Divided school board names Royster superintendent

By Cindy Landrum  

MARCH 29, 2012 11:18 a.m. (0)

Burke Royster, the man who has overseen Greenville County Schools’ day-to-day operations for six years, is the school district’s new superintendent.

A divided school board approved Royster’s appointment through a 7 to 5 vote after 14 hours of deliberation behind closed doors Saturday and another three hours in executive session Tuesday night after the conclusion of its regular monthly meeting.

Voting to hire Royster were Megan Hickerson, Lynda Leventis-Wells, Tommie Reece, Danna Rholeder, Chuck Saylors, Pat Sudduth and board chairman Roger Meek.

Debi Bush, Glenda Morrison-Fair, Crystal Ball O’Connor, Leola Robinson-Simpson and Lisa Wells voted no.

Royster will get a three-year contract, a salary of $215,000 and an annual annuity of 10 percent of the superintendent’s salary.

Royster will replace Dr. Phinnize Fisher, a National School Superintendent of the Year finalist in 2011, no later than July 1.

The other finalists were Dr. Eugene White, superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools and a finalist for the top job in Mobile, AL, and Dr. Lynn Moody, superintendent of York District 3 in Rock Hill.

The Mobile Press-Register reported that White said during a series of interviews in that city on Tuesday that he’s always preferred the Mobile County job and he’d be a better fit there because of his urban schools background.

Local black ministers had expressed concern over Moody’s district using the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. holiday as a make-up snow day in 2011. She said students had missed nearly a week of school because of a snowstorm and that teacher furloughs left the district only three possible make-up days. She said the community had input into the school calendar before it was approved.

Royster, the son of a school superintendent, had said his thorough knowledge of the school district put him above the other finalists because there would be no learning curve.

“Mr. Royster has the experience, expertise and qualifications to continue to advance student achievement and to provide students across our district with high quality educational opportunities,” Meek said.

Royster was selected after a national search. Seventy-two candidates applied for the job.

Royster spent the last six years as Greenville County Schools’ deputy superintendent. Before that, he was an assistant superintendent in Oconee County.

Royster, a Clemson grad who is working on his doctorate at the University of South Carolina, served as assistant principal at Monaview Elementary and Northwestern High schools in Rock Hill and as a principal at Seneca High and Waccamaw High in Pawley’s Island.

Royster said the school district’s greatest asset is its students, teachers, administrators, parents and community. He said the district can improve in all areas, but he plans to focus immediate attention to the delivery of instructional services. Innovations in classroom instruction need to be encouraged, replicated and shared, he said.

Royster will be the 10th superintendent to lead Greenville County Schools since the school district was established in 1951.

His predecessors were Dr. W.F. Loggins, Dr. M.T. Anderson, Dr. Floyd Hall, Dr. Roy Truby, Dr. Thomas E. Kerns, Dr. Timothy Jenney, Dr. Rudolph Gordon, Dr. Bill Harner and Fisher.