Aiken County Public School District is pleased to announce highly experienced educator and administrator Shunte Dugar as Schofield Middle School’s new Principal for the 2024-25 school year. Dugar has made a lasting impact at New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet School, where she has served as principal since 2013, and is looking forward to the opportunities ahead at Schofield.
Through a deliberate infusion of arts, Dugar lead New Ellenton Middle’s (NEMS) transformation to an AdvancED and Arts in Basic Curriculum-certified Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Magnet School. New Ellenton recently earned its fourth consecutive “Excellent” South Carolina School Report Card Rating. It’s become a school of choice for many students, which has led to drastic increases in student enrollment.
“Transitioning to the role of principal at Schofield Middle School after serving as principal at New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet School for 11 years brings a mix of emotions, challenges, and opportunities,” Dugar acknowledges. “I am excited about the possibilities this new position holds and am committed to making a positive and lasting impact at Schofield.”
Aiken County Board of Education members approved Dugar’s new role on April 23, 2024, and she will officially begin her duties as principal of Schofield Middle School in July.
For Dugar, the transition is more than a new assignment. “It’s an investment,” she said.
Her husband Mark A. Dugar serves the district as Director of the Center for Innovative Learning. Both adhere to an educational philosophy that failure is not an option for any student.
“I feel a deep connection to the success of the school,” she explained. “My husband Mark attended Schofield. His dad Luther Dugar graduated from Schofield (High) in the early 50s. Our children went to middle school here.”
For the past 17 years, Dugar has faithfully served Aiken County Public Schools, first as a school counselor at NEMS and later at Jackson STEM Magnet Middle before making the leap to administration. In 2010, Dugar joined Paul Knox Middle School as an assistant principal before returning to NEMS as the school’s principal in 2013.
As a school administrator, Dugar has served as a Principal Mentor. She was named Aiken County Public School District’s Principal of the Year in 2022-23 and was selected to the District’s Principal of the Year Honor Court a remarkable seven times, most recently for the 2024-25 school year.
Dugar’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from The University South Carolina Aiken (1996), as well as a Master of Science in School Counseling (2007) and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision (2008), both earned from Cambridge College.
She is a member of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators, the Ruth Patrick Science Center Board, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She has served on various district committees during her tenure including the steering committee for East Aiken School of the Arts, working closely to integrate arts into curriculum alongside colleagues across the school district.
Dugar is a beloved principal by staff, students, and families. She expects excellence and ensures students have what they need to excel in their learning journey. Along with the four consecutive “Excellent” South Carolina State Report Card Ratings NEMS has earned since 2018, landing the school in the top 15% of middle schools in the state, under Dugar’s leadership, the school received the 2024 Initial Schools to Watch designation alongside only 37 other middle schools in South Carolina.
“What New Ellenton is achieving and how those strides were made is ingrained in the fabric of the school, in the teachers, and the community,” she shared. “I’m confident that excellence at NEMS will continue.”
It’s safe to say that with Dugar’s visionary mindset and her top-tier decision-making and leadership skills, Schofield Middle School is poised for success under her guidance.
The Schofield community is invited to “Meet the Principal” on Thursday, July 18, 2024. Drop in from 4:00-6:00 p.m. during “Walk Your Schedule” at Schofield Middle to meet Mrs. Dugar ahead of the 2024-25 school year which begins on July 22.
“Schofield has such a rich tradition,” Dugar acknowledges. I’m looking forward to this new beginning, and a new future for a school that means so much to me personally and to many throughout our community.”