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Tag: Richland School District Two

  • County rejects R2 request for 18.4 mills

    Pugh: County Needs to Re-evaluate How We Spend Money

    COLUMBIA – Richland County Council passed third and final reading of its FY 2022-23 budget Tuesday night, excluding Richland School District Two’s request for an 18.4 millage increase.

    It was the second year the council has passed a no-millage-increase budget.

    The vote to pass the budget was 8 to 3 with both of Blythewood’s representatives, Derrek Pugh (Dist. 2) and Gretchen Barron (Dist. 7), and Bill Malinowisky (Dist. 1) voting against.

    “This [the 18.4 millage request] is a very hot topic in the community,” Pugh said just before the vote. “The budget before us will not raise taxes, but it’s imperative that not only millage agencies but Richland County as a whole needs to re-evaluate how we spend money and make the necessary adjustments. Everybody is experiencing shortfalls. So it’s important for us to exercise other options before sticking our citizens with higher tax bills.”

    Last week, the Richland Two School Board voted 4 to 3 to ask Richland County for the 18.4 millage increase over the District’s current 7 mills. Board members Lindsay Agostini, Dr. Monca Elkins Scott and LaShonda McFadden voted against.

    Current Millage Rate (331.70) plus the 18.4 mill increase would have hit the millage cap of 350.10 for FY 2022-23.

    County council had already held second reading and the public hearing on the county budget before the Richland Two Board voted to request the millage increase. County council would have had to hold a fourth reading and another public hearing to consider that increase.

    Instead, council passed the budget with the District’s last year’s 7 mills, which did not cause and increase in the county budget.

    Richland County Planning Commissioner Steven Gilchrist spoke against the county raising taxes before the budget vote was taken. Following the meeting, Gilchrist expressed his approval of council’s vote.

    “Richland County council needs to be applauded for not going along with this foolishness to raise taxes by 18 mills which Richland School District Two requested. Leadership matters and our county council proved that to the school district and the citizens today!” Gilchrist said.

    The District’s requested millage increase would have raised property taxes for local businesses and secondary homes ad was estimated to bring an additional $6.16 million in to the District next year.

    Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis stated that, with the 18.4 mill increase, a businesses with a property value of $100,000 would have payed $9 more a month in property taxes or $108 a year.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Seidel sanction limited to one week

    BLYTHEWOOD – The Chief Communications Officer for Richland School District Two provided documents on Tuesday confirming that Blythewood head football coach Jason Seidel received a one-week suspension and was reprimanded by the District as punishment for violating the school’s recruiting policy.

    Seidel

    The Voice obtained the documents through a Freedom of Information Act request.

    Richland Two launched an investigation in late January of Seidel’s interaction via Twitter with several football players at Ridge View High School in December of last year and January of this year after it was reported to Richland Two District office by Ridge View High Principal, Brenda Mack-Foxworthy. Seidel exchanged numerous tweets with the players over that time frame, encouraging them to transfer to Blythewood to play for the Bengals, according to a statement issued by Richland Two.

    The District did not at that time disclose what discipline it had meted out to Seidel.

    Seidel was missing from the sidelines of his team’s game against Fairfield Central High School on Friday, Sept. 6, and there was speculation at the time that it was the likely result of his punishment.

    Kevin Rohletter was the Bengals acting head coach for the team that evening in their 35-21 victory over the Fairfield Central Griffins.

    Documents provided Tuesday verified that Seidel received a one-week suspension in which he would be “prohibited from any activities with the team during that week, including any games the team played that week.”

    The specific week the suspension would be served was not disclosed.

    Complaints against Seidel also accused him of directing players to cover up his interactions. In one tweet, Seidel mentioned to one player to “delete our convo…”  In another conversation with a player, he said about the player’s mother “I would like to meet her when she can. I want you both comfortable. But you and your mom can’t say we met either.”

    According to District Two policy, “Recruiting of prospective students for athletic purposes is a serious ethical violation of the philosophy and ideals of interscholastic athletics and will be treated as such.”

    District Two went public on the matter only in mid-August, when local television news station WIS received word of the issue and aired a story on Seidel’s contacts on Aug. 16.

    After District Two had investigated and addressed the situation in March, Mack-Foxworth filed an appeal March 19 with Keith Price, the District’s assistant superintendent for middle schools and high schools and requested that the District send the issue to the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL), which oversees public school sports in the state. The SCHSL later said that “no violation within the S.C.H.S.L occurred” because none of the students in contact with Seidel transferred to Blythewood.

    Seidel was notified of his discipline by Richland District Two in May.

    The South Carolina High School League, which governs public school athletic programs, passed on making a decision because there was no evidence that any student transferred based on Seidel’s actions.

  • R2 acknowledges WHS threat

    BLYTHEWOOD – A Westwood High School student has been charged with multiple crimes after bringing weapons on campus Tuesday, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department reported.

    The 15-year-old student was overheard by another student threatening to “shoot up the school.” He later brought the weapons to the school, the sheriff department’s news release said.

    The student who heard the threat reported it to his parents and school staff, who contacted Westwood’s school resource officer, it was reported.

    When the student arrived at school Tuesday morning, he was interviewed by Sheriff’s deputies and admitted making the threats, according to the news release.

    Sheriff’s deputies searched the student and found two knives, officers said.

    The teen was charged with carrying a weapon on school property and making threats before being turned over to his parents’ custody, according to the release.

    WHS Principal Dr. Cheryl Guy notified parents saying there was no danger to the school and no injuries reported.

    The teen will appear in Richland County Family Court, but no date has been set, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

    BLYTHEWOOD – Richland School District Two acknowledges school threat from a student at Westwood High School.

    Libby Roof, Chief Communications Officer at Richland Two District Office released this statement:

    “I know that the Richland County Sheriff’s department has released an advisory regarding a Westwood High student charged. Below is a copy of the email Westwood High principal, Dr. Cheryl Guy, sent to her parents this morning.”

    Dear Westwood High Parents,

    I’m writing to share information about an investigation into a threat made against our school. First let me reassure you that there is no immediate threat or danger to our school. Hopefully, my email will help prevent the spread of rumors and misinformation and help reassure you that we take school safety very seriously.

    Yesterday after school, a student reported overhearing another student making a threat against our school. The safety tip led to an investigation that involved interviewing the student who reportedly made the threat. During the investigation, school administrators and School Resource Officers found two knives in the student’s possession. Our school resource officer immediately secured the weapons. No one was harmed prior to or during the investigation.

    We are following district procedures and board policy in administering disciplinary consequences. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department will be releasing additional information about legal consequences.

    We are proud of our student for sharing the safety tip with us and appreciate all that our employees, students and parents do to help keep our school a safe place for learning. Remember, our schools are staffed with lots of caring adults, including our school counselors, who are available to help work through issues in a productive way. If you have any questions or concerns about school safety, please contact a school administrator.

    Sincerely,

    Dr. Cheryl Guy

    Principal

    The Voice will update with more information as it becomes available.

  • Voters reshuffle R2 school board

    Garvin elected to replace McEachern

    COLUMBIA – Voters in the Richland Two school board race returned three of the four incumbent candidates to office on Tuesday and seated a political newcomer who received more votes than two of the incumbents, ousting one in the process.

    In the at-large race, the top four vote getters are seated. Those are Amelia McKie, James Manning, Teresa Holmes and Cheryl Caution-Parker.

    Current board chair Amelia McKie took the lion’s share of the vote with 22,427 votes (20 percent) to win a second term. McKie, a Richland Two parent, was elected chair of the board during her first term, campaigning on her many years of supporting the district through service on numerous parent/teacher/student organizations and School Improvement Councils.

    James Manning, also a Richland Two parent, was elected to a third term on the board with 18,768 votes (17 percent).

    In an upset, newcomer Teresa Holmes came in third with 17,528 votes (16 percent), over Blythewood incumbents Cheryl Caution-Parker with 16,570 votes (15 percent) and Craig Plank with 15,049 votes (14 percent). Those numbers left Plank, who was first elected in 2014, out of the mix.

    $476M bonds approved

    Voters in Richland School District Two approved two separate questions for bond referendums totaling $476 million for school projects. The first question asked for approval of $381.9 million for upgrades to security, technology and other improvements. That money would also go toward building new facilities for district schools including Bethel-Hanberry Elementary.

    The second question provided funds for upgrading athletics facilities at several schools including separate stadiums for Ridge View High and Richland Northeast High schools and creating a district performing arts center.

    House race

    In a statehouse race affecting Blythewood residents, Richland County voters sent newcomer Kambrell Garvin (D) to the House (Dist. 77) with 12,390 votes (84 percent) over opponent Justin Bishop who took 2,284 votes (16 percent). Voters in Blythewood favored Garvin over longtime incumbent Joe McEachern in the Democratic Primary.

    Richland showed a notably higher voter turnout in 2018 compared to previous election years. The 51.22 percent in 2018 for the county was five percent higher than 2014.