From staff reports
Two administrators have been selected as Beaufort County School District (BCSD) high school principals for the upcoming school year.
The two new principals are:
- Battery Creek High School – Elandee Thompson, current principal at Beaufort Middle School, replaces Denise Lessard, who has accepted a position in the Student Services division at the District Office. Thompson, locally educated in the Battery Creek cluster, began her 28-year career at BCSD as a science teacher and has held assistant principal positions at Battery Creek, Beaufort, and May River high schools. Thompson also serves as a South Carolina Department of Education course facilitator for VirtualSC-PD. Thompson holds a doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University. She earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Phoenix.
- Whale Branch Early College High School – Freda McCanick, an assistant principal at Whale Branch Early College High School replaces Sonji Leach, who has accepted a position in the Student Services division at the District Office. McCanick began her educational career in Charleston County teaching at a 6th Grade Academy. She next served as an English Language Arts teacher and 8th Grade English Department Head in Colleton County. She then returned to Charleston County to teach 7th and 8th grade English. Before serving as assistant principal at Whale Branch Early College High School for two years, she taught 9th grade English for six years there and served as a district secondary literacy coach. McCanick holds a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction/Adolescent Literacy from Concordia University, as well as a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and School Administration with a concentration in Secondary Administration from the Citadel.
“Every exceptional district has strong school leaders, and I’m excited to see these superb educators be successful in their new roles,” BCSD Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said. “They’re experienced, they understand the importance of creating a district and school culture of moving academic achievement and ensuring our students succeed.”
