UNION — The consolidation of the county’s three high schools into one and maintaining a balanced budget without laying off personnel despite cuts in state funding are what Union County School Board member B.J. Morris said are the greatest accomplishments of her eight years in office.
McMorris, a Union native who graduated from Sims High School in 1969, is seeking her third term representing District 1 on the Union County Board of School Trustees. She said she is seeking another four years in office to help her fellow board members build on the achievements of the past eight.
“I’m running again because I feel like we’ve accomplished a lot as board members,” McMorris said. “I’ve done everything I could to help the students and the parents and the community.
“During my tenure we consolidated the high schools which I think was very positive,” she said. “We’ve also had to deal with many losses in state funding over the years, but we still balanced the budget without laying off teachers.”
McMorris said that the goal of the board is to help the schools prepare students for life after school. She said the board’s endorsement of the Work Ready Communities program and its plans to work with Union County, the City of Union, Union County Development Board and other agencies in implementing that program will help further prepare students for the future.
“Last week we signed a resolution to work with the county in the Work Ready program,” McMorris said. “This will help prepare students to enter the workforce after high school.”
McMorris said the last eight years has also seen the school district’s graduation rate improve and the board itself receive high ratings from the state.
“Our graduation rate is up, it’s leading us in the right direction,” McMorris said. “The state rates school boards every year and recently gave us a B rating.”
If reelected, McMorris said she would like to see the district undertake the construction of a stadium and continue efforts to make school an experience students look forward to each day.
“I’d like to see our building program increase,” McMorris said. “I’d like to see the district build a stadium at the high school.
“I’d like to see the students’ academic levels, athletic activities and involvement in the arts increase,” she said. “I want everyone to look forward to being in school and being a student. This is a precious time in their lives.”
McMorris, who attended USC-Union and graduated from USC-Upstate, is clinical manager of the OB Department at Wallace Thomson Hospital. A member of Bethesda Baptist Church, McMorris is married to Joseph McMorris Sr. and the couple has four children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
District 1 encompasses the Carlisle, Santuc, Black Rock and Cross Keys precincts.
McMorris is opposed for reelection by Ann Stevens.
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