Lake Carolina Elementary School Upper getting a new principal in July
April 26, 2023
This summer a familiar face will become principal at Lake Carolina Elementary School Upper Campus. At the recommendation of Richland School District Two interim superintendent Mrs. Nancy Gregory, the Richland Two Board of Trustees voted Tuesday, April 25, 2023, to approve Dr. Keicha Chandler-Smith as principal, effective July 1.
“Dr. Chandler-Smith has continually advanced her skill set and expanded her leadership capacity in preparation for a principalship,” said Interim Superintendent Nancy Gregory. “I am confident she will continue to provide the dynamic and engaging leadership families and staff at Lake Carolina Upper and all Richland Two schools have come to expect.”
Dr. Chandler-Smith joined the Richland Two family in 2008 as a kindergarten teacher at Bridge Creek Elementary School. Since 2011, she has served as an assistant principal, first at Windsor Elementary School and then at Lake Carolina Elementary School. For the past 10 years, she has served as an assistant principal at Lake Carolina Elementary School Upper.
“I am honored and humbled by the trust that has been placed in me, and I am excited to begin this new chapter in my career,” said Dr. Chander-Smith. “I am looking forward to working with the talented and dedicated faculty and staff at Lake Carolina Elementary-Upper Campus, as well as with the families and students of the school. I am committed to ensuring that our school provides a safe, inclusive, and nurturing learning environment where all students and staff can thrive and reach their full potential.”
Dr. Chandler-Smith earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Francis Marion University and a Master of Education degree in Early Literacy from Cambridge College. She also has an Educational Specialist degree in School Administration from Cambridge College and a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership from Gardner Webb University.
She succeeds Dr. James Ann Sheley who has served as interim principal since the retirement of the school’s very first principal, Mr. Jeff Williams.
