EASLEY – Judy Edwards, vice chairman of the School District of Pickens County Board of Trustees, reclaimed her District 5 seat in unofficial vote tallies Tuesday night.

Her 3,285 vote total tops David Whittemore’s second-place standing. Whittemore claimed 2738 votes in the unofficial results. Valerie Ramsey came in third with 1,708 votes.

Edwards, elected for the first time four years ago, campaigned on her position as the only educator on the board. She holds a masters degree in elementary education from Clemson University.

“I want to continue doing everything I can to support teachers ad students and make sure thaat all are treated fairly,” Edwards said Tuesday night. “I want to make sure that they get the best that we can afford. If we take care of the teacher, they will take care of the students,” she said.

A key component to “giving them what they get the best” is making sure that classrooms get the best technology, Edwards said. “We can’t let it be less than other and have the students get behind. We say that we want them to be ready. That is what education is about, the changing technology. We need to make sure they have what they need,”

Teachers need to get support in terms of supplies and the step pay increase. “We don’t want them to get behind Anderson, Greenville and Oconee. When they get an opportunity they will leave. We need to hang on to our good teachers.”