The Latta School District Board of Trustees has named Stephanie Johnson Ard as the new Superintendent of the Latta School District in Dillon District 3. Mrs. Ard assumed this role on July 1, 2024, and she is taking the place of Mr. George Liebenrood who has retired. Mrs. Ard is a 2003 graduate of Latta High School. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Clemson University in 2007. In August 2007, Mrs. Ard was employed at Latta Elementary School where she served as a 5th grade Math and Science teacher and taught Science labs to 4th and 5th grade students. She was named Latta Elementary School Teacher of the Year in 2009. While teaching, she continued her education by receiving a Master’s Degree in 2009 from Francis Marion University majoring in Special Education: Learning Disabilities. From there, she pursued a career in Administration and received a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership: Administration from Winthrop University. In May 2024, she received an Education Specialist Degree from Furman University in the Superintendency.
In 2013, she was named the Assistant Principal at Latta Elementary School. The LES administration moved to Latta Middle School for the 2014-2015 school year, and she continued to serve as Assistant Principal until she was named Principal of Latta Middle School in 2020 when Principal Debra Morris retired. During her time at Latta Middle School, she was instrumental in implementing Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) and she helped launch Project Lead The Way (PLTW) courses including Automation and Robotics, Design and Modeling, and Medical Detectives. She also helped launch the Boys 2 Men Mentoring Program aimed at providing positive role models and guidance for young males.
Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Ard served as the Varsity Softball Coach for the Lady Vikings from 2014-2019. The Lady Vikings won two state championships during her tenure as coach. Mrs. Ard works with the youth in her church and in the community. Mrs. Ard is an encourager, and she loves the Latta community.
Mrs. Ard resides in the Latta School District with her husband, Brooks, and two children, Hunter and Sarah Lauren. Superintendent Ard stated, “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the Latta community in this capacity. This community and school district have given me so much, and I am proud to give back. The Latta School District has a reputation of excellence in education, athletics, and the arts, and I am hopeful that the trend will continue as we work together to ‘Raise the Bar’ in all areas.”
