New Lancaster County School District Superintendent Ready to Take District to the Next Level

LANCASTER, SC (WBTV) - Lancaster County School District (LCSD) will soon have a new leader. The school board unanimously voted to give the job to Dr. Raashad Fitzpatrick. He will be the first African American to serve as LCSD top educator. He currently serves as Assistant to the Superintendent and District Ombudsman in the Greenville County School District in South Carolina. His role as District Ombudsman was something board members liked. District leaders heard parents say they wanted the next superintendent to be able to effectively communicate with them. Dr. Fitzpatrick tells WBTV he will be working together with parents to do what’s best for kids.

“Parents can expect from me honesty,” New LCSD Superintendent Dr. Raashad Fitzpatrick said. “Being open and being transparent. Parents can expect for me to seek their input in district decisions. And anytime that you are making a decision that impacts someone - it’s great to get their input.

Dr. Fitpatrick has a lot of years in the education profession. He has been an educator for the past 25 years including 22 years as an administrator. He attended WV State University majoring in secondary education, then received his M.A. in Leadership Studies from Marshall University and earned his doctorate degree in Educational Administration from South Carolina State University. He also did some coaching. He says when he saw the superintendent position opening at LCSD - he was immediately interested.

“It’s a county that is growing,” he said. “And an area that is growing really fast. And it’s an area that is very diverse with the student population, geographic and socioeconomic...I see the potential and I just feel like that I’d be a good fit and wanted to have an opportunity to join the team to help the district continue to grow and continue to work towards success.”

Fitzpatrick says he will be a school leader that will have the ability to adjust and focus on different issues at the same time. He also says he will show the consistency needed to take the district to the next level. His priority is to make sure students are college and career ready once they graduate from Lancaster County School District.

“I definitely want Lancaster to be the number 1 school district in the state of South Carolina,” Fitzpatrick said. “One of the top school districts in the nation and in the Southeast.”

The new superintendent start job in January.