Fort Mill School District names superintendent finalists. Meet the 3 candidates
Fort Mill School District on Wednesday announced three finalists for superintendent, including two who have worked as leaders in the district.
The district selected Jason Johns, the superintendent of Anderson School District 2 in the northwestern part of the state; Mary Stratos, the chief instructional officer for the Beaufort County School District on the coast; and Grey Young, an assistant superintendent in Fort Mill.
The successful candidate will be only the fourth leader since the late ‘90s. Outgoing superintendent Chuck Epps will retire this summer after 15 years in the role and four decades in the district.
“We are grateful to the many stakeholders who provided input throughout this process,” Board Chair Kristy Spears said in a news release. “The board is confident that each of these finalists brings strong leadership experience and a commitment to public education. We look forward to learning more about them as they engage with our schools and community.”
The finalists will spend next Monday in the district, concluding with a community meet and greet in the Nation Ford High auditorium at 4 p.m.
Fort Mill superintendent finalists
Johns grew up in Fort Mill and began his teaching career in Rock Hill, where he was selected as the first-year teacher of the year in 2001 before working as a districtwide high school literacy coach and an assistant principal, according to his bio on the Anderson 2 website.
He moved to the Fort Mill District in 2013 as principal of Banks Trail Middle School, then principal of Nation Ford High School. Nation’s Ford was named a National Blue Ribbon School during his tenure and was twice recognized as a Palmetto’s Finest Finalist.
Stratos has been developing instructional programs in her current role since 2019. She spent the previous two decades of her career working in principal and assistant principal roles in Florida, according to her resume.
Young has been in the district for more than two decades, first as a high school teacher, then as an assistant principal and principal, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He now oversees student services and administration for the district. The South Carolina Association of School Administrators recently named Young its district-level administrator of the year.
This story was originally published May 14, 2025 at 12:06 PM.
