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Commissioners press district on SRO vacancies and hotline move to ombudsman; auditor access and audit committee raised
Summary
Board members asked for timelines for SRO training and assignment to three schools, and several commissioners criticized moving hotline calls away from the internal auditor to an ombudsman; the board requested the auditor be added to a November work session agenda.
Several commissioners used the Sept. 10 meeting to press the administration on school-resource-officer coverage, hotline routing and internal-auditor access to executive sessions.
Commissioner Lomenac asked why several schools started the year without an assigned SRO and sought the timeline for deputies to complete required training. Administration said SROs are assigned through law-enforcement partners (City of Columbia or Richland County Sheriff) and that coverage plans exist while training and assignments are completed.
A separate, sharper exchange focused on the district's decision to route hotline calls to an ombudsman rather than the internal auditor. Commissioner Lomenac and others argued the internal auditor is one of the most independent officers reporting directly to the board and was an appropriate recipient for anonymous complaints. Lomenac said it was "disconcerting" the change occurred without notice to the board and asked that the internal auditor be invited back into executive sessions and that the audit committee referenced in district policy be reinstated. "I think the board should make sure he comes back to executive sessions," Lomenac said.
Administration said the change was discussed with both the internal auditor and the ombudsman and described it as an alignment of services given that most calls were better suited for the ombudsman. Dr. Witherspoon said the auditor did not disagree with the arrangement and said the auditor's report was provided as required; he agreed to add the auditor to the November work-session agenda for fuller discussion.
Commissioner Clyburn said receiving complaints through the ombudsman "would be a fitting role" for public-facing liaison work and expressed openness to the arrangement. The board requested a written job description for the ombudsman and additional follow-up materials.
No formal policy changes were adopted at the meeting; commissioners asked for follow-up documents and for the board to discuss the audit committee and auditor participation at a future session.
