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NEWS RELEASE — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 25, 2023

SGES Principal Houck announces retirement

LEXINGTON, S.C. — Elizabeth “Beth” A. Houck, longtime principal of Saxe Gotha Elementary School in Lexington County School District One, announces her retirement at the end of the 2022–23 school year. Houck has served as SGES principal since 2009.

Houck is an experienced educator with 30 years in education, all in Lexington One. Houck first joined the Lexington One family and stepped into the classroom at White Knoll Elementary School in 1993. While at White Knoll Elementary, Houck was named the school-level teacher of the year and a top five finalist for district Teacher of the Year. In addition, from 1999–2004, Houck spent time working with the University of South Carolina, teaching and supervising elementary education candidates during their practicum. In 2004, Houck became the technology integration specialist at Gilbert Elementary and was promoted to assistant principal of Saxe Gotha Elementary in 2005.

In 2009, Houck was promoted to principal of Saxe Gotha Elementary. During her time as principal, the school was named the first Leader in Me Lighthouse School in South Carolina, received multiple Palmetto Silver Awards and was recognized as a finalist for Distinguished Title I School. She also helped the school earn the designations of an ESPN Unified Champion School and a Special Olympics National Unified Champion School.

Houck earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Wofford College. She received a Master of Arts in Teaching in elementary education, as well as a Master of Education in educational administration from the University of South Carolina. She is a member of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA), the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development and the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Houck was named the S.C. Council for Exceptional Children Principal of the Year in 2014.

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