L to R Huddle, Hogan, Blackburn Hines

Having been involved in District Five for two decades, I wondered if it was possible to elect people who cared about transparency, finances, classroom learning and many other issues. On Tuesday, the ultimate conclusion happened – the longtime stranglehold on the district’s governance was toppled as Catherine Huddle and Rebecca Blackburn Hines won in Lexington County, while Matt Hogan was victorious in Richland County. They unseated Lexington incumbent Chairman Michael Cates and longtime supposed hero Robert Gantt of Richland. Longtime trustee Beth Hutchison did not run for re-election. Only one member of the old guard, 18-year trustee Ed White, remains.

The new, six-person alternative includes original reformer/whistleblower Jan Hammond, Ken Loveless, Nikki Gardner and the three newcomers. It is not at all clear what the future is for White, who has shown no interest in any leadership positions, is considered by many to be the most divisive in the past 18 years and has a very shotty attendance record for board meetings. White may resign in the near future or decline to run for re-election in 2022.

About the new board. The six are in no way aligned on every single issue like the previous “Core 4.” Cates, Gantt, Hutchison and White all voted together on everything that came before the board. The new team will have some areas of disagreement but they will air those out without silence.

With new leadership, the school board is destined to have open dialogue about what makes it to the agenda. The new leadership is destined to get a greater look into the finances of the district, where they have spent irresponsibly and hemorrhaged funds from a previous 2008 bond referendum that didn’t accomplish the items that were passed. The new leadership is prepared to tackle the problems with COVID-19 and the scattered re-entry approach by the previous board. The new leadership is sure to think twice before raising property taxes to the maximum allowed by law as the previous board has done. The new leadership is not likely to buy properties without a plan for actually using them.

Trustees Hammond and Loveless (and anybody who disagreed) were silenced by the previous school board for over a decade now. The official transition of power takes place on November 16th and it is vital that the new board hits the ground running.

Congratulations to the new school board. We are ready for a new day in accountability – and that includes you.

Preston Baines can be reached on Twitter/Parler @prestonbaines and prestonbaines@gmail.com.

Please “like”, comment, share with a friend, and donate to support The Standard on this page.