MANNING, S.C. — The State Inspector General's investigation into the Clarendon County School District found several state code violations but no fraud or misuse of funds.
The State Inspector General's six-month investigation revealed issues with over-compensated board members, chronic student absenteeism, enrollment problems and a lack of internal controls over athletic payments. The report also cleared the district of a complaint regarding the purchasing of gift cards using Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds.
The report found Superintendent Shawn Johnson is the 19th highest-paid superintendent in South Carolina despite the district having the 41st largest student enrollment, according to the 135-day Average Daily Membership.
Despite the disparity, the Inspector General found Johnson’s contract and salary is reasonable.
The Inspector General's report identified that certain board members were compensated for meetings they didn't attend. All but two of the members have reimbursed the district.
Ron Wingard and Alex Craven still owe the district money. Wingard owes the district $1,650 for four missed meetings, while Craven owes the district $600 for two meetings.
Inspector General Brian Lamkin identified deficiencies in the district's internal controls concerning the expenditure of athletic supplements, totaling $742,500, which posed a risk of fraud.
Additionally, $33,500 was not used for its intended purpose. The district made an underpayment of $2,312.50 to two recipients and an overpayment of $6,110.50 to six recipients.
To address these issues, the report recommends a collection plan for outstanding board member debt, auditing coaching certifications, and implementing a board-approved truancy prevention and intervention plan policy, among other recommendations.
The Clarendon County School District has already started implementing the report's recommendations, including closing inactive bank accounts, according to Superintendent Shawn Johnson.
“Overall, this investigation started because of alleged financial irregularities. The report clearly says that’s just not true,” said Johnson. “I hope we can get back to the business of educating children and informing the public of what really happens in school finances.”
Freshman Clarendon County Representative Fawn Pedalino sparked the investigation by providing information to Governor Henry McMaster, alleging potential financial irregularities within the district.
“Even though the report says no fraud or misappropriation of funds, it definitely clearly says in black and white that they violated several laws and they have to pay that money back or fix the issues that they were doing. And I think that, you know, it was exactly what we thought it would be,” said Pedalino.
Pedalino is now calling for the entire board and the superintendent to resign. Democratic Senator Kevin Johnson, who also represents Clarendon County, disagrees with her.
“She owes this district and this community an apology, and I’m not calling for anyone's resignation, but if anyone should resign, it should be her,” said Johnson. “The point is no fraud, no financial irregularities, no misuse of funds. That’s the main thing. That conclusion could have been met without bothering the governor.”
Members of the school board were appointed by state lawmakers that represent Clarendon County, when Clarendon County school districts consolidated into one. Every board member is up for reelection in 2024.
“So, I think if they're reelected, that means that the people spoke and they wanted to keep them in that position. And I would hope that the goal would be just to be leaders that want to do the honest and ethical thing and, you know, be qualified leaders for the staff that work at the school,” Pedalino said.
Gov. McMaster’s spokesperson provided this statement to News 19:
“The governor appreciates the willingness of the Clarendon County School District and its board of trustees to implement the recommendations of the State Inspector General's report. Reducing the district's chronic absenteeism rate will improve students' educational outcomes. If students are not at school, then learning cannot occur."
The investigation into the Clarendon County School District is the third public school district to be reviewed by the State Inspector General's office since June 2022. The other two districts reviewed were Richland School District Two and Lexington-Richland Five. There are no other active school district investigations by the Inspector General's office at this time.