Lexington, SC 10/23/2021 (Paul Kirby) - The Board of Trustees of Lexington County School District One recently extended Superintendent Dr. Greg Little’s contract an additional year and increased his salary by 2% to $219,046 after he received an overall outstanding evaluation for his performance in leading the district over the past 12 months. They also raised his annual annuity by 1% to 10% and awarded him an additional 10 leave days. With this latest extension, Little’s contract will be valid through June 30th of 2027.
The superintendent’s annual evaluation, which is required by board policy and by the district’s employment agreement with Dr. Little, focused on the district’s accomplishments under his leadership during the 2020–2021 academic year.
In a statement released for the board by the district’s Chief Communication Officer Kathryn McPhail, Little’s achievements in a number of significant areas were listed. They included:
1. Implementing the district’s academic recovery plan which is designed to identify instructional areas of need and gaps in achievement to provide teachers with relevant information to prepare for the upcoming year.
2. Collaborating with healthcare and education professionals to create the district’s Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan which allows schools to overcome obstacles, monitor the needs of students and staff and adjust, as needed, to ensure learning continues.
3. Continuing to focus on teacher recruitment and retention during the national teacher shortage, which led to the district’s filling of most teaching vacancies.
4. Overseeing the successful construction and opening of the new Centerville Elementary and Pelion Middle Schools. During the same period, the district added classroom wings at Oak Grove Elementary and White Knoll High, added additional classrooms at White Knoll Elementary, oversaw the construction of Lakeside Middle School as well as a new performing arts center at Gilbert High and White Knoll High.
5. During the same period, the district began providing additional summer programs to address learning gaps caused by the 2020–2021 school year. More than 1,300 students participated in the programming.
6. At the front end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the district developed a full-functioning online school, Lexington One Online Learning Academy (LOOLA), for nearly 7,300 students in six weeks during the summer of 2020.
7. Expanding the middle school athletic programs to allow more students to participate.
8. Little also directed programs that concentrate on the use of technology to advance education.
9. The district’s dual enrollment program has also been advanced so more students may benefit from its substantial academic and financial impact.
10. Focusing on leadership development, which helped Dr. Little to effectively navigate when several administrators retired and were followed by talented individuals who were prepared to lead.
The board also instructed Dr. Little to continue to focus on addressing any academic concerns caused by the pandemic, communicating with families, students, staff, the community and the District One Board of Trustees. Thy also asked that he continue to emphasize teacher and staff retention.
