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.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
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.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
State of the District Meeting
Do you know about this public meeting?
Register for this free event on www.EventBrite.com. Search for "Richland 2". Registrations are accepted through November 13, even though the notice says November 7.
Just a few questions for Richland 2:
Why is this held on a Thursday morning, when most parents will be working or at home with kids? Sure, it's convenient for staff, but ...
Why isn't this event given prominent display on the District's website? Shouldn't it be on the homepage or at least listed in the events when you scroll to the bottom of the homepage? Or on the District's Calendar?
Will any members of the school board attend? They will have to be careful of the "rules" in order to avoid the breakfast becoming a "public meeting", subject to posting and Open Meeting rules under South Carolina FOIA rules. As of this morning, it is not listed an an upcoming public meeting.
Is the "Columbia Chamber" the Columbia Chamber of Commerce? This event is not listed on the Chamber of Commerce website, although a Small Business Northeast Connection Roundtable is scheduled on the Chamber's website at R2i2 on November 19.
Does Richland 2 consult with the public?
Title 59 Education, Chapter 19 School Trustees, Article 1 School Trustees requires school trustees (Richland 2's Board of Trustees is supposed to contain seven legally-seated trustees) to consult with the public.
According to the South Carolina Code of Laws, it's not optional; it's mandatory. The operative word in the Section is "shall".
The Section reads, in part,
SECTION 59-19-90. General powers and duties of school trustees.
The board of trustees shall also:
(4) Call meetings of electors for consultation. Call meetings of the qualified electors of the district for consultation in regard to the school interests thereof, at which meetings the chairman or other member of the board shall preside, if present;
The board of trustees shall call meetings ... for consultation.
Unfortunately, the legislators were sloppy in crafting this Section. There is no reference to frequency of such meetings. Or maybe they weren't sloppy' maybe they were just crafty. Did they realize they left the teeth of that Section? Of course, they did. Everything they do is carefully constructed to include, or exclude, certain words, meanings, requirements, directions.
When was the last meeting? When is the next meeting? Does the board actually "consult" with electors (voters)? Or does it do all of the talking and none of the listening?
Look at the wiggle room in the statute. There is room for none of the school trustees to attend. Amazing! who is to preside? "the chairman or other member of the board shall preside, if present." So who presides if no one from the board shows up? And how can the board consult with the public, if none of the board shows up???
According to the South Carolina Code of Laws, it's not optional; it's mandatory. The operative word in the Section is "shall".
The Section reads, in part,
SECTION 59-19-90. General powers and duties of school trustees.
The board of trustees shall also:
(4) Call meetings of electors for consultation. Call meetings of the qualified electors of the district for consultation in regard to the school interests thereof, at which meetings the chairman or other member of the board shall preside, if present;
The board of trustees shall call meetings ... for consultation.
Unfortunately, the legislators were sloppy in crafting this Section. There is no reference to frequency of such meetings. Or maybe they weren't sloppy' maybe they were just crafty. Did they realize they left the teeth of that Section? Of course, they did. Everything they do is carefully constructed to include, or exclude, certain words, meanings, requirements, directions.
When was the last meeting? When is the next meeting? Does the board actually "consult" with electors (voters)? Or does it do all of the talking and none of the listening?
Look at the wiggle room in the statute. There is room for none of the school trustees to attend. Amazing! who is to preside? "the chairman or other member of the board shall preside, if present." So who presides if no one from the board shows up? And how can the board consult with the public, if none of the board shows up???
What happened one year ago? 11/9/2018
On November 6, 2018 Amelia McKie was re-elected to the Richland 2 School Board, and Teresa Homes was elected to the School Board.
What happened on November 9, 2018?
On November 9 the Richland County Elections Commission certified the November 6th School Board election.
What did this mean?
This meant that McKie and Holmes were "qualified" to serve on the School Board. But only "qualified". Not yet "eligible" to serve.
How were they to become "eligible"?
To become eligible, they would have to file Statements of Economic Interests with the South Carolina Ethics Commission. After doing so, they would then be "eligible" to take the oath of office.
BUT they did it backwards. They took the oath of office on November 13, and they didn't file their Statements of Economic Interests until December 4, 2018.
This meant that the oath of office, taken on November 13, had and has no legal force or effect. In other words, they did not become legal members of the School Board when they took the oath of office.
And because they have not taken the oath of office since December 4, 2018, they have NEVER become legal members of the Board.
What does that mean? Come back here on November 13, 2019.
What happened on November 9, 2018?
On November 9 the Richland County Elections Commission certified the November 6th School Board election.
What did this mean?
This meant that McKie and Holmes were "qualified" to serve on the School Board. But only "qualified". Not yet "eligible" to serve.
How were they to become "eligible"?
To become eligible, they would have to file Statements of Economic Interests with the South Carolina Ethics Commission. After doing so, they would then be "eligible" to take the oath of office.
BUT they did it backwards. They took the oath of office on November 13, and they didn't file their Statements of Economic Interests until December 4, 2018.
This meant that the oath of office, taken on November 13, had and has no legal force or effect. In other words, they did not become legal members of the School Board when they took the oath of office.
And because they have not taken the oath of office since December 4, 2018, they have NEVER become legal members of the Board.
What does that mean? Come back here on November 13, 2019.
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