School Leadership
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Aspiration, boundless energy, and a keen relatability among all constituents help to characterize the leadership driving recent growth and innovation seen at Christ School.
Sean K. Jenkins, Ph.D. was appointed as the 14th Head of School in July 2021.
The Board of Trustees approved the first strategic plan of his term a year later, and then a campus master plan. The faculty and staff have followed Dr. Jenkins's example – always striving for more with a strong sense of mission, while maintaining a reverence for community traditions of the past 126 years. And in turn, students have never been better prepared as citizens, scholars, and young men for the world that awaits them following graduation.
Some highlights:
Enrollment remains at or near record levels – the 2026-27 student body is expected to draw from 14 different states and 10 countries. A total of 308 boys for the start of the 2024-25 academic year was a Christ School record.
Academic Rigor is never more evident with the offering of 27 Advanced Placement classes, 33 Honors classes, and six Advanced Studies classes (college-level courses not offered by AP), including four Math classes beyond Calculus. Christ School has received the highest possible designation from the AP Honor Roll (Platinum) in 2024, 2025, and 2026. The Class of 2026 earned more than $5.3 million in scholarships during their time as Greenies, a school record.
Two Programs of Distinction have been created since 2021 – the Robert Morgan ’36 Aviation Program (one of only three high school aviation programs in the U.S.) and the Global Studies Program. A competitive Robotics team began in 2023.
The Cooper Living Arts Series was introduced in 2022 with the support of alumnus Edwin Cooper ’81, P’19, P’23 and his wife, Andrea P’19, P’23, bringing nationally acclaimed creators and performers to campus each year.
Athletics remains positioned as one of the premier programs in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association with 10 team state championships. Last year, three teams won state championships in the same school year (2025 cross country, 2025 soccer, and 2026 track & field) for the first time.
Plans are in motion for a new 15,000 square foot Academic Center and 12 faculty homes.
Originally from Knoxville, Tenn., Dr. Jenkins earned his B.A. in English from Wake Forest University and his M.Ed. from North Carolina State University. He completed his Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Virginia, where he served on the honor council and was inducted into the Raven Society.
Dr. Jenkins is a graduate of the McCallie School and a former member of its Board of Trustees. His other civic associations have included serving as senior warden at Christ Episcopal Church, as well as on the Board of Trustees for the Virginia Episcopal School (VES), and the Charlottesville Free Clinic.
Dr. Jenkins joined the Christ School community from the University of Virginia, where he served under Presidents John T. Casteen, III, Teresa A. Sullivan, and James E. Ryan as a senior assistant where his responsibilities included admissions, accreditation, development, board-governance, education policy, global programming, strategic and academic planning, and operations.
At UVA, Dr. Jenkins taught and advised undergraduate and graduate students. He was recognized for outstanding leadership and teaching by The Society of the Purple Shadows in 2015. His broad range of experience – including stints at Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill – and expertise greatly benefit our community in his role as Head of School.
Dr. Jenkins is married to Lawson P’29, a Spartanburg, S.C., native and fellow Wake Forest and UVA graduate. They live in Boxwood House along with their sons, Coleman ’29 and Jack.