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[00:00:10]

CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND THE MEETING OF THE BUFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION FINANCE COMMITTEE.

MAY 15TH, 2025, HELD AT DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CENTER, CONFERENCE ROOM E WITH REMOTE HYBRID CONFERENCING MEETING.

THE MEETING WILL BE BROADCAST BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL TO SPEAK DURING FINANCE COMMITTEE.

PUBLIC COMMENTS, PLEASE SIGN UP USING THE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM.

YOU CAN FIND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION PUBLIC COMMENT FORM ON YOUR WEB ON OUR WEBSITE, HTTPS SLASH TRIPLE W DOT BUFORT SCHOOLS.NET/ABOUT US SLASH BOARDED SLASH PUBLIC COMMENTS.

YOU'LL RECEIVE A CALL FROM THE PUBLIC COMMENTS WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE FOR A MAXIMUM THREE MINUTES ON ISSUES WITHIN THE COMMITTEE'S DOMAIN.

THE FORM WILL BE LIMITED TO 15 MINUTES.

CITIZENS DESIRING TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON MUST FILL OUT A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD THAT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE BOARD CLERK UPON APPROVAL.

WITH THAT THERE, UH, APPROVAL, A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

SO MOVED.

MOVED.

ALRIGHT.

IS THERE A SECOND OR NO? I SECOND.

I SECOND.

OKAY.

PROPERLY MOVED.

AND SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

A.

AYE.

AYE.

OKAY, GORDON.

AYE.

AYE.

THANK YOU BOTH.

UM, NEXT, IF YOU'LL JOIN IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, I PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND DUE THE REPUBLIC, WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION FROM THE GOD INDIVIDUAL.

ALL.

THANK YOU.

UH, MS. CUSHEN BERRY, HAS THE MEDIA BEEN PROPERLY NOTIFIED? YES.

ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, SIR.

OKAY.

IN REVIEWING THE APRIL 10TH, 2025 COMMITTED MEETING MINUTES, IS THERE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED.

SO MOVED.

THANK YOU MA'AM.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

SECOND.

THANK YOU, MS. GO.

PROPERLY MOVED.

AND SECOND, THE MEETING MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED.

AND WITH THAT ALL IN FAVOR? OH, I'M SORRY.

THANKS.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ALL OPPOSED? A AYE.

SAY AYE.

OKAY, MS. GORDON.

OKAY, SO I'LL SAY AYE IN THE PASSES.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, I SIR.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

UM, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE BOARD MONTHLY BUDGET REPORT.

UH, THIS REPORT, IT WAS PREPARED AS OF, UH, MAY 2ND, 2025.

UH, THE BOARD HAS EXPENDED, UM, 59% OF ITS BUDGET.

AND SO, UH, SO THESE HAVE THE MONTH OF MAY AND JUNE.

AND ANYTHING THAT IS ACCRUED BACK INTO THAT YEAR TO, UM, THAT OCCURRED IN THAT YEAR WOULD BE EXPENDED, UH, AS WE GET INTO THE SUMMER MONTHS.

UM, SO NOTHING, UH, IN EXTRAORDINARY TO TO MENTION TODAY.

UH, I DO WANNA MENTION THAT OUR AUDITORS, THERE'S AN AUDIT SERVICES LINE ITEM IN PARTICULAR THAT 77%.

OUR AUDITORS HAVE BEGUN FIELD WORK FOR NEXT YEAR'S FOR THE CURRENT YEAR FISCAL YEAR AUDIT.

SO THERE WILL BE SERVICES AND BILLINGS FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING NOW, UM, FOR THE AUDIT THAT WILL BE COMPLETED, UH, LATER IN THE FALL AND DECEMBER TIMEFRAME.

UM, SO THEY ACTUALLY ARRIVE, UH, UH, ONE OR TWO STAFF MEMBERS WILL ARRIVE NEXT WEEK, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, THE LIST OF ITEMS THAT THEY'RE WANTING TO SAMPLE.

UM, SO, UM, USUALLY ONE OF THE LARGER EXPENSES IS THE, UH, STAA BILLING, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES THE POLICY MAINTENANCE.

UM, THOSE ITEMS ARE COVERED IN HERE, ONE OF THE LARGEST OR LARGER EXPENSES UNDER THE OTHER PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL EXPENSES.

UM, AND THEN WE HAVE ALSO OUTSTANDING BILLS FROM THE COUNTY CHANNEL HE'S SENDING, HE IS, UM, GETTING THOSE TOGETHER AND IT'LL BE SENDING, UM, WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.

OKAY.

SO THAT IS AT THE TOP OF PAGE THREE.

TECHNICAL TECH TECHNOLOGY PURCHASE SERVICES AND LICENSES THAT FALLS IN THAT CATEGORY.

SO WE SEE $77,000 BUDGET WITH ONLY 7,000 SPENDING SO FAR, THAT WILL DRASTICALLY

[00:05:01]

INCREASE AS SOON AS THAT BILLING OCCURS AND WILL BE CODED TO THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.

SO OTHER THAN THAT, EVERYTHING IS PRETTY MUCH ON TARGET, UM, AND HISTORICALLY AND HARRISON WITH HISTORY.

AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

MS. UH, GORDON, ANY QUESTIONS? UH, UH, NO QUESTIONS.

NO QUESTIONS.

MS. HAY? YES, I'VE HAD EMAILED ASKING A QUESTION JUST BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA WASTE TIME ON IT.

UM, IF IT WAS JUST SOMETHING I WAS MISUNDERSTANDING, BUT ON THE VERY FIRST PAGE, WHEN IT GOES THROUGH, IT WALKS THROUGH EACH OF OUR DISTRICTS AND OUR BUDGET, OUR REVISED BUDGET EXPENDITURES, ET CETERA.

UM, DISTRICT NINE IS HELD AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL THAN ALL OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, BOARD MEMBERS, AND I COULD NOT RECALL IF THAT HAD BEEN THE PRIOR CHAIR'S DISTRICT AND IF THAT IS WHY THAT AMOUNT IS HIGHER THAN ALL OTHER BOARD, UM, MEMBERS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO INQUIRE ABOUT THAT.

DISTRICT NINE IS, WAS STEVEN'S, DISTRICT NINE IS DR. WATTS.

AND THE BOARD CHAIR TYPICALLY HAS A LARGER BUDGET IN TERMS OF YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.

I THOUGHT SHE WAS, UM, DISTRICT NINE, SO I WAS JUST ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION ON THAT IN CASE ANYONE ELSE IS LOOKING AT THIS REPORT PUBLIC SIDE AND WAS CURIOUS WHY THERE'S ONE LINE THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE REST.

THANK YOU.

GOOD, GOOD QUESTION MS. A.

ALRIGHT, A HUNDRED THOUSAND.

UM, NEXT UP IS THE TRANSPARENCY REPORT, I BELIEVE MARCH OF 2025.

UM, WE, DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE'VE BEEN HEAVILY WORKING ON THE BUDGET, WE HAVE NOT, DON'T HAVE RESOLUTION ON CONSOLIDATING THE REPORTS OR, UM, PROVIDING A SIMPLIFIED MORE VISUAL VERSION YET.

UM, SO WE'LL BE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THAT OR BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT A LITTLE MORE AS THE BUDGET, UM, FINISHES AS WE COMPLETE THE BUDGET.

AND SO, UM, WE HAVE THE SAME STANDARD REPORTS TODAY FOR YOU.

I BELIEVE THE TRANSPARENCY REPORT IS ABOUT 139 PAGES.

UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC TO, TO ADD ON THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC OTHER THAN WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE OTHER.

JUST, UM, NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME ON THAT AS WELL.

SO I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

NOT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.

UM, MS. I'LL, I'LL SHARE VERY BRIEFLY.

UM, MS. HAY, ANY COMMENTS, MA'AM? YES, I JUST HAD ONE.

AND IT COULD BE THAT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN DONE THIS WAY, BUT BETWEEN WORK AND THE BOARD AND REVIEWING THESE DOCUMENTS EVERY MONTH, IT MAY JUST BE THAT I'VE FORGOTTEN SEEING THIS MONTH OVER MONTH.

UM, I BELIEVE IT STARTS ON PAGE 21, AND THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THIS.

PAGE 21 LINE ITEMS 680 THROUGH SEVEN 10 ARE ALL ZEROS.

SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS, AND AGAIN, THIS COULD BE SOLVED MORE EASILY ONCE WE HAVE MORE OF A WAY TO CONSOLIDATE THIS REPORT, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHY WE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO VERBALIZE IT PROPERLY.

I DON'T WANT IT TO COME ACROSS WRONG, BUT WHY WE HOLD SPACE FOR THE ZERO LINE ITEMS, A, UM, STANDARD TEMPLATE THAT HAS EVERY SCHOOL LISTED AND ONLY CERTAIN ONES AND SHE FILLS IN CERTAIN ONES TO APPLY IT TO.

YES.

OKAY.

YES, AND THERE'S AN ENCUMBRANCE.

SO DUE TO THE VOLUME OF TRANSACTIONS THAT WE CODE TO EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL, MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, 30 TO SOMETIMES 40 LOCATION CODES, UH, MANY OF OUR BOOKKEEPERS OR STAFF HAVE A TEMPLATE WHERE THEY LIST EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL AND WHEN THEY HAVE A PURCHASE, THEY ONLY POPULATE THE FIELDS THAT HAVE AN ACTUAL EXPENSE.

SO I BELIEVE, AND AND I, I WILL VERIFY THIS BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING, I BELIEVE THIS IS PART OF THAT TEMPLATE WHERE THEY'RE UPLOADING, UH, INSTEAD OF, SO THEY'RE WORKING MORE EFFICIENTLY BY UPLOADING A TEMPLATE AND ALLOWING THE SYSTEM TO POPULATE ALL OF THE SCHOOLS WITH A NUMBER.

BUT THOSE WHO DIDN'T HAPPEN TO HAVE AN EXPENSE THAT MONTH WERE ZERO.

SO, UH, CHARLOTTE WASKOWITZ IS GREAT, UM, STAFF MEMBER IN TECHNOLOGY AND I WILL VERIFY THAT WITH HER.

UM, BUT THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE MAY SHOW A ZERO, UM, UH, TRANSACTION BECAUSE IT WAS UPLOADED AS A MASSIVE FILE AND, AND UPLOADED INTO THE SYSTEM.

SO

[00:10:01]

I WILL VERIFY THAT BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING OR EITHER BY EMAIL TO THE WHOLE COMMITTEE AND, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS THE CASE OR EXPLAIN OTHERWISE.

PERFECT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU MS. A, MS. GORDON.

ANY, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, MA'AM? NO, THAT WAS A GREAT QUESTION.

THANK YOU.

YEP.

MOVING RIGHT ALONG, MA'AM.

UM, THE MONTHLY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS REPORT, WE HAVE THE CONSOLIDATED REPORT HERE.

UH, WITH, WITH, UH, WITHOUT THE DETAILS BEHIND IT, UH, THESE ARE ANY VENDORS WHO HAVE A TOTAL, UH, SPENDING FOR THE MONTH OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR MORE.

UM, SO WE HAVE A TWO PAGE REPORT THAT CONSOLIDATES THIS DOWN, UH, ANY VARIANCES WE EXPLAINED.

AND, UM, ONE OF THE MANY TIMES IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TIMING OF THE CONTRACT.

UH, THE PAYMENT OF THE CONTRACT, EXCUSE ME.

UM, FOR EXAMPLE, A BM, THE MONTHLY CUSTO CUSTODIAN SERVICES FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY WERE PAID IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.

UM, BUT THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR, ONLY THE MONTH OF MARCH WAS PAID.

SO IT DEPENDS ON THE TIMING OF WHEN THE INVOICE COME IN AND THE PAYMENT GOES OUT.

UM, AJAX IS A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, SO THAT ALL DEPENDS ON THE TIMING OF THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GOING ON.

SO THERE WERE, UM, MORE SCHOOLS IN THE PRIOR YEAR UNDER THAT CONTRACT THAN IN THE CURRENT YEAR.

AND THEN APPLIED DATA IS OUR MAIN LAPTOP VENDOR WHERE WE PURCHASED HP, HEWLETT PACKARD COMPUTERS.

WE DID HAVE A LARGE PURCHASE RECENTLY, AND I, UM, ALTHOUGH IT'S LAR UH, NOT AS LARGE AS LAST YEAR, BUT, UH, USUALLY WE DO BUY IN THE SPRING AND WE MADE SURE THAT IT WAS PARTICULARLY TIMELY THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL TARIFFS.

SO, UM, THAT WE WOULD INCUR AS A RESULT OF THAT.

UM, JASPER A YOU FOR JASPER ACE, WE PAID FEBRUARY MARCH LAST YEAR, OR LAST YEAR WE PAID MARCH AND THIS YEAR WE PAID FEBRUARY AND MARCH AT THE SAME TIME.

WE ARE NOW MAKING, UM, BEAVER JASPER A ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS, SO THEIR EFT AND SO THEY'RE PROCESSED FASTER AND TOWARD THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH.

SO, UM, WE'RE DOING THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THERE TO MAKE, UM, STREAMLINE SO THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING A STAFF NUMBER RUN FROM RIDGELAND TO THE BANK EVERY DAY OR TO THE COUNTY TREASURER'S OFFICE OR TO THE BANK IN BEAUFORT, UH, ONCE A MONTH AND OR TWICE A MONTH, ONCE FOR THE BEAUFORT CHECK AND THEN ONCE FOR THE JASPER CHECK.

SO WE'VE MADE THOSE ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER AND HAVE ASKED JASPER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DO THE SAME.

SO WE'RE KIND MODERNIZING THAT PROCESS AS WELL.

SO I'S, UM, UH, LEMME ASK, UH, MS. HAY OR GORDON ANY COMMENTS? I JUST, I JUST HAVE ONE TO MAKE, BUT I'LL WAIT FOR THE TWO OF YOU IF YOU HAVE ONE AT THIS JUNCTURE.

NO, SIR.

NO, I, I'M GOOD, I'M GOOD.

UH, I REALLY APPLAUD THE, UH, BASICALLY GOING ELECTRONIC ON THAT INTERFACE WITH YOU FOR JASPER.

I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH, HOW, UH, CONSUMING OF YOUR TIME THAT WAS UNTIL ACTUALLY GETTING VERY MUCH EXPOSED TO THE JASPER BILL, UH, BOARD.

SO, UH, THANKS FOR THAT.

AND AS WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT STRATEGY, UH, AND GOING FORWARD AND WHERE WE WERE GONNA PRIORITIZE, UM, LOOKING AT STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS THAT CAN LIGHT LOAD WORKLOAD ON OUR PEOPLE AND THE DATA PROCESSING AND TRANSFER SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD, SHOULD PAY OFF COURSE, RIGHT? WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MEETING, UH, A DIRECTOR'S MEETING IN FINANCE EVERY YEAR TO DEVELOP GOALS AND THINGS THAT WOULD, AND OUR, YOU KNOW, WE WANT CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE.

AND SO THIS, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS.

AND WE MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE THINGS WE WANNA DO DURING THE YEAR, AND THEN WE MONITOR THAT ABOUT ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR AND THEN AGAIN AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND SEE HOW MUCH WE ACCOMPLISHED TO THOSE.

BUT THIS IS JUST PART OF THAT, THAT GOAL SETTING AND, AND STREAMLINING THAT WE ARE ALL TRYING TO DO.

IF, IF YOU, IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACTUALLY QUANTIFY THE SAVINGS IN, UH, I, SORRY TO SAY MAN HOURS, BUT HUMAN HOURS FOR TIME, AND YOU CAN GIVE AN EMPIRICAL, WE DID THIS AND YOU NEED TO SAVINGS, REDIRECT THOSE RESOURCES TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S HIGHER VALUE ADDED AT PARTICULAR POINT THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THAT IMPORTANT.

YEAH.

SO, SO I, I APPLAUD WHAT YOU DID.

MM-HMM .

SORRY, , UM, I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS OF THESE, BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE CONSTRUCTION VENDORS.

UM, AND SO THE, JUST THE CHANGE IN THE, UM, TIMING OF THE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON IN PECAN CHARLES PERRY, UM, BUD GROUP AND SO ON, THOSE ARE ALL CONSTRUCTION AND JUST DEPEND FOR BUD GROUPS A CUSTODIAL VENDOR.

I'M SORRY.

UM,

[00:15:08]

JUST, UH, SO NO REAL DETAILED QUESTION OR, UM, COMMENTS FROM MY AREA.

UM, BUT AGAIN, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

S NIGHT AT THE CLOCK MEETING, THEY, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORTED THAT THEY WENT THROUGH THE BOOKS ON THE PAYMENTS AND, AND, UH, VOUCHERS AND ALL THINGS BALANCED.

SO, OH, THAT'S RICH LER REPORTED.

OH, CLOCK MEETING, CLOCK COMMITTEE.

GOTCHA.

CLOCK JUST JUST TO VERIFY YOUR PIECE ON, ON BILL AND SO ON.

AND, AND ALSO REPORTED FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE ARE AHEAD OF THE CASH FLOW.

OH MY GOODNESS.

FIRST TIME.

AND THEY SAID THAT WAS BECAUSE WE HAVE BECOME MORE EFFICIENT IN PROCESSING PAPERWORK FROM THE VENDOR CHANNEL THEN.

SO THAT, THAT WAS A KUDO THAT CAME OUT PROJECT MATES LAST NIGHT.

YEAH, PROJECT MATES, UH, IS THE NEW SOFTWARE THEY HAVE, SO THEY'RE ABLE TO GET REAL TIME DATA MORE ACCURATELY THERE.

AND WE WERE ABLE TO ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH, UM, PAY APPLICATIONS AND AMENDMENTS, UM, NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE, WE CAN ACCESS IT FROM OUR PHONES, OUR EMAIL, AND SO WE CAN STILL KEEP TRACK OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE ALL THE DOCUMENTS ARE AND AND EFFICIENTLY MOVE THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS A LITTLE FASTER.

AND THAT'S IN CONJUNCTION WITH OPERATIONS GROUP? YES.

IS THAT CORRECT? YES.

THEY INITIATED THAT.

WERE YOU, WERE YOU SORT OF, UH, AT NEXT BOARD MEETING CONSIDERED JOINTLY TALKING ABOUT THAT TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT OR IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WANNA SHY AWAY FROM? UM, WELL, IT WOULD BE WHERE, UH, MR ING, UH, DEPARTMENT REALLY INITIATED IT.

AND I, UM, WAS ONLY INVOLVED BECAUSE I INSISTED ON AN ACCOUNTANT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF OUR REFERENDUM PROJECTS INSISTING ON AN ACCOUNTANT BEING A PART OF THEIR TEAM AND TO BE MONITORING EVERY SINGLE PAY APPLICATION AND ALL THE DETAILS AND SENDING BACK, YOU KNOW, MONITORING THE PAYMENTS.

SO I WAS INVOLVED IN HELPING HIRE THE PERSON THAT WORKS FOR HIRI.

THAT IS, THAT WAS INITIALLY THE PERSON WHO IMPLEMENTED AND, UH, BROUGHT FORWARD THIS PROJECT MADE SYSTEM AND SHE WAS ONE OF THE KEY IMPLEMENTERS OF THE PRO THE PROGRAM.

UM, LORI WILSON IS HER NAME, AND, UM, BUT IT HAS TREMENDOUS BENEFITS.

UM, SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING MR. ING, IF I DON'T KNOW, AND HIS STAFF WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT WOULD BE, YEAH, IT CAN CERTAINLY COMMENT ON WHAT BENEFITS ON OUR SIDE.

OH, EVEN FOR THE VISUAL, UH, IF YOU CONFIRM WITH MR. OTTING BEFORE, AND MAYBE WHEN IT GETS TO THAT POINT, THE TWO OF YOU UP THERE, EXPLAIN HOW YOU COLLABORATE.

WE'RE TRYING TO MODEL THE EFFICIENT BEHAVIOR AND SEARCH FOR IMPROVEMENT, RIGHT? THAT ALREADY OCCURRED FOR THE PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW.

YEAH, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE COULD PUT TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST MAY MEETING, BUT I THINK IT'D BE TOO LATE FOR THE 20TH OR JUNE.

I'M SORRY, JUNE GOING TO JUNE .

SO MAYBE FOR JUNE MEETING WE CAN, WHATEVERS APPROPRIATE, I'LL TALK AND THEN PEOPLE SEEING, YOU KNOW, S AND FINANCE COLLABORATING AND THE OUTCOME.

ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, MS. HAY OR MS. GORDON FRAZIER AND MR. SMITH ? NO, SIR.

ALRIGHT.

UM, MR. SMITH AND MS. FRAZIER, NO QUESTION FROM ME.

THANK YOU MA'AM.

NO QUESTIONS FROM ME AT THIS TIME.

THANK YOU, MR. SMITH.

COLONEL.

OKAY, NEXT ONE.

I, OKAY.

UM, THIS IS THE THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 25.

SO 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR.

UM, THINGS ARE GOING, UM, VERY MUCH AS EXPECTED, UH, ON TARGET.

WE HAVE LOCAL PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS.

I'M GONNA JUST KIND OF RUN DOWN A FEW OF THE POINTS ON PAGE TWO, WHICH IS OUR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.

UM, LOCAL PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS, THIS IS AS OF MARCH 31ST, UH, ARE REPORTED AT 211.7 MILLION OR 96% OF COLLECTION OR, UH, THE BUDGET.

UM, PRIOR YEAR COLLECTIONS WERE GREATER, BUT WE DID HAVE MUCH MORE GROWTH IN THE PRIOR YEAR THAN WE EXPECTED.

SO WE ARE ON TARGET WITH WHERE OUR BUDGET SHOWS THAT WE SHOULD BE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

UH, NOT ABOVE, NOT BELOW, BUT RIGHT, RIGHT WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

UH, WE DO.

UM, SO I THINK THE LAST TIME I MENTIONED TAX SELECTIONS, WE WERE ABOUT 2 MILLION ABOVE WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE THE NEXT MONTH CAME IN MUCH LOWER THAN WE THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BE.

SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE BREAK EVEN.

[00:20:01]

SO, UM, SO OUR REMAINING PROJECTIONS SHOW THAT WE ARE GONNA BE VERY CLOSE TO THE BUDGET, NOT 2 MILLION ABOVE.

SO WE'VE HAD TO ADJUST A FEW OF OUR PROJECTIONS AND, AND, UM, BUT THEY'RE, WE'RE RIGHT ON TARGET WITH PREVIOUS YEARS, UM, WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

UM, THE PREVIOUS YEAR WAS ALL ABOUT REASSESSMENT, AND IT WAS MASSIVE GROWTH, UH, 14% GROWTH PROJECTION.

WE DO NOT EXPECT THAT THIS YEAR.

UM, AND SO WE EXPECT OUR 7% GROWTH PROJECTION TO FALL RIGHT IN LINE WITH WHAT IT NEEDED TO BE.

UH, STATE REVENUES ARE $91 MILLION OR 67% AT THE END OF THE THIRD QUARTER.

PRIOR YEAR COLLECTIONS WERE 67, WE'RE FOUR TENTHS OF A PERCENT, UH, GREATER THAN THAT.

SO WE DO HAVE A SLIGHT, UH, DECLINE IN PROJECTIONS, BUT RELATIVELY MINIMAL AMOUNT ON THE SCALE OF THE LARGE BUDGET, UH, TOTAL THIRD QUARTER SPENDING IS 232 MILLION, UM, WHICH IS JUST A LITTLE LOWER, UH, ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE THAN THE PRIOR YEAR.

UM, AND SO WE THAT ATTRIBUTE THAT TO VACANCIES.

SALARIES AND BENEFITS ARE, ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE, UM, SHOWING SOME UNDERSPENDING.

UM, SPECIAL REVENUE IS A LITTLE LOWER, AND THAT'S MOSTLY BECAUSE WE HAD ESTHER FUNDS THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

UH, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE THIS YEAR.

AND THEN THE DEBT SERVICE FUND IS REPORTING AT 96%.

UH, AGAIN, JUST LIKE THE GENERAL FUND, UH, WE'RE RIGHT ON TARGET WITH WHAT THE PROJECTIONS WERE.

UH, AND THEN CAPITAL, WE HAVE, UH, 2019 REFERENDUM PROJECTS ABOUT 98.9% PAID AND ENCUMBERED AND REFERENDUM 2 20 23 REFERENDUM PROJECTS ARE 41.6.

SO WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED WITH THOSE PROJECTS, UM, AS WELL.

SO, UM, SO TODAY WE HAVE GIVEN YOU THE FULL GAMUT OF ALL THE NUMBERS THAT WE TYPICALLY GIVE YOU.

HOWEVER, AS I LOOK AT 63 PAGES OF INFORMATION, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S TOO MUCH FOR THIS SUMMARY, WHICH SHOULD BE A FINANCIAL SUMMARY.

AND WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE IS THAT THE DE DETAIL, VERY DETAILED, VERY SMALL CAPITAL PROJECTS NUMBERS WOULD BE SEPARATED INTO AND POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.

AND THIS REPORT SHOULD PROVIDE YOU A VISUAL SUMMARY, LIKE GRAPHIC PAGES OF THE FUND, UH, LIKE THAT 2019 REFERENDUM, OR 2023 REFERENDUM, 8%.

AND THAT WOULD PROVIDE A LINK TO YOU TO THOSE DETAILS.

AND SO THAT SHRINKS DOWN THIS REPORT ALMOST IN HALF, AND I THINK IT PROVIDES A BETTER SUMMARY, AND VISUALLY IT'S EASIER TO SEE.

I KNOW THESE SMALL PA PAGES AND NUMBERS ARE REALLY DIFFICULT FOR MYSELF EVEN.

AND, UM, SO I WOULD POSE THAT WE'LL JUST PROVIDE THOSE DETAILS AS A LINK THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IN THE FUTURE AND THEN PROVIDE JUST THE SUMMARIZE DATA FOR YOU.

IF THE COMMITTEE IS, UH, OPEN TO THAT, WE COULD DO THAT NEXT MONTH.

UM, BUT I THINK THAT MIGHT BE MORE VALUABLE TO YOU BY NOT SEEING PROVIDING SO MANY PAGES OF DETAILED INFORMATION.

OKAY.

CAN WE ASK, UH, MS. HAY AND MS, UH, GORDON YOUR COMMENTS? I AM IN SUPPORT OF THAT GORDON.

OKAY.

UM, MR. SMITH AND MS. FRAS.

AND THEN WE'LL COME TO COLONEL GEIER.

YES, I SUPPORT AS WELL.

MR. SMITH.

WELL, YEAH.

MY QUESTION WOULD BE WHEN YOU, UH, WHEN YOU WANNA GIVE OUT THIS NEW FORM OF INFORMATION, UH, WILL IT BE LESS INFORMATION WITH MORE, WITH, WITH, WITH MORE DETAIL, OR WOULD IT BE, UH, WELL, YEAH, WOULD THE, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE LESS INFORMATION.

WE WOULD REMOVE PAGES 26 THROUGH 63, WHICH ARE THE VERY, VERY DETAILED INFORMATION, OR 62, UM, AND WE WOULD PUT THOSE ON OUR WEBSITE, SO IT ACTUALLY MAKES IT MORE TRANSPARENT TO THE PUBLIC.

THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY THERE OTHER THAN AS PART OF THIS REPORT.

BUT WE COULD PUT A SECTION ON OUR WEBSITE THAT SAYS CAPITAL PROJECTS UNDER TRANSPARENCY REPORT AND SHOW A MONTHLY REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN PROVIDE YOU WITH A LINK FROM THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DIRECTLY TO THAT WEBSITE SO YOU CAN VIEW IT THE DETAILS IF YOU WISH TO.

UM,

[00:25:01]

BUT TO ME, THIS REPORT SHOULD BE MORE OF A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY.

UM, AND THEN IF YOU WISH TO HAVE DETAILS, YOU CAN CERTAINLY GO TO THEM OR WE CAN MEET AND PROVIDE MORE DETAILS, YOU KNOW, IN PERSON.

SO YOU STILL HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF INFORMATION, JUST ACCESS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.

W WELL, AND AND, AND TO ME, I, I THINK THAT THAT'S A, THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF, UH, PLACES ARE, ARE KIND OF, WELL, I THINK THAT'S WHERE SOME PLACES ARE, ARE TRYING TO GET TO, TO, UH, AND, AND I DON'T THINK THAT, THAT PEOPLE ARE LIKING THAT BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE BREAKDOWN, IF, IF YOU'RE GONNA STILL GET IT, THEN I DON'T SEE WHAT WOULD HINDER YOU FROM CONTINUING TO STILL BRINGING IT.

THERE'S A QUESTION THEN, THEN THE QUESTION BE ASKED.

BUT IF YOU, UH, TO GIVE US THE, GIVE US THE LINK TO THAT.

I MEAN, I, TO ME, THAT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN GIVING US THE ANSWERS.

SO, I MEAN, TO ME, TO ME, I, I DON'T SEE, UH, IF IT'S NOT BROKE, THEN, THEN WHY FIX IT? I MEAN, TO ME, IT REMINDS ME OF THE GRADUATION SITUATION WHERE, UH, WE WERE TRYING TO CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE THOSE, UM, GRADUATION DATES.

SO I, I MEAN, I, I, TO ME, I, I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS BROKEN.

SO I, I, I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY SEE A NEED, A NEED FOR IT.

UH, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE ON THAT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MR. SMITH.

COLONEL, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT OR A COMMENT ON THAT.

I THINK IT'S FINE DATA THAT WAY, BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED TO REALLY WANNA KNOW, WANT TO GET TO IT QUICKLY MM-HMM .

AND RATHER THAN GO THROUGH PAGE AFTER PAGE, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ITEMIZE AND SAY, I WANNA KNOW ABOUT THIS PROJECT.

AND IT, UH, RELATIONAL DATABASE WILL BRING THAT UP SO WE DON'T HAVE TO SCROLL THROUGH THESE SMALL NUMBERS TO GET IT.

I DO HAVE A COMMENT ON THE OVERALL ON ONE PAGE OF THE OVERALL REPORT WHEN YOU GET TO IT.

OKAY.

SO THEN IT SOUNDS LIKE AMONG THE MEMBERS OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, I, I AGREE.

I'M WILLING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, ESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF YOUR EFFORT TO, UH, GO TO THE EXCEPTIONAL REPORT, WHICH IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO IDENTIFY VERY QUICKLY, VISUALLY, AND THEN WE CAN GO THERE EVEN IF WE HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO.

AND I THINK THAT PROVIDES THE TRANSPARENCY THAT THE PUBLIC WANTS TO SEE.

AND ALSO IT HELPS US MAINTAIN OUR OVERSIGHT, DISCIPLINE OVERSIGHT.

UM, AND MS. HAY PUT IN THAT THE PUBLIC WANTS THE TRANSPARENCY.

YEAH.

YEP.

ALRIGHT.

OKAY.

UH, KE YOU HAD SOMETHING? YEAH.

PAGE, UH, 24 STUDENT ACTIVITIES, , THIS REALLY, THIS BOTHERED ME, HAS BOTHERED ME FOR SOME TIME, IS I HAVE TWO HIGH SCHOOLS, HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL WITH A FUND BALANCE OF, UH, 543,620 $45.

AND, UH, LUTON HIGH IS $533,546.

NOW, YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS, UH, THEY'RE ABOUT HALF OF THAT.

AND BATTERY CREEK IS ABOUT LESS THAN A QUARTER, UH, LESS, UH, ALMOST 10%, A LITTLE MORE THAN 10% OF THAT.

I FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT THOSE TWO HIGH SCHOOLS DON'T HAVE THINGS TO SUPPORT THEIR STUDENTS.

THAT THEY'RE NOT SPENDING THAT MONEY, THAT MONEY IS SITTING THERE AND IS NOT BEING PRODUCTIVE.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST QUESTION THAT.

AND THAT'S, THAT HAS BEEN THIS WAY NOW FOR SIX YEARS.

IT'S NOT LIKE THIS CAME UP OVERNIGHT, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE COMMITTEE REACH OUT TO THE PRINCIPALS OF THOSE TWO SCHOOLS AND SAY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY? DO YOU CAN, YOU COULD PUT AN ELECTRONIC SCOREBOARD IN TO MATCH THE SCOREBOARD AT BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL FOR $300,000 AND STILL HAVE MORE THAN SOME OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS, BUT DO SOMETHING WITH THIS MONEY THAT'S OPPORTUNITY.

COSTS ARE LOST WITH THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY.

AND I'M SURE THERE ARE SOMETHING THAT THEIR STUDENTS COULD USE THAT MONEY FOR.

AND I MEAN, THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES TO USE THAT MONEY, AND I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A USE FOR IT.

IT, AND IF THEY DON'T, THEN I WOULD SUGGEST THEY GET REDISTRIBUTED TO THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE THE MONEY AND SAY, USE IT OR LOSE IT.

'CAUSE IT'S NOT FAIR.

I'LL REACH OUT TO THE TWO PRINCIPALS

[00:30:01]

AS WELL.

UM, JUST KEEP IN MIND, AND I KNOW IT WON'T HAVE A MAJOR EFFECT ON THAT BALANCE, BUT THIS TIME OF YEAR WE HAVE PROMS GRADUATION.

YEAH.

ANY OF THOSE EXPENDITURES COME OUT IN THESE FUNDS AS WELL.

BUT, SO WE'LL MONITOR THAT THROUGH JUNE 30 AS WELL.

BUT, UH, WE, I WILL HAVE PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH PRINCIPALS TO MAKE SURE AND THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UM, MR. COX, DR. COX, UM, TO REQUEST A PLAN FOR THE SPEND DOWN ON THOSE FUNDS.

THEY COULD BRING A ROCK BAND IN FOR THEIR PRONG .

MY GUESS WOULD BE THAT THERE'S SOME SORT OF INTERNAL STRUGGLE AMONGST THEMSELVES ABOUT WHAT THE MONEY SHOULD BE USED FOR.

THAT'S JUST MY INCLINATION THERE.

AND, UM, CAN I ADD ONE, ONE, UM, POSSIBLE CONSIDERATION IS, UH, AFTER YOU GET THE FEEDBACK FROM THOSE TWO, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST IT MAY BE WORTHWHILE TO GO TO THE OTHERS THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANT SURPLUSES, ANYTHING ABOVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, BECAUSE TO THE COLONEL'S POINT, THAT'S MONEY WE COULD USE IN THE TIME WHEN MANY OF US ARE SAYING, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE MONEY, THEY'RE GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT.

AND, UH, IF YOU COMPARE IT VERSUS LAST YEAR, THAT WHOLE CYCLE, WHICH I KNOW YOU'VE DONE WELL, THE BE BEGINNING BALANCE IS THERE THAT SHOWS THE END OF LAST YEAR'S.

BUT I CAN SHOW A MULTI-YEAR ENDING BALANCE AND SEE HOW THAT PROGRESS HAS OCCURRED.

AND THEN THAT, THAT I THINK, FITS VERY SNUGLY TO WHAT THE, WHAT THE COLONEL IS SEEING AND SUGGESTING.

BUT THOSE TWO WITH THE MOST MASSIVE OVER PLUS, YOU KNOW, THEY WON'T FEEL PERSECUTED AND THE OTHERS WILL HEAR THAT IT'S COMING THEIR WAY.

IS THAT FAIR? YOU OKAY WITH THAT? UM, MS. HAYES? MS. GORDON? YES, SIR.

OKAY.

YES.

NEXT ITEM UP IS, WELL, I, I DO HAVE, I DO HAVE A QUESTION WHERE ALL COULD THAT MONEY BE SPENT FOR? UH, WELL, LET ME, LET ME SUGGEST THAT AS PART OF THE INQUIRY TO THEM IS THEY PUT SOME EXERCISE INTO HOW THEY COULD SPEND THAT MONEY AND THAT WE GET, WE GET A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AND THEY COME UP WITH SUGGESTIONS.

WELL, WELL, WELL, AND, AND, AND I DO UNDER, AND I, AND I DO, I DO, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT MR. CHAIR, BUT I'M ASKING IN TERMS OF THE, WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS TO WHAT CAN THAT MONEY, WHAT, WHAT CAN IT AND CAN IT NOT BE USED FOR? BECAUSE EVEN NOW WE'RE TALKING, AS IN YESTERDAY AS IN OPERATIONS, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, SPENDING MONEY, UH, WITHIN, WITHIN THE BUDGET 8%.

UH, THAT MONEY COULD BE USED TOWARDS TECHNOLOGY TO HELP OUT IN OTHER PLACES AND OTHER THINGS.

SO, I MEAN, SO THE QUESTION BECOMES WHAT ALL CAN THAT MONEY REALLY BE USED BE, BE USED FOR? 'CAUSE EVEN AT SOME GAMES, UH, I KNOW AT BEAVERT HIGH SCHOOL, HELL, THEY CHARGE TO GET IN THE STADIUM.

SO IF WE HAVE THIS KIND, KIND OF MONEY SENDING THE TEAMS AND THE SCHOOLS A SHORT, SHORT MONEY AND THERE'S A MONEY SHORTAGE, BUT THEN THIS IS NOT THE FIRST YEAR.

THE CURRENT HAS BOUGHT THIS UP, AND, AND, AND WE COME HERE AND WE HAVE THINGS LIKE THIS RIGHT HERE, THEN THIS IS, TO ME, THIS IS CONCERNING.

AND, AND IT DOES, UH, IT DOES, IT DOES APPEAR TO ME THAT ONCE THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAD THAT THIS, THIS MAY BE SOMETHING THAT NEED TO, NEED, NEED TO BRING BACK TO FINANCE SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IS, WHAT IS GOING ON.

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PARENTS HAVE BRING, HAVE BROUGHT THINGS LIKE THIS UP TO US.

OKAY.

SO, UH, I THINK WHAT, WHAT MAYBE WE CAN ASK CFO TO DO IS WHAT WE JUST SAID, WHICH IS TO ASK THEM WHAT A WASTE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SPEND THE MONEY AND THEN COMPARE WITH, UH, THE CURRENT REGULATIONS AND GUIDE US AS TO WHAT'S LIABLE CURRENTLY.

AND THEN IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT COME UP THAT WE AS A BOARD AND A, AS A COMMITTEE AND A BOARD DECIDE, THEN MAYBE THERE ARE WAYS FOR US TO MAKE A SUGGESTION.

SO THANK YOU MR. SMITH.

GOOD POINT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

UH, E-RATE AUTHORIZATION.

THIS IS A STANDARD, UH, APPROVAL THAT WE REQUEST EACH YEAR, UM, AS WE GET READY FOR THE E-RATE, UH, CATEGORY ONE APPLICATION, I CAN.

OKAY.

YEP.

I'M GONNA TURN THIS ONE OVER TO MS. PHILLIPS TODAY.

SHE IS OVER.

WE HAVE A ONE EMPLOYEE WHO PART-TIME DOES E-RATE AND THE REST OF THE TIME HAS OTHER DUTIES, AND SHE OVERSEES THAT ROLE.

SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO HER TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF SUMMARY TODAY.

AND, UM, WE HAVE A REQUESTED MOTION AT THE END FOR THE AUTHORIZATION THAT WILL THEN GO TO THE FULL BOARD.

SO THE E-RATE PROGRAM IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT ENSURES CONNECTIVITY FOR AREAS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE IT OTHERWISE.

IT'S, UM, OVERSEEN BY USAC AND THE FEDERAL

[00:35:01]

COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.

UM, THERE'S TWO CATEGORIES OF FUNDING.

THIS ONE IS FOR CATEGORY ONE, WHICH IS OUR SERVICES.

IT IS THE HAR GRAY WIN.

AND, UM, IT'S A 80% REIMBURSABLE CATEGORY.

SO OF WHAT WE WILL BE ASKING FOR HERE FOR THE, UM, REIMBURSEMENT, WE'LL GET ONLY AN 80% REIMBURSEMENT OF THE, THE ROUND HALF DOLLARS.

THIS HAS TO BE, UM, THE FEDERAL COMMISSION, THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION REQUIRES THAT THIS GOES THROUGH THE BOARD SO THAT IT CAN BE PRINTED AND SENT IN WITH THAT REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST.

THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.

OKAY.

IT'S ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT WE GET EVERY YEAR.

MM-HMM .

WE GET ABOUT A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN THE GENERAL FUND EVERY YEAR.

AND THIS COME IS SPENT OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE WIDE AREA NETWORK OR INTERNET.

UH, AND THEN THE MONEY COMES RIGHT BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS TO SUPPORT THE BUDGET, UM, FROM FEDERAL FUNDING STANDPOINT.

SO, UH, WE GET OTHER FUNDS OUT OF EIGHT, SPENDING OUT OF 8% PROJECTS THAT LARGER CAPITAL PROJECTS THROUGH THE REFERENDUM OR OTHER 8% PROJECTS, AND THOSE FUNDS GO BACK INTO CAPITAL TO HELP SUPPORT THAT PROGRAM.

SO, UM, SPEND IT AND RECEIVE IT BACK IN THE SAME AREAS THAT IT CAME FROM.

SO, UM, JUST LOOKING FOR YOUR APPROVAL TODAY, UH, TO AUTHORIZE THE FILING OF THE, UH, JUST FUNDING YEAR 25 APPLICATIONS, JUST FOLLOW TO THE FULL BOARD ON TUESDAY.

YES.

OKAY.

SO IT'S A RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE TO THE FULL BOARD.

OKAY.

MS. UH, HAY OR MS. GORDON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, MAKE THE MOTION? SO MOVED.

OKAY.

IS THERE A SECOND? MS. GORDON? I SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

PAY AYE.

GORDON.

AYE.

THANK YOU, MA'AM.

THANK YOU BOTH.

AND, UH, WE HAVE A GRANT AUTHORIZATION, WHICH ALSO IS AN ANNUAL AUTHORIZATION.

I TRY TO BRING THESE TOGETHER EACH TIME SO WE, UH, MAKE SURE WE GET 'EM TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE THE NEW FISCAL YEAR START.

UM, THIS, UH, MS. MADISON, UH, WAS, UH, I, SHE WAS UNABLE TO COME TODAY BECAUSE SHE WAS PULLED OUT INTO A GRANT MEETING.

UH, WE HAVE A GRANT, UH, THAT MONITORING, UH, AND MEETING COMMUNICATION THAT NEEDED TO OCCUR.

SO, UM, SHE WOULD'VE DONE THIS TODAY HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THAT.

UM, THIS IS A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO APPLY FOR SIGN, SUBMIT, AND ADMINISTER GRANTS.

AND THAT REGULATION IS PURSUANT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ED REQUIREMENTS, AND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL ANNUALLY APPROVE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SUCH, UM, THE ANY AGREEMENTS THAT ARE RELATED TO GRANTS.

AND NOW, UM, WE ARE REQUESTING THAT, UM, FOR A MOTION TO, UM, ALLOW THE, UH, SO FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATE OR TO RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO AUTHORIZE, UM, THE SUPERINTENDENT OR THEIR DESIGNEE TO APPLY FOR SIGN, SUBMIT AND ADMINISTER FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GRANT APPLICATIONS AND ANY COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS FOR THE 2 20, 25, 26 FULL YEAR.

AND I THINK WE HAVE A, WE MISSED, UM, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT.

GOT IT.

YES, SIR.

SO, OKAY.

MS. HAY OR GORDON, YOU, UH, HEAR AND SEE THE MOTION.

WOULD EITHER OF YOU LIKE TO, UH, PROFFER THAT MOTION? SO MOVED.

I SECOND GORDON SECOND.

PROPERLY MOTION.

AND SECOND MOVED.

AND SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

GORDON.

AYE.

AYE.

A AYE, AYE.

ALRIGHT.

NEXT ITEM IS UPDATE ON FEDERAL CHANGES.

UM, WE HAVE TWO MAIN ITEMS THAT WE ARE, UM, ACTIVELY MONITORING, AND THEY'RE BASICALLY, THEY'RE NOT FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS FOR ANY REASON, BUT THEY ARE DELAYS IN EVEN FUNDING AUTHORIZATIONS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

UH, ONE IS THE MAGNET SCHOOLS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

THIS IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS MEDTECH SEVEN.

UH, THIS IS THE FIRST MEDTECH OR FIRST MAGNET SCHOOLS, UH, MSAP GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED.

UH, THIS ONE WOULD BE ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE COUNTY.

THE NEWEST ONE IS ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE COUNTY.

AND IT IS NOT APPLIED TO THIS FUNDING, UM, DELAY.

THAT ONE HAS ALREADY BEEN AUTHORIZED.

THE NEW ONE HAS ALREADY BEEN AUTHORIZED.

THIS ONE IS THE FIFTH YEAR OF THE GRANT AUTHORIZATION.

AND WE TYPICALLY, BY THIS TIME, HAVE RECEIVED A GRANT AWARD NOTICE.

AND AS OF THE DATE OF THIS LETTER, AND

[00:40:01]

AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT GRANT AUTHORIZATION.

SO, UH, JUST THERE'S IN THE ITALIC THERE, THERE'S A VERBATIM RESPONSE THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, UH, ON APRIL 22ND.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANY MORE THAN WE DO AT THIS POINT.

UH, THEY WISH THEY COULD TELL US SOMETHING, BUT AT THAT TIME, WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM THOSE WHO ARE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT OVERALL FUNDING.

UM, IT STARTS WITH FUNDING ALLOCATIONS FROM CONGRESS.

AND AS OF YET, WE, UM, DO NOT KNOW IF THE MONIES HAD BEEN APPROPRIATED AT THAT LEVEL.

SO WE DID RECEIVE ANOTHER UPDATE AS OF YESTERDAY VIA EMAIL, AND THE INFORMATION WAS ABOUT THE SAME.

SO, DR. RODRIGUEZ APPROACHED ME, UH, A FEW DAYS AGO, EARLIER IN THE WEEK, AND SAID HE HAD SPOKEN WITH NANCY MACE'S STAFF PERSON WHO ASKED IF WE HAD HAD ANY FUNDING, FEDERAL FUNDING ISSUES, AND HE WAS GOING TO CHECK IN WITH ME.

SO, AND HE IS, I HAVE PROVIDED HIM THIS SHEET TODAY AND PROVIDED THE UPDATED EMAIL THAT WE RECEIVED YESTERDAY AND INDICATED TO HIM THERE IS A PROBLEM OR A DELAY IN THIS GRANT AUTHORIZATION THAT WE NEED TO RESOLVE BECAUSE THERE ARE FULL-TIME PEOPLE IN THIS GRANT.

A FEW.

AND THERE ARE, UM, PRO PROGRAMS THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO OVER THE SUMMER, AND THERE ARE ONGOING EXPENSES OF THE PROGRAM.

SO WE ARE IN A POINT NOW WHERE WE HAVE TO EITHER STOP ALL OF THAT FUNDING LOCALLY, OR WE GET AUTHORIZATION.

WE GET SOME PRESSURE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO GET THIS AUTHORIZATION.

SO HE WILL BE SPEAKING WITH STAFFER NOW THAT HE HAS THIS INFORMATION AND PUSHING THAT AT, UH, THROUGH THE, UM, LEGISLATIVE LEGISLATORS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

SO WE HOPE TO SEE SOME PROGRESS ON THAT VERY SOON.

BUT THIS MACE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY FUNDING DELAYS, UH, UH, FOR OUR BEHALF.

BUT SHE WILL BE ONCE HE IS ABLE COMMUNICATES BACK WITH THEM.

SO HE'S GONNA, HE'S ON IT.

, YOU'VE SEEN COMMENTS FROM YOU.

THIS IS NOISE, THIS IS NOISE LEVEL IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WITH WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.

MM-HMM .

AND I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THIS FALLS THROUGH THE CRACK ME.

SO I, I HOPE WE ARE NOT, UH, ALREADY SPENT ANY MONEY IN THIS.

THAT'S WHAT MS. MATSON IS DISCUSSING WITH DR.

STRATAS AS WE SPEAK TODAY.

THAT'S NOT, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, WE HAVE PHYSICIANS THAT ARE VACANT, AND SO WE CAN HOLD, PUT A HOLD ON THOSE AND THEN, UM, WE CAN JUST MAKE SOME DECISIONS ABOUT ANY PURCHASES OF ITEMS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARY OR ARE ABLE TO BE SPENT AT THIS TIME WORKING WITH THE PREVIOUS, UH, EQUIPMENT AND AND SUPPLY THAT WE HAD.

SO WE CAN PUT SOME BREAKS ON SOME OF, OF THAT SENDING WHILE WE EXPLORE THIS A LITTLE FURTHER.

AND YOU'LL HIGHLIGHT THIS.

YES, SIR.

MM-HMM.

AND ARE THERE OTHER SCENARIOS THAT ARE EXISTING RIGHT NOW THAT WE PRO PROBLEM NEED TO BE CIRCUMSPECT OUT SPENDING? WELL, THERE, THE SECOND ITEM ON HERE IS ANOTHER AREA, UM, WHICH HAS A DELAY IN, IN AUTHORIZING, AND THAT AFFECTS TITLE ONE, TITLE TWO, AND TITLE FOUR.

SO THOSE ARE, ARE PROBABLY TITLE ONE AND TITLE TWO ARE, TITLE ONE IS PROBABLY ABOUT $5 MILLION A YEAR.

TITLE TWO AND TITLE FOUR ARE SMALLER, MUCH SMALLER.

UM, AND, BUT THOSE ARE ONES THAT WE ARE WATCHING.

SO THE PRELIMINARY PLANNING AMOUNT FOR THE ESSA PROGRAMS, ESSA PROGRAMS ARE IN THOSE CATEGORIES.

AND THAT WE WERE TYPICALLY RECEIVE AN AMOUNT THE 1ST OF MAY, BUT AS OF THE 8TH OF MAY, AND AS OF TODAY, WE STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT, HAVE SEEN ANY ALLOCATION AMOUNTS.

UM, SO AGAIN, THAT ONE RELIES ON CONGRESS PASSING A RESOLUTION.

AND, UM, SO WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THOSE AREAS AS WELL FOR WHAT OUR PLAN IS IF WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ALLOCATION OR AUTHORIZATION WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

CAN I ASK ANOTHER, JUST FOLLOW UP, UH, WOULD IT BE PRUDENT TO, UH, AT THE OUTSET OF THE SORT OF QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT FUNDING WOULD BE AFFECTED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL? YOU CAME OVER WITH 27 MILLION, WHICH WAS A GOOD JOB OF IDENTIFYING THAT.

SHOULD, WOULD YOU WANT TO GO BACK NOW AND TAKE A LOOK AT THESE PROGRAMS, THE OTHER $700,000 AND REFRESH THAT AMOUNT JUST IN CASE IT'S AT RISK? WOULD THAT BE WHAT IT WAS? SURE.

MM-HMM.

WANNA DO THAT? OKAY.

UM, MS. HAY AND MS. GORDON, MY ONLY COMMENT IS THAT I'M

[00:45:01]

GRATEFUL TO HAVE MRS. SBY AND DR. RODRIGUEZ ON THE CASE, UM, BECAUSE I AM CONFIDENT BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM WE HAVE GREAT ADVOCACY FOR THE DISTRICT.

ABSOLUTELY.

I ECHO THE SAME THING.

THANK YOU MS. CROSBY.

UH, MR. SMITH, MS. FRAZIER COMMENTS? NO COMMENTS.

THANKS FOR STAYING ON TOP OF IT.

WELL DONE.

YEAH, VERY WELL DONE.

ALL RIGHT.

UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS AN ORG CHART ORGANIZATION PART FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

REQUESTED THIS INFORMATION.

UM, SO THIS IS FOR THE 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR.

UH, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF VACANCIES AND THEY ARE REFLECTED AT THE DIRECTOR LEVEL.

THERE IS ONE, THE BUDGET DIRECTOR.

UH, WE HAVE SCHEDULED INTERVIEWS FOR, UM, TWO WEEKS.

TWO WEEKS, A WEEK AND A HALF NOW OR SO, TWO WEEKS FROM NOW.

UH, AND THEN WE HAVE A VACANCY IN THE PROCUREMENT OFFICE, THE PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST TWO, AND, UH, AND A TITLE ONE COORDINATOR.

SO WE HAVE CURRENTLY THREE VACANCIES.

UM, WE JUST FILLED TWO PAYROLL POSITIONS, SO WE ACTIVELY HAVE TWO PEOPLE TRAINING IN THE PAYROLL OFFICE.

UM, JUST KNOW THAT EVERYBODY BELOW THE DIRECTORS HAS, WHICH ACCOUNTS TO ABOUT 20 PEOPLE HAVE ALL MOVED OFFICES, UM, TO DO TO CONSTRUCTION HERE IN THE DISTRICT OFFICE.

UM, THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HALLWAY LEADING TO THE FRONT DOOR, UM, HAS ALL MOVED OVER TO WHERE INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES DR.

STRATO USED TO BE.

AND SO THEY HAVE SQUEEZED INTO A LITTLE BIT SMALLER SPACE, BUT WE'VE BEEN IN THERE ABOUT A WEEK AS OF TOMORROW.

AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ANYONE IN PAYROLL OR ACCOUNTS PAYABLE OR ANY OF THOSE FOLKS, THEY'VE MOVED, UM, YOU EXPECT IT TO BE MAYBE SPRING BEFORE WE SHIFT BACK OVER.

BUT, UM, THERE IS, SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF DISRUPTION, BUT I THINK WE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF, UM, COORDINATING A VERY COMPLICATED MOVE AND THE PEOPLE AND THINGS AND CABINETS AND DESKS AND GETTING THEM COMFORTABLE.

AND, UH, SO THAT'S BEEN ON TOP OF THE ALL EVERYONE IN THE DEPARTMENT'S WORKLOAD AND THEY'VE DONE A FABULOUS JOB AT MANAGING THAT.

AND A, UM, WE'VE TRIED TO ACCOMMODATE THEM IN ANY WAY WE COULD AND THAT THEY'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT.

SO, UH, JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT WAS HAPPENING.

YOU ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS, UH, ORG CHART? OKAY.

HEARING NONE, COMMENT.

OH, YEAH.

MM-HMM .

I'M CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR VACANCIES.

MM-HMM .

YOU HAVE A LIEN OPERATION OR A THREE QUARTERS OF A BILLION DOLLAR, UH, FINANCE DEPARTMENT YOU ARE NOT FAT AT.

AND THESE, THESE, UH, VACANCIES ARE CONCERNING, ESPECIALLY THE ONE IN PROCUREMENT.

THAT'S WHERE YOU GET INVOLVED.

AND, UM, I HOPE THAT, AND WE'RE HAVING ISSUES GETTING AN ASSISTANT, UH, TO ROBIN, FINDING QUALIFIED PEOPLE.

AND PART OF IT HAS BEEN A SALARY STRUCTURE.

WE CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE ANY KIND OF FINANCIAL HICCUPS.

I'M GONNA SAY WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT.

AND IF WE HAVE TO INCREASE THE SALARY STRUCTURE TO FILL THESE POSITIONS, IT WOULD BE MONEY WELL SPENT.

'CAUSE YOU CANNOT, UH, RECOVER FROM HICCUPS.

IT COSTS MORE TO RECOVER FROM HICCUPS.

SO I, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.

AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THE COMMITTEE NEEDS TO HAVE, UH, AN UPDATE AT EVERY MEETING WHERE YOU STAND ON, UH, ON YOUR STAFFING.

SOUNDS GOOD.

GOOD POINT.

ACTUALLY, IN THE PAYROLL OFFICE, WE HAVE TWO OVERLAPS RIGHT NOW.

SO WE HAVE TWO NEW PEOPLE IN THEIR TRAINING, UM, WHILE OTHERS PREPARE TO RETIRE OR LEAVE THE DISTRICT.

UH, AND THEN WE JUST INTERVIEWED FOR THE PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST THIS WEEK AND HAVE TWO GOOD CANDIDATES.

SO YES.

UH, AND THEN WE DO, UM, INTERVIEWS ON THE 28TH FOR THE BUDGET DIRECTOR.

SO, UH, WE HAVE TRYING TO MOVE IT ALONG AS QUICKLY AS, AS WE CAN.

UM, AND THEN THEY'RE, THE NEW PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO MOVE WITH US, SO THAT A LITTLE NOT IDEAL, BUT, UM, BUT I TOO, WE KNOW WHERE, UH,

[00:50:01]

THE DANGEROUS POINTS ARE, AND HR HAS WORKED VERY WELL WITH US TO HELP US OVERLAP SO THAT WE HAVE TRAINING SO IT DOESN'T PULL THE OTHER STAFF MEMBERS OFF TO STOP DOING THEIR JOBS AND, AND HELP SOMEONE.

SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERLAP AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES THAT, AND SOMETIMES WE'RE ABLE TO CONTRACT 'EM ON A, A PART-TIME BASIS AFTER THEY LEAVE TO, TO TAP INTO THEIR EXPERTISE WHEN WE NEED IT.

SO WE, WE ARE GETTING SMARTER ABOUT HOW WE, UH, TRANSITION, UM, POSITIONS.

JUST, UM, JUST TO UPDATE SINCE YOU TALKING ABOUT, SO MS. WALTON HAS GIVEN ME THE GO AHEAD.

SO I'M GOING TO BE INTERVIEWING PROBABLY IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS FOR A FULL-TIME PERSON, AND WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, A FULL-TIME AND A PART-TIME PERSON, SO WELL OUTSTANDING.

UM, I THINK WHAT, WHAT I HEARD COLONEL GUY FROM THE CHAIR'S ROLE IS THAT IF NEEDED AN ADJUSTMENT, BECAUSE IT'S STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT, WE AVOID THAT PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, ISSUE OF IF PEOPLE QUESTIONING .

OKAY, SURE.

UM, MS. HAY, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP, MA'AM.

SORRY.

THAT'S OKAY.

UM, I AM ALL ACROSS THE BOARD TRYING TO APPLY PRESSURE TO USE MODERN RECRUITING TOOLS.

AND IT WAS RECENTLY BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT WE ARE NOT UTILIZING AMAZING TOOLS SUCH AS LINKEDIN ONLINE, WHICH IS WHERE A LOT OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING TYPE OF PERSONNEL WOULD BE LOOKING FOR JOBS.

AND CURRENTLY OUR LINKEDIN PROFILE ON THE INTERNET SHOWS THAT BE BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS ZERO AVAILABLE OPENINGS.

UM, SO I'M JUST AIRING THIS IN ANOTHER MEETING TO TRY TO APPLY MORE PRESSURE TO USE MODERN TOOLS IN FINDING THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE NEED.

SO LET'S, LET'S, YES MA'AM.

I WAS JUST GONNA SAY WE DO USE INDEED, BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN LINKEDIN CONNECTED TO OUR HR DEPARTMENT YET.

SO LET'S USE THAT AS A TOPIC SO WE CAN HAVE A GENTLE QU CONVERSATION, RIGHT, BUT PUBLIC ABOUT, BECAUSE WHAT PUBLIC KNOW, WE HAVE OPENINGS THAT PEOPLE CAN APPLY TO AS WELL, RIGHT? HOW DO WE ACTUALLY SPREAD OUR AS, UH, MS. HAY IS SAYING, OUR SOLICITATION MODEL IS TO GET PEOPLE WHERE WE ARE HIRING CERTAIN AREAS.

YOU FOLKS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB, NO QUESTION THERE.

BUT IN THESE TIGHT TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY, WE NEED TO ADOPT DIFFERENT METHODS.

AND YOU, YOU'RE DOING THAT, BUT YOU GIVE ENCOURAGEMENT TO GO EVEN HARDER AND FASTER ON IT.

IS THAT FAIR? MM-HMM .

THANK YOU MS. HAYDEN.

ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANYONE ON THAT TOPIC? OKAY.

HEARING NONE ELECTRONIC PAVEMENT TRANSFER.

SO AS ONE OF OUR MANY EFFORTS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCIES AND WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER, UM, WE, UH, UM, HAVE, ARE EMBARKING ON A PROJECT TO ALL TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENTS TO AN ELECTRONIC STATUS.

UM, THE BOARD HAS ACTUALLY, IT'S BEEN THE PILOT PROJECT AND I HAVE AS WELL.

WELL, I INSISTED THAT I BE LINKED INTO THAT AS WELL BECAUSE I, TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SEEING.

SO, UH, I HAD TO TRAVEL TO COLUMBIA, UH, LAST WEEK, AND I RECEIVED A REIMBURSEMENT ELECTRONICALLY IN MY, UH, CHECKING ACCOUNT.

HOWEVER, I DID NOT SEE A DIRECT DEPOSIT OR A PAY STUB NOTIFYING WHAT I WAS BEING PAID FOR.

AND I WAS ALERTED TO THAT BECAUSE MY HUSBAND, WHO IS AT THE COUNTY ALSO RECEIVED ELECTRONIC PAYMENT.

BUT, UM, UH, SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE SEEING, UM, THE PROPER THING THAT WE, WE WERE EXPECTING.

UM, SO I DID NOT SEE THAT PAY STUB.

AND SO I CONTACTED MS. MOCK AND MY DIRECTOR, OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THAT.

AND THAT IS A BEHIND THE SCENES TRANSACTION THAT SHE WASN'T AWARE THAT DID NOT OCCUR.

UM, AND SO SHE HAS NOW CONTACTED OUR VENDOR TO ENSURE THAT THAT PAY STUB IS GOING OUT.

SO, UM, SHE ASKED ME TO CHECK WITH A COUPLE OF BOARD MEMBERS WHERE WE WERE, UH, UH, PILOTING ON, AND, UM, THEY DID SEE, THEY SAID THEY SAW THAT IT SAID SCPA, UH, THEY WERE, UH, THEY REIMBURSED, THEY WERE REIMBURSED FOR THEIR TRIP TO COLUMBIA AND ON A, ON A PAY STUB, THEY SAW, THEY SAID WHAT IT WAS FOR.

OKAY, THAT'S, SO THERE WAS YES, BUT SO THEY KNEW.

YEAH, I THINK THERE WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT MY PROFILE THAN YOU ALL.

SO THAT'S VERY GOOD.

SO YOU SHOULD HAVE AN EMAIL COMING FROM AN EMAIL THAT SAYS BCSD VENDORS OR TYLER SUPPORT, AND THAT INDICATES THE, UM, WHAT YOU'RE BEING PAID FOR ELECTRONICALLY.

[00:55:01]

SO, UM, THEN WE'RE GONNA ROLL THAT OUT AND THEN PLAN TO ROLL IT OUT REST OF THE DISTRICT AS, UM, BEFORE JULY ONE BY JULY ONE.

UH, SO IT, IT HAS ENORMOUS EFFICIENCIES.

I MEAN, THE, JUST THE CHECK STOCK ALONE, UM, HAS TO BE FOLDABLE SEALABLE PAPER, WHICH WE HAVE TO SPECIAL SPECIALLY ORDER FROM EUNICE TYLER TECHNOLOGIES.

UH, IT'S EXPENSIVE, THE TONER, IT SAVES TONER, IT SAVES THE FOLDER SEALER, WHICH WE'VE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH, WITH, THERE'S A MASSIVE $10,000 FOLDER SEALER IN OUR OFFICES, AND SOMETIMES IT GOES DOWN AND WE HAVE TO GO TO THE COUNTY TO GO FOLD AND STEAL CHECKS.

SO GETS RID OF MOST OF THE CHECKS IN THE DISTRICT.

I NEED TO FIND OUT EXACTLY HOW MANY TRAVEL CHECKS WE ISSUE, BUT IT HAS HUGE AMOUNTS OF EFFICIENCIES BECAUSE IT'S AN ELECTRONIC TRANSACTION NOW WE TAKE SAVE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME, PAPER AND, UH, PRINTER USAGE AND TONER AND THAT SORT OF THING.

UM, IT MINIMIZES THE ERRORS OF WHERE THE CHECKS ACTUALLY END UP.

IT, IT MINIMIZE THE FACT THAT IT CAN BE STOLEN OR MISPLACED OR, OR DELAYED IN BEING ABLE TO PROCESS IT WITH A BANKING TRANSACTION.

SO IT, THERE'LL NO LONGER BE THE DAYS OF THE CHECK HAVING TO, UH, VOIDED FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO DEPOSIT IT.

YOU WOULD, IT WOULD IMMEDIATELY MOVE INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT THE DAY THAT WE PROCESS IT.

SO IT'S VERY TIMELY AND EFFICIENT FOR, FOR EVERYONE.

UM, SO WE HAVE A TRAINING PLAN ONCE WE ROLL THAT OUT TO EVERYONE, JUST, JUST SOME SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS, BUT IT'S PRETTY SELF EXPLANATORY.

UM, AND AS SOON AS WE RESOLVE THIS ONE ISSUE, MAKING SURE EVERYONE GETS A CASE STUB, THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACTIVELY MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TRANS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN.

SO, UM, THIS CAME ABOUT BECAUSE, UH, WE HAVE ACTUALLY A VERY LONG LIST OF UNCLEAR CHECKS IN OUR, UH, ACCOUNTS PAYABLE OFFICE, AND WE HAVE TO KEEP THOSE ON RECORD FOR THREE YEARS.

IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION AND THEN AFTER THREE YEARS, WE MUST MOVE IT TO THE STATE IN AN UNCLAIMED FUND STATUS.

SO ANY THAT ARE STILL ON, WE CAN REIMBURSE AND REPLACE THE CHECKS.

UH, IF IT'S IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, UH, WE'D HAVE TO RESEARCH TO MAKE SURE IT HASN'T CLEARED AND SO ON.

BUT WE CAN REIMBURSE THAT.

BUT THIS WILL ELIMINATE ANY FUTURE NEW CHECKS ON THE POINT OF TRAVEL, AND THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE LOADED INTO THE BANK ACCOUNT.

SO MASSIVE AMOUNTS, EFFICIENCIES, UM, AND WE'VE BEEN WANTING TO DO IT FOR A WHILE, SO WE'RE GONNA PUSH HARD ON GETTING THAT DONE BY JULY ONE.

WHEN YOU ROLL IT OUT, NEED TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE THAT USE IT A LOT.

PEOPLE THAT TRAVEL A LOT.

UH, WE HAD THE SAME ISSUE WHEN THE MILITARY CHANGED THAT.

AND UH, UNIT THAT I COMMANDED, WE TRAVELED A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT.

AND WHAT HAPPENS IS, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE KIND OF GOING LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK AND TRYING TO KEEP THEIR CHECKBOOK BALANCED AND SO ON, YOU'VE GOT FUNDS THAT COME IN AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND YOU HAVE BILLS THAT COME IN WHERE YOU TRAVEL AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

WHAT WE FINALLY DETERMINED IS THAT PEOPLE THAT TRAVEL A LOT, THAT THEY SEND THEIR TRAVEL PAY TO A DIFFERENT ACCOUNT, A DIFFERENT CHECKING ACCOUNT, AND IT GOES THERE AND, AND THEY TRACK IT SEPARATELY FROM THEIR HOME ACCOUNT AND THAT THEY ALSO HAVE A SEPARATE CREDIT CARD WHEN THEY GO OUT TO TRAVEL, THEY USE THAT CREDIT CARD AND THEY GET THAT BILL AND PAY IT FROM THAT ACCOUNT.

MM-HMM .

IF YOU DON'T DO THAT AND YOU HAVE A HUSBAND AND WIFE THAT ARE BOTH PUTTING MONIES INTO A COMMON ACCOUNT AND THAT'S ANOTHER ACCOUNT THAT HAS A DIFFERENT PAY, YOU WILL HAVE ISSUES.

AND SO THAT'S ESPECIALLY FOR LIKE, UH, HR AND RECRUITING FOLKS THAT GO OUT A LOT STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT THEY HAVE THAT TYPE OF A SYSTEM.

MM-HMM .

OR I WILL GUARANTEE YOU THEY WILL HAVE A NOT SUFFICIENT FUND ISSUE OR THEY'LL, THEY'LL HAVE A PROBLEM.

WHAT WE CAN DO IS OFFER, UM, IF YOU ARE TO THE OPTION TO PUT A SEPARATE ACCOUNT NUMBER ON IN OUR TRANSACT IN OUR RIGHT, RIGHT.

UM, IN OUR SYSTEM, RIGHT.

SO WE CAN USE AS INSTEAD OF USING

[01:00:01]

A PRIMARY ONE WHERE THE DIRECT DEPOSIT RIGHT.

PAYROLL GOES TO, BUT WE CAN, THEY CAN OFF EXACTLY.

CAN OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE BANK ACCOUNT AND THEY CAN, WE CAN UPDATE THAT.

TRAVEL GOES TO THAT.

YES.

VERY EASY.

SO RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE TWO, YOU HAVE YOUR PRIMARY AND YOUR SECONDARY.

SO, UM, AND RIGHT NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TWO.

SO IF THIS IS ACTUALLY IN A DIFFERENT FILE, IT'S IN THE VENDOR FILE AS OPPOSED TO THE PAYROLL FILE.

THE PAYROLL HAS A PRIMARY AND THE SECONDARY, BUT WE CAN PUT ANY IN THE VENDOR, ANYTHING IN THE VENDOR FILE, UH, A SEPARATE TOTALLY SEPARATE ACCOUNT NUMBER IN THAT, SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN, WHEN YOU ARE DOING CHECKS BOARD, YOU ALL TRAVEL, YOU WOULD WAIT AND YOU'D GET YOUR PERSONAL TRAVEL CHECK AND YOU WOULDN'T CASH IT UNTIL YOU GOT YOUR HOTEL BILL OR WHATEVER, AND THEN YOU WOULD DO IT.

AND UH, YEAH.

AND, AND THAT'S THE WAY THEY KEPT TRACK OF THAT AND THAT SYSTEM WAS IN PLACE.

BUT WHEN IT'S COMING IN AND IT, YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN IT COMES IN, YOU DO GET, I GOT THE NOTIFICATION THAT IT WAS PUT IN THERE AND I CHECKED IT AND SAID, OH, THAT'S MY TRAVEL AND I UNDERSTOOD IT.

SO YOU CAN ALSO ALWAYS OFFER THAT AS AN OPTION AND WE CAN YES.

GO IN AND MAKE A MODIFICATION TO THE VENDOR FILE.

YEAH.

WHEN WE JUST NEED DOCUMENTATION TO BACK IT UP WITH A DIRECT DEPOSIT DEVICE OR, UM, NOT A, UH, IT, IT'S A, UM, DEPOSIT CONFIRMATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT YOU CAN PRINT OFF OF WEBSITES OR THE APPS.

WE CAN DO THAT.

YEP.

YEP.

ANOTHER GOOD FINDING IN TERMS OF EFFICIENCY AND, AND YEAH, WHEN YOU, THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.

YES.

AND, AND WHEN YOU ARE STAFFED THAT YOU CAN TRACK THE SAVINGS THAT ACCRUE FROM THIS, ADDING THAT UP, A TOTAL NUMBER THAT YOU CAN DISPLAY AND DISCUSS IN BOARD MEETINGS WILL HELP OTHERS UNDERSTAND THERE ARE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES THEY TOO CAN FIND IN THEIR OPERATION.

SO WOULD WOULD THIS BE WAIT, WAIT, YEAH.

YEAH.

UH, MS. UH, HAY AND GORDON, THEN WE'LL CONTINUE THIS.

NO PROBLEM.

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AT THIS TIME.

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AT THIS TIME.

JUST GREAT INFORMATION.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

UH, MS. FRAZIER.

I'M GOOD.

MR. SMITH.

SO WOULD THIS BE THE REQUEST THAT I'VE BEEN SENT ANSWERED TO BOTH THE LAST TWO, UH, FINANCIAL MEETINGS, UH, IN TERMS OF, OF THE CHECK YOU REQUESTED? YES.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

SO THIS, SO THIS, THIS IS THE ANSWERS TO THE YES.

THIS IS THE ANSWERS TO THE REQUESTS.

YES, MR. OKAY.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD THE CONVERSATION, BUT, UH, IF THERE ARE, ARE ANY UNCLEAR CHECKS, WE DO HAVE TO HOLD THEM FOR THREE YEARS.

SO, UM, AND THEN THEY ARE THEN SUBMITTED TO THE STATE FOR ANY UNCLAIMED FUNDS AREA.

UM, SO THIS PROCESS WILL ELIMINATE ANY UNCLAIMED FUNDS, UH, BECAUSE THEY WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY DEPOSITED INTO THE BANK ACCOUNT.

SO, UM, WE'LL REPLACE THE PAPER CHECKS AND, UH, UH, HOW MUCH IS THIS PROGRAM? HOW, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? HOW IS DOES THIS COST? ZERO.

ZERO.

THE ONLY THING, WE MAY HAVE TO HAVE AN UPGRADE TO HELP MOVE ALL OF THE BANK ACCOUNT NUMBERS FROM THE PAYROLL FILE TO THE VENDOR FILE.

SO THERE MAY BE A A IN A SMALL, VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY, LESS THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS PROBABLY TO HELP US DO A TRANSITION OVER IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO A MASS TRANSITION.

IF NOT, IT'LL JUST TAKE STAFF TIME TO MOVE, MOVE THE NUMBERS OVER.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

FUTURE, UM, THINK WE'VE ASKED EVERYBODY THAT COMMENT, UH, FUTURE AGENDA TOPIC.

THAT'S CORRECT.

UM, I DO HAVE A WELLNESS COMMITTEE, UH, PREFERABLY CAN PUT A WELLNESS COMMITTEE UPDATE ON THAT.

UM, AND WE MAY HAVE, UM, SS 42 TO GO ALONG WITH THAT ADMINISTRATIVE RULE.

UM, MAYBE A BOND.

LET'S DO A BOND UPDATE AS WELL, THE REFERENDUM BOND UPDATE.

OKAY.

UM, AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS UPDATE AND IF YOU WILL, NOT FOR THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, BUT MAYBE THE SUBSEQUENT ONE AFTER THAT, UH, IF YOU ARE WILLING AND YOU HAVE TO SPARE CAPACITY WITHOUT OVERLOADING YOUR WORKFORCE,

[01:05:01]

MAYBE JUST START ACCUMULATING YOUR PRODUCTIVITY SAVINGS FROM ALL YOUR EFFORTS.

THERE'LL BE SOMETHING FOR YOU TO REALLY SORT.

YES.

AND I CAN REQUEST THAT FROM WE HAVE, UH, SO CINDY'S, MS. PHILLIPS IS WORKING ON THE TRANSPARENCY.

I CAN, THE DEFICIENCIES HAPPEN IN OTHER AREAS SO WE CAN SPREAD IT OUT A LITTLE BIT.

SPREAD THE WORKLOAD OUT, NO PROBLEM.

ALRIGHT, MS. FRAZIER? I'M SORRY, MS. GORDON.

AND, UH, MS. HAY, ANY FUTURE TOPICS? LATE MA'AMS, THAT'S THE SOUTHERN WORD.

I DON'T HAVE ANY.

THANK YOU.

UH, THIS IS GORDON.

I DON'T HAVE ANY MS. FRAZIER.

NO, SIR.

NOT AT THIS TIME.

COLONEL, MR. SMITH.

UM, I WOULD KIND OF LIKE TO KNOW, UH, WHAT, IN, IN IN TERMS, IN TERMS, IN TERMS OF WHEN THE SCHOOLS GET THE ATHLETIC GET, GET MONEY FROM THE ATHLETICS AND H HOW, HOW DOES THAT, HOW, HOW, HOW, HOW DOES THAT MONEY BE? UH, HOW DOES THAT MONEY DISPOSE OF AND, AND, AND, AND WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE, UH, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE AND, AND HOW THAT MONEY IS DISPERSED IN, IN THOSE, IN THOSE PROGRAMS? UM, AND THEN ALSO, I BELIEVE I ASKED SOMETHING YESTERDAY, I BELIEVE THAT WE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IN MY, IT IS PROBABLY A FINANCIAL QUESTION, I THINK THAT YOU SAID, UH, YESTERDAY, UH, I, OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING.

I MEAN, I MEAN, NOT THAT, NO, IT WASN'T YESTERDAY WAS DID LAST SAY NO, I, I THINK IT WAS, I MIGHT HAVE BEEN TUESDAY.

TUESDAY.

I THINK IT WAS TUESDAY.

THERE WAS SOMETHING I MENTIONED.

UH, I HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT.

UH, I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING MAY, IT MAY HAVE ABOUT THE VEHICLES IN, IN TERMS IN TERMS OF PUR PURCHASING.

UM, OH YEAH, YOU DID.

YEAH.

BECAUSE IS THAT, THAT WILL BE CAPTURED IN OPERATIONS BECAUSE MR. SMITH DID BRING THAT UP IN OPERATIONS, FILE A CALL.

CORRECT.

I THINK WE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE, THE, UH, THE, UH, H HOW, HOW MANY WE, MUCH MONEY WE SPENT.

YEAH.

AND, AND AND, AND TOTAL OF MAINTENANCE MAINTAINING THOSE VEHICLES VEHICLE.

SO WOULD THAT COME FROM, THAT WOULD COME FROM MR. OTTING.

OKAY.

OKAY.

OKAY.

'CAUSE UH, YOU GOTTA GET, TRYING TO TRY TO DECIDE IF THAT COME FROM HAR.

OKAY.

OKAY.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

ANY OTHERS? WELL, AT 68 MINUTES WE ARE VERY HAPPY.

YOU SAY WELL DONE.

AS WE USED TO SAY IN THE EARLIER DAYS, YOUR PRESENTATION IS TIGHT AND RIGHT, , IT'LL BE SHORT ON TIME AND GOOD ON INFORMATION.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND, UH, STEVE, WHEN'S THE NEXT MEETING? UH, DO WE HAVE A DATE FOR THAT? NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 12TH.

JUNE 12TH.

OKAY EVERYBODY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND, UM, BY AJOUR.