State takes over Marlboro schools after audit findings

June 3, 2026

1–2 minutes

Summary

South Carolina took over Marlboro County schools after a report found more than $7.3 million in misspending and unpaid debts.

Why this matters

The takeover shifts control of Marlboro County schools from local officials to the state for years. It also affects district leadership, budgeting, employee benefits, and how public money is managed.

South Carolina will take control of Marlboro County School District after an inspector general’s report found more than $7.3 million in misspending and unpaid debts over five years.

The State Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to remove the local school board and oversee the 3,200-student Pee Dee district. The state had already controlled the district’s finances since July 2025.

Inspector General Brian Lamkin’s 22-page report, released Monday, said the district’s problems included bonuses board members gave themselves, personal purchases on employee credit cards, unpaid federal and state penalties, and failures to follow purchasing rules. Lamkin said the report also found potential criminal activity.

Because investigators reviewed only samples of transactions from 2020 to 2025, Education Department attorney Henry Gunter told the board the total amount was likely higher.

State Superintendent Ellen Weaver said the district had made progress, including adopting a balanced budget last month for the first time in eight years, with state help. But she said board members had not cooperated with state officials.

Among the findings, the report said board members approved five bonuses from November 2022 to November 2024 worth more than $4,000 each, raised their annual pay from $7,500 to $12,000 in June 2024, then later reduced it. The report also found at least five cases of board members receiving coaching stipends despite a policy barring members from working for the district.

The report also questioned spending under former Superintendent Helena Tillar, including $326,250 in pay after a contract deadline to move to Marlboro County, and the purchase of a replacement vehicle using nearly $36,000 in district funds and a $16,000 insurance payment.

Lamkin also cited at least $696,000 in improper purchasing card spending, nearly $701,000 in purchases that did not follow district policy, a nearly $477,000 federal grant repayment, more than $1 million in Internal Revenue Service penalties, and more than $726,000 owed to the Public Employee Benefit Authority. Board Chair Michael Coachman did not respond to a request for comment.

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