New Columbia school board members sworn in at Board of Education meeting

Two new faces are officially part of the Columbia Board of Education.

Susan Blackburn and Teresa Maledy were both sworn in at the Board of Education meeting Monday night.

Blackburn and Maledy beat out three other candidates, including incumbent Christine King, to secure their seats on the school board.

Blackburn campaigned for school safety and student literacy while Maledy spoke about closing the achievement gap and attracting and retaining quality teachers.

After the meeting, Blackburn told ABC 17 News that it was great to hear from the community. She called her first meeting “delightful” and said she was excited to get to work.

“I think all kids can be better readers writers and thinkers, so that’s a passion of mine that I’ll be working on very hard,” she said.

She also said she wants to look in to a “school safety task force” that includes all members of the community.

Also at last night’s meeting, Janet Mees and Paul Cushing were chosen as president and vice president of the board, respectively.

Cushing told ABC 17 News that he believes the new board members “will do wonderfully.”

The next board meeting is scheduled for May 14.