[00:00:02]
IT'S A HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING.
THE MEETING WILL BE BROADCAST BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL NOTICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH NEW SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES.
BAGS, BACKPACKS, AND PURSES ARE PROHIBITED BY THE PUBLIC AT BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS.
REQUEST TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENTS VIA PHONE WILL BE ACCEPTED ELECTRONICALLY.
YOU CAN FIND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION PUBLIC COMMENT FORM ON OUR WEBSITE AT HTTPS SLASH SLASH WW DOT BEAUFORT SCHOOLS NO, NO SCHOOLS.NET/ABOUT US SLASH BOARD OF ED SLASH PUBLIC COMMENTS.
PLEASE SIGN UP USING THE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM 24 HOURS FROM THE DAY OF THE MEETING REQUESTED.
WE'LL RECEIVE A PHONE CALL DURING THEIR RESPECTIVE PUBLIC FORUM TIME AND SHOULD BE READY TO SPEAK.
YOU MAY ADDRESS THE BOARD FOR A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES ON ISSUES WITHIN THE BOARD'S DOMAIN.
THE FORUM WILL BE LIMITED TO 30 MINUTES.
CITIZENS' DESIRING TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON MUST FILL OUT A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD THAT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE BOARD CLERK UPON ARRIVAL.
REQUEST FOR THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL BE IN THE SAME MANNER AS ABOVE.
THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL TAKE PLACE PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT NO LATER THAN 9:00 PM THE SECOND FORUM WILL BE LIMITED TO 15
[Approval of Agenda]
MINUTES.AND WITH THAT, IS THERE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? SO MOVED.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE, UH, IN THE EMPLOYEE MATTER, UH, PERSONAL APPLICATION REPORT, UH, CODE, UH, 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A, WHO WOULD BE ADVISING US IN THAT STAFF.
AND THE RE UH, THE RECEIPT OF LEGAL, UH, PENDING CLAIMS MATTERS, CLIENT ATTORNEY, UH, A CLIENT ATTORNEY, UH, PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70.
AND THERE ARE TWO OF THOSE WHO WILL BE, UH, WHO WILL BE, UM, ADVISING US IN BOTH OF THOSE.
UM, MS. CARTILAGE AND ATTORNEY CRU.
ATTORNEY CRU AND MRS. CARTILAGE.
UH, IF YOU'LL JOIN ME IN A PLEASURE, YOU OH, WE GOT A VOTE.
THANK YOU, MS. THANK YOU, MS. HAY.
[Pledge of Allegiance, Moment of Silence, Statement of Media Notification]
IF YOU'LL JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
BARRY, HAS THE MEDIA BEEN NOTIFIED? YES, SIR.
UH, PUB, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS OR THE FIRST OKAY.
[Chair’s Report]
AND SEE, THE NEXT ITEM IS THE CHAIR'S REPORT.FOR THE CHAIR'S REPORT, WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT THERE WAS A SENIOR SCHOLARS NIGHT AT BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL, AND IT WAS A SUPERB SHOWING OF ACADEMICALLY FOCUSED YOUNG SCHOLARS, SENIORS, NO LESS COMPLIMENTS TO THE EVENT COORDINATED BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP AND HOSTED BY DR.
AND THE REST OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT WAS, THERE WAS A VERY UPLIFTING EVENT WHERE MORE THAN 100 SENIOR SCHOLARS ABOUT 140 WERE RECOGNIZING GIVEN RIBBONS AND METALS.
FAMILIES WERE THERE WITH ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT.
A SUPERB AFTER EVENT OFFERING WAS SUPPLIED VIA OUR BUSINESS PARTNER, THE NUTRITION GROUP.
THE FOOD WAS ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT, AND THE KIDS WERE AMAZING.
THEY'RE ALSO, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED THEIR ANNUAL DAY AT THE CAPITOL ON APRIL 22ND.
THIS EVENT IS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN CRITICALLY IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THEY ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE THEIR CONSTITUENTS SHOW UP, AND THEY WILL COME OUT OF SESSION TO MEET AND ENTERTAIN QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
THAT WAS VERY UPLIFTING OFFICIALS WHO DECIDED
[00:05:01]
INTER LEGISLATION THAT AFFECTS ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.WE HAD OUR OFFICIALS, OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, UH, SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE, COME OUT TO MEET, UH, OUR ATTENDEES.
AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MR. WILLIAM SMITH BECAUSE HE WAS THERE AND I SAW HIS, UM, UH, POLITICAL SIDE, NOT EITHER FOR OR AGAINST, BUT HIS ENGAGEMENT.
AND I THINK MORE REPRESENTATIVES KNEW HIM THAN ANY OTHER GROUP.
UH, AND IT WAS VERY HEARTWARMING TO SEE THAT.
BUT, UH, THE SC SBA, WE WERE INCREDIBLY PLEA, INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY PLEASED WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVES.
SENATOR, UH, DAVIS CAME OUT TO WELCOME US AND ALSO, SO IT WAS A GOOD DAY.
SOME OF THE THINGS THEY TALKED ABOUT AND THAT ARE ON THE DOCK DOCKET, SO TO SPEAK, OR $150 MILLION INCREASE IN STATE AID TO CLASSROOMS THAT HAS RELEVANCE FOR CHART TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND SO IT'S GOOD TO HAVE KNOW THAT THAT IS THERE ADDITIONAL WAITING FOR BRICK AND MORTAR AND VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOLS FUNDING CALCULATION WILL BE CHANGED AND ALLOCATED DIRECTLY TO THOSE SCHOOLS OUTSIDE OF THE FORMULA.
AGAIN, ANOTHER ENHANCEMENT WHERE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE ACTUALLY TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE IT AND HELP IMPROVE THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS IN OUR STATE.
THERE ALSO WAS $23 MILLION RESULTING FROM AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS GOING FROM 10,000 TO 15,000 STUDENTS COVERED BY THE EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP TRUST FUND.
TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS ENROLLMENT IS 709,000 STUDENTS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO AT THIS PARTICULAR RATE, LOSING $8,100 FROM YEARS 2023 TO 26 8100 STUDENTS, I'M SORRY.
THIS MOVE MIGHT BE MOTIVATION FOR LOSING ANOTHER 5,000 SINCE THESE STUDENTS WILL GET UP TO $7,000, OR IT IS PROJECTED TO BE $3.5 MILLION, UH, LOST TO TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
BUT WE ALSO NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT AMERICAN CITIZENS AND STUDENTS ARE GETTING EDUCATED.
AND ULTIMATELY, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, THERE'S 9.8 MILLION FOR CHILD EARLY READING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, SIR, DEPTH EXPANSION IN PRI IN PRIVATE SCHOOL CENTERS.
AGAIN, IT'S HELPING AMERICAN CITIZENS.
THE SENATE FOUND 16 MILLION PLUS UNCLAIMED LOTTERY PRIZE MONEY FOR SCHOOL BUS PURCHASES AND LEASES, AND THE HOUSE FOUND 30 MILLION.
SO THESE DIFFERING AMOUNTS MUST BE RESOLVED, BUT WE SHOULD END UP, THE STATE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM SHOULD END UP GETTING AT LEAST 16, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 16 AND 30 MILLION.
THERE'S A NEW PROVISO NUMBER ONE DOC, 1 1 2 FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT AFFECTING AND GIVING GUIDANCE ON HOW SUPERINTENDENT CONTRACTS HAVE TO BE STRUCTURED, UH, CONSISTENTLY THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UH, THE NEXT THING THAT WE WERE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE WAS A RETREAT FOR THE TRUSTEES OF THE DOLLAR MOORE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS WITH THE RECEPTION AT THE HOME OF MS. DOLLAR MOORE.
MS. MOORE IS FORMER DIRECTOR AND PRESIDENT OF RAINWATER INVESTMENT EQUITY FUND, AND SHE HAS BEEN A HUGE CONTRIBUTOR TO THE DOLLAR MOORE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS.
IT IS THEREFORE NAMED AFTER HER, AND SHE ACCEPTED US IN HER HOME, AND IT WAS, SHE'S JUST A PHENOMENAL PERSON.
ONE OF THE UPSIDES OF THAT TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT IS THAT THE DMSB DOLLAR MOORE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS IS LOOKING TO WORK WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN CONTACT BETWEEN SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS STAFF AND THE SAVANNAH RIVER NUCLEAR PLAN, WHICH NOW HAS DIGITAL COURSES THAT CAN BE PRESENTED TO SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, RATHER THAN JUST TO SCHOOLS THAT ARE NEAR SAVANNAH RIVER NUCLEAR PLANT, SAVANNAH RIVER NUCLEAR PLANT LABORATORY IS A STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT, UM, PART OF OUR DEFENSE STRUCTURE.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY GOOD TO HAVE THAT WE WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL TO JOIN ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN HAVE OR WANT A POSITIVE IMPACT ON SCHOOLS.
AND PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE'S A NEW AUTHORIZER THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AND THAT'S VOOR HEATH UNIVERSITY CHARTER INSTITUTE OF LEARNING.
SO, WHICH WILL JOIN THE CHARTER INSTITUTE AT ERSKINE, THE LIMESTONE ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS WINDING DOWN.
AND THE STATE AUTHORIZE THE SOUTH CAROLINA PUBLIC CHARTER DISTRICT.
AND ANY PUBLIC DISTRICT CAN AUTHORIZE CHARTER SCHOOLS UNDER LAW AS THIS DISTRICT HAS DONE.
AND THESE THREE OVERSEE 40% OF THE CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO IT'S BEEN A VERY EVENTFUL EXPERIENCE, AND I APPRECIATE THE BOARD SUPPORTING EFFORTS AMONG BOARD MEMBERS TO LEARN MORE WITH THAT.
[00:10:01]
YOU.I SEE THERE'S NO BOARD BUSINESS ACTION, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I'D JUST LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, MRS. UH, CO COUNCILWOMAN.
MRS. UM, MRS. MRS. HOWARD, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING COUNTY COUNCILWOMAN, THANK YOU FOR, FOR COMING.
I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AS WELL.
I'D LIKE TO JOIN, UH, SAYING HELLO AND WELCOME MADAM CHAIR HOWARD.
UH, YOU'VE BEEN A VERY SUPPORTIVE COLLEAGUE OF THIS PARTICULAR INSTITUTION HERE, AND IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED AND WE CONTINUE TO LEARN FROM YOU.
[Committee Reports]
OKAY.MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO GIVE THE FINANCE, UH, COMMITTEE REPORT.
WE HAD A, UH, FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON APRIL 20TH.
UH, WE DISCUSSED THE BUDGET AND SPENDING, UH, REVENUES, UH, REACHED 81.8% OF THE AMENDED BUDGET THROUGH FEBRUARY, WHICH WAS LATER UPDATED TO 96.4%.
REVENUES, UH, WERE, UH, RECEIVED EXPENDITURES TOTALED 58.7 THROUGH FEBRUARY AND APPROXIMATELY 60.3 THROUGH MARCH.
SO WE ARE ON TRACK SALARY, UH, EXPENDITURES.
WERE AT 73.7, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH NORMAL, UH, SPENDING.
AUDIT SERVICES REMAIN ONGOING WITH AN ADDITIONAL COST OF ABOUT $2,500 REVIEW.
THE FEBRUARY FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY REVIEW, UH, THAT REVIEW AND THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HIGHLIGHTED MAJOR EXPENDITURES AND CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS TO BE EXPECTED WITH THE, UH, EXECUTION OF THE, UH, REFERENDUM BUILDING FOOD SERVICE OPERATIONS AND UTILITIES.
PARTICULAR ATTENTION WAS GIVEN TO WATER AND SEWER COSTS, WHICH CONTINUE TO INCREASE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY, CAPACITY, FEES, AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
ALSO, AFTER LOOKING GOING THROUGH THE TRANSPARENCY REPORT, I ASK, UH, THE, UH, CEO, UH, MS. CROSBY, IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO TAKE OUT ONE MONTH'S, UH, TRANSPARENCY REPORT AND JUST IDENTIFY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE SPEND, UH, EVERY MONTH IN LOCAL BUSINESSES.
I THINK IT WOULD BE AN ASTOUNDING NUMBER THAT WE COULD REPORT, UH, TO THE PUBLIC, UH, FOR THAT.
MS. CROSBY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ON EITHER OF THOSE ITEMS YOU'D LIKE TO NO, SIR.
UH, UTILITY COST, WATER AND SEWER FOCUSED REVIEW WAS, UH, SOMETHING THAT MS. CROSBY AND HER TEAM STARTED, UH, THIS FIRST MEETING, SO THAT THEY FOCUS ON SPECIFIC ITEMS EVERY MONTH ON, UH, HOW THE BUDGET IS EXECUTED.
SO, BUFORT JASPER WATER AND SEWER, UH, AUTHORITY WERE, UH, FOCUSED ON, AND SO, UH, WATER RATE INCREASES OF APPROXIMATELY 21% IN 2025 WITH A POTENTIAL DOUBLING OF SEWER FEES IN 2026, UNEXPECTEDLY HIGH BILLS AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE IN RIVER RIDGE.
UPDATED FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS ARE IN PROGRESS AND EXPECT A REPORT FROM MR. TING'S OFFICE REGARDING COMMUNICATIONS WITH UTILITY COMPANIES ABOUT RATE INCREASES.
MS. CROSBY, EVERYTHING TO ADD TO THAT.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR, I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU SAID.
DO, DO YOU HAVE ANY, ANYTHING TO ADD TO THE NO, SIR.
I, I HAVE SPOKEN WITH MR. OTTING.
HE IS PREPARED, UH, PERHAPS AT A, AT THE NEXT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED SUFFICIENT PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION RELATED TO THE PRESERVE AT PORT ROYAL APARTMENT COMPLEX, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN AN ESTIMATED AND CONFIRMED $700,000 LOSS TO DISTRICT REVENUES.
PLANS WERE MADE TO CONFIRM PAYMENT STATUS AND EVALUATE AND EE ELEVATE THE ISSUE TO LEGISLATIVE PARTNERS FOR POTENTIAL SALARY REVIEW.
TODAY, I RECEIVED A CALL AND WAS INFORMED THAT FOUR ADDITIONAL APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN NORTHERN BUFORD COUNTY HAVE ASKED FOR THIS SAME EXEMPTION THAT THE PRESERVE WAS GIVEN AND STATEWIDE, 15 APARTMENT COMPLEXES OR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THAT PROBABLY HAVE ASKED FOR THIS.
SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT SHORTFALL IN REVENUE IF ALL THESE, UH, DIFFERENT AND NEW, UH, EXCEPTIONS ARE APPROVED, UH, BY THE
[00:15:01]
STATE.UH, ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS UPDATE TO ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS OS SEVEN, RECOVERING FUNDING, PROPOSALS, GRANTS, AND SPECIAL PROJECTS, AND OS 15 COVERING HOW INVOICES ARE PAID WITH PROPER AUTHORITY, WERE REVIEWED AND ACCEPTED BY THE COMMITTEE.
EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON ENHANCEMENT OVERSIGHT COMPLIANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY, INCLUDING IMPROVED TRACKING OF CROWDFUNDING FUNDED NON CONSUMABLE ITEMS. THAT'S SOMETHING NEW THAT'S COME ABOUT CROWDFUNDING, WHERE YOU GO ONLINE AND SAY, UH, HOW ABOUT GIVING SOME MONEY FOR THIS PROJECT OR THIS PERSON? AND HOW WE WILL HANDLE THOSE KINDS OF THINGS IN THE FUTURE AS CROSBY.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING EX TO EXPAND ON THAT? NO.
UH, IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UM, IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE WERE CLARIFYING IN THE POLICY.
UM, BUT, UH, WE HAVE BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCING THAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW.
UM, AND THE, WE HAVE PROCESSES FOR, UH, HANDLING THE MATERIALS AS WELL, SO THANK YOU.
UH, WE, THE COMMITTEE ASK, UH, THE CEO TO CONFIRM PROPERTY TAX PAYMENTS, LEGISLATIVE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH SCANA AND THE DISTRICT LEGISLATIVE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY UPDATES, UH, TO THAT SINCE THE MEETING? MS. CROSBY? UM, I DID BRING THAT UP AT THE S SCSA MEETING, UH, THE ROUND FINANCE ROUND TABLE, UM, AT, TO THE, UH, LEGISLATIVE, UH, UH, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SCAA ORGANIZATION, UM, WHO IS VERY IN TUNE WITH ALL THE, THE BILLS IN PROCESS.
UM, IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE, UH, MOVING THROUGH THE PROCESS THIS YEAR.
SO, AND NO ONE ELSE SPOKE ON THE MATTER.
IT DIDN'T APPEAR THAT, UH, MANY PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT IT.
SO I THINK IT'S, UH, WE'RE RAISING AWARENESS OF THE ISSUE IN BEAUFORT AND, UM, OTHER, I THINK ONE OTHER COUNTY MAY BE INVOLVED AS WELL.
SO I THINK THAT, UH, OUR VOICE IS IMPORTANT IN THE MATTER TO GET THE WORD OUT.
UH, NEXT STEP IS FOLLOW UP ON UTILITY RATE DISCUSSIONS AND REVIEW OF INTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY PROCEDURES AND SELECTION OF NICK'S TRANSPARENCY REPORT FOCUS AREA, AND COORDINATE WITH MS. BERRY TO ARRANGE THE DISTRICT FOOD TRUCK TO ATTEND A FUTURE BOARD MEETING.
UH, I THINK THAT THE COMMITTEE TAKE, LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WITH, UH, WHAT WE'VE PURCHASED WITH THAT FOOD TRUCK AND GET A, A GOOD IDEA OF THAT MIGHT, MIGHT WANNA COME TO THE OPERATIONS TOO.
NEXT MEETING IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, MAY 18TH, UH, PENDING COUNTY COUNCIL CALENDAR CONFIRMATION.
MS. CROSBY, I HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT.
UM, DUE TO A CONFLICT, UH, WE HAVE A COUNTY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING THAT DATE AS WELL.
SO THAT MEETING HAS ACTUALLY BEEN RESCHEDULED.
THE B SCHOOL DISTRICT'S FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL BE, HAS BEEN MOVED THE THURSDAY, MAY 21ST AT FOUR 30.
AND MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT COMPLETES MY REPORT, UNLESS THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS, COLONEL OGAR? UH, THERE WAS, THERE WAS DEFINITELY, UH, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WENT OVER AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MAKING, UH, POSSIBLY BRINGING THAT, UH, FORWARD AND MAKING A MOTION ON THAT.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT YOU MENTIONED IT, I THINK IN YOUR REPORT, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT ONE OF THE FINANCE OVERSIGHTS.
UM, LET ME GO BACK, LEMME FIND, FIND MY NOTES AND I GO BACK AND, AND LOOK AT THAT.
BUT THERE WAS, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT I REMEMBER, UH, TALKING ABOUT, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING IN MOTION.
I WAS LOOKING IN MY, LOOKING IN THIS NOTEBOOK, BUT IT MIGHT BE IN, I THINK IT'S, I I DON'T RECALL THAT.
BUT YOU, IF YOU COULD LET ME KNOW.
UH, YEAH, YOU, YOU WERE THERE TOO, SO, AND I'M GOOD.
UH, OPERATIONS HAD A COMMITTEE MEETING ON A APRIL 9TH, UH, REGARDING THE 2019 REFERENDUM PROJECT.
CLOSEOUTS, UH, REMAINING ITEMS AS OF MARCH 31ST ARE, UH, FINAL FEE RECONCILIATION FOR ARCHITECTS, RECONCILIATION FOR OPEN PURCHASE ORDERS, AND RECONCILIATION OF COMMITMENTS PUT UNDER CONTRACT, UTILIZING OUR CONTINGENCY SAVINGS FOR THE 2019 REFERENDUM.
ALL FINANCIALS REPORT GREEN LIGHTS.
UH, OF OUR SEVEN, WE HAD 3 MILLION, THREE, I'M SORRY, 375.7 MILLION.
PAID AND COMMITTED IS 373.5 MILLION.
REMAINING AVAILABLE FUNDS, INCLUDING CONTINGENCY IS 2.1 MILLION, UH, FOR OUR 2023 BOND REFERENDUM.
MONTHLY PLA PROJECTS, ALL REPORT GREEN LIGHTS, THE FINANCIALS, ALL FINANCIALS REPORT GREEN LIGHTS AS WELL.
CURRENT REFERENDUM REFERENDUM BUDGET IS 439 MILLION PAID AND COMMITTED FUNDS TOTAL 271.1 MILLION.
[00:20:01]
AND REMAINING FUNDS, INCLUDING CONTINGENCY, ARE 168.8 MILLION FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH.A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR THE NEW LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL BUILDING IS SCHEDULED TO OCCUR ON 21ST OF MAY 20, 26.
THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR THE NEW BEAUFORT HIGH SCHOOL CTE BUILDING IS SCHEDULED TO OCCUR ON 22 MAY, 2026.
AND, UH, MR. ING IS THERE TOPPING OFF CEREMONY FOR MAY 15TH, UH, TOPPING OFF CEREMONY FOR MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY WILL BE MAY 15TH AT 10 O'CLOCK, YOU SAID? YES.
UH, FOR THE FY 28 8% OPTIONS, WE DISCUSSED 8% FUNDING FOR, UH, FY 28, UH, FUNDING OF HVAC PAINT, ROOF REPAIRS, TECHNOLOGY, AND ADDITIONAL NEEDS OUT OF THE FILE OPTIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED.
UH, THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR A FEW MORE DETAILS.
UH, AND ONCE WE HAVE OUR MEETING COMING UP IN TWO WEEKS, WE'LL, WE WILL BRING THE, OUR RECOMMENDATION BACK TO THE BOARD IN TWO WEEKS.
UM, STUDENT ASSIGNMENT PLANNING.
UM, SO WE WERE IN THAT, WE'RE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD NOW, I GUESS IN THAT, THAT, UH, THAT SEASON OF GETTING, UH, READY FOR ALL THIS.
UH, THE COMMITTEE CAME, THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT CAME FORWARD TO DEVELOP NEW ATTENDANCE ZONES TO OPEN MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY, AND WE LEAD THE CAPACITY ISSUES AT PRICHARD V.
UH, THEY LOOKED AT ALL THE ELEMENTARY ZONES IN BLUFFTON TO FIX THE DONOR HOLES AND BRING ENROLLMENT TO TARGET OF 85% LEVEL, IF POSSIBLE, OF COURSE, TO FIX THE DUNT HOLES AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT EXIST IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL ZONES, AND TO CREATE A CLEAN FEEDER SYSTEM, WHICH ARRANGE ALL, UH, UH, CHANGES ALL THE LEVELS OF ATTENDANCE AND CREATES A NEW CLUSTER.
UH, AND OF COURSE, THEY, THEY WILL BE DOING SOME PUBLIC MEETINGS AFTER.
UH, WE, WE DO SOME MORE DISCUSSION OF THIS.
THREE OPTIONS WERE DEVELOPED INDEPENDENTLY.
THE PLANNING OPTION MINIMIZES, MOVES, CREATING A ZONE OF MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY, AND TO FIX THE, THE DONOR HOLES, THERE WAS A TRANSPORTATION OPTION, WHICH BEST, UH, THE BEST OPTION FOR BUS ROUTES.
IN ADDITION, TRYING TO ACHIE ACHIEVE THE 85% TARGETING, UH, CAPACITY OF USAGE.
AND, UH, A-A-G-I-S ANALYSIS, WHICH, UH, TARGETED BALANCING ENROLLMENT, JUST TARGETING THE BALANCE ENROLLMENT OF 85% CAPACITY, UH, THERE WAS A SUGGESTED FOREST OPTION.
UH, SO THEY, UH, OPERATIONS WILL DO SOME RESEARCH ON THAT.
AND AGAIN, UH, THEY'LL BRING IT TO COMING, UH, UP INTO OUR, OUR, UM, OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING NEXT WEEK.
AND WE WILL BRING OUR RECOMMENDED OPTION, UH, TO THE BOARD IN TWO WEEKS FOR OUR CUSTODIAL UPDATE.
UH, FOR MARCH, UH, OF 2026, THERE WERE 59 DISTRICT INSPECTIONS AND 651 VENDOR INSPECTIONS.
AVERAGE DISTRICT SCORE WAS 92.3.
ALL VENDORS MAINTAINED GREATER THAN 90% STAFFING, AND THERE WERE NO CUSTODIAL DEFICIENCIES FOR OUR MAINTENANCE UPDATE.
WORK ORDERS TO DATE, 20,693 COMPLETED.
UH, WORK ORDERS IN PROGRESS ARE 1,935 AVERAGE DAYS TO COMPLETE EACH WORK.
UH, ORDER NORTH OF THE BROAD IS 5.7, AND SOUTH OF THE BROAD IS 4.5.
THE SCHOOL BLITZ FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH WAS BEAUFORT.
MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS 65 ORDER, UH, 65 TOTAL WORK ORDERS, AND ALL 65 WERE COMPLETED.
UH, ONLY ONE MAINTENANCE DEFICIENCY, UH, FOR INSUFFICIENT STAFFING.
UH, BUT CURRENT STAFFING IS AT 95.3 FOR THOSE UNIT.
REMEMBER, UM, THEY WILL BE, UH, PENALIZED IF THEY DON'T HAVE 100% STAFFING.
UM, OUR NEXT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE ON MAY 12TH AT 1700.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? UH, LET'S START WITH MS. HAY AND MS. BOATWRIGHT.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T NEGLECT THEM.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? LADIES? SORRY.
UM, STRUGGLING TO UNMUTE THERE.
WE'RE NOT, THERE'S NO MOTIONS COMING FORWARD, CORRECT? THERE'S NO ACTION BEING TAKEN FROM THIS COMMITTEE REPORT.
I DO NOT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, AND I AM HOPING TO MAKE IT TO THE NEXT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING.
I DO HAVE SOME, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, AND IN, IN, IN TERMS OF LOOKING OVER, UH, THE TIMELINE FOR THE, UH, LA LIAISON MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE, UH, BUILDING TIMELINE, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS GONNA BE ONE OF THE SCHOOL, THE ONE THE SCHOOL'S GONNA BE THE LONGEST THAT'S GONNA BE, IT IS GONNA BE TWO YEARS TO BUILD THIS SCHOOL.
SO THE TIMELINE TO BUILD LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, THEY'VE STARTED, UH, IT ACTUALLY JUST STARTED THE OTHER DAY, UH, DOING UTILITY WORK, UM, DURING, UH, SPRING BREAK THAT BEGAN, UH, THEY WILL ACTUALLY START, UH, DEMO AND SITE WORK THIS SUMMER.
THE BUILDING, THE REPLACEMENT BUILDING IS PLANNED TO BE OPEN IN, UH, AUGUST OF 27.
AND THEN WE WILL ACTUALLY, NO, I'M SORRY, THAT IT IS GONNA BE IN DECEMBER, UH, PRIOR TO JANUARY OF 27, AND THEN THEY WILL HAVE TO TEAR DOWN THE OLD BUILDING.
[00:25:01]
SO THE ENTIRE PROJECT WILL BE DONE IN, UH, SUMMER OF 27, BUT THEY WILL HAVE TO OCCUPY, THEY'LL MOVE INTO THE NEW BUILDING OVER ACTUALLY THE CHRISTMAS BREAK.UH, AND THERE'S SOME REASONS THAT HAS TO HAPPEN, BUT, SO THE ENTIRE PROJECT FROM BEGINNING TO END WILL BE A LITTLE OVER, LET'S SEE, WE'RE IN 20, A YEAR AND A HALF, SO NOT TWO YEARS.
AND, AND DO WE, DO WE HAVE THAT IN WRITING? IN WRITING, IN WRITING, UH, THE STEP BY STEP PLAN PLAN OUT? BECAUSE THAT'S JUST, UH, A COUPLE OF THE, UH, MY CONSTITUENTS HAS BEEN ASKING ABOUT HOW LONG IS IT GONNA TAKE AND WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN I TOLD THAT, I KNOW WHEN THE GROUNDBREAKING IS GONNA BE, BUT THEY WERE JUST CONCERNED BECAUSE IT'S, IT HAS BEEN DELAYED A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE, UH, UH, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE STARTED PRIOR TO NOW.
UM, AND YOU'RE JUST WONDERING IS, IS IT GONNA BE A TWO YEAR, TWO YEAR, TWO YEAR TURNAROUND ON WHAT WE, WHAT WE ACTUALLY LOOK LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, LOCK, LOCK IN DATES AND LOCK IN TO WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY BUILDING? SO ALL THE LOCK IN DATES ARE IN THE CONTRACT.
I'LL BE GLAD TO PROVIDE THOSE FOR YOU SO THAT YOU HAVE THOSE, AND I'LL GET THOSE TO YOU.
SO YOU KNOW WHAT ALL THOSE ARE.
SO THE CONTRACT SPECIFIES THE DATE THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE COMPLETED BY.
[Superintendent’s Report]
OKAY.UH, THE LAST, UH, WORK SESSION, ONE OF THE ITEMS ON THAT AGENDA WAS, UH, THIRD GRADE, UH, RETENTION RULES BY THE, UH, STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO TODAY WE'RE BRINGING FORTH, UH, SUMMER SCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMMING FROM THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO INCLUDE, UH, SUMMER READING ACADEMY, UH, AS WELL.
AND SO WE HAVE A TEAM FROM ISD THAT'LL BE HERE, UH, AND FROM, UM, UH, UH, SPECIAL EDUCATION AS WELL, PLEASE.
SO, TONIGHT WE HAVE TWO THINGS IN YOUR FOLDERS FOR YOU.
WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THAT HAS A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ABOUT THE GOALS FOR EACH PROGRAM.
AND MS. CBE, IF YOU COULD PULL UP THE PRESENTATION, WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT FOR THEM, AND THEN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE REALLY FORTUNATE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY BECAUSE WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER A MYRIAD OF PROGRAMS. THE ONES THAT WE'RE SPECIFICALLY BRINGING IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT ARE THE ONES THAT ARE BUILT IN FOR STUDENT SUCCESS WITHIN CONTENT RECOVERY.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS FIRST SLIDE, IT GIVES YOU OUR PROGRAM HOURS, AND YOU'RE GONNA NOTICE A LITTLE DIFFERENCE THERE.
UM, WE MADE THIS SHIFT LAST YEAR.
IT WAS FEEDBACK FROM OUR SCHOOLS.
SO ELEMENTARY IS SET UP BY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
THERE ARE 96 HOURS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR THAT PROGRAM.
SO IT IS A FULL DAY STRUCTURED PROGRAM.
HOWEVER, IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, WE HAVE SOME WIGGLE ROOM.
WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT RECOVERY AS WE FEEL OUR STUDENTS NEED.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST YEAR, TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS WERE LIKE, CAN WE GO HALF DAY? SO WE TRIED IT LAST YEAR, AND IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.
SO WE ARE GOING HALF DAY AGAIN.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL WILL BE GOING 8 45 TO 1245.
THOSE DATES ARE FROM JUNE 8TH, ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE END OF JUNE.
WE WILL, OF COURSE, RECOGNIZE THAT JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY, UM, IS BUILT IN, AND WE ARE GOING MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO OUR ELEMENTARY DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING.
UM, MS. SAMAN TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
UM, WE ARE SO FORTUNATE THAT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, UH, PROVIDE SUMMER SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
UM, THIS YEAR, EVERY SINGLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GETS TO HOST ITS OWN PROGRAM, WHICH IS FANTASTIC BECAUSE THAT MEANS OUR STUDENTS STAY CLOSE TO HOME AND THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR FAMILIAR ENVIRONMENTS.
UM, FOR OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS, THERE WILL BE A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS THAT WILL BE SHARING LOCATIONS DUE TO SUMMER WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THAT, THOSE DIVERSE RANGE OF SITES AVAILABLE, UM, TO ENHANCE ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, AND, UH, TO ENRICH THAT SUMMER EXPERIENCE FOR THEM.
FOR THE ELEMENTARY SUMMER READING CAMP, UM, THE CRITERIA IS OUTLINED BY THE REACH SUCCEED LAW IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
ALL DISTRICTS ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SUMMER READING CAMP FOR OUR THIRD GRADE STUDENTS WHO ARE READING BELOW GRADE LEVEL.
THIS YEAR, THE PROGRAM EXPANDS TO INCLUDE FIRST GRADE STUDENTS, AND NEXT YEAR, SECOND GRADE STUDENTS WILL ALSO BE INVITED ALONG WITH OUR FIRST AND THIRD GRADE STUDENTS.
UM, IN THIRD GRADE, STUDENTS WHO SCORED, UH, DOES NOT MEET ON THE SC READY READING ASSESSMENT ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND.
AND FOR FIRST GRADE, ANY STUDENT SCORING BELOW THE 24.7 PERCENTILE ON THE I-READY READING DIAGNOSTIC, WE'LL RECEIVE AN INVITATION.
SUMMER READING CAMPS AS, UM, MS. MCKENZIE JUST NOTED MUST BE THE, UH, EQUIVALENT OF 96 INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS.
AND THE CAMP FOR OUR, OUR ELEMENTARY KIDDOS WILL RUN FIVE DAYS PER WEEK WITH THE REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS OF 7 45 TO 2 45.
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OUR STUDENT RATE TEACHER RATIO IS 15 TO ONE, AND SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION IS PROVIDED.THE PRE AND POST ASSESSMENT DATA WILL BE RECORDED FOR ALL PARTICIPATING STUDENTS, FOR ALL STUDENTS.
THE SPRING IREADY BENCHMARK IS CONSIDERED THAT PRE-ASSESSMENT.
AND AT THE END OF SUMMER READING CAMP, ANY THIRD GRADE STUDENT WHO IS AT RISK OF RETENTION WILL TAKE THE I-READY READING DIAGNOSTIC.
AGAIN, THE IDENTIFIED CUT SCORE FOR I-READY IS 4 89 AND FALL 26, 27 I-READY WILL BE THE POST-ASSESSMENT FOR ALL OF OUR OTHER STUDENTS.
SO, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR SECONDARY SCHOOL, WHICH IS CREDIT RECOVERY.
WE'RE, WE ARE REGULATED BY STATE, BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA BY THE STATE BOARD, AS WELL AS TWO OF OUR ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS.
30 AND 43 STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO TAKE NO MORE THAN TWO UNITS OF CREDIT RECOVERY.
THE ENROLLMENT, THE STUDENTS NEED TO HAVE A GRADE OF 50 OR HIGHER IN ORDER TO RECOVER THAT CREDIT.
HOWEVER, IF A STUDENT HAS HAD ISSUES WITHIN THEIR SCHOOL YEAR, THE PRINCIPAL CAN MAKE A DECISION FOR THAT STUDENT TO RECOVER SOME OF THAT CREDIT.
IF A STUDENT IS IN A CLASS THAT IS A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL CLASS, BUT THEY'RE BEFORE THEIR NINTH GRADE YEAR, THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE UNDER STATE GUIDELINES TO RECOVER THAT CREDIT.
IN SUMMER, THIS IS WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE CONFUSING EVERY YEAR.
THEY MUST COMPLETE 100% OF THE ASSIGNMENTS AT 60%.
THAT PRE-ASSESSMENT FINDS OUT WHERE THEY HAVE NOT MET THAT LEVEL OF MASTERY OF PROFICIENCY.
THOSE ARE THE ASSIGNMENTS THEY GET, AND THE ONLY ASSIGNMENTS.
BUT IN ORDER FOR US TO DEEM THAT THEY'RE PROFICIENT IN THOSE, THEY HAVE TO COMPLETE THOSE ASSIGNMENTS AT A PASSING RATE OF 60.
UM, THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE AN EOC COURSE FOR RECOVERY UNLESS THEY'VE ALREADY TAKEN THE EOC ASSESSMENT DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.
AND THEN I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DR. HOLMES, WHO RUNS OUR EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAM.
UM, SO EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR IS, UM, A PROGRAM THAT WE PROVIDE OUR EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS, UM, WHO WOULD NEED TO EXTEND BEYOND THEIR TRADITIONAL SCHOOL YEAR.
UM, SO WE HAVE TWO SITES, UM, WHERE IT'S GONNA BE ONE IN BLUFFTON.
UM, THE OTHER ONE WILL BE BLUFFTON ELEMENTARY, AS A MATTER OF FACT, AND ROBERT SMALLS, UM, LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
UM, WE OPERATE ON A MODIFIED OR HALF DAY.
SO AGAIN, WE DO THE 7 45 TO 1145.
TRANSPORTATION, OF COURSE, IS PROVIDED AS WELL AS, UM, MEALS.
AGAIN, IT'S THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.
UM, OF COURSE, THE STUDENT HAS TO BE AN EXCEPTIONAL LEARNER, AND THE IEP TEAM WILL BE TO DISCUSS WHAT, UM, THOSE SERVICES WOULD NEED TO LOOK LIKE.
SO WE MAY HAVE A STUDENT WHO MAY ONLY COME FOR SPEECH AND LANGUAGE, UM, THERAPY.
THEN WE MAY HAVE ANOTHER STUDENT THAT MAY COME FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME READING SUPPORT OR MATH SUPPORT, OR ANY STUDENT THAT MAY HAVE SIGNIFICANT, UM, COGNITIVE OR EVEN BEHAVIORAL, UM, NEEDS.
SO THAT'S EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR IN A NUTSHELL.
I, I CAN'T, WITHOUT RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS A DISTRICT-WIDE EFFORT.
YOU SEE STUDENT SERVICES AND ISD UP HERE, BUT WE COULD NOT OFFER THESE PROGRAMS WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION WHO ARE STEADILY MAKING THOSE ROUTES.
OUR FOOD SERVICE WHO'VE ALREADY GOTTEN STUDENT NUMBERS AND ARE ORDERING THOSE MEALS AND PROVIDING THOSE, UM, FACILITIES,
SO IT'S TRULY A BEAUFORT COUNTY EFFORT.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WAS SAID.
ANY QUESTIONS? YES, MR. SMITH? UH, DO WE KNOW HOW, HOW MANY SHOES WE'LL BE SERVING OVER, OVER THE SUMMER AND IT'S FULL TOTAL TOTALITY? DO YOU KNOW YOUR NUMBER? NO, WE DON'T HAVE, WE ARE BASED ON WINTER PROJECTIONS.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 493RD GRADERS, 361ST GRADERS, HOWEVER, THAT IS FROM WINTER BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT TESTED FOR SPRING YET.
SO WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THOSE RESULTS WHEN THEY COME IN.
UM, SO FOR EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR, WE ARE STILL HAVING, UM, MEETINGS TO DETERMINE THAT ELIGIBILITY.
BUT CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW PROJECTED, WE WERE LOOKING AT ABOUT 15
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STUDENTS.SO IT COULD BE EIGHT IN BUFORT,
SO WE ARE HAVING ABOUT 15 THAT ARE ON THE ROSTER RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND OUR SECONDARY STUDENTS STILL HAVE SOME TIME TO, TO AVOID CREDIT RECOVERY, SO I'M HOPING THEY'RE ALL WORKING DILIGENTLY ON THAT.
BUT TYPICALLY FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, OUR AVERAGE RUNS BETWEEN SIX 50 AND 700 THAT WE SERVE.
AND, UH, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'M ASKING THIS IS, IS TOO, BECAUSE I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN JUST SEEING HOW MANY, UH, HOW MANY STUDENTS THAT WILL ALREADY BE ON.
I KNOW THAT WE NOT, WE'RE NOT CHARGING FOR THIS, BUT ALSO WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO WILL NOT BE IN THESE PROGRAMS, AND WE STILL WILL NEED, I'M SURE, A PLACE PLACEMENT FOR OUR, FOR OTHER STUDENTS AS WELL.
AND ALSO, IF PARENTS WANTED THEM TO GET EXTRA HELP, WOULD THAT, WOULD, WOULD, WOULD THAT BE, WOULD THAT BE ALLOWED IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S ROOM OR, OR HOW, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? THAT WOULD BE PROGRAM AVAILABILITY IF IT'S AVAILABLE AT THEIR INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL.
AND WE DO HAVE OTHER PROGRAMS OUTSIDE OF THESE, RIGHT? THESE ARE SPECIFIC FOR CONTENT RECOVERY.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE OUR SCHOOL FOR THE ISLAND, UM, FOR THE ARTS.
WE ALSO HOST A MYRIAD OF PROGRAMS. WE HAVE THE YMCA, THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, CONROY LITERACY.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON THAT, THAT STUDENTS CAN GET INVOLVED IN.
SO IF THERE ARE STUDENTS THAT WANNA BE INVOLVED IN SOMETHING, OR PARENTS WHO WOULD LIKE TO PLEASE HAVE 'EM REACH OUT TO THEIR SCHOOL.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY.
BECAUSE THAT'S GOOD THOUGH, BECAUSE, UH, I HAVE, I'VE HAD PARENTS WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME AND HAVE ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS, AND I ALSO HAVE POSED TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
I SAW IT IN THE, ANOTHER DISTRICT, ANOTHER, UH, COUNTY, EXCUSE ME, ANOTHER COUNTY WHERE, UM, THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF THE COUNTY FUNDS AND ALLOCATED FOR, UH, FOR, FOR SOME OF THE SUMMER PROGRAMS TO BE ABLE TO NOT HAVE KIDS AT HOME.
AND THAT I WILL DEFINITELY BE PUSHING TO SEE IF WE CAN GET COUNTY COUNCIL TO ALLOCATE SOME MONEY.
UH, ACTUALLY I'M GONNA ASK THE CHAIRMAN TO PUT THAT ON OUR NEXT JOINT, JOINT, UH, MEETING TO SEE IF WE CAN HAVE COUNTY COUNCIL TO ALLOCATE SOME MONEY FOR SUMMER.
I'M SURE WE WILL GET DONE FOR THIS SUMMER, BUT FOR THE, FOR NEXT SUMMER TO A ALLOCATE SOME FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO ENHANCE SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS AND ALSO TO, UH, GIVE, GIVE US, GIVE US, GIVE US MORE, MORE PROGRAMS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN DIFFERENT AREAS IN TERMS OF NOT JUST SCHOOL BUILDINGS, BUT ALSO IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE IT'LL BE RIGHT, RIGHT THERE WHERE THEY'RE, WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY LIVE AT AND BE MORE ACCESSIBLE.
SO THAT, THAT'S JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO GATHER UP INFORMATION TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET IT FORMULATED.
MR. SMITH, ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MS. HAY OR MS. BOATWRIGHT? I DO NOT EITHER.
WHAT'D YOU SAY, MS. BOATWRIGHT? I'M GOOD, THANK YOU.
UM, I'M SEEING A LOT OF PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE AND AT THE STATE CAPITAL.
HAVE WE BEGUN TO BE ABLE TO SEE ANY NUMERICAL EFFICACY RATINGS ON HOW THESE PROGRAMS ARE ACTUALLY HELPING IMPROVE AND NOT JUST ASKING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM? IT WAS A THEME IN, IN, UH, COLUMBIA A FEW WEEKS AGO.
SO JUST BE THINKING ABOUT THAT.
AND WE DO, WE DO LOOK AT THE SUCCESS OF THE STUDENTS COMING OUT OF THE PROGRAM TOO, TO SEE DID IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THEM TO HAVE THIS EXTRA SUPPORT FROM US? SO FAR WE'RE SEEING GOOD TRENDS, BUT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO TRACK THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE INTERESTING TO WATCH.
UH, MR. SUPERINTENDENT, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL WITH ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF ARE DOING IS WHERE YOU CAN SHOW SOME NUMERICAL IMPROVEMENT OR REGRESSION, SO THE BOARD CAN BE MORE ATTUNED TO HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP YOU, BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS ENERGETICALLY DISCUSSED IN THE STATE COUNCIL.
UH, TO OUR TEAM, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT IS, UH, IS THE BUDGET DISCUSSION.
AND THIS FALLS UNDER, UH, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
AND SO MS. CROSBY'S ON HER WAY UP FOR OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION BEFORE, UH, MS. CROSBY BEGINS AT, AT THE WORK SESSION, UH, LAST WORK SESSION, WHEN WE, UH, OFFICIALLY FIRST INTRODUCED THE BUDGET, THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF DISCUSSION AMONGST BOARD MEMBERS, WE WERE ASKED TO, UH, TAKE ALL THE INFORMATION BACK AND THEN COME, COME BACK FOR THIS SECOND, UH, ROUND SECOND READING, SECOND PRESENTATION ON THIS PIECE.
SO THIS EVENING, UM, THE STAFF, UH, PRESENTS.
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YEAR 22, 26, 27, UH, GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR BOARD REVIEW AND DIRECTION.UH, THIS SECOND READING PROVIDES SOME ENHANCED DETAIL, BOTH IN THE NARRATIVE AND IN IN THE PRESENTATION AND IN THE HANDOUTS.
THE HANDOUTS ARE, UM, A CUMULATIVE, UH, PACKET OF INFORMATION.
SO NOT ONLY WE PROVIDED THE ITEMS THAT WERE IN THE FIRST ROUND AT YOUR FIRST, UH, READING AND FIRST LOOK OF THE BUDGET, BUT WE ALSO ENHANCE THOSE, UH, DOCUMENTS TO PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE DEPTH OF DETAIL.
UM, THIS PRESENTATION ALSO INCLUDES AN ALTERNATE SCENARIO TODAY.
SO, UH, THAT WILL COME, WE'LL PROVIDE THE ORIGINAL, UH, PROPOSAL AND THEN PROVIDE AN ALTERNATE SCENARIO AS WELL.
SO, NO, UH, VOTE IS REQUIRED TODAY.
HOWEVER, UM, DR. RODRIGUEZ AND I ARE WILL BE, UH, REQUESTING SOME DIRECTION ON HOW THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH THE SCENARIOS AS WE, UH, FINISH UP THE DISCUSSION TODAY.
SO ON THE SECOND SLIDE OF THE OPERATING BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS, UM, SO THE BUDGET ALIGNS WITH THE DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, IT PRIORITIZES STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, WORKFORCE COMPETITIVENESS, OPERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND WHILE ACCOUNTING FOR INFLATIONARY PRESSURES, CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, AND EVOLVING FUNDING PROJECTIONS FROM THE STATE, THE BUDGET TOTALS 395.
THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL OF THE BUDGET TOTALS 395,321,600 BALANCE WITH CORRESPONDING PROJECTED REVENUES AND NO MILLAGE INCREASE REQUESTED.
UNDER THE BASE SCENARIO, APPROXIMATELY 83% OF THE BUDGET INCREASES ARE ALLOCATED TO EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION, REINFORCING OUR COMMITMENT TO INVESTING IN THE WORKFORCE.
SO, UH, THE BUDGET PRIORITIES.
SO WE HAVE BUDGET PRIORITIES THAT ALIGN WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
15.2 MILLION OF INVESTMENTS IN EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION.
UH, THIS BUDGET REFLECTS ONE OF THE HIGHEST STARTING TEACHER SALARIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
2.9 MILLION OF INCREASES IN ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND 3.4 MILLION INCREASES IN ESSENTIAL OPERATIONAL SERVICES SERVICES.
SO, AS A RECAP OF OUR PRIOR, UH, BUDGET CONVERSATION, UH, THE FIRST, UH, PRIORITY OF, UM, THAT WE HAVE LISTED HERE IS TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF COMPENSATION.
UM, SO WE HAD EXTENSIVE FEEDBACK, UH, I JUST WANNA REITERATE, AND, UM, THAT WE, BEGINNING IN OCTOBER, WE BEGAN OUR PUBLIC FORUMS, UH, AND OUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH OUR PRINCIPALS, UH, TO GET A NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND IDENTIFY SPECIFIC AREAS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO STUDENTS.
UH, AND, AND WE WENT THROUGH, UH, AN EXTENSIVE FEEDBACK, UM, STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, UM, PROCESS.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO GATHER THE INFORMATION VERY EARLY AND BUILD THE INFORMATION, BUILD THE BUDGET WITH THE PRIORITIES IN MIND THAT WERE COMMUNITY-WIDE, UM, NOT ONLY, AND ALSO AN, UH, ONLINE SURVEY AS WELL.
SO THE FIRST PRIORITY THAT WE IDENTIFIED WAS TEACHER AND SUPPORT STAFF COMPENSATION.
EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION IN GENERAL IS 15.2 MILLION.
THE PROPOSED STARTING TEACHER SALARY IS 62,587.
THE BASE PLUS A $1,500 LOCALITY SUPPLEMENT WOULD MAIN BE MAINTAINED, UH, AS IT HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, POSITIONING BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AT $64,087 COMP TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPETITIVE OF DISTRICTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, AND SO WE ADDITIONALLY, WE WOULD PROVIDE A 3% COST OF LIVING INCREASE FOR ALL OTHER BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, WHICH CLOSELY ALIGNS WITH THE AVERAGE INFLATION RATE FOR THE YEAR.
AND THIS I MIGHT ADD, IS ABOVE THE 2% RATE THAT THE STATE IS PROVIDING.
THE SECOND PRIORITY IS ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. UH, WE SPECIFICALLY, WE'LL BE INVESTING OUR 2.6 MILLION, $2.9 MILLION IN EXPANDED SUPPORT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS AND BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION, WHICH WERE SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED BY OUR PRINCIPALS.
CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN MONTESSORI PROGRAMS, EXPANSION OF CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION, AND, UH, EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR AND SUMMER LEARNING INITIATIVES, WHICH YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT A FEW MOMENTS AGO.
SAFETY AND SECURITY, WE WOULD CONTINUE FUNDING FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS AND SECURITY GUARDS.
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ARE SOME INCREASES, CAR CORRESPONDING IN THOSE AREAS COMING OUT FROM THE OUTSIDE AGENCIES OR CONTRACTS, EXPANDING OUR WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEMS TO MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND CONTINUING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS SUPPORTS.AND THEN THE NEXT PRIORITY IS OPERATIONAL, UH, OPERATIONAL ESSENTIAL OPERATIONS.
UH, WE WOULD MAINTAIN CORE DISTRICT OPERATIONS, AND SOME OF THE MOST, THE MAJOR CONTRACTS WE HAVE ARE CUSTODIAL MAINTENANCE AND GROUNDS.
UH, ALSO UNDER THE CONTRACTED, UM, EXCUSE ME, CONTRACTED SERVICES IS LISTED TRANSPORTATION THAT IS NOT TRA UM, CONTRACTED.
UM, THAT, BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE CORE OPERATIONS OF THE, UM, FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS DIVISION.
ALSO INCREASES IN, UH, PROPERTY AND LIABILITY INSURANCE AS WE WERE COASTAL COUNTY.
THOSE RATES CONTINUED TO CLIMB TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND SOFTWARE LICENSING REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SUCH AS AUDIT, LEGAL COMPLIANCE ARE ALSO IN THIS BUDGET.
UM, AND LASTLY, JUST, UH, COMMENT ON FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP.
AGAIN, THIS, UH, THE PROPOSED EXPENDITURES IN THIS BUDGET ARE 395 MILLION, 83% OF WHICH OF INCREASES ARE ALLOCATED DIRECTLY TO EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION.
AND THE REVENUES WOULD BALANCE THIS BUDGET WITH THE IDENTICAL AMOUNT OF 395.3 MILLION AS WELL.
AGAIN, THIS BUDGET PROPOSAL PROVIDES NO MILLAGE INCREASE.
AGAIN, THE FIRST TEACHER SALARY, UH, THIS IS A LOOK AT THAT FIRST TEACHER SALARY, UH, THE STARTING TEACHER SALARY FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND THE FIRST, UH, THE FIRST FIVE STEPS ZERO THROUGH FIVE, UH, WOULD BE MAINTAINED AT THIS LEVEL.
UM, THAT WOULD BE, UH, BEGINNING WHERE OUR RATE IS CURRENTLY $60,087.
IT WOULD BE A $2,500 INCREASE, UM, AND TO THE BASE SALARY.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE LOCALITY SUPPLEMENT, WHICH WAS PAID IN TWO INSTALLMENTS, HALF IN DECEMBER, HALF IN MAY, BUT BRING THE TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE UP TO $64,087 FOR THE STARTING TEACHER SALARY.
UM, SO BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS INCREASED ITS STARTING TEACHER SALARY BY 69% OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, REPRESENTING A $25,000 INCREASE, I THINK OVER SEVEN YEAR PERIOD.
UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT CONTINUES TO TREND ABOVE STATE NATIONAL AVERAGES FOR BOTH, BOTH STARTING SALARY AND AVERAGE TEACHER SALARY.
UM, FROM SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OVER THE STARTING SALARY, UH, ABOUT THREE THOU, ABOUT AT LEAST $10,000 ABOVE THE STARTING TEACHER SALARY, NATIONWIDE AND ABOVE AT LEAST $3,000 ABOVE THE NATIONAL SALARY ON THE AVERAGE TEACHER SALARY.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE, UM, THE AVERAGE OF ALL TEACHERS, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO THIS POSES ITSELF, UH, TO DEMONSTRATE, UM, SIGNIFICANT, UH, ACHIEVEMENT OR INCREASES IN THIS RATE AS A PURPOSE OF RETAINING, UM, RECRUITING AND RETAINING TEACHERS.
ON OUR LAST MEETING, UH, THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, UNCERTAINTIES IN THE ECONOMY.
UM, SO THE MILLAGE RATE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FUND BALANCE RESERVES, UH, WE HAVE, UH, SOME, UH, THINGS GOING ON AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, UH, WITH, UM, IRAN AND OTHER WORLDWIDE IMPLICATIONS.
UM, SO WE HAVE, UH, REALLY SAT AND TALKED ABOUT, UH, COM UH, CONTINGENCIES.
IF, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR, UH, ESTIMATES BASED ON THE VALUE OF THE MILL AND OTHER ESTIMATES THROUGHOUT OF EXPENDITURES, UH, WERE TO COME TO FALL SHORT.
UH, AND SO THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT, UH, WE HAVE THAT I HAVE IDENTIFIED HERE.
UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ AND I HAVE SPOKEN EXTENSIVELY ABOUT THESE AREAS.
AND, UH, BASED ON THE, THE FEEDBACK WE HAVE EXPLORED THE FOLLOWING CONTINGENCIES.
SO, UH, OUR, UH, VALUE OF THE MILL HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN ABOVE 6%.
UM, IT HAS BEEN ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.
IT WAS A 14% GROWTH FACTOR, UH, IN THE VALUE OF THE MILL FROM ONE TO ANOTHER, ABOUT 7% THE YEAR, UH, LAST YEAR, ABOUT 6% THIS YEAR.
SO WE ARE BELIEVE THAT OUR ESTIMATES ON THE VALUE OF THE MILL ARE VERY CONSERVATIVE, CONSIDERING, UM, THE ECONOMY AND CONSIDERING, UH, MULTIPLE OPTIONS.
AND THESE ARE ALL BASED ON THE ACTUAL REVENUES THAT WE'VE RECEIVED IN THE, IN THE BANK, NOT BASED ON ANY ASSESSED VALUES AND D YOU KNOW, MAKING THOSE CALCULATIONS AND DEDUCTIONS AND EXEMPTIONS AT THE, AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
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THAT THAT IS AN, A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE.SECOND, UH, TWO YEARS AGO, UH, WHEN WE HAD REASSESSMENT AND WHEN WE HAD THE 14% GROWTH FACTOR, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, MADE A MOTION AND, AND APPROVED A MOTION TO, UH, SHIFT SOME EXCESS REVENUES INTO A CAPITAL PROJECTS FUNDS TEMPORARILY.
UM, AT THE BOARD'S DISCRETION THEY CAN SPEND, WE HAVE NOT TOUCHED THOSE FUNDS, AND SO THEY STILL REMAINED AND STILL ARE AVAILABLE TO BE MOVED BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND IF THERE WERE SOME SHORTFALL IN REVENUES OR EXCESS IN EXPENDITURES.
SO THAT FUND BALANCE IN THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUNDS IS STILL REMAINING AND WILL UNTIL BOARD APPROVAL, UH, MAKE THERE'S ANY MOTION OR ACTION OF THE BOARD TO, TO CHANGE THAT.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY IN, IN TOUGH YEARS, I'VE SEEN, UH, I'VE, UH, BEEN WORKING ON THE BUDGET FOR PROBABLY 15 TO 20 YEARS, UH, AND SEEN A LOT OF THINGS OVER THE YEARS.
AND OCCASIONALLY IN TOUGH YEARS, WE HAD TO TAKE ACTION PERHAPS IN THE SPRING JUST AFTER TAX REVENUES CAME IN TO DEFER SOME EXPENDITURES.
AND BY DEFER, I MEAN TO OPERATION, UM, WE HAVE THE OPTION TO TEMPORARILY SUSPEND NON ESSENTIAL INITIATIVES OR EXPENDITURES.
SO WE HAVE, UH, ITEMS SUCH AS TRAVEL, FOOD AND, AND VACANT POSITIONS THAT MAY BE IN NON-CRITICAL POSITIONS.
SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DEFER SOME SPENDING TO PAUSE, UH, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME UNTIL WE, UM, ACHIEVE STABILITY, UH, IN THE, IN THE FINANCIALS.
AND SO WE HAVE THAT OPTION AS WELL.
AND FINALLY, BUT, UH, THE, UH, MOST AT ATTRACT, MOST THE LEAST ATTRACTIVE OPTION WOULD BE THE OPERATING FUND BALANCE.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS PROJECTED TO HAVE AN $85 MILLION FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS ABOUT 20% OF OPERATIONS, UH, AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
THAT IS, UH, UH, FOR, UH, EMERGENCY PURPOSES.
IT IS ALSO FOR CASH FLOWS IN THE FALL TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO MEET, UH, THE CASH FLOW NEEDS OF THE DISTRICT.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD PREFER.
THAT WOULD BE, UH, THE LAST CASE SCENARIO IF, IF AN EMERGENCY WERE TO OCCUR.
UM, WE ALSO DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, AND, AND I DIDN'T LIST IT HERE, BUT, UH, THERE WAS A YEAR WHEN WE HAD, UH, A DELAY IN TAX BILL COLLECTIONS INTO LATE MARCH.
BUT OUR TAX, UM, UH, OUR DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS COME IN ON MARCH 1ST.
SO AT THAT YEAR, WE HAD TO BORROW A TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE TEMPORARILY UNTIL TAX REVENUES CAME IN.
SO THAT IS ANOTHER OPTION IF THERE'S A TEMPORARY, UH, PAUSE IN ANYTHING OR DELAY IN COLLECTIONS OR ANY SORT OF THINGS.
SO, UH, THAT'S COVERS WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY BUILT INTO THE BUDGET AND PROPOSED AS THE ORIGINAL BUDGET SCENARIO.
UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO, UH, WE HEARD SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD, UH, AT OUR LAST MEETING.
AND SO, UH, WE ARE EXPLORING AN ADDITIONAL, WE HAVE EXPLORED ADDITIONAL OPTION FOR INCREASES IN TEACHER SALARIES.
AND SO THIS SCENARIO, INSTEAD OF THE SLIDE YOU SAW BEFORE, THE, THE ALTERNATIVE OF THE FIRST TEACHER SALARY WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO TEACH, UM, TO THE STARTING TEACHER'S SALARY, WHICH WOULD BRING, UH, THE NUMBER TO $65,087.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE LOCALITY SUPPLEMENTS.
SO THE BASE PAY WOULD BE 63 5 87.
SO THIS WOULD BE AN ALTERNATIVE, UM, THAT WOULD PROVIDE, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVEN MORE, UH, RECRUITING AND RETENTION OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AND IT WOULD PLACE US, UH, WE WOULD STILL BE PLACED, UH, WE'RE NUMBER TWO IN THE STATE CURRENTLY, UH, BEHIND CHARLESTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IN TERMS OF STARTING TEACHER SALARY, UH, CHARLESTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL BE MOVING TO 67,000 THIS YEAR.
UM, SO, UH, IT WOULD MOVE US A LITTLE CLOSER, BUT WE STILL, UH, WOULD MAINTAIN OUR, UH, NUMBER TWO SPOT IN TERMS OF STARTING TEACHER SALARY, WHICH I MUST SAY THAT BOTH OF THESE DISTRICTS ARE WELL ABOVE MOST OF THE OTHERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UM, SO IN THIS ENHANCED COMPENSATION PROPOSAL, UH, AGAIN, 1000 TO TEACHER SALARY SCALE TILL DOING 3,500 AS OPPOSED TO 2,500.
UH, THE TOTAL COST OF THIS INITIATIVE WOULD BE $3 MILLION.
UH, IT WOULD REQUIRE A 1.5 MILLION, UH, MIL INCREASE GOING FROM 1 26 0.1 MILS TO 1 27 0.6, AND THE TOTAL BUDGET AMOUNT WOULD BE $398.4 MILLION.
THE CONTINGENCIES WOULD ALL REMAIN, UH, STILL IN AVAILABLE TO THE DISTRICT.
THE LOCALITY WOULD ALSO REMAIN.
[00:55:01]
TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE, AS I JUST MENTIONED, WOULD TAKE, UH, TEACHER SALARIES IN BEAUFORT TO $65,000.AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE, UH, 3,500 WOULD BE IN EVERY CELL OF THE TEACHER SALARY SCHEDULE, AS WOULD THE PRIOR OPTION, UM, GIVING ALL TEACHERS AN INCREASE.
UM, ALL A STEP INCREASE WOULD CONTINUE TO BE PROVIDED IN STEPS FIVE AND UP.
SO ZERO TO FIVE ARE THE SAME, UH, BUT WOULD STILL RECEIVE A 25 OR $3,500 INCREASE DEPENDING ON THE, UH, OPTION.
AND WE'RE MOVING THE MAX STEP IN BOTH VERSIONS FROM 30 TO 31 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, UM, ALLOWING OUR MOST VETERAN TEACHERS TO RECEIVE A STEP INCREASE.
SO THAT, UM, PROVIDES THE INFORMATION OF THE SECOND ALTERNATIVE SCENARIO.
SO JUST A COUPLE MORE SLIDES TO, UM, FINALIZE THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
UM, WE ARE THE BUDGET'S CURRENTLY IN FINAL RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND SENATE, UH, CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
I HAVEN'T CHECKED TODAY OR YESTERDAY.
UM, SO THERE'S STILL SOME FINAL DELIBERATIONS.
UH, WE HAVE RECEIVED A MILLAGE CAP.
UH, I DID WANNA MENTION THE MILLAGE CAP IS THE INCREASE THAT IS AVAILABLE TO THE DISTRICT IS 5.3 MILS.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE A HUNDRED AND, UM, 38 MILS, I BELIEVE IS THE TOP, IS THE MAXIMUM NUMBER THAT WE COULD ACHIEVE.
UH, WE HAVE BANKED, UH, UH, I THINK IT'S 20 MILS, UH, I'LL HAVE TO VERIFY THAT NUMBER.
WE HAVE NO NEW STATE REVENUE PROJECTIONS AT THIS POINT.
UM, WE HAVE AN OVERALL LOSS OF 1 MILLION IN STATE REVENUE.
UM, AND TYPICALLY IT'S, UH, RELATED TO STATE AID CLASSROOMS, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY FUNDING FORMULA FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UH, SO AS A REMINDER, UH, THIS BUDGET PER BOARD POLICY DOES REQUIRE A VOTE OF APPROVAL.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL ASK FOR THAT CERTIFICATION ON OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING.
IN ADDITION TO THE OPERATING BUDGET, IT DOES REQUIRE THAT WE DO, UH, HAVE APPROVAL OF A DEBT SERVICE BUDGET AS WELL.
SO IN YOUR HANDOUTS IS A DETAIL OF THE DEBT SERVICE.
BASICALLY, WE'RE PROVIDING, UH, THERE'S NO MILLAGE INCREASE.
UM, IT DOES PROVIDE FOR EXPENDITURES OF $220.9 MILLION TO FUND THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS ON THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WERE, THE BONDS THAT WE'RE ISSUING FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND WE HAVE A PROJECTED FUND BALANCE.
WE HAVE A LOW POINT, I ALWAYS PUT DECEMBER HERE BECAUSE THE LOW POINT IN THAT FUND BALANCE, WE DON'T WANT LESS THAN, OUR GOAL IS NOT TO HAVE A FUND BALANCE LESS THAN $5 MILLION AT DECEMBER 31ST.
OUR PAYMENTS COME IN MARCH AND SEPTEMBER.
SO THE LOWEST POINT AT IS AFTER THOSE SEPTEMBER PAYMENTS.
AND AGAIN, IT'S ON PAGE 11 OF YOUR HANDOUTS.
UH, AND THERE'S NO MILLAGE INCREASE.
THIS MAINTAINS THE MILLAGE AT 36.3 MILS.
SO WE'LL HAVE A SEPARATE, UH, VOTE, UH, MOTION FOR YOU.
WE'LL HAVE TWO MOTIONS AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING FOR YOUR VOTE.
AND SO, UM, THIS EVENING, WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UM, SOME DIRECTION OF WHICH BUDGET SCENARIO TO TAKE TO COUNTY COUNCIL ON MONDAY.
UH, THE PROPOSED CERTIFICATION DATE IS THE 19TH, BUT WE, UH, GO TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE ON THE, ON MONDAY THE 18TH.
AND I'M CONFIRMING THE TIMES, UH, WITH OUR, UH, WITH THE CLERK TO COUNCIL, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S TWO, IT'S TYPICALLY AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON IS THAT, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND SO THIS IS THE FINAL BUDGET SCHEDULE.
AND AGAIN, CERTIFY THE BUDGET ON THE 19TH IS THE PROPOSED DATE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THREE COUNTY COUNCIL READINGS, FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD READINGS AT MAY 26TH, JUNE 8TH AND JUNE 22ND.
AND SO, AGAIN, UM, WE SEE THE BUDGET, UH, MORE THIS YEAR AS COMPREHENSIVE.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL, YOU'VE SEEN AS, UH, PRIORITIES ARE FUNDED IN THE GENERAL FUNDS, SOME ARE IN SPECIAL REVENUE, AND, UH, SOME OF THE ITEMS IN SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UM, SO SUCH AS, UH, WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEMS, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO, UH, IT'S A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT AS A, AS A WHOLE, WHERE OUR TEAMS ARE WORKING TOGETHER IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH, UH, UH, MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE DISTRICT.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UH, LET ME GO TO THEM PLEASE, AND THEN I'LL COME TO YOU, UH, MS. BOATWRIGHT OR MRS. HAY? YEAH, I HAVE, UM, A COUPLE OF
[01:00:01]
THOUGHTS SLASH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET PROPOSAL.UM, THANK YOU MS. CROSBY, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, WHICH IS ALWAYS EXTREMELY, UH, WELL DONE AND ANSWERS A LOT OF, UH, QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT THE BUDGET.
UM, I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT.
I WENT BACK AND LOOKED BECAUSE IN 2020 WHEN I WAS RUNNING FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND, AND DR. RODRIGUEZ WAS FAIRLY NEW HERE, I BELIEVE, IF I'M CORRECT, IF MY, WHAT I SAW WAS CORRECT, WE WERE AT 38,000, UH, STARTING TEACHER SALARY.
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? 36,000 9 76, I THINK WAS, UH, WHEN DR. RODRIGUEZ BEGAN.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND YOU AND DR. RODRIGUEZ AND THE DISTRICT STAFF AT, WE HAVE OVER 50% BUDGET INCREASE, UH, SINCE HE'S BEEN OUR SUPERINTENDENT.
AND I THINK THAT'S PHENOMENAL.
I ALSO THINK THAT THE BOARD HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF SUPPORTING ALL THE BUDGET INCREASES, AND THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN BEHIND ALL THE BUDGET, UH, ALL THE SALARY INCREASES.
UM, WHEN I SAW THIS BUDGET, UH, BASICALLY WHAT I TOOK AWAY FROM IT WAS A INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF THE MILL AND WHAT, UH, THAT MONEY WOULD GO TO IN, INTO THE CLASSROOM AND INTO TEACHER SALARIES AND SUPPORTING THE EMPLOYEES, WHICH I THINK IS, IS A GOOD THING TO DO.
AND SO I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT I HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS HAPPEN, UH, SINCE OUR WORK SESSION THAT KIND OF HAD ME THINKING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT.
UM, ONE THING IS, YOU KNOW, I HAVE, I WAS TALKING TO A GENTLEMAN WHO DOES CAREER COUNSELING FOR SOME OF OUR STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE, WHO AREN'T GOING ON TO COLLEGE.
AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT ALL THE JOB OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE COMING IN JASPER COUNTY.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT MANY TIMES ON THE BOARD.
AND HE RECOMMENDED, OR HE DIDN'T RECOMMEND, BUT HE MENTIONED ONE IN PARTICULAR.
UM, I THINK IT'S TS UH, CONDUCTORS OR TS MACHINES, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
UH, A BIG PLANT THAT THE STATE WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE TO COME OPEN THEIR MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN JASPER COUNTY.
AND WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION IS IT WAS LISTED AS BEING IN THE SAVANNAH CHATHAM METROPOLITAN AREA.
AND I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE WHEN I KNOW A LOT OF KIDS WHO ARE RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATES WHO ARE IN THEIR TWENTIES, WHO ARE FROM HERE.
AND IF THEY'RE WORKING HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM ARE LIVING IN SAVANNAH.
IT'S NOT A, IT'S A 30 MINUTE COMMUTE FROM LIKE PORT WENTWORTH, 40 MINUTES FROM POOL TO BLUFFTON AND INTO HILTON HEAD.
SO IT'S A PRETTY GOOD PLACE AND IT'S A LOT MORE AFFORDABLE, UH, THAN BEAUFORT COUNTY, BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND IT IS ALSO SORT OF MORE, UH, HOW SHOULD I SAY IT? IT HAS THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN THEIR TWENTIES, LIKE FUNKY BARS, A HOCKEY TEAM, SAVANNAH BANANAS, A MALL,
SO IT'S BEEN, THAT'S KIND OF MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO ME.
AND WHEN I LOOKED AT SAVANNAH, CHATHAM COUNTY'S, UH, TEACHER SALARY, WHICH I THINK IS WHO WE ARE ACTUALLY IN COMPE COMPETITION WITH, I DON'T THINK WE'RE IN COMPETITION WITH CHARLESTON COUNTY 'CAUSE THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT THINGS AND THEY'RE TWO HOURS AWAY AND THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT WHEN YOU DRIVE BETWEEN BUFORT COUNTY AND CHARLESTON COUNTY.
UM, FOR SOMEONE WHO IS, YOU KNOW, THINKING OF RELOCATING TO THE, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA, THEY'RE STARTING SALARIES IN THE LOW TO MID FIFTIES.
SO WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL WITH OUR MAJOR COMPETITIONS.
WE ARE DOING, WE'RE ABOVE AVERAGE IN THE STATE AND WE'RE ABOVE AVERAGE IN THE NATION.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT ADDING ON AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF MONEY, UH, TO OF THESE TWO BUDGETS, UH, FOR SALARY, I GUESS WHAT MY QUESTION IS IS, IS THERE SOME DIMINISHING RETURNS ON CONTINUING TO JUST INCREASE THE SALARY AS OUR ONLY LEVER TO TEACHER RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT? AND, UM, I PULLED UP, AND I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO THE BOARD IN THE PAST, THE TASK FORCE THAT WAS LED BY, UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY'S OWN BARBARA NIELSEN, UM, WHICH WAS AN, A VERY THOROUGH, UH, LOOK AT WHAT MIGHT HELP TEACHER, UH, RETENTION AND TEACHER, UH, RECRUITMENT AND SALARY WAS CERTAINLY TOP OF THE LIST, BUT THERE ARE SOME OTHER THINGS ON THAT LIST THAT I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE CONSIDERED AS MUCH AS WE COULD BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN SO FOCUSED ON SALARY.
ONE OF THEM IS, UM, GROW YOUR OWN PROGRAMS, ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS TO EDUCATION.
AND IN THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH THIS GENTLEMAN WHO DOES CAREER COUNSELING, I KIND OF WAS, I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE GROW YOUR OWN ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS AND TEACHER SALARIES ARE, YOU KNOW, GOTTEN REALLY GOOD AND WE'VE GOT GREAT BENEFITS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND I LOOKED AND I SAW THAT WE CHARGE TEACHERS $2,250, NOT TEACHERS, BUT IF SOMEONE, SAY A SEMI-RETIRED ELECTRICIAN OR A NEW COLLEGE GRAD WITH A DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY OR PSYCHOLOGY WANTED TO TEACH, THEY DON'T HAVE TO.
THEY CAN BASICALLY START WORKING, BUT IT COSTS $2,250.
UM, THE OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED DOING IS CLASSROOM SUPPORT.
AND I KNOW THAT WHEN WE, UH, MOVED SOME OF THE PARAPROFESSIONALS OFF OF THE DISTRICT PAYROLL AND INTO A CONTRACTED SERVICE THAT PEOPLE WERE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT, THAT THEY REALLY VALUED HAVING MASTER TEACHERS IN THE SCHOOLS, UM, FOR SOME OF THE YOUNGER TEACHERS TO KIND OF GIVE THEM ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT AS WELL AS PARAPROFESSIONALS TO AID SO THAT THEY SPEND MORE TIME TEACHING AND LESS TIME ON SOME OF THE OTHER MANAGEMENT ASPECTS OF TEACHING.
[01:05:01]
WAS CLASSROOM SUPPORT.AND THEN THE THIRD AREA THAT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER IF WE'RE GOING TO EVEN CONSIDER RAISING MILLAGE OR, YOU KNOW, AS WE THINK ABOUT HAVING MORE MONEY TO SPEND AND WE'RE FOCUSED ON RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IS TARGETED, UH, SALARY RAISES, UM, EITHER FOR CRITICAL NEEDS OR FOR SOME SORT OF PERFORMANCE BONUS OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
THOSE WERE ALL TOP RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS TASK FORCE.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, CAN WE CONSIDER, IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT TEACHER QUALITY, TEACHER RECRUITMENT, HAPPY TEACHERS, LOTS OF 'EM, CAN WE CONSIDER SOME OF THESE OTHER LEVERS RATHER THAN JUST CONTINUING TO BUMP THE SALARY UP BIT BY BIT? 'CAUSE WE'VE ALREADY MADE SO MUCH PROGRESS IN THAT AREA.
WOULD YOU LI WOULD YOU LIKE TO ANSWER OR I CAN COULD SPEAK BRIEFLY TO THE RECRUITING ISSUE.
SO, UM, I DID, UH, PREPARE SOME INFORMATION AND WELL REQUESTED, UH, THE HUMAN RESOURCES PREPARED FROM SOME INFORMATION ON RECRUITING AND RETENTION SPECIFICALLY.
UM, AND THIS IS NOT MORE OF A PROJECTION OF WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE BASED ON THE EVA.
UM, THIS IS AN ANALYSIS OF THE PAST FIVE YEARS OF THE PROGRESS OF RETENTION THAT WE'VE MADE.
UM, SO IN 21, 22 SCHOOL YEAR, UH, OUR RETENTION RATE OVERALL, UH, FOR ALL DISTRICT TEACHERS WAS 81.1%.
IN 25 26 SCHOOL YEAR, IT IS NOW 88.8%.
SO WE'VE HAD A, UM, AN INCREASE OF 7.7% OVER FIVE YEARS DEMONSTRATING THE INVESTMENTS DIRECTLY IN OUR TEACHERS.
UM, SO THAT LENDS TO THE FACT THAT IT HAS, IT IS WORKING.
UH, OUR, THE INCREASE IN SALARIES IS PROVIDING SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN THAT.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS HISTORICAL.
I, I'M GONNA ASK MS. WALTON TO COME UP.
WE HAVE, SHE'S ALREADY ON OUR WAY.
WE'VE GOT, UH, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE, THE POINTS MADE.
WE DO HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE, UH, PATH TO CERTIFICATION, WHICH ALICE IS, UH, I'M SORRY, MS. WALTON'S GONNA ELABORATE ON.
AND, UM, ADDITIONALLY, ONE THING YOU MENTIONED WAS A, A TARGETED, UM, SALARY RAISES, WHETHER IT WAS PERFORMANCE OR, OR WHAT, WHAT OTHER LIKE, UH, HIGH NEEDS AREA, I THINK WERE THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED CRITICAL NEEDS.
UM, WE DO ADDRESS, UM, SPECIAL EDUCATION, UH, WITHIN OUR, OUR COMPENSATION PIECE, UH, AS A TARGETED APPROACH.
AND WE ALSO, UH, ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, UH, DIPPED OUR FOOT INTO THE TARGETED, UH, SALARY INCREASES WITH, UH, PERFORMANCE BASED THROUGH A STATE GRANT THAT'S SERVING AS A MODEL AT THE MOMENT.
UM, AND WE HAVE ONE SCHOOL THAT, UH, HAS BEEN, UH, WHAT THAT WAS DESIGNATED BY THE STATE, UM, TO BE APPROVED FOR THAT, FOR THAT PROGRAM.
IF YOU RECALL, EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE RECOGNIZED, UH, TWO TEACHERS, UH, WITH, UH, SOME SIGNIFICANT, UH, PERFORMANCE COMPENSATION, UH, FROM, UH, IT WAS WELL BRANCH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND MS. WALTON, WILL YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE? YES.
CURRENTLY BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS ITS OWN, UM, PATHWAY TO CERTIFICATION, AND IT'S CALLED THE LEAP PROGRAM.
THIS PROGRAM STARTED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND WE HAD TWO CANDIDATES THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM 26 CANDIDATES WITH ANOTHER 50 APPLICANTS FOR NEXT YEAR.
THERE ARE 11 OF THOSE CANDIDATES ACTUALLY IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO WE DO A VERY THOROUGH JOB OF HAVING THOSE TEACHERS COACHED AS THEY TEACH WITH RETIRED TEACHERS, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HAVE EMPLOYED SPECIFICALLY AS THOSE LEAD MENTORS.
THIS IS WHERE THEY GET THE PEDAGOGY THAT THEY DON'T HAVE WHEN THEY COME FROM A BUSINESS.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE COSTS COME IN.
THIS MODELS THE PROGRAMS THAT THE STATE OPERATES WITH, THE ONE DIFFERENCE, THEY CAN DO IT ALL HERE.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL TO COLUMBIA.
AND IT'S MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE BECAUSE WHEN THEY GO TO THE COLUMBIA, THEY HAVE TO STAY OVERNIGHT ON WEEKENDS.
THEY GO RIGHT INTO THE CLASSROOM AND ALL THEIR IN-SERVICE IS HELD IN THIS OFFICE.
[01:10:01]
NOW, THOUGH, NEXT YEAR WITH A HUNDRED APPLICANTS, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH MENTORS TO SERVICE THOSE LEAP ALTERNATIVE TEACHERS? IN TERMS OF SUPPORT IN THE CLASSROOM, WE HAVE PROBABLY THE TOP ONE OF THE TOP FIVE INDUCTION AND MENTORING PROGRAMS IN THIS DISTRICT.THE STATE REQUIRES THAT WE OFFER ONE YEAR OF SUPPORT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE MANDATE TWO WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE THIRD YEAR.
IF A PRINCIPAL SEES GROWTH IN THAT TEACHER.
AND THOSE TEACHERS ARE SUPPORTED BY DISTRICT MENTORS THAT'S HOUSED HERE, BUT TRAVEL TO SCHOOLS, THERE ARE SIX FULL RELEASE MENTORS.
THAT'S ALL THEY DO IS SERVICE TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM.
PLUS WE HAVE RETIRED TEACHERS WHO ALSO SERVE AS DISTRICT MENTORS.
ANY QUESTION? CAN I ASK ONE QUICK FOLLOW UP SINCE NO ONE ELSE WAS JUMPING IN.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE PARAPROFESSIONALS? HAVE WE, I KNOW WE'VE MOVED SOME OF THEM BACK INTO THE DISTRICT.
HAS THERE ANY MORE TALK ABOUT THAT? 'CAUSE THAT WAS, UM, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT SUPPORT IN TERMS OF PEDAGOGY, TO ME IT'S ABOUT TERMS OF SUPPORT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING AN EXTRA PAIR OF HANDS IN THE CLASSROOM THAT CAN HELP BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I THINK I READ, AND SOMEONE MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT STATISTIC THAN MINE THAT, UM, 40 SOME PERCENT OF A TEACHER'S DAY IS SPENT ON NON-CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES.
AND THAT, THAT'S A REAL SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER AREA WHERE I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT 88% RETENTION ALREADY, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL.
UM, SO MAYBE WE COULD LOOK AT HAVING, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OTHER 12% MIGHT NEED, BUT I KNOW THAT CLASSROOM SUPPORT IS SOMETHING THAT IS OFTEN MENTIONED TO ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO TEACHERS, HAVING THAT EXTRA SUPPORT IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO, AS OF LAST SUMMER, THE PARAPROFESSIONALS THAT WE CONTRACTED OUT WITH ESS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK INTO THE DISTRICT LAST YEAR.
WE ONBOARDED 150 PARAS FROM ESS.
NOW, WHAT WE DID DO IS GIVE THEM AN OPTION.
THEY COULD CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ESS OR THEY COULD COME BACK UNDER THE DISTRICT'S UMBRELLA AND 150 OF THEM DECIDED TO COME BACK.
SO THEY ARE NOW OUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND WE MAYBE MAYBE HAVE ABOUT 25 OR 30 THAT'S STILL WITH ESS, BUT THAT WAS THEIR CHOICE.
THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? YES, SIR.
COLONEL? YES, I, I WANNA DISAGREE WITH MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUE.
UH, UH, MS. UH, INGRID BOATWRIGHT, UH, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING TO TEACHERS, UH, AT THE SUMMER INSTITUTE.
I HAVE TALKED TO MANY TEACHERS WHO CAME TO US FROM THE EFFINGHAM, UH, AND, UH, CHATHAM COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WHY THEY CAME HERE.
AND I HAVE YET TO HAVE ANYBODY THAT I'VE TALKED TO WHO'S COME FROM THE CHARLESTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT DECIDED TO COME HERE.
WHEN I TALKED TO TEACHERS, UH, THAT'S WHERE THEY GO HERE, MAYBE, MAYBE SOUTH OF THE BROAD.
THEY, THEY GO TO, UH, SOCIALLY GO TO, UH, SAVANNAH, NORTH OF ABROAD.
I HAVE YET TO MEET ONE TEACHER WHO DOESN'T GO CHARLESTON BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT MORE, UH, THEY CALL IT SAFE SOCIAL AREAS THAT SAVANNAH AND THEIR OPINION DOESN'T HAVE.
I ALSO, UM, SEE THAT BY GOING UP IN OUR SALARY TO, WE, WE CAN'T MATCH IT IT YEAR BY YEAR, BUT WE NEED TO STAY UP WITH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE SALARIES THAT, UH, ATTRACT TEACHERS UP TO CHARLESTON.
AND HAVING, UH, PUT, UH, GRANDSON IN NORTH, IN THE NORTH CHARLESTON AREA IN THE DISTRICT THAT HAS BEEN SET UP FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS.
UH, IT'S VERY ATTRACTIVE, UH, COST WISE AND, UH, SOCIAL WISE.
SO, 65 SEEMS TO BE, TO ME, AN APPROPRIATE, UH, SALARY.
AND REMEMBER AGAIN, THE AVERAGE SALARY OF A WORKING PERSON IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS $74,000 A YEAR.
[01:15:01]
SO WE AREN'T EVEN PAYING OUR TEACHERS UP TO THE AVERAGE SALARY IN THIS COUNTY.AND, AND THAT TO ME SHOULD BE OUR FOCUS IS TO AT LEAST BRING OUR TEACHERS UP TO THE AVERAGE SALARY IN THIS, IN THE, UH, UH, COUNTY THAT WE LIVE IN.
AND, AND NOT TRY TO GO DOWN, UH, OR STAY, UH, STATIC.
I, I ALSO WANT TO SAY AGAIN, THAT I SEE SIGNIFICANT RISKS IN REVENUE.
I KNOW THE VALUE OF THE MILL IS EXPECTED TO RISE, AND I BELIEVE IT WILL, I BELIEVE IT WILL 5%.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE, UH, ADS I GET FROM ZILLOW EVERY DAY ONLINE, I SEE PRICE DROPS.
THIS PROPERTY WAS FOR SALE FOR 400, UH, UH, THOUSAND IS NOW DROPPED, 15,000 BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE PROPERTY MARKET HAS SLOWED DOWN.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BRINGS THE, UH, VALUE OF THE MILL UP IS OUR PROPERTY VELOCITY.
THE BUYING AND SELLING OF PROPERTY.
WHEN YOU SELL, YOU, UH, SOLD YOUR HOME THAT YOU PAID, UH, 300,000 AND IT'S A, A ASSESSED AT 350,000, BUT THE PERSON THAT BUYS IT HAS BOUGHT IT FOR 400,000.
SO THE, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT COMES FROM THAT VELOCITY, THAT CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP IS WHAT'S BEEN DRIVING, UH, THE VALUE OF THE MILL.
AND SO I, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE.
BUT IS IT GOING TO OVERCOME THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING SIGNIFICANT, UH, REDUCTION IN REVENUES FROM THIS, THESE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND SO ON? UH, THAT, THAT ONE WAS $700,000.
THERE'S FIVE MORE NORTH OF THE NORTH OF THE BROAD THAT ARE LOOKING AT OR HAVE SUBMITTED A, UH, APPLICATION TO GET THE SAME KIND OF A DEAL.
SO WHEN I CAME ON THIS BOARD IN 2019, UH, WE HAD A NINE MIL REDUCTION BECAUSE OF A ASSESSMENT DONE BY THE COUNTY AUDITOR FOR DURING A REASSESSMENT YEAR.
AND THAT WAS THE YEAR WE LOST $9 MILLION.
AND THAT WAS THE YEAR WE HAD TO GO.
AND WE HAD A RESTRICTION ON TRAVEL.
WE HAD A RESTRICTION ON HIRING TO COPE WITH THAT.
AND IT BROUGHT DOWN OUR FUND BALANCE SIGNIFICANTLY AS WE WERE ABOUT TO, UH, BORROW MONEY FOR A REFERENDUM THAT PASSED THAT FALL.
I WON'T BE HERE THE NEXT REASSESSMENT YEAR, AND I DON'T, I WON'T BE HERE THE NEXT YEAR WHEN REVENUES COME IN AND THE BUDGET THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING RIGHT NOW.
BUT I FEAR THAT WE ARE UNDERESTIMATING THE REVENUE THAT WE CAN EXPECT TO GET.
I WOULD RATHER OVERESTIMATE AND BE ABLE TO ADJUST AT THE NEXT REASSESSMENT YEAR, WHICH WILL COME UP IN ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO AND ADJUST THAT WAY.
I WILL NOT SUPPORT, I WILL NOT VOTE TO SUPPORT A BUDGET THAT DOESN'T GIVE TEACHERS A, UH, STARTING SALARY OF 65,000, UH, DOLLARS A YEAR.
IF IT'S LESS THAN THAT, I, I SIMPLY WILL NOT VOTE, UH, TO SUPPORT THAT AS ONE BOARD MEMBER.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? MR. SMITH? SO, UM, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF, OH, ACTUALLY ALSO IN, IN, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER ABOUT THE FINANCIAL, UM, GOING, GOING OVER THIS, IT, IT PIQUED MY, MY MEMORY.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE, THE, UM, THE SPECIAL PERMIT THAT THEY GET IN, IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT MR. CROLEY WAS TALKING ABOUT IN EARLY, EARLIER ABOUT THE, UM, WHAT WAS THE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
UM, THE, THE PRESERVES IN TERMS IN, IN TERMS IN TERMS OF THOSE SPECIAL, UH, THOSE SPECIAL PERMISSIONS, THEY GET TO NOT PAY TAXES.
AND WHEN WE WERE IN THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, I SAID THAT THE BOARD SHOULD NEED TO KNOW THOSE THO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
BECAUSE IN TERMS OF US GOING OUT AND, UH, TALKING TO LEGISLATORS IN, IN TERMS OF COLUMBIA AND DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT PEOPLE, WE NEED TO BE HAVING THOSE ACTIVE CONVERSATIONS, UH, ALONG WITH COUNTY COUNCIL, SO THAT WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME, ON THE SAME ACCORDING TO HIGH, HIGH, HIGH HURTS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HIGH HER AREA.
[01:20:01]
AND I HURT ARIA.AND SO THAT, THAT WAS ONE, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I BOUGHT A PROPOSAL THAT THAT WOULD NOT PASS THE BOARD, THAT WOULD NOT GO PAST THE BOARD AGAIN, AND THAT WE NOT KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND WE FIND OUT IN TERMS OF FORM THAT HE, THAT, UH, MR. GUYER FOUND OUT ABOUT IT.
OR, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF MRS. CROSBY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, MENTIONING IN, IN, IN THE MEETING, YOU KNOW, CASUALLY, BECAUSE THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE BIG.
THOSE ARE VERY BIG, UH, BIG, UH, THOSE, THOSE ARE ISSUES WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUDGETING.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHO'S BEING TAXED, WHO'S, WHO'S GETTING A, A, UH, TAX BREAK.
'CAUSE EVERYONE IS USING THE, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, THAT'S JUST A REAL GOOD SPINOFF FOR IT.
EVERYBODY'S USING THAT AND THEY GETTING BREAKS.
SO WE HAVE TO BE, UH, MINDFUL OF THAT.
SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING, THAT'S WHY I, I'LL REVISIT THAT, BUT I JUST WANNA PUT THAT BACK OUT THERE.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WAS TALKING ABOUT, MAKING A MOTION ABOUT LET NOT INFORMING THE BOARD WHEN THOSE THINGS DO OCCUR, BECAUSE THE BOARD, AS LEGISLATORS, WE SHOULD BE, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF THE, OF THIS BUDGET, I DO KIND OF, UH, I DO, UH, AGREE WITH MRS. BOATRIGHT.
I'M GLAD THAT, THAT SOME OF HER CONSTITUENTS HAVE BEEN TELLING HER NOW, BECAUSE HOW DO UNDERSTAND THAT PAYING TEACHERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, BUT TEACHERS CAN'T DO IT BY THEMSELVES.
THE SAME WAY THE SUPERINTENDENT, HE CAN'T DO IT BY HIMSELF.
HE HAS SENIOR STAFF THAT THAT HELPS TO HELP HIM MANAGE THE, UH, ADMIN, THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, IN THE, IN THE BUILDINGS.
HE HAS SOMEONE WHO, WHO, WHO MANAGED EXACTLY OLD FACILITIES.
SO BY, BY SAYING THAT, WE HAVE BUS DRIVERS AND WE HAVE, UH, TEACHERS, UH, SUPPORT STAFF AS MRS. BULLRIGHT OUTLINED.
AND WE, WHEN WHEN YOU RAISE TIDE TIED, DON'T RAISE ON ONE SIDE TO TY RAISE TYRA, TY RAISES AS, AS, AS A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, ONE SIDE OF THE RIVER.
JUST DON'T RAISE THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE, THE HOLE TIE COMES IN AND TIDE GOES OUT.
SO WW WE, WE, WE WE'RE SAYING THAT I, I JUST, IT, IT, IT IS HARD AND IT'S GUT WRENCHING WHEN I'M OUT AND ABOUT AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONEY AT WALMART THAN BEING HERE, BEING, THAN BEING A PART OF THE SUPPORT STAFF.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TEACHERS WHO ARE SAYING THAT, LISTEN, WE ACTUALLY DO NEED SUPPORT STAFF.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT, AS MR. BORA SAID, WE HAVE DEFINITELY, UH, RAISED THE TEACHER, STAFF TEACHER, SORRY, UP.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN YOU PLAY, JUST TO BE, UH, THE, A DEVIL'S ADVOCATE.
AND, AND, AND, AND IN TERMS OF THERE ARE, THERE ARE A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS.
I WOULD, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT, THAT I, I WOULD ACTUALLY KNOW MY COLLEAGUES AND JUST US IN, IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW, UM, ARE WE GETTING THE BEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK? BECAUSE ALSO RIGHT NOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE, THE, THE ECONOMY IS NOT WHERE IT USED TO BE.
SO THERE WAS ONE POINT WHERE TEACHERS COULD GO OUT AND DO OTHER THINGS.
BUT RIGHT NOW, TEACHERS ARE COMING BACK TO US.
IT IS NOT, I DON'T THINK RECRUITING IS, IS GETTING, I I, IS THAT SCARCE HIGH, ESPECIALLY WITH WHAT BEAUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS PAYING IN TERMS OF, OF SALARY AND WITH THE MARKET, THE MARKET GETTING SCARCE AND JOBS GETTING SCARCE, AND AI IS TAKING OVER EVERYTHING.
TEACHERS, IF YOU LOOK, IF YOU LOOK, TEACHERS ARE RUNNING BACK TO THE CLASSROOM, BECAUSE GUESS WHAT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A SAFE JOB.
I TALKED TO SEVERAL TEACHERS, EVEN RETIRED TEACHERS, PEOPLE WHO'S WHO'VE DONE, UH, REAL ESTATE, UH, IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
TEACHERS, THEY'RE SAYING, LISTEN, THE CLASSROOM IS SAFE, AND WHAT BE COUNTY IS PAYING
HECK, WE HAD A BOARD MEMBER WHO, WHO LEFT, WHO LEFT THE BOARD, HEY, WHEN CAME, CAME BACK TO THE DISTRICT.
SO, SO I, SO I THINK THAT WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, A MARVELOUS JOB IN, IN, IN, IN TEACHER RETENTION.
AND I AM DEFINITELY FOR SUPPORTING TEACHERS GETTING, UH, GETTING A, A, A, A, UH, THE SIX, WHAT IS IT, 60, 65, A 80, BUT AT, BUT AT, BUT, BUT AT THE SAME, BUT, BUT IN THE SAME BREATH, WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, THAT WE'RE, WE WE'RE SUPPORTING THE SUPPORT WHO ALSO, WHO ARE ALSO TAXPAYERS IN THIS COUNTY.
AND, AND SAYING THAT WE ALSO, WE ALSO VALUE THEM AS WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T WATCH THE BABY OUT WITH THE BA THE BATH WAR.
SO, SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY WHERE WE, WHERE WE CAN, WHERE, WHERE WE CAN BRING BOTH OF THEM IN AND, AND, AND WE CAN, AND, AND, AND THAT, THAT 3%, YOU KNOW, THEY ALWAYS TELL ME THAT 3%, WE DON'T REALLY SEE THAT 3%.
YOU KNOW, Y'ALL GET, AND THEY HOOP AND HOLLER ABOUT IT.
BUT WHEN YOU REALLY LOOK AT OUR PAY AS OUR PAY, OUR PAYCHECKS, AS IN, IN TERMS OF AFTER YOU LOOK AT ALL, ALL OUR BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING THAT COME OUT OF IT, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT Y'ALL GIVE, Y'ALL GIVE US A PAY RAISE, WE DON'T REALLY SEE IT.
TEACHERS SAID THAT THEY SEE THIS.
SO, SO, SO WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO UPLIFT EVERY, EVERY, EVERY, EVERY, EVERYONE.
AND THEN THEY ALSO TALKED ABOUT A STEP INCREASE AT THE, WHEN, WHEN WE, WHEN WE COME COLUMBIA FOR, UH, FOR RETIRE, FOR, UM, OLDER TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT ABOUT INCREASING THE STEPS.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS SOMETHING GENERALLY GOOD TOO.
SO, SO, SO IN IN ESSENCE, I, I, I, I, I, I HEAR MR. GUY'S ARGUMENT AND I HEAR MR. BOATWRIGHT, BUT I THINK THAT, THAT WE MAY NEED TO DO TO, TO DO BOTH OF THEM AND FIGURE OUT HOW, HOW, HOW WE DO IT.
AND THEN ALSO WITH, WITH THE TEACHERS, THERE, THERE ARE ALSO A QUESTION THAT I, THAT I ASKED TOO,
[01:25:02]
ARE MY, MY QUESTION IS, ARE WE, ARE WE GETTING, ARE WE GETTING THE BEST BANK, BANK, UH, BANK, FIVE BUCKS, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF SCHOOL, BECAUSE I, I'M IN THE RESULTS SECTION NOW.WE'VE GIVEN, WE'VE GIVEN TEACHERS SOME GREAT INCREASES, BUT AS THAT, AS ALL OUR SCHOOLS AND ALL OUR, OF OUR, AS OUR STUDENTS IN TERMS OF LEARNING, IS IT REFLECTING THAT? BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING, IT'S ONE THING TO PAY PEOPLE, BUT I, I, I WANT, I NEED TO SEE THE RESULTS WE HAVE.
WE HAVE SOME SCHOOLS THAT HAS BEEN NOT WHERE WE, WHERE WE NEED THEM AT FOR NOW, FOR, FOR OVER A YEAR.
SO WE JUST, SO WE JUST KEEP TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT, ABOUT THE PAY, BUT WE, WE NEED TO BE BEING VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT WHERE WE'RE PUTTING MONEY AT SO THAT WE CAN SEE RESULTS.
SO, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PAYING, WITH PAYING TEACHERS, BUT I ALSO NEED, I ALSO NEED TO SEE SOME, SEE SOME RESULTS.
AND, AND I'M NOT, AND I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA SAY I'M OLD HUNKER DORY TO SAY THAT I'VE BEEN SEEING THE, BEEN SEEING, SEEING THE RESULTS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUOUSLY, UH, UP, UP, UP, UP IN THE SALARY.
AND, AND, AND, AND ONCE AGAIN, MAKE IT CLEAR BY, BY, BY, BY NO SHY BY IMAGINATION, I'M SAYING THAT, OH, DON'T GO GIVE TEACHERS A RAISE.
BUT ALSO WE NEED TO BE, MAKE SURE WE'RE MONITORING BOTH IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE GETTING IN AND BEING TEACHERS ABOUT HOW WE'RE SPENDING MONEY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPREADING DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT THINGS, UH, IN TERMS OF SPORT.
I BOUGHT THAT OUT TOO IN TERMS OF, UH, WE TALK S SUPPORT STAFF.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS IN SPORTS, THOSE SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS THAT ARE, THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL AT SPORTS, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE, THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL.
SO WE HAVE TO SPEND MONEY AND KNOW IN DIFFERENT AREAS AND BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW WE'RE SPENDING THAT MONEY SO THAT WE CAN GET RESULTS.
WHEN YOU HAVE GREAT COACHES THAT HAVE GOOD LEADERSHIP AND THAT ARE, THAT ARE INSPIRING KIDS, THEN KIDS ARE GONNA TAKE ACADEMIC, ACADEMIC SERIOUS.
SO IT, SO IT'S, SO IT'S A, IT'S A FULL WORKAROUND IN TERMS OF RESULTS THAT I'M, THAT I'M ALSO LOOKING FOR.
AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE WHAT I JUST SAID IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, OF RESULTS.
I MEAN, THE RESULTS SECTION, I, I, I REALLY AM, I DON'T MIND GIVING THE MONEY, BUT I WANNA SEE THE RESULTS.
I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR, OUR KIDS ARE ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND COMPETE NATIONALLY AND GLOBE AND GLOBALLY POINT BLANK PERIOD.
SO THAT'S JUST WHAT, WHAT SOME OF MY, UM, MY, MY SPOTS ARE RIGHT NOW, AND I'LL LEAVE IT THERE.
UM, UH, YEAH, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OKAY.
UH, I KNOW WE HAVE FAMILIES AND SOME STUDENTS, UH, WAITING FOR A PERFORMANCE, SO I'LL TRY TO KEEP MY COMMENTS SHORT.
UH, I, UH, I WROTE DOWN ALL MY COMMENTS BEFORE WE, UH, WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS, UH, WHILE MRS. UH, UH, CROSBY WAS GIVING HER, UH, BUT MRS. BOATWRIGHT STOLE SOME OF MY THUNDER, SO I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT, BUT I DO AGREE WITH, WITH WHAT A LOT, WHAT, WHAT, UH, MRS. BOATWRIGHT SAID AS FAR AS DIMINISHING RETURNS, UH, WITH A THROW MONEY AT IT STRATEGY.
UH, AND I ALSO AGREE WITH, UM, COMPETING, UH, ALL OF OUR GROWTH IS SOUTH OF THE BROAD, UH, AND TO, TO, I I, I THINK, I THINK THAT THE AVERAGE SALARY IS SLIGHTLY SKEWED WITH THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY AND THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, UH, ESPECIALLY THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY.
SO HAVING A, AN AVERAGE SALARY IN THE COUNTY IS 74,000.
BUT THE AVERAGE HOUSE, THE AVERAGE HOUSE IN, IN OUR, IN OUR COUNTY, IF I'M NOT, NOT, NOT WRONG, IS JUST OVER A, A HAIR OVER $500,000.
SO, UH, WHICH WE KNOW THAT THE, THERE, THERE, THERE ARE DISPARATE, UH, SECTIONS OF THE COUNTY THAT, THAT DOES NOT REFLECT THAT.
UM, SO, SO THERE, THERE, THERE, THE, THE STATISTICS, UH, ARE ARE OUT THERE TO, TO BOTH SUPPORT AND, AND, AND, UH, SHOOT DOWN A, A MILLAGE INCREASE.
UH, BUT I'M NOT FOR A MILLAGE INCREASE.
UM, AT BEST IT'S A REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH.
'CAUSE IF WE RAISE THE MILL, UM, WE ARE ADDING TAX ONTO OUR 6%, RIGHT? UH, OUR BUSINESS OWNERS AND OUR SECOND PROPERTY OWNERS, SECOND PROPERTY OWNERS AREN'T JUST THE APARTMENTS.
THEY ARE LANDLORDS THAT HAVE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES THAT RENT THEM OUT.
UH, AND IT'S NOT JUST VACATION HOMES.
SO WE ARE NOW RAISING RENT, UH, TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE RENTING THOSE PLACES.
UM, AND, UH, I WAS TOLD THAT ANYWHERE BETWEEN TWO TO THREE BEDROOMS, UH, RENTING SINGLE FAMILY HOME IS AROUND $3,300 A MONTH.
SO IF, IF WE, IF WE INCREASE MILLAGE, UM, FOR THAT, THEN WE'RE INCREASING RATE, WE'RE ALSO INCREASING, UM, UH, UH, UH, UH, A TAX ON BUSINESSES.
CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, BUSINESSES DON'T PAY TAXES.
THEY PAY, THEY, THEY PASS THE COST OF THE TAX ONTO THE CONSUMER.
SO AT BEST, WE'RE REDISTRIBUTING THE, THE WEALTH.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE REDISTRIBUTING IT BECAUSE, UH, AS MRS. BOATWRIGHT, UH, MENTIONED, A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE, GET PAID THAT ARE NOT LIVING HERE BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO LIVE SOUTH OF THE BROAD.
SO THEY'RE NOT SPENDING THE MONEY THAT THEY'RE MAKING IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT THEY'RE EARNING IT, THEY'RE TAKING IT TO JASPER COUNTY, THEY'RE TAKING IT TO POOLER AND PORT WENTWORTH AND SAVANNAH, UH, OR THEY'RE MAYBE TAKING IT TO CHARLESTON TO GO HAVE FUN WITH IT.
IT'S A DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH.
AT WORST, WE'RE, WE'RE ARTIFICIALLY INFLATING OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.
[01:30:01]
BELIEVE, UM, THAT, UH, A 1.5 MIL INCREASE IS BENEFICIAL.RIGHT NOW, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN WHERE WE HAVE TO CUSHION OURSELVES, I DON'T THINK THE TAXPAYERS ARE GONNA APPRECIATE A 1.5 MIL INCREASE WHEN EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE FEELING THE PAIN OF AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
UM, SO I'M NOT SURE THAT I, I AGREE WITH A, UH, WITH A 1.5 MIL INCREASE.
UM, ALSO JUST TO, JUST TO CLARIFY, OUR TEACHERS ARE GETTING THE COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE AND THEY'RE GETTING, UH, INCREASE, AND THEY'RE ALSO GETTING THE, THE STATE MANDATED INCREASE, CORRECT? UM, THE, THERE IT WOULD BE THE, UH, THE ORIGINAL OPTION WAS 2,500 PLUS A STEP INCREASE FOR THOSE THAT ARE STEPS FIVE AND ABOVE AND A MAX STEP INCREASE FROM 30 TO 31 YEARS FOR THE MOST VETERAN TEACHERS.
SO OUR TEACHERS ARE NOT GONNA GO WITHOUT, UH, AN INCREASE THIS YEAR IF, IF THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO WE'RE JUST NOT GIVING THEM A THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE.
UH, AND I, AGAIN, I, I THINK THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER OPTIONS, UM, BEYOND THE THROW MONEY ADDED STRATEGY THAT COULD, UH, THAT COULD BE MORE LEVERAGE.
UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ IS VERY MUCH ABOUT, UH, THE CULTURE WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS, AND DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT MRS. BOATWRIGHT, UH, STOLE SOME OF MY THUNDER ON, UH, AS FAR AS PARAPROFESSIONALS AND THE ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS.
THESE ARE ALL LEVERS TO PULL TO, TO, TO CHANGE THE CULTURE THAT, THAT ATTRACT, UH, TEACHERS AND MAKE THEM WANT TO STAY INSTEAD OF JUST GIVING THEM A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
BECAUSE MONEY, MONEY MIGHT GET THEM HERE, BUT MONEY'S NOT GONNA KEEP THEM HERE.
IF THE CULTURE'S NOT GOOD, THEY'RE GONNA LEAVE.
SO I, I THINK WE HAVE SOME OPTIONS OTHER THAN INCREASING MILLAGE RIGHT NOW.
AND DON'T FORGET, UM, WE MIGHT NEED ANOTHER REFERENDUM.
UH, AND I DON'T WANT THIS TO APPEAR AS THOUGH WE ARE STARTING TO PILE ON TAXES WHEN WE, WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING ANOTHER REFERENDUM IN A YEAR OR TWO.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT SPOKEN WOULD LIKE TO WEIGH IN? I'LL MAKE IT VERY BRIEF.
I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF A MILLAGE INCREASE, AND MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SHARED A LOT OF OTHER INFORMATION THAT I THINK IS VERY, UH, GOOD FOR US TO WORK THROUGH.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS AND ALL OF OUR STAFF AS BEST WE CAN.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT REVENUES.
I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD BE, AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT THERE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MS. HAY OR PASTOR GORDON? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S HAS.
CAN I SPEAK FOR A MOMENT? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF A MILLAGE INCREASE AT THIS TIME, EITHER, TO JUST HIGH OVERVIEW UPFRONT.
UM, AND I DO SUPPORT MANY OF THE COMMENTS OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE ALL SPOKEN BEFORE ME.
AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE DISTRICT ON THE ATTRITION RATE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A GREAT IMPROVEMENT FOR THIS PAST YEAR.
UM, AND THAT'S HUGE FOR OUR DISTRICT, FOR OUR TEACHERS.
CONTINUITY WITHIN EACH SCHOOL IS VERY IMPORTANT WITH THE CULTURE FOR THE STAFF.
HOWEVER, ONE OF THE OTHER CONCERNS, WHICH THIS ISN'T TIED DIRECTLY TO FINANCE, BUT IT DOES IMPACT IT, IS AGAIN, THE DISCIPLINARY ISSUES WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS, WHICH TIES INTO WHAT MS. BOATWRIGHT WAS SAYING ABOUT HAVING MORE SUPPORT STAFF STYLE IN THE CLASSROOM, OR ASSISTANCE TO HELP HEAD TEACHERS.
I DO THINK, AND YOU KNOW, WE CAN LOOK INTO THIS FURTHER, BUT I DO THINK IF THERE WERE TWO ADULTS IN THE ROOM, IN SOME INSTANCES, THERE WAS SOME DIFFICULT CLASSES OR GROUPINGS OF CLASSES THAT, UM, PERHAPS HAVING TWO TEACHERS INSTEAD OF ONE, COULD ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE DISCIPLINARY ISSUES.
AND I KNOW FROM TALKING WITH TEACHERS WHO ARE MY FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, ET CETERA, REALLY, AGAIN, THE PAY IS GREAT, THE BENEFITS ARE GREAT, BUT AGAIN, YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO LOVE TEACHING, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY START QUESTIONING STAYING BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T FEEL SUPPORTED BY STAFF OR ADMINISTRATORS, ET CETERA, IT'S JUST THE NEVER ENDING ONSLAUGHT OF CERTAIN BEHAVIORAL ISSUES OR KIDS NOT PAYING ATTENTION, BEING PREOCCUPIED WITH, YOU KNOW, OTHER BEHAVIORS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO, UM, JUST TO CIRCLE BACK ON THAT AGAIN, I JUST, SIMILAR TO WHAT MR. NAY WAS SAYING, WE CAN ONLY THROW MONEY AT
[01:35:01]
A PROBLEM FOR SO LONG BEFORE WE HAVE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES, WHICH I KNOW WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW, UH, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.BUT THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY ON THIS TOPIC AT THIS TIME, AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE CHANCE TO SPEAK.
IF, IF EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK, THEN I'D LIKE TO WEIGH IN.
WHEN I READ YOUR REPORT, I ASKED MYSELF, WHAT PROBLEM ARE YOU TRYING TO SOLVE? I SAW NOTHING ON RETENTION.
I SAW NOTHING ON THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE YEAR AFTER YEAR.
WE'RE TRACKING FINANCES, WE'RE TRACKING THE DOLLARS, BUT WE'RE NOT TRACKING HOW EFFECTIVE THAT'S BEEN.
SO WHEN I DID MY MATH, I CAME UP WITH, EVERY YEAR WE WERE RAISING A RATES ABOUT 11.1%.
I CAME UP WITH 75 AND DIVIDED BY SEVEN YEARS.
SO I THINK WHAT THE ISSUE IS, I THINK IT IS CULTURE.
I DON'T CAN'T REMEMBER WHO SAID THAT.
I THINK ALL OF US SAID IT IN SOME FORM OF FASHION.
GETTING PEOPLE IS EASIER THAN KEEPING THAT.
AND IT HAS TO BE A CULTURE THAT PEOPLE FEEL NURTURES THEM AND THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN IMPROVE THEIR OWN SKILL SETS DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THE DISTRICT DOES A GOOD JOB OF THAT.
BUT I'M THINKING WE SHOULD BE A LOT MORE NUMERICAL IN HOW WE ARE SAYING THIS IS THE PROBLEM.
BECAUSE ONCE YOU LAY THAT CONSTRUCT UP THERE, NOW I'M THINKING, AND I THINK EVERYONE ELSE IS, HOW WE GONNA HELP YOU SOLVE IT? AND YOU HEARD MS. BOAT, RIGHT? YOU HEARD EVERYBODY GIVE OPINIONS ON IT, AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD WORK SESSION TOPIC, DR. RODRIGUEZ AND THE TEAM FOR US TO SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS IT AND SAY, HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE STRATEGICALLY LEAPFROGGING ALL THE COMPETITION? YOU CAN'T KEEP JUST RAISING THE MONEY.
YOU RUN OUT OF A RUNWAY EVENTUALLY.
I AGREE WITH, UH, COLONEL GEIER.
YES, CHARLESTON IS A BIG MAGNETIC PULL.
HOWEVER, THAT'S A LONG WAY TO DRIVE AND IT HAS ITS OWN IMPEDIMENTS.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THERE'S A MAJORITY THAT DOES NOT SUPPORT THE ADDITIONAL, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ENCOURAGE YOU AND WE CAN TAKE A
SO I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UM, WE'VE TRIED TO BE AS CLEAR.
I APPRECIATE HOW YOU HANDLED THIS STUFF.
YOU, LISTEN, LET ME FINISH YOU, LISTEN, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD A BOARD MEMBER OR TWO WHO CAME UP WITH AN IDEA.
YOU HEARD IT, YOU BROUGHT IT BEFORE THE FULL BOARD.
NOW YOU'RE GETTING, I THINK THE VOLUMINOUS FEEDBACK ON WHERE MOST OF US LIE.
I WOULD NOT NOT SUPPORT THE ADDITIONAL INCREASE BECAUSE YOU WERE, EXCUSE ME, ME TO SAY SOMETHING.
NO, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, TO BE CLEAR, WE, WE BROUGHT, WE BROUGHT FORTH A BUDGET LAST TIME FOR REVIEW.
IT WAS AT THE REQUEST TO COME BACK WITH SOME ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION POINTS.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE ATTEMPTED TO DO.
SO THAT I WOULD SAY MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
YOU GAVE A LOT OF CLARITY AND KUDOS TO YOUR TEAM FOR THAT.
DO YOU NEED ANY MORE FROM US? NO, SIR.
I THINK WE HAVE THE DIRECTION WE NEED.
HE ALWAYS IS LIKE MY, UH, STAGE HANDS MANAGER CALLING MIKE'S NOT ON,
[Student Performance]
UH, STUDENT PERFORMANCE.THIS EVENING, UM, FOR STUDENT PERFORMANCE, WE HAVE THE BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL THEATER COMPANY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MS. CHRISTINE BARR WILL BE PERFORMING A SELECTION FROM THE PRODUCTION OF ANNIE JUNIOR.
UH, BOARD MEMBERS, UH, SENIOR STAFF SUPERINTENDENT, IF YOU WOULD, UH, LIKE TO VIEW THE PERFORMANCE, IF YOU WOULD JOIN, UH, THE REST OF THE PUBLIC THAT HAS COME TO, UH, BE AT THIS BOARD MEETING, BE MUCH APPRECIATED.
[Points of Celebration]
[01:46:28]
OKAY.[01:46:29]
UM, BOARD MEMBERS, AS WE CONTINUE, UH, ON THE AGENDA, WE'RE MOVING ON TO POINTS OF CELEBRATION AND A STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS WHERE WE WILL BEGIN.SO THE CHARACTER ED FOR FEBRUARY, MARCH, AND APRIL.
TONIGHT, WE'RE CELEBRATING THREE OF OUR STUDENTS OF THE MONTH, BEGINNING WITH FEBRUARY FOR NORTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
FEBRUARY'S CHARACTER TRAITS WERE HONESTY AND INTEGRITY.
HONESTY IS DEFINED AS TELLING THE TRUTH AND ADMITTING WRONGDOING.
INTEGRITY IS DEFINED AS A FIRM ADHERENCE TO A CODE OF ESPECIALLY MORAL OR ARTISTIC VALUES FOR NORTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
THE FEBRUARY STUDENT OF THE MONTH IS DASHA BUTLER, A SECOND GRADE STUDENT AT ST.
HELENA ISLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE, UH, DASHA IS PRINCIPAL CONSTANCE GOODWIN.
AS, UH, MS. GOODWIN LEWIS WORKS HER WAY UP HERE.
I WANT TO ASK, UH, OUR STUDENT TO COME FORTH, AND I MISPRONOUNCED HER NAME A BIT, BUT IT'S DHA BUTLER.
IS THAT RIGHT? ALRIGHT, CONGRATULATIONS.
GLAD TO BE HERE, AND CERTAINLY VERY PROUD OF DIA FOR HER, THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT.
HER TEACHER WROTE A LOT, SO I SEE WHY SHE WON, EVEN THOUGH I SEE THESE CHARACTERISTICS EVERY DAY.
SHE IS OUR STUDENT OF THE MONTH, AND WE ARE INCREDIBLY PROUD TO RECOGNIZE HER OUTSTANDING CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP.
DIA CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATES HONESTY AND INTEGRITY IN EVERYTHING SHE DOES.
SHE TAKES ACCOUNTABILITY FOR HER ACTIONS, ADMITS WHEN SHE MAKES MISTAKES, AND ALWAYS STRIVES TO DO THE RIGHT THING EVEN WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING.
THE DEFINITION OF INTEGRITY, DASIA IS A ROLE MODEL FOR HER PEERS.
SHE SPEAKS TRUTHFULLY IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS, COMPLETES HER WORK WITH INTEGRITY AND TREATS BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WITH RESPECT.
SHE IS OFTEN THE FIRST TO APOLOGIZE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND SMOOTH OVER MISUNDERSTANDINGS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.
SHE ENJOYS SPENDING TIME WITH HER FAMILY.
SHE LIVES WITH HER MOM, TWO SISTERS AND BROTHER.
UM, SHE LOVES THAT HER FAMILY IS KIND, RESPECTFUL, AND SUPPORTIVE OF ONE ANOTHER.
SOME OF HER FAVORITE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE SWIMMING, SHOPPING LIKE HER PRINCIPAL, UM, ATTENDING CHURCH LIKE A PRINCIPAL ALSO, AND MOVIE NIGHTS WITH HER FAMILY.
AND SHE TRULY ENJOYS LEARNING.
SHE'S HELPFUL, RESPECTFUL, AND HAS WONDERFUL MANNERS.
SHE CREDITS HER GOOD MANNERS TO HER MOTHER'S TEACHING.
SHE DREAMS OF ONE DAY OWNING HER OWN HAIR SALON AND ENJOYS PRACTICING HAIRSTYLING ON FAMILY MEMBERS THAT SAYS SHE'S A GOOD STYLIST AND HER HAIR'S ALWAYS PERFECT.
[01:50:01]
UM,THAT STATEMENT PERFECTLY REFLECTS WHY SHE DESERVES THIS RECOGNITION.
WE ARE PROUD OF THE YOUNG LEADER SHE'S BECOMING, AND WE ARE HONORED TO CELEBRATE HER AS OUR STUDENT OF THE MONTH.
DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY? THANK YOU.
AND WHAT ARE WE? PANTHER PRIDE.
T WHY PANTHER PRIDE AU WHY PANTHER PRIDE? T WHY ALL PAUSE ON DASH MARCH.
CHARACTER TRAIT WAS SELF-CONTROL, DEFINED AS THE ABILITY TO HAVE CONTROL OVER YOUR FEELINGS OR ACTIONS.
MARCH STUDENT OF THE MONTH IS JAQUEZ MANGO AND EIGHTH GRADE STUDENT AT ROBERT SMALLS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
HERE TO INTRODUCE JAQUEZ IS PRINCIPAL BRADLEY TERRANCE.
AND LET ME START BY SAYING I'M NOT MR. TERRANCE AND I AM DR. AUSTIN.
I'M A REPRESENTATIVE OF ROBERT SMALLS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY, UM, LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
I'M SO PROUD TO BE HERE TO THE BOARD AND TO DR. RODRIGUEZ.
I JUST KIND OF THE PRIVILEGE TO STAND HERE TODAY.
I JUST WANT TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO RECOGNIZE THIS STUDENT WHO IS CONSISTENTLY SHOWING THE QUALITY THAT MANY OF US STRUGGLE WITH, AND THAT QUALITY IS SELF CONTROL.
WHILE SELF-CONTROL IS SOMETHING EVERY PERSON NEEDS TO HAVE.
JAQUEZ MANDIGO EXHIBITS THIS TRAIT DAILY IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT WHERE EVERYTHING IS PRETTY MUCH CHAOTIC AT TIMES, WHERE OPINIONS MAY, MAY CLASH, AND WHERE THINGS MAY BE IN DISARRAY.
THIS YOUNG MAN CONTINUES TO WALK IN A STILLNESS AND HE EXHIBITS SELF-CONTROL, AND HE ALWAYS MANAGES TO STAY COOL AS A CUCUMBER.
UM, JAQUEZ IS A QUIET PERSON AND HE'S VERY MODEST NOW.
HE'S BLINGING TONIGHT AND HE'S, HE'S SHOWING SOME SHARPNESS.
BUT USUALLY QUEZ IS THE, THE QUIET SPIRIT THAT ALWAYS TENDS TO RISE TO THE OCCASION.
OFTENTIMES PEOPLE THINK THAT BEING LOUD AND BOISTEROUS PRODUCES STRENGTH, BUT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU CAN BE QUIET AND BE JUST AS STRONG.
QUEZ IS THE KIND OF PERSON THAT UNDERSTANDS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMBLE.
AND OFTENTIMES HE DOESN'T TAKE SMALL TASKS AS BEING JUST, JUST SMALL THINGS.
BUT HE USES IT TO ELEVATE NOT ONLY HIMSELF, BUT HE ALWAYS CONSIDERS OTHER PEOPLE.
MANGO IS THE TYPE OF GUY THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY OVERLOOK BECAUSE HE'S SO QUIET.
BUT IF YOU TAKE THE TIME TO BE AROUND SOMEBODY AS CALM AS HE IS, HE CAN TEACH US WHAT SELF-CONTROL REALLY IS.
QUEZ, THIS WHOLE YEAR HAS NEVER GOTTEN A REFERRAL THIS ENTIRE YEAR.
NEVER GOT A MINOR REFERRAL, AN OFFICE REFERRAL.
QUEZ HAD MADE UP HIS MIND THAT HE WAS GONNA RIDE STU THE OCCASION.
HE HAD MANY CHALLENGES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT WHAT I NOTICED ABOUT QUEZ WAS HE WAS NEVER GOING TO GIVE UP.
HE REPRESENTS PERSEVERANCE REGARDLESS OF WHAT MAY COME HIS WAY.
JAQUEZ, MANGO ALWAYS STOOD STRONG.
AND I CAN SAY TODAY, HIS FOURTH QUARTER GRADES IS AT ABOUT A 3.3 GPA.
SO QUEZ IS, HE IS DOING THE THING.
AND I, I WANT JUST TO ENCOURAGE QUEZ AND, AND ENCOURAGE EVERY YOUNG PERSON IN THIS BUILDING.
UH, THIS EVENING, THERE'S A STORY OF A FARMER WHO HAD A DUNKY, AND THEY WERE IN THE WOODS.
AND WHILE THEY WERE IN THE WOODS, THIS DONKEY FELL IN A WELL.
AND WHEN THE DUNKY FELL, DUNKY FELL IN THE WELL.
HE BEGAN TO CRY AND MAKE NOISE, AND THE FARMER HAD TO MAKE A DECISION.
AND THE FARMER THOUGHT ABOUT HOW OLD THE DONKEY WAS AND THOUGHT ABOUT
[01:55:01]
HOW WORTHY THE DONKEY WASN'T.HE THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT THE DONKEY DID WRONG, AND THE FARMER ALLOWED HIM TO FALL IN THE WELL.
AND WHAT THE FARMER DID, HE GOT A SHOVEL AND HE BEGAN TO SHOVEL DIRT IN THE WELL.
SO AS THE DONKEY WAS CRYING, THE, THE, THE FARMER KEPT ON SHOVELING, KEPT ON SHOVELING THE DIRT, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN AFTER THE FARMER GOT THROUGH SHOVELING THE DIRT, THE FARMER FELL ASLEEP UNDER THE TREE BECAUSE HE WAS TIRED AFTER HE FELL, FELL ASLEEP UNDER THE TREE.
GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? GUESS WHAT? WOKE HIM UP.
IT WAS THAT SAME DONKEY THAT HE BURIED IN THE, WELL, THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS THIS WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.
A STUMBLING BLOCK CAN BECOME A STEPPING STONE.
WHAT THE DUNKY DID WHILE HE WAS IN THE WELL, EVERY TIME THE FARMER THREW DIRT ON HIM, HE SHOOK IT OFF.
I WANNA LET YOU KNOW TODAY THERE WOULD BE OBSTACLES, THERE WOULD BE, THERE WOULD BE STRUGGLES, THERE WOULD BE CHALLENGES, BUT YOU, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS STAND STILL AND BEGIN TO SHAKE IT OFF.
CAN Y'ALL SHOW ME HOW Y'ALL SHAKE IT OFF?
SO WHAT IS MEANT TO STOP YOU WILL BE THE VERY THING THAT PROPEL YOU TO YOUR NEXT LEVEL.
AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERY YOUNG PERSON.
THERE WILL BE TIMES WHERE YOU WANT TO GIVE UP, BUT I WANT YOU TO BE STEADY.
I WANT YOU TO SHAKE THINGS OFF, AND I WANT YOU TO STEP FORWARD BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT THAT GOD HAS PUT IN YOU, AND IT WILL COME TO PASS IF YOU STAY IN THE RIGHT FRAME OF MINE.
SO I PRESENT TO YOU MR. JAQUEZ MANGO.
APRIL'S CHARACTER TRAIT WAS FORGIVENESS AND DEFINED AS TO STOP FEELING ANGER TOWARDS SOMEONE.
APRIL STUDENT OF THE MONTH IS ARIEL BROWN, AN EIGHTH GRADE STUDENT AT BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND HERE TO INTRODUCE ARIEL IS PRINCIPAL JENNIFER MARILLO.
I AM HONORED TO INTRODUCE YOU ALL TO ZA ZELLE BROWN.
AND WITH ME THIS EVENING IS DR. ROBINSON, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AND XI'S MOM.
AND SO HERE IS WHAT HER AMAZING BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER SAID ABOUT ZZ EXEMPLIFIES A TRUE MEANING OF FORGIVENESS AND EMOTIONAL MATURITY.
IN HER DAILY INTERACTIONS WITH PEERS, SHE CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATES KINDNESS AND COMPASSION BY TREATING ALL CLASSMATES WITH GENUINE RESPECT AND WARMTH, REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
ZA SHOWS EMPATHY WHEN CONFLICTS ARRIVE AND SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND OTHERS' PERSPECTIVES.
SHE CREATES AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEERS FEEL VALUED AND ACCEPTED IN HER PEER RELATIONSHIPS.
ZA ACTIVELY BEFRIENDS CLASSMATES AND INCLUDES OTHERS IN SOCIAL GROUPS.
SHE USES HER PEOPLE AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO BRIDGE GAPS BETWEEN DIFFERENT PEER GROUPS AND MODEL WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A DEPENDABLE, TRUSTWORTHY FRIEND.
WHEN DISAGREEMENTS OCCUR, SHE APPROACHES CONFLICTS WITH MATURITY AND A WILLINGNESS TO FORGIVE.
SHE USES COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS PEACEFULLY RATHER THAN ESCALATE THEM.
SHE DEMONSTRATES REMARKABLE RESILIENCE BY MOVING FORWARD POSITIVELY.
AFTER CONFLICTS WITHHOLDING GRUDGES THERE, HER ABILITY TO LET PAST CONFLICTS FADE AND REDEFINE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS IS TRULY NOTEWORTHY.
ZI CARRIES THESE SAME QUALITIES INTO EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS BASKETBALL AND TRACK.
SHE SHOWS TEAMWORK, SPORTSMANSHIP, AND RESPECT FOR COACHES AND TEAMMATES WHILE BALANCING ACADEMICS, ATHLETICS, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
Z'S APPROACH TO FORGIVENESS AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION CREATES A POSITIVE RIPPLE EFFECT THROUGHOUT OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
SHE, THROUGH EXAMPLE, THAT HOLDING GRUDGES DIMINISHES US ALL WHILE FORGIVENESS AND UNDERSTANDING STRENGTHEN OUR RELATIONSHIPS AND OUR SCHOOL CULTURE.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN CELEBRATING OUR APRIL STUDENT OF THE MONTH, UM, EXEMPLIFYING FORGIVENESS.
[02:00:21]
SO WE GOT A LOT OF AWESOME STUDENTS.WE'RE CELEBRATING TONIGHT, BUT WE ARE NOT DONE.
SEE HERE, WE GOT, WE GOT QUITE A FEW MORE.
SO, NEXT ON THE, UH, NEXT ITEM IS WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
LAST MONTH WE RECOGNIZED THE STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONS FOR SOUTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY, AND TONIGHT WE'RE RECOGNIZING TWO WRESTLING CHAMPIONS FROM BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL.
HERE TO INTRODUCE THEIR WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONS IS BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL HEAD WRESTLING COACH ROBERT MICHELE.
UM, FIRST OFF, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, ONE, IT'S, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE UP HERE IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY, A PRIVILEGE TO BE PART OF ALL THIS AND WHAT A SHOW, UM, WITH THE ANNIE SHOW.
UM, I'VE ALSO BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO BE WITH DR.
HE'S A GREAT, GREAT PERSON OVER THERE.
UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU, UM, TO DR. THOMPSON OVER HERE, OUR PRINCIPAL, OUR ADMINISTRATION, DR. COX OVER THERE FOR BEING, UH, UM, PART OF WRESTLING COMMUNITY.
UM, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT THINGS AND, UM, A LOT, A LOT OF GOOD THINGS WITH FOR THESE, UM, UH, THESE LEADERSHIP, THESE LEADERS HERE ON OUR PROGRAM.
UH, I'M GONNA INTRODUCE, UH, TWO, TWO OF OUR WRESTLERS.
WE HAVE TWO STATE CHAMPS THIS YEAR.
WE'RE GONNA INTRODUCE FIRST IS, UH, THEO JOHNSON.
UM, IT'S MY HONOR TO RECOGNIZE THEO, UM, FROM THE VERY FIRST, UM, FROM THE VERY FIRST DAY I MET THEO, HE WAS, HE WAS ON A MISSION.
UM, IN A SPORT LIKE WRESTLING, IT'S OFTEN AN ATHLETE WITH HEART DETERMINATION, WORK ETHIC, AND PERSEVERANCE WHO ULTIMATELY FIND SUCCESS.
THEO IS THE EMBODIMENT OF ALL THOSE QUALITIES.
THEO PUSHES HIMSELF RELENTLESSLY AND HOLDS THOSE AROUND HIM TO A HIGHER STANDARD.
HE'S WILLING TO GO WHERE OTHERS AREN'T WILLING TO GO WHEN THAT MEANS, UH, AND THAT WHEN, WHAT THAT MEANS IS EARLY MORNING WORKOUTS, EVENING RUNS, HE GIVES A WHOLE FULL HUNDRED PERCENT EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE SEASON.
RIGHT? HE LEAVES NOTHING BEHIND ON THE MAT.
HE SEEKS OUT ADVICE AND APPLIES IT, MAKING HIM AN INCREDIBLY COACHABLE AND RESPECTED LEADER.
AND THE STATE TOURNAMENT, THEO WRESTLED FEARLESSLY FROM THE OPENING WHISTLE OF HIS FINAL MATCHES.
HE WENT ON THE ATTACK EVERY MOMENT WAS AN EXCITING AS THE LAST, HE SEIZED EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT CAME HIS WAY AND NEVER HESITATED.
WE OFTEN SAY, WHEN OPPORTUNITIES IN LIFE COME BE BOLD AND GO CHASE THEM.
THAT MINDSET WILL BENEFIT HIM WELL BEYOND WRESTLING, WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE ONE MORE YEAR WITH THEO, AND I'M EXCITED TO WATCH HIM GROW AS A LEADER THAT HE'S BECOMING.
ALL RIGHT, ONE OF OUR STATE CHAMPS.
IT IS ALSO MY PRIVILEGE TONIGHT TO RECOGNIZE, UM, NATE NAJAR.
NATE WAS A LEADER IN OUR ROOM, BOTH ON AND OFF THE MAT.
HE CONSISTENTLY MODELED WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TRUE STUDENT ATHLETE THROUGH HIS CHARACTER, WORK ETHIC AND RESPONSIBILITY.
THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, NATE DEMONSTRATED RESILIENCE IN HIS TRUEST FORM.
EVEN AFTER TOUGH LOSSES, HE NEVER STAYED DOWN.
HE REASSESSED, READJUSTED HIS GOALS AND PUSHED FORWARD WITH DETERMINATION.
THAT ABILITY TO PERSEVERE THROUGH ADVERSITY IS SOMETHING THAT WILL SERVE HIM LONG AFTER HIGH SCHOOL CAREER.
HIS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP RUN WAS NOTHING SHORT OF UNFORGETTABLE AND ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING FINAL MATCHES THAT I'VE EVER WITNESSED.
NATE AND HIS OPPONENT TRADED THE LEAD MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN MOMENTUM SHIFTED, NATE NEVER PANICKED.
AND THEN THE FINAL 20 SECONDS WHEN THE PRESSURE WAS REALLY ON, AT ITS HIGHEST, HE SECURED A BUZZER BEATING TAKE DOWN TO WIN THE TITLE WITH NO TIME LEFT ON THE CLOCK.
THAT MOMENT PERFECTLY CAPTURED WHO NATE IS.
NATE WILL BE SORELY MISSED, INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO REPLACE, BUT HIS RESILIENCE, GRIT, AND ABILITY TO ADAPT HAVE ALREADY EQUIPPED HIM FAR FOR SUCCESS BEYOND THE MAT.
I HAVE NO DOUBT WE'LL BE HEARING GREAT THINGS ABOUT WHAT HE BRINGS TO THE WORLD.
NEXT, NATE NAJA, WHICH I DEFINITELY LOVE, YOUR ENTHUSIASM AND YOUR MOTIVATION.
OKAY, THIS BRINGS US TO SOUTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATORS
[02:05:01]
ASSOCIATION, SOLO ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL, SEVERAL BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS RECENTLY TOOK PART IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION.SOLO AND ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL, AN EVENT THAT HIGHLIGHTS INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT, DISCIPLINE, AND ARTISTIC GROWTH.
BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND, ORCHESTRA AND MUSIC DIRECTOR, AMANDA TRIPPY, WILL OFFER A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE FESTIVAL AND INTRODUCE HER STUDENTS WHO EARNED SUPERIOR OR EXCELLENT RATINGS.
AFTER THAT, SHE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DR.
JOSHUA, CUTTING, DIRECTOR OF BANDS AT BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL, ALANA IRWIN, ITINERANT, CHORUS DIRECTOR AT BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL, AND KATHY KOFF, HARDY, ORCHESTRA DIRECTOR AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL TO INTRODUCE THEIR STUDENTS.
I LIKE TO TAKE THE MICROPHONE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RECOGNIZING OUR STUDENTS.
UH, SOLO AND ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL IS A REALLY BIG EVENT STATEWIDE.
EACH STUDENT PREPARES INDIVIDUALLY THEIR OWN SOLO TO PERFORM IN FRONT OF A JUDGE, EITHER SOLOS OR SMALL ENSEMBLES LIKE QUARTETS, DUETS, UM, UH, TRIOS, UH, SMALL ENSEMBLES.
RIGHT? SO THE BIGGEST NUMBER IS NINE AND DIRECTORS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON STAGE.
IT IS PURELY JUST STUDENTS, RIGHT? SO BUTFOR MIDDLE SCHOOL OURSELF.
WE HAD 17 SOLOISTS WHO RECEIVED A SUPERIOR OR AN EXCELLENT RATING.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE FIVE ENSEMBLES WHO RECEIVED A SUPERIOR OR RATE RATING.
UM, I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I, I SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RECOGNIZING THESE STUDENTS, THEIR HARD WORK THAT IT PUTS INTO THIS.
UM, WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE TIME DURING CLASS TO DO THIS.
SO A LOT OF THE STUDENTS DO THIS WORK OUTSIDE OF CLASS TIME TO PREPARE FOR THESE SOLOS AND PREPARE THESE DUETS AND TRIOS.
UM, SO REALLY, REALLY THANK YOU FOR, UH, APPRECIATING THE HARD WORK THAT THEY PUT INTO THIS.
SO, PERSONALLY, BEAUFORT MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, FOLKS, COME ON UP.
I WILL TRY TO GET EVERYBODY WHO IS HERE.
I HAVE, YES, I'LL, I HAVE MOST OF THEM HERE TODAY.
SO, UM, THESE STUDENTS, LIKE I SAID, THEY PERFORMED BY THEMSELVES ON STAGE, WHICH IS AN AMAZING THING TO DO, RIGHT? FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS TOO, RIGHT? AIDEN RICHARDS.
UM, I DO ALSO WANNA SAY THAT SOME OF OUR, SOME OF MY STRING PLAYERS ARE PERFORMING IN THE BEAUFORT YOUTH ORCHESTRA TONIGHT.
SO THEY'RE IN A CONCERT RIGHT NOW.
SO THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO PERFORM THE, TO GET THEIR CERTIFICATE TONIGHT BECAUSE THEY'RE PERFORMING WITH THE BEAUFORT YOUTH ORCHESTRA, WHICH IS AMAZING.
LIKE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, THEY'RE FANTASTIC PLAYERS, RIGHT? ALL RIGHT.
LUKE POWELL,
JOHNNY, JOHNNY BROWN,
SOME OF THEM RECEIVED MULTIPLE AWARDS.
SO I'M GOING THROUGH A FEW OF 'EM HERE.
ALL RIGHT, THAT'S EVERYBODY'S UP HERE.
SO THIS IS MY GROUP HERE WHO CAN MAKE IT HERE TONIGHT.
[02:10:08]
BEING AN A, B, C SCHOOL ALSO HELPS WITH THIS A LOT.WE WERE ABLE TO FUND AND SUPPORT MY STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY.
WE WERE ABLE TO BRING IN AN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE TO, UM, MISS AMY RABINOWITZ.
UH, RABINOWITZ IS MUSIC STUDIO IS A LOCAL ONE HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, IN BEAUFORT DOWNTOWN.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS WITH FUNDING FROM THE A BC ARTS AND THE BASIC INSTITUTE, UM, FUNDING AND BE ABLE TO GIVE HER THE EXPERIENCE TO WORKING WITH STUDENTS INDIVIDUALLY, WHICH WAS A REALLY BIG BONUS.
SO WE ARE VERY, VERY THANKFUL FOR A, B, C FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS WITH THAT.
GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
JOSHUA CUTTING, AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC AT BEAUFORT HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, AND MS. TRIPPY COVERED THE, THE EVENT EXTREMELY WELL.
DITTO FOR US AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL WITH A COUPLE OF, UH, THINGS I WANTED TO ADD.
ONE, THIS IS VOLUNTARY FOR OUR STUDENTS.
IT'S NOT PART OF A GRADED PART OF THE CURRICULUM.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALL THE STUDENTS ELECTED TO DO TO FURTHER THEIR OWN MUSICIANSHIP, AND THEY ALL ELECTED TO DO IT ON THE DAY OF PROM.
SO WE WENT TO, UH, WE WENT TO SOLO AND ENSEMBLE, UH, THAT EVENING, AND THEN WE CAME BACK AND THEY HAD A WONDERFUL TIME AT PROM AFTERWARDS.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT'S, UM, REALLY, UM, SPEAKS WELL OF THEIR DEDICATION TO THEIR ART AND, AND TO WHAT IT IS THAT THEY DO.
I'M VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THEM.
WE GOT SUPERIOR AND EXCELLENT RATINGS ALL THROUGH.
UH, SO I'LL INTRODUCE THEM NOW.
UH, WE HAVE BRIA PARKER, WHO RECEIVED A SUPERIOR RATING ON HER OBOE SOLO.
WE HAVE LILLIAN SMITH WHO RECEIVED A SUPERIOR RATING ON HER BASS CLARINET SOLO.
WE HAVE JAZZ BARRY WHO DID DOUBLE DUTY.
HE PLAYED A SOLO AND HE WAS IN AN ENSEMBLE, SO YOU'LL HEAR HIS NAME AGAIN.
HE GOT A SUPERIOR RATING ON HIS EUPHONIUM SOLO.
WE HAVE A FEW WHO ARE NOT HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE AS YOU GET WITH, WITH TALENTED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, THEY'RE OFTEN INVOLVED WITH MANY OTHER ACTIVITIES AS MS. TRIME SAID.
SO WE HAVE, UH, ALANA RIOS, WHO IS NOT WITH US TONIGHT, SHE, UH, IS ONE OF OUR TRACK STARS AS WELL AS A MUSICIAN.
UH, SHE GOT A SUPERIOR RATING ON HER FLUTE SOLO.
AND WE HAVE EMIL FRETO WHO, UH, GOT A SUPERIOR RATING ON HIS TRUMPET SOLO.
WE HAVE QUENTIN FRAZIER, WHO GOT A SUPERIOR RATING ON HIS BASSOON SOLO.
WE HAVE JACKSON ROBERTS, WHO IS AT THE AFOREMENTIONED BYO CONCERT RIGHT NOW, UH, WHO GOT A SUPERIOR RATING ON HIS VIOLIN SOLO.
AND THEN WE HAD, THEN WE HAD A SMALL ENSEMBLE.
WE HAD A LOW BRASS QUARTET CONSISTING OF TUBAS AND EUPHONIUMS. UH, THEY PLAYED A GREAT RENDITION OF ALEXANDER'S RAG RAGTIME BAND.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR IT, WE'RE GONNA PERFORM IT AT OUR SPRING CONCERT NEXT WEDNESDAY EVENING.
UH, SO ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE OUR QUARTET AND WE HAVE MR. JAZZ BARRY, MR. AMARI SCOTT, MR. TAKA SIMMONS, AND MR. ALEX ALVARADO.
THEY ALL RECEIVED AN EXCELLENT RATING ON THEIR ENSEMBLE.
SO THESE ARE OUR BUFORT HIGH SCHOOL INSTRUMENTAL STUDENTS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, GIVING US THIS RECOGNITION TONIGHT.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT, YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR PROGRAM.
AND GUYS, I APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR EFFORTS AS WELL.
OH, AM I SUPPOSED TO? YES, SIR.
WE'RE GONNA ASK ALANA IRWIN, UH, FROM BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL.
HI, I'M MISS ALANA IRWIN AND I TEACH ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS.
AND, UH, I HAVE THREE OUT OF MY FIVE STUDENTS HERE TODAY.
[02:15:01]
FINLEY ROBEL HAS THREE AP EXAMS, UH, A SWIM LESSON, AND, UH, UM, A VIOLIN LESSON TONIGHT.SO SHE'S NOT HERE, UH, BUT EMILY, HMM, ANTHONY MEJIA.
SIMONE WASHINGTON IS ALSO PERFORMING WITH THE BEAUFORT U SYMPHONY AND JUSTIN WALLACE.
AND NOW I'M GONNA ASK, UH, KATHY KLI HARDY TO JOIN US.
UH, HILTON HEAD ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
I TEACH ACTUALLY BOTH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL.
SO WE HAVE, AGAIN, THANK YOU, UM, SOME STUDENTS WITH THE BUFORT SYMPHONY AND DOING TRACK.
SO, BUT, SO WE HAD BRIGGS BECKHAM WHO HAD SUPERIOR ON CELLO.
UH, WE HAD BRIGGS BECKHAM AND EDWINS ALAZAR DOING A DUET.
AND WE HAVE EDWIN HERE SUPERIOR, WHEREAS DUET, AND, AND I'D LIKE TO MENTION WE HAVE BE FANG WHO DID SUPERIOR WITH DISTINCTION FOR HER VIOLIN SOLO IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND AGAIN, BE FANG AND REMI TA LASIK, UH, FOR THEIR VIOLIN DUET IN MIDDLE SCHOOL SUPERIOR.
OTHER ITEM I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE TODAY IS THAT MAY IS MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH, AND, UH, ALSO MENTAL HEALTH, UH, AWARENESS MONTH AS WELL.
IT WAS NATIONAL, UH, PRINCIPAL'S DAY ON MAY 1ST.
SCHOOL NURSES DAY IS COMING UP MAY 6TH, AND THIS IS TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK AND CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE WEEK GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN FRIDAY, MAY 8TH, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE ANNOUNCING THE, UH, SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR AND TEACHERS OF THE YEAR, UH, WILL BE ANNOUNCED FOR, FOR THE DISTRICT.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS HERE TODAY.
UH, THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR STAFF FOR THEIR GREAT WORK SUPPORTING THEM.
UH, AND WE CELEBRATE THEM, UH, THIS MONTH AS WELL.
[Consent Agenda]
ALONG IN THE AGENDA.BARRING ANY OBJECTIONS, IS THERE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND, SAY AYE.
[Announcements]
ALRIGHT, MOVING RIGHT ALONG.UM, ANNOUNCEMENTS, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UH, I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT ON MAY 11TH, UH, THAT'S THIS COMING MONDAY AT 6:00 PM UH, MS. ASHLEY GOUL, THE DIRECTOR OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, IS GOING TO GIVE A, A BRIEFING TO THE MEMBERS OF THE BEAUFORT COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AS TO WHAT ROLE THAT, UH, PARTNERSHIP CAN HAVE TO IMPROVE OR ENHANCE, UH, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
UM, I, THANKS, UM, MS. GOULD, UH, FOR DOING THAT.
AND I ASKED HER IF SHE COULD BRING HER, UH, UH, EARLY CHILDHOOD BUS TO SHOW THE FOLKS, UH, WHAT WE HAVE, UH, TO OFFER, UH, IN THAT.
THAT'S, UH, MONDAY AT 6:00 PM HERE IN THE, IN THE, UH, DISTRICT OFFICE.
CAN I ALSO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT, MR. CR, MR. DALLAS? YES, MA'AM.
UM, I, IT'S TOO BAD I MISSED THE, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.
UM, I WAS AT THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE HILTON HEAD SYMPHONY, AND LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO, WE HAD THE, UH, YOUNG PERSONS LINK UP CONCERT.
AND WE HAD OVER 2003RD, FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADERS, WELL, ROUGHLY 2003RD, FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADERS THAT CAME, UM, TO PERFORMANCES BOTH ON HILTON HEAD AND IN UH, UH, BUFORT.
AND IT WAS A GREAT PROGRAM, AND DR. RODRIGUEZ WAS THERE.
AND WHAT I WANTED TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT WAS THAT, UH, I WAS THERE WITH THE SYMPHONY
[02:20:01]
MEMBERS AND SEVERAL OF THE VOLUNTEERS, AND THEY WERE SO VERY APPRECIATIVE OF GLENN FRAZIER AND THE LOGISTICS THAT HE, UH, PROVIDED FOR THE BUSING OF ALL THESE STUDENTS, UH, TO THESE CONCERTS.SO I WANTED TO PASS THAT ON BECAUSE SOMETIMES, UM, THE PEOPLE DOING THE LOGISTICS IN THE BACKGROUND DON'T GET THE, UH, ATTENTION AND THEY COULD NOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT MR. FRAZIER.
THANK YOU MS. BOATWRIGHT, FOR RECOGNIZING THAT EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT.
SO, ABSOLUTELY, THERE WAS A, UH, THERE WAS A, UH, A ROBERT SMALLS, UH, VIEWING, UM, OF THE, OF THE ALUMNIS OVER, UH, LA ON LAST WEEK.
I THINK IT WAS EITHER THURSDAY OR FRIDAY OVER AT ROBERT SMALLS.
SO IF YOU HADN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GO OUT THERE AND LOOK AT THAT WALL OF THE ALUMNIS AT ROBERT SMALLS, IT IS DEFINITELY HONOR, HONOR AND HONOR REASON.
THE ALUMNIS WERE THERE WHO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY OF ALL, ALL VARIETY OF AGES.
IT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING YOU WANNA SEE.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE NICE PLAQUES WITH THE ALUMNIS WHO ARE HERE, AND SOME, I GUESS MAY WHO MAY BE GONE.
AND IT WAS, UM, UH, MR. MR T AND HIS STAFF OVER AT ROBERT SMALLS DID A WONDERFUL JOB IN THAT PROGRAM AND PUTTING THAT ON.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IF YOU HADN'T SEEN IT, HE ASKED FOR EVERYONE TO COME BY AND, AND CHECK IT OUT.
IT WAS VERY, VERY NICE PROGRAM THAT, THAT HE AND THE STAFF HAD.
LIKE I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN A WHILE, SO IT FEELS GOOD TO BE HOME.
SO I'LL PUT THAT OUT THERE TOO.
ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? OKAY.
UH, MR. DO, UH, UH, MY APOLOGIES, POINT OF ORDER, WE'RE ACTUALLY OUT OF ORDER RIGHT NOW.
OH, WE'RE THE, THE MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE ORDER ANNOUNCEMENTS AND PUBLIC COMMENTS, SUPPOSED TO BE AFTER, THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING AT ON THE AGENDA.
ON THE AGENDA FUTURE, UH, FUTURE AGENDA, TOPICS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND SECOND TOPICS.
IT SHOULD BE WHAT'S ON THE WRITTEN ONE AND NOT, OH, MY APOLOGIES.
[Second Public Comments]
OKAY.WE HAVE READ THEM AND, UM, WE HAVE LAUREN SCHRADER.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME HAVE A FEW MINUTES.
AND WATCHING THE ANNIE PERFORMANCE AND THEN SEEING ALL THE SUPERIORS AND EXCELLENCE MAKES MY HEART REALLY HAPPY.
UM, I'M ACTUALLY HERE TO JUST TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO SUPPORT OUR MUSIC AND THE ARTS.
UM, MY SON IS A SUPERIOR BASSOONIST BEHIND ME, AND, UM, HE HAS JUST RECEIVED A SIGNIFICANT SCHOLARSHIP TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
I'M A TIGER FAN, BUT, UM, HE WILL BE GOING FOR MUSIC PERFORMANCE FOR THE BASSOON.
SO, UM, AND THAT IS A SCALED, SO IT STARTS AT ONE LEVEL AND EACH YEAR AS HE PROGRESSES IN HIS INSTRUMENT, WE'RE JUST GONNA GET MORE MONEY.
SO, AND I JUST THANK MISS HAMNER AT MAY RIVER SO MUCH FOR THAT.
SHE'S BEEN SUCH A GREAT INFLUENCE ON HIM AND SO DEDICATED.
AND SO IT WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE ALL WHAT SEEMED TO BE VERY DEDICATED MUSIC TEACHERS.
UM, IT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY AND I JUST WANNA BEG YOU GUYS, PLEASE KEEP SUPPORTING.
UM, I FEEL VERY LUCKY THAT WE MOVED HERE.
WE, UM, I'M A SOUTH CAROLINA GIRL, CLEMSON GRAD, BUT, UM, MY CHILDREN, ALL THREE BOYS WERE BORN IN SAN DIEGO, AND I SAW WHEN HE WAS TWO YEARS OLD THAT HE NEEDED TO BE IN SOME FORM OF PERFORMANCE, MUSIC, THEATER, WHATEVER.
AND SAN DIEGO JUST DOESN'T FEED THAT.
SO I PUSHED AND PUSHED AND WE GOT BACK HOME AND, UM, WE GOT, LUCKY ENOUGH, WE STARTED IN RIVER RIDGE WITH MEGAN BALDWIN, WHO WAS FABULOUS.
SHE SAW WHAT HE HAD IN HIM AND PUT HIM ON THE BASSOON AND, UM, HE'S JUST, WE FOSTERED IT.
AND HAMNER HAS DONE NOTHING BUT SUPPORT HIM AND PUSH HIM TO BE BETTER.
AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, JUST PLEASE, PLEASE KEEP SUPPORTING AND, AND JUST PROVIDE WHAT THEY NEED FOR THESE PROGRAMS BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT, HE'S ALSO A SENIOR SCHOLAR, SO WE HAVE ACADEMICS BEHIND US AS WELL, BUT THERE ARE OTHER DEGREES OUT THERE THAT, UM, ARE IN THE ARTS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ALSO PUT A HEAVY FOCUS ON THAT AS WELL.
[02:25:02]
OKAY.IS THE MIC STILL ON? I THINK IT'S STILL ON.
UM, SO MY MOM KIND OF ALREADY GAVE LIKE A BIG OVERVIEW, BUT I ALSO JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT MY APPRECIATION WITH MS. HAMNER.
UM, I, I'VE ALWAYS REALLY ENJOYED MATH AND I'VE ALWAYS, AND I'VE ENJOYED A LOT OF THE SUBJECTS IN SCHOOL IN GENERAL, BUT NOTHING HAS HELD MY ATTENTION LIKE MUSIC HAS.
UM, LIKE AS I, AS MY MOM HAD MENTIONED, I AM A SENIOR SCHOLAR, SO I, I TAKE PRIDE IN MY, UH, ACADEMICS AND EDUCATION, BUT I PUT MOST OF MY TIME INTO MUSIC.
I PLAY IN THE LOW COUNTRY WIND SYMPHONY, THE BLUFFING, SYMPHONIC BAND.
I'VE MADE IT TO REGION BAND ALL FOUR YEARS.
AND THIS IS JUST WHERE I GET ALL OF MY JOY OUT OF THIS IS WHAT I WANNA DO WITH MY LIFE.
AND I DON'T THINK I WOULD'VE FOUNDED THIS PASSION WITHOUT THE HELP OF MS. HAMNER AND MS. BALDWIN, UH, THROUGHOUT JUST MY TIME HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA THROUGH THE, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, AS MY MOM HAD ALSO MENTIONED, I AM PLAYING BASSOON AND I AM OTHER THAN, UH, THE, UH, YOUNG MAN WHO WENT, WHO GOT THE OTHER SUPERIOR FOR BASSOON AT BEAUFORT, AT BEAUFORT HIGH.
I AM THE ONLY BASSOONIST OUT OF ALL THE SCHOOLS IN THIS AREA BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT A VERY COMMON INSTRUMENT.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE, UH, I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW, INTEREST IN THE ARTS IN A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS.
I HAVE NOTICED THAT A LOT OF AFTER COVID, A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS STARTED TO WEAKEN.
AND I KNOW THAT GOES FOR ALL SUBJECTS, NOT JUST THE ARTS, BUT, UM, I JUST LOVE TO SEE THAT THERE IS MORE CARE.
THERE ARE LIKE REALLY, REALLY, UH, CARING BAND DIRECTORS LIKE HER, LIKE HER OVER HERE, UM,
I THINK THAT THE ARTS ARE A GREAT THING THAT STUDENTS CAN GET INTO, NOT JUST FOR PERFORMING, BUT ALSO FOR JUST A WAY TO RE UH, GET AN ESCAPE FROM ACADEMICS.
'CAUSE ACADEMICS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT THEY AREN'T EVERYTHING AND THEY CAN BE REALLY STRESSFUL SOMETIMES.
AND MUSIC, I FEEL, IS A VERY, VERY CREATIVE OUTLET AND ESCAPE THAT YOU CAN GET TO, UH, LIKE, KEEP PROGRESSING IN A BUT IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAT CAN KIND OF OPEN UP DIFFERENT PATHWAYS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT ELSE I WANNA SAY, BUT THANK YOU,
WELL, YOU HAVE SOME SIMILARITIES TO A VERY FAMOUS MUSICIAN, JOHN PHILLIPS.
SO, SOA, SOA, AM I SAYING IT RIGHT? I'M NOT EVEN CLOSE.
AM I
THE NEXT PERSON WE HAVE IS, UM, KRISTEN CARPENTER.
UH, HI, SORRY, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING LIKE THIS, SO I MIGHT BE A LITTLE NERVOUS, BUT, UM, I JUST MAINLY WANNA TALK ABOUT HOW, UH, THE, THE HIGH SCHOOL AT, ON HILTON HEAD, THE BAND THERE WAS LIKE NON-EXISTENT.
I WAS THE ONLY FLUTIST THERE, AND THERE WAS LIKE NO OTHER FLUTIST, AND I WASN'T EVEN ALLOWED TO PLAY MY FLUTE AT ALL.
I WAS JUST HANDED PAPER FOR PERCUSSION AND TOLD TO, UH, JUST PLAY MALLETS.
QUITE LITERALLY, MY FAMILY HAS PUSHED THE BAND DIRECTOR THERE TO, UH, GIVE ME SOME MUSIC FOR FLU SO I CAN PLAY THERE.
AND I'M NOT GONNA LIE, HE'S A GREAT GUY.
HE'S REALLY NICE AND SWEET, BUT HE'S JUST, HE KEEPS MAKING PROMISES AND THEN DROPPING THEM, OR HE HAS TO BE FORCED TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH WITH THE PROMISES.
AND THAT HAS ACTUALLY PUSHED ME TO DO A LOT MORE WITH THE FLU, ACTUALLY.
SO I'M ACTUALLY QUITE HAPPY ABOUT IT.
AND I'M ALSO IN THE, UH, LEPTIN SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA.
UM, I PLAY MY FLUTE THERE, BUT I ALSO DO THE SAVANNAH FLUTE CHOIR, AND I ACTUALLY GOT TO PLAY THE CONTRA BASE, WHICH IS A VERY BIG INSTRUMENT, AND IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY NICE.
BUT, UH, YEAH, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK MS. HAMNER 'CAUSE WELL, SHE IS ACTUALLY NICE, LIKE PHILIP SAID, AND LEFT A VERY BIG IMPRESSION ON ME.
I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
[02:30:02]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. CARPENTER, VERY PROUD OF YOU.THE NEXT PERSON IS, I DON'T RECOGNIZE THIS NAME.
UH, THERE ISN'T MUCH I CAN SAY ABOUT THE DIVERSITY BETWEEN ONE SCHOOL AND ANOTHER WHEN ONE IS PRODUCING.
COULD YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC, MR. MILLER, PLEASE? OKAY, I'M SORRY.
UH, WHEN DIVERSITY BETWEEN ONE SCHOOL AND ANOTHER, UH, AS SHE SAID, THERE ISN'T EVEN A BAND CLASS AT HILTON HEAD HIGH.
I WOULD, SO I'M THAT SAID, AND THAT I'M NOT GONNA GO ANY FURTHER.
I WILL ALSO MAKE A COMMENT, UH, MS. TEMPE AND THESE, UH, AWARDS FOR, UH, SOLO ENSEMBLE.
THAT WAS FOR THE MUSIC EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.
THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, AND SHE CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THE MUSIC ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION IS DIVIDED THEN INTO A SUBGROUP THAT IS BANNED.
SO THESE SOLO AND ENSEMBLES, AS YOU SAW, ARE PRIMARILY CHORUS OR STRINGS, UH, THE BAND.
I NOTICED THAT, UH, BEAUFORT HIGH AWARDS WENT TO SOME OF THE BAND STUDENTS.
UH, THERE ARE BAND STUDENTS FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTY THAT, UH, OUGHT TO BE RECOGNIZED AS WELL.
I HAVEN'T CALCULATED, I PLAN ON DOING IT FOR THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, BUT I WOULD SAY, I THINK OUT OF THE SIX HIGH SCHOOLS, EIGHT MIDDLE SCHOOLS MAKING 14, I THINK THERE'S ONLY ABOUT TH THREE OR FOUR, UH, OF THE SCHOOLS HAD ANYBODY EVEN REPRESENTED AT, UH, SOLO AND ENSEMBLE.
AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND, I HAVEN'T REALLY CHECKED OUT, BUT I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT, UH, MAY RIVER HAD OUT OF THOSE, PROBABLY 75 TO 80% OF, OF THE STUDENTS WERE FROM MAY RIVER.
AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT THE DIVERSITY.
THANK YOU MUCH YOU, MR. MILLER.
[Executive Session]
OKAY.MOVING RIGHT ALONG WITH THE AGENDA.
IS THERE A MOTION TO MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? CAN WE DO THAT? OKAY.
I'M NOT READING THE CORRECT AGENDA, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S NEXT.
UH, ONE OF THEM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE, UH, BRINGING SOME FINANCES IN, IN THE HOUSE TO OUR BUS COMPANY.
UM, IN TERMS OF, I, I'VE DONE DOING SOME, DOING SOME RESEARCH AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN PAY SOME OF THESE BILLS AND, AND, AND, AND HACK SOME OF THESE, UH, WAY RAISES AND, UH, POSSIBLY, UH, FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN POSSIBLY CHATTER OUT SOME OF OUR BUSES TO, UH, TO OFFER, UH, DIFFERENT SERVICES TO THE, TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT, UH, THAT, THAT MAY, UH, BRING US SOME REVENUE.
AND, UH, AND, AND IT IS BEING DONE.
I'M NOT BRINGING NOTHING THAT'S, THAT'S NOT BEING DONE.
THIS IS BEING DONE IN DIFFERENT COUNTIES.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO POSSIBLY SEE WITH THE, UH, PROS AND CONS.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER WAY WE CAN BRING IN SOME MORE REVENUE INTO THE DISTRICT, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, RIGHT.
I'VE BEEN ASKING 'EM FOR THAT REPORT NOW.
ALMOST GOING ON PROBABLY ABOUT A Y ALMOST A YEAR, A FLAT YEAR NOW.
SO, UM, I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE AN UPDATE ON RIGHT CHOICES IN ATHLETICS AS WELL, UH, BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY GOT SOME THINGS IN ATHLETICS THAT ARE, ARE CONCERNING AND ARE, AND ARE ALARMING.
SO, UH, IF I, IF I CAN, WE CAN GET THOSE, THOSE, UH, TWO REPORTS.
UH, WE'LL DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THOSE THINGS.
MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION,
[02:35:01]
MR. CHAIR IMU THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.UH, DISCUSSION EMPLOYMENT MATTER REGARDING APRIL, 2026.
PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 TAX FOUR, TAX 70 A ONE.
RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO PENDING LEGAL CLAIMS COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 TECH FOUR TAX 70 A TWO.
RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO A PROCUREMENT MATTER COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 TECH FOUR, TAX 70 A TWO.
DISCUSSION ON NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT PROPOSED SOUTHEAST ROOFING SOLUTION INCORPORATED CONTRACT AMENDMENT NUMBER SIX FOR THE BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL RE-ROOFING SCOPE OF WORK USING FISCAL YEAR 2025 AND FISCAL YEAR 2027 8% CIP FUNDS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FUNDS PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 TAX FOUR.
DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO SOUTH SOUTHEAST ROOFING SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED.
CONTRACT AMENDMENT NUMBER SEVEN FOR THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND SCHOOL FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS PHASE ONE REROOFING SCOPE OF WORK USING FISCAL YEAR 2027 8% CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FUNDS PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 TECH FOUR, TECH 70 82.
DISCUSSION NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSED METAL CRAFT A TECH TETA AMERICA COMPANY LLC CONTRACT AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO FOR THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, REROOFING SCOPE OF WORK USING FISCAL YEAR 2027 8% CIP FUNDS PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 TECH FOUR, TECH 70 A TWO.
DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ZERO ONE WITH MB CONN CONSTRUCTION, LLC FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND JUNIOR RESERVE OFFICERS TRAINING CORPS ADDITION AND OUTFITTING OF 2023 REFERENDUM.
SCOPE, GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 TECH FOUR TAX 70.
A DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER 17 WITH THOMPSON TURNER CONSTRUCTION FOR 2023 BOND REFERENDUM.
JAMES J. DAVIS EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER PARKING LOT EDITION AND RESURFACING SCOPE, GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 T FOUR TAX 70 A TWO.
AND IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION.
WITH THE, WITH, WITH THE, UH, QUESTION AND THE CAVEAT, UM, UH, I, I, I BELIEVE THAT WAS, UH, YOU GAVE, YOU GAVE US ONE ATTORNEY, UH, YOU GAVE US ATTORNEY NAME EARLIER, WHO WILL BE, UM, BRIEFING US ON THESE, UH, AS, AS, AS, AS WELL AS MRS. UH, FAHE.
I THINK I SAW HER IN THE, IN THE AUDIENCE.
WILL SHE BE ADVISING US AS WELL ON ONE OF THESE TOPICS? YES, SIR.
OUR LEGAL COUNSEL, MS. CARTILAGE, MS. CRU, AND MS. ER'S COMING TOO.
I JUST WANTED CORRECTIONS PROPERLY.
MOTION, AND IS THERE A SECOND? DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? I JUST SECOND IT.
A A ANY MOTIONS COMING OUT EXECUTIVE SESSION?
[Action as Necessary or Appropriate Regarding Matters Discussed in Executive Session]
MR. SECOND, MR. CHAIR.THERE ARE SIX MOTIONS COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION NUMBER ONE, I MOVE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE EMPLOYMENT LISTED ON APRIL 1ST THROUGH APRIL 30TH, 2026.
PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT.
I'LL SECOND, I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND, SAY AYE.
NUMBER TWO, I MOVE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER SIX, WITH THAT SOUTHEAST ROOFING SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED FOR THE BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL REROOFING SCOPE OF WORK IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,772,000 USING FISCAL YEAR 2025 AND FISCAL YEAR 2027 8% CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FUNDS.
IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOTIONED AND SECOND, I I I HAVE A COMMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, UM, I THIS TYPE USING 8% FUNDING FOR THIS TYPE OF THING, WHEN THIS SCHOOL WAS PRACTICALLY, UH, NOT THAT OLD, IT REALLY BALLS MY BLOOD BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE TAKING AWAY MONEY FROM THE EDUCATION COMPONENT IN WHICH PEOPLE MIGHT SAY, WELL, WELL, YOU CAN'T USE OPERATION MONEY FOR EDUCATION.
BUT I, I I I BET A DIFFERENT, BUT THIS, WE COULD HAVE BEEN USING THIS FOR, FOR, FOR ANOTHER FACILITY TO CREATE SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND HAVING TO SPEND THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO RE TO, TO FIX A BUILDING THAT WAS, THAT IS NOT, THAT, NOT THAT OLD.
IT, IT REALLY, UH, IT, IT LEAVES US HANGING, LEAVE US HANGING, HANGING TO, UH, TO PAY THE BILL, LEAVES US, LEAVES US HOLDING THE BAG.
[02:40:01]
CANNOT CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.AND WE SIT BACK AND, AND, AND SIT BY AND, AND, AND HAVING TO, TO DEAL WITH THINGS LIKE THIS RIGHT HERE.
YOU KNOW, THIS REALLY BOTHERS ME THAT WE, WE ARE HAVE THAT, THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, PAY THIS, PAY THIS BILL AND THAT THE, THE FORMER PERSON WHO DID THIS WORK HAS GONE ON ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS AND THEY'RE STILL, AND THEY, AND THEY'RE STILL IN THE BUSINESS ABOUT BUILDING.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN UNFORTUNATE THING.
I BELIEVE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES PROBABLY THEY DO RE RECOGNIZE IT AS WELL.
BUT THIS IS, IT REALLY BOILS MY, BUT THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING.
A A ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
NUMBER THREE, I MOVE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER SEVEN, WITH SOUTHEAST ROOFING SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED FOR THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND SCHOOL FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS, A PHASE ONE REROOFING SCOPE OF WORK AND THE AMOUNT OF $2,378,000 USING FISCAL YEAR 2027 CAPITAL, UH, 8% CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUNDS.
AND SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND, SAY AYE.
THANK YOU MS. HAY, YOU GET THAT SIR? NUMBER FOUR, I MOVE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO WITH METAL CRAFTS, A TECA AMERICA COMPANY LLC FOR THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, REROOFING SCOPE OF WORK IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,412,500 USING FISCAL YEAR 2027 FUNDS.
AND IT'S BEEN SECOND BY MS. HAY.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HANDS.
AND MOVE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE WITH MB CON CONSTRUCTION, LLC FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL CAREER AT TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND JUNIOR RESERVES OFFICER TRAINING CORPS ADDITION IN OUTFITTING BASED ON THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE OF $13,757,228.
AND SECOND, UH, MS. BOATRIGHT, WHAT DID YOU SAY? AND I HAVE COMMENTS.
UM, I'M, I'M GONNA SAY THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THAT I JUST, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY GOING UP THE 2 78 CORRIDOR IN, IN THE BLUFF AND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ONE DISTRICT, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S A LARGE AMOUNT OF PRO THAT, OF PROJECTS THAT ARE, ARE GOING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BROAD.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE ONE ON THIS SIDE, BUT THE, THE, THE AMOUNTS ARE, ARE, ARE PRETTY LARGE AND I'M ON A WHOLE, I'M, I'M, I'M HOPING FORWARD THAT WE WILL HAVE THE IN YEARS TO COME IN, TIME TO COME THAT THE, UH, IF WE DO COME UP WITH ANOTHER REFERENDUM, THAT THE, THE TAXPAYERS WILL BE AS FORTUNATE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL, THAT ALL, ALL KIDS, EVERY KID EVERY DAY HAS THE SAME OPPORTUNITY IN THIS DISTRICT IN TERMS OF FACILITIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
OKAY? THANK YOU MR. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT TOO, MR. A COMMENT TOO.
MR. DALLAS, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I'M EXCITED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE STUDENTS OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WITH THAT I WILL CALL THE QUESTION.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND LAST I MOVE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER 17 WITH THOMPSON TURNER CONSTRUCTION FOR THE JAMES J. DAVIS EARLY CHILDHOOD CHILDHOOD CENTER PARKING LOT EDITION AND RESURFACING SCOPE OF WORK WITH A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE OF 1 MILLION TO $530,239 USING 2023 BOND REFERENDUM FUNDS.
THIS CONCLUDES MOTIONS COMING FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UNLESS THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES, IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN.