Here are the results in the Richland County school board races

Richland County voters elected a new at-large school board member in Richland District One and ousted an incumbent in neighboring Richland 2.

Only one contested race was on the ballot for Richland 1 as candidates in two single-member districts were unopposed. Those two were Aaron Bishop is district one and Robert Lominack in district 3. Lominack currently represents the at-large seat open in Tuesday’s election but decided to seek election this year in district 3.

In Richland 2, voters were choosing four board members from 12 candidates.

Both boards have seven members.

Richland 1

Former educator Barbara F. Weston won the at-large seat with 52.17% of the vote.

Candidates Hamilton Jacobs and Richard E. Moore received 25.16% and 21.85% of the vote, respectively.

Richland District 1 serves the western and southern parts of the county from St. Andrews to Lower Richland. It includes A.C. Flora, Columbia, Dreher, Eau Claire, Keenan, Lower Richland and C.A. Johnson high schools.

Among the challenges facing Richland 1 is the recent indictment of former procurement manager Travis Braddy on embezzlement and misconduct in office charges. He is accused of misusing $23,170.41 in public money to make personal purchases.

The state attorney general’s office alleges that Braddy had $9,388 paid to a “sham company” controlled by someone close to him, booked himself rooms at a Hilton Garden Inn using P-cards and disguised $3,358 in hotel charges as personal protective equipment purchased for the district. He’s also accused of disguising a 2020 GMC Yukon rental as a truck used by the district to deliver personal protective equipment. The district was billed over $10,000 for this car.

Richland 2

The four Richland 2 seats will be filled by board newcomers Angela Nash with 14.06% of the vote, Tamika Shuler Washington (13.32%), Niki Porter (10.35%) and Joe Trapp (9.78%).

Incumbent Teresa Holmes narrowly lost her position with 9.39% of the vote. Holmes lost out on the fourth seat by just more than 500 votes, with Trapp receiving 12,504 votes and Holmes 11,998.

Other candidates were James Mobley (6.02%), McGee Moody (7.3%), Darrel President Sr. (6.48%), Eric Rovelli (3.11%), Larry Smalls (8.29%), Terrance Staley (4.04%) and Maryann Wright (7.57%).

Richland District 2 serves the northeastern parts of the county, from Blythewood to Fort Jackson. It includes Blythewood, Richland Northeast, Ridge View, Spring Valley and Westwood high schools.

The new Richland 2 board will have to deal with a scathing report released last week from the South Carolina inspector general’s office. The report, which came at the request of Gov. Henry McMaster after parents complained, determined the board has been detrimental to the district’s operations. It found that only 14% of board agenda items related to academic concerns.

“Each Board member contributed to its dysfunction and ineffectiveness through petty disagreements and personal attacks of other Board members,” the report said.

The report noted the district’s lack of a procurement card policy and lack of an internal auditor. It also found diversion of district funds to its nonprofit foundation, which may have resulted in the foundation’s misrepresentation of finances when applying for federal COVID aid.