[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY
[Call to Order]
PUBLIC.COMMENTS? COMMENTS OR THERE ARE TWO.
SCHEDULE PUBLIC BOARD THE FIRST COORDIN AGENDA PRIOR TO MENT, BUT NO DISCUSS REQUEST THE PARTICIPATED PUBLIC COMMENTS VIA PHONE BACK, WE CAN BARELY HEAR IT.
FIVE TO 5:30 PM FOR THE FIRST TIMEFRAME AND FROM SIX TO 6:30 PM TO THE SECOND OPPORTUNITY.
THE COURT SHOULD INCLUDE THE SPEAKER NAME, PHONE NUMBER ABOVE THE EMAIL FROM THE EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO THE BOARD, ROBIN CUSHING BERRY AT ROBIN.
DO CUSHING BERRY AT BUFORT 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 ALLOW A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD THAT COULD BE OBTAINED FOR THE BOARD CLERK UPON ARRIVAL IN THE EVENT THE BOARD IS NOT FINISHED ADDRESSING ALL ITEMS LISTED ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE TOMORROW NIGHT AT 6:00 PM ON OCTOBER 16TH, 2024.
TO FINISH ANY REMAINING AGENDA ITEMS WE NOW NEED A MOTION, COLONEL GEIER
[Executive Session]
FOR THE BOARD TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO THE, FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
NUMBER ONE, RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO PENDING LEGAL CLAIM COVERED BY ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH SEVEN A TWO.
SECONDLY, DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED AWARD OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AT RISK CONTRACT FOR LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, REPLACEMENT SCHOOL ON ACTIVE CAMPUS AND NEW BLUFFTON EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE 30 DASH FOUR DASH SEVEN A TWO THIRD, DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER 36 WITH THOMPSON TURNER CONSTRUCTION FOR MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL, CAFETERIA EDITION 2023 REFERENDUM.
SCOPE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE THREE ZERO DASH FOUR DASH SEVEN A TWO.
LASTLY, DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER 37 WITH THOMPSON TURNER CONSTRUCTION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL, CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION AND OUTFITTING 2023 REFERENDUM.
SCOPE, GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE SECTION THREE ZERO DASH FOUR DASH 70 A TWO.
MR. SMITH, UH, WHO WILL BE GIVEN THIS LEGAL ADVICE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, IT BEING GIVEN BY, UH, JEAN MATTHEWS.
UH, THAT, THAT YOUR CLAIM, SIR? UH, IS THAT IT?
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YOU KNOW BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS MANY LOCATIONS FOR YOU TO DISPOSE YOUR OUTDATED OR UNUSED MEDICATIONS? GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BUSINESS MEETING OF OCTOBER 15TH, 2024.THIS MEETING IS BEING CONDUCTED BY A HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING AND IS ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS TONIGHT IS THE SWEARING IN CEREMONY FOR
[Swearing-In Ceremony for New Board Member]
OUR NEW BOARD MEMBER, DR. DAVID CARR.I'LL ASK YOU TO RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME.
I STATE YOUR NAME, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR.
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I'M QUALIFIED ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THAT I'M DULY QUALIFIED UNDER THIS TO EXERCISE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE TO WHICH I HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO EXERCISE THE DUTIES TO THE OFFICE, TO WHICH, AND THAT I WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND I WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, DISCHARGE THE DUTIES THEREOF, DISCHARGE THE DUTIES THEREOF, AND PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE AND PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND, AND OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
FURTHER, AS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE BUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, FURTHER, AS A BOARD MEMBER OF BUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, I WILL FAIRLY AND IMPARTIALLY TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND SKILL.
I WILL FAIRLY AND IMPARTIALLY AND IMPARTIALLY TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND SKILL AND SKILL AND SKILL.
EXERCISE THE TRUST IMPOSED OF ME, EXERCISE THE TRUST IMPOSED OF ME, AND I WILL USE MY BEST ENDEAVORS AND I'LL USE MY BEST ENDEAVORS TO PRESERVE AND CARRY INTO EFFECT ACCORDING TO THE LAW, TO PRESERVE AND CARRY INTO EFFECT ACCORDING TO THE LAW FOR THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH I HAVE BEEN ELECTED.
SO HELP ME GOD, FOR THE PURPOSES TO WHICH I'VE BEEN ELECTED.
[Action as Necessary or Appropriate Regarding Matters Discussed in Executive Session and a Statement from Dr. Herbert Berg]
BUSINESS ACTION IS GOING TO BE, UH, RELATED TO, UH, MATTERS THAT WE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.AND SINCE YOU ARE NOT SEATED YET, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EITHER VOTE YES OR NO, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE NOT PRESENT OR YOU MAY ABSTAIN.
SO, UH, COLONEL GEIER, DO WE HAVE ANY ACTION AS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE REGARDING MATTERS THAT WERE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES, MADAM CHAIR, I HAVE THREE MOTIONS.
NUMBER ONE, I MOVE THE BOARD AUTHORIZED THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ISSUE AN AWARD FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK SERVICES TO THOMPSON TURNER CONSTRUCTION FOR LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, REPLACEMENT SCHOOL ON ACTIVE CAMPUS AND MCKNIGHT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED FOR THE NEW EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER IN BLUFFTON, AS DESCRIBED IN RFP REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NUMBER 25 DASH ZERO FOUR, THE BOARD AUTHORIZES THE SUPERINTENDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THE CONTRACTORS UPON THE EXPIRATION OF THE PROTEST PERIOD.
SECOND WAS MADE BY VICTOR NAY.
ANY DISCUSSION THERE BEING NO HANDS UP? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, UH, OF THIS, UH, MOTION IN PRESENT IN THE ROOM? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR.
DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, NAYS IN THE ROOM OR ANY ABSTENTIONS? AB OKAY.
AND THEN ONLINE WE HAVE ELIZABETH HAY.
COLONEL GEIER, MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER 36 WITH THOMPSON TURNER CONSTRUCTION, INCORPORATED FOR THE
[00:10:01]
CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA EDITION BASED ON A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE OF $2,100,979.SECOND WAS MADE BY EARL CAMPBELL THERE.
MR. SMITH, I HAVE A QUESTION, UM, IN, IN THIS, IN THIS CONTRACT, BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT THOMPSON CONSTRUCTIONS IS GETTING TWO, UH, THEY, THEY'RE GETTING TWO AWARDED TWO CONTRACTS TONIGHT.
UM, IS THERE, HAVE THERE BEEN PUT A, HAS, HAS IT BEEN PUT IN IN THEIR, THE, THEIR CLAUSE IF THEY'RE, UH, NOT ON TIME, UH, DEADLINE DATE? IF THEY, THE CONSTRUCTION'S NOT ON TIME BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT THEY HAVE TWO PROJECTS, WOULD THAT BE IN THE CONTRACT? UH, YES SIR.
THE CONTRACT WILL SPECIFY THE DATE THAT BOTH PROJECTS HAVE TO BE COMPLETED AND, UH, THEY WILL HAVE PENALTIES ATTACHED TO THEM IF THEY DO NOT COMPLETE THEM BY THAT DATE.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER HANDS UP.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
ANY NAYS AND ABSTENTIONS, DR. CARR? SO THE MOTION CARRIES, UM, 8 0 1 MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER 37 WITH THOMPSON TURNER CONSTRUCTION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL, CTE BUILDING ADDITION, RENOVATION AND OUTFITTING BASED ON THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE OF $13,757,228 SECOND BY CHLOE GORDON.
ANY DISCUSSION THERE BEING NO HANDS UP? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION IN THE ROOM, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY NAYS? ABSTENTION, DR. CARR, THE MOTION CARRIES 8 0 1.
I THINK THAT CONCLUDES YOUR MOTIONS COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
DR. BERG IS GOING TO DELIVER A STATEMENT AND APOLOGY REGARDING THE LAWSUIT THAT HAS RECENTLY ENDED.
MADAM CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. RODRIGUEZ, MY NAME IS HERBERT BERG.
I SERVED THE DISTRICT AS ITS INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT IN 2018 TO 2019.
I'M PROUD OF THE DISTRICT'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING MY TIME AS ITS INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT AND THOSE COMPLIMENT, ACCOMPLISHMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED SINCE MY DEPARTURE LEAVING THE SUCCESSFUL 2019 BOND REFERENDUM.
ABOUT TWO YEARS AFTER I LEFT THE DISTRICT IN JUNE OF 2021 BOARD TRUSTEE WILLIAM SMITH BROUGHT A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE BOARD, THE DISTRICT, THE BOARD CHAIR, DR.
CHRISTINA GOTS, BOARD TRUSTEE COLONEL RICHARD GEIER, THE DISTRICT'S DIRECTOR OF SECURITY, DAVID GRISHAM AND ME AND HIS LAWSUIT SMITH ACCUSED THE DEFENDANTS INCLUDING ME OF VARIOUS CLAIMS INCLUDING DEFAMATION CONSPIRACY, INTENTIONAL INFLATION, INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, INVASION OF PRIVACY, AND VARIOUS OTHER STATE CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS ON OCTO ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2024.
AFTER OVER THREE YEARS OF EXPENSIVE TIME CONSUMING AND STRESSFUL LITIGATION.
AND AFTER A TRIAL IN BUFORT THAT LASTED NEARLY THREE WEEKS, EACH OF SMITH'S CLAIMS AGAINST EVERY ONE OF THE DEFENDANTS, INCLUDING ME, WERE REJECTED BY THE COURT OR THE JURY.
ONE OF SMITH'S CLAIMS AGAINST ME PERSONALLY WAS I CLAIMED I CLAIMED FOR WRITTEN DEFAMATION OR LIABLE CONCERNING AN EMAIL THAT I WROTE AND SENT TO THE BOARD CHAIRMAN JUNE 25TH, 2019, WHILE THE JURY FOUND THAT SMITH DID NOT PROVE HIS CLAIM AGAINST ME FOR WRITTEN DEFAMATION.
[00:15:01]
THAT IT WOULD LIKE FOR DR. BERG TO MAKE A FORMAL APOLOGY TO BE PRESENTED AT THE NEXT GENERAL SESSION BOARD MEETING.THE JURY ALSO INDICATED THERE NEEDS TO BE A PUBLISHED VERSION OF THE LOCAL PAPER IN THE LOCAL PAPER, APOLOGIZING FOR THE INACCURACIES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY PRINTED ABOUT MR. SMITH REGARDING THE CWP.
PRIOR TO SENDING THE EMAIL TO DR.
GROTS ON JUNE 25TH, 2019, I HAD RECEIVED FOUR SEPARATE HARASSMENT COMPLAINTS FROM DISTRICT EMPLOYEES AGAINST SMITH WHO HAD JOINED THE BOARD IN JANUARY OF 2019.
ONE OF THE CLAIMS REJECTED BY THE JURY WAS SMITH'S CLAIM THAT I CONSPIRED WITH THE EMPLOYEES TO FABRICATE, FABRICATE THEIR CLAIMS OF, UH, HARASSMENT AGAINST HIM.
ALSO, PRIOR TO THE EMAIL OF JUNE 25TH, 2019, THE DISTRICT HAD RECEIVED MESSAGES CONCERNING SMITH'S CONDUCT FROM THE BUFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
I ALSO RECEIVED A REPORT THAT SMITH HAD UNSU UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTED TO ENTER SCHOOL BUILDINGS DURING EVENING HOURS.
BECAUSE OF THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, I WAS CONCERNED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A SECURITY ISSUE FOR THE DISTRICT STAFF BOARD MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE BOARD WAS SCHEDULED TO DISCUSS THE EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCES AGAINST SMITH.
AT THE BOARD MEETING OF JUNE 25.
BEFORE THAT MEETING, I ASKED DAVID GRISHAM IF HE COULD FIND OUT WHETHER SMITH POSSESSED A CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT.
A CWP GRISHAM CONTACTED LAW ENFORCEMENT, A LAW ENFORCEMENT COLLEAGUE, AND FOUND THAT HE GRISHAM COULD NOT DO SO.
WHEN HE REPORTED THIS TO ME, I MISTAKENLY THOUGHT THAT GRISSOM TOLD ME THE SMITH DID NOT HAVE A CWP.
I REPORTED THIS INACCURATE INFORMATION IN MY MAIL, EMAIL TO DR. WATTS, IN WHICH I STATED, QUOTE, WILL HAS NO CONCEALED PERMIT PER DAVID G UNQUOTE, UNBEKNOWNST TO ME AT THE TIME, SMITH HAD A CWP IF THE EMAIL, EVEN IF THE EMAIL IS NOT ACTIONABLE WRITTEN DEFAMATION, I APOLOGIZE FOR MAKING THAT ERROR.
AFTER I LEFT THE DISTRICT, THIS EMAIL WAS RELEASED TO LOCAL MEDIA PURSUANT TO A REQUEST UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT FOIA OVER SIX MONTHS AFTER I LEFT THE DISTRICT.
THE EMAIL WAS DISCUSSED IN AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY THE ISLAND PACKET, ONE OF THESE ARTICLES, SMITH ACCUSED ME OF PULLING THAT INFORMATION ILLEGALLY AT TRIAL.
THE GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION SLED CONFIRMED THAT SLED HAS NO RECORD OF ANY INQUIRY CONCERNING SMITH'S CWP RECORDS.
LIZ FARRELL ALSO WROTE AN OPINION EDITORIAL IN THE ISLAND PACKET ON JANUARY 28TH, 2020, IN WHICH SHE OPINED THAT SMITH HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PUBLIC TO DIRECTLY AND APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
IF HE CAN'T DO THAT, THEN HE SHOULD RESIGN.
OF COURSE, MS. FARRELL PRESUMABLY EXPRESSED HER OWN OPINION.
WHILE I WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE ARTICLE BY DISTRICT STAFF, I DID NOT SPEAK WITH MS. FARRELL ABOUT IT, AND I DO NOT NECESSARILY JOIN HER OPINION TO THE EXTENT THAT ANY MEDIA REPORT WAS BASED ON THE INACCURACY IN MY EMAIL OF JUNE 25TH, 2019, CONCERNING SMITH'S POSSESSION OF A CWP.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT INACCURACY IN SOME, I'M PROUD OF MY DISTRICT SERVICE AND WISH THE BOARD ITS MEMBERS AND THE DISTRICT AND ITS EMPLOYEES WELL IN THEIR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
I AM ESPECIALLY THANKFUL FOR THE OUTCOME THIS OF SMITH'S LAWSUIT AND HOPE THAT IT PERMITS THE BOARD, ITS MEMBERS AND THE DISTRICT AND ITS EMPLOYEES TO MOVE FORWARD SUCCESSFULLY.
[Approval of Agenda]
WE NEED A MOTION OF APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.MR. NAY, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AGENDA PRESENT IN THE ROOM, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
ANY NAYS? ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY, MR. SMITH AND THEN ONLINE.
[00:20:05]
NEXT NEXT[Student Performance]
WE HAVE THE STUDENT PERFORMANCE.WE'LL NOW HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC RELIGION STANDS, NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
PLEASE REMAIN STANDING AS WE HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR TWO, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT RECENTLY PASSED AWAY.
DR. BARBARA NIELSEN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND PASSED AWAY ON SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2024.
SHE WAS THE FIRST WOMAN TO EVER BE ELECTED AS SOUTH CAROLINA'S SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION AND SERVED TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS FROM 1991 TO 1999.
OTIS C SMITH PASSED AWAY ON OCTOBER 8TH, 2024.
HE STARTED HIS CAREER WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON OCTOBER 1ST, 1973.
HE SERVED IN THE AREAS AS A MATH TEACHER AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, PRINCIPAL, DIRECTOR OF ADULT EDUCATION, ASSOCIATE PERSONNEL DIRECTOR, RECRUITER, AND THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES.
AFTER HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE DISTRICT, HE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH THE ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM.
AND NEXT WE HAVE THE SEAHAWK SINGERS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF KATHLEEN MORRIS ROWE.
THEY'LL BE SINGING ONE PIECE, AN APPALACHIAN HYMN THAT WAS ARRANGED BY DAVID MOORE, AND THEY'RE GOING TO FACE THE AUDIENCE.
SO IF THE BOARD MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO STAND AND GO ONTO THE SIDES, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THEM.
I KNOW I GOT A WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION.
UM, BUT, UM, I'M SURE YOU WON'T BE SWEET.
THERE'S A IF WE TRY, LORD, WE TRY.
I WAS SINGING, I WAS SINGING WITH MY SISTER.
I I'LL SAY WITH MY FRIENDS, WE ALL, AND WE ALL CAN SING TOGETHER BECAUSE THE CIRCLE, NEVER CIRCLE, BE UN BY AND BY LORD.
THERE'S A BETTER HOME WAITING IF WE TRY.
I WAS BORN DOWN IN THE VALLEY WHERE THE SUN, WHERE THE SUN REFUSE TO SHINE.
[00:25:01]
GONNA MAKE THAT MIND.WILL THE, WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A BETTER OH.
THANK YOU TO THE HILTON HEAD, HIGH HONOR SINGERS FOR BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE.
[Points of Celebration]
OF CELEBRATION.GUS THIS EVENING ON, UH, POINTS OF CELEBRATION, WE HAVE THE SEPTEMBER STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR SOUTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY CHARACTER EDUCATION STUDENT OF THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.
OUR CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM WAS FORMED TO SUPPORT PARENTS' EFFORTS TO DEVELOP GOOD CHARACTER IN THEIR CHILDREN.
AND TONIGHT WE'RE CELEBRATING THE CHARACTER EDUCATION STUDENT OF THE MONTH EXHIBITING THE CHARACTER TRAIT OF ACCEPTANCE.
ACCEPTANCE IS DEFINED AS THE ACTION OR PROCESS OF BEING RECEIVED AS ADEQUATE OR SUITABLE, TYPICALLY TO BE ADMITTED INTO A GROUP OR RECEIVED BY OTHERS.
SEPTEMBER'S STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR SOUTHERN BUFORD COUNTY IS KINSLEY SCHULTZ, A FOURTH GRADE, UH, STUDENT FROM RED CEDAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE KINSLEY IS SCHOOL COUNSELOR, DR.
REBECCA HANI KINSLEY, IF YOU WOULD COME, COME FORWARD AS WELL.
AND THEN IF FAMILY MEMBERS ARE HERE, IF YOU WOULD COME FORWARD AS WELL.
BECKY HANNAH, THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR AT RED CEDAR ELEMENTARY.
AND I'M SO HAPPY TO INTRODUCE YOU TO KINSLEY SCHULTZ.
AND HER, UH, MOTHER IS HERE AND HER STEPDAD AND HER FATHER AND STEPMOTHER AND GRANDPARENTS ARE HERE TODAY.
UM, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, KINSLEY WAS NOTED BY HER TEACHERS AND HER STUDENTS AT SCHOOL BY SAYING THESE THINGS.
WHEN WE TALK TO HER STUDENTS ABOUT THE CHARACTER TRAIT OF ACCEPTANCE, WE TALK ABOUT MULTIPLE ASPECTS OF IT, INCLUDING ACCEPTING OTHERS AND ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS.
OUR CHARACTER ED NOMINATION FOR ACCEPTANCE IS KINSLEY, AND SHE'S ACTIVELY SEEKS TO INCLUDE OTHERS, WHETHER IN GROUP ACTIVITIES OR IN CASUAL CONVERSATIONS, DEMONSTRATING A PROFOUND UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERYONE HAS UNIQUE QUALITIES THAT DESERVE RESPECT AND APPRECIATION HER KINDNESS AND OPEN-MINDEDNESS.
CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE EVERYONE FEELS VALUED, MAKING OUR SCHOOL A MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE.
HERE'S WHAT SOME OF HER CLASSMATES HAVE TO SAY ABOUT HER.
I'M NEW THIS YEAR, AND KENLEY HAS BEEN MY FRIEND.
SHE PLAYS WITH ME, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE NO ONE ELSE TO PLAY WITH.
SHE WANTS US ALL TO FEEL INCLUDED.
KENLEY IS ALWAYS KIND TO EVERYONE.
SHE IS NEVER MEAN OR SAYS MEAN THINGS.
[00:30:01]
GUS.THAT CONCLUDES OUR POINTS OF CELEBRATION THIS EVENING.
[First Public Comments]
PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND WE HAVE ANTHONY CAMBRIA.HIS TOPIC IS ACADEMICS PERFORMANCE.
THESE COMMENTS ARE FOLLOW UP TO AN EMAIL THAT I SENT YOU ALL OVER THE DISTRICT SERVER THIS WEEKEND.
THERE ARE SPECULATIONS THAT DISTRICT OFFICIALS CONVENIENTLY GLOS OVER FACTS WHEN PROVIDING VALUABLE AND PERTINENT INFORMATION.
OTHERS BELIEVE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE COMPLETE AND COMPREHENSIVE DATA.
PERHAPS WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR MAY BE DIFFICULT.
IT MAY BE UPSETTING OR POSSIBLY CREATE ANGER.
I DO WANT TO STIMULATE, MOTIVATE, AND CHALLENGE YOUR CORE VALUES AS TRUSTEES.
WHEN EVERY REQUEST FOR RESOURCES PROVIDED, SHOULDN'T STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE IN ACADEMIC BE AN EXPECTATION? A MINIMUM AT THE STATE LEVEL, I THINK WOULD BE ADEQUATE IN 2019, 20% OF THIRD GRADE COHORT, WERE NOT ON GRADE LEVEL IN MATHEMATICS TODAY, ALMOST 45% OF THAT COHORT ARE NOT ON GRADE LEVEL FIVE YEARS LATER.
AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF SO-CALLED INVESTMENTS IN STUDENTS.
AND SADLY, BEAUFORT COUNTY PERFORMANCE IS AT OR BELOW THE STATE LEVEL.
YOU HAVE HEARD FROM ME ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, UNFORTUNATELY, WITHOUT ANY REACTION, FEEDBACK, OR ENGAGEMENT.
IS THAT THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR THIS BOARD, THIS ADMINISTRATION? OR MAYBE IT EVEN GOES DOWN TO THE TEACHER'S LEVEL.
WHY WOULDN'T STUDENTS WHO INVEST HUNDREDS OF DAYS AND THOUSANDS OF HOURS YEAR AFTER YEAR YET SEEING, EXPERIENCING THE SAME RESULTS, NOT GIVE UP WHEN THAT OCCURS? STUDENTS, FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES ALL SUFFER.
MAY MANY CONTEND AND BELIEVE THAT SCHOOLS DO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO CLOSE THE GAPS.
THEY SIMPLY LACK THE WILL AND THE COURAGE TO DO SO.
COURAGE MUST EXIST IN LEADERS.
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS THE LEADER OF THIS DISTRICT.
YOU MUST EXPECT EXCELLENCE AND EMBRACE ACCOUNTABILITY.
MEDIOCRITY AND STAGNATION IS UNACCEPTABLE.
DO NOT HOLD YOURSELVES FULLY RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE IT ISN'T POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT WITHOUT FULL INFORMATION.
IT IS COMMENDABLE THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED ANY RESOURCE THAT'S BEEN REQUESTED FINANCIALLY, STRUCTURALLY, RESOURCES ACROSS THE BOARD.
PERHAPS THE SUPERINTENDENT COULD PROVIDE FOR YOU THE SAME COURTESY DEMAND, THE SAME RESPECT THE STUDENTS, THE TEACHERS ARE DEPENDING ON YOU.
BEAUFORT IS YOUR TIME UP, MR. CAMBRIA, KEN AND MR. CAMBRIA, YOUR TIME IS UP.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[Chair Report]
CHAIR REPORT AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME ITS NEWEST MEMBER, DR. DAVID CARR, WHO WAS SWORN IN TONIGHT.HE REPRESENTS DISTRICT SEVEN AND WAS ELECTED, UH, IN A SPECIAL ELECTION THIS FALL.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND, AND, UH, HAVING AN INFUSION OF PERHAPS SOME NEW AND DIFFERENT IDEAS.
APPRECIATE BEING HERE AND GLAD TO BE HERE.
SINCE IT IS OCTOBER, IT IS THE TIME OF YEAR THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, UH, DOES ITS PERFORMANCE EVALUATION ON OUR ONE EMPLOYEE.
AND THAT IS DR. FRANK RODRIGUEZ, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO I'M JUST ANNOUNCING THAT TONIGHT.
AND ROBIN AND MOLLY, OR PROBABLY ROBIN, WILL BE CONTACTING, UH, THE BOARD MEMBERS TO TRY TO GET, UH, DATES THAT WILL WORK FOR EVERYBODY, UH, FOR DOING THE EVALUATION.
AND IT USUALLY REQUIRES US TO MEET, HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, USUALLY TWICE AND PERHAPS EVEN A THIRD ONE.
BUT IT REQUIRES, UH, MORE THAN ONE MEETING.
[Committee Reports]
[00:35:01]
NOW ONTO THE COMMITTEE REPORTS AND WE HAVE ACADEMICS, UH, REPORTING BY THE CHAIR.THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE MET ON OCTOBER THE THIRD.
STRATUS INTRODUCED MS. LATASHA MIDDLETON, DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL COUNSELOR, WHO INFORMED THE COMMITTEE OF THE UPDATES TO THE FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS SS DASH THREE, ASSIGNMENT OF STUDENTS TO SCHOOLS AND SS SIX ZERO HOME VISITS.
STRATUS PRESENTED OE 12.1 THROUGH 17 INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM, AND THE EVIDENCE FOR EACH SECTION OE 12 DASH ONE THROUGH 17 WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMITTEE TO BE PLACED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SCHOOL HEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, CONVENED THREE TIMES SINCE AUGUST 1ST, 2024.
TO DATE, THE COMMITTEE HAS COMPLETED THEIR INITIAL REVIEW OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION CURRICULUM.
THE HIGH SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION CURRICULUM WILL UNDERGO ITS INITIAL REVIEW AT THE NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING ON OCTOBER 21ST, 2024.
THE HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP TO FILL THE FOLLOWING VACANCIES.
COMMUNITY MEMBER, HEALTH PROFESSOR, A STUDENT, THE STUDENT MUST BE PRESIDENT OF THEIR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT BODY.
AND A TEACHER, OR TEACHER, SORRY, INTERESTED APPLICANTS CAN COMPLETE THE NECESSARY FORM LOCATED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE UNDER THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? MR. NAY? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
UH, I WAS LOOKING, UH, DURING THE PRE-READ, I WAS LOOKING AT SS UH, DASH THREE, UM, UNDER SECTION 16.
UM, I, THE, THE AR IS NOT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE ON APPROVAL, RIGHT? IT, THEY'RE JUST AC ACADEMIC, UH, THEY'RE CORRECT.
AR ARE JUST, UH, PRESENTED TO THE BOARD.
SO WE'RE AWARE OF THEM, BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE BOARD OR ACCEPTED BY THE BOARD.
UH, I WAS JUST LOOKING, I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT IT.
UM, IT LOOKS, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE RU NUMERAL 16 IS JUST, IT JUST KIND OF THROWN TOGETHER.
UM, THE, THE FORMATTING IS OFF THE, SOME THINGS ARE STRICKEN.
SO I, I, I'M, I'M NOT REAL SURE WHAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO SAY.
THERE'S SOME CONTRADICTORY LANGUAGE IN HERE.
UM, I CAN GIVE YOU EXAMPLES IF YOU LIKE, BUT, UH, I, I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, WHAT IS COMING IN FRONT OF THE BOARD.
UH, I KNOW IT'S JUST FOR, UH, INFORMATION.
UM, BUT, UH, I, I'M, I'M JUST, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN SS 60, UM, THE, REGARDING THE HOME VISITS, UM, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE, UH, AND I KNOW THIS IS A NEW AR, UM, BUT THERE'S NOTHING IN THE, IN THE AR THAT, UH, THAT STATES THE CRITERIA THAT TRIGGERS A HOME VISIT, UNLESS I MISSED IT.
UH, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THERE THAT SAYS THAT, WELL, DO YOU, DOES THE ADMINISTRATION WANNA ADDRESS THIS? AND DR.
STRATOS IS COMING FORWARD? STRATOS WILL BE UP MOMENTARILY.
WHERE DID YOU SEE, IF YOU LOOK AT ROMAN NUMERAL THREE, THAT TO ME SAYS WHY THEY'RE HAVING HOME VISITS.
SO FOR SS THREE ROMAN NUMERAL 16, WOULD YOU, THE EXPECTATION IS A REVIEW OF THAT ROMAN NUMERAL, SIR? YES.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, LETTER D IS A, IS IS DARK.
IT, IT IS A BLACK LETTER, WHICH MEANS IT EXISTED IN THE PRIOR REVISION, UH, PRIOR REVISION, RIGHT? THAT'S A FORM.
BUT, BUT THE, THE TEXT STAFFER IS ALL RED, WHICH MEANS IT'S NEW TEXT.
SO WAS D IN THE PRIOR ITERATION, BUT BLANK D WAS NOT IN THE PRIOR FORMAT.
IT IS A FORMATTING ERROR THAT IT SHOULD BE IN RED.
[00:40:01]
UH, IF YOU'RE USING THE, THE NUMBER, LETTER NUMBER FORMAT UNDER D, IT SHOULD BE ONE AND TWO, NOT A AND B, IT SHOULD GO THE SAME THING FOR EA RIGHT.ALPHA D, THEN IT SHOULD BE FOLLOWED WITH NUMERIC ONE, TWO.
THAT'S WHAT I, AND THEN IN, IN NUMBER E OR LETTER E, SORRY.
UH, WHAT IS B? SAME REITERATION.
UM, BUT LETTER B, IT SAYS, FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BEGINNING THE SECOND QUARTER, PRINCIPALS MUST NOTIFY THE COMMITTEE AND PARENT GUARDIAN.
IF A STUDENT IS BEING REASSIGNED, THE REST OF THE, THE REST OF THE VERBIAGE SAYS, RECOMMEND.
I'M GONNA JUST CATCH UP TO YOU, SIR.
AND I DO APOLOGIZE, BEGINNING WITH THE SECOND QUARTER, PRINCIPALS MUST NOTIFY THE COMMITTEE AND THE PARENT LEGAL GUARD GUARDIAN IF A STUDENT IS BEING REASSIGNED.
AND THEN YOU'RE REFERENCING THE REST.
ALL, ALL THE REST OF THE VERBIAGE FOR THAT SAYS THE, THE PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDS REASSIGNMENT TO THE COMMITTEE.
SO THAT EEB OR WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, E TWO, UM, KIND OF IS CONTRADICTORY.
IT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE THE PRINCIPAL HAS SOLE DISCRETION TO REASSIGN AS OPPOSED TO RECOMMEND TO THE COMMITTEE.
I THINK PRIOR, IN THE, IN THE READING, IT DOES REFER THAT THERE IS A COMMITTEE FOR REASSIGNMENT, THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WAS A BLANKET CLAUSE, BUT THAT CAN BE EXPLICIT WITHIN ALPHA E IN ORDER TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE DEFINITIVE WITHIN NUMERIC TWO RIGHT.
UH, AND THEN FOR SS UH, 60, UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT CRITERIA I, I, I UNDERSTAND WHY THE HOME VISITS HAPPEN, AND I SEE THAT WHERE IT'S LISTED.
THANK YOU, UH, MADAM CHAIR, UH, IN, IN NUMERAL THREE, UH, ROOM THREE.
BUT WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA THAT TRIGGERS A HOME VISIT? UM, UH, I WAS, I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT MIGHT HAVE SAID, UM, CRITERIA COULD BE AS FOLLOWED, BUT NOT LIMITED TO.
AND THEN MAYBE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OR THINGS THAT TRIGGER A HOME VISIT.
'CAUSE I, I, I THINK PEOPLE, UH, PARENTS DESERVE TO KNOW IF THEY DO SOMETHING, THEN THEY, THEY'RE GONNA GET A HOME VISIT.
WAYNE TAKEN, I WILL, I WILL SHARE WITH OUR STUDENT SERVICES DIVISION, SIR, IN ORDER TO PUT THAT ACTUALLY WITHIN, PROBABLY OUT ROMAN NUMERAL ONE OR TWO, THAT THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA WILL BE UTILIZED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME DISCRETION, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS FOR HEALTH CHECK AS WELL.
MS. GORDON, DOES THAT CONCLUDE YOUR REPORT? YES.
THAT CONCLUDES THE ACADEMIC REPORT.
OKAY, MR. SMITH, ANY MORE QUESTIONS, MR. SMITH? UH, YES.
UM, DID I HEAR, YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE MOVING THE OE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU ASKING TO MOVE THE OE TO CONSENT, CONSENT AGENDA? THE, UM, THE OE IS IN THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I JUST, I THOUGHT I HEARD HER SAY THAT SHE WAS ASKING THAT SHE WAS, UH, ASKING FOR A MOTION TO MOVE THE, UH, ON THE AGENDA.
BUT, BUT I, I THOUGHT I HEARD, JUST WANT TO GET CLARIFICATION YEAH.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, IN THAT OE IS GUIDANCE COUNSELORS DISCUSSED, DISCUSSED IT.
STRATUS, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE OE 12? YES, MA'AM.
IS GUIDANCE COUNSELORS DISCUSSED IN OE 12.
YOU HAD A QUESTION REGARDING SCHOOL COUNSELORS IN OE 12.
I BELIEVE THEIR SECTION IS 12 POINT 17.
I JUST DIDN'T CATCH THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION.
AND BOARD MEMBERS, YOU DO HAVE A COPY IN YOUR YELLOW BINDER, AND I SET IT UP BY SECTIONS FOR YOU FOR ANY POINT OF REFERENCE.
YEAH, I THANK I, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THAT.
UM, MY QUESTION WAS TO MY, TO MY COLLEAGUE, WAS THAT IN, IN THIS OE, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE BOARD DOES, I, THE BOARD DO VOTES FOR, FOR AND APPROVE OF OES.
AND I'VE HAD SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT GUIDANCE COUNSELORS, AND I APOLOGIZE THAT I DID, I WENT AT THAT MEETING.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, SO, AND I GUESS YOU'VE ANSWERED IT, THAT GUIDANCE, THE DESCRIPTION, WHO, WHERE, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, AND HOW WAS THE DISCUSSED AT THAT MEETING AT LENGTH, UH, ABOUT GUIDANCE COUNSELORS SO THAT THOSE PROCESSES THAT ARE IN PLACE.
SO OUR OE 12 DOES HAVE A REFERENCE FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS ON THE AVAILABILITY OF OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE ACCESS TO SCHOOL COUNSELORS.
THAT COMPONENT IS GENERALLY UNDER 12 POINT 17, BUT WE PRESENTED THERE FOR EVIDENCE, GAVE THE RATIO OF SCHOOLS THAT HAVE THE STUDENTS TO SCHOOL COUNSELORS, AND THAT WE MEET THE STATE AS WELL AS NATIONAL STANDARDS.
YOU, THE BOARD, HAVE BEEN VERY GENEROUS AT THAT RACIAL DISTRIBUTION THAT IS GENERALLY A 350 TO ONE RATIO.
[00:45:01]
AND AS A SYSTEM, WE DO MEET THAT.UM, SO I, WELL, AT THIS JUNCTURE, I, I MEAN, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THE BOARD.
I I'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF THE GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND GRADUATION PROCESSES AND DIFFERENT THINGS OF, OF THAT NATURE.
SO, UM, I KNOW THE, THE DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE IS NOT HERE.
I'M NOT SURE WHETHER SHE WAS AT THAT MEETING.
BUT I, I THINK THAT AT THIS, IF I THINK AT THIS, THIS MEETING BECAUSE OF THE LARGE AMOUNT OF QUESTIONS I THINK THAT I'VE HAD, AND I'VE HEARD MY COLLEAGUES ALONG THE WAY, SOME OF 'EM HAVE HAD 'EM IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
I THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN VERY, UM, IT WOULD'VE BEEN, IT WOULD'VE BEEN, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE HER TO PRESENT TO THIS MEETING TODAY AT THIS MEETING TODAY.
AND I JUST WANNA PUT THAT ON, PUT THAT, PUT THAT ON THE RECORD THAT I WILL BE REQUESTING FOR HER TO COME TO THIS PUBLIC MEETING, BECAUSE I'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT THE GUY'S DEPARTMENT AND ABOUT, UH, DIFFERENT QUESTIONS ABOUT GUIDANCE.
SO, UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I HAVE, I, I, I MEAN, I KNOW WE ALL CAN SAY THAT I HAVE BEEN CONSISTENCY IN SAYING, UH, AND IN THE AND, AND, AND IN THE PAST THAT, UH, I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE VERY, UH, IT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR HER TO COME AND, UH, ADDRESS THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE THE PUBLIC HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF GOD AND WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT, PUT THAT ON RECORD AND, AND, UH, SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, UH, POSSIBLY GET DONE, GET DONE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I WOULD JUST ADD, UM, UH, MR. SMITH, IF, UM, IF YOU'VE ENCOUNTERED PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC WHO, WHO HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU ABOUT THIS, OUR TEAM IS FULLY AVAILABLE TO SPEAK WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE.
WE'RE HAPPY TO DO IT HERE AT A MEETING, BUT, UH, BUT, BUT THAT JUST MEANS IT GOES TWO WEEKS BEFORE PEOPLE GET ANSWERED, OR FOUR WEEKS OR WHATEVER IT IS.
IF, IF YOU ASK THEM TO REACH OUT TO US OR IF YOU LET ME KNOW WHO THEY ARE, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT MY TEAM REACHES OUT SO WE CAN GET THEM WHAT THEY NEED.
WELL, ACTUALLY, UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ, I BELIEVE THEY HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT, AND SOME OF IT IS PROCESS INFORMATION THAT, THAT SOMETIMES THAT WE MAY HAVE ONLINE, THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE.
I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC WILL LIKE TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE PROCESSES IN TERMS OF DIFFERENT, OF, OF, UM, PICKING THEIR KIDS' CLASSROOMS. THERE, THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT I, I UNDERSTAND THAT I, I PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, DON'T WANT TO GO INTO YEAH.
THAT'S, BUT I THINK IT'S A LITTLE MORE THAN JUST REACHING OUT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SOME OF THEM HAVE REACHED OUT YEAH.
NO, THEY HAVEN'T REACHED OUT TO ME ABOUT THAT.
BUT, BUT WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU IS IF YOU GIMME THEIR NAMES, I'M HAPPY TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND I'M HAPPY TO GET MY TEAM.
BUT, BUT THE SOONER THEY GET WHATEVER QUESTIONS THEY HAVE ANSWERED, THEN THE BETTER FOR THEM.
WELL, I THINK ALL, ALL AND ALL, ALL AROUND DOING IT IS, IS, UH, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE WITHIN, UH, WHATEVER.
THANK YOU, DR. RODRIGUEZ AND MADAM CHAIR.
MAY I JUST, IF IT'S POSSIBLE WE COULD HAVE THOSE QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE AND WE COULD PREPARE, UM, INFORMATION.
I'D GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT, SIR.
I THINK SOME OF THEM, UM, I, I'VE ALREADY ASKED, THERE'S SOME OF THEM I'VE, I'VE ASKED ALONG THE WAY.
UH, SOME OF THEM, SOME OF THEM, UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
AND SOME OF THEM, UM, I BELIEVE AT SOME POINT I'VE BROUGHT 'EM ALL TO, UH, DOC, DR. RODRIGUEZ IN THERE AND EVERYONE ELSE IN INDIVIDUALLY.
MR. SMITH, I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE A RECOLLECTION OF A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, GUIDANCE COUNSELORS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO HAVE A SECOND CONVERSATION WITH YOU IF YOU BROUGHT IT FORWARD.
I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON IT, AND SO WE CAN GET IT.
ULTIMATELY, WE JUST WANNA GET IT ADDRESSED.
SO, SO WHATEVER THEY ARE, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU SHARE 'EM WITH ME, I'LL MAKE SURE MY TEAM GETS IT AND RESPONDS.
WELL, I'LL JUST CLOSE 'EM BY SAYING THIS.
IF WE GO BACK AND WE LOOK AT ONCE AGAIN OF WHAT I SAID IT THE FIRST TIME, IF WE GO BACK AND WE LOOK AT CURRENT BOARD MEETINGS WHERE I HAVE REQUESTED THAT THE GUIDANCE COUNCILORS HAVE COME FORWARD, IT WAS, IT HAD BEEN TOLD TO ME THAT MR. SMITH, AT SOME POINT, THEY DO COME AND, UH, AND, AND OE 12 AND OE 12 HAS THE TIME TO COME UP.
AND FOR LAST YEAR, WE HAD ALREADY DID THAT.
OE AND OE WAS COMING UP AND AT, AND AT THIS MEETING HERE, I WAS NOT HERE.
SO, I MEAN, I MEAN, SO THAT, SO THAT'S, THAT THAT PART IS ON ME, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT THAT'S BEEN CONVEYED PUBLICLY IN MEETINGS ON RECORD.
THAT, THAT I, I HAVE SAID THAT, AND I HAVE BROUGHT SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS IN, UH, UP, AND I WAS TOLD THAT MR. SMITH, THAT THAT'S AN OE 12 AND GUIDANCE IS COVERED ON THE OE 12.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT HIT MY, MY MEMORY REC MY RECOLLECTION TODAY ON THAT.
AND I DO, I THINK I DO RECALL, UH, AT ONE TIME THERE WAS GUIDANCE, BUT IT DIDN'T HAVE AN EXPLANATION OF GUIDANCE.
BUT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A QUESTION ON GUIDANCE.
SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA REACH OUT TO YOU, UH, A AFTER THE MEETING SO THAT YOU CAN TELL ME IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO WHAT SPECIFICALLY IT IS YOU'RE AFTER, SO THAT, UH, MY TEAM CAN HONE IN AND FOCUS ON WHAT WHATEVER NEED THAT IS.
NEXT UP WE HAVE OPERATIONS REPORTING, UH, BY CHAIR CARLTON DALLAS.
UH, THE OPERATIONS, UH, COMMITTEE
[00:50:01]
MET ON OCTOBER THE EIGHTH, AND WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WE'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU RELATIVE TO THE 2019 BOND REFERENDUM.UH, THINGS ARE COMING VERY, VERY CLOSE TO CONCLUSIONS.
ONE OF THE LAST PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE TO COMPLETE, UH, WAS THE ROBERT SMALLS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
UH, THAT HAD BEEN DELAYED, BUT IT NOW HAS A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY ISSUED BY THE OSF ON SEPTEMBER, THE SEPTEMBER THE NINTH AND FINAL COMPLETION IS SCHEDULED TO OCCUR ON NOVEMBER 9TH, UH, 2024.
I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT THERE WAS SOME DELINQUENCY AND PERFORMANCE AT, UH, ROBERT SMALLS, UH, LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
AND I ALSO HAVE TO GIVE IN TIMING AND SECONDARY, UH, CONTRACTORS.
AND I HAVE TO GIVE, UM, CREDIT TO THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY DID A ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS OF WHAT THE CAUSE WAS.
AND ONE OF IT WAS THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE DELIVERY SCHEDULES.
AS YOU LOOK THROUGH THE MATERIALS THAT ARE IN YOUR BINDER TODAY, YOU'LL SEE THE MAJOR PROJECTS HAVE END DATES FOR DELIVERY.
THAT ALLOWS US NOW TO EXERCISE THE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES THAT THE OPERATIONS STAFF HAD CREATED FOR OTHER PROJECTS, AND NOW IT WILL APPLY TO THOSE AS WELL.
SO, JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT HIGHLIGHT.
THE SECOND THING ON THE 2019 REFERENDUM IS WE HAVE 30 CLOSEOUTS REMAINING.
THESE CLOSEOUTS HAVE BEEN AN IRRITANT IN TERMS OF, UH, ALLOWING FINANCE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO, AS WELL AS US BEING ABLE TO DISPERSE ROUGHLY $35 MILLION.
STILL REMAINING IS PAID AND COMMITTED, BUT IT'S NOT DISPERSED.
AND THAT'S WAITING ON CLOSEOUT.
11 ARE ACCOUNT, UH, ASSIGNED AND DRIVEN BY ONE SUPPLIER.
AND SO THE GROUP HAS LOOKED AT THAT, AND THOSE TYPE CONTRACTS WILL INCLUDE A SCHEDULED PRE-WORK.
AND THEN THEY WILL INCLUDE, UH, LIQUIDATED DAMAGES SO THAT THERE'S, UH, ENCOURAGEMENT TO BUSINESS PARTNERS TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD EXPEDITIOUSLY.
UH, THE NEXT THING IS ON THE 2019 BOND REFERENDUM, UM, WITH BASICALLY THAT ONE PROJECT REMAINING IN THE CLOSEOUTS, UM, WE STILL HAVE $170,000 IN PROGRAM CONTINGENCY.
SO AGAIN, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE SOFT LANDING.
IT HAS BEEN A SOFT LANDING TO THIS POINT, AND WE'RE VERY CLOSE.
AND AGAIN, KUDOS TO THE OPERATION DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS THE TWO COMMITTEE MEMBERS, MR. NAY, MS. GORDON, AND THE REST OF THE BOARD FOR HELPING MOVE THIS FORWARD.
MOVING TO THE 2023 BOND REFERENDUM, YOU'LL SEE THAT BASICALLY ALL PROJECTS ARE GREEN.
IT IS EARLY, SO WE SHARE THAT CAVEAT.
UH, BUT WE ARE VERY COMFORTABLE THAT HOW WE LOOK AT THINGS.
WE WILL HELP US PRODUCE SOME, SOME REAL, WHAT WE CALL EXECUTION WITH FIDELITY.
SO YOU CAN DEPEND ON, ON WHAT THE COMMITMENTS ARE.
UH, THE BOARD EARLIER APPROVED SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT, UH, IN TERMS OF MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL, CAFETERIA AND CAREER AND TACTICAL EDUCATION CENTER.
SO THOSE PROJECTS ARE MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO THAT IS, UH, THAT PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME, I'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE CUSTODIAL.
A COUPLE OF THINGS HAVE HAPPENED, THE TRANSITION TO THREE DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS, HANDLING EACH OF THEM, HANDLING TWO PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS SO THAT WE CAN COMPARE PERFORMANCE, TIMELINESS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS IS FULLY IN EFFECT.
AND SOME TRENDS ARE BEING IDENTIFIED, UH, AT THIS EARLY STAGE.
BUT EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO HELP ALL THREE OF THOSE BUSINESS PARTNERS MOVE FORWARD EXPEDITIOUSLY.
THERE HAS BEEN, UH, QUITE A BIT IN TERMS OF THE WAY THE DATA IS PRESENTED.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE RECOMMEND IS TO GET AN IDEA OF HOW THE ORGANIZATION IS PERFORMANCE IS THEY HAVE THREE YEARS OF PERFORMANCE, SO WE CAN LOOK BACK AND SEE WHAT THIS SAME MONTH, TWO YEARS AGO, ONE YEAR AGO COMPARED TO TODAY, THAT ALLOWS THE ORGANIZATION TO REALLY SORT OF PIVOT AND POINT OUT AND HELP PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE OPERATIONS AND EVERYBODY, UH, BUSINESS PARTNERS, CONTRACTORS, WHAT HAVE YOU, WHERE WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED.
AND IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE A DIGESTIBLE AMOUNT OF DATA TO LOOK AT AND REACT TO.
SO, VERY PLEASED WITH THEM IN THAT REGARD.
UM, THE OTHER THING WOULD LIKE TO NOTE IS THAT, UM, THE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, WE HAD A VERY ROBUST DISCUSSION ABOUT PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE.
DOES THAT SORT OF TIE UP OUR RESOURCES AND SORT OF KEEPS, SLOWS THEM DOWN FROM RE FROM RESPONDING TO SPECIFIC URGENT ISSUES? PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE IS, MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT THAT'S A VERY GOOD THING TO DO IS MORE RATEABLE.
[00:55:01]
CAN PLAN IT, YOU CAN ALLOCATE YOUR RESOURCES MUCH MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN USING WHAT WAS KNOWN AS A BREAK FIX METHODOLOGY FOR MAINTENANCE, WHICH YOU WAIT UNTIL SOMETHING BREAKS, YOU DON'T KNOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE PARTS LABOR, WHAT HAVE YOU.SO WE ARE DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF, UH, CONTINUING THE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
UM, AND AT THAT, I'D LIKE TO, IF I MAY ASK OUR COLLEAGUE, MR. ROBERT OTTING, TO COME FORWARD, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED RECENTLY IS THAT THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH INFORMATION THAT THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT HAS ALREADY DONE COMING FROM THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALWAYS LOOKED AT IS DOLLARS PER THOUSAND BTUS.
SO YOU CONVERT AN ENERGY TO A VERY SIMILAR STATISTIC ACROSS NATURAL GAS, PROPANE, COAL, CRUDE OIL, AND YOU CAN DETERMINE WHICH IS THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY OF FUELING YOUR ENERGY NEEDS.
AND SO, MR. OTTING, IF THAT IS, OKAY, SIR, I'LL REFER TO YOU, MA'AM.
UH, MR. DALLAS AND ROBIN, WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE ENERGY REPORT.
UM, AND SEPTEMBER IS THE MONTH THAT, UH, THE STATE REQUIRES US TO FILE OUR ENERGY REPORT FOR THE YEAR.
AND THAT HAS BEEN REQUIRED SINCE, UH, UH, 1992.
UM, AND IF YOU COULD GO AND, UM, SO SOME OF THE BIG THINGS WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF ENERGY AND HOW MUCH OF EACH WE'RE, UM, USING, WE ADD THAT UP TO GET AN EUI, WHICH IS ENERGY.
UM, AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
BUT, UM, AND THEN LOOK AT THE COST THAT WE HAVE FOR EACH BUILDING EACH MONTH.
AND IF YOU'LL STOP RIGHT THERE, ROBIN, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF JUST A NOVEMBER REPORT THAT SHOWS ALL THE, THE SCHOOLS, THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY THEY USE AND BREAKS IT INTO ELECTRICITY, NATURAL GAS AND PROPANE.
AND ONE THING TO NOTE IS, MAKES THIS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, IS THIS YEAR WE DID GET A COST INCREASE, UM, FROM DOMINION ENERGY OF ABOUT 7%.
SO THAT, THAT'S A BIG, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UH, INCREASES WE'VE HAD IN SOME TIME.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THIS SLIDE SHOWS ALL THE SCHOOLS AND THE AMOUNT THEY'VE USED, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UH, IT'S VERY SMALL PRINT, SO I KNOW IT'S HARD TO READ, BUT ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE POINTED OUT AND DISCUSSED WAS ACTUALLY THE DISTRICT OFFICE SOME TIME AGO.
WE INSTALLED A SOLAR FIELD OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
AND WHAT YOU'LL SEE THERE IS THE COST FOR THIS.
THE COST FOR LAST YEAR, WE ACTUALLY MADE $13,000.
SO THERE WAS ACTUALLY NO COST FOR THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
IT'S EQUIVALENT IN SIZE TO ABOUT BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH COST US $150,000.
SO THAT JUST KIND OF TELLS YOU WHAT, HOW WELL THAT SOLAR P FIELD HAS PERFORMED FOR US.
AND, UM, BASICALLY WE'RE MAKING MONEY OFF ENERGY AT THAT LOCATION.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THIS IS WHAT IS ACTUALLY SUBMITTED TO THE STATE FOR EACH OF THE LOCATIONS.
AND THIS IS A TOTALITY OF THE DISTRICT.
ONE OF THE BIG THINGS WE LOOK AT IS THE ENERGY USE PER CONDITION SQUARE FOOT.
UM, THAT IS BASICALLY AN EUI THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, WHICH IS AN ENERGY USE INTENSITY UNIT WHERE WE BASICALLY ADD UP ALL THE ENERGY, UH, IN BTUS OF PROPANE, NATURAL GAS, ELECTRICITY, AND COME UP WITH A COST PER SQUARE FOOT OR AN AMOUNT OF ENERGY USED PER SQUARE FOOT FOR THE ENTIRE BUILDING.
YOU'LL SEE ON THERE OUR NUMBER IS 40, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN INCREASE FOR US.
UM, WE HAVE SOME GRAPHS LATER ON, AND I'LL GO OVER THAT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN HANGING ABOUT 36 OR 37, UM, UH, BT U KILLER BTUS.
THE REASON WE THINK FOR THE INCREASE, OR ONE OF OUR STRUGGLES HAS BEEN COMING OUTTA COVID, THE, THE BALANCING BETWEEN INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND ENERGY SAVINGS.
UM, WE'VE LEANED EVER SINCE COVID MORE TOWARDS ENERGY, INDOOR AIR QUALITY.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WE START OUR UNITS EARLIER.
THE AMOUNT OF FRESH AIR THAT WE LET IN IS ALL DAY LONG.
YOU KNOW, WE LEARNED THAT IN COVID TO TRY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CHANGING OUR AIR OVER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
WE'VE INCREASED OUR FILTRATION OF THAT AIR COMING IN.
AND SO AS WE COME OUT OF COVID, WE'RE GONNA START GOING A LITTLE BIT OR LOOKING A LITTLE BIT HARDER ON THE ENERGY USAGE.
BEFORE IT WAS JUST INDOOR AIR QUALITY IS ALL THAT MATTERS.
NOW, WE ALSO NEED TO TO WORK TO BALANCE A LITTLE BIT BETTER WITH THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY WE'RE USING FOR ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE REALIZED COMING OUT OF THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE FUTURE IS WHEN WE BUILT ROBERT SMALLS, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO
[01:00:01]
BUILDINGS RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME THAT COUNTED AS ONE BUILDING.SO THAT REALLY HURT ROBERT SMALLS AND ITS ENERGY USAGE IN THE FUTURE.
AND WE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MY STAFF ABOUT THIS TODAY.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT COST OF THAT CONSTRUCTION BROKEN OUT SO WE CAN SEPARATE IT FROM THE COST OF THE BUILDING.
KEEP GOING TO THE AUTOMATED LOGIC SECTION.
UM, SO FOR ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS, WE HAVE A COMPUTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SEE HOW MUCH ENERGY'S BEING USED, WHAT THE TEMPERATURES OF THE ROOMS ARE, WHAT THE CONDITION OF THE HVAC UNITS ARE.
AND WE HAVE AUTOMATED LOGIC IS OUR PRIMARY, UH, SOFTWARE THAT WE USE FOR THIS NEXT SLIDE, ROBIN.
AND THIS JUST SHOWS HOW WE CAN GET AN OVERLOOK AT, UM, OUR BUILDINGS AND HOW THEY'RE OPERATING.
AS YOU SEE ON THE LEFT IS ACTUALLY RED CEDAR.
GREEN MEANS IT'S MEETING TEMPERATURE.
YELLOW, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OFF, BUT NOT TOO FAR OFF.
RED MEANS THAT YOU'VE GONE INTO, UH, A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO.
AND ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS IN THE DISTRICT HAVE THIS NEXT SLIDE.
THIS JUST SHOWS A AT MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL, THE LOOP WATER SYSTEM.
THIS IS THE KIND OF DETAIL THAT WE GET FOR ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT.
SEE WHAT EQUIPMENT'S RUNNING, HOW WELL, UM, THESE ARE ACTUALLY, UM, UH, TWO, UH, THREE CHILLER UNITS AND THREE BOILERS, AND YOU CAN SEE THE TEMPERATURES AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.
GETTING INTO, UM, SOME ROOFTOP UNITS AND SOME VAV BOXES.
AGAIN, THIS JUST KIND OF SHOWS YOU ALL THE DETAIL WE CAN GET FOR EACH OF THOSE UNITS SO WE CAN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
ONE OF OUR KEY THINGS THAT WE DO IS SET SCHEDULES FOR THE BUILDING.
UM, YOU'LL SEE ON HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, DURING THE WEEK, IT'S MOSTLY THE AIR CONDITIONING'S ON TO FIVE TO SIX.
I BELIEVE THIS IS PROBABLY FOR A HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS IS BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH GOES A LITTLE LATER IN THE DAY.
AND THE REASON WE HAVE TO, AND THEN ON THE WEEKENDS IT'S OFF UNLESS PEOPLE COME INTO THE BUILDING OR THEY'VE LET US KNOW OF SOME EVENT.
THE REASON WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE, OF COURSE, WHEN YOU'RE COOLING A BUILDING, WHEN YOU'RE BRINGING FRESH AIR INTO A BUILDING, THAT COSTS MONEY.
UM, SO IF THE BUILDING'S NOT BEING USED, WE DON'T WANNA SPEND A LOT OF MONEY BRINGING COOL, FRESH AIR OR COOLING THE BUILDING.
SO THESE SCHEDULES ALLOW US TO DO THAT.
UH, EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW IN THE DISTRICT THAT IF YOU HAVE A CLASSROOM AND THE THERMOSTAT ON THE WALL, YOU CAN PRESS A BUTTON AND LET THAT UNIT RUN 30 MINUTES IF YOU HAPPEN TO COME IN ON THE WEEKENDS OR WHATEVER, WITHOUT TURNING ON THE ENTIRE BUILDING.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY THAT WE KEEP OUR, UM, ENERGY COSTS DOWN.
IF WE'LL GO ON TO HOW WE RANK.
UM, IN 20 23, 1 OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS, WE RECEIVED A ENERGY REDUCTION MILESTONE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR A REDUCTION OF GREATER THAN 20% IN, IN A SINGLE YEAR.
UH, THAT'S COMING OUTTA COVID.
SO, UM, UH, THAT WAS IN 2023 THAT WE HAD A REDUCTION GREATER THAN 20%.
NEXT SLIDE SHOWS WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WHICH SHOWS IN FY 22, WE WERE DOWN AT 36.76 COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AT 34.
BUT ONE THING I DO WANNA MAKE YOU AWARE OF IS THAT THIS JUST TELLS YOU ABOUT ENERGY USE.
IT DOESN'T REALLY GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF INDOOR AIR QUALITY.
SO ESPECIALLY IN OLDER, UH, DISTRICTS AND OLDER BUILDINGS, YOU DON'T, THEY MAY NOT BE HOLDING AS STRICT A STANDARD TO INDOOR AIR QUALITY AS WE ARE.
SO DON'T BE CONCERNED NECESSARILY IF YOU SEE THAT WE'RE, OUR ENERGY USE IS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN OTHERS BECAUSE MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE ARE HOW MUCH FRESH AIR ARE THEY AT BRINGING INTO THEIR BUILDINGS? AND A LOT OF THE OLDER BUILDINGS DON'T ALLOW FOR THAT.
SO WE'VE UPGRADED MOST OF OURS AND WE MAINTAIN THE FRESH AIR SETTINGS AT OUR, AT OURS, 'CAUSE WE FEEL THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR STUDENTS.
IT GOES OVER THE INNER GU INTENSITY AND YOU SEE WE DID HAVE AN UPTICK, UM, IN THE LAST YEAR.
AND THEN THE SLIDE ON THE LEFT TALKS ABOUT, UH, YOU SEE THAT THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN SQUARE FOOTAGE AND OUR ENERGY USE AS FAR AS CHANGE IN USE HAS KIND OF FLUCTUATED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
LAST SLIDE, UM, BEFORE I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, JUST SHOWS A, A MONTHLY, UH, USE OF ENERGY.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT FOUR YEARS FOR EACH MONTH, SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THERE ARE SOME CONSISTENCIES IN THE MONTHS WHERE, UM, ENERGY GOES UP AND YOU CAN COMPARE EACH MONTH TO PREVIOUS YEARS AND HOW WE'VE DONE.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
[01:05:01]
LOT.WE HAD A MORE IN DEPTH CONVERSATION THAT'S A REALLY QUICK RUN THROUGH OF THE ENERGY REPORT, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER 'EM.
UM, IN, IN TERMS OF ENERGY QUALITY CONTROL OF THE AIR CONDITIONER, HOW REGULAR DO WE DO THAT? WHAT SPECIFIC, I MEAN, WE LOOK AT THIS EVERY DAY.
UM, AS FAR AS CHANGING SETTINGS OR SOMETHING OF THAT, IT'S USUALLY AN EVENT THAT COMES ALONG THAT HAS US CHANGE SETTINGS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN SUMMER COMES, WE, UM, PUT A LOT OF OUR BUILDINGS INTO UNOCCUPIED MODE.
IF THE CLASSROOMS AREN'T BEING USED, UM, IF THERE'S A HOLIDAY COMING UP, WE MAY PUT OUR BUILDINGS IN UNOCCUPIED DUE TO THE HOLIDAY.
UM, SO DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? UH, NOT REALLY.
I'M TALKING ABOUT, UH, IN PARTICULARLY, UH, IN TERMS OF AIR QUALITY CONTROL, IN TERMS OF HOW REGULARLY DO WE DO THOSE CHECKS IN REFERENCE INTO THE, THE, THIS, THE, UH, THE, THIS REPORT.
SO AS FAR AS AIR QUALITY CONTROL, THAT FUNCTION IS KIND OF ON AUTOPILOT.
UM, BASICALLY, UH, WE CAN SET THE FRESH AIR SETTINGS AND THEN WE LEAVE 'EM.
UM, WE ALSO, WE DO CHECK THE FILTERS.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE CHECKED ABOUT EVERY FOUR MONTHS.
AS FAR AS CHANGED OUT FOR FILTERS FOR MOST OF OUR BUILDINGS, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS USUALLY EVERY SIX MONTHS, WE DO IT ON A FOUR MONTH CYCLE, CHANGING OUT FILTERS.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS MAKING, UNLESS THERE'S A COMPLAINT, WE'RE NOT REALLY GONNA BE LOOKING AT OR CHANGING THE SYSTEM AS FAR AS INDOOR AIR QUALITY GOES.
UM, WE HAVE A PROCESS IF THERE'S A CONCERN THAT PEOPLE CAN FILE AN INDOOR AIR QUALITY, UH, REQUEST.
AND WITH THAT WE COME OUT, CHECK THE INDOOR AIR QUALITY, SEE IF WE NEED TO MAKE ANY CHANGES OR IF ANYTHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ADDRESS THAT CONCERN.
I ELSE HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS THAN NO ONE ELSE.
WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION? MR. KIBBLE? UM, YOU SAID THAT YOU CHANGED THE FILTERS EVERY, WHAT, SIX MONTHS? ABOUT EVERY FOUR MONTHS.
WHY EVERY FOUR MONTHS? UM, WELL, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T NEED IT, UM, MORE THAN THAT.
AND THAT'S JUST A GOOD TIME PERIOD THAT WE FOUND.
UH, THE RECOMMENDED IS EVERY SIX MONTHS, UH, FOR THESE COMMERCIAL AIR CONDITIONING UNITS BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE FILTER.
SO WE'RE JUST GETTING A LITTLE AHEAD, AHEAD OF THAT AND JUST PROVIDING A LITTLE MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING AHEAD OF MAKING SURE THE FILTER'S NOT DIRTY BY THE TIME WE CHANGE IT.
UM, DO YOU THINK IN THE FUTURE MAYBE YOU GONNA STOP PUTTING UNITS ON TOP OF THE, THE BUILDING IN THE ROOF? YOU USING ROOFTOP UNITS? MR. CAMPBELL? THAT'S GOOD.
IF I HAD MY WAY, I WOULDN'T PUT ANY ON, ON THE ROOF.
I, I PREFER THE MEZZANINE, BUT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S JUST MORE AFFORDABLE AND WORKS OUT BETTER THAT WAY.
YOU DON'T, YOU CAN'T ALWAYS PUT A SLOPE ROOF ON A BUILDING, BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU, I, IF EVERY CHANCE I GET I TRY TO PUT 'EM IN A MEZZANINE, UH, I'D PREFER NOT TO PUT 'EM ON THE ROOFTOP.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S A MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE WAY TO DO IT.
BUT WHERE WE CAN WE STAY AWAY FROM THAT? WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK THAT HAS NOT SPOKEN? ALL RIGHT, MR. SMITH.
I DIDN'T SEE, UM, ALSO, AND, AND TO COMPARISON, I NOTICED THAT YOU, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF TEACHERS PUTTING ON, PUTTING ON THE, TURNING ON THE AIR CONDITIONER IN TERMS OF, UM, UH, THAT THERE'S A BUTTON THAT THEY CAN PUSH WHEN, WHEN THEY'RE IN THE BUILDING ON THE WEEKENDS AND, UH, HAVE BEEN TO A COUPLE EVENTS.
AND I, I, I NOTICED THAT, THAT WHAT WE WERE TOLD IN THE ROOM IS THAT, UH, BASICALLY THE ONLY WAY THEY, THEY COULD HAVE AIR CONDITIONER ON IF THEY CALLED DISTRICT AND IT WAS TOWED, UH, AND IT WOULD HAVE IT ON IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE BUILDING.
SO, UH, WHAT'S THAT MECHANISM FOR, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF THE BUILDING? YOU'VE TOLD ME, YOU'VE TOLD US THE PROCESS OF THE CLASSROOM AND SPECIFICALLY, BUT WHAT'S THAT, WHAT'S THAT MAKE, WHAT'S THAT PROCESS LIKE FOR THE ACTUAL BUILDING? YES, THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
UM, OUR LARGER SPACES DON'T HAVE THE BUTTON, LIKE YOU SAID, LIKE IF YOU'RE IN A CAFETERIA OR A GYM, THERE'S NO BUTTON YOU CAN PUSH TO TURN THOSE ON.
SO BASICALLY THERE, UM, IF YOU HAVE AN OUTSIDE EVENT, THERE'S A WHOLE PROCESS FOR THAT, OF COURSE, OF LEASING OUR FACILITIES.
AND WITH THAT, THAT EVENT WILL GET AN, UM, AN EMAIL IS SENT TO OUR ENERGY MANAGER AND TELLS 'EM THERE'S EVENT GOING ON, AND THAT SPACE NEEDS TO BE LEFT ON OUTSIDE OF THAT, IT'S FOR THE SCHOOL WOULD NEED TO LET, UM, EITHER MAINTENANCE OR PUT IN A WORK ORDER, LET SOMEBODY KNOW IT'S GONNA BE USED HALF HOURS.
THIS ROOM RIGHT HERE, OBVIOUSLY THE AIR'S RUNNING RIGHT NOW.
[01:10:01]
WE ARE INFORMED THAT THIS ROOM NEEDED TO RUN, UH, AFTER HOURS.THEY JUST NEED TO PUT IN A WORK ORDER.
UM, THERE IS ACTUALLY AN, UM, AN AIR, THERE IS A SHEET THEY CAN FILL OUT AND SEND IN, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT WE CALL IT, WHETHER IT'S, UM, INDOOR AIR REQUEST OR SOMETHING OF THAT HVAC REQUEST SHEET IF THEY NEED IT AFTER HOURS.
AND WELL, AND MY, MY QUESTION WOULD BE TO THAT IS WHY, WHY HAVEN'T WE PUT ONE, PUT, PUT THAT SAME BUTTON IN THOSE BIGGER SPACES? UH, BECAUSE FOR INSTANCE, LET, LET, LET'S SAY THAT THERE'S AN EVENT OR THERE'S AN EMERGENCY EVENT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AT A SCHOOL, OR WE HAVE TO MOVE FROM ONE SCHOOL TO ANOTHER AND THEY CAN'T GET IN CONTACT WITH, WITH THE DISTRICT, THEN THE TIMING OF THAT AIR CONDITION THAT HAS TO BE ON A CERTAIN TIME, ESPECIALLY A LARGE FACILITY LIKE A GYMNASIUM OR SOMETHING TO ACTUALLY COOL THE ROOM.
SO IS THERE A REASON WHY WE HAVE NOT VISITING, PUTTING, IN, PUTTING THAT SAME FUNCTION IN THE ACTUAL BUILDING? QUITE HONESTLY, I HAVE NOT THOUGHT OF THAT.
THERE, THERE IS SOME CONCERN, WHICH IS THE SIZE OF THOSE, OF TURNING THEM ON PEOPLE, TURNING 'EM ON IF THEY'RE NOT NEEDED.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT THAT CAN TURN A SYSTEM ON.
SO, AND YOU CAN CALL ME IF YOU DON'T KNOW, UH, JD ATKINSON OR ENERGY MANAGER OR ANY, ANY OF THE MANAGERS WITH MAINTENANCE.
SO I MEAN, WE DO GET A LOT OF LAST MINUTES CALLS THAT THEY FORGOT TO LET US KNOW THAT THEY NEEDED THE AIR ON, AND WE'VE USUALLY BEEN ABLE TO, UH, ACCOMMODATE THAT.
UM, SO I, I, YOU KNOW, A BIG SYSTEM LIKE THAT, UM, I'LL LOOK INTO THAT AND, AND SEE IF THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF PUTTING A BUTTON ON THOSE.
UM, BUT, UH, NO, NONE OF OUR LARGE SPACES HAVE THAT FUNCTION.
AND I AM, I AM, I, UH, JUST MY, JUST MY LAST QUESTION FOR ACTUALLY SOME OF THIS, UH, AS WELL IS IN, IN, IN TERM IN TERMS OF THE, OF, OF THE AIR CONDITIONING, AIR CONDITIONING AND THE BILL.
AND I WAS JUST WONDERING THAT, THAT SAME THING, BECAUSE I NOTICED IN CERTAIN BUILDINGS, LIKE YOU SAID, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT DURING OPERATIONS, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME WHEN THEY HAVE ROLLED BY CERTAIN BUILDINGS THAT NIGHT AND THE BUILDING HAS BEEN LITTEN UP, AND ARE, ARE, ARE WE, DO WE HAVE CERTAIN BUILDING WHERE THAT FUNCTION IS ON AND CERTAIN BUILDINGS THAT ARE NEWER OR OLDER, THAT THAT FUNCTION IS NOT FOR JUST FOR THE PUBLIC? CAN WE KIND OF GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE? BECAUSE THAT, I'M SURE HAVING A, HAVING A LARGE CAFETERIA IN SOME DIFFERENT AREAS, LIGHT UP AT NIGHT AND NO ONE IS IN IT.
THAT WOULD BRING CONCERNS OF, YOU KNOW, OF, OF, OF MOISTURE.
DIFFERENT THINGS OF RUNNING AN EGG OR NOT RUNNING AN EGG CONDITIONER WHEN NO ONE IS IN THERE VERSUS HAVING LIGHTS ON AND NO ONE ELSE IS IN THERE.
THOSE TWO THINGS KIND OF RUN CONGRUENT TO EACH OTHER.
SO THAT WAS JUST QUESTIONS I'VE BEEN ASKED, SO IF YOU COULD JUST KIND OF ELABORATE ON THOSE AND I'M DONE.
SO AS FAR AS LIGHTS GO, WE HAVE OCCUPANCY SENSORS ON PRETTY MUCH ALMOST EVERY BUILDING IN THE DISTRICT.
AND THAT MEANS THAT IF THERE'S NOT MOTION IN THE AREA, THE LIGHTS WILL GO OFF.
SO IF THERE ARE LIGHTS ON IN THE BUILDING, THAT MEANS SOMEBODY IS IN THERE MOVING AROUND TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON.
THE TWO EXCEPTIONS TO THAT, THAT I'M AWARE OF IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE LIGHTING CONTROL PACKAGES THAT ARE NOT OCCUPANCY SENSORS, THEY'RE MORE ON TIMERS ARE RED CEDAR AND BEAUFORT L THEY BOTH HAVE LIGHTING PACKAGES THAT ARE ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED, UM, THAT ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE O THE OCCUPANCY SENSORS ARE MUCH SIMPLER, JUST BASICALLY IF THERE'S MOVEMENT, THEY COME ON.
UM, THOSE, UH, LIGHTING PACKAGES AT BEAUFORT L AND UH, RED CEDAR HAVE TIMING AND PROGRAMMING INVOLVED IN THEM.
SO THOSE ARE THE ONLY SCHOOLS I'M AWARE OF THAT LIGHTS COULD COME ON WITHOUT MOVEMENT TRIGGERING THEM.
AND REMEMBER, CUSTODIANS ARE IN THE BUILDING AT NIGHT, SO THEY COULD BE WALKING AROUND AND YOU MAY NOT SEE THEM, BUT THEY MAY BE IN THERE THAT USUALLY IT TAKES ABOUT ONCE THEY COME ON, IT'S ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THEY GO OFF.
IF, IF THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS, I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF POINTS I WANTED TO MAKE AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED IS THE CONTINUITY THAT THE OPERATIONS GROUP HAS BEEN PURSUING ON THE PRIOR LEADERS AND, AND CURRENTLY AS WELL.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE LOOKING AT IS TRYING TO BE MORE, BE FORWARD LOOKING AND LOOKING AT STRATEGICALLY WHERE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN REDUCE THE ENERGY COSTS IN A LARGER OPERATION.
ENERGY NORMALLY IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT COST.
SO SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HELD ARE, IS LOOKING AT, UM, SOLAR PANELS ON TOP OF BUILDINGS.
UH, NOW RETROFITTING IS VERY PROBLEMATIC.
UH, MR. OTTING HAS HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THAT HOWEVER IT APPEARS AND FURTHER REVIEW HAS TO BE DONE CONDUCTED THAT IF YOU DO IT FROM THE OUTSET WHILE YOU'RE BUILDING THAT BUILDING, IT MAY BE A LOT, LOT STURDIER.
AND YOU MAY, AS HE ALLUDED TO, THE SOLAR PANEL FIELD OUTSIDE OF THE DESC, WHICH IS MAKING THAT BUILDING BASICALLY COST US NOTHING.
MAYBE OPPORTUNITIES, WE COULD REDUCE THE ENERGY COSTS AND
[01:15:01]
LOCATIONS WHERE THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED.NOT SAYING IT CAN HAPPEN, BUT IT'S WORTH US TAKING A LOOK.
AND SO THAT'S THE WAY I REALLY WANT TO, UH, APPLAUD THE GROUP.
THE OTHER THING IS PHONE SERVICE AT SOME OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, UH, WHEN I WENT TO, UH, UH, WHAT IS IT CALLED? EXCUSE ME, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.
AND I WENT TO, UM, MAYE RIVER, NOT MAYE RIVER, UM, WHERE BRANCH HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE BRANCH, THERE'S NO SERVICE THERE.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT HAS BEEN PURSUED BEFORE.
SO KUDOS EVERYBODY WHO'S PURSUED IT BEFORE.
BUT ONE OF THE CHANGES IS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AWARDING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BASICALLY FOR THE BROADBAND EXPANSION.
I KNOW PHONE SERVICE IS DIFFERENT, BUT, UH, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAS A GENTLEMAN NAMED JIM REISINGER WHO IS HEADING UP THE EFFORT TO IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY 'CAUSE THAT CAN HELP OUR KIDS HAVE ACCESS THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE NOW, AND COMMUNITIES HAVE ACCESS.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT.
THE OTHER ONE, AND MR. AUDEN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, SIR, UH, WE STILL LOOKING AT POSSIBLY COMING FORWARD WITH THE HVAC FOR NOVEMBER? YES.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT A STRATEGIC STUDY IN TERMS OF HVAC, SO WE DON'T HAVE A REPEAT OF THE OUTAGES THAT OCCURRED IN THE SUMMER OF 2024.
AND SO WITH THAT, UH, THE CONCLUSION OF THE OPERATIONS REPORT, AND THANK YOU ALL.
OUR NEXT COMMITTEE REPORT IS POLICY AND WE HAVE CHAIR EARL CAMPBELL REPORTING.
UM, WE HAD A POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING ON THE 2ND OF OCTOBER AND WE DISCUSSED TWO ITEMS, ONE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THE OTHER ABOUT, UH, USE OF OUR FACILITIES.
AND, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION COMING FROM THE COMMITTEE IS THAT TO HAVE ELECTRONIC PUBLIC COMMENTS OPEN 24 HOURS FROM 5:30 PM AND IN PERSON PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RECEIVED AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD BEGINS.
AND ONCE, ONCE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, IF YOU ARE IN PERSON, UH, AFTER THAT STARTED, YOU CANNOT, UM, REQUEST TO BE, TO BE HEARD.
UM, THE OTHER THING, UM, THE USE OF, UM, OUR FACILITIES, THAT HAS BEEN A STICKY ISSUE.
UM, AND BECAUSE SOMETIMES FOLKS WANT TO USE IT FOR DIFFERENT THINGS AND SOMETIMES THE PRINCIPALS DON'T AGREE, ALWAYS AGREE.
SO, UM, WE HAD TWO, UM, FROM TWO DISTRICTS, ROCK HILL AND IN YORK COUNTY.
UM, BUT I ASKED MRS. CUSH BERRY TO CHECK WITH OTHER DISTRICTS AND SEE WHAT POLICY THEY HAVE AND ONCE THEY COME IN, THOSE ONE OR SO POLICY COME IN, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER, UH, POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING.
SO DO YOU WANNA BRING FORWARD THE, MAYBE WE SHOULD SPLIT IT INTO, UM, TWO PARTS TO YOUR, YOUR RECOMMENDED MOTION.
RECOMMENDED MOTION TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS OPEN 24 HOURS FROM 5:30 PM AND THEN THE SECOND WOULD BE 5:30 PM IN PERSON COMMENTS NOT RECEIVED AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT BEGINS.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? CAN I JUST CLARIFY? YEAH, I NEED SAME HERE.
SO, SO MY QUESTION IS, SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE ELECTRONIC PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE OPEN.
IT SAYS FOR 24 HOURS, SO IT'S FROM FIVE 30 THE PRIOR DAY, RIGHT.
TO FIVE 30 THE DAY OF THE MEETING.
NOW THE IN-PERSON, PUBLIC COMMENTS, WHEN DO THOSE OPEN? THAT WOULD BE FROM FIVE 30 ALSO THE DAY BEFORE OR NO, BECAUSE NOBODY'S GONNA BE IN PERSON.
THEY'RE JUST FIVE 30 OF THE DAY OF THE MEETING, MEETING THE DAY, THE DAY OF THE MEETING.
AND THEN THEY CLOSE ONCE THE FIRST PERSON STARTS SPEAKING.
EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THAT? OKAY.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR, OKAY, MR. SMITH? UM, I HAVE CONCERNS BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY, AS A BOARD AT ONE POINT, WE'VE ALREADY, WE, WE, WE'VE ALREADY HAD THIS CONVERSATION AND WE DIDN'T THINK THAT IT WAS FEASIBLE TO CUT THE COMMUNITY OFF IN TERMS OF JUST LIKE TONIGHT WE HAVE A PARENT WHO, WHO DOESN'T GET OFF UNTIL PERHAPS, UH, SEVEN O'CLOCK.
[01:20:01]
SO THAT PARENT COULD BE, THAT PARENT COULD MISS THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE WE'RE OVER HERE ON THIS SIDE OF THE TOWN, ON THIS SIDE OF THE BROAD, AND WE, WE SAY AS A BOARD THAT WE, UH, THAT WE IN ADVANCE, THAT WE GIVE, THAT WE GIVE THE NORTH SIDE.AND I MEAN THAT WE GIVE THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH, WE GIVE THEM BOTH OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO COME TO BOARD MEETINGS AND TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK.
AND SO THEY, SO THEY CAN ATTEND THEM.
SO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT, THAT WE WANT THEM TO ATTEND, BUT NOT SPEAK? BECAUSE THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT I GET.
WHEN, WHEN, WHEN A PARENT IS COMING, A PARENT COULD BE, A PARENT COULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT BECAUSE THEY, THEY WERE, THEY'RE WORKING LATE AT HARRIS TEE OR THEY'RE WORKING LATE AT SAM'S AND, AND, AND THEY GET OFF AT SEVEN AND THEY WANT, AND AND WE HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC COMMENT AT NINE.
SO WE WANNA SAY THAT IF THEY DON'T MAKE THE PER, THEY'RE NOT HERE BY 6 0 5 OR IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY COMMENT THAT NIGHT THAT, THAT THEY CAN'T ONCE THEY COME IN AND, AND THE PUBLIC COMMENTS CARDS ARE THAT THEY CAN'T SIGN UP.
I, I THINK THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A DISSERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
I CANNOT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT THE FIRST TIME WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS, THAT PUBLIC COMMERCE ARE OFF OF THE PUBLIC AND WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT SLOTS IN TERMS OF TIME.
WE DO, WE DO IT THAT AT SIX O'CLOCK, AND I BELIEVE WE DO THAT AT NINE O'CLOCK.
AND SO IF THEY, IF THEY'RE, IF THEY HAVE NOT DONE IT, EVERYONE IS NOT TECHNOLOGY SAVVY.
AND PE I HAVE CONSTITUENTS WHO, WHO ARE NOT TECHNOLOGY SAVAGE, AND I HAVE GRAND GRANDPARENTS WHO DO, WHO WHO, WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO GET THOSE THINGS IN TECHNOLOGY WISE.
AND SO IF THEY'VE, IF GOD FORBID THEY'VE DRIVEN OVER HERE, I KNOW, I KNOW HOW, HOW BOARD IS RULES ARE RULES, SO THEREFORE WE, WE WILL NOT GIVE 'EM THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND I THINK, I THINK, I THINK IT'S, UH, I THINK THAT THAT'S WRONG.
AND, AND THAT'S A DISSERVICE THAT WE CAN DO TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO FOR THAT, BECAUSE WE SPOKE ABOUT IT AND WE AVOIDED ON THIS AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT PRIOR, I CANNOT, I CANNOT SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE GOD FORBID ONE OF THOSE PARENTS COME IN AND THEN WE'RE GONNA SAY, OH, WELL, TONIGHT, JUST BECAUSE THAT PARENT CAN'T MAKE SHE WANNA SPEAK, UH, OR SHE MAY HAVE A TOPIC THAT BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T COME HERE DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT SHE CAN'T SPEAK.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY WRONG, BECAUSE WE'RE SERVING OF PEOPLE, WE SERVICE THE COMMUNITY.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND, MR. CAMPBELL? UM, FOR ME, IF, IF A IF A PARENT HAS A CONCERN, THEY CAN GO TO THEIR BOARD MEMBER AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
AND, AND MANY FOLKS DON'T WANT TO COME TO, TO BOARD MEETINGS.
THEY WILL CALL THEIR BOARD MEMBER, I KNOW MINE CALLED ME SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD, AND IF IT'S A ISSUE THAT NEED TO BE DEALT, I WILL CONTACT THE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND SO I IF IF YOU, IF THEY WANT, WANT, WANT TO BE HEARD, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT YOU, YOU AS A BOARD MEMBER, THAT'S WHAT YOUR, ONE OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES, YOU KNOW, UH, TO HA AND HAVE MEETINGS IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND DISCUSS ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED.
I INTERPRET IT TOTALLY DIFFERENTLY FROM YOU, MR. SMITH, IN THAT THIS IS EXPANDING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, NOT CONSTRICTING IT, BECAUSE WE'RE NOW GONNA HAVE THE, UM, ONLINE, UH, UH, FORM OPEN FOR THE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO ME TO A MEETING, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE NOW.
AND THE PERSONS THAT ARE IN PERSON, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UH, TWICE DURING THE MEETING.
THE FIRST TIME, YES, IS LIMITED TO THE AGENDA, BUT THE SECOND TIME WE WILL TAKE ANY TOPIC.
SO I LOOK AT IT AS AN EXPANSION, NOT A CONSTRICTION.
SO DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.
I WAS JUST ALSO GOING TO STATE THAT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT PARENTS STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OR ANY CONSTITUENTS TO EMAIL US AT ANY TIME.
AND AS WE ALL BOARD MEMBERS KNOW, YOU KNOW, PARENTS DO USE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH US.
UM, BECAUSE THIS MEETING TIME SOMETIMES DOESN'T WORK FOR THEM, THEY WILL EMAIL US ALL OR SEPARATELY TO LET THEIR WISHES OR CONCERNS BE KNOWN.
SO JUST WANTED TO GO ON THE RECORD STATING THAT THAT'S ALWAYS AN OPTION AS WELL.
UM, I'VE HEARD WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I STILL, UH, DO BELIEVE THAT ONCE AGAIN, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF, ONCE AGAIN, IF SOMEONE COMES HERE IN PERSON AND THEY GET HERE RIGHT NOW UNDER THE, UNDER WHAT WE, WHAT, WHAT WE ARE, WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR US TO VOTE ON TONIGHT, IF THEY GET HERE AND THEY, THEY WANNA, THEY WOULD NORMALLY HAVE THE RIGHT TO FILL OUT A COMMENT CARD TO COMMENT AT OUR NEXT, AT OUR NEXT SESSION, THEY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED.
BECAUSE IF IT, IF IT ENDS AFTER THE LAST PERSONAL, AFTER THE LAST, AFTER WE'VE CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR THE FIRST SECTION,
[01:25:01]
THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE THAT SAYS THAT WE WILL ALLOW THEM TO COMMENT ON THE NEXT SET ON THE, ON THE, UH, AT THE NINE O'CLOCK, AT THE NINE O'CLOCK HOUR.BECAUSE IF THEY HADN'T DONE IT ELECTRONICALLY, THEN THEY CAN'T DO IT.
AND, AND, AND TO ME, THAT'S KIND OF DISCRIMINATORY BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, IF SOMEONE'S MOTHER OR FATHER DOES NOT DO, IS NOT ELECTRONICALLY SAVVY OR DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY, THEN THEY, THEN THEY WILL NOT ALLOW, ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.
AND YOU LOOK AT SACRAMENTO HIGH SCHOOL LEAD, WHICH AT ONE POINT IN TIME THEY WOULDN'T ACCEPTING MONEY.
THEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT, THEY WERE NOT ACCEPTING, UH, CASH.
THEY WERE, THEY WERE ONLY DOING, UM, CREDIT, UH, CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS.
YOU HAD, YOU HAD TO GO ONLINE AND, AND BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE.
BUT WHAT THEY DETERMINED WAS, NO, WE NEED TO OFFER PEOPLE IN PERSON.
SO WE'RE SAYING THE SECOND TIME IN PERSON, WE'RE CUTTING THAT OFF.
I'M ONCE AGAIN INTERPRETING IT TOTALLY DIFFERENTLY.
SO WHAT THIS MEANS, THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS THAT IF YOU ARE IN PERSON, YOU TURN IN A A CARD AND IT, IT'S LIKE THIS, AND YOU CAN TURN THE CARD IN FOR THE FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS, RIGHT? UNTIL THE FIRST PERSON STARTS SPEAKING.
AND THE, AND DON'T FORGET, THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS IS OPEN FOR ALL TOPICS.
DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE AN AGENDA TOPIC.
AND THE SAME THING IF YOU TURN THE CARD IN, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, AT LET'S SAY EIGHT 15, AND THE FIRST COMMENTER IS NOT TILL EIGHT 16, THAT'S FINE.
SO I THINK, UH, YOU'RE THINKING THAT, UM, IT CUTS OFF AT FIVE 30 AND NO, THAT'S NOT, NOT THE, UH, MOTION ON THE TABLE, BUT, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT'S IN THE MOTION EITHER.
THE, THE MOTION DOES NOT STATE THAT EITHER.
SO I MEAN, THE MO THE MOTION IS, THE MOTION STATES CLEARLY FROM 5:30 PM WITHIN 20, IT SAYS 24 HOUR PERIODS.
SO THAT 24 HOUR PERIOD MEANS THAT ONCE THE MEETING STARTS AT 5:30 PM THEN, THEN THAT, THEN THAT'S CUT OFF.
IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T STATE THAT THAT'S A LITTLE ELECTRONIC, SIR.
SO WHERE DOES IT STATE THAT? WHERE'S THE WALK? WHERE'S THE WALK-IN POLICY AT? WELL, THAT'S WHY I, WHEN THE MOTION WAS MADE AND SECONDED, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT EXACTLY, UH, THE MOTION MADE, EXCUSE ME.
THE, THE INTENT OF THE MOTION.
AND, AND THAT WAS THE CLARIFICATION FOR THE IN-PERSON CARDS.
'CAUSE IT DOESN'T SAY IT RIGHT THERE.
UM, SO, SO THAT THE, THE MOTION IS CLEAR, MR. CAMPBELL AND, AND MADAM CHAIR AND OTHERS, WOULD YOU WANT TO, UM, SPECIFY WHAT YOU JUST SAID? YES.
SO THAT THE, THE SEC IT IS VERY CLEAR IN THE MOTION THAT, UM, THE ELECTRONICS CUT OFF SO THAT THERE'S TIME FOR OUR STAFF TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
BUT THE SECOND PERIOD IS OPEN IS STILL THERE.
WOULD YOU WANT TO HIS OPEN, MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST ADD AND HIS, THE, YOU COULD SAY, AND THE IN-PERSON PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE OPEN UNTIL THAT PERIOD COMMENCES THAT, THAT'S FINE.
OTHER THE QUESTION WHO SECOND THAT YOU DID, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO, UM, THE IN PERSON, SO WE HAVE, SO THE SECOND PART OF YOUR MOTION AND THE IN-PERSON, PUBLIC COMMENTS, UH, WHAT DID I JUST SAY? WE'LL SAY THE SAME.
IT SAYS, IS NOT COMMENT, NOT RECEIVED AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD BEGINS, RIGHT? SO THE PERSON WHO'S IN PER THE COMMENTER IN PERSON CAN SUBMIT THEIR THEIR CARD, RIGHT? RIGHT.
UP UNTIL THE FIRST PERSON IS SPEAKING FOR WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S THE FIRST SESSION OR THE SECOND SESSION.
RIGHT? OKAY, THAT CLARIFICATION, GO AHEAD.
ONE OF THE INTENTS WAS TO ACTUALLY EXPAND THE TIME EXACTLY RIGHT.
THAT OUR RESIDENTS COULD ACTUALLY GET IN AND, AND GET THEIR COMMENTS CAPTURED, RIGHT? SO THAT THERE WASN'T THAT COMPRESSION.
SO ALL IN FAVOR OF THE CLARIFICATION.
FOR THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY, IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY NAYS AND ANY ABSTENTIONS? DID YOU VOTE? YEAH.
YEAH, AFTER YOU SAID, AFTER WE EXTENDED, THEN WE PUT THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE.
I DON'T HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH GIVING PEOPLE TIME.
SO THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
DOES THAT CONCLUDE YOUR REPORT? UM, YES IT IS.
[Superintendent’s Report]
OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, UH, TODAY, DR.
STRADDLE IS GONNA BE COVERING TWO TOPICS.
ONE, UH, THE STATE, UH, RELEASED TODAY, UH,
[01:30:01]
THEIR EMBARGOED DATA ON, UH, SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY AND THEIR REPORT CARD RATINGS, UH, FOR EACH SCHOOL.AND SO WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THAT WITH YOU.
AND THEN, UH, SHE'S GONNA, WHEN THAT'S CONCLUDED, SHE'LL TOUCH BASE ON THE MSAP GRANT, UH, ANNOUNCEMENT AND NOTIFICATION THAT IS, UH, ALSO GOOD NEWS.
STRADDLES, DR. RODRIGUEZ, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS.
TONIGHT'S ACCOUNTABILITY PRESENTATION FOCUSES UPON THE SOUTH CAROLINA REPORT CARD RATING RESULTS FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS FOR THE ACADEMIC 20 23 20 24 SCHOOL YEAR.
JOINING ME IS OUR DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTABILITY, NICHOLAS FLOWERS.
BUT I FIRST WANNA START THE PRESENTATION BY RECOGNIZING OUR EDUCATORS, ADMINISTRATORS, STUDENTS, AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR THEIR CONTINUED WORK.
AND YOU ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE CONDUCTED THE PAST YEAR AND CONTINUE.
SO LET ME START WITH SOME OF THE GOOD NEWS AND THEN WE'LL HAVE COME, BRING FORWARD SOME OF WHAT WE KNOW WHERE WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
10 SCHOOLS MOVED UP ONE OR TWO LEVELS, JOSEPH AS SHANKLIN AND WHALE BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BOTH MOVED UP TWO ACCOUNTABILITY LEVELS FROM UNSATISFACTORY TO GOOD.
THIS IS ALSO THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2018.
BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES NOT HAVE ANY UNSATISFACTORY SCHOOL RATINGS.
I WANNA SHARE, WE HAVE OUR HIGHEST GRADUATION RATE REPORTED FROM STATE DATA, WHICH IS AT 88.6.
AND AS I TURN TO THESE NEXT TWO ITEMS, AND WE'LL, I'LL GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
I WANT US TO RECOGNIZE THAT ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS IS OUR HIGHEST SINCE 2016.
LAST YEAR I SHARED WITH YOU THAT WE HAD OUR HIGHEST EVER, WELL, WE BEAT LAST YEAR, WE'RE AT 55.6% EFFICIENCY.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT MATH, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE, ARE ABOVE THE STATE, WE STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO THE POINT OF PRE PANDEMIC PERFORMANCE.
SO WITH THAT, I WANNA WALK US THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
YOU DO HAVE A HARD COPY IN FRONT OF YOU.
OUR FIRST SLIDE DOES WALK YOU THROUGH THE SE RATING SCALE DEFINITIONS.
THESE DEFINITIONS ARE ALIGNED TO THE PROFILE OF A SOUTH CAROLINA GRADUATE.
I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE CHEATED AHEAD AND WENT AHEAD IN YOUR PRO HANDOUTS, BUT I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH THIS
SO WE HAVE EXCELLENT, GOOD AVERAGE, BELOW AVERAGE AND SATISFACTORY.
NOW, IF YOU GO TO SLIDE NUMBER TWO, YOU WILL SEE IN EACH ONE OF THESE RESPECTIVE COLUMNS, WE HAVE EXCELLENT, GOOD AVERAGE, BELOW AVERAGE.
AND THE LAST COLUMN ON SATISFACTORY HAS NO SCHOOLS POPULATED IN THAT AREA.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE AN UNDER EXCELLENT.
IF I CAN TELL BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL, THREE YEARS IN A ROW, MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL IS JOINING AS A SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE.
IF YOU SEE THE GREEN BOX SURROUNDING PRITCHARD, BILL AND MAY RIVER HIGH, IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE KEY, THEY WENT UP ONE LEVEL FROM LAST YEAR.
IF WE LOOK UNDER THE GOOD RATINGS, YOU WOULD NOTE THAT BEAUFORT MIDDLE HAS MOVED UP A LEVEL TO GOOD HILTON HEAD SCHOOL OF CREATIVE ARTS HAS MOVED UP THE LEVEL TO GOOD.
I ALSO WANT US TO RECOGNIZE THAT BLUFFTON ELEMENTARY, WHICH WAS RATED LAST YEAR'S EXCELLENT, DID SLIDE TWO GOOD AS WELL AS RED CEDAR.
IF WE LOOK AT OUR RATINGS IN AVERAGE, IF I CAN TAKE A MOMENT TO BRING YOUR EYES TO THE NAME OF SHANKLIN AND WHEEL BRANCH ELEMENTARY.
THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE DOUBLE BOXES AROUND THEM.
ROBERT SMALL'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AT THE ELEMENTARY CAME UP A LEVEL BUTT ELEMENTARY DID SLIDE DOWN.
AND BELOW AVERAGE SCHOOLS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED ARE LADIES ISLAND, BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL, AND PORT ROYAL ELEMENTARY.
OUR NEXT SLIDE HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE INDICATORS AND THE RANGES OF POINTS IN ORDER TO FALL, FALL INTO THESE REPORT CARD CATEGORIES.
[01:35:03]
IF YOU LOOK AT THE AREA WHERE IT SAYS INDICATORS, I WANNA BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION WHERE IT SAYS, PREPARING FOR SUCCESS IS AN ASTERISK.PREPARING FOR SUCCESS FOR THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL DID NOT, WAS NOT CALCULATED THIS PAST YEAR AS THE STATE CHOSE FOR SCIENCE NOT TO BE COUNTED TOWARDS REPORT CARDS, BUT YOU'LL SEE IT IN HIGH SCHOOL.
IT IS PART OF THE BIOLOGY, US HISTORY AND CONSTITUTION.
I WANT YOU TO ALSO NOTE THE DOUBLE ASTERISK NEXT TO MULTILINGUAL.
AND IN ORDER TO BE IDENTIFIED WITH A SUB SUBGROUP, A SCHOOL MUST HAVE 20 OR MORE STUDENTS WITHIN THE SCHOOL.
IN THIS CASE, WE, AGAIN, WE REFER TO MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS.
IF WE LOOK AT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT ON OUR NEXT SLIDE FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, YUT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS OUTPERFORMED THE STATE IN THE CATEGORIES OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AS WELL AS IN MATH.
IF WE LOOK AT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT FOR HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH INCLUDES OUR END OF COURSE, EXAM OF ALGEBRA ONE, ENGLISH TWO, AND I DO WANNA BRING NOTE THAT IT ALSO INCLUDES OUR ALTERNATE ASSESSMENTS FOR STUDENTS WITH SIGNIFICANT COGNITIVE DISABILITIES.
FOR GRADES THREE THROUGH EIGHT, WE HAVE OUTPERFORMED THE STATE IN ALGEBRA AND IN ENGLISH TWO.
NOW THESE METRICS ARE FOR STUDENTS EARNING A C OR HIGHER.
I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION AS WELL.
PREPARING FOR SUCCESS, AS I SHARED WITH YOU EARLIER, SCIENCE WAS NOT A METRIC THAT WAS INCLUDED ON THE REPORT CARDS FOR GRADES THREE THROUGH EIGHT.
BUT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, PREPARING FOR SUCCESS, IT INCLUDES BIOLOGY, G, US HISTORY, AND CONSTITUTION.
BOTH OF THEM ARE END OF COURSE, EXAMS. AND AGAIN, THE SOUTH CAROLINA ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT FOR COG STUDENTS WITH COGNITIVE DISABILITIES.
AGAIN, OUR DISTRICT IS OUTPERFORMING THE STATE.
AND AS I SHARED WITH YOU EARLIER, EARLIER, THIS IS FOR STUDENTS EARNING GRADES OF A C OR HIGHER.
AND THIS IS WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE CREATIVE FROM THE STATE'S PERSPECTIVE.
AND I WANNA SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
WE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH A VALUE ADDED MODEL.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, MARY SENT FOR THE SC READY AS A THIRD GRADER, THEN SHE SITS AS A FOURTH GRADER.
WHAT WAS MY INCREASE FROM THIRD GRADE TO FOURTH GRADE? WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT MODEL, RIGHT? THE VALUE ADDED MODEL.
THE STATE HAS PUT IN TWO ADDITIONAL METRICS.
I WANT US TO THINK ABOUT LEVEL 1, 2, 3, 4.
IF MARY WAS A ONE LAST YEAR AND GREW A HALF STEP TO A 0.5, WELL, THAT ACTUALLY FALLS WITHIN THAT 50TH PERCENTILE OR THE 50TH GROWTH THAT THEY NOW REFER TO AS THE MATH.
AND LET'S STAY WITH THIS EXAMPLE AGAIN.
MARY WAS A ONE LAST YEAR IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, BUT NOW GREW UP TO A 2.3, WHICH TECHNICALLY WE THINK ABOUT IT.
MARY NOW GREW TO THE 80TH PERCENTILE.
SO THAT STUDENT FOR A SCHOOL CAN GIVE THE POINTS OF THAT 50TH GROWTH.
AND THAT 80TH, IT'S A CREATIVE SCORING AREA.
I WILL NOT GET INTO THE MATHEMATICS OF IT.
AS I SHARED WITH YOU ONCE BEFORE, THE MATHEMATICAL FORMULA IS A LITTLE BEYOND MYSELF, BUT I HAVE TO SAY, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE LEVELS AND YOU LOOK AT SCALE SCORES, WHICH ARE SUB-LEVELS, IT'S A VERY SMART WAY OF GETTING ADDITIONAL GROWTH FOR ACCOUNTABILITY PURPOSES.
THE STATE'S GOAL IS THAT OUR STUDENTS, BY THE TIME THEY'RE AN EIGHTH GRADER, BY 2030, THAT WE HAVE STRETCHED OUR STUDENTS TO THAT 80TH MARK.
SO IT GIVES US A ROAD MAP ON HOW TO MOVE OUR STUDENTS AND TO MONITOR.
IF WE GO TO OUR NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS FOR MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS,
[01:40:03]
I WOULD SHARE THAT THIS IS AN AREA THAT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME GROWTH TO DO AS A SYSTEM.AND WE HAVE DISCUSSED WITH YOU THE MANY DIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE AND THE NEEDS OF OUR MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS IN THE PAST.
WE'RE STATISTICALLY JUST A 0.9 BELOW THE STATE ON MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS.
AND I RECOGNIZE WE WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR GROWTH FOR ML POPULATIONS IF WE CAN GO TO GRADUATION RATE.
WE NEED TO CELEBRATE THE GROWTH ON THE STATE'S RECORDS.
THIS IS THE HIGHEST FOR BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT WE'VE HAD.
HENCE, I WANNA CELEBRATE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR PARENTS AND OUR EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS WHO HAVE HELPED US FOR OUR STUDENTS FOR GRADUATION.
OUR NEXT SLIDE TAKES YOU TO COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS.
THIS IS REALLY WHERE THE WORK HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY.
IT'S THE HIGHEST EVER FOR OUR SYSTEM.
THESE ARE OUR CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION CLASSES WHERE OUR STUDENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETERS OR HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH REGARD TO THE INDUSTRY CERTIFICATIONS.
YOU AS A BOARD HAVE SHARED, WE NEED TO COMPARE OURSELVES OUTSIDE OF OUR NORM.
AND WE ARE STARTING THAT PRACTICE TO SHIFT THE NOMENCLATURE OF BCSD TODAY.
WE ACTUALLY, FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS, WE'VE CONDUCTED PSAT TRAINING, STARTING WITH OUR STUDENTS AT A MUCH YOUNGER AGE.
WE WANT THE CULTURE TO BE, HOW AM I DOING ON MY S-A-T-A-C-T? AND WE'RE LOOKING AT BUILDING THAT FROM OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS UP.
THAT IS OUR NORM THAT WE WANNA HAVE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE CURE READINESS, YOU ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS.
KAREN GILBERT, WHO DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH, UM, RALPH, TY, HAVE DONE SOME EXCEPTIONAL PRESENTATIONS FOR YOU.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SUCCESS INDICATOR.
THIS IS KIND OF NEW FOR MANY OF YOU.
WHAT THIS MEANS IS, WHERE WERE OUR NINTH GRADERS AT THE END OF THE ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR? HAVE THEY EARNED SIX CREDITS? OF THOSE SIX, ONE MUST BE MATH, ONE MUST BE ENGLISH.
SO IT'S A NEW ADAGE TO OUR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM FOR THE STATE.
WE OUTPERFORMED THE STATE SCHOOL CLIMATE.
AS I SHARED WITH YOU IN THE OPENING, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE AREAS OF SUCCESS.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE AREAS THAT WE WANNA IMPROVE UPON.
THIS IS ONE, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXCEED THE STATE WITHIN THIS METRIC.
THIS SURVEY IS CONDUCTED ANNUALLY.
I WILL SHARE THAT HERE AT BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THE SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY IS ADMINISTERED WITH THE SAME SCRUTINY THAT WE DO WITH STANDARDIZED TESTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE.
SO IN SUMMARY, IF I COULD DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE TABLE 2024.
WE HAVE SIX SCHOOLS WHO ARE EXCELLENT.
WE HAVE SIX SCHOOLS WHO ARE EXCELLENT.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT TWO SLID OUT OF THAT CATEGORY.
WE HAVE 12 SCHOOLS WITH GOOD RATING.
WE RECOGNIZE THE AVERAGE FROM 13, FROM 24 TO 20.
THAT'S A THREE DIFFERENCE FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
BELOW AVERAGE IN 2024, I IDENTIFIED FEWER SCHOOLS.
WE ALSO HAD TWO SCHOOLS WHO WERE IDENTIFIED AS UNSATISFACTORY.
I WANNA CELEBRATE THE SUCCESSES.
AND MANY OF YOU HAVE READ THE NEWS RELEASE THAT WAS PUT UP BY DR.
AND THE COMMENTS PUT FORWARD FROM NIKKI LUCAS, ONE OF OUR LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS RIGHT HERE, WHO HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY AS WELL AS JOSEPH S SHANKLIN, UM, PRINCIPAL
[01:45:01]
RIVERA.SO WITH THAT, THIS BRINGS MY CLOSURE TO THIS COMPONENT OF MY PRESENTATION.
AND MADAM CHAIR, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MR. NAY? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
UM, BACK ON THE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS INDICATOR, IF I COULD JUST GET A LITTLE, UH, CLARIFICATION.
IS IT SAYING THAT OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN A COLLEGE OR CAREER READY PROGRAM, 82% ARE QUALIFIED? OR IS IT SAYING OUT OF OUR ENTIRE GRADUATING CLASS, 82% ARE COLLEGE OR CAREER READY, COLLEGE OR CAREER READY OF THE ENTIRE GRADUATING CLASS? YES.
AND I'VE SAID THIS EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, THAT THE DISTRICT HAVE PUT PROGRAM IN PLACES FOR SO STUDENTS CAN ACHIEVE, BUT PARENTS HAS TO DO A BETTER JOB.
AND A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T LIKE TO HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT IF THE PARENTS NOT GETTING INVOLVED WITH THIS STUDENT'S EDUCATION, THEN NOTHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
UH, I JUST HAVE A COMMENT AS WELL.
I REALLY ENJOYED THIS PRESENTATION AND I THANK YOU AND YOUR, YOUR COMMITTEE FOR PUTTING IT TOGETHER AND IN TERMS THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RATINGS MEAN, WHAT IT MEAN TO OUR, UH, SCHOOLS, OUR PRINCIPALS.
I KNOW WHEN THEY GET THESE REPORTS, THEY'RE DREADING IT.
BUT THIS IS A GOOD, THIS IS A GOOD LOOK.
UH, I THINK, UH, AND, AND KUDOS TO THIS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU DO PUT TOGETHER.
AND THOSE PARENTS WHO ARE LISTENING, MR. CAMPBELL IS RIGHT.
WE REALLY NEED YOUR INVOLVEMENT, BUT WE NEED THE STUDENTS TO DO THE WORK, RIGHT? AND RIGHT NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE THE STUDENTS ARE, ARE DOING THE WORK.
STRATUS FOR, FOR THIS REPORTING AND THIS UPDATE.
UM, WHEN DR. RODRIGUEZ CAME HERE, HE TOLD US THAT PROGRESS DEPENDS ON CULTURE AND SYSTEMS AND THEN INSTRUCTION.
AND SINCE HE'S BEEN HERE, HE HAS CHANGED THE CULTURE OF THE STAFF AND FACULTY OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
HE'S PUT IN SYSTEMS TO MONITOR PROGRESS, AND HE'S PUT EMPHASIS ON INSTRUCTIONS WITH THE INTERNAL REVIEWS AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES.
THE RESULTS OF THAT ARE AN INDICATOR, UH, OF THE PROGRESS THAT'S MADE.
IT'S NOT, IT'S, I WOULD SAY MARGINAL.
MR. CAMPBELL MAKES THE POINT ON PARENTS.
AND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO A, EXPAND ON THAT TO SAY COMMUNITY BECAUSE SOMETIMES PARENTS JUST CAN'T HELP BECAUSE OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT ISSUES, OTHER ISSUES THAT'S IN THE HOME.
WE'VE GOT TO REACH OUT TO THE EXTENDED FAMILY OF THE STUDENT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE SEEN, UH, SIC PARTICIPATION, SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL PARTICIPATION IS WE ONLY INVITE PARENTS.
WE DON'T GET THAT MANY PEOPLE, BUT WE EXPEND THAT INVITATION TO GRANDPARENTS, AUNTS, UNCLES, COUSINS.
WE GET A LOT MORE PARTICIPATION.
WE GET A LOT OF PARTICIPATION WHEN WE, WE HAVE PROGRAMS IN THE SCHOOLS, WHETHER THEY BE ATHLETIC PROGRAMS, DRAMA PROGRAMS, SINGING PROGRAMS. THAT'S WHEN YOU SEE LOTS OF FOLKS COME UP.
AND THAT'S WHEN YOU SEE THE EXTENDED FAMILY.
BUT WE ALSO NEED THE HELP BY THE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY, THE CHURCHES.
AND WE'VE GOTTEN THAT AND WE'VE GOTTEN GREAT RESULTS IN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS FOSTERED BY THOSE COMMUNITIES.
WE'VE ALSO GOTTEN GOOD RESULTS FROM
[01:50:01]
COMMUNITY LED ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE EXTRA MILE CLUB, LIKE THE LEGION OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN THAT HAS BEEN STARTED UP IN, UH, ROBERT SMALLS.THERE'S, THESE ARE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER THAT HAVE COME IN TO PROVIDE MENTORSHIP, TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT.
AND, AND WE LOST A LOT OF THAT VOLUNTEER WORK DURING COVID.
AND WE'RE GRADUALLY BUILDING THOSE VOLUNTEERS BACK UP AGAIN.
I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR THE BRIEFING I RECEIVED TODAY, UH, FROM CONSTANCE, UH, BRUDER ON THE EXPANSION OF THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS, PUBLIC RELATIONS, THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET TO YOUR LONG TERM GOAL OF 75, 75, 92, RIGHT? THAT'S JUST YOUR CULTURE.
SYSTEMS AND INSTRUCTION WILL GET US THERE EVENTUALLY, BUT I HOPE EVENTUALLY IS SOONER THAN LATER.
AND IF WE'RE GONNA GET SOONER, WE GOTTA DO, LIKE MR. CAMPBELL SAYS, WE GOTTA GET THE PARENTS MORE INVOLVED AND WE GOTTA GET THE COMMUNITY MORE INVOLVED.
IF WE HAVE PROGRAMS TO SHOW THEM, THEY, THEY WILL, THEY WILL COME OUT AND, AND WE'RE ON THE RIGHT STEP.
AND, AND I THINK AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT, WE CAN START TO MAKE MORE THAN MARGINAL INCREASES.
WE CAN MAKE SIGNIFICANT SUBSTANTIAL YEAR TO YEAR INCREASES IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
I TOO AGREE THAT BIRTH TO FIVE IS REALLY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD LESS THAN TWO YEARS, AND IT WAS REALLY A EYE OPEN FOR ME TO LEARN HOW IMPORTANT THE FAMILY IS.
AND I HEARD ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM SAY THAT THE FIRST CLASSROOM KIDS EVER GO INTO IS WITHIN THEIR HOME.
I THINK TOO FEW AMERICANS KNOW THAT.
AND I ALSO THINK THERE ARE VERY FEW PARENTS WHO, IF THEY KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THE TIME THEY SPEND WITH THEIR KIDS IS IN THAT KID'S DEVELOPMENT, I THINK THEY'D BE A LOT MORE MOTIVATED.
SO IN TERMS OF THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEING SPOKEN ABOUT, I THINK ONE, AND I KNOW IT IS ALREADY IN PROGRESS AND BEING WORKED ON, BUT REAL INTENSE EFFORT TO USE ALL THOSE INSTITUTIONS, COLONEL GEIER AND, AND MR. CAMPBELL AND OTHERS HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT TO HELP INFORM THE PARENTS TO, WE KNOW YOU WANT YOUR KID TO EXCEL.
HERE'S HOW IMPORTANT YOUR ROLE IS WITH SOME SPECIFICS OF HOW THEY DO THAT.
SO I'M VERY POSITIVE ABOUT IT.
UM, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S PROGRESS, UH, MORE TO BE MADE.
THE OTHER THING IS, UH, I MAYBE THERE CAN BE CONSIDERATION OF IDENTIFYING, NOT ONLY COMPARING AGAINST THE STATE, BUT ALSO HOW WE'RE DOING AGAINST THE STATE, BUT ALSO A COLLECTION OF ASPIRATIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT WE CAN SAY, HEY, THIS IS ASPIRATIONAL, BUT HERE'S HOW WE GET THERE.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY, UH, UM, MR. GEIER, ALL IT TAKES IS A SPARK TO START A FIRE.
UM, SO, AND, AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
AND I, I HOPE THAT THOSE FIRES START ALL OVER.
UM, BUT I, I WAS REMISS, UM, SHANKLIN ELEMENTARY IS ONE OF THE SCHOOLS THAT I REPRESENT.
UH, AND I, I HAVE TO SAY, WHEN I, WHEN I FIRST MET WITH PRINCIPAL RIVERA, UM, THE, THE WEIGHT OF THE UNSATISFACTORY, UM, UH, MONICA THAT THEY HAD ON THEIR SCHOOL WAS HEAVY, ALMOST PALATABLE IN THE SCHOOL.
UM, BUT SHE OWNED IT, AND HER AND HER TEAM OWNED IT.
UH, AND THEY PUT THEIR HEADS DOWN, THEY GOT TO WORK, AND THEY DIDN'T GO UP ONE, THEY WENT UP TWO, TWO CATEGORIES.
AND I, I, I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD OF HER AND HER TEAM.
UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT.
ON FRIDAY, WE HAVE AN ECUMENICAL ECUMENICAL LUNCHEON.
I KNOW MANY OF YOU BOARD MEMBERS HAVE RECEIVED AN INVITATION.
PLEASE TRY TO JOIN US AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
AND I DO HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR MAKING NOTE OF MS. RIVERA.
SHE WORKED UNBELIEVABLY HARD ON OUR AGENDA WILL BE OUR SUPERINTENDENT SURPRISE, UM, DOING A CONDUCT, UH, PRESENTATION ON THE 75, 75, 92, BUT ALSO ABOUT ATTENDANCE, THE SIGNIFICANCE IN SHOWING YOU THE IMPACT, GIFTED AND
[01:55:01]
TALENTED INFORMATION TO BE SHARED, THE ELA STANDARDS TO SHARE SO THAT WE CAN GET VOICE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO BRING MORE ATTENTION TO WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AT HOME.SO I, I JUST WANNA, IF YOU HAVE AVAILABLE, SO THANK YOU, MR. SMITH.
I'VE LISTENED TO A LOT OF WHAT MY COLLEAGUE OR MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID.
AND, UH, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT THEY, THAT THEY HAVE, UM, STOOD OUT ABOUT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROCESSES AND OF HOW WE GOT WHERE WE GOT AND RESOURCES.
AND DURING COVID COVID, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF RESOURCES MOVING FORWARD THAT WON'T BE AVAILABLE TO US.
THAT'S A, THAT, THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.
SO WE'RE SAYING THAT I, I, I THINK THAT EVEN THAT WITH THIS BEING, THIS IS OUR FIRST LOOK AT THIS, AND WE'VE NOT REALLY HAD LONG TIME TO DIGEST THIS INFORMATION AND WHERE WE, WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.
AND IN TERMS OF ALSO UNDERSTANDING IT AND DIGESTIVE, I THINK THAT THIS INFORMATION AND THIS PRESENTATION, WHO, WHERE, WHAT AND WHY, AND HOW I BELIEVE THAT, THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE HAVE AN ACADEMIC COMMITTEE.
I BELIEVE THAT THIS COMMITTEE SHOULD GO TO THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE JUST TO UNDERSTAND IN TERMS OF NOT JUST RESOURCES.
AND, UH, WE, WE'VE SAID A LOT AND WE SAID WHAT WE, WHAT WE WANT TO HAPPEN AND, AND, AND HOW THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN IN TERMS OF WHAT, UH, IT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND, AND HOW THEY ARE GETTING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND RESOURCES, WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE.
I THINK THAT PRESENTATION WOULD BE, UH, KIND OF GOOD IN THE AC IT WILL BE GOOD IN THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF REALLY, UH, TO ME, THIS IS KIND OF A SNAP SNAPSHOT, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE EVERY SINGLE NUMBER, UH, AND, AND, AND WE HAVE A, THE SHEET HERE THAT TELLS YOU WHERE THE SCHOOLS CAME FROM.
BUT I THINK I, I, ME PERSONALLY, I'VE HAD NOT HAD ENOUGH TIME TO DIGEST THIS.
YOU KNOW, THIS HAS PROBABLY BEEN OUT, WHAT, 20 LESS THAN 24 HOURS? OH, UH, I THINK IT WAS 1145 THIS MORNING.
AND, UH, AND I APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE DILIGENCE THAT OUR STAFF HAVE DONE TO GET THIS TOGETHER FOR US.
BUT I JUST THINK THAT IT'S VERY, IM IMPERATIVE FOR US TO FIGURE OUT, TO PUT OUR, OUR, OUR OUR, NOT JUST OUR ACTIONS, BUT OUR, OUR MONEY AND OUR ACTIONS WHERE, WHERE OUR, OUR, OUR MOUTH IS.
AND TO MORE THE, TO MORE UNDERSTAND THIS INFORMATION THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN.
SO I THINK THAT IT, THAT IT NEEDS TO GO TO THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE TO, UH, DO FURTHER AND, AND, AND UNDERSTAND IT.
BECAUSE AS, UM, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAD SAID HERE, PAIR EARLIER, YOU KNOW, IN SOME OF, I LOOK AT SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS THAT, THAT ARE NOW AVERAGE, THEY'VE HAD VERY KEY AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT HAD, I'M SURE THAT HAD, IT HAD AN IMPACT IN CHANGING THESE SCORES WITH THESE STUDENTS.
AND SO NOW SOME OF 'EM MAY HAVE, SOME OF 'EM MAY NOT.
BUT ALSO WHAT OTHER THINGS IN TERMS OF MOVING FORWARD, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT MECHANISM HAVE THE DISTRICT HAS, HAS PUT IN, I THINK THAT WE KIND OF OWE IT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I JUST THINK THAT THAT FURTHER CONVERSATION TO UNDERSTAND AND REALLY PROCESS THIS INFORMATION, NOT JUST TONIGHT, I THINK IT SHOULD GO TO ACADEMIC, UH, COMMITTEE.
SO I, THIS TIME, I WOULD JUST, UH, MOVE THAT WE SEND THIS PRESENTATION AND, AND ACCEPT IT TO, UH, HAVE A, A FURTHER CONVERSATION AND ACADEMIC COMMITTEE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THAT.
SO CONTINUING, UM, ON MAYBE KIND OF THE SAME TOPICS.
UH, RODRIGUEZ, UH, YOU'LL TAKE THESE SCHOOL RATINGS,
I'M SURE YOU'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, SAY, IS IT THE, THE PARTICULAR SUBJECT AREA, UH, THE TEACHING A TEXTBOOK.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT PLAY A ROLE, ATTENDANCE AS WE'VE ALREADY, UH, TOUCHED UPON.
UM, BUT, UH, OBVIOUSLY BREAKING DOWN, UH, WHERE THE SCHOOL RATINGS ARE AND, AND WHY SEVERAL OF THEM SHIFTED SIGNIFICANTLY IS PROBABLY THE WAY TO LOOK
[02:00:01]
AT THINGS TO SEE IF WE CAN'T SHIFT UPWARDS MORE OF OUR SCHOOLS.WELL, I THINK WHAT YOU SEE, UH, IN THESE, IN THESE RESULTS IS, IS A CONTINUATION OF WHAT WE SAW LAST YEAR.
THAT IS THE BOTTOM SHIFTING UP, RIGHT? AND YOU SEE REALLY SUSTAINING, UH, NUMBERS AT THE TOP END.
OKAY? UH, AND, AND IN TERMS OF RATINGS, OKAY? IN TERMS OF RATINGS.
AND, AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A TESTAMENT TO PROBABLY SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE IN CONJUNCTION BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL SITES AND SOME OF THE, UH, DISTRICT LEVEL SUPPORT THAT HAS GONE, THAT HAS GONE IN, FOR EXAMPLE, AN IMPLEMENTATION OF MONITORING MEETINGS, UH, EVERY FRIDAY AT SPECIFIC SCHOOL SITES THAT, THAT WERE ON THE, ON THE LOWER END OF THAT, RIGHT? AND SO THOSE THINGS, I THINK, GENERALLY HELP, UH, IN PUSHING FORWARD.
UH, BUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT PUSH, RIGHT? SO YOU DON'T SEE, UH, UH, SCHOOLS THAT, THAT PUSH FORWARD AND THEN DROP, DROP OFF, RIGHT? AND THAT'S A HARD LIFT, RIGHT? I KNOW SOMETIMES PEOPLE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT AS IT'S EASY.
JUST MOVE IT, YOU MOVE THEM ONCE.
TRUST ME, I HAVE A LIFETIME WORK IN THIS.
AND IT IS, UH, GRIT AND HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION THAT IS HAPPENING WITH OUR PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.
YOU KNOW, A COUPLE THINGS JUST TO DRAW ATTENTION, BECAUSE THESE ARE THINGS WE'RE GONNA ZERO IN ON.
SO WE, WE ARE, UH, CONTINUING WITH THOSE MONITORING TYPE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE SHIFTING, UH, A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF SOME SCHOOLS, BUT NOT A LOT, UH, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO REMOVE THAT, THAT, THAT SUPPORT THAT IS THERE IN THOSE PLACES JUST YET.
WE WANT TO JUST KEEP THAT PUSH, UH, TILL WE'RE CONFIDENT AND FEEL, FEEL GOOD ABOUT, UH, SUSTAINABILITY OF, OF THAT PROGRESS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S NOT AN EASY LIFT SOMETIMES, LIKE I SAID, PEOPLE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT AS IT SHOULD HAVE JUST BEEN DONE YESTERDAY.
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HARD WORK.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS, UM, THAT, THAT I WANT TO CALL OUT.
STRADDLES MENTIONED THE PROGRESS MADE IN, UH, IN LANGUAGE ARTS, UH, A GROWTH OF ANOTHER PERCENTAGE POINT OVERALL AS A DISTRICT, WHICH MEANS, AGAIN, IT'S THE HIGHEST AT, AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL.
MATH CONTINUES TO BE A CHALLENGE.
I'VE SAID THAT WHEN WE ARE IMPACTED IN THE PANDEMIC, I CONTINUE TO SAY IT, WHEN I'M OUT AT PUBLIC MEETINGS, I SAY IT, WE DON'T DUCK IT, WE TALK ABOUT IT, OKAY? AND WE WORK AT IT.
AND WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU IS, UM, UH, THAT ALTHOUGH WE'RE SEEING PROGRESS, OKAY? UH, PROGRESS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT, HASN'T GOTTEN US JUST YET.
BACK TO PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS, OKAY? THAT IS NATIONWIDE FOLKS.
THAT'S NOT A BUFORD COUNTY PHENOMENON.
WE CAN IGNORE A PANDEMIC OR NOT IGNORE A PANDEMIC.
COMMUNITIES MADE CHOICES ABOUT WHETHER MY CHILD IS FACE TO FACE OR WHETHER IT'S NOT FACE, THEY'RE NOT FACE TO FACE, RIGHT? ALL OF THOSE FACTORS THAT WERE AVAILABLE HAVE AN IMPACT.
AND WE WORK AT ACADEMIC RECOVERY.
AND THERE'S NO DOUBT, SECRETARY CARDONA AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SAID THE IMPACT IN MATHEMATICS IS DECADES.
SO THE LIFT IS HARDER IN MATHEMATICS WITHOUT A DOUBT.
WHILE WE SEE PROGRESS AND YOU SEE PROGRESS IN SC READY SCORES AND YOU SEE, UH, SOME PROGRESS IN THE ALGEBRA SCORES ABOUT THREE POINTS, PERCENTAGE POINTS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE ZEROING IN.
AS YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR, UH, I IDENTIFIED, UM, UH, MONA LISA DIXON, UH, TO FOCUS IN AND LEAD OUR EFFORTS AROUND MATHEMATICS, UM, UH, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING THAT WORK.
SO I KNOW, UH, DR. DIXON AND DR. DIXON, UH, YOU KNOW, BUILDS HER TEAM, CREATES A STRUCTURE AROUND THAT WORK AND DRIVES HARD TO THE HOOP.
AND I'LL SAY, NOT HARD TO THE HOOP 'CAUSE SHE'S AN EX BASKETBALL COACH.
ALRIGHT? SO, UM, SO THAT IS WHAT I THINK, UH, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE INITIATIVES THAT ARE GONNA BE, UH, HOW HELPFUL IN, IN THAT ENDEAVOR.
BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, MATH IS A CHALLENGE.
[02:05:01]
I WANNA LOOK AND SEE SOME SPECIFIC DISTRICTS THAT MAY HAVE MADE, UH, LARGE GROWTH.AND THEN I WANT TO GO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DONE, WHAT THEY'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF MATHEMATICS.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER IT'S A SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL DISTRICT OR IT'S ANOTHER STATE SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M GONNA TRY TO FIND OTHERS, UH, MATHEMATICS, UH, RESULTS AND SEE WHAT ELSE, AND TAKE A TEAM WITH ME, UH, TO SEE.
'CAUSE I DON'T MIND BORROWING WHEN IT'S GOOD.
YOU KNOW, ANOTHER THING I WANNA CALL OUT IS, UH, WE TALK ABOUT, UH, COLLEGE AND CAREER READY, UH, AND THE COLLEGE OR CAREER READY SCORE BEING THE HIGHEST, UH, THAT THE DISTRICT HAS HIT.
I WANNA SEE A HEAVIER PUSH ON THE, ON THE COLLEGE READY, UH, COMPONENT.
STRADDLES MENTIONED THAT, UH, THE LAST TWO DAYS, UH, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE HAD SOME SEMINAR SESSIONS FOR, UH, EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS ON PSAT, THAT, THAT, THAT SHOULD DO A FEW THINGS.
ONE, UH, THAT SHOULD, SHOULD HELP, UH, HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE ASSESSMENTS ARE ABOUT, WHAT'S BEING MEASURED IN THOSE ASSESSMENTS, WHAT THAT'S COMPARED TO SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AS A RESULT OF PSAT, UH, AND, AND THEN PUSH INTO THE SAT REALM AND A CT REALM AROUND, UH, AROUND THE COLLEGE READINESS PIECE.
AND THAT'S AN AREA I THINK WE NEED.
WE NEED A HEAVY PUSH IN OUR CAREER READY, UH, HAS, UH, REALLY DONE, UH, SOME OUTSTANDING WORK.
AND SO, UH, SO THAT'S THE BENEFICIARY IN THE COLLEGE ORDER CAREER READY.
BUT I DO THINK, UH, I WANNA SEE A STRONGER PUSH ON, ON, UH, ON BOTH INDIVIDUAL COLLEGE READY OR INDIVIDUAL CAREER READY.
UM, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE.
AND THEN, UM, I THINK THAT THE, THE MAIN THING I TAKE AWAY FROM THIS FOR OUR SYSTEM IS THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS LIFTING THE BOTTOM UP.
SOME, SOME PARTICULAR SCHOOLS HAVE, HAVE MOVED, UH, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY JUMPING TWO LEVELS.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO KEEP PUSHING.
WE WANT TO KEEP PUSHING BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AND STILL SERVE, UH, HIGH, HIGH-END LEVEL PROGRAMS. AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND WE'RE SEEING THAT.
UM, SO, SO THAT PUSH HAS TO CONTINUE.
AND I THINK THE LAST THING I'M GONNA SAY BLEEDS INTO, UH, THE NEXT CONVERSATION ABOUT MSAP, UH, IN A SECOND HERE, THAT DR.
STRADDLES CAN, CAN, UH, UNVEIL, UH, THE EFFORTS OF THEIR, THEIR HARD WORK.
BUT, UH, MR. SMITH, YOU MENTIONED, UM, ESER AND YOU MENTIONED THAT ESSER DOLLARS ARE DONE, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
THAT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WAS OF CONCERN TO US, BECAUSE ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS, UH, THAT WE, THAT WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT WAS, UM, THE EXTENDED LEARNING SITES, UH, AROUND THE COUNTY.
AND WE KNOW THAT THAT HAS HAD, UH, A POSITIVE IMPACT AND WE WERE ABLE TO USE ESER DOLLARS FOR THAT WORK.
UH, AND THOSE DOLLARS ARE, ARE GONE.
BUT, UH, I'M HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT, UH, DR.
STRADDLES AND HER TEAM HAVE, UH, HAVE, UH, GONE AFTER AND RECEIVED, UM, UH, A GRANT FROM, UH, THE, THE LOW COUNTRY COALITION FOUNDATION, RIGHT? AND, AND, AND THAT GRANT IS GONNA SUSTAIN OUR EXTENDED LEARNING SITES, UH, FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO COME.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE, THE, THOSE INITIATIVES, UH, UM, THAT WERE, THAT INITIATIVE IN PARTICULAR, SORRY, THAT WAS PAYING DIVIDENDS.
UH, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE BECAUSE, UH, BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY PARTNER HAS, HAS, UH, LOOKED AT IT AND FELT THAT IT WAS WORTHY ENOUGH TO CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS AND WILLING TO STEP UP AND, AND FUND THAT, UH, FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. AND SO, DR.
STRATOS, I'M GONNA ASK YOU IF, IF THERE AREN'T ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON THIS, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA SHIFT US TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS THE MSAP ANNOUNCEMENT.
ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, UH, LEARNINGS I, I'VE EXPERIENCED IN, IN, IN, UM, MY LIFE, UH, A LOT OF KIDS ARE TOLD THEY CANNOT DO MATH.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST TO SHARE AN ANECDOTAL EXPERIENCE, SOME OF THE BEST MATHEMATICIANS I'VE EVER MET WENT TO FIRST THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE UNDER A TREE.
THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A SCHOOL BUILDING.
AND THEY COME INTO A BIG PETROLEUM COMPANY, AND THEY'RE COMPETITIVE
[02:10:01]
WITH THE BEST THAT YOU, ASIA, US SCHOOLS CAN PRODUCE IN TERMS OF THEIR MATHEMATICAL ABILITIES.BUT MATH IS ACCRETIVE IF YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION.
AND THE FIRST GET INTO THAT COURSE, IT BUILDS, IT'S LIKE THE FOUNDATION OF A BUILDING.
AND AS WE ARE TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY, I THINK THAT'S A KEY POINT TO HELP PEOPLE SO THEY UNDERSTAND YOU CAN LEARN IT AND DO IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHY WE SEE THAT GREATEST EFFECT FROM THE PANDEMIC ON, UH, ON MATHEMATICS, BECAUSE THOSE EARLY FOUNDATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL, UH, UM, AND EVERYTHING BUILDS UPON ITSELF IN MATHEMATICS.
UM, ALSO, I WOULD JUST, UH, DEFINITELY I WAS LOOKING AT THE EXCELLENT SCORES, UM, IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THE SCORES A LITTLE BIT TODAY, UH, EARLIER.
UM, I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT MISS, UH, DENISE DONICA FOR, UH, AND BEING HER RE MISSED FOR HAVING AN EXCELLENT SCHOOL FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
AND THERE'S SOMETHING CONSISTENCY THAT SHE DID RIGHT HERE IN THIS DISTRICT.
WHAT, AS MY GRANDMA WOULD SAY, WHAT SEASONING SHE WOULD PUT IN HER, IN HER, IN HER, IN HER, IN HER SOUP.
I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY, UH, IMPORTANT THAT WE WOULD KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UH, GET WITH HER ON THAT AS WELL.
IS, UH, AND I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE, UM, I'D HAVE TO GIVE KUDOS OUT TO MAY RIVER, BECAUSE MAY, MAY RIVER HAS, UH, THEY, THEY'VE GOT EXCELLENCE TOO.
AND THIS IS THEIR FIRST TIME, I BELIEVE, SINCE 29.
I THINK IT'S 2019 FOR THEM TO BE BECOME EXCELLENT AS WELL.
SO DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, JUST, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO PERSONALLY ABOUT GIVING SHOUT OUTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, INTO APPEALING TO ADMINISTRATORS THAT HAVE LEFT US AND THEY'VE RECEIVED GREAT SCORES, YOU KNOW, S TO THEM.
BUT DEFINITELY, UH, TO MISS DENISE DANICA, UH, FOR ALL HER HARD WORK AND HAVE IT THREE YEARS.
THREE YEARS THAT WE TALK ABOUT A LEGACY, THAT'S DEFINITELY A LEGACY TO LEAVE BEHIND.
AND IF SHE'S LISTENING, WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, YOUR HARD WORK.
AND, UM, PLEASE SEND US THE, THE, THE, PLEASE SEND US THE SEASONING TO YOUR SAUCE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO USE THAT.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE SOME BIG SHOES TO FILL.
UM, WE'RE GONNA WORK AT BRINGING THAT SEASONING BACK IN IN SOME FORMAT AS SOON AS SHE'S FINISHED WITH RETIREMENT, UH, UH, THOUGHTS.
BUT I THINK ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, MS. DONGA DID WAS WE'LL CALL HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS, RIGHT? YOU GET HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR, AND THEN THOSE HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS AT, AT SCHOOL LEVELS, UH, UH, MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND MAKE AN IMPACT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THOSE, ONE OF THOSE KEY THINGS.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO BRING HER BACK TO SHARE MORE OF IS HOW SHE, UH, THOUGHT ABOUT THOSE HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS, RIGHT? FOR, FOR, FOR OUR PRINCIPALS.
I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT, UM, THAT'S OF NOTE IS THAT THAT WASN'T A ONE YEAR THING FOR HER.
I DON'T MEAN THREE YEARS OF EXCELLENCE.
IT TOOK HER A WHILE TO GET THAT SCHOOL AND BUILD THINGS UP SO THAT IT, IT, IT WAS, UH, IT WOULD'VE TO, UH, PERFORM AND ACHIEVE AT, AT THAT LEVEL.
IT, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT, THAT TOOK A WHILE, YOU KNOW? AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEN IN ADDITION, SOME OF THE STRATEGIES THAT SHE USED IN TERMS OF MASTER BOARD AND THE COURSES AND COURSE PROGRESSION FOR STUDENTS ARE, ARE NO LONGER RECOGNIZED OR ALLOWED BY THE STATE, EVEN THOUGH THEY WORK.
SO, SO, UM, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
TO YOUR POINT THOUGH, THERE, THERE ARE SOME, SOME GREAT HIGHLIGHTS OF SOME, SOME GREAT WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE, YOU KNOW, UH, SO I AGREE AND I DO KNOW, UM, HER AND MR. WEBB DID KEEP A, UH, IT MEANS THEY WERE VERY INTERESTED JUST TO WATCH IT TOO, GO BACK AND FORTH.
SO I BELIEVE THAT THE COMPETITION IS A LITTLE, IS A LITTLE HARD TO ME.
I HAD GIVE HIM HIS KUDOS BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE SOME, UH, THEY WOULD SHOOT THE BASKETBALL AT EACH OTHER ACROSS THE ROOM AT THAT TIME.
SO APPARENTLY HE TOOK, HE TOOK HIS, UH, INITIATIVE PRETTY SERIOUS AS WELL.
I HAD TO GIVE HIM KUDOS AS WELL.
GOOD, GOOD HEALTH COMPETITION.
THANK YOU, DR. RODRIGUEZ AND MADAM CHAIR.
UM, JUST TO BE ABLE TO NOTE, UH, MR. SMITH SAID A GRANT FOR WE RECEIVE FOR EXTENDED LEARNING IS $2.3 MILLION, AND WE PARTNERED ALSO WITH BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB TO HELP SUBSIDIZE PART OF OUR SALARY COURSE COST.
SO WE'RE MAKING STRIDES FOR EXTENDED LEARNING, BUT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION AS WELL.
IN MAY, I PRESENTED YOU WITH A PRESENTATION THAT WAS GIVING YOU A FEW GRANTS THAT OUR DIVISION HAD WORKED ON.
ONE WAS A MAGNET SCHOOLS ASSISTANCE GRANT FOR HILTON HEAD SCHOOL CLUSTERS, LOOKING AT THE HILTON HEAD IB
[02:15:01]
PROGRAM.SO WE HAVE A PETER POWELL PATTERN FROM THE ELEMENTARY UP THROUGH THE HIGH SCHOOL.
THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS AWARDED US A FIVE YEAR GRANT FOR A TOTAL OF $14,000,996, AND IT'S JUST ROUNDED TO $14,000,996 FOR A FIVE YEAR GRANT.
IT IS WORKING TO HAVE OUR IB PROGRAM TO EXTEND TO THE OUTCOME, TO HAVE HIGHER AMOUNT OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE ACCELERATED CLASSES THAT ARE PROVIDED THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA PROGRAM.
WE ARE, I HAVE ALREADY PUT OUT FOR THE DIRECTOR, THAT POSITION IS OUT LIVE.
I'LL BE MEETING WITH THE PRINCIPALS NEXT WEEK.
UM, GA GAVE, I PROVIDED THEM THE AWARD INFORMATION THIS MORNING AT ABOUT 5 39.
SO, GOOD MORNING PRINCIPALS, AND WE'LL BE MEETING NEXT WEDNESDAY.
SO I DO WANNA SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
THAT CONCLUDES SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
SO I NOTICED, UH, ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, IF
[Consent Agenda]
THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, I THINK WE SHOULD POSTPONE THE APPROVAL OF THE OCTOBER ONE MEETING MINUTES, BECAUSE, UH, THE VOTES DO NOT HAVE THE DETAIL.THAT SHOULD BE ON THE, THE, UH, UH, PERMANENT RECORD OF THE, OF THE MEETING, SUCH AS WHO'S ABSTAINED, ET CETERA.
SO I DO LOOK AT THESE, BUT I OVER DID NOT OVERLOOK THAT.
I, I APOLOGIZE AT LEAST THE COPY THAT'S HERE.
'CAUSE I DIDN'T NOTICE THE COPY ONLINE HAVING SOME OF THOSE THINGS MISSING.
BUT THE COPY WE HAVE HERE IN OUR FOLDER, IT DOESN'T HAVE, UM, THE DETAIL THAT'S NECESSARY FOR WHO VOTED YEAH, WHO ABSTAINED.
SOME OF SOME OF THEM DO, BUT NOT ALL OF 'EM.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THAT? WE'LL JUST POSTPONE THAT TO THE NEXT MEETING.
SO THEN WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE TWO OTHER ITEMS, THE OE 12.1 TO 17 AND THE THIRD QUARTER FOIA REPORT.
AND I KNOW MS. HAY HAD TO LEAVE.
AND WHAT'S YOUR VOTE? I'M GONNA VOTE.
UH, NO, AS I STATED EARLIER, NO.
UM, I'VE GOTTA COUNT MY, UH, SEVEN, SEVEN, SORRY.
THE MOTION WAS MADE BY CARLTON DALLAS, SECOND BY VICTOR NAY.
AND SO IT'S THE SEC, IT'S THE TWO AGENDA, THE CONSENT AGENDA, THE SECOND AND THIRD ITEMS. OKAY.
EVERYONE WAS VOTING? YES, THAT'S PRESENT.
BUT MS. MS, UH, HAY HAD TO LEAVE.
[Future Agenda Topics]
AGENDA TOPICS.UH, THE ACADEMICS COMMITTEE WILL ADDRESS THE 2024 SCHOOL REPORT CARDS, AND MR. SMITH WILL GET WITH DR. RODRIGUEZ REGARDING WHAT HIS, UH, REQUEST IS FOR A GUIDANCE PRESENTATION.
ANY OTHER AGENDA TOPICS? YOU SURE? YES.
UH, WERE WE GONNA BRING FORWARD THE, UM, UM, SHOOT, UH, CAN YOU SAY THAT STIPEND STIPEND SCHEDULE? YEAH, THAT'S ON OUR LIST.
UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS?
[Announcements]
NO ANNOUNCEMENTS.[Second Public Comments]
SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT.I'M CALLING YOU FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
IF YOU WOULD STATE YOUR, YOUR NA, YOUR NAME AND YOUR TOPIC PLEASE.
AND I'D LIKE TO, I'M COMING TO YOU INSTEAD OF IN PERSON AS I HAVE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL PERIODS OF MEETINGS.
I'M COMING TO YOU FROM CALIFORNIA,
[02:20:01]
SO I'M OUT OF TOWN.BUT I FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I TALK WITH YOU.
I'M SORRY, I'M HAVING TO TURN DOWN THE VOLUME HERE.
UH, I'M, I'M SORRY, I'M GETTING BACKLASH.
GUS, THE BOARD CHAIR, AND IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER DEVICE, I THINK I'M MR. MILLER, IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER DEVICE BY YOUR PHONE THAT'S GOT THE SPEAKER ON, THAT'S HOW YOU TYPICALLY GET THAT KIND OF FEEDBACK.
SO IF YOU'RE BY A COMPUTER, YEAH.
IF YOU JUST MUTE THAT AND JUST SPEAK INTO YOUR PHONE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR YOU BETTER.
I THINK THINGS ARE BETTER NOW.
UH, MY NAME'S JIM MILLER AND I'M COMING TO YOU FROM CALIFORNIA.
AND AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BANDS PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY, UH, KIND OF REVIEW THIS STUDY THAT I HAD THAT I CIRCULATED FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA.
IT IS MANY INSTANCES YOU'LL SEE SOMETHING ABOUT THE, UM, HOW BAND STUDENTS OR MUSIC STUDENTS OUTPERFORM, UH, THE AVERAGE SAT OR GPA SCORES, ET CETERA.
BUT THAT BRITISH COLUMBIA STUDY WAS MUCH DIFFERENT.
IT TOOK A MUCH MORE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH.
IT HAD A PRE-TEST EVALUATION, THEN THE ACTUAL TEST AND A POST-TEST EVALUATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE PRE-TEST INCLUDED IT, IT TOOK SCORES ON AT SEVENTH GRADE LEVEL OF ABILITY TO, UH, PERFORM WELL ACADEMICALLY IN HIGH SCHOOL.
THEN IT HAD A TEST OF ACTUALLY THOSE STUDENTS WHO HAD ONE YEAR OF MUSIC EDUCATION AND THEN A POST TEST OF EVALUATING HOW WELL STUDENTS DID IN ENGLISH, MATH AND SCIENCE.
THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CONTROL GROUP, BECAUSE THAT PRETEST TOOK IN ACCOUNT HOW WELL STUDENTS MIGHT PERFORM, BUT IT, IT TOOK THOSE WHO DID PARTICIPATE IN MUSIC AND HAD, AND THOSE WHO HAD AN EQUAL CHANCE TO PERFORM WELL, THE STUDY THEN TOOK THIS CONTROL GROUP AND COMPARED IT TO HOW WELL THEY PERFORMED AFTER MR. MILLER.
AND I, YOU CAN CONTINUE ON AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
UM, I JUST, UH, THIS MONTH IS BREAST CANCER MONTH AWARENESS AND I JUST WANTED TO, UH, LET EVERYONE KNOW WHO'S FIGHTING BREAST CANCER, WHO'VE HAD SOME TYPE OF CANCER, EXCUSE ME, IN, IN THERE, UH, WHO'VE HAD SOME TYPE OF CANCER THAT WE, UH, I SUPPORT YOU AND KEEP UP THE, KEEP UP THE FIGHT.
AND, UM, HO WE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON THE PREVAILING SIDE AND THAT WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT.
WELL, I DO RECOGNIZE THAT AND I'M SURE THAT THE DISTRICT DOES RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UH, WE WISH EVERYONE, UH, THE, THE GREAT FIGHT THAT WHO MAY BE ENDURING, UH, SOME TYPE OF CANCER.
SO WE ARE DOWN TO ADJOURNMENT AND IF THERE'S, UH, NO OBJECTIONS TO ADJOURNING, WE WILL ADJOURN BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
GOODNIGHT AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO, UH, JOINED US.
[02:25:08]
FALL IS A BEAUTIFUL SEASON IN THE LOW COUNTRY.WILD FLOWERS, BUTTERFLIES, AND A LOCAL FAVORITE SHRIMP ARE AT THEIR PEAK DURING THE FALL.
FALL IS ALSO A TIME OF GREAT WEATHER SINCE THE OPPRESSING HEAT OF SUMMER HAS LIFTED SOME.
AND THE CONSTELLATIONS THAT TAKE CENTER STAGE DURING THE FALL SKY MAKE FOR A GREAT DRAMATIC TALE.
THE STARS OF THE STORY ARE ANDROMEDA, THE PRINCESS CASSIO PIA, THE QUEEN CEPHEUS, THE KING PERSEUS THE HERO PEGASUS THE FLYING HORSE AND CITA THE SEA MONSTER.
THIS IS THE ONLY GREEK MYTH WHERE THE ENTIRE CAST OF CHARACTERS IS PRESENT IN THE SKY.
CEPHEUS AND CASSIO PIA WERE THE LEGENDARY KING AND QUEEN OF ETHIOPIA.
YOU CAN FIND CEPHEUS IN THE NIGHT SKY NEAR THE NORTH STAR AS A GROUP OF STARS THAT LOOK LIKE A HOUSE WITH A TRIANGULAR ROOF.
CASSIO OIA IS A FAMILIAR CONSTELLATION TO SOME AND LOOKS LIKE AN M OR A W IN THE SKY.
CFIUS AND CASSIO P'S DAUGHTER, ANDROMEDA WAS VERY BEAUTIFUL AND CASSIO P WAS CONSTANTLY BRAGGING ABOUT HER.
ANDROMEDA IS FOUND NEARBY HER PARENTS IN THE NIGHT SKY.
YOU CAN SEE HER STARS MARKING HER HEAD, HER SHOULDERS, HER WAIST, AND HER FEET.
THE CM BECAME TIRED OF LISTENING TO CASSIO P BRAG ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL HER DAUGHTER AND DRAMA WAS.
SO THEY WENT TO POSEIDON, GOT OF THE SEA, AND ASKED HIM TO PUNISH CASSIO P'S VANITY.
HE SENT A SEA MONSTER C DUS TO ATTACK THE COASTLINE OF ETHIOPIA.
THE CONSTELLATION CI IS FOUND CLOSE TO THE HORIZON ON FALL EVENINGS AND MAY APPEAR SOMEWHAT LIKE A WHALE OR A SEA DRAGON.
CITAS RAVAGED THE COAST, PLUCKING MANY OF THE CITIZENS OF PHE S'S KINGDOM FROM THE SHORE AND EATING AND TERRIFYING EVERYONE AS A GOOD KING WOULD DO IN THOSE DAYS.
CEPHEUS VISITED AN ORACLE TO FIND A SOLUTION TO HIS PROBLEM.
THE ORACLE TOLD HIM THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE SEA MONSTER WAS TO SACRIFICE HIS DAUGHTER ANDROMEDA.
SO HE TOOK ANDROMEDA DOWN THE COAST AND CHAINED HER TO A ROCK WHERE SHE WAITED TO BE SWALLOWED UP BY THE SEA MONSTER.
THE ANDROMEDA CONSTELLATION IS DEPICTED WITH HER CHAIN AROUND HER WAIST.
SO TOWARDS THE END OF THE CHAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY, THE CLOSEST SPIRAL GALAXY TO OUR OWN AT 2.5 MILLION LIGHT YEARS AWAY, WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE FURTHEST AWAY SPACE OBJECT THAT CAN BE SEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE.
UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS, OF COURSE, THROUGH A PAIR OF BINOCULARS.
IT LOOKS LIKE A FUZZY PATCH OF COTTON.
BUT THROUGH A POWERFUL TELESCOPE, IT IS SPECTACULAR.
JUST AS SHE WAS ABOUT TO BE EATEN IN FLEW PERSEUS, THE HERO ON PEGASUS, THE FLYING HORSE.
PEGASUS AND PERSEUS ARE BOTH FOUND JUST ADJACENT TO ANDROMEDA IN THE NIGHT SKY.
PERSEUS IS FOUND JUST BELOW ANDROMEDA'S FEET AND LOOKS LIKE A Y.
PEGASUS ACTUALLY SHARES THE STAR THAT MARKS ANDROMEDA'S HEAD, WHICH MARKS A CORNER OF THE GREAT SQUARE OF PEGASUS.
OFF THE SQUARE COME THE HORSE'S HEAD AND LEGS.
PERSEUS HAD JUST COME FROM SLAYING MEDUSA AND WAS HOLDING HER SEVERED HEAD IN HIS HAND.
CIDA THE SEA MONSTER TOOK ONE LOOK AT MEDUSA'S HEAD AND TURNED TO STONE NEVER TO HARM ANYONE AGAIN PER FREED ANDROMEDA.
AND THEY FLEW AWAY TOGETHER ON PEGASUS AND WERE EVENTUALLY MARRIED.
FALL PRESENTS THE MOST DRAMATIC FAMILY IN THE NIGHT SKY, AND THEIR STORY IS FULL OF DANGER, INTRIGUE, AND PRIDE.
THE NEXT TIME THE KNIGHTS BECOME COOLER, THE MARSH TAKES ON A GOLDEN COLOR AND FORESTS BECOME FILLED WITH WILD FLOWERS.
GO CHECK OUT THE KNIGHTS GUIDE AND SEE IF YOU CAN FIND CASSIO CEPHEUS, THEIR DAUGHTER, ANDROMEDA PERSEUS PEGASUS THE FLYING HORSE, AND SEE US THE SEA MONSTER AND SHARE THEIR DRAMATIC TALE.