The Florence County School District Three Board of Trustees didn’t have to look far to select the district’s next superintendent.
The board voted Wednesday in a called meeting to hire Laura Hickson, FCSD3’s assistant superintendent of instruction, to replace Dr. V. Keith Callicutt who announced last August that he will retire June 30.
The board and Hickson have agreed to a three-year contract with a salary of $130,000 per year.
“I am thankful and appreciative for the confidence that the board has shown in me by selecting and offering me the opportunity to serve as the next superintendent of Florence County School District Three,” Hickson said after the board vote. “I look forward to working with all Florence Three staff, students, parents and community members as we work to achieve excellence and continuous improvement.”
Dr. Lane N. Floyd, board chairman, said the board interviewed three excellent candidates, but chose Ms. Hickson because of her familiarity with the district. “There is research that shows it takes new superintendents three years of being in a community before they can truly understand the community,” Dr. Floyd said. “Ms. Hickson is already embedded in the community and she understands the communities we serve,” he said. “She understands our students and the challenges our district faces. Ms. Hickson is child-focused and has been dedicated to Florence 3 and its mission for her entire career,” Dr. Floyd added.
Hickson will work closely with Dr. Callicutt now through the end of June for a more seamless transition from one administration to another, Dr. Floyd added.
Hickson has served as FCSD3’s assistant superintendent for instruction since 2012. She has worked in FCSD3 since 1983 as an elementary and middle school teacher, elementary and middle school assistant principal, middle school principal and senior director for accountability.
She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from South Carolina State University and a Master of Education degree from Cambridge University. She received principal certification from The Citadel and an Education Specialist degree in educational administration/leadership from South Carolina State University.
She was named Teacher of the Year three times. As a principal, her schools were awarded the Red Carpet Award, Flagship School of Promise, Palmetto Silver Award and the Dick Riley SIC Honorable Mention Award. She organized and led FCSD3’s Parent Academy, which has grown from serving 35 parents in its first year to serving more than 300 now. She has also written and supervised federal grants totaling more than $3 million.
Hickson has also presented at a number of professional conferences and workshops, including the National Dropout Prevention Conference in Philadelphia and at the S.C. Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual conference.
She is a member of a number of professional organizations as well as the Lake City Lions Club and the Lake City Rotary Club.
The board conducted a national search on its own in an effort to save the district money. Dr. Floyd said a review of what other districts have spent on using outside firms to conduct recent superintendent searches ranged from $12,000 to $50,000. By conducting its own search, FCSD3 spent only $788. FCSD3’s national superintendent search brought applications from more than 20 candidates from California, Texas, Ohio, Wyoming Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina.
