State may dissolve Jasper County school board, assume control of district
The state Department of Education may take over Jasper County schools and dissolve the school board after declaring a state-of-education emergency — less than a week ahead of Monday’s first day of classes
The announcement by letter came a day before the school board held a Tuesday night meeting that went straight into executive session and adjourned without any public explanation. It also followed an investigation released earlier this month by the state Office of the Inspector General, which found potential ethical and criminal infractions committed by former Jasper County School District Superintendent Rechel Anderson.
In the July 28 letter, Superintendent Ellen Weaver informed Jasper County Board of Education Chair Joyce Gerald that the district’s worsening financial crisis, combined with a failure by the board to take corrective action, made state intervention necessary.
”After careful evaluation, I have concluded that declaring a state-of-education emergency is the only responsible path forward to safeguard the interests of JCSD’s students and ensure effective use of public resources,” Weaver wrote.
The declaration, made under South Carolina Code, allows the state to take over districts facing fiscal emergencies or significant financial mismanagement. With approval from the State Board of Education on August 5, the South Carolina Department of Education may manage all district operations and schools.
The action concludes over a year of heightened fiscal concerns.
JCSD was first placed under Fiscal Watch status in March 2023, after it failed to submit a required audit within 60 days of a December 1 deadline, according to the letter. As the district’s financial situation deteriorated, the state increased its status to Fiscal Caution in February 2024 and then to Fiscal Emergency on August 2, 2024.
The district never appealed any of those designations “likely due to the clear and ongoing nature of the deficiencies,” Weaver wrote.
Weaver’s letter also referenced the State Inspector General’s Office’s investigation, which she requested last year to see if any fraud, waste, abuse or violations of state or federal law occurred in the school district.
What was in the report?
A July 11 report by the Inspector General’s office outlined potential ethical and criminal infractions committed by Anderson during her nearly seven-year tenure. Among the allegations: financial mismanagement, state ethics violations, unapproved business ventures and forged documents. The findings have been referred to the State Law Enforcement Division and other agencies for possible prosecution.
This is the second formal investigation into Anderson’s conduct. In October 2023, the school board voted to terminate her after a separate inquiry by the law firm Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd found similar misconduct. Despite that decision, the board later agreed to pay Anderson $336,000 — equivalent to 18 months’ salary — as part of a separation agreement.
Weaver acknowledged in the July 28 letter that board members may have had good intentions, but she said the board had not shown the leadership needed to resolve the district’s systemic challenges.
“While I believe that the JCSD Board desires the best outcomes for the students of Jasper County, as a body it has not met the level of action or fiduciary accountability required to address the district’s ongoing and significant challenges,” she wrote.
