Lexington 2 picks former leader for interim superintendent. No details on Wade resignation
Lexington 2 school district has named a former superintendent to come back to the job on a temporary basis after the resignation of current superintendent Nicholas Wade.
The school board met Wednesday to approve Barry Bolen as the new acting superintendent, the district announced in a statement. Bolen was the superintendent in the Cayce-West Columbia district from 2000 to 2008.
Wade resigned on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Lexington 2 board held a special called meeting to name a replacement for Wade, but no statement was made by district officials about his resignation prior to the meeting.
Wade had been superintendent for only a year, having joined Lexington 2 during the 2021-22 school year to replace former superintendent William James. Wade had previously been the superintendent of the Elmwood Park, Illinois, school district since 2017.
Wade’s resignation seemed unexpected, since the school board called a second meeting 24 hours after its previous one to name a replacement. The only item on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting was a closed-door executive session on “contractual matters.”
“I am very grateful for not just the experience Lexington Two has given me, but to be able to work alongside such talented teachers and administrators and be part of a larger commitment towards improving the entire district alongside them,” Wade said in a statement released by the district late Wednesday. “I am looking forward to pursuing new professional opportunities to continue my philosophy and practice of serving all students, supporting all schools, and helping all communities.”
School board chair Christina Rucker said, “We are thankful for Dr. Wade’s leadership during such difficult times with the pandemic and everything else affecting education that we find in the news. Dr. Wade’s ability to keep the board and the public informed about matters impacting our schools during all of the changes during COVID-19 also allowed us to keep moving forward. We wish Dr. Wade every success moving forward.”
The school district announced that Wade’s resignation is effective June 30, but also that Bolen began serving as acting superintendent on Thursday.
Bolen started in Lexington 2 in 1988 as principal of Fulmer Middle School. He also served as principal of Brookland-Cayce High School and as an assistant superintendent prior to being named the permanent superintendent in 2000.
He most recently served as chairman of the S.C. State Board of Education in 2018.
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