Batesburg-Leesville High School -

We're sending out a BIG congratulations to our Female Strength and Conditioning Team for making school history! 🏆💪 Coach Prince, Coach West, Keira Frye, and Jayda Hinson represented Batesburg-Leesville High School at the South Carolina High School Strength Coaches Association State Strength Meet this past weekend and came home as Co-AA State Champions alongside Chesnee! A special shoutout to Keira Frye who placed 4th in the state across all classifications in her weight class. Way to show that Panther Power!

Batesburg-Leesville High School’s JROTC hosted a very meaningful Veterans Day program on Tuesday, November 11th, honoring those who have bravely served our country. Chaplain (COL) Michael D. Charles delivered an inspiring message, local veterans were recognized for their service, and the BLHS Chorus gave a beautiful performance of the National Anthem. Thank you to everyone who helped make this special event a heartfelt tribute to our heroes.

On Saturday, November 1st, the Batesburg-Leesville High School Panther Band took the field at the SCBDA 1A State Championships held at North Central High School — and made us Panther Proud! The band was named 1A Lower State Champions for the 7th year in a row! They also earned an impressive 4th Place in the State, missing the bronze medal by just 0.20 points — their highest state finals placement since 2022!

If you missed this weekend’s production of Bright Star by The Panther Players at the Lexington Three Fine Arts Center, you really missed out! 🌟 It was a tremendous show filled with incredible talent. We are SO PROUD of our students for their outstanding performances both on stage and behind the scenes!

🎶🥁 What an incredible achievement for our Panther Band! 🥁🎶
On Saturday, November 1st, the Batesburg-Leesville High School Panther Band took the field at the SCBDA 1A State Championships held at North Central High School — and made us Panther Proud! 💛💜
🏆 The band was named 1A Lower State Champions for the 7th year in a row!
🥉 They also earned an impressive 4th Place in the State, missing the Bronze Medal by just 0.20 points — their highest State Finals placement since 2022! 🎺🎉
Congratulations to all our talented students, directors, and supporters for their hard work, dedication, and Panther Pride! 💪🎵
#PantherPride #PantherStrong #BeAPanther #Lexington3IsThePlaceToBe #LowerStateChamps #PantherBand

🌟The Bluegrass Musical Bright Star Opens This Week in Batesburg-Leesville! 🌟

From the creators of Steve Martin and Edie Brickell comes a soaring tale of love, loss, and redemption set in the rolling hills of 1920s–1940s North Carolina.

Join us for an unforgettable evening of heartfelt storytelling, toe-tapping bluegrass music, and the incredible local talent that makes our community shine!

🎭 Showtimes | Batesburg-Leesville Fine Arts Center
• Thursday, November 6th • 7:30 PM
• Saturday, November 8th • 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
• Sunday, November 9th • 3:00 PM

🎟️ Tickets
$8 | Lex3 Students & Staff
$12 | General Admission
Available online or at the door.

Reserve your seats today!
https://www.onthestage.tickets/.../68dd6a379cd4c76f7a8d0e7d

#PantherPlayers #BeAPanther #Lexington3IsThePlaceToBe #PantherPride #PantherStrong

The B-L High School JROTC held a dignified flag retirement ceremony this morning on the front lawn of the school. This solemn ceremony, conducted in accordance with Resolution No. 440, adopted by the 19th National Convention of The American Legion in New York in September 1937, provides the proper procedure for the disposal of unserviceable American flags. During the event, JROTC cadets respectfully retired the worn American flag by following the official flag code—carefully lowering, folding, and placing it in a barrel for burning. A new American flag was then raised in its place, symbolizing honor and renewal. A sincere thank you to everyone who came out to support our JROTC and take part in this meaningful tradition!

SC Teacher of the Year Corey Bedenbaugh made his way back to B-L High School again today to visit one of our agriculture classes in celebration of South Carolina Farm to School Month! While on campus, Mr. Bedenbaugh took a moment to check out our brand new John Deere tractor, which was recently purchased through special grant funding.
We loved having Mr. Bedenbaugh back in Panther Country (pun intended 😀)!

Today we celebrated our incredible Lexington Three principals in honor of National Principals Month by surprising them with their very own cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes! 🍰
Our principals do such a sweet job of leading our schools and ensuring student success each and every day. We couldn’t think of a better way to thank them than with a delicious treat of their own to enjoy!

It’s been a spirited week at B-L High School as our Panthers celebrate Homecoming with some seriously fun dress-up days! From cozy Moomoo Monday, to creative Anything but a Bookbag Tuesday, to wild Wacky Wiggin' Wednesday, our students have shown off their Panther Pride in the most entertaining ways!

Our B-L High School JROTC cadets took a special trip over to B-L Primary School today to read to our youngest Panthers! It was such a sweet sight to see these student leaders sharing their time, kindness, and love of learning with our little ones. A huge thank you to our JROTC program for their service — not just to our country, but to our entire district community. We’re so proud of you!

Our Teachers of the Year were recognized on Friday night during pre-game festivities at the Panther football game versus Strom Thurmond! Superintendent Dr. Ashley Atkinson presented each honoree with a beautiful bouquet of flowers in celebration of their excellence in education.

Last night, 29 new members were officially inducted into the Batesburg-Leesville High School Beta Club, bringing our total membership to 71 students! The Beta Club isn’t just an honor society—it’s a commitment to leadership, character, service, and achievement. Members dedicate themselves to making a positive impact both in and out of the classroom, setting the standard for what it means to be a Panther. We are so proud of these students and can’t wait to see how they continue to serve, lead, and inspire our school and community. Congratulations to all of our new inductees!

Even though our annual Teacher of the Year banquet is over, we’re still celebrating! So sit back, relax and take a virtual field trip into the classrooms of our amazing finalists!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6dfurXWrGI&t=5s

Friday, September 12th was an exciting day for our B-L High School seniors! With guidance from our BLHS counseling team and support from college admissions reps from Lander University, Midlands Tech, and USC Aiken, our Panthers took their first steps in the college process by submitting applications. We’re so proud of our Class of 2026 as they begin building their futures!

B-L High School students had the unique opportunity to step inside the ETV Pink Bus Experience on Tuesday. This interactive mobile lab helps students explore exciting career pathways in cybersecurity and other fields that keep the digital world safe.

Give blood! Save a life! Support our B-L High School blood drive on September 9th.

Football season is here Panther fans and we’re ready to roar! Join us tonight at Strom Thurmond High School (1131 Columbia Rd, Johnston, SC 29832) as Batesburg-Leesville (away) takes on Barnwell (home) in the jamboree matchup starting at 6:00 PM. Gates open at 5:00 PM and tickets are $10.00 each (available online at https://strebels.org or at the gate). Please note: While there is no clear bag policy, all fans will go through metal detectors at their respective gates. Let’s pack the stands and show that Panther Pride loud and proud!

Tonight’s JV and Varsity football scrimmages have been moved from Panther Stadium to Ridge-Spring Monetta High School’s stadium, located at 1071 Trojan Road in Monetta, SC. Tickets will be $5 cash only at the gate and concessions will be available for purchase. Scrimmages begin at 6 pm.