Richland 2 honors longtime trustee Melinda Anderson and names teachers of the year

At its Feb. 25 meeting Richland School District 2 honored Melinda Anderson for 24 years of service on the district’s board of trustees and presented certificates of acknowledgment to district teachers of the year.

Darcy Strickland Rush, the district’s senior chief of communications, introduced the recognitions. Trustees praised Anderson’s leadership, citing her role in securing stadiums for Ridgeview High School and Richland Northeast, expanding assistant principal staffing in elementary schools, and helping launch initiatives now known as R2I2.

Anderson, who the district described as the first African American woman sworn in as a Richland 2 trustee, accepted the award and said, "It is my honor to accept this award from District 2. It was my pleasure. I enjoyed serving the students, working with the staff, administration, community, and everyone in this district." She spoke about her continued care for the district and its students.

The board also recognized district teachers of the year from multiple schools, and noted Miss Rona Stewart as the Richland School District 2 teacher of the year. Superintendent Doctor Moore and Strickland Rush presented certificates and led the group photos and recess for the honorees to be recognized.

Ending: Trustees recessed briefly to take photos with honorees and directed staff to continue celebrating award recipients across district communications.