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Category: Schools

  • R2 board: Shadd out, Elkins, Agostini, McFadden in

    • Elkins
    • Agostini
    • McFadden

    COLUMBIA – Richland Two School Board Chairman James Shadd, lost not only his board chairmanship Tuesday night, but his seat on the board as well. Newcomer Lashonda McFadden bested Shadd with 2,831 votes to his 2,404.

    The two other incumbents, Monica Elkins with 3,454 votes and Lindsay Agostini with 3,148 votes retained their seats. Shadd finished fourth in the race for the three open seats.

    A strong supporter of Richland 2 Superintendent Baron Davis, Shadd was admonished publicly last week and given an NI (Needs Improvement) score by the Black Parents’ Association (BPA) in their annual Richland School District Two Report Card review of the three school board incumbents running for office.

    The BPA give Agostini high praise and an A+ for her service to the district, Elkins a B+ and asked what Shadd stood for.

    “Mr. Shadd seems to exalt himself as a community leader and he’s actively involved in many community activities which led us to question if he was actually going to seek office again. Mr. Shadd’s ‘mission’ work seems to be more important to him than guiding and really leading a premier school district like Richland Two,” the BPA wrote. “It’s our opinion that Mr. Shadd should exert more of a voice that challenges the district rather than rubber stamp all its actions.”

    The Association left it to the voters to decide if they felt Shadd deserved to be re-elected to the board.

    In contrast, the BPA lauded Lindsay Agostini for, “boldly and rightfully questioning the policies of the administration,” saying that, “she undoubtedly deserves four more years” on the board.

    Dee Williams received the fifth highest number of votes (1,889) followed by Maryann Wright (1,820) and James Mobley (1,716).

    Rhonda Meisner of Blythewood, a frequent critic of the school’s administration and a first-time candidate received 1,300 votes; Deon Jacobs received 987 and Lawrence Terry, 640.

    Monica Elkins                    3,454  (17%)

    Lindsay Agostini               3,148  (16%)

    Lashonda McFadden      2,831  (14%)

    James Shadd                      2,404  (12%)

    Dee Bell-Williams             1,889   (9%)

    Maryann Wright               1,820   (9%)

    James Mobley                  1,715   (8%)

    Rhonda Meisner              1,300   (6%)

    Deon Jacobs                         987   (5%)

    Lawrence Terry                   640   (3%)

  • Blythewood schools benefit from $1M grant

    COLUMBIA – Six Blythewood elementary and middle schools will benefit from a $1 million grant Richland School District Two recently received from the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).

    The Whole Child Initiative grant will provide college and career ready resources necessary to successfully build and/or expand the district’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programing, according a statement released by the district office last week. 

    Bethel-Hanberry, Langford Elementary, Round Top Elementary, Lake Carolina Elementary (Upper & Lower campuses), Blythewood Middle and Muller Road Middle are among 15 Richland Two schools and approximately 1,245 military-connected students who will be served by the grant over the next four-and-a-half years.

    The overall goal is to increase academic outcomes in math for elementary and middle school students.

    According to the Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education of the National Science and Technology Council, it is critical to national security that students spark interest in critical and fast-growing careers in STEM. The committee concluded that the Pre-K thru 12 education system is poised to increase and sustain student engagement in STEM.

    The DoDEA awarded $22 million across 21 grants that will serve more than 100,000 students across 13 states.

  • R2’s Shadd racks up $57K in tax liens

    COLUMBIA – A Richland Two school board member has racked up more than $57,000 in county and state tax liens since 2012. 

    Documents reviewed by The Voice show that James Shadd has been slapped with nine tax liens totaling $57,173.87, including one as recently as May 8 of this year. The liens were filed in response to unpaid income taxes, documents show. 

    Only three of the nine liens have been satisfied, accounting for $7,107 in debt payments made, leaving him $50,066.81 still in arrears, according to the S.C. Department of Revenue online database and an agency spokeswoman. 

    School board trustees have oversight of the district’s $301.2 million budget, with roughly one-third ($107.1 million) subsidized by local property taxes, the district’s 2019-2020 budget states. 

    Trustees also decide other substantial budgetary matters, such as voting to place a nearly $382 million bond referendum question on the November 2018 ballot. 

    Shadd said he’s working to resolve the tax liens, calling them a “personal matter.”

    “I am actively working to make sure that I take care of those matters,” he said.

    Shadd didn’t think owing $50,000 in unpaid income taxes impedes his ability to vote on multi-million dollar budget matters. 

    “I am one of a seven-member board that votes on the budget, absolutely,” Shadd said. “But like I said, this is a personal matter which we are handling. I don’t see a conflict in making decisions on behalf of our students, our teachers, and our staff with regard to that.”

    Shadd’s first listed lien totaling $5,395.79 and filed Sept. 10, 2012 was satisfied June 17, 2019, according to the Department of Revenue registry and an agency spokeswoman.

    Another lien totaling $1,386.25 and filed November 7, 2014 was satisfied June 24, 2015. A third lien totaling $325.06 and filed August 10, 2015 was settled April 22, 2016, records show.

    Six liens remain active, including one filed last month that totals $11,958.62. It includes $9,933 in unpaid income tax plus penalties, interest and fees, according to the database.

    The other five liens are also linked to unpaid income taxes. Two are associated with his business, Shadd Law Firm, LLC.

    Here’s a breakdown of the six active liens as listed in the Department of Revenue registry:

    • December 29, 2014—$11,659.01
    • March 23, 2017—$2,573.92
    • March 30, 2017—$6,587.40
    • April 12, 2019—$10,055.91
    • April 12, 2019—$7,331.91
    • May 8, 2020—$11,958.62

    Shadd has faced other financial difficulties as well. 

    In July 2012, JPMorgan Chase Bank filed a foreclosure lawsuit against Shadd, saying in the litigation that he stopped making mortgage payments in November 1, 2011, according to Richland County circuit court records.

    The case, however, was dismissed in June 2013, records show. 

    In 2019, the state Ethics Commission fined Shadd $1,400 relating to disclosure forms associated with his run for county solicitor. 

    Other Richland Two board trustees have faced financial difficulties as well. Most notably, trustee Amelia McKie owes $51,750 in fines for failing to file various ethics forms.

    A judgment in that amount was entered into Richland County circuit court in July 2019, though there’s no indication whether or not the judgment has been satisfied. 

    Trustee Monica Elkins-Johnson has three prior tax liens, though the amounts were not immediately available. All three have been satisfied, the most recent one in 2014, the Department of Revenue database shows. 

    The department’s database went online November 1, 2019. It was created after passage of a Senate bill that called for greater tax lien transparency.

    Any member of the public can search the Department of Revenue registry for individuals or businesses facing state tax liens, according to a news release.

    The registry only lists state tax liens and remain on the registry for 10 years, though liens that are expunged are removed from the registry, the release said.

  • FCSD sues bus company

    WINNSBORO – It was supposed to be a lifetime opportunity for 47 Fairfield County BETA Club students.

    Instead, recurring mechanical issues and frequent stops turned the road trip to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma into a nightmare.

    Now the Fairfield County School District is suing, accusing the bus company of “contract breaches and misrepresentations,” and also claiming the company is responsible for nearly $10,500 in additional costs the district says it incurred.

    Filed March 18, the suit names Brooks Cavaliers; Brooks Transit Charter Service, Inc.; John Brooks; Inga Brooks; Charles Brooks; and Charles Black as defendants.

    The litigation seeks actual and punitive damages, damages in accordance with the S.C. Unfair Trade Practices Act, and legal fees and expenses. A deadline of October 14 has been set to complete mediation.

    Brooks Cavaliers had not filed a response as of press time, according to the Fairfield County Public Index.

    A representative of Brooks Cavaliers said the company has responded to the suit, but he did not comment further and the call ended.

    Superintendent Dr. J.R. Green and board chairman William Frick also couldn’t be reached.

    Deputy Superintendent Dr. Claudia Avery signed the initial contract with Brooks Transit on March 29, 2019, according to documents filed with the suit.

    At the April 9, 2019 board meeting, the district’s Board of Trustees approved the Oklahoma excursion as a field trip request at a cost of $45,024.60. The purpose of the trip was so students in grades 4-8 could travel to the National Beta Club Convention “to compete in various academic competitions and present their visual artwork and projects,” district financial documents state.

    Invoices filed with the lawsuit state the district spent an additional $8,212 to charter with a second bus company to complete the trip after the original bus broke down, stranding students and chaperones.

    The district spent $2,267.47 more in additional hotel room costs, driving the total cost of the trip to at least $55,504.07. Forty-seven students and 14 chaperones went on the trip.

    According to the lawsuit, the Brooks Cavaliers buses stopped virtually every hour the first night of the trip, sometimes for drivers to take restroom breaks or to sleep; other times for various mechanical problems.

    “The drivers did not offer any explanation for many of the unscheduled stops and, when asked, spoke in a very rude manner to the chaperones of the trip,” the suit states. “Many of the stops occurred on the side of the highway for a lengthy amount of time, creating risks of accidents.”

    At one point, a bus leaked oil on the property of a hotel, which complained about the leak. Mechanical problems persisted in Oklahoma and on the return trip, including at a truck stop in Oklahoma, where students and chaperones were marooned for five hours, according to the suit.

    “After a lengthy wait, one of the chaperones telephoned a school district administrator to report the ongoing concerns and the fact that they had been stranded at a truck stop in Oklahoma for several hours,” the suit stated. “District administration attempted to contact Brooks Cavaliers unsuccessfully to try to resolve this issue. The District administrator eventually reached Ms. Inga Brooks and explained the seriousness of the matter.”

    It was at this point, the suit continues, that the district hired a second charter bus company to drive everyone home.

  • Dr. J.R. Green named Super of Year

    COLUMBIA – Fairfield County School District Superintendent, Dr. J.R. Green, has been named the 2021 South Carolina Superintendent of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA).

    “I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Green as a school board member and as a parent,” said Fairfield County School Board Chair William Frick. “Dr. Green talked about having a ‘culture change’ in the Fairfield County School District…Our students graduate with two years of college as they graduate from high school, overall test scores are improving, and financially we are operating with a balanced budget.” Mr. Frick continued, “While he did not accomplish any of these things on his own, none of it would have happened without Dr. J.R. Green and a culture change.”

    Dr. Green is an active member of the SCASA Superintendents’ Affiliate, and he currently serves as a member of the South Carolina State Board of Education. His school district is home to 2,600 students; in which nearly 90% of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

    Elizabeth “Beth” A. Phibbs, Executive Director of SCASA, states, “Dr. Green has been and continues to be a stabilizing force in the Fairfield County School District. Under his leadership, the district has expanded and strengthened programs and opportunities for their students. By working closely with the community, he has established partnerships which directly benefit the students of Fairfield County, and we are delighted to honor him as the 2021 South Carolina Superintendent of the Year.”

    Finalists for the award included Dr. William “Bill” James, Lexington School District Two and Dr. Neil Vincent, Florence School District Two. Candidates participated in an application and interview process conducted by a team of South Carolina business, education, and community leaders.

  • R2 Superintendent defends travel expenses

    COLUMBIA – Tampa, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. are among the locations where Richland Two Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis traveled in the name of district business over the past two budget cycles, spending more than $15,700, according to documents obtained by The Voice.

    In 2018-2019, Davis spent $10,076.50 on travel-related expenses, or enough to buy 30 iPads for students each year.

    Travel-related expenses in the current budget cycle totaled $5,635.08 as of March 23, about a week after the state issued a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus pandemic, documents show.

    The issue of superintendent travel arose during the school board’s February 11 meeting, when Richland County resident Gus Philpot questioned a California trip Davis was planning to take in March.

    Davis was invited to act as a panelist at the League of Innovative Schools annual conference in Los Angeles, California. The March 23-25 conference has since been rescheduled to October due to the coronavirus, or COVID-19.

    Philpot thought the trip was wasteful and that Davis’ time would be better spent working in Richland County.

    “Superintendent Davis belongs at his desk in Richland School District Two,” Philpot told the board. “His speaking to members of the League of Innovative Schools in California on the equity initiatives underway in Richland Two provides no benefit or value to Richland Two.”

    Philpot didn’t think Davis’ travel costs were particularly exorbitant, but also thought number of travel expenses was high.

    “I am shocked by the number of out of town events and conferences,” Philpot said. “It can’t be that important for the superintendent to go to all of these conferences.”

    In a prepared statement, Davis said professional development is part of the district’s strategic plan. Professional development is also a part of the superintendent’s evaluation criteria, the statement said.

    “It’s been a long standing practice in Richland Two that the superintendent attends professional learning opportunities with members of the board,” the statement reads. “The superintendent is charged with working with the school board to develop and implement policies that define organizational expectations and to establish and maintain effective channels of communication with board members.

    “As a result, the superintendent regularly attends professional development conferences with school board members as a way to meet performance standards that are part of the superintendent’s evaluation criteria,” the statement continued.

    Many of Davis’ business trips were to destinations that double as major tourism hubs, such as Hilton Head, Charleston and Myrtle Beach, according to district documents.

    Other expenses were associated with conferences and events in major American cities at least 470 miles away, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Tampa and Washington, D.C., documents show.

    By comparison, Davis’ travel expenses greatly eclipse those of his counterpart to the north, where Fairfield County Superintendent Dr. J.R. Green spent $3,042.72 on travel during 2018-2019, according to online budget records.

    But Davis’ spending is also comparable to at least three present Fairfield County school board members: Sylvia Harrison ($9,585.02), Henry Miller ($9,046.58) and Darreyl Davis ($8,453.37), records show.

  • R2 board suspends public comment

    SCSBA Recommends Districts Not Accept FOIA Requests During Pandemic

    COLUMBIA – In an effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19, the Richland Two school district has followed the lead of other government agencies by streaming meetings electronically.

    No member of the public may attend meetings in person nor participate in public comments. They can listen to audio on the district’s website.

    By a 6-1 vote, the Richland Two board voted Tuesday night to suspend policy BEDH, which spells out the district’s public participation policy. Board trustee Lindsay Agostini opposed the measure.

    In a related vote, the board also voted to cancel the April 7 meeting, citing a lack of business to address. That vote passed unanimously.

    Agostini said she voted against suspending policy BEDH, fearing it would prevent parents with students facing expulsion hearings from addressing the board.

    “While not frequent, on more than one occasion we’ve had parents come and address the board in public participation,” she said. “As long as we’re having a board meeting and talking about appeals, I can’t support this.”

    Trustee Amelia McKie said suspending the policy doesn’t prevent parents or the community from communicating concerns to the board. She said it’s imperative to make meetings “more skeletal” to protect district staff, students and the public from COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus.

    Initially, the board agenda only stated that the board planned to vote to take action on policy BEDH, without any explanation. Board agendas typically include supporting documentation further explaining the measure being voted on.

    After The Voice brought this to Richland Two’s attention, the district amended the agenda to state that the board planned to suspend policy BEDH.

    The decision to suspend public participation came at the recommendation of the SCSBA, according to the revised agenda. On its website, the SCSBA recommends “temporarily eliminating public comment” periods as a way to curtail COVID-19.

    “If your board policy allows for public comment, the board should make a motion and approve temporary suspension of the associated policy… until the COVID-19 threat has ended,” the SCSBA site states.

    Jay Bender, a media law attorney with the S.C. Press Association, of which The Voice is a member, said there’s no law requiring local governments to provide a public comment period. Public bodies are only required to allow the public to speak at meetings where there’s a public hearing, such as during budget passage.

    The S.C. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) also allows public bodies to conduct business electronically. Streaming can be by video or audio; the law only states such meetings be broadcast electronically.

    “It would be better if they could stream it,” Bender said.

    Richland Two’s audio streaming encountered some hiccups Tuesday evening.

    “The school board association has never thought anything should be public. They are run by superintendents whose goal is to keep all unfavorable news about schools out of the press.”

    Jay Bender, Media Attorney

    The Voice attended the meeting remotely and experienced occasional interruptions in audio. Sometimes audio volume fluctuated and other times, audio cut out altogether.

    During a discussion of cancelling the April 7 board meeting, Agostini reported that she couldn’t hear Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis’ explanation of the measure.

    “That was a very bad echo. I didn’t hear a word that was said,” she said.

    Other board members reported not being able to hear portions of the meeting.

    Richland County resident Gus Philpott, a frequent critic of the board, vehemently objects to suspending public input. He also takes exception with virtual meetings as well as board members participating remotely versus in person.

    “There is no need to suspend BEDH. If the Board is successful at prohibiting the public from attending the meeting, there won’t be anyone to speak, will there?” Philpott wrote in an email to board members.

    “Please consider how very serious it is to attempt to silence the public,” Philpott continued. “You might benefit by re-reading the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which refers to abridging the freedom of speech.”

    The South Carolina School Board Association (SCSBA) also recommend that school districts not accept any FOIA requests submitted during the coronavirus crisis and de-prioritize requests filed prior to Gov. Henry McMaster’s state of emergency declaration.

    Bender disputed the legality of those suggestions.

     “The law establishes deadlines and I don’t think the governor or anybody else can suspend the law,” Bender said. “The school board association has never thought anything should be public. They are run by superintendents whose goal is to keep all unfavorable news about schools out of the press.”

  • Richland Two’s new kind of ‘homeschool’

    BLYTHEWOOD – When Governor McMaster mandated on March 13 that schools, colleges and universities across the state had to shut their doors until at least March 31, teachers and administrators had to prepare and execute, in a very short period of time, a plan to continue educating their students remotely.

    Richland Two School District administrators wasted little time in formulating a plan and prompted their teachers, several days ahead of the shutdown, to be proactive in planning for the Covid-19 closing of schools.

    The plan began to unfold as the district packaged 10 days of learning activities in remote e-learning packets for grades Pre K- 5 district-wide.

    R2 teacher Dr. MaryPaul Hoile finds innovative ways to reach her students remotely. | Contributed

    “Teachers at my school were given all day on Tuesday to prepare to teach our students remotely,” Dr. MaryPaul Hoile said. Hoile, a 25-year veteran teacher, is in her first year of teaching at Bridge Creek Elementary, a STEAM-M school. She teaches child development for children age four (CD-4).

    “We immediately focused on getting our rooms prepared for the long absence. We gathered up materials and contacted our students/families,” She said the teachers at her school were given specific schedules and directions for the first few days of the shutdown.

    According to Hoile’s review of week one, all is going as smoothly as possible, and students and teachers are now in their second week of e-learning. She said her students receive their learning packets every Monday morning either by email, in person by way of car rider line pick up or online via her class’s private Facebook group.

    Hoile depends heavily on Facebook and other social media to connect with her students during the pandemic. She begins class each weekday morning by going ‘live’ at 9 a.m. and greeting her students and their families.

    “I had previously set up an online Facebook group connection to share a virtual newsletter with all my 20 students and their parents. They (her students) need connection in order to allow for optimal learning,” Hoile said. “We didn’t have an opportunity to say our goodbyes for such an extended period of time, so Facebook provides that connection,” Hoile said. “All of my students’ parents and guardians actively participate with their children by logging in each morning and responding to questions or by greeting each other using the CHAT feature. It’s been a wonderful experience as I read books and sing songs with them. I have also had guest readers/speakers share videos in our group,” Hoile said.

    In addition to following her typical morning meeting time as much as possible, she allows time for her students to work on their remote learning packets. Throughout the day she will go “live” again to add a video of herself or another guest reader and to add resources for the parents to use.

    “I realize that this is a very stressful time for families as they work hard to teach their children at home, so I don’t want to overwhelm them with too much work. Resources are a great way to allow parents the opportunity to extend learning.”

    Hoile credits her previous online teaching experiences in helping her to be prepared for this unique situation. She is also in contact with her co-teachers in the child development program by way of virtual meetings where they can plan and share ideas with one another.

    “I feel that we have taken this negative situation and made it the best possible experience for all of our students,” Hoile said. “By joining each other’s Facebook pages, we (CD teachers) have been able to observe and learn from each other to better teach our students,” she said.

    As teachers, students and parents learn the ropes of remote teaching and learning, posts are popping up on social media comically depicting frustrated parents, and students eager to get back into the school setting with real teachers and teachers, like Hoile, proving their metal under difficult circumstances.

  • Westwood High School student charged with punching teacher in the face

    BLYTHEWOOD – A 17-year-old student at Westwood High School has been accused of punching her teacher in the face and has been charged with assault and battery, according to a Richland County Sheriff’s department incident report.

    At approximately 12:30 p.m., a school resource officer was contacted by a Westwood High School administrator for an assault that had just occurred.  It was reported that the student punched her teacher in the face with a closed fist, causing redness and swelling to the eye and jaw area. The incident occurred after the teacher escorted the student into the hallway to have a conversation about her (the student) cursing at her (the teacher) in the classroom. During their discussion is when the student punched the teacher. The teacher’s injuries were treated by the school nurse.

    The student was removed from the classroom and charged with assault and battery. She has been released into the custody of her parents.  

  • R2 board OKs $1,000 bonuses for teachers

    Revenue Source is $16.9M Budget Surplus

    COLUMBIA – Richland Two school board approved $1,000 bonuses for its 3,600 district employees during a special called meeting Tuesday night.

    The district allocated $4.1 million of a $16.9 million budget surplus for teachers and all full-time permanent employees. Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis said the allocation is an effort to be competitive with surrounding school districts that have recently approved similar bonuses.

    Teachers’ salaries in Richland Two, on average, are $52,149, higher than the $50,182 average of teachers statewide.

    Besides the bonuses, other allocations from the surplus approved by the board include $750,000 for classroom supplies ($25 per student), $750,000 for media center upgrades ($25 per student) and $3.5 million for building renovations to help lessen the impact on taxpayers for the funding of annual capital improvement expenditures, according to an email released by the district following the meeting.

    The remaining $7.8 million of the surplus will be rolled over into the FY 2019-20 budget rather than into the fund balance as the district has done in the past.

    The source of the surplus was a combination of $9.3 million in lower expenditures than budgeted (primarily in salaries and fringe benefits) and $7.6 million in higher than anticipated revenues ($3.6 million in local taxes and $4.1 million in state revenues), according to district officials.

    Last year, the state legislature spent $160 million for a four percent raise for teachers.

     School officials say the $1,000 bonuses could be paid out as early as next month.