When former superintendent Ron Garner announced his resignation in the fall, the search was immediately underway to find his replacement.

This semester, the replacement was found, and on Feb. 16, Mark Smith became the new superintendent of Spartanburg District One.

A graduate of Dorman High School and Erskine College, Smith initially thought he would be called to ministry but quickly discovered that education was a better path.

“I knew that I loved people, and I thought I needed to be a youth pastor, so I had a talk with my youth pastor, and he told me you don’t have to do that, you can do other things,” Smith said. “I knew I loved kids and wanted to be around people, teaching and coaching sports, so that’s why I got into it, and it was a great decision.”

Smith began his education career as a social studies teacher and football and basketball coach at Fairforest Middle School. 

During his time as a teacher, he appreciated the bonds he formed with his students, particularly the athletes he coached.

 “(I enjoyed) the everyday interaction with the kids. They were fun,” Smith said. “I really enjoyed getting to know them, especially my basketball and football team because with your athletes, you got to connect in a whole different way, and I loved it.” 

In addition to teaching, Smith spent 20 years as an administrator, serving as an assistant principal at Dorman High School and Dorman Freshman Campus, principal of the Dorman Freshman Campus, and Chief Officer of Student Services, School Safety, and Transportation at the Spartanburg School District Six district office.

While Smith certainly enjoyed his time as a teacher, he was grateful for the flexibility and variety that comes with administration.

“It’s kind of like you’re almost your own businessman, that you get to plan your day out and you get to have control of your schedule,” Smith said. “I do better when I don’t know what’s coming, and in administration you never know what’s coming. There’s a lot of variety because I never have a day that’s the same.”

Initially, Smith was not looking to leave District Six, and when the Spartanburg One superintendent position opened up, he did not submit his application until three hours before the deadline. However, through prayer and consideration, he soon realized that his small-town background suited him for the role.

“Even though I’m from a bigger district, I grew up in a small town called Pauline, and Pauline is very similar to Inman, Campobello and Landrum,” he said. “It’s just small, so I figured with my small town values, I would possibly be a good fit. My wife and I prayed about it, and we just felt like this was what the Lord was going to have us to do. He opened the doors, and here I am.”

Even though he has only been superintendent for a few months, Smith is already excited about working with the people of Spartanburg One. 

“I just feel really good about the ‘raw material’ that I’ve been given: students, parents, staff,” Smith said. “We’re not perfect, and there’s things we can improve, but that’s anywhere. I feel like I’ve been dealt a great hand of who I work with.”

Along with his enthusiasm, Smith’s hopes for the district are high, pushing for greatness in academics, athletics, the arts, and everything in between.

“I mean this, I want to be the best in everything,” Smith said. “I don’t want to just be the best in football. I want to have the best band, the best chorus, the best theatre department, not so I can brag, but so we can say, ‘This is what our kids do.’”

At the end of the day, Smith’s goal is to ensure that all students have a place to carve their own niche and a chance to discover who they are.

“I just want to provide great opportunities, not half opportunities, but excellent opportunities where y’all can grow and learn and thrive,” Smith said. “If we win a couple state championships, or band championships along the way and win awards, that would be great too, but that’s not the purpose. The purpose is to strive for excellence in everything ultimately to benefit our kids.”