Dr. Akil Ross – next Director of Secondary Education

For full article from the District’s web page, click here.

IRMO – Dr. Akil Ross has been named Lexington-Richland School District Five’s next Director of Secondary Education.

Ross has served as principal of Chapin High School since 2010 and in October was named the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) 2018 National Principal of the Year. He will replace Reggie Dean, who will retire at the end of the school year.

“After accomplishing amazing things in my career and at Chapin High School, I have now come to a point in my leadership that calls me to coach and mentor principals,” Ross said. “The success we have had at Chapin High serves as a model for schools across the state and country, and this position will allow me to coach and mentor instructional leaders.”

Under Ross’ leadership, Chapin High was recognized as a South Carolina Palmetto’s Finest Award recipient in 2015. He also challenged his faculty to aim for a 100 percent graduation rate. That challenge sparked the analysis of trend data to identify students most at risk of dropping out, then soliciting funding for a “school after school” to extend instructional services for those students. Graduation rates at the school reached a high of 96 percent in 2016.