Board errs in approving draft agenda

The Board approved the draft agenda tonight for the November 10, 2020 Board Meeting with a huge error that no one addressed.

The superintendent proposed that there be a board installation ceremony at 5:00PM, followed by an Executive Session at 5:30PM and the open meeting at 6:00PM.

The Board is going to make the same error it made on November 13, 2018.

SECTION 59-19-315. Commencement of trustee's term of office.
The term of office of every elected trustee of a school district must commence one week following the certification of his election.

The November 10th board meeting will be prior to "one week following the certification of the election" of any newly-elected, first-time board member(s). Election day is November 3rd. The Richland County Elections Commission will certify the election probably no sooner than November 6. Therefore the term-of-office begins November 13, 2020, which is three days after the planned installation ceremony. .

Any new trustees could be sworn in on November 10th, IF they have filed their Statements of Economic Interests with the South Caroline Ethics Commission. Hopefully, the Board Secretary will check and confirm that filing.

But newly-elected board members cannot be seated legally at the November 10, 2020 meeting. They cannot attend the Executive (confidential) session or vote on board matters, because their term-of-office will not have begun.

So why did the superintendent put this on the agenda for the November 10th board meeting? Does he intend to allow the law to be violated again, as it was on November 13, 2018? (McKie and Holmes still have not legally taken the oath of office and have been usurping office as school board members for almost two years!)

Another law being violated by Richland 2 is this one.

SECTION 59-19-70. Chairman and clerk of board.
The trustees shall, as soon as practicable after the appointment of any new trustee, organize by the election of one of their members as chairman and another as clerk of the board. The chairman shall preside at meetings of the board and perform other duties imposed on him under the law, and the clerk shall keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings in a book provided for that purpose and perform all other duties required of him by law.

Will a new Board Chair and Board Clerk (Secretary) be elected? This should happen at the first board meeting after the term-of-office begins. That will be the December 8, 2020 meeting.