Irene Aiken does not plan to waste any time getting to the business of educating kids.

Aiken was the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s election for the Board of Education. She took 22 percent of the votes with Ed Ormsby taking 21 percent, and the others taking positions on the Board of Education at 20 percent.

“I am honored by the support for my candidacy,” Aiken said. “It was a close race and that shows the confidence the voters had in all of the candidates. I am looking to jump right in and find out what needs to be done.”

Aiken and her husband, Dr. R. Kevin Aiken, DDS, have one son, Kevin Aiken, who is a second grader at LJ Bell Elementary School.

She is a graduate of Richmond County Schools and received a bachelor’s degree in education from UNC Chapel Hill and began teaching fifth then fourth grade on Saba, an island of the Netherlands Antilles, before returning to Richmond County to teach at Leak Street and Washington Street schools.

She now serves as a professor and Associate Dean at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Unseated was Tom McInnis with 19 percent of votes. McInnis could not be reached for comment.

Joe Richardson said he is pleased with the voter turnout and believes the board will bring significant improvement to today’s school system.

“I feel the board that is on now will work better together than in the past,” said Richardson.

Richardson, along with the rest, feel the first priority will be to examine the budget.

“I know that it will be an interesting year budget wise. I have a lot of experience working with budgets. I am looking to bring that experience, and with that, priorities,” said Aiken.

Incumbent Pam Easterling is looking forward to wrapping up the projects the board of education has been working on.

“I’m anxious to continue working for the next four years. We have a lot of good things going on and a lot of great things in the future. I am happy to be a part of the decision making process for Richmond County Schools,” Easterling said.

Ed Ormsby is looking forward to continuing the positive things started in Richmond County Schools.

“I’m very pleased with the voter turnout and support for my candidacy,” Ormsby said. “We have some unfinished work on the school board and we should always do what is best for our kids. We have to be realistic about the budget. We are fortunate to have a good financial administrator.”

Each of the candidates expressed their gratitude for the position and are ready to begin tackling the budget as well as other issues facing the Richmond County School System.

“I just hope that at the end of four years that the voters are pleased at what I have brought to the table,” Aiken said.

Cameron Quick can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 15 or by e-mail at cquick@yourdailyjournal.com.