Beaufort Appoints New Principals For Upcoming School Year

Beaufort Appoints New Principals For Upcoming School Year

Beaufort County School District has recently made an exciting announcement: four new principals have been picked to lead their schools into the new school year, which kicks off on August 7th. The vacancies were filled from within by experienced education professionals.

“We believe that the cornerstone of a top-notch district is strong school leadership,” said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez. “It’s thrilling to see these incredibly dedicated and capable educators step up into these key roles. They’re committed and they really grasp the importance of creating a culture of progressively advancing academics and pushing for our students’ success.”

Meet Your New Principals

Jamie Allen – Broad River Elementary School

Jamie Allen will lead Broad River Elementary School, moving in from her former role as the principal of Whale Branch Middle School. She steps into the shoes of Constance Goodwine-Lewis, the new principal at St. Helena Elementary School.

Allen is definitely not new to Broad River Elementary, having kick-started her educational journey there as a third-grade teacher in 2006. She’s had an impressive career progression, serving as a literacy interventionist, TAP mentor/master teacher, and as an assistant principal until 2021.

Holding a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in literacy from Lesley University and an education specialist degree in educational leadership from Capella University, Allen is all equipped for her new role.

Brantley Wilson – Whale Branch Middle School

Brantley Wilson is stepping into Allen’s role at Whale Branch Middle School. He started his educational journey at the Beaufort Jasper Academy for Career Excellence in Ridgeland. Additionally, he has served as an assistant principal at both Hilton Head Island Middle School and Lady’s Island Middle School.

While holding a master’s degree in educational leadership from the American College of Education, Wilson’s experience also extends to volunteer rescue diving and firefighting. Now, he is set to dive into a new journey.

Sonji Leach – Whale Branch Early College High School

Songji Leach, formerly an assistant principal at Beaufort High School, will guide Whale Branch Early College High School. Leach brings in rich administrative experience as she replaces Davina Coleman, who has moved on to a corporate role outside the district.

Leach is pretty comfortable occupying the principal’s chair thanks to her previous roles in Georgia and interim principal stints in Savannah and Beaufort High School. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Argosy University in Atlanta and a master’s degree in Middle Grades Education from Georgia Southern University.

Keith Stewart – Bluffton Middle School

Keith Stewart steps up from the role of the assistant principal at Bluffton Middle School to its principal. Stewart began his career teaching physical education in Manning High School in Clarendon School District and has been a part of the Beaufort County School District’s journey, teaching at several schools.

Stewart holds a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of South Carolina, positioning him well for the new academic season.

Selection Process

The process of selecting the new principals involved a diverse interview committee comprising of teacher leaders, feeder/cluster principals, School Improvement Council members, HR representatives, and a district Instructional Services division representative. Students also joined the interview committee for high schools. Each candidate was rated by the committee members after interview rounds. The ratings were then submitted to Superintendent Rodriguez, who made the final decision.