Royster not biting on a potential statewide office run

Molly Spearman’s announcement yesterday means that starting in 2023, there’ll be a new South Carolina superintendent of education.  Spearman has decided she won’t be a candidate for a new term in next year’s elections.  Her departure gives thought that 2022 could be the time that a former Oconee educator could make a run.  However, Burke Royster, the 10-year superintendent of Greenville County schools, said yesterday afternoon that, at this time, he has no intention to mounting the necessary statewide campaign for state superintendent.  Royster has been associated with Greenville schools for 16 years, after a tenure with Oconee School District in which he was a Seneca High principal and a county deputy superintendent.  One Oconeean with a background in local education predicted years ago that, sometime in Royster’s education career, he would make a run for the state office.  However, interviewed yesterday by 101.7/WGOG NEWS, Royster expressed pride and satisfaction with his job leading Greenville schools, one of the largest districts in the country.  He feels he’s in a very good place at this time in a district that numbers more than 75 thousand students, six thousand employees, and 100 locations.