Administrative changes are underway in Wagener and Ridge Spring-Monetta area public schools.
Beginning in the 2018-19 school year, both Busbee Corbett Elementary Middle School and Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle High School will split, ending a nearly decade-long arrangement of combined grade spans and will instead operate as independent elementary, middle and high schools with dedicated leadership and support staff, according to a news release from the Aiken County Public School District.
Also, Wagener residents soon will have the opportunity to help select a new high school principal. Ute Aadland, who has been the principal at Wagener-Salley High for five years, will take a new position at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center for the 2018-19 school year.
Returning to single-level configurations
Currently, Kyle Blankenship is the principal of students in grades six through 12 at Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle High School, and Sonya Colvin is the principal of students from kindergarten to eighth grade at Busbee-Corbett Elementary Middle School.
“While the move to combined grade spans in our more rural schools with lower student enrollment numbers may have made sense a number of years ago, the taxing expense of quality instructional leadership without a principal dedicated to a single-level grade configuration cannot be ignored,” Aiken County Public School District Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford said. “In addition to a consistent request from the community for the split, performance data, particularly at the middle school level, doesn’t support continuation of this service delivery model.”
Blankenship, who will remain the principal of Ridge Spring-Monetta High, said he is “thrilled” with the split and the return to dedicated grade spans.
“With curriculum spanning from sixth-grade to 12th and students’ social and emotional development ranging a large span as well, it’s difficult to provide the level of support our teachers and students deserve,” Blankenship said. “I’m looking forward to welcoming a new administrator at our middle school campus and working collaboratively with him or her to foster an even higher level of performance at our schools.”
Robin Hill-Davidson, currently the principal of Greendale Elementary School in New Ellenton, will become the principal of A.L. Corbett Middle School this summer.
“‘Ms. HD,’ as she’s referred to by most, has a wide and varied career that includes training and experience in areas of need at our school,” said Colvin, who will remain the principal of Busbee Elementary. “I’m excited to see our staff’s and community’s shared vision to return to two individual schools.”
The school district has not yet named a principal for Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle School.
New leader for Wagener-Salley
The school district will hold a meeting and a virtual opportunity to give community residents an opportunity get involved in the selection process for the new principal of Wagener-Salley High.
Aadland, who will transition to a leadership role at the Career and Technology Center in June, said she is looking forward to the opportunity to serve the district in a new capacity.
“Career and technology education is increasingly important for our students,” Aadland said. “Helping students gain employable skill sets has never been more important in our county and in our school district. To be on the cutting edge of skill mastery for a greater number of students is really exciting to me.”
Alford said he is looking “forward to working with the Wagener-Salley and Ridge Spring-Monetta communities in the weeks ahead and in taking deliberate steps to ensure their children’s future success.”
“As I make good on a promise to ensure equitable educational opportunities for students throughout the district, I am cognizant of the fact that my commitment does and should extend to schools and students in our more rural areas,” he said.
