Lexington-Richland 5 sees shakeup, changes as interim superintendent makes his mark
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Lexington-Richland 5 superintendent resigns
Christina Melton, the S.C. superintendent of the year, abruptly stepped down from her leadership role, and a school board member resigned alongside her. How has the district responded and who will take her place? Read the latest.
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Within days of Lexington-Richland 5 hiring an outside consultant to study the efficiency of its current organizational structure, the district office is already making some personnel moves.
The district confirmed several administrative staffers had been reassigned in the past week, but declined to talk about specifics. Social media was alight with tales of high-profile administrators being moved to other positions in the school district.
The changes come just a couple weeks after Akil Ross was hired as the district’s new interim superintendent following the departure of superintendent Christina Melton. The shakeup also came the same week the school board approved a contract with consultant Angela Bain, a former Lexington-Richland 5 administrator who has worked as a superintendent elsewhere in the state. Bain will be tasked with “review(ing) the district’s organizational structure to increase efficiency.”
Board chair Jan Hammond said the final scope of Bain’s review would depend on Ross, who had asked for outside help in examining the district’s structure when he came onto the job July 1. Ross himself works as an education consultant after he previously spent time in the Lexington-Richland 5 district office and, before that, won the National Principal of the Year award at Chapin High School.
“That’s not unusual when a new person comes in,” Hammond said of the consulting contract, “especially when (Ross has) been a principal before, but he’s never been a superintendent.”
“Dr. Bain is someone familiar with our culture, since she used to work here,” Hammond said.
Ross told The State he will use Bain primarily for her expertise in finance and human resources, especially as it’s now his responsibility to begin planning for next school year’s budget and to set a schedule for its approval by the school board. But he also confirmed he’s already begun making personnel changes before he’s even consulted with Bain, currently serving as interim superintendent in the Clarendon 4 school district.
“I know change is scary, but I want to look at what my options are with where our resources in a $201 million budget go,” with an emphasis on pushing resources and personnel down to the classroom level. “Nothing’s more disappointing than asking someone, ‘what do you need?’, and when they say, ‘I need this or that,’ I can’t give it to them.”
Ross talked about parents he works with in his HeartEd Youth Zone after-school charity in Irmo, who he knows will struggle to pay for their own school supplies when their kids head back to class.
“Are they going to have the resources they need on day one?” Ross asked. “If I’m going to fail that mom, I at least want to know why and see the math.”
Hammond said she’s deliberately avoided discussing personnel decisions with Ross, but said, “he may have wanted (Bain) to look at certain positions, and others we may know where he wants to change people around.”
She said she’s heard criticisms that “we’re growing the district office exponentially, but where do we need teachers and assistant principals?”
One job that came open last week is the district’s director of communications, formerly held by Katrina Goggins, who worked closely with Melton during her time as superintendent. An online job listing for the post says that in addition to communications experience and a degree in education, English, journalism or public relations, the district would prefer someone with a juris doctorate, or law degree.
Ross said the job requires handling a large number of Freedom of Information Act requests, which often requires staff to redact private information before documents are released. He said the district often uses an attorney to review FOI requests, but that having a communications director with knowledge of the law will smooth the process. Ross declined to confirm any other district office positions that have been reassigned.
Hammond also hopes Ross will focus on accusations of bullying and disciplinary issues parents have raised at recent board meetings. She said she knows Ross has already met with some of the parents and students who spoke out.
Bain will work with the district part time as she continues to work in Clarendon, Ross said. The contract approved by the board (which The State has requested) allows for up to $10,000 of hourly work by Bain, but Ross said the amount of work for her will be driven by need, and he “may not use half of that.”
“I’m going to call on a lot of superintendents, frankly,” Ross said. “But if I’m going to ask someone to create documents and calendars, I need to value their time off.”
Bain has worked as a consultant for years even as she’s worked in local school districts and the state education department. During her time as the Chester County superintendent, she even ended up in a 2018 lawsuit with the school board chairwoman and the board attorney over her ability to continue consulting work. Bain accused the pair of defamation for being “falsely accused of willfully defrauding the Chester County school district by accepting compensation from outside sources.”
Ross is conscious that any moves he makes will be scrutinized after the controversial exit of Melton, a former state superintendent of the year, and the criticism that surrounded it. Melton resigned at the June 14 school board meeting following friction with board members over the school’s reopening policy, and accusations that members forced her out of the job. But he hopes to be a calming presence who can put the needs of Lexington-Richland 5’s students first.
“I’m worried about our community,” Ross said. “We post our best, and we click on the worst of others. But I’m trying to heal this community.”
This story was originally published July 19, 2021 at 12:02 PM.
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