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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.
GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BUSINESS MEETING OF DECEMBER 10TH, 2024.
I SEE WE HAVE, UM, VICTOR NAY ONLINE.
I JUST WANNA BE SURE YOU CAN HEAR US.
TONIGHT'S MEETING IS BEING CONDUCTED BY A HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING AND IS ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES.
BAGS, BACKPACKS AND PURSES ARE PROHIBITED BY THE PUBLIC AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS, REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
PARTICIPATION WILL BE ACCEPTED BETWEEN FIVE AND FIVE 30 THIS EVENING BY SENDING AN EMAIL WITH YOUR NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND TOPIC TO ROBIN WITH A Y CUSHING BERRY AT BEAUFORT K12 SC US.
YOU'LL RECEIVE A PHONE CALL DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND ADDRESS THE BOARD FOR A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES.
ON ISSUES WITHIN THE BOARD'S DOMAIN, THE FORUM IS LIMITED TO 30 MINUTES.
IF YOU ARE IN PERSON, YOU MAY ADDRESS THE BOARD FOR A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES ON ISSUE WITH ISSUES WITHIN THE BOARD'S DOMAIN.
AND EACH SPEAKER MUST FILL OUT A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD.
PLEASE SEE THE BOARD CLERK FOR A CARD REQUEST FOR THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE ACCEPTED BETWEEN SEVEN AND SEVEN 30 THIS EVENING.
THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL TAKE PLACE PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT NO LATER THAN 9:00 PM THE SECOND FORUM WILL BE LIMITED TO 15 MINUTES.
IN THE EVENT THE BOARD IS NOT FINISHED ADDRESSING ALL ITEMS LISTED ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE TOMORROW EVENING AT 6:00 PM TO FINISH THE AGENDA ITEMS. MADAM SECRETARY MIDDLETON, COULD YOU PLEASE, UH, UH, MAKE A MOTION FOR US TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES, MA'AM.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING PENDING LEGAL CLAIMS COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 78 2.
DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSE LOBBYIST CONTRACT RENEWAL WITH BURR FOREMAN LAW FIRMS PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH 4 78 2 EMPLOYMENT MATTER PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH FOUR 70 A ONE.
DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSE AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO WITH TURNER AND TOWNSEND HUY FOR 2025.
PROGRAM MANAGER STAFFING PLAN AND REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES FOR THE DISTRICT'S 2023 BOND REFERENDUM PROGRAM AND 8% CAPITAL PROJECTS, PROJECTS PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED 30 DASH 40 A 70 A TWO.
AND DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSE SALE A PROPERTY IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND PROPOSED PURCHASE OF PROPERTY IN SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A TWO.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? IT'S ALSO SARAH ROBERTSON.
SARAH ROBERTSON WILL BE REPRESENTING US WITH RESPECT TO THE REAL ESTATE MATTERS.
ABOUT THE, UM, THE, UM, THE, UH, NEGOTIATION OF THE, UM, THE OTHER MATTERS.
THE OTHER, YEAH, THE OTHER MATTERS.
ALL THOSE, UH, IN IN FAVOR OF, UH, GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
FOR THE REASONS LISTED, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ACTUALLY, I'M GONNA SAY NO, EXCUSE ME.
SO THE, UH, THE, UH, MOTION CARRIES, I BELIEVE 9 1 0 MS. GORDON.
DID YOU GET THAT, ROBIN? OKAY.
SO WE NOW CAN GO TO CONFERENCE ROOM.
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THE ONE-STOP SHOP IS LOCATED IN THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ON THE SECOND FLOOR IN ROOM 2 25.BEFORE THE ONE STOP SHOP, PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE THAT YOU HAD TO GO UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, AND POSSIBLY ONCE YOU WERE UPSTAIRS, YOU HAD TO GO BACK DOWNSTAIRS TO SEE ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
SO WITH THE ONE STOP SHOP, WE CONSOLIDATED THOSE.
SO IT'S ONE LOCATION, THE BUSINESS LICENSE DEPARTMENT, AND THE BUILDING COAST DEPARTMENT.
AND SO LITERALLY ONE STOP FOR, FOR YOUR PERMITTING AND LICENSING.
AND WELCOME TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BUSINESS MEETING OF DECEMBER 10TH, 2024.
THE BOARD WAS JUST IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND WE ARE NOW BACK IN PUBLIC SESSION.
AND DO WE HAVE ANY ACTION AS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE REGARDING THE MATTERS WE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES, MA'AM.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT LISTED ON NOVEMBER 1ST, 2024 TO NOVEMBER 30TH, 2024.
PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT AND MR. CAMPBELL SECOND THE, THE MOTION.
WE'LL DO OUR USUAL VOTING, UM, PROCESS.
THOSE IN THE ROOM WILL VOTE, UH, AND THEN THE ONES ONLINE WILL GO ALPHABETICALLY AND SAY THEIR LAST NAME BEFORE THEY CAST THEIR VOTE.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE, UH, EMPLOYMENT, UM, REPORT, PLEASE SAY AYE.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO WITH TURNER AND TOWNSEND HUIE, WHICH AUTHORIZES A NOT TO EXCEED $2,829,940 FOR THE 2025 STAFF PLAN.
MR. UH, DALLAS, ANY DISCUSSION, MR. SMITH? YES.
UM, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF, IN TERMS OF THIS, UM, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, THE MANAGING OF THESE, OF THESE NEGOTIATE, I MEAN, OF THESE, OF THESE CONTRACT IN, IN TERMS OF BUILDINGS AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DONE THAT IN THE PAST, THAT HAS NOT BEEN KIND OF DONE WELL, NOT IN KIND OF, THAT HADN'T, HADN'T BEEN DONE.
AND WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH THIS.
SO I'M KIND OF LEERY TONIGHT ON SUPPORT AND SO ON, SUPPORTING THIS PROJECT.
THERE BEING NO, UH, FURTHER HANDS UP THOSE IN, UH, FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT.
NUMBER TWO, PLEASE IN THE ROOM, SAY, RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY, AYE.
SO THE MOTION CARRIES, UH, TEN ONE MADAM CHAIR, THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE MOTIONS COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, MADAM SECRETARY, NEXT WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE OUR AGENDA.
UH, MR. SMITH, ACTUALLY ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, I WOULD LIKE TO PULL OFF I CHAIR.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UM, RECRUITING THE AGENDA.
I GUESS WE'LL GO UNDER, UH, BOARD BUSINESS ACTION OR UNDER SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT? UH, PROBABLY BOARD BUSINESS ACTION IS THE RIGHT.
SO ALL IN FAVOR OF THE REVISED AGENDA, PLEASE SAY AYE.
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NAY.I THINK EVERYBODY APPROVED THAT UNANIMOUSLY.
UM, NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, WE WILL STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
THE MEDIA HAS BEEN PROPERLY, UH, NOTIFIED.
NEXT UP, WE HAVE, UM, UH, THE MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL MASTER SINGERS FOR OUR STUDENT PERFORMANCE TONIGHT.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH.NEXT ON OUR, UM, AGENDA, WE HAVE POINTS OF CELEBRATION.
UH, THIS EVENING, UNDER POINTS OF CELEBRATION, WE BEGIN WITH CHARACTER ED.
UH, FOR OCTOBER, 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 COURAGE, TOLERANCE, COURAGE SLASH TOLERANCE.
COURAGE IS DEFINED AS DOING THE RIGHT THING IN THE FACE OF DIFFICULTY AND FOLLOWING YOUR CONSCIENCE INSTEAD OF THE CROWN TOLERANCE IS DEFINED AS REALIZING THAT EVERYONE IS AT VARYING LEVELS OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.
OCTOBER'S STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR NORTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY IS STAYING FAGERSTROM, A THIRD GRADE STUDENT FROM COUSA ELEMENTARY.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE THAYNE IS PRINCIPAL MELISSA PENDER.
I WANNA FIRST BEGIN BY THANKING THE BOARD AND, UM, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR CONTINUING TO RECOGNIZE STUDENTS FOR EXCELLENT CHARACTER TRAIT TRAITS.
UM, THAYNE, WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE YOU THIS EVENING.
AND IN HIS NOMINATION FOR COURAGE INTOLERANCE, A FAMOUS QUOTE WAS INSIDE OF THAT NOMINATION BY RALPH SAMAN.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH HIM, HE IS A PRIEST OF OVER 30 MANY YEARS, BUT OVER 34 YEARS ON A VERY FAMOUS RADIO TALK SHOW.
AND A FAMOUS QUOTE OF HIM THAT WAS PLACED INSIDE THE NOMINATION WAS, THE TEST OF COURAGE COMES WHEN WE ARE IN THE MINORITY, BUT THE TEST OF TOLERANCE COMES WHEN WE ARE IN THE MAJORITY.
AND THAS NAME WAS THE FIRST ONE THAT CAME TO MIND FOR COURAGE, INTOLERANCE.
HE IS TOLERANT OF OTHERS WHEN OTHERS MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
HE CONSISTENTLY IS DOING THE RIGHT THING.
HE ACCEPTS EVERYONE FOR WHO THEY ARE, UM, FOR THEIR DIFFERENCES IN A LIKENESS LIKE HIM, HE PORTRAYS TOLERANCE IN THE CLASSROOM BY CONTINUING TO WORK HARD, EVEN WHEN THERE MIGHT BE DISTRACTIONS FROM OTHERS.
HE SHOWS LEADERSHIP THROUGH BEING PROACTIVE AND ON TASK AT ALL COST.
HE NEVER GIVES UP AND ALWAYS WANTS TO DO HIS BEST.
HIS TEACHER STATES THAT THAYNE IS A JOY TO TEACH AND AN INTEGRAL PART OF THEIR SUPER LEARNERS AND LEADER IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO, THANK YOU MRS. LYLES FOR NOMINATING THAYNE.
THANK YOU THAIN'S PARENTS FOR CONTINUING TO INSTILL GOOD CHARACTER TRAITS AND THAIN.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ONE BOARD MEETING IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, AND WE'RE NOT GOING BACK AND FORTH.
WE HAVE TODAY THE SOUTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
UH, SO ALSO HERE WITH US TONIGHT IS OCTOBER STUDENT OF THE MONTH IN SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY, CARLA ROJAS RAMIREZ.
CARLA'S A FRESHMAN AT MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE CARLA IS OUR SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, DR. WEBB.
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TAKE THIS OFF FOR A SECOND.SO, TO INTRODUCE CARER WOULD BE HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS.
UM, CARER REALLY EXEMPLIFIES WHAT IT IS TO WORK IN EDUCATION.
UH, WE HAVE SOME VERY TOUGH DAYS, UH, ESPECIALLY AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
AND SOME DAYS, UH, IT'S DIFFICULT TO COME IN AND DO WHAT WE ARE ASKED TO DO ON A EVERYDAY BASIS.
THERE'S NOT A DAY THAT I'M IN THE BUILDING THAT I DO NOT MAKE IT A POINT TO GO BY AND SEE CARLA, BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS PUTS A SMILE ON MY FACE.
UH, SHE ALWAYS PUTS A SMILE ON MY FACE BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS HAS A SMILE ON HER FACE.
AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES, UH, THAT OUR STUDENTS FACE ON THE DAILY BASIS, I THINK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT SHE'S BEEN PRESENTED WITH IN LIFE.
YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IT BY GOING BY TO SEE HER OR TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HER.
AND YES, YOU CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HER IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, SEE HER AFTER THIS MEETING,
BUT WE WANNA RECOGNIZE CARLA, WE WANNA APPRECIATE HER.
I WAS SO EXCITED WHEN I GOT THE NEWS THAT SHE HAD GOTTEN THIS AWARD.
AND WHEN I WAS, UH, WHEN SHE GOT THE NEWS, I WAS ACTUALLY OUT OF THE BUILDING WHEN SHE WON THE, THE AWARD FOR OUR ACTUAL SCHOOL, NOT FOR THE DISTRICT.
AND THE FIRST THING I HEARD THE NEXT DAY WHEN I WAS BACK IN THE BUILDING WAS THAT I MISSED OUR PICTURE.
SO WHEN SHE WON THE DISTRICT AWARD, I WAS VERY EXCITED BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO TELL HER, WELL, I MISSED THE FIRST PICTURE, BUT I WON'T MISS THIS PICTURE.
SO AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS, CARLA.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO.
AS A STUDENT OF MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL, YOU EXEMPLIFY WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SHARK THE DAILY BASIS.
WHAT'S THAT? CAN WE PUT HER FRIENDS IN A PICTURE? SURE.
WE NEED SOMETHING ON THIS CEILING TO TAKE THEM.
UH, ISN'T THAT NICE? YEAH, THAT'S AWESOME.
THINK CAME UP TO THE THANK YOU.
I'M NOT SURE IF THE MICROPHONE IS GONNA MAKE IT THROUGH THE EVENING, BUT, UH, WE'LL SEE.
FACTOR EDUCATION FOR NOVEMBER.
WE'RE ALSO CELEBRATING THE STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.
AND THE CHARACTER TRAIT FOR NOVEMBER WAS RESPECT AND GRATITUDE.
RESPECT IS DEFINED AS SHOWING HIGH REGARD FOR AUTHORITY TO OTHER PEOPLE, SELF AND COUNTRY GRATITUDE IS DEFINED AS SHOWING YOU ARE THANKFUL FOR WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE FOR YOU.
AND NOVEMBER STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS ANNABELLA SMITH, A SENIOR AT BEAUFORT HIGH SCHOOL.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE ANNABELLA IS SCHOOL COUNSELOR.
TASHA SMITH WAS NOT EXPECTING TO, TO SPEAK TONIGHT, SO I'M SHOOTING FROM THE HIP HERE.
UM, I TRANSITIONED INTO THE ROLE OF COUNSELOR, UM, UH,
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A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO.UM, AND ANNABELLA HAS BEEN, UM, THE MODEL STUDENT.
UM, UH, SHE HAS MADE MY TRANSITION INTO THE, THE COUNSELING FIELD.
UM, ONE THAT, UM, I'M PROUD OF AND I'M PROUD OF YOU AND YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE ACHIEVED.
SHE DEMONSTRATES DEFINITELY THE, THE RESPECT, UM, UM, HARD WORK, UM, DESPITE, UH, EVERYTHING THAT SHE HAS, UM, GONE THROUGH.
AND IT'S A PLEASURE AND DEFINITELY AN HONOR TO REPRESENT YOU HERE TONIGHT AND TO SEE YOU GET THIS AWARD.
NEXT ITEM THIS EVENING IS YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT.
BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS TRADITIONALLY HAVE AN EXCELLENT YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAM.
AND EACH YEAR THOSE STUDENTS MAKE A STRONG SHOWING AT THE ANNUAL YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE IN COLUMBIA.
AND THIS YEAR WAS NO DIFFERENT WITH FOUR OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE CONFERENCE.
AND I'D LIKE TO ASK AARON RIKER, BLUFFTON HIGH'S YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT ADVISOR, FOLLOWED BY JAMES KING, UH, MAY RIVER HIGH'S YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT ADVISOR TO COME FORWARD AND SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS AND THEIR PERFORMANCE IN COLUMBIA.
IF KEVIN RIVAS, LUKE HERDA, WARREN VICEA, WILLIAM ZZ ZIAN, BRENDAN HOLLIS, JOSEPH DO, AND CHLOE WHEELER WOULD COME UP AS WELL.
WE'RE SO PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS, OF COURSE, FOR THEIR AMAZING PERFORMANCE AT YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT THIS YEAR.
UM, I AM, I FEEL HONORED TO INTRODUCE THE AWARDS THAT THEY EARNED AT THIS YEAR'S CONFERENCE.
UM, FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH THE OUTSTANDING BILL AWARD.
THIS BILL IS GIVEN TO STUDENTS WHO WRITE EXCEPTIONAL BILLS, PERTINENT ISSUES, RELEVANT ISSUES, UH, BILLS THAT CAN BE DEBATED, BILLS THAT ARE NOT JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COMMON EVERYDAY THING.
WHAT THESE STUDENTS WROTE ABOUT FOR THEIR BILL WAS THAT GROCERY STORES SHOULD BE CARRYING MORE LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCTS.
AND THAT BILL WAS AWARDED, LIKE I SAID, AN OUTSTANDING BILL AWARD.
UM, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY GREAT WAS THEY, UM, INITIALLY THE GOVERNOR VETOED THEIR BILL AND, UM, I THOUGHT MAYBE THAT WOULD BE THE END OF IT.
BUT SATURDAY MORNING, WE'RE ALL READY TO GO TO THE AWARDS.
AND I'M LOOKING AT THEM AND THEY'RE ALL STILL DRESSED UP IN THEIR SUITS.
I'M LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING? THEY SAID, WE HAVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
WE ARE GONNA OVERRIDE THIS VETO.
SO THEIR BILL ENDED UP PASSING, AND THEY GOT THE BILL AWARD FOR THAT.
THAT WAS JOSEPH DEWAN OVER HERE.
ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THE CONFERENCE IS THE LOBBYING.
THIS WAS HER FIRST YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE, AND SHE ACTUALLY WAS AWARDED OUTSTANDING LOBBYIST AT THIS YEAR'S CONFERENCE.
SO, AND THEN TO MY LEFT HERE IS, UM, TONY CINTA.
HE WAS AWARDED THE OUTSTANDING STATESMAN AWARD AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
SO THAT WAS ALSO AN AMAZING AWARD.
AND THEN OUR TWO ELECTED OFFICIALS OVER HERE FOR NEXT YEAR'S CONFERENCE.
UM, BRENDAN HALLIS WAS ELECTED SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE FOR NEXT YEAR'S CONFERENCE.
AND WILL WILLIAMS INDIAN WAS ELECTED SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NEXT YEAR'S CONFERENCE.
SO WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THEM.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE KIND OF ALL OVER THE CONFERENCE, AND, UM, I'M JUST SUPER PROUD OF THEM AS THEIR ADVISOR.
SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, RECOGNIZING THEM HERE TONIGHT.
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I'LL ASK, UH, JAMES KING TO COME FORWARD FROM MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL AND BRADEN MANINI.ALRIGHT, SO I'M GONNA BE AS SMOOTH AS DR.
UH, I DID ACTUALLY HAVE TO WRITE DOWN MY SPEECH A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO TAKE A SECOND TO THANK THE BOARD FOR ACKNOWLEDGING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AS A WHOLE FOR ALLOWING PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT, UM, UH, CLUBS TO FOSTER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
MY NAME IS JAMES KING, AND I SERVE IN SEVERAL ROLES AT MAYOR RIVER HIGH SCHOOL, ONE OF WHICH IS THE ADVISOR OF THE YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT CLUB.
AND THIS WAS MY FIRST YEAR SERVING AS ITS ADVISOR.
I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF ATTENDING THE YMCA YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE IN THE PAST AS JUST A CHAPERONE, UH, WHICH GAVE ME A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AND PERSPECTIVE TO WATCH OUR STUDENTS RISE TO THE OCCASION, LEAD BY EXAMPLE, AND HELP ENSURE SUCCESS FOR OUR DELEGATION.
RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, I TOLD OUR CLUB MEMBERS THAT ALTHOUGH I POSSESS THE ABILITY TO ORGANIZE AND OVERSEE THE CLUB, I TRULY LACKED THE KNOWLEDGE ON HOW THIS CLUB WOULD WORK AND WOULD BE RELYING ON STUDENT LEADERSHIP AND TENURE TO RUN THE CLUB, UH, TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AS AN EDUCATOR, UH, TO NOT FAKE IT, BUT EMBRACE OUR STRENGTHS AND OUR WEAKNESSES AND ALLOW THE OTHERS AROUND US TO TEACH US WHAT WE NEED TO LEARN.
UH, SEVERAL STUDENTS STEPPED UP TO THE CHALLENGE AND LED OUR DELEGATION SUCCESSFULLY, AND ONE OF THOSE STUDENTS WAS BRADEN MANCINI.
AND WITHOUT HESITATION, BRADEN HELPED NEW CLUB MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THE FORMAT OF BULL WRITING, AS WELL AS REVIEWED AND MADE SUGGESTIONS ON BOTH SUBMISSIONS.
I THINK YOU HOLD THE WORLD RECORD AND TIMING, UH, FOR HOW FAST YOU CAN EDIT A GOOGLE DOC.
AS A LOBBYIST RUNNING AROUND THE CITY OF COLUMBIA TO ENSURE BILLS WERE PASSED AND SPEAKING ON TOPICS, UH, HIS FORMER ADVISOR, MR. CAMPBELL, HAS SPOKEN HIGHLY OF BRADEN AND EVEN SUGGESTED BRADEN BE A MEMBER OF LEADERSHIP WHEN I ASSUMED THE ROLE OF ADVISOR FROM HIM.
SO BRADEN HAS OVERCOME, UH, QUITE A LOT THROUGHOUT HIS HIGH SCHOOL CAREER, BUT HIS LOVE AND KNOWLEDGE OF POLITICS AND THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IS AS BRIGHT AS HIS SIGNATURE ALL WHITE SUIT AND HIS BRIEFCASE.
UH, IT IS SUCH AN HONOR TO WORK WITH THE STUDENT AS INTELLIGENT AND DEDICATED AS BRADEN.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M THRILLED TO INTRODUCE AND RECOGNIZE BRADEN MAN FOR HIS EFFORTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS BEING NAMED YMCA'S 2024 OUTSTANDING LOBBYIST.
WE'RE ALSO HAPPY TO SHARE THAT SOME EXCITING NEWS, UH, ABOUT A RECENT MILESTONE FOR BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, BATTERY CREEK PARTICIPATED IN YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT ANNUAL CONFERENCE, AND STUDENTS DID A WONDERFUL JOB REPRESENTING BOTH BATTERY CREEK AND BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
A SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS GOES TO MAYA GENTRY WHO EARNED A FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND NEXT YEAR'S CONFERENCE.
THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENT, AND I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT AND ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE EVERYONE WHO TOOK PART IN THIS EXPERIENCE TO ALL THE STUDENTS WHO ATTENDED.
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR COMMITMENT AND EFFORT.
HAVE SET A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE FOR YOUR SCHOOLS, AND I HOPE THAT YOU INSPIRE EVEN MORE OF YOUR PEERS TO GET INVOLVED IN THE FUTURE.
THE LAST POINT OF CELEBRATION THIS EVENING IS BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS, AND TONIGHT WE'RE CELEBRATING MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR VOLLEYBALL AND FOOTBALL.
AND HERE TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIPS AS DISTRICT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR CARLOS CAVE.
AND I'LL ASK, UM, THOSE THAT ARE HERE.
COREY THOMPSON, BRIANNA FORD, DAMIKA TAYLOR, JOSHUA WEIDMAN, KYLE LARSON, MARMION SMALLS TO COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME.
IT'S AGAIN, A PLEASURE TO COME BEFORE YOU TO BRIEFLY, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAMPIONS FROM THIS FALL SPORTS SEASON.
UH, WE'LL BEGIN WITH VOLLEYBALL, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I ATTENDED THAT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AND THE LEVEL OF PLAY, IT WAS JUST OUTSTANDING.
I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE LOOKING AT A, A, A HIGH LEVEL, HIGH SCHOOL MATCH BECAUSE OF THE SKILL LEVEL OF THESE YOUNG LADIES.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, I LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE GAME WAS PLAYED BETWEEN, UH, BLUFFTON MIDDLE AND H MCCRACKEN.
BLUFFTON MIDDLE, UH, WERE CROWN CHAMPIONS THAT NIGHT.
AND THE FIRST, UH, AWARD THAT I LIKE TO PRESENT IS THE VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR, AND THE VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR FROM BLUFFTON MIDDLE
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IS MS. BRIANNA FORD.NEXT, WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR COACH'S CHOICE COACH OF THE YEAR.
THE COACH'S CHOICE COACH OF THE YEAR IS VOTED ON, UH, UH, BY THE COACHES WITHIN THE LEAGUE.
UM, AND RECOGNIZING, UM, THAT INDIVIDUAL WHOSE TEAM HAS SHOWED, UH, IMPROVEMENT.
AND, UH, UM, THE, THIS YEAR'S RECIPIENT OF THAT AWARD, UH, IS MS. DIKA TAYLOR.
UH, COACHES CHARGE COACH OF THE YEAR FROM LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE.
AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, OUR CHAMPION, UH, SHIP COACH WHO LED THE BLUFFTON LADY, UH, BLUFFTON MIDDLE LADY, UH, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP VOLLEYBALL TEAM TO THE TITLE FOR THIS SEASON, MS. CORY THOMPSON, COACH OF THE YEAR.
AND NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO FOOTBALL.
THE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP WAS PLAYED BETWEEN, UH, HILTON HEAD, MIDDLE, AND WELL BRANCH MIDDLE, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
UH, HILTON HEAD MIDDLE, UH, WAS SUCCESSFUL AND, UH, GAINING THE TITLE FOR THE 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR.
AND THAT YOUNG MAN IS COMING FROM HILTON HEAD, UH, ALLEN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THAT IS MR. POWELL LARSON, THE RECIPIENT OF THE COACH'S CHOICE.
COACH OF THE YEAR WAS THE HEAD COACH OF THE TEAM THAT UNFORTUNATELY WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN THAT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, BUT THEY HAD AN OUTSTANDING SEASON WITH LIMITED NUMBERS.
UH, THEY WERE ABLE TO, UH, COMPETE IN A HIGH ENOUGH LEVEL TO PLAY FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
AND THAT HEAD COACH WHO WAS SELECTED AS COACH'S CHOICE COACH OF THE YEAR IS MR. MION SMALLS.
AND FINALLY, WE'LL, LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE HEAD COACH OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP HILTON HEAD, ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM.
UH, THIS COACH, UH, LED THESE YOUNG MEN SUCCESSFULLY TO PLAY THE OUTSTANDING GAME IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
AND THE HEAD COACH IS MR. JOSH JOSHUA, UH, WEEDMAN.
I WANNA, UM, JUST 2, 2, 2 OTHER THINGS.
ONE, I WANNA THANK OUR TRANSPORTATION TEAM, UH, THIS EVENING FOR, UH, BRINGING CARLA TO US TONIGHT THIS EVENING.
SO THAT WAS ARRANGED AND, UH, APPRECIATE THE, THEIR WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENED TODAY.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE HAVE, UH, MS. FRANNY HEISER, UH, ON ZOOM, I BELIEVE, WHO WANTS TO DO A, UH, RECOGNITION AT THIS TIME.
FRANNIE, IF YOU'RE ON, GO AHEAD.
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SCREEN.I WAS MUTED AND, UM, UH, DIDN'T, DIDN'T QUITE REALIZE IT.
UM, THANK Y'ALL FOR GIVING ME A FEW MINUTES.
I KNOW YOU'VE GOT A, A LOT ON YOUR AGENDA TONIGHT, BUT WANTED TO, UM, SAY JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS, REALLY AN HONOR OF MR. EARL CAMPBELL.
UM, UH, BRIAN NERRICK AND I, OUR CO OUR FIRM ARE, UH, CO-SPONSORING AN EVENT ON THURSDAY.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, BRIAN AND I EACH HAVE A CONFLICT AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO, UM, TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THAT, FOR THAT EVENT.
BUT I WANTED TO, UM, TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND, AND MR. CAMPBELL, I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO GET CHOKED UP, BUT YOU AND I GO WAY, WAY FAR BACK.
UH, YOU WERE ELECTED TO THE BOARD ON, UM, AUGUST, IN AUGUST OF 1990 TO FILL A VACANCY ON THE BOARD.
AND THE FIRST BOND ISSUE THAT WE, THAT WE, UH, YOU AND I WERE BOTH PART OF WAS IN 1991.
AND SO WE ARE 30 PLUS YEARS WORKING TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING AND FUN, AND I THINK UP ON THE SCREEN, UM, JUST TO SHOW A A LITTLE BIT OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED IN, IN THIS 30 YEARS.
THE, UM, OBVIOUSLY YOUR ASSESSED VALUE IS, IS NOW OVER $2 BILLION MORE THAN, THAN IT WAS 30 YEARS AGO.
YOUR 8% CAPACITY, THEN YOU COULDN'T EVEN BUILD AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND, AND NOW YOU'RE 8% CAPACITY IS, IS KNOCKING UP ON 200 MILLION.
YOUR ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE, UM, OBVIOUSLY HAS GROWN AS, UM, AS THE AMOUNT OF DEBT YOUR ENROLLMENT HAS HAS JUMPED BY 8,000 STUDENTS IN YOUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
A A NOTE THEN, UM, THIS INFORMATION WAS FROM 1991, YOU DIPPED INTO THE FUND BALANCE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE YOU HAD REVENUES OF 42 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES OF 45 MILLION.
BUT TODAY, THAT WOULD BE A ROUNDING ERA.
UM, GIVEN THE SIZE OF YOUR, UM, GENERAL FUND BUDGET AND THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES OBVIOUSLY, UM, HAS, HAS JUMPED SIGNIFICANTLY AS Y'ALL HAVE GROWN, UM, IN, IN YOUR TIME, MR. CAMPBELL, BETWEEN ALL THE DEBT THAT WE HAVE DONE, ALL OF THE, THE, THE PROJECTS WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN WITH FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WITH YOUR BOND ANTICIPATION NOTES, TAX ANTICIPATION NOTES, AND REFUNDINGS, AND REFUNDINGS, OF COURSE, WHERE WE SAVE YOUR TAXPAYERS MONEY, YOU HAVE APPROVED APPROXIMATELY $2 BILLION WORTH OF DEBT IN THIS LAST 30 YEARS.
UM, THAT THAT'S AN AMAZING LEGACY.
AND, AND, BUT, BUT THOSE ARE JUST THE NUMBERS.
UM, I, I DO WANNA SAY ON, ON JUST A, A MORE PERSONAL LEVEL THAT I HAVE PROBABLY, I PROBABLY ATTENDED A HUNDRED OF Y'ALL'S BOARD MEETINGS IN ALL THESE YEARS, AND, AND I HAVE ENJOYED EVERY ONE OF 'EM.
PROMISE YOU I'VE ENJOYED EVERY ONE OF 'EM.
BUT I HAVE OBSERVED OVER THE YEARS, MR. CAMPBELL, THAT YOU, YOU, YOU ARE NOT SOMEONE THAT ALWAYS HAS TO SPEAK THAT, THAT, THAT YOU SPEAK WHEN, WHEN YOU THINK YOU NEED TO FOR THE BENEFIT OF YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE STUDENTS IN YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, I COMPARE YOU TO EF HUTTON, THAT OLD COMMERCIAL, UH, WHEN EF HUTTON TALKS, PEOPLE LISTEN.
UM, I HAVE BEEN PERSONALLY IMPRESSED, UM, BY THE, THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE FOR YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND, UM, I, I, UM, I, I KNOW THAT GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE FUTURE, BUT, BUT YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED DIRECTLY IN PUTTING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON A GREAT TRAJECTORY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO SAY THOSE WORDS.
BRIAN RIC, UM, SORRY HE CAN'T BE WITH ME HERE RIGHT NOW TONIGHT TO SPEAK TO YOU, BUT, UM, WE BOTH THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND, UM, FOR THE, THE, UH, BALLOTS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO CONTINUE TO HELP Y'ALL TO
[00:45:01]
MAYBE COME UP WITH NUMBERS KINDA LIKE THIS IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS, UH, PLEASE LET US KNOW.UH, THANK YOU FOR ANY, FOR SUCH NICE RECOGNITION AND, AND, UH, THANK YOU EARL FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND AND SERVICE OF 34 YEARS TO THIS, UH, BOARD AND DISTRICT AND OUR STUDENTS ARE, ARE SO MUCH BETTER OFF BECAUSE OF YOUR SERVICE.
I HOPE, I HOPE THE REST OF YOUR MEETING GOES WELL.
AND FRANNIE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
YES, SIR, WE GO, WE GO A LONG WAYS BACK, SO I'M GONNA MISS YOU.
WELL, YOU'LL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO FIND ME.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT THERE IS A RECEPTION IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NEXT THURSDAY, NOT THIS THURSDAY, BUT NEXT THURSDAY.
AND, UM, I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO BE THERE.
SO I'LL SEE HOPEFULLY ALL OF Y'ALL, UM, AT LEAST ONE MORE TIME AND, UM, CERTAINLY ONE MORE TIME BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
THAT, UH, COMPLETES RECOGNITION.
SO WE'RE NOW ON TO OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DEVONTE SINGLETON, UM, WHO WILL, WHOSE TOPIC IS RIVERVIEW CHARTER SCHOOL, PUBLIC RECOGNITION OF OUTGOING AND INCOMING BOARD MEMBERS AND RECOGNITION OF SCHOOL PARTNERS CHAIR DR. RODRIGUEZ AND ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
IT IS TRULY AN HONOR TO ADDRESS YOU ALL ON BEHALF OF RIVERVIEW CHARTER SCHOOL.
UH, FIRST I JUST WANTED TO EXTEND MY HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS TO, UM, THE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHO WILL BE JOINING IN JANUARY.
UM, YOUR COMMITMENT TO SERVING THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES OF BEAUFORT COUNTY IS DEEPLY APPRECIATED, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ALONGSIDE YOU TO SUPPORT THE SUCCESS OF OUR LEARNERS.
UM, AND TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT RETURNING, UH, MADAM CHAIR, MADAM SECRETARY, MR. CAMPBELL, I JUST WANTED TO SEND OUT MY HEARTFELT THANK YOU AND, AND, UM, JUST ACKNOWLEDGING ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE OVER THE YEARS TO SUPPORT RIVERVIEW CHARTER SCHOOL, UM, FROM WHERE THE SCHOOL STARTED AND WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY AS WELL.
UM, WE KNOW THAT IT TAKES THE WORK OF A TEAM TO BE ABLE TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ARE WELL.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU GUYS, UM, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE NOT RETURNING FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR RIVERVIEW.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE AND EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO, UM, SEVERAL OF OUR, UM, SCHOOLS FOR THEIR GROWING PARTNERSHIPS WITH RIVERVIEW, UM, PRINCIPAL TERRANCE AND THE STAFF AT ROBERT SMALLS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
THANK YOU FOR THEIR INVALUABLE FRIENDSHIP WITH RIVERVIEW.
LAST NIGHT, WE WERE ABLE TO HOST OUR FIRST BOYS AND GIRLS HOME BASKETBALL GAME AT THE NEW ROBERT SMALLS GYMNASIUM.
AND WHEN I TELL YOU THE TURNOUT WAS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE, UM, IT TRULY SHOWCASED THE POWER OF COMMUNITY AND COLLABORATION.
AND I WAS SO EXCITED FOR MY STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO SEE, UM, WHAT POTENTIALLY COULD BE COMING, UH, FOR RIVERVIEW IN THE COMING YEARS AS WELL.
UM, ALSO TO THE SCHOOLS TEAMS AT LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND ST.
THANK YOU FOR BEING PARTNERS FOR OUR ATHLETIC, UM, TEAMS AS WELL.
UM, OUR WORKING RELATIONSHIPS, AS I'VE MENTIONED BEFOREHAND, UM, HAS TRULY BEEN BUILT ON FOSTERING A SENSE OF UNITY AND SHARED PURPOSE ACROSS OUR SCHOOLS.
AND SO FOR THAT, I DEEPLY VALUE THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION AND MUTUAL SUPPORT LOOKING AHEAD FOR THE BOARD.
UM, I AM THRILLED TO EXTEND A WARM INVITATION AGAIN TO YOU ALL, UM, TO JOIN US IN MARCH FOR OUR BUFORT TWILIGHT RUN.
UM, AS YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS GONNA BE OUR FIFTH 15TH ANNUAL RUN FOR THAT, AND THAT IS A 5K FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED IN RUNNING THAT.
UM, LET ME KNOW, I AM NOT VOLUNTEERING TO TRAIN YOU, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY WALK ALONGSIDE YOU AS WELL.
UM, BUT THAT IS CERTAINLY GONNA BE A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I WOULD CERTAINLY LOVE IF OUR CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. RODRIGUEZ, YOUR TEAM, IF YOU'LL JOIN US FOR THAT CELEBRATORY EFFORT.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, JUST SEND A KIND MESSAGE FOR ALL OF YOU WHO PARTICIPATED IN OUR FIRST CORE VALUE PARADE AND RECOGNITION CEREMONY.
AND THOSE OF YOU WHO SEND YOUR KIND WORDS, UH, THAT EVENT WAS TRULY A CELEBRATION OF OUR STUDENTS, UM, BY OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF IN HONOR OF RECOGNIZING THOSE STUDENTS WHO ALSO UPHOLD THE CORE VALUES THAT MAKE RIVERVIEW SUCH A UNIQUE AND VIBRANT SCHOOL.
YOUR SUPPORT TRULY DOES MEAN THE WORLD TO US.
UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL IN THE FUTURE.
[00:50:02]
NEXT, UH, SPEAKER IS MIKE HAGAN.UM, HIS TOPIC IS THE FOIA REQUEST DENIED AND WILLOW RUN, UH, MOU.
FIRST HONOR, THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY COMMENTS.
AND IT'S REFRESHING TO COME TO A MEETING WHERE KIDS ARE THE PRIORITY AND KIDS ARE HONORED THAT, UH, NOTWITHSTANDING WHAT I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT.
UH, FIRST I WANTED TO GET CLEAR, WE'RE NOT OPPOSED TO A NEW SCHOOL.
SCHOOLS ARE GREAT THINGS FOR, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT IN JULY OF 24, THE DISTRICT EXECUTED AN MOU WITH THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON REGARDING THE POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL FACILITIES ON A PORTION OF A TRACK KNOWN AS WILLOW RUN, WHICH IS DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO ROSE HILL IN NOVEMBER.
I REQUESTED A COPY OF THAT MOU AND WAS DENIED SAYING THAT THE CLOSING DATE OF THE PURCHASE HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED.
THE MOU RELATES TO THE PURCHASE, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARY FOR THE PURCHASE.
IT, IT, IT ENTIRELY SET DIFFERENT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES ON THAT.
I'M SURE WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DISAGREE.
MOST OF YOU GOT A COPY OVER THE WEEKEND OF A, UH, EMAIL WITH CONCERNS THAT I HAD WITH REGARDS TO THAT.
BUT THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS I THINK THAT, THAT THE DISTRICT NEEDS TO KEEP IN MIND AS THEY GO FORWARD WITH THIS.
NUMBER ONE, THE DISTRICT DOES NOT WANT TO, UH, BECOME, UH, A FACILITATOR OF A ROAD.
TWO ROADS TO THOUSANDS HAVE SIGNED A PETITION AGAINST, AND THE BUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL HAS ACTUALLY, UH, DENIED FUNDING FOR, UH, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE OPPOSED TO THOSE TWO ROADS, YOU DO NOT WANNA APPEAR THAT YOU WERE FACILITATING THE BUILDING OF THOSE ROADS IN CONNECTION WITH THE SCHOOL.
UH, NUMBER TWO, THE EXCHANGE OF PROPERTY, UH, WITH THE BLUFFTON, UH, TOWN.
THAT SOUNDS GREAT ON THE SURFACE, BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT THE DISTRICT IS ASSURED THAT WHATEVER YOU PAY FOR THE PROPERTY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, YOU AT LEAST GET THAT MUCH BACK WHEN YOU SELL THOSE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU DON'T WANT TO GET SHORTED ON YOUR END OF THAT DEAL AND THE EXCHANGE OF PROPERTY.
WHAT GUARANTEE DO YOU HAVE THAT THAT PROPERTY IS GONNA BE USED BY THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FOR, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THEY RETAIN THE RIGHTS THAT THEY COULD PUT THE HOTELS OVER THERE TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
YOU NEED A BETTER GUARANTEE GOING INTO THAT.
UH, AND UH, LASTLY, THE LAND THAT'S UNDER THE FOOTHILLS CONSERVATION, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND FIND OUT IF THAT IS ACTUALLY IN THE TRUST OR THEY'RE JUST HOLDING ONTO IT, TRYING TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO RESELL IT TO DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THERE WAS A PHONY BALONEY CRIMINAL CASE DOWN IN FLORIDA OVER THE PREVIOUS HOLDER OF THOSE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS.
I WOULD JUST ASK THE BOARD AND THE DISTRICT AS THEY GO FORWARD, LOOK AT THOSE THINGS CLOSELY.
CONCLUDES OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO NEXT UP IS, UH, THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM OUR LOBBYIST, LYNN STOKES MURRAY, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AT BURR FOREMAN MCNAIR, UH, WELCOME, LYNN.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU CAN SEE HER.
UM, AND I'M SO SORRY WE COULDN'T BE WITH YOU GUYS LIVE.
WE GOT STUCK ON, UH, FLIGHT TRAVEL TODAY BACK FROM JACKSONVILLE.
UM, BUT I DID WANT TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW IF CHLOE AND BADEN, AND I HOPE I GOT HIS NAME CORRECTLY, ARE STILL THERE, BUT FOR THEIR LOBBYING SKILLS AT THEIR AGE, IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A JOB AFTER THEY GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE, SHANNON AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO INTERVIEW THEM BOTH.
UM, I, I'M SO TICKLED TO HEAR, UM, WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN OUR WORLD AND WHAT WE DO FOR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND HOW WE IMPACT, UM, OUR WORLD, UM, WITH POLICY.
SO JUST CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM.
THAT'S REALLY, THAT WAS JUST REALLY SWEET.
UM, I, I DON'T HAVE A LOT FOR YOU GUYS TONIGHT.
UM, I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE MET AN ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION LAST WEEK.
UM, THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, THE HOUSE IS PRE-FILED 600 BILLS.
UM, THERE ARE MORE TO COME TOMORROW AND WELL, ACTUALLY, THEY, THEY PRE-FILE ON THURSDAY, AGAIN, THE SENATE PRE-TRIALS TOMORROW.
UM, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THEM TODAY.
UM, WE'VE IDENTIFIED PROBABLY ABOUT 70 BILLS THAT Y'ALL ARE GONNA BE INTERESTED IN.
SO, ROBIN, APOLOGIES UPFRONT, BUT
[00:55:01]
THEY'RE COMING YOUR WAY.UM, ONE I DID WANNA RECOGNIZE, 'CAUSE I THINK SOMEONE HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, A PENDING PIECE OF LEGISLATION FROM LAST YEAR THAT RELATED TO, UM, BOARD CONSOLIDATION THAT LEGISLATION IS DEAD WHEN WE ADJOURN, SIGNING DIE IN IN JUNE, EVERYTHING THAT WAS LEFT THAT WASN'T ENACTED, UM, WOULD HAVE TO BE REINTRODUCED.
BUT THERE WAS A BILL INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE NEIL COLLINS, HE'S FROM THE UPSTATE, AND IT'S, UH, HOUSE BILL 34 70.
AND IT DOES REQUIRE THAT BY JULY OF 2027 THAT THERE BE CONSOLIDATION.
AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UM, FOR YOU ALL AS IT RELATES TO YOU ALL, PARTICULARLY BEAUFORT COLLEGE AND HAMPTON AND JASPER COUNTIES.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE FOLLOWING THIS VERY CLOSELY.
UM, AS WE COME BACK INTO SESSION ON JANUARY THE 14TH, UM, I SUSPECT THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE, UH, A WHOLE GREAT DEAL OF SUPPORT FOR DOING THAT.
UM, AND I, I THINK THIS IS A DIFFICULT MATTER, UM, IN GENERAL.
SO WE WILL BE FOLLOWING UP MEETING WITH, UM, YOUR CHAIRMAN, SHANNON ERICKSON, WHO OBVIOUSLY IS FROM, FROM THE DISTRICT, AND WELL, YOU GUYS ARE KILLING IT ON, UM, ON BEAUFORT COUNTY REPRESENTATION.
AND YOU'VE GOT THREE COMMITTEE CHAIRS, UM, AND BEAUFORT COUNTY IS THE END ALL TO BE ALL RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT SO MANY OF YOUR LOCAL LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION THAT IS IN THE LEADERSHIP, AND THAT IS WONDERFUL FOR ALL OF US.
G, TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANYBODY HAS.
UM, LIKE I SAID, WE'VE GOT THESE PRE PROFILES COMING TO YOU.
YOU SHOULD GET 'EM TOMORROW OR THURSDAY.
AND AGAIN, MORE TO COME AS THEY ARE PRE-FILING AGAIN TOMORROW.
AND ON THURSDAY, THE THE HOUSE BILL 3 34 70.
WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE REASONING BEHIND THAT? GOSH, I WISH I KNEW.
UM, I THINK, UM, REPRESENTATIVE COLLINS HAS BEEN SORT OF A FAN OF CONSOLIDATION, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF MONEY.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IN HIS AREA IN THE UPSTATE, WE'VE SEEN SOME CONSOLIDATIONS, BUT IT, IT ENCOMPASSES 16 DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, UM, THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE ROLLING UP.
UM, I, I, I DON'T, I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT THAT'S GONNA BE PARTICULARLY WELL RECEIVED.
NO OFFENSE TO MR. COLLINS, WHO'S A, A GREAT LEGISLATOR AND A GOOD FRIEND, BUT, UM, I, I SUSPECT THAT IT, IT IS TRULY A MONEY ISSUE.
UM, BUT YOU GUYS ARE DOING GREAT THINGS ON YOUR OWN AND, AND I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE YOUR SUCCESS INDIVIDUALLY.
AND THE, THE LAST THING THAT I WANTED TO SAY, UNLESS ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, IT HAS JUST BEEN SUCH A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU, MR. CAMPBELL, AND GET TO KNOW YOU THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER AND REPRESENTING, UM, THE, THE SCHOOL BOARD AND DR.
G, WE'RE REALLY GONNA MISS YOU.
AND, UM, HOPEFULLY WE WILL SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE, BOTH IN DIFFERENT ROLES AND LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU HAD TROUBLE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES TODAY, SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
NEXT ON AGENDA THAT IS, UH, THE CHAIR'S REPORT.
UH, SEVEN BOARD MEMBERS ATTENDED THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD'S ASSOCIATION LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE IN
AND BEAUFORT HAD SEVEN VOTES AT THE ASSEMBLY, WHICH IS BASED ON STUDENT ENROLLMENT IN OUR DISTRICT.
SO ALL SEVEN ATTENDEES WERE DELEGATES.
THE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS THAT ARE VOTED ON AT THE ASSEMBLY BECOME THE 2025, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD'S ASSOCIATION LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
I PARTICULARLY ENJOYED TWO OF THE ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS DURING THE CONFERENCE.
THE ONE FEATURING THE KEY STATE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS, WHICH INCLUDED SENATORS, HUTTO, AND MARTIN, AND THEN HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES, GILLUM RIVERS AND VAUGHN.
AND MR. RIVERS SERVED ON THIS BOARD, UH, YEARS AGO.
AND ALSO I ENJOYED THE ONE THAT HAD THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE VARIOUS STATE ORGANIZATIONS, THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THE, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, THE PALMETTO STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, AND ALSO THE SOUTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE.
[01:00:01]
THE NEW S-C-S-B-A PRESIDENT CHARLES GOVAN BEGAN HIS ONE YEAR TERM AND HE GAVE AN EXCELLENT ADDRESS TO THE MEMBERSHIP.MY NEXT, UH, REPORT IS PART TWO, AND THIS IS, UH, THE REFLECTION ITEM AS THE YEAR END APPROACHES.
I'M FINISHING EIGHT YEARS AS A BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TRUSTEE AS I WAS ELECTED IN 2016, AND THEN REELECTED IN 2020 WITH SIX YEARS SERVING AS THE BOARD CHAIR.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A FEW REMARKS.
WHEN I BEGAN MY FIRST TERM OF OFFICE, I BROUGHT MY KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE GAINED AS A BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT PARENT FOR 20 YEARS, A PRACTICING PHYSICIAN AND A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER TO THE DAIS.
MY FOCUS THEN AND NOW WAS TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WHILE MAKING STUDENT INSTRUCTION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE THE PRIORITY.
OVER THE COURSE OF MY SERVICE, THE BOARD HAS TRANSITIONED INTO A HIGHER FUNCTIONING BODY OVERSEEING OUR COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE EMPLOYING A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AND ENGAGED SUPERINTENDENT, NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE 2025 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR, RECEIVING OVERWHELMING VOTER SUPPORT, 69% AND 72% FOR TWO SCHOOL BOND REFERENDA, TOTALING $783 MILLION TO MAKE MUCH NEEDED FACILITY AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR SCHOOLS, AND INCREASING TEACHER COMPENSATION TO RECRUIT AND ENTERTAIN THE MOST QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
OUR BOARD HAS ALSO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATED DIFFICULT CHALLENGES IN A MANNER THAT ULTIMATELY CONTRIBUTED TO OUR OVERALL SUCCESS AND BETTER OUTCOMES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
THESE CHALLENGES INCLUDED THE UNCHARTED TERRITORY OF EDUCATED EDUCATING STUDENTS REMOTELY DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
OUR BOOK CHALLENGES, WE HANDLED 97 SCHOOL LIBRARY BOOK CHALLENGES BY IMPROVING THE OPT-OUT FORM FOR PARENTS TO PLACE THE ULTIMATE DECISION MAKING IN THEIR HANDS AND FOLLOW THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MODEL POLICY.
AND WE ADDED A COMMUNITY MEMBER TO EACH BOOK COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW OF THESE CONTESTED BOOKS.
OVER AN 18 MONTH PERIOD, SOME BOOKS WERE REMOVED FROM CIRCULATION AND DOZENS MORE WERE MOVED OUT OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
WE ALSO HAD THE CHALLENGE OF PUBLIC AGGRESSIVENESS AT OUR MEETINGS AND WITH ADVICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL, WE REVAMPED OUR PUBLIC COMMENT POLICY AT BOARD MEETINGS, PROTECTING FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF THE SPEAKERS, WHILE IMPROVING SAFETY AND ORDER FOR ALL.
I WISH THE BOARD MUCH SUCCESS GOING FORWARD.
NEW MEMBERS WILL BRING NEW IDEAS AND AND EXPERIENCES TO THE TABLE.
I URGE THE BOARD TO KEEP THE FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS AND AWAY FROM DIVISIVE RHETORIC, PROVIDE THE SUPERINTENDENT WITH THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES HE NEEDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL SO OUR CHILDREN CAN RECEIVE A HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION AND BECOME PRODUCTIVE ADULTS.
IT HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE AND AN HONOR TO REPRESENT MY CONSTITUENTS AT THE DEUS.
I HAVE MANY PEOPLE TO THANK FOR OUR SUCCESSES, INCLUDING MY CAMPAIGN MANAGERS.
MY WONDERFUL CAMPAIGN TEAM VOLUNTEERS, THOSE THAT DONATED TO MY CAMPAIGN, OF COURSE, MY BOARD COLLEAGUES, THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS STAFF, THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION, AND MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
MY HUSBAND OF 39 YEARS HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY PATIENT AND UNDERSTANDING OF MY TIME SPENT FULFILLING MY SCHOOL BOARD DUTIES.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING MORE TIME WITH HIM AND THE REST OF MY FAMILY, INCLUDING OUR INFANT GRANDDAUGHTER, AND I HOPE TO MEANINGFULLY CONTRIBUTE TO PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THE FUTURE.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, OUR, OUR, UM, COMMITTEE REPORTS.
WE HAVE ACADEMICS CHAIR CHLOE GORDON REPORTING.
THAT WAS A VERY HEARTFELT SPEECH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORDS AND BIT EDUCATION.
AND I WANNA SAY ONE THING IS A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE ALL THAT WE'VE DONE, AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO SUMMARIZE IT.
I WANTED PEOPLE TO HEAR WHAT THIS BOARD HAS DONE AND WHAT ONLY WE COULD DO AS A COLLECTIVE GROUP.
BUT THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GO BEHIND THAT.
UM, THE ACADEMICS, UH, COMMITTEE MET WITH THE CHAIR, UM, I MEAN WITH, UM,
[01:05:08]
DISCIPLINE AND MS. AUD MURRAY PRESENTED OE 14 LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND TREATMENT OF STUDENTS.BOTH OES WERE SUBMITTED TO CONSENT AGENDA.
I THANK MY COLLEAGUES, ESPECIALLY OUR, OUR CHRISTMAS BEFORE CHRISTMAS MEETING.
IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU, IKA AND TEAM AND THE COMMUNITY FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY.
STRATAS AND HER TEAM FOR GIVING, UH, THIS COMMITTEE SU, UH, SUMMARY, I THANK YOU.
ALSO ON OE 14 WAS, UM, WITH MRS. UH, PART OF THE, PART OF THE PERFORMANCE THAT, UM, EVALUATION, I MEAN, NOT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, BUT A PART OF THE OE THAT MRS. UH, MURRAY IS, WAS GIVING US, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, THE RESOURCES THAT COULD BE OFFERED.
UH, AND, AND, AND TO BE SPECIFIC, UH, WE ARE, WE, WE, WE, WE ARE MOVING WITH THIS, BUT WE ALSO WE'RE WAITING ON HER, DR.
AND MRS. MURRAY SAID THAT THEY WILL GET BACK TO US ON THIS IN TERMS OF, UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THE ALL RESOURCES IN TERMS OF STUDENTS WHO MAY WANT TO, MAY FEEL THAT THEY MAY WANT TO HURT THEMSELVES.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING A NUMBER BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING A, A, A HIGHER END TICK OF STUDENTS WHO ARE TRYING TO SELF HURT THEMSELVES AND, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ALSO AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, UH, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO, UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE ARE LOOKING FOR THEM TO BRING US SOME INFORMATION BACK ON THAT TO LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN ACTIVATE THOSE THINGS AND HOW WE CAN BETTER, UM, BETTER AND, AND IMPROVE AS A DISTRICT, AND ALSO OFFER OUR STUDENTS AND MAKE THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH USING THOSE RESOURCES AND GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THOSE WHENEVER THEY MAY NEED THOSE SERVICES.
SO WE'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD FOR THEM TO BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK TO US AS WELL.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSS AS WELL AT THAT MEETING.
DOES THAT CONCLUDE YOUR REPORT? THAT DOES, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NEXT, OUR AGENDA IS, UH, FINANCE CHAIR COLONEL GEIER REPORTING.
UH, DECEMBER 5TH, UH, 2024, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MET, AND, UH, THIS IS THE FOLLOWING, UH, SUMMARY.
MS. TONY CROSBY PRESENTED THE FOLLOWING REPORTS, THE MONTHLY $100,000 REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.
AND THAT TRANSPARENCY REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.
MR. BRIAN NICHOLSON OF MOLIN AND JENKINS AUDIT FIRM PROVIDED A PRESENTATION OF THE RECENTLY COMPLETED FY 2024 ANNUAL FINANCIAL AUDIT.
I'D LIKE TO CALL MS. CROSBY UP TO BRIEF THE BOARD ON THE RESULTS OF THE AUDIT EVENING.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, MR. NICHOLSON COULDN'T BE WITH US THIS EVENING.
UH, HE WAS AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING AND WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE A PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT, UH, SO MR. NICHOLSON IS THE LEAD ON THE CURRENT TEAM OF, UH, MALIN AND JENKINS.
UH, AS YOU MAY RECALL, A COUP A BOARD MEETING OR SO AGO, I MENTIONED THAT THE AUDIT TEAM HAS BEEN SHIFTED FROM THE MACON OFFICE TO THE COLUMBIA OFFICE.
SO IT WAS A BRAND NEW TEAM, UH, ALL NEW STAFF AND THINGS WENT VERY, VERY WELL THIS YEAR.
WE ACTUALLY ISSUED THE AUDIT, UH, IT WAS DUE ON DECEM MONDAY, DECEMBER 2ND AF RIGHT AFTER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.
WE ISSUED IT AND POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.
ALL MATERIALS WERE TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT BY THE TUESDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
WE HAD IT ALMOST A WEEK IN ADVANCE OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UM, SO THAT WAS VERY, UH, IT WAS VERY STRESS FREE THIS YEAR FOR US.
UH, INSTEAD OF DELIVERING IT AT 8:00 PM ON THE EVENING OF IT WAS DUE.
SO THAT WAS, WE WERE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
UH, THE, UH, AUDIT WENT VERY WELL.
THE, THEY, UM, AUDIT FIRM, UH, DEEMED OUR AUDIT TO BE OUR FINANCIAL REPORTING TO BE A, UM, IMMATERIAL OR, UH, UNMODIFIED OR CLEAN OPINION.
AND THAT MAKES 23 CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF NO AUDIT FINDINGS ON, ON OUR BCSD AUDIT REPORTS.
SO, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS.
UH, WE DID HAVE, OR WE'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE FUND BALANCE PERCENTAGE RIGHT AROUND THE 20% MARK, UH, WHICH ALLOWS US, UH, SOME FLEXIBILITY
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TO DO, UM, ADDRESS MAJOR, UH, ISSUES IF THERE WERE WEATHER EVENTS AND THERE WAS A NEED FOR AN EMERGENCY, UH, SOURCE OF FUNDING.SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SIGNIFICANT FOR US AS WELL THIS YEAR.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT BY BUILDING SOME INTO THE FUND BALANCE AS OUR BUDGET HAS, UH, INCREASED, SO EQUIVALENT OF ABOUT 20% WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THAT FUND BALANCE PERCENTAGE BECAUSE OUR CREDIT RATING AGENCIES LOOK AT IT AND WE ARE GETTING READY TO ISSUE BONDS.
UH, FOR THE NEXT FIRST ROUND OF THE, UH, THIS, UH, NEXT WEEK WE'LL BE ISSUING BONDS.
THE FIRST SET, UH, SET OF LONG-TERM BOND OBLIGATIONS THAT IN THE 2023 BOND REFERENDUM THAT WAS RECENTLY PASSED IN NOVEMBER.
SO THAT'S IMPORTANT, UH, THAT WE, AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY HAVE A RATING CALL ON MONDAY AND ONE ON TUESDAY AS WELL.
SO THAT'S, UH, CRITICAL FOR THAT WORK.
SO, UH, THINGS WENT VERY WELL THIS YEAR.
AND, UH, SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THIS AUDIT, WE WERE DOING THE BEAUFORT JASPER CAREER FOR, UH, ACADEMY FOR CAREER EXCELLENCE AUDIT AS WELL, WHICH ALSO HAD NO AUDIT AUDIT FINDINGS.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT TO, TO THE BOARD AND TO THE PUBLIC THAT A ANNUAL AUDIT OF A THREE QUARTER BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET IS A, IS A, UH, SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WORK.
AND TO HAVE THAT, UH, AND IT TAKES MONTHS, UH, TO DO THIS AND TO HAVE THAT COME THROUGH WITH NO FINDINGS, UH, NOTED FOR THE 23RD CONSECUTIVE YEAR IS, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF AND THANKFUL FOR OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
MR. CROSBY ALSO PROVIDED EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ON THE RECENTLY COMPLETED FY 25.
THAT'S THIS YEAR'S, UH, BUDGET BOOK, WHICH IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE.
SHE ALSO PRESENTED THE FY 26 BUDGET CALENDAR AND POINTED OUT MAJOR MILESTONES.
THE BOARD WILL TYPICALLY DISCUSS ITS BUDGET PRIORITIES IN JANUARY OF EACH YEAR, AND AS REQUESTED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR, A COST CENTER REPORT WAS PROVIDED BY THE STAFF OR EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS.
THE STAFF WAS ASKED TO SUMMARIZE THAT INTO A ONE PAGE REPORT FOR FUTURE DISTRIBUTION TO THE BOARD, BUT THE COMPLETE, UH, PACKET IS AVAILABLE IN YOUR HANDOUTS, UH, TONIGHT.
NEXT MEETING IS ON A DATE IN FEBRUARY TO BE DETERMINED ONCE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
NEXT UP, WE HAVE OPERATIONS SINCE REPORTING, AND THAT CHAIR IS, UH, CARLTON DALLAS.
FIRST ITEM IS GOING TO BE ABOUT, UM, A NAMING OF THE MEDIA CENTER AT, UM, BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT A LADY NAMED CAROL INGRAM AND ALL THE TREMENDOUS IMPACT SHE'S HAD ON NOT ONLY THE SCHOOL, BUT THE COMMUNITY AND THE ENERGY THAT THOSE TWO LADIES IN THE MR. OTTING HAVE SHOWN IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING, UH, WHAT, UM, THE PRINCIPAL'S GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT, AS WELL AS THE OTHER LADY AND MR. OTTING.
SO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND, AND SPEAK AND SHARE YOUR COMMENTS? WELL, GOOD EVENING.
I AM ALWAYS GRATEFUL TO COME BEFORE THE SCHOOL BOARD WHEN IT MEANS I STILL HAVE A JOB.
SO I DO APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR SEEING US THIS EVENING.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU'VE BEEN PASSED THE TORCH IS TO ALWAYS HONOR THE PERSON WHO INITIALLY LIT THE FLAME.
AND THAT PERSON WAS CAROL INGRAM.
FOR US, UM, TO BE IN OUR SCHOOL IS TO SEE A LEGACY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HOLD DEAR IN OUR BUILDING IS TO HONOR LEGACIES WHILE EMBRACING OUR FUTURE.
SO WE, WE DON'T TRY AND REBRAND SO MUCH AS WE TRY TO ENHANCE AND IMPROVE.
IN 2000, CAROL INGRAM BECAME THE FIRST PRINCIPAL OF BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THAT WAS A PROGRAM THAT WAS A CONTINUATION OF THE HUMANITIES PROGRAM.
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18 YEARS THAT SHE WAS IN THAT BUILDING, SHE WAS A BASTION OF THE ARTS.SHE WAS AN ADVOCATE FOR STUDENTS, A GROWER OF LEADERS, MYSELF INCLUDED.
I WAS TALKING ON THE PHONE WITH MY TWIN BROTHER LAST NIGHT, AND I MENTIONED THAT I WAS COMING TO THE BOARD MEETING, AND HE WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS MY TEACHER, RIGHT? AND I SAID, YES, SIR.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT CAROL WOULD WANT ME TO SAY THAT, BUT IN SO MANY WAYS, SHE WAS OUR MENTOR, OUR LEADER, AND OUR VISIONARY.
SHE OFTEN FORGED AHEAD WITH HER GENTLE SOUTHERN SPIRIT, UM, FOR THOSE THINGS THAT SHE WAS MOST PASSIONATE, PASSIONATE ABOUT.
SO WHEN THE MEDIA SPECIALIST AND I WERE IN THE HALL ONE DAY, WE WERE WALKING THROUGH AND SHE SAID, I'VE BEEN MEANING TO TALK TO YOU.
AND I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'VE BEEN MEANING TO TALK TO YOU TOO.
UM, AND WE GOT ONTO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE MEDIA CENTER AND THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FINISHED SOON, AND WHAT DO WE DO NEXT? AND ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO HONOR CAROL THROUGH THAT, AND WE CAME UP AT ALMOST THE SAME MOMENT WITH, WE NEED TO NAME IT FOR HER, AND WE GET CHOKED UP BECAUSE IF ANYONE HAS A LEGACY THAT ENDURES, AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND, CAROL INGRAM IS STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE AND WELL, AND STILL VERY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND AS I STATED TO THE FACILITIES, UM, TEAM LAST WEEK, THE COMMITTEE LAST WEEK, I WOULD RATHER BE SITTING HERE AND CELEBRATING THAT LEGACY RATHER THAN MEMORIALIZING THAT LEGACY.
AND SO FOR THAT, IT IS MY DISTINCT HONOR, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT I HOPE THAT YOU ALL WILL APPROVE TONIGHT, THAT YOU WILL ALLOW US TO RENAME OUR NEWLY RENOVATED MEDIA CENTER FOR CAROL INGRAM AS A LIFELONG LEARNER.
AND THAT WILL ALLOW US TO CALL IT OUR LIFELONG LEARNING CENTER, SO THAT ANYONE WHO'S IN THOSE WALLS UNDERSTANDS THAT IMPACT AND THE IMPORT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING YOUR MARK.
I HAD NOT PREPARED ANYTHING, BUT, UM, WE ARE GOING THROUGH A RENOVATION, WHICH WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT.
IT'S ALREADY LOOKING BEAUTIFUL, NOT QUITE DONE, BUT, UM, SO I, I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW, I'D HEARD ANOTHER SCHOOL OR SOMETHING CAME UP ABOUT A SCHOOL THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BETTY JONES, YOU KNOW, LIBRARY, AND I THOUGHT WE COULD NAME OURS.
AND OF COURSE, THERE WAS NO OTHER PERSON.
I MEAN, I, EXCEPT FOR THIS PERSON, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT YOU CAN DO IT FOR THE CURRENT PRINCIPAL.
I WAS A PARENT AT BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND CAROL SUPPORTS LITERACY THROUGHOUT HER ENTIRE CAREER.
AND SHE WAS ALSO SOUTH CAROLINA MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR.
WE GOT PALMETTO FINEST UNDER CAROL INGRAM.
AND SHE JUST IS AN EXAMPLE TO ALL EDUCATORS.
I KNOW HOW MUCH SHE MEANS TO DR. THOMPSON AND EVERYONE THAT'S WORKED FOR HER.
AND SEVERAL PEOPLE HAD CONTACTED ME.
SOMEONE CALLED ME, THEY SAID, I HEARD WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I MEAN, WHEN IS IT GONNA BE? SO, UH, PEOPLE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT HER.
SHE HAS A LOT OF LOYALTY FROM HER FORMER EMPLOYEES AND FORMER PARENTS, AND I JUST CAN'T THINK OF A MORE WONDERFUL WAY TO WALK INTO THE LIBRARY EVERY DAY KNOWING THAT WE'VE HONORED A WONDERFUL PERSON AND WE'LL CONTINUE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, LEGACY OF LITERACY AND LEARNING.
I'M SO SORRY I DID NOT GET YOUR NAME.
WHAT IS YOUR AMY TRASK TRASK? YES.
PLEASED TO MEET YOU, MS. TRASK TRASK MEET YOU TOO.
AND, UH, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT BOTH PRINCIPAL THOMPSON AND MS. TRASK HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SO PASSIONATE ABOUT MS. INGRAM, AND EVERYONE WHO HAS SPOKEN ON BEHALF OF THIS HAS BASICALLY EXUDED THAT SUPPORT, LOVE AND ADMIRATION FOR HER.
SO THE THIRD PERSON WHO'S BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS IS THE GENTLEMAN WHO FIRST INFORMED US AND OTHERS, MYSELF AND OTHERS, ABOUT THE, UM, OPPORTUNITY HERE.
SO, MR. OTTING, WELL, I MEAN, I'LL JUST SAY THAT, UH, WHEN I FIRST STARTED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, CAROL INGRAM IS ONE THAT REACHED OUT TO ME AND I LOOK AT A MENTOR AND BRINGING ME ALONG.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS, UH, THIS MOTION THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, I MEAN, THIS HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
UM, THE SIC VOTED TO HAVE THE NAMING OF THE MEDIA CENTER TO CAROL INGRAM, AND IT WAS VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THIS.
IF NO, IF NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION NAMED THE BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER AFTER MS. CAROL INMAN, HONOR OF HER SERVICE TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AS THE BUILDING'S FIRST MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL SECOND.
IT WAS A TOSS UP WHO GOT IT? OKAY.
THE LAST ONE I GIVE IT, UM, I WOULD, YEAH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT WHEN I STARTED ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, UH, MS. INGRAM WAS THE PRINCIPAL THERE AT BEAUFORT MIDDLE.
SHE IS THE ABSOLUTE CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL.
AND THE SCHOOL WAS ALWAYS, UH, BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED WITH ARTWORK, JUST
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GORGEOUS ARTWORK.AND SHE WONDERFUL TO, AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, UH, SHOWING ME AROUND AS A NEW MEMBER AND JUST, JUST A CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL.
SO, OH, I PASSED THE G VICE CHAIR.
I WOULD JUST, I'LL JUST SAY I DID EVERYTHING THAT, UH, THE CHAIR SAID ON THAT ABOUT MS. ZIG.
SHE'S BEEN A VERY GOOD PERSON AND, UH, THE COMMUNITY LOVES HER AND THEY STILL, UH, ALWAYS TALK ABOUT IT, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
SO GO AHEAD AND CALL THE QUESTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, FA PLEASE, UH, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE A.
MADAM CHAIR, WE HAVE A SECOND OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'D LIKE TO, UH, HAVE MASSING RETURN TO THE, UH, PODIUM TO ASSIST US WITH.
UH, AND THIS IS, UM, ABOUT STEWART POINT, EASEMENT AND MASSING.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE SOME DETAILS ABOUT THAT? YES.
THIS IS A ROAD IMPROVEMENT THAT THE COUNTY IS UNDERTAKING.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE A COUPLE OF TIMES.
UM, THE FIRST TIME IT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD, THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WANTED TO RECEIVE ANY FUNDING FOR THIS, UH, FROM THE, UH, COUNTY.
UM, AT THAT TIME IT WAS DECIDED NO, WHAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DID REQUIRE IS THAT THE FENCE BE REPLACED WITH A, LIKE, NEW FENCE.
AND, UH, SO WHAT THIS IS FOR IS ACTUALLY A PATHWAY OR SIDEWALK ALONG STEWART POINT ROAD.
THIS IS IN FRONT OF WELL BRANCH MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND WELL BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THERE'S A NEW DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE STREET, SO IT'LL HELP THOSE KIDS, UH, LEAVING THAT DEVELOPMENT GET TO BOTH SCHOOLS.
UM, SO WITH THAT THERE, THE EASEMENT THAT THEY HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, UM, HAS BEEN PRESENTED.
WE HAVE ASKED FOR SOME MORE DETAILS AS FAR AS LAYING OUT, UM, THE ACTUAL PERMANENT SECTION IN THE TEMPORARY SECTION, AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDING THAT FOR US.
IT HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED TO DATE.
UM, SO THAT IS WHY THE MOTION IS FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT TO FINALIZE, UM, UH, UM, THE EASEMENT AND, UH, THEN SIGN IT.
SO, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
THEN, UH, WITH THAT, UM, WE'D LIKE TO, UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AUTHORIZED THE SUPERINTENDENT TO NEGOTIATE AND FINALIZE THE STEWART POINT ROAD EASEMENT AS PRESENTED.
AND THEN SECOND BY, UH, MS. GORDON, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY NAYS? AND ANY ABSTENTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND MADAM CHAIR, THE LAST, UH, ITEM THAT WE HAVE THAT, UH, WE'D LIKE TO REQUEST A MOTION ON IS THE MAY RIVER TEMPORARY EASEMENT.
AND MR. OTTING WILL GIVE US SOME DETAIL ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MOVING THIS FORWARD.
UM, THIS IS AT THE NEW MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, AT THE BACK OF THE SCHOOL, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON IS REQUIRING US TO TIE INTO THE NEW DEVELOPMENT TO THE EAST OF US, WHICH IS THE LAKES.
AND THAT'S FOR EMERGENCY ACCESS.
UM, THIS WILL BE A GATED ROAD, SO THAT IN THE EVENT THAT THERE IS SOMETHING ON NEW RIVERSIDE ROAD BLOCKING EMERGENCY VEHICLES FROM GETTING TO THE SCHOOL, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO COME THROUGH THE LAKES AND COME TO THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT COULD ACTUALLY SERVE THE ELEMENTARY OR THE HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, ALONG WITH THAT IS WE, THE BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER AND SEWER, AS ASKED US TO TIE INTO THEIR WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.
THIS WILL ACTUALLY IMPROVE OUR WATER SYSTEM AS WELL.
UM, SO WITH THAT, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, UM, BE GLAD TO ANSWER 'EM FOR YOU.
SEEING NO QUESTIONS, UH, MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO FINALIZE NEGOTIATIONS AND SIGN THE MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EASEMENT.
BY, UH, DR. CARR, ANY, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, MR. SMITH? UM, HOW MUCH IS THIS GONNA COST US, UM, IN CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, PERIOD? OH, I MEAN, I, I, THERE IS NO COST FOR THE ACTUAL EASEMENT ITSELF, BUT THERE TO CONSTRUCT IT, THERE'S SOME COSTS.
I'LL HAVE TO GET THAT FOR YOU.
I WILL SAY IT IS, UH, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON DOES REQUIRE US TO DO THIS AS CONTINGENT ON OUR GETTING OUR PERMIT TO BUILD MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
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OKAY.ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
UM, MADAM CHAIR, AT THIS POINT WE'D LIKE TO GO O INTO AND COVER A COUPLE OF, UH, ITEMS THAT WERE DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST MEETING ON DECEMBER THE FOURTH.
UH, WE HAD A REVIEW OF THE 2019, UH, REFERENDUM, AND WE'D LIKE TO NOTE THAT, UH, IT IS COMING VERY CLOSE TO CLOSURE.
WE HAVE A REMAINING CONTINGENCY AT THE END OF NOVEMBER OF 918,000 AND ZERO, $14.
UH, ALSO, WE'D LIKE TO NOTE THAT IN TERMS OF CLOSEOUTS, WHICH HAS BEEN AN AREA OF EMPHASIS FOR MR. OTTING AND HIS TEAM AS WELL AS THE FINANCE GROUP, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN A TOTAL OF 214 FINANCIAL CLO FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, COMPLETED TO DATE.
THERE'S STILL A LOT OF ENERGY AROUND WHAT PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE IDENTIFIED AND EXECUTED TO ENSURE WE DON'T REPLICATE THAT INTO 2023 REFERENDUM.
UH, ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE CONSTRUCTION ARE GREEN, AND SO THOSE ARE MOVING FORWARD.
IN TERMS OF THE 2023 FINANCIAL WE HAVE ACHIEVED, UH, COLLECTIVELY IN THE ORGANIZATION, 40, UH, ALMOST 40.46% OF THE FUNDS ARE PAID AND COMMITTED.
UH, WE STILL HAVE A PROGRAM CONTINGENCY REMAINING OF $11.4 MILLION, AND WE HAVE A PROJECT LEVEL CONTINGENCY REMAINING OF $13.9 MILLION.
UM, AGAIN, THE PROJECTS ARE, ARE, UH, GREEN.
THERE WAS A RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY AT RIVER RIDGE ACADEMY ON NOVEMBER THE 20TH.
AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY AT MAY RIVER.
UH, THAT WILL BE SOMETIME IN JANUARY DATE.
AND, UH, TO BE CONCLUDED, UM, AND SHORTLY AND NOTIFIED THE, UH, WE THEN PROGRESSED TO THE CUSTODIAL UPDATE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'D LIKE TO NOTE THAT IS THAT MR. OTTING AND HIS TEAM ACTUALLY DID AN INNOVATIVE THING BY EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF SUPPLIERS THAT THEY HAD.
AND WHAT THAT HAS DONE IS THAT HAS ALLOWED SOME COMPARATIVES BETWEEN THE THREE SUPPLIERS, PROVIDERS.
AND THAT ALSO ALLOWS SOME EASY TRANSFER OF BEST PRACTICES BETWEEN THOSE THREE SUPPLIERS AND US.
AND, UH, IT'S BEEN USED VERY EFFECTIVELY BY THE OPERATIONS GROUP, THAT KNOWLEDGE TO HELP THE THIRD SUPPLIER.
AND THE SELF-MOTIVATION, WE'VE SEEN THAT IMPROVE AS WELL.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENED.
KUDOS TO THE OPERATIONS TEAM FOR THAT IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE INNOVATION.
AND JUST ALONG THOSE LINES, STARTING AND I HAVE DISCUSSED, UH, TAKING A LOOK AT SOME STRATEGIC AREAS.
UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ENERGY AND, AND, UH, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, THANK YOU FOR, UH, LISTING, UH, IN A SINGLE SHEET, ALL OF THE KEY ACCOUNTS BY SCHOOL.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE BIG TICKET ITEMS, ENERGY IS ONE OF THOSE, UH, NOT ONLY ENERGY, BUT WE LOOKED AT MAINTENANCE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
UH, AND IT'S, IT'S VERY TELLING.
SO WHAT WE'VE ASKED AND CONFERRED WITH MR. OTTING ABOUT IS, AND THE REST OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, IT'S TO LOOK AT STRATEGICALLY, WHAT CAN WE DO IN THE AREA OF ENERGY WITHOUT HAVING THE BLINDERS ON.
NOT SAYING WE HAVE BLINDERS, BUT JUST SAYING, MAKE SURE WE DON'T, WE DON'T ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO YOU LOOK AT THINGS SUCH AS THE ELIMINATION OF THE R 22, UH, FREON, AND THE FOUR 10 A THAT'S GONNA BE FUN, BASICALLY IS TRANSITION OUT.
SO THAT'S GONNA CREATE A TREMENDOUS DEMAND FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THAT ARENA.
WE'VE SEEN IT IN 2000 DURING THE Y 2K, WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE WHO WERE TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTER LITERATE THAT COULD HELP ENSURE YOUR COMPANY TRANSFERRED OVER.
SO ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ASKED MR. OTTING TO TAKE A LOOK AT OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS IN CONJUNCTION WITH FINANCE, SO THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING STRATEGICALLY, ALSO HAVE TESTED, UM, A ROBOT THAT HAS MACHINE LEARNING.
SO AS IT ACTUALLY CLEANS THE FLOORS, IT CAN IDENTIFY AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT.
UH, SO THAT IS TOO, IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET.
SO WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IN NOTE.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAS OCCURRED IS THE DAYS TO COMPLETION FOR BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH HAVE CONCLUDED, BUT ALSO ONE OF THE WATCH POINTS THAT, UM, MS. MAJORS NOTED FOR US IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROJECT'S IN PRODUCT PROGRESS DON'T BALLOON UP, BECAUSE THAT COULD DISTORT THE, UH, TIME TO COMPLETION.
SO THE TEAM IS DOING A LOT OF GOOD ANALYTICS, UM, THAT
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ARE VERY EFFECTIVE IN HELPING US HOPEFULLY MAINTAIN AND AVOID SOME OF THE BLIPS THAT POTENTIALLY COULD OCCUR.AND THEN THE LAST THING, MR. LAWTON, UH, PRESENTED ON THE FURNITURE, A 10 YEAR PLAN OF WHERE THE FURNITURE WILL NEED TO GO.
AND THAT'S VERY, UM, GOOD FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, AND THAT TOO IS IN YOUR PACKET.
SO, ALL IN ALL, UH, WOULD LIKE TO COMPLIMENT THE TEAM FOR ALL OF THEIR EFFORT AND THEIR, UM, BASICALLY ATTEMPTS TO MAKE SURE INNOVATION IS STILL VERY TOP AND CENTER.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN UP TO ANY QUESTIONS, MA'AM.
THANK FOR MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT, THEN
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS, UH, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, UH, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, THE SCHOOL PLAN APPROVAL.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS THIS EVENING.
IN YOUR PACKET, YOU HAVE THE SCHOOL, UM, TURNAROUND PLANS FOR OUR SCHOOLS THAT MEET THE DEFINITION OF UNDERPERFORMING.
THE THREE SCHOOLS THAT ARE LISTED AS BELOW AVERAGE ARE PORT ROYAL ELEMENTARY, LADIES, ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL.
THOSE PRINCIPLES CAME BEFORE YOU LAST MONTH TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND SUBMIT THEIR PLANS AND HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU.
AT THIS POINT THIS EVENING, ALL WE'RE DOING IS REQUESTING AND SUBMITTING THEIR, UM, THEIR PLANS FOR APPROVAL OF THE BOARD SO THAT THEY CAN GO TO THE OFFICE OF TRANSFORMATION SPECIALISTS SO THAT IT CAN BE APPROVED FOR THE STATE.
AND I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE REGARDING THE PLANS.
SO FOR CLARIFICATION, BASICALLY THE PLANS THAT THEY BOUGHT BEFORE THE PLAN, BASICALLY WHAT THEY TOLD US BEFORE IS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO JUST NOT COME TO GET A MOTION OFF OF WHAT THEY TOLD US FROM, FROM, FROM THE, FROM THE LAST MEETING THAT, THAT OCCURRED.
IS THAT MY, IS THAT MY CORRECT UNDERSTANDING? THAT'S CORRECT.
THEY CAME AND PRESENTED TO YOU ALL OF THE INFORMATION, THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE PUTTING IN PLACE AT THE SCHOOL.
THEY'VE COMPLETED THE OFFICIAL PLAN, WHICH YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET THIS EVENING.
AND WE JUST NEED TO GET APPROVAL SO THAT WE CAN SUBMIT IT TO THE STATE.
THESE ARE SPECIFIC TEMPLATES THAT THE STATE REQUIRES THEM.
IND WELL, THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU.
THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT THEN REQUIRE, UH, BOARD APPROVAL TO MOVE 'EM FORWARD TODAY.
HEY, I'M GONNA WING THIS
I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE, UM, THE SCHOOL PLAN APPROVALS THAT WAS, THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED TO US.
UM, FOR WHICH SCHOOLS? POOR ROYAL ELEMENTARY LADIES, ISLAND MIDDLE AND BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL.
PORT ROYAL ELEMENTARY, LADIES, ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL SCHOOL AND BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL.
AND A SECOND WAS MADE BY MR. CAMPBELL.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MR. SMITH? I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, JUST, UH, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY COME, I JUST FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE APPROVING THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, WHATEVER WE MAY NEED TO DO ON THAT TIME WHEN THEY COME.
SO, JUST, JUST SO THAT, THAT THERE, THERE, THERE IS NO, UH, MISINTERPRETATION.
SOMETHING THAT I WILL DO, BUT IN THE FUTURE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UM, TO APPROVE THE, UH, THE SCHOOL PLANS FOR THOSE THREE SCHOOLS, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
UM, THANK YOU DR. RODRIGUEZ AND DR. LEE.
SO NEXT, UH, ON OUR AGENDA ARE THE, OUR BOARD BUSINESS ITEMS. AND WE'LL ADD OE 10 AS THE FOURTH ONE UNDER THERE.
SO, UM, MADAM SECRETARY, THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART, MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, EXCEPT THE DONATION FIRM, NATIONAL CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION, IN THE AMOUNT OF $7,000 FOR RED CEDAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO OFFSET COSTS FOR STUDENTS IN FIFTH GRADE THAT ARE ATTENDING CAMP BOB COOPER.
IS THAT A TYPO? 'CAUSE IT SAYS STUDENT, BUT I'M ASSUMING WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IT'S STUDENTS, WHERE DO YOU SEE THE TYPO? IT THREW ME FOR A MINUTE.
I WAS LIKE, WHY WOULD WE BE INVOLVED IN A SINGLE STUDENT? YEAH.
ON THE, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT'S A TYPO.
BUT, UH, YEAH, ON HERE, IT, ON THE AGENDA IT SAYS STUDENTS.
BUT ON THE FORM THAT WAS, I MEAN, $7,000.
I LOOKED UP THIS CAMP, HONESTLY, TO SEE WHAT IT WAS, AND IT, 7,000 WOULD BE COVERING MULTIPLE STUDENTS.
SO I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS, I WANTED MAKE SURE IT WAS FOR STUDENTS AND THE PURPOSE OF THE, OF THE CAMPUS, YOU KNOW, UH,
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CAMARADERIE BUILDING OR WHAT, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT WAS? IT DIDN'T REALLY SAY IT, IT JUST SEEMED LIKE IT WAS USED BY A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS.I THINK IT'S MULTIPLE STUDENTS FROM, YEAH.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATION.
ONE OF THE ISSUES IS I DID, I DON'T TAKE PAPER.
AND SO THE ONLY PDFI HAD DIDN'T HAVE BOTH DOCUMENTS, WHICH ALSO I THINK CAUSED SOME CONFUSION.
'CAUSE WHEN I LOOKED, UNLESS MAYBE SOMETHING HAPPENED ON MY, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOR THOSE OF US WHO DON'T USE PAPER, WE GET THE SAME STUFF THAT YOU GUYS GET.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, EXCEPT THE DONATION FROM DEBORAH DAVIS IN THE AMOUNT OF $10,000 FOR THE GREG DAVIS FUND TO TON HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND THANK YOU TO DEBRA DAVIS FOR HER GENEROUS DONATION.
OH, MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE 2025 SCHOOL BOARD MEETING CALENDAR, SECOND BY MR. DALLAS.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION? RIGHT? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
A AYE A, RIGHT? I THINK EVERYBODY VOTED YES.
NOW WE'RE, UM, ONTO THE ONE, UH, ITEM PULLED FROM CONSENT AGENDA BY MR. SMITH, OE 10, COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOARD.
AND AT THIS TIME, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE GO AHEAD AND ACCEPT THE, UH, THAT WE GO AHEAD AND ACCEPT OE 10, OE 10, IF I CAN HAVE A SECOND ON THAT MOTION.
IT'S, IT'S BEING VOTED ON SEPARATELY, NOT AS PART OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND ARE, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER, UH, OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
SO NOW WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS ALL THE ITEMS LISTED, MINUS OE 10, SINCE WE JUST APPROVED THAT.
MS. BOATWRIGHT MADE THAT MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SECOND IT ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THAT'S APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY, THE CONSENT AGENDA.
NEXT, WE HAVE, UH, FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS.
WE'LL LET OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS PARTICIPATE WITH THAT.
DR. RODRIGUEZ, DO YOU HAVE ANY, UM, I DO ANNOUNCE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I HAVE, UH, TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS THIS EVENING.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I WANNA JUST MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN READING SCRIPTS IN SCHOOL, UH, FOLLOWING THE THANKSGIVING BREAK REGARDING CELL PHONE POLICY, JUST AS WE DID AT THE START OF SCHOOL, WHICH IS A, A, A, A REALLY GOOD PRACTICE THAT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IS TRYING TO ADOPT FOR ALL OF ITS OTHER SCHOOLS.
THEY, THEY, THEY LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND THEY, THEY, UH, ARE SHARING THAT WITH OTHER PLACES.
BUT IF YOU RECALL IN OUR INTERPRETATION OF THE LEGISLATION, WHEN WE BEGAN THE SCHOOL YEAR, OUR INTERPRETATION, UH, OF, OF THAT LEGISLATION WAS NOT AT ALL, ALL DAY LONG FOR ELEMENTARY AND FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, BUT FOR HIGH SCHOOLS, THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE IT AT LUNCHTIME.
SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, SOMETIME IN, UH, NOVEMBER, I THINK EARLY NOVEMBER, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, UH, UH, PUT OUT THEIR INTERPRETATION OF THAT LEGISLATION, UH, FOR IMPLEMENTATION BEGINNING IN JANUARY.
AND THEIR INTERPRETATION DOES NOT ALLOW IT IN HIGH SCHOOLS AT LUNCHTIME.
SO WE HAVE BEEN INFORMING OUR STUDENTS, AND WE HAVE BEEN INFORMING OUR, OUR, UH, PARENTS, UH, UH, OUR, OUR, UH, UH, OUR STUDENTS.
AND, UH, WHAT WE WANNA DO NOW IS MAKE SURE WE'RE INFORMING, UH, EVERYBODY PUTTING IT ON, ON THE TABLE, AND ON THE RECORD THAT IN JANUARY, UH, WHEN WE COME BACK, UH, HIGH SCHOOLS WILL BE JUST LIKE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS, WHERE IT'S NOT ALLOWED AT ALL DURING THE DAY.
[01:40:01]
CAN HAVE IT ON THEM, PUT AWAY IN A, IN A BAG, BUT, UH, BUT THEY CANNOT TAKE IT OUT AND USE IT AT LUNCHTIME ANYMORE.UH, AND SO, UH, SO WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE OUR PARENTS ARE GETTING THAT INFORMATION, AND WE'RE GONNA, UH, WE'RE JUST PUBLICLY STATING THAT HERE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN IN ADDITION, UM, UH, THE AR IS GONNA CHANGE, UH, TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT.
SO, UH, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S ONE ANNOUNCEMENT.
AND THEN THE OTHER ANNOUNCEMENT I WANTED TO MAKE, UH, WAS JUST TO THANK, UH, OUR THREE BOARD MEMBERS PERSONALLY, DR.
GUS, THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THE BOARD.
UH, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO, UH, WORK ALONGSIDE YOU AS A SUPERINTENDENT, AND YOU'VE SERVED AS A CHAIR FOR ALMOST ALL OF THOSE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE.
UH, AND YOU'VE BEEN A WONDERFUL CHAIR AND, UH, AND, AND JUST A TREMENDOUS ASSET TO THIS BOARD.
UH, MS. MIDDLETON, I RECALL OUR FIRST CONVERSATION TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, THINGS YOU WERE LOOKING FOR, UH, FORWARD TO IN ON THE BOARD AND THE SUPPORT FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
AND, AND I THANK YOU, UH, PROFOUNDLY FOR THE SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED, UH, A ALONG THE JOURNEY DURING YOUR YEARS ON THE BOARD.
AND, UH, EARL, YOU'VE HEARD IT AND YOU MIGHT BE GETTING TIRED OF HEARING IT.
YOU'RE GONNA KEEP HEARING IT BECAUSE YOU ARE SO MUCH APPRECIATED FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE OVER ALL THE YEARS OF SERVICE.
AND FOR EACH OF YOU, IF YOU KNOW, UH, UH, I HAVE CHALLENGE COINS THAT I PROVIDE FOR GREAT THINGS AND FOR GREAT SERVICE.
AND THIS IS THE NEW CHALLENGE COIN THAT, UH, WE'VE BEEN GIVING OUT.
IT'S GOT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT LOGO ON IT AND ON THE BACK, UH, IT SAYS, UH, THIS IS OUR MOONSHOT MOMENT.
IT'S GOT A PICTURE OF THE MOON IN THE MIDDLE, AND IT HAS 75, 75, 92.
OUR ASPIRATIONS, UH, AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED ON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND I KNOW THAT, UH, FROM WHATEVER IT IS YOU ARE DOING AFTER, UH, YOUR TIME ON THE BOARD ENDS AT, UH, UM, WHEN THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS ARE, UH, UH, INAUGURATED OR WHATEVER THE RIGHT WORD IS.
UM, UH, I KNOW THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO STAY IN TOUCH AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, UH, UH, INPUT AND SUPPORT THROUGH THE PUBLIC AND THROUGH EVERYTHING ELSE IN TERMS OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT, THAT EACH OF YOU ARE CHAMPIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FOR OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND SO THANK YOU EACH VERY MUCH.
THE, UM, LAST MEETING BEFORE OUR HOLIDAY BREAK, I WOULD LIKE TO WISH OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF, UH, WONDERFUL HOLIDAYS AND, UH, PLEASE ENJOY YOUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS AND, AND, UH, STAY SAFE DURING THAT TIME.
WE ARE NOW, UH, ONTO OUR SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND WE HAVE, UH, OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE, UH, MR. JAMES MILLER AND HIS TOPIC.
IMAGINE THIS IS BANNED
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU AND THE DISTRICT ARE DOING.
I SEE IT IN LITTLE BITS AND PIECES, BUT I HAVE A STORY PERSONALLY TO TELL.
AND THAT IS, YOU MAY NOT, I NEED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND AT THE END OF THE MARCHING SEASON, THE BANDS OF AMERICA, NO, THE BANDS OF AMERICA HAVE A NATIONAL CONTEST.
IT'S IN INDIANAPOLIS THIS YEAR.
IT ATTRACTED ABOUT 113 BANDS OVER THREE DAYS.
BANDS CAME FROM IDAHO, FLORIDA, SOUTH CAROLINA, INDIANA, ALL OVER.
THEY ARE MADE UP OF ALL DIFFERENT SIZE SCHOOLS.
SOME SCHOOLS WERE LESS THAN FOUR, 300, SOME WERE 7,000.
BUT IT'S A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT TO SAY YOU WORKED IN THAT, PARTICIPATED IN THAT SITUATION.
I, I'M GONNA TRY TO ELIMINATE PRONOUNS, SO I, BECAUSE IT GETS A LITTLE PERSONAL.
BUT DURING THAT TIME, I WAS ABLE TO, UH, STREAM INFORMA THE,
[01:45:01]
THE CONTEST TO ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS.AND I MENTIONED TO THE STUDENTS THAT THEY MAY SEE A JUDGE THAT HAD WORKED WITH THEM IN, IN THE SEVENTH GRADE, THAT JUDGE HAPPENS TO BE A, A FORMER BAND DIRECTOR.
HE, UH, IS ON THE NATIONAL STAGE.
HE'S NOW MOVED, BUT HE LIVED HERE BECAUSE HIS WIFE IS THE PRIMARY
AND I MENTIONED TO THESE STUDENTS THAT WERE IN SEVENTH GRADE AT THE SCHOOL, NOW THEY'RE IN FRESHMEN TO PAY ATTENTION AND SEE IF THEY SEE HIM JUDGING.
AS I WAS WATCHING THE STUDENTS, I SAW ONE STUDENT TOTALLY ENGROSSED.
I COULDN'T HAVE INTERRUPTED HIM IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
I SAID TO HIM, DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL? HE SAID, NO.
I SAID, WHERE DID YOU GO? I WENT TO DA DA DA DA SCHOOL.
IT'S A INDIANA SCHOOL, AND HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THAT BAND.
AND WHEN I TOLD HIS TEACHER NEXT DAY ABOUT THE SITUATION, SHE SAID, HE'S UNMOTIVATED.
HIS PARENTS FORCED HIM TO THANK YOU,
BUT CAN I, BECAUSE THERE WAS A DISRUPTION OVER HERE.
CAN WE GIVE HIM ANOTHER 30 SECONDS? BECAUSE THE, HE WAS INTERRUPTED WITH SOME, UM, HE THOUGHT DR. RODRIGUEZ WAS COMING IN.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW, CAN I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR HIM TO FINISH HIS STORY IN 30 SECONDS? I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY.
I NEXT STEP THAT IT WAS LEFT A VERY DEEP HOLE IN MY STOMACH TO SEE THE STUDENT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN MOTIVATED AND IS NOW WANTING TO QUIT.
IT JUST, I, I ATE FOR TWO OR THREE HOURS AFTER THAT.
NEXT, UH, SPEAKER IS CRYSTAL SIMMONS DOCKERY.
HER TOPIC IS BULLYING IN THE SCHOOLS.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A BETTER, BETTER SYSTEMS PUT IN PLACE.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TIME, UM, TO SPEAK ON THIS SUBJECT.
UH, MY DAUGHTER IS A NINTH GRADER, UM, IN THE DISTRICT.
AND, UM, UH, THIS PAST FRIDAY, MY DAUGHTER ATTEMPTED TO COMMIT SUICIDE IN SCHOOL DUE TO BULLYING.
UM, I FOUND OUT WHILE THE AMBULANCE WAS ON THE WAY TO THE SCHOOL TO GET HER THAT THERE HAD BEEN A NO CONTACT IN PLACE, BUT I WAS NOT INFORMED.
AND I FEEL THAT IF THE SCHOOL DEEMED IT SERIOUS ENOUGH TO PUT A NO CONTACT IN PLACE FOR STUDENTS, THAT THEY SHOULD AT LEAST NOTIFY THE PARENTS.
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THEY HAD PUT IN A NO CONTACT, UM, IN REFERENCE TO A SITUATION.
THE FIRST ONE HAD TO DO WITH, UM, INAPPROPRIATE SEXUAL CONTACT.
WHEN, WHEN A MALE STUDENT TRIED TO THROW HIMSELF ON MY DAUGHTER IN THE HALL, I WAS NOT CONTACTED.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE SCHOOL, BUT IT'S UNACCEPTABLE WITH THE BULLYING.
UM, I ASKED THE SCHOOL WHAT TOOK PLACE, WHAT MADE HER DO THIS? DID SHE SPEAK, DID SHE TELL YOU ANYTHING? WHAT BROKE HER TO MAKE HER ATTEMPT TO COMMIT THE SUICIDE IN THE SCHOOL ON THAT DAY, THEY IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO COME UP WITH EXCUSES AGAINST HER FAMILY, BUT DID NOT TAKE ANY ACCOUNTABILITY WITH THE BULLYING THAT SHE WAS COMPLAINING OF.
EVEN ON THAT DAY THAT WHEN THE AMBULANCE HAD GOTTEN, UM, HER IN THE AMBULANCE, THE POLICE OFFICERS IMMEDIATELY CAME UP TO HER GODMOTHER.
'CAUSE I WASN'T THERE DUE TO MY SITUATION.
THEY IMMEDIATELY WENT UP TO HER GODMOTHER AND SAID THAT THE INCIDENT WAS DUE TO BULLYING.
I HAD TO ASK PROBING QUESTIONS FROM THE STAFF MEMBERS TO ASK THEM WHAT TOOK PLACE? DID SHE TELL
[01:50:01]
YOU ALL ABOUT A CERTAIN, UM, BY ANY SPECIFIC CHILDREN WHO ARE BULLYING HER? THAT'S WHEN THEY FINALLY LEAKED AND SAID THERE WAS A NO CONTACT IN PLACE.MY DAUGHTER RIGHT NOW IS IN A PSYCHIATRIC WARD.
I'M GRATEFUL TO GOD THAT MY CHILD IS STILL HERE.
FOR ANYONE WHO KNOWS ABOUT MEDICATION, SOME MEDICATIONS YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO GO PAST THREE IN A DAY.
THEY SAID, MY DAUGHTER TOOK BETWEEN 15 AND 16.
IT WAS NOBODY BUT GOD TO KEPT MY CHILD HERE.
AT FIRST, I DIDN'T WANT, I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING, BUT I WANTED TO GET HER CONSENT FIRST.
I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WOULD WANT ME TO PUBLICLY SAY IT BECAUSE IT IS A HUMILIATING THING.
BUT I'M A GRATEFUL PARENT TODAY.
AND SHE TOLD ME, SHE SAID, MA, I WANT YOU TO ATTEND THAT MEETING 'CAUSE I WANT YOU TO SPEAK OUT TO GET OTHER PEOPLE HELP WHO MAY GO THROUGH THIS OR WHO MAY BE GOING THROUGH IT SO FAR TO NOT BE SELFISH, TO NOT EVEN SAY, TO CALL HER NAME OR TO TELL ABOUT HER, BUT SHE SAID TO GET OTHER PEOPLE HELP.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING REAL BIG.
PLEASE, PLEASE SPEAK TO THESE SCHOOLS.
IF STUFF IS HAPPENING TO OUR KIDS AND THEY'RE TAKING DESPERATE MEASURES ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, WHY DON'T WE KNOW? AND THE KIDS STILL ALLOWED TO BULLY.
MY DAUGHTER HAS THE NO CONTACT BUT HER AND THE HER AND THE CHILD IS ON THE SAME WRESTLING TEAM.
HOW IS THAT BEING HELD UP? IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE PUT SOME BETTER SYSTEMS IN PLACE BECAUSE I'M A BLESSED PARENT.
BUT THE NEXT THANK YOU CHAIR, WHAT I KNOW THAT OVERALL EDUCATION NATIONALLY AND WITHIN THE STATE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT KIDS WHO EXHIBIT AB BARRANT BEHAVIOR STILL STAY MAINSTREAMED.
I'M NOT SURE THAT'S A REAL GOOD POLICY GOING FORWARD.
UH, AND SO I THINK THIS MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR LEGISLATIVE EFFORT TO BE ENERGIZED TO TAKE THIS.
HOW DO WE CORRECT THAT AND STILL STAY WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF NORTH SOUTH CAROLINA STATE POLICY BECAUSE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.
UM, SO LAST TIME I SAY, UH, IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, WE'LL, UH, ADJOURN BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT IS, UH, IN ATTENDANCE.
YOU'RE WATCHING BEFORD COUNTY TV, LIVE, WORK, PLAY.
[01:55:28]
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM IS LOCATED IN THE MILKY WAY GALAXY, WHICH IS JUST ONE OF BILLIONS OF GALAXIES LOCATED IN THE UNIVERSE.IT'S FULL OF STARS, GAS, DUST, AND DARK MATTER, WHICH WE CAN'T EVEN SEE AT ITS CENTER.
WE BELIEVE THERE IS A GIANT BLACK HOLE AROUND WHICH THE REST OF THE GALAXY ROTATES, AND THE GALAXY ITSELF IS FLYING THROUGH SPACE AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED.
IT'S A BARRED SPIRAL GALAXY, WHICH MEANS THAT IT HAS A TWISTING SPIRAL SHAPE WITH A BAR OF STARS AT THE CENTER EXTENDING OUT INTO TENTACLE LIKE ARMS AT THE OUTER EDGES.
SOME OF THE STARS IN THE MILKY WAY ARE ESTIMATED TO BE ALMOST AS OLD AS THE UNIVERSE ITSELF.
IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MILKY WAY GALAXY, IT'S NOT A PICTURE A SPACESHIP HAS TAKEN.
WE'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO GET FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM OUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM TO LOOK BACK ON OUR GALAXY TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
SO ANY IMAGES ARE ARTIST DEPICTIONS OR IMAGES OF OTHER SPIRAL GALAXIES, WHICH ARE VERY SIMILAR IN NATURE TO OURS.
SO HOW BIG IS OUR GALAXY IF WE SHRINK DOWN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM? REMEMBER, THAT'S ABOUT 3.5 BILLION MILES ACROSS TO THE SIZE OF A QUARTER.
THE MILKY WAY GALAXY IS THE SIZE OF NORTH AMERICA.
THAT'S ABOUT 2,500 MILES ACROSS.
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM IS FLOATING IN ONE OF THE SPIRAL ARMS ABOUT HALFWAY OUT FROM THE CENTER OF THE GALAXY.
SO WE'D BE OUT HERE FLOATING SOMEWHERE OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.
OUR GALAXY IS BIG, BUT IT'S NOT THAT THICK ON THIS SCALE.
THE REGION OUTSIDE OF THE CENTRAL DISC OF THE GALAXY WHERE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM IS LOCATED WOULD ONLY BE ABOUT 25 MILES THICK, A LITTLE OVER THREE TIMES AS HIGH AS A NORMAL COMMERCIAL AIRPLANE FLIES AT ITS TRUE SCALE.
THAT'S ABOUT 1000 LIGHT YEARS THICK COMPARED TO 100,000 LIGHT YEARS ACROSS.
SO HOW MANY STARS ARE THERE IN THE MILKY WAY GALAXY? SCIENTISTS ESTIMATE THAT THERE ARE AROUND 200 BILLION STARS.
SO HOW MANY IS 200 BILLION? TAKE THIS HANDFUL OF BIRD SEED, FOR EXAMPLE.
HOW MANY HANDFULS OF BIRD SEED WOULD IT TAKE TO REACH 200 BILLION SEATS? BELIEVE IT OR NOT, YOU COULD FILL UP THIS FOOTBALL FIELD, FOUR FEET DEEP DEFERRED SEED TO REACH 200 BILLION.
IF WE NOW BUILD A GALAXY USING OUR PREVIOUS SCALE WHERE IT'S THE SIZE OF NORTH AMERICA, WE TAKE ABOUT A THIRD OF THOSE SEEDS AND PLACE THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY, 250 MILES DEEP TO MAKE THE CENTRAL BULGE.
THEN TAKE THE REMAINDER AND SPRINKLE THEM OUT AROUND THE REST OF NORTH AMERICA, 25 MILES DEEP.
ARE THE STARS NEAR OR CLOSE TOGETHER? IT TURNS OUT THEY'RE REALLY FAR APART.
YOU MAY HAVE LOOKED UP AT THE NIGHT SKY BEFORE AND SEEN A BRIGHT HAZY BAND STRETCHING ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE SKY.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW OUR GALAXY IS MORE OR LESS DISC SHAPED.
WHEN YOU LOOK INTO THE PLANE OF OUR DISC SHAPED GALAXY, THERE ARE SO MANY STARS GLOWING THAT IT CREATES A BRIGHT STRIPE IN THE SKY.
THAT MILKY BAND IS HOW OUR GALAXY GOT ITS NAME, OUR GALAXY, THE MILKY WAY IS PART OF A GROUP OF GALAXIES CALLED THE LOCAL GROUP.
THE LOCAL GROUP IS A CLUSTER OF AROUND 30 GALAXIES THAT ARE RELATIVELY CLOSE TOGETHER AND THAT ARE MOVING TOGETHER THROUGH SPACE.
THE MILKY WAY AND THE ANDROMEDA GALAXIES ARE THE ONLY LARGE GALAXIES IN THE GROUP.
AND ANDROMEDA IS THE FURTHEST SPACE OBJECT THAT CAN BE SEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE.
ANDROMEDA IS 2.3 MILLION LIGHT BEERS AWAY FROM US.
SO LET'S LOOK AT OUR GALACTIC ADDRESS.
WE'RE IN THE UNIVERSE, LOCATED IN THE LOCAL GROUP, AND OUR GALAXY IS CALLED THE MILKY WAY.
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM IS FOUND IN ONE OF THE ARMS OF THE MILKY WAY GALAXY, AND WE'RE LOCATED ON EARTH, WHICH IS A VERY UNIQUE PLANET.
REMEMBER THAT IF YOU EVER NEED TO SEND A POSTCARD OUT INTO SPACE.