New Bamberg County school board in place; former boards OK’d present budgets, policies

The nine members of the new, consolidated board were appointed by members of the Bamberg County Legislative Delegation, Rep. Justin Bamberg and Sen. Brad Hutto, and sworn into office in February.

A bill formally dissolving the former Bamberg County School District 1 and 2 boards is making its way through the state Senate as work continues to consolidate the districts.

The two districts have been sharing key personnel, with consolidation planned for 2022-23.

Meanwhile, decisions made relative to budgets and policies for school year 2021-22 and prior years were made by the previous Bamberg 1 and Bamberg 2 boards, BCSD Superintendent Dottie Brown said.

Decisions about budgets and policies for the consolidated district for school year 2022-23 and beyond still have to be made, and those decisions will be made by the new, consolidated Bamberg County School Board, Brown said.

“All decisions at this point that have to be made for the new fiscal year and the new school year (have been made). Our budgets are done for the year, our staff’s in place for this year, our policies are all in place,” Brown said.

The new school board includes four members from the BSD1 board and three from the BSD2 board. Monthly meetings of the former boards have been canceled because of the lack of a quorum that resulted. A person cannot serve on both boards.

From the Bamberg 1 (Bamberg-Ehrhardt) board are: Janeth Walker, John Hiers, Naomi Eckels and Gwendolyn D. Bamberg

From the Bamberg 2 (Denmark-Olar) board are: Beverly Bonaparte, Tonie Holman and Blossom Thompson

Harriet H. Coker and Cynthia F. Hurst are the other new board members.

Bamberg County Rep. Justin Bamberg has said that in the absence of quorums for both previous boards, meaning they cannot meet, school governance in the county is now in the hands of the new county board.

The board meets at 6 p.m. Monday, April 4, at Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School.