WINNSBORO – During its 2026 Annual Housing Summit, the South Carolina Department of Housing named the Fairfield County School District Education Foundation the Creative Partnership of the Year for innovative collaboration in the expansion of housing opportunities.
The Village in Winnsboro, a development of 25 single-family rental homes and the TruVista Technology Center, was envisioned to meet the school district’s challenge of teacher recruitment and retention. The development, just off Highway 321 in Winnsboro, is the first of its kind in South Carolina, according to Sandra Johnson, the Foundation Board Chair.
“The Creative Partnership of the Year recognition highlights how collaboration can solve urgent challenges,” Johnson said. “In a rural community struggling to attract and retain teachers, partners come together to create housing for educators. By aligning public, private, and nonprofit resources, this effort supports students and schools, strengthens the workforce, and invests in the community’s future. It is a clear example of what can happen when multiple partners unite around a shared goal.”
The partners in the $5 million, 11-acre development include the Fairfield County School District, Fairfield County Council, the Town of Winnsboro, United Way of the Midlands, TruVista, individual donors and lenders.
Currently, approximately 8% of the certified teachers employed by the school district call the Village in Winnsboro home.
“With a waitlist of educators,” Johnson said, “the Foundation does plan to build more rental homes.”
A park with a pavilion built mainly by the district’s students is scheduled to be dedicated on Oct. 1. For more information about the dedication, contact Dr. Sue Rex at 803-417-3736 or email her at dr.jsrex@truvista.net.