Friday, September 2, 2022

Gun at SVHS - 9/2/2022

A gun was found in a student's possession at Spring Valley High School today.

See articles in local media.

Be sure to read Richland Two's alert to SVHS parents from SVHS Principal Jeff Temoney.

Dear Spring Valley High School Families,


I am writing to let you know that this afternoon a weapon was confiscated from a student. I know this is alarming to hear so let me assure you that the situation was addressed swiftly, our students and employees are safe, and we have been able to continue with our school day without interruption. 


The weapon was found after our school received a tip that a student was talking about having a gun at school today. Immediately upon receiving the tip, school administrators and our School Resource Officers located the student and took possession of the student’s book bag. A hand gun was found while conducting a search of the book bag in an administrative office. So far in the investigation, we do not have any evidence to indicate that the student threatened to harm anyone at school.


School administrators and our SROs are following district procedures and board policy in administering disciplinary and legal consequences. Making sure our students and employees are safe remains our top priority, and anyone who compromises the safety of our campus faces serious consequences. In accordance with state and federal law, Richland Two Board Policy JICI states that a student who brings a weapon to school faces expulsion of no less than one year.


I assure you that school and district leaders understand how concerning it is for parents and students to learn about a weapon on campus. We all share the alarm and concern at this growing problem, and we must all work together to prevent our children from getting access to weapons. Our district’s partners BeSMART and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department provide free gun locks, available by calling 803-576-3498. For more information on BeSMART’s efforts to help parents talk with their children about gun safety and take responsible actions to prevent children from getting access to weapons visit their website at www.BeSMARTforKids.org. Also, Richland Two’s Office of Emergency and Security Services will conduct random metal detector screenings at high schools starting this month. The district will be providing more information about these screenings in a safety update.


Thank you for helping us keep our school a safe place for teaching and learning. If you have any questions or concerns about school safety, please contact a school administrator. 


How many words would be in Principal Temoney's announcement if you cut out all the boilerplate and P.R. nonsense? The District probably has a form letter, pre-approved by the lawyers, for explaining away how much it cares.


Anyone care to comment on the effectiveness of the BeSmart initiative coordinated by Supt. Baron Davis and Richland Two last December?


Or about the effectiveness of the Committee of the Whole on Safety and Security?

CUBE Conference, Miami, Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Who is going?

The National School Boards Association (NSBA) and CUBE will hold the 2022 Annual Conference in Miami from September 29 through October 1, 2022.

Registration fees vary from $550-$775, depending on Early Bird and Member/Non-Member rates. Add to that, travel, hotel, meals, incidentals (parking, baggage, car rental?).

What is CUBE? Council of Urban Boards of Education.

You may remember that it was NSBA that instigated U.S. Attorney General's determination that parents are domestic terrorists. If I recall correctly, the South Carolina School Boards Association (SCSBA) dropped out of the NSBA. 

Did Richland 2 drop out and just go silent?

There are seven board members (including two trustees-elect who have never taken the oath-of-office legally) on the Richland 2 School Board. The terms of four of them end in two months. On November 8, 2022 four candidates will be elected to the 2022-2026 term-of-office.

Three incumbents are not running for re-election. Trustees James Manning and Cheryl Caution-Parker did not file for re-election. Trustee-elect Amelia McKie (proud $57,100 debtor of the South Carolina Ethics Commission) did not file for re-election.

Should any board members who did not file for re-election attend the CUBE conference at Richland 2 expense?