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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.
GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.
THIS IS THE BUSINESS MEETING FOR MAY 7TH, 2024.
THIS MEETING IS BEING CONDUCTED BY A HYBRID VIDEO AND CONFERENCING, AND IT IS ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
WE HAVE FIVE MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE, IN PERSON, AND, UH, TWO MEMBERS, UH, ONLINE.
UH, THOSE OF YOU ONLINE, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES.
AS I MENTIONED, I THINK THE MEETING WILL BE LIVE STREAMED BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH NEW SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES.
BACK BAGS, BACKPACKS AND PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED BY THE PUBLIC AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER ON BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND SCHOOL RELATED TOPICS.
CITIZENS WISHING TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENTS CAN DO SO IN PERSON OR VIA THE PHONE.
THERE ARE TWO SCHEDULED PUBLIC COMMENT FORUM TIMES DURING EACH BOARD MEETING.
THE FIRST IS A 30 MINUTE SESSION NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, AND THIS IS LIMITED TO TOPICS ON THE BOARD MEETING AGENDA.
THE SECOND IS A 15 MINUTE SESSION, WHICH TAKES PLACE PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT, BUT NO LATER THAN 9:00 PM.
REQUEST TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENTS VIA PHONE WILL BE ACCEPTED VIA EMAIL THE DAY OF THE MEETING FROM FIVE TO 5:30 PM FOR THE FIRST TIMEFRAME, AND FROM SIX TO 6:30 PM FOR THE SECOND OPPORTUNITY REQUEST SHOULD INCLUDE THE SPEAKER'S NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AS WELL AS TOPIC AND MUST BE EMAILED TO THE EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO THE BOARD, ROBIN CUSHING BARRY AT ROBIN, WITH A Y DOT CUSHING BERRY AT BUFORT K12 SC US REQUESTERS WILL SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVE A PHONE CALL DURING THEIR RESPECTIVE PUBLIC FORM TIME AND SHOULD BE READY TO SPEAK.
CITIZENS DESIRING TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON MUST FILL OUT A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD THAT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE BOARD CLERK HERE AT THE MEETING IN THE EVENT THE BOARD IS NOT FINISHED ADDRESSING ALL ITEMS LISTED ON THIS TONIGHT'S AGENDA, THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE TOMORROW NIGHT AT 6:00 PM TO FINISH THE AGENDA ITEMS. WE NOW NEED A MOTION TO, UH, GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
EMPLOYMENT MATTER PERSONAL RATIFICATION REPORT PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH FOUR 70 A ONE ADULT EDUCATION REPORT PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 40 A FOUR.
DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED SELECTION OF ARCHITECT FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN SERVICES.
CONTRACT RFQ NUMBER 24 0 1 8 FOR LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, REPLACEMENT SCHOOL SCHOOL, AND NEW BLUFFTON EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A TWO.
DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSED FOOD SERVICES CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, AMENDMENTS NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO TO AJAX BUILDING COMPANY CONTRACT PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A TWO.
AND LAST DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS TO PROPOSE ACQUISITION OF TWO PROPERTIES IN SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND PROPOSED SALE OF PROPERTY IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH 40 DASH 70 A TWO SECOND OH.
OKAY, ANY DISCUSSION THERE BEING NO HANDS UP? ALL IN FAVOR? UH, THOSE IN THE MEMBERS RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY, AYE.
WE'LL GO ALPHABETICAL CAMPBELL HAY CAMPBELL.
EVERYBODY'S VOTED UH, IN FAVOR.
SO THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY NOW, UH, CONVENE, UH, CONFERENCE.
HEY HONEY, CAN YOU SET THE TABLE DALE 9 1 1.
WHERE IS YOUR EMERGENCY? UM, MY HUSBAND.
HE'S, HE'S LAYING ON THE FLOOR IN THE BATHROOM.
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DO CPR? I MEAN, I LEARNED IT A LONG TIME AGO.
I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH IT.
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PUT 'EM ON THE MONITOR.DO WE HAVE ANY ACTION AS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE REGARDING THE MATTERS DISCUSSED IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES, MA'AM.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE, THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT LISTED ON THE APRIL 1ST, 2024 THROUGH APRIL 30TH, 2024.
PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION THERE? BE NO HANDS UP.
WE'LL DO THE VOTING IN THE ROOM FIRST AND THEN GO TO ONLINE ALPHABETICALLY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
SO THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY ABSENT FROM THE VOTE.
MR. SMITH AND CARLTON DALLAS, ABSENT FROM THE MEETING, DO WE HAVE FURTHER? YES, MA'AM.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE MONTHLY ADULT EDUCATION REPORT FOR MAY 7TH, 2024.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY WITH, UH, MR. DALLAS.
ABSENT FOR THE MEETING, MADAM CHAD MOVED THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZES THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ISSUE AN AWARD TO HOARD COPELAND AND MOTT FOR A NEW BLUFFTON EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER LOCATED ADJACENT TO RIVER RIDGE ACADEMY AND QUACKENBUSH ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS FOR LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, REPLACEMENT SCHOOL ON ACTIVE CAMPUS.
THE BOARD AUTHORIZES THE SUPERINTENDENT TO NEGOTIATE THE ARCHITECTURAL CONTRACTS AND UPON SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS EXECUTED CONTRACT WITH THE FIRM.
ANY DISCUSSION? YES, THERE'S MR. SMITH.
UM, UM, I'M, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT WE DID NOT, UH, EVEN THOUGH AS HAS SAID WE, THAT, THAT IT SAID THAT IN PAST PRACTICES THAT WE HAVEN'T, UH, INVOLVED COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THE, THE, UM, WITH THE COMMITTEES TO, UH, APPROVE THESE.
I'M GOING TO VOTE IN, I'M GOING TO VOTE IN, IN, IN, UM, I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR IT TODAY.
BUT IN THE FUTURE, I THINK THIS, I THINK IT IS JUST A GOOD THING THAT WE DO HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BE A, TO BE A PART OF THESE, UM, TO BE A PART OF THESE COMMITTEES.
SO, UM, I JUST WANT THAT TO BE A RECORD AND, AND TO BE KNOWN.
SO IF THEY, IF IF THEY, THEY DO COME UP AGAIN AND I DO VOTE NO, THAT I'M MAKING IT CLEAR.
WHY? BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS, IT'S A GOOD, IT'S A GOOD THING FOR US TO BE TRANSPARENT AND HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BE A PART OF, UH, OF THIS AS WELL, NOT JUST, UH, ALL DISTRICT, UH, EMPLOYEES.
THERE, BE NO FURTHER HANDS UP.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
UM, ANY, UH, NA ONE ABSTENTION.
ONE, I MEAN ZERO NOS AND ONE ABSTENTION.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE WITH AJAX BUILDING COMPANY FOR THE FOOD S SERVICE STORAGE UNITS, COOLER AND FREEZER AT THE DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CENTER, DESC, BASED ON THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE, GMP OF $922,639 SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? RIGHT? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
MADAM CHAIR, THIS IS OUR FINAL MOTION.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZES THE SUPERINTENDENT TO SIGN A CONTRACT FOR THE PROPERTY IN BLUFFTON AND FINALIZED THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING MOU WITH THE TOWN OF EPTON TO BE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL.
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THANK YOU MS.SHE WOULD TO COMMENT, GO AHEAD.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR FOR THE MOTION THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE ON THE TABLE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY, AYE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS MAD CHAIR CORRECTIONS.
THE VOTE REGARDING THE BLU PROPERTY IS, UH, PASSES.
IT IS NINE, UH, ZERO ONE MADAM CHAIR.
CORRECTION, THERE IS ONE MORE MOTION I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO WITH AJAX BUILDING COMPANY FOR THE FOOD SERVICE EQUIPMENT AT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS BASED ON THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE, GMP OF $952,076.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
WAS KY ABSTAIN? THE MOTION CARRIES 9 0 1 MOTION'S COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, NEXT UP, WE, UH, WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF TONIGHT'S AGENDA, PLEASE STATE A AYE AYE.
THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
NEXT, HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
THE MEDIA WAS PROPERLY NOTIFIED.
TONIGHT, WE HAVE THE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOLS' CAST OF LEGALLY BLONDE JUNIOR PERFORMING WHAT YOU WANT, WANT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE DANCE TEACHER, CHRISTINE BARR.
THIS IS WHAT, WHAT INSPIRES EVERYONE.
AND THIS IS NOT OUR PERSONAL ESSAY.
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NOW, SEE HERE, MS. WOODS, YOU CAN'T JUST BARGE IN HERE, BUT SITTING AND DANCING, THERE'S A VERY SLACKING PRESENTATION.I STILL DON'T SEE ONE REASON TO ADMIT YOU.
HOW ABOUT LOVE? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE? BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE, YOU'LL KNOW.
NO CHALLENGE CAN'T MEET, NO PLACE CANNOT GO.
DON'T LAUGH WHEN I SAY LOVE OR THINK THAT I'M EVEN THE PERSON WHO YOU TOO.
AND WHAT A WONDERFUL JOB BY OUR BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
RIGHT? ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THEM.
FIRST, UH, TONIGHT ON THE POINTS OF CELEBRATION, WE BEGIN WITH SOUTH CAROLINA VEX STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, BEAUFORT HIGH SCHOOL'S ROBOTIC TEAM, HYPER RESOLUTION, RECENTLY COMPETED AND WON THE VEX SOUTH CAROLINA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
HERE TO INTRODUCE THE WINNING TEAM IS ROBOTICS COACH MIKE RENTZ.
AND I THINK HE'LL PROBABLY SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP THAT THEY, UH, RECENTLY PARTICIPATED AT AS WELL.
UH, AS, UH, SUPERINTENDENT RODRIGUEZ SAID, MY NAME'S MIKE RENTZ.
I AM THE ROBOTICS COACH AT, UH, BEFOR HIGH SCHOOL.
JUST FINISHED, UH, MY 12TH YEAR COACH IN ROBOTICS, UH, HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO WE, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR A WHILE.
UH, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ROBOTICS AND THEN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TEAM.
AND, UH, THEN I'M GONNA LET THEM TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEMSELVES, THEIR SENIORS.
THAT KIND OF LETS YOU SEE, UH, WHERE THEY'RE GOING AND HOW ROBOTICS HAS REALLY MADE AN IMPACT ON THEM.
SO, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT VEX ROBOTICS.
IT HAS PLAYED IN 60 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.
UH, A CHECK TODAY, THERE'S OVER 6,200 ACTIVE TEAMS THAT COMPETE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
MIGHT BE MORE, BUT THERE CERTAINLY WERE 6,200 THAT HAD AT LEAST REGISTERED SOME KIND OF SCORE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON.
AND HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, WE HAVE 120 HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS THAT COMPETE, UH, THAT COMPETED LAST YEAR.
UH, THE COMPETITION IS PLAYED ON A 12 FOOT FIELD, 12 FOOT BY 12 FOOT FIELD.
UH, CHANGE THE GAME CHANGES EVERY YEAR.
IT'S TWO TEAMS ON ONE SIDE VERSUS TWO TEAMS ON ANOTHER.
THE TEAMS GET RANDOMLY, UH, SIGNED THROUGH QUALIFYING MATCHES WITH THEIR PARTNERS.
SOMETIMES, UH, THEY'RE, THEY HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM.
SOMETIMES THE FIRST TIME THEY MAY HAVE EVER MET THEM IS 10 MINUTES BEFORE A MATCH.
UM, BUT AFTER A TWO MINUTE, TWO MINUTE MATCH, THERE'S A WINNER AND A LOSER.
THE COMPETITION IS BROKEN DOWN BY QUALIFYING ROUNDS THROUGHOUT PART OF THE DAY.
AND THEN THE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS FOLLOW AND, AND TEAMS GET SEATED ON HOW WELL THEY DO DURING THE QUALIFYING ROUNDS.
THE, UH, I PERSONALLY, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I AM A HUGE CHAMPION FOR VEX ROBOTICS AND HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR A WHILE, IT'S VERY STUDENT CENTERED.
SO ANY STUDENT WHO'S DONE, UH, VEX
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ROBOTICS, THEY BUILD THEIR OWN ROBOTS.THEY DO ALL THE PROGRAMMING, THEY DO ALL THE DESIGN WORK, UH, AS THEIR MENTOR.
EVEN THOUGH I'M CALLED A COACH, I'M NOT REALLY THEIR COACH.
UH, THEY COME TO ME WHEN THEY NEED STUFF, NAMELY WHEN THEY NEED ME TO BUY THEM SOMETHING
UM, I'M GENERALLY NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE ROBOT, UH, BY RULE.
AND SPECIFICALLY, THEY DON'T LET ME TOUCH THE ROBOT ANYWAY 'CAUSE I TEND TO BREAK THEM.
UM, SO ALL OF THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE REALLY THEIRS.
UM, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT MINE.
I'M JUST A VERY GOOD RECRUITER.
UM, BUT, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE ACTUAL, UH, ROBOT IN THE COMPETITION, THEY DO IT ALL HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
IN THIS, IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, FIVE OF OUR SIX HIGH SCHOOLS ARE NOW CURRENTLY ACTIVE IN VE UH, THREE OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
UH, WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE ANY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT ARE ACTIVE RIGHT NOW IN VEX.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS FOR THAT.
IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, A LOT OF EFFORT, UM, GATHER, HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DO IT AND VOLUNTEER, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
BUT WE ARE PRETTY HAPPY WITH THE GROWTH WE'VE SEEN IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO ESPECIALLY FIVE OUT, OUR SIX HIGH SCHOOLS WERE ACTIVE THIS YEAR.
UM, I DO WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT, BRAG ON THEM JUST A LITTLE BIT.
UH, ONE OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS IS NOT HERE.
UH, NATHAN TRAN, HE IS OUR VALEDICTORIAN AT THE SCHOOL.
AND THEN TOMORROW HE'S GOT TWO AP EXAMS. SO, AS MUCH AS I WANTED HIM TO BE HERE, I COULDN'T REALLY SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, JUST YOU CAN TAKE TWO HOURS OFF TO ON
YOU KNOW, HE'S VALEDICTORIAN FOR A REASON, RIGHT? THAT WAS NOT AN OPTION FOR HIM.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT THE TEAM AND BRAG ON THEM JUST A LITTLE BIT.
UH, TWO OF THE THREE, UH, FELLOWS ON THE TEAM, NATHAN AND ZACH ACTUALLY STARTED WITH ME AT LIMS WHEN AND WHEN THEY WERE IN SIXTH GRADE.
SO THEY HAVE BEEN ON THE SAME TEAM SINCE SIXTH GRADE.
AND I, I GOTTA COACH THEM FOR A YEAR.
AND THEN I LEFT THE DISTRICT FOR A FEW YEARS, AND I ENDED UP INHERITED IT WHEN I GOT BACK TO BEAUFORT HIGH.
BUT WHEN THEY WERE AT LEMS AS EIGHTH GRADERS, THEY WON THE SOUTH CAROLINA MIDDLE SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIED FOR WORLDS THAT YEAR.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WAS COVID, UH, THE START OF COVID.
SO YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY GO TO WORLDS THAT YEAR, WHICH THEY WERE DISAPPOINTED ABOUT.
UH, THEY DIDN'T COMPLETE COMPETE THEIR FRESHMAN YEAR 'CAUSE WE WERE BARELY IN SCHOOL.
UH, AND SO WE DIDN'T DO COVID, UH, REALLY WASN'T DONE AROUND THE STATE VERY MUCH, BUT THEIR SOPHOMORE YEAR, THEY CAME BACK.
THEY WON, UH, STATE CHAMPIONSHIP THAT YEAR FOR THE ROBOT CHALLENGE, THE, THE SKILLS CHALLENGE 11TH GRADE YEAR LAST YEAR.
AND, UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE HERE LAST YEAR, WE, WE WERE HERE LAST YEAR, THEY WON THE DESIGN AWARD FOR THEIR ENGINEERING NOTEBOOK.
THAT'S A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL AWARD.
AND THEN THIS YEAR THEY WON THE ACTUAL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, THE, THE ACTUAL, THE THE TOURNAMENT ITSELF.
AND, UM, I MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, I'VE BEEN DOING A VEX IN SOUTH CAROLINA FOR 12 YEARS.
UH, I THINK IT STARTED 13 YEARS AGO IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO JUST ABOUT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF ROBOTICS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND WE'VE NEVER HAD A TEAM IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHEN THREE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, WHO WERE THE SAME, THREE STUDENTS ON THE SAME TEAM.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT I'M PROUD OF, THEY'RE PROUD OF.
AND IN OUR ROBOTICS COMMUNITY, AT LEAST AROUND THE STATE, THAT CARRIES AN AWFUL LOT OF RESPECT, RIGHT? AND SO I'M GLAD THAT, UH, WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, COME AND HAVE THEM RECOGNIZED.
I'M GONNA LET EACH ONE OF THEM, UH, INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WHERE THEY'RE, WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO SCHOOL, WHAT THEY PLAN ON STUDYING, WHICH IS VERY TYPICAL OF A ROBOTICS ALUMNI.
UM, MR. MR. GEIER KNOWS HIS GRANDSON WAS ONE OF MINE AT LIMBS, AND HE'S AT CLEMSON ENGINEERING, RIGHT? UM, AND, UH, AND SO I'LL LET THEM TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT ROBOT WROTE ROBOTICS IS MEANT TO THEM.
I WILL SAY NATHAN, UM, HE IS OUR VALEDICTORIAN.
HE GOT, UH, FINDING ALL OF HIS SCHOLARSHIP STUFF EARLIER THIS WEEK.
SO HE IS PRETTY JACKED ABOUT GOING TO GEORGIA TECH.
UH, HE'S GOT A TON OF SCHOLARSHIPS, SOME LOCALLY, SOME NOT LOCALLY.
UH, AND HE'S GONNA STUDY MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AT GEORGIA TECH.
BUT I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA LET THEM, UH, TAKE OVER FROM HERE.
I'VE DONE VEX SINCE SIXTH GRADE, LIKE COACH RENT SAID.
AND I'M GOING TO GO TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALMO HUNTSVILLE TO STUDY MECHANICAL ENGINEERING IN THE FALL.
AND SINCE I'VE DONE VEX SINCE SIXTH GRADE, THE MOST MEANINGFUL IMPACT IT'S HAD ON ME IS THE FRIENDSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS I'VE BUILT WITH OTHER STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND THE WORLD.
BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, UM, EACH MATCH YOU'RE PAIRED WITH A RANDOM TEAM AND YOU DON'T KNOW THEM.
YOU DON'T GET TO CHOOSE THEM, AND YOU HAVE TO STRATEGIZE AND TALK TO THEM BEFOREHAND.
AND DOING THAT'S ALLOWED ME TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THEM.
AND WE GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
AND THEN WE ALSO WILL TALK ONLINE, SOMETIMES COMMUNICATE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, LIKE
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VIA TEXT MESSAGES AND SHARE IDEAS AND PLAN FOR THE NEW TOURNAMENTS.AND I MEAN, I LIKE ALL ROBOTICS, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PART OF IT, IS THE FRIENDSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT I'VE BUILT THROUGH IT.
HI, MY NAME IS GARRETT SECONDER.
I AM THE HEAD SCOUT, AND I ALSO HELP BUILD AND DESIGN.
I'LL BE GOING TO AMBRY RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY FOR AEROSPACE ENGINEERING AND ASTRONOMICAL STUDIES.
I, MY FAVORITE PART OF VEX IS DEFINITELY THE RELATIONSHIPS AND THE FRIENDSHIPS YOU MAKE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
I STILL KEEP TOUCH, TOUCH WITH THEM, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO KEEP TOUCHING WITH 'EM AFTER I GRADUATE.
I, I DID FORGET TO MENTION, UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ TOLD ME THAT TO, TO MENTION IT, AND THEN I FORGOT.
UH, BUT THE BOYS, WE DID GO TO, UH, VEX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TWO WEEKS AGO IN DALLAS.
UH, THERE WERE 800 TEAMS, UH, 10 DIVISIONS OF 80 TEAMS EACH, UH, WE FINISHED 14TH, I THINK WAS THE FINAL RANKING IN QUALIFYING IN, UM, IN OUR DIVISION.
WE BLEW THE LAST MATCH, WHICH WE SHOULD HAVE WON, BUT
UH, WE MADE IT INTO THE KNOCKOUT ROUNDS, TO THE SIM, TO THE QUARTERFINALS, UH, WHICH WAS THEIR PERSONAL GOAL WAS TO GET TO THE ROUND OF 16.
WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS THEY FINISHED REALLY THIS YEAR IN THE TOP 300 OUT OF ALL TEAMS THAT COMPETED THIS YEAR.
SO OUTTA 6,200 PLUS TEAMS, THEY WERE IN THE TOP 300.
AND THAT'S A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PRINCIPAL IS IN THE AUDIENCE.
IF YOU WOULD, UH, COME UP TO US IF YOU, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND.
SECOND ITEM THIS EVENING IS THE CHARACTER EDUCATION STUDENT OF THE MONTH.
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 SELF-CONTROL.
SELF-CONTROL IS DEFINED AS THE ABILITY TO HAVE CONTROL OVER YOUR FEELINGS OR ACTIONS, IN PARTICULAR ONE'S EMOTIONS AND DESIRES OR THE EXPRESSION OF THEM.
MARCH'S STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR NORTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY IS RANIA BROWN, A JUNIOR AT WILL BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE HER IS PRINCIPAL DAVINA COLEMAN.
I'M EXCITED TO INTRODUCE REH TO YOU ALL.
SHE RECEIVED THIS AWARD FOR SELF-CONTROL.
AND IF I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT WHEN I GOT TO WELL BRANCH, WHAT WE HAD TO WORK THROUGH
UM, WHEN WE WALKED INTO THIS SCHOOL YEAR, THIS YEAR, SHE SAID, MS. COLEMAN, I'M GONNA DO BETTER.
AND SHE STUCK WITH HER COMMITMENT.
NOT EVERY DAY, BUT THE MAJORITY, THEY ARE PERFECT.
AND WHEN SHE WALKS IN, SHE COMES TO MY OFFICE OFF OFTEN AND SHE LITERALLY JUST COMES TO SAY, I JUST WANNA SAY HEY AND SEE YOUR FACE.
AND I AM SUPER PROUD OF HER AND I'M EXCITED FOR HER, AND I'M EXCITED FOR HER FUTURE.
AND SO, I'D JUST LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU GUYS TOO.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT IT'S ALWAYS TIMES WHERE YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR NO MATTER WHAT IT IS.
AND DOING BAD CAN LEAD YOU TO LIKE TERRIBLE THINGS.
SO I CHANGE MY BEHAVIOR BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE MYSELF PROUD AS WELL AS MY ADMINISTRATORS AND FAMILY.
AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE.
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OKAY.IT'S A BIG NIGHT FOR WARRIOR NATION, SO WE ALL ARE HERE.
OUR NEXT ITEM TO CELEBRATE THIS EVENING IS SOUTH CAROLINA INCUBATE DEBATE.
INCUBATE DEBATE IS RELATIVELY NEW IN BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH DEBATE CLUB STARTING THIS ACADEMIC YEAR.
WE'RE PROUD OF THE 10 STUDENTS WHO QUALIFIED FOR THE INCUBATE DEBATE CHAMPIONSHIP, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN APRIL.
WE'RE ALSO PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS THE SOUTH CAROLINA INCUBATE DEBATE COACH OF THE YEAR.
MR. WILLIE WHITE FROM WILL BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE HIM IS PRINCIPAL DAVINA COLEMAN.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THIS IS OUR FIRST YEAR OF HAVING INCUBATE DEBATE.
AND THIS GUY HERE IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
HE SAW CAROLINA'S INCUBATE DEBATE, UM, COACH OF THE YEAR, BUT HE TOOK ONE OF OUR STUDENTS TO NATIONALS.
SO WE HAD A STUDENT THAT MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO NATIONALS BECAUSE OF HIS COACHING.
I AM INCR, LIKE I AM JUST A PROUD PRINCIPAL TONIGHT, UM, FOR ALL OF THE OUTSTANDING WORK THAT WAS DONE AND THE DEDICATION THAT COACH WHITE MR. WHITE HAD WITH OUR STUDENTS.
AND SO, JUST LIKE I JUST SAID TO RANH, I'M SUPER PROUD OF YOU.
YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GO ANYWHERE.
SO I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU GUYS TO COACH WHITE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK PRINCIPAL COLEMAN FOR ALLOWING ME TO DO WHAT I DO WITHOUT BOTHERING ME,
UM, I REALLY LIKE TO THANK, UM, AND I DON'T WANNA MESS UP YOUR NAME, DR.
GORTZ, UM, MS. GORDON AND MR. CAMPBELL, AS WELL AS, UH, MR. DALLAS, WHO ACTUALLY CAME DOWN TO FLORIDA TO WITNESS THE TEAM.
UM, THE, BE PROUD OF WHOLE COUNTY.
WE TOOK DOWN APPROXIMATELY 10% OF THE PARTICIPANTS AT NATIONALS.
WE ARE REPRESENTATIVES FROM MCCRACKEN, BEAUFORT HIGH, I'M SORRY, MCCRACKEN.
BLUFFTON, HILTON HEAD, UM, AS WELL AS WELL BRANCH.
AND THEY REPRESENTED THE COUNTY AND THE STATE WELL.
UM, SO I THINK WE'RE IN GOOD HANDS MOVING FORWARD.
UH, WE'RE ALREADY PREPARING FOR THE SUMMER, UM, COMPETITIONS AS WELL AS, UH, BOOT CAMPS AND EVERYTHING TO GET PREPARED FOR THAT AND MOVING INTO NEXT YEAR.
UM, AGAIN, IT WAS OUR FIRST YEAR, BUT IT WON'T BE OUR LAST.
AND WE, WE PLAN ON REPRESENTING THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
NEXT, UH, RECOGNITION THIS EVENING IS A SKILLS USA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
RECENTLY, A FEW BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS COMPETED IN THE SKILLS USA CHAMPIONSHIP THROUGH THEIR COURSES WITH THE ACADEMY FOR CAREER EXCELLENCE.
HERE TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THE COMPETITION AND TO INTRODUCE THE STUDENTS IS ACE DIRECTOR DR.
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THANK YOU.I'M GONNA TURN THE MIC OVER TO OUR ADVISOR, UM, MS. JEN CALORIE, BECAUSE SHE'S THE ONE WHO PUT ALL THE WORK INTO IT AND PUT THIS ALL TOGETHER.
AND YOU CAN SPEAK A LOT BETTER ABOUT IT THAN I CAN.
I'M ONE OF THE LEAD ADVISORS FOR SKILLS, USA THROUGH BEAUFORT.
JASPER A I'M ALSO THE EMS INSTRUCTOR.
UM, THIS IS MY FOURTH YEAR DOING SKILLS.
AND, AND I MUST SAY THAT I'M PRETTY PROUD THAT BEAUFORT JASPER HOLDS A LOT OF FIRST PLACE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
SO, UM, MORE SO ABOUT THE STUDENTS THAT PUT ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT INTO IT.
I'VE GOT, UM, MR. CONNOR SKINNER AMARO.
UH, HE GRADUATED FROM BLUFFTON HIGH EARLY.
UH, HE WAS ACTUALLY OFFERED A POSITION WITH JASPER COUNTY FIRE RESCUE BEFORE HE EVEN GRADUATED, UH, COMPLETED THE EMT PROGRAM.
HE IS NATIONALLY REGISTRY CERTIFIED, UH, AND ALSO COMPLETED THE FIRE ONE AND FIRE TWO PROGRAM THROUGH BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, HE COMPETED AS, UH, ONE OF THE TEAMS OF TWO WITH MS. MY ANGEL BUR, UH, FROM BEAUFORT HIGH SCHOOL, WHO WILL BE GRADUATING THIS YEAR, AND ALSO COMPLETED THE EMT PROGRAM LAST SEMESTER AND IS NATIONALLY, UH, REGISTRY CERTIFIED.
UH, THEY COMPETED TOGETHER AS A TEAM IN THE VERY FIRST SPEAKING TO THE MIC SO PEOPLE CAN HEAR.
THEY COMPETED TOGETHER AS A TEAM IN THE FIRST STATE EMT COMPETITION THROUGH SKILLS, USA.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT THAT SKILLS HAS BROUGHT IT TO SOUTH CAROLINA BEYOND THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
SO PRETTY PROUD THAT FOR COMPETITION OF, OF ITS FIRST TIME WITHIN THE STATE THAT, THAT WE TOOK THAT FIRST PLACE POSITION.
SO, UM, AND THEN WE HAVE MS. ERICA SINGLETON FROM BEAUFORT HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL, WHO WON FIRST PLACE IN CPR FIRST AID FOR THE STATE.
UH, SHE'S ALSO A DUAL COMPLETER COMPLETING THE HEALTH SCIENCES NURSING PROGRAM THROUGH BEAUFORT JASPER EAST LAST SEMESTER.
UM, I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF THESE STUDENTS AND THEY'VE WORKED EXTREMELY HARD, UH, TO WIN THIS, THIS STATE TITLE.
AND WE'LL BE TRAVELING TO ATLANTA IN JUNE TO, TO COMPETE AT THE NATIONALS IN, IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
WE DID ALSO HAVE TWO OTHER FIRST PLACE WINNERS.
ONE, UH, THROUGH JASPER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UH, FIRST PLACE IN BARBERING, MR. MAURICE BROWN, AND FOR CULINARY, UH, MS. JAMIAH JONES.
AND THEY'LL ALSO BE GOING TO NATIONALS, UH, WITH BUFORD JASPER.
PLEASE JOIN HIM AT THE FRONT BECAUSE THE NEXT ITEM WE WANNA CELEBRATE THIS EVENING IS PALMETTO FINES.
AS I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD, BEAUFORT JASPER ACADEMY FOR CAREER EXCELLENCE WAS RECENTLY NAMED AS A 2024 PALMETTO'S FINEST SCHOOL IN SOUTH CAROLINA'S, WHICH IS MOST, WHICH IS THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS RECOGNITION FOR ACROSS THE BOARD SCHOOL EXCELLENCE.
BEAUFORT, JASPER ACE SERVES MORE THAN 350 STUDENTS FROM EIGHT HIGH SCHOOLS IN BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTIES.
ESTABLISHED IN 1975, BEAUFORT JASPER ACE HAS BEEN PIVOTABLE PIVOTAL IN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN THE LOW COUNTRY, OFFERING 13 CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS EACH LEADING TO RECOGNIZE INDUSTRY CERTIFICATIONS.
BEAUFORT, JASPER ACE ENSURES STUDENTS' READINESS FOR COLLEGE AND CAREERS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.
100% OF STUDENTS ATTENDING BUFORT JASPER ACE RETURN TO THEIR HIGH SCHOOLS COLLEGE AND CAREER READY.
IN ADDITION, ACE OFFERS FREE DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE OPTIONS IN BOTH CTE AND ELA EACH YEAR.
ITS STUDENTS COMPETE REGULARLY WINNING NUMEROUS SKILLS, USA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH A STUDENT-CENTERED APPROACH AND A DEDICATED STAFF.
ACE HAS AN IMPACT ON ITS COMMUNITY WITH AN EXTENSIVE ALUMNI NETWORK AND GRADUATES THRIVING AND PROFESSIONAL SETTINGS THROUGHOUT THE LOW COUNTRY AND BEYOND.
I'D LIKE TO ASK ACE DIRECTOR DR.
MIKE VECCHIO TO PLEASE COME FORWARD AND TELL US ABOUT THE PALMETTO'S FINEST PROCESS AND AWARD.
[00:40:03]
WELL, THANK YOU.UM, THE PROCESS WAS A YEAR LONG PROCESS.
WE APPLIED, UM, EARLY IN THE FALL LAST YEAR, AND WE WERE SELECTED TO GO ONTO THE NEXT ROUND, WHICH WE WERE FLATTERED.
UM, DURING THAT TIME, WE HAD, UH, THREE VISITORS COME TO ACE.
THEY WENT INTO EVERY CLASSROOM, THEY TOURED THE FACILITIES.
UM, THEY ASKED, UH, MYSELF AND MS. JONES NUMEROUS QUESTIONS, AND WE, WE HAD TO WAIT A LONG TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE NEXT VISIT.
UM, IF WE GOT TO THAT ROUND, WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT WE DID MAKE THE FINALS.
I THINK THERE WERE ABOUT, UH, SIX MAYBE SCHOOLS IN THE, IN THE FINAL, UM, GROUPING.
AND THEY WOULD SEND OUT ANOTHER THREE PEOPLE TO DO ANOTHER SITE VISIT.
UH, THE UNIQUENESS THAT WE HAD WAS BECAUSE WE CHANGE OVER AND WE HAVE A UNIQUE STRUCTURE.
WE HAD A WHOLE DIFFERENT COHORT OF STUDENTS AT ACE AT THE TIME THAN FROM THE FIRST VISIT.
SO WE HAD TO RETRAIN OUR STUDENTS OF WHAT PALMETTO'S FINEST WAS.
UM, AND FROM THAT POINT, THE NEW COHORT WAS THE ONES THAT TOOK THE LEAD, UH, TAKE, LEADING THE TOURS AS TOUR GUIDES AND, AND STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES AND SO FORTH.
UM, SO THEY COMPLETED THAT VISIT AND, UM, WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT, THAT WE WERE SELECTED AS, AS A WINNER.
UM, IT WAS A WONDERFUL CEREMONY.
UM, IRONICALLY, TWO OF THE STUDENTS HERE WERE HERE IN BOTH COHORTS BECAUSE THEY ARE DUAL COMPLETERS TODAY.
SO THEY WILL BE, UM, NEXT MONTH BECAUSE, UM, WE HAVE ERICA, WHO IS A LICENSED CNA, SHE COMPLETED OUR NURSING PROGRAM AND IS GONNA GO TEST TO BECOME A LICENSED EMT.
AND WE HAVE, UM, MY ANGEL WHO IS IN CULINARY NOW, AND SHE IS A LICENSED EMT, SHE COMPLETED THE PROGRAM AS A ONE SEMESTER PROGRAM LAST IN THE FALL.
SO IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING THAT WE HAVE BOTH OF THESE.
AND CONNOR, UM, I DON'T WANNA LEAVE OUT BECAUSE HE IS ACTUALLY GRADUATED EARLY, BUT HE'S CURRENTLY A JASPER FIREMAN, SO HE'S ALREADY EMPLOYED AND HE PASSED EMT AND WE HAVE ADRIAN WHO'S JUST HAPPENED TO BE HERE.
AND, UM, IT, IT'S JUST, UH, IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO TOURED, YOU KNOW, THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING MORE TO SAY.
IT'S THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME AND, AND, AND THE STAFF AND THE STUDENTS AND, UH, THAT DO IT DESPITE ME, AS I'VE SAID OFTENTIMES.
SO, UH, I JUST, UH, I'M FLATTERED THAT WE HAVE THAT.
IT'S A, IT'S A WONDERFUL REFLECTION OF THE SCHOOL AND THE PEOPLE IN BOTH COMMUNITIES IN BEAUFORT, JASPER.
THIS IS A INCREDIBLY RIGOROUS PROCESS AND, AND AN INCREDIBLE HONOR AND AWARD, UH, THAT THAT WAS RECEIVED.
SO WE'RE EXTREMELY PROUD OF YOU AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO AT ACE FOR OUR STUDENTS EVERY DAY.
THE NEXT ITEM IS THE REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR WINNER.
SEVERAL BEAUFORT COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COMPETED FOR HONORS AT THE 2024 SEA ISLAND REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR IN MARCH.
TONIGHT, WE RECOGNIZE ONE OF OUR FIRST PLACE AWARD WINNERS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL COMPETITION WITH BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
LANDY THOMPSON, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND INTRODUCE HER SCIENCE FAIR WINNER.
IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.
I TOLD MY TEAM OUTSIDE RIGHT AFTER THE, UM, PERFORMANCE OF OUR GREAT ARTISTS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS EVENING IS THAT WE HAD A LOT OF DIFFERENT MIDDLE SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS TO DO THIS EVENING.
AND I SAID, IT'S GETTING TO BE A REGULAR OCCURRENCE.
AND THEY SAID, GET USED TO IT, DR.
T THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
AND SO I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING A LOT OF THOSE STUDENTS, WHETHER THEY'RE WITH ME OR AT ONE OF THE FEEDER HIGH SCHOOLS.
AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF THIS YOUNG MAN THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE THE PLEASURE OF INTRODUCING TONIGHT AS A FORMER HIGH SCHOOL, UM, AND MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATH TEACHER.
I'M COMPETITIVE AND I'VE HAD STUDENTS WIN A LOT.
SO WHEN WE SAW THAT WE HAD STUDENTS GOING TOWARD THE REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR, WE WERE EXCITED.
'CAUSE WE WERE LIKE, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS.
WHEN YOU SEE RYDER SUTTON, YOU'LL SEE A STUDENT WHO IS VERY QUIET, WHO'S VERY HUMBLE, WHO DOESN'T BOAST ABOUT THE ABSOLUTE BRILLIANCE THAT JUST EXUDES FROM HIM.
AND HE'S PROBABLY TURNING VERY RED BEHIND ME RIGHT NOW.
[00:45:01]
EXCEEDS AND EXCELS WHETHER HE'S IN A CLASSROOM, WHETHER IT'S SCIENCE, MATH, ENGLISH, SOCIAL STUDIES, OR EVEN IN THE ARTS WORLD WHERE HE PLAYS TWO BEFORE OUR BAND AND OUR, OUR ENSEMBLES TO SEE HIM IS TO SEE GREATNESS IN THE MAKING.AND SO IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE THIS EVENING TO INTRODUCE YOU TO RYDER SUTTON, WHO WAS A SECOND PLACE FINISHER IN THE AREA OF BIOCHEMISTRY AT THE REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR.
MOM AND DAD, IF YOU'LL JOIN US AS WELL.
MIDDLE SCHOOL COACHES CHOICE COACH OF THE YEAR.
LAST MONTH WE RECOGNIZED MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETIC COACHES, UH, ATHLETIC COACHES OF THE YEAR FOR SOUTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
AND TONIGHT WE'RE RECOGNIZING ONE MORE FOR NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE THE COACH'S CHOICE OF THE YEAR IS DISTRICT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JA CARLOS CAVE.
IT BRINGS ME GREAT PLEASURE TO RECOGNIZE ONE OF OUR OUTSTANDING LEADERS OF OUR ATHLETIC PROGRAMS ON THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.
UH, THIS YOUNG LADY WAS SELECTED BY HER PEERS, UH, THIS PAST BASKETBALL SEASON DURING WINTER SPORTS AS THE COACH'S CHOICE COACH OF THE YEAR.
AND AT THIS TIME, IT GREAT BRINGS ME GREAT PLEASURE TO RECOGNIZE MS. DIKA TAYLOR OF LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I KEEP UP TO WORK NOW, COACH, WE EXPECTING YOU TO BE WINNING NEXT YEAR.
BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT INITIATED THE INDUCTION TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM DURING THE 20 22, 20 23 ACADEMIC YEAR.
TONIGHT WE PRESENT THE 20 24, 20 25 DISTRICT TEACHER OF THE YEAR, INDUCTION TEACHER OF THE YEAR, MS. ISABELLE SMITH, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT WILL BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE MS. SMITH IS WILL BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE PRINCIPAL, MR. VINA COLE.
SO I'M LET YOU ALL ON ON ON A LITTLE SECRET.
LAST MONTH WE SAID APRIL WAS GONNA BE A MONTH OF BLESSINGS.
AND EVERY TIME A BLESSING HAPPENED, WE SENT OUT AN EMAIL.
AND SO OUR DISTRICT INDUCTION TEACHER OF THE YEAR WAS OUR LAST BLESSING FOR THE LAST DAY OF APRIL.
MS. SMITH, ALL INDUCTION TEACHER, YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW IT.
HER KIDS AND THE STAFF, WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE HER.
SHE HAS A HEART FOR CHILDREN AND SHE HAS A HEART FOR THE CHILDREN THAT SOMETIMES ARE LEFT TO THE SIDE.
I CAN DEPEND ON HER, I CAN COUNT ON HER.
IF IT WASN'T FOR HER AND HER COUNTERPART, OUR SPED DEPARTMENT, WE WOULD'VE PROBABLY BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE.
BUT THERE'S SO MUCH FAITH IN HER TALENT AND HER GIFTING AND WHO SHE IS AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
AND AS I SAID ABOUT OUR STUDENT, OUR COACH OF THE YEAR, AND NOW OUR DISTRICT INDUCTION TEACHER OF THE YEAR, I AM INCREDIBLY PROUD ALL THE PLACES YOU WILL GO.
MS. SMITH, I INTRODUCE YOU GUYS TO MS. SMITH.
UM, WHEN I WAS FIRST TRYING TO APPLY FOR JOBS IN THE
[00:50:01]
SOUTH CAROLINA AREA, I WAS VERY CONFUSED ABOUT WHERE TO GO.I KNEW THAT I WANTED TO MOVE SOMEWHERE KIND OF OUT WHERE MY COLLEGE WAS, AND I KIND OF FELL INTO THE HANDS OF MS. COLEMAN AND SHE REALLY SOLD ME ON WHEEL BRANCH HIGH SCHOOL.
AND CLEARLY YOU CAN TELL THAT I LOVE WARRIOR NATION.
SO I AM JUST SO BEYOND BLESSED TO HAVE SUCH A SUPPORTIVE SCHOOL AND SUPPORTIVE STAFF.
MS. BOLAND, MY RESOURCE TEACHER COUNTERPART AND MICHELLE FORD, MY DISTRICT MENTOR, AND SO MANY WONDERFUL TEACHERS AT WHALE BRANCH REALLY ARE TO THANK FOR THIS.
UM, I'VE KIND OF STRUGGLED WITH THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME, LIKE I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF NEW TEACHERS DO, BUT I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM ALL THE WONDERFUL MENTORS THAT I'VE HAD THROUGHOUT MY TIME IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR MANY MORE YEARS HERE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS HONOR.
WINNING THE AWARD-WINNING BOX.
THIS BRINGS US TO SOUTH CAROLINA COACHES ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN'S SPORTS, ALLSTATE SOFTBALL PLAYER.
JUST LAST WEEK, BROOKE CROSBY, A SENIOR SOFTBALL PLAYER AT BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL, WAS NAMED THE SOUTH CAROLINA COACHES ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN'S SPORTS ALLSTATE SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE BROOKE IS BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, MS. DENISE LESSARD.
I'M NOT SURE IF HER, UH, MOM OR DAD MIGHT BE HERE, BUT JUST MAYBE, UH, WE MIGHT BE FORTUNATE.
I'M GONNA BE VERY BRIEF AND TURN IT OVER TO THE EXPERTS IN SOFTBALL.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT, NOT ONLY ARE THEY GONNA TALK ABOUT BROOK'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON THE FIELD, BUT SHE'S THE EPITOME OF THE STUDENT ATHLETE.
SHE IS A SENIOR SCHOLAR, ONE OF OUR TOP 10 STUDENTS INVOLVED IN NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY AND MANY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AT BATTERY CREEK.
UM, SHE WILL BE SEVERELY MISSED, BUT WE KNOW SHE'S GONNA DO AMAZING THINGS IN HER FUTURE.
SO I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND HER COACH OF A LONG TIME, BOB LEHMAN.
UM, TERRENCE SASH, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, IT'S AN HONOR STAND FOR ALL OF YOU, UM, TO CELEBRATE THIS YOUNG LADY BEHIND ME AND ALL HER ACHIEVEMENTS.
UM, LIKE, UH, OUR PRINCIPAL, MISS AZAR SAID, NOT ONLY IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT ALSO ON THE, THE PLAYING FIELD.
SHE DEFINITELY EXEM WHAT IT IS TO BE A STUDENT ATHLETE.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO ON THE FIELD, BUT ALSO WHAT YOU DO IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT YOU DO IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO, YOU KNOW, SHE'S BEEN, UM, A FOUR YEAR VOLLEYBALL PLAYER AS WELL.
SHE'S RANKED UP ACCOLADES IN THAT AREA AS FAR AS ALL REGION PERFORMANCES.
AND THEN OF COURSE THIS YEAR WITH, UM, SOFTBALL ALL REGION, UM, TWO TIMES, UM, LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR.
AND ALSO BEING NAMED THE, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA COACHES ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN'S SPORTS, UM, ALLSTATE TEAM.
SHE ALSO HAS BEEN SELECTED TO PLAY IN THE NORTH SOUTH ALLSTAR GAME THAT'LL TAKE PLACE AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.
SHE'S ONE OF FIVE, UH, BATTERY CREEK STUDENT ATHLETES THAT HAS PLAYED OR WILL PLAY IN THE NORTH SOUTH ALLSTAR GAME.
SHE HAS A, UM, TEAMMATE AS WELL, HAILEY MARONEY THAT WILL BE JOINING HER.
SO, UM, AGAIN, SHE IS THE PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT A STUDENT ATHLETE THE TIME AND THE SACRIFICES AND INVESTMENTS THAT THEY MAKE, UM, TO BE THE VERY BEST AND TO ALSO MAKE THOSE AROUND THEM BETTER.
SO BROOKE CROSBY, YOU DEFINITELY WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.
COACH LEHMAN, THANK YOU FOR DOING A GREAT JOB WITH OUR SOFTBALL PROGRAM.
MOM, DAD, ALWAYS THERE, FRONT ROW SEATS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO POUR INTO BROOKE CROSBY AND ALSO ALLOW HER TO POUR INTO OUR LIVES.
[00:55:24]
HEY, I HAVE TWO OTHER RECOGNITIONS THIS WEEK, AND THAT IS NURSES APPRECIATION WEEK.MAY 6TH THROUGH THE 12TH IS NURSES APPRECIATION WEEK TO HONOR THE INCREDIBLE NURSES WHO ARE THE HEART AND THE SOUL OF HEALTHCARE SCHOOL NURSES PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN PROMOTING WELLNESS AND PROVIDING ESSENTIAL CARE WITHIN OUR EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITIES.
AND PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT THIS WEEK TO THANK A SCHOOL NURSE FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND THEIR COMPASSION.
WE CAN HAVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR SCHOOL NURSE.
THIS WEEK IS ALSO TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK.
SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT WILL BE CELEBRATING THEIR TEACHERS ALL WEEK, BUT I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TONIGHT TO GIVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO ALL THE INCREDIBLE EDUCATORS WHO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND EVERY DAY TO INSPIRE, EDUCATE, AND SUPPORT STUDENTS AT BEAUFORD COUNTY.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY THIS EVENING, REALLY TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, REALLY WHAT INCREDIBLE STUDENTS, INCREDIBLE STAFF MEMBERS, UH, ARE HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UH, AND THAT CONCLUDES, UH, MY PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
NOW IT'S A HARD TIME TO RECOGNIZE YOU.
SO IT IS WITH IMMENSE PRIDE AND GREAT PLEASURE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION RECOGNIZES OUR PROUD SUPERINTENDENT, DR. FRANK RODRIGUEZ.
AS THE 2025 SOUTH CAROLINA SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR, DR. RODRIGUEZ IS AN EXTRAORDINARY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS EXEMPLIFIED UNPARALLELED DEDICATION, PASSION, AND LEADERSHIP IN THE REALM OF EDUCATION.
THIS PRESTIGIOUS ACCOLADE IS NOT JUST A TESTAMENT TO MERE ADMINISTRATIVE PROWESS.
IT IS A CELEBRATION OF TIRELESS COMMITMENT TO THE BETTERMENT OF OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE STUDENTS WE SERVE.
RODRIGUEZ'S VISIONARY LEADERSHIP HAS NOT ONLY INSPIRED THOSE WITHIN OUR EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY, BUT HAS ALSO LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, AND FAMILIES.
YOUR DEDICATION, PASSION, AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE SERVE AS AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY.
AND MAY YOUR LEGACY CONTINUE TO SHINE BRIGHTLY FOR YEARS TO COME.
WE NOW HAVE A CONGRATULATORY VIDEO TO SHARE WITH YOU.
CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING NAMED SOUTH CAROLINA SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR.
LIKE SUPERMAN, YOU EMBODY STRENGTH, INTEGRITY, AND COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE.
YOUR LEADERSHIP INSPIRES US ALL TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN EDUCATION AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS.
YOUR SUPERPOWERS HAVE NOT GONE UNNOTICED.
AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE WORK YOU DO EVERY DAY TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND FAMILIES OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
CONGRATULATIONS DR. RODRIGUEZ.
DR. RODRIGUEZ, WE'RE SUPER PROUD OF YOU BEING ANNOUNCED AS A 2025 SOUTH CAROLINA SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR, YEAR, YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS ARE UNMATCHED.
CONGRATULATIONS, DR. RODRIGUEZ.
WE ARE JUST THRILLED THAT YOU RECEIVED THIS.
WE KNEW ALL ALONG YOU WERE THE BEST IN THE STATE.
YOU REALLY ARE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.
I'VE SAID LONG AGO, YOU KNOW, THE CHARACTER OF SOMEBODY BY HOW THEY PORTRAY THEMSELVES IN THEIR JOB.
YOU CAN LIVE FOR YOUR JOB OR YOU CAN LIVE IN YOUR JOB.
HE LIVES FOR THE STUDENTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND FOR THAT, I AM SO BLESSED.
CONGRATULATIONS, DR. RODRIGUEZ.
CONGRATULATIONS DR. RODRIGUEZ AS A SRO HERE, ATTON HIGH SCHOOL.
HE'S A SUPERINTENDENT AT SEA AT ALL OF THE EVENTS AFTER SCHOOL, SCHOOL, SPORTING EVENTS.
[01:00:01]
YOU DESERVE AND YOU EARNED THIS AWARD.DR. RODRIGUEZ, FROM ALL THE STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FAMILIES HERE AT BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR TIME, ENERGY, AND EFFORT THAT YOU GIVE TO ALL OF OUR FAMILIES ACROSS THIS WONDERFUL DISTRICT.
CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING NAMED STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR FROM BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WE CANNOT THINK OF A MORE DESERVING CANDIDATE.
CONGRATULATIONS DR. RODRIGUEZ.
CONGRATULATIONS DR. RODRIGUEZ, ON BEING SELECTED AS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR MOST WELL DESERVED.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
DR. RODRIGUEZ, THANK YOU FOR BEING PRESENT, TEACHER FOCUS AND READILY AVAILABLE FOR YOUR EDUCATORS IN OUR COUNTY.
THE RESOURCES YOU HAVE GIVEN, THE ADVOCACY YOU'VE PROVIDED, AND THE GUIDANCE YOU CONTINUE TO SHOW ARE UNMATCH.
AS BEAVER COUNTY EMPLOYEES, WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A LEADER WHO BELIEVES DEEPLY IN THE GROWTH AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILDREN COUNTY AND COMMUNITY.
AS A DISTRICT TEACHER OF THE YEAR, WHAT YOU DO IS EVIDENT AT HER MEETING.
SHE SHOW UP FOR THE TEACHERS REGARDLESS OF THE QUESTIONS.
YOU'RE KIND, COMPASSIONATE, I'M READY TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR MOST IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDERS, OUR CHILDREN.
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR ALL YOU YOU ARE AND EVERYTHING YOU DO.
DR. RODRIGUEZ, THANK YOU FOR BEING AWESOME.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO US AND CATERING TO OUR OUR NEEDS AND JUST HELPING ME WITH MY TUTORING PROGRAM AND BEING SUPPORTIVE ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
CONGRATULATIONS DR. RODRIGUEZ FOR BEING NAMED SOUTH CAROLINA STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR.
I APPRECIATE YOU FOR BEING DATA-DRIVEN, PEOPLE CENTERED AND CURRICULUM FOCUSED.
CONGRATULATIONS DR. RODRIGUEZ.
PLEASE JOIN THE BOARD IN CONGRATULATORY APPLAUSE FOR DR. RODRIGUEZ.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I'M BLESSED TO HAVE AN AMAZING TEAM TO WORK WITH AND ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WHEN YOU HAVE GREAT COLLABORATION AND GREAT TEAMWORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BLESSED TO SERVE OUR 21,500 STUDENTS AND TO SERVE IN AMAZING COMMUNITIES.
WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT YOU WERE THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR AND CONGRATULATED YOU PERSONALLY, THE LAST THING I SAID TO HIM IS, DON'T YOU DARE GO ANYWHERE,
I HAVE LEARNED THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO WE'RE ONTO THE COMMITTEE REPORTS ACADEMIC COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE, UH, CHAIR CHLOE GORDON REPORTING.
NIGHT TO, UM, I'M THE CHAIR OF THE, UH, ACADEMIC COMMITTEE ON APRIL 25TH, 2024.
UH, A SUMMARY OF OUR MEETING FOR TODAY IS KAREN MCKENZIE PRESENTED A MORE IN DEPTH, UH, PRESENTATION ON INSTRUCTIONAL FRAMEWORK AND PROVIDED AN ANNUAL SUMMARY ON SECONDARY PROGRAMS END OF THE YEAR REPORT.
THE REPORT INCLUDED ARTS PROGRAMS, SOCIAL STUDIES, SCIENCE, SECONDARY MATH, AND HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION.
MRS. GILBERT PRESENTED THE CTE HONORS COURSE APPLICATION FOR ADVANCED PERSONAL FINANCE.
THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THE FOLLOWING.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ACCEPT THE HONORS APPLICATION FOR THE ADVANCED PERSONAL FINANCE COURSE THROUGH CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
AND SECOND THAT WE ACCEPT, UM, THE ADVANCED PERSONAL FINANCE COURSE THROUGH CTE OF THE SCHOOL.
ALL RIGHT, ANY DISCUSSION? OH, GO AHEAD.
[01:05:03]
OKAY.YOU'RE A LITTLE HARD FOR US TO HEAR.
SO THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
UH, THE GROUP, UH, THERE WAS A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WE, UM, LOOKED AT THEIR APPLICATIONS, BOTH AND I FOR THE HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND WE MET ON MONDAY MAY 6TH FOR A MEET AND GREET ONLY.
UH, THE PURPOSE WAS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE INFORMATION THAT THEY WILL NEED AND TO ESTABLISH A CALENDAR FOR THE MEETINGS GOING FORWARD AND HOLD ELECTIONS FOR OFFICERS AT THEIR FIRST PUBLIC MEETING.
THE NEXT ACADEMIC COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 22ND, 2024 AT 5:00 PM THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT.
NEXT WE HAVE, UH, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR, COLONEL GEIER REPORTING.
UH, APRIL 11TH, UH, 2024, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING MET, AND WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING, UH, NOTES TO PRESENT TO THE FULL BOARD.
UH, MS. TANYA CROSBY PRESENTED THE FOLLOWING REPORTS, THE MONTHLY BOARD OF EDUCATION REPORT.
UH, WE ARE AT NOW 44.7% EXPENDED, AND WE ARE, UH, AHEAD OF THE CURVE ON, UH, SPENDING FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
WE HAVE THE MONTHLY $100,000 REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.
UH, WE LOOKED OVER THE REPORT, UH, HAD NO QUESTIONS.
WE ALSO REVIEWED THE TRANSPARENCY REPORT.
THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TRANSPARENCY REPORT HAD A FEW QUESTIONS, ALL OF WHICH WERE ANSWERED SATISFACTORILY.
MS. DENISE MATSON PRESENTED AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR THE ESSER FUNDS, UH, UPDATE THROUGH THE, THE, UH, DATE OF MARCH 31ST, 2024.
AND AS USUAL, WE CONTINUE TO BE ON THE PROPER GLIDE SLOPE TO SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION AND UTILIZATION OF EVERY DOLLAR OF FEDERAL MONEY, UH, GIVEN TO US, UM, UH, IN SUPPORT OF THE COVID, UH, PANDEMIC.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE ESSER ACCOUNT, MR. SMITH, IN TERMS OF, OF ESSER DOLLARS? UM, WHERE, WHERE ARE WE AT RIGHT NOW? AND, UH, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? MS. CROSBY, WE HAVE AT, AS OF, UH, MARCH 31ST, WE HAVE EXPENDED 90% OF THE $73 MILLION OF ALLOCATED FUNDS.
SO WE HAVE $8 MILLION REMAINING, UM, AS OF THE END OF MARCH.
UM, THOSE WILL BE EXPENDED OVER, UM, APRIL OR APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 30TH.
IS THE A FINAL COMMITMENT DATE OF THE FUNDS.
AND ARE WE EXACTLY SURE, UM, HOW WE GOING TO SPEND THAT $8 MILLION THAT WE HAVE LEFT? YES, SIR.
UM, WE HAVE A, UH, DENISE MATSON IN MY DEPARTMENT, THE DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL REVENUE, IS, UH, KEENLY AWARE OF EVERY DIME OF THE, THE DOLLARS WHERE THEY'RE BUDGETED, AND, UH, WHAT THE SPENDING PATTERNS ARE.
THE NEXT ITEM THAT WAS PRESENTED WAS, UH, UPDATES TO ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION OS DASH 37 AND OS 37 R FOOD SERVICES, UH, PROCEDURES FOR ADMINISTERING STUDENT LUNCH AND BREAKFAST PAYMENT COLLECTION.
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF CHANGES MADE TO THIS REGULATION THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET.
THE FOLLOWING ARE EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE CHANGES.
SCHOOLS ARE REQUIRED TO SERVE AN OPTION OF A HOT MEAL TO STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM.
EVERY DAY, ALL BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOLS WILL PROVIDE AN OPTION OF DAILY BREAKFAST AND LUNCH TO ALL STUDENTS.
AN EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST, 2023 SCHOOLS SHALL NOT PUBLICLY IDENTIFY OR PENALIZE A STUDENT WHO IS UNABLE TO PAY FOR A MEAL OR ACCU ACCRUE MEAL DEBT FOR ANY REASON, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO DENYING
[01:10:01]
MEALS, SERVING ADMINISTRATIVE MEALS, DISCARDING MEALS AFTER SERVING THEM TO A STUDENT, OR REQUIRING CHORES OR WORK TO EXCHANGE FOR MEALS PROHIBITING PARTICIPATING IN EXTRA FROM PARTICIPATING IN EXTRACURRICULAR CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, OR DENYING THE PARTICIPATION IN GRADUATION WITH HONING DIPLOMAS OR REFUSING TRANSCRIPT REQUEST.AND THE FULL COPY OF THESE, UH, CHANGES ARE IN YOUR PACKET.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE, MR. SMITH? SO OBVIOUSLY THAT WILL INCLUDE, UM, SO OBVIOUSLY THAT WILL INCLUDE, INCLUDE BAG LUNCHES IN TERMS OF THAT, HOW WILL WE PROCEED IN, IN, IN THAT MAGNITUDE UNDER, UH, SITUATIONS WHERE EMERGENCIES, WHERE PERHAPS STUDENTS ARE EVACUATED FROM A BUILDING OR, OR FOOD IS NOT AVAILABLE, SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THE KITCHEN, UH, EQUIPMENT IS, IS INOPERABLE, THEN THERE MAY BE THAT IS THE ALWAYS THE BACKUP PLAN.
SO STUDENTS ARE, UH, A MEAL IS OPTION IS AVAILABLE IN A BAG, LUNCH MAY BE USED AT THAT, IN THAT SITUATION.
SO ALSO, HOW ABOUT, I KNOW SOMETIMES, UH, AT SOME SCHOOLS WHEN STUDENTS GET PUNISHED, THEY GET COLD LUNCH OR THEY GET A SANDWICH, UH, THEY GET A SANDWICH BOX TO THEM, FOOD SHOULD, SO, SO THAT SHOULD NOT BE, THAT WON'T HAPPEN ANYMORE.
FOOD SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A REWARD OR A PUNISHMENT IN, IN ANY CASES, IN IN SCHOOLS.
THE NEXT FINANCE C MEETING, UH, MEETING IS, UH, MAY 16TH AT, UH, 2:30 PM AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.
NEXT UP WE HAVE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE AND WE HAVE VICE CHAIR VICTOR NAY REPORTING.
UH, OUR LAST MEETING WAS THREE WEEKS AGO, SO I'M SURE YOU ALL NOTICED IN THE PRE-READ THAT, UH, THERE ARE DATES IN THE FUTURE THAT ARE NOW IN THE PAST.
UH, BUT WE HAVE A MEETING, UH, NEXT WEEK WHERE A LOT OF THIS STUFF'S GOING TO GET UPDATED.
UH, FIRST OFF, UH, FOR 8% PROJECTS, UH, THE, UH, UH, OPERATION STAFF BROUGHT FORWARD A $48 MILLION LIST.
UH, WE'RE PREENING IT DOWN TO 30 MILLION, AND WE'LL GET YOU, UH, AN UPDATE ON THAT FOR THE NEXT, UH, THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.
UH, WE DO HAVE ONE AS FAR AS, UH, MONTHLY PROJECT UPDATES.
WE HAVE ONE YELLOW LIGHT THAT IS STILL BEING, UM, STILL BEING MONITORED, UM, FOR ONE OF OUR CONTRACTORS.
UH, AND AGAIN, WE'LL GET AN UPDATE ON THAT AND BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, FOR THE, UH, 2019 REFERENDUM, UH, WE ARE NOW DOWN TO 30 PROJECT CLOSEOUTS.
SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING DOWN, WE'RE GETTING THERE.
UM, AS FAR AS THE REFERENDUM FINANCIAL UPDATE, WE'RE NOW AT, UH, 99.3% COMMITTED FUNDS.
UH, AND AT, AS AT THE END OF MARCH, WE HAD, UH, JUST UNDER A MILLION DOLLARS LEFT TO CONTINGENCY.
SO WE'RE KIND OF ON OUR FINAL GLIDE SLOPE FOR CLOSING OUT, UH, AND STILL ASSURED THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A VERY SOFT LANDING, UH, FOR THE 2023 REFERENDUM.
UH, EVERYTHING'S GREEN LIGHT BECAUSE WE'RE JUST NOW GETTING STARTED.
UH, AS FAR AS THE MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UH, SITE PERMITS LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE, UM, SITE PERMIT, UH, APPROVAL, UH, AROUND NOVEMBER.
UH, AND THEN, UH, FOR THE HILTON HEAD, UH, WE HAVE THE GROUNDBREAKING COMING UP TOMORROW.
UH, SO EVERYTHING'S PROCEEDING, UH, AS PLANNED.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL, UH, RFPS OUT THERE.
UM, ONE, UH, TO INCLUDE FOR THE CUSTODIAL SERVICES OF WHICH, UH, AS THE GRID THE BOARD AGREED UPON, WE'RE LOOKING FOR TWO CONTRACTS, UH, AND THAT, UH, BARR ANY QUESTIONS? THAT CONCLUDES ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. NA OF MY EXECUTIVE REPORT? UNLESS YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, MS. UH, BOATWRIGHT? I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE GETTING TO THE MAINTENANCE REPORT OR NOT, BUT I DID.
IS THAT ON THERE AS WELL? I WASN'T, YEAH, I DON'T, I WE CAN HAVE MR. IAN COME UP AND TALK MAINTENANCE, IF YOU LIKE.
WELL, I GUESS WHAT I'M SHARING IS A CONCERN THAT WE ONLY DID THREE SCHOOLS IN MARCH AND ONLY HAD 15.
AND THAT THE HIGHEST SCORE OF THOSE 15 INSPECTIONS WAS AN 82%.
GIVEN THAT THE MINIMUM IS AN 80%.
SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH A QUESTION AS WHAT THE TOTAL I THINK IS 500 AND SOME.
WHY WAS MARCH SO LOW? THERE'S MY QUESTION.
15 IS A PRETTY SMALL NUMBER OF SPOT INSPECTIONS.
YOU SAID 500 AND NOW I'M NOT, I'M SAYING SO FAR ON YOUR REPORT.
I JUST HAD IT UP, BUT I CHANGED COMPUTERS.
YEAH, NO, I JUST PULLED MINE UP TOO.
UM, AND IT JUST WENT OUT ON ME.
UH, WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IS SOMEWHERE ABOUT 15 TO 20, UM, A MONTH.
SO IN, SO THAT IS IN LINE WITH KIND OF WHAT OUR AVERAGE NUMBER IS.
500 MAY BE TOTAL FOR THE YEAR.
UM, SO THERE, THERE'S NO REASON
[01:15:01]
IN GENERAL WHY MARCH WAS LOWER THAN ANY OF THE OTHERS.I MEAN, THERE 180, SO, UM, A HUNDRED, YEAH.
SO THAT IS HESS'S INSPECTIONS.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING ABOUT 15 TO 20 A MONTH.
YOU'LL SEE THERE THAT, UH, WE HAD 15 COMPLETED.
WE DIDN'T GIVE THE NUMBER FOR THE YEAR.
503 IS WHAT HES HAS BEEN DOING.
I, I HAVE TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW.
RE I DON'T THINK WE WERE ANY LOWER OKAY.
MY FOLLOW ON THAT BE IS WE GO OUT FOR BID ON A NEW CONTRACT, 80 IS THE MINIMUM.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IS THE LEVEL TO WHICH OUR CUSTODIAL, UH, UM, MAINTENANCE IS RISING.
MAY, ARE WE GOING TO STAY AT 80% AS A MINIMUM SCORE? UM, WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE THIS SAME FORMAT, AND YES, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME FINES IN THERE UNDER OUR NEW PROPOSAL THAT IF THEY DROP BELOW A CERTAIN AMOUNT, THEY'LL BE FINED CERTAIN AMOUNTS AND BY THAT IS ON THE STREET RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT SOLICITATION IS OUT THERE.
UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD TO, UM, HIS PRESENTATION OF THAT.
UM, ALSO ONE THING THAT I BROUGHT UP IN TERMS OF WHAT'S GOING OUT FOR, UM, FOR CONTRACTS, UM, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF THE 80% THAT MY COLLEAGUE PRE, UH, PRESENTED, I THINK THAT IS, IS THAT, IS IS VERY, UH, IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND, AND THAT AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO BRING SOME OF THESE, UH, SOME OF THESE WORKERS IN-HOUSE TOO, BECAUSE I, I THINK IT'S DIFFERENT WHEN YOU'RE FROM THAT COMMUNITY AND YOU HAVE SOME BUY-IN, YOU BRING A DIFFERENT, UM, TO IT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST LIKE WHEN YOU CLEAN THE KITCHEN AND YOU'RE COOKING SOME, IF YOU'RE COOKING SOME MACARONI AND CHILE, YOU'RE BAKING A CAKE.
YOU MIGHT, YOU MIGHT, YOU MIGHT FIND A RECIPE, BUT I'M SURE AT SOME POINT IN TIME EVERYBODY FINDS SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY TO ADD TO THEIR RECIPE OR THEY MAKE IT TO HOW THEY WANT IT.
SO I, I'M JUST SAYING, UH, AND, AND, AND TO THAT 80% TO GET INTO A HUNDRED PERCENT IS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, FOR US TO BRING THE CUSTODIANS BACK IN HOUSE AND GIVE THEM FULL, FULL INSURANCE AND FULL BENEFITS THAT WE GIVE EVERYONE ELSE ON THEIR STAFF, UH, TO, AND IN, IN, IN THE NEXT YEAR, YEAR, YEAR TO COME.
SO I, I JUST WANT TO, I'M GOING TO KEEP REITERATING THAT BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY IS BRINGING THAT TO MY ATTENTION, AND I'M GONNA BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE BOARD.
SO JUST, I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
AND THAT WAS ALSO TALKED ABOUT IN THAT MEETING TOO, I BELIEVE AS WELL.
UM, THANK YOU MR. NAY, FOR YOUR REPORT.
AND NEXT WE HAVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
DR. RODRIGUEZ, THANK YOU THIS EVENING UNDER, UH, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, UH, THE ITEM, FIRST ITEM WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IN SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT IS THE SUMMER SCHOOL UPDATE.
STRADDLES IS HOPEFULLY SLOWLY MAKING HER WAY UP HERE, UH, FOR HER OWN HEALTH.
BUT WE GOT NURSES BACK HERE JUST IN CASE.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS.
I, ONCE AGAIN, I HAVE A PLEASURE BRINGING FORWARD OUR DIRECTOR OF SECONDARY TEACHING AND LEARNING, AS WELL AS OUR DIRECTOR OF ELEMENTARY TEACHING AND LEARNING.
THAT IS KAREN MCKINSEY AND MELISSA MURRAY, RESPECTIVELY.
THEY'RE GONNA GIVE A QUICK PRESENTATION ON SUMMER SCHOOL IN ORDER THAT YOU MAY HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN SHARED WITH OUR FAMILIES AND OUR THANK YOU.
IT IS GONNA BE A BRIEF OVERVIEW TONIGHT, BECAUSE OF COURSE WE WILL SEE YOU IN JULY SO THAT WE CAN GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON HOW IT WENT.
AS A DISTRICT, WE'VE ESTABLISHED AN OVERARCHING GOAL FOR OUR SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM, AND THAT IS TO ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE EXTENDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT SUCCESS.
WE ALSO HAVE ESTABLISHED GOALS THAT ALIGN WITH EACH OF THE GRADE BANDS THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE WITHIN, AND THERE ARE OVERARCHING GOALS THERE AS WELL.
IN THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THAT WE PROVIDED, WE ALSO ADDED SOME SPECIFIC DETAILS THAT WE THOUGHT YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE 1998 EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, THE READ TO SUCCEED ACT, MS. MURRAY'S BABY AT 2 84, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA SECTIONS 59, EXCUSE ME.
CODE 59, SECTION 1 55, 1 60, WHICH OUTLINES OUR NEEDS FOR SUMMER SCHOOL, AS WELL AS, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA CODE 43 2 40, WHICH DEALS MAINLY WITH NINE 12.
THAT'S, UH, PROVIDED YOU AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, SO IT SHOULD BE IN YOUR BOARD DOCUMENTS.
GIVES JUST A LITTLE MORE DETAIL THAN OUR POWERPOINT.
ALSO, ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION IS 30 IS ALSO ONE THAT OUTLINES OUR GUIDELINES FOR SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. OUR ELEMENTARY SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM IS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE AT RISK OF THIRD GRADE RETENTION, WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET
[01:20:01]
STATE ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS TO BE PROMOTED TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL.HOWEVER, WE INVITE ADDITIONAL GRADE LEVEL STUDENTS FOR ACADEMIC SUPPORT.
OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM, OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO EXTEND THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDENTS TO MEET COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEED TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL.
HIGH SCHOOL'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
ALL OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES TOGETHER TO WORK TO REACH THAT OVERARCHING GOAL, WHICH IS TO EXTEND OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR STUDENTS FOR THEIR SUCCESS.
SUMMER PROGRAMS RUN THE MONTH OF JUNE, INCLUDING FRIDAYS.
THE ACADEMIC DAY IS THE SAME AS A REGULAR SCHOOL DAY.
THIS IS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE LEGISLATIVELY REQUIRED HOURS.
EDUCATORS TEACHING DURING THE SUMMER ARE HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS, INSTRUCTORS OF THE CONTENT THAT THEY ARE TEACHING, PLANNING, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM IS A CROSS DEPARTMENT PROCESS WITH TEAMWORK FROM FACILITIES, TRANSPORTATION, FOOD SERVICES, NURSES, SPECIAL EDUCATION, FINANCE, EVERYONE.
WE ALL COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS IN SERVING OUR STUDENTS, WORKING CLOSELY WITH FACILITIES, WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES AT MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS.
THE NEXT SLIDE HAS THE LISTING OF ALL OF THE SCHOOLS BY AREA.
WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS OUR DISTRICT, AND WE WE'RE EXCITED FOR THE SUMMER WITH OUR STUDENTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, MR. SMITH? THANK YOU.
UM, SO THESE LIST, THE, THE LIST OF THE SUMMER SCHOOL LOCATIONS INCLUDE, UH, THEY, THEY INCLUDE EXACT, EXACTLY.
WHAT ALL DO THEY INCLUDE THAT, THAT WILL BE OPEN.
SO WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH FACILITIES TO HAVE, UM, THE PERFECT NUMBER OF CLASSROOMS TO MEET THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE INVITED.
SO THERE IS, UM, UH, ABOUT A ONE TO 15 RATIO IN SOME CASES.
AND SO WE HAVE THO THAT MANY CLASSROOMS, AND THEN FACILITIES IS ABLE TO STILL WORK AND CLEAN AROUND THE SUMMER READING PROGRAMS. AND SO WE, WE SHOULD OR SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. AND SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH BOTH, CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES AT MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS AND DO ALL OF THE WORK THAT IS NEEDED OVER THE SUMMER IN OUR FACILITIES.
AND, AND, AND THESE LOCATIONS THAT, ONCE AGAIN, THAT ARE OPEN, ARE THESE YOUR SCHOOL? ARE THESE ARE, ARE ON THIS LIST? IS IT YOUR SCHOOL OR, OR ARE THEY, UH, ARE PARTNERS ON THIS LIST LIST AS WELL? OH, YES.
SO WE ARE REPLICATING WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST IN THE PRIOR YEARS.
WE WILL EXECUTE SUMMER SCHOOL IN THE MONTH OF JUNE.
WE WILL HAVE FOUR EXTENDED LEARNING SITES OPERATING DURING THE MONTH OF JULY.
THOSE SITES RIGHT NOW ARE BEING FINALIZED.
THEY'RE COMMUNICATIONS BEING SET UP IN M MO MOUS.
WE JUST HAD, I DON'T WON'T RELEASE UNTIL I HAVE SIGNATURE ON THAT, SIR, BUT I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU UPON COMPLETION OF THE MOUS.
SO, SO THOSE SITES ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE ACTUAL SOME SOMETHING DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE, WE WILL BE COMPETING WITH, WE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT THE ELEMENTARY, WE ARE REQUIRED BY LAW.
SO I'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUDGET FUNDS FOR EXTENDED SITES TO WORK IN THE MONTH OF JULY BEFORE SITES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SERVICES INTO THE COMMUNITY.
OUR SUMMER SCHOOL SITES WILL BE STRICTLY BCSD DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE.
BECAUSE THAT'S A VERY DISTINCTIVE DIFFERENCE.
SO UNDERSTAND THAT AS IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
NEXT ITEM ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT UNDER FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY IS 24 25.
SO WE HAVE A, A PRESENTATION FOR YOU THIS EVENING, A BRIEF PRESENTATION.
I HAVE MY TEAM WITH ME IF WE HAVE ANY HARD QUESTIONS,
UM, BUT WE DO ALSO HAVE A SERIES OF HANDOUTS AS WELL.
WE ALWAYS HAVE, UM, DOCUMENTS THAT BOTH, UH, WE BELIEVE YOU MIGHT BE VERY INTERESTED IN, PERHAPS LIKE THE TEACHER, UH, SALARY SCHEDULE, UH, THE CURRENT AND THE PROPOSED.
SO YOU CAN SEE COMPARISONS AS WELL AS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THAT YOU MAY HAVE HAD.
AND WE TRY TO CAPTURE THOSE IN OUR DOCUMENTATION AND PROVIDE ANSWERS TO THEM.
[01:25:01]
WE'LL GET STARTED ON THE PRESENTATION.UH, AGAIN, NO MOTIONS OR APPROVALS ARE BEING REQUESTED TODAY.
UM, I SEE THIS AS OUR SECOND DISCUSSION, UH, OF, OF THREE MAJOR DISCUSSIONS THAT THE BOARD TYPICALLY HAS, UM, WITH FINAL APPROVAL, UH, RECOMMENDED ON THE MAY 21ST BOARD MEETING.
UM, WE DID HAVE A SERIES OF PUBLIC FORUMS THIS PAST WEEK, UH, AT BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL AND BEAVERT HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, WE HAD SOME GREAT FEEDBACK, UH, AND MANY OF THE, THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE, UM, IN THOSE MEETINGS REFLECTED, UH, BOARD PRIORITIES AND OTHER PRIORITIES THAT WE SAW ON THE ONLINE FORUM, WHICH WE HAD TREMENDOUS PARTICIPATION ON THIS YEAR AS WELL.
SO, UM, THIS, THIS BUDGET DOES REFLECT THOSE COMMENTS.
UM, SO LET, LET'S GET STARTED ON THE PRESENTATION.
UH, OPERATIONAL BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS.
SO THE BUDGET PRIORITIES, UH, WE SPOKE ABOUT THAT LAST TIME, UH, ALIGNED WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WE MADE SURE, UM, THAT WE HAD INVESTMENT IN OUR EMPLOYEES.
$24.1 MILLION OF INVESTMENT EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION IS IN THIS BUDGET.
UH, OUR GOAL IS TO MAINTAIN BEAUFORT AS NUMBER ONE RANKING IN THE STARTING TEACHER SALARY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
UH, NOT SURE IF WE'LL BE THERE, BUT WE CERTAINLY ARE, UH, RAISING THE BAR AND PEOPLE ARE VERY INTERESTED ACROSS THE STRAIGHT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING IN TERMS OF THAT STARTING TEACHER SALARY.
AND REALLY, I THINK OUR EFFORTS ARE PUSHING EVERYONE HIGHER TO LOOK, LOOK AT SOMETHING HIGHER.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT AND WONDERFUL NEWS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE $13.7 MILLION OF INVESTMENT IN OPERATIONS.
SO THOSE ARE SERVICES, UH, SUPPLIES, ALLOCATIONS TO SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE, UM, WE PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL $5 PER PUPIL TO OUR SCHOOLS BUDGETS, ALLOCATIONS, UM, TO HELP WITH THE INCREASE IN COSTS, UM, THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING AS WELL.
AND, UH, OVERALL, WE HAVE A 12.1% INCREASE IN THE OVER, OVER THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR.
AND THAT IS SUPPORTED WITH THE, UH, PROJECTED REVENUES THAT WE HAVE.
UH, WE HAVE INCREASES DUE TO GROWTH IN THE LOCAL MILLAGE.
WE ANTICIPATE, UH, NO INCREASE.
WE ARE PROPOSING NO INCREASE IN THE OPERATIONS OR THE DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE THIS YEAR.
SO ALL OF THESE, UH, GOALS AND HIGHLIGHTS ARE ALL WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD, UH, TO, UH, INCREASE DUE TO ACHIEVEMENT.
SO AS FAR AS NEW ACADEMIC INVESTMENTS, UH, WE DO HAVE SOME POSITIONS, UH, IN THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE, UH, REFLECTED IN VARIOUS CATEGORIES.
UH, THERE WOULD BE 15 NEW FTES IN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. UH, IF WE, UH, ADD A CLASSROOM, WE WILL TYPICALLY HAVE A TEACHER AND A, UH, PARAPROFESSIONAL OR TEACHER ASSISTANT IN THOSE CLASSROOMS. SO WHEN YOU SEE 15 HERE, UM, ACTUALLY 10 OF THESE FIVE ARE TEACHERS, FIVE ARE ASSISTANTS, AND THEN OTHER ANCILLARY POSITIONS LIKE PSYCHOLOGISTS, OTS, O OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS, BEHAVIOR, UM, SPECIALISTS, SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, SO ALSO WE HAVE SIX, UH, MULTILINGUAL LEARNER PROGRAM FTES TO SUPPORT IN INCREASING NUMBERS OF, UH, MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS.
ALSO, TWO POSITIONS IN THE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM.
WE'RE DOING SOME RESTRUCTURING THERE, AND TWO ADDITIONAL POSITIONS ARE NEEDED.
AND, UH, BEGINNING THE TIDES PROGRAM FOR OUR DUAL ENROLLMENT STUDENTS.
UH, AND TWO ADDITIONAL, UH, FACILITATORS WILL BE NEEDED.
ONE NORTH OF THE BROAD ONE'S SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, AND SO AS WE WORK THROUGH THE BUDGET, WE MAKE SURE, UM, WE HAVE, UH, A TEAM OF PEOPLE WHO COLLABORATE.
SO NOT ONLY ARE WE LOOKING AT THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WHERE WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE A LARGE PART OF OUR BUDGET, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UTILIZING THE, THE MOST RESTRICTIVE FUNDS PER BOARD POLICY, UH, THAT WE CAN FIRST AND THEN, UH, ALLOCATE THE REMAINING, UH, NEEDS INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO THIS IS A LIST OF VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED IN SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, INCLUDING THE TEACHER CERTIFICATION PROGRAM, OR INTERNALLY CERTIFYING TEACHERS IN OUR DISTRICT CALLED THE LEAP PROGRAM THROUGH HUMAN RESOURCES.
UM, STATE FUNDING FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, THAT IS A PROGRAM THAT STATE, UH, IS, UM, ANNUALLY HAS BEEN, UH, FUNDING
[01:30:01]
OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO FULLY FUND SROS.AND SO WE'RE ANTICIPATING ADDITIONAL SROS THIS YEAR.
UH, AFTER SCHOOL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, WE HAVE, UH, A GRANT OPPORTUNITY THAT IS OUTSTANDING AND WE'RE AWAITING A RESPONSE, UH, TO CONTINUE, UH, EXPANDING OR, UH, FACILITATING OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS CRISIS RESPONSE PROGRAM.
UH, WE WILL CONTINUE THAT THROUGH OUR SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS AND, UH, SUPPORT FROM SPECIAL EDUCATION, MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ACADEMIC INTERVENTIONISTS THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH OUR SPECIAL REVENUE AS WELL.
SO, UH, WE'RE MAXIMIZING THOSE.
MS. MATSON IS ACTUALLY IN CHARGE OF, OF THOSE, AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY COLLABORATING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UTILIZING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THERE, UH, TO KEEP, UM, KEEP THEM OUT OF THE, KEEP THOSE EXPENDITURES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND AND, AND PLACE THEM IN THE PLA IN THE AREAS THAT IS, UH, MOST APPROPRIATE, UH, AS PROVIDED AND AND REQUIRED BY THE STATE.
SO IN A PRIOR MEETING, UM, WE NI LISTED SEVERAL SPECIFIC INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE, UM, UH, MENTIONED AND CATEGORIZE THEM BASED ON BUDGET PRIORITIES AND STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK.
SO WE SORT OF CATEGORIZE THE BUDGET PRIORITIES INTO FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, TEACHER QUALITY, SAFE SAFETY AND SECURITY.
AND THEN FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP SORT OF IS ALL THE RULES AND THE POLICIES OF HOW WE COME INTO THE FINAL NUMBERS.
AND SO, AND UNDERST STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF MAJOR CATEGORIES THERE THAT WILL BE, UM, THAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR, AND THAT THOSE ARE CRITICAL NEEDS, STIPENDS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS AND SU AND SUPPORTS.
UM, ALSO, WE ARE GOING TO UNDERGO A SALARY STUDY, A STIPEND STUDY FOR ALL OF OUR STIPENDS, INCLUDING ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, AND FINE ARTS.
SO WE ARE ABLE TO GET A PICTURE, A BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT WE'RE, UM, HOW WE'RE BEING COMPETITIVE THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND, AND WE'LL LOOK AT NA NATIONALLY AS WELL.
WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN, UM, FUNDS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UH, WE, AND SPECIFICALLY WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDRESSING WITH OUR TEACHER SALARY, UH, OUR TEACHER COMPENSATION AND TRYING TO STAY NUMBER ONE IN REMAIN NUMBER ONE IN THE STATE.
UH, A COUPLE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY ISSUES.
WE CATEGORIZE MENTAL HEALTH IN THIS AREA.
IT'S, UM, AND, AND SO CONTINUING OUR INVESTMENTS IN MENTAL HEALTH AND BRINGING THOSE IN FROM SPECIAL REVENUE, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY.
SO WE ARE, UH, HAVE INCREASED THE BUDGET FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS AS WELL AS CRISIS RESPONSE PROGRAMS. AND AGAIN, UH, NO MILLAGE INCREASE IS PROPOSED IN THIS BUDGET.
I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH.
UM, I HAVE ALREADY HAD A FEW QUESTIONS FROM OUR, OUR NEIGHBORS AT COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, ON THAT TOPIC.
AND I HAVE GLADLY BEEN ABLE TO SHARE THAT WE WILL BE REQUESTING NO INCREASE AT THIS TIME.
UH, SO AS 80% OF OUR BUDGET IS, UH, TEACHER OR COMPENSATION IN, IN THIS, THIS BUDGET AND ANY OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET, UH, IT'S VERY MUCH A SERVICE PROGRAM.
AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE, UH, SOME OF THE HIGHEST COSTS IN, IN ANY BUDGET INCREASES THAT WE HAVE EACH YEAR ARE ALWAYS IN SALARIES AND BENEFITS IN THE COMPENSATION WE'RE INCREASES, WE'RE PROVIDING.
SO FOR TEACHERS, UH, WE'RE PROPOSING A $2,500 INCREASE, AND THAT WOULD BE A, AN INCREASE TO EACH CELL IN THE TEACHER SALARY SCHEDULE.
SO THE CELL IS BUILT ON, UH, FIVE, FIVE CATEGORIES OF, UH, EDUCATION LEVELS AND 27 LEVELS, UH, STEP LEVELS.
SO A YEAR OF EXPERIENCE WOULD CORRELATE TO A STEP.
UH, SO WE WOULD HAVE A $2,500 INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, FOR NON-TEACHERS.
THE CLASSIFIED PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE EMPLOYEE GROUP WOULD BE A 3% COST OF LIVING.
UH, ALL, ALL EMPLOYEES WOULD BE, UH, ELIGIBLE FOR AN ANNUAL STEP INCREASE.
AND WE WOULD INCREASE THE MAXIMUM STEP FROM 27 TO 28 YEARS, UH, FOR THIS WOULD BE THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF RAISING THAT STEP.
UH, WE DEVELOPED A PLAN FOUR YEARS AGO TO MOVE UP ONE STEP A YEAR, AND THAT COST US ABOUT $200,000 A YEAR.
AND NOW THIS YEAR, THE STATE IS MANDATED ON THEIR SCALE, UM, UH, TO GO TO 28 YEARS.
IF WE HAD DONE THAT IN ONE YEAR, IT WOULD'VE COST US A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE, UH, DEVELOPED THAT PLAN, UH, AND WE'RE CONSISTENT.
AND NOW THIS YEAR, WE JUST MOVE UP ONE MORE STEP AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE ANYWAY.
UH, YOU BY, BY DOING THAT, THAT ALLOWS YOUR EMPLOYEES ON THE TOP END OF THE SCALE, RIGHT, UH, TO GET AN INCREASE AND HAVE
[01:35:01]
AN INCREASE RECOGNIZED, RIGHT? BECAUSE OTHERWISE, SOME OF THEM, I'M NOT GONNA SAY AGED OUT, BUT THEYSO BY DOING THAT, IT PROVIDES, UH, UH, THE RECOGNITION FOR THOSE AT, AT THE TOP, MORE VETERANS, SENIOR LEADERSHIP.
AND, UM, AND FINALLY IN THAT AREA, UH, I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE, AND I DO WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT THE LOCALITY SUPPLEMENT THAT WE PROVIDE TO ALL STAFF AT AT $1,500 WILL REMAIN THE SAME THIS YEAR.
WE WILL NOT BE REALLOCATING IT TO ANY PORTION OF THE TEACHER SALARY.
UH, IT WILL REMAIN AT $1,500 AS WAS, UH, IN THE CURRENT, AS IS IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS OUR, AS A, JUST A, A CHART OF OUR FIRST YEAR TEACHER STARTING SALARY THAT IS PROPOSED IN THIS BUDGET YEAR.
AND WE ARE BEGINNING AT THE BOTTOM.
IT HAS 48,566, THAT IS THE CURRENT, UH, SALARY, UH, STARTING TEACHER SALARY WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND ZERO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE 2324 SCHOOL YEAR.
SO BY NOW, OUR TEACHERS HA WILL HAVE EARNED THEIR YEAR AND WILL MOVE UP TO THE NEXT STEP.
BUT THOSE INCOMING TEACHERS WILL BE AT THE ZERO STEP AS THEY, UM, AS WE BEGIN THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.
SO WITH $2,500, THAT WILL BRING THE TEACHER SALARIES SCHEDULE UP TO $51,066.
UM, SO I'M EXCITED THAT THAT AMOUNT IS OVER $50,000 NUMBER.
THAT IS, THAT IS A BIG, UM, KIND OF ALMOST A HISTORIC EVENT FOR OUR DISTRICT.
ALTHOUGH OUR TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE REACHED OVER 50,000 LAST YEAR.
NOW THIS YEAR IT WILL RAISE TO 52,566.
SO AGAIN, A LOT OF COMPETITION ON THE TEACHER SALARY SCALE.
UM, A LOT OF INFORMATION SHARING.
AND, UH, I THINK THE DISTRICT TO WATCH MIGHT BE CHARLESTON.
SO, UM, WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON THEM AND LET'S HOPE THAT, UH, OUR EFFORTS WILL KEEP US, UH, AT NUMBER ONE.
SO, AND THEN, UH, WE DON'T WANNA FORGET, UH, WITH THAT COMPENSATION COMES A LOT OF BENEFITS.
AND OUR DISTRICT IS VERY, UH, GENEROUS WITH THE HELP OF, OF RECENT STATE, UH, MANDATES AS WELL ON THE, IN THE AREA OF, UM, OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.
UM, NOT ONLY THE STATE RETIREMENT PLAN, IT IS MANDATORY, BUT, UH, IT IS A, IT IS A BENEFIT FOR, UH, EMPLOYEES AS THEY, UM, MOVE INTO RETIREMENT HEALTH INSURANCE.
WE HAVE A GOOD HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN.
WE HIRE RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE IS NOT AS COMMON THESE DAYS AS IT COULD BE, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, A HUGE BENEFIT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SICK LEAVE PAYOUT PLANS PAY FOR LA FOR RETIREES UPON RETIREMENT PAY FOR LAPSED DAYS.
SO IF YOU GO OVER YOUR LIMIT THAT YEAR AND IT LAPSES, YOU CAN BE ELIGIBLE FOR HALF OF YOUR DAILY RATE IN A PAYOUT.
SO THAT'S ENCOURAGING YOU TO CONTINUE TO WORK AND NOT BE OUT AS MUCH.
SO THAT HELPS ATTENDANCE AS WELL.
AND THEN THE STATE'S MOST RECENT MANDATE ON PAID PARENTAL LEAVE DOES PROVIDE 30 DAYS OF MATERNAL AND 10 PATERNAL DAYS AS WELL.
SO WHERE WE ARE IS WATCHING THE LEGISLATURE VERY CLOSELY.
UH, THE, IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING IT, UH, AND YOU MAY KNOW THIS BETTER THAN, BETTER THAN I, I GET THE UPDATES, UH, FROM SCAA AND SOME OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, BUT BASICALLY THE SENATE HAS PASSED ITS VERSION OF THE EDUCATION BUDGET, AND IT IS, UH, IT WAS A DIFFERENT BUDGET THAN THE HOUSE.
SO IT IS NOW, UM, IN, UH, IT'S CURRENTLY IN HOUSE FOR A SECOND REVIEW SINCE THE LEGISLATIVE BODY INITIATED THE BILL.
SO THEY DO ADJOURN, UM, ON THURSDAY, AND IF THEY DON'T AGREE ON THE BUDGET, UH, HA HAS BEEN PROPOSED, UH, WE'LL MOVE INTO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
SO IT'S A COMMITTEE OF BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE COME BACK OUT.
BUT BASICALLY THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE FINAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL WILL BE PROVIDED SOMEWHERE IN MID-JUNE.
UM, SO WE, THERE ARE, UH, CONSTANT, UH, PROJECTIONS FROM COMING OUT OF THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IN FACT, TODAY ABOUT FOUR 15 AND FOUR 30, WE HAD TWO SEPARATE SENATE PROJECTIONS, AND THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UM, SO WE, UM, BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE SOME COMPROMISE.
SO ONE'S A LITTLE HIGHER, ONE'S A LITTLE LOW, WE THINK THEY MAY BE SOME COMPROMISE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE AS THEY CONTINUE THEIR WORK.
UM, BUT WE DO NOT EXPECT ANY MATERIAL ADJUSTMENTS BEYOND THE BUDGET THAT WE'VE ALREADY PRESENTED TO YOU.
SO, UM, THAT IS THE TAKEAWAY FROM THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE.
[01:40:01]
AND SO, UM, AS PART OF THE, UH, WE ALSO THERE, AS WE LOOK INTO THE, THE FINANCIAL, UM, STEWARDSHIP AREA, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BOARD POLICIES TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ADHERING TO THOSE.AND PART OF THAT REQUIRES THAT WE ALSO APPROVE A DEBT SERVICE BUDGET, UH, WHEN WE APPROVE THE OPERAT AT SOME POINT DURING THE YEAR.
AND TYPICALLY WE DO IT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO THE OPERATIONS BUDGET.
AND SO THE DEBT SERVICE BUDGET, THE EXPENDITURES ARE MADE UP OF SIMPLY THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS ON THE BONDS THAT WE'VE BOUGHT BORROWED, OR THAT WE'VE SOLD.
SO, UH, $108.1 MILLION WILL FUND THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS FOR THE, UM, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 25.
AND THE MILLAGE, AGAIN, WILL REMAIN THE SAME AT 36.3 MILS.
AND WE ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH FUND BALANCE TO COVER ALL THE WAY THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT COLLECTING ANY TAXES TO, UM, IN THE FALL.
SO WE HAVE TO COVER THOSE FALL, UH, WE PAY, UH, INTEREST PAYMENTS ONLY IN THE FALL IN SEPTEMBER, AND WE PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS IN THE SPRINGS WHEN AT RIGHT AFTER THE TAX REVENUES COME IN.
SO WE HAVE TO COVER ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT DECEMBER TIMEFRAME WITH A LOW POINT OF CASH.
AND WE, WE ALWAYS, UH, STRIVE FOR A $5 MILLION BALANCE AT DECEMBER.
SO THAT'S, UH, THERE ARE DOCUMENTS IN THE, IN THE, UM, THE HANDOUTS THAT PROVIDE BOTH AN OPERATIONS BUDGET DETAIL AND A DEBT SERVICE DETAIL FOR YOU AS WELL.
SO, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE JUST PROVIDES THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE WILL COME FORWARD WITH ON THE NEXT, UH, BUDGET, UH, MEETING THE BUDGET DISCUSSION WITH RECOMMENDATIONS OF AN EXPENDITURE BUDGET IN THE OPERATIONS OF 359.2 MILLION, AND A DEBT SERVICE EXPENDITURE BUDGET OF 108.1.
AND IN CONCLUSION, UM, THERE WE WILL ALSO, WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON THE ONE PAGE BUDGET FLYER, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR, UM, IT WAS A POPULAR DOCUMENT AND WE ARE ALMOST DONE WITH IT, BUT I, IT WILL BE A ONE PAGER.
I THINK THE BEST THING AT THIS POINT, INSTEAD OF SAVING IT TO THAT MEETING, WE'RE GONNA EMAIL IT OUT TO ALL OF YOU.
AND, UH, OUR COUNTY COUNCIL COUNTERPARTS HAVE ALREADY REQUESTED THIS.
UH, IT'S A SIMPLE, UH, ONE PAGER THAT PROVIDES MOST OF THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED, UH, AND CAN ASSIST YOU WITH HELPING TO TALK WITH AND ANSWER QUESTIONS WITH CONSTITUENTS.
SO WE ARE GOING TO GET THAT OUT TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UM, GOT A FIN FEW FINAL EDITS ON IT, AND WE'LL GET THAT OUT TO YOU.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
MR. SMITH, I KNOW LAST TIME WE HAD THIS CO THIS CONVERSATION, I ASKED FOR A, I ASKED FOR A COUPLE THINGS.
DO YOU, UH, DO, DO YOU, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THOSE THINGS WERE? DO YOU REMEMBER WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE PUT THOSE THINGS AT? SO, IN THE, UM, IN THE HANDOUT PAGE 20, THE VERY FIRST QUESTION, NUMBER ONE, UH, WHAT IS THE COST TO THE DISTRICT FOR SROS THAT ARE NOT FUNDED BY THE STATE THIS SCHOOL YEAR, THE SCHOOL, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 75% OF THE SALARY OF AN SRO.
OUR PORTION IS $1,281,924 FOR SROS AND $102, 202,000 FOR CROSSING GUARDS.
SO THAT WAS THE INFORMATION WE BROUGHT FORWARD, UM, IN RESPONSE.
RIGHT? AND ONE OF MY QUESTIONS, UM, I I KNOW THAT WE'RE, THAT I, I HEARD YOU SAID, UH, EARLIER THAT WE WERE ALSO GETTING MORE, UM, SROS IN TERMS IN TERMS OF, UM, I GUESS THERE ARE A COUPLE BUILDINGS THAT, THAT DON'T, I BELIEVE, THAT DON'T HAVE A COUPLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT DON'T HAVE THEM.
AND I IMAGINE THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON PUTTING THEM IN THOSE ONE THAT DON'T HAVE THEM.
THAT'S WHERE THEY WOULD GO FIRST.
AL ALSO, WHAT WA IN, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF, ONCE WE HAVE THEM THERE, WE HAVE SOME WW WELL, I WON'T, I WON'T
[01:45:01]
FOR A STUDY TO BE DONE FOR, THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE USED FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF A, OF A STUDY.UM, THE STUDY HAS YET TO BE DONE.
IT WILL INCLUDE FOCUS GROUPS AND COMPARISONS TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, IN OUR AREA.
AND, UH, THEN WE'LL COME UP WITH A, A FULL STUDY AND BRING IT, UM, FORD.
AND, UM, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THE $500,000 WILL COVER THE COSTS.
IT WILL, IT WILL CO COVER THE COSTS OF ANY IMPLEMENTATION THAT WE MAKE.
UM, AL ALSO IN, IN, IN TERMS OF, UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, TEACHERS ASSISTANTS THAT WORK FOR THE DISTRICT.
WHAT HAVE WE PUT IN THE BUDGET? WHAT HAVE WE, UH, INPUTTED IN THE BUDGET FOR THEM AS WELL, AND THEY TERMS, I KNOW WE, I KNOW WE, I KNOW THAT WE ARE RAISING TEACHER SALARY, BUT, AND THAT'S, I KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING SPED, BUT IN, IN, IN THE ARTS, BUT IN TERMS OF THOSE, THOSE OTHER PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE, HOW ARE WE BUILDING THEM INTO THE BUDGET TOO AS WELL? BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ASKED THAT QUESTION FROM, UH, SEVERAL PEOPLE AND I JUST KIND OF WASN'T REALLY SURE.
SO LIE, BUT SO, UM, TEACHER ASSISTANTS WOULD, ANY THAT WORK FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WOULD BE, TH A 3% COST OF LIVING INCREASE, PLUS A STEP INCREASE, UH, WHICH IS TYPICALLY ABOUT ONE AND A HALF TO 2% AS WELL.
AND THEN IF THERE A SPECIAL ED EDUCATION ASSISTANT, UH, THE PROPOSAL IS A 6% SUPPLEMENT ON THE BASE SALARY, UM, I, SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT, WELL, FOR TEACHERS ASSISTANCE, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT NORMALLY WHAT WE DO.
'CAUSE ISN'T THAT, AREN'T YOU A REFERRING TO THE STIPEND? I MEAN THE, I MEAN THE, UH, THE, THE BONUS THAT, THAT THEY NORMALLY GET? NO, IT WOULD NOT BE, UH, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE LOCALITY SUPPLEMENT? YEAH.
IT WOULD BE SEPARATE AND APART FROM THAT.
SO, SO WE DO HAVE SOMETHING IN ADDITIONAL TO ADDRESS THE CRITICAL NEEDS AREAS.
SO I'M NOT, NOT, NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CRITICAL NEEDS PERSON, JUST AN AVERAGE TEACHER ASSISTANT OR, OR LIKE, IN OTHER WORDS, FOR KINDERGARTEN, SOME OF THAT THE, WE, WE HAVE SOMETHING BUILT INTO THE, INTO THE BUDGET MORE THAN JUST THE ANNUAL STIPEND.
IS THAT CORRECT OR NO? THEY HAVE A 3% COST OF LIVING PLUS A STEP INCREASE.
AND ANY THAT ARE AT THAT TOP STEP WOULD MOVE TO, UM, A 28TH STEP AS WELL.
SO 3% AND 3% COST OF LIVING AND A STEP.
SEE WHAT YOU LOSING WHEN YOU SAID THE 3%, THE THREE TO 3% IN THE COST OF LIVING.
BUT IN, IN TERMS OF THAT, MY, MY, MY QUESTION BECOMES HAVE WE BUILT ANYTHING SPECIAL FOR THEM? OR HOW, HOW, HOW HAVE WE GAVE THEM A BOOST UP AS WELL? BECAUSE MY, MY, MY, MY, MY MINDSET OF THINKING IS THAT WE HAVE TO COMPETE WITH WALMART AND OTHER, OTHER, OTHER PLACES OUT HERE THAT WE ARE, WE ARE, THAT WE'RE LOSING, UM, WE ARE LOSING, UH, TEACHER'S ASSISTANTS IN, IN, IN THOSE DIFFERENT, UM, POSITIONS TOO, BECAUSE IT'S EASY TO GO WORK AT WORK AT WALMART.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TEACHER RETENTION.
THAT'S A PART OF PEER RETAINING A TEACHER.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A TEACHER WHO'S IN ONE OF THOSE ELEMENTARY CLASSES AND YOU HAVE A STRONG TEACHER'S ASSISTANT WHO CAN HELP HER AND, AND WHO'S, WHO WAS HAPPY WITH HER PAYCHECK, THEN SHE'LL STAY THERE.
SO THEREFORE, NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE ONE, BUT YOU HAVE TWO TEACHERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE HAPPY NOW, OR, WELL, YOU HAVE A TEACHER THAT'S HAPPY BECAUSE SHE HAS AN ASSISTANT THAT'S, THAT ACTUALLY WORKS AND DOESN'T MIND DOING HER, DOESN'T MIND, UH, DOING HER JOB 'CAUSE SHE FEEL THAT SHE'S GETTING COMPENSATED.
SO THAT, SO WHEN MY MINDSET THINK ABOUT THAT, ALL THAT ALIGNS TO THAT.
SO, AND TO ENCOMPASS THAT, MY, MY QUESTION IS, HAVE WE DONE ANYTHING SPECIAL BESIDES THOSE TWO THINGS? OR COULD THAT'S BE SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT IF NOT EVEN THIS YEAR IN, IN THE FUTURE OF HOW WE FACE THAT? I SHOULDN'T SAY THE FUTURE 'CAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW, BUT I'LL SAY IT RIGHT NOW.
HOW, HOW COULD WE, IF ANYTHING? SO TYPICALLY ANY MAJOR INCREASES IN, IN THE CLASSIFIED OR PROFESSIONAL GROUP WOULD BE THROUGH A SALARY STUDY, RIGHT? AND WE IMPLEMENTED ONE OF THOSE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
SO WE BEGAN IT IN THE JAN, IT WAS IMPLEMENTED IN JANUARY, AND THEN IT, SO IT COVERED TWO YEARS.
UM, IT WAS ABOUT A $7 MILLION STUDY THAT, UH, WAS IN HALF PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED ONE YEAR AND PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED THE NEXT, I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS LAST YEAR OR THIS YEAR, THIS BUDGET YEAR.
UM, BUT IT HAS RECENTLY BEEN DONE.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS PERIODICALLY DONE OVER TIME.
UH, IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED THIS SCHOOL YEAR, UH, AS A NEW STUDY, UH, BECAUSE THAT WAS RECENTLY DONE.
SO, UM, SO THE 3% WOULD BE IN LINE WITH THE, UH, SOMEWHAT IN LINE WITH THE INFLATIONARY LEVELS AT THIS POINT.
AND THEN THE STEP WOULD BE ON TOP OF THAT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY A FOUR AND A HALF TO 5% INCREASE FOR THAT GROUP.
SO THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION ON THE STAFFING FORMULA.
'CAUSE I HAVE SEEN THAT SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY STANDARD THING.
'CAUSE I'VE SEEN OTHER DISTRICTS DO
[01:50:01]
THAT AS WELL.UM, ONE THING THAT I NOTICED ON THIS THAT I THOUGHT WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT OTHER DISTRICT STAFFING FORMULAS, UM, AND I'LL, IN FULL DISCLOSURE, I KNOW THAT, UM, MY SON'S HIGH SCHOOL, 'CAUSE I'M ON THE SIC OR I'M NOT ON THE SIC, BUT I GO TO SIC MEETINGS.
UM, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT ESSER POSITIONS, LIKE AN INSTRUCTIONAL COACH THAT WERE PART OF ESSER THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE NO LONGER GOING TO BE MADE AVAILABLE AND WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE WAS ANY WAY TO KEEP AN INSTRUCTIONAL COACH.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME PLAY IN THAT STAFFING FORMULA A LITTLE BIT LIKE HOW PRINCIPALS DECIDE TO USE DIFFERENT MM-HMM.
SO I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE THAT THERE.
ANOTHER THING I SAW THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING, AT EVERY SCHOOL, WE HAVE A SCHOOL LIBRARIAN.
AND WHAT I SAW A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS DO, AND I CAN FEEL VICTOR GONNA LAUGH AT ME, BUT THEY ACTUALLY MADE THEM, UH, TECHNOLOGY COACHES AS WELL.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS 35 SCHOOLS, $6 MILLION WORTH OF SOFTWARE, SEVEN INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES THAT DEPLOY, RIGHT? THERE'S JUST NO WAY I DO IT ALL THE TIME.
THERE'S NO WAY TO TRAIN THAT MANY PEOPLE AND TO KEEP THEM UPDATED AND WE KEEP CHANGING EVERYTHING.
SO WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS THEY HAVE CREATED THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN AS SOMEONE WHO CAN HELP TEACH AND TRAIN ON THAT SOFTWARE.
SO I THOUGHT I'D JUST THROW THAT UP THERE.
THAT'S NOT REALLY RELATED, BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA.
MR. SMITH IN, IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, OPERATION EXPENDITURES, UM, WHAT, WHAT ALL DOES THAT CONSIST OF? UM, SO ONE OF THE MAIN AREAS THAT I, I MENTIONED BRIEFLY WAS THAT WE ADDED A ADDITIONAL $5 PER PUPIL AS AN INCREASE TO OUR SCHOOL BUDGET ALLOCATIONS.
THE SCHOOLS HAVE NOT SEEN AN INCREASE IN SINCE A FEW SUPERINTENDENTS AGO,
IN FACT, IN, IN SOME OF THE TOUGHER TIMES, IT WAS ACTUALLY REDUCED TO FIVE, $5 PER STUDENT.
AND I'M NOT SURE THAT IT WAS EVER INCREASED.
SO OUR SCHOOLS ARE, ARE REALLY, UH, THEIR BUDGETS ARE VERY TIGHT THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE, UH, PROVIDING SOME ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE TO MAKE SURE THESE FUNDS GO DIRECTLY TO SCHOOLS.
UM, IN THAT IS ALSO UTILITIES.
WE HAVE INCREASED COST OF UTILITIES.
UH, INSURANCE, PROPERTY INSURANCE IS ASTRONOMICALLY HIGH.
UH, WE JUST FOUND, GOT OUR RECENT BILL TODAY, AND WE WILL GO OVER BUDGET BY ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THAT CATEGORY, UH, THIS YEAR.
SO WE NOT ONLY MAKING UP THE COSTS OF WHAT WAS SLIGHTLY UNDER BUDGETED, BUT ALSO HAVE TO ANTICIPATE ANY INCREASES FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SAW PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN PROPERTY INSURANCE.
UM, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, UH, THAT WE DO PAY, THOSE HAVE COST OF LIVING INCREASES THAT ARE PASSED ON 75% TO OUR DISTRICT AS WELL.
UM, AND OTHER CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS, WE HAVE MAJOR CONTRACTS LIKE CUSTODIAL AND MAINTENANCE.
SO THOSE ARE GONNA HAVE, WITH GOING OUT BID, UH, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE LIKELY GOING TO HAVE MAJOR INCREASES IN THOSE CATEGORIES AS WELL.
UH, WAGES ARE RISING, STAYING UP HIGH.
UH, WE'RE NOT SEEING ANY RELIEF IN THAT.
UM, AND PRICES JUST ARE REALLY EXPENSE.
EVERYTHING'S EXPENSIVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND SO WE ARE SEEING THAT'S WHERE THOSE, SO IT'S A MULTITUDE ACROSS THE BOARD OF CATEGORIES OF INCREASES FOR OPERATIONS.
AND ALSO THOSE, THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLES THAT WE BUY FOR THE DISTRICT, WHERE, WHERE ARE THOSE EXPEDITIONS? WHERE, WHERE ARE THEY AT? BECAUSE I SEE, I DO SEE THAT WE HAVE COUPLE NEW VEHICLES OUT THERE.
WHERE DO THOSE, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE'S THAT LINEUP AT OR WHAT? UM, SO VEHICLES ARE PURCHASED THROUGH CAPITAL.
SO THEY'RE 8% BUDGETS OR FOOD SERVICE.
FOOD SERVICE BUYS ITS OWN VEHICLES WITH THE EXCESS OPERATING FUNDS THAT IT HAS.
IT'S BEEN ABLE TO HAVE A PROFIT THE LAST FEW YEARS AND REINVEST BACK INTO THE PROGRAM.
BUT 8% CAPITAL PROJECTS, YOU'LL SEE VEHICLES EACH YEAR.
AND SO WE REFRESH OR REPLENISH THOSE, UH, OLDER VEHICLES WITH THE 8% PROJECTS.
UM, THAT LINE ITEM BUDGETING THAT IS SEEN IN THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
SO, SO, SO, SO THEN THE 8% BUDGET THAT'S COMING UP NOW, WE, WE HAVE SOME, UH, VEHICLES THAT WILL, THAT WILL BE IN THAT, YES.
MR. TING IS SHAKING HIS HEAD YES.
AND, UH, WE, I'VE SEEN THE 8% PROJECT LIST.
I DON'T RECALL EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON IT, BUT THERE ARE VEHICLES EVERY YEAR IN THAT LISTING.
UH, LIKE HER ALL STATE, UH, WINNING DAUGHTER WHO HITS IT OUT OF THE PARK.
UM, THE LAST ITEM ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S AGENDA IS UNDER OTHER MATTERS.
AND IT IS A FOLLOW UP ON, UH, CELL PHONE POLICY FROM THE JOINT BOARD SIC MEETING.
A COUPLE OF, UM, MONTHS AGO, I THINK ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, UH,
[01:55:01]
WE HAD A JOINT, UH, BOARD, SIC MEETING.AND, UH, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE SICS BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE BOARD, UH, WAS THE REPRESENTATIVES THAT WERE, THERE WAS A DESIRE, UH, TO HAVE A DISCUSSION, UH, AND, AND LOOK AT, UH, THE, THE CELL PHONE AND CELL PHONE USE, UH, BY STUDENTS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY.
AND SO THIS WAS ADDED, UH, TO THE AGENDA THIS EVENING.
SO, SO THAT THE BOARD WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND IT.
SO I WILL, UH, COLONEL GARR, THIS IS NATIONWIDE.
UH, I'VE BEEN READING IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, LA ATLANTA, EVERYBODY IS DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF SOLUTIONS THAT I'VE SEEN IN DIFFERENT ARTICLES OUT THERE.
SOME HAVE BEEN A JUST NO, NO SCHOOL, NO CELL PHONES IN SCHOOL, PERIOD.
YOU JUST, YOU CAN'T GO THROUGH THE DOOR WITH A CELL PHONE.
AND THAT SEEMS PRETTY DRACONIAN.
IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING IN SOME OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS, UH, THAT ARE VERY REGIMENTED.
BUT THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HAD PRETTY GOOD SUCCESS HAVE USED A SYSTEM WHERE YOU WALK INTO THE CLASSROOM AND ON THE WALL AS YOU WALK IN THE DOOR, LOOKS LIKE WHAT WE USED TO PUT OUR SHOES IN.
AND IT'S A POUCH, AND THE POUCH IS LINED SO THAT A RADIO SIGNAL WILL NOT GO THROUGH IT.
AND YOU HAS A NUMBER AND YOU ARE NUMBER FOUR.
YOU PUT YOUR, YOU WALK THROUGH THE DOOR, PUT YOUR CELL PHONE, AND POUCH NUMBER FOUR, YOU GO AND SIT DOWN AT YOUR SEAT AND CLASS IS OVER.
AS YOU WALK OUT THE DOOR, YOU TAKE YOUR PHONE OUT OF POUCH NUMBER FOUR AND TAKE IT TO YOUR NEXT CLASS IF IT'S IN, YOU KNOW, HIGH SCHOOL SETTING.
AND THAT SEEMS TO BE WHAT'S WORKING.
AND THE RESEARCH THAT I'VE DONE, AND I, IT'S A LIMITED RESEARCH, BUT THE RESEARCH I'VE DONE IS THAT SAYS THAT THE PHONE'S STILL THERE.
IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY OR SOMETHING, THERE'S A ACTIVE SHOOTER OR SOMETHING, YOU CAN GRAB THE PHONE AND TELL, CALL MOM AND DAD THAT I'M SAFE.
BUT YET YOU CAN'T GET A SIGNAL.
IT WON'T, UH, WORK UNTIL YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT CLASS.
AND YOU HAVE THAT 10 MINUTE TIME TO CHECK AND SAY, YEAH, MOM'S CALLED AND I GOTTA, I'VE GOTTA CALL HER BACK, OR WHATEVER.
EVEN THAT HAS PUSHBACK FROM PARENTS WANTING TO HAVE IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO THEIR CHILD.
BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE THE SIMPLEST AND PERHAPS MOST LOGICAL AND MAYBE AFFORDABLE SOLUTION TO THIS.
AND I, I, WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.
I REALLY THINK FOR THIS COMING FALL OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND WE CAN'T KICK THIS DOWN THE ROAD ANYMORE, AND WE CAN'T IMPLEMENT SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, THAT WOULD BE A DISASTER.
WE HAVE GOT TO MAKE A DECISION AND TIME TO GIVE 30 DAY NOTICE TO THE PARENTS AND THE FAMILY.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WHEN OUR CHILD GOES, UH, IN THE FIRST, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND ACT VERY SOON IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM 30 DAYS NOTICE OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO ABOUT THIS ISSUE, LET'S GO.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, AS A PARENT, I FEEL PRETTY STRONGLY ABOUT THAT.
UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S A QUESTION OF IF WE'RE BEAVER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL EVENTUALLY BE, UH, PHONE FAIR.
I THINK IT'S A QUESTION OF WHEN, BECAUSE, UH, UTAH, FLORIDA, KANSAS, VERMONT, CONNECTICUT ARE ALL, UH, FLORIDA HAS BANNED CELL PHONES IN SCHOOL.
UM, OTHER STATES ARE PROPOSING IT, TOM COTTON AND TIM KAIN.
SO THOSE ARE TWO PEOPLE YOU DON'T NORMALLY FIND ON THE SAME SIDE OF AN ISSUE.
HAVE BOTH PROPOSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION, UM, IN ADDITION TO WHICH ENGLAND, CHINA, FRANCE, GERMANY, SINGAPORE, BUT I MEAN, THE NUMBER OF, OF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES THAT HAVE GONE PHONE FREE.
SO I WANTED TO TAKE JUST A MINUTE BECAUSE I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS, AND I WANNA REMIND PEOPLE WHAT WAS SAID AT THE SIC MEETING.
THIS WAS FROM PARENTS, ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS.
WHAT SHOULD BE GOING ON IN THE CLASSROOM IS LEARNING THE AMOUNT OF TIME TEACHERS SPEND DEALING WITH PHONES ISN'T RIGHT.
THE DISRUPTION, THE AMOUNT OF TIME ON TEACHERS AND STAFF BEING INVOLVED WITH THE CELL PHONE.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A HARD LOOK AT IT.
THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS, BUT IF WE ARE TRULY LOOKING AT INCREASING SCORES, WE NEED TO WA WE NEED TO
[02:00:01]
WEIGH WHAT WE REALLY WANT THESE STUDENTS TO BE DOING IN THE CLASSROOM.I'VE HAD AN ADMINISTRATOR TELL ME THAT SHE HAD PARENTS TELL HER THAT THEY TELL THEIR CHILD IF THEY GET IN TROUBLE IN CLASS, JUST STEP AWAY AND GIVE ME A CALL.
THE OTHER CONCERN IS THAT WE, AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT IS VERY CLOSE TO ME, THE OTHER CONCERN THAT I THINK YOU NEED TO BE LOOKING AT IS THE CHILDREN'S EMOTIONAL DEPENDENCY.
IT IS JUST OUTRAGEOUS WHEN YOU ASK THESE KIDS TO GIVE UP THEIR PHONES AND HOW EMOTIONALLY THEY STRESS THEY GET WHEN THEY TAKE, WHEN WE TAKE THEIR PHONES AWAY, IT'S NOT GONNA BE EASY TO IMPLEMENT THESE KIND OF CHANGES.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT HERE TO DO THE EASY THING.
SO I WANTED TO ALSO POINT OUT FROM JUST A LITTLE SAMPLING OF SOME OF THE RESEARCH I'VE DONE.
BRITAIN DID A 12 YEAR, 19,000 PERSON STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF CELL PHONE BANS.
AND THEY LOOKED AT SCHOOLS THAT HAD DONE CELL PHONE BANS, AND THEY DID A VERY SOPHISTICATED DIFFERENCE IN DIFFERENCE ANALYSIS.
THEY, THEY CONTROLLED FOR CONFOUNDING VARIABLES, AND THEY, THEY COMPARED THE OUTCOMES 6.7% INCREASE IN TEST SCORES ACROSS THE BOARD IN SCHOOLS THAT HAD BANNED CELL PHONES.
BUT THE KICKER IS THE MAJORITY OF THAT INCREASE CAME FROM THE LOWEST PERFORMING STUDENTS.
16% INCREASE IN SCORES OF THE KIDS THAT WERE SCORING IN THE BOTTOM.
SO YOU TAKE THOSE KIDS THAT ARE SCORING, AND THEN THERE'S SOME, THERE IS SOME OVERLAP IN KIDS THAT HAVE A HARD TIME TUNING OUT DISTRACTION THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE LOWER EXECUTIVE, UH, FUNCTIONING SKILLS THAT MAYBE JUST AREN'T AS, UM, EMOTIONALLY MATURE AND THEIR GRADES MAY SUFFER.
SO THERE IS DEFINITELY CAUSATION AND CORRELATION THERE.
BUT THEY HAD A 16 POINT SOME, I CAN'T REMEMBER, IT WAS CLOSE TO 17% INCREASE IN THEIR SCORES.
SO YOU TALK ABOUT A QUICK WAY TO WORK ON THAT ACHIEVEMENT GAP.
UH, NUMBER TWO, THEY FOUND THAT, UH, WHEN A STUDENT GETS A NOTIFICATION, A BENIGN EMAIL FROM A PARENT SAYING, DON'T FORGET TO STOP BY THE STORE ON YOUR WAY HOME OR A NOTIF, I GET NOTIFICATIONS ALL DAY LONG FROM GMAIL, FROM UBER, WHICH I DON'T EVEN USE RIGHT NOW FROM MY BANK, FROM, UH, APPLICATIONS FROM MY KIDS'.
POWERSCHOOL, YOUR KID'S GRADE HAS DONE THIS, UM, HUNDREDS A DAY.
AND THEY SAY EVERY TIME A KID GETS A NOTIFICATION, EVEN IF THEY PULL OUT THEIR PHONE AND JUST GLANCE AT AND DON'T REALLY ENGAGE, THEY'RE NOT USING THEIR PHONE.
THEY'RE JUST LIKE, OH, 20 MINUTES UNTIL THAT CHILD IS REFOCUSED ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CLASSROOM.
THE DISTRACTION IS TREMENDOUS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO WHICH THE IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH HAS BEEN WELL-DOCUMENTED, UM, THE ANXIETY RATE OF CHILDREN HAS INCREASED, RIGHT? ALONG WITH WITHOUT CELL PHONE USE, 43% OF KIDS ARE ON THEIR CELL PHONES ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY.
AND PART OF THE PROBLEM IS, AS WE COME OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC SITUATION WHERE KIDS WERE HOME, WE TOLD KIDS THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING IN SCHOOL AND BEING AT HOME AND YOU'RE SAFER AT HOME IN YOUR BEDROOM, STARING AT A SCREEN.
AND IT IS GOING TO TAKE HARD WORK FOR THE, FOR, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS, FOR OUR GOVERNMENT AND FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO GET KIDS RETRAINED.
BECAUSE THE BIGGEST THING FOR ME IS THAT KIDS ARE NOT ENGAGING WITH EACH OTHER.
THEY ARE WALKING AROUND THE HALLS ON PHONES.
THEY ARE AT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER GONE OUT TO DINNER AND YOU'VE SEEN A GROUP OF TEENAGERS ON THEIR PHONES.
THEY'RE SITTING IN THIS TABLE OF EIGHT AND THEY'RE ALL ON THEIR PHONES.
THE EXPRESSION THAT I HEARD AT A, AT A, AND ACTUALLY MY DAUGHTER SHARED WITH ME LIKE A GROUP CHAT ABOUT PHONES, WAS, YOU NEED TO STEP BACK AND TOUCH GRASS.
YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS REAL LIFE.
AND I WANNA READ YOU A QUOTE FROM SOCIOLOGIST, UM, SHERRY, REMEMBER HER NAME? SHERRY TURKEL.
SHE SAYS, TEEN, UH, TEENS ARE FOREVER ELSEWHERE.
TEENS ARE NOT ONLY THE MOST COMPULSIVE SMARTPHONE USERS.
ONE TWENTY TWENTY TWO P MEDIA REPORT FOUND THAT 46% OF THEM ARE ONLINE ALMOST CONSTANTLY, BUT THEY'RE ALSO THE MOST VULNERABLE.
PARTLY BECAUSE ABSENCE IS, IS, UM, ADOLESCENCE IS A PERIOD OF RAPID SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
AND SMARTPHONES ARE EXPERIENCED BLOCKERS.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT IT WILL BE CHALLENGING, BUT I THINK WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY, UH, IN THE SCHOOLS TO GET THE KIDS ENGAGED.
WE JUST SAT AND HEARD MARZANO'S 43 STEPS TO AN ENGAGED CLASSROOM, RIGHT? AND WE ASKED A LOT OF THE TEACHERS, WE TOLD THEM TO MOVE MORE TO DEMONSTRATE WITHITNESS, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
IF THE KIDS AREN'T ENGAGED, DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE TEACHER'S DOING, WE NEED TO HAVE ENGAGED KIDS.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESEARCH.
I THINK IT'S REALLY OVERWHELMING.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT THE, THEY, THAT THE COMMUNITY, CERTAINLY THE EDUCATORS ARE ASKING FOR HELP IN THIS AREA.
AND SO, ROBIN, UM, I THOUGHT I WOULD GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS THAT.
DO YOU WANT ME TO READ IT? THAT'S A LOT.
I GOTTA PULL IT BACK UP ON MY PHONE.
YOU WANNA, CAN YOU JUST, UM, BECAUSE I SENT IT ON MY DISTRICT EMAIL AND I CLOSED MY DISTRICT.
IF YOU PUT IT UP THERE, I'LL, I'LL, UH, READ IT.
NO, THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF ME DOING THIS TERRIBLE AD LIBBER, IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT, I GOT IT.
[02:05:03]
I HAD ALL MY RESEARCH TEED UP.I HAD NUMBERS, I HAD STATISTICS.
JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE MOTION WRITTEN.
SO I MOVE THAT THE BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD DIRECT THE SUPERINTENDENT TO RESEARCH POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A DISTRICT REGULATION THAT WOULD PROHIBIT CELL PHONES DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, NOT FROM SCHOOL, BUT DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.
THESE OPTIONS SHOULD BE PRESENTED AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING FOR FURTHER BOARD DISCUSSION.
SO THE MOTION FROM, UM, MS. BOATWRIGHT, SECOND FROM, UM, DR.
WISNESKI AND FURTHER DISCUSSION, MR. SMITH, UH, FIRST OFF, UH, LEMME STOP BY SAYING, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE, UH, ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS, UH, PARTICULAR TOPIC, UH, BECAUSE I REMEMBER I WAS AT THAT SIC MEETING AND A PARENT THAT NIGHT SAID THAT WE HAD ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC IN REFERENCE TO CELL PHONE.
SO WE IS NORMALLY NOT ACCUSTOMED FOR THE BOARD TO REVISIT A TOPIC THAT WE HAD ALREADY DISCUSSED.
AND I BELIEVE THIS TOPIC WAS ALREADY DISCUSSED, AND WE WERE, WE HAVE ALREADY ALLOWED THE SUPERINTENDENT TO, UM, WORK ON THIS AND TO, FOR HIM AND HIS TEAM TO BRING US SOMETHING BACK ON THIS.
SO I, I ALMOST THINK THAT THAT MAKING THIS MOTION AND THAT REVISITING THIS WAS, UM, SO YOU'RE, SO TO BE CLEAR, YOU'RE SAYING THE BOARD ALREADY, UM, MADE A MOTION ABOUT SELF NO, NOT, NOT MADE A MOTION.
WE HAD, WE HAD, WE DISCUSSED THIS BECAUSE THIS TOPIC HAD CAME UP ALREADY, I THINK FROM OUR LAST ISIC MEETING OR FROM ANOTHER MEETING.
AND THIS TOPIC CAME UP AND REFERENCE TO A CELL PHONE.
AND I THINK, AND I THINK THE SUPERINTENDENT, UH, SAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO, UM, TO CHECK INTO THIS AND, UH, LOOK AND, AND PUT THIS ON HIS, UH, I GUESS ON, ON ON HIS, UH, VISTA OF THINGS TO, UH, LOOK AT.
SO I THINK, SO I THINK TONIGHT IS KIND OF, WE ARE ONCE AGAIN REVISITING THIS.
AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE REVISITING THIS BECAUSE OF, FOR INSTANCE, I BOUGHT THINGS IN THE PAST THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE.
THEN WE WOULD NORMALLY SAY THAT WE ALREADY, WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT.
THAT'S BEEN, THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ON, ON THE BOTTOM BUCKET LIST.
AND WE, WE, WE, WE, WE MOVE FORWARD INTO THAT.
I'M A LITTLE TAKEN, I'M A LITTLE TAKEN BACK.
SO, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE, WE ALREADY DONE IT ALREADY TO MY, UH, WAIT A SECOND.
IF IT WAS BROUGHT UP AT AN SIC MEETING, THAT'S NOT A BOARD BUSINESS MEETING.
SO NO, UH, IT WOULDN'T APPLY OR PERTAIN.
AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE'S NEVER BEEN A MOTION IN REGARD TO CELL PHONE OR INSTRUCTING THE SUPERINTENDENT IN REGARD TO CELL PHONES.
IF ANYBODY HAS, HAS THAT ON RECORD SOMEWHERE ELSE, PLEASE CORRECT ME.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT, UH, IT IS BEEN A MOTION, BUT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN A PREVIOUS CONVERSATION AT ONE OF OUR LAST SIC MEETINGS.
AND WHEN WE BROUGHT THE REPORT TO THE BOARD, WE TALKED ABOUT CELL PHONES.
SO MY QUESTION IS, AND THAT, AND AT THAT TIME, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECT, IT WAS A LONG CONVERSATION AND THE SUPERINTENDENT TOLD US THAT NIGHT THAT HE WOULD LOOK INTO THAT OR THEIR STAFF WOULD FURTHER LOOK INTO THAT.
OR IF WE WANT TO, UH, POSSIBLY GIVE SOME, UH, UH, DIRECT THE DIRECTION, THEN WE WOULD DO THAT.
BUT AT THAT TIME, I BELIEVE THAT THERE, THERE WAS NONE.
AND SO FOR US TO PUT IT ON THE SIC AGENDA, AGAIN, WHICH BRINGS ME CONCERN BECAUSE IF WE HAD ALREADY HAD THIS ON THE AGENDA FOR A PREVIOUS MEETING, FOR US TO PUT IT BACK ON ANOTHER AGENDA AND FOR US TO BRING IT UP, AND THERE WAS A PARENT IN THE CROWD FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WAS IN ATTENDANCE AT THE MEETING, SHE MADE, CLEARLY, SHE STATED AT THAT MEETING, WE HAVE ALREADY VISITED THIS, THIS, AND SHE SAID, I'M WONDERING WHY WE ARE REVISITING THIS TOPIC ABOUT CELL PHONES AGAIN.
SO IT WAS CLEAR, IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT I'M BRINGING UP OR IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I'M, THAT, THAT I'M JUST PUTTING OUTTA THE AIR.
THE PARENT THAT NIGHT, CLEARLY SHE BROUGHT THAT ISSUE UP.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE BACK HERE, AGAIN, REVISITING THIS TOPIC THAT IF, IF, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE DONE, THEN WE WOULD, WE WOULD SAY YOU OUTTA ORDER AND WE WOULD, WE WOULD GO ONTO THE NEXT TOPIC AND SAY, THAT'S A TOPIC THAT WE HAVE ALREADY THAT HAVE, THAT WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED.
SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY WE REDISCUSSING THIS TOPIC TONIGHT WHEN THIS IS A TOPIC THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED ALREADY.
THAT'S, THAT'S, I'M TRYING TO GET SOME UNDERSTANDING OF.
SO THE, THE FIRST THING I THINK I WOULD SAY IS THAT, UH, I HAVE BEEN ASKED AT A PRIOR BOARD SIC MEETING AND IT WAS, AND, AND THE TOPIC CAME UP AGAIN AT THIS BOARD SIC MEETING.
BUT, BUT WHAT THE REASON THIS IS ON THE AGENDA IS BECAUSE THIS ISN'T THIS, THIS IS A BIG DEAL.
AND SINCE THIS IS A BIG DEAL, RIGHT? WE NEED TO KNOW HOW THE BOARD FEELS ABOUT THIS BIG DEAL, RIGHT? RIGHT.
AND THE WAY YOU DO THAT IS AS A BOARD IS BY HAVING A DISCUSSION, MAKING A MOTION.
MM-HMM,
[02:10:01]
THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I THINK THIS PIECE IS ON HERE TODAY TO BRING CLARITY TO THE WILL OF THE BOARD AROUND THIS TOPIC.RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT'S THE, THE, AND I GOTTA R ALL DUE RESPECT.
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT MY POINT IS AGAIN, IS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS AT A BOARD MEETING COMING FROM AN SIC THE SAME WAY WE DID TONIGHT COMING FROM COMING FROM SIC, WE HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS ADDED BOARD MEETINGS.
AND AT THAT BOARD MEETING AT THAT TIME, WE TOOK NO ACTION.
AND MY POINT IS THAT IT, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE TOPIC, HOLD ON, LEMME FINISH.
THE TOPIC OF CELL PHONES SHOULD HAVE NEVER, EVER MADE IT TO THE SIC AGENDA BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS ON THE SIC AGENDA THAT PARENTS WANT TO RE-BRING AGAIN, THAT, THAT THIS BOARD HAS REFUSED TO HEAR BECAUSE WE HAVE ALREADY HAD THAT CONVERSATION.
SO, SO IT HELPS, I'M TRYING TO SAY, HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE THINKING OF HOW WE'RE LINING UP OUR AGENDAS AND HOW, HOW WE, HOW WE LINING UP THE AGENDA IN TERMS OF BRINGING THINGS BACK THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD IN THE PAST, IN THE PAST PRACTICES.
THIS HAS NOT BEEN ALLOWED, I THINK, BUT ON THIS, ON THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC, YEAH.
IT, IT, IT HAS BEEN TO ME THAT IS VERY UNFAIR.
I THINK TO ME, THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS I'M NOT CLEAR ON WHERE YOU AS A BOARD SIT ON THIS TOPIC.
SO IF YOU'RE EXPECTING ANY ACTION FROM ME OR FROM MY STAFF, I NEED CLARITY ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
UH, THAT, THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY.
ONCE I KNOW WHERE YOU STAND ON THIS ISSUE AS A BOARD, UH, THEN, THEN I STAND READY, UH, TO THEN MOVE FORWARD AND, AND EXECUTE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ON, ON, UH, ON WHAT I INTERPRET AS YOUR, UH, YOUR WILL AS A BOARD.
ALL RIGHT, MS. MIDDLETON? UH, UH, I'M NOT, I ALSO HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TOO.
WELL GOOGLE, I THINK IT'S TURN TIME FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO HAVE A CHANCE AND WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU.
SO, UM, MR. SMITH, I THINK WE'RE, WE ARE REVISITING THIS BECAUSE THE SITUATION WITH CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE.
UM, SO WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING NOW BECAUSE I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH THEY TRY TO TRAIN TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY CAN DO THE MARZANO DANCE BACKWARDS IN CIRCLE THREE TIMES IF THE CHILDREN ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
AND THIS COMES FROM SOMEBODY WHO WAS IN THE CLASSROOM WHEN CELL PHONES WERE VERY POPULAR, AND I KNOW THEY'VE GOTTEN MORE POPULAR.
I DON'T CARE WHAT I DID, IF I DID NOT CONTROL THOSE CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM, I WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN ANYTHING ACCOMPLISHED.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, ESPECIALLY IN YOUR CORE CLASSES.
THEY'RE NOT GETTING MUCH ACCOMPLISHED.
SO WE NEED TO NOT ONLY DISCUSS THIS, BUT DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
UM, AND WE'RE NOT, WE'RE EVEN, LIKE INGRID MADE, INGRID MADE SOME VALID POINTS, BUT, UM, I'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL OF MY PEERS THAT ARE STILL IN THE CLASSROOM AND THERE ARE TEACHERS, AND I DID THIS TOO AT ONE OF THE SCHOOLS THAT I TAUGHT IS WHEN THEY CAME INTO MY CLASSROOM, I HAD A LITTLE BIN AND THEY PUT THEIR CELL PHONES IN THE BIN.
YOU CAN GET 'EM AFTER CLASS IS OVER.
BUT I HAD A GREAT CLASS ANYWAY.
I WAS COOL WHEN IN SCHOOL, SO THEY WOULD DO AS I WANTED THEM TO DO.
BUT I FEEL SORRY FOR, YOU KNOW, THE MATH TEACHER, THE ENGLISH TEACHER, THE SCIENCE TEACHER, THE SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER, WHO DOESN'T DO THAT.
UM, AND IT'S, AND IT'S VERY HELPFUL WHEN YOU HAVE A NEW TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM THAT REALLY HAS NOT ESTABLISHED CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT.
YOU PUT A BRAND NEW TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM WITH A ESPECIALLY HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM WITH 25 HIGH SCHOOLERS AND EVERYBODY'S ON A CELL PHONE.
SHE IS NOT, THEY ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO HER OR HIM.
SO WE HAVE TO REVISIT THIS AGAIN BECAUSE IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE.
COVID HAS ISOLATED OUR CHILDREN.
IT HAS ISOLATED US TOO, BECAUSE YOU GO IN ANY RESTAURANT.
'CAUSE I SIT AND WATCH, UM, I TELL MY HUSBAND ALL THE TIME, I LOVE HIM TO DEATH.
LET ME GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT OUT THERE.
BUT HE'S IN A CELL PHONE ALL THE TIME.
AND I SAID, CAN YOU PUT THE CELL PHONE DOWN FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES? LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION.
YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU GO INTO PUBLIC PLACES, ALL YOU SEE IS THIS, UM, CAN WE HAVE A CONVERSATION? BECAUSE I'M TELLING YOU, IF YOU GO OUT TO DINNER WITH ME, YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT CELL PHONE OUT.
CELL PHONES ARE NOT ALLOWED AT MY KITCHEN TABLE.
SO WE, WE DO NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THIS BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE NEW TEACHERS COME INTO A CLASSROOM, A HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM OF 25 STUDENTS THAT ARE ON, OR EVEN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND NOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT ARE ON THEIR CELL PHONES AND THEY CAN'T GET THEIR POINT ACROSS.
'CAUSE THEN THEY'RE DISCOURAGED, THEN THEY DON'T WANNA TEACH ANYMORE.
THEN THEY HAVE A PRINCIPAL COMING DOWN ON THEM WHEN THE SCORES ARE NOT, WHEN THEIR SCORES ARE NOT AS HIGH AS THEY SHOULD BE, THEY'RE, THEY'LL GET DISCOURAGED AND THEY'LL RUN OFF.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A WHOLE, THERE'S A BIG PICTURE.
IT'S BIGGER THAN, YOU KNOW, IF A TEACHER SAYS SOMETHING TO YOU, YOU NEED TO CALL ME ON THE CELL.
SO WE DO NEED TO REVISIT THIS, UH, MS. GORDON.
[02:15:01]
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.LISTENING TO THIS, AND I, I AGREE WITH
OH, I UNDERSTAND WHERE MR. SMITH IS ALSO COMING FROM.
BUT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS.
MAYBE, MAYBE WE CAN TABLE THIS FOR ANOTHER NIGHT.
BUT WE NEED SOME HARD DISCUSSIONS, SOME REASONABLE, UH, THINGS THAT WE CAN, TOOLS WE CAN GIVE THE TEACHER OR TEACHERS.
BECAUSE IF YOU TRY TO TAKE A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT'S CELL PHONE, WHO DOESN'T WANT TO GIVE IT TO YOU, YOU MAY AS WELL TAKE THE SRO, THE PRO, WHATEVER YOU GOT.
IT'S GONNA BE A WHOLE LOT OF SOMETHING ABOUT NOTHING.
AND IT'S ABOUT A CELL PHONE, BUT THAT'S THEIR LIFELINE.
SO, AS EDUCATORS, WE SEND OUR TEACHERS IN TEACH, BUT THEY COME OUT BEING PREACHERS, LAWYERS, ACCOUNTANTS, NURSES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE EVERYTHING BUT A TEACHER.
'CAUSE THIS IS THEIR REAL LIFE.
BY THE TIME THEY GET TO TEACH IN A 90 MINUTE CLASS AT 15 MINUTES LEFT.
'CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS.
I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS A, AN ANSWER OTHER THAN TELLING THEM THEY CANNOT BRING IN INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.
BUT WHO'S, BUT WHO'S GONNA BE THE ONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T, YOU ONLY HAVE MAYBE TWO ADMINISTRATORS, APS IN A, IN A ONE OR TWO.
THEY CAN'T DEAL WITH 700, 1500 BY THEMSELVES.
I THINK WE'RE SAYING THE SAME THING.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION WITH SOME SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.
AND IF YOU TAKE THAT PHONE, THE PARENTS ARE COMING UP THERE TO GET IT, PAY FOR IT.
IT'S JUST, SO, I DON'T THINK IT'S ANYTHING THAT WE ARGUE ABOUT.
I THINK WE NEED TO TALK TO SOME REASONABLE CONSEQUENCES AND ACTIONS TO HELP OUR TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM.
I DO, BUT I WANT THEM TO BE SAFE WHILE THEY'RE DOING.
SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS, I THINK, UH, MAYBE AT ANOTHER SETTING SO THAT OUR SUPERINTENDENT HAS AN IDEA ABOUT WHAT WE WANT.
WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND PRESENT THIS AND GIVE THE TEACHER SOME AMMUNITION TO THE CLASSROOM.
SO I'D LIKE TO SPEAK, SINCE I HAVEN'T SPOKEN SO FAR, I FULLY SUPPORT THIS MOTION.
UM, OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR JOB AS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS TO, UH, HAVE THE CHILDREN, UH, BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND IT'S PRETTY CLEAR, I THINK, SO FAR FROM WHAT'S BEEN SAID, AND FROM OUR OWN OBSERVATIONS, THAT CELL PHONE USE DURING INSTRUCTION TIME IS GOING TO BE A DETRIMENT TO SUCCESS IN THE, IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND IT'S NOT FAIR FOR A TEACHER TO HAVE TO BE THE POLICE OF, OF CELL PHONES.
IF THEY'RE THE POLICE OF THE CELL PHONES, THEY CAN'T POSSIBLY BE TEACHING.
SO I THINK, UH, THE MOTION THAT, UM, UH, INGRID MADE AND WAS SECONDED BY RACHEL OSKY ALLOWS DR. RODRIGUEZ TO DO SOME, UH, INVESTIGATIONAL WORK WITH HIS TEAM TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE OPTIONS.
AND HE'LL BRING BACK THOSE, UH, OPTIONS TO US AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, AND WE CAN CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION.
BUT, UM, I JUST, UH, I, I SEE CELL PHONES IS VERY DETRIMENTAL TO A CHILD'S, UH, ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND ALSO EMOTIONAL WELLBEING.
UM, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING HAVE BEEN SAID.
THE ONLY TIME WE MENTIONED THIS WAS RIGHT AFTER THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL MEETING.
WE DID NOT DISCUSS EACH OTHER BEFORE BOARD.
UM, SO I, I, I SUPPORT THIS MOTION.
AND LET ME SAY THIS, UH, BECAUSE I THINK YOU, YOU HEAR SOMETIME ABOUT PARENTS, THIS CHILD GET EMOTIONAL UPSET.
ACT LIKE A PARENT AND STOP LETTING YOUR CHILD BE THE PARENT.
[02:20:01]
BRIEF.UH, I, I DEFINITELY SUPPORT THIS MOTION AND, UM, A DISTRICT REGULATION THAT WOULD PROHIBIT CELL PHONES DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.
UM, LIKE MS. GORDON MENTIONED, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH TIME THAT OUR EDUCATORS GET WITH OUR STUDENTS, AND THEY ARE ALSO DIRECTED, UM, TO TEACH TO CERTAIN STANDARDS AND CRITERIA.
AND WITH THAT, LIMITED TIME WITH CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM IS A DETRIMENT TO OUR STUDENTS LEARNING.
UM, THE DATA DOES SUPPORT THAT.
IT INCREASES, UH, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND OUTCOMES, AND THAT IS ONE OF OUR MAIN TASKS AS WELL AS KEEPING STUDENTS SAFE.
UM, THE DATA ALSO SHOWS THAT IT'S DETRIMENTAL, UH, TO MENTAL HEALTH AND TIME IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO I JUST KNOW THAT WHATEVER FRANK BRINGS FORWARD, UM, WILL BE HOLISTIC.
IT'LL FOCUS ON ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'VE MENTIONED HERE.
I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE THAT HE'LL BE ABLE TO BRING FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION TO US, UM, THAT IS PALATABLE AND THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL ALSO SUPPORT.
SO, I, I'M FULLY BEHIND THIS AND, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT'S BROUGHT FORWARD.
ALSO, UM, NOT REALLY SURE, BUT ALSO I THINK, I DO REMEMBER US HAVING A BALL POLICY THAT IF WE, IF WE COME, WHEN WE COME TO THE, THE BOARD AND WE HAVE A PREEXISTING MOTION THAT WE, UH, SEND IT OUT, OR, I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO I KIND OF ALMOST FEEL LIKE I WAS BLINDSIDED ON THIS.
BUT, UM, I, I'LL LEAVE THAT ALONE.
BUT, UH, MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, FOR, FOR A LOT OF PARENTS, THIS IS ALSO A SAFETY AND SECURITY ISSUE AS WELL.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND RIGHT NOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTRY IS FIGHTING.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT LEGISLATION IS TAKING CARE OF, AND I MEAN, THE LEGISLATION IS LOOKING INTO AS WELL.
SO WHEN WE MAKE THIS DECISION AS, UH, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES, UH, BROUGHT OUT TONIGHT TOO, WE WANT TEACHERS TO BE SAFE.
BUT FROM SOMEONE BEING ON THE FRONTLINE AND BEING OUT THERE UNDER UNDERSTANDING THIS BUSINESS AND WHAT THIS BUSINESS CONSISTS OF,
AND SOME OF THIS STUFF, IT COMES DOWN TO, I HATE TO SAY SOME OF IT COMES TO CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT.
SO I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER QUESTION IS FOR SOME OF THESE, FOR SOME, FOR SOME OF THESE CLASSROOMS, THAT THESE STUDENTS ARE USING THESE CELL PHONES, THEN WHAT ARE THESE TEACHERS CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT LIKE? AND, AND, AND SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT THAT'S NOT GOOD.
LOOK, BUT NO, THAT'S A REAL ACTUAL QUESTION.
SO I AIN'T COME HERE TO DAZZLE NOBODY.
I COME HERE TO TELL THE STRAIGHT TRUTH.
AND BE HONEST WITH YOU, WE JUST, SINCE WE HAVING THIS TOUGH CONVERSATION THAT GOT TO COME OUT, THEY COME, SOME OF IT COME DOWN TO BASIC GIRL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, UM, AS, AS, AS WELL AS, OH, YEAH, ONCE AGAIN.
AND, AND, AND, AND IN TERMS OF, LIKE I JUST SAID TOO, IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE EXPECT THESE TEACHERS TO DEFEND THAT? OR HOW DO WE EXPECT THESE TEACHERS TO SAY, HEY, YOU CAN HAVE YOUR CELL PHONE.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT, THAT I, THAT, THAT, THAT I WANT, THAT I WANTED TO PUT IN.
AND WHO AND WHO ARE WE GONNA EXPECT TO REGULATE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE ADMINISTRATION ALREADY DEALING WITH DIFFERENT ISSUES AS VAPING AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND IF YOU ASK ME, WE DIDN'T REALLY COME OUT WITH A, A SOLUTION WHEN IT CAME, WHEN IT CAME TO VAPING EITHER.
SO, BUT, YOU KNOW, TO JUMP ON THIS CELL PHONE THING, I THINK THIS IS AN AREA YOU TWO, WE TALKED ABOUT MASKING.
I CAN IMAGINE WHAT THESE PARENTS GONNA COME UP, HOW THESE PARENTS GONNA COME UP, OUT, OUT NOW ABOUT THESE CELL PHONES.
UM, ALSO IN, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF UNDER UNDERSTANDING, PUTTING PRESSURE ON ADMINISTRATORS.
HOW ARE WE GONNA SUPPORT THEM WITH WHATEVER WE COME UP WITH? BECAUSE IT'S JUST LIKE UNIFORMS. WE CAN'T COME UP WITH RULES.
AND CERTAIN, WE SAID BY LESSON, Y'ALL COME UP WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE IN Y'ALL.
HOW ARE WE GONNA COME, WHAT ARE WE GONNA COME UP WITH TO SUPPORT THEM AT, AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL IN TERMS OF WHETHER THAT CREATES A HALL MONITOR OR ANOTHER ADMINISTRATOR IN THE BUILDING TO DEAL WITH THESE, TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES.
BECAUSE TO MAKE 15 CELL PHONES, PHONE, PHONE, 15 CELL PHONE CALLS, THAT COULD TAKE ADMINISTRATOR EVERY BIT OF THREE TO FOUR OR FIVE HOURS WHEN YOU, DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF PARENTS YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
SO ALL THESE ARE THINGS FROM SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN ON THE FRONTLINE WHO UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS BUSINESS CONSISTS OF.
WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS, ALL THESE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT HAS TO GO IN PERSPECTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'RE DOING WHILE WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
[02:25:02]
UH, SO TONIGHT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN, I'VE EVEN WATCHED THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT ON FACEBOOK AND JUST IN CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE PUBLIC.I THINK THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A DIRECTION THAT AS A BOARD MEMBER, I WANNA SAY, HEY, WE WANT TO GO FULL OUT AND PUT OUT IN THE PUBLIC THAT, THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS.
SO I WILL NOT SUPPORT THIS, SUPPORT, THIS MOTION.
I, I, I SUPPORT, UM, WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID IN TERMS OF WE HAVE TO HAVE A HOLE ON IT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE NO OTHER PROBLEM THAT NOBODY, NO OTHER DISTRICT IN AMERICA DON'T HAVE POINT BANK.
SHE, WE TALKED ABOUT A, ABOUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT FOREIGN COMPANIES AND IN ALL THESE OTHER DIFFERENT PLACES THAT HAS NO CELL PHONES.
THIS IS AMERICA, THIS IS BEAUFORT COUNTY.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE READY TO MAKE THAT STERN DECISION AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
I THINK THAT IS, THAT IT IS GOING TO CREATE MORE HAVOC AT THIS TIME THAN WHAT IT'S WORTH.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD FOCUS AND REITERATE OUR ENERGY ON CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND HOW WE CAN BETTER ARM OUR TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE STUDENTS AND ISSUES THAT WE ALREADY CURRENTLY HAVE, UH, IN HAND.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY SPIEL.
UH, YOU HAVE NOT SPOKEN, VICTOR.
AND THEN WE'LL, AND THEN WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.
UH, I SPOKE AT THE JOINT SAC MEETING AND I SAID THAT IT'S GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER.
UH, WE ALSO HAD, UH, ONE OF THE SAC REPS MENTION THAT THE ADDICTION TO CELL PHONE IS JUST LIKE BEING ADDICTED TO DRUGS.
AND YOU TRY TO REMOVE SOMEBODY FROM THEIR ADDICTION, IT'S GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER.
UH, AND THAT'S CHILDREN AND PARENTS BECAUSE THERE ARE PARENTS THAT JUST IS, UH, UH, COMMITTED TO THEIR PHONE, UH, AND WANT THEIR IMMEDIATE, UH, CONNECTION TO THEIR CHILD.
UM, UH, I WILL SAY SOMEBODY THAT'S IN THE CLASSROOM RIGHT NOW, I DEAL WITH CELL PHONES EVERY DAY, EVERY DAY, UH, TO INCLUDE PERIPHERALS.
UH, KIDS TRY TO HIDE THE AIRPODS IN THEIR EARS, UH, AND EVEN THE WATCHES APPLE WATCHES, THEY CAN INTERACT THROUGH WITH THEIR PHONE, THROUGH THEIR APPLE WATCH.
UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE, UH, TO BE, UH, THOUGHT ABOUT ALSO.
UM, I, I'M SURE, UH, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S GONNA COME UP WITH MUCH BETTER IDEAS THAN ME, BUT ATTENDANCE BY, BY CELL PHONE.
UH, IF THE CELL PHONE ISN'T IN THE POUCH, UH, LIKE A COLLEAGUE RECOMMENDED, THEN, UH, MAYBE THEY'RE COUNTED ABSENT, AND THEN, UH, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE UP SEAT TIME AT THE END OF THE YEAR BECAUSE THEY, SIMPLY BECAUSE THEIR F THEIR PHONE HASN'T BEEN IN THE POUCH.
AND I GUARANTEE KIDS, THE OLDER KIDS ARE NOT GONNA WANNA DO THAT.
UH, SO THAT'S JUST, JUST AN OPTION.
UH, AND I, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE CAN WASTE TIME ON THIS.
UH, KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD IS ONLY GOING TO MAKE IT WORSE.
UM, I, I, I BELIEVE WITH OUR COLLEAGUES, UH, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A POLICY BY THIS FALL.
AND I SEE ELIZABETH'S HANDS UP AND SHE HASN'T SPOKEN.
SO, ELIZABETH, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I WAS NOT GOING TO SPEAK, BUT SINCE EVERYONE ELSE HAS, I'LL JOIN THE BANDWAGON.
UM, COMING FROM A HOUSEHOLD WHERE OUR PROFESSIONS ARE IN THE PSYCHOLOGY AND THE TECHNOLOGY SPACE, I CAN SAY WITH FULL CONFIDENCE, UH, THERE'S A REASON NEITHER OF OUR CHILDREN ARE ALLOWED CELL PHONES.
UM, FOR ME, WITH A BACKGROUND IN PSYCHOLOGY, I'M CONSTANTLY IMMERSED IN ALL THE DATA, READING NEW BOOKS, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND THE DATA IS OVERWHELMINGLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT, THIS IS DETRIMENTAL TO CHILDREN ON SO MANY DIFFERENT FRONTS.
UM, AND THEN MY HUSBAND BEING IN THE TECH FIELD, HE DOESN'T WANT OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE CELL PHONES BECAUSE OF THE ADDICTIVE ALGORITHMS AND THINGS THAT THE PHONES ARE SET UP WITH ONCE YOU GET, ESPECIALLY SOCIAL MEDIA ON THEM, BUT ALSO THEY'RE DISRUPTIVE, THEY ALSO ALLOW CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO GET IN TROUBLE IN OTHER WAYS.
I MEAN, ONE PRIME EXAMPLE IS TAKING CERTAIN PHOTOS, PERHAPS IN A LOCKER ROOM, VIDEOTAPING THINGS THEY SHOULDN'T BE VIDEOTAPING OR PEOPLE THEY SHOULDN'T BE VIDEOTAPING AT SCHOOL, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
IT ADDS A LAYER OF, YOU CAN'T GET IN TROUBLE,
AS INGRID ALSO BROUGHT UP, UM, THE SOCIAL ASPECT IS HUGE BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON, FOR EXAMPLE, PLAYGROUNDS, THAT OUTDOOR TIME, ESPECIALLY FOR BOYS, AND I PROBABLY SAID THIS AT THE SIC MEETING, THAT IS SO IMPORTANT.
OUR KIDS NEED TO GET UP, THEY NEED TO BE WIGGLING.
THEY NEED TO SEE EACH OTHER'S FACES.
I HAVE SEEN SO MANY KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE YOUNG ONES WHO CAN'T
[02:30:01]
SPEAK, THEY CAN'T SPEAK BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT SEEING EACH OTHER'S FACES.THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS, BECAUSE AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT EACH OTHER'S FACES.
THEY CAN'T READ EMOTIONS BECAUSE AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT ANYONE'S FACES, WHETHER IT'S IN THE CLASSROOM OR ON A PLAYGROUND.
IF THEY'RE STARING AT A SCREEN, THEY'RE LOSING THE ABILITY TO READ EMOTIONS.
AND THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ALL OF OUR DEVELOPMENT.
THEN AS EVERYBODY'S BROUGHT UP WITH ALL THE DATA AND FACTS OF ALL SORTS, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS SAW, BUT THE UK I THINK IT'S WITHIN THE LAST WEEK, HAS NOW PUT A BAN IN PLACE FOR CELL PHONE USAGE.
16 AND UNDER PERIOD, END OF STORY, SHOULD NOT HAVE CELL PHONES.
AND WHERE ELSE WAS I GOING WITH THIS? CLEARLY I GET REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO BRING UP IS, I BELIEVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WHEN I'M SPEAKING WITH EDUCATORS IN OUR COMMUNITY, THEY ALWAYS BRING UP CELL PHONES AS AN ISSUE.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE REAL TOPIC OF THE DISCUSSION IS, SOMEHOW THE CELL PHONE USAGE COMES BACK INTO IT.
AND JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND, I TALKED WITH TWO OUT OF THREE OF THE EDUCATORS I ENDED UP SPEAKING WITH AT A BIRTHDAY PARTY.
UM, THEY, THIS IS HOW MY LIFE GOES.
IT'S JUST, YOU GET THE INFORMATION WITHOUT ASKING FOR IT.
BUT THEY'RE LOOKING AT RETIRING OR MOVING INTO PRIVATE SCHOOLS BECAUSE OUR LOCAL PRIVATE SCHOOLS DO NOT FOR THE MAJORITY, ALLOW CELL PHONE USAGE ON CAMPUS.
AND THEY'RE SEEING THAT THE CELL PHONES ARE CORRELATING TO DISCIPLINARY ISSUES WITHIN THE CLASSROOM, AND EVEN IN THE HALLS IN BATHROOMS, VIDEOTAPING THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE VIDEOTAPING OTHER CHILDREN IN BATHROOMS. YOU NAME IT, IT'S HAPPENING.
SO I WOULD RATHER US BE ON THE FOREFRONT OF THIS MOVEMENT WITH OTHER SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY, RATHER THAN BEING BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL, IF YOU WILL.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOSE TEACHERS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PUTTING THE APPROPRIATE POLICIES OR REGULATIONS IN PLACE TO HELP THEM WANNA STAY IN OUR DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
I THINK EVERYBODY'S, UH, SPOKEN.
SO WE'RE GONNA CALL FOR THE VOTE NOW.
UM, AND, UH, THE, THE MOTION IS, UH, I MOVE THAT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD, EXCUSE ME, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD DIRECT THE SUPERINTENDENT TO RESEARCH POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR THE IMPLE IMPLEMENTATION OF A DISTRICT.
AND WE HAD THE WHOLE THING THERE, BUT IT'S DISAPPEARED.
THE IMPLE IMPLEMENTATION OF A DISTRICT REGULATION THAT WOULD PROHIBIT CELL PHONES DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.
AND THE SECOND PART OF IT WAS TO BRING BACK, UH, OPTIONS AT THE NEXT BOARD BUSINESS BOARD MEETING.
SO ALL IN FAVOR? WE, WE HAVE, UH, CALLED THE, CALLED THE VOTE, SIR.
WELL, ACTUALLY, I WAS JUST READING READING THAT, AND, UM, I WAS JUST ONCE LIKE TO ASK HER, DOES IT HAS TO BE THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, UM, THAT IS PART OF THE MOTION, SIR.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, UH, THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
UH, NAY AND ABSTENTION, UH, SMITH? NO.
SO THE MOTION, UM, CARRIES NINE.
IT'S 9 1 0, AND WE HAVE ONE MEMBER ABSENT.
SO THE DR. RODRIGUEZ WILL PROCEED WITH HIS DIRECTIVE,
NEXT, WE HAVE, UH, MADAM SECRETARY MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, EXCEPT THE DONATION FROM FRIENDS OF SHANKLIN AND THE AMOUNT OF $15,000 TO JOSEPH SHANKLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, UH, MS. MIDDLETON AND MR. SMITH, UH, UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, UH, ACCEPTING THIS DONATION, PLEASE SAY A, A AYE, PAM AYE.
SO, THE, UM, THE, UH, DONATION
[02:35:01]
IS ACCEPTED UNANIMOUSLY, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FRIENDS OF SHANKLIN FOR THEIR GENEROSITY AND FOR THE PUBLIC, UH, TO KNOW THAT ANY, UM, DONATION $5,000 OR GREATER HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE BOARD.THAT IS WHY WE, UH, JUST DID THAT.
I MOVE THAT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE MAGNET SCHOOL'S ASSISTANCE PROGRAM GRANT RESOLUTION, AND AUTHORIZED DR.
CHRISTINA GUS BOARD CHAIR TO SIGN THE RESOLUTION AND THE AMENDMENT TO THE, THE SEGREGATION AGREEMENT.
AND SECOND, BY, UM, VICTOR NAY QUESTION, LET ME, OH, OH, YEAH.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, MARY STRATOS COME UP AND, OKAY.
APPRECIATED BOARD MEMBERS, AND I DO APPRE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF PUTTING THIS ON YOUR AGENDA AT SUCH NOTICE.
UM, THE OFFICE OF OCR, UH, RESPONDED BACK TO THE DISTRICT RATHER LATE.
WE STARTED ON THIS ISSUE ON MARCH 5TH OF THIS ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR.
IN YOUR HANDOUTS, YOU HAVE ACTUALLY THREE ITEMS, AND I DO SHARE.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE MOTION FORWARD.
YOUR FIRST IS A GRANT SUMMARY.
THE SECOND DOCUMENT IS A MAGNET SCHOOL'S ASSISTANCE PROGRAM GRANT RESOLUTION.
AND THE THIRD DOCUMENT IS AN AMENDMENT TO TITLE SIX OR DESEGREGATION PLAN.
I BRING THOSE ITEMS FORWARD TO YOU BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE A THREE STEP PROCESS.
THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS GRANT IS $14,996,949.
IT IS FOR THREE SCHOOLS IN HILTON HEAD.
IN THIS THREE STEP PROCESS, THIS IS THE FIRST STEP HAVING THIS MOTION GOING FORWARD.
PART OF THAT IS THE BOARD PRESENTATION, WHICH TAKES ME TO THE THIRD STEP, WHICH UPON THE RESOLUTION BEING SIGNED, THE AMENDMENT THAT IS PART OF YOUR PAPERWORK WOULD BE SIGNED AS WELL.
SO IN THE THE EVENT WE ARE AWARDED THE $14 MILLION, WE WERE ABLE TO GO FORWARD WITH MEETING THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES FOR MAGNET SCHOOLS ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM TO SHARE WITH YOU, THE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM PROVIDES ACCESS TO STUDENTS.
IN THIS CASE, WE ARE SEEKING TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN UNDERREPRESENTED FOR HIGHER OR WHAT WE CALL, UM, ACCELERATED COURSES.
MRS. CUSHEN BARRY IS SHARING THE DATA POINTS RIGHT NOW OF OUR STUDENT POPULATIONS WITHIN THE HILTON HEAD SCHOOLS.
THAT IS THE FIRST ITEM THAT I SHARED WITH YOU THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR HANDOUTS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IT IS THE GRANT PROPOSAL SUMMARY.
TO KEEP IT SIMPLE, WHAT I'VE DONE, I'VE NUMBERED THE PARAGRAPHS AND I'M GONNA SUMMARIZE THE FIRST PARAGRAPH.
WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU THAT THIS IS A MAGNET SCHOOL ASSISTANCE GRANT.
HIS FOCUS IS UPON GLOBALIZATION, JOB MARKET READINESS.
IT WILL BUILD UPON THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM WITHIN THE FEEDER PATTERNS THAT WE HAVE, THAT HILTON HEAD, UH, IB ELEMENTARY, HILTON HEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND OUR HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL.
SECOND PARAGRAPH GIVES YOU A QUICK INFORMATION WITHIN THE GOALS.
BIGGEST GOALS I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON CAREER, TECHNICAL EDUCATION, ACADEMICS, THE ARTS, ATHLETICS, AND BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
I'VE SHARED WITH YOU TO TARGET SCHOOLS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE, IF WE CAN GO TO TABLE ONE, MRS. BERRY, THANK YOU.
THAT JUST SHARES, AND I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO LOOK AT THE SECOND, UM, COLUMN THERE WHERE BASICALLY YOU'RE GONNA SEE 46.5% IS HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL POPULATION OF HISPANIC STUDENTS, 48.6% FOR HILTON HEAD MIDDLE, 54.6% FOR HILTON HEAD, IB ELEMENTARY.
AND THE DISTRICT'S OVERALL IS 32.5.
I HIGHLIGHT THAT BECAUSE WE ARE SHIFTING OF AN ETHNICITY THAT IS IDENTIFIED AS A MINORITY TO BE A MAJORITY AT OUR SCHOOLS.
AND THAT IS WHAT GET IS US THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR THIS GRANT.
AND HENCE THE RESOLUTION SIGNATURE OR THE MOTION THAT YOU PUT FORWARD.
AND A SHIFTING ON OUR WORK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR, OR OCR ON THE DESEGREGATION PLAN THAT WE HAD FROM 2010.
THE REASON I ASKED TO BRING THIS FORWARD TO THE BOARD, BECAUSE IN OUR 2010 DESEGREGATION PLAN, THESE SCHOOLS WERE NOT NOTED IN THOSE PLANS.
AND IF WE, AND IF YOU MAKE NOTE TO THE
[02:40:01]
MED TECH GRANT, WHICH IS NORTH OF ABROAD, WHICH ACTUALLY BROUGHT $12.5 MILLION FOR OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, RECOGNIZE THAT WAS THREE YEARS AGO.THINGS HAVE GOTTEN EXPEN A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE, HENCE SOME, A LITTLE MORE MONEY.
I'M ASKING FOR, UM, THOSE SCHOOLS ARE ALREADY IN OUR DE DESEGREGATION PLAN.
SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO BRING A RESOLUTION TO THE BOARD WHEN I DID BRING THAT GRANT FORWARD.
AND I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU A LOT IS SUCCESS THAT WE WITNESSED TONIGHT ARE OUR MED TECH SCHOOLS WHO ARE TIED TO THAT GRANT.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE BACKDOOR TO GIVE AS MUCH SUPPORT TO THESE SCHOOLS.
AND WE'RE WATCHING THESE SCHOOLS GROW IN ACADEMICS, THE ARTS, AND MOST IN LEADERSHIP AS WELL.
SO I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS FORWARD.
YOU, YOU, I'VE BEEN CALLED A FEW THINGS.
NO, I BELIEVE TO CALL YOU BY, BY, BY YOUR, YES, SIR.
UM, YOU'VE JUST SAID A LOT WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO DIGEST AND TO UNDERSTAND THIS MOTION, I MEAN, TO UNDERSTAND THE MOTION THAT YOU'RE BRINGING FORTH TONIGHT.
UM, W WHICH, WHICH HITS ME AS TO WHO, WHERE, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, AND HOW.
BUT ALSO IN, IN, IN TERMS OF THE QUESTION, WHERE DOES OCR LAND THIS? BECAUSE YOU BOUGHT THAT.
I'M JUST TO GET A CLEAR, CLEAR, DID YOU, DID YOU SAY THAT? JUST I DID UNDERSTAND THAT.
LET ME GO FROM THERE BACKWARDS, SIR.
SO THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, WHEN IT COMES TO A MAGNET SCHOOLS ASSISTANCE GRANT WORKS IN SIDE BY SIDE OCR.
ALL RIGHT? BECAUSE THE GRANT IS FUNDED IN ORDER TO GIVE ACCESS TO STUDENTS SO MUCH AS OUR MED TECH GRANT DID A REVERSE ANALYSIS OF OUR SCHOOLS NORTH AND ABROAD, WHERE WE IDENTIFIED WE WERE HAVING A DECLINE OF CAUCASIAN POPULATION AT SCHOOLS.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO USE THAT AS A WAY OF SEEKING FUNDING TO HELP SUPPORT SCHOOLS AND HELP THEM GROW.
AND I WILL SHARE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW, CHOICE APPLICATION, UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE SCHOOL THAT I'M WORKING TO REOPEN A WINDOW FOR THEM IS AT 89 APPLICATIONS OF STUDENTS COMING BACK IN.
THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT GROWTH FROM WHAT I HAD WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, WHEN I FIRST BROUGHT THAT TO THE TABLE TO YOU.
AND I'VE WATCHED IT OPEN FROM 21 TO 89, AND I'M EXPECTING TO GO OVER A HUNDRED WITH SOME OPPORTUNITIES THAT LIMBS WILL BE HAVING.
SO, UM, I, DOES THAT HELP GIVE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION, MR. SMITH, SIR? OR DO YOU WANT ME TO GO AHEAD, SIR? YES, THAT DOES, UH, GIVE SOME INFORMATION, BUT IN TERMS OF HOW DID WE PICK THIS AREA IN, IN TERMS OF I DO UNDERSTAND THAT GREAT QUESTION.
I'VE BEEN MONITORING SIGNIFICANTLY OUR POPULATIONS HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHEN CAN WE GET THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANOTHER MAGNET SCHOOL ASSISTANCE GRANT.
AND THAT IS LOOKING AT CERTAIN INDICATORS, AND ONE OF THE INDICATORS IS A SHIFT IN DEMOGRAPHICS AT SCHOOLS.
AND AS DEMOGRAPHICS SHIFT, THE QUESTION I HAVE TO ASK A IS THE WHY, BUT B, WHAT CAN WE DO TO BRING MARKETING SHARE BACK TO OUR SCHOOLS? 'CAUSE WE HAVE PHENOMENAL PROGRAMS AT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO YOU WATCH THE POPULATION OR YOU WATCH THE ELIGIBILITY WHEN YOU SEE AN OPPORTUNITY, AND, AND I MEAN THIS WITH THE GREATEST RESPECT, LET'S LET, LET'S TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY, LET'S NOT LEAVE MONEY ON THE TABLE WHEN THERE IS OPPORTUNITY, WHEN YOU'RE SEEING THAT THERE ARE STUDENTS WHO ARE CLASSIFIED AS MINORITIES WHO REQUIRE OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL, BUT NOT ONLY MINORITY STUDENTS, BUT ALL STUDENTS.
SO IF WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK FEDERAL FUNDING, I'M GOING TO LOOK FOR FEDERAL MONEY TO BRING TO THE SYSTEM, SIR.
OR ALL CLUSTERS WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
UM, JUST, JUST ALSO INTO, IN TERM OF THAT, UM, WHEN BASICALLY, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS GRANT, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THE GRANT CORRECTLY, IS MINORITIES HAVE BEEN MINORITIES, PERIOD.
IS, IS THAT WHERE THIS FUNDING IS, IS, IS, UH, IS FAR, NO, IT IS ACTUALLY LENDS THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR FUNDING TO BE SCHOOLWIDE, UHHUH,
IT LENDS FOR EQUITY FOR EVERY STUDENT WITHIN THE SCHOOL UNDER THE AREAS.
IN THIS CASE, WE'LL BE GROWING BIOMEDICAL GLOBAL ECONOMY, UM, AVID, WHICH I BROUGHT THAT INFORMATION TO YOU ONCE BEFORE THAT PROGRAM, RIGHT? IS IT, UM, MEDIA ARTS, UM, ECHO FINANCIAL LITERACY, AND WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE WORKING WITH SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE HISTORY OF THE SEA ISLANDS.
[02:45:01]
I I JUST, THIS WOULD BE MY, MY, UH, MY LAST ONE.UM, IN, IN TERMS OF INTERPRETERS, HOW DOES, HOW DOES THIS WORK? HOW DOES THIS WORK IN TO HOW, HOW DOES THIS GO IN PLACE IN, IN TERMS OF ADDING INTERPRETERS OR, UM, AT THESE SCHOOLS AS WELL? SO THAT'S ACTUALLY A SEPARATE FUNDING THROUGH TITLE THREE AND ALSO THROUGH OUR GENERAL FUNDS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR BILINGUAL LIAISONS, IS THAT WHAT WE WE'RE REFERRING TO? BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN INTERPRETER COMPANY THAT WE WORK WITH THAT ACTUALLY INTERPRETS MORE THAN WHAT OUR BILINGUAL LIAISONS.
SO THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA RECOGNIZES FIVE LANGUAGES AS KEY LANGUAGES, ENGLISH BEING ONE, SPANISH, PORTUGUESE, ITALIAN, FRENCH, AND I FORGOT WHAT THE FIFTH ONE IS.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A COMPANY THAT WE USE FOR OTHER LANGUAGES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF WHAT SOUTH CAROLINA RECOGNIZES FOR, UM, PAYING FOR BILINGUAL LIAISON, SIR.
BUT THAT'S NOT JUST THE ONLY SCOPE HERE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S ABOUT TRANSLATORS AT ALL.
THAT'S NOT THE INTENT OF THE GRANT.
THIS IS REALLY EXCITING FROM, AS A HILTON HEAD REP, UM, I, AND I, YOU KNOW, DON'T WANNA MENTION SOMETHING I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED BEFORE, BUT I MOVED TO HILTON HEAD FOR THE IB PROGRAM, AND I THINK THE IB PROGRAM, I WANNA POINT OUT SOME THINGS THAT I THINK ARE REALLY AMAZING IN THIS GRANT.
UM, INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROJECT LEAD THE WAY.
UM, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S AN AMAZING PROGRAM.
GLOBAL AND DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP.
AND THAT IS A TERM THAT IS UNDERUSED IN EDUCATION.
THAT IS, UM, I HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT HUMAN SERVICES, HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER, UM, MAGNET GRANT PROGRAMS, MEDICINE, HUGE GROWTH INDUSTRY, CYBERSECURITY, HUGE GROWTH INDUSTRY, YOU CAN TIE THAT RIGHT AWAY TO JOBS OF THE FUTURE.
GLOBAL EXPLORATION IS A LITTLE HARDER, RIGHT? YES.
BECAUSE, BUT I ACTUALLY THINK AS I READ THROUGH THIS, UM, IT'S GOING TO TIE JUST AS NICELY TO JOBS OF THE FUTURE BECAUSE I THINK AI IS GONNA MAKE THE WORLD MUCH MORE GLOBAL GLOBALIZED.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE THAT PERSPECTIVE.
YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO HAVE THE LANGUAGE SKILLS, THE CULTURAL APPRECIATION.
UM, I THINK THE EMPHASIS ON THE CREATOR ASPECT, UM, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE REALLY GONNA START TO SEE, UH, HUMAN VALUE.
WHAT CAN THE HUMAN ADD TO THE PROCESS? IF YOU'RE SITTING IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER ALL DAY LONG, WHICH I DO, SO
BUT, UM, IF YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN A COMPUTER AND YOU DON'T NEED TO BE THERE FOR THE JOB TO HAPPEN, SURE, I THINK YOU'RE IN TROUBLE.
UM, THERE'S PREDICTIONS THAT 25% OF JOBS WILL DISAPPEAR WITH AI IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, BUT THE JOBS THAT WILL BE CREATED ARE THESE HUMAN VALUE ADDED JOBS.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED, AND I THINK DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP IS, AND, AND DATA LITERACY.
UM, WE ARE JUST, THESE KIDS ARE JUST GONNA BE SO FLOODED BY MULTIMODAL ALGORITHMS, BY, UM, FAKES AND, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED TO NAVIGATE.
SO I ACTUALLY, AS I READ THROUGH THIS, I THINK IT'S REALLY EXCITING.
I THINK IT DOES REALLY TIE WELL.
AND WHAT I WANT TO SEE OUT OF IT AS A COMMENT IS THE IB PROGRAM IS GREAT.
THE, THE PYP, THE MYP, IT'S ALL WONDERFUL, BUT WHERE THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD ON THE IB PROGRAM IS THE IB DIPLOMA PROGRAM.
AND I DON'T THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IB DIPLOMA PROGRAM AS WELL AS THEY COULD.
I ALSO THINK THAT FOR THE IB PROGRAM TO THRIVE, IT NEEDS, UH, SOME SHOULDERS UNDERNEATH IT, PUSHING IT FORWARD.
UM, BECAUSE IT, IT'S GOING TO NEED, UH, MORE OUTREACH IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE GOING TO NEED SCHOOL CHOICE.
WE JUST CAN'T DO IT WITH THE POPULATION OF HILTON HEAD.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO OPEN IT UP FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT THESE SAME KIND OF HIGHER LEVEL CRITICAL THINKING, YOU KNOW, HUMAN VALUE ADDED, UM, KIND OF AN, A LIBERAL ARTS APPROACH TO, UH, ACCELERATED EDUCATION.
UM, AND IT'S ALSO GONNA NEED FINANCIAL SUPPORT IN TERMS OF, UH, TEACHERS PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, UH, SUPPORT IN THAT WAY.
SO WHAT I'LL SAY WITH THIS IS I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE IB DIPLOMA PROGRAM GROW AS A RESULT OF THIS GRANT.
UM, AND THEN I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
WHAT IS ECHO FINANCIAL LOOK LOOKING? I ACTUALLY, THAT CAME UP FROM OUR PILLARS THAT WE HAVE HERE, BUT THAT ARE PART OF THE LENS OF A BEAUFORD GRANT, UM, GRADUATE.
SO LOOKING AT THE ECOLOGY HERE AND FINANCIAL IMPACT IN THE ECOLOGY.
SO LET'S LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING AS WATER RISES IN OUR MARSHES.
I'M, I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC AND VERY EXCITED.
UM, SO I HAVE A QUESTION PROBABLY FOR YOU, DR.
I MEAN, THIS IS FOR, UM, UP TO $15 MILLION OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE YEARS.
AND SO WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE ON THAT SIXTH YEAR? SO THERE'S SEVENTH YEAR.
MAY I USE THE CURRENT GRANT FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THAT? SURE.
ACTUALLY, SO AS THE SCHOOLS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY INCREASING MARKETING AND FT STUDENT POPULATION, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF GETTING MORE TEACHER UNITS.
BUT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE'VE
[02:50:01]
BEEN PURCHASED THROUGH MED TECH, WE HAVE, I VIEW ALIGNED MY DIVISION WORK TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOLS.SO AS ONE THING IS SUNING, I'M ABLE TO HAVE THIS BECOMING A STANDARD OPERATION FOR THE DISTRICT AND SOP.
SO TAKING THE INNOVATION THAT YOU CAN DO THROUGH A GRANT, AS I LOOK AT AS UPFRONT MONEY, IN ORDER TO GET THAT SUSTAINABILITY, IT BECOMES AN SOP FOR US IN OPERATIONS.
NOW, IT'S A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL.
IF I'M INVESTING INTO YOU, PART OF THAT PARTNERSHIP IS THAT YOU HAVE TO HELP AT RECRUITING AND KEEP YOUR STUDENT POPULATION SO WE CAN KEEP THOSE FI TEACHER UNITS AT YOUR SCHOOL SITE.
SO, AND I DO WANNA, IF I MAY, IT, THIS GRANT IS, HAS ADDED A FAMILY OUTREACH PERSON TO HELP.
AND THAT CAME FROM THE PRINCIPALS.
THIS HAS BEEN DEVELOPED WITH THE INPUT FROM THE THREE PRINCIPALS.
IT'S NOT JUST TO BE LIKE, OH, WE GOT AN IDEA, LET'S GO PLAY.
RIGHT? IT ACTUALLY, IT'S ACTUALLY, THAT IDEA CAME FROM THE PRINCIPALS AND IT ACTUALLY WAS MICHELLE BROCKWAY WHO BROUGHT THAT UP.
AND THE OTHER TWO PRINCIPALS PICKED THAT UP IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THEY FELT THEY DIDN'T NEED ANOTHER BILINGUAL LIAISON.
SOME OF THE SCHOOLS HAVE TWO ALREADY.
WHAT THEY REALLY FELT IS THEY NEEDED A LITTLE MORE HELP GETTING THAT OUTREACH AND EDUCATION OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
LOOKS LIKE WE'RE READY TO VOTE.
UH, THERE BEING NO FURTHER HANDS UP.
SO THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, WHICH IS DISPLAYED ON THE SCREEN, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY, AYE.
AND ANY NAYS AND ANY, AND WE ALREADY HAD ONE ABSTENTION FROM, UM, UH, ELIZABETH HAY.
SO, SO THE MOTION CARRIES 9 0 1.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS, UH, YEAH, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
SECRETARY CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SO THE MOTION CARRIES 8 0 2 2, ABSTENTIONS ARE WISNESKI AND SMITH.
UH, WE, UH, FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS, ANY, UH, SUGGESTIONS? OKAY, MR. SMITH, CHAIR, IF WE COULD HAVE, UH, I GUESS MAYBE THE OPERATIONS, IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW MANY DISTRICT VEHICLES THAT WE HAVE,
SO JUST TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITY IS ON, ON, ON THOSE, UH, ON THOSE ITEMS. SO YOU'RE, SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT YOUR REQUEST IS.
AGENDA TOPIC, BASICALLY UNDERSTANDING ANY VEHICLE THAT WE HAVE FOR THE DISTRICT, THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY, ANY, ANY, WHETHER IT'S A TRUCK, WHETHER IT'S A CAR, ANYTHING THAT, THAT IS BOUGHT OR PURCHASED BY BEFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS AND WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE AND WHAT'S THE COST OF IT.
AND THAT, SO I WOULD SAY THAT GOOD ASSIGNMENT FOR THAT WOULD BE TO THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
AND, AND, AND THEN THAT'S WHAT I JUST SAID, THAT IF WE COULD FORWARD IT TO OPERATIONS.
UM, THEN I'LL ASK ROBIN THEN TO, UH, SEND IT, UM, EMAIL TO, UH, MR. DALLAS SINCE HE IS NOT HERE TONIGHT AS CHAIRMAN OF THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ, DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? I THINK THE ANNOUNCEMENTS OF NURSES, UH, APPRECIATION WEEK AND TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK.
SO WE DO HAVE A SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT.
ACTUALLY, I HAVE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UM, JUST, UH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK EVERYONE THAT, UM, WE HAD A, A, UM, OFFICER, UM, OFFICER GIBBONS WITH THE SHERIFF OFFICE WOULD'VE SERVED US FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
UM, HE, HE USED TO BE A RESOURCE OFFICER, UH, WHEN I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST BECAME A STUDENT IN BEAUTIFUL COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND ACTUALLY HE IS OVER OUR RESOURCE OFFICER.
AND SOMETIME FROM TIME TO TIME WE SEE HIM COME HERE AND WORK OUR MEETINGS.
AND, UH, HE'S BEEN ON THE SICK LIST.
SO IF WE COULD, WE JUST KEEP HIM CHEERFUL AND, UM, AND KEEP HIM WITH OUR PRESENT THOUGHTS FOR HIS RETURN BACK TO WORK.
AND THANK HIM FOR SERVING OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR DISTRICT AS WELL, BECAUSE HE'S BEEN A REAL, UH, PHENOMENAL SUPPORT OF THIS DISTRICT.
SO I JUST WANT TO CUT OUT THERE.
I DID HAVE ONE MORE ANNOUNCEMENT, AND THAT IS TOMORROW AT 1:00 PM WE HAVE THE HILTON HEAD, UM, HIGH SCHOOL GROUNDBREAKING
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CEREMONY.WE ARE NOW ON TO OUR SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND WE DO HAVE A, A COMMENTER.
HI, IS THIS JENNIFER? YES, THIS IS ROBIN.
I'M CALLING YOU FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND I'M GONNA PUT YOU ON SPEAKER.
IF YOU WOULD STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AND YOUR TOPIC, PLEASE.
MY NAME IS JENNIFER AND MY TOPIC IS ABOUT AN INCIDENT, AN ASSAULT INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED AT HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL.
A ATHLETE FROM HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL WAS THE VICTIM OF ASSAULT DURING A SCHOOL.
HE WAS SEEN UP WITH THE BELT WHILE HE WAS SHOWERING BY TWO SENIORS AND MEMBERS OF THE SOCCER CITY TEAM IN THE HOTEL BATHROOM WHERE THEY STAYED.
THE VICTIMS HAVE TRIED
THE PERPETRATORS WERE BENCHED FOR THE PRESEASON GAMES AS A FORM OF PUNISHMENT FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE DURING THE MEETING BETWEEN THE PARENTS VICTIMS AND MR. THE PRINCIPAL.
HE WAS ASKED WHAT ELSE WAS GONNA HAPPEN, AND HIS REPLY WAS THAT HE THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS HANDLED, MEANING THE PERPETRATOR FOR PRESEASON GAIN WAS SO THE SCHOOL WAS GOING TO DO AS THERE WAS NO TRUE INTENT.
AND HE MADE THOSE COMMENTS WITHOUT EVEN DOING THE PROPER INVESTIGATION.
HE FORGOT THAT THE PERPETRATORS MADE THE DECISION TO TAKE THE BELT INTO THE BATHROOM AND ASSAULTED THE VICTIM.
THE VICTIM'S PARENTS LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE PERPETRATORS BULLIED ANOTHER KID INTO OPENING THE HOTEL ROOM SO THEY CAN GET INTO THE BATHROOM WHERE THE VICTIM WAS.
THE PARENTS HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB INVESTIGATING, TALKING TO OTHER PARENTS AND OTHER KIDS TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH THAT THE SCHOOL HAS WHEN THE PARENTS GOT THE DISTRICT INVOLVED, DUE TO THE LACK OF ACTION FROM THE SCHOOL, MR. RE WITHROW HIMSELF FROM THE, SO-CALLED INVESTIGATION AND TOLD THE PARENT PRETTY MUCH TAKE IT UP WITH THE DISTRICT.
THE PARENTS HAD A MINIMUM WITH THE DISTRICT ON MARCH 1ST, WHICH NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE SINCE.
AND THE PARENTS WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE GONNA LOOK INTO EVEN MR. STATING THAT STUDENT THAT HAD SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO REPRESENT THE SCHOOL IN A TEAM TO THEN WEEKS LATER, WHEN THE PARENT ASKED THE DISTRICT FOR FOLLOW UP, THE PARENT WAS SENT TO THE VERY FIRST PERSON THAT DID NOTHING IN THE VERY FIRST PLACE, MR. AND HE HASN'T COMMUNICATED BACK TO THE PARENTS EITHER.
THE PUNISHMENT IS LEFT TO THE VICTIM'S FACE AND TO HIS PARENTS, WHAT IS THE VIC? WHAT IS THE MESSAGE TO THIS KID? THEY CAN BREAK HIM BULLY ALL DAY WANT, AND THE PUNISHMENT WILL JUST TICKLE WHAT IS THE MESSAGE TO THE VICTIM? HE CAN SPEAK UP AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN.
WHAT IS THE MESSAGE TO THE OTHER KIDS, TO THE OTHER TEAM MEMBERS? PUNISHMENT LIKE THIS ARE THE REASON WHY KIDS MAY NO LONGER SPEAK UP, OR THEY BECOME BULLIES THEMSELVES.
THEY BECOME DEPRESSED, START FAILING IN SCHOOL, AND EVEN WORSE, SOME OF MAY COMMIT SUICIDE OF THIS UNFAVORABLE TREATMENT.
THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE WHAT THEY HAVE ALWAYS DONE BEFORE, WHICH IS TALK TO THE COACHES, GIVE A SLAP ON THE WRIST, AND THEN TRY TO BLAME THE VICTIM AS IF THE STUDENT OR THE PARENT BROUGHT THIS ON THEMSELVES.
SO I ASKED YOU, WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT FROM THE SCHOOL AND DISTRICT LEADERS IF YOUR KID WAS HAZING ASSAULTED, WHICH WITH A WHILE NAKED IN A HOTEL BATHROOM, DURING A SCHOOL TRIP? AND I WANNA BRING THAT UP TO YOU, ALL OF YOU AT TIME.
DO WE HAVE, UH, I GUESS THAT CONCLUDES OUR BUSINESS FOR TONIGHT.
SO WE WILL ADJOURN BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTION.
AND THANK YOU TO ALL THAT PARTICIPATED.