COLUMBIA – A Richland Two school board trustee facing more than $49,000 in liens over unpaid income taxes will lead the body that determines numerous fiscal matters, including the district’s $301.1 million annual budget. On June 30, the board voted 6-1 to appoint James Shadd as chairman. Shadd takes over for James Manning, who’s served […]
R2 board suspends public comment
April 2, 2020 By Leave a 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 […]
R2 Super’s California trip raises critic’s ire
February 20, 2020 By Leave a Comment
COLUMBIA – Richland Two school board trustees are lashing out at one of their biggest critics over him questioning the district superintendent’s planned speaking engagement in Los Angeles next month. One by one, at the Feb. 11 meeting, trustees chided Richland County resident Gus Philpott for characterizing the upcoming California conference as a junket. “Superintendent […]
Breaking Ground
January 23, 2020 By Leave a Comment
BLYTHEWOOD – Richland Two officials held a groundbreaking ceremony at Muller Road Middle School on Tuesday for a new permanent facility for the Center for Knowledge North (CFK North). The center has been housed in portables and a few classrooms in Muller Road Middle School since 2013. The project is funded with $9.8 million from […]
R2 gives super generally high marks
September 19, 2019 By Leave a Comment
COLUMBIA – Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis received generally favorable scores on his annual evaluation, though one Richland Two board member marked Davis down in a few key categories. Two others were critical of the board majority’s decision to not allow board members to discuss a requirement that only a supermajority (5-2) of the board could dismiss […]
Judgement filed against R2’s McKie
August 1, 2019 By Leave a Comment
COLUMBIA – On July 10, 2019 the South Carolina Ethics Commission filed a $51,750 Judgment in Richland County Common Pleas Court against the immediately previous Richland Two School Board Chairwoman Amelia McKie. This Judgment is to collect the $51,750 in fines and fees that McKie owes the Ethics Commission under Decision & Order No. 2017-023, […]
R2 board names new officers
July 3, 2019 By Leave a Comment
COLUMBIA – Richland Two’s board of trustees has new leadership. James Manning is now chairman, taking over for Amelia McKie, who remains a voting member. Teresa Holmes was named vice chairman and Cheryl Caution-Parker became secretary, according to votes taken at the June 25 meeting. Manning and Caution-Parker were unanimously voted into their new positions. […]
Agostini: Board chair plays favorites with speakers
May 23, 2019 By 3 Comments
COLUMBIA – Amid budget discussions, policy revision votes and a slew of special recognitions, one board member’s critique of the Richland Two chairwoman’s job performance punctuated a more-than-four-hour meeting. The drama began at about the 38-minute mark of the May 14 meeting when board member Lindsay Agostini called attention to “inconsistent” enforcement of the board’s […]
Letters: R2 Must Follow the Law
May 23, 2019 By Leave a Comment
The law is absolutely clear. Mrs. McKie was not eligible to take the oath of office on November 13, 2018, because she had not filed her Statement of Economic Interests Report (SEI). Therefore, the oath that she did utter on November 13th is worthless and invalid. Mrs. McKie first became eligible to take the oath […]
Altered bond doc slips past R2 board
May 9, 2019 By 1 Comment
COLUMBIA – When the Richland Two school board trustees’ former secretary declined to sign documents asserting that Board Chairwoman Amelia McKie is legally allowed to serve on the board, two trustees say the board was not notified the documents were modified to include phrasing dismissive of McKie’s ethics controversy. “I was not aware of the […]
