COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Education Superintendent Ellen Weaver is calling for the state inspector general to look into the construction of the Vince Ford Early Learning Center in Richland School District One.
Weaver sent a letter to the inspector's office Monday requesting a look into the center, which had its groundbreaking ceremony last February.
Her decision comes after getting a letter from State Rep. Heather Bauer, a Richland County Democrat, questioning the permitting of the building. Back in December, the state education department told the district that the building could not be considered a public school building under state guidelines and wouldn't issue them a school building permit.
Bauer also wondered where the $31 million for the center would come from, saying that the source of the funding isn't clear, and questioned if it might be being taken from funds that were meant for other purposes.
Bauer believes the called investigation may reveal more problems.
"I think we're going to learn a lot about where the money is going and not going. I think this is just the beginning, though. I think that more is going to come from this, regarding the other issues seen last fall. So I think this is just the tip of the iceberg. Where there's smoke, there's fire. I said that last fall, and here we are today," Bauer explained.
In her letter calling for the inspector general to get involved, Weaver mentioned that construction on the center began without a school building permit, and continued even after the education department said in December that they could not issue a permit.
District One stopped construction on the project last Friday. Richland One Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon said that was to make sure they were complying with all regulations and adhering to the appropriate permits. Witherspoon also said he was going to ask the school board to change the age range of students at the center from birth to five years to 3-year-old to second grade.
Weaver, though, said those actions aren't enough to address the questions raised by the construction so far.
Cheryl McLaughlin, a neighbor living near the construction on Rawlinson Road, says the community discussion before the project began was not enough either.
"I think we'd like a full investigation and to have a fair hearing and see why this was done, and go from there. Of course, if it was done inappropriately, those people should not be in those positions representing us," McLaughlin said.
Richland One said Monday they are still trying to clarify issues regarding the zoning of the center and welcome the inspector general's inquiry.
"Richland One continues to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, as evidenced by 35 consecutive years of national and international awards for excellence in governmental accounting and financial reporting," the district said.