[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
[Call to Order]
WE WILL NOW CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.WE WILL NOW CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND WITH THE PUBLIC SESSION.
THIS IS THE AGENDA FOR THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BEING HELD AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER, 55 WILBORN AVENUE, HILTON HEAD, FEBRUARY 3RD, BETWEEN FIVE AND NINE 15 FOR THE PUBLIC SESSION.
HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL, COUNTY CHANNEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH NEW SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES.
BAGS, BACKPACKS, AND PURSES ARE PROHIBITED BY THE PUBLIC AT BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS.
PARTICIPATION WILL BE ACCEPTED BETWEEN 4:00 PM AND 4:30 PM BY SENDING AN EMAIL WITH YOUR NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND TOPIC TO ROBIN DOT CUSHING BERRY AT BEAUFORT K12 SC US.
IF YOU ARE IN PERSON, YOU MAY ADDRESS THE BOARD FOR MAXIMUM THREE MINUTES ON ISSUES WITHIN THE BOARD'S DOMAIN.
EACH SPEAKER MUST FILL OUT A PUBLIC CARD COMMENT CARD.
PLEASE SEE THE BOARD CLERK SITTING TO OUR LEFT, MS. ROBIN CUSHING BERRY REQUEST FOR THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED BETWEEN SEVEN AND 7:30 PM IN THE SAME MANNER AS ABOVE.
THE PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL TAKE PLACE PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT, NO LATER THAN 9:00 PM THE SECOND FORM WILL BE LIMITED TO 15 MINUTES.
IN THE EVENT THE BOARD HAS FINISHED ADDRESSING ALL ITEMS LISTED ON THE FEBRUARY 3RD, 2026 AGENDA.
THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE AT 6:00 PM ON FEBRUARY THE FOURTH, 2026, THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY TO FINISH THE AGENDA ITEMS, IS THERE
[Approval of Agenda]
A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? SO MOVED.[Pledge of Allegiance, Moment of Silence, Statement of Media Notification]
IF YOU'LL JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.EVERY MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE.
I DON'T THANK YOU FOR THE MOMENT OF SILENCE.
HAS MEDIA BEEN NOTIFIED? OKAY.
MEDIA HAS BEEN PROPERLY NOTIFIED.
[Election of Secretary]
HAVE, AS A BUSINESS ITEM, THE ELECTION OF OUR SECRETARY.IS THERE A MOTION FOR A NOMINATION? MR. CHAIR? I WISH TO, UH, NOMINATE VICTOR NAY.
AND ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HANDS.
WOULD YOU COMMENT FOR YOUR VOTE? COLONEL GEIER? AYE.
ALRIGHT, SO IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOTION SET.
HOW, HOW DO YOU VOTE? MR. SMITH? OKAY.
ALRIGHT, IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOTION.
WELCOME TO THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER POSITION, MR. NAY.
[Points of Celebration]
POINTS OF CELEBRATION WITH OUR FABULOUS STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN SUPPORT OF THE STUDENTS.AND, UH, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
UH, THE FIRST, UH, ITEM IN POINTS OF CELEBRATION IS CHARACTER ED FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.
AND, UH, TONIGHT WE'RE CELEBRATING THE CHARACTER TRAIT, UH, THAT WAS IN NOVEMBER, WHICH WAS RESPECT AND GRATITUDE.
RESPECT IS DEFINED AS SHOWING HIGH REGARD FOR AUTHORITY, OTHER PEOPLE, SELF AND COUNTRY, AND GRATITUDE IS DEFINED AS SHOWING THAT YOU ARE THANKFUL FOR WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE FOR YOU.
NOVEMBER STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR SOUTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY IS SOPHIA CAMPOS.
MONTES A THIRD GRADER AT RED CEDAR ELEMENTARY.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE SOPHIA IS PRINCIPAL DR.
[00:05:13]
WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE SOPHIA.AND YOU'LL SEE TEAM SOPHIA SITTING BEHIND ME, HER TEACHER, HER TUTOR, HER COUNSELOR, AND HER FAMILY, AND HER COUNSELOR.
MRS. MARKLE IS GOING TO COME UP TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT SOPHIA.
WE'D LIKE TO TAKE JUST A MOMENT AND, UM, RECOGNIZE, UM, SOPHIA'S PARENTS FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
MAR MARIO AND ZIKA MONTEZ AND HER GRANDMOTHER, MS. AIMA AND MS. DUNCAN AND MS. MICHAELS.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TO SUPPORT THIS EVENING.
I'M GONNA GONNA SHARE JUST A FEW OF THE WORDS THAT WERE SHARED BY YOUR FIFTH, YOUR THIRD GRADE TEAM.
SOPHIA IS A KIND STUDENT WHO SHOWS GRATITUDE IN HER EVERYDAY LIFE.
SHE ALWAYS SPEAKS AND ALWAYS SAYS, THANK YOU WITH A SMILE.
SHE LISTENS CAREFULLY, FOLLOWS CLASSROOM RULES AND USES PLIGHT WORDS LIKE, PLEASE AND EXCUSE ME.
HER TEACHERS NOTICE HOW THOUGHTFUL SHE IS AND HOW HER MANNERS MAKE THE CLASSROOM FEEL CALM AND FRIENDLY AT HOME.
SOPHIA'S FAMILY SEES THE SAME KINDNESS.
SHE SAYS, THANK YOU FOR SMALL THINGS.
LIKE, WHEN SOMEONE HANDS HER A SNACK, HELPS HER DO SOMETHING, OR READS A STORY WITH HER.
SHE NOTICES THE LITTLE ACTS OF HELP AND TELLS PEOPLE SHE APPRECIATES THEM.
HER PARENTS SAY SHE MAKES OTHERS FEEL HAPPY JUST BY BEING THANKFUL.
SOPHIA ALWAYS SHOWS GRATITUDE BY HELPING OTHERS.
IF A CLASSMATE DROPS SOMETHING, SHE PICKS IT UP.
IF A TEACHER NEEDS A HAND PASSING OUT PAPERS, SHE VOLUNTEERS HER THANK YOU.
NOTES ARE SHORT BUT SWEET AND SOMETIMES SHE DRAWS A PICTURE AND GIVES IT TO A TEACHER OR FRIEND WITH A SMALL MESSAGE.
THANKS FOR HELPING ME, BECAUSE SOPHIA'S GRATEFUL PEOPLE WANNA HELP HER AND BE AROUND HER.
HER KINDNESS HELPS EVERYONE FEEL APPRECIATED AND LOVED.
SHE REMINDS US ALL THAT SAYING THANK YOU, AND NOTICING THE SMALL THINGS MAKE EACH DAY BRIGHTER.
NEXT ITEM IN POINTS OF CELEBRATION IS THE WORD MASTERS CHALLENGE.
UH, PERFECT SCORES TWO, DISTRICT FIFTH GRADERS ACHIEVED A PERFECT SCORE IN THE MOST RECENT WORD, MASTERS CHALLENGE.
UH, CHALLENGE MEET A NATIONAL VOCABULARY COMPETITION INVOLVING NEARLY 125,000 STUDENTS ANNUALLY.
RED CEDAR STUDENTS, VIRGINIA FRAZIER AND ROSEMARY RAMBO EACH EARNED A PERFECT SCORE OF 20 IN THE DIFFICULT BLUE DIVISION OF THE WORD MASTERS CHALLENGE.
NATIONALLY, ONLY 29 FIFTH GRADERS ACHIEVED THIS RESULT IN RED CEDAR'S.
FIFTH GRADE COACHES ARE TEACHERS, LINLEY FRIEDEN AND KELLY BACHER.
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THESE STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS.
A STRONG VOCABULARY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY, AND THESE NATIONAL RECOGNITIONS SHOW THAT THESE STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS ARE OFF TO A TREMENDOUS START HERE TO INTRODUCE VIRGINIA AND ROSEMARY.
HIS RED CEDAR ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL, DR.
[00:10:04]
THE SKIPPED, HE SKIPPED DECEMBER, I DUNNO.NEXT AWARD THIS EVENING IS THE GFOA DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD.
THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA ANNOUNCED THAT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVE RECEIVED THE GFO A'S DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD FOR ITS BUDGET.
AND HERE TO TELL US ABOUT THE AWARD IS OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, TONYA CROSBY.
UM, WE ARE, UM, I WANNA INTRODUCE KATIE ABAR, OUR DIRECTOR OF BUDGETING.
UM, SHE AND HER TEAM AND A TEAM OF, UM, MANY PEOPLE IN FINANCE AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT STAFF, HAVE HELPED TO, HELPED US TO ACHIEVE, UH, AN AMAZING FEAT OF ABOUT A 250 PAGE BUDGET BOOK THAT IS MARVELOUSLY CREATED.
UH, AND GRAPHIC DESIGNER MOLLY MERCADO SUPPORTED US TO MODERNIZE THE LANGUAGE AND THE, UH, THE LOOK OF THE BOOK AND IS, DID AN AMAZING JOB.
SO THIS TOOK A A LOT OF EFFORT.
UH, THIS IS OUR 12TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF THE AWARD, AND WE ANTICIPATE, UM, EVEN IMPROVING THE PROCESS EVEN BETTER NEXT YEAR.
AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, UM, UH, MAKING IMPROVEMENTS AND, UH, BRINGING IT FORWARD FOR A 13TH YEAR NEXT YEAR.
UH, THE NEXT, UH, UH, PRESENTATION TODAY IS NEXT GEN RISING STARS.
AND TONIGHT I'M PROUD TO RECOGNIZE ONE OF OUR OWN ASHLEY GOULD, DIRECTOR OF READINESS AS A 2025 NEXT GEN RISING STAR.
THIS NATIONAL HONOR CELEBRATES EMERGING LEADERS UNDER 40, WHOSE INNOVATION, LEADERSHIP, AND DEDICATION TO STUDENT SUCCESS ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION.
THE NEXT GEN RISING STARS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR BOLD IDEAS, COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT, AND MEASURABLE IMPACT.
AND ASHLEY EXEMPLIFIES ALL OF THESE QUALITIES.
THROUGH HER LEADERSHIP OF HER EARLY CHILDHOOD INITIATIVES AND HER COMMITMENT TO ADVANCING MEANINGFUL DISTRICT-WIDE WORK, ASHLEY IS HELPING BUILD A STRONGER FUTURE FOR OUR SCHOOLS, OUR STUDENTS, AND OUR COMMUNITY.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING ASHLEY GOLD ON THIS WELL-DESERVED RECOGNITION.
NEXT, I'M GONNA ASK, UH, GLENN FRAZIER, JOIN ME UP HERE.
HE'S OUR, UH, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE MS. CARRIE BROWN, ONE OF OUR, UH, BUS DRIVERS, ONE OF OUR, UH, TRANSPORTATION, UH, SPECIALISTS WHO GOES ABOUT HER WORK EVERY DAY AND EXEMPLIFIES THE VERY BEST OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT CARRIE, WHEN SHE GOES ABOUT HER ROUTE EVERY MORNING, GREETS OUR STUDENTS WITH THE UTMOST SMILE, WITH THE UTMOST EXCITEMENT AND ENERGY WELCOMING THEM ONTO HER BUS AND SAYING GOODBYE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
INCREDIBLY SPECIAL BECAUSE CARRIE GETS THOSE STUDENTS DAY STARTED ON THE RIGHT PATH EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND WE WANT HER TO KNOW THAT THAT DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED AND THAT WE APPRECIATE WHAT SHE DOES EVERY DAY TO MAKE OUR STUDENTS HAVE A GREAT DAY.
[00:15:11]
MR. DALLAS, THAT CONCLUDES OUR POINTS OF CELEBRATION TODAY.UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT RODRIGUEZ, TO NOT ONLY THE FAMILIES WHO ARE HERE TO SUPPORT THE YOUNG ONES, BUT ALSO THE ADULTS AND THE LEADERS OF YOUR RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS WHO ENSURE THAT TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER FUNCTIONS ARE EXECUTED WITH SO MUCH DISCIPLINE AND PRECISION.
MS. ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? OKAY, NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[CLOC Update]
CLOCK UPDATE.MY NAME IS RAY WCO AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE 2023 REFERENDUM, BUT I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT BOTH REFERENDUMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY IN THE DISTRICT.
AND, AND BY THE WAY, 2019 IS SO CLOSE TO BEING FINISHED.
AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, GIVE US, GIVE THE, GIVE THE GROUP ANOTHER MONTH, AND I THINK AT THE NEXT REPORT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SAY WE'RE DONE, WE'RE DONE WITH 2019.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE CLOCK DOES.
I KNOW YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN THE RESULTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION, BUT WHAT THE CLOCK GROUP MEETS ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
AND WHAT WE DO IS WE ARE CERTAIN THAT THE BUDGET TIES BACK TO THE REFERENDUM.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT THE VOTERS SAID, THEY WOULD APPROVE THE BUDGET MEETS WHAT, WHAT THE VOTERS HAVE SAID.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO, ON THE 2019 AND THE 23, THERE HAVE BEEN NO CHANGES TO THAT REFERENDUM.
SO THAT MEANS THAT THE TAXPAYERS WILL NOT HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S A POSITIVE STATEMENT GOING FORWARD.
WE RECEIVE MONTHLY REPORTS, THE CLOCK DOES FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY REPORT SPENDING AND THEY REPORT THE COMMITTED CONTRACTS.
AND WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS FOR, FOR EVERY, EVERY PARTICULAR PROJECT TALLIES UP AND DOES NOT EXCEED.
AND IF, UH, BY THE WAY, THE PAYMENTS THAT ARE MADE FROM THE DISTRICT ARE ALWAYS LESS THAN WHAT THE PERCENTAGE OF OF COMPLETION IS ON THE CONTRACTS, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE NOT PAYING IN ADVANCE.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PRACTICE AND THAT THAT HAS, THAT HAS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THOSE PROGRAMS. WE, WE ARE SENSITIVE THOUGH TO THE LEVEL OF CONTINGENCIES AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CONTINGENCY AMOUNTS ARE, ARE THERE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PROJECT.
AND TO DATE, THAT HAS NOT BEEN ANY, ANY ISSUE WHATSOEVER.
SO THE CONTINGENCIES STILL EXIST.
ONE OTHER THING IS WE DO VISIT THE CONSTRUCTION SITES, AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE THERE WHENEVER THE GROUNDBREAKING OCCURS, AND WE'RE ALWAYS THERE FOR AT LEAST A REPRESENTATIVE.
WE'RE THERE WHEN THE RIBBON CUTTING, BUT THERE'S STEPS IN BETWEEN.
SO WHAT WE DO IS WE DON THE HARD HATS, WE PUT ON THE REFLECTIVE VESTS AND WE GO OUT AND WE TRUMP THROUGH AND MAKE SURE THAT THINGS LOOK OKAY.
UM, I'M NOT, I'M NOT A CONSTRUCTION EXPERT, BUT THERE ARE SOME CONSTRUCTION EXPERTS ON THAT TEAM.
ONE THING I FOUND OUT WAS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDS A MOCKUP OF WHAT THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE.
AND WHAT THAT TYPICALLY IS, IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT 10 FEET LONG, ABOUT 12 FEET HIGH.
AND IT SHOWS WHAT THE BUILDING SHOULD LOOK LIKE WHENEVER THEY GET, WHENEVER IT'S COMPLETED.
THE ADMINISTRATION FOLKS COME BY, LOOK AT IT AND SAID, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE SAID DURING THE CONSTRUCTION.
IF THEY CAN SPOT WHERE SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, THEY, THEY PULL THE SUBCONTRACTOR OVER AND SAY, THAT DOES NOT MEET WHAT WE SAID WE WANTED.
AND THAT GETS CORRECTED RIGHT AWAY BEFORE THE THING IS COMPLETED.
AND I ALWAYS THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UM, AND IN THE VERY END, THE CONSTRUCTION IS, IS APPROVED BY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO THAT MEANS THAT AS FAR AS WE'RE CONCERNED, THE UH, BUILDING IS BUILT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE AND THE WAY, AND THE, ONCE THE STATE SAYS IT'S OKAY, IT'S GOOD TO GO.
UM, INITIALLY WE STARTED OUT WITH EIGHT PARTICIPANTS ON THE CLOCK AND THEY WERE FROM DIFFERENT VARIED BACKGROUNDS AND THAT'S, THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
[00:20:01]
ORIGINAL EIGHT HAS DWINDLED DOWN TO THREE.SOME OF THEM MOVED AWAY, SOME OF THEM DECIDED THEY DIDN'T WANNA DO IT ANY LONGER.
SOME GOT ELECTED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THEY COULDN'T DO BOTH THINGS.
UM, AND SO NOW THE, OR FROM THE ORIGINAL EIGHT WE'RE DOWN TO THREE.
AND LAST MONTH WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS FOR HEALTH REASONS NEEDS TO RETIRE AWAY FROM CLOCK.
SO HE'S BEEN ON THIS SCHOOL BOARD BEFORE AND WE WISH HIM WELL, WE WISH HIM WELL.
HE WILL ATTEND ONE MORE CLOCK MEETING AND THAT'LL BE IT.
BUT THAT'S MY REPORT FOR THIS EVENING.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER OR ATTEMPT TO ANSWER FROM THE, FROM, FROM THE GROUP MEMBERS? YES, MS. OH, RIGHT.
IT'S BEEN TREMENDOUS HAVING THE SUPPORT OF THE CLOCK.
AND IT'S GREAT WHEN YOU'RE IN THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS AND THAT THEY KNOW THAT THERE IS THIS, YOU KNOW, VERY EXPERIENCED GROUP OF PEOPLE OVERSEEING IT.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY, ALSO DRIVING IN HERE, I USED TO GO TO HILTON HEAD HIGH ALMOST EVERY DAY WHEN I HAD KIDS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.
I HAVEN'T, IT'S SO IMPRESSIVE, THAT BUILDING AND, AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
AND IT'S ON SCHEDULE, IT'S ON BUDGET.
SO THAT'S IN NO SMALL PART TO YOU GUYS, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WELL, I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT.
WE, WE DID NOT, WE WEREN'T THERE MAKING SURE THAT THINGS WERE, WERE, WERE, WERE IN ORDER.
IT'S THE FOLKS HERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROOM THAT HAVE DONE THAT.
AND NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THAT AT ALL, BUT I THINK WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THE LEVEL OF TRUST THAT YOU'VE ENGENDERED WITH OUR COMMUNITY, UM, HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
WELL, I THANK YOU AND I APPRECIATE THAT COMMENT.
AND I'LL TAKE IT BACK TO THE, TO THE, TO THE OTHER MEMBERS.
UH, WE'VE GONE FROM EIGHT TO TWO NOW.
SO THE, THE BURDEN IS SHOULDER BY TWO PEOPLE.
IS THERE A PLAN TO THE, THE BURDEN? THERE ARE MORE ON THE COMMITTEE THAT WE'VE REPLACED ALONG THE WAY AND GOTCHA.
I'VE GOT, OH, OR EIGHT ORIGINAL DOWN TO TWO OF THE ORIGINAL.
AND BY THE WAY, I ALWAYS THINK IT'S GOOD TO GET NEW BLOOD IN THERE.
BECAUSE THEY HAVE FRESH IDEAS ON THE WAY THINGS OUGHT TO BE CONDUCTED.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE CURRENT, UH, UH, ATTENDANCE OF THE, OF THE CLOCK? HOW MANY MEMBERS DO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ON THE CLOCK? WE HAVE, WE HAVE EIGHT, BUT OF COURSE WE NEED TO HAVE A QUORUM.
SO THAT MEANS FIVE NEED TO BE IN ATTENDANCE.
AT LEAST FIVE NEED TO BE GOTCHA.
NO, I'M SORRY, FOUR NEED TO BE IN ATTENDANCE, BUT WE HAVE SOME THAT ARE THERE AND WE HAVE SOME THAT ARE ON ZOOM, JUST LIKE HERE AT THE, AT THE, AT THIS EVENING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THOSE HERE IN THE ROOM OR ONLINE? OKAY, THANK YOU.
[Chair's Report]
MOVING TO THE CHAIR'S REPORT.SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CHAIR, UM, GETS TO DO IS, IS TO IDENTIFY AND SELECT THE COMMITTEE CHAIRS.
AND THAT IS A VERY SOBERING RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE YOU WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MATCHING TALENTS AND PERSONALITIES AND EXPERIENCE WITH THE NEEDS OF THE BOARD AND THE DISTRICT.
SO WITH THAT, UH, WE LIKE TO GO FORWARD AND IDENTIFY THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN BEEN SELECTED FOR THE FOUR CHAIRS, FOUR COMMITTEES THAT WERE STANDING UP.
THREE ARE STANDING COMMITTEES.
AND THE, AND THE FOURTH WOULD BE A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
SO FOR ACADEMICS, WE HAVE DR. DAVID CARR AS THE CHAIR.
WE HAVE PASTOR GORDON AS A MEMBER, AND WE HAVE MR. NAY AS A MEMBER.
THE NEXT COMMITTEE IS FINANCE.
WE HAVE COLONEL GEIER AS THE CHAIR.
AND WE HAVE MR. SMALL AS A MEMBER, THE
AND WE HAVE DR. CARR AS A MEMBER.
AND PASTOR GORDON AS A MEMBER FOR LEGISLATIVE, WE HAVE DR. CARR, PASTOR GORDON AND MR. NAY FOR BEAUFORT, JASPER EIGHTH, WE HAVE COLONEL GEIER, WE HAVE MR. SMALL, AND WE HAVE OUR COLLEAGUE, MR. SMITH, WHO'S BEEN ON THE BOARD BEFORE.
SO THOSE ARE THE FOUR COMMITTEES THAT ARE BEING STOOD UP TONIGHT.
AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ANSWERING
[00:25:01]
THE CALL AND SAYING YES AND SUPPORTING THE EFFORT TO MAKE THE DISTRICT EVEN BETTER THROUGH YOUR COMMITTEE.THERE ARE, UH, THREE OTHER COMMITTEES THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO STAND UP AT THIS TIME, AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY THOSE ARE RESULTS, POLICY AND TECHNOLOGY.
WE WANT TO GIVE ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THEIR SCHEDULE WILL ALLOW, WHAT THEIR INCLINATION IS, WHERE THEIR PASSION LIES, AND THEN SEE IF THEY WILL WANT TO BE A PART OF THOSE THREE REMAINING COMMITTEES.
SO WE WILL ADDRESS THOSE AT A LATER DATE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
WE STILL HAVE MORE TALENT ON THE BOARD TO DRAW FROM, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT OVERLOADING OUR PEOPLE, UH, IN TERMS OF ADDING TOO MANY PEOPLE TO A COMMITTEE.
AND THEN THEIR CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF THEIR PERSONAL TIME.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED THE BOARD SECRETARY, BUT IN CONTINUATION OF THE CHAIR'S REPORT, I'D LIKE TO SHARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT, HAVE IN MIND.
ONE IS, AS A NERD, I'VE READ THE ENTIRE POLICY MANUAL GOING BACK TO, I THINK IT'S SEPTEMBER OR FEBRUARY OF 2021 WHEN IT WAS APPROVED.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO IS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE KEEPING THAT POLICY MANUAL CURRENT AND THAT WE UPDATE IT EACH TIME WE CREATE A NEW RULE VIA THE BOARD THAT SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE POLICY DOCUMENT.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO WILL BE WILLING TO TAKE THAT ON AND EXHIBIT THE DISCIPLINE NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE WE STAY CURRENT DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
AND SO ANYTIME WE WANT TO KNOW HOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO ACT AS A BOARD, BEHAVE AS A BOARD, THAT IS RIGHT THERE AS OUR GUIDING DOCUMENT.
WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT A POLICY WORKSHOP TO CALIBRATE AND ENSURE THAT THE GROUP LEARNING RELATIVE TO THE POLICY COMMITTEE IS NOT JUST THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, IT'S THE ENTIRE BOARD.
SO WE'RE GOING TO ASK EACH OF THE BOARD MEMBERS TO SIT THROUGH AND HELP DIRECT THE REVIEW OF THE POLICY MANUAL.
AND FROM THAT GROUP WILL COME, CERTAINLY PEOPLE WHO ARE QUALIFIED AND INTERESTED.
AND ONE OF THOSE WE EXPECT TO BE NOMINATED OR SELECTED AS CHAIR OF A FUTURE POLICY COMMITTEE, CERTAINLY IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE.
THE OTHER THING IS, I WANT TO NOTE THAT WE ALL COME TO THE BOARD WITH VERY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, EXPERIENCES, INCLINATIONS, AND WHAT HAVE, AND THAT IS AN ADVANTAGE, BUT IT ALSO MEANS WE AREN'T ALL CALIBRATED IN OUR KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THESE POLICIES.
AND IT WILL IMPROVE OUR EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY IF WE ALL SORT OF GET TO THE SAME SPOT AND THEN LEAP FORWARD, UH, UNDERSTANDING AS CHANGES OCCUR IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU THAT TO DO THAT AS WELL.
AND I HOPE YOU ALL WILL EN UH, JOIN ME IN ADDRESSING, UH, AN ISSUE OF BOARD DEVELOPMENT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING IS JUST AS THE ADMINISTRATION INVEST IN THE TEACHER'S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS, WE WILL LIKE THE BOARD TO TAKE A LOOK AT ACTUALLY INVESTING IN OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
AND SO WE CAN IDENTIFY WHERE CARLTON IS WEAK, MANY TIMES, MANY THINGS, BUT WHICH IS THE ONE THAT'S MOST PRESSING.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A POSSIBLE WORK SESSION WHERE WE ACTUALLY CAN BRING IN SOMEONE THAT CAN FACILITATE A, A BOARD DEVELOPMENT TYPE SESSION AND HELP EVERYONE GET ELEVATED.
NOW, YOU MAY SAY, WELL, WHERE DOES THAT LEAD? SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW, ONE BOARD MEMBER WHO IS VERY TALENTED IN A PARTICULAR AREA, MANY AREAS, BUT ONE IN PARTICULAR IS TECHNOLOGY.
I'M A TECHNOPHOBE, NOT A TECHNOPHILE.
I HATE TECHNOLOGY BASICALLY 'CAUSE I'M NOT GOOD AT IT.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING IS WHEN FORCED TO LEARN, I DO.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO IS CERTAINLY THE ADMINISTRATION'S GONNA BE LOOKING AT FUTURE ITERATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS AND SOFTWARE THAT'S JUST NORMAL.
NOT SAYING YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO DO ANYTHING, BUT AT AT LEAST A REVIEW.
BUT THE FIRST THING WE WANT TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT THE EMPLOYEE WORKFORCE KNOWS WE ARE WILLING TO INVEST IN YOU AS A HUMAN BEING AND IMPROVE YOUR SKILLSET ON THE EXISTING PLATFORMS SO THAT EVERYONE BECOMES BETTER UTILIZATION OF WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, SO THAT NO ONE FEELS LIKE TECHNOLOGY IS GOING TO SUPPLANT YOU AS A VALUABLE ASSET TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SHARING THAT WITH YOU.
YOU NOW, IF I COULD DOUBLE BACK TO THE BOARD RETREAT, COLONEL GUY REALLY WAS THE ONE THAT SORT OF PUT THAT INTO OUR MINDS AS A BOARD.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO CONTINUE THAT INITIALLY LOOKING AT A HALF DAY BECAUSE IN DISCUSSING COMMITTEES, WE KNOW THERE'S SO MANY COMMITMENTS, SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE,
[00:30:01]
AND YOU'RE DOING SO MANY GOOD THINGS CONTRIBUTING TO SOCIETY, WE DON'T WANNA OVERLOAD YOU.SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO DO IT IN POSSIBLY A HALF DAY OF A WORK SESSION.
SO WE ARE NOT TYING YOU UP FOR AN ENTIRE ADDITIONAL DAY IN THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO ONE OF THE THING IS, UM, THE COLLABORATION AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'LL BE LOOKING AT IS HOW DO WE ENSURE WE COME TOGETHER AS A TEAM? WE ARE A TEAM NOW, BUT HOW DO WE IMPROVE? AND THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
SO THAT IS THE CHAIR'S, UH, REPORT FOR THIS AFTERNOON.
AND IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
YEAH, ACTUALLY I DO HAVE A, UH, OKAY, GO AHEAD.
YEAH, MORE OF OF OUR COMMENTS TO, UH, TO THE CHAIR'S REPORT.
UM, I DO THINK THERE'S A, UH, I DO HAVE A BIT OF A CONCERN WHEN WE HAVE, UM, SOMEONE COMING FROM THE OFFICE, THE OFFICERS IS CHAIRING TWO COMMITTEES, UH, BECAUSE I I REALLY DON'T THINK THAT, UM, YOU'RE GIVING, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS THAT IRON SHOP AND IRON AND I'LL BE THERE THAT EVERY DAY, THAT EVERY BOARD MEMBER HAVE SOME TYPE OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
AND I THINK THAT WE'RE NOT ALLOWING, UH, BOARD, WE'RE NOT ALLOWING, UH, EACH OTHER TO SHOW, UH, DIFFERENT TIES AND ALSO JUST TO LEARN BECAUSE NO ONE'S MADE PERFECTLY.
SO, UH, I DO DEFINITELY, UH, SEE AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
AND THEN ALSO I SEE AN ISSUE THAT, UH, ALL THAT THE, THE, ALL OF OUR OFFICERS, UM, IN TERMS OF THE WHOLE BOARD OFF FROM 1 1, 1 SIDE OF THE BROAD AND, UH, SEEING KIND COUNSELORS THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT TOO WELL.
AND I THINK THAT THE OFFICERS SHOULD BE, UH, IT SHOULDN'T JUST BE FROM ONE SIDE, IT SHOULD SO MUCH.
SOME OFFICERS SHOULD BE FROM NORTH, SOME OFFICERS SHOULD BE FROM SOUTH.
SO WHEN I LOOK, WHEN I LOOK AT THE BOARD, SO I MEAN, ARE WE TELLING THE COMMUNITY THAT THERE'S NO, THERE'S, THERE'S NO, UH, TALENT ON THE SOUTH, ON THE SOUTH OF BROAD.
I MEAN, I'M EXCUSE THE NORTH OF BROAD BECAUSE ALL ALL, ALL OF THE OFFICERS COME FROM THE SOUTH OF BROAD.
SO I MEAN, I'M A LITTLE DISTURBED BY THAT, UH, AS WELL.
UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME CONCERNS.
AND I, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD WANTS TO ASK OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK IN ALL MY YEARS OF BEING ON THE BOARD AND EVEN WATCHING THE SCHOOL BOARDS, WE, WE, WE'VE NEVER HAD ALL THE OFFICERS COME FROM ONE SIDE OF THE BROAD.
AND THAT THAT IS, THAT IS, THAT IS A LITTLE, THAT'S A LITTLE DISTURBING, A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UM, AND I THINK WE, IF WE'RE GONNA PACKAGE IT, WE'RE GONNA SAY THAT WE ARE ENCOMPASSING EVERYBODY AND EVERYTHING THAT I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT, TALK ABOUT, BECAUSE, UH, NO REPRESENTATION IS, IS, IS DEFINITELY IS NO SEAT AT THE TABLE IS IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE.
SO I JUST WANNA, JUST WANNA POINT THOSE THINGS OUT.
I, THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE NEVER SEEN OR I'VE NEVER, I'VE NEVER, I'VE NEVER, UH, SEEN, UH, IN ALL MY YEARS.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY ABOUT AT LEAST A, WITHIN AT LEAST 11 YEARS, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY, UH, ALL, ALL OFFICERS COMING FROM ONE, ONE SIDE OF THE BROAD.
[Superintendent's Report]
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.UH, FIRST ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, OR THE ITEM WE HAVE FOR TODAY IS AN EARLY CHILDHOOD UPDATE UNDER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, DR.
STRATOS AND AWARD-WINNING ASHLEY GOLD, UH, IS GONNA BE HERE TO DO THE PRESENTATION.
I DO WANNA TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY OF INTRODUCE, INTRODUCING ASHLEY GOULD, OUR DIRECTOR OF READ READINESS, AND ALSO JOINING HER THIS EVENING IS DR.
SHE'S A COORDINATOR OF EARLY CHILDHOOD.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA BRING FORWARD ASHLEY TO THE PODIUM.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS EVENING ABOUT SCHOOL READINESS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD.
REBECCA TEMPLE, THE COORDINATOR OF EARLY CHILDHOOD AND PARENT EDUCATION.
SOME OF THE ITEMS THIS EVENING THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON ARE TRAVELING PRESCHOOL BUS, THE LEARNING LAB, PURPOSEFUL PLAY-BASED, KINDERGARTEN STARTUP PROGRAM, AND CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE.
STARTING OUT, FIRST, I'D LIKE TO GO OVER OUR BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT INTEGRATED AND COMPREHENSIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM.
THIS IS A SYSTEM THAT PREPARES CHILDREN TO BE SUCCESSFUL FOR KINDERGARTEN AND BEYOND.
EACH KEY COMPONENT THAT YOU SEE HERE IN THIS SYSTEM IS INCLUDED BECAUSE IT CREATES A WRAPAROUND SYSTEM TO SUPPORT READINESS.
IT EMPHASIZES FIRST EARLY IDENTIFICATION, WHICH YOU CAN SEE IN OUR CHILD, FIND DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENINGS TO OUR STRONG COMMUNITY.
PARTNERSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS HEAD START AND OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD COALITION.
OUR HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS BASED CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION IS RESPONSIVE TO DATA-DRIVEN PRACTICES, ENSURING INSTRUCTION IS INFORMED AND IMPROVED IN WHICH ALL CHILDREN ARE INCLUDED AND SUPPORTED IN OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSROOMS. THEN WRAPPING AROUND TO OUR FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS, WE EMPOWER OUR PARENTS TO BE OUR CHILD'S FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT TEACHER.
[00:35:01]
CAN SEE THAT IN OUR PROGRAMS WITH OUR AWARD-WINNING PARENTS AS TEACHERS IN HOME VISITATION PROGRAM AND OUR TRAVELING PRESCHOOL BUS.AS THE PIECES OF THIS SYSTEM WORK IN SYNC, CHILDREN GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO THRIVE.
OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM IS BACKED BY NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, WHICH IDENTIFIES THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING THE FOUNDATION IN THOSE EARLY YEARS.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT 90% OF A CHILD'S BRAIN IS DEVELOPED BY THE AGE OF FIVE.
THIS IS THE FASTEST PERIOD OF BRAIN GROWTH DEVELOPMENT.
AND WHEN THE BRAIN IS MOST FLEXIBLE, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE CHART BELOW THE CENTER ON THE DEVELOPING CHILD AT HARVARD SHOWS, THE SYNAPSIS FORMATION IS DEPENDENT ON THOSE EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCES.
SENSORY PATHWAYS LANGUAGE AND HIGHER COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING ARE ALL DEVELOPING AND NEED TO BE NURTURED WITH HIGH, EXCUSE ME, IMPACTFUL EXPERIENCES.
THIS KEY RESEARCH STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY PREVENTION IN EARLY YEARS OF LEARNING.
THUS, THE PURPOSE BEHIND OUR SYSTEM.
ONE PROGRAM THAT'S BUILDING ON IMPACTFUL EARLY CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES IS THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TRAVELING PRESCHOOL BUS.
THIS BUS IS A PRESCHOOL CLASSROOM ON WHEELS THAT HAS BEEN CHANGING LIVES OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS.
THE POSITIVE IMPACT THE BUS HAS MADE ON OUR COMMUNITY IS A KEY COMPONENT TO OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM, AS IT HAS ELIMINATED BARRIERS TO EARLY LEARNING, HELPS FAMILIES MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS, COLLABORATE ACROSS AGENCIES, AND BUILD STRONG READINESS FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS.
FOR BOTH OUR ENGLISH AND SPANISH SPEAKING FAMILIES, WE MEET FAMILIES WHERE THEY ARE GOING DIRECTLY INTO THEIR COMMUNITY, INTO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, INTO THEIR APARTMENT COMPLEX, TO THEIR LOCAL GROCERY STORE, AND CONNECTING WITH THEM AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS EVEN BEFORE THEY NEED US, WHICH IS POSSIBLY THEIR FIRST CONNECTION TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
OUR PRIOR BUS HAS BEEN HAVING SOME MAINTENANCE ISSUES, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE 2024 2025 DATA, AS OUR NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS WE'RE A LITTLE LOWER, BUT THIS BUS WILL STILL BE IN OPERATION AS IT'LL BE STATIONED AT OUR BLUFFTON OFFICE PROVIDING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES AND PARENT EDUCATION.
SO, I INVITE YOU THIS EVENING TO ATTEND TOMORROW AT THE PORT ROYAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR THE RIBBON CUTTING OF OUR NEW TRAVELING PRESCHOOL BUS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE BUS IN ACTION WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF, UM, READINESS FOR THE DISTRICT.
UM, I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
UM, WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR OBSERVATION CLASSROOM AND LEARNING LAB IS COMPLETE.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT THAT PRESENTATION IN THE PAST.
UM, WE HAVE A VIDEO TONIGHT TO SHOW, UM, BUT JUST SO THAT YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE DONE SOME SLIGHT CONSTRUCTION IN THIS CLASSROOM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, WE HAVE AN OBSERVATION WINDOW AND THEN THAT LOOKS INTO THE CLASSROOM.
UH, OUR FIRST, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS OBSERVATION CLASSROOM TO BE IN USE WAS WITH OUR PARENTS.
UM, OF OUR FOUR UPCOMING FOUR YEAR OLDS.
WE ALLOWED, UM, DURING SCREENING OUR PARENTS TO WATCH THE DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING PROCESS.
SO LA ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, WE INVITED ALL OF THOSE FAMILIES THAT WERE COMING IN FOR A DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING TO COME WATCH THAT PROCESS THROUGH THE OBSERVATION WINDOW.
ROBIN, ARE YOU READY? AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THE VIDEO OF THIS CLASSROOM SO YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE IT.
WHILE SHE'S PULLING THAT UP, I WILL REMIND YOU THIS WAS A, UM, A GRANT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE WERE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE, UM, LOWCOUNTRY COASTAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AS WELL, THE LOWCOUNTRY, AS WELL AS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BEAUFORT, HELPING HIGH QUALITY TEACHERS AND STRENGTHENING OUR HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING BEGIN WITH TEACHER.
THAT CLASSROOM ALLOWS EDUCATORS TO LEARN.
PEER OBSERVATION ISN'T JUST WATCHING, UNDERSTANDING
[00:40:01]
CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEST PRACTICE AS IT HAPPENS, OUR FUTURE TEACHERS AND CURRENT EDUCATORS.APPROPRIATE PRACTICE EFFICIENCY IN THE CLASSROOM.
PLAY IS PROBLEM SOLVE AND LEARN THROUGH INTENTIONAL
SO THEY ENTER CLASSROOMS CONFIDENT AND PREPARED.
OUR INSERVICE TEACHERS WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM ONGOING TRAINING, REFLECTION, AND MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
OH, THIS WORK IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF A STRONG COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP.
WE ARE HONORED TO COLLABORATE WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BEFORD FOUNDATION OF THE LOCAL COUNTRY.
TOGETHER WE ARE INVESTING IN CHILDREN AND EDUCATORS AND THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY AT THE PURPOSEFUL PLAY BASE.
I NEED TO SEE TEACHERS GROW THROUGH THIS WHILE CONNECTING STUDENTS TO THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND PUSH THEM AND INTELLIGENCE SKILLS.
WHEN WE INVEST IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, WE INVEST IN STRONG FAMILIES, STRONG SCHOOLS, AND A STRONG FUTURE IS THAT
WE'RE SO EXCITED TO ALL OF OUR LEARNERS AND OUR TEACHERS THRIVE.
SO THAT CLASSROOM IS UP AND RUNNING.
UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU NEXT TIME YOU'RE AT HILTON HEAD EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER TO GO BY AND, AND CHECK THAT CLASSROOM OUT.
WE ARE ALSO INCORPORATING THREE OF THOSE ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
SO ONE AT HILTON HEAD EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER, UH, ONE AT MOSSY OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND THEN, UH, WHEN THE NEW ECC IS BUILT IN ON THE CAMPUS OF RIVER RIDGE ACADEMY, WE'LL INCORPORATE ONE INTO THAT NEW, THE NEW BUILD.
UM, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT, UM, KEEPING IN MIND THAT AS WE PREPARE OUR TEACHERS AND OUR EXISTING TEACHERS, UM, FOR, FOR SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM, WE LISTENED, UM, TO OUR TEACHERS.
THEY NEEDED SOMETHING TO HELP WITH THEM WITH, UM, BEHAVIORS IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND HOW HELPING OUR CHILDREN SELF-REGULATE AND BECOME SELF-STARTERS AND INDEPENDENT LEARNERS.
ONE THING THAT WE'RE DOING AS A DISTRICT, UM, IS INCORPORATING A SYSTEM CALLED CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE.
WE HAVE HAD OUR FIRST ROUND OF TRAINING, SO OCTOBER 20TH, OUR ADMINISTRATORS, PRINCIPALS, UH, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, COUNSELORS, BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT, SPECIAL SPECIALISTS AND SOCIAL WORKERS CAME IN AND RECEIVED A FIRST OVERVIEW TRAINING OF THE SYSTEM.
AND THEN JANUARY 6TH, WE RECEIVED OUR PART ONE, UM, OF THE TRAINING FOR THE ACTUAL KINDERGARTEN, PRE AND PRE-KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS AND ASSISTANTS, ALONG WITH OUR, UM, SPED ITINERANT WORKERS.
SO THOSE WHO ARE WORKING IN THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS, UM, HELPING WITH OUR SPED STUDENTS.
AND FEBRUARY 13TH WILL BE OUR FIRST, OUR SECOND PART TWO ROUND.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, OUR, WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN IMPLEMENTING THAT OVER A SERIES OF TIMES.
SO AS THIS COHORT OF KINDERGARTEN AND PRE-K STUDENTS MOVE UP, WE WILL THEN TRAIN OUR FIRST AND SECOND GRADE TEACHERS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SIXTH GRADE.
THIS WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE SOME COMMON LANGUAGE WITH OUR STUDENTS, UM, SOME COMMON PRACTICES, AND OUR STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO BECOME SELF, UM, STARTERS, BE ABLE TO SELF-REGULATE IN THE CLASSROOM TO AVOID THOSE ESCALATED BEHAVIORS.
MOST OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR THAT WE THIS YEAR HAVE TAKEN, UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PRE-KINDERGARTEN CALLED OUR CER UP, UM, FUNDING.
AS A REMINDER THAT FUNDING COMES DOWN THROUGH TWO WAYS.
ONE, IF IT COMES THROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS, IT, IT'S GIVEN STRAIGHT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THE SCHOOLS IMPLEMENT THAT PROGRAM.
THE OTHER WAY IS THROUGH OUR PRIVATE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS.
SO IT COMES, THE FUNDING COMES DOWN THROUGH FIRST STEPS AND THEN IS GIVEN TO THOSE PRIVATE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS THAT QUALIFY FOR THAT, FOR THAT FUNDING.
WITH THE EXPANSION OF OUR, OF OUR PRE-KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM, YOU SEE THE 45TH DAY ENROLLMENT IS UP COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
WE HAVE SEEN A STEADY, UH, TREND IN ENROLLMENT SINCE, UH, POST PANDEMIC.
SO WE'VE SEEN THAT CLIMB WITH THIS YEAR BEING OUR FIRST YEAR, AS THOSE NUMBERS ARE, ARE AT THAT HEIGHT OF THOSE NUMBERS.
THIS IS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO OUR ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
SO KEEP IN MIND, CEP HAS ITS OWN ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, AND THEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, OUR BEAUFORT COUNTY ALSO SETS A LIMIT OF ELIGIBILITY.
[00:45:01]
FIRST ACCEPT THOSE CHILDREN WHO QUALIFY, UH, FOR MEDICAID BASED SERVICES, ALONG WITH A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE THAT FALL DEVELOPMENTALLY.UM, THE STATE DETERMINES A DEVELOPMENTAL SCORE THAT ALSO CAN QUALIFY THEM FOR THE PROGRAM.
BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ALSO SETS AN ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT TO ACCEPT CHILDREN.
AND THIS YEAR WE TOOK CHILDREN STARTING BELOW THE 75TH PERCENTILE.
THAT HAS BEEN A DRASTIC INCREASE FROM YEARS PAST.
UM, WE STARTED, UM, ALLOWING MORE CHILDREN INTO THE PROGRAM TO NOT ONLY HELP WITH, UM, ENRO INCREASING ENROLLMENT NUMBERS, BUT ALSO, UM, ALLOWING MIXED ABILITY LEVELS WITHIN THE CLASSROOM TO, TO GIVE CHILDREN, CHILDREN LEARN BEST OFF OF EACH OTHER, RIGHT? SO WE ALLOWED OUR CHILDREN TO, UM, ENTER THE PROGRAM TO HELP WITH THAT AS WELL.
WITH CEP FUNDING CAME A, UM, NEW SET OF REGULATIONS.
WITH THAT, WE NOW HAVE TO FOLLOW THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GUIDELINES FOR CER UP, WHICH IS, THERE'S LOTS OF CLASSROOM REQUIREMENTS, THERE ARE LOTS OF UPGRADES THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
IT ALSO CAME THIS YEAR FOR THOSE NON CERT UP CLASSROOMS. THEY HAVE TO BE LICENSED BY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
SO THE SAME CHILDCARE LICENSING REGULATIONS THAT A PRIVATE CHILDCARE CENTER HAS TO FOLLOW NOW THE DISTRICT HAS TO FOLLOW AS WELL.
SO WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH FACILITIES, UM, HR, EACH DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO FULFILL THOSE REQUIREMENTS AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR CLASSROOMS ARE UP TO DATE WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS AND COMPLIANCE WITHIN THE STATE.
OUR PURPOSEFUL PLAY-BASED INITIATIVE, UM, IS AN ONGOING INITIATIVE.
WE KNOW THAT PURPOSEFUL PLAY IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE DISTRICT.
UH, WE SEE THAT WITH OUR NUMBERS IN FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD GRADE.
WE KNOW THAT PURPOSEFUL PLAY EXPERIENCES, UM, ALLOW FOR SUCCESS FOR KINDERGARTEN AND BEYOND, AND THAT MEANS THAT PLAY IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF HOW CHILDREN DEVELOP.
THEY LEARN SELF START, UM, HOW TO SELF START.
THEY EARN, THEY LEARN EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS, PROBLEM SOLVING, CRITICAL THINKING, AND WE SEE THAT IN THE WORK OF OUR STUDENTS.
SO PLAY IS OFTEN TALKED ABOUT AS IF IT WAS A RELIEF FROM SERIOUS LEARNING, BUT FOR OUR CHILDREN, PLAY IS SERIOUS.
LEARNING PLAY IS REALLY THE WORK OF CHILDHOOD, AND THAT'S A QUOTE FROM OUR GOOD FRIEND MR. ROGERS, UM, WHO, UH, WAS AN INTEGRAL PART IN MAKING SURE THAT CHILDREN ARE DEVELOPING, RECEIVING DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICES.
UM, IF I MAY SHARE, MS. GOO, I HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH YOU MOMENTARILY BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED, AND YOU SHOWED A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND YOU WERE SMILING AS YOU WERE PRESENTING.
UH, CAN YOU SHARE WHAT MADE YOU SO ENTHUSIASTIC IN OUR CONVERSATION, PLEASE? WELL, EARLY CHILDHOOD IS MY PASSION IF YOU CAN'T TELL
UM, BUT THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD IS TRULY MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I HAVE SEEN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM GROW FROM SIX STAFF MEMBERS, UM, NOW UP TO 32 OF US THAT, UM, MAKE A DIRECT IMPACT WITH CHILDREN EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, EACH ONE OF THOSE TEAM, IT TAKES A TRUE TEAM.
I CAN'T DO THIS WORK BY MYSELF.
UM, AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD AND, UM, OUR SENIOR STAFF, WE'VE ALLOWED TO GROW THAT TEAM IN ORDER FOR REALLY TO THE COMMUNITY TO SEE A DIFFERENT AND HAVE AN IMPACT IN OVERALL EDUCATION.
FIRST OF ALL, AS CHAIR, I APOLOGIZE FOR GOING FIRST.
ANY QUESTIONS? SO ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MR. SMITH? UM, SO MY QUESTION IS THE, IN THE, IN THOSE THOSE SCHOOLS THAT IN THOSE SCHOOLS THAT YOU'RE OPENING UP, WHAT ARE, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT GRADE LEVELS ARE YOU SERVING IN THERE IN THE SCHOOL? THE, THE NEW ECC? YEAH.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION.
WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, PRE-KINDERGARTEN AND KINDERGARTEN, POSSIBLY A TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN TYPE PROGRAM.
DO WE, DO WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE AT OUR CURRENT SCHOOLS? NOW? DO WE, DO WE NOT HAVE SOME OF THOSE NOW? WE HAVE EC EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND WE HAVE PRE-KINDERGARTEN, UM, WE HAVE PILOTED A COUPLE OF, UM, TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN TYPE PROGRAM, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, BUT WE HAVE, WE, THOSE CHANGED BASED ON THE CHILDREN'S NEEDS.
AL A ALSO, UM, I, I REMEMBER TALKING, UM, A WHILE BACK, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, AND SOME OF THESE SCH SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS THAT WHERE
[00:50:01]
WE MAY HAVE SPACE BECAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DYING TO GET AN OFFICE ON THIS SIDE OF THE BROAD.UM, UM, AND SO, AND SO, AND SO MY, MY QUESTION WAS, UH, MY QUESTION WOULD BE ALSO EVEN ON THE, ON, ON THE, ON THE NORTH SIDE IN BUILDINGS THAT WE MAY HAVE OPENINGS.
HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU GUYS LOOKED TO GROW, GROW SOME OF, GROW INTO SOME OF THOSE CLASSES? AND, BUT, BUT ALSO HOW HAVE WE ENCOMPASSED IN TERMS OF GROWTH, UH, UNDERSTANDING WHAT OTHER, WHAT, WHAT OTHER PROGRAMS THAT, THAT ARE OUT IN THE DISTRICT NOW? I MEAN, WITHOUT EXCUSE NOT IN THE DISTRICT, EXCUSE ME, THAT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, HOW HAVE WE COINCIDED WITH THEM WITH BOTH WHAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON? BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF TIMES, UM, WHAT'S WHAT BEING AT A MEETING THE OTHER DAY IS THAT A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE ARE, HAVE RESOURCES.
AND WE'RE NOT IN, IN THE SENATE SEAS THOUGH, THAT, THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT PULLING THEIR RESOURCES TOGETHER, UH, IN, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU HAVE, UM, MRS. UH, MS. PARKER SOMETHING, I FORGOT WHAT IT IS DOWNTOWN, BUT IT, UH, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE, UH, I THINK IT'S FIRST, FIRST STEP, UH, HEAD, HEAD START.
HOW, HOW ARE WE BRINGING THEM TO THE TABLE TO GET THEM ON BOARD TO ENGAGE IN WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON? SO, UM, THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD HAS RELOCATED TO PORT ROYAL, UM, OR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO, UH, WE WERE CURRENT, WE WERE AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
UM, AS FAR AS THIS, THIS LAST SUMMER WE MOVED INTO, UM, PORT ROYAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL UTILIZING SOME OF THOSE CLASSROOMS THAT, UM, WERE NOT QUITE AT CAPACITY.
UH, THE, WE STILL HAVE THE PINK HOUSE ON THE CAMPUS OF LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT THAT'S GOING THROUGH SOME TRANSIT TRANSITION AS WELL.
UM, WITH THE NEW ECC, WE HAVE INCORPORATED SOME SPACE IN THE BLUFFTON AREA FOR SOME, FOR OUR OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENINGS.
UH, WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO OFFER ITINERANT SERVICES AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES FOR THOSE CHILDREN OVER HERE IN BLUFFTON, IN A, IN A BUILDING.
MR. SMITH, LET ME GO TO SOMEONE ELSE IF YOU, OH, I WAS JUST, I MEAN, SHE DIDN'T FINISH MY QUESTION.
ANYONE ELSE GOT A QUESTION FROM THE BOARD? GO RIGHT, THANK YOU.
UM, SO BASICALLY I THINK CEP IS A LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY, A RECORD REQUIREMENT THAT'S RELATIVELY NEW AND GETS UPDATED ANNUALLY, HOW IT'S BEEN AROUND TWO OR THREE YEARS NOW.
CEP C CEP HAS BEEN AROUND FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
WE HAVE ONLY BEEN, BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS ONLY BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR CEP FUNDS FOR ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
SO FROM AN OPERATIONAL SORT OF COHERENT GOVERNANCE, UH, POLICY, BASICALLY YOU ARE COMING TO, UH, PRESENT COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF CER.
UM, AND FROM YOUR PRESENTATION, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE HIT ALL OF THEM.
THE ONE I WAS HOPING TO HEAR JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WAS THE REQUIREMENT FOR PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT.
IF YOU COULD JUST TALK ABOUT THE STUFF THAT YOU'RE DOING TO BRING THE PARENTS IN AS WELL AS THE KIDS.
UM, IT IS A REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE THAT WE DO ADVERTISE TO ALL FAMILIES, THAT WE HOLD DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENINGS TO SEE IF YOUR CHILD IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM.
SO WE, WE OFFER THAT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
UM, CEP ALSO REQUIRES AN ADDITIONAL THREE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES A YEAR.
SO WITH, WITH AN ADDITION TO A PARENT ORIENTATION.
SO, UM, OUR FAMILIES COME IN FOR AN ORIENTATION, UM, AND THEN THEY RECEIVE IN ADDITION TO THAT THREE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES.
AND THOSE HAVE TO BE ONE-ON-ONE WITH THE PARENT, UM, WHICH IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR TEACHERS TO TALK WITH THE PARENTS ABOUT THEIR CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO REALLY GET THE PARENTS, THIS IS THE FIRST EXPERIENCE PARENTS, SOME PARENTS HAVE HAD IN OUR DISTRICT.
SO IN ORDER TO, UM, HELP PARENTS UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR, THEY ARE THEIR CHILD'S FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT TEACHER, THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS GET THEM INVOLVED IN THE SCHOOL BUILDING.
UM, AND SO THOSE HAVE TO BE, THOSE PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES HAVE TO BE SIGNED OFF ON AND THEY'RE MONITORED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AND THEN I'LL COME BACK TO YOU, MR. SMITH.
LET ME CHECK MR. COLONEL GUYER, WHO'S ONLINE, AND MR. SMALL.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, COLONEL.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK TO MY LAST QUESTION.
UH, ONCE AGAIN, I JUST WANNA KNOW HOW ARE WE ENGAGING, UH, THOSE PARTNERS? THE FIRST STEP HEADSTART, HOW ARE WE ENGAGING THEM AND WHAT WE'RE DOING? BECAUSE EVENTUALLY WHAT WAS, WHAT WILL, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE ARE LUCK, IF WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET SOME OF THESE OTHER STUDENTS, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH COMPETITION OUT THERE NOW, UH, UH, THOSE KIDS WILL, THOSE KIDS SCORES WILL BECOME OUR SCORE.
SO HOW ARE WE ENGAGING OTHER, OTHER, UH, VEHICLES THAT, THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY, LIKE FIRST STEP AND HEAD START INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING? UM, SO TODAY, UM, WE, WE DID OUR REUNIFICATION DRILL AT THE, AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
UM, HEAD START WAS IN ATTENDANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, DOING OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TOGETHER AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PLANNING FOR CRISISES OR ANY TYPE OF EMERGENCY TOGETHER.
UM, WE ARE STILL, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HEAD START JUST THE OTHER DAY ABOUT HOW
[00:55:01]
WE CAN GET THEM IN THE BLUFFTON AREA.UM, SO AS WE BEGIN TO EXPAND, UM, THE BUILDINGS AND BUILD NEW BUILDINGS, WE, THAT IS ONE OF OUR, UM, ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INCORPORATE THAT, UM, THEM IN SOME OF OUR PLANS.
HOW ABOUT, HOW ABOUT FIRST STEP WITH THEM AS WELL? WE STILL SIT, WE STILL HOLD A SEAT ON THE FIRST STEPS BOARD.
SO REBECCA SITS ON THE BOARD FOR FIRST STEPS.
SO WE'RE ATTENDING THEIR MONTHLY MEETINGS, UM, AND WORKING WITH THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
WE TALK TO FIRST STEPS QUITE A BIT.
JUST WANNA, UH, HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF BRIEF THINGS FROM HER PRESENTATION.
FIRST OF ALL, DON'T FORGET, TOMORROW AT 1:00 PM PORT ROYAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE PRESCHOOL RIB, PRESCHOOL BUS RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY FOR THE BUS WEATHER.
BUT I WILL LET YOU KNOW IN THE MORNING.
UH, SECONDLY, SHE MENTIONED ABOUT THE OBSERVATION CLASSROOM AND LEARNING LAB.
THAT IS SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT BECAUSE, UH, IT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST WAYS TO DEVELOP THE CAPACITY OF STAFF.
UM, I HAD ONE OF THOSE IN, IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHERE I WAS A PRINCIPAL, AND, UH, WE USED IT ALL THE TIME.
AND IT WAS A GREAT WAY TO DEVELOP OUR SKILL SETS AND IMPROVE, UH, AND RECEIVE FEEDBACK.
UM, AND, AND A GREAT WAY TO LEARN.
SO THIS WAS, THIS IS REALLY, UH, UH, I THINK AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT, UM, THAT WE HAVE IN PLAY NOW.
AND THEN THE LAST THING, THIS STARTUP REQUIREMENT OF PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES, I THINK THAT IS ANOTHER CRITICALLY IMPORTANT STEP BECAUSE, UM, IT GETS, UH, UH, HELPS TO GET PARENTS IN THE HABIT OF STAYING CONNECTED AND ENGAGED IN TERMS OF HOW STUDENTS ARE THEIR CHILD IS DOING IN SCHOOL.
AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE IS, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT TRANSITIONS INTO, UH, FIRST GRADE, SECOND GRADE, THIRD GRADE, FOURTH GRADE, AND CONTINUES THAT RELATIONSHIP OF THOSE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES AND OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WITH PARENTS AND STAFF.
SO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
THANK YOU, MS. GOUL AND EVERYONE ELSE.
[Board Business Action]
NEXT, UM, ITEM IS BOARD BUSINESS ACTION.ME, I BELIEVE THIS IS, UH, OH, I KNOW THIS IS A BOARD'S ITEM REGARDING SCHEDULE AND AGENDAS.
SO, UH, MS. CUSHING BERRY, CAN YOU HELP ME DEFINE THIS AS WELL? AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE GENERAL OVERVIEW.
SO THE BOARD PASSED A MOTION, I DON'T KNOW, 2, 3, 4 MEETINGS AGO TO ACTUALLY CHANGE THE AGENDA, WHICH WE ARE ADHERING TO IN THIS PARTICULAR LAST TWO SESSIONS.
AND SO WHAT, WHAT IT, IT HAS SOME IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CELEBRATION, BRINGING THE KIDS IN AT A TIME THAT THEY CAN GET HERE.
SO I ASKED MS. CUSHING, BARRY IF SHE COULD SPEAK TO WHAT THE, UH, PINCH POINTS ARE, UM, AND THE BOARD CAN SAY WE'RE OKAY WITH HOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, OR WE SHOULD TAKE SOME FURTHER ACTION, BUT I'M, I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU, MS. CUSHING BEAR.
WELL, ACTUALLY, THIS IS A BRAINCHILD FROM, UM, ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER, MS. UH, BOATRIGHT, UM, WITH, WITH THE BOARD'S, UM, VOTE ON MOVING, STARTING THE MEETING AT FIVE O'CLOCK, AND WITH EXECUTIVE SESSION BEING IN THE AF YEAH, AFTER THE MEETING, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE CHANGE OUR AGENDA.
SO BY STARTING AT FIVE O'CLOCK, WE'RE MOVING UP BOARD ACTION SUPERINTENDENT, UM, THE COMMITTEE REPORTS AND SUPERINTENDENTS REPORTS, AND THEN MAYBE BY SIX O'CLOCK OR SIX 30, THEN WE CAN GO TO POINTS OF CELEBRATION, STUDENT PERFORMANCE, POINTS OF CELEBRATION.
SO IT'S JUST REARRANGING THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA AND GIVING BOARD MEMBERS MORE TIME TO HANDLE THE BUSINESS OF THE BOARD AT FIVE AT THE BEGINNING AND GETTING ALL OF THE BOARD'S BUSINESS OUT OF THE WAY.
AND THEN SAY BY SIX, UM, IF WE LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE NOW, RIGHT NOW IT'S SIX O'CLOCK, SO WE WOULD BE, UM, DOING POINTS OF CELEBRATIONS AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE AT THIS TIME.
SO, AND THEN EXECUTIVE SESSION BEING, UM, AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
SO THAT'S THE SUGGESTION AND THAT'S WHAT THAT MEANS.
SO MS.
MS. BOATWRIGHT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, I'M SORRY TO CALL YOU ON NO, THAT'S FINE.
UM, YES, WE HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION.
UM, I AM VERY COMMITTED TO MAKING OUR MEETINGS EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT.
UM, AND SO WE, SHE AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, AND MS. CUSH, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THE BOARD SECRETARY? LONG, LIKE YOU'RE A VERY EXPERIENCED OVER 20 YEARS KNOWLEDGEABLE
[01:00:01]
KNOWS, YOU KNOW, AND SO SHE WAS KIND OF SHARING WITH HER, UH, SOME OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT MOVING THE TIME, WHICH I THINK WAS A MOTION I MADE TO FIVE O'CLOCK.SO THE, THE COUPLE OF KEY THINGS IS, NUMBER ONE, THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION'S RECOMMENDATION IS THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION BE AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
AND AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THE MAJORITY OF BOARDS, CERTAINLY THE LARGER BOARDS IN SOUTH CAROLINA HAVE IT AT THE END.
ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THAT IS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE.
AND SO THERE ARE FREQUENTLY PERIODS WHERE WE'RE LIKE, OH, WE'VE ONLY GOT SEVEN MINUTES LEFT, LET'S LOOK AT THIS $2 MILLION AMENDMENT.
SO EXECUTIVE SESSION HAS A LOT OF REALLY HIGH DOLLAR VALUE AND IMPORTANT STUFF.
SO PUTTING AT THE END OF THE MEETING ALLOWS BETTER DISCUSSION.
UM, THAT DID CAUSE SOME PROBLEMS FROM MS. CHRISTIAN BARRY'S SORT OF, UH, UH, EXPERIENCE.
AND SO SHE RECOMMENDED THAT WE LOOK AT MOVING STUDENT PERFORMANCES.
UM, BUT THAT OTHER BENEFIT OF THAT WOULD BE THAT IT FRONT LOADS SOME OF THE MORE, UH, BUSINESS ORIENTED ACTION THAT WE COULD TAKE AND HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS RATHER THAN PUT 'EM TO THE END WHERE EVERYONE'S KIND OF GONE THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS AND IS FEELING TIRED, AND IT'S, IT ALLOWS THE SORT OF THE, THE HIGHER, UM, IMPORTANCE ITEMS AT THE FRONT.
SO WE THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD SUGGESTION TO THE BOARD.
UM, IT WOULD ALLOW US TO START OUR MEETING AT FIVE O'CLOCK, HAVE OUR STUDENT PERFORMANCES, AND THEN HAVE, UM, RETURN, AND WE COULD SET STUDENT PERFORMANCE, I THINK YOU SAID AT SIX O'CLOCK, RIGHT? SET THE STUDENT PERFORMANCES AT SIX.
IF WE CAN NEED TO HAVE MORE MEETINGS AFTER, WE COULD CONTINUE THE MEETING AFTER THE STUDENT PERFORMANCES, AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TIME TO LOOK AT EXECUTIVE SESSION, UM, AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
ANY OTHER BOARD ROOM, MR. SMITH? WELL, UM, MY CONCERN, MY CONCERN IS, AND THIS IS THAT WE ARE, WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING THE AVIUM THE IMPORTANT EXECUTIVE SESSION THINGS AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
BUT ALSO WE SAY ON ONE HAND, I MEAN, BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT I DON'T WANT TO HAVE IS TO SAY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS, SOME OF THESE MATTERS GOING TO, WE MAY HAVE AN EMPLOYEE MATTER.
YOU MAY HAVE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT, UH, MATTERS THAT THAT COMES TO THE BOARD, AND YOU HAVE STAFF THAT BRING THAT, BRING THESE, UH, MATTERS TO THE, TO THE BOARD.
AND ONE MINUTE WE SAY, WELL, OH, WE DON'T WANT OUR EMPLOYEES TO BE HERE LATE.
THEY MAY HAVE TO TRAVEL OR GO HOME OR FEED KIDS OR DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO I, I, YOU KNOW, SO I I, IN OTHER WORDS, I DON'T WANNA WATCH THE BATH, THE BATH, THE THE BABY WITH THE BATH WATER OR HOW, HOWEVER IT GOES, BUT WE CAN, TO ME, I, I SAW NOTHING WRONG WITH HOW WE HAD IT, BECAUSE ON ONE HAND WE WERE SAYING ALL WE CARED ABOUT STAFF, AND THE REASON WHY WE HAVE IT IS SO THAT STAFF COULD GET THINGS DONE AND STAFF COULD GET THINGS OUT OUT OF THE WAY, AND THEY COULD CALL DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS.
IS THAT WAS THE POINT OF HAVING, OF HAVING EXECUTIVE SESSION EARLIER IN TERMS OF THE RATIFICATION REPORT AND, AND IN, IN TERMS OF THIS, UH, LEGAL, LEGAL ISSUES.
UM, SO THERE, THERE WERE, THERE WERE, THERE WERE, THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THE REASON WHY, BECAUSE WE, WE TALKED ABOUT CHANGING IT BE, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT CHANGING IT BEFORE, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL, LIKE I SAID, THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS, AND I KNOW THERE'S CERTAIN TIMES WHEN, UM, WE HEAR, OH, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE, HAVE, HAVE DISTRICT EMPLOYEES HERE LATE.
SO MY THING IS THIS, IF THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, THEN I DON'T WANNA HEAR THAT ANYMORE.
THEN, THEN THAT, THAT EXCUSE IS OUT THE DOOR, BECAUSE AS A BOARD, WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE HAVING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AT THE END OF THE MEETING, AND SO THEREFORE IT'S NOT, WE'RE SAYING THAT, OH, WE DON'T WANNA BE RUSHED, THEN HEY, IT SHOULDN'T BE A QUESTION, YOU KNOW, UH, MOVING FORWARD, THIS IS WHERE WE, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA FINALLY PUT THIS, AND THIS IS WHERE, WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT AT.
IT CAN'T BE ABOUT EMPLOYEES OR EMPLOYEES NEED TO GET HOME.
ARE WE HAVING IT LATE? BECAUSE THIS WHAT THIS DID WHEN WE FIRST, WHEN, WHEN THIS FIRST CONVERSATION FIRST STARTED, THAT WAS A, UH, A, THAT WAS A BULLET THAT WAS BOUGHT, THAT WAS BOUGHT OUT.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T HEAR IT TO, I'M, I DON'T HEAR IT RIGHT NOW, BUT I, BUT I JUST WANTED TO BE, BE CANDID ABOUT IT SO THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING THAT CONVERSATION, THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING THAT CONVERSATION EITHER AGAIN.
SO THAT'S WHY I JUST WANTED TO, I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
THANK YOU, MR. SMITH, PASTOR GORDON.
ANY COMMENTS? UH, COLONEL GEIER OR MR. SMALL? THANK YOU, COLONEL.
I HAD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AT THE BEGINNING INSTEAD AT THE END BECAUSE, UM, WE ALREADY HAVE THE BOARD MEETING A A, ACTUALLY, YES,
[01:05:01]
MA'AM.WERE YOU GETTING READY TO SAY SOMETHING? UM, MR. SMALL, WE HAVE A VOTING, UH, SEGMENT ACTION AS NECESSARY APPROPRIATE REGARDING MATTERS, DISCUSSING EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTER THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO THERE IS SPACE ON THIS, UH, CURRENT AGENDA TO VOTE IMMEDIATELY COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MS. BOATWRIGHT, UM, TO RESPOND TO MR. SMITH, UM, I, I SEE WHAT THE, I THINK WHAT'S, UH, NICE ABOUT THE EMPLOYEE, UH, PORTION IS THAT RIGHT NOW THE FULL STAFF OF, UH, LEADERSHIP HAS TO STAY FOR THE MEETING PORTION BECAUSE THEY MAY BE CALLED UPON FOR A QUESTION IN PUBLIC SESSION.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE USUALLY HAVE SPECIFIC PEOPLE THAT KNOW THEY HAVE TO STAY FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND SO THEY CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
WHEN WE HAVE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE FRONT, THEN THEY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE BOARD MEETING'S OVER.
SO THIS WAY, ONCE THE BOARD MEETING'S OVER OSTENSIBLY, YOU KNOW, 6 30, 7 O'CLOCK, THE MAJORITY OF OF THE STAFF CAN GO HOME.
ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO, YOU KNOW, ARE DRIVING FROM DIFFERENT, UH, DISTANCES.
AND ONLY THOSE MS. WALTON OR ONE OF HER DESIGNATED APPOINTEES.
AND, UH, MR. OTTING GENERALLY WOULD BE THE ONES THAT STAY AND THE EVERYONE ELSE COULD GO HOME.
SO I THINK THERE'S AN ADVANTAGE TO THE EMPLOYEES.
TO ME, THE BIGGEST, THERE'S TWO THINGS I WANNA SAY THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS ONE.
I THINK WHEN YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY THAN EVERYONE ELSE, YOU'RE EITHER REALLY RIGHT OR THEY'RE RIGHT.
AND I THINK THAT THE FACT THAT WE'RE DOING IT DIFFERENTLY AND THE FACT THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDS, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION, I THINK THERE'S A REASON THEY DO THAT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST SORT OF A CHOICE.
UM, THE SECOND THING IS I DON'T LIKE DOING EXECUTIVE SESSION WHERE WE KIND OF GUESS AT THE LENGTH OF TIME IT'S GONNA TAKE, BECAUSE QUITE FREQUENTLY WE END UP FEELING RUSHED TO GET THROUGH THINGS OR WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN'T REALLY HAVE THE DISCUSSION.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE THINGS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, LEGAL MATTERS, EMPLOYEE MATTERS, LARGE TICKET, UH, CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, THOSE AREN'T THE KINDS OF THINGS I WANNA SEE RUSHED.
SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S GOOD TO PUT THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AT THE END.
I THINK MS. CUSHEN BERRY'S SUGGESTIONS TO MODIFY THE AGENDA, TO ACCOMMODATE THAT WORD GENIUS.
SO, UM, THAT'S JUST KINDA WHAT I WANNA RESPOND TO ABOUT THE EMPLOYEE THING.
UM, AND, AND WHAT I, AND I WILL SAY, WELL, AND THERE HAS BEEN TIMES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE DRIVEN FROM ACROSS, FROM ACROSS COUNTRY OR CAME IN, CAME IN AND, AND MET WITH US THE TIME THE DOCTOR TALKED TO US IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, UM, ABOUT, UH, I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING, SOMETHING.
IT WAS, IT WAS SOMETHING, I THINK IT WAS DURING, DURING, DURING THE COVID TIME, THERE WAS A COUPLE OF TIMES I'M ASKING.
THERE, THERE WAS, THERE WERE SEVERAL TIMES WHERE WE'VE HAD PEOPLE WHO'VE COME DOWN AND WHO HAVE TALKED US, AND WE'VE, WE'VE ACTUALLY MOVED THEM UP TO THE FRONT OF THE AGENDA, UH, TO, OR, OR TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND I JUST WANTED THE ONCE GUY REMINDS YOU THAT TO DO THAT, IT, IT TAKES AN EXIGENT EMERGENCY.
AND SO I DON'T WANNA BE HAVING MEETINGS WHERE, WHERE WE CHOOSING NOW, OH, WELL, BECAUSE THIS PERSON NEEDS TO GET BACK TO COLUMBIA, THIS, OR THIS ATTORNEY HERE NEEDS TO GET BACK TO WHEREVER THEY'RE COMING FROM.
THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION IS, IS AT THE, WE, WE WERE MOVING IT FROM THE END OF THE MEETING TO THE BEGINNING OF THE, OF THE MEETING.
SO, I MEAN, THERE WERE SEVERAL TIMES WHERE I REMEMBER US HAVING PEOPLE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, AND WE, AND A COUPLE TIMES I REMEMBER WE PUT, WE, UH, THEY WERE PLACED IN, NOT WE, THEY WERE PLACED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE THEY, UM, THEY NEED TO, THEY NEED, THEY NEED TO MEET WITH THE BOARD ONE TIME AND GET, AND GET, AND GET ON THE ROAD.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S JUST, IT'S THOSE THINGS TOO.
AND I THINK THAT MRS. ALSO, I CONCLUDE IS THAT, AND I ALSO THINK THAT MRS. SMALLS WAS JUST SAYING THAT HE PREFER VOTING ON EXECUTIVE SESSION AND TAKING AND TAKING THE, UH, THE, THE, THE IMPORTANT BEGINNING GETTING THE IMPORTANT BUSINESS DONE ON, ON THE, ON THE FRONT HAND.
NOT, I DIDN'T THINK HE UNDERSTOOD THAT, THAT, THAT YOU COULD VOTE LATER.
BUT I THINK HE WAS BASICALLY SAYING THAT HE WOULD PREFER IT TO STAY THE WAY IT IS.
AND, AND, UH, I JUST, I JUST, I JUST LEAVE THAT THERE.
BUT YEAH, SO I, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST TO, TO MY POINT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER FURTHER COMMENTS ON, I WAS GONNA MAKE A MOTION SURE.
THAT WE ADOPT THE AGENDA, THE TEST AGENDA AS PRESENTED, UH, IN BOARD BUSINESS ACTION.
IT'S PROBABLY MOTION IS SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE CURRENT AGENDA THAT WE'RE USING TONIGHT.
ALL OPPOSED, MR. UH, SMALL OR COLONEL GEIER, YOU YOUR VOTE? AYE.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE TWO NAYS OUT OF NINE.
SO SEVEN, TWO, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
SO WE CONTINUE AS, AS HAS BEEN SUGGESTED.
THANK YOU MS. CUSHING BERRY FOR WORKING WITH, UH, MS. BOATWRIGHT TO MAKE SURE THIS GOES FORWARD.
THANKS EVERYBODY FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
[Consent Agenda]
ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? MR. CHAIR? I MOVE THAT WE, UH, APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA[01:10:02]
THERE.SECOND, SECOND, SECOND BY PASTOR GORDON.
THE ONLY THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS THAT I, I HAD SOME HESITATION ABOUT HAVING THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I KNOW THEY WERE PRESENTED, UM, AND WE WERE UNABLE TO TAKE A VOTE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE QUORUM FOR THAT.
I WILL SAY I AM, I LET IT STAY ON THE CONSENT AGENDA BECAUSE I DID GO WATCH IT.
SO I JUST WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT WE DID, I DID DO THE D DILIGENCE, I'M SURE OTHERS DID AS WELL.
SO I'M OKAY WITH IT STAYING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
BUT I DO HAVE CONCERNS IN THE FUTURE THAT WHEN WE HAVE THOSE KINDS OF PRESENTATIONS, WE DON'T HAVE QUORUM.
WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A PLAN FOR DOING THAT.
'CAUSE I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT WE'RE CONSENT AGENDA, SCHOOL TURNAROUND PLANS.
THOSE OPPOSED ONLINE, MR. SMALL OR AYE.
YOU WERE NA THOUGH, RIGHT? YOU OKAY? PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
[Future Agenda Topics]
FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS.I FEEL LIKE I'M TALKING, UM, I, IT JUST, UH, TO PIGGYBACK OFF MY LAST COMMENTS, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT BOARD ATTENDANCE.
AND I WAS, I, I HAVE MISSED THE LAST PART OF THE LAST MEETING FOR, UM, AN UNEXPECTED SORT OF THING, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR POLICY IS, HOW BOARD MEMBERS NOTIFY THE CHAIR, HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, PARTICIPATION BECAUSE I THINK IT REFLECTS POORLY ON THE BOARD IF WE'RE STRUGGLING TO MAKE QUORUM AND WE'RE GONNA BE DOWN AT LEAST ONE, UH, BOARD MEMBER.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT MAYBE AS PART OF THE POLICY WORKSHOP.
IT IS DEFINITELY IF I MAY PLAN TO BE A PART OF THE POLICY WORKSHOP TRACKING ATTENDANCE, UH, ALSO FOR THOSE THAT TAKE THE EDUCATIONAL COURSES THAT WE ARE PROPOSING, THAT BOARD MEMBERS ACCEPT THAT THERE'LL BE SOME TYPE OF UPLIFT FOR ACTUALLY TAKING AND IMPROVING OUR SKILLSET.
SO, UH, TOTALLY IN, IN SUPPORT OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, MS. BOATWRIGHT.
[Announcements]
ANNOUNCEMENTS.UH, ACTUALLY, I, I WANT, I WANTED TO SAY IT BEFORE THE LADY, UH, THE YOUNG LADY LEFT, BUT SHE TOLD ME TO GIVE HER A SECOND, BUT, UM, THE BOARD USED TO GET, UH, NOTIFICATIONS, UH, TO THE BOARD OR CALENDAR INVITES WHEN THEY, WHEN PEOPLE WERE HAVING THINGS AND SHE, LIKE, AS SHE JUST NOTATED THAT THEY WERE HAVING SOMETHING ON THE, UM, ON TOMORROW, THE, THE, UH, THE RIBBON CUTTING BOARD MEMBERS USED TO GET THOSE.
AND, AND I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS NOW.
WE DON'T, WE GET SOME, BUT THEN SOME, THEY, THEY SEND US FLYERS AND I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THEY WANT ME TO ATTEND SOMETHING AND I, I DON'T MIND COMING, I DON'T MIND MAKING, MAKING TIME FOR IT.
PLEASE SEND ME A CALENDAR INVITE.
AND, AND, AND, AND, AND WE USED TO GET A LOT OF CALENDAR INVITES AND I NOTICED NOW WE, WE ONLY GET A COUPLE OF 'EM.
JUST LIKE, ALSO THEY, THEY, THEY WERE HAVING THESE, THESE STUDENTS, UM, THESE STUDENTS, UH, THE, THE STUDENT, THE STUDENT MEETINGS, UM, AT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
WE USED TO GET CALENDAR INVITES TO THAT.
I, I DON'T, I, I DIDN'T PERSONALLY, I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING, GETTING A CALENDAR INVITE TO THE, UH, STUDENT, UH, TO THE, TO THE STUDENTS.
UH, UM, MEETING THE STUDENTS, MEETING WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT.
I DON'T REMEMBER GETTING, GETTING THE, GETTING A, UH, CALENDAR, UH, INVITE TO THOSE.
SO I, I NOTICED A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE USED TO GET CALENDAR INVITES TO THAT WE DON'T GET THOSE THINGS ANYMORE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO TELL PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SO IF, IF YOU, IF YOU SEND, IF YOU SEND US A, A, A, UH, FLYER AND, AND THE BOARD MEMBER, SOMETIMES WE MAY LOOK AT IT AND, AND WE, WE MAY NOT COME BECAUSE SOMETIMES, I MEAN, DON'T TAKE IT PERSONAL, BUT IF YOU SEND US A CALENDAR INVITE, I DIDN'T WHEN WE HIT YES OR NO, THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
AND, AND MOST TIME WE'RE INCLINED TO COME IF WE SIGN UP FOR IT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT.
STRADDLES, IS IT THE, UH, BEGINNING ON THE 10TH NEXT WEEK? IS IT BEGINNING ON ON WEDNESDAY THE 10TH OR WEDNESDAY IS OUR PHYSICAL MEETING? THURSDAY THE 11TH.
THURSDAY ORTH, THURSDAY THE 11TH, THE 12TH AND THE 13TH IS OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY EDUCATION CONFERENCE.
SO JUST A REMINDER FOR, UH, FOR EVERYBODY.
ANY OTHER IS BLACK HISTORY? THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS A STARTLE BLACK HISTORY MO FAR GOOD GRACE, GREAT CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
[Second Public Comments]
[01:15:01]
PUBLIC COMMENTS.MS. CUSHEN? I IS THAT ONE? YES.
OUR FRIEND MR. MILLER, THANK YOU AGAIN.
BOARD FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
UH, THIS PAST WEEKEND, WELL, I SHOULD SAY FRIDAY BECAUSE SATURDAY WAS CANCELED, WAS THE, UH, ALL COUNTY BAN CONCERT WHERE STUDENTS PREPARED, UH, AUDITIONS AND WERE GRANTED A SEAT AND THEY PRACTICED ON FRIDAY AND THEY WOULD'VE THEN ALSO PRACTICED SATURDAY MORNING AND, AND THEN WOULD'VE HAD A CONCERT ON SATURDAY E OR AFTERNOON.
IT WAS CONDENSED INTO JUST SATURDAY.
I WAS GLAD TO BE ABLE TO VAL, VOLUNTEER AND HELP WITH THAT PROGRAM A LITTLE.
BUT AS A SUMMARY OF IT, I'VE PREPARED A DOCUMENT, A TABLE AS I HAVE FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS THAT SHOWS WHAT SCHOOLS COUNT FOR RANK OF THE NUMBERS, STUDENTS THAT GET INTO THE PROGRAM OR INTO QUALIFY WITH THESE AUDITIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, I DON'T SEE TOO MUCH CHANGE, BUT SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR.
AS YOU MIGHT, YOU MIGHT THINK EVERY SCHOOL OUGHT TO HAVE ABOUT THE SAME, BUT AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THAT IS NOT THE TRUE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND, THE TOP TWO PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS OUT OF THE EIGHT MIDDLE SCHOOLS ACCOUNT FOR 74% OF THE STUDENTS IN THAT PROGRAM, WHICH KIND OF SAYS, YOU KNOW, THAT DISPARITY HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.
ON THE BOTTOM SIDE, FOUR OF THE EIGHT ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY ONE STUDENT.
FOUR OF THE EIGHT MIDDLE SCHOOLS ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY ONE STUDENT.
UH, I WILL POINT OUT I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
IT IS ALSO FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, I WILL POINT OUT, GIVE ME 25 SECONDS.
A GREAT IMPROVEMENT FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS BLUFFTON.
IT WENT FROM TWO LAST YEAR TO 11 PARTICIPANTS THIS YEAR FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL, UH, WHALE BRAND.
UM, BATTERY CREEK WENT FROM LAST YEAR.
UH, ONE PARTICIPANT TO EIGHT THIS YEAR.
I HAVE COPIES IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE.
[Executive Session]
I THINK WE ARE READY FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.WE NEED A MOTION TO GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THEN WE WILL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR, UM, THE PURPOSE OF EMPLOYMENT MATTER REGARDING PERSONAL RATIFICATION REPORT FOR THE EMPLOYMENT, UH, FOR EMPLOYMENT MATTER REGARDING JANUARY.
PERSONAL RATIFICATION REPORT FOR RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING PENDING CLAIM COVERED BY ATTORNEY, PRIVATE ATTORNEY, CLIENT PRIVILEGE AND DISCUSSIONS OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT PROPOSED PURCHASE OF PROPERTY IN SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND I HAVE A QUESTION WHO WILL BE ADVISING US, UH, ON THESE, ON THIS, UH, PERSONAL MATTER, PERSONAL RATIFICATION, STAFF, AND THEN ALSO, NO, NO, THERE'S A RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE PERTAINING.
[01:20:01]
THAT'S MS. CARTILAGE.ALL IN FAVOR GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSIONS, SAY AYE.
[Action as Necessary or Appropriate Regarding Matters Discussed in Executive Session]
OKAY, WE ARE NOW BACK IN, UH, SESSION AND WE HAVE MR. NATE, UH, MR. CHAIR, WE HAVE TWO MOTIONS COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.FIRST ONE, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT LISTED ON THE DECEMBER 1ST, 2025 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.
PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT.
MR. GAR, MR. SMALL, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES.
AGAIN, DID YOU HEAR THE MOTION? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION FOR EMPLOYMENT LISTED ON THE DECEMBER 1ST, 2025 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.
PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FROM EMPLOYMENT LISTED ON THE JANUARY 1ST, 2026 THROUGH JAN.
PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT.
PROP MOTION AND SECOND BY MS. BOATWRIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
THERE IS NO OTHER MOTIONS OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ADU, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
THIS IS LARRY ROWLAND AND THIS IS THE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
ONE OF THE, UH, MOST FASCINATING ARTIFACTS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE ARE THE RUINS OF THE OLD SHELDON CHURCH.
THE PROPER NAME IS THE PARISH CHURCH OF PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH, SOUTH CAROLINA.
PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH WAS FOUNDED IN 1745.
IN RESPONSE, IT WAS THE SECOND ANGLICAN PARISH IN THE BEAUFORT DISTRICT.
HELENA PARISH FOUNDED IN 1712, THE ORIGINAL PARISH, PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH IN 1745 WAS IN THE MIDST OF AN ECONOMIC BOOM BECAUSE RICE PLANTATION SURROUNDED THE SITE ON HUSSAH NECK WHERE THE CHURCH EVENTUALLY WAS BUILT AND THOSE RICE PLANTERS WERE VERY WEALTHY.
IN 1745, THE COMMONS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ESTABLISHED PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH, AND IN 1751, THEY LAID THE CORNERSTONE FOR PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH.
THE CHURCH WAS FINISHED BY 1755 AND WELL APPOINTED.
IT HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE FIRST OR OLDEST TEMPLE FORM GREEK REVIVAL BUILDING IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.
SO THAT RUIN AT SHELDON, WHICH FASCINATES PEOPLE, ABSOLUTELY SHOULD FASCINATE PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST EXAMPLE OF A TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE THAT BECAME ASSOCIATED WITH AMERICAN DEMOCRACY IN AMERICAN PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
[01:25:01]
CHURCH, OR THE OLD SHELDON RUINS, WAS BURNED BY BRITISH TORRIES DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN 1779, IT LAYIN RUINS UNTIL 1826.CHARLES FRAZIER, THE FAMOUS LOW COUNTRY ARTIST, PAINTED A PICTURE OF IT IN 1819 AFTER IT WAS RESTORED TO USE AND SERVICES.
IN 1826, HE CAME AND LOOKED AT IT AND HE SAID, MY GOD, THEY'VE TAKEN A BEAUTIFUL RUIN AND TURNED IT INTO AN UGLY CHURCH.
SO THE UNION ARMY AND THE EVENTS OF THE CIVIL WAR RESTORED IT TO A BEAUTIFUL RUIN.
WE THOUGHT FOR MANY YEARS THAT PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH HAD BEEN BURNED BY SHERMAN'S FORCES AS THEY MARCHED THROUGH THIS DISTRICT.
THAT TURNS OUT NOT TO BE TRUE.
THE CHURCH WAS INTACT AFTER THE CIVIL WAR AND WAS DISMANTLED BY LOCAL FOLKS WHO USED THE PARTS OF THE CHURCH TO BUILD THEIR HOMES AND BARNS.
AND SO THE WOOD BASICALLY WAS TAKEN OUT, THE ROOF FELL IN THE CHURCH, BECAME A RUIN, AND WAS IN DISUSE UNTIL MODERN TIMES IT HAS REMAINED.
AS CHARLES FRASER SAID, A BEAUTIFUL AND ENTICING RUIN.
THIS HAS BEEN A BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.