SC principal still on leave, getting pay nearly 2 months after charges dropped. Here’s why

An Ocean Bay Elementary School principal is still on administrative leave and getting paid after charges against her in a related child neglect case have been dropped.

Rebecca Schroyer has been paid a total of $187,538 as of Feb. 20, 2024, according to a response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The school district paid $35,000 in Schroyer’s legal fees.

Schroyer’s salary is listed as $143,979 annually as of 2022, according to govsalaries.com.

Schroyer was charged with two counts of failing to report a child neglect allegation for an incident that happened during the 2021-22 school year. Robert Kittle, communications director with the S.C. Attorney General’s Office, confirmed by email that Schroyer’s charges were dismissed on Feb. 28.

Kittle would not provide any additional information, including why the charges were dropped, stating that by law he could not comment further.

Schroyer still remains on administrative leave, Horry County Schools spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier confirmed Wednesday in an email. She would not confirm if Schroyer will be allowed to return to her school duties now that the charges have been dropped.

In August 2023, the Attorney General’s Office decided not to pursue prosecution of Schroyer and instead turned the case over to the South Carolina Department of Education for an administrative review of her credentials. Schroyer could have received up to six months in prison or a $500 fine for each count.

As of April 10, Schroyer was not listed among the education department’s orders of disciplinary action.

Schroyer was placed on administrative leave with pay in November 2022.

The alleged incident, which happened in February 2022, involved a teacher “putting hand sanitizer in a child’s open wound,” The Sun News previously reported.

Properly reporting suspected child abuse is required by South Carolina’s mandated reporters law, which includes educational professionals.

The case against Schroyer stemmed from charges against Grace McColgan, who was a special education teacher at the same elementary school.

McColgan pleaded guilty in July 2023 to charges involving child neglect and received a sentence of 30 days in jail. She had been charged with six counts of unlawful conduct towards a child, during from the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years, The Sun News previously reported.

Schroyer has been with Horry County Schools since 2001 and named principal of Ocean Bay Elementary in 2016. She still has her teaching certificate, which will expire if not renewed by June 30, according to personnel files.

It was announced in July 2023 that Schroyer would not return to Ocean Bay Elementary as its principal for the 2023-2024 school year.