Lipi Pratt, a current Fort Mill School Board member and retired Fort Mill Schools teacher, is seeking re-election on Nov. 3, 2026. The nonpartisan race has four seats to fill. Voters may choose up to four candidates.
Six other candidates are also on the ballot: Brandon Langford, Joe Helms, Keith Griffin, Larry Barnett, Melissa M. Maynard and Michele Branning.
Asked why she is running, Pratt said in our candidate questionnaire: "My biggest motivator is a profound sense of gratitude. I am grateful for a wonderful teaching career in Fort Mill that challenged me and rewarded me." She added that she is running to "ensure that future students and residents have great opportunities like my family did."
Candidate information
Party affiliation: "I am an Independent voter. I have voted regularly since I was 18, but I have not ever felt that any party speaks completely to my beliefs," Pratt said in our questionnaire.
Education: "I graduated from Winthrop University with a BS in Elementary Education. I received a Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Coppin State University in Maryland. I also received my endorsement in Gifted and Talented Education along with additional course work to reach my +30 designation from Converse College," Pratt said in our questionnaire.
Family: "I am married to Mike, also a retired Educator. We have two sons, and are extremely proud that they are officers in our Armed Forces," Pratt said in our questionnaire. She added that one son has moved back to Fort Mill and "one of our grandchildren will have the opportunity to attend Fort Mill Schools."
Experience and public service
Occupation and work history: "I am a retired teacher. I taught grades 2-5 in Rock Hill and Fort Mill. I taught in six different schools in Fort Mill and I was chosen as the District Teacher of the Year in 2013," Pratt said in our questionnaire. She added: "I spent the bulk of my career specializing in Gifted and Talented education, and worked with over 750 students in my time in the district."
Elected and appointed office: "Voters chose me as a trustee in November of 2022 and I have been proudly serving on our School Board since then. I was elected Vice Chair of the School Board by my colleagues in 2024. I also serve as a Juvenile Arbitrator with the York County Solicitor's Office," Pratt said in our questionnaire.
On the issues
Differences from other candidates: "A huge difference is motivation. I am running out of gratitude, not grievance," Pratt said in our questionnaire. "I have experience implementing Board policy in the classroom, so I have the unique perspective of what actions might look like once they are put into motion."
How teaching experience shapes board decisions: "My experience gives me a unique lens. I can see how decisions may possibly affect students and teachers and I can share that insight with my peers," Pratt said in our questionnaire. "Sometimes ideas that are great on paper may be difficult to implement in reality and bringing those conversations to the table has a great impact."
Managing enrollment growth: "Being proactive about student growth and preparing for the students of the future is a complex process," Pratt said in our questionnaire. She said the district can use "past enrollment data, enrollment projections, building permits and zoning requests" but cannot predict economic conditions like interest rates. "Thankfully our growth has slowed and while we are still gaining students each year, it is more manageable," she added. "I believe that will give us the opportunity to look carefully at our class sizes and school enrollments moving forward."
Candidate responses were collected through the Fort Mill-Tega Cay Times candidate questionnaire. Answers are presented in the candidate's own words. For more information, visit the Fort Mill School District Board of Trustees page.
