BOE flap fuels renewed call for change HILTON HEAD ISLAND: Sen. Scott Richardson still wants to reduce panel to nine members, with three at-large seats. Last week's three-day stalemate vote to elect a school board chairman is providing fuel to change the panel's makeup. Last year, state Sen. Scott Richardson, R-Hilton Head Island, presented his idea of reducing the school board from 11 members to nine, with three at-large seats. On Monday, after months of little discussion, he talked about his proposal again. If Beaufort County voters were asked to vote on changing the board this week, about 90 percent would vote in favor, Richardson said jokingly to a Hilton Head Island crowd on Monday. Last week, school board members deadlocked in 5-to-5 votes - with St. Helena Island representative Michael Rivers abstaining - at least a dozen times. Finally, board member Dale Friedman of Port Royal was elected to lead the panel Friday. Board member Pam Edwards of Hilton Head Island was so upset at the process that she was ready to resign Saturday after a board retreat, but thought better of it. "I just realized that if I left the Board of Education now, I would take with me my vote and until the issue on the north area high school is resolved, I can't give that vote away," she said. Edwards and two other school board members, Rich Tritschler and newcomer David Chase, attended the 1st Monday Republican lunch group on Monday at Aunt Chiladas to hear Richardson's take on the matter. About 50 people showed up. Richardson explained that his proposal for a nine-member panel includes the provision that the at-large candidate with the most votes would become the board chairman. Currently, the 11 board members each represent individual districts that match the County Council's. Richardson said he would like to see a board "that could vote more globally," and think about the county as a whole rather than individual districts. "Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and vote what's best and take some heat," he said. "There are finite problems and very regional. It doesn't seem (the board) can get a vote as a whole." Club member Tom Hatfield agreed. "In business and government situations when you almost always have a 6-5 vote, something is drastically wrong," he said. "They table the issue and search for a consensus." One topic the school board cannot come to a consensus on involves the county's fifth high school. The proposed north area high school, which would be built near Davis Elementary School in northwest Beaufort County in the Dale community, has faced opposition. Late last year, the Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals denied issuing the school board special use zoning permits, citing insecurities about a nearby chemical plant. The issue could be taken to the state Supreme Court, an option the school district has entertained. The school board used to have at-large seats, but that was changed in 1992 to the current makeup. Some have said the school board should remain the same, while others have said Richardson's proposal for at-large seats should also include the Beaufort County Council. Richardson said the state legislative delegation does not have the same control over the County Council as it does over the school board. Essentially, school board makeup can be changed through the state delegation without the school board's approval, he said. Before Richardson's plan could be implemented a number of things would have to occur, including approval from the U.S. Justice Department to ensure the 1965 South Carolina Voting Rights Act isn't being violated. South Carolina is one of six states that must get the OK before redistricting. There's a lot of scrutiny by the Justice Department to ensure minorities are represented, Richardson said. Richardson predicted that if his system was currently in place, about two of the nine representatives would be black. Currently, five of the 11 board members are black. Richardson pointed out that in 1990 the minority population in Beaufort County was about 36 percent. Ten years later, he said, that number had dropped to 27 percent. "And it will keep dropping in the upcoming years," he said. Richardson would like to see several community forums for feedback, possibly with nonpartisan groups hosting the events. He originally wanted to have the meetings late last year, before the November elections, but said the issue became inflamed after former Board of Education Chairman Earl Campbell labeled the new district proposal racist. "I just want to get the discussion started," he said. "I'm not trying to ram this down anyone's throat." Reporter Erinn McGuire can be reached at 837-5255, ext. 107, or erinn.mcguire@lowcountrynow.com Click here to return to story: http://www.lowcountrynow.com/stories/011105/LOCrichardson.shtml