Two candidates vying for the District 4 Aiken County School Board seat appeared to mostly agree on the issues before a Monday night audience of about 25 at the North Augusta Community Center.

Darrell Blocker and Keith Liner answered questions on their political motivations and their ideas for improving Aiken County education during the School Board Candidates Forum.

The forum was the second of a two-part series put on by local non-profit Public Education Partners and the URS Washington Division.

With no incumbents seeking re-election, four of nine school board seats are open.

Mr. Blocker or Mr. Liner would replace current North Augusta representative Nick Flouras.

The two men completed the question-and-answer session in less than an hour, and several times opted out of follow-up time because they agreed with each other.

Both said they were motivated to do something positive for the school district when they decided to seek office.

Mr. Blocker said his top two priorities included having students read on grade level and making sure teachers were meeting standards.

Keeping teachers and students motivated were Mr. Liner's top priorities.

The two men also responded with broad, open-ended answers when asked how they'd handle overcrowded schools and current budget cuts.

Both agreed they would like to see information on potential growth before building a new school in the area and they would like to see the board approve a line-item budget with each penny tracked.

Residents in the District 4 area of North Augusta will choose between the two men on Nov. 4.

Reach Julia Sellers at (706) 823-3424 or julia.sellers@augustachronicle.com