Westwood H.S. - how bad are things there?

Richland 2's Westwood High School is located at in Blythewood. Its 2020-2021 Annual Student Improvement Council Parent Report (on its website) indicates an enrollment of 1,490 students.

The Principal is Robert Jackson. There are two Assistant Principals - Vanessa Rhoden and Bruce Davis. Three Assistant Administrators are listed on the school's website.

Westwood H.S. is located at 180 Turkey Farm Road in Blythewood. That's just west of Hwy. 21 (Wilson Blvd.) and just south of the interchange with I-77.

With that introduction, what's going on at Westwood?

What is the current level of violence on a daily basis at Westwood? Is it so bad that teachers must give up their 4th Period classes in order to escort students to lunch?

What was in the email to all teachers yesterday from Asst. Principal Rhoden?

What is required of students to pick up their bag lunches? 

Are all seniors required to stay on campus at lunch times?

One message to me indicated "prison-like" conditions. Seriously?

Should every student be punished because of the actions of a few (or, perhaps, not so few)?

Must teachers wait with their students in their classrooms until an administrator releases them to go to the cafeteria? Must they submit rosters of their students to the cafeteria staff? Must they escort their students to and from the cafeteria?

If you are a teacher, staffer or student (or parent of a student), let me know what is going on? You can safely (confidentially) contact me at gusphilpott@gmail.com  Your name and any identifiable information will never be revealed.

Why Did Richland 2 hire Chris Leevy Johnson?

Why did Richland 2 hire Chris Leevy Johnson as a sports coach at Ridge View High School?

He's a preacher at Brookland Baptist Church Northeast, on Summit Parkway near Hard Scrabble Road. Isn't that a full-time job? Oh, and preacher at the church Baron attends, so I hear.

Was he one of Baron's "100 Premier Men of Color" hires?

Was he the best candidate? Even the best black candidate?

Did he get a hiring bonus?

Will he keep his preaching and "Chaplain" duties entirely off-campus?

Will he be recruiting for his church? I think that's called proselytizing.

Chris criticized a campaign ad for four candidates (Smalls, Nash, Moody, Trapp) that used the Richland 2 flame. Libby Roof jumped all over that use of a Richland 2 "Service Mark".

I haven't seen any complaints from Chris about his good friend's use of this ad:

What's false in Teresa's ad? Claiming to be School Board Chair. Her term as Chair ended on June 30, 2022, before she ever filed for re-election.

On Facebook Chris throws around terms like neo-conservatives and "MAGA-MAFIA". He doesn't even know the difference between "lose" and "loose". And then he spews "the truth will set you free."

Holmes owes R2 $2,529.27. Maybe more

Current trustee-elect Teresa Holmes, who has never taken the oath of office legally for the current 2018-2022 term, and candidate for election on November 8 owes Richland School District Two $2,529.27.

This is the amount paid for, or reimbursed to, her in excess of her $7,000 annual allowance for training and travel for the School Year 2021-2022. 

Who approved payment of the excess? Supt. Baron Davis.

Why would he, the superintendent, authorize a payment in excess of an approved allowance?

Somebody, way down in the Accounts Payable section, must have flagged Holmes' over-spending. Holmes had exhausted her training allowance on March 25, 2021; then she was already over her allowance by $99.43.

Yet the superintendent approved another $1,504.12 and $925.72. And after that Holmes may have gone to Myrtle Beach "on business".

It was wrong of Holmes to submit requests for reimbursements in excess of the $7,000 allowance, and it was wrong of Davis to approve them!

Will the District make a claim on Holmes for repayment? If she doesn't pay, will it attempt to collect the $2,529.27? Will she pay it?

Weapons in the board room?

Do NOT get in Teresa Holmes' way!

Have you noticed the size and weight of all those rings on her fingers? Can you imagine the damage they would do, if they connected with your chin or cheek? And that heavy watch she wears? One slap with that, and you'd be down for the count.

Why does Richland 2 Security allow those on school property?

Will McKie settle her Ethics Commission debt?

Amelia McKie's term-of-office as a school board member ends on about November 17, 2022.

During her last two months she is enjoying spending District money to attend conferences in Atlanta and Miami. These two are likely to cost the District about $5,000 and will leave her successor only a small amount remaining of the annual $7,000 travel and training allowance.

McKie owes $57,100 to the S.C. Ethics Commission. Will she pay off this debt before leaving office?

On July 10, 2019 the S.C. Ethics Commission filed a judgment against her for $51,700 in unpaid ethics fines. There appears to have been no collection activity.

Ms. McKie's debt to the Ethics Commission is now $57,100, and she has a hearing scheduled for October 20, 2022 on the latest violation.

The S.C. Department of Revenue appears to be taking no action against her. It could have garnished her wages from Richland 2, attached her banking assets, gone after her other income, and attempted to collect against any other assets she has.

At the school board meeting on September 13th, she stated that she will do her job "diligently" until her term ends.

Does that include paying her debt?

There is one right way

There is one right way to do things. And then there are all the other ways.

There is not "my" right way or "your" right way. There is A right way. There is not "my" truth or "your" truth. There is The Truth.

So why does the Richland 2 school board have such a hard time doing things the "right" way?

One reason is lack of training. 

The trustees were not trained in how to spend their $7,000 annual allowances for training and travel. That's why several of them blew right past their limits.

Another reason is inattention. And another is irresponsibility. How about entitlement? Privilege? And lack of intention to comply with the limit and stop spending when they were out of money.

After all, it's not their money. It's someone else's money. It's the public's money. So what?

And then there is training how to make motions correctly during board meetings. Two weeks ago the motion should have been, "I move to award a "Meets Expectations" evaluation to the superintendent and to add one year to his employment contract." That's all Holmes had to say. 

Instead, she overwhelmed the recording secretary. No wonder the motion was prepared incorrectly. And then four trustees failed to read and understand the motion, so they voted "Yes" to conclude the superintendent's contract.

But the trustees have not been trained in Parliamentary procedures.

Election Day is 43 days away. Early voting begins even sooner. Your vote in this Election can end the chaos and antics of recent years.

Holmes blows travel allowance by 36%

Teresa Holmes didn't just over-spend her 2021-2022 travel allowance by a few dollars. She went sailing past $7,000 by $2529.27.

On August 11, 2022 I filed a FOIA request with Richland 2 for her final two expense reimbursement requests for the School Year, along with the signatures and names of the Richland 2 folks who approved her over-spending. The District finally responded on September 22.

Teresa seems to enjoy living high on the hog, when it comes to spending public monies.

In addition to the conference fee of $600 for the National School Boards Association conference in San Diego, she roughed it in a $285.00 (plus taxes) room for four nights at the Hard Rock San Diego. 

The conference was over on Monday, April 4, at Noon. Why didn't she fly back on Monday? If she stayed Monday night (for pleasure), why did the District pay for that???

She also blew $587.30 on a car rental. Why would she need a car? It's a business meeting! Was ride-share or car-sharing beneath her lofty position as Board Chair?

She paid $140.00 in baggage fees. And $248.00 in meals.

AND she paid $55.00/night for Overnight Valet Parking. For April 2 $110.00 (two (2) $55.00 overnight valet parking fees); April 3 $55.00; April 4 $55.00 overnight valet parking. Total $220.00 for Overnight Valet Parking.

Why did she pay TWO overnight valet parking fees on April 2? (Maybe one of them was for the day of arrival, April 1. Maybe.)

So the car in San Diego cost Richland 2 $797.30 ($587.30 + $210.00) for five days!!! What kind of car did she rent for those five days?

Add her airline ticket of $976.19. Did she fly First Class?

So, it cost the District $4006.03 for that junket. What did she learn? 

Based on her behavior during the months of April, May and June (the balance of the School Year), did she learn anything? Did the District get any benefit?

Who gave the ultimate approval for her bills? Supt. Baron Davis.

Was that good stewardship of public monies??? $4,006.03 !!!