School Board Appreciation Month is being celebrated in January, and it is a time to recognize the importance of school board members' roles in managing a public school district. Check out some frequently asked questions below to learn more about the responsibilities of a school board and how a board operates.
What is a school board’s role?
School boards are responsible for approving police and budgets, overseeing facilities and other administrative aspects of the district. School board members represent the needs of the school district and students to the community, while also representing the concerns of the community to the school administrators.
What is included in the school board’s responsibilities?
The board is responsible for all matters within the district, including, but not limited to, employing and evaluating the superintendent of education, approving the appropriation of all district funds, employing or dismissing certified and classified personnel, establishing salaries of personnel, approving the organizational structure of the district, annually approving the contracts for all certified personnel, and approving all policies.
What is the makeup of BCSD’s school board?
BCSD’s school board is comprised of eight single-member “districts” (regions in the county divided up based on population size) plus a board member who is voted in at-large.
In a school board election, residents in BCSD’s eight districts individually vote on who they want to represent their area, whereas the at-large seat is voted on by all county residents.
BCSD’s board members are as follows:
District 1: Michael Ramsey (Vice Chair)
District 2: Mac McQuillin
District 3: Joe Baker (Secretary)
District 4: Kathy Littleton
District 5: Angelina Davenport
District 6: Sally Wofford (Chair)
District 7: Yvonne Bradley
District 8: Dr. Chrystal Wigfall
At-large: Cindy Coats
How are BCSD board members elected?
BCSD school board members are elected in non-partisan elections. Elected members serve four-year terms, staggered by two years, and the election is held at the same time as the general election in November. BCSD’s most recent school board election was held in November 2024; at the time, seats in Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7, as well as the at-large chair, were on the ballot. Candidates wishing to represent Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 will participate in the November 2026 election.
Do all school boards in South Carolina look the same in terms of number of board members, how they are elected, etc.?
School boards in South Carolina vary greatly. Most school boards range from five to nine members. Larger districts like Greenville and Horry Counties each have 12 members.
Board members are elected in most of the 72 districts, and most school board members are elected in non-partisan elections. There are some whose members are appointed and some who run in partisan elections.
Some school districts have fiscal autonomy (or the ability to levy taxes on residents). BCSD is among the districts that have this ability; millage increases/decreases are subjected to a majority vote by school board members during their yearly budget planning process.
How often do BCSD school board members meet?
BCSD’s school board meetings are held on the first and third Monday of every month at 5:30 p.m. in the boardroom located at 107 E. Main Street in Moncks Corner (except when otherwise noted). Board meetings are open to the public and residents are encouraged to attend.
Am I allowed to speak at a school board meeting?
There is an opportunity for “Citizen Comments” at the start of each meeting. To make a comment, attendees must register upon arrival and prior to the school board’s return from executive session. Forms will ask for the attendee’s name, address, phone number, and the topic they plan to address.
To maximize participation, speakers are requested to limit their comments to three minutes; during that time, speakers are asked to refrain from making any complaints against any BCSD employee (with the exception of district-level executives) or referencing any students other than the child/ren of the speaker.
The board chair or other presiding officer in authority can terminate the remarks of any individual if he/she does not adhere to the aforementioned procedures.
What is the district superintendent’s relationship to the school board?
Among the school board members’ duties is to employ the BCSD Superintendent of Education. Dr. Anthony Dixon was named superintendent in fall 2022.
The district superintendent has general supervision over the employees and schools of the district, and ensures the schools are operated in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the S.C. State Board of Education, the S.C. Code of Laws, and the policies of the Berkeley County Board of Education.
The superintendent attends all school board meetings and sits with board members at the dais, but does not have voting power. Essentially, the board is responsible for setting procedures and policies, and the superintendent is responsible for executing those decisions.
What makes a school board effective?
An “effective” school board practices a lot of things; a 2019 publication from the Center of Public Education narrows it down to eight specific characteristics of what board members need to do:
Commit to a vision of high expectations for student achievement,
Have strong shared beliefs and values about students’ ability to learn and of the system and its ability to teach all children at high levels,
Are accountability driven,
Have a collaborative relationship with staff and the community,
Are data-savvy,
Align and sustain resources to meet district goals,
Lead as a united team with the superintendent, and
Take part in team development and training.
How can I communicate with my school board members?
In addition to attending the school board meetings and speaking during Citizens Comments, Berkeley County residents can communicate with their school board members directly; their contact information is listed on the district’s website.
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