Barry Bolen isn’t going back to retirement just yet.

After serving as interim superintendent for Lexington County School District 2, he will now serve as the temporary principal for one of the district’s two high schools.

Tabbed as the interim superintendent following the sudden resignation of Nicolas Wade, Bolen, who had previously served as superintendent from 2000 to 2008, took temporary leadership of the district in May, while the school board looked for a permanent replacement.

The board hired Brenda Hafner, the former second-in-charge of the Sumter School District, as the district’s permanent superintendent in June.

Now, after filling in following a sudden departure, Bolen will take on another challenging situation.

Lexington 2 announced this week that Bolen will serve as principal of Brookland-Cayce High School for the 2022-23 school year. Brookland-Cayce and Airport are the two high schools in the district that covers Cayce, West Columbia and Springdale.

Brookland-Cayce has been in the headlines for unfortunate reasons in recent months. 

The school’s accreditation was downgraded by the state Department of Education in June after an audit revealed that some students were allowed to graduate without finishing required course work.

Assistant Principal Leon Brunson was arrested and charged with assault in May, with Cayce Police releasing footage they said showed him taking a child to the ground. The department also released footage from a 2020 incident that more clearly showed Brunson lifting a student up, spinning him around and throwing him to the ground.

The district disputed the arrest and allowed Brunson to continue as assistant principal.

Bolen served as principal of Brookland-Cayce once before, from 1990 to 1998, when he was promoted to become the district’s assistant superintendent. His history with Lexington 2 extends back to 1988 when he was hired as principal of Fulmer Middle School. 

“I am excited to return to Brookland-Cayce and I look forward to a successful school year,” Bolen is quoted in an announcement from the school.

The announcement says the district will begin its search for a permanent principal in spring 2023.

“Mr. Bolen has served our district well in years past and in his current role as acting superintendent,” Board Chair Christina Rucker is quoted. “I have enjoyed working with him, and several Trustees have worked with Mr. Bolen for many years as an employee of the District.  We appreciate the stability, experience, and institutional knowledge he will bring to Brookland-Cayce.”