COLUMBIA, S.C. — Richland One district board held a meeting Tuesday and talked about everything from personnel to district programs, but not the elephant in the room: the Vince Ford Early Learning Center.
Tuesday night’s Richland One meeting started with a statement from the district after they received a copy of a lawsuit filed against them last week by a parent regarding the Freedom of Information Act.
The lawsuit claims that the board held a vote after returning without any public discussion. The suit argues that this action goes against the State's FOIA laws.
The other big topic was the Vince Ford Early Learning Center, now a construction site that has been untouched since January 18, and during the last district meeting board members mentioned that every day construction is halted, it’s costing them.
Dr. Craig Witherspoon confirmed that the district is losing roughly $2,200 per day while the construction site sits idle.
Parents in the district went before the board during public comment to point out cleanliness issues they have noticed at schools in the district as.
Those who spoke questioned why the district is using resources to build a new building rather than taking care of what they have.
The district had their Building Services Director, Melvin Henry address some of these concerns.
The district’s next board meeting will be on February 27, at 7 p.m. at Heyward Gibbs Middle School.