SDOC Announces Administrative Hires

At its regularly scheduled board meeting held on Monday, March 13, 2023, the School District of Oconee County Board of Trustees approved the hiring of Mr. Joshua Harrison as the principal of Fair-Oak Elementary School and Mr. Eddie Payne as an assistant principal at West-Oak Middle School. 

Mr. Harrison began his career in 2009 as a physical education teacher at Walhalla Elementary School.  He continued his teaching career at Spearman Elementary School before moving back to Oconee County in 2019 as the assistant principal at Fair-Oak Elementary School. Mr. Harrison holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from Anderson University and a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership from Capella University. Mr. Harrison and his wife Jamie currently reside in Easley with their three children. 

Mr. Harrison said, “I would like to thank the school board, Dr. Thorsland, and the leadership team for this opportunity. It is an absolute honor to be selected as principal of Fair-Oak Elementary School. This faculty, staff, and community are all incredibly special to me. I am excited to bring my experience, eagerness to learn, and student-centered approach to serve the needs of our children. Together, we will continue to work to build a culture that promotes excellence. We are Warrior strong!”

Mr. Payne has invested the last twenty years of his career in the Upstate, including bringing his business acumen to the school environment while spending the last four years as a Project Lead the Way teacher at West-Oak Middle School. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Limestone College, an MBA from the University of Georgia, and an Education Specialist degree in School Leadership from Arkansas State University.  Mr. Payne was named West-Oak Middle’s Teacher of the Year for the 2021-2022 school year and currently leads West-Oak Middle’s student council as well as serving on the School Improvement Council. He is a member of Fort Hill Presbyterian Church where he has served as an elder. 

Mr. Payne said, “I am excited to take on this role and look forward to working with our West-Oak families, faculty, and community stakeholders. It is an honor and a privilege to provide leadership, teamwork, and excellence in academics, student support, and extracurricular activities to this community.” 

Superintendent, Dr. Michael Thorsland, said, “Both Josh and Eddie have made strong, positive impacts within their schools and our district; we look forward to working with them in their new roles.”