[00:00:02]
[6:00 p.m. Call to Order]
AND WELCOME TO THE BUFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BUSINESS MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2021.THIS MEETING IS BEING CONDUCTED BY A HIGH BREED VIDEO CONFERENCING AND IS BEING LIVE STREAMED BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
THE BOARD HAS JUST BEEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND IS NOW BACK
[Public Session]
OUT IN PUBLIC SESSION.[Action as Necessary or Appropriate Regarding Matters Discussed in Executive Session]
ACTION IS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE REGARDING MATTERS.DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE LETTER TO COUNTY COUNCIL CHAIR CONCERNING FISCAL AUTHORITY AND TO AUTHORIZE THE BOARD CHAIR TO SIGN AND DELIVER THE LETTER WITH THIS ATTACHMENT.
MS. PHAEDRA SECOND, THE MOTION, IF YOU COULD BOTH PUT YOUR HANDS BACK DOWN AND ANY DISCUSSION MR. STRINGER.
YES, THE MOTION IS APPROVED 9 1 1.
THE ONE NOTE IS MR. SMITH AND THE ONE ABSTENTION IS DR.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER 45 WITH M B KAHN CONSTRUCTION FOR TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE WORK AT BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL BASED ON THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE OF $879,388.
MS. BOATWRIGHT SECOND, MR. SMITH.
UH, ACTUALLY I WASN'T THAT PRESENT FOR THIS DISCUSSION, SO, SO I WILL HAVE TO ABSTAIN.
VOTING IS OPEN THE MOTION IS APPROVED 9 0 2 2.
ABSTENTIONS DOCTOR WAS NEVSKY AND MR. SMITH, MR.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT WITH SNS MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC, DOING BUSINESS AS GUARD ONE SECURITY TO PROVIDE ARMED SECURITY GUARD SERVICES FOR BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
DO YOU WANT TO S OH, MR.
UM, I DID NOT COMING AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS.
I CAME OUT TO TELL HIM THIS CONVERSATION.
I STILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND ALSO, UH, CONCERNS.
AND, UM, ALSO LEARNING ABOUT THE QUESTION I, ONE QUESTION THAT I DID ASK HIM ABOUT THE ARRESTING, NOT HAVING THE ARRESTING AUTHORITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
[00:05:03]
UH, IT'S, IT'S A CONCERN ALONG WITH SOME OTHER CONCERNS I HAVE.SO I DEFINITELY CAN NOT SUPPORT THIS AT THIS MOTION AT THIS TIME, BECAUSE I'M, I'M STILL, UH, I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS.
YOU'RE BEING NO FURTHER HANDS UP.
VOTING IS OPEN THE MOTION IS APPROVED 10 0 1.
MR. SMITH, ABSTAIN, MR. SMITH.
UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT AT 4 59, I WAS TOOK OUT OF THE ZOOM EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 4 59 FROM THE EXECUTIVE OF THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT AND TOLD I WOULD BE CALLED, CALLED WHEN I COULD COME BACK IN.
AND I CALLED AT FIVE ABOUT FIVE 30 AND AT FIVE, AND FOUND OUT THAT I COULD, THAT I WAS BACK IN.
SO I CAME BACK IN THE ROOM AT ABOUT 5 36.
I SPOKE TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD.
MR. SMITH WAS NOT PRESENT FOR THE LEGAL ADVICE THE BOARD RECEIVED IN THE LAWSUIT.
HE HAS FILED AGAINST THE BOARD AND THE DISTRICT IN CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.
DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER ACTION IS NECESSARY APPROPRIATE, MR. STRIVEN, DEAR MADAM CHAIR.
[Approval of Agenda]
MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.WE APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
SO MOTION MADE BY CATHY, UM, ROBOT AND A SECOND BY MEL CAMPBELL.
UH, CAN YOU PUT YOUR HANDS DOWN UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME COMMENTS? THANK YOU.
THERE BEING NO HANDS UP VOTING IS OPEN.
SO THE AGENDA IS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
UH, PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
WE WILL HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE NOW FOR ELIJAH ALLEN, WHO WAS A STUDENT AT WILLOW BRANCH SCHOOL, AND HE PASSED AWAY LAST WEEK.
THE MEDIA HAS BEEN PROPERLY NOTIFIED.
[Student Performance]
PERFORMANCE IS BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL, SEA ISLAND SOUND BAN PERFORMING PATRIOTIC PARADE SEQUENCE ARRANGED BY PAUL LAVENDER AND WE'LL WRAP AND UNDER THE DIRECTOR OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC.MY NAME IS PAID A DIFFERENCE ON THE DIRECTOR OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC.
[00:10:01]
YOU VERY MUCH.FIGHTING THIS FORM FOR YOU TO SEE THEIR A PATRIOTIC PARADE SEQUENCE TONIGHT.
THIS IS RAISED BY PAUL LAETTNER.
DO YOU RECOGNIZE ANY OF PIECES FROM THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT NICE PERFORMANCE.
[First Public Comments]
WE ARE ON THE AGENDA AT THE FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS AND TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.YOU HAVE AGREED TO ABIDE BY THE RULES FOR SPEAKING.
SO LET ME REVIEW THOSE FOR EVERYBODY SPEAKERS ADDRESSING THE BOARD MUST CONFINE COMMENTS TO ISSUES WITHIN THE DOMAIN OF THE BOARD.
OBSCENITY IS VULGARITY AND REFERENCES TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS BY NAME AND NOT COMMIT.
OTHER BREACHES OF RESPECT, NOT EXCEED THREE MINUTES.
THERE'LL BE A VISIBLE TIMER FOR YOU TO SEE, AND PERSONS MAY NOT YIELD THEIR TIME TO SOMEONE ELSE.
AND THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE IN PERSON HERE HAVE COMPLETED THESE CARDS.
AND I WILL CALL YOU IN THE ORDER THAT YOU COMPLETED THEM AND SUBMITTED THEM.
FIRST TONIGHT, WE HAVE SHANE STAGGER SPEAKING ABOUT MASK MANDATES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
COULD YOU HOLD JUST ONE MINUTE WHILE THEY PUT UP THE TIMER? THANK YOU, SHANE.
READY TO GO? OKAY, GOOD EVENING.
AND THANK YOU TO THE DISTINGUISHED BOARD FOR WELCOMING PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[00:15:01]
MY NAME IS SHANE AND I'M A PARENT OF TWO SCHOOL AGED BUFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS.I'M SURE NEARLY 20 MONTHS INTO THIS COVID 19 PANDEMIC THAT YOU WERE TIRING OF.
THE DISCOURSE SURROUNDING MASKS AND VACCINES.
HOWEVER, AS A PARENT, I HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTING TO GIVE MY CHILDREN, TO GIVE ALL CHILDREN THE BEST CHANCE TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE RIGHT NOW.
THAT MEANS ADVOCATING FOR BUFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO FOLLOW SUIT WITH CHARLESTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND THEN FORCE A MASK MANDATE.
DESPITE GOVERNOR MCMASTER'S DANGEROUS AND ILL-CONCEIVED MASS MANDATE BAN.
IN MY PREVIOUS CAREER, I WAS A PROGRAM MANAGER FOR SUBMARINE PROGRAMS FOR THE UNITED STATES NAVY.
MY TEAM MADE DECISIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS THAT HAD A DIRECT EFFECT ON THE LIVES OF OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN.
WHILE OUR JOB WAS TO ENSURE SPEED AND STEALTH OUR TOP PRIORITY, OUR IMPERATIVE WAS ENSURING THE SAFETY OF THE CREW AND SHIP.
YOUR VISION STATEMENT IS WE WILL WORK WITH FAMILIES AND OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS PERFORM AT AN INTERNATIONALLY COMPETITIVE LEVEL IN A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT IS SAFE, NURTURING, AND ENGAGING.
THE WORD SAFE IS THE FIRST ADJECTIVE DESCRIBING THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
YOUR IMPERATIVE IS ENSURING THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN WHILE IN SCHOOL.
NEITHER YOUR MISSION STATEMENT, NOR YOUR VISION STATEMENT MENTIONED, PLACATING PEOPLE MAKING OVERTURES TO NON-EXISTENT CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSES RELATED TO VARIOUS FREEDOMS. NO, IF YOUR VISION WAS WRITTEN WITH SCRUTINY AND INTENT, THEN SAFETY WAS PURPOSELY CHOSEN TO SIGNIFY YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY ABIDING BY GOVERNOR MCMASTER'S MASS MANDATE BAN IS IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO YOUR VISION.
AND I IMPLORE YOU TO HONOR YOUR VERB REVISION.
FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT THAT I SOMETIMES CONDUCTED WITH MY TEAM WHEN FACED WITH A SIGNIFICANT MISSION DECISION, I WOULD ASK THE TEAM TO PUT THEMSELVES 3, 6, 12 MONTHS IN THE FUTURE.
WHAT CONVERSATION WOULD WE BE HAVING? WOULD WE BE REGRETTING OUR DECISION AND EXPLAINING IT TO AN ADMIRAL OR A SERVICEMAN? NOW PUT YOURSELVES THREE MONTHS IN THE FUTURE FROM TODAY, HOW MANY CHILDREN WITHIN VCPS HAVE DIED OF COVID? HOW MANY TEACHERS, PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, ARE YOU ASKING YOURSELVES? WHETHER YOU COULD HAVE DONE MORE? ARE YOU ASKING WHETHER A MASS MANDATE COULD HAVE SAVED EVEN JUST A SINGLE ONE OF THEM? ARE YOUR CONSTITUENTS LOOKING AT YOU BECAUSE THEY ELECTED YOU TO PUT THEIR CHILDREN'S SAFETY FIRST, EVEN IF IT MEANT UPSETTING SOME PEOPLE NOW IMAGINE THAT YOU WERE STANDING AT THE FUNERAL FOR ONE OF THOSE CHILDREN.
WHAT WORDS DO YOU USE TO CONTROL A GRIEVING MOTHER AS SHE CRIES WHILE THEY LOWER HER CHILD INTO AN EARLY GRAVE? WELL, THOSE WORDS BE WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD.
I TRULY UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYONE.
BUT IF I HAD TO CHOOSE, I CHOOSE TO HONOR THIS BOARD'S VISION, ENSURE SAFETY AND SAVE A LIFE.
NEXT, WE HAVE LAURA STEGER WHO WILL ALSO BE SPEAKING ABOUT MASK MANDATES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
MY NAME IS LAURA STAVER AND I'M THE MOTHER OF TWO CHILDREN WHO CURRENTLY ATTEND ROUGHER COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WHEN WE SEND OUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, OUR HOPE IS THAT THEY ARE PROVIDED A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN LEARN, GROW, AND HOPEFULLY ONE DAY BECOME KIND SUCCESSFUL HUMAN BEINGS.
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE TRIED TO SET THIS EXAMPLE BY ENSURING OUR CHILDREN WEAR A MASK EVERY DAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY ARE SURROUNDED BY THOSE WHO DO NOT BECAUSE OF THIS.
OUR SON TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AS I'M SURE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND.
OUR FIRST YEAR WAS OUR SON AND DAUGHTER'S HEALTH.
AND SECONDLY, THE HELP OF MY DISABLED PARENTS WHO ARE CONSIDERED DIVERSE, FORTUNATELY FOR US THERE HELP US IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT MANY ARE NOT SO LUCKY OR NOT PERFECT.
NO, WHEN ONLY ONE BY A FEW, BUT THE RESEARCH HAS FOUND IF EVERYONE WEARS A MASK, IT SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWS THE SPREAD.
MY SON WHO RETURNED TO SCHOOL THIS WEEK FELT AS THOUGH THE SCHOOL HAD LET HIM DOWN.
AND TO BE HONEST, THEY HAVE, BY NOT MANDATING MASKS, A CHILD AND THEIR LOCKED ONES COULD BE AT RISK OF CONTRACTING AND POSSIBLY DYING OF THIS VIRUS.
WHAT MESSAGE ARE WE SENDING TOWARD THESE CHILDREN BY NOT MANDATING MASKS AT SCHOOL THAT THEIR LIVES AND THEIR FAMILY'S LIVES DON'T MATTER.
THAT POLITICS TRIUMPH OVERALL, WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR US AS PARENTS AND AS DECENT HUMAN BEINGS TO REALIZE THAT WEARING A MASK IS A SIMPLE, CONSIDERATE WAY TO SHOW OTHERS THAT WE CARE ABOUT THEM AND THEIR NEEDS.
[00:20:01]
SAY AT THE END OF WORK CAREER AND LIFE, FOR THAT MATTER ONE REFLECTS ON THE THINGS THEY WISH THEY HAD DONE DIFFERENTLY.IF I WERE STAYING SILENT, I WONDER IF YOU WILL BE FILLED WITH REGRET, KNOWING LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST BECAUSE THERE WAS THE EASIER CHOICE MARTIN LUTHER KING SAID THE ULTIMATE TRAGEDY IS NOT THE OPPRESSION AND CRUELTY BY THE BAD PEOPLE, BUT THE SILENCE OVER THAT BY THE GOOD PEOPLE, PLEASE DON'T BE SILENT.
OUR CHILDREN ARE WATCHING AND WHAT WE DO NOW WILL REMAIN WITH THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
NEXT UP WE HAVE RUSS WHITEFORD WHO WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP.
RODRIGUEZ, YOU FOR COUNTY BOARD MEMBERS, SCHOOL, DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M CURRENTLY THE BOARD CHAIR AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
I STOOD HERE AND APPEALED TO THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, SPECIFICALLY A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
WE WANTED TO ADDRESS THE INCREASING LEARNING LOSS DUE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC.
BRADLEY APPROACHED ME AND DISCUSSED WHAT IS NOW IN TERM CAMP.
SATURDAY, I WAS INVITED TO MEET WITH THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES.
AND IN THE PAST MONTH, WE HAVE MET TWICE, INCLUDING A MEETING JUST THIS MORNING CAMP.
SATURDAY WE'LL SERVE 150 CHILDREN GRADES ONE THROUGH FOUR.
OUR CAMP WILL HAVE A STRONG FOCUS ON ACADEMICS, BUT WE'LL ALSO INCORPORATE RECREATIONAL AND RICHMOND, HEALTHY LIFESTYLES ALONG WITH LOCAL HERITAGE AND HISTORY.
PARENTS WILL ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT AT CAMP SATURDAY, THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS, THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF HILTON HEAD SERVES KIDS AND FAMILIES WHO NEED US THE MOST CAMP SATURDAY, WE'LL PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR KIDS WHILE WE'RE REACHING THE LEARNING DEBT.
WE ARE TARGETING OCTOBER 23RD FOR THE OPENING OF CAMP SATURDAY.
THERE'S MUCH WORK TO BE DONE TO MEET THIS DATE.
BRADLEY, I WOULD LIKE TO SPECIFICALLY THANK DR.
HELPING DEFINE KEPT SATURDAY DR.
CAMPBELL, ALONG WITH MS. MCKENZIE AND MR. FLOWERS HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE QUICK REACTION BY THE BUFORD ACADEMY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO FORM A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF HILTON THAT THIS PARTNERSHIP HAS THE POTENTIAL OF EXPLAINED THE CAMP SATURDAY TO THE ADDITIONAL EIGHT BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, MS. CUSHING, BARRY HAS INFORMED ME THAT WE HAVE, UH, TWO PHONE CALLS FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO I'LL LET YOU TAKE CARE OF THOSE ROBYN.
THIS IS ROBIN CALLING FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD.
I'M GOING TO PUT YOU ON SPEAKER FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I'M GOING TO PUT YOU ON SPEAKER FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS YET YOU MUST STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AND HOLD ON PLACE AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, I'M CALLING BECAUSE MY BROTHER HAS HE ANSWERED THE PHONE.
UM, I'M CALLING BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE SPENDING ON QUARANTINE.
UM, RIGHT NOW, ONE OF MY TWINS IS ON HER SECOND WARRANTING NEW TWO WEEKS.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT OTHER DISTRICTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA ARE DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT CHILDREN ARE SPENDING ON CORN BEAN.
AND I TO KNOW THAT THE RATIO OF CHILDREN WHO ARE ACTUAL CONTRACTS AND CORBETT COMPARED TO ONES ROCK LINE TEAM ARE VERY WELL.
SO AT THIS POINT, I THINK THE QUARANTINES ARE BECOMING A LITTLE RIDICULOUS, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR HEALTHY CHILDREN TO BE HOME WITH TWITTER.
[00:25:02]
BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME.UM, I ALSO WANT US TO STATE THAT A LOT OF EMPLOYEES OF THE COUNTY, UM, YOU HAVE THE SAME, BUT ARE AFRAID TO COME FORWARD AND SAY, OH, I UNDERSTAND HOW TO RAISE TO WORK FOR THE BOARD.
BUT THIS, THIS IS JUST NOT FAIR, WHAT WE'RE DOING TO THE CHILDREN.
UM, ACCORDING TO
THEY SPECIFICALLY TOLD ME TODAY THAT IT'S UP TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO DECIDE.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING MORE? YOU'D LIKE TO SAY NOW THE NEXT PERSON.
YOU COULD STATE YOUR FIRST AND YOUR LAST NAME.
I'M A PARENT OF TWO CHILDREN WHO ATTEND HILTON HEAD ISLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THANK YOU TO THE SCHOOL BOARD SUPERINTENDENT FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO DO MORE, TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS AND STAFF IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT RELATED TO COVID-19.
I'M ASKING YOU TO ENACT A TEMPORARY MASS POLICY.
LAST WEEK, CHARLESTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ADOPTED A FACE COVERING POLICY.
IT WAS ENACTED AS A TEMPORARY POLICY UNTIL OCTOBER 15.
HOWEVER, THE COURT HAS THE ABILITY TO EXTEND IT, THEIR FUNDING, THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE POLICY BY USING RESERVE FUNDS FROM A PRIOR YEAR BUDGET.
THAT'S NOT SUBJECT TO THE PROVISO, THE REQUESTING THE U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING FOR REIMBURSEMENT AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE POLICY.
STUDENTS WHO DO NOT WISH TO MASK CAN DO VIRTUAL SCHOOL IS CHARLESTON COUNTY OPINION THAT THE POLICY DOES NOT VIOLATE STATE LAW.
PLEASE ENACT A SIMILAR MASS POLICY UNTIL OUR COVID NUMBERS ARE MORE MANAGEABLE.
IF THE BOARD OR SUPERINTENDENT ARE UNWILLING TO ENACT A MASS POLICY THAN PLEASE DO MORE TO STRONGLY ENCOURAGE MASKS, THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE PROPOSAL THAT PROHIBITS ENCOURAGEMENT.
THERE SHOULD BE LANGUAGE ENCOURAGING.
EVERY COVID ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE SCHOOL PUTS OUT.
WE SHOULD BE GETTING ROBOCALLS FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT ABOUT MASK WEARING.
WE'VE HAD A TEACHER IN OUR DISTRICT DIE OF COVID.
WE HAVE OTHER SICK IN THE HOSPITAL.
WHY IS THE DISTRICT NOT ENCOURAGING MASK, WEARING IT? EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU CAN.
THIS SEEMS LIKE LOW-HANGING FRUIT.
PART OF THE UNSETTLING FEELING SENDING, SENDING YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL DURING A PANDEMIC IS THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR DAY LOOKS LIKE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR CLASSROOMS LOOK LIKE.
WALKING THE HALLS LOOK LIKE PARENTS AREN'T ALLOWED IN THE BUILDING.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE TEACHERS WHERE MASS AROUND OUR KIDS.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THE COVID POLICIES ARE BEING FOLLOWED.
I DO KNOW THAT BOTH OF MY KIDS REGULARLY TELL ME THAT THEY'VE HAD EIGHT PEOPLE ABSENT OR FIVE PEOPLE ABSENT IN THEIR CLASS.
WHAT ARE THE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE NUMBERS? HOW MANY ILLNESS ABSENCES, HOW MANY COVID ISOLATIONS ARE QUARANTINES? WE DON'T KNOW COVID NUMBERS.
WHAT THEY ARE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
CHARLESTON COUNTY HAS A COVID DASHBOARD ON THEIR WEBSITE.
WE NEED ONE THERE SAYS TOTAL PIECES BY SCHOOL YEAR TO DATE DAILY, A COMPARISON TO LAST YEAR, PERHAPS YOU AND I HOPE AS BOARD MEMBERS MAY BE RECEIVING THIS INFORMATION.
THE PUBLIC IS LEFT IN THE DARK IN A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO BE TRANSPARENT, WAITING FOR THE SCORE COVID INFECTION INFORMATION TO BE REPORTED, OR THE NEWSPAPERS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN REAL TIME.
AND I KNOW THE DISTRICT IS TAKING CAUTIONS AND THERE ARE COVID PROTOCOLS IN PLACE.
AND EVEN WITH ALL THESE MEASURES, IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH AS A PARENT, I WILL NOT FEEL LIKE I'M SENDING MY KIDS INTO A SAFE ENVIRONMENT UNTIL EVERYONE IS MASTER OR EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE VACCINATED.
MY CHILDREN HAVE UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS.
MANY OTHER KIDS IN THE DISTRICT ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.
WHY SHOULD THEY HAVE TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE TAKING A RISK JUST TO GO TO SCHOOL, PLEASE KEEP OUR STUDENTS,
[00:30:01]
TEACHERS, STAFF SAFE, PLEASE ENACT A TEMPORARY MASS POLICY.THANK YOU TO THOSE THAT COMMENTED.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WE ARE NOW DOWN TO THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.
[Chairman’s Report]
DISCUSS THREE THINGS THAT ARE LISTED ON THE AGENDA.THE FIRST ONE IS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S EVALUATION.
THE BOARD SHALL EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT AT LEAST ONCE A FISCAL YEAR, AS OUTLINED IN THE SUPERINTENDENTS EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT ON PAGE SIX UNDER HEADING NINE EVALUATION.
AND THIS IS ALSO OUTLINED IN OUR COHERENT GOVERNANCE POLICY MANUAL PER POLICY BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT RELATIONS, POLICY FIVE, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, QUOTE, EACH OCTOBER, THE BOARD WILL CONDUCT A FORMAL SUMMATIVE EVALUATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.
THE SUMMATIVE EVALUATION WILL BE BASED UPON DATA COLLECTED DURING THE PREVIOUS ACADEMIC YEAR FROM THE MONITORING OF RESULTS AND OPERATIONAL EXPECTATION POLICIES.
THE BOARD WILL PREPARE A WRITTEN EVALUATION DOCUMENT, UNQUOTE PER CO GOVERNANCE POLICY GC FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO AS CHAIR.
IT IS ONE OF MY DUTIES TO COMPILE AND FACILITATE THE BOARD SUMMATIVE EVALUATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.
UNQUOTE, THE NEXT STEPS ARE THE FOLLOWING.
THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL PROVIDE THE BOARD DOCUMENTATION AND RESPONSES TO THE EVALUATION TOOL THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED.
BOARD MEMBERS WILL THEN INDIVIDUALLY COMPLETE THE EVALUATION TOOL AND THE RESULTS WILL BE TALLIED.
THE BOARD WILL MEET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS HIS PERFORMANCE AND COMPENSATION.
AND FINALLY, A SUMMATIVE REPORT WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
SO MS. CUSHION, BARRY WILL, UH, START MAKING ARRANGEMENTS, UH, FOR THAT PROCESS TO TAKE PLACE.
UM, AND, UH, WE'LL BE CONTACTING THE BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT DATES, ET CETERA.
UM, ON PUBLIC COMMENTS, I GOT AN EMAIL TODAY AND IT WAS ALSO ADDRESSED ROBYN FROM IN YOUR BELOS REQUESTING TO SPEAK.
AND I THINK SOME SOMETHING MIGHT'VE GONE WRONG.
I DO YOU HAVE THAT? WELL, HOW ABOUT WE FINISH THE CHAIR REPORT AND THEN WE'LL TRY HER AND SEE IF WE CAN GET HER SINCE THERE WAS SOME MIX UP.
NEXT ON THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT IS THE UPDATE ON THE BOARD'S RESOLUTION SUBMITTED IN JUNE TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION AND LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION IN EARLY JUNE, THE BOARD SUBMITTED A PROPOSED RESOLUTION TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION AND TO THE BUFORD COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
THE RESOLUTION STATED THE FOLLOWING QUOTE TO ENSURE OUR STATE CAN RECRUIT AND RETAIN EXCELLENT TEACHERS.
WE CALL ON THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STEPS ON THE STATE MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE TO 28 YEARS BY ANNUALLY FUNDING AND ADDITIONAL STEP FOR THE FIVE YEARS BEYOND THE EXISTING 23RD STEP UNQUOTE, DEBBIE ELMORE, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION HAS REGRETTABLY INFORMED ME THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION DID NOT ACCEPT OUR RESOLUTION FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
ONE STEP INCREASES ARE UNFUNDED MANDATES AND SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE WOULD BE UNABLE TO FUND THE INCREASE THAT THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD PROPOSED.
AND SECONDLY, THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION ALREADY HAS A LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION IN PLACE ADVOCATING TO RAISE TEACHER PAY TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR TEACHER SALARIES.
SO IT IS STILL POSSIBLE THAT OUR BUFORD COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION WILL GO FORWARD WITH OUR PROPOSED RESOLUTION.
IT JUST WILL NOT GO THROUGH THE, UM, THE CONDUIT OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION.
UM, MISS ELMORE SAID SHE WOULD PROVIDE ME SOMETHING IN WRITING, BUT SHE HAS NOT DONE SO TODAY.
AND LASTLY, THE, UM, REGARDING, UH, THE MASK MANDATES CURRENTLY STATE LAW PROHIBITS MASS MANDATES IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS PER PROVIDES A 1.108.
THIS HAS BEEN UPHELD BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT IN THEIR PUBLISHED OPINION OF SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2021
[00:35:02]
REGARDING THE LAWSUIT OF WILSON VS.CITY OF COLUMBIA, ANOTHER LAWSUIT, RICHLAND COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TWO AT ALL VERSUS LUCAS AT ALL.
ALSO REGARDING MASK MANDATES HAS ALREADY BEEN HEARD BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT, BUT THEIR OPINION TO DATE HAS NOT BEEN PUBLISHED.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT WEBSITE STATES THE FOLLOWING ABOUT THIS SECOND CASE QUOTE, THE COURT HAS AGREED TO DECIDE THIS REQUEST FOR DECLARATORY AND INJECT INJUNCTIVE RELIEF IN ITS ORIGINAL JURISDICTION, TO DETERMINE THE VALIDITY OF PROVISO.
1.1 AWAY AND PROVISION A 1.103 OF THE 20 21, 20 22 APPROPRIATIONS ACT ON QUOTE, THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD IS AWAITING THE COURT.
SECOND OPINION BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH FURTHER DISCUSSION REGARDING MASKS.
THAT CONCLUDES MY CHAIR REPORT.
SO WE'LL TRY THE, THE THIRD OR THE THIRD REMOTE PUBLIC COMMENT OR, AND SEE IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
YES, YOU HAVE TO, UM, I'M GOING TO PUT YOU ON SPEAKER, YOUR LAST NAME PLEASE.
UH, IN TWO PRIOR MEETINGS, I ADDRESSED THE BOARD IN-PERSON AND VIRTUALLY ONE IN PERSON.
AT POINT WHEN I INTRODUCED MYSELF, I HEARD SNICKERING AND SORT OF SMIRKING BY SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS.
HOWEVER, THE LAST MEETING, WHEN MR. ZAP ADDRESSED YOUR PERSON, I SAW AND HEARD MUCH WORSE AFTER SHE SPOKE, I ADDRESSED YOU VIRTUALLY.
AND AGAIN, EVERYTHING BEHAVIOR WAS EXHIBITED.
WHAT SIDE OF THE POLITICAL AISLE I SPEAK WITH COMES FROM EACH.
AND EVERY ONE OF THEM DESERVES YOUR FULL RESPECT.
YOU SNICKER AND SNEER AT JUST ONE OF US.
YOU DO SO TO ALL OF US, THE LACK OF RESPECT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO COME BEFORE YOU TO EXERCISE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF FREE SPEECH AND SEEKING REDRESS FROM GOVERNMENT IS DESPICABLE.
I FIRMLY STAND BY THE RIGHT OF EACH PERSON TO FULLY EXERCISE THE FIRST AMENDMENT, NOT ONE PERSON WHO COMES BEFORE THIS BOARD TO ADDRESS YOU DESERVE YOUR DERISION AND RUDENESS.
I SAID THIS BEFORE AND NOW I DOUBLE DOWN, WE ARE ACTIVELY RECRUITING PEOPLE TO RUN FOR YOUR SEAT RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE A BROKEN, SLEEPING GIANT, AND WE'RE COMING FOR YOUR SEATS.
FOR THOSE OF YOU ON THE BOARD WHO SPOKE AGAINST YOUR RUDENESS AND DEFENDED US AS THEIR CONSTITUENTS.
WE DEEPLY THANK YOU, BUT THOSE WHO DIDN'T, WE'RE COMING FOR YOUR SEATS NEXT.
AND FINALLY, SUPERINTENDENT RODRIGUEZ.
WE GAVE YOU THIS BOARD TO WORK WITH.
WE NOW MUST WORK HARD TO REMEDY THAT SITUATION.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE TWO TO FIND SOMEONE OF YOUR QUALITIES AND WE ARE DEEPLY, DEEPLY GRATEFUL THAT YOU HAVE THE DETERMINATION, PATIENCE WIT AND WISDOM TO NAVIGATE THIS WIDE MEYER.
WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO ALL HEARTY.
STAY THE COURSE AND WE WILL BATTLE TO RIGHT THE SHIP YOU'RE WATCHING MAKE GOD BLESS.
[Committee Reports]
ALL RIGHT.NOW WE ARE DOWN TO THE COMMITTEE.
REPORTS FIRST IS A FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORTING BY OUR CHAIR, COLONEL DICK GEIER.
I'D LIKE TO OPEN BY MAKING A MOTION.
I MOVED AT THE BOARD APPROVE OH, 6.6 FOURTH QUARTER FYI, 2021 FINANCIAL REPORT.
UM, SO THE MOTION WAS MADE BY COLONEL GEIER.
WAS NASKI I'M MR. CAMPBELL, EARL CAMPBELL.
CAN YOU JUST RAISE YOUR HAND ELECTRONIC CANDY IF YOU WANT A SECOND EMOTION.
I'D LIKE TO JUST MAKE US SOME, UH, SUMMATION OF THE REPORT.
THE FULL REPORT IS IN YOUR PACKET.
UH, LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE COLLECTED AT $2.5 MILLION
[00:40:02]
MORE THAN WE EXPECTED TO GET, WHICH IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA.AND THAT WAS DUE TO INCREASE PROPERTY VALUES.
PRIMARILY WE ALSO GET AN INCREASE IN STATE AND FEDERAL REVENUES AT THE STATE WAS ABOUT $600,000 MORE THAN WHAT THE STATE, UH, WE THOUGHT THE STATE WOULD PROVIDE US.
AND THE FEDERAL, UH, INCREASE WAS ABOUT 133% PRIMARILY DUE TO S OR FUNDS, UH, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.
SO TOTAL EXPENDITURES WERE ALSO UNDER SPENT AT 1.2% OF THE BUDGET FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 MILLION, UH, $14,818.
UH, SO THAT ALLOWED OUR FUND BALANCE TO GROW BY 5 MILLION, 310,269.
AND THIS WAS DUE TO INCREASE LOCAL REVENUES AND REDUCTION IN SPENDING AS A RESULT OF COVID CURTAILMENTS, A VERY POSITIVE, UH, FINANCIAL REPORT DETAILS ARE IN YOUR PACKET.
UH, I WOULD WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THAT FUND BALANCE, UH, IS A GOOD THING TO HAVE, AND THAT WILL ALLOW US PERHAPS TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF GROWING OUR FUND BALANCE SO THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE TO BORROW MONEY EVERY YEAR, UH, THROUGH A TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE FOR THE PERIOD OF 1ST OF JULY AND TO ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER WHEN WE START TO GET OUR LOCAL REVENUES.
SO A VERY GOOD REPORT, AND I'M PROUD TO BRING THAT UP BEFORE THE BOARD, UH, AND I'M SURE MS. CROSBY IS AVAILABLE IF THERE IS ANY QUESTIONS.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BY BOARD MEMBERS? ALL RIGHT, MS. CROSBY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING? YES.
UH, JUST, UH, I, MR. GUYER SUMMARIZE THINGS VERY WELL.
I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THESE ARE UNAUDITED FINANCIALS.
WE'RE STILL MAKING A FEW LAST, UH, ENTRIES AND BALANCE RECONCILIATIONS, AS WE PREPARE FOR OUR AUDITORS WHO ARE ALREADY WORKING ON OUR ANNUAL AUDIT.
AND, UH, SO THE, ALTHOUGH THERE WILL BE SOME CHANGES, THEY WILL BE RELATIVELY MINIMAL AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE WILL BE BRINGING A REPORT BACK TO YOU FROM THE AUDITOR'S IN, UH, AROUND THE FIRST, UH, BOARD MEETING IN DECEMBER.
WELL, VOTING IS OPEN SO, UM, MS. CUSHY BARRIER, WE NEED THOSE.
I WAS GONNA SAY THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT YEAH.
THE M O E 6.6 IS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
MR. GUYER, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING FURTHER TO REPORT? NO MATTER, NO MATTER CHAIR, NOTHING MORE AT THIS TIME.
NEXT UP WE HAVE OPERATIONS, UH, REPORTED OUT BY CHAIR TRISHA FIDRYCH.
UM, THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MET ON SEPTEMBER 15TH AND WE, UM, AS USUAL HAD A LOT TO COVER.
UM, THE FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO BRING FORWARD TO THE BOARD'S ATTENTION IS THAT MS. WALTON DID BRING FORWARD OH, E FOUR FOR A FIRST ROUND CONVERSATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT'S INTERPRETATION OF OH, E FOUR.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE A COUPLE PARTS OF THAT OPERATIONAL EXPECTATION THAT SHE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT.
SO, UM, WE ARE ASKING THAT THE, UM, BOARD AGREE TO HAVE ONE FOR SPECIFICALLY, OH, WE 4.80 84 POINT 14.
[00:45:01]
PARAGRAPH OFWELL, WHY DON'T WE HAVE A, IF ANYBODY DOES NOT AGREE WITH THAT, UH, UM, RECOMMENDATION COMING OUT OF, UH, OPERATIONS, PLEASE MAKE A MOTION NOW.
CAN YOU JUST REPEAT THE, WHICH ONES THAT ARE GOING TO LOOK AT AGAIN? SO, UM, MS. WALTON HAD SOME QUESTIONS THAT, UM, WE FELT BETTER ANSWERED BY THE POLICY COMMITTEE OF OH, E 4.80 E FOUR POINT 14 AND THE ENTIRE LAST PARAGRAPH OF O E FOUR.
AND OF COURSE THE POLICY COMMITTEE WOULD REVIEW THIS AND THEN BRING IT BACK TO THE FULL BOARD FOR, UM, UH, AGREEMENT.
UM, NO, I THINK IT'S KIND OF EVIDENT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE, UM, THAT THAT JUST NEEDS A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, A LITTLE MORE CLARIFICATION SO THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S INTERPRETATION WOULD BE MORE, UM, ACCURATE.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? A LITTLE BIT, YES.
UH, MY QUESTION WOULD BE, UM, UH, CO SHOULD WE NOT SEND IT? SO WE GOT SEND THAT TO A WORK SESSION SO THAT THE, UH, EVERYONE CAN NOT UNDERSTANDING AND HAVING A FULL INTERPRETATION AS, AS A, AS A FOOTBOARD, MAY I, WELL, THE, WHAT WAS JUST SAID WAS THAT IT WOULD GO TO POLICY FOR THEM TO WORK ON IT, AND THEN IT WOULD COME BACK TO THE BOARD.
SO THE BOARD WOULD HAVE, THE WHOLE BOARD WOULD HAVE INPUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO A DIFFERENTLY FROM THAT, GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION, MAKE A MOTION THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS WORK SESSION.
AND DO WE HAVE A SECOND THERE BEING NO SECOND THAT IT'S NOT ENTERTAINED BY THE BOARD.
ALL RIGHT, MS. FREDERICK, RIGHT.
UM, THE NEXT THING THAT THE OPERATIONS TOOK A LOOK AT WAS, UM, SS 18, THE PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE PLAN, THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT, AND, UM, MEREDITH STIR MAC, UH, LED THAT CONVERSATION DURING THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE HER A SHOUT OUT FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT SHE DID TO UPDATE THE DISCIPLINE PLAN.
AND A LOT OF, UM, WHAT WAS ADDED WAS JUST SOME CLARIFYING LANGUAGE.
UM, SOME, SOME DEFINITIONS OF WHAT THE INFRACTION MIGHT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND ROBIN, I DO BELIEVE THAT WAS, UM, UH, IN BOARD DOCS FOR EVERYONE TO SEE, UH, MS. CARTLIDGES HERE.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, MR. MAC WAS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US TONIGHT, BUT I JUST WANT TO, UM, ENSURE, UH, LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT WE SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME ON THIS.
WENT THROUGH, ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND FELT THAT THE ADDITIONS TO THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT WERE, WERE EXCELLENT ADDITIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
MR. CARTILAGE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ANY GENERAL COMMENTS? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO INTRODUCE DOCTOR HERE.
WE NEED YOU ON THE MICROPHONE SO EVERYONE CAN HEAR AT HOME.
I WANT TO THANK MEREDITH STERMAN FOR ALL HER WORK ON THIS PROJECT.
SHE WAS VERY DILIGENT IN ENSURING THAT WE WEREN'T COMPLIANT WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR OUR STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT AND DR.
JULIET WHITE, OUR NEW, UH, STUDENT SERVICES OFFICER IS ON ZOOM.
AND SHE JUST WANTED TO HAVE A FEW WORDS WITH YOU.
SHE WAS UNABLE TO BE PRESENT IN PERSON.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS DR.
I THINK MS. FREDERICK DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF TALKING ABOUT THE CHANGES AND THE UPDATES THAT, UM, MS.
I JUST LIKE TO SAY, UM, I ATTENDED THAT MEETING WHEN THIS WORK WAS GOING ON AND, UM, IT W IF YOU, HOPEFULLY YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE DOCUMENT AND WHAT THE ADDITIONS WERE, UM, MAKING IT MORE COMPLIANT.
THAT'S WHAT THE STATE MANUAL, SO VERBIAGE FROM STATE
[00:50:01]
WAS PUT INTO OUR POLICY SO THAT IT BECOMES, UM, SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT THE, THE STATE IS DICTATING.SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT, MS. BOATWRIGHT.
UM, I ASKED THIS QUESTION IN A COMMITTEE, BUT I WANTED, UH, DR.
WHITE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO POINT OUT THAT THIS WILL BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
SO IF A PARENT DID WANT TO SEE, SAY THE DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE FOR VANDALISM, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, ALL THIS INFORMATION WE READILY AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE WITH THE NEW ADDITIONS, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
YOU'RE WELCOME, MR. SMITH ALSO, UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR WORK.
ALSO, THERE WAS A QUESTION THAT I ASKED HIM, UH, OVER THE WEEKEND.
I GOTTA ASK THIS QUESTION AGAIN.
UM, IN TERMS OF STUDENTS WITH IEP, IS THERE A, A SIMPLE, SIMPLE, UM, IS THERE A SIMPLE WAY FOR THE DISTRICT TO TRACK STUDENTS WHO ARE GETTING, UH, WHO HAVE WORKED GETTING DISCIPLINED AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL? BECAUSE, WELL, YEAH,
SO THERE IS A WAY FOR THE DISCIPLINARY INFRACTIONS.
ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS ENTERED INTO POWERSCHOOL IN OUR INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND THEN WE'RE WORKING WITH DATA SERVICES AND DANIELLE, AND, UM, PREVIOUSLY THEY WOULD ALWAYS SEND A REPORT OUT TO, UM, MY DEPARTMENT AS WELL, THAT CAN BE SHARED WITH THE SCHOOLS ON THAT.
AND LAST YEAR WE WERE RECOGNIZED AS DISPROPORTIONATE DISCIPLINE.
SO WE WORK WITH SCHOOLS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY REALLY LOOK AT THAT DATA.
UM, AND WE HAVE SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO CONTINUE THAT PRACTICE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, AND I HAVE TO GO OVER THAT DISCIPLINE INFORMATION ON A REGULAR CONSISTENT BASIS ALSO WITH NOT TO BRADLEY WHILE I'M REPORTING TO NOW.
UM, SO THERE IS A SYSTEM, A MECHANISM MECHANISM IN PLACE, AND TWO DIFFERENT, UM, PLACES, INCIDENT MANAGEMENT AND OUR EDUCATORS HANDBOOK.
AND, AND ALSO AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, IS THERE A EQUITABLE, IS THERE, IS THERE AN EQUITABLE, UM, DISTRICT THAT'S ALL TO WHERE THAT EVERYTHING IS ACROSS THE DISTRICT IS EQUITABLE AND THAT EVERYTHING IS BEING IS BEING HANDED OUT THE SAME.
SO AS FAR AS THE DISCIPLINE INFRACTIONS AND, UM, CONSEQUENCES, THEY'RE ALL, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? YES.
SO IN THE, UM, CODE OF CONDUCT STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT, THERE IS A DISCIPLINE MATRIX THAT SCHOOLS HAVE GUIDANCE ON WHAT SHOULD BE GIVEN FOR CERTAIN INFRACTIONS.
AND THAT IS TO BE UTILIZED ACROSS THE BOARD, UM, ADULT SCHOOL.
SO THAT'D BE A SAID, SO THE DISTRICT DOES HAVE A UNIVERSAL POLICY PI UNIVERSAL CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY.
AND DO THE DISTRICT HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS OVERSEEING THAT? SO, YES, AND YES.
SO THAT WAS DONE WITH, UH, DR.
CAMPBELL, UH, UH, MISS WINTON.
AND THAT IS TRANSITIONING AS WE TRANSITIONED INTO THE DIVISION OF STUDENT SERVICES TO CONTINUE TO OVERSIGHT.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHO MY QUESTION IS BEST DIRECTED TOWARDS, BUT I WAS LOOKING AT THE DEFINITIONS FOR BULLYING AND CYBER BULLYING, AND THEY SEEM, UM, IDENTICAL ONE, THE, THE BULLYING ONE REFERENCES AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION, THE CYBER BULLYING ONE DOES AS WELL.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, UM, IF THERE WAS CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, IF THAT WAS INTENTIONAL OR NOT.
UM, BUT I THINK THE CYBER BULLYING IS THE ONE THAT SHOULD INCLUDE THE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION.
SO THOSE WERE THE DEFINITIONS THAT CAME FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT, BUT I WILL HAVE MEREDITH TO GO BACK AND DOUBLE CHECK THAT THEY WERE NOT IDENTICAL FROM THE STATE, AND THAT WAS NOT IN THERE.
AND THEN MY OTHER, THE OTHER THING I NOTED WAS UNDER FIRST OCCURRENCE FOR CYBER BULLYING.
IT SAYS, UM, UP TO ONE DAY, BUT IT DOESN'T SAY OSS OR ISS.
SO I THINK, I THINK IT'S SUPPOSED TO SAY OSS, BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T CLARIFY WHAT THAT MEANS.
SO LEVEL ONE OUT, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, AGAIN, THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR HARD WORK ON THIS.
[00:55:01]
THIS DISCIPLINE MATRIX WAS SOMETHING, UM, THAT'S CRUCIAL FOR THE EQUITABLE, UM, UH, WHENEVER SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE DISTRICT SO THAT THINGS ARE DONE THE SAME.AND THANK YOU MS. CARTILAGE FOR YOUR HELP WITH THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO THE NEXT THING THAT, UH, THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE WORKED ON WAS THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE.
SO WE BRING THAT FORWARD TO YOU LIKE WE DO, UM, EVERY EVERYBODY.
AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE ALSO AT THE CONCLUSION, I HAVE MY HAND UP APOLOGIZE.
SO WHY DON'T YOU FINISH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? AND THEN I CAN CALL AND MR. SMITH, WHEN YOU FINISH, UM, AFTER WE WENT THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE, WE TOOK, UM, JUST A VERY BRIEF LOOK AT THE REFERENDUM PROGRAM RESET THAT IS ONLY IN ITS INFANCY.
SO WE'RE NOT BRINGING THAT FORWARD THIS EVENING, AS FAR AS WITH ANY STRONG, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PROJECTIONS OR NUMBERS AND SO ON, BUT THAT WILL BE AT NEXT MONTH'S MEETING.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE REALLY JUST DOING THAT, THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE AND IS, UH, MR.
NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN BEFORE STARTED MR. SMITH, YOUR QUESTION OR COMMENT.
UH, ACTUALLY IT WASN'T IN REFERENCE TO THE LAST, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE LAST, UM, UPDATE, THE LAST UPDATE, UH, IT WASN'T REFERENCING TO, UH, IF A STUDENT, UH, I WILL LET DR.
ORIGINS CLARIFY IF A STUDENT IS SENT HOME WITHOUT A REFERRAL, WHAT SHOULD THE PARENT DO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
IF A STUDENT IS SENT HOME WITHOUT A REFERRAL, THE PARENTS SHOULD CONTACT THE SCHOOL AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION.
BUT, AND THEY HAD THE SCHOOL HAVE CALLED THE PARENT AND TOLD THE PARENTS TO COME PICK THE STUDENT UP AND DID NOT PROVIDE THIS SOCIAL THAT THE STUDENT IS SUSPENDED, BUT DID NOT PROVIDE THEM WITH THE REFERRAL.
HOW DOES WHAT'S THAT PROCESS? HOW DOES THAT WORK? WELL, I MEAN, THIS IS SORT OF A HYPOTHETICAL, CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT CONVERSATION OR WHAT INTERACTION TOOK PLACE.
UM, BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT AT THAT JUNCTURE, THEY SHOULD, UH, THEY SHOULD COMMUNICATE WITH THE SCHOOL, UH, IN TERMS OF THE REFERRAL, WHAT I'M ASKING, BECAUSE I'VE HAD SEVERAL PARENTS WHO HAVE TOLD ME IN THE PAST THAT THEY HAVE HAD THE SCHOOL HAVE CALLED THEM AND TOLD THEM TO COME PICK THE KIDS UP, BUT THEN THEY HAVE TO, THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT, UH, WE GIVE YOU, WE'LL JUST LET HIM COME BACK TOMORROW, OR WE WILL GIVE YOU A, WE GIVE YOU A FURLOUGH OR, OR, OR IT'S JUST OUR OSS FOR THE DAY, BUT THE PARENTS ARE CONCERNED THAT THEY DON'T HAVE NOTHING IN WRITING.
AND SO I'M JUST ASKING YOU THAT.
SO WHAT DOES THAT PROCESS AND WHAT, WHAT SHOULD THAT LOOK LIKE IN TURN THEN IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, OF, UM, SUSPENSIONS OR IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, ACTION-TAKING, WHERE WOULD THAT, WHAT ACTION WOULD YOU HAVE IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S A SUSPENSION? WELL, IF THERE'S A DISCIPLINARY ACTION, UH, THEY SHOULD RECEIVE A REFERRAL FOR THAT, UH, FOR THAT, FOR THE ACTION TAKEN AND THEN, UH, FOR, FOR THE, UH, VIOLATION COMMITTED AND THEN, UH, THE ACTION TAKEN.
SO THEY SHOULD, THEY SHOULD RECEIVE A REFERRAL.
AND IF THEY DON'T, THEY SHOULD CONTACT THE SCHOOL, UH, FOR A COPY OF THAT REFERRAL.
AND IF THE SCHOOL DOES NOT INITIALLY CONTACT THE DISTRICT OFFICE, I'M SORRY, I COULDN'T HEAR, I SAID IF THE SCHOOL DOES NOT GIVE THEM A REFERRAL, WHO SHOULD THEY CONTACT IS MY QUESTION.
AND THEN, UH, THEY CAN CONTACT THE OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES.
ALL RIGHT, MR. CORBIN, WE'RE READY FOR YOUR CONSTRUCTION UPDATE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATES THAT WERE SHARED WITH THE OPERATION COMMITTEE AT THEIR SEPTEMBER 15TH MEETING ROBIN, IF YOU'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD TO SLIDES THREE AND FOUR ON SLIDE THREE, UH, YOU'LL SEE, UH, SOME RECENT PHOTOS OF THE EUCLID ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROJECT, AS WELL AS UPDATED FINANCIAL FIGURES.
FOUR I'LL ADDRESS THE YELLOW SCHEDULE, A TRAFFIC LIGHT THAT WAS ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, AS WELL AS THIS ONE, THE, UH, YELLOW TRAFFIC LIGHTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FACT THAT, UH, HG RANNELLS FELL BEHIND, ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR ELECTRICAL SUBCONTRACTOR WORK THAT WAS BEING PERFORMED.
UM, HGR HAS BROUGHT IN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO, UH, IMPROVE ON THAT SITUATION.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S FACTORING IN ON THIS, A YELLOW, UH, SET OF
[01:00:01]
FLAGS IS THAT LEAD TIMES FOR MATERIALS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE IMPACT RESISTANT GLASS THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE CONNECTOR, UH, THOSE LEAD TIMES ARE, UH, RESULTING IN, UH, SOME DELAYS IN COMPLETING THAT PORTION OF THE PROJECT.THE PROJECT IS STILL SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR AND THE SWING SPACE THAT WAS BROUGHT ONTO THIS CAMPUS IN THE FORM OF MOBILE CLASSROOMS, THOSE TO THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND, MIDDLE SCHOOL SITE, MOVING ALONG TO SLIDES FIVE AND SIX FOR BATTERY CREEK ON SLIDE FIVE THERE, YOU'LL SEE, UH, THE RECENT, UH, CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS PHOTOS, UH, AS WELL AS THE FINANCIAL FIGURES.
THIS PROJECT IS REPORTING WITH GREEN LIGHTS UNDER BUDGET AND SCHEDULE.
UH, B KAHN IS DOING A REALLY EXCELLENT JOB AND PROGRESSING THIS PROJECT.
AND WE ANTICIPATE, YOU'LL SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THAT THE, UH, UH, VARIOUS ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE, BUT, UH, THE NEXT REAL BIG MILESTONE WILL BE THE COMPLETION OF THE BUILDING PAD FOR THE ADDITION THAT IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH, MOVING ALONG TO SLIDE SEVEN, UH, UPDATING, UH, FOR ROBERT SMALLS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY.
UM, I JUST GOT A NOTE THAT MY INTERNET IS UNSTABLE CONNECTION RIGHT NOW.
I'M GOING TO STOP MY VIDEO SO THAT HOPEFULLY WE'LL IMPROVE ON THAT.
UM, VALUE ENGINEERING COST REDUCTIONS WERE COMPLETED IN AUGUST.
UH, THEY RESULTED IN TOTAL COST REDUCTIONS OF JUST OVER $1.7 MILLION, THE JE DUNN AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO, THAT INCLUDED THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE REPLACEMENT SCHOOL SITE WORK, LANDSCAPING DEMOLITION, UH, PLUS THE GMP FOR THE, UH, ALTERNATE ASSOCIATED WITH MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM WAS ACCEPTED BY THE BOARD ON AUGUST 17TH APPROVAL OF THAT AMENDMENT DID REQUIRE A USE OF THE PROGRAM LEVEL CONTINGENCY.
UM, AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE USED THAT PROGRAM LEVEL LEVEL CONTINGENCIES SINCE APRIL, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR, UH, W LONG LEAD TIMES, UH, FOR MATERIALS, ESPECIALLY THE S THE STRUCTURAL STEEL HAVE, UH, RESULTED IN THE NEED FOR ADJUSTING THE SCHEDULE.
UM, THE MOBILIZATION SITE ACTIVITIES REPORTED ON THIS SLIDE, UH, REFLECTED THAT WE WERE ANTICIPATING THOSE ACTIVITIES TO COMMENCE IN NOVEMBER.
ADDITIONAL PROGRESS HAS OCCURRED SINCE WE PREPARED THIS MATERIAL.
AND IT NOW LOOKS LIKE ACTIVITIES THAT THE SITE MAY BEGIN IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
SO THAT'S A GOOD SIGN THAT WE'RE GETTING A GOOD JUMPSTART ON COMING OUT OF THE GATE WITH THIS PROJECT.
AS FAR AS MILESTONES, WE DO HAVE MILESTONE DATES IN THERE FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE REPLACEMENT SCHOOL THAT SCHEDULED TO OCCUR, UH, EARLY JULY OF 2023, AND THEN THE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION FOR PHASE TWO.
THE DEMO IN THE SITE RESTORATION IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR OF 2023, MOVING ALONG TO SLIDES EIGHT THROUGH 11, THOSE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HILTON HEAD ISLAND, ELEMENTARY HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UM, AS CA BLUFFTON ELEMENTARY AND MC RILEY.
ALL OF THESE PROJECTS ARE MAKING REALLY GOOD PROGRESS.
THERE ARE TWO YELLOW TRAFFIC LIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH HILTON HEAD ISLAND SCA AND BLUFFTON ELEMENTARY.
THESE HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED AND ARE REPORTED ONCE AGAIN WITH YELLOW LIGHTS, AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK TO RESCHEDULE PORTIONS OF THAT TEL TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE WORK, UH, THAT REMAINS THAT I'VE SHARED WITH THE BOARD PREVIOUSLY, MOVING ALONG TO SLIDE 12, A QUICK LITTLE UPDATE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND, MIDDLE SCHOOL, A YELLOW LINE THAT YOU SEE THERE UNDER THE BUDGET THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE D COST ESTIMATE THAT WAS RECEIVED FROM THOMPSON TURNER CONSTRUCTION INDICATING A POTENTIAL COST OVERAGE.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY COMMENCED COST REDUCTION MEETINGS, JUST LIKE WE DID EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL AND ROBERT SMALLS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, UH, UH, IDENTIFY WHERE A COST SAVINGS CAN BE CAPTURED TO, UH, BRING THIS PROJECT BACK TOWARDS THE, THE ESTABLISHED BUDGET, UM, THE, UM, PROPOSAL TO INSTALL AND CONNECT THE MOBILE CLASSROOM UNITS THAT WERE MOVED FROM BUFORD ELEMENTARY.
THOSE THAT THAT PROPOSAL HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND IS BEING EVALUATED.
UH, ONCE WE HAVE FINISHED OUR EVALUATION, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PREPARE THE AMENDMENT,
[01:05:01]
UH, SO THAT THE INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE MOBILE CLASSROOMS, UH, CAN TAKE PLACE, UH, IN NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION FOR THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE-SCHOOL, UH, RENOVATIONS, UH, ARE STILL SCHEDULED TO COMMENCE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR, MOVING ALONG TO SLIDE 13 FOR H TEAM MCCRACKEN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE CABLE TRAY INSTALLATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED, AND THE INSTALLATION OF THE BI-DIRECTIONAL AMPLIFIER, WHICH IMPROVES THE, UH, FIRST RESPONDERS RADIO, UH, UH, CONNECTIVITY INSIDE OUR STRUCTURES IS 85% COMPLETE.AND THIS HAS GOT THE YELLOW TRAFFIC LIGHT IN THERE FOR THE SCHEDULE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU JUST HEARD ME MENTION THAT IS CONTINUING TO BE, UH, LOOKED AT TO BE RESCHEDULED FOR THE PORTIONS OF THAT SCOPE THAT REMAINS MOVING ALONG TO SLIDE 14 AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH.
UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT NEW TURF FIELD.
UH, WE DID ENCOUNTER ISSUES WITH SOME SUBSURFACE SOIL CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRED CORRECTIONS, UH, RECENT RAIN.
UH, WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF IT, UM, HAS DELAYED PROGRESS AND, UH, UH, TO ADDRESS THAT DELAY HG RENTALS IS, UH, BRINGING IN TWO SHIFTS TO WORK PER DAY.
THEY'LL CONSIST OF A DAY CREW AND AN AFTERNOON CREW SO THAT THEY CAN STILL FINISH ON SCHEDULE.
UH, HD RENTALS IS STILL PLANNING ON HAVING THIS TURF FIELD READY FOR THAT, UH, FOOTBALL GAME THAT SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER EIGHT, UM, YELLOW TRAFFIC LIGHTS IN THIS, UH, PORTION OF THE REPORT FOR HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UM, ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SAFETY, SECURITY ITEMS, STUDENT MATERIAL LEAD TIMES JUST DIDN'T ALLOW US TO COMPLETE OR START THAT WORK, UH, THIS PAST SUMMER.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS TO PREPARE A REVISED SCHEDULE THAT, UH, WILL BE COORDINATED WITH THEM AS WELL AS THE, UH, ATHLETIC PHASE TWO SCOPE THAT'S, UH, WRAPPING UP DESIGN, UH, DESIGNERS ARE ADDRESSING REVISIONS THAT WE RECEIVED, UH, THAT WERE REQUESTED BY THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION.
UM, CONSTRUCTION IS SCHEDULED TO COMMENCE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, MOVING ALONG TO SLIDE 15 FOR BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL, UM, THE TURF FIELD AT THIS, UH, LOCATION, UH, UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE, UH, UH, COMMENCING THAT AFTER THE END OF FOOTBALL SEASON, UH, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO HAPPEN, UM, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH.
UM, IF THE OPPORTUNITY DOES PRESENT ITSELF TO BEGIN EARLIER BECAUSE THE FOOTBALL SEASON ENDS A LITTLE EARLIER FOR BLUFFTON HIGH, WE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
SO WE CAN COMMENCE THE WORK SOONER THAN LATER, UH, WORK ON THAT TRACK, UH, IMPROVEMENT OUT THERE AT BLUFFTON HIGH.
WE'VE ALSO MADE PROGRESS ON THAT.
UH, THE, THE ISSUE WITH THE TREE ROOTS, UH, HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, RESOLVED AND REMOVE.
WE'VE ALSO, UH, CUT THE TREES, UH, AROUND THAT TRACK AS WELL.
UH, THE TRACK PAVING LAST WEEK WHEN I, UH, UPDATED THE OPERATION COMMITTEE, UH, WE WEREN'T, UH, EXPECTING THE DELAYS THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS DUE TO THIS HEAVY RAIN.
BUT WE, WE, WE DO LOOK TO SEE THAT, UH, RESTART FOR THE PAVING, UH, EITHER WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY OF THIS WEEK, IF THE WEATHER COOPERATES.
AND ONCE THAT PAVING GOES DOWN, WE'LL NEED A CURE FOR ABOUT A PERIOD OF ONE WEEK BEFORE WE CAN, UH, COMMENCE WITH THE STRIPING OF THAT TRACK SLIDE 16 THROUGH 29.
I'LL SORT OF TALK TO MORE AS A GROUP.
THESE ARE UPDATES FOR RIGHT CHOICES, CONSOLE, A MANDATORY BUFORD MIDDLE LADIES ISLAND METAL BUFORD.
HI, LADIES ISLAND, ELEMENTARY ST.
HELENA ELEMENTARY, BROAD RIVER ELEMENTARY SHANKLIN ELEMENTARY DAVIS ECC, WELL BRANCH ELEMENTARY AND WELL BRANCH MIDDLE.
ALL OF THESE ARE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS.
MANY OF THESE CONTAIN, UH, 8% CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT HAVE EITHER BEEN COMPLETED OR NEARING COMPLETION BY THE END OF LAST MONTH.
UH, I WILL GO BACK, UH, ROBIN TO SLIDE 23 REAL QUICK ON ST.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, DUE TO LONG MATERIAL LEAD TIMES AND SUBCONTRACTOR AVAILABILITIES, THE ST HELENA GYM RENOVATIONS
[01:10:01]
ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION IN OCTOBER, AND THE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION, UH, IS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT SUMMER.YOU'LL SEE THERE ON THAT BOTTOM LINE, THE, WHEN, UH, WE BRIEF THE OPERATION COMMITTEE, THERE WAS A TYPO, IT HAD READ THAT SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION WAS GOING TO OCCUR JULY 19TH, 2023.
IT IS GOING TO BE THIS COMING SUMMER, UH, 2022 FOR COMPLETING IT.
AND ON SLIDE 29, JUST BRIEFLY, UH, THE WELL BRANCH ELAM MANTRY, UH, HPAC REPLACEMENT REMEDIATION UPDATES THAT ARE SHOWN THERE, UH, TO POINT OUT THAT WE DO HAVE A YELLOW, UH, TRAFFIC LIGHTS FOR BUDGET AND SCHEDULE.
THOSE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE REQUESTS THAT CAME IN FROM THE NEW SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION.
THE ADMINISTRATIONS ASKED US TO INVESTIGATE, POSSIBLY CHANGING THE COLOR OF THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED FACADE.
UM, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND IF WE DO END UP CHANGING THE COLOR, IT DOES HAVE A POTENTIAL TO RESULT IN SOME MINOR ADDITIONAL COSTS.
AND, UH, ALSO A POTENTIAL FOR SOME SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENTS THAT I'D LIKE TO SHARE SLIDES.
30 THROUGH 33 ARE ASSOCIATED WITH 11, UH, 8% CAPITAL PROJECTS, UH, SCOPES FOR THESE TYPICALLY INCLUDE THE HPAC UPGRADES, PAINTING ROOFING, AND A COUPLE OF MEDIA CENTER IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, MANY OF THE 8% PROJECTS, UH, WERE EITHER COMPLETED BY THE END OF LAST MONTH, OR WE'RE NEARING COMPLETION ON SLIDE 32.
IF WE GO BACK UP ONE SLIDE ROBIN, WELL, BRANCH MIDDLE ROOFING, UH, IS 30% COMPLETE THAT ROOFING WORK CONTINUES TO OCCUR AFTER NORMAL SCHOOL HOURS.
AND THAT IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE END OF THIS YEAR.
AND FOR SLIDE 33, THE UPDATES ON THE MEDIA CENTERS AND, UH, LADIES ISLAND ELEMENTARY, UH, THE PROPOSAL FROM HG RANNELLS FOR THAT WORK AS BEING PREPARED.
AND WE SHOULD RECEIVE THAT THIS MONTH, WE'LL REVIEW THAT, AND THEN, UH, UH, PREPARE A SCHEDULE AFTER DISCUSSING IT WITH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND COORDINATING THAT WHEN THAT WORK CAN TAKE PLACE, UM, BECAUSE OF THE SCOPE THAT'S INVOLVED, THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, JUST DEPENDING UPON LONG LEAD, UH, ITEMS AND MATERIAL DELIVERY SCHEDULES ON WHETHER OR NOT ANY OF THAT WORK COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED, UH, OVER, UH, LONG HOLIDAYS OR THE WINTER BREAK.
BUT, UH, WE WILL COORDINATE THAT WITH THE SCHOOL AND THEN SHARE INFORMATION AND UPDATES AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
AND, UH, AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT SCOPE INCLUDED PROVIDE A NEW CIRCULATION DESK IN FURNITURE, FLOORING, AND INTERIOR PAINTING, UH, THAT WORK'S BEEN COMPLETED.
AND THERE'S A FEW, UH, PUNCH LIST ITEMS THAT MB KAHN IS CURRENTLY ADDRESSING, MOVING ALONG THE SLIDES, UH, 34 AND 35 TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT PROJECT CLOSE OUTS.
UM, I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF PROJECT CLOSEOUTS.
WE TALK ABOUT THEM WEEKLY, IF NOT DAILY IN OUR OFFICE, UH, THE PM'S KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN PROGRESS FROM LAST MONTH.
AND IF YOU'LL READ THOSE DETAILS UNDER THE COMMENTS, YOU'LL SEE A VERY COMMON THREAD, UH, WITH THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE LISTED, UH, BASICALLY ALL OF THEM HAVE HAD THEIR PROJECT CLOSEOUT DOCUMENTS, UH, REVIEWED AND ACCEPTED BY THE DESIGNER OF RECORD, AS WELL AS OUR PROJECT MANAGER OR THE ITEM THAT REMAINS FOR THESE PROJECTS PRIMARILY IS BOILED DOWN TO THE FINAL CHANGE ORDER THAT NEEDS TO BE PREPARED AND EXECUTED CHANGE ORDER ADDRESSES THE RETURN OF THE UNUSED UNSPENT, UH, PROJECT CONTINGENCY, AS WELL AS ANY UNUSED UNSPENT REMAINING ALLOWANCES THAT SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS MAY HAVE HAD IN THEM.
UH, I WILL, UH, POINT OUT THAT EARLIER TODAY ON THIS TOPIC.
UH, I DID WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR PROJECT MANAGERS WITH REGARDS TO SOME OF THE OLDER 8%, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS COMING FROM Y 2018.
AND FROM DISCUSSIONS TODAY, THREE ADDITIONAL PROJECTS ARE NOW READY TO BE CLOSED, MOVING ALONG TO SLIDE 36, AS A REMINDER, AS PART OF THE MATERIAL THAT WAS SUBMITTED AND DISTRIBUTED IS THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL,
[01:15:01]
A SUMMARY REPORT, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE REFERENDUM, UM, SLIDE 37 ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE FACT THAT, UH, FURNISHED WITH MATERIALS TONIGHT IS THE COPY OF THE UPDATED MONTHLY PROJECT CONTINGENCY LOG.YOU HEARD ME MENTION EARLIER THAT WE DID USE SOME CONTINGENCY TO AWARD THE JE DUNN AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO FOR ROBERT SMALLS, UH, THAT IS REFLECTED IN THIS LOG.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE USED ANY CONTINGENCY SINCE APRIL OF THIS YEAR.
THE OTHER ITEM THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED AS AN ATTACHMENT IS THE, UH, AMENDMENT TRACKING LOG THAT WE SHARED.
UH, LAST MONTH, ONCE AGAIN, THIS WILL BE OUR GOAL IS TO UPDATE THAT ON A MONTHLY BASIS AND DISTRIBUTE THAT OUT TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THAT TOOL, UH, TO, UM, UH, UNDERSTAND WHAT WORK HAS BEEN AWARDED BY CAMPUS AND A SCOPE CATEGORY, UH, AT EACH OF THE VARIOUS PROJECTS MOVING ALONG TO SLIDES 38 AND 39, WHICH IS OUR CASHFLOW PROJECTIONS VERSUS ACTUAL, UH, LAST MONTH I, UH, UH, AN UPDATE WAS PROVIDED THAT WITH THE END OF THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR ACCOUNTING OCCURRING AT THE END OF JUNE, THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOME MONEY THAT WAS GOING TO BE ACCRUED BACK AND POSTED IN JUNE THAT OCCURRED, UH, IN JULY.
AND IT ALSO OCCURRED IN AUGUST.
IF YOU'LL SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE FURTHER, YOU'LL SEE THE NOTE THERE THAT, UH, WE DID ACCRUE, UH, JUST OVER 5.2, 5 MILLION IN AUGUST THAT DID GET POSTED BACK TO THE JUNE SUMMARY FIGURES.
AND IT INCREASED THE PRIOR REPORTED FIGURE OF ACTUAL SPENT THROUGH JUNE FROM 65.8, 6 MILLION TO 71.1, 1 MILLION.
I WILL POINT OUT THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE AUGUST COLUMN, THERE ARE FORECASTING CUMULATIVE.
AND OUR ACTUAL SPENT THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST TO 71.6 ALBUM, THAT'S A DIFFERENCE OF ROUGHLY 17 MILLION.
AND IT'S A COMBINATION OF VARIOUS ITEMS BOOK.
UH, THEY INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD A SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENT FOR ROBERT SMALLS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY.
AND, UH, THE FOCUS OF THE CMES WAS ON COMPLETING WORK BEFORE, UH, UH, THE START OF SCHOOL.
AND THAT I DID GET A CHANCE TO GO AND BLAME HOW MANY INVOICES WERE RECEIVED THE LAST WEEK OF AUGUST.
AND THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY AN ADDITIONAL 5.5 MILLION.
AND IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIMING.
IT JUST WAS, THOSE INVOICES JUST WERE NOT CAPABLE OF BEING, UH, REVIEWED AND APPROVED AND SET TO ACCOUNTS PAYABLE BEFORE THAT LAST CHECK RUN THAT TOOK PLACE AUGUST 26.
NOW MOVING ALONG TO THE LAST TWO SLIDES, SLIDES, 40 AND 41 ARE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UH, AT ROBERT SMALLS THERE, WE DID HAVE THE MEETING WITH THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS ON SEPTEMBER 2ND, AND OUR NEXT STEP IS SCHEDULING AND COORDINATING A COMMUNITY MEETING, UH, SO THAT WE CAN SHARE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
ONCE THAT MEETING GETS FULLY COORDINATED, WE WILL SHARE ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
SO THAT THOSE THAT MAY BE INTERESTED IN, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THAT NEXT OUTREACH MEETING CAN DO SO, UH, TOMORROW WE DO HAVE A LEGAL WOMEN VOTERS REFERENDUM FORUM.
THAT'S GOING TO BE HELD AT MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL.
I BELIEVE IT'S ALSO GOING TO BE A HYBRID SO THAT IT COULD BE, UH, UH, ATTENDED, UH, BY VIA ZOOM.
AND THAT MEETING IS SCHEDULED TO START AT 5:00 PM.
ONE LAST THING, UM, BEFORE WE WRAP THIS UP, I WILL LIKE TO SHARE THE FACT THAT AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH MEETING.
YET WE DO NEED TO GET WITH THE PRINCIPAL TO GO OVER THE PROJECT.
UH, AND WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE OUTREACH MEETING, THAT WE'VE DONE SOME DUE DILIGENCE ON THOSE COST REDUCTIONS THAT YOU HEARD ME SPEAK OF EARLIER.
THAT WAY, THERE ANY OF OUR RENDERINGS OR ELEVATIONS OR IMAGES THAT WE ARE SHARING ARE SOMETHING THAT WE BELIEVE CAN BE DELIVERED ON AND WON'T REQUIRE FURTHER, UH, COST CONTROL MEASURES ON.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL PAUSE THERE AND, UH, SEE
[01:20:01]
WHAT QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE OPEN IT UP.UM, MY QUESTION IS IN REGARD TO, I THINK THERE'S TWO SCHOOLS ON THE LIST WHO HAD PROJECTS ONGOING, WHERE THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION HAD REQUESTED CHANGES OR PAUSE.
AND MY QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE, WHAT DOES THAT PROCESS LOOK LIKE FOR A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR TO, TO PAUSE A PROJECT OR WHAT IS THE PROTOCOL FOR THAT? I CAN TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED IN THESE SITUATIONS.
UH, THE, THE NEW ADMINISTRATORS, UH, ARRIVED AND AS THEY, UH, BECAME FAMILIAR WITH THEIR CAMPUS AND THE CONSTRUCTION WORK, UH, THEY, THEY RAISED A CONCERN FOR EXAMPLE, OVER THE COLOR OF THE EXTERIOR FACADE.
SO THAT WAS FIRST DISCUSSED AT THE PROJECT MANAGER LEVEL.
UH, THE PROJECT MANAGER RETURNED TO THE OFFICE AND ELEVATED THAT TO MY ATTENTION AS WELL AS TO THE ATTENTION OF ROBERT AUDITING SO THAT, UH, THE TWO OF US COULD GET ENGAGED AND BECOME PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
AND, UH, AT THAT TIME, UH, WE, WE, UH, TOOK THE NEXT STEP AT, WHICH WAS TO CHALLENGE, UH, OUR DESIGNER OF RECORD TO FIND WHAT ALTERNATES, UH, SOLUTIONS COULD BE, UH, EXPLORED.
AND, UH, WE ARE STILL WAITING TO RECEIVE THE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE DESIGNER OF RECORD.
AND ONCE WE HAVE THAT, THEN WE'LL GO BACK AND SIT DOWN WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND GO OVER, UH, WHAT THOSE CHANGES WOULD ENTAIL, NOT ONLY FROM A COST PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO FROM A SCHEDULES PERSPECTIVE.
UH, AND IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE, UH, PRINCIPAL IS, UM, INTERESTED IN PROCEEDING WITH, AND WE'LL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL FOLLOW-UP, UH, UH, MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION BETWEEN ROBERT AND MYSELF TO LOOK AT, UH, WHAT THAT CHANGE INVOLVES AND TO CONFIRM THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING.
THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
UM, I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE MORE OF A COMMENT OF MY OWN.
UM, I THINK THAT IN SUCH A TIME WHERE SUPPLY AND DEMAND IS SOMEWHAT VOLATILE AND TO HAVE CHANGES LIKE THIS, THAT CAN PRESENT A PROBLEM FOR DELAYS AND ALSO FOR OUR COSTS.
SO I WOULD JUST URGE US TO BE VERY CONSERVATIVE WITH ANY FUTURE, UM, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, REQUESTS FOR CHANGES.
THANK YOU, MR.
UM, WHEN THEY BRING THIS TO THE BOARD AND THE BOARD VOTE ON IT, THEN HOW IS IT ABLE TO GO TO THE ADMINISTRATOR? BECAUSE IT JUST SEEMS AS IF THE WANTS THE BOARD VOTE ON IT.
THAT I THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THERE WAS THAT, THAT THAT WAS FINE WHEN THE PROJECT WAS TO BE COMPLETED AND THE UPDATES COME TO THE BOARD AS WELL AS WELL TO THE CLOCK COMMITTEE COULD, I MEAN, I MEAN, I'VE HEARD WHAT HE SAID, BUT WE HAD THE SAME DISCUSSION A COUPLE OF, OF A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, MAYBE.
WELL, MAYBE LAST MONTH THAT WAS IN.
AND, UM, AND, AND THE, UM, OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, THE EXCUSE ME, OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING, AND THIS WAS A GREAT CONCERN.
UM, I REMEMBER, I DO REMEMBER SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES BRING THIS UP AND THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW BASICALLY WHEN THE, ONCE THE BOARD VOTED ON IT, HOW'S IT ABLE TO GO TO THE, TO GO TO ADMINISTRATOR OR NOT TO BE SUPERINTENDENT? OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? I DON'T THINK THEY'RE SAYING THAT THE FINAL DECISION RESTS WITH THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, I THINK THEY RAISED THE QUESTION THEY'RE DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE AT THE MOMENT.
THERE HASN'T BEEN A DECISION MADE ON THAT.
I DIDN'T THINK I HIT YOU SOUND VERY MUFFLED.
UH, I THINK WHAT MS. ROTTING WILL ADDRESS IN A MINUTE, BUT WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A DECISION MADE ON ANY ISSUE RELATED TO THAT.
SO THEY'VE MADE A REQUEST, WHICH THE TEAM IS DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE ON.
UH, AND THEN WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY GET A CHANCE TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, UM, THEN,
[01:25:01]
THEN A DECISION WOULD BE MADE ON IT.UM, BUT NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE ON THAT.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO FOLLOW UP AND JUST SAY THAT ANYTHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH ADMINISTRATION HAS NO IMPACT ON THE DECISIONS THE BOARD MADE.
I MEAN, WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING IS BLUE OR RED IS NOT SOMETHING THE BOARD DECIDED.
SO IT'S JUST CAN BE A PERSONAL PREFERENCE.
AND WE MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IF, IF THAT IS LOOKED AT THAT IT HAS VERY MINIMAL IMPACT ON ANY SCHEDULE OR COST W WELL, I I'M, I'M I SEE FROM PAST EXPERIENCE, I SEE THINGS A LITTLE, A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BECAUSE ACTUALLY I WAS JUST, BEFORE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, I WAS JUST GOING TO BRING BACK UP THE SECURITY AND SAFETY CONCERN WITH THE FRONT ENTRANCE OF ST.
HELENA, THAT, THAT, THAT Y'ALL WENT BACK OUT WITH, THAT THE STAFF WENT BACK OUT WELL WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND MET WITH THEM.
AND THEY CAME AND CAME UP WITH SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM WHEN, FROM WHAT THE BOARD HAD DECIDED AND WHAT WE HAD BID ON.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT BECAUSE, UH, IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION YET COME, BUT YOU CAME BACK TO US AND WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT, UH, COME UP WITH A COMPROMISE ON WHAT, WHAT THE BOARD WAS GOING TO ACCEPT OR WHAT THE BOARD WAS NOT GOING TO ACCEPT.
SO, FOR CLARIFICATION, I, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AT WHAT POINT DO IT COMES BACK TO THE BOARD AND HOW DO WE ENGAGE? I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM ENGAGING ADMINISTRATION.
BUT MY, MY, MY POINT IS AS MRS, WHEN SQ POINTED OUT W W WITH BEING AT THE TIME THAT WE IN, IN THE, IN THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET CONSISTENCY? AND WE GET A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING ON HOW THINGS, HOW THINGS ARE WORKING, BECAUSE I MEAN, IT'S NOT ONE VERSUS THE OTHER.
IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST ABOUT BEING, BEING, UH, CAUTIOUS AND BEING TESTABLE AND SPEND SPENDING MY MONEY CORRECTLY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE GET THAT WE GET THE MORE, THE BETTER BANG FOR OUR BUCK FOR FOUR, FOR OUR BUCK.
AND THEN WE CAN BE CONSISTENT WITH THE PROCESS FOR CLARITY, MR. SMITH, IF I MAY, UH, I BELIEVE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT, UH, ENTRY THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF AT ST.
HELENA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE GYMNASIUM, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR.
WHAT IF YOU'LL RECALL WHEN, UH, WE HAD EARLIER DESIGNS AND WE SAW WHAT THE COST WAS, WE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, UH, THAT DESIGN OR, UH, BECAUSE WE, WE, WE, WE DID NOT HAVE AN ACCEPTABLE, UH, COSTS TO GO ALONG WITH THAT WORK.
WHAT WE DID DO WAS WE WORKED THROUGH SOLUTIONS THAT COULD BE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD, AND WE DID BRING THAT TO THE BOARD.
WE ARE STILL LOOKING AT SOME, UH, MODIFICATIONS TO BETTER IDENTIFY THAT ENTRYWAY TO THAT GYMNASIUM THAT WE SHARED AT THE OPERATION COMMITTEE.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ONCE WE HAVE A SOLUTION, UH, WE WOULD, UH, GET THAT PRICED AND THEN, UH, SHARE THAT INFORMATION BACK WITH THE BOARD.
SO THE BOARD WOULD KNOW WHAT WE DID CHANGE AS IT RELATES TO THAT A GYMNASIUM AT ST.
AND, BUT, BUT WHEN WE ALL WENT, IT ALL INITIALLY STARTED.
NONE OF, NONE OF THAT WAS, WAS INDIA IN THE ORIGINAL MOTION OR IN THE ORIGINAL PROJECT.
IF YOU RECALL, Y'ALL ALSO WENT BACK, HANG OUT, MET WITH THE STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY THAT THE STAKEHOLDERS AND YOU HAD TO MEET WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND THEN Y'ALL SEEN, Y'ALL ASK THE STAKEHOLDERS WHAT THEY WANT.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU KIMBALL WITH THE DRAWING, THE DRAWING THAT YOU PRESENTED TO THE BOARD.
IS THAT NOT CORRECT? WE DID GO BACK TO THE SCHOOL AND THE STAKEHOLDERS.
WE WENT THROUGH SOME, UH, PLAN MODIFICATIONS, UH, SO THAT THEY COULD BE INFORMED OF WHAT WAS BEING EXPLORED.
AND, UH, WE, WE DID FULLY EXPLAIN THOSE CHANGES.
AND WITH THAT ACCOMPLISHED, THAT'S WHEN WE RECEIVED OUR PROPOSAL FROM THE CM THAT WE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL OF THE GMP ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PROJECT.
[01:30:01]
TELL I TEXT HIM ON THIS.UM, MY LAST QUESTION IS YOU, I NOTICED THAT YOU SAID THAT SELMA GYM WILL BE DONE NEXT SUMMER.
IS THERE, IS THERE A DATE ON THAT BECAUSE NEXT SUMMER IT COULD BE NEXT SUMMER.
IT COULD BE, UH, THE LINUS OF JUNE, AUGUST THERE'S THERE.
IS THERE A TIMEFRAME ON THAT? WHEN DOES NEXT SUMMER? YES.
UH, ON THAT SLIDE, THERE IS A SPECIFIC DATE AND THAT DAY IS I'M TRYING TO FIND IT, GIVE ME A SECOND.
IT WAS IN THE EARLIER PART OF JALONG, I THINK IT'S MIDDLE OF JULY, JULY 19TH, 2022.
UH, I'M GOING TO SUGGEST THAT, UH, ANY SCOPE CHANGES, UH, REGARDLESS OF THE SOURCE, I THINK MOST OF THEM COME FOR ADMINISTRATION, BUT ANY SCOPE CHANGES REALLY SHOULD BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE BOARD, UM, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT MR. SMITH AND DR.
WAS SNIFF SECURE ARE POINTING TOWARD, UM, THOSE SCOPE DECISIONS ON SCOPE CHANGES REALLY SHOULD COME TO THE BOARD.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THAT MIGHT BE, UM, ARDUOUS BECAUSE THERE MAY BE REALLY SMALL CHANGES, BUT NONETHELESS, UH, I THINK THE BOARD SHOULD BE, UH, THE FINAL APPROVAL ON SCOPE CHANGES.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR, YOUR STATEMENT, UH, MR.
HELEN HAS JIM, THAT OUR FULL INTENT IS TO RETURN TO THE FULL BOARD TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND MR. SMITH'S, UM, FOCUS ON ST.
UH, BUT I THINK THERE'S OTHER SCHOOLS THAT HAVE ALSO HAD SOME SCOPE CHANGES.
SO JUST AS A, AS A MATTER OF, OF COURSE, I JUST THINK OF SHOULD COME BACK THOSE SCOPE CHANGE COMING TO THE BOARD.
UM, AND THAT WILL ELIMINATE SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS.
WISNIEWSKI, JUST TO ALSO, UM, ADD SOME MORE INFORMATION, WE'LL BE VISITING WHALE BRANCH, UM, IN ABOUT 10 DAYS OF A CALMER, MY PLAN WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT JUST TO SEE, SEE WHAT THE CHANGES ARE AND BRING THAT BACK TO THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE AS WELL.
UM, MR. CORBIN, IF I MAY, UM, JUST, UH, THE GOING FORWARD WITH THE MID PROGRAM RESET, UM, THE PLAN IS TO BRING THAT TO THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE ON THE 13TH, AND THEN WE WILL BRING IT TO THE FULL BOARD AT THE SECOND MEETING OF THE MONTH, CORRECT? YEAH.
UH, JUST SHARE A REAL BRIEFLY.
WE DID PROVIDE AN UPDATE, UH, SEPTEMBER 1ST TO THE CLOCK, UH, LETTING THEM KNOW OF THE PROGRESS WE WERE MAKING, AS WELL AS TO THE OPERATION COMMITTEE ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, WE ARE STILL, UH, WORKING ON FINALIZING OUR ANALYSIS AND THE PLAN GOING FORWARD, UH, INCLUDES, UH, SHARING INFORMATION AT THE OCTOBER SIX CLOCK MEETING.
WE THEN WANT TO HAVE A MEETING WITH THE CLOCK FINANCE COMMITTEE.
UH, THE INTENT OF THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MATERIALS THAT WE'LL BE BRINGING TO THE OPERATION COMMITTEE HAVE BEEN FINE TUNED SO THAT THEY'RE VERY CLEAR AND CONCISE AND EASY TO FOLLOW.
UM, FOLLOWING THAT WE'LL BE GOING TO THE OCTOBER 13TH OPERATION COMMITTEE MEETING AND FOLLOWING THAT BRIEFING WE'LL THEN COME TO THE FULL BOARD AT THE SECOND MEETING, UH, IN OCTOBER ON OCTOBER 19TH TO FULLY BRIEF THE BOARD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT ENUMERATION OF THOSE DATES.
SO THAT CONCLUDES THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT.
IS TECHNOLOGY MAKING MR. CORBIN? I'M SORRY, DR.
NEXT UP IS, UH, DAVID STRIVEN, GER CHAIR OF TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE.
MADAM CHAIR, THE TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE MET ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, UH, AND REVIEWED ONE 17.4 EQUITY OF TECHNOLOGY.
WE WERE GIVEN AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION BY MARK GIANT, UM, THAT ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT IT ALSO GAVE US SOME FOCUS FOR OUR FUTURE MEETINGS.
UM, THE MOST IMMEDIATE FOCUS FOR US IS GOING TO BE, UH, BROADBAND ACCESS, UM, AND, AND HOW WE CAN APPROACH THAT, UM, WITH OTHER ENTITIES SUCH AS COUNTY OR THE FEDS.
UM, SO WE ARE WAITING TO SCHEDULE
[01:35:01]
OUR NEXT MEETING, UM, FOR TONYA TO GIVE US A HEADS UP ON, UM, THE COUNTY, UM, AND WHAT THEIR PLANS MAY BE SO THAT WE CAN PARTNER WITH THEM.UM, AND SO THAT'S OUR IMMEDIATE FOCUS.
ALL RIGHT THERE BEING NO HANDS
[Superintendent’s Report]
UP.WE'RE ONTO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM ON THE SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT IS AN UPDATE ON THE SCORE REPORT CARD PRIORITY SCHOOLS AND TSI SCHOOLS.
I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE MEMBERS FROM OUR TEAM WHO ARE JOINING US LIVE.
AND WE DO HAVE ONE BOARD, UM, TEAM MEMBER WHO WILL BE, WHO IS VIRTUAL WITH US THIS EVENING.
HE IS OUR DIRECTOR OF DATA SERVICES, AS WELL AS NICHOLAS FLOWERS, WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING FOR ELEMENTARY ONLINE.
WE HAVE DIRECTOR, UH, KAREN MCKINSEY, WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR FOR SECONDARY TEACHING AND LEARNING.
SO THIS EITHER WE HAVE A PRESENTATION COMPOSED OF THE 2021 STANDARDIZED TESTING AND POT AND BRIEF HIGHLIGHT OF OUR ATSI AND PRIORITY SCHOOLS.
WE'RE PRESENTING THE DATA FIRST.
AND AT THE SECOND PART OF THE PRESENTATION, WE'LL GIVE SOME INFORMATION ON UPDATES OF OUR ATSI AND PRIORITY SCHOOLS.
AS WE NOTE, OUR LAST PRESENTATION WAS CONDUCTED ON JUNE 29TH, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE AS WELL AS WE'VE ONLY HAD 26 DAYS OF THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR.
PRIOR TO THAT, I DO WANT TO TAKE A QUICK MOMENT AND MAKE HIGHLIGHT TWO TEAM MEMBERS WORK AS A, WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF THE AWARD OF THE DOE GRANT, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION GRANT THAT WILL BE IMPACTING AND WORKING WITH SEVEN OF OUR SCHOOLS IN THE AREAS OF MATH.
AND THERE'LL BE SCHOOLS NORTH AND SOUTH REPORT.
AND I'LL BRING SOME MORE INFORMATION OF THAT AS WELL DURING THE PRESENTATION.
SO WITH THAT AT THIS TIME, PLEASE, MR. FALLON, THANK YOU.
MADAM CHAIR, UH, MR.
LET'S LET THEM GIVE THEIR PRESENTATION AND I WILL CALL ON YOU, BUT YOUR HAND HAS GONE UP AND DOWN AND THEY ARE GIVING A PRESENTATION.
AND IT'S BEEN UP BEFORE SHE GOT STARTED, BECAUSE AS SOME QUESTIONS THAT I WANTED TO ACTUALLY BE FORCED TO GET STARTED, WELL, LET'S FLIP OFF FINISH, AND THEN YOU CAN ANSWER, ASK THE QUESTION, SIR.
THIS EVENING, UH, I WAS ASKED TO PRESENT, UH, AN UPDATE ON SOUTHBOUND REPORT CARD, 2021 REPORT CARD, AS WELL AS OUR SPRING STATE ASSESSMENT RESULTS.
SO THIS IS A CHANCE FOR ME TO SAY, THIS IS THE FINAL TALK OF 20, 21, AS FAR AS IT COMES TO ASSESSMENT ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND TO START OFF, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO OUR SCHOOLS, OUR SCHOOLS, OUR ADMINISTRATORS, OR TEACHERS, THE STUDENTS, THE FAMILIES WOULD BE FOR COUNTING PRESENTED AT THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL MEETING LAST WEEK, AND WAS A GREAT WORDS FROM MR. JEREMIAH YOUNG.
UM, THESE NUMBERS ALL HAVE FACES TO THEM.
REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, SO THESE NUMBERS THAT I PRESENT THIS EVENING, UH, DO YOU REPRESENT STUDENTS TO TEACHERS WORK OR ADMINISTRATORS WORK? SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT IN THE NEWS.
SO ROBIN, IF YOU CAN GO THROUGH, UM, SLIDE TWO, JUST A QUICK RECAP OF WHAT THE SOUTH COUNTER REPORT CARD MEASURES, AT LEAST FOR THE 20, 21 ACADEMIC YEAR.
UM, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE GOT TO TALK TICKETS, UH, TALK ABOUT REPORT CARDS WITH 2020 BEING PAUSED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE HER A REFRESHER.
SO ON THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, OH, WHEN IT COMES TO ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, THAT'S OUR ELA AND MATH.
IT'S MEASURED THROUGH THE SC READINESS ASSESSMENT.
IT'S GRADES THREE THROUGH EIGHT, AND THEN HIGH SCHOOL IS ALGEBRA ONE AND ENGLISH ONE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE END OF THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR OLD, I WILL PRESENT ENGLISH TWO BECAUSE THE 2020 YEARS ACTUALLY INDICATED THE TRANSITION BETWEEN ENGLISH ONE IN ENGLISH TWO.
YOU GET TO THAT WHEN WE GET THERE.
BUT TO NOTE, IT IS A COHORT MODEL.
SO STUDENTS, I TAKE ENGLISH ONE ALGEBRA ONE AT ANY POINT IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL OR MIDDLE SCHOOL CAREER, THOSE SCORES FOLLOW THE STUDENTS THROUGH THEIR GRADUATING COHORT.
THAT WAY MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS COUNT FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THERE'S NO PUNITIVE REPERCUSSIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOLS.
WHEN STUDENTS TAKE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, IN THE 1718 REPORT CARD YEAR, IF THEY TOOK REPORT, UH, AN ALGEBRA ONE ASSESSMENT IN SEVENTH GRADE, THAT SCORE NEVER WENT TO THE
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HIGH SCHOOL.HIGH SCHOOLS BROUGHT THAT TO THE TABLE.
EDUCATIONAL SITE COMMITTEE HEARD THAT.
SO NOW EVERYONE GETS THE BENEFIT OF THOSE STUDENTS IN THEIR ASSESSMENTS.
THE NEXT METRIC IS PREPARING FOR SUCCESS.
THAT IS SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IT'S JUST SCIENCE DUE TO A PROVISO THAT DID NOT FUND STATE ASSESSMENTS OR SOCIAL STUDIES AND THE 2021 ACADEMIC YEAR, UM, FOUR AND SIX TAKE SCIENCE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
THOSE ASSESSMENTS ARE BIOLOGY AND US HISTORY, ENGLISH LEARNERS PROGRESS.
THIS IS A SEPARATE SCORE, WORTH 10 POINTS ON THE REPORT CARD FOR SCHOOLS THAT HAVE A MEASURABLE SUBGROUP.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A MEASUREMENT OF, UH, ENGLISH ACQUISITION AS MEASURED BY THE WAY TO ACCESS EXAM AND FINALLY GRADUATION RATE.
UH, THIS IS A FOUR YEAR COHORT ADOPTED WITH NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND.
UH, ALL STATES WERE NORMALIZED WITH A STUDENT ENTERING NINTH GRADE IS EXPECTED TO GRADUATE NO MORE THAN FOUR YEARS LATER.
SO RATHER IF GO TO SLIDE THREE, THE DATA ON SLIDE THREE REPRESENTS S SEE REPORT CARD DATA.
SO THIS DATA IS MATCHED, UH, ON THE 45TH DAY OF ENROLLMENT THROUGH THE FIRST DAY OF TESTING.
UH, IN THIS SLIDE YOU'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW INDICATES ON EVERY MEASURABLE REPORTABLE PORTION OF THE 2021 SOUTH CAROLINA REPORT CARD DIEFER COUNTY SURPASSED THE STATE AVERAGE ON ALL.
SO THIS WORK WAS DONE BY OUR SCHOOLS.
IT WAS DONE BY OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STUDENTS.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I CAN STAND IN FRONT OF YOU IN OUR REPORT CARD AIR AND SAY THAT BUFORD COUNTY WAS ABOVE THE STATE ON ALL REPORTABLE MEASURES.
SO THIS IN ACADEMIC SUCCESS, SOUTH CAROLINA READY, ELA, MATH, EOC, ENGLISH, AND ALGEBRA ONE.
THIS IS PREPARING FOR SUCCESS ON SC PASS SCIENCE, BIOLOGY, US HISTORY.
FOR THE END, OF COURSE, WE ALSO HAVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS PROGRESS.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER, WE REPRESENT ROUGHLY 16% OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S IN EL POPULATION, AND THEN GRADUATION RATE.
THIS IS AN ALL TIME GRADUATION RATE HIGH FOR BUFORD COUNTY AS WELL.
AND PLEASE REMEMBER THESE STUDENTS WENT THROUGH THEIR JUNIOR YEAR, THE WORLD CLOSED DOWN.
SO YOU REMEMBER MARCH 13TH, UM, THE WORLD CHANGED AND THESE STUDENTS WENT THROUGH THEIR END OF THEIR JUNIOR YEAR AND THEN THEIR ENTIRE SENIOR YEAR THROUGH A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, AND STILL HAS THE HIGHEST GRADUATION RATE FOR B FOR COUNT SLIDE FOUR, PLEASE.
SO WE NOW MOVE MORE TOWARDS THE ACTUAL 20, 20, 21 ASSESSMENT RESULTS.
SO THESE ARE NOT TIED TO THE MATCHED 45 DAY, FIRST DAY OF TESTING EACH OTHER RAW NUMBERS AS REPORTED.
EVERYONE WHO ASSESSED IS REPORTED, SAY TESTING RESUMED FOR THE 20, 20, 21 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR, AND SAY, A SOUTH CAROLINA FOLLOWING SLIDES DO INCLUDE SC READY JUST BY WRITING SOUTHBOUND PAST THE END OF COURSE, AND GRADUATION RATE DATA.
THE DATA REPRESENTS STUDENTS, AND THIS IS, THIS IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE SCORING MEETS OR EXCEEDS FOUR C OR HIGHER.
SO THIS, I DO MAINTAIN THE HIGH LEVEL OF, OF, OF RIGOR OF THE REPORT CARD.
SO NOT PAST DOING JUSTICE APPROACHES, WE NEED SUCCEEDS OR D OR HIGHER.
THIS IS C OR HIGHER, AND THIS IS MEET AND EXCEED.
SO THIS IS THE SAME, THE SAME LEVEL OF RIGOR IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY SUBGROUPS FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISPANIC, WHITE, OR ML OR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, AS WELL AS OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES THAT WAS ASKED YOU REPRESENT THE DATA IN SOME WHAT BY SCHOOL, AND THEN SOMEWHAT BY BY CLUSTER.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE A FULL FEEDER PATTERN IN MOST OF OUR SCHOOLS ANY MORE.
SO I BROKE THIS DOWN BY REGION, UH, WITH, WITH HILTON HEAD AND WELLBORN STILL BEING A DIRECT FEEDER PATHS FOR THE MOST PART.
SO BUFORD BATTERY CREEK AND BLUFFTON MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOLS ARE KIND OF JUST BLENDED TOGETHER AND THEN TO PROTECT FERPA AND ALL THE REGULATIONS, ANY SAMPLE SUICIDES WITH LESS THAN 20 STUDENTS, I DO HAVE TO MARK WITH INSUFFICIENT SAMPLE.
UH, NORMALLY IT MIGHT BE NOT CUTTING THEM WITH SCHOOL LEVEL DATA.
I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.
I'LL HAVE THAT AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, BUT WHEN I AM REPRODUCING THE SCORES AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, I DO HAVE TO AMASS THAT DATA WHEN IT'S BELOW 20 STUDENTS.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE THAT WE USE, SO WE'LL START WITH GRADUATION 2021 GRADUATING CLASS.
AS YOU SEE ALL OF BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE ALL OF COUNTY AND ALL REPORTABLE SUBGROUPS THAT DOES SURPASS THAT THE STATE ON THEIR, ON THEIR REPORTABLE SUBGROUPS AS WELL.
SO NOW IT'S, WHEN WE'RE GETTING INTO THE SCHOOL LEVEL, DATA IS BY REGION.
I WILL DO S C READY ELA FIRST, AND THEN I'LL GET INTO SCIENCE.
AND THEN THE, EVERY REGION WILL BE THE SAME.
SO AS WE, AS WE GO THROUGH THE DATA SLIDES, I'LL POINT OUT, UH, JUST HIGHLIGHTS ON THE HILTON HEAD REGION, SLIDE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR A SCHOOL NAME.
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WE SEE THE ALL STUDENTS.SO EXPLAIN THAT FOR HILTON HEAD ISLAND ELEMENTARY, THAT FIRST ROW, FIRST COLUMN, ALL STUDENTS, UH, THAT SAMPLE SIZE IS 400 AND NINETIES STUDENTS.
AND 50.2 OF THEM WERE MEETS OR EXCEEDS.
SO JUST OVER HALF OF THEIR POPULATION, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL, UM, WE'RE SCORING MEETS OR SEATS ON MATHEMATICS AND SE, RIGHT? AFRICAN-AMERICANS, UH, 26.8 HISPANIC STUDENTS, 37.3, PERFECT ASIAN POPULATION, 73.8, MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, 35 AND A HALF PERCENT, AND THEN 19% WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO HIGHLIGHT GO OVER EVERY SINGLE CELL OF EVERY SINGLE PAGE, BUT I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, BECAUSE THIS IS AN ATSI IN A PRIORITY SCHOOL UPDATE AS WELL.
UH, HILTON HEAD ISLAND, MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE BOTTOM ROW THERE ON THIS SLIDE, UH, WAS INITIALLY AND STILL IS BECAUSE OF THE ASSESSMENTS.
AND THE ROLLING LIST IS STILL A PALMETTO PRIORITY SCHOOL.
UM, SO JUST TO REPORT THAT SO YOU CAN SEE THEIR PROGRESS, EITHER INFORMATION ON THAT SCHOOL.
WELL, SE PASS IS NOT, UM, THE SCIENCE SCORE DOES NOT DENOTE WHETHER OR NOT A SCHOOL IS HSI OR PALMETTO PRIORITY OR REPORT THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE IT IS A REPORTING CATEGORY.
FOUR IS PREPARED FOR SUCCESS, UH, SAME INFORMATION, JUST S C PASS FOR RE FOR SCIENCE, ALL STUDENTS, AFRICAN AMERICAN, HISPANIC STUDENTS, ASIAN STUDENTS, ML LEARNERS, AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
AND AGAIN, MIDDLE PRIORITY SCHOOL.
THE END OF COURSE, EXAMS. I REMEMBER HITTING THAT THE MIDDLE IS STILL A PRIORITY, BUT THIS IS NOW LOOKING AT ALGEBRA ONE.
AND I TOLD YOU BEFORE WE SWITCHED OVER, SO STUDENTS ARE NO LONGER TAKING ENGLISH ONE, UH, AND OF COURSE EXAMS. SO NOW WE HAVE ENGLISH TWO AT HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
AND LET ME SEE THE BIOLOGY AND US HISTORY ADULTS AS WELL.
THE BUFFER AND BATTERY CREEK REGION, UH, ATSI SCHOOLS ON THIS LIST.
IF YOU WANT TO MAKE NOTE WHERE A BULLET, UH, BUFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UH, BROAD RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND JOSEPH SHANKLIN WOULD BE OUR ATSI SCHOOLS ON THIS SLIDE.
AND I WANT TO POINT OUT TO TWO INTERESTING, REALLY FASCINATING, UH, COMING OUT OF 20, 21 SCHOOL YEAR WITH, WITH COVID AND WITH INTERRUPTED LEARNING AND BLENDED LEARNING AND HYBRID LEARNING.
UM, THERESA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEEDS TO BE COMMITTED FOR THE FURTHER RESULTS.
THOSE RESULTS ARE EXTREMELY STRONG.
AND THEN ALSO OUR HIGH SCHOOL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UH, THEIR ELA NUMBERS, THE WORK THAT THEY DID THIS YEAR WITH READING, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UM, IS TREMENDOUS LOOKING AT THEIR GROWTH THAT THEY ACHIEVED OVER THE 2021 ACADEMIC YEAR THEN AGAIN, S C PASS SCIENCE.
REMEMBER IT'S ONLY GREAT SPORTS SIX.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE SO MANY INSUFFICIENT SAMPLES.
IT'S JUST ONE GRADE LEVEL IN MOST OF OUR SCHOOLS.
AND THEN AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, BE FIDEL BROAD RIVER JOSEPH SHANKLIN, OR THE ATSI SCHOOLS, MOVING ON TO FINISH UP THAT GROUP, THAT THAT REGION IS LOOKING AT THEIR END OF COURSE EXAMS. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALGEBRA ONE, ENGLISH, TWO BIOLOGY AND US HISTORY.
UH, A POINT THERE TO NOTE IS LAYS ON MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEIR ALGEBRA ONE SCORES ARE, THOSE ARE STUDENTS, MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS SCORE AND C OR ABOVE.
UM, ESPECIALLY DURING THE, UH, DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR, WE ROLL INTO BLUFFTON OTT ELEMENTARY AND PRITCHARD BILL.
THEY ARE ATS HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY'RE, UH, THEY'RE PERFORMING VERY WELL.
UM, THEY CONTINUE TO BE AN ACSI JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT HAD THE CONSISTENCY OF TESTING OUT WITH 2020 BEING INTERRUPTED TO, UM, GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET OFF, TO BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST AS YOU SEE, UM, THEIR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES POPULATIONS, THEIR NUMBERS, UM, OVER A THIRD ARE SCORING MEETS AND EXCEEDS.
UM, THAT IS THE SOLE CATEGORY.
THE SOLE CRITERIA SUFFERED, UM, THAT PUT ANY OF YOU FOR HIGH SCHOOLS ON THE ATSI LIST.
AND THEN LOOKING AT THE BLUFF AND REGION FREGOSI HISTORY, AGAIN, A BLUFFTON MIDDLE AGE MCCRACKEN AND RIVER RIDGE ACADEMY, DOING VERY WELL ON THEIR, ON THEIR ALGEBRA ONE.
UM, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED THE ACADEMIC YEAR BRANCH REGION.
UM, WILBURTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THAT'S AN ACSI SCHOOL WHEREVER UP THE MIDDLE, IF YOU RECALL, UH, OTHER OF OUR PRIORITY SCHOOLS,
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THEIR SCIENCE DATA AND THEIR END OF COURSE, THE FINAL SLIDE IS BUFORD COUNTY AND THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COMPARISON.SO WE SEE AN SC READY WHEN WE LOOK AT MATHEMATICS, ALL OF THE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES SUBGROUP, UH, OUTPERFORMED EVERY SUBGROUP AND IN BEAVER COUNTY OUTPERFORMED THE STATE, UM, ALL IN READING TWO IN SCIENCE, AND THEN ALL THE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
WHEN WE LOOK AT ALGEBRA ONE BIOLOGY, US HISTORY, AND THEN TWO, WHEN WE LOOK AT ENGLISH TWO, THAT'S THE FIRST REPORTABLE TRUE FULL YEAR OF ENGLISH, TWO ASSESSMENT RESULTS.
SO ANOTHER INTERESTING AS YOU'RE DRIVING AND LOOKING THROUGH THE DATA, UM, VERY INTERESTING PIECE THAT, UH, NOTICE, UH, WHEN, WHEN DIGGING IN, UH, WHEN IT LOOKS AT SC READY, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR OVERALL DATA AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE REGION, THE ELA, THE READING, UM, THREE SUB GROUPS, UM, REALLY PERFORMED EXTREMELY WELL WAS OUR HISPANIC SUBGROUP, OUR ML SUB GROUP, AND OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, ALL THREE OF THOSE SUBGROUPS.
WHEN WE LOOK BACK ALL THE WAY TO THEIR LAST TIME THAT THEY TESTED IN 2019 AS A WHOLE, UM, THEIR PERCENTAGE OF MEETS AND EXCEEDS IS ACTUALLY HIGHER IN 21 THAN IT WAS IN MAY.
SO THOSE GROUPS WERE ACTUALLY PERFORMING BETTER TWO YEARS LATER THAN THEY WERE, AND TO INTERRUPTED ACADEMIC YEARS.
SO WITH BE PRIDE OF MYSELF GOING FORWARD, I DO WANT TO MAKE MENTION WE HAVE ONE MORE MEMBER FROM OUR DIVISION HERE.
I DIDN'T GET TO SEE BEHIND HIM LOSING THOSE EYES AS A PRINCIPAL TO SEE BEHIND MY HEAD.
WE DO HAVE MELISSA MURRAY WHO IS JOINING US THIS EVENING AS WELL.
AND I HAVE TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS BECAUSE SHE'D HAD A FAMILY EVENT AND SHE'S COMING FROM A THREE HOUR DRIVE TO JOIN US THIS EVENING.
IN THE EVENT, WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON INSTRUCTION AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT WITHIN HERE IN THE DISTRICT.
SO MRS. CUSHION, BARRY, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SLIDE 20, PLEASE.
AS MR. FALLON BROUGHT FORWARD IN THE PRESENTATION, WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF OUR ATSI AS WELL AS OUR PRIORITY SCHOOLS.
AND WE'VE MADE NOTE OF THE INCREASE IN SOME OF OUR DATA FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
I'D LIKE TO ALSO MAKE NOTE THAT WE BOUGHT, WE ARE 26 YEARS, 26 DAYS INTO THE ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR.
SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN FRONT OF YOU IS SOME POINTS OF REFERENCE ON GROWTH FROM LAST JUNE.
BUFORD ELEMENTARY IS ALSO ONE OF THE SCHOOLS THAT WE PART OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THAT GRANT IS BRINGING BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $750,000 IN THE AREA OF INCREASING TEACHER'S CAPACITY AND MATH AND APPLICATION OF MATH AND COMPUTATIONAL SKILLS.
THAT GRANT WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING SEVEN OF OUR SCHOOLS IN GRADES THREE THROUGH FIVE, AS WELL AS SIX THROUGH EIGHT AS I GO FORWARD, I'LL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THAT WILL BE INVOLVED THAT ARE ALSO NOW, UM, STILL CLASSIFIED AS ATSI, AS WE KNOW, BUFORD ELEMENTARY, SUMMER READING 100% OF THE THIRD GRADERS WERE PROMOTED.
THEY MET ONE WAS REQUIRED BY STATE SPECIAL EDUCATION.
I WANT TO MAKE NOTE THAT THE COMMENTARY IN THESE NEXT TWO SLIDES RESONATES AMONG SCHOOL.
OUR SCHOOLS, OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, OUR STUDENTS FIRST, AN IEP DOES NOT DEFINE OUR CHILDREN.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS OUR CHILDREN WHO HAVE AN IEP, OR EVEN OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE LANGUAGE LEARNERS WHO HAVE AN EYE LAP.
THEY ARE STUDENTS FIRST AND HAVE ACCESS TO ALL INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE GIVE TO X OR Y BUT THEN THE DIFFERENTIATION FOR THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS COMES FORWARD.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT RESONATED AT HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PRINCIPALS IS A PERSONALIZED APPROACH TO INSTRUCTION.
IF WE SEE THE THIRD BULLET, IT IDENTIFIES INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT, USE OF INCLUSIVE PRACTICES MODELED BY STETSON ADDITIONAL INTERVENTIONISTS AS A RESULT OF THE ATSI FUNDING ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION FOR SECOND GRADE IS TO INCREASE GIFTED AND TALENTED ENROLLMENT IS ONE OF THE INITIATIVES THAT BUPA DELL HIGH ABILITY STUDENTS INCLUDED IN THEIR AIMS PROGRAM.
ADDITIONAL BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL HAPPEN PURCHASED THROUGH TITLE ONE, AND THEY'RE SEEKING ACTUALLY TO EXTEND THE MONTESSORI PROGRAM AND DEVELOP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALMOST ALL THEIR TEACHERS.
AND WE'RE WORKING THAT OUT AT THIS TIME, BUT THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE SLIDE 21 BROAD RIVER ELEMENTARY.
IF WE MAKE NOTICE, UM, MR. FALLON SHARE, THEY HAD A 10 POINT INCREASE ON THE STUDENTS
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WITH EFFICIENCY, WITH REGARD IN THE AREAS OF ELA.I HAVE TO SHARE SUPER KUDOS TO THE SCHOOL, THE PARENTS, THE TEACHERS, AND THE STUDENTS.
BECAUSE IF WE RECALL LAST FALL, I ACTUALLY WAS MORE INTO WINTER.
ONE OF THE SLIDES ACTUALLY SHARED, THERE WAS FEAR OF COVID WITHIN THE CAMPUS.
THE SCHOOL WORKED THROUGH THE CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR EDUCATORS, AS WE TRANSITIONED BACK INTO FACE TO FACE, AND THE RESULTS WERE RELATIVE AT REPRESENT THEIR, FOR THEIR TESTING SCORES.
ONCE AGAIN, WE SEE TO SPECIAL EDUCATION, VERY SIMILAR COMMENTARY MADE.
AND IF WE SEE THE INTERVENTIONS THAT THEY'VE PUT INTO PLACE, WHAT I'M NOTING THAT IS HAPPENING WITH MORE OF OUR SCHOOLS IS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT SYSTEMS WITHIN THEIR SCHOOLS TO HOW CAN WE MAXIMIZE INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE, ROARED RIVERS, REFLECTING THAT BY REVISITING THEIR MASTER SCHEDULE, TO EXTEND THE OPPORTUNITY OF INTERVENTION WORK WITHIN THE DAY.
AND YOU'LL BE HEARING MORE OF THAT THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR, AS WE TURN THE PAGES ALSO INTO NEXT YEAR, I'M PUSHING FOR ESAU AND SPED SERVICES, IMPLEMENTATION OF IREADY, IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHOLASTIC LITERACY AND READING INITIATIVES OF EXPANSION OF CLASSROOM LIBRARIES.
AND YOU'VE HEARD US SPEAK OF THIS ASHLEY HUTCHINSON, MELISSA MURRAY, YOU'LL HEAR, UH, NICHOLAS AS WELL AS KAREN SPEAK ABOUT PUTTING BOOKS IN THE HANDS OF CHILDREN.
BUT MOST OF ALL, CREATING THAT THIRST TO READ.
IF WE CAN PROCEED NOW, PLEASE, TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND, IB MIDDLE SCHOOL, 98.6% OF THE STUDENTS IS SUMMER, UH, MAT PROMOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
YOU CAN SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, A STRONG EMPHASIS IN THE AREAS OF OUR STUDENTS WITH AN IEP, AS WELL AS OUR MULTI-LINGUAL STUDENTS AT BUILDING CAPACITY.
IF YOU NOTE THAT THEY HAVE A CATCH-UP PROGRAM FOR HOMEWORK THAT IS ALREADY STARTED THREE HOURS A WEEK, AND OUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE ACTUALLY STARTING THIS WEEK.
BRADLEY HAD PUT IN FRONT OF FROM AUGUST 10TH CRITERIA FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
SCHOOLS HAVE STARTED A LITTLE EARLIER.
MOST SCHOOLS ARE STARTING OUT AS DIAGNOSTIC TESTING HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
THEY LOOKED AT THE DIAGNOSTIC AND AS WELL AS OUR SC READY, UM, SCORE RESULTS TO IDENTIFY THE STUDENTS WHO WILL NEED ADDITIONAL SERVICES AFTER SCHOOL, IF YOU SEE THE BOTTOM PART, ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT, IMAGINE, UM, CURRICULUM IS NEW TO THE DISTRICT THIS YEAR.
THIS TEACHERS HAVE RECEIVED EXTENSIVE TRAINING OVER THE SUMMER, BUT WE'RE CONTINUING WITH THAT TRAINING AS WELL DURING THIS ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR.
AND THAT'S ALSO AN AVAILABILITY FOR ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE NOW INTEGRATED INTO, INTO OUR SYSTEM.
IT HASN'T JUST BEEN THAT AUGUST 70 PROVIDE TRAINING.
WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR OUR TEACHERS.
PLEASE, WE CAN GO TO JOSEPH SHANKLIN ELEMENTARY.
I AM GOING TO TAKE A MOMENT TO GIVE KUDOS TO PRINCIPAL RIVERA.
SHE SET THE STAGE, SHE SET THE BAR HIGH AT CREATING THIS TABLE.
IT'S ALMOST SELF-EXPLANATORY HIGH AMOUNT OF WORK AND ENERGY.
AND A LOT OF WORK HAS HAPPENED OVER AT JOSEPH SHANKLIN WOULD WORK WITH SOLUTION, TREE AND INTEGRATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES.
WE'RE SEEING THAT THE RESULTS OF THAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE PAST YEAR HAPPENING THIS YEAR, WHEN YOU GO AND MEET AND ACTUALLY HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MS. RIVERA, SHE'S GROWING VERY STRONG AS A PRINCIPAL.
I'M VERY PROUD OF HER IN THE SCHOOL.
AND THE TEACHER IS I AM A BOWL.
OUR SCHOOLS, IF WE LOOK AT LASHES ACADEMIC AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM, HER LAST BULLET ON THE BOTTOM, SHE WANTS TO MAKE, HAVE US REALIZE THAT WE HAD GROWTH AND I PROJECT THE SCHOOL WILL CONTINUE TO GROW AS THEY ARE PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP AS WELL WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA AND OUR U VA PARTNERSHIP.
SO WE HAVE JAMIE PINKY, WHO WAS A PRINCIPAL THERE.
SUMMER READING, 80% OF THE THIRD GRADERS WERE SUCCESSFUL AT MEETING STATE PROMOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
SPECIAL EDUCATION PROVISION ARE IN PLACE, BUT I ACTUALLY EVEN A GREATER FOCUS WITH A RESOURCE TEACHER AND OT IS PROVIDING SEVERAL SCHOOL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT.
WE ARE FINDING THAT THE COMMONALITY, WHEN YOU SPEAK TO MANY OF OUR ELEMENTARY PRINCIPALS, YOU, I, ALL OF US RECOGNIZE, OKAY, CHILDREN WHO HAVE NOT HAD THAT TOUCH FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, A LOT OF EMPHASIS IS BEING PUSHED DOWN INTO THE YOUNGER GRADES KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE.
UH, I'LL MAKE NOTE ONCE AGAIN, TO THE FOCUS, THE SCHOOL EXTENDED DAY, THEY'RE WORKING ACTUALLY ON AN EIGHT WEEK CYCLE THREE DAYS A WEEK, AND BE A COMMONALITY COMMONALITY.
YOU'LL ONCE AGAIN, HEAR RESONATING AMONGST A MONTH.
SO SCHOOLS THIS YEAR, PRITCHETT VILLE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL, BRENDA BLUE.
I WANT TO MAKE NOTE OF SOMETHING SHE DID.
SHE ACTUALLY DID EVERY WARD CYCLE THIS SUMMER, OR
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100% OF THEIR STUDENTS MADE IT A PROMOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS.BUT WHAT THEY ALSO PUT IN PLACE WITH STUDENTS OWNING THEIR WORK STUDENTS, BEING THAT SELF-REGULATED LEARNER, AND SHE PUT A REWARD SYSTEM IN PLACE.
IT BASICALLY BUILDS UP AND WE RECOGNIZE, YES, WE WILL WORK FOR FOOD.
ELEMENTARY IS ONE OF THE BEST AREAS TO GIVE REWARDS TO CHILDREN.
AND I WANTED TO MAKE NOTE THAT WE WOULD WORK.
ONE OF THE OTHER STRONG INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES.
SO IN HER, SHE USES THAT AS A LEAD WITH NOAH'S INTERVENTION, BUT SHE DOUBLES UP INTO AREAS OF WHAT ARE
I'M GETTING TWICE THAT WITH THE INTERVENTIONISTS AND THE LANGUAGE SHE USES THAT HER SCHOOL OR HER NORMAN PLATE YOU'RE ACTUALLY IS DOUBLE UP WELL BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, NEW PRINCIPAL, MARVIN NEAL, 89% OF THE STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THIRD GRADE WERE PROMOTED.
SUPER SHARP AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM IS STARTING IN OCTOBER.
PARTICIPANTS WILL BE FROM K FOUR, AGAIN, AS I SHARED WITH YOU EARLIER, BUT WE'RE DIGGING YOUNGER INTO GETTING EXTENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS, SEEKING A D IDENTIFIED, WHO ARE STUDENTS WHO ARE AT THE LOWER THIRD AND FOURTH CORE TILE FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
AND IN THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE, THEY'RE PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION AND SNACKS IS AS ALL OUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS. WE'LL HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
AGAIN, AS WE NOTE SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS ARE WHAT STUDENTS VERSE PLEASE DO NOT IDENTIFY ME BY A LABEL.
OUR FINAL SCHOOL SCHOOL, WELL BRANCH MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
JAMIE ALLEN IS A, THIS IS A PRIORITY SCHOOL.
WE RECOGNIZE HILTON HEAD ISLAND, IB AS WELL AS WELL.
BRANCH MIDDLE SCHOOL, SUMMER READING 98% OF STUDENTS SUCCESS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR SUMMER SCHOOL WERE PROMOTED TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL UNIQUE AND IN OPPORTUNITIES, MORNING MEETINGS ESTABLISH THE BUILD COMMUNITY WITHIN THE CLASSROOM AMONGST STUDENTS AND STAFF.
IF WE RECALL WHEN PRINCIPAL LAW AND HAD SPOKEN TO YOU OR EVEN THE PRESENTATION LAST JUNE, IT WAS GREAT CONVERSATION ABOUT KNOWING AND HAVING PRIDE WITHIN THE SCHOOL.
THE NEW ADMINISTRATION HAS CARRIED THAT OVER PARTNERSHIP WITH STRENGTHENING FAMILIES, TO SUPPORT PARENTS WITH NAVIGATING RISING MIDDLE-SCHOOLERS INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION, WHALE WRENCH, MIDDLE RECOGNIZE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE.
AND THE CONTINUED INITIATIVE IS WORKING WITH SCHOLASTIC LITERACY AS WELL AS THEIR CONSULTANTS AT EMBEDDING THE PRACTICES THAT THEY'RE UTILIZING IN FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE AT THIS TIME.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION FOR A QUICK UPDATE ON OUR ATSI PRIORITY SCHOOLS.
AND WE'RE OPEN FOR QUESTIONS, PLEASE.
THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, MR. SMITH, I'M CHECKING FORWARD AGAIN WITH THE PRESENTATION.
WHAT'D YOU CLARIFY THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS, HOW MUCH TIME I'M ASSIGNED THAT YOU ALLOTTED FOR THIS PRESENTATION TODAY? THERE'S NO TIMES ON THE AGENDA.
SO, UH, THERE'S NO ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
HOW MUCH TIME HAVE YOU ALLOTTED FOR FOUR QUESTIONS? UNANSWERABLE? HOW MUCH TIME, HOW MUCH TIME WILL EACH BOARD MEMBER RECEIVED FOR A QUESTION MADAM CHAIR ON ANSWERABLE WHO WILL MONITOR THE QUESTIONS AND THE PROCESS AND, AND ENSURING THE EQUITY EQUITABLE WITH THESE QUESTIONS? WELL, I'M THE PRESIDING OFFICER AS THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
I READ ONCE AGAIN AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING, GC TWO, THAT WE WANT ALL BOARD MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND NOT ONE PERSON DOMINATE THE CONVERSATION.
SO I WOULD ASK THAT EACH BOARD MEMBER WHEN CALLED UPON NOW FOR QUESTIONS LIMIT THEIR QUESTIONS TO TWO.
SO EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE TO ANSWER, ASK QUESTIONS.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU PICK YOUR TWO MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN TWO.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE PROCESS WITH THE BOARD, BECAUSE I JUST THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A VERY, A VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR TOPIC TONIGHT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO BE, UH, UH, UH, THE PROCESS TO BE IRONED OUT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THEN THE BOARD.
UM, I HAVE A STATEMENT AND A QUESTION.
THE FIRST STATEMENT IS I KNOW YOU'RE PATTING YOURSELF ON THE BACK, UM, ABOUT OUR STATE SCORES, OUR SCORES BEATING STATE STANDARDS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN GIVE US NATIONAL STANDARDS.
I DON'T KNOW IF OUR TESTING IS SO DIFFERENT FROM NATIONALLY THAT IT'S APPLES TO ORANGES,
[02:05:02]
BUT, UM, BEATING SOUTH CAROLINA STANDARDS.THAT'S THAT DOESN'T GIVE ME A WARM AND FUZZY.
UH, I MEAN, I'M JUST GLAD THAT WE DO, BUT WE COMPLETE ON A NATIONAL STAGE FOR OUR GRADUATES.
AND SO I, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOME KIND OF DATA ON HOW OUR STUDENTS COMPARE, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, AND OUR GRADUATION RATES.
THAT'S GREAT, BUT WE'VE GOT A 5% INCREASE IN GRADUATION RATES.
DID WE GET A 5% INCREASE IN SAT SCORES? DID WE GET A 5% INCREASE IN ASFAB SCORES OR ARE WE INCREASING GRADUATION RATE BY LOWERING STANDARDS? I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT I WOULD, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO LOOK AT AND PROVIDE US SOME BET.
I LOOK AT THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP IN THESE SCORES.
I DIDN'T HAVE LAST YEAR'S DATA TO COMPARE OVER THE PREVIOUS, UH, SCHEDULING TIME, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE THAT THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP HAS GOTTEN GREATER, NOT SMALLER.
I REALLY LIKE ALL THE PROGRAMS YOU'VE INITIATED, BUT I GOT TO SEE SOME PROGRESS I REALLY DO.
AND I KNOW IT'S TOUGH AND I KNOW LAST YEAR WAS AN ABERRATION WITH, UH, WITH THE COVID AND IT IS WHAT IT IS, BUT IT'S A NEW DAY.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH COVID NOW AND THE ABSENTEES AND THE QUARANTINES AND ALL THAT STUFF, BUT WE CAN'T HAVE ANOTHER YEAR OF LEARNING LOSS.
WE NEED TO HAVE, WE NEED TO GET ON THE UPSLOPE.
UM, YOU HAVE, I BELIEVE THE PROGRAMS TO DO THAT.
AND I, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE THE TEACHERS AND THE STAFF AND THE PRINCIPALS TO DO THAT.
AND IF WE, IF YOU START TO SEE WHERE THAT'S, WE'RE NOT ON THE UPWARD SLOPE, YOU NEED TO COME TO THE BOARD AND TELL US WHAT WE NEED TO GIVE YOU TO GET THAT WAY.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE ONE AREA OF KEEN INTEREST WHEN AT THE DATA, AND THAT IS THE AREA OF OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, AND THAT WAS THE ONE AREA IT LOOKED LIKE WHEN COMPARED TO THE STATE DATA THAT WE WERE LAGGING BEHIND.
UM, I DID LOOK AT SOME OF THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT REGIONS THAT YOU HAVE ON HERE, AND I NOTED THAT PORTERVILLE AND THE BLUFFTON REGION, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS MOSSY OAKS AND THE BUFORD BATTERY CREEK REGION, UM, TEND TO DO BETTER AMONGST THEIR COUNTERPARTS.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU WERE LOOKING AT THOSE SCHOOLS FOR POTENTIAL, UM, GLIMMERS OF LIGHT THERE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY REPLICATE AT OUR OTHER SCHOOLS.
WELL, DAN, DANIEL'S ACTUALLY SHARING ALSO THAT THE, THE NAPE, THE PROGRAMMATIC NATURE OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN SOME OF THE SCHOOLS, BUT I THINK YOU'VE ALSO PICKED UP ON THE PRET INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE OF PRINCIPAL, MAYBE AT MASEO.
SO I'VE BEEN THERE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WHO HAD STARTED EMBEDDING PRACTICES, AND NOW ALSO BRING THOSE PRACTICES TO ANOTHER SCHOOL SITE.
SO I'LL LET DANIEL SPEAK A LITTLE MORE TO THE DATA COMPONENTS AS WELL, TO THAT I COULD SPEAK TO THE PROGRAMMATIC OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED THERE IN THERE.
BUT SO, SO ONE THING WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DATA, ESPECIALLY WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES OR EVEN MULTI-LINGUAL STUDENTS, UH, WE GET, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ANALYZE OUR DATA DEEPLY.
SO IT'S JUST US SUBGROUP OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO IS THAT A, A SPEECH STUDENT? IS THAT A STUDENT, A SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY? UM, WE DON'T KNOW.
SO THAT'S WHERE IT'S SOMEWHAT IT'S, IT'S, THAT'S WHY WE SAY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
HAVE YOU FOR COUNTING YOUR STUDENTS FIRST, ARE THERE ARE STUDENTS, UM, IT'S HARD FOR US TO COMPARE SOMETIMES, CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT ANOTHER SCHOOL LIKE US MIGHT HAVE AS FAR AS THEIR STUDENTS WITH DISPLACED POPULATION, BUT WHAT DR.
STRATIS MENTIONED, UH, EXACTLY IT COMES TO THE INSTRUCTIONAL COMPONENTS.
AND I KNOW THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR FOCUSES.
UM, OF COURSE IT IS HELPFUL WHEN WE HAVE STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS, SO WE CAN, WE CAN DO THIS.
UM, BUT I THINK TO THE PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY WHEN I LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, SE READY, WENT UP THERE, READING THE WORK WE'VE DONE, UM, EVERY SINGLE SUBGROUP WHILE WE'VE LOST.
AND WE, WE KNEW, WE WERE TELLING YOU SINCE AUGUST, SEPTEMBER WHEN WE WERE HAVING THE DATA HAD WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT, IT'S IMPACTING EVERYONE.
UM, EVERY SINGLE GROUP WHO HAVE LOST LESS THAN THE STATE, IS THAT A WIN? I DON'T THINK WE'RE WHERE WE NEED TO BE, BUT WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T
[02:10:01]
FALL AS FAR AS OTHERS.SO DID WHAT WE IMPLEMENT WORK WELL IN A PERFECT CASE, WE MIGHT SHOW GAINS, BUT IN A BROKEN MODEL, WE STOPPED FALLING AS FAR AS OTHERS.
SO YES, I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WORKING.
I THINK WE NEED A CONSISTENT YEAR.
UH, SO WE CAN ACTUALLY MEASURE THAT IN A NON VARIABLE YEAR OF MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF ABSENCES BECAUSE OF WHAT WE KNOW.
AND THEN WHAT WE SAID ALL LAST YEAR, WHEN THE STUDENTS BACK IN SCHOOL, THAT'S WHERE WE CAN AGREED INTO COLONEL GUYERS POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL COMING BACK TO US AND ASKING US, WHAT DO YOU NEED? UM, THAT'S AN AREA THAT I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SERVING THOSE STUDENTS AS WELL AS ALL STUDENTS, BUT, UM, THANK YOU.
MADAM CHAIR MAY SPEAK A MOMENT JUST TO BUILD AT THAT.
WE'D LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MONITOR WHAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING NOW TO SEE IF WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
I ALSO LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE COMMENTARY REGARDING GRADUATIONS, A VERY HARD ITEM TO COMPARE TO OTHER STATES, STATES IDENTIFY, HAVE THE IDENTIFIERS AND CREATE THEM.
SO WHERE YOU WOULD DRIVE THAT QUESTION AT LOOKING AT GRADUATION RATE IN REGARDS TO, IS IT A QUESTION THAT WE HAVE ALREADY HAD INTERNALLY AMONGST SENIOR STAFF AND AS WELL AS WITHIN ACADEMIC CABINET SEEING TRENDS ARE SO THANK YOU.
WHICH ONES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES? THE HILTON HAD CLUSTER OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL.
YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE IN THE THREE SCHOOLS? ALL TOTAL, TOTAL? I HAVE THREE SCHOOLS IN TERMS OF THEIR TESTING DATA, ROUGHLY 8 23, 3 29 AND FOURS OVER LIKE A 500, 800, 1660 CUSTOM TESTED STUDENTS.
AND THE, THE HISPANICS OUTNUMBER THE OTHER TWO GROUPS ALMOST TWO TO ONE.
THOSE ARE THE STUDENTS WHO TESTED YESTERDAY.
THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S ONE QUESTION.
SECOND QUESTION I HAD WAS WHAT EXACTLY IS THE STATE STANDARD AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU SAY THAT STUDENTS PASSED THE STATE STANDARDS? THE THIRD GRADE IS A PARTICULARLY WHAT IS THE STATE'S STANDARD FOR THIRD GRADE IS TOO.
SO I D I DO HAVE MELISSA MURRAY WHO, WHO ACTUALLY MANAGED THAT PROGRAM OVER THIS SUMMIT IN THE PAST, BUT THESE WERE STUDENTS WHO WERE NOT MEETING PROMOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
UTILIZATION OF MATH HELPS IDENTIFY THE STUDENTS AS WELL.
AND THEN DURING THE SUMMER AFTER INTERVENTION IS REQUIRED BY THE STATE.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S 96 HOURS OF INTERVENTION OF FACE-TO-FACE A COMPUTER COMPUTERIZED MODEL DOES NOT MEET THE STATE STANDARDS THAT THE STUDENTS RECEIVE FOR MATH.
AND I WANT TO SAY THE CUTOFF IS ONE 70 OR 1 77.
UM, IF THEY MEET THAT POINT, THEY'RE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES, BUT I CAN HAVE MISS MARIE SPEAK TO A LITTLE MORE OF THAT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE IS A BAR THAT THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO REACH AND THEY DID QUALIFY, YOU KNOW, MR. CAMPBELL, IF, UH, IF I MAY ALSO ADD, UM, JUST BECAUSE THEY MET THAT BAR IN THE SUMMER FOR PROMOTION, RIGHT.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE SCHOOL IS JUST GOING TO TREAT THEM AS ANY OTHER STUDENT WHO MADE IT IN THE SPRING, RIGHT THERE.
THIS IS A COHORT OF STUDENTS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING WITH CLOSELY AND FOCUSING ON THOSE ESSENTIAL STANDARDS.
BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY RIGHT NOW, YEAH, I GOT CONFIDENCE IN THE PROGRAM.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, THINK SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE IN TERMS OF WHY THEY'RE GOING ON THE GRADE FOUR.
THEY, THEY MET THE STANDARDS, SO THEY, THEY CAN GET THE GRADE FOUR, BUT NOW THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, OVERALL SCORES AND ABILITIES, I GUESS THAT'S GOING TO BE ADDRESSED WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS.
SO, UM, I'M COMING BACK AND DOWN AND HAND BACK INGRID A BOAT.
UM, I, I, WASN'T GOING TO SAY ANYTHING AND I WASN'T GOING TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I FEEL A LITTLE COMPELLED BECAUSE
[02:15:01]
I HAVE STUDENTS STILL IN THE SCHOOLS.I HAVE STUDENTS IN COLLEGE AND I DON'T TH I THINK I NEED TO EMPHASIZE HOW TRAUMATIC IT LAST YEAR WAS NOT AN ABERRATION.
I WAS LISTENING TO A MEDICAL DISCUSSION ABOUT COVID AND THEY SAID THAT SHE TAKE MY MASK OFF FOR THIS, UM, THAT THE POLICIES OF SHUTTING SCHOOLS DOWN AND SENDING KIDS HOME IN VIRTUAL LEARNING THAT IN RETROSPECT, THAT WILL BE SEEN AS A TRUE HISTORICAL POLICY FAILURE, THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, WE CAN LOOK AT IT AND TALK ABOUT IT, BUT REALLY A LOT OF THE GAP WAS WHO WAS HOME, WHO HAD PARENTS AT HOME THAT COULD MONITOR KIDS WHO HAD ACCESS TO WIFI.
UM, AND I JUST HAVE TO SAY, AS A PARENT, THE BOARD, I WOULD LIKE TO COME IN WHICH YOU GUYS HAVE DONE.
AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE WHERE WE'RE AT COMPARED TO SOUTH CAROLINA, DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
I THINK THE DISTRICT HAS SHOWN THAT WE HAVE PRIORITIZED GETTING KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL.
WE HAVE PRIORITIZED LEARNING LOSS WITH THIS BEVY OF PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE TAILORED TO INDIVIDUAL AREAS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT MORE THE DISTRICT COULD BE DOING AT THIS POINT, BUT TO EVERYONE'S POINT, IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN DO.
BUT I THINK I JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY LAST YEAR WAS NOT, UM, JUST KIND OF A SIMP, A BLIP IN THE ROAD.
IT WAS, IT IS GOING TO HAVE A GENERATIONAL EFFECT ON THESE LEARNERS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT OUR DISTRICT HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AT GETTING KIDS BACK IN THE CLASSROOM AND PRIORITIZING KIDS BACK IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND, UM, THAT'S, I GUESS THAT'S WELL, AND ONE THING IS, AND IT JUST, THIS IS WHAT MADE ME KIND OF BE BEEN SAT SCORES.
DO WE REALIZE THAT COLLEGES AREN'T REALLY EVEN TAKING THOSE ANYMORE? I MEAN, WE GOT TO LOOK AT PAST SOME OF THESE METRICS AND LOOK AT THE HEALTH OF THE STUDENT, NOT AS A LABEL, NOT AS, YOU KNOW, AN ACHIEVEMENT GAP, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ADDRESS ALL THE TRAUMA THESE KIDS HAVE GONE THROUGH? AND SO I KNOW I'M KIND OF I'M DRAGGING ON, BUT IT'S, IT'S VERY PERSONAL FOR ME HAVING KIDS IN SCHOOL AT THE TIME AND SEEING THE EFFECT IT'S HAD ON THEM, ON THEIR EDUCATION, ON THEIR LIFE'S JOURNEY AND ON THEIR FRIENDS.
IT'S WE REALLY NEED TO RESPECT WHAT THE SCHOOLS ARE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
MR. WILLIAMS SMITH FELT SO MUCH BETTER IN MY HEAD.
MY QUESTION IS HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT OUT OF 105 AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN ALGEBRA ONE IN THE COURSE EXAM, NOT ONE STUDENT IN THE, NOT, NOT ONE STUDENT IN THAT SCHOOL SCORED IN A SAME SCHOOL, SAME NUMBER OF STUDENTS TAKING THE SAME EXAM.
ONLY FIVE STUDENTS RECEIVED A GRADE OF B, WHICH IS BETWEEN 80 TO 89%.
HERE IS THE REAL TRAGEDY FOR ME AND THIS DATA OUT OF THE 115 AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS, 80% OF THOSE STUDENTS SCORED A D OR F WITH THOSE STUDENTS SCORING F WERE TWICE AS MANY AS THOSE WHO SCORE DS.
SO CAN, CAN YOU, UM, PLEASE REFERENCE WHERE YOU'RE, UM, WHICH, WHERE YOU'RE FINDING THIS INFORMATION, PLEASE? I'LL I'LL I'LL I'LL I'LL PAGE 17.
UM, ON THE, ON THE STATE WHERE I'M ACTUALLY ACTUALLY NATIONALLY, I FOLLOW INFORMATION ON THE STATE WEBSITE ACTUALLY, UH, YEAH, THAT, OKAY.
LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW.
SO IT'S PAGE 17 OF THIS REPORT.
WELL, I ACTUALLY HAVE TO SOMEWHAT SILOED OUT SOME OF THEM FROM 17, BUT ALSO SOME OF THAT, SOME OF THIS I GOT FROM THIS WEBSITE, I'VE KNOWN THIS IS UP ALL NIGHT BECAUSE THIS, THIS IS A BIG CONCERN.
UH, YOU KNOW, UH, MADAM CHAIRMAN BOARD MEMBERS IN MADAM CHAIR WOULD MR. SMITH IS BRINGING A PRO.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT ALGEBRA IS A GATEWAY MATH CLASS, THE COMMENTARY OF LOOKING AT ALGEBRA ACROSS THE BOARD, NOT JUST AT ONE SPECIFIC SCHOOL OR ONE SUBGROUP ALGEBRA FOR ALL STUDENTS.
IT IS A GATEWAY CONVERSATION HAS HAPPENED WITH OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, WERE SHARED WITH OUR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, THAT LOOKING WHAT THE STATE LAW ALLOWS US TO DO, WE TAKING COURSES AND GIVING STUDENTS OPPORTUNITY, BUT FACE-TO-FACE INSTRUCTION SHOULD BE A POINT OF CONSIDERATION AND IMPLEMENTATION AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
SO MR. SMITH, VERY GOOD ANALYSIS.
UM, I'D FIVE BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ONE GROUP OF CHILDREN.
IT'S ALL GROUPS OF CHILDREN WITH ALGEBRA PROVIDES.
I NEED TO, I NEED TO PUT THAT STRESS.
SO AS WE'RE LOOKING AND GOING FORWARD ON THAT STEPPING STONE OF MATH
[02:20:01]
FOR STUDENTS, WE ARE RECOMMENDING STUDENTS IN THE AREA.IF THEY HAD A D OR AN F PLEASE RESET STATE LAWYER FOR HIGH SCHOOL, STUDENTS DOES NOT ALLOW GRADE FORGIVENESS FOR AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WOULD HAVE C IT DOES ALLOW GREAT FORGIVENESS FOR THOSE STUDENTS IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WE RECOGNIZE IT, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE HAVE A HIGHER PERFORMING STUDENT WHO'S OBTAINING OR GETTING THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT COURSE AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SO ANOTHER INTERVENTION OF CONVERSATION IS THEN WHAT ARE WE DOING BETWEEN, DO WE GO FORWARD AND JUMP THAT CHILD RIGHT INTO GEOMETRY? OR WE LOOK AT PLACING ON OUR MASTER SCHEDULE, ADDITIONAL SUPPORT MATH CLASSES, SO I CAN GO THROUGH BE TEACHING AND GIVE THAT CHILD THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMETHING HIGHER LATER ON.
SO MRS. SMITH, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT NOT ONLY THAT RESULT, BUT THE DOORS THAT WE WANT TO OPEN FOR OUR CHILDREN AS THEY PROCEED THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THAT IS A CONVERSATION HAPPENING WITH DR.
BRADLEY ACADEMIC CABINET, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, AND FROM THAT, IT IS GOING TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS.
SO AGAIN, EXCELLENT OBSERVATION AND THINGS.
STRATOSE I THINK, UH, ANOTHER COMPONENT THAT, THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, BUT IS A RELEVANT FACT WITH AN IMPACT, RIGHT? IT'S THAT IN CERTAIN AREAS, UH, WE SAW 70% OF STUDENTS OPTING FOR VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION, RIGHT.
AND IN CERTAIN AREAS WE SAW 70% OF STUDENTS OPTING FOR FACE-TO-FACE INSTRUCTION.
WE WE'VE SHARED FROM THE BEGINNING THAT WE FELT THAT THAT IS AN IMPACT.
AND, AND, UH, THERE'S NOTHING LIKE YOUR TEACHER IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND SO LAST YEAR VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION WAS AN OPTION WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE.
BUT IT, IT, IT DID COME WITH SOME CONSEQUENCES.
UM, BUT IN ADDITION THIS YEAR, IT'S NOT AN OPTION THAT IS VIABLE, UH, GIVEN THE PROVISORS.
SO, BUT I DO THINK THERE IS AN IMPACT THAT VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION HAD WITH, WITH STUDENTS, NOT ALL STUDENTS, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF STUDENTS ON VIRTUAL, UH, INSTRUCTION.
UH, MY FOLLOWUP WOULD BE, UM, AFTER REVIEWING THAT DATA, WHAT RESOURCES COULD WE ALLOCATE TO GO TO THOSE REGIONS TO PRODUCE SIMILAR, IF NOT BETTER RESULTS DEMONSTRATED BY OCA GEOMETRY AND CUSO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MAN.
SO ONCE AGAIN, IT'S A SMITH GREAT OBSERVATION.
SO IF WE COULD BUILD IN THE CONVERSATION FROM DR.
RODRIGUEZ, IF WE LOOK AT THE RELATIONSHIP OF FACE-TO-FACE TO VIRTUAL AT THE SCHOOLS, THAT YOU'VE HIGHLIGHTED, THAT THE SCHOOLS THAT YOU JUST HIGHLIGHTED HAD A VERY STRONG PERCENTAGE OF FACE TO FACE INSTRUCTION, IT WILL RECALL.
I WANT TO SAY LAST FEBRUARY, AS I STOOD IN FRONT OF THE BOARD AND ASK SQUEEZE, AND I ACTUALLY HAD, HAS SUPPORTED THE BOARD MEMBERS TO HELP GET OUR CHILDREN BACK TO SCHOOL, FACE TO FACE CRITICAL.
THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS ME BEING IN SCHOOL, HAVING THAT STRUCTURE, HAVING THAT TEACHER RETEACH AND KNOW WHAT I'M DOING AND NOT DOING, AND GIVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES AS A LEARNER, BUT THEN HELPED ME REALIZE THE RIGHT WAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT TEACHERS DO THROUGH THEIR INSTRUCTION.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST, MOST IMPORTANT ITEM.
UM, I KNOW THAT IT GETS OLD WHEN PEOPLE REPEAT, SO SOME THINGS ARE WORTH REPEATING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO CELEBRATE WHERE WE CAN.
IT'S BEEN A HECK OF A 20 MONTHS.
AND SO, YEAH, I WAS CLAPPING LOUD WHEN I SAW THAT OUR GRADUATION RATES WERE HIGHER THAN THE STATES.
WE HAVE TO CELEBRATE WHEN WE CAN CELEBRATE, BECAUSE IT THERE'S NOT BEEN A LOT OF CELEBRATING.
SECONDLY, I DON'T KNOW ANY OF YOU LEARNED PEOPLE.
MS. MARIE, DANIEL, YOU LOOK AT THIS DATA, YOU'RE NOT EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
YOU CAN SEE IT THROUGH CLEAR EYES.
YOU'RE NOT LOOKING THROUGH ROSE COLORED LENSES.
WE'RE NOT EXCITED ABOUT THIS, BUT WE ALSO KNOW SOME OF THE REASON.
AND SO NOT TO JUST REITERATE, WHAT'S BEEN SAID,
[02:25:01]
BUT WE KNOW LAST YEAR WE HAD A HUGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE OUT VIRTUAL AND THEIR ATTENDANCE RATE VIRTUALLY WAS NOT HIGH.WE KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH A WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC THAT HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON EVERY ASPECT OF A FAMILY, OF A MENTAL HEALTH, ACADEMIC, EMOTIONAL, EVERYTHING.
SO, YEAH, I WANT TO CELEBRATE THAT, WHICH WE CAN CELEBRATE.
I'M GOING TO REITERATE WHAT HAS BEEN SAID THAT WHAT DO YOU NEED? BUT YOU'VE GOT SO MANY THINGS.
IT'S LIKE THE HORSES THAT ARE, THAT ARE AT THE RACETRACK, AND THEY'RE JUST WAITING TO GET OUT OF THE GATE, BUT THAT COVID GATE IS STOPPING SO MUCH.
YOU'VE GOT PROGRAMS AND GRANTS AND DR.
RODRIGUEZ, YOU'RE BUILDING THIS LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT IT'S JUST WAITING TO BUST OUT THAT GATE.
AND SO MR. FALLON I HOPE THAT WHEN YOU'RE STANDING HERE PRESENTING THE DATA AS, AS YOU DO AND TRY TO GET US TO UNDERSTAND IT, I HOPE, AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS DATA WE'RE GOING TO BE, HAVE A LOT TO CELEBRATE OKAY.
I THINK THE TEACHERS, I T I THANK THE FAMILIES, THE ADMINISTRATORS THAT ARE NOT JUST DEALING WITH YOUR TYPICAL EVERY YEAR STUFF, THEY'RE DEALING WITH SO MUCH, MR. CAMPBELL.
AND I VISITED WHAT EIGHT SCHOOLS, NO LAW IN THREE DAYS, NINE SCHOOLS IN THREE DAYS.
AND WE HAVE SEEN HOW HARD IT IS TO HAVE SCHOOL, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE KIDS ARE LEARNING.
UM, YES, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION EITHER.
ONE IS THAT, UM, IN ALL OF THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING AND THE EXTRACURRICULAR THINGS, UM, I HEARD A COUPLE THINGS THAT I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES, FOOD AND TRANSPORTATION, I THINK BEFORE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS BEFORE, BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THE TRANSPORTATION, THEN WE'RE NOT GETTING THE KIDS THAT WE NEED.
SO I'M SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION FOR ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS. AND THE OTHER THING THAT I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS PRIOR TO YOUR PRESENTATION, MR. WHITEFORD FROM THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB CAME UP AND SPOKE ABOUT A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT WE ARE HELPING.
I, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB ON A SATURDAY THAT ARE TAKING IN ARE, ARE WORKING WITH OUR STUDENTS.
THOSE TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS WILL HELP US, YOU KNOW, GET, GET OVER THIS AND MAKE UP FOR THE LEARNING LOSS.
AND I REALLY DO WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR TEACHERS.
I KNOW THIS IS NOT BEEN EASY FOR THEM.
I KNOW THEY'RE GETTING DISCOURAGED.
I HEAR, I, I HEAR DISCOURAGEMENT.
AND AS OUR SCHOOL NURSES, THEY'RE DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB AND WE NEED TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE IT.
AND YEAH, WE, WHERE WE WANT TO GET NO, BUT WE WERE MOVING AND IT'S LIKE, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, UM, WE'VE HAD INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES.
UM, SO I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT.
AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE, WITH THESE SPECIAL PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEING OFFERED AND WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, I THINK THOSE ARE GREAT THINGS.
EVERYONE IS SAYING, THIS IS A, UH, SAID SOME STUFF THAT I WAS GOING TO SAY, SO I WON'T GO OVER IT AGAIN.
UM, BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IS THAT WE HAVE HOUSED WITH ONE IN ALL OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL.
UM, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, ALGEBRA WAS ONE.
IT WASN'T, UH, WHO AT BRANCH MIDDLE SCHOOL.
UM, ALSO SOME YEARS AGO WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, UH, STANDARD AS FAR AS SOUTH CAROLINA.
I THINK WE SHOULD FORGET ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA AND DO WHAT THE REST OF THE STATES TO DO, HOW THE STATES ARE DOING.
THEY BOUGHT, BUT THANK YOU, MR. DAVIDS, DRIVEN JER.
[02:30:02]
I'M GOING TO HACK ON WHAT A COUPLE OF OTHER BOARD MEMBERS SAID.I, I THINK IT'S AMAZING WHAT WE'VE DONE LAST YEAR AND LOOKING AT DATA FROM SUCH AN ABNORMAL YEAR, UM, YOU CAN'T PUT A WHOLE LOT OF CREDENCE INTO IT.
ONE THING DOES JUMP OUT AT ME IN IT AND IT, UM, IT'S ALONG THE LINES OF SOMETHING COLONEL GEIER SAID, WE HAVE AN 88% GRADUATION RATE, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STANDARDIZED TESTING, IT WOULD BE HARD TO PREDICT THAT HIGH OF A GRADUATION RATE.
UM, NOW THE STANDARD SCORES ARE, ARE MUCH, MUCH LOWER THAN THAT.
SO I'M CONCERNED THAT WE MAY BE, UM, LOVING OUR STUDENTS INTO MEDIOCRITY.
RODNEY REGUS IS FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
UM, SO HOW DO WE EXPLAIN HOW WE HAVE AN 88.5% GRADUATION RATE? BUT ALL OF OUR STANDARDIZED TESTING IS LOW.
AND I AGREE WE SHOULDN'T BE COMPARING OURSELVES TO THE STATE BECAUSE THAT'S A VERY LOW BAR.
UH, A FEW YEARS AGO, WE COMPARED OURSELVES TO SEVERAL OTHER DISTRICTS THAT WERE SIMILAR IN AND DEMOGRAPHICS, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS, AND I'M SURE MR. FALLON MEMBERS THAT, UH, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A MORE RELEVANT COMPARISON, BUT MY BIG QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, 88.5 DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WHAT THE STANDARD TESTS ARE INDICATING.
SO W WHAT'S GOING ON THERE MS. DISTRIBUTOR TO BUILD A NET AS WELL AS FROM COLONEL GEIER, THERE'S NOT A GPA REQUIREMENT FOR GRADUATION.
IT'S 24 CREDITS DOES NOT A GATEWAY EXAM FOR GRADUATION EITHER.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THOSE ARE THE ITEMS THAT ARE NECESSARY BECAUSE I'VE SEEN STUDENTS STRUGGLE SIGNIFICANTLY TO MEET THE REQUIREMENT OF GATEWAY EXAMS IN ORDER TO ACROSS THE STAGE.
AND THEY DID DESERVE TO GRADUATE.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE TWO ACCOUNTABILITY IDEAS THAT WENT INTO PLACE TO TRY TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GRADUATION RATE AND WHAT WAS DETERMINED, MAYBE A QUALITY OF EDUCATION.
BUT I THINK ONE OF THE VEHICLES PUTTING IN PLACE AND WORKING HARD AT DEVELOPING THE CAPACITY IS HAVING OUR TEACHERS AND OUR ADMINISTRATORS BUILDING THEIR SKILL SET AT LEARNING MEETINGS AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES TO REALLY DEFINE ARE WE TEACHING WHAT NEEDS TO BE MEASURED? I MEAN, WE TEACH WHAT NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT.
ARE WE MEASURING WHAT NEEDS TO BE MEASURED? AND ARE WE AT THE RIGOR TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE, BUT APPLICATION OF THIS KNOWLEDGE THAT IS GOING TO, UNTIL YOU HAVE OTHER TENANTS IN PLACE, IT HAS TO BE A CULTURE AND PRACTICE AND CLIMATE OF WHAT WE DO HERE IN BUFORD COUNTY, THAT WE HAVE A HIGH EXPECTATION AND NOT TO SUPPORT MEDIOCRITY OR COMPLACENCY FOR KIDS JUST TO MEET THE 24 CREDITS ANNOUNCED.
YOU CAN SEE IT AS AN ACT DAMON PERSON WHO ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THAT RELATIONSHIP IMMEDIATELY.
I LOOKED AT THAT RELATIONSHIP, BUT SYSTEMS ARE IN PLACE THAT DO NOT LEND SUPPORT OF BOTH.
SO NOW WE HAVE TO BUILD THAT CAPACITY WHERE EDUCATORS THAT WILL LEAVE WITHIN OUR CHILDREN, THAT I WANT ONE STEP MORE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO NAVIGATE RIGHT NOW.
OTHER PRESSURES I'M VERY MUCH, I KNOW THE GAMES ON THE TECH, NOT THE GAMES OF THE ITEMS ON THE TABLE, BUT IF WE TALK COLLECTIVELY THIS WAY, WE WILL HAVE A STRONG CORE RESULT.
AND IT HAS TO BE A COLLECTIVE IMPACT MODEL THAT THESE ARE, THE EXPECTATIONS WOULD BE IF, WHAT COUNTY I'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW THINGS, CAUSE I HAVEN'T SPOKEN YET.
UM, THIS PANDEMIC HAS JUST BEEN UNBELIEVABLE AND, UH, I REALLY THINK IT'S BROUGHT OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE AND ALSO THE VERY WORST IN PEOPLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S NERVES ARE, ARE AFRAID.
PEOPLE JUST, IT'S VERY HARD FOR PEOPLE TO, UH, ACCEPT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
MOST EVERYONE HAS BEEN AFFECTED IN SOME WAY BY THE PANDEMIC HAVE HAVING LOST A CLOSE FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER TO THE, TO THE, UH, ILLNESS.
RODRIGUEZ HAD WARNED THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC MULTIPLE TIMES THAT IT WAS LIKELY THAT, YOU KNOW, SEVEN OUT OF 10 CHILDREN WOULD NOT BE, UH, MEETING OR EXCEEDING, UH, PERFORMANCE FOR THEIR GRADE LEVEL.
I WAS SHOCKED AND SURPRISED WITH THE RESULTS AND FAVORABLY.
I THINK I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK, UM,
[02:35:01]
THE TEACHERS, THE STUDENTS, THE PARENTS, THE STAFF THAT ASSISTS, UH, IN THE SCHOOLS, OUR ADMINISTRATORS, DR.AND, AND YOUR TEAM, DANIEL, MELISSA.
I MEAN, WHAT YOU'VE HAD TO COPE WITH IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE.
AND I DO THINK YOU NEED A COMMENDATION.
YOU'VE DONE, DONE A REMARKABLE JOB IN A, IN A TERRIBLE SITUATION.
DO I THINK WE CAN IMPROVE? ABSOLUTELY.
I DO NOT THINK BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS REACHED ITS POTENTIAL UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP.
IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE AND WE'VE GOT THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING AT IT.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN SIX MONTHS, 12 MONTHS, BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP, KEEP PUSHING, PUSHING, PUSHING, PUSHING EVERY, EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IN THIS DISTRICT NEEDS TO BE CHALLENGED AND EVERY SINGLE STUDENT SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED.
AND WE KNOW THAT WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THIS PAST YEAR.
IT'S GOING TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON THESE CHILDREN LIKELY FOR YEARS AND PERHAPS EVEN ON THEIR CAREER, UH, EARNINGS EVEN.
SO IT'S, IT'S, UH, I THINK YOU DESERVE A LOT OF PRAISE.
NO, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE, BUT WHAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED IS MIRACULOUS HONESTLY, IS WHAT I THINK I WAS JUST ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED BY THE RESULTS.
UM, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL OF YOU AND, AND, AND TO THE FAMILIES OF BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WHAT YOU'VE HAD TO COPE WITH IS JUST UNREAL.
I AM, I HAVE GROWN CHILDREN THAT WENT THROUGH THE SCHOOLS.
MY YOUNGEST GRADUATED SIX YEARS AGO FROM BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL.
I DON'T, I WAS THINKING, HOW WOULD I HAVE DONE IT? I DON'T KNOW HOW I WOULD'VE DONE IT AS A PARENT.
I FINALLY ENDED UP THINKING, YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO.
I HAVE A PRIVATE MEDICAL PRACTICE.
I WOULD HAVE MADE ONE OF MY EXAM ROOMS INTO A STUDY ROOM FOR MY KIDS.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW ELSE I COULD DO IT.
AND I'M ONE OF THE FORTUNATE ONES WHO COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE AN EMPLOYER WHERE THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO KUDOS TO, TO, TO THE STAFF AND, AND, AND TO THE FAMILIES OF OUR DISTRICT.
YOU'VE REALLY ACCOMPLISHED A WHOLE LOT IN VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TIMES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO FOLLOW UP ON THOSE SPEECHES, BUT I THINK WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
STRATUS AND THEY ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE CULTURE OF THE DISTRICT.
I KNOW THERE'S SO MANY PARTS MOVING PARTS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN MY LIFETIME HERE ON THE BOARD, BUT THINGS ARE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
NOW I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
ONE, I THINK YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT ALGEBRA ONE VERSUS ENGLISH TWO DIDN'T I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CLARIFY THAT.
WHY, WHY ISN'T IT ALGEBRA ONE ENGLISH ONE.
SO, UM, FEDERAL GUIDELINES ACTUALLY HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL, ENGLISH, MATH, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, SAMS ELEMENTARY FOR, FOR OUR FEDERAL ACCOUNTABILITY.
SO, UH, ALGEBRA ONE, UH, IT WAS DEEMED AS IF THOSE SCORES WOULD FOLLOW THE STUDENTS, BUT THE GATEWAY COURSE OF ENGLISH ONE, UM, ALLOWED SCHOOLS TO POTENTIALLY, AND THIS IS A LARGE OVERALL FEDERAL, UH, TO MOVE THOSE SCORES ON TO EIGHTH GRADE AS WELL, WHERE YOU'RE CAPTURING THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.
SO SOUTH CAROLINA IS ANSWER TO THAT WAS TO HAVE ALGEBRA TWO AND ENGLISH WOULD BE THE HIGH SCHOOL EXAMS. UH, ALGEBRA TWO, UH, STARTED THAT PROCESS AS FAR AS THE STANDARD SETTING, THE ASSESSMENT WRITING COVID HIT, THAT WAS DONE.
SO IT'S NOW STILL HELD TO, FOR ONE, FOR THE NEAR FUTURE, BUT THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL AND THEY DID TURNS CAUSE THEY DID MIGRATE TO ENGLISH.
THAT'S TYPICALLY A 10TH GRADE CLASS IN EIGHTH GRADE.
YOU'RE STILL TAKING IT IN HIGH SCHOOL.
SO I GET THE IDEA THAT THEY'RE A LITTLE DISTORTION AND TRENDS OF WHAT IT WAS, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE OUR ACCELERATED KIDS SCORES IN THE, IN THE RUSH.
IT HAS TO HAPPEN IN HIGH SCHOOL.
SO SOUTH CAROLINA LAGGING BEHIND WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL EXAM, THE MATH, RIGHT? YEAH.
BUT ONCE WE GET THE ACCELERATED SCORES, IT'D BE FUN.
THAT'S WHY THE ENGLISH TWO SCORES LOOK JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THOSE ALGEBRA ONE SCORES.
IT'S A DIFFERENT GROUP OF SOPHOMORES VERSUS A GROUP OF GROUP OF STUDENTS AND A CULTURE OF BINS OF CULTURE BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE NINTH GRADE WITH THE ENGLISH ONE STUDENTS.
SO YOU KIND OF KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING IN ENGLISH TWO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, SO YEAH.
NOW ONE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU GO WITHOUT SOME ELEMENT OF CRITIQUE AND THAT ELEMENT OF CRITIQUE
[02:40:01]
IS CATCH UP AS THE NAME FOR A PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO COME INTO AND IMPROVE THEIR SKILL BASE.I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO KNOCK ANYBODY'S IDEAS, BUT I DON'T GET THAT.
I WOULD SHARE THAT TO THE SCHOOL THAT THEY SHOULD POSSIBLY LOOK AT A DIFFERENT CONDIMENT NAKED.
MA'AM ACTUALLY, I WAS ASKING HIM WHAT, WHAT LAST THING THAT MR. CAMPBELL SAID? CAUSE I CAN HEAR IT WAS MUFFLED, SORRY.
I SAID, I DIDN'T LIKE CATCH-UP I PREFER A MUSCLE IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE AS A DISTRICT.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY PHILOSOPHIES IS SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WALK AND CHEW BUBBLE GUM AT THE SAME TIME.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A PANDEMIC IN THE WORLD, YOU KNOW, UM, WE, WE STILL HAVE A WISH WE STILL HAVE HAVE GOALS TO MEET.
AND WE W W WE STILL HAVE THINGS THAT, THAT NEEDS TO, UH, TO BE, TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND, AND, AND IN TERMS OF THAT, UM, UM, I I'M, I APPRECIATE THE, THE GOOD, I APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE DESCRIBING THE DISTRICT HAVE, HAVE CONTINUED TO MAKE, UH, THERE'S BEEN A CONTINUOUS, THERE'S HAVE BEEN SOME CONTINUED SUCCESS, BUT HOW HOWEVER THERE'S BEEN SOME CONTINUES, UH, CONTINUE, UH, UH, FAILURE A FAILURE TODAY TO THAT, THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO COME TO THE REALIZATION AND IT'S A TOUGH CONVERSATION TO HAVE, BUT IT HAS TO BE HA IT HAS TO BE HAD, YOU KNOW, UH, AND ALSO IN TURN, IN TERMS OF WE'VE KIND OF SCHOOL DISTRICT IS USING THE SOUTH CAROLINA AS THE BENCHMARK FOR ACADEMICS SUCCESS.
WE DO REALIZE THAT SOUTH CAROLINA IS IF COMPREHENSIVE, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, IN COMPARISON TO OTHER STATES MAY NOT BE THE BEST BENCHMARK, WHICH IS THIS WITH THIS BEING THE CASE, WHAT WOULD WE CONSIDER TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE TARGET PERCENT OR BENCHMARK FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS CONSIDERING HOW LOW OUR NUMBERS ARE? I GUESS THE FIRST THING, UM, I WANT TO STAY AS THIS WAS SHARING WITH YOU NUMBERS OKAY.
ABOUT, UM, THE IMPACT THAT THE PANDEMIC HAS HAD ON THE SYSTEM AND ON THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE, THAT WE'RE BLESSED TO SERVE.
NOBODY'S SAYING THAT WE WANT TO BE AT SOUTH CAROLINA STANDARDS.
WE'RE POINTING THAT OUT, BUT DO YOU WANT ME TO COMPARE US TO SAY, UM, MASSACHUSETTS STANDARDS WHEN OUR KIDS DON'T TAKE A MASSACHUSETTS TEST, THEY TAKE A SOUTH CAROLINA TEST, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT A VALID COMPARISON WHEN YOU DO THAT.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S SATISFIED WITH WHERE WE ARE.
I THINK THE POINT IS RIGHT, THAT IN SPITE OF THE PANDEMIC, I HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE IN SCHOOL MYSELF.
SO I CAN CERTAINLY FEEL THE EMOTION IN MS. BOATWRIGHTS WORDS, BECAUSE SHE HAS THEM TOO IN THE SYSTEM.
SO I THINK THE MESSAGE IS NOT THAT WE'RE, HEY, WE'RE, WE'RE WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
NO, BUT AS YOU OFTEN POINT OUT, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
WE'RE GONNA WE'RE, WE'RE ABOUT TO DO THAT IN A FEW MINUTES, WITH THE RESPECT TO THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC, RIGHT? YOU'RE SEEING NUMBERS THAT DESCRIBE THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND WE DEAL WITH THINGS LIKE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, UH, IMPACT ON STUDENTS.
[02:45:01]
THAT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE.I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE IT ALL TOGETHER.
YOU HAVE KIDS THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE BUILDING LAST YEAR AT ALL, AND HAD VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION.
AND IN SOME SCHOOLS, 70% OF THEM, BECAUSE THEIR FAMILIES WERE CONCERNED AND WORRIED, AND THEY HAD THAT OPTION AND THE EXERCISE THAT OPTION.
SO WHILE WE'RE NOT SATISFIED WITH WHERE WE ARE, I THINK AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE IS THE FOLLOWING THAT I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE TEACHERS AND THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY HAD TO MANEUVER ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION ON A DAILY BASIS, GIVEN THE SHIFTS AND THE CHANGES THRUST UPON THEM IN ORDER TO MANAGE AND DEAL WITH THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
SO I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S SAYING THAT WE'RE SATISFIED WITH WHERE WE ARE OR THAT WE WANT TO BE AT THE SOUTH CAROLINA STANDARD OR ANY OF THAT.
NOBODY'S SAYING THAT WE'RE SHARING WITH YOU NUMBERS, WE'RE SHARING WITH YOU A BASIS OF WHERE THE STATE IS, BECAUSE THE BASIS OF WHERE THE STATE IS ALSO TELLS YOU THE IMPACT FROM EVERYBODY ELSE, MR. FALLON SHOWED SHARED WITH YOU THAT THERE ARE SOME PLACES WHERE THE STATE DRAW WELL, IN ALL PLACES, I BELIEVE YOU SAID, OR MOST PLACES HE SAID THAT WE, UM, UH, GREW MORE THAN THE STATE, OR WE DROP LESS THAN THE STATE, RIGHT? THAT'S A MEASURE WHERE WE WANT TO BE.
NO, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE THING, RIGHT? AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE AND COMMEND OUR TEACHERS.
AND MANY OF YOU MENTIONED THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR PARENTS WHO HAD TO FIGURE OUT A WAY HOW TO SUPPORT THEM, BECAUSE THEY WANTED THEM TO BE VIRTUAL IN THAT VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.
SO NOT TO MENTION WHEN A CHILD COMES HOME FROM SCHOOL AND I'LL STOP AT THIS, GIVEN THE ANXIETIES AROUND, GOING TO SCHOOL AND COVID AND A MOM OR DAD HAS TO SIT THERE AND HUG THEIR KID AND SAY, IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY.
WE GOT A MARCH ON IT'S CHALLENGING.
AND OUR EDUCATORS AND OUR FAMILIES HAVE WORKED HARD AND DONE A GREAT JOB.
IT'S NOT WHERE ANYBODY WANTS TO BE, BUT I DON'T KNOW OF ANYBODY THAT LIKES THE PANDEMIC EITHER.
AND THIS MIDDLETON, YOU HAVE NOT SPOKEN.
CAUSE MS. MIDDLETON, YOU'VE ASKED SEVERAL QUESTIONS AND WE'VE COME AROUND SEVERAL TIMES TO YOU.
AND IT'S NOW MS. MIDDLETON'S TURN.
STRATUS AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU PROVIDED TONIGHT.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO ANY STUDENT THAT'S LISTENING TONIGHT, YOU ALL ARE ROCK STARS.
OUR STUDENTS IN THIS DISTRICT ARE ROCK STARS.
AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE THINKING PARENTS, WE'RE THINKING THE TEACHERS AND THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE FACULTY AND STAFF THAT THESE KIDS HAD TO DO THE WORK.
AND THAT'S WHY I SIT ON THIS BOARD.
I WOULD TELL SOMEBODY THE OTHER DAY, I DON'T HAVE A HORSE IN THIS RACE ANYMORE.
MY CHILD GRADUATED LAST YEAR, BUT I CAME BACK FOR ALL OF THE OTHER STUDENTS BECAUSE I STILL HAVE STUDENTS SITTING IN SEATS IN CLASSROOMS THAT I TAUGHT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL CHILDREN Y'ALL ARE AWESOME.
AND THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS WORK BECAUSE THERE ARE FACES, LIKE YOU SAID TO THESE NUMBERS AND THEY'RE, AND THERE ARE MANY OF THEM THAT CRY THEMSELVES TO SLEEP BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN DIFFICULT, DIFFICULT, BUT BUFORD COUNTY STUDENTS Y'ALL ARE AMAZING AND Y'ALL ARE GONNA BE TRAILBLAZERS.
AND YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH.
IF YOU CAN MAKE IT THROUGH A PANDEMIC, YOU CAN MAKE IT THROUGH ANYTHING.
ALL RIGHT, MR. SMITH, WHY DON'T YOU PICK YOUR NEXT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION AND WRAP IT UP? WELL, UM, UH, JUST TO RESPOND, UM, IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT CRITICIZING.
IT'S ABOUT RECOGNIZING WHERE WE, WHERE WE ARE AS A DISTRICT AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO COME UP WITH A IMMEDIATE, MASSIVE PLAN TO DEAL WITH IT? BECAUSE IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S CONCERNED BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR AWHILE AND ALSO THAT'S THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, FORTUNATELY IT REALLY, IT REALLY ABOUT HERE REALLY GOES TO AS WELL TOO, IN TERMS OF WHEN THE KID GRADUATES, WHEN THE KID GRADUATES
[02:50:01]
FROM BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, WELL, HE OR SHE BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND ACTUALLY WORK AT A JOB AND BE ABLE TO READ AN AD AND COUNT AND BE ABLE TO HAVE THE LIGHT, TO BE WORKING THE WORK ETHIC SKILLS, THE WORK SKILLS AND, AND, AND, AND ACADEMICS TO ACTUALLY DO THE JOB THAT THEY'RE HIRED FOR OVER SOMEONE SAY, NO, YOU, YOU, FROM YUKON SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU CAN'T HAVE THIS JOB.YOU KNOW? SO MY THING ABOUT MY THING ABOUT IT IS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP FOR ALL OF THE LEARNING GAP FOR, FOR A WHILE, WHICHEVER ONE DO WE WANT TO PICK, BUT THE ELEPHANTS ARE JUST OFTEN IN THE ROOM.
I'M WAITING TO SEE HOW WE, HOW, AND WHEN WE COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WE ARE MAKING THE SCRIBES IN THAT WE ARE ATTACKING THAT BECAUSE A SCHOOL LIKE BROAD RHYTHM FOR ROBERT, FOR INSTANCE, THEY, THEY WERE NOT ONE OF THOSE SCHOOLS WHO HAD ALL THOSE, ALL THOSE STUDENTS WHO WERE, UH, WHO WERE IN IN-PERSON, BUT THEY'VE SHOWN GAINS.
SO FOR STUFF LIKE THAT, I DON'T TAKE FOR GRANTED, BUT I'M JUST LOOKING FOR MORE OF IT.
AND IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY WANT TO KNOW TOO THAT WE ARE SERIOUS.
I GET SEVERAL SHIFTS, SEVERAL CALLS, AND PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW ALL Y'ALL ARE SERIOUS ABOUT WORKING ON THE, THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP.
I CAN TELL THEM YES, BUT I CAN OLD MAN WAS TELLING ME DON'T TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
SHOW ME THAT YOU, THAT YOU CAN DO THE WORK.
DON'T TELL ME YOU CAN RAKE THE YARD.
SHOW ME YOU CAN RAKE THE YARD.
THANK YOU, MR. GUYER, MADAM CHAIR.
IT'S NOW 10 MINUTES TO NINE AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO STOP AT NINE 15.
WE'VE GOT SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE GOT TO DISCUSS.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UH, CONTINUE, UH, TONIGHT UNTIL WE FINISHED THE AGENDA ITEMS. OKAY.
MR. GEIER MADE A MOTION TO CONTINUE WITH THE AGENDA AFTER NINE 15, THIS ROBOT IN YOUR NECK.
I'D LIKE TO SECOND THAT MOTION.
SO, UM, I WOULD REQUEST, CAN EVERYONE PUT THEIR HAND DOWN? AND IF YOU WANT TO COMMENT ABOUT THIS MOTION, PUT YOUR HAND BACK UP.
SO EVERYONE DOWN AND WE'RE TALKING ONLY NOW ABOUT MR. SMITH.
CAN YOU PUT YOUR HAND DOWN? LIKE EVERYBODY? OKAY.
NOW, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE MOTION IS JUST TO CONTINUE THE AGENDA BEYOND NINE 15.
DOES ANYONE WANT TO COMMENT OR HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT? THERE BEING NO HANDS UP VOTING IS OPEN.
I HAVE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE TSA UPDATE.
CAN YOU SEE THE, CAN YOU SEE, DO YOU HAVE, CAN YOU SEE THE, UM, WHAT'S POSTED ON THE SCREEN? DO YOU HAVE YOUR LAPTOP OR YOUR COMPUTER? I'M SURE I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION.
I SAID, WHAT IS IN FRONT OF ME? A STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT UPDATE ON SCHOOL REPORT CARD PRIOR SCHOOLS AND TSA MOTION.
WELL, SIR, THAT'S NOT WHAT'S ON THIS SCREEN HERE, SIR.
UM, THE MOTION IS TO CONTINUE THE AGENDA BEYOND NINE 15.
PARDON ME, MR. SMITH, DO YOU HAVE A VOTE? MY VOTE IS NO, IT'S NOT WORKING.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL CONTINUE ON.
SUPERINTENDENTS AGENDAS, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
UM, NORMALLY I HAVE THREE ITEMS TO
[02:55:01]
BRING BEFORE THE BOARD, THE TRANSPARENCY REPORT AND THE BOARD MONTH, THE BUDGET REPORT AND THE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR REPORT.UM, BEFORE I OPENED UP FOR QUESTIONS ON TWO OF THEM, I'D LIKE TO NOTE TO THE BOARD THAT, UH, DUE TO SOME ILLNESS IN OUR STAFF, WE HAVE SOME STAFFING ISSUES THIS MONTH.
UH, WE WERE UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR REPORT BY THE HORNS DEADLINE OF LAST THURSDAY.
UM, OUR, OUR, UM, ISSUES ARE RESOLVED AT THIS POINT AND WE'LL BE READY TO, UH, BRING THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS REPORT TO THE, TO THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.
SO WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A DELAY, BUT WE WILL BRING THAT BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING.
SO AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO, UH, OPEN UP ANY QUESTIONS FOR IDA, THE TRANSPARENCY REPORT OR THE BOARD MONTHLY BUDGET REPORT.
UM, I HAVE, UM, DENISE MATTSON IS WITH YOU IN PERSON THIS EVENING AT REMINDER.
UH, SHE IS THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS COORDINATOR AND WILL BE DOING THE MONTHLY ESTHER UPDATES.
SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DENISE.
THANK YOU, DENISE, FOR BEING THERE GOOD EVENING.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND COMMITMENT TO THE STUDENTS AND THE TEACHERS.
IT'S SO REFRESHING TO SEE THAT, UM, FROM A BOARD, UM, AS A REMINDER, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH FOUR GRANTS THAT ARE TIED TO THE COVID-19 VIRUS.
THE SUMMARY OF, UH, OF EXPENDITURES WAS SHARED WITH YOU IN THE SAME FORMAT AS LAST MONTH.
HOWEVER, THERE WERE MAJOR CHANGES TO THAT DOCUMENT BECAUSE WE ADDED ALL THE ECERS THREE ACTIVITIES, UM, THROUGH THE GRANT THAT GRANT IS NOT COMPLETELY APPROVED.
WE'RE STILL IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH IT, BUT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THREE ROUNDS OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, AND THEY WERE VERY BASIC.
SO I, I EXPECT APPROVAL SOON OF THE SR UM, THREE GRANT.
UM, THE FIRST GRANT WAS ON PAGE TWO, THE SUMMARY ENDS IN NINE DAYS, AND IT WILL BE COMPLETELY EXPENDED.
COULD WE SEE THAT EXPENDITURE SITTING IN THE SYSTEM? WE JUST HAVEN'T ACTUALLY HAD IT POSTED, UH, TO THE, UH, UM, MUNIS SYSTEM THERE.
SO WE WILL HAVE ALL OF THAT MONEY SPENT AND THAT MONEY WAS ACTUALLY RECEIVED FIRST.
WE'RE JUST SPENDING IT NOW THE NEXT THREE, OR ACTUALLY RANTS THAT WE CLAIM, WHICH MEANS WE PAY FOR IT UPFRONT.
AND THEN WE SUBMIT REIMBURSEMENT FOR THAT.
SO, UM, ON PAGES THREE AND FOUR OF YOUR, SOME RING FOR ASTER, ONE, WHICH ENDS IN ONE YEAR AND NINE DAYS.
SO WE KNOW WHEN NEXT YEAR AT THIS TIME, BUT THE MORE MAJORITY OF FUNDS THAT WE HAVE IN THAT GRANT, THAT SLAB IS SITTING IN PPE AND, UM, SANITATION WE'VE, UH, WE'VE DISTRIBUTED ACCOUNT NUMBER TO SCHOOLS TO PURCHASE ANY PPE OR SANITATION ITEMS THAT THEY MAY NEED THAT IS NOT SITTING IN OUR WAREHOUSE, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SOME THAT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO CLEAN OUT AND GET TO THE SCHOOLS FOR THAT.
THERE WASN'T MUCH THAT WAS SPENT THIS PAST MONTH, BUT WE ARE SEEING, LOOK TODAY, WE HAD EXPENDITURES FOR, UM, THIS MONTH SITTING THERE 18,000.
SO THAT IS BEING SPENT, UM, AS WE SPEAK, WE ALSO KNOW WE HAVE SOME TECHNOLOGY NEEDS COMING UP THAT WE WILL PROBABLY, UM, WE WILL USE THAT GRANT MONEY FIRST BECAUSE THE STATE AND GOOD FISCAL PRACTICES TELL US TO USE THE OLD MONEY FIRST, IF IT'S ALLOWABLE.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND WE WILL BE DOING, UM, AN AMENDMENT BECAUSE, UH, MANY OF OUR CLASSROOMS ARE GOING TO NEED SOME OF THE CAMERAS TO USE FOR THE DUAL MODALITY INSTRUCTION THAT'S COMING.
SO WE ARE DOING A SURVEY RIGHT NOW FROM SCHOOLS AND SEEING WHAT THEY DO NEED IN ALL THE OTHER CLASSROOMS. ALSO IN THAT GRANT, UH, WHERE YOU'RE STILL WORKING WITH PRIVATE SCHOOLS, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT STILL LIVE THERE, BUT EACH OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE TWO OF THEM THAT HAVE A BALANCE, HAVE A PLAN.
AND THEY'RE WORKING ON QUOTES FOR THAT RIGHT NOW AS ARE TWO, WHICH IS ENDS IN TWO YEARS.
AND NINE DAYS IS ON PAGES FIVE AND SEVEN.
WE ARE MONITORING THE SPINNING OF THE GRANT AND WE CALCULATED LAST MONTH THAT IN ORDER TO EXPAND IT FULLY, WE WOULD NEED TO SPEND $760,000 EVERY MONTH FROM
[03:00:01]
THAT GRANT, UH, TO BE FULLY EXPANDED.THAT'S JUST KIND OF A BALLPARK WATCHING OF THAT.
IT'S GOING TO GO UP AND DOWN DEPENDING ON DIFFERENT EXPENDITURES.
HOWEVER, THIS PAST MONTH WE DID HAVE 1.2 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES.
UM, ONE OF THEM WAS A PRETTY BIG EXPENDITURE FOR FINISHED IT UP, OUR PAYMENTS FOR ALREADY AND READING PLUS ON THAT.
AND THEN, UM, WE DO EXPECT FROM SRQ OUR TUTORING COSTS AND OUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM COSTS TO GO UP BECAUSE SCHOOLS HAVE NOW COMPLETED THEIR PLANS AND THEY ARE IMPLEMENTING THEIR PLANS.
AND THEN ESTHER THREE WITH JANSEN THREE DAYS, THREE YEARS AND NINE DAYS.
UM, WE'VE GOT IT DOWN TWO DAYS.
OF COURSE WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO NEED FROM WHEN IT'S APPROVED A 1.3 MILLION EXPANDED EXPENDITURE MONTHLY, UM, IN THERE.
AND WE HAVE PLANS TO DO THAT, UH, HAVE ACTUALLY MET WITH EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD.
UM, UM, WELL, THE FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER, THEY EACH RECEIVED ALL OF THEIR ACTIVITIES IN DETAIL, PLUS THE ACCOUNT CODES THAT WENT WITH THOSE ACTIVITIES AND THE AMOUNT THAT WAS THERE FOR THE ACTIVITY.
SO THEY WERE READY TO HAVE ALL OF THEIR EXPENDITURES READY TO GO.
UM, IT WAS GOOD CONVERSATIONS.
WE KIND OF, WE GOT SOME THINGS CLEARED UP.
THEY THOUGHT ALL OF THIS WAS BEING PAID AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS BEING PAID.
AND SO IT REALLY GOT SOME CLARITY ON, UM, S ARE THREE ACTIVITIES FOR SURE.
AND THEN, UM, TELLING THEM, BE READY TO SPEND DO YOUR QUOTES, YOUR LEGWORK, EVERYTHING NOW, AND THEN WE'D GET APPROVAL.
WE'LL BE QUICKER AND GOING IN AND GETTING THE THINGS THAT WE NEED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE THERE.
AND SO I KNOW THAT SOME DEPARTMENTS ALREADY HAD THEIR CONTRACT SITTING, JUST WAITING TO HEAR IT.
AND THEN WE RUN INTO THE SUPERINTENDENT, HE'LL BE LOOKING AT CONTRACTS TO, UH, TO SIGNS.
AND, UM, WE DO HAVE A FEW EXPENDITURES IN THAT MAY BE A QUESTION THAT YOU HAVE, YOU SEE SOME EXPENDITURES IN ESTHER THREE WITHOUT AN APPROVED PLAN.
THE LAW WAS, THE STATE HAD TO GIVE THE MONEY STRAIGHT TO THE DISTRICTS AND YOU COULD SPEND IT, UM, WITHOUT A COMPLETED PLAN.
HOWEVER, WE GOT A LOT OF CAUTION FROM THE STATE THAT DO NOT SPEND IT IN AREAS THAT YOU THINK MAY NOT BE APPROVED BECAUSE THEN YOU'RE ON THE HOOK FOR THE EXPENDITURE.
WE'RE VERY CONFIDENT IN WHAT WE'VE EXPENDED, WHO'S GOING TO BE APPROVED AND IT'S BEEN APPROVED BEFORE.
AND IT'S A TYPICAL THERE IS, BUT WE ARE BEING CAUTIOUS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE JUST, THERE'S NOT MUCH, UM, EXTENDING THERE.
UM, I DO SEE A NOTE THAT IN YOUR S OR THREE ACTIVITIES, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS MONTHLY UPDATE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT WE HAVE DUPLICATE ACTIVITIES IN BOTH S OR TWO AND S ARE THREE.
WE WILL SPEND THE MONEY OUT OF ASTRO TO FIRST.
SO WE MAY SEE SOME ZEROS IN THOSE ACCOUNTS FOR SR THREE UNTIL, UM, INTO, UNTIL THE NEXT YEAR THAT WE COME IN THAT SO LIKE FOR AFTER SCHOOL AND TUTORING, WE KNOW WE'RE SPENDING THOSE FUNDS NOW AND ASK HER TO, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO SR THREE.
I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF WARN YOU THAT IF, IF YOU COULD STILL SEE ZEROS NEXT MONTH, IT'S BECAUSE THOSE ARE PLANS.
SEE ROSE, UM, THERE, UM, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE FOR US, WE HAVE DR.
UM, ONE IS IN REGARD TO THAT THE CHILDCARE THAT'S BEING OFFERED, AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE THE BEST PERSON TO ASK THIS QUESTION TO OR NOT.
I BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS, THERE WAS A TENTATIVE COMPLETION DATE OF SEPTEMBER 13TH FOR THAT TO BE IMPLEMENTED AT ALL THE SCHOOLS.
UM, BUT I'VE BEEN HEARING FROM SOME THAT THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE CASE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
I KNOW THAT'S SUCH A HUGE THING AND A BIG PLUS FOR OUR TEACHERS RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I ASKED THAT QUESTION.
I HAVE, UH, MS. WALTON HERE WHO CAN, WHO CAN SPEAK TO THAT, BUT I BELIEVE, UM, W ONE OF THE THINGS WITH THE CHILDCARE IS THAT WE WERE USING, UM, ESS AS PART OF THAT.
AND WE, WE, WE HAD, I THINK TWO SCHOOLS WHERE ESS HAD NOT YET PROVIDED, UH, WHEN I BELIEVE ONE OF THEM WAS ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF.
SO WE EITHER DOWN THE WAN OR THAT'S ALREADY BEEN TAKEN CARE OF MS. WALTON, DID I GET THAT RIGHT? AND CAN YOU ADD ANYTHING TO THAT?
[03:05:01]
THAT IS CORRECT.THAT THE RODRIGUEZ IS BEEN A CHALLENGE, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE IN PLACE THROUGH VSS TO COVER THOSE AFTER SCHOOL CARES, BUT WE'RE TWO SCHOOLS DOWN AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THOSE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WE'RE IN TOUCH WITH THEM EVERY DAY, TRYING TO WORK IT OUT.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS IN REGARD TO THIS, UM, EXPENDITURES FOR MENTAL HEALTH, UM, LIKE MS. BOATWRIGHT MENTIONED, UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A BIG CONCERN AFTER OUR CHILDREN GOING THROUGH COVID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT PLAYED OUT FOR THEM.
UM, I GUESS WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS I KNOW WE HAVE SOME WONDERFUL LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED.
I'M WONDERING IF WE HAVE ANY TELE MENTAL HEALTH PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE STARTED, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S ALSO STIGMA AROUND RECEIVING THOSE SERVICES AND THAT SOMETIMES TELE MENTAL HEALTH MIGHT BE, UM, A GOOD SUBSTITUTE FOR SOME STUDENTS.
UM, UH, WE'VE TAKEN THAT DATA AND WE WILL TALK WITH THE FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING ON THAT.
I DO KNOW THERE'S EXPENDITURES FOR MENTAL HEALTH.
CURRENTLY THERE, WE LOOKED THEM UP TODAY.
THEY'RE THEY JUST WEREN'T HERE YET.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS IN OUR MEETING WHEN WE CLARIFY THE BOOKKEEPER WAS CHARGING IT TO A DIFFERENT ACCOUNT.
AND SO WE'RE GETTING IT TO THIS ACCOUNT THERE.
SO THERE HAVE BEEN EXPENDITURES WITH OUR CONTRACTED SERVICES FOR THAT.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR, AND AN EXTENSION OF THAT SERVICE SO THAT WE CAN REACH MORE HOPEFULLY, UM, AND ALSO USE THOSE DOLLARS FOR IT TOO.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAUSE, BECAUSE I'VE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR OUR SECOND SESSION, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO START AT THIS POINT.
SO WE'LL COME, THERE'S QUITE A FEW HANDS UP.
SO HANG ON AND WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, CONTINUE ON.
SO WE'LL HAVE THE TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS AND WE'LL COME BACK TO THE Q AND A THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OUR FIRST, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, DAVID COOK, MASKED MANDATES.
MADAM CHAIR, BOARD MEMBERS, DR.
UH, THANKS FOR HAVING ME UP HERE.
I APPRECIATE YOU GIVING US TIME TO COME IN TONIGHT AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
RODRIGUEZ SHARING WHAT HE DID AS I WAS WALKING IN.
IT WAS, UH, IT'S GOOD TO HEAR ALL THAT, ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, THAT IT'S THINGS THAT ARE A LOT MORE IMPORTANT GOING ON RIGHT NOW, AND LET'S FACE IT.
NOBODY WANTS THIS PANDEMIC AROUND ANYWAYS.
UH, WHAT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT REGARDING MASK MANDATES IS LIBERTY.
THE TERM LIBERTY APPEARS IN THE DUE PROCESS CLAUSES OF BOTH THE FIFTH AND 14TH AMENDMENTS OF THE CONSTITUTION DID USED IN CONSTITUTION.
LIBERTY MEANS FREEDOM FROM ARBITRARY AND UNREASONABLE RESTRAINT UPON AN INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM FROM RESTRAINT REFERS TO MORE THAN JUST PHYSICAL RESTRAINT, BUT ALSO THE FREEDOM ACT, ACCORDING TO ONE'S OWN WILL ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, THE SUPREME COURT HAS SOUGHT TO EXPLAIN WHAT LIBERTY MEANS AND WHAT IT ENCOMPASSES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE SUPREME COURT MEYER VERSUS NEBRASKA STATED LIBERTY DENOTES, NOT MERELY FREEDOM FROM BODILY RESTRAINT, BUT ALSO THE RIGHT OF THE INDIVIDUAL TO CON CONTRACT, TO ENGAGE IN ANY OF THE COMMON OCCUPATIONS OF LIFE TO ACQUIRE USEFUL KNOWLEDGE, ACQUIRE, USEFUL KNOWLEDGE THAT WOULD BE ATTENDING SCHOOL.
SO MARY ESTABLISH A HOME AND BRING UP CHILDREN TO WORSHIP GOD, ACCORDING TO THE DICTATES OF HIS OWN CONSCIENCE, AND GENERALLY TO ENJOY THOSE PRIVILEGES LONG RECOGNIZED AT COMMON LAW AS ESSENTIAL TO THE ORDERLY PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
I HAVE FREEMAN AND BOWLING VERSUS SHARP.
THE SUPREME COURT STATED LIBERTY IS NOT CONFINED TO MERELY FREEDOM FROM BODILY RESTRAINT, LIBERALLY UNDER LAW LIBERTY UNDER LAW EXTENDS TO THE FULL RANGE OF CONDUCT, WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL IS FREE TO PURSUE AND INGRAM VERSUS RIGHTS.
THE SUPREME COURT STATED LIBERTY INCLUDES FREEDOM FROM BODILY RESTRAINT AND PUNISHMENT.
PUNISHMENT COMES TO MIND WHEN I THINK OF THE KIDS BEING IN SCHOOL THE WHOLE YEAR, WE'VE ASKED SOME, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAD TO SEE MY SON COME HOME AND, UH, BE A LITTLE BIT UPSET AND ASK ME, WHEN WILL IT END? BECAUSE IN THE FALL WE SAID IT WON'T BE LONG.
IT'S ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE A COUPLE OF WEEKS, 30 DAYS.
GOOD KNEW WHAT 30 DAYS WAS COMPARED TO SIX MONTHS AND ANGER VERSUS RIGHT.
THE SUPREME COURT STATED LIBERTY INCLUDES FREEDOM FROM BODILY RESTRAINT, PUNISHMENT, AND A RIGHT TO BE FREE FROM, AND TO OBTAIN JUDICIAL RELIEF FOR UNJUSTIFIED INTRUSIONS OF PERSONAL SECURITY.
WITH THAT IN MIND, LIBERTY IS THE ISSUE.
WHEN IT COMES TO A MASS MANDATE LIBERTY FOR EVERYONE, EVERYONE GETS A CHOICE.
THAT'S WHERE WE IN THIS COUNTRY, WE ALL GET A CHOICE.
WE ALWAYS HAVE, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH, I WANT YOU TO DO THIS BECAUSE I WANT MY KID TO BE SAFE.
[03:10:01]
OKAY.I WILL TELL OTHER PARENTS TO TELL THEIR KIDS NOT TO SHARE FOOD WITH MY SON, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT HIM TO GET BACK BECAUSE HE'S EATEN HALF THE OTHER KIDS' SNACKS.
I DON'T TELL OTHER PARENTS THAT THEY WILL NEED TO HAVE THEIR KIDS ON DEVICES FOR TWO HOURS A DAY, OR DEVICES IN THEIR BEDROOM OR WATCHING TV FOR, FOR ALL ETERNITY THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
THANKS FOR GIVING ME THE FREEDOM TO SPEAK.
NEXT UP IS CHRISTINA ROBERTS SPEAKING ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP AND THE BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION.
UM, SO I WAS SITTING AND I WAS LISTENING TO EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD SPEAK, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ADDRESS PEOPLE, BUT I GUESS I'M GOING TO BREAK THE RULES TONIGHT BECAUSE, UM, COLONEL GARNER, I WAN TO TELL YOU THAT, YES, WE NEED TO LOOK PAST SOUTH CAROLINA BECAUSE AS A PARENT THAT HAD TWO STUDENTS THAT GRADUATED AND DO FOR A COUNTY, THEY DID NOT STAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO GO TO COLLEGE.
BUT TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION ABOUT MASA, YOLKS AND WHY THE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES ARE ACHIEVING SO HIGH.
I'VE HAD FIVE OF MY SIX CHILDREN GO THROUGH YOLKS, AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S A FAMILY.
WE'VE BEEN IN THIS DISTRICT FOR 12 YEARS.
MY CHILDREN HAVE ATTENDED THAT.
I MEAN, 13 YEARS, MY CHILDREN HAVE ATTENDED MAFIOSO FOR 12 YEARS.
AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S A FAMILY.
I HAVE THREE CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, ALL THREE OF THEM DOCTOR, I'M NOT SORRY.
UH, MICHELLE SACKMAN LOVED MY CHILDREN.
SHE KNEW ALL THE KIDS' NAMES IN THAT SCHOOL, THE STAFF THERE, THE TEACHERS THERE, THEY LOVED THEIR KIDS, MS. BOAT, RIGHT? UM, WHAT WE NEED TO DO, WHAT WE CAN DO.
WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS MORE.
WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS MORE.
THE FIRST DAY I ASKED THE TEACHERS WHEN I SEEN HIM OUT IN TOWN IS HOW CAN I HELP YOU? BECAUSE THERE ARE OVERWORKED, OVERSTRESSED, AND THEY NEED OUR HELP.
UM, YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT FOR THE GRADUATION DATE.
SO LIKE, I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THE BUFORD HIGH SEA ISLAND SOUND.
MY DAUGHTER IS THE COLOR GUARD CAPTAIN.
SHE WAS ON THE, ON THE LEFT OF YOUR SCREEN.
ME PERSONALLY, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM DO IT AGAIN.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PARENTS THAT COULD NOT MAKE IT THAT COULD NOT SEE THEM RECORD IT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED ME IN SCHOOLS.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM DO IT AGAIN.
AND IT SOUNDS SO MUCH BETTER IN PERSON.
MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN COLOR GUARD CAPTAIN FOR THREE YEARS ON THAT TEAM BEEN IN MARCHING BAND FOR FOUR YEARS.
I CAN GO DOWN A LIST OF ALL OF HER ACHIEVEMENTS AT GIFFORD HIGH, BUT FOR THE SEA ISLAND SOUND, I HONESTLY THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THEM DO IT IN PERSON.
SO I'LL LET YOU GUYS FINISH YOUR MEETING AND WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU GUYS SAY ABOUT DUE FOR THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE ON WITH OUR Q AND A FOR THE SRO UPDATE.
SO NEXT UP IS INGRID BOATRIGHT.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? AND THANK YOU MS. ROBERTS SINCE HE CALLED US ALL OUT, BUT I AGREE.
IT'S SO HARD TO HEAR THE I'M SO READY FOR THE ZOOM PERFORMING ARTS TO BE OVER, BECAUSE YOU CAN TELL, I MEAN, AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOUR DAUGHTER IS IN COLOR GIRL.
MY DENTIST, MY SON DID COLOR GUARD.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT AGAIN TO DR.
THAT IS MY ISSUE BECAUSE I DO FEEL A, I'M GONNA TAKE MY MASK OFF.
I DO FEEL A SENSE OF URGENCY WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON.
UM, AND SO I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME, UM, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WAS IN THE BUDGET.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS 9 25 REPRESENTS IF THAT'S NEW MONEY, IF THAT WAS WHAT WE ALWAYS HAD, WHAT ARE WE SPENDING THAT ON? UM, WHAT IT'S, WHAT IT'S ALLOWED TO SPEND THEM IS A CONTRACT IT SERVICES RIGHT NOW.
SO ARE WE, UH, ARE WE SPENDING IT LIKE WHEN A STUDENT GOES FOR A VISIT OR ARE WE PAYING THEM REGARDLESS OF VISITS, IS THE PARTNERSHIP CURRENTLY OPEN? DO YOU KNOW, THESE ARE PROBABLY NOT QUESTIONS THAT YOU WERE PLANNING ON ANSWERING.
[03:15:01]
UM, AS FAR AS THE DETAIL OF THAT, I DO KNOW THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN EXECUTED AND WE ARE GETTING, THERE ARE SOME BILLS IN THE SYSTEM AND IT'S BEING CHARGED.I SUSPECT IT'S BY, UM, VISIT ON THAT, BUT I CAN, I CAN FIND IT.
I JUST KIND OF WANT TO KNOW WHAT MODEL WE'RE USING.
AND AS A PARENT IN THE SYSTEM, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
SO I DON'T THINK IF WE ARE ACTUALLY SEEING PATIENTS, YOU KNOW, ARE REFERRING PATIENTS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GETTING OUT TO EVERYBODY BECAUSE WE HAVE A DO KNOW WE HAVE TO SET TWO SETS OF CONTRACTS AND ONE OF THEM IS FOR STUDENTS.
AND ONE OF THEM IS FOR OUR, UM, STAFF AS WELL.
SO WE DO HAVE TWO CONTRACTS, BUT YOU DO NEED MORE INFORMATION DETAIL ON THAT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR ANTICIPATING SO MANY OF OUR QUESTIONS AS WELL.
AND THIS ONE MIGHT BE FOR YOU OR MS. CROSBY.
UM, LAST BOARD MEETING WHEN WE SAID THAT, UM, TEACHERS WILL BE COMPENSATED FOR THE DUAL MODALITY UP TO $2 MILLION.
I WASN'T SURE WHAT POT OF MONEY THAT'S COMING OUT OF.
SO IS THAT OUT OF SR FUNDS OR IS THAT OUT OF WHAT POT OF MONEY IT IS GOING TO COME OUT AND ASK FOR FUNDS, SEE IT ON THERE.
WE HAVEN'T AMENDED FOR IT YET.
AND SO THAT'LL BE, CAUSE IT'S NOT IN THE CURRENT GRANTS.
WE ARE GOING TO MN FOR THAT AND MOVE IT FROM OUR VIRTUAL, UM, SETTING OF SCHOOLS THERE BECAUSE IT IS KIND OF IN THE VIRTUALS.
IT DIDN'T SAY EXACTLY, BUT YES, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE USING THE BUTTONS.
THANK YOU, MR. MEL CAMPBELL, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH, I GUESS, GENERALLY SPEAKING, IN TERMS OF GETTING THE
AND AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE SPENDING, AS I ASSUME, ARE WE SPENDING THOSE FUNDS A REASON I'M ASKING, BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT THE POP-UP HEADS, YOU KNOW, CHECKING OFF AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHAT DEPARTMENT HAS TO DO WITH ALL THE THINGS AND THE TEACHERS ARE EXPECTING IT.
AND ARE WE ALMOST GUARANTEEING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE OKAYED FOR THESE ONES THAT WE EXPANDED OR OH, FOR THE ONES WE'VE ALREADY SPENT? YES.
FOR FOUR S OR THREE THAT, UM, THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY'VE ASKED HAVE NOT BEEN, UM, ABOUT NOT DOING THESE THINGS, THEY JUST WANTED IT BROKEN DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DETAIL.
SO IN THE CONVERSATIONS, I HAVE NOT BEEN WORRIED AT ALL ABOUT THAT.
THERE WAS ONLY ONE THING THAT THEY THEY'VE BEEN ASKED FOR JOB DESCRIPTION, THEN NEVER CAME BACK ON THAT TO SAY NO.
SO I DO EXPECT A FAVORABLE FOR THAT SPECIALLY THOSE AREAS ONE WAS IBOSS CONTENT FILTER.
I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO BE APPROVED AT THAT POINT THERE.
SO THE OTHER WAS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THESE, UM, FOR SOFTWARE SYSTEMS FOR ON, YOU KNOW, THE ONLINE THING.
AND WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING THAT IN ASTRO TOO.
SO WE DO FEEL COMFORTABLE FOR THOSE TYPES OF TEACHERS.
MR. WILLIAMS SMITH, UM, ON PAGE FIVE.
UH, SOME INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT, UM, AND AS WELL AS THE ONE BELOW IT, UM, WELL, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE DOING WITH THOSE, THOSE TWO? HOW ARE WE INTERPRETING, UM, ARE YOU ON PAGE FIVE, THE INSTRUCT TO INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS THERE? UM, YES, MA'AM WE HAVE SALARY AND BENEFITS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES AT, UH, FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND AS WHAT, AND ALSO FORWARD ADDITIONAL, UM, TECHNOLOGY COACH.
AND THOSE ARE BEING POSTED ON US.
ALL THAT TECHNOLOGY COACH HAS POSTED NOW TRYING TO GET THOSE HIRED, UH, TO PROVIDE EXTRA SUPPORT AT THE SCHOOLS AND THEN THE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, UM, THAT IS INCLUDING, UH, TEXT AND BOOKS THAT ARE, UM, SUPPORTING OUR SCHOLASTIC LITERACY PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS OTHER MATERIALS THAT THE INSTRUCTIONAL DEPARTMENT IS PLACING AT SCHOOLS.
AND ALSO ON PAGE SEVEN AT THE TOP 20 PROGRAMS. YES, I WHAT'S THE PROCESS AND WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR THAT ON, UM, THAT ONE IN THE ONE BELOW
[03:20:01]
IT, EACH SCHOOL WE CREATED AND, UM, ALLOCATION CHART BASED ON ENROLLMENT FIRST, AND THEN BASED ON THE NUMBER OF, AT RISK STUDENTS THAT THEY HAD AND THEN BASED ON, UM, ANYWAY, THEY EACH GOT AN ALLOCATION AND IT WAS GRADUATED.HOW MANY KIDS HAVE EACH, UM, AREA THAT THEY NEEDED, UH, TO THE SCHOOLS.
AND, UM, SO ONCE THE PRINCIPALS GOT THAT ALLOCATION, THEY, UM, ANSWERED MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THEY WERE IDENTIFYING THEIR STUDENTS, HOW THEY WERE GOING TO MONITOR THEIR STUDENTS AND ALL THEIR PLANS WERE SUBMITTED TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, UH, FOR APPROVAL.
AND WE HAVE PROBABLY, I WOULD SAY 95% OF THOSE ARE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED.
AND THEN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, OUR DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY SET UP THOSE ACCOUNTS FOR THE SCHOOLS AND THEY'RE STARTING TO SPEND IN THEIR AFTERSCHOOL AND IN THEIR, IN THEIR, IN DAY TUTORING.
SO WE'LL SEE EXPENDITURES START COMING OUT OF THOSE IN THE NEXT MONTH.
UM, ALSO I WORKED IN THE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS, D THE GUYS COULD INTO THE MEETING ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP.
DOES THAT FALL INTO THE X GROUP PROGRAM FOR WHERE WHERE'S THE, WHERE, WHERE WOULD THOSE TRAININGS BE DRAWN FROM? WHERE ARE THOSE FINANCES COME FROM IN THAT PARTNERSHIP? BECAUSE I'M SURE IT IS THAT NOT AN SSS, UH, FUNDING AND PARTNERSHIP THAT WAS THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
UM, I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, BUT HERE DR.
STRATUS, MR. SMITH, AND IT SAYS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PARTNERSHIP.
WE HAVEN'T DEFINED ANY FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES YET.
THAT IS GOING TO COME UP IN A FOLLOWING MEETING WE'LL BE HAVING ON OCTOBER 7TH.
SO GOING FORWARD, ONCE WE LAND AT THAT MEETING, I'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THE BOARD.
WELL, BUT WITH THOSE FINANCES POSSIBLY, UH, COME FROM S S THE FUNDS, THERE IS A LINE ITEM IN ESTHER.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN THE, HER PRESENTATION I GAVE TO THE BOARD ON EXTENDED LEARNING.
SO EXTENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES DO EXIST FOR FISCAL, UM, RESPONSIBILITIES, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TURN INTO WITHIN THAT PARTNERSHIP.
RODRIGUEZ, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE SR AT WHAT THESE, IT WOULD SPINNING UP SF FUNDS AND, AND, AND IN TERMS OF GETTING, UH, PROBABLY AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND, AND DIFFERENT THINGS IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT SOME OF OUR, OUR STAKEHOLDERS WILL BE KEY AND PROVIDING AFTER SOME OF THE DIFFERENT CHURCH SCHOOL, UH, OUR COMPONENTS AS IN A SAFE HAVEN PLACES FOR STUDENTS TO FOLLOW WITH TUTORIALS AND US LITTLE STUDY HALLS SCHOOLS.
SO I'M DEFINITELY LOOKING FOR MORE, UH, PARTNERSHIP TO COME, UH, WITHIN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, WITHIN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO RICHIE AS WELL.
UH, BECAUSE I HAVE HAD, UH, I'VE HAD PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME THAT, AND THAT'S WHEN HE, UH, WHEN WILL WE START THAT, THAT TAKEN PLACE, BECAUSE, UM, IT DOES, IT DOES SAY ANY OF THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS SHOULD BE, UM, INCLUDED IN THAT.
SO I'VE HAD A LOT OF AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE LARGELY, MY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING ME THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO I AM, UM, I AM, I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO HEARING THAT INFORMATION.
UH, I HAVE QUESTIONS ON PAGE SEVEN AND 11, THE IMPROVE AIR QUALITY ON PAGE SEVEN, IMPROVED AIR QUALITY ON PAGE 11 AND PLUS THE SCHOOL REPAIR AND IMPROVEMENTS.
AND SO MR. ADI, MY, MY ISSUE TO YOU IS HAVE YOU INCORPORATED THIS IN THE 8% AND, AND OTHER, UH, PLAN MAINTENANCE, OR IS THIS SOMETHING COMPLETELY NEW? OH, AND PARSE A PORTION OF THAT IS WORK THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED AT WELL BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, AND MIDDLE-SCHOOL, UM, THAT QUALIFIED TO USE S OR FUNDS.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE LOCATIONS WHERE, UH, THAT WAS USED.
THE OTHER THING, UM, THE OTHER MONEY THAT WE'RE GOING FOR HPAC UPGRADES IS ACTUALLY ALLOWING US TO INSTALL SYSTEMS BEYOND KIND OF WHAT WE HAD PLANNED WITH 8% OR 8% MONEY HAS BEEN FOCUSING ON A REPLACEMENT OF AGING HPAC SYSTEMS. THE S
[03:25:01]
OR FUND IS GOING TO BE USED SPECIFICALLY FOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS.IN OUR OLDER UNITS SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE GOING TO BE INSTALLING A BIPOLAR IONIZATION DEVICES IN ALL UNITS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
SO THAT, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING WE SAW THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO DO QUITE FRANKLY, WITH 8%.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING EXTRA BEYOND WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE WITH 8% FUNDS.
THANK YOU, MR. SMITH, ACTUALLY, UM, I JUST WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION, IS THERE A, IS THERE A PLAN IN PLACE TO DO SOME PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND, AND TO, IN TURN WITH THE ESSA FUNDS, UH, W IN PARTNERSHIPS, UM, SPECIFICALLY THE ONLY ONE THAT I HEARD ABOUT WAS, UM, THE ONE THAT THEY'VE DONE WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, YOU WANT TO TALK TO THAT? UH, WELL, I'VE ALREADY HEARD ABOUT THAT ONE, I THINK WOULD BE, BE, BE OUT BEYOND THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
SO MR. SMITH, I RECOGNIZE OUR URGENCY OF WANTING TO INCORPORATE OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS IN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO HAVE IN AS HER FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED IS THE ACQUISITION OF PERSONNEL TO ACTUALLY DRIVE WHERE YOU'RE, YOU'RE PUTTING THE BUS TO A DIRECTOR TO ASSIST WITH COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, VOLUNTEERS, EXTENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND AFTER SCHOOL, THAT JOB DESCRIPTION WAS COMPLETED TODAY.
UM, THE FUNDING STRIP HAS NOW BEEN ALLOCATED TO OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
SO, UH, THE UP IN THE COMING WEEKS, WE SHOULD HAVE PERSONNEL.
WHO'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE BUS TO ASSIST US AT EXTENDING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE, NOT JUST THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB WHO CAME TO US, BUT I'M ON THE SAME PAGE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO WITH ORGANIZATIONS WHO DO HAVE WHAT IS IN PLACE IN ORDER FOR US TO PARTNER DEVELOP A, YOU KNOW, DEEPER MOU AND, AND EXTEND LEARNING, NOT ONLY WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, BUT OTHER, OTHER GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY SERVE.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE TABLE, WE'RE WORKING IT.
AND A LOT OF THE PAPERWORK WAS BEING EXECUTED TODAY.
SO, CAUSE I, I, THAT'S SOMETHING I'D DEFINITELY BE LOOKING FORWARD BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UH, I WAS TOLD A WHILE BACK THAT I BELIEVE THAT, UH, THAT, UM, ONE OF THE CHURCHES DON'T SAY HELENA WAS LOOKING TO LOOK FOR SOME FUNDS TO HELP OUT AND THAT THEY, I THINK THEY WERE INTERESTED IN, UM, TRYING TO DO A AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM TO HELP, HELP, HELP OUT.
SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE, THAT WE ARE JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON THE, UH, ON, ON THE LEARNING GAP.
SO WOULD THAT BE FOR, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU KINDLY FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, DR.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT IS A COVID UPDATE.
I'M GOING TO BEGIN BY SHARING WITH YOU, UH, CURRENT NUMBERS AS WE DO EVERY COVID UPDATE.
AND THEN, UH, WE'RE GOING TO GO AND COMPARE, UH, WHERE WE ARE AND COMPARE TO LAST YEAR AS WAS REQUESTED, UH, PRIOR.
SO WITH RESPECT TO COVID LAST WEEK, THERE WERE 106 NEW POSITIVE STUDENT CASES AND EIGHT NEW STAFF, POSITIVE CASE COVID CASES IN QUARANTINES.
THERE WERE 1,480 STUDENTS AND 36 STAFF.
AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING, I WAS ASKED TO REPORT ON HOW OUR COVID NUMBERS COMPARE TO LAST YEAR.
SO WHEN THINKING ABOUT HOW TO FIND SOME SORT OF COMPARISON THAT MIGHT EVEN, UH, BEGIN TO MAKE SENSE IS, IS VERY CHALLENGING BECAUSE YOU HAVE TWO VERY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
RAWAN IN AUGUST LAST YEAR, WE OPTED TO, TO PUSH THE START DATE BACK INTO IN THE, UH, SEPTEMBER NUMBER TWO.
UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE, UH, STARTED LAST YEAR, WE STARTED ALL VIRTUAL FOR A MONTH.
SO THAT COMPARISON DIDN'T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE TO ME.
SO I OPTED TO COMPARE JANUARY 4TH, WHERE WE WERE, BECAUSE AT THAT JUNCTURE, WE CAME BACK TO SCHOOL FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
AND OF COURSE, RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN SCHOOL FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
BUT EVEN THAT COMPARISON HAS THIS CHALLENGES BECAUSE WE
[03:30:01]
HAD 13,000 STUDENTS IN BUILDINGS LAST YEAR.WE HAVE 20,000 STUDENTS IN BUILDINGS THIS YEAR IN JANUARY, BECAUSE SO MANY WERE VIRTUAL.
IN ADDITION, UM, I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT, BUT, BUT MY POINT, I THINK IS WELL-TAKEN NOW, RIGHT? THAT, THAT THE COMPARISONS ARE, ARE DIFFERENT.
OH, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE OTHER POINT I WAS GOING TO MAKE IS WHAT WE WERE DEALING WITH LAST YEAR.
AND THE VARIANT WE'RE DEALING WITH THIS YEAR, THIS YEAR, THE VARIANT IS A MORE TRANSMISSIBLE VARIANT, RIGHT? SO THOSE ARE ALL I SAY, ALL OF THAT UPFRONT, AS WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT AT THESE NUMBERS.
SO I PREPARED A VISUAL TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU THIS EVENING.
AND I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU NUMBERS.
CAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT THE HANDOUT THAT I RECEIVED, THERE WAS A FIFTH WEEK MISSING ON THAT HANDOUT, BUT YOU'LL SEE IT ON THE SLIDE.
UH, AND, AND ESSENTIALLY IT FOLLOWS THE TRAJECTORY THAT YOU'RE SEEING.
SO, UH, IF YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND PULL UP THAT SLIDE SO THAT, SO THE BOARD AND PUBLIC CAN SEE IT.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THE VISUAL, THE LINES REPRESENT THE FOLLOWING POSITIVE STUDENT CASES, THE BLUE LINES REPRESENT THE FIRST FIVE WEEKS OF FIVE DAYS.
FACE-TO-FACE INSTRUCTION BEGINNING JANUARY 4TH, 2021.
THE RED LINE REPRESENTS THE FIRST FIVE WEEKS OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR, BEGINNING ON AUGUST 16TH, 2021.
WHEN WE ENTERED SCHOOL IN JANUARY, THE NUMBERS WERE ON THE DECLINE IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WHEN WE ENTERED IN AUGUST, THE NUMBERS WERE INCREASING IN THE COMMUNITY AND WEEK ONE IN JANUARY.
AND I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU NUMBERS NOW, SO YOU CAN NOT JUST SEE THE LINE, BUT YOU CAN, YOU CAN MARK NUMBERS THERE IN JANUARY.
ON WEEK ONE, IT WAS 180 IN AUGUST IN WEEK.
ONE WAS 144, THAT HUNDRED AND 44 REPRESENTS 1.4% POSITIVE.
IN WEEK TWO IN JANUARY, THERE WERE 103 IN AUGUST.
THAT NUMBER REPRESENTS 2.9% POSITIVE ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
IN WEEK THREE IN JANUARY, THE NUMBERS WERE 85 IN AUGUST.
IN WEEK THREE, THE NUMBERS HAVE PEAKED AT 401 THAT REPRESENTS 3.2% POSITIVE.
IN WEEK FOUR, JANUARY, THE NUMBERS WERE 89 AND WEEK FOUR IN AUGUST, THE NUMBERS WERE 307.
THAT REPRESENTS 2.5% IN WEEK FIVE IN JANUARY, THE NUMBERS WERE 64 IN WEEK FIVE IN AUGUST.
WHEN LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER.
AS I MENTIONED IN JANUARY, THERE WERE 13,000 FACE-TO-FACE STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BUILDINGS, AND THE REST WERE VIRTUAL THIS YEAR IN AUGUST.
WE HAVE 20,000 FACE-TO-FACE STUDENTS IN SCHOOL, DISTRICT BUILDINGS.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS YEAR WE'RE DEALING WITH THE DELTA VARIANT, WHICH HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY IS MORE TRANSMISSIBLE FOR THIS CURRENT WEEK, SIX OF SCHOOL.
AS OF THIS MORNING, WE HAVE SIX STUDENTS AND ZERO STAFF MEMBERS TESTING POSITIVE, BUT WE EXPECT WE WEEK FIVE NUMBERS LAST WEEK NUMBERS TO GROW THROUGH WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY.
AND WE EXPECT WEEK SIX NUMBERS TO GROW FOR ABOUT A WEEK AS WELL BEYOND TODAY.
RIGHT? ONE QUESTION WE RECEIVE OFTEN IS IN REGARDS TO A DASHBOARD LAST YEAR, WE HAD A DASHBOARD UP AND IT DID CAUSE SOME CONFUSION FOR PEOPLE BECAUSE THE HECK HAD ANOTHER DASHBOARD AND THAT CAUSED CONSTERNATION AND CONFUSION FOR PEOPLE.
AND WE WERE CONSTANTLY DEALING WITH THAT LAST YEAR, AS WE, AS WE WORKED THROUGH IT, I UNDERSTAND THE DESIRE AND I UNDERSTAND THE NEED THAT PEOPLE HAVE FOR WANTING THAT KIND OF INFORMATION.
[03:35:02]
D HECK THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE MAINTAINING A NEW DASHBOARD THIS YEAR AND, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, I'M SORRY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA BE MAINTAINING A NEW DASHBOARD THIS YEAR AS WELL.AND THEY HAVE A SYSTEM WITH WHICH TO COLLABORATE AND COLLECT DATA FROM SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
NOW THEY HAVE NOW ASKED SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO COLLECT DATA AND REPORT IT TO THEM.
WE'VE BEGUN THIS PROCESS AS REQUESTED AND WE'LL BE REPORTING POSITIVE CASES QUARANTINES.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY'RE ASKING FOR QUARANTINED CASES THAT LATER BECAME POSITIVE.
WE'LL BEGIN REPORTING THAT INFORMATION TO THEM NEXT WEEK.
THEY HAD A SYSTEM IN WHICH THEY WERE GETTING SOME OF THAT DIRECTLY FROM SCHOOLS.
AND SO IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, THE PREFERENCE IS FOR US TO PROVIDE IT FROM THE DISTRICT LEVEL TO THEM, BECAUSE I GUESS IT'S GOING TO BE EASIER FOR THEM.
PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WILL BE ABLE TO VIEW DX NEW DASHBOARD ONCE THEY UPDATE IT, PROVIDING ONE CONSISTENT SOURCE OF INFORMATION.
I THINK THAT'S AN ADVANTAGE, UH, THAT WASN'T THERE LAST YEAR WITH RESPECT TO DASHBOARDS.
AND THAT CONCLUDES, UH, MY, MY REPORT.
I WAS THE ONE WHO ASKED FOR THESE COMPARISON DATA AND THAT THAT'S EXACTLY THE KIND OF DATA I WANTED.
I WANTED TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING LAST YEAR WHEN WE WENT FULL FACE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW AS WE GO FULL FACE AND HOW THE NUMBERS COMPARED, PARTICULARLY SINCE THIS IS A DIFFERENT STRAIN, I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE RELEVANT.
I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S NOT RELEVANT.
AND, UH, I ALSO WANT TO KNOW NOW THAT D HECK IS REQUIRING THE INFORMATION FROM THE DISTRICT.
UH, I, UH, ARE YOU GONNA DIVE DEEPLY IN TO THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SUPPLY TO THEM? AND, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT? I MEAN, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE PARTICULAR AREAS.
I KNOW YOU CLOSED DOWN WHEEL WENT, SO YOU MUST BE LOOKING AT SOMETHING.
SO ARE YOU GOING TO LOOK AT THE PARTICULAR AREAS IN WHICH THERE MIGHT BE URGENCY? UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, SOME, UH, SECOND LOOK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S MY CONCERN.
MY CONCERN IS THE TOTAL SAFETY AND WE DON'T HAVE A CATASTROPHE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE.
SO IF I CAN ANSWER THAT, UM, MR. CAMPBELL IN THE FOLLOWING WAY AT, UH, WE LOOK AT, I LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS BEFORE I LEAVE MY HOUSE.
WHEN I GET TO WORK, I WAS GOING TO SAY THE SCHOOL, WHEN I GET TO WORK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, I LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS AGAIN AT THE END OF THE DAY, BEFORE I GO HOME, I LOOK AT THEM ANOTHER TIME.
AND IN THE EVENING I LOOK AT THEM ONE MORE TIME BEFORE I GO TO BED.
WHEN I GO, WHEN I GET HOME TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO DO THAT AGAIN.
I WOULD'VE DONE IT BY NOW, BUT WE'RE HERE.
WE LOOK AT THAT ALL THE TIME, AND I HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE WHEN A SCHOOL TURNS TO 2% POSITIVE, I HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW AND I'M ZEROING IN ON IT.
WHEN IT TURNS A LITTLE HIGHER, I HIGHLIGHTED IN PINK, I'M LOOKING MORE CLOSELY AT IT.
AND I'M HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH PRINCIPALS.
I'M LOOKING AT STAFF, I'M LOOKING AT INFECTIONS AND STAFF.
I'M LOOKING AT, UH, INFECTIONS ON STUDENTS.
I'M LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF QUARANTINES AND ON INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS AND THE IMPACT THAT EITHER QUARANTINES OR POSITIVE CASES HAS ON THE ABILITY TO OPERATE A SCHOOL.
UM, AND WE MAKE DECISIONS UTILIZING ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
EVERYTHING THAT WE WOULD BE PROVIDING TO D HECK IS, IS THE INFORMATION WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IS THE INFORMATION WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WITH ONE ADDED PIECE.
AND THAT'S THE QUARANTINES THAT TURNED POSITIVE.
THAT'S JUST GOING TO BE ANOTHER DIMENSION TO WHAT WE LOOK AT AS WELL.
BUT I WOULDN'T CHARACTERIZE IT AS, AS NOW THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THIS, ARE WE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT AND I'VE MADE DECISIONS WITH IT AND I'VE, AND I'VE
[03:40:01]
SAID NOT WANT TO HESITATE TO DO IT, AND I'VE ALREADY DONE IT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAD TO TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL.SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND I RESPECT THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'M HEARING THAT MAYBE BOARD HEARD ALL OF THIS BEFORE.
FIRST TIME I HEARD ABOUT 2% AND THE STUFF THAT YOU HAVE, THAT'S ALL I WANTED, BUT SOME KIND OF TRANSPARENCY IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR.
2% IS NOT A NUMBER WHERE A SCHOOL CLOSES DOWN AND TRADES, BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR BECAUSE I'VE BEEN VERY CAREFUL WITH THAT IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE IT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE.
RIGHT? SO, SO, SO I SAY THAT TO GIVE YOU AN INDICATION, RIGHT? THAT THESE ARE THINGS WE ARE MONITORING MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
I THINK I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH YOU THE OTHER DAY.
AND I, AND I SAID TO YOU, UH, IT'S ALL, COVID 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FOUR FOR ME.
OR I'M GRATEFUL THAT I HAVE A TEAM THAT IS ENGAGED IN THE OTHER COMPONENTS AROUND ACADEMICS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, SO THAT TOGETHER WE CAN MANAGE THE OVERALL OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM.
BUT, BUT, BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S NOT TO BE CLEAR.
I'M NOT GOING TO BEGIN TO DO IT.
AND WE'VE BEEN DOING IT SINCE LAST YEAR AND WE WILL CONTINUE BECAUSE IT'S, WHAT'S CALLED FOR.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE BETTER OFF WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THAT YOU'RE DOING IT AND THEY FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE NOW THAT THEY KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING IT AS OPPOSED TO THEM ANTICIPATING THAT YOU'RE DOING IT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.
YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL BETTER AND I'M RIGHT HERE AND I'M BEHIND YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT I FEEL BETTER KNOWING THAT YOU CAN LIE IN THESE THINGS OUT THAT YOU'RE DOING AND AT THE PUBLIC INHERIT, BECAUSE THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO NOTICE IF IT'S, THERE IS CONCERN ON WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON.
ONCE I SEND MY CHILD TO THE SCHOOL AND SOMETHING HAPPENS, WHAT'S THE PROCESS.
AND I, THEN THAT ANSWERS QUITE A BIT OF QUESTIONS.
THEY'RE ALL JUST, BUT I DON'T, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEM, DID THEY, UM, INGRID BOAT, RIGHT.
SO I HAVE A HYPOTHESIS BASED ON RUMOR AND ANECDOTE.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD EITHER CONFIRM OR DENY THE RE MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE ARE NOT SEEING A LOT OF IN-SCHOOL TRANSMISSION, THAT THESE POSITIVE NUMBERS ARE LARGELY REPRESENTATIVE OF EVENTS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.
I DON'T KNOW IF
YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME TRANSMISSIONS THAT MAY HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN SCHOOL, BUT THROUGH CONTACT TRACING, THAT'S WHAT OUR NURSES, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, DO AND LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, AND TRY TO WORK THROUGH THAT.
I, I CAN'T, I CAN'T TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND TELL YOU THAT WITH 100% CERTAINTY, THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY TRANSMISSION, YOU KNOW, IN A SCHOOL WITH A DELTA VARIANT, LIKE, LIKE THIS.
UM, BUT, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE ARE HEARING A LOT IN, IN, IN THE, UH, CONTACT TRACING AROUND, UH, EXTERNAL, UH, GATHERINGS AND, YOU KNOW, PARTIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IN, IN SOME WAYS, UH, AND THIS IS, THIS IS THE CHALLENGE, RIGHT? IS THAT, UM, EVERYTHING AROUND THIS IS 50 50, RIGHT? SO SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, UH, EVERYTHING SHOULD GO BACK TO NORMAL.
SOME PEOPLE SHOULD SAY, SOME PEOPLE SAY, UH, NOTHING SHOULD GO BACK TO NORMAL.
WE NEED TO JUST STAY ALL VIRTUAL.
RIGHT? SO SOME PEOPLE ARE IN THE MIDDLE, RIGHT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, ALL OVER THE PLACE ON THAT.
AND I THINK THE SAME IS TRUE FOR, FOR, UH, BECAUSE OF THAT, RIGHT.
THERE IS TRANSMISSION OUT THERE, UH, IN GENERAL, IN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE AREN'T MANY SAFEGUARDS OUT THERE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF TRANSMISSION IN THE COMMUNITY TO, CAN
[03:45:01]
I KIND OF MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT ON IT? AND THAT'S AN, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING.
AND I KNOW MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE TESTED POSITIVE KIDS, AND IT'S NOTHING RELATED TO SCHOOL IT'S RELATED TO EXTERNAL EVENTS.
UM, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, ONE THING I THINK THAT PEOPLE NEED TO THINK ABOUT, AND YOU KNOW, MY HUSBAND'S IN HEALTHCARE, WE HEAR ALL THE STORIES.
THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS VIRUS FOR THE UNVACCINATED ADULTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE THE LEVEL OF SERIOUSNESS OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH IN THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW IS BEING ADEQUATELY CONVEYED TO THE POPULATION.
FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE LEVEL OF CONCERN THAT WE HAD FOR THE ORIGINAL VIRUS IS A LEVEL OF A CONCERN WE SHOULD HAVE NOW.
AND WE'RE JUST NOT WHETHER PEOPLE ARE PANDEMIC FATIGUED, BUT WHAT I'M, YOU KNOW, WE GET ALL THESE EMAILS AND PEOPLE ARE LIKE, WE NEED UNIVERSAL MASKING, UNIVERSAL MASKING WORKS, PUT A MASK MANDATE ON, WE ARE NOWHERE NEAR UNIVERSAL MASKING IN THIS COMMUNITY.
WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MASKING IN THE SCHOOLS IS MASKING 10% OF OUR POPULATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 HOURS A WEEK.
AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL TRANSMISSION IN THE SCHOOLS, IF WE'RE NOT CONTROLLING IT ANYWHERE ELSE.
AND I JUST KIND OF WANT TO BRING THAT POINT HOME, BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME AND THROUGH CONTACT TRACE, AND YOU CAN GET AN IDEA IF THERE IS AN OUTBREAK TIED TO A CERTAIN EVENT, I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANYBODY IN A SCHOOL SETTING BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE STILL BEING CAREFUL IN THE SCHOOLS, UM, THAT IS TRIED TO SCHOOLS.
I'M HEARING ABOUT ALL THE COVID POSITIVITY.
IT'S A OVER, IT'S A POOL PARTY.
IT'S A TRIP TO VISIT, YOU KNOW, FRIENDS IN ANOTHER PART OF THE STATE.
SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT TO BRING OUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THESE NUMBERS AND YOU GET THE CONTEXT, YOU SAY, WOW, 400 KIDS ARE POSITIVE.
WELL, 400 KIDS, NOT ONLY DID THEY, THEY'RE INTERACTING NOW, THERE'S SPORTS, THERE'S PERFORMANCES, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF EVENTS, TED, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW? UM, I THINK TOO, I THINK TWO WEEKS AGO, I DON'T REMEMBER NOW, BUT TWO WEEKS, IF I, IF I KEEP TRACK OF FLORIDA, STATE'S LOSSES IN FOOTBALL, THAT WOULD MAKE IT THREE WEEKS AGO, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER POINT, BUT YOU HAVE PEOPLE SITTING IN STADIUMS, RIGHT.
WHERE YOU GOT 80,000, A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE SITTING IN A STADIUM RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER.
AND I DON'T SEE A LOT OF MASS ON TELEVISION.
AND SO, SO I MEAN, I ONLY SAY THAT TO SAY, NOT THAT, NOT THAT YOU KNOW, IT'S AN ISSUE, BUT TO SAY THAT THAT'S PART OF TRANSMISSION TOO, RIGHT.
THAT'S PART OF TRANSMISSION AS WELL.
THAT'S A JUNIOR AT BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
I ASKED HIM, CARSON, ARE YOU WEARING A MASK? NOPE.
HOW COME? WELL, I GOT THE, I GOT THE VACCINATION.
MY OLDER BROTHER GOT THE VACCINATION.
MY PARENTS GOT THE VACCINATION.
I SAID, WELL, HOW MANY KIDS ARE WEARING MASKS AT BUFORD HIGH? AND HE SAID, WELL, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME.
I SAID, WELL, SOME TELL ME, JUST GIVE ME A ROUGH, HOW MANY HE SAYS, UH, IN A CLASS OF 20, PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR, I SAID, HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THEM? WELL, I FIGURED THAT THEIR MASK FOR A REASON.
AND SO I MAKE SURE THAT I KINDA STATE REALLY LOOK AT THE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
HE SAID, AND I SAID, WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MANDATORY MASKING? HE SAID, WHY SHOULD I BE MASK? I GOT THE VACCINATION.
WHY THERE'S NOBODY HERE THAT CAN'T GET THE VACCINATION FOR FREE.
NOW I HAVE A HARD TIME ARGUING WITH THAT OBSERVATION.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW ABOUT OUR STAFF AND VACCINATIONS? I KNOW WE CAN'T MANDATE VACCINATIONS.
IF I WAS KING, WE WOULD, BUT WE HAD A TEACHER DIE.
WAS HE VACCINATED? DO YOU KNOW? I DO KNOW, BUT THAT'S NOT AN ANSWER.
WELL THEN, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S AN ISSUE HERE THAT IN HIGH SCHOOLS WHERE EVERY STUDENT IS MORE THAN 12 YEARS OLD.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I HEAR THE ANTI MASKERS, YOU KNOW, I, I FIND IT HARD NOT TO AGREE WITH THEM IN HIGH SCHOOL, BECAUSE IF YOU WANT TO MAKE, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THE RISK YOURSELF OF NOT BEING VACCINATED, NO, NO, THAT'S YOUR CHOICE, BUT IT'S ALSO, YOU'RE TAKING AWAY THE FREEDOM OF THOSE THAT HAVE GONE AND GOT VACCINATION AND MAKING THEM WEAR A MASK.
I, YOU KNOW, SO THAT I'M REALLY STRUGGLING WITH THIS WHOLE THING, BECAUSE TO ME, IT'S THE VACCINATION WHERE WE SHOULD BE PUTTING THE EMPHASIS AND I HEARD THAT'S GOING TO BE A MONTH OR TWO BEFORE FIVE TO 11 YEAR OLDS WILL BE GIVEN THE OKAY FOR THE PFIZER
[03:50:01]
VACCINE.SO I'M KIND OF HOPING THAT WE PUSH THE VACCINATION PART OF THIS, UH, BECAUSE, UH, I JUST DON'T SEE HOW WE'RE GONNA RESOLVE THE MASKING, UH, ISSUE WITHOUT, WITHOUT, UH, VACCINATION TAKING CHARGE, SO TO SPEAK.
I THINK ALSO, UH, MR. GUYER, WHEN I, WHEN I THINK ABOUT HAR, UH, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR, THE VIRUS SEEMED TO HIT ADULTS PRETTY HARD.
RIGHT? OF COURSE WE HAVE A WAY MORE STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS THAN WE HAVE ADULTS.
AND SO STUDENT NUMBERS WERE HIGHER THAN ADULT NUMBERS.
BECAUSE WE JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE MORE STUDENTS LAST YEAR.
SO, UH, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE OUR STAFF NUMBERS ARE, UH, ARE, YOU KNOW, ALSO LOW THIS YEAR, BUT, BUT MAYBE EVEN A LITTLE BIT LOWER.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT MAY BE A, UM, A REASON WHY MR. SMITH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, I DEFINITELY, UH, THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD.
RODRIGUEZ SAYING, UM, HOW HE MONITORS THE NUMB HEIGHT MANTRAS AND THE NUMBERS, BECAUSE I'M SURE IT WAS DEFINITELY WHAT THE COMMUNITY DEFINITELY.
I WANT TO HEAR THE REASSURANCE WAS THERE WAS, THERE WAS DEFINITELY, UM, APPRECIATE IT.
YOU KNOW, EVEN AS BOARD MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN, WE GET, UH, POSSIBLY EVERY NIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE DAY WE GET WHERE WE CAN GET AN UPDATE AND THEN AFTERNOONS OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, I HAVE, NO, I HAVEN'T HAD THE ONES THAT PAPER REQUESTED IT.
SO HEARING HIM TONIGHT WAS DEFINITELY, UH, UH, APPRECIATED.
I APPRECIATED IT AND HOW HE BROKE IT DOWN TO HOW HE IS DEFINITELY KEEPING THE COW.
HE DEFINITELY KEEPS AN EYE ON IT, BUT ALSO, UH, ANOTHER THING THAT DOES CONCERN ME IS IN REFERENCE TO THE CLEANING OF THE, OF THE SCHOOL AND OF THE BUSES.
YOU KNOW, UH, I, MY QUESTION IS IF WE SHUT DOWN ON WEDNESDAY, HOW ARE WE MANAGING THAT? AND WHAT'S THE PROCESS OF OVERSEEING THE CLEANING OR THE CLEANLINESS OF THE, UH, OF THE BUILDINGS AND THE BUSES, AND ALSO OUR REVIEWS USING ANY OTHER COMPANY OUTSIDE OF CUSTODIANS, I'M GOING TO SHROUDING AND YOU WANT TO TACK ALL THE MITIGATION ON PLANES.
SO LET ME START WITH THE BUSES, UM, BUSES.
WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE SAME AS WE DID LAST YEAR.
UM, BUSES ARE SPRAYED TWICE A DAY WITH, UH, ELECTRIC STATIC MRES, UM, BUS DRIVERS ARE PROVIDED WITH, UH, THE SPRAY ON, UM, IT'S OXFORD, IT'S A, UH, ANTIBACTERIAL SPRAY THAT HAS A, I BELIEVE IT'S A TWO MINUTE KILL TIME AS FAR AS, AND IT IS EFFECTIVE ON THE COVID VIRUS.
SO THAT'S OUR STRATEGY FOR BUSES, UM, FOR CUSTODIAL.
UM, AGAIN, WE HAVE VERY SIMILAR STRATEGIES TO WHAT WE HAD LAST YEAR.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, WE HAVE BROUGHT ON ADDITIONAL STAFF WE'RE, ESPECIALLY IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WERE WE HAD A SMALL NUMBER OF CUSTODIANS.
WE ADDED ADDITIONAL CUSTODIANS SO THAT THEY COULD FOCUS ON TOUCHPOINTS.
SO THEY GO THROUGHOUT THE BUILDINGS, WIPING DOORS, WIPING, UM, YOU KNOW, RESTROOMS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, WE ALSO CONTINUE TO USE, UH, THE MISTING MACHINES IN OUR SCHOOLS.
UH, SO THOSE, UH, ARE ABLE TO COVER A LARGE AREA AT ONE TIME.
AND MISS USE THOSE DAILY, UM, EVERY NIGHT THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING, IT'S MOVED TO A DIFFERENT PART OF THE BUILDING EACH NIGHT.
UM, AND THAT HAS A SPRAY THAT, UH, SANITIZES, IT ACTUALLY GETS BOTH THE AIR AND ANYTHING THAT COMES IN CONTACT WITH, IF WE EVER HAVE A CASE OR A KNOWN AREA OF ISSUE, ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS OF THESE ARE CALLED THE HALO MACHINES IS WHEN YOU HAVE THAT SITUATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY POSITIVE HAS BEEN IN A BUILDING OR BEEN IN AN AREA, WHAT WE DO THEN IS GET THE PEOPLE OUT OF THE AREA, BRING IN, UH, THE HALO MACHINE THAT THEN FOGS THE AREA THAT FOGGING, SANITIZES, BOTH THE AIR AND ALL THE TOUCHPOINTS.
UH, WE CAN PUT LITTLE STRIPS WITHIN THE ROOM TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE AREAS OF THAT SPACE HAVE BEEN TOUCHED.
[03:55:01]
BEEN VERY, VERY PLEASED WITH, UM, HOW THAT'S WORKED NOW TO ANSWER.DO WE HIRE CUSTODIALS OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTRACTED ONES? I'LL SAY INITIALLY THE ANSWER WAS YES.
UM, WHEN THE VIRUS FIRST GOT STARTED, WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO TREAT IT.
SO WE DID BRING IN IF A CASE WAS KNOWN SERVPRO OR OTHER OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS, NOW THAT WE HAVE THE HALO, MISS MACHINES, UM, THERE'S NO LONGER A NEED FOR THAT.
WE'RE ABLE TO TREAT THE AREAS ON OUR OWN EFFICIENTLY.
AND SO, UH, WE DO NOT FEEL THERE'S A NEED FOR OUTSIDE, UM, SERVICES TO BE BROUGHT IN, IN THOSE SITUATIONS.
UH, HOW MUCH DO THOSE HALO MACHINES DO WE HAVE IN THE DISTRICT? UH, SO HOW MANY, SO WE HAVE, UH, WELL, AT LEAST ONE FOR BUILDING.
AND DID YOU, AND DID YOU SAY THAT THAT THE BUS DRIVERS ARE SPRAYING THE BUS DOLLS THEMSELVES AS WELL? UM, WELL, BUS DRIVERS HAVE SPRAYED THAT THEY CAN, THEY HAVE HAND SPRAYS, BUT NO, THERE IS A STAFF MEMBER THAT IS ASSIGNED TO, UH, ELECTRIC TO DO THE ELECTROSTATIC MISTING, UM, WHEN THE BUS IS COMING TO THE BUS LOT.
AND THAT PERSON IS A PART OF THE BUS STAFF.
UM, WE NEED TO MOVE TO SOMEBODY WHO HAS NOT SPOKEN YET.
UM, THE DISTRICT HAS DONE A GREAT JOB AND DR.
RODRIGUEZ HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN GETTING INFORMATION OUT ON, UM, THE DIFFERENT VACCINE CLINICS THAT YOU'VE COORDINATED.
AND I WANTED TO ALSO THANK, UM, MR. BAXLEY AND ALL OF THOSE, HIS TEAM WHO COORDINATED THAT EFFORT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT'S A HUGE UNDERTAKING TO DO THOSE DRIVE-THROUGH CLINICS.
UM, AND I THINK THEY WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
AND I KNOW THAT FRANK, YOU, IF YOU CAN, AND YOU GUYS CAN DO THEM, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO, UM, I TRY TO PUSH OUT INFORMATION WHEN I SEE FREE CLINICS IN THE COMMUNITY.
I TRY TO PUSH THAT INFORMATION OUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S MORE THAT WE CAN DO IN THAT REGARD.
UM, BUT I DEFINITELY THINK THAT WE SHOULD PUSH THAT INFO MORE.
I KNOW THAT FROM THAT ONE CLINIC THAT WE DID MOST RECENTLY, THERE WAS 400 OR SO PEOPLE.
YEAH, WE, WE, WE PRETTY MUCH GET BOOKED WHEN WE DO THAT, THAT I DO THEM ALL THE TIME.
THE REASON I CAN'T IS NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO, BUT IT'S BECAUSE HOSPITAL STAFF IS JUST CALLED UPON TO BE AT THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW.
AND SO IT'S EASIER FOR THEM TO CONTINUE VACCINATIONS WITHIN THEIR BUILDINGS, UH, AT THE MOMENT, RIGHT? GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCE IN CASES IN THE COMMUNITY THAN IT IS FOR THEM TO, TO COME AND DO THIS DRIVE THROUGH.
BUT I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AS SOON AS THEY'RE ABLE TO WE'LL LAUNCH MORE, UH, VACCINE CLINICS AND, AND PARTNER WITH THEM AGAIN.
IN ADDITION, YOU MENTIONED BUFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, BEEN A GREAT PARTNER, HILTON HEAD HOSPITAL, UH, WAS A PART OF THOSE VACCINE CLINICS TOO.
UH, WHEN WE DID THAT EARLY ON, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME OTHER IDEAS WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO EXPLORE, UH, TO TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVEN WHILE, UH, WHILE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HOSPITAL STAFF IS NOT AVAILABLE TO DO THE VACCINE CLINICS BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF THEIR DEMAND AT THEIR SITES AT THE MOMENT, THERE MAY BE SOMETHING ELSE.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE EXPLORING THAT TOO, SO, OKAY.
WHY, WHY ARE THINGS THAT WE DO IS WE EDUCATE AND, AND MANY TIMES THAT MIGHT TAKE A CYCLE WHERE WE ARE BEING DICTATED TO BY THE PUBLIC AND BY THE, BY THE GREATER POPULATION.
BUT THEN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, WE HAVE TO SEND A MESSAGE THAT WE'RE EDUCATORS AND IN MY MIND THAT THAT INCLUDES DEALING WITH THE, WITH THE PANDEMIC AND, UH, WHAT WE DO DO WE TAKE THE SCIENCE SERIOUSLY? I MEAN, WE DON'T TAKE THE SCIENCE SERIOUSLY.
HOW CAN WE SAY WE EDUCATED? HOW CAN WE REQUEST THAT THESE STUDENTS GO TO SCIENCE CLASSES AND NOT TAKE THE SCIENCE IN THAT'S I DON'T, I'M NOT PUSHING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER IN TERMS OF THAT.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT BECAUSE THINGS OCCUR OUTSIDE.
I SAY THE KIDS ARE CATCHING IT OUTSIDE.
THAT TOLD ME THAT WE DON'T TEACH THEM INSIDE PROPER
[04:00:01]
SCIENCE, PROPER PROTOCOL, HOW TO DEAL WITH IT.WE DON'T SAY NOT HAPPENING HERE, BUT SOONER OR LATER, IT WILL HAPPEN HERE.
IF THE OUTSIDE DICTATE WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE OUR SCHOOLS, WHEN IT'S JUST LIKE ANY OTHER THING THAT HAPPENS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE SCHOOLS, THEN THE SCHOOLS LOSE BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORHOODS CONTROL IT AND THAT COULD BE PRO OR CON IF IT'S A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD AND A SCHOOLS ALLOWED THAT BAD NEIGHBORHOOD TO CONTINUE THE CYCLE, THEN THE STUDENTS IN THAT SCHOOL CONTINUE TO BRING THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE SCHOOL.
THE SCHOOL'S GOT TO DO THEIR JOB.
AND THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT THIS PANDEMIC.
WE GOT TO RELY ON THE SCIENCE PANT REPORTS.
WE'VE GOT TO DO WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AS EDUCATORS, AND AS PEOPLE WHO ARE TEACHING YOUNGSTERS, HOW TO GROW OLDER AND RESPOND EFFECTIVELY.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S THE WAY I THINK ABOUT THIS.
AND I'M NEVER GOING TO GIVE IN ON THAT.
[Board Business Action]
UP ON THE AGENDA IS THE, UH, BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION DATE CHANGE.STRATUS, WHILE SHE'S COMING UP, THANK YOU, DR.
RODRIGUEZ FOR YOUR COVID UPDATE.
WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS HERE'S A QUICK NOTE TO CONSIDER CHANGING BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL'S GRADUATION FROM THE MAY 25TH AM.
CORRECTION MAY 27TH TO AM TO THIS MAY 28TH AM.
THAT WOULD GO FROM A FRIDAY MORNING TO A SATURDAY MORNING.
THE CONVERSATION HAS ONLY HAPPENED WITH THE PRINCIPAL IN COMPETENCE.
IT HAS NOT GONE WITH BEYOND HER OFFICE.
SHE DID HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR THE 10 O'CLOCK ON THE SATURDAY, AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD WOULD CONSIDER.
ALRIGHT, MR. SMITH, ACTUALLY, MS. SCRIMMAGE.
OKAY, DAVID, UH, THANK YOU, MR. SMITH.
AND THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, I MOVED THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED THE CALENDAR CHANGE RECOMMENDATION, BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL, 2022 GRADUATION DATE FROM 10:00 AM.
FRIDAY, MAY 27TH, 2022 TO THE MORNING OF SATURDAY, MAY 28TH, 2022 AT 10:00 AM.
SO, MS. FIDRYCH, I WAS JUST GOING TO SECOND THAT, OKAY.
UH, ONE QUESTION IS, ARE WE AWARE THAT AWARE THAT THAT'S A HOLIDAY WEEKEND? YEAH, THAT WAS CONVERSATION ALREADY WITH THE PRINCIPAL.
SHE RECOGNIZED THAT WHEN IS THE NEXT GRADUATION SCHEDULED, THAT WOULD BE THE LAST GRADUATION AND THE SERIES OF THE WEEK, OR GRADUATIONS WILL BE EXECUTED DURING THAT WEEK, STARTING ON THE EVENING OF THE 23RD.
AND IT BE CONSECUTIVELY EACH NIGHT FROM THE 23RD, 24TH, 25TH, 26TH, 27TH.
SO THERE WOULD BE ONE ON THAT FRIDAY AS WELL.
AND IT WAS RECOGNITION THAT FAMILIES WOULD PROBABLY CELEBRATE TOGETHER IN THE AREA.
I SHALL BE TO HAVE A CONTINUATION AFTER THE HOLIDAY PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.
OH, MR. WILLIAMS SMITH, ARE YOU CASTING A VOTE? YES, MA'AM CHIP.
I DID HAVE MY HAND UP, UH, UH, PRIOR TO YOU, I GOT ONE MORE
[04:05:01]
QUESTION, BUT THAT'S FINE.SO THE CHANGE IN THE BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION DATE IS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
RODRIGUEZ, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THIS GOES OUT, UH, TONIGHT TO THOSE FAMILIES, UM, OR TO THE WHOLE DISTRICT OR HOWEVER YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT, BUT I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S YEAH.
[Consent Agenda]
A, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.UH, MS. BOATRIGHT I MOVE THAT.
WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ROBOT.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR ELECTRONIC HAND.
RD HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? NO.
UH, SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS HAS ALREADY OCCURRED, SO WE'LL ADJOURN BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, MR. SMITH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK ALL THE FACULTY STAFF, UH, COVID UPDATE FOR EVERYTHING THEY DID IN THE DISTRICT.
AND DOCTOR ALREADY GETS IN HIS STAFF AS WELL.