[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAVER COUNTY.
[1.A. Call to Order]
AFTERNOON.I'D LIKE TO CALL THE BUFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING JUNE 21ST, 2022 TO ORDER, UM, THIS MEETING WILL BE LIVE STREAM BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
IT IS A HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING MEETING REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
PARTICIPATION WILL BE ACCEPTED BETWEEN 5:00 PM, 5:30 PM.
BY SENDING AN EMAIL WITH YOUR NAME, PHONE NUMBER AND TOPIC TO ROBIN DUCK, PUSH AND BARRY AT BUFORT DOT K12 THAT SC DOT U S.
THIS IS A REMINDER THAT ROBYN IS SPELLED WITH A Y YOU WILL RECEIVE A PHONE CALL DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS WHERE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND ADDRESS THE BOARD FOR A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES ON ISSUES WITHIN THE BOARD'S DOMAIN.
THE FORUM WILL BE LIMITED TO 30 MINUTES.
IF YOU ARE IN PERSON, YOU MAY ADDRESS THE BOARD FOR A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES ON ISSUES WITHIN THE BOARD'S DOMAIN.
EACH SPEAKER MUST FILL OUT A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD.
PLEASE SEE THE BOARD CLERK FOR A CARD REQUEST FOR SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED BETWEEN SEVEN AND 7:30 PM IN THE SAME MANNER.
AS EARLIER STATED, THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL TAKE PLACE PRIOR TO A GERMAN NO LATER THAN 9:00 PM.
THE SECOND FORUM WILL BE LIMITED TO 15 MINUTES IN THE EVENT.
THE BOARD HAS NOT FINISHED ADDRESSING ALL ITEMS LISTED ON THIS AGENDA.
THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE AT 6:00 PM ON JUNE 22ND TO FINISH THE AGENDA ITEMS. AT THIS TIME, I NEED A
[1.B. Move into Executive Session]
MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, UH, GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE ON BONDS COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNALS, SECTION 34 78 TO RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING PENDING CLAIM COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNALS, SECTION 34 78 TO RECEIPT OF INFORMATION RELATED TO SECURITY PLANS PER PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ATUL SECTION 34, 20 C AND DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSE JAMES J. DAVIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HVAC REPLACEMENTS, AMENDMENT NUMBER 12 TO AJAX BUILDING COMPANY, LLC CONTRACT PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANIL, SECTION 34 78 TO MR. EARL CAMPBELL SECONDS.
I MOVING THROUGH SOUTH CAROLINA FOOD KIND OF 34 88 WE'RE VEGETATION FIRES THAT EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES EXIST IN THE
GRADS, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION DR.
MA'AM I JUST WANTED TO SEE THAT EMOTION BEFORE FOR THOSE GET ON THE SCREEN.
ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT COULD BE PROVIDED? UH, TH THE AMENDMENT YOU'RE ASKING FOR THE AMENDMENT, THE AMENDED MOTION ON THE SCREEN.
[00:05:09]
MR. SMITH, I'LL CALL ON YOU AFTER WE DISPOSE OF THIS QUESTION FROM DR.I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANYTHING, ANY OTHER PARTICULARS THAT CAN BE PROVIDED AT THIS TIME, IF NOT, THEN I UNDERSTAND.
I DON'T BELIEVE AT THIS TIME THAT ANYTHING, UH, DR.
SO THINK, UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I THINK THE, UH, THE, UH, IMPORTANT CIRCUMSTANCE HERE IS THAT, UH, THESE ARE, UH, NEW HIRES, UH, THAT ARE INVOLVED HERE, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, UH, HAVE OUR SCHOOLS, UH, PRINCIPALSHIPS STAFF, UH, BEFORE JULY ONE.
WE WON'T AND THE BOARD WON'T MEET AGAIN TILL AFTER JULY ONE.
UM, MR. SMITH, UM, I WILL LET YOU GO ALONG.
WE'LL BE POSITIVE THAT CORRECT?
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT, WHICH TO SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
UH, MR. STRINGER, UM, WAIT, MS. MR. SMITH.
SO THE AMENDMENT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, WHICH I BELIEVE IS 10 PEOPLE.
NOW MR. SMITH, I KINDA CONCERNED THAT I FACT SHOW THAT
THAT MOTION HAS BEEN DISPOSED OF THAT MOTION HAS BEEN DISPOSED OF MR. SMITH, UH, UM, UM, ON THE LEGAL MATTERS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? MR. SMITH, MR. SMITH, CAN YOU HEAR US? SORRY.
YOU WANT ME TO JUST, I'M SORRY.
YOU WANT ME TO JUST, JUST ANSWER, JUST SAY WHO WILL BE PROVIDING THE LEGAL ADVICE? YUP.
SO, UM, LEGAL ADVICE ON BONDS, UH, IS GOING TO BE, UH, FOR ANY HEIZER, UM, LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING PENDING CLAIM WILL BE MR. MATTHEWS WHEN D WENDY CARTILAGE WILL BE PARTICIPATING AS WELL, UH, UH, WITH LEGAL ADVICE.
UM, MR. SMITH, YOUR HAND IS STILL UP.
ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR US NOW? DID YOU HEAR THE RESPONSES OF DR.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? YOUR HAND IS STILL UP.
THE ACTUAL EMOTIONS AS I WANT YOU TO SEE THE NEW
SO THE ORIGINAL MOTION NOW NEEDS TO BE PUT ON THE SCREEN.
WE'VE VOTED ON THE AMENDMENT, WHICH HAS PASSED, AND NOW WE NEED THE ORIGINAL MOTION.
THE ORIGINAL MOTION IS NOW ON THE SCREEN, AND IT IS TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE ON BONDS COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE, RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING PENDING CLAIM COVERED BY
[00:10:01]
THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE, RECEIPT OF INFORMATION RELATED TO SECURITY PLANS AND DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSE JAMES J. DAVIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HVAC REPLACEMENTS.AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE VOTE.
THAT HAS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY, UH, NINE ZERO.
AND WE WILL NOW ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION EARNING A TOP ENDORSEMENT.
THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD HAS BEEN NAMED AS A PARENTS, AS TEACHERS BLUE RIBBON AFFILIATES.
WE ARE EXCITED TO BE NAMED A BLUE RIBBON PARENTS AS TEACHERS AFFILIATE, AS IT'S A DIRECT RESULT OF THE DEDICATED TEAMWORK, STRATEGIC PLANNING, AND PASSIONATE SERVICE BY OUR PARENT EDUCATORS AND TEAM.
SO MUM, WOULD YOU TAP ON THE BOOK AND GO AHEAD AND STOP.
THE BLUE RIBBON ENDORSEMENT RECOGNIZES THE PARENTS AS TEACHERS PROGRAM FOR DELIVERING OUTSTANDING SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AS THEY WORK TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE LANGUAGE, INTELLECTUAL GROWTH AND MORE PARENTS AS TEACHERS PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY PROGRAMS IN THE HOME VISITATION AND PARENT EDUCATION FIELD.
WE SEND OUR PARENT EDUCATORS INTO THE HOMES OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, BIRTH THROUGH KINDERGARTEN PARENTS, AS TEACHERS PROGRAM DOES MORE THAN JUST WORK WITH CHILDREN.
THE PROGRAM EMPHASIZES TO PARENTS THAT THEY ARE THEIR CHILD'S FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT TEACHER.
OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO BUILD STRONG, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES, THRIVING FAMILIES, AND TO ENSURE ALL CHILDREN WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN KINDERGARTEN.
AND BEYOND THAT DISTRICT'S PARENTS AS TEACHERS PROGRAM WILL BE HONORED FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENT AT THE 2022 PARENTS AS TEACHERS CONFERENCE NEXT YEAR IN COLORADO FOR THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT RAMOS.
WHAT ABOUT A RED SQUARE? GOOD EVENING.
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE, UH, MEETING BACK TO ORDER, UM, PUBLIC SESSION.
[2.A. Action as necessary or appropriate regarding matters discussed in Executive Session.]
ANY ACTION AS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE REGARDING MATTERS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? UM, PRIOR TO TAKING, UM, TO ASKING THIS QUESTION, I WOULD LIKE THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THE AUDIENCE TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE TWO BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING REMOTELY, TRICIA FEDERICK AND DAVID STRINGER ARE, UM, UP THERE.SO NOW DO WE HAVE ANY ACTION, UM, AS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE REGARDING MATTERS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, MR.
I MOVE, WE APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION TO EMPLOY CARLA F SHELTON AS THE PRINCIPAL OF BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
GAWAD SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NONE MR. SMITH AT THIS TIME, MADAM CHAIR? UH, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS, UH, IN REGARDS TO THIS HIGHER.
SO AT THIS TIME I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT, BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS HIGHER AT THIS TIME.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT TO THE RECORD.
ANY OTHER HANDS AT THIS POINT? MR. STRINGER IS YOUR HAND STILL UP? OKAY.
UH, THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS I MOVE.
WE ACCEPT THE SUPERINTENDENTS RECOMMENDATION RECOMMENDATION TO EMPLOY CARLA SHELTON AS PRINCIPAL OF BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
THANK YOU, MR.
THAT WE APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION TO EMPLOY CARLA SHELTON AS PRINCIPAL OF BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
[00:15:01]
PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.SO THE MOTION CARRIES, UM, NINE.
HOW MANY OF US ARE THERE? HERE TONIGHT? THERE ARE 10 OF US, RIGHT? SO NINE, FOUR, AND ONE OPPOSED.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER 12, HX BUILDING COMPANY, LLC FOR THE JAMES DAVIS EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER, HVAC REPLACEMENTS BASED ON THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE OF $837,767 AND 44 CENTS.
SECOND DEBT USING FYI 20, 23, 8% CAPITAL PROJECTS FUNDS.
WE'LL WAIT UNTIL THE, UM, MOTION GETS POSTED ON THE BOARD.
WE ARE VOTING ON THE MOTION ON THE BOARD, UM, ABOUT APPROVING AMENDMENT NUMBER 12.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
SO THAT ANY ABSTENTIONS? ONE ABSTENTION.
SO THE MOTION PASSES NINE YEAS, ONE EXTENSION DR.
[2.B. Approval of Agenda]
TIME WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
IS THERE A SECOND, MS. BOATWRIGHT, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING? UM, TONIGHT'S AGENDA, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ARE THERE ANY NAYS? ANY ABSTENTIONS MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY 10 ZERO.
[2.C. Pledge of Allegiance, Moment of Silence, Statement of Media Notification]
TIME, I WOULD INVITE EVERYONE TO STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE I PLANNED TO DO TO FLY SEMINARY.[3. Points of Celebration]
I'D LIKE TO TURN THE AGENDA OVER TO DR.RODRIQUEZ FOR POINTS OF CELEBRATION.
UH, MS. ROBIN, UNDER POINTS OF CELEBRATION TODAY, WE CELEBRATE THE CHARACTER EDUCATION A STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR THE MONTH OF MAY.
AND, UH, TONIGHT THAT, UH, STUDENT EDUCATION, UH, CHARACTER EDUCATION STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR MAY EXHIBITED THE CHARACTER TRAITS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND COOPERATION RESPONSIBILITY IS DEFINED AS BEING ACCOUNTABLE IN WORD AND DEED.
COOPERATION IS DEFINED AS THE PROCESS OF WORKING TOGETHER TO THE SAME END.
WE'RE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE CHARACTER EDUCATION STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR MAY, FOR SOUTHERN BUFORD COUNTY IS YOU HEAR ALTUZARRA CAMACHO A FIFTH GRADE STUDENT AT RIVER RIDGE ACADEMY AND HERE TO INTRODUCE THEIR STUDENT OF THE MONTH IS RIVER RIDGE PRINCIPAL, MR. BRIAN RYMAN.
UH, I AM HONORED TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO RECOGNIZE A FIFTH GRADE STUDENT AND GOING TO BE A SIXTH GRADE STUDENT, UM, YACHT HERE, ALIZAR CAMACHO AT RIVER RIDGE ACADEMY.
HOW WE CHOOSE OUR STUDENTS OF THE MONTH TO BE RECOMMENDED, UM, IS THROUGH THEIR MORNING MEETING.
UM, AND YEAH, HERE, IT WAS SELECTED BY HIS FELLOW CLASSMATES IN MISS RICHMOND'S CLASS.
AND I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SHARE SOME THINGS THAT HIS FELLOW CLASSMATES SAID ABOUT HIM IN REGARDS TO RESPONSIBILITY
[00:20:01]
IN COOPERATION.THEY SAID THAT Y'ALL HERE ALWAYS PLAYS GAMES WITH THEM, EVEN IF IT'S NOT HIS FIRST CHOICE.
UH, OTHERS IN THE CLASS SAID THAT HE REALLY TRIES HARD TO GET HIS WORK DONE AND MAKE THE BEST OF ANY SITUATION.
YEAH, HERE ALWAYS MAKES THE MOST OF EVERY SITUATION, NO MATTER WHO IS HE'S WORKING WITH OR HOW BAD THE SITUATION IS, HE IS ALWAYS RESPONSIBLE AND RESPECTFUL AND MAINTAINS A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
UH, MR. RICHMOND WENT ON TO SAY THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, YOU HEAR HIS GROWN IN HIS RESPONSIBILITY BY DOING WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THE JOB DONE.
HE'S MADE GREAT PROGRESS THIS YEAR, SINCE THE BEATING WAS FIFTH GRADE.
UM, AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HIM REPRESENT OUR CLASS.
SO YEAH, HERE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP HERE WITH YOUR FAMILY? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING AN OUTSTANDING RAIDER THANK YOU.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR, UH, POINTS OF CELEBRATION THIS EVENING.
IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO CELEBRATE OUR STUDENTS.
[4. Public Comments]
IS THE FIRST SECTION OF PUBLIC COMMENTS.I WOULD LIKE JUST TO TAKE A MINUTE TO REVIEW THE EXPECTATIONS AND RULES FOR SPEAKING DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UM, PLEASE COMBINE COMMENTS TO ISSUES WITH THE DOMAIN OF THE BOARD, REFRAIN FROM RACIAL COMMENTS, OBSCENITIES, VULGARITIES, AND REFERENCES TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS BY NAME, UH, AND DO NOT EXCEED THREE MINUTES AND COMPLETE THIS CARD, WHICH YOU'VE ALREADY DONE.
SO AT THIS POINT, OUR FIRST SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS KAREN IRWIN.
I AM A MATH TEACHER AT BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, BEFORE I START, I JUST WANT TO, UM, THANK THE PEOPLE THAT, UM, HAVE GIVEN COUNTLESS HOURS BEHIND THE SCENES TO GET THE TEACHER PAY, UM, IN THE FOREFRONT AND IN START OF APPROVAL, UM, TO GET US COMPETITIVE IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, I KNOW YOU WERE, SOME OF YOU WERE AT THE LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, I'LL JUST TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF.
I TAUGHT 13 YEARS IN A VERY STRONG DISTRICT IN TEXAS, AND I'VE BEEN AT BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL NOW FOR SIX YEARS WHEN I TURNED IN MY RESIGNATION, BY THE END OF THE WEEK, THERE WERE A STACK OF RESUMES.
I HAVE HAD ONE OF MY SIX YEARS HERE THAT HAVE, WE HAD STARTED WITH A COMPLETE MATH DEPARTMENT.
THERE HAS TO BE A FIXED TO THIS.
THERE WAS ONE YEAR THAT WE STARTED THREE SHORT AND WE WERE THREE SHORT UNTIL NOVEMBER.
AND WE WERE TEACHING OF THE FOUR PERIODS.
UM, TWO COUNCIL MEETINGS AGO AFTER THE FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET, MR. RODMAN ENCOURAGED THE BOARD TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND WITHOUT USING THE 2,500 HOUSING SUPPLEMENT INCREASE, THE BEGINNING TEACHER PAY FROM WHAT IS CURRENTLY PROPOSED A 45,250,000.
HE INDICATED THAT HE BELIEVED THE COUNCIL WOULD FIND THE REQUIRED MILLAGE AT THE SECOND READING, WHICH WAS JUST LAST WEEK.
HE ASKED WHY THAT HAD NOT BEEN DONE.
AND AGAIN, ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND FIND TO PROPOSE A BUDGET WHERE OUR STARTING SALARY CAN GO TO 50,000.
UM, SO WHAT I'M HERE TO ASK IS, UM, ARE WE AT THE NEXT THIRD READING? SO IT, WHICH IS NEXT WEEK, ARE WE GOING TO BE PROPOSING THE SECOND READING BUDGET, WHICH WAS PROPOSED OR DID WE ACTUALLY COME BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND FIND A WAY TO PROPOSE A BUDGET OF $50,000 STARTING IF WE ARE PROPOSING THE SECOND BUDGET? I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING QUESTION AS TO WHY WE ARE NOT GOING FOR THE 50,000 STARTING SALARY.
LIKE THE CITY COUNCIL SAID I'M UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING, BUT I AM NO GOVERNMENT PERSON.
I'M UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MONIES WOULD NOT AFFECT THE SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET, THAT IT WOULD BE A TAX.
[00:25:01]
MARTY BERTHELSEN GOOD AFTERNOON.UH, I WOULD LIKE TO PIGGYBACK ON EVERYTHING THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY SAID, MY NAME'S MARTY BURLESON, AND I AM AN EIGHTH GRADE TEACHER AT HILTON HEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND ON TOP OF WHAT WAS JUST SAID, I'D LIKE TO JUST FIRST EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE AS WELL TO OUR DISTRICT PARTNERS WHO HAVE WORKED TO GET THIS ISSUE ADDRESSED FOR US, UH, WAS STARTING TEACHER SALARY.
THIS IS MY FIFTH YEAR HERE AS A TEACHER FOR, UH, BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND, UM, WE DO APPRECIATE THAT.
HOWEVER, THE NUMBERS THAT ARE BEING SENT TO THE COUNCIL DON'T BE IN TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COST OF LIVING IN THIS AREA, HOUSING, GAS, INSURANCE UTILITIES, ET CETERA, HAVE ALL GONE UP, BUT OUR SALARIES HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH THE INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES.
IF WE CAN GET THAT BASE SALARY TO $50,000, IT WOULD BE A START NOT ONLY TO HELP WHAT'S ALREADY HERE, BUT TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN QUALIFIED TEACHERS, WHICH WE DESPERATELY NEED IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
SO I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT NEXT WEEK AT YOUR THIRD READING THAT YOU CONSIDER THE $50,000 BASE PAY.
THANK YOU, MS. LAUREN BARANSKI.
GOOD EVENING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND DR.
HOW ARE YOU TODAY? MY NAME IS LAUREN BRASSY AND I AM CURRENTLY THE TEACHER AT RIVER RIDGE ACADEMY AND THEIR TEACHER OF THE YEAR FOR THE 2020 TO 2023 SCHOOL YEAR.
I HAVE SERVED OUR DISTRICT IN A TEACHING CAPACITY FOR OVER 18 YEARS.
NOW I CAME TO TONIGHT TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE TO THIS POINT AS A TEACHER, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO INCREASE OUR SALARY AND MAKE IT SLIGHTLY EASIER TO LIVE WHERE WE WORK.
IT IS MY HOPE THAT AS A DISTRICT, ALONG WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL, THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO BECOME ONE OF THE BEST PAID DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.
BARRY, DO WE HAVE ANY PHONE INS? NO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[5. Chairman's Report]
THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.MR.
UM, THE ONLY THING WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT ITEM UNDER BUSINESS LATER, UM, NOMINATING A CHAMPION OF EDUCATION.
I JUST WANT HIM TO, UH, EXPRESSED A THANK YOU AND A RECOGNITION THAT CANDICE GRUDER JUMPED ON THAT OPPORTUNITY AND, UH, DID, UH, JUST AN OUTSTANDING JOB WRITING UP THAT NOMINATION.
SO I WANTED TO, I WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO CANVAS.
UM, THE OTHER ITEM IS THAT WE FORMED AT THE LAST MEETING.
WE, UM, COMBINED THE BOSTON GROWTH COMMITTEE AND THE NORTH ABROAD COMMITTEE INTO A SINGLE COMMITTEE.
AND IF YOU WANT TO BE ON THAT COMMITTEE, PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL BY THIS FRIDAY.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH YET TO FORM THAT COMMITTEE, SO I'D APPRECIATE THAT.
[6. Committee Reports]
THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH ARE THE COMMITTEE REPORTS.AND FIRST WE HAVE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT DOC, UH, COLONEL GUYER.
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MET AND HAS THREE RECOMMENDED MOTIONS THIS EVENING.
I WILL, UH, START WITH THE FIRST I'LL READ THE MOTION AND THEN OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
THE FIRST MOTION IS I MOVED AT THE BUFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF A NOT EXCEEDING 7 MILLION, $500,000 TAX ANTICIPATED NOTE SERIES 2022 TAXABLE OR TAX EXEMPT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BUFORD COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA, AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF SET NOTE TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS PURSUANT TO THE TERMS OF ITS TAN PROGRAM, PRESCRIBING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE NOTE MAY BE ISSUED PROVIDING FOR THE FORM OF THE NOTE, PROVIDING FOR THE PAYMENT THEREOF, AUTHORIZING CERTAIN OFFICIALS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO
[00:30:01]
DETERMINE CERTAIN MANNERS RELATING TO THE NOTE AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING THERE TOO.UH, MS. CROSBY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WISH TO ADD TO THIS? OKAY.
FOR THE PUBLIC'S EDIFICATION EVERY YEAR, WE HAVE TO BORROW MONEY TO PAY THE BILLS BECAUSE THE FISCAL YEAR STARTS ON THE 1ST OF JULY AND WE START PAYING SALARIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE, UTILITIES AND SO ON.
AND OUR TAX PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH RUN OUR OPERATIONAL, UH, BUDGET STARTS TO COME IN IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER.
WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE THAT ALLOWS US TO PAY FOR ALMOST ALL OF THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE STILL HAVE TO BORROW 700 OR THIS TIME $7.5 MILLION.
THAT IS LESS THAN WE'VE HAD TO BORROW IN THE LAST THREE YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD BECAUSE WE ARE IN A HEALTHY FINANCIAL STATE BECAUSE OF INCREASED REVENUE AND BECAUSE OF AN INCREASED FUND BALANCE, I WOULD LIKE TO IN A PERFECT WORLD, NOT HAVE TO BORROW THE MONEY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR FUND BALANCE AND PAY OUR TEACHERS WHAT THEY DESERVE TO BE PAID.
SO, AND THAT'S WHY WE DO THIS.
UM, MR.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, IS THIS, WHAT IS THIS RECOMMENDATION FROM ONE COUNCIL? I KNOW WE DO IT EVERY YEAR.
I THINK THEY RECOMMEND THAT WHEN YOU SERVE SERVING YOUR, UH, YES, IT IS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR? YES.
UH, AND IN TERMS OF THE AMERICAN KIDS THAT GO ASK THE FUNDS, UH, WE CAN USE ANY ESSA FUNDS TO LESSEN THE MONEY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO BORROW ON THIS.
UM, BECAUSE I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED, ESPECIALLY WITH US, POSSIBLY GOING TO A, THE COUNTRY GOING THROUGH THE CRACKS A CRISIS RIGHT NOW.
UH, NO, SIR, WE CANNOT BORROW AGAINST FEDERAL ESSER FUNDS IN ORDER TO PAY THE OPERATIONAL COST OF THE DISTRICT.
IN FACT, THE ESTER FUNDS ALMOST, UH, UH, CREATE, UH, SOME OF THE SITUATION OF CASHFLOWS BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING IN ADVANCE AND REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THERE IS A DELAY.
SO, UM, IT WOULD, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BORROW FROM ESTHER FUNDS IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH, UM, UH, SUPPORT THE OPERATIONAL COST OF THE DISTRICT.
WE USE UTILIZE SOME OF THAT STUFF, NOT, NOT BORROW, EXCUSE ME.
WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO, UH, COMMINGLE THE TWO FUNDING SOURCES.
IF I CAN MAKE A COMMENT FOR THE PUBLIC, THE ESSER FUND SERVICE, REFERRING TO OUR FEDERAL FUNDS THAT ARE SET UP TO HELP US DEAL WITH THE COVID PANDEMIC.
WHEN WE ASKED TO USE THOSE FUNDS, FIRST OF ALL, THEY GIVE US VERY STRICT GUIDELINES OF WHAT WE CAN USE THEM FOR.
SECONDLY, ONCE WE USE THEM, WE HAVE TO PAY IT UPFRONT AND WE SEND THE BILL TO THE FEDS.
AND AS MUCH AS THREE MONTHS LATER, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GIVES US THAT MONEY.
SO THAT'S WHAT MRS. CROSBY WAS MENTIONING ABOUT WHY WE NEED MORE, UH, TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE, BUT WE CANNOT TAKE THAT MONEY AND USE IT TO TIDE US OVER BECAUSE IT'S AGAINST THE LAW.
MR. MEL CAMPBELL QUESTION, UH, ABOUT, UH, TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE RELATIVE DIFFERENCE? THIS IS HALF OF THE SIZE OF THE TAX ANTICIPATION OUT OF THE PRIOR YEAR.
IT WAS $15 MILLION LAST YEAR, AND WE WERE, WE'RE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR FUND BALANCE LAST YEAR.
UH, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO, AND WE MOVED OUR ESTHER REIMBURSEMENTS OR CLAIMS TO A MONTHLY BASIS AS OPPOSED TO QUARTERLY.
SO WE MAKE IT A COUPLE OF MOVES IN ORDER TO LESSEN THAT CASHFLOW BURDEN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MY REMOTE FOLKS, ANY QUESTIONS? I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS UP.
SO AT THIS POINT I WILL CALL THE QUESTION, UH, CALL THE BOAT, UM, THE, UH, MOTION THAT IS UP ON THE
[00:35:01]
SCREEN.AND JUST TO SUMMARIZE THE MOTION ON THE SCREEN, UM, AUTHORIZES ASKED THE, THE BUFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF A TAN TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE, NOT EXCEEDING 7 MILLION.
I CAN'T SEE THE HOLE NUMBER 7 MILLION, $500.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY WHAT I SAY.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS MR. SMITH? I'M SORRY.
SO THE MOTION CARRIES 10 ZERO MADAM VICE CHAIR.
THE SECOND ITEM IS I MOVED AT THE BUFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION EXCEPT THE MONITORING REPORT OF OH FIVE, WHICH IS FINANCIAL PLANNING.
CAN YOU TELL THE, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT ATTENDED THAT MEETING, CAN YOU TELL THE, UH, COULD THE PUBLIC, WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT ENCOMPASSES YES, SIR.
UH, OPERATIONALIZE EXPECTATION FIVE IS A FINANCIAL PLANNING EXPECTATION, AND IT'S REALLY ALL ABOUT THE BUDGET.
SO, UM, AS WE'RE FINALIZING THE BUDGET FOR THE 2020 2 23 SCHOOL YEAR, UM, I PROVIDED A ONE-PAGE SUMMARY OF SOME BRIEF POINTS ABOUT THE, UH, FUND BALANCE, UH, POSITION AT THE END OF THE PRIOR YEAR, AS WELL AS THE PROJECTED FUND BALANCE AS OF THE NEW YEAR.
AND ALSO DISCUSSIONS OF THE CREDIT RATINGS BEING AFFIRMED BY MOODY'S, UH, AT A AA RATING AND STANDARD POOR'S AT A AA ONE, WHICH IS THE BEST POSSIBLE RATING FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, PUTS US IN AN EXCELLENT POSITION FOR THE BONDS THAT WE'RE ISSUING BOTH THIS EVENING AND THE REFERENDUM BONDS THAT WERE ISSUED ON PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING AND WITH THE BEST INTEREST RATES POSSIBLE FOR OUR TAXPAYERS.
UM, IT ISSUE, IT DISCUSSES THE TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE BEING DECREASED FROM 15 MILLION TO SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION.
AND, UH, IT DISPLAYED THE DATES OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THE BUDGET, AND THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS HELD BY THE BOARD AND DELIBERATIONS WITH A FINAL VOTE ON MAY 17TH, UM, WITH ALL OF THE DETAILS THAT WERE REQUIRED IN THE OPERATIONAL EXPECTATION OF RECRUIT, UH, REPORTING DETAILED REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE INFORMATION, AS WELL AS OUR BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS.
AND THEY CHANGE ALONG THE WAY, UH, AS THE STATE, UM, FINALIZES THEIR BUDGET, UH, AS, AS FOR THE STATE'S BUDGET, THEY ARE STILL NOT FINISHED.
A VOTE, HAS TO STILL BE, UM, RECORDED BY THE GOVERNOR.
SO, UM, OF COURSE WE, WE BUILD THE BUDGET WITH SOME PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ALONG THE WAY.
SO WE HAD MULTI-YEAR REPORTING, UH, AS REQUIRED BY THE, UH, O E AND WE REFLECTED ALL THE PERSONNEL POSITIONS THAT WERE IN THE BUDGET AND, UM, VERY IMPORTANT THAT IT REFLECTED A BALANCED BUDGET.
SO THOSE WERE SOME OF THE MAIN, UH, ITEMS AND, AND IT PROPOSED A FOUR MIL INCREASE TO 125.6 OPERATIONS MILLS, WHICH AFFECTS THE NON-OWNER OCCUPIED FOLKS.
THOSE THAT DO NOT OWN A PRIMARY RESIDENCE IN OUR COUNTY.
AND SO, UM, THOSE WERE THE BASIC INFORMATION.
UM, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE MILLAGE WAS INCREASING OUR TEACHER SALARIES.
UM, SO THAT CONCLUDES THE SUMMARY THAT WAS PROVIDED IN THE FINANCE, IN THE OPERATE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND, UH, AS I THANK YOU, MS. CROWD BEFORE THE FOOT FOR INFORMATIVE PUBLIC.
AND I THINK IT WAS VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE THAT WE GO OVER SOME OF THOSE STUFF AND, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR DEDICATION AND YOUR HARD WORK FOR COMING UP HERE AND SHOWING THE PUBLIC THAT YOU'RE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE IN WHAT YOU ASKING US TO APPROVE.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE VOTE ON THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR.
UH, THE MOTION IS TO ACCEPT THE MONITORING REPORT OF THE O E FINANCIAL REPORT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
[00:40:02]
OKAY.UM, ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY.
IT'S CARRIED UNANIMOUS 10 ZERO MEN AND VICE CHAIR.
THE THIRD ITEM IS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO THE FULL BOARD THAT WAS PASSED IN OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, UNANIMOUSLY.
AND IT STATES I MOVED AT THE BUFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, AUTHORIZE THE ADMINISTRATION TO BRING THE MONTHLY TRANSPARENCY REPORT, THE $100,000 REPORT AND THE MONTHLY BOARD BUDGET REPORT TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO BE VETTED AND PROVIDED TO THE FULL BOARD ON THE AGENDA IN AN INAPPROPRIATE MANNER.
QUADS, I SECOND THE MOTION, UH, MADAM CHAIR.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TRY TO MAKE IT A LOT EASIER TO GO THROUGH THESE REPORTS BY ALLOWING THE COMMITTEE TO GO LINE BY LINE ON THOSE MONTHLY REPORTS.
AND IF THE COMMITTEE FINDS ANYTHING IN ANY ONE OF THOSE THREE REPORTS, THAT IS OF QUESTION, WE WOULD THEN REPORT IT IN DETAIL IN THE FINANCE PORTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE UPCOMING, UH, BOARD OF A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
OF COURSE, IF WE FOUND NOTHING, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT IT WOULD BE PUT IN THE CONSENT AGENDA.
HOWEVER, IF ANY OF THE, ANY, EVEN ONE OF THE BOARD, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS SAYS THAT THERE'S A QUESTION, IT WOULD NOT BE PUT IN THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ALSO, IF ANY MEMBER OF THE BOARD DURING THE MEETING AT, UH, THE AGENDA PART OR AGENDA APPROVAL, PART OF THE MEETING HAS A QUESTION OR CONCERN ABOUT ANY OF THE REPORTS THAT PERSON COULD RECORD REQUEST.
AND IT WOULD BE GIVEN THAT THAT COMMITTEE REPORT WOULD BE GIVEN DURING THE, THE COMMITTEE PROCESS RATHER THAN STAY IN THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND THAT WAS THE REASON WHY WE ARE RECOMMENDING THIS TO THE FULL BOARD TONIGHT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE MOTION MR. SMITH? UH, CAN YOU GIVE THE HISTORY ON WHY THIS WAS BROUGHT UP? BECAUSE AS TO MY RECOLLECTION IS THIS BOUGHT TO THE FULL BOARD.
COLONEL GUYER, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY TENURE THAT IT'S BEEN BROUGHT BEFORE THE FULL BOARD TO DO THIS, BUT THIS IS A VERY LONG AND DETAILED REPORT WITH ALL KINDS OF, UH, DIFFERENT, UM, ACTUALLY IT'S, IT'S VERY MUCH THE SAME THINGS EVERY MONTH.
IT'S OUR, IT'S OUR UTILITY BILLS.
AND OUR UTILITY BILLS ARE LIKE MY UTILITY BILL.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO PAY AND WE PAY IT, BUT WE HAVE UTILITY BILLS FOR EVERY SCHOOL, EVERY DIFFERENT AGENCY.
AND IT'S JUST LINE AFTER LINE, AFTER LINE OF UTILITY REPORTS.
OCCASIONALLY THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT COMES ON THERE.
THAT IS OF QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WHY DID, WHY WAS THIS PURCHASED? AND WE CAN ASK MS. CROSBY IN THE COMMITTEE MEETING, SHE COULD SAY, THIS IS WHY.
AND IF THE COMMITTEE FELT WELL, THAT'S LEGITIMATE, OR IF THEY HAVE A QUESTION, THEY CAN SAY, WE NEED MORE, WE NEED MORE INFORMATION.
AND WE WOULD THEN BRING THAT UP IN DETAIL AT THE FULL BOARD MEETING.
BUT THE, OUR OWN BUDGET REPORT IS CHANGES VERY LITTLE EVERY, EVERY MONTH.
AND THE A HUNDRED CAKE REPORT CHANGES VERY LITTLE EVERY MONTH.
IT'S ALSO, UM, IT'S ALSO FOR THE PUBLIC.
THESE REPORTS ARE PUBLISHED AND ARE PUT ON OUR WEBSITE.
SO ANY CITIZEN THAT WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT AND GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING ARE WELCOME TO DO THAT.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE HIDING IT, BUT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE THESE MEETINGS, UH, GO A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENTLY AND NOT LAST AS LONG AS IT HAS BEEN.
WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU, MR. WELL, ACTUALLY THAT WAS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF PROCESSING MY QUESTION ABOUT YOUR, I THINK YOU ASKED A QUESTION AND HE ANSWERED IT.
SO LET'S, UH, LET ME COME BACK TO YOU, MR. STRINGER, NO POINT OF WATERMELON CHICKEN.
YOU TELL ME HOW WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED IN QUESTIONINGS FROM HERE ON ONE AT A TIME.
[00:45:01]
ONE, ONE QUESTION PER PERSON.I THINK JUST A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
UM, THESE ARE REPORTS THAT ARE PRETTY MUNDANE, BUT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, THERE'S SOMETHING THERE AND THEY ARE AS COLONEL GARNER POINTED OUT THEY'RE SUBJECT TO PUBLIC SCRUTINY SO THEY COULD USE THAT EXTRA LAYER.
UM, AND IF YOU LOOK BACK THROUGH OUR HISTORY IS VERY SELDOM IMPRESSION, ANYTHING AND USE YOUR BOARD.
SO I WOULD HAVE GOOD GLOBAL CONFIDENCE THAT AT LEAST A GROUP OF US WENT THROUGH LINE BY LINE AND THERE WAS NOTHING ANNOUNCED.
AND THAT GIVES ME A GOOD LEVEL OF COMPETENCE, I GUESS, A GREAT IDEA.
OKAY, MS. BOATWRIGHT, AND I'M SORRY, YOU CAN HEAR ME.
UH, I IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING TOO, THAT, UH, WE, ANY BOARD MEMBER CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE FINANCE MEETING, CAN WATCH IT BEFORE THE FULL BOARD MEETING CAN EMAIL TANYA QUESTIONS.
AND ANYTHING THAT IS BROUGHT TO THE FULL WEEK WOULD BE BROUGHT UP IN A FULL BOARD MEETING.
SO THERE'S PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
MR. SMITH, AND THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT MY QUESTION WAS JUST WHAT MADE THE CHANGE FROM THE FULL BOARD MEETING, JUST INTO THE, INTO THE, THE, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE THAT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, I COULD POSSIBLY PUT THEM, PUT THESE THINGS ON YOUR AGENDA.
I WAS JUST MORE THAN WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION AND HOW DID THIS, YOU KNOW, HOW DID, HOW DID THIS CONVERSATION GET ON, GET ON, GET ON WITH MADAM CHAIR.
AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AT THE COMMITTEE, I THINK BELIEVE I'M THE ONE THAT THEY BROUGHT IT UP AND SAID, LET'S TRY TO MAKE OUR MEETINGS MORE EFFICIENT.
AND THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED IT AND MADE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE DO THIS.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S LISTED IN THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ANYBODY WHO'S ASKED A QUESTION WOULD LIKE TO ASK ANOTHER QUESTION.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE, UH, CALL THE QUESTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE AND IT IS THAT THE BEAVER COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OFF AUTHORIZE THE ADMINISTRATION TO BRING, GOSH, I, CAN'T SORRY.
UM, TO BRING THE MONTHLY TRANSPARENCY REPORT, THE 100 K REPORT AND THE MONTHLY BUDGET REPORT TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO BE VETTED AND PROVIDED TO THE FULL BOARD ON THE AGENDA IN INAPPROPRIATE MANNER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE REPORT.
AND NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MET LAST WEEK.
WE DID NOT HAVE ANY, UH, BOARD BUSINESS ACTION TO BRING FORWARD.
WE DID HAVE OUR LOBBYIST LYNN STOKES, MARIE AT OUR MEETING, AND SHE GAVE US QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT 30 MINUTES.
AND THIS WAS JUST AS THE, UH, GENERAL ASSEMBLY WAS, UH, LETTING OUT FOR THE SUMMER.
SO NOT EVERYTHING WAS FINALIZED YET.
SHE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE TONIGHT'S MEETING, BUT SHE WILL BE AT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING, WHICH IS IN JULY.
AND SHE WILL GIVE A PRESENTATION TO THE FULL BOARD AND TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE MEETING WILL PROBABLY BE LATE SUMMER, EARLY FALL.
OUR NEXT STEP IS TO, UH, WORK ON THE, UM, LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THAT THE BOARD IS GOING TO PUT FORTH, PROBABLY DOCUMENTING IN A LETTER LIKE WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.
AND MS. STOKES MARIE SAID THAT SHE COULD, UH, HELP US WITH THAT.
AND A LOT OF THE PRIOR, UH, LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED THIS YEAR BY THE, BY THE LEGISLATOR.
SO WE PROBABLY ARE GOING TO MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE FULL BOARD TO, UH, MODIFY IT AND UPDATE IT.
NEXT ON OUR COMMITTEE REPORT IS OPERATIONS, MS. BOATRIGHT.
WE HAVE TWO FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL ITEMS COMING OUT OF OPERATIONS FOR THIS MEETING.
UH, THE FIRST THING THAT WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD IS THE, UM, MOTION TO APPROVE FUNDING FOR OUR, WHAT WE CALL OUR 8% PROJECTS.
[00:50:01]
AS I SAID AT THE LAST MEETING, THE 8% PROJECTS, UM, ARE WE DO THOSE A YEAR IN ADVANCE.WE LOOK AT, UH, THERE FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
UH, THEY ARE NOT PART OF THE GENERAL FUND.
THEY ARE BASICALLY BUILDING MAINTENANCE, BUILDING IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
OUR BOARD POLICY AUTHORIZES THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO BORROW, UH, UP TO $25 MILLION A YEAR AGAINST OUR MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT'S ALLOWED, WHICH IS 8% COLONEL GUY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, 8% OF OUR ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUES.
THAT'S WHY THEY'RE CALLED 8% PROJECTS.
UM, SO WE, THIS IS A PROCESS THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH.
UH, I'VE GONE THROUGH IT A COUPLE OF TIMES NOW, AND BASICALLY THE WAY OUR OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT HANDLES THIS, LIKE OTHER DISTRICTS IS WE HAVE A TEN-YEAR PLAN.
IT'S CALLED OUR TEN-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WHICH HAS ALSO PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE.
UH, THE TEN-YEAR PLAN BASICALLY LOOKS AT ALL OF OUR UPCOMING NEEDS FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS FOR ALL 35 SCHOOLS.
AND IT'S EVERYTHING FROM BAND UNIFORMS TO PAINTING TO ROOF REPLACEMENTS, HPAC VEHICLES.
UM, SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL, UH, LIST OF PROJECTS.
AND THEN THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE BASICALLY WHITTLES IT DOWN FOR WHAT WE NEED TO DO NEXT SUMMER.
SO A YEAR FROM NOW, UM, CAUSE WE ALSO CALL IT SUMMER WORK.
CAUSE WE TEND TO DO A LOT OF THIS WHEN SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED FOR SUMMER.
SO OUR PAST PROCESS HAS BEEN TO EVALUATE SORT OF LINE BY LINE A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT ARE RECOMMENDED SOME OF THEM, WHICH ARE AS BIG AS A COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS FOR A ROOF REPLACEMENT.
SOME OF THEM THAT ARE AS SMALL AS $14,000 FOR SOME REPAIR WORK TO AN AREA.
UH, WHAT WE FOUND IN LOOKING AT THIS TOO, IS THAT IT, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY.
SOMETIMES THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE MONEY HAS TO COME OUT OF ONE BUCKET TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING MORE EMERGENT THAT'S COME UP.
SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONED, UH, THE DISTRICT HAS COMMISSIONED A FACILITIES ASSESSMENT WHERE BASICALLY THEY WENT AROUND AND LOOKED AT A MAJORITY OF THE SCHOOLS, UM, AND DID AN IN-DEPTH ASSESSMENT OF THE NEEDS, TOOK PICTURES, DOCUMENTED THE LEVEL OF DETAILS, REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
THEY GAVE US A PREVIEW OF IT AT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, THE FULL REPORT IS GOING TO BE READY, UH, SOMETIME IN THE NEXT MONTH, SIX WEEKS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, AND BASICALLY IT WILL HAVE EVERY HPAC UNIT, AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ROOF, LOOKING AT FURNITURE, LOOKING AT FLOORS, IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS, AND THEN THEY'RE PUTTING ALL THAT DATA INTO A DATABASE PROGRAM AND IT'LL ALLOW THEM TO ASSESS WHICH SCHOOLS THEY CATEGORIZE IT BY A POOR OR NEED REPLACEMENT, FAIR MON OR FAIR MONITOR, UH, GOOD CONDITION.
I'M FORGETTING THE FOURTH ONE.
CAROL, DO YOU REMEMBER FOUR LEVELS BASICALLY FROM, WE GOT TO REPLACE THIS RIGHT AWAY TO EVERYTHING'S FINE.
UM, AND THEN THEY'VE GOT IT BROKEN DOWN BY A MECHANICAL H UH, ROOF PLUMBING, ALL THESE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
SO AS WE STARTED GOING THROUGH OUR 8% PROJECTS, WE, WE STARTED TO REALIZE THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, EXCESSIVE DETAIL THAT THE BOARD WAS BEING PRESENTED WITH.
WE WERE BEING ASKED TO MAKE DECISIONS IF THIS PROJECT FOR $25,000 WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS PROJECT AND WAS THIS PROJECT WORTH THE EXPENDITURES.
AND WE DON'T REALLY HAVE AT LEAST THE, UH, BOARD MEMBERS THAT WERE THERE IN OUR COMMITTEE, DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE COULD REALLY MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
AND WE WOULD PREFER MORE OF AN EXECUTIVE STYLE SUMMARY OF, UH, WHAT THE NEEDS WERE FOR THE DISTRICT.
SO WE EXPECT THAT WE WILL HAVE A, AN EXECUTIVE STYLE.
IN FACT, WE HAVE KIND OF A ROUGH DRAFT OF ONE NOW COMING OUT OF THE FACILITIES ASSESSMENT THAT WILL SAY, WE NEED TO SPEND $3.2 MILLION ON AIR CONDITIONING.
WE NEED TO SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS ON FURNITURE.
IT'LL BREAK IT DOWN BY CATEGORY.
UM, AND THAT BASICALLY WE WON'T HAVE TO GET INTO THE EXACT AMOUNT OF EVERY PROJECT.
AND I JUST WANT TO SHARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE FINE, THE FINANCE.
SO WE GET THOSE QUARTERLY FINANCE THINGS IN OUR HUNDRED AND 61 PAGES.
UM, AND WHAT I JUST LEARNED WAS THAT IN THAT IS ACTUALLY BROKEN DOWN ALL THE SPENDING WE ARE DOING.
SO THERE IS A HIGH ALREADY A HIGH LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY ON WHAT MONEY WE ARE ACTUALLY SPENDING.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO APPROVE EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR, UM, THAT, THAT THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT WANTS TO SPEND.
WE NEED TO APPROVE THE GENERAL EXECUTIVE LEVEL, UH, OF WHAT'S BEING SPENT.
SO ALL THAT ASIDE, WHAT WE'RE BRINGING JUST FOR TODAY, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T COMPLETED THAT PROCESS.
WE'RE GOING TO MEET AGAIN IN AUGUST, UM, WITH THE FULL RESULTS OF THE FACILITIES, UH, FACILITIES, CONDITION ASSESSMENT, AND THAT DATABASE.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE ASKING THE BOARD TO APPROVE $25 MILLION PER OUR POLICY FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THE MOTION IS ON THE TABLE OR ON THE BOARDS.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT MOTION.
I MOVE THAT THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE RECOMMEND TO THE FULL BOARD, THE F FISCAL YEAR, 2024, 8% CAPITAL PROJECTS, EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AS PRESENTED IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $25 MILLION USING 8% CAPITAL FUNDS.
I THINK MEL CAMPBELL PEACHY TO WHAT? MS. FIDRYCH I'M HOGGING HIS MICROPHONE.
[00:55:07]
OKAY.UM, MIKE, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BECAUSE I KNOW HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO THIS.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME COMING THROUGH THE PROJECTS.
UM, MY QUESTION IS IN REGARD TO INFLATION AND THE NUMBERS THAT ARE PROJECTED HERE, UM, HOW CONFIDENT ARE WE THAT THESE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO SUPPORT THE WORK? THAT'S ALL INCLUDED ON THIS LIST? SORRY, ROBERT, OUR CHIEF OF OPERATIONS WILL FEEL THAT QUESTION.
NOW I WOULD, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, NO ONE CAN PREDICT THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT WITH SOME LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE, WE DO FEEL LIKE WE CAN DO ALL THESE PROJECTS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT MAY MEAN ON AS FAR AS HPAC IS YOU MAY HAVE TO CHANGE THE NUMBER OR, YOU KNOW, IN CERTAIN AREAS, IF THE FUNDING DUE TO INFLATION HAS GOTTEN, WE CAN'T DO ALL WE WANTED TO DO BEFORE.
SO WE WILL STAY WITHIN THE BUDGETS FOR ALL OF THESE NUMBERS.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS WHAT THIS NEW SETUP, THE WAY THAT WE HAVE THEM SUMMARIZED IS THAT IT'S BASICALLY BY ASSET TYPE OR BY, BY PROJECT TYPE.
AND YOU'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE FUNDS TO SPECIFIC SITES AND AREAS WHERE THAT PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED.
SO HOW ARE WE PRIORITIZING IF INFLATION DOES CAUSE US TO HAVE TO PULL BACK THINGS, HOW ARE WE PRIORITIZING OUR SITES? WELL, THAT'S BASED ON THE FACILITIES CONDITION ASSESSMENT THAT MS BOATWRIGHT WAS TALKING ABOUT AND THE RATINGS OF EACH, UM, UH, OF EACH LOCATION.
AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, AS OUR STANDARD PROCESS GOES, WE LOOK AT WHAT SCHOOLS WERE CLOSING AND WE TRY TO GET AS MUCH DONE IN ONE BUILDING AS POSSIBLE.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IF TWO, BOTH ARE, LET'S JUST SAY, NEED TO BE REPLACED AND ONE BUILDINGS CLOSE, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THE BUILDING.
AND THEN I DO SEE SOMETHING WHERE IT SAYS ADDITIONS UNDER UNCLASSIFIED FOR 275,000.
WHERE ARE THOSE SAME PLAN? UM, DOES THAT MEAN SITE EDITION? MAY I CALL KEVIN, ARE YOU ONLINE? CAN YOU ADDRESS THE, UH, ADDITIONS QUESTION? UM, A MOUSE
IT, THAT STILL HAS TO BE FUNDED.
AND YOU'RE SHOWING IN HERE WHERE YOU GOT CASEWORK EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT.
FFV WHEN YOU'RE NOT SHOWING THE LANDING WOODMAN AND, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT, THE CLASSIFIED, SO ADDITIONS DOESN'T MEAN ACTUAL SITE ADDITIONS, SUCH AS MEETINGS KIND OF MISCELLANEOUS MS. BELL, RIGHT? THIS IS, UM, AN ONGOING DISCUSSION.
WE'RE HAVING AN OPERATIONS AND IT WILL CONTINUE IN AUGUST.
WE ARE, UM, RIGHT NOW, WHAT I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF LIMIT THE MOTION TO IS WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THE BOND SALES.
THAT'S COMING UP TO 25 MILLION.
THIS LIST IS REPRESENTING SORT OF A ROUGH DRAFT, BUT WE'RE STILL, WHEN WE GET THAT FACILITIES, CONDITION ASSESSMENT, UM, I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE OF THE DISCUSSIONS OF HOW WE PRIORITIZE AND HOW WE USE THE FCA FCA.
SO THESE CONDITION ASSESSMENT CORRECTLY, YOU KNOW, TO THE BEST ADVANTAGE.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS KIND OF TRYING TO KEEP THE MOTION TO JUST THE AMOUNT, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S A PROCESS BEHIND IT, AND WE'RE NOT JUST BLINDLY AUTHORIZING THE MONEY.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO REFINE THIS WHEN THE FCA COMES IN MR. SMITH.
UM, CAN YOU ELABORATE WHEN YOU SAY THAT WE'RE JUST AUTHORIZING YOU FOR IT NOW, BECAUSE I'LL PIECE IT TOGETHER.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT IT SOUNDED LIKE, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY
SO IS IT THAT STILL BE, IS THAT STILL THE UNDERSTANDING THAT I'M, THAT I'M HAVING? OR IS IT, ARE YOU SAYING THAT IT WILL BE MORE DISCUSSION REFERENCED 80% BECAUSE FOR MAZDA AND ONCE WE VOTE ON 8%, THEN THAT'S THE END OF 8% FOR THAT YEAR I SPOKE.
SO, UH, THE, THE PHILOSOPHY, WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, WE HAD $90 MILLION IN PROJECTS.
UM, AND THEN WE DID WHITTLE IT DOWN TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A $25 MILLION LIST.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE OPERATIONS, UH, COMMITTEE DISCUSSED WAS WANTING
[01:00:01]
TO POSSIBLY FINE TUNE THAT LIST.SO AS FAR, AND THEN AS MS. BOATWRIGHT ALLUDED TO ALL THE PROJECTS, UH, WILL BE LISTED IN AN EXPENSE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON IS A REPORTING PROCEDURE TO COME TO THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE ON A MONTHLY BASIS, LIKE WE DO WITH THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE AND UPDATE WHAT PROJECTS ARE BEING DONE IN WHAT ORDER, SO THAT THE BOARD'S ALWAYS AWARE.
UM, EVEN IF THEY FUNDED ONE THING THAT IF IT'S HELD OFF WHAT THE REASONS ARE AND WHAT THE SCHEDULE'S LOOKING LIKE MISSPELLED, RIGHT? UM, YEAH.
UH, ALL WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO GO TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF MS. HEIZER IS STILL HERE, BUT IS, UH, AUTHORIZED $25 MILLION.
AND IT JUST HAS TO BE FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IN THE PAST, WHEN WE'VE DONE THIS VERY ITEMIZED LINE-BY-LINE AUTHORIZATION, WHAT YOU FIND OUT IS SOMETIMES THINGS CHANGE.
SOMETIMES PROJECTS AREN'T NEEDED.
SOMETIMES THEY NEED TO GET MORE EXPENSIVE.
SO WE WERE KIND OF TRYING TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE VERY SPECIFIC YOU'RE GOING TO PUT IN $7,000 WORTH OF RUBBER STARE PROTECTORS AT THIS SCHOOL, AND GET MORE INTO SAFETY AND SECURITY UPGRADES IN THE AMOUNT OF $250,000 THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
THE PRIORITIZING PART, WE ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, AND WE IN AUGUST WHEN WE GET THE FULL FCA, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DO NEED TO GET A, TO AUTHORIZE THE BOND SALES.
WE ARE AUTHORIZING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, BUT WE DON'T, WE ARE NOT DOING THE LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY SPECIFICITY THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
UM, I THINK YOU HAVE AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION IN THE OPERATIONS AND HERE WAS WHAT THE BOARD'S ROLE IS RIGHT UNDER OUR GOVERNANCE, UH, AND, AND SPOKE RIGHT NOW WHEN SHE SAID OUR JOB, THAT HIGH LEVEL PRIORITIES.
AND THEN THE ADMINISTRATION'S JOB IS TO DO THE THINGS NECESSARY TO FIT THOSE PRIORITIES, INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH AND, UM, DECIDING WHETHER THIS BATHROOM YOU, OR BECAUSE IS IMPORTANT, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH EXPERTISE TO DO THAT.
AND, UH, I THOUGHT THOSE WERE REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, THING CAME OUT THAT MEAT IN THE MARINA SET HIGH LEVEL PRIORITIES, UM, AND THEN, UH, ADMINISTRATION WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL DELIVER TO THOSE PRIORITIES.
SO MY NEXT QUESTION WILL BE IN ONE OF MY CONCERNS ARE IT'S OKAY TO ALLOCATE A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND LET THEM DO THEIR JOB.
BUT AS A BOARD MEMBERS, WE DO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING, WHAT IS BEING SPENDING, WHAT IS IT BEING SPENT ON IN TERMS OF, OF TAX DOLLARS? SO MY QUESTIONS IS I JUST CAN'T, I JUST CAN'T GO OUT THERE AND GIVE AND GIVE SOMEONE THE AUTHORITY TO GO SPEND $200,000.
THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME TYPE OF DIRECTION.
AND SO MY QUESTION WILL BE WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF, UH, LETTING US KNOW HOW THE MONEY WAS SPENT ON AND ON AND WHAT THE MONEY WAS SPENT FOR? SO THAT THERE'S A CHECKS AND BALANCE SYSTEM.
WHAT'S THE PROCESS OF THE, OF THAT.
I SPOKE, RIGHT? MR. ADINA ALLUDED TO THAT.
HE'S GOING TO BE GIVING A MUCH MORE ROBUST REPORTING TO THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, AS THE PROJECTS ARE JUST LIKE WE DO WITH CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, AS THE PROJECTS ARE FINALIZED ENCUMBERED, AND THE MONEY IS SPENT IN ADDITION TO WHICH, LIKE I SAID, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT PAGE 147 OF 161 IS AN ITEMIZED LISTING OF EVERY DOLLAR SPENT UNDER 8% WHERE IT WENT AND WHAT IT WAS FOR.
SO HE IS GOING TO GIVE US AGAIN TO USE THE TERM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, BUT HE WILL GIVE US A REPORT ON A REGULAR BASIS, I WOULD SAY MONTHLY, BUT WE HADN'T, WE HAVEN'T TOTALLY NAILED DOWN THE DETAILS, BUT ROUGHLY SOMEWHERE AROUND THE MONTHLY RANGE OF HOW THAT MONEY IS ACTUALLY BEING SPENT, WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO APPROVE ALL OF IT IN SPECIFIC AMOUNTS IN A YEAR IN ADVANCE.
BUT WE ARE GOING TO KNOW HOW EVERY DOLLAR IS BEING SPENT MR. SMITH.
AND I HEAR WHAT YOU SAY, BUT I COMING FROM EXPERIENCING AND OF THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, AND WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS PROCESS FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS OF MY TERM ON THIS BOARD.
I WOULD JUST SAY, I'M NOT AS I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH DOING IT THIS WAY, BECAUSE THE FACT OF, FOR ONE, IT'S NOT ABOUT US TELLING, BECAUSE ACTUALLY WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH IT.
MOSTLY THEY WERE MEETING THE ADMINISTRATION WAS MEETING WITH PRINCIPALS AND STAFF AND DETERMINING IN TERMINATING WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE IN WHAT BUILDING.
SO THEREFORE THEY KNEW THAT IF THEY HAD A LEAKING ROOF AT BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL, THAT THE LEAKING ROOF WOULD BE FIXED WITHIN IT, IT WOULD BE ON THE NEXT 8% PROJECT, UH, THE NEXT GO AROUND THAT
[01:05:01]
NEXT, NEXT TIME AROUND THEY WOULD GET ON IT.AND ALSO THAT ALSO LET US KNEW.
IT ALSO GAVE US A, UH, A KIND OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT PRODUCTS WERE BEING DONE AND HOW THINGS WERE BEING LOOKED AT AND ALSO HOW THE MONEY WAS BEING SPENT.
SO WE HAD SOME TYPE OF IDEA NOW IS JUST WHEN THEY BRING IT TO US, THEN IT'S OKAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE MONEY WAS WAS USED FOR.
YOU KNOW? SO I, I, I'M A LITTLE AN EASE IN TERMS OF THE CHANGE THAT WE'RE MAKING.
AND I MEAN, THERE'S ALMOST, I CAN ALMOST ASK THE SAME QUESTION I ASKED IN THE LAST TIME I'D ASKED, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE CHANGE ON, BECAUSE I REMEMBER I HAD THE MEETING STATING THAT WE HAD ALREADY CAME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE WAY OF DOING THIS PRIOR TO, TO BEING ON THIS COMMITTEE, VERSUS WHICH THAT ALLOW THE ADMINISTRATION TO BRING FORTH.
I VERY COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF WHAT THEY SAW THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
AND WHEN THEY SAW IT NEEDS TO BE DONE WITHOUT US GETTING INVOLVED, THAT WAS ALREADY THERE.
AND SHE'S LIKE, WE ARE RE ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE RE RE REDIRECTING THE STAFF TO DO SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT TO SAY THAT, HEY, WE WANT TO BE HANDS OFF.
I MEAN, WE ARE HERE TO WORK WITH THE STAFF AND ALSO WE ARE HERE TO HAVE A KIND OF BOOKS ON TAXPAYERS' MONEY AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT'S BEING SPENT.
SO I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT WE'RE CHANGING THE FORMAT AND ALSO UNDERSTANDING WHEN IT'S BEING DONE IN AND UNDERSTANDING THE TIMEFRAME VERSUS SOMEONE JUST COMING AND TELLING US, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE DID KIND OF RUBBER STAMPING IT.
UM, MR. SMITH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION ABOUT WANTING TO MAKE A MEMBER? I BECAME A MEMBER.
AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO CALL THE VOTE.
I DO WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT, OH, EARL, SORRY.
I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY CHANGE AS FAR AS 8%, HOW WE SPEND IT.
UH, ONCE THE JOB IS COMPLETE, THEY COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND LET YOU KNOW.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
YOU KNOW, NOW MAYBE HE MAY SAY YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, A SHOW WAS GOING TO BE SOME PROJECT THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS.
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I TAKE THE MOST SERIOUS PROJECT THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE.
AND THEN GO BACK LATER, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY GOAL IN THIS.
PRIOR TO THE VOTE, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
I THINK IT'S, UM, FOR THE FIRST TIME, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, WE WILL HAVE THE, UH, UH, FACILITY ASSESSMENT THAT WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT IN DRIVING IN AND HELPING, UM, DETERMINE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROJECTS.
I THINK THAT'S A MAJOR KEY, AND AGAIN, THIS BOAT IS TOO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO GO OUT FOR THE BONDS.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS VOTE, UM, DOES IT GIVES US PERMISSION TO GO SEEK THE BONDS.
SO AT THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO CALL, UM, THE QUESTION ON THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR, UM, FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 20, 24, 8% CAPITAL PROJECT SUMMARY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $25 MILLION.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
UH, WE HAVE THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE AND IS IT, UH, MR. CORE? OKAY, MR. CORBIN'S ONLINE TO DO THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THE MAKER.
FIRST EXECUTIVE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE.
UH, ROBIN'S ALREADY PULLED IT UP.
SO I'LL JUMP RIGHT ON IN, UH, AS I'VE BEEN REPORTING NOW FOR QUITE SOME TIME, UNPRECEDENTED INCREASES IN MATERIAL COSTS, SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS, AND AN INCREASINGLY TIGHT LABOR MARKET CONTINUED TO BE EXPERIENCED IN OUR BUILDING PROGRAM.
UH, MOVING FORWARD, UH, SLIDES FIVE AND SIX FOR BATTERY BIG HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, THERE'S ONE, A TOTAL OF TWO YELLOW TRAFFIC LIGHTS THAT APPEAR IN THE SPONSOR PROJECT UPDATES.
THIS IS ONE LESS TRAFFIC LIGHT
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FROM WHAT WAS REPORTED PRIOR FOR BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL ON SLIDES FIVE AND SIX.THERE'S A NEED FOR A YELLOW LIGHT ON THIS PROJECT DUE TO THE CONTINUED SCHEDULE, CONCERN CONCERNS DUE TO VARIOUS MATERIAL DELAYS THAT ARE LISTED ON SLIDES SIX AND SEVEN.
UH, THE OTHER PROJECT THAT HAS THE YELLOW LIGHTS, ROBERT SMALLS, INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY THAT'S SLIDES EIGHT, NINE, AND THE YELLOW TRAFFIC LIGHT THERE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONTINUED SCHEDULE CONCERNS THAT I'VE BEEN REPORTING ON FOR THE ELECTRICAL SWITCH GEAR DELIGHTS THAT SWITCH GEAR IS SCHEDULED NOW TO SHIP ON APRIL 13TH OF NEXT YEAR.
UH, SO THE WHOLE TEAM IS CONTINUING FOCUSED ON SOLUTIONS TO THAT CHALLENGE.
AND, UH, UH, I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO KEEP ROBERT SMALLS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY MOVING FORWARD.
UM, MOVING ON AND THE EXECUTIVE UPGRADED UPDATE.
IF WE BUILD A SLIDE ROBIN, UH, TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT THE ST.
HELENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, JIM RENOVATION SLIDE, OR RENOVATION SLIDE THERE AMONG THE SCREEN.
NOW YOU'LL SEE ON THE RIGHT THERE, AND THAT'S A RENDERING OF ONE OF TWO OPTIONS THAT WE ARE EXPLORING.
UH, THIS IS OPTION A THAT'S THE ENTRY BEST YOU FEEL THAT YOU SEE THERE, UH, FLYING BY THE YELLOW COLUMNS WITH THE CANOPY ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE.
AND JUST PRIOR TO THE MEETING, I GOT CONFIRMATION THAT OPTION B, WHICH IS A REVISION TO THIS FOR AN ENTRY CAN BE THOSE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS ARE, UH, SCHEDULED TO BE, UM, RECEIVED PRIOR TO CLOSE THE BUSINESS.
UH, ONCE WE HAVE, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS, THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER WILL THEN PROVIDE US WITH GMP PROPOSALS FOR BOTH OPTIONS.
AND ONCE WE'VE REVIEWED THOSE, WE WILL, UH, BRING THOSE TO THE BOARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO GO OVER THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE OPTIONS AND SEE WHAT THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD IS TO PROCEED WITH.
UH, EITHER OF THOSE OPTIONS, MOVING ON TO PROJECT CLOSE DOWNS, UH, 8% CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, WE'RE DOWN TO REMAIN PROJECT CLOSE OUT.
SO THERE'S ONE THAT REMAINS FOR F Y 2018, UH, 8% CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDS, AND THERE'S SIX, UH, 2019, UM, COMMITMENTS GOING TO SLIDE 68 AND 69.
WE'VE GOT INFORMATION IN THE REPORT ASSOCIATED WITH OUR CLOSE DOWNS FOR THE REFERENDUM PROJECTS.
WE HAVE SEEN PRIDES PROGRESS ON THESE TWO SLIDES.
WE'RE NOW REPORTING A TOTAL OF 10 PROJECT CLOSE OUTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED TODAY.
AND FOR THE THREE THAT ARE ON THE REPORT FOR CLOSEOUT PURPOSES, UH, THE YELLOW LIGHTS THERE, THE THEY'RE JUST DOWN TO THE FINAL PAYMENT.
THEY DIDN'T GET PAID TO A CONCERN, UH, LAST MONTH, BUT WE FULLY EXPECT THOSE TO BE PAID UP IN THE MONTH OF JUNE PROJECT CLOSE DOWNS DO CONTINUE TO BE ADDRESSED ON A WEEKLY BASIS WITH ALL THE PROJECT MANAGERS, UH, OTHER ITEMS, UPDATE REFERENDUM FINANCIAL EXPENDITURES NOW THROUGH THE END OF MAY NOW TOTAL $133,406,906.
AND IF WE COULD GO TO SLIDE 81, ROBIN, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY OUTRAGE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE ON SLIDE 81.
NOW YOU'D GO HELP HANDLE AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY HAS BEGUN TO BE COORDINATED FOR THAT MAJOR PROJECT.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT TO TAKE PLACE IN EARLY AUGUST.
ONCE THOSE DETAILS HAVE BEEN FINALIZED, WE'LL SHARE UPDATES JUST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UH, FOR THE TWO PROJECTS, HILTON HEAD ISLAND, MIDDLE SCHOOL AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL, WE DO HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULE TO TAKE PLACE ON JULY 29TH AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
ONCE WE HAVE THE TIME FOR THAT LOCKED, THEN YOU'LL SEE AN EMAIL ALSO BEING SHARED, UH, WITH THAT TIME, UH, FOR THAT, UH, MEETING WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE COM HAD TO SEE THERE ON THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF YOU, THERE'S THREE RENDERINGS THAT, UH, WE PROVIDED IN THE REPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT FUTURE MAJOR PROJECT, UH, AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
AND YOU SEE THERE AT THE BOTTOM, THIS WAS A LINK TO THE DISTRICT WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE ACCESS TO A 10 MINUTE
[01:15:01]
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW VIDEO THAT THE ARCHITECT PUT TOGETHER, UH, FOR THAT FUTURE PROJECT.SO, UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED, UH, THAT LINK IS THERE SO THAT IT CAN BE FOLLOWED AND YOU CAN WATCH THEM, UH, VIDEO AND RECEIVE THAT UPDATED INFORMATION AT YOUR CONVENIENCE.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY EXECUTIVE UPDATE FOR THIS I SPELLED, RIGHT.
UM, THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE OPERATION COMMITTEE REPORT.
I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO CAME OUT AND LISTENED TO HIS STATE BECAUSE USUALLY THEY COME OUT AND THEN AS SOON AS THE AWARDS ARE ANNOUNCED, EVERYONE HITS THE ROAD.
CAUSE I DO THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF THAT UM, SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN OVERLOOK.
UM, SO I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT OUR NEXT MEETING IS GOING TO BE ON JULY 6TH.
I BELIEVE WE'VE CONFIRMED THAT.
AND IT IS GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON SOME OF THE HUMAN RESOURCE ISSUES THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT UP, UH, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE DISTRICT IS DOING.
SO, UH, IT WOULD JUST BE FOCUSED ON THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER FACILITIES THEMED MEETING TO REVIEW THE, UH, FCA IN AUGUST.
I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION THAT IT COMES FROM THE, UH, EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THAT YOU HAD THAT HAD THE ORIGINAL MOTION ON IT THAT WE DISPOSED OF A MOMENT AGO.
THERE'S AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SECOND PAGE.
IT HAS AN ADDITIONAL SUMMARY TABLE THAT'S ASKING FOR APPROVAL OF $6 MILLION FROM UNUSED, UH, FISCAL YEAR 20 17, 20 18, 8% FUNDS.
IS THAT GOING TO BE A FUTURE MOTION? YES.
THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATION ABOUT THOSE FUNNY IF WE, IF AND HOW WE USE THOSE FUNDS, WE'LL BRING THAT FORWARD TO THE BOARD.
THAT IS NOT PART OF THE THAT'S ON TOP OF THE 25 MILLION.
[7. Superintendent's Report]
NEXT, UM, THE AGENDA, UM, SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT ROBOT THIS EVENING IN THE SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT, WE HAVE ITEMS RELATED TO, UH, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, UH, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND, AND, UM, UH, OTHER MATTERS.SO THE FIRST ITEM IS UNDER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND SUMMER PROGRAMMING.
STRATOSE IS GOING TO WALK US THROUGH OUR SUMMER PROGRAMMING INFORMATION FOR YOU THIS EVENING.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN STRIP, INJURE AND BOARD MEMBERS.
I BRING FORWARD INFORMATION ON OUR SUMMER PROGRAMS AND I AM JOINED VIRTUALLY BY GUNNEL.
DANTZLER OUR DIRECTOR OF EXTENDED LEARNING AND COMMUNITY.
KAREN MCKINSEY, SECONDARY DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, AND MELISSA MURRAY, OUR DIRECTOR OF LITERACY.
THIS PRESENTATION IS A COMPOSITE OF A SERIES OF NARRATIVES, VIDEOS, AND PICTURES IN ORDER TO KEEP WHAT THE NATURE OF THE PRESENTATION.
I ASKED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HOLD OUR QUESTIONS TO THE VERY END.
AND AT THIS POINT I WANT TO THANK YOU IN ADVANCE MRS. ROBOT.
WE CAN GO AHEAD WITH THE FIRST VIDEO.
I'D LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO OUR MAGNET SCHOOLS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM CAMP.
ONE OF BCSD BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT'S EDUCATIONAL GOALS IS TO PROVIDE A PERSONALIZED LEARNING ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE TAKING IS TO PROVIDE A PERSONALIZED LEARNING APPROACH FOR EACH STUDENT THAT WILL PREPARE THEM TO GRADUATE AS COMPETITIVE CITIZENS IN THE GLOBAL SOCIETY AND CAREER MARKETPLACE OF THE 21ST CENTURY.
THIS VISION COMES TO FEW WISHES THROUGH THE MAGNET SCHOOLS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM GRANT WITH ACTIVITIES PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED WHOLE-SCHOOL STEAM ARTS INTEGRATION MAGNET PROGRAM APPROACH TO TEACHING AND LEARNING.
AS A REMINDER, THE MAGNET PROGRAM SERVES TWO AREAS OF OUR DISTRICT WHALE BRANCH CLUSTER AND BW FRICK.
HI LADIES ISLAND AND BUFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL, AS WELL AS MOSSY OAK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THE GRANT IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE BCSC STUDENTS LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN TWO MAGNET THEMES OF PRE-MED AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES AT BUFORD HIGH AND A TECHNOLOGY MAGNET THEME.
WHAT ACADEMIC, UH, W UH, ACADEMICS OF CYBERSECURITY, COMPUTER SCIENCE AND NETWORK ENGINEERING AT THE WHALE BRANCH CLUSTER.
MRS. CUSHION, YOU CAN GO AHEAD PLEASE.
PARDON THE MED TECH SEVEN SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING ARTS, AND MATH SUMMER CAMP.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'M TRULY, TRULY EXCITED ABOUT WITH THIS CAMP IS THE NAME
[01:20:01]
OF IT.AI GAMES, WHICH STANDS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ARTS INTEGRATION COMING TOGETHER AS WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY AND ARTS INTEGRATION TO COME TOGETHER? BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT MED TECH SEVEN IS ARTS INTEGRATION WITH MEDICAL AND CYBER AND TECHNOLOGY.
THAT FIVE DAY CAMP OFFERS FOR STEAM BASED COURSES OF STUDENTS TO EXPLORE.
WELL, WE HOPE THE STUDENTS WILL TAKE FROM THIS EXPERIENCE IS THAT THEY'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS AND TRY TO SOLVE THOSE USING TECHNOLOGY.
AND THEN THE PROBLEM SOLVING SYSTEM THAT WE'VE SET UP TO TALK TO THE KIDS ABOUT HOW THEY CAN GENERATE IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS FOR PROBLEMS THAT ARE REAL WORLD PROBLEMS. AND THEN ALSO WE'RE INTEGRATING IT IN TECHNOLOGY AND CODING USING OUR IPADS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN THINK OF TO TRY TO CREATE THESE AWESOME PROJECTS.
IT WAS A DRONE CLASS WHERE STUDENTS ARE LEARNING MORE THAN JUST NOT WHAT THE HARDEST THING I'VE DONE IS THE CODING PART.
THE FLOATING IS REALLY HARD BECAUSE YOU NEED TO GET THE MEASUREMENTS AND LIKE THE DISTANCE OF THE JOB THAT HAS TO BE, AND THE EASIEST PART WAS KIND OF CONTROLLING IT WITH A REMOTE TYPE OF ATONIC THAT GOES WHERE YOU WANT IT TO GO.
STUDENTS ARE ALSO MAKING THEIR OWN CARDBOARD INSTRUMENTS IN LEARNING CODING THROUGH USING W WHAT ABOUT MICHAEL BINS? AND WE'RE LEARNING, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE AN INSTRUMENT AND PLAY MUSIC.
AND I'M JUST LOOKING FOR SOME GOOD MUSIC TO MAKE EATING CODE OR MICROBIT TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS.
LIKE YOU CAN CUT IT TO MAKE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MUSIC AND STUFF, OR STUDENTS ARE CREATING AND CODING THEIR OWN FITNESS DEVICES, DOING THE FITBIT BECAUSE OF BEING, AND JUST WITH THE CODES AND HOW A FITBIT I'M HAVING IT COUNT STEPS.
AND HOW MANY SIPS OF WATER I DRINK EACH DAY, TAKE ONE IN A GROUP OF KIDS WORKING TOGETHER, BECAUSE YOU'VE SEEN A VIDEO OF WHAT THE CAMP SHOWCASING THEIR TECHNOLOGY SKILLS.
AND AGAIN, JUST SOME ONLINE AND SOMEONE CAN I GET ON GRIEF, BUT WE CAN'T GO PAST THE, LIKE MORE THAN 100 STUDENTS DO PART OF THE CAMP.
I WANT THEM TO ALWAYS REMEMBER ONE, THE BOND OF FRIENDSHIP AND TEAMWORK THAT WE MISSED OUT WAS HERE AND THEN SUPER IMPORTANT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEN THE OTHER IS THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY AND HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN ALWAYS ENHANCE THE ARTS AS WELL AS ACADEMIC LEARNING MEDTECH SEVEN STEAM SUMMER CAMP WAS HELD THEM, KEEP IT HIGH RANGE, MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT PUMPS TO NOTE THAT THIS CAMP HAS SERVICED 115 STUDENTS FROM TWO OF TWO SEPARATE SITES, BUFORD HIGH AND WHALE BRANCH, MIDDLE SCHOOL, 17 TEACHERS RECEIVE THREE DAYS OF INTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ARTS INTEGRATION, APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES AND AI.
IN ORDER TO EXECUTE THIS INITIATIVE AT THE END OF THE CAMP, THEY WERE TWO CULMINATING ACTIVITIES WERE CONDUCTED, UM, A COLLECTIVE VIDEO FROM BOTH LOCATIONS, AS WELL AS A LARGE OPPORTUNITY TO GO ON A FIELD TRIP TO STATION 300 FOR BOWLING, STEAM LESSONS AND LESSONS AND FUN WAS EXECUTED FOR OUR KIDS.
THE NEXT VIDEO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS ON CYSA CAMP, CICIS STANDS WITH A SEA ISLAND SCHOOL, BUT HE ARTS, IT IS A SUMMER PROGRAM DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE ADVANCED LEARNING, INNOVATIVE LEARNING IN THE ARTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS WHO ARE IDENTIFIED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S REGULATIONS AND SERVES OUR ARTISTICALLY GIFTED STUDENTS THROUGH A SUMMER SPONSORED DISTRICT CAMP.
PARTICIPATING STUDENTS ARE IN GRADES THREE THROUGH EIGHT AND SERVICES IN THE AREAS OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS ARE PROVIDED.
THIS IS THE FIRST ONE BUFORD COUNTY.
THE SECOND WAS AT BLUFFTON BLUFFTON HIGH, AND I'M CORRECT THAT IT WAS BUFORD HIGH AND BLUFFTON MIDDLE MRS. CUSHION BARRY.
WE CAN GO AHEAD WITH THE NEXT VIDEO YEAH.
FOCUSING ON THE ARTISTS THIS SUMMER LEARN THIS FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT ARE BUILDING ON THEIR ARTISTIC ABILITIES BY TAKING PART IN THE CNN SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS SUMMER CAMP.
SINCE I IS THE ONE UPTURNING KINDA LIKE THE CAPSTONE KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE ARTISTICALLY GIFTED AND TALENTED.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A WAY FOR THEM TO COME AND STEP UP THEIR SKILLS IN A MORE HIGH LEVEL ENVIRONMENT AND EXPLORE AREAS OF THEIR ARTISTRY THAT THEY DON'T GET TO.
DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, 12 CLASSES ARE BEING OFFERED AT TWO LOCATIONS.
DURING THE FOUR DAY CAMP, HE REVIEWED BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE ARTS THROUGH DANCE DRAMA, AND MORE, UM, BASICALLY TO HELP ME WITH MY TECHNIQUE AND TO HAVE FUN AND TO EXPRESS MYSELF WHEN DANCE THE COURSE IS SCRIPTED STAGE, MEANING THAT WE
[01:25:01]
ARE LIKE, ALL THE KIDS IN THERE ARE GOING TO WRITE A SCRIPT AND WE ARE GOING TO PUT IT ON FOR PEOPLE IN THE CAMP.AND I WANT TO SAY, GIVE, BECAUSE THEATER HAS BEEN ONE OF MY VERY MANY PASSIONS.
I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE MYSELF.
WHATEVER'S ON THE SCRIPT AND IT'S SUPER FUN HERE AT BLOW UP IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
STUDENTS ARE LEARNING NEW ART TECHNIQUES AS THEY CREATE WORK INSPIRED BY THE BEAUTY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
WELL, WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE WORLD COUNTRY AND WE'RE MAKING BARS, WHICH ARE BASICALLY WHERE YOU HAVE A SLEW SURFACE, AND THEN IT'S SLIGHTLY RAISED AS YOU ADD LAYERS.
I STAYED A CRANE AND I DID IT BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY'RE VERY PRETTY, THEY'RE VERY MAJESTIC ANIMALS THAT YOU CAN FIND THEM VERY COMMONLY IN THE MARSHES IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
AND STUDENTS ARE ALSO GETTING CREATIVE AS THEY CHALLENGE THEIR PERCUSSION SKILL.
I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY PLAYED PERCUSSION ON BUCKETS.
I'VE LEARNED HOW TO KEEP BETTER IN TEMPO AND MORE GETTING BETTER AT DYNAMICS.
AND I'M HOPING TO JUST GET BETTER.
THE PROJECTIONIST THAT CLASSES ARE BEING TAUGHT BY DISTRICT EDUCATORS, AS WELL AS PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS, ABOUT 175 STUDENTS COMING IN THIRD THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE ARE TAKING PART IN THE CAMP FOR THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND TO NOTE AT THIS CAMP SOMEBODY'S SESSIONS WHERE A STUDENTS IS DISNEY, DO IT YOURSELF, BEDROOM, DESIGN MAKE-OVERS STAR WARS, UNIVERSE DANCE, ONE ACT PLAYS D DIGITAL MEDIA AND VIDEO PRODUCTIONS.
AND AS YOU SAW THE ART OF THE LOW COUNTRY, THE NEXT VIDEO THAT YOU WILL SEE IS FROM OUR ELEMENTARY SUMMER INTERVENTION PROGRAM.
THE DRIVING FACTOR FOR ELEMENTARY SUMMER PROGRAM IS TO, IS TO FIRST PROVIDE INTERVENTION FOR ELEMENTARY, THIRD GRADE STUDENTS WHO FALL WITHIN SOUTH CAROLINA'S ACT 2 84, THE READ TO SUCCEED ACT THAT REQUIRES A STUDENT MUST BE RETAINED IN THE THIRD GRADE OF HE OR SHE FAILS TO DEMONSTRATE READING PROFICIENCY AT THE END OF THE THIRD GRADE, AS INDICATED BY SCORING AT THE LOWEST ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL ON THE STATE SUMMATIVE READING ASSESSMENT AS SEE, READY, THIS LAW CAME INTO EFFECT WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE 2017, 2018 ACADEMIC SCHOOL HERE AND REQUIRES THIRD GRADE INTERVENTION FOR PARTICIPATING STUDENTS FOCUSED UPON WORD RECOGNITION.
WHAT EMPHASIS UPON PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS, PHONICS, LANGUAGE, COMPREHENSION, SENTENCE, COMPREHENSION, WRITTEN, EXPRESSION, VOCABULARY, AND HIGHER LEVEL REASONING, ABILITY AND INFERENTIAL AND PARENTAL SKILLS.
MRS. CUSHION BARRY, THE VIDEO, PLEASE.
NO FOR SUMMER READING SEVERAL RISING FIRST THROUGH FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT TAKING PART IN THE EXTENDED YEAR, SUMMER READING PROGRAM, HUMOR, RED CEDAR ELEMENTARY, THE SCHOOL IS TAKING A MUSICAL APPROACH TO HELP STUDENTS BUILD ON THEIR LITERACY SKILLS.
THE THEME IS READING IS MY JAM.
THE STUDENTS HAVE SPENT A LONG TIME IN SCHOOL, AND NOW THEY'RE HERE AGAIN IN THE SUMMER.
AND THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO EACH DAY, AND WE HOPE IT WILL BE NEW INSTRUMENTS AND WAYS OF LOOKING AT MEETING AND NEARLY ALL OF THE TEXTS THAT WE HAVE FOR THEM HAVE SOME SORT OF MUSIC INVOLVED.
THE 15 DAY PROGRAM FOCUSES ON IMPROVING STUDENTS' READING AND WRITING SKILLS.
THE ELEMENTARY SUMMER READING PROGRAM IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SCHOOLS TO INVITE STUDENTS BACK FOR A LITTLE BIT OF EXTENDED TIME IN THE SUMMER TO READ, TO WRITE, TO ENJOY BOOKS AND TO BEING TOGETHER, TO REFINE THEIR PRACTICES AND HAVE A REALLY GREAT TIME WITH READING AND WRITING STUDENTS WILL ALSO BE GIVEN THE BOOKS THEY'RE READING IN CLASS SO THEY CAN TAKE THOSE BOOKS HOME WITH THEM AND CONTINUE TO READ ALL SUMMER LAW.
SO EACH WEEK IN SUMMER READING STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE ONE BOOK.
THE BOOK IS AN INFORMATIONAL TEXT.
IT'S BASED OFF OF THINGS THAT THEY WOULD BE LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL.
AND SO STUDENTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH IT ALL WEEK WITH THEIR TEACHER, AND THEN THEY GET TO TAKE IT HOME SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO READ IT OVER THE SUMMER.
THEY CAN READ IT TO THEIR FRIENDS, THEY CAN READ IT TO SIBLINGS AND THEIR PARENTS.
SO THE HOPE IS THAT THEY KEEP READING ALL SUMMER LONG, MORE THAN 1200 STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT ON PARTICIPATING IN THE EXTENDED YEAR, SUMMER READING PROGRAM AT RED CEDAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WHILE MOST PEOPLE COME TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND NOT TO BE OUT DONE BY ELEMENTARY GRADES.
I WANT TO NOTE THAT OUR SECONDARY PROGRAMS SERVICE APPROXIMATELY 960 STUDENTS IN GRADES SIX THROUGH 12 EMPHASIS WAS PLACED UPON COURSE AND CREDIT RECOVERY RECOVERY REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT GRADE OR FOR THE PURPOSE OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION.
A TOTAL OF 10 SECONDARY SITES ARE OPERATING DURING THE SUMMER.
ALL STUDENTS IN SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAMS ARE PROVIDED WITH
[01:30:01]
TRANSPORTATION AND SUMMER MEALS.IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM PROVIDES FULL ACCESS TO ALL STUDENTS, INCLUDING OUR STUDENTS WITH INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PLANS AND OR INDIVIDUALIZED LANGUAGE ACQUISITION PLANS.
AS SOME OF YOU MAYBE KNOW, AS AN EYE LAP, THIS IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT IF YOU COULD LOOK AT THE SCREEN, AND THIS WAS A COMMUNICATION JUST FOR ME TO SHARE WITH YOU IS OUR FIRST YEAR IN QUITE SOME TIME FOR BUFORD COUNTY, WE HAD ALSO A LANGUAGE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FOR OUR MO MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS.
WE SERVE AS THE 120 STUDENTS IN THIS MODEL THIS YEAR.
AND THIS WAS A THANK YOU TO THE DISTRICT.
AND FOR THOSE WHO MADE THE DECISION TO PROVIDE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR NEWCOMERS TO THE DISTRICT, THIS IS OUT OF OUR LEFT AND, UM, HIGH SCHOOL CLUSTER.
THIS PROGRAM HAS SERVICED 120 STUDENTS, AND IT IS BASED ON BEST PRACTICES AND BUILDING CONTENT AND LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY FOR OUR NEWCOMERS TO THE COUNTRY.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO CROSS OVER AN ASS.
WE HAVE GOOD KNELL DAVIS, OUR DIRECTOR FOR EXTENDED LEARNING.
I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A QUICK PREVIEW OF 70 ITEMS WE'RE DOING.
AND MRS. MRS. GAN DANZA WILL BE HERE FOR QUESTIONS THIS SUMMER.
WE ARE ALSO EXTENDING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AMONGST OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT REQUIRED TO ATTEND SUMMER PROGRAMS. THERE ARE EIGHT, NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND CHURCHES WHO ARE PARTNERING WITH BCSD IN THIS EXTENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR KIDS NORTH AND SOUTH AND ABROAD.
EACH PARTNER HAS A SIGNED MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT AND MEET NECESSARY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS WE QUESTED DOCUMENTS AS OUTLINED IN THE OUTLINE IN THE MOA APPENDICES TO INCLUDE THE CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE.
I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT OUR PARTICIPANT MATING PARTNERS ARE WORKING WITH A TOTAL ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 102 STUDENTS.
AND IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, MRS. CHRISTIAN BERRY, THIS IS DAN SILVER.
YOU'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE SOME DESCRIPTION OF WHAT WE ARE SHARING, WHAT OUR BOARD AND OUR PUBLIC THIS EVENING, NO MORE SAID THE PART OF THIS SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM, A PART OF THAT PROGRAM, THE KIDS, THEY PARTICIPATE IN FIELD TRIPS ON THURSDAY.
SO EVERY THURSDAY THERE IS AN EDUCATIONAL TRIP.
WE WANT TO WANT THEM TO HAVE SOME FUN AS WELL.
SO WITH KAI, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY KIDS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM, WE CAN'T TAKE THEM ALL AT THE SAME LOCATION AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THERE WE HAD TO, WELL, I'VE HAD TO ARRANGE THE FIELD TRIPS ACCORDING TO THE SIZE OF THE GROUPS.
SO THIS SLIDE HERE FEATURES A SECTION AT THE MARITIME CENTER AND AT THE MARITIME CENTER, THEY HAD FEATURED EXHIBITS LIVE ANIMALS, AS WELL AS INDOOR AND OUTDOOR HANDS-ON EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
THE STUDENTS WERE GIVEN A UNIQUE UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPLEX COASTAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE STUDENTS WERE ENLIGHTENED BY AN ARRAY OF TOPICS TO INCLUDE FISH UNDERWATER SOUNDS, SOUNDSCAPE, DEALT, FISHES, SHOREBIRDS, WATER, QUALITY, GEOLOGY, AND WAYNE MUSE.
THE STUDENTS WERE ENGAGED IN DISCUSSIONS ON HOW TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND PROTECT THIS RESOURCE AND THE HEART OF THE LOW COUNTRY.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT WAS REALLY NEAT ABOUT THIS TRIP IS AS WELL AS THE, ON THE TRIP, IT'S JUST EXPOSURE.
A LOT OF OUR KIDS OF COURSE, HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE MARITIME CENTER.
I THINK THAT THIS WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR OUR KIDS THAT ARE IN EXTENDED LEARNING PROGRAM FOR THE SUMMER, THE MARITIME CENTER AND THEIR MAX MAXIMUM NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT THEY CAN HOLD.
SAY OUR FIRST TRIP, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 56 STUDENTS AT THE MARITIME CENTER.
WE ARE PLANNING ANOTHER TRIP THERE ON JUNE 30TH OR SOME ADDITIONAL STUDENTS TO GO TO THE MARITIME CENTER AS WELL.
IF YOU CAN GO WITH THE NEXT SLIDE.
THANK YOU, MRS. CUSHMAN, MARY.
SO HERE, THE CHILDREN HAD AN OPPORTUNITY AND THERE WERE THREE SITES THAT WENT TO THE GOOD SUIT FACTORY.
THE STUDENTS HAD A SHORT VIDEO PRESENTATION, UM, A KAZOO DEMONSTRATION, A WALK-THROUGH OF THE KAZOO FACTORY WITH AN EXPLANATION OF EVERYTHING THAT WORKS.
THEY ALSO HAD ENOUGH AFFINITY TO MAKE THEIR OWN KAZOOS AFTER THAT, ISN'T THAT BECAUSE IN FACTORY, UH, THEY WERE TRANSPORTED TO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE SOME PLAY TIME AND TO HAVE LUNCH, UM, AT THAT VISIT FACTORY WITH THE NOISE THAT WAS THERE.
I THINK THE CHAPERONES PULLED ALL THE KAZOOS FROM ALL THE KIDS, AND
[01:35:01]
IF YOU COULD PROCEED, PLEASE.SO HERE WE HAD TWO OF OUR LARGEST SITES AT A BOWLING ALLEY, WHICH, UM, THEY WERE ABOUT 50 52 STUDENTS FROM TWO OF THE SITES.
SO WE HAVE A SITE FROM BLOCK THEN A BLOOD AND COMMUNITY KITCHEN, AS WELL AS INVOLVED THAT IS FIRST THERE.
SO THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND GREET WITH SO MANY OTHER STUDENTS, UM, THAT CAME FROM LONDON AND, UM, THE STUDENTS THAT CAME FROM ST.
SO THIS IS REALLY JUST A DAY OF FUN BOWLING FOR THE KIDS.
THEY WERE ABLE TO EAT LUNCH OUT OF THE BOWLING ALLEY, UM, AND THEY JUST ENJOY THE TIME THAT THEY HAD AT BOWLING ALLEY, NEXT SLIDE.
AND HERE'S JUST THE GROUP OF STUDENTS THAT ATTEND THE ST.
PAUL BAPTIST CHURCH, A SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM.
AND BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I JUST WANT TO ADD OUR VISITATION.
THEY WILL HAVE, WE WILL HAVE THE MARITIME CENTER ALSO VISITING OUR SITES, AND WE ARE PLANNING ADDITIONAL, UH, COLLEGE VISITATION TOURS FOR OUR EIGHT GROUPS.
SO JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT AS WELL.
SO THIS YOUNG MAN, HE ATTENDS THE, UH, SCOTT COMMUNITY CENTER ON ST.
AND ONE OF THE TEACHERS THERE SENT ME THIS VIDEO AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST REALLY AMAZING BECAUSE THEY ARE REALLY ENGAGED, TRULY, TRULY ENGAGED.
AND WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THE VIDEO, YOU CAN TELL, YOU'D BE ABLE TO TELL HOW SERIOUS THEY ARE ABOUT EDUCATION AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AT THE SPOT COMMUNITIES THAT ARE, ARE YOU ABLE TO GET ATTACK ACTIVATE NOW? OKAY.
UM, IT'S NOT MY COMPUTER, SO I CAN'T.
I DO APOLOGIZE THAT YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO HAVE IT ACTIVATED IT.
I WILL GET IT TO YOU BOARD MEMBERS BECAUSE THIS YOUNG MAN ACTUALLY CREATED A SONG ABOUT BEING INVOLVED, BEING SMART AND HOW COOL IT IS TO BE SMART AND COOL TO BE IN SCHOOL.
AND THAT HE'S GOING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND HE'S GOING TO BE STRONG AND GO FORWARD.
AND I HAD TO SHARE THAT BECAUSE IT'S ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE.
AND IT'S TO TAKE HIS RES AT LEARNING.
SO IN QUILT, IN CLOSING, I FINALLY WANT TO RECOGNIZE PERSONNEL WHO HAVE MADE THESE SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES OCCUR FROM OUR TRANSPORTATION, FOOD SERVICE OPERATION, OPERATIONAL PERSONNEL, SCHOOL SUPPORT PERSONNEL, TEACHERS, AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.
THESE LEARNING, LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES ARE THE RESULT OF EXCEPTIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEDICATION BY BCSD STAFF AND ARE PROVIDED TO OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY FREE OF CHARGE.
I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT THESE ARE PREDOMINANTLY PAID FOR THROUGH ESSER.
UM, WE'RE UTILIZING THE FUNDING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR EXTENDED LEARNING THROUGH OUR DIVISION WHERE ESSA DOES NOT PERMIT US TO UTILIZE FOR MAYBE SOME FOOD ON MY ISE DIVISION IS ALSO HELPING WITH THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY, LETTING US BRING THIS FORWARD, DR.
STRATOSE OR, YOU KNOW, UH, CAN YOU PROVIDE THE BOARD A BRIEF UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE BLUFFTON PROGRAMS? BECAUSE I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT PROMPTED THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
SO CAN YOU, CAN YOU SHARE WITH THEM ANY PROGRESS ON, OR WHERE WE ARE WITH THE, UH, UM, UH, EXTENDED LEARNING IN BLUFFTON? SURE.
SAID THE BOOK COMMUNITY SOUP KITCHEN.
THAT'S ONE OF THE SITES THAT OPERATING THIS SUMMER AND PARTICIPATING IN THIS SUMMER RESTRAINT PROGRAM.
CURRENTLY THEY HAVE 25 STUDENTS THAT I ENROLLED AT THE SUMMER OF PROGRAM IN BLUFFTON.
THOSE STUDENTS COME, COME FROM A MC RILEY, RED, CEDAR HILTON, HEAD SCHOOL, FORMING ART.
SO THEY, THEY KIND OF EXPAND THROUGHOUT, UM, BLUFFTON AND HILTON HAD ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE EXTENDED LEARNING PROGRAM IS THAT WE HAD THE RESPONSE WAS HUGE.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAD TO START A WAITING LIST FOR, UM, THE SEMI RESTRAINT PROGRAM.
BUT CURRENTLY THE, WHAT IS SOUP KITCHEN IS APHID AND UP AND RUNNING.
UM, AND THEY ARE DISENGAGED IT'S UM, THE CENTERS THAT OFFER IT AFTER SCHOOL IN THE MALL.
RODRIGUEZ, JUST TO SHARE, AS WE ROLL INTO THE NEXT ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR, OUR GOAL IS TO EXTEND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES SOUTH THAT ARE BROUGHT IN TO RE-IGNITE PARTNERSHIPS WE'VE HAD HERE WITHIN THE ISLAND, SIR.
I WILL START HERE AND GO RIGHT AROUND.
SO I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, BECAUSE AS FROM A BOARD MEMBER PERSPECTIVE, HE SAID 960 STUDENTS WERE IN THE SECONDARY AND HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM WERE
[01:40:01]
BEING SERVED.AND I THINK 120 IS WHAT YOU SAID FOR THE S THE LANGUAGE.
MA'AM, I'M RELYING ON THE TEACHER OVER HERE TO WRITE IT DOWN.
BUT THEN THERE WAS A SLIDE THAT SAID LIKE, UH, ON AVERAGE FOR THE LANGUAGE THING, 10 TO 12 CHILDREN ARE ACTUALLY COMING ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND I KNOW, SO FROM MY EXPERIENCE AT BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, THAT IT'S ROTATING KIDS DON'T COME EVERY SINGLE DAY, BUT WHAT THEY REPORT TO THE BOARD IS AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE, NUMBER OF PEOPLE ENROLLED, WAITING LIST.
AND DO WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS SOMEWHERE? SO YES, PART OF OUR REQUIREMENT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS OUR, AS HER CODING STUDENTS, IF THEY ARE NOT ACTIVE, HAVE THE THREE ABSENCES WE ARE HAVING THE STUDENTS REMOVED, THEN THE FAMILIES CAN ALWAYS RE-ENROLL ENROLL, BUT THAT'S WHERE OUR ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS. WE DO HAVE AN ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT TIED TO SUMMER SCHOOL.
NO, THEY'RE JUST WONDERING WHAT'S OUR AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE.
LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WE SERVING? UM, I HAVEN'T PUT THAT TOGETHER COMPLETELY.
I DO HAVE TABLES, BUT I WASN'T AWARE, OBVIOUSLY I COULD GET THAT INFORMATION TOO.
THANK YOU, MR. RALPH CAMPBELL, ANY QUESTIONS I WOULD SAY TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT RIGHTS WE NEED, WE NEED TO HAVE A MUCH MORE COMPREHENSIVE HANDS ON HOW MANY STUDENTS WE'RE SERVICING AND ALL THOSE, THE TARGETED STUDENTS THAT NEED THE SUPPORT.
AND I NOTICED A NUMBER OF THE INITIATIVES WHERE YOU, THE FUNDED MED TECH, UH, CYBER SECURITY, UH, NUMBERS AND, UH, ADVANCED ART OR GIFTED AND TALENTED ART, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
BUT, UH, I DIDN'T, I DON'T SEE WHERE THE OTHER DANCERS PROGRAM THERE.
I DON'T SEE WHERE WE'RE GETTING THE NUMBERS.
AND, UH, I HAD EXPERIENCED OVER THE SUMMER OF TRYING TO FIND, UH, FACILITIES FOR SOME STUDENTS FOR OUT FOR SUMMER SCHOOLS OR SUMMER CAMPS OR WHATEVER THEY CALL THEM AT.
UH, IT WAS BECAME GLARINGLY CLEAR TO ME THAT THERE ARE STUDENTS OUT THERE THAT ARE NOT BEING SERVICED, AND WE'RE NOT PARTNERING WITH THE, WITH THE COMPONENTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT CAN, CAN DO SOME THINGS TO ADD THE SERVICE.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE CONCERNED SAID TO ME THAT THEY CAN'T GET STUDENTS OR FACILITATORS TO HELP OUT WITH THE SUMMER CAMPS.
AND MONTHS AGO, WE RECOMMENDED THAT WE TRY TO DO SOME THINGS AS THE SCHOOL BOARD TO RECRUIT OUR SUMMER SCHOOL STUDENTS AND OUR TOP STUDENTS AND IN OUR SCHOOLS TO WORK IN THE SUMMER CAMPS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS THAT ARE COMING BACK TO WORK IN THE CAMPS.
BUT THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T CREATE A LOT MORE ROBUST, UH, FACILITATION FOR, FOR STUDENTS DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS MAY, IF THEY WANTED TO, IF YOU GOT A WAITING LIST OF 200 STUDENTS AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF HILTON HEAD, THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME THINGS TO ADDRESS.
AND I'M NOT EVEN THINKING WHAT'S NOT AT ABROAD OR WHAT'S IN BLUFFTON IN TERMS OF THOSE, THOSE STUDENTS ARE SERVED.
SO, I MEAN, WE NEED TO HAVE A HANDS-ON ON HOW MANY STUDENTS WE ARE SERVICING WHO THEY ARE AND HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE, BECAUSE, UH, THEY ASKED FOR FUNDS, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO RUN OUT EVENTUALLY.
AND IF WE DON'T, IF WE MISUSE IT, TARGET THE WRONG PEOPLE, THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE RIGHT WHERE WE ARE WITH NO FUNDS.
SO I I'M CONCERNED, MAY I SAY GEE, JUST TO BRING FOE THAT THIS YEAR WE ARE SERVICING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES, BETWEEN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY, APPROXIMATELY 2100 STUDENTS, THAT'S ABOUT 200 MORE STUDENTS IN LAST YEAR.
THE ELEMENTARY PROGRAMS ARE OPEN FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE OBVIOUSLY FOR THIRD GRADE FOR RETENTION PURPOSES.
AND THE PRINCIPALS PULL ON OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT MEETING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AS BASED ON SC READY, BUT IT IS OPEN AND AN INVITATION FOR ALL STUDENTS FOR THE SUMMER PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S APPROXIMATELY 2100 STUDENTS THERE.
THE ADDITIONAL CAMPS WE PUT INTO PLACE THIS YEAR IS CLOSE.
IT'S JUST OVER 400 STUDENTS, MORE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
I HAVE TO SHARE THAT THE STAFFING AND RECOGNIZING THAT OUR TEACHERS AND WE HAVE CURRICULUM WRITING TEAMS HAPPENING.
WE ONLY HAVE SO MANY PERSONNEL THAT WE ARE ABLE TO HELP.
AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS IN REALITY AS MR. CAMP WAS WORD-FOR-WORD.
BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE EMPLOYEES IN ORDER TO SERVICE OUR STUDENTS.
I THINK ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS MISS, UH, DR.
STRADDLES, AS YOU WERE PUTTING TOGETHER STAFFING AROUND THIS, UM, THAT BECAME OBVIOUS WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR,
[01:45:01]
WE HEAR ALL THE TIME ABOUT TEACHERS LEAVING THE PROFESSION AND SHORTAGE, RIGHT.SOME OF THEM NEED THE TIME IN THE SUMMER TO REFRESH AND RE-ENERGIZE TO BE READY AND AVAILABLE IN AUGUST WHEN WE COME BACK.
AND SO THAT'S JUST A, I MEAN, IT'S JUST A, IT'S JUST A REALITY, RIGHT? I MEAN, TH TH THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT THEY FACE IN SOME, SOME CHOOSE TO, UH, WORK IN THE SUMMER AND SOME JUST CHOOSE TO NEED, UH, UH, A BREAK FOR, FOR A LITTLE BIT, SO THEY CAN BE READY TO GO, UH, IN AUGUST.
I MEAN, SO WE'RE, WE'RE CONSTANTLY RECRUITING AND CONSTANTLY, UH, TRYING TO, TO WORK AT IT.
BUT I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES YOU ENCOUNTERED WAS THE STAFFING PIECE.
I WOULD JUST ALSO, UM, ECHO WHAT'S BEEN SAID, I THINK WE GREATLY NEED TO EXPAND, UH, WHAT WE'RE OFFERING SOUTH OF THE BROAD, ESPECIALLY, UH, IN BLUFFTON, THAT'S WHERE THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF OUR STUDENTS ARE.
AND I WAS ALSO WONDERING FOR THAT, UH, GIFTED AND TALENTED ART MUSIC, UH, PROGRAM IS, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THE TWO, UH, LOCATIONS WERE BOTH NORTH OF THE BROAD, NO, MA'AM ONE IS BUFORD MIDDLE.
THE SECOND WAS BLUFFING MIDDLE.
IT WAS THE FIRST THAT WE'VE HAD TWO LOCATIONS.
NORMALLY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS, HAS ALTERNATED NORTH TO SOUTH NORTH TO SOUTH.
OUR DIVISION IS TRYING TO HAVE ON BOTH SIDES THAT OF REPRIMAND TO GIVE ACCESSIBILITY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO, THE, THE STUDENTS THAT MEL IS TALKING ABOUT, WE NEED TO WORK WITH US CB AND SEE IF THEY CANNOT HELP US UNDERSTAND TEACHERS HAVE BURNOUT, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF COLLEGE STUDENTS WOULD BE WILLING TO COME INTO EVERY COMMUNITY AND HAVE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
FIRST OFF, LET ME BY START UP BY SAYING THANKS TO DR.
THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT IS TANGIBLE AND PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW AND WANT TO KNOW, BECAUSE THE BOARD SAID THAT THE, THAT THE ONE OF THEIR NUMBER ONE GOAL IS THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP OR THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP IS BASICALLY SAID.
BUT SO WITH THIS INFORMATION THAT YOU BOUGHT IS TODAY IS, IS MEANINGFUL.
IT'S COMPREHENSIVE AND IT'S, UH, IT'S A, DAG-GONE START.
AND I APPRECIATE US FOR YOU COMING FORWARD AND TELLING US HOW YOU'RE SPENDING AS A FUNDS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR STAFF, DR.
RODRIGUEZ FOR COMING AND TELLING US MEANINGFUL INFORMATION, THAT THIS IS WHAT THE PEOPLE WHO CAN READ.
THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT TO KNOW BECAUSE OF BARBARA.
WHEN THEY ASKED ME MRS. SMITH, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE RATE? DOES SO-AND-SO SCHOOL HAVE? WHAT? WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE LEARNING GOING ON THERE? I CAN TELL THEM WHAT THE FINANCES THAN THAT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF MY JOB TOO, THAT THAT DOES MATTER.
UH, AND IN TERMS OF WHAT I HEAR, MR. CAMPBELL, UH, WHAT OTHER, UH, IN TERMS OF SOME OF WHAT MY COLLEAGUES SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO.
WE CAN GO TO USC B HECK WE CAN GO TO COLUMBIA.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT HAS TO START RIGHT HERE AT THE TOP.
THE BOARD MEMBERS, THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE COLLECTED BY HIRE SELECTED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE HAVE TO REACH BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND PUT OUR TIME IN AND SEE WHAT PARTNERSHIPS ARE OUT THERE.
AND HOW CAN WE AS WELL, BRING SOME OF THESE PARTNERS TO THE DISTRICT, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S EFFECTIVE.
I'VE EVEN SEEN ONE OF THEM, ONE ON ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE DONE IT IN CERTAIN OTHER COMPONENTS OF THIS DISTRICT.
SO LEE, ONCE AGAIN, AT LEAST YOU ABOUT TO COME BACK, WE HAVE TO STOP THE SEPARATION AND ITS HIERARCHY.
AND UNTIL WE DO THAT, THEN WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUOUSLY RUN INTO SOME OF THESE, THESE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE RUNNING INTO, BECAUSE WE ARE ALL ONE.
[01:50:01]
THE LEARNING GAP TO BE WORKED ON AND UTILIZE OF THESE S A FUNDS, THIS IS GOING TO TAKE EVERY SINGLE BODY FROM THIS BODY AND DONNA'S HIERARCHY TO WORK TOGETHER, TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW REALLY SERIOUSLY ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE WILLING TO DO AS A BODY TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE ADMINISTRATION TO HELP INITIATE SOME OF, SOME OF THIS, SOME OF THIS, BECAUSE WE ALL, WE ALL, WE ALL HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING IN THERE.
AND I WAS SAYING, WE DO HIGHER ADMINISTRATION.
WE DO HAVE A SUPERINTENDENT, BUT WE'VE GOT TO TAKE SOME MORE OWNERSHIP IN IT TOO, AND ALLOW SOME PEOPLE TO DO SOME WORK TOO, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME, EVERYONE DON'T WANT TO SEE SOME SUCCESS, AND I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND, AND I MEAN, JUST THAT.
SO UNTIL WE GET THERE, THEN WE GONNA, WE GONNA CATCH SOMEBODY, HELL WE CATCH IT IN THIS DISTRICT.
I WAS NOT BEING CRITICAL OF WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.
I'M JUST TRYING TO LOOK FORWARD TO, TO WHAT THE FUTURE SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND YOU FEEL KIND OF, PARTICULARLY IN THE SUMMER SCHOOL INITIATIVES.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I ENCOURAGE US TO EXPLORE THE IDEA OF USING OUR, OUR ACCELERATED TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS TO SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GONNA CREATE YOUR, YOUR FUTURE TEACHERS OF AMERICA.
AND, UH, UNTIL WE GET ON THAT AGENDA, WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A COMMUNITY OF NEW TEACHERS COMING THROUGH AND, UH, DO EXPLORATIONS THAT DO THOSE, THOSE STUDENT LEADERS ARE A BIG PART OF WHERE WE SHOULD BE GOING.
AND I'M ENCOURAGING THAT I KNOW TEACHERS ARE BURNED OUT, BUT THE BIG THING IS HOW MANY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE GOING TO WORK FOR MCDONALD'S AND OTHER PLACES FOR THE SAME WAGES THAT WE COULD OFFER AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ALMOST IMPLORING YOU TO, TO, TO LOOK INTO AS THE TIME GOES ON.
UH, I THINK YOU CAN CREATE A CADET STAT, OUR FUTURE TEACHERS OF AMERICA.
AND WE GOT A TEACHER CADET PROGRAMS AND OUR SCHOOLS ALREADY, THOSE PEOPLE SHOULD BE WORKING WITH STUDENTS DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS AND DON'T HAVE TO BE AT THEIR GRADE LEVEL.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MR. SMITH, AND JUST TO UNDERSTAND, AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AS THE CAMPBELL, I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BECAUSE IN THE TRIAL WAS IN THE TERMS OF THAT.
THAT'S WHY AS OPPOSED TO WHERE TOGETHER, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE RETIRED EDUCATORS, WE'RE NOT, TEACHERS ARE BURNED OUT.
THEN WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS AND JUMP TO A DIFFERENT POCKET OF PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE TO CREATE A RELATIONSHIP TO WANT TO KEEP THOSE POCKETS OF PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T, WHO WERE RUNNING FROM THE DISTRICTS WHEN THE TIME TO RETIREMENT, TO BE WILLING TO COME BACK TO THE DISTRICT, TO, TO HELP IN TEACHING A DOC AT EIGHT, OUR KIDS.
I DIDN'T SAY WHAT YOU SAID, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME DEGREE IT HAS TO, IT HAS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, WE LOVE RETIRED, RETIRED TEACHERS.
AND AS MR. UH, MR. EARL CAMPBELL SAID, IN TERMS OF RELATIONSHIPS TO TCL, I MEAN, SO, SO I GET YOUR POINT, BUT I MEAN, WHOLEHEARTEDLY, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO STOP THE WEDGE IN BETWEEN BOARD MEMBERS, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY UNTIL, UNTIL, UNTIL WE STOP THAT FOOLISHNESS.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS GOING ON.
I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
STRATUS, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I HAVE ONE COMMENT, AND THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE THIS SUMMER IN TERMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT THE PROGRAMS, UM, THAT, UH, MS. DANTZLER TALKED ABOUT, WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
SO WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, ARE WE WHERE WE NEED TO BE PERSONALLY? I DON'T THINK SO.
I THINK WHERE WE NEED TO BE IS THAT EVERY STUDENT WHO DESIRES TO HAVE A CAMP EXPERIENCE OR AN ENRICHMENT EXPERIENCE DURING THE SUMMER SHOULD, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FACILITATE THAT IN SOMEHOW.
BUT I DO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE FURTHER AND CLOSER TO SERVING MORE STUDENTS TODAY THAN WE WERE LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
NEXT ITEM, UH, ON THE SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT IS UNDER HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATORS.
AND SO I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE
[01:55:01]
TO YOU A NEW PRINCIPALS FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.AND SO I'LL BEGIN, UH, WITH OCA T ELEMENTARY AND THE NEW PRINCIPAL AT OAKDALE ELEMENTARY WILL BE MS. TRACY, LANICE TRACY, IF YOU WOULD COME UP AND CHAIRMAN SCRUB MANAGER AND THE BOARD AND DR.
RODRIGUEZ, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK EACH OF YOU AND, UM, AND YOUR CONFIDENCE AND ME AS LEADING OTT ELEMENTARY FOR THE UPCOMING YEARS.
I'M SO EXCITED TO CONTINUING TO JOIN THAT STAFF AND FAMILY AS A NATIVE OF BUFORD COUNTY.
I DEFINITELY AM SO PROUD TO WORK AND LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, I ALSO AM RAISING MY CHILDREN HERE AND I'M PROUD TO DO THAT AND HAVE THEM ATTEND BEAVER COUNTY SCHOOLS.
I WANT TO THANK THE EDUCATORS THAT CAME BEFORE ME THAT GUIDED ME, AND ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE BOARD AND THE DISTRICT IN THE PAST TO OPEN THE DOORS FOR A COHORT THAT ALLOWED ME TO GET MY MASTER'S IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN BUFORD COUNTY, AND CONTINUE TO BE AN EDUCATOR AND DEDICATED TO OUR STUDENTS.
THE LEADERS THAT CAME BEFORE ME AND ALSO JAMIE PINCKNEY FOR HER 19 YEARS OF DEDICATION AT THE SCHOOL RAISING THOSE HOURS AND THAT STAFF AND HER 40 YEARS WITH THIS DISTRICT.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WONDERFUL THINGS AHEAD, AND I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF MY FAMILY, MY HUSBAND, BRIAN, AND MY CHILDREN, BARRETT AND BRODY.
AND I'M SO EXCITED TO BE PART OF THAT TEAM OF OWLS WITH THE STAFF AND THE FAMILIES THERE AS WE HAVE A GREAT FUTURE, AND WE SPREAD OUR WINGS AND LEARN NEW THINGS.
WE'LL MOVE TO BUFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND I'D LIKE TO, UH, INTRODUCE TO YOU MS. D D THOMPSON, WHO WILL BE THE NEXT PRINCIPAL.
EVERYONE CHAIRMAN STRIVEN, GER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR.
RODRIGUEZ, MS. WALTON AND DISTRICT STAFF.
I WANT TO BEGIN BY EXTENDING A HEARTFELT THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD ONE OF OUR AMAZING BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS.
IT IS MY HONOR TO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AS THE NEXT PRINCIPAL OF BUFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL AS A YOUNG CHILD.
I REMEMBER PLAYING IN THE BLEACHERS MOSTLY, BUT ATTENDING THOSE FRIDAY HIGH SCHOOL GAMES AT THE BMS CAMPUS, WHICH WAS THEN BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL, NEVER COULD I HAVE IMAGINED THEN THAT YEARS LATER, THIS WOULD BE WHERE I WOULD SERVE THE COMMUNITY FIRST AS A SCIENCE TEACHER.
AND THEN AS AN ED TECH COACH, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE DIFFERENT MIDDLE SCHOOLS, PRINCIPAL, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS MY ASPIRATION TO DO SO TODAY I COME BEFORE YOU HUMBLED THAT YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE IN ME TO LEAD.
AND I COME TO YOU READY TO LEAD TOGETHER WITH THE AMAZING FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY.
I'M READY TO DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO ENSURE THAT EVERY GRIFFIN HAS EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO RISE UP AND TO EXPERIENCE AND FULFILL THEIR OWN DREAMS AND LIVE OUT THEIR OWN POTENTIAL.
I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED, UM, WHO HAVE BEEN PIVOTAL IN HELPING ME TO GET TO WHERE I AM TODAY, MY HUSBAND, A FELLOW EDUCATOR, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, AND MY MENTORS.
THEY'VE BEEN MY BIGGEST CHEERLEADERS TO THE MANY ADMINISTRATORS, COLLEAGUES, AND FRIENDS.
WHO'VE TAKEN THE TIME TO INVEST IN MY PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO AS WELL.
THERE ARE TOO MANY TO MENTION, AND WE DO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF TIME, BUT I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYONE OUT AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE.
AND FINALLY, TO MY FELLOW MAY RIVER 18.
AND I'M BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE, ONE OF THE BEST ADMINISTRATION TEAMS EVER.
FINALLY, I ALSO GIVE THANKS TO GOD.
AGAIN, FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, DISTRICT STAFF, I GIVE YOU ALL THE THANKS FOR THIS AMAZING OPPORTUNITY.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING OUR GRIFFINS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO INTRODUCE TO YOU THE NEW PRINCIPAL FOR BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL, UH, WHO WAS HERE WITH US TODAY.
AND THAT IS MRS. CARLA SHELTON, WHO, UH, COMES TO US, UH, FROM ANOTHER STATE THAT WE SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITED FOR GOOD EVENING, DISTINGUISHED BOARD MEMBERS, DR.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE YOU FOR HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE CHALLENGES IN FRONT OF US.
I LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL THE STATE CUTTERS.
YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD THE WORD RELATIONSHIP MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES TONIGHT, AND IF YOU DO ANY RESEARCH, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND OUT THAT, UM, THE ONE THING
[02:00:01]
ALL EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS HAVE IN COMMON IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.IT'S RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS, IT'S RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO MOVE THE SCHOOL FORWARD.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT MY BELIEF IS THAT EVERY DAY I STEP ON THAT CAMPUS EVERYDAY, MY TEACHERS, FACULTY, STAFF STEP ON THAT CAMPUS.
WE'RE PLANTING SEEDS OF HOPE FOR EVERY CHILD EVERY DAY.
UM, ALSO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO HELP EVERY CHILD, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY COME FROM, WHO THEY ARE TO HELP THEM REACH THEIR POTENTIAL.
AND WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, UM, PEOPLE GOING OUT THERE, MINIMUM WAGE, NO ONE CAN LIVE ON MINIMUM WAGE, MINIMUM WAGES, NOT LIVING WAGE.
WE'VE GOT TO DO OUR BEST TO PREPARE OUR KIDS TO BE OUT THERE AND TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY.
AND I TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY VERY SERIOUS.
BUT IN THE END, WHAT I WANT FOR EVERY CHILD IS TO HAVE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE TO BELONG AT BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
TO KNOW THAT IT'S A CULTURE THAT WE ACCEPT YOU NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE AND ALL WE WANT FOR YOU IS THE VERY BEST.
SO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW EACH ONE OF YOU.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR, FOR, UM, SELECTED ME AS YOUR PRINCIPAL.
NEXT, UH, FOR HILTON HEAD IB ELEMENTARY.
I WANT TO INTRODUCE TO YOU MICHELLE BROCKWAY, WHO IS MOVING FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL POSITION TO THE PRINCIPAL POSITION.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN CHAIRMAN,
THANK YOU FOR REWARDING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AFTER 22 YEARS IN BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, I TRULY BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO.
I PROMISE TO GIVE 110% EACH DAY AND WORK TO ENSURE THAT ALL NEEDS ARE MET OF THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS.
I'M PROUD AND HONORED TO BE THE NEXT PRINCIPAL OF HILTON HEAD ELEMENTARY AND THANKFUL THAT I GET TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND STAFF THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH AND STAY IN A COMMUNITY THAT I LOVE.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR JILL MCCADDEN FOR BELIEVING IN ME EIGHT YEARS AGO, AND LEADING ME INTO ADMINISTRATION.
I'M ALSO VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE HAD SARAH OWEN AS A MENTOR.
THESE LAST FIVE YEARS, BOTH WOMEN HAVE PROVIDED ME MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW AS A LEADER AND PREPARE ME FOR THIS NEXT STEP IN MY CAREER.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO BUILD A SAFE AND INVITING ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WANT TO BE EACH DAY.
THANK YOU AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST.
I WANT TO INTRODUCE TO YOU OUR NEW HILTON HEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, MR. CLINTON, AUSTIN.
CHAIRMAN SERBIN GER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, DR.
RODRIGUEZ, MS. WALTON AND DISTRICT STAFF.
MY NAME IS CLINT AUSTIN, AND I WANT TO START BY THANKING YOU FOR YOUR TRUST AND YOUR SUPPORT.
AS I BEGAN MY SERVICE AS THE PRINCIPAL OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, MIDDLE SCHOOL, I'VE BEEN AN EDUCATOR SINCE 2010, AND I'VE HELD ROLES AS A TEACHER, COACH, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND ADMINISTRATOR, TO PREPARE MYSELF FOR THIS PRINCIPALSHIP.
I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ASKING QUESTIONS AND DIGGING TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT HILTON, HEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL.
FROM WHAT I CAN TELL I'M ABOUT TO INHERIT A WONDERFUL PLACE WITH AN INSURMOUNTABLE AMOUNT OF TALENT IN BOTH STAFF AND STUDENTS.
I'M EXCITED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE NOT ONLY THE DISTRICT, BUT ALSO THIS COMMUNITY.
WE ARE GOING TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, WE'RE GOING TO SUPPORT AND LOVE EACH OTHER IN ORDER TO SHAPE THE CULTURE AND TAKE HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE-SCHOOL TO NEW HEIGHTS, WE WILL RAISE THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS, NOT ONLY AT HILTON HEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT ALSO IN BEAVER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE FAITH THAT ALL OF YOU ARE PUTTING IN, IN ME PUTTING IN ME, EXCUSE ME.
BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE GOTTEN ME TO THIS POINT.
I WOULD NEVER HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR WITHOUT THE SUPPORT FROM MY WIFE, SHANNON.
I APPRECIATE YOU GIVING EVERYTHING.
YOU HAVE TO ALLOW ME TO PURSUE MY DREAMS. OF COURSE, THANK YOU TO MY PARENTS AND MY BROTHERS FOR ALWAYS KEEPING ME ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WANT TO THANK MY MAYOR OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL ADMIN TEAM, ALONG WITH PRINCIPALS, TODD, BORN SHOWER AND PAT FRIEDA.
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING UNDER THESE TWO PRINCIPALS FOR YEARS, AND THEY BOTH POURED THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM INTO ME TO PREPARE ME FOR THIS DAY.
MY SUCCESS IN MY CAREER WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT THE PEOPLE AROUND ME.
I'M GOING TO MISS MY RIVER, BUT I'M EXCITED TO BRING THOSE MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES WITH ME AS I BEGIN MY PRINCIPALSHIP, AND I'M EAGER TO MEET MY NEW THING, RIGHT, FAMILY, AND GET TO WORK.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US HERE THIS EVENING FOR SHARING A FEW THOUGHTS
[02:05:01]
WITH US.AND I'D LIKE TO ASK, UM, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, IF, UH, UM, JOIN YOU ALL OUTSIDE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAY THE REST OF THE MEETING, BUT I JOIN YOU OUTSIDE AND, UH, AND JUST CONNECT AND PLAN YOUR NEXT STEPS AS, UH, AS THE TRANSITION.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE, UH, AGENDA UNDER HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS SHOWS US THAT OUR PROGRAM GROWING TALENT IN OUR DISTRICT IS WORKING.
OOPS, THANK YOU, MR. SHERMAN JER.
UM, AT THIS TIME, UH, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S AGENDA WAS AROUND TEACHER ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION INFORMATION THAT HAD BEEN REQUESTED BY THE BOARD.
SO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, ENGAGES, UH, THROUGH THE FOLLOWING, WHICH IS ONE PACE.
TWO IS THROUGH KATE ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION, UH, TEACH FOR AMERICA TEACHERS OF TOMORROW, UH, AND TEACH ABROAD.
AND SO THROUGH THOSE INITIATIVES AND THROUGH THOSE PROGRAMS, UH, WE WORK TO HELP TEACHERS OR HELP PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS TRANSITION FROM AN ALTERNATIVE, UH, UH, AREA INTO, UH, EDUCATION.
AND SO ONE THING THAT IS CONSTANT ABOUT ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS IS THAT AS THEY PREPARE TO TRANSITION INTO, UH, INTO TEACHING AND AS THEY DO THEIR, THEIR WORK AROUND THEIR COURSEWORK, THAT THEY NEED AROUND TRANSITIONING INTO TEACHING, UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, BEFORE THEY CAN, UH, BE HIRED, THEY MUST, UH, PASS THE PRACTICE EXAM.
UH, AND SO, SO THERE IS NO, UH, A WAY AROUND THAT WITH, WITHIN THE STATE COMPONENT.
MORE RECENTLY, THE STATE IS TALKING ABOUT THE CAP PROGRAM AND CAP INITIATIVE, UH, AND THAT'S ONE THAT WE ARE EXPLORING WITH THEM.
UH, THAT IS A NEW ONE, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THEMSELVES.
SO WE ARE EXPLORING THROUGH, THROUGH THAT CAP PROGRAM.
UH, WE RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM THE STATE.
WE ENGAGE WITH THEM IN CONVERSATIONS AROUND, BUT EVEN IN THE CAP PROGRAM, UM, THAT PRACTICE EXAM MUST BE PASSED IN ORDER TO GET CERTIFICATION BEFORE YOU CAN BE AFFORDED A TEACHING POSITION.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAP AND THE OTHERS IS THAT THE CAP HAS A EARLY CHILDHOOD AND ELEMENTARY CERTIFICATION OPTION AVAILABLE TO THEM.
THE OTHERS ARE MORE SECONDARY.
MS. WALTON, DID I MISS ANYTHING? THANK YOU.
I HOPE, UH, UM, THAT PROVIDES SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE WE ARE WITHIN OUR ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION OPTIONS.
SO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE SUPERINTENDENTS AGENDA IS AROUND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
AND I SEE TANYA READY TO ROLL WHEN MS. CROSBY.
ONCE AGAIN, UM, WE DID MAKE AN IMPROVAL, THE BOARD DID APPROVE EARLIER TO MOVE THE TRANSPARENCY REPORTS TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
HOWEVER, THAT WILL TAKE EFFECT, UH, AFTER THE REPORTS GIVING THIS EVENING.
SO WE DO HAVE ONE FINAL REPORT THAT WILL COME DIRECTLY TO THE BOARD FOR YOU THIS EVENING.
SO WE DO HAVE THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR REPORT, BOTH CONSOLIDATED IN DETAILED, UH, THE TRANSPARENCY REPORT AND THE BOARD'S MONTHLY BUDGET REPORT.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ON ANY OF THESE REPORTS.
UH, I DON'T SEE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE TABLE.
UM, MR. STRINGER, I'M SURE I HAVE A QUESTION.
I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THIS REINFORCES THE PREVIOUS FELLOWSHIP.
UM, WE HAVE DENISE MATTSON AGAIN HERE THIS EVENING FOR, FOR THE SR UPDATE REPORT.
SO SHE WILL BE PROVIDING THAT FOR THE MONTH OF MAY.
[02:10:01]
SURE IS A NICE OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW, UH, DR.STRATUS TALKING ABOUT THE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS ARE BEING FUNDED WITH ESSER BECAUSE AS COLONEL GAR SAID EARLIER, IT IS ABOUT CLOSING THE GAP, ACCORDING TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE, UM, PANDEMIC THERE.
SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT FOR THROUGH, UM, THE MONTH OF MAY, THERE WAS AN EXPENDITURE, A TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF $2.8 MILLION.
NOW 1.8 MILLION WAS, UM, FOR THE DUAL MODALITY PAYMENT TO OUR TEACHERS WHO HAD BEEN TEACHING AND, UH, TWO DIFFERENT MODES THERE.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE, UM, THE COST ON THAT.
AND THAT CAME OUT OF SR THREE.
UM, WE HAD, UM, EXPENDITURES IN S OR TWO, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS, UM, SUMMARY CHART HERE, WE HAD ABOUT $446,000 SPENT FOR LITERACY STEM SUPPLIES AND FURNITURE.
AND SO IN, IN ONE MONTH, THAT IS, UH, THAT IS A GOOD EXPENDITURE FOR THE, IN THE ONE CATEGORY.
WE DID FINISH UP OUR AFTERSCHOOL AND TUTORING PROGRAMS, AND IT WAS RUNNING ABOUT $130,000 A MONTH.
AND THAT IS, THAT IS BY SCHOOL PROGRAMS. THAT IS ALL AFTERSCHOOL AT ALL THE, UM, SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT, THEIR THAT'S, THEIR ALLOCATION THAT THEY USE THROUGHOUT THAT, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
WE ALSO, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, I DID ATTACH JUST A PROJECTION REPORT WHERE MID YEAR OF THE CURRENT YEAR, I DID MENTION IT LAST MONTH, BUT I UPDATED IT THROUGH OUR EXPENDITURES THROUGH MAY.
IT'S THE SECOND PAGE OF THE PRESENTATION.
AND IT JUST KIND OF GAVE AN OVERVIEW OF ALL THE ALLOCATIONS AND ALL THE FOUR DIFFERENT, UM, GRANTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
IT ALSO DID, UH, WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR SPENT AND THEN WHAT WE PROJECTED THROUGH DECEMBER OF 22.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT, WE WOULD BE AT 62% EXPENDED OUT OF, UM, ALL OF OUR FUNDS.
THIS WAS JUST A BEST GUESS OF TAKING ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE PLANNED FOR THE SUMMER INSTITUTE, THE SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAMS, THE RECRUITMENT RETENTION BONUS COMING UP IN THE FALL, UH, TWO QUARTERS OF SALARY.
UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE OUR AIR CONDITIONING ENCUMBERED.
I PROBABLY WON'T BE HERE YET, BUT IT GET IT ENCUMBERED.
UM, THAT IS ONE THING THAT, UM, MS. CROSBY INSTITUTED WITH THESE FUNDS IS AN USING THE, UM, REQUISITION SYSTEM SO THAT WE DID INCOME BROOM AS THEY WERE SPENT.
AND SO WE CAN REALLY KEEP UP WITH, WHAT'S ACTUALLY BEEN PROMISED, UM, VERSUS, UH, WAITING FOR DIFFERENT, UM, FOR IT TO ACTUALLY BE PAID.
WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING IT AS WE DO IT BECAUSE WE'RE DOING IT THROUGH OUR REQUISITIONS, UM, SYSTEM.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE LAST PAGES IS, IS THE SAME REPORT THAT YOU'VE BEEN GETTING BY ACTIVITY.
YOU'LL SEE THAT ALL OF OUR FUNDS ARE ACTUALLY BUDGETED FOR ACTIVITIES, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN COMING TO YOU EVERY MONTH.
SO AS WE DEVIATE FROM, OR ADD DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, WE HAVE TO TAKE AWAY FROM SOME OF THESE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ON, ON THE LIST HERE.
SO THAT'S ALWAYS A, UH, RUNNING AFTER TO SEE WHERE ARE WE WHERE WE CAN CUT WHERE WE HAS SAVINGS THERE.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAVE JUST A LITTLE POT OVER HERE OF MONEY THAT WE CAN PULL OUT.
IT'S ALL ACTIVE, IT'S ALL A PLANNED FOR, UM, ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO THAT'S MY PRESENTATION IN SUMMARY.
I'D BE GLAD TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE DR.
UM, I THINK I ONLY HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, AND ONE OF THEM IS KIND OF A TWO-PARTER, SO MAYBE THREE.
UM, OKAY, SO I'LL ASK THE PSEUDO TWO-PARTER ONE, UM, ON SR TWO, UM, I SEE THE $6 MILLION ALLOCATION FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PREMIUM PAY PROGRAM.
UM, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DO NOT UTILIZE THAT FULL 6 MILLION? AND WHEN WILL THAT BE REALIZED, UM, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DO NOT USE THE FULL 6 MILLION? CAUSE IT, THE LAP STATE IS OF 2023, AND THIS IS SUPPOSED TO COVER THREE HIRING SEASONS.
WE TRADITIONALLY HAVE SLIPPAGE ANYWAYS.
SO I ASSUME THERE'S GOING TO BE SLIPPED A BIT HERE SO, WELL, WE WILL KNOW, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE PAYMENT IS SET FOR SOMETIME
[02:15:01]
NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, SO WE'LL KNOW, UM, HOW MUCH HAS BEEN SPENT THERE AND SELL THE EXCESS WE'LL LOOK TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER CATEGORIES THAT WE'RE RUNNING LOW IN.WE HAD TO DO SOME OF THAT WITH MOVING EXTRA TO OUR MENTAL HEALTH CONTRACTS NOW, AND WE, WE MOVE IT.
SO IT'S, IT'S A CONSTANT MOVING GAME, BUT WE'RE READY TO I'LL KNOW EXACTLY AFTER THAT PAYCHECK.
UM, MS. BOATRIGHT SO I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE THE RIGHT PERSON TO ASK THIS, BUT I HAVE BEEN ON MY AIR ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF PROVIDERS.
UM, IT SAYS NOW THAT WE'VE SPENT 235,000, I THINK 38,000 AND CHANGE IN THE MONTH OF MAY, HOW MUCH OF THAT WENT TO STAFF AND HOW MUCH OF THAT WENT TO STUDENTS? DO WE KNOW? BECAUSE WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS THAT WE ARE PILOTING THE STUDENT BASED PROGRAM IN 10 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WHICH I JUST STILL NEED SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY WE DECIDED TO TAKE THAT AS A FIRST STEP, AS OPPOSED TO HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHERE THE SUICIDES AND THE DROPOUTS AND WHATNOT ARE HAPPENING.
SO I'M PROBABLY, I'M PRETTY SURE I'M KIND OF ABUSING MY POSITION HERE WITH THIS QUESTION TO GET BACK ON MY SOAP BOX.
SO ANYBODY DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, MS. WALTON, DO YOU HAVE, UH, INFORMATION ON THE MENTAL HEALTH? I'M SORRY, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT? SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
IT SAID THAT WE SPENT 235,000 AND I'M SORRY.
I NEED GLASSES ALL THE TIME NOW.
UM, IF I CAN FIND IT AGAIN, IT SAID FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS THROUGH HOPE CO UH, CONTRACTED SERVICES FOR HOPE, I BELIEVE FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS, ARE WE ACTUALLY OFFERING MENTAL HEALTH TO STUDENTS? IS, I MEAN, I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE I THINK YOU WERE UP LAST TIME AND SAID THAT WE WERE PILOTING THIS NEW PROGRAM.
I THINK IT'S CALLED HEROES IF I'M RECALLING CORRECTLY.
UM, THAT'S GOING OUT TO STAFF AND THEN YOU WERE GOING TO PILOT IT INTO 10 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND WE'VE SPENT 235,000.
I JUST KIND OF WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH THAT'S GOING TO STAFF.
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO START BRINGING THIS INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOLS? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE JUST IN AN ABSOLUTE HAIR ON FIRE CRISIS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
SO I'M KIND OF WONDERING OF THE 235,000 AND THE 38,000 AND MAY, IF YOU CAN GIVE ME AN IDEA OF HOW THAT'S BEING SPENT WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
IT'S GOING TO BE BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
HOPE PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS IS OUR LOCAL PARTNER.
IS THAT IT'S TOTALLY SEPARATE FROM HOPEFULLY, UM, HELLO HEARING.
WELL, I MEAN, IS THAT MICROPHONE ON TOP AS THE MICROPHONE? IS THAT BETTER? YES.
SO PART OF THE FUNDS WERE SPENT FOR THAT AND THAT'S FOR TEACHERS, THAT'S FOR STAFF AND THEN OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, OUR HOPE, HOPE PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS, AND THAT'S FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS.
SO THOSE STAFF MEMBERS AND THOSE STUDENTS ARE REFERRED OUT TO THOSE SERVICES.
SO THEY ARE RECEIVING COUNSELING, BUT THAT IS LOCALLY.
THE TELE-HEALTH IS THE HELLO HEROES.
I THINK THIS STILL COUNTS AS MY ONE QUESTION, BECAUSE I'M JUST GOING TO CLARIFICATION.
SO WE ARE NOT DOING ANY TELEHEALTH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR STUDENTS THAT STAFF ONLY.
AND THEN, THEN SOME STUDENTS ARE BEING REFERRED OUT TO THE PARTNERS HERE LOCALLY.
I THINK THE EXPANSION ON TELE-HEALTH WITH STUDENTS IS, IS AN EXPANSION OF HELLO HEROES THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING THROUGH.
AND THAT HAS NOT YET OCCURRED THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND IT HADN'T GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE WE STARTED WITH STUDENTS BECAUSE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT WE STILL PLANNING TO START WITH THE 10 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS FIRST AND NOT THE HIGH SCHOOLS SO FAR.
IT COULD BE, I MEAN, I HAVE A STRONG, PERSONAL FEELING THAT DO YOU WANT TO COME BACK TO ME? I'M I'M MOVING INTO SECOND QUESTION TERRITORY GOING INTO THE SECOND QUESTION.
JUST PUT ME PUT A PIN IN ME HERE, OVER HERE.
LET'S SEE MR. SMITH IN TERMS OF THE, THESE, UH, CHILDCARE AND STAFF.
UH, ARE WE NOT UTILIZING THAT? ARE WE NOT PROVIDING ANY OF THOSE RIGHT NOW? WE'RE NOT UTILIZING ANY OF THAT FUNDING.
CHILDCARE IS JUST FOR STAFF DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.
RIGHT? SO WE WOULDN'T BE USING THAT RIGHT NOW.
W WELL, THIS DOES DATE IS FROM SEPTEMBER AND IT SEEMED LIKE
[02:20:01]
WHEN I LOOKED, SHE WAS LIKE, NO MONEY WAS USED FROM THAT.THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S, THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I ASKED THAT QUESTION.
UM, BUT, BUT EVEN, EVEN IN SUMMER SCHOOL, THERE'S NO, THERE THERE'S, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO FUNDING FOR SUMMER SCHOOL, EVEN FOR PARENTS WHO ARE PUTTING, BRINGING THEIR KIDS IN FOR, UH, FOR CHILDCARE.
NO, WE DON'T HAVE THE PROGRAM RUNNING THROUGH SUMMER SCHOOL, UH, LESS SPECIFICALLY A SCHOOL ASKED FOR.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS IN REGARD TO A RESET, I KNOW WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UM, BASICALLY GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT THESE PLANS AGAIN, ONCE WE DO REALIZE ANY SAVINGS OR ANY AREAS WHERE WE'RE NOT SPENDING.
AND I NOTE ON THAT PAGE, THE PROJECTION REPORT THAT SR TWO AT THE END OF DECEMBER 22 WOULD BE ABOUT 76% EXPENDED, BUT THAT ONE EXPIRES NINE MONTHS LATER, ESSENTIALLY.
SO THAT'S A PRETTY SIZABLE CHUNK OF MONEY THAT I'M WONDERING, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DO THE RESET TO FIGURE OUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO SPEND THIS? BECAUSE I WANT TO SPEND EVERY PENNY.
WE WANT TO SPEND EVERY WEEK WE HAVE, UM, ACTUALLY WORKING ON AN AMENDMENT TODAY.
IT'S BEING LOOKED AT THROUGH, UM, MS. CROSBY AHMAT.
SO TO LOOK, TAKE INTO THAT CONSIDERATION.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON BOTH OF THOSE AMENDMENTS THERE.
UM, THAT'S ONE, WE'LL BE WATCHING REAL CLOSELY TO, UM, MAKING SURE THESE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE THERE.
WE MIGHT HAVE TO, UM, SWITCH SOME TO THE ONES WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO SPEND, THAT WE HAD IN THREE FOR INSTANT LISTS.
UH, WE PUT SOME IN BOTH THERE, BUT IF WE KNOW, UM, WE'RE ALREADY ALMOST FINISHED WITH THIS SR TWO SUMMER SCHOOL, WE WILL PUT MORE EXPENDITURES FOR NEXT SUMMER.
CAUSE WE HAVE TWO MORE SUMMERS AT THIS SUMMER PROGRAMMING.
SO WE WOULD MOVE THAT BACK, UM, TO NET OUT OF THREE INTO TWO THERE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A LARGE AMOUNT.
SO THOSE ARE AN EXAMPLE OF ACTIVITIES THAT WE'LL BE MOVING THROUGHOUT THERE.
DO WE, DO WE HAVE A DATE OF WHEN IT WOULD BE COMING TO THE BOARD FOR US TO SEE I'M JUST TO GET AN IDEA OF YOU GUYS OBVIOUSLY ARE MASSAGING THINGS, BUT WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE IT? WE CAN BRING IT NEXT NEXT MONTH OR THEY, YOU SEE THE CHANGES THERE AND YOU'LL SEE IT.
AND, UM, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT THEN I'LL MAKE SURE ON THIS REPORT, CAUSE ALL THE DIFFERENT, UM, ADJUSTMENTS WILL BE MADE IN THE BUDGET.
SO AGAIN, I RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS AN SR FUND UPDATE, SO WE CAN DO THIS AS A FUTURE AGENDA TOPIC.
BUT MY CONCERN IS THIS FROM THE SR FUNDING, MENTAL HEALTH WAS ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE THINGS IN THE PARENT SURVEY.
I THINK IT WAS NUMBER TWO OF HER LEARNING.
THERE WAS LEARNING LOSS AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AS A PARENT WITH KIDS IN HIGH SCHOOL, TALKING TO FRIENDS, GOING TO GRADUATION AND SEEING SIGNS OF SELF-HARM THE SHOOTING THAT HAPPENED IN HILTON HEAD WITH FIVE JUVENILES.
I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS PLUS SET ASIDE FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND WE'RE NOT GETTING IT INTO WHERE THE FIRE IS BURNING THE HOTTEST.
SO IF WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, I'M JUST NOT SURE WHAT CRITERIA WE'RE USING.
I APPRECIATE THAT STAFF, UM, THAT WE'RE PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR STAFF, BUT FOR THESE KIDS WHO DON'T HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE WHO DON'T HAVE SELF AUTONOMY TO GO OUT AND GET THEIR OWN SERVICES, I FEEL LIKE THE COMMUNITY IS RELYING ON SR FUNDING AND THE SCHOOLS TO SET THIS UP.
AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT THIS THERE'S 925,000 IN A NUMBER IN ESTRUS FUND THREE, OUR ARP, WHATEVER SET ASIDE OUT OF THAT.
SO I'M MY CONCERN IS I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE NOT DOING MORE TO GET THOSE RESOURCES INTO WHERE I PERCEIVE THERE TO BE A TREMENDOUS AND ACUTE NEED.
SO I WOULD OFFER THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE DO OFFER, HOW HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES RIGHT NOW, WITHOUT US FOCUSING SPECIFICALLY ON HIGH SCHOOLS.
SO I, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MAYBE WE BRING THAT BACK TO YOU SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE'RE MOVING TO SO THAT THE QUESTIONS CAN BE ANSWERED.
THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION, MR. SMITH, UM, ALSO IN LOOKING AT ESSA FUNDS, UM, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, AND I DON'T SEE WHERE WE ARE REAR ACTUALLY INCORPORATING THE RETIREES
[02:25:01]
THAT WE NEED TO MR. CAMPBELL'S POINT EARLIER ABOUT, UH, FINDING TEACHERS AND FINDING PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD SEVERAL RETIREES THAT HAVE TOLD ME THAT, UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL WANT TO GET Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL TALKED ABOUT BRINGING US BACK HOME, HAVING RETIREES, YOU KNOW, UM, Y'ALL HAVE FUNDING TO GIVE US BONUSES.Y'ALL HAVE, Y'ALL HAVE FUNDING TO GIVE US INCENTIVES TO COME BACK.
AND WE SAID THAT WE NEED TEACHERS AND THERE'S A TEACHER SHORTAGE ALL ACROSS AMERICA, BUT I DON'T SEE WHERE THE S THE FUND SPELLS THAT OUT AT.
AND MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE I MISSED IT.
BUT IF SO, COULD SOMEONE SHOW ME EXACTLY WHERE YEAH, I THINK WHAT I WOULD SAY, MR. SMITH, IF YOU'VE GOT FIVE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE RETIRED AND, AND ARE INTERESTED IN, UH, CONTRIBUTING, UH, TO, TO HELP MOVE OUR STUDENTS FORWARD ACADEMICALLY, LET ME KNOW WHO THOSE FIVE ARE, WE'LL PUT THEM TO WORK.
RIGHT? BUT THAT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT MY POINT.
MY POINT IS IN THIS, IN THIS EXPENSIVE PLAN THAT SPELLED OUT EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH ASHER FUNDS.
MY QUESTION IS WHERE, AND HIS PLAN DO A SPEAKS TO RETIREE.
WE SPEAK TO A HOST OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO A HOST OF DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT WE'RE OFFERING.
I'M JUST, I'M ASKING WHERE IN THIS OR WHAT PART AND WHAT PART OF OUR PLAN WAS, WHAT'S THE PROCESS OF INCLUDING ENTIRE REES AND THAT'S THE FUNDINGS.
SO I THINK THERE HAS BEEN, UH, I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO RETIREES, BUT THERE, THERE IS A PLAN THAT'S LAID OUT AROUND US OR FUND.
I MEAN, WE DIDN'T JUST THROW DARTS AT A WALL, RIGHT? SO WE FIGURED OUT WHAT IT WAS THAT WE WANTED TO TARGET AND, AND STRATEGICALLY TRY TO IMPACT.
RIGHT? AND SO WHEN WE DID THAT, WE LAID A BUDGET OUT AROUND THAT IN, IN THE DIFFERENT BUCKETS THAT ARE ALLOWED BY THE SR FUNDING.
THEN AS TIME GOES ON, SOME OF THOSE BUDGETS, SOME OF THOSE, UH, FUNDS ARE EXPENDED.
SOME ARE, ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, HAVEN'T BEEN EXPENDED.
AND SO WE CONTINUE TO WORK AT IT AND LOOK AT IT.
BUT IN ADDITION, WHENEVER THE BOARD, UH, UH, MAKES A MOTION TO DO SOMETHING AND USE S OR FUNDS, SOMETIMES THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS PRE BUDGETED FOR.
AND THAT REQUIRES US TO NOW SAY, OKAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS BECAUSE NOW WE'VE GOT TO DO THAT.
AND SO THOSE ARE CHANGES AND SHIFTS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE ON THE FLY.
AM I CORRECT? MS. CROSBY? OKAY.
SO, SO I MEAN, THERE, THERE, THERE IS A PLAN THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH, RIGHT.
TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EXTENDING THOSE DOLLARS IN A POSITIVE WAY.
IF YOU'VE GOT TEACHERS THAT ARE RETIRED, THAT WANT TO PARTICIPATE, PLEASE, I EMPLOY YOU.
WE'VE GOT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SITES.
WE CAN USE THEIR ASSISTANCE WITH.
WE'VE GOT ADDITIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL SITES.
WE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF YOU KNOW THEM, LET US KNOW.
I MEAN, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT A REESE, I'M NOT GONNA BEAT IT DOWN ANY MORE, BUT I BELIEVE THAT SHE GOT MY POINT.
MY POINT IS JUST WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR THE SAME WAY, MISSES THE AMOUNT OF MY COHORT MEMBERS SAID SHE SAW SOMETHING THAT SHE'S THOUGHT INTERESTED OR THAT SHE WANTED TO SEE MORE.
I'M TELLING, I'M TELLING THE DAMN TIME I'M STANDING AT THIS BOARD MEETING, THAT I'M LOOKING FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING PEOPLE, TO MAKE PEOPLE WANT TO GET UP OFF THEIR COUCH AND COME TEACH MY KIDS.
THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
THAT'S ALL I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT I'M JUST LOOKING FOR IT IN THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RIGHT HERE, FOR MORE OPPORTUNITY, FOR RETIRE, FOR RETIREES TO MAKE THEM GET OFF THEIR COUCH.
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WITHIN THAT PLAN, YOU COULD PROBABLY FIND PLACES THAT THOSE RETIREES COULD BE PUT TO WORK.
SO I WOULD SAY, LET US KNOW WHO THEY ARE SO WE CAN GET THEM TO WORK.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE REALITY SMITH.
I WAS JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT DR.
AND MR. SMITH, WE TREAT RETIRED TEACHERS JUST LIKE WE TREAT NON RETIRED TEACHERS.
THEY ARE NOT, UM, RELEGATED TO A SPECIAL CATEGORY.
IF THEY'RE RETIRED AND THEY WANT TO TEACH, THEY ARE TREATED JUST LIKE A TEACHER.
AND I GET THAT, BUT I JUST WANT SOMETHING TO SAY, GET HIM OFF THE COUCH.
I SAW ALL OF A SUDDEN SOMETHING, SOMEONE SAY, I'M WILLING TO HAVE YOU GOING TO PAY ME A BONUS.
IT'S LIKE THE MILITARY, GIVE YOU A BONUS TO COME IN AND SERVE YOUR COUNTRY.
WE GIVE THEM A BONUS FOR COMING IN AND SERVING OUR STUDENTS.
THAT'S THAT'S ALL, THAT'S SIMPLE.
BUT I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION I REPRESENT SOMETHING KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THAT, UM, LET ME SEE.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO HASN'T ASKED A QUESTION WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK DOESN'T APPEAR? SO LET ME CHECK THE HANDS.
MR. SMITH, UM, ALSO IN TERMS OF PROVIDING ADDITION CUSTODIAL SERVICES, UH, THIS HAS BEEN A
[02:30:02]
ROUGH TOPIC, UM, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS MONEY'S GETTING SPENT BECAUSE THE CUSTODIANS I'VE RECEIVED SEVERAL PHONE CALLS AND SAYING THAT THEY'RE NOT GETTING WHAT THEY WANT IN THAT THERE WAS A PROPOSED WALK OUT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT WE DO SUBCONTRACT THEM OUT.SO MY QUESTION IS HOW WE USE THAT MONEY AND I WOULD GIVE IT TO THE COMPANY, THE COMPANY, LIKE WHAT'S THE PROCESS OF, OF DOING NUMBER FIVE ON PAGE TWO.
WHAT'S THAT PROCESS? WHICH PAGE? UH, PAGE, PAGE NUMBER TWO, UH, NUMBER, NUMBER FIVE, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL CUSTODIANS AND SERVICES, RIGHT? NUMBER FOUR, NUMBER FIVE.
UM, SO, UH, THE REQUEST WAS MADE AND I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY ALL OF THEM, BUT IT WAS AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT ONLY HAD, UH, UH, ONE DAY PORTER TOO SOON.
THEY HAD MULTIPLE, I THINK PORT ROYAL WAS ONE.
UH, SO THERE WERE SPECIFIC SOME OF OUR SMALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT ONLY HAD ONE STAFF MEMBER.
WE ADDED A STAFF MEMBER THERE.
WHEN YOU SAY WE, CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC AS IN WE, AND THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING THIS, BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S A CONTRACTOR, THEN HOW DO WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF THE ABILITY TO HAVE THE, TO ADD A STAFF MEMBER THERE? I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND YOU HEARD COUNTY SCHOOL THAT WAS ADDED TO THEIR CONTRACT.
SO, SO WE, SO WE GAVE THEM A ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL PORTION FOR THAT CONTRACT WAS THAT BROUGHT THROUGH THE BOARD $81,000 BUDGET.
SO, I MEAN, IT WAS, UM, PART THEY DEVELOP EARLY ON IN THE PANDEMIC.
THEY DEVELOPED A PLAN ON HOW TO ADDRESS THE PANDEMIC, UH, EXTRA, EXTRA SANITATION AND SPACES, UM, THINGS, THOSE NATURES.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THEIR SUGGESTIONS WHERE THOSE SMALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITH LIMITED STAFF TO ADD ADDITIONAL STAFF SO THAT THEY COULD DO THE EXTRA SANITATION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC.
SO THAT IS WHAT DOES THAT FUNDING IS FOR? UH, I, I, I HEAR WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT ONCE AGAIN, I JUST SAY, AND I'LL LEAVE IT I'M CONCERN BECAUSE WE HAVE CUSTODIANS THAT ARE CONTACTING ME.
THEY'RE TELLING ME ONCE AGAIN, THAT THEY'RE READY TO DO A WALKOUT.
AND WE SAY THAT WE PAID THAT WE'RE PAYING THEM TO PROVIDE BECAUSE THAT WILL BRING THEM ADDITIONAL TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CUSTODIANS.
THAT MEAN THAT THEY HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE PRIOR TO, TO KEEP THESE CUSTODIANS THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO, UH, REMIND MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE DID GIVE BONUSES DUE, DUE, DUE TO COVID DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR TO OUR STAFF, BUT DO UNDERSTAND THAT BEING THAT THIS, AND THIS IS WHY I FIGHT FOR THESE PEOPLE SO MUCH TO BE ON OUR STAFF.
THESE PEOPLE DIDN'T DID NOT GET A SUPPLEMENT FROM US OR FROM THEIR COMPANY.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S ANOTHER WRENCH IN THERE OF WHY THEY SHOULD BE A PART OF OUR STAFF, BUT THAT'S HERE NOR THERE.
THE POINT IS, IF WE'RE SPENDING THIS MONEY, HOW IS THE COMPANY UTILIZE USING THE MONEY? BECAUSE WHAT ARE THEY TELLING US? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE WORKERS DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GETTING, THEY'RE GETTING, THEY'RE GETTING THEIR FAIR SHARE OF THE MONEY.
AND THEY'RE TELLING ME THEY ARE TAXPAYERS IN THIS COUNTY.
SO THIS IS A GREAT CONCERN TO ME.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, MR. CAMPBELL, I WOULD JUST SAY I'VE HAD SEVERAL CALLS ALSO.
AND I SUGGESTED THAT THEY SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH THEIR BOSS.
HE CAN GIVE THE COMPANY A CONTRACT.
HAVE WE GIVEN HIM SO MANY DOLLARS? SO THEN THEY NEED TO SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH THE BOSS.
YOU KNOW? UM, SO, AND I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT MR. CAMPBELL SAY, WE MIGHT CAN'T CHANGE IT, BUT WE DO HAVE RESPONSIBILITY.
IF WE'RE GIVING MONEY TO SOMEONE WITH THE, WITH THE NOTION OF WHAT OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS SPELLED OUT, THAT DR.
RODRIGUEZ AND HIS STAFF TOOK THE TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE SHOWING US DURING THAT, THAT THE BUILDING AND STUFF IS BEING CLEANED.
AND THAT THE, OUR, OUR, OUR CONTRACTOR HAS WHAT HE NEED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THEN THAT'S, THAT'S POP BACK BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN,
[02:35:01]
THESE ARE STILL TAXPAYERS IN OUR CANNOT COUNTY.SO YEAH, THEY MAY ONE CHECKED OUT BOSS BACK SOMETIME IT'S OUR JOB TO HOLD THESE, THESE CONTRACTS, THESE CONTRACTORS ACCOUNTABLE.
SO ONCE AGAIN, I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE IT'S BEEN BOUGHT UP AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN QUIET ABOUT IT.
I'VE BEEN VERY QUIET, BUT I'VE BEEN HUSHED, BUT IT'S TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S, AS IT'S BECOME, AS I'M BECOMING A IT'S, THE CALLS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ARE ASKING US WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING WHEN IT COMES TOWARDS CUSTODIANS.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.
AND I WOULD LIKE AN UPDATE ON IT IF, IF WE COULD, BECAUSE THIS IS A, THIS IS A, THIS IS A SERIOUS CONCERN IN THE COMMUNITY.
YEAH, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THE NEXT OPERATION COMMITTEE MEETING.
HAVE THE CONTRACTORS COME IN AND TALK TO THEM? THAT'S MY SUGGESTION.
YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT IN AUGUST.
THE NEXT ITEM OR THE LAST ITEM I SHOULD SAY ON THE AGENDA IN THE SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT, UH, IS THE BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY PRESERVATION.
AND SO, UM, I'LL GIVE YOU JUST A BRIEF, UH, UPDATE ON THAT.
THE BOARD HAS ASKED THAT THE STAFF COME BACK WITH A PLAN TO PRESERVE HISTORY OF BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
OUR INITIAL STEPS ON THIS IS TO BEGIN WORKING ON LESSONS THAT THE SCHOOL CAN UTILIZE WITH ALL OF ITS NINTH GRADE STUDENTS.
THESE WILL BE DESIGNED TO TELL THE STORY AND THE HISTORY OF BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL INCORPORATED INTO THIS STORY WILL BE BUFORD ST.
HELENA AND ROBERT SMALLS SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS HOW THEY CAME TOGETHER TO CONTRIBUTE THE NAME MASCOT COLORS TO BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS STORY IS CURRENTLY CAPTURED IN THE PILLARS AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE SCHOOL, BUT ONCE IMPLEMENTED, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH THE COURSE, THIS INFORMATION WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD THROUGH LESSONS DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF A PARTICULAR COURSE, THAT PARTICULAR COURSE IS UNDETERMINED AT THE MOMENT, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CAPTURING ALL OF THE NINTH GRADERS AS THEY ENTER INTO THE SCHOOL, THAT THEY, UH, ARE ABLE TO, UH, UNDERSTAND AND LEARN THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL AND HOW THE SCHOOL RECEIVED ITS NAME, MASCOT AND COLORS FOR BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
FURTHERMORE, WE BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL ADDITION TO THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY EDUCATION CONFERENCE SO THAT THIS STORY WILL CONTINUE TO BE TOLD.
AND THAT, UH, CONCLUDES JUST KIND OF AN INITIAL UPDATE ON, ON THAT COMPONENT OF PRESERVATION OF HISTORY THAT MR. CAMPBELL, UH, I APPLAUD THAT, THAT INITIATIVE, UH, DR.
RODRIGUEZ, I'M NOT SURE THAT A NINTH GRADER IS GONNA BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND IT FULLY FROM CONTEXT, UNLESS YOU, UNLESS SOMEHOW WE ASSURE THAT THEY KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHY THOSE SCHOOLS WERE, WERE CONSOLIDATED AND WHAT WAS THE BACKGROUND BEHIND CONSOLIDATION IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO, YEAH, THAT'S, OUR INTENT IS TO CAPTURE THAT IN THERE, BUT MY QUESTION, I GUESS IF IT'S OKAY, I'D ASK YOU A QUESTION.
DO YOU THINK, UM, ARE YOU, ARE YOU ALSO ALLUDING TO THAT MAYBE NINTH GRADE IS TOO YOUNG? UH, NOT TOO YOUNG, BUT TOO EDUCATED AT THE POINT WE NEED FULL W WELL WE NEED, UH, UH, UH, UH, KIND OF A COMPREHENSIVE LESSON AROUND THAT PIECE.
I'M SAYING THAT, YEAH, THERE SHOULD BE, I MEAN, AN IDEAL NINTH GRADERS SHOULD BE FULLY AWARE OF WHAT HAPPENED TEXTUALLY FROM THAT POINT TO THE 1950S AND SHOULD, BUT NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT BROWN VS BOARD OF EDUCATION IN THE NINTH GRADE, AND WHY THAT, WHY THOSE THINGS WERE MOVED AND WHY THINGS HAD TO HAPPEN.
MOST DON'T MOST DON'T CAPTURE ANY OF THAT REALLY UNTIL THEY GET TO AT AN AMERICAN HISTORY COURSE, WHICH WOULD TYPICALLY COME A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO, TO, TO, TO CAPTURE THAT, UH, EARLIER.
AND SO, SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE IDEA AND, AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT.
THERE NEEDS TO BE, UH, UH, CONTEXT AROUND WHAT IT IS THEY'RE LEARNING.
BECAUSE IT MIGHT DRIVE, IT MIGHT DRIVE A FULLY FULL EXTENT OF THAT AFRICAN-AMERICAN, UH, UH, COURSE STUDY AS YOU GO THROUGH AMERICAN HISTORY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ADULT, THAT INITIATIVE WILL BE NEW FOR THE UPCOMING NINTH GRADERS.
I'M NOT SURE THAT EVEN THOSE CHILDREN, WHEN THEY GET TO THE 11TH
[02:40:01]
GRADE WILL FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED.SO I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPREHENSIVE IN TERMS OF PRESENTING THAT, THAT HISTORY AND ITS UNIQUE, UH, TO A DEGREE TO THIS AREA IN TERMS OF NOT BROWN VS BOARD OF EDUCATION, BUT THE TRANSITION FROM WHAT WAS TO WHAT, WHAT IS, THEY GOT TO UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THE DYNAMICS OF PENN SCHOOL AND THE SHANKLIN SCHOOL AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT EXISTED BEFORE AND WHY TO GET THE TRUE CONCEPT OF WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT, WHY IT HAPPENED OF THAT SORT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT KNOCKING THE EFFORT AS MY COACH WOULD SAY, I'M EXPECTING A VICTORY.
UM, I'M GOING TO ALSO SUGGEST THE SCHOOL WEBSITE.
I HAVE AN UPDATED SECTION ON THE HISTORY, BASICALLY WHAT, WHAT THE NINTH GRADERS ARE GONNA LEARN, MEMORIALIZE THAT ON THE WEBSITE SO THAT EVERYBODY THAT GOES TO THE I SCHOOL WEBSITE, YOU CAN LEARN THEM THE SAME THING.
THOSE NINTH GRADERS ARE GOING TO LEARN MR. EARL CAMPBELL.
UM, I THINK WE SHOULD START EARLIER THAN A NINTH GRADE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF ADULTS IN THIS COUNTY DON'T KNOW AT ONE TIME THERE WAS SEVEN SCHOOL DISTRICT IN BUFORD COUNTY SEVEN, AND THE BOARD WAS MADE UP OF, OF, UH, WHITE MALES AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
DIDN'T HAVE A SAY IN EDUCATION IN THIS COUNTY.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO TELL THE TRUTH AND THAT, THAT IS WHAT IS WRONG RIGHT NOW.
WE NEED TO TELL THE TRUTH, WHETHER IT'S GOOD OR WHAT IS BAD.
UM, I DO AGREE WITH EXACTLY WHAT MR. CAMPBELL JUST SAID THIS NOW, BUT ALSO, UM, NOW WITH THIS PROVISION, I'M STILL NOT IN SPIRIT OF THAT.
THIS TOOK CARE OF THE ISSUE AT HAND.
THE ISSUE, THE ISSUE AT HAND IS STILL THE EGO, THE FIELD, THE MASCOT, THE COLORS I'VE HEARD WHAT DR.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT ANOTHER PLUG IS EFFORT, BUT MY, MY QUESTION IS WHAT'S THE PROCESS OF GETTING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MASCOT IN THE ORIGINAL COLORS OF BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT THE INITIATE, THE INITIAL INTENT OF THIS MOTION WAS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A, I DO, HOWEVER, MY OWN, MY ONLY QUESTION IS, AND COMING UP WITH THAT IS HOW DO WE GET BACK TO THE REASONS THAT THE RESULTS THAT THE COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
MADAM CHAIR, I'M LOOKING FOR IT.
I'M KIND OF, I'M LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER ON THAT FROM THE DEAN, FROM THE STAFF OR THE SUPERINTENDENT OR, OR, OR POSSIBLY, UH, I SEE MS. SCRIPTURE, I HAVE HIS HAND UP.
MAYBE HE HAS, BUT I'M REALLY LOOKING FOR IT BECAUSE I, OH, WELL, HOW BACK TO RODRIGUEZ DID YOU WANT TO SAY HE DIDN'T INDICATE THAT HE WANTED TO SAY ANYTHING? I THINK, I THINK WHAT I WOULD SAY WAS MY INTERPRETATION OF THE BOARD'S MOTION WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PRESERVATION OF THE SCHOOL'S HISTORY AND STORY, UH, WAS, WAS, WAS PRESERVED, RIGHT? UH, THE BOARD SPOKE ALREADY ON TWO OCCASIONS, I BELIEVE ON THE OTHER MATTER.
AND THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING ABOUT, ABOUT, UH, THE CHANGE ON THE FIELD AND THAT SORT OF THING.
THE BOARD TOOK A VOTE ON THAT.
MR. DISTRIBUTOR, THE RODRIGUEZ ALREADY STOLE MY THUNDER.
UM, I MADE THIS MOTION AND I MADE THIS MOTION TO PRESERVE IMPORTANT HISTORY.
IT WAS NOT ABOUT THE LOGO ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD.
IT'S ABOUT PRESERVING THE INDUSTRY.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE TOPIC I THINK YOU DRIFT OFF
[02:45:02]
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROBABLY ON OUR FOIL BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.THIS ISN'T ABOUT PRESERVING THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL.
UM, WELL, I JUST ASKED HIM, ARE YOU OKAY? BE CAREFUL BOY HAS BEEN MENTIONED.
HOW ABOUT FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, WHEN IT COMES TO THIS TOPIC, UH, THE EGO AT HAND IS, IS ON A BEAUTIFUL HIGH SCHOOL, PRESERVING A HISTORY AS BRAND.
THAT IS THE HISTORY OF BE FOR HIGH SCHOOL, THE MASCOT, THE COLORS, THOSE ARE HISTORY.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT FOUR-YEAR ALL THAT ALL THAT'S COVERED, BECAUSE ALL AS THE SAME THING, BECAUSE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY AND TELLING WHAT THE HISTORY WAS IN THE SCHOOLS, ALL THAT'S COVERED UNDER, UNDER, UNDER THE 40TH, JUST TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT PEOPLE.
BUT MY, BUT, BUT IN, IN, IN OF IT, MY QUILT, MY, MY, MY, MY STILL QUESTION IS, AND CAN IT KEEP IT IN AND PRESERVE IN PRESERVING THE, EXCUSE ME, I'M SOMEBODY TEST, TEST.
AND PRESERVING AND PRESERVING THE HISTORY I'M ASKING.
MY QUESTION IS IN THE PROCESS AND THE PROCESS OF PRESERVING ITS HISTORY, HOW DO WE GET BACK TO UNDERSTANDING THEN THE ORIGINAL IDENTITY AND KEEPING THE ORIGINAL IDENTITY FOR YOUR ORIGINAL IDENTITY HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS, IT'S ONE THING TO PRESERVE, BUT YOU CAN'T PRESERVE THE FAKE.
YOU GOT POLO AND YOU GOT LOLO.
IF WE'RE GOING TO PRESERVE POLO, ALTHOUGH THAT'S SIMPLE.
OKAY, MR.
UM, IF, IF PRESERVING THE HISTORY, WHEN SUPERINTENDENT COMES BACK AND STARTS PUTTING THAT LOCAL ON THAT FOOTBALL FIELD IS ESSENTIAL, RESERVING THE HISTORY, THEN WE'LL, THEN WE'LL DEAL WITH, BUT FOR TONIGHT
SO I THINK WE'VE COVERED THAT TOPIC.
AND I THINK YOU'RE TRYING TO TWIST THIS BACK TO YOUR OWN IN CHINA.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT TONIGHT.
I UNDERSTAND IT MAY BE A BROADER ISSUE, BUT TONIGHT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PLAN TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY.
[8. Board Business Action]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS BOARD BUSINESS ACTION.I'M GOING TO INVITE FOR ANY HEIZER, OUR BOND COUNCIL UP TO THE PODIUM.
UM, SO THIS EVENING, YOU EARLIER THIS EVENING, YOU VOTED, UH, THE BOARD VOTED TO APPROVE $25 MILLION WORTH OF 8% PROJECTS, UH, TO BE COMPLETED.
UH, THIS MOTION IS FOR APPROVAL.
THIS AGENDA ITEM IS FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE FUNDING AND TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE BONDS FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
SO CAN I MET MEN AND VICE CHAIR? MAY I MAKE THE MOTION BEFORE, UH, MEN AND VICE CHAIR? I MOVED AT THE BUFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF NOT EXCEEDING $25 MILLION, GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS SERIES, 2022 D OR SUCH OTHER APPROPRIATE SERIES DESIGNATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BUFORD COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA, FIXING THE FORM AND DETAILS OF THE BONDS DELEGATING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS LAWFULLY AUTHORIZED DESIGNEE.
THE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE CERTAIN MATTERS, RETAINED PERTAINING TO THE BONDS, PROVIDING FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE BONDS AND THE DISPOSITION OF THE PROCEEDS THEREOF AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING THERE TO, OKAY.
NOW, DO YOU WANT TO, SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE AT PITT, SO PATIENTLY WAITING FOR IT? YEAH, WELL, YEAH.
UM, I ALWAYS ENJOY SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.
THEY'RE LIKE LITTLE PASSION PLAYS.
SO BEING AS A LITTLE BIT OF THEATER, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING ME BE WITH YOU ALL THE SAVED.
AND, UM, YOU DO HAVE THE RESOLUTION
[02:50:01]
FOR YOUR ANNUAL 8%, UH, GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND.THIS RESOLUTION IS SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL TO THE ONES THAT YOU'VE, UH, YOU'VE, YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE WE WILL SELL THE BOND SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE DEBT SERVICE SET IN TIME FOR MILLAGE TO BE SET.
AND, UM, WE WILL GIVE YOU A REPORT AT THE END OF THE SALE AND YOU WILL GET, UM, UH, THIS ALL FITS INTO YOUR FINANCING PLAN SO THAT THE MILLAGE, UM, LIMITATION THAT Y'ALL HAVE TARGETED, UM, WILL, WILL STAY.
WE WILL BE ABLE TO ISSUE THIS DEBT AND KEEP Y'ALL WITHIN THAT MILLAGE ON THAT YOU'VE REPRESENTED TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND TAXPAYERS.
BIG, GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS, ANY COMMENTS MR. SMITH? OKAY.
UH, WITH, WITH THE, WITH ALL THIS TALK ABOUT THE RECESSION COMING, HOW DO YOU SEE US, UH, HOW DO YOU SEE THIS AFFECTING THE DISTRICT? BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE RECESSION AND IT WAS CYNICAL.
RECESSION IS COMING, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A LOT OF THIS.
I UNDERSTAND WE HAD THE SIMILAR CONVERSATION, BUT THAT'S NOT RELATED TO THE MOTION ON THE TABLE.
SO WE NEED TO PUT THAT AS A FUTURE AGENDA TOPIC.
WELL, I ACTUALLY, UM, I BELIEVE THAT DOES, UH, UH, I'M AT MY MAXIMUM, HOW DOES THIS AFFECT, HOW WILL THIS BE AFFECTED? SHE'S JUST DETERMINED THE FUNDING SOURCE.
SO IT'S NOT ABOUT RECESSIONS AND COMING UP.
SO IT'S NOT RELATED TO THE MOTION.
I'LL LET YOU, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD THAT AS A FUTURE TOPIC, MR. SMITH.
SO, UH, ANY QUESTIONS? SO I CALL THE QUESTION ON THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
NO, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH AS I SHOULD BE WITH Y'ALL.
GRADS, OUR NEXT, UM, BUSINESS ACTION ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE NOMINATION FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION, 2022 CHAMPION OF EDUCATION WARD.
WE APPROVE THE NOMINATION OF THE CITIZENS LED OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, UM, APPLICATION AND SUBMIT IT TO THE S CSBA, UH, BY JULY ONE FOR THE, UH, CHAMPION OF EDUCATION AWARD, PATRICIA GOODRICH, SORRY, SECONDED BY MS. FIDRYCH.
THANK YOU TO CANDICE BROODER FOR A GREAT, UH, RIGHT UP HERE.
THANK YOU, MR. SMITH, UH, FOR CLARIFICATION, CAN YOU TELL THE PUBLIC WHAT EXACTLY THAT IS AND WHO BASICALLY I WAS THAT PROCESS? WELL, YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER THAT? SURE, SURE.
THE CHAMPIONS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, UM, IS AN AWARD THAT'S PUT FORWARD BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.
AND, UM, THEY ACCEPT NOMINATIONS QUARTERLY AND, UM, TO BE ELIGIBLE, SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO NOMINATE, UM, AS OF PEOPLE OR INSTITUTE, YOU KNOW, GROUPS FOR THIS AWARD, IF YOU WILL REMEMBER LAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS AGO, WE NOMINATED, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBER, KATHERINE DONALDSON, UM, FOR HER AFRICA IN GETTING ALL KINDS OF, UM, KINDLES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
SO THIS NOMINATION WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD IS IN RECOGNITION OF ALL THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION THAT OUR CITIZEN LED OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HAVE GIVEN TO THE DISTRICT.
I APPRECIATE THAT MADAM CHAIR, THAT DEFINITELY LETS THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE ARE ENGAGED IN THAT WE ARE THINKING PEOPLE.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, UM, THE NOMINATION OF THE CITIZEN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO, FOR THE SC, UM, SBA CHAMPIONS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AWARD, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING YES OR AYE.
[9. Consent Agenda]
ON THE AGENDA IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
DOCTOR, I SECOND IT, BUT WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED A SECOND ITEM UNDER
[02:55:01]
THE CONSENT AGENDA.SO WE, IT WOULD ONLY BE THE FIRST ITEM THAT'S ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
[10. Future Agenda Topics]
AGENDA TOPICS, UH, MR. SMITH, UH, THE, UH, THE, THE, THE, UH, THE TOPIC I JUST BROUGHT UP ABOUT, UM, HOW WILL THE, UM, I GUESS ME, IF I COULD GET SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE, HOW WOULD THIS, UM, THE EFFECTS OF THE RECESSION, HOW DO I WAS THE RECESSION AFFECTED US AS A DISTRICT MOVING FORWARD? THANK YOU.AND I DON'T KNOW IF I NEED OFFICIALLY, BUT I, UH, MS. WALTON SAID SHE'D BRING BACK SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THE MS. YES, SIR.
ANYBODY ELSE, MR. CAMPBELL? YEAH.
I'D LIKE THEM TO HAVE A VIEW OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR MINISTRATIVE STAFF AND, AND, UH, EDUCATORS.
UH, I WAS CONCERNED WITH THAT.
UM, NO I GOT FROM THE APPLICANT OR WE ALL GOT FROM THE APPLICANT THAT APPLIED FOR THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL AND SIT IN THAT WE HAVE JUST THREE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE EDUCATORS IN THE ADMINISTRATION WAS CONCERNING TO ME.
AND, UH, TODAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WAS MADE.
WAS WE LOOKING FOR MOST QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL OR NOT? I THINK WE NEED TO, TO, I SUGGEST A WORK SESSION WHERE WE MAYBE DISCUSS WHAT THE PHILOSOPHY WILL BE GOING FORWARD IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING OUR PROCESS FOR EDUCATING THE CHILDREN AND BUFORD COUNTY.
A LOT OF THINGS ARE TIE INS IN MY MIND IN TERMS OF HOW AND WHO IS EDUCATING BUFORD COUNTY, UH, A DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOL PROFILE AT DR.
RODRIGUEZ JUST MENTIONED WAS A PART OF FUNDING, MY CONCERN, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T CONCUR WITH THE INTERVIEW PROCESS AND THE BACKGROUND OF EDUCATORS AS BEING ALWAYS THE BEST QUALIFIED PERSON FOR THE PHOTO PHOTO PHOTO FOR THE JOB.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO DISCUSS WHERE WE'RE GOING AND HOW WE PLAN TO GET THERE.
AND THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, AND THEY SLIDE ON WHAT THE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATION IS DOING, BUT IT'S, IT'S AN OVERALL COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT HOW WE DO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND I, AND I LIKE TO SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT THE USE OF THE ESSA FUNDS AND ALL THAT STUFF.
I MEAN, TO, TO ME, IT'S A, SO MUCH MORE LONG-TERM PROGRAM THAN WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN HERE TODAY.
SO I WANT TO LOOK AT THE STUDIES AND SEE WHAT WE GOT, WHAT THE STUDENT POPULATION LOOKED LIKE COMPARED TO WHAT WE'VE GOT AND HOW WE INTEND TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
REALLY, THIS IS JUST TO GIVE A TOPIC AND NOT TO GOT IT.
MR. SMITH, JUST TO RIGHT THEN THAT'S WHEN I CAN, I DO CONCUR WITH MR. CAMPBELL ON THAT TOPIC.
I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
SO I'LL SECOND THAT I WILL SECOND THAT, UH, THAT, UH, THAT, THAT TOPIC.
SO NOW WE, UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS, MR. CHAIR, UH, STRINGER.
DID YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? OH, OKAY.
[12. Public Comments]
TO THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS.WE HAVE ONE, UM, COMMENTER, MARY MOINES.
GOOD EVENING TO SAY I'M DISAPPOINTED IS PUTTING IT MILDLY.
HOW CAN YOU PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL AND TAKE AWAY THE FLAG? I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN COMING HERE TALKING ABOUT THE FLAG AND THE, NOT THE MASCOT AND THE COLORS.
HOW CAN YOU PRESERVE THE HISTORY?
[03:00:01]
THE FLAG, THE COLORS CAME FROM I'M REALLY UPSET.THE COLORS CAME FROM ROBERT SMALLS AND THE MASCOT CAME FROM SAN HELENA.
THE TWO AFRICAN-AMERICAN SCHOOLS THAT CAME IN TO BUFORD HIGH BUFORD HIGH, KEPT THE ALMA MATER IN THE NAME.
SO WHAT HISTORY ARE YOU PRESERVING WHEN THOSE KIDS BACK IN THE FALL OF 1970? WHEN THAT CLASS STARTED SCHOOL, ALL THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM WAS THE LOVE OF THEIR SCHOOL, THE COLOR AND THE MASCOT.
AND THEY CAME TO BUFORD HIGH AND THEY BECAME ONE.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU WENT TO BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW WHAT THE CLIMATE WAS LIKE, BUT WITH THE CLIMATE OF THE WORLD TODAY, WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? I WENT TO BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT HAS NO SIGNIFICANCE TO YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT AFFILIATED.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE HERE? WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE HERE WHO WENT THERE? YOU MADE A DECISION THAT AFFECTS ALL OF US.
AND MAYBE IF I HADN'T HAD SO MANY THINGS TAKEN AWAY, BEING HERE IN BUFORD COUNTY, MAYBE THE EAGLE, MAYBE THAT WOULDN'T BE SUCH A, A BIG THING, YOU KNOW, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE THINGS TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU ALL YOUR LIFE, AFTER A WHILE, YOU KNOW, EVEN THINGS THAT A MINUTE YOU START FIGHTING FOR THOSE THINGS, THAT'S NOT MY NEW UIU RACING HISTORY, ALTERING HISTORY.
AND YOU CAN SIT HERE AND THINK THAT IT'S OKAY, PUT YOURSELF IN OUR PLACE.
THE PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED THE SCHOOL.
WE HAVE LOVE AND BE HELD HARD FOR IT.
I SPENT 20 YEARS IN UNITED STATES, ARMY DEDICATED THAT EAGLE MEANT SOMETHING.
I TALKED ABOUT THAT WHEN I WAS IN THE MILITARY, THAT I WENT TO A SCHOOL IN THE EAGLE, REPRESENTED OUR SCHOOL.
I FOUGHT FOR MY COUNTRY AND I'M GOING TO FIGHT FOR BUFORD HIGH COLOR AND THE MASCOT TO REMAIN THE SAME.
YOU CAN'T THIS RIGHT HERE SAYING THAT YOU ARE PRESERVING THE HISTORY OF BUFORD HIGH.
AND YOU ALL IN THE BOARD VOTED ON IT.
YOU HAVEN'T ANSWERED ANY QUESTIONS.
SO IS THIS THE WAY THE BOARD WORK? I'LL BE BACK.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE GERMAN TO HAVE A, TO A JUROR MS. BOATWRIGHT SECONDED BY DR.