Every campus in the South Pike School district will have a new face in the principal’s office come next school year following an administrative shift South Pike School District trustees approved on Monday.
Warren Banks will leave his post at the high school and become the new principal at Eva Gordon Lower Elementary, which serves kindergarten through third grade.
The board hired Lisa Davis to take the helm at South Pike High School.
Davis was a principal in Bolivar County, an assistant principal in the Greenville Public School District and has been in education for eight years.
Superintendent Dr. Estes Taplin said he believes Davis will bring needed skills to the post.
“She has a reputation for being a disciplinarian,” he said. “I feel she is going to be sensitive to the needs of the staff and she is going to be a team player.”
Teacher Angela Benefield will move from Osyka Elementary to become the principal at Eva Gordon Upper Elementary, formerly known Magnolia Elementary School, replacing the retiring Connie McNabb.
Joe Leavy will move from South Pike Junior High School to take over for retiring principal Dalton Williams at Osyka Elementary.
Iscinova Gray, who has been principal for one year at Eva Gordon Lower Elementary, will be the principal at South Pike Junior High School.
Assistant high school principal Rochelle Collins, who had been leading the Career & Technical Center on an interim basis, will officially take over.
“I believe this district as a whole wants to get better,” Taplin said. “To do that you have to make changes.”
This isn’t the first time Taplin has made administrative changes.
Shortly after being named superintendent last school year he shifted three principals around, raising questions as to why he chose to do so in the middle of the year.
Taplin said Monday that he hopes the new changes will improve the district.
“I hope this transformation will give us some stability,” Taplin said. “I have met with each one of (the principals). It is not personal.”
During the meeting, he said he chose to move the principals around based on where he felt they were needed most, but he declined to elaborate.
When trustee Dr. Luke Lampton asked for further explanation for the proposal, Taplin declined, citing the media presence and said he would go into detail later during a school board retreat.
“As superintendent you see the need, and we make changes,” Taplin said.
