New Richland 1 school board members promise to work together after a messy election

Following a messy school board election, Richland 1’s newly sworn in board members are promising to work together.

The four recently elected board members were sworn in before a Tuesday board meeting and each gave a brief speech afterward.

“It has been a tough election season to say the least,” said Richland 1 Board Chair Jamie Devine, who spoke first. “But its now time to put the rhetoric behind us and work together toward creating the best possible educational environment.”

Devine and Cheryl Harris were reelected to the board to represent sub-districts of Richland 1, while Angela Clyburn and Tamika Myers are newcomers who were elected to an at-large seat.

“We must be intentional in our decisions, thoughtful and considerate, while interacting with stakeholders and respectful of one another, as we work toward progress to benefit our students,” Clyburn said during her speech. “The students, teachers, staff parents and community of District One are depending on us to work together to increase parental and teacher support and improve recruitment and retention of our teachers, all while closing the achievement gap.”

“I can tell you I’m willing to do (anything) and everything to achieve our goal,” said new board member Tamika Myers. “Rome wasn’t built in a day. . . . I will work hard with my colleagues.

“Tamika Myers is all in, and I’m ready to work,” she said.

Harris, who was reelected to represent a district that includes Olympia and Lower Richland, thanked her voters, but also gave a nod to those who voted against her “beacuse it reminds me there is still work to do,” Harris said.

The change toward a positive tone is a departure from some of the political messiness that defined the school board election.

In one instance, a mailer that bore the name, logo, format and mailing address of the S.C. Democratic Party was sent out to Richland County voters endorsing candidates in the nonpartisan school board election. The state Democratic Party has denied sending the mailers, and said they have asked the U.S. Postal Service to investigate.

In another instance, a screenshot from a volunteer on outgoing board member Jonathan Milling’s campaign criticized the “corruption and filth that goes on in Richland 1 every single day” and called another board member “Monsters Inc.”

The screenshot drew backlash from other candidates and Milling fired the volunteer, he said previously.

Despite the promising words, sparks still flew at Tuesday’s school board meeting. Harris said at the meeting she was accused of a campaign ploy by issuing a resolution from the board thanking a church that has been feeding Lower Richland students for several years.

“The resolution is nothing but a thank-you card,” Harris said. “I’m not going to stop thanking people for helping us raise this village.”

Beatrice King responded that she agreed the church deserved a thank-you, but said Harris gave the resolution without a vote from the board.

“My name is on that document and I didn’t even know that it had been issued,” King said.

Richland 1’s attorney Susan Williams, when asked by Harris, clarified that less-formal resolutions such as thank-yous are not typically voted on.

This has “never been an issue,” Harris said. “But all of the sudden it turns out to be an issue.”

This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 9:02 PM.