FACING THE VOTERS: Aaron Bridges, School Board

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent

Editor’s Note: This Facing the Voters feature was originally published in February 2026 and is being republished ahead of the November 3, 2026, general election. The article reflects the candidate’s statements and positions at the time of the original interview.

Aaron Bridges is the youngest Republican currently on the school board and the second-youngest Republican candidate currently running.

(Since two candidates have the last name Bridges, Doug Bridges is running for reelection as county commissioner, Aaron Bridges will be referred to by his first name, as the customary way of referring to the subject of a print interview is to use their last name.)

Aaron currently sits on the Cleveland County Board of Education and serves as the vice-chairman of the board.

Now, he’s running for his second term, seeking to retain his seat.

A 2008 graduate of Kings Mountain High School, Aaron is a husband to his wife, Megan, and father of four children. He has worked in banking for about 19 years.

So, what reasons compelled Aaron to run for school board—besides the obvious four reasons (his children)? Policy and procedure after COVID, he said.

“When COVID happened, I saw how the state and federal government played a heavy hand in school systems, but it should be parents and other members of the community making these decisions on the local level. We needed, and still do, people to make decisions that work and are beneficial to every student.”

A handful of schools in Cleveland County that had received low-performance grades were brought out of that stigma during his time on the school board, as Aaron credited teachers, principals, the administration and the school board for a team effort in bringing those schools up from their COVID-era low levels of performance.

“We’re seeing kids being back on track, moving in an uphill direction with their scores, thanks to a team effort of leading teachers, administration and the board working together, and I’m very proud of that,” he said.

While Aaron has stated several times that he is an independent thinker who is not running in cohesion with any other candidates, group effort and collaboration are needed to effectively govern a school system and accomplish what is required for a successful school system.

One of his most well-known acts on the school board, at least recently, was making the motion to table the sale of Marion School until more research and information could be gathered after the public spoke out against the sale at the price of $140,000. The motion was put to a vote and passed by all nine members.

However, the subject of the sale of the Marion property has been controversial, with the school board divided on the issue. An issue settled since the original publication of this interview.

(Aaron Bridges continued below…)

“I have always tried to be professional and a team player,” he explained. “When you sit on a board, you’re all different; you all have your own personalities. I try to get along with everyone, and sometimes politics can play a part in not getting along. I don’t like the politics in the school system. I believe in helping the students and staff of CCS, and that’s what matters the most, regardless of politics.”

The CCS Board of Education has seen its share of drama over the years on a variety of topics involving both Democratic and Republican board members. Most recently, votes have seen an all-Republican school board split into two separate camps.

He said he supports the right of members to disagree, but it’s sometimes hard to tell what is political and what is sincere. He mentioned that there is a time to disagree behind closed doors, but in public, the community wants to see a board that gets along and works diligently to move CCS forward in the best interests of students and teachers.

“It’s okay to agree or disagree; that’s why there are nine board members,” Aaron explained. “It’s okay to disagree as long as we’re working to constantly improve the school system, but if we can’t work together, we can’t be successful for the students, and it looks bad if the board can’t get along. We are supposed to be the voice to lead the entire school system and set an example for the staff and students to follow.”

He was straightforward when speaking about the realities of school governance, stating that sometimes a lot is out of the board’s control because of state and federal regulations.

“We can’t just snap our fingers and make something happen,” he said, referring to state and federal laws that restrict certain things from happening.

“When you are a board member, you think, ‘I can change the world,’ but it doesn’t happen that way,” he noted. “It takes time, and there’s always stuff you want to get done, but money is always a factor, so you have to prioritize things, plan, and decide what is most important.”

It’s not easy being on the Board of Education.

He said negative feedback from the community is something outside his control, but it is also welcomed and motivates him to get done what he can as a representative of the community on the school board. However, the desire to accomplish more is sometimes hindered by differing opinions and past financial restraints. CCS is in good financial shape now and is constantly improving.

Aaron hopes to continue doing the best he can, to the best of his abilities, and to focus on constantly improving the school system for the children of today and tomorrow.

“I think we have good policies in place,” he added. “There are other school systems in really bad shape, and we have been able to work diligently to show we are doing much better than many. CCS has done a great job of stretching our dollar and putting it where it matters most.”

He continued, “Everyone is in a time where money is tight, but we’re doing an excellent job trimming the fat and putting dollars in the places they need to be.”

“We have come a long way, but there is always room for improvement. You can always improve and have room to grow, and that’s what I’m aiming for in my second term. My mindset is, ‘I am for all the kids.’”

He said he feels qualified to serve on the board, being a father of four and having worked in banking for almost 20 years.

“I’m a parent, I have finance experience, and I think I have shown that, regardless of who is on stage. I’m willing to work with anyone to make sound decisions based on the facts we have available to us.”

Aaron continued, “I know how budgets work. For a long time, my wife stayed home, and I was able to make a budget for a family of six people. Making those decisions in my job every day, being a parent of students, and having been a student at one time myself, I feel all those are great qualifications for the Board of Education.”

He also touched on community engagement.

“We also need more input from the community, but having people on the board from all walks of life makes us better as a whole.”

He said he tries his best to deal with angry parents when the situation arises.

“I’ve told people before, I’ve said it on stage and elsewhere—CCS is not perfect, but we have done a much better job than others. While some schools may have better food than us, their finances are a complete mess, and they aren’t in as good shape as our system is overall.”

Aaron noted, “And luckily, I can look at the bigger picture as a parent, too, looking from the outside in as a parent and not just from a board member’s perspective.”

“This isn’t about politics; it’s not about my name or having any authority. This is simply about my children who are students, which means I will have your children’s best interests at heart. I hope people will consider voting for me. I hope people will see my track record and see what I’ve done so far on the school board and see I’m for the students and teachers—not for politics—and just continue to help move Cleveland County schools forward and make a difference in our community.”

He concluded, stating, “I’m not trying to please everybody. I’m not perfect; I make mistakes. But I learn from what I’ve done wrong and always try to make good decisions, and I hope the people of Cleveland County will continue to entrust me with those decisions as a Cleveland County school board member.”

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Chuck Thompson is a reporter and columnist for The Shelby Independent. 

THE SHELBY INDEPENDENT.