Dorchester District Two selects new superintendent

DORCHESTER, S.C. (WCBD) – Dorchester School District Two (DD2) on Monday selected Dr. Shane Robbins as the new superintendent.

DD2’s Board of Trustees met behind closed doors during an afternoon meeting to discuss the matter before coming out of executive session to announce the selection to the public.

Before making the announcement, some board members proposed postponing the vote until community members had a chance to review survey results. That motion failed. Board members said that the surveys would likely be released later this week.

Robbins is currently the superintendent of Kershaw County School District in Kershaw, South Carolina.

DD2 Board Chairman Gail Hughes said she feels Dr. Robbins is the perfect fit for the district.

“Dr. Robbins has the experience and he also has the love for children that we were looking for,” said Hughes.

School board members like Justin Farnsworth voted against the decision. He says that he had some hesitations about Robbins’ abilities, referencing stagnant graduation rates in Kershaw County Schools.

“If I don’t have that rock-solid track record to take a school district from here to even better, I can’t in good faith move forward with this decision,” says Farnsworth.

Some parents said they feel this decision was rushed and wished the board could have been more transparent with this process.

“I know this has taken a long time and they have considered a lot, but I feel like it has been rushed. The community involvement really hasn’t been transparent,” said Jason Brockert, a DD2 parent.

Chairman Hughes said she wants parents, teachers, and the community to know that board members had the best interest of the district in mind every step of the way and Robbins is the right choice.

“We want a superintendent that is going to move us to that next level. We’re already a great district, but we want to be the best. Dr. Robbins going to be that person to do that,” said Hughes.

DD2 leaders said Dr. Robbins’ contract is in the negotiation phase, but right now it is set at three years.

Editor’s note: This story is breaking and will be updated.