[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.
[Call to Order]
GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE BOARD MEETING OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD OF ELECTION AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER, 55 WILBORN ROAD, HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, DECEMBER 9TH, 2025 AT 4:30 PM THE START OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AT SIX O'CLOCK TO 9:15 PM WILL BE THE PUBLIC SESSION.
IT WILL BE CONDUCTED LIVE AND IN HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING.
THIS MEETING WILL BE BROADCAST BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH NEW SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES.
BAGS, BACKPACKS AND PURSES ARE PROHIBITED BY THE PUBLIC AT BUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER ON BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OTHER SCHOOL RELATED TOPICS.
CITIZENS WISHING TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC CONTENT.
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 BUFORT, UH, BOARD OF EDUCATION PUBLIC COMMENT FORM ON OUR WEBSITE AND PLEASE SIGN UP USING THE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM.
24 HOURS FROM THE DAY OF THE MEETING.
REQUESTERS WILL 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 WILL BE OBTAINED FROM THE BOARD CLERK UPON ARRIVAL IN THE EVENT THE BOARD HAS NOT FINISHED ADDRESSING ALL ITEMS LISTED ON THE DECEMBER 9TH, 2025, UH, BOARD MEETING.
THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE AT 6:00 PM ON DECEMBER 10TH, 2025, THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY TO FINISH THE AGENDA ITEMS. CURRENTLY I HAVE MR. SMITH IS HERE NOW.
MS. FRAZIER AND MR. SMITH ARE, ARE ONLINE, SO WE HAVE MRS. HAY AS WELL, AND MRS. HAY.
SO WE DO HAVE EIGHT QUORUM AND, AND SO I WOULD NEED,
[Executive Session ]
MR. NA, COULD, COULD YOU, UH, PROVIDE AN ORDER TO, UH, GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION BY READING ALL THE STATEMENTS ON THAT? ABSOLUTELY.UH, I MOVE THAT WE MOVE FOR INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
PERSONNEL MATTER REGARDING PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 T FOUR TAC 70 A ONE.
DISCUSSION AND NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO AMENDMENT NUMBER SEVEN WITH MD CONN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED FOR THE REBUILD AND RENOVATION OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL, PHASE ONE B AND TWO A AND TWO B 2023 REFERENDUM.
SCOPE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE PURSUANT TO CAL SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 T FOUR TAX 70 A TWO.
RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE RELATING TO TWO SETTLED CLAIMS COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 T FOUR TAX 70 A TWO.
AND DISCUSSION OF RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING CONTRACTUAL MATTERS COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 T FOUR T 70 A TWO.
HAVE A SECOND MR. CARR OR DR. CARR.
ANY DISCUSSION? OBJECTION, MS. HARLET.
FOR NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
IT'LL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[Action as Necessary or Appropriate Regarding Matters Discussed in Executive Session]
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING BACK TO[00:05:01]
ORDER.MR. NAY, DO WE HAVE ANY ACTIONS AS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE REGARDING MATTERS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES, MR. CHAIR, WE HAVE TWO MOTIONS.
MOTION NUMBER ONE, I MOVE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION FOR EMPLOYMENT LISTED ON THE NOVEMBER 1ST, 2025 TO NOVEMBER 30TH, 2025.
PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT.
HAVE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND BY DR. CARR.
UH, MR. SMITH, COULD YOU READ THAT MOTION AGAIN? PUT THAT MOTION UP.
COULD YOU READ THE MOTION AGAIN PLEASE? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT LISTED ON THE NOVEMBER 1ST, 2025 TO NOVEMBER 30TH, 2025.
PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT.
SO BASICALLY WE'RE JUST APPROVING THE RATIFICATION REPORT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
MR. SMALL, MS. FRAZIER, MS. FRAZIER, MS. HAY, WE CAN'T SEEM TO HEAR ANY RESPONSE.
POINT OF ORDER IF THEY CAN HEAR YOU.
CAN THEY HEAR ME NOW? ALRIGHT, CAN YOU SAY THE MOTION AGAIN PLEASE? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT LISTED ON THE NOVEMBER 1ST, 2025 TO NOVEMBER 30TH, 2025.
PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT.
MR. CARR, COULD YOU SECOND IT AGAIN PLEASE? SECONDED BY MR. CARR.
ALL THOSE EXCUSE MR. THE MORE HE READ THAT I, THE, THE SIMPLE MOTIONS SHOULD BE, I MOVE THAT THIS TIME, THAT THE SUPERINTENDENTS, I MEAN THAT WE APPROVE THE RATIFICATION RE REPORT.
'CAUSE THAT RIGHT THERE, THAT'S A LITTLE, THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT HEARING IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD THE FIRST TIME.
SO I REALLY, WE JUST APPROVED THE MODIFICATION REPORT SO THAT, THAT THIS SAYS, I THINK IT SAYS A LITTLE, MAYBE MORE THAN THAT, THAT I DON'T, I'M NOT TOO KEEN INTO THAT.
THAT'S, THAT THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I'M SAYING.
I'M SAYING I I THINK THE MOTION SHOULD BE SIMPLY, UH, I THIS TIME MR. SUPERINTENDENT I AT THIS TIME I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE RATIFICATION REPORT THAT WE BE GIVEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MR. SMITH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A NEW MOTION JUST AS SIMPLE AT THIS TIME? I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE RATIFICATION REPORT.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE BOARD AS WRITTEN AS, UH, STATED BEFORE BY MR. NAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF ECA EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT SEVEN WITH MB CONN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED FOR THE REBUILD AND RENOVATIONS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL, PHASE ONE B TWO A AND TWO B FOR A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE OF $147,240,115.
UH, IS THIS, IS THIS THE MONEY FOR THE REFERENDUM? IS THIS OUR REFERENDUM UPON THE REFERENDUM? YES IT IS.
SO THIS IS REFERENDUM? YES IT IS.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
SORRY, THAT WAS MS. FRAZIER FRAZIER.
YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER? NO OTHER BUSINESS, UH, FOR MOTIONS COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION? OKAY.
[Approval of Agenda ]
MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? SO MOVED.[00:10:01]
DR. CARR.ANY DISCUSSION MR. SMITH? YES SIR.
I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO PULL OUT, PULL, PULL.
UM, OE THREE OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I WOULD LIKE TO PULL OFF OE 15 OFF THIS CONSENT AGENDA.
THAT'LL GO INTO, UH, BOARD BUSINESS ACTION.
ANY OTHER CHANGES? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
UM, MR. SMALL A, UH, MS. FRAZIER.
[Pledge of Allegiance, Moment of Silence, Statement of Media Notification]
NEXT ITEM IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE.SO PLEASE REMAIN STANDING PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO BY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. JOHNSON.
HAS THE MEDIA BEEN NOTIFIED? THANK YOU.
[Student Performance]
NINTH STUDENT PERFORMANCE IS MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MR. FOREST STARR.I
UM, BLAKE WAS MENTIONED ALREADY.
THIS IS THE MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MR. FOREST EL THE SECOND OF WHICH IS SLOW DANCING IN THE SNOW BY JAY AL MAYOR HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR.
THE HEAR WORDS IN THE FROM EVERYWHERE OR THE BLA THE SOUND DOWNTOWN.
MORE PEOPLE SING SONGS OF CHRISTMAS.
[00:15:48]
THE, I THINK I'M IN LOVE.S GO DANCING THE GO YOU HAVE A CONCERT COMING UP ON THURSDAY.
IF YOU'RE WELCOME TO, UH, TO JOIN US AT MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL, IT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, SO PLEASE COME SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS.
UH, BAND IS ALSO PERFORMING WITH US, SO LOTS OF GOOD MUSIC TO SEE.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
[Points of Celebration]
DR. RODRIGUEZ.DO WE HAVE POINTS OF CELEBRATION? YES, SIR.
UH, THIS EVENING WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF POINTS OF CELEBRATION AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH CHARACTER EDUCATION FOR OCTOBER TONIGHT, WE'RE CELEBRATING THE CHARACTER ED STUDENT OF THE MONTH EXHIBITING THE CHARACTER TRAIT OF COURAGE AND TOLERANCE.
COURAGE IS DEFINED AS DOING THE RIGHT THING IN THE FACE OF DIFFICULTY AND FOLLOWING YOUR CONSCIENCE INSTEAD OF THE CROWD.
TOLERANCE IS DEFINED AS REALIZING THAT EVERYONE IS AT VARYING LEVELS OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.
OCTOBER STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS ISA VILLE, A KINDERGARTEN STUDENT AT MC RILEY ELEMENTARY.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE ISA IS PRINCIPAL MELISSA HOLLAND.
GOOD EVENING DR. RODRIGUEZ AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'M HERE TODAY WITH ISSA, OUR STUDENT OF THE MONTH, AND ALSO WITH MRS. DANIEL.
MRS. DANIEL IS OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT THE EARLY CHILDHOOD BUILDING AT MICHAEL C. RILEY.
AND SO SHE'S HERE TO PRESENT OUR STUDENT TONIGHT.
ISSA IS A KINDERGARTEN STUDENT WHO SHOWS A LOT OF COURAGE AND KINDNESS EVERY DAY.
HE IS FROM INDIA AND HE IS STILL LEARNING ENGLISH.
BUT IN OUR CLASS, MOST OF THE CHILDREN SPEAK ENGLISH AND SPANISH, BUT ISSA NEVER LETS THAT STOP HIM EVEN WHEN HE DOESN'T KNOW ALL THE WORDS.
ISSA TRIES HIS BEST TO JOIN IN.
HE RAISES HIS HAND, SHARE HIS IDEAS, AND ASK QUESTIONS.
THAT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE AND BRAVERY.
ISSA ALSO WORKS HARD TO MAKE FRIENDS, EVEN WHEN IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.
[00:20:01]
SMILES, LISTEN CAREFULLY AND ALWAYS TRY TO BE HELPFUL.ISSA IS THE FIRST PERSON IN CLASS TO JUMP UP AND HELP SOMEONE WHEN THEY NEED IT.
ISSA ALSO SHARES, SHOWS TOLERANCE, WHICH MEANS HE IS KIND AND RESPECTFUL TO EVERYONE.
HE NEVER LAUGHS AT ANYONE WHO MAKES A MISTAKE AND HE IS PATIENT WHEN OTHERS ARE DIFFERENT FROM HIM.
ISSA ENJOYS LEARNING ABOUT HIS CLASSMATES AND LOVES TALKING TO ALL OF HIS FRIENDS IN THE CLASS.
ISSA ISSA'S COURAGE AND KINDNESS MAKES OUR CLASSROOM A BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYONE.
WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE HIM IN OUR CLASS AND OUR SCHOOL.
CONGRATULATIONS ISSA ON SHOWING THE CHARACTER TRAIT OF COURAGE AT MICHAEL C. RILEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
HOW ABOUT NOW? OKAY, I'M SWITCHING PLACES ON YOU 'CAUSE WE HAVE QUITE A BIT TO MOVE THROUGH AND I'M GONNA CUT DOWN ON TRANSITION TIME FOR YOU.
BUT TONIGHT WE'RE CELEBRATING FALL MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS AS WELL AS A FEW HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
AND HERE TO TELL US SMORES, OUR DISTRICT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, CARLOS KAFE.
UM, WE HAVE AN EXTENSIVE LIST, SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO BE QUICK AND EFFICIENT IN CELEBRATING OF OUR STUDENT ATHLETES AND OUTSTANDING UH, COACHES.
WE'RE GONNA BEGIN BY RECOGNIZING ATHLETES FROM THIS PAST SPRING THAT WON STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TRACK AND FIELD, THE 2025 CLASS FOUR, A STATE CHAMPION IN THE FOUR BY 400 METER RELAY FROM BEAUFORT HIGH SCHOOL CONSISTING OF EDWARD GREEN, ERIC SMART, CALEB STEVEN, AND, UH, AMARI PATTERSON WITH A TIME OF THREE 19.
THEY ARE THE STATE CHAMPIONS FROM THIS PAST SPRING IN THE FOUR BY 400 METER RELAY IF THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE PRESENT AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM SCHOOL IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME.
NEXT, WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE FROM WORLD BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL TO 20 25, 100 METER HURDLE CHAMPION RUNNING A SUB 14 SECOND TIME.
UH, THAT STATE CHAMPION IS A JUNIOR, MR. JONATHAN KELLY.
NEXT WE MOVE ON TO BLUFFING HIGH SCHOOL, 800 METER CHAMPION CLASS FOUR A MR. SPEAKER WITH THE TIME OF ONE MINUTE AND 55.
NOW WE MOVE ON TO OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL RECOGNITION AND THEN WE'LL FINISH WITH OUR VARSITY SPORTS, BEGINNING WITH VOLLEYBALL SELECTED BY HER PEERS AS THE COACH'S CHOICE COACH OF THE YEAR FROM AG MCCRACKEN, MS. HEATHER WARD,
[00:25:15]
AND NOW THE OUTSTANDING PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR IN 2025 VOLLEYBALL COMING FROM THE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM, MS. CAMPBELL BIDDEN BALL, HILTON HEAD, ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND NOW THE COACH OF THE YEAR FROM THE CHAMPIONSHIP HILTON HEAD, ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM, MS. HALEY EDWARDS.NOW WE MOVE ON TO MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH'S CHOICE COACH OF THE YEAR, SELECTED BY HIS PEERS 2025 MR. MARVIN POWERS RIVER RIDGE ACADEMY AND NOW THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR COMING FROM THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM, MR. MALACHI MARTINEZ AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP COACH, COACH OF THE YEAR FROM THE BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL 2025 COACH OF THE YEAR, MR. TORINO LAWYER.
AND NOW WE MOVE ON TO OUR VARSITY SPORTS AGAIN, WE'VE HAD ANOTHER OUTSTANDING YEAR IN THE FALL WITH TWO TEAMS CROWNING THEIR SEASONS WITH STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
THE FIRST TEAM TO ACCOMPLISH THIS DURING THIS FALL SPORTS SEASON WAS THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS GOLF TEAM.
SO WE WOULD HAVE THE PRINCIPAL STEP FORWARD AND MEMBERS OF THAT GOLF TEAM TO COME FORWARD AS WELL.
I'M I, COACH TANNER, COME UP HERE AND INTRODUCE HIS PLAYERS REAL QUICK.
SO WE DO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL STATE CHAMPION AS WELL FOR FORAY, UH, MS. HARPER HEDON SHOOTING, UH, TWO UNDER HILTON HEAD LAKES FOR THE YEAR AS WELL.
UH, WE HAVE MISS DAISY PEACE, BROOKE NICHOLAS MAYA SING KA GAVIN, UH, BB KING, AXEL MONTOYA, CC EY, AND, UH, MY ASSISTANT COACH, MS. LEAR THI AND BEN SAMSON.
AND I THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE SUPPORT AND OUR FINAL RECOGNITION TONIGHT.
BACK TO BACK STATE CHAMPIONS AND CROSS COUNTRY, THE BLUFFING BOBCAT GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM.
[00:30:02]
WE ASK THE PRINCIPAL OF YOU INTRODUCE THE YOUNG LADIES AND THE, AND THE TEAM.UH, WE WANT TO WISH CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE LADIES WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT.
UH, KAYLEE DAGGER MECHI, WHO'S A SEVENTH GRADER JOINING OUR TEAM, MADDIE KRAS, ELLA CRAPS AND GGI, UH, AGAIN, TWO TIME STATE CHAMPIONS BACK TO BACK.
AND WE ALSO LEARNED RIGHT BEFORE, UH, THANKSGIVING BREAK THAT COACH MELTON AND COACH SMITH WERE ALSO NAMED THE FORAY GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY COACHES OF THE YEAR.
SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THEM AS WELL.
OKAY, THE NEXT UM, ITEM IS EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR.
AND TONIGHT IS MY HONOR TO RECOGNIZE AN OUTSTANDING MEMBER OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY AS THE SCEA EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR.
THIS ANNUAL AWARD CELEBRATES THE VITAL CONTRIBUTIONS THAT EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS MAKE EVERY DAY TO OUR SCHOOLS, OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY AND THEIR COMMITMENT, DEDICATION, AND CARE HELP CREATE A SUPPORTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND THEIR IMPACT REACHES FAR BEYOND THE CLASSROOM.
AT THIS TIME, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INVITE
I'M REPRESENTING, UM, ON BEHALF OF PRINCIPAL LEWIS.
I SERVE AS THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT ST.
HELENA ELEMENTARY, WHERE I AM PROUD OR WE SERVE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE SUPPORT TEACHER OF THE YEAR.
MS. LATIMORE, UM, IF YOU CAN PLEASE COME BEFORE US, MS. LATIMORE.
THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR IN THE DISTRICT AS WELL AS, UM, ST.
UM, GOING INTO THE SCHOOL, I'VE NOTICED THAT MS. LATIMORE, SHE, UM, GOES OVER AND BEYOND TO SUPPORT OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTER.
SHE CO-TEACHES WITH DR. JACKSON, WHO, UM, SERVES IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER AS WELL.
AND MS. LATIMORE, SHE GOES OVER AND BEYOND TO ENSURE THAT THE STUDENTS ARE FED EACH DAY WORKING WITH SMALL GROUPS, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE ENHANCING THEIR SOCIAL SKILLS.
UM, SHE DOES EVERYTHING THAT A SUPPORT PERSON, UM, DO AS WELL AS MORE SHE GOES OVER OUTSIDE OF HER CLASSROOM TO ASSIST HER COLLEAGUES AND SHE, UM, STANDS REALLY STRONG WITH HER ADMIN.
SO, UM, WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE MISS MICHELLE LATIMORE PANTHER PRIDE ALLEN WIDE.
NEXT THIS EVENING, I'M PROUD TO SHARE EXCITING NEWS TODAY THAT BEAUFORT JASPER ACADEMY FOR CAREER EXCELLENCE HAS OFFICIALLY EARNED COGNITIVE STEM CERTIFICATION, A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED MARK OF EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION.
THIS FOLLOWING RIGHT ON THE HEELS OF A PALMETTO'S FINEST AWARD IN RECENT YEARS.
SO WE'RE PROUD OF THE WORK THAT HAPPENS AT, UH, BEAUFORT, JASPER ACE, AND HERE TO TELL US ABOUT THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS IS ACE DIRECTOR DR.
I'M GONNA ACTUALLY TURN THE MIC OVER TO MY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, MISCARRY CHAPEL, BECAUSE I WOULD BE LYING IF I TOOK A LOT OF CREDIT FOR HER HARD WORK WITH THIS BECAUSE SHE REALLY WAS THE POINT PERSON ON THIS AND I FEEL LIKE SHE WOULD, UH, BE THE BEST PERSON TO, TO SHOW THE DETAILS.
UM, IT, IT'S AN HONOR TO WORK AT SUCH AN INNOVATIVE AND DYNAMIC PLACE AS ACE, UM, AND THE GREAT WORK THAT OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS BASE REALLY MADE THE APPLICATION FOR COGNITIVE STEM CERTIFICATION RIGHT ITSELF.
UM, WE DID GO THROUGH ABOUT A YEAR LONG PROCESS OF PREPARING, UH, ASSESSING OUR ON 10 DIFFERENT STANDARDS.
[00:35:01]
SAID, THESE ARE NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR STEM EDUCATION.UM, AND SO WE SELF-ASSESSED AND THEN WE HAD A REVIEW PROCESS, UH, WHERE ALL DIFFERENT GROUPS OF STAKEHOLDERS WERE SPOKE ABOUT, UH, THE STEM EDUCATION, UH, THAT HAPPENS AT ACE.
AND SO, UM, WE WERE VERY PROUD TO GET THIS PRESTIGIOUS, UH, RECOGNITION.
SO THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING US TONIGHT, AND THANK YOU, DR. RODRIGUEZ FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT IN MAKING IT HAPPEN THIS EVENING.
I HAVE ONE MORE, UH, ITEM TO SHARE WITH YOU AND IT'S REGARDING A STRATEGIC COMPENSATION GRANT.
TONIGHT I'D LIKE TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT A STATE FUNDED PILOT DESIGNED TO SUPPORT INNOVATIVE STRATEGIC EDUCATOR COMPENSATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA.
THIS PILOT WAS FUNDED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR THE 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR AND HAS NOW BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH THE 25 26 SCHOOL YEAR.
THE GOAL OF THE INITIATIVE IS STRAIGHTFORWARD TO RECOGNIZE AND REWARD EDUCATORS WHOSE WORK IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO STUDENT ACADEMIC GROWTH.
IN DECEMBER 24, BASED ON THE ESTABLISHED CRITERIA OF THE PROGRAM, WHALE BRANCH MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS SELECTED BY THE STATE FOR FUNDING IMPLEMENTATION.
BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE COLLABORATION APPROACH.
THIS MODEL IS BASED ON SPRING TO SPRING STUDENT GROWTH AS MEASURED BY SC READY ASSESSMENTS.
AND TO QUALIFY FOR AWARDS, STUDENTS MUST HAVE ASSESSMENT RESULTS FROM BOTH THE PRIOR AND THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEARS.
ELIGIBLE AWARDS WERE AVAILABLE TO CLASSROOM TEACHERS IN GRADES FOUR THROUGH EIGHT WHO TEACH ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS OR MATHEMATICS FOR THE 20 24 20 25 SCHOOL YEAR.
WILL BRANCH MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS TWO TEACHERS RECEIVING AWARDS UNDER THIS PILOT PROGRAM.
ONE IS CHRISTINE WILLIAMS AND THE OTHER IS KRISTA HOFFMAN.
THEY'RE RECEIVING ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS REWARDS.
WE'RE PROUD OF THESE EDUCATORS AND APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR COMMITMENT TO STUDENT GROWTH AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS.
THIS PILOT REPRESENTS ONE WAY WE CONTINUE TO EXPLORE MEANINGFUL AND DATA INFORMED APPROACHES TO RECOGNIZING THE WORK OF OUR TEACHERS AND SUPPORTING EXCELLENCE IN OUR SCHOOLS.
HERE TO HELP RECOGNIZE THESE TWO TEACHERS IS PRINCIPAL BRANTLEY WILSON, IF HE'LL JOIN ME AT THIS TIME.
SO THE FIRST PERSON I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE IS KRISTA HUFFMAN, IF SHE WOULD COME FORWARD HERE.
KRISTA IS RECEIVING A CHECK FOR $11,480 FROM THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA FOR THIS INITIATIVE.
SHE'S A LITTLE SPEECHLESS RIGHT NOW.
THE NEXT PERSON IS CHRISTINE WILLIAMS WHO WILL RECEIVE A CHECK FOR $25,920.
I WANNA CONGRATULATE THESE TWO EDUCATORS AND WE APPRECIATE THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE IN SUPPORTING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AT WILL BRANCH.
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK LADIES.
[00:40:08]
OH,[First Public Comments]
ON, ON THAT HAPPY NOTE, WE'RE GONNA GO TO, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS.BEFORE WE START PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I WANT TO READ FROM THE BACK OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, FORM, UH, THE USE OF PHYSICALLY
AND ANY BEHAVIOR THAT WILLFULLY DISRUPTS A MEETING TO THE EXTENT THAT ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING IS SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED IS PROHIBITED.
NO PRESENTATION BY A SPEAKER SHALL EXCEED THREE MINUTES.
THE CHAIR WILL STRICTLY ENFORCE THIS TIME LIMIT.
A SUITABLE TIMING DEVICE SHALL BE EMPLOYED TO NOTIFY THE SPEAKER OF THE END OF HIS OR HER COMMENT.
SPEAKERS SHALL NOT YIELD THEIR TIME TO ANOTHER SPEAKER.
PERSONS APPEARING BEFORE THE BOARD SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE WITHOUT AUTHORITY TO ACT INDEPENDENTLY AS INDIVIDUALS IN OFFICIAL MATTERS.
NEITHER THE BOARD NOR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS WILL RESPOND TO SPEAKERS DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS MR. BERNIE S SALENO, UH, 1 0 7 CYPRESS HOLLOW BLUFFTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, IS SPEAKING ON TOPIC OF BOOK BANS.
HI, IT'S MS. BERNIE SC, BUT I'M SORRY.
UM, AND GOOD EVENING AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE WHO, WHO JUST WON SOME GREAT AWARDS AND, AND MONEY.
UH, THIS PAST SATURDAY I VISITED, I HAPPENED TO BE IN WASHINGTON DC FOR A CONFERENCE AND I VISITED THE US HOLOCAUST MUSEUM.
I WAS READING ABOUT BOOK BURNING IN 1933 GERMANY.
THE BOOK BURNINGS AND I QUOTE WAS A CALCULATED, COORDINATED EFFORT TO PURIFY GERMAN CULTURE.
THE STUDENTS WORKED FROM PREPARED BLACKLIST OF BOOKS DEEMED UNGERMAN.
NOW IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THE MAIN THEMES OF BOOK BANS PRIMARILY TARGET SEXUAL CONTENT, BUT THE CHALLENGE BOOKS DISPROPORTIONATELY INVOLVE STORIES AND AUTHORS FROM L-G-B-T-Q PLUS AND BLACK INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR.
I HAVE NOT READ THE CURRENT CHALLENGE BOOKS, SO I'M NOT SPEAKING ON THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
AND I DO NOT THINK ANYONE CAN MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION WITHOUT READING THOSE BOOKS IN THEIR ENTIRETY.
SO HOPEFULLY YOU'VE YOU'VE DONE YOUR HOMEWORK AND READ THE BOOKS.
TO BE CLEAR, THERE'S ALREADY AN OPT OUT PROCESS FOR PARENTS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR OWN CHILD'S READING SELECTION.
PARENTAL CHOICE OF ONE SHOULD NOT TAKE AWAY PARENTAL CHOICE FOR ANOTHER.
AS A RETIRED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR, I TRUST IN THE PROFESSIONALISM OF OUR EDUCATORS, WHETHER IN THE CLASSROOM OR SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
SCHOOL MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE QUALIFIED TEACHERS WITH ADVANCED DEGREES AND IT IS THEIR JOB, THEIR PROFESSIONAL JOB TO CHOOSE AGE APPROPRIATE LEARNING MATERIALS THAT FOSTER AND STIMULATE UNDERSTANDING AND GROWTH.
YOU COULD COME HERE EVERY TIME A PARENT DOESN'T LIKE A BOOK AND CHALLENGES IT, OR WE COULD HAVE A BETTER PROCESS AT THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL LEVEL AND HAVE A REVIEW COMMITTEE WITH EDUCATORS AND MEDIA SPECIALISTS INVOLVED.
BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE.
HOLDING THE RECORD FOR MOST BOOK BANDS IS NOT A RECORD TO BE PROUD OF.
WE DO NOT WANT TO STRIP OUR YOUTH FROM READING THE EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE SIMILAR TO THEM AND HOW THEY PERHAPS SURVIVED IN HORRIFIC OR CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT OFTEN MAY BE REFLECTED IN A PAGE OF SEXUAL OR PHYSICAL ABUSE THAT MIRRORS THEIR OWN BOOK OF LIFE.
AND TO QUOTE, AND IF YOU FEEL LOST, COME BACK TO YOUR STORY, NO ONE CAN TAKE AWAY WHAT YOU LIVED THROUGH.
THAT'S A QUOTE FROM A POEM FROM MILK AND HONEY, ONE OF THE BOOKS BEING CONSIDERED TO BE BANNED.
PLEASE DO YOUR DO JUSTICE WITH THESE, THIS SITUATION.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. ROB KILGORE FROM COLUMBUS DRIVE IN SAVANNAH, AND HE'S SPEAKING ON ACADEMIC FREEMAN FREEDOM AND BOOKS AND CENSORSHIP.
GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY HERE AND ONLINE.
UM, MY NAME IS, UM, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE BOOKS ON THE AGENDA TODAY, AND I'M GRATEFUL TO THE BOARD AND EVERYONE HERE TO MAKE THIS MEETING HAPPEN.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEACHERS,
[00:45:01]
UM, AND EDUCATORS.UM, MAY EVERYBODY GET BONUSES.
UM, MY NAME IS ROB KILGORE AND I'M AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH AT USC BUFORT.
I'VE TAUGHT AT USCB SINCE 2007.
UM, I'M SPEAKING, I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR MY EMPLOYER, BUT I AM SPEAKING FOR MYSELF.
I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS AND I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA A A UP.
I SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS AND IN SUPPORT OF THEM HAVING THE ABILITY TO ACCESS BOOKS AND INFORMATION AS APPROPRIATE.
I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE STORY ABOUT BOOK CHALLENGES FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, AND I DO WANNA MAKE SOME OBSERVATIONS.
THE BOOKS HAVE LITERARY MERIT AND THEY HAVE READERS WHO REALLY NEED THEM.
REDUCING THESE FULL AND COMPLEX BOOKS TO SEX SCENES MISSES THE POINT.
IF ONE HASN'T READ ATWOOD'S HANDMAID'S TALE, YOU MIGHT GET THE IMPRESSION, UM, FROM THE FORMS THAT THE BOOK IS KIND OF TRASHY
UM, BUT YOU READ IT IN ITS ENTIRETY, YOU REALIZE THE NOVELS ABOUT SO MUCH MORE FREEDOM, OBLIGATION, COMPLEX CHOICES, MEMORY, THE IDEA OF WRITING IN ITSELF, AWA AHAM, ITS TALE ARE HIGHLY REGARDED AND IT'S BEEN MADE INTO A MOVIE AND A TV SERIES, INTERNET MEMES.
ITS REQUIRED READING IN A LOT OF UNIVERSITY COURSES AND IN A LOT OF HIGH SCHOOLS.
IT IS A CLASSIC TO THIS POINT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST WONDER IF, UM, UM, THE, THE BEAUFORT SCHOOLS REALLY WANTS A HEADLINE SAYING THAT WE ARE, UM, RESTRICTING, UH, ACCESS TO HANDMAID'S TALE.
UM, FOR, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, UM, RUPE CARS, MILK AND HONEY IS ALSO A BOOK OF LITERARY MERIT.
IT'S BOTH BEAUTIFUL IN ITS INTENSE, IT'S REALLY GOOD POETRY AMONG OTHER THINGS, AND THIS IS WHERE I'M A PROFESSOR, IT'S A REVISION OF THE RENAISSANCE SONNET SEQUENCE IDEA.
AND YET UNLIKE THE WOMEN IN RENAISSANCE SONNET SHOW, A WOMAN SEEKING TO ASSERT THAT SHE'S IN SELF, SHE'S HERSELF ENTIRE, AND NOT JUST AN OBJECT FOR MEN TO PURSUE OR ABUSE, TO SAY THE BOOK IS JUST ABOUT SEX IS A CLAIM THAT THE BOOK ITSELF ACTUALLY REALLY REFUTES THE BOOK TAKES THE READER THROUGH A NARRATIVE ARC OF FAMILIAL SEXUAL ABUSE, A RELATIONSHIP WITH A LOVER, A BREAKUP IN THE PROCESS OF HEALING AND REDIRECTION OF ENERGY.
IT'S ABOUT SELF-DETERMINATION AT THE END OF THE DAY, EVEN WHEN OTHERS IN HER OWN FAMILY TRY TO STEAL THAT RIGHT FROM HER.
I, I BOUGHT A USED COPY OF THIS BOOK AND ON PAGE 26, THERE'S A POEM I'LL READ REAL BRIEF.
UM, THE RAPE WILL TEAR YOU IN HALF, BUT IT WILL NOT END YOU.
AND THE READER I BOUGHT IT FOR WROTE, REMEMBER THIS IN THE MARGIN OF THE BOOK.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING AND LISTENING TO ME TODAY.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MS. IVY, SOLE LIE, SORRY.
AND HER TOPIC IS SEXUALLY EXPLICIT BOOKS, GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY.
TONIGHT IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS.
IT IS NOT ABOUT SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AND IT CERTAINLY IS NOT ABOUT ERASING ANYONE'S IDENTITY NO MATTER WHAT OTHERS MAY CLAIM.
MY EFFORTS HAVE NEVER BEEN TO TAKE AWAY ANYONE'S VOICE, REPRESENTATION OR HISTORY.
THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT ONE THING, THE CONTENT, AND WHETHER THAT CONTENT IS APPROPRIATE FOR MINORS.
REGULATION 43 1 70 DOES NOT TALK ABOUT BANNING IDEAS.
IT DOES NOT SILENCE PERSPECTIVES.
IN FACT, IT SPECIFICALLY STATES, IN NO EVENT SHALL A SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD'S DECISION TO REMOVE EXISTING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL OR TO REJECT THE PROPOSED EDITION OF NEW INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL, BE BASED PRIMARILY ON OR MOTIVATED BY THE BO DISTRICT BOARD'S DISAGREEMENT WITH OR OPPOSITION TO THE VIEWPOINTS EXPRESSED THEREIN.
THIS REGULATION SIMPLY REQUIRES THAT SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL, GRAPHIC SEXUAL ACTS, PORNOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS AND AGENT APPROPRIATE DEPICTION OF SEX NOT BE PLACED IN THE HANDS OF MINORS IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THIS IS THE SAME REASONABLE EXPECTATION WE HAVE FOR EVERY OTHER SCHOOL RESOURCE, AGE APPROPRIATE, EDUCATIONALLY, PURPOSEFUL, AND COMPLIANT WITH DISTRICT AND STATE GUIDELINES.
IF A BOOK CONTAINS SCENES OF ORAL SEX, SEXUAL VIOLENCE, MASTURBATION, OR ADULTS ENGAGING IN SEX WITH MINORS, THAT IS NOT ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT.
IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR A STUDENT TO UNDERSTAND LITERATURE, IDENTITY OR THE WORLD AROUND THEM.
REMOVING A BOOK WITH SEXUALLY EXP EXPLICIT SCENES FROM SCHOOL LIBRARY IS NOT ERASING A STUDENT'S LIVED EXPERIENCE.
[00:50:01]
PROTECTING MINORS FROM GRAPHIC SEXUAL CONTENT IS NOT DISCRIMINATION.RECENTLY THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DECLINED TO HEAR A CASE OUT OF TEXAS THAT CHALLENGED THE REMOVAL OF SEXUALLY EXPLICIT BOOKS FROM SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
MEANING THE LOWER COURT RULING STANDS AFFIRMING THAT REMOVING INAPPROPRIATE MATERIAL FROM SCHOOL ACCESS IS CONSTITUTIONAL AND DOES NOT VIOLATE FREE SPEECH PROTECTIONS.
DURING BAND BOOK WEEK, A LAWSUIT WAS FILED HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, CHALLENGING THE REGULATION ON SIMILAR GROUNDS.
BUT IT'S CLEAR THAT COURTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY RECOGNIZE THAT PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT IS BOTH LAWFUL A REASONABLE FOR THE RECORD, MOMS OF LIBERTY.
LIBERTY DID NOT BUY MY BINDER OR PUT THIS TOGETHER FOR ME.
NO ONE IS FUNDING ME INFLUENCING ME OR USING ME AS A PUPPET.
A MOM WHO HAS ALWAYS PUT CHILDREN FIRST.
SO TONIGHT I ADD, I'M ASKING THIS BOARD TO ACT WITH COURAGE AND CLARITY.
FOLLOW THE REGULATION, REMOVE THE SEXUALLY EXPLICIT BOOKS, AND PROTECT OUR STUDENTS BECAUSE PROTECTING KIDS ISN'T CENSORSHIP.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MARY FOSTER, AND HER TOPIC IS BOOK REVIEWS.
I AM MARY FOSTER AND I'VE LIVED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY FOR 21 YEARS.
I HATE THAT MY FINAL MEETING AS A BEAUFORT COUNTY RESIDENT WILL BE FOCUSED ON YET ANOTHER EFFORT TO REMOVE ACCESS TO BOOKS FROM OUR STUDENTS.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH FIGHTING THESE ATTEMPTS SINCE DECEMBER OF 2022.
I'VE SPOKEN TO THIS BOARD SEVERAL TIMES AND AS WELL AS TO OUR STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
AND I HAVE LISTENED AS STUDENTS, PARENTS, LIBRARIANS, EDUCATORS, AND CONCERNED COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE ASKED YOU REPEATEDLY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS NOT TO REMOVE BOOKS OR RESTRICT ACCESS.
AND YET IN AUGUST I WATCHED YOU RE-REVIEW NINE TITLES AND REQUIRE PARENTAL CONSENT FOR STUDENTS TO ACCESS THEM.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT WE CAN DO DIFFERENTLY TONIGHT, BUT YOU BETTER BELIEVE I'M NOT LEAVING THE STATE WITHOUT GIVING IT ONE MORE SHOT.
LET ME START BY REMINDING YOU AGAIN THAT THIS STATE REGULATION UNDER WHICH THESE COMPLAINTS WERE FILED IS NOW BEING CHALLENGED IN A LAWSUIT.
SO I IMAGINE YOU ALL ARE REALLY TIRED OF THIS AND FRANKLY, AFTER THREE YEARS OF ADVOCACY WORK RELATED TO THIS.
I BELIEVE THE COMPLAINANT GENUINELY WANTS TO HELP CHILDREN.
BUT AS AN EDUCATOR AND PARENT MYSELF, I FIND IT PREPOSTEROUS THAT BOOKS ARE THE THING WE BELIEVE CHILDREN NEED PROTECTION FROM.
I WISH WE COULD SPEND THIS MUCH TIME AND ENERGY BEING SURE OUR CLASSROOMS ARE NOT OVERCROWDED, PROVIDING THE RESOURCES AND MATERIALS OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS NEED, FEEDING CHILDREN WHO ARE HUNGRY, KEEPING OUR SCHOOL SAFE.
I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT STILL HERE WE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT REMOVING BOOKS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS REVIEWED AND WANTED TO LEAVE IN OUR SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THIS COMMUNITY TRUSTS OUR TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS.
WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE ACCESS TO AS MANY BOOKS AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT NOT EVERY BOOK IS FOR EVERY READER.
WE ARE AWARE THAT PARENTS CAN OPT THEIR CHILDREN OUT OF READING ANY BOOK THEY CHOOSE.
AND WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ONE PARENT KNOWS WHAT'S BEST FOR ALL CHILDREN.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GIVE IN TO THIS COMPLAINANT TO MAKE THIS GO AWAY.
YOU COULD IN STAND INSTEAD STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT.
YOU COULD STAND WITH THE MAJORITY OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO DO NOT WANT MORE BOOKS RESTRICTED.
I KNOW MANY OF YOU BRISTLE AT THE TERM BOOK BAN AND YOU MIGHT ARGUE THAT ONLY BURNING BOOKS AND OTHER EXTREME ACTIONS ARE A TRUE BAN.
AND IF I HAD MORE THAN THREE MINUTES, I'D LOVE TO EXPLAIN ALL THE REASONS I DISAGREE.
BUT FOR NOW, JUST KNOW THAT THROUGHOUT HISTORY, BURNING BOOKS WAS NEVER THE FIRST STEP.
IT ALWAYS STARTED WITH CERTAIN VIEWPOINTS BEING QUESTIONED, CERTAIN SUBJECTS BEING DECLARED INAPPROPRIATE, A SMALL MINORITY MAKING A DECISION THAT IMPACTED THE MAJORITY.
YOU MUST BE HONEST WITH YOURSELVES ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT THIS MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY.
IT IS SO FRUSTRATING TO SEE OUR COUNTY, A COUNTY THAT RECEIVED NATIONAL ATTENTION FOR OUR REFUSAL TO GIVE IN TO A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO CONTROL OUR LIBRARIES ACQUIESCING TO ONE DEMAND, WE CAN DO BETTER AND WE HAVE DONE BETTER IN THE PAST.
I URGE YOU TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR ALL STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN BUFORT COUNTY.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
NEXT SPEAKER IS TONY CAMIO WANTS TO SPEAK ON BOARD GOVERNANCE, BOARD ACTION.
GOOD EVENING, GENERAL COLIN POWELL SAID,
[00:55:01]
DON'T BE AFRAID TO CHALLENGE THE PROS EVEN IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD.IT APPEARS THIS BOARD UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CURRENT CHAIR, HAS ABDICATED ITS PRIMARY DUTY, THE OVERSIGHT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING.
THERE ARE A PARADE OF HORRIBLES TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME EXAMPLES.
PERFORMANCE SCORES VERIFY THE MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE UNDERPERFORMING IN MANY STATES.
ADDITIONALLY, THE CHAIR HAS BASICALLY ABOLISHED THE ROLE POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES BY MAKING THE CHAIRPERSON'S ROLE IRRELEVANT AND POINTLESS AND AN EMBARRASSING, PATHETIC ECHO OF WHAT IT ONCE WAS.
THE CHAIR HAS UNILATERALLY ELIMINATED AGENDA SETTING MEETINGS, DECLARING THEY ARE NOT NECESSARY.
THE CHAIR HAS MANIPULATED THE ELIMINATION OF MANY BOARD PAST PRACTICES AND COLLABORATIVE GOVERNANCE MODELS.
HOWEVER, HIS LATEST VERBALIZING A DESIRE TO PERPETUATE PHYSICAL ASSAULT AND THEN SHEEPISHLY DISMISSING HIS ACTIONS WITH A JUSTIFICATION OF HIS WORDS.
WERE OFF THE RECORD UNPRECEDENTED.
MANY ASK WHAT IS BEING AN EXPERIENCE WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMUNITY.
SOME MIGHT SAY WE HAVE A CRISIS OF CREDIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
SOME MIGHT SAY WE HAVE AN ABSENCE OF INTEGRITY AND COURAGE MORE PRECISELY.
SOME MAY SAY THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FORGETS HOW TO ADVOCATE AND GOVERN FOR ANYTHING BEYOND THE PRESERVATION OF ITS OWN MINIMAL RESPECTABILITY.
THESE CONDITIONS ARE DIRECT RESULTS OF THIS BOARD'S FAILURE TO GOVERN AND PROVIDE OVERSIGHT.
ANYONE PAYING ATTENTION CAN SEE, HEAR, AND FEEL THE TOXICITY AT MOST MEETINGS.
IT'S NO WONDER 40% OF BOARD MEMBERS CHOOSE VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION.
YOUR FAILURE TO ACT WILL DEFINE YOU AS CALLOUS, DEPRAVED, AND SOLACE.
NOT ONLY TO THE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, BUT TO EACH OTHER.
THE COMMUNITY DEMANDS BETTER, AND YOU PROMISE BETTER TO THE CHAIRPERSON.
GEORGE WASHINGTON, AN OLD ARMY GENERAL SPEAKING ON LEADERSHIP SAID IT IS BETTER TO OFFER NO EXCUSE THAN A BAD ONE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. RICHARD BIY.
UH, HIS TOPIC IS BOARD GOVERNANCE.
THE ABILITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE A MISTAKE IS AN IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP SKILL AND UNFORTUNATELY IT APPEARS THAT OUR BOARD CHAIR HAS NOT YET DEMONSTRATED IT.
AS YOU WILL RECALL DURING LAST MONTH'S HOT MIC INCIDENT, THE CHAIR WAS CLEARLY HEARD MAKING AN INAPPROPRIATE REMARK INVOLVING HIS GAVEL AND REFERRING TO HIS BODY CAVITY LANGUAGE THAT STRONGLY SUGGESTS THE COMMENT WAS DIRECTED AT A SPECIFIC BOARD MEMBER WILL SMITH.
DESPITE THIS, THE BOARD HAS SINCE CLAIMED THE REMARK WAS NOT DIRECTED AT ANYONE ON THE BOARD.
AT THE NOVEMBER 21ST WORK SESSION, THE CHAIR ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN THE INCIDENT IN A LENGTHY, RAMBLING STATEMENT SUGGESTING THAT HE HAD BEEN REFERRING TO A GARBAGE CAN IN A PIECE OF PAPER, DESCRIBING HIMSELF AS AN OLD SOLDIER WHO MUTTERS AND MUMBLES HIS CLARIFICATION.
RAISED MORE QUESTIONS THAN AN ANSWERED AND DID LITTLE TO RESTORE CONFIDENCE IN HIS LEADERSHIP.
IT REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING GEORGE SANTOS WOULD'VE SAID, OR ONE OF KAMALA HARRIS'S INFAMOUS WORD SALADS.
I'VE KNOWN THE CHAIR FOR MANY YEARS AS CO-FOUNDER OF CARE.
I SUPPORTED HIS CAMPAIGN FOR SCHOOL BOARD AND WE INTERACTED ON A REGULAR BASIS.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH HIM DID NOT REFLECT THE BEHAVIOR OR EXPLANATIONS WE'RE SEEING NOW.
AT THE TIME, WE BELIEVED THAT HE WOULD BE A STRONG REFORMER, BUT SOMETHING APPEARS TO HAVE CHANGED.
WHAT CONCERNS ME JUST AS MUCH AS THE BOARD'S RESPONSE OR LACK OF RESPONSE TO THIS SITUATION.
BOARD MEMBERS, INCLUDING MY REPRESENTATIVE, ELIZABETH HAY, WHO'S NOT WITH US TONIGHT, HAVE OFFERED NO PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT EITHER THE INCIDENT OR THE CHAIR'S EXPLANATION.
I WOULD HOPE THE SAME LEVEL OF ATTENTION GIVEN TO NATIONAL POLITICAL ISSUES BY MY BOARD REP ON SOCIAL MEDIA COULD ALSO BE APPLIED TO MATTERS DIRECTLY AFFECTING OUR STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT SHOULD BE THIS BOARD'S HIGHEST PRIORITY, YET NO ONE IS PUBLICLY QUESTIONED OR EVEN DISCUSSED THE DATA WHICH HAS BEEN PRESENTED
[01:00:01]
TO YOU, WHICH SHOWS LITTLE PROGRESS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS FOR WHITE, BLACK AND HISPANIC STUDENTS, OUR MINORITY STUDENTS WHO NOW MAKE UP A MAJORITY OF ENROLLMENT FACE A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE JOB MARKET AND GRADUATING INTO MINIMUM WAGE OPPORTUNITIES SHOULD NOT BE THE EXPECTED OUTCOME.THE BOARD'S CONTINUED SILENCE ON BOTH THE LEADERSHIP CONCERNS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IS DEEPLY TROUBLING.
YOU'RE OVER, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING ONE OF THE HIGHEST PAID SUPERINTENDENTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, AND THE COMMUNITY EXPECTS YOU TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL OVERSIGHT.
I URGE YOU TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY AND REMEMBER, TRUTH IS WORTH SPEAKING EVEN WHEN THE WORLD REFUSES TO LISTEN OR IN THIS CASE, THE SCHOOL BOARD.
[2025 South Carolina Instructional Materials Uniform Complaint Forms for the month of February Challenging Library Books ]
AGENDA IS THE 2025 SOUTH CAROLINA INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.UNIFORM COMPLAINT FORMS FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, CHALLENGING THE FOLLOWING LIBRARY BOOKS, MILK AND HONEY, ONYX AND CREEK, NOVEMBER NINE.
THE WAY WE WILL CONDUCT, UH, THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING WILL BE THE SAME WAY THAT WE CONDUCTED IT THE LAST TIME.
THIS WAS, UH, BROUGHT UP TO THE BOARD, UH, FROM THE SCHOOL STATE, UH, SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION.
AND IN THAT, I'LL READ YOU WHAT I SENT TO THE, THE, UH, STATE BOARD ON HOW WE CONDUCTED IT LAST TIME.
AT THAT HEARING, EACH BOARD MEMBER WAS GIVEN A COPY OF THE RESULTS FROM THE 2223 BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT'S BOOK REVIEW COMMITTEES RESULTS FOR EACH BOOK BOARD MEMBERS WERE ALSO PROVIDED WITH A COPY OF THE OBJECTION TO EACH BOOK THAT MRS. SAI PROVIDED TO THE STATE BOARD.
MRS. SAI WAS THEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON HER OBJECTION TO EACH BOOK.
WHEN SHE FINISHED HER COMMENTS ABOUT THE FIRST BOOK ON THE LIST, CITIZENS WHO WISH TO MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT THE BOOK WERE GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO DO SO.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, THREE MINUTES WERE GIVEN TO A CITIZEN WHO SUPPORTED MRS. ALI'S VIEWS AND THREE MINUTES WERE GIVEN TO A CITIZEN WHO OPPOSED HER VIEWS.
AFTER THESE THREE PEOPLE SPOKE TO THE BOARD, BOARD MEMBERS WERE ALLOWED TO PROVIDE THEIR VIEWS ABOUT THE BOOK.
THIS PROCESS WAS CONTINUED FOR EACH OF THE REMAINING BOOKS.
AFTER ALL THE BOOKS WERE REVIEWED.
UNDER THIS PROCESS, THE BOARD VOTED ON THE DISPOSITION OF EACH BOOK SEPARATELY.
THE VOTES WERE YOU HAD A CHOICE OF ONE.
RETAIN THE BOOK IN THE LIBRARY.
TWO, REMOVE THE BOOK FROM THE LIBRARY, OR THREE RESTRICT ACCESS TO PARENTAL CONSENT OF THE BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY.
THE FIRST BOOK THAT WE WILL LOOK AT OUR BY MRS. SALI, STARTING OUT IS MILK AND HONEY, UH, BEFORE YOU START, I IF YOU WISH TO CALL IN TO MAKE SUPPORT ON THIS BOOK.
THE NUMBER TO CALL IN IS (843) 322-0733.
AND WE WILL MAKE THAT SAME ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE, UH, PHONE NUMBER AFTER EACH.
UH, BOOK IS PRESENTED BY MRS. SAI.
I DIDN'T WANNA DO ANYTHING TO MESS IT UP.
UM, THE FIRST BOOK IS MILK AND HONEY BY RUBY COWER.
I HOPE I, UM, DIDN'T MESS THAT UP TOO MUCH.
UM, THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE IN THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS, BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL AND BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO CHILDREN PRESENT.
UM, PAGE EIGHT VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH THE DEPICTION OF A NAKED WOMAN INSINUATING INSINUATION OF LEWD EXHIBITION OF GENITALS AND FEMALE BREAST AND NIPPLES.
YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT YOUR LEGS ARE PIT STOP FOR MEN THAT NEED A PLACE TO REST, A VACANT BODY EMPTY ENOUGH FOR GUESTS, BUT NO ONE EVER COMES AND WILLING TO STAY.
PAGE EIGHT VIOLATES THE REGULATION BY DESCRIBING A CHILD BEING
[01:05:01]
VIOLATED BY HER UNCLE.THE THERAPIST PLACES THE DOLL IN FRONT OF YOU.
IT IS THE SIZE OF GIRLS YOUR UNCLE LIKES TOUCHING POINT TO WHERE HIS HANDS WERE.
POINT TO THE SPOT BETWEEN HIS LEGS, THE ONES HE FINGERED OUT OF YOU LIKE A CONFESSION.
PAGE 15, VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH A DESCRIPTION OF MASTURBATION OF GENITALS.
PAGE 20, VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH A DESCRIPTION OF MASTURBATION.
PAGE 29, VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH A DEPICTION OF A NAKED WOMAN MASTURBATING.
PAGE 38 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH REFERRAL TO WHAT WOULD BE MASTURBATION.
PAGE 40 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH A DESCRIPTION OF ORAL SEX.
PAGE 41 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH JUST DESCRIPTION OF ORAL SEX.
PAGE 52 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF FINGERING AND A VISUAL PICTURE DEPICTING FINGERS WITH VAGINAL EXCRETIONS.
YOU MUST HAVE KNOWN YOU WERE, YOU WERE WRONG WHEN YOUR FINGERS WERE DIPPED INSIDE ME SEARCHING FOR HONEY, WHICH WOULD NOT COME.
PAGE 54 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH THE VISUAL PICTURE OF A NAKED WOMAN AND REFERENCE TO ORAL SEX.
PAGE 67 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH A VISUAL PICTURE OF TWO NAKED PEOPLE.
SPOONING, ALTHOUGH NO GENITALS ARE PICTURED, THEY ARE NAKED AND IT'S HARD TO TELL IF THEY ARE ENGAGED IN SEX OR NOT.
PAGE 92 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH A VISUAL DEPICTION OF A VAGINA.
AND FINALLY, PAGE 99 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH A VISUAL DEPICTION OF A NAKED WOMAN SHOWING HER BREASTS WITH NIPPLES AND HER VAGINA.
ALRIGHT MA'AM, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT WISHES TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF MRS. ALI'S POSITION IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT? I DON'T ANYBODY, IF ANYBODY WISHES TO CALL IN.
YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, UH, TO CALL IN THE ONE MINUTE TIME IS UP.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WE WISHES TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF RETAINING THE BOOK? IF SO, SIR, YOU MAY APPROACH AND YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I'M NOT A RESIDENT OF YOU FOR COUNTY.
THEN SIR, UH, THEN, THEN YOU, YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO, UH, RESPOND.
I HAD TOLD THE, THE CLERK ON THE WAY IN, BUT I DON'T WANNA ALRIGHT.
IS, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WISHES TO? ALRIGHT.
YOU HAVE, UH, ONE MINUTE TO CALL IN IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF RETAINING THE BOOK AT 8 4 3 3 2 2 0 7 3 3.
[01:10:26]
AND THE TIME IS UP.THE NEXT BOOK IS OREX AND CRANK BY MARGARET AT ATWOOD.
MISS SAI, THANK YOU ORCS AND CRAIG BY MARGARET ATWOOD.
THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL.
IT CONTAINS SEXUAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING SEXUAL NUDITY AND BESTIALITY.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE REFERENCES THROUGHOUT THE BOOK TO FICTION, PORNOGRAPHIC WEBSITES AND PEDOPHILIA.
PAGE 40 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH A DESCRIPTION OF ORAL SEX.
LET'S PRETEND I'M HERE WITH YOU.
BIG BUTTON ALL GETTING READY TO SUCK YOUR BRAINS RIGHT OUT OF YOUR DICK.
PAGE 54 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH REFERRAL TO BESTIALITY AND LEWD EXHIBITION.
PAGE 71 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH NOT BEING AGE APPROPRIATE TEACHERS HAVING RELATIONS WITH STUDENTS IS ILLEGAL.
HE USED HIM ON THE BOYS IN THE CLASS, BUT SNOWMAN CAN'T REMEMBER HER REAL NAME.
SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DOWN SO CLOSELY OVER HIS RITA SCREEN, HER LARGE ROUND BREAST ALMOST TOUCHING HIS SHOULDER.
SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE WORN HER NEW SKIN'S T-SHIRT SO TIGHTLY INTO HER ZIP LEG PANT SHORTS.
HE LIKED TO IMAGE, IMAGINE SORRY, THAT IF HE HADN'T BEEN A MINOR AND SHE IS TEACHER AND SUBJECT TO ABUSE CHARGES, SHE'D HAVE BEEN GNAWING HER WAY THROUGH HIS BEDROOM WALLS TO SINK HER AVID FINGERS INTO HIS YOUTHFUL FLESH.
PAGE 73 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH REST REFERENCE TO BESTIALITY.
PAGE 86 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH DESCRIPTION OF SEX AND BODILY EXCREMENTS.
PAGE 89 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH DESCRIPTION OF ORAL SEX, PEDOPHILIA AND ORAL SEX WITH MINORS.
PAGE ONE 10 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH MASTURBATION.
PAGE ONE 30 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF PEDOPHILIA.
SOMETHING ELSE WOULD HAVE TO BE FOUND FOR THE BROTHER.
SOME OTHER OCCUPATION HE WOULD HAVE TO BE SOLD ELSEWHERE.
THE OTHER CHILDREN IN THE ROOM SHOOK THEIR HEADS.
THE BROTHER WOULD BE SOLD TO A PIMP.
THEY SAID A PIMP FOR HAIRY WHITE FOREIGN MEN AND BEARDED BROWN MEN OR YELLOW FAT, FAT YELLOW MEN.
ANY KIND OF MEN WHO LIKE LITTLE BOYS.
THEY DESCRIBED IN DETAIL WHAT THESE MEN WOULD DO.
THEY SAID THAT'S WHAT BOYS LIKE HIM WERE CALLED, FIRM.
AND ROUND ON THE OUTSIDE, SOFT AND SWEET ON THE INSIDE.
A NICE MELON BUM FOR ANYONE WHO PAID.
1 31 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH PEDOPHILIA AND A DESCRIPTION OF GENITALS.
PAGE 1 36 VIOLATES THE REGULATION FOR NOT BEING AGE APPROPRIATE AS WELL AS PAGE 1 39, PAGE ONE 40, VIOLATES REGULATION WITH AGE APPROPRIATENESS AND DESCRIPTION OF PENISES.
PAGE 1 41 VIOLATES THE REGULATION FOR AGE APPROPRIATENESS AND DESCRIPTION OF PENISES.
AGAIN, PAGE 1 42 VIOLATES THE REGULATION FOR NOT BEING AGE APPROPRIATE IN MENTION OF ORAL SEX.
PAGE 1 43 VIOLATES FOR NOT BEING AGE APPROPRIATE WITH REFERENCE TO PORN AND PEDOPHILIA.
PAGE 1 65 VIOLATES THE REGULATION FOR NOT BEING AGE APPROPRIATE.
PAGE 1 67 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH MENTION OF MASTURBATION IN PUBLIC.
PAGE 1 69 VIOLATES THE REGULATION FOR BESTIALITY.
PAGE 1 74 VIOLATES FOR AGE APPROPRIATENESS.
PAGE TWO 30 VIOLATES REGULATION WITH MENTION OF NIPPLES AND BREAST AND AGE APPROPRIATENESS.
PAGE 2 85 WITH DESCRIPTION OF SEX.
PAGE THREE 14 WITH MENTION OF BESTIALITY.
AND FINALLY, PAGE 3 28 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH BESTIALITY.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE? IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WISHES TO, UH, SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF MRS. ALI'S
[01:15:01]
COMMENTS? SEEING NONE.ANYBODY THAT WISHES TO CALL IN AND SUPPORT OF HER COMMENTS CAN CALL AT (843) 322-0733.
YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE TO CALL IN.
IS ANYBODY THAT WISHES TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF RETAINING THE BOOKS IN THE SCHOOL IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT? SEEING NO ONE THE PERSON IF YOU WISH TO CALL IN AND SUPPORT, CALL (843) 322-0733.
YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE TO CALL IN.
NO, NOVEMBER 9TH BY COLLEEN HOOVER.
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE NOVEMBER 9TH BY COLLEEN HOOVER.
THIS, UH, BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL AND, UH, THE BOOK CONTAINS SEXUAL ACTIVITIES.
PAGE FOUR VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH MENTION OF E*******E RELEASING SPERM INTO THE VAGINA OF A 24-YEAR-OLD.
DOES NOT A FATHER MAKE I SAY SOMEWHAT BITTERLY? PAGE 1 58 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH DESCRIPTION OF VAGINAL INTERCOURSE.
AS SOON AS HIS WORDS BRUSH OVER MY MOUTH, HE COVERS ME IN A DEEP KISS.
MY WHOLE BODY TENSES FROM THE BURST OF PAIN THAT RIPPLES THROUGH ME AS HE PUSHES INSIDE OF ME.
BUT THE PERFECTION OF THE WAY WE FIT TOGETHER MAKES THE PAIN A MERE INCONVENIENCE.
PAGE 2 0 3 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH MENTION OF VAGINAL EXCRETIONS TO QUOTE YOUR SO WET.
PAGE TWO 20, VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH DESCRIPTION OF VAGINAL SEX.
IT DOESN'T TAKE 10 SECONDS BEFORE I HAVE HER ON HER BACK AND I'M BURIED DEEP INSIDE HER.
I MAKE LOVE TO HER SLOWLY THIS TIME.
NOT IN A WILD RUSH LIKE WE DID TWICE BEFORE.
PAGE 2 99 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH MENTION OF E*******E.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF MRS. ALI'S? OBJECTION.
YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, UH, TO CALL, UH, 8 4 3 3 2 2 0 7 3 3 IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF MRS. ALI'S OBJECTION.
[01:20:54]
AND ONE MINUTE HAS PASSED.IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF RETAINING, UH, THIS BOOK AND THE LIBRARY? SEEING NONE, ANYBODY THAT WISHES TO CALL IN, IN SUPPORT OF RETAINING THIS BOOK IN THE LIBRARY CAN CALL 8 4 3 3 2 2 0 7 3 3.
AND YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, UH, TO CALL IN AND ONE MINUTE IS UP.
I'LL NOW MOVE TO THE NEXT BOOK IS PERFECT BY MS. ELEC ELLEN HOPKINS.
PERFECT BY ELLEN HOPKINS IS AVAILABLE AT BEFOR HIGH SCHOOL.
BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL AND MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL.
PAGE 2 68 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH DESCRIPTION OF RAPE BODILY FLUID.
AND WHILE IT MAY NOT BE A VIOLATION OF THE RE THE REGULATION, THE RAPIST BLAMING THE VICTIM MIGHT GIVE OTHERS IDEAS TO DO THE SAME.
IT MAKES ME HIGH, MAKES ME THIRSTY, MAKES ME HUNGRY FOR EVEN MORE.
THIS COULD EASILY BECOME ADDICTION.
I PROVE IT WITH MY MOUTH, MY FINGERS, MY TONGUE.
I TELL HER EVER SHE HAS FLUSHED HER SKIN.
THIS TIME WITH THE NEED TO MAKE THIS ALL REAL.
I LIFT MYSELF OVER HER WORKING FOREARMS, BICEPS.
SHE CLOSES HER EYES MOANS AS I MOVE INTO PLACE RIGHT UP AGAINST HER SWEET SPOT.
I SAY BEFORE KISSING HER, BEFORE GOING ALL THE WAY WITH HER.
AND WE WILL BE JOINED IN THE MOST AMAZING WAY.
NOW I HAVE TO HAVE HER NOW, BUT JUST AS I TEST THE BARRIER, EVERYTHING SCREAMING.
SHE OPENS HER EYES AND OUT OF HER MOUTH COMES A SINGLE WORD.
AND EVEN IF I DIDN'T, I KNOW SHE MEANS NO, NOT NO.
OH, OO AND HER EYES POP WIDE AND SHE SCREAMED.
GOD DAMNIT AND HER LITTLE FIST TRY TO POUND AGAINST MY CHEST, WHICH ONLY FEELS GOOD.
AND I CAN'T STOP EVEN IF I WANTED TO.
AND SHE STARTS TO CRY AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
SO I TELL HER OVER AND OVER AGAIN, I LOVE YOU.
I LOVE YOU RHYTHMIC AND PERFECT TIME WITH MY BODY'S RHYTHMIC FEET.
THERE'S A STRANGE BUZZING IN MY EARS WITH A FINAL THRUST.
THERE'S A BRILLIANT FLASH IN THE EMPTYING IS SYNCOPATED.
MY HEAD CLEARS AS THE MISS SLOWLY LIFTS AND I SEE WHAT I'VE DONE.
TEAR GLOSSED EYES STARING UP AT ME.
WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED? YOU WANTED THIS.
[01:25:01]
YOU TOLD ME SO IN FACT, YOU PRACTICALLY RAPED ME.SHE SOBS AND HER ENTIRE BODY SHAKES FROM THE FORCE OF IT.
HER VOICE SLICES, TEMPERED STEEL.
PAGE THREE 19, VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH REFERENCE TO FEMALE EXCRETION.
PAGE 4 68 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH REFERENCE TO MALE E*******E.
PAGE 4 91 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH REFERENCE TO ORAL SEX.
AND PAGE 5 29 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE LESBIAN SEX.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF MRS. ALI'S? OBJECTION.
IF YOU WISH TO CALL IN, IN SUPPORT OF MRS. ALI'S OBJECTION, UH, YOU CAN CALL 8 4 3 3 2 2 0 7 3 3.
AND YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, UH, TO CALL IN AND ONE MINUTE IS UP.
SO WE'LL MOVE TO THE LAST BOOK.
THE LAST BOOK IS THE HANDMAIDEN'S TALE BY MARGARET ATWOOD.
THE HANDMAID'S TALE BY MARGARET ATWOOD IS AVAILABLE BAT CREEK HIGH SCHOOL.
BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL, MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL AND WELL BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE BOOKS WERE AVAILABLE AT BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL.
PAGE 22 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH IMAGIN OF MASTURBATION.
I HOPE THEY GET HARD AT THE SIDE OF US AND HAVE TO RUB THEMSELVES AGAINST THE PA PAINTED BARRIERS SURREPTITIOUSLY.
PAGE 93 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH DESCRIPTION OF VAGINAL SEX ABOVE ME TOWARDS THE HEAD OF THE BED.
SERENA JOY IS ARRANGED OUT SPREAD.
MY HEAD ON HER STOMACH, HER PUBIC BONE UNDER THE BASE OF MY SKULL.
HER THIGHS ON EITHER SIDE OF ME.
THIS IS SUPPOSED TO SIGNIFY THAT WE ARE ONE FLESH, ONE BEING WHAT IT REALLY MEANS IS THAT SHE IS IN CONTROL OF THE PROCESS AND THUS OF THE PRODUCT.
IF ANY, THE RINGS OF HER LEFT HAND CUT INTO MY FINGERS.
MY RED SKIRT IS HITCHED UP TO MY WAIST THOUGH NO HIGHER BELOW IT.
THE COMMANDER IS F*****G WHAT HE IS F*****G IS THE LOWER PART OF MY BODY.
I DO NOT SAY MAKING LOVE BECAUSE THIS IS NOT WHAT HE IS DOING.
COPULATING TWO WOULD BE INACCURATE BECAUSE IT WOULD IMPLY TWO PEOPLE AND ONLY ONE IS INVOLVED.
NOTHING IS GOING ON HERE THAT I HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR.
THERE WASN'T A LOT OF CHOICE, BUT THERE WAS SOME.
THEREFORE I LIE STILL AND PICTURE THE UNSEEN CANOPY OVER MY HEAD.
I REMEMBER QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVICE TO HER DAUGHTER, CLOSE YOUR EYES AND THINK OF ENGLAND, BUT THIS IS NOT ENGLAND.
MAYBE I'M CRAZY AND THIS IS SOME KIND OF NEW THERAPY.
I WISH IT WERE TRUE THEN I COULD GET BETTER AND THIS WOULD GO AWAY.
SERENA JOY GRIPS THE HAND MY HANDS AS IF IS SHE, IS SHE NOT I? WHO'S BEING F****D AS IF SHE FINDS IT EITHER PLEASURABLE OR PAINFUL.
AND THE COMMODORE F***S WITH REGULAR TWO FOUR MARCHING STROKE, ON AND ON LIKE A TAP DRIPPING.
HE IS PREOCCUPIED LIKE A MAN HUMMING TO HIMSELF IN THE SHOWER WITHOUT KNOWING HE'S HUMMING LIKE A MAN WHO HAS OTHER THINGS ON HIS MIND.
IT'S AS IF HE'S SOMEWHERE ELSE WAITING FOR HIMSELF TO COME DRUMMING HIS FINGERS ON THE TABLE WHILE HE WAITS.
THERE'S AN IMPATIENCE IN THE RHYTHM NOW.
[01:30:01]
BUT ISN'T THIS EVERYONE'S WET DREAM TWO WOMEN AT ONCE.THEY USED TO SAY IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SEXUAL DESIRE.
AT LEAST FOR ME AND CERTAINLY NOT FOR SERENA.
AROUSAL AND ORGASM ARE NO LONGER THOUGHT NECESSARY.
THEY WOULD BE A SYMPTOM OF ILITY MERELY LIKE JAZZ, GARTER OR BEAUTY SPOTS.
SUPERFLUOUS DISTRACTIONS FOR THE LIKE-MINDED.
PAGE 95 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH A DESCRIPTION OF ATORY FUNCTION.
HE COMES AT LAST WITH A STIFLED GROAN.
AS OF RELIEF, I ENTANGLE MYSELF FROM HER BODY.
STAND UP THE JUICE OF THE COMMANDER, RUNS DOWN MY LEGS.
PAGE ONE 18 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH A DESCRIPTION OF SEXUAL ACTS AND SADOMASOCHISTIC ACTS, WOMEN KNEELING, SUCKING PENISES OR GUNS.
WOMEN TIED UP OR CHANGED OR WITH DOG COLLARS AROUND THEIR NECKS.
WOMEN HANGING FROM TREES OR UPSIDE DOWN NAKED WITH THEIR LEGS HELD APART.
WOMEN BEING RAPED, BEATEN UP, KILLED.
PAGE 1 39 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH DESCRIPTION THAT IS MEANT TO ALLUDE TO EXCRETORY FUNCTION OF A MAN AFTER HAVING SEX.
AND PAGE 3, 2 22 VIOLATES THE REGULATION WITH IMAGERY OF SEX, DESCRIPTION OF A PENIS AND A VAGINA.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF, UH, BANNING THIS BOOK FROM OUR LIBRARIES? YES, SIR.
UH, YOU'LL HAVE UH, THREE MINUTES.
CAN YOU START THE TIMER PLEASE? THANK YOU.
MR. CHAIR, I WANT TO CORRECT YOU ON THE USE OF BANNING BOOKS.
THERE'S STILL AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE IN GENERAL.
UM, I WANNA THANK IVY FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT SHE'S DONE.
NOTHING THAT I SAY HERE IS GONNA CHANGE THE FACT THAT THE MATERIAL DOESN'T BELONG IN OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, BUT IT'S IRONIC THAT WE HAVE A BOOK REVIEW LIKE THIS AND THESE MATERIALS AREN'T LOOKED AT BY THE PEOPLE THAT WORK IN OUR SCHOOLS YET.
LAST WEEK WE IMPLEMENTED WEAPONS SYSTEMS, UH, WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEMS TO KEEP WEAPONS OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS, WHICH I'M HAPPY WE'VE DONE THAT.
BUT, UM, THERE ARE OTHER WEAPONS AND BOOKS LIKE THIS CAN CREATE SOME EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS FOR KIDS IF THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE 'EM.
ONE THING I DO WANNA SAY IS, UM, I APPRECIATE YOU GIVING HER THE CHANCE TO, TO SPEAK HER MIND AND TO FOLLOW THE, UH, REGULATION.
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT WISHES TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF RETAINING THIS BOOK IN THE GO AHEAD, MA'AM.
WE HAVE THREE MINUTES WHEN YOU GET TO THE PODIUM.
FIRST, I WANNA REMIND YOU THAT YOUR JOB IS TO DETERMINE IF THESE BOOKS VIOLATE THE REG, NOT IF THE COMPLAINANT BELIEVES THAT THEY VIOLATE THE REG.
UM, AND THEN SINCE WE HAVE TAKEN THIS TACTIC OF READING THE DETAILS OUT LOUD DETAILS THAT ARE ALL PUBLIC RECORD THAT YOU HAVE IN PACKETS IN FRONT OF YOU, I HAVE A FEW EXCERPTS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO READ.
FIRST, I WANTED TO RAPE YOU AND THEN MURDER YOU AFTERWARDS.
SECOND, HE WOULD FLOG HER TO DEATH WITH A RUBBER TRENCH IN.
HE WOULD TIE HER NAKED TO A STAKE AND SHOOT HER FULL OF ARROWS LIKE ST.
HE WOULD RAVS HER AND CUT HER THROAT AT THE MOMENT OF CLIMAX.
THIRD, HE COULD FEEL HER BREASTS RIGHT YET FIRM THROUGH HER OVERALLS.
AND FOURTH, SHE THREW HER HERSELF DOWN ON THE BED AND AT ONCE, WITHOUT ANY KIND OF PRELIMINARY, AND THE MOST COARSE, HORRIBLE WAY YOU CAN IMAGINE PULLED UP HER SKIRT.
THESE ARE ALL EXCERPTS FROM GEORGE ORWELL'S NOVEL 1984, WHICH OUR STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO RETAIN ON SHELVES.
READING SHOCKING PASSAGES DOES NOT MEAN THAT A BOOK VIOLATES THE REGULATION.
A QUICK ANECDOTE ABOUT THE HANDMAID'S TALE.
IN THE FALL OF 2022, WHEN THESE 96 BOOKS WERE ORIGINALLY CHALLENGED, THERE WAS A CLASS AT BUFORT HIGH SCHOOL, AN ENGLISH CLASS WHO WAS READING AND STUDYING THE HANDMAID'S TALE TOGETHER.
A FRIEND OF MINE'S CHILD WAS IN THAT CLASS WHEN THEY HAD THE BOOKS REMOVED FROM THEM BECAUSE OF THIS CHALLENGE, AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FINISH THE BOOK AND FINISH THE DISCUSSION IN CLASS.
THIS IS A NOVEL THAT IS TAUGHT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY IN HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES AND AP CLASSES.
AS MY COLLEAGUES ED IN COLLEGE CLASSES, DO WE REALLY WANT TO BE THE DISTRICT THAT RESTRICTS ACCESS TO THIS AWARD-WINNING BOOK THAT'S PART OF AP EXAMS. AND THE IRONY OF BANNING A BOOK THAT FEATURES A STORYLINE WHERE WOMEN ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEARN TO READ SHOULDN'T BE LOST ON ANY OF US.
NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE BOARD, UH, TO VOTE.
AND THE WAY WE'LL DO THIS IS I WILL MENTION THE BOOK TITLE, AND THEN I WILL CALL THE ROLE.
[01:35:01]
AND YOU CAN MAKE A GENERAL COMMENT ABOUT THE BOOK, IF YOU WISH.BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, I NEED YOU TO VOTE TO EITHER ONE, RETAIN THE BOOK IN THE LIBRARY, TWO, REMOVE THE BOOK FROM THE LIBRARY, OR THREE, RESTRICT THE BOOK IN THE LIBRARY IN A RESTRICTED FILE.
THAT PARENTAL CONSENT MUST BE, UH, ACHIEVED BEFORE A CHILD CAN CHECK THE BOOK OUT.
SO YOU HAVE THREE CHOICES, AND UH, I WILL, I WILL TALLY THE RESULTS AND WE WILL, IF WE HAVE A MAJORITY IN ONE OF THE OTHER, WE WILL.
THAT WILL BE THE BOARD'S POSITION.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? ANY COMMENTS ONLINE QUESTIONS ONLINE? NOT AT THIS TIME.
WE'LL START, UH, DOWN THE ROW LINE.
UM, MR. UH, PASTOR GORDON IS NOT AVAILABLE.
UH, MS. GORDON IS NOT AVAILABLE.
UH, MR. SMITH, HOW DO YOU VOTE? AND THE VOTE IS TO KEEP THE BOOKS TO, UH, UPHOLD THE, UH, RETAIN THE BOOK OR REMOVE THE BOOK OR RESTRICT THE BOOK.
THESE BOOKS HAVE ALREADY WENT, WE'VE ALREADY REVIEWED THESE BOOKS, HAVEN'T WE? AND, AND, AND, AND OUR STAFF, STAFF HAS HAVE, IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING THESE BOOKS, OUR STAFF HAVE, THE DECISION WAS TO UPHOLD IT IN THE STATE, SEND IT BACK TO US TO MAKE A ANOTHER DECISION ON IT.
OUR, OUR CAN, CAN WE, CAN WE SAY THAT AS WELL BEFORE WE STOP? YES.
COMMUNITY REVIEWED THE BOOK THROUGH THE, UH, THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND THAT, AND THAT INCLUDED, UH, SOME, UH, AND DISTRICT STAFF WITHIN THAT PROCESS.
UM, THEY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD AT THAT TIME, AND THEN THE BOARD TOOK A POSITION AT THAT TIME.
AND IN ESSENCE, IF, IF, IF I RECALL, UH, THE BOARD, UH, UH, POSITION WAS ALONGSIDE THE, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION OF THOSE COMMITTEES.
THE, THE LAST PAGE IN YOUR PACKET HAS THE VOTE BY THE COMMITTEE.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THIS BOOK, UH, MILK AND HONEY, UH, FOUR VOTES WERE TO KEEP IT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
UH, ONE VOTE WAS TO KEEP IT AT, UH, THE SIXTH TO EIGHTH GRADE LEVEL.
AND TWO VOTES WERE TO REMOVE THE BOOK ENTIRELY.
THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS THE VOTE ON THE COMMITTEE.
SO THE BOOK WAS RETAINED IN THE HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY.
AND THE REASON WHY I WANTED THAT TO BE, UM, NOTED, IS BECAUSE I'VE HAD SOME PEOPLE WHO'VE ASKED ME, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS AGAIN? OR, OR HAVE WE NOT DONE THIS? AND I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT AS YOU MOVE FOR, UH, THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THE PROCESS AND WHY, WHY ARE WE HERE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW? BECAUSE IF SOMEONE'S JUST TUNING IN AND NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON, THEN I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE, WHY WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE MATTER OF THIS MEETING.
SO, UH, SO, SO FOR, SO FOR THAT, I JUST WANT TO, UH, I'M, I'M GOING TO, UH, I'M GONNA SAY A ALL POLL DECISION.
YOU CAN SAY RE RETAIN THE BOOK IN THE LIBRARY.
AND I'M GOING TO RESTRICT THE BOOK.
UH, MR. NAY RESTRICT, RESTRICT MR. SMALL, UH, RETAIN.
DR. CARR RETAINED, RETAIN MR. DALLAS'S ABSENT, UH, MS. UH, FRAZIER, RETAIN, RETAIN.
AND MS. HAY, I'M NUMBER THREE REQUIRING CONSENT.
I, I, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR THAT.
COULD YOU SAY IT AGAIN, PLEASE? YES.
I SAID I WAS VOTING AS A NUMBER THREE IN THOSE OPTIONS, WHICH IS REQUIRING CONSENT, PARENTAL CONSENT RESTRICTED.
NO, ACTUALLY, CAN, CAN WE GET SOME CLARIFICATION? BECAUSE FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, WHEN,
[01:40:01]
WHEN THE, THE VOTE WAS, I MEAN, WHEN THE, THE, WHEN WE UP UPHELD ON, WHEN WE UPHELD IT, IT WAS TWO TO GIVE PARENTS THE OPTIONS TO WHERE PARENTS COULD, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE SAYING, WE'RE SAYING A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS THERE.SOME OF US ARE SAYING TO RE TO RETAIN, UH, TO RETAIN.
AND THEN SOME I SAYING ARE RESTRICT.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS RE RE IF, IF THE OPTION IS BASICALLY TO ALLOW THE PARENTS TO HAVE THE, ALL THE, THE CONSENT TO SAY, YES, YES, EVA, I DON'T WANT MY CHILD TO CHECK OUT THE BOOK.
OR I DON'T, THAT, THAT PARENTAL GUIDANCE IS COMING REGARDLESS, BECAUSE OKAY.
I BELIEVE THAT, THAT, THAT'S, I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY TO THE LIBRARIAN, I DON'T WANT YOUR CHILD, MY CHILD, TO CHECK OUT ANY BOOKS.
RIGHT? OR HE CAN GIVE A, A LIST OF BOOKS.
THAT'S CALLED THE OPT OUT MODE.
AND, AND THAT STILL APPLIES FOR FOREVER STILL.
IT'S STILL THAT WAY IN THE, UH, IN, IN THE LIBRARY.
THE PARENT HAS THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.
WHAT THIS DOES IS ALLOW, IF YOU SAY RETAIN, IT STAYS IN THE LIBRARY, BUT A PARENT COULD OPT OUT, BUT IT STAYS IN THE LIBRARY.
YOU CAN GO IN AND CHECK OUT THE BOOK.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE YOUR PARENTS' PERMISSION.
IF IT'S RESTRICTED, YOU, YOU'LL, THE BOOKS WILL BE KEPT IN A RESTRICTED FILE.
THE PARENT OR THE CHILD WOULD COME TO THE LIBRARIAN AND SAY, I'D LIKE TO CHECK OUT THE BOOK.
THE LIBRARIAN WOULD HAND THE CHILD A CONSENT FORM.
THE CHILD WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT HOME TO THE PARENT AND THE PARENT SIGN THAT THEY WOULD, UH, UH, BE OKAY TO THEM TO CHECK IT OUT.
THE CHILD COULD BRING IT BACK, GIVE IT TO THE LIBRARIAN, AND THAT CHILD COULD GET THE BOOK.
AND OF COURSE, REMOVE THE BOOK MEANS, MEANS THE BOOK IS TAKEN AWAY AND, AND, AND NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, DESTROYED OR WHATEVER.
SO WHAT DID, DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR VOTE OR NOT GO RESTRICT? I, I, I RESTRICT IT CAN GO RESTRICT.
RESTRICT FROM ME, RESTRICT FROM MR. NAY.
AND RESTRICT FROM MS. UH, ELIZABETH HAY.
SO TO RETAIN IS, UH, PAUL, UH, DR. CARR AND MS. FRAZIER.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO THAT'S FOUR THREE.
SO THE, THE VOTE IS TO RESTRICT THE BOOK.
UH, THE FIRST ONE'S ALWAYS HARD.
THE NEXT BOOK IS RX AND KINK CRATE BY MARGARET ATWOOD.
UH, MR. SMITH, UH, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? DO YOU WANNA RESTRICT IT OR RETAIN IT OR REMOVE IT? I'M GONNA RESTRICT IT.
RESTRICT, UH, I WILL VOTE FOR RESTRICT MR. NAY.
IT'S NOVEMBER NINE BY COLLEEN HOOVER.
I WILL VOTE FOR RESTRICT MR. NAY.
RESTRICT, RESTRICT, UM, MR. SMALL, UH, RESTRICT, RESTRICT DR.
NEXT BOOK IS PERFECT BY ELLEN HOPKINS.
MR. SMITH, RESTRICT, RESTRICT, I WILL VOTE.
RESTRICT, RESTRICT, UH, MR. SMALL, UH, RESTRICT, RESTRICT.
[01:45:01]
FRASER.RETAIN, RETAIN MS. HAY, RESTRICT, RESTRICT.
AND THE LAST BOOK, HANDMAIDEN'S TALE.
MR. SMITH RESTRICT, I WILL VOTE, RESTRICT MR. NAY.
RESTRICT, RESTRICT, UH, MR. SMALL RESTRICT, RESTRICT DR. CARR.
RETAIN, RETAIN, AND MS. HAY RESTRICT, RESTRICT.
SO EACH OF THE, UH, BOOKS WILL BE, BE REPORTED BACK TO THE STATE BOARD, UH, THAT THESE FIVE BOOKS WILL BE RESTRAINED, RESTRAINED, UH, I'M SORRY, RESTRICTED IN OUR LIBRARIES.
AND, UH, THEY CHILD MUST HAVE A PERMISSION SLIP.
SO WE'LL NEED TO HAVE THAT IMPLEMENTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
[Chair’s Report]
ITEM.UH, THERE WAS A MEETING THAT FIVE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ATTENDED.
IT'S THE, UH, DELEGATE ASSEMBLY, UH, FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION TO COME UP WITH THE, UH, UH, LEGISLATIVE ITEMS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE STATE BOARD.
MR. SMITH ATTENDED MR. NAY, MS. FRAZIER, AND, UH, MR. SMALL AND MR. NAY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE A UPDATE ON WHAT, UH, WAS ACCOMPLISHED THERE? UH, YES, MR. CHAIR.
UH, THIS WAS THE 2025 LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY CONFERENCE, UH, HELD IN, UH, CHARLESTON AT THE MARRIOTT.
UH, THE FIRST TOPIC WAS THE LEGISLATIVE ROUND TABLE OF K 12 AND OTHER ISSUES.
WE HAD FOUR LEGISLATORS THAT ANSWERED QUESTIONS.
TWO SENATORS AND TWO REPRESENTATIVES, UH, VERY INSIGHTFUL.
WHAT'S ON EVERYONE'S AGENDA? WE HAD REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT SOUTH CAROLINA'S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SOUTH, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, A LOBBYIST FROM THE CAPITAL INFORMATION AFFILIATES REPRESENTING THE SOUTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE.
AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE PALMETTO STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.
UH, THAT TOOK QUESTIONS, UM, OF WHICH MYSELF AND, UH, A COUPLE OF OTHER, UH, BOARD MEMBERS ASKED QUESTIONS.
UM, THERE WAS A, UH, A BRIEF ON HOW THE STATE BUDGET WORKS FOR EDUCATION.
UH, AND IF, UH, IF YOU LIKE FLOWCHARTS, I HIGHLY LOOK, RECOMMEND LOOKING THAT UP.
'CAUSE IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING.
I'LL SAY THAT, UH, WE HAD A DELEGATE ASSEMBLY, UH, WHERE WE INSTALLED THE NEW OFFICERS FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, OR THE S SC SBA.
UH, AND THEN THAT'S WHEN WE VOTED ON CURRENT AND NEW PROPOSALS.
UH, OF NOTE, UH, THE PROPOSAL THAT WE SENT UP, UM, REQUIRING A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS WAS PASSED.
UH, MR. DALLAS BRIEFED THAT ONE, UM, THAT WAS A REPRESENTATIVE, UM, FOR THE FEDERAL K 12 EDUCATION UPDATE.
UH, AND THEN ON THE LAST DAY, UH, THERE WAS AN INTERESTING, UM, DEBATE.
UH, THERE WAS, UH, THREE BOARD MEMBERS VOTING FOR, I'M SORRY, ARGUING FOR, AND THREE BOARD MEMBERS ARGUING AGAINST THREE DIFFERENT TOPICS.
UH, TOPIC ONE WAS SHOULD SCHOOL, OH, I'M SORRY.
THESE TOPICS ARE CURRENTLY UNDER LEGISLATION.
TOPIC NUMBER ONE WAS, SHOULD SCHOOL PERSONNEL BE ARMED TO DEFEND CAMPUSES? TOPIC NUMBER TWO WAS, SHOULD CHARTER HOMESCHOOL AND GOVERNOR SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAMS? AND NUMBER THREE WAS SCHOOL SHOULD SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS BE PARTISAN? UH, SO IT WAS A, IT WAS AN INTERESTING, UH, I'M, I'M, WELL INTERESTING IF YOU LIKE THAT KIND OF STUFF.
I'M REAL NAILBITER STUFF IF YOU DIDN'T, BUT, UH, I, I ENJOYED THE, THE, THE DEBATE, UH, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR'S.
UM, ALSO, UH, UH, WITHIN THAT ALSO, UH, MR. UH, DALLAS WAS ALSO APPOINTED, UH, FROM, FROM HIS BOARD HEAD TO AS WELL, TO REPRESENT THE, UH, TO BE REPRESENTED AT SC UH, SBA.
AND THEN ALSO WE TALKED ABOUT SOME, UH, LEAD LEGAL STUFF THAT MIGHT BE COMING, MIGHT BE COMING DOWN, UH, AS WELL.
AND THEN, AND THEN, AND THEN WITH WITHIN THAT ALSO, I ALSO ATTENDED THE, UM, UH, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE TWO AS WELL, THE, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CONFERENCE.
I, I ATTENDED, I ATTENDED THAT ON THE NOVEMBER 14TH.
AND THAT WAS A GREAT CONFERENCE AS WELL.
UM, IT, IT, THAT CONFERENCE WAS BASICALLY ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, BOARD GOVERNANCE AND ALSO ABOUT UNDER UNDERSTANDING, UH, BREAKING DOWN YOUR,
[01:50:01]
YOUR BE YOUR BUDGET AND YEARS TO COME IN, DIFFERENT QUESTIONS THAT BOARD MEMBERS NEED TO KNOW, AND ALSO UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT DOES AND HOW IT CAN ALSO SUPPORT BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL AS DS AS, AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.THAT'S, I THINK THAT, UH, THE, THE, THE, UH, STATE DEPARTMENT OF THE MEETING WAS A VERY GOOD MEETING TO GO TO IF PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T GO, IF THEY, IF THEY HAVE ANOTHER ONE, YOU MAY WANNA GO.
BECAUSE THEY ALSO GAVE US A, GAVE US A BOOK THERE ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS AND SOME OF THE BOARD SHIP.
UH, I THINK IT, IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY INFORMAL INFORMATION CONFERENCE.
AND, UH, THEY, THEY BOTH WERE, WERE GOOD GOOD CONFERENCES.
AND THEY BOTH WERE VERY, UH, INSTRUMENTAL.
UH, AND ALSO, UM, ONE THING I WOULD SAY ALSO, THE, THE STATE, UH, BOARD OF, OF THE STATE, UH, CONFERENCE WAS THAT, UM, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THEM, HOW THEY'RE TRYING TO KIND OF GET, GETTING RID OF A, OF A STATE EDUCATION.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, DEFINITELY NEED TO, UH, BE, UM, ON NO, NO, NO.
AND THEN NOT AS, IN SAYING THAT, ARE THEY GONNA GET RID, GET, GET, GET, GET RID OF IT, AS IN, IN TOTAL.
BUT AS IN DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT PARTS OF IT.
AND HOW THEY'RE BREAKING IT DOWN.
BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS ASKED TO THE GUY WHO CAME FROM, FROM THE, UM, FROM, FROM THE, FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, AND BASICALLY TALKING ABOUT HOW HE WAS ABOUT HOW, HOW THE, THE PRESIDENT IS GETTING RID OF THE, THE, THE, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
AND THERE WERE JUST DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS, A LOT, A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ALONG, ALONG WITH THAT, THAT KIND OF ALLUDE TO THAT.
THERE WAS NO CON CON THERE WAS NO COMMENT THERE THAT SAY THAT EXACTLY.
BUT WHEN YOU, BUT WHEN YOU LISTEN TO IT AND WHAT'S GOING ON ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, THEN, THEN, THEN SOME, SOME WOULD SAY THAT, THAT, THAT WAS, THAT COULD BE A POSSIBLY MO MOVE.
THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S THAT SCARY.
I, I THINK I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY.
YOU MEANT FEDERAL EDUCATION, NOT STATE EDUCATION.
THAT'S WHAT THAT WOULD MAKE YOU FEEL.
UH, ALSO, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, UH, GERALD DAWSON, THE COUNTY COUNCILMAN FROM THE WILL BRANCH AREA, ASKED TO MEET WITH PASTOR GORDON AND MYSELF TO DISCUSS BROADBAND COVERAGE IN THE WELL BRANCH, UH, SHELDON AREA.
AND, UH, WE PROVIDED, UH, MR. DAWSON THE LOCATION AND THE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS IN THE WELL BRANCH SHELDON AREA FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WHERE THEY LIVED, AND, UH, WHAT KIND OF LACK OF COVERAGE, UH, THAT THEY HAD IN THAT AREA.
UH, HE CONTACTED THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, UH, MR. MICHAEL MOORE AND MR. MOORE IS ASKED THAT, UH, UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ, UM, MYSELF, UH, PASTOR GORDON, UH, MR. SMITH, AND, UH, YORK GLOVER, THE COUNCILMAN FROM, UH, ST.
HELENA, UH, TO ALSO GO TO A MEETING ON MONDAY TO DISCUSS, UH, HOW, UH, WE CAN TRY TO FIND THE FUNDING TO PROVIDE, UH, BROADBAND ACCESS IN THOSE AREAS.
SO WE'LL BE DOING THAT MONDAY.
[Committee Reports]
TO COMMITTEE REPORTS.UH, ON NOVEMBER 20TH, 2025, THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE AGENDA INCLUDED TWO OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS, 13 STUDENT DISCIPLINE AND OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS.
14, LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, TREATMENT OF STUDENTS, AND PRESENTATION OF SIX ADMINISTRATION, ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS, AND THE UPDATE OF THE HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE AWARD.
AT THE MEETING, THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE BOARD MEMBERS APPROVED THE UPDATE OF VERSION OE 13 AND THE NEWLY PRESENTED OE 14.
BOTH OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS WERE PRESENTED BY DR.
CHAD COX, CHIEF STUDENT OFF, UH, SERVICES OFFICER.
UH, FOLLOWING STUDENT SERVICE PRESENTATIONS, KAREN MCKENZIE, SECONDARY DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, PRESENTED TO ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS FROM INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES.
UH, IS 25 WAS MULTILINGUAL LEARNER PROGRAM AND IS 44 TESTS AND EXAMINATIONS.
FOLLOWING, UH, A BRIEF READING OF THE HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE AWARD, THERE WAS A HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE AWARD PRESENTED TO BOARD CHAIRMAN GEIER, WHO SHARED THE PREFERENCE, UH, OF THE PRESENTATION TO THE FULL BOARD, AND RECOMMENDED THAT WE PRESENT IT HERE TONIGHT TO DR. RODRIGUEZ.
THE BRI, THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS A VOLUNTEER GROUP OF DEDICATED COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT CONTINUES TO POUR INTO BSCD WITH THEIR EXPERTISE AND GIVING OF THEIR TIME.
OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE COMMITTEE HAS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND EXCEEDING THE NUMBER OF REQUIRED MEETINGS BY ALMOST TRIPLE AS THEY WORKED THROUGH THE REVIEW OF THE HEALTH EDUCATION MATERIALS INVOLVING THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
[01:55:01]
CURRICULUM.THIS INCLUDED REVIEWING TWO ENTIRE TEXTBOOKS, TOTALING OVER A THOUSAND PAGES OF TEXT, 40 POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS IN THE 89 ANCILLARY RESOURCES.
ADDITIONALLY, THEY'RE REVIEWED PROGRAMS AND MATERIALS FOR AARON'S LAW AND GAVIN'S LAW.
THEY RE, THEIR REVIEW WAS PRESENTED TO THE BSCD ACADEMIC COMMITTEE, AND ULTIMATELY THE FULL BSCD SCHOOL BOARD.
EACH COMMITTEE MEMBER DEDICATED MANY HOURS OVER AND ABOVE WHAT WAS REQUIRED IN AN EFFORT TO NOT ONLY BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE, BUT ALSO EQUIP THE DISTRICT'S TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS WITH CURRICULUM APPROPRIATE FOR ALL STUDENTS.
CONSEQUENTLY, THEIR EFFORTS AND COMMITMENT TO BCSD HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERY STUDENT AND HEALTH EDUCATION TEACHER IN THE DISTRICT, FROM TRAINING TEACHERS AND OTHER SCHOOL PERSONNEL TO THE LESSONS BEING TAUGHT IN ALL SCHOOLS.
SO WE CONCLUDED, UH, THE MEETING WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION, HAS HONORED THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO HEALTH EDUCATION FOR 2025.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY COLONEL GUYER.
IF I MAY, I JUST WANT TO THANK, UM, THE COMMITTEE THAT COMES TOGETHER AND REALLY TAKES ON THAT TASK AND THAT WORK.
I THINK SHE AND HER TEAM, UH, HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB ORGANIZING, UM, THIS WORK AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET, UH, WHAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO DO THEIR WORK.
UM, ALSO, ALSO, UM, ONE, THE REASON WHY ALSO I ASKED FOR THIS TO COME HERE IS BECAUSE, UM, THEY, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE TEACHER, WHO IS THE TEACHER WHO WORKS HERE, DR.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S HER NAME, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING? AMY.
THIS IS PRIOR, AND HER TEAM, ALONG WITH DR.
SRAS, THEY DO A GOOD JOB AND THEY GET THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT IS MAYBE THIS AMOUNT OF STUFF UPON ONE EXPERT OR ONE SURROUNDING ONE SITUATION IN TERMS OF INFORMATION THAT THEY READ.
AND THESE PEOPLE VOLUNTEER TO DO THIS.
AND TO ME, I WAS HOPING THAT WE WOULD HAVE THEM HERE TONIGHT, BUT I WANT TO TELL 'EM THEY'RE WATCHING.
AND, AND THEN TO, AND FOR ME TO SIT ON THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND TO GO ALSO GO TO THEIR MEET THEIR MEETINGS MADE ME BETTER UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE PEOPLE LIKE THEM WHO COMES TO THESE MEETINGS AND THEY READ AND TAKE THE TIME THAT THEY DO.
THEY TAKE THEIR TIME TO THE MEETINGS.
I MEAN, AND THEY PUT A LOT OF ENERGY AT HOME INTO THIS AS WELL.
EVEN BEFORE THEY GET TO THESE MEETINGS, THEY, THEY DO A LOT OF WORK.
I JUST CAN'T EXPRESS HOW MUCH WE REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT PUBLICLY BECAUSE THEY DESERVE IT.
HER, THAT TEACHER AND THAT, AND THEY, THE FULL STAFF THAT, ALONG WITH DR.
SRAS AND HER STAFF THAT DOES THAT.
UH, NEXT IS THE AD HOC POLICY COMMITTEE.
UH, MS. HAY, ARE YOU PREPARED TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT? HI THERE.
I'M NOT SURE HOW WE'RE PROCEEDING ON THIS ONE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE POLICY WE NEEDED TO HAVE APPROVED HAD ALREADY BEEN PUT BEFORE US, EITHER AT THE WORK SESSION OR THE BOARD MEETING PRIOR TO THAT.
THE, THE POLICY IN QUESTION MRS. HAY IS IN OUR, UH, BOARD BUSINESS ACTION FOR THIS EVENING.
AND WHEN WE GET DOWN TO THE BOARD BUSINESS ACTION, I'LL MAKE THE APPROPRIATE MOTION.
SORRY YOU ALL, I'M STRUGGLING OVER HERE WITH AN ILLNESS, BUT, UM, THANK YOU MR. NAY FOR HANDLING THIS.
UH, FINANCE COMMITTEE, UH, MS. CROSBY, UH, FINANCE, UH, CHAIR IS, UH, TRYING TO GET BACK HOME FROM, UH, UH, BEING UP IN THE WASHINGTON DC AREA.
UM, THIS IS THE, SO FOR THE, UM, FINANCE COMMITTEES, WE HAD TWO COMMITTEES SINCE OUR LAST BOARD MEETING.
AND SO WE WILL BE REPORTING FIRST ON THE NOVEMBER 13TH, UM, MEETING MINUTES.
UH, THE, WE HAD A, FIRST OF ALL, THE FIRST ITEM WAS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MONTHLY REVIEW.
UM, ALL OF THE BUDGET LINE ITEMS WERE IN LINE WITH PRIOR YEAR SPENDING PATTERNS, SO EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD THERE.
UH, WE REVIEWED MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR
[02:00:01]
SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION AND THE BENEFITS THAT IT PROVIDES, ADVOCACY, NETWORKING, TRAINING, AND SO ON.UM, SO THOSE ARE THE COSTS, UH, THE BENEFITS THAT WE RECEIVE AS A RESULT OF THE MEMBERSHIP.
AND DUE, UH, THERE WAS A SEPTEMBER, 2025 TRANSPARENCY REPORT THAT WAS REVIEWED BY THE COMMITTEE.
UH, WE COMPARED SPENDING TO FROM SEPTEMBER OF 2025, UH, TO THE PRIOR YEAR, AND, UH, DISCUSSED ANY VARIANCES THAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED.
UH, WE HIGHLIGHTED CERTAIN MAJOR EXPENDITURES SUCH AS CONSTRUCTION, CUSTODIAL SERVICES, AND HEALTH INSURANCE.
AND WE EMPHASIZE THAT WE'RE USING AI TO HELP PROVIDE THIS TRANSPARENCY REPORT TO, UM, DISPLAY DIFFERENT WAYS OF, UM, FUNDING ALLOCATIONS, WAYS THAT THE DISTRICT IS ALLOCATING FUNDS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
UM, ONE OF THE AREAS, UH, THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS REQUESTED IS TO PROVIDE A FOCUS REVIEW OF A SPECIFIC EXPENDITURE OR ITEM IN THE BUDGET.
AND WE ARE, UH, THIS MONTH'S REVIEW WAS FOCUSED ON HEALTH INSURANCE.
SO PA IS THE PUBLIC, UH, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION THAT OVERSEES HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THE DISTRICT.
IT IS A, IT IS A RATHER LARGE EXPENDITURE FOR THE DISTRICT.
IT IS 6% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET, AND 92% OF THAT IS FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND, 8% BY OTHER FUNDS, SUCH AS SPECIAL REVENUE AND SO ON, WHERE IT, IT FOLLOWS THE EMPLOYEE.
UH, WE DID HAVE A PREMIUM INCREASE OF ALMOST 20% EFFECTIVE IN JANUARY.
AND THOSE INCREASES ARE APPROPRIATELY BUDGETED IN OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
UH, WE ALSO REVIEWED SOME PAYMENT CYCLES.
SOMETIMES, UH, THEY ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
THERE AREN'T EVEN EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
'CAUSE THERE MAY BE AN ADVANCED PAYMENT THAT'S REQUIRED AS WELL.
WE DISCUSS, UH, SUBSTITUTE TEACHER COSTS, UM, AND THE SHIFT OF, UH, BRINGING OUR TEACHER ASSISTANTS BACK IN-HOUSE AS SALARIES VERSUS A SERVICE.
AND, UM, THEN WE PREPARED OR PROVIDED THE FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026.
UH, THERE'S A, UH, REFLECTED JUST A SLIGHT DECLINE IN PROPERTY TAX AND STATE REVENUES.
BUT, UH, AT THAT POINT IN THE YEAR, IT'S A VERY MINIMAL AMOUNT OF TAX REVENUE THAT'S RECEIVED.
MOST OF IT IS RECEIVED IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY.
UH, WE REVIEWED SOME, UM, STUDENT ACTIVITY BALANCES AT THE SCHOOLS AND TALKED ABOUT RESTRICTIONS AND OVERSIGHT NEEDS.
AND THEN I SHARED THAT THERE WAS A PLAN OF ACTION IN PLACE FOR COMMUNICATING, UH, HOW THE SCHOOLS WOULD BE SPENDING THOSE DOLLARS.
AND FINALLY, A, UH, SS 42, THE WELLNESS POLICY IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE RULE, UH, BUT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION DOES, UH, MANDATE THAT THAT IS UPDATED AND, AND, UM, APPROVED BY THE BOARD.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE IT, UH, LISTED ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION, A UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, APPROVE THAT THROUGH, THROUGH THE COMMITTEE.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE THE, UH, SS 42 WELLNESS POLICY? YES, MR. CHAIR.
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS TO THE FULL BOARD THE APPROVAL OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT WELLNESS POLICY, SS 42 AS PRESENTED SECOND.
SECOND BY DR. CARR IN DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR HERE IN THE BOARD ROOM.
MR. SMALL, HOW DO YOU VOTE? UH, NOTHING HEARD.
THE NEXT MEETING, UH, WAS ON DECEMBER 4TH.
UH, WE ALSO, UH, DID A LOOK TO THE BOARD, BUT, UH, MONTHLY BUDGET, UH, ALSO ALIGNED WITH THE PRIOR YEAR SPENDING.
WE, UH, LOOKED OVER THE FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY REPORTS, UH, FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER WITH MAJOR SPENDING AREAS WITH CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES, UPGRADES.
UH, WE DID A FOCUSED REVIEW IN THE AREA OF ENERGY THIS MONTH.
AND, UH, THAT WAS LOOKING PARTICULARLY AT THE VENDORS PENN ELECTRIC CO-OP AND DOMINION ENERGY, WHICH ALSO HAD SIGNIFICANT INCREASES THIS YEAR.
15% IN PENN ELECTRIC AND DOMINION WAS A SIMILAR INCREASE.
UH, ENERGY COSTS ARE RISING, UH, AND THE PROJECTED BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR IS $8.2 MILLION.
SO WE ARE, UH, IN LINE WITH THE INCREASES, BUT THERE
[02:05:01]
ARE SOME, UM, SIGNIFICANT COSTS THERE.AND USAGE TRENDS ARE ALSO TIED TO WEATHER AND SCHOOL OCCUPANCY TIMES.
UM, AND THE PEAKS ARE ALWAYS IN THE SUMMER AS THEY ARE FOR LOCAL RESIDENCES AS WELL.
UM, WE HAD PREPARED THE DISTRICT FINANCIAL AUDIT.
UH, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT COMPLETED THE FINANCIAL REPORTS BY THE DEADLINE OF DECEMBER 1ST.
WE ACTUALLY FINISHED IT RIGHT, UH, THE DAY BEFORE THAN THE THANKSGIVING BREAK.
AND, UH, THE AUDIT WAS ISSUED, AND IT WAS AN UNMODIFIED OR CLEAN OPINION BY MALDEN AND JENKINS AUDIT FIRM.
UM, IT INCLUDED TWO MAJOR FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT WERE REQUIRED TO BE AUDITED AS WELL.
UM, THOSE WERE IDEA AND THE MSAP GRANT.
THOSE WERE AUDIT, UH, HAD AN IN-DEPTH AUDIT.
AND, UM, IT REQUIRES THE, UH, THE STATE REQUIRES A MINIMUM OF 30 DAYS OF OPERATIONS IN THE FUND BALANCE.
AND THE DISTRICT HAS, UH, 76 DAYS OF OPERATIONS.
SO WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT AS WELL.
AND MANAGEMENT WAS PRAISED FOR COOPERATION AND, AND A SMOOTH AUDIT.
AND THINGS WENT VERY WELL FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
UM, SO WE DID, UH, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE DID APPROVE OE 6.1 THROUGH 6.8, WHICH IS THE, UH, FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE DISTRICT.
SO WE HAVE IT FOR YOU THIS EVENING.
I BELIEVE IT'S IN, UH, CONSENT AGENDA AND, OR, UM, EXCUSE ME, IT'S IN BOARD BUSINESS.
SO I'LL BE BACK IN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
AND, UH, WE WILL REVIEW THOSE ITEMS, UH, THAT ARE REQUIRED BY THE POLICY.
UH, WE DISCUSSED A BUDGET CALENDAR FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
UH, WE HAVE STAKEHOLDER INPUT ALREADY UNDERWAY.
WE'VE ALREADY DONE A SERIES OF, OF MEETINGS, AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FORUMS COMING UP IN JANUARY.
SO THOSE, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL, UH, GET INFORMATION ON THOSE.
UH, THAT WILL BE, UM, IN, IN ADDITION TO THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL MEETING AND THE DISCUSSION WE HAD, WE'VE GOTTEN GREAT FEEDBACK SO FAR.
AND WE'LL COMBINE THOSE AND BRING THEM TO THE BOARD IN JANUARY.
UM, SO OS 18 WAS ALSO PROVIDED AN ADMINISTRATIVE RULE AND A COST CENTER REPORT THAT'S A ONE PAGE HANDOUT FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO USE VERY QUICKLY.
AND, UM, AS, AS A REFERENCE TOOL.
AND, UH, OUR NEXT MEETING, I THINK, UH, JANUARY MEETING WILL BE CANCELED.
UM, BUT WE WILL BE, UH, MEETING AGAIN IN FEBRUARY.
QUESTIONS FOR MS. CROSBY? OKAY.
LEGISLATION, UH, MR. UH, DALLAS IS NOT HERE.
SO, UH, AND WE, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE, UH, STATE BOARD, UH, OPERATIONS.
SO THAT, I THINK THAT COVERS THAT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
UH, WE ALSO HAD, UH, TWO MEETINGS PRIOR TO THIS.
UH, SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A, A, A LONGER, UH, BRIEF, UM, POLICY.
POLICY POLICY WAS THE SUBJECT OF OUR LAST TWO MEETINGS.
WE REVIEWED OE ONE GLOBAL OPERATIONS EXPECTATIONS, OE TWO, SUPERINTENDENT SUCCESSION PLANNING, OE THREE TREATMENT OF STAKEHOLDERS, OE FOUR PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION, UH, WHICH ALSO INCLUDE HRS 16 STAFF AND LEAVE ABSENCES.
AND HRS 16.2, MILITARY LEAVE, OE SEVEN ASSET PROTECTION, OE 10 COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOARD, OE 11, COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC, OE 15.
AND ALL OF THOSE WERE VOTED ON AND UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, HOWEVER, THIS EVENING, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT OE THREE AND OE 15 THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED UNDER THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE FOR THE 2019 REFERENDUM.
AS OF NOVEMBER 18TH, THERE WERE 10 PROJECT CLOSEOUT REMAINING PENDING COMMITTED FUNDS, TOTAL $374.8 MILLION, OR 98.78% OF THE REFERENDUM BUDGET REMAINING FUNDS TOTAL 833,000, UH, OR, UH, 0.23 OF THE REFERENDUM BUDGET, UH, FOR THE 2023 REFERENDUM.
ALL MONTHLY PROJECT UPDATES REPORT GREEN WHITES AND BUDGETS AND SCHEDULE PAID AND COMMITTED FUNDS, TOTAL, TOTAL, 189.3 MILLION, OR 43 POINT 13% OF THE REFERENDUM AND REMAINING FUNDS TOTAL 249.6 MILLION, OR 56.8% OF THE BUDGET.
UM, WE DID HAVE A COUPLE OTHER TOPICS, UM, UH, FOR DISCUSSION WAS THE LUKO PROPERTY DISCUSSION.
THE DISTRICT HAS OWNED THE LUKO PROPERTY SINCE 1921.
WE HAVE LEASED IT TO, UH, HILTON, UH, TO THE HEAD START AND TO THE EOC PROGRAM.
AND CURRENTLY LEASING TO THE LI THE COUNTY LIBRARY FOR $1 A YEAR, WHICH EXPIRES THIS MONTH.
IT IS NOTED THAT THE LAND CAN BE USED FOR POSSIBLE COMMUNITY CENTER OR EMERGENCY STATE IN USE.
UH, DIS DISCUSSIONS WERE CENTERED OVER CONCERNS OVER EQUITY OF EXCHANGING DEVELOPABLE LAND FOR NON DEVELOPABLE GREEN SPACE.
QUESTIONS REGARDING PUBLIC BENEFIT AND OVERALL ASSET STEWARDSHIP, UH, COMPLICATIONS TIED TO THE SHARED SEPTIC SYSTEMS. AND, UH, HOWEVER THE TOPIC
[02:10:01]
HAS BEEN TABLED UNTIL THERE'S A COORDINATION BETWEEN COUNTY OFFICIALS AND THEIR SUPERINTENDENT.UH, WE'LL ON THAT LATER, OF COURSE.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE YET ANOTHER WK AUSTIN, UH, EASEMENT REQUEST.
NOVA HAS PURCHASED A LAND BETWEEN ROBERT SMALLS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AND ONE 70 WITH THE INTENT OF BUILDING A 24 7 FREESTANDING ER AND PRIMARY CARE CLINIC.
THIS REQUIRES UTILITY AND DRAINAGE EASEMENTS AND REAR ACCESS TO WK AUSTIN DRIVE THE HEY.
THEY WILL, HOWEVER, INCLUDE THE SIDEWALK DISCUSSIONS, INCLUDE COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS, UH, SAFETY CONCERNS REGARDING TRAFFIC IMPACT ON BUSES AND PARENT DROP OFF OPERATIONS.
'CAUSE THEY WILL TIE INTO THAT, UM, ALL THAT TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIAN CONFLICT AND POTENTIAL CUT THROUGH OF TRAFFIC.
WE ARE REQUESTING THAT NOVA PROVIDE TRAFFIC CALMING SOLUTIONS, THREE TRAFFIC COURSES OF ACTION, WHICH MUST INCLUDE MINIMIZING WK AUSTIN DURING SCHOOL PEAK TRANSPORTATION DROP OFF.
AND, UH, SO WE'RE WAITING ON NOVA TO COME BACK.
UM, WE, UH, ASKED FOR MR. SMITH ASKED FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL SELECTION DISCUSSION.
SO WE REVIEWED THE STANDARDS AND STRATEGIES RELATED TO MATERIAL DURABILITY, UH, LIFE CYCLE COST EFFICIENCY, MAINTENANCE IMPACTS, AND LONG-TERM CAPITAL PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY.
THE KEY THEME FOR THE DISCUSSION WAS THE NEED TO BALANCE INITIAL COST CONTAINMENT WITH LONGEVITY, SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE PREDICTABILITY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT COVERS EVERYTHING.
AND WE'LL DISCUSS THE ALWAYS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA LATER.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. NA? OKAY.
JUST IN THE, IN THE, IN THE INTERIM OF THAT, UM, I, I, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, WE DID HAVE A RESCHEDULE ONE OF ONE OF OUR MEETINGS.
UM, WE, WE, WE, WE DID HAVE TO HAVE THAT DONE, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF THE, UM, INITIAL ONE THAT I, I BELIEVE THAT WAS WITH THE HR.
'CAUSE WHEN HR COMES IN AND THEY NORMALLY BRING THEIR WHOLE, UH, TEAMS FOR THE TOGETHER, THEY'RE ALWAYS DONE.
AND THEN ALSO THAT TIME WE HAD SCHEDULED, UH, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A PART A A, A DISTRICT, UH, A A BASICALLY THEY WERE SHOWING WHAT, SHOWING WHAT OUR SCHOOLS DO WELL THEN ON THIS SIDE OF THE BROAD.
AND, UM, AND THEN THAT MEETING WAS CANCELED.
UH, IT WAS, IT WAS CANCELED, UM, AT THAT TIME.
THEN WE ALSO HAD ANOTHER ONE, ANOTHER THE NEXT DAY THAT OUR NEXT MEETING WAS SCHEDULED WAS THE ONE ON, ON, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BROAD.
AND WE WENT THROUGH THAT MEETING AND I ENDED UP, ENDED UP, UH, MISSING THAT NIGHT.
AND I JUST WENT TO APOLOGIZE TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE, UH, SOME PEOPLE SAID THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ME AT NIGHT, BUT WE HAD AN OPERATIONS MEETING THAT, UM, I GUESS MAYBE THE CHAIR, THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE HAD THAT SAME, SAME, THAT SAME MEETING, UH, ON THE SAME NIGHT AT, ON THE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BROAD.
SO THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T MAKE IT, BECAUSE, UH, WE HAD OPERATIONS RESCHEDULED MEETING ON ON THE NEXT NIGHT, ON, ON THAT NIGHT.
UH, MS. UH, UM, MS. INGRID BOATWRIGHT IS, UH, NOT HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEES.
IS THERE ANYBODY ON THE COMMITTEE THAT WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING? YES, GO AHEAD.
UH, SO FOR OUR TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE, UH, WE TALKED, WE HAD BASICALLY TWO TOPICS.
THE FIRST TOPIC WAS THE DISCUSSION OF BRINGING THE LIVE STREAMING CAPABILITIES IN HOUSE.
WE CURRENTLY USE THE COUNTY CHANNEL TO BROADCAST OUR BUSINESS MEETING, WHICH SATISFIES THE REQUIREMENT.
UM, THE FIVE YEAR COST, UH, FOR, UH, PAYING THE COUNTY CHANNEL TO DO IT IS ABOUT $224,000 A YEAR.
UM, SORRY, 224,000 OVER FIVE YEARS.
IF WE BRING IT IN-HOUSE, THERE WILL BE INITIAL COST OF EQUIPMENT NEEDED, UH, WITH THE INITIAL COST BEING ABOUT 120,000 AND ABOUT $160,000 PER YEAR AFTER THAT, UM, TO PAY A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE, UM, UH, AND TO MAINTAIN THE EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS A, AN APPROXIMATE FIVE YEAR COST OF 720, UH, $720,000.
UH, SO OF COURSE, UH, THE, THE, THE COMMUNITY, UH, DECIDED THAT IT WAS COST PROHIBITIVE.
UM, THERE ARE, IF WHATEVER REASON, THE COUNTY CHANNEL CAN'T, UH, CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US, THERE ARE TWO OTHER VENDORS IN THE AREA.
UH, AND IF WE NEED TO, WE CAN ASK FOR, UH, FOR QUOTES FROM THEM.
AND THEN WE ALSO BRIEFLY DISCUSSED MAYBE USING IN SOME OTHER OPTIONS FOR MEETING ROOMS THAT THE COUNTY CHAMPION SUPPORT, SUCH AS THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING ROOM, WHICH I BELIEVE HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
SO IF THAT'S AN OPTION, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO STILL USE THAT.
AND THEN, UH, OUR OTHER TOPICS THAT WE DID THAT WE DISCUSSED WAS WE REVIEWED THE STUDENT REPAIR REPORT AND THE STUDENT REPAIR SURVEYS.
QUESTIONS? UH, NO, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT.
UM, AND, AND IN TERMS OF CRE OF EVEN GETTING RID OF THE COUNTY CHANNEL, WHAT WE PAY FOR, WHAT, WHAT WE, WHAT TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF TAXPAYERS MONEY, I WOULD, I PUT OUTTA THAT MEETING WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE PREPOSTEROUSLY LUDICROUS FOR US TO EVEN GET RID OF THE COUNTY, UH, CHANNEL BECAUSE THE WORK, THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO FOR US, AND THEY DO AROUND THIS COUNTY, IT SHOULD GO UNNOTICED.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AS A BOARD, I'M SURE, UH, THE CHAIR AND THE CHAIR.
I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, UH, AS A BOARD A COUPLE YEARS AGO, AND WE PRICED IT THE PRO THE PRICE THAT IT WOULD COST US TO GO OUT ON OUR OWN.
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I, I THOUGHT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BRINGING THAT BACK TO US STILL.UH, THEY, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT MAYBE SOME PEOPLE GOT IT BACK, AND I DIDN'T GET IT BACK, BUT I, I KNOW SOME, THEY WERE TO TALKING ABOUT BREAKING THOSE THINGS BACK TO US WOULD BE ASTRONOMICAL TO COMPARED TO WHAT WE'RE PAYING RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAYING MILLIONS VERSUS, I WON'T SAY PENN, BUT PAYING WHAT WE'RE PAYING RIGHT NOW, AND FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US AND SUPPORT OUR GRADUATION, I THINK WOULD REALLY BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
AND I DON'T WANT THE, THEY'RE SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGE ACROSS TO THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES THAT ALL THE, ALL, ALL THE DIRECTORS OF THE COUNTY CHANNEL THAT WE HAD, THAT THEY WEREN'T ANY PROBLEMS. BECAUSE WE WENT TO THIS COUPLE YEARS AGO.
AND LIKE I SAID, WHEN, WHEN WE TRIED IT, THE PRICE WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS RIDICULOUS.
AND SO I BELIEVE, I, I FELT LIKE WE WERE PAST THIS.
AND I, AND I HOPE, HOPE THAT TONIGHT THAT, THAT, THAT WE ARE, AND THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, AND THAT WE'RE BEING GOOD STEWARD OF TAXPAYERS MONEY, BECAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY THE COUNTY IS, IS DOING IT.
AND THEY BELIEVE THAT THAT, THAT THEY ARE THE LIVING THE PART THAT WE NEED TO THE COMMUNITY, AND WE APPRECIATE THEM.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO CONVEY THAT.
AND I THINK THAT, THAT IT WAS SOME, SOME BOARD, SOME MEMBERS WHO PROBABLY WERE, WERE IN QUESTION OF THAT.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART OF IT, THE JOB IS THE JOB IS GETTING DONE, AND THE JOB IS FINE.
AND IT WOULD COST US, I THINK IT WOULD COST A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT MORE MONEY TO SPEND THAN, THAN, THAN, THAN, THAN TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF ACTION THAT WE'RE ON RIGHT NOW.
I JUST WANNA, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT.
THANK YOU, MR. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
UM, THE REASON THE DISCUSSION WAS HAD IS BECAUSE THERE WAS A REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE THAT REQUIRES THIS, A NEW REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE, UH, THAT REQUIRES US TO LIVESTREAM.
THE DISCUSSION WAS ONLY DO WE MEET THE REQUIREMENT, AND IF WE DON'T MEET THE REQUIREMENT, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BRING IN IN HOUSE, IF THAT IS IN FACT WHAT IT TAKES TO MEET THE REQUIREMENT.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING THE DISCUSSION'S ABOUT.
UH, AND YES, WE ALL AGREED THAT IT WAS, UH, COST PROHIBITIVE.
[Superintendent’s Report ]
ALL RIGHT.SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, UH, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, SIR.
STRADDLES AND HER TEAM ARE, UH, COMING FORWARD.
THEY'RE GONNA PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON ACADEMIC INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT, UH, FOR SCHOOLS.
I BELIEVE SHE HAS AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR YOU THAT, THAT, UH, WAS IN YOUR PACKET.
AND, UH, A BRIEF, UH, PRESENTATION OF A FEW SLIDES.
BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THAT STARTS OFF WITH GIVING YOU INFORMATION REGARDING THE APPROACH TO SCHOOL SUPPORT.
WHAT I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT QUICKLY ON THIS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR YOU IS TO NOTE THAT WE'RE SHIFTING FROM SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH.
AND THERE IS A SLIDE, I'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO IT FROM THE PLAN NEW CHECKED ACT MODEL OF SCHOOL SUPPORT TO BRINGING IN HUMAN CAPITAL BUILDING CAPACITY AND LOOKING AT OUR SCHOOLS INDIVIDUALLY, BUT STILL UTILIZING SYSTEMS. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN OUR PRESENTATION, THAT SYSTEMS THAT ARE UNIFIED WITHIN OUR PRACTICE.
JOINING ME THIS EVENING, I HAVE TEAM MEMBERS WHO ACTUALLY EXECUTE AT THE SCHOOL SITE, AND THEY WORK IN TANGENT WITH OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS.
MONALISA DIXON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TEACHING AND LEARNING FOR MATH, AND SCIENCE DIRECTOR IS JOINING US.
MELISSA MURRAY FOR LITERACY, AND OUR DIRECTOR FOR ACCOUNTABILITY.
MANY OF YOU KNOW HIM AS NICHOLAS FLOWERS.
SO WITH THAT WEEK, I WILL LEAVE YOU TO REVIEW THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.
I HAVE GIVEN YOU CITATIONS, GIVING YOU INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO DEEPER LEARNING AND PRACTICE, UH, AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU, IF YOU CAN, CUT AND PASTE IS VERY GOOD VIDEO FOR YOU TO, TO GET A CLIP AND TAKE A LOOK IN HERE.
I DO WANNA NOTE IF, AND THANK YOU FOR PAUSING AT ENGLISH.
THERE IS A SIMILARITY WITH AMONGST EACH ACCOUNTABLE CONTENT AREA.
AND THE SUPPORT THAT WE PROVIDE IS NOT ONLY ON ASSESSMENTS, IT'S WITH REGARD TO DEVELOPMENT OF LESSONS.
IT IS REGARD TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
AND THE INDIVIDUALS BEHIND ME ACTUALLY FOLLOW AND MONITOR FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS FROM EACH SCHOOL IN ORDER TO DO PRESCRIPTIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO WITH THAT, I'D, I COULD PLEASE HAVE THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
SO THIS IS JUST A BRIEF UPDATE.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
HERE IS THE COMMON MODEL OF SUPPORT THAT YOU WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT PLANT ACT DO OR SOME PEOPLE REFER TO AS PREDICT, DESCRIBE, UNDERSTAND, OR PRIORITIZE WHAT WE RECOGNIZE AS THE CHALLENGES.
AS MANY OF US WE'VE KNOWN, WE HAVE NOTED THAT MATHEMATICS IS AN AREA OF IMPROVEMENT, AND WE HAVE A FULL TEAM LENDING SUPPORT THIS YEAR, ACTUALLY, AND LAST YEAR AS WELL.
[02:20:01]
SEE THE RESULTS.OUR NEXT SLIDE TAKES YOU INTO A LITTLE MORE RECOGNIZING THAT NOT ONLY IS SCHOOL REFORM ABOUT A TECHNOCRATIC PERSPECTIVE, IT'S ALSO DEVELOPING THAT CULTURE FOR DEEPER, DEEPER LEARNING, NOT ONLY FOR ME AS THE EDUCATOR, BUT FOR YOU AS THE STUDENT WANTING TO HAVE A DEEPER APPLICATION AND UNDERSTANDING AND THAT VALUE OF LEARNING.
WHAT I PRESENT HERE ACTUALLY IS OUR STRUCTURE THAT WE UTILIZE.
UM, YOU HEAR US TALK ABOUT, WE HAVE INSTRUCTIONAL REVIEWS.
YOU HEAR US TALK ABOUT MONITORING MEETINGS.
I'D LIKE YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT A LOT OF THIS CONVERSATION STARTS WITH OUR, FROM OUR SUPERINTENDENT.
IT IS LED BY OUR DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT WHO THEN WORKS WITH OUR INSTRUCTIONAL CHIEFS MYSELF, AND WORKS WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS FROM THAT, EACH OF US AS CHIEFS.
MYSELF, THE CHIEF OF INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES, OUR CHIEF OF STUDENT SERVICES WORKS WITH THEIR, WE WORK WITH OUR DIRECTORS, WE WORK WITH RED, WE WORK WITH OUR SPECIALISTS.
AND THEN OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ACTUALLY WORK AT BRINGING SUPPORT INTO OUR SCHOOLS THROUGH OUR A TSI SPECIALISTS AND BUILDING THAT ADDITIONAL CAPACITY TO OUR PRINCIPALS.
SO WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW IS THE WORK OF JOHN HAD THAT I HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD TO YOU IN THE PAST.
AND YOU MAY HAVE GONE ONE SLIDE QUICKER THAN MYSELF.
CAN YOU GO BACK ONE? ALL RIGHT.
THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONE MORE SLIDE IN BETWEEN THAT I APPRE, I APOLOGIZE.
WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW IS JOHN HATTIE'S WORK.
I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT ITEM NUMBER TWO ON THAT BAR LINE.
IF YOU COULD PAUSE RIGHT THERE.
YOU COLLECTIVE TEACHER EFFICACY.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE RESEARCH BY JOHN HADDY, WHO HAS TAKEN OVER 2000 META-ANALYSIS, THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE DONE YOUR WORK IN RESEARCH, RECOGNIZE ITS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESEARCH THAT HE HAS PUT FORWARD.
HE'S ACTUALLY WENT BACK AND RE-WROTE HIS WORK.
THAT'S WHY I BRING HIS WORK TO YOU MORE THAN ONE TIME.
IT HAS AN IMPACT OF 1.51, SHIFTING YOUR SCHOOL CULTURE MEANS THE OPPORTUNITY OF MOVING STUDENTS A YEAR AND A HALF.
REAL SIMPLE ONE IS A YEAR, FIVE IS A HALF.
THE RESEARCH ACTUALLY DENOTES THAT MOST STUDENTS HAVE A VALUE OF 0.4 OF GROWTH WITHIN INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES, FOUR MONTHS OF LEARNING.
BUT THE RESEARCH SHOWS AS WE, I WANT US TO GO BACK TO RECOGNIZE A CULTURAL SHIFT OF BRINGING AN UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS OF THE TEACHER.
THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENT HAS 1.57 GROWTH FACTOR OF OPPORTUNITY.
THESE ARE THE TEACHER PRACTICES.
AS YOU BUILD THAT, AS I'VE SAID TO YOU BEFORE, THAT IDEA OF EFFICACY, THESE ARE THE TYPE OF QUESTIONS THAT DO YOU BUILD.
YOU BUILD THAT CULTURE, AND THAT'S WHAT'S GROWN WITHIN OUR SYSTEM.
WE'VE GONE FROM PUTTING PLCS IN PLACE TO BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES OF OUR COACHES, BUILDING CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DATA WE HAVE, DATA SYSTEMS. BUT ONCE AGAIN, IT'S SAID MANY TIMES, CULTURAL BEAT SYSTEM SYSTEMS, ANY DAY.
AND THESE, THESE ARE OUR TARGET AREAS.
NOW, WHAT IS THE SUPPORT THAT OUR DIVISION IS DOING? THIS IS A COMMONALITY AMONGST ALL OUR CONTENT AREAS, COACHING AND COLLABORATION, INSTRUCTION AND OBSERVATION DATA AND DATA AND, AND ADMINISTRATION.
THAT MEANS LOOKING AT OUR DATA AND WORKING ON HOW TO UTILIZE THE DATA CURRICULUM STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENT.
AND I WOULD BE REMISS TO SAY, WORKING AT THE RIGOR OF THE STANDARD, I FEEL SOMEONE BEHIND ME ACTUALLY REMINDED ME TO ADD THAT WORD.
NOW, IF I COULD HAVE A LAST SLIDE, PLEASE.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST AREAS IS ACTUALLY GETTING THAT UNDERSTANDING OF HOW ALL THIS FITS IN ORDER TO MEET WHAT WE RECOGNIZE IS THE STATE REPORT CARD SYSTEM.
AND THAT FALLS INTO THE WORK OF OUR ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, DEPARTMENT UNDER THE WORK OF MR. FLOWERS.
SO I FELT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL TO BRING FORWARD BECAUSE THAT CAPACITY IS BEING BUILT FROM AMONGST US EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, COACHES, PRINCIPALS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, AND INTO THE SCHOOL SITE.
SO THAT'S WHY I ADD THIS AS ANOTHER COMPONENT FOR THAT CONSISTENCY, THAT WHEN WE SPEAK DATA, WE SHOULD ALL UNDERSTAND THE DATA POINTS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
AND WITH THAT LAST SLIDE IS TELLING YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, YOUR SUPPORT, SUPPORTING OUR DIVISION, SUPPORTING
[02:25:01]
OUR STUDENTS IN THE WORK YOU DO FOR OUR DISTRICT.[Board Business Action]
THINK WE'RE NOW ON DEPORT BUSINESS ACTION OE SIX DASH ONE TO SIX EIGHT FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION.MS. CROSBY, EVENING ONCE AGAIN.
UM, OE 6.1 THROUGH 6.8 IS, UH, FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION, AND THAT RELATES TO THE FINANCIAL AUDIT AND A VARIETY OF REPORTING, UH, THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE BOARD, UH, THROUGH COMMITTEE TO AND TO THE FULL BOARD.
SO THE FIRST IS THE, UH, TO REITERATE THE ANNUAL EXTERNAL FINANCIAL AUDIT, UH, WAS A CLEAN UNMODIFIED OPINION THIS YEAR.
UM, IT IS THE 25TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR WITH NO AUDIT FINDINGS.
UM, SO ALSO WE APPLY FOR THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL REPORTING.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING THAT APPLICATION AND SENDING THAT OFF, BUT WE HAVE RECEIVED THAT FOR 35 CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
AND, UM, IT'S VERY SOMETHING WE CAN BE VERY PROUD OF THE MOODY'S RATING COMPANY.
UM, SO WHEN IT'S RELATING TO WITH, UH, TO DEBT, UH, WHEN WE HAVE BOND ISSUANCES, UH, WE HAVE TO GET A CREDIT RATING MUCH LIKE OUR TAXPAYERS AND, AND INDIVIDUALS DO WHEN YOU'RE BORROWING A MOR GETTING A MORTGAGE OR BORROWING MONEY FOR A CAR.
UM, SO THAT IS A RATING THAT WE RECEIVED FROM MOODY'S AND STANDARD OF FOURS.
THOSE RATINGS, UH, WERE AFFIRMED.
IT STANDS STOOD STILL THIS YEAR AT AN EXCELLENT RATING OF AA ONE FOR MOODY'S AND AA FOR STANDARD AND POS ON THE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS.
UH, WE HAD A GENERAL FUND BUDGET, UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 25.
SO THIS IS ALL FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
IN SCHOOL YEAR ENDED JUNE, UH, JUNE 30TH, 2025.
THE ORIGINAL BUDGET WE, UH, HAD OF 359.2 MILLION WAS, UH, WE RECEIVED ABOUT 800,000 LESS IN REVENUES THAN WE PROJECTED.
THAT IS DUE TO REDUCTIONS IN STATE REVENUE, UH, EXPENDITURES.
WE ACTUALLY UNDERSPENT, UM, WE ARE SPENDING OCCURRED AT 97.9%, WHICH IS RIGHT AT 2% VARIANCE.
SO THAT'S VERY CLOSE IN TERMS OF, UH, HOW LARGE, UM, THE AMOUNT OF THE BUDGET IS.
UM, WE MAINTAINED AN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
UM, SO THAT'S THE RESERVES IN THE, IN THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, THE BOARD'S RURAL, UM, POLICY IS NO LESS THAN 60 DAYS OF ANNUAL OPERATIONS.
THE BOARD, UH, WE HAVE FI FUND FINISHED THE YEAR WITH 76.6 DAYS OF OPERATIONS, WHICH IS ALSO A 21% FUND BALANCE.
SO WE SLIGHTLY INCREASED, UM, BUT THAT THE FUND BALANCE, UH, THE RESERVES THAT, UH, WE HOLD IN CASH TO FOLLOW THROUGH THE FALL TO BE ABLE TO, UM, PAY, UH, SALARIES, BENEFITS AND OTHER, UH, SERVICES AND SUPPLIES THROUGHOUT THE FALL UNTIL TAX REVENUES COME IN IN DECEMBER.
SO WE DO HAVE A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO CASH FLOW COMING, REVENUE COMING IN FROM THE STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, SO WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT AT JUNE 30TH TO BE ABLE TO FLOAT THAT UNTIL DECEMBER.
UH, WE PRODUCED, UH, MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE REPORTS AS REQUIRED TWICE A YEAR IN MARCH AND, AND IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THEN OUR QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORTS WE PROVIDED, AND WE POST ON THE WEBSITE, UM, FOR EACH OF THE FOUR QUARTERS, UM, LAST BEING, UH, REPORTED IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THEN WE HAVE A SERIES OF FINANCIAL, UH, TRANSPARENCY REPORTS THAT ARE REQUIRED IN OUR OWN WEBSITE.
AND, UH, THEY'RE ALL OUT THERE FOR ANY VIEWING INFORMATION.
UM, AND OUR CURRENT, UM, EVERY, UH, MONTHLY REVIEWS ARE PROVI PROVIDED AT EACH FINANCE COMMUNITY.
ANY QUESTIONS? MR. RENEE, CONGRATULATIONS ON ANOTHER CLEAN AUDIT.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE TRACK RECORD AND THE MANTLE E HAVE PLACED UPON YOU.
AND, UH, THE, THE SHOULDERS THAT YOU STAND ON THAT ARE HOPING THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
UM, AND, UH, ALSO THANK YOU TO YOUR TEAM, UM, FOR OUR CONTINUED, UH, CREDIT RATING.
IT, UH, EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DO IS AMAZING, AND I I'M PROUD TO BE PART OF SUCH A, AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM HERE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? I I HAVE ONE.
UM, YOU, YOU'RE REALLY KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE STATE, UH, BY AND HAVING A SUPERB OPERATION, IT'S HARD TO GIVE SOMEBODY LIKE YOU ANOTHER GOAL, A HIGHER GOAL.
[02:30:01]
GONNA GIVE YOU ONETHERE'S TWO DISTRICTS IN THE STATE THAT HAVE COME FROM DOUBLE A ONE TO AAA.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TO GET THAT? AND I KNOW, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA TELL ME.
WE DON'T HAVE A, A BOEING, AND WE DON'T HAVE BMW AND WE DON'T HAVE OTHER BIG THING.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT OUR TRACK RECORD AND YOU LOOK AT OUR REVENUES AND THE, THE PRICE OF HOUSING AND, AND HOW THEY CONTINUE TO RISE AND THE MILITARY SUPPORT THAT'S HERE, UH, THOSE ARE PRETTY CONSTANT.
AND, UH, I'D LIKE YOU TO PUT SOME EFFORT, SEE WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE, UH, TO GET US TO AAA.
BECAUSE WE GET TO AAA, WE GET EVEN BETTER INTEREST RATES ON THE MONIES THAT WE BORROW.
I KNOW IT'S A, THAT'S A BIG LEAP.
BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GETTING BORED.
I GOTTA GET YOU SOMETHING MORE TO DO.
O EIGHT THIRTEENS DUE DISCIPLINE.
WHO'S GOING TO TALK ON THAT? I THINK, I MEAN, IT WAS PULLED, I'M ASSUMING FOR A QUESTION.
I THINK WE'D LIKE TO KNOW THE QUESTION.
WELL, ACTUALLY, UM, IT WAS, THIS WAS ONE THAT, UH, MS NOT TODAY.
MS. BOATRIGHT PULLED IT PRIOR MEETING AND THAT'S WHY, UH, I, I GOT IT.
UM, SO MR. COX WILL GIVE YOU A QUICK SUMMARY OF, UH, HE CAME BACK TO, UH, THE COMMITTEE AND, UH, WENT THROUGH THE OE AGAIN.
SO THE PREVIOUS, UM, ACADEMIC COMMITTEE MEETING, I WENT THROUGH THE FULL PRESENTATION OF WEEK 13 WHEN I CAME BACK TO COMMITTEE.
UM, THE, THE SECOND TIME I ADDED THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, AND THAT WAS WITH THE SIGNATURE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORMS. AND THEN I ALSO ADDED SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR, ABOUT WHERE PARENTS, UM, ACKNOWLEDGED THE CODE OF CONDUCT AND WHERE TO ACCESS IT AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO I ADDED THAT FULL SEPARATE PDF DOCUMENT THAT WAS PRESENTED ONLINE, AND IT JUST TOOK, TOOK FROM THE PRESENTATION FORMAT INTO A SMALLER CONDENSED DOCUMENT, UM, WITH ALL THE OUTLINE OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS IN THERE TO INCLUDE THE SIGNATURE PAGES AT THE FRONT.
ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, GETTING SOME PHONE CALLS, BUT ALSO JUST UNDERSTANDING AND HAVING A CONCERN, BECAUSE I BELIEVE DALLAS TOO, WAS TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT, UM, TWO, WAS TALKING ABOUT STUDENT DISCIPLINE AND BEING AT THE CONFERENCE THIS WEEKEND AND HEARING THEM TALK ABOUT STUDENT DISCIPLINE AND REFERRALS AND SOMETHING ALONG, ALONG, ALONG THOSE LINES.
TO ME, IT, IT STREET OUR CULTURE.
UM, AND WHEN I SAY IT, STREET, OUR CULTURE IS, I THINK SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE HANDLED BY AN ADMINISTRATOR.
AND YOU KNOW, I, I WAS LOOKING BACK AND I WAS GOING, BECAUSE WE WERE GONNA ASK, I WAS ASK ANYWAY, SO I WAS GONNA ASK SOME DATA THAT HAS CAME UP.
UM, HOW, WHERE IN THIS, IN IN THIS AREA DOES IT SHOW BAN? CAN YOU TELL US WHAT IS OUR REFERRAL AT, AT, AT EVERY SCHOOL IN THIS DISTRICT? BECAUSE THAT, I REMEMBER WE USED TO GET THOSE REPORTS AT ONE TIME.
THOSE WHO COME UP TO US, AND I WANT KNOW, WHAT'S THE SCHOOL THAT'S LEADING IN TERMS OF REFERRALS? AND MAYBE BECAUSE THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE, WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND BECAUSE EVERY OTHER THE SAME.
THIS BOY HERE, WE TALK ABOUT TEACHER RETENTION.
WE WANNA PUT, WE WANNA PUT MORE MONEY TOWARDS BY LINE.
THERE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT SPEAK TO THAT, LIKE BEHAVIOR IS, THAT'S A PART OF THE CULTURE.
SO WHEN WE WERE HOME, WE REALLY TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO PUT THE MONEY THERE.
WE NEED TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO AS BOARD MEMBERS TOO AS WELL TO ADD, I MEAN, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, ON WHAT'S SOME ONLINE ISSUE ISSUES ARE THAT THAT'S LEADING US TO LOSE THE TEACHERS.
IF, IF THAT'S THE CASE, OH, WHICH SCHOOLS WHERE TEACHERS ARE STAYING VERSUS LEAVING.
SO, SO, SO, I'M I'M ASKING WHERE'S THAT, WHERE'S THAT, WHERE'S THAT INFORMATION AT IN TERMS TERMS OF THIS, OUR PRESENTATION? SO WHEN I WAS JUST, WHEN WE PRESENTED ON THE, UM, THE BIG BINDER THAT I GAVE YOU, IT WAS A SUMMARY OF ALL OF 2025.
AND SO IN SOME OF THE SLIDES IN THERE,
[02:35:01]
THERE ARE DATA SLIDES THAT SHOW THE OVERALL NUMBER OF PRESENT OF REFERRALS AS A DISTRICT.I DID NOT BREAK IT DOWN INDIVIDUALLY BY SCHOOL.
WELL, I, I THOUGHT MAYBE I DIDN'T FIND, I WAS THINKING MAYBE I, MAYBE I DID.
I WENT BACK AND LOOKED CLEARLY LOOKING AT THE BINDER, I WAS THINKING MAYBE I DIDN'T FIND IT OR WHAT, BUT I, THAT'S THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE.
AND WE USED TO HAVE THAT COMING TO THE WEST BOARD MEMBERS.
WELL, DR I BELIEVE ALSO BEFORE I FOUND THE BOARD, I THINK DR. GREGORY MCCOY USED TO BRING INFORMATION TO THE BOARD, AND THAT WAS REQUESTED AT THAT TIME WHEN I CAME ON READ, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS CONTINUED.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN IT STOPPED, BUT UNDERSTANDING WHERE OUR SCHOOLS ARE AND WHERE THE CULTURES ARE IN TERMS OF, OF SPENDING MONEY.
WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND, AND THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF, OF, OF, OF, OF THE DISTRICT.
BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT I, THE ATHLETES THAT WE DID TODAY AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THAT, UM, MR. UM, THE GUY, MR. WHO SITS, WHO SITS IN THE FRONT, WE BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SPORTS AND, AND SOME OF THESE SPORTS AND BAND, THESE THING TAKES, THESE ACTIVITIES, CHANGE SCHOOLS.
YOU CAN SIT THERE AND BLOW AND GET TICKED OFF AND GET TIME AND TALK.
I KNOW 'CAUSE I WAS ONE OF THOSE KIDS.
I COME, I, THAT'S MY COMMUNITY THAT I SERVED.
THOSE ARE THE KIDS THAT ARE SORT UNDERPRIVILEGED KIDS.
WHEN YOU HAVE A BAND LIKE BATTERY CREEK, THOSE KIDS ARE SOLD OUT TO THE SCHOOL.
NOT, NOT, NOT JUST TO THAT BAND.
THOSE KIDS GO, GO CAST AND PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT IF THEY DON'T PAY ATTENTION, MR. MR. ROBERT WILLIAMS AIN'T GONNA HAVE TO MEDIA PART A BATTLE CREEK BAND.
WHEN, WHEN YOU GET AT SCHOOLS THAT ARE FAILING OR SAY, WELL, THAT ARE UNDER, THAT ARE UNDER, THAT ARE UNDER UNDER, UM, THAT ARE UNDER, UH, WHAT'S THE WORD? NOW? WE HAVE THREE SCHOOLS THAT ARE UNDER WHAT'S CALLED UNDERPERFORMING.
LOOK AT, LOOK AT THE PROGRAM, LOOK AT THE ATHLETE ATHLETIC PROGRAM.
THAT THOSE SCHOOLS, WHEN YOU HAVE WINNING SCHOOLS, YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT CULTURE AND, AND SOMETHING, AND MOST, AND MOST OF THE TIMES.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEHAVIOR AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO ARE HOLDING STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR BEHAVIOR.
THIS IS INFORMATION, THIS IS DATA THAT WILL WE TO PROCESS.
AND SOME, SOME OF US DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT, BUT THIS IS THE TRUTH.
SO I'M, SO, SO I WILL BE LOOKING FOR THIS INFORMATION AND UNDERSTAND THE BEHAVIOR OF OUR STUDENTS AND WHAT WE ARE AND WHAT WE'RE NOT DOING, BUT NOT, BUT TO KEEP THEM THERE.
AND THEN THEY WANNA SAY, WELL, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, I WANT TO PARENTS AND PARENTS.
WE ARE PART POWER TOO, BECAUSE I ALLOW THE BEHAVIOR, I BELONG STUDENTS TO DO OTHER STUDENTS IN CLASSES SO THAT THEY CAN'T BE IN SCHOOL BECAUSE, SO THAT'S A PROBLEM.
UH, MR. SMITH, UH, YOU ALSO ASKED TO HAVE OE THREE BROUGHT BACK.
SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, UP TO SURE.
JUST A QUESTION THAT THESE ARE, UH, BOARD BUSINESS ITEMS AND THEY, THEY ALL REQUIRE, UH, VOTES AND APPROVAL, I THINK INDIVIDUALLY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT ON THE CONSENT PIECE, SO, RIGHT.
UH, WELL, I, I THOUGHT WE, I THOUGHT WE'D MOVE THESE UP AND VOTE ON THOSE AS WELL.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE INDIVIDUAL VOTES ON 'EM.
WE'LL GET THE DISCUSSION DONE, AND THEN WE'LL VOTE ON EACH ONE OF THEM.
OH, OE THREE, MRS. MRS. UH, WE TALK ABOUT O OH THREE AT THE, UH, AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL.
AND REMEMBER BRI HAD A, UH, MY COMMENT WAS AT THAT LEVEL, IT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE COMM.
I WAS JUST MAKING SOME OF THE COMMENTS.
I WAS MAKING THIS, NOW I TOLD HIM AT COMMENT LEVEL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, AS BOARD MEMBERS, WE SIT HERE AND WE TALK ABOUT PUTTING OFF ALL THESE GOOD, UH, ANYWAY, ALL THESE GOOD PACKETS, BASICALLY ALL, ALL, ALL THESE BIG, ALL ALL THESE GOOD PACKETS WITH DIFFERENT INFORMATION IN IT ABOUT BEAUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE ASK MS. BRIDA TO HO PRETTY H THIS IS A GOOD TALKING POINT.
AND THEN WE SAY ON, ON, ON, ON, ON, ON, ON, ON, ON ONE HAND, IT'S A GOOD TALKING POINT.
BUT THEN ON, ON, ON THE, ON THE, ON THE NEXT HAND THAT, ARE WE LOSING STUDENTS TO CHARTER SCHOOLS?
[02:40:01]
BUT WE KEEP THE SAME.WE KE WE, WE KEEP, WE KEEP THE, WE KEEP DOING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER.
SO THE, THAT'S A, AT SOME POINT, THE STRATEGY HAS TO CHANGE BECAUSE WHEN YOU KEEP DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER, THAT'S INSANITY.
IF YOUR RESULTS ARE NOT CHANGING, THEN, THEN AS A BOARD, WE HAVE TO BE WILLING AS WELL, TO DO SOMETHING OVER AND OVER, I MEAN, TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
BECAUSE WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER AND OVER AIN'T WORKING.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING, MR. SMITH? SOME, SOME OF, WHEN, WHEN YOU SAID STAKEHOLDERS, THE COMMUNITY DOES NOT FEEL, AND THEY'VE SAID IT SEVERAL TIMES, CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY, WE DON'T FEEL THAT WE ARE REALLY, TRULY STAKEHOLDERS.
EVEN YOU, IF YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU DO IT.
IF YOU DON'T, THAT THAT'S NOT GOOD.
SO MY QUESTION TO MY COLLEAGUES, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE APPROVE THESE OES, BUT DO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S ASKING FOR AND DO AND, AND OR DO WE JUST, DO WE, DO WE NOT JUST JUST CARE ABOUT SOME OF IT? OR, OR, OR ARE WE JUST WILLING TO JUST KEEP IT, KEEP IT MOVING? WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE MOST? BECAUSE LIKE, I, LIKE, I, LIKE I SAID, THAT MEETING, I STILL SAID WHEN I LOOKED AT, AT, AT THE, AT THE, UH, TEMPLATE, IT LOOKS GOOD ON PAPER, BUT HOW, HOW IS IT REALLY TO SPEAKING TO THE DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND THE CULTURE OF THIS DISTRICT? IT'S GOOD TO HAVE DIFFERENT GOOD TALKING POINTS WHEN YOU GO IN COMMUNITY.
BUT HOW MANY PEOPLE READ THESE PAMPHLETS THAT WE PRINT OUT? SOME PEOPLE DO AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T.
SO HOW ARE WE ENGAGING, HOW ARE WE ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND WHAT ARE, HOW ARE WE ALLOWING THEM TO BUY INTO THIS DISTRICT TO REALLY BE STAKEHOLDERS? SO MY QUESTION TO MY COLLEAGUES IS, WHAT DOES STAKEHOLDERS MEAN TO US? WE KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO THE STAFF.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO US? AND UNTIL WE START ASKING, UNTIL WE START ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS, LIKE A LADY, Y'ALL ALREADY TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY, Y'ALL DON'T, Y'ALL, Y'ALL DON'T VALUE PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHY I MOVE MY CHILD OUTTA THE DISTRICT.
AND UNTIL WE CAN VALUE THESE CONVERSATIONS AND HAVE THESE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS, THEN WE GOING CONTINUE TO LU PEOPLE TO JOHN PAUL BRIDGES PREP AND TWO OTHER MORES COMING, COMING TO COMING TO BEAUFORT.
WE GOING TO, IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN BECAUSE WE COME TO THESE MEETING, WE'RE READY TO GO, FIRED UP, AND WE'RE READY TO GO HOME.
WE DON'T WANNA HEAR WHAT MR. SMITH GOT TO SAY, BUT IT'S, IT'S BIGGER THAN MR. SMITH.
WE HAVE PEOPLE OUT HERE WHO DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND MEETING AFTER MEETING, AFTER MEETING, WE PASS OVER.
WHEN'S IT GONNA STOP? I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT.
UM, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
WELL, LET, LET ME, LET ME FINISH, SIR.
I TALK TO MY CONSTITUENTS ON A ALMOST WEEKLY BASIS, UH, A MEETINGS, AND I DON'T, I DON'T GET THAT SAME ISSUE.
AND WHEN I GO TO ROBERT SMALLS, I SEE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME FROM CHARTER SCHOOLS TO ROBERT SMALLS.
SO WHEN I'M TALKING AND IN MY CONSTITUENTS IN THE COMMUNITY, I AM NOT GETTING THE ISSUES THAT YOU'RE MENTIONING.
SO I, I AM NOT CERTAIN THAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE UNIVERSAL IN THIS DISTRICT.
AND I THINK PERHAPS YOU HAVE A CON, YOU KNOW, CONTACTS OUTSIDE YOUR DISTRICT THAT, UH, THAT I DON'T HAVE.
I DON'T HAVE, I ADMIT I DON'T HAVE CONTACTS IN YOUR DISTRICT, BUT I DO HAVE OTHER, WELL AROUND THIS, UH, COUNTY.
I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE AND, AND I DON'T GET THAT SAME ISSUE.
SO WE MAY HAVE AN ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON IN THE ST.
HELENA, UH, BEAUFORT LADIES ISLAND DISTRICT THAT YOU HAVE.
BUT I, I REALLY QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THAT SAME, UH, OTHER, UH, BOARD MEMBERS ARE GETTING THAT SAME KIND OF, UH, PESSIMISTIC VIEW, UH, THAT, THAT YOU EXPOSED THERE.
SO, UH, MR. NAY, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK? IN THREE YEARS? I, I'VE, I THINK I'VE GOTTEN ONE COMMENT, UM, BASICALLY ASKING ME TO, UH, RESPOND MORE AND I'M RESPONDING MORE SO OUT OF ALL MY CONSTITUENTS, I'VE HAD ONE COMMENT ASKING ME, AND THAT WAS A YEAR INTO MY, MY TENURE.
UH, SO I THINK I'M DOING BETTER.
UM, BUT THAT'S ONLY ONE COMMENT, DR. CARR.
UM, I'M NOT HEARING MUCH FROM ANYBODY IN THE GREATER BLUFFTON AREA
[02:45:01]
ABOUT ANY DISCONTENT WITH THE SCHOOLS OR ISSUES WITH PEOPLE LEAVING OR COMING AND GOING.WE HAVE, UH, TWO RELIGIOUS AFFILIATED SCHOOLS IN, IN THE BLUFFTON AREA THAT, UH, THE CROSS SCHOOLS IS GROWING A LITTLE BIT.
UH, THE HUNTINGTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY JUST MOVED FROM HILTON HEAD TO A BIGGER CAMPUS RIGHT NEXT TO THE BLUFFTON COMPLEX.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR ENROLLMENT IS, BUT I KNOW THAT OUR, OUR NUMBERS GENERALLY ARE, ARE PRETTY STEADY AT, AT ALL OF OUR, UM, ALL OF THE BLUFFTON SCHOOLS IN, IN, IN AND AROUND WHERE I AM.
UH, MS. HAY, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YES, SIR.
MINE'S JUST MORE OF THE SAME IN ALIGNMENT WITH DR. CARR AND MR. NAY.
UM, I DON'T, I MEAN, I WILL GET COMPLAINTS, BUT THEY'RE NOT IN THE REALM THAT MR. SMITH IS SPEAKING TO AT THE MOMENT.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS WHO LEAVE PRIVATE EDUCATION TO GO TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND IT'S PRIMARILY FOR THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
UM, EXCUSE ME, THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR CERTAIN LEARNING DISABILITIES AND WHATNOT THAT, UM, OUR LOCAL PRIVATE SCHOOLS CAN'T SUPPORT.
UM, I WILL VAGUELY SPEAK FOR THE OTHER TWO HILTON HEAD REPRESENTATIVES WHO AREN'T ABLE TO BE ON TONIGHT.
I HAVE HEARD FROM BOTH OF THEM AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
UM, THEY'RE NOT, ONE OF THEM RARELY HEARS COMPLAINTS FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS OF ANY KIND AT ALL.
UM, AND I THINK, CAN YOU SPEAK UP A LITTLE BIT? YES.
UM, THEY, UH, DON'T HAVE AS MANY COMPLAINTS OR RARELY HEAR FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS AT ALL.
AND IT'S NOT FOR A LACK OF TRYING, BECAUSE ONE OF THOSE REPS IS VERY DEEPLY IMMERSED IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, THROUGH THEIR CHILDREN AS WELL.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE, YOU KNOW, THE VOID IS FOR OTHERS CONSTITUENCIES BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A VERY ACTIVE COMMUNITY, UH, ON HILTON HEAD.
BUT I WOULD ALSO EXTEND THAT OUT TO BLUFFTON BECAUSE I HAVE MANY FRIENDS, BUSINESS PARTNERS AND SO ON IN THE BLUFFTON AREA TOO.
AND THEY RARELY COME TO ME WITH COMPLAINTS.
THEY MAY COME TO ME ASKING ABOUT SPECIFIC SCHOOLS IF THEY'RE LOOKING INTO SCHOOL CHOICE FOR THEIR CHILD.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S OUR ROLE AS REPRESENTATIVES.
WE CAN TALK WITH THEM ABOUT THE DIFFERENT OFFERINGS OF EACH SCHOOL SO THAT THAT SCHOOL, THEY CAN FIND THE SCHOOL THAT FITS THEIR CHILD'S NEEDS THE BEST.
UM, BUT ULTIMATELY, I, I DON'T HEAR COMPLAINTS IN THE REALM THAT MR. SMITH IS SHARING.
SO I AGREE WITH COLONEL GEIER THAT PERHAPS WE NEED TO DO SOME OTHER DIGGING, UM, IN HIS AREA TO FIND OUT WHY THEY DON'T FEEL VALUED AS STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
UM, MS. FRAZIER, I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH MRS. HAY 'CAUSE I DON'T ENCOUNTER THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES WITH ANY OF THE SCHOOLS OR ANY OF THE PARENTS THAT I HAVE ENGAGED WITH NEGATIVELY AT ALL LAST WEEK.
I'M HEARING PHRASES, I'M HEARING TEACHERS, I'M HEARING PARENTS BRINGING THEIR KIDS BACK INTO SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT.
WE NEED TO DELVE INTO HIS SCHOOL AREAS MORE AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
MAY I ADD ONE OTHER THING? YES.
UM, WHAT MS. FRAZIER WAS JUST SHARING REMINDED ME THAT I ALSO HEAR OVERWHELMINGLY ABOUT TEACHERS WHO ACTUALLY LEAVE PRIVATE EDUCATION.
UM, DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRIVATE EDUCATION AS WELL.
IT MIGHT BE A DAY SCHOOL, IT COULD BE A LARGER, EXCUSE ME, CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
BUT THE TEACHERS, UM, SOME OF THEM LEAVE THE PRIVATE SECTOR, IF YOU WILL, AND GO INTO THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM.
AND I HEAR PRAISES FROM CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THOSE TEACHERS COMING BACK.
YOU KNOW, THEY MAY HAVE THOSE TEACHERS FOR THEIR CHILD'S CLASSROOM THIS YEAR OR IN YEARS PAST.
[02:50:01]
JUST SO OVERWHELMINGLY EXCITED THAT THESE GREAT EDUCATORS HAVE COME BACK TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.UM, SO THAT'S MORE, JUST MORE IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT MS. FRAZIER JUST SHARED AS WELL.
AND OF COURSE THERE WILL, BECAUSE WE, WE DO PAY THE MOST AND THIS KIND, WE DO PAY THE MOST.
WE, WE ARE THE LEAD LEADING, UH, P IN, IN, IN THE STATE.
SO I MEAN, YEAH, SO I, SO I WOULD UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD BE EXCITED TO COME BACK AS WELL, BUT ALSO, UM, AND THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST IN MY DISTRICT.
SEE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES IS I GO ALL ACROSS THIS DISTRICT AND, AND I'M PRESENT FOR A LOT OF THINGS.
I, I'M, I, I, I GO AND I'M, I'M, I'M ACTIVELY ENGAGED AND PROBABLY MAJORITY, AND, AND PRETTY MUCH EVERY SINGLE BOARD MEMBER ON THIS BOARD AREA.
SO WHEN YOU OUT THERE, IF YOU PUT YOURSELF WHEN YOU, LIKE, I ONLY SAID TO MR. SMITH, UH, WHEN YOU STAY READY, YOU HAVE TO GET READY.
SO WHEN YOU ARE ALWAYS READY AVAILABLE AND YOU'RE LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE OUT THERE, THEN, THEN, THEN, THEN YOU WILL HEAR THIS STUFF.
AND I'VE, I'VE EVEN HAD, UH, PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT, FROM DIFFERENT, UH, AREAS TELL ME THAT THEY'VE TRIED TO REACH SOME OF, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE NOT MENTIONED THAT TODAY.
AND THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN CALLING BACK AND, AND, AND YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT EVEN APPROACH.
THEY, THEY DON'T FEEL THAT SOME OF YOU GUYS ARE APPROACHABLE.
SO, I MEAN, SO, SO WE WANNA START CALLING THINGS OUT AND MAKING THINGS PERSONAL.
UH, ONE THING FOR SURE, THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE.
SINCE COVID THIS SINCE COVID, THIS DISTRICT HAS BEEN LOSING PEOPLE.
WE WERE ASKING PEOPLE, THERE WERE A GROUP, PEOPLE WERE ASK, ASKING FOR NUMBERS, ASKING FOR NUMBERS, ASKING FOR NUMBERS.
SO WE CAN SAY HERE AND MAKE IT SEEM LIKE, OH, IT'S, THIS IS A, A MR. SMITH DISTRICT THING, BUT NUMBERS DON'T LIE.
SO LET'S, LET'S WALK, LET'S ACTUALLY ASK AROUND THE TABLE, WHY IS BEAUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT CONTINUOUSLY LOSING STUDENTS? IT AIN'T, IT AIN'T JUST IN MR IN MY DISTRICT THAT I'M, THAT WE ARE LOSING STUDENTS, WE'RE LOSING STUDENTS IN EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT IN THIS, I MEAN, IN EVERY DISTRICT AROUND THIS TABLE.
SO RE REGARDS TO WHETHER YOU GET THE CALLS OR NOT, IT'S STILL OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
AND THE, AND THE, AND THE, THE PEOPLE MAY LIE, BUT THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE.
AND, AND WE CAN'T, AND WE CAN'T ADDRESS IT AND, AND GO, GO TO MEETINGS AND SAY, OH YEAH, WE'RE, WE ARE LOSING KIDS AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO THIS, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN COME TO THE TABLE AND SAY THAT, OH, WELL WE NEED, WE NEED DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT THINGS AND THE DIFFERENT APARTMENT COMPLEXES TO HELP US GALVANIZE NUMBERS IN THIS DISTRICT SO THAT WE CAN, DON'T, WE DON'T CONTINUE TO LOSE STUDENTS.
BUT THEN WE COME OUT HERE, WE COME HERE TODAY, WE GET AMNESIA.
AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND I WILL, AND I WILL JUST LEAVE IT THERE AND SAY THAT WE MAY NOT SEE IT.
AND IT'S JUST NOT IN MY DISTRICT, AND IT'S JUST NOT MY COMMUNITY.
IT'S A LOT OF IT'S, IT IS, IT'S IN A LOT OF THESE DISTRICTS AND, AND IN OUR COUNTY.
UH, YOU, YOU ALSO WANTED TO BRING, UH, OE 15 SAFETY AND SECURITY UP.
THAT'S THE, THE OTHER THING IS WE, WE, I WAS LOOKING AT THAT TOO.
UM, I WAS WONDERING, WERE THOSE NUMBERS ACCURATE IN, IN TERMS OF HOW MANY, HOW MANY, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE BOUGHT DOGS? AND I WAS THINKING BACK TO, TO, TO THE SCHOOLS TO HAVE TO HAVE SEARCHES.
'CAUSE BECAUSE WE JUST, WE WE'RE PAYING A LOT OF MONEY NOW TO HAVE THESE, UH, AND, AND, WELL, I DON'T SAY I WE'RE PAYING MONEY, BUT TWO, WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE SYSTEMS IN PLACE, AND ALL THESE SYSTEMS MUST BEGIN TO ALIGN.
SO IT'S ONE THING JUST TO HAVE THE METAL DETECTORS, BUT I WAS WONDERING HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE HAD, HAVE WE THEN PERMIT PREVENTATIVE METALS, PREVENTATIVE MEASURES BEFORE WE BRING THE BROAD METAL DETECTIVES IN THIS DISTRICT? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE HAD DOGS IN THE, IN THE, IN, IN THE BUILDINGS AROUND, AROUND AROUND THE DISTRICT? DO WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS? THE, THE HIGH SCHOOLS NORMALLY TRY TO DO ONE IN THE PARKING LOT AND ONE INSIDE EVERY YEAR.
AND ONE PER, I'M SORRY, ONE PER SEMESTER.
AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS DO AT LEAST ONE SEARCH ON THE INSIDE, BUT SOMETIMES THEY, THEY GET CANCELED BECAUSE LAW ENFORCEMENT'S, CANINES HAVE BEEN CALLED OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO, THEY'RE NOT OUR DOGS.
UM, SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SCHEDULE, BUT THEY DO THE BEST THEY CAN WITH THAT SCHEDULE, I JUST TOLD YOU.
SO ONCE AGAIN, IT, WHEN WE, WE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS AND THEN, AND, AND DIFFERENT AND, AND APPROVING DIFFERENT OES.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS IN THE OE THAT I WAS, WHEN WE TALKING ABOUT SAFETY, SAFETY AND CONCERN, UH, SAFETY AND CONCERN.
AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE COACHES SAYING, WELL, LISTEN, Y Y'ALL ARE FU Y'ALL ARE ARE, AND, AND STAFF MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY CENTER, Y'ALL ARE FUSSING AT THE, THEY THEY GONNA TELL OUR KIDS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE SEARCHED BEFORE THEY COME INTO SCHOOL AND ALL THIS, WHAT, WHAT HAVE Y'ALL HAVE DONE? AND, AND, AND DOGS HADN'T REALLY GONE TO THE SCHOOLS.
AND SO I STARTED, I I STARTED TO SIT THERE AND THINKING, GO BACK AND TAKE THE TIME I, AND, AND READ THROUGH THE OE AND LOOK FOR THAT INFORMATION.
AND, AND, AND THERE WERE, THERE WERE SOME SCHOOLS WHERE I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS, WHERE LIKE HE SAID THERE WERE CAR, SO IF THE DOG IS NOT AVAILABLE THAT
[02:55:01]
WEDNESDAY, AND YOU, THEY WERE ONLY, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ONLY DONE ON WEDNESDAYS.IS THAT THE, I MEAN, THAT'S, TO ME, THAT'S STILL NO EXCUSE THAT WE ONLY SEARCHING SCHOOLS ON WES.
AND HECK, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THE KIDS DONE FIGURE IT OUT ON WEDNESDAY.
I CAN ONLY GO WITH THE SCHEDULE THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT GIVES ME FOR THE AVAILABILITY OF THE CANINES.
SO I, I DON'T MAKE THEIR SCHEDULE.
THEY, THEY TELL ME THAT THEY, THEY GIMME FOUR DAYS A MONTH TO TRY TO SCHEDULE ALL MY SCHOOLS IN.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE, THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE.
IF, IF, IF THAT, IF, IF, IF, IF, IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN THAT'S A REAL CONCERN AS A TAXPAYER THAT, THAT THE SHERIFF COULD NOT WORK WITH THE, WITH THE DISTRICT AND HAVE HIS DOGS READY AND AVAILABILITY FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR STUDENTS IN THIS DISTRICT WHEN WE, BECAUSE IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST ONE INITIATIVE AND ONE PERSON AND ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE.
BECAUSE IF WE, WE ARE GONNA, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR STAFF DOING SOME OF THIS STUFF TO, AS, AS AS WELL IN TERMS OF THESE, UM, METAL DETECTORS, AND THEN IT IS A HOST OF THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT NEED THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD NEED TO BE CONTINUED.
AND TO SAY THAT MAYBE, UH, I, I THINK IT WAS, I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER WAS, BUT I DO REMEMBER THE NUMBER.
I, I I I, I COULD REMEMBER EXACTLY.
I, I DO REMEMBER SAYING MYSELF WHEN I ASKED THAT QUESTION AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
BUT TO HEAR SOMEONE TO JUST BRING IT UP LATELY AND THEN TO HEAR HIM SAY IT IS ONLY ON WEDNESDAYS, THAT'S VERY TROUBLESOME.
UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ, UH, MAYBE WE CAN GET THE SHERIFF AND SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE CAN GET A, A ALTERNATE DAY BESIDES ON WE A WEDNESDAY, AND I MEAN, I'M NOT SURE HOW THE, HOW THE REST OF THE BOARD FEELS ABOUT THAT, BUT TO JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE AN, WE, WE JUST USING ONE MECHANISM TO KEEP OUR KIDS SAFETY AND, AND HAVE SAFETY AND SECURITY, AND WE HAD A BOND REFER A COUPLE YEARS AROUND SAFETY AND SECURITY.
THAT'S JUST, TO ME, THAT'S JUST A, THAT'S A REAL SERIOUS, THAT'S A SERIOUS SITUATION BECAUSE WE HAVE TAX PAYING PEOPLE WHO, WHO HAVE, WHO HAVE THEIR CONCERNED.
SO I, I JUST WANNA, I JUST WANT TO BRING, BRING THAT UP BECAUSE I MEAN, TO ME, HA, GOING INTO SCHOOL WITH THE, WITH THOSE THINGS ARE, AND THE LACK OF IT, IT JUST, IT JUST CAN'T BE, IT, IT CAN'T BE ACCEPTABLE.
IT HAS, IT HAS TO BE CALLED OUT.
AND WHEN WE, AND WE NEED, IF WE NEED HELP, THEN, YOU KNOW, AS, AS US BEING ELECTED BODIES ON, ON THIS, ON, ON THIS SCHOOL BOARD, THEN IF WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO HIM, THEN, THEN, THEN, THEN LET US KNOW.
I, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE A BE A DUTY OF US IF WE NEED TO SEE IF THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES.
JUST, JUST TO BE CLEAR ON ONE.
I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR ON ONE THING THAT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED GREAT WITH US.
EVERY TIME THAT I NEEDED THEM FOR EXTRA SEARCHES, WHETHER IT BE A BOMB THREAT IN THE EVENING, TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, THEY HAD BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE.
WHENEVER I NEED THEM TO GET THE CANINES THERE FOR, FOR SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
DO WE NOT USE THE AIR STATION ANYMORE? I, ONE TIME BACK WE USED TO USE THE AIR STATION AND THE MILITARY DOGS THEY USED TO COME AND SUPPORT.
DO, DO, DO, ARE THEY STILL AVAILABLE? YES, SIR.
WE, WE'VE USED THEM FOR, FOR, FOR DOG, FOR, UH, FOR BOND THREATS.
I JUST WANNA SAY, I MEAN, APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR WHAT I'M GONNA SAY.
BUT IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING WHEN WE MAKE A COMMENT THAT SAYS THAT WE, WE ONLY DO ONE THING, RIGHT? WHEN IN REALITY, REALITY THERE IS A HOST OF SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES THAT WE TAKE ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE SPEW OUT INTO THE PUBLIC.
IT'S JUST, IT'S VASTLY UNFAIR TO THE PROTECTIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE SCHOOL SITES, ANYBODY INVOLVED IN THE SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES.
SO YEAH, I'M UPSET ABOUT IT BECAUSE, BECAUSE TO JUST SIT THERE AND SAY, WE HAVE ONE THING THAT WE DO, IT'S JUST INACCURATE.
LET'S, UH, LET'S MOVE TO, UH, VOTING ON THE OES.
NOW WE HAVE TO VOTE ON OE SIX DASH ONE TO SIX DASH.
DO YOU WANT TO ANSWER ANOTHER QUESTION, SIR? DID, DID HE WANNA ANSWER ANOTHER QUESTION? I MEAN, ALL YOU NEED TIME TO THINK ABOUT, UM, HE JUST WANNA GO BACK TO THE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT TALKING TO THE ACTUAL, TALKING TO THE SHERIFF ABOUT GETTING THE DOG, GETTING THE DOG MORE.
I MEAN, THAT'S, I'M HAPPY TO TALK TO THE SHERIFF.
OKAY, LET'S, UH, LET'S HAVE A VOTE AND LET'S VOTE ON, UH, OE SIX DASH ONE TO SIX DASH EIGHT, UH, FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION.
DO I HAVE A MOTION I, UH, MOVE THAT WE APPROVE SIX DASH, UH, 6.1 THROUGH 6.8.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
LET'S GO TO OE 13 STUDENT DISCIPLINE.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVE SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SO SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
[03:00:02]
AND, UH, MS. HAY.OKAY, SO WE HAD, AND NO, I'M A NO AND A NO.
UH, NEXT ONE IS OE THREE TREATMENT, TREATMENT OF STAKEHOLDERS.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE? SECOND, SECOND, UH, IN DISCUSSION ONE AT A TIME OR ALL OF 'EM? NO.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
THE LAST ONE, UH, OE 15, SAFETY AND SECURITY.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR TAKEN FIVE BY SAYING AYE.
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS BOARD MEETING CALENDAR.
AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT FOUR MINUTES BEFORE WE HAVE TO HAVE THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO CAN WE PUT THE BOARD, UH, CALENDAR UP PLEASE? UM, WE DISCUSSED THIS, UH, WORK SESSION, UH, AND IT'S NOW TIME TO VOTE IT IN IF THERE'S ANY, ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THIS OF THE MOTION THAT WE SET THE CALENDAR.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
AND THE LAST ITEM IS THE BOARD POLICY ON LIVE STREAMING, AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT? YES, WE HAVE, UH, THERE IS A MOTION COMING OUT OF THE POLICY COMMITTEE.
THE POLICY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT THE FULL BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE LIVE STREAMING OF BOARD MEETINGS POLICY AND DIRECT THE SUPERINTENDENT TO FORWARD THE POLICY TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
I'LL SECOND A MOTION SECOND BY MR. SMITH.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
[Consent Agenda]
NOW I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA MOVED, MOVED IN SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
[Future Agenda Topics]
TOPICS, UH, RESPECTFULLY, I'VE, I'VE ASKED FOR SEVERAL TOPICS AND I'M, I'M NOT ADDING, I'M NOT ADDING, BUT I'VE, AND ASKED FOR RIGHT CHOICES NOW FOR A LONG TIME NOW.UM, AND IT WAS LIKE, IT WAS, IT WAS A COUPLE OTHER, A COUPLE, COUPLE OTHERS THAT, THAT, UM, I HAVE NOT SEEN YET AND I'M STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM THOSE.
SO, UM, AS SOON AS WE CAN GET TO SOME OF THESE TOPICS THAT I, THAT I'VE ALREADY, NOW I WON'T EVEN, WE STILL HAVE 'EM ON THE LIST.
I, I, I'M HOPING JUST I CAN UNDERSTAND THE, UNDERSTAND THE, UH, YEAH.
[Announcements]
GOT ONE ANNOUNCEMENT.UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ, UH, IS GONNA TALK ABOUT THE METAL DETECTORS, UH, FOR BOARD MEETINGS.
WE HAVE, UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE, UH, SECURED METAL DETECTORS FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, UM, AND THAT INCLUDED ALSO, UM, THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
AND SO AS WE MOVE INTO, UH, FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS, UM, UH, THE INTENT IS TO HAVE THOSE AT THE, UH, BOARD MEETINGS FOR ENTRANCE INTO, INTO THE, THE BOARD MEETINGS AT THE, UH, AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE SCHOOL HERE IN THIS CASE, OR AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE DISTRICT OFFICE IN THIS CASE.
[Second Public Comments]
SO SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS.RACHEL MARTINEZ DOESN'T SEEM TO BE HERE.
UH, MR. MILLER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, SIR.
IF SITTING, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, AND I'M GOING TO BE VERY BRIEF.
[03:05:01]
I HAVE CONCERN ABOUT ACCOUNT ACCOUNT ACCOUNTABILITY.WE'VE HIRED TWO EXTRA PEOPLE IN THE ARTS AREA, BUT WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS PER PARTICIPATION.
I'M, UH, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONCERT SEASON, END OF THE SEA, UH, SEMESTER TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
ONLY AT 50, ABOUT 50% OF THE SCHOOLS ARE HAVING A CONCERT INSERT.
AND IT'S BEEN IMPRESSED BY THE NEW HIRES TO HAVE TO BE ON A SCHEDULE.
AND I CAN'T, I SAY THERE'S 50%, BUT, UH, THAT'S IN, THERE'S A CAVEAT ALONG THAT BECAUSE THE DISTRICT CAN'T TELL ME FOR SURE WHO IS AND WHO ISN'T BECAUSE THEY AREN'T NECESSARILY REPORTING TO THE DISTRICT OFFICE AND GETTING IT ON A CALENDAR.
I HOPE THAT WE FIND A WAY TO GET THE SCHOOL INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS TO MORE ACCOUNTABLE.
IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTION, WE WILL ADJOURN UNDER UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
THE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.
EARLY SETTLERS FROM ENGLAND BROUGHT THE TRADITION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO AMERICA.
TODAY, MORE THAN 3000 COUNTY GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE SERVICES THAT AFFECT ALMOST EVERY CITIZEN'S LIFE.
SOUTH CAROLINA'S 46 COUNTIES ARE VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS EVOLVED NATIONALLY.
THE COUNTY UNIT IN SOUTH CAROLINA WAS REGARDED AS A LOCAL EXTENSION OF STATE GOVERNMENT, BUT A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM MOVEMENT IN THE EARLY 1970S LED TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, PASSING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HOME RULE ACT.
IN 1975, THE HOME RULE ACT GREATLY EXPANDED COUNTY AUTHORITY AND CHANGED THE NATURE OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION TO WHAT WE KNOW TODAY.
BEAUFORT COUNTY WENT FROM HAVING A BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO A COUNTY COUNCIL.
MEMBERS OF THE 1975 COUNCIL INCLUDED CHAIRMAN ARTHUR HORN, VICE CHAIRMAN, GRADY THAMES, LEROY BROWN, GARY FORDHAM, WILLIAM GRANT, HARRIET KEISLING, DAVID JONES, BILL MCBRIDE, AND BOOKER WASHINGTON.
AS THE NEW COUNCIL SOUGHT TO DISTINGUISH ITSELF, COUNCIL MEMBERS DESIRED AN OFFICIAL SYMBOL THAT WOULD REPRESENT THE JURISDICTION'S IDENTITY AND UNIQUE CHARACTER COUNCIL APPOINTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE THE TASK AND CARRY OUT A CONTEST FOR THE BEST COUNTY SEAL DESIGN.
HARRIET KLIN WAS A MEMBER OF COUNTY COUNCIL, AND IT WAS HER IDEA BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IDENTIFY OUR BEAUTIFUL BEAUFORD COUNTY.
WE MET THEN UP AT, UH, I THINK IT WAS A CAROLINA BANK AND SOME YEARS AGO, BACK THERE ON WEST STREET, AND THEN WE PUT 'EM IN PILES.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, GOOD, BAD MAYBE UNTIL WE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN TO THE ONE THAT WE NOW USE.
COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SEAL COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH REFLECTED THE COUNTY'S HISTORY, TRADITIONS, AND NATURAL BEAUTY.
THE SEAL'S COLORS OF BLUE AND GREEN REPRESENT THE COLORS OF THE COUNTY'S OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT WITH ITS MANY WATERWAYS, MARSHLANDS, AND MARITIME FOREST.
THE FIVE IMAGES WITHIN THE SEAL DEPICT SOME OF THE COUNTY'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.
[03:10:01]
LIVE OAK TREES, THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY, RICH NATURAL RESOURCES, AND A RARE MARINE ECOLOGY, LOW COUNTRY ARCHITECTURE, AND MILES OF RIVERS, CREEKS, AND INLETS.I THOUGHT IT ENCOMPASSED WHAT THE, WHAT WE AS A BODY WERE LOOKING FOR A SEAL.
IT WOULD, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT AND JUST THOUGHT ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, IT REALLY COVERS THE ASPECTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO HE DID A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, WHOLE, SO DEAR AND WHAT WE REALLY LIKE ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
COUNCILMAN BILL MCBRIDE WAS IN OFFICE WHEN THE CONTEST WAS HELD AND WAS PRESENT WHEN THE COMMITTEE REVEALED THE WINNING DESIGN.
I THINK COUNCIL WAS ECSTATIC ABOUT IT.
UH, WE THOUGHT THAT THE, THE SIMS ON THE SEAL REPRESENTED, UM, ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, DRAFT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US WHERE YOU HAVE THE SHRIMP BOAT TODAY.
INITIALLY, THAT WAS A PLEASURE CRAFT, A SAILBOAT YACHT TYPE BOAT.
AND, UH, IT WAS CHANGED BY COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THE SHRIMP BOAT WAS A BETTER REPRESENTATION, UM, OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, ASPECT OF, BUT COUNTY LIFE BECAUSE YOU HAD OTHER THINGS ON THE SEAL THAT REPRESENT THE PLEASURE AND RECREATION, THE FISHING AND THE BEACH.
SO THEY THOUGHT THE SHRIMP BOAT, WHICH WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF BEFORD COUNTY CULTURE, SHRIMPING, ESPECIALLY AT THAT TIME, WOULD BE REFLECTED ON THE SALE.
THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST WAS AN ARTIST FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE LATE LEE PAYNE, WHOSE DESIGN WAS SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 126 CENTURIES SUBMITTED FROM AS FAR AWAY AS INDIANA AND TENNESSEE.
HE WAS AWARDED $250 FOR HIS DESIGN.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE CAPTURED THE LEGACY OF OUTDOOR BEAUTY, CULTURE, AND HISTORY THAT HELPED TO DEFINE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.