New faces, roles in Lexington Two for 2024-2025 school year

WEST COLUMBIA, SC -- Lexington Two welcomes several new members of the administrative team in the 2024-2025 school year. 


Principals/Directors

 

Stacey Baker, Director of Career and Technology

Stacey Baker has been selected as director of career and technology, based at the Lexington Two Innovation Center. Ms. Baker, a graduate of Airport HIgh School, comes to the district after serving as an assistant principal at Richland Two’s Spring Valley High School.  She started her education career in 2006 as a CATE teacher in business education at Spring Valley, where she also served as an assistant administrator for four years before moving into her current role in 2016.  Baker holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern Wesleyan University and a M.Ed. from the University of South Carolina.

 

Nicholas "Nick" Gillcrese, Riverbank Elementary School

Nick Gillcrese has two decades of education experience at Midlands area schools. He is currently an assistant principal in Richland Two at Lake Carolina Elementary School’s Lower Campus, a position he has held since 2020.  Prior to that, he was an assistant principal for three years at Sandlapper Elementary School, also in Richland Two. Mr. Gillcrese started his education career in Lexington-Richland 5 as a third-grade teacher, spending two years at Ballentine Elementary then nine years at Oak Pointe Elementary, where he was named Teacher of the Year in 2014-2015. He later served for two years as administrative assistant principal at Oak Pointe. He received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Benedict College, and a master’s degree and M.Ed. in administration and supervision, both from Southern Wesleyan University.

 

Elaine Lundy, Cayce Elementary School

A familiar face will be returning to Cayce Elementary School. Elaine Lundy, who has been with Lexington Two for more than 20 years, will be the new principal.  Ms. Lundy served as an assistant principal at Cayce Elementary for six years, from 2016-2022, before moving to her most recent position of principal at New Bridge Academy, the district’s alternative program. She started her education career in 1999 as a teacher at Saluda Trail Middle School in Rock Hill School District 3, moving to Lexington School District Two in 2001. She served as a special education teacher at Brookland-Cayce High School, Busbee Middle School (now Busbee Creative Arts Academy), and Three Rivers Midlands Facility. She later was an ABA coordinator and transition specialist for the district and director of Lexington Two’s Camp GG for more than 12 years.  Ms. Lundy is a graduate of Brookland-Cayce High School and received a bachelor’s degree from Winthrop University and master’s degrees from Grand Canyon University and Columbia College.

 

Kelly Remia, New Bridge Academy

Kelly Remia is the new principal at Lexington Two's New Bridge Academy. She comes to her new role after serving as coordinator for Lexington-Richland 5’s FIVE Virtual Program. She started her career in 2009 at Richland Two’s Blythewood Academy, where she served as a transition specialist and later as an assistant administrator.  She moved to Irmo Middle School in Lexington-Richland 5 in 2020, where she served as an assistant principal before moving into the same role with the district’s FIVE Virtual Program. She has served in her current role with the FIVE program since 2022. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia College and a M.Ed from Grand Canyon University.

 

Jonathan Wilburn, Fulmer Middle School

Jonathan Wilburn is the new leader at Fulmer Middle School. He is a familiar face at the school, having started his education career at Fulmer in 1998 as a social studies teacher before being tapped to become assistant principal in 2013. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia International University, as well as a M.Ed and Ed.S from the University of South Carolina.

 

Assistant Principals

 

Denise Fowler, Airport High School (Assistant Principal of Instruction)

Denise Fowler brings nearly 20 years of education experience to Lexington Two. She is currently an assistant principal at Richland Northeast High School in neighboring Richland Two. Ms. Fowler started her education career in 2005 in Pennsylvania, first as an English teacher with the School District of the City of York, then moving in 2012 to become assistant principal with South Western High School, in the South Western School District. She moved to Richland Two in 2014 as a federal grant director before taking on her current role in 2015 at Richland Northeast High School. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The State University of New York and a M.Ed. from York College of Pennsylvania.

 

Allison Jackson, Wood Elementary

Allison Jackson is a new assistant principal at Wood Elementary School. Ms. Jackson comes to Lexington Two after serving as assistant administrative principal at Lexington-Richland 5’s Piney Woods Elementary School, a role she began in July 2023. Prior to that, she worked at Lexington 1’s Midway Elementary School, where she served as a lead interventionist, interventionist, classroom teacher, and instructional math coach during her 10-plus years at the school. She received a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina.

 

Angela Norris, Fulmer Middle School

Angela Norris is a familiar face at the Lexington Two middle school, having most recently served since 2018 as a business teacher and assistant administrator at Fulmer. Prior to that, Ms. Norris was a Project Lead The Way teacher at the district’s Pine Ridge Middle School, and she started her education career in 2012 as a teacher in business, finance and information technology at Pine Forest High School in North Carolina’s Cumberland County Schools. Ms. Norris received an associate degree from Robeson Community College, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a MSA from East Carolina University.

 

Ryan Van Omen, Brookland-Cayce High School

Ryan Van Omen is a familiar face at Brookland-Cayce. He currently serves as an assistant administrator and math teacher at B-C, where he graduated in 2015 and began his education career in 2018. He has also served as math department chair. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and a M.Ed. from Grand Canyon University. He is a Brookland-Cayce High School alum, having graduated in 2015.

 

District Office

 

Tiffany Chaplin, Coordinator of SPED

Tiffany Chaplin has two decades of experience in education. She most recently served as assistant principal of instruction at Newberry High School, a role she held for two years, and served there nearly 10 years as assistant principal/interim principal. Prior to that, she was an assistant principal McCormick Elementary School in McCormick County Schools, a site supervisor at Grand Canyon University, and started her career as an instructor at Mid-Carolina High School in Newberry County Schools. Ms. Chaplin received a bachelor’s degree from Newberry College, M.Ed. from Nova Southeastern University, and another M.Ed. from Grand Canyon University.

 

Dr. David McDonald, Chief Academic and Innovation Officer

Dr. McDonald has more than two decades of education experience in South Carolina schools. He currently serves as assistant superintendent for school leadership in the Greenville County Schools, the state’s largest district, where he provides support to 20 schools. During his time in education,  Dr. McDonald has worked to enhance academic outcomes for students across a variety of schools, communities, and in numerous capacities. All of the schools he has led as principal, as well as those he currently supervises in Greenville County, have posted gains in student achievement and continue to make gains over their pre-pandemic academic performance levels. Before becoming assistant superintendent for school leadership seven years ago with Greenville County Schools, he served as principal at Northwest Middle, also in Greenville County (2013-2017), and at Indian Land Middle School (2008-2013) and Indian Land Elementary/Middle School (2007-2008), both in the Lancaster County School District. He started his education career in 2001 as a history teacher at Lancaster High School.  Among his professional affiliations through the years, Dr. McDonald has served as a ninth grade orientation program coordinator, ninth grade academy leadership team member, high school curriculum committee chair,  assistive technology committee member (special education), and district accreditation steering committee member, among others.  He has been invited to present at a number of conferences at local, state, and national levels to groups of educators and advocates for schools. Dr. McDonald holds a bachelor’s degree from Winthrop University, a master’s degree from Concordia University, and education specialist and doctoral degrees from the University of South Carolina.

 

Emmylou Todd, Director of Special Services

Emmylou Todd has been supporting special education students and programs in Lexington Two for nearly 20 years. She currently serves as a coordinator of special services (secondary) in the district. She started her Lexington Two career in 2006 at Fulmer Middle School as a special education teacher, then served three years as an ABA coordinator and transition specialist and three years as a district special education coach before moving into her current role in 2017.  She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of South Carolina and is working on a PhD.