She chairs a public Midlands school board. Her kids are going to private school
The chair of a public school board in the Midlands has enrolled her children in a private school.
Kimberly Snipes, the chair of Lexington-Richland 5 school board, confirmed to The State she has moved her fourth and sixth grade students this year from Dutch Fork Elementary in the Chapin-Irmo area school district to Heathwood Hall, a private Episcopal school in Columbia.
Snipes said it was a hard decision to make, considering she’s served on the public school board since 2022 and this year took over as chair. But she ultimately felt it was in the best choice to meet the specific needs of her children.
“It was very hard decision to make, but I believe it was the right decision to make this year,” Snipes told The State. “A few people in the community reached out and asked about it, haven’t been shying away from it.”
The decision has caused discussion among district residents, but Snipes said said she’s told constituents the choice wasn’t a reflection on Dutch Fork or Lexington-Richland 5.
“Please realize this is not a knock on the school or the district,” she said. “It’s everything to do with my family and just personal decisions to accommodate some things.”
But when asked, she said, “I tell people they need to do whatever they think is best for their children, whether they’re zoned for one school and think another school meets their needs better, or if they think online is a a better option we offer the FIVE program,” the district’s option for students to take online classes.
“The only person who knows what their kids need is the parents, and you need to make the choice that’s best for you,” Snipes added.
She said she told Akil Ross, the district’s superintendent, ahead of the decision, “so he wouldn’t be blindsided.”
“He was supportive that I did what was best for my family,” she said. “But he also said he always wants to work to gain people back, and he hoped it won’t be a permanent decision.”
Snipes said her family hasn’t decided yet if her children will eventually move back to Irmo public schools, but noted there’s no requirement that board members have children in the district’s schools in order to serve.
“It doesn’t mean I care any less about the district,” she said. “I still have other family in the district, and I’m still just as committed now as three years ago when I was elected to serve all of our students.”
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