Kennedy announces plans to continue leading Charleston Co. Schools

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - The current Charleston County School superintendent likes working in the district so much that he is asking the board to keep him on in the position full time.

Superintendent Don Kennedy says he put in his application to become the long-term leader of the school district.

Kennedy was named interim superintendent following the resignation of Dr. Gerrita Postlewait in 2021. The Charleston County School District’s Board of Trustees later voted to promote Kennedy from interim superintendent to superintendent in July 2022.

The board of trustees officially selected the firm that is leading the search for the next superintendent in March.

Kennedy says if he stays in the position, his team has plans to review next year’s budget. He says his recommendations call for a significant pay increase for teachers, a hike in property taxes and the possibility of some employees in the district office being let go.

Kennedy says he is confident in his ability to continue to lead the district and that he’s already been a part of the district’s success.

“We have a lot of things that we’ve put in place. The important thing is that we don’t disrupt that because disruption means things have to restart and that’s really problematic,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy says it’s important to give the systems and processes that have already shown success an opportunity to thrive, before shifting to something else.

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