* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:12] THAT CONSTITUTES THE FORUM. SO WE WILL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. UH, LET'S STAND FOR P OF READING. PUT A FLAG UP ON, YEAH. OKAY. UH, P READING STUDENT FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, THE INDIVIDUAL WITH BETTER BE I JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. IS THERE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? I APPROVE A MOTION. YOU AGENDA. YOU MAKE A MOTION TO I MAKE A MOTION. THE AGENDA. OKAY. UM, MS. WARREN, DO YOU SECOND? I SECOND. OKAY. THIS BEEN ALL IN. UM, FAVOR. AYE. A AYE. ALL NAYS PASS UNANIMOUSLY. UM, MS. GORDON, I'M GOING TO AGREE THE PART ABOUT THE, UM, THE PUBLIC SESSION AND WHAT HAVE YOU. BUT LET ME START BY SAYING THIS IS A MEETING OF THE BEFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE. APRIL 11TH, 2025. WE'RE MEETING AT THE DESC CONFERENCE ROOM P REMOTE HYBRID CONFERENCE AND CONFERENCING MEETING. WE BROADCAST ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL TO SPEAK DURING LEGISLATIVE COMMUNITY PUBLIC COMMENTS. POLICE SIGN UP USING THE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM. YOU CAN FIND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION PUBLIC COMMENT FORM ON OUR WEBSITE AT HTTP S RECORDING IN PROGRESS. CALL SLASH TRIPLE W BEAUFORT SCHOOLS.NET/ABOUT US SLASH BOARDED SLASH PUBLIC COMMENTS. YOU'LL RECEIVE A CALL DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE FOR A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES. ON ISSUES WITHIN THE COMMITTEE'S DOMAIN. THE FORUM WILL BE LIMITED TO 15 MINUTES. CITIZENS' DESIRE TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON MUST FILL OUT A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD THAT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE BOARD CLERK UPON ARRIVAL. UH, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO, SIR. OKAY. UH, MOVING RIGHT ALONG. IS THERE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 12TH AND FEBRUARY 26TH? I MAKE THE MOTION THAT THE MEETING WAS APPROVED. MEETING MINUTES ARE APPROVED. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? MS. JORDAN? I SECOND COURT. SECOND. THANK YOU MA'AM. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE OR AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? AS UNANIMOUSLY. THE NEXT ITEM IS THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE POSITION STATEMENT. AND ON THAT, I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT WHAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO WITH THIS VERSION OF THE, UH, LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE IS TO BE PROACTIVE TO ACTUALLY SEARCH FOR THINGS OR EFFORTS OR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS OR ACTIONS THAT CAN AFFECT PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IN OUR DISTRICT IN PARTICULAR, WE WANT, UPON SEARCH, WE DISCOVER THOSE. YOU WANNA DO SORT OF AN ANALYSIS AND WANT BRING THEM BACK FOR DISCUSSION AND DECISION TO THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN VOTE TO FORWARD IT TO THE BOARD OR TAKE ACTION. OTHERWISE, WE APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS THAT EVERYONE IS DOING. WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE'RE SHARING. UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT BASICALLY STARTING FROM A FAIRLY, UM, EARLY STARTING POINT FOR THIS VERSION OF THE COMMITTEE. AND WE WANNA ENSURE THAT ALL OF US ARE COLLECTIVELY SEEKING INFORMATION AND SHARING THAT WITH THE COMMITTEE. UH, THAT'S VERY VITAL WITH OUR GOAL IS TO NOT BE SURPRISED BY BILLS THAT ARE BEFORE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, POLITICAL OR NONPOLITICAL BUSINESS CHARITABLE EFFORTS THAT CAN AFFECT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OUR ABILITY TO EDUCATE STUDENTS. SO PLEASE, UM, TAKE THAT AT HEART. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS TO SORT OF JUST DISCUSS SOME OF THE POTENTIAL AREAS TO PURSUE AND FORM AND ENGAGE BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS AS A PRELUDE TO THAT. UH, FOR THOSE THAT ARE ON NOW, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO NOTE THAT WE, WE DID THE PRE-FILE BILLS. COLLECTIVELY, YOU'VE REVIEWED THEM, THEY'VE BEEN HIGHLIGHTED. THOSE HAVE PROVED VERY EFFECTIVE. IF [00:05:01] YOU'LL, UM, AS YOU ALL ARE DOING, I'M SURE MAINTAIN THEM AND MS. CUSHING VERY, CAN WE GET BOOKLETS FOR THE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE, UM, FREE FILE BILLS? THERE'S ONE FOR THE HOUSE AND ONE FOR SENATE. YOU'VE ALREADY DONE IT FOR US. I CAN JUST PUT HOLES IN MINE AND GIVE A BINDER SO WE CAN TAKE THAT AROUND. IT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO READ. OKAY. YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT, PASTOR GORDON? OR EVEN MS. UM, MS. UH, BOY. NO. I'M, I'M GOOD. GOOD. AND, AND SO GOOD. AND SO WHAT I FOUND IS JUST HAVING THAT AND BEING ABLE TO LEAD THROUGH IT IS A LOT EASIER FOR ME. 'CAUSE I'M NOT A TECHIE AND I LIKE PAPER. YEAH. SO I CAN JUST FLIP THROUGH A PARTICULAR PAGE AND SHOW IT TO SOMEONE. GOTCHA. THAT'S EASY. AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. AND THANKS TO ALL THE EFFORTS EVERYONE ELSE HAS PUT TOGETHER ZERO MAP ON THAT. THE OTHER ITEM I WANTED TO MAKE NOTE OF IS THAT THE 2025 SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD OF LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTIONS. AND THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT'S VERY CURRENT AND THAT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKAGE TODAY. AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GIVE THOSE MEMBERS THAT ARE ON BOARD GOTCHA. UH, TO JUST TAKE, YOU KNOW, THREE TO FOUR MINUTES TO READ THROUGH IT AND SCAN IT AND SEE ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT HOW BEST TO UTILIZE THIS. AGAIN, I LIKE PAPER, SO I WANT A BINDER. I'LL PUT THIS IN THE BINDER THAT IS PUSHING HER WOULD CREATE FOR, AND JUST AS YOU SEE, I KEEP ALL MY INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. NOT EVERYBODY NEEDS THIS. YOUNGER PEOPLE DEFINITELY DON'T NEED, BUT IT'S A PUSH THAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME. SO I'LL GIVE YOU FIVE MINUTES, THREE TO FIVE, FOUR MINUTES OF QUIET, TWO, AND YOU CAN LOOK THROUGH AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT A PARTICULAR NOTICE. CHLOE, ARE YOU ABLE TO GET INTO THE COMMUNITY AT ALL? NO, I'M NOT. OKAY. AND MS. GORDON, UM, UH, WE, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO, TO DELIVER THAT, UH, BINDER FOR YOU WHEREVER IT'S CONVENIENT FOR YOU, MA'AM. OKAY. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. OKAY. THREE OR FIVE. SO ON THE LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTIONS, A COUPLE OF THINGS I I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT REALLY AFFECT US. ON PAGE TWO, YOU'LL NOTICE BROADBAND EXPANSION. THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS THAT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAS RECEIVED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO EXECUTE ON A EXPANDING BROADBAND. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST AS AN IDEA THAT, UM, WE BELIEVE SHOULD, WE SHOULD SUPPORT AT SOME POINT. NOW, THE BENEFIT OF THIS DOCUMENT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SESSION WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO BE ASKED TO RANK YOUR PRIORITIES. WE SENT OUT SOLICITATIONS FOR FEEDBACK, UH, SO YOU COULD BRING THEM INTO ROBIN, BUT I UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY HAS BUSY SCHEDULES. SO WE'RE GONNA DO IT IN REAL TIME. SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE TODAY WE HIGHLIGHT TYPES OF DOCUMENTS THAT YOU MAY WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT. YOU HAVE THE PRE-FILE BILLS. YOU HAVE THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD. YOU HAVE, WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE NEXT ONE IN A FEW MINUTES. THE 2024 LEGISLATIVE ITEMS. SO YOU HAVE ITEMS THAT YOU CAN PULL FROM. AND SO THIS WHOLE ONE ON BROADBAND IS VERY, INSTRUMENT IS VERY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. THE OTHER ONE IS THERE ARE ABOUT SEVEN TO 10 PRETRIAL BILLS FOR CHANGING THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. I'M SORRY, YEAH. UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. THAT CAN BE DONE VIA A, UH, CONVENTION OF THE STATES. A CONVENTION [00:10:01] OF THE STATES, IF IT IS VOTED ON, CAN ACTUALLY OVERTURN THE CONSTITUTION. AND YOU CAN LEAVE WITH AN ENTIRELY NEW CONSTITUTION AND A THING SUCH AS THE BILL OF RIGHTS BECOME NOT A FACTOR. IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THOSE STATES COME TOGETHER. AND SO IT'S A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT POINT THAT WE ARE AWARE OF WHO IS PROPOSING THIS. THE CRITICAL THING THAT IS SO CONCERNING ABOUT THE CONVENTION OF THE STATES IS ONCE IT STARTS, THERE ARE NO GUARDRAIL ON WHAT CAN BE DISCUSSED. NOW, THINK ABOUT IT. SO IT HAS TO BE VOTED ON BY THE MAJORITY OF THE STATES. THEY COULD, THEY COULD SAY ANYTHING THEY WANT TO IN THAT CONVENTION STATES, IT STILL GOES TO THE STATES AND THREE QUARTERS, I BELIEVE THREE QUARTERS HAVE TO SAY, YAY VERILY. IT'S A HIGH DREAM. YEAH. BUT IT IS GAINING ENERGY SO THAT PEOPLE ARE PROPOSING IT. AND MOST OF THOSE BILLS WILL LIE DORM BECAUSE OTHERS KNOW AS WELL THAT EVEN THOUGH IT CAN BE CALLED PASSING IT JUST LIKE, UM, AN EXAMPLE IS ERA AMENDMENT HOW LONG? STILL, STILL HAVEN'T BEEN PASSED. STILL HASN'T BEEN PASSED, LIKE ONE OR TWO STATES SHORT. BUT ALSO THAT MEANS THAT IF ONE OR TWO STATES WILL LEAN THAT WAY, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GOT AN ISSUE. SO I'M NOT AGAINST, OR FOR THE ERA, LEMME JUST USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE. SO YOU, AS YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR DOCUMENT AND TODAY IS JUST TO HELP EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THERE ARE TWO THAT THEY CAN COME UP WITH THEIR TOP 10 MM-HMM . ALRIGHT. THE NEXT ONE WANT TO ALSO SHARE AND DISCUSS ARE THE 20 24 2 BOARD LEGISLATIVE PARTIES. YOU HAVE THAT DOCUMENT IN YOUR PACKAGE AS WELL. AND AGAIN, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO HELP SO THAT EVERYONE CAN FEEL LIKE, OKAY, I DON'T HAVE TO START SOME SCRATCH AND READ ALL THE PRE-TRIAL BILLS THIS SUGGESTS TO HELP. SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS HERE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ADJUDICATED OR RULED ON AND PUT THE DATE BY NOW. BUT WE ALSO ASK THAT YOU LOOK THROUGH HERE AND SEE ARE THERE ANY THAT ACTUALLY, UM, YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE CONTINUING AS A PRIORITY PRIORITIZE ITEM. AND LET ME STOP THERE, MS. GORDON, AND, UM, ASK GORDON AND SEE YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS SO FAR? NO, NOT SO FAR. GOOD. DOES THIS HELP IN TERMS OF OH, THIS, THIS DEFINITELY HELPS. OKAY. SHARE, RIGHT. BE LIGHT MS. GORDON. YES, IT DOES SHOW. UM, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE, UH, THE BINDERS. I CAN GO THROUGH IT. SO EXPLAIN TO YOU. THIS HELPS. THANK YOU, MA'AM. OKAY. THE NEXT ONE I WANT TALK ABOUT IS THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATIONS. REMEMBER, WE NO LONGER HAVE A LOBBYIST. SO THAT FALLS UPON PRIMARILY TO ME, THIS COMMITTEE TO TO BE ACTIVE AND PROACTIVE IN MOVING FORWARD. BRISTLY. UH, AND SO WHAT I'VE DONE OVER THE LAST, SINCE THE LAST MEETING IS TRIED TO BE A LOT MORE, UH, AWARE OF THE DOCUMENTATION WE GET FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD. ONE OF THOSE IS THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, WHICH IS ALSO IN YOUR PACKAGE. NOW THEY ALSO SEND OUT ONE THAT DEALS WITH A LOT OF MEDIA COVERAGE. THAT'S IMPORTANT. THAT'S NICE. BUT IF I HAD TO PRIORITIZE THE THREE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE SENT OUT, THIS IS THE ONE THAT TELLS US WHERE THE BILLS ARE DOING WHAT. AND AGAIN, IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING OUT OF THE 1,615 THAT WERE PRE-FILED, HOW MANY OF THE ALMOST 300 ACTIONS OR PROPOSALS HAVE ACTUALLY GONE FORWARD? THIS ONE ALSO TALKS ABOUT PROVISOS. AND I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL I MOVED TO SOUTH CAROLINA THAT PROVISO IS A UNIQUE DOCUMENT. IT'S NOT IN EVERY STATE UNIQUE ACTION, LEGISLATIVE ACTION THAT YOU CAN PASS A BILL AND THEN SOMEONE CAN ATTACH A PROVISO TO IT. MM. SO, AND THAT PROVISO IS, IS BINDING. AND SO IN THIS PARTICULAR DOCUMENT, IF YOU'LL LOOK ON THE SECOND PAGE, THE TOP BULLET, PROVISO 1.82, YOU SEE THE AMENDMENT JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, AGAIN, I NEED TO FORM OR AGAINST THIS POINT AMENDMENT TO PROHIBIT ANY PERSON EMPLOYED OR PAID THROUGH BY AN EDUCATION MANAGEMENT COMPANY OR CHARTER MANAGEMENT INNOVATION FROM SERVING ON A CHARITABLE CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD. SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF [00:15:01] PROHIBITION THAT CAN COME INTO LAW AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC YOU WILL NEVER HEAR ABOUT. AND THEN YOU GO AND YOU TRY TO DO SOMETHING AND THEN YOU FIND OUT WHILE THEY'RE PROHIBIT. SO COLLECTIVELY, THE DISTRICT HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THAT. SO THAT WOULD BE THE ONE THAT I SERVE IN EUROPE. I KNOW YOU GOT A LOT OF CHALLENGING TIME CONSTRAINTS AS WE ALL DO. BUT THAT WOULD BE THE ONE THAT I'LL SUGGEST IS THE THIRD IN, IN THAT FIRST TRILOGY. SO, UH, THERE'S TWO OTHERS AS MENTIONED. ONE IS IS ABOUT MORE MEDIA AND THEN ONE IS A WEEKLY UPDATE. BUT THE LEGISLATIVE PART IS THE ONE THAT, UM, IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND THE LEGISLATURE, LEGISLATURE CONCLUDES, I BELIEVE IT'S NEXT FRIDAY. SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME, BUT I THINK PASTOR GORDON'S GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT HOW RESPONSIVE OUR, UH, DELEGATION WAS AT THAT, THAT PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME. SO LET ME STOP THERE AND ASK, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, GUIDANCE? NO, I'M GOOD MS. GORDON AND FOR GAR. OKAY. READY FOR THE NEXT ONE? AND THIS IS WHERE THE MEMBERS GET TO, UH, I SHUT UP AND MEMBERS GET TO SPEAK AND TALK AND, AND SHARE. SO THE NEXT ONE IS ABOUT POTENTIAL AREAS TO PURSUE. AND LET ME READ WHO HAS IDENTIFIED WHAT SO FAR. UH, COLONEL GUY HAS IDENTIFIED THAT OUCH, HELP OF BEAUFORT EXCHANGE CLUB, MULTIPLE CITY COUNCILS, MULTIPLE, WELL, COUNTY COUNCILS. HE IS ALSO, UM, PURSUING THE, SO LOCO, UH, FRIENDS OF HUNTING ISLAND, BEAUFORT COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION, SHELL AND TOWNSHIP YOUTH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL. SO JUST SAYING A SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL THAT CAPTURES A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS. SO THIS ISN'T A NUMERICAL TOTAL, THIS IS A PART OF A GENERAL LABELING. SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO THAT. BEST LAWYER, I KNOW YOU CAN SPEAK ON THE COMMUNITY PASTOR'S COUNCIL. YEAH. UM, DEFINITELY THEY, IN SHE TOWNSHIP AND COLONEL , THAT, UH, ORGANIZATION, SHE TOWNSHIP. AND IT CONSISTS OF ABOUT 15 OR MORE CHURCHES THAT COME TOGETHER ONCE A MONTH UNDER LEADERSHIP OR PASSING OIL. AND THEY HAVE BEEN REALLY CONSISTENT DURING THE YEARS WHEN IT CAME, COME TO INFORMATION ABOUT THINGS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. UM, AND AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, WE, WE DO HAVE AN AUDIENCE WITH THEM AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. WE KNOW, AND WHEN WE WENT, WENT TO SECOND YESTERDAY MM-HMM . UM, THEY MENTIONED THAT, THAT THAT WAS VERY POWERFUL TOOL MM-HMM . TO, TO GET INFORMATION OUT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN, IN OUR STATE IN DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO YEAH, THAT'S VERY POWERFUL TOOL RIGHT THERE. AND MS. GORDON ALSO, UH, MENTIONED, UH, MS. GORDON, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE ONES YOU MENTIONED, OR I CAN READ THEM AND THEN YOU CAN DISCUSS THEM IF YOU LIKE, MA'AM? UM, I BELIEVE ONE THAT'S ON THERE IS THE, UH, THE ALUMNI, I MEAN THE C UM, ORGANIZATION. IS THAT ONE? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. WELL, THAT CONSISTS OF ABOUT, UH, 10 TO 15 WOMEN, UH, IN ALL AREAS OF BEFORD COUNTY. AND THE MAIN FOCUS IS, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN AND KEEPING UP WITH WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, IN EDUCATION AND, AND GIVING TO, I BELIEVE ST. HELE HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY IS A SCHOOL OF CHOICE, THIS, THIS PARTICULAR YEAR. BUT WE ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, GO OUT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. UM, I KNOW THE OTHER ONE THAT I LISTED DIVINE NINE, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE DIVINE NINE, UH, THE GREEK ORGANIZATIONS, THE BLACK GREEK ORGANIZATIONS OF, UH, AKAS, DELTAS, UH, OMEGA, ET CETERA. AND, UH, THERE ARE OVER MAYBE 200, UH, OR SO, UH, OF THESE MEN AND WOMEN IN BE COUNTY. SO THAT'S A, A GREAT GROUP TO REACH OUT TO AND TO, UH, FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND, AND, UH, AND SHARE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE. IN FACT, UH, I NEED TO GET SOME OF THOSE BOOKLETS THAT WE ARE PASSING OUT, UH, TO EACH ONE OF THEM AND JUST TO LET THEM KNOW, [00:20:01] UH, THAT THEY CAN CALL ME OR I CAN COME OR WHATEVER. AND WE CAN SIT DOWN AND, AND HAVE SOME MEETINGS ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WITH OUR CHILDREN, WITH OUR SCHOOLS, AND, UH, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT, THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT. OKAY. UH, YOU MENTIONED FRIENDSHIPS, WHICH WITH YOUR LEGACY IN THIS AREA, THAT'S PRETTY EXTENSIVE AND YOUR VISIBILITY IN YOUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. SO THAT'S ABSOLUTELY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE GRANTS, UM, AND, UH, SO AS WE REACH OUT TO OUR FRIENDS AND, AND WE'RE SHARING WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, IN THIS COMMUNITY, WHAT WE PLAN, WHAT WE HOPE TO SEE, UM, UH, IN THE GROWTH AND BUILDING, UH, RELATIONSHIPS SO THAT, UH, THEY CAN TALK IN FRONT OF YOU BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE DO NOT WANNA TALK IN FRONT OF US, AND THEN THERE ARE THOSE WHO WILL. SO ENCOURAGING THEM TO SPEAK OUT AND SAY THINGS SO THAT, UH, I CAN HEAR AND I CAN RELATE THOSE THINGS TO THE BOARD AS WELL. OKAY. UM, CAROL GUY, I KNOW THAT YOURS, BUT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO SOME OF YOURS BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ONE THAT REALLY SPEARHEAD MS. EDWARD? UH, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION ABOUT THE GREEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, AND MS. GORDON, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU. UM, I ATTENDED THE GREEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, THIS MORNING AT THE PUBLIC WORKS CONFERENCE ROOM ON SHALIN ROAD, UH, CHAIR OF MICHAEL MACHINE. UH, COUNCILMAN LAWRENCE MC, UH, SENATOR TOM DAVIS, LAURA , SHE'S FROM, UH, UH, BUFTON GENERAL, UH, MANNING, TIMOTHY EVANS, PETER CHRISTIAN. UH, THE DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WAS THERE, ALICE HOWARD WAS THERE, UH, THE CHAIR OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND, UH, CAROL SHIELD FROM THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT WAS THERE. AND THE REASON WE WERE THERE, UH, MS. FORD IS TO DISCUSS THE PROPERTY THAT'S ON, UH, SEA ISLAND PARKWAY, RIGHT BY COUGAR DRIVE, GOING UP TO LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT IS, IT IS ON THE WEST SIDE OF COUGAR DRIVE. IT IS A SIX ACRE PLOT OF FOREST. IT IS UNDEVELOPED. IT'S FOR SALE FOR $2.2 MILLION. AND I'VE BEEN APPROACHED BY COUNTY COUNCIL IF WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HAVING THAT, UH, ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY OF LADIES ISLAND, UM, MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, AND WE SAID THAT, YEAH, IT'S A GOOD IDEA. UH, WHAT DID YOU WANNA USE IT FOR? AND DAVID BAR YOU, WHO IS YOUR COUNTY COUNCILMAN? UH, LLOYD SAID, WELL, IT COULD BE, IT IS A, WOULD BE AS A PARK. AND WE COULD SEE THAT AS SOMEPLACE THAT COULD HOLD A FARMERS MARKET. UH, SOMETHING THAT COULD BE USED FOR, UH, OH GATHERINGS, INFORMAL GATHERINGS AMONGST THE TREES THERE. UH, IT IS NOT A NIGHT, THERE'S NO PLAN TO CUT THAT ALL THE TREES AND PLANT GRASS ON IT, BUT HE DID SAY MAYBE IT MIGHT BE A PLACE FOR OUTDOOR CONCERTS. AND I BROUGHT IT TO THE, UH, OPERATIONS COMMITTEE. OPERATIONS COMMITTEE SAID, WELL, WE DON'T WANT, FIRST OF ALL, WE DON'T WANT COOPER ROAD CLOSED. THE COUNTY ENGINEER WOULD LIKE TO HAVE COOPER ROAD CLOSED AND THEY WANNA PUT A STOP LIGHT IN THE ROAD JUST TO THE WEST OF COU ROAD. AND THAT WOULD BE THE ONE WAY YOU WOULD GET INTO, UH, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. UH, THE COMMITTEE, THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE SAID, NO, WE WANNA KEEP COUGAR ROAD OPEN, BUT MAKE IT A RIGHT TURN ONLY ROAD. IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU'RE COMING FROM THE SEA ISLANDS, YOU COULD MAKE A RIGHT TURN INTO COUGAR ROAD, AND IF YOU WERE LEAVING, UH, THE ELEMENT OR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, YOU COULD MAKE A RIGHT TURN EXITING, BUT YOU COULDN'T MAKE A LEFT TURN THERE EITHER LEAVING THE SCHOOL [00:25:01] OR ENTERING THE SCHOOL. AND, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY ENGINEER WAS KINDA, I DON'T KNOW IF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OR STATE HAS TO APPROVE THIS, BUT IF, IF WE, BY RESTRICTING THAT TYPE OF ACCESS, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY DO. THE REASON CHLOE, THAT I SAID THAT IS BECAUSE FOR FOUR YEARS I SAT IN LINE TO GO PICK UP MY GRANDSONS ON THAT ROAD. AND IF I DIDN'T GET THERE BY TWO O'CLOCK TO GET IN LINE, IF I CAME THERE ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE SCHOOL GOT OUT, I WOULD BE SITTING AND SEE OUT THE PARKWAY WAITING TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN. SO THAT'S WHY I SAID, AND, UH, BILL SMITH WAS THERE AND HE SPOKE TO THAT AS WELL, THAT THAT SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED. SO I MENTIONED THAT. AND THEN I WAS ASKED, WELL, WITH THE, FIRST OF ALL, THEY, I SAID, I'M NOT, WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN BUYING IT. UH, I SAID, WE, WE HAVE A, A REFERENDUMS PASSED. WE HAVE $444 MILLION, BUT EVERY TIME THAT IS COMMITTED AND WE DON'T HAVE AN EXTRA $2 MILLION, THEY SAID, OH, NO, NO, WE'RE NOT ASKING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO BUY IT. WE'RE, WE WANT THE COUNTY TO SAY THEY'LL TAKE IT OVER AND THE COUNTY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TAKE TITLE OF IT. AND I, AND HE SAID, WHAT WOULD THE SCHOOL BOARD THINK ABOUT? I SAID, WELL, I GOTTA GO BACK TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THINK ABOUT IT. BUT I TOLD THE COUNTY, IF THE COUNTY'S GOING TO USE IT, THAT'S FINE, BUT IF THE COUNTY'S GOING TO USE IT, THE COUNTY'S GONNA PAY TO USE IT. AND THEY SAID, OH YEAH, THAT'S FINE. AND THE COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE, OKAY, THAT'S FINE. WE JUST DON'T WANNA OWN IT. SO I SAID, WELL, I'M GONNA BRING IT UP. AND THEY SAID THEY WANT IT RELATIVELY QUICKLY BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO FINALIZE THE DEAL WITH THE GUY WHO'S TRYING TO SELL THE PROPERTY. AND GREEN SPACE ACTUALLY IS WHAT'S GONNA PAY FOR THE PROPERTY. SO, UH, CHLOE, I'VE ADDED IT TO THE AGENDA FOR OUR, UH, WORK SESSION. IT ACTUALLY WAS ON THE AGENDA ANYWAY, IT WAS CALLED LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT. SO IT IS PART OF THE AGENDA ANYWAY, BUT I'M GONNA LOOK FOR A VOTE DURING THAT, UH, MEETING TO SAY WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE WILLING TO TAKE THE DEED FOR THAT 605. AND SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, CHLOE? WELL, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. IF WE TAKE THE DEED, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THIS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT OWNS THAT PROPERTY? AND NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE TO TAKE CONTROL OF, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING AND, AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS? YES, WE WOULD OWN IT AND, BUT IT WOULD BE JUST LIKE OTHER THINGS THAT WE USED WITH THE COUNTY. FOR EXAMPLE, UH, DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF, UH, ROBERT SMALLS MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE USED, UH, THE FIELDS AT BURTON WELLS, THE ATHLETIC FIELDS. AND DURING THAT TIME, WE PAID THEM A FEE BECAUSE THEY WERE MAINTAINING IT. AND SO THE SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN IF, AND SAME THING HAPPENS IN OUR PROPERTIES. WE LET PEOPLE COME IN AND USE 'EM, BUT THEY PAY, THEY PAY A FEE. AND SO IT WOULD NOT COST US ANY MONEY TO HAVE THIS ADDITIONAL SIX ACRES OF LAND. AND THEY SAY, WELL, WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE? AND I SAY, WELL, WE DON'T, WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE COME IN AND PAY A FEE, THEY ALSO HAVE TO HAVE PROOF OF INSURANCE. SO THEY ARE LIABLE FOR ANYTHING THAT MIGHT HAPPEN ON THAT PROPERTY. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? WELL, IT, IT, IT SOUNDS FEASIBLE. I JUST HAVE TO GET IT MARINADE TOO. YEAH. SO, YEAH. RIGHT. BUT SEE, THE REASON THIS IS THAT THIS IS IMMEDIATE, IT IS BECAUSE THE GUY THAT OWNS IT WAS THERE AND HE SAID, I'VE BEEN TURNING DOWN OFFERS FOR PEOPLE THAT WANNA PUT A, UH, STORAGE FACILITY THERE, ONE OF THESE RENTAL STORAGE FACILITY. ANOTHER GUY WATCHED, PUT A GAS STATION THERE. IF, IF WE DON'T GET IT, IF THE, IF THE GREEN SPACE DOESN'T BUY IT, WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GONNA GO IN THERE? AND IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT WE DON'T WANT ANYTHING THERE OTHER THAN THE WOODS THAT ARE THERE ALREADY. AND [00:30:01] SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY IT'S KIND OF IMMEDIATE THAT WE GET, TALK ABOUT IT AS A FULL BOARD, HAVE A MOTION WHETHER TO ACCEPT IT AS A FULL BOARD. SO I, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT ASKING FOR YOUR, UH, YOU KNOW, VOTE RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M GLAD I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, SO YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IT BEFORE THE MEETING THAT, UH, WE HAVE AT THE END OF THE MONTH. WELL, I, I AGREE THAT, UH, WE SHOULD, UH, THINK ABOUT THIS AND, UH, AND TAKE IT TO THE FULL BOARD. SO MAYBE BY THEN WE'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, MORE INFORMATION, UH, AND BE ABLE TO ANSWER SOME OF THEIR QUESTIONS. SURE. UH, I, I'M WITH YOU ON THAT. OKAY. OKAY. EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT. SO, I WAITED TO BE LAST IN TERMS OF, UH, CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS. UM, AND SO I, I'LL RUN THROUGH SOME OF THE ONES, BUT, UH, THERE ARE THREE ROTARIAN CLUBS THAT WE SPEAK TO ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE NEXT ONE IS COMING UP IN MAY. SO JUST SHARING WHEN, WHEN I, I DID IT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. SO I DID LIKE FOUR OF THIS, AND I CAME BACK AND DID ABOUT 20%, AND THEN THE REST OF IT THE LAST TIME. AND BY GIVING MYSELF TIME TO REALLY THINK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT GROUPS I'M INVOLVED IN, I'LL LEAVE TO GET A LOT MORE. THE FIRST TIME I, THEY DIDN'T COME TO MIND, SO I'M JUST SHARING THAT THAT MAY BE ONE WAY TO, UH, ALSO ENLARGE, UM, THE, THAT YOU HAVE, EVEN THOUGH EVERYBODY HAS A LARGE GROUP ALREADY, UH, THERE ARE VARIOUS CLUBS I BELONG TO, UH, SUCH AS THE JOB THI THE COFFEE CLUB. UM, THE HISTORIC MITCHELLVILLE FREEDOM PARK IS ONE THE, UH, PAST PRESIDENTS OF PRO OF, UH, COMMUNITIES, UH, WHICH IS ANOTHER, UM, RELIGIOUS LEADERS, UH, INCLUDING, UM, UH, MOSQUE AND UM, SYNAGOGUES AS WELL AS CHURCHES. UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS WHERE WE ARE ACTUALLY WORKING TOGETHER TO GET PEOPLE TO INTERACT, UH, IN A POSITIVE MANNER REGARDLESS OF WHERE, WHERE AND HOW THEY WORSHIP. SO, UH, LOCAL INVESTORS GROUPS, UH, , WHICH IS A, A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, UM, AND WE HAVE THOSE EVERYWHERE. AS I'M LEARNING MORE ABOUT THEIR VARIOUS AREAS, IT'S REALLY PHENOMENAL HOW MANY GROUPS AND, AND WE WANT TO INFORM THEM AS WELL. SO THAT COMMUNITY REPORT IS ALSO A VERY GOOD ONE. UH, BEAUFORT, UH, HILLS GATE, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE, UH, REALTORS ASSOCIATION OF BUFF BUFF, UH, BUFORD AND JASPER COUNTY, THE HISPANIC BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, BECAUSE THAT'S A VERY TIGHTLY ROUND GROUP IN TERMS OF HOW THEY REACH OUT. SO WHEN I STARTED THINKING LIKE THAT, IT BECAME A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT, YOU KNOW, I BROUGHT ELBOWS WITH AND JUST SHARING THAT WITH YOU. UM, A LOT OF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO GROUPS, UM, WHERE YOU HAVE A PLATFORM. ONE OF THE PLATFORMS WE HAVE IS W-H-H-I-T-V, UM, MILITARY ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE. UH, THAT'S WORKING TO PROTECT THE BASES HERE BASIS. UM, SO THAT JUST GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW YOU CAN ACTUALLY, WHEN WE ACTUALLY START SAYING HOW CAN WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND INFORM PEOPLE. SO IF YOU WILL, UH, LET'S, AT OUR NEXT LEGISLATIVE MEETING, IF YOU CAN COME IN AND JUST REVIEW YOUR LIST FIRM UP AND SAY, OKAY, I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO THINK ABOUT IT. YOU'VE SEEN TOOLS THAT CAN WORK AND, AND HELP YOU. IS THAT FAIR? YEAH. MS. GORDON, IS THAT REASONABLE FOR YOU, MA'AM? YES, IT IS. OKAY, COLONEL, THAT WORKS. OKAY. ALRIGHT. NOW THE OTHER THING THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS WE WANT YOU TO NOT, IN ADDITION TO IDENTIFYING GROUPS THAT YOU'RE GONNA REACH OUT TO AND DEVELOP CONNECTION OR IMPROVE YOUR CONNECTIONS, WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE PRIORITIZATION. SO YOU MENTIONED THAT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, WHERE YOU LOOK AT THE DOCUMENTS, LOOK AT THE BILLS, AND LET ME GIVE YOU SOME THAT ARE ACTIVE. UM, ONE OF THEM IS ELECTRONIC DEVICES MUST BE PROVIDED TO INMATE. AND PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? BECAUSE A LOT OF CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES ARE BEING OPERATED OUT OF PRISONS. I KNOW IN NORTH CAROLINA PRISON THERE, THEY WERE USING DRONES TO DROP IN CELL PHONES. SO THE PRISONERS, UH, INMATES, I SHOULD SAY, INMATES COULD ACTUALLY MANAGE THEIR VISIT FROM INSIDE PRISONS AND THAT FLOWS INTO OUR KIDS AND OUR STUDENTS AND OUR CULTURE. SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW I, I SORT OF PUT THAT ONE UP THERE. UM, YEAH, ONE THAT AFFECTS US [00:35:01] POTENTIALLY IS HOUSE 31 92, WHICH THAT'S THE ONE THAT SAYS WE WANT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR STATE HEALTH AND DENTAL GOVERNMENT. SO THERE'S A MORE ENERGY BEHIND THAT, EVIDENTLY FROM WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE ON THAT THAN BEFORE. ANOTHER ONE THAT I FOUND VERY INTERESTING IS HOUSE 31 96, THAT ONE WOULD SELL, BASICALLY TAKE AWAY A REQUIREMENT FOR TEACHERS TO BE CERTIFIED. SO WHEN THEY GET ME, WHEN THEY GET CERTIFIED FOR ONCE THEY'RE CERTIFIED FOR LIFE, UNLESS SOMETHING COMES UP AND SAY THEY, YOU REALLY SHOULD TEST THEM AGAIN. AND THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE IMPROVE, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS DON'T FEEL LIKE, OH, I GOT SO MANY BALLS HANGING OVER MY HEAD. RIGHT? SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS, UM, OF, OF, OF REUSING ALL THIS INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GETTING. ANOTHER ONE THAT'S OF INTEREST IS HOUSE 31 99. THAT ONE BASICALLY TAKES AWAY THE AUTHORITY, UH, OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE, WHICH THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY CONTROL THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM, SCHEDULING THE CLASSIFICATIONS AND THOSE TYPES OF THEM. SO, AND I'M NOT PROPOSING FOR OR AGAINST, I'M JUST SAYING THIS IS HOW YOU SORT OF LEARN WHAT'S IN THE QUEUE AND WE DON'T WANT TO BE SURPRISED BY THESE THINGS. UM, ONE THAT IS, UH, 32 0 9 IN THE HOUSE IS ONE THAT I THINK COULD IMPAIR OUR ABILITY TO KEEP TEACHERS. BUT IT SAY THAT ONE IS ONE THAT PROPOSES THAT TEACHERS NOT GONNA SAY HELP IF TEACHERS WILL ALLOW ABILITY. ACTUALLY, I READ IT WRONG. TEACHERS, UM, THEY MUST AGREE TO EXTRACURRICULAR ASSIGNMENT. SO YOU BE ABLE TO ASSIGN, YOU ARE GOING TO BE AN AFTERSCHOOL PERSON OR WHATEVER TO A TEACHER. THE TEACHER WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT. MM-HMM . SO THAT'S THE TIMEFRAME YOU WANT. MAKE SURE WE ARE LOOKING AT, YOU TAKE THE POSITION EITHER BEFORE OR AGAINST AFTER REVIEW. UH, ONE THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING TO ME IS HOUSE 32 42, WHICH STATES THAT IN 20 27, 2 DISTRICT, THE STATE, UM, TWO DISTRICTS NO LONGER BE ABLE TO OWN OR LEASE BUSES. THE STATE WILL HAVE TO DO IT. SO THAT IS SOMETHING. SO ACTIVITY QUESTIONS HAVE TO BE OFFERED IN THE STATE. YEAH. WOW. SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT, AGAIN, NORMALLY THEY DON'T HIT US. SO WE ARE JUST TRYING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING AND, AND ENGAGE OUR ORGANIZATION AND DISTRICT AND OTHERS TO SAY, DO WE HAVE A POSITION ON THIS? IT COMES FROM ONE PARTICULAR HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE. AND SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MOTIVATION IS. THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING. SO JUST TRYING, TRYING TO SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION AND ALL THIS ACTIVITY THAT'S GOING OUT. WE, AGAIN, DON'T WANNA BE SURPRISED THAT SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR YOUR DISTRICT. SO THAT TAKES CARE OF THAT. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? FEEDBACK? NO, I'M GOOD. MS. GORDON, YOU OKAY? I'M GOOD, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ONE IS, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE RANKING PROCESS. SO WE'RE ASKING YOU TO BRING IN YOUR, UM, RANKINGS AND IF YOU CAN, WE'D LIKE TO REQUEST IT BY NEXT FRIDAY. AND YOU CAN JUST SEND THAT IN TO MS. BERRY. AND THEN JUST AS WE DID FOR THE STRATEGY, FOR THOSE THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE STRATEGY, EVERYBODY SENT IN THEIR STRATEGY AND THEN, UH, WE ENGAGED THE SUPERINTENDENT OVER THE BOARD SESSION WORK SESSION. SO WE CAN THEN GO USE THE MENTEE KNOWING HOW WE EACH SIGN ON OUR PHONE. MM-HMM . AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO INDIVIDUALLY, TWO THINGS HAPPENED THERE. ONE, A PERSON THAT THE IDEA THAT THAT PERSON MAY NOT FEEL VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT GETS ED INTO THE CONVERSATION. SO IT'S NOT THE MOST VOCAL PERSON. RIGHT. AND THEN ONCE EVERYTHING IS UP THERE, WE ALL VOTING DIGITALLY. SO IT IS NOT ROUND TABLE, BACK AND FORTH. WHY YOU SHOOT, WHY YOU SHOOT IT IS JUST A VERY EFFICIENT WAY. SO THAT'S, YES. SO THE PRIORITIES IS JUST COMING FROM THE, FROM THE COMMITTEE OR WE YOU NOT SENDING SOMETHING OUT AND ASKING ALL BOARD MEMBERS. THAT'S A GOOD CATCH. I, I WOULD WANT WHAT DO TWO SAYING YOU THREE THINK? I THINK THE BOARDS GOING HAVE TO VOTE ON THOUGH. THEY VOTE. YOU SOLICIT [00:40:01] THE STRATEGY FROM EVERYBODY. YEAH. YEAH. THE BUDGET STRATEGY WENT OUT TO EVERYONE, UM, AND THEY WERE TO SEND THEM IN. SO WE'RE ASKING THE WHOLE BOARD TO DO THIS. WHAT DOCUMENTS AM I SENDING IN SO THAT THEY CAN I SEND THEM ALL THREE? BECAUSE THEY WILL NEED, THEY'RE NOT PRIVY TO THIS CONVERSATION UNLESS THEY GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE VIDEO TO KNOW WHAT IS THEIR PRIORITIES. AND SO I'M, I'M, WHAT DO Y ALL THINK DOWN? WELL, UM, I NEED TO REMIND YOU THAT FRIDAY IS GOOD. FRIDAY, YES. MM-HMM . SO WE CAN SAY MONDAY. OKAY. I WAS JUST SAYING BECAUSE SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED, RIGHT? I MEAN, KNOW THE, THE DISTRICT WOULD BE CLOSE MM-HMM . UH, AND SECONDLY, UH, I DO THINK THEY NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO, TO GO THROUGH THE, UH, LEGISLATION. LEGISLATION AND PRIORITIZE. OKAY. YEAH. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY. THEY NEED, THEY NEED, UH, AM TIME TO CHOOSE THEIR CHIN AS WELL. WITH THE 27TH, WAS THAT ON TO THE EIGHTH? 25TH? WELL, THE WORK SESSION IS ON THE 25TH OF APRIL. YES. MM-HMM . YEAH. THE WORK SESSION IS FRIDAY THE 25TH. SO I WOULD NEED TO SEND STUFF OUT. UM, WE NEED DIRECTION AND STUFF AND SEND THINGS OUT TODAY. MM-HMM . UM, ON THE 11TH, NEXT WEEK IS SPRING BREAK, AND I SAID THAT FRIDAY IS 18TH INSTEAD FRIDAY. SO YOU, THEY WOULD NEED TO GET IN LIKE A MONDAY THE 21ST TO HAVE IT BEFORE FRIDAY THE 25TH, OR, I MEAN, I WHEN CALL, YEAH, THAT'S NOT TIME. IT SHOULD BE NO TIME, BUT, UM, LITTLE TIME FOR YOU ROBERT. RIGHT? I MEAN, I'M, IF YOU ALL ALREADY HAVE, WE JUST HAVE PEOPLE JUST HAVE TO E EMAIL AND SEND IT IN. WELL, THERE'LL BE FOUR, THERE'LL BE, UH, SIX PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T HAD. RIGHT. OKAY. IF YOU, IF YOU COULD SEND IT OUT JUST BULLETS, NOT 1, 2, 3, 4, JUST BULLETS. SAY FOR EXAMPLE, NONPARTISAN ELECTION SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND REALIGNMENT OF, OF ATHLETICS BASED SCHOOLS. BULLET. IF YOU TRY TO HAVE A WHOLE LOT, PEOPLE ARE GOING, UH, BUT THEY, BUT THAT'S ENOUGH. THOSE TITLES ARE ENOUGH TO SAY I'M KINDA INTERESTED IN THAT OR I'M NOT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS. I MIGHT MIGHT FIND OUT MORE, BUT I KNOW NONPARTISAN ELECTION AND SCHOOL BOARD, THAT'S A BIG ONE. I DON'T NEED ANY MORE EXPLANATION. YOU KNOW, I CAN PUT A HIGH PRIORITY, THAT WOULD BE MY TOP PRIORITY, ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES. WELL WHAT THAT, BUT WHAT I WORRY ABOUT IS IF WE SEND WITH PARAGRAPHS WITH EACH ONE, YOU KNOW YEAH. WHETHER THEY GO THROUGH IT ALL OR IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE 'EM A TITLE. SO, AND THEN THEY, THEY THEMSELVES CAN PUT, THEY MIGHT PUT NUMBERS ON IT. AND YOU COULD SAY THIS IN THE VERBIAGE MM-HMM . IF YOU HAVE PRIORITIES, YOU CAN START WITH ONE THROUGH WHATEVER MM-HMM . BUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTION MARKS, PUT A QUESTION MARK OUT MM-HMM . AND SO WHEN IT COMES UP IN DISCUSSION YEAH. I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT. AND, AND YOU MIGHT PUT A QUESTION MARK ON EVERY ONE OF 'EM. YEAH. BUT THAT'S OKAY. AT LEAST YOU HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED TO, TO THAT TOPIC. AND THEN ARE, WOULD, WOULD COLLECTIVELY, WOULD WE BE COMFORTABLE HAVING MAYBE TWO OR THREE LINES TO PUT SOMETHING IN THAT'S NOT COVERED? WE DON'T CAPTURE BECAUSE THE INTENT WOULD BE WE WILL SHARE THESE WITH IT. YEAH. YEAH. WHICH ARE THE ONES THAT ARE IN OUR PACKAGE TODAY. SO THEY HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT'S ALREADY ON THE TABLE AND INTERNAL POINT. MM-HMM . THEN WE HAVE THREE LINES WE SAID. SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO GET THE PULL AT THREE LINES, FOUR LINES BECAUSE THEY CAN WRITE IN OR THEY POINTS. RIGHT. DOES THAT, DOES THAT SOUND OKAY? SURE. YOU OKAY WITH THAT? AND THAT WAY WE CAN ALL ADD IN THOSE, UH, THE ONES THAT, UM, WHEN WE GET TO THE DAY OF THE CAPITAL, I RAISED THE ONES THAT I TOOK UP THERE. ALRIGHT. AS WELL. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? MM-HMM . YOU COMFORTABLE? YES. BUT THE PRE-FILE BILLS, SO WE'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE USING THE PRE-FILE BILLS THAT WERE IN THE SENATE [00:45:01] IN THE HOUSE. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM THEM USING, THIS IS MY PERSPECTIVE. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH USING THE PRE-FILE BECAUSE THERE'LL BE SOME PEOPLE THAT WOULD READ IT, BUT I THINK IT'S BETTER TO STILL USE THE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE IN HERE. YOU ONES IN HERE. CORRECT. AND THEN THAT EQUIPMENT. THAT SOUND REASONABLE? YEAH. ALRIGHT. SO THESE THREE DOCUMENTS, AND YOU CAN SEND THE PRETRIAL BUT SAY THIS IS JUST FUTURE RESEARCH. OKAY. SO THOSE NOT ALL OVERACT THAT ARE TWO OF THREE. SO INSTEAD OF SENDING THE FREE FILES, I'LL JUST SEND THOSE THREE. SO IF YOU DON'T GET CONFUSED, IT WORKS IF I SEND THE FREE FILES AND SEND ALL OF THAT AND OH MY GOD, SHOOT SHARE LATER. SO I'LL JUST SEND THOSE, I'LL SEND THE THREE DOCUMENTS OUT. OKAY. THAT'S GOOD. APPROVED. EVERYBODY GOOD? YEAH. OKAY. GOOD. ALRIGHT THEN THE, UM, MOVING RIGHT AHEAD. UM, WE'VE GONE OVER THE LEGISLATIVE, UH, PRIORITIES FOR SKI, SO I DON'T, I WON'T DO THOSE AGAIN UNLESS I HEAR OPPOSITION TO MOVING PAST THEM. UH, WOULD LIKE TO NOW HAVE OUR DEAR FRIEND PASTOR GORDON SPEAK ON, UM, THE DAY OF THE CAPITAL. OKAY. UM, THE DAD, THE CAPITAL WAS, IT WAS PRETTY, I NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, , HOW WE SAY DID DRIVE HOME THE FACT THAT, UM, THERE WERE CHIEF ADVOCATES FOR OUR DISTRICT AND, UM, IN EDUCATION, NOT JUST OUR DISTRICT, BUT THROUGH STATE AND, AND IT DOES FALL ON OUR SHOULDERS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AT LEAST HAVE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITHOUT LEGISL STATE. SO WHEN STUFF LIKE THIS COME UP, WHEN BUILDINGS HAVE COME UP THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CONTACT US, YOU KNOW, BUT BEING IN IT IS HOW YOU WIN IT BASICALLY. BUT, UM, IF I COULD SAY IT, THAT ONE OR TWO BUILDINGS THAT JUST REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION REAL HARD. AND, UM, BILL S 62, UM, PUBLIC FUNDING FROM PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS. AND IF I UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT THEY WERE SAYING, UM, YESTERDAY WAS THAT SUPREME COURT HAD RULE THAT THE BILL WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THAT EMBODIED AND PROHIBITED PUBLIC FUNDING, PRIVATE RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION, BUT THEN HAD TO REISE A VERSION BASED ON A REASON WHY IT WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. 'CAUSE UNDER THE CURRENT CONTRACT, UM, THE PROGRAM THAT PLAYED HOW WE EDUCATE OUR KIDS COME FROM A GENERAL OPERATING FUND. SO SAY MONEY, RIGHT? OKAY. BUT THE SENATE CREATED K 12 EDUCATIONAL LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIP FUND EQUAL TO THE AVERAGE REVENUE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHICH IS BETWEEN SIX HOURS AND 8,000 BUCKS. AND THE FUNDS ALLOCATED TO THE STUDENTS IN OUR ONLINE FUND. I WAS JUST, WAS SO AMAZING TO ME PROVIDED WITH AN ONLINE LIST PROVIDED OF PROVIDERS, TUTORING BOOKS, ONLINE CLASSES, EVEN TRANSPORTATION. THE OTHER THING TOOK WAS THE FIRST TWO YEARS, IF THE BILL HAS PASSED FIRST TWO YEARS, UM, IT STILL HAD HAS AN INCOME ELIGIBILITY FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL OF 200%. IF IT PASSES, UM, THEY TAKE IT TO 400%, WHICH THAT WOULD INCLUDE ALL THE STUDENTS WOW. IN SOUTH ISLAND. AND IT DOES IMPACT THAT WILL DEFINITELY IMPACT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. UM, AND THEN VERSION BILL COLLEGE AND SENATE AND WHAT STUDENT WAS SAYING THAT THEY THINK THEY'RE GONNA COME TO SO CALLED ATE ABOUT IT MM-HMM . BUT EVENTUALLY IT MIGHT WORK WORK THIS THING OUT. UM, ONE OF THE OTHER ONES THAT REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION ALSO WAS, UM, SET BILL 1 25. THEY SAYING THAT IT REALLY NEED TO PASS BECAUSE, UM, AND THIS BILL CAME UP DURING COVID AND IT'S CURRENT NOW FOR TAX EXEMPT DEVELOPERS TO DEVELOP LOW INCOME HOUSING. THAT REALLY NEVER REALLY GOT TO ME. BUT THE AMOUNT WAS NEVER DEFINED ON HOW MUCH OF DEVELOPMENT HAD BE DEDICATED TO LOW INCOME HOUSING. BUT BETWEEN POST ON IN ROCK HILL AND CHARLOTTE DISCOVERED ABOUT A YEAR AGO THAT WHAT THEY WERE DOING, WE PUTTING UP HUNDREDS OF UNITS AND ONLY ONE OR TWO OF THE UNITS IN THERE WAS DEDICATED TO LOW INCOME. NOW WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT NOW THEY GET A HUNDRED PERCENT TAX EXEMPT ON WHO HAVE TWO APARTMENTS. ALTHOUGH THAT WAS REALLY BEST THAT WOULD MESS. I HEARD THAT. AND A HUNDRED PERCENT TAXES. THEY LIKE, HEY WE THAT. SO WE PUT TWO APARTMENTS IN THERE VERSUS A HUNDRED [00:50:01] MM-HMM . AND THE THING ABOUT IT IS, WHO, WHO DOES NOT BENEFIT? IS IT IN THIS IS THE SCHOOL, THIS AREA, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE OUR MONEY COMES FROM. THAT'S HOW OPERATING MONEY AND UM, RIGHT NOW THIS BILL IS, IS IS RUNNING KIND OF HARD THE SENATE AND SAYING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE EFFORTS WITH OUR, OUR, AND TELL 'EM, HEY, COSPONSOR THIS BILL, MAKE SURE YOUR NAME'S DONE BECAUSE YOU NEED SUPPORT OR AS THE, UM, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE NEED TO, IT'S OUR MONEY. IT IS OUR MONEY. SO THOSE, THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT JUST REALLY THREW ME FOR A BIT THERE. I MEAN, UM, THE OTHER THING WAS THE SCHOOL BOARD, UM, US RECEIVING INSURANCE, UM, HAVING THE ABILITY TO SAY, HEY, WE WANT THE INSURANCE AND WE DON'T WANT INSURANCE. YOU KNOW, AND THIS BILL HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN BACK AND FORTH BEING HOW SENATOR SAID, WELL HE SAID THAT THAT, HMM. SENATOR MASSEY. UM, HE'S THE ONE THAT KIND OF KEEP PUTTING BACK IN IT, BUT, UM, BUT I, I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S ULTIMATE THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. UM, THE YOUNG LADY FROM S-S-E-S-E-A WAS SAYING THAT IN THEIR FINANCIAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS FROM STATE MEETINGS, THEY WERE SAYING THAT, OH, THERE'S A LOT OF OLDER PEOPLE IN THERE, YOU GONNA BE SENT, YOU KNOW, ANYWAY, SO NO, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT GO THAT ROUTE. BUT THEY DID A STUDY THAT SHOWED ME THAT WAS DIFFERENT. SO AT LEAST IT WOULD JUST GIVE US THE ABILITY TO SAY YES OR NO TO STATE INSURANCE. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WAS REALLY, I WAS INTRIGUED YESTERDAY AND YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY SAY, WHAT WE WAS TALKING ABOUT OUR PRESENT TO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. BUT WHEN YOU HEAR IT, WHEN YOU HEAR IT COME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE, IT'S LIKE, OH, IT REALLY KIND OF SENSE IN. SO YOU ACTUALLY GOTTA HEAR THIS. I REALLY DO, BUT I LIKE READ. BUT WHEN YOU HEAR IT, IT'S LIKE, OH, THIS IS REAL STUFF GOING ON HERE. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I LEARNED FROM FROM YESTERDAY AND IT LOOKED THAT HAD MY ATTENTION THE WHOLE DAY. THE WHOLE DAY AND SEE HOW IT GOT, UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPENED, MIKE RIVERS, UM, AT THE HOUSE, REPRESENTATIVE SPOTTY INTRODUCED ME, UM, WALTER AND I, THAT WAS, I SAW SOME PRETTY LAZY STUFF THERE. AND I JUST THINK THAT MORE OF US SHOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE IT WAS JUST ME, YOU KNOW, IT MY FIRST TIME, BUT I JUST THINK THAT MORE OF US SHOULD HAVE, SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR THAT BECAUSE IT, IT WAS REALLY GOOD. IT WAS STUFF THAT I, I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, BUT I STOPPED TALKING. WELL, YOU CAN WRITE THOSE DOWN. I DOWN AND THEN SHARE 'EM WITH, SO THAT IS CAPTURED OUT THIS MEETING AND THERE'S MORE PEOPLE CAN GET IT. I GOT, I TELL YOU ONE THING, YOUR NOTES ARE HECK A LOT BETTER THAN MINE. I, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING, I REMEMBER THEM SAYING, RIGHT, RIGHT. BUT I DON'T HAVE 'EM IN MY, I GOT YOU. YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THEY HAD THAT BILL WHERE YOU COULD SAY, I ACCEPT THE HEALTHCARE OR I DON'T. RIGHT. YOU KNOW WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THEM, KEEP YOUR HEALTHCARE. HOW MUCH DOES THAT, HOW MUCH IT COST? 2009, GIMME THE 2000. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE STUDY SHOWED THAT IT WAS. PEOPLE TAKE IT ALL BASED UPON THE RATES, YOU KNOW, UD INCENTIVES ON, ON A . WHEN I LOOKED IT UP, I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND THE THE VOUCHER THING IS, OH, IT GIVE YOU $6,000 AND YOU CAN SPEND IT ON TRANSPORTATION, YOU CAN SPEND IT ON BOOKS, YOU CAN SPEND IT ON HOMESCHOOLING AND SO YOU'RE GONNA GIVE YOU $6,000 AND YOU'RE GONNA PUT IT IN YOUR POCKET. AND YOU SAY, WELL THEY COULD GO TO, UH, UH, BEFORD ACADEMY ACADEMY, 6,000 OR $12,000 A YEAR. SO YOU'RE GONNA GIVE ME $6,000, THEN I GOTTA COME UP WITH $6,000 AND GO UP THERE. OR LET'S SEE, I'M ALREADY SENDING MY KID YOU FOR ACADEMY AND I'M PAYING $12,000 NOW. YOU WON'T GIVE 6,000. RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RYAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. RIGHT. AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A SUBSIDY FOR RICH PEOPLE. YEAH, YEAH. YES. THREE DIFFERENT STATES YOU CAN FIND, YOU CAN FIND THE DATA. YES. IT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENED. AND, AND THESE PEOPLE UP AT, UH, COLUMBIA THAT GETS . YOU. YEAH, OKAY. IT'S OKAY TO GET BUT YOU GOT STILL TRUMP. YEAH, YEAH. YEAH. UNBELIEVABLE. WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT ACTUALLY GONE MORE CHANCE OF THE PASSING IT THAN NOT [00:55:01] OR DOUBT? SO, UM, I, YES SIR. NO, THAT WAS BASICALLY MY DAY. THAT THERE WAS SOME TIME, UM, CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT MM-HMM . AND HER, HER IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE STATE. SHE, YOU KNOW, EVEN BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT 54, 50 4% OF ODD THIRD BUSINESS IN SOUTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA ARE NOT REALLY ON THE LEFT, YOU KNOW, AND THAT WAS A PET, THAT'S A PET PEEVE OF HERS WAS READING. SHE REALLY, SHE REALLY SLAMMED UP AND SAID, HEY, WE NEED TO GET BACK TO THE SESSION OF READING THE SIGNS OF READING. AND WHEN YOU GO TO, TO THE SAME PAGE, SHE'S PUSHING THAT REAL HARD. YEAH. WELL WE, WE'VE ALREADY INITIATED PHONICS. AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS THEY GOT AWAY FROM IS SOUND OUT, SOUND OUT LETTERS, LEARN PHONICS. UH, THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING IS THAT, UH, SHE, SHE REALLY DOESN'T GET THE PROBLEMS OF, UH, OF THE CHARTER SCHOOLS. AND, BUT YOU SEE THERE'S ONE OF THE LAWS IS KEEPING CHARTER SCHOOLS ACCOUNTABLE. MM-HMM . BUT SHE STILL DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE TESTING ISSUE AND THE TESTING ISSUE, THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS VERSUS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AND, AND, AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT, UH, AND FRANK RODRIGUEZ HAS TOLD HER ABOUT IT, BUT SHE, SHE'S NOT LISTENING. SHE, UH, THAT THAT CAME UP. YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION. YEAH, I DID. SO, AND SHE TALKED ABOUT SOME EXAMS THAT THEY, THAT SHE WENT TO, I CORRECTLY, I THINK SHE WENT TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL AND SHE SAID, I'M OUTTA SCHOOL. THEY TOOK, AND I DIDN'T REMEMBER NOTEBOOK, BUT THEY DID TAKE THE EXIT EXAM, BUT I DON'T THINK SHE DID. NO. IT THREW THE BACK WAY. DR. RODRIGUEZ SAID, WE'D LIKE TO TAKE THAT, LET'S TAKE THAT EXAM. YOU KNOW, TAKE THE STATE EXAM. SAID YOU SAVED A LOT OF MONEY IN STATE ROCK BECAUSE YOU, YOU SPENT A LOT OF MONEY MONITORING THAT. WE'LL JUST TAKE THE SAME EXAM AT ALL THE PRIVATE SCHOOL. BUT OH, WE, I GOT KNOW ABOUT THAT ANY MORE, SIR? NO, I'M GOOD. I'M GOOD. WELL, AGAIN, YOU, YOU ARE NOTETAKING AND HE WAS WRITING FURIOUSLY IN EVERY ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD. SO YOU MAY END UP BEING IDENTIFIED AS THE, UH, UH, LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE. NO KIDDING. . ALRIGHT, SO THEN I CAN SPEAK ON THE, UH, SCHOOL BOARD, UH, SUPERINTENDENT VISIT TO THE, UH, OFFICE. THERE. WE WERE TREATED WONDERFULLY. UM, AND YOU CAN SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS. UM, BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I THOUGHT WE WERE TREATED GRACIOUSLY. YEAH. AND, UM, VARIOUS MEMBERS HAD GIVEN, INCLUDING COLONEL, THE SUPERINTENDENT AND OTHERS, A LIST OF PRIORITIES THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE DISCUSSED MS. OVER WHERE MY QUESTIONS CAME TIME. SO THE FIRST ONE IS FISCAL AUTHORITY. UM, AND SHE COULD, THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS ABLE TO GIVE US AN OPINION ON THAT. UM, IT, SHE, SHE FEELS IT IS A LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, SO WE DIDN'T CHALLENGE ANYTHING THAT SHE SAID. WE WERE JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT WHERE THE POSITION WAS. SO THAT'S, THAT'S A STARTING POINT. UH, SO THAT WAS ONE, UM, A RESPONSE. AND SHE GAVE A LONGER RESPONSE FOR BOILING IT DOWN HERE. UH, THERE WERE SEVERAL DEALS MENTIONED AND THAT HAD, UH, GOTTEN ATTENTION IN TERMS OF THE CONSTITUTION. SO WE WERE ABLE, SHE WAS ABLE TO MENTION THAT, UM, AND, UH, CONVERSATION HERE, OUR MOMENT WE WERE IN FRONT OF THE BIG MURAL MM-HMM . AND TOOK THE PICTURE AND SHE AND I OFF TO THE SIGN, UH, SHE SAID THAT THAT ONE, UH, IN TERMS OF PASSING, UH, MIGHT NOT HAVE A LOT OF ENERGY BECAUSE IT'S TOO CHAOTIC. AND IT IS, COLONEL SAID IT IS, EVEN IF IT COMES THROUGH AND UH, THEY CAN CHANGE IT IN THE LEGISLATURE, BUT THE CONDITION OF STATES IT A NOT MORE PROBLEMATIC THING. THE OTHER THING THAT WE, WE ASKED AND UM, THIS WAS ESTABLISHED PARITY IN STUDENT TESTING BY PRIVATE CHARTER AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE ALREADY KNEW THAT THERE'S TESTING IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC. AND SHE SPOKE TO THAT AND SAID THAT, BUT THE ISSUE OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS, THAT'S WHERE THAT TEST CAME UP WITH. RIGHT. UM, AND SO SHE SAID THAT THE, ULTIMATELY, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A LOT OF ENERGY TO STANDARDIZE, TO BE VERY SYNCHRONIZED TESTING ACROSS ALL THREE PUBLIC OFFERINGS. BUT I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THOSE TOPICS THAT THE, THE, UH, EXTRA CHALLENGE IT DOES FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL IS SOMETHING WE CAN USE [01:00:01] BECAUSE THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT WE TAKE EVERYBODY. AND SO THERE SHOULD BE PARITY. I'M SAYING, AS YOU SAID, THAT LET'S TAKE THE HOUR TEST, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT SHE WAS REFERRING TO. THE OTHER, UH, TOPIC THAT WAS RAISED, UH, WAS MORE EFFECTIVE DISCIPLINE THAT ALMOST GOT A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. YEAH. DID UM, BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY TESTIMONIALS ABOUT HOW DISCIPLINE DISRUPT THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS. AND IT REALLY ROBS THE KIDS WHO IS THERE TRYING TO DO THEIR BEST. THEY GET DISTRACTED OR THEY GET INTIMIDATED AND THEN THEY SORT OF WITHDRAW. UH, AND I MEAN THAT ONE WAS ALMOST UNANIMOUS YEAH. FROM THE COMMENTS AND WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING. SO YOU, YOU MAY SEE SOMETHING FROM THERE. WE MAY HAVE TO PUSH THAT THOUGH. I MEAN, AS THE DISTRICT, WE GET IT OUT THERE. WE TALKING TO TWO OTHER DISTRICTS WHICH OCCUR COLONEL ABOUT, THAT YOU KNOW, WOULD POTENTIALLY ALIGN WITH US. UM, WE RAISED ABOUT BIRTH TO FIVE. RIGHT. UM, BECAUSE SO MUCH DATA SHOWS THAT TWO PARENT HOMES IN 'EM, AND YOU'RE NOT TALKING WHATEVER THE NOMENCLATURE YOU APPLIED TO THE TWO PARENTS, BUT TWO PARENTS ARE BETTER ABLE TO SUPPORT A KID THAN ONE. AND SO THE QUESTION POSED TO HER WAS THE, THE DATA INCLUDING FROM FINLAND AND SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRY SHOWED THAT THAT IS REALLY KEY AND WHAT CAN BE DONE. SO THAT'S ANOTHER ONE. WE BROUGHT THE T UP. ALRIGHT. UM, ANOTHER ITEM THAT WAS REFERRED TO US WAS THE STATE AND HEALTH INSURANCE. SO WE, WE CAPTURED THAT, UM, OH, THE HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME TO US AS WELL. TEACHERS AGREEING, THAT WAS ONE THAT WAS, UM, ALREADY IN THE BILL, SO PEOPLE WERE AWARE OF THAT. SO IT WAS QUITE A, QUITE A BIT THERE. THAT WAS REALLY VERY INTERESTING ONE. ANOTHER ONE WAS CREDIT FOR THE EXPERIENCE IN NON-TEACHING PHYSICIANS SO THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN WORKING AS A MATHEMATICIAN, HOW DO YOU GET THEM IN AND GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR THEIR EXPERIENCE? AND THEN YOU, YOU KNOW, IN A VERY QUICK MODIFIED PROGRAM TO CERTIFY THEM AS HAVING YOUR PEDAGOGY IDENTITY FOR TO ACTUALLY COME IN AND TEACH IT. SO THAT WAS ONE THAT, UM, WAS RAISED. OKAY. ANOTHER ONE WAS THE, UM, SHE MENTIONED ENABLE STREAMING MODEL POLICY FOR STUDENTS SO THAT SCHOOLS GET MORE FUNDING FOR BEING ABLE TO STREAM SOME OF THAT CLASS CLASSROOM INFORMATION SO THAT KIDS WHEN THEY'RE AT HOME CAN STILL ACCESS AND HELP THEM MAYBE SUPPLEMENT WHAT THEY'RE LEARNING IN SCHOOL. DEFINITELY WAS ONE I HAD NOT HEARD BEFORE. CHARTER SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY. UM, WHEREAS CHARTER CAN REVOKE A CHARTER SCHOOL CAN R UH, UM, PURSUE CHANGING FROM ONE SPONSOR OR AUTHORIZER TO ANOTHER, BUT THEY CAN TERMINATE THE CO THE CONTRACT WITH THE MAJORITY VOTE OF THEIR VOTE. UH, AND TO CHANGE AUTHORIZER WILL REQUIRE THE AGREEMENT THAT SAID THAT, SAY A THE CURRENT AUTHORIZED IN THE FUTURE AUTHORIZED. SO THEY COULDN'T JUST SORT OF LEAVE, UM, THE UMBRELLA AND THE CONTRACTS MUST BE ONLINE SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT. WE TALKED ABOUT LIFELONG CERTIFICATION. THERE'S A BIG DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, EXPULSION FOR ONE YEAR FOR KNOWING THEY BRINGING A GUN TO SCHOOL. THERE WAS AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED THERE. AND SO THAT SORT OF, AND THE KID WAS A KID, UH, STUDENT AND HE BROUGHT A GUN TO SCHOOL, UM, IF SOMEONE HAD BASICALLY INTIMIDATED AGAIN. AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THOSE, THOSE ISSUES THAT ALSO CAME UP. OKAY. UH, THE OTHER ONE, OUR OWN, UM, REPRESENTATIVE WE THOUGHT VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN INFORMING US AS BILL 36 45, WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE IMPACT ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR GIVING FIVE WEEKS OF PAID PARENTAL LEAVE. SO THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL BURDEN FINANCIALLY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO COVER. AND SO HE WANTED US TO BE AWARE OF THAT. UM, SO THOSE WERE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE. UM, ANYTHING ELSE COME TO MIND, PASTOR FROM BEING THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT? [01:05:03] OKAY. ANY GUIDANCE FROM ANYONE? PASTORS FROM , MS. NOR COLONEL. I OKAY. ASK THE QUESTION. YEAH. SETH COOPER. MM-HMM . AND S-P-E-R-E-L-P. MM-HMM . WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT HE WORKS FOR HARVARD UNIVERSITY. HE'S GUY I RESPONDED TO, I MET HIM IN ATLANTA AND HE IS A RESEARCHER, UH, HE'S A YALE GRADUATE, WORKED FOR MCKENZIE IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND THROUGH PERFORMANCE. AND SO HE WAS THERE AT THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD AND HE APPROACHED AND ASKED IF HE COULD SHARE, REVIEW, SHARE A, UH, SURVEY THAT THEY DEVELOPED. AND THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THEY, THEY BASICALLY VALIDATED. AND SO WE SPENT LIKE 34 5 MINUTES THERE. AND SO WHAT HE'S DOING IS GOING AROUND WHERE THE CONGREGATIONS OF EDUCATORS SHARING THE SURVEY AND THEN THEY WANT TO EMPIRICALLY VALIDATED AND THAT THEY'VE ALREADY DONE THAT ONCE, BUT NOW THEY'RE ASKING PEOPLE FOR FEEDBACK. SO FOR ME IT WAS A, UH, TYPICAL DATA HEAVY, UM, WITH VERY STRONG, UM, STATISTICAL STRUCTURES PUT IN PLACE. RIGHT. WORD. YOU CHANGE ONE WORD AND A AND A SURVEY, YOU WOULDN'T THINK IT WOULD MATTER, BUT IF YOU GET A DIFFERENT RESULT. AND SO THEY WERE VERY STRONG IN THAT. BUT THE THING THAT I SUGGESTED WAS MAKE IT MORE INTUITIVELY ACCESSIBLE. SO, YOU KNOW, GIVE PEOPLE AN ABILITY TO LOOK AT IT AND JUST SAY, OH YEAH, I UNDERSTAND IT, AND HERE'S MY RESPONSE TO THAT. SO TO SIMPLIFY THOSE ONE THING, UM, SO THAT, THAT WAS WHAT HE WAS DOING. SO WHEN YOU SAW ME RESPOND, HE'S LOOKING, HE, HE MENTIONED HE WAS GOING AROUND THE WHOLE NATION AND I FIGURED IT WOULD BE GOOD IF HE WOULD, YOU KNOW, ALLOW SOME TIME TO COME TO VISA. AND THEN IF YOU AND THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT BETWEEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE NOW BECOME ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND FORMULATE AND FINE TUNE THAT SURVEY. YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF THE WHOLE STRATEGY FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MM-HMM . IS TO NOT ONLY LOOK AT OUR LOCAL LEGISLATORS, BUT TO GO OUT TO, UH, UNIVERSITIES THAT ARE DOING THESE KINDS OF STUDIES TO ATTRACT THEM TO COME TO US BECAUSE, AND THEY COME, THEY BRING BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD GIVE THEM SOMETHING, WE FILL OUT A SURVEY OR SOMETHING. IF THEY CAN COME IN WITH A GRANT YEAH. THEY CAN COME IN WITH LET'S TRY A PILOT. YEP. AND, YOU KNOW, I AM, I, I BELIEVE RIGHT. ANY PILOT IS NOT A BAD THING TO HAVE COME IN HERE. RIGHT. WE, I'M SURE, YOU KNOW, WE'D FIND A SCHOOL THAT WOULD BE JUST LOVE TO DO THAT. AND IT IS BRINGING IN OTHER PEOPLE'S MIND. I LIKE TO SPEND OTHER PEOPLE'S MIND ALWAYS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST WANT TO SAY THERE IS THE VALUE AND I, I UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE OF GOING TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT CONFERENCES MM-HMM . BECAUSE FRANKLY I SPENT A LOT OF TIME GOING TO CONFERENCES AND I DIDN'T GET A WHOLE LOT OUT OF IT AND WASTE SOME TIME. AND SO IT'S GOOD THAT I DIDN'T GO BECAUSE I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE GOT ANYTHING OUTTA IT. . BUT YOU GUYS GOT A LOT OUT OF IT AND YOU SOWED SOME SEEDS OUT THERE THAT CAN GROW. AND SO THAT, THAT'S CHANGED MY VIEW OF IT A LOT. AND WE JUST NEED TO HAVE MORE FOLKS GO AND DO THAT. AND DIFFERENT VENUES. MM-HMM . MORE THAN JUST POLITICAL STUFF. MM-HMM . MM-HMM . BUT ALSO THESE DIFFERENT WIZARDS THAT HAVE IDEAS. ABSOLUTELY. AND MONEY. ABSOLUTELY. AND AS SOON AS YOU START TALKING ABOUT HARVARD, I THINK MONEY, MONEY, , LOTS OF IT. LOTS OF IT. SO I, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD, UH, MENTION THAT IN YOUR, YOUR LEGISLATIVE REPORT SO THAT THE BOARD KNOWS AND THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN SOME WAYS BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS REACHING OUT NATIONALLY AS WELL AS REACHING OUT TO THE STATE. UH, FOLKS THAT THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE IF THEY KNOW ABOUT US, AND FRANKLY, EVERY TIME WE BRING SOMEBODY FROM OUTSIDE INTO BEAUFORD COUNTY, THEY'RE BLOWN [01:10:01] AWAY MM-HMM . BY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. RIGHT. AND, AND WE'RE NOT GETTING CREDIT FOR IT, AND WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY MONEY FROM OTHER PEOPLE, UH, TO DO MORE OF IT. THAT'S TRUE. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I SAW THAT BEFORE THAT THERE, THERE IS THE SECOND AND THIRD ORDER EFFECTS OF THE INVESTMENT OF SENDING FOLKS OUT TO THESE DIFFERENT COLLEGES. WE NEVER SPENT THE MONEY, I MEAN, WE BUDGET THE MONEY, BUT WE'VE NEVER, WE'VE NEVER REALLY SPENT ALL OF THAT MONEY AND, AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE MONEY IN OTHER FUNDS THAT WE COULD, IF WE HAD MORE PEOPLE INTERESTED. SO, YOU KNOW, WELL WE KIND OF, UH, TYPICALLY BUDGET, WE ONLY BUDGET FOR LIKE MAYBE THREE OR FOUR. SO WE NEED KEEP IT DOWN, BUT YES. YEAH, YOU CAN, LIKE YOU SAID, WE CAN MOVE MONEY AROUND, GET OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH GOING AND DIFFERENT THINGS. YEAH. I, I LOOK AT THE FINANCE REPORT. WE ARE, WE ARE, I THINK 70, 75%. IT'S, WE ONLY GOT TWO MONTHS LEFT TO GO. YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MONEY, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF. AND SO I, I KIND OF LIKE TO, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE OUR BUDGET. WE SPEND EVERY, EVERY DIME ON, NOT ON, NOT ON A SNACK, BUT ON PEOPLE OUT THERE AND SPREADING THE WORK. YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE BEING A, YOU KNOW, UH, PROSELYTIZING AND GETTING OUT, TALKING TO THE MASSES AND BRINGING 'EM IN. LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S RIGHT UP YOUR ALLEY. YOU MAY, YOU MAY HAVE A NEW CONVERSION COVID. YEAH. UM, WE TOTALLY, TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT UM, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY WE SHOULD TRY TO DO IS, IS UH, ASK FOR RECAPS WHEN KEEP UP. BUT THAT, THAT, SO KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE PEOPLE GIVING IDEAS, HEY, WHEN WE GO THERE, ASK ABOUT THIS, THAT SORT OF TRIGGERED, MAN, I NEED TO MAKE SURE I CAPTURE THAT. MM-HMM . AND THEN REPORT BACK WITH IT. JIM ALSO FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO KNOW, UM, WHATEVER. BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE SEND YOU ON. AND AS YOU SAID, THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT COME UP. IF BOARD MEMBER, WE NEED TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO BOARD MEMBERS, LIKE AT THE WORK SESSION, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT DOES COME UP THAT'S INTEREST YOU WHEN SUBMIT IT, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THE WHAT, SOUTH CAROLINA. RIGHT. RIGHT, RIGHT. AND THAT COULD BE, THAT COULD BE LOCAL TOO. THAT COULD BE A SERVICE CLUB THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO DO SOMETHING. RIGHT. OKAY. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO? UH, SOUNDS GOOD. LET ME, LET ME FIND OUT A SCHOOL THAT WOULD, WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP FOR THAT. UH, WELL, YOU SAW OR IS WELL, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I MEAN IT'S EYE OPEN. IT'S, IT IS THERE. MM-HMM . IT'S THERE, IT YOU WE TO USE THERE, THERE IS SO MUCH RESOURCES IN THIS COUNTY THAT WE ARE NOT USING. AND, AND, AND THAT'S, WE HAVE A VERY LOVING GIVING COMMUNITY. BUT YOU GOTTA TELL 'EM WHAT'S LOVE AND WHAT TO GIVE. THAT'S VERY TRUE. OKAY, WELL WE HAVE EXHAUSTED THE LIST AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S INPUTS AND GUIDANCE AND COMMENTS. UM, SO THE NEXT MEETING IS ON MAY 13TH, 2025 OR 1:00 PM AND ARE THERE ANY TOPICS THAT YOU, THE PEOPLE HERE TODAY WOULD LIKE TO SEE STUFF AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, SUCH AS THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY? YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, BY THAT TIME WE MAY 13TH IS THE SOUTH COAST CYBER SIGN. OH, OKAY. OKAY. YEAH. SO WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, WHAT DATE YOU, YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT. WE'LL TAKE A LOOK. CURRENT, WE'LL, WE'LL CIRCULATE IT AND SEE WHAT THE AVAILABILITY IS. SO I JUST THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THAT. YEAH, VERY MUCH SO. VERY MUCH SO. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO IF, RIGHT. UM, EIGHT, TWO, BUT NOT BE . IT IS NOT, IT SHOULD BE THE 15, 15TH. 15. YEAH, I THINK. OKAY. THE 13TH SHOULD BE OPERATIONS. UM, WELL, THE FIFTH, NO, THE 15TH WOULD BE FINANCE BECAUSE THAT'S THE SECOND THURSDAY. NORMALLY WE WOULD'VE MET ON WEDNESDAY, SO IT WOULD'VE BEEN THE 14TH. OKAY. SO BECAUSE THE 13TH [01:15:01] SHOULD BE OPERATIONS, THE 14TH WOULD BE LEGISLATIVE, 15TH WOULD BE FIVE YEARS. YES. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, MAY 14TH AT ONE O'CLOCK SHOULD BE THE NEXT, UH, LEGISLATOR. OKAY. SO THE, THIS IS UM, AN HOUR AND A HALF IS WHAT WE TARGET FOR THE LEGISLATIVE . SO I'LL CHECK WITH, UH, COLONEL, UH PARKER. COLONEL GUNNER. YEAH. AND SEE EXACTLY. SO I'VE DONE IT BEFORE I'VE STEPPED OUT. YES. FOR IT'S LIKE A TWO DAY EVENT. OKAY. AND, AND I, BUT I DON'T WANT TO MISS ANYTHING HE SAYS IS CRITICAL. SO, WE'LL, WE'LL LEAVE AND WE'LL CHANGE IT TO THE 14TH YOU SAY? YEAH, IT SHOULD, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE GENERALLY SET TO ME ON THE SECOND WEDNESDAY. CORRECT. UM, SO THAT WOULD BE MAY 14TH AT ONE O'CLOCK. OKAY, SOUNDS GOOD. SO WE'LL TARGET THAT AND I'LL REACH OUT TO COLONEL PARKER AND, UM, ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY. WELL THANK YOU ALL BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A GREAT DISCUSSION AND, UH, APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE AND UH, AGAIN, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT SURPRISED THAT WE CAN GET IN THOROUGH ON COMMENTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. ALRIGHT. SO IS THERE AN AGREEMENT TO ADJOURN BY A UNANIMOUS CONSENT? IT IS. OKAY, MS. GO. I AGREE. THANK YOU MA'AM. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.