Friday morning during the Public Policy Division Meeting, Chamber members heard the latest on single-member districts in Dorchester School District Two directly from state legislators.

Senator Sean Bennett and State House Representatives Gary Brewer, Chris Murphy, and Robby Robbins spoke in a panel format on the changes that were signed by the Governor in March 2023, but it won’t be obvious to voters until November 2024. 

The legislation (H. 3961) was introduced by Reps. Murphy, Brewer, Gatch, Jefferson and Robbins, and it creates seven single-member districts based on population size.  Each district is roughly the same size. The catalyst for this change to single-member districts (from at-large) was a lack of representation for the unique regions of the school district. It was a common complaint legislators said they heard from voters last year.

For a frame of reference, Rep. Murphy pointed out that three districts on the new map don’t have anyone from the school board living within them and specifically representing them. 

The law makes three major changes to how the Dorchester District Two School Board is elected:

• At-large voting transition to single-member districts. 
• A map was created to outline seven individual districts.
• The candidate filing method was changed.

The entire School Board will be up for a vote in November 2024 under the new law.  The only requirement for candidates is to live within the district they will represent. 

REVIEW THE MAP HERE

Even numbered districts will initially serve for two years. Odd numbered districts will serve for four years.  After the initial election in 2024, all board members will serve four year terms. 

The legislators on the Friday morning panel all agreed this move gives better representation for each region of the school district.  It also eliminates the need for candidates to secure a large quantity of signatures before they can officially run for the position. 

The Chamber owes special recognition and thanks to the Flowertown Players Theatre, 133 South Main Street, for hosting the meeting at their venue in Summerville.