Myrtle Beach youth housing advocate launches campaign for Horry County school board
A youth housing worker has thrown his hat in the ring in hopes of becoming Horry County’s District 1 school board representative.
David Koch, director of young adult services at Sea Haven ,which provides resources to struggling youth, has announced his campaign for the seat, which represents parts of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach.
The primary takes place in June ahead of the November election.
The seat is currently held by the Rev. W. Russell Freeman, a pastor at Little River United Methodist Church.
Koch highlighted his experience working with youth as a stepping stone to serving on the school board and said trust has been damaged between parents, students, teachers and the school board. If he’s successful in his run, he hopes to work to repair that, he said.
Koch, who lives in Longs, mentioned that Facebook groups have become a forum for parents to post their concerns and worries, and he said it appears they’ve lost faith in the school board.
“I’m here to fight for the kids ... but I’m also here for the teachers and the parents,” Koch said. “I want to see them be able to trust the board and trust the school system. I’d like to see a lot less disparity and a lot more cohesion among all of us.”
Koch said he’d host town hall meetings where parents can communicate their opinions if they can’t make it to school board meetings.
He’s interested in the impacts of curriculum rules and changes on students coming through Horry County Schools, and he sees that as the starting point for much of their subsequent learning.
“The bottom line for me is that our children are the future, and the decisions I help make at this level will have an eternal impact on the world they will grow up in,” Koch said in his campaign announcement. “If we can help our youth find value within themselves, they will become empowered, from there, the sky is the limit.”
School board elections take place Nov. 8, 2022. The race for seats is growing increasingly crowded with three candidates, including two current school board members, hoping to take over as chairman for current chair Ken Richardson and a parent who has sued the school board running for the district 10 seat, currently held by Vice Chair Neil James.
