School board seats are on the Nov. 3 ballot across the tri-county area.
These public bodies are responsible for the governance and financial oversight of public school districts. The boards also hire and evaluate the district’s superintendent, approve and review policies and budgets and monitor students’ academic progress.
While school board races are meant to be nonpartisan, meaning candidates do not run under party labels on the ballot, they have become more political, as candidates often campaign with endorsements from different interest groups, including local Democratic and Republican parties.
Two education sales tax referendum questions for Charleston and Dorchester County residents also are on the ballot this election. For more information about both measures, read our story here.
Charleston County
Fifteen candidates, including four incumbents, are vying for five school board seats. Pamela McKinney, current chairwoman and District 3 representative, is not seeking re-election.
The Charleston County School Board comprises nine single-member districts that match Charleston County Council lines. It is currently led by a conservative-leaning majority.
The Charleston County School District serves approximately 50,000 students across about 90 schools. It is South Carolina’s second-largest school district.
District 1 — East Cooper/Mount Pleasant
Keith Grybowski (incumbent)
Char Fitzwater
Mark Little
District 3 — Downtown/North Charleston
Joseph Bennett
Stuart Day
Bethany Nemitz
Tressa Pankovits
District 5 — North Charleston
Carlotte Bailey (incumbent)
Libby Tisdale
District 7 — West Ashley
Leah Whatley (incumbent)
Joy Brown
Francis Marion Beylotte
Daryl Ray Griffin
District 9 — James Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah/Seabrook, Johns Island
Carol Tempel (incumbent)
Karen Lurhs
The Charleston County Republican Party endorsed Grybowski, Day, Bailey, Whatley and Lurhs. The Charleston Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Beylotte.
The Charleston County Democratic Party has not publicly endorsed any school board candidates.
The South Carolina Education Association, the state’s largest public education advocacy organization and union affiliate of the National Education Association, has endorsed Fitzwater, Bennett, Tisdale, Brown and Tempel.
For more information about each Charleston County School Board candidate, read our previous story.
Berkeley County
Seven candidates, including four incumbents — one running unopposed — are vying for four seats on the nine-seat board, which consists of eight single-member district representatives and one at-large member. It is currently led by a conservative-leaning majority.
The Berkeley County School District serves about 40,000 students. It is the fourth-largest school district in the state and operates nearly 50 schools.
District 2 — Daniel Island
Mac McQuillin (incumbent): McQuillin was first elected to serve on the Berkeley County School Board in 2014. His priorities include school safety, academic excellence, teacher support and ensuring schools are prepared for Berkeley County’s current growth.
Lindsey Draugel: She is an early childhood teacher with over 20 years of experience, the mother of three school-aged boys and a community advocate. Her priorities include teacher support, curriculum and assessment reform, intervention and support for students and parent education and communication.
District 4 — Summerville/Ladson
Kathy Littleton (incumbent): Littleton was first elected to the Berkeley County School Board in 2018. She is a U.S. Navy veteran, a retired social worker and a special education professional. Her priorities include increasing mental health counselors in schools and the number of college- and career-ready graduates, fiscally conservative budgets and teacher support.
Kelli Roberson: Roberson served 20 years as a teacher and assistant principal at College Park Middle School. Most recently, she was the principal at Hanahan Middle School from 2021 until July 2026. Her priorities include school climate and safety, staff support and investment, student-centered decisions, transparent budgeting and building community trust.
District 6 — Moncks Corner
Sally Wofford (incumbent): Wofford has served on the Berkeley County School Board since 2014. She is an electrical engineer and currently works for an engineering firm. Her priorities include parental partnership, fiscal responsibility, teacher support and increasing opportunities for students.
Ashley Figueiredo: She is a former classroom teacher and parent of children who attend Berkeley County Schools. Her priorities include investing in teachers, education equity, board transparency and parent partnership.
District 8 — Huger/Cainhoy/Moncks Corner
Jerald Borden Jr. (incumbent, running unopposed)
The Berkeley County Republican Party has endorsed McQuillin, Littleton and Wofford. The Berkeley County Democratic Party has not publicly endorsed any school board candidates.
The South Carolina Education Association has endorsed Draugel, Roberson and Figueiredo.
Dorchester 2
Three incumbents and one challenger are running for three seats in the Dorchester County School District Two board.
The DD2 board consists of representatives from seven single-member districts. In recent years, it has largely remained apolitical.
District 2 — Southwest Summerville/Saul Dam precinct
This area covers part of Summerville and the precincts from Ashborough West to the Patriot precinct.
Bethany King (appears as Bethany Dodge on the ballot) (running unopposed)
District 4
Parts of Summerville, including Miles/Jamison precinct, west to Tranquil precincts, and Oakbrook 2 and Coosaw 3.
Evan Guthrie (incumbent): An attorney, Guthrie has served on the DD2 school board since 2016. He identifies himself as an independent. His priorities include increasing teacher pay and retention, improving student outcomes and building and fixing schools to address the district’s growth.
Meredith Westfall: She is a former DD2 classroom teacher with nearly a decade of experience and a neuroscience background. She also served on the district’s recruitment and retention task force. Her priorities include supporting and retaining teachers, responsible budgeting, parent partnerships and advocacy for students.
District 6 — Downtown Summerville
Ashley Wimberly (incumbent, running unopposed)
The South Carolina Education Association has endorsed Westfall.
Neither the Dorchester County Republican Party nor the Democratic Party has endorsed any DD2 school board candidate.