Former CCSD Superintendent Don Kennedy to retire Feb. 1

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Donald Kennedy, who briefly served as the superintendent for Charleston County schools, is set to retire from the district.

The Charleston County School District (CCSD) confirmed to News 2 that Kennedy’s last day with the district will be Thursday, February 1.

“Of all the work I have done throughout my professional career, serving K-12 public education systems has been the most rewarding,” Kennedy said in a statement Wednesday morning. “I have supported students, families, and educators of CCSD for nearly ten years. It was a high honor to have been afforded the opportunity to do so, and I am very grateful for that!”

Kennedy previously served as the district’s Chief Financial and Administrative Officer on two different occasions, from July 2004 to September 2007, and again from January 2018 until December 2021. He was then named interim superintendent in January 2022 after then-superintendent Gerrita Postlewait resigned.

The district’s Board of Trustees later voted to name Kennedy the Superintendent of Schools in June 2022 while the board continued its search for a long-term superintendent.

Kennedy was later named Chief Innovation Officer when the district hired Dr. Eric Gallien to serve as the district’s leader last summer.

District officials tell News 2 Kennedy has previously planned his retirement.