A Dorchester County principal is set to take charge at a Lexington County elementary school.

At its regular Feb. 20 meeting, the Lexington County School District 1 Board of Trustees approved hiring Francina Gerald as the new principal of Pelion Elementary.

Gerald comes to the post from Sand Hill Elementary in Dorchester County School District 2, where she serves as principal.

She will assume her new role July 1.

According to a release, Gerald has almost 30 years total of experience as an educator, with 15 years of that being in school administration.

“A significant part of my principal job has been recognizing leadership skills in others to assist in building strong professional learning communities that positively impact student achievement,” the new principal is quoted.

Her time in administration included being an administrative assistant and an assistant principal. Gerald served five years each at both Hunter-Kinard-Tyler Elementary School in Orangeburg County School District 4 and Sand Hill Elementary.

She also previously served as the priority schools program manager at the Office of School Transformation at the South Carolina Department of Education, the release adds.

The release notes that Gerald believes her 11 years of experience teaching at middle and elementary levels helped mold her into a skilled and knowledgeable educator.

Gerald earned a bachelor’s in elementary education and a master’s in special education from Clemson University. She has also completed the Educational Leadership Program at the University of South Carolina, according to the release.

Additionally, Gerald holds certifications in “elementary principal, elementary supervisor, special education (emotional disabilities), middle level language arts and elementary education certifications,” the release notes.

The educator also has gifted and talented and Read 2 Succeed endorsements. 

Gerald is a member of the Association for Supervision, Curriculum, and Development; the South Carolina Alliance of Black School Educators; the South Carolina Association of School Administrators; the South Carolina Education Association; and the National Education Association.