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MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION WORK SESSION OF AUGUST 25TH, 2023.
THIS MEETING IS BEING CONDUCTED VIA HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING, AND IT IS ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
PLEASE NOTICE IN ACCORDANCE TO THE DUE SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES BACKS, BAGS, BACKPACKS AND PER PURSES ARE PROHIBITED BY THE PUBLIC AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS.
WE NOW NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING PUBLIC COMMENTS COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 DASH A2.
AND FOR DISCUSSION OF EMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH 40 DASH 70 A ONE, UH, MS. MIDDLETON MADE THE MOTION AND EARL CAMPBELL, UH, SECOND THE MOTION.
ANY DISCUSSION? RIGHT? WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.
AND CAN YOU, THOSE THAT ARE, UH, UH, PARTICIPATING REMOTELY, CAN YOU SAY YOUR NAME AND YOUR VOTE? SO WE'LL HAVE THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM GO FIRST.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
MR. SMITH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING WITH YOUR AUDIO, BUT WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
BUT THAT'S SIX OF US, UH, TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO THAT'S A QUORUM AND A MAJORITY.
GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION WORK SESSION OF AUGUST 25TH, 2023.
THE BOARD WAS JUST AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE ARE NOW BACK IN PUBLIC SESSION.
DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, MOTIONS AS OR ACTION AS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE REGARDING MATTERS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES, MA'AM.
MADAM CHAIR, MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE.
WE ACCEPT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION TO EMPLOY DR.
MELO LEE AS DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT CHIEF OF SCHOOLS.
ANY DISCUSSION MS. BOATRIGHT? UM, I'M JUST, I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE.
I WAS A LITTLE BIT LATE TO THE MEETING TO REVIEW, SO I'M GONNA ABSTAIN NOT BECAUSE OF ANY PERSONAL FEELINGS, I JUST HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY, AYE.
SO WE GOT DALLAS GUYER, GUS MIDDLETON, GORDON CAMPBELL.
NOW ONLINE ANY I'S, SAY YOUR'RE, IY, KY AYE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? YOU'RE NOT VOTING.
SO WE HAVE TWO ABSTENTIONS, BOATRIGHT, AND, AND SMITH VOTE.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, ADDITIONAL MOTIONS FOR ACTION AS NECESSARY APPROPRIATE REGARDING MATTERS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? NO, MA'AM.
OKAY, SO WE NOW NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
MR. CAMPBELL MADE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AND MS. MIDDLETON SECOND.
WE'LL NOW STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
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THE MEDIA HAS BEEN PROPERLY NOTIFIED.THE NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS THE BOARD DETERMINATION ON THE APPEALS FROM THE MATERIALS RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE REPORTS ON THE FOLLOWING BOOKS.
NUMBER 62, SKIN BY NAPOLEON, DONNA JO.
NUMBER 63, A LESSON IN VENGEANCE BY VICTORIA LEE.
NUMBER 64, COURT OF FROST AND STARLIGHT BY MASS.
SARAH J NUMBER 65, A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN BY MASS.
NUMBER 66, FELIX, EVER AFTER BY CALENDAR, KAREN NUMBER 67, THE FIXER BY MALAMUD BERNARD.
AND NUMBER 68, FOREVER FOR A YEAR BY GODFREY VT.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? YES, MA'AM.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION CONCUR WITH THE FINDINGS OF THE BOOK REVIEW COMMITTEE ON THE FOLLOWING BOOK TITLES, SKIN SKINNED BY NAPOLEON, DONNA JOE, A LESSON IN VENGEANCE BY LEE VITOR, VICTORIA LEE, COURT OF FROST AND STARLIGHT BY SARAH MASS, A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN BY SARAH MASS.
FELIX, EVER AFTER BY KAREN KALA.
CALENDAR, THE FIXER BY BERNARD MALAMUD.
AND FOREVER FOR A YEAR BY BT RE DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? THAT MOTION? OKAY.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
AND, UM, ONLINE A NAYYY NAYYY NAYYY ABSTAIN.
OKAY, SO THE MOTION, THE MOTION CARRIES 8 2, 1.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS COMMUNICATION WITH COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT, UM, COMMUNICATION WITH OUR BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMUNITIES, UM, AND SOME STRATEGIES TO BETTER ENGAGE ALL MEMBERS OF OUR DISTRICT.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING OVER, UH, I'M GONNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, OUR DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW MOST OF YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT WE DO, BUT THIS IS JUST SO THE PUBLIC HAS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN I'M GONNA BRIEF YOU ON OUR COMMUNICATIONS REVIEW.
THAT, UM, IS WRAPPING UP, UM, PARTS OF OUR ENGAGEMENT PLAN AND A NEXT STEP FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US, I THINK, ROBIN, WE'RE ON SLIDE THREE.
UM, I HAVE A GREAT DEPARTMENT AND WE'RE AN AWARD-WINNING DEPARTMENT.
HAVE DEFINITELY TALENTED PEOPLE ON THIS.
UM, AND WHAT'S KIND OF REALLY NEAT ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS IS THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S ON THE WEBSITE, YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S ON FACEBOOK, YOU GET OUR EMAILS.
UM, AND SO THERE REALLY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND KEEP PEOPLE INFORMED.
UM, AND I THINK MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE REALLY GOING TO BE STRATEGIZING ON ENGAGING WITH ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
SO MY TEAM, UM, IT CONSISTS OF MS. CASPER, MS. MOLLY GODLEY, MI ROD LOPES, AND SUSAN LYNCH.
AND SO WE HAVE, UM, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE.
WE HAVE OUR COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST, UM, WHO DOES REC STAFF RECOGNITIONS, AND ALSO FOIA.
UM, AND EVERYBODY KNOWS RON LOPES, OF COURSE, WITH HIS GREAT VIDEOS.
AND MS. LYNCH, WHO IS OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND WEB CONTENT MANAGER, BUT ALSO DOES A LOT OF OUR BRANDING AND IS VERY TALENTED.
SO ON, UH, SLIDE FIVE, YES, WHAT WE DO, WE COVER A LOT OF GROUND IN OUR, IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
UM, IN TERMS OF MARKETING AND BRANDING, I'M GONNA LET MS. LYNCH SPEAK TO THAT IN A BIT.
UM, ALSO REGARDING OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, UM, RIGHT NOW WE SHARE A LOT OF INFORMATION TO FOSTER COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
AND WE DO KNOW THAT THESE PARTNERSHIPS, UM, ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR STUDENTS' EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS.
UM, AND WE ARE LOOKING TO GROW THOSE.
WE OBVIOUSLY HANDLE MEDIA RELATIONS, CRISIS
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COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH BRIGHT ARROW AND DEALING WITH OUR NEWS OUTLETS.UH, WE HANDLE FOIA AND COMPLIANCE WITH FOIA.
WE ALSO KEEP TRACK OF, UM, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SOUTH CAROLINA LAW EN FOIA.
UM, THIS YEAR WE'VE BEEN DOING STAFF RECOGNITIONS, WHICH HAS WENT VERY WELL.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAKES US HAPPY ON THE COMMUNICATIONS FRONT BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES DIRECTLY IMPACT MORALE.
UM, MS. LYNCH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP? GOOD MORNING.
I'M THE SOCIAL MEDIA WEB MANAGER, CONTENT DEVELOPER, MARKETING PERSON.
AND, UM, BEFORE I SAY ANYTHING MORE SPEAKING FOR I THINK RON, KRISTEN AND MOLLY, IS THAT WE WORK FOR A GREAT BOSS.
SO, UM, I, I OVERSEE A LOT OF THE MARKETING AND GRAPHIC DESIGN, AND WE DO THAT TO SUPPORT THE HIGH LEVEL CAMPAIGNS AND INITIATIVES FOR THE DISTRICT, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, AND WE DO THAT WITH, UH, KEY MESSAGING AND VISUALS THAT REINFORCE THE DISTRICT'S CORE VALUES, WHICH ARE TO ENSURE THAT EVERY CHILD ATTENDING A DISTRICT SCHOOL RECEIVES A GREAT EDUCATION.
SO A LOT OF OUR WORK YOU'VE SEEN, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE, OUR SLIDERS, OUR GRAPHICS, OUR PHOTOGRAPHS, UM, THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY EDUCATION CONFERENCE CAMPAIGN MATERIALS, OUR BACK TO SCHOOL MATERIALS, AND A LOT OF WHAT WE DO TOO IS TO SUPPORT DR.
HE'S VERY ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SO WE, WE KIND OF SHARE HIS MESSAGES ALL OVER AS WELL AS OURS.
SO FOR SOCIAL MEDIA, WE'VE REALLY, WHEN KRISTEN, RON AND I STARTED IN 2017, WE HAD 7,000 FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS.
TODAY WE HAVE CLOSE TO 22,000.
SO WE'RE JUST SHORT OF 22,000 BY 20 FOLLOWERS, WHICH WE'LL PROBABLY GET TODAY A LITTLE BIT LATER.
UM, SO WE'VE REALLY BEEN ACTIVE AND WE REALLY, UM, USE THAT PLATFORM TO PUT OUT, PUSH OUT OUR, OUR MESSAGING.
UM, SO WITH FACEBOOK, WE'RE ON FACEBOOK X, INSTAGRAM, AND YOUTUBE.
WE HAVE OVER 22,000 FOLLOWERS COMBINED.
UM, AND WE DO THAT THROUGH RON, WHO MAKES OR RELEASES APPROXIMATELY CLOSER TO 200 VIDEOS A YEAR, UM, HIGHLIGHTING STUDENTS AND STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS, INTERVIEWS WITH PROMINENT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, TOWN HALL MEETINGS WITH DR.
R AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, OUR DISTRICT WEBSITE AND 31 SCHOOL WEBSITES ARE UPDATED ALMOST DAILY.
UM, AND OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM LINKS INTO THE WEBSITES.
SO EVEN IF PEOPLE ARE NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THEY COME TO OUR WEBSITE BECAUSE THEY CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, WE HAVE A PASSWORD PROTECTED INTRANET.
AND, UM, I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT THE TOP 10, UH, PAGES ON OUR WEBSITE THAT ARE BEING VISITED EVERY YEAR SINCE WE LAUNCHED OUR NEW SITE.
AND THAT, UM, STAFF INTRANET HAS BEEN REALLY, UH, INTEGRAL TO EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION.
SO PEOPLE ARE COMING TO OUR LANDING PAGE.
THE TOP 10 PAGES ON OUR WEBSITE ARE THE LANDING PAGE.
AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE A GREAT VIDEO.
WE HAVE SLIDERS THAT ROTATE AND UPDATE PEOPLE WITH INFORMATION.
AND WE HAVE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEED.
UM, THE SECOND PAGE IS THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR THAT'S VISITED.
UM, THE SECOND, THE THIRD IS THE STAFF INTRANET.
SO WE KNOW THAT OUR, OUR, OUR FOLKS ARE USING IT INTERNALLY.
UM, FOURTH IS THE CAREERS AND EMPLOYMENT.
UH, TAB FIFTH IS STUDENT SERVICES SCHOOL COUNSELING.
UM, THE VIRTUAL CALMING ROOM THAT OTTER CAMM IS STILL IN THE TOP FIVE, UM, FAMILIES.
UNDER OUR FAMILIES TAB, PEOPLE ARE VISITING THE SCHOOL MEALS.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT OUR LIST OF SCHOOLS, ALSO UNDER FAMILIES OR THE PARENT PORTAL TAB AND REGISTRATION, AND THEN THE DIRECTORY.
SO WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE USING THE WEBSITE THE WAY WE INTENDED WHEN WE HAD IT DESIGNED.
UM, ONE OTHER THING I JUST WANTED TO MENTION IS OUR, UM, UH, ARCHIVE SOCIAL, WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US MANAGE AND, UM, KEEP OUR EYES ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE MESSAGES THAT ARE, AND SOME FALSE MESSAGES THAT ARE BEING PUSHED OUT THERE.
SO ARCHIVE, SOCIAL COVERS ALL OF OUR, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA, ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
ANY MESSAGING WHERE, WHERE WE'RE NAMED OR TAGGED OR PEOPLE ARE NAMED OR TAGGED, WE GET ALERTS ABOUT THAT.
SO WE CAN REALLY MONITOR THAT.
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IF WE EVER NEED TO USE IT, UM, IT'S LAW ENFORCEMENT KNOWS THAT IT'S REAL CONTENT.IT'S NOT ME PHOTOSHOPPING SOMETHING.
IT'S REAL CONTENT WITH THE METADATA.
SO, UM, THAT'S KIND OF A SUMMARY.
SO THE NEXT THING WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT IS BANG THE TABLE.
AND I KNOW, UM, A LOT OF YOU HAVE SEEN BANG THE TABLE.
UM, IT WAS, IT'S A RELATIVELY NEW THING THAT WE'VE ADDED THAT'S BEEN VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, IT'S AN ONLINE PLATFORM WHERE PEOPLE CAN ENGAGE IN DIFFERENT TOPICS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WAS THE FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGET FORM THAT WE HAD ON HERE.
UM, WE HAD OVER 4,000 VISITS TO THE SITE.
WE HAD ENGAGED VISITORS, 434 INFORMED VISITORS, 1,500 AND AWARE VISITORS OVER 3000.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE HAD, UM, IN TERMS OF INFORMED VISITORS, THAT'S IF SOMEONE CLICKED THROUGH A VIDEO OR THEY CLICKED ON A DOCUMENT OR A POWERPOINT TO REVIEW SOMETHING, AN ENGAGED VISITOR ACTUALLY WENT ON, MADE COMMENTS, UM, AND REALLY ENGAGED.
UM, AND THE AWARE VISITORS, THEY WERE ALSO READING THE MATERIAL, THAT KIND OF THING.
AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT JUST TO NOTE THAT, UM, WHAT'S NEAT ABOUT THIS IS IT'S A PLATFORM FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS SAYING, RIGHT? SO IF YOU FILL OUT JUST A SURVEY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE WHAT THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU HAS CONTRIBUTED ON THAT SURVEY.
BUT THIS, THERE MIGHT BE A POLL THAT WE GET INFORMATION, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE CONVERSATION PLATFORM.
AND SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS CONTRIBUTING, WHICH KIND OF IS A GOOD REMINDER TO PEOPLE OF THE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS IN THE DISTRICT.
AND THE, OUR THING THAT WE'RE LAUNCHING ACTUALLY, UM, NEXT MONTH, IS B C S D UNIVERSITY.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
UM, YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH LIKE, LEADERSHIP BUFORD AND THINGS LIKE THAT, DIFFERENT KIND OF CHAMBER PROGRAMS. THIS IS SORT OF OUR VERSION OF THAT PROGRAM THAT MS. CASPER IS LEADING.
UM, AND THIS IS REALLY KEY FOR US BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE SIX DIFFERENT SESSIONS.
UM, IT'S GOING TO BE, UM, FOR A GROUP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO COME LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DISTRICT, LEARN ABOUT EACH OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, UM, SO THEY CAN GO AND BE ADVOCATES FOR US, AND THEY CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO HERE AT THE DISTRICT IN TERMS OF, UM, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, WE HAVE OUR STUDENT IMPROVE IMPROVEMENT COUNCILS, WE HAVE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP GROUPS, UM, AND THEN OUR COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE DO ON BEHALF OF THE, THE BOARD.
UM, AND I'LL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER AS WELL IN MORE DETAIL.
UM, BUT THESE ARE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING CONSISTENTLY, AND WE ARE LOOKING TO OBVIOUSLY EXPAND THIS.
SO WE ALSO HAD A COMMUNICATIONS REVIEW THAT'S IN THE PROCESS OF WRAPPING UP, BUT WE'RE STILL FINALIZING THE RESULTS.
UM, BUT THAT'S BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL FOR US AND VERY HELPFUL.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER.
ONE REASON THAT WE DID THIS, WE OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T NEED TO DO THIS, BUT OUR DISTRICT HAS A MODEL OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, AND WE WANTED THAT FOR OUR DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
SO THE FIRST THING THAT WAS DONE THERE WAS A BASELINE COMMUNICATIONS ASSESSMENT, UM, THAT LOOKED, AND IT DISCOVERED THAT WE HAVE VERY GOOD FOUNDATIONAL TACTICS, UM, AS PART OF NINE STRATEGIES THAT WERE REVIEWED.
AND THEY ALSO ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE CAN IMPROVE.
AND I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THOSE IN A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
UH, THERE WAS A WEBSITE ASSESSMENT, A SOCIAL MEDIA ASSESSMENT, UM, AND A COMMUNICATIONS EFFECTIVENESS SURVEY THAT, UM, WAS PUT OUT TO PARENTS, TO THE COMMUNITY, TO EMPLOYEES.
WE HAD OVER 2000 RESPONSES TO THAT.
AND THEN WE HAD, UM, FOCUS GROUPS THAT WERE HELD OVER THE COURSE OF TWO DAYS.
SOME OF YOU WENT TO THOSE, UM, AND THEY WERE HELD REGIONALLY IN BEAUFORT, BLUFFTON, AND HILTON HEAD AREAS.
SO SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THIS PRESENTATION ABOUT COMMUNICATING WITH COMMUNITIES, UM, IN TERMS OF STAKEHOLDER SATISFACTION, WHICH IS THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, PEOPLE DO TEND TO TRUST THE INFORMATION COMING FROM BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, AND OVERALL STAKEHOLDERS WERE SATISFIED.
UM, HOWEVER, PARENTS TENDED TO BE MORE SATISFIED THAN EMPLOYEES WITH COMMUNICATION FROM THE DISTRICT.
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OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON SOME TARGET AUDIENCES HERE, AND WE CAN STRENGTHEN OUR INTERNAL AND COMMUNICATIONS.THE OTHER THING IS COMMUNI COMMUNITY MEMBERS OFTEN INDICATED NOT GETTING DIRECT COMMUNICATION FROM THE DISTRICT.
AND BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, I DON'T MEAN A PARENT, I MEAN SOMEBODY LIVING IN SUN CITY WHO MIGHT BE RETIRED, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND SO WE DO NEED TO EMPLOY STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE COMMUNICATION WITH RESIDENTS WHO ARE NON-PARENTS.
THIS IS A BIG ONE HERE IN TERMS OF BRAND CLARITY.
THERE WAS A LACK OF CLARITY ABOUT THE DISTRICT'S BRAND.
UM, MOST PEOPLE WHEN ASKED, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY IDENTIFY WITH THE DISTRICT SAID THAT THEY REFER TO THE DISTRICT SIZE.
WELL, THE DISTRICT MUST BE GOOD.
WELL, WE'RE A A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT.
AND SO WE DO NEED TO RE-CLARIFY OUR BRAND FOR SURE.
UM, AND IT IS, THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANTED A NEW LOGO.
UM, BUT IT IS BEYOND THE LOGO, RIGHT? UM, THE BRAND IS THE EXPERIENCE PEOPLE HAVE WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE IMPRESSIONS THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT EVOKES IN THEIR MINDS.
SO WE DO NEED TO IDENTIFY WHAT MAKES OUR DISTRICT UNIQUE.
UM, SO THE MESSAGING AND THE VISUAL IDENTITY REALLY REPRESENT US AND ARE AUTHENTIC TO WHO WE ARE.
AND SO WE'LL NEED TO IDENTIFY THOSE SET OF BRAND MESSAGES THAT CAN BE CONSISTENTLY USED TO, YOU KNOW, ACCURATELY COMMUNICATE ABOUT US.
UH, MS. BREWER, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT ALSO THAT, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE BRANDING PIECE AND TO THE LOGO, UH, WE'VE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, CHANGE OUR, OUR, OUR LOGO OR ADJUST OUR LOGO BECAUSE OF, UH, A D A COMPLIANCE WITH, UH, WITH SOME ASPECTS OF, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT BE TOUCHING UPON THAT LATER, BUT I, SINCE YOU MENTIONED LOGO, I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MENTION THAT IT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO, UH, DO SOMETHING ABOUT.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS WE, UH, ONE TOPIC THAT CAME UP WAS A CENTRALIZED VERSUS DECENTRALIZED APPROACH.
UM, AS PART OF THE, PART OF THE FOCUS GROUPS AND SURVEYS, UM, SCHOOL STAFF AND BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS WANTED A MORE CENTRALIZED APPROACH TO APPROACH TO COMMUNICATION, MEANING CONSISTENT MESSAGING FROM THE DISTRICT DOWN TO THE SCHOOLS.
AND DISTRICT LEADERS FAVORED MORE OF A DECENTRALIZED APPROACH, MEANING MORE RESPONSIBILITY AT THE SCHOOL BUILDING LEVEL TO COMMUNICATE.
UM, AND SO THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY THERE TO BALANCE BOTH APPROACHES, LIKE WE CAN PROVIDE OUR CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION EXPECTATIONS AND GUIDELINES FROM THE DISTRICT LEVEL THAT THEN EMPOWERS AND ENHANCES SCHOOL BU SCHOOL LEVEL COMMUNICATIONS.
AND WE'LL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
IN TERMS OF INFORMATION SOURCES, WORD OF MOUTH WAS THE MOST COMMONLY CITED SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND SO WE, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PROVIDE MORE DIRECT COMMUNICATION TO STAKEHOLDERS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE TALKING ABOUT THE DISTRICT ARE WELL-INFORMED.
AND I WILL SAY ALSO IN TERMS OF WORD OF MOUTH, THAT ALSO TELLS ME THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS PEOPLE HAVING A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH OUR DISTRICT AND TELLING THEIR FRIENDS.
AND I THINK THAT'S, NO MATTER WHAT MESSAGING WE PUT OUT, THAT'S ALSO THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE IN TERMS OF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
UM, LIKE MS. LYNCH WAS SAYING, WE HAVE VERY, VERY GOOD ENGAGEMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF ENGAGING DIRECTLY AND PROVIDING DIRECT FEEDBACK, PEOPLE SAID THEY FELT INFORMED, BUT WANTED MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO WE DO NEED TO CREATE MORE INTENTIONAL TWO-WAY CONVERSATIONS THAT JUST LEAD TO SOME MORE TRUST AND BUY INTO MAJOR DECISIONS AND BETTER OUTCOMES.
UM, AND IT HELPS US TO HAVE ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK AND PERSPECTIVES THAT WE MAY NOT ALREADY HAVE.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME STRATEGIES AND TACTICS TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
SO IN TERMS OF OUR OVERALL ENGAGEMENT, UM, WE CAN STRATEGICALLY INCREASE OUR USE OF BANG THE TABLE, THE ONLINE PLATFORM I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT.
UM, AND, AND I THINK IT WAS GOOD THAT WE HAD A KEY FEW PROJECTS WITH THAT.
WE HAD SOMETHING WITH HILTON AT HIGH SCHOOL.
WE HAD THE ESSER FUND SURVEY, THE BUDGET, UM, AND I THINK WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD HANDLE ON IT NOW, HOW IT WORKS.
AND SO WE CAN EXPAND THAT MORE.
I THINK WE CAN HAVE SCHOOLS USE THAT.
UM, IT'S GOOD TO, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GATHER FEEDBACK PRIOR TO MAKING MAJOR DECISIONS.
BUT ONE THING WE HAVE TO DO IS ONCE WE GET THE FEEDBACK, WE HAVE TO CLOSE THAT FEEDBACK GROUP LOOP AND SHARE WITH PEOPLE WHAT THE RESULTS ARE.
BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEIR OPINION IS RESPECTED AND VALUED.
UM, AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW, THOUGH, WE WANT PEOPLE'S OPINION, WE WANT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
BUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ALSO NEEDS TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON RESEARCH,
[00:25:01]
BASED ON EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD, BASED ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS LEGAL, WHAT IS NOT, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.THE, UM, IN TERMS OF PARENTS AND FAMILIES, IT WAS GENERALLY FAVORABLE.
UM, BUT IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE IMPLEMENT A DISTRICT-WIDE PARENT NEWSLETTER.
AND I SAY THE WORD NEWSLETTER LOOSELY, LIKE THIS CAN BE IN MANY DIFFERENT FORMS. IT CAN BE AN ONLINE PLATFORM.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY NOW TO DO PODCASTS ON OUR NEW WEBSITE.
SO WE NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO REACH OUR PARENTS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A P D F NEWSLETTER PER SE, UM, BUT A P D F NEWSLETTER MIGHT BE BETTER FOR SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE JUST NEED TO WORK THROUGH HOW WE BEST WANNA COMMUNICATE TO OUR DIFFERENT GROUPS.
THE OTHER THING IS, UM, THEY SUGGESTED WE DO, UM, SCHOOL COMMUNICATION REVIEWS TO ASSESS THEIR EFFECTIVENESS AND ANY GAPS THERE AND CONSISTENCY GAPS.
AND, AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WE WILL BE DOING MOVING FORWARD, BUT WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THAT IN TERMS OF INTERNAL ENGAGEMENT, UM, THEY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT WE HAVE MORE OF A DISTRICT-WIDE INTERNAL NEWSLETTER THAT CAN GO ON THE INTRANET.
AGAIN, THAT MIGHT NOT BE A P D F.
THERE MIGHT BE DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO THAT, BUT THERE DEFINITELY IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE INFORMATION THAT WOULD GO TO AN EMPLOYEE, A COMMUNITY MEMBER, OR A STAFF MEMBER OR A PARENT.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT SOME OF THAT INFORMATION WILL OVERLAP, BUT SOME OF IT WILL NEED TO BE UNIQUE TO THOSE AUDIENCES.
AND THEY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT WE CREATE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO HEAR FROM ALL STAFF, UM, NOT JUST TEACHERS, AGAIN, THE SCHOOL, UM, ASSESSMENTS.
AND THAT INCLUDES ON THE SCHOOL FRONT, INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AMONGST THOSE SCHOOL SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
AND THEY ALSO DISCUSSED, UM, HOW WE CAN USE THE KNOW, DO, SHARE INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS MODEL TO REGULARLY SHARE INFORMATION WITH STAFF AT DISTRICT AND SCHOOL LEVELS.
AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS WITH THESE TYPE OF NEWSLETTER THINGS TOO.
THE IDEA IS TO LESSEN THE AMOUNT OF EMAILS GOING OUT AND HAVE A CENTRALIZED PLACE WITH ALL THE INFORMATION.
ONE OTHER THING WE HAVE BEEN, UM, CONSIDERING DOING THAT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT IS COMMUNICATIONS IS GOING TO START HAVING MEETINGS EVERY TWO WEEKS WITH DESIGNATED PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CHIEF OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT ARE KIND OF IN THE WEEDS DOING SOME OF THE INTERESTING WORK.
UM, SO THEY CAN KIND OF BE OUR ADVOCATES AND OUR COMMUNICATORS WITHIN THE DISTRICT OFFICE, AND WE WILL HEAR WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WE CAN COMMUNICATE THAT OUT.
I THINK THAT'LL HELP A LITTLE BIT WITH ALLEVIATING SOME SILOS PERHAPS IN TERMS OF ENGAGEMENTS, UM, WITH COM COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, PART OF OUR B C S D UNIVERSITY IS TO HAVE A KEY COMMUNICATORS NETWORK OUT OF THAT, UM, WHERE WE DO EMPOWER PEOPLE WITH INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND SHARE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE ALSO WANT TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVED WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
RODRIGUEZ IS ALWAYS A HIT WHEN HE GOES AND SPEAKS TO GROUPS.
UH, AND SO WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT, BUT I THINK UP OUR GAME A LITTLE BIT ON THAT WITH THE AMOUNT.
BUT ALSO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN EVENT WHERE WE INVITE PEOPLE, UM, THE COMMUNICATIONS PEOPLE FROM THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, GET THEM IN ONE ROOM AND FIND OUT HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO BEST GET INFORMATION FROM US.
WE CAN SEND THEM A LINK TO SOMETHING.
WE CAN GIVE THEM P D F WHATEVER THEY NEED IN ORDER TO SHARE THE INFORMATION IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
UM, SO WE REALLY WOULD LIKE THEIR INPUT ON THAT.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE, UM, WE WANNA DEFINITELY WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO SHARE INFORMATION ON THAT FRONT AS WELL.
AND IN TERMS OF VOLUNTEERING AND BRINGING PEOPLE INTO SCHOOLS, THAT'S A KEY THING SO PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO.
SO IN TERMS OF OUR NEXT STEP, IN TURN, IN ADDITION TO DOING ALL THOSE THINGS, THERE'S ONE THING THAT KIND OF HAS TO HAPPEN, UM, IN ORDER TO KIND OF BRING IT ALL TOGETHER.
AND IN REBRANDING WE'RE GOING TO BE RE-ENGAGING.
SO REBRANDING, IT DOES SHAPE PERCEPTIONS, ATTRACTS TALENT, AND ENHANCES COMMUNITY PRIDE AND ENGAGEMENT.
IF OUR BRAND REFLECTS ACCURATELY WHO WE ARE, AND WE DO NEED TO STAY RELEVANT AND APPEAR, YOU KNOW, APPEAL TO NEWER GENERATIONS AND TO BE COMPETITIVE AND ATTRACT QUALITY TALENT, IT'S NOT ONLY ATTRACTING PARENTS TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN, BUT IT'S ALSO LIKE FROM AN HR PERSPECTIVE, US BEING ATTRACTIVE TO
[00:30:01]
THE 22 YEAR OLD COMING OUTTA COLLEGE WHO WANTS TO COME WORK HERE.UM, AND, YOU KNOW, REFRESHING THE BRAND, IT WILL ELEVATE OUR REPUTATION AND IT MAKES A POWERFUL FIRST IMPRESSION ON FAMILIES MOVING TO THE AREA.
UM, AND WE NEED A UNIFIED BRAND STRATEGY THAT WILL CREATE A BIT MORE CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE DISTRICT WITH A COHESIVE VOICE AND VISUAL IDENTITY.
BUT IT AFFECTS ALL THESE THINGS, RIGHT? IT AFFECTS RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, ENROLLMENT, ATTENDANCE, OUTCOMES AND MORE.
SO THIS PROCESS, I'M JUST GONNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT HOW THIS PROCESS IS GOING TO ROLL OUT.
IT WOULD BE A BIG MISTAKE JUST FOR US TO COME IN HERE AND SAY, HERE'S THREE LOGOS.
LET'S FIGURE OUT WHICH LOGO WE WANNA USE, OR FOR US TO JUST PICK A LOGO.
THE REBRANDING PROCESS IS KEY TO DEVELOPING ANY NEW KIND OF VISUAL IDENTITY.
AND IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
AND WHAT'S NEAT ABOUT DOING THIS AT THIS TIME IS WE CAN ALIGN IT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO OUR NEW BRANDING WILL BE ACTUALLY IN LINE WITH THE GOALS OF THE DISTRICT.
UM, AND IT, IT'S A RARE OPPORTUNITY.
THOSE CAN GO HAND IN HAND, BUT I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET SOMETHING REALLY STRONG BECAUSE OF THAT.
UM, THE PROCESS WILL START WITH A BRAND IMMERSION WORKSHOP THAT WILL HELP, IT'LL HELP US DEVELOP THE UNIQUE IDENTITY, VALUES AND ASPIRATIONS AND CULTURE THAT ARE IN THE DISTRICT IN TERMS OF TURNING THAT INTO A BRAND.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE PARENTS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE KEY STAKEHOLDERS, STAFF, PEOPLE, UM, A BIG DIVERSE GROUP.
AND IT WILL BE A VERY ACTIVE, PARTICIPATORY PROCESS.
AND IN TERMS OF, UM, THE NEXT PHASE, THE DISCOVERY PHASE, WE WILL HAVE FOCUS GROUPS.
WE WILL, UM, WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE'S INSIGHTS AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM.
AND WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE END RESULT OF THIS IS WE WILL HAVE A NEW VISUAL IDENTITY, A NEW LOGO, COLOR PALETTE, TYPEFACE, PATTERNS, AND TEMPLATES FOR USE.
WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATED MESSAGING FRAMEWORK, INCLUDING A NEW TAGLINE.
UM, THIS OTHER THING IS VERY KEY THAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY.
WE WILL HAVE BRAND GUIDELINES, SO THERE'LL BE CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE DISTRICT, AND WE'RE GOING TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE BRAND GUIDELINES.
UM, WE'LL ALSO HAVE A BIG BRAND LAUNCH CAMPAIGN, AND WE'LL HAVE TRAINING SESSIONS ON HOW TO USE THE NEW BRAND ELEMENTS.
AND I, AND I THINK THE BRAND LAUNCH IS ALSO VERY EXCITING TOO, BECAUSE WE CAN, WE CAN ANNOUNCE OTHER THINGS AS PART OF THAT AS WELL.
LIKE THAT'S GONNA BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO THE SCHOOLS.
THAT'S GONNA BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO WORK WITH OUR AMBASSADORS.
LIKE THAT'S GONNA BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THINGS WITH PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY, VERY EXCITING TIME.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ANY SUCCESSFUL MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN TO DRIVE ENROLLMENT, ATTENDANCE, RECRUITMENT, AND OTHER KEY METRICS, IT DOES NEED A CONSISTENT BRAND STRATEGY.
AND THIS KIND OF STRATEGY IS GOING TO IMPACT THESE KEY AREAS CONSISTENTLY OVER TIME.
AND I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED THAT.
THIS SAID, THERE IS A TRANSITION PHASE, AND THERE WILL BE TIME WHERE WE HAVE TO MOVE FROM ONE BRAND TO THE OTHER.
UM, AND WE WILL WORK ON A PLAN TO HELP WITH THAT TRANSITION.
FORTUNATELY, I WILL SAY, UM, UM, THE MAJORITY OF PLACES OUR LOGO IS IT, IT IS ONLINE, IT'S ON SOCIAL MEDIA, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S ON OUR EMAIL SIGNATURE, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND THAT IS A VERY EASY FIX AND A QUICK TRANSITION.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, UM, THIS PROCESS WILL RESPECT THAT DISTRICT'S HISTORY AND TRADITIONS WHILE DEVELOPING THE NEW BRAND STRATEGY.
AND WE ARE IN A REALLY GOOD SPOT RIGHT NOW THAT A LOT OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE REBRAND, THEY DO IT BECAUSE THEY'RE IN A POSITION OF WEAKNESS.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE HIGHEST PAID TEACHERS IN THE STATE.
LIKE WE'RE IN A GOOD SPOT, UM, TO DO OUR REBRANDING FROM A VERY POSITIVE PLACE.
AND I THINK OUR DISTRICT IS SO DIVERSE AND SO SPECIAL, AND I THINK OUR BRAND IS GOING TO REPRESENT THAT.
AND IT ISN'T, IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE LOGOS AND THE COLORS.
LIKE IT IS ABOUT OUR SHARED VISION.
UM, AND WE WANNA INSPIRE PARENTS AND NEW GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS.
[00:35:01]
UM, AND COMMUNITY PRIDE.I THINK A LOT OF THIS IS GOING TO BE ABOUT BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, I'VE GOT SOME COMMENTS THOUGH.
UM, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS.
TO ME, THE DIFFERENCE IS A, A COMMUNICATIONS FOLKS PULL PEOPLE IN, THEY PULL 'EM INTO A WEBSITE, THEY PULL 'EM INTO, INVITE THEM TO, UM, AN ECUMENICAL GROUP OR INVITING THE LEGISLATION FOLKS HERE.
AND I, I LOOK AT THE, UM, LEGISLATORS WHO WE HAD LAST TIME, TWO PEOPLE.
UH, WHEN I LOOK AT THE ECUMENICAL GROUP, I SAW, UH, MOSTLY AFRICAN AMERICAN PREACH PASTORS AND PREACHERS THERE DIDN'T HAVE ANY CATHOLIC, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY METHODISTS.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PRESBYTERIANS.
UH, WE HAD, UH, ONE, UH, EPISCOPAL ROY TRIP.
UH, WE NEED TO PULL MORE THEM OUT.
WE NEED TO PULL THOSE LEGISLATORS, UH, IN.
AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS TO ME IS A PUSH.
YOU PUSH OUT TO COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS, TO, UH, COUNTY DIRECTORS.
WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT VERY WELL.
WE HAVEN'T PUSHED OUT TO INDIVIDUAL LEGISLATORS INDIVIDUALLY SAY, COME TO OUR SCHOOL.
LET ME GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE SCHOOL.
WE HAVE A LOT OF MISINFORMATION OUT THERE FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
SO WE, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO DO SOME MORE PUSHING, I BELIEVE.
UM, WE ALSO NEED TO FOCUS ON CERTAIN GROUPS.
FOR EXAMPLE, I AM ASTOUNDED THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT I MEET IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE RETIRED EDUCATORS, RETIRED SUPERINTENDENTS, RETIRED PRINCIPALS, RETIRED TEACHERS.
AND I SAY, WHY DON'T YOU GET INVOLVED? WELL, NO ONE TOLD ME TO GET INVOLVED.
SO THEY, THEY'RE WAITING FOR AN INVITATION.
BUT WE'RE NOT PUSHING OUT, WE'RE NOT SAYING, HEY, RETIRED, UH, EDUCATORS, WE GOT A, WE GOT A LUNCHEON FOR YOU.
COME DOWN AND WE'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON.
BUT WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO GET YOUR EXPERIENCE TO HELP US.
UM, WHAT'S THE BOARD'S ROLE IN THIS? WE GOT SOME VERY TALENTED PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD.
ARE YOU USING THE BOARD? WE COULD BE HELPING YOU PUSH.
ARE YOU GIVING US TALKING POINTS AND, AND PROS, PEOPLE TO GO OUT AND SEE, PUSH US.
UM, I, I, I REALLY THINK WE'RE AN ASSET THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT BEING USED TO OUR MAXIMUM, UH, CAPACITY.
AND I, I ASK YOU TO NO, WE'RE HAP WE'RE HAPPY TO GIVE YOU TALKING POINTS,
BUT I, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMUNICATING WITH US AND TELLING US WHAT'S GOING ON WHEN THERE'S, THERE'S A PROBLEM IN A SCHOOL THAT'S VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE.
AND SO THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN MENTIONED TO IS NOT A, A, UH, A BEAT UP TIME.
I, I JUST WANNA HAVE YOU THINK MAYBE A LITTLE OUTSIDE THE BOX WHEN, WHEN I HAVE FIRST TIME, I GAVE THE 10 YEAR PLAN TO THE HEAD OF, OF COUNTY, UH, HEALTH SERVICES.
THAT'S THE FIRST TIME ANYBODY GAVE THAT TO HIM.
WE, THAT'S PUSHING, THAT'S WHAT WE OUGHT, WE GOTTA PUSH IT OUT.
UM, SO I'M COMING FROM THIS, FROM THE PARENT PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND I THINK THE PART THAT I, AND I PARTICIPATE IN THE FOCUS GROUP THAT I AM MOST FOCUSED IN ON WAS, UM, ABOUT WHETHER THE DISTRICT OR THE SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE IN CHARGE.
AND I THINK THE SCHOOL SHOULD BE IN CHARGE OF WHAT INFORMATION AND, AND CONTENT.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO POINT OUT AS A PARENT THAT I RECEIVED EMAILS, TEXTS, PHONE
[00:40:01]
NUMBERS.I GET NOTIFICATIONS FROM POWERSCHOOL PEACH JAR.
THERE'S THE SCHOOL FACEBOOK PAGE, THE SCHOOL ATHLETIC FACEBOOK PAGE, THE DISTRICT FACEBOOK PAGE.
WE HAVE BRIGHT ARROW, I GET COM MM-HMM.
THERE'S TEAM UP SPORTS FOR YOU, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, AND I JUST HAVE ONE KID IN ONE SCHOOL.
SO I THINK THAT WE'VE GOT TO LIKE, CONSOLIDATE DOWN THE NUMBER OF PLATFORMS BECAUSE IT'S OVERWHELMING.
AND, UM, I'M GONNA TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY, I, I GOT AN EMAIL TO REGISTER MY SON FOR THE P SS A T, UM, WHICH CAME THROUGH BRIGHT ARROW.
I DON'T THINK EMAIL'S THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.
ROBIN, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS.
BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, EMAIL'S PROBLEMATIC.
AND I SUGGESTED, UM, IN THE MEETING TO THE BOARD THAT WE NEED AN ONLINE REQUEST FORM FOR COMMENT CARDS.
NOT BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE ROBIN AREN'T GETTING THEIR EMAIL.
WHEN ROBIN GETS THE EMAIL, SHE MAKES SURE PUBLIC COMMENTS HAPPEN, BUT YOU HAVE ONE LETTER OFF AND THAT EMAIL DOESN'T COME THROUGH.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE WERE TO LIKE, PEOPLE PUT A W IN VOTE, WRITE A SILENT W RIGHT? SO, UM, IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN AND I DIDN'T GET THE REGISTRATION INFORMATION FOR THE P S A T, UH, THAT'S A HUGE PROBLEM.
AND MY HUSBAND GETS FURIOUS 'CAUSE HE GETS A PHONE CALL AND IT SAYS FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL.
SO HE'S LIKE, OH MY GOSH, HE'S IN SURGERY.
AND IT'S A RECORDED MESSAGE ABOUT SENIOR PHOTOS, YOU KNOW? AND SO WHEN THERE'S SOMETHING THAT GETS PUSHED OUT, WE ALL GET PHONE CALLS, WE ALL GET EMAILS, HE'S FORWARDING ME THE EMAILS HE'S GETTING, SO I'M GETTING IT TWICE.
LIKE WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BE A LITTLE MORE TARGETED, UM, BECAUSE IT BECOMES JUST A SEA OF INFORMATION AND IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO PICK OUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT NOT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF MY NUMBER ONE THING.
'CAUSE I WORRY ALL THE TIME THAT I'M LO I'M GONNA MISS A P SS A T REGISTRATION DATE.
I'M GONNA MISS A DEADLINE, I'M GONNA, YOU KNOW, SO FOR THOSE THINGS THAT ARE HIGH PRIORITY, ACADEMIC, ET CETERA, IF WE COULD FIND A PLACE WHERE SOMEONE COULD JUST GO ONLINE AND LOOK AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, AND SO IT'S SORT OF THIS BUCKSHOT APPROACH.
THE OTHER THING IS, LIKE, I WENT ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND OUR TWITTER AND OUR FACEBOOK AND IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, TEACHER AWARDS AND, AND POSITIVE STUFF IN THE DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT IT'S NOT A GOOD SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR PARENTS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS OR GRANDPARENTS WHO NEED TO KNOW IF THEIR SCHOOL IS, IS A HALF DAY NOTE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THEY'RE JUST, IT JUST FEELS LIKE THERE'S NOT A REALLY GOOD CENTRALIZED PLACE FOR THE INFORMATION, UH, FOR PARENTS TO GET IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE AN AWAY GAME TOMORROW? DO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST CONSTANTLY SEARCHING THROUGH YOUR EMAILS OR THROUGH YOUR PHONE TEXT.
SO THAT'S MY ONLY THING IS I THINK THE SCHOOLS CAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATIONS, BUT WE SHOULD AGREE ON AT LEAST ONE FORMAT WHERE THE MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
AND THE SECOND THING IS TARGETING.
SO THAT IF I'VE GOT THIS ONE KID WHO'S A JUNIOR, I DON'T NEED TO HEAR OF THE 75 MESSAGES ABOUT SENIOR PHOTOS AND, YOU KNOW, GRADUATION DATES AND WHATNOT, BECAUSE I'M GONNA, IN ALL THAT, I'M GONNA MISS THE MESSAGE THAT'S IMPORTANT.
SO THAT IS JUST, AND I KNOW IT'S A CHALLENGE.
I ALSO DON'T THINK, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS SCHOOL SHOULD BE ABLE TO PICK OTHER COMMUNICATION METHODS.
YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WAS A PRINCIPAL THAT WAS USING A WHOLE SEPARATE ONE.
'CAUSE IF YOU'VE GOT KIDS AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ONE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND MAYBE ONE IS TAKING SOME SPECIAL CLASSES SOMEWHERE ELSE, YOU CAN'T HAVE THREE PLATFORMS THAT YOU'RE CONSTANTLY GOING TO.
SO THAT IS THE PARENT FEEDBACK.
AND I, AND I KNOW I, I SPEAK FOR THE MAJORITY OF PARENTS OUT THERE.
IF WE COULD JUST MAKE IT SIMPLER, CON, CONDENSE DOWN TO THE MOST IMPORTANT STUFF, UM, AGREE ON ONE PLATFORM AND ONE PLACE TO GO FOR THAT INFORMATION, THAT WOULD BE, UM, IT WOULD RELIEVE A LOT OF ANXIETY.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ECHO EXACTLY WHAT INGRID, MRS. BOATWRIGHT JUST SAID.
UM, THIS IS THE FEEDBACK THAT I HEAR OR HAVE EXPERIENCED.
THERE ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT MIGHT HAVE A CHILD AT E C C CREATIVE ARTS AND THEN ALSO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THEY FEEL INUNDATED WITH THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNICATIONS.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF EMAIL BEING A PROBLEM, MANY OF US WHO ARE TECH SAVVY THEN FILTER THOSE EMAILS TO A SPECIFIC FOLDER SO THAT THEY'RE NOT CLUTTERING UP EVERYONE'S INBOX.
HOWEVER, THEN WHEN A PARENT DOES REALIZE THAT THEY NEED INFORMATION, THEY'RE LEFT CRAWLING THROUGH THEIR FOLDER, YOU KNOW, WITHIN AN EMAIL, UM, SERVER LOOKING FOR THE INFORMATION THAT ACTUALLY PERTAINS TO WHAT THEY NEED.
SO IT DOES JUST CREATE, NO MATTER HOW IT'S BEING MANAGED FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL FAMILY, IT CREATES, YOU KNOW, JUST I THINK A FEELING OF BEING OVERWHELMED AND THEY DON'T HAVE THAT PLACE TO GO GET CLEAR INFORMATION.
UM, WITH EVERYTHING INGRID SAID, ANOTHER SUGGESTION I WOULD MAKE IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATIONS IS IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE AND THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER PARENTS
[00:45:01]
THAT I SPEAK TO.UM, THERE AREN'T, FOR EXAMPLE, DIRECTORIES GIVEN, AND THIS IS ON A SCHOOL LEVEL, HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN PUT IN PRACTICE AT CERTAIN SCHOOLS THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, A DIRECTORY IS GIVEN OF THE CHILDREN IN THE CLASS.
UM, ANY GIVEN YEAR, PARENTS CAN OPT IN OR OUT OF THAT.
AND THEN IF PARENTS ARE GIVEN EACH OTHER'S CONTACT INFORMATION OR EVEN NAMES, THEY CAN THEN TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES, WHICH MANY OF US DO TO CREATE SOMETHING LIKE THERE'S AN APP FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR CALLED GROUPME.
AND THEN PARENTS CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS OR INTERACTIONS AS NEEDED WITH ONE ANOTHER.
AND RIGHT NOW, IN A LOT OF OUR SCHOOLS, THERE IS NOT THAT OPPORTUNITY WHERE PARENTS GET TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER OR COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER UNLESS THEY JUST SO HAPPEN TO SHOW UP AT AN EVENT TOGETHER.
UM, BUT SOMETHING LIKE A DIRECTORY WHERE PARENTS CAN THEN REACH OUT TO EACH OTHER, THE PARENTS IN THEIR CHILD'S CLASS, AND THEN THEY CAN ASK EACH OTHER.
THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO FALL SOLELY ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IF WE GIVE PARENTS TOOLS SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATION METHODS, LIKE GIVING THEM THEIR EMAILS, PHONE NUMBERS, ET CETERA, THEY CAN COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR THEM TO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER ABOUT SPORTS SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, ET CETERA.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE HOAS.
WHEN ARE YOU PLANNING ON MEETING WITH THE H O A REPS? I THINK IT WILL LIKELY BE PROBABLY NOVEMBER, I THINK NOVEMBER-ISH TIMEFRAME.
IT'LL, IT'LL BE IN TIME TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING REFERENDUM WISE.
AS SOON AS I SAID NOVEMBER, I'M LIKE, IT NEEDS TO BE OCTOBER
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK, CONGRATULATE YOU AND YOUR GROUP HAD A CHANCE TO WORK WITH E I THINK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM, AND THEY ARE WORKING AT A FEVERISH PACE TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IT, UH, COMMUNICATIONS.
UH, ACTUALLY YOU AND SUPERINTENDENT AND THE REST OF THE TEAM ARE TAKING ON A MONUMENTAL JOB TO ACTUALLY BE VERY SPECIFIC, BUT ALSO BE VERY HIGH CONTENT RICH IN TERMS OF DELIVERING TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN OUR TARGET AUDIENCE, PARENTS AND STUDENTS.
I THINK THE UPSIDE IS REALLY THOSE PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO HAVE NO KIDS, BUT WANT TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND GETTING TO THEM.
AS I GO AROUND TO VARIOUS MEETINGS, I HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, I DON'T HEAR ABOUT THIS, THIS, OR THAT.
AND THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, ANY ATTACK ON THE CURRENT SITUATION, BUT I'M SAYING IT'S A STRATEGIC HELICOPTER UP, SAY, LOOKING FORWARD, HOW DO WE IMPROVE IT? THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN BY PRIOR SITUATIONS.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? A COUPLE OF THINGS I LIKE TO SHARE.
IT'S INTERESTING TO ME IN THE PRESENTATION THAT THE BUILDING LEADERS WANTED MORE CENTRALIZED, WHEREAS THE DISTRICT LEADERS WANTED MORE DECENTRALIZED.
AND SO TO ME, UH, A GOOD BRAND HAS CONSISTENCY WHEREVER THAT BRAND APPEARS OR THAT PRODUCT APPEARS THAT YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
THE GREATEST EXAMPLE OF THAT IS COCA-COLA, WHEN THEY TRIED TO GO FROM OLD COKE TO NEW COKE,
IT NORMALLY PUTS YOU OUT TO PASTURE SOMEWHERE AND PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT YOU.
SO, AND WHAT THEY FOUND OUT STATISTICALLY WAS IT WASN'T THE TASTE TEST BECAUSE THE TASTE TEST ON NEW COKE SAID, BOY, EVERYBODY LOVES THAT.
IT WAS, SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE MEMORIES OF HOW THEY INTERACTED WITH COKE, THAT SIX AND A HALF OUNCE BOTTLE GROWING UP ON A TOBACCO FARM AND DRINKING IT AT THE END OF THE, I MEAN, THAT STUCK WITH PEOPLE AND THAT NEW CODE TOOK THAT AWAY.
SO I THINK SORT OF GOING AND CAPTURING SOME OF THE HISTORICAL ADVANTAGES AND, AND TOUCH POINTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD WOULD BE VERY CONSISTENT.
UM, THE CENTRALIZED BASELINE, I THINK IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION, THE ACTUAL CONTENT, I THINK THERE HAS TO BE A HIGHER CENTRALIZED MESSAGE, AS MS. BOATWRIGHT MENTIONED, THAN OTHERS GOING WHEREVER.
AND THEN YOU HAVE A, A, A A, AN AMOUNT OF LOCALIZED VERY RELEVANT INFORMATION SO THAT IT IS EASIER TO DIGEST AND INTERNALIZE AND YOU DON'T ERODE THE BRAND.
UH, THE OTHER THING IS, I WOULD LOOK FOR SOMETHING LIKE A WOW FACTOR.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, A LOT OF TIMES YOU'RE GOING INTO A NEW AREA WHERE YOU'RE TAKING OVER RESPONSIBILITY.
YOU GOTTA BREAK THE EMOTIONAL PARADIGMS PEOPLE HAVE, IF IT'S STAYED, IF I CAN'T CHALLENGE THE BOSS OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE IT WHEN YOU SAY IT UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THEM CHALLENGE YOU IN A MEETING AND NO ONE GETS FIRED, RIGHT?
[00:50:01]
AND SO THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD TAKE ON SOMETHING ALMOST LIKE A RELIGIOUS EVENT.PICTURE THIS A THOUSAND AMBASSADORS IN A FOOTBALL STADIUM, AND YOU MAKE IT VERY FUN.
AND I MEAN, A THOUSAND PEOPLE, IF YOU CAN JAM A THOUSAND IN THERE, RIGHT? BUT YOU GIVE THEM THINGS THAT THEY TAKE BACK AND BOY, THAT STICKS IN THEIR MIND FOREVER.
AND THEN THAT BECOMES YOUR COMMUNICATION PLATFORM.
SO PEOPLE SAY, MAN, I WAS INVITED TO THIS.
AND THEY FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT HOW THEY WERE SELECTED AND YOU GOT A THOUSAND PEOPLE OUT THERE WORKING FOR YOU.
UH, THE OTHER THING IS, I THINK THE LOGO IS LIKE TAIL END OF A BRAND.
I CALL IT REPOSITIONING BECAUSE THE LOGO'S GOING TO CAPTURE ALL OF THE STRATEGIC RESEARCH ALIGNMENT WITH YOUR STRATEGY SO THAT THE LOGO JUST REPRESENTS WHAT YOU FOUND OUT, WHAT PEOPLE WANT, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DELIVER, AND, UM, IN ASSESS AND SET.
AND FINALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, CONCLUDING, I THINK THIS IS A WONDERFULLY IMPORTANT ROLE YOU'RE TAKING ON, AND I APPLAUD THE SUPERINTENDENT, I APPLAUD THE BOARD FOR SUPPORTING IT.
AND YOU, YOU CAN REPOSITION THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR 25 OR 30 YEARS AND WE WILL BE THE MOST FULLY INTEGRATED INTO THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE WHOLE NATION.
SO KUDOS THE UNION TEAM, TEAM, MR. SMITH, FIRST, UM, OFF, LET ME SAY TO MRS. PRUDEN AND HER STAFF, UM, APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN THIS DISTRICT AND THAT YOU'LL CONTINUE TO DO.
UM, UH, MR. RON LOS, UM,
UM, I WAS TALKING TO A STUDENT ONE DAY AND UM, APPARENTLY ONE OF YOUR, UH, I, I SHARED SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD DISPLAYED ONE ON ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE VIDEOS.
AND HE SAID, HEY, I'M MR. RONALDOS, DO YOU HEAR ME? I SAID, WHAT? I SAID, WHAT? AT FIRST, HE CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD.
HE SAID, HE SAID, HE SAID, BUT WHO IS IT? HE SAID, MRS. SMITH, BASICALLY HIS QUESTION WAS, BUT HE WAS, HE WAS TALKING LIKE, YOU BASICALLY, WHO IS MR. WHO IS THIS GUY WITH HIS VOICE? HE'S LIKE, HEY.
HE'S LIKE, HOW MUCH DOES HE GET PAID? HE'S LIKE, I, I MIGHT WANT THAT JOB,
AND SO I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU MADE A VALID POINT.
BUT I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THAT, SAY, IT IS, IT IS INTERESTING HOW KIDS HAVE ACTUALLY LISTENING.
YOU'LL BE SURPRISED HOW THEY ACTUALLY EVEN TAP INTO SOME OF THE STUFF THAT THAT, THAT THIS DEPARTMENT PUT OUT AND THAT YOU, YOU PUT OUT MS. LOW.
SO TO YOU, I BELIEVE DO BELIEVE IN GIVING YOU YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, UH, PUBLIC KUDOS TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND TO, TO THAT DEGREE, BECAUSE THAT'S THAT CAUGHT, THAT MADE THAT KID COME TO ME.
AND WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
SO, HEY, YOU GUYS, YOU GOT A KID OUT THERE WHO WANTS YOUR JOB?
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S FUNNY YOU SAID THAT THOUGH.
I RECENTLY HAD A PRINCIPAL TELL ME THAT A STUDENT HAD TO WRITE, LIKE DRAW A PICTURE OF THEIR GOALS FOR LIKE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEY DREW THEMSELVES DOING SOMETHING AND RON IN THE BACKGROUND FILMING IT,
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WELL, WE'RE WELL ON OUR WAY AS WE CAN SEE.
BUT, UM, JUST TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE OTHER OTHERS, OTHER POINTS.
ON ANOTHER SERIOUS SIDE, I AM CONCERNED TO A DEGREE BECAUSE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT REBRANDING, WE JUST AS A DISTRICT, WELL AS A DISTRICT OR, OR WE, AS ME AS A, BUT YET AS A COMMUNITY, WENT THROUGH SOME OF THE CONCERNS OF REBRANDING AND WHAT THAT, AND WHAT THAT IMPLICATES AND WHAT THAT IMPLIES.
UH, FOR ONE, YOU TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY AND THAT IS A BIG TOPIC AND THAT IS A BIG UPTAKING WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT REBRANDING AND YOU TAKE CERTAIN THINGS AWAY AND YOU BRING CERTAIN THINGS UP.
AND I DO UNDERSTAND THAT WE WANT, DO WE WANT TO BE YOUNG AND VIBRANT? HOWEVER, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY COGNIZANT ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD AND HOW WE REBRAND.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK EDITING, EDITING THE BRAND IS ONE THING DIFFERENT FROM REBRANDING.
SOMETIME WHEN YOU REBRAND, LIKE MR. DALLAS SAID, YOU CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE A A LITTLE BIT.
OR YOU MAY, YOU MAY, HEY SAY, HEY, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE NEW ME, THIS IS THE NEW FACE OF THE COMPANY.
AND SO THAT, THAT THAT DOES, THAT DOES, THAT DOES CONCERN ME A LITTLE BIT.
AND YOU DID, YOU DID HIT, HIT ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.
HOW, HOW I, YOU GAVE A, YOU, YOU GAVE KIND OF A DIRECTION AS YOU WERE GOING ALONG IN YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT JUST FOR CLARITY, I'M STILL KIND OF WONDERING, IS THERE A TIMELINE? ARE YOU STILL WORKING OUT THE KINKS ON WHAT THAT FACILITATING THAT PROCESS LOOK LIKE? I THINK IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE, UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE STARTING IN SEPTEMBER.
[00:55:01]
UP AROUND THE FEBRUARY TIMEFRAME.AND I WILL TELL YOU, THERE'LL BE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE.
SO YOUR CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE, YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO BRING THEM FORWARD WHEN WE HAVE THE FOCUS GROUPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A VALID POINT.
AND THEN, AND THEN, AND THEN YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT THE BRAND, THE BRAND, THE GRID, THE GRID LINE.
I SAID, WHAT WAS IT, THE GRID? YOU, YOU JUST, YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT SOMETHING ABOUT THE BRAND AND YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE THE, THE SOMETHING LAST.
THAT'S JUST OUR, OUR OUR MESSAGING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE BRAND.
SO THERE'S A VISUAL AND THEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, LIKE NIKE'S IS JUST DO IT, RIGHT? LIKE, SO IT WOULD BE WHAT WILL OUR TAGLINE BE? AND, AND, AND YEAH, AND, AND MY MIND TELLS ME, I MEAN, WELL, UNTIL INTO MY MIND, I, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THE, THE QUESTION IS TOO, IS HOW WILL THIS IMPACT WHAT THE BOARD HAS SAID THAT ITS VISION IS? BECAUSE IF YOU ASK ME, IT ALMOST SEEMED LIKE THIS IS SOME RETREAT WORK FOR THE BOARD AS WELL.
BECAUSE IN THE, IN THE TAGLINE, THE BOARD AS THAT'S THE, AS THE TOP PERSON AS LEADERSHIP IN, IN THE DISTRICT, WE OUTLINE WHAT THE MISSION IS AND THEN WE GIVE IT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HE GOES OUT AND HE, YOU KNOW, UH, AND HE TAKES CARE OF IT IN TERMS OF, UH, THIS LITTLE, UM, THIS EMBLEM THAT YOU SEE ON, ON, ON, ON VEHICLES AND JUST DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HA ON ON THE WEBSITE.
AND SO THAT MAKES ME WONDER, IS IT, IS IT TIME OR DO WE EDIT THAT? AND WHAT DEGREE DOES THAT HAVE IN THE IMPACT OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING? HOW MUCH ARE WE REALLY CHANGING? SO THAT'S WHY I SAY KIND OF, I'M STILL HAVING A QUESTION ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT IT, LIKE I SAID, IT DOES BRING ME SOME CONCERNS, BUT IT JUST, IT JUST A, A CLEAR, I THINK A MORE OF WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS ON WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE GOING ON THE PROCESS FROM NOT, NOT FROM A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, BUT HOW THINGS ARE GONNA BE CHANGED, WHAT IT'S GONNA BE LOOK LIKE, HOW SOON THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA FIGURE THAT OUT AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND, BUT LIKE THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU AS BOARD MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE, RIGHT? AND DEFINITELY WE'LL BE INVOLVED WITH IT AND BE PART OF THE MESSAGING.
UM, I, I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S IT.
UM, I BASICALLY STATED, UM, BASICALLY I'VE BASICALLY STATED WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT MY, WHAT MY ABOUT, WHAT MY, UH, CONCERNS ARE AND LOOKING FOR LOOKING AND LOOKING AND, AND DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PROCESS.
UM, ALL ALSO, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TARGETING AND BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT TAR TARGETING DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF DIFFERENT MARKETS THAT WE HAVEN'T TAPPED INTO.
AND BECAUSE SEE, SOME, SOME PEOPLE, UH, JUST LISTENING TO SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AND, AND, AND TALKING ABOUT, UM, ABOUT EMAILS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I, I TELL PARENTS WHO TELL ME, WELL, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU SEND OUT, YOU SEND OUT TOO MANY EMAILS.
I SAY, YOU LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING.
I SAY, EITHER YOU WANT IT NOW OR YOU WANT IT LATER, OR DO YOU WANNA HIT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA? BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.
IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY AND YOU'RE COMPLAINING SAYING, OH, Y'ALL AIN'T SEND ME NOTHING, WELL, I AIN'T GOT NOTHING.
WELL, MY GRANDDAUGHTER, OKAY, SO WHEN THERE'S NOT, WHEN THERE IS, WHEN THERE'S NOT EMERGENCY, THEN WE'RE SENDING OUT EMAILS AND WE'RE INFORMING YOU OF THINGS.
IT'S YOUR JOB TO SHIFT THROUGH IT AND, AND SEE WHAT'S VALUABLE FROM WHAT'S NOT.
I'M SURE EVERYONE HAVE EMAILS, THEY GET SOMEPLACE, COMPANY CALL A JUNK MAIL, YOU GET A TON OF JUNK MAIL THAT, THAT YOU SHIFT THROUGH IT AND YOU THROW IT AWAY OR YOU, OR YOU SAVE IT.
SO, I MEAN, SO I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT STUFF ALONE, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT IT.
I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, AND SOME OF 'EM SAY, OH, WELL YOU, WELL, YOU, YOU NOT A PARENT, BUT I'M, I'M, I'M MAKING MY DUE DILIGENCE TO CHECK AND UNDERSTAND AND PROCESS BECAUSE THE SAME PHONE CALLS THEY GET THE SAME PHONE CALLS THAT COME TO MY PHONE AND TELL ME WHAT BEAUTIFUL COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS, IS DOING.
AND WE ALL, WE ALL MY GRANDMA WON SAY WE ALL MAKE TIME FOR WHAT WE, WHAT WE VALUE.
SO IF KIDS IS OUR KIDS IS OUR NUMBER ONE ISSUE, THEN WE HAVE TO, WITH EVIL, WE, WE HAVE TO VALUE TAKING IN THESE, THESE PHONE CALLS.
PARENTS TELL ME, WELL, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
I ASKED THEM, DID YOU BLOCK THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER? OH, YES SIR, MA'AM, TAKE OUT YOUR PHONE.
SHE SAID, OH YEAH, I AIN'T KNOW I GOT BLOCKED.
WELL, THAT'S WHY YOU NOT GETTING NO CALLS.
THAT'S WHY THE SCHOOL CAN'T CALL YOU ABOUT YOUR SON.
YOU CAN CALL THEM, BUT THEY CAN'T CALL YOU FOR WORK BOTH WAYS, UNBLOCK 'EM.
AND SO, I MEAN, SIR, SO I HAVE THESE, I HAVE THESE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH MY CONSTITUENTS.
MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, I'M I'M JUST SAYING THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE WORKING AND, AND, AND I DON'T WANT US TO GET TOO IN TUNE TO, UH, AND, AND MAKING THINGS PERSONALIZED, DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS.
BUT I ALSO WANT US TO INCLUDE DIFFERENT, UH, D DEMOGRAPHICS THAT WE HADN'T INCLUDE IN SOME OF THESE PROCESSES.
[01:00:01]
I, AND I'M GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT SO THAT I FIGURE THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS ALSO, BECAUSE SOME OF US, I'M GONNA TAKE CREDIT OF, IF YOU WANNA PUT SOMETIMES IF YOU, IF ON CERTAIN THINGS IN SOCIAL MEDIA, SO IF GRANDPARENTS ARE TAKING CARE OF THEIR KIDS, THOSE EMAILS DON'T COME TO THEM.THOSE EMAILS GO TO MOM AND DAD.
SO WE ALSO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WAY HOW TO GET THEM ACTIVELY ENGAGED AND GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO THEM AS WELL, THE SAME WAY HOW WE GET IT OUT TO QUA IN OTHER AREAS.
I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOU AND YOUR STAFF JOB THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
UM, AS FAR AS COMMUNICATION TO C THE PUBLIC, WE AS BOARD MEMBERS CAN DO A BETTER JOB ALSO.
UM, NOW AS FAR AS COLONEL GUY TALKED ABOUT THE LEGISLATORS, WE HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR THEM FOR THE LAST, UH, 30 YEARS.
UH, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT I DO, I JUST TALK TO THE ONES THAT WILL LISTEN, YOU KNOW, LEAVE IT ALONE.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND MR. LOPES
I WORKED WITH MR. LOPES AT BLACKTON HIGH SCHOOL SOME YEARS AGO.
HE'S STILL THE SAME PROFESSIONAL, NICE AND KIND.
UM, MY ONLY COMMENT, 'CAUSE I'M NOT GONNA REHASH WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, THEY SAID, IT'S SO ELOQUENTLY, UM, BUT I'M GERIATRIC Y'ALL,
YOU KNOW, UH, I WANTED TO GO TO A FOOTBALL GAME.
AND, UH, TWO TEAMS, LOCAL TEAMS WERE PLAYING EACH OTHER.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO ACCESS THE, UM, CALENDAR, YOU KNOW, FOR THESE TWO TEAMS WHO WERE PLAYING EACH OTHER.
SO I ENDED UP NOT GOING TO THE GAME, OKAY? 'CAUSE I'M GERIATRIC, YOU KNOW, ONCE I, I PUNCHED IN AND LOOKED AT ALL THOSE THINGS THAT I HAD TO CHOOSE FROM, I JUST SAID, WOW.
SO I END UP CALLING A PARENT AND SHE SAID, NO, IT'S NOT TONIGHT.
IT'S GONNA BE WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
WELL, HECK, WEDNESDAY CAME, I FORGOT
UM, SO I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE REBRANDING RE-IMAGING RELOOKING AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS.
AND WE ARE GRANDPARENTS WHO DO TAKE CARE OF OUR CHILDREN AND WE WANNA KNOW, BUT WE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW.
NOW MR. MR. CAMPBELL GOT ME BEAT.
'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT HE DID A GREAT JOB IN HIS TRAINING AND I'M STILL TRYING TO, TO, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THIS NEW SYSTEM WE HAVE.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU RE-LOOKING AT IT.
I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE COMMENTS, BUT PLEASE DON'T FORGET US.
AND THANK ALL OF YOU, MS. TEAM.
QUADS, ARE WE RECESSED FOR A MINUTE OR ARE WE GOING? AND I WAS GONNA SAY CONTINUE ON.
UM, SO IF WE'RE READY THEN MS. CROSBY.
UM, SO THIS SET, UH, THIS MORNING'S UPDATE REG IS REGARDING THE SCHOOL OPERATIONS ROLLBACK MILLAGE.
SO, UM, TRY TO, UM, IT'S A COMPLICATED LITTLE TOPIC, UH, BUT IS
[01:05:01]
SOMETHING THAT ISN'T VERY IMPORTANT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.UM, SO IT INVOLVES THE MILLAGE THAT WAS SET BACK IN THE BUDGET IN MAY WHEN WE SET THE BOARD, UH, SET AND APPROVE THE BUDGET AND SET THE MILLAGE AS WELL FOR OPERA SCHOOL OPERATIONS TAX.
SO WE DO HAVE TWO TYPES OF TAXES, UH, ON THE TAX BILLS, SCHOOL OPERATIONS, AND SCHOOL DEBT.
THIS ONLY APPLIES TO THE SCHOOL OPERATIONS MILLAGE, UM, WHICH IS THE NORMAL OPERATIONS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT PAYS FOR TEACHER SALARIES AND SO ON.
SO THAT BUDGET WAS APPROVED IN MID-MAY.
AND, UM, ON OUR FIRST SLIDE HERE, IT DEMONSTRATES THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE THAT WAS APPROVED IN THE BUDGET ORDINANCE, UH, THE BUDGET APPROVAL BY THE BOARD AND THE BUDGET ORDINANCE, UH, WITH COUNTY COUNCIL.
SO, UH, DURING THOSE PRESENTATIONS, I ALWAYS REFERRED TO THE MILLAGE AS PRE-ROLL BACK, UH, BECAUSE THIS YEAR WE HAD A REASSESSMENT, UH, AND THE REASSESSMENT IS, UH, PERFORMED BY THE COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE.
UM, MS. UM, EBONY SANDERS CAME AND PRESENTED TO YOU, I THINK IN NOVEMBER OF DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
AND THERE WAS AN INDICATION THAT THERE WAS, UM, HEAVY GROWTH IN THE PROPERTY VALUES IN THE COUNTY.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE SEE THAT GROWTH, UH, ON A DAILY BASIS IN THE SALES PRICES OF HOMES, AND THAT, UM, TRANSLATES OVER TO, UM, INCREASED, UH, PROPERTY TAX VALUES ON THE TAX BILL.
SO AS A RESULT OF THAT INCREASED VALUE IN THE TAX BILL, UM, TAXES WILL GO UP.
UM, HOWEVER, THE BUDGET HAS BEEN SET FOR A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT, UM, AND WE HAVE TO COLLECT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT NO MATTER WHAT MILLAGE IS CALCULATED.
SO THIS IS THE PROCESS OF ROLLING BACK THAT MILLAGE TO A LOWER LEVEL TO CALC TO GENERATE THE SAME LEVEL OF REVENUES THAT WE APPROVED IN THE BUDGET.
SO, UM, THE FIRST LINE IS WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY APPROVED 125.6 MILS.
UH, AND WE APPROVED FOR, IN ORDER TO FUND INCREASES IN TEACHER SALARIES AND OTHER OPERATIONAL INCREASES OF THE DISTRICT, A 4.4 MIL INCREASE, TOTALING 130 MILS.
SO THAT WAS THE PRE-ROLL BACK NUMBER.
WHAT WE ARE AMENDING, UH, THE MILLAGE TO BE IS, UM, ROLLING.
WE HAVE TO CALCULATE BASED ON THE, THE BASE MILLAGE BEFORE THE APPROVED INCREASE.
SO 125.6 MILS WAS ROLLED BACK TO 117.4, WHICH IS AN 8.2 MIL INCREASE.
SO WHEN ADDING THE 4.4 NEW MILLS IN, THE NEW, UH, APPROVED MILLAGE IS 1 21 0.8.
SO LAST YEAR, UM, TA HOMEOWNERS, UH, THAT, UH, THAT WERE NOT PRIMARY RESIDENCES OR OTHER BUSINESSES THAT SAW A MILLAGE OF 1 25 0.6.
THIS MILL, THEY WILL SEE THIS YEAR, THEY WILL SEE A MILLAGE RATE OF 1 21 0.8, WHICH IS ABOUT A 3.6 MIL REDUCTION.
SO INSTEAD OF SEEING ANY INCREASES IN THERE, IT WILL SHOW AN OVERALL IN, UH, DECREASE.
SO, UM, IT, IT, IT'S A, A LITTLE CONFUSING, BUT JUST KNOW THAT THE TAX BILL IS GOING DOWN BY 3.6 MILS FROM LAST YEAR'S RATE.
AND SO THAT IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE SORT OF DEMONSTRATES THAT, UM, THE LEFT HAND COLUMN IS THE MILLAGE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY APPROVED AT 130 MILS.
WE ARE PREDICTING, UH, A $1.6 MILLION MIL VALUE ON THIS, THE SCHOOL OPERATIONS.
SO WITH THE NEW VALUES, THAT WOULD GENERATE AN, UH, A REVENUE OF $208 MILLION, WHICH IS MORE, UM, WAY MORE, OUR, OUR REVENUE, UH, IN THE BUDGET WAS 195 MILLION THAT WE BUDGETED FOR.
SO OBVIOUSLY THAT'S $13 MILLION MORE THAN WHAT WE, UM, GENERATED OR APPROVED IN THE BUDGET.
AND THEREFORE, UH, STATE LAW DOES REQUIRE US TO ROLL BACK THAT MILLAGE AND ADJUST IT, ADJUST THAT MILLAGE TO GENERATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WE APPROVED.
UM, SO, AND THE WHOLE GOAL IS REVENUE NEUTRALITY.
THAT'S THE TERMINOLOGY WE USE.
SO, UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY.
UM, AND THIS WAS ALL PROVIDED IN THE, UM, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WE HAD ON AUGUST, UH, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO IN AUGUST, UH, EARLY ON.
AND, UH, WE HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, ANOTHER BOARD MEETING TO BRING IT FORWARD.
SO, UH, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BRING AN UPDATE TO THE BOARD SINCE WE ALL ALREADY ARE GOING THROUGH SOME OF THIS, UH, APPROVALS WITH COUNTY COUNCIL.
UH, SO BASICALLY WE'RE TAKING THE INFORMATION FROM THE COUNTY TAX ROLES.
AND, UM, SO THE ORIGINAL CALCULATIONS REQUIRE THAT YOU TAKE REASSESSED VALUES,
[01:10:01]
UH, AND CALCULATE HOW MUCH OR OR PULL IN THE PRIOR YEAR TAXES LEVIED TO GET A NEW MILLAGE.BUT THAT FORMULA DOESN'T REALLY, UH, ACCURATELY REFLECT, UH, COUNTIES WITH HIGH GROWTH AND WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS WITH THE SHIFTS FROM 6% TO 4%.
SO WE, I USED A DIFFERENT METHODOLOGY, UM, THAT THAT FORMULA GENERATED A 14 MIL REDUCTION WHEN JUST A FLAT STATE CALCULATION.
SO OBVIOUSLY, UM, THAT IS THE RESULT OF WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN PAST YEARS WITH REASSESSMENT.
UM, THAT CALCULATION DOES NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT OR ANY OTHER LA COASTAL COUNTIES OR HIGH GROWTH DISTRICTS.
SO I TOOK ANOTHER APPROACH TO, UM, SO THAT CALCULATION WAS DONE BY COUNTY STAFF.
UH, SO I MET WITH COUNTY STAFF, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT COLLABORATION IN A MINUTE.
BUT BASICALLY I TOOK, UH, ANOTHER METHODOLOGY OF TAKING THE, WHAT THE VALUE OF THE MILL THAT'S POSTED BY THE COUNTY EACH YEAR AND TAKING A DISCOUNT RATE ON THAT AND LOOKING AT AVERAGES OVER THE YEARS THAT WE, UH, PRIOR REASSESSMENTS HAPPEN TO HAVE ALL THAT DATA, UH, FROM MY PREDECESSOR AND MYSELF, UM, YOU KNOW, EIGHT, EIGHT YEARS AGO, OR NINE, NINE OR 10 YEARS AGO.
AND, UH, WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THAT IN INFORMATION SO THAT WE COULD TAKE THE RESULTS OF THOSE YEARS AND APPLY THAT ESTIMATE TO THE CURRENT YEAR.
SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, UM, PRIOR YEARS ACTUALLY SHOWED, UH, A 10% THAT THEY COLLECTED, UH, 90%, OR THAT WE RECEIVED 90% OF THE ACTUAL GROSS MILL VALUE.
AND ANOTHER YEAR WAS WE RECEIVED, UH, 87% OF THE GROSS MILL VALUE.
SO I'M APPLYING THOSE PERCENTAGES TO THE CURRENT YEAR IN ORDER TO GET A MORE ACCURATE VALUE AND LESSEN THAT 14 MIL REDUCTION THAT WAS RECOMMENDED ORIGINALLY TO AN EIGHT MIL REDUCTION.
SO, UM, THIS NEXT SLIDE JUST GIVES THE, THE NUMBERS BEHIND THAT.
UM, AND SLIDE FIVE AND, UH, THAT SHOWS THE GROSS MILL VALUES WE'VE HAD IN 20 13, 20 18, AND THEN APPLYING THOSE PERCENTAGES, I'M APPLYING A 12.5% DISCOUNT.
UM, WE, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN 2013 AND 2018, WE'D HAD A SIGNIFICANT SHORTFALL IN TAX REVENUE.
UM, AND SO I'M USING THIS METHODOLOGY TO APPLY THAT NOW AND APPLY THAT, UM, LOWER PERCENTAGE OF COL OR OF REVENUES RECEIVED, UM, IN ORDER TO GET THE MOST ACCURATE VALUE.
SO, UH, SO IN USING THOSE CALCULATIONS, I HAVE MET WITH THE COUNTY ASSESSOR, GOTTEN INFORMATION FROM THEM, UH, THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, HAYES WILLIAMS, UM, OUR, MY FINANCE TEAM TO, TO RUN THROUGH THE SCENARIO AND SEE IF THAT WAS AN APPROPRIATE METHODOLOGY.
AND THEN THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LEGAL TEAM.
AND THAT WAS BASED ON THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE APPROVALS MADE.
SO, UM, SO BASICALLY, UH, WHEN, UH, MY CALCULATIONS WERE, UH, FINALIZED, I REACHED OUT TO THE COUNTY, UM, AND IN OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED AT THE HUNDRED AND 30 MILLS I WAS APPROVED IN ON JUNE 26TH, UH, THERE WAS A, A PARAGRAPH THAT STATED THAT BUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY THESE MILLAGE RATES AS MAY DEEM NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE, BUT NO LATER THAN AUGUST 31ST OF THE TAXING YEAR.
AND IF IT DOES DETERMINE NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE, THEN SAID, MILLAGE RATE SHALL BE ADOPTED BY RESOLUTION.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE OF THIS WAS TO ALLOW FOR ONE COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVAL, UH, OF THAT AMENDED ORDINANCE IF THE AMENDED OR ROLLBACK ORDINANCE WAS REQUIRED, WHICH IT IS.
SO WE ARE, IT IS NOW NECESSARY.
UM, HOWEVER, WHEN I REACHED OUT, UH, AT THE END OF JULY, I WAITED ON, UH, ALL OF THE TAX REVENUE INFORMATION AND REVENUE AND INFORMATION OF SHIFTS FROM SIX TO 4% FROM THE COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE WHEN I REACHED.
SO MY GOAL WAS TO MAKE SURE WE WERE FINISHING BY AUGUST 31ST.
UM, WHEN I REACHED OUT TO SAY, I'M READY, WE NEED A RESOLUTION.
THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ON THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LEGAL TEAM THAT WE NOW NEEDED.
IT WAS, SHOULD BE AN AMENDED ORDINANCE INSTEAD OF A RESOLUTION AND WOULD NOW REQUIRE THREE READINGS.
SO THAT MADE US, UH, KICK THINGS INTO GEAR QUICKER, UM, AND MADE US SPEED UP THE PROCESS.
SO, UM, WHAT WE, UH, WERE REQUIRED TO DO IS MEET, UM, IN ORDER TO GET THREE READINGS IN BY AUGUST 31ST.
WE HAD OUR FIRST READING ON MONDAY,
[01:15:01]
AUGUST 14TH.UM, AND SO WE, I FIRST, BEFORE GOING TO FULL COUNCIL, WENT TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICES AND LAND USE COMMITTEE ON, UH, EAR, UH, THREE O'CLOCK ON MONDAY THE 14TH, TO, UH, PROVIDE A PRESENTATION, UH, TO THEM, UH, THAT WAS A, A MORE BRIEF VERSION THAN WHAT YOU SEE TODAY.
DIDN'T GET INTO ALL OF THE METHODOLOGY, UM, BUT ULTIMATELY IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED TO MOVE FORWARD AND THEN UNANIMOUSLY IMPROVED IN FIRST READING.
SECOND READING WAS THIS PAST MONDAY.
THERE WAS A SPECIAL CALLED SESSION, UH, CREATED, UM, FOR THIS ITEM, BUT THERE WERE OTHER MATTERS THAT THEY DISCUSSED LATER ON.
SO IT WASN'T THE ONLY TOPIC OF THE EVENING.
UM, SO IT DID APPROVE, UH, WITH NO OBJECTION AND SECOND READING AS WELL.
AND THEN FINAL READING WILL BE AT THREE 30 THIS COMING MONDAY AT COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
UM, SO IT WILL BE ALSO A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, BUT I THINK THERE ARE OTHER SPECIAL CALLED MEETINGS THAT EVENING AS WELL.
SO, AGAIN, I WON'T BE THE ONLY THING, THE ONLY TOPIC OF CONVERSATION THAT EVENING.
UM, PRIOR TO THE FIRST READING, DR.
RODRIGUEZ AND I MET WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN TABER AND, UH, CHAIR COUNCIL CHAIR, UH, PASSANT.
AND SO WE WENT THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION THAT YOU SEE TODAY WITH THEM AND TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THE BACKGROUND OF THE INFORMATION.
AND WE MET FOR AN HOUR AT SUMMER INSTITUTE.
UM, THEY WERE VERY, UM, I THINK THEY WERE EXCITED TO BE IN A BUILDING WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE AND LOTS OF, UM, LOTS OF ACTION GOING ON AND LOTS OF LEARNING.
UM, AND SO THEY WERE VERY, UH, OPEN TO THE CONVERSATION AND, AND GRA GRATEFUL TO HAVE THAT, UH, BACKGROUND IN ORDER TO HELP IT, UH, PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THEIR FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO WE SET SET THE STAGE FOR A VERY EASY PROCESS.
AND, UH, I DO EXPECT, UM, A UNANIMOUS, UH, APPROVAL ON MONDAY AS WELL.
SO ONCE THAT OCCURS IN THE PACKET, YOU HAVE, UH, AN AMENDED ORDINANCE YOU SEE WITH THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED OF 1 21 0.8, THAT IS THE ONLY EDIT OR AMENDMENT THAT IN THIS ENTIRE ORDINANCE.
SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THEY WILL APPROVE AND THEN COUNCIL CHAIRMAN, UM, AND I THINK THE CLERK OF CLERK TO COUNCIL WILL SIGN OFF ON THE AMENDED ORDINANCE.
AND I, I WILL SEND THAT AND A CERTIFICATION OF OUR MILLAGE SIGNED BY OUR BOARD CHAIR OVER TO THE COUNTY AUDITOR'S OFFICE.
AND THEN HE WILL BEGIN, DAVID CAD IS THE NEW COUNTY AUDITOR AS OF JULY ONE, AND HE WILL LOAD THAT INFORMATION IN HIS TAX RECORDS TO SEND OUT TAX BILLS WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UH, MS. CROSBY, I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND THE DISTRICT BECAUSE THAT'S SOME VERY INNOVATIVE ANALYSIS,
AND NOW THE ONLY QUESTION I HAD ABOUT THIS WHOLE PRESENTATION, YOU ANSWERED BY SAYING WHAT PROCESS YOU WENT THROUGH TO BUILD IN A LITTLE CUSHION.
SO KUDOS TO YOU AND THE TEAM MEMBERS.
UM, REASSESSMENT YEAR'S TOUGH YEAR.
UH, LAST TIME WE DID REASSESSMENT, THE MILLAGE RATE WAS DETERMINED, UH, BY THE COUNTY FOR US.
UH, IT DID NOT AGREE WITH WHAT WE SAID THE MILLAGE SHOULD BE, AND THE RESULT WAS A DEFICIT IN REVENUE OF OVER $9 MILLION.
IT HAS TAKEN US THIS AMOUNT OF TIME, UH, SINCE THE LAST REASSESSMENT TO RECOVER THAT $9 MILLION THIS YEAR.
THE MILLAGE RATE IS OUR GUESSTIMATE, AND I SAY GUESSTIMATE BECAUSE IT IS AN ESTIMATE AND, AND REASON, IT'S AN ESTIMATE FOR US, IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO BUY A HOUSE AND START OUT AS A SECOND HOME LIKE I DID, AND THEN A YEAR LATER SWITCH IT OVER TO A FULL-TIME PROPERTY.
SO I, MY TAX RATE CHANGED, AND IT SEEMS TO BE, SEEMS TO HAPPEN EVERY FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
THERE'S MORE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT DECIDE TO CHANGE FROM BEING A SECOND HOME TO BEING A FIRST HOME.
SO THAT'S A VARIABLE THAT YOU, YOU CAN'T ANTICIPATE.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA DO THAT.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE TURN 65 THAT OWN HAND.
AND WHEN YOU'RE 65, YOU CAN GO INTO THE TREASURE AND SAY, I'M ELIGIBLE NOW FOR THE
[01:20:01]
HOMESTEAD REDUCTION, WHICH REDUCES THE ASSESSED VALUE OF YOUR HOME.YOU CAN'T ANTICIPATE HOW MANY PEOPLE TURN 65.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER VARIABLE THAT COMES INTO IT.
ALSO, IN REASSESSMENT YEAR, THERE'S A LARGER NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CHALLENGE THEIR ASSESSMENT OF THEIR HOME, AND THAT CHALLENGE MAKES THE REVENUE, THEY, THEY CAN GET SOME EXTRA TIME TO PAY.
AND, AND THAT CAUSES ISSUES AS WELL.
SO, MS. CROSBY'S ESTIMATE TAKES ALL OF THAT KIND OF INTO FACTOR.
AND IF WE ARE A LITTLE BIT OVER, IN OTHER WORDS, WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE REVENUE THAN WE ASK FOR IN THAT MILLAGE RATE.
IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, AND WE DO NOT, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
YOU, WE DO NOT HAVE TO DO A REBATE.
WHAT WE DO IS WE APPLY THAT TO THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD THE LAST TIME.
NOW, I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO DAVID CAD, THE AUDITOR.
THAT WAS ONE OF OUR PROBLEMS LAST TIME.
MR. CAD IS COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH ANYA'S FACTORS.
SO THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE OF, THAN LAST TIME.
BUT HERE'S A BOTTOM LINE FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS.
IT IS A REDUCTION IN MILLAGE RATE.
IT IS NOT NECESSARILY A REDUCTION IN WHAT YOU PAY IN TAXES BECAUSE A MILLAGE RATE IS A PERCENTAGE OF THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME.
THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME IS ORIGINALLY DETERMINED WHEN YOU BUY THE HOME.
AND I BOUGHT OUR HOME IN 2007 THAT ESTABLISHED MY ASSESSED VALUE.
NOW, MY ASSESSED VALUE IS A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN IT WAS WHEN I BOUGHT IT, BUT BECAUSE I'VE HAD THIS HOME, I CAN ONLY HAVE MY ASSESSED VALUE INCREASED BY 15%.
SO YOU CAN TELL CONSTITUENTS, YOU KNOW, YOUR TAXES ARE GONNA GO UP SOME, BUT IF YOU'VE HAD YOUR HOME FOR SOME TIME, IT'S NOT GONNA GO UP AS MUCH AS INFLATION HAS GONE UP, BUT THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME'S INCREASED, AND AS A PERCENTAGE, YOUR TAXES ARE GOING TO INCREASE.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MOST OF OUR CONSTITUENTS DO NOT UNDERSTAND, AND YOU, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO TELL THEM ABOUT.
UM, AND IT'S JUST, IT'S INFLATION AND INFLATION.
OUR, OUR COSTS GO UP, BUT THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME PROBABLY HAS GONE UP, UP MORE THAN OUR COSTS.
SO, UH, AGAIN, FOR TANYA, YOU HAVE GREAT CREDIBILITY IN THIS COUNTY.
YOU HAVE GREAT CREDIBILITY, FRANKLY, WITH THIS BOARD, I BELIEVE, AND WE THANK YOU BECAUSE CREDIBILITY COMES FROM YEARS OF SUCCESS AND TRUST.
BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR HEART, FOR YOUR HEART.
I, I, I DON'T GOTTA BE BC SHOW.
I SEE YOU SHOWING OFF YOUR BC TODAY, YOU KNOW? YES, I AM BC I'LL BE AT THE RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY.
I GOTTA SHARE MY, SHARE MY PRIDE.
YOU HAVE A BC BOW TIE ON YOURSELF,
YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU GOT A SOUPE FOR THE DAY.
BUT, UM, NO, BUT, UH, NOT, I'M GONNA MAKE GO HOME AND GET, GET MY, MY LONG SLEEVE BC
I MADE SURE TO WEAR SHORT SLEEVES TODAY BECAUSE OF THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE
YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, MR. CRO, THANK, THANK YOU FOR HELPING, HELPING ME STAY HEALTHY, UM, UM, TO, AND TO UNDERSTAND THIS TOO AS WELL, BASICALLY.
AND, AND IN, DURING THIS PROCESS, SO OUR PEOPLE WILL BE GETTING A TAX BREAK BECAUSE OF THE, THE, WHEN IT ROLLS BACK, IT IS, IT IS GOING DOWN TO SOME DEGREE.
IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, AS, AS MR. GUYER SAID, UH, THE MILLAGE RATE WILL REDUCE, BUT THEIR PROPERTY VALUES DUE TO REASSESSMENT COULD INCREASE OR LIKELY TO INCREASE.
SO I CAN'T SAY THAT AN INDIVIDUAL WOULD GET A TAX BREAK.
IT, EACH SITUATION IS DIFFERENT.
UM, BUT, UH, THIS WILL KEEP THE REVENUE NEUTRAL FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHAT WE RECEIVED.
SO, UM, SO THAT I COULDN'T, UH, COMMENT ON AN INDIVIDUAL SITUATION.
UM, WE'LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT THE VALUES, INDIVIDUAL VALUES,
[01:25:01]
UM, CHANGE, HOW THEY CHANGE AND HOW THAT WILL AFFECT THEM.I GOT ONE PHONE CALL I NEED TO MAKE, BUT THANK, YES, THANK, I WOULDN'T SAY THEY'RE GETTING ATTACKED.
BUT THANK, THANKS FOR GIVING THAT, CLAIRE.
SO THE, UM, WE'RE HAVING LUNCH, BUT IT'S THE BOX LUNCHES AND MOLLY JUST WENT TO GET IT.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHEN BACK.
R THIS IS STILL PART OF THE MEETING, SO SHOULD WE ADJOURN AND THEN, UM, NO, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THIS COMMENT PUBLICLY.
I JUST WANNA TAKE A MOMENT AND THANK, UH, MEMBERS OF MY TEAM, UH, FOR THEIR WORK AND, UH, THEIR PRESENTATIONS TODAY.
I THINK WE HAD, UH, SOME REALLY GREAT INFORMATION AND SOME REALLY GOOD DISCUSSIONS, UH, BASED ON THEIR WORK AND THEIR PRESENTATION.
ALL RIGHT,
ANY OPPOSED? NOPE, WE'RE ADJOURNED.