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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, CAN HEAR YOU.
OKAY, WELL NOW CALL THE MEETING OF THE BUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ORDER AS AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER, AND HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA.
IT IS NOW 4:32 PM AND THIS WILL BE, UH, CONDUCTED IN HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING.
THIS MEETING WILL BE LIVESTREAMED BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH NEW SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES.
BAGS, BACKPACKS AND PURSES ARE PROHIBITED BY THE PUBLIC AT BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS.
PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED FROM 5:00 PM TO 5:30 PM BY SENDING AN EMAIL WITH YOUR NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND TOPIC TO ROBIN BERRY AT BUFORT K12 SC US.
YOU'LL RECEIVE A PHONE CALL DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS WHEN YOU'LL 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 SEVEN 30 IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE ABOVE.
THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL TAKE PLACE PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT, 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 THE NOVEMBER 21ST, 2023 AGENDA, THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE AT 6:00 PM ON NOVEMBER 22ND, THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY TO FINISH AGENDA ITEMS, OUR FIRST ACTION IS TO HAVE A, AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I'M GOING TO READ WHAT'S GOING TO BE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND WE'LL ASK FOR A MOTION AFTER I READ EVERYTHING THAT WILL BE INCLUDED.
ITEM NUMBER ONE, DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBERS 56 TO MB CONN CONSTRUCTION, CONTRACT FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AT H MCCRACKEN MIDDLE SCHOOL PURSUANT TO SC CODE 30 DASH FOUR DASH 7 82.
SECOND ITEM, DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TOR A PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE ONE TO TURNER AND TOWNSEND HEARING CONTRACT FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT YEAR FIVE SERVICES FROM JANUARY, 2024 TO MARCH, 2024 PURSUANT TO SC CODE SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH SEVEN ZERO A TWO.
THIRD ITEM, DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED AWARD OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AT RISK CONTRACT FOR RENOVATION AND MODIFICATION PROJECTS RFB NUMBER 20 DASH 0 0 7 PURSUANT TO SC CODE SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH SEVEN ZERO A TWO FOURTH ITEM, DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED AWARD OF ARCHITECTURAL CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN SERVICES FOR RENOVATION AND MODIFICATION PROJECTS RFQ NUMBER 24 DASH 0 0 3 PURSUANT TO SC CODE SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A TWO.
LASTLY, DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO THE PURCHASE OF PROPERTY IN BLUFFTON, SOUTH CAROLINA PURSUANT TO SC CODE SECTION THREE ZERO DASH FOUR DASH SEVEN A TWO.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION MOVED BY MS. ALBRIGHT, SECONDED BY MS. GORDON.
ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO HANDS OR HEARING? NO DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ONLINE, UH, WOULD YOU PLEASE GIMME YOUR NAME AND YOUR VOTE PLEASE? SECOND.
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A AYE.WE WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION SESSION.
IT IS NOW 6:00 PM I NEED TO MUTE THIS AGAIN.
HEY, I'M HAVING A LITTLE DIFFICULTY.
GOT IT OFF NOW THE AUDIO HAVE NO AUDIO.
ARE THERE ANY ACTIONS AS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE REGARDING MATTERS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION MS. BOATWRIGHT? YES, I, WE HAVE SEVERAL MOTIONS COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
UH, THE FIRST MOTION IS THAT I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER 56 WITH MB CONN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOR THE HE MCCRACKEN MIDDLE SCHOOL FY 2024, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS BASED ON THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE OF $647,600.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND BY MR. DALLAS.
ANY DISCUSSION MR. SMITH? I HAVE TO PUSH IT.
UM, THE, THE ONLY QUESTION I HAD WITH THIS WAS, WAS THIS, UH, WAS THIS ON THE APPROVE 8% LIST BEFORE? AND I GUESS YOU CAN COME AND ANSWER THAT MR. AUDIENCE, JUST FOR THE PUBLIC SO WE CAN GIVE THE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
MR. SMITH, ALL THE ITEMS LISTED TO BE DONE AT H MCCRACKEN WERE INCLUDED ON THE FY 2024 8% LIST.
AND THE ONLY REASON WHY THIS IS COMING FORWARD IS JUST BE SO THAT, UH, THE, THE BECAUSE OF THE PRICE TAG.
HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY NO, NO.
UH, SECOND MOTION IS THAT I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER 11 WITH TURNER AND TOWNS HUY, WHICH AUTHORIZES A NOT TO EXCEED LIMIT OF $511,414 FOR THE YEAR 2024 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PLAN.
DO I HAVE A SECOND, MS. GORDON? IS IT MOVED AND SECONDED? ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZED THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ISSUE AN AWARD FOR AJAX BUILDING COMPANY LLC CHARLES PERRY PARTNERS, INCORPORATED, MB CONN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, SHORELINE COMMERCIAL LLC AND THOMPSON TURNER CONSTRUCTION TO PROVIDE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AT RISK SERVICES FOR RENOVATION AND MODIFICATION PROJECTS AS DESCRIBED IN FRP NUMBER 24 DASH 0 0 7, THE BOARD AUTHORIZES THE SUPERINTENDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THE CONTRACTORS UPON THE EXPIRATION OF THE PROTEST PERIOD.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND BY MR. CAMPBELL.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
COULD YOU, UH, THE MOTION CARRIES.
WHAT, WHAT WAS THE MOTION? THE MOTION CARRIES THE, THE, THE TWO ABSTENTIONS.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZED THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ISSUE AN AWARD TO HOARD COPLAN MOCKED JUMPER CARTER CEASES ARCHITECTS, PA AND QUACKENBUSH ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN SERVICES FOR RENOVATION AND MODIFICATION PROJECTS.
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THE BOARD AUTHORIZES THE SUPERINTENDENT TO NEGOTIATE THE ARCHITECTURAL CONTRACTS AND UPON SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THE FIRM.MR. MR. CAMPBELL ANY DIS ANY DISCUSSION HEARING ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
WE, I'M SORRY, I FORGOT TO, AYE.
ABSTENTION, MR. ABSTENTION AND DR.
WE HAVE A FIFTH MOTION COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZED THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ENTER INTO A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND NEGOTIATE THE SALE OF THE PROPERTIES REVIEWED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION SECOND BY MS. GORDON.
DISCUSSION MR. SMITH? UM, AT THIS TIME, I CANNOT SUPPORT THIS MOTION DUE TO THE WORD OF NEGOTIATION, EVEN THOUGH I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE ACTUAL PURCHASE OF THIS PROCESS, I MEAN THE PURCHASE OF THIS PROPERTY WILL HAVE TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE BOARD, BUT I JUST THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD'VE LIKE TO HAVE HAD TO THIS PRIOR MOTION BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT THE STAFF AND THE SUPERINTENDENT IN, IN THE TOWN OF TON HAVE HAD IT LONGER THAN WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS.
AND ANYTIME WE'RE START TO BEGINNING TO ENTER THIS TYPE OF CONVERSATION, I THINK I WOULD LIKE SOME TIME TO SLEEP ON THIS AND UNDERSTAND THIS BECAUSE I TAKE SPENDING TAXPAYER'S MONEY VERY SERIOUSLY AND NOT SAYING THAT NO ONE ELSE DOESN'T, BUT I JUST DON'T LIKE MAKING HUGE, UH, MILLION DOLLAR DECISIONS BASED ON HEARING ONE DAY OR HAVING ONE CONVERSATION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A COUPLE CONVERSATIONS IN IN TERMS OF THAT BEFORE WE EVEN GET IN THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS.
SO WITH THAT TONIGHT, I JUST CAN'T, I CAN'T SUPPORT THIS MOTION.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I HAVE A POINT FOR POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
THE MOU IS GOING TO BE REVIEWED BY THE BOARD PRIOR TO BEING SIGNED, OR ARE YOU SIGNING IT? I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR ON THE PROCESS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? THIS MOTION SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ONE ABSTAINING AND ONE OPPOSED.
IS THAT ALL MISS BOATRIGHT? YES.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE MOTIONS COMING OUTTA EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE MOVING OE 15, UH, BRIEFING FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA TO THE BOARD BUSINESS ACTION PART OF THE AGENDA.
AND I'LL DE DESCRIBE WHY WHEN WE GET TO, UH, OPERATIONS REPORT APPROVED TO THE TONIGHT AGENDA.
HEY, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
UM, THAT YOU WOULD, UH, PUT THE, IT'S NOT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
IT'S GOING TO THE BOARD OF BUSINESS ACTIONS BECAUSE IT WASN'T UNANIMOUSLY VOTED ON IN THE COMMITTEE.
UM, WE'LL HAVE TO VOTE ON IT WHEN WE GET TO THE CONSENT AGENDA THEN, BECAUSE WE ALREADY VOTED ON THE AGENDA AND PASSED THE AGENDA SO WE WE CAN STILL VOTE ON IT AGAIN WHEN WE GET TO THE CONSENT AGENDA TO BRING IT BACK TO THE FULL BOARD.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEASE STAND PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR MR. MR. TOMMY THOMPSON, WHO WAS A STUDENT OF HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL AND WHO PASSED AWAY TWO WEEKS AGO.
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH.THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS A STUDENT PERFORMANCE.
TONIGHT WE HAVE A VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE BY HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS HERE TO TELL US ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE AS PRINCIPAL CLINT AUSTIN.
GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT A FEW NUMBERS FROM OUR STUDENTS IN CHORUS AND IN BAND.
THE FIRST NUMBER THAT YOU WILL SEE IS FROM 10 MEMBERS OF OUR 55 MEMBER CHORUS.
AND IT'S FROM THE PERFORMANCE THAT WAS RECENTLY PERFORMED AT THE GHOST PIRATES GAME.
WE HAD A SPIRIT NIGHT AND THEY WERE ABLE TO COME OUT ON THE ICE TO PERFORM.
FOLLOWING THAT, YOU'LL SEE TWO NUMBERS FROM OUR BAND AND PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE.
AND I, I SHOULD ANNOUNCE 'CAUSE HE'S TRYING TO HIDE.
MR. WECTER IS THE BAND AND CHORUS DIRECTOR.
IF WE COULD PLEASE GIVE HIM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE AT THAT, WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE RISE YOUR AND YOUR CAST AS THEISM MIDDLE SCHOOL CHOIR.
AS DIRECTED BY JAMES WINTER PERFORMS OUR
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH.OUR NEXT IS THE POINTS OF CELEBRATIONS.
ON THE REPORTS POINTS OF CELEBRATION.
UH, TODAY WE HAVE, UH, QUITE A FEW, UH, ITEMS THAT WE WANNA CELEBRATE AND STUDENTS THAT WE WANNA CELEBRATE TODAY.
WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE CHARACTER EDUCATION FOR, UH, THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
AUGUST, UH, IS A 12TH GRADE STUDENT JESUS MORALES.
OUR CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM WAS FORMED TO SUPPORT PARENTS' EFFORTS TO DEVELOP GOOD CHARACTER IN THEIR CHILDREN.
AND TONIGHT WE'RE CELEBRATING THE CHARACTER ED STUDENT OF THE MONTH EXHIBITING THE CHARACTER TRAIT OF FRIENDSHIP AND KINDNESS.
FRIENDSHIP IS DEFINED AS THE EMOTIONS OR CONDUCT OF FRIENDS, THE STATE OF BEING FRIENDS AND KINDNESS IS DEFINED AS THE QUALITY OF BEING FRIENDLY, GENEROUS, AND CONSIDERATE.
AUGUST'S STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS JESUS MORALES CORTEZ A SENIOR AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE HIS STUDENT IS PRINCIPAL STEVEN, SID RICH.
GOOD EVENING, UM, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
UM, I'M HERE TO PRESENT ON BEHALF OF, UH, JESUS MORALES CORTEZ.
SO ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23RD, A TEACHER AT HILTON AND ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL WITNESSED JESUS MORALES CORTEZ CARRY AT A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS, A FELLOW STUDENT DROPPED HIS LUNCH IN THE CAFETERIA.
MANY STUDENTS WITNESSED THE DROP, BUT ONLY JESUS GOT UP AND ASSISTED THE STUDENT.
HE HELPED CLEAN UP THE SPILL AND DID SO WITH A GENTLE SMILE.
THE TEACHER ADDRESS, UH, HEY JESUS, FOR HIS SEEMINGLY INNOCENT ACT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT HE HAD DONE.
JESUS WAS SORT OF GONNA BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT THE LAST MINUTE HE COULDN'T COME.
SO ANYWAY, I, I'LL, I'LL ACCEPT THE AWARD ON HIS BEHALF, BUT, UH, JESUS REALLY APPRECIATES EVERYBODY HONORING HIM TONIGHT.
NEXT IS THE CHARACTER EDUCATION FOR SEPTEMBER.
AND CONTINUING WITH STUDENT OF THE MONTH, THE SEPTEMBER CHARACTER TRAIT WAS ACCEPTANCE AND ACCEPTANCE IS DEFINED AS THE ACTION OR PROCESS OF BEING RECEIVED AS ADEQUATE OR SUITABLE.
SEPTEMBER STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR SOUTH SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS LUIS
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CORTEZ, A THIRD GRADER AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND SCHOOL FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS.AND HERE TO INTRODUCE HER STUDENT IS PRINCIPAL NIKKI LUCAS.
AND LUIS, IF YOU'RE HERE, COME FORWARD PLEASE.
GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
HE IS A THIRD GRADE STUDENT AT HILTON HEAD SCHOOL FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS.
AND HE WAS VOTED BY HIS TEACHER FOR THE SEPTEMBER STUDENT OF THE MONTH AWARD.
HE IS ONE OF THE KINDEST, MOST CARING STUDENTS YOU'LL EVER MEET.
ALWAYS HAS A KIND WORD IN THE HALLWAY FOR STAFF AND OTHER CHILDREN.
AND WE'RE SO VERY PROUD OF HIM.
CONTINUING ON WITH CHARACTER EDUCATION FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.
THE FINAL STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR THIS EVENING IS FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.
AND CHARACTER TRAITS FOR OCTOBER WERE COURAGE TOLERANCE.
COURAGE IS DEFINED AS DOING THE RIGHT THING IN THE FACE OF DIFFICULTY AND FOLLOWING YOUR CONSCIENCE INSTEAD OF THE CROWD.
TOLERANCE IS DEFINED AS REALIZING THAT EVERYONE IS AT VARYING LEVELS OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.
ALSO FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND SCHOOL FOR CREATIVE ARTS, TO INVITE PRINCIPAL LUCAS TO INTRODUCE HER OCTOBER STUDENT OF THE MONTH.
AND IF NAVIA LAWYER IS HERE, IF YOU WOULD MOVE, COME FORWARD PLEASE.
TONIGHT'S A REALLY GOOD NIGHT FOR HILTON HEAD SCHOOL OF THE CREATIVE ARTS.
WE HAVE TWO STUDENTS THAT ARE BEING RECOGNIZED AND I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD GOING INTO THANKSGIVING, BUT NEVAEH IS SUCH A SWEET GIRL.
I HAD THE HONOR OF WATCHING HER IN THE CLASSROOM AS I WAS OBSERVING, UM, A LESSON.
AND SHE'S A GOOD FRIEND TO EVERYONE.
SHE'S VERY PATIENT WITH HER PEERS, ALWAYS WILL WILLING TO HELP OTHERS.
SO WE'RE SO VERY PROUD OF YOU, NEVA.
NOW THIS EVENING WE WANNA RECOGNIZE MAY RIVER'S GOLF TEAM HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
UH, WE HAVE A THREE, UH, THREE TIME STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM FROM MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE US TO THE TEAM AND TELL US ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP IS INTERIM ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, COACH BIGHAM.
GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
UM, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE 'CAUSE WE HAVE A GREAT GROUP OF YOUNG LADIES AND A FIRST YEAR COACH HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AND MAINTAINED THE, THE STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE AT MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL.
I KNOW AT FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON, OUR YOUNG LADIES SAID THAT THEY WERE KIND OF UPSET BECAUSE THEY CAME IN SECOND IN THE STATE LAST YEAR AND THEY WANTED TO REDEEM, REDEEM THEMSELVES.
SO THIS YEAR WAS KIND OF THEIR REDEMPTION TOUR.
AND JUST LIKE I SAID, THEY THEY WORKED HARD.
THEY GOT IT OF OUR FIRST YEAR COACH.
THEY DID A GREAT JOB AND THEY WON THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR, UM, ONCE AGAIN FOR US.
AND INTRODUCING AS FAR AS OUR YOUNG LADIES, WE HAVE AVA CUNNINGHAM.
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ROBINCOACH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ANY WORDS OF HOW YOU LED THESE LADIES TO A CHAMPIONSHIP
THESE GIRLS, UH, WORKED VERY HARD TO, UM, PUT FORTH A VERY GOOD EFFORT THEY DID THAT.
UM, AND I'M JUST REALLY PROUD OF ALL THE WORK THAT THEY PUT IN, IN GOLF AND IN THE CLASSROOM.
THEY'RE EXCELLENT STUDENTS AS WELL.
SO, UM, IT'S JUST A PRIVILEGE TO GET TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM AND WATCH THEM DEVELOP ON THE GAME OF GOLF.
ALSO, THIS EVENING WE'LL BE CELEBRATING HILTON HEAD ISLAND ART AWARDS AND SO SEVERAL HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ONE TEACHER PLACED FIRST PLACE IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA ART FAIR ART COMPETITION.
AND HERE TO TELL US ABOUT THE ART COMPETITION AND INTRODUCE THE ART STUDENTS AND STAFF IS PRINCIPAL RIDGE.
THE STATE FAIR IS SOUTH CAROLINA'S LARGEST RECURRING EVENT ATTRACTING OVER 400,000 FAIRGOERS ANNUALLY.
PART OF THE FAIR INCLUDES NUMEROUS COMPETITIONS.
THIS YEAR, HILTON HIGH SCHOOL SUBMITTED 46 STUDENT ARTWORKS AND FIVE PROFESSIONAL ARTWORKS CREATED BY THREE HILTON AND I HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS STUDENT SUBMISSIONS ARE ENTERED UNDER THE GRADE.
THEY CREATED THE WORK AND CATEGORY BY MEDIA DIVISIONS ARE TWO D, THREE D PHOTOGRAPHY AND DIGITAL ART WITH THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE.
SO EARLY IN THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR, ALL SUBMITTED STUDENT WORK WAS CREATED LAST SPRING OF THOSE SUBMISSIONS, 12 STUDENT PIECES AND ONE PROFESSIONAL ARTWORK RECEIVED AWARDS.
HOWEVER, 33 OTHER STUDENT WORKS WERE JURIED IN AS WELL AND THEY WERE CONSIDERED, UM, ALL FIVE OF THE TEACHERS WHEN THEY SUBMITTED THEIR WORK WERE ACTUALLY MADE THE CUT AND WE'RE JURIED AS WELL.
BUT WE HAD, UH, UM, FOUR FIRST PLACE FINISHES.
SO HERE ARE THE BLUE RIBBON AWARDEES, AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR FIRST PLACE.
SO, UM, MAE DOLAN FIRST PLACE, 11TH GRADE TWO D CATEGORY.
JASON JOSE, FIRST PLACE, 11TH GRADE PHOTOGRAPHY CATEGORY.
AND VERONICA GARDNER LOWMAN, FIRST PLACE, NINTH GRADE THREE D CATEGORY.
AND FOR OUR STAFF, UM, FOR THE PROFESSIONAL AWARD.
KIMBERLY SMITH, FIRST PLACE PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL ART CATEGORY YOU WE'RE GONNA KEEP ON, UH, MOVING ALONG MICHELIN DESIGN CHALLENGE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, SIBLINGS CHARLOTTE, ELIZABETH AND THEUS RIOS WERE PRESENTED WITH THE MICHELIN DESIGN CHALLENGE AWARD AT THE HILTON HEAD.
HERE TO INTRODUCE THE RIOS SIBLINGS AND BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, JAMIE BROWN.
UH, AS MENTIONED, I'M HERE FOR THE MICHELIN JUNIOR CHALLENGE DESIGN DISTRICT CHALLENGE THAT RECENTLY TOOK PLACE.
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AND ON BEHALF OF PRINCIPAL DONICA AND BOBCAT NATION, I'M EXTREMELY PROUD AND HONORED TO GET TO, UH, PRESENT THIS AWARD TO THE RIOS SIBLINGS, THADDEUS, CHARLOTTE, AND AVA.THE COMPETITION WAS ALL ABOUT, UH, DESIGNING A VEHICLE THAT INSPIRES YOU THROUGH INSPIRATION AND CREATIVITY.
AND AS THE RIOS SIBLINGS STATED, UM, CREATIVITY HAS NO LIMITATIONS.
AND, UM, JUST AS PROUD AS WE ARE FOR THEM EARNING THIS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR BOBCAT NATION AND EXEMPLIFYING EXCELLENCE.
UH, I THINK IT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE RIOS THEMSELVES AND STANDING FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE IN, WHICH IS FAMILY.
AND SEEING THREE SIBLINGS COME UP HERE TONIGHT AND WIN THIS AWARD, WE ARE JUST EXTREMELY PROUD TONIGHT.
SO THADDEUS, AVA, CHARLOTTE, COME ON UP.
BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS TRADITIONALLY HAVE AN EXCELLENT YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAM, AND EACH YEAR THOSE STUDENTS MAKE A STRONG SHOWING AT THE ANNUAL YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE IN COLUMBIA.
AND I'D LIKE TO ASK MS. AARON REICHERT BLUFFTON HIGH'S YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT ADVISOR AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER TO COME FORWARD AND TELL US MORE ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE IN COLUMBIA.
WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM.
BOTH THE DISTRICT AND THE BOARD SUPPORTS THIS PROGRAM AND THE KIDS LEARN SO MUCH.
I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH OF WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH JUST IN A FEW SHORT DAYS.
I'M SO PROUD OF THIS YEAR'S GROUP.
THEY WERE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING WHICH IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DO AT THIS CONFERENCE, WHICH IS GET ELECTED AND BOTH OF OUR CANDIDATES WERE ABLE TO GET ELECTED THIS YEAR.
THEY RAN WONDERFUL CAMPAIGNS, INSPIRING CAMPAIGNS.
AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WILL ANNOUNCE NEXT YEAR'S 2024 LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND ATTORNEY GENERAL.
UM, FIRST GIANNA WILSON WAS ELECTED AS THE 2024 YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT LIEUTENANT GO GOVERNOR.
AND WE ALSO HAVE HERE GENESIS HERNANDEZ, WHO WAS ELECTED AS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN ALSO AT THE CONFERENCE, THEY DO GIVE OUT QUITE A FEW DIFFERENT, UM, AWARDS.
AND THIS YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO WIN, OR TWO STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO WIN AN AWARD CALLED THE OUTSTANDING BILL AWARD, WHICH ALSO IS DIFFICULT TO WIN.
THEY ONLY SELECT A FEW BILLS OUT OF EACH CHAMBER OF THE CONFERENCE.
SO WE HAVE THOSE TWO STUDENTS HERE AS WELL.
UM, AND THAT WAS WILLIAMS, IAN AND BRENDAN HALAS SHOUT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY LIKE MORE THE, UM, CONFERENCE OR THE DRESSING UP PART
SO WE'RE JUST SO GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS THIS PROGRAM AND KEEPS IT RUNNING YEAR AFTER YEAR AND JUST, UM, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH OF HOW MUCH THEY LEARN.
OKAY, WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM HERE AND THAT IS BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
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MIDDLE SCHOOL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS.AND SO TONIGHT WE'RE CELEBRATING MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAMPIONS FOR VOLLEYBALL AND FOOTBALL.
AND HERE TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
AS DISTRICT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MR. CARLOS CAVE TO THE BOARD, I SAY, GOOD EVENING, IT IS WITH HONOR THAT I STAND BEFORE YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETIC PROGRAMS. AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, WE PUT INTO PLAY A CONCEPT OF HAVING A MIDDLE SCHOOL LEAGUE.
THAT LEAGUE CONSISTED OF BUFORT COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
WHEN PUT IN PUTTING THAT, UH, INTO PLAY, WE ALSO ESTABLISH A CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS.
PART OF WHAT, UH, THOSE CON, THAT CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS STATE IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO RECOGNIZE MOVING FORWARD THE CHAMPION AS WELL AS COACH OF THE YEAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR, AND COACH'S CHOICE OF THE YEAR IN AN EFFORT TO CELEBRATE EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT TAKING PLACE ON A STATEWIDE LEVEL.
BUT THESE TEAMS ARE EXCELLING WITHIN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME OUTSTANDING, UH, LEADERS AND ATHLETES ON VARIOUS HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS WITHIN THE COUNTY.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, UM, I LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE FIRST AND FOREMOST RIVERRIDGE ACADEMY.
RIVERRIDGE ACADEMY VOLLEYBALL WON THE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP, AND, UH, IF WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE RIVERRIDGE UH, VOLLEYBALL TEAM, THEY WILL COME UP.
ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE VOLLEYBALL COACH OF THE YEAR FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY 2023.
MR. BENJAMIN CLARK, PLAYER OF OF THE YEAR FOR VOLLEYBALL 2023, MS. BROOKLYN MACY, AND OUR COACH'S CHOICE COACH OF THE YEAR.
MS. HALEY EASTER 2023 VOLLEYBALL.
AND NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO FOOTBALL.
THIS YEAR'S FOOTBALL TEAM FINISHED A REGULAR SEASON UNDEFEATED AND WON IN A THRILLING OVERTIME CONTEST.
AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD LIKE TO CELEBRATE AND ACKNOWLEDGE ROBERT SMALLS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY FOOTBALL, MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM.
IF WE HAVE ANY OF THOSE PLAYERS, COULD YOU COME UP AND A COACH? WOW.
AS THEY COME FORWARD, WE'D LIKE TO AT THIS TIME ACKNOWLEDGE THE 2023 FOOTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR, MR. MIKE HOGG.
THIS NEXT YOUNG MAN WAS PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2023 FOR FOOTBALL, AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF COACHING HIS FATHER WHEN I WAS THE HEAD OF FOOTBALL COACH AT BATTERY CREEK.
AND HIS FATHER WAS AN OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL PLAYER.
THIS YOUNG MAN, THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR 2023, MR. NIGEL FRIPP.
AND OUR FINAL AWARD IS COACHES CHOICE COACH OF THE YEAR.
AND THIS AWARD GOES TO MR. MARIAN SMALLS.
[00:45:24]
THAT CONCLUDES OUR POINTS OF CELEBRATION.THE NEXT ITEM IN THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENTS AND IT'S BOARD POLICY THAT THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT BE READ AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION.
WHEREAS IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE SAFETY, SECURITY, AND GOOD ORDER OF ITS SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS AND ALLOW ALL CITIZENS A FAIR OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENT, BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOLS BOARD GOVERNANCE POLICY GC TWO DASH 23 4 ADHERENCE TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATIONS.
PARAGRAPH B STATES THAT SHOULD A PARTICIPANT FAIL TO ABIDE BY THE REASONABLE DIRECTIVES OF THE BOARDS OR COMMITTEES PRESIDING OFFICER, THE BOARD OR COMMITTEE MAY PROHIBIT THE OFFENDING SPEAKER FROM PARTICIPATING IN FUTURE PUBLIC COMMENT SESSIONS FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED SIX MONTHS.
OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT IS FROM MR. RICHARD BIY.
I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR DECIDING TO MAINTAIN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AT 25% OF THE EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR SUPERINTENDENT RODRIGUEZ.
THE EFFORT TO DECREASE THAT TO 10% LED BY BOARD MEMBER INGRID BOATWRIGHT WAS ILLOGICAL, MISDIRECTED, MISGUIDED, FOOLISH, AND JUST PLAIN WRONG.
MS. BOATWRIGHT TRIED TO CONVINCE THE BOARD THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA READY TEST SCORES ARE, IN HER WORDS, A FLAWED INSTRUMENT.
AND THE STATE IS CURRENTLY REEVALUATING THAT INSTRUMENT WITHOUT OFFERING ANY PROOF.
WELL, HER REMARKS GOT MY ATTENTION AND I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE, THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND THEY CONFIRMED, AND I QUOTE, WHILE INSTRUMENTS UNDERGO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS, THERE IS NO SPECIFIC DEFICIENCY THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY TRYING TO ACCOUNT FOR OR FIX.
SO MS. BOATWRIGHT WAS USING FALSE INFORMATION TO LURE THE SCHOOL BOARD INTO A DECISION THAT HAD BEEN WRONG, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN WRONG.
MR. SMITH TOLD THE BOARD THAT IMPROVED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE GOAL OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND IF ANYTHING, THE PERCENTAGE SHOULD BE INCREASED FROM 25%.
AS HE NOTED, THIS COUNTY IS ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AND YOU'VE GOT A BUDGET OF MORE THAN $320 MILLION YOU NEED TO SET AS IN HIS WORDS, A BOLD STANDARD.
SEVERAL OTHER BOARD MEMBERS EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR A PERCENTAGE HIGHER THAN 25%, INCLUDING MR. NAY AND MR. DALLAS, WHO BY THE WAY, WAS CORRECT TO POINT OUT THAT.
SO-CALLED INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP WAS NOT MEASURABLE, BUT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT WAS A MEASURABLE COMPONENT.
IT'S ENCOURAGING TO SEE MR. DALLAS AND MR. NAY AND A FEW OTHER MEMBERS NOT AGREEING TO LOWERING THE BAR THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS.
I'VE SAID IT BEFORE TO THIS BOARD AND TO PREVIOUS BOARDS, BUT IT'S WORTH REPEATING.
YOUR SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT JOB IS TO MANAGE ONE INDIVIDUAL AND THAT'S THE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
YOU'RE FAILING AT YOUR PRIMARY JOB DESPITE WHAT YOU HEAR FROM THE ADMINISTRATION.
THE MOST RECENT SOUTH CAROLINA READY SCORES SHOW THAT NEARLY 50% OF GRADE EIGHT STUDENTS ARE NOT AT GRADE LEVEL IN ENGLISH.
AND NEARLY 32, I'M SORRY, NEARLY 72%, 72% OF GRADE EIGHT STUDENTS ARE NOT AT GRADE LEVEL IN MATH.
AND YET, SUPERINTENDENT RODRIGUEZ'S MOST RECENT EVALUATION SAID HE IS A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE LEADER AND PROBABLY IN LINE FOR YET ANOTHER PAY RAISE, GOD FORBID IF HE WAS INEFFECTIVE.
AND IT'S SO IRONIC THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WHO WERE CRITICS OF THE JEFF MOSS SCHOOL BOARD AND CONSIDER THEMSELVES REFORMERS WHEN THEY RAN FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD, ARE NOW THE PRO YOU MISS.
[00:50:05]
OUR NEXT COMMENT COMES FROM ROBIN BERG, IF I HOPE I PRONOUNCED THAT RIGHT, PEOPLE RARELY DO.ON NOVEMBER 8TH, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION RELEASED A PROPOSED CHANGE TO THE REGULATIONS REGARDING SELECTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.
HISTORICALLY, THE SBE OVERSEES THE SELECTION OF TEXTBOOKS, BUT LOCAL POLICIES HAVE GUIDED THE SELECTION OF ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS SUCH AS LIBRARY BOOKS AND OTHER ANCILLARY CLASSROOM MATERIALS.
THE DRAFT REGULATION THEY RELEASED WOULD TAKE CONTROL AWAY FROM SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS AND PLACE IT IN THE HANDS OF THE SBE.
THIS PROPOSED REGULATION ESTABLISHES TWO MAIN GUIDELINES FOR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.
ONE AGE AND DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE MATERIALS MUST BE SUITABLE TO PARTICULAR AGE GROUPS BASED ON DEVELOPING COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL CAPACITY.
TYPICAL FOR THE AGE GROUP, THE PROPOSAL ALSO STATES THAT A MATERIAL IS NOT AGE APPROPRIATE IF IT CONTAINS VISUAL DEPICTIONS OR DESCRIPTIONS OF SEXUAL CONDUCT AS DEFINED IN STATE STATUTE, OR IF IT IS CONSIDERED INDECENT OR OBSCENE.
UNDER THE BROADCAST GUIDELINES FOR THE FCC TWO EDUCATIONALLY SUITABLE, THE MATERIAL MUST BE ALIGNED WITH THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM OF THE SCHOOL AND DISTRICT, WHICH MEANS IT MUST BE CONNECTED TO THE STANDARDS LAID OUT IN THE PROFILE OF A SOUTH CAROLINA GRADUATE.
ACCORDING TO OUR SOUTH CAROLINA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, WHICH OPPOSES THIS EFFORT UNDER THIS DEFINITION, CLASSIC WORKS OF LITERATURE SUCH AS ROMEO AND JULIET, THE ODYSSEY, THE SCARLET LETTER, 1984, MADEA, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN AND OTHERS WOULD BE PROHIBITED MATERIALS.
THE ABSENCE OF THESE WORKS FROM OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES WILL ONLY LEAVE OUR YOUNG BEAUFORT COUNTY READERS FURTHER BEHIND.
AND WITH SUCH BROAD AND VAGUE PARAMETERS, ANYTHING CAN BE BANNED.
ALL OF SHAKESPEARE, THE BIBLE AND LEISURE READING THAT'S DOA WITH THIS IDEA, I WOULD URGE YOU TO KEEP THESE CHOICES LOCAL NOTE IN OUR STRUGGLE.
IN THE PAST YEAR WITH THE INFAMOUS 97 BOOK LIST, OUR LOCAL REVIEW COMMITTEES RETURNED ALL BUT BEFORE TO LIBRARY SHELVES.
OUR LOCAL PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS AND LIBRARIANS, THOSE WHO KNOW FIRSTHAND WHAT OUR CHILDREN NEED, SHOULD BE MAKING THESE CHOICES.
NOT POLITICAL OPERATIVES TRYING TO UNDO THE WORK WE HAVE DONE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO OPPOSE BANNED BOOKS THIS YEAR.
I URGE YOU TO ADD YOUR VOICES AS A SCHOOL BOARD TO THOSE NOW TELLING THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO VOTE NO ON THIS PROPOSED REGULATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, MS. CUSHEN BERRY, DO YOU HAVE, WE HAVE SOME CALL IN ONE CALL IN.
WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL 'EM UP, THE LAST NAME AND YOUR TOPIC.
MY TOPIC IS SEXUALLY EXPLICIT BOOKS IN OUR SCHOOLS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU.
ON TUESDAY OF LAST WEEK, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PROPOSED A NEW REGULATION FOR ITS FIRST READING REGULATION 43 1 70 UNIFORM PROCEDURE FOR SELECTION OR RECONSIDERATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.
IT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY, IT WAS DRAFTED TO HANDLE LEWD AND OBSCENE BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN FOUND IN PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES ACROSS THE STATE.
BEAUFORT IS PROBABLY THE LEADING COUNTY TO HAVE USED THE FALL MODEL POLICY PUT OUT BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MOLLY SPEARMAN.
MANY OF THESE BOOKS WILL BE REMOVED UNDER THIS NEW REGULATION.
[00:55:01]
WHY NOT BE PROACTIVE? NOW I'D LIKE TO CORRECT THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER AND THE BOOKS THAT SHE LISTED WILL NOT BE REMOVED UNDER THIS REGULATION.I WILL NOW READ AN EXCERPT FROM SHINE BY LAUREN MIRACLE, WHICH WAS RECOMMENDED TO GO BACK TO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.
A CHILD AS YOUNG AS 11 COULD CHECK OUT THIS BOOK.
HIS BREATH SMELLED LIKE MY DADDY'S CORN LIQUOR.
HE FUMBLED AT THE ELASTIC OF MY PANTIES, BUT MY CUTOFFS WERE TOO TIGHT AND HE COULDN'T WORK HIS FINGERS TO WHERE HE WANTED.
COME ON NOW, KATT, LET ME FEEL HOW WET YOU ARE.
I PRESSED MY SPINE INTO THE SOFA TO GET AWAY FROM HIM.
BUT MOVING LIKE THAT RAISED MY HIPS AND LOOSENED THE HUG OF MY SHORTS.
HIS FINGERS SLITHERED UNDER MY PANTIES.
OH YEAH, HE SAID, MOVING HIS FINGERS THE BEST HE COULD SEE.
TOMMY WAS TOUCHING A PART OF ME THAT NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO.
I WAS PUSHING AGAINST HIM, BUT HE WAS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN ME AND MY THROAT.
IT WAS LIKE SOMEONE HAD WRAPPED A BAND AROUND IT.
AND SINCE IT'S SO TIGHT, I COULD HARDLY BREATHE THE SOUNDS I MADE BECAUSE I TRIED AND I DID.
THEY CAME FROM SOME OTHER GIRL.
THEY WERE PLEASED AND STOPPED, BUT SO TREMBLY THAT THEY SIMPLY SHUTTERED INTO THE AIR.
BY THAT POINT, TOMMY HAD UNBUTTONED MY SHORTS AND YANKED THEM DOWN AROUND MY THIGHS ALONG WITH MY PANTIES.
I WAS GRIPPING THEM, TRYING TO GET THEM BACK UP.
HE NO LONGER HAD HIS HAND DOWN MY TANK TOP.
BUT INSTEAD HIS RIGHT ARM STRETCHED ALONG THE BACK OF THE SOFA BEARING HIS WEIGHT WHILE HIS LEFT ARM RODE THE LENGTH OF MY BELLY STRAIGHT AS A ROD UNTIL THE SHARP TWIST OF HIS WRIST, AN TIL FROZEN BEHIND HIM IN THE DOORWAY.
HE GOT ONE FINGER UP INSIDE ME.
HE KEPT AT IT, THE HEEL OF HIS PALM DRIVING INTO MY PELVIC BONE UNTIL HE GOT TWO MORE.
I WILL REMIND YOU THIS BOOK COULD BE AVAILABLE TO A CHILD AS YOUNG AS 11 YEARS OLD.
ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? I URGE YOU TO PLEASE VOTE NO FOR SEVERAL OF THESE BOOKS.
THAT COMPLETES PUBLIC SESSION.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE CHAIR REPORT.
AND THE CHAIR IS SOMEPLACE IN THE WILDS OF, UH, I UTAH RIGHT NOW.
SO SHE WILL GIVE A REPORT, I HOPE TO US WHEN SHE RETURNS.
WE'LL START WITH THE COMMITTEE REPORTS.
A VOTE MAY BE TAKEN ON ANY POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MET ON NOVEMBER 16TH AND IT STARTED WITH MS. CROSBY PRESENTING THE FOLLOWING REPORTS, THE MONTHLY BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET REPORT.
AND WE ARE AT 27.3%, UH, EXPENDED IN THE FIRST QUARTER, WHICH MEANS WE'RE ON TRACK.
SHE THEN GAVE THE MONTHLY $100,000 REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.
AND THERE WERE NO DISCREPANCIES FOUND IN THAT REPORT OR THE TRANSPARENCY REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.
MS. DENISE MATSON PRESENTED THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR ESSER FUNDS THROUGH OCTOBER 27TH, 2023.
AND THE DASHBOARD IS SHOWN, UH, HERE TO SHOWS YOU THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE ON TRACK TO SPEND ALL FEDERAL FUNDS BY THE END OF THE REPORTING PERIOD IN OCTOBER OF NEXT YEAR.
THE NEXT ITEM WAS A 20 23 20 24 BUDGET BOOK.
AND I'D LIKE MS. CROSBY TO, TO COME TO THE PODIUM AND TO DESCRIBE TO THE BOARD THIS BOOK THAT WE WILL BE PRESENTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE EVENING.
UH, YES, THIS EVENING WE ARE PRESENTING THE BUDGET BOOK, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024.
UH, THIS IS A CULMINATION OF, UH, MANY OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDED DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS.
AND IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ABOUT, UH, 10 YEARS, I BELIEVE IT IS THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY, UH, APPLYING FOR THE GFOA, THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN BUDGET, UH, REPORTING.
AND SO WE, UH, TOOK A REPRIEVE ABOUT, UH, 10 YEARS BECAUSE OF A CHANGE IN THE POLICIES OF, OR THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE AWARD.
UH, AND WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, RETURN TO THE APPLICATION AT THE, UM, LEADERSHIP OF OUR DIRECTOR OF BUDGET AND PROCUREMENT, JENNIFER HAMLIN.
AND SO, UH, THIS DOCUMENT, UH, IS A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.
IT PROVIDES, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, ALONG
[01:00:01]
WITH ALL OF THE FINANCIAL REPORTS IT PROVIDES, UM, IN NEAR THE BACK OF THE DOCUMENT.UM, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE, UH, A LISTING, UH, REPORT EACH PAGE BY SCHOOL, UH, AND EACH BUDGET BY SCHOOL LOCATION, UH, BROKEN DOWN INTO VARIOUS CATEGORIES.
SO YOU WILL, UH, THAT DOES PROVIDE A SCHOOL BY SCHOOL, UM, A SNAPSHOT OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGETING FOR, FOR EACH LOCATION.
UM, SO THIS DOCUMENT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, RATHER LENGTHY.
WE'RE GOING TO PRINT OUT, UH, COPIES FOR THE BOARD.
UM, AND SO WE'LL GET THOSE, UH, READY AND TO YOU VERY SOON.
UM, BUT WE'RE VERY PROUD TO HAVE THIS, UH, KIND OF INFORMATION ALL IN ONE SPOT.
UH, THERE'S INFORM ENROLLMENT, STAFFING, UM, AND ALL OF THE, UH, MAJOR PRIORITIES, UH, THAT WE'RE PUT INTO THE BUDGET, UH, AS WELL AS EXPLANATIONS OF MAJOR INCREASES AND DECREASES, UH, THAT YOU ALL SAW DURING THE PROCESS.
SO WE'RE PROUD OF IT AND HOPE THAT YOU, UH, WILL, UH, IT'LL ALLOW YOU TO USE IT AS A REFERENCE TOOL FOR FUTURE DECISIONS AND INFORMATION.
THIS AND THE 10 YEAR PLAN THAT THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE DEVELOPS GIVES US A SNAPSHOT, UH, THAT WE CAN TALK TO OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT ALL OUR FACILITIES.
THIS GIVES US A REFERENCE BOOK THAT WE CAN TAKE OUT AND SHARE WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT SAYS EVERYTHING YOU'D EVER WANNA KNOW ABOUT OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION AND OUR FINANCIAL PROCESS.
UH, WHEN DO YOU EXPECT TO PUT THAT IN OUR HANDS? WELL, AND BEFORE CHRISTMAS
UM, I JUST HAD A, A SMALL REQUEST 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT, SO I DID NOT GET TO SEE THE PLAYBACK FROM THIS COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE THE, UM, IT'S A ONE PAGER, THE ANALYSIS OF THE BUDGETED PER PUPIL EXPENDITURES PER SITE.
AND SO IN LOOKING AT THAT, I WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS A WAY THAT WE COULD OVERLAP OR, UM, IMPOSE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA IN SOME TYPE OF MAYBE EVEN COLOR-CODED FORMATS.
I KNOW WE'VE LOOKED AT SOMETHING SIMILAR LIKE THAT IN THE PAST.
UM, I'M INTERESTED IN KNOWING IF THE PER PUPIL EXPENDITURE THAT WE ARE SPENDING AS A DISTRICT IS LEADING TO OUTCOMES OR INCREASED OUTCOMES.
SO IF THERE IS A WAY TO TAKE THAT ONE PAGER AND MAYBE PUT THEIR, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA REPORT CARD GRADE OR SOME WAY TO LOOK AT THIS FROM A IS OUR INVESTMENT PAYING OFF AT THOSE SCHOOLS? 'CAUSE IT'S A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE.
THIS IS, THIS IS ANOTHER THING THAT'S GONNA COME UP LATER ON IN THE REPORT.
THIS IS NOT IN PART OF THE BOOK THAT WHAT YOU HAVE THIS NO, NO, NO.
PART OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
AND WE WILL BRING IT UP AT A, IN THE REPORT.
SO THAT YOU GUYS DID THAT THOUGH? NO,
THIS IS, THIS IS A SEPARATE THING.
THE BOOK NO, NO, NO, I UNDERSTAND IS SEPARATE AND, AND WE CAN DO THAT CROSSWALK.
UM, MR. DALLAS, DID YOU HAVE A YES, SIR.
IS, CAN YOU HEAR ME THROUGH THIS? YEAH.
I WENT THROUGH WHAT YOU HAVE ONLINE AND, AND, UH, WHAT YOU SENT WAS OUT IN THAT BUDGET BOOK I FOUND PARTICULARLY HELPFUL.
AND LEMME TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY WHAT I REALLY ADMIRED ABOUT IT.
A LOT OF TIMES WE WILL GET MASSIVE RES OF DETAIL AND IT'S HARD TO SORT OF FILTER THROUGH AND HELICOPTER UP AND MAKE AN EXECUTIVE TYPE IDENTIFICATION OF WHERE I NEED TO SPEND MY TIME.
YOU ACTUALLY, THROUGH YOUR BUDGET BOOK THAT UH, UH, POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, YOU ACTUALLY SEGMENTED WHERE THE DOLLARS WERE BEING SPENT.
YOU ALSO COMPARED IT TO THE FOUR, UH, STRATEGIC GOALS THAT THE DISTRICT HAS.
SO WE ACTUALLY COULD SEE WHERE IS MOST OF THE DOLLARS BEING SPENT VERSUS WHERE THOSE FOUR STRATEGIC GOALS ARE.
AND, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
SO I WANT TO APPLAUD THE FINANCIAL GROUPS ON THAT.
UM, THE OTHER ONE WAS, AS MY COLLEAGUE MENTIONED, THERE'S SOME OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT WERE IN THERE THAT SHOWED THE, THE PER PUPIL.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT OF THE FOUR STRATEGIC GOALS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THERE WERE 21 AREAS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WAS TARGETING IN 11 OF THEM.
UH, SO I THINK IT SHOWS THAT'S A GOOD MESSAGE FOR US TO TAKE OUT AND SAY WE REALLY ARE SPENDING ON THE TEACHERS.
AND I THINK THAT ALSO REPRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, UH, GOING FORWARD, LOOK AT THE SPENDING ON RAISING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT SCORES.
[01:05:01]
AND THANK YOU FOR THAT SPECIFICITY.OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MS. CROSBY.
BUT YOU MIGHT AS WELL STAY UP HERE 'CAUSE WE GOT MORE COMING.
CAN YOU PUT THAT UP, MS. CUSHEN BERRY GO? CAN YOU, YEAH.
DO YOU LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? UH, YES.
THIS IS, WAS AT THE REQUEST OF, UH, MR. SMITH.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS OF LEGAL EXPENSES, BOTH EXTERNAL LEGAL COUNSEL AND INTERNAL LEGAL COUNSEL.
SO THE FIRST SEVERAL COLUMNS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN HEADED IN GREEN ARE BROKEN DOWN BY, UM, MULTIPLE CATEGORIES, BOARD MATTERS, HUMAN RESOURCES, INSTRUCTIONS, SUPERINTENDENT, STUDENT SERVICES, FINANCE, AND CAPITAL.
UH, THOSE ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO WERE BEGIN TO, UH, PREVIOUS TO FIVE YEARS AGO, UM, WE BROKE THEM DOWN INTO TWO CATEGORIES.
AND THEN AT THE REQUEST OF THE BOARD BACK IN 2019, WE BEGAN TO SPREAD THEM INTO OTHER CATEGORIES, UM, SUCH AS SUPERINTENDENT, STUDENT SERVICES, FINANCE, AND OTHERS.
SO THAT WILL SHOW, UH, THAT'S THE INFORMATION SHOWN HERE.
AND THEN IN, UH, THEN THERE'S A TOTAL IN THE GREEN COLUMN.
AND THEN TO THE RIGHT OF THAT IS OUR LEGAL IN-HOUSE COUNSEL, WHICH BEGAN, UH, IN-HOUSE IN 2015.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAD A SLIGHT EXPANSION OF STAFFING, UH, A FEW YEARS LATER AND LEADING UP TO THE GRAND TOTAL.
SO THIS IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATION FOR THE BOARD.
MR. SMITH, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? OH, I BELIEVE I HAD ALL MY COMMENTS AT THE FINANCE, UH, COMMITTEE.
SO I GUESS YOU JUST BRING THIS BACK UP OR, OKAY.
ALRIGHT, SO THAT'S FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS DATA? OKAY.
IF YOU'LL SHOW THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ESSER COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INITIATE, UH, INITIATIVE.
UH, THIS EVENING, UH, THIS REQUEST WAS, I'M NOT SI DON'T RECALL WHO MADE THE REQUEST.
UM, SO THIS IS INFORMATION REGARDING, UM, THE AFTERSCHOOL PART, UH, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE, UH, BEGUN IN WITH USING ESTHER FUNDS.
SO THERE, UH, TWO YEARS OR A YEAR AND A HALF INTO THAT, UH, PROGRAM, UH, THE REQUEST WAS TO BREAK DOWN A CUMULATIVE, UM, REPORT OR, UH, BY CATEGORY.
BUT THIS IS FOR THE PERIOD FROM JULY 1ST, 2022, ALL THE WAY THROUGH, UH, THE SUMMER OF 23 AND THROUGH THE CURRENT, UH, CURRENT YEAR.
SO IT'S BROKEN DOWN TRANSPORTATION, CONTRACTED SERVICES, CURRICULUM, AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES.
AND OUR, OUR SITES ARE PAID ON A CONTRACTUAL BASIS.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THE MAJORITY, OUR CONTRACTS, UH, OR SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED, UH, ANY SALARIES AND BENEFITS ARE RELATED THAT ARE IN THIS REPORT ARE RELATED TO BUS DRIVER TRANSPORTATION COSTS.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
MS. BOATRIGHT, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA HAVE A BREAKDOWN BY SITE BEFORE THE BOARD MEETING.
SO I DID BRING, UH, FORWARD, UM, UH, AT THE LAST MINUTE.
SO WE DIDN'T GET THAT UP ON, ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND I FAILED TO BRING IT TO YOU THIS EVENING.
SO WHAT I WILL DO IS FOLLOW UP WITH AN EMAIL TO THE BOARD AND, UH, PROVIDE THAT THROUGH EMAIL.
AND, UM, I FEEL LIKE I'M GETTING ECHO HERE.
THE CONTRACTED SERVICES THAT INCLUDES, WE'RE PAYING RENT AT THESE SITES, CORRECT? IT'S A, UH, CONTRACT? YES, WE ARE.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL IN THE REPORT.
MR. SMITH, DOC, CAN I ASK? GO AHEAD.
UM, I KNOW THAT I'VE SPOKEN WITH DR. RODRIGUEZ ABOUT THE CONTINUITY OF THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S SEEING GREAT SUCCESS AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN TOUTED OUT PUBLICLY TOO, AS WELL, THE SUCCESS OF IT.
SO, UM, IN THE FUTURE, IF WE COULD JUST GET A REPORT ABOUT, I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT POTENTIAL GRANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, ONCE ESSER DOES LAPSE, UM, HOW DO WE CONTINUE THIS, UM, AND MAYBE BENEFIT FROM SOME OTHER GRANT OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEP IT GOING? THANK YOU, MR. SMITH.
[01:10:03]
UM, I DEFINITELY, UM, AGREE WITH, UM, WELL, ACTUALLY I'LL SAY I, UH, I THINK THAT WE HAVE BEEN GETTING SUMMARY SUMMARIES.UH, WE HAVE BEEN GETTING REPORTS, I THINK MRS. DR.
UM, MRS. CROSBY AND HER STAFF FOR THAT.
UM, THE REASON WHY I, I REQUESTED THIS, UH, BECAUSE, UH, INITIALLY MRS. UH, MRS. BOATWRIGHT REQUESTED IT, AND THEN I THINK, UM, SHE, SHE, FOR SOME INFORMATION, AND I THINK IT KIND OF FELL, THE TRAIN FELL OFF THE TRACK SOMEWHERE.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE WAS A LOT GOING ON.
AND ALSO, UH, IN, IN THE MIDST OF THIS, LET ME FIRST START, I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, MRS. CROSBY, HER STAFF, BECAUSE IN THE MIDST OF THIS, THEY HAD A LOT GOING ON.
YOU TALKING ABOUT THE BOTTOM REFERENDUM, UM, AUDIT.
I MEAN, IT WAS JUST A WHOLE LOT GOING ON.
SO, UM, FIRST ALL DEFINITELY TO TAKE THE TIME OUT.
THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR GETTING THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER.
BUT HOWEVER, GOING INTO THIS, UH, GETTING PREPARED FOR THE BUDGET AND WHEN, YOU KNOW, AS DR.
WARNESKY SO ELEGANTLY, UH, THAT THIS, THIS HAS BEEN SHOPPED ACROSS THE COUNTY, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, BASED UPON THIS PROGRAM AND SOME OTHER THINGS, WELL, BASED UPON ALSO HAVING THIS PROGRAM IS IT HAS DEFINITELY PULLED UP TEST SCORES AND THEY HAVE DEFINITELY, UH, PULLED UP SOME, UH, SOME SCHOOL SCORES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK THAT ONCE AGAIN THAT WE HAVE, AS A BOARD, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT WHERE WE'RE PUTTING OUR MONEY AT, GOING TO THE REFERENDUM.
BECAUSE IF YOU ASK ME FOR THE RESULTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, IN TERMS OF SOME OF THIS MONEY THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING ABOUT SPENDING, YOU KNOW, THIS RIGHT HERE IS WHAT MATTERS REALLY THE MOST WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING, BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT PUTTING MONEY INTO PROGRAMS TO HELP OUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT ONE DAY THE STUDENTS FROM THIS PROGRAM CAN ACTUALLY GO AND WORK AT A JOB LIKE A BOEING OR, OR A DIFFERENT JOB THAT MAY NOT A STUDENT, BECAUSE EVERY STUDENT IN THIS DISTRICT DON'T WANNA GO TO THE MILITARY.
EVERY STUDENT IN THIS DISTRICT DON'T WANNA GO TO FOOD SERVICES.
BUT MAYBE FROM COMING TO ONE OF THESE PROGRAMS, THEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE CORRECT EDUCATION THAT THEY, THAT THEY NEED.
SO I, I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE PUT THESE DOLLARS UP AND THAT WE ALSO START FIGURING OUT WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET THIS MONEY FROM WHEN THE SF FUNDS ARE RUN OUT.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS FOR ME TO, UH, GET THIS, GET THESE NUMBERS DOWN PACKED SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND GOING INTO BUDGET SEASON WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY, MS. CROSBY, YOU USED A WORD AND YOU SAID, I FAILED YOU.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE YOU VERY CLEAR.
YOU HAVE NOT FAILED THIS BOARD.
YOU ARE ALWAYS GIVING US GREAT INFORMATION, SPENDING A LOT OF TIME DOING IT, AND I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT.
I, I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO CRUNCH THESE NUMBERS IN TWO WEEKS TIME AFTER WE ASK YOU FOR SOMETHING.
AND AS, UH, OUR COLLEAGUES SAID YOU WERE, YOU WERE DOING A LOT, THE BOND REFERENDUM ALONG WITH ALL YOUR OTHER, UM, MANY, MANY DUTIES THAT YOU DO.
DON'T EVER SAY YOU FAILED US BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT, YOU HAVE NOT.
TANYA, UM, WITH THIS PARTICULAR PIECE THOUGH, I, I COMMEND YOU FOR EVEN BEING ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPONENTS IN IT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO KNOW OR WANNA KNOW ABOUT IT.
I KNOW I WANTED TO KNOW AS WELL, HOW ARE WE SPENDING THESE, UH, FUNDS AND, AND, AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT, UH, ONE OF OUR SITES.
PAUL, UM, CHURCH, AND, UM, THAT'S ONE OF OUR SITES FOR, UH, OKAY.
SO I WENT OVER THERE AND, UH, I HAVE TO TELL MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL RUN, IT'S ORGANIZED, UH, THE TEACHERS' CARE, THE KIDS WERE ENGAGED.
I MEAN, IT WAS AWESOME TO SEE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
AND I CAN SEE WHY WE NEED IT ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU KNOW, OF THE BROAD.
SO IF YOU'RE GIVING US THIS INFORMATION, ARMING US WITH INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN MAKE GOOD DECISIONS FOR OUR CHILDREN AND EXPAND THIS PROGRAM, UM, I APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION.
BUT IF YOU EVER GET A CHANCE TO VISIT ONE OF THOSE SITES, YOU NEED TO GO.
UM, THEY'RE DOING WONDERFUL THINGS WITH OUR CHILDREN AND THE TEACHERS WHO ARE THERE AND VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE THERE AS WELL, UH, WORKING ON THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY I THANK YOU.
I LIKE TO COME BACK AND SAY DITTO, DITTO, DITTO TO WHAT MY COLLEAGUE MS. GORDON JUST SAID IN TERMS OF YOUR WILLINGNESS
[01:15:01]
TO ALWAYS BE RESPONSIVE.AND I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING LONG HOURS, YOUR TEAM AND WHOLE NINE YARDS.
UM, COUPLE COUPLE OF THINGS I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST, AND, AND I KNOW THAT SUPERINTENDENT'S ALREADY TAKEN THE LEAD ON THIS.
UM, THERE ARE SOME SOCIETAL GAPS THAT AFFECT OUR PERFORMANCE AS AN INSTITUTION TO IMPROVE LEARNING.
AND I THINK IF WE COULD HAVE A RIGOROUS LARGE SCALE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF WHAT ARE THOSE, AND WHAT IF WE WERE TO TAKE ALL THE CONSTRAINTS OFF OF INNOVATION AND SAY, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO? I THINK THE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVING TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW THEY COMPENSATE FOR THE DETERIORATION OF THE FAMILY IS A STARTING POINT.
UH, BECAUSE I THINK THE RE ALL THE RESEARCH I'M SEEING IS THAT THOSE BIRTH TO FIVE ARE VERY CRITICAL PERIOD IN LIFE.
AND I CAN SHARE WITH YOU, THERE'S SOME COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE MEETING IN DECEMBER THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO SEE HOW THEY CAN COALESCE AROUND COMING TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SAYING, WE WANT TO HELP.
AND THAT MAY BE VERY FERTILE GROUND FOR EXTENDING, EXPANDING THE EXTENDED LEARNING.
UM, SO THE, THE, I JUST WANNA SAY THE WAY YOU, UH, PUT THE DATA OF FAULT IS VERY BENEFICIAL TO ME.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU TO WHAT SHE SAID.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS, UH, MORE DATA.
UH, THIS IS A BIT OF DATA THAT I ASK, UH, MS. CROSBY TO COME UP WITH LOOKING AT THIS BOARD.
LIKE A CORPORATE BOARD WOULD ACT, A CORPORATE BOARD, SAY OF GENERAL MOTORS THAT HAD PLANTS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE NATION.
AND THEY WOULD WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PRODUCE A CAR? WELL, WE HAVE 33 PLANTS IN THIS DISTRICT.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO EDUCATE A STUDENT? SO I ASKED HER TO GATHER ALL THE COSTS PER SCHOOL TO INCLUDE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES, UTILITIES, UH, SALARIES, EVERYTHING THAT IS ON OUR BOOKS, THAT'S, IT'S IN HER DATA.
SHE HAS, EVERY SCHOOL HAS A FUND, UH, IDENTIFIER.
SO SHE WAS ABLE TO GATHER THIS INFORMATION AND IT SHOWS THAT THE AVERAGE SCHOOL EXPENDITURE FOR AVERAGE STUDENT IS $13,496.
BUT YOU'LL SEE FROM HERE, WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT ARE PRODUCING STUDENTS AT $9,318.
AND AT THE OTHER END, WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT ARE PRODUCING STUDENTS AT $24,474.
NOW, THIS IS JUST MACRO BIG PICTURE.
NOW WE HAVE TO LOOK INTO THE NUMBERS AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT SALARIES FOR STU, FOR TEACHERS, WHAT WE SPEND, UH, BY EACH SCHOOL IN SALARIES FOR TEACHERS.
WHAT DO WE SPEND IN SALARIES FOR ADMINISTRATORS? WHAT DO WE SPEND ON UTILITIES FOR THAT SCHOOL? WHAT DO WE SPEND ON MAINTENANCE FOR THOSE SCHOOLS? WHAT DO WE SPEND IN LOW DENSITY CLASSES LIKE SPECIAL EDUCATION THAT CAUSE THESE NUMBERS TO BE HIGHER? ALL OF THIS IS A START.
WISNESKI, WHAT'S THE IMPACT WITH TEST SCORES? SO ALL OF THIS IS A STARTING POINT FOR MANAGERIAL INFORMATION FOR THIS BOARD.
AND IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME TO PULL ALL THIS TOGETHER.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE IN TIME TO PROBABLY AFFECT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT IT SHOULD START TO INFLUENCE FUTURE YEAR'S BUDGET FOR SCHOOLING.
AND ALSO WE'LL SAY SOMETHING ABOUT, UH, DENSITY, ABOUT OUR, OUR SCHOOLS WITH, UH, LOW ENROLLMENT.
WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT PROJECTIONS FOR FUTURE ENROLLMENT BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE MORE EXPENSIVE NOW, BUT AS GROWTH COMES IN, IT WILL BECOME LESS EXPENSIVE IN THE FUTURE PER STUDENT.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST PHASE OF WHAT'S GOING TO BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK AND
[01:20:01]
A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ANALYSIS THAT WILL HAVE TO BE DONE.BUT AS A BOARD, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
AND LOOKING AT MS. CROSBY, YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, WANNA POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS THAT THE FUNDING SOURCES IN THIS DOCUMENT ARE, UH, ARE DIFFERENT IN COMPARISON TO THAT OF THE BUDGET BOOK.
SO THE BUDGET BOOK HAS GENERAL FUND ONLY BY LOCATION.
THIS ONE HAS ALL FUNDING SOURCES INCLUDING SPECIAL REVENUE.
UH, IT EXCLUDES DEBT SERVICE OR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO NO CONSTRUCTION IS IN THIS REPORT, NOR IS IT IN THE OTHER.
UM, BUT JUST DRAW THAT COMPARISON.
THESE ARE EXPENDITURES THAT ARE BUDGETED AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, UH, AND THE PROJECTED ENROLLMENTS FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR BASED ON THE 45TH DAY.
SO THESE WERE WHAT WE BUDGETED ON, UH, FOR ALL PURPOSES.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO CLARIFY THAT.
UH, IT, IT IS A DIFFERENT, UH, REPORT THAN THE THOSE IN THE BUDGET BOOK.
SO SPECIAL REVENUE, DOES THAT INCLUDE ESSER? UM, THAT WOULD INCLUDE ESSER, THAT WOULD INCLUDE TITLE ONE IS GONNA BE A LARGE LEVEL OF SPENDING.
WE'VE RECEIVED FIVE TO $6 MILLION PER YEAR IN, UH, TITLE ONE.
AND THOSE ARE ALLOCATED DIRECTLY TO TITLE ONE SCHOOLS.
SO THE ONES IN THE HIGHER, UM, EXPENDITURE PER PUPIL AREA WILL LIKELY BE THOSE THAT ARE IN TITLE ONE STATUS.
UH, ALSO IDEA, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT, UH, THAT FUNDING IS IN HERE AS WELL.
SO KEEP IN MIND CLUSTER SCHOOLS, UH, YOU MAY HAVE BLUFFTON, LEMC, RILEY, UH, BUFORD L AND OTHERS THAT ARE, UM, THAT ARE CLUSTER AND HAVE A HIGH POPULATION OF SPECIAL ED STUDENTS, THEY WOULD HAVE MORE FUNDING IN THOSE CATEGORIES.
ALSO, ATSI AND CSI FUNDS PRIORITY SCHOOLS.
THOSE WOULD HAVE THOSE FUNDINGS, UH, ARE IN THOSE SCHOOLS AS WELL.
CHAIR, IF I MAY, UM, IN REGARD TO THE, THE INCLUSION OF THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, I THINK THAT ESSER FUNDS, WE SHOULD ACTUALLY SEE THIS WITHOUT THE ESSER FUNDS.
I KNOW TITLE ONE AND IDEA AND ALL OF THOSE, THOSE ARE, THOSE, THOSE DON'T HAVE AN EXPIRATION PERIOD AS FAR AS I KNOW.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE THAT OUT.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE TSI OR NOT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO INCLUDE THOSE, 'CAUSE THOSE HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC PURPOSE AND WERE GIVEN TO US WITH STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN MIND.
UM, SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE NUMBERS WITHOUT THE, THE SRA INCLUDED IN IT.
UM, AND I'M JUST GOING TO DO ONE LITTLE PLUG REAL QUICK.
UM, SO AS WE DO EMBARK ON THIS PROCESS AND LOOKING INTO THIS DEEPLY, UM, UH, IF I COMPLETED THE CERTIFICATE IN EDUCATION FINANCE COURSE FROM GEORGETOWN, UM, GOSH, I THINK A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, BUT IT'S A WONDERFUL PROGRAM.
IT HELPS WITH LOOKING INTO AND USING THAT KIND OF LENS AND, UH, IT'S VERY DETAILED.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A CRASH COURSE.
I CERTAINLY DIDN'T LEARN EVERYTHING, BUT IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED IN THAT, THEY HAVE ROLLING IN CONTINUOUS COHORTS AND IT, IT REALLY DID HELP ME IN LOOKING AT THESE THINGS, UM, DIFFERENTLY AND ALSO BEING VERY STUDENT FOCUSED IN THAT LENS.
UM, AGAIN, GOING, GOING BACK TO THIS ANALYSIS AND I TOTALLY SUPPORT WHAT YOU SAID, UH, UH, COLONEL GUYER, IN TERMS OF THE ANALYSIS AND, AND CARVING THIS OUT, UH, THERE WAS A DOCUMENT IN THE PACKAGE THAT WE GOT THAT I REFERRED TO EARLIER.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS SURPRISING TO ME IS BECAUSE YOU SEGMENTED IT BY PRIMARY, UM, UM, AND HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN SOME OTHERS.
YOU ALSO CARVED OUT SPED AND MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS.
I WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT THE DISTRICT OUT OF $187 MILLION SPENDS 27.8 MILLION ON SPED.
I WAS ALSO PLEASED TO SEE, I WAS PLEASED TO SEE WE SPEND THAT.
I WAS ALSO PLEASED TO SEE WE SPEND 7.3 MILLION ON MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS.
AND WHEN WE START LOOKING AT WHERE CAN WE REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE, I THINK THOSE ARE TWO AREAS.
AND I THINK THERE ALSO NEEDS TO BE A MESSAGE, BECAUSE I ALSO SAW WHERE WE HAVE ONE STUDENT THAT WE HAVE ARE SUPPORTING IN AN INSTITUTION AT $25,000 A MONTH.
AND I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A RIGOROUS COMPARISON OF WHAT THE OTHER EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS DO.
THEY HAVE TO CARRY THAT SAME LOAD.
BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T, THEN WE NEED A MESSAGE THAT WE TAKE TO THE COMMUNITY SAYING, HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO THAT OTHER OPTIONS DON'T.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL TO, TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THE VALUE AND THE CRITICAL IMPERATIVE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
OTHERWISE, WE JUST GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CHALLENGE EXPLAINING OUR NUMBERS AGAIN, VIS-A-VIS SOME OTHER OPTION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. GORDON.
[01:25:01]
IT WORKING? NO.UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, AND YOU CAN PLEASE, PLEASE, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SPED AND IDEA, UH, THE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT ARE, UH, SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH MONEY, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GIVING TOWARD THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT ONE CHILD THAT WE MAY BE SPENDING $25,000 A MONTH, I KNOW PUBLICLY WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH THAT PARTICULAR CHILD, BUT TO EDUCATE A CHILD IN SPED FOR THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY, IT IS PROBABLY NECESSARY.
AND SO I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE HERE WITH PEOPLE THINKING THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, SPENDING $25,000 ON THIS CHILD, BUT NOT ON THE OTHER BECAUSE THEIR NEEDS ARE SO DIFFERENT.
AND WE NEED TO PUT OUR MONEY INTO THAT PROGRAM, INTO THE CHILDREN, AND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AS TO WHAT WE GET.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF SPEC KIDS WE HAVE IDEA, THE LAW, THE LAW GUIDES US IN THIS PEACE.
AND I DON'T WANT TO SHORTCUT ANY OF THESE CHILDREN OR THEIR PARENTS WHO MUST GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO GET THIS SUPPORT FROM US.
SO I DON'T WANT THE PUBLIC TO THINK THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE FOR, FOR ME.
I THINK WHEN YOU RUN THE NUMBERS AND YOU GIVE IT TO US, UM, MAYBE YOU CAN SAVE FED FUNDS, YOU KNOW, 17 MILLION.
I KNOW AT ONE TIME, YOU KNOW, THIS DISTRICT WAS GETTING A LOT OF MONEY FOR, UH, SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD, BUT WE SHOULD USE IT.
HOW MUCH OF THAT MONEY ARE WE DEFINITELY USING, UH, FOR OUR CHILDREN? AND I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT THAT TO BE A DISCUSSION FOR ME.
UH, SO I, I WILL NOT DISCUSS SPECIAL ED, UH, UH, FINANCING, UH, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S NECESSARY.
THE OTHER THING IS, UM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ESSA FUNDS ARE TAKING THIS OUT TO GET THIS, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE? WE KNOW THAT, UM, ESSER FUNDS WILL EXPIRE.
BUT WE DID WELL BEFORE WE GOT ESSER FUNDS, BUT WE'RE DOING BETTER IN SOME AREAS BECAUSE WE CAN USE THAT MONEY.
I, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE WHOLE APPLE AND NOT JUST CUT A PIECE OUT, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR US TO NOT, YOU KNOW, TO NOT HAVE THAT IN, BECAUSE IT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER WE HAVE ESSA FUNDS.
UH, THEY EXPIRE SEPTEMBER, 2024.
SO I KNOW YOU'VE ALREADY, UH, AND WITH YOUR TEAM, YOU'VE BEEN WORKING AT LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, FINANCE THIS PIECE, AND I COMMEND YOU ON THAT AS WELL.
SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR REPORT.
UM, AS I HEAR THIS CONVERSATION THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE FROM THE ACTUAL COMMITTEE MEETING, IT SEEMS LIKE WE MADE A TURN A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE I REMEMBER SOME OF MY COLLEAGUE BEING, UH, NOT EXCITED ABOUT THIS GOV PIECE BEING IN THE ACTUAL REPORT BECAUSE OF THE TASTE.
AS IN YOU, WHEN YOU EAT SOMETHING, IT, IT LEAVES A, A TASTE IN YOUR MOUTH.
YOU GO TO THE CHINESE RESTAURANT AND YOU HAVE SOMETHING SPICY.
IT'S A SPICY TASTE IN YOUR MOUTH.
AND TODAY IT WASN'T MENTIONED.
BUT, UH, I BELIEVE THAT ALSO IT WAS MENTIONED WHEN THIS PIECE WAS BROUGHT BACK UP, WAS WE WERE ALSO COMPARING AS IN SEE WHERE WE HAVE OUR MOST, OUR MOST, UM, EXPERIENCED TEACHERS AND WHAT BUILDINGS WE HAVE THEM IN.
AND IN TERMS OF ALSO WHERE THEY, WHERE OUR MOST EXPERIENCED TEACHERS ARE AND WHAT SCHOOLS ARE BEING ARE PROSPERING AND WHAT THAT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH THEY'RE MAKING.
BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME EXPERIENCED TEACHERS WHO'VE BEEN IN SOME BUILDINGS FOR YEARS.
AND ALSO, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, THOSE NUMBERS REAM SOME OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
SO WHEN WE START TO, WE GOING TO PEEL THIS ORANGE BACK, WE GONNA ADDRESS THE ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN BEST YOU CAN, YOU CAN, YOU CAN BEST BELIEVE THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA LET SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE START PEELING THIS
[01:30:01]
ARMS BACK, THEN LET'S, LET'S BE, LET'S BE PREPARED TO PEEL IT BACK IN EVERY SHAPE AND FORM, AND NOT JUST IN A WAY THAT SUFFICES CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.IF WE WANNA EDUCATE OUR KIDS, THEN WE HAVE TO BE TRUTHFUL TO THE NOTION OF WHAT WE'RE SAYING AS A BOARD, BECAUSE LEADERSHIP START FROM THE TOP.
IT DOESN'T START FROM DR. RODRIGUEZ.
BUT WE HAVE TO BE FIRM AND CLEAR AND INTENTIONAL IN OUR MESSAGE.
SO, AS YOU CAN HEAR, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'M SAYING, AS SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WORDS, SLIGHT MAYBE, UH, THEY WERE VERY VOCAL ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THAT IT MAY BE SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGE.
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO, IT WAS OFFENSIVE TODAY.
THE WAY IT WAS PRESENTED WAS A LITTLE BIT KIND OF CONCERNING IN WHICH WAY WE WANNA GO WITH THIS TOO, BECAUSE WE ALSO SAID THAT SMALLER CLASS SIZE EDUCATE OUR KIDS.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A SHIFT IN THE, IN THE ATMOSPHERE SOMEWHERE WITHIN THIS BOARD.
SO I THINK THIS BOARD NEEDS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DO WE REALLY WANT? SO WHEN WE BEGIN TO START HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, THEN LET'S BE, LET'S BE REMINDED OF ALL THESE THINGS, BECAUSE SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN A GREAT POSITION, THEY DO HAVE A LOT OF RETURNING AND EXPERIENCED TEACHERS, AND THEY ARE NOT GETTING PAID A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY.
SO WHEN YOU, WE START TO COMPARE APPLES TO ORANGES, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GONNA COMPARE ORANGES TO ORANGES.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU TAKE, WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THAT WHO HAVE THOSE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS, AND THEY HAVE ALSO DIFFERENT LEVEL OF STUDENTS, THEN THAT LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SO WHEN WE START TO TALK ABOUT BREAKING UP AND DOING DIFFERENT THINGS, THEN LET'S BE CLEAR AND BE TRANSPARENT WITH THE COMMUNITY WHEN, WHEN WE ARE READY TO DROP THE BALL, THE MIDDLE.
THAT'S THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I ALSO HAVE TO SHARE ABOUT THIS THING.
AND THANK YOU MS. CROSBY FOR THIS BRINGING THIS.
AND THAT'S BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR FY 2025.
AND WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT PROVIDING BOARD INPUT TO THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, MS. BOATWRIGHT HAS MENTIONED THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT TIMELINE WE NEEDED TO GET THAT PRIORITIES, UH, TO, UH, MS. CROSBY SO SHE CAN START, AND DR. RODRIGUEZ TO START BUILDING THE BUDGET.
SO, UM, WE ARE LOOKING, UM, WE ARE BUILDING THE BUDGET.
WE ARE ALREADY WORKING ON THE BUDGET, ACTUALLY.
UM, BUT FEBRUARY, EARLY FEBRUARY IS THE TIMEFRAME WHEN ALL OF OUR DATA COMES BACK FROM SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS.
SO, UH, IT, IT WOULD BE OUR PREFERENCE TO RECEIVE SOMETHING EARLY FEBRUARY.
SO WE'LL START, WE'LL START IN THE, IN, UH, THE NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING TO START BUILDING A STRAW MAN TO PROVIDE TO THE BOARD IN JANUARY.
AND WE MIGHT TAKE SOME, IT'LL TAKE SOME TIME.
I MAYBE, OR MAYBE NOT, DEPENDING ON HOW, UH, STRONG THE STRAW MAN IS, MR. BOAT.
CLARIFY, STRONGMAN, STRONGMAN, STRAW MAN'S A FIRST CUT.
AND WHAT WOULD YOU USE AS INPUTS FOR THE ROUGH DRAFT? LIKE HOW WOULD THAT CONVERSATION EVEN BEGIN? WELL, YOU, YOU CAN COME TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING AND, AND INPUT THERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEND OUT, WE'LL SEND OUT A, UH, AN INITIAL DRAFT FROM THE COMMITTEE AS SOON AS THE COMMITTEE IS.
WE, WE CAN CAPTURE IT AND GET IT OUT TO YOU EARLY.
SO THEN YOU'LL BE PREPARED TO, YOU KNOW, I THINK MARK IT UP PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL IS TO NOT CONFRONT THE BUDGET.
BEING DONE AND THEN SAYING, WELL, WAIT A SECOND, WHAT ABOUT THESE THINGS? RIGHT, EXACTLY.
SO IF EARLY FEBRUARY WORKS, I MEAN, IT'S FINE WITH ME.
UM, I KNOW THAT SOMEONE HAD MENTIONED THAT THEY WANTED TO GET US INVOLVED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
'CAUSE I JUST DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO END UP, LIKE I SAID IN APRIL WITH PEOPLE WONDERING WHY CERTAIN THINGS WEREN'T PUT IN AND THEN IT'S KIND OF A MESS.
SO, BUT I'LL, I'LL BE AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING AND, AND WATCH THIS, UH, PROCESS UNFOLD.
UM, IF I MAY, UM, ONE OF THE PRIORITIES, ONE OF THE WAY WE, UH, BEGIN THE WORK WITH PRIORITIES FROM THE BOARD IS FROM, FROM YOUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND TO BRING THAT TO THE, WE'LL BRING THAT TO THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, AND THAT CAN BE KIND OF THE BASIS OR FOUNDATION FOR THE DISCUSSION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
MR. SMITH, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? UM, IN TERMS, IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, I DO THINK THAT, UM, IT WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO POSSIBLY EVEN GET TOGETHER SEVERAL TIMES BUILDING UP TO THE, TO FINALIZING THE BUDGET.
I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
[01:35:01]
KNOW, UM, YOU, YOU, YOU AND YOUR STAFF WILL GIVE US INFORMATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT I JUST WANNA PUT IT, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME PEOPLE CAN MAKE DECISIONS, BUT IN TERMS OF HOW I MAKE DECISIONS, I THINK THAT THE, THE, THE EARLIER YOU CAN GIVE THE INFORMATION TO DIGEST IT, UNDERSTAND, I THINK THAT WILL BE MORE, UM, IT WOULD, IT WOULD DEFINITELY BE BENEFICIAL TO, UH, TO ME, OUR TIMELINE REALLY IS DICTATED BY THE STATE, UM, AND THE LEGISLATURE.SO, UM, WE WILL NOT RECEIVE INFORMATION UNTIL LIKELY APRIL ON WHAT THE STATE MANDATES ARE, ARE, UH, VERY MUCH A PART, A LARGE PORTION OF OUR BUDGET INCREASES, UH, TEACHER SALARIES, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, SO THOSE WILL BE COMING FORWARD FROM THE LEGISLATURE AND THEN GOVERNOR, UH, AND THEN THOSE DO, THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE TRANSFORMED INTO DOLLARS AND THAT DATA COMES EVEN LATER.
UM, AND DUE WITH INFORMATION, UH, THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS HAD QUITE OF EDUCATION, HAS HAD QUITE A LOT OF TURNOVER THIS YEAR.
SO I DO EXPECT, ANTICIPATE SOME DELAYS IN GETTING SOME OF THAT INFORMATION.
SO I JUST, JUST KNOW THAT, UM, WE CAN BRING EXPENDITURES AND ALL OF WHAT ALL OF THE NEEDS ARE, BUT WE CAN'T REALLY PUT THE BUDGET TOGETHER UNTIL WE FIND OUT HOW MUCH REVENUE WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE.
SO THAT'S THE CRITICAL PIECE TO THAT BUDGET.
AND SO IF THEY'RE, IF WE'RE PUSHED BACK FURTHER BEC AS A RESULT OF, YOU KNOW, IN SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, IT IS BECAUSE OF THAT REVENUE PIECE OF THE CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT HOWEVER, I JUST THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE, WE SHOULD START HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS IN TERMS OF IF WE HAVE TO CUT THE FAT, THEN WHERE WILL WE START LOOKING AT WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE DO'S AND WHAT'S THE DON'TS? AND THAT MAY COME ACROSS AS BEING PREMATURELY, BUT IN, IN TERMS OF EVEN EVEN ASKING FOR THOSE, UH, THOSE, THE, THE INFORMATION IN, IN TERMS OF WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE IN, IN TERMS OF, UH, KEEPING SOME PROGRAMS, WHAT PROGRAMS THAT WE SEE, UM, ARE MOVING, UH, I'M MOVING IN IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT JUST IN TERMS OF THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT AT SOME POINT YOU, YOU WILL COME WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF WHAT YOU PROPOSE TO THE DISTRICT.
BUT IN, IN TERMS OF THAT, I WOULD JUST LIKE, UH, THE BOARD TO, TO, UH, TO, TO POSSIBLE TO POSSIBLY JUST BE ABLE TO, UH, TO, UH, JUST TO, UH, BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO CHEW ON AND DIGEST AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT AND WHAT WE DON'T WANT.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UH, I WOULD DEFINITELY BE HELPFUL TO US AND TO ME AS WELL.
THE NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 14TH, UH, BEGINNING AT 2:30 PM OH BOY.
NOW MOVE ON TO OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING.
THE NOVEMBER 14TH, THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING MET MR. DAVE GRISHAM PROVI, PRESENTED OE 15 SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR EACH SECTION.
STAFF MEMBERS, ALVEDA GRAHAM, ANDREA MURRAY, JERRY HENDERSON, LAISHA SWINTON, UH, SPOKE ON THEIR AREA.
AND, UH, WE WILL BE TALKING AT MORE DETAIL IN BOARD BUSINESS, UH, BECAUSE THE, THE COMMITTEE ACCEPTED THE, UM, OE 15, UH, AT A VOTE, NOT A, A UNANIMOUS VOTE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S GOING TO BOARD BUSINESS ACTION.
IT DID, HOWEVER, ACCEPT AND PUT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA A REVISED FIRE AND SAFETY PLAN, BECAUSE THAT, THAT SEEMED TO BE, UH, ACCEPTED BY THE COMMITTEE AS A WHOLE.
MR. DAN RAYBACK FROM THIS TOWN OF BLUFFTON UPDATED THE COMMITTEE ON THE BLUFFTON PRITCHARD STREET STORM SCAPE STORM STREET SCAPE STORM PROJECT.
UH, THAT WAS JUST A IN PROGRESS REVIEW.
MR. OTTING PRESENTED THE MONTHLY CONSTRUCTION UPDATE AS MR. CORBIN READY TO GIVE AN EXECUTIVE.
UH, ROBERT WILL BE DOING THAT THANK YOU BOARD.
I'LL BE GIVING THE, UH, EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION
[01:40:01]
PROJECTS.SO THE YELLOW LIGHTS, AND THIS IS JUST GONNA GO OVER THE YELLOW LIGHTS.
UH, THE, THE MAIN ONE, OF COURSE IS ROBERT SMALLS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
UH, AS YOU'RE AWARE, AT THE NOVEMBER 7TH BOARD MEETING, UH, THERE WAS APPROVAL GIVEN BY THE BOARD WITH JE DUNN'S AMENDMENT NUMBER 11.
UH, THAT WAS FOR THE, UH, DEMOLITION, UM, CONTRACT TO CONTINUE FOR $808,416.
NOW THAT THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED AND THERE IS A NEW BUDGET AND SCHEDULE, THE YELLOW TRAFFIC LIGHT WILL BE REMOVED AND IT WILL BE BECOME A GREEN STATUS IN NEXT MONTH'S REPORT.
UM, THERE WERE ADDITIONAL PUNCH LIST DETAILS REQUESTED AND GIVEN AT THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING, AND YOU'LL FIND IN YOUR PACKET, UH, ATTACHMENT, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, THE PUNCH LIST THAT REMAIN, UH, FROM JE DUNN, ALONG WITH A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE ARCHITECT TO EXTEND THE FINAL COMPLETION.
BEFORE I GO ON, I'LL, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT PROJECT?
UM, WE DID SHOW THE, UH, NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON THE MAY RIVER CAMPUS IN THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN.
I DON'T KNOW, ROBIN, IF YOU CAN BRING UP, UH, SLIDES 12 AND 13 THAT KIND OF GIVES THE, UH, ELEVATION VIEW OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT NEW SCHOOL.
THE DESIGN TEAM IS CURRENTLY PREPARING DESIGN DEVELOPMENT DOCUMENTS.
UM, AND SO, YEP, UH, ROBIN'S BROUGHT IT UP.
SO THAT IS THE LOOK RIGHT NOW OF THE PROPOSED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SLIDE 20, UH, WAS ON HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS, UH, WHERE THE PER, WE'RE STILL WAITING THE PERMIT FOR THE NEW FIELD HOUSE.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT THIS MONTH.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S A LITTLE DELAYED WAITING ON THAT PERMIT.
HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL ADVANCED DESIGN, WHICH IS SLIDE 21, UH, PHASE ONE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS 75% CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETE, DELIVERED TO THE DISTRICT FOR REVIEW.
UM, WE'RE RIGHT NOW WAITING ON AN UPDATED COST ESTIMATE FROM MB CON.
UH, THERE IS ALSO A, A LINK IN YOUR PACKET THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT, UH, WHICH SHOWS A VIDEO OF THE PHASING FOR THE NEW HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL DESIGN, ALONG WITH THE PARKING AND HOW THAT'S GOING TO OCCUR.
WE DID LOOK AT ESSER PROJECT UPDATES, WHICH INCLUDED THE SLIDE 57 HVAC PROJECTS.
UH, THERE WAS AGMP PROPOSAL FOR HVAC REPLACEMENT AND BUILDING RENOVATIONS AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE, WHICH IS BEING REVIEWED AND EVALUATED.
ALSO, BEAUFORT HIGH SCHOOL, SECOND FLOOR, HVAC, CLOSEOUT DOCUMENTS ARE BEING FINALIZED.
PROJECT CLOSEOUTS, UH, FY 2019 HAS ONE PROJECT THAT REMAINS FY 2020 8% HAS EIGHT PROJECTS THAT REMAIN IN CLOSEOUTS WITH REFERENDUM PROJECTS.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY 35 PROJECT CLOSEOUTS THAT REMAIN.
AND ON OUR REFERENDUM FINANCIAL SUMMARY, WE ARE TRACKING 166 FINAL COMMITMENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED TO DATE.
UH, FINAL FINANCIAL UPDATE IS STILL SHOWING A GREEN TRAFFIC LIGHT.
WE'RE PROUD TO REPORT THE CURRENT REFERENDUM BUDGET IS STILL THE $375 MILLION 710,000.
NOW, THIS IS OF COURSE, ONLY THE, UH, 2019 REFERENDUM PAID AND COMMITTED FUNDS WE WERE AT, AND THIS IS AS OF OCTOBER 31ST.
WE WERE AT 98% PAID EXPENDITURES TOTAL, 75% OR 283,186,578.
WE CURRENTLY, AS OF OCTOBER, HAVE AVAILABLE FUNDS INCLUDING CONTINGENCY OF 6,046,000.
AND THAT'S 1.6099999999999999% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET CONTINGENCY AVAILABLE IN AUGUST, RETURNED 1,529,487 AND USED 1,049,439.
THE CONTINGENCY BUDGET REMAINING AT THE END OF OCTOBER WAS 1,515,972.
SOME THINGS THAT OCCURRED IN NOVEMBER INCLUDED THE ST.
HELENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RIBBON CUTTING.
THANK YOU FOR MANY OF YOU BOARD MEMBERS THAT WERE PRESENT AT THAT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAD OUR 2023 BOND REFERENDUM RESULTS OF 72% APPROVAL.
UH, AS FAR AS REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS AND QUALIFICATIONS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING, YOU, WE SHOWED THE TWO THAT Y'ALL
[01:45:01]
WERE AWARE OF AND APPROVED TONIGHT, WHICH THE DESIGN SERVICES AND ALSO THE CM AT RISK FOR RENOVATION AND MODIFICATION PROJECTS.SO, WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
MOVING ON, UH, MS. BRITTANY FIELDS WITH BUFORT COUNTY AND MS. UH, JENNIFER BRAGG, THE CONSULTANT FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, PROVIDED INFORMATION ON ACQUIRING AN EASEMENT ON OUR PROPERTY IN SEABROOK.
ROBERT, ARE THEY AVAILABLE? ARE YOU GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT? MS. UH, MS. BRAGG IS AVAILABLE ONLINE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR HER.
COULD YOU, COULD YOU DESCRIBE TO THE BOARD THE, UH, ISSUE, UH, ASK IF MS. BRAGG IS AVAILABLE, IF SHE'D LIKE TO GIVE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THIS PROJECT AND WHAT'S BEING REQUESTED? YES, I'M HERE.
SO, BEAUFORT COUNTY, AS PART OF ITS 20 18 1, SINCE SALES TAX PROGRAM HAS MULTIPLE SIDEWALKS AND PATHWAY PROJECTS ACROSS THE COUNTY.
ONE IS ACTUALLY A NEW EIGHT FOOT SIDEWALK ALONG STEWART POINT ROAD THAT WILL GO FROM, UH, TRA PARKWAY TO THE END.
AND I AM GOING TO TRY AND SHARE MY SCREEN.
SO IT'S NOT GOING TO ALLOW ME, UM, SO WITH THIS, WE NEED RIGHT OF WAY ALONG THE QUARTER, LEMME SEE IF I CAN SHARE MY SCREEN HERE.
ARE YOU ABLE TO SEE MY SCREEN? YES.
SO THIS IS THE PUBLIC MEETING DISPLAYS THAT WE PRESENTED BACK IN THE SPRING.
WHAT THIS SHOWS IS WE NEED NEW RIGHT OF WAY ALONG THE SCHOOL'S, PROPER PROPERTY THAT BORDER STEWART POINT ROAD.
UH, THE BLUE IS THE NEW EIGHT FOOT SIDEWALK.
THAT WOULD BE WITHIN NEW RIGHT OF WAY, THAT ONCE THE PROJECT IS CONSTRUCTED WOULD BE CONVEYED BACK TO S-C-D-O-T.
SINCE STEWART POINT IS ADOT ROADWAY, THERE IS A LITTLE PIECE OF THE EXISTING ASPHALT PATH INSIDE THE SCHOOL'S FENCE, UM, RIGHT HERE THAT WOULD NEED TO BE RECONSTRUCTED AS PART OF THIS, BECAUSE WE WILL NEED TO MOVE THE FENCE BACK AND SET IT AT THE NEW RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THAT WOULD GET RECONSTRUCTED, UM, A LITTLE CLOSER UP HERE, ACTUAL DESIGN DRAWINGS.
SO WITH THIS, THIS IS THE NEW SIDEWALK.
WE ARE DOING SOME, UH, NEW DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS AS PART OF IT.
THIS LINE HERE IS THE NEW RIGHT OF WAY THAT WILL BE REQUIRED.
WE ARE REQUESTING A NEW TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION EASEMENT JUST PURELY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROJECT.
THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE CONVEYED BACK TO THE SCHOOL ONCE IT'S, UM, CONSTRUCTED.
SO AGAIN, THIS'LL RUN THE FULL LENGTH.
THIS IS THE LITTLE AREA OF THE PATH THAT WOULD BE ASPHALT PATH THAT WOULD BE RECONSTRUCTED WITH THE PROJECT.
BUT THIS PROVIDES BASICALLY APPROXIMATELY A TWO MILE EIGHT FOOT SIDEWALK THE ENTIRE LENGTH FROM TRA PARKWAY TO DELANEY CIRCLE AT THE END.
AND THEN THIS IS WHERE THE PATH ENDS AT THE SCHOOL'S PROPERTY BOUNDARY.
SO WITH THIS, UM, PAN, THE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE BEING DISPLAYED BEFORE ARE THE OFFICIAL RIGHT OF WAY AGREEMENTS.
UM, SO AGAIN, THIS IS THE OVERVIEW HERE WHERE YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SIDEWALK IS THERE AND YOUR FACILITIES ARE BACK AWAY FROM THE ROADWAY.
WISNESKI? I THINK MY QUESTION MIGHT BE FOR ROBERT, I'M NOT SURE.
SO AM I UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY THAT THERE'S AN EXISTING CHAIN LINK FENCE THAT'S GOING TO BE RE TAKEN OUT AND REINSTALLED? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
DO WE KNOW THE AGE OF THAT FENCE? OOH, YEAH, I DO.
IT'S PROBABLY THE AGE OF THAT BUILDING, WHICH IS IN THE NINETIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, 30, 25 YEARS OLD.
SO, SO MY MAIN CONCERN WITH THE, I'M, I'M PERFECTLY FINE WITH EXTENDING SIDEWALKS.
MY MAIN CONCERN IS THE ASSET IN THE FENCE AND ITS POTENTIAL, UM, LOSS OF INTEGRITY IN MOVING IT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE BETTER SUITED THAT WE GET A NEW FENCE INSTALLED, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
[01:50:01]
IF SOMEONE COULD GIVE ME SOME TYPE OF ASSURANCE THAT THE INTEGRITY OF THE FENCE IS NOT GOING TO BE, UM, COMPROMISED IN MOVING IT LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.UM, THAT'S JUST, IT'S A SAFETY MATTER TO ME.
SO MS. BRAGG, WHEN YOU USE THE PHRASE MOVE THE FENCE, DOES THAT REPLACE IT WITH A NEW FENCE OR MOVE THE EXISTING CHAIN LINK? NOT NECESSARILY.
SO THE CHAIN LINK ITSELF COULD PROBABLY BE MOVED AND RE STRONG, UM, BUT THE POST MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED ENTIRELY.
BUT THAT IS PART OF WHEN THE CONTRACTOR'S OUT THERE, WHEN THEY GO TO TAKE THE EXISTING FENCE DOWN TO DETERMINE IF IT TRULY CAN BE MOVED AND RES STRONG OR IF THEY HAVE TO PUT IN A NEW AS PART OF IT.
BUT IT'S CONSIDERED A MOVING ITEM, WHETHER IT'S REPLACING KIND OR THEY'RE ABLE TO REINSTALL.
SO WE MAY, UM, LIKE TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT WITH YOU, MS. BRAGG, AND WE'LL BE GLAD TO MAYBE AFTER THANKSGIVING WE CAN HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN THE OTHER PORTION OF THIS, OF COURSE, IS WITH THE NEW RIGHT OF WAY, WE ARE ASKING IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WOULD DONATE THE RIGHT OF WAY TIS, UH, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SIDEWALK, SINCE IT IS BENEFITING THE CITIZENS IN THE COMMUNITY AND OBVIOUSLY SERVING ANY CHILDREN THAT MAY NEED TO WALK TO SCHOOL.
UH, COLONEL GEIER, I THINK ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS WAS THAT BY WIDENING AND MOVING THE FENCE, THAT OUR KIDS WOULD BE SAFER BECAUSE WE HAVE QUITE A FEW STUDENTS THAT WALK THAT PATH.
I THINK I HEARD THAT, UM, MR. CAMPBELL CAMPBELL MAY KNOW MORE THAN I DO ON THE NUMBER OF, I KNOW THERE'S A NEW DEVELOPMENT RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
THAT, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION, MR. CAMPBELL? I THOUGHT IN THE, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING THAT THERE WAS A POSITIVE OF MOVING THE FENCE, THAT IT GAVE MORE SPACE FOR STUDENTS THAT WALK ALONG THAT ROAD.
BECAUSE THERE'S NO, NO SIDEWALK THERE.
THAT FENCE WAS PUT UP WHEN THE SCHOOL'S BUILT MR. SMITH.
UM, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK, UM, HE KINDA YOU DID PART OF, BUT I WAS JUST GONNA ASK MR. CAMPBELL HIS TAKE ON THIS, UH, IN REFERENCE TO THIS IS IN YOUR AREA.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, UM, I BELIEVE THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE EVEN HAD A, HAD A COUNTY, I MEAN, I MEETING A COMMUNITY MEETING ON THIS AND I JUST WANTED TO KNOW YOUR, UH, YOUR TAKE ON ON THIS PIECE MEAN THIS WAS IN YOUR DISTRICT COMMUNITY.
REALLY WANT THE SIDEWALK BECAUSE, UM, THE CHILDREN, UH, CAN WALK TO SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, SO ALSO THE PARENTS AND PEOPLE THAT LIVE ON THERE, LIKE TO MAKE A, THEY CAN TAKE A WALK ALSO, THE COMMUNITY IS, IS IN SUPPORT OF IT.
JUST MOVING ON, MR. RYAN, MATTHEW FROM BRIGHTVIEW, IT'S CONTRACTOR WAS AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAD CONCERNING THE MAINTENANCE OF ATHLETIC FIELDS.
WOULD YOU PUT UP THE GROUNDS UPDATE, PLEASE? COMPLETE.
MR. TING, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THIS? WELL, UH, MS. MAJORS IS ONLINE.
SO MS. MAJORS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS THE ATHLETIC FIELD UPDATE? IF NOT, I'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE IT.
UM, SO WHAT THE QUESTION WAS FROM MR. SMITH WAS ABOUT THE COST OF THE CARE FOR ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELDS.
AND SO, UH, UH, DISCUSSION WAS ABOUT WHAT THE SCOPE OF WORK WAS FOR THE ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELDS, AND THAT'S WHAT'S LISTED HERE, ALL THE ITEMS THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
ALSO, ALONG WITH THE COST DIFFERENCE, WHERE, UH, THE NATURAL TURF FIELDS COST 7,600 PER MONTH TO TAKE CARE OF FOR AT ALL SIX HIGH SCHOOLS, WHILE THE ARTIFICIAL TURF COSTS $6,300 A MONTH.
UM, AND WE DID DISCUSS HOW BRIGHT VIEW'S CONTRACT IS COMING TO AN END AT THE, IN JUNE, AND THIS WILL HAVE TO GO OUT FOR BID.
AND INCLUDED IN THAT NEW BID PROCESS, WE'LL BE THE CARE FOR THE ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELDS.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, I'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE THEM.
[01:55:02]
SMITH ALSO, UM, IN RE IN REGARDS TO, UH, WHAT YOU SAID PART OF IT WAS CORRECT, AND THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER PIECE OF IT TOO IN TERMS OF THIS, THIS PIECE WAS BROUGHT UP BECAUSE OF THE FACT OF, UH, THE QUESTION WAS, UH, WHAT'S THE PROCESS AND WHAT PROCESS ARE WE USING? AND THE COST CAME IN EFFECT AS WE BEGIN TO DISCUSS IT.BUT IN, IN TERMS OF, I'VE NOTICED THAT SOME IN SOME OF THESE ATHLETIC FIELDS THAT ARE ARTIFICIAL TURF, THAT THEY WERE SAYING THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE MAINTAINING AND SOME PEOPLE AREN'T.
SO THEREFORE, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DISTRICT WAS, WE WERE MAINTAINING OUR, OUR, UM, OUR, OUR ATHLETIC FIELDS IN, IN TERMS, IN TERMS OF THOSE, UM, IN TERMS OF THE, UM, I WAS THE, THE ARTIFICIAL, UH, TURF FIELDS.
AND MY QUESTION WAS, WHAT WAS THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT? AND ARE WE DOING THAT? THAT WAS THE INITIAL QUESTION.
THE THE PRICE WAS NOT IN THERE, BUT I BELIEVE ALONG THAT MEETING THOUGH, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES DID BRING THAT UP AND THEY DID THOUGHT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE, UM, IT SHOULD BE MUCH MORE CHEAPER THAN WHAT WE'RE CURRENT WE'RE CURRENTLY PAYING RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHEN I BELIEVE THAT THE, THE COMMENT CAME UP ABOUT, UM, THE COMMENT CAME UP ABOUT THAT, ABOUT THE CURRENT CONTRACTOR TIME POSSIBLY RUNNING OUT.
AND WE MAY HAVE A, A, WE, WE MAY HAVE A, A OPTION TO OPT OUT FROM THAT PERSON.
AND ALSO WITH THEM, THEY HAD, THEY, THEY HAD SOME, SOME BASICALLY SOME THINGS THAT THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO BEND ON.
AND SO I BELIEVE THAT THOSE WERE QUESTIONABLE AND IN, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
SO I, I BELIEVE IN, IF I'M NOT CORRECT, I BELIEVE IN MY COLLEAGUES CAN CORRECT ME, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WAS MORE OF THE CONVERSATION, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, THE, THE COST OF IT.
BUT IT WAS MULTI-PROCESS AND WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE AND HOW WE MAINTAINING AND WHAT THE PROCESS WAS.
UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, THAT LAST ITEM, UM, WE DID, IF THE BOARD WANTS US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, UH, THERE IS THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE BOARD WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DONATION OF THAT EASEMENT TO THE COUNTY TIS UM, THAT WAS ONE THING.
I BELIEVE WE HAD A MOTION COMING OUT OF OPERATIONS.
IS THAT NOT, IS THAT NOT CORRECT? WE DID NOT HAVE ONE.
NEXT ITEM, MS. UH, BRANDY MAJOR PRESENTED A MAINTENANCE AND CUSTODIAL MONTHLY SUMMARY FOR THE PERIOD OCTOBER ONE TO OCTOBER 31ST, 2023.
THIS IS A ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL, UH, BIT OF DATA THAT SHOWS THE NUMBER OF JOB ORDERS, THE, THE NUMBER OF, UH, JOB ORDERS COMPLETED, THE MAINTENANCE, UH, THE CUSTODIAL WORK.
AND IT'S AN EXCELLENT TOOL AND SOMETHING THAT SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE SHOWN TO THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, UH, EVERY MONTH.
BUT FOR THE FULL BOARD, WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND THAT THE FULL BOARD RECEIVES TWO REPORTS A YEAR.
ONE IN JANUARY AND ONE IN JUNE, A SIMPLE REPORT.
AND THE SIMPLE REPORT GOES TO EACH OF OUR PRINCIPLES, AND THE PRINCIPLES ARE SAID, ARE ASKED TO RATE THEIR PERFORMANCE OF THE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT AND THE, UH, CUSTODIAL CONTRACT IN THEIR SCHOOL ON A SERIES OF ONE TO 10, ONE BEING LOW, 10 BEING HIGH.
AND THEN IF THEY RATE IT BELOW A 10 IN EACH OF THE CATEGORIES, THEY SAY, WHAT COULD BE DONE TO IMPROVE THAT, TO GET IT TO BE A 10.
SO THAT'S WHAT WOULD COME TO THE BOARD TWICE A YEAR.
AND, UH, THE, RATHER THAN HAVE THE, UH, FULL REPORT WITH ALL THE DATA OF THE CUSTODIAL INSPECTIONS AND SO ON, UH, BE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD EVERY MONTH, WE'LL JUST HAVE TWO REPORTS A YEAR TO THE BOARD.
AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, WE WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE YOU THE RAW DATA IN THE PACKET WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, NORMAL MEETING.
BUT WE WON'T, UH, GO INTO DETAIL ON WHAT'S BEING DONE.
IT, WHAT'S BEING DONE IS, IS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL.
AND I REALLY THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE A GREATER, UM, APPROVAL RATING BY OUR PRINCIPALS AS A RESULT OF THIS.
ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THAT? YES, DR.
[02:00:01]
YOU SAYING THAT THE REPORT THAT WE HAVE HERE, THAT THIS WOULD BE AT REQUEST ONLY? OKAY.WELL, IT'LL BE AVAILABLE, IT'LL BE AVAILABLE AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING IF YOU OKAY.
AND, AND THAT, THAT'S PUBLIC AND WE'LL BE PUBLISHED AND THEN IT'LL BE ALSO IN YOUR PACKET FOR EVERY MEETING SO THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AND IF YOU WISH TO BRING IT UP IN MORE DETAIL YOU CAN AT, DURING THE OPERATIONS REPORT.
SO JUST NOT A, NOT A REHASHING OF IT.
'CAUSE I THINK THIS IS GREAT DATA, AND I KNOW THERE WAS A PURPOSE BEHIND IT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THIS WASN'T GOING AWAY ENTIRELY.
NO, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, MAN, IT'S PERFECT FOR THE MANAGEMENT RIGHT.
I WAS JUST, I WAS GOING TO SAY, YEAH, AND ACTUALLY I DID MAKE THAT CLEAR AT THE MEETING, UH, DR.
WINKY, THAT WE WOULD DEFINITELY WANT NOT TO STOP THIS PROCESS.
AND THAT WE WOULD DEFINITELY WANNA KEEP, WANNA KEEP THE PROCESS GOING.
AND THAT'S WHEN HE, HE MADE THE, UH, YEAH.
THE COMMITTEE WENT INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE RELATING TO A PENDING QUIET TITLE, ACTION, LEGAL CLAIM.
AND, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE WILL BRING UP AT OUR NEXT MEETING IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE NEEDED TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION.
UH, IT'S NOT READY, UH, TO BE TALKED ABOUT TO THE FULL BOARD IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S AN INTERESTING ISSUE.
I GUESS THAT'S BEST WAY TO SAY IT.
UH, MR. CAMPBELL, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT? UH, YEAH.
IT'S, IT'S ABOUT SOME PROPERTY THAT A SCHOOL WAS CREATED BACK IN THE 18 HUNDREDS FOR, UM, THE SHELDON, UM, COMMUNITY.
AND IT, UH, IT CLOSED, UH, IN 1942.
THE NAME OF THE SCHOOL WAS, UH, THE SHELDON UNION ACADEMY.
AND, UM, IN FACT, I PASSED A SIGN MANY TIMES, AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT
AND, UH, TELL ME AND MRS. UM, WENDY CARTRIDGE AND, UM, HAR WENT OUT THERE AND, AND THAT'S THE SIGN IS THERE.
BUT, AND PROPERTY'S SO SMALL, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE DON'T, THERE'S NO WAY WE'D BE ABLE TO USE IT.
WE'LL, WE'LL BRING IT UP, UH, NEXT MEETING.
LASTLY, WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR MEETING, THE NEED TO CAPTURE LESSONS LEARNED FROM OUR 2019 REFERENDUM.
IT WAS THE FIRST REFERENDUM PASSED, UH, IN 11 YEARS, AND THE LARGEST REFERENDUM PASSED TO DATE.
AND NOW WE HAVE A BIGGER REFERENDUM TO DEAL WITH.
SO THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO CAPTURE WHAT WE LEARNED AS WE WENT THROUGH THE EXECUTION OF THAT, UH, LARGE REFERENDUM, AND TAKE THE LESSONS LEARNED, GET THE STAFF TO PROVIDE INPUT.
AND THEN FOR THE FULL BOARD, WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT A KIND OF AFTER ACTION REVIEW.
AND THE AFTER ACTION REVIEW, WE'LL TALK ABOUT, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE LEARN, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THIS REFERENDUM.
UH, THERE'S SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME TO GRIPS WITH.
AND ONE OF THE CHANGES IS WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO, UH, COUNT ON A LARGE BOND PREMIUM THAT SAVED OUR BACON DUE TO ALL THE INFLATION AND IMPACT OF COVID.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE A, A HARDER LOOK, AND THIS IS SOMETHING MISS BOATWRIGHT WAS ON RIGHT AWAY, WAS USING CONTINGENCY FUNDS OR USING CHANGE ORDERS TO CHANGE THE INITIAL COSTING OR ADDING ADDITIONAL SCOPE TO THE PROJECTS.
AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK HARDER AT THAT THIS TIME.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE IN OUR OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT, AND WE HAVE A VERY, VERY GOOD HANDLE ON PRICING, MUCH BETTER THAN LAST TIME.
AND THAT WE HAD TWO, UH, DIFFERENT ARCHITECTS OR CONSTRUCTION EXPERTS TAKE A LOOK AT OUR PROJECTS TO GET US A FINER, UH, KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WE HAVE IN THE SCOPE OF OUR EXISTING PROJECT.
SO, BUT WE WANNA CAPTURE ALL THAT WHILE IT'S STILL FRESH IN OUR MINDS, AND ALSO KIND OF SET US UP FOR HOW WE STRUCTURE OUR CONTRACTS AND HOW WE MONITOR AS WELL AS I'VE ASKED THE CLOCK COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE THEIR LESSONS LEARNED SO THEY CAN HELP US IN THAT EFFORT.
[02:05:01]
COMMENTS? I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.THE NEXT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING IS ON NOVEMBER 29TH AT, UH, 5:00 PM AND THAT CONCLUDES, UH, THOSE REPORTS.
THE NEXT COMMITTEE REPORT IS POLICY COMMITTEE.
UH, SO THE POLICY COMMITTEE MET ON NOVEMBER 3RD.
UH, WE REMOVED THE AGENDA ITEM, UH, THAT WAS LISTED AS NUMBER THREE DUE TO IT BEING A PO POSSIBLE NON POLICY ITEM.
UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION, HAD A NUMBER OF DISCUSSIONS.
UM, ONE WAS INCLUSION OF POLICY CHANGES, UH, INTO THE HANDBOOK.
SO TO PROVIDE A, A GUIDE FOR BOARD MEMBERS OF HOW POLICY CHANGES CAN BE EFFECTUATED, UM, BY THE BOARD.
UM, WE ALSO DISCUSSED, UH, A JUNE, 2020 MOTION THAT IS CURRENTLY IN OUR POLICY MANUAL.
AND, UH, ESSENTIALLY WE WANT TO ALSO REVIEW HOW ITEMS ARE SENT TO COMMITTEE.
THERE'S, UH, A SENT TWO WAYS, NO, EXCUSE ME, THREE WAYS THAT IS PRESENTLY DONE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S EXTREMELY CLEAR IN OUR POLICIES.
'CAUSE IT MAY BE A BIT AMBIGUOUS AT THIS MOMENT.
UM, WE ARE DISCUSSING AND LOOKING INTO THE POTENTIAL FOR NEW BOARD MEMBER TRAINING MODULES THAT ARE AUTOMATED AND ALLOW FOR, UM, CLICKING THROUGH AND A BRIEF QUIZ AT THE END TO ELIMINATE CONFUSION ON POLICIES, ROLES, ET CETERA.
AND OUR NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 4TH, SO PLEASE COME AND ENGAGE WITH US.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? HEARING NONE, DR. RODRIGUEZ, SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
UH, THIS EVENING IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, WE HAVE, UH, A FEW ITEMS FOR YOU.
STRADOS TO TALK ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND, UH, RECENT, UH, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT SHE AND FEW OTHERS HAD, AND THEY'RE BRINGING BACK SOME REALLY GOOD INFORMATION.
STRADDLES, THANK YOU DR. RODRIGUEZ.
GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS AND VICE CHAIR MR. GUYER.
THIS EVENING I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU A INSTITUTE THAT MEMBERS FROM THE DISTRICT ATTENDED AT HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION EDUCATION, THE INSTITUTE FOCUSED ON FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THIS PRESENTATION WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH A LENS OF THE MODEL THAT THE DISTRICT'S PERSONNEL WILL FOLLOW, AS WELL AS, AS WE DEEPEN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR ROLES AND SKILLS TO SUSTAIN AN EFFECTIVE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT AS A SYSTEM, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT INCLUDES COMMUNITY AND FAMILIES THROUGH MULT, MULTIPLE A AVENUES, COMMITTEES, FOCUS GROUPS, SURVEYS, BANG, THE TABLE SOFTWARE ACTUALLY THAT HAS BEEN USED IN THE PAST A YEAR AND A HALF, AND THE DISTRICT'S AVAILABILITY TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND FAMILIES IS AN ESTABLISHED PRACTICE.
HOWEVER, THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THIS ATTENDED INSTITUTE'S OUTCOME IS TO DEEPEN OUR PRACTICE IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT THE RESEARCH REFERS TO AS THE FOREST SEES CAPABILITIES, CONNECTIONS, CONFIDENCE, AND COGNITION, AND TO WHAT OUR TEAM IS DEFINING AS THE FIFTH CC AS COHERENCE OF PRACTICE AMONGST AND WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
IN SUMMARY, LET'S LOOK AT OUR COMMUNITY AND FAMILIES WITH AN ASSET LENS AND BUILD UPON GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU MRS. CUSHEN BARRY.
SO LET'S HAVE A QUICK ANALYSIS OR A COMPARISON.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT VERSUS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INVOLVEMENT FOCUSES ON INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
COMMUNICATION TO FAMILIES IS ONE WAY, FOCUSES ON PROGRAMS, AND THE RELATIONSHIPS ARE BASICALLY TRANSACTIONAL.
IF YOU LOOK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ENGAGEMENT, IT FOCUSES ON COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY AND PARTNERSHIPS.
COMMUNICATION WITH FAMILIES IS TWO WAYS.
IT FOCUSES ON COMMUNI COLLECTIVE PRACTICE.
AND RELATIONSHIPS IS TRANSFORMATIVE.
IT IS NOT A COMPLIANCE MODEL OF PRACTICE.
THIS IS A DEFINITION THAT IS A STANDARD DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS A FULL, EQUAL AND EQUITABLE PARTNERSHIP AMONG FAMILIES, EDUCATORS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO PROMOTE CHILDREN'S LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT FROM
[02:10:01]
BIRTH THROUGH COLLEGE AND CAREERS.THESE WORDS ARE RATHER FAMILIAR WITH MANY OF US HERE AT THE BOARD TO SHARE WITH YOU.
LEADERSHIP AS A DRIVER, PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY, PARENT AND COMMUNITY TIES, STUDENT CENTERED LEARNING, CLIMATE INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDANCE.
AND AT THE CENTER IS STUDENT LEARNING.
SO HERE ARE SOME WINS FOR A DEEP AND TRANSFORMATIVE MODEL OF COMMUNITY AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT.
HIGHER GRADES AND TEST SCORES, BETTER ATTENDANCE AND ENGAGEMENT IN CLASSES OF OUR STUDENTS.
INCREASE OF POSITIVE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS, GREATEST SENSE OF EFFICACY AND SELF-ESTEEM, HIGHER GRADUATION RATES.
COLLEGE POST-SECONDARY ATTENDANCE WINS FOR EDUCATORS.
SHIFT FROM A DEFICIT TO AN ASSET BASE.
THINKING ABOUT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.
INCREASED AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION FOR EDUCATORS.
GREATER SUCCESS, MOTIVATING AND ENGAGING OUR STUDENTS.
MORE SUPPORT FROM FAMILIES AND STRONGER, STRONGER MORAL AND PROFESSIONAL SATISFACTION FOR EDUCATORS.
STRONGER PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS, BETTER RAPPORT WITH TEACHERS AND SCHOOL STAFF.
GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHILD'S PROGRESS AND HOW TO HELP I INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IN ADVOCATING FOR THEIR CHILD.
INCREASE DEEP AND SUPPORT SOCIAL CONNECTIONS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE WINS FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE MANY ITEMS IN PLACE ALREADY.
HOW THIS COULD, IS WORKING FOR OUR SYSTEM.
I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO ATTENTION, YOU KNOW, OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS ON OUR SCHOOL INSTRUCTIONAL COUNCILS.
THOSE ARE OVERARCHING, BUT I'M ASKING IS FOR US, WHEN WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS, LET'S GO DEEPER.
AND HOW ARE WE GETTING GREATER INVOLVEMENT AT PRACTICE? SO IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHAT I'M SHARING IS, IF YOU SEE ON ONE SIDE IS A CAKE, ALL THE ELEMENTS ARE NECESSARY.
IF YOU TAKE AN ELEMENT OUT OF A CAKE, OUT OF THAT RECIPE, IT'S NOT SUCCESSFUL.
OUR FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITIES ARE PART OF THE SUCCESS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND IT IS A PRACTICE AS WE GO FORWARD FOR A STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THE DEVELOPMENT DURING THIS ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR, WHEN YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES, IS A HYPERLINK WITHIN THIS VISUAL THAT ACTUALLY GIVES YOU SOME CLIPS TO BECOME A LITTLE MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE PRACTICE OF ASSET BASED VERSUS A DEFICIT, DEFICIT BASED MODEL LOOKING AT OUR FAMILIES.
SO IT'S JUST A QUICK FYI TO GIVE YOU AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE ARE SLOWING THE PACE IN ORDER TO GET MORE INVOLVED AT OUR DECISIONS AND PRACTICES AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, MS. BOAT.
UM, AND I, I DO APPRECIATE, AND I THINK THIS IS INTERESTING, UM, AND THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, MY ONLY COMMENT IS THIS WOULD'VE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER AS AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AS AN FYI, BECAUSE I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS WAS ABOUT.
I HAD A WHOLE HYPOTHESIS AS TO WHAT THIS WAS ABOUT AND IT WAS WRONG.
SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, AND I'M LOOKING AT THIS, I SPENT TOO MUCH TIME TRYING TO DECODE THE
I HOPE THE PRESENTATION HELPED YOU LAND THERE.
YOU KNOW, I JUST LIKE, FOR ME PERSONALLY, I THINK I COULD HAVE JUST GOTTEN THIS IN A, YOU KNOW, ONE PAGE SORT OF, HERE ARE THE BULLET POINTS, HERE'S THE WINS, HERE'S WHAT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS JUST MY ONLY FEEDBACK.
YOU, YOU WERE GETTING ON THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PROCESS EARLIER.
SO I JUST WANNA GET BACK ON THAT TRAIN.
OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, MR. SMITH? UH, WELL FIRST OFF, LET ME SAY BY START BY SAYING THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
I APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR DOING THAT.
UM, AND, AND THANK YOU ALSO FOR BEING, FOR PUTTING THE PAGE NUMBERS ON THIS SO I CAN BE ABLE TO GO, GO OFF OF PAGE PAGE AS WELL.
UM, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF THIS IS A GREAT TOOL.
UM, ONE THING TOO THAT I THINK THAT IN TERMS OF WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT, UM, OVER THE LAST MAYBE MONTH OR SO, I PARENTS HAS BEEN YEARNING, UM, NOT JUST, UM, AND FACTO ON, WAS IT YESTERDAY OR EVEN THE DAY BEFORE WHEN? YEAH, I THINK IT WAS YESTERDAY THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
AND I THINK IN THE, IN THE, UH, TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE TOOL THAT PARENTS USE TO GET THEIR KIDS, GET THEIR, GET THEIR STUDENTS, UH, GRADES AND SEE WHAT THEIR, UM, POWER SCHOOL, POWER SCHOOL DID.
POWER SCHOOL APPRECIATE THAT POWERSCHOOL.
AND ALONG WITH PARENTS GETTING INTO LEARNING POWERSCHOOL
[02:15:01]
WHEN THEY'RE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION AND NOW THEY HEAR THEIR FRENCH TALKING ABOUT, GIRL, I WENT IN MY SON POWER SCHOOL, DA DA DA.UM, ONE PARENT CALLED, JUST REMEMBER HOW YOU DO POWER SCHOOL, DA DA, WHAT ALL DOES POWER SCHOOL OFFER? AND WHEN I TELL THEM THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING INTO IT NOW, THIS IS THE THINGS THAT WE WANT.
BUT ALONG WITH THAT, WHEN I FIRST CAME WITH THE BOARD, I REMEMBER GETTING SEVERAL REPORTS FROM OUR GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT, AND WE GOT ONE THE OTHER DAY IN, WAS IT, I I THINK IT WAS IN ACADEMICS ACADEMIC COMMITTEE, SIR.
WAS IT AN ACADEMICS COMMITTEE? YES, SIR.
AND, AND I THINK THAT IF WE COULD ALSO PUT THAT IN THE PLAY ALONG WITH THIS AND ALSO BRING THAT FORWARD TO THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE I REMEMBER THE OLD, UH, THE, THE PERSON WHO WAS OVER, UH, THE GUYS DEPARTMENT, UM, JERRY HENDERSON, MS. HENDERSON, SHE WOULD BRING US A A REAL DIFFERENT RIGOROUS REPORT AND SHE WOULD BRING IT OFTEN.
AND WE WOULD, WE WOULD ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND WE WOULD, WE WOULD ZERO DOWN AND LEARN DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND I THINK THAT EVEN FOR THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR 'EM TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GET TIME, LIKE GRADUATION WHEN PARENTS ARE CALLING YOU AND TELLING YOU THAT THEY, THAT, UH, THIS DISTRICT OR SOMEBODY DROPPED THE BALL AND THEIR PARENT, THEIR KID DON'T HAVE THE AMOUNT OF CREDITS.
THAT INFORMATION, ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THE STRUCTURE AND HOW THAT WORKS, THAT WOULD BECOME VERY, VERY GOOD FOR THEM TO, AND, AND US TOO.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE SAME WAY HOW YOU, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR CERTIFICATES, YOU HAVE THE, YOU HAVE TO GO AND HAVE REFRESHES JUST TO DO THAT.
I THINK THAT THAT INFORMATION WILL BE VERY GOOD FOR THE BOARD AND I I, AND ALSO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE PAR PARENTS ARE ASKING FOR THAT IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT PROCESS IS AND WHAT THAT LOOK LIKE.
I THINK THAT THAT, THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADD IN.
AND ALSO IF WE COULD BRING THAT TO THE FULL BOARD IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE AND WHAT THAT PROCESS IS AND HOW INTENTIONAL THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE, UH, EVEN AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL IN TERMS OF, OF KNOWING HOW MUCH CREDITS YOU NEED, KNOWING WHAT GOES INTO THAT AND UNDERSTANDING THE CLASS OF IB AND ALL THAT.
THE BREAK ABOVE THE, THE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT.
SO I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
MAY I JUST BRING FORWARD A QUICK NOTE? SO MR. SMITH, YOU BRING PHONE AND ACTUALLY MS. MRS. GORDON BROUGHT IT FORWARD AS WELL AT A PRIOR MEETING.
UM, AGAIN, TRANSACTIONARY VERSUS TRANSFORMATIVE.
THIS IS INFORMATION THAT PARENTS NEED MRS. CLA AND BROUGHT FORWARD ABOUT THE NEW ACCOUNTABILITY MODEL, INFORMATION THAT PARENTS NEED, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO SHIFT OUR MINDSET AND TAKE IT FROM ONE PLACE INTO A BROADER MIND.
I HAVE A COMMENT ON SLIDE SIX.
THE FIRST BULLET SHIFT FROM DEFICIT TO ASSET-BASED THINKING ABOUT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.
AND YOU MENTIONED IT AGAIN AND YOUR CONCLUSIONS.
THAT TO ME IS EXACTLY THE KEY TO THIS WHOLE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO STOP SAYING, OH DEAR, OH DEAR.
WE CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE, WE CAN'T GET PARENTS INVOLVED.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES, AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE YOUNG MEN ESPECIALLY THAT ARE NOT BEING MENTORED PROPERLY, BUT WE HAVE THE ASSETS, WE HAVE THE ASSETS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF INFORMING THEM OF THE NEED AND HAVING A STRUCTURE AND A PROGRAM AND COMMUNICATION TO LET THIS COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE NEED YOU AND THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT WE NEED YOU TO HELP US.
THIS COMMUNITY IS THE MOST GIVING THAT YOU ARE EVER GONNA FIND.
BUT THEY HAVE TO BE TOLD WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT? AND IT HAS TO BE DONE WITHIN A COMMUNITY, WITHIN THE CHURCHES.
IT CAN'T, IT, IT HAS TO BE DECENTRALIZED.
IT CANNOT BE A CENTRALIZED PROCESS BY ANY MEANS.
AND WE'VE GOT TO FIND CHAMPIONS IN EACH.
IF WE CAN USE IT AS A, AS A SCHOOL, AS A COMMUNITY SCHOOL, TO FIND THAT CHAMPION, THAT PERSON WHO CAN MOTIVATE, WHO CAN INFORM AND CAN BRING VOLUNTEERS IN TO HELP US AND LOOK AT THIS AS WE HAVE THE FOLKS TO DO THIS.
AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HAVING A PROGRAM AND HAVING A, A VISION AND A COMMON SENSE OF PURPOSE WITH ALL THE SCHOOLS, ALL THE PRINCIPALS, ALL THEIR STAFF.
THAT'S WHEN I SAW THAT FIRST BULLET, I SAID, THAT'S, THAT'S THE TICKET.
[02:20:02]
SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING.UM, AND I, I THINK THAT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT POINT, COLONEL GUARD.
I, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A ASSET TO DEFICIT OR DEFICIT TO ASSET, UM, AND THAT KIND OF TIES INTO SOME OF WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS THERE ARE, I'M PERSONALLY AWARE OF MANY CHURCHES IN OUR AREA THAT THEY DON'T WANT NE NECESSARILY MONEY.
THEY WANT A CONDUIT TO THE SCHOOL.
THEY ARE LIKE, WE'LL HELP YOU.
THEY WOULD DO THIS FOR EITHER, UM, FREE OR FOR MINIMAL SUPPORT FROM THE SCHOOL.
BUT WHAT'S MISSING IS THAT CONNECTION PIECE.
AND I THINK IT'S PARTLY COMMUNICATION.
I THINK IT'S ALSO PARTLY MIND SHIFT AT THE, THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO THE COMMUNITY, AND THIS IS MY OWN PERSONAL, UM, OBSERVATION IS WE'VE GOT SO OVER SECURED.
THE SCHOOLS THAT, UM, WE'VE MADE IT WHERE PEOPLE FEEL NERVOUS GOING INTO THE SCHOOLS.
EVEN AS A PARENT, YOU KNOW, YOU GO, YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM YOUR, I MEAN, I WALK IN, I'M A BOARD MEMBER, I'VE SENT MY KIDS THERE FOR 10 YEARS, THEY STILL WANT YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE.
THEY TAKE YOUR PICTURE, YOU GET A BIG THING, PEOPLE KINDA LOOK AT YOU FUNNY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, I THINK WE NEED TO BREAK DOWN THAT MENTALITY, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, THAT, UM, IT'S, THE SCHOOLS ARE A WELCOMING PLACE THAT WE WELCOME THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT WITH THIS AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM.
IT'S NOT ABOUT TAKING IT AWAY.
IT'S NOT ABOUT, IT'S ABOUT HOW DO WE GROW THAT SAME SENSE OF ENGAGEMENT? AND I THINK WE CAN DO IT FOR A LOT LESS MONEY.
'CAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS ALREADY SET UP ON HILTON HEAD THAT I'M AWARE OF.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUNG MEN, UM, THERE'S A GENTLEMAN IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO'S COME TO BOARD MEETINGS.
HE'S ON OUR SIC, UM, HIS NAME IS LJ BUSH.
AND HE RUNS A VERY SUCCESSFUL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM.
UM, AND HE HAS THESE KIDS, HE MEETS WITH THEM.
ONE OF HIS FRUSTRATIONS IS GETTING THAT OVER THE FINISH LINE WITH THE SCHOOL TO SAY, I'M HERE TO HELP YOU.
CAN WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS? SO, HOWEVER, AND, AND IT'S NOT ANY ONE PERSON'S FAULT.
I THINK IT'S JUST THE MENTALITY OF THE COMMUNITY, THE MENTALITY OF THE SCHOOLS, THAT THEY'RE KIND OF WARY OF EACH OTHER.
AND I THINK COVID REALLY EXACERBATED THAT TOO.
YOU KNOW, THAT YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST WEREN'T ALLOWING COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN.
SO I THINK THERE HAS TO BE SOME OUTREACH FROM THE SCHOOLS, UM, AND HOWEVER THAT FORMAT IS.
BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CHURCHES WHO HAVE LITERALLY SAID TO ME, JUST TELL THE SCHOOL TO GIVE ME A TEMPLATE AND WE WILL PUT AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM IN THESE SCHOOLS.
BUT IT'S HARD TO DO IT WITHOUT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, WITHOUT THE LEADERSHIP, WITHOUT THE SUPPORT.
NOT FINANCIAL SUPPORT, BUT JUST THE, UM, SUPPORT FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
LIKE, HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, HERE'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE.
HERE'S THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
HERE'S, SO I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT, UM, THAT YOU HIGHLIGHTED THAT.
I THINK WITH LOOKING AT IT, I, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A DIFFERENT THEME WHEN I READ THIS, UM, THING.
SO I DIDN'T REALLY PICK UP ON THAT AS MUCH.
SO I'M GLAD YOU POINTED THAT OUT.
UH, DID YOU WANNA RESPOND TO THAT? MY, I SAW YOU.
IF, IF, IF WE COULD HAVE THEM REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE, I COULD REFER TO THE PERSONNEL SO WE COULD HELP THEM OUT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND TO WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID, JUST BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT I THINK AS BOARD MEMBERS SOMETIMES THAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE TO, LEADERSHIP STARTS AT THE TOP.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO HELP STAFF, OR WE HAVE TO CONNECT AND MEN, MEN FENCES AND, AND BRING RELATIONSHIPS TOGETHER.
BECAUSE SEE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.
AND LEMME MAKE IT BE CLEAR, I THINK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEING HERE WITHOUT A SHADOW, A DOUBT, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL.
I APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, SUPERINTENDENT STAFF, ALL THAT.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE, SOME OF THE PRIOR RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE, AND WITH THESE CHURCHES AS A BOARD MEMBER, I WENT OUT THERE AND I GALVANIZED SOME OF, SOME, SOME OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS.
SO WHEN SOME, AND I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, WHEN THOSE PEOPLE TELL, TELL SOME OF US, OR TELL, TELL, TELL ME, HEY, MR. SMITH, UH, I USE MYSELF.
HEY, HEY, I, I WANT TO GET AN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM.
THEN I, I CONNECT THEM IMMEDIATELY.
DR. RODRIGUEZ AND I SAY, HEY, LOOK HERE.
THIS PLACE SAID THAT THEY WANNA HELP OUT, BECAUSE SOME, SOMETIMES THEY'RE RIGHT THERE, JUST LIKE FOOTBALL.
YOU CAN BE RIGHT THERE, THE ONE YARD LINE, AND YOU CAN MAKE A, AND YOU CAN FORMULA THE BALL.
SO WHEN THEY'RE AT THE ONE YARD LINE, THEN I, I, I CALLED DR.
SRAS AND I SAID, HEY, CAN WE SET UP A MEETING? AND DO YOU MIND IF, IF WE ALL SITTING TOGETHER AND, AND WE GET, AND WE GET THIS CONVERSATION STARTED.
SOMETIMES IT'S JUST, IT IS JUST THE WARMNESS OF A BOARD MEMBER OR, OR, OR, OR, OR SOMEONE WHO'S NEUTRAL TO BOTH PARTIES TO GET THE CONVERSATION STARTED.
SO, SO I, I SAY THAT TO SAY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT'S EASIER TO, TO, TO SAY WHAT PEOPLE WANT, BUT DON'T TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT.
A OLD MAN SAID, I TOLD YOU, DON'T TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT.
SHOW ME, SHOW ME WHAT YOU WANT, MRS. ANYTHING, OR MR. CAMPBELL IN HIS AREA
[02:25:01]
I MET A BOARD MEETINGS, THEN HE WENT AND HE STARTED GOING TO DR.
CROS AND THEM, AND HE MADE THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN.
SO I SAID THAT TO, SAID TO MY COLLEAGUES, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO BRING IN GOOD RELATIONSHIPS, BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE MAY NOT FEEL SOMEWHERE ABOUT US AS ELECTED OFFICIALS OR US AS A PERSON, BUT IT MAY FEEL SOMEWHERE ABOUT THE ENTITY.
IF YOU TRUST ME, THEN TRUST THE ENTITY THAT I STAND FOR, AND LET ME SHOW YOU THAT WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS.
SO THAT'S, I MEAN, I WANNA PREACH, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S JUST WHAT I, WHAT I WANNA SAY TO, TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU UP HERE.
IF, IF, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT SOMEONE OPENS, THAT THEY BRINGS, THAT THEY BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT, HEY, WE, WE, WE WANT THE, WE WANT THE PLAYBOOK PUT, PUT 'EM IN CONTACT.
I JUST WANT TO, UM, APPLAUD THE, THE INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES DIVISION.
UM, EVERYONE KNOWS I'M A NEWBIE, SO I'M REALLY LEARNING A LOT ABOUT EDUCATION AND THE PERCEPTIONS THAT ARE THERE, UH, EITHER RIGHT OR WRONG.
BUT TO MR. SMITH'S POINT, I KNOW WE'VE REACHED OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND IN DECEMBER AFTER LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE EXTENDED, UH, LEARNING PROGRAMS AND THE SITES AND BEING SO IMPRESSED BY THEM, UM, IT, IT, IT CAME TOGETHER JUST LIKE THAT.
WE, WE REACHED OUT AND, AND SAID, HEY, I'M LEARNING SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY SORT OF MAKE ME APOPLECTIC, RIGHT? BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT WAS.
AND IN DECEMBER, THERE GONNA BE ABOUT 20 OF US ARE GOING TO GET TOGETHER, AND YOU'VE BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO ENSURE THAT YOUR, YOUR DEPARTMENT IS REPRESENTED THERE.
SO I, I DO SEE WHERE THERE'S A RESPONSE AND TO MRS. UH, BOATWRIGHT, I KNOW SHE'S WORKING CLOSELY WITH SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO ACTUALLY GALVANIZE EVEN MORE SUPPORT.
SO I THINK MR. SMITH IS RIGHT.
AND I'M GLAD TO SEE EVIDENCE OF, OF THAT LEADERSHIP.
MS. BOATRIGHT? YEAH, I AM INVOLVED IN A LOT OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND HAD PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS AT HIGH LEVELS.
BUT I THINK THAT THIS ALSO TIES INTO WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN POLICY.
THERE HAS TO BE A PROCESS THAT IS IRRELEVANT AS TO WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE PROCESS.
THERE IS A POINT FOR RELATIONSHIPS, BUT IF IT BECOMES RELATION DEVELOPED, UH, IF IT'S NOT WRITTEN DOWN, LIKE, HERE IS WHAT A CHURCH THAT IS INTERESTED CAN DO, AND IT'S COMPLETELY RELIANT ON THEIR ELECTED BOARD MEMBER, BRINGING IT TO THE RIGHT PERSON AT THE RIGHT TIME WITH THE RIGHT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, DANGEROUS TERRITORY THAT CAN BE TREAD THERE.
SO I DO APPRECIATE, I, I TRY TO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOLS THAT I, I SERVE AND WITH THE DISTRICT STAFF, AND I HAVE A LOT OF, UH, CONNECTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I'M CONSTANTLY TRYING TO BRING THOSE THINGS TOGETHER AND BRING THEM TO FRUITION.
AND MY ASSUMPTION IS, IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER FACTORS THAT GO INTO MAKING ALL THESE DECISIONS AS TO HOW WE, YOU KNOW, MOVE THESE THINGS.
IF IT COMES DOWN TO STRICTLY A QUESTION OF RELATIONSHIPS, I THINK THAT THAT IS PROBLEMATIC.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A PROCESS, BUT THAT'S JUST SORT OF ONE OF MY THEMES THAT I'VE HAD ON THIS BOARD.
H HOW WOULD YOU PERCEIVE THAT PROCESS TO BE FOR US TO GET, FOR US TO GET THAT DONE? WH HOW, HOW WOULD YOU PERCEIVE FOR US TO, UH, GET THAT DONE? CAN I, CAN I, UH, INTERJECT DR. RODRIGUEZ? YEAH.
I THINK JUST REAL QUICK, GUYS, UH, MY PERSONAL OPINION IS, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION COMING ACROSS THE, THE, THE DAIS HERE, AND I WISH FOR ONE MINUTE, YOU COULD SIT IN MY SEAT AND YOU COULD SEE THE WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU EACH HAVE WITH PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITIES AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO AS YOU ENGAGE WITH EACH OF YOUR COMMUNITIES IN YOUR OWN DISTINCTIVE WAYS.
RIGHT? YOU EACH DO THAT, AND I GET THE PRIVILEGE OF SEEING THAT.
YOU MAY NOT GET THE PRIVILEGE OF SEEING THAT AMONGST EACH OTHER, BUT I GET THE PRIVILEGE OF SEEING WHAT EACH OF YOU DO AND THE CONNECTIONS THAT EACH OF YOU MAKES.
AND IT IS AN ASSET TO THE SYSTEM.
UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT MS. BOATRIGHT IS SAYING, I THINK IT'S, IT IS JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET AN INFLUX OF ESSER DOLLARS AND YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INNOVATE, AND YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DESIGN AND BUILD SOMETHING, RIGHT? AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE SEEING THAT THERE'S PROGRESS WITH WHAT YOU'VE DESIGNED AND WHAT YOU'VE INNOVATED, THEN THAT BECOMES SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT HAVING SOME SUSTAINABILITY WITH.
AND THROUGH THAT PROCESS, THEN YOU BUILD IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, SOMETHING THAT IS MORE FORMAL IN PLAY
[02:30:01]
THAT EVERYBODY CAN THEN, UH, EASILY TAP INTO AND STILL REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT OFFICE TO EXECUTE ON IT WITH SUPPORT.SO I THINK YOU'RE ALL IN THE, IN THE RIGHT PLACES.
YOU ALL ARE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS.
YOU ALL HAVE INCREDIBLE CONNECTIONS WITHIN YOUR, UH, CONSTITUENCIES.
UH, AND SO I THINK WE JUST MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S THERE.
I THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER OF FORMALIZING SOME PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE BECAUSE WE ARE AT THE STAGE WHERE WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT FORMALIZING THOSE PROCESSES BECAUSE WE FOUND SOMETHING THAT SEEMS TO WORK RIGHT AND SEEMS TO HAVE SOME POSITIVE OUTCOMES.
SO I, I, I THINK THAT'S REALLY, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK THAT KIND OF SUMS UP THIS PIECE, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK, UH, IF SOMEBODY ELSE HAS SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVEN'T SPOKEN ABOUT, UH, MR. NA THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
UH, I WAS ACTUALLY ON, UH, ON THE, THE SCHOOL BOARD, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT WEBSITE RIGHT NOW.
AND UNDER THE, UH, THE COMMUNITY TAB, THERE'S NOTHING FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THERE IS AN ENGAGEMENT TAB, ENGAGEMENT WITH, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT IT'S HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR SECTION HEADS.
THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT BEING AN EXTENDED LEARNING SITE.
THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT HOW HERE'S A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR COMMUNITY LEADERS TO BE INVOLVED IN THERE.
UH, SO I MEAN, IF, IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR TOOLS LIKE MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUE FROM THE THIRD DISTRICT SAID, UM, THOSE WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO START AS FAR AS GIVING THE COMMUNITY AN OPTION TO SAY, HEY, WE HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO PITCH IN.
HOW DO WE DO IT? UM, SO IT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD PLACE TO START.
THE NEXT ITEM IS, UH, HALL MONITORS FEASIBILITY.
SO, UH, MS. FRIEDRICH, WHEN SHE WAS STILL ON THE BOARD, MADE A MOTION NOT LONG BEFORE EXITING THE BOARD REGARDING THE FEASIBILITY AND MENTIONED POTENTIALLY A FEASIBILITY STUDY AND THAT KIND OF THING.
WE DON'T NEED A FEASIBILITY STUDY, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE.
IS IT FEASIBLE? YES, IT'S FEASIBLE, BUT WHAT DOES IT REQUIRE, RIGHT? IF WE'RE GONNA PUT TWO HALL MONITORS, UH, AT EACH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TWO HALL MONITORS AT EACH HIGH SCHOOL, WE'RE TALKING $1.8 MILLION.
WE'RE TALKING MORE EXTENDED LEARNING SITES, WE'RE TALKING OTHER ASPECTS LIKE THAT.
IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE HAVING SEEN HALL MONITORS, UH, ON CAMPUSES, UH, HAVING HAD HALL MONITORS THAT HALL MONITORS IF, IF THE, IF THE IDEA IS, UH, TO, TO, UH, STOP VAPING OR STOP FIGHTING.
HOMEOWNERS AREN'T GONNA DO THAT FOR YOU, RIGHT? SO I WOULD RATHER SEE US USE THAT 1.8 MILLION THAT, THAT WOULD COST IN A DIFFERENT, WE'RE GETTING READY TO ENTER TANYA'S OVER THERE FREAKING OUT.
WE'RE GETTING READY TO ENTER INTO A VERY DIFFICULT BUDGET YEAR.
WE'VE GOT SOME VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE.
AND SO I PERSONALLY, THIS IS, THIS IS HOW I SEE IT.
BUT IF THE BOARD DIRECTS ME, UH, TO, TO PUT IN HOME MONITORS, UH, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD AND EXECUTE ON IT.
THAT'S JUST MY PERSPECTIVE ON HOME MONITORS, HAVING HAD HOME MONITORS, HAVING USED HOME MONITORS IN MY SCHOOLS.
UH, AND THAT ALSO COMES WITH, UH, ADDITIONAL OTHER ISSUES THAT, THAT PEOPLE DON'T TYP TYPICALLY THINK ABOUT WHEN THEY SAY, LET'S GO WITH THE HOME MONITORS.
RIGHT? UH, SO PERSONNEL MATTERS AND PERSONNEL RELATED ISSUES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT TOO.
SO IS IT FEASIBLE? THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES.
WE DON'T NEED TO PAY ANYBODY FOR A STUDY TO TELL US THAT IT'S FEASIBLE.
IT BECAUSE IT JUST REQUIRES A DECISION TO GO DO IT.
RIGHT? UH, IF YOU THINK THAT THAT IS WHAT IS BEST, UM, IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT THAT 1.8 MILLION COULD BE PUT TO BETTER USE WITH SOME OF THE OTHER TYPES OF THINGS THAT, THAT YOU ALL HAVE SUGGESTED, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT WILL STOP A FIGHT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE HALL MONITOR PIECE.
UH, I AGREE WITH, UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ.
UH, HAVE SEEN THE HALL MONITORS, UH, IMPACT IN OUR SCHOOLS.
AND ALSO REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE TAKEN OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS, THE BMSS, AND I THINK WE STILL HAVE BIS, BEHA BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONISTS.
UM, THEY ARE A RESOURCE, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR CHILDREN.
OKAY? I DON'T BELIEVE THE, UM, HALL MONITORS WILL STOP FIGHTS.
[02:35:01]
WILL THEY GET TO THE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE BATHROOM FIGHTING? WILL THEY BE ABLE TO GET TO THE SECOND HALLWAY TO TRY TO BREAK IT UP? PROBABLY SO, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE COST AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT OUR STUDENTS TRULY, TRULY NEED, UM, I WOULD RATHER SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME THERAPY, UH, SOMEONE IN THE SCHOOLS TOO FOR THEM TO TALK TO.BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S MISSING.
UM, SO I'M NOT AGAINST, I'M NOT AGAINST THE HALL MONITORS, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE CAN LOOK AT OR SHOULD LOOK AT SOME MORE, UM, UH, OPTIONS.
MAYBE WE SHOULD INCREASE OUR BMSS OR BIS, UH, IN THE SCHOOLS.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING, YOU HAVE AN SRO, RIGHT? WE DO HAVE SROS NOW, UH, WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SAFETY AND, AND THE PERSONNEL THAT YOU HIRE, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT BEING IN THAT ARENA.
AND DR. RODRIGUEZ WILL TELL YOU TO BREAK UP A FIGHT BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S NOT TWO, TWO STUDENTS.
SOMETIMES IT'S EIGHT, SOMETIMES IT'S 15 STUDENTS WHO ARE, UH, IMPOSING SOME KIND OF DANGER IN OUR SCHOOL.
SO WHAT WILL WE USE THE HALL MONITORS FOR? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
WHAT WILL WE USE THE HALL MONITORS FOR, AND HOW WILL THEY IMPACT THE LEARNING WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS? THANK YOU.
UH, FIRST OFF, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS, WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL, UM, POINT OF WHEN THE HALL MINES WERE TAKEN OUT OF, THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY I WAS LEARNING ABOUT THE STUDY.
UM, HALLMARKS WERE TAKEN OUT IN 2014 SO THAT WE COULD RETAIN IN, UH, AN ATTORNEY.
UM, AND SO WHEN I, WHEN I LOOK AT THE, THE PROS AND CONS OF, OF, OF IT, WHAT WE PAY ALL ALONE.
LEMME JUST LET, LET, LET, LET ME SAY THIS HALL, FIRST OFF, SROS ARE NOT HALL MONITORS.
THEY'RE THERE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND IF SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT IS TRAGIC OR, OR SOMEONE BREAKS THE LAW, AND I, AND I'VE HAD ADMIN AND PEOPLE TELL ME THAT, THAT THE SROS WILL LET THEM KNOW THAT OUR JOB IS, THEIR JOB IS NOT TO GO AND WASH THE HALLS AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE THERE FOR THE LAW, THE LAW, THE LAW PARTS, THE LAW PARTS OF IT.
SO ALSO, ONCE YOU GET THE LAW INVOLVED, THEN THAT IS, IS OUT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S HAND.
ONCE THE OFFICER COMES IN AND ONCE YOU ACTIVATE HIM, THEN THE SITUATION IS HIS.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT MUCH GOING BACK.
SOME, SOME, SOME MAY MAY SAY, GO BACK AND SOME MAY, SOME MAY SAY, OH YEAH, WE KNOW WHAT THE SCHOOL'S DOWN.
BUT MAINLY THE SROS ARE NOT HALL MINERS.
THE HALL MINERS JOBS IS A, IS IS A, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A BIT DIFFERENT.
AND, AND ALSO THOSE KIDS NIGHT TIME I ATTENDEE THOSE HALL MINERS EVEN WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL.
AND YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, I HEAR DR.
DR. RODRIGUEZ AND IS SAYING, BUT MY EXPERIENCE IN BEING A, A STUDENT FROM THIS DISTRICT AND BEING A PRODUCT OF BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HALL MONITORS ARE VERY MUCH NEEDED.
AND ALSO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT TEACHERS ARE PUTTING, I MEAN, NOT TEACHERS THAT ADMINISTRATORS ARE PUTTING INTO DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE SCHOOL THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE PER, THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE STOPPED OR, OR, OR COULD POSSIBLY BE.
UM, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? UM, DETERMINED.
BUT NOT JUST DETERMINED, BUT, BUT WHAT COULD BE STOPPED YOU BEFORE THESE SOMETHING, SOME OF THESE SITUATIONS HAPPEN BECAUSE KIDS NORMALLY TELL HALL MONITORS WHEN A FIGHT IS ABOUT TO GO BREAK, WHEN A FIGHT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
AND, AND, AND SAYING THAT, I FEEL AS THOUGH WE COULD SAY HAVING POLICE IN, IN COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T DETER PEOPLE FROM MURDERING PEOPLE.
WE HAD A SITUATION IN THIS COUNTY LA LAST NIGHT, UNFORTUNATELY,
HECK, WE HAVE ONE IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW TONIGHT.
[02:40:01]
SO, SO I THINK THAT FOR US TO SAY THAT NOT HAVING HARM MONITORS DOESN'T STOP IT, THAT'S, THAT, THAT, THAT'S NOT THE ANSWER.I THINK THAT IT IS, IT'S WORTH A TEST.
AND, AND WE HAVE DIFFERENT BMSS AND WE HAVE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS, BUT SOME OF THOSE FUNCTIONS, I DON'T THINK THAT ARE OPERATINGS ON, ON, ON, ON THE FULL CYLINDER SO THAT WE CAN EVEN SEE WHAT SOME OF THOSE FUNCTIONS ARE, ARE WORKING ON.
BUT A HALL, THE JOB, THE FUNCTION OF A HALL MONITOR IS TO YES, STOP AND DETER THOSE KIDS FROM VAPING IN THE BATHROOM.
THEY KNOW THE HALL MONITORS GONNA COME IN AND THOSE HALL MONITORS, THEY GET TO KNOW THOSE KIDS THE SAME WAY THE TEACHERS KNOW THOSE KIDS IN THE WAY, SAME WAY THE OFFICERS KNOW WHEN STUFF HAPPENS IN THE COMMUNITY, WHO DID IT IN WHAT AREA? THOSE HALL MONITORS LEARN THAT.
SO THEY BECOME FAMILY TO THE SCHOOL THAT THEY WORK AT.
THEY BECOME ALMOST FAMILY TO THE KIDS, AND THEY BEGIN TO TRUST 'EM, AND THEY TELL 'EM WHAT THE STUFF IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
AND SO THEY INTERJECT BEFORE IT HAPPENS AND THEY EFFECTIVELY STOP THAT FROM HAPPENING.
AND WE'VE BEEN, I THINK WE'VE BEEN ROGUE FOR SO MANY YEARS WITH US NOT HAVING HALL MONITORS THAT THIS COMMUNITY, THIS COMMUNITY, SOME, SOME PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY HAVE ACCEPTED US NOT HAVING IT.
BUT I'VE SEEN WHERE THE SCHOOLS HAVE GOTTEN WORSER NOT HAVING THEM.
AND I REMEMBER NOT LONG AGO, ALL OUR PRINCIPALS WERE SAYING, HEY, WE NEED HALL MONITORS.
WE DON'T REALLY HAVE TIME TO BE IN THE SCHOOLS.
SO WHEN YOU ASK YOURSELF IN, IN TERMS OF NIGHTMARE OF A HALL, MINORS AND LEVEL OF ED EDUCATION, IF OUR ADMINISTRATORS ARE HANDLING BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, HOW CAN THEY GET IN THERE AND EVALUATE THOSE TEACHERS? HOW CAN THEY GET IN THERE AND SIT IN THEIR OFFICE AND FOCUS MORE ON THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE DEALING WITH MAKING SURE THE KIDS AREN'T IN THE BATHROOM VAPING, MAKING SURE THIS NOT HAPPENING ON THIS HALL DEALING WITH, DEALING WITH THIS SITUATION.
BUT HALL MONITOR IS A SAFETY AND SECURITY ISSUE THE SAME WAY HOW, UH, THE LAST BOND OF REFERENDUM, EVERYONE WAS BIG ON SAFETY AND SECURITY.
THIS IS, I MEAN, WE JUST, WE CAN'T PICK, I, I FEEL WE CAN'T PICK HANDPICK ONE SITUATION OR ONE AREA WHEN IT'S CONVENIENT.
NOT SAYING, NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S JUST YOU ALL, DOCTOR.
'CAUSE I'M SURE THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU ARE.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU CARE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS DISTRICT, BUT I THINK THAT WE OUGHT TO GIVE IT A TRY OR A TEST RUN.
BUT, BUT IF YOU GO OUT THERE AND YOU ASK THE PARENTS, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WE HAD A COUPLE BOARD MEMBERS TALKING ABOUT, WELL, WE, WE HAD A SCHOOL THAT WAS, THEY, THEY, THAT THEY FIGURED THAT THEY NEEDED AN OFFICER.
WE DIDN'T CARE HOW MUCH IT COSTS.
THE BOARD VOTED THAT NIGHT FOR YOU TO, IN TO, TO, TO CONTACT THE, CONTACT THE, UH, CONTACT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND GET AN OFFICER THERE THAT, THAT NEXT DAY OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN IN THAT ORDER.
SO ONCE AGAIN, THAT'S, THIS IS, TO ME, THIS IS THE SAME THING.
IF SECURITY AND SAFETY IS THE NUMBER ONE THING IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY, THEN WE HAVE TO PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS.
AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN TRY AND IF IT DON'T WORK AND GET RID OF IT, BUT SAYING THAT OFFICERS DON'T WORK IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT GOOD.
BECAUSE TO ME THAT'S THE CLEAR, THAT'S THE SAME THING.
I'M, I'M DECLARED, I'M DECLARED.
THAT'S, I'M, I'M, I'M ABOUT TO DECLARE IT UNTIL MY INTERPRETATION WHEN WE SAID HALL MONITORS, THAT'S THE SAME TYPE OF INTERPRETATION.
WHEN I WATCH, AND I UNDERSTAND HOW YOU, HOW HE INTERPRET HIS INTERPRETING IS DIFFERENT FROM HOW I INTERPRETED.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST COMPARING THOSE THINGS TO EACH OTHER.
BUT I'M, BUT TO ME, IN COMPARISON, THAT'S HOW I INTERPRET IT.
OKAY, LET'S, LET'S, UH, I'M DONE.
IF YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO DIRECT THE, THE SUPERINTENDENT TO HAVE, UH, UH, INITIATE HALL MONITORS, MAKE THE MOTION.
WE'LL SEE WHAT THE WILL OF THE FULL BOARD IS.
UM, WAIT, YOU KNOW WHAT? I SEE SOME PEOPLE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
LET, LET, LET ME LET, LET, LET, LET ME HEAR THAT QUESTION BECAUSE LET, LET ME THINK ABOUT THIS.
NO, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S MOVE ON.
LET, WELL, WHY, IF SOMEONE HAVE A QUE IF SHE, IF SHE HAS AN ANSWER YOU'VE MADE, YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT.
WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION AFTER YOU MAKE A MOTION.
BUT LET'S GET A MOTION GOING SO WE CAN RESOLVE THIS.
YOU CAN, I I, IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE FORCING ME TO MAKE A MOTION.
I I, I MAY NOT WANT TO MAKE A MOTION, BUT I SEE ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE A, SHE, SHE HAS HER HAND UP AND SO IT'S NOTHING WRONG WITH, WITH SHE, SHE'S TAKING HER HAND DOWN.
WELL, WELL, SINCE YOU I FINISH, I'M BEING FORCED TO MAKE A MOTION AT THIS TIME.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, THAT, THAT WE, I MAKE A, THE TIME, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ASK THE SUPERINTENDENT TO, TO BRING BACK A STARTING PROCESS OF PUTTING HALL MONITORS INTO THE SCHOOLS, UH, TO BRING THE HALL, TO BRING HALL MONITORS IN SCHOOLS.
DO WE HAVE A SEC? DO WE HAVE A SECOND?
[02:45:03]
I DON'T SEE A SECOND.SO THE MOTION DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE, OBVIOUSLY.
THAT'S WHY YOU WANTED ME TO MAKE THE MOTION.
STRADDLES IS COMING UP AND SHE'S GOT THE, UH, 45 DAY, ALL RIGHT, SO AS A 45 DAY CAMP FOR THIS ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR STUDENT POPULATION, PRE-K THROUGH 12, WE HAVE TWO 21,492 STUDENTS.
DID THAT NUMBER AGAIN PLEASE? 21,492 STUDENTS.
UM, CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS WERE AT THE SAME TIME? YES MA'AM.
I HAVE, WE HAD AN INCREASE OF 21 STUDENTS LAST YEAR.
TOTAL PRE-K THROUGH GRADE 12 WAS 21,465 STUDENTS.
DO YOU WANT I HAVE THREE YEARS CONSECUTIVE? YES MA'AM.
THE YEAR PRIOR TO THAT, WHETHER IT'LL BE THE 20 21, 20 22 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR, PRE-K THROUGH 12 IS 21,294.
AND WE HAD AN INCREASE OF 171 STUDENTS.
DON'T WE USUALLY GET THAT BROKEN DOWN BY LIKE SCHOOL OR GRADE LEVEL OR ANYTHING ELSE? OR IS IT, IS IT ALWAYS, I THINK, I THINK THAT USUALLY COMES IN THE OPERATIONS IN THE CIP OPERATIONS BOOK.
UM, UH, THAT I THINK ROBERT, WHEN IS THE OPERATIONS? JANUARY.
YEAH, JANUARY COMES OUT IN THE OPERATIONS BOOK.
IT USED TO COME OUT IN JANUARY.
FOR THIS ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR, SIR? 2023.
WOULD YOU LIKE THE PRIOR YEAR AGAIN, SIR? OH NO, I HAVE, I HAVE ALL.
UM, I RECALL THAT DURING CVI, WE SAW A, A DIP IN STUDENT POPULATION AND THERE WAS CERTAIN SITES THAT WERE MORE, MORE SEVERELY AFFECTED THAN OTHERS.
UM, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN GET, UM, MAYBE SOME CURRENT DATA ON WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR RECOVERY OF STUDENTS OR, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE STILL KIND OF STAGGERED BEHIND OTHERS, I COULD HAVE THAT BROUGHT FORWARD.
AND WOULD YOU WANT A COMPARISON FROM THE POINT OF COVID COMING FORWARD? 'CAUSE WE HAVE TO NOTE, WE ALSO HAD STUDENTS WHO RELOCATED DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, SO, RIGHT.
THE NUMBERS ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE SKEWED ON THE REENTRY, RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE WAS A, SO I JUST KNOW, UM, THE BLUFFTON AREA WAS AFFECTED, UM, PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY IN ONE SPECIFIC SCHOOL.
AND I JUST AM INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHERE THEY ARE, ESPECIALLY AS WE DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, NEW ECCS AND K THROUGH FIVE IN BLUFFTON.
DO YOU WANT THAT TO BE PART TO JANUARY OR WOULD YOU PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR, DID THESE SEVEN? OR YOU CAN JUST EMAIL IT IF YOU'D LIKE TO.
MEAN IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A FULLAM, MA'AM.
OTHER, OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON TO BOARD BUSINESS ACTION.
THE FIRST ITEM IS A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE REFERENDUM DOC, UH, TANYA AND FRANNY ONCE AGAIN.
UH, WITH ME TO THIS EVENING IS FRANNY HEISER, OUR BOND COUNSEL, UH, FROM FOREMAN MCNAIR.
AND, UH, SHE'S GONNA PRESENT TWO RESOLUTIONS FOR YOU THIS EVENING.
WE ARE ASKING, UH, FOR MOTIONS.
I THINK YOU'VE BEEN PROVIDED WITH A MOTION ON THE AGENDA, UH, FOR EACH OF THEM AND THEY BOTH REGARDING THE REFERENDUM.
SO, UH, THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF OUR, OF JOURNEY TOWARD THE NEXT REFERENDUM.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER.
THANK YOU, UH, MR. VICE CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
IT IS REALLY DELIGHTFUL TO BE WITH Y'ALL TODAY.
SO I WAS THINKING JUST IN A, AS A POLITICAL SENSE, THERE WAS A HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN.
UM, I MEAN, Y'ALL HAVE HAD TWO SUCCESSFUL REFERENDA.
THE THE ONE IN, IN 2019 WAS REALLY AMAZING.
THE, UM, ATMOSPHERE AND A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WERE VERY DIFFERENT IN 2019.
I THINK THAT TO HAVE A, A ALMOST $450 MILLION REFERENDUM WITH NO, A TAX INCREASE AND WITH, WITH SUCH A, A HUGE TURNOUT IS REALLY A TESTAMENT TO,
[02:50:01]
UM, UM, I THINK THE TRUST AND HOW THE COMMUNITY FEELS ABOUT Y'ALL AS A BOARD.AND SO, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK Y'ALL FOR LETTING ME CONTINUE TO BE PART OF IT.
THE FIRST RESOLUTION IS THE OFFICIAL RESOLUTION DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE REFERENDUM.
THE RESULTS ARE ATTACHED THAT, UM, THE OFFICIAL RESULTS THAT WE GET FROM WHAT USED TO BE CALLED YOUR ELECTION COMMISSION.
AND THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT ONCE YOUR BOARD CHAIR AND YOUR BOARD SECRETARY ARE BACK IN BUFORT, UH, WE WILL HAVE EXECUTED.
AND, UH, WE FILED THAT IN THE COURTHOUSE FOR Y'ALL.
AND THAT MAKES THE, UH, RESULTS OF THE, UM, THE, THIS REFERENDUM INCONTESTABLE.
SO THIS WOULD BE THE, THE FIRST RESOLUTION WE'D ASK Y'ALL TO TAKE ACTION ON TONIGHT.
I WOULD, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ACCEPT RESOLUTION DECLARING THE RESULTS OF A REFERENDUM HELD ON NOVEMBER 7TH, 2023 ON QUESTION OF THE ISSUANCE OF NOT EXCEEDING 439 MILLION, 35,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA, A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND BY MS. UH, GORDON.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
THE, THE SECOND RESOLUTION WE HAVE FOR Y'ALL IS A COMBINATION OF A REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION AND SOMETIMES WHAT WE CALL A GREEN LIGHT RESOLUTION.
THE REIMBURSEMENT PART OF THE RESOLUTION IS REQUIRED FOR IRS PURPOSES SO THAT, UM, AS YOU SPEND, UM, UH, MONIES ON THE SECOND REFERENDUM PROJECTS BEFORE WE'VE ISSUED SOME FORM OF DEBT, WHETHER IT BE A BOND ANTICIPATION NOTE OR A BOND, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO REIMBURSE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ONCE THE DEBT IS ISSUED.
AND SO THE IRS, UH, REQUIRES THAT YOU OFFICIALLY DECLARE YOUR INTENT TO REIMBURSE.
IT DOESN'T REALLY REQUIRE THAT YOU EXPEND FUNDS, BUT I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE RARING TO GO ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS BECAUSE THE, THE PLANNING FOR THEM WAS ACTUALLY PART OF THE FIRST REFERENDUM.
AND, AND SO, UM, IF YOU'RE IN THE MODE OF EXPENDING FUNDS BEFORE WE ISSUE THE NEW REFERENDUM OR PART OF THE NEW REFERENDUM DEBT, THEN YOU'D BE ABLE TO, UM, TO REIMBURSE YOURSELF.
THE SECOND PART OF THIS AUTHORIZES YOUR SUPERINTENDENT TO PUT TOGETHER THE TEAM THAT HE NEEDS IN ORDER TO BEGIN TO, TO GO FORWARD WITH THE REFERENDUM PROCESS.
AND THAT INCLUDES GETTING A, UM, A TIMELINE OR PROPOSED CASH FLOW BECAUSE THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU WILL BE, UM, ISSUING THE DEBT, IT DEPENDS IN, IN LARGE PART UPON WHEN YOU NEED THE MONEY.
UM, YOU'VE GOT YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, UM, BRIAN NERRICK, WHO, UH, IS WITH Y'ALL AND IS, UM, AND IS ON BOARD WITH Y'ALL FOR AT LEAST A FEW MORE YEARS.
UM, I'M ACTUALLY THE MEMBER OF THE TEAM
WE, I, I HOPE THAT Y'ALL SEE THE, UM, MS. MS. CROSBY, MR. NRIC AND MYSELF AS, AS A TEAM, AS A THREE-LEGGED STOOL THAT HAS ALLOWED Y'ALL REALLY TO, TO PROFIT AND BENEFIT FROM, UM, I THINK A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF FINANCIAL OR CAPITAL FINANCIAL, UM, RESOURCES.
AND WITHOUT A WHOLE LOT OF HEADACHES, WE DON'T LIKE HEADACHES.
MS. CROSBY DOESN'T LIKE HEADACHES.
AND THE, THE TEAM WE NOW HAVE IN PLACE VERSUS THE TEAM THAT WAS IN PLACE INITIALLY FOR THE FIRST REFERENDUM, IT'S NIGHT AND DAY IN TERMS OF HEADACHES.
AND SO BY ADOPTING THIS RESOLUTION, YOU WOULD AUTHORIZE DR.
UH, RODRIGUEZ TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT, THAT MY COMMITMENT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS COEX EXTENSIVE WITH THE, UM, WITH THE, THE FINANCIAL ADVISORS.
SO WE, WE KEEP THE TEAM TOGETHER AND I'D BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AUTHORIZED REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES INCURRED PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS APPROVED IN A SUCCESSFUL REFERENDUM HELD IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA ON NOVEMBER 7TH, 2023, AUTHORIZING THE SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS DESIGNEES TO UNDERTAKE ACTIONS NECESSARY FOR THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF THE BONDS AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING THERETO.
I DON'T RECALL A RESOLUTION LIKE THIS IN THE PAST.
IS THIS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE DONE ONE WITH, UM, REIMBURSEMENT AND ALSO THE SECTION FIVE WHERE IT AUTHORIZES THE WORK WITH THE, THE TEAM? CORRECT.
YOU HAVE DONE REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTIONS IN THE PAST.
IN FACT, THE ONE THAT YOU DID FOR THE 2019
[02:55:01]
REFERENDUM WAS, UM, YOU DIDN'T PASS THAT TILL JANUARY, AND IT WAS AFTER A BIG CONTENTIOUS DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU WOULD BE ALLOWED TO, TO EXPEND BEFORE YOU WERE REIMBURSED.AND SO THE HOPE IS THAT THIS YEAR THAT THE, THE CONFIDENCE LEVEL IS THERE SO THAT YOU LOOK TO YOUR ADMINISTRATOR AND, AND REALLY YOUR FINANCE COMMITTEE, UM, I, I THINK THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WOULD PLAY A VERY KEY ROLE IN MAKEY RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD AND TO THE ADMINISTRATION ON HOW THIS DEBT SERVICE ROLLS OUT.
UM, SO THE, WE DID DO A RES, SO YOU'RE SAYING WE DID DO A RESOLUTION LIKE THIS WHERE IT ALLOWED FOR REIMBURSEMENT, BUT IT WAS A, A LITTLE BIT LATER AFTER WE HAD PASSED, UH, THE REFERENDUM IN 2019, IS THAT CORRECT? IT, IT WAS, IT WAS JUST A STANDALONE REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION.
AND DO WE KNOW, UM, DOLLARS ON THAT OF, WAS IT A SPECIFIC RESOLUTION THAT SAID YOU'RE ALLOWED TO REIMBURSE FOR THIS SPECIFIC AMOUNT IN, IN, IN 2019? I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T REMEMBER.
THE ANSWER IS YES, IT WAS A VERY SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT.
UM, IN, IN THIS CASE, Y'ALL WOULD BE INFORMED AND YOUR FINANCE COMMITTEE WOULD MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE, BEFORE ANY MONIES WERE SPENT.
SO THE, THE BOARD WILL STAY IN CONTROL OF HOW MUCH MONEY MIGHT BE SPENT AND THEN REIMBURSED.
YOU ALSO WILL STAY IN CONTROL OF, OF HOW THE DEBT IS ISSUED THROUGH YOUR FINANCE COMMITTEE.
I THINK THE PLAN IS TO BRING THE BOND RESOLUTION TO Y'ALL MAYBE IN JANUARY, AND THAT WILL AUTHORIZE WHAT WE CALL THE KITCHEN SINK.
IT WILL AUTHORIZE BONDS, BANDS, UH, MIGHT AUTHORIZE YOU TO DO A SMALL GEO THROUGH SCA, GGO.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT, UM, E EVERYTHING IS ON THE, IS AVAILABLE.
THE WHOLE MENU OF OPTIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND IT WOULD BE THE, THE TEAM.
SO MS. CROSBY, UM, MR. NEWICK, MYSELF, FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND THE BOARD.
SO THAT'S SORT OF HOW THE INFORMATION WILL BUBBLE UP AND COME BACK TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL.
SO THE FINAL AMOUNT OF THE REIMBURSEMENT WILL REQUIRE BOARD APPROVAL THEN? YEAH.
AND THEN THAT, THE SECOND QUESTION IN REGARD TO THAT SECTION FIVE, WAS SECTION FIVE IN THE PREVIOUS ONE OR NO? NO.
SECTION FIVE IS USUALLY WHAT WE PUT IN THE BOND RESOLUTION.
UM, WHERE Y'ALL ENGAGE CERTAIN PROFESSIONALS.
WE WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND, AND SORT OF TAKE CARE OF THAT NOW SO THAT WE KNOW THAT THE TEAM, UM, AS WE PUT TOGETHER THE PROPOSED FINANCING PLAN, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTION ABOUT WHO YOUR TEAM MEMBERS ARE GONNA BE.
SO MY ONLY CONCERN WITH SECTION FIVE IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT IN ANY VIOLATION OF THE PROCUREMENT CODE IN AUTHORIZING THIS.
UH, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THIS MORNING, UH, TANYA AND I HAD A, UH, ZOOM CALL WITH BRIAN NERRICK, OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, TO START THIS PROCESS.
THAT WOULD BE BROUGHT UP AT THE NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT JANUARY 12TH, I BELIEVE IS THE DATE, DECEMBER 12TH TO, UH, MR. NERRICK WILL BE PRESENT AT THE DECEMBER 12TH BOARD MEETING DECEMBER 12TH FOR THE FULL BOARD.
SO HE'S UNABLE TO ATTEND THE DECEMBER 5TH FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
SO HE IS JUST GONNA COME TO THE FULL BOARD FOR AN UPDATE, RIGHT? MM-HMM,
AND, AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA BE THERE AS WELL AS I UNDERSTAND, CORRECT? I, I'LL BE THERE ON THE 12TH AND WE'LL EITHER HAVE THE BOND RESOLUTION FOR Y'ALL ON THE 12TH OR IN OR IN JANUARY.
GO USE THE BUFORD METHOD OF BOND REFERENDUMS. THIS IS HOW YOU DO BOND REFERENDUMS, RIGHT? SO THAT'S, THAT'S
AND MS. CROSBY'S GONNA BE ON A, UH, PANEL DISCUSSION AT A INSTITUTE FOR CFOS IN DECEMBER TO, TO TALK ABOUT THE SUCCESS STORY, TO, TO GO FROM 11 YEARS OF BARRENNESS AND, AND TUMBLEWEEDS
SO, AND TANYA JUST REMINDED ME, DECEMBER 12TH WILL BE, UM, INFORMATION ONLY.
AND IT'LL BE IN, IN JANUARY THAT WE'LL BRING BACK.
UM, WE'LL BRING BACK A BOND RESOLUTION.
AND I DON'T WANNA STEAL ANYBODY'S THUNDER, BUT WE GOT A BIG 24 LOOKING AT Y'ALL
BRIAN'S GOT A LOT OF IDEAS AND
[03:00:01]
SO, UM, YOU'LL BE SEEING US BACK A LOT TO, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO, UM, TO FINE TUNE YOUR, YOUR CAPITAL PLAN.IT IS, IT'S IN GREAT SHAPE, BUT, BUT EVERYTHING CAN USUALLY BE FINE TUNED.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON FOR Y'ALL IN EARLY 2024.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THIS RESOLUTION, PLEASE, UH, SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT ITEM IS A RESOLUTION DECLARING, UH, OR THE BOARD DETERMINATION ON THE APPEALS OF THE MATERIALS RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE REPORTS FOR THE FOLLOWING BOOKS.
UH, BOY, GIRL, BOY BY RON KODAK, UH, F FLAMER BY MIKE CARRADO.
GRIT BY JULIAN FRENCH, LUCKY BY ALICE SIEBOLD.
SCARS BY CHERYL REINFELD, SHINE BY LAUREN, UH, MCM AND CARNIVAL BY THE BAY BY JESSE ANN FOLEY.
DO I HAVE A MOTION ON THIS? MS. POT WRIGHT? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION UPHOLD THE APPEALS FROM THE MATERIALS RECON RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE REPORTS FOR THE FOLLOWING BOOKS.
AND SECOND, WHO SECONDED? MR. CAMPBELL? MR. CAMPBELL, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED HEY, NAYYY AND VOTE RIGHT? NAY? NO, NO, NO.
BOATRIGHT SAID I, I JUST MY HEAD UP.
OKAY, SO WHAT NUMBERS DO WE HAVE HERE? SEVEN.
NO, 'CAUSE WE HAVE, WE'RE MISSING TWO.
SO WE HAD, WE'RE DOWN TO, THERE'S AN ABSENCE, AN ABSTENTION, AND THREE NOS.
SO IT'S 4, 3, 1, 4, 4, 3 AND ONE.
NOW WE HAVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, WHO? WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT SAFETY.
MR. GRISHAM, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
SO, UM, YOU GAVE US, YOU GAVE US, UH, UH, A CAST OF, UH, THREE OR FOUR, CAME IN AND TOLD ALL THE DETAILS.
UM, ARE THERE, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, BY THE BOARD ON THAT? OE? PARDON ME? ME? GO AHEAD, MR. GRISSOM.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY, I THOUGHT YOUR PRESENT BEHIND YOUR PRESENTATIONS TO BE VERY THOROUGH AND, UM, EXPLAIN.
WELL, IT DISCIPLINE'S A TRICKY SUBJECT AND THERE'S TECHNOLOGY COMPONENTS AND THERE'S PHYSICAL COMPONENTS AND ALL THAT.
BUT, UM, AS FAR AS WHAT THE OE DOES, I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND AS BEEN ON OPERATIONS COMMITTEE THAT YOU GIVE A VERY EXTENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND I REGRET THAT I WASN'T THERE FOR THIS OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING, SO I MISSED A LOT OF THE REPORTING.
THERE'S, UM, INCLUDED IN THIS OE IT DOES SAY THAT THERE'S ATTACHMENTS.
UM, BUT I DON'T HAVE THEM IN MY PACKET HERE TODAY.
WAS IT AT THE, UH, COMMITTEE LEVEL? THERE WERE ATTACHMENTS THOUGH.
YEAH, THEY'RE IN SOME I SAW 'EM IN HERE.
MAYBE I MISSED THEM BECAUSE WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR WAS THOSE ATTACHMENTS THAT HAVE MORE, MORE DATA NUMBERS, DATES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
[03:05:02]
I'D BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT.AS LONG AS I CAN FIND THAT IT WAS NO, NO, BUT I THOUGHT I SAW THEM.
THEY ARE, THEY'RE IN COMMUNITY.
I DON'T HAVE THE INTERNET ON MY DEVICE RIGHT NOW.
I'LL JUST ABSTAIN FROM IT FOR, FOR THIS EVENING.
MR. SMITH, YOU HAD, YOU HAD CONCERNS ABOUT OE 15.
DO YOU WANNA EXPRESS THEM AT THIS POINT? IF WE ARE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT HALL MONITORS AND, UH, WE, I GUESS WE'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THIS EITHER, SO, HEY, THISE, DO, DO WHAT? YOU MY VOTER STAND FOR IT.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT OE 50.
ACCEPT, I MEAN, I, I, UH, SECOND YOU.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND TO, UH, ACCEPT OE 15.
ANY DISCUSSION? SORRY, MS. GORDON? SECOND.
MS. GORDON SECONDED? THAT'S CORRECT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO, NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO, BASED ON CONSENT AGENDA, UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM VOTE ON THE, DIDN'T WE LEAVE THE REVISED FIRE SAFETY PLAN ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? YES.
SO WE HAVE TO, SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT VOTE.
WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SO, SO, MR. CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
IT'S MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS VOTE MOTION? YEAH, I'M GONNA ABSTAIN.
UH, WILL THERE BE A CONSENT AGENDA? HOPE THAT WAS LOUD.
ANY OBJECTION TO, UH, ADJOURNMENT? HEARING NONE.