Despite friction with school board, LR5 superintendent received high marks, docs show

As of Thursday, Christina Melton is no longer the superintendent of Lexington-Richland 5.

But newly released documents show that while she was a principal, administrator and finally a superintendent for Lexington-Richland 5, Melton consistently received nearly flawless annual reviews.

As recently as October 2020 — weeks before a new group of school board members were elected and sworn in — Melton received an “outstanding evaluation for the 2019-2020 school year,” according to her annual review, which was signed by former board chair Michael Cates.

“You have demonstrated that the district’s top priority remains the safety and security of our students, staff and schools,” the letter said, which praised her response to the early stages of COVID-19. “Your care and compassion for all students is evident in the decisions you make.”

The letter also praised her for taking care of students’ mental health, retaining teachers and communicating with parents. Among areas that needed growth, Melton’s 2020 review called for her to improve the district’s technology, improve internal communication, and improve the effectiveness of online learning.

The positive 2020 annual review was just one of many the former S.C. Superintendent of the Year earned while working at Lexington-Richland 5.

But despite the consistent, glowing reviews, Melton abruptly resigned in mid-June, with the district paying her $226,368 in severance. Outgoing school board member Ed White, who announced his resignation in protest of Melton’s resignation, said several board members were “abusive” and “hostile” to the superintendent.

Board Chair Jan Hammond disputed White’s assertion, saying Melton’s decision to leave was her own.

Emails released after Melton’s resignation show tension between her and the school board, with one board member threatening to censure the superintendent for contradicting a board decision on requiring face masks in schools.

Even before Melton became superintendent in 2018, she had already been receiving high marks from her bosses for stepping up in difficult situations, documents show.

A 2015 review, signed by then-superintendent Stephen Hefner when Melton was serving as a district administrator, twice used the word “heroic” to describe Melton’s work for the district, citing an example when Melton stepped in to help after the “untimely departure” of the district’s top human resources official, according to the letter.

“Clearly, you and your team are doing heroic work to ensure that the district’s long-standing record of academic excellence is maintained and strengthened,” Hefner wrote.

This story was originally published July 1, 2021 at 3:51 PM.