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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
[Call to Order]
HAVE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.THIS IS THE MEETING OF THE BUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BEING HELD AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA AT OCTOBER 21ST, 2025 AT 4:30 PM IN ACCORDANCE WITH NEW SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES.
BAGS, BACKPACKS, AND PURSES ARE PROHIBITED BY THE PUBLIC AT BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS.
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 SCHEDULED PUBLIC COMMENT FORUMS DURING EACH BOARD MEETING.
THE FIRST IS A 30 MINUTE SESSION NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, LIMITED TO TOPICS ON THE BOARD MEETING AGENDA.
THE SECOND IS A 15 MINUTE SESSION, WHICH TAKES PLACE PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT, BUT NO LATER THAN 9:00 PM.
REQUEST TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENTS VIA PHONE WILL BE ACCEPTED ELECTRONICALLY.
YOU CAN FIND THE, UH, BOARD OF EDUCATION PUBLIC COMMENT FORM ON OUR WEBSITE.
PLEASE SIGN UP USING THE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM.
24 HOURS FROM THE DAY OF THE MEETING.
WE'LL RECEIVE A PHONE CALL DURING THEIR RESPECTIVE PUBLIC FORUM TIME AND SHOULD BE READY TO SPEAK.
CITIZENS DESIRING TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON MUST FILL OUT A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD THAT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE BOARD CLERK UPON ARRIVAL IN THE EVENT THE BOARD HAS NOT FINISHED ADDRESSING ALL ITEMS LISTED ON THE OCTOBER 21ST, 2025 AGENDA.
THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE AT 6:00 PM ON OCTOBER 22ND, 2025.
THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY TO FINISH THE AGENDA ITEMS. MADAM SECRETARY,
[Executive Session]
UH, DO YOU HAVE, UH, BUSINESS TO BE BROUGHT UP IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? IT'S OFF BECAUSE IT'S GONNA, YES, SIR.WE HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION GO INTO EXECUTIVE DISCUSS EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
DISCUSSION OF EMPLOYMENT APPOINTMENT PROMOTION, COMPENSATION PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A ONE.
DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER 59 WITH MB CONN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED FOR BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY 2023 REFERENDUM SCOPE, MAXIMUM GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A TWO.
DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED SELECTION OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK SERVICES CONTRACT RFP NUMBER 26 DASH 0 0 6 FOR RENOVATION AND MODIFICATION PROJECTS PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A TWO.
DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSE CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS AND PROPOSED SALE OR PURCHASE OF PROPERTY LOCATED IN SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A TWO.
AND DISCUSSION OF INFORMATION RELATED TO SECURITY PLANS PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED 30 DASH FOUR DASH 20 C AND 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A THREE.
COULD YOU DO LEGAL? WE'RE NOT, IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND BY DR. CARR.
MR. SMITH? UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHO WOULD BE GIVING US LEGAL REPRESENTATION.
UM, UNDER, UNDER THREE PENDING, UH, CLAIMS. THAT IS NOT PART OF THE MOTION.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M, I SAID IT BECAUSE I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT.
WE'RE NOT RIGHT MS. MS. CARTILAGE CANNOT BE HERE TO DO THE OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, UH, THE MOTION TO BE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ONLINE, UH, PASTOR GORDON, AYE.
AYE, UH, MS. GORDON AS AN AYE.
WE'LL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
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MADAM[Action as Necessary or Appropriate Regarding Matters Discussed in Executive Session]
SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE ANY ACTIONS AS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE REGARDING MATTERS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES, COLONEL, WE HAVE THREE MATTERS COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.THE FIRST ONE IS I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT 59 WITH MB CONN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED FOR THE BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL SAFETY SECURITY SCOPE BASED ON THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE PROPOSAL OF $845,615.
ANY DISCUSSION? DON'T SEE ANY HANDS.
UH, IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
AND ONLINE, PASTOR GORDON GORDON.
MS. GORDON, DO WE HAVE HER MS. GORDON? AYE.
SO THE MOTION, CARRIE, OH, IS THERE ANY, ANY ABSTENTIONS OR, UH, I THINK WE'RE ALL SET.
THE SECOND MOTION, AND I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AUTHORIZES THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ISSUE AN AWARD FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK SERVICES TO MB CONN CONSTRUCTION AND THOMPSON TURNER CONSTRUCTION FOR RENOVATION AND MODIFICATION PROJECTS AS DESCRIBED IN RFP NUMBER 26 DASH ZERO SIX.
THE BOARD AUTHORIZES THE SUPERINTENDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THE CONTRACTORS UPON THE EXPIRATION OF THE PROTEST PERIOD.
ANY DISCUSSION? MR. SMITH? UH, TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS ABOVE THE EIGHT FOR THE 8% PROJECTS, CORRECT? YES.
MR. SMITH, THE MAJORITY OF THIS WILL BE 8%, BUT THEY WILL HAVE SOME OF THE SMALLER REFERENDUM PROJECTS LIKE SAFETY AND SECURITY PROJECTS AS WELL.
UH, AND THANKS FOR THE CLARIFICATION, BUT JUST DUE TO MY CONSTITUENTS SAYING THAT, UM, AND ALSO JUST UNDERSTANDING, UM, AS I STATED BEFORE, UH, BEFORE THAT, UH, DUE TO WE, WE ARE HAVING THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, WINNING THE PROJECTS.
I'M JUST KIND OF LOOKING FOR SOME DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO WE THAT WE'RE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY ON.
UM, SO DUE TO THAT, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING THAT ONCE THESE PEOPLE GET THESE PROJECTS, THAT THEY'RE STILL, HOW, HOW HIRING THE, SOME OF THE, UH, DIFFERENT LOCAL PEOPLE TO DO 'EM.
AND SO THEY WOULD, I THINK THEY WOULD PREFER TO GET THAT AS WELL.
SO UNFORTUNATELY TODAY I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS MOTION DUE TO THAT.
THE MOTION HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED ALL THOSE IN THE ROOM, WHICH, UH, VOTE AYE PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE NOW.
AYE, UH, MS. GORDON? MS. GORDON? AYE.
I WANTED TO SPEAK ALSO, I WANTED TO SPEAK ALSO ON THE, ON, ON THE VOTE.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL, IF YOU DROVE BY IT LOOKS AMAZING.
AND, UH, MY CONSTITUENTS ARE VERY SATISFIED WITH THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY'S LISTED HERE.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF A WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEM IN THE AMOUNT OF 600,000 TO BE FUNDED FROM THE REMAINING 2019 REFERENDUM PROCEEDS AND 425,000 OF OPERATIONAL COSTS FOR THE 20 25 20 26 SCHOOL YEAR FROM THE SPECIAL PROJECTS FUND.
ANY GRANTS AWARDED FOR THIS INITIATIVE WILL BE USED TO OFFSET THE COST OF THE TOTAL PROJECT.
SECONDED BY MR. SMITH? YES, SIR.
AND A DISCUSSION MR. SMITH? YES, SIR.
I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, PUBLICLY THANK THE SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF FOR COMING, COMING, UH, UP WITH THIS AND BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO THE BOARD.
'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS AND AS WELL AS, UM, EVEN I KNOW, MAY I HAVE SOME, UH, MY COLLEAGUES WHO MAY NOT THINK THAT THIS IS APPROPRIATE OR NOT READY FOR THIS, BUT I JUST SAY THAT I AM THANKFULLY, AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, THE COMMUNITY BEING HAPPY FOR IT BECAUSE IT
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HAS BEEN ASKED FOR AND WE HAVE NOT PUT A PRICE ON THE SAFETY IN THIS DISTRICT.AND I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST STEP MOVING FORWARD TO SHOW THAT.
PARDON ME? I WANTED TO SPEAK ALSO.
YES, I AM A BOARD MEMBER THAT HAS A LOT OF RESERVATIONS ABOUT, UH, WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEM IN THE SCHOOL.
BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THE TIME WE'RE IN.
I ALSO THINK THE SUPERINTENDENT DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF, UH, RESEARCHING AND LOOKING AT, UH, COMPARABLE DISTRICTS THAT ARE OFFERING THE SAME THINGS.
I GUESS MY HESITANCY WOULD BE, I THINK IT'S SAD THAT WE'RE AT THIS POINT, BUT WE ARE AT THIS POINT AND THE DISTRICT IS DOING WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO TO KEEP THE CHILDREN SAFE.
ALL THOSE IN THE ROOM OF FAVOR OF THIS MOTION, PLEASE.
UH, RAISE, RAISE YOUR HAND AND SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
WELL, PASTOR GORDON SAYS, AYE.
THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. UH, MS. GORDON SAYS, AYE.
THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? THAT CONCLUDES, THAT CONCLUDES THAT ACTION.
[Approval of Agenda]
A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.ANY DISCUSSION, MR. SMITH? PLAYER? THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE ON CONSENT AGENDA UNITED IS THE THIRD QUARTER FOER REPORT.
CORRECT? IT FO REPORTS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
DO YOU WANNA KEEP IT ON THERE OR DO YOU WANNA TAKE IT OFF? NO, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT'S ON THERE.
YOU WANNA TAKE IT OFF? NOT, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S YOU.
YOU JUST CLARIFYING? YES, SIR.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR IN THE ROOM SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
[Pledge of Allegiance, Moment of Silence, Statement of Media Notification ]
STAND, UH, FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
WE HAD A MAJOR INCIDENT IN OUR COUNTY.
AND MR. SMITH, UH, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS BEFORE, UH, WE GO AND PAUSE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
I'LL JUST BY, I'LL JUST STOP BY SAYING, TRAGEDY IS TRAGEDY EVERYWHERE.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS TRAGEDY WAS MANIFESTED ON ST.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CARE AND YOUR CONCERNS AND LESS CONTINUE TO BE PRAYERFUL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. CROSBY.
YEAH, I, MS. BERRY HAS THE, UH, MEDIA BEEN NOTIFIED? ALL RIGHT.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OF POINTS OF, UH, POINTS OF CELEBRATION, OR, I'M SORRY, IS STUDENT PERFORMANCE.
[Student Performance]
WE HAVE STUDENT PERFORMANCE, UM, BY THE HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL, SEAHAWK STAGE COMPANY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF KIMBERLY GWYNN.WE USE THE, UH, THE BENCHES, IF YOU WISH.
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IF YOU WISH.LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. RODRIGUEZ, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
UH, I AM PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU TONIGHT THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL SEAHAWK STAGE COMPANY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MS. KIMBERLY GWYN, UH, IN CO-DIRECTOR MR. JAMIE MCGRATH.
THEY WILL BE PRESENTING AN EXCERPTS TONIGHT FROM THEIR, UH, FALL PRODUCTION AM MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.
MR. MCGRATH SO PREPARED TO MENTALLY EXIT THE MEETING AND ENTER A MAGICAL WORLD WHERE ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.
LOVERS SHIFT FROM ONE TO THE OTHER, LOTS OF MISCHIEFS.
SO CURTAIN UP AND LET THE MISCHIEF BEGIN.
OH, IS THE LORD TALKING HERE? WHO BEST MADE THEM ONE BY ONE? ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTS, HERE IS THE, HERE'S THE SCROLL OF EVERYONE'S NAME, WHO IS THOUGHT FIT THROUGH ALL ATHENS TO PERFORM IN OUR INTERLUDE IN FRONT OF THE DUKE AND DUCHESS ON HIS WEDDING DAY AT NIGHT.
SAY WHAT THE PLAY TREATS ON, THEN NAME THE ACTORS AND SO GROW TO A POINT.
MARRY OUR PLAY IS THE MOST LAMENTABLE COMEDY AND MOST CRUEL DEATH OF PYRAMIDS.
AND SBE A VERY GOOD PIECE OF WORK, I ASSURE YOU.
AND TO MARRY ONE NOW NAME THE ACTORS FROM THE SCROLL MASTERS.
SORRY, SORRY, ANSWER AS I CALL YOU NICK.
BOTTOM, THE WEAVER PRESENT NAME.
WHAT PART I AM FOR AND PROCEED.
YOU NICK BOTTOM ARE SET DOWN FOR PYRAMIDS.
WHAT IS PYRAMIDS? WHAT LOVER OR A TYRANT? A LOVER WHO KILLS HIMSELF MOST GALLANTLY FOR LOVE.
THAT WILL ASK SOME TEARS IN THE TRUE PERFORMING OF IT.
IF I DO IT, I WILL HAVE THE AUDIENCE LOOK TO THEIR EYES.
I SHALL MOVE STORMS. THE RAGING ROCKS.
THE SHIVERING SHOCKS SHALL BREAK THE LOCKS OF PRISON GATES AND PHOEBE'S CAR SHALL SHINE FROM AFAR AND MAKE AND MAR THE FOOLISH FATES THAT WAS LOFTY.
NOW NAME THE REST OF THE PLAYERS.
FRANCE FLUTE, THE BELLOWS MENDER.
WHO IS BISBEE? IS HE A WANDERING KNIGHT? IT IS THE LADY THAT PERUS LOVES
YOU MAY SPEAK AS SMALL AS YOU WILL.
WHAT THE HEY, LET ME PLAY SBE TWO.
YOU MUST PLAY PYRAMIDS AND FLUTE.
ROBIN STARLING, THE TAYLOR HERE.
YOU MUST PLAY FRISBEE'S MOTHER THOM'S, NOT THE TINKER HERE.
PETER QUIN, YOU PRIUS'S FATHER MYSELF, SPY'S FATHER SN THE JOINER, THE LION'S PART.
AND I HOPE HERE IS A PLAY FITTED, HAVE VIEWED THE LION'S PART.
IF IT BE GIVEN TO ME BEFORE I'M SLOW OF STUDY, YOU MAY DO IT TO EXEMPLARY FOR IT IS NOTHING BUT ROARING.
OH, THAT I WILL DO ANY MAN'S HEART.
I WILL MAKE THE DUKE SAY, LET HIM ROAR AGAIN.
YOU SHOULD DO IT TOO TERRIBLY.
YOU WOULD FIGHT THE DUCHESS AND THE LADIES THAT THEY WOULD SHRIEK AND THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH TO HANG US ALL FRIENDS, FRIENDS.
IF I WERE TO FIGHT THE LADIES OUTTA THEIR WITS THAN THEY WOULD HAVE NO MORE DISCRETION BUT TO HANG US.
BUT I WILL AGGRAVATE MY VOICE SO THAT I WILL ROAR.
BUT PARENTS FOR PYRAMIDS IS A SWEET FACE MAN.
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LOVELY GENTLEMAN.THEREFORE YOU MUST PLAY PARA WELL.
AND I'M TO TREAT YOU TO LEARN THEM BY TWO PALACE WOOD, A MILE OUTSIDE OF TOWN.
WILL WE REHEARSE FOR IF WE MEET COMPANY AND OUR PLAN? I PRAY YOU FAIL.
AND THERE WE WILL REHEARSE MOST COURAGEOUSLY AND OBSCENELY TAKE PAINS.
AT THE DUKES OAK, WE MEET OUR PERFORMANCE, MAY TEACHERS, HIGH SCHOOL ACTORS, BUT WE DO HAVE THREE HERE FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WHO ARE FAIRIES AND THAT LITTLE ELEMENTARY BOY OVER THERE AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE INVOLVEMENT FROM ALL THREE SCHOOLS.
UM, KIMBERLY GWEN CAN'T BE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE OUR HAUNTED HOUSE OPENS FRIDAY.
SO SHE'S SITTING THERE DOING THAT.
WE SO APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
[Points of Celebration]
UH, I BELIEVE WE HAVE POINTS OF CELEBRATION.WANNA THANK OUR STUDENTS AND OUR DIRECTORS, UH, FOR THEIR STUDENT PERFORMANCE THIS EVENING.
UH, TONIGHT WE'RE CELEBRATING THE STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR SEPTEMBER.
AND SEPTEMBER'S CHARACTER TRAIT WAS ACCEPTANCE.
ACCEPTANCE IS DEFINED AS THE ACTION OR PROCESS OF BEING RECEIVED AS ADEQUATE OR SUITABLE.
THE SEPTEMBER STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS LUCA RICCARDI, A FIFTH GRADE STUDENT AT RED CEDAR ELEMENTARY.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE LUCA IS PRINCIPAL DR.
WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY.
I AM SIMPLY GOING TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW COUNSELOR, NOT NEW TO YOU FOLKS ON HILTON HEAD, BUT NEW TO US THIS YEAR.
AND SHE WILL DO THE HEAVY LIFTING ON THIS TO HONOR MR. RICO.
I WANNA ALSO WELCOME SOME GUESTS HERE, HERE WHO ARE VERY SPECIAL THIS EVENING HERE TO ALSO CELEBRATE LUCAS.
AND THAT INCLUDES HIS PARENTS, MARK AND SARAH MCCARTY SISTER MADDIE, AND HIS FIFTH GRADE TEACHER.
MS. FRIEDEN, WHO I'M HONORED TO READ SOME OF HER WORDS THIS EVENING.
LUCA, THIS IS WHAT WAS SUBMITTED ON YOUR BEHALF.
THERE ARE SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF LUCA DEMONSTRATING ACCEPTANCE, BUT A FEW STAND OUT MORE THAN OTHERS.
HE'S A CHILD WHO CONSISTENTLY AND VOLUNTARILY SEEKS SITUATIONS TO HELP OTHERS IN NEED.
IF IT'S A CHILD SITTING ALONE IN THE CAFETERIA OR AT RECESS, OR SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE A PARTNER TO WORK WITH IN CLASS, LUCA WILL QUIETLY AND DISCREETLY OFFER TO INCLUDE THAT CHILD WITH HIM IN HIS GROUP.
IT'S CLEAR THAT LUCA DOESN'T DO THIS IN ORDER TO GAIN RECOGNITION OR ACCOLADES, BUT DOES THIS BECAUSE IT'S JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
LUCA'S LEADERSHIP SKILLS ARE EVIDENT BECAUSE OTHER STUDENTS NOTICE THIS AND THEN WIND UP OFFERING TO DO THE SAME.
SOME THINGS OTHER STUDENTS WROTE ON LUCA'S BEHALF.
I THINK LUCA IS A GREAT PERSON TO PICK BECAUSE HE ALWAYS INCLUDES OTHERS.
ONE WEEK ON FUN FRIDAY, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT'S THE ONE TIME THEY CAN SIT ANYWHERE THEY WANT.
IN THE CAFETERIA, A BOY WAS SITTING ALONE AND LUCA ASKED HIM TO SIT WITH HIM.
HE WAS SO KIND TO HIM AND TALKED TO HIM THE
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WHOLE TIME.THAT'S WHY I THINK LUCA IS A GREAT PERSON TO CHOOSE.
ANOTHER FRIEND WROTE, HE HELPS PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE ALONE AND HE'S REALLY FUNNY AND A NICE FRIEND AND DOESN'T LET OTHER PEOPLE GET LEFT OUT.
AND HE LIKES TALKING TO PEOPLE.
HE ACCEPTS OTHER PEOPLE AND NEVER MAKES FUN OF ANYONE.
I THINK HE SHOWS A GREAT DEMONSTRATION OF ACCEPTANCE.
AND ANOTHER OUTSIDE ON THE PLAYGROUND, HE SAW SOMEONE SITTING ALL ALONE.
HE WENT OVER THERE AND SAT WITH THEM FOR THOSE REASONS ABOVE THE FIFTH GRADE TEAM, PROUDLY NOMINATED LUCA RICCARDI FOR SEPTEMBER, STUDENT OF THE MONTH.
YOU HAVE NO, THAT CONCLUDES OUR POINTS OF CELEBRATIONS.
BARRY, DO WE HAVE ANY FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS? ALRIGHT, UH, DON'T HAVE A CHAIR'S REPORT, SO WE'LL
[Committee Reports]
GO RIGHT INTO COMMITTEE REPORTS STARTING WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.UH, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND IS, UH, COHORTS HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE.
UH, THEY'VE REALLY DONE SOME PHENOMENAL WORK, WHICH WE'D LIKE TO SHARE.
UH, WE'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE FIRST OF THE REPORTS THAT ARE VERY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO US, WHICH IS THE AUGUST TRANSPARENCY REPORT.
CFO CROSBY PRESENTED THAT PARTICULAR REPORT AT THE LAST MEETINGS AND SUGGESTIONS WERE MADE TO IDENTIFY A PARTICULAR CATEGORY, UH, OF SPENDING TO HIGHLIGHT EACH MONTH FOR DISCUSSION.
NOW, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMITTEE, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING ON, WHICH IS TO MOVE TO MORE VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF DATA.
SO YOU CAN VERY QUICKLY ASCERTAIN WHERE ARE THE GAPS, WHERE THE DISPARITY DISPARITIES, IF ANY, UH, AND ALSO ABLE TO PERFORM VARIANCE ANALYSIS.
WHAT HAS BEEN COMBINED WITH THAT IS STILL ENSURING THAT THE DETAIL OF THE REPORTS ARE STILL LISTED.
AND IF YOU'LL GO, WHEN YOU GET THE REPORT, YOU'LL SEE ON THE LAST PAGE IT WILL SAY, IF YOU WANT TO ACTUALLY REVIEW THE, UH, REPORTS IN DETAIL, THERE'S A LINK.
IT TAKES YOU IMMEDIATELY THERE.
SO WANT TO THANK THE FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR DOING THAT.
SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, IN OUR DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW DO WE GET EACH BOARD MEMBER COMFORTABLE DRILLING DOWN INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS, UH, THE CHAIR MADE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE MAY WANT TO SELECT A TOPIC AND HAVE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE SELECT A TOPIC EACH MEETING.
AND THEN MS. HAY MADE A RECOMMENDATION THAT IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO HAVE BOARD MEMBERS PARTICIPATE WITH FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN LEADING THAT CONVERSATION.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS ACTUALLY GETTING MORE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION.
WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT HOW DO WE LEVERAGE AI FINANCE COMMITTEES ALREADY BEEN WORKING ON THAT.
SO WE ARE GOING TO, AND I'M FORCING MYSELF AS A TECHNOPHOBE, UH, TO ACTUALLY SORT OF DRILL DOWN AND SPEND TIME WITH OTHERS SO THAT I TOO CAN LEARN.
BUT THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS TAKEN THE LEAD ON, AND WE'RE VERY PROUD TO BE, UH, WORKING WITH THEM AND SUPPORTING THEM.
THE NEXT AREA IS THE MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE.
AND A REVISION TO THE UTILIZATION PLAN WAS PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL.
AND ONE OF THOSE CHANGES IS THAT PREVIOUSLY WE NEEDED TO PRESENT THAT REPORT ANNUALLY THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
TOO MANY DISTRICTS WERE NOT DOING THAT.
SO THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE WHERE GOING FORWARD WE ONLY HAVE TO PRESENT WHEN THERE IS ACTUALLY A CHANGE.
AND THERE'LL BE A MOTION COMING UP IN TERMS OF THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
UH, THE NEXT THING THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND YOU TAKE A LOOK AT AND PEOPLE LISTENING IS THE BUDGET.
THIS IS A VERY VOLUMINOUS, UH, DECK, BUT IT IS SO FULL OF INFORMATION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE HOPING THAT THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE AND THAT ARE LISTENING WILL ACTUALLY BE VERY MUCH ENERGIZED ABOUT IS STUDYING THESE MATERIALS AND THEN HELPING US PRESENT TO THE GREATER POPULATION ALL THE AMAZING THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH YOU SUPPORT AND YOU HELP FUND.
UH, I PERSONALLY HAVE GONE THROUGH AND MADE NOTATIONS ON THAT.
I WILL BE GETTING WITH SOME OF OUR TECHNOLOGICAL GURUS TO MAKE SURE I CAN PRINT IT OFF SO THAT I CAN SHARE IT WITH OTHERS.
I'VE ALSO REACHED OUT TO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE MUCH MORE SKILL IN THAT AREA
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THAN I DO, UH, BECAUSE I WANT TO CONTINUOUSLY LEARN AS WELL.THE NEXT ITEM WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE AUDIT UPDATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 THROUGH 2025.
THAT IS OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT COMPLETED AND PRESENTED AS OF NOVEMBER THE 21ST SO THAT WE CONTINUE TO MEET THE TARGETS THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR US AND BY US AUDITORS ON SITE TODAY AND TOMORROW.
AND A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO ALL THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT WORK WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO ENSURE THAT THE DOCUMENTATION IS THERE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, UH, PARTNERS WHO ALSO ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
THE, UH, LAST ITEM I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT IS THE DEBT SERVICE UPDATE, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE STAFF, UH, WHICH IS ALWAYS A PARTNERSHIP THAT'S, UH, GOING FORWARD THAT'S SUCCESSFULLY CAPITALIZED ON FAVORABLE INTEREST RATE CONDITIONS.
SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REFINANCE SOME OF OUR BOND SERIES.
UH, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE POLICY REQUIRES IS BEFORE WE CAN REFINANCE AN EXISTING BOND, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A $1.5 MILLION SAVINGS.
THERE ARE COST INHERENT IN TRYING TO BASICALLY RECALL AND FLOW TO NEW BOND.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ANY EFFORTS WE TAKE ALONG THOSE LINES ARE VALUABLE VALUE ADDED FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND SO THIS LAST ONE, WE ACHIEVE THE SAVINGS OF 1.6 MILLION.
SO AGAIN, KUDOS TO THE STAFF, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE LEADERS.
AND SO THAT IS, UM, PART OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN, UH, PUSHING ON.
WE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE REALLY ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO REVIEW OUR REPORTS HAVE ACCESS AND THAT WE'RE BEING VERY TRANSPARENT.
WE WANT TO HAVE VERY EFFICIENT MEETINGS, BUT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE DO NOT LOSE CONTROL OF THE GRANULARITY THAT'S NECESSARY FOR THE BOARD TO FULFILL ITS OVERSIGHT ROLE OF LOOKING AND DRILLING AND TRYING TO PREVENT THINGS RATHER THAN RESPONDING AFTER THEY OCCUR.
THE NEXT MEETING DATE IS NOVEMBER THE 13TH, 2025.
AND WITH THAT, WE'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR CFO UP AND SHE CAN EXPAND MUCH MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN I CAN ON SOME OF THE DETAILS.
I THINK YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB.
UH, MR. DALLAS, UH, DID WANNA MENTION IN THE NEXT MEETINGS WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST QUARTER, UH, REPORT FOUR 20, UH, 5 26 SCHOOL YEAR.
AND WE HAVE ABOUT THREE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES TO UPDATE.
SO OTHER THAN THAT, UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FURTHER, BUT IF I'LL BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS YOU MAY HAVE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR, UH, MR. DALLAS OR MS. CROSBY? I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS UP, I GUESS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH WITH THAT MR. CHAIR.
THERE IS A MOTION WE'D LIKE TO MOVE MAKE, UH, WHICH INVOLVES THE FACT THAT, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, IT USED TO BE THAT, UH, THERE'S A CHANGE IN REVISION OF OS 13 R FOR MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS UTILIZATION PLAN.
SO THAT WE BRING IT FORWARD ONLY WHEN THERE ARE CHANGES THAT WE MAKE PREVIOUSLY, ALL DISTRICTS WERE REQUIRED TO BRING IT FORWARD ANNUALLY.
WE'VE HAD GOOD STABILITY IN OUR PLAN.
SO I LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION, WHICH IS I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE REVISIONS THROUGH OS DASH 13 R TO MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS UTILIZATION PLAN.
ANY DISCUSSION MR. SMITH? YES.
CAN YOU DISCUSS WHAT, WHAT THAT MEANS EXACTLY WHAT THAT ENTAILS? YEAH.
SO BASICALLY IT IS A SIMPLE COMPLIANCE WITH CURRENT STATE REVISIONS TO LAW.
BEFORE ALL DISTRICTS WERE REQUIRED, RIGHT, TO COME FORWARD EVERY YEAR AND REPORT ON THEIR PLANS WHETHER THERE HAD BEEN CHANGES OR NOT.
SORRY, WHETHER THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES OR NOT.
THIS NEW REVISION COMING OUT OF THE STATE ALLOWS DISTRICTS TO SAY WE WILL BRING IT FORWARD WHEN THERE IS A CHANGE.
SO IF WE MAKE A CHANGE, WE HAVE TO REPORT AND GET BOARD APPROVAL AND PRESENT IT BEFORE THE PUBLIC.
SO THAT'S THE, THE CHANGE THAT'S TAKING PLACE.
NO OTHER SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES IN THE WAY IT'S BEING DONE, JUST REPORTING WHENEVER WE MAKE A CHANGE.
I'M TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE STILL WILL BRING THAT, UH, WE STILL, WE STILL WILL BRING THAT AS WE HAVE BOUGHT IT, HOWEVER, AS WE HAVE BOUGHT IT IN THE PAST, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
BUT IT'S JUST, IS THAT, IS THAT, IS THAT, BUT YET THAT, THAT'S BASICALLY THE QUESTION.
SO IT WILL, SO IF WE MAKE A CHANGE, WE'LL BRING IT FORWARD AND IT STAYS IN THAT FORMAT UNTIL WE MAKE ANOTHER CHANGE, WHICH WE'LL BRING FORWARD AGAIN.
SO THERE WILL BE NO, BASICALLY THERE WON'T BE A DISCUSSION OR A CHANGE MADE WITHOUT BRINGING IT BEFORE THE BOARD.
SO ANYTIME THERE'LL BE A CHANGE, WE'LL
[00:35:01]
HAVE TO BRING IT BEFORE THE BOARD PER STATE LAW.BUT ALSO WE STILL WILL HAVE THE MINORITY REPORT IS THAT, THAT'S NOT A PART.
AND WE, WE STILL WILL, WILL CERTAINLY, AS WE'VE DONE BEFORE, ENCOURAGE THE EXPANSION OF, OF BASIC SOLICITATION.
WE STILL WILL ENCOURAGE WHERE WE ARE HELPING, UH, YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS, NEW ENTREPRENEURS, UH, AS THEY DO NOW, MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE SO THEY HAVE A BETTER SUCCESS RATE FOR THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT ON ME.
'CAUSE I, I DON'T WANNA GO OUT THERE AND GET MY HEAD KNOCKED OFF BY, BY, BY MY COMMUNITY.
WE DON'T WANT YOUR HEAD KNOCKED OFF.
ALRIGHT, I THINK WE ARE READY TO VOTE.
WE HAVE, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR IN THE ROOM.
UH, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
MS. GORDON? MS. GORDON, YOU'RE MUTED.
SO WE ONLY HAVE, UH, MS. GORDON.
DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY, SO WE'LL HAVE ONE, UH, ABSENCE.
UM, NOW LEGISLATIVE REPORT, AND AGAIN, MR. DALLAS.
THE, UM, LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE AND SOME, WE'VE SOMEWHAT EXPANDED THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE REVIEW.
ONE OF THE STRATEGIC DIFFERENCES IS THAT RATHER THAN SORT OF LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS OR THAT ARE CLEARLY WITHIN THE BOARD BOUNDARIES OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT AFFECT OUR PERFORMANCE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE GREATER SOCIETY, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, AND WE'VE ACCEPTED THIS AND REALIZING THAT THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT TAKE PLACE IN HOMES, IN THE LIVES OF YOUNG ONES BEFORE THEY GET TO US.
AND THAT WHOLE AREA OF BIRTH TO FIVE, WHICH IS NOW BEING CALLED CRADLE TO CAREER, TO ACTUALLY BASICALLY ILLUMINATE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO TAKE KIDS FROM BIRTH ALL THE WAY TO THEIR ESTABLISHED AND TARGETED CAREERS.
WHICH MEANS THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE HAS LOOKED AT FACTORS, DATA POINTS THAT ACTUALLY AFFECT HOW WE ARE ABLE TO EDUCATE THOSE KIDS BEFORE THEY COME INTO OUR SCHOOL DOORS.
AND IF YOU'LL LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT CAN SORT OF AT LEAST GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT WE ACT ON IT OR NOT, LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGE OF TWO PARENT HOMES.
I'VE ONLY BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR THREE YEARS.
I HAD NO IDEA HOW IMPORTANT TWO PEOPLE SPLITTING THE REARING OF A CHILD CRITICALLY IS, UH, INCOME.
HIGHER INCOME CAN CERTAINLY OFFSET THAT IF ONE PARENT IS, IS REALLY SERIOUSLY STRESSED.
BUT AGAIN, SPLITTING THE, UM, CHALLENGE OF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE FINDING STATISTICAL RESEARCH ACROSS MANY DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND CULTURES WHERE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
THE OTHER THING IS THE AMOUNT OF TRAINING AND ENGAGEMENT AND PLAY THAT KIDS ENCOUNTER BEFORE THEY EVER HIT OUR DOORS.
THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
I GREW UP ON A FARM IN EASTERN OF NORTH CAROLINA, SO I HAD TO BE OUTSIDE BETWEEN I WAS EIGHT AND FIVE, I COULD NOT COME IN.
SO WE HAD TO BE OUTSIDE PLAYING THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
COME TO FIND OUT, 50 SOME YEARS LATER, THAT TYPE OF PLAY HELPS THE BRAIN DEVELOP.
AND SO STATISTICALLY SHOWN BY SOME OF OUR PEOPLE INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES IS THAT A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF OUR BRAIN CAPACITY IS DEVELOPED VERY EARLY ON IN LIFE.
AND SO IT BEHOOVES US NOT ONLY AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT ALSO AS A SOCIETY TO SAY, CAN WE WORK WITH OTHER ENTITIES, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES, TO ENCOURAGE OUR SOCIETY TO TAKE A LOOK AT GETTING EARLY INTERVENTION DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT HAS TO BE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, BUT IT DOES MEAN SOME ORGANIZATION HAS TO DO IT.
AS PART OF THAT, I LIKE TO SHARE THAT DALE DALFIT, WHO IS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE UNITED WAY OF THE LOW COUNTRY, WHICH ARE FOUR COUNTIES, HAS BEEN CONVENING A MEETING FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS NOW WITH ABOUT 25
[00:40:01]
DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING ON HOW DO YOU MAKE THE CRADLE TO CAREER VERY ROBUST? AND HOW DO YOU GET AMERICAN SOCIETY TO REALIZE HOW CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT IS.SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN DOING, WE'VE HAD TWO MEETINGS ALONG THIS PARTICULAR PATH.
UH, WE HAD ONE ON AUGUST THE 13TH, AND WE CAPTURED ABOUT 20 OR SO DIFFERENT IDEAS THAT WERE PROFFERED BY THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND THERE WERE THINGS SUCH AS TECH AND, UH, SCREEN TECHNOLOGY AND SCREEN TIME.
HOW MUCH TIME DO OUR KIDS SPEND BEHIND THAT? THERE'S SOME BUDDING RESEARCH THAT SAYS THAT COULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO HIRE, THAT GOES TO LESSER PERFORMANCE.
THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS WE AT LEAST WANT THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT.
AGAIN, DOES NOT MEAN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS TO BE THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY TRIGGERS THAT AND DO THAT.
IT MEANS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HELP IMPROVE THOSE THINGS ONCE THEY COME TO US.
UH, OLDER KIDS, READING TO YOUNGER KIDS, I KNOW MR. SMITH IS ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES AND OTHERS HERE TALK A LOT ABOUT HOW DO WE GET THAT GENERATIONAL TRANSFER THAT USED TO BE SO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
MOBILE, I MOVED 19 TIMES, SO I DIDN'T HAVE THE FAMILY THAT I HAD GROWING UP, WHICH WAS THERE FOR THREE GENERATIONS.
SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT, UH, HAVE COME UP IN OUR MEETINGS.
AND THEN WE HAD ONE ON SEPTEMBER THE 10TH, AND THOSE WERE SOME THINGS CAME UP AS A GRANDPARENT DAY THAT WAS OFFERED BY ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
AND JUST THINK ABOUT IT, GRANDPARENTS HAVE SO MUCH LIFE EXPERIENCE.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD THINGS SUCH AS, UM, MILITARY EDUCATION.
SO ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE MILITARY SCHOOLS AND WHAT HAVE YOU? AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE, AND YOU CAN GO TO OUR, THIS, THE REPORTS FOR THIS PARTICULAR MEETING, AND YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN SEE ALL THE THINGS THAT WILL OFFER.
WE ARE LOOKING AT HAVING ANOTHER MEETING ON OCTOBER 29TH.
WE'RE LOOKING TO USE SOME TECHNOLOGY TO TAKE ALL THESE IDEAS, CU THEM DOWN, COME FORWARD.
AND AS MS. BOATWRIGHT MENTIONED IN ONE OF HER COMMENTS, MAKE SURE WE'RE CALIBRATING AND SYNCHRONIZING WITH OTHER COMMITTEES.
SO WE'RE NOT STEPPING ON ANYONE ELSE'S TOES, BUT WE JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW WE ARE VIGOROUSLY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN GIVE OUR KIDS AND OUR FAMILIES THE BEST CHANCE FOR THEIR KIDS TO BE VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL GOING FORWARD.
SO MR. CHAIR, WITH THAT, THAT IS THE END OF OUR REPORT ON LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ACTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR MR. DALLAS? I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS.
UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO OPERATIONS.
AND DR. CARR, YOU'LL STANDING IN FOR, UH, VICTOR NAY, WHO IS OFF DOING SOME MARINE STUFF, I THINK.
UH, MY PLEASURE TO GIVE THE REPORT.
UH, THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MET ON OCTOBER 14TH.
UH, WE HAD A NUMBER OF, UH, ITEMS THAT WE WORKED THROUGH DURING THE MEETING.
UH, THE FIRST WAS WHALE BRANCH ELEMENTARY, SIC RECOMMENDATION, UH, PRINCIPAL CARLOS WILLIAMS AND SIC CHAIR JESSICA RUSSELL PRESENTED A PROPOSAL TO RENAME THE MEDIA CENTER AT THE JAMES J. DAVIS EARLY LEARNING CENTER IN HONOR OF PASTOR JAMES E. MOORE.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT PRINCIPAL WILLIAMS IS WITH US, AND IF HE WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND SHARE MOORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UM, BOARD CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE RIVER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, SCHOOL BOARD SUPERINTENDENT SUPERINTENDENT'S CABINET.
UM, SO YEAH, THE SIC AT ABOVE BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UM, IT'S FORMULA REQUESTING TO RENAME THE NEWLY RENOVATED LIBRARY AT JAMES J. DAVIS EARLY LEARNING CENTER, UM, IN HONOR OF PASTOR JAMES E. MOORE.
AND WE WOULD LIKE THAT REQUEST TO BE HONORED, UM, JUST BECAUSE OF HIS ADVOCACY AROUND EARLY LITERACY, HIS, UM, COMMITMENT TO LIFELONG LEARNING AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT WITH STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
HE'S HAD SEVERAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO INCLUDE, UM, HIS PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF, UH, WELL BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, AND HIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, UNITING IN VARIOUS CHURCHES IN THE AREA WHO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UM, ALL THE SCHOOLS IN THE WELL BRANCH CLUSTER AND, UM, HIS TIRELESS EFFORTS AROUND EARLY LEARNING.
SO AFTER A UNANIMOUS VOTE FROM OUR SIC, UM, WE WOULD JUST REALLY LIKE FOR, UM, AND REQUEST THAT THAT LIBRARY BE RENAMED, UM, PASTOR JAMES D. MOORE EXPIRATION STATION.
AND SO WE JUST THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION.
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THANK YOU.UM, THE, THE COMMITTEE VOTED TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION UNANIMOUSLY AND FORWARDED TO THE FULL BOARD FOR FINAL CONSIDERATION.
UH, THERE IS A MOTION RECOMMEND THE RECOMMENDED MOTION FOR WHALE BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SIC.
RECOMMENDATION IS I MOVE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ACCEPTS THE RECOMMENDATION TO NAME THE JJ DAVIS EARLY LEARNING CENTER MEDIA CENTER AFTER PASTOR JAMES E. MOORE IN HONOR OF HIS SERVICE TO THE WHALE BRANCH COMMUNITY.
I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I'LL SECOND THAT WE HAVE A, A MO MOVEMENT OR A MOTION.
AND, UH, SECOND, ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YES, SIR SMITH.
UM, AT THIS TIME, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT IT'S, UM, A VERY ECSTATIC, UM, DRIVING OVER HERE TODAY THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING ABOUT THE MEETING AND KNOWING THAT THAT MOTION WOULD COME UP.
UM, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT HE'S DEFINITELY PUT HIS BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS INTO THAT COMMUNITY AND INTO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
UM, I COULD ONLY POSSIBLY THINK ABOUT TWO, TWO MORE OTHER PEOPLE.
HE WOULD HAVE OTHER GENERALS HE WOULD HAVE WITH HIM.
UM, AND THE, AND THE, UM, LATE MRS. SHIRLEY PERRY WOULD BE SMILING RIGHT NOW.
AND ALSO MR. D, UH, COLLEAGUE MR. EARL CAMPBELL WOULD BE, UM, DEFINITELY HE WOULD BE HAPPY AT THIS MOMENT TOO.
WE'D BE SMILING AND SAY, WELL DONE SERVANT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO TELL MR. CAMPBELL, I, I MEAN MR. UH, MOORE, THAT WE APPRECIATE THE CONTINUOUS WORK THAT HE DOES IN HIS COMMUNITY.
AND CONTINUE, CONTINUE, CONTINUE.
OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS TO PASTOR MO? UH, PASTOR GORDON, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY ABOUT, ABOUT, UH, UH, YES, I'M EXCITED TO, I WAS EXCITED TO HEAR IT WHEN IT CAME UP THE OTHER DAY IN THE OPERATION MEETING.
AND, AND NO DOUBT, UM, PASTOR MOORE HAVE, HAVE WENT FAR BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY, UM, EVEN BEFORE I GOT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, YOU KNOW, HE WAS ALWAYS SOMEBODY THAT WE COULD LOOK UP TO IN THE COMMUNITY TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS GOT PUSHED THE WAY WE NEEDED IT TO GO.
UH, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, UH, UH, PASTOR MOORE IS A PASTOR OF MOUNT CARMEL BAPTIST CHURCH, WHICH IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE LEARNING CENTER.
AND HE IS A CONSTANT PRESENCE, UH, THERE AT THE CENTER AND HAS ALSO BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FORMATION OF THE, UH, TOWNSHIP THAT MEETS, UH, ONCE A YEAR.
AND HE HAS BROUGHT IN ALL THE CHURCHES FROM THAT AREA.
AND HE, HE COMES TO, UH, JAMES H. DAVIS TO HOLD THAT MEETING WITH THE SHELDON TOWNSHIP.
AND, UH, HE IS A ABSOLUTE, UH, TREASURE, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I, I THINK IT'S A GREAT HONOR FOR HIM TO BE HONORED THIS WAY.
SO GIVEN THAT, HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND A SECOND.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR IN THE ROOM, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
AND, UM, PASTOR GORDON, DEFINITE AYE.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM THAT WE DEALT WITH FOR THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE WAS THE AMBROSE RUN WATERCRESS APARTMENT EASEMENT REQUEST.
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PROPERTY OWNER AND THE DEVELOPMENTAL TEAM, INCLUDING STEVE ANDREWS, REVISITED A LONG RUNNING REQUEST FOR A ROAD EASEMENT ACROSS DISTRICT PROPERTY NEAR ROBERT SMALLS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY.
THE DEVELOPER PROPOSED SEVERAL COMMUNITY CONCESSIONS IN EXCHANGE FOR THE EASEMENT.
ONE WAS A CONSTRUCTION OF A RIGHT TURN LANE INTO THE SCHOOL, VALUED AT APPROXIMATELY $500,000 15 DISCOUNTED APARTMENT UNITS, 20% BELOW MARKET RATE RESERVED FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, A DESIGNATION OF EMERGENCY REUNIFICATION, SITE DONATION, DROP OFF LOCATION, AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS.
THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS EXPRESSED STRONG RESERVATIONS CITING LACK OF CLEAR OWNERSHIP BY THE EVENTUAL DEVELOPER, INSUFFICIENT COORDINATION WITH THE DISTRICT OPERATIONS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND UNCERTAINTY ALONG ABOUT ALL LONG-TERM COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
THE COMMITTEE TOOK NO ACTION AND REQUESTED A REVISED WRITTEN PROPOSAL THAT INCLUDED A DRAFT EASEMENT AGREEMENT BINDING FUTURE PROPERTY OWNERS, A CLARIFICATION OF THE EASEMENT AND POSSIBLE CASH CONTRIBUTION, CLARIFICATION OF TRAFFIC IMPACT
[00:50:01]
AND SAFETY CONCERNS.THE ITEMS, THE ITEM WILL BE RETURNED FOR DISCUSSION AFTER ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION AND REVIEW.
AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S NO ACTION REQUIRED.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANNA SAY ON THAT, SIR? SORRY.
WELL, WHAT I WOULD, WHAT I WOULD, WHAT I WOULD ASK TO THAT IS THAT, WELL, WHAT I WOULD ADD TO ADD TO THAT IS THAT, UM, AL ALSO, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND IT, AND IT JUST, I MUST SAY THIS PUBLICLY, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH IT'S, UH, I'LL SHOW YOU ONE THING, BUT I'M GOING TO END UP MOVING ON.
ANOTHER THING, I I'M ONE OF MY REAL STRONG, UM, NOT HAPPY WITH THIS, IS THAT IN, IN THE, IN A PART OF MY COMMUNITY, THERE WAS A DEVELOPER WHO THREW, WHO TOOK TONS OF LOADS OF DIRT AND LEFT A HOLE IN MY COMMUNITY.
AND THE HOLE WAS SO WIDE, I WOULD SAY POSSIBLY HALF OF THIS SCHOOL COULD FIT IN THAT HOLE.
AND WHEN, AND ANYONE WHO KNOWS ABOUT CONSTRUCTION, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE HOLE TO A CERTAIN WAY WHERE SOMEONE CAN GET OUT OF IT.
WHERE SOMEONE FELL IN THERE, THEY CAN, THEY CAN GET OUT, THEY CAN, THEY CAN GET OUT.
THEY, THEY COULDN'T GET OUTTA THAT HOLE.
AND, AND SO WE, THE COMMUNITY DIDN'T LIKE IT.
AND SO WE, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT, TALKED ABOUT ALL THE DIRT WAS GOING, I BELIEVE IT WAS GOING TO A PROJECT IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I WON'T SAY WHICH PROJECT IT WAS GOING TO.
UM, BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT NOW THE DEVELOPER IS GONE AND WE'RE STUCK WITH A HOLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THIS KIND OF STUFF, WE JUST CAN'T ALLOW TO HAPPEN AND JUST GIVE AWAY RIGHT AWAYS WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE, PEOPLE IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE PAYING FOR RIGHT OF AWAYS AND WHEN WE'RE NOT GETTING MUCH BANG FOR OUR BUCK.
AND SO WITH THEM SAYING THAT, OH, WE JUST WANNA PUT THIS IN THE, IN, IN THE, UM, IN AN AGREEMENT, AND WHOEVER BUYS A PROPERTY HAVE TO HAVE, THEY WILL HAVE TO, UH, GO BY THIS.
ARE WE SURE THAT WE ARE MAXIMIZING WHAT WE ARE REALLY GETTING OUT OF THIS, UH, OUT OF, OUT OF THIS PROJECT OFFER, EXCHANGING TO GIVING SOMEONE A RIGHT AWAY TO OUR PROPERTY? SO, I MEAN, I'M WITH THAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN SCARY THINGS.
IF YOU'RE GONNA COME FORTH AND BUY THE PROPERTY, BUY THE PROPERTY, AND LET'S NEGOTIATE.
BUT NOT, NOT, UH, NOT, NOT DOING THAT IS JUST, IT, IT, IT, IT DOESN'T SIT RIGHT WITH ME BECAUSE OF THAT.
I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
THE THIRD ITEM WAS THE THIRD QUARTER FOIA REPORT.
STAFF REPORTED 31 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS RECEIVED DURING THE THIRD QUARTER, UH, UP FROM THE 24 THE PREVIOUS QUARTER, REQUESTS PRIMARILY CONCERNED CONTRACTS, RFPS AND ENROLLMENT DATA COMMITTEE MEMBERS COMMENDED STAFF FOR IMPROVED CLARITY AND DOCUMENTATION, PARTICULARLY THE INCLUSION OF PAYMENT TRACKING AND PAGE REFERENCES ON REQUEST LOGS.
THE COMMITTEE ACKNOWLEDGED THE EFFICIENCY AND THE RESPONSIVENESS OF THE FOIA PROCESS.
THE APPROVAL OF THE FOIA REPORT WAS PLACED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
FOURTH ITEM WAS ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION IS 30.
THE USE OF ANIMALS FOR INSTRUCTION UPDATES WERE PRESENTED TO ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION IS 30, WHICH GOVERNS THE USE OF LIVE ANIMALS IN CLASSROOMS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES.
UH, KEY REVISIONS WERE CLEARER REQUIREMENTS FOR ANIMAL HEALTH AND SAFETY DOCUMENTATION, STREAMLINED PROCESS PROCEDURES FOR TEACHER APPROVAL AND PARENT NOTIFICATION, UPDATED REFERENCES, ALIGNING WITH STATE HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS.
THE COMMITTEE REVIEWED THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RED LINE REV, UH, VERSION AND SUPPORTED FORWARDING THE REVISED REGULATION TO THE FULL BOARD FOR APPROVAL INFORMATION ONLY TODAY.
THE BUS TRANSPORTATION ROUTES WERE DISCUSSED, UH, IN, IN BY THE STAFF AND EFFICIENTLY AND CONGESTION CONCERNS WERE RAISED, PARTICULARLY DURING PEAK DROP OFF AND PICK UP TIMES APPROVAL OF TRANSPORTATION ROUTES.
THERE IS A MOTION, WHICH I'LL READ IN A SEC.
TRAFFIC BACKUPS REMAIN AN ISSUE NEAR ROBERT SMALLS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY.
ALTHOUGH PROPOSED ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS MAY HELP COMMITTEE MEMBERS EMPHASIZED ONGOING COORDINATION BETWEEN TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS AND DOT TO REDUCE CONGESTION AND IMPROVE STUDENT SAFETY, THE MOTION IS I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ACCEPT THE SUBMITTED R 16 AND R 17 REPORTS SUBMITTED TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
[00:55:01]
AND THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION.AND SECONDED BY MS. BOATWRIGHT.
ANY DISCUSSION, MR. SMITH? UH, I, UM, UNFORTUNATELY I HAD TO LEAVE THE MEETING AT THAT TIME, SO I DIDN'T HAVE, I DID HAVE SOME QUESTIONS UPON, UM, UPON THE, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL HAD SIC MEETINGS, SO I GUESS THERE WAS A, A, UH, MISCOMMUNICATION IN, IN THAT.
SO, UM, I HAD SEVERAL PARENTS WHO'VE CALLED ME AND ASKED ME ABOUT SOME BUS, SOME BUS ISSUES.
SO I'VE BEEN KIND OF WAITING FOR THIS TO COME UP, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, I GUESS I COULD NOT BE THERE BECAUSE I HAD NEVER SIC MEETINGS.
SO, UH, UH, APPARENTLY I HEAR SOME THINGS, AND ALSO IF WE, UH, UH, WHO CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION IF WE ARE HAVING A, I HEARD RIGHT, WE ARE HAVING A ISSUE ON ROBERT SMALLS 8 0 2.
UH, I MEAN, UH, ROBERT SMALLS, UH, CAN, CAN WE NOT CALL LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR SOME ASSISTANCE? BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, WHEN OVER AT
AND THAT WOULD TAKE EVERY BIT ABOUT MAYBE FIVE MINUTES OR SO IF WE'RE HAVING AN ISSUE.
HOW, HOW HAVE WE ACTED AS A DISTRICT ON THAT ISSUE? SO CAN SOMEONE SPEAK TO THAT? UM, I'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE THAT QUESTION.
UM, MR. GLENN FRAZIER IS ALSO ONLINE, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT AS FAR AS SROS, WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF THE SROS, AND WE CANNOT ASK THEM TO GO OUT IN DIRECT TRAFFIC.
UH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WOULD'VE TO DO THAT.
SO YOU WOULD'VE TO GO THROUGH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
AND THAT, AND I'M NOT SURE THEY WOULD GO OUT ON A BUSY ROAD LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, ON A NORMAL DAY.
BUT THAT'S, THAT IS BEYOND OUR CONTROL.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT WOULD BE A COP OUT ANSWER JUST BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT BRIDGES, BRIDGES HAVE THAT SAME BRIDGES AS AN OFFICER OUT THERE.
WHO, WHO STOPS TRAFFIC AND LET TRAFFIC TRAFFIC OUT? I THINK IT'S, TO ME, I THINK I'M LOOKING FOR A SIMPLE ASK, BECAUSE THEN WE CAN TELL PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE ASKED THE SHERIFF, AND THE SHERIFF HAVE SAID EVEN, NO, HE CAN'T COMPLY WITH THAT, OR HE'S NOT GONNA COMPLY WITH THAT.
BUT IF WE, IF WE DON'T ASK, THEN YOU WILL NOT.
AND THE, UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN WE HAVE SOMEONE SAID, IF YOU HAVE NOT, BECAUSE YOU'VE A, YOU'VE NOT ASKED, NOT SO, UH, I MEAN THAT I'M JUST GIVING A TRUE ANSWER INTO, UH, WHAT I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN HAVE.
BECAUSE IF, IF WE HAVE, IF WE HAVE ISSUES, THE PEOPLE AREN'T LOOKING AT ME AS, MR. SMITH, WE HAVE AN ISSUE.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT ME TO, MR. SMITH, HAVE YOU, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO RESOLVE THEM? AND I'M LOOKING FOR INFO.
I'M LOOKING FOR INFORMATION TO TELL THEM, LISTEN, WE'VE TOOK STEP ONE, STEP TWO, STEP A TO SEE HOW WE CAN COME TO A BETTER RESOLVE.
SO THAT'S WHY MY, MY ANSWER MAY SEEM AS THOUGH I'M NOT BEING, UM, NI UH, NICE OR DIPLOMATIC ABOUT IT, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, WE CAN'T JUST SAY, OH, UH, WE CAN'T DO IT, OR THEY DON'T WORK FOR US.
SROS ARE IN OUR BUILDING AND THEY ARE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEY ARE A PART OF WHAT, WHAT WE DO.
SO I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
SO I JUST THINK THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND EVEN ASK THEM FOR THE ANSWER BECAUSE I, I'M, I'M SEEING IT AT, UH, PORT ROYAL, UH, IS, IS DOING IT.
THE SRO IS, IS STOPPING TRAFFIC AND LETTING PARENTS OUT AT BRIDGES.
WE, WE HAVE MUCH MORE, UH, OFFICERS IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE DO HAVE A PORT OFFICER IN ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS TOO.
SO IF THEY CAN, THEN WHY CAN'T OTHER SCHOOLS DO THAT TOO AS WELL? AND THEY ALSO DO IT FOR FUNERALS.
UM, HAPPY TO ASK FIRST, FIRST, FIRST STATEMENT.
I THINK I WOULD MAKE HAPPY TO ASK THE SHERIFF.
UH, BUT IN ADDITION, I THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW THE FOLLOWING.
UM, I'M NOT SURE, UH, WHO THE INDIVIDUAL IS AT ANOTHER SCHOOL SITE.
THAT'S NOT ONE OF OURS THAT IS OUT THERE.
UH, I BELIEVE THEY'RE AN EMPLOYEE OF THAT PARTICULAR SCHOOL YOU MENTIONED.
UM, HOWEVER, UH, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU PUT AN EMPLOYEE OUT ON, UH, ON, ON A, ON A ROAD LIKE THAT TO DIRECT TRAFFIC, YOU INCUR ALL LIABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH ANY ACCIDENT THAT MIGHT HAPPEN AROUND ANY OF DIRECTION OF THAT TRAFFIC, NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, UH, I DO KNOW THAT WITH RESPECT TO SROS, UH, THE MAIN FUNCTION THAT, UH, THAT IS EXPECTED OF SROS FROM THEIR LEADERSHIP REALLY IS WHEREVER THE LARGEST MAJORITY OF STUDENTS ARE DURING THE COURSE OF A DISMISSAL OR AN ARRIVAL PROCESS, UH, IS WHERE THOSE SROS ARE TYPICALLY EXPECTED TO BE, UH, BY THEIR COMMAND STAFF.
OUR PRINCIPALS, UH, WE DON'T HAVE AUTHORITY OVER THEM TO DIRECT THEM WHERE TO GO.
UH, THEY, THEY REPORT AND RESPOND DIRECTLY THROUGH THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND WITHIN, UH, WITHIN THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
SO FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSPECTIVE, CAN WE REQUEST YES, SIR.
AND I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THAT REQUEST, UH, BUT I, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I CLARIFIED THOSE POINTS FOR YOU.
A ACT ACTUALLY, UH, THOUGHT RODRIGUEZ, IT, IT'S NOT THE, UH, STAFF MEMBER.
IT ACTUALLY, IT IS THE SRO AND I, AND I JUST SAW TODAY IT WAS THE PORT ROYAL POLICE OFFICER TRUCK.
AND I BELIEVE, AND I BELIEVE, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S, I, I WON'T CALL OFFICER'S NAME, BUT KNOW IT'S AN ACTUAL POLICE OFFICER, AND HE'S ACTUALLY OUT THERE
[01:00:01]
DIRECTING TRAFFIC, AS IN TODAY, IT WASN'T A STAFF MEMBER, IT WAS A PORT ROYAL POLICE OFFICER.I THINK IT WAS, I THINK I SEEN ANOTHER OFFICER RIGHT THERE IN THE, UH, IN THE MAIN, IN THE, I MEAN IN THE, UM, IN THE, IN, IN THE, UH, IN THE, IN THE MEDIA.
SO NO, THERE WAS, IT WAS AN ACTUAL POLICE OFFICER, WASN'T A STAFF MEMBER WHO WAS, WHO WAS ACTUALLY DIRECTING TRAFFIC TODAY.
SO, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM JUST THERE TODAY.
I SAW HIM THERE ON ANOTHER DAY AS WELL.
SO IT'S BEEN A COUPLE DAYS I'VE SEEN THAT PORT ROYAL POLICE OFFICER ACTUALLY THERE DOING THAT.
I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THAT'S MY DISTRICT AND I, I'VE SEEN THAT OFFICER OUT THERE, BUT OF COURSE, THAT'S A SIDEWALK BEFORE THE ENTRANCE THAT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE TRAFFIC IS, IS A SIDEWALK AWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE.
SO IT'S, IT'S VERY EASY FOR THAT PARTICULAR SRO TO GET OUT THERE BY THE TRAFFIC.
IT'S MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO OUR OTHER SCHOOLS WITH ROADS THAT ARE QUITE A DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE FRONT ENTRY TO THE SCHOOL.
SO, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S DONE THERE.
IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE AT, UH, SAY SHANKLIN ELEMENTARY OR, OR BROAD RIVER ELEMENTARY BECAUSE IT'S A, A LONGER DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE FRONT DOOR TO WHERE THE TRAFFIC HAS TO BE MANAGED.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, AT, AT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS HAVE, HAVE DIFFERENT ISSUES WITH THE, WHERE THEY'RE SITUATED.
AND I, AND I DO UNDERSTAND THAT COLONEL GUY, BUT I THINK, UM, TO TAKE OUR PRECIOUS CARGO, LETTING THEM OUT OF SCHOOL, THERE'S AN ISSUE.
I JUST HEARD THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE, AND THIS THE FIRST I'VE HEARD OF IT, AND MY QUESTION IS, IF THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH DOING THAT, OR IF THEY'RE HAVING AN ISSUE, THEN THE QUESTION ISSUE IS WHERE THE ISSUE IS AT AND HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE WHEN PEOPLE SEE, UH, UH, OFFICERS THAT ARE STOPPING TRAFFIC, AND IT'S A USUAL, UH, THEY KNOW, LOOK, KID, I KNOW, UH, GOING, GOING BY WALMART, I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, LOOK, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA START IT, STOP TRAFFIC ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
SO THEREFORE, HEY, IF I WANNA GET, GET THERE BEFORE IT HAPPENS, OR I WANNA GET THERE AFTER IT HAPPENS, JUST SO I DON'T GET IN THE, IN THE VIEW OF TRAFFIC.
SO I, I THINK, I THINK THAT, UM, IT, IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO EVIL.
WE EITHER THEY WANT TO HELP AND ASSIST OUR PRECIOUS CARGO, OR, OR THEY DON'T.
I MEAN, WE CAN'T, WE JUST, WE JUST TOOK A VOTE AND SOME MILITARY, WE JUST, WE CAN'T PUT A PREP PRICE TAG ON THAT.
SO I'M NOT, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR THE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
ANYBODY'S PUT A PRICE TAG ON THAT EITHER.
YEAH, I THINK THE, I THINK, UH, THE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS CAN WE ASK? YEAH, WE CAN ASK AND WE WILL.
WE'LL ASK THEIR, THEIR SRO CHAIN OF COMMAND.
DID WE HAVE A SECOND? I THOUGHT WE DID.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR IN THE ROOM, PLEASE, UH, SIGNIFY BY SAYING, AYE.
AYE, UH, MS. GORDON, MS. GORDON? AYE.
MR. SMITH'S A NO, MR. SMITH IS A NO.
UH, THE MOTION CARRIES, GO AHEAD.
THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE FROM THE 2019 REFERENDUM.
ALL FINANCIAL REPORTS ARE GREEN TRAFFIC LIGHTS, THE CURRENT BUDGET, $375,710,000 PAID AND COMMITTED, THREE $374,884,078.
REMAINING FUNDS, INCLUDING CONTINGENCY $865,922 AND CONTINGENCY REMAINING $332,957.
THE 2023 REFERENDUM, ALL PROJECTS REPORTED, GREEN TRAFFIC LIGHTS, ALL FINANCIALS ARE GREEN.
THE CURRENT BUDGET, 439,035,000 REMAINING FUNDS, INCLUDING CONTINGENCY $252,345,480.
THE PROJECT LEVEL CONTINGENT CONTINGENCY REMAINING $13,557,809.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH, GROUNDBREAKING FOR MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY TOOK PLACE YESTERDAY.
STUDENT ASSIGNMENT MEETINGS FOR SCHOOLS SOUTH OF THE BROAD ARE TAKING PLACE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
THE NEXT MEETING IS OCTOBER 23RD AT OKEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND THE FINAL ITEM, CUSTODIAL AND MAINTENANCE REPORT.
THE CUSTODIAL AND MAINTENANCE UPDATE FOCUSED ON STAFFING LEVELS, PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES, AND RESPONSIVENESS TO SCHOOL LEVEL SERVICE REQUESTS.
MEMBERS NOTED IMPROVED REPORTING
[01:05:01]
ACCURACY AND THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF CONSISTENT OVERSIGHT ON FACILITY CONTINGENT CONDITIONS.VENDORS HONORED EMPLOYEES, PRINCIPALS WERE SURVEYED AND PROVIDED FEEDBACK ON 13 DIFFERENT AREAS.
A CUSTODIAL VENDOR REVIEW WAS DONE WITH SOME DEFICIENCIES NOTED.
NOTICE TO CURE LETTERS WERE SENT MAINTENANCE BLITZ ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, 20 OF 32.
TRADITION, UH, TRANSITIONING TO A NEW VENDOR, SODEXO, THERE'S A 90 DAY GRACE PERIOD TO HAVE MANNING AT 100%.
AND THE NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 13TH AND NOVEMBER 18TH.
THAT CONCLUDES THE OPERATIONS REPORT QUESTIONS ALSO, UM, I, I, UM, HAD TO SEND, UH, CAN YOU TELL ME WHEN DO THE NEW CO, UH, CONTRACT TAKE OR THE NEW COMPANY TAKE OVER SODEXO FOR THE MAINTENANCE? DID WE DISCUSSED THAT? I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THE DATE.
THEY, THEY BEGAN, UH, OCTOBER 1ST.
IS THAT RIGHT? ROBERT? OCTOBER 1ST? YES, SIR.
OKAY, SO THEY THEY HAVE ALREADY BEGUN.
AND, UM, DID, DID REACTION THAT MEAN, ARE ALL THE POSITIONS FILLED UP FILLED? UH, NO SIR.
THEY HAVE 90 DAYS TO FILL ALL THE POSITIONS.
UM, THEY STARTED THEIR CONTRACT, UH, 20 POSITIONS DOWN.
I DIDN'T THINK THAT WE, WE GAVE THEM, UH, A 90 DAY, I THOUGHT, I DIDN'T THINK THAT WE GAVE THEM A 90 DAY, UM, A 90 DAY, UM, TIME TO HAVE ALL THOSE FULFILLED, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WE BROUGHT THEM IN BEFORE THE OTHER CONTRACT WAS, UH, BEFORE THE OTHER CONTRACT WAS UP.
I, SO I, I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT I REMEMBER US TALKING ABOUT THAT, AND I, I SPECIFICALLY SAID THAT THEY NEEDED TO HAVE THOSE POSITIONS FILLED BECAUSE THEY CAME IN PRESENTLY TALKING ABOUT THAT THEY WERE NOT HIRING STAFF MEMBERS THAT WERE CURRENTLY HIRING.
SO THEREFORE, MY THING WAS, YOU KNOW, HALF A LO IS BETTER THAN NO LOAF.
AND IF YOU'RE COMING IN AND SAYING THAT, THAT YOU'RE NOT USING DEPU, THE STAFF THAT WE DO HAVE THEN COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, THEN I, I WAS EXPECTING THEM TO HAVE BE FULLY STAFFED.
SO IF THAT, IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S NOT TRUE, I DO REMEMBER SPEAKING TO THAT.
SO I, I, I WOULD, UH, HAVE DEFINITELY TAKE ISSUE WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S, IF YOU COMING IN AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE, AND WE, WE, WE ALREADY HAD A DIFFERENT, UH, DIFFERENT SITUATION THEN I, I'M JUST LOOKING FOR THE ANSWERS OF, UH, WHEN, IF THAT, IF THAT'S TRUE, WHEN WAS THAT PUT IN THE CONTRACT? BECAUSE I REMEMBER US DISCUSSING THAT AND, AND I REMEMBER BRIEFLY I REMEMBER UH, SAYING THAT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WAS IN ADDITION TO THE CONTRACT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK, UM, I UNDERSTAND UH, COMMENTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE MADE.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE BRINGING IN A NEW INDIVIDUAL, A NEW COMPANY TO OVERSEE, UH, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, HIRE THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY BELIEVE ARE GOING TO, UH, UH, TO MEET THE LEVEL OF EXPECTATION THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED.
AND, AND AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, I MEAN, THEY, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THOSE CHOICES, YOU KNOW, UM, AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, THEY ALSO HAVE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO STAFF UP, UH, UH, WHILE THEY, UH, ARE SELECTIVE ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT, UH, THAT THEY ARE CHOOSING, YOU KNOW? AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S IN THERE.
THEY HAVE THE 90 DAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AGAIN, I MEAN, THERE'S 11 OF YOU, RIGHT? ONE INDIVIDUAL MIGHT SAY ONE THING, ONE OTHER INDIVIDUAL MIGHT SAY SOMETHING ELSE.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT, THAT THE BOARD, UH, WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY EXECUTE, WANT US TO EXECUTE ON, THEN I THINK IT'S MORE THAN JUST A COMMENT IN A MEETING THAT WE NEED.
WE NEED DIRECTION THROUGH A VOTE WHERE THE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD, UH, IS ABLE TO BE ARTICULATED.
MAR, UM, BE HONEST WITH YOU, I HAVE NO, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH GIVING PEOPLE THE LATITUDE OF HIRING WHO THEY WANT.
BUT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT CONTRACT, I RAY, I VERY CLEARLY WELL REMEMBER OF NOT JUST HAVING THAT CONVERSATION, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WAS ALSO BROUGHT TO THE, TO THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE WHERE I ALSO SAID THAT AS WELL.
AND I SAID THAT WHEN WE, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THAT CONTRACT, BECAUSE THIS PROBABLY, THIS BOARD DID APPROVE THAT CONTRACT, AND THEY HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR, FOR A LEASE, OR THEY'VE BEEN AROUND IN SUPPORT OF MAYBE 30 DAYS OR MORE, UH, PRIOR TO ACTUALLY TAKING THE CONTRACT ON THE FIRST.
SO THEREFORE, TO ME, THAT'S AMPLE TIME TO UNDERSTAND, UNDERSTAND AND TO GET THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT YOU NEED AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
AND THEN THE NEEDS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALSO, FROM MY STANDING, THEY'VE ALSO HAVE CUT DIFFERENT, UH, DIFFERENT, UM, UH, DIFFERENT SECTIONS THAT THE DISTRICT HAS CURRENTLY HAD.
SO THEY HAVE ACTUALLY CUT SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS IN SOME OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE THEY WERE JUST JUMPED IN AND THEY GOT IT ON YESTERDAY ON THE FIRST AND START WORKING.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WELL, WELL WITHIN, UH, BEFORE
[01:10:01]
THE FIRST.UH, AND SO I'M, I'M RIGHT NOW I'M ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION BECAUSE I REMEMBER STATING THAT I, EVEN WHEN IT WAS, WHEN WE SOUGHT THE CONTRACT AND WHEN WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, THAT WAS MORE, THAT WAS ONE OF MY ASK AS A BOARD MEMBER.
AND, UH, AND I BELIEVE THAT, THAT, UM, IT WAS SAID THAT THAT WAS ALL RIGHT AND THAT WAS UNDERSTANDING.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION MORE OR LESS OF WHETHER THAT GO AND, AND, AND, AND HOW DID WE GET LOST WITH THAT? THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING.
AND NEXT REPORT IS TECHNOLOGY, MS. BOATWRIGHT, AND, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY WILL KEEP IT SHORT AND TO THE POINT HERE.
UM, WE ARE WORKING ON A PROCESS OF, UH, GENERATING SURVEYS THAT ARE GONNA GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, UH, HEAP PRAISE ON MARK JOHAN, WHO HAS, I TOTALLY HUNG HIM OUT TO DRY, CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA TO DO THESE SURVEYS AND THEN BASICALLY HAD NO TIME TO WORK ON IT.
BUT HE CAME UP WITH SOME GREAT QUESTIONS.
AND WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT DOING IS, RATHER THAN A ONE THROUGH 10 SCALE SURVEY OR A, ARE YOU SATISFIED, EXTREMELY SATISFIED, NOT SATISFIED TYPE SURVEY.
WE'RE GOING TO, UH, APPROACH IT WITH MORE OF A FREE TEXT APPROACH.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IT'LL BE AN INTERESTING CASE STUDY ON USING NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING TO, UH, DETECT TRENDS IN THE DATA THAT'S COMING OUT.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, IT'S IN THE BOARD PACKET HERE, IS WE HAVE FIVE SURVEY, UH, FOUR SURVEYS, I'M SORRY, STAFF.
UH, SO STAFF, TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, DISTRICT STAFF WILL GET A SURVEY THAT FOCUSES ON THE AREAS THAT ARE REALLY RELEVANT TO STAFF.
STUDENTS ARE GONNA BE A GROUP THAT ARE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE, UM, TO FILL THESE OUT, UH, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE'RE GONNA TRY AND GET AS MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN THIS SURVEY.
AND THEN PARENTS, SO THOSE FOUR GROUPS ARE GONNA GET SORT OF A TAILORED SURVEY.
UM, AND WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO IS TO JUST KIND OF SHARE WITH US SOME OF THEIR EXCITEMENT ABOUT TECHNOLOGY CONCERNS WITH TECHNOLOGY, WHERE THEY SEE THIS GOING, WHERE THEY WOULD PREFER IT NOT TO GO.
AND THAT WILL KIND OF HELP US, UH, THINK ABOUT WHERE TECHNOLOGY NEEDS TO GO IN BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
BECAUSE I DO THINK WHEN I TALK ONE-ON-ONE WITH PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE EXTREMELY INTERESTED ABOUT TECHNOLOGY, BUT AT THE BOARD LEVEL, IT CAN BE HARDER TO BRING THOSE, UH, RAISE THOSE SURFACES UP, UP.
SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR FROM THE BOARD TODAY IS BASICALLY A MOTION TO INITIATE A SURVEY PROCESS.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TRY AND GET THOSE OUT BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS.
AND WE'RE GONNA REALLY LEVERAGE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
I KNOW, UH, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, I'VE BEEN SPEAKING TO SOME GROUPS THAT SAID THAT THEY WOULD PARTICIPATE IN GETTING THE WORD OUT.
UH, AND WE'RE GONNA USE THE SICS TO TRY AND HIT COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE WE'LL MAKE IT EXTRA CREDIT, UH, FOR STUDENTS.
AND WE'RE GONNA REALLY TARGET MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND TRY AND GET AS MANY RESPONSES AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE MORE RESPONSES WE HAVE, THE MORE EFFECTIVE, UH, WE CAN BE.
SO I DO HAVE A, A REPORT, A MOTION HERE.
WHAT? NO, I'M GONNA, I HAVE MY OWN.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF THE BOARD AUTHORIZED THE TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE TO PROCEED WITH THE DISTRICT-WIDE SURVEY ON TECHNOLOGY USE AND PERCEPTIONS AMONG STUDENTS, FAMILY, STAFF, AND THE COMMUNITY.
MR. SMITH, DO YOU HAVE AION CAN? YES MA'AM.
DISCUSSION? I JUST WANT, YOU SAID THAT THE KEY WORD THAT YOU SAID WAS THAT YOU WANTED AS MUCH PARTICIPATION AS POSSIBLE, RIGHT? UH, AND ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU'RE LIMITING THEM TO DO AS IN IF THEY WANNA PUT A FIVE OR A 10, A NUMBER NUMBER, ARE YOU LIMITING THAT? OR, OR, OR THEY CAN, ARE YOU SAYING IT WILL BE A WRITTEN SECTION AND IT'S JUST FREE TEXT? YOU CAN PUT THERE, YOU CAN PUT YES.
NO, YOU CAN PUT SATISFIED OR UNSATISFIED OR EXTREMELY SATISFIED.
OR YOU CAN WRITE A COUPLE OF SENTENCES AS TO WHY YOU THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA OR BAD IDEA WHY YOU'D LIKE TO SEE, OR WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF.
SO IT'S REALLY JUST TRYING TO CAPTURE THE GESTALT, IS THAT THE RIGHT WORD? THE GIST OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WITH REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY, UM, BECAUSE I THINK WE ARE EXISTING IN A TIME WHERE SOME PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SCREEN TIME AND OTHER PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ARE KIDS PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THE TECHNOLOGICALLY BASED FUTURE, WHICH IS CERTAINLY SEEMS TO BE APPROACHING US AT THIS POINT.
I GIVE YOU, I THINK YOU'VE GIVEN ME A CLEARANCE ON MY CLEARANCE.
WANNA JUST, I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE JUST MAY SAY 10.
LIKE, I WAS DOING A SURVEY FOR MY AUNT THE OTHER DAY FOR THE CABLE GUY.
SHE SAID, JUST GIVE 'EM ALL TENS.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST FOR SOMEONE WHO MAY BE OLDER OR GRANDMA WHO IS DOING THAT SURVEY, THAT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT KNOCKING 'EM AND SAYING THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR CONVERS OUT LIKE A GOOGLE REVIEW ON TECHNOLOGY.
SO, YEAH, I THINK THAT THE THING THAT'S GONNA BE INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS WHEN YOU LIMIT PEOPLE TO THOSE SORTS OF RESPONSES, IT MAKES IT VERY EASY TO SAY, AH, THIS SCORE TO 3.5, OR, YOU KNOW, THE, IT, IT, PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
BUT WITH ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK AI HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DO IS MOVE US OFF OF THESE VERY LIMITED TYPE QUESTIONS BECAUSE
[01:15:01]
WE DON'T NEED TO RELY ON A SCORE OR A METRIC TO GET, TO DEVELOP, TO LOOK AT A TREND OR TO SEE WHERE PEOPLE ARE.IN THEORY, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET, UM, A LOT OF JUST FREE TEXT, UH, RESPONSES.
AND IF WE GET SEVERAL THOUSAND, WE CAN USE THESE AI, UM, MODELS TO DIGEST THAT AND DEVELOP OUR OWN TRENDS THAT WILL NOT BE QUITE SO LIMITED.
SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD QUESTION, AND IT'S SOMETHING I THINK THAT'S REALLY, UH, AN INTERESTING THING TO TRY AND DO RIGHT NOW.
I SAID, BUT RESPECTFULLY, I'M EVEN SCARED OF THE WORD AI A LITTLE BIT.
AI IS DOING SO MUCH IN AMERICA, THAT'S BEGINNING TO GET SCARY.
BUT I, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE, UH, US ASKING THE COMMUNITY THE QUESTIONS AND SEEING WHERE THEY'RE AT WITH THE, UH, SERVICE.
RATHER THAN SAYING THAT YOU ARE SLIGHTLY SCARED, YOU COULD ACTUALLY WRITE DOWN, YOU KNOW, AND WHY, AND, AND THAT WOULD BE MUCH MORE VALUABLE I WOULD THINK, IN TECHNOLOGY.
WE GOT A SECOND, RIGHT? MR. CARR? OR DR. CARR SECONDED? YES.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? NEVER ROOM.
UH, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
ONLINE, UM, PASTOR GORDON, PASTOR GORDON, AYE.
PASTOR GORDON IS AYE MS. GORDON? MS. GORDON IS AYE MS. GORDON IS AYE, UH, MR. SMALL AYE.
ANYTHING FURTHER? THIS THANKS TO MR. SHOHAN AND HIS STAFF, AND OUR NEXT MEETING IS NOVEMBER 10TH.
[Superintendent’s Report]
UH, YOU ARE UP NEXT WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.UH, THIS, THIS EVENING, UH, DR.
STRADDLES AND MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM ARE GOING TO, UH, SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE STATE'S PARENT ENGAGEMENT POLICY.
UM, BELIEVE THEY'VE GONE TO A TRAINING RECENTLY OR FOR INFORMATION, AND SO DR.
NAKIA CAMPBELL IS HERE AS WELL.
THANK YOU DR. RODRIGUEZ AND BOARD MEMBERS THIS EVENING.
SHE IS OUR INSTRUCTIONAL OFFICER FOR OUR DIVISION INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES.
DR. CAMPBELL RECENTLY WITH LANA SIMMONS CON ATTENDED A PARENT ENGAGEMENT CONFERENCE.
UNFORTUNATELY, MS. SIMMONS IS NOT FEELING WELL THIS EVENING, SO WE'RE HAVING DR. CAMPBELL BRINGING FORWARD THE PRESENTATION.
SO WE MAY HAVE A FEW MINUTES OF YOUR TIME.
GOOD EVENING BOARD, I'M HERE TO DISCUSS OUR WORK FOR PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE ALIGNED TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, STATE, AND DISTRICT POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS.
I'D LIKE TO START WITH THIS QUOTE, STRONG FAMILY ENGAGEMENT IS NOT ABOUT COMMUNICATING WITH FAMILIES, BUT BUILDING LASTING RELATIONSHIPS.
WE KNOW THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, TITLE ONE AND TITLE THREE, BOTH EMPHASIZE PARENT INVOLVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT AS A CORE COMPONENT OF EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. FEDERAL DOCUMENTS SURROUNDING THESE TITLES EMBED PARENT ENGAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS.
IN ADDITION TO THE FEDERAL, UM, AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE OPERATE IN WHAT WE CALL THE SOUTH CAROLINA FAMILY ENGAGEMENT K 12 FRAMEWORK, WHICH YOU SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF.
THIS ACTUALLY FRAMES OUR WORK AS A DISTRICT AROUND ENGAGING FAMILIES, WHICH ULTIMATELY ENHANCES STUDENTS' LEARNING OUTCOMES.
SO THE SOUTH CAROLINA FAMILY ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK IS VERY CLEAR ON WHAT IS EXPECTED FOR EACH OF THEIR STAKEHOLDERS.
SO, AS A DISTRICT, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE FOUR, UH, DESIGNATED STAFF TO SERVE AS A PARENT LIAISON FOR THE DISTRICT TO COORDINATE PARENT ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES, PARENT CONTACT OR PARENT LIAISON FOR ALL SCHOOLS DESIGNATED PARENT SPACE IN ALL SCHOOLS.
AND WE ENCOURAGE PRINCIPALS TO ADJUST SCHEDULES TO ACCOMMODATE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES.
AND YOU CAN FIND THAT OUTLINE IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA FRAMEWORK ON PAGES ONE AND TWO.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR OF OUR FIVE YEAR DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND IN OUR DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN, WE HAVE THREE DISTRICT STRATEGIC INITIATIVES THAT ARE ALIGNED TO PARENT ENGAGEMENT.
THESE DISTRICT INITIATIVES ARE AS FOLLOWS.
IN 2.1 OF OUR DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN, IT TALKS ABOUT HOW WE BUILD A DISTRICTWIDE CULTURE OF, UM, PRIDE, A CULTURE, A DISTRICTWIDE CULTURE OF PRIDE, TRUST, AND RESPECT.
[01:20:01]
ALIGNS NEW AND EXISTING COMMUNITY AND PARENT PARTNERSHIPS.AND LAST 2.3 ENSURES THAT STAFF, FAMILY, STUDENTS, AND THE COMMUNITY HAVE TIMELY ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH ARE ALL SUPPORTED BY OUR DISTRICT STRATEGIC PILLARS, STEWARDSHIP, ENGAGEMENT, ACHIEVEMENT, AND SUPPORT.
WHAT WE REALIZE AS A DISTRICT IS THAT MANY OF US HOLD PIECES TO THE PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIP, WHICH IT, WHICH IS IN OUR DISTRICT.
WE ALL HOLD A PIECE OF THAT PUZZLE.
SO IT IS VERY IMPERATIVE FOR US TO COLLABORATE AND COMMUNICATE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON AS A TEAM.
SO WE ARE FOCUSED ON ALIGNMENT OF RESOURCES.
SO OUR DISTRICT TEAM INCLUDES MEMBERS FROM THE INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDENT SERVICES, COMMUNICATION AND FINANCE.
DURING THIS TIME, WE HAVE STRATEGIC CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN EFFECTIVELY INCREASE PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND INCREASE PARENT ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL PARENTS.
UM, DISTRICT PARENT ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY, GOAL POINT, GOAL 2.1, BUILD DISTRICTWIDE CULTURE OF PRIDE AND RESPECT.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF OUR DATA POINTS OR ARTIFACTS THAT SUPPORT THAT DISTRICT.
UM, IN JULY, WE HAD OUR STUDENT SERVICES HOST OUR ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOLBOOK FOR FAMILIES.
STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO CONNECT TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND RECEIVE SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR THE START OF THE SCHOOL.
AND THE SECOND PICTURE IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE CALL PARENT SPACES.
SOME IT MAY BE A PARENT RESOURCE ROOM, PARENT SPACES, A PARENT CORNER AT, AND THIS IS AT ONE OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
THE PARENT SPACES HAS INFORMATION ABOUT OUR FEDERAL GOV, GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS LIKE TITLE ONE, TITLE THREE, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT PARENT INFORMATION, PARENT RESOURCES, EVENT CALENDARS, AND POINT OF CONTEXT FOR OUR PARENTS.
THE NEXT DISTRICT PARENT ENGAGEMENT, STRATEGIC GOAL 2.2.
WE WANT TO ALIGN NEW AND EXISTING COMMUNITY AND PARENT PARTNERSHIPS.
FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION, WE IDENTIFIED SIX EXISTING COMMUNITY AND PARENT PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE ARE STRENGTHENING, ALIGNING AND REALIGNING OUR WORK TO SUPPORT FAMILIES IN OUR DISTRICT.
SOME OF OUR PARTNERS INCLUDE THE UNITED WAY, YMCA, BEAUFORT COMMUNITY PARTNER, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF THE LOW COUNTRY SHELDON TOWNSHIP, AND OUR EXTENDED LEARNING SITES, WHICH WAS FUNDED THROUGH A GRANT THROUGH OUR LOW COUNTRY FOUNDATION.
BUT JUST RECENTLY WE HAD A CHAT AND CHEW DATA REVIEW WITH OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AROUND SCHOOL DATA AND THE SPECIFIC NEEDS AT EACH SCHOOL AND HOW THE PARTNERS CAN ALIGN THEIR RESOURCES TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND FAMILY, THE FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE.
DISTRICT PARENT ENGAGEMENT, STRATEGIC GOAL 2.3, ENSURE THAT OUR STAFF, FAMILIES, STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY HAVE TIMELY ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STAFF.
WE PROVIDE ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TIMELY ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION IN THE PICTURE TO THE LEFT OF OUR PARENT LIAISONS, BILINGUAL LIAISONS, AND OUR PARENT EDUCATORS.
WHERE THE INFORMATION IS BROUGHT BACK TO SCHOOL COMMUNITIES, UM, THAT SHARE WITH OUR FAMILIES.
ONE EXAMPLE THAT WE GIVE TIMELY ACCESS TO INFORMATION TO OUR FAMILIES IS OUR GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDKIDS GROUP CONNECTION THROUGH THE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, UM, DEPARTMENT.
JUST RECENTLY, OUR PARENT EDUCATORS MET WITH OUR PARENT GRANDPARENTS IN THE PARK AT PORT ROYAL, UM, A PARK IN PORT ROYAL TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION PERTAINING TO BEING A GRANDPARENT RAISING THEIR GRANDKIDS FOR ONE TARGETED GROUP OF STUDENTS.
WE HOSTED A LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AND PROVIDED INFORMATION TO STUDENTS ABOUT GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, STUDY HABITS, TEST TAKING STRATEGIES, UH, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, CAREER PATHWAYS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY, WE HOST TWICE A YEAR, FALL AND SPRING, AN ECUMENICAL LUNCHEON FOR OUR FAITH LEADERS AND LEADERS OF OUR NONPROFIT AGENCIES TO SHARE INFORMATION PERTAINING TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT,
[01:25:01]
GIVING OUR LEADERS TIMELY ACCESS TO INFORMATION.THIS YEAR'S FALL, ECUMENICAL LUNCHEON WILL BE HELD THIS THURSDAY AT 11 O'CLOCK AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
AND AS I STATED IN THE PRESENTATION EARLIER, WE ARE IN YEAR TWO OF THE FIVE YEAR DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON NOW AND WHAT WE PLAN TO ACCOMPLISH BY THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
SEND OUT A PARENT ENGAGEMENT SURVEY AND COLLECT INFORMATION FROM OUR PARENTS ABOUT HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO ENGAGE FAMILIES AND INCREASE PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN AT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
DEVELOP A DISTRICT-WIDE PARENT ENGAGEMENT EVENT CALENDAR FOR FAMILIES.
ESTABLISH FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS SLASH SPACES FOR FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
THIS WILL BE A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES CAN GO TO GET INFORMATION AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT LEARNING AT HOME AND INCREASE OUR ACADEMIC TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION WITH FAMILIES.
HELP TO BUILD TRUST AND STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR PARENTS.
THAT WILL IN TURN INCREASE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CONTINUE TO BUILD CAPACITY AROUND PARENT ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR SCHOOL LEADERS.
WE KNOW THAT TRAINING HELPS LEADERS STRENGTHEN THEIR VISION FOR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH WILL TRANSLATE POSITIVELY INTO DAILY PRACTICES.
AND IN CLOSING, ONE OF OUR PARTNERS, THE UNITED WAY OF THE LOW COUNTRY, REPORTED TO US RECENTLY THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY, UM, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OUR FAMILIES, THOSE EARNING ABOVE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE, YET STILL STRUGGLING WITH BASIC EXPENSES, ARE NAVIGATING DAILY CHALLENGES THAT IMPACT THEIR CHILD'S SUCCESS IN SCHOOL.
39% OF THESE FAMILIES ARE FACING FINANCIAL STRAIN.
THIS IS AN ADDITION TO THE FAMILIES THAT ARE ALREADY LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IS NOT A LUXURY, IT'S A STRATEGIC LIFELINE.
WE KNOW BASED ON RESEARCH THAT WHEN PARENTS ARE ENGAGED, STUDENTS SHOW UP, READY TO LEARN, ATTENDANCE IMPROVES BEHAVIOR, STABILIZES AND ACHIEVEMENT RISES.
WHEN WE STRENGTH STRENGTHEN THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, WE ENSURE THAT EVERY CHILD HAS ACCESS TO SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
IF WE INVEST IN OUR PARENTS, WE INVEST IN OUR CHILDREN, OUR SCHOOLS, AND OUR COMMUNITY, TOGETHER WE CAN TURN 39% CHALLENGE INTO A 39% FOUNDATION FOR STRONGER FAMILIES, STRONGER SCHOOLS, AND STRONGER COMMUNITY.
REMEMBER, WHEN WE BRIDGE TODAY, WE EMPOWER TOMORROW.
AND THANK YOU FOR CLEARING UP WHAT 39% WAS.
'CAUSE THAT WAS DRIVING ME CRAZY AND I WAS WAY OFF.
UM, AND I'M GONNA PULL MY PUNCH ON THIS A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I KNOW THE PERSON THAT WAS GIVING THE PRESENTATION IS NOT HERE.
BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AS OPPOSED TO A POWERPOINT WITH CRYPTIC MESSAGES AND IMAGES ON IT, BECAUSE I COULDN'T REALLY PREPARE.
I THINK THIS IS AN IN A VERY INTERESTING TOPIC.
UM, IN GENERAL, YOU, WHEN YOU WERE GIVEN THE PRESENTATION, YOU STARTED TO SAY, WE HAVE, THIS REPRESENTS SEVERAL DATA.
AND THEN YOU STOPPED AND SAID ARTIFACTS 'CAUSE IT WAS PICTURES, RIGHT? BUT WE DO HAVE SOME DATA ON PARENT ENGAGEMENT.
I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
POWERSCHOOL REGISTRATION IS A GOOD PROXY FOR PARENT ENGAGEMENT.
SIC PARTICIPATION IS A GOOD PROXY FOR PARENT ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND WE NEED ATTENDANCE AT BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS.
WHEN I STARTED MY KIDS AT HILTON HEAD HIGH, IT WAS COMPETITIVE LAST YEAR, IT WAS EMPTY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT I I, AND I DON'T BLAME THE SCHOOLS AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
I THINK IT IS THOUGH A METRIC THAT WE CAN USE AND WE CAN EVALUATE A PRINCIPAL ON.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE TEACHERS SLOTS BOOKED FOR BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT, YOU GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHY.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ANYONE'S FAULT.
IT COULD JUST BE THAT THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, WORLD SERIES BASEBALL GAME ON, YOU KNOW, OR A TRAFFIC JAM.
BUT I THINK THAT THE, THERE ARE DATA POINTS WE CAN LOOK AT THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY EVALUATE THIS ON.
SO MY ONE THING IS, IS JUST I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME SORT OF INFORMATIONAL WITH A LITTLE BIT OF DATA ON IT JUST TO KIND OF GIVE ME A, A PORTRAIT.
I DID THINK THOUGH, THAT WAS A FUN PUZZLE WITH THE 39.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE OTHER THING WITH THIS IS WHEN I READ THAT LEGISLATION, I THINK THE PIECE THAT'S MISSING ON THIS THAT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT, IT'S, IT'S A BIDIRECTIONAL RELATIONSHIP.
WHAT IS REALLY EXPRESSLY TALKED ABOUT AND I THINK IS VERY ACUTELY FELT WITH STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IS A NEED TO REBUILD TRUST WITH THE SCHOOLS.
AND THAT IS NATIONWIDE AT ALL LEVELS.
UM, AND, BUT ONE THING THEY DO
[01:30:01]
IS THEY SAY, OKAY, HERE'S WHAT THE STATE'S GONNA DO.HERE'S WHAT THE LOCAL DISTRICT'S GONNA DO.
BUT THERE IS A BIG SECTION ON THERE THAT SAYS, HEY PARENTS MM-HMM
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
THE STATE IS NOT ASKING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ENGAGE THE PARENTS WITHOUT SAYING TO THE PARENTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S A MESSAGE THAT NEEDS TO GET OUT.
HOWEVER, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN ACCOMMODATE, UH, THESE SORTS OF THINGS.
YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT EVENTS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
HOWEVER, WE CAN ENCOURAGE READING TO KIDS AT NIGHT, COMING TO BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT, SIGNING UP FOR A POWER PORTAL, ALL THESE SORTS OF THINGS.
PARENTS HAVE TO TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT TOO.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT GETS BROUGHT UP.
AND THEN I HAVE ONE, UM, FINAL THING.
YOU TALK ABOUT THE ECUMENICAL LUNCHEON.
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ARTIFACTS WAS A PICTURE OF THE INVITATION TO THE ECUMENICAL LUNCHEON.
UM, I DID A LITTLE ASSESSMENT.
IT'S ABOUT 80% NORTH OF BROAD, WHICH MAKES SENSE TO ME.
AND I'M NOT BLAMING THE DISTRICT.
THE DISTRICT SENT OUT A VERY NICE INVITATION.
HERE'S ONE OF THE ISSUES I HAVE WITH ENGAGEMENT IN THIS DISTRICT.
IF I'M A REVEREND OF A CHURCH OR A PASTOR NORTH, UH, SOUTH OF BROAD, LIKE LET'S SAY HILTON HEAD, IT IS AN HOUR AND A HALF.
SO I'VE GOT A PLAN TO LEAVE AROUND NINE 30.
I'M GONNA HIT A LITTLE BIT OF TRAFFIC ON TWO 70.
I'M GONNA HIT A LITTLE BIT OF TRAFFIC ON ONE 70 TO GET HERE BY 11, MAYBE AN HOUR AND A HALF, TWO HOURS FOR THE LUNCHEON, THEN IT'S AN HOUR AND A HALF HOME, RIGHT? SO THAT IS NINE 30 TO WHAT, TWO 30 IN THE AFTERNOON? NO ONE CAN DO THAT.
SO AGAIN, I THINK WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
I'VE BROUGHT THIS UP MULTIPLE TIMES.
THE DISTRICT OFFICE BEING LOCATED SO FAR FROM MANY PEOPLE IS DISENFRANCHISING OTHER GROUPS.
AND SO IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN ECUMENICAL LUNCHEON, PICK A MORE MEDIUM, UH, POINT FOR IT OR HAVE TWO HAVE ONE ON THE NORTH END, HAVE ONE ON THE SOUTH END BECAUSE, AND THIS GOES FOR PARENTS, I MIGHT BE WILLING TO COME TO AN EVENT OR A, A ART SHOWCASE, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO DO THREE HOURS OF DRIVING TO GET HERE BECAUSE YOU JUST DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH TIME IN THE DAY.
SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO LOOK AT AT, AND I SAW THAT IN THAT POWERPOINT THAT WAS ALL NORTH ABROAD TYPE PICTURES.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO BRING SOME OF THAT OUTREACH PHYSICALLY OVER HERE BECAUSE IT'S JUST, AND THE TRAFFIC'S NOT GETTING BETTER.
IT IS VERY UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT PE PARENTS TO, UM, WHAT WAS THE BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT THAT OUR BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S ALWAYS AT BATTERY CREEK, IF YOU ARE ONE OF MY, UM, CONSTITUENTS AND A LOT OF MY CONSTITUENTS WORK SATURDAYS BECAUSE THAT'S THE VILLA FLIP DAY.
AND A LOT OF THEM DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION.
AND I KNOW THIS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T MAKE THEIR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT, LET ALONE DRIVE AN HOUR OUT TO BATTERY CREEK.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING I REALLY WANT TO PUT ON THE DISTRICT'S RADAR.
I'M SORRY, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE, FIRST OF ALL, LEMME START OFF AND SAY I THINK YOU ARE REALLY DRIVING IN A CRITICAL BRIDGE THAT NEEDS TO BE ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
UH, PARENTS KNOW TOO LITTLE ABOUT HOW THEY CAN REALLY IMPACT THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF THEIR SCHOOL, OF THEIR STUDENTS.
I WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A ZOOM SESSION PUT ON BY THE NATIONAL RURAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.
UH, IT REALLY SHOWED ALL THE RURAL DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTRY AND IT FOR, HAD HAD FOUR LEVELS THAT MS. BOATWRIGHT SPEAKS ABOUT DATA THAT SAID, WHAT ARE THE SIMILARITIES AMONG THOSE DISTRICTS AND HOW DO THEY COMPARE TO THE MAJORITY DISTRICTS, WHETHER IT'S ETHNICITY, RACE, OR GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION.
THE THING THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL TO ME IS THAT THEY STRESS REALLY, AS MS. BOATWRIGHT IS ALLUDING TO, INSTEAD OF HAVING ONE CENTRALLY LOCATED, YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER HAVING OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS BY BOARD DISTRICT.
AND SO THAT ALLOWS THE BOARD MEMBERS TO BE A SUPPORT MECHANISM IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING, COMMUNICATION AND ALSO LEVERAGING THEIR NETWORK SO THAT YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY BRIDGING OVER TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY MAKING AN EFFORT.
AND WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS, I THINK WITH ALL OF THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WOULD BE PRETTY EASY FOR YOU TO LEVERAGE EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE, UH, HAVE MENTIONED ABOUT THE UNITED WAY PULLING TOGETHER 25 AGENCIES THAT ARE LOOKING AT CRADLE TO CAREER.
AND THEY GAVE A CALL AND YOU KNOW, BOARD MEMBER WAS ABLE TO ADD EIGHT ADDITIONAL HIGH PROFILE, HIGH IMPACT PEOPLE JUST FROM THEIR PERSONAL NETWORK.
SO I THINK IT, YOU, YOU'RE ONTO SOMETHING, I THINK IT'S NECESSARY.
I WOULD AGREE THAT, UH, LEVERAGING AND YOU CAN FO THE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE IN THE COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE, ON A, ON A PRIVATE EFFORT, WE, FOR YOU, HOW MANY
[01:35:01]
BUSINESSES WERE ON HILTON HEAD, THE 10,000 REGISTERED BUSINESSES ON HI HILTON HEAD.AND SO IF YOU WANTED TO REACH OUT AND IDENTIFY WHICH ONES SORT OF SOUND LIKE THEY WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD ENTER, BE INTERESTED IN THIS, I THINK THAT'S A HUGE HEADSTART.
I DEFINITELY APPRECIATED, UH, WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP, JUST GIVE US A CALL.
OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YES, SIR.
ALRIGHT, LET'S SEE WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED AT.
UH, THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WAS, THAT WAS, UH, STATED FROM, UH, MY COLLEAGUES FIRST, ACTUALLY, FIRST OFF, LEMME SAY TO DR. CAMPBELL AND HER STAFF AND DR.
SRAS AND HER STAFF AND DR. RODRIGUEZ AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO US.
THIS IS INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE A LOT OF TIMES DON'T UNDERSTAND.
THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE EARLIER WE TALKED ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS AND ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS AND WE, AND FROM TIME TO TIME AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS, WE TALK ABOUT BEING COMPETITIVE, BEING COMPETITIVE WITH SOME OF THESE PRIVATE SCHOOLS, TAKING OUR STUDENTS, YOU HAVE TO REACH AND MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.
AND THAT COMES FROM RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH PEOPLE IN GENERAL.
SO THIS WORK IS WHAT SPEAKS TO THAT IN TERMS OF THE PILLARS THAT YOU BOUGHT AND IN TERMS OF THE TALKING POINTS THAT, THAT YOU THAT YOU BOUGHT.
I'M NOT, UH, HOW YOU, THIS PRESENTATION IS SOMETIMES HOW I DO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL, THAT I KNOW I'M, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED.
I MAY NOT GIVE YOU EVERYTHING ON THE, ON THE PAPER THAT YOU MAY WANT, BUT I'M, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT YOU NEED.
UM, WHEN YOU GAVE US 2.1 AND 2.2 AND 2.3, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT SOME OF, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE GRUS AS IN TO GO TO THOSE DIFFERENT, THOSE DIFFERENT PLACES AND FIND THAT INFORMATION IN GETTING WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY, UH, WOULD WANT OR THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO ASK.
SO I, I JUST THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS CLEAR, BUT MAYBE I, I'VE MISSED, MISSED SOMETHING.
UM, AND THEN I WILL SAY IN TERMS OF, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING MORE ABOUT HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THESE DAYS.
MAYBE THE QUESTION BECOMES, DO WE NEED, DO WE NEED MORE SOCIAL WORKERS IN OUR SCHOOLS? BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AND WE AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR DURING THE BUDGET TIME.
SO MY, MY QUESTION IS, IS IT A NEED FOR MORE SOCIAL WORKERS? MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT BECAUSE SOCIAL WORKERS PLAY A BIG PART IN GETTING KIDS TO SCHOOL.
SO IS THERE A NEED FOR MORE SOCIAL WORKERS? CAN SOMEONE SPEAK TO THAT? I'M GONNA ACTUALLY STEP OVER AND ASK DR. COX, WHO'S OUR CHIEF OF STUDENT SERVICES BECAUSE OUR SOCIAL WORKERS DON'T FALL OUTSIDE OF OUR REALM OF INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES.
BUT I DO WANNA SHARE THAT OUR WORK IN TANGENT WITH STUDENT SERVICES IS BRINGING FORWARD THE WORK OF OUR SOCIAL WORKERS.
CASE IN POINT, MS. ANDREA MURRAY'S WORKING WITH US ON TWO GRANTS THAT IS GOING THROUGH OUR STUDENT SERVICES DIVISION.
BUT I DON'T WANNA SPEAK OUTSIDE OF MY LANE IN REGARD TO NEED, BUT I WILL SAY THIS BEFORE DR. COX COMES FORWARD, WE WILL ALWAYS TAKE MORE.
AND IF I MAY, DR AND JUST, UM, MR. DALLAS, JUST ADD WITH THE UNITED WAY, THEY ALSO HIRED AN OUTSIDE GROUP CALLED 1000 FEATHERS, WHO'S CONDUCTED A PHENOMENAL RESEARCH JOB.
'CAUSE I'M SITTING WITHIN THAT GROUP.
YOU EVER GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM AS WELL, SIR? THANK YOU MA'AM.
UM, SO THE SHORT ANSWER WOULD BE NO, NOT IN MY OPINION.
UM, AND THAT IS BECAUSE WE ARE ENGAGING NOT JUST AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, BUT WE'RE ALREADY ENGAGING OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL LEVEL ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS.
ONE OF WHICH IS AN EPIDEMIC NOT JUST IN BEAUFORT, NOT JUST IN SOUTH CAROLINA, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW IN SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, ESPECIALLY AT YOUNGER AGES.
AND SO WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE STATE.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO.
WE JUST HAD A TRAINING WITH ALL OF OUR STAFF, WITH THE STATE AGENCIES AROUND SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE, IT'S JUST WE HAVE TO CONTINUE AND STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TO REACH THE FAMILIES TO GET TO INCREASE THIS ENGAGEMENT, TO INCLUDE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AS BEING A PRIMARY FACTOR THAT, PARTICULARLY IN THEIR EARLY AGE GROUPS.
SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE HOW DO YOU SUPPOSE THAT WE DO THAT? SO IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
SO EACH SCHOOL HAS THEIR OWN SYSTEMATIC WAY OF GOING ABOUT THAT.
US AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE ARE ENGAGING IN TRAINING WITH THE SOCIAL WORKERS TO LOOK AT WHERE ARE THEY, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, INCLUDING, SO WE HAVE OUTSIDE AGENCIES THAT WE WORK WITH.
AND EACH SITE IS DIFFERENT AND EACH FAMILY IS DIFFERENT.
AND SO YOU WILL OFTEN HEAR THE TERM IN
[01:40:01]
THE STUDENT SERVICES WORLD, TALK ABOUT WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR FAMILIES.SO EACH FAMILY MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT NEED AND A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE WORKING ON SOME CAMPAIGNS INTERNALLY WITHIN THE DISTRICT OFFICE, NOT JUST WITHIN STUDENT SERVICES TO PROMOTE TO THE DISTRICT OFFICE, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE SOME ATTENDANCE CAMPAIGNS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TO IMPROVE STUDENT ATTENDANCE.
'CAUSE THERE'S A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENT ATTENDANCE AND STUDENT OUTCOMES.
AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE JUST HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF EDUCATING FAMILIES ON AT AN EARLY AGE.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT, AND TO BE QUITE HONEST, IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THE LAWS AREN'T NECESSARILY ON OUR SIDE WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, CHILDHOOD ATTENDANCE AT AN EARLY AGE.
UM, REALLY THE TEETH HIT STUDENTS WHEN THEY HIT HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THE SEAT TIME HOURS COME IN.
SO IT IS REALLY JUST A CONTINUED PAIRED EDUCATION PART OF IT, INCLUDING THE COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE LAW.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME EXPLAINING TO PARENTS THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CREATED.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS DONE AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, SO WE JUST HAVE TO NOT JUST, WE HAVE TO EXAMINE WHAT WE'VE DONE AND LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE GOT.
WE HAVE, WE'RE PLANNING MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THAT HAS BEEN A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION SINCE I TOOK THIS POSITION, UM, TO ADDRESS AS A SYSTEM.
I, I THINK MR. SMITH, ANOTHER, ANOTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT IS, AS DR. COX, UH, COMPLETES, HE, HE JUST REMEMBER HE DIDN'T START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR IN THAT ROLE, BUT AS HE, UH, WORKS THROUGH COMPLETION OF A A 90 DAY REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF, OF THE DEPARTMENTS WITHIN, UH, HIS DIVISION, UH, YOU KNOW, HE MAY, HE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT THOUGHTS OF THAT AT THE END.
THAT'S HOW HE SEES HOW, HOW THINGS COME TOGETHER, RIGHT.
BUT, SO I JUST WANNA LEAVE THAT POSSIBILITY OPEN IN CASE IN CASE HIS FINAL ASSESSMENT, UH, MAY, MAY SHIFT WHEN, WHEN WE COMPLETE THE, UH, HIS 90 DAY, UH, REVIEW OF HIS DIVISION.
BECAUSE THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION.
SO ARE YOU, I'M GONNA ASK YOU, SO ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE SOCIAL WORKERS IN THIS DISTRICT? NO, HE, WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS WHEN HE COMPLETES HIS 90 DAY REVIEW OF HIS DIVISION, RIGHT? RIGHT.
THAT, THAT HE WILL, HE WILL LET ME KNOW WHAT ADDITIONAL NEEDS, UH, HE IDENTIFIES THROUGH IT.
RIGHT? SO AS HE'S MOVING THROUGH IT SYSTEMATICALLY.
UH, YOU KNOW, HE'LL, HE'LL, HE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A, A I THINK A, A GREATER ASSESSMENT AT THE END OF, UH, OF, OF, OF THE 90 DAY WHEN HE'S ABLE TO LOOK AT THE FULL PICTURE FOR, FOR HIS, UH, UH, HIS DIVISION.
AND I THINK YOU, I, I APPRECIATE THAT JUST BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT I'VE HEARD OF A LOT OF, WE'VE BEEN, WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO HOLD OUR PARENTS AND STUDENTS IN ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE THEY'RE MISSING SCHOOLS AND SOCIAL, THAT'S A SOCIAL WORKER'S JOB.
AND I DO UNDERSTAND, AND SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN ON THE GROUND, WHO'S BEEN IN THE BATTLEFIELD, I DO UNDERSTAND SOME OF, SOME OF THOSE FUNCTIONS, OF SOME FUNCTIONALITIES OF SOME OF THOSE JOBS.
WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY I BOUGHT THAT.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I, I HEARD FROM HIS COMMENTS IS, IS THAT AS THEY LOOK AT, UH, DIFFERENT SCHOOLS NEEDS ARE DIFFERENT AND THERE'S A UNIQUENESS TO DIFFERENT NEEDS AT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THAT EVERY SCHOOL NEEDS TWO SOCIAL WORKERS.
BUT, BUT THERE MAY BE A NEED IN SOME PLACES.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S, THAT'S PART OF THAT REVIEW THAT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
UH, NOT FOR HIM, BUT I DO HAVE SOME MORE COMMENTS.
UM, THEN, UH, IT WAS ALSO, I KNOW IN THE, IN THE PAST, UM, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE BOARD, I TOO HAD ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT, UH, MRS. BOATWRIGHT HAD IN TERMS OF, UM, THAT SOME PEOPLE THAT WERE MISSING.
AND SO I WILL, WHAT I WILL SAY TO HER IS THAT I REMEMBER, MATTER OF FACT, YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT IT TOO, COLONEL, WHEN YOU SAID THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW ABOUT SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO, WHO WASN'T AT THE INSTRUMENTAL PARTNER, WHO MIGHT NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT AND RESPECT RESPECTFULLY.
I THINK THAT ONCE WE, ONCE WE HAVE LET DR. CAMPBELL KNOW, THEN SHE SENT OUT INVITATIONS TO THOSE PEOPLE AND AT THE NEXT ONE THEY WERE, THOSE PEOPLE WERE THERE.
SO I, I JUST WANNA KEEP, KEEP MY COLLEAGUES ABREAST WITH THAT.
IF YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T NEED, I MEAN SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO BE AT THE PARTNERS LUNCHEON, THEN LET DR. CAMPBELL, HER STAFF KNOW THAT DR.
SRAS KNOW, LET DR. RODRIGUEZ KNOW AND SAY, DR. RODRIGUEZ SAID, I GOT SOMEBODY ELSE FROM, FROM LOVE GOD WAY WHO NEED TO BE THERE.
I GOT SOMEBODY FROM TMI TEAM WHO, WHO WHO NEEDS TO BE THERE.
WE HAVE THAT, WE HAVE THAT RIGHT TO, TO DO THAT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, I JUST WANTED TO, WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
AND THEN ALSO IT WAS TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE PLACE THAT IS AT, WE HAVE THE TEACHERS, WE HAVE THE TEACHERS OF THE YEAR FUNCTION AT A AT A PLACE THAT ALSO LOOKS OUT FOR US.
SO LET, SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE, IS THERE A BUDGET ON THIS? BECAUSE SEE, SEE WHAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND TOO, THAT, WELL, THESE THINGS ARE BUDGETED FOR THROUGHOUT THE, THE YEAR.
[01:45:01]
YOU BRING THE IDEA, THEY'LL PROBABLY TRY TO BRING SOME MONEY.SO IS THERE, IS THERE A CERTAIN BUDGET, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAVE IT AT, AT THE DISTRICT, BECAUSE I KNOW WE DO A LOT OF THINGS IN TERMS OF A LOT OF PEOPLE CURVE PRICES.
SO IS IS THERE A BUDGET FOR THIS? MR. SMITH? I, I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT FORWARD.
'CAUSE I HAD A FEELING YOU WERE GONNA DRIVE THAT WAY.
AND I WOULD BE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MONEY RIGHT NOW, AND I WOULD BE REMISS TO SAY YOU OFFERED TO STUDENT SERVICES, BUT NOT TO ISD
BUT THEY, THEY, THERE, THERE YOU HAVE IT.
BUT, BUT TRUTHFULLY, AND I, AND I MEAN THIS, MEL BEING WITHIN OUR DIVISION AND, AND, AND WITH STUDENT SERVICES AND LEADERSHIP AS WELL, WHEN THIS SOMETHING COMES FORWARD WITH REGARD TO A NEED AND WE SEE THAT THERE IS A NEED AND THAT WE KNOW THAT THERE'LL BE AN IMPACT, WE DO PLACE MONEY THERE, WE REALLOCATE.
AND IT MAY MEAN THAT I HAVE TO TAKE SOMETHING FROM ANOTHER AREA, BUT WE REALLOCATE BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS DISTRICT HAS ONLY SO MANY COINS THAT THEY CAN DISTRIBUTE.
SO IT'S UP TO US AND THE LEADERSHIP WITHIN OUR RESPECTIVE DIVISIONS TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE OFFICE.
SHOULD YOU CONSIDER ANY MORE COINS FOR ISD? RIGHT.
CLOSING, MY LAST THING IS, LOOK HERE, IF I LIVE FOUR HOURS AWAY, IF I LIVE FIVE HOURS AWAY, IF YOU'RE HAVING A MEETING THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT AS A BOARD MEMBER FOR THESE KIDS, I'LL DRIVE TO AFRICA ACROSS THE CONTINENT TO GET THERE.
IF IT MEANS SOMETHING TO YOU AS A LEADER, THEN YOU'LL GET THERE.
I'LL DRIVE TO AFRICA ACROSS THE CONTINENT TO GET THERE.
UH, NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS BOARD BUSINESS ACTION.
WE HAVE NO BOARD BUSINESS ACTION AT THIS TIME.
[Consent Agenda]
AGENDA ITEM, THE THIRD QUARTER FOIA REPORT.IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA? ACTION MOVE.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR IN THE ROOM, PLEASE, UH, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
AND ONLINE OR PASTOR GORDON? PASTOR GORDON.
[Future Agenda Topics]
AGENDA TOPICS.DO WE HAVE FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS? UH, WHEN I WAS JUST SAY AGENDA SETTING MEETINGS.
SORRY, AGENDA SETTING MEETINGS.
WELL, WE DIDN'T FIND THAT THE AGENDA SETTING MEETING WAS, WAS A VERY GOOD, UH, USE OF TIME FOR THE NUMBER OF, UH, COMMENTS THAT WE HAD.
THAT THE FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS.
THAT'S WHAT SETS THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
AND SO WE VERY SELDOM HAD ANYTHING COME UP AT THE AGENDA SETTING MEETING THAT WASN'T JUST ALREADY MENTIONED IN THE FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS.
SO THIS MADE IT, UH, WE HAD A MEETING, WE HAD VERY LITTLE PARTICIPATION AND AS CHAIRMAN, WE ENFORCE THAT THE MEETINGS LASTED MAYBE 10, 15 MINUTES AND THEN WE'RE DONE.
AND IF YOU HAVE AN AGENDA TOPIC, MR. DAVE, UH, DR. CARR CALLED ME AND SAID, I'D LIKE TO HAVE THIS AGENDA TOPIC ADDED.
AND SO A BOARD MEMBER CAN CALL, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST 48 HOURS BEFORE THE MEETING AND SAY, I, I WANNA HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THIS.
THE ONLY THING THAT YOU CAN'T DO IS HAVE AN AGENDA TOPIC THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT DOESN'T HAVE TIME TO GET THE STAFF TO COME UP WITH AN ANSWER.
BUT FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT, LIKE WE'VE TALKED WITH DR.
CARR'S ISSUE, UH, WE CAN DO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, 36 HOURS BEFORE THE MEETING STARTS SO WE COULD PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO I, I, I JUST DIDN'T, AFTER DOING IT FOR, UH, SIX MONTHS, I JUST DIDN'T SEE ANY VALUE AND HAVING A FORMAL MEETING.
AND I'M WILLING, IF YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, START IT UP AGAIN, UH, LET THE FULL BOARD VOTE AND UH, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
WELL, RESPECTFULLY, MR. CHAIRMAN, I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN DISCUSS THAT TODAY BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, BUT I, I'M, I'M NOT PREPARED TO DISCU TO DISCUSS THAT TODAY.
SO I JUST, THAT'S WHY I WANTED, AS A FUTURE TOPIC, I THINK THAT'D BE MORE APPROPRIATE, UH, TO HAVE AS A, AS A FUTURE TOPIC TO, TO, TO DISCUSS IT.
[01:50:01]
HAVE, YOU HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA TOPIC FOR TONIGHT? Y YEAH.MY FUTURE AGENDA TOPIC WAS, UH, MY FUTURE AGENDA TOPIC IS, UM, IS, UM,
TOPIC IS THE ME IS THE AGENDA SETTING MEETING.
I WANNA, I WANNA PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA.
JUST BECAUSE I'M, I'M JUST NOT PREPARED TONIGHT TO DISCUSS IT.
WE WE'LL, WE'LL I APPRECIATE YOU DOING YEAH, WE'LL PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
YEAH, I JUST, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT AT THE WORK SESSION, WHICH IS COMING UP IN NOVEMBER, DOING SOMETHING ON COHERENT GOVERNANCE AND KIND OF REEVALUATING THAT, LOOKING AT THAT, UH, THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE, I BELIEVE IS A, IS A FUTURE AGENDA TOPIC FOR THE NEXT, UH, WORK SESSION.
ISN'T THAT RIGHT? YEAH, IT IS.
CAN I SPEAK TO THAT AS WELL? WE JUST ATTENDED A, UH, CONFERENCE ON COHERENT GOVERNANCE AND SO THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DISCUSS.
[Announcements]
I HAVE ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS, DR. RODRIGUEZ? ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? I, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT AND I THINK YOU ALL GOT A NOTIFICATION, UH, A TO VISIT THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND, UH, I, YOU HAVE TO INDIVIDUALLY ACCEPT IT.I'M GOING ON THURSDAY FOR THAT.
I'M UNFORTUNATELY GONNA MISS THE, UH, ECUMENICAL BECAUSE I, I DIDN'T FIND OUT ABOUT THE ECUMENICAL I BEFORE I SIGNED UP FOR THAT PARTICULAR DATE.
'CAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER DATE IN NOVEMBER AND SO, UM, I'M COMMITTED ALREADY.
I GOTTA GO TO THAT ON THURSDAY.
UH, BUT THAT'S A, IF YOU CAN GET AWAY TO DO THAT, THAT'D BE UH, MIGHT BE VALUABLE TO LEARN SOMETHING THERE.
I DEFINITELY YOU GONNA GO IN NOVEMBER? YEAH.
[Second Public Comments ]
SECOND, PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE NEXT.THE FIRST ONE THAT PUT ONE IN IS, UH, MR. MILLER.
AND YOUR TOPIC IS FOUR A STATE BAN CONTEST RESULTS.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY THIS PAST SATURDAY TO ATTEND THE FOR A BAND CONTEST STATE.
UH, IT TURNS OUT THIS IS THE END OF THE SEASON FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
THERE ARE, UH, SIX A CONTEST STILL BEING NEXT WEEK, ET CETERA, BUT IT'S THE END OF THE SEASON FOR US.
UH, MAY RIVER THERE, THERE'S THREE, FOUR.
UH, WHEN THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF BANDS IS DIFFERENT THAN ATH ATHLETICS, THERE'S SIX DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OR CLASSIFICATIONS FOR BAND.
UM, THREE BAND OR THREE SCHOOLS FROM THE DISTRICT ARE FOR A, UM, THERE'S 28 SCHOOLS IN FOUR A, THE CONTEST ASSISTED OF 20 BANDS.
UM, SO ANOTHER TWO OR HIGH STEP.
SO THEY DIDN'T QUALIFY TO GO THERE, BUT THEY QUALIFIED TO GO TO THE HIGH STEP.
SO BASICALLY OUT OF THE 28 SCHOOLS, 24 OR 22 PARTICIPATE IN, IN A STATE CONTEST.
ALL, ALL SCHOOLS ARE ELIGIBLE.
MAY RIVER IS THE ONLY ONE OF OUR SIX SCHOOLS THAT PARTICIPATED ANYTHING.
THEY, LAST YEAR THEY RANKED TIED FOR 19TH AND 20TH OUT OF 22.
THIS YEAR THEY PROGRESSED TO 15 OUT OF 20, WHICH IS SUBSTANTIAL.
YOU MIGHT THINK OF YOURSELF, WHAT QUALIFIES TO MAKE A GOOD SCORE? OH, I'M GONNA RUN IT OUT OF TIME FAST
BUT YOU MIGHT THINK, IS IT MARCHING? IS IT HOW YOUR MUSIC, IT'S NONE OF THAT.
THE BEST THING THAT DO OR THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS HOW YOUR SCHOOL, UH, YOUR PROGRAM SHOWS, UH, MAKES
[01:55:01]
A A, UM, HOW DO I WANT TO SAY IT? UH, IT TELLS A STORY AND UH, MAY RIVER'S STORY WAS PANDORA'S BOX.UH, THEY DIDN'T TELL THE STORY THE BEST, BUT THEIR MUSIC WAS GREAT.
NEXT, UH, SPEAKER IS, UH, MR. ANTHONY KAREA AND HIS TOPIC IS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
IT'S TIME FOR SOME PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF OUR SECONDARY MATH CURRICULUM, SPECIFICALLY ALGEBRA.
ALGEBRA IS REFERRED TO AS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT GATEWAY COURSE THAT TEACHES AND DEVELOPS CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS.
EACH OF YOU WILL PROVIDE A SUPPORTING EVIDENCE VALIDATING THE ANEMIC PERFORMANCE IN THE ALGEBRA AND OF COURSE EXAMS BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.
EFFECTIVE SCHOOL BOARDS SHOULD NEVER FOR FORGET THE TOP PRIORITY, WHICH IS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
BEAUFORT COUNTY WAS UP PERFORMED BY THE STATE AND THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO SCORED IN DO NOT MEET STANDARD AS WELL AS THE MEET OR EXCEED STANDARDS BY A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENTIAL.
THE STATE OUTPERFORMED BEAUFORT COUNTY IN FOUR OUT OF THE FIVE GRADING CATEGORIES.
BEAUFORT COUNTY ONE COMPARED WITH SIMILAR DISTRICTS, WAS PERFORMED AT SIX OUTTA SEVEN WHEN COMPARED WITH SIMILAR DISTRICTS.
ENROLLMENT, DEMOGRAPHICS, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, ET CETERA.
LET'S ANALYZE THE PERFORMANCE BY ONE SUBGROUP.
ONE SUBGROUP HAD A 10% LOWER PERFORMANCE RATE THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THE MEET OR EXCEEDS EXPECTATION.
CONVERSELY, THEY HAD A 10% LOWER RATE THAN THOSE WOULD NOT MEET AND EXCEEDS.
LET'S JUST SAY THAT THIS SUBGROUP CONSISTED OF JUST OUR FEMALE STUDENTS.
ONLY OUR FEMALES SCORED THIS LOW.
DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION? THE DATA WOULD SHOW THAT OUR FEMALE STUDENTS ARE 10% MORE LIKELY TO SCORE A D OR AN F THAN THEIR STATE COUNTERPARTS.
OUR FEMALE STUDENTS ARE HALF AS LIKELY TO SCORE GRADE OF AN A THAN THEIR STATE COUNTERPARTS.
WOULD THIS BE ACCEPTABLE OR WOULD THE PROVERBIAL S HIT THE FAN? SIMPLY PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY WITHOUT THE COMMITMENT TO TEACH SKILLS OR ONLY YIELDS FAILURE AND FRUSTRATION.
YOU CANNOT CONTINUE TO IGNORE THESE FACTS.
DATA PROVIDES YOU WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACT RESPONSIBLE.
REMAINING SILENT IS ONLY CONDONING THE STATUS QUO.
LET'S HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR JOBS AND LET'S MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS RECEIVE A QUALITY EDUCATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
AND THAT COMPLETES TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
AND WITHOUT, UH, UH, EXCEPTION, IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT OBJECTS, WE WILL, WE WILL, UH, ADJOURN UNDER UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
YOU'RE WATCHING BCTV LIV LIVE, WORK, PLAY.