSD3’s Teacher of the Year in 2018-2019.
Ms. Burgess is the daughter of Sara and the late Joe Burgess of Kingstree. She is the proud mother of one daughter and the grandmother of three grandchildren.
“I am very honored and excited to have this opportunity to serve Lake City Early Childhood Center of the Arts next year,” Ms. Burgess said. “I look forward to working with all stakeholders to continue to educate and grow our students. I truly believe that together we can accomplish many things.”