Who are the new Greenville County Schools principals for 2024-25 school year? What to know.

The first day of school for Greenville County Schools (GCS) is Thursday, Aug. 8.

Kindergarten, first grade, and students who are new to the district should make sure they are registered before the date.

The principals for the 2024-25 school year have recently been announced. Parents and guardians whose children have attended GSC over the last few years may recognize some of the administration's newest faces.

Wondering who the new principal is at your child's school? Here's what to know.

West Greenville School: Tim Scipio

Tim Scipio is a Darlington native with a B.S. in industrial education from Clemson University, an M.Ed. in educational leadership from Converse College, and both an Ed.S. and Ed.D. in educational administration from the University of South Carolina. Previously, he served as assistant principal at Woodruff High School, establishing programs like the Senior Enrichment program and overseeing special education. During his time as director of Brookwood Academy, he achieved notable success working with students with behavioral challenges. He began his career as a technology educator at Woodruff High, during which time he was named Teacher of the Year for his significant contributions to student engagement and community involvement.

Fountain Inn High: Stephanie Smith

Stephanie Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in biology/pre-med from Virginia Tech, a Master of Arts in teaching secondary science/biology from East Tennessee State University, and a Master of Education in educational administration from the University of South Carolina. She is a graduate of the GCS Aspiring Principal Institute and Instructional Leadership Academy and was honored as the Athletic Director of the Year for 4A Region 2. Her background includes athletic director at Riverside High School, assistant principal at Wade Hampton High School, Riverside High School, and in her current role at Mauldin High School and at the district level as secondary science academic specialist. As assistant principal, Smith organized major community events, led professional development initiatives, supervised science, career and technical education, and college and career-readiness programs.

Bethel Elementary: Nurit' Sexton

During her 14 years as a teacher and math coach and interventionist at Armstrong Elementary, Nurit' Sexton was recognized as a Top 3 District Teacher of the Year. She then moved into school leadership as an administrative assistant at Mauldin Elementary, where she was named PTA Administrator of the Year after just one year there. Since 2017, she has served as assistant principal at Woodland Elementary School, contributing significantly to the school’s recognition as Palmetto’s Finest and Leader in Me school of Distinction. She holds a B.A. in elementary education from Converse College and an M.A. in executive leadership from Gardner-Webb University. She has completed the GCS Aspiring Principal Institute, Instructional Leaders Academy, and Instructional Coach Institute.

Greenville High Academy: Dylan Hudson

Dylan Hudson currently serves as principal Seneca High School in the School District of Oconee County. He has spearheaded instructional leadership initiatives that resulted in the school achieving the highest graduation rate in the district and has managed school operations and logistics. He has also supported teachers through the establishment of the T-3 (Teacher Tips Tuesdays) program for new teachers and the Leadership Advisory Council of teacher leaders. Hudson has been honored as a “Top 20 under 40” leader by the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce and named to the South Carolina ASCD Emerging Leader Class of 2023-24. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of South Carolina, an M.Ed. in school administration and supervision from Charleston Southern University, and an Ed.S. in educational leadership from The Citadel.

Reedy Laurel Elementary: Matthew Critell

Matthew Critell is currently serving his fifth year as principal at Bethel Elementary School. He previously served as assistant principal at Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School and taught kindergarten at Fork Shoals School. His leadership will be instrumental in the successful launch of the new elementary school at the former J.L. Mann site. Critell holds a B.A. in early childhood education from Youngstown State University, Ohio, and an M.Ed. in school leadership from Furman University. He has been honored as a GCS Top Ten Teacher of the Year and is a member of the Upstate STEM Collaborative Advisory Board, a Founding Member of the Fielding Nair International 10-10 Schools Network, and a graduate of the GCS Aspiring Principal Institute.

Greenville Middle: Edgar Henson

Edgar Henson began his education career teaching social studies and English/language arts in Spartanburg District Five. In 2018, he joined GCS as an assistant administrator at Mauldin Middle School. He has developed his skills by working collaboratively with teachers, serving on committees, and participating in growth activities. Henson holds degrees from USC Upstate and Furman University, where he most recently completed his educational specialist degree. He is a graduate of both the GCS Aspiring Principal Institute and Instructional Leadership Academy and assisted in developing the district’s first assistant principal mentoring program for new middle school administrators.

Woodmont Middle: Kyle Pearson

Pearson is an Aiken native who taught social studies at both the middle and high school levels for 12 years in Aiken County, Fort Mill, and Rock Hill school districts. He joined Greenville County Schools in 2019 as an administrative assistant at Mauldin High School and was promoted to assistant principal at Fisher Middle School in 2021. He has served on several district-level committees and currently is a member of the volunteer regional team for the S.C. Association for Middle Level Education. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina.

East North Street Elementary: Jordan Hudson

Jordan Hudson earned a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education from the University of South Carolina, Master of Education and specialist in educational leadership degrees from The Citadel, and a Doctor of Education in education systems improvement science from Clemson University. She is also a completer of the GCS Aspiring Principal Institute. She began her career as an elementary teacher at Westview Elementary School in Berkeley County, where she was recognized as the District Rookie Teacher of the Year and a Top 3 Finalist for District Teacher of the Year in 2014. She has served as assistant principal at Greenville Middle Academy and Ralph Chandler Middle in GCS and at Knightsville Elementary School in Dorchester Two.

Alexander Elementary: Dawn Hooker

Dawn Hooker earned a B.A. in elementary education at North Greenville University, M.Ed. degrees from Clemson University in elementary education and reading, a certification in administration and supervision from Clemson University, and a Ph. D. in leadership and administration from the University of South Carolina. She is currently the principal of East North Street Academy, where she has worked in the position for nine years. Under Hooker's leadership, East North Street, which receives Title I funding, has performed well above schools of similar poverty levels. Hooker previously served as an assistant principal at Welcome Elementary with Greenville County Schools and at A.R. Lewis Elementary in Pickens County. She was also recognized as Teacher of the Year when teaching third grade at Powdersville Elementary.

Lakeview Middle: Jennifer Couch

Jennifer Couch has served as principal of Woodmont Middle School. In the last five years she has worked there, ELA scores have grown by more than 25% and math scores by more than 15%. The school has also successfully exited the state Priority Schools list, maintained strong School Report Card ratings, and was recently named a National Schools to Watch Designation School. Couch began her career in education as a teacher in Anderson County Districts One and Five and served as an assistant principal at Palmetto Middle School in Anderson One. She holds a B.S. in political science from Presbyterian College, a M.Ed. in elementary education and secondary social studies from Converse College, and a M.Ed. in administration and supervision from Anderson University.

Woodmont High School: Melissa Patterson

Melissa Patterson earned her Bachelor of Science in physical education from USC Upstate, an M.Ed. from Southern Wesleyan University, and a certificate in educational administration from Clemson University. She is also a graduate of the GSC Aspiring Principal Institute. She currently serves as assistant principal of Curriculum and Operations at Woodmont High School where she oversees multiple departments and leads instructional teams. She has also played a crucial role in improving EOC scores. Her strategic initiatives at Woodmont High contributed to the highest growth in student achievement in the district in 2022. Recently, the school was recognized as a Palmetto's Finest and a Model School. Her dedication and accomplishments earned her the designation of Greenville County Schools’ 2023 Assistant Principal of the Year.

Eastside High School: Todd Stafford

Todd Stafford is the current assistant principal at Greer High School with over a decade of experience as a successful school administrator, demonstrating proficiency in both instructional and operational leadership. In 2007, he began his career as a science teacher at Travelers Rest High School, where his commitment to excellence was evident through impressive end-of-course exam scores in biology. He was also a football coach and assistant athletic director and was recognized as the district’s Assistant School Administrator of the Year in 2019.

Child Development Centers: April Roberts

April Roberts served as interim principal of the Child Development Centers during the 2023-24 school year. An educator with a passion for fostering holistic child development, she has established a commitment to foundational literacy and soft skills to ensure that at-risk 4K students are ready for kindergarten. She also works closely with the pre-K leadership team to ensure continuity across 4K classrooms and to implement high-quality curriculum and professional development for teachers. In her 25-year career she has served in the following leadership roles in the district: assistant principal at Sara Collins ES, Pelham Road ES, Golden Strip CDC and Dunbar CDC. She serves on the District Conscious Discipline Action Team and the District MTSS Team.

Tigerville Elementary: Amy Kern

Amy Kern holds degrees in educational leadership and early childhood and elementary education from Furman University and Clemson University, respectively. She has served Greenville County Schools as an ADEPT teacher leader in the last two years. From 2014-2022, she served as principal of Mitchell Road Elementary School, where she spearheaded initiatives that led to the school consistently outperforming similar schools across the state and designation as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2022. Previously, she served as assistant principal at Mitchell Road for six years and at Gateway Elementary for five years. She has also mentored new principals in our district and participated in the SC School Leadership Executive Institute.

Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Who are the new Greenville County Schools principals for 2024-25 school year? What to know.