[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY
[Call to Order]
TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING.IT'S BEING CONDUCTED AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THE MEDIA CENTER ON 55 MILL BORN ROAD, HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2024.
PUBLIC SESSION WILL START NOW AND GO TO AT LEAST NINE 15, UH, PM.
IT IS HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING, AND THE MEETING WILL BE LIVE STREAMED ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH NEW SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES.
BAGS, BACKPACKS AND PURSES ARE PROHIBITED BY THE PUBLIC AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER AT BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SCHOOL RELATED TOPICS.
CITIZENS WISHING TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENTS CAN DO SO IN PERSON OR VIA 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, LIMITED TO TOPICS ON THE BOARD MEETING AGENDA.
THE SECOND IS A 15 MINUTE SECTION, WHICH TAKES PLACE PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT, BUT NO LATER THAN 9:00 PM.
REQUESTS 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.
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 CUSHEN BERRY AT ROBIN CUSHEN.
BERRY AT BEAUFORT 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, IN-PERSON.
PUBLIC COMMENTS MUST FILLED OUT A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD THAT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE BOARD CLERK UPON ARRIVAL IN THE EVENT THE BOARD DOES NOT FINISH ADDRESSING ALL ITEMS LISTED ON THE SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2024 AGENDA.
THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE AT 6:00 PM ON SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2024, THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY TO FINISH THE AGENDA ITEMS. WE ARE NOT HAVING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION MEETING TODAY.
[Approval of Agenda]
TONIGHT'S AGENDA? BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? THE MOTION? SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
ANGELA, AND HOW DID ANGELA VOTE? AYE.
NEXT ITEM IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
[Pledge of Allegiance, Moment of Silence, Statement of Media Notification ]
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
HAVE THIS MEDIA BEEN NOTIFIED? YES.
[Student Performance]
ITEM, WE'RE READY TO HEAR YOU GUYS WOW US.AND THESE, UH, THESE FOLKS ARE FROM HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL, GUITAR ENSEMBLE, PERFORMING E-I-F-F-A-L-F-A.
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF SEAN WRIGHT.
UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT SMALL ENSEMBLE THIS, UH, VOLUNTEER FOR TONIGHT'S PERFORMANCE.
SO JESSE'S GONNA INTRODUCE, GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE TONIGHT.
[00:10:00]
THANKS[00:10:01]
A LOT FOR HAVING US.HEY, YOU, YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS WATCHING YOU HIT THOSE GUITARS.
[First Public Comments]
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.[Legislative Update]
UPDATE WITH MS. LYNN STOKES MURRAY.SHE'S, SHE GONNA PUT HER UP ON THE SCREEN.
CAN WE ADD THE SOUND UP PLEASE? UH, STAND BY.
MS. MS. LYNN, WE GOTTA GET THE SOUND A LITTLE LOUDER.
I WAS JUST SAYING THAT, UM, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT NEW REPORT FROM THE LAST TIME I HERE, UM, BEFORE YOU GUYS.
UM, BUT I DID PROVIDE THIS DOCUMENT TO ROBIN, WHICH I THINK SHE HAD WITH HYPERLINKS TO ALL LEGISLATION AND THE APPROPRIATIONS THAT ARE RELATED TO EDUCATION THAT WERE ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THIS YEAR.
UM, SO ALL, MAYBE JUST A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS AND IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ANSWER THEM FOR YOU.
UM, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS DOCUMENT, YOU CAN SEE THE STATE, THE CLASSROOM FUNDING, 170,000,030 MILLION IN EIA, THE, UH, SCHOOL SAFETY UPGRADES, 20 MILLION.
UM, AND JUMPING DOWN, YOU BRING DOLLARS.
YOU'VE GOT THE EIA APPROPRIATIONS, AND THAT INCLUDES THE, UM, MATH RESOURCES AND SUPPORT
SOME EARLY LITERACY TRAINING TEACHER SUPPLIES, THE
YOU ALSO SEE, UM, THAT WE'VE GOT ABOUT 62 MILLION FOR THE SAME EMPLOYEE PAY INCREASE, AND THAT INCLUDES A TWO POINT, UH, 2.4% INCREASE FOR, UM, THE SCHOOL BUS TURNOVER SALARIES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY.
THE NEXT
AND AGAIN, WE PROVIDED A HYPER LINK FOR YOU, UH, IF YOU WANT READ THE FULL SUMMARY.
UM, BUT YOU'VE GOT JUST A SHORT SUMMARY OF WHAT THOSE COURSE OF THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR PAGES.
AND THEN ROBIN, IF WE CAN GO TO BILLS ENACTED THIS SESSION ABOUT MOST OF THESE THE LAST TIME WE WERE GATHERED TOGETHER, THE, THE BOOSTER CLUB LEGISLATION.
Y'ALL HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
I THINK WE PROVIDED SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
UM, SENATE BILL ONE CLUB SCHOLARSHIPS ITEM FOR EDUCATION MAJORS.
AND THEN THE, UM, PRETTY LENGTHY SENATE BILL FOUR 18 READ TO SUCCEED.
AND WE'VE GIVEN YOU SOME HIGHLIGHTS THERE.
UM, COMPETENCY BASED EDUCATION, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE SCHOOL ACT, UM, TRANSGENDER CARE.
WE ALSO DISCUSSED LAST TIME, UM, YOUR EXPULSION HEARINGS AND THEN INFORMATION ON THE CHILDCARE WORK.
UM, FOLLOWING THAT IS INFORMATION ON
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AND THEN
SO JUST WANTED CHECK OUT A COMPLETE DOCUMENT OF EVERYTHING THAT WE, UH, FOR, UM, TO SORT OF SUMMARIZE WHERE WE ARE NOW.
WE ARE, UM, NOT SESSION, WE TO SESSION TO ORGANIZE AND FIL UM, IN DECEMBER AS WELL.
THE SENATE WON'T ORGANIZE THEM UNTIL THEY RECONVENE IN JANUARY.
OFFICES HAVE BEEN MEETING OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER TO DETERMINE THEIR AGENDAS FOR 2025.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE, THE BIG NEWS WILL BE WHAT LEGISLATURE LOOKS LIKE, PROBABLY ABOUT 20 TO 25 NEW HOUSE, THE EIGHT TO 11 NEW SENATE MEMBERS, WHICH IS A SENATE IF IT WILL REMAIN VERY RED.
UM, WE THINK THAT SEVERAL, UM, DEMOCRATIC SENATORS MAY SEVERAL, UM, SITTING SENATORS LOSE IN THEIR PRIMARY.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS MAY HAVE TO KEEP IT BRIEF TONIGHT.
BUT, UM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED AND, AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO 2025, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU GUYS.
ELSE YOU HAVE IN MIND FOR NEXT SESSION.
MS. BOATRIGHT, I SEE YOUR HAND UP, BUT YOU GO AHEAD.
I'M SORRY I WAS NOT AT THE, THIS IS VERY ECHOY UH, THE MEETING IN JULY.
SO IF I ASKED THIS QUESTION, PLEASE LET ME, OR IF THIS QUESTION'S BEEN ANSWERED.
BUT CAN YOU CLARIFY THE COMPETENCY BASED EDUCATION, WHAT THAT MEANS? I READ THE, UH, LAW, BUT IT SAYS WORLD CLASS SKILLS AND I WASN'T SURE IF THERE HAD BEEN MORE FULSOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
UM, I CAN PROVIDE WITH ME AT HOME TONIGHT, BUT IT SAYS IT PROVIDES FOR THE EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT HYPERLINK WILL TAKE YOU TO THE BILL.
BUT I AM HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH ADDITIONAL DATA.
I'LL PULL THAT FOR YOU AND SEND IT, UM, TO ROBINS TOMORROW.
THANK YOU, PLEASE, MR. MR. DALLAS? YES, SIR.
UM, THANK YOU MS. LYNN MURRAY STOKES.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE IS WITH THE RECENT SUPREME COURT DECISION ON THE EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP TRUST FUND, UH, WRITTEN BY SUPREME COURT JUSTICE HILL.
WHERE DOES, UM, THAT $30 MILLION STAND NOW? IS IT ACTUALLY STILL GOING FORWARD OR IS IT INANCE UNTIL IT'S ADJUDICATED TO EITHER APPEAL OR WHAT HAVE YOU? IT IT'LL BE HELD IN OBEYANCE, MR. DALLAS, UNTIL IT'S OKAY.
THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO, TO APPROPRIATE THE FUNDS UNTIL, THANK YOU, MA'AM.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR BOARD MEMBERS? SMITH? TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, UH, BOOSTER CLUB S UH, 2245.
I THINK WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, UM, LAST TIME, THIS, THIS BILL REQUIRES THAT IF YOU HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF A FINANCIAL CRIME, THAT YOU MAY NOT SERVE AS A FINANCIAL OFFICER OR TREASURER IN THE BOOSTER CLUB.
UM, AND THAT THE ACTUAL BOOSTER CLUB, UM, THE SCHOOL BOARD MAY REQUIRE, UM, TREASURERS TO
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UNDERGO A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKANY QUESTIONS? JUST ONE FINAL THING FOR ME.
UM, IF, IF YOU ALL AFTER YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE A GANDER THROUGH THIS, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL MAY NEED.
[Chair Report]
IS THE CHAIR REPORT.AND I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT.
[Committee Reports]
WE HAVE FINANCE AND WE HAVE, UH, COLONEL GEIER REPORTING.A FINANCE COMMITTEE MET ON, UH, SEPTEMBER 12TH.
UM, AND WE STARTED OFF WITH OUR NORMAL MONTHLY REVIEWS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET, WHICH, UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UH, WE'RE REALLY STILL STARTED VERY EARLY IN THE FISCAL YEAR.
WE'VE ONLY COMMITTED 16.7% OF OUR, UH, BUDGET, WHICH IS, UH, ABOUT NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.
AND THE MONTHLY $100,000 REPORT, UH, FOR THE MONTH OF JULY WAS REVIEWED.
WE HAD A FEW MINOR THINGS THAT WAS SHOWN AS WELL AS IN THE TRANSPARENCY REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF JULY.
NOW, MS. IS MS. DENISE HERE TONIGHT? MS. MS. MATSON THERE, SHE WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP AND, UH, GIVE US PROBABLY OUR FINAL ESSER REPORT? MAYBE HIS SECOND TILL LAST? WE MIGHT HAVE A CLOSEOUT.
I EXPECT TO BE BACK NEXT MONTH TO TELL YOU.
IT'S ALL COMPLETE
BUT, UM, GOOD NEWS IS WE HAVE 99 3 0.3% OF OUR SER THREE EXPENDED.
AND OVERALL ALL THE GRANTS, 99.5%.
UM, WE ARE, UH, LEFT WITH, UM, 368 AS OF, UM, THE 31ST 368, 569, UH, WERE REMAINING.
UM, DURING THE PAST MONTH, WE DID, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE ALREADY APPROVED ACTIVITIES.
UM, WE'VE VERIFIED EVEN WITH THE STATE, WE'RE NOT ADDING ANY NEW ACTIVITIES, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL SUBSCRIPTION, OUR CUSTODIAL FUR FURNITURE AND STILL PAY SOME INTERVENTION SALARIES.
AND THEN WE HAD SOME SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM.
AND THEN, UM, SOME ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL TRAINING.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE SPENT THE $761,000.
ANY QUESTIONS? AND THANK YOU VERY THANK YOU MS. DENISE.
THE NEXT ITEM, MS. CROSBY, IS GOING TO COME UP AND TELL US ABOUT THE QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2024.
UM, IF I COULD GET TO THE SECOND PAGE, SCHEDULE A I'M JUST GOING TO SUMMARIZE, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
SO, UM, THIS IS A PRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE YEAR END FINANCIALS.
UH, THIS IS A, UH, THESE NUMBERS AREN'T FINAL UNTIL DECEMBER 1ST, WHICH IS THE DEADLINE FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
UH, WE, UH, ACT HAVE JUST RECENTLY, WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY THIS WEEK, ACTUALLY.
UM, 'CAUSE MONDAY WAS THE DUE DATE OF OUR TRIAL BALANCE.
UM, SO BASICALLY ALL OF THE NUMBERS, EVERY NUMBER IN OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS GOES TO THE AUDITORS AS OF MONDAY.
AND WE DELIVERED ACE'S AUDIT, UH, TRIAL BALANCE AS WELL ON MONDAY.
SO, UH, THAT IS A BIG DEAL FOR US.
WE, UH, HAVE VERY LITTLE JOURNAL, VERY FEW JOURNAL ENTRIES THAT WILL BE REMAINING, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS AS WE PREPARE FOR CLOSING
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THE FINAL YEAR END BOOKS.SO THIS INFORMATION WAS PREPARED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, SO JUST SOME MINOR CHANGES WILL OCCUR.
AND WE DID DO SOME, A FEW PROJECTIONS ON HERE.
SO THE REPORT THAT SHOWS THE, UH, BUDGET COMPARISON SCHEDULE, IF WE COULD PULL UP THE NUMBERS THERE.
I'M JUST GONNA HIT A FEW HIGHLIGHTS ON ONE PARTICULAR SCHEDULE.
AND IT'S, UH, ONE OF THE NEXT ONES, UM, UH, ONE, THIS ONE, YES.
SO I KNOW THE NUMBERS ARE RELATIVELY SMALL HERE, AND I'LL TALK THROUGH THOSE.
BASICALLY, WE HAVE THREE MAIN CATEGORIES OF REVENUE, LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL.
LOCAL IS COMING IN VERY STRONG THIS YEAR AT 107% OF BUDGET.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT $14 MILLION MORE THAN THE TYPICAL THAN THE BUDGET, UH, ALLOWS AT THIS POINT DURING THE YEAR, WHICH IS A 14% INCREASE IN, IN THE MILL VALUE.
AND THAT IS ALL DUE TO REASSESSMENT.
UH, THERE IS EXTREME GROWTH IN THE COUNTY THIS YEAR, AND THAT IS REFLECTED IN THESE NUMBERS.
STATE REVENUE CAME IN AT $3 MILLION ABOVE, UH, BUDGET.
UH, WE GO BASED ON THE STATE PROJECTIONS, AND THEN WE, THEY ADJUST MID-YEAR FOR VARIOUS, UH, ADDITIONAL REVENUES OR ENROLLMENT AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO ALL IN ALL, ABOUT $17 MILLION MORE IN REVENUE THAN WE PROJECTED.
UM, EXPENDITURES ARE GONNA COME IN ABOUT 2 MILLION.
UM, IT IS MOSTLY IN THE SUPPORT CATEGORIES, CONTRACTED SERVICES.
UH, WE DID NOT HAVE SLIPPAGE IN ANY SALARIES AND BENEFITS WHEN YOU COMBINED WITH SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS AND ALL OF THE THOSE, UH, WE HAD, THERE WAS NO SLIPPAGE.
THERE WAS EVERYTHING WAS, UM, ANY SAVINGS WAS IN THE SUPPORT CATEGORIES.
AND SO WE DO EXPECT A $9.9 MILLION TRANSFER TO CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND, UH, WITH A REMAINING FUND BALANCE INCREASE OF ABOUT 7.9, WHICH IS WHAT WE DISCUSSED, UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO AT OUR WORK SESSION.
WE'RE GONNA MAINTAIN A 20% FUND BALANCE AS, UH, IT WAS, UM, OUR MOODY'S CREDIT RATING WAS AFFIRMED AT THAT, UM, LEVEL.
AND, AND WE HOPE WE INTENDED TO THE, THE, THE STRATEGY WAS TO MAINTAIN THAT PERCENTAGE SO THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THOSE GOOD CREDIT RATINGS AS WE BEGIN TO, UM, BUILD ON OUR REFERENDUM PROJECTS.
AND SO, UH, WE ALSO PROVIDE AN ALL FUND STATEMENT THERE AS WELL TO DEMONSTRATE EVERY FUND IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, BUT I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS WITH THOSE TONIGHT.
WE'RE IN A VERY GOOD POSITION.
AND, UH, WE'LL BE BACK TO DISCUSS THE FINAL AUDIT, RIGHT AF THE FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER.
UH, THE, THE, THIS IS GOOD NEWS, BUT IT ALSO, UH, THIS SETS US UP FOR THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE EXPECT TO HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT, UH, EXPENSES AS WE, ESPECIALLY IN OUR CONTRACTS THAT WILL BE COMING DUE.
SO, UM, I THINK WHEN WE START DOING THE BUDGET FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, UH, WE'LL BE IN A VERY GOOD STATE OF KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT A MILL WILL BUY.
THIS YEAR WAS VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE REASSESSMENT.
AS, AS YOU'LL RECALL, WE, WE REDUCED OUR MILLAGE RATE, BUT YET WE BROUGHT IN MORE REVENUE.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE IF IT, WE WOULD'VE BEEN LIKE GOLDILOCKS, AND WE WOULD'VE GOT JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF REDUCTION, BUT THEN FRANKLY, WE WOULDN'T BE IN AS GOOD A SHAPE TO HANDLE THE ADDITIONAL EXPENSES THAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING THIS YEAR WITH THE CONTRACTS FOR OUR CUSTODIANS MAINTENANCE, SO ON.
BUT NEXT YEAR, WE WILL HAVE A MUCH, MUCH BETTER IDEA OF THE VALUE OF THE MILKS.
WE DON'T EXPECT TO HAVE THE SAME EXPONENTIAL GROWTH.
IT'S, WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE GROWTH, BUT NOT TO THE LEVEL THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST YEAR.
SO WE WILL GET CLOSER AND CLOSER TO JUST RIGHT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF MILLAGE FOR THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF REVENUE.
WE ARE DOING EXTREMELY WELL IN HANDLING OUR EXPENDITURES.
AND, AND THAT IS A GREAT TESTAMENT, NOT ONLY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, UH, BUT TO MS. CROSBY TO BALANCE ALL THE BALLS THAT
[00:30:01]
HAVE TO BE KEPT IN THE AIR.UH, THERE ARE LEAD BALLS AND THERE ARE GLASS BALLS, AND SHE HAS NOT DROPPED ANY GLASS BALLS.
SOME LEAD BALLS WE'VE HAD TO STRUGGLE HARD WITH OCCASIONALLY.
BUT, UH, YOU'RE TO BE COMPLIMENTED, YOU AND YOUR TEAM, THANK YOU, UH, FOR EXECUTING A EXTREMELY GOOD BUDGET YEAR WITH A GREAT DEGREE OF UNCERTAINTY.
SO, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE, I'D LIKE TO, UH, UH, CONGRATULATE YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
THAT CONCLUDES THE FINANCE REPORT.
AND NEXT UP WE HAVE THE RESULTS COMMITTEE REPORTING.
AND THAT IS ALSO, UH, BEING REPORTED OUT BY COLONEL GEIER.
WE HAD A RESULTS COMMITTEE MEETING, AND IT WAS PROBABLY THE BEST MEETING I'VE BEEN TO IN, UH, IN A LONG TIME.
WE HAD A FANTASTIC DISCUSSION, UH, WITH OUR, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABOUT DR.
RODRIGUEZ'S, UM, EFFICIENCY REPORT, IF YOU WILL, ON HOW TO STRUCTURE IT.
WE STARTED OFF BY LOOKING AT THE INITIAL PIECES, WHICH ARE THE, UM, SHALL WE SAY, NON FISCAL AND NON-ACADEMIC RESULTS PIECE, BUT MORE OF THE HUMAN PARTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT'S JOB AND, AND HIS COMMUNICATION WITH COMMUNITY, WITH THE STAFF, WITH THE FACULTY AND SO ON.
AND WE HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, SOME NUMBERS ON THE BOTTOM OF, UH, THE PAGE.
UH, MS. BOATWRIGHT, DID WE EVER FIGURE THAT OUT FROM CONTEXT? I THINK THEY WERE REFERRING TO NATIONAL STANDARDS.
YES, NATIONAL STANDARDS, WHICH WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A, UH, CROSSWALK TO SEE WHAT THE NATIONAL STANDARDS WERE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE ARE GONNA WORK ON.
SO THEN WE GOT TO THE HARD BUSINESS.
AND THE HARD BUSINESS IS THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT PIECE.
AND WE HAD A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION, AND I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE.
UH, THE TWO, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND MR. DALLAS WAS ON THE LINE.
MR. SMITH WAS ON THE LINE, AND I THINK MR. CAMPBELL WAS THERE.
SO INGRID, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT? AND NOT FOR NOTHING, BUT CAN WE TURN THIS COMPUTER OFF? IS THERE ANY, I MEAN, JUST THE SOUND, DOES ANYONE ELSE? IT'S LIKE BOUNCING AROUND.
UM, YEAH, WE HAD A DISCUSSION AND IT, IT'S THE SAME, A SIMILAR DISCUSSION TO ONE THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, WHICH IS HOW DO YOU ASSESS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE? AND THEN HOW DO YOU HOLD THE SUPERINTENDENT WHO IS AT THE TOP OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE CLASSROOM LEVEL.
UM, AND SO WE HAD A LOT OF TALK ABOUT, UH, THE CURRENT EVALUATION PROCESS FOR TEACHERS BECAUSE, UH, TEACHERS ARE NOT EVALUATED ON THOSE METRICS.
AND ONE THING I I, WE DISCUSSED THIS LAST YEAR, THE INSTRUMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN USING, UM, WHICH WE ACTUALLY PUT IN PLACE PRIOR TO, UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ ARRIVING WAS, I THINK PRIOR TO IT.
UM, WAS ACTUALLY TAKEN FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN'S, UH, INSTRUMENT.
AND IN MICHIGAN, THEY DO HAVE A CLASSROOM EVALUATION PROCESS WHERE TEACHERS ARE EVALUATED BASED ON TEST SCORES.
UM, HERE WE DO NOT, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT PROCESS THAT I WOULD NOT TRY TO EXPLAIN TO ANYBODY.
UH, IT IS A STATE SPECIFIC PROCESS THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT IT, IT EVALUATES, UH, PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE.
AND SO LACKING THAT LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT IN THE CLASSROOM, IT'S DIFFICULT TO THEN HOLD THE SUPERINTENDENT ACCOUNTABLE FOR THOSE RESULTS FURTHER UP.
MY PERSONAL, UH, POINT FOR WHICH I'VE TAKEN, UH, A FAIR AMOUNT OF CONTROVERSY IS THAT I THINK WE ARE PLACING FAR TOO MUCH IMPORTANCE ON THE TEST SCORE METRICS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 30 YEARS, UM, AND TEST SCORES HAVE GONE DOWN.
IT IS NOT USEFUL BECAUSE IT IS PROVIDED TO THE TEACHER AFTER THAT COHORT OF STUDENTS HAS LEFT THAT TEACHER'S CLASSROOM.
IT IS A SNAPSHOT OF ONE DAY AND ONE TIME.
UM, I THINK IT SHOULD BE USED IN A MUCH LARGER CONSTELLATION OF DATA POINTS THAT WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO, SUCH AS ATTENDANCE, STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, STUDENT ACTIVITIES, UH, POVERTY LEVELS.
THERE'S ALL SORTS OF DATA OUT THERE THAT WE NOW CAN COLLECT AND, AND AUGMENT THOSE TEST SCORES.
SO WHILE I AM NOT AGAINST THE TEST SCORES, I THINK THAT USING THEM AS 25% OF ANYONE'S EVALUATION IN THE EDUCATIONAL ARENA,
[00:35:01]
UM, IS, IS GONNA CAUSE A LOT OF CONTROVERSY.AND THE MORE THAT WE FOCUS ON THOSE NUMBERS, IT PREVENTS OUR TEACHERS FROM ACTUALLY TEACHING.
BECAUSE WHAT YOU HEAR FROM TEACHERS OVER AND OVER IS, I DON'T REALLY TEACH ANYMORE.
I'M TEACHING THE TEST, UH, BECAUSE THESE TESTS ARE SO IMPORTANT TO THE DISTRICT.
SO THIS IS A STATE ISSUE, IT'S A POLITICAL ISSUE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT CERTAINLY THE RESULTS COMMITTEE CAN ADDRESS, BUT IT DOES COME UP WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW ARE WE GONNA, UH, EVALUATE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE? HOW DO WE HOLD THE SUPERINTENDENT ACCOUNTABLE FOR ACADEMIC IMPORTANCE, AND HOW MUCH WEIGHT DO WE GIVE CERTAIN VARIABLES? THANK YOU, MS. MS. HAY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT, MOVE THIS ON IN HERE? I'M NOT GREAT WHEN I HEAR AN ECHO IN THE BACKGROUND, SO I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE.
HOWEVER, WHILE WE HAVE AN ECHO, ECHO, EVERYTHING MRS. BOATWRIGHT JUST SAID, UM, WELL, IT IS, IT'S TRUE.
BUT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I BROUGHT UP IN THE MEETING, THE RESULTS COMMITTEE MEETING, BECAUSE FOR INGRID AND I, THIS IS OUR SECOND GO ROUND BEING ON THIS COMMITTEE WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT ONLY THE TEST SCORES WHEN MANY CHILDREN AREN'T GREAT TEST TAKERS.
AND WHEN WE'RE PUTTING SO MUCH WEIGHT ON A SINGLE SNAPSHOT OF A TEST, THAT CAN ALSO CREATE ANXIETY FOR THE CHILDREN, WHERE THEN THEY'RE NOT FOCUSED SO MUCH ON WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE PROCESSING AND ANSWERING.
THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THE ANXIETY THAT THEY'RE FEELING AROUND THE TESTS.
UM, I DO HAVE
AND I DID ASK STUDENTS
THEY ARE NOT AWARE THAT I AM ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, WHICH I DO ON PURPOSE.
UM, THEY FLAT OUT TOLD ME THIS WAS A SMATTERING OF STUDENTS FROM SIXTH TO EIGHT, OH, EXCUSE ME, 12TH GRADE.
THEY ALL AGREED THOUGH IT TOOK A FEW MINUTES.
UM, ONCE ONE STUDENT SAID THAT THEY JUST BUBBLE IN TO GET THE TEST OVER WITH THE OTHER STUDENTS ALL STARTED NODDING AND ECHOING SIMILAR, I DON'T KNOW, OPINIONS, YOU KNOW OF YES.
WE JUST WANNA GET IT OVER WITH.
IT DOESN'T IMPACT THEIR GRADE.
SO THEY KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, A HIGH SCHOOLER KNOWS THAT A COLLEGE IS GOING TO LOOK AT THEIR GRADE POINT AVERAGE.
THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THEIR VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES.
THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK AT, IF THEY HAVE A JOB OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK AT, IF THEY'RE A LEADER ON A TEAM, THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK AT ALL THESE OTHER METRICS.
AND THEN SAT ACTS, THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK AT REFERRALS FROM, AGAIN, STAFF AT A SCHOOL, STAFF AT A JOB, ET CETERA.
IT'S NOT SO MUCH GOING TO BE RELIANT ON STATE TESTING.
SO THE KIDS ARE WISE ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THESE TESTS DON'T IMPACT THEIR FUTURE AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE, UM, FIRE IN THEM, OR THEY'RE NOT UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE OF WHY THEY'RE DOING THESE TESTS.
SO IT IS A DISSERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR OUR TEACHERS TO BE TEACHING FOR TESTING.
AND I ALSO MADE THE ARGUMENT THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT MOST OF US GO ON TO DO IN THE WORLD.
WE'RE NOT CONSTANTLY TAKING SIT DOWN BUBBLE TESTS EVERY DAY.
WE'RE ACTIVELY DOING THINGS, AND WE NEED TO TEACH OUR STUDENTS TO BE ACTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.
SO THAT WAS MORE OR LESS WHAT I SHARED.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT? THANK YOU.
UM, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD FLOW COMING FROM MY TWO COLLEAGUES TO THE LEFT.
TO ME, MY BACKGROUND IS, IS VERY DIFFERENT.
AND THE THING THAT SORT OF, UM, THEY'RE RIGHT.
UH, KIDS PROBABLY ARE BUBBLING THE TEST SCORES, BUT EVENTUALLY THEY'RE GONNA GET TO THE REAL WORLD AND THEY'RE GONNA BE SOMEBODY LIKE ME.
I'M HIRING OUT OF THE BEST SCHOOLS.
AND THE BEST SCHOOLS TEND TO HAVE KIDS THAT SCORE WELL ON THOSE REPORTS, THOSE TESTS.
AND SOME OF THE BEST SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD ARE NOT ONLY AMERICAN SCHOOLS, BUT THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.
YOU HIRE THEM, YOU JUST TAKE A SEAT, TELL 'EM WHAT YOU WANT BY WHEN IT'S DONE.
SOME OF THE OTHERS WE'VE NEVER HEARD OF.
SOME OF THE BEST SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED COME FROM COUNTRIES.
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI, NIGERIA BIG IN THE PETROLEUM MINISTRY.
YOU KNOW, NIGERIA'S ONE OF THE LEADING PETROLEUM PRODUCERS.
AND A LOT OF THE TALENT THAT WE GET COMES FROM THERE.
PAKISTANI BUS, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, FINANCIAL MAVERICKS.
THEY CAN FIGURE OUT THINGS AND PRESENT 'EM
[00:40:01]
IN NOVEL WAYS, AND THEY GET PEOPLE TO BUY IN, HELP YOU RETURNS.SO I'LL GIVE YOU AN, UM, BASICALLY, UH, AN EXAMPLE.
MY SECRETARY, WHEN I WAS IN SOUTH AFRICA, LEFT AND WENT TO SOUTH KOREA TO TEACH ENGLISH.
SHE CALLS BACK AND SHE SAYS, MR. DALLAS, YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THIS.
I SAID, WHAT CONNOR? KIDS GO TO SCHOOL FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
WE GO TO SCHOOL HERE IN SOUTH AFRICA FIVE DAYS, FIVE DAYS A WEEK IN THE US.
SHE SAID, NO, NO, NO, THEY GO EIGHT TO FIVE.
AND THEN SHE SAYS, BUT THAT'S NOT ALL.
THEY GO EIGHT TO 12 ON SATURDAYS.
SO THEN YOU SEE MY ALMA MATER, UNC, CHAPEL HILL BEING CHALLENGED WITH, UH, ITS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAM, RIGHT? OR THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SYSTEM BEING CHALLENGED BECAUSE OUR ASIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS SCORE SO WELL, BUT THEY'RE NOT GETTING IN COMMENSURATE WITH THEIR TEST SCORES.
RIGHT? AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS THAT CREATES RESENTMENT.
SO WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS, ONE OF THE THINGS I SAID IS THAT WE NEED A COMPETITIVE PEER GROUP.
WE CANNOT COMPARE OURSELVES AGAINST THE MEDIAN IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
THAT'S LIKE ME BEING A SLOW HORSE IN A FAST RACE.
IT JUST DOESN'T CUT IT WHEN YOU GET INTO THE REAL WORLD.
THE OTHER THING IS YOUR RAISE ZONE DE FOR CREATING A SCHOOL DISTRICT IS NOT FOR SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE TO GO UNDER BECAUSE OF LEGISLATION.
YOU CREATE A SCHOOL DISTRICT TO EDUCATE YOUR ENTIRE POPULATION.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS PROFOUNDLY BEING SHIFTED TO ACTIVITIES INSTEAD OF RESULTS.
AND SO I THINK THE LAST THING I TRIED TO BRING UP IS I THINK WE HAVE TO TAKE A MESSAGE INTO THE COMMUNITY.
18 MONTHS I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, I'VE FOUND THAT THE FIRST CLASSROOM A KID IS IN IS IN THEIR HOME.
THAT'S FIVE, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS LATER.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT PREPARED COMING IN WITH READING AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, THEN WE HAVE TO LET, HELP PARENTS UNDERSTAND HOW CRITICAL THEIR PARTICIPATION IS AND GUIDE.
SO IT WAS A VERY VIBRANT DISCUSSION.
UH, IN TERMS OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
AND I RESPECT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
I'M JUST GIVING A PERSPECTIVE FROM A DIFFERENT BACKGROUND.
MR. LEY, ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT IT? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT THE THREE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ALREADY SAID.
UM, AND LIKE MR. DALLAS SAID, IN IN THOSE COUNTRIES, UH, THEY HAVE A, A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION.
WE DON'T IN THE UNITED STATES.
UM, AND UNTIL WE DO THAT, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS WE DON'T WANT EVERY CHILD TO BE EDUCATED BECAUSE IF WE DID, WE WOULD HAVE, UH, EARLY, REAL, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
AND WE DON'T HAVE IT IN THIS COUNTRY, YOU KNOW? UM, SO, AND IT, LIKE YOU SAID ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, UH, THE PARENTS IS THE FIRST TEACHER OF THEIR CHILDREN, AND WE HAVE SOME PARENTS THAT COULD CARE LESS, YOU KNOW? AND A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T LIKE TO HEAR THAT, BUT THAT'S THE TRUTH, YOU KNOW? AND UNTIL WE CHANGE THAT, WE WILL BE BEHIND AND GONNA TALK ABOUT EDUCATION.
UH, YOU, DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? UH, NO.
UM, A LOT OF GOOD POINTS HAVE BEEN RAISED BY THE, UM, FOUR OF YOU THAT HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN.
I DON'T WANNA REPEAT WHAT YOU'VE SAID.
I THINK THERE'S TWO THINGS ALSO THAT HAVEN'T BEEN MENTIONED THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
ONE IS THESE STATE TESTS, THEY KEEP CHANGING WHAT THEY, WHAT THE TEST IS.
SO IT'S VERY HARD TO LOOK AT ONE YEAR COMPARED TO THE NEXT YEAR, TO THE NEXT YEAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT TO ME SEEMS PROBLEMATIC JUST IN THAT, THAT BY ITSELF, THAT YOU CAN'T SEE THE LONG, LONG RANGE RESULTS.
ANOTHER THING IS, I JUST WANT THE PARENTS TO KNOW THE STATE TESTS THAT ARE INCORPORATED INTO OUR STUDENTS' GRADES ARE THE END OF COURSE, EXAMS IN HIGH SCHOOL AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
AND THOSE INCLUDE ENGLISH, BIOLOGY, US HISTORY.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S 20% OF THE STUDENT'S GRADE, UM, WHEN THEY TAKE THAT EXAM.
SO THERE ARE OTHER TESTS THAT THE STATE HAS.
UH, YES, THOSE DON'T BECOME PART OF THE CHILD'S ACADEMIC, UH, RECORD.
AND, UM, I GUESS I'LL REPEAT A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID TO ME, THE HOME IS CRUCIAL AS TO, UH, LEARNING FOR A CHILD, REALLY FROM THE DAY THEY'RE BORN UP UNTIL THEY LEAVE THE HOME AT 12TH GRADE OR WHATEVER.
[00:45:01]
YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN AND WE WANNA CHALLENGE ALL CHILDREN.AND I DON'T WANT THE PUBLIC TO GET THE IMPRESSION THAT WE, YOU KNOW, UH, AREN'T IN SUPPORT OF SOME STANDARDIZED TESTING.
LET ME, UH, LET ME KIND OF SUM UP WHAT WE ENDED UP KIND OF TALKING ABOUT FOR NEXT YEAR.
THIS YEAR'S E EVALUATION WILL BE THE INSTRUMENT THAT WE LOOKED AT A YEAR AGO, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WILL USE TO EVALUATE THE SUPERINTENDENT.
THE SUPERINTENDENT IS GETTING READY TO PROVIDE HIS REPORT ON HIS ACHIEVEMENTS THIS YEAR.
AND WE WILL BE GETTING THAT WHEN IN OCTOBER.
IN OCTOBER, WE ASK HIM TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ACADEMIC MATRIX ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE MATRIX AND PUT IN HIS GOALS FOR THE YEAR AND GIVE THAT TO US AS PART OF HIS PACKET.
AND THEN ONCE WE GET THAT, WE'D LIKE THE RESULTS COMMITTEE TO GO IN AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT, SEE WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO THE FULL BOARD, AND THEN COME BACK TO THE FULL BOARD AND SAY, HERE'S WHAT WE RECOMMEND.
AND WHAT WE RECOMMEND WILL PROBABLY BE ONE OF TWO THINGS.
ONE, WE ACCEPT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S, UH, GOALS AS IS, IF WE PICK THAT OPTION, WE WILL NOT HAVE TO CHANGE OR, UH, LOOK AT HIS CONTRACT, WHICH SAYS THAT HE'S GOT TO HAVE A FULL YEAR, UH, ON HIS, ON HIS EVALUATION FORM TO BE EVALUATED.
BUT IF WE DECIDE TO CHANGE HIS GOALS, THEN WE WILL HAVE TO EITHER RENEGOTIATE THE CONTRACT OR HAVE THE SUPERINTENDENT, UH, AGREE WITH THOSE, UH, UH, GOALS.
BECAUSE THE CONTRACT'S VERY SPECIFIC.
AND MR. SMITH BROUGHT THIS UP IN THE MEETING.
IT'S VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT GIVING HIM NOTIFICATION, SUFFICIENT NOTIFICATION TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS, UH, IN HIS EVALUATION REPORT.
SO, UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT THAT PROCESS? HEARING NONE, MADAM CHAIR, THAT COMPLETES THE REPORT.
THANK THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR COMMITTEE.
[Superintendent’s Report]
THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.DR. RODRIGUEZ, GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS THIS EVENING ON THE, UH, SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
UM, WE HAVE A COMPARISON OF SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND, AND, UH, COMPONENTS OF SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT, THAT ARE ADDRESSED.
STRATOS IS GONNA COME FORWARD AND SHARE SOME OF THE RESEARCH, SOME OF THE, UH, INFORMATION FOUND.
THIS IS COMING FROM A REQUEST FROM, UH, MR. DALLAS, UH, AS AN ITEM THAT, UH, THAT HE WANTED US TO, UH, TAKE A LOOK AT AND BRING FORWARD TO THE BOARD FOR FOR CONVERSATION.
MADAM CHAIR, YOU HAVE A DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF YOU THAT I WILL YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, BUT IF YOU CAN AT FIRST TURN TO PAGE TWO, THAT'LL BE RIGHT AFTER THE TABLE OF CONTENTS.
I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU THAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT IS TO, TO PROVIDE YOU INFORMATION ON STATE REQUIREMENTS SANCTIONED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATION AND ALL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND CHARTER SCHOOLS.
I WILL NOT TELL YOU THAT I AM AN EXPERT ON ALL THE LAW THAT IS PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT, BUT I REALLY DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT SOME VERY IMPORTANT PARTS ON THIS PAGE TO YOU.
WITHIN SOUTH CAROLINA LAW, THERE ARE 63 TITLES WITHIN THE LAW THAT ADDRESS EDUCATION FROM K THROUGH 12.
IN THAT THERE ARE 158 CHAPTERS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
WITHIN THAT, THERE ARE ONLY TWO CHAPTERS FOR CHARTER.
SO I, AGAIN, I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT SOME POINTS FOR US AS WE GO FORWARD.
I WAS CHARGED WITH BRINGING INFORMATION FOR YOUR EDIFICATION, AND I THOUGHT THAT YOU NEEDED TO HAVE SOME POINTS IN THE LAW UPON OPPORTUNITY.
[00:50:01]
IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO THE STATE LEGISLATION AND STATE CODES.SO IF YOU COULD JUST GO BACK ONE PAGE TO THE TABLE OF CONTENTS.
THE DOCUMENT IS SET UP BY PRIVATE SCHOOLS, HOME SCHOOLS, CHARTER SCHOOLS, THEN PUBLIC.
AND THEN I GIVE A SUMMARY OF A SAMPLING OF SOME CHARTER AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS WAS IN THE DISTRICT.
AND THEN I LAND TO GIVE YOU A COMPARISON OF WHAT WE PROVIDE HERE AT BCSD.
SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO TAKE YOU TO THE FIRST COMPONENT ON PRIVATE SCHOOLS, WHICH IS ON PAGE THREE.
THE MAKEUP OF THE COMING SECTIONS IS GONNA GIVE YOU INFORMATION REGARDING ACCREDITATION TEACHER CERTIFICATION.
YOU'LL SEE AS YOU GO TO ROMAN NUMERAL THREE.
IS THERE, ARE THERE LEGISLATION REGARDING LENGTH OF THE SCHOOL YEAR LEGISLATION REGARDING CURRICULUM OR LEG LEGISLATION REGARDING REC RECORD KEEPING? SO RIGHT NOW, THIS IS ALPHA A PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND YOU WILL NOTICE THREE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS ON THE TWO PAGES.
ON PAGE THREE AND FOUR, PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN ATTENDANCE.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE REQUIRED TO MEET HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR IMMUNIZATION.
AND THEY'RE ALSO REQUIRED BY STATE LAW TO MAINTAIN TRANSPORTATION FOR THE TRANSPORTING OF OUR CHILDREN IN A SAFE FASHION.
WHEN IT COMES TO TEACHER CERTIFICATION, NO LAW IN THAT AREA LENGTH OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AS WELL AS THE STATE DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DICTATE THE CURRICULUM AT PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE YOU TO PAGE FOUR AND THE BOTTOM.
AGAIN, THIS IS WITH REGARD TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS, SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES AS PER FEDERAL GUIDELINE, STUDENTS' NEEDS ARE TO BE MET SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR DISTRICT, PARTNER WITH THE BCSD, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SERVICES.
WE DO PROVIDE, WE ARE A PROVIDER FOR FOUR OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND WE DO HAVE PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT THAT DO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE AN EL, MEANING EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS, GIVING YOU A NEW ACKERMAN.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS WITHIN THE COUNTY? WITHIN THE COUNTY, NOT WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
WE DON'T HAVE PRIVATE SCHOOLS WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT GIVES YOU A LITTLE INFORMATION.
WHEN YOU SEE THE CONTINUES WITHIN NURSING AND HEALTH, ARE THERE TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS BY THE STATE? NO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS BY THE STATE? NO.
ROMAN NUMERAL 15 SHARES WITH YOU THAT THERE ARE TAX EXEMPTIONS AND AS PER A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE THAT YOU JUST PROBABLY RECEIVED AS WELL, THE, AND I LOOK TO CONFIRM THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO PRIVATE SCHOOL TAX EXEMPTIONS THAT ARE PROVIDED.
THERE'S A TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP BY THE STATE OR A REFUNDABLE TAX CREDIT.
I WILL HAVE TO TURN TO OUR CFO FOR EXPERTISE IN THOSE AREAS.
BUT I WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
THAT STARTS ACTUALLY ON PAGE SIX.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE STATE PROVIDES THREE OPTIONS FOR HOMESCHOOL.
ONE CAN BE A BOARD APPROVED HOMESCHOOL, WHERE WE AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT WOULD BE SANCTIONED TO MAINTAIN AND MONITOR LESSONS ATTENDANCE OF THE STUDENTS AND GIVE, AND GIVE ACTUALLY TECHNICALLY MANAGING AND ASSISTANCE TO THOSE HOMESCHOOL PROVIDERS OR THE LANGUAGE THEY USE AS ASSOCIATIONS.
WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE ANY HOMESCHOOL ASSOCIATIONS THAT WE SUPPORT THROUGH BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SECOND OPTION FOR HOMESCHOOL IS ACTUALLY OUTTA THE STATE, AND THAT IS THROUGH THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT HOME SCHOOLS.
THEY PROVIDE EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS AND FROM GRADES K THROUGH 12 ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, THEY HAVE THREE ITEMS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE ALIGNED TO.
ONE FOR HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT, THEY MUST BE ACCREDITED.
[00:55:01]
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A STATE HOMESCHOOL ASSOCIATION.TWO, THEY MUST HAVE 180 DAYS OF INSTRUCTION AND THEY MUST PROVIDE A BASIC CURRICULUM.
AND THE THIRD OPTION IS AN ASSOCIATION THAT WORKS MAINTAINING HOMESCHOOL IF IT'S FOR FEWER THAN 50 STUDENTS.
AND THOSE ARE SMALL INDEPENDENT HOMESCHOOL THAT DO EXIST WITHIN THE STATE.
SO AS YOU LOOK THROUGH PAGE, STARTING ON PAGE SIX, I GIVE YOU SOME APPLICATION INFORMATION, SHARE WITH YOU THE CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, SHARE WITH YOU, ASSESSMENT AND DIPLOMAS AND PUBLIC ACCESS.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A NEW ACT, AND THAT'S ACT 2 0 3 THAT PERMITS HOMESCHOOL STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE SECOND BULLET ON PAGE SEVEN AT THE BOTTOM, A SCHOOL DISTRICT IS NOT ALLOWED TO CONTRACT OUT SUPERVISION OF INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES TO A PRIVATE ENTITY THAT WOULD INHIBIT HOMESCHOOL FROM PARTICIPATING CHARTER SCHOOLS.
WE RECOGNIZE, AND THAT STARTS ON PAGE EIGHT, THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE SANCTION A CHARTER SCHOOL.
I WANNA MAKE NOTE TO SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT WITH OUR CHARTER SCHOOL, THEY TECHNICALLY GO THROUGH TWO ACCREDITATIONS.
A STATE MEMORANDUM CAME OUT TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, SO THEY ACTUALLY GO THROUGH THE STATE ACCREDITATION THAT THEY SUBMIT PAPERWORK FOR REVIEW, AND THEY GO THROUGH OUR COA ACCREDITATION THAT WE GO THROUGH AS A FULL ENTIRE DISTRICT.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
AND THAT IS STATE LEGISLATION, THAT REQUIREMENT.
SO IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE 10, YOU'LL SEE THIS IS ON PAGE 10, TECHNICALLY TO PAGE 23 GIVES YOU THE STATE LEGISLATION FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS.
I PROVIDED YOU A SUMMARY STARTING ON PAGE 24.
AND IF WE CAN TURN TO PAGE 29, THAT IS WHERE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL START.
AGAIN, I SHARE WITH YOU THAT WE HAVE 158 CHAPTERS IN LAW.
PREDOMINANTLY, MOST OF 'EM LIE WITHIN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
WE ALL KNOW WITHIN PUBLIC EDUCATION, WE HAVE AN REQUIREMENT FOR ATTENDANCE.
WE HAVE A REQUIREMENT FOR SCHOOL CALENDARS.
THE LAW ACTUALLY HAS CONTROL ON DISCIPLINE.
THERE IS A STATE DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE CODE.
AND IF YOU LOOK IN THE MID PART OF PAGE 29, THOSE HYPERLINKS WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO THOSE CODES AND REGULATIONS.
ON THE BOTTOM OF 29 IS IT EVEN GIVES YOU ADDITIONAL POLICY FROM THE STATE.
AND ALL OF THESE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE ACTUALLY THE CHAPTERS FROM STATE LAW THAT WE ARE GUIDED BY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
SO WHEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT OUR OPERATIONS, WE HAVE A LOT MORE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH.
A, WE REQUIRE LICENSING OF OUR EDUCATORS.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR RENEWAL.
THAT'S WHEN I EARLIER SHARED WITH YOU THAT SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS DON'T REQUIRE, BUT I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY DON'T DO IT BECAUSE WE HAVE QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION, QUALITY, PRIVATE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO IF YOU CAN LOOK TO PAGE 37, THAT IS ACTUALLY WHERE I STARTED TO GIVE YOU JUST SOME QUICK SUMMARIES OF WHAT ARE OFFERED BY SOME OF OUR CHARTER AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
I TRIED TO GIVE YOU SOME QUICK FACTS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT BRIDGES, THEY HAVE A K 12 EN ENROLLMENT, 1500 STUDENTS.
THEIR AVERAGE RATIO STUDENTS TO TEACHERS 24 TO ONE.
ROMAN NUMERAL TWO WILL SHARE WITH YOU THEIR ACADEMIC SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE.
AS WE LOOK AT ROMAN NUMERAL THREE, YOU'LL SEE EACH ONE OF THESE PRO PROFILES GIVES YOU ALSO INFORMATION ON STUDENT EDUCATION SERVICES WHERE WE'LL IDENTIFY SPECIAL EDUCATION, 5 0 4 MTSS, ROMAN NUMERAL FOUR ON EACH ONE OF THESE PROFILES WILL GIVE YOU INFORMATION REGARDING ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC PROGRAMS OR EXTRACURRICULAR AND THEN REQUIREMENTS FOR TESTING.
I KNOW YOU JUST HAD A SLIGHT CONVERSATION REGARDING TESTING.
WHAT YOU WILL SEE IS A COM COMMONALITY AMONGST THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
MEANING HIGH SCHOOL A-C-T-S-A-T
[01:00:01]
TESTING ARE AVAILABLE AT ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL, TO PROVIDE YOU A PROFILE AS HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, I FOLLOWED A SIMILAR PROFILE FOR EACH ONE OF THESE SCHOOLS FROM QUICK SCHOOL FACTS, THEY LOCATE ON 27 ACRES, 64,000 SQUARE FEET, A FACULTY OF A HUNDRED.
THEY HAVE A HIGH PROFILE ON FINE ARTS AND THEY PROVIDE ATHLETICS AND SPORTS AND AGAIN, COMMONALITY.
A-C-T-S-A-S-A-T TESTING, HILTON HEAD PREPARATORY SCHOOL.
THERE'S NARRATIVE REGARDING DESCRIBING THEIR SCHOOL.
HIGHLIGHTED AREAS ARE STEM STRING CLASSES, ATHLETICS, AND ARTISTIC VENTURES.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THREE AREAS OF SCHOOLING FROM THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH.
AND THEY HAVE A LARGE FOCUS ON STUDENT EDUCATION SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS FROM THOSE WITH A-D-A-D-H-D, ATTENTION DEFICIT ONCE SLD FOR SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY.
AND ONCE AGAIN, COMMONALITY, NOT REQUIREMENT FOR STATE TESTING, BUT EMPHASIS ON A A CT AND SAT TESTING AND THAT THE MODEL CONTINUES THROUGH HILTON HEAD.
CHRISTIAN, WE HAVE A PROFILE ON JOHN PAUL TWO, WHICH STARTS ON PAGE 43.
AND THE REASON I ADDED THIS SECTION FROM PAGE 46, THERE'S A WHY TO THIS.
EACH ONE OF THESE SECONDARY SCHOOLS THAT ARE LISTED PRIOR TO BEAUFORT COUNTY DISTRICT'S ACCELERATED PROGRAMS PROVIDE STUDENTS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES.
I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT PROVIDES.
SO AS A FAMILY MEMBER OR A PARENT WITHIN THE COUNTY, YOU HAVE GREAT OPTIONS FOR YOUR CHILDREN.
SO I SHARED WITH YOU FROM ACE CAMBRIDGE COURSES, IF YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT, UM, DIPLOMA LINK THAT THERE, THAT THE VIDEO FROM YOUTUBE.
IT IS WONDERFUL TO HEAR THE VOICE OF YOUNG ADULTS SHARING THE SIGNIFICANCE AND THE ROLE THAT ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES HAVE PROVIDED THEM.
OUR PROVISION OF DUAL ENROLLMENT.
AND YOU ARE FAMILIAR ALSO WITH BCSD TIDES, THAT'S A NEW PROGRAM FOR US AT OUR SCHOOL.
STUDENTS ARE HAVING MEETING SUCCESS.
AND AS WE SIT HERE TODAY, WE'RE ON ONE OF OUR SIGNATURE IB SCHOOLS.
WE PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY AS OTHER SCHOOLS FOR P-Y-P-I-B-M-Y-P, WHICH IS OUR MIDDLE YEARS AND OUR DIPLOMA PROGRAMS. I PROVIDED YOU INFORMATION ON THE IB SO YOU COULD BROADEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING.
AND I'D LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO PAGE 50, WHICH JUST GIVES YOU A QUICK SUMMARY.
FIRST, A SCHOOL IS BRIDGES PREPARATORY AND IT, IT CONTINUES STRAIGHT ON NOW, RIGHT? YOU HAVE THE LISTING OF SCHOOLS IN COLUMN A AND GOING ACROSS ON THE TOP, I HAVE ARTS ACCELERATED COURSES, EX ATHLETICS, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, IF THERE WAS ANYTHING SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT.
MULTILINGUAL SPECIAL EDUCATION STATE TESTING REQUIREMENT OR COLLEGE TESTING.
AND WHAT I DID UNDERNEATH IS A CLOUD OF WORDS TO SHOW THAT I MAY SAY SOCRATIC SEMINAR ONE SCHOOL MAY CALL IT A PROCESS OF INQUIRY.
WE'RE USING CINNAMONS BASICALLY IF WE'RE DESCRIBING THE SAME PRACTICES, GOING BACK TO THE PRACTICE THAT WE DO HAVE QUALITY OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR FAMILIES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND THEN I PROVIDED YOU ON THE LAST PAGE IS BLOOM'S TAXONOMY BECAUSE AS YOU READ THE DESCRIPTIONS PROVIDED FOR PROGRAMS AS WELL AS THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS HERE IN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE GOAL AMONGST THE PUBLIC INSTI, THE EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, IS TO MOVE OUR CHILDREN'S TO ANALYSIS, EVALUATION AND CREATIVITY.
SO THERE'S SOME QUICK INFORMATION FOR YOU, NOT QUICK IN PUTTING IT TOGETHER,
[01:05:01]
BUT PLEASE DON'T ASK ME MANY DETAILS ON THE LAW, BUT I WILL TRY MY HARDEST TO GIVE YOU INFORMATION.STRATOS FOR THE DOCUMENT AND YOUR PRESENTATION.
YEAH, THIS, UH, I HAVE, UH, SOME GOOD STUFF FILES THAT I KEEP WITH ME.
THE 10 YEAR PLAN, THE ANNUAL BUDGET, THIS IS NOW IN MY GOOD STUFF FILE.
UM, I AM REALLY IMPRESSED BY THE WORK THAT WAS DONE BY, UH, YOU AND YOUR TEAM ON THIS.
UH, LACK OF ACCREDITATION FOR THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS THAT DON'T HAVE IT, UH, DOES THAT IMPACT NEGATIVELY THEIR, UH, COLLEGE ENROLLMENT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY REALLY ONLY HAVE, YOU CAN'T TRUST WHAT A 4.0 IS AT A NON-ACCREDITED SCHOOL.
SO IF I COULD SHARE WITH YOU THESE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT I ARE SELECTED HERE, THEY CHOOSE TO DO ACCREDITATION PROCESS IN ORDER TO HAVE QUALITY FOR THEIR STUDENTS WHO ARE ENROLLED THERE.
THEY CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE, WHICH GIVES KUDOS TO THESE PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
OKAY? IT IS NOT BY LEGISLATION A REQUIREMENT, BUT IN ORDER TO HAVE CARNEGIE UNITS, THEY CHOOSE TO DO THE ACCREDITATION AND THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL AT IT.
AND, UH, SOME OF THEM, UH, I WAS ABLE TO PULL UP FROM COA.
THEY USE COA THAT WE USE AS WELL.
THE SECOND QUESTION, LAST QUESTION IS, DO ANY OF THE, UH, PRIVATE SCHOOLS OR OTHER SCHOOLS OTHER THAN, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFER DUAL ENROLLMENT? ACTUALLY, THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES, AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL, THEY DO GIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT.
I CAN'T RIGHT NOW SAY EXACTLY WHICH ONE, BUT AT MY READING, DUAL ENROLLMENT WAS LISTED.
BUT WE HAVE A LITTLE UNIQUELY DIFFERENT HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS OUR OPPORTUNITY OF STUDENTS WHO START FROM EITHER WHALE BRANCH AT NINTH GRADE OR AS STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE TIDES PROGRAM WHO STARTED NINTH GRADE, WHERE TECHNICALLY THEY'RE TAKEN A FULL COLLEGE AS A FRESHMAN.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BY BOARD MEMBERS? MR. DALLAS? UH, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.
UH, THE REASON FOR THE REQUEST FOR THIS TYPE OF ANALYSIS WAS NOT TO DENIGRATE OTHER OPTIONS.
I THINK THEY ALL ARE ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT TO THE HEALTH AND THE VIBRANCY OF OUR SOCIETY AND, AND, UM, AND OUR COUNTY.
UM, AND IN TALKING WITH ONE OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE GOT INTO THE DISCUSSION OF COMPETITION.
YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE IT TO BEGIN WITH, BUT YOU SORT OF AMP UP.
AND I THINK WHAT IS VERY VITALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT THE LAST SIX PAGES OF THIS DOCUMENT, WE ARE HAVING A PRESENTATION TOMORROW, TOMORROW WITH SEVERAL OF THE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO THE ROTARY CLUB.
WE HAVE PRINTED OFF THOSE LAST SIX PAGES, 50 COPIES OF THEM.
WE WANT TO TURN EVERY PARTICIPANT THERE TOMORROW MORNING INTO AN AMBASSADOR AND A MESSENGER BECAUSE THIS IS NOT NEGATIVE.
THESE LAST SIX PAGES ARE ALL POSITIVE, RIGHT? SO WE DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO TAKE OFFENSE TO US.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT, UM, IN TERMS OF COMPETITION, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE COMPETITION IS FAIR AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE SAME, BUT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, AS A ORGANIZATION, TO IDENTIFY WHAT'S DIFFERENT BETWEEN THESE THREE OPTIONS.
AND THEN PARENTS AND OTHERS CAN CHOOSE AND EMPLOYERS CAN CHOOSE AND SELECT WHAT WORKS BEST FOR THEM.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO EQUIP EVERY MEMBER OF THE BCSD WITH DATA LIKE THIS, AS COLONEL GUY WAS SAYING, AND AS DR.
STRATAS HAS PUT TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND SPEAK ON THIS IN DEFENSE OF ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE BCSD BECAUSE THEY MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS ALL THE NEGATIVES, EVEN IF THEY AREN'T US.
SO THAT'S, THAT WAS THE INTENT.
NOTHING NEGATIVE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
AND THEN MISS BOATWRIGHT
SO IF YOU COULD JUST MAKE NOTE OF THAT AS WELL, PLEASE.
STRADDLES HILTON HEAD, UH, CHRISTIAN AS WELL.
SO COLUMN B, ACTUALLY COLUMN C
[01:10:01]
AND I WILL GET THAT CORRECTED.DOCS WILL BE XS STRAIGHT DOWN ALL THE WAY UNDER ACCELERATED EXCEPT FOR HOLY TRINITY.
OKAY, I WILL CONFIRM THAT, MA'AM.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A PERSPECTIVE OF A PARENT.
WE MOVED TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR THE IB PROGRAM.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN BEAT A RIGOROUS ACADEMIC, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION.
AND I'VE HAD TO GRADUATE FROM HILTON HEAD HIGH FULL DIPLOMA IB STUDENTS.
I'M ABOUT TO HAVE A THIRD I, AND ONE THING I THINK IF YOU'RE GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, AND, AND I'LL BE HONEST, I HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, I HAVE FLIRTED WITH PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND IF I HAD KNOWN THAT VICTOR NAY WAS GONNA BE TEACHING AT JOHN PAUL TOO, THAT MIGHT'VE PUT IT OVER THE EDGE,
UM, BUT I'M, I'M ONE OF THOSE PARENTS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE ALL OPTIONS WERE ON THE TABLE.
MY PARENTS WERE BOTH HIGH SCHOOL PUBLIC TEACHERS.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA SHARE THE PERSPECTIVE OF LOOKING AT IT FROM THE OTHER SIDE.
NOW WITH TWO OF MY CHILDREN GRADUATING ONE AND BOTH OF THEM FROM TOP 25 SCHOOLS AND ONE UC, BERKELEY IN SAN FRANCISCO, THE OTHER NORTHWESTERN IN CHICAGO, THAT'S NOT THE SOUTH.
UM, YOU ARE BETTER PREPARED FOR THE WORK OF AN ELITE UNIVERSITY OR A COMPETITIVE OR SELECTIVE OR FLAGSHIP STATE UNIVERSITY GOING THROUGH THE PUBLIC SCHOOL.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL REFLECTS REAL LIFE AND IT REFLECTS WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO.
SO WHILE I DO ADMIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND I HAVE MANY, MANY FRIENDS WHO SEND THEIR, UM, KIDS THERE, AND I THINK THEY DO A GREAT JOB OF EDUCATION, I WANNA PUT A PLUG IN FOR THE FACT THAT WHEN YOU SEND YOUR KID OUT INTO THE WORLD, HAVING THEM GO THROUGH THE PUBLIC SCHOOL WHERE EVERYTHING IS NOT GEARED TOWARDS THEIR SUCCESS, UM, I THINK THAT THAT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT THING THAT DOES NOT COME OUT IN THAT REPORT.
SO I DID WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE WHEN WE'RE COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES, TO PLUMS, TO ONIONS AS WE'RE KIND OF DOING RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT.
UM, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN BEAT A RIGOROUS PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION.
[Consent Agenda]
NEED A MOTION FOR TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THEN WE'RE ON TO, UM, FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS.
[Future Agenda Topics]
MS. BOATWRIGHT, UM, CAN I ASK THAT THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE TAKE UP THE ISSUE WITH THE AC THAT WAS IN THE PAPER AND JUST HAVE A DISCUSSION AND, UM, BRING THAT ANY INFORMATION BACK TO THE FULL BOARD? SOUNDS GOOD.AND THAT, AND THAT IS UNDERWAY.
WE'VE, UH, TALKED WITH MR. OTTING.
WE HAVE A SCHEDULE WE'RE LOOKING AT COMING BACK WITH SOME VERY HARD ANALYSIS, UH, PROBABLY IN NOVEMBER, IF THAT'S OKAY.
I'M USUALLY RETICENT ABOUT A TOPIC, BUT I'VE GOT ONE.
AND THAT IS, I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO INVESTIGATE OUR, WHAT OUR SEARCH ENGINE OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, WITH DILIGENT.
IT IS VERY, VERY HARD AS THE BOARD CHAIR TO FIND PAST DOCUMENTS IMPOSSIBLE.
UM, AND UH, FORTUNATELY I WAS LOOKING FOR SOME, AND ROBIN HELPED ME WITH WHAT WE HAVE POSTED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE AND REALLY THAT WORKED BETTER THAN THE DILIGENT OPTION.
SO I DON'T, I KNOW ROBIN AND MOLLY HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TO THE DILIGENT WORKSHOP AND UM, I KNOW WE'RE A PILOT PROGRAM, BUT I DON'T KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE IT COULD BE, THERE COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT AND I DON'T THINK IT'S A, A USER ERROR, BUT MAYBE IT IS A USER ERROR.
BUT I'VE CERTAINLY TRIED TO SEARCH
ALSO, WHEN YOU, LIKE ON DILIGENT, YOU KNOW, THE PAST MEETINGS ARE IN THERE.
LET'S SAY YOU GO BACK TO 2021 OR WHATEVER, THEN IF YOU CLICK INTO A MEETING, UM, TO SEE IF IT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, AND IT'S NOT, OR YOU WANT TO GO TO ANOTHER MEETING IN 2021, IT BUMPS YOU ALL THE WAY BACK TO TODAY'S MEETING.
AND YOU HAVE TO SCROLL, SCROLL, SCROLL.
THE TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT BOARD MANAGEMENT.
'CAUSE WE JUST DID, WE JUST DID BOARD MANAGEMENT REVIEW FOR ANOTHER BOARD.
I THINK THE TECHNOLOGY COULD LOOK AT IT.
'CAUSE YOU'D PROBABLY BE SURPRISED AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY HOW EXPENSIVE DILIGENT IS.
THAT'S FINE WITH ME THAT YOU GUYS TAKE IT ON FIRST AND THEN COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITH WHAT YOU FIND OUT.
ANY OTHER, UM, FUTURE TOPICS? OKAY.
[Announcements]
DR. RODRIGUEZ?[01:15:02]
OKAY.I ACTUALLY HAVE TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS IF YOU'LL BEAR WITH ME, BUT THEY'RE SHORT.
FIRST I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH STARTED ON SUNDAY.
AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE AMAZING CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR, UH, HISPANIC POPULATION HERE, UM, OUR HISPANIC STUDENTS.
AND THE SECOND THING IS, AND I THINK THIS IS PRETTY COOL TODAY IS CONSTITUTION SIGNING DAY.
UH, SEPTEMBER 17TH, 1787, WE SIGNED THE CONSTITUTION.
SO, UM, AS SOME OF YOU ARE AWARE, WE HAVE A NEW DEBATE PROGRAM THAT WAS RECENTLY ACQUIRED BY THE BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE, WHICH IS WORKING WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE, THEY, THEY HAD A WHOLE THING.
UH, SO IF STUDENTS WERE INTERESTED, THEY COULD GO AND LOOK AT THAT.
AND THERE'S SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES THERE ON THAT WEBSITE FOR CONSTITUTION SIGNING DAY.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE DOWN TO SECOND.
I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR COLLEAGUE, MS. BOATWRIGHT INCUBATE DEBATE, WHICH WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THEM EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UH, THEY HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ACQUIRED BY A LARGER ENTITY, GIVING THEM MORE HEFT IN THE MARKETPLACE.
AND MS. BOATWRIGHT, AS I UNDERSTAND, IT WAS ONE OF THE KEY PEOPLE WHO GOT THEM TO COME HERE.
AND, UH, MR. FISHBACK SPEAKS HIGHLY OF YOU.
[Second Public Comments]
OR OUR SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS.AND WE HAVE MR. JIM MILLER IN PERSON, AND HIS TOPIC IS QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON OF BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT'S BAND VERSUS OTHERS IN THE, IN THE STATE.
AND IT SAYS BELOW THAT CONTINUED, EXCUSE ME.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIRMAN AND BOARD MEMBERS LAST WEEK.
IT, IT'S INTERESTING, MY TOPIC BLENDS RIGHT IN WITH EVERYTHING ABOUT COMPARISON OF OTHER SCHOOLS, BUT WITH THE BAND AND SOME OF THOSE ARTS, THERE AREN'T TEST SCORES, ET CETERA.
AND THEREFORE IT'S HARD TO COMPARE.
AND I MENTIONED LAST WEEK THAT I HAD PUT TOGETHER A DOCUMENT THAT I HAD REFERRED WITH THE DISTRICT PERSONNEL, AND SOME OF YOU HAVE ASKED FOR A COPY.
I, IT ISN'T DESIGNED TO JUST, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
IT, IT NEEDS AN EXPLANATION AS YOU GO ALONG HERE.
ALMOST ALL OF IT IS JUST, UH, PRINT PAGES OUT OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA BAND DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION.
THERE ARE FOUR MAJOR AREAS THAT THEY JUDGE SCHOOLS THAT JUDGES ACTUALLY COME, OR THE SCHOOL GOES TO A PROGRAM AND, AND THEY JUDGE.
ONE IS THE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AWARD.
IT IS AWARD THAT IS JUDGED ON ALL FOUR OF THOSE CATEGORIES.
AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE THAT IT IS HARD TO, THIS IS JUST THE COVER PAGE OF THAT.
YOU TURN THE PAGE AND THEN THE NEXT THING YOU, WELL, ON THIS COVER PAGE, IT GIVES YOU FIVE DEC, UH, FIVE 50
YOU TURN THE PAGE AND I'VE PRINTED OUT THE PERFORMERS FOR 2023, UH, APPROXIMATELY ONE FOURTH OF ALL SCHOOLS BANDS ACHIEVE THIS AWARD.
UH, SO I'VE GONE BACK THROUGH THOSE DECADES TO SEE HOW OFTEN A BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL HAS ACHIEVED IT.
I STARTED OFF WITH THE MOST RECENT YEAR, ANOTHER YEAR BACK, ANOTHER YEAR, YOU HIT KIND OF THE COVID WHERE THERE WEREN'T ANY GIVE.
THEN I CONTINUED AND FINALLY GET TO 1219 OR 2019 AND ONE SCHOOL ACHIEVED IT.
THAT IS THE ONLY TIME THAT THIS AWARD HAS BEEN AWARDED TO A BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL.
IT IS SAYS, OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AWARD, SENIOR DIVISION.
[01:20:08]
THERE BEING, UH, NO FURTHER BUSINESS.WE CAN ADJOURN BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO TUNED IN GOODNIGHT.
YOU'RE WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV, LIVE, WORK, PLAY.
SO I WAS GOING TO TAKE A CLINIC AT, UM, THE TENNIS CLUB OF THE LOW COUNTRY OVER AT ROSE HILL.
AND, UM, JUST CHATTING A LITTLE BIT BEFORE WE WENT ON THE COURT, AND THEN WE GOT ON THE COURT AND STARTED WARMING UP.
AND I FELT FINE, NO PROBLEMS AT ALL.
AND WE WERE ONLY FIVE OR 10 MINUTES INTO IT.
UM, WE WERE STILL AT THE SERVICE LINE, HADN'T EVEN BACKED UP TO THE BASELINE.
AND I JUST WAS STEPPING TO HIT A BALL AND I FELT LIKE I WAS FALLING.
AND THAT'S THE LAST THING I REMEMBER UNTIL I WOKE UP IN THE AMBULANCE ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL, WE WERE JUST PLAYING TENNIS, A GROUP OF US PLAYING TENNIS AT A TLC, AND WE HAD FINISH AND ACTUALLY WALKED PAST DARLA AND HER FRIEND.
THEY WERE COMING ONTO COURT THREE, WE WERE LEAVING AND EVERYBODY ELSE WAS GETTING READY TO GO, BUT FOR SOME REASON WE DECIDED TO SIT AROUND A LITTLE BIT AND TALK, AND WE'RE SITTING.
I WAS ACTUALLY STANDING WITH MY BACK TO COURT THREE.
UH, BILL WAS, I WAS TALKING TO BILL AND LUCKILY HIS WIFE, DANA MARSH, UH, SHE WAS FACING, LOOKING AT THE COURT AND SHE SAW DARLA GO DOWN.
AND WE TURNED AROUND AND, WELL, I THINK IT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING STORY IN THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GONE OVER WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, BUT THE BACKGROUND IS ALSO INTERESTING.
MY WIFE, WHO WAS A BASE COMMANDER AND DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN, DECIDED WE SHOULD TAKE CPR.
AND I BELIEVE IT WAS FROM YOU AT COLTON POINT LAST YEAR.
SO WE WERE SITTING THERE AND, UH, WE WERE THERE BECAUSE SHE WANTED ME TO HIT SOME OVERHEADS FOR HER BECAUSE SHE WAS UNHAPPY WITH HER PLAY, OTHERWISE WE WOULD'VE LEFT.
AND SO WE'RE, WE HAD FINISHED DOING THAT AND WE'RE SITTING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN SHE TAKES OFF LIKE A ROCKET BECAUSE DARLA IS FACE DOWN ON THE COURT.
WE'VE HAD PEOPLE GO DOWN ON THE COURT FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU TRIP FALL, I'VE FALLEN ON THE COURT.
SO I RAN, I RAN OVER AND SAID, WHAT DO YOU NEED? AND, UH, DANA SAID, CALL 9 1 1.
SO DANA'S DOWN, UH, DOING CPR GAVIN'S, CLEARING HER MOUTH, TELLING HER TO STAY WITH US.
SO I'M SINGING, STAYING ALIVE OFF KEY AND OFF WE GO.
GAVIN WAS THERE WITH DARLA AT HER HEAD, AND, AND DANA WAS DOING CPR.
AND I STOOD THERE AND WATCHED.
AND WHEN SHE, I THOUGHT SHE WAS GETTING TIRED, I SAID, YOU WANT ME TO TAKE OVER? AND SHE SAID, YES.
SO I DID, UH, STARTED DOING CPR AND, UH, I WAS THINKING
AND THAT'S WHAT WENT THROUGH MY HEAD THE WHOLE TIME.
BILL WAS, DANA'S HUSBAND WAS TALKING TO US, UH, HELPING US STAY IN THE, IN THE RHYTHM.
AND WE JUST, UH, WE, WE GOT THE DEFIBRILLATOR OUT THERE, BUT WE HEARD THE SIRENS AND GAVIN SAID, LET'S JUST KEEP GOING, JUST KEEP GOING.
AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, I'M NOT GONNA STOP UNTIL I'M NOT GONNA STOP.
THE GIRLS KEPT GOING AND, UH, HE WAS SAYING THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE CRACKED HER RIBS, BUT THEY WERE REALLY DOING IT QUITE WELL.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAD THEIR HANDS STRETCHED OUT IN THAT'S CORRECT POSITION.
SO DARLA WAS NOT DOING WELL AT ALL BECAUSE SHE WAS, I SAID, I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS WHEN YOU CAN JUST SEE SOMEBODY LOOK NOT REAL GOOD.
BUT THEN, UH, SHE CAME BACK AND STARTED TO MAKE NOISE AND THEN THE EMTS ARRIVED AND,
[01:25:01]
UM, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAD, I THINK SIX, FOUR OR SIX, UM, FIRST RESPONDERS CAME, AND THEN EVENTUALLY THERE WERE 10 WHO CAME AND, UH, TOOK OVER FOR US AND SAVED TO DARLA.SO WHEN I WOKE UP, I JUST REMEMBER SEEING OUT THE WINDOW THAT WE HAD CROSSED THE BRIDGE OVER ON THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND, UM, SOMEBODY NEXT TO ME WAS ASKING ME ALL THESE QUESTIONS, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? HOW OLD ARE YOU? WHAT IS YOUR DATE OF BIRTH? WHAT DAY IS TODAY? AND, UM, I WAS COMPLETELY COHERENT, ANSWERED EVERYTHING FINE, AND NOBODY WAS TOUCHING ME OR MESSING WITH ME.
AND I THOUGHT I HAD JUST, YOU KNOW, FALLEN DOWN ON THE CORD, HAD PASSED OUT OR SOMETHING.
AND, UH, MY KNEES HURT REALLY BAD.
AND I SAID, HAS ANYBODY CHECKED MY KNEES BECAUSE THEY'RE KILLING ME? AND UM, THEN I HEARD SOMEBODY KIND OF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AMBULANCE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT CARDIAC ARREST, BUT I KNEW THAT WASN'T ME BECAUSE THERE I WAS SITTING THERE TALKING TO THESE PEOPLE.
SO, UM, AND THEN WE GOT TO THE HOSPITAL AND I WENT TO THE ER.
DARLA HAS A FRIEND, ROBIN BLOOM, WHO, UH, WENT AND GOT HER HUSBAND.
HE DIDN'T ANSWER THE PHONE 'CAUSE HE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE PHONE NUMBER, SO SHE HAD TO GO TO THE HOUSE TO GET HIM SO SHE COULD, HE COULD GO OVER TO THE HOSPITAL.
I BELIEVE IT WAS THE NEXT DAY THAT, UH, THAT GAVIN HAD FOUND OUT THROUGH ROBIN THAT, UH, SHE WAS, HAD MADE IT, UH, DARLA WAS VERY GOOD AT LETTING US KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GOT INFORMATION, I THINK, UH, FAIRLY QUICKLY THAT SHE WAS GONNA HAVE THE SURGERY AND THAT SHE WAS DOING OKAY.
SO SHE'S BEEN VERY GOOD AT, AND WE DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER.
SO IT'S AMAZING THAT, UH, NOW WE HAVE, UH, A NEW FRIENDSHIP SO BEYOND GRATEFUL THAT THEY WERE BRAVE ENOUGH TO STEP UP WHEN ASKED.
AND, UM, AND TO NOT GIVE UP AND JUST TO KEEP DOING IT UNTIL FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED.
IT, IT MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK I WOULD BE HERE IF I HADN'T HAVE BEEN IN THAT PLACE AND THESE PEOPLE HADN'T HAVE BEEN THERE.
THEY ARE MY FRIENDS FOR LIFE AND THEY'RE MY ANGELS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS I'M VERY, I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE WERE THERE AND WE COULD HELP.
UM, YOU FEEL SORT OF, GOD PUT US IN THE RIGHT PLACE FOR A REASON.
UH, AND IT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING THAT SOME PEOPLE COULDN'T HELP AND ACTUALLY EXPRESSED THAT THEY COULDN'T, THEY WOULDN'T, THEY COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT.
SO IT'S A GOOD FEELING TO KNOW THAT HOWEVER IT HAPPENS, THAT YOU, YOU CAN HELP SOMEBODY AND NOT TO BE AFRAID.
NOT TO BE AFRAID THAT YOU'RE GONNA DO IT WRONG.
NOT TO BE AFRAID THAT JUST DO IT.
WE DECIDED THAT SINCE PEOPLE WERE STANDING AROUND, SOME PEOPLE SAID, I WISH I'D KNOWN.
SO MY WIFE SET UP GLASSES WITH BLUFF AND FIRE DEPARTMENT, TWO CLASSES, ONE IN THE MORNING, ONE IN THE AFTERNOON THAT JOE RAN.
SO I THINK PEOPLE GOT A LOT FROM THAT.
SO I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TAKE THE CLASS.
AND IT'S, IT'S WONDERFUL TO KNOW.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN DO IT.
ONE IN THREE ADULTS HAS PRE-DIABETES.
THAT MEANS IT COULD BE YOU, YOUR DOG WALKER ON YOUR LAP, YOUR CAT JOGGER.
WITH EARLY DIAGNOSIS, PRE-DIABETES CAN BE REVERSED.
TAKE THE RISK TEST AT, DO I HAVE PRE-DIABETES DOT ORG.