The district covers the Socastee and St. James areas

Janice Morreale

Age | 41

Address | 1850 Volunteer Drive, Surfside Beach

Occupation | Corporate assistant, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

Education | Associate degree, Horry-Georgetown Technical College

Political experience | None

Civic groups | St. James Booster Club; volunteer in many areas at Horry County Schools

Military | None

Family | Husband, John; two sons, Anthony, 21, and Gabriel, 9

Email/website | janiceforschoolboard@gmail.com; janiceforschoolboard.com

Question | What’s one specific thing you can do as a school board member to improve life for those who live in the St. James attendance area and/or Horry County?

Answer | Communicate with parents and community members.

Paul Peterson (i)

Age | 66

Address | 402 Lumber River Road, Myrtle Beach (Burgess community)

Occupation | professor, Department of Politics, Coastal Carolina University

Education | B.A. in political science, Brigham Young University, 1968; M.A. in political science, University of California, Riverside; Ph.D. in government, Claremont Graduate University, 1980

Political experience | Member of Horry County Board of Education since November 2000; several stints as executive committeeman for Burgess Precinct 1 for the Republican Party; current member of the Horry County Republican Party Executive Committee; charter member of Friends of Ronald Reagan in 1965; charter member of the South Strand Republican Club

Civic groups | Board of directors (two terms), S.C. Humanities Council (1989-95); president, S.C. Political Science Association (2000-01); member, S.C. Department of Education Committee Curriculum Review Committee on Social Studies Standards; adviser, Center for the Study of the Constitution (1982-86); member, Resource Bank of Public Policy Experts, The Heritage Foundation

Military | None

Family | Wife, Pam; daughter, Elizabeth

Email / website | peterson@coastal.edu; petersonforschoolboard.com

Question | What’s one specific thing you can do as a school board member to improve life for those who live in the St. James attendance area and/or Horry County?

Answer | I have always maintained a diligence in sniffing out weird things. To cite two: I successfully discovered and turned back a largely clandestine effort a few years back to tie board compensation to salary increases for teachers. Had this passed, board members would have seen annual increases in compensation without having to take a vote. Second, I led the successful fight to resist the effort of the administration at eliminating the honors of valedictorian and salutatorian in our high schools. But for that effort, 18 of our finest students would have been denied two of the most universally recognized graduation honors. I respect my fellow board members, and I respect the administration, but I am in no one’s hip pocket. I bring a high degree of informed, intellectual independence to the board. I also recognize the tendency of the education establishment to embrace fads and, sometimes, quackery. Knowledge of this is most helpful when the latest fad (Common Core) emerges.