Should the state investigate Richland 1 after teacher transfers? SC lawmakers disagree

Four Richland County legislators asked Gov. Henry McMaster to order a state investigation of potential mismanagement in Richland District 1 following the controversial transfer of about 11 teachers to new schools.

State Reps. Beth Bernstein, Heather Bauer and Seth Rose, along with state Sen. Dick Harpootlian, all Democrats, called for an Inspector General’s investigation of the district during a news conference at the State House. But some other Richland County lawmakers say an audit is not needed, and questioned the furor over the teacher reassignments.

Harpootlian said he’s “been watching this school district’s mismanagement for the better part of a decade. ... It’s a dumpster fire.”

The four lawmakers called the recent teacher reassignments the “final straw,” and pointed to additional issues like the district’s high teacher turnover, lack of transparency, poor state report cards and potential misappropriation of funds.

“We have a problem with trust and confidence in Richland District 1, whether it’s real or perceived,” Bernstein said. “It’s time to lift up the hood ... and let the results then speak for itself.”

But two other Richland County legislators — state Sens. Mia McLeod, an independent, and Democrat Darrell Jackson — said the district’s actions don’t merit an investigation. Jackson said he was disappointed in his colleagues for requesting one.

Many of the parents unhappy with the teacher assignments have children who attend Satchel Ford and Brennen elementary schools, whose student populations are predominantly white. Each of those schools lost two teachers in the transfers.

“Where is the concern for Burton-Pack Elementary School?” Jackson said. “This isn’t about malfeasance, this isn’t about mismanagement of public funds, this is about micro-managing a process where certain teachers do not want to teach in certain areas.”

The student body at Burton-Pack Elementary was 89% Black during the last school year, according to the state Department of Education.

Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, agreed with Jackson.

“Richland 1 has had to move teachers before, from Black schools to white schools, and have not had the same reaction,” Rutherford said.

Rutherford said that an investigation into Richland 1 would be a waste of time, resources and personnel, and that asking for one was “improper.” Grievances, Rutherford said, should be directed at the school board and school administration.

“I think some members should run for school board if they want to dictate how the school board runs,” Rutherford said. “If they think the best use of taxpayer money is to respond to an audit and an investigation because 11 teachers were moved, I think they have no idea how much it would cost the district to respond. ... I’m not defending the district, I’m defending the taxpayer.”

The governor likely won’t request an investigation.

“The governor shares the same concerns over teacher reassignments at Richland One and their almost certain negative impact on teacher recruitment and retention in the district,” Brandon Charochak, a spokesman for the governor, said in a statement. “However, at this time, the governor does not believe that the statutory threshold required for him to direct an investigation by the State Inspector General has been met.”

Richland 1 pushed back against the lawmakers’ accusations.

“Statements and allegations that have been made that the teacher reassignments point to a larger issue of mismanagement and misappropriation of funds by the district are simply unfounded,” said Karen York, a spokeswoman for Richland 1. “We strive to be fiscally responsible and operate in the most effective and efficient manner possible and be good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars.”

The news conference followed an uproar by some Richland 1 parents about the teacher transfers.

Richland 1 told the teachers about the transfers on Oct. 18., just before fall break, and many were expected to be in their new classrooms the following Monday morning. The transfers were made because of student-teacher ratios in some district schools, and officials said that the decision followed the 45th day of the new school year, when the district had a “clearer picture” of student enrollment.

Richland 1 approximated that 11 teachers were removed from seven elementary schools and placed in other district campuses. The district transferred seven teachers in 2022, and 10 in 2021.

“Given the utter lack of notice the teachers were provided, the lack of notice principals were provided on either end of this reassignment spectrum, and the way that teachers were spoken to ... if we ignore that now we will lose more teachers,” said board member Robert Lominack at a meeting last week.

The district, which serves 22,000 students in the Columbia area, has some of the highest teacher vacancies in the state. As of Tuesday, 142 teaching positions were unfilled.

The turbulence caught the attention of local and state politicians alike.

Last week, state Superintendent Ellen Weaver submitted an op-ed to The State, criticizing the district for its handling of the teacher transfers.

“The seemingly sudden shift of several teachers between schools has raised hard questions in our community about the district’s personnel practices, communication, and leadership,” Weaver wrote. “When poorly communicated decisions disrupt this ecosystem, trust is broken and ultimately, it is students who suffer.”

Weaver noted that she and Gov. Henry McMaster can ask for a state inspector general’s investigation of the district if they are presented evidence of “potential malfeasance.” She also said the state department can take over the district or individual schools for academic under-performance.

Richland 1 was placed on fiscal watch status by the S.C. Department of Education in December 2022 following an audit of the district’s spending last year. The state flagged nearly 90 issues, including the district’s excessive use of procurement cards, or “p-cards.” The board voted to appeal the status, but lost that appeal.

In October, the district was sued twice for being “grossly negligent” in separate incidents of students being harmed at district schools.