Meet the Team: Mr. Basil Harris
Basil A. Harris has built a distinguished career as an educator, leader, and advocate whose work spans the classroom, the district office, and the state level. His professional journey of more than 35 years reflects both depth and continuity rooted in Richland County School District One, where he graduated from Eau Claire High School and later returned as a teacher, department chair, assistant principal, and interim principal. Those early years shaped a lifelong commitment to public education and to the students and families of the Columbia community.
In his role as Chief of Student Services, Harris will advance the district’s vision for bold, student-centered advocacy grounded in purpose and urgency. He will lead the strategic coordination of programs that promote student wellbeing, strengthen school climate, and elevate academic success. This work includes integrating Student Success, Student Support Services, Student Intervention, Special Education, and Early Childhood into a unified, cohesive ecosystem that supports every learner.
His leadership in Richland One also includes service as the District Ombudsman, where he leads the district’s response to concerns raised by parents, students, staff, and community members. In this role, Harris has established districtwide complaint resolution protocols that have dramatically reduced response times and improved stakeholder satisfaction. He managed hundreds of inquiries each year, identified systemic trends, and advised senior leadership on emerging issues. His work in conflict resolution—handling roughly fortyfive cases per month—has resulted in a consistently high rate of successful outcomes. He has strengthened collaboration across district offices, expanded communication tools, and provided training on state and federal regulations that shape school operations.
Before returning to Richland One, Harris spent more than two decades at the South Carolina Department of Education, where he held multiple leadership roles focused on federal and state accountability, school improvement, and programs serving vulnerable student populations. As Team Leader for Innovation & Support, he oversaw statewide review, technical assistance, and approval of district strategic plans, supervised a team of eight, and led statewide training on ESSA implementation and evidence-based interventions. His work supported high-risk districts and schools, ensuring they received coordinated wraparound services.
Earlier, as Title I, Part D State Coordinator, Harris managed education programs serving neglected, delinquent, and at-risk youth, overseeing a $7 million budget and negotiating federal requirements with the U.S. Department of Education. He directed monitoring, training, and evaluation processes that strengthened program quality statewide.
His tenure also included leadership of Title I, Part A, and Title III/English Learner programs, where he managed multimillion dollar budgets, guided districts through improvement processes, and provided training on RTI, SEL, curriculum initiatives, and federal compliance. As Title I SES State Coordinator, he led statewide Supplemental Educational Services, implementing rigorous provider approval systems and developing evaluation tools that improved student achievement outcomes.
Harris’s earlier work at the state level as an Education Associate II placed him directly in schools, where he trained teacher specialists who provided supports to the lowest-performing schools statewide, monitored instructional practices, conducted walkthroughs, and supported improvement planning. He codeveloped curriculum crosswalks and provided statewide training across multiple subject areas.
His career in education began in the classroom at Heyward Gibbes Middle School, where he taught science, health, and reading. As department chair, he secured grants, created the district’s first preengineering program, and contributed to school improvement efforts. These educational professional efforts also earned him recognition as Teacher of the Year at Heyward Gibbes. His leadership expanded at W.G. Sanders Middle School, where he served as assistant principal and interim principal, overseeing instruction, operations, budgeting, discipline, and community engagement.
Harris’s educational preparation includes advanced leadership training through the Forum for Educational Leadership (Cohort 11, 2026), the School Leadership Executive Institute, and Richland One’s Administrators Preparation Program. He holds an M.Ed. in Educational Administration, an M.S. in Secondary Science, and an IMA in Natural Science from the University of South Carolina, as well as a B.S. in Biology/Secondary Education from Benedict College. He also participates in numerous civic and professional organizations, underscoring his sustained dedication to the education profession and his ongoing pursuit of meaningful professional growth.
Across his career, Harris has delivered presentations on evidence-based interventions, school improvement systems, federal program compliance, instructional practices, and organizational management. His contributions have earned him numerous honors, including the National Association of Federal Education Program Administrators (NAFEPA) State Federal Education Programs Leadership Award, the SC Commission for Minority Affairs Exemplary Educator Award, and national recognition as an exemplary federal programs administrator from the U. S. Department of Education’s National Neglected and Delinquent Technical Assistance Center (NDTAC), along with multiple community and professional accolades.
Taken together, Basil A. Harris’s career reflects a rare combination of instructional expertise, administrative leadership, and statewide and national-level influence. His work continues to shape educational systems, strengthen school communities, and expand opportunities for students across South Carolina and Richland One.
Chief Harris and his wife Melody are the proud parents of two adult sons, Bradley Alexander (Erica) and Blake Asante. They are also the doting grandparent to Little Miss Blaire Alexandria.
He also enjoys spending time with family, traveling, listening to classical piano music, attending sports events, engaging in community service, and working in his yard.