What do people think of Richland 2? Survey says they like the teachers, but not the board

A recent survey about the Richland School District 2 found that many community members like the district’s teachers. But opinions on the school board were less rosy.

After more than a year of school board conflict that ended in the resignation of long-time superintendent Baron Davis, many seek to warn the district’s next leader, who is set to be selected within the month, of potential troubles.

McPherson & Jacobson LLC, the superintendent search firm hired by the district in May, held three sessions to hear what community stakeholders want in their next superintendent and sent out a survey. With input from nearly 400 parents, teachers, administrators and more, the firm found that the behavior of the school board was a recurring theme.

The firm asked “What issues should the superintendent be aware of as he/she comes into the district?” Of the thirteen top concerns the firm listed, school board issues accounted for nearly a third:

▪ Conflict and dysfunction of the school board

▪ Board needs to govern and not try to manage district

▪ People are leaving district, based on behavior of board

▪ Lack of trust in the board

“The school board has been divided and downright combative for the past few years. There are current members who should be removed by the governor for their behavior, which is embarrasing (sic) for the community,” one respondent said. “The board, however, is not reflective of our community.”

The Richland 2 board has been the center of so much drama and negative attention in recent years that it drew scrutiny from the governor’s office. After complaints he received from parents, Gov. Henry McMaster asked the state inspector general to investigate the district last summer.

Along with the infighting and petty disagreements that plagued the board, the state’s findings highlighted the fact that over the previous four years, only 14% of the board’s meeting agenda items related to academics. The report also pointed out financial red flags and violations of freedom of information law.

Investigators said that communication among board members was “dysfunctional or non-existent,” and noted that each board member had contributed to that finding. The report also noted the crumbling relationship between the board and the superintendent.

Despite the public’s continued apprehension after a tumultuous few years, board chair Lindsay Agostini remains optimistic about the future. The most recent school board election in November filled the majority of its seats with newcomers.

“There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm for change,” Agostini told The State. “As board members are still learning their roles, we are working together to narrow down priorities and move forward together.”

Cracks in the previous school board began to show in the fall of 2021 when then-chair Teresa Holmes denied a motion to delay voting on an amendment to the superintendent’s contract. Board members Monica Scott, Lashonda McFadden and Agostini walked out of the meeting and left the board at an impasse and without a quorum.

Holmes and Scott got into a shouting match at another meeting that fall.

In January 2022, police were called to a board meeting when members of the public got into a disagreement with Davis’ wife, a district teacher, and Davis intervened. Two people were escorted from the building and banned from future meetings.

A month later, Davis asked to limit his contact with McFadden after he said she “screamed” at him about a student bringing a loaded firearm to a district high school the day prior, according to an email obtained by The State.

Then McFadden was arrested and charged with threatening the life of a public employee in May 2022 after a heated, vulgarity-laced exchange with Holmes during a closed-door meeting. The charges were changed to public disorderly conduct in August and eventually dismissed after McFadden signed an order for conditional discharge that put her under court supervision for 90 days, according to court documents. It was this incident that ultimately prompted McMaster’s request for a state probe.

Just before Davis resigned in January, the district’s former chief finance officer, Shelley Allen, also decided to step down from her position because of board politics and an environment that she described as being “filled with chaos and dysfunction.”

But Richland 2 isn’t without its advantages, community stakeholders say.

They praised Richland 2 teachers for being “talented and hard-working,” as well as the district’s variety of classes, community partnerships and focus on technology. They liked the magnet school programs, though some called them “inequitable.”

“Richland 2 has a history of being a very good to excellent school district. Regaining this level quality education is a major goal,” one survey respondent said.

“Our schools are filled with faculty and staff who are dedicated to the success of all students and adults,” said another. “We need a leader who shares the same vision and is willing to put in the hours and hard work that equals our tenacity.”