Remember 2018?

Here's what happened in the Richland 2 School District election on November 6, 2018.

In the November 3, 2020 election there are ten candidates.

Candidate's Forum - when?

Is the school board candidates' forum still scheduled for October 20? Time? Still at R2i2 in-person?

I wonder how concerned the candidates might be about the lack of publicity? 

Is the forum the best-kept secret in Richland County?

The forum is being coordinated by the League of Women Voters (Columbia) and the Richland 2 Teachers Association. The last I heard was that it is scheduled for October 20 at R2i2. I cannot find any mention of it on the Richland 2 website (homepage Calendar) or the Library's website or the League of Women Voters website.

If you search on Google, note that the result is for 2018, not for 2020.

EDITED: Thanks to candidate Lashonda McFadden, who informed me that Richland 2 School Disgtrict tweeted on 10/12/20 that the candidates' forum will be a virtual event on October 20, 2020, at 6:30PM. Go to richland2.org/livestream

EDITED (10/18/20 10:53AM) An announcement of the candidates' forum is now posted on the Richland 2 homepage. Many thanks to Mrs. Libby Roof for her week-end posting.

I wonder if Richland 2 is aware that not everyone reads tweets. And then there are those of us in Twitter Jail who refuse to knuckle under to Twitter's censors. I'll be serving a Life sentence, because I am not going to recant my tweet to Smerconish on 6/6/2020 that looters ought to be shot.

Thanks, Lashonda!

A question of ethics

When a school board member is running for re-election, is it appropriate (ethical? legal? fair?) to wear a polo shirt denoting a current position on the Richland 2 School Board while campaigning?

Was the shirt paid for with public money and provided by the School Board to the trustee? (Hint - I don't ask a question to which I don't already know the answer.)

Could this shirt be worn within 200 feet of a polling place by a candidate on the ballot?

Could a facemask bearing any campaign message be worn within 200 feet of a polling entrance?

A quick check with the S.C. Department of Revenue State Tax Lien Registry today reveals that Shadd still owes $45,880 in unpaid income taxes on five personal income tax liens dating back to 2014. One lien was filed in 2014, one in 2017, two in 2019, and one in 2020. 

EDITED 10/19/20. I heard that some payment had been made but, according to https://dor.sc.gov/liens today, the total due on five liens is $46,255.85.

According to SC BIZ NEWS, "The Revenue Department said it exhausted efforts to collect the debts before the names were published, sending letters and making personal contact to attempt to get delinquent taxpayers to comply.   https://scbiznews.com/news/government/77984/

Well, that's a joke. If the State DOR cannot collect monies owed to the State, then get out of the way and turn collection efforts over to private enterprise.

Shadd was elected Board Chair on June 30, 2020. Why would the Board have a tax debtor as Trustee, much less the Board Chair?

What, Me Worry? Look at the Numbers!

Friday's DHEC report of new COVID-19 cases in schools, as reported by The State newspaper, listed these Richland 2 schools:

RICHLAND 2

• Catawba Trail Elementary School has less than five faculty cases.
• Forest Lake Elementary School has less than five faculty cases.
• L.B. Nelson Elementary School has less than five student cases.
• Muller Road Middle School has less than five faculty cases.
• North Springs Elementary School has less than five faculty cases.
• Richland Northeast High School has less than five student cases.
• Spring Valley High School has less than five student cases and less than five faculty cases.
• Windsor Elementary School has less than five student cases.

Stated another way:

RICHLAND 2

• Catawba Trail Elementary School has 1-4 faculty cases.
• Forest Lake Elementary School has 1-4 faculty cases.
• L.B. Nelson Elementary School has 1-4 student cases.
• Muller Road Middle School has 1-4 faculty cases.
• North Springs Elementary School has 1-4 faculty cases.
• Richland Northeast High School has 1-4 student cases.
• Spring Valley High School has 1-4 student cases and 1-4 faculty cases.
• Windsor Elementary School has 1-4 student cases.

In summary,

Five schools reported 1-4 faculty cases (why "faculty", not employee?)

Four schools reported 1-4 student cases.

Wouldn't exact numbers be more helpful?

There could have been 5-20 faculty cases last week.

There could have been 4-16 student cases last week. 

Out of 27,800 students!

Four cases? 0.014% of student body.

Sixteen cases? 0.057% of student body.

Like Alfred E. Newman said, "What, Me Worry?"