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District officials describe expanded SCDA inspections and say campuses must fix building issues after WG Sanders visit
Summary
District staff told the Richland One board that a recent South Carolina Department of Agriculture review now examines the entire facility that houses a school cafeteria, not just kitchens, and that campus maintenance and clutter — not food‑service operations alone — produced findings at WG Sanders Middle School.
Mr. Henry, who provided the facilities update to the Richland School District One Board of School Commissioners, said the South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s food‑retail review now “shall include the entire physical facility where the school cafeteria is located,” and that change has widened the scope of inspections the district receives. He told the board the district has learned the expanded reviews can flag items such as trash under bleachers, ceiling towels, conduit or pipe penetrations and general clutter in non‑kitchen spaces.
“Any small area where a piece of conduit or a water pipe goes through a wall if it’s not snug enough it is a violation,” Mr. Henry said, adding that multiplying that across tens of thousands of square feet explains why inspections can list many items. He said the district’s integrated pest management program remains in place and that some findings reflect building maintenance or housekeeping—not problems with the food‑service program itself.
Superintendent Dr. Witherspoon told the board the administration received inspection reports by email and that completed reports are public on the South Carolina Department of Agriculture website. He said the agency typically identifies a return or follow‑up date of 7 to 10 calendar days for corrective work and noted that repeated (consecutive) violations can lead the agency to pursue enforcement action at its discretion.
Several commissioners urged faster communication to school building coordinators and more proactive maintenance so campus staff are not caught flatfooted when an inspection appears to flag many disparate items. Commissioner Weston asked that pesticide applications be scheduled after school hours where possible to avoid disrupting students and staff with respiratory sensitivity; Mr. Henry said that is the district’s current criterion.
The board did not take a formal vote on policy changes at this meeting; members asked administration to ensure building leaders understand the new inspection scope and to prioritize corrective work at schools with multiple findings. The district said it is already adjusting internal reporting (electronic tickets to pest‑control contractors) and expects to continue auditing and repairing physical‑plant issues to comply with the new inspection standard.
