Floyd supporter leaving board seat

A Berkeley school board member closely aligned with Superintendent Chester Floyd plans to step down when he moves away from the district.

Dan Kingsbury, who represents Daniel Island and parts of Goose Creek and Hanahan, is moving to Columbia for a new job in sales and marketing. He told Floyd on Monday that he intends to resign his seat because he no longer will live in the district.

Floyd said Kingsbury hasn't submitted an official resignation but he expects one soon. Kingsbury's departure means voters in his district will choose his successor in a special election to be held 13 weeks after the vacancy occurs. The election could occur in mid-to-late February, depending on when Kingsbury officially resigns.

Kingsbury's departure creates a void, Floyd said, because the school board will have eight members until the special election, and the possibility of a 4-to-4 split vote. Even when the new member is elected, Floyd said Kingsbury's passion will be missed. The Daniel Island resident was elected to the school board last year and quickly became a favorite of teachers and district officials.

Kingsbury was one of four candidates supported in last year's election by Citizens for Reasonable Taxation, a grass-roots group pushing for tighter control over the board's spending.

Although two other fiscally conservative candidates elected last year, Jimmy Hinson and Terry Hardesty, joined veteran board members Jim Royce and Wilhelmina Moore in opposing several initiatives put forth by administrators, Kingsbury surprised election observers by becoming one of Floyd's strongest supporters. He often served as the deciding factor when the board approved proposals by a 5-to-4 vote.

Kingsbury said he assumed money was spent wastefully until he became a board member.

"I was incredibly naive, but I've done a flip-flop," Kingsbury said. "I now believe we don't go nearly far enough."

He said he regrets he's leaving without accomplishing more of his goals but hopes his replacement can be similarly open-minded.

Catherine Welborn, leader of the Citizens for Reasonable Taxation group, said Kingsbury "betrayed" many who voted for him hoping for a fiscal conservative. "It was frustrating for everybody who threw their weight behind him during the election," she said. "I hope that this time we can elect a conservative who stays a conservative."

Floyd said he's told teachers and principals not to worry about the vacancy and instead to keep the focus on classroom learning. That may be difficult given Kingsbury's pivotal vote on the board.

"I'm going to continue to make recommendations that I'm convinced will be good for the children and employees in our schools," Floyd said. "How those recommendations play out with the board is yet to be determined."

Reach Mindy B. Hagen at 937-5433 or mhagen@postand courier.com.