Dear Editor, I am writing today about the current election for the open positions on the Lexington-Richland School District Five board. My familiarity with District 5 goes back a number of years. My wife and I moved to Irmo 38 years ago and we have lived in Chapin for theContinue Reading
The job of the school board is to serve teachers, staff, students and members of the community. In particular, the board should answer to the taxpayers. The current school board majority, or the “Core Four”, has shown that fiscal responsibility is not their priority. They have purchased one piece ofContinue Reading
Dear Community, I know that this year has brought more challenges than we ever expected. We have seen great loss as we entered the first pandemic that most of us have ever experienced. Many in our community found their businesses shuttered and livelihoods lost. Parents were required to bear aContinue Reading
A small few with the goal of maintaining a power grip on D5 would have you believe where a school board member lives is important. The truth is … it’s not about where a school board member lives but rather who are the BEST & MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES with theContinue Reading
We have had the pleasure of knowing Rebecca Blackburn Hines as small business owners in Chapin and, as former teachers, within this district and neighboring districts. When Rebecca told us she was running for the District 5 School Board, we could not think of a better person for the job.Continue Reading
As a lifelong resident of Irmo, Dutch Fork High School graduate, and now the parent of a future Lex/Rich 5 student, I have a very strong desire to see the district continue to thrive. While I acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of the current School Board, I believe that itContinue Reading
With respect to the school board, I have seen it written lately by supporters of the “way we have always done it” that present and new members of the board will not have the proper experience to propel our school district’s students to the next level. Not only have theContinue Reading
We can all agree that change is needed. Wasted valuable resources, lack of transparency, no collaboration with fellow board members, a twenty-year incumbent, and a multitude of costly mistakes are just some of the reasons change is so needed in D5. What makes this election so unique is that inContinue Reading
Campaign TV commercials for national and statewide candidates are everywhere, so it is easy to overlook the choices for candidates at the local level. I am encouraging all of you to pray and think about your votes at all levels and make sure you VOTE. As a former school boardContinue Reading
On November 3, 2020, our community has a very important election for three new members on the Lexington Richland District 5 School Board. Two incumbents are running again. Robert Gantt (Richland County) is running for his sixth 4-year term on the school board. Michael Cates (Lexington County) is running forContinue Reading
Dear Friends,It’s been a couple of years since the District 5 school board voted 6-to-1 — with Jan Hammond the lone voice of dissent — to buy 24 acres of property off Amick’s Ferry Road. But it’s worth remembering in the coming days as we decide who will serve usContinue Reading