Summerville, SC - The Citizen Advisory Review Team (CART) held its inaugural meeting this past week, marking the start of an independent effort to provide transparency and oversight on Dorchester District Two's (DD2) ongoing school construction projects. The meeting, initially scheduled for 5:00 PM, saw its start time change twice before being finalized at 6:30 PM. Despite the changes, the meeting was well-attended, with a diverse group of officials and contractors present to discuss various aspects of the district's construction plans.
Rhonda Grice, Director of Business Development, led the initial discussion, with several key district and contractor representatives in attendance. Among them were Tony Soles, Director of Facility Management; Jeff Smith; Hank Taylor; Joe Lombardo; James Weaver, Joe Pye, and Mark, President of Hood Construction, the contractor overseeing several district projects. Dr. Shane Robbins, DD2 Superintendent, joined the meeting towards the end to address transparency concerns, emphasizing the importance of fiscal accountability and public confidence in how bond proceeds are being spent.
The CART committee has a crucial role in overseeing the use of funds from the district's recent school referendum. This comes after lingering concerns surrounding the handling of funds from a previous referendum, which resulted in a lawsuit filed by local attorney and former state senator Mike Rose. Rose's lawsuit alleged that funds intended for school construction projects were misallocated and spent on operational costs such as salaries and utilities—expenditures that were never intended to be covered by referendum funds. The lawsuit drew significant public attention and underscored the need for improved transparency and oversight.
CART's establishment aims to prevent a repeat of such controversies. The committee’s responsibility is to ensure that every dollar from the referendum is spent on its intended purpose—school construction, security upgrades, and facility improvements—and not diverted to unrelated expenses. Dr. Robbins emphasized this commitment, stating, "We want people to feel confident in how their money is spent."
Brigadier General (Retired) Hank Taylor called for additional accountability measures, suggesting the development of a color-coded dashboard to provide clear, real-time updates on project status and spending. The group also discussed ongoing construction at the Yerby Tract, which has been designated for DD2 development. Joseph Pye, former superintendent and current committee member, voiced concerns about repeated changes to the Ponds facility project, requesting final acreage be clarified.
The next CART meeting is scheduled for October 21 at 6:00 PM, a week before the second DD2 Board meeting of the month.
CART’s role is to monitor all referendum building projects and schedules, review district expenditures, and report quarterly to the DD2 Board of Education. Meeting minutes and presentations will be made available to the public once approved by the committee.
The members of CART bring a wide range of expertise, including CPAs, urban planners, civil engineers, and project managers, with the shared goal of maintaining transparency for the community.
The meeting signals the start of a new level of community involvement in ensuring the district’s ambitious construction plans are delivered on time, within budget, and with maximum accountability to taxpayers. By establishing CART, the district aims to prevent the kind of financial mismanagement concerns that surfaced during the last referendum, providing a stronger framework for public trust.
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