Celeste Laribo awarded CCSD Distinguished Service Award
January 21, 2021
Charleston County School District (CCSD) announced that Celeste Laribo has been awarded the CCSD Distinguished Service Award (DSA).
The DSA is the highest honorary award that the Superintendent can give a CCSD employee. The DSA is to be granted only to those employees who have given distinguished and/or extraordinary service to CCSD. The achievements or service must be truly exceptional when measured against the position requirements of the individual, and should far exceed the contributions and service of others with comparable responsibilities.
Laribo was given this prestigious honor for her service as the Registration and Residency Officer from September 2015 to November 2020. During her time as the Registration and Residency Officer Laribo standardized the registration process across the district, creating uniform forms and processes and eliminating redundancy and confusion for parents.
In 2015, Laribo was part of the on-line registration implementation team, taking CCSD’s from paper forms to the online registration process. Laribo’s leadership resulted in the creation of the Residency Task Force. This crossdepartmental team consisted of principals, level leaders, general counsel, the School Choice team, and the registration team. The task force worked together to recommend, implement, and enforce board policies related to residency verification for all district schools and more specifically, magnet schools.
During the COVID-19 shut down, Laribo led a team that rolled out a fillable registration form and provided detailed processing instructions for schools. Laribo became the primary contact for parents in registering new students
“Ms. Laribo had a tremendous 28-year impact during her tenure with Charleston County School District,” said CCSD’s Chief Financial Officer, Don Kennedy. “Her outstanding leadership, customer service, and commitment to children is highlighted by the efforts she made for students during her service as the Registration and Residency Officer.
During the most recent registration process Laribo and the registration team received more than of 700 registrations between June 8 and September 8, 2020. The team reviewed each of the registration packets and informed the parents and schools of any missing documentation to ensure all registrations were expedited. In addition to the traditional registrations, Laribo coordinated with the Department of Exception Children (OEC) to ensure students were placed in a timely manner. When the OEC determined a child’s placement, Laribo received notification and would contact the parent and offer assistance in navigating the registration process.
For more information, contact the Office of Strategy and Communications at (843) 937-6303.
About the Charleston County School District
Charleston County School District (CCSD) is a nationally-accredited school district that is committed to providing equitable and quality educational opportunities for all of its students. CCSD is the second-largest school system in South Carolina and represents a unique blend of urban, suburban, and rural schools spanning 1,300 square miles along the coast. CCSD serves more than 50,000 students in 87 schools and specialized programs.
CCSD offers a diverse, expanding portfolio of options and specialized programs, delivered through neighborhood, magnet, IB (international baccalaureate), Montessori, and charter schools. Options include programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); music and other creative and performing arts; career and technical preparation programs; and military.
