Richland One has spent money wisely, and doesn’t deserve the misleading accusations made by a disruptive board member

As chairman of the Richland One Board of School Commissioners, I am compelled to address an op-ed written by a board colleague that was recently published in The State. In that piece, a school board member intentionally misled the public by stating that taxpayer money was used to buy “lavish” gifts for board members.

This is not accurate.

First, the jacket with the district’s logo was not a gift; as part of our work, members of the Board of School Commissioners visit schools and attend athletics, arts programs and other events to see and support what our students are doing inside and outside the classroom. Wearing a jacket with the district’s logo is a way to clearly identify our affiliation with the district — as well as to demonstrate our pride in the district while we are out in the community and in other parts of the state advocating for our schools, students and staff.

Board members, including the one who penned the recent op-ed, have previously received polo shirts, umbrellas, mugs, totes and other branded items as members of the board — and this has never been an issue because we all understand that having branded paraphernalia is customary and further promotes our district. In fact, the board member who is now questioning this practice has accepted these items without any questioning or public criticism of this practice.

Second, the opinion piece stated that I as board chairman unilaterally purchased and gave these jackets as gifts. This is not true: the jackets were purchased by the athletics department as part of a larger purchase, and then were subsequently presented to the board.

Finally, the funds used to pay for the jackets was from revenue collected from the athletics programs’ gate receipts. The fact is that providing the jackets for board members was not “thoughtless” — in truth, it was a thoughtful way for us to show support for the district in a prudent manner while also promoting the district as our members travel throughout the district, state and nation.

Richland One has been and continues to be a good steward of taxpayers’ dollars; our beginning salary for new teachers is one of the highest in the Midlands. We also provide additional funds to teachers for supplies above what the state provides. We constantly look for ways to support schools in improving students’ opportunities and outcomes. And that will not change — these efforts are yielding progress.

The educational issues that we face in this state should not be clouded or minimized by one person’s selective righteous indignation. The members of the Richland One board will continue to advocate for this district and public education throughout South Carolina. We will continue to support our district, students, teachers, staff and community by providing a quality learning environment where all kids can thrive.

And we will not be distracted by one disruptive and disgruntled board member who refuses to participate in productive civil discourse that advances the mission of our district — and who instead prefers to criticize me and other board members by intentionally disseminating false, erroneous and incomplete information about the actions of the board in an attempt to divide this community.

That is THE moral issue.

In conclusion, I believe that this quote by former President John F. Kennedy is a very fitting one: “The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie — deliberate, contrived and dishonest — but the myth — persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.”

Jamie Devine is chairman of the Richland One Board of School Commissioners.