[ February 26, 2021 ] As you are aware we hired Tony Young as our interim superintendent. We had interviewed Mr. Young during our superintendent search last year, and in that interview, Mr. Young presented a plan to reorganize the front office in a manner that would increase its efficiency as well as having the by-product of decreasing the funding required of the office. We have asked Mr. Young to implement that plan, and he has begun that process.

A major part of this reorganization will be the elimination of the assistant superintendent position and chief accountability officer position. The duties of these positions will be redistributed among existing staff, and those staff members are excited to be a part of this new plan.

The salary and benefits for these two positions are $565,604.88 over the next two years. Although we had to pay two years of salary to Dr. Townsend in the amount of $406,014.73, we are pleased to see that Mr. Young's plan gives us the capability to issue that check without an impact to our budget over the next two years. In addition to the amount paid to Dr. Townsend ($406,014.73), the District was also liable for a FICA payment in the amount of $13,329.88 and a Workers Compensation payment of $2,354.89, for a total liability of $421,699.50.

Mr. Young has adapted his original plan to our current needs. His original plan called for an analysis of our existing programs and the elimination of those which were not effectively serving our needs. The program that meets that definition more than any other at this time is our Pearson virtual program. Many parents have expressed frustration about the Pearson program, and after our analysis of its efficacy, we have decided to eliminate the program together with its costs. The district spent $301,940.00 on this program this fiscal year.

The personnel actions described above will give our budget a net gain of $143,905.38 over the next two years, and we look forward to exploring more ways to improve efficiency and lower cost within our district while still providing a wonderful education for our children.


------------------

On Sunday, February 28, 2021, Dr. Townsend posted the following on his Facebook page:

Family and Friends,
As many of you have probably heard by now, I am no longer employed by Pickens County Schools as Superintendent and will begin my first day of retirement on March 1st. With the recent change in members, the BOE voted 3-2 to terminate me without cause and pay me in full the remaining 28 months of my contract plus the value of some of my benefits. I want to thank Carolyn, my girls, Mr. Tucker Green, Mr. Tommy Gartrell, and the Pickens County community for their support over the last few weeks. Yes, I?m disappointed I?m not able to complete some of the goals that I had, but am glad I had the opportunity to lay the groundwork for future change in Pickens. There was no wrongdoing on my part and I fell victim to politics, but knew that was a possibility when I agreed to accept the position. It?s time to move on and continue to make a positive difference in the community and spend more time with my family. They are excited about that (yes, you?ll see future travel pictures 😀). I will be eligible to go back to work if I choose on April 1st. That, and the decision whether to remain in Pickens or return to the coast where we enjoyed many great years, will be decided after much contemplation at a later date. My family and I will always be thankful for the support we have received and will always wish the best for the entire Pickens County community.