‘Only a coward’ argument heats up Richland 2 discussion about district layoffs
Richland School District 2 is cutting jobs.
School board members for the Columbia-area district moved to approve the district’s outlined recommendations for position eliminations at a meeting Tuesday night. The motion passed with a 6-1 vote, with board member Monica Elkins-Scott as the only dissenting voice.
Before the vote, however, several board members got into an argument.
“I know that the district has probably tried to do all that they can do. However, as a board member, I do believe that more could have been done. We’re talking about eliminating jobs. That’s taking people away from a possible income that they could’ve had,” Elkins-Scott said.
Elkins-Scott said she was “baffled” by how school board members were “okay” with the cuts, and said she believed the district could have put more effort into the process of cutting jobs.
“I don’t think we went about it the correct way. I don’t think we had enough conversations about it,” Elkins-Scott said. “I think we are taking a knee-jerk position.”
Board vice chair Tamika Washington interrupted to raise a point of order to move on.
“Only a coward would call a point of order when someone is trying to share,” Elkins-Scott said.
Board Chair Angela Nash tried to explain the point of order, followed by several minutes of board members talking over one another.
“I want to thank those on our staff who have had to make the difficult decisions and delivered difficult news,” school board member Niki Porter said. “I think what this is is emotion, because it does affect people, and I don’t think anything has been taken lightly.”
Nash explained that the district began discussing eliminations “over a year ago” to be proactive to “do as much as we can to save as much as we can.”
“We’ve sat here collectively and worked through this and it is not easy for anybody,” Nash said.
The State has reached out to Nash and Elkins-Scott to further discuss the district’s job cuts.
Though Richland 2 has not publicly shared information about layoffs, nor the extent of impending cuts — The State has asked for that information — it has been a topic amongst staff and community members for several months.
At a March 14 town hall, Superintendent Kim Moore was asked the following question: “We know that population is steadily growing, and especially here due to the Scout Plant. So, what is the plan for schools if enrollment does not drop? Why reduce staff now with intended growth on the horizon?”
“We cannot plan for future growth in the sense of retaining staff based on what we think will happen,” Moore told a group gathered in the Blythewood High School auditorium.
Richland 2 is the largest school district in the Midlands with more than 28,300 students, according to the latest enrollment data provided by the South Carolina Department of Education. The district has grown by some 1,000 students in the last decade. Such growth spurred attendance lines adjustments, as well as the nearly $16 million purchase of a property on Spears Creek Church Road to accommodate district services.
But Moore said area growth does not necessarily mean school-age children, and that there is “no guarantee” families would send their children to Richland 2. While the district tracks growth, works with a demographer and stays abreast of developments out of county council, Moore said, Richland 2 can’t base staffing decisions on that information.
“We do make adjustments to our staffing guidelines based upon the needs that we see in our schools,” Moore said.
The district relies on student enrollment for state funding, which accounts for more than 60% of the budget. But despite growth, a massive charter is expected to soon open within Richland 2 lines, with the capacity for 3,000 students. The American Leadership Academy, “largest brick-and-mortar charter school in state history,” has made it difficult to plan.
The true impact won’t be known until the charter school opens in the fall. However, district officials have said previously it could impact the budget.
This story was originally published March 25, 2026 at 2:22 PM.
