By Paul Gable
When Horry County voters go to the polls for primary balloting next week, two candidates for Horry County School Board, David Cox and Shanda Allen, stand out in their respective races.
David Cox is currently the school board vice chairman. He has represented Horry County District 9 for two terms. Having recently moved to Market Common, Cox is a candidate for the Horry County School Board District 4 Republican nomination.
Cox has gained valuable experience during his two terms on the school board. He wants to bring that experience to the citizens of District 4.
“Four out of the five new schools we contracted for last fall will be built in District 4,” Cox said. “I believe my experience on the school board can be valuable to the parents and students of District 4 as it goes through significant change in the next 12-18 months.”
Cox is a fiscal conservative who has helped hold the line on tax rates for Horry County residents. During his eight years of service, the school board has reduced tax rates by 18 mils while maintaining the building and maintenance requirements of one of the fastest growing school districts in the state.
In addition, Horry County high school students have continued to increase their SAT and ACT scores, as well as earning tens of millions of dollars of scholarships to colleges.
“I am proud of my eight years of service on the school board and hope the citizens of District Four will vote to allow me to continue to bring my experience to board decisions for the benefit of all the students in Horry County,” Cox said.
Shanda Allen brings considerable experience to her candidacy for the Horry County School Board District 11 Republican nomination.
She was a substitute teacher in Horry County Schools for 10 years, giving her significant knowledge of the classroom needs of both teachers and students.
“Our children are our greatest asset,” said Allen. “I want to make sure our teachers have all the tools necessary to help our students to be successful in life.”
In addition, Allen spent eight years as a member of the Aynor High School Improvement Council and has served four years as a member of the Horry County Higher Education Commission for Coastal Carolina University.
Allen is the CEO of Allen Aviation, Inc. a business she has owned with husband Al Allen since 2001. Her business experience gives Allen firsthand experience at handling unique problems.
When Horry County Schools became involved in the transgender bathroom issue, Allen offered an immediate, common sense solution. Allen called for Gender Secure Facilities under which the current ‘common area’ bathrooms and locker rooms in the district would be replaced by “Gender Secure Facilities.”
“I am sorrowed that we live in a society that has brought us to such a decision, but our only choice is to get ahead of the problem and not let it split apart our community,” Allen said.
If you are a voter in either District 4 or District 11, a vote for Cox or Allen respectively will benefit the students, parents and citizens of Horry County.
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