Not only is Liberty STEAM Charter School's new superintendent coming from Lexington School District 2 in the Columbia area, but so is the school's new junior academy director.

In a move at the end of May and just a few days after Liberty's board of directors named Brenda Hafner as its new school leader, Jennifer Cribbs was announced as the director - or principal - of the junior academy in a news release.

Cribbs comes to Liberty after serving nearly four years and since September 2022 as the K-12 science coordinator in Lexington 2, based in West Columbia.

Prior to that, she served a little more than six years in leadership roles at Blythewood High School in Richland School District 2 in northeast Columbia. Those roles were as an assistant administrator and then an assistant principal for curriculum and instruction at the high school, according to her resume.

With Liberty adding sixth grade in the upcoming school year, a junior academy director was needed, and Cribbs will fill that post and oversee all aspects of instruction to include curriculum implementation, instructional coaching and academic systems.

A career educator with 30 years of experience, she brings "a deep commitment to scholar achievement, instructional excellence and leadership development to the role," according to the news release.

Hafner said Cribbs' leadership style strongly aligns with Liberty's values and future vision.

"Jennifer's passion for instruction, leadership development and scholar success reflects the level of excellence we strive for at Liberty STEAM," Hafner said. "Her ability to build strong academic systems while fostering a supportive and inspiring culture makes her an outstanding fit for Liberty."

In the charter school's enrollment model, it adds one grade per year, and seventh grade will come online in 2027-28 and eighth grade in 2028-29. Liberty's junior academy will compose grades 6-8, and the three grade levels will be in its Sumter Mall campus site.

Before entering school administration at Blythewood High, Cribbs was a classroom science teacher at the school for 4.5 years from January 2011 to June 2015.

She spent about 14 more years as a teacher at Dorman High School and Spartanburg High in the Upstate, Deland High School in Deland, Florida, and as an online science professor with the University of Phoenix, according to her resume.

Cribbs will begin in her role on July 13 when all Liberty school administrators report for work, according to charter school co-founder and outgoing Executive Director Trevor Ivey, who is transitioning to establish the Liberty STEAM Charter School Foundation as a development arm.

In the new school year that begins July 29 for students, Liberty will be a K-6 school with about 1,061 students.

Hafner will begin her role as the charter school's leader on July 1, when Ivey moves over as CEO and president of the foundation.