As part of our continuing effort to bring local news that’s impactful to our readers, we’ve proactively reached out to the candidates running for Lancaster County School Board.
We will not manipulate their answers in any way, we’ll simply provide to you, our readers. This will allow you to make an informed choice.
This week, we’ll introduce Melvin Stroble
Look at Where We Are Today — Let’s Keep Lancaster Moving Forward
By Melvin Stroble, Candidate for Re-election, Lancaster County School District Board of Trustees,
District 7
My name is Melvin Stroble. For the past eight years, I have had the honor of representing
District 7 on the Lancaster County School District Board of Trustees, and in 2025 my fellow
board members elected me Chair. I am asking for your vote on November 3 so that we can
continue the progress our schools are making.
My wife, the former A. Desiree Gibson of Spartanburg, and I raised our four children, Sydnie,
Savannah, Selena and Melvin Jr., right here. All four attended Indian Land schools, and our
grandson, KJ, is on track to graduate from Indian Land High School in 2043. To me, these
schools are not an abstraction. They are where my family grew up, and where my grandchild
will grow up.
I am a graduate of the University of South Carolina, and I serve as Director of Power Services
for a full-service environmental engineering firm. My path to public service began as a page in
the South Carolina House of Representatives and continued as a State House legislative aide
and an aide to a U.S. Senator. Those years taught me that public institutions earn trust
through accountability, transparency and careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars. I have
brought those values to every board meeting.
The credit for our district’s progress belongs to our students, teachers, principals, staff and
families. The board’s role is to set high expectations, hire strong leadership, fund what works
and hold everyone accountable, including ourselves. Together, we have built a record worth
protecting.
On the 2025–2026 SC READY assessments, LCSD third graders ranked 4th out of 75 school
districts in South Carolina for combined reading and math, up from 9th just one year earlier.
Third-grade math now ranks 2nd in the state, at 77.2 percent proficiency compared with a state average of 59.3 percent. Third-grade reading has climbed roughly 20 points in two years,
and our fourth-grade reading ranking jumped from 25th to 10th statewide.
Our middle schools posted the most dramatic gains. Eighth-grade math rose 16.6 points in a
single year, and all five LCSD middle schools improved in both eighth-grade reading and
math. At the high school level, our students now outperform state averages in English II,
Biology and U.S. History. LCSD also exceeds state averages in academic achievement,
graduation rate, student progress and multilingual learner progress.
Excellence extends beyond test scores. Kelli Overcash of Kershaw Elementary was named the
2026 South Carolina Elementary Principal of the Year. Lancaster High’s boys basketball team
won the 2025 Class 4A state title with a 27–1 record, and the Indian Land Lady Warriors
captured the 2026 Class 5A Division II softball championship. The board also approved
weapons detection systems for every school, and in March 2026 we appointed Dr. Norris
Williams as permanent Superintendent, providing stable leadership for the years ahead.
Lancaster County is the only district among our regional peers capped by state law at a fivemill
operating increase per year, while our population continues to grow rapidly. Even so, this
year’s budget met the state’s new minimum teacher salary requirement, gave every employee
their annual step increase and reduced our use of reserve funds by 36 percent. Our operating
millage remains well below the regional peer median. That is what responsible governance
looks like.
Growth is our defining challenge. We need new schools to relieve crowded classrooms and to
replace buildings more than 50 years old in Indian Land, Kershaw, Buford and Lancaster.
Transportation needs attention, including more buses and drivers, better traffic flow around
campuses and more student parking at Indian Land High School. We must keep teacher and
staff pay competitive with neighboring districts despite our revenue limits. And we must stay
honest about where we can improve. Our own data points to fifth-grade math and seventhgrade
reading as areas that need targeted attention.
If re-elected, I will focus on five commitments: building and modernizing school facilities,
improving transportation, maintaining financial transparency, ensuring competitive
compensation for our employees and strengthening engagement with the communities we
serve. I will continue building partnerships with local and state officials and area businesses
so that our students benefit from every available resource.
Lancaster County is moving in the right direction. We are no longer simply improving. We are
being recognized among the best in South Carolina. My question to every voter is simple:
Look at where we are today. Do you want to go back?
Early voting runs October 19 through October 31, Monday through Saturday, from 8:30 a.m.
to 6:00 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. I would be grateful for your vote.
Website: votemelvinstroble.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Strobleforschoolboard/
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
