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Steven Morello, 40, has lived in Beaufort County for 10 years. He and his wife own and operate Aromaleigh, an online cosmetics company based on Hilton Head.
"The biggest reason I think I'd be good at this is because I have such a vested interest in it," Morello said.
He said he wants to ensure his two children, a second-grader and a fourth-grader at Hilton Head Island International Baccalaureate Elementary School, receive a quality education. As a business owner, he said he has an interest in helping the school district produce well-educated graduates who might one day work for local companies.
Morello said he hopes to weigh in on school-funding issues, including reform of the state's primary education-funding formula. Because its property values are high relative to other areas of the state, Beaufort County traditionally has received little money through the formula. For the past two years, it has been the only county in the state to receive none.
Morello also said he wants to convince local taxpayers, including those without children, that supporting a quality school system is an important long-term investment.
"The better-educated our children are, the more self-sufficient they'll be," he said.
Morello said he and his wife have helped raise more than $20,000 for public schools across the country through their company. They've offered incentives to encourage customers to donate to an online charity that supports public schools, DonorsChoose.org, and held promotions of their products and given the proceeds to the charity.
Morello said he's involved at his children's school and would be a good listener if elected.
"I really want to have an open forum," he said. "I want to go to teachers and get them more involved in the decision-making process. They are the ones on the front lines."
Joan Deery, who now holds the District 1 seat, announced last week she will not seek a second term.
