CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — For the first time in Clarendon County history all school board members will be elected by county voters.
Clarendon County lawmakers explained how a new map will impact the district’s November election.
On Wednesday, Representative Fawn Pedalino from Clarendon County tweeted about passing the new Clarendon County school district map in both the House and Senate. Senator Kevin Johnson said it's another part of the school district’s consolidation plan.
“After we passed the bill to consolidate the school districts in Clarendon County another part of that bill said that we would have the elected school board but we hadn’t had an elected school board in Clarendon County. And so when that bill passed we had to actually draw the maps,” Sen. Kevin Johnson.
The result was this map.
In November, Clarendon county voters will head to the polls and vote on one school district board member per sub-district.
“Any registered voter in Clarendon County can vote but for the school district you have to vote for whichever of those nine school districts that you live in,” Johnson said.
Previously, Clarendon County had three school districts which had a mix of elected and appointed school board members. But now it will operate as one district with nine elected board members.
Residents of the county like LaNette Samuels Cooper said this is well overdue.
“The district in itself and the right for citizens to vote for who they want on the school board that’s a big plus. Because for so many years the school was controlled by one or two people,” Cooper said.
Senator Johnson adds this is the first time the county will ever have a fully elected school board.