Published: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 / Updated: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 01:44 PM
Grier steps down from Clover school board
Replacement to be sought for Bethany-area seat
CLOVER --
Clover school board member Jack Grier announced Monday he has decided to step down from his post after more than three years, effective immediately. The school board will accept applications for a replacement to fulfill Grier's term, which ends in November.
Grier, who represented the Bethany community in the school board’s Seat 3, has been a member of the board since November 2008. Monday night, his resignation was accepted by his fellow board members.
Grier citied personal and professional responsibilities as his reasons for stepping down.
“It's just a classic example of a man with too much on his plate to handle,” Grier said Monday. “I can't afford to sacrifice time with my career or family, so I determined that I couldn't give the school district the attention it deserves.”
During Grier's tenure, Bethany Elementary School was named South Carolina's top Title 1 school. Title 1 schools are high-poverty schools, a designation based on the percentage of the student population that qualifies to receive federally subsidized free or reduced-priced lunches.
Title 1 schools become eligible to receive federal funds for extra school programs and personnel. Bethany Elementary School is one of three Title 1 schools in the Clover school district. The other two are Larne and Kinard elementary schools.
Bethany earned top state honors for its exceptional test scores “despite having a lot of the student body at or below the poverty level,” explained Clover Schools Superintendent Marc Sosne.
On last spring's Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) test, the school scored 14.09 percentage points higher than the state average in math, 13.6 points higher in writing, and 7.26 points higher in English/language arts.
Grier's son Will is a fourth-grade student at Bethany Elementary.
“Jack Grier brought a great business perspective to our board,” Sosne said. “He didn't just represent Bethany, which was his seat, but he had the best interests of all the kids in our district at heart.”
Anyone who is interested in the now-vacant Seat 3 position can apply on the district's website at www.clover.k12.sc.us.
Candidates must have residence in the Bethany community for a minimum of one year. They should submit a cover letter detailing their qualifications for the position. Deadline for submission is Feb. 6.
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