2019 National Principal of the Year
Dr. Lucas Clamp
River Bluff High School
Lexington, SC
Grades: 9–12
Students: 2,065
Region: Suburban
Lucas Clamp fosters a culture that stems from a unique desire to connect with each student, developing their skills and talents, and believing their individual and collective contribution to a local and global community will change the world. One student stated that he “maintains a warm and secure climate in which both students and staff are held to high standards,” and the results reflect this. For instance, a commitment to closing the achievement gap with African American students prompted teachers to provide unique, differentiated learning experiences and intervention. Over three years, scores have risen from 42.9 percent to 68.6 percent in ELA and 65.8 percent to 87.9 percent in math. The overall graduation rate has also increased to 94.1 percent. Lucas has also strived to ensure teachers feel supported. He facilitates teacher collaboration by working with lead teachers and works with the scheduling team to ensure that teachers have one hour of collaborative planning time built in their schedules for every course that two or more teachers teach.