Aiken Standard in Aiken, South Carolina

Pridgen Presses Autonomy in School Funding at Kiwanis

Dr. Durward Pridgen of the Aiken County Board of Education urged Kiwanis members to grant the school board local fiscal authority to levy property taxes, arguing delegated state control harms funding. He cited inflation and loss of ground, noting 46 of 92 districts have some autonomy and that the delegation handles state matters, not local. The meeting also honored USC Aiken baseball player of the week Jim Vance, a left handed pitcher with a 2-0 record, after a 5-2 win over Erskine College. prior week's honoree was pitcher Thomas Riley.