On April 25, the Spartanburg School District One School Board approved Assistant Principal Matt Davis to become the principal of Chapman High School for the 2023-2024 school year, replacing Andrew McMillan.

Superintendent Mark Smith made the announcement to faculty and staff on April 26. 

A member of the Marine Corps., husband, father and grandfather, Davis came to Chapman in 2018 as a biology teacher after spending two years as principal of Cowpens Middle School.

He was elected Chapman Teacher of the Year for the 2019-2020 school year. 

In January 2022, he was named assistant principal. 

At the time, Davis told The Prowl that one of his goals was to continue developing a positive community and culture at Chapman.

“When you build that community atmosphere you can do anything,” Davis said. “The culture I want to create is when one student isn’t doing their job, another student jumps in and encourages them to do what’s right.”

In his first speech to the faculty after being introduced as principal, Davis said becoming principal was not something he expected to happen when he arrived at Chapman.

“Principalship was far from my mind, but what y’all did for me, bringing me into this fold and the love that I received here, I just fell in love with this place,” he said. 

Davis said that his aim as principal is to continue to be the person that he has been.

“I’m going to work my tail off for these kids, for you all, each and every day,” he said. “What you’ve seen from me the last two years, the last five years, that’s who I am.”