JASPER COUNTY, S.C. () – A local school district is at risk of being taken over by the state just days before the school year is set to begin.
On Monday, the South Carolina State Superintendent declared a State of Education Emergency in Jasper County, indicating the state might dissolve the Jasper County School Board (JCSB) and assume control of operations.
State Superintendent Ellen Weaver made this announcement just weeks following a critical report issued by the South Carolina Inspector General’s Office regarding the Jasper County School District (JCSD).
Tuesday night, the Jasper County board called a special meeting.
“I just want to know what’s going on with the school board and our children. The future of our children is in their hands,” remarked board meeting attendee Yolanda Underwood.
At Tuesday’s meeting, board members disappeared quickly to go into executive session for over two hours and adjourned the meeting in under a minute.
The board was unwilling to publicly address the state’s censure, reportedly on the advice of their attorney.
In a letter to the JCSB Chairwoman, Superintendent Weaver expressed concerns over the district’s “financial disarray” and its failure to provide “timely audits – or any audits at all.”
“It’s our tax dollars. It should be handled. We trust these people we put into place to handle it the right way. I want to know, did everybody just go to sleep. What happened?” Underwood questioned.
The letter also criticized the JCSB for not addressing a “pattern of misconduct,” highlighting former Jasper County Schools Superintendent Rechel Anderson, Ph.D., who is currently under investigation for alleged fraudulent activities.
When asked what she’d like to see the JCSB do, Underwood said, “Anybody that had any part of misdoing or misusing of funds, anything like that, held accountable. It’s no more than right.”
The South Carolina State Board of Education will decide whether or not to approve Weaver’s declaration of a State of Education Emergency on Aug. 5.
After that vote, the Jasper County School Board will have ten days to appeal.
