The superintendent who guided Clover School District through a $229 million school construction push, including the new Lake Wylie High School, announced her retirement Tuesday after eight years leading the district.
Dr. Sheila Quinn, York County's longest-tenured superintendent, told the Clover School District Board of Trustees on Aug. 25 that she plans to step down after a 35-year career in education. The board renewed her contract during an Aug. 24 meeting while accepting her decision to retire, the Post and Courier reported.
Quinn said the district reached a natural turning point after years of work on new schools and managing growth. With a new strategic plan and accreditation system on the horizon, she said, it was time to let the board pick the next superintendent to usher in the next phase.
Her tenure included leading the district through COVID-19, winning a bond referendum in 2022 and opening three new schools this August: Lake Wylie High School, Liberty Hill Elementary School and Roosevelt Middle School. Lake Wylie High School, located at 1464 Cannonball Run in York, opened with approximately 1,100 students enrolled and cost $172 million to build.
The new high school was a direct response to enrollment pressure. Clover School District grew 20 percent between 2016 and 2022, reaching 9,000 students. Clover High School had swelled to 2,700 students, making it one of South Carolina's five largest high schools.
What comes next
A specific retirement date has not been set. Quinn agreed to remain during an overlap period with her successor; the length of that overlap will depend on the experience level of the person hired.
The board will begin a superintendent search exploring options from informal conversations to a state or national search. No timeline has been announced.
Board of Trustees chairman Rob Wallace praised Quinn's leadership. "While we'd love to see her stay in this role, we completely understand her need to enjoy retirement and all that it includes," Wallace said, according to WRHI.
Quinn's departure makes Clover the last of York County's four school districts to turn over its superintendent. Rock Hill, Fort Mill and York each hired new leaders who started July 1, 2025. Fort Mill's Grey Young replaced longtime Superintendent Chuck Epps, who retired after nearly 50 years in the community.
Before returning to Clover as superintendent in 2018, Quinn served as South Carolina's deputy superintendent for innovation and effectiveness. She spent 18 years in Rock Hill Schools and previously worked as Clover's assistant superintendent for curriculum from January 2010 to July 2014.
A dedication ceremony for Lake Wylie High School is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 25, at 10 a.m. at the campus on Cannonball Run.
