Richland School District 1 broke the law and cost taxpayers more than $350,000 when it began construction on an early learning center without proper permits, according to a new report by the South Carolina Inspector General’s Office released Thursday.
The idea of and the funding behind the Vince Ford Early Learning Center on Caughman Road were permissable, Inspector General Brian Lamkin wrote. But the school district violated state law and local ordinances by beginning construction without a building permit from the state Department of Education. The district also started the second phase of the project without approval of the school board.
“In doing so, the District exposed itself to wasteful expenditures, contractual liabilities, costs associated with project delays, reputation damage, and insurance issues,” Lamkin wrote.
Richland 1 also wasted $352,078 on associated costs with building without a permit, according to the report. The District told The State in May that the project the project had already cost Richland 1 $813,000 for site inspections, stabilization and security since putting construction on hold.