New permanent principal named at Midlands high school after grading woes
After a year of controversy, a new face is taking over a Midlands high school.
The Lexington 2 school board last week voted to hire James “Vance” Jones as the new principal of Brookland-Cayce High School, naming a new permanent head for the school that had its accreditation threatened over a state grading audit.
Jones is currently the principal of Spartanburg High School, but he isn’t entirely new to the Cayce-West Columbia school district. Jones previously worked in the district from 2001 to 2005, the district said in a media release about the new hire.
Jones was a business education teacher and then an administrative assistant at Airport High School, then spent a year as an assistant principal at Busbee Middle School, now Busbee Creative Arts Academy.
“It was evident throughout the interviewing process that Dr. Jones is passionate about students and believes that high school should be the best part of a student’s life,” Superintendent Brenda Hafner said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of knowledge as a sitting high school principal at a high performing school, and he is eager to return to the area with his family. We are pleased to welcome Dr. Jones to the Bearcat Family.”
Brookland-Cayce was at the heart of a grading controversy last year when an audit by the S.C. Department of Education found many students had been issued diplomas without completing the required courses, and the department announced it was downgrading the school’s accreditation rating for the 2021-22 school year.
The audit led to clashes between the Lexington 2 school board and then-Superintendent Nicholas Wade, who ultimately resigned last May. Former superintendent Barry Bolen was named interim principal at Brookland-Cayce for the 2022-23 school year.
Last July, the district announced plans to fix the issues at Brookland-Cayce, including new staff training and new monitoring of students’ courses.
During his time at Spartanburg High, Jones — a Wofford College graduate — earned the high school a place among the top 12% of high schools in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report, with a graduation rate exceeding the state average.
“It is a joy to interact with high school students,” Jones said in a statement. “This unique time in their lives provides us with a tremendous opportunity to help them shape their interests, develop a personal love of learning, and build confidence as they take their first steps toward becoming young adults.
“I have high aspirations for Brookland-Cayce High School and for every student that walks our halls,” Jones added. “Together with the faculty, staff, and community, I look forward to building on the foundation of excellence that has been established in order to provide the best high school experience for our students and their families.”
Jones will start work with the district on July 1.
