At the end of the November 12, 2019 Board meeting, Supt. Davis mentioned (2:10:09 on the video-recording) that Richland 2 will hold a second public community meeting to get feedback on the re-zoning of two subdivisions.
The make-up meeting for parents concerned about the re-districting will be held on Monday, November 25, 2019 at 6:00PM at Bookman Road Elementary School.
Parents also can provide feedback on a form on the District's website. Visit this District webpage for more information. To find it directly, go the www.Richland2.org. Click on Explore; click on News.
Richland 2 is proposing to re-zone Jacobs Creek and Forest Creek subdivisions from Catawba Trail Elementary to Bookman Road Elementary.
The proposal will be up for a vote at the Special Board Meeting scheduled for December 3, 2019, starting at 5:30PM.
NOTE: There is commonly no Public Participation segment scheduled at Special Board Meetings, and there has commonly been no voting by the Board at Special-Called Meetings. This appears to represent a change in Board practice.
No announcement of the November 25th meeting is on the Catawba Trail Elementary School calendar.
Friday, November 15, 2019
What are "wheels in a cog"?
Appreciation should be expressed to Trustees Shadd and Elkins-Johnson for not wasting the audience's time (and the time of others on the board) with useless comments during the Board & Superintendent's Comments portion at the end of the November 12, 2019 School Board meeting. And thanks to Trustee Agostini for her concise comments, which were clear and direct.
Trustee-elect Holmes wanted all to know that she has never lumped children together.
The prize last week goes to Trustee-elect Amelia McKie for telling all, as she proceeded to ramble through thanking just about everybody on the District staff, that "there are a lot of wheels in the cog". You can hear it for yourself at 2:07:13 on the YouTube recording.
Does she really need to hear her own voice? Thanking everyone for "taking care of our babies"??? What's wrong with just "Have a good evening" at the end of a 2-hour-plus meeting?
Trustee-elect Holmes wanted all to know that she has never lumped children together.
The prize last week goes to Trustee-elect Amelia McKie for telling all, as she proceeded to ramble through thanking just about everybody on the District staff, that "there are a lot of wheels in the cog". You can hear it for yourself at 2:07:13 on the YouTube recording.
Does she really need to hear her own voice? Thanking everyone for "taking care of our babies"??? What's wrong with just "Have a good evening" at the end of a 2-hour-plus meeting?
Citizens' Arrest
It worked in Clark County, Illinois. Could it work in Richland County, South Carolina?
A watchdog group performed a citizens' arrest on members of the Clark County Park District Board in 2014 for violating the Illinois Open Meetings Act "by not allowing the public to speak."
The sheriff showed up and did not halt the citizens' arrest.
https://takebackyourpower.net/entire-county-board-arrested-following-citizens-arrest-2-military-veterans/?fbclid=IwAR3qs9-gCqAPiuwPUKxxCB_nDF-3Jw0oUsLWbwhlYRf0Cxby1Q0eGURekbc
Could it happen here?
Two trustees-elect of the Richland 2 School Board have never legally taken the oath of office. By sitting at the Board they are usurping public office, which is a crime under South Carolina Code of Laws Section 15-63-60.
Appeals to the Richland County Sheriff, SLED and the S.C. Attorney General's Office have not (yet) resulted in enforcement of South Carolina law.
One internet reference explains the use of a militia to enforce this law.
The major problem with the two trustees-elect could be resolved in 60 seconds by their raising their right hands and taking the oath of office - legally. They became eligible to do so on December 4, 2018, after they filed the required Statements of Economic Interests with the South Carolina Ethics Commission. (They took the oath illegally on November 13, 2018.)
If they ever do take the oath legally, then the School District will have to review every decision made on and after November 13, 2018 (which in itself was an illegal Board meeting, because the term-of-office of the four elected on November 6, 2018 would not begin until November 16, 2018, one week after it was certified by the Richland County Board of Elections). Trustees-elect McKie and Holmes have voted on many Motions, and there were times when their votes swayed the decision one way or the other. All those votes will have to be corrected.
When this issue was first raised in February 2019, only three months' worth of decisions would have needed review. Now, 12 months of decisions must be reviewed.
A watchdog group performed a citizens' arrest on members of the Clark County Park District Board in 2014 for violating the Illinois Open Meetings Act "by not allowing the public to speak."
The sheriff showed up and did not halt the citizens' arrest.
https://takebackyourpower.net/entire-county-board-arrested-following-citizens-arrest-2-military-veterans/?fbclid=IwAR3qs9-gCqAPiuwPUKxxCB_nDF-3Jw0oUsLWbwhlYRf0Cxby1Q0eGURekbc
Could it happen here?
Two trustees-elect of the Richland 2 School Board have never legally taken the oath of office. By sitting at the Board they are usurping public office, which is a crime under South Carolina Code of Laws Section 15-63-60.
Appeals to the Richland County Sheriff, SLED and the S.C. Attorney General's Office have not (yet) resulted in enforcement of South Carolina law.
One internet reference explains the use of a militia to enforce this law.
The major problem with the two trustees-elect could be resolved in 60 seconds by their raising their right hands and taking the oath of office - legally. They became eligible to do so on December 4, 2018, after they filed the required Statements of Economic Interests with the South Carolina Ethics Commission. (They took the oath illegally on November 13, 2018.)
If they ever do take the oath legally, then the School District will have to review every decision made on and after November 13, 2018 (which in itself was an illegal Board meeting, because the term-of-office of the four elected on November 6, 2018 would not begin until November 16, 2018, one week after it was certified by the Richland County Board of Elections). Trustees-elect McKie and Holmes have voted on many Motions, and there were times when their votes swayed the decision one way or the other. All those votes will have to be corrected.
When this issue was first raised in February 2019, only three months' worth of decisions would have needed review. Now, 12 months of decisions must be reviewed.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
The SRO "Industry"
Do parents really know what the cost is of having a law-enforcement officer in so many Richland 2 schools?
You can familiarize yourself with the issues and cost by viewing the video-recording of the October 29, 2019 School Board meeting. Find this on the Richland 2 website and on YouTube.com
Fast-forward to 29:30 where Harry Miley, CFO, explains about new money coming from the State of South Carolina for four new SROs, who will go on duty at elementary schools in January 2020. The deputies are planned for Killian, Langford, Catawba Trail and Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary Schools.
State funding has been approved and, after Richland County Council approves, State money will be paid to the Richland County Sheriff's Department for salaries and benefits for these four new deputies. Richland 2 School District will bear the expense of operating and equipment funds.
Deputies are provided by the Richland County Sheriff's Department under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Richland 2 School District.
What's the cost of one deputy under the MOU? $130,000 in capital costs, plus about $55,000 in operating costs. Per deputy!
Trustee-elect McKie made an assumptive statement about "all" board members. She should have spoken on her own behalf and let other board members speak for themselves. If a board member that night did not agree with her, most likely such board member would have held his or her tongue to avoid a dispute or conflict.
Trustee- elect Holmes launched a "in light of the times that we are living in, with the shootings that are going on..." statement. Richland 2 could post a deputy at every hallway corner in every school, if it wanted to pay for it. The voters won't pay for that. But here's a fact: the risk of a student's being killed by gunshot at school in the U.S. is 1 in 614,000,000. So, if the risk is infinitesimal, how much are you willing to spend to attempt to prevent it?
Having an SRO in a school will NOT prevent a school shooting. Does any school board member realize that? Having two armed Emergency Services employees wouldn't prevent it. Arming every teacher wouldn't prevent it. Arming every staff member won't prevent it. Arming every student would not prevent it.
Why was a shooting at Ridge View High School threatened earlier this week? The School Board should dig into the real cause and work on preventing that. Get at the cause!!!
The cause is a generation (or more than one) without the skills of conflict resolution, without respect for authority, into instant gratification, without conversational skills, without tolerance, without understanding.
You can familiarize yourself with the issues and cost by viewing the video-recording of the October 29, 2019 School Board meeting. Find this on the Richland 2 website and on YouTube.com
Fast-forward to 29:30 where Harry Miley, CFO, explains about new money coming from the State of South Carolina for four new SROs, who will go on duty at elementary schools in January 2020. The deputies are planned for Killian, Langford, Catawba Trail and Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary Schools.
State funding has been approved and, after Richland County Council approves, State money will be paid to the Richland County Sheriff's Department for salaries and benefits for these four new deputies. Richland 2 School District will bear the expense of operating and equipment funds.
Deputies are provided by the Richland County Sheriff's Department under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Richland 2 School District.
What's the cost of one deputy under the MOU? $130,000 in capital costs, plus about $55,000 in operating costs. Per deputy!
Trustee-elect McKie made an assumptive statement about "all" board members. She should have spoken on her own behalf and let other board members speak for themselves. If a board member that night did not agree with her, most likely such board member would have held his or her tongue to avoid a dispute or conflict.
Trustee- elect Holmes launched a "in light of the times that we are living in, with the shootings that are going on..." statement. Richland 2 could post a deputy at every hallway corner in every school, if it wanted to pay for it. The voters won't pay for that. But here's a fact: the risk of a student's being killed by gunshot at school in the U.S. is 1 in 614,000,000. So, if the risk is infinitesimal, how much are you willing to spend to attempt to prevent it?
Having an SRO in a school will NOT prevent a school shooting. Does any school board member realize that? Having two armed Emergency Services employees wouldn't prevent it. Arming every teacher wouldn't prevent it. Arming every staff member won't prevent it. Arming every student would not prevent it.
Why was a shooting at Ridge View High School threatened earlier this week? The School Board should dig into the real cause and work on preventing that. Get at the cause!!!
The cause is a generation (or more than one) without the skills of conflict resolution, without respect for authority, into instant gratification, without conversational skills, without tolerance, without understanding.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Shooting Threat at Ridge View H.S.
Is Richland 2 School District running amok? Out-of-control?
The State newspaper reports today in a headline: "Shooting threat at Richland County high school leads to more deputies, investigation". Read the story here.
The story indicates that the threat was learned of "overnight", meaning last night (Tuesday night).
Reporter Noah Feit wrote the original story, which carries no names of student(s) involved in the threat.
Are Richland 2 schools primed for a crime like happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida? Order your copy of Why Meadow Died and read about the cause of those February 14, 2018 shootings. I recommend that hard-cover edition, so that you can mark it up, carry it to school board meetings, and pound away on the school board about some REAL ideas for making our schools safer.
The State newspaper reports today in a headline: "Shooting threat at Richland County high school leads to more deputies, investigation". Read the story here.
The story indicates that the threat was learned of "overnight", meaning last night (Tuesday night).
Reporter Noah Feit wrote the original story, which carries no names of student(s) involved in the threat.
Are Richland 2 schools primed for a crime like happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida? Order your copy of Why Meadow Died and read about the cause of those February 14, 2018 shootings. I recommend that hard-cover edition, so that you can mark it up, carry it to school board meetings, and pound away on the school board about some REAL ideas for making our schools safer.
What happened one year ago? 11/13/2018
What happened on November 13, 2018? And why is it important today?
On November 13, 2018 two trustee-elect (Amelia McKie and Teresa Holmes) were sworn in as Trustees of the Richland 2 School District.
Their term of office had not started yet, because it officially was to start one week after the election was certified. The November 6 election was not certified until November 9, so the term of office legally began November 16, 2018.
BUT the School Board held an official Regular Meeting on November 13, 2018. Prior to the meeting McKie and Holmes took the oath of office. They sat (illegally) at the Board desks on November 13, 2018, attended Executive Session, heard confidential student matters, then voted on student matters during the open session. And, I presume, got paid about $450 each for attending that meeting.
The problem?
Their term-of-office didn't begin until November 16 - three days later!
Most important, McKie and Holmes were not eligible to take the oath of office on November 13. They took it illegally. S.C. Code of Laws 8-13-1110(A) says you cannot take the oath of office unless you have filed the Statement of Economic Interests.
They had not filed those statements!
They finally filed them on December 4, 2018, after The Independent Voice of Blythewood & Fairfield County contacted them and revealed to the world that McKie and Holmes had not filed the required reports.
So, on December 4, 2018, McKie and Holmes first became eligible to take the oath of office and, upon doing so, would have become legal members of the board.
But they have not done so. They are still trustees-elect. And they should not be sitting on the Board or attending Executive Sessions or voting on student matters or other District business or collecting a paycheck for doing so.
McKie should not have signed the documents as Board Chair for the $26,000,000 sale of Bond Anticipation Notes. Her posiiton as Board Chair, to which she was elected in June 2018, ended on November 6, 2018.
Why won't the School Board insist that this error be corrected? The Board has conducted business with only five legal trustees for the past 12 months!
On November 13, 2018 two trustee-elect (Amelia McKie and Teresa Holmes) were sworn in as Trustees of the Richland 2 School District.
Their term of office had not started yet, because it officially was to start one week after the election was certified. The November 6 election was not certified until November 9, so the term of office legally began November 16, 2018.
BUT the School Board held an official Regular Meeting on November 13, 2018. Prior to the meeting McKie and Holmes took the oath of office. They sat (illegally) at the Board desks on November 13, 2018, attended Executive Session, heard confidential student matters, then voted on student matters during the open session. And, I presume, got paid about $450 each for attending that meeting.
The problem?
Their term-of-office didn't begin until November 16 - three days later!
Most important, McKie and Holmes were not eligible to take the oath of office on November 13. They took it illegally. S.C. Code of Laws 8-13-1110(A) says you cannot take the oath of office unless you have filed the Statement of Economic Interests.
They had not filed those statements!
They finally filed them on December 4, 2018, after The Independent Voice of Blythewood & Fairfield County contacted them and revealed to the world that McKie and Holmes had not filed the required reports.
So, on December 4, 2018, McKie and Holmes first became eligible to take the oath of office and, upon doing so, would have become legal members of the board.
But they have not done so. They are still trustees-elect. And they should not be sitting on the Board or attending Executive Sessions or voting on student matters or other District business or collecting a paycheck for doing so.
McKie should not have signed the documents as Board Chair for the $26,000,000 sale of Bond Anticipation Notes. Her posiiton as Board Chair, to which she was elected in June 2018, ended on November 6, 2018.
Why won't the School Board insist that this error be corrected? The Board has conducted business with only five legal trustees for the past 12 months!
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Robert's Rules of Order and Richland 2
Earlier this year I commented on the usefulness of Robert's Rules of Order for running board meetings.
There was nary a peep from District 2 about it.
Then this past week-end I happened across Board Policy BE Board Meetings. Even though meetings are frequently long (and any outsider or consultant could tell them why), Policy BE is short.
It includes Parliamentary Procedure". Imagine that!
"The latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order will govern all matters not covered by the rules of the board." Last revised 8/8/17.
Should the School Board utilize a professional parliamentarian? Could this help shorten meetings from four hours or from the two hours 40 minutes of the October 29, 2019 meeting?
What do you think the Board should do to shorten meetings? Please comment below.
There was nary a peep from District 2 about it.
Then this past week-end I happened across Board Policy BE Board Meetings. Even though meetings are frequently long (and any outsider or consultant could tell them why), Policy BE is short.
It includes Parliamentary Procedure". Imagine that!
"The latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order will govern all matters not covered by the rules of the board." Last revised 8/8/17.
Should the School Board utilize a professional parliamentarian? Could this help shorten meetings from four hours or from the two hours 40 minutes of the October 29, 2019 meeting?
What do you think the Board should do to shorten meetings? Please comment below.
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