In possible shakeup, school board chair will try to switch one office for another
A Midlands school board chair will be seeking a job change when voters head to the polls this fall.
Kimberly Snipes, the chair of the Lexington-Richland 5 school board, has announced in a Facebook post that she will not seek another term on the school board and will instead be running for a seat on Richland County Council.
“After thoughtful consideration and much prayer, I have made the decision not to seek reelection, Snipes wrote in the post. “Serving this community has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in me, the relationships we’ve built, and the work we’ve accomplished together. Your support, encouragement, and belief in me have meant more than I can fully express.”
But saying she still feels a “commitment to service,” Snipes said she would be seeking another office instead.
“I am excited to share that I will be continuing my desire to serve our community by running for Richland County Council District 1!”
The district covering the northwestern portion of Richland County includes Irmo and Ballentine, and the Richland County side of Lexington-Richland 5. The seat is currently held by Jason Branham, a first-term councilman and one of two Republicans on the county council.
Snipes had filed to run as a Democrat as of Wednesday, according to SCVotes.gov. Filing for the seat is open until March 30.
Snipes was elected to her first term on the Chapin-Irmo area school board in 2022, holding one of three seats representing the Richland side of the district. She became chair in 2024.
Even while chairing the school board, Snipes made the decision this year to move her two children from Dutch Fork Elementary in the district to Heathwood Hall, a private Episcopal school in Columbia. She said at the time it was the best move to meet the specific needs of her children.
Snipes’ decision will leave an opening at the head of the Lexington-Richland 5 school board after elections later this fall, when her seat and three others will come up for a vote. Filing for school board races, which are non-partisan, will open in August. No other members of the Lexington-Richland 5 school board have announced their election plans for this year.
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