Lancaster County has a new school superintendent. Meet the board’s pick
Raashad Fitzpatrick is the unanimous pick to lead the Lancaster County School District as its next superintendent.
The school board voted 7-0 Tuesday night to bring on Fitzpatrick after having narrowed its superintendent search list to five finalists this summer. Fitzpatrick will replace the retiring Jonathan Phipps.
“The board had a difficult decision with five strong finalists,” said Board Chair Brad Small. “I am confident that Dr. Fitzpatrick will serve Lancaster County School District well. We are excited to move forward to do what is best for the education of our students.”
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Fitzpatrick comes from assistant superintendent and district ombudsman roles in Greenville County Schools. Almost two dozen of Fitzpatrick’s 25 years in education have come as an administrator.
“I am excited to serve as superintendent in the Lancaster County School District,” Fitzpatrick said. “I look forward to helping build on the current success in Lancaster County schools while creating new opportunities for greater student achievement.”
Prior experience includes coaching at West Virginia State University, teaching and coaching at Chesnee High School and assistant principal roles at Whitlock Junior High School and his alma mater, Spartanburg High School. Fitzpatrick was also principal at Carver Middle School and Gaffney High School. Fitzpatrick is an adjunct professor at Converse College.
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Fitzpatrick holds degrees from West Virginia State University, Marshall University and South Carolina State University. His dissertation focused on the impact of early literacy and behavior sanctions on the graduation rate of Black males. Fitzpatrick is a certified dropout prevention specialist.
Fitzpatrick is married to Crystal and has four children.
“We will fulfill the vision of ‘putting students first’ by providing excellent experiences in academics, athletics, activities and the arts,” Fitzpatrick said. “I invite all stakeholders to join me as we prepare our students for the future. I want to thank the school board for giving me the chance to lead in such a wonderful district.”
Lancaster County has an enrollment of more than 15,000 students. That a little fewer than Rock Hill schools have, with only Fort Mill schools having more in the three-county Rock Hill region. Lancaster County has 23 schools and almost 900 teachers. The state report card for Lancaster County shows a district largely at or near state averages for academic achievement, graduation rates and other key factors.
It’s a varied district that includes high-growth panhandle areas like Indian Land and Van Wyck, along with more rural spots farther south. Indian Land schools in particular performed near the top of state test score rankings from several tests administered last school year.
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