COLUMBIA, S.C. — On Monday June 6, the new Clarendon County school board passed its draft budget for the upcoming school year. School officials told News19 that the process was by the book, but one community member is raising concerns.
“I’m hoping the new appointed board serves well, but this is starting off on a bad foot,” George Frierson told News19. Frierson was chair of Clarendon School District Three until it was consolidated into District Four last year.
Starting July 1, Clarendon Two and Four will become one district for the entire county. Frierson, who is no longer on any of Clarendon County's school boards, is unhappy with how the new members handled the district’s budget.
“I just have a problem when people are doing things without transparency first, and maybe ignorantly second. If you don’t know something, ask somebody,” asserted Frierson.
He claimed that the appointed board did not have a required public input period before finalizing the district spending plan Monday night. The meeting agenda states the board was finalizing the budget. However, unlike other line items, the budget did not have "public input" written next to it. The agenda is also not posted on the district's website as of June 10, but it is posted on Manning Live's website.
Vice-chair of the Clarendon County School Board, Arthur Moyd, explained to News19 that at the meeting, "when we got to line item I, which concerned the budget, it did not say 'public input.' However, the finance director said ‘are there any questions?’”
Moyd served on Clarendon Two’s board and is now vice-chair of the new one. He said no one at the meeting stood up to ask questions when prompted. “I think it was just a misunderstanding," said Moyd. "We’ve had budget hearings for 11 years since I've been on the board. Anyone that had a question on the budget had an opportunity to ask a question on the budget.”
However, Frierson wishes the community was better informed beforehand. “As a former school board chairman, I made sure the public was aware of anything we were doing because we serve at the pleasure of the voters,” said Frierson.
Moyd explained that the finalized budget passed Monday is actually a draft because the school district will have to go back to the drawing board once the South Carolina legislature finishes the state budget. He added that the reason they finalized a budget when they know they have to redo it, was so they could present their plan to the Clarendon County Council.
Once Clarendon Two and Four consolidate into one district in July and the state budget is passed, Moyd thinks the district will get much more money. The current draft budget accounts for $47 million and Moyd said the board's main focus is to improve all school buildings in the county and eventually build a district office.
The vice-chairman apologized for any confusion and urged the community to come to the July 11 board meeting to ask questions about the budget. The June 6 meeting was held in Summerton, but the district's website has not posted where the next meeting will be yet.