Reader: An open letter to the voters, hold school board members accountable
Reader: An open letter to the voters, hold school board members accountable
To the voters of Beaufort County:
With the current turmoil regarding the Beaufort County School District’s Board of Education and Riverview Charter School, it is relevant to point out 2010 is an election year where voters have the opportunity to hold particular board members accountable.
Beaufort County’s record on voting in mid-term elections is not the greatest. Ironically, it is the mid-term elections that often have the greatest impact on local issues with fewer voters participating.
Every vote matters to a board member, for example: according to the South Carolina State Election Commission, in the 2006 election, Michael F. Rivers won by a margin of eleven votes. Obviously, Mr. Rivers is sensitive to every voter in his district; a small number could change the outcome next time.
I personally do not know Mr. Rivers or how he stands on issues, he represents School Board District 005, and I live in District 007. It is Jim Bequette that must worry about how I feel and given his stance on various issues, he needs to worry. While his margin of victory in 2006 was 693 votes, he did face substantial opposition and as it stands, he cannot count on me this time around. While I am grateful for Mr. Bequette’s service to the community, I do not approve of his performance as a board member.
Other board members faced virtually no opposition in 2006, Joan E. Deery from District 001, for example. She received 2916 votes with only 18 votes being cast for a write-in candidate. It must have been thought she would do a phenomenal job or perhaps the citizens of Hilton Head just can’t be bothered to involve themselves in local matters. Regardless of her performance, an unopposed choice is no choice at all.
In our community, there are people who approve of the school board’s performance as well as those that do not. It is only natural. This is the year to let your feelings be known with a vote. The Riverview issue is one of many controversial ones the school board is dealing with and it is specific to that school. Other issues are general to the entire district, the poor graduation performance of the district for one.
The board, as a whole, seems more interested in brick and mortar projects than diplomas. When the board members were elected in 2006, the current seniors were in 9th grade. How many of that class will graduate? Federal statistics show, the 2005 rate (the most current year I could find) was just over 50%. That is a dismal number and if it does not show substantial improvement this June, why in the world would we return any of the board members for another term?
Learn the issues the school board deals with. We often wish we could hold elected officials accountable, this year you can – with a vote.
Michael H Benton
Beaufort SC
All our articles about Riverview Charter School
All our articles about Beaufort County’s public schools
Racial makeup in each of Beaufort County’s public schools
Report on the racial quota imposed by OCR and the school board on Riverview Charter School
What do you think? Send us a letter to the editor.
Related posts:
- Fred Washington, chairman, Beaufort County Board of Education: An open letter to General Assembly members
- Editor: An open letter to Jim Bequette, a member of Beaufort County Board of Education
- Riverview Charter School organizers say school board will approve today
- Here are the members of the Beaufort County Board of Education
- Editor: An open letter to our readers
