Two vying for Aiken County school board seat

AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. (WJBF) — Aiken County Schools will soon have a new board member.

Dwight Smith resigned from the school board in August. Now, Jim Oremus and Liz Morris are vying to represent District 6.

Voter turnout for Tuesday's school board election has been low. Some precincts saw as few as 20 voters. At Graniteville's Hope Center, 31 voted from one precinct, while just 14 voted from another. "Everybody went and voted last week; getting people to come back out and vote again a second time is difficult," District 6 School Board Candidate Jim Oremus said.

District 6 is part of Area 3 covering, Byrd, Clearwater, Gloverville, Graniteville, Jefferson, and Warrenville Elementary Schools; Warrenville, Highland Springs, Langley-Bath-Clearwater, and Leavelle McCampbell Middle Schools; and Midland Valley High School.

""I think it's our responsibility as a potential board member is that we ensure that they know what our vision looks like," District 6 School Board Candidate Liz Morris added.

Jim Oremus is a businessman and community volunteer, focused on safety and reducing administrative costs. "I know that the school district will tell you that we need all this administration, but when you think about how many administrators I'm talking about — from secretaries, principals, to people in the office here in Aiken — our school district is much more bloated than I feel it needs to be. And I would like to see us take a hard look at our budget," he said," he said.

Liz Morris, a Saluda County native and Army National Guard veteran, works as a career services manager. She prioritizes community involvement and student success. "Every student should feel that he or she has had some successes in our public school system. And then, with those teachers and students, I also feel like it's so important for teachers to feel supported, and for all of the administration to feel supported," she said.

Both candidates are focused on school safety, teacher support, and improving student outcomes.

Polls are open now until 7 p.m.