COLUMBIA, S.C. — The State Department of Education said Richland One's financial recovery plan is not good enough and it has now ordered an independent audit.
For several months Richland One has been placed on "fiscal caution," which followed a report from the State Inspector General back in July of this year pinpointing concerns about the district's efforts to build an early learning center in Lower Richland.
Back on October 11, Richland One sent its final fiscal recovery plan to the State Department of Education, covering topics of liability with pending lawsuits, financial requirements for future operations of the learning center, the decline in state aid funding and maintenance for existing Richland One buildings.
But the SC Department of Education deemed this plan "deficient or incomplete."
For example, the State Department said Richland One didn't address how it intends to implement controls to ensure funds wont be mismanaged in the future, and that the district did not indicate that estimated recurring costs for the early learning center have been evaluated.
Locals who live behind the unfinished early learning center are still upset about how things were handled.
"Going forward I would just like them to be more aware of the community and what they're doing to better it and to make sure they have proper permits and build according to zoning laws and have proper drainage plan before they built so close to a neighborhood," said Meaghan Ilimaleota, a woman who lives behind the early learning center.
These locals said they wish they knew about what was happening before construction started.
"I don't see why they didn't want to have a meeting and discuss what they were doing right on top of us. They could easily put that together. We could have sat down in one place, heard what they was planning on doing the whole process, asked questions, but no, they didn't do any of that," Tony Chavis, president of the HOA said.
Richland School District One sent News 19 this statement saying, "We are in receipt of the letter dated October 31, 2024 from the South Carolina Department of Education. The Richland One board of school commissioners will review the letter at an upcoming meeting."
In yesterday's letter to Richland One, the State Department of Education said they will not elevate this to a state of fiscal emergency because it is hopeful that the audit will foster improvements.