Celebrating longtime Dorchester District 2 Superintendent Joe Pye

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A celebration is planned Thursday night for longtime Dorchester District 2 Superintendent Joseph Pye.

After more than 50 years of service to the DD2 community, Joe Pye announced in November of last year that he would retire at the end of the school year, ushering in a new era for schools in Dorchester County.

The community is invited to attend a retirement celebration for Pye, which will be held Thursday evening at the Summers Corner Performing Arts Center. It will begin with a reception in the cafeteria at Rollings Middle School of the Arts beginning at 5:00 p.m.

A free ticket is required to attend both events, you can reserve yours – while they last – by clicking here.

Those who cannot attend Thursday night’s ceremony will have the opportunity to watch online (click here) beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Pye said he originally planned to retire at Christmas in 2021 but decided to stay on through the school year to give the district more time to find his replacement. He formally announced his retirement during a school board meeting on November 23.

He said the emotional decision to step down came after great deliberation. “I’ve done this for 52 years,” he said during that meeting. “I feel in my heart I’ve given my very best, I’m not a quitter and we’re not quitting now. I’m just going to pass the torch to someone else so they can have that renewed passion.”

The Dorchester District 2 board named Dr. William Robbins as the new superintendent during a special called meeting in April. Robbins previously served as superintendent for the Kershaw County School District.