Greenwood County School District 52 board approves multiple hires, accepts resignation after executive session

The Greenwood County School District 52 Board of Trustees approved multiple personnel contracts and hires and accepted a resignation after an executive session on March 10, 2026.

Cathy Anderson, the district personnel representative, presented 2026–27 employee contracts and new hires. The board voted on several packages by school. For NSPS contracts the board approved the slate excluding candidate #28; Chair Adam Eichelberger recused himself from that vote. A subsequent separate motion to approve candidate #28 passed with Jay Reynolds, Ray Jackson, Darren Carter and London Thomas voting in favor (4–0 with one recusal). For NSES contracts the board voted to approve the slate with exceptions for candidates #45, #52 and #57; those three candidates were then considered individually with the minutes recording the motions, seconds and the recusals as presented.

The board approved candidates presented as "A," "C" and "D" as new hires for the 2026–27 year. The minutes identify those hires as Sandra O'Dell (NSHS guidance counselor, 2026–27), Brandon Norman (NSHS physical-education teacher, 2026–27) and Torey Riser (NSHS interim band director, 2026–27). The minutes also list a series of recent resignations, including Theresa Mejia (multilingual teacher), Chase Duncan (athletic/PE teacher), Roberta Blackmon (food service), Sheryl Smith (guidance secretary), Malik Goodman (assistant athletic director), JaQuon Louden (basketball coach) and Kaylee Etters (assistant athletic director).

The board moved into executive session at 6:23 p.m. (motion by Ray Jackson) and reconvened at 6:55 p.m. After the executive session the board accepted the resignation of an individual identified in the minutes as "Employee E" from the 2025–26 contract, agreeing not to report the release as a breach of contract to the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE). The board also authorized hiring a certified teacher identified as "Candidate F" for the remainder of the 2025–26 school year and approved hire of another candidate labeled "Candidate B." In a separate personnel action, Chad Ellis was hired as the 2026–27 NSHS athletic director.

All motions recorded in the minutes include mover and seconder information and vote outcomes; where the minutes note "all voted in favor," the board recorded unanimous approval. Where the minutes record a recusal, that recusal is shown alongside the subsequent roll-call outcome. The meeting adjourned at 6:57 p.m.

The minutes do not specify the reasons for the recusals or the substantive grounds discussed in executive session; the public minutes identify hires and resignations but withhold executive-session particulars.