Beginning Jan. 1, the Marlboro County Board of Education will have a new chairman – Jackie Branch.

At a special called meeting on Dec. 17, board members and their attorney discussed the process and options of getting another board chairman after Larry McNeil resigned earlier in the week.

McNeil resigned after being appointed acting sheriff of the county by Gov. Henry McMaster.

The more than an hour and a half meeting, which included an executive session for personnel matters, had attorney Ashley Story talking to the board about the state statutes and giving her recommendation.

If a current serving member wanted to be chairman and received a majority vote from other board members, the person would have to resign from their seat.

Vice-chairman Michael Coachman presided over the meeting. He said he did not want to give up his seat to be chairman.

Board member Reginald Gaymon made a motion to nominate Jackie Branch as board chairman. Branch asked if he could resign his District 3 by Dec. 31.

Gaymon amended his motion with Branch to start on Jan. 1, 2022. Manville seconded it.

The vote was 6-2, with Board Secretary Janice Bright and Rev. James Smith voting no.

Manville made a motion to accept Branch’s resignation effective Dec. 31. Gaymon seconded it.

Board members Danny Driggers, David Flowers, Coachman, Branch, Manville and Gaymon voted yes. Bright and Smith did not vote.

The vote for Branch to be the chairman, effective Jan. 1, was 6-2 with Bright and Smith voting no. The Dec. 17 meeting for the Marlboro County Board of Education can be found on the district’s Facebook page.

District 3 seat

Board of education members are seeking candidates for the District 3 seat. Potential candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and resume by noon on Jan. 6. These items must be submitted to LaKeisha Cribb via email at lcribb@marlboro.k12.sc.us or mailed/hand delivered to 122 Broad Street, Bennettsville, SC 29512.

Qualifications include having a genuine interest in and devotion to public education, a willingness to give time and effort to the district, and the ability to work cooperatively with others. Constitutional and statutory provisions require that all officers of the state and its subdivisions be qualified electors; that is, registered to vote, in their resident precinct. Persons convicted of a felony under state or federal law or other crimes related to elections and voting are prohibited from being elected to and serving in an office in this state or its political subdivisions, including school districts. Board members are prohibited from dual office-holding except in instances when an officer is given ex-officio status by statute. Any office-holder who is elected to a second office must vacate the first office. Under this provision, “office-holding” means being elected or appointed to an office of the state or its subdivisions. Those interested should log onto the Marlboro County School District’s website at marlboro.k12.sc.us and review the South Carolina Board Member Code of Ethics as well as the map of district 3.

The Board of Education will convene in January of 2022 to determine interviews and selection.