Like a boxer in a prize fight, Annie Patrick wants another round in the ring.

The ring is the Blackville-Hilda school board.

The prize? The children of the district.

"I'm still concerned about our disadvantaged students," Patrick said.

Patrick is the only incumbent running for the two seats open this election cycle. Board member Willie Felder decided not to seek another term after 32 years service.

Challenging Patrick for the two seats are newcomers Jameka Hagood and Michael Thomas.

Patrick, 48, has one term already under her belt, having first been elected in 2007.

Patrick, a Barnwell County native, spent her childhood in Blackville before moving away at age 14. Later Patrick went to Newberry College and graduated with a political science degree in 1984.

In 1989, Patrick earned a master's in business administration from Tampa College in Florida.

Realizing later how much she enjoyed working with youth, Patrick decided to go into education, her second career. Patrick began as a first grade teacher in Broward County, Fla. before returning to Blackville in 2000.

In 2001, Patrick received a master's degree in elementary education from Converse College in Spartanburg.

Patrick is now working as an English teacher at Denmark Technical College.

"I'm passionate about education," Patrick said, both of learning and promoting it.

One big challenge Patrick sees in the district is fostering more parental involvement about their children's education, she said.

Patrick wants students to become forward thinkers.

"I believe there is something beyond high school for all children," she said. "All our parents want something better for their children."

Quoting the statistic that there are more black males in prison right now than in college, Patrick said she would like to do her part to reverse that trend.

Education keeps people from jail, she said.

"We need to focus on excellence and set high expectations," Patrick said.

Patrick said she is happy with the successes the district has seen, particularly with Macedonia Elementary School making AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress), the federal mark for educational progress.

"I feel we have made some progress. They did a beautiful job in making AYP," she said.