TO AMEND ACT 260 OF 1981, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE PICKENS COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES, SO AS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS FROM SIX TO SEVEN, TO PROVIDE THE SEVENTH MEMBER MUST SERVE AT LARGE AND INITIALLY BE APPOINTED BY A MAJORITY OF THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION OF PICKENS COUNTY TO SERVE UNTIL JANUARY 1, 2019, AT WHICH TIME THE AT-LARGE SEAT TERMINATES AND THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS AND DISTRICTS IS INCREASED TO SEVEN BASED ON THE SEVEN ATTENDANCE ZONES, AND TO PROVIDE ALL PICKENS COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS MUST BE ELECTED BY MAJORITY VOTE BEGINNING WITH THE GENERAL ELECTION IN 2016.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 1 of Act 260 of 1981, as last amended by Act 90 of 2011, is further amended to read:

"Section 1.    Notwithstanding another provision of law, the Public Educational System of Pickens County is directed and managed by the Board of Trustees of the School District of Pickens County. The board must be comprised of six seven members, all six of whom must be qualified electors from each of the districts for which members of the county governing body of Pickens County are elected, and one from the county at large. A current at-large member holding Seat 7, 8, or 9 shall continue to serve until his term is ended or he vacates the at-large seat for whatever reason, whichever occurs first. Upon the end of the term or the earlier vacation of the at-large seat, that at-large seat no longer exists. Only those electors residing in the particular district are eligible to vote for each of the six single-member trustees representing the district. The current trustees from the single-member districts shall continue to serve until their four-year terms expire and until their successors are elected and qualify. The at-large member initially will be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of a majority of the members of the Pickens County delegation, including Senators, and will serve until January 1, 2019, at which time the at-large seat will terminate.

The electors of the Dellwood Subdivision of the City of Clemson, Anderson County, as shown in Plat Book 1920, page 150-A, Plat Book 12, page 266, and Plat Book 14, page 31, filed in the office of the Clerk of Court of Pickens County, shall be eligible to vote in the election of the member of the board of trustees for the nearest contiguous school district and shall be eligible to serve on the board for that district.

Beginning with the 2018 general elections, the number of members of the board representing single-member districts will increase from six to seven, and a seventh single-member district will be created. The seven districts must be altered to conform with the seven attendance zones as determined by a majority vote of the Pickens County delegation, including Senators, which the delegation shall make before January 1, 2017.

Beginning with the 2018 general election whenever districts are formed, all members of the board of trustees must be elected in a nonpartisan election at the time of the general election in the year in which their terms expire.

A majority vote is necessary to elect all members of the Pickens County school board beginning with the general election of 2016.

Upon the termination of the term of each single-member district trustee, his successor must be a qualified elector of the same district and must be elected in a nonpartisan election to be held at the same time as the general election preceding the expiration date by the qualified electors of the district for a term of four years and until his successor is elected and qualifies. If a single-member district seat is vacated before the end of its term, the seat must be filled for the remainder of the term by way of special election conducted in the same manner. The board of trustees shall elect a chairman and such other officers as it considers necessary."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.