LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — A Lexington District Two principal is retiring after almost 40 years in education. Parents, teachers, staff and students said goodbye to a man they call a Lexington District Two legend, David Sims.
“The Lord just opened up all these doors to set me up to sit in this chair here at Riverbank and this is where I finish my career after 38 years,” David Sims said of a career that began in 1987.
Sims began his journey in education as a physical education teacher. Over the years, he’s been able to serve students as a teacher and administrator in schools all over Lexington Two.
“I love the community here. I've watched it change over time. Our cultures have changed. We’re much more diverse now than we were when I first started," Sims said. "Even though we’ve become more diverse and changed in different ways, the love and the support is still there.”
Throughout the years, Sims has worked in schools such as Davis Elementary, Saluda River Elementary, Northside Middle and helped combine two schools into what’s now Riverbank Elementary School.
“A mom told me her son is 27 now. I had him, I had the two children that came afterwards. I've seen a lot of families come through," Sims said. "Some of my staff are kids that I was their principal when they were in middle school, so now they’re teachers in my building, and I'm still their principal.”
Parents like Melissa Goforth say Sims impacted the lives of the children in the best ways.
“That constant presence, that accountability and consistency. Every kid needs that and not just from their parents, they need that here with their teachers and their administrators. We’re going to miss him a lot,” Goforth said.
Teachers, staff and students say they will miss Mr. Sims and his positive and helpful attitude.
“To my students and families, no matter what school they were at, it's been my pleasure to have had an impact and to be a part of their life,” Sims said.