AIKEN - South Carolina's top civil rights activist accused the Aiken County school board of being racially insensitive when it reassigned six administrators and eliminated their positions to help fill a $12.5 million hole in the district's budget.
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James Gallman, the president of the South Carolina branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said the board shouldn't have transferred Brenda Smith, the director of operations for the district's largest administrative zone, because she is black and a role model for minorities who live and go to school there.
"Black students and parents need interaction with teachers and administration who look like them," he said. "We've been accused of playing the race card, but we're just playing the cards that were dealt to us."
Public schools are facing a financial crisis because of state cuts to their funding.
John Bradley, the school board's chairman, blasted Mr. Gallman during an interview, pointing out that five of the six reassigned administrators were white and that one of them took a $15,000 pay cut. Ms. Smith, Dr. Bradley noted, is making the same salary in her new assignment as the principal of Paul Knox Middle School in North Augusta.
"The only color involved here is green," he said. "It's about money. I don't understand why they're making such a fuss about this."
Ms. Smith will take the place of Principal Gene Robbins, who is retiring, said Marion Gary, the assistant superintendent of administration.
"We're doing this only because of what we're having to do with our budget," she said. "We did not want anybody to be without a job."
There are about 10,000 pupils in Area 1, and Mr. Gallman said that was too many for one person, David Caver, the Area 1 assistant superintendent, to handle.
Because Dr. Bradley once held Mr. Caver's job, he said he knew the administrator was capable of handling the extra duties that Ms. Smith once handled.
Mr. Gallman fired back: "It's a different day and time, John, from when you were area superintendent."
The director of operations assists the area superintendent and handles discipline cases, transportation issues and other administrative duties, said board member Rosemary English, who voted in March to eliminate the position.
After Mr. Gallman's speech Tuesday, she asked council members to reinstate the position, but the motion died because it was not seconded.
Reach Sara Bancroft at (803) 279-6895 or sara.bancroft@augustachronicle.com.
