South Carolina Schools To Bring on Full-Time Athletic Trainers

Three Aiken County high schools will soon add full-time athletic trainers to their staff. The change affects Aiken High, Wagener-Salley High, and Silver Bluff High, which lack medical staff for sports programs.

The switch marks a shift from temporary workers to permanent staff with full benefits. Tim Yarborough, who runs operations and student services, said, according to The Post and Courier, that better job terms will help match what other districts offer.

Each school will spend $100,000 on the new position. That's $20,000 more than the current contract cost, said finance chief Tray Traxler.

The plan will spread to other schools. Midland Valley High, North Augusta High, Ridge Spring-Monetta High, and South Aiken High will switch their contract staff to full-time in 2026-27.

Schools tried different ways to fill the gap. An EMT worked part-time at Aiken High's football games last season. At other schools, coaches had to make tough calls about player health.

"You see other people who have the ability to get those kids back healthy and have that, and we don't have that for them. If a kid says he doesn't feel right, that kid doesn't play, that kid doesn't practice," Matt Hayes said per WRDW. "I was hired to teach and coach football. I don't have the medical background. The stress is to give them the wrong information."

Medical experts backed the change at the board meeting. Dr. John Tiffany from Tiffany Pediatrics joined Dr. Joshua Pniewski of Palmetto Motion to stress why schools need trained health staff at games and practice.

"We need to get the last three [schools] covered," Pniewski said at the Aug. 26 meeting.

"That's our top priority during the school day or extracurricular activities, it doesn't matter, safety and security is our No. 1 priority," Yarborough said.

The search starts now to fill these vital spots at the three schools.