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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
SHE WAS LIKE, HE'S NEVER BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR STUDENT OF THE MONTH.
I WILL SAY TO YOU, BRIAN, CHARACTER IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN NO ONE'S WATCHING.
BUT WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEONE WATCHING.
AND I'VE SEEN YOU, I'VE SEEN YOUR GROWTH AND I AM SO SUPER PROUD OF YOU.
SO, MR. BRIAN PARKER AND FAMILY, PLEASE JOIN ME UP HERE.
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YOU GOTTA SEND THEM.THE MAY STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR SOUTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY IS YI FUNES PEREZ, A FIRST GRADE STUDENT AT RED CEDAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE ELC IS PRINCIPAL DR.
THIS IS A RARE TREAT TO BE HERE.
WHEN OUR STUDENTS ARE RECOGNIZED, IT'S USUALLY AT BLUFFTON TOWN HALL AND AS IT TURNS OUT, OUR APRIL STUDENT OF THE MONTH IS BEING RECOGNIZED OR JUST DID GET RECOGNIZED ABOUT AN HOUR AGO.
SO OUR COUNSELOR IS THERE AND OUR AP IS THERE, AND HER TEACHER IS THERE AND I'M HERE.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, YI IS HERE.
RESPONSIBILITY YI CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATES A HIGH LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY.
SHE IS ALWAYS PREPARED FOR CLASS, BRINGING HER MATERIALS AND COMPLETING HER ASSIGNMENTS ON TIME.
HER ABILITY TO FOLLOW CLASSROOM RULES AND ROUTINES SETS A GREAT EXAMPLE FOR HER PEERS.
FOR INSTANCE, SHE TAKES GREAT CARE IN ORGANIZING HER DESK AND MATERIALS, ENSURING THAT EVERYTHING IS IN ITS PROPER PLACE.
YI GETS PULLED OUT OF CLASS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY AND HAS SHOWN A GREAT DEAL OF RESPONSIBILITY BY COMING BACK INTO CLASS QUICKLY, FIGURING OUT WHAT THE REST OF THE CLASS IS DOING, AND GETTING STRAIGHT TO WORK SO THAT SHE CAN COMPLETE HER CLASSWORK ALONGSIDE HER PEERS.
SHE SHOWS NO QUALMS ABOUT TAKING EXTRA TIME DURING WIT.
IT TAKES TIME OR CENTERS TO COMPLETE HER CLASSWORK THAT SHE MISSES WHEN GETTING HER OTHER SERVICES.
IN ADDITION TO HER RESPONSIBILITY, YLC EXCELS IN COOPERATION.
SHE WORKS WELL WITH HER CLASSMATES DURING GROUP ACTIVITIES, ALWAYS ENCOURAGING OTHERS AND LISTENING TO THEIR IDEAS.
HER POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND WILLINGNESS TO HELP AND WORK WITH OTHERS CREATES A WARM AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT IN OUR CLASSROOM.
OVERALL, ELC EMBODIES THE QUALITIES WE ASPIRE TO CULTIVATE IN OUR STUDENTS.
HER COMMITMENT TO BEING RESPONSIBLE AND HER COOPERATIVE SPIRIT MAKE HER A DESERVING CANDIDATE FOR STUDENT OF THE MONTH.
I'M PROUD TO HAVE HER IN MY CLASS AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HER CONTINUE TO SHINE.
THAT WAS WRITTEN BY MRS. HOWELL, AND SHE WILL JOIN US WHEN Y AND HER MOM COME UP TO GREET US.
THAT CONCLUDES POINTS OF CELEBRATION EVENING.
WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS, BUT THE PUBLIC COM COMMENTS WILL HAVE TO COME AT OUR, UH, END OF OUR SESSION TONIGHT.
IT'S A A LIGHT AGENDA, SO IT SHOULDN'T BE TOO LATE BECAUSE, UH, THE COMMENTS ARE NOT, UH, ABOUT WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS THE CHAIR'S REPORT.
IT'LL GO TO THE COMMITTEE REPORTS.
ACADEMIC COMMITTEE IS THE FIRST ONE UP.
STRATUS IF SHE WILL, UM, PRESENT OUR REPORT TONIGHT.
'CAUSE I HAVE TO KEEP THIS ON AND I CAN'T, UH, POSSIBLY DO JUSTICE TO WHAT I NEED TO READ TO ALL OF YOU AND, UH, PRESENT TONIGHT.
BOARD MEMBERS AND I HAVE THIS EVENING ALSO JOINING US IS MS. MCKINSEY 'CAUSE SHE DID ATTEND THE MAY 22ND ACADEMIC COMMITTEE.
SO I JUST WANNA BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION, YOU SHOULD HAVE A QUICK EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ON MAY 22ND, THE HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA LAWS TITLE 59 DASH 32 DASH 30, AND THE BEAUFORT
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COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF EDUCATION.WELL, WE SHARE THAT WE HAVE A HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT THEY HAVE PRESENTED TO YOU AS WELL IN AS WELL AS IN FEBRUARY AT THE MAY 22ND ACADEMIC COMMITTEE.
WE WANTED TO SHARE THAT THE HAC HAD REVIEWED ANCILLARY OR SU SUPPLEMENTAL HEALTH MATERIALS FOR USE AT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOLS.
THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS THE, THAT THESE MATERIALS CAN GO FORWARD FOR USE WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS.
AND THIS IS BASICALLY AN INFORMATION ONLY THAT WAS PROVIDED AT THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE.
THERE WERE NO MODIFICATIONS DETERMINED TO BE MADE TO THOSE MATERIALS BECAUSE THEY FOUND THEM TO BE IN ACCORDANCE TO THE CURRENT LAWS AND ADOPTED, UM, TEXTBOOK MATERIALS AS WELL AS THE STATE STANDARDS.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? AND I'LL PAUSE FOR THAT BECAUSE THE SECOND PART OF THAT EVENING WILL COME UP SHORTLY.
'CAUSE WE HAVE LOCAL BOARD APPROVED, UM, COURSES FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
AND THERE'S A MOTION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THAT WILL COME UP LATER ON THIS EVENING'S MEETING.
AND IN SUPPORT OF THAT, WE HAVE OUR PRINCIPALS HERE WITH US WHO THESE LOCAL BOARD APPROVED COURSES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AT THEIR SCHOOLS.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WISH TO ADD IN THE COMMITTEE REPORT? NO, NOT AT THIS TIME.
I JUST WANNA THANK THE COMMITTEE, UH, FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND FOR ALL OF YOU FOR LISTENING TONIGHT.
UM, NEXT ITEM IS THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
I'LL TOUCH ON CUSTODIAL MAINTENANCE FIRST AND THEN THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S THIRD ON OUR AGENDA.
UH, BECAUSE AFTER THAT, WE'LL ALL, UH, INVITE MR. SCRATCH FIELD UP.
FOR OUR 8% PRESENTATION FOR CUSTODIAL MAINTENANCE, WE HAD 665 CUSTODIAL INSPECTIONS.
AVERAGE DISTRICT SCORE FOR THE ALL THE INSPECTIONS WAS 85.6.
MS. MAJORS, UH, COMPLIMENTED ALL THREE CUSTODIAL GROUPS FOR THEIR EXCEPTIONAL SUPPORT OF THE GRADUATIONS ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
UH, SO KUDOS TO ALL OF OUR VENDORS AND EACH OF OUR VENDORS HONOR TWO EMPLOYEES.
TOTAL WORK ORDERS TO DATE ARE 26,012.
TOTAL WORK ORDERS COMPLETED TO DATE ARE 20 1029 NORTH OF THE BROAD AVERAGE DAYS TO COMPLETE WORK.
ORDERS FELL FROM MARCH FROM 3.46 DAYS TO 2.67 DAYS SOUTH OF THE BROAD, UH, AVERAGE DAY'S.
COMPLETE WORK ORDERS ROSE FROM 2.59 IN MARCH TO 3.88 IN APRIL, BUT DROPPED AGAIN TO 2.76 IN MAY.
UH, SO WE'RE GETTING MOST OF OUR WORK ORDERS DOWN TO ABOUT A DAY AND A HALF TO COMPLETE.
THE SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT FOR OUR BLITZ WAS, UH, WHALE BRANCH EARLY COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
WE, UH, WE HAD 61 TOTAL WORK ORDERS.
FIVE WERE 50, I'M SORRY, 50 WERE COMPLETED.
AND FOR TO CLOSE OUT, UH, THE MAINTENANCE PORTION, UH, OUR OPEN LOCKSMITH POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED.
SO, UH, NOW INSTEAD OF BEING DOWN EIGHT PEOPLE FOR OUR MAINTENANCE STAFF, WE'RE ONLY DOWN SEVEN FOR OUR REFERENDUMS. UH, 2019 PAID AND COMMITTED FUNDS TOTAL 373.7.
CAN WE, CAN WE MAKE SURE YOU'RE GOING TO THE REFERENDUM? COULD YOU SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CUSTODIAL OR MAINTENANCE FOR THE COMMITTEE? QUESTIONS GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE.
MOVING ON 2000 BOND REFERENDUM.
YEAH, PAYTON COMMITTED 3.7, UH, 373.7 MILLION, WHICH IS 99.48%.
THE REMAINING AVAILABLE FUNDS, INCLUDING CONTINGENCIES TOTAL, 1.94 MILLION, UH, WHICH IS 0.052% OF THE OVERALL REFERENDUM FOR THE 2023 BOND REFERENDUM.
UH, WE FINALLY HAVE AN UPDATE FOR MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THE PERMIT HAS BEEN RECEIVED, BUT, UH, FINAL APPROVAL HAS NOT BEEN SIGNED.
PALMETTO BLUFF IS WAITING ON ONE BOARD MEMBER TO SIGN, BUT WE ARE EXPECTING THAT FINAL SIGNATURE SOMETIME THIS WEEK.
HOWEVER, UH, WE ARE STARTING THINGS OVER AT THE PROPERTY.
THE SILT FENCES HAVE GONE UP THIS WEEK.
UH, SO WE'RE THINGS ARE FINALLY STARTING TO MOVE.
THE TRAIN HAS LEFT THE STATION, I BELIEVE PEYTON COMMITTED FUNDS FOR 2023 REFERENDUM ARE 183.8 MILLION, WHICH IS 41.88% REMAINING AVAILABLE FUNDS, INCLUDING CONTINGENCY TOTAL OF 255.1 MILLION, UH, OR 58.12%.
AND PROGRAM CONTINGENCY REMAINING AT THE END OF MAY, 2025 IS 11.74 MILLION.
UM, IT WAS REQUESTED BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, TO HAVE, UH, ANOTHER MEETING ON JUNE 5TH.
NORMALLY, WE WOULD HAVE A MEETING AFTER THIS BOARD MEETING, BUT, UH, IT WAS REQUESTED TO HAVE A MEETING ON JUNE 5TH FOR A THIRD DISCUSSION OF OUR 8% CAPITAL BUN, UH, PROJECT SPENDING.
UH, BUT FOR THE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE DID NOT HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT.
SO IT WAS ONLY AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING.
UH, HOWEVER, I PROMISED THE BOARD THAT WE WOULD BRING FORWARD A PRODUCT.
SO, UH, MS. CAROL CRUTCHFIELD IS GOING TO PRESENT THE OPTIONS.
UH, YOU'RE, SHE'S GOING TO PRESENT, UH, FIVE OPTIONS TO YOU.
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UH, BUT REALLY THERE'S ONLY THREE OPTIONS.AND OF THE THREE, THREE OPTIONS, THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE, UM, THE CONSENSUS OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, WITHOUT A A VOTE YET WAS, UH, WE NARROWED IT BASICALLY DOWN TO OPTION THREE.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW WE, WE ARE THE CLOSEST TO OPTION THREE, HOWEVER, MS. CRUTCHFIELD IS GOING TO GET MUCH MORE DETAIL.
I'LL GO IN, I'LL GO INTO AS MUCH DETAIL AS YOU ALL WOULD LIKE.
BUT I'M GONNA START WITH A LITTLE BACKGROUND OVERVIEW.
UH, JUST ABOUT, UM, 8% AND KIND OF THE LIST AND HOW WE GET THERE.
JUST SO IT'S VERY CLEAR WHERE THIS COMES FROM.
SO YOU ALL HAVE A BOOK, AND THAT'S OUR FACILITIES MASTER PLAN.
AND THAT OUTLINES THE BIG PROJECTS THAT WE TALK ABOUT.
BUT BEHIND THAT, THERE IS A MASTER LIST, A TENURE LIST OF ALL THE CAPITAL NEEDS PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO FROM THAT, WE WORK WITH FINANCE.
WE, WE UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR, OUR BORROWING CAPACITY CAN BE.
AND SO WE TRY TO BRING YOU A LIST FOR EACH FISCAL YEAR OF WHAT WE CAN SPEND.
SO OUR FIRST MEETING IN APRIL, WE BROUGHT A LIST, UM, THAT WAS $58.127 MILLION.
AND THAT'S SO THEY, EVERYBODY COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT, SEE WHERE THEY ARE, TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN GET OPTIONS.
SO THE COMMITTEE ASKED US TO BRING BACK THREE OPTIONS.
AND SO AT THE MAY 13TH MEETING, WE BROUGHT BACK FIVE OPTIONS 'CAUSE SO LIKE, UH, MR. NAY WAS SAYING REALLY IT'S, UH, BASICALLY THE THREE OPTIONS.
AND BETWEEN THOSE THREE OPTIONS, UM, WE KIND OF OUTLINED WHAT YOU WOULD BE GETTING AND NOT GETTING FOR EACH OF THOSE OPTIONS.
AND THAT WAS GONNA BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
IT WAS PART OF THE DISCUSSION AT THE JUNE MEETING.
SO, UM, OPTION THREE, WHICH WAS THE ONE THAT THE COMMITTEE WAS LEANING TOWARDS.
UM, IT, IT INCLUDES SOME APPROVED AND ALLOCATED THINGS, SOME RECURRING PROJECTS LIKE PAINTING, UM, TECHNOLOGY, ALL THE TECHNOLOGY NEEDS THAT ARE THERE, AND ITEMS THAT WE HAD ON THE LIST AS HIGH PRIORITY.
SO WE PRESENT THESE LIST OF ITEMS IS CATEGORIZED SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS, UM, SORT OF BY DISCIPLINE AND ALSO BY CATEGORY.
BUT THERE'S ALWAYS A LIST SUPPORTING THAT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE DETAILS OF WHAT'S ON THOSE.
AND, UH, UM, MS. CUSH BERRY HAS THOSE UP HERE FOR YOU.
SO CHOICE THREE WAS FOR 34.999 $227 CHOICE FOUR $35,015,227.
IT'S VERY SIMILAR, UM, TO OPTION TWO, WHICH WAS NOT A CHOICE AND FOCUSED ON FUNDS ALREADY APPROVED AND ALLOCATED FOR THE DISC RENOVATIONS, RECURRING PROJECTS, TECHNOLOGY NEEDS.
AND THE HIGH PRIORITY ITEMS WERE REDUCED DOWN TO 15 MILLION.
AND THEN CHOICE FIVE, AGAIN, IT'S AT 34,000 979, 2 27.
AND THAT ONE, UM, INCLUDES THE FUNDS ALREADY APPROVED AND ALLOCATED FOR THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
RECURRING FUNDS WERE REDUCED, SO WE WOULDN'T DO AS MANY PAINTING PROJECTS UNDER THAT ONE.
WE WOULD PUSH OUT THE ONES THAT WE COULD, THE TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS UNDER OPTION, I MEAN CHOICE FIVE OR REDUCED DOWN TO 2 MILLION, AND THEN HIGH PRIORITY REMAINING AT THE $24 MILLION.
SO THOSE WERE YOUR THREE, UM, CHOICES THAT I THINK THE COMMITTEE HAD NARROWED DOWN TO.
AND LIKE MR. NAY SAID, I THINK EVERYONE WAS LEANING TOWARDS OPTION THREE ON THAT.
UM, JUST, UH, SO EVERYBODY, UH, RATHER THAN TRYING TO PLOW THROUGH ALL THIS STUFF, THE REASON WE GOT THE CLOSEST, UH, TO OPTION THREE IS BECAUSE IT, UH, CONTAINS, UH, ALL THE FUNDING THAT NEEDED FOR TECHNOLOGY AND MOST OF THE FUNDING NEEDED FOR ROOFS.
UM, WE ALL AGREED THAT ROOFS WERE A GOOD THING, UH, AND US NOT BACKING DOWN FROM THE TECHNOLOGY FEES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T WANNA SKIMP ON ANY OF OUR TECHNOLOGY FEES.
SO THAT'S WHY WE ARRIVED MOSTLY AT, UH, OPTION THREE.
QUESTIONS FOR MR. NA? UH, YES SIR.
LEMME START OFF BY SAYING THAT, UM, I, I, UH, I DID WAS ONE OF THE, I WAS ONE OF THE ONES WHO, UH, DID, WAS NOT AT THE MEETING AND I WAS NOT THERE BECAUSE, UM, I DIDN'T, UM, IT, THERE WASN'T NO ON MY CALENDAR I DIDN'T REMEMBER ABOUT THE MEETING.
AND THAT'S PROBABLY MY FIRST TIME, UH, MISSING OPERATIONS MEETING IN ABOUT, ABOUT ABOUT EIGHT YEARS FOR JUST TO LET THE RECORD REFLECT.
UM, UH, SO, UH, DO APOLOGIZE ABOUT THAT.
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MY QUESTION.AND SO HEARING THAT, I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, SO THE, THERE, THERE WAS SOME PAINTING, THERE WAS SOME PAINTING GOING ON.
AND SO IN OPTION THREE, YOU MEAN, SO OPTION THREE, THERE'S NO PAINTING AND IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? NO, THERE ARE SOME PAINTING PROJECTS, IT'S JUST THAT AMOUNT WAS REDUCED.
WE WOULD NOT BE DOING ALL OF THEM.
SO WE WERE DOING THE HIGHER PRIORITY PROJECTS FOR PAINTING AND PUSHING SOME THAT OUR PROJECT MANAGERS FELT LIKE IF WE HAD TO CHOOSE, IT WOULD BE ONE.
UM, COULD YOU, COULD YOU, COULD YOU WE COME ON THE OPTION BECAUSE I SEE OPTION TWO, LIKE HOW WE SEE, SEE IT RIGHT THERE ON, ON, ON SCREEN.
UH, YEAH, MS. CBER CAN SCROLL.
GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE TO CHOICE THREE.
OH, YOU'RE ASKING FOR TWO? I'M SORRY.
BECAUSE YOU SAID THE, THE THREE OPTIONS ARE, THREE OPTIONS ARE, ARE, WHICH ONE NOW IS IT IN? SO TWO WAS THE ONE THAT WE CREATED THAT WAS BASED OFF YOUR PREVIOUS DISCUSSION IN APRIL FROM YOUR FIRST MEETING.
AND SO THAT WAS THE ONE BOARD MEMBERS HAD INPUT AND WANTED TO PRIORITIZE, UM, CERTAIN THINGS FOR, SO THAT, THAT'S HOW THAT ONE GOT DEVELOPED.
BUT THAT ONE'S FOR $43 MILLION.
SO THAT ONE IS, IS MORE THAN THE MONEY WE REALLY HAVE TO ALLOCATE.
AND, AND, AND THE OTHER OPTION IS TWO, THREE.
AND, AND WHAT, WHAT'S THE OTHER, WHAT'S THE OTHER OPTION? FOUR AND FIVE ARE REALLY OUR OPTIONS.
WELL, YEAH, CAN WE, CAN, CAN WE, CAN WE MOVE ON TO, UH, FOUR? EXCUSE ME, I APOLOGIZE ABOUT THAT.
SO THIS ONE DOES ALL THE FOUR, DOES ALL THE PAINTING, ALL THE TECHNOLOGY AND REDUCES ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE, RIGHT? SO, SO THEN, AND THE ROOF FORWARD FOUR WOULDN'T, THE ROOF WOULD NOT BE ALL THE ROOFS WOULD NOT BE FOUR, CORRECT? FOUR DELAYS.
UH, HILTON HEAD CREATIVE ARTS AND BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL ROOF REPLACEMENTS, BUT KEEPS MOST OF THE PAINTING.
BUT IN, I, IN THREE, THREE WOOD, UH, THREE WOOD THREE SHOW ALL THE, WOULD GET ALL THE ROOFS DONE, WELL GET ALL THE ROOFS DONE BECAUSE I REMEMBER THAT.
AND WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING IT MM-HMM.
WE WERE SAYING THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO, UH, GET ALL THE ROOFS DONE.
THAT WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, UH, MOST IMPORTANT THINGS DOESN'T INCLUDE FULLY FUND HILTON HEAD CREATIVE ARTS, BUT IT GETS THE MORE IMPORTANT SECTIONS OF CREATIVE ARTS ON THE PROJECT LIST.
BUT IT KEEPS THE HILTON HEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL AND BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL RE REFORM PROJECTS AND BEAUFORT HIGH AND HING MCCRACKEN PAINTINGS.
DID THEY, DID WE REDUCE ANYTHING IN TECHNOLOGY? NO.
AND SEE THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I STATED THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT I WOULD GIVE A CHALLENGE THAT WE REDUCE SOMETHING IN TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT IT'S GOOD TO HAVE TECHNOLOGY, BUT, UH, THE PARENTS AND EVERYONE'S ASKING, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, MORE MOVING SUR BACK TOWARDS PEN AND PAPER AND, AND YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAD, THAT WE DO HAVE TECHNOLOGY ISSUES, BUT I WAS LOOKING FOR A REDUCED IS IS I WAS LOOKING FOR A RE A REDUCED IN THAT.
WELL LET'S LOOK OPTION FIVE THEN PLEASE.
I AM, AM I LOGIC, AM I LOGIC IN THAT IS BECAUSE WHAT I DON'T WANNA DO IS, AS YOU JUST STATED, YOU SAID THAT WAS MAJORITY OF THE PROJECT ON HILTON HEAD.
SO CHO SO OPTION FIVE PARTIALLY FUNDS, UM, TECHNOLOGY, IT KEEPS THE BEAUFORT HIGH SCHOOL HE MCCRACKEN PAINTING AND FULLY FUNDS THE FOUR ROOFING PROJECTS.
HOWEVER, AND, AND I THINK MR. JOHAN'S HERE, SO HE COULD TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, I THINK THE CONCERN IS OF DELAYING SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS IS THAT IS THE SERVERS THAT'S SORT OF THE BACKBONE.
THAT'S NOT JUST A COMPUTER REFRESH, ALTHOUGH THAT'S PART OF IT, BUT IT'S ALSO THE BACKBONE OF ALL THE TECHNOLOGY THINGS.
UM, BASICALLY OUR WHOLE TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM IS BUILT ON LIFECYCLE REFRESHES.
AND DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE SPEND ON TECHNOLOGY, IF WE MISS A SINGLE LIFECYCLE REFRESH, YOU MIGHT AS WELL PUT US BACK 5 MILLION FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, ANOTHER REASON THAT WE WANT TO DO THESE PROJECTS AT THIS TIME IS BY GOING WITH OPTION FIVE, WE TAKE ALMOST $2.6 MILLION
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WORTH OF E-RATE REIMBURSEMENTS FROM FEDERAL FUNDS BACK.BECAUSE IF WE DON'T MAKE THE E-RATE REIMBURSEMENT ON THE FIRST YEAR THAT E-RATE COMES ACTIVE, WE TEND TO LOSE THAT MONEY BECAUSE BY THE SECOND YEAR, ALL THAT MONEY IS GONE.
SO EVERY FIVE YEARS WE REFRESH OUR SWITCHING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ABOUT $5 MILLION AND WE BASICALLY GET ABOUT TWO POINT SOMETHING BACK.
UM, AND IF WE DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT, THAT'S 2 MILLION THAT DOESN'T COME BACK TO THE DISTRICT.
UM, IT ALSO SETS BACK CYBERSECURITY ON OUR SERVER IN INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE EVERY YEAR OUR SERVERS GO OUTTA DATE, WE LOSE OPTIONS FOR DOING, UM, SECURITY UPGRADES ON 'EM.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY WE KEEP EVERYTHING AT A CURRENT LEVEL.
UM, STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAS BEEN HIT WITH A LOT OF CYBERSECURITY INCIDENTS IN THE PAST SIX YEARS, AND AS OF NOW, LUCKILY WE ARE NOT ONE OF THEM.
SO WE WANT TO KEEP OUR GOING TRACK WITH, UH, STAYING PROGRESSIVE AND ON TOP OF OUR TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THEN, I KNOW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE COLLECT MONEY FOR TECHNOLOGY FEES AND, AND DIFFERENT INTE LIKE THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
SO HOW IS THAT OFFSETTING THIS PRICE HERE? BECAUSE I MEAN, THIS IS, SEEMS, SEEMS A LITTLE STEEP HERE.
UM, WE DON'T REALLY COLLECT THAT MUCH MONEY FROM THE FEES.
UM, WE CHARGE OUR KIDS $25 A YEAR, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LOWER RATES IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND IN GEORGIA, MOST OF THEM CHARGE 35 TO $50 A YEAR FOR THE STUDENTS TO TAKE THAT IN.
UM, IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, MY KIDS HAD TO PAY INSURANCE AND, UM, THE DEVICE ENCLOSURE.
SO WE HAD TO SPEND ABOUT $90 IN SAVANNAH TO BE ABLE TO GET OUR KID A SCHOOL RUN DEVICE.
SO WE ARE ONE OF THE CHEAPER DISTRICTS FOR NOT PASSING THAT ON TO OUR CONSUMERS.
THE ONLY TIME WE DO ASK FOR MONEY IS AFTER THE FIRST BREAKAGE.
UM, WE PAY FOR THE FIRST BREAKAGE ON EVERY DEVICE FOR A KID DURING EACH YEAR.
BUT ANY SECOND AND THIRD BREAKAGES WILL BE ON THE PARENTS TO COVER.
RIGHT? I MEAN, AND, AND NOT JUST TO GO BACK AND FORTH, ALL THAT SOUNDS GOOD, BUT I'M JUST IN TERMS OF THERE'S SOME FEES AND THERE'S SOME FEES HERE.
I'M TRYING IN TERMS OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY OUT HOW WE CAN GET THIS MORE GET, GET ALL OF THIS DONE BECAUSE THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE, UH, TECHNOLOGY FEES AND THERE, UH, SOME, THERE'S SOME OTHER, THERE'S SOME OTHER FEES THAT HADN'T COME THAT DIDN'T COME TO ME RIGHT NOW.
I WAS THINKING IN TERMS OF ACTIVITY FEES, I'M THINKING OF HOW MUCH, MAYBE HOW MUCH IF COULD THAT MONEY BE USED FOR ANY OF THIS.
BUT, UH, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF REALLY TRYING TO, UM, UNDERSTAND, IS THIS GONNA BE AN AN EVERY YEAR ANNUAL THING IN TERMS OF WE WON'T BE ABLE TO CUT TECHNOLOGY IN TERMS OF SPENDING DOWN OR, UH, LOT THE TECHNOLOGY IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF CO CONCERNING AND ALARMING.
IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT HAVE TO BE HAD.
UM, WE KIND OF WORK ON A BELL CURVE.
WE HAVE LOWER YEARS AT ABOUT FOUR TO 5 MILLION, BUT WE DO HAVE CERTAIN YEARS THAT WE DO GET UP TO SIX AND 7 MILLION.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE CURVE OF THE REFRESH.
UM, ANOTHER THING IS THAT THE MONEY WE DO COLLECT FROM STUDENTS AT $25, WE BUY THE STUDENT BAGS WITH IT.
WE USE THO THAT MONEY TO BUY STUDENT BAGS.
WE ALSO USE IT TO BUY BROKEN TECHNOLOGY.
SO SAY A KID DOESN'T TURN IN A, UM, A CHARGER THAT'S 45, DO $50, UM, THAT KID LEAVES THE DISTRICT.
WE CAN ASK FOR THAT MONEY BACK, BUT WE MIGHT NOT EVER SEE IT.
BUT YET THAT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THAT CHARGER READY FOR THE NEXT INCOMING STUDENT.
A LOT OF THIS STUFF I NEED TO HAVE, WE HAVE ANOTHER PERSON WHO WANTS TO MAKE A COMMENT.
MR. SHOHAN COVERED A LOT OF WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY, BUT I THINK ALSO PEOP WE HAVE 35 SCHOOL BUILDINGS, SERVERS, ROUTERS, SWITCHES, WIRES.
WE HAVE AV EQUIPMENT, WE HAVE, UH, TECHNOLOGY FOR SECURITY CAMERAS.
IT, I I THINK THAT GENERALLY SPEAKING, OUR ONE-TO-ONE DEVICES ARE PROBABLY NOT THE BIGGEST PART OF THAT BUDGET BY FAR.
UM, AND IT'S EXPENSIVE TO MANAGE.
AND I DO THINK YOU'RE CORRECT ABOUT CYBERSECURITY AND THE THREATS BEING POSED THAT, UM, ARE INCREASING IN COMPLEXITY.
THE OTHER THING IS WE ARE A ONE-TO-ONE DISTRICT.
UM, WHAT I HEAR MORE FREQUENTLY IS THAT PEOPLE ARE NERVOUS THAT WE ARE, WE NEED TO DO MORE TO PREPARE OUR KIDS TO LIVE IN A TECHNOCENTRIC WORLD BECAUSE THAT IS JUST THE WAY EVERYTHING IS GOING.
SO I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY, BUT AGAIN, I MEAN JUST THE E-RATE FUNDS ALONE WOULD, IT WOULD COST US $2.6 MILLION NOT TO INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A STEP BACKWARDS FROM WHERE SOCIETY IS DRIVING AT THE MOMENT AND THE SKILLSET THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE GONNA NEED.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE $7 MILLION IS NOT JUST THE LAPTOPS,
[00:30:01]
IT'S ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE AT 35 BUILDINGS PLUS THE DISTRICT OFFICE PLUS THE, OUT OF THAT 7 MILLION, ONLY 1 MILLION IS ACTUALLY GOING TOWARDS THE STUDENT REFRESH.THANK YOU MR. CHOAN FOR EXPLAINING, UH, WHERE THE $7 MILLION IN TECHNOLOGY SPENT.
UH, WHEN THE OPERATIONS GROUP HAD A WONDERFUL CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, I WAS LEANING TOWARDS REDUCING THE TECHNOLOGY PORTION.
UH, I THINK AT SOME POINT IN TIME, A A VERY RIGOROUS SYSTEM-WIDE REVIEW OF TECHNOLOGY AND HOW WE UTILIZE IT FOR EFFICIENCY STATE, UH, AND ANSWER THE QUESTION OF STANDARDIZATION, WHERE EFFICIENCY COMES FROM VERSUS DECENTRALIZATION WHERE INNOVATION TENDS TO COME.
CAN WE, CAN WE REACH THAT MEDIUM POINT? UH, SO WITH THAT, I I ALSO FEEL LIKE WITH THE OPTICS OF LEAKING ROOFS, I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO GO FORWARD AS AN ORGANIZATION WITHOUT KNOWING ABOUT 'EM AND NOT REPAIRING THEM.
SO I WOULD ASK THAT WHATEVER OPTION ALLOWS US TO TAKE CARE OF EVERY LEAKING ROOF IN THE DISTRICT, THAT THAT WILL BE ONE THAT IS, THAT IS INCORPORATED WHATEVER OPTION IS CHOSEN.
AND THEN LET'S SEE IF THERE'S SOME SOFTER AREAS THAT WE CAN BACK AWAY FROM.
DON'T WANT KIDS BEING RAINED ON IN, IN OUR BUILDINGS.
I THINK WE COULD, UH, HAVE A MOTION, MR. AND, AND WE CAN, UH, HAVE A DISCUSSION AFTER THE MOTION.
SO IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE A MOTION, SIR, I WILL.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED CHOICE THREE AS LISTED IN THE AMOUNT OF 34,999,227 AS THE FINAL LIST OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 27, 8% FUNDING.
OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND THEN WE HAVE A SECOND.
UM, WITH THAT, SO WITH CLARITY, I, UH, DO, UH, AGREE WITH, UH, WHAT MR. DALLAS JUST SAID AND I WANTED TO BRING IT TO CLEARLY, UM, I'M GLAD THE POINT, THE POINT WAS DELIVERED AND YOU SAID IT MUCH MORE LY.
SO I'M HO SO IN THE, IN THE, IN THE FUTURE, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, I HO I HOPE THAT WE DO DO EXACTLY, UH, WHAT MR. DALLAS, THE POINT THAT HE BROUGHT UP, BECAUSE I I SAID THAT AND I REALLY MEAN THAT BECAUSE AT SOME POINT IN TIME WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO GET A HANDLE ON TECHNOLOGY.
SO, UM, BUT TO THIS, TO THIS MO TO THIS CURRENT MOTION, UM, MY, MY NEXT POINT WAS, SO YOU WERE SAYING THAT, THAT IT DIDN'T, IT DIDN'T TAKE PART, IT DIDN'T FINISH.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DIDN'T IT FINISH? EXCUSE ME, WHAT'S UP? YOU SAID, YOU SAID IT, IT FINISHED IN TERMS OF ROOF, YOU SAID IT FINISHED PART OF ONE SCHOOL'S ROOF OR ONE SCHOOL'S PROJECT, BUT DIDN'T FI FINISH THE OTHER PART OF IT.
AND WHAT IS THAT EXACTLY? SO OPTION CHOICE THREE, RIGHT? DELAYS SOME PAINTING PROJECTS.
KEEP SOME MEN THAT ARE HIGH PRIORITY, IT KEEPS THE BEAUFORT HIGH MCCRACKEN PAINTING.
THOSE ARE THE TWO, IT FULLY FUNDS.
HILTON HEAD, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND BLUFF AND MIDDLE SCHOOL REEFING PROJECTS AND FUND SOME ROOF SECTIONS ON, UM, HILTON HEAD SCHOOL FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS.
OKAY, THAT'S MY POINT RIGHT THERE.
I, I, AND, AND I, I WANNA, SO, SO MY, MY MY PROBLEM IS THIS, I DON'T WANNA PIECEMEAL IT.
SO I, I I WANNA DO THE FULL, THE FULL ROOF OF IT, IF THAT MEANS NO PAINTING NOWHERE, NOWHERE, NOWHERE ELSE.
BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS IF IF WE COME BACK AND WE HAVE TO DO THE ROOF AGAIN, THEN IT, IT, IT COULD SPREAD IT.
SO, SO LET'S GET A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE DOING THAT.
ARE WE DOING THE FULL ROOF AND NOT THE PAINTING? MR. MR. ING WILL GIVE US SOME MORE INFORMATION ON IT? I CAN, YEAH, YOU'RE GO RIGHT AHEAD.
SO, UM, WHAT WE ASKED OUR PMS TO LOOK AT IS, UH, WHAT WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE IN DOING OVER A SUMMER.
AND IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR US TO PHASE A ROOF LIKE THIS.
WE DID THIS AT BEAUFORT HIGH, UM, UH,
SO THE, THE PLAN WILL BE TO COME BACK THE NEXT YEAR AND FINISH IT.
SO IT'LL JUST DIVIDE IT INTO TWO PHASES INSTEAD OF ONE.
AND WITH THE AMOUNT OF ROOFING WORK THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN THIS 8%, IF IT GETS APPROVED, IS A PRETTY LARGE AMOUNT FOR OUR THREE CONTRACTORS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
SO THIS IS WHAT WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE PMS. UH, IT'LL AT LEAST GET US STARTED ON SEA AND IT'S MAKING A COMMITMENT TO REPLACING THAT ROOF.
IT'LL JUST BE DIVIDED INTO TWO PHASES, WHICH WE'VE DONE BEFORE.
AND A LOT OF TIMES DUE TO THE SIZE OF THE ROOF, WE HAVE TO DO THAT ANYWAY ON A LOT OF THE PROJECTS.
AND REAL, REAL QUICK FOR THE GENERAL, FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC OUT, WHAT I WANT TO SAY ON THAT IS, IS THAT I WAS AT A COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING A COUPLE, MAYBE MONTHS UP, MAYBE ABOUT LAST MONTH, AND THERE WAS THE, A POOL THAT WAS BEING WORKED ON IN THE CON AND IN BLUFFTON, AND THEY, AND THEY HAD JUST REMODELED THE POOL AND THE YOUNG LADY SAID, SHE SAID, Y'ALL JUST REMODELED THE POOL AND NOW Y'ALL ARE SHUTTING THE POOL DOWN AGAIN AND HAVE TO DO MORE RENOVATION WORK.
WHY DIDN'T Y'ALL DO IT THE FIRST TIME?
[00:35:01]
AND SO TO BRING UP MY POINT, MY POINT IS VALID AND I WANNA MAKE THIS PUBLIC.I, MY MY POINT IS THIS, IF WE WANT, IF WE'RE GONNA TOUCH IT, LET'S WORK ON IT AND LET'S FINISH IT.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT AS A, AS A, AS A, AS A PERSON, HEARING THE COMMUNITY AND HEARING WHAT IS BEING SAID, I, I, I'M, I'M, BEFORE THAT PERSON COMES IN AND SAY AT THIS MEETING, I'M SAYING IT RIGHT NOW, LOOKING, MOVING FORWARD, I'M HOPING THAT WHEN WE GET SITUATIONS LIKE THIS WITH ROOFS OF SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE, THIS SERIOUS, THAT WE CAN DO IT AND KNOCK IT ALL OUT VERSUS COMING BACK AND MAKING IT IN PHASES.
AND IT IS NOT, NOT TO GO BACK AND FORTH.
THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I WANNA PUT OUT THERE.
MR. UH, DR. CARTER, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? NO.
LET'S READ THE, UH, LET'S READ THE MOTION AGAIN, PLEASE.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED CHOICE THREE AS LISTED IN THE AMOUNT OF 34,999,227 AS THE FINAL LIST OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 27 8% FUNDING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? OPPOSED TO OPPOSED.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING FURTHER? UH, THAT'S IT.
I, UH, YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME.
UH, NEXT ITEM IS LOCAL ABOARD APPROVED COURSES.
STRADDLES IS GONNA, UH, COME BACK UP.
SHE'S GONNA PROVIDE, UH, SOME OF THE GREATER DETAILS REGARDING THE LOCAL BOARD APPROVED COURSES THAT WE, UM, SHARED THAT THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, WE CAN GET INTO A LITTLE MORE DEPTH.
THANK YOU DR. RODRIGUEZ AND BOARD MEMBERS.
ONCE AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, ON MAY 22ND, THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE MET TO REVIEW THEIR AVID LOCAL BOARD APPROVED COURSES.
AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, UM, AVID IS AN ACKERMAN FOR ADVOCATING VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION.
THESE LBA COURSES ARE IN SUPPORT TO HILTON HEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THEY STAND ON THE WORK OF OUR FIRST ABOT SCHOOL, WHICH WAS BUFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL.
IN YOUR FOLDERS ARE THE COURSE OUTLINES AND THERE'S A MOTION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION WITH THIS.
I WANNA MAKE MENTION OF OUR TWO PRINCIPALS.
ONCE AGAIN, CLINT AUSTIN, OUR PRINCIPAL FOR HI HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, OUR PRINCIPAL AS WELL, STEVEN STID RICH, OUR PRINCIPAL OF HILTON HEAD, IB HIGH SCHOOL JOINING AS WELL AS MEGAN JART.
SHE IS OUR DIRECTOR FOR THE CHANGEMAKERS GRANT, WHICH MANAGES THREE OF OUR SCHOOLS IN THE HILTON HIT ISLAND AREA, AS WELL AS KAREN MCKINSEY, WHO HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL AT PUTTING TOGETHER THE DOCUMENTATION FOR THESE LOCAL BOARD APPROVED COURSES.
SO WITH THAT, I BRING FORWARD MS. MCKINSEY AND MYSELF, OR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
WE HAVE AN LBA FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL AS THE LBA FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THESE COURSES WILL START THIS COMING ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR.
THE TEACHER UNITS ARE BEING FUNDED THROUGH THE GRANT, AS WELL AS THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR EDUCATORS AS WELL AS OUR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY.
UM, I THINK AVID LOOKS FANTASTIC.
ONE IS, I KNOW AVID HAS A PROGRAM THAT IS GEARED TOWARDS ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.
WILL THAT BE IMPLEMENTED IN OUR SCHOOLS? WE ARE ACTUALLY, THAT IS AT THE CENTER OF THE GRANT.
MRS. BOATWRIGHT, I DO WANNA SHARE THAT, THE OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
AND MS. MCKINSEY AND I HAD CONVERSATION EVEN LOOKING AT HAVING A NATIVE SPEAKERS COURSE FOR HIGH SCHOOL LANGUAGE.
YES, MA'AM, FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL SURPRISE PRINCIPALS.
BUT WE ARE EVEN LOOKING AT, INTO THAT FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TO START A LOCAL BOARD APPROVED COURSE.
SO THAT MAY BE COMING IN FRONT OF YOU DURING THE NEXT ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR.
I HAVE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT PEOPLE ASKING FOR THAT AND THE BENEFITS OF HERITAGE LANGUAGE COURSE.
SO I APPRECIATE THE TREMENDOUSLY.
UM, AND I GUESS I ACTUALLY HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS.
HAVE WE ALREADY IDENTIFIED THE NEXT YEAR'S COHORT OF THESE? FOR AVID? FOR AVID? YEAH.
SO THESE PRINCIPLES AS WELL AS MEGAN, JARED, MS. JARED, HAVE WORKED VERY HARD AT KEEPING TO THE CORE OF THE AVID PRACTICE AND PHILOSOPHY OF HAVING INTERVIEWS BEING COMPLETED.
SO THOSE WILL BE COMPLETED DURING THE SUMMER.
THAT SPACE IS ALREADY IDENTIFIED IN THE MASTER'S SCHEDULE FOR THE COURSES, BUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE INTERVIEWING
[00:40:01]
PROCESS FOR THE STUDENTS IS BEING CONDUCTED, AND WE ARE BEING IN COMPLIANT TO THE ABBOTT PRACTICE CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS.AND MY LAST QUESTION, JUST, UH, $4,000, IS THAT PER STUDENT OR IS THAT PER COURSE? SO THAT COURSE, THAT IS ACTUALLY A SUBSCRIPTION FEE THAT IS PAID FOR IT.
SO IT'S NOT BY COURSE THEN WE PAY SEPARATELY FOR THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT.
BUT IT'S NOT A PER STUDENT FEE? NO, MA'AM.
COULD WE, UH, COULD WE HEAR FROM THE TWO PRINCIPLES IF WE PLEASE HAVE, ACTUALLY, IF I COULD HAVE THE REMAINING TEAM COME JOIN US, BECAUSE THEY, LAST WEEK, ACTUALLY I HAVE TO, IF I MAY BOAS LOOK AT THE HAPPY FACE.
UM, THEY WERE VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN TRAINING THAT WE HAD OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE TRAINING.
WE HAD TWO DAYS FOR THE PYP PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAM CONDUCTED.
AND THEN WE HAD TWO YEAR, TWO DAYS OF LEADERSHIP.
ALL OF THAT WAS CONDUCTED AT THE SCHOOLS.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PICK THE COST FOR TRAVEL.
AND THE IB CONSULTANTS CAME DIRECTLY HERE TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE MEETING THIS EVENING.
UM, SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD TO GET OUR COHORTS SET, GET OUR CLASSES SET, AND WE, WE ARE EXCITED FOR AVID AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT IT'LL BRING OUR SCHOOL.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE WHERE I CAN JUST SPEAK GENERALLY ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE AT THE, COULD YOU SPEAK GENERALLY ABOUT THE PROGRAM? ABSOLUTELY.
SO IN OUR SCHOOL, WE ARE GOING TO OFFER THIS PROGRAM WITH YOUR APPROVAL OF COURSE, TO OUR SIXTH GRADE, SEVENTH GRADE, AND EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS.
WE HAVE IT LINED UP TO BE TWO COURSES, UH, FOR THE SIXTH GRADERS, TWO SECTIONS, WHICH WILL ENCOMPASS 40 OF THE SIXTH GRADERS ONE COURSE OFFERING FOR SEVENTH GRADERS.
AND SO THAT WILL BE ABOUT 20 AND THEN A 20 SECTION, UH, I'M SORRY, 20 PERSON SECTION FOR EIGHTH GRADE AS WELL.
SO THE HOPE IS THAT WE CAN GET TO WHAT THEY LIKE TO CALL THE ACADEMIC MIDDLE WITH OUR STUDENTS.
UM, THAT IS A TERM THAT AVID USES AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON, AS DR.
STRATO SAID, THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED STUDENTS THAT WE THINK WOULD BE GREAT STUDENTS, BUT WE ARE ALSO ENCOURAGING AS MANY STUDENTS AS POSSIBLE TO APPLY SO WE CAN GET THE RIGHT GROUP AND FILL THESE SECTIONS OF THE COURSE.
WE ALSO HAVE OUR TEACHER NAMED, UM, OUR TEACHER IS ACTUALLY OUR CURRENT TEACHER OF THE YEAR, WHICH IS WONDERFUL, AND SHE'S GONNA DO A GREAT JOB WITH THE COURSES.
AND, UM, WE KNOW THAT ONCE WE GET IT STARTED, IT'S GOING TO GROW ITSELF.
SO WE DO EXPECT THAT THIS PROGRAM WILL TURN INTO A VERY HIGHLY DESIRED COURSE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE ARE GONNA BE GROWING SECTIONS OF THIS, UH, VERY RAPIDLY.
WITH ANY LUCK, THIS COURSE WILL PRODUCE STUDENTS WHO ARE ADVANCING THEIR ACADEMICS, NOT ONLY IN OUR SCHOOL, BUT AS THEY GO TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL.
OUR GOAL IS TO TAKE STUDENTS WHO ARE POTENTIALLY COLLEGE BOUND AND INTERESTED IN, IN ATTENDING COLLEGE, AND EVEN SOME THAT MAYBE ARE JUST CONSIDERING IT AND WE GROW THEM SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE MORE ADVANCED AND HONORS LEVEL COURSES, BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL COURSES IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND MAYBE THAT WAS NOT AN OPTION OR, OR IN THEIR OUTLOOK PREVIOUSLY, BUT AVID COULD HELP THEM GET TO THAT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, I'LL LET MR. SHERICK TALK ABOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE, THE END GOAL IS TO GET THEM PREPARED FOR COLLEGE AND, AND READY TO GO FOR COLLEGE WITH ORGANIZATION MOTIVATION, PUBLIC SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE RUN CLOSELY WITH THE, UH, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELORS, UH, OVER AT HILTON AND MIDDLE.
AND THEY'VE IDENTIFIED, UH, A LOT OF THE EIGHTH GRADERS THAT ARE KIND OF ON THE BUBBLE TO, TO FILTER THEM INTO, UH, THE AVID PROGRAM.
SO, UH, THE PLAN AT HILTON AND HIGH SCHOOL IS TO START 'EM OUT IN NINTH GRADE.
SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE ON AN AB UH, SCHEDULE WHERE WE HAVE, UH, AGAIN, THESE ARE STUDENTS WHO TYPICALLY DO NOT TAKE HONORS CLASSES.
SO WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO ON IT EVERY OTHER DAY IS, IS THEY'RE GONNA TAKE AVID, UH, AND THE NEXT DAY THEY'RE GONNA BE, UH, IN A ENGLISH ONE HONORS CLASS.
SO THOSE TWO TEACHERS, UM, ARE GONNA BE WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP DEVELOP THOSE STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, TEACH 'EM, UH, THE BASIC SKILLS THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE EVENTUALLY BE SUCCESSFUL AND CHALLENGE, UH, THOSE ADVANCED CLASSES LIKE OUR IB PROGRAM.
UM, THOSE SAME STUDENTS, WE'RE ALSO GONNA TRY AND FILTER THEM INTO, UM, UM, A, A NATIVE LANGUAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, CLASS.
UM, BECAUSE WE, WE FIND THAT A LOT OF OUR SPANISH OR, OR NATIVE SPANISH SPEAKERS WHO COME INTO OUR CLASS, WHEN WE PUT 'EM IN A SPANISH ONE CLASS, WE KIND OF LOSE 'EM THERE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THEY KIND OF FEEL IT'S BENEATH THEM A LITTLE BIT.
SO, UH, WITH A NATIVE LANGUAGE CLASS, WE CAN CHALLENGE THEM.
SO EVENTUALLY THEY CAN MOVE ON TO SPANISH TWO, SPANISH THREE HONORS AND EVENTUALLY IB SPANISH.
UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO PLANNING ON THE, THE SKILLS THAT THEY'RE ACQUIRING IN THESE, UH, IN THE AVID CLASS.
AND WITH THAT ENGLISH ONE HONORS CLASS IS WE CAN LOOK AT ALSO PUTTING THEM INTO AN EARTH SCIENCE HONORS CLASS TOO.
SO THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT ARE COME IN AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA HELP THEM, UH, BECOME HIGHLY MOTIVATED, UH, STUDENTS THAT WE THINK WE WOULD EVENTUALLY CHALLENGE OUR IB PROGRAM GOING, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY HIT THE JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR.
SO, OKAY, WE'VE HEARD NOW, UH, A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.
[00:45:01]
LET'S HAVE THE MOTION NOW, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS.I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE FOLLOWING LOCAL BOARD APPROVED COURSES.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL, GRADES NINE, AVID HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE GRADES 6, 7, 8, AVID SECOND FROM MS. GORDON.
UM, COULD YOU TELL THE PUBLIC GENERAL, DR.
SCRATCH, COULD YOU TELL THE PUBLIC WHO MAY BE LISTENING, I KNOW WHAT AVID IS, THEY JUST HANDS GOING AVID, AVID.
COULD YOU TELL THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHAT AVID STANDS FOR AND WHAT THAT MEANS? BECAUSE EVERYONE DOESN'T KNOW THAT.
SO THE A IS FOR ADVOCATING, THE V IS BIO, THE A IS INDIVIDUAL, THE D IS DETERMINATION AT THE CORE OF AVID.
AND, AND IN BOTH THESE GENTLEMEN DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB PUTTING FORWARD IS HAVING OUR STUDENTS BUILDING THEIR PORTFOLIO AT PRACTICE OF LEARNING, BUILDING THEIR CONFIDENCE.
NUMBER ONE WITH REGARD TO QUESTIONING INQUIRY PROCESSES.
AND, AND CENTER TO THAT IS WHAT IS KNOWN AS WICKER, WHICH IS WRITING, INQUIRY, COMMUNICATIONS, ORGANIZATION IN READING, BUILDING THOSE SKILL SETS SO THAT A STUDENT KNOWS WHO USE WHICH STRATEGIES THAT CORRELATE WITH THE WRITING TO BE SUCCESSFUL FOR THE DEPTH OF AN ENGLISH ONE HONORS OR FOR AN AN HL ENGLISH LIT COURSE AS THEY GO TO A DIPLOMA COURSE.
SO BUILDING THAT CAPACITY, BUILDING MY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING SOCRATIC SEMINAR AND HAD A QUESTION WHEN THERE'S A QUESTION OF INQUIRY AND BEING ABLE TO RESPOND AND GIVE THE THESIS AND SUPPORT INFORMATION BACK TO THE TEACHER AND MY FELLOW STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM.
SEE KNOWING HOW TO COMMUNICATE, HAVING THAT SKILL SET IN ORDER TO BUILD A SENTENCE, BUILD NOT ONLY THAT SENTENCE, BUT THAT SENTENCE IS GONNA PERSUADE YOU IN ORDER TO MAYBE VOTE IN A CERTAIN PARTICULAR WAY.
BECAUSE THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN THE AVID CLASSES.
I HAVE TO SHARE THAT THE ORGANIZATION INSTRUCTION OF HOW, WHAT TO DO FOR YOUR HOMEWORK.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL FOR ASSESSMENTS? WHAT DO I NEED TO BE A SUCCESSFUL FOR AN IB DIPLOMA TEST AND THE READING COMPLEXITY.
AND, AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS FOR OUR STUDENTS AT READING IT, ESPECIALLY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, IS BEING ABLE TO MAKE THOSE WORDS BECOME SOMETHING IN YOUR HEAD SO YOU CAN CONNECT ALL THE KNOWLEDGE THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE BUILT WITH YOU.
SO WICKER IS, SO, DOES THAT HELP A LITTLE BIT.
I I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I'M, I'M, I'M A BIG COMPONENT OF IT FROM IT BEING, UM, THE, UH, BEFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL, I MEAN YEAH, BEFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL.
UM, THEY WERE THE FIRST ONES IN THE DISTRICT YES, SIR.
AND SO THE PRINCIPAL MADE SURE WHEN WE SAT DOWN THAT SHE EXPLAINED TO ME WHAT IT WAS.
THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE SUPPORTING.
AND CHAIRMAN GARY, IF I MAY SHARE, 'CAUSE I DID MAKE MENTION TO YOU IN THE BOARD PRIOR THAT THE GEAR UP GRANT, I WAS WAITING FOR THAT FUNDING TO BE TOMORROW, THE FUNDING IS BEING RELEASED.
I HAVE THAT GRANT ALREADY COMPLETED.
SO SHOULD WE BE IN POINT OF RECEIPT, IT'LL BE A FOUR ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS AND ACTUALLY HELP FUND THE TWO SCHOOLS BEHIND ME IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CHANGEMAKER GRANT AS WELL.
SIR, I, I WANT TO, UH, ECHO WHAT MR. SMITH SAID.
I'VE WATCHED, UH, THIS PROGRAM AT BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR TWO YEARS, AND IT'S VERY SELDOM DO I SEE A PROGRAM THAT NOT ONLY THE TEACHERS ARE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT, BUT THE STUDENTS ARE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IT.
THEY TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR SCHOLARSHIP.
AND, AND THAT WAS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE ALONG WITH THE WRITING PORTION BECAUSE THAT WRITING SKILLSET IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
I, I, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM AND I, I I PLAN TO SUPPORT ABOUT THIS VOTE HERE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, MR. DALLAS? YES.
I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT AVID UNTIL I ACTUALLY READ THE MATERIALS FOR THIS MEETING.
THE OTHER THING THAT I'M SO IMPRESSED ABOUT HAVING WORKED IN COUNTRIES WHERE ENGLISH IS NOT THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE AND TRYING TO TRANSACT BUSINESS, UH, WHEN, WHEN SOMEONE CAN PICK UP THE LANGUAGE IN WHICH THE, WHERE THEIR WORLD IS CONDUCTED IN, IT REALLY IS A FORCE MULTIPLIER IN TERMS OF THEM BEING ABLE TO MOVE UP THE LADDER IN TERMS OF PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND WHAT THAT BRINGS TO THEM.
I HOPE THE PUBLIC REALIZES HOW FAR PUBLIC SCHOOLS GO TO ACCOMMODATE EACH AND EVERY STUDENT WHO IS HERE IN AMERICA AND TEACH THEM HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN OUR SOCIETY.
THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN GUYER, IF I MAY, I, THIS ALSO BUILDS ON THE WORK THAT OUR SUPERINTENDENT HAS BROUGHT HERE TO THE DISTRICT, AND I HAVE, I HAVE TO PUT THAT FORWARD.
IF IT WASN'T FOR THE BELIEF IN PHILOSOPHY COMING FROM OUR DISTRICT LEADERSHIP, THIS WOULDN'T BE HAPPENING AMONGST US AS WELL.
AND I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE MENTION.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO SAY, I THINK WE TALK AND HAVE TALKED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT SCHOOL CULTURE AND DISCIPLINE.
THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT SHOWS THAT AVID STUDENTS HAVE A MARKED REDUCTION IN DISCIPLINARY REFERRALS.
[00:50:01]
WHAT I'LL BE INTERESTED IN IS THIS A FAIRLY DECENT SIZED COHORT, 2020, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT ABOUT A HUNDRED KIDS.I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE IF WE CAN DEMONSTRATE THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ACHIEVE SOME DISCIPLINARY IMPROVEMENTS AND SOME SCHOOL CULTURE IMPROVEMENTS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY VALIDATES EVEN EXPANDING THIS, YOU KNOW, BEYOND WHAT WE HAVE.
BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ONE, THESE ARE ONE OF THE FEW SOLUTIONS I'VE HEARD THAT I REALLY THINK COULD HAVE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT ON, UH, SCHOOL.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF YOU.
THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
UH, NEXT ON POLICE DEFENDANT'S, UH, REPORT IS FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
HAVE A BUDGET UPDATE, UH, FROM MS. GOOD EVENING.
UH, AS A BRIEF, UH, OVERVIEW, A RECAP OF THE BUDGET FOR THE VIEWING PUBLIC.
UM, THIS IS A REMINDER OF OUR, UH, 25 20 25, 20 26 OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, THAT BUDGET, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD, UH, CERTIFIED BY THE BOARD ON MAY 20TH, UH, IS A $376,980,000 BUDGET.
IT'S A $17.8 MILLION INCREASE, WHICH IS 5%.
OVER THE PRIOR YEAR, THERE WERE THREE TOP PRIORITIES, TEACHER AND SUPPORT STAFF COMPENSATION, ACADEMIC PROGRAMS, AND SAFETY AND SECURITY.
UM, ONE OF THE PRIMARY, UH, AREAS OF, UH, THE, UH, PRIORITIES THAT WE LISTED, UH, WERE THE TEACHER SALARIES.
UH, SO OUR DISTRICT MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO MOVE TEACHER SALARIES, A BOLD EFFORT, UH, TO MOVE OUR TEACHER SALARIES TO A MINIMUM OF $60,087.
AND SO THAT WILL BE THE STARTING TEACHER SALARY FOR THE 25 26 SCHOOL YEAR.
AND, UH, IT INCLUDES A $4,000 INCREASE IN EVERY SALE OF THE TEACHER'S SALARY SCHEDULE.
SO NO MATTER WHERE A TEACHER IS, WHETHER THEY'RE A MASTER'S WITH ZERO OR A MASTER'S WITH FIVE OR A BACHELOR'S PLUS 18 AND 10 YEARS, THEY WOULD RECEIVE A $4,000 INCREASE.
UM, SO, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY WILL RECEIVE THE MANDATED STEP INCREASE AS WELL.
AND WE ARE PLANNING TO EXPAND STEPS FROM 28 YEARS TO 30.
SO THAT WILL HELP US TO KEEP THE MOST EXPERIENCED AND VETERAN TEACHERS IN OUR DISTRICT JUST A LITTLE LONGER.
UH, OTHER STAFF WILL RECEIVE A 3% COST OF LIVING INCREASE PLUS A STEP, AND, UH, EXPANDS THOSE STEPS TO 30 AS WELL TO ALIGN WITH THE TEACHERS.
SO AGAIN, UH, THIS BUDGET WAS CERTIFIED BY THE BOARD ON MAY 20TH.
UH, AND THEN, UH, DUE TO THE FACT THAT OUR DISTRICT DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE FISCAL AUTONOMY, WE ARE REQUIRED TO GO TO COUNTY COUNCIL FOR THREE READINGS OF AN ORDINANCE.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, ACCOMPLISHED TWO OF THOSE.
UH, SO THE FIRST READING WAS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY, UM, IN FIRST READING ON MAY 27TH.
AND LAST NIGHT, UH, WE UNANIMOUSLY HAD APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET ONCE AGAIN, UH, WITH ONLY ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION, AND IT HAD TO DO WITH THE $4,000 INCREASE, MAKING SURE THAT EVERY TEACHER WAS GOING TO RECEIVE THAT INCREASE.
UH, SO WE WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL YESTERDAY EVENING, AND I ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL BE IN THE THIRD READING, UH, THAT WILL BE HELD.
UH, THAT MEETING WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 23RD.
AND I VERIFIED THIS EVENING THAT IT WILL BE LOCATED AT THE BURTON WELLS RECREATION FACILITY AT 6:00 PM AND SO WE DO ANTICIPATE FULL SUPPORT BY COUNTY COUNCIL, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO, UM, TAKE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE THIS EVENING, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
OUR NEXT ITEM IS, UH, BOARD BUSINESS ACTION.
WE HAVE NO BOARD BUSINESS ACTION.
I NOW WOULD LIKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE.
BUT ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, DIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
DO WE HAVE FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS FOR DALLAS? UM, AS, AS ALLUDED TO EARLIER, UM, AS WE GO FORWARD, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE APPROPRIATE TIME IS, BUT TO HAVE A VERY STRATEGIC REVIEW OF TECHNOLOGY, HOW WE UTILIZE IT, WHERE THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES TO CAPTURE SOME EFFICIENCIES, LIGHT THE LOAD ON OUR EMPLOYEES OR COLLEAGUES, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN SORT OF PRIORITIZE WHERE TIME IS BEST SPENT, UM, AND WITHOUT BASICALLY LOSING THE TREMENDOUS ESPRIT TO COURT THAT EXISTS AMONG THE ADMINISTRATION
[00:55:01]
AND ITS STAFF.AND SO, UM, JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, WHATEVER TIME IS A PROBLEM.
OTHER FUTURE AGENDA TOPIC, I'M GONNA MAKE ONE, I'D, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA TOPIC AS, UH, SECURITY MEASURES AT OUR SCHOOLS.
UH, UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ, DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? YES, I DO.
UH, THIS EVENING I WANT TO ANNOUNCE, UM, TWO, UH, PRINCIPALS MOVING FORWARD INTO THE 25 26 SCHOOL YEAR.
UM, UH, WE HAD INTERVIEWS FOR BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL AND SELECTED AS A PRINCIPAL TO LEAD, UH, BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL.
ALANDI THOMPSON, WHO IS CURRENTLY OUR BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
AND YOU HEARD FROM THIS EVENING, UH, SHE'LL BE MOVING TO BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL AS THE PRINCIPAL AND THEN AT WILL BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.
I AM APPOINTING, UH, FREEDOM MECHANIC, UH, TO LEAD THIS SCHOOL, UH, NEXT YEAR.
OKAY, YOU NOW HAVE TIME FOR SECOND OR THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AND I'D LIKE TO READ THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, INSTRUCTIONS.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER ON BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SCHOOL RELATED TOPICS.
CITIZENS WISHING TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENTS CAN DO SO IN PERSON OR VIA PHONE.
THERE ARE TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS PERIODS.
THE FIRST IS A 30 MINUTE PERIOD NEAR THE BEGINNING, LIMITED TO TOPICS ON THE BOARD MEETING AGENDA.
THE SECOND IS A 15 MINUTE SESSION, WHICH TAKES PLACE PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT, BUT, BUT NO LATER THAN 9:00 PM REQUEST TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENTS VIA THE PHONE WILL BE ACCEPTED ELECTRONICALLY.
UH, PLEASE SIGN UP USING THE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM 24 HOURS FROM THE DAY OF THE MEETING.
REQUESTERS WILL SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVE A PHONE CALL DURING THE RESPECTIVE PUBLIC FORUM TIME AND SHOULD BE READY TO SPEAK.
CITIZENS DESIRING TO PARTICIPATE IN IN-PERSON MUST FILL OUT A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD TO THAT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE BOARD CLERK UPON ARRIVAL.
WE HAVE FIVE IN-PERSON PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND WE HAVE ONE, UH, TELEPHONIC.
WE'LL START WITH THE IN PERSON.
UH, FIRST, UH, PERSON'S NAME IS, I THINK IT'S LEY KITTY.
AND THE SUBJECT IS CHILD RETURNING TO SCHOOL.
MY NAME IS RENTY KITTY FROM THE SOUTH, UH, SOUTH OF THE BROAD.
OUR ISSUE IS WE HAVE A YOUNG LADY THAT GOT INTO AN INCIDENT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND, UH, SHE WENT THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS, EVERYTHING THAT SHE NEEDED TO DO.
HER FATHER AND HER MOTHER TOOK HER THROUGH IT.
BUT WHEN, WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR HER TO BE ABLE TO RETURN TO SCHOOL TO GO TO NINTH GRADE AT, UH, BLUFFTON HIGH, WE SEEM TO RUN INTO A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, MUDDY WATERS, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, CLEAR THAT UP.
UH, SO THAT WHAT WAS SAID AT THE BEGINNING, UH, IS CARRIED THROUGH THE ENTIRE END.
AND THE YOUNG LADIES SHOULD BE ABLE TO RETURN TO SCHOOL TO RECEIVE ALL OF THE ACCOLADES.
I UNDERSTAND THE STUDENTS WILL BE GETTING AT THE SCHOOLS.
SHE DID HER PUNISHMENT COMPLETELY.
HER PARENTS GAVE HER THE STUDIES TO STUDY AT HOME, AND SHE CAME OUT.
UM, IN HER MIND, SHE'S DOING REAL GOOD, BUT SHE'S ONLY 15 YEARS OLD.
AND SO WE HOPE THAT THE BOARD COULD HELP, UH, TO ON UP TO WHAT THEY SAID WOULD HAPPEN AFTER A YOUNG LADY WAS, UH, HAS COMPLETED HER, UH, PUNISHMENT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE TONIGHT.
HOPEFULLY, THAT WE GET SOME GOOD RESOLVE.
AND WE KNOW WE CAN'T GET IT TONIGHT, BUT WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO PUT THAT ON YOUR AGENDA AND BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY.
YOU ALL WANNA SAY ANYTHING? UH, NO.
YOU STILL HAVE SOME TIME? DO YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE SAY SOMETHING? BASICALLY YOU CAN JUST COMBINE.
THERE'S ANOTHER, YOU COULD TALK, THERE'S ANOTHER PUBLIC COMMENT FROM JANA AND JOHN, UH, JANA AND JOHNNY BRYANT THAT YOU CAN JUST COMBINE WITH THIS ONE.
UM, OUR CONCERN IS THAT OUR DAUGHTER WOULD LIKE TO GO AND NEEDS TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
THE INCIDENT HAPPENED IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WE ARE NOW IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND WE WOULD JUST REALLY LIKE TO HAVE A MEETING WITH SOMEBODY TO SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT THE WHOLE ENTIRETY.
THAT'S ANYTHING ELSE? UH, NO, SIR.
UH, WE APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT, THAT WE CAN COME UP HERE AND EXPLAIN OURSELF, BUT LIKE I SAID, THIS WAS A MORE MATTER THAT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY SIT DOWN.
WE'VE BEEN, UH, TAKING, UH, A LOT OF STEP FORWARD TRYING TO EMAIL, SENDING EMAILS TO THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY, BUT WE HAVEN'T GET ANY RESPONSE BACK.
SO THAT'S WHAT BROUGHT US TO THIS MEETING TONIGHT, TO KIND OF MAKE THIS PUBLICLY KNOWN THAT WE'VE BEEN
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DOING THE PROPER PROCEDURE AND MEASUREMENTS TO GET THIS MATTER ON THE TABLE TO GET HER BACK INTO SCHOOL.WE, WE CANNOT RESPOND AT THE BOARD MEETING, BUT I AM CERTAIN THAT, UH, YOU WILL GET A RESPONSE.
AND LET'S, LET ME MENTION THIS AS A PASS ROOFING CONTRACTOR.
IF YOU DO NOT FIX THE ROOTS AND THE ROOFS, YOU'LL START TO GET MILDEW IN THE BUILDING.
AND IF YOU GET MILDEW, MILDEW, THEN YOU HAVE TO CLEAN OUT ALL THE MILDEW.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ECHO WHAT THE, UH, BOARDMAN SAID.
OKAY, MR. MILLER, UH, YOU HAVE A, A BAN COMMENT AND A BIG THANK YOU.
IT SAYS, PLEASE DO YOU WANNA DO OTHERS FIRST? THAT'S NOT NO, PLEASE, PLEASE COME UP, SIR.
WE, WE TAKE 'EM IN ORDER THAT THEY'RE RECEIVED.
YOU'VE BEEN PATIENT WITH ME FOR A YEAR,
I APPRECIATE THE BOARD FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE.
I APPRECIATE THE, UH, ADMINISTRATION.
I APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT I'VE SEEN YOU SPEND AT THE END OF THE SECOND SEMESTER, UH, CONCERTS OF, UH, AND, AND THEN THE TIME YOU HAVE SPENT AT BA LOWER OR, UH, COMMENCEMENTS.
YOU HAVE SEEN, AND I HAVE TRIED TO MAKE AS MANY OF THESE AS I CAN.
YOU HAVE SEEN A GREAT DICHOTOMY AND QUALITY.
I UNDERSTAND THE ADMINISTRATION WITH YOUR COAXING IS TRYING TO DO SEVERAL LITTLE THINGS, SOME MORE SUBTLE THAN OTHERS, UH, TO BRING THAT DICHOTOMY TO A MORE MIDDLE GROUND.
MY ONLY COMMENT FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN FROM TALKING WITH PEOPLE IN THE PAST, WHEN I SAY PEOPLE IN MIDDLE MANAGEMENT IN THE, UH, ADMINISTRATION, IT'S OFTENTIMES I GET A COMMENT IF I MAKE A SUGGESTION, WELL, WE CAN'T DO THAT AT SCHOOL.
I GET THE IMPRESSION THAT WE NEED A LOT MORE COOPERATION AND FROM JUST NOT THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT AT, AT THE PRINCIPAL LEVEL AND THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS, I THINK THEY'VE BEEN SATISFIED WITH WHAT THEY'VE SEEN AT THE MIDDLE, AT, AT THE, WHEN I SAY MIDDLE SCHOOL, I MEAN THE PRINCIPALS AT THE BOTH MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.
I THINK WE NEED TO SOMEHOW PRESS MORE EMPHASIS ON THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO SEE THAT THERE'S SOME GOALS SET AND THERE'S AN, AN ANTICIPATED ANTI, UH, ACHIEVEMENT OF THOSE MM-HMM
AND THEY ARE REVIEWED MY, FROM YOU AS A BOARD
I HOPE YOU CAN SEE AN IMPROVEMENT IN, UH, IN YOURSELF.
UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE NATIONAL ANTHEM BEING ABLE TO MY TIME UP.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE.
UH, NEXT ONE ON THE ITEM IS, UH, UH, MS. FREEMAN.
I HAVE A SON WHO ATTENDS HE MCCRACKEN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET IN CONTACT WITH EVERYONE.
AND, UM, CHAD COX DID GET BACK IN CONTACT WITH ME, BUT THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON.
MY SON HAD A PLAN TO TAKE HIS LIFE.
HE MCCRACKEN AS WELL AS THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, TOLD HIM HE WILL AMOUNT TO NOTHING.
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WANT HIM.AND ALSO HE PURPOSELY DOESN'T PAY HIM ANY ATTENTION.
HE TOLD HIM HE DOESN'T PAY HIM NO ATTENTION AT SCHOOL.
AND HE ALSO TOLD HIM HE WOULDN'T AMOUNT TO NOTHING AT SCHOOL.
I MADE MR. COX AWARE ABOUT THAT.
I EVEN SPOKE TO THE PRINCIPAL AS WELL AS THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
MY SON HAS TO TAKE SUMMER SCHOOL.
THAT TEACHER IS TEACHING SUMMER SCHOOL.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET IN CONTACT WITH MR. WALTON, HAVEN'T GOT A CALL BACK.
I'VE TRIED EVERYONE, I EVEN TRIED TO GET IN CONTACT WITH MS OR FRANK ROD RE I CAN'T SPEAK HER LAST NAME, BUT ANYWAY, AND I, I KEEP GETTING A RUNAROUND.
I ONLY THING I WANT IS FOR MY SON TO RECEIVE SUMMER SCHOOL AND CHAD COX, AS WELL AS THE PRINCIPAL HAVE TOLD ME MY SON HAVE TO GO BACK TO HE MCCRACKEN, FACE TO FACE AND DO SUMMER SCHOOL.
AND THAT TEACHER IS ALSO TEACHING SUMMER SCHOOL AT HE MCCRACKEN.
MY SON WILL NOT BE TRAUMATIZED.
HE GOES, HE GETS HIS COUNSELOR, HE GOES GET HELP EVERY FRIDAY AROUND FOUR O'CLOCK, BECAUSE THAT TEACHER, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AS WELL AS HIS FATHER, TRAUMATIZED HIM.
MY SON HAS BEEN VERBALLY ABUSE, MENTALLY ABUSE, AND BULLIED.
I JUST NEED SOME HELP FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
NEXT PERSON IS, UH, SHARON BEARD.
I JUST HAVE A COMPLAINT, UM, ABOUT BATTERY CREEK'S GRADUATION.
THE CLASS OF 2025 WAS NOT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD SAY ALLOWED, BUT THEY DID NOT WALK ACROSS THE STAGE, WHICH IS SYMBOLIC OF THEM LEAVING ONE STAGE OF THEIR LIFE, ACHIEVING THEIR ACADEMIC, UM, GOALS AND MOVING ON TO THE NEXT PHASE OF THEIR LIFE.
UM, I KNOW I'M THE ONLY ONE HERE TONIGHT THAT'S SPEAKING OF IT, BUT IT WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTING TO TRAVEL TO SEE YOUR CHILD, GRANDCHILD, NIECE, NEPHEW, WHATEVER.
HAVE YOU WALKED THE STAGE AND IT WAS NOT PERMITTED.
SO CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHY THAT WAS OR, UM, WILL IT HAPPEN AGAIN? AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, BATTERY CREEK WAS THE ONLY HIGHEST SCHOOL WHO GRADUATES DID NOT WALK THE STAGE THIS YEAR.
WE, WE CAN'T RESPOND, UH, DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS, BUT I'M CERTAIN THAT SOMEBODY IN THE ADMINISTRATION WILL BE CONTACTING YOU.
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BERRY.I'M CALLING YOU FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UM, YOU ARE, IT'S YOUR TURN NOW.
UM, AND I'M GIVING YOUR VOICEMAIL.
I WANTED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT BECAUSE, UM, AS SOMEONE WHO WORKS IN HEALTHCARE, YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME TRAINING FOR EMERGENCIES, PREPARING YOUR EQUIPMENT, CHECKING IT.
VERY RARELY DO YOU GET TO TEST IT.
AND I WANTED TO COMMEND THE STAFF FOR AN EXCELLENT JOB EXECUTING EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS, AND ESPECIALLY TO DR.
MELO LEE FOR, UH, HEROIC ACTIONS IN THIS INSTANCE.
SO, REALLY APPRECIATED THAT, THAT WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THIS TRAINING, IT ACTUALLY WORKS.
SO THANK YOU BOTH AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE STAFF FOR, UM, AN EXCELLENT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROTOCOL THAT FORTUNATELY WE RARELY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE THAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, UH, WISH TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT.
YOU DID NOT, UH, YOU DID NOT SIGN, SIGN UP.
SO WE HAVE FINISHED OUR AGENDA AND, UH, THERE'S NO OBJECTION.
I WAS GONNA SAY ALSO TO THEM, BUT ALSO, ALSO, UM, IT, IT ALSO SHOWS THE, UH, IMPORTANCE OF, UH, MR. JERRY HENDERSON AS WELL.
I WAS, BECAUSE SHE'S BIG ON THAT, AND SHE WAS JUST ON ME THE OTHER DAY ABOUT COMING TO BE ABLE TO GET MY F MY FIRST AID KIT.
SO CHACHA TO HER TOO, BECAUSE SHE MAKES SURE THAT EVERYONE DISTRICT IS OUT.
WE WILL ADJOURN BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
YOU'RE WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV LIVE, WORK, PLAY.
THE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.
EARLY SETTLERS FROM ENGLAND BROUGHT THE TRADITION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO AMERICA.
TODAY, MORE THAN 3000 COUNTY GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE SERVICES THAT AFFECT ALMOST EVERY CITIZEN'S LIFE.
SOUTH CAROLINA'S 46 COUNTIES ARE VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS EVOLVED NATIONALLY.
THE COUNTY UNIT IN SOUTH CAROLINA WAS REGARDED AS A LOCAL EXTENSION OF STATE GOVERNMENT, BUT A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM MOVEMENT IN THE EARLY 1970S LED TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, PASSING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HOME RULE ACT.
IN 1975, THE HOME RULE ACT GREATLY EXPANDED COUNTY AUTHORITY AND CHANGED THE NATURE OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION TO WHAT WE KNOW TODAY.
BEAUFORT COUNTY WENT FROM HAVING A BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO A COUNTY COUNCIL.
MEMBERS OF THE 1975 COUNCIL INCLUDED CHAIRMAN ARTHUR HORN, VICE CHAIRMAN, GRADY THAMES, LEROY BROWN, GARY FORDHAM, WILLIAM GRANT, HARRIET ERLING, DAVID JONES, BILL MCBRIDE, AND BOOKER WASHINGTON.
AS THE NEW COUNCIL SOUGHT TO DISTINGUISH ITSELF, COUNCIL MEMBERS DESIRED AN OFFICIAL SYMBOL THAT WOULD REPRESENT THE JURISDICTION'S IDENTITY.
IN UNIQUE CHARACTER COUNCIL APPOINTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE THE TASK AND CARRY OUT A CONTEST FOR THE BEST COUNTY SEAL DESIGN.
HARRIET
WE MET THEN UP AT, UH, I THINK IT WAS THE CAROLINA BANK, AND SOME YEARS AGO, BACK THERE ON WEST STREET, AND THEN WE PUT 'EM IN PILES, YOU KNOW, LIKE, GOOD, BAD MAYBE UNTIL WE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN TO THE ONE THAT WE NOW USE.
COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SEAL COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH REFLECTED THE COUNTY'S HISTORY, TRADITIONS, AND NATURAL BEAUTY.
THE SEAL'S COLORS OF BLUE AND GREEN REPRESENT THE COLORS OF THE COUNTY'S OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT WITH ITS MANY WATERWAYS, MARSHLANDS, AND MARITIME FOREST.
THE FIVE IMAGES WITHIN THE SEAL DEPICT SOME OF THE COUNTY'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURES, ANCIENT LIVE OAK TREES, THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY, RICH NATURAL RESOURCES, AND RARE MARINE ECOLOGY, LOW COUNTRY
[01:15:01]
ARCHITECTURE, AND MILES OF RIVERS, CREEKS, AND INLETS.I THOUGHT IT ENCOMPASSED WHAT THE, WHAT WE AS A BODY WERE LOOKING FOR A SEAL THAT WOULD, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT AND JUST THOUGHT ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, IT REALLY COVERS THE ASPECTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO HE DID A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, HOLD SO DEAR AND WHAT WE REALLY LIKE ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
COUNCILMAN BILL MCBRIDE WAS IN OFFICE WHEN THE CONTEST WAS HELD AND WAS PRESENT WHEN THE COMMITTEE REVEALED THE WINNING DESIGN.
I THINK COUNCIL WAS ECSTATIC ABOUT IT.
UH, WE THOUGHT THAT THE, THE SEMINARS ON THE SEAL REPRESENTED, UM, ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, DRAFT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US WHERE YOU HAVE THE SHRIMP BOAT TODAY.
INITIALLY, THAT WAS A PLEASURE CRAFT, A SAILBOAT AND YACHT TYPE BOAT.
AND, UH, IT WAS CHANGED BY COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THE SHRIMP BOAT WAS A BETTER REPRESENTATION, UM, OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, ASPECT OF BEFORD COUNTY LIFE BECAUSE YOU HAD OTHER THINGS ON THE SEAL THAT REPRESENT THE PLEASURE AND RECREATION, THE FISHING AND THE BEACH.
SO THEY THOUGHT THE SHRIMP BOAT, WHICH WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF BEFORD COUNTY CULTURE, SHRIMPING, ESPECIALLY AT THAT TIME, WOULD BE REFLECTED ON THE SEAL.
THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST WAS AN ARTIST FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE LATE LEE PAYNE, WHOSE DESIGN WAS SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 126 CENTURIES SUBMITTED FROM AS FAR AWAY AS INDIANA AND TENNESSEE.
HE WAS AWARDED $250 FOR HIS DESIGN.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE CAPTURED THE LEGACY OF OUTDOOR BEAUTY, CULTURE, AND HISTORY THAT HELPED TO DEFINE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.