There is an almost unprecedented roll of candidates to fill seats for the next four years in Bamberg School District Two this year.

Eight candidates have filed for Bamberg School Board Two seats in the April 12 election. Incumbent Alvin Maynor, Leila C. Brown, and Beverly Frazier are seeking a place on seat 5. Incumbent Loretta Goodman, Anthony Carter, Victor Billinghurst, and Rev. Jimmie Jackson, Sr. are campaigning for seat 4, and unopposed Blossom Thompson is running for reelection for seat 3. All eight candidates have said they are looking for “more stability” in the school district.

Seat 5

Incumbent Alvin Maynor is running for his second term. Maynor, with one term as a trustee in the Bamberg School District Two board, several years of experience in the Olar Town Council, retirement from Allendale County Department of Social Services as Human Services Coordinator for Economic Services and a degree in Organization Management from Voorhees College in Denmark says, “My experience speaks for itself.” Maynor is also a graduate of the Leadership Academy for Leadership for Today and Tomorrow.

In December, 2002 he was the first African-American elected to serve on the Olar Town Council. He is currently vice-chairman of the District Two Board with advanced level four of six in a course of study for school board members. “If I cannot help someone along the way, my living will be in vain,” he believes.

Leila C. Brown who was a member of the Board in 2007 “is all about education … that must be our focus … the children,” she says. Her campaign underscores “honesty and integrity,” “an experienced board member,” and a “sincere concern for children.”

“It has always been my passion to help others,” Ms. Brown explains. “I love children and am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that the students in Bamberg School District Two get the best education possible and for them to strive for excellence.”

Beverly Frazier. “It’s time for a new beginning. It’s time for a change at the top.” A “proud” product of Denmark- Olar, graduating in 1994, and Claflin College, she and her husband have three children now attending Denmark-Olar Elementary School. “Having a seat on the school board should not be about self and personal gain, but about the best interest of our children. Our children need stability,” Frazier says.

She and her husband have three children ages 11, 7, and 5 attending Denmark Olar Elementary. “I will bring years of experience with working with youth and family. She worked for the SC Department of Social Service for 10 years and is currently employed with Bamberg County (Voorhees College) Workforce Center in Denmark as the youth coordinator for the WIA Program.

Seat 4

Victor Billinghurst, a retired New York City police officer working with truant children, has long experience with the vagaries of youth and the negative effects of “undereducation” on the youth. “There are so many things these days that interfere with the growing up of kids. Education,” he says, “must be the first responsibility of the parents. A firm hand on their children is a deciding factor in their children’s success.”

Last year Victor was involved in the student council at the middle school and his wife, Abbie is a member of the Booster Club. With grandchildren in the schools, he and his wife “take a lot of interest in the schools. We see generally that the trustees do about the best they can, but I see where improvement is sorely needed. I see some important things that are now going on in our schools that need to be addressed by the board. Bullying, for example. What policies does the District have on bullying?”

Anthony Carter. “My main reason for running for the school board is to give voice for the children of Denmark- Olar schools. I want to speak for every child … to help them reach their goals in school and in life.”

Anthony and wife Raquel have two children, Aaron and Chamasei. A graduate of Denmark-Olar High School in 1986, he is a life-long resident of Denmark. He is the oldest of four boys, a young minister involved with youth “in all aspects of young lives. It’s important that parents sit down for meals with their children. This goes back to the grandparents as well. We have to get back to an understanding that knowledge is power, that respect is a primary and major factor in the success of our children.”

Rev. Jimmie Jackson, Sr. has been a member of his church’s Youth Ministry for several years and Superintendent and teacher of Sunday School at Hutto Chapel Baptist Church. The board, he says, “is driving off volunteers who once were interested in voluntary services to the schools.” Rev. Jackson has volunteered his experience on youth soccer since 1990. “It’s not the way it used to be,” he maintains. He would like to see the schools gymnasiums open to children on weekends to get children off the streets.. “Kids today just don’t have any place to go, with too many negative influences on them.”

Referring to the infighting that occurred last year in the school board meetings, “Never let the kids see you fighting,” he says. “It’s things like that are so corrosive to not only our children’s success, but the success of the schools and the board.”

Loretta Goodman is campaigning for her second term on the school board. “During my first term,” she says, “I am obtaining a good understanding of the ins and outs of the school board. Now, for my second term, I want to achieve the goals I’ve set for myself and the board.”

Goodman’s experience as an educator spans forty years. Having taught and counseled students in grades eight through twelve, though retired she is currently instructing classes at Voorhees College.

Seat 3

Blossom Thompson has been a Bamberg School District Two School Board Trustee for 12 years. She has attained Level Six, the highest level a school board member can achieve, according to the South Carolina School Boards Association.

Thompson is the mother of four adult children, all of whom were educated in the Bamberg District Two schools. She is a lifelong Denmark resident.

Thompson has been a culinary arts instructor at Denmark Technical College for over 10 years. As an educator, she has worked tirelessly as a school board member in improving the educational experiences of all children in the district. She finds it a challenge nowadays in trying to get the best for our schools in light of the economic situation that all districts face.

She encourages parental support and wants parents to feel free to ask questions about anything involving their child’s/children’s education. Parental support helps strengthen school relationships- this is what our children need to see. A main goal is to see Bamberg School District Two continuing to positively grow so as to see our community prosper as well. “Strong schools show strong communities,” she says.

Overall, all of the eight candidates central theme has focused on dwindling education funding, lax parent/guardian support for the schools, and innovation in the schools curriculum.