District holds press conference

By Andrew Wigger

awigger@civitasmedia.com

Jim Suber Jr., center, Pam Arrington, right, and Jody Hamm at a press conference on the passing of Superintendent Bennie Bennett. Suber said it is impossible to fill Bennett’s shoes, but what they can do is carry on his legacy.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Bennett1.jpgJim Suber Jr., center, Pam Arrington, right, and Jody Hamm at a press conference on the passing of Superintendent Bennie Bennett. Suber said it is impossible to fill Bennett’s shoes, but what they can do is carry on his legacy. Carson Lambert | The Newberry Observer

A memorial was made at Superintendent Bennie Bennett’s parking spot at the District Office.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Bennett2-1.jpgA memorial was made at Superintendent Bennie Bennett’s parking spot at the District Office. Carson Lambert | The Newberry Observer

NEWBERRY — The Newberry County School District motto is “One District, One Team, One Mission” and on Tuesday, colleagues of Superintendent Bennie Bennett said they know he was proud of the logo and would expect them to focus on that motto.

“This tragic event has been incredibly hard for all of us to comprehend, but Mr. Bennett has prepared us to face adversity,” Jim C. Suber Jr., assistant superintendent for operations and administration, said at a press conference Tuesday morning. “I am totally convinced we will honor his legacy by moving forward, weathering the storm and finish what he so graciously started.”

Bennett was killed Saturday in a wreck in front of Newberry High School.

Jody Hamm, chairman of the Newberry County School Board, said Bennett would want the district to move forward.

“As I have spoken with staff yesterday, and spent time with his (Bennett) son, Kelly, that is what we intend to do,” he said. “The fact that Mr. Bennett was such a leader will enable us to do that, because he placed people in strategic positions to do a specific purpose. His expectation, whether it be from his office or up above, is we move forward.”

School District officials and Newberry County School Board members met Sunday to discuss how they would handle the loss of Bennett.

Suber said the question arose of whether school should have been canceled Monday.

“I immediately felt that long finger of Bennie Bennett pointing down at me saying, ‘Jim, do not fuss over me. This is about educating kids and I want them in the classroom tomorrow morning,’” he said. “Monday was a very difficult day, but it was a heartwarming and lifting day for all of our students and staff as we came back to school.”

Suber said that Bennett will be remembered as a leader who always put children first, and advocated for his students. Bennett treated people from all walks of life with the same dignity and respect.

“He took pride in talking about his family, his church and the accomplishments of his students and his staff. He never took credit for his success as a superintendent, he always deflected that praise through his staff and his students,” Suber said. “He was a true leader who had extremely high expectations for all his administrators, all his teachers and all his students, but he did not ask anymore of us than he was willing to give himself. That is the mark of an exemplary leader.”

Hamm added that he had never met a man as fair as Bennett was to so many. He said that over the years Bennett had spoken with groups, students and parents, and every one of them left with the same respect for him that he gave them.

“He was a very fair man, he will be missed, but his leadership and legacy has been put in place so our School District will continue to strive,” Hamm said.

Bennett had many accomplishments during his nearly 10 years as superintendent. Pamela H. Arrington, executive director of Human Resources, said it was difficult to pull together all of Bennett’s accomplishments, but she was able to list a few.

“We received an excellent rating for two years in a row on the District’s report card, he was so proud of this. We had a private contributor to offer to do billboards and that was the first billboard that went up, excellent, excellent on our report card,” Arrington said.

Several schools have been Palmetto Gold and Silver award winners, the district has had a Title 1 distinguished school, all three high schools have increased their graduation rates, STEM has been implemented at the middle and high school levels, and the district has had student winners at the State and National Junior and Senior Beta Club Conventions.

The district also boasts students enrolled in the Governor’s School for the Arts and the Governor’s School for Math and Science, has All-Region and All State athletes, All-State and Region band and honor chorus selectees, a JROTC honor unit of distinction, congressional art award winners, Junior Scholars and National Achievement Scholarship winners.

“One of his proudest accomplishments was the completion of a strategic building program which came in on time and under budget. This ambitious building plan included most of the learning facilities across the District. We received recognition of ‘strong practices,’ in particular of governance and leadership and the District’s use of resources in support of the vision of ‘One District, One Team, One Mission,’ from AdvancED which advances excellence in education,” Arrington said. “Mr. Bennett was an accomplished speaker in community events and state meetings.”

Bennett was also an active member of the community. He was a member of the Pineville A.M.E Zion Church and on the Steward Board, was on the Winthrop University Nominating Committee and on their Black Alumni Advisory Council, member of the United Men’s Club of Clover, Newberry Rotary Club member, on the Board of Visitors for Piedmont Technical College, on the Board of Directors for the Newberry Opera House and was a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

In honor of Bennett many of the District employees are also wearing red and black ribbons. Red and black represent the colors on the District’s logo, and Arrington said they felt that was a way to show their support and remember Bennett.

Reach Andrew Wigger at 803-276-0625 ext. 1867 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.