[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.
GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
[Call to Order]
BUSINESS MEETING OF JUNE 25TH, 2024.ROBIN, COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHO'S, UM, JOINED US ONLINE? BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE FIVE IN THE ROOM AND WE NEED AT LEAST ONE PERSON FOR A QUORUM.
SO WE HAVE A QUORUM TO GO AHEAD.
THIS MEETING IS BEING CONDUCTED VIA HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING AND IS ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES.
BAGS, BACKPACKS, AND PURSES ARE PROHIBITED BY THE PUBLIC AT 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, WHICH IS LIMITED TO TOPICS ON THE BOARD MEETING AGENDA.
THE SECOND SESSION IS 15 MINUTES IN DURATION AND 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 TIME FRAME, AND FROM SIX TO 6:30 PM FOR THE SECOND TIMEFRAME.
REQUEST SHOULD INCLUDE THE SPEAKER'S NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND TOPIC, AND MUST BE EMAILED TO THE EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO THE BOARD.
THAT'S ROBIN WITH A Y AT ROBIN.
DO CUSHING BERRY AT BEAUFORT DOT K12 SC US REQUESTERS WILL SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVE A PHONE CALL DURING THEIR RESPECTIVE PUBLIC FORUM 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 UPON ARRIVAL IN THE MEETING ROOM.
AN EVENT THE BOARD IS NOT FINISHED ADDRESSING ALL THE ITEMS LISTED ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
WE WILL RECONVENE TOMORROW NIGHT AT 6:00 PM TO FINISH THE AGENDA ITEMS. SO WE NOW NEED A MOTION,
[Executive Session]
UH, COLONEL GEIER TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO RECEIVE RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING, REGARDING FISCAL AUTHORITY COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH SEVEN ZERO A TWO.
ALSO, RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING PENDING LEGAL CLAIMS COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE SECTION THREE ZERO DASH FOUR DASH SEVEN A TWO.
ALSO DISCUSSION OF EMPLOYMENT MATTER PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE SECTION THREE ZERO DASH FOUR DASH SEVEN A ONE.
AND LASTLY, DISCUSSION OF STUDENT DISCIPLINE MATTER PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH SEVEN ZERO A ONE.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING THE REASONS GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? THERE BEING NO HANDS UP THOSE IN THE ROOM.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU, UH, AGREE WITH GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND PLEASE SAY AYE.
SO THAT'S, UH, UNANIMOUS AND IT'S SEVEN IN THE, UH, FIVE MEMBERS PRESENT IN THE, UM, MEETING ROOM ARE CAMPBELL, GORDON, GUS, GEIER, AND DALLAS.
SO WE'LL NOW GO INTO THE CONFERENCE ROOM THAT'S BEHIND US.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ULTIMATE OUTSIDER? FIND OUT ON A JOURNEY FROM THE BEACHES OF THE ATLANTIC TO THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS WHERE YOU CAN UNEARTH NEW OUTDOOR ADVENTURES AROUND EVERY TURN.
AND IF YOU'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES, VISIT ALL OF SOUTH CAROLINA STATE PARKS TO BECOME AN ULTIMATE OUTSIDER.
START YOUR JOURNEY@SOUTHCAROLINAPARKS.COM.
[00:05:01]
PLAY.THE BUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY SERVES AND SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITY FOR LEARNING FOR LEISURE FOR LIFE, BUT NOT JUST FOR ADULTS.
BUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HAS EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES ALL YEAR LONG.
JOIN US FOR STORY TIME AND SUMMER READINGS.
TEENS CAN JOIN OUR ART CLUB LEGO CLUB OR COME TO OUR TEEN HANGOUT SESSIONS.
OUR CALENDAR IS FULL OF EVENTS FOR SMALL KIDS, TEENAGERS, EVEN EVENTS FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
TO SEE OUR EVENT CALENDAR OR FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT BUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY.ORG.
GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BUSINESS MEETING OF JUNE 25TH, 2024.
THIS MEETING IS BEING CONDUCTED VIA HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING AND IS BEING LIVE STREAMED BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
THE BOARD WAS JUST IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE ARE NOW BACK IN PUBLIC SESSION.
[Action as Necessary or Appropriate Regarding Matters Discussed in Executive Session]
CHAIR COLONEL GEIER, DO WE HAVE ANY ACTION AS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE REGARDING THE MATTERS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES, MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION ENTER INTO AN ENGAGEMENT LETTER WITH THE LAW FIRM OF DUFF FREEMAN LYON TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE TO THE BOARD WITH RESPECT TO STUDENT DISCIPLINARY EXPULSION APPEALS AND AUTHORIZED THE BOARD CHAIR TO SIGN THE ENGAGEMENT LETTER ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.OKAY, MR. DALLAS, SECOND THE MOTION.
ANY DISCUSSION MR. SMITH? YES, MA'AM.
MADAM CHAIR, AS WE DISCUSS THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, I'LL ASK THE SAME QUESTION.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UM, IS THIS, I KNOW A WHILE BACK, UH, UM, THAT THE, THE BOARD ESTABLISHED AN ATTORNEY LIST AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THIS ATTORNEY NAME WAS ON THE LIST? SURE, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
FIVE YEARS AGO, THE BOARD DID ESTABLISH, UH, A LIST OF, UH, APPROVED ATTORNEYS.
HOWEVER, THAT LIST IS NOW, UH, VERY MUCH OUT OF DATE.
THEY'RE AT LEAST, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, LAWYERS ARE RETIRED, OTHERS HAVE REPRESENTED, UH, UH, UH, EMPLOYEES OF THE DISTRICT AND NOW WOULD BE CONSIDERED ADVERSARIAL TO THE BOARD.
SO I THINK THE LIST IS, IS, UH, IS, UH, NOT, UH, UM, USABLE AT THIS POINT.
AND SO WE NEED A MOTION TONIGHT.
UH, AND IF THE BOARDS WILL, IS TO APPROVE, UH, THE ATTORNEY FIRM THAT, UH, MR. GEIER JUST READ, CAN THE FIRM WAS DUFF LYON SOMETHING OR OTHER? DUFF FREEMAN LYON DUFF, EXCUSE ME.
THAT WOULD THEREFORE MAKE IT AN APPROVED, UH, UM, FIRM.
AND SO, UH, JUST FOR, FOR FUTURE INFORMATION, UM, THIS WILL BE THE NEW PRACTICE.
THIS IS HOW WE WILL HANDLE THINGS MOVING FORWARD.
WILL THIS, WILL THIS BE THE STANDING PROCEDURES? IT IS.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS UP ONLINE.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY NAYS? UM, MR. SMITH IS GOING TO, ARE YOU A NAY SIR OR AN ABSTENTION MADAM CHAIR AT THIS TIME, I WILL BE SAYING NO.
AND MS. UM, BOATRIGHT WAS IT, YOU SAID AN ABSTENTION? YES.
SO DID YOU GET THAT ROBIN? EVERYBODY WAS YES.
DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER MOTIONS OR ACTION COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION, SIR? NO, MA'AM.
[Approval of Agenda]
MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING, UH, AGENDA APPROVAL? I WILL JUST SAY THAT THE, UH, WHEN WE MET TO, UH, SET THE AGENDA, UM, OUR LOBBYIST, UH, WAS REQUESTED TO COME TO TODAY'S MEETING, BUT HAD A CONFLICT.
SO WE'LL BE AT OUR NEXT MEETING, AND I JUST WANT THE BOARD MEMBERS TO KNOW, BECAUSE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF US THAT WERE AT THAT MEETING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
[00:10:01]
PLEASE SAY AYE.ANY NAYS? ANY ABSTENTIONS? MR. SMITH WILL ABSTAIN.
SO THE AGENDA IS APPROVED WITH ONE ABSTENTION.
[Pledge of Allegiance, Moment of Silence, Statement of Media Notification]
FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.I PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
THE MEDIA WAS PROPERLY NOTIFIED.
[Points of Celebration]
POINTS OF CELEBRATION.THIS EVENING IN POINTS OF CELEBRATION, WE'RE CELEBRATING THE MAY STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR SOUTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
UH, AND 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 TRAITS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND COOPERATION.
RESPONSIBILITY IS DEFINED AS BEING ACCOUNTABLE IN WORD AND DEED, AND COOPERATION IS DEFINED AS THE PROCESS OF WORKING TOGETHER TO THE SAME.
MAY'S STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR SOUTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY IS SAMANTHA EASTERLING, A FIFTH GRADE STUDENT AT THE FUSS ISLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE SAMANTHA IS PRINCIPAL NIKKI LUCAS.
I'M VERY PROUD THIS EVENING TO INTRODUCE SAMANTHA EASTERLING TO THE BOARD AND TO THE THE PUBLIC HERE.
SHE'S ATTENDED DUSKY ISLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR MANY YEARS, AND IS NOT ONLY A ROLE MODEL AND RESPONSIBILITY AND COOPERATION, BUT MANY OF THE OTHER CHARACTER TRAITS THAT WE CELEBRATE AND HONOR EACH MONTH.
SO, SAMANTHA, PLEASE COME OVER.
THE NEXT ITEM THIS EVENING ON POINTS OF CELEBRATION ARE SOME FINANCE AWARDS.
AND SO, UH, THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFERS, UH, OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA ANNOUNCED THAT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS RECEIVED THE GFO A'S DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD FOR ITS BUDGET AND THE CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL REPORTING.
AND HERE TO TELL US ABOUT THE AWARD IS OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
UH, ON THE BUDGET AWARD WE HAVE RECEIVED, UH, WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT, VERY PROUD.
UH, WE ACTUALLY HAD THE AWARD FOR 10 YEARS AND HAVE NOT, UH, APPLIED FOR THE AWARD IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS BECAUSE OF MAJOR CHANGES IN THE FORMAT OF THE SCHOOL BUDGETING.
AND SO, UH, WE, THIS IS OUR FIRST YEAR, UH, ENTERING BACK AND APPLYING FOR THE AWARD.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED THAT WE RECEIVED IT THIS YEAR.
THANK, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE BUDGET AWARD, WE ALSO RECEIVED, UM, THE, UM, CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT IN FINANCIAL REPORTING AND, UM, FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, FISCAL YEAR, UH, 22, 23.
AND SO THAT IS THE, HAS TO BE THE 30TH, ABOUT THE 30TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THAT AWARD AS WELL.
SO, VERY PROUD OF OUR STAFF AND, AND ALL THAT WERE PARTICIPATED IN MADE THIS HAPPEN.
[00:15:29]
THANK YOU.THAT CONCLUDES OUR POINTS OF CELEBRATION THIS EVENING.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE PHONE AND NONE IN PERSON EITHER.
[Chair’s Report]
UH, NOT MUCH TONIGHT.JUST WANT TO, UH, WISH EVERYONE A VERY SAFE AND, UH,
AND I KNOW, UH, WE HAVE SOME STUDENTS IN SUMMER SCHOOL, AND I WISH THEM WELL AND, AND HOPE THEY CAN, UH, UM, ADVANCE THEIR, UH, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN THE, IN THE PROGRAM.
[Committee Reports]
HAVE OUR COMMITTEE REPORTS AND WE HAVE FINANCE REPORTING.AND THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE IS COLONEL GEIER.
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MET ON, UH, 20 JUNE, AND MS. CROSBY UH, PRESENTED THE FOLLOWING REPORTS, MONTHLY BOARD OF EDUCATION REPORT.
UH, THE MONTHLY REPORT SHOWS THAT TO DATE, UH, THE BOARD HAS EXPENDED 73.3% OF ITS BUDGET WITH ONE MONTH TO GO.
SO WE WILL, UH, COME IN WELL UNDER BUDGET.
WE ALSO SUBMITTED THE MONTHLY $100,000 REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL.
THERE WERE NO, UH, QUESTIONS OR, UH, CONCERNS FROM THAT REPORT BY THE COMMITTEE.
AND THEY ALSO PROVIDED THE TRANSPARENCY REPORT.
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.
ALL THE QUESTIONS WERE SATISFACTORILY ANSWERED BY, UH, MS. CROSBY AND THEIR AND HER STAFF.
AND SO THAT REPORT WAS ACCEPTED.
UH, MS. DENISE MATSON PRESENTED THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR THE ESSER FUNDS THROUGH MAY 31ST, 2024.
AND, UH, MS. CRO, UH, MS. CHRISTIAN BARRY, COULD YOU SHOW THE, UH, DASHBOARD, PLEASE? YOU CAN SEE FROM THE CHART THAT WE ARE ON THE VERY, VERY END OF THE SPENDING FOR THE $73 MILLION, UH, PROVIDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, FOR ESSER, UH, FOR THE PANDEMIC, WE HAVE COMPLETED ESSER ONE, ESSER TWO, AND WE ARE 92% COMPLETED WITH ESSER THREE, THE FINAL AND LARGEST, UH, ALLOTMENT.
AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THE, UH, SLOPE, UH, CHART ON THE FAR, UH, LEFT BOTTOM OF THIS, UH, OF THIS CHART THAT WE ARE VERY, VERY CLOSE TO COMPLETING AND, AND HAVE A SUCCESSFUL, UH, EXPENDITURE PROGRAM, UH, FOR THIS, UH, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT PIECE THAT WE'VE DONE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE FULL BOARD ON ANY OF THE REPORTS THAT I'VE GIVEN THUS FAR? NONE.
MS. CROSBY PRESENTED THE OE FIVE FINANCIAL PLANNING.
MS. CROSBY, WOULD YOU COME FORWARD AND PROVIDE THE EVIDENCE FOR THE PRACTICE OF OE FIVE, WHICH IS FINANCIAL PLANNING? UH, JUST A MOMENT.
I NEED TO GRAB ONE OTHER FOLDER.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GO BY THE SCREEN THIS EVENING.
I DON'T SEEM TO HAVE THAT VERSION, UH, THAT COPY IN MY FOLDER.
[00:20:01]
UH, WE'RE GONNA, IT'S A BRIEF SUMMARY, ONE PAGER HERE.UM, SO AS AN OPERATIONAL EXPECTATION, NUMBER FIVE, WE HAVE SOME, UH, ITEMS THAT ARE REQUIRED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, OF THE, UH, STAFF, UM, BY BOARD POLICY, AND ONE OF THOSE ITEMS. AND THESE ALL RELATE TO THE BUDGET, BY THE WAY, MS. CROSBY IN, I JUST, SORRY TO INTERRUPT, UM, FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS, AND IT'S IN YOUR FOLDER, BUT OE FIVE MIGHT BE, UH, NEAR THE END BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S PART OF CONSENT AGENDA.
SO IT, IT, YOU MAY FIND IT FURTHER BACK IN THE PACKET.
SO THE ITEM IS TITLED EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IN THE BACK.
AND, UM, THE FIRST EXPECTATION IS THAT THE DISTRICT MAINTAIN A FUND BALANCE, NO LESS THAN 10% OF THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGETED EXPENDITURES WITH A DESIRED TARGET BETWEEN 15 AND 17%.
THE DISTRICT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT, UH, REQUIREMENT.
UH, AS THE BUDGET HAS BEEN BUILT WITH A, IN THE LAST ROW THERE IS AT 16.9%.
UM, SO THAT IS THE AMOUNT IN RESERVE AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
UM, THE SECOND OE IS 5.2, RELATES TO THE DESIRE FOR THE BOARD TO HAVE A FUND BALANCE MAINTAINED AT A LEVEL THAT ELIMINATES A TAN OR TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE.
SO NO SHORT TERM BORROWINGS IN, WHEN IN TIMES OF CASH FLOW, UM, BEING DEPLETED, UH, ARE WE, I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR FUND BALANCE, AGAIN FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN OVER 20 YEARS, THAT, UH, WE HAVE NOT HAD TO ISSUE A TAN AND WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE ISSUING ONE IN THE FALL.
OUR RESERVES ARE FINALLY AT A LEVEL THAT WILL ALLOW US TO MANAGE OUR CASH FLOWS WITHOUT ADDITIONAL BORROWING.
UH, THE ANNUAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
AND NUMBER THREE, UH, WAS REPORTED OUT TO THE BOARD ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND THEN WE'VE GONE THROUGH TWO ADDITIONAL READINGS WITH COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND THE THIRD IS AT 10:00 AM ON THURSDAY, JUNE 27TH.
SO THAT WILL BE THE THIRD AND FINAL READING, AND THEN WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FINALIZE THAT BUDGET.
INSIDE OF THAT BUDGET ARE MANY ASSUMPTIONS, AND THOSE HAVE ALL BEEN REPORTED OUT TO THE BOARD, AS WELL AS ANY REFLECTIONS OF STATE, UH, REVENUE, UH, POSITIONS, LONG-TERM BUDGET PROJECTIONS, AND ET CETERA.
UH, OUR MILLAGE HAS STAYED THE SAME AT 1 21 0.8.
NO INCREASES IN MILLAGE, EITHER IN OPERATIONS OR DEBT SERVICE THIS YEAR WILL APPLY.
AND, UM, FINALLY, UH, WE HAVE A RECOMMENDED MOTION, AND THAT WILL BE UNDER CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO LOOK AT OUR DEBT SERVICE, MS. CROSBY AND MR. BRIAN NERRICK PROVIDED A DEBT SERVICE UPDATE, AND WE HAVE A MOTION, AND I'LL READ THE MOTION, ASK FOR A SECOND, AND THEN, UH, MS. CROSBY WILL GIVE US SOME MORE DETAILS.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, MILLAGE LEVY TAX YEAR 20, 24.
UM, SO YES, EACH YEAR, UM, UM, INCONSISTENTLY WITH THE PRIOR YEAR, WE HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD A DEBT SERVICE FUND, MILLAGE LEVY SUMMARY.
AND WHAT THIS LEVY SUMMARY DOES IS PROVIDE ALL OF THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS, UH, A LISTING OF THOSE BY DATE, DUE DATE, AND BY BOND SERIES, AND INDICATES HOW MUCH WE WILL NEED IN ORDER TO, UM, HOW MUCH MILLAGE THE DISTRICT WILL NEED, HOW MUCH REVENUE IT WILL NEED AS A RESULT OF THE MILLAGE.
AND DOES OUR CURRENT MILLAGE JUSTIFY THAT AMOUNT? AND SO 36.3 HAS BEEN THE AMOUNT THAT IS DETERMINED TO, UM, BE NEEDED, UM, WITH A REVENUE OF $2.8 MILLION PER MIL.
AND SO THAT AMOUNT IS THE SAME FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.
SO WE DO EXPECT, UH, AGAIN, NO TAX INCREASES, NO MILLAGE INCREASES IN THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.
AND THIS DOCUMENT HELPS DESCRIBE, UM, THE LOW POINTS IN CASH FLOW.
AS WE MENTIONED, UH, OPERATIONS HAS A LOW POINT.
WELL, UH, DEBT SERVICE DOES AS WELL.
UH, THE FUND BALANCE, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE, UH, $10 MILLION AT JUNE 30TH.
UH, THE LOW POINT IS ACTUALLY DECEMBER 31ST, UH, OF 2025, BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE THOSE FALL PAYMENTS COMING IN IN, IN SEPTEMBER.
SO THE LOW POINT, WE, OUR GOAL IS AROUND $5 MILLION PER YEAR.
UH, SO THIS, UH, WE'RE JUST ACCEPT, UH, REQUESTING APPROVAL THIS EVENING FOR, UM, ACCEPTANCE OF THIS REPORT.
AND THIS INFORMATION WILL BE FORWARDED ON TO THE COUNTY AUDITOR'S OFFICE, WHICH HAS
[00:25:01]
HE, THEY'VE ALREADY REQUESTED INFORMATION TO BE DUE IN BY JULY 31ST.ALL RIGHT, ANY, UM, DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.
MS. CROSBY ALSO PRESENTED INFORMATION ON THE COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROGRAM, FOOD SERVICE.
THE PRESENTATION PROVIDED BACKGROUND INFORMATION, AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM AND BENEFITS TO OUR SCHOOLS REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE STATE, ALONG WITH THE STAFF FROM THE NUTRITION GROUP.
I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION, AND THEN AFTER THE MOTION IS READ, UH, MS. CROSBY WILL GIVE, UH, THE BOARD FULL MORE DETAILS.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AUTHORIZE ALL SCHOOLS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE USDA COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROGRAM BEGINNING IN THE 20 24 20 25 SCHOOL YEAR.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT.
WHO WAS FIRST? IT DOESN'T MATTER.
OKAY, WE'LL LET MS. MS. CROSBY YES, SIR.
UH, THANK YOU FOR TAKING UP THIS ITEM.
UH, THE COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROGRAM WAS A PROGRAM ESTABLISHED BY CONGRESS IN 2010 UNDER THE HEALTHY HUNGER FREE KIDS ACT.
UM, PURSUANT TO BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS, WE HAVE HAVE, UH, OS 37 OF FOOD SERVICE.
THAT DOES REQUIRE THAT WE COME TO THE BOARD ANNUALLY AND DISCUSS THE CALCULATIONS THAT WE DO ANNUALLY TO SEE IF ANY OTHER SCHOOLS MAY BE ELIGIBLE.
THE DISTRICT CURRENTLY HAS 24 SCHOOLS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROGRAM, AND THIS PROVIDES A FREE LUNCH AND A FREE BREAKFAST TO EACH STUDENT IN THOSE FULL SCHOOLWIDE PROGRAMS, UH, EVERY DAY FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO WE HAVE, WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW IS PROPOSING THAT FOR THE 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR, THAT BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, ADD ALL OF THE REMAINING 10 SCHOOLS TO THAT PROGRAM.
THOSE SCHOOLS INCLUDE BLUFFTON ELEMENTARY, BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL, CUSA ELEMENTARY, HILTON HEAD, HIGH, MCCRACKEN, MIDDLE, MAY RIVER HIGH, OKEE ELEMENTARY, CHARVILLE ELEMENTARY, AND RIVER RIDGE ACADEMY.
BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM, OBVIOUSLY THE MAIN, THE PRIMARY BENEFIT OF THE PROGRAM IS TO FEED CHILDREN.
UH, WE WANT THEM TO EAT A NEW HEALTHY, NUTRITIOUS MEAL EACH DAY.
AND THIS WILL PROVIDE ONE FREE, UH, ONE MEAL, UH, BREAKFAST AND LUNCH AT NO COST TO STUDENTS OR PARENTS.
PARENTS WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO FILL OUT A MEAL APPLICATION.
IT WILL NOT ACCUMULATE NEGATIVE MEAL DEBT ON THE PRIMARY MEAL.
UM, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO CONTACT FAMILIES CONSTANTLY FOR, TO TRY TO GET UNPAID MEAL BALANCES COLLECTED.
UM, SO AC IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, IT REDUCES SOCIAL STIGMA BETWEEN THOSE WHO HAVE A FREE LUNCH AND THOSE WHO HAVE, UH, REDU OR FREE AND REDUCED VERSUS THOSE WHO ARE PAYING.
AND OVERALL, IT HAS, IT DECREASES A, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN BURDEN ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AT THE SCHOOLS TO, TO COLLECT THE MEALS, UM, APPLICATIONS AND THE MEAL, UNPAID MEAL DEBT.
UM, CEP GOES IS BASED ON AN ELIGIBILITY FROM THE USDA.
IT IS A PROGRAM OF THE USDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND IS BASED ON PERCENTAGES AND THOSE, UM, UH, UH, DATA FROM, SPECIFICALLY FROM STATEWIDE PROGRAMS. THOSE PROGRAMS ARE COMMONLY KNOWN AS SNAP, WHICH IS THE FOOD ST STAMP PROGRAM, TANF, WHICH IS THE WELFARE, ALSO KNOWN AS WELFARE PROGRAM, FOOD DISTRIBUTION ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS AND MEDICAID.
SO THOSE FACTORS, WE GET DATA FROM THE STATE TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION OF WHAT SCHOOLS ARE ELIGIBLE, AND WE USE THAT TO SEE WHICH SCHOOLS, WHICH OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE ELIGIBLE IN.
IN THIS YEAR, EVERY SCHOOL IN OUR DISTRICT IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, SO IT ALSO HAS TO BE FINANCIALLY VIABLE.
AND IT, UH, WE HAVE PROJECTED, I'VE WORKED WITH THE, THE NUTRITION GROUP STAFF WHO ARE HERE THIS EVENING, JOE, GE WHITE, AND WALTER MOONEY.
UM, THEY ARE, UM, HERE SUPPORTING THE, THE INITIATIVE AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO DO OUR FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHANGE IN FUNDING, SO CHANGE FROM STUDENTS AND PARENTS PAYING TO THE USDA REIMBURSING AT A HIGHER LEVEL, UM, THAT BALANCE WOULD BREAK THE, UH, BREAK EVEN FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR COME, COME WITH A SLIGHT PROFIT AVAILABLE, WHICH WOULD BE REINVESTED BACK INTO THE PROGRAM.
[00:30:01]
AND SO, FINALLY THIS EVENING, UM, WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND, UM, TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS PROGRAM.THE FOOD SERVICE FUND ALSO HAS A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, WHICH WE ARE, UH, IN THE PROCESS OF, UM, REDUCING AND REINVESTING BACK IN THE PROGRAM AS REQUIRED BY THE STATE NUTRITION OFFICE.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE THAT AS THE, UM, JUST A, A, A PLAN B IF FOR ANY REASON THAT THE PROGRAM WAS NOT PROFITABLE IN THE FIRST YEAR, AND THEN WE CAN ADJUST TO MAKE SURE, UH, WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO WE DO HAVE THAT AS A BACKUP PLAN AS WELL.
SO THIS EVENING, I'M JUST, I'M REQUESTING A MOTION TO, UM, MOVE, AUTHORIZE ALL SCHOOLS TO BE CEP FOR THE 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR.
SO YOU, YOU HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY YEAR, CORRECT? YES, WE DO.
SO, UM, BASICALLY UNDER UNDERSTANDING THIS, BASICALLY ALL THE SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT WILL EAT FOR FREE, ALL STUDENTS, ALL ONE FREE BREAKFAST, ONE FREE LUNCH.
ANY ADDITIONAL WOULD BE, HAVE TO BE A PAYING STATUS.
AND THEN ANY, ALL A CART SALES, WHICH WOULD BE AN EXTRA BAG OF CHIPS, LIKE THE SUN CHIPS OR A GATORADE, OR A SMOOTHIE THAT MAY BE OFFERED BY THE GROUP THAT ARE UNDER THE NUTRITION PROGRAMS, THOSE WOULD BE PAID AS WELL.
BUT THE PRIMARY MEAL, ONE FREE LUNCH, ONE FREE BREAKFAST DAILY, SIR.
UM, AND ALSO, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION AND BASICALLY SAYING THIS, BASICALLY, UH, THE USDA IS WHO'S PAYING FOR THIS? WHO'S FITNESS BILL, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR.
SO BASICALLY THE DISTRICT WILL FUND IT ON THE, THE DISTRICT WILL FUND IT ON THE FRONT END, AND THE USDA WILL REIMBURSE THE DISTRICT ON THE BACKEND.
IS THAT, IS THAT TO BE UNDERSTANDING? YES.
WE RECEIVE MONTHLY REIMBURSEMENTS, AND THOSE WILL INCREASE AS IF WITH THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
WE CLAIM, WE CLAIM THE EXACT NUMBER OF MEALS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING, AND WE, WE EXPECT IN THIS PROGRAM BASED ON HISTORY, THAT OUR, UH, MEALS PARTICIPATION LEVELS WILL INCREASE.
SO NUMBER OF MEALS THAT WE'RE SERVING WILL INCREASE AND AS RE UM, THEREFORE THE REIMBURSEMENTS WILL INCREASE FROM USDA.
WELL, MY ONLY JUST, I JUST WONDER FOR A SLIGHT SECOND.
I KNOW THAT, THAT, LIKE, AS YOU SAID, THE NUMBER OF MEALS WILL INCREASE.
ARE, WILL OUR FUND BALANCE ALSO, UH, HAVE ROOM FOR THIS NEW, UH, NEW PROGRAM AS WELL? YES, SIR.
UH, THIS PROGRAM WILL BREAK EVEN IN, IN COST, BUT IF FOR ANY REASON OUR ESTIMATES OR ASSUMPTIONS ARE INCORRECT, THE, THE FOOD SERVICE FUND HAS ITS OWN FUND BALANCE.
IT HAS A FUND BALANCE OF $9 MILLION AS OF THE END OF THE FISCAL, THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR.
WE HAVEN'T FINALIZED THE THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE CONSIDERABLE, SOME RESERVES THERE IN CASE THERE IS A SHORT TERM LOSS FOR ANY REASON.
BUT WE DON'T EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN.
QUICK QUESTION FOR THE FOOD GROUP, THE NUTRITION GROUP, SORRY.
UM, WITH THE INCREASE IN DEMAND THAT'S REALLY DISTRACTING,
ARE YOU GONNA INCREASE STAFF? BECAUSE I KNOW ONE OF THE DETERRENT TO GETTING LUNCH IS THAT IT TAKES YOUR ENTIRE LUNCH PERIOD TO BE IN LINE.
SO MY CHIL MY CHILDREN WENT THROUGH HILTON HEAD HIGH, AND THAT WAS ALWAYS A PROBLEM.
THEY WOULD BRING THEIR LUNCH JUST BECAUSE BY THE TIME THEY GOT TO GET THEIR LUNCH, THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD TO GET TO A CLUB OR SOMETHING.
SO IS THERE A PLAN TO INCREASE, UH, STAFF AT THOSE SCHOOLS? RESPECTFULLY? COULD THEY SPEAK AT THE MIC? JUST IF YOU COULD JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND, SURE.
I'M JOE GEIS WHITE, UH, WITH THE NUTRITION GROUP.
AND, UH, YES, THE ANSWER YOUR QUESTION AS THE NEEDS FOR, UH, STAFFING GOES UP AS THE, THE MEAL SERVICE.
WE ARE PLANNING ON INCREASING STAFF, ALONG WITH RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE OR THE, OR NOT OUR MINIMUM WAGE.
THE STARTING WAGE FOR ALL, ALL STAFF FROM, YOU KNOW, BEAUFORD AREA TO HILTON HAD THE BLUFFED IN.
SO WE'RE HOPING, WE'VE BEEN VERY COMPETITIVE WITH OUR, OUR STAFFING, AND WE WERE A HUNDRED PER A HUNDRED PERCENT FULLY STAFFED AT THE END OF THIS, THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
SO THAT'S QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR, FOR THE TEAM.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO GO TO ROLL INTO THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
SO I WOULD ASSUME, UM, SINCE NOW ALL THE SCHOOLS WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM, THAT YOU WOULD SEE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, UM, TAKING THE BREAKFAST AND THE LUNCH EACH DAY? YES.
DO YOU KNOW BY HOW MUCH WE'RE PROJECTING, UH, IN THE, THE 10 SCHOOLS? ABOUT A 10% INCREASE IN BREAKFAST AND LUNCH? YEAH.
AND THAT'S A CONSERVATIVE NUMBER.
UM, BUT IT'S JUST A PROJECTION AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH THAT.
[00:35:02]
ALL RIGHT.WE HAVE THE MOTION ON THE TABLE.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY NAYS? ANY ABSTENTIONS? THE MOTION IS APPROVED TO UNANIMOUSLY.
OUR LAST, UH, BRIEFING THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE RECEIVED WAS THE MINORITY WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE REPORT THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE, UH, PRESENTED TO THE BOARD.
AND IT OUTLINES OUR PROGRESS TO, UH, MEET THE BOARD'S GOAL OF 20 10% OF CONTROLLABLE BUDGET SPENT ON MINORITY BUSINESSES, OWNED CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENTS AND SUPPLIES.
UH, WE'RE TRYING REALLY, REALLY HARD, UH, TO MEET THIS GOAL.
UH, THIS IS A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT THING TO, UH, TO GET, MOSTLY BECAUSE WE CANNOT SEEM TO GET ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT HAVE GOTTEN THE PROPER CREDENTIALS TO APPLY FOR THIS.
NOW, MANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE GETTING POSITIONS THROUGH SUBCONTRACTS FROM THE MAJOR CONTRACTORS, AND WE WORKED VERY, VERY HARD IN JOB FAIRS AND PROVIDING INFORMATION TO CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, BOTH THE, UH, WHITE AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS.
BUT IN THE REPORTING PERIOD, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE 663,600, $11 AND 86 CENTS TO THESE BUSINESSES, WHICH CAME TO ABOUT 7%.
SO WE ARE MISSING OUR GOAL BY THREE PER, UH, 3% THIS YEAR.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE, UH, PROGRESS IN ADVERTISING AND MARKETING THIS PROGRAM TO GET MORE OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES INVOLVED IN OUR CONTRACTS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR, UH, REFERENDUM, UH, CONSTRUCTION BUDGET.
AND OUR, OUR, UH, 8% ANNUAL CONSTRUCTION BUDGET.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT PROGRAM, SUE SMITH? UM, IT DEFINITELY TROUBLES ME THAT WE CAN'T GET TO THE 10% DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE CAN GET THESE COMPANIES TO COME IN AND SUBCONTRACT MINORITY WORKERS, AFRICAN AMERICAN WORKERS, LATINO WORKERS.
UM, I WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT THIS PROBABLY ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND THE, THEN, THIS IS KIND OF EXACTLY WHAT THE PERSON ASKED ME, WELL, HOW CAN Y'ALL GET THEM? HOW CAN Y'ALL SUBCONTRACT THE WORKOUT TO DIFFERENT COMPANIES? BUT AS A, AS A DISTRICT, BUT YOU CAN'T HIRE THEM DIRECTLY TO WORK FOR THE DISTRICT.
UH, IS IT JUST, IS IT IS REALLY JUST ABOUT THE MONEY OR THE BODY, IT'S ABOUT THE INSURANCE.
AND THE PERSON WENT TO ASK ME IN, IN, IN TERMS OF WHAT IS THE DISTRICT DOING, JUST BESIDES PUTTING THE INFORMATION OUT THERE ON WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE.
ARE THEY, ARE THEY HOSTING CLASSES? ARE THEY HA HAVING DIFFERENT, UH, MEETINGS TO SHOW PEOPLE HOW TO, HOW TO DO THIS WORK? WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE? DIFFERENT QUESTIONS OF, OF THAT NATURE WAS WHAT THE, THE, UM, WHAT WAS, IS WHAT THE PERSON WAS PRETTY MUCH ASKING ME SOME OF THIS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT IN TIME WHEN WE BRING THIS REPORT, I WOULD JUST LIKE SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF, SOME OF THE, THAT INFORMATION TO BE, UH, BOUGHT AND WHAT PARTICULARLY WHO ARE WHO, WHERE, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, AND HOW ARE WE ACTIVELY ENGAGED GETTING THIS THING TAKEN CARE OF SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE THAT COME UP TO ME, UH, WE, WE CAN GIVE THEM THAT INFORMATION.
BUT FOR ME PERSONALLY, I DO AGREE THAT WE CAN SUBCONTRACT THIS WORK OUT, BUT WHAT, WE CAN'T ACTUALLY GIVE THEM THESE CONTRACTS BECAUSE WE CONTROL HOW WE WRITE THESE, HOW WE WRITE THE MD, UM, NOT M NOT MOUS.
AND I, I THINK THAT WE MAY NEED TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE AND SEE HOW WE CAN POSSIBLY, EVEN WHOEVER IT'S CHANGE IT, OR HOW CAN WE MEET THE NEEDS OF SOME OF THESE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY, HOW WE CAN LET THEM GET SOME OF THIS, SOME OF THIS MONEY TO, AND NOT JUST BE THE, ON THE, BE THE, UH, MIDDLEMAN, I MEAN, THE BOTTOM MAN OF THE, THE MIDDLE MAN GET GETTING SOME OF THIS MONEY.
I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT WE, WE SHOULD, WITH OUR FINANCES BEING NUMBER ONE IN THE STATE, I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE A DEEPER DIVE IN THIS, UH, FROM, FROM WHERE I'M FROM, WHERE I'M, WHERE IT AT.
JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
UH, THERE IS A NEW ORGANIZATION THAT'S COME INTO BEAUFORT COUNTY
[00:40:01]
THAT HAS MET WITH OUR PROCUREMENT FOLKS.UH, THEY SPONSORED A EVENT AT THE BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE THAT I WENT TO, AND THAT'S THEIR FUNCTION.
THAT'S WHAT THEIR NONPROFIT, AND THEY'RE GOING OUT AND REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY TO TRAIN THEM AND TELL THEM HOW THEY CAN GET THE, UH, INSURANCE, THE BONDING, UH, THE CERTIFICATIONS THAT THEY NEED TO GET, UH, THE ABILITY TO APPLY TO THESE CONTRACTS.
WE ARE, WE ARE WORKING CLOSE WITH, WITH HER.
AND SHE HAS, UH, GOT PLANS TO MEET WITH ALL OUR PRIMES, UH, AS CONTRACTS ARE, UH, LET OUT TO HELP THE PRIMES UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE'S GOT.
AND SHE'S BUILDING UP A, A, A SERIES OF RESUMES TO BE ABLE TO GIVE TO THE PRIME CONTRACTORS.
SO, UH, THIS KIND OF HAPPENED THROUGH SERENDIPITY, UH, THAT, UH, SHE, UH, CAME BY THE, UH, DISTRICT OFFICE, MET DR. RODRIGUEZ, UH, MET WITH, UH, UH, PROCUREMENT.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR US, UH, TO, TO DO BETTER ON THIS
I THINK TOO, THE, THE THING WE'RE MISSING HERE, WE CAN ADVERTISE TO THE CURRENT ENTREPRENEURS OUT THERE, BUT WE ARE INVESTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN OUR KATE PROGRAMS, AND WE NEED TO TEACH THESE KIDS.
WE NEED TO TEACH OUR CURRENT WOMEN AND MINORITY, UH, KATE WORKERS HOW TO GET THESE CONTRACTS BECAUSE THIS IS ADVANCED ENTREPRENEURSHIP, THIS IS GOVERNMENT REGULATION.
IT TAKES SCALE, IT TAKES A LOT OF DILIGENCE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT ONE AVENUE THAT WE COULD EXPLORE WOULD BE INCORPORATING INTO OUR CAPE PROGRAM SOME ENTREPRENEURSHIP, UH, AND HOW TO MANAGE THESE KINDS OF CONTRACTS.
THE OTHER THING IS WE SHOULD PARTNER WITH SOME OF THE OTHER, LIKE THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
THE HILTON HEAD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS DOING A, UM, JOBS NOW PROGRAM.
WHEN WE DO GIVE THESE CONTRACTS, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO PUT SOME SORT OF ENCOURAGEMENT OR PRESSURE ON THE GROUPS THAT WE ARE HIRING TO MENTOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF, UM, CON LANDSCAPERS, CONTRACTORS THAT WE ARE TRAINING IN THE SCHOOLS TO SORT OF SHOW THEM WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE, BECAUSE IT IS INTIMIDATING AND DAUNTING AS SOMEONE IN HEALTHCARE.
YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT EASY, IT'S NOT EASY PLAY.
SO I THINK THAT IS AN AREA THAT WE COULD REALLY EXPLORE.
IT'S NOT GONNA, UH, YIELD IMMEDIATE RESULTS, BUT I THINK IT WILL YIELD MUCH STRONGER LONG TERM RESULTS.
MR. CAMPBELL, UM, LET, LET ME SAY THIS.
UM, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS.
UH, MR. HARDING HAVE HAD, UM, MEETINGS AND, AND PROGRAMS TO INVITE PEOPLE TO COME TO THESE MEETINGS.
THEY DON'T SHOW UP AND THEY KNOW ABOUT IT.
UM, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE STATE HAS A, A, A PROGRAM.
IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTER WITH THE STATE, YOU ARE GONNA GET NO JOB, PERIOD.
WE HAVE HAD, WE HAVE HAD TWO GENTLEMEN, STEPHEN GREEN AND ARTHUR CUMMINS, BEEN TRYING TO GET THESE GUYS TOGETHER TO LET THEM KNOW HOW TO GET A, GET A JOBS.
MB CONN HAS A PROGRAM AND FOR YEARS TO HELP PEOPLE GET, UH, LICENSED AND, AND BONDED.
I MEAN, SO YOU, YOU ARE FIGHTING A, A BATTLE THAT YOU CANNOT WIN, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR THE LAST 30 SOMETHING YEARS, SIMPLE AS THAT TO RESPOND TO MS. BOATWRIGHTS.
UH, VERY, VERY VALID POINT, RIGHT? WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO ALSO TEACH, UH, ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE THEIR FOLKS DOING IN THE DIFFERENT TRADES THAT THE, THEIR TRAINING THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH IS DO A BID, WRITE UP, A BID PROJECT BASED LEARNING AND PROJECT.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM.
AND WHEN DR. RODRIGUEZ MET WITH THEIR, UH, STUDENTS, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GOING IN STARTING THEIR BUSINESS.
AND SO THERE'S A START AND THERE'S, THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD
[00:45:01]
THINGS HAPPENING IN THE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, AND FRANKLY, THOSE FOLKS ARE GONNA BE MORE SUCCESSFUL EARLIER THAN SOME OF OUR COLLEGE, UH, STUDENTS ARE GOING TO BE BECAUSE THEY'LL HAVE THEIR OWN BUSINESS BEFORE THE COLLEGE STUDENT DOES.SO THERE IS A TIKTOK HASHTAG THAT'S GOTTEN POPULAR CALLED BLUE COLLAR.
I DO THINK THIS NEXT GENERATION IS GOING TO SEE THE VALUE OF HANDS-ON LABOR AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT ABOUT ACE, BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS DISTRICT SHOULD BE DOING.
UM, I DEFINITELY DO APPRECIATE THAT.
WHAT, UM, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID TO MR. UM, MR. UH, MR. GUYER, I DO APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT INFORMATION FORWARD, BUT I'M STILL LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY AND A DIFFERENT METHOD FROM THE DISTRICT AND TO, I UNDERSTAND WHAT MY OTHER COLLEAGUE, MR. CAMPBELL, MR. CAMPBELL SAID TOO, IS ABOUT, ABOUT THEM, ABOUT THOSE WHO'VE HAD CLASSES IN THE, IN THE PAST.
THIS GUY WHO ASKED ME ABOUT THIS INFORMATION RECENTLY, THIS, THIS GUY'S PROBABLY, MAYBE ABOUT, HE'S YOUNGER THAN THIS GUY HERE IS PROBABLY MAYBE ABOUT 30, 34, 30, 30, 33.
HE, HE'S, HE'S, HE'S A YOUNG GUY, UH, WORK WORKING CONTRACTS AND LOOKING TO FORMULATE AND GROW AND GROW HIS, HIS, HIS COMPANY.
SO THAT MAY HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, BUT JUST BECAUSE IT DON'T WORK FOR A LITTLE WHILE, YOU DON'T STOP AT IT.
WE DON'T STOP EDUCATING THE RIVER.
SOME GETTING REV AND SOME GETTING, THE OTHERS DON'T GET.
WE KEEP DRIVING ABOVE THE MIDDLE.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, ALL THAT'S GOOD AND FINE, BUT I'M LOOKING OF DIFFERENT WAYS, MORE INNOVATIVE WAYS.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY FOR US TO KEEP MOVING THIS DISTRICT AND KEEP DRILLING DOWN TO REACH MORE PEOPLE AND TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, TO GET THE PEOPLE WORKING IN THIS COMMUNITY POINT BLANK PERIOD.
IT TAKES A TEAM, IT TAKES US ALL TO GET THIS DONE.
SO WHAT THAT LOOK LIKE, I MAY, I, I MAY NOT, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE REASON, I MEAN ALL, ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT WHAT I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO DO WANT THAT INFORMATION AND WHO DO WANT THESE CONTRACTS, WHO PAY TAXES IN THIS COMMUNITY, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S MY POINT, POINT BLANK PERIOD.
I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION THAT MR. GEIER HAS GIVING OUT THAT INFORMATION NEEDS, NEED, NEEDS TO BE BLASTED, NEEDS TO BE KNOWN THAT THIS IS WHAT IS GOING ON.
AND I ALSO AGREE WITH MRS. BOATWRIGHT ABOUT THIS, THIS INFORMATION SHOULD BE IN THE CLASSES THAT GO BACK TO THE BASICS.
WE HAVE TO, TO KEEP TEACHING OUR KIDS THE BASICS UPON TECHNOLOGY, GROWING, GROWING, GROWING, AND DEVELOPING OUR KIDS.
I WON'T PROLONG IT, BUT I, BUT THAT'S JUST WHAT I WANNA PUT FORWARD.
I THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO.
UH, MADAM CHAIR, THE NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE ON AUGUST 1ST AT, UH, 2:30 PM AND THAT CONCLUDES, UH, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT.
[Superintendent’s Report]
UM, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, DR. RODRIGUEZ.UH, THIS EVENING ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT UNDER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, WE HAVE, UH, SUMMER SCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMMING UPDATE.
STRATOS IS ON HER WAY, UH, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE UNDER OTHER MATTERS, A CELL PHONE UPDATE.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR, DR. RODRIGUEZ AND BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE HANDOUTS REGARDING TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION.
YOU'LL HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ON A PILOT THAT WAS EXECUTED.
THIS, ACTUALLY, IT'S STILL HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AT ONE OF OUR LOCAL MIDDLE SCHOOLS HERE ON THE ISLAND, AS WELL AS THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
SO THIS EVENING, KAREN MCKINSEY, DIRECTOR OF SECONDARY WILL SHARE HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR DISTRICT SPONSORED SUMMER SCHOOL AND CAMPS PRIOR TO THE PRESENTATION, I WANNA BRING FORWARD TWO POINTS.
ONE, THIS YEAR, SUMMER SCHOOL HAD A REDUCTION OF APPROXIMATELY 1000 STUDENTS.
THIS IS DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE YEAR LONG WORK THAT SCHOOLS CONDUCTED DURING THIS YEAR AND AFTER SCHOOL AND DURING THE SCHOOL DAY TUTORING.
IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS AT GRADE LEVEL AND BEING READY FOR THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL, I WANNA GIVE KUDOS TO OUR TEACHERS AND OUR PRINCIPALS FOR THAT EXTENSIVE WORK, BECAUSE AS A RESULT, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE MONEY FOR THE DISTRICT.
SECOND ITEM, WE, WE HAVE ACTUALLY EXTENDED OUR SUMMER CAMPS INTO JULY TO THREE OF OUR EXTENDED LEARNING SITES.
THERE'LL BE AN ADDITIONAL 100 STUDENTS BEING SERVED IN CAMPS THROUGH THE MONTH OF JULY.
WITH THAT, I DO WANNA TURN THE PRESENTATION OVER TO MS. MCKINZIE, MS. MCKINZIE, SO YOU COULD HAVE A LITTLE MORE OF EXPERIENCE OF WHAT YOUR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS ARE DOING.
[00:50:01]
THANK YOU, DR.GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME FORWARD AND SHARE SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOLS DURING THE SUMMER.
TONIGHT, WE ARE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS OUTSIDE OF OUR TRADITIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, BUT I DID WANNA PROVIDE YOU THE NUMBERS FOR WHAT'S CURRENTLY GOING ON IN SUMMER SCHOOL.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE 779 ELEMENTARY STUDENTS THAT ARE BEING SERVED, 248 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND 364 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
THOSE STUDENTS ARE STILL ACTIVELY WORKING THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK.
SO ONCE THOSE COURSES ARE FINISHED, WE WILL COME BACK AND SHARE THEIR MANY SUCCESSES WITH YOU AT THAT TIME.
BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT WORKS REALLY DILIGENTLY TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A MYRIAD OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SUMMER.
THIS ALLOWS THEM TO EXTEND THAT LEARNING OUTSIDE OF THE REGULAR CLASSROOM.
ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAD THIS YEAR IS OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PAT CONROY CENTER.
THIS WAS THE SEVENTH YEAR OF THE ANNUAL CONROY CAMP.
UM, IT IS FOR YOUNG WRITERS AND YOUNG ARTISTS.
THIS PROGRAM SERVES STUDENTS WHO ARE AGES NINE THROUGH 14 THIS YEAR.
IT'S LOCATED AT ROBERT SMALLS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, AND I AM GONNA SAY, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR THAT OFTEN.
HE HAS OPENED HIS DOORS TO MANY OF US THIS YEAR.
THAT PROGRAM IS SERVING 30 STUDENTS RIGHT NOW.
AND WHAT THOSE STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED IN IS THEY'RE ENGAGED IN RESEARCH.
THEY ARE ENGAGED IN WRITING, ILLUSTRATING, AND CREATING THEIR OWN BOOK.
SO THAT IS AN EXCITING PROGRAM.
I WAS FORTUNATE TO GO OUT AND MEET WITH THOSE KIDS LAST WEEK, AND I WILL TELL YOU, THEY ARE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE CREATING.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT FINAL PRODUCT.
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE, ONE THAT'S DEAR TO MY HEART IS SEA ISLAND SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS CSA.
THIS YEAR WE HELD IT AT TWO LOCATIONS.
ROBERT SMALLS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AND RIVER RIDGE ACADEMY.
BOTH OF OUR LOCATIONS TOGETHER SERVED 192 STUDENTS.
THIS IS A MARKED INCREASE FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
WE TYPICALLY RUN ABOUT 150, SO WE'RE WAY OVER THAT.
UM, CSA THIS YEAR PROVIDED DANCE THEATER, VOCAL MUSIC, INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC, VISUAL ARTS AND ENGINEERING.
UM, THE ENGINEERING, THEY CREATED ARCADES.
I ENJOYED PLAYING THAT LAST WEEK.
AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE SOME PICTURES OF OUR STUDENTS AND WHAT SOME OF THOSE THINGS LOOK LIKE.
I MUST DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE PICTURE AT THE TOP CORNER.
THAT IS A STUDENT RENDITION OF THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE.
I DID NOT CATCH A PICTURE OF ANOTHER PERFORMANCE THAT I WISH I HAD BECAUSE IT WAS OUR THIRD GRADE STUDENTS DOING HAMLET.
AND IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN A THIRD GRADER DO HAMLET, IT WILL CHANGE YOU.
UM, IN THE MIDDLE THERE IS MR. GASKINS.
HE IS OUR BAND DIRECTOR AT WHALE BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, AND HE DID A REMARKABLE THING.
HE LED PRETTY MUCH THREE PROGRAMS IN ONE KIDS WHO HAD NEVER PICKED UP AN INSTRUMENT, WERE ABLE TO PICK ONE UP AND FIND OUT WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT, GET THEM ENERGIZED TO JOIN MY PROGRAM FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND HE ALSO TOOK THOSE REALLY HIGH GIFTED KIDS AND GOT THEM READY FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS THIS YEAR.
DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, YOU SEE THOSE ARE 3D UM, SELF PORTRAITS.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, IT WAS A PACKED HOUSE AT ROBERT SMALLS THAT DAY WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR PARENTS.
AND THAT MURAL SET UP OF THOSE, THOSE WORKS WAS A FAVORITE.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU'LL SEE STUDENTS CREATED THEIR OWN BOOKS, ENGAGED IN HISTORY AND ART, AND THEY WERE PHENOMENAL, TRULY PHENOMENAL.
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS YEAR TO OUR STUDENTS WAS OUR MED TECH SEVEN STEM CAMPS.
SO FAR WE'VE HAD TWO CAMPS THAT HAVE SERVED 83 STUDENTS.
ONE OF THOSE WAS HELD AT LADIES ALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND ONE WAS HELD AT WELL BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.
WE DO HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL CAMPS PLANNED IN JULY.
UM, AND THOSE ARE GONNA BE HELD AT SOME OF OUR LOCAL CHURCHES IN NORTH OF ABROAD.
WE DO LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU WHEN WE COME BACK FOR SUMMER PROGRAMS. IF YOU WILL ALLOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT PICTURE OF SOME SLIDES OF THOSE STUDENTS ENGAGED, UM, INTERACTIVE ART ACTIVITIES, UM, I'M JUST GONNA BE HONEST, SOME OF THE SCIENCE STUFF THEY WERE DOING WAS WAY OVER MY HEAD.
SO I WAS, I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
THEY WERE TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE DIVISION OF THIS AND, UH, IT WAS A LOT, BUT IT WAS FUN.
ANOTHER THING THAT YOU'LL SEE THEM DOING IS THEY'RE DOING AN ENGINEERING PROJECT SITTING ON THE GROUND AND THEY'RE DEVELOPING THINGS.
THEY'RE MAKING THINGS LIKE ROBOTS, THEY'RE MAKING AND CREATING, UM, REALLY ENGAGING.
I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO SOME OF THE STUDENTS
[00:55:01]
AND ONE KID SAID, I LOVE THIS CAMP.AND FINALLY, WE HAVE A VERY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY, AND I WILL SAY IT ORIGINATED FROM AMONG YOU LAST YEAR, THE QUESTION WAS POSED TWO YEARS AGO, I APOLOGIZE, SORRY, TWO YEARS AGO.
IT WAS POSED TO ME AND SAID, WHY DON'T WE DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN ONLINE PROGRAMMING FOR SUMMER SCHOOL? AND WE TOOK SOME TIME AND WE REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, AND WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A SCHOOL WILLING TO PILOT THAT FOR US.
THIS YEAR, THE PILOT WAS OFFERED AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND IT PROVIDED A SHORT BREAKDOWN FOR YOU IN AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, BUT ALSO WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
IT IS A STANDARDS BASED PROGRAM, BUT IT PROVIDES FIELD OPPORTUNITY EXPERIENCES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
IT INVOLVED IN DEPTH READINGS OF TWO NOVELS.
ONE OF THE NOVELS IS THE SEA ISLAND SECRET, AND THAT WAS WRITTEN BY A LOCAL AUTHOR HERE.
THE OTHER I'M EXCITED TO TELL YOU WAS MAY RIVER SHRIMPING, WHICH WAS WRITTEN BY ONE OF OUR VERY OWN TEACHERS, ANTHONY SAIS.
BOTH OF THOSE AUTHORS HAVE COME INTO THE SCHOOL.
THEY HAVE READ PART OF THEIR WORK TO THE STUDENTS.
THEY'VE ALLOWED THE STUDENTS TO ASK QUESTIONS, HAVE THOSE RICH, ENGAGING DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR STUDENTS.
THE OTHER THING THEY'VE DONE IS WALK THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A NOVEL.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN AUTHOR? SO THAT'S EXCITING.
THE STUDENTS WERE ALSO ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE SCHOOL.
THEY WENT TO MITCHELLVILLE, THEY WENT TO FORT WALKER, THEY WENT TO THE BEACH AND MET WITH THE SEA ISLAND TURTLE TRACKERS PROGRAM,
THOSE FIELD EXPERIENCES ALLOWED OUR STUDENTS TO REALLY EXPAND THEIR LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO BE A PART OF THAT.
THE STUDENT RESEARCH GROUPS THAT ARE WORKING AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL ARE DEVELOPING THIS PROGRAM TO EXTEND INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO THEY WILL BE LEADING THAT IN THEIR SCHOOL NEXT YEAR WITH OTHER STUDENTS.
THE PROJECTS WERE FOCUSED ON SEVERAL THINGS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, SUSTAINABILITY, PRESERVATION, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
AND I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE OF PICTURES, YOU WILL SEE THE SEA ISLAND TURTLE PATROL COMING IN OUR OUR SCHOOLS, TO FACILITATE A DISCUSSION PRIOR TO US GOING OUT AND MEETING WITH THEM, WORKING ABOUT THAT ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL, THE IMPORTANCE OF SEA TURTLES TO OUR AREA.
YOU ALSO SEE THE STUDENTS ENGAGED IN A LOT OF THE FIELD EXPERIENCES.
THEY WENT ON FORT WALKER AT THE BEACH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE FEEL THAT THIS INITIAL PILOT WAS A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS AND IT PROVIDED OUR STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND I WILL SAY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
ANOTHER THING THAT IT DID WAS IT ALLOWED US TO REACH THE COMPONENTS OF THE PROFILE OF THE BUFORT COUNTY GRADUATE.
SOME SPECIFICS THERE ARE GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP, HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE, AND ECOLITERACY TRULY LEARNING ABOUT OUR AREA BY BEING IN IT.
I CANNOT END WITHOUT GIVING KUDOS TO MS. AMY PRYOR, WHO IS SITTING OVER HERE WHO ORGANIZED THIS PROGRAM AND HAS BEEN RUNNING IT DIRECTLY AT THE SCHOOL.
ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS TOGETHER HAVE PROVIDED A UNIQUE AND ENGAGING SET OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY STUDENTS THIS SUMMER.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHOWCASING MORE OF THAT NEXT YEAR.
WE ARE HOPING MAYBE ONE OF 'EM LISTENING THAT ANOTHER SCHOOL WILL TAKE THE CHARGE AND TAKE UP A PILOT FOR NEXT YEAR AS WELL.
I MUST SAY THAT ANOTHER GREAT THING ABOUT ALL OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES IS THEY SHOW TRUE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TEAMWORK.
WE HAVE HAD TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT US, WE HAVE HAD FOOD SERVICE SUPPORT US.
WE HAVE HAD CUSTODIAL SUPPORT US AT EVERY AVENUE WHERE WE HAVE GONE AND SAID, CAN YOU HELP? WE HAVE RECEIVED HELP.
SO ALL OF US TOGETHER HAVE REALLY SERVED THE STUDENTS WELL THIS SUMMER.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES, SIR.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, UM, I HAVE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY ON DAYS WHERE THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN OUT AT WORK WITH
[01:00:01]
OUR STUDENTS, AND I HAVE BEEN SO IMPRESSED BY JUST HOW HAPPY THE TEACHERS SEEM.SO THAT'S A BIG, YOU KNOW, A BIG PLUS.
BUT ALSO WHEN I'VE SEEN THE SLEW OF CHILDREN, BECAUSE THE DAY THEY WENT TO MITCHELLVILLE AND THE BEACH, I HAPPENED TO BE THERE WITH MY OWN CHILDREN AND SOME NEIGHBORS.
AND THERE WERE SO, SO MANY CHILDREN THERE THAT I THOUGHT, OH, LET ME SEE, YOU KNOW, IF THIS GETS ROWDY, IF EVERYBODY'S WELL BEHAVED, YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST OBSERVING.
AND THE KIDS WERE JUST THRILLED.
UM, SO IT JUST SEEMED, YOU KNOW, TOP-NOTCH IN TERMS OF EDUCATION BECAUSE THE TEACHERS WERE INSTRUCTING AND ENGAGING THE CHILDREN, BUT IT'S ALSO JUST REALLY GREAT FOR THE SOUL.
SO KUDOS TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THAT.
IT WAS VERY INSPIRING AND JUST, YOU KNOW, GREAT TO EXPERIENCE EVERY TIME I'M OUT AND SEE THIS TYPE OF WORK GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, UH, MRS. HAY FOR THAT.
I WAS JUST GOING TO REALLY THANK YOU ALL FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE KIDS DO LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THIS STUFF DURING THE SUMMER AND LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND TO GET BIGGER AND TO ADD MORE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT LAYERS OF IT TO, UH, THIS DISTRICT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND YOU CAN HEAR HOW YOU, UH, WHEN YOU EXPLAIN IT ALL AND GO INTO, UH, DETAIL AND THANKS FOR THE PICTURES SO THAT WE CAN SEE EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING ON AND SEE WHAT THE KIDS ARE DOING.
BECAUSE SOME, SOME OF THESE KIDS COME AND TELL ME, OR THEY TELL, TRY TO TELL ME WHAT THEY'RE DOING, AND I'M LIKE, HUH.
AND ONE TIME, THIS KID WAS TELLING ME WHAT THE, UH, LAPTOP, AND I REMEMBER WE HAD A DISTRICT, BUT HE, WHAT HE WAS TELLING ME HOW HE WAS DOING IT WITH THE HAND.
I'M LIKE, HE'S LIKE, YOU NEVER DID IT.
BUT YEAH, SO I, I WAS ABLE TO TELL THAT I TRIED IT.
'CAUSE I DO REMEMBER THAT AT ONE OF THE WORKSHOPS, THE SUPERINTENDENT AND Y'ALL HAD THEM TO, UH, SET UP AND, AND LET US BE ABLE TO TRY THOSE THINGS.
SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU BOTH, UH, FOR AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
NEXT ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S, UH, REPORT IS UNDER OTHER MATTERS, AND THIS IS RELATED TO, UH, CELL PHONES AND CELL PHONE UPDATE.
UM, DR. LEE IS COMING FORWARD AND, AND GETTING READY TO DO THE PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
AND WHILE SHE GETS READY, UH, I JUST WANT, UH, TO PREFACE THE PRESENTATION WITH THE FOLLOWING.
UH, THIS, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA APPROVED, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH A CELL PHONE BAN.
OF COURSE, WE HAD BEGUN OUR WORK, UH, ON THIS IN ADVANCE OF THEM TAKING UP THE, THE MATTER.
UM, WE, YOU, YOU ASKED AND REQUESTED FOR, UM, FOR, FOR ME TO, TO DO THAT, THAT VERY EVENING.
UH, I GOT UP FROM MY CHAIR, I WENT BACK TO DR. LEE AFTER YOU TOOK YOUR VOTE.
UH, AND WHILE YOU WERE DISCUSSING OTHER MATTERS, UH, I WAS WORKING WITH DR. LEE AND WE BUILT A COMMITTEE TO BEGIN OUR WORK, UH, IMMEDIATELY.
I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DR. LEE TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
BUT, UH, I WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT THE STATE HAS DONE IS, UH, IN, IN THE LEGISLATION THEY PUT FORTH, UH, IT'S UNCLEAR ON WHETHER IT IS PART OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S, IF, IF IT'S ONLY INSTRUCTIONAL TIME OR IF IT'S A COMPLETE BAN, OKAY, WE TOOK OUR OWN APPROACH HERE, BUT WHEN CLARIFICATION COMES FROM THE STATE WITH RESPECT TO TO WHAT THEY MEANT, UH, IT MIGHT REQUIRE US TO MAKE AN ADDITIONAL MODIFICATION ON THAT.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING TO GET THAT DESCRIPTION, UH, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT BEFORE WE PUSH IT OUT, UH, TO FAMILIES, UH, WE CAN HAVE THAT COMMUNICATION IN LINE WITH WHAT THAT FINAL PRODUCT IS.
I DON'T REALLY WANT TO HAVE TO, UH, CHANGE AFTER AFTERWARDS, BUT WE'LL DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS THIS EVENING.
I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE CELL PHONE PROPOSAL THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
UM, TO BEGIN WITH, I'D LIKE TO BRIEFLY OUTLINE THE STEPS THAT WERE FOLLOWED ON MAY 7TH.
YOU, AS THE BOARD DIRECTED THE SUPERINTENDENT TO RESEARCH POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A DISTRICT REGULATION THAT WOULD PROHIBIT CELL PHONES DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.
FROM THAT POINT, A COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED AT THE DIRECTION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.
RESEARCH WAS GATHERED ON CELL PHONE USE IN SCHOOLS AND OTHER DISTRICTS.
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WE HAD A SURVEY FROM PARENTS, COMMUNITY, STAFF AND STUDENTS THAT WE COMPLETED.WE ALSO ASKED THE PRINCIPALS TO COMPLETE A SURVEY.
AFTER THAT, THE COMMITTEE GOT BACK TOGETHER.
WE HAD A DISCUSSION OF OUR FINDINGS, AND THEN WE REVIEWED AND UPDATED THE ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION.
FROM THERE, WE ALSO IDENTIFIED THE NECESSARY CHANGES THAT WOULD NEED TO OCCUR IN THE DISCIPLINE MATRIX AND THE HANDBOOK SHOULD THE PROPOSAL PASS THE COMP.
THE COMMITTEE WAS COMPRISED OF A VARIETY OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT IN D DIFFERENT ROLES.
CHAD COX, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS CALLING BECK AND VARS, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY.
LATASHA MIDDLETON, THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL COUNSELING.
SHARON MCMAHON, THE COORDINATOR OF VIRTUAL LEARNING.
JILLIAN ROWLAND, THE PARALEGAL TO GENERAL COUNSEL.
JAMIE GRANT, SPED, INSTRUCTIONAL COACH, KATIA GILBERT, THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL.
KEITH STEWART, THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL.
TRACY LENISE, THE PRINCIPAL AT OKT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND ISABELLE SMITH, WHO WAS AT ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBER BOARD MEETINGS AS THE INDUCTION TEACHER OF THE YEAR FOR WELL BRANCH HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS SAMPLE OF OUR RESEARCH THAT WAS REVIEWED, AND I'D LIKE TO NOTE HERE THAT IN OUR RESEARCH WE HAD, WE SAW THAT MENTAL HEALTH IMPROVED, ACADEMICS INCREASED AND BULLYING INCIDENTS DECREASED WHEN STUDENTS HAD LIMITED USE OF CELL PHONES.
WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE NOTE OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AGE.
IT WAS PARTICULARLY, UM, NOTED IN HERE THAT THE EFFECTS OF CELL PHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTED THAT AGE GROUP.
THE MOST OTHER DISTRICT POLICIES THAT WE REVIEWED, UM, THERE WERE MANY, BUT TWO THAT WE NOTED HERE.
SANTA FE, ISD, AND AIKEN COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA, SANTA FE, ISD.
THEY ALSO SEPARATED THEIR POLICY BY ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL, WERE COMPRISED TOGETHER BOTH IN BOTH OF THOSE GROUPS.
THE STUDENTS MAY CONTINUE TO POSSESS THE CELL PHONE, UM, BUT THEY HAD TO KEEP IT POWERED OFF DURING THE SCHOOL DAY.
THEY WERE ALLOWED TO USE IT BEFORE SCHOOL AND AFTER SCHOOL.
AND FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS DURING LUNCH IN AIKEN COUNTY, THE DEVICES MAY NOT BE USED OR ACTIVATED AT ALL DURING THE DAY.
THE DISTRICTS THAT HAD THE MOST SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION ALLOWED THEIR STUDENTS TO KEEP CELL PHONES WITH THEM AND COULD USE THEM AT SCHEDULED TIMES FOR OUR OLDER STUDENTS.
THERE WAS ALSO BETTER IMPLEMENTATION WHEN THERE WAS NOTIFICATION GIVEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR FOR THE COMMUNITY AND PARENTS.
AND ALSO WHEN THERE WAS CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND NOT LEFT UP TO THE SCHOOLS.
WE REVIEWED SOME AREAS AND SOME DISTRICTS THAT HAD COMPLETE BANS, AND IN THAT THERE WERE SOME SUCCESSFUL DISTRICTS AND ARTICLES THAT TOUTED SUCCESS, BUT THERE WAS MORE ISSUES WITH QUE PHONES BEING TURNED IN.
COLLEEN ALSO FOUND ON AMAZON WHERE YOU COULD PURCHASE THE MAGNETS THAT UNLOCK THE CELL PHONE PACKAGES THAT ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS A WAY AROUND SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
THERE WERE ALSO MORE HOSTILE SITUATIONS WITH TURNING CELL PHONES OVER TO ADMINISTRATION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY.
AND PARENTS DIDN'T NECESSARILY, UM, LIKE THAT STUDENTS WERE TURNING IT OVER BECAUSE OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
SO THEY WERE MORE APT TO BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE AND, UM, SUPPORT A CELL PHONE BAND WHERE STUDENTS KEPT THE CELL PHONE WITH THEM.
AND FINALLY, DISTRICTS THAT HAD SUCCESS TAUGHT STUDENTS ABOUT THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND PROVIDED DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THERE WAS MUCH, UM, RESEARCH FOUND IN ACTUALLY SPENDING TIME TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS IN THE SURVEY THAT WE GAVE TO PARENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, STUDENTS, AND UM, STAFF.
OUT OF THAT, 55% WERE PARENTS AND 27% WERE STAFF MEMBERS IN THE SURVEY RESULTS RESULTS FOR THE QUESTION, DO YOU BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE LIMITATIONS ON CELL PHONE USAGE DURING SCHOOL HOURS? 74% OF THE RESPONDENTS STATED THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE LIMITATION FOR CELL PHONE USAGE DURING SCHOOL.
WHEN ASKED WHAT GUIDELINES SHOULD BE IN PLACE FOR CELL PHONE USAGE DURING SCHOOL, APPROXIMATELY 50% BELIEVE THAT CELL PHONES SHOULD BE LIMITED TO CERTAIN TIMES DURING THE DAY, WHILE 31% THOUGHT THAT THEY SHOULD BE COMPLETELY RESTRICTED AT.
WE THEN HAD OUR PRINCIPALS COMPLETE A
[01:10:01]
SURVEY, AND IN THIS YOU CAN SEE THREE DIFFERENT GRAPHS.THE FIRST GRAPH SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL, AND YOU CAN SEE THE MAJORITY OF OUR PRINCIPALS, OF COURSE, ARE ELEMENTARY, AND THAT'S THE ORANGE AREA.
THE SECOND GRAPH SHOWS, UM, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED HOW WE SHOULD LIMIT CELL PHONE USAGE, AND 70% OF OUR PRINCIPALS SAID COMPLETELY RESTRICT.
AND IN THE FOLLOWING GRAPH, THE LAST GRAPH, UM, WHEN WE ASKED IF CELL PHONE USAGE WAS CURRENTLY A PROBLEM IN THE BUILDING, 50%, APPROXIMATELY 50% HALF SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM AND 50% SAID IT WAS NOT.
OUR PROPOSAL IN OUR NEXT STEPS IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION SS 27 AND A PERSONAL ELECTRONIC AND COMMUNICATION FAMILY GUIDELINES.
WE YOU HAVE A, A QUESTION? OH, I'M SORRY.
YEAH, COULD YOU, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT LAST, UM, LAST, THE, THAT LAST THAT YOU, UH, THE LAST THAT YOU SAID FOR THE, UM, PRINCIPAL SURVEY? YES, MA'AM.
SO WHEN WE ASKED IF CELL PHONES WERE A PROBLEM IN THE BUILDING, RIGHT, HALF OF OUR PRINCIPALS STATED, YES, THERE WERE, THEY WERE A PROBLEM, AND HALF STATED THEY WERE NOT.
BECAUSE IF I'M READING THIS GRAPH RIGHT, IT SAYS 52 7% SAID NO IN 48%.
SO FOR OUR PROPOSAL FOR OUR NEXT STEPS, WE HAVE OUR UPDATED ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION, SS 27, AND WE ALSO TOOK THAT ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION AND CREATED FAMILY GUIDELINES THAT ARE BASICALLY THE ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION, BUT IN FAMILY FRIENDLY TERMS. AND AS DR. RODRIGUEZ STATED, OUR NEXT STEPS, WE ARE AWAITING THE DISTINCTION FROM SOUTH CAROLINA REGARDING THEIR POLICY AND THEIR REQUIREMENTS.
AND THEN IN ADDITION, WE WOULD NEED TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY CHANGES TO THE DISCIPLINE PLAN AND THE HANDBOOK.
AND WE WOULD NEED TO COMMUNICATE WHAT WE PLAN TO DO AND OUR GUIDELINES WITH STAKEHOLDERS.
AND IF WE PULL UP, I PROVIDED YOU ALL WITH RESEARCH ARTICLES THAT WE UTILIZED, UM, JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
BUT, UM, ALL OF THAT IS AVAILABLE IN LINK FORM FOR YOU.
ROBIN, IF YOU COULD PULL UP THE ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION.
A RSS 27 IN THE, IN THE AR I'LL GO AHEAD BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE IT.
WITH, IN THE AR I WOULD LIKE TO CALL ATTENTION, WE SEPARATED THE DEFINITION OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND PERSONAL COMMUNICATION DEVICES, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS AR.
A LOT OF STUDENTS BRING DEVICES TO SCHOOL, AND WE WANTED TO SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON COMMUNICATION DEVICES.
AND IN THAT WE DEFINE THAT AS CELL PHONES, SMART WATCHES AND EARBUDS OR EARPHONES SO THAT PRINCIPALS AND ADMINISTRATION COULD FOCUS ON THOSE SPECIFIC COMMUNICATION DEVICES.
AND THAT WAY ANY, ANY DATA THAT WE HAVE REGARDING ISSUES OR INCIDENTS WOULD FOCUS SOLELY ON THE, ON THE CELL PHONES.
UM, WE ALSO PUT IN THE, IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION THAT ALL DEVICES WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE TURNED OFF AND KEPT IN A NON-VISIBLE LOCATION.
PRESCHOOL THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS WOULD BE RESTRICTED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY TO THE END OF THE DAY FOR CELL PHONE USAGE.
HIGH SCHOOL WOULD FOLLOW THE SAME GUIDELINES, EXCEPT THEY WOULD HAVE A 30 MINUTE LUNCH BLOCK THAT IS IN A DESIGNATED LOCATION BY THE PRINCIPAL THAT THEY COULD UTILIZE THEIR CELL PHONES.
WE HAD MUCH DEBATE ABOUT THIS, AND WE WENT BACK AND FORTH, BUT WE REALIZED THAT OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES SUCH AS AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES, SPORTS ARTS, THAT CHILDCARE FOR, FOR PARENTS, THEY HELP WITH SIBLINGS, UM, THEY HAVE JOBS, BUT THIS WOULD GIVE THEM A 30 MINUTE TIMEFRAME TO CHECK MESSAGE TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR DAILY AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN IN THERE, WE ALSO HAVE THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE FOLLOWING THE DISCIPLINE PLAN, WHICH WE WOULD NEED TO UPDATE, AND THEN WE ADDRESSED CONFISCATION OF DEVICES AND HOW THAT WOULD BE HANDLED.
AND THEN IF THERE WAS ANY, UM, REFUSAL HOW ADMINISTRATION SHOULD HANDLE REFUSAL AS WELL.
THE TESTING AND STATE ACCOMMODATIONS, DEVICE RESTRICTIONS ARE IN THERE BECAUSE AT TESTING TIME, IT'S MORE RESTRICTIVE FOR CELL PHONES AND, UM, CELL PHONE DEVICES.
AND THEN FINALLY PROVIDED TO YOU WERE THE GUIDELINES THAT WOULD BE GIVEN TO THE FAMILIES.
AGAIN, IT'S THE SAME THING THAT'S IN THE, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION.
IT'S IN FAMILY FRIENDLY TERMS, AND IT'S VERY SPECIFIC, AND IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD GO OUT DISTRICT WIDE SO THAT SCHOOLS WOULD NOT HAVE TO COME UP WITH THEIR OWN INFORMATION TO SEND OUT SO THAT IT WOULDN'T BE DIFFERENT ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
AND AT THIS TIME, I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
[01:15:01]
I THINK I'LL, I'LL ADD, UH, JUST TO THAT ONE, ONE PIECE, AND THAT IS, UH, WHAT NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED IS, UH, SINCE THE STATE HAS TIED FUNDING TO SCHOOLS TO, UH, UH, TO A CELL PHONE BAN, RIGHT? WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW IS WHAT THEY MEAN BY THAT.DOES THAT MEAN, UH, NOT AT ALL DURING THE SCHOOL DAY OR NOT DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME? IF THEY MEAN INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING WITH OUR, UH, UH, PROPOSED, UH, CELL PHONE ISSUE HERE.
IF THEY MEAN AT ALL DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY, THEN WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO CHANGE THE HIGH SCHOOL ONE, AND, AND THAT WOULD BE THE ONE THAT, THAT NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED ABOUT.
UM, AND ACTUALLY, I LOVE THE RESEARCH YOU GUYS DID, AND YOU CHANGED MY MIND A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I WAS THINKING INITIALLY THE YONDER POUCH MIGHT BE THE WAY TO GO, BUT I DO THINK KEEPING IT ON THE STUDENT AND HAVING IT PUT AWAY, I THINK PROBABLY IS THE BEST WAY TO GO, AT LEAST OUTTA THE GATE.
SO LAST NIGHT, OH, THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY.
LAST NIGHT I WAS WATCHING THE TENNESSEE, TEXAS A AND M GO BALLS,
AND HE WAS WATCHING WITH ME, AND HE IS ALSO ON HIS PHONE, TEXTING AND SNAPCHATTING.
SO I KIND OF GAVE HIM A HARD TIME, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO BAN THOSE IN THE SCHOOLS NEXT YEAR.
AND HE DIDN'T EVEN BREAK STRAW.
HE JUST KINDA SAID, GOOD LUCK,
SO CAN YOU EXPAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE ENFORCEMENT AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS FROM DAY ONE? BECAUSE IF, SORRY, THIS THE, UH, UNIFORM CODE, WHEN THEY SAID BAN HOODIES, IT WAS THIS HUGE ORDEAL, AND EVENTUALLY PEOPLE STOPPED FIGHTING IT, AND NOW YOU SEE HOODIES AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AND YOU SEE VIOLATIONS OF, UM, THE UNIFORM CODE.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS NOT HAVE THAT SAME FATE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I'M GONNA ASK, UH, THE COMMITTEE TO GO BACK AND DO NOW IS, UH, I THINK OUR SCHOOLS NEED TO BE PROVIDED WITH, UH, SOME SCRIPTS, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT FOR FOUR TO SIX WEEKS, UH, IS ONE OF THE INITIAL COMMENTS COMING OVER THE PA SYSTEM, BECAUSE SINGLE SCHOOL CULTURE IS CRITICAL IN ANYTHING LIKE THIS, RIGHT? AND THIS IS WHY I SAY THAT, UH, I UNDERSTAND NOT WANTING TO PUT SOMETHING ON TEACHER'S PLATES SUCH AS THIS, BUT IT IS NOT GONNA WORK UNLESS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL IS ON BOARD WITH DEALING WITH THIS.
BECAUSE A TEACHER IS GONNA HAVE 25 KIDS IN THEIR CLASS SITTING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM, RIGHT? AND THEY HAVE TO BE, IN ESSENCE, THE EYES AND EARS OF THIS IN THEIR CLASSROOMS, BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS IN A BUILDING DON'T MATCH THE NUMBER OF CLASSROOMS, RIGHT? SO THEY HAVE TO BE A PART OF IT, AND THEY HAVE TO BE INVOLVED IN IT.
AND SO, ON THE FRONT END, I THINK I'D LIKE TO SEE A SCRIPT BRIEF, BUT THAT ADDRESSES THIS CELL PHONE, UH, GUIDELINE THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR STUDENTS AT EVERY SCHOOL, SOMETHING THAT WE READ AND WE GO THROUGH EVERY DAY FOR FOUR TO SIX WEEKS.
REALLY, IN THOSE INITIAL STAGES, IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT, THAT WE TRY TO ESTABLISH THAT ROUTINE AND THAT EXPECTATION AROUND AROUND, UH, CELL PHONES, RIGHT? AND, AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS A REQUIREMENT.
THIS ISN'T JUST, IT WAS SOMETHING WE WERE GONNA DO, BUT IT'S BEYOND THAT NOW.
IT'S LEGISLATION NOW, RIGHT? AND SO, SO I THINK WHAT WHAT'S CRITICAL IN THIS KIND OF PIECE IS THAT SINGLE SCHOOL CULTURE MENTALITY THAT IT TAKES EVERYONE IN THE BUILDING, UH, TO ENFORCE.
AND SO EVERYBODY HAS TO BE A PART OF IT.
NOW, UM, I PREFER TO SEE THAT IF A TEACHER ASKS A STUDENT FOR A CELL PHONE AND, AND THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH THAT, UH, THEN, THEN THERE'S A REFERRAL THAT'S WRITTEN, AND THE ADMINISTRATOR DEALS WITH IT, NOT THE TEACHER AT THAT JUNCTURE.
AND YEAH, FOR FOUR TO SIX WEEKS, IT, IT'S GONNA BE BUSY, UH, IN SCHOOLS, RIGHT? BUT, BUT THE EXPECTATION HAS TO BE SET.
IT HAS TO BE, UH, COMMUNICATED, RIGHT? AND IT WOULD BE IDEAL
[01:20:01]
THAT WE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF ALL OF OUR PARENTS ON THIS MATTER AND ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THIS MATTER.BUT LEGISLATION IS NOW TIED FUNDING TO IT.
SO IT'S BEYOND OUR INITIAL, UH, STEP INTO THIS IS WHEN WE DID IT, THAT WASN'T THE CASE.
BUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY, IT'S A DIFFERENT ARENA.
SO, WELL, I THINK YOU DEFINITELY HAVE DAVID LAUDERDALE'S SUPPORT IF YOU READ HIS OP-ED.
'CAUSE IT SOUND LIKE IT'S GONNA COME FROM, FROM THE TOP ALL THE WAY DOWN, THAT THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL.
AND I THINK IF WE HOLD THE LINE ON THAT, THE STORIES THAT I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE THAT HAVE DONE THIS OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, IT, UH, IS THAT ONCE THE KIDS BREAK THAT SORT OF AUTOMATIC HABIT, AND I HAVE IT TOO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE CONSTANTLY CHECKING ONCE YOU BREAK THAT HABIT, THAT THE KIDS ARE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING RELIEF AND, AND, YOU KNOW, CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION GOES UP.
I THINK THE OTHER, UH, THE OTHER PIECE IS, YOU KNOW, I, I MEAN, I, I SAID IT ALREADY ONCE BEFORE, BUT I DON'T WANT THE MOMENT TO PASS WITHOUT, UH, DOUBLING DOWN ON IT.
RIGHT? AND, AND THAT IS, IT IS, IT IS NECESSARY, AND IT IS IDEAL TO HAVE PARENT SUPPORT ON THIS ISSUE.
UH, IN ADDITION, YOU KNOW, BACK TO THE SINGLE SCHOOL CULTURE COMMENT I MADE, UH, WE HAVE SOME SCHOOLS THAT CHECK AT THE DOOR WHEN YOU'RE WALKING IN, IF YOUR ISS ON, AND IF YOUR IDS NOT ON, YOU STEP TO THE SIDE, YOU TAKE IT OUTTA YOUR BACKPACK, YOU PUT IT ON, AND THEN YOU ENTER THE BUILDING.
AND THEY HAVE PEOPLE AT THE DOOR, RIGHT, IN THE FIRST, THIS IS A HIGH SCHOOL.
NOW IN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SCHOOL, IT'S A TRANSITION ISSUE FOR NINTH GRADERS, BUT THEY STICK WITH IT.
THIS PARTICULAR SCHOOL STUCK WITH THE HOODIE ISSUE.
I KNOW, BECAUSE MY SON ATTENDED, AND I HEAR ABOUT IT EVERY DAY, GOOD LUCK.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, THEY STUCK WITH IT, AND THEY STUCK WITH THE, UH, WITH, WITH THE ID THING.
IT'S SOMETHING THEY'VE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS.
AND SO WHEN YOU WALK IN THAT DOOR, IT'S AN EXPECTATION THAT IT'S ON.
AND IF IT'S NOT, YOU STAND TO THE SIDE, AND IF YOU FORGOT IT AND IT'S NOT IN YOUR BACKPACK, AND THEN YOU GO TO THE OFFICE AND YOU'RE GETTING ONE OF THOSE STICKER BADGES, UH, AND THEN THERE, IF IT'S A SECOND OR THIRD OR FOURTH, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL CONSEQUENCES THAT GO WITH IT, RIGHT? BUT, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT'S AN EXPECTATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THAT AND YOU'RE GONNA WEAR IT, RIGHT? SO THAT SCRIPT IS IMPORTANT IN GETTING IT INTO OUR STUDENTS' MINDS AND GETTING INTO THEIR HEADS THAT THIS IS A REQUIREMENT HERE.
UH, SO, AND IF I MAY, SORRY, ALONG THOSE LINES, WE, AS THE COMMITTEE ALSO DECIDED THAT WE WOULD SEND, UM, THE ADMINISTRATORS SOME OF THE RESEARCH THAT THEY COULD UTILIZE WITH PARENTS AT PARENT NIGHTS AND, AND THOSE ACTIVITIES SO THAT THEY COULD TEACH THE PARENTS AND LET THEM UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE, WE HAVE THIS RESTRICTION.
I'M GONNA GO IN ORDER, I THINK COLONEL DYER, EARL CAMPBELL, CARLTON DALLAS.
I REALLY THINK THE KEY TO THIS SUCCESS OF THIS EFFORT IS THE EDUCATION PIECE, AND EDUCATING THE STUDENTS TO SAY, LISTEN, THESE PHONES ARE NOT GOING AWAY.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COPE WITH THEM.
THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE GOING TO COLLEGE, YOU WON'T BE HAVING PHONES GOING OFF IN A COLLEGE CLASSROOM.
THOSE OF YOU GO IN THE MILITARY, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE IT DURING DUTY HOURS, PERIOD.
THOSE THAT ARE GOING ON THE JOB SITE, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE USING THOSE KINDS OF, OF, UH, PIECES IN DISRUPTING THE JOB SITE, THE OFFICE, AND SO ON.
YOU'VE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO USE IT.
AND YOU ALSO HAVE TO LEARN OF THE DANGERS AND, AND THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND SO ON.
SO THE EDUCATION PORTION FOR THE STUDENTS AND THE PARENTS GIVING THIS RESEARCH AND THIS DATA ON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND ACHIEVEMENT, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT ISSUES IS KEY.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY.
NO TECHNOLOGY HAS EVER DROPPED OFF.
IT'S GOING TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN OUR LIVES.
[01:25:01]
DO YOU COPE WITH IT? AND THAT'S OUR MISSION AS EDUCATORS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THAT.THAT'S GOT TO BE A KEY COMPONENT OF THIS PROGRAM.
THE, THE THING THAT PARENTS GONNA HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, THIS AIN'T, THIS IS ABOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT CONGRESS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT'S TALKING ABOUT ABANDON PHONES.
AND IF THEY DO, THEN YOU DON'T, YOU GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE TO AWAIT THE LAW, PERIOD.
SO THAT'S WHAT PARENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND.
I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY MANY THINGS IN HERE, BUT ONE IS THE VOLUME OF, OF RESEARCH, THE STATISTICAL OUTCOMES THAT IT SHOWED THE CORRELATION BETWEEN REMOVING PHONES AND IMPROVEMENT IN HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE.
AND I THINK TO REITERATE WHAT COLONEL GUYER SAID AS A MESSAGING CAMPAIGN STARTING DURING THE SUMMER, GOING DIRECTLY TO PARENTS, I THINK THERE ARE VERY FEW PARENTS THAT IF THEY KNOW THIS WILL HELP THEIR STUDENTS IMPROVE THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, THAT WILL NOT AT LEAST START SAYING, WELL, MAYBE SOMEBODY SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, THE OTHER THING, IN, IN, IN, IN DRIVING LARGE ORGANIZATIONS CHANGE LIKE YOU HAVE HERE, UH, A LOT OF TIMES LEADERS SAY, WELL, WE GET WHAT WE EXPECT.
AND LIKE YOU SAY, BETWEEN FOUR TO 12, EIGHT WEEKS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE, IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH, BUT YOU HAVE TO COMMUNICATE UNYIELDING ENFORCEMENT.
AND NOW YOU HAVE ALL THESE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY THAT ARE REALIZING THE CHALLENGES OF IT.
SO I THINK TWO THINGS, THE MESSAGING CAMPAIGN LONG BEFORE IT GOES OUT.
AND THEN SECONDARILY, RUTHLESS ENFORCEMENT, CHLOE GORDON.
UM, FIRST I WANNA THANK YOUR COMMITTEE, UM, DR. LEE AND VOLUMINOUS, UM, INFORMATION.
AND, AND, SORRY, YOU, THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION, BUT IT STARTS WITH THE PARENTS.
AND ON THIS CAMPAIGN THAT WE DO, IT'S NOT AN ATTACK.
IT'S FEDERALLY MANDATED NOW OR GOING TO BE, BUT IF YOU'VE EVER TRIED TO TAKE A CELL PHONE FROM A TEENAGER AT SCHOOL AND THINK THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM, YOU'RE SADLY MISTAKEN.
A LOT OF THE KIDS WILL GIVE YOU THEIR, THEIR CELL PHONES, BUT THEY MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THAT, THAT IT'S THEIR CELL PHONE AND YOU CAN'T TAKE IT.
AND THEN THE PARENTS COME UP WITH THE SAME, WE FORGET ABOUT THE ACADEMIC, WE FORGET ABOUT THE MENTAL, I'VE SEEN SOME STUFF ON SOME OF THE KIDS', UH, CELL PHONES THAT MADE ME, YOU KNOW, KINDA DROP MY HEAD THAT AT THAT AGE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT, I'M GLAD WE'RE TAKING THIS ON.
I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASY.
SO I DON'T WANT ANYONE WALKING OUTTA HERE THINKING THAT THIS IS GONNA BE EASY, BECAUSE ASKING FOR A CELL PHONE AND GETTING IT ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, RIGHT? BUT IF WE DO IT THE RIGHT WAY WITH THE PARENTS AND THE STUDENTS, AND WITH THE TEACHERS, I, I WOULD PREFER AN ADMINISTRATOR DEAL WITH THAT VERSUS OUR TEACHERS, BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE TAKING 30, 40 MINUTES AWAY FROM INSTRUCTIONAL TIME ARGUING WITH ONE CHILD.
SO, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THIS.
AND I, I'M GLAD WE'RE TAKING THIS ON, BUT I KNOW IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FOUR TO SIX WEEKS.
UH, IT'S GONNA TAKE US A COUPLE YEARS TO GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND IT'S FOR THEIR BENEFIT.
AND I, I WISH OUR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS LUCK.
WELL, I HAVE A, DEFINITELY HAVE A DIFFERENT TWIST OF THIS.
LET ME SAY, UH, START OFF BY SAYING THAT, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE STATE IS MANDATING THIS, BUT MY QUESTION IS TO ANY STATE LEGISLATOR WHO'S WATCHING ME RIGHT NOW, THAT WHEN YOU MANDATE THIS, WHERE'S THE MONEY AND THE RESOURCES COMING TO PROTECT THIS AND COMING TO UPHOLD THIS? BECAUSE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A BIOLOGY TEACHER,
[01:30:01]
A MATH TEACHER.YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE A
AND NOW THAT THEY GOT INTO A SITUATION JUST TEACHERS OUT FOR SIX MONTHS OR FOR THREE, FOUR WEEKS, THAT THROWS OFF THE WHOLE COURSE.
SO ONCE AGAIN,
DON'T GIMME APPLES AND TELL ME THAT THE ORANGE IS GOOD, AND EAT IT.
SO ME, MR. SMITH, AS A BOARD MEMBER AND BEAVER COUNTY, YES, I GOT A BIG PROBLEM WITH THIS, THE DEPARTMENT, JUST THAT YOU MANDATING SOMETHING IS THAT YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, BUT YOU'RE NOT GIVING US THE RESOURCES BEHIND IT.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT ALL, IT ALL SOUNDS GOOD.
UM, AND THEN, AND THEN, AND THEN, AND THEN SECOND.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS, YOU KNOW, UH, WE, WE, UH, WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE A, TO HAVE SITUATIONS AROUND, NOT JUST STUDENTS, PARENTS.
MM-HMM,
I'M JUST LOOKING AT IT FROM, YOU KNOW, MY, MY COLLEAGUES.
THEY POINTED OUT A LOT OF THE GOOD POINTS.
SO I'M PLAYING DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS, IN TERMS OF WHAT ELSE, WHAT ELSE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, PARENTS ARE GONNA FEEL THAT THEY HAVE RIGHTS.
YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD THAT, I'M GLAD THAT WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT TAKING THE PHONES AWAY.
LIKE IT WAS ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES SAID FROM STUDENTS, BECAUSE THAT'S A LIABILITY.
YOU TAKE AN IPHONE FROM, FROM A KIDNEY.
THESE IPHONE SCREENS ARE SO EASILY BROKE.
I AIN'T GONNA PRESS ON MY OWN.
YOU PRESS ON IT TOO HARD, YOU BROKEN THAT.
THAT'S 300 SOMETHING ODD DOLLARS.
IT GOTTA COME FROM SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW? SO, SO THESE ARE JUST DIFFERENT THINGS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND I, I THINK THE COMMITTEE FOR, FOR THE, FOR THEIR WORK.
UH, AND I, I, I, I APPRECIATE IT.
BUT THEN WHEN I ALSO LOOK AT IT AT THE, AT THE, AT THE PRESENTATION, UH, ONE QUESTION WAS ASKED TO ADMINISTRATORS, BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS, ABOUT HOW MANY OF THEM HAVING PROBLEMS? 42.
40, EXCUSE ME, 48% SAID YES, 52% SAYS NO.
TO ME, THAT SCREAMS A LITTLE BIT OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, BUILDING MANAGEMENT.
SO WHEN, WHEN I, WHEN I LOOK AT A SITUATION, A PROBLEM, I DON'T LOOK AT A PART OF PROBLEM.
I LOOK AT THE WHOLE PROBLEM WITHIN, WITHIN ITSELF.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, AND THEN FOR THE STATE TO SAY THAT THEY'RE GONNA HOLD ABOUT FUNDING FOR IT.
IF WE, IF WE DON'T, IF WE DON'T, IF WE DON'T, UM, APPLY BY IT, THAT'S A DANGEROUS STANCE.
LET MR. LEGISLATORS, THAT'S A DANGEROUS STANCE.
BUT HEY, UH, WE STILL GOT BUSES THAT WE STILL TRYING TO KEEP UP TO MAINTAIN.
UH, WHEN YOU SEE THIS VIDEO TOO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A COUPLE OF THOSE.
BUT, UH, IN THE MEANTIME, BETWEEN TIME, I AM GOING TO SEE HOW PEOPLE, WHAT PEOPLE SAY.
AND ALSO, I'M, I WAS ALSO JUST WANTING TO KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO, HOW THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO, UM, RESPOND.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, THAT WE DO HAVE GOOD STUDENTS IN THIS DISTRICT.
AND SOME OF 'EM WILL, SOME OF 'EM ARE GONNA APPLY.
SOME, SOME, SOME OF 'EM ARE GONNA SAY SOME OF 'EM WON, TELL OTHER STUDENTS NOT TO DO IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ASK FOR THINGS, WE JUST BE, BE CAREFUL OF WHAT WE ASK FOR AND HOW, AND HOW WE'RE GONNA TAKE IT FORWARD.
AND, AND I ASKED TO, AND I WOULD ASK OUR STAFF IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS, HOW ARE WE GOING TO UPHOLD THESE LAWS? AND, AND DO WE HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE PEOPLE IN PLACE TO DO SO? AND WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY WRITE THAT, WHEN THEY COME BACK AND THEY WRITE THESE RULES ABOUT THE, THE ABOUT STEP ONE, WHAT HAPPENS, AND STEP TWO, WHAT HAPPENS TO STEP THREE, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, AS A BOARD MEMBER, I'M NOT INCLINED TO SUPPORT TEACHERS TAKING CELL PHONES FROM STUDENTS.
I NEED TEACHERS TEACHING AND EDUCATING STUDENTS AND, AND NOT LETTING 30, 40 MINUTES GO BY BECAUSE THEY'RE ARGUING OVER SITUATIONS BECAUSE WE JUST, WE JUST TOOK A BOLD STANCE IN THIS DISTRICT, SAID, WE'RE GOING TO PAY TEACHERS MORE THAN I GOT TEXTILES ASKING ME, OKAY, NOW THEY'RE LOOKING FOR RESULTS.
SO I WANT TO, UM, COMMENT SINCE I'M THE LAST ONE, UM, AND I DON'T SEE, UH, OUR ONLINE PARTICIPANTS WITH ANY HANDS UP, ELIZABETH OR I'VE HAD MINE UP.
WELL, I'LL YOU GO AHEAD BEFORE ME GO RIGHT AHEAD, ELIZABETH.
UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, TO DR. RODRIGUEZ AND, AND DR. LEE AND THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE, GREAT WORK.
YOU DID A, I THINK, PERSONALLY A FABULOUS JOB IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, THE FIRST THING THAT POPPED INTO MY HEAD WITH THAT GRAPH THAT MR. SMITH JUST REFERENCED WAS WHERE HALF, BASICALLY,
[01:35:01]
HALF THE PRINCIPALS DIDN'T THINK IT WAS AN ISSUE.OH, THAT'S PROBABLY 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE, HAVE A, UH, INTERNET SERVICE CELL COVERAGE.
IS THAT REALLY WHY THEY DON'T THINK IT'S A PROBLEM? I MEAN, DO YOU KNOW, DO YOU KNOW ANY BACKGROUND TO THAT? WHEN WE, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE DATA, WE HAD 12 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
ELEMENTARY DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE AN ISSUE.
SO I THINK THAT PLAYED A PART IN, IN THE DATA.
AND ALSO, WE DO HAVE A FEW SCHOOLS THAT DON'T HAVE CELL ACCESS, SO THAT PLAYS A PART INTO IT AS WELL.
SO I THINK IT'S REAL IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS GONNA BE, IT IS STATE LEGISLATION, SO WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE ABOUT IT.
AND, AND, UH, WE STILL NEED CLARITY.
AS DR. RODRIGUEZ MENTIONED, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PRESENTATION FROM, FROM OUR, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF A BAND IS IT COMPLETELY BANNED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DAY? NO.
OUR, LIKE, UM, PROPOSAL HERE WHERE THE, UH, MIDDLE, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COULD HAVE IT DURING THE 30 MINUTES AT LUNCH, UH, SINCE THEY DO HAVE OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES AFTER SCHOOL, UM, THAT SEEMED LIKE A GREAT COMPROMISE TO ME.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS YET.
AND IT'S, IT'S NOT GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, A QUESTION, IS IT, YOU KNOW, ARE, YOU KNOW, SOME STUDENTS CAN FOLLOW THIS, UH, RECOMMENDATION, OTHERS CAN'T, NO STATE LAW.
SORRY, IT'S NOT NOT NEGOTIABLE, PERIOD.
AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, AS OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED, TO HAVE BUY-IN FROM THE PARENTS AND THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF.
AND WITH THE I IN IDEAS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT'S BEST IN TERMS OF, IT'S BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED THAT THIS IS BEST FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN AND FOR THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
I WAS CURIOUS, YOU MENTIONED HOW CELL PHONE SEEMS TO BE, HAVE THE MOST NEGATIVE, UH, EFFECT ON OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, CHILDREN.
AND IS THERE A SEX PREDILECTION FOR FEMALES THAT IT'S PARTICULARLY BAD? I WOULD GUESS YES.
BECAUSE FEMALES ARE JUDGED VERY MUCH BY THEIR APPEARANCE.
AND THAT'S WHAT SO MUCH OF, UH, CELL PHONE, SOCIAL MEDIA USE INVOLVES, IS APPEARANCE.
I ALSO WANNA COMPLIMENT YOU ON THE REGULATION.
I DID NOT LIKE THE FIRST DRAFT, AS I TOLD DR. RODRIGUEZ PERSONALLY, WHERE
UM, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
I THINK YOU'VE DONE GREAT WORK.
UM, ALL RIGHT, ELIZABETH, YOU'RE UP.
WA, CAN I JUST, UH, TWO THINGS.
ONE, AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, BACK THEN, THAT'S HOW AR BEGIN, RIGHT? YOU TOLD ME THAT.
AND THEN YOU WORK IT, YOU WORK IT, YOU WORK IT, AND THEN YOU GET IT INTO MORE MANAGEABLE AND REASONABLE PIECE TO YOUR QUESTION AND POINT ABOUT, UH, THE IMPACT ON FEMALES AND IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
THERE'S ACTUALLY BEEN A FEW, UH, UM, SEGMENTS ON SOME OF THE NATIONAL NEWS, UH, MEDIA, UH, JUST RECENTLY.
AND WHEN IT SPOKE ABOUT THE IMPACT ON FEMALES, UH, UH, A LOT OF IT HAD TO DO WITH BODY IMAGE, UH, FACTORS AND MENTAL HEALTH, UH, RELATED FACTORS CONNECTED TO THAT, UH, TO, TO RESPOND TO THAT PIECE.
JUST, YEAH, THAT'S JUST WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD'VE THOUGHT.
ELIZABETH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
SO, UM, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH THE MAJORITY OF EVERYONE'S COMMENTS.
I JUST WANTED TO ENCOURAGE, IF IT'S POSSIBLE, PERHAPS ENCOURAGING TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND OR JUST SCHOOLS AS A WHOLE TO PERHAPS COME UP WITH A REWARD SYSTEM, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE STUDENTS WHO ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, SEAMLESSLY COOPERATING, UM, AND NOT CAUSING DISRUPTIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THERE ARE GONNA BE THE KIDS WHO MAKE US THINK ABOUT IT AND WANNA PUT ON A SHOW FOR THEIR CLASSMATES, YOU KNOW, WHILE THE TEACHER IS TRYING TO GET THEM TO PUT THEIR DEVICE AWAY.
SO PERHAPS A REWARD SYSTEM FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW SUIT, YOU KNOW, CALMLY AND AS EXPECTED WOULD BE A GOOD THING.
UM, I ALSO HIGHLY, HIGHLY ENCOURAGE, I'M SO EXCITED THEY'RE GONNA SHARE THIS INFORMATION AND STUDIES WITH PARENTS AT BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS.
BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE DOUBLE AND TRIPLE DOWN ON THAT IN TERMS OF THAT SAME TYPE OF RESEARCH THAT YOU ALL GATHERED AND PRESENTED, HAVING THAT IN PRINTOUT FORM TO HAND TO PEOPLE, PARENTS, OR, YOU KNOW, GUARDIANS, BUT THEN ALSO FOLLOWING IT UP WITH AN EMAIL CAMPAIGN, UM, TO ALL THE PARENTS AS WELL, SO THAT IT'S CLICKABLE, YOU KNOW, CLICKABLE LINKS FOR THEM TO FOLLOW AND READ.
BECAUSE I REALLY DO BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, I'M IN THE THICK OF IT WITH MY KIDS, BUT I, I KNOW PEOPLE ARE RESISTANT, BUT SO MANY OF THEM ARE RESISTANT BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW.
[01:40:01]
AND IF THEY SEE FROM SO MANY SOURCES, OKAY, THIS ISN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, LET'S CALL IT DR. RODRIGUEZ WANTING TO CRACK DOWN ON CELL PHONES.THIS IS ACTUALLY A WORLDWIDE PROBLEM.
AND YES, COMING FROM MY, UH, PROFESSION, WOMEN ARE AT A MUCH HIGHER RISK FOR MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS AND ILLNESSES THAN MALES ARE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THOSE TEEN YEARS ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND THEY'RE VERY VULNERABLE.
UM, SO I LOVE THE IDEA OF PUSHING OUT THE RESEARCH.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND, AND I'M SURE THE TEAM WOULD, YOU KNOW, THINK OF IT IN THE WEEKS TO COME, BUT ALSO IN THOSE, UM, PARENT, YOU KNOW, BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS AND THE LITERATURE FOR THE PARENTS WHO ARE GOING TO HOP ON BOARD.
I, 'CAUSE THERE ARE PARENTS WHO WILL, AND WHEN THEY SEE, HONESTLY, WHEN THEY SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THEIR CHILD'S MOOD AND ATTITUDE, 'CAUSE I HAVE TO DO THIS WITH MY OWN TAKEAWAY DEVICES, WE HAVE TIME LIMITS.
UM, MY SON, ONE OF THEM JUST LOST A, LIKE, DEVICES COMPLETELY THE OTHER DAY FOR HIS ATTITUDE.
AND IT TOOK A BIKE RIDE AND SHOOTING A BB GUN FOR HOWEVER LONG, UM, TO TURN THE ATTITUDE AROUND.
SO, AND THEN IT'S LIKE THERE'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CHILD, AND THAT'S JUST FROM A KID WHO SAT ON A VIDEO GAME FOR AN HOUR.
THIS ISN'T EVEN A CHILD WHO WAS ON A DEVICE ALL DAY.
SO I THINK ONCE PARENTS SEE, UM, THE CHANGE IN THEIR KIDS' MOOD, PERHAPS MORE POSITIVE SELF-ESTEEM, GETTING INVOLVED OUTSIDE OR ON A SPORT INSTEAD OF STARING AT A SCREEN, LIKE I SAID, THEY'LL GET MORE ON BOARD, THEN PARENTS TALK TO EACH OTHER, THEY MAY INFLUENCE SOMEONE ELSE.
SO ALL OF THAT TO SAY, I WOULD ALSO INCLUDE IN THE LITERATURE TO ENCOURAGE PARENTS.
MANY OF US HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO SHUT OUR CHILD'S DEVICE DOWN REMOTELY FROM OUR DEVICES.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE PARENTS, LIKE, IF IT GETS TO EIGHT 30 IN THE MORNING AND YOU THINK OF IT, GO TO YOUR DEVICE AND DOUBLE CHECK THAT YOUR CHILD WAS TURNED OFF.
I LOVED THE DEVICE DEFINITIONS.
I THOUGHT THOSE WERE VERY THOROUGH.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
ALRIGHT, WOULD ANYBODY THAT HAS NOT SPOKEN, I THINK MAYBE THERE'S ONLY TWO PEOPLE, UH, DO EITHER OF YOU WANNA SPEAK? ALRIGHT, SO MR. SMITH, I'LL JUST RECOMMEND YOU COMMENT IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN COVERED.
YEAH, ACTUALLY, I, THIS IS A QUESTION IN, IN, IN TERMS OF THE, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN CHECKING ABOUT THE TIME OF WHEN THIS, THE TIME SPENT OF WHEN THIS IS, UH, MY QUESTION ALSO WOULD BE, I'M SURE PARENTS ARE GONNA COME WITH IT IN TERMS OF BUSING, IN TERMS OF, UH, ARE KIDS ABLE TO USE IT ON, ON THE BUS AS WELL? BECAUSE SOME PARENTS DO TRACK THEIR KIDS DO, UH, PROGRAMS LIKE LIFE 360.
AND SO FOR SOME, SOME PARENTS, THAT'S HOW THEY TRY THEIR KIDS.
SO, SO THE, THE CHECK DOWN STARTS ON THE BUS.
THE, THE, THE ISSUE HERE IS IN OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND FACILITY BETWEEN THE START OF THE SCHOOL DAY AND THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY.
AND AFTER THAT, THEY CAN USE IT AND, AND THEY CAN, IF THEY'RE ON THE BUS, THEY CAN USE IT ON THE BUS.
NOW I'M JUST ASKING BECAUSE I KNEW YOU SAID YOU WERE LOOKING FOR SOME CLARITY IN TERMS OF WHAT'S THE TIMELINE ON THAT.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE THAT QUESTION TOO IN THAT TIMELINE.
BUT, BUT IF YOU SAID THAT SURE, SURE.
SO, YEAH, SO IF YOU'RE ELEMENTARY, YOU'RE SEVEN 30 TO 2 45.
IF YOU ARE, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL OR HIGH SCHOOL, IT'S 8 45 TO 3 45, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND YOU SAID THAT WE THEN THE HIGH SCHOOL, THE HIGH SCHOOL, I MEAN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL OR, OR ONE OF ONE OF THOSE GROUPS WHERE YOU PROBABLY WERE ALLOWED TO USE CELL PHONES.
AND SO, AND SO MY QUESTION WAS JUST WHY, WHY Y'ALL, Y'ALL ARE CHECKING THAT ALSO, I WAS JUST WONDERING IN TERMS OF AROUND THE PERIMETERS OF THAT, BECAUSE SOME OF, SOME OF OUR STATE BUSES ARE STATE, OUR STATE, OUR STATE PROPERTY.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING, ARE THEY SAYING THAT THEY DON'T WANT IT ON IN THEM BUSES AS WELL BEING USED? BECAUSE THE, THE PURPOSE OF WHEN YOU TALKING ABOUT BULLYING AND ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE USING IT FOR, WE CAN'T PICK AND CHOOSE WHEN IT'S CONVENIENT.
THEN SOME OF THOSE ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACES ON THE BUSES AS WELL.
SO MY QUESTIONS AROUND THAT IS WHEN ARE, WHAT WILL BE, WHAT IS THE STATE SAYING THAT AND WHAT TIMEFRAME THAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT USE IT FOR CLARITY.
YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT THOUGH, MR. SMITH.
BUT WHEN THE, WHEN THE STATE WAS WRESTLING WITH THIS, WHEN THE LEGISLATORS WERE WRESTLING WITH THIS, UH, ONE SIDE OF IT, UH, ESSENTIAL INITIALLY HAD, UH, DURING THE INSTRUCTIONAL, UH, UH, PERIOD.
[01:45:01]
AND THEN, UH, IT TRANSITIONED TO SCHOOL DAY.AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS MAINLY BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T QUITE DEFINE THE INSTRUCTIONAL SCHOOL DAY FOR EVERY, THE INSTRUCTIONAL SCHOOL, UH, INSTRUCTIONAL PERIOD FOR EVERYONE.
SO THEY WENT WITH SCHOOL DAY, BUT LEAVING IT FOR INTERPRETATION, I BELIEVE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE WAITING ON.
SO, SO, UH, EVEN WITHIN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE SAYS INSTRUCTIONAL, UH, IN THE SCHOOL DAY, EXCUSE ME.
SO THE SCHOOL DAY ENDS AT 3 45.
AND, AND, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE A FIELD THAT WOULDN'T INCLUDE A FIELD TRIP.
IF YOU'RE IN A FIELD TRIP, YOU'RE IN A CLASSROOM THAT'S A SCHOOL DAY.
SO, SO THEN, OKAY, SO THEN IF A, IF A KID WAS GOING ON THE BUS TO A FIELD TRIP, THEN THEY COULDN'T, SO MOM COULDN'T CHOP THEM GOING ON THAT FIELD TRIP.
THANKS FOR CLARITY THAT, THAT'S, THEY CAN'T USE IT DURING THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAY.
ONE MORE, ONE MORE POINT THOUGH.
YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THIS IS GOING TO BE, UH, OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE ARTICULATED AN INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING ENDEAVOR.
OKAY? BUT I THINK EVERYONE FEELS THAT IT IS A WORTHWHILE, WELL, NOT EVERYONE, I THINK, UH, THE MAJORITY FEEL IT'S A WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR, BUT IT WAS YOUR COLLECTIVE WILL AS A BOARD THAT WE MOVE FORWARD AND LOOK FOR THIS KIND OF A, A PLAN.
SO THEREFORE, WHAT I ASK IS THAT WE AS A COLLECTIVE WILL MOVE FORWARD UNITED IN THIS APPROACH BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE CHALLENGING ENOUGH AS IT IS, UH, RATHER THAN LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN POKE, UH, ISSUES WITHIN IT, WE NEED, WE NEED, UH, UNITY AS WE APPROACH THIS DIFFICULT PIECE.
YEAH, I JUST, WELL, I WANT, I DON'T THINK Y'ALL HEARD ME, WHAT, WHAT I SAID BEFORE, BECAUSE YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING, BUT THE PARENTS IS NOT GOING TO, AND THE TEACHERS, IF THEY COME A FEDERAL LAW, YOU DON'T HAVE NO SAY, YOU GONNA USE, THAT'S IT.
AND I THINK WE NEED, AS A BOARD NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT ONCE THE STATE MAKE A DECISION, ONCE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAKE A DECISION, THANK YOU.
[Board Business Action]
WE'RE DOWN TO BOARD BUSINESS AND, UH, WE HAVE TANYA CROSBY AND FRANNIE HEISER, UH, JOINING US FOR THE, UM, TWO, UH, TOPICS THERE.YES, A BRIEF INTRODUCTION THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE TWO BOND RESOLUTIONS FOR YOUR, UH, CONSIDERATION THIS EVENING.
UH, ONE IS FOR 8% PROJECTS, AND THE ONE IS, THE OTHER IS A REFUNDING OF A PREVIOUS, UH, OLDER BOND ISSUE.
SO FOR, UH, FRANNY HEER IS WITH US, OUR BOND COUNCIL, UH, FROM FOREMAN, AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO FRANNIE AT THIS TIME.
I'LL BE AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, THANK Y'ALL AND THANK Y'ALL FOR LETTING ME APPEAR VIRTUALLY.
UH, THE FIRST BOND ISSUE IS FOR YOUR, UM, ANNUAL 8% PROJECTS.
THE NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT IS 43,000,570, UM, THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THE, UM, PROJECTS ARE THOSE THAT Y'ALL HAVE, UH, APPROVED AT A PRIOR MEETING.
AND ONE NEW FEATURE IN THIS RESOLUTION THAT WE HAVEN'T, UH, HAD BEFORE IN YOUR RESOLUTIONS, IS A REFERENCE TO THE, UM, POLICY OE RELATED TO, UH, FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION, SPECIFICALLY OE SIX 17.
AND SO WE HAVE FEATURES IN THIS RESOLUTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL STAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT, UM, WITH, WITH THAT POLICY.
AND I'D BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF NOT EXCEEDING $43,570,000 IN GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS SERIES 2024 BRAVO, OR SUCH OTHER APPROPRIATE SERIES DESIGNATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA, FIXING THE FORM AND DETAILS
[01:50:01]
OF THE BONDS DELEGATING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS LAWFULLY AUTHORIZED DESIGNEE, THE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE CERTAIN MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE BONDS, PROVIDING FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE BONDS AND THE DISPOSITION OF PROCEEDS THEREOF AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING THERETO.WE'LL GIVE IT TO EARL 'CAUSE YOU HAD ANOTHER ONE.
EARL KIM WILL SECOND THE MOTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND MR. SMITH IS ABSENT FROM THIS VOTE.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AUTHORIZED THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF NOT EXCEEDING $38,750,000 TAXABLE OR TAX EXEMPT GENERAL OBLIGATION REFUNDING BONDS SERIES 2024 OR SUCH OTHER APPROPRIATE SERIES DESIGNATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA, FIXING THE FORM AND DETAILS OF THE BONDS, AUTHORIZING THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR HIS LAWFULLY AUTHORIZED DESIGNEE TO DETERMINE CERTAIN MATTERS RELATING TO THE BONDS, PROVIDING FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE BONDS AND THE DISPOSITION OF THE PROCEEDS.
THEREFORE, AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING THERETO.
WOULD YOU, UM, FRANNY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, MAKE ANY COMMENTS REGARDING THIS ONE? UM, I WOULD JUST POINT OUT THAT THIS RESOLUTION AUTHORIZES, UH, A REFUNDING A REFINANCING OF BONDS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN 2015.
UH, WE, UM, HAVE ESTABLISHED IN THIS RESOLUTION A A BENCHMARK OF SAVINGS OF ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE LIFE OF THE BONDS.
AND WE WILL, UH, PLAN TO HAVE THIS RESOLUTION, EXCUSE ME, THIS TRANSACTION READY TO GO.
UH, SO THAT WHEN THE MARKET, IF IF ANY INTEREST RATE CHANGES, UH, UM, MAKE THIS TRANSACTION ONE THAT, THAT WILL GET THAT MINIMUM SAVINGS, WE'RE GONNA BE IN A POSITION TO JUMP INTO THE MARKET AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? THERE BEING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY NAYS? ANY ABSTENTIONS? YEP.
MR. SMITH, WHICH ABSTENTION? UH, I'M GONNA, NAY.
SO THE MOTION, UH, CARRIES, UH, ALL, ALL YES.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, FRANNIE HEISER, AND THANK YOU TANYA CROSBY.
[Consent Agenda]
A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY, UH, A AYE, MIDDLETON AYE.
I THINK THAT WAS, EVERYBODY SAID YES, UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
[Future Agenda Topics]
UP, FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS.I DON'T USUALLY GIVE AN AGENDA TOPIC, BUT I'D LIKE TO, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING, UM, UH, DISCUSSION OF POTENTIAL, UH, PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE.
CARLTON, AT SOME, SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION OF DISCIPLINARY POLICY.
YEAH, WE HAVE THAT ACTUALLY ON OUR, UM, ON OUR LIST.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE NO FURTHER HANDS UP.
[Announcements]
DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? NO, NOT THIS EVENING.OKAY, MR. SMITH? OH, UM, I DO HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, UH, I MEANT TO MAKE MENTION, I APOLOGIZE.
I DIDN'T MAKE MENTION TO THE, UH, THE CHAIR IN THE BOARD AT THE BEGINNING, UM, THAT WE DO KEEP AS A, AS A PRINCIPAL IN RICHON COUNTY ONE.
AND I SAW ON THE NEWSFEED THIS AFTERNOON AND OVER THE WEEKEND THAT, UM, HE PASSED AWAY IN A CAR ACCIDENT.
[01:55:01]
IN OUR DISTRICT, A LOT OF DISTRICTS IN, IN THE STATE ARE, ARE, ARE ASKING THAT EVERYONE KEEP THAT FAMILY IN THEIR PRAYERS.SO IF EVERYONE WOULD, UH, IF YOU GO UPON YOUR DAY, IF, IF, IF YOU WOULD JUST, JUST, UH, IF YOU PRAYED AND THEN JUST PLEASE KEEP THAT FAMILY LIFTED UP IN PRAYER, THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR A PRINCIPAL AND A FAMILY TO, UH, LOSE A LOVED ONE.
UM, MISS BOATRIGHT, THANK YOU.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
UM, IT'S NOT A LONG ANNOUNCEMENT, BUT THE, UH, HILTON HEAD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA RIGHT NOW IS HOSTING ITS FIRST TUESDAY IN THE PARK.
AND THE REASON THIS IS A SCHOOL BOARD RELEVANT ANNOUNCEMENT IS THE GUEST, UH, PERFORMER IS TOUGH AS ZIMBABWE, WHO IS FAMOUS FOR BEING THE KEYBOARDIST FOR THE SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE BAND.
BUT HE IS ALSO THE, UH, DIRECT DESCENDANT OF REVEREND JENKINS OF THE JENKINS ORPHANAGE.
AND I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW THE HISTORY OF JENKINS ORPHANAGE BAND, UH, TO LOOK IT UP.
REVEREND JENKINS WAS A LOCAL LOW COUNTRY CHARLESTON REVEREND WHO PUT TOGETHER THESE BANDS HAD TREMENDOUS INFLUENCE ON THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE, ET CETERA.
SO MY ANNOUNCEMENT IS, HAPPY BLACK MUSIC MONTH.
SO, UM, MS. CUSHING BARRY, DO WE HAVE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS? NONE ONLINE OR NONE VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON? ALL RIGHT.
UM, SO THE NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS IS ADJOURNMENT BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE'S ATTENTION AND ATTENDANCE.
GOOD MORNING, DARRYL OWENS COUNCIL.
AND AGAIN, IT'S, UH, GREAT TO BE BACK HERE CELEBRATING, UH, THE BIRD'S BIRTHDAY ANOTHER YEAR.
AND I AM SO, UH, EXCITED ABOUT THE TURNOUT AND I'M SURE THAT YOU ALL WILL ENJOY THE REST OF THE FESTIVITIES.
I'M JERRY ASHBURN ON TOWN COUNCIL.
WHAT A GREAT DAY TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY FOR THE BIRDS.
THIS IS OUR SEVENTH YEAR DOING THIS.
WHAT A GREAT AMENITY HERE IN DOWNTOWN PORT ROYAL.
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE SOME NATURE AND FOR US TO DO SOME, SOME REAL GOOD THINGS WITH THE, WITH WATER RECLAMATION.
I HOPE YOU GET A CHANCE TO WALK THE AREA.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO OUR MAYOR, MAYOR, SAM MURRAY
WELCOME AGAIN TO OUR BIRD'S BIRTHDAY.
I'M NOT GONNA HOLD UP THE SHOW 'CAUSE IT'S GETTING A LITTLE WARM OUT HERE, BUT AT LEAST WE GOT GOOD WEATHER TODAY.
I'M GOING TO HAVE PETE COME UP WHO IS THE BRAINCHILD BEHIND THIS.
SO PETE, COME ON UP AND GET PEOPLE ROLLING.
ALRIGHT, LET'S HAVE A GOOD DAY FOR PETE ALRIGHTYY.
THANK YOU, SAM, APPRECIATE THAT.
THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THIS ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST.
IT'S ONE OF THE WONDERFUL POINTS WHERE YOU CAN GOD GO BY HERE ANYTIME OF DAY, NIGHT OR DAY, AND YOU WILL SEE PEOPLE WALKING THIS THING, UH, WITH THEIR DOGS, WALKING IT, UH, WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
BUT I WANNA WELCOME THAT, WELCOME YOU AND I WANTED TO THANK ALL OF OUR SPONSORS FOR YEARS, TRIP BOND, MASTER NATURALS PROGRAMS. ALL OF THESE FOLKS HAVE SPONSORED THIS THING AND IT'S ALL BEEN VOLUNTEERS ALL THE WAY, SO IT'S A GREAT THING.
WE'RE GONNA SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY.