Superintendent
A Message From Dr. Ross
Dear Lexington Richland School District Five Family,
The vision of School District Five is simple: “We Love and Grow our Students.” This vision was created by the faculty and staff to recognize the collective reason why professionals choose to work in our district. Our theme for the 2024 - 2025 school year is “Growing Together” which highlights the secret to our success, our people.
Education, like many aspects of life, has been continuously influenced by constant change. We are committed to establishing an educational system that enables faculty, staff, and students to excel in a world of constant change. This year, schools will experience changes in English Language Arts standards, new training requirements for teaching reading and spelling, and new requirements for managing instructional material and cell phones. This is in addition to the constant changes in the academic, social and emotional needs of students. Author John C. Maxwell is quoted as saying, “Change is inevitable, growth is optional.” School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties chooses to thrive in a world of constant change. We will thrive by growing together.
The administration has three (3) priorities to help our school district thrive in a world of constant change. First, we strive to increase support for classrooms. Schools are responsible for more than the education of children; we are also responsible for the safety, physical health, mental well-being, social welfare, behavioral skills, and learning accommodations of over 17,000 students. Teachers need support to help their students so they can spend more time teaching. A national survey of public school teachers conducted by the nonprofit RAND Corporation found that teachers worked an average of 53 hours per week, but less than half of the time was spent teaching. We are working with our advisory committees and community partners to improve our system to assist teachers and increase instructional time.
Our district is currently facing a national teacher shortage and our second priority is dedicated to retaining and recruiting its faculty and staff. To address this issue, our faculty advisory conducted a year-long study to identify strategies to enhance teacher retention. The findings indicated that teachers seek a work environment where they feel valued and have opportunities for professional growth. Additionally, we have collaborated with several universities and state agencies to establish pathways for our staff members to become certified teachers. We are pleased to announce that thirteen (13) staff members have successfully become certified teachers through our "classified to certified" program, and we are excited about the ongoing success of this initiative.
Our community has experienced change. We are tasked with confronting the reality that housing development has affected student enrollment trends, traffic congestion has impacted operational capabilities, inflationary impacts have changed maintenance objectives, and technology has changed workforce development. Public schools are a vital part of the social and economic infrastructure of our community, and our third priority is to ensure we change in order to provide a safe, healthy, and productive learning environment for all students. This is why the 2024 Bond Referendum is being placed before the voters in the November 2024 election. It is our goal to educate the public so that you can make an informed decision about the future of our schools.
We look forward to this new school year as we continue the vision of loving and growing our students.
Akil E. Ross, Sr., Ed.D.
Superintendent
Dr. Akil E. Ross, Sr. is an experienced educator who currently serves as the Superintendent for Lexington-Richland School District Five. He started his career in education over 20 years ago as a teacher and coach at Eau Claire High School in Columbia, South Carolina. In 2005, he joined Richland School District One, where he worked as an assistant principal and then became the principal of Chapin High School. In 2018, he left Chapin High School to become the Director of Secondary Education for the district. Dr. Ross is also an accomplished author and an Affiliate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of South Carolina (UofSC). He left School District Five in 2018 to start HeartED, LLC, an educational consulting firm that shares lessons and strategies to help communities empower every child. He was appointed as the Superintendent of School District Five in February of 2022.
Dr. Ross earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University in 2002. In 2005, he obtained his master's degree in Secondary Educational Administration from the University of South Carolina. In 2009, he earned his educational specialist degree from South Carolina State University. In July 2012, he earned his doctorate in Curriculum Studies from the University of South Carolina.
Throughout his career, Dr. Ross has received numerous professional recognitions and accomplishments. In 2017, he was named the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA) Secondary Principal of the Year, and in 2018 he received the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Principal of the Year award. He was also featured in Principal Leadership Magazine, The Rotarian Magazine, and Columbia Business Monthly as one of the 50 Most Influential people in 2018. In 2020, Dr. Ross was named the UofSC College of Education Adjunct Professor of the Year.
Dr. Akil E. Ross, Sr.
Superintendent
803-476-8169
aross@lexrich5.org
Amee White
Executive Administrative Assistant for Board of Trustees and Superintendent
803-476-8169
awhite@lexrich5.org