Floyd D. Johnson Career and Technical Education Center  in York, South Carolina, is the winner of a 2026 Gene Bottoms Pacesetter School Award from the Southern Regional Education Board. FDJTC will be honored July 14 at SREB’s Making Schools Work Conference in Nashville.

Pacesetter Awards recognize schools that are implementing one of SREB’s Making Schools Work school improvement frameworks and are achieving success in meeting bold goals related to graduation rates, readiness for college and careers, and credential attainment.

FDJTC implements SREB’s Key Practices for Technology Centers. As a three-time Pacesetter winner, the center is being recognized for its long-term commitment to a culture of continuous improvement and workforce preparation.

The leadership team established strategic goals focused on expanding career and technical student organizations and increasing dual enrollment opportunities through partnerships with local colleges. They have also strengthened competency-based instruction through the implementation of SREB’s Project-Based Learning model.

As a result of these efforts, Floyd D. Johnson CTE Center achieved:

• The implementation of a comprehensive data wall that tracks individual student progress toward industry credentials and career readiness in real time, allowing for early intervention and support.
• The launch of the NextGen Skilled Trades Network, a mentoring initiative that supports 30 female and underrepresented students in grades 7-12 pursuing skilled trades pathways.
• A significant increase in the number of students graduating as CTE completers with industry-recognized credentials, directly strengthening local college and career readiness outcomes.
• The adoption of a two-phase project-based learning framework where students develop professional portfolios and present industry-aligned solutions to real-world challenges.

SREB’s annual Making Schools Work Conference provides educators with opportunities to participate in professional development, network with colleagues from across the country and build school and district leadership capacity.

Contact: Beth Day, Communications Vice President, at Beth.Day@sreb.org

The Southern Regional Education Board works with states, districts and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. An interstate compact and a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Atlanta, SREB was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislators to advance education and improve the social and economic life of the region.