Richland 2 Demographics

Here is a fascinating webpage I had not visited before:  https://censusreporter.org/profiles/97000US4503390-richland-school-district-2-sc/

The demographics for Richland 2 are there. This is for the boundaries of the school district, not the County. It is not a Richland 2 website.

The first item that caught my attention was the Number of children in poverty: 16%.

Wasn't there a report by the School District (www.richland2.org) that 47% of the students were in poverty? Please correct me on the number, if that is not right.

Here's the result when I searched the Richland 2 website for "poverty"? NO RESULT.

But one of the choices that appeared was "purposity"? What in the world is that? Curious? Go to https://www.richland2.org/Departments/Administrative-Services/Learning-Support-Services/Social-Workers/purposity

You know I'm a picky reader; right?

So, when I read "... connect people in need with those that can help ...", I immediately wondered, "When did the board approve that?" And then, "Did it?"

And then I read this on the District's website:

Did You Know?

• During the 2018-19 school year, social workers identified 615 homeless students.
• Richland Two’s district-wide free & reduced lunch is right at 50 percent.
• In order to qualify for Free or Reduced Meal Program, a family must have an income of 185 percent below the federal poverty level. A family of four (4) must make less than $47,638 annually to qualify for reduced lunch and a family of four (4) must make less than $33,475 annually to qualify for free lunch.
• Richland Two serves an estimated 600 to 700 students per week with the Backpack Program that offers food to students on the weekend.
• The Richland Two Backpack Program is offered in every school across the district and supported by many community resources.
• Many of our Richland Two schools have a food pantry to help families have access to an immediate food resource.

Can you figure out what the following line means? I wonder what kind of advanced degree it takes to understand what this sentence means!

"In order to qualify for Free or Reduced Meal Program, a family must have an income of 185 percent below the federal poverty level."

Do people read what they write? I can understand "10% percent below the federal poverty level." Or 20% of 50%. Even 80%. Does 100% below the federal poverty level mean Zero? 

Now, explain "185% below the federal poverty level".

Obviously, what it should say is, "a family must have an income below 185 percent of the federal poverty level." That's the federal income poverty guideline times 1.85.

Next questions. Food on week-ends? Food banks? Why aren't we promoting independence, instead of reliance on "government"?

What's that proverb? 

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him

for a lifetime.

District Convocation

This morning's District Convocation is on livestream.com/richland2 but it is password-protected. This means that the public cannot view what was said this morning.

I've already heard that the superintendent told everyone to "Protect the Brand."

What "brand"? Is soap being peddled? Richland 2 is not a "brand". It's a school district! Or, at least, it is supposed to be.

Will the Convocation be unlocked, so that we "common folks" can hear what was said?

If it is still locked when you click on the link, then email lroof@richland2.org and ask that the video be unlocked.

Forgive Student Loans?

Is student loan forgiveness a sound program? Do you have student loans? Will you have student loans?

Cui Bono? Who benefits?

Watch this new PragerU video. Share it with all around you.

Who will pay for all those student loans that are forgiven?

You will! 

Is that fair?

What's up? Public Participation Form on Retreat Agenda

On Friday, August 5, 2022 the school board will hold a "summer retreat" at the Sandhill Lake House located at Clemson University's Sandhill Research and Education Center, 900 Clemson Road, beginning at 9:00AM.

The District could livestream it but will not. 

Item 3.8 on the Agenda is "Public Participation Form". Apparently, some revision is on the way. The revised form could be attached to the agenda, but it is not.

So much for transparency in the new School Year, which started July 1.

Item 3.12 is Safety Plan. No elaboration there, either.

Why isn't the District livestreaming this event? The excuse offered of length and no action to be taken just doesn't cut it. 

The District threatens the public with this paragraph, which has become standard boiler-plate in meeting announcements:

"In an effort to effectively maintain a safe environment, any person attending the meeting who is out of order, loud, disruptive, making inappropriate comments, and/or a safety concern will be asked to be seated or leave by a security officer. If the person does not comply, the individual will be escorted off the property. No signage or other objects will be allowed into the facility that could either be a distraction or used as a weapon."

As the public knows from January 25, 2022, when an attendee shouts, "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! DON'T TALK TO ME! GET AWAY FROM ME!", such shouting will not be considered creating an unsafe environment. It is not out of order, loud, disruptive or inappropriate. It will no lead to be escorted out.

Especially if you are married to the superintendent.

ACLU vs. Holmes?

Will the ACLU sue Teresa Holmes?

Teresa maintains at least two Facebook pages/groups, and at least one of them seems to be her official school board member page. They are "Dr.Teresa Holmes" (no space between Dr. and Teresa) and the second is "Dr. Teresa Holmes: School Board Member Richland Two".

Read this January 9, 2019 ACLU article: "Court Rules Public Officials Can’t Block Critics on Facebook"  Click on the link to read the article.

I emailed Teresa on June 17, 2022 and requested that she unblock me from her official page(s). I sure she must be busy recovering from the chaos of her board leadership; she hasn't replied yet.

The first page is still completely invisible to me.

The second page displays this message, instead of content: 

"This content isn't available right now

"When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted."

I am contacting the ACLU and asking them to investigate Teresa's two pages.

The Fourth Circuit includes Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The Court's decision applies right here in Columbia. What will Teresa's lawyer tell her? What would Richland Two's lawyer tell her? 

Will they tell her to just open her up Facebook pages? Or will they tell her to "Take a chance. You're just a small fry."

More good news

Check out yesterday's (July 26, 2022 article about Richland 2 in the Post and Courier newspaper. 

Here's the leading paragraph. 

"COLUMBIA — Northeast Columbia parents wrote to Henry McMaster for five months, asking him to look into “dysfunction” and “toxicity” among the board and superintendent of Richland County School District Two, before the governor asked the state inspector general to investigate."

You can read it, if you are a subscriber, by clicking here: www.postandcourier.com/columbia/news/complaints-of-columbia-school-districts-toxic-environment-sparked-state-investigation/article_cec562fa-0c45-11ed-9ecc-e7cd5decab1c.html/?tpcc=colanl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Columbia%20Editor%20Letter%20July%2027&utm_content=Columbia%20Editor%20Letter%20July%2027+CID_3b43b083ebf22fc69d3c948cb88c22d8&utm_source=CampaignMonitor&utm_term=toxic%20environment

Dysfunction?

Toxicity?

Now ... who was responsible for that???

The U.S. Constitution - What do YOU know about it?

Here's another great PragerU 5-minute video. This one is on the U.S. Constitution.

What do you know about the Republic that is the United States? And about the risks that a Republic faces?

Princeton University's Professor Robert George provides a short course in our government. One of the key statements he makes is that the framers knew that their efforts would fail, unless "Citizens (were) embued with the spirit of Republicanism."

Are you willing to have our Republic fail, like those in Greece and Rome did? Look how long we have lasted. I, for one, am unwilling to accept a statement by others that "all governments fail."

Do you understand that the Federal Government has limited powers? And why?

Are you one of James Madison's "well-instructed people"? Are you well-educated about our constitutional liberties and responsibilities?

Are students in Richland 2 schools being "well-educated" in principles of our form of governmen?