Deputy Superintendent Lucas “Luke” Clamp, PH.D.

Dr. Clamp, a native of Williston, SC, understands the challenges of poverty firsthand, having grown up attending a Title 1 school. As such, during his time in district leadership, Dr. Clamp has taken a particular interest in serving and supporting rural Title I schools. Astute at school turnaround, Dr. Clamp coaches school leaders, employing data-driven strategies supported by strong instructional practices while building a positive school culture. Together, Dr. Clamp and leadership teams have seen positive movement in school ratings and increased student achievement. In 2011, Dr. Clamp was selected as the founding school principal of River Bluff High School, an innovative school with an Excellent rating shown to outperform the district and state in nearly every metric. River Bluff boasts the designation of Palmetto’s Finest, earned in 2019 under his leadership. During Dr. Clamp’s tenure at River Bluff, graduation rates increased by 15 points to over 95 % in ten years.

In 2018, Dr. Clamp was named the Secondary Principal of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators. He went on to earn national recognition as the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) National Principal of the Year in 2019. Currently serving as the High Schools and Postsecondary Pathways Executive Director in Lexington County School District One, Dr. Clamp brings experience in district leadership and educator preparation as an adjunct professor at both the University of South Carolina (USC) and Clemson University. He was recognized as the 2023 School of Education Adjunct Faculty Member of the Year at USC and enjoys teaching and molding the next generation of leaders in the master’s and doctoral degree programs through courses in Education Policy, Education Finance, and Instructional Leadership. Dr. Clamp began his teaching career as a science teacher at Irmo High School. A dedicated educator with over two decades of experience, he is a graduate of Clemson University and the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in Science/Education from Clemson University, a master’s degree, an Education

Specialist degree in Educational Leadership, and a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Carolina. He has served in various state-wide leadership roles, including SCHSL Class 5A President and Class 4A Vice President, SCASA Secondary Principal’s Affiliate President, and on the SCASA Executive Board of Directors.