BLYTHEWOOD – As the Flight Crew at Round Top Elementary prepares for the 2026–2027 school year, a familiar leader is moving into the pilot’s seat. Round Top has announced that Alison Moore Whisenant will serve as the third principal in the school’s history.
Whisenant is a well-known face within the Blythewood community, having served as Round Top’s assistant principal since 2022. Her appointment follows the promotion of former principal Clarissa Bennett, who has moved into a district-level leadership role with Richland Two.
“I am leaving with complete confidence because I know this school is being entrusted to someone who has already helped shape its success,” Bennett said of her successor. “She is a servant leader with unwavering integrity, a relentless advocate for children, and someone who leads with both her head and her heart.”
Whisenant brings more than two decades of educational experience to the role. Before joining the administration at Round Top, she spent 13 years teaching Language Arts at Blythewood Middle School and served as the Curriculum Effectiveness Specialist at Muller Road Middle School for six years. A National Board Certified Teacher who has recertified twice, Whisenant holds master’s degrees in both Educational Administration and Secondary Education from the University of South Carolina.
Growing up in a military family that moved across nine different states, Whisenant eventually found a permanent home in the Midlands. She and her husband, Chris, are parents to two children who have been part of the Richland Two family since preschool.
While Whisenant takes over the controls, the transition will be a collaborative effort. In a move designed to ensure a smooth “takeoff” for the new school year, both Whisenant and Bennett will work side-by-side during the opening weeks of the term before Bennett transitions fully to her new district duties.
Bennett, who has been a pillar of the Round Top community since 2004—serving as a speech-language pathologist and assistant principal before becoming principal in 2021—is moving on to become Richland Two’s first-ever Director of Continuous Improvement.
In her new role, Bennett will partner with principals across the district to strengthen school leadership and student outcomes. It is a position she says aligns perfectly with the purpose she has pursued for nearly 30 years.
“Serving as your principal has been the greatest honor of my professional life,” Bennett told the Round Top family in a recent farewell message. “This isn’t goodbye. It’s simply a new flight path.”
For Whisenant, the new role is an opportunity to build upon the All Who Enter Learn to SOAR culture she helped Bennett cultivate.
“She understands our traditions, our systems, our vision, and—most importantly—our people,” Bennett said. “Watching her become principal is one of the proudest moments of my career.”