From staff reports
U.S. Navy veteran Gwyneth J. Saunders will run as a write-in candidate for Beaufort County School Board District 5, the only district that will have no candidate on the ballot in the November general election.
“There are 11 seats on that school board, and this is the only one that did not have someone willing to step up, and commit to representing the students and families living in that area,” said Saunders. “I find that unacceptable, and I am willing to do the work.”
The current District 5 representative – Richard Geier – was moved into District 4 when the county redrew the boundaries for both the county and school districts following the results of the 2020 census.
Saunders, who is a freelance reporter for the Bluffton Sun, is a retired Navy journalist with 26 years active duty in public affairs, newspaper and broadcasting. After retirement, she worked as a reporter for 10 years before moving to the Lowcountry in 2008. She continued both full-time and as a freelancer for area publications and is currently a freelance journalist for the Bluffton/Hilton Head Sun.
“The people deserve a representative. Someone qualified in their corner to ask the right questions and hold people accountable. I have a proven record of service, reliability and commitment,” Saunders said.
Closing the learning gap for children entering school and those already enrolled is one of her reasons for applying.
“There are a number of moving parts already working to that end, and I want to ensure students have every advantage possible to be successful in school and life,” Saunders said. “I also want to support our teachers and improve teacher retention. We are losing qualified professionals every day, and our kids are suffering for it. It’s happening everywhere, but I know we can improve. Beaufort County should be a model for the state on how to recruit and retain the best and most qualified teachers.
