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TO CONGRATULATE DR. STEPHEN HEFNER UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT AS SUPERINTENDENT OF LEXINGTON-RICHLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT FIVE, TO COMMEND HIM FOR HIS MANY YEARS OF OUTSTANDING AND DEDICATED SERVICE AS AN EDUCATOR, AND TO WISH HIM MUCH SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS IN ALL HIS FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
Whereas, Dr. Stephen Hefner has served as superintendent of Lexington-Richland School District Five with dignity and distinction since January 2011; and
Whereas, his honesty, intelligence, and commitment to excellence in education have drawn admiration from those with whom he has worked, as well as from the citizens of both Lexington and Richland counties; and
Whereas, in preparation for his life's work, Stephen Hefner earned his bachelor's degree at Southeast Missouri State College and embarked on his career in education in his home state of Missouri as a high school teacher. He earned a master's degree and doctorate from the University of South Carolina and in 1974 began work as a school counselor at Spring Valley High School. In 1994, he was named superintendent of Richland School District Two, where he served until 2010; and
Whereas, an advocate of public school choice, Dr. Hefner has been credited with launching and fostering several magnet programs in both Richland Two and District Five. An estimated fifteen thousand students, or one in seven, in the Columbia area are in magnet programs because of his singular efforts to bolster magnets, according to a recent media report; and
Whereas, in District Five, Dr. Hefner has helped school leaders secure two multimillion-dollar federal Magnet School Assistance Program grants, including a $10.3 million grant in 2013 and a $13.7 million grant announced last fall. The district's academic accolades also have continued under his leadership, including top ratings, leading test scores, and consecutive number-one school district rankings by Niche.com; and
Whereas, over the course of his career, Stephen Hefner has received numerous honors, including the 1995 Friend of Gifted Education Award from the South Carolina Consortium for Gifted/Talented Education and 1997 Educator of the Year Award by the South Carolina Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. He was honored as 2003 Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the local Boy Scouts of America organization. Named South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association Outstanding Superintendent in 2014, in 2015 he became the only superintendent in South Carolina history to receive the South Carolina Association of School Administrators Superintendent of the Year Award twice. In 2009, Dr. Hefner received the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor granted by the State of South Carolina; and
Whereas, to recognize Dr. Hefner for his many years of service to District Five, on May 7, 2018, the School District Five Board of Trustees will host a retirement celebration in his honor; and
Whereas, the General Assembly, grateful for the legacy of consistent commitment and excellence Dr. Hefner has bestowed on the people of South Carolina, takes great pleasure in wishing him well as he enters retirement and trusts he will find much enjoyment in the more leisurely pace of the days ahead. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, congratulate Dr. Stephen Hefner upon the occasion of his retirement as superintendent of Lexington-Richland School District Five, commend him for his many years of outstanding and dedicated service as an educator, and wish him much success and happiness in all his future endeavors.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Stephen Hefner.
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