Will former LR5 superintendent consider SC election run? Here’s what she tweeted
A former school district superintendent whose departure sparked controversy sounds somewhat conflicted about whether she should seek higher office.
Christina Melton, who until this summer was superintendent in Lexington-Richland 5, sent a cryptic Halloween tweet about the possibility of running for South Carolina’s state superintendent of education next year.
Melton made a teary resignation from her job in the Chapin-Irmo school district in June after a period of clashes with members of the school board, even after she was awarded the title of South Carolina’s superintendent of the year.
On Sunday, one Twitter user wondered what the district’s reaction would be if Melton moved into the state’s top education job, over a GIF of an upset man in clown makeup.
Melton quote-tweeted the original post with the comment “Hey! Wait a minute ... is this a trick or a treat?” followed by a laughing emoji and a jack-o-lantern.
The tweet came the week that current S.C. Superintendent Molly Spearman announced she won’t seek a third term in office in 2022, raising questions about who might take her place as the elected head of the state Education Department.
In August, Melton was hired for a new job as director of assessment at the Education Department. At the time, Spearman called her “a dynamic leader whose passion for students’ academic success is unrivaled.”
“It is not often that a leader of her caliber comes available to fulfill a crucial position in education,” Spearman said in a statement. “She will bring the same dedication and expertise that she has exhibited in schools, districts, and communities for over 28 years to the entire state.”
An attempt to reach Melton for comment was not immediately returned Wednesday.
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