York School District to pay superintendent $200,000. Here’s what else is in contract
The York School District will welcome its new superintendent next month after finalizing his contract.
The school board entered into a three-year deal on May 22 with Heath Branham, a South Carolina principal with an extensive leadership background. His first day will be July 1.
Here is what’s inside Branham’s contract.
Contract for York Superintendent Heath Branham
Branham will start with a $200,000 annual salary — an amount the board can adjust upward based on his future performance review.
In comparison, the new Rock Hill Superintendent Deborah Elder will make $275,000, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Crystal Hill was hired for $300,000.
York will give Branham a $9,000 stipend to secure a temporary housing rental where he can move before his start date. He’ll have to establish permanent residency by the end of the year.
The district will also give Branham up to $9,000 to relocate his family. He’ll track these expenses and submit them to the board for approval.
Other expenses covered by the district include membership dues to professional organizations such as the South Carolina Association of School administrators, a $900 monthly automobile and maintenance allowance and reimbursement for “reasonable expenses” incurred on the job.
He’ll receive a smartphone, laptop and any other devices approved by the board for professional and “reasonable personal use.”
Who is York’s new superintendent?
Branham is a longtime South Carolina leader in school districts and private education companies.
He began his career in the ‘90s teaching elementary and middle school students. He then held a string of assistant principal and principal positions while working as an adjunct instructor at Piedmont Technical College and Newberry College, according to his profile on Lexington County School District One’s website.
Lexington One hired him in 2005 as a principal before promoting him to director of elementary schools.
He later worked as the senior vice president over South Carolina’s school turnaround program for the South Carolina Department of Education and EdisonLearning, a for-profit educational service provider; the national director of school improvement for EdisonLearning; and the director of academic operations for Wake Forest Advantage. Since 2019, he has served as principal of Centerville elementary School in Gilbert, a small town in Lexington County near Columbia.
The school board selected Branham over two other finalists: Shane Goodwin, an assistant superintendent for Frederick Public Schools in Virginia, and Rodney Graves, the director of employee and community relations for Lancaster County School District.
Branham will replace outgoing superintendent Kelly Coxe, who announced in February that she would retire at the end of the school year after about six years in the position.
He’s one of three new York county superintendents who will take office next month. Fort Mill and Rock Hill school districts also approved contracts this spring.
This story was originally published June 10, 2025 at 1:58 PM.
