Jasper Co. schedules second ‘surprise’ meeting amid investigation into superintendent

A second surprise Jasper County School Board meeting this week will take place on Thursday afternoon to discuss legal services and designate an acting superintendent, following the decision on Tuesday to place the current superintendent on paid administrative leave.

Superintendent Rechel Anderson is under investigation by the board; however, the specifics of the investigation remain undisclosed. When asked for details, Board Chair Priscilla Green declined to comment, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation and her lack of communication with the district’s lawyer.

The Thursday meeting is scheduled to occur virtually at 3 p.m., according to a PDF taped to the district office’s door.

According to the district’s website , any changes in the location or time of the meeting will be announced at least 24 hours in advance. It also states that no regular board meetings are held in July, only special meetings if necessary. The website emphasizes that any changes to the meeting’s date, time or location will be posted at the district office and on the district’s website.

In both the Tuesday meeting and upcoming Thursday meeting, the district office posted the PDF notice on the door but did not upload it to the district’s website, causing confusion and difficulty for parents and others interested to access the meeting information .

An investigation by the Post and Courier uncovered through public records that school district officials have spent more than $228,000 on travel and lodging in the U.S. and abroad since 2020. This revelation came the same week the district placed Anderson on paid administrative leave.

Treasurer Michael Skinner, who is in a legal battle with the county for access to numerous bank accounts, reported that he has been providing extensive financial statements and disbursement information to Russell Zimmerman, the Interim Director of Finance.

Anderson received a public reprimand from the State Board of Education in August 2019 for unprofessional conduct during her tenure in Florence County. The reprimand outlined several issues, including undocumented absences, requesting a full payout for leave time already taken and continuing a tour of Jasper County schools instead of returning to Florence after two students were fatally shot there.

The reprimand also stated that Anderson falsified a personnel report, withheld information from state investigators and was dishonest about her actions. Moreover, she did not fire an employee as instructed by the state superintendent, allowing the employee to continue working for two weeks after receiving the directive.