USC Aiken Alumnus Named New Principal for Aiken High School

Story courtesy of Aiken Standard

Aiken, SC (06/02/2019) — Dr. Jason Holt, USC Aiken Class of 2005, has been named the new principal at Aiken High School.

Holt, who had served two years as principal of Paul Knox Middle School in North Augusta, replaces Garen Cofer, who will be the new director of the Aiken County Adult Education Center.

The Aiken County Board of Education approved Holt's appointment during a regularly scheduled meeting.

"My time as a high school teacher and administrator was so rewarding," Holt said in a news release. "Ever since I left that environment, I have really missed a lot of the things I enjoyed at the high school level and felt I had a good skill set for."

Holt's previous assignments in Aiken County included service as a middle school principal at Jackson Middle STEM Magnet School, and a social studies teacher then assistant principal at South Aiken High School. He has received numerous awards and is a member of the 2019-20 Principal of the Year Honor Court.

According to the release, Paul Knox advanced its academic performance and received its first-ever "Good" rating on a state report card under Holt's leadership. While serving as principal at Jackson STEM Middle, he received the Robert E. Alexander STEM Principal of the Year Award from USC Aiken, the Augusta University JAG 20 Excellent Young Alumni Award, and the Inez Tenenbaum Award from the S.C. State Department of Education.

Holt completed his doctoral studies in educational innovation at Augusta University after earning an educational specialist degree in educational leadership at Georgia Regents University. He also earned a masters of arts degree in Educational Administration from the University of South Carolina, and a bachelors of arts degree in secondary education from USC Aiken.

"Dr. Holt has performed in an outstanding capacity in his administrative assignments and we are thrilled to have his expertise and energy at Aiken High School for the 2019-20 school year," Aiken County Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford said.

"Aiken High School has been uniquely positioned in our school district for great things in the future and we look forward to everything they will accomplish and achieve under Dr. Holt's leadership."

Holt will begin his new duties in July.

Editor's note: This story by Larry Wood first appeared in the Aiken Standard on May 15, 2019.