Lexington One Names Principal for New Elementary School

Janet H. Malone, principal of White Knoll Elementary School, will serve as principal of Lexington County School District One's newest elementary school set to open for the 2014-2015 school year, the district announced Thursday.

Malone has more than 35 years of experience in public education.

“Jan Malone has the depth of experience we need as we plan and open another elementary school," Superintendent Karen C. Woodward said. "Under her leadership, White Knoll Elementary has thrived. We look forward to those same results at this new elementary school.”

The district has started site work on the 36.97-acre property for the new elementary school, located at 638 Longs Pond Road in Lexington. The district will use the prototype it used to build LEED-certified Meadow Glen Elementary and Rocky Creek Elementary schools for construction.

Malone, who joined White Knoll Elementary and Lexington County School District One on July 1, 2005, as principal, began her career in 1977 as teacher and director of the after-school program at St. John Newmann School in Columbia. She became assistant principal there in 1990.

In 1992, she moved to Richland 2's Bethel-Hanberry Elementary in Blythewood as a first-grade teacher. She then joined Lexington-Richland 5's Chapin Elementary and later became an administrative intern and classroom teacher at Lake Murray Elementary. In 1999, she was promoted to administrative assistant at Irmo Elementary. In 2000, she was promoted to assistant principal at River Springs Elementary and, in 2002, she transferred to Ballentine Elementary, where she helped open that school.

Malone received two bachelor's degrees from Limestone College in elementary education and early childhood education and two master's degrees in early childhood education and education administration from the University of South Carolina.

She is a member of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, South Carolina International Reading Association and Delta Kappa Gamma.

Malone will officially start her role as principal at the new elementary school on July 1.

Submitted by Lexington One.