Editing Winnsboro, South Carolina (section)

==Education==
Fairfield Institute, a school for African Americans run by a missionary from New Jersey was in Winnsboro from 1869 to 1888 when it closed and merged with [[Brainerd Institute]] in Chester, South Carolina. Its principal, Rev. Willard Richardson returned to New Jersey with his family. [[Joseph Winthrop Holley]] and [[Kelly Miller (scientist)|Kelly Miller]] attended the school.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dTR1q-nk0F0C&dq=+fairfield+institute+&pg=PA15 | title=You Can't Build a Chimney from the Top | isbn=9780819184832 | last1=Holley | first1=Joseph Winthrop | year=1992 | publisher=University Press of America }}</ref> Winnsboro has a [[public library]], a branch of the Fairfield County Library.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sciway.net/lib/counties.html | title=South Carolina libraries and archives | publisher=SCIWAY | access-date=June 8, 2019}}</ref>

Winnsboro is served by the Fairfield County Public School system. Currently, Fairfield County schools hold a ranking C+, based on the most recent ratings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.niche.com/k12/d/fairfield-county-school-district-sc/|title = Explore Fairfield County School District}}</ref> The school district has 2,414 students in grades PK, K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 10 to 1. According to state test scores, 25.1% of students are at least proficient in math and 31% in reading.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screportcards.com/overview/academics/academic-achievement/?t=D&q=eT0yMDIxJnQ9RCZzaWQ9MjAwMTAwMA&y=2021&sid=2001000|title=Academic Achievement - SC School Report Card|website=screportcards.com}}</ref> The district on-time graduation rate, according to the South Carolina Department of Education School Report Card, is 78.1%, while the South Carolina state average is 83.3%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screportcards.ed.sc.gov/overview/academics/graduation-rate/?q=eT0yMDIxJnQ9RCZzaWQ9MjAwMTAwMA|title = Graduation Rate - SC School Report Card}}</ref> For Fiscal Year 2021-2022, the revenue per pupil (student) is $25,790, which is the highest in the state of South Carolina.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ed.sc.gov/finance/financial-services/student-data/revenue-per-pupil-reported-by-school-district-fiscal-year-2021-2022/fiscal-year-2021-22-revenue-per-pupil-report-by-district/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219222009/http://ed.sc.gov/finance/financial-services/student-data/revenue-per-pupil-reported-by-school-district-fiscal-year-2021-2022/fiscal-year-2021-22-revenue-per-pupil-report-by-district/|archive-date=December 19, 2021|title=REVENUE PER PUPIL REPORT BY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR FY 2021-22 EXCLUDING BOND REVENUE}}</ref>

In 2025, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) announced the band director at Fairfield Central High School was charged after being accused of having sexual relations with a student. Timothy Bryant, 28, was charged with sexual battery of a student. Deputies said the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office notified investigators on Friday about a sexual battery that happened in Richland County. Bryant was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center following his arrest.<ref>https://www.wistv.com/2025/04/25/fairfield-central-high-school-band-director-charged-accused-having-sexual-relations-with-student/</ref>