Parents and students at several Orangeburg County schools will find new faces sitting in the principal’s chair this fall.

The new principals have a wide array of educational experience. Three have been principals before.

Edisto High School Principal Merriell Smith is the lone newcomer in that group, but she believes her familiarity with the school will help in making the move.

Dr. Johnny Murdaugh is taking over as the director of the Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five Technology Center and hopes to continue the award-winning tradition established by former Director Abbiegail Hugine, who is retiring.

In the northeastern part of the county, Dr. Mamie Dupree wants to get innovative in the classroom at Elloree Elementary School. And newly minted Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High School Principal Dr. Jonathan Francis hopes to use the team concept in educating his students.

The following is a brief look at the four new principals:

• Merriell Smith, Edisto High School: Increasing community involvement, establishing a sense of school pride and creating a fun learning environment are top priorities for Smith.

The Maryland native is no stranger to Edisto, having served as both a teacher and assistant principal since her arrival in 1993.

“I feel like I know the community. That’s definitely an advantage. ... This will be a pretty easy transition,” Smith said.

Smith took over in July after former Edisto Principal Baron Davis took the principal’s job at Alcorn Middle School in Columbia.

As she settles into the office, Smith is “absolutely excited for school to start.” When that moment arrives, she wants to highlight the accomplishments of students to set a tone for success.

Smith also wants to start a writing competition and spelling bee for students to “build a sense of pride in their work.”

The veteran educator wants to start a quarterly community interest night for parents, where events like a technology night and a play would take place. She also wants to increase the participation on the school improvement council and parent-teacher association. She says both groups have not been very active recently.

Smith will also bring in community leaders to read with small groups of students.

“We need to show students that teachers aren’t the only ones who read,” Smith said.

• Dr. Johnny Murdaugh, OCSD Five Technology Center: Murdaugh is charged with the task of continuing the vast success the OCSD Five Technology Center experienced under Hugine.

Murdaugh believes the key is to build stronger partnerships, expand industry certification offerings and increase the number of programs.

“I really want to make sure our students are prepared for the workforce,” said Murdaugh, an Orangeburg-Wilkinson graduate.

Murdaugh says it feels good to be the OCSD Five Technology Center’s director because he’s a product of the district.

He thinks it’s critical for the school’s programs to measure up because graduates will face international competition for jobs.

His number one goal is to “make sure our students are able to speak in the language of innovation.” He wants to add programs such as nanotechnology and animation and gaming to the school’s repertoire. In addition, he wants to implement a schoolwide literacy test to ensure students are able to meet industry standards.

Murdaugh has served in variety of positions in education, including being a band director, teacher, assistant principal, principal and curriculum coordinator.

He is an accomplished jazz musician and the co-owner of The Music Doctor, Inc. He also enjoys fishing and video games.

Murdaugh might display his musical prowess for his students “here and there,” but will establish a business-first mentality at the Technology Center.

“I want to take students to a new level and have a better understanding of what’s going on in the workplace,” he said.

• Dr. Mamie Dupree, Elloree Elementary School: Over the years, Dupree has had a number of titles in the education world. However, she finds her current position is the most rewarding.

“It’s the most exciting and rewarding position you can find. To me, you have such an impact on the lives of children that you can see their growth over the years,” Dupree said.

Dupree hopes Elloree Elementary can grow during her tenure. In order to accomplish that feat, she wants to apply more innovative methods to teach key subjects. For example, she wants to increase the number of lab experiments in science classes and start using more hands-on activities in math classes.

The school will also use more benchmark testing this year to address areas where students are academically weak.

Every quarter, an awards ceremony will take place to recognize not only honor roll students, but students who make significant progress.

“We’re looking very hard at recruiting school business partners,” Dupree said. She hopes those partners can inspire students to greater academic heights and give them an early connection to the business world.

She is also working on assembling a team of retired educators and community figures to serve as tutors.

Parents and grandparents can expect to be invited on campus quite regularly for workshops, luncheons and conferences during the school year.

Dupree is a native of Sumter, where she started her teaching career. She received her doctorate from South Carolina State University and has worked in OCSD 3 for the past three years.

In her spare time, Dupree serves on the boards of both the YWCA and Boys and Girls Club in Sumter. She enjoys church, shopping, reading and taking trips.

• Dr. Jonathan Francis, H-K-T High School: He’s an avid motorcycle rider, aviator and boating enthusiast. He’s also served in nearly every education capacity during his four decades in the profession. And he even bungee jumps.

Now, Francis hopes to raise H-K-T High School to a new level of academic excellence.

He’s done that before too.

In the early 1990s, Francis led Beaufort High School from being low-performing to the point where the state didn’t even regulate the school prior to No Child Left Behind.

Along the way, he picked up the honor of being South Carolina Principal of the Year in 1992.

He wants to cultivate a family atmosphere at H-K-T in hopes of curbing turnover rates. When he was selected at H-K-T, Francis’ first move was to consult his faculty and staff for recommendations to improve the school.

He listened to his faculty and this year the school will offer Algebra I, English I and English II year-round in an attempt to bolster test scores.

Future goals include establishing higher expectations and more clubs.

“The greatest indicator of success after high school is involvement in extracurricular activities,” he says. “Students respond to high expectations.”

If those students respond to the high expectations, they will receive a “good news card” to send home to their parents informing them of their achievements.

That’s part of Francis’ plan to foster better communication with parents and get them more involved in their children’s education. Parents of H-K-T students will also receive a quarterly newsletter.

A team effort of parents and teachers is paramount for student success at H-K-T, he said.

Francis believes the school will, “be in a better posture from an academic and social standpoint and establish a very good learning environment” during his tenure.

• T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060.

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