As members of the public may know, the State of South Carolina Department of
Education declared a Fiscal Watch for Clarendon County School District on February 29, 2024. The declaration seeks to address issues that arose in Clarendon County School District Four during the 2020-2021 school year, well before the consolidation of the District beginning with the 2022-2023 school year. The specific problem stems from Clarendon Four’s failure to complete its audit timely. This circumstance caused a delay in the completion of the newly consolidated district audit, as stated in the department’s notice letter. This declaration of “Fiscal Watch” means that our compliance with fiscal matters will be monitored based on a plan to be submitted by the District. The District will continue to work with the State Department of Education to address these matters.
On a separate note, the Board of Trustees recently completed the annual evaluation of the Superintendent, Dr. Shawn Johnson. The Board concluded that Dr. Johnson has provided high-quality leadership to the District, as evidenced by a successful consolidation and good results from the State Inspector General’s Investigation. The Board voted to amend its contract with Dr. Shawn Johnson to extend the contract term an additional two (2) years to ensure continuity of leadership as the District continues forward as a consolidated County-wide school district. Additionally, the Board voted to extend the unilateral separation amount from six (6) months to eighteen (18) months to increase the likelihood of stability within this position. The enhanced educational services and growth within our district are examples of Dr. Johnson’s unwavering commitment to the education of our students.
