Tim Self Announces Candidacy for Anderson School District Five Board of Trustees

Anderson community leader enters race for at-large seat with a focus on students, strong governance, and supporting teachers and educational professionals.

ANDERSON, S.C. — At 4 p.m. on Friday, August 7, Tim Self officially filed as a candidate for the at-large seat on the Anderson School District Five Board of Trustees, beginning a campaign centered on putting students first and bringing thoughtful, effective governance to one of the community’s most important institutions.

Self was joined Friday afternoon by family, friends, parents, and community members as he filed his paperwork and formally began his campaign.

For Self, the decision to run comes after more than a year of paying closer attention to the opportunities and challenges facing District Five.

“Over the last year, year and a half, I’ve become increasingly aware of our school system and the premier school system that Anderson District Five is,” Self said. “The reality is, great schools require great governance.”

Self believes District Five has tremendous strengths, beginning with the teachers, administrators, staff, families, and students who make up the school community. His campaign will focus on ensuring the Board of Trustees fulfills its responsibility to provide strong governance while empowering educational professionals to do the work they are trained to do.

“Our teachers deserve to be respected. Our administrators need to be trusted,” Self said. “There’s a role for our board to make policy and to make our schools as good as they can be so that our children have the best opportunity to reach their full God-given potential.”

At the center of Self’s campaign is a simple principle: Kids Above Politics.

Self believes decisions made around the board table should begin with what is best for students rather than political divisions or personal agendas.

“We’ve got to put kids above politics,” Self said. “There’s too much politics in our school district.”

Self brings years of professional and community leadership to the race. He serves as Executive Director of the AnMed Foundation and has been actively involved in the Anderson community through his church, Scouting, and other service and leadership roles.

The work of District Five is also deeply personal for the Self family. Tim and his wife, Elizabeth, are raising their children in the district, where their children attend school and Elizabeth serves as an educator.

That perspective is an important part of why Self decided now was the time to step forward.

His candidacy will emphasize the role of a school board to govern rather than micromanage: setting a vision, establishing sound policy, providing accountability, responsibly stewarding public resources, and supporting the teachers, administrators, and staff entrusted with educating students every day.

Self also wants the campaign itself to reflect the kind of leadership he hopes to bring to the board: collaborative, respectful, hopeful, and focused on what the community can accomplish together.

“I believe that we can do it, and I’m not going to be able to do this alone,” Self told supporters Friday. “I don’t want to do this alone. I really hope that you all will be able to join us, that we can do it together.”

Over the coming weeks, Self plans to share more about his priorities for District Five, listen to parents, teachers, students, staff, and community members, and build a conversation around the future of public education in Anderson.

For him, the campaign begins and ends with the students District Five has been entrusted to serve.

“I think together we’re going to be able to improve our schools,” Self said. “I need your help. Thank you for being here.”