2026 Beaufort School Board District 9 Special Election
The Beaufort County School District consists of 11 members serving four-year terms. This special election is to fill the District 9 seat that was vacated earlier this year. The candidate chosen from this election will serve until 2028.
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Christina Gwozdz
(NP)
What plan of action do you recommend to recruit and retain teachers to address the record teacher shortage?
What recommendations do you have to improve the Board of Education's engagement with the parents and public and to ensure that board meetings are respectful and productive?
How should the Board of Education address disparities in performance among schools within the school district
What other priorities might you have as a member of the Beaufort County School District Board of Education?
Campaign Phone
843-636-8555
Education
Education: M.D. Cornell, A.B. Bowdoin College, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. Experience: Beaufort School Board 2017-24 (elected and re-elected by District 9 voters), Board Chair 2019-24, Q4 2022 (elected by colleagues). District 9 resident since 1994. BCSD Parent 1995-2015. Three sons graduated Bluffton HS and Princeton. Considerable business experience owning and managing my medical practice on HHI for 3 decades and was a founding partner of Outpatient Surgery Center of HH.
Under my tenure as Board Chair, the Board significantly increased the compensation of our teachers in an attempt to recruit and retain the most qualified professionals. Since 2019, teacher compensation in our District has increased by 69%. We actively recruit teachers from many states as they complete their education degrees. Beaufort Co is a desirable place to live, but expensive. Teachers must also be supported and valued. Additional benefits offered to our teachers include locality supplements, coaching stipends, reduced cost childcare and School Choice for their children. Our District extends the SC mandatory year-long induction program for brand new teachers and has school based and district mentors for the new teachers.
The Board of Education is a public governing body. Therefore, the public business meetings serve as the Board’s best medium to showcase its image and credibility. Each individual board member is responsible for their own conduct; however, the board is more than a collection of individuals. The Board’s power and authority lie in the collective body and in order for it to be effective governing the school district, it must act as a single unit. Board members bring different backgrounds and experiences to the Board and this should elevate the decision making of the Board. We can disagree amicably during our discussions, but once the Board has exercised its decision making via vote, all members need to support this decision.
The District looks very closely at each school’s annual academic performance in an attempt to determine what factors played a role in that performance – both positive and negative – e.g., school leadership, English language proficiency of student body, family support, student tardiness and absenteeism, tutoring, and prior academic preparation in sequenced subjects, to name a few. Using that information and bringing it forward to the Board, helps the Board tailor its decision making to improve academic achievement district-wide. Every child is deserving of a quality education. Their future success depends upon it.
The key challenge always facing the Board of Education is to improve public education (student achievement) by fulfilling our fiduciary duty to steer the School District towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical and legal governance and financial management policies, while ensuring adequate resources are available to advance the District’s mission.
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