From staff reports
People interested in helping Polaris Tech Charter School in Ridgeland are encouraged to become candidates for the Board of Directors. The deadline for board candidate applications is 4 p.m., Friday, March 15, and the online election will be held April 23 through 25.
Candidates must apply online and the application is available on the school website at www.polaristech.org or directly using this link: https://forms.gle/pv5xuyd157rFE7as5.
Board members serve two-year terms. There are six seats open, three through the election and three to be appointed by the current Board of Directors. To ensure a fair and confidential election, the Public Charter School Alliance of South Carolina will oversee the board election process.
“Polaris Tech has grown from serving 300 middle school and high school learners to being a full-service, K-12 school of about 550 students that is open to young people from across the Lowcountry,” retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Lloyd “Fig” Newton, Chair of the Board and one of the school’s founders, said in a news release.
“Part of that growth has been the result of dedicated board members who help push this wonderful idea forward,” he said. “We are looking for candidates who want to help us reach, rise and soar.”
Per South Carolina Charter Law, elected board members are elected by the families of the charter school students and school employees. Voting will take place online via computer or mobile devices. School associates with no students enrolled at Polaris Tech are given one vote. Families and school associates with students enrolled in Polaris Tech are given one vote per student enrolled in the school.
If a family or school associate has multiple children enrolled at Polaris Tech, they will receive an e-ballot for each student. Every ballot will have a unique PIN number to ensure confidentiality of the process. Computers will be available at the school for voting during normal school hours for families with no internet access or for those who seek additional help. Information about the election will be sent to families via email by the school.
Polaris Tech seeks a diverse board, Newton said. Meetings are held monthly, usually via Zoom or at the school campus in Ridgeland. By law, at least half the board must have experience in business or education and all board members must be South Carolina residents.
Polaris Tech is a state-approved charter school serving kindergarten through high school students from Jasper, Beaufort, Colleton and Hampton counties. It is a free school (no tuition), that focuses on preparing young people for successful work and college.
The school is located on Grays Highway across from the Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport. To keep updated about Polaris Tech Charter School, follow them on Facebook and at www.polaristech.org. For specific questions, email info@polaristech.org or call 843-645-0605.
