The candidates for the Effingham County Board of Education’s District 2 both say the school system is good and want to make it better.

Challenger Talbert Edenfield said the economic crunch being felt by the state could have an effect on what Superintendent Randy Shearouse and the school board are able to do in the short term.

“The toughest decisions Mr. Shearouse and board have to make over the next 12 to 24 months is where is the money going to come from,” he said. “Economics will determine what we can do and what we can put off.”

Incumbent Troy Alford, in his first term on the school board, praised the Ombudsman and STAR programs and the effect they have had on students in trouble.  

“I’m part of a wonderful, beautiful thing, and so are you,” Alford said. “We’ve made some real changes for our educational system.”

Edenfield’s wife Roni has taught in Effingham County schools for 19 years and he spent six years as a teacher before entering the private sector.

“I thought about running four years ago,” he said. “My background is education. It led to my interest, and I stay pretty current in education.”

Edenfield lauded the school system for hiring an energy coordinator — Eric Harris — to stress energy costs reductions among the schools. Edenfield also wants to promote recycling in the schools.

“With power and energy costs, a little bit means for a system like we have,” he said.

Said Alford: “Eric has done a tremendous job in helping us cut down on our energy costs. He saved us in excess of $40,000 in the first quarter.”

Alford said the school buildings and facilities are safe mechanically and praised the work of Slade Helmly, the director of administrative services.

Edenfield worried about the safety of the two high schools if their enrollments continue to grow and said a third high school may have to built in the future.

“The bigger the schools, to me personally, it doesn’t feel as safe,” he said. “I hope we don’t get to a point where we’re at 2,000 kids in a high school.”

Alford pointed to the board’s naming as a school board of distinction as an accomplishment.

“I think we work well together as a team,” he said.

The uniform dress code, started before the 2007-08 school year, also has worked well, Alford said.

“We’ve made great decisions, and we’ve made some mistakes, but nothing I think of that I’d take back,” he said.

Alford said he was proud of the system making adequate yearly progress standards for the second year in a row and also praised the work of the system’s principals.

“We’ve got 13 of the best principals we could ask for, directing their staffs and not doing a great job but a phenomenal job,” he said.

Edenfield said votes he would cast as a board member would be to preserve and enhance what the school board has done. He said he wants “to look at us in 20 years as to what we are now, which is the best. The key to having those is having a great place to work and have kids have a great place to come and learn.”