[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.
[Call to Order]
WELCOME EVERYONE.WE CALL TO ORDER THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING OF AUGUST THE FOURTH HERE AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER, 55 WHEEL BURN ROAD, HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING.
THE MEETING WILL BE BROADCAST BY THE COUNTY CHANNEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH NEW SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES.
BAGS, BACKPACKS AND PURSES ARE PROHIBITED BY THE PUBLIC AT BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS.
REQUEST TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENTS VIA PHONE WILL BE ACCEPTED ELECTRONICALLY.
YOU CAN FIND THE BOE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM ON OUR WEBSITE, HTTPS SLASH SLASH WW BUFORT 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 BEFORE THE MEETING.
REQUESTERS WILL RECEIVE A PHONE CALL DURING THEIR RESPECTIVE PUBLIC FORUM TIME AND SHOULD BE READY TO SPEAK.
YOU MAY ADDRESS THE BOARD FOR A MAXIMUM 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 APPROVAL.
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 MINUTES IN THE EVENT THE BOARD HAS NOT FINISHED ADDRESSING ALL ITEMS LISTED ON AUGUST 4TH, 2026 AGENDA.
THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE AT 6:00 PM ON AUGUST THE FIFTH, 2026.
THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY TO FINISH THE AGENDA ITEMS, UH, WE HAVE CALLED THE PUBLIC SESSION IS CALLED TO ORDER.
IS THERE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? SO MOVED.
CAN WE GET THE ELECTRONICS PEOPLE? CAN WE TYPE IN THE REQUEST SO THAT THEY ARE INFORMED? THOSE TWO AND THEY CAN GIVE US A VOTE? YEAH.
DEGRA AND PASTOR GORDON, THE MOTION HAS BEEN PROPERLY MADE.
AND SECOND TO ACCEPT THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
YOUR VOTES? UH, PASTOR GOEN, YOU WOULD NEED TO UNMUTE YOUR MIC.
I DO SEE THAT YOUR MIC IS MUTED.
I DON'T SAY WHAT NOW? CAN HE NOT HEAR US? HIS MIC.
[00:05:01]
OKAY.NOW, PASTOR GORDON, YOUR MIC IS UNMUTED.
HOW DO YOU VOTE? PASTOR GORDON? I DON'T THINK I CAN HEAR US.
HAVE WE, HAVE WE TEXTED OR SENT THE MOTION THAT'S MADE SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MOTION IS WHILE THE TECHNOLOGY PEOPLE ARE HELPING US ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND ALSO LIVE STREAMING? THANK YOU, MA'AM.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S WHERE THEY AT BECAUSE, UM, I JUST LOGGED IN ON MINES ON MY, UH, PHONE.
MAYBE THEY HAVE HEAR THE SOUND.
[00:10:07]
ARE WE READY? GOD DAMN IT.I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOOD LOOKING.
CAN YOU HEAR US IN THE ZOOM? TROY, GO AHEAD AND TOGGLE THROUGH THE AUDIO SOURCES.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10, 9, 8, 7.
YOU'RE SAYING WE ARE GOOD NOW.
GU AND PASTOR GORDON, CAN YOU HEAR US? I CAN NOW.
IT, THIS, IT DOESN'T SOUND ECHO ON MY SIDE.
THERE'S REVERB IN THE, UH, VOICE.
SO WE'VE HAD THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, IF YOU WILL JOIN ME.
WE, WE DIDN'T DONE THE VOTE YET.
[00:15:01]
VOTE? I VOTED YES.JUST FOR LET, LET ME, LET ME GET THERE.
I WAS GONNA ASK FOR, JUST FOR CLARITY 'CAUSE SO THIS, JUST BECAUSE WE ARE COMING BACK ON AND PEOPLE HADN'T HEARD, COULD WE JUST MAKE THE MO I WAS ASK JUST COULD WE JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE MOTION SO THAT WE WON'T HAVE NOTHING ABOUT, WE WERE VOTING ON SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST MAKE THE MOTION OVER.
YOU, YOU OKAY WITH THAT MR. SECRETARY? I MOVE.
[Approval of Agenda]
THE AGENDA.ALL IN FAVOR HERE, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HANDS.
[ Pledge of Allegiance, Moment of Silence, Statement of Media Notification]
IN A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND A MOMENT OF SILENCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY.
BARRY, HAS THE MEDIA BEEN NOTIFIED? YES.
OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS, NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
THEN COULD WE HAVE, UH, THE LEADER OF THE TECHNOLOGY TEAM COME OVER AND HE CAN TELL OUR BOARD WHAT HE TOLD ME ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES OF THIS? IT'S VERY SIMPLE.
SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE A SOLUTION.
SIR, CAN YOU COME OVER AND JUST SHARE THAT, PLEASE? DID HE LEAVE? ARE YOU GONNA SOLVE THEM AND WHAT YOUR PLAN IS? SO IF YOU COULD JUST SHARE THAT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ENTIRE BOARD.
APOLOGIZE FOR THE, UH, TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
UM, WE TEST THESE THINGS OUT, UM, WHEN WE CREATE, UM, OUR OWN ZOOM AND WE REALIZE THAT WE BETTER COORDINATE WITH, UH, IT BUFORD COUNTY'S, UH, SCHOOL BOARD IT AND, UH, TEST WITH THEM PRIOR.
'CAUSE WE CREATE OUR OWN ZOOM AND THE PARAMETERS OF THE ZOOM THAT WE CREATE ARE NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE PARAMETERS THAT ARE USED FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
UM, THE TEST THAT, UH, WE DID, UH, WAS SUCCESSFUL BUT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT HAVE THE SAME, UH, SET UP AS THE SCHOOL BOARD.
SO, UM, WE WERE ACTUALLY JUST DISCUSSING THAT.
AND I'M GLAD YOU GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, EXPLAIN THAT IT WILL BE BETTER NEXT TIME.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF I COULD SAY SOMETHING IN RESPONSE.
WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF THESE MEETINGS AND THEY NORMALLY GO VERY WELL.
SO WE'RE NOT BEING PEJORATIVE OR CRITICAL, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I JUST WANTED THE ENTIRE BOARD, ANYONE LISTENING TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE ARRIVED AT A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AND WE SHOULD EXPECT FEWER OR KNOWN.
NO REPEATS OF THIS, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WHEN WE FIRST MET EACH OTHER, THAT YOU SPOKE ABOUT, THAT YOU, UH, YOU, YOU LIKE THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE THESE MEETINGS AND YOU WANT THEM TO RUN AS SMOOTHLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND YOU REACHED OUT TO US EARLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, UH, THEY DO.
AND, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO OUR BEST.
AND I'M SORRY FOR THE BUMP IN THE ROAD.
UH, WITH THE, WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE RE WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE OF THAT, I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT I'VE ALSO KNOW THAT INTERNET HAVE BEEN ACTING UP, UH, IN, IN THE BEFORD AREA.
AND SO I'M NOT SURE IF THE INTERNET WAS ACTING UP, UH, AS, AS WELL.
AND I, I THINK THAT WE ALL CAN PLAY A PART IN THAT, EVEN AS A BOARD.
WE TALKED ABOUT ONE TIME, SOME OF US COMING EARLIER AND, AND RUNNING A TEST, A TEST WITH THAT.
SO I GUESS MAYBE WE CAN REVAMP THAT UP AND, UH, ACTUALLY DO THAT.
SO I THINK THAT, UH, IT'S NO DIFFERENT FROM, UH, GOING TO THE DUE TO THE AIRPORT AND YOUR FLIGHT BEING DELAYED.
SO I, I THINK, I THINK EVERYONE FOR HAVING THE PATIENCE WITH US AS A BOARD MEMBER, I APPRECIATE THAT.
MOVING ALONG TO THE CHAIR'S REPORT, WHICH HOPEFULLY IS GOING TO BE FAIRLY BRIEF TODAY.
UM, WHAT YOU SAY UHUH, WHAT YOU TO THIS? ALRIGHT, FIRST OF
[Chair’s Report ]
ALL, I WANNA WELCOME EVERY BACK TO, UH, CONNECTED BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.[00:20:01]
KNOW THERE WOULD BE A TECHNICAL GLITCH.SO, UH, I GUESS THAT WAS GOD'S INTERVENTION ON THAT.
UH, THERE'S SOME NEW GUIDELINES THAT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN IMPLEMENTED AT THE STATE, UH, GENERAL ASSEMBLY LEVEL.
THERE ARE NOW INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFERS AND OUR ACADEMIC COMMITTEES AND OTHERS, UH, UNDER THIS STEWARDSHIP OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, DR.
MELO LEE AND OTHERS, UH, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE, THE COMPLICATIONS OF THAT.
AND THEY'VE ALREADY COME UP WITH SOME POLICY AND PROCEDURAL CHANGES THAT WILL ALLOW US TO BE ABLE TO COMPLY WITH WHATEVER THE REQUIREMENTS ARE AT THE STATE, UH, LEVEL.
THERE ALSO ARE NO LONGER GRADE FLOORS, SO TO SPEAK.
AND THE ACADEMICS COMMITTEE HAS DONE A GOOD JOB, A THOROUGH JOB OF LOOKING AT THE DETAILS OF THAT, UH, AND HAS A PROCESS SO THAT, UH, THAT EVOLUTION TO A DIFFERENT GRADING SYSTEM WHERE ALLEGEDLY, AND, AND I KNOW IN OTHER STATES AND SOME OTHER DISTRICTS THAT, THAT ACTUALLY, UH, THAT HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC.
BUT THERE'S A SOLUTION THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED.
THERE'S ALSO A NEW VERSION OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE.
AND FROM MY INTERACTIONS WITH SOME OF THE CURRENT MEMBERS AND PRIOR MEMBERS, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE A SOUTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE.
THAT IS A LOT, IS DISCIPLINED.
I WON'T WANNA SAY A LOT MORE DISCIPLINED.
I DON'T WANNA BE PEJORATIVE, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DISCIPLINED IN FOLLOWING THE RULES AS THEY ARE CURRENTLY STATED.
ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE STELLAR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, I'M CONNECTED WITH, UM, DOLLAR MOORE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE USCS CREDIT RATING, AND IT BROUGHT A SMILE TO MY FACE TO SEE OUR CREDIT RATING IS ONE LEVEL HIGHER THAN THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO KUDOS TO THE LEADERSHIP, UH, AND THE FINANCIAL GROUP, UH, NEW CONSTRUCTION HAS PROGRESSED, UH, INCLUDING AT HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH SOME GROUPS TO ACTUALLY ARRANGE A TOUR LAST THURSDAY AFTER A POA MEETING.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS TO LEVERAGE YOUR CONNECTIONS TO NOT ONLY GET PEOPLE INTO THESE NEW FACILITIES SO THEY UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH AND HOW EFFECTIVELY WE'RE USING THE DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED, BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT THEY'RE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO CLASSROOMS THAT BETTER THE EDUCATIONAL DELIVERY.
UH, THERE'S ALSO WAS A TOPPING OFF CEREMONY AT MAY RIVER, WHICH WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
THAT WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER, BUT THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS LIKE THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UM, ALSO, COLONEL GUYER MADE A PRESENTATION TO THE BEAUFORT, UH, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP, UH, AT ONE OF THE LOCAL CHURCHES.
AND COLONEL GUYER, UM, IF YOU DECIDE TO SPEAK ON THAT, THAT'LL BE GREAT.
AND NOT, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND, BUT IT WAS A PHENOMENAL PRESENTATION.
THE DISTRICT'S ACHIEVING SCORES ON ELA AND MATH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, UH, DR. LEE, THEY'RE HIGHER THAN THEY WERE BEFORE.
WE STILL HAVE EMBARGOED DATA, BUT WE'RE HOPING THAT'S THE CASE, EVERYBODY, KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED.
THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT.
UM, THE NEW JOB OF CONTINUING TO RAISE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE BEGINS FOR THE 20 26 20 27 SCHOOL YEAR.
AS CHAIR, I LIKE TO APPLAUD SUPPORT FROM THE WIDER COMMUNITY AND ESTABLISHING PROGRAMS THAT REFLECT HOW THAT COMMUNITY SUPPORT IS SHOWN.
APPRECIATION BY GIVING BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS AND GRADUATES.
IN MY MULTIPLE MOVES, I'VE MOVED 19 TIMES IN MY CAREER, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS A REAL TRIGGER ON INCREASING HOME VALUES IS A GOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
MOBILE FAMILIES FLOCK TO AREAS THAT HAVE GOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH DISCIPLINE.
SO I'M PROUD TO BE A PART OF WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE.
LASTLY, A HUGE THANKS TO THE PARENTS, ADMINISTRATORS, CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, VOLUNTEERS THAT SHOW VISIBLE SUPPORT FOR ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST IMPORTANT ADVANTAGES.
THE ALMOST 800,000 SOUTH CAROLINA STUDENTS AND 50 MILLION STUDENTS IN THE GREAT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHO ARE IN EITHER TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE 4 MILLION THAT ARE IN PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS.
THESE STUDENTS PROPERLY EDUCATED FORM A POWERFUL ASSET IN AMERICAN GLOBAL PERFORMANCE AND SOCIETAL EXCESS.
ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE PERSON, THE PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR, MS. BRENDA BLUE OF PRITCHARD AND THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR, MS. CASSANDRA RYMAN OF HILTON HEAD ELEMENTARY INTELLECT, INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE, UM, PROGRAM.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO CHECK CHAT BEFORE TURNING IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES, SITTING TO MY RIGHT IS WE OPERATE ON THE COHERENT GOVERNOR.
[00:25:01]
PROGRAM WHEN PROPERLY ORCHESTRATED AND EXECUTED FOR GIVING THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE OF THE HOUSE THE LATITUDES TO GO OUT AND USE ALL THEIR INGENUITY AND CREATIVITY AND THEIR RESEARCH AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS TO ACTUALLY IDENTIFY SUCCESSFUL IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY BRING BACK TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.UH, SOME OTHER MORE, UH, DETAILED INVOLVED LEADERSHIP METHODOLOGIES CAN VERY MUCH INHIBIT A IN, UH, VERY ENTREPRENEURIAL TYPE LEADERSHIP STYLE.
AND WE COULD END UP LOSING THAT.
SO PART OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS WE ARE GOING TO PURSUE, ASK THE BOARD SUPPORT FOR MOVING FORWARD ON REINTRODUCTION OF COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
UH, WE'VE HAD THAT ONCE BEFORE.
WE'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THAT IS THE BASELINE OF HOW WE ACTUALLY MANAGE THE BUSINESS.
I'M SORRY, MANAGE THE SCHOOL, THE, UH, ADMINISTRATION, BUT GIVING THEM LATITUDE TO USE ALL THEIR INGENUITY.
UH, AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, UM, SECRETARY, BOARD SECRETARY VICTOR NAY, WHO ALONG WITH, UM, BOARD VICE PRESIDENT, DR. CARR, AND BOARD SECRETARY, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT MS. CUSHING BEAR, TO START THE PROCESS OF LOOKING WITH GREAT DETAIL, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, REMAINING HIGH LEVEL AS TO HOW WE ARE DOING AGAINST THE POLICY MANUAL, WHICH WE UNDERSTAND THAT COVID REALLY SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT OUR EXECUTION ON THAT.
BUT WE WANNA START WITH A FRESH START.
AND SO, UH, THAT TEAM HAS DONE A LOT OF GOOD WORK.
AND SO, MR. NAY, I TURN IT OVER TO YOU, SIR.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, I WANNA BE TRANSPARENT AND FORTHCOMING.
UH, UM, I REALLY, UH, ENJOYED DR. CARR, BUT, UH, WHEN I SAID I WAS GONNA USE AI, HE WAS LIKE, I'M OUT.
SO THIS WAS ALL ME, AND I'M GONNA TAKE FULL CREDIT.
UH, SO THAT BEING SAID, I DID USE AI, UH, AND HAD I NOT, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS IN THE TWO WEEKS THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, THIS HAS BEEN EXHAUSTED AND IT HAS PRETTY MUCH CONSUMED EVERY BIT OF MY TIME.
UM, ONCE, ONCE I STARTED DIGGING INTO THE MEAT POTATOES OF THIS, I QUICKLY FOUND OUT, UH, THAT GOING OVER THE ENTIRE POLICY MANUAL WAS NOT REALISTIC.
UH, SO I DID NOT TOUCH THE, UH, UH, OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS AT ALL.
I I DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT ANY OF THE OES.
THIS IS ONLY THE BOARD GOVERNANCE CULTURE, THE GOVERNANCE CULTURE, THE GC UM, POLICIES OF WHICH THERE ARE 12, AND THEN OUR BOARD SUPERINTENDENT RELATIONSHIP POLICIES, OF WHICH THERE ARE FIVE.
SO, UH, I FOCUSED ONLY ON THOSE 17, UM, THOSE 17 POLICIES, AGAIN, UH, NONE OF THIS IS MEANT TO, UM, TO CURTAIL OR IN, UH, UH, IN HINGE OR WHATEVER IMPEDE THE SUPERINTENDENT ROLE AT ALL.
THIS IS BASICALLY JUST THE GOVERNANCE PRACTICE OF THE BOARD AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT.
SO THAT, UM, THANK YOU, UH, MRS. CUSHEN BARRY, UH, UP ON THE BOARD, YOU'LL, UH, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE IS A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION THAT WAS NOT IN, UH, THE MATERIAL THAT I SENT OUT THAT YOU ALL HAVE HAD SINCE LAST THURSDAY.
AND THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT'S UNDER POWERPOINT WAS ONLY COPY AND PASTED FROM THE REVIEW.
SO AS I GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE, THERE ARE 12 SLIDES, ONE PER RECOMMENDATION.
AS I GO THROUGH THE 12 SLIDES, I WILL MENTION BOTH THE POLICY PAGE NUMBER AND THE REVIEW PAGE NUMBER.
YEAH, THE PEOPLE ONLINE CANNOT SEE THE, UM, THE PRESENTATION.
I MEAN, WE CAN SEE THAT IT'S POSTED THERE, BUT IT'S, IT'S OUT OF FOCUS.
DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE REVIEW OR THE POLICY THAT ARE INCLUDED IN, UH, IN, IN THE DILIGENT COMMUNITY? I HAVE OFF AND ON TODAY.
AND RIGHT NOW I'M IN A PLACE WHERE I DON'T HAVE GOOD INTERNET, UM, SERVICE, AND I CANNOT ACCESS YOUR, UH, 25 OR 26 PAGE, UH, REVIEW.
BUT I'VE, I'VE LOOKED AT IT CAREFULLY, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THE POWERPOINT TOO.
CAN THAT BE DISPLAYED ON THE SCREEN? IT IS BEING DISPLAYED ON THE SCREEN CURRENTLY, NO, BUT NOT ON THE, UH, SCREENS FOR PEOPLE JOINED BY ZOOM.
I I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CORRECT THAT THEN IF YOU CAN'T.
I MEAN, IT'S, UH, ROBIN IS SHARING HER SCREEN AND IT'S UP FOR, SO THE TV THAT WE SEE IN, IN THE, IN THE BOARD ROOM RIGHT NOW IS SHOWING THE, THE PRESENTATION.
UH, CAN SOMEONE SEND THE PRESENTATION TO DR. WATTS THROUGH THE MAIL? SHE HAS THE POWERPOINT, RIGHT? SHE DOES NOT.
CAN, CAN, UM, UH, I, UH, PASTOR GORDON SEE IT, MR. GORDON.
[00:30:01]
IT.SO IT, HAS ANYONE EMAILED IT TO HER? UH, MRS. CUSHEN, BARRY IS GOING TO EMAIL YOU THE, THE SLIDE DECK REAL QUICK OR, OKAY.
UM, ROBIN'S, UH, SCREEN SAYS THAT SHE'S, UH, THE CAMERA IS OFF.
SO MS. WISE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT EMAILED TO YOU, AND, UH, MAYBE YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG IN THAT MANNER.
SO FOR ALSO EACH ONE OF THESE, UM, THERE ARE 12 RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT I FOUND AND WHAT CHAT GPT, UH, AND I WENT THROUGH AND, UH, CAME TO CONCLUSIONS ON.
UH, FOR EACH ONE, I WILL SHARE THE PRIORITY, UH, THE CLASSIFICATION, SO TO SPEAK, AND, UM, THE POLICY NUMBER AND SOME BRIEF COMMENTS ON EACH ONE.
UH, THIS IS 12 SLIDES, AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO GET THROUGH 'EM QUICKLY.
UH, NUMBER ONE, BOARD REQUEST VERSUS FORMAL BOARD DIRECTIVE.
THIS IS A MEDIUM PRIORITY, UH, AND THE CLASSIFICATION IS FOR CLARIFICATION.
THIS IS POLICY GC TWO, PAGE EIGHT, OR IF YOU HAVE THE REVIEW IN FRONT OF YOU, IT'S PAGE FOUR.
THIS, UH, PRINT, UH, THIS PRINCIPLE PROTECTS BOTH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD BY ENSURING THE BOARD AUTHORITY IS EXERCISED ONLY THROUGH FORMAL BOARD ACTION OR POLICIES ADOPTED BY THE BOARD AS A WHOLE.
ABSENT IN WRITTEN POLICY IS BOARD MEMBERS MAY REASONABLY BELIEVE THAT INFORMAL REQUESTS CONSTITUTE BOARD DIRECTION.
THE SUPERINTENDENT MAY FEEL OBLIGATED TO RESPOND TO REQUESTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE BOARD.
STAFF MAY CON, UH, RECEIVE CONFLICTING PRIORITIES FROM DIFFERENT BOARD MEMBERS.
SUFFICIENT STAFF RESOURCES MAY BE DEVOTED TO WORK THAT WAS NEVER FORMALLY APPROVED BY THE BOARD, AND FUTURE BOARDS MAY HAVE, MAY APPLY INCONSISTENT PRACTICES.
UH, IN MY FOUR YEARS ON THE BOARD, I HAVE SEEN EVERY ONE OF THESE EXAMPLES CLARIFY IN THIS DISTINCTION, STRENGTHENS GOVERNANCE BY REINFORCING COLLECTIVE BOARD AUTHORITY, WHILE PRESERVING THE ABILITY FOR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS TO ASK QUESTIONS AND REQUEST INFORMATION.
SO THIS GOES ALONG THE WHOLE LINE OF GOVERNMENT.
UM, UH, THE COHERENCE GOVERNMENT IDEA THAT THE BOARD SPEAKS, ITS ONE VOICE.
EVERYTHING THAT THE BOARD DOES IS AS DIRECTIVE COMES FROM THE BOARD, COMES FROM A BOARD VOTE, AND IS D DIRECTLY COMMUNICATED, UM, TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT, AT THE ACTUAL REVIEW, THERE IS ACTUAL, UH, RECOMMENDED POLICY LANGUAGE IN THERE, WHICH WE CAN GET INTO IN FURTHER MEETINGS.
NUMBER TWO, STANDING COMMITTEES.
THIS IS A HIGH PRIORITY AND NEEDS IMMEDIATE, UH, AMENDMENT CHANGE.
THIS IS POLICY GC FIVE, PAGE 24 IN THE POLICY MANUAL OR REVIEW PAGE SIX.
DURING THE REVIEW PERIOD, THIS IS FEBRUARY, 2021 TO, UH, JUNE OF 2026.
SO FIVE YEAR PERIOD, JUST OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
DURING THE REVIEW PERIOD, BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION UTILIZED SEVERAL STANDING COMMITTEES TO, TO, TO ASSIST IN CARRYING OUT THE PORTIONS OF ITS GOVERNANCE RESPONSIBILITIES.
THESE COMMITTEES BECAME REOCCURRING COMPONENTS OF THE BOARD'S GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, WHILE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES DISCUSSED THROUGH BOARD ACTIONS AND ANNUAL WORK PLANS.
THE GOVERNANCE MANUAL DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY COMPREHENSIVE POLICY ESTABLISHING, AND I, THIS IS ALL THAT THE AUTHORITY TO CREATE STANDING COMMITTEES.
IT DOESN'T ESTABLISH THE POLICY FOR CREATING OR DISSOLVING COMMITTEES.
IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP OR APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS REPORTING REQUIREMENTS TO THE BOARD COMMITTEE OPERATION PROCEDURES, OR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMMITTEES AND THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE STAFF.
CONSEQUENTLY, AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THE BOARD'S GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE OPERATED PRIMARILY THROUGH THE BOARD PRACTICE RATHER THAN WRITTEN GOVERNANCE POLICY.
SO WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING THROUGH OUR COMMITTEES ON JUST WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
THERE IS NOTHING IN THE, IN THE POLICY MANUAL THAT SAYS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE AN ACADEMIC FINANCE AND OPERATION COMMITTEE, WHICH WE'VE JUST KIND OF TOOK ON FAITH THAT THOSE ARE THREE STANDING COMMITTEES.
THE ACTUAL ONLY COMMITTEE THAT THE POLICY SAYS IS A STANDING PERMANENT COMMITTEE IS THE POLICY COMMITTEE OF WHICH WE ARE NOT OPERATING RIGHT NOW.
NUMBER THREE, BOARD COMMUNICATION MEDIAN PRIORITY.
THIS IS A CLASSIFICATION OF CLARIFICATION, AND THIS AFFECTS, UH, GOVERNANCE, UH, BOARD POLICY GC TWO, 2.3.
WHEN I SAY 0.3, THAT'S PARAGRAPH THREE, UH, 2.5, TWO POINT 19, TWO POINT 23.
AND ALL THAT STARTS ON PAGE EIGHT OF THE POLICY MANUAL.
UH, AND I DID NOT PUT THE PAGE MANUAL FOR THE REVIEW.
THE GOVERNANCE MANUAL ESTABLISHES THAT THE BOARD ACTS COLLECTIVELY, HOWEVER, ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION MAY, UH, ASSIST FUTURE BOARDS IN REGARDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT, DISTRICT STAFF, AND THE PUBLIC.
UH, THIS IS THE AREAS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
BOARD MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE, THE BOARD IN PUBLIC AND OFFICIALS.
SO, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE, THE, UM, S-C-S-B-A WANTS ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS TO
[00:35:01]
SPEAK, IT HAS TO BE VOTED ON BY THE BOARD, AND THE BOARD HAS TO APPROVE, UH, REPRESENTATION, UH, OF THAT.IN THAT INSTANCE, BOARD MEMBERS COMMUNICATING WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD'S COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC, IE THE ELECTRONIC COMMENT CARD, THAT ALL HAS TO BE UPDATED.
NUMBER FOUR, UH, LET'S SEE, NOBODY, NOBODY'S ASKING QUESTIONS YET.
ALRIGHT, UH, NUMBER FOUR, MONITORING REPORTS, FORMAT AND CONTENT.
THIS IS A MEDIUM PRIORITY, AND THIS IS IFICATION IS BEST PRACTICE.
THIS IS THE BOARD SUPERINTENDENT POLICY 5.2, THE BSR POLICY, 5.2 POLICY, PAGE 42.
AND ON THE REVIEW, IT'S PAGE 10.
MONITORING IS ONE OF THE BOARD'S PRIMARY GOVERNANCE'S RESPONSIBILITIES.
UNDER THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE MODEL, THE BOARD RELIES UPON MONITORING REPORTS TO DETERMINE WHETHER SUPERINTENDENT HAS COMPLIED WITH BOARD POLICY AND WHETHER DISTRICT PERFORMANCE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE BOARD STATED ENDS AND EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS.
STANDARDIZING THE STRUCTURE OF MONITORING REPORTS THAT WOULD IMPROVE GOVERNANCE BY ENSURING THAT EACH REPORT CONSISTENTLY IDENTIFIES THE POLICY BEING MONITORED, THE MONITORING PERIOD, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S INTERPRETATION OF THE PO UH, UH, POLICY WERE APPROPRIATE.
AND THERE'S A LIST OF THINGS, UH, JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
FINANCE OPERATIONS, UH, ALL REQUIRE MONITORING REPORTS.
I THINK THERE'S A FOOD SERVICE ONE, THERE'S THERE, THERE'S SEVERAL THAT REQUIRE MONITORING.
UH, AND SO FAR, UH, AT LEAST IN MY LIMITED TIME ON THE BOARD, UH, WE ARE GETTING MONITORING PORTS.
UH, BUT, AND I'M, I'LL TOUCH ON THIS LATER, UH, WE'RE NOT GETTING THEM IN A CONSISTENT MANNER.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT IN A REGULAR, UH, FOUR YEAR PLAN.
UH, WE'RE GETTING THEM AS, UH, AS THE DEPARTMENTS, UH, HAVE SOMETHING TO UPDATE, UM, OR WE GET THEM IN, UH, SOME DIFFERENT TYPES OF FORMATS AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT MAY BE LOOKED AT THERE.
NUMBER FIVE, ALIGNING OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND THIS IS FOR CLASSIFICATION.
THIS AFFECTS GC FOUR POLICY PAGE IS NUMBER 20, AND THE REVIEW PAGE IS 12.
UNDER THE COHERENCE GOVERNANCE MODEL, THE GOVERNANCE MANUAL ESTABLISHES GOVERNANCE AUTHORITY, NOT DAY-TO-DAY OPERATING PROCEDURES.
WE KNOW THIS BOARD OFFICERS DRIVE THEIR AUTHORITY FROM THE BOARD AND SERVE PRIMARILY TO FACILITATE THE WORK OF THE BOARD AS A COLLECTIVE GOVERNING BODY.
OFFICER RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD THEREFORE FOCUS ON GOVERNANCE FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING FACILITATING EFFECTIVE BOARD MEETINGS, ENSURING THE BOARD FOLLOWS ITS GOVERNANCE POLICIES, UH, AUTHENTICATING OFFICIAL BOARD ACTIONS WHEN REQUIRED AND REPRESENTING THE BOARD WHEN AUTHORIZED BY BOARD ACTION.
DETAILED PROCEDURE TASKS SUCH AS ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATION OR CLERICAL FUNCTIONS ARE MORE APPROPRIATELY ADDRESSED OUTSIDE THE GOVERNANCE MANUALS.
UH, UNLESS SPEC SPECIFICALLY REQUIRED BY LAW, STILL, NO QUESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, MOVING ON BOARD, PROCEED.
NUMBER SIX, UH, BOARD PROCEDURE, WELL, HALFWAY BOARD PROCEDURE VERSUS PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY.
THIS IS MEDIAN PRIORITY FOR CLA CLARIFICATION, AND THIS IS, UH, AFFECTS GC 2.4 AND GC SIX.
DETAILED PARLIAMENTARY UH, PROCEDURES ARE GENERALLY ADMINISTRATIVE IN NATURE.
ATTEMPTING TO CODIFY EVERY PROCEDURAL CONTINGENCY WITHIN THE COVERAGE SPANIEL CAN MAKE THE DOCUMENT LONGER, MORE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND AND MAINTAIN AND MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FREQUENT AMENDMENTS FOR ISSUES THAT DO NOT AFFECT GOVERNANCE PHILOSOPHY.
BY IDENTIFYING AND RECOGNIZING PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY, UH, AS THE DEFAULT SOURCE OF PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS, NOT, UM, NOT OTHERWISE AUTHORIZED BY, I'M SORRY, ADDRESSED BY BOARD POLICY OR LAW.
IF WE DO THIS, THE BOARD CAN MAINTAIN A CONCISE GOVERNANCE MANUAL, PROMOTE CONSISTENCY IN MEETING, UH, UH, ADMINISTRATION, REDUCE UNCERTAINTY WHEN PROCEDURAL DISPUTES ARISE, AVOID UNNECESSARY AMENDMENTS TO ADDRESS ISOLATED PARLIAMENTARY ISSUES.
UH, SO AGAIN, WE, UH, WE'VE JUST BEEN OPERATING ON BA BEST PRACTICE.
WHEN I CAME ON THE BOARD, I WAS JUST TOLD WE USE ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, BUT WE DO PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT WE WANT OUT OF ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER.
UH, WHAT, WHAT I'M SUGGESTING AND RECOMMENDING IS THAT WE CODIFY THAT WE USE ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER.
UH, THERE IS SOME, UH, LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT WE USE ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER BASED ON SMALL BOARDS OR, OR BASED FOR SMALL BOARDS.
UH, SURE WE CAN USE THAT, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO DECIDE THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.
THERE ARE MANY THINGS IN ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER THAT WE JUST DON'T DO.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO EACH OTHER.
ALL COMMENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DIRECTED AT THE CHAIR, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, SO THERE'S, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT NEED SOME WORK IN THAT.
NUMBER SEVEN, STILL NO QUESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, NUMBER SEVEN, GOVERNANCE MANUAL AMENDMENT AND REVISION PROCESS.
THIS IS A HIGH PRIORITY AND A, UH, CHANGE TO POLICIES NEEDED.
THIS IS AFFECTS GC 5.4 A AND THE POLICY POLICY PAGE 24, OR REVIEW PAGE 16.
THE GOVERNANCE MANUAL DOES NOT INCLUDE A FORMAL PROCESS FOR DOCUMENTING POLICY AMENDMENTS WITHIN THE MANUAL ITSELF OR MAINTAINING A CONSOLIDATED REVISION HISTORY.
AS A RESULT, A READER MUST OFTEN COMPARE MULTIPLE ADDITIONS OF GOVERNANCE MANUAL, OR REVIEW HISTORICAL BOARD MINUTES TO DETERMINE WHEN A POLICY HAS CHANGED.
WHAT WAS THE CHANGE WHEN THE CHANGE OCCURRED, AND WHETHER THE POLICY GOVERNANCE MANUAL WILL FLEX ALL BOARD APPROVED AMENDMENTS.
UH, AND SO THERE'S NO FORMAL AMENDMENT PROCEDURE, WHICH IS WHY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG BECAUSE I HAD TO KEEP GOING WHEN I HAD TO QUESTION.
I LITERALLY HAD TO GO BACK THROUGH FIVE YEARS WITH THE MOTIONS.
AND I'M NOT TALKING, UM, UH, MOTIONS TO ADJOURN.
A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
UM, THERE ARE OVER THREE, ALMOST 400 MOTIONS THAT THEORETICALLY OR COULD AFFECT POLICY, AND IT TOOK A LONG TIME EVEN WITH CHAT.
[00:40:01]
THE POLICY MANUAL IS LACKING IS NO FORMAL AMENDMENT PROCEDURE, NO REQUIREMENT, UH, FOR FIRST OR SECOND READINGS.THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO BEEN JUST A KIND OF UNDERSTOOD.
THERE IS NOTHING THAT SAYS THAT WE NEED TWO READINGS TO ACCEPT A POLICY.
NO REQUIRED GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE REVIEW BEFORE BOARD ACTION, NO REQUIRED FOR LEGAL REVIEW, NO REVISION HISTORY OR AMENDMENT LONG, NO REVISION CONTROL OR VERSION CONTROL, NO REQUIREMENT TO PERIODICALLY REVIEW ALL GOVERNMENT POLICIES.
UH, ROBIN HAS DONE A BANG UP JOB OF EVERY TIME SHE'S IDENTIFIED THAT A POLICY HAS BEEN AFFECTED.
SHE'S PUT IT IN AS KIND OF A CITATION AT THE END OF ONE OF THE POLICIES, BUT THERE SHOULD BE A FORMAL AMENDMENT LOG AT THE END OF EVERY POLICY THAT NOTES EVERY CHANGE, WHEN IT WAS CHANGED, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT I JUST LISTED.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY HIGH PRIORITY AS FAR AS MY, BECAUSE WE'VE GONE FIVE YEARS WITHOUT THIS.
NUMBER EIGHT, ANNUAL GOVERNANCE CALENDAR, HIGH PRIORITY AMENDMENT NEEDED.
DURING THE REVIEW PERIOD, THE BOARD REGULARLY CARRIED, AND AGAIN, THIS IS FEBRUARY 21 TO JUNE OF 2026.
THE BOARD REGULARLY CARRIED OUT REOCCURRING GOVERNANCE RESPONSIBILITIES, INCLUDING POLICY MONITORING, STRATEGIC DISCUSSIONS, ORGANIZATIONAL MEETINGS, BUDGET RELATED GOVERNANCE ACTIONS, AND BOARD DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES WHILE THESE ACTIVITIES OCCURRED.
THE GOVERNANCE MANUAL DOES NOT ESTABLISH AN ANNUAL GOVERNANCE CALENDAR, IDENTIFYING WHEN RECURRING GOVERNANCE RESPONSIBILITIES SHOULD ORDINARILY BE CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD.
AS A RESULT, SCHEDULING OF GOVERNANCE ACTIVITIES DEPEND LARGELY UPON THE ANNUAL PLANNING, RATHER THAN A GOVERNANCE PROCESS INCORPORATED INTO THE GOVERNANCE MANUAL.
EXAMPLES OF REOCCURRING POLICIES THAT ARE MENTIONED IN OTHER AREAS OF THE POLICY THAT SHOULD BE ON AN ANNUAL WORK CALENDAR COULD INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO
UH, IT JUST SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO DO IT.
IT DOESN'T SAY, I THINK IT SAYS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO APPROVE THE CALENDAR IN AUGUST, BUT IT DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY MENTION ANY OF THESE THINGS.
SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION, THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY EVALUATION BOARD SELF-EVALUATION.
IT WAS ACTUALLY PASSED IN, UH, IN, IN MOTION THAT WE SHOULD BE EVALUATING OUR OURSELF AS A BOARD ONCE A MONTH.
THAT'S THE ACTUAL STANDING POLICY.
UM, IT DOESN'T CLARIFY WHEN WE DO THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS, OUR, OUR POLICY REVIEWS, OUR BUDGET ACTIONS OR TRAINING.
THESE HAVE ALL JUST BEEN BEST PRACTICES THAT WE'VE JUST KIND OF TAKEN FOR GRANTED.
THIS IS HOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IT.
THERE'S ACTUALLY NOTHING IN THE GOVERNANCE CALENDAR THAT MENTIONS ANY OF THOSE.
WE ACTUALLY, UH, ROBIN PUTS TOGETHER FOR US AND, UH, AN ANNUAL MEETING CALENDAR.
SO WE HAVE WORK SESSIONS AND OUR REGULAR MEETINGS ARE, ARE LAID OUT, BUT NONE OF THOSE OTHER THINGS ARE ACTUALLY IN A WORK CALENDAR THAT SAYS, THIS IS WHAT WE DO ANNUALLY.
ALRIGHT, UH, NUMBER NINE, BOARD EDUCATION POLICY, LOW PRIORITY.
AND THIS IS THE BEST PRACTICE.
POLICY, PAGE EIGHT AND REVIEW PAGE.
I DIDN'T PUT THAT ONE ON EITHER, MAN.
UH, COHERENT GOVERNANCE ASSUMES THE BOARD MEMBERS GOVERN THROUGH POLICY RATHER THAN MANU MANAGEMENT.
THAT REQUIRES CONTINUING EDUCATION.
BOARD EDUCATION POLICY REINFORCES THE BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO UNDERSTAND GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES, REMAIN INFORMED REGARDING CHANGES IN LAW, IMPROVE GOVERNANCE EFFECTIVENESS, AND STRENGTHEN INSTITUTIONAL CONTINUITY.
THIS RECOMMENDATION DOES NOT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL TRAINING BEYOND WHAT THE BOARD MEMBER, UH, THE BOARDS DEEM THE BOARD DEEMS APPROPRIATE.
IT SIMPLY RECOGNIZES BOARD DEVELOPMENT AS A GOVERNANCE FUNCTION, WHICH, UH, OUR CURRENT CHAIR HAS BEEN, UH, VERY ADAMANT ABOUT AS, AS FAR AS EDUCATION GOES, UH, WHICH IS NICE.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE? ANY QUESTIONS? MOVING ON.
THIS IS HIGH PRIORITY AND NEEDS AN AMENDMENT.
THIS IS GC 3.6 POLICY, PAGE EIGHT REVIEW.
UNDER POLICY GOVERNANCE MOD, UM, MODEL THE GOVERNING BODY, OR SORRY, THE BOARD GOVERNS PRIMARILY THROUGH WRITTEN POLICY, SIGNIFICANT GOVERNANCE PO PROCESSES SHOULD THEREFORE BE DOCUMENTED WITHIN THE GOVERNANCE MANUAL, RATHER THAN EXISTING SOLELY AS AN INFORMAL OR CUSTOMARY PRACTICE, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN DOING AT ALL.
CODIFY AND BOARD SELF-EVALUATION PROVIDES SEVERAL GOVERNANCE BENEFITS.
ESTABLISHING CONSISTENCY FROM YEAR TO YEAR PROMOTES ACCOUNTABILITY TO AGREED GOVERNANCE STANDARDS, CREATES CONTINUITY DURING BOARD MEMBERSHIP CHANGES, CLARIFIES EXPECTATIONS FOR FUTURE BOARDS, REINFORCES CONTINUOUS GOVERNANCE IMPROVEMENT AND REDUCES THE RISK THAT GOVERNING OR GOVERNANCE PRACTICES DEPEND UPON INDIVIDUAL LEADERSHIP PREFERENCES.
MISSING FROM THE POLICY IS THE PURPOSE OF SELF SELF-EVALUATION, THE FREQUENCY, THE EVALUATION METHOD, HOW RESULTS SHOULD BE REVIEWED, UH, OR USED.
AND THE, UH, EXPECTATION OF FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS.
I'VE, UH, IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT I HAVE MENTIONED, UH, PROBABLY GOING ON TWO YEARS NOW, THAT, THAT I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING THIS.
AND, UH, CHAT CHIEF PT AGREED WITH ME, SO I, I FEEL JUSTIFIED VALIDATED FOR THAT.
AND THEN WE'RE ON NUMBER 11, FOUR YEAR GOVERNANCE MANUAL REVIEW CYCLE.
THIS IS LOW, LOW PRIORITY BEST PRACTICE.
THIS AFFECTS GC 6.2, UH, 0.4 POLICY, PAGE 25 AND REVIEW
[00:45:01]
PAGE 23.GOVERNANCE MANUALS NATURALLY EVOLVE AS BOARD CHANGES.
THE BOARD, UH, PRACTICES CHANGE, LAW CHANGES AND GOVERNANCE EXPERIENCE INCREASES WITHOUT PERIODIC REVIEW.
GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS GRADUALLY BECOME OUTDATED.
THE RECOMMENDATION DOES NOT REQUIRE POLICY CHANGES EVERY FOUR YEARS.
INSTEAD, IT REQUIRES A BOARD TO DETERMINE WHETHER CHANGES ARE NEEDED.
SO WHAT WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING IS THAT WE CREATE A FOUR YEAR CYCLE THAT GOES THROUGH ALL OF OUR, UH, ALL 35 POLICIES.
THERE ARE 12 GOVERNANCE POLICIES, FIVE BOARD RELAY SUPERINTENDENT POLICIES, AND 18, UM, OES RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO THIS WOULD CREATE A FOUR YEAR CYCLE THAT WE GET THROUGH ALL THE OES AND THE ARS, AS WELL AS, UH, ALL THE STUFF THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO ANNUALLY.
UH, THE RECOMMENDATION DOES NOT REQUIRE POLICY CHANGE.
I ALREADY DID ALL THAT REGULAR VIEW.
UH, AND THEN, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IS WE KIND OF ALTERED OUR, UH, AGENDA A LITTLE BIT.
WE PUT EXECUTIVE SESSION, THIS IS THE LOW, LOW PRIORITY, BUT BASED, UH, BEST PRACTICE.
THIS IS AFFECTS GC TWO POINT 11 DELTA, THIS IS POLICY PAGE 10 AND REVIEW PAGE 12.
I THINK, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, OR FOIA AS WE CALL IT, DOES NOT REQUIRE EXECUTIVE SESSION TO OCCUR AT THE BEGINNING OF A MEETING.
RATHER, IT REQUIRES THAT EXECUTIVE SESSIONS BE PROPERLY NOTIFIED, LIMITED TO AUTHORIZED PURPOSES, AND THAT ANY OFFICIAL, UH, ACTION BE TAKEN IN PUBLIC SESSION.
CONDUCTING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTER THE PUBLIC, UH, AGENDA BETTER ALIGNS WITH PRINCIPLES OF TRANSPARENCY BY ENSURING THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY OBSERVE ALL PUBLIC DELIBERATIONS WITHOUT DELAY.
ROUTINE BOARD BUSINESS IS COMPLETED IN OPEN SESSIONS BEFORE ENTERING CLOSED SESSION.
UH, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION OCCURS BEFORE THE BOARD DISCUSSIONS CON CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS, AND EXECUTIVE SESSION REMAINS CLEARLY SEPARATED FROM THE BOARD'S PUBLIC DECISION MAKING.
THIS RECOMMENDATION DOES NOT AFFECT THE BOARD'S AUTHORITY TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION WHENEVER LEGALLY APPROPRIATE.
IT SIMPLY ESTABLISHES NORMAL ORDER OF BUSINESSES WHILE PRESERVING FLEXIBILITY, UH, FOR CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH EXECUTIVE SESSION SHOULD OCCUR EARLIER IN THE MEETING.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, MR. CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE STAND UP OUR, OUR POLICY COMMITTEE IMMEDIATELY.
UH, THIS, UH, AND AND I ALSO MOVE AS PART OF THAT MOTION THAT THE SECRETARY BE THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE.
AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? JUST 1.0, SORRY.
HE WAS BEING GALVAN OR GAL, NOT GALVAN.
UM, YOU, YOU ARE ALSO MAKING A MOTION THAT IT BE A STANDING COMMITTEE, NOT JUST STAND UP A COMMITTEE.
CORRECT? IT CURRENTLY IN POLICY IS THE ONLY STANDING COMMITTEE MENTIONED.
UH, WE, WE NEED TO STAND UP THE STANDING COMMITTEE, MR. SMITH.
UH, SO I'M SO UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE BASICALLY IN THIS MOTION, YOU'RE JUST ASKING FOR THIS TO, UH, COMMITTEE TO BE AGGRAVATED.
IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? YES.
CURRENTLY WE, WE DON'T HAVE A, AN ACTIVE POLICY COMMITTEE.
WELL, UM, I THOUGHT THAT, UM, WE WERE GOING TO FURTHER THIS DISCUSSION IN, AT THE WORK SESSION IN, UH, ON AUGUST.
SO, UH, I WAS WONDERING, WAS THERE, WAS THERE SOME, WAS THERE A PARTICULAR REASON WHY WE WOULD NEED TO DO THAT IMMEDIATELY VERSUS WAIT UNTIL WE TAKE OUR TIME AND GO THROUGH THIS AS A BOARD IN AUGUST AT THE WORK SESSION? UH, WAS THERE A NEED FOR, WAS THERE AN IMMEDIATE NEED RIGHT NOW TO, UH, GOD BLESS YOU.
THAT IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION AND WHAT I'M PREPARED TO ANSWER.
UM, THERE IS STILL SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE THAT TO BE PREPARED FOR THE, THE WORK SESSION.
UH, THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
WE, ALL THESE THINGS NEED TO BE PUT INTO PRESENTABLE ITEMS THAT WHEN WE COME TO THE WORK SESSION, THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY LOOK NOT ONLY AT THE, THE BRIEF COMMENTS THAT I'VE MADE, BUT WE CAN DO A GRANULAR DEEP DIVE ON ALL OF THESE AND HAVE ALL THAT MATERIAL READY TO GO AS WELL AS, UM, THE RECOMMENDED GOVERNANCE LANGUAGE IF WE CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, THE POLICY THAT NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
CAN I ASK, CAN I, CAN I WEIGH IN YOU CHAIR? YOU CAN TALK WHENEVER YOU WANT.
UM, JUST, JUST TO, OKAY, I'LL, I'LL GO TO HER AS WELL.
UM, THE, THE INTENT WAS TO HAVE A VERY THOROUGH DETAILED REVIEW OF THE POLICY MANUAL AS IT EXISTS, INCORPORATING ANY MOTIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR SO, WHICH AS, UM, MR. NA MENTIONED, MS. CUSHING DID A SUPERB JOB OF GOING THROUGH THOSE AND LISTING ALL OF THOSE.
WHEN I FIRST LOOKED AT THE POLICY MANUAL BACK IN JANUARY AFTER BEING VOTED CHAIR, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TENDS TO OCCUR WHEN YOU HAVE ROTATING LEADERSHIP, YOUR LEADERSHIP MOVES ON, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO DO THE WORK AND KNOW THE WORK ARE STILL THERE.
SO WHAT YOU TEND TO GET IS A LOT OF WHY ARE WE DOING IT THIS WAY? WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT THAT WAY.
AND THAT DOESN'T IN BASICALLY INDEMNIFY US AGAINST CHANGES
[00:50:01]
IN THE ENVIR, THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS THE LEADERSHIP.DO THEY WANNA DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT? AND YOU LOOK AT COVID AND THE IMPACT IT HAD ON BASICALLY PARALYZING SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS, THE THINKING WAS, LET'S BE VERY METHODICAL.
LET'S CHOOSE OUR SECRETARY, BOARD SECRETARY TO GO THROUGH IT WITH DETAIL TO HIGHLIGHT ALL THE THINGS THAT WHERE THERE ARE GAPS.
AND I THINK HE'S DONE A WONDERFUL JOB OF THAT.
WE ASKED HIM TO BE SPECIFIC LIKE THAT.
THE INTENTION WAS NOT TO VOTE.
MY INTENTION WAS NOT TO VOTE ON IT TODAY, BUT TO GIVE EVERY BOARD MEMBER THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH IT JUST LIKE HE DID.
AND HE'S CREATED A VERY VOLUMINOUS DOCUMENT.
WE ALL CAN READ IT, UNDERSTAND HE'S GOING TO BE HERE, DR.
CARR'S GONNA BE HERE, MS. CUSHING BERRY, EVERYBODY.
AND THEN, AND WE ALREADY ARE TRYING TO ARRANGE A DATE FOR THE COHERENT COVENANTS SO THAT EVERYBODY GETS THAT WE'RE DRINKING FROM THE SAME HOLES, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE MANY MULTIPLE SMALLER HOLES THAT ALL OF US ARE DRINKING FROM.
SO I WOULD, UH, I KNOW THE SECRETARY SAYS, LET'S STAND IT UP TODAY, BUT I WOULD PREFER THAT WE ACTUALLY GIVE THE ENTIRE BOARD TIME TO GO THROUGH IT.
AND THEN AT THE FUTURE MEETING VERY SOON, HAPPENING IN 2026, NOT MOVING OVER INTO 2027.
SO EVERY PERSON COMES IN INFORMED AS TO WHAT THEY BELIEVE SHOULD BE, CHANGES THE BOARD AS A WHOLE.
VOTES ON IT AS HE'S ASKING TODAY, BUT JUST GIVE US TWO OR THREE OR FOUR WEEKS TO GO THROUGH IT SO EVERY BOARD MEMBER HAS THE SAME ACCESS AND TIME THAT THIS GENTLEMAN HAS HAD.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT IT.
GU, UM, THANK YOU, UH, CHAIRMAN, I, I GOT LOTS OF QUESTIONS AND, AND SOME COMMENTS.
AND, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY, UH, THANK YOU, VICTOR.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK AND I, I RECOGNIZE THAT ESPECIALLY, UM, UH, THIS BEING MY NINTH YEAR ON THE BOARD AND HAVING BEEN VERY INVOLVED WITH POLICY DEVELOPMENT, UH, OVER THOSE YEARS.
UM, SO I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
FIRST, AND THIS IS GOING TO DIVERGE A LITTLE BIT FROM THE MOTION ON THE TABLE.
SO, UM, BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA HAVE A QUE Q AND A THING, AND I WAS WAITING UNTIL YOU FINISHED, VICTOR, I DIDN'T WANNA INTERRUPT YOUR PRESENTATION.
SO WHAT EXACTLY YOU CALLED IT A CLEAN AUDIT? WHAT, WHAT WERE YOU AUDITING? SORRY, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK WHEN THE LAST PART OF THE QUESTION.
COULD YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? WHAT WERE YOU AUDITING? SO THIS IS CALLED A CLEAN AUDIT.
WHAT, WHAT WAS BEING AUDITED? YEAH.
SO, UM, I TOOK THE MOTIONS, ALL, ALL THE MOTIONS, 300, ALMOST 400 MOTIONS, UH, THAT ARE IN OUR MOTION, UH, ARCHIVE.
AND I COMPARED THEM AGAINST TO, UH, TO CHAT.
GPTI UPLOADED OUR ENTIRE, OUR ENTIRE POLICY MANUAL.
AND THE FIRST THING I ASKED, ARE THERE ANY OF THE MOTIONS THAT CONFLICT WITH POLICY? AND IT SAID NO.
AND I SAID, ARE THERE ANY MOTIONS THAT, UH, NEEDED TO BE ADDED OR REVISED, UM, TO MEET POLICY? AND IT SAID, YES, BRIT, ARE THERE ANY MOTIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE REST OF THIS STUFF THAT ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE COULD BE, UH, UH, MAKE MORE EFFICIENT OR STREAMLINE OUR PROCESSES? YES,
UM, SO WHAT THIS IS AN AUDIT OF IS ALL THE MOTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE SINCE 20 FEBRUARY, 2021 VERSUS OUR CURRENT POLICY MANUAL THAT HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2021.
IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
UM, SO WE HAVE DEFINITELY UPDATED THE, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION.
UH, THAT WAS DONE, UM, JANUARY 26TH OF 24, AND THE SECOND READING WAS FEBRUARY 6TH OF 24.
AND, UM, SO THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO KNOW WAS, WHAT IS THE RISK ASSESSMENT? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT RISK ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE MANUAL? UH, THE, THE RISK ASSESSMENT WAS BASICALLY SAYING WHAT IS THE, UH, THE EFFECT THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAVE ON BOARD OPERATIONS, UH, AND MOVING FORWARD.
SO IF THE, IF IT'S, IF IT'S A HIGH RISK THING, THEN THEN WE NEED, PROBABLY NEED AN AMENDMENT TO, OR A REVISED POLICY OR NEED TO STAND UP A POLICY IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THE RISK TO THE BOARD IS THAT IT, IT COULD INCUR SOME TYPE OF LEGAL, LEGAL LIABILITY.
AND I CAN I SPEAK TO THAT AS WELL? I, I LIKE TO REINFORCE WHAT THE SECRETARY IS SAYING.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE VOLUME OF CONTENT AND GUIDANCE THAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS DOCUMENT, IT'S OVERWHELMING.
AND WE WANT IT TO BE VERY THOROUGH AND TIMELY, BUT GIVING SUFFICIENT TIME TO DO A VERY THOROUGH JOB.
[00:55:01]
COMING IN AS A NEW CHAIR? YOU ARE ASKING PEOPLE WHO ARE PROFESSIONALS AND WELL TRAINED ON WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING, BUT IS THAT WHAT'S IN POLICY? SO ONE OF MY RESPONSES WAS BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGE OR RECOMMENDING ANY CHANGE, I CONFER WITH THE ATTORNEYS THAT HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.SO I ASK THEM, WHAT'S THE RISK IF I DO THIS? WHAT'S THE RISK? IF THE BOARD DOES THIS, WHAT'S THE RISK IF WE KNOW IT AND DO NOTHING? AND THAT RAISE THE LEVEL OF URGENCY ABOUT BRINGING THE WHOLE BOARD INTO THIS CONVERSATION.
SO NO ONE CAN SAY, WELL, CARLTON'S CREATING HIS OWN PERSONAL OPINION.
NO, THIS GENTLEMAN HAS SAID HE'S A SUPPORTER AND I AM TOO OF THE WHOLE BOARD SEEING WHATEVER YOU REVIEW.
AND WE GET TOGETHER AGAIN, AND THEN WE SAY, OKAY, WHAT ARE THE MOST RISK RISKY GAPS THAT WE STILL HAVE? AND I THINK THE SE SECRETARY HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF THAT SO FAR.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? ANYONE WHO CAN I, CAN I JUST SAY A COUPLE OTHER THINGS? SO, YES.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO WEIGH IN? NO, OVER HERE.
MS. UM, ALLRIGHT, ANYTHING? NO, I'M JUST WAITING.
WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THE MOTION, ACTUALLY SINCE YOU CALLED.
I THINK THAT THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING HERE.
ONE IS THE RECOGNITION OF A NEED FOR A POLICY COMMITTEE AND THAT IT'S STATED IN OUR CURRENT GOVERNANCE MANUAL.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS ALL THE RESEARCH DATA ANALYSIS THAT'S BROUGHT FORWARD THAT WOULD BE REVIEWED BY THE POLICY COMMITTEE.
RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A MECHANISM TO DO THE WORK THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO FOCUS THAT I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT OF GETTING THIS COMMITTEE UP AND GOING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
MR. SMITH, UM, ONE THING I'LL GO BACK TO SAYING IS THAT WHAT, WHAT I THINK OF KIND OF WHAT YOU, WHAT WHAT YOU STATED IN TERMS OF, UM, HOW THIS WAS TO BE DONE IN TERMS OF THE WORK SESSION, BECAUSE WHAT I THINK WE'RE DOING NOW IS, UM, DR.
GO HAVE SOME, UH, GREAT, GREAT QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY, UH, CONFIGURE BECAUSE WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, AND HOW.
THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S STILL QUESTIONS OUT THERE.
AND ALSO IN, IN TERMS OF THAT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE WITHIN ITSELF, DO WE, THERE ARE PROBABLY MAYBE ABOUT THREE OR FOUR ON ONLY THREE OR FOUR BOARDS WITHIN THE STATE THAT USE THAT.
SO I, I THINK THAT THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF DO WE WANT TO USE, DO WE WANT TO STICK WITH COHERENT GOVERNANCE AND HOW, AND, AND BASICALLY HOW DOES THAT WORK? AND BASICALLY, UH, WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE? SO I, I THINK THAT THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE, I WON'T SAY WE'RE PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, BUT THE END OF THAT, THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT, UH, AND, AND HOW WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FULL BOARD, LETTING THE FULL BOARD WEIGH IN ON, ON WHAT, ON WHAT, WHERE WE'RE GOING AT VERSUS A COUPLE PEOPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, OR, YOU KNOW.
SO I, I THINK THAT, UH, UH, UH, WHAT DIRECTION, WHAT DIRECTION WE GO ON IN TERMS OF, UH, OF, UH, FORMALIZING SOME FORMALIZING, UM, THESE, UM, THESE, UM, THE, THE GOV THIS GOVERNANCE.
SO I THINK, I THINK THAT, THAT THE, THE WORK SESSION WILL BE A GREAT PLACE TO START, UH, TO START, TO START THE ORGANIZING IN INTO THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY.
BUT I, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT TODAY IS THAT PLACE BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING DEEP CONVERSATIONS AND I JUST, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE SAID THAT WE WANTED TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS THAT, AND WE, WE DIDN'T WANT THESE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD AT BOARD MEETINGS A LITTLE BIT.
SO I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE AT THE WORK SESSION, LET'S GO HAVE AT THE WORK SESSION, WE'RE HAVING IT TODAY AND AT THE WORK SESSION, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
I THINK THAT'S A, WE WE'RE DOING IT TWICE.
ANYONE WHO HAS NOT SPOKEN ON THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
UM, LISTENING TO THIS WHOLE PRESENTATION, IT WAS ONE OF THOSE WILD PRESENTATIONS, VICTOR, YOU DID A VERY GOOD JOB ON IT.
IT'S VERY DETAILED, VERY DETAILED.
UM, THE, THE MOTION THAT WAS MADE AT THE END, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE WHOLE PRESENTATION AND THE THINGS THAT WE TRIED, WE MIGHT NEED TO MAKE CHANGES ON, I AGREE WITH THE CONVERSATION WITH THAT, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH WITH THE BOARD, BUT PUTTING THE, UM, THE COMMITTEE IN PLACE, THE POLICY COMMITTEE IN PLACE, UM, I DON'T SEE HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT, AFFECT US FROM ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE WHOLE, UM, PRESENTATION AND, AND MAKING CHANGES OR DIFFERENT DECISIONS.
I, I AGREE WITH THE, THE MOTION THAT THE, THE POLICY COMMITTEE NEED TO BE DONE SOON, LIKE SOON AS WE CAN.
UH, LET ME, LET ME, HAS ANYONE ELSE NOT SPOKEN A QUESTION? OH, ANY, ANY, HAS EVERYBODY SPOKEN? WHO WANTS TO SPEAK? OKAY, DR. WATTS,
[01:00:01]
IT'S YOUR TURN, MA'AM.SO I WANT, I'M, I'M DEFINITELY THINK WE NEED A POLICY COMMITTEE, AND I DON'T SEE THE REASON FOR DELAY IN THE SENSE THAT WHATEVER THE COMMITTEE DOES, DOES THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO WORK, UH, INDEPENDENTLY OF THE BOARD.
THEY HAVE TO BRING THEIR FINDINGS FORWARD TO THE BOARD, AND THE BOARD ULTIMATELY IS THE ONE THAT MAKES THE DECISION ABOUT, UH, APPROVAL OR NOT VIA VOTE.
I, UH, AL I, IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY, TODAY, TODAY'S MEETING, I DID REVIEW THE ENTIRE MANUAL INCLUDING THE, UH, UH, OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS AS WELL AS THE 26 PAGE, UH, UH, AI GENERATED DOCUMENT THAT VICTOR, UH, SO, UH, NICELY PUT TOGETHER.
AND I WOULD SAY A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS ALREADY IN POLICY.
IT'S WORDED DIFFERENTLY OR IT'S WORDED, UH, IN A WAY, MAYBE MORE VAGUE, BUT IT EVEN SAYS IN OUR POLICY RIGHT NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE POLICY COMMITTEE IS TO RENEW MO IS TO REVIEW MOTIONS QUARTERLY.
IT ALSO SAYS IN THAT SAME, UM, UH, POLICY THAT MOTIONS AND RESULTS OF THE MOTIONS WILL BE KEPT IN A SEARCHABLE DATABASE SO THAT A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS THERE, IT'S JUST NOT FULLY EXECUTED, IS MIGHT BE THE RIGHT WORD OR FULLY ADDRESSED.
AND NO QUESTION IT NEEDS TO BE, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT, UH, AND ESPECIALLY, UH, DEALING WITH A MANUAL THAT, IS IT UP TO DATE? IS THIS SECTION UP TO DATE OR NO, IT'S NOT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, I DEFINITELY THINK, UH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY REASON TO, UH, DELAY ESTABLISHING A, A POLICY COMMITTEE.
WE CAN STILL INCLUDE A DISCUSSION, UH, WITH THE FULL BOARD IF, IF NECESSARY OR DESIRED AT THE WORK SESSION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK THE BOARD AS A WHOLE, UH, CAN LOOK AT ALL THIS, UH, AND, AND BE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT TO, TO BRINGING, RE TO DECIDING RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU REALLY, I THINK HAVING DONE IT IN THE PAST, A POLICY COMMITTEE IS CRUCIAL.
UH, THE OTHER REASON, UH, THAT, UH, NOT THE OTHER REASON, I WILL SAY, UH, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE, UM, THIS ISN'T A ONE PERSON JOB.
UH, AND I ALREADY HAVE A FULL-TIME JOB, UH, OF WHICH HAS SUFFERED FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS BECAUSE THIS IS OCCUPIED EVERY MINUTE OF MY LIFE JUST TO BE PREPARED FOR THIS NIGHT TONIGHT.
UH, SO THAT BEING SAID, UH, THE, WHAT IS IT? THE, UM, LAUGHTER SHARED IS LAUGHTER MULTIPLIED? HARDSHIP SHARED IS HARDSHIP DIVIDED.
SO, UH, THIS, THIS, THIS IS, I'M READY TO DIVIDE SOME OF THIS HARDSHIP,
SO IN MY FOUR YEARS ON THE BOARD, WE'VE HAD A POLICY COMMITTEE, I THINK FOR THREE.
OUT OF THOSE FOUR INCLUDES THAT SPAM BETWEEN 2021 AND TODAY THE POLICY COMMITTEE HAS NOT UPDATED THIS DOCUMENT.
SO WE'VE HAD THAT STRUCTURE IN PLACE.
AND FOR ME, I THINK IT OVERWHELMS PEOPLE THE MAGNITUDE OF IT, WHICH IS WHY WE ACTUALLY CHOSE SOMEONE WHO WAS ANIMATED AND WILLING TO PURSUE IT.
AND ALL WE'RE ASKED, ALL I'M PROPOSING IS THAT TODAY WE GIVE THE ENTIRE BOARD TIME TO GO THROUGH IT.
YOU IDENTIFY THINGS YOU BELIEVE WARRANT FURTHER STUDY, ELIMINATION, ADDITION OR WHATEVER, AND THEN WE COLLECTIVELY GET TOGETHER BECAUSE EVERY BOARD MEMBER BY THAT TIME SHOULD BE PROPERLY INFORMED.
YOU'VE HAD SUFFICIENT TIME TO ACTUALLY REVIEW IT.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE INTENT WAS ABOUT, TRYING TO SCHEDULE IT AT A WORK SESSION.
SO THAT'S WHAT MY PERSPECTIVE IS.
NOW, THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, WHICH WE HAVE TO VOTE ON.
UM, BUT I THINK TO BE THOROUGH, AND THEN THE POLICY COMMITTEE AT THAT POINT, THAT'S DECIDED BY THE BOARD RECOMMENDED AND DECIDED THEY CARRY IT FORWARD.
BUT EVERYBODY, EVERY BOARD MEMBER WILL HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS.
SO THEY KNOW THE RIGOR WITH WHICH WE'VE GONE THROUGH IT, THE COMMITMENT THAT WE ARE ESPOUSING TODAY, AND THEN IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO WHOEVER INHERITS VARIOUS POSITIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT AS A LEADER, THEY ENSURE IT GETS DONE.
IT DOESN'T JUST SIT ON THE SIDELINE BECAUSE PEOPLE GET OVERWHELMED WHEN THERE'S ONLY TWO OR THREE PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE THAT'S TRYING TO DO IT.
RESPONSIBILITY FALL TO ALL 10 OF US IF THAT GOES FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER CONVERSATIONS, THERE'S A MOTION ON THE, ON THE FLOOR.
ARE WE READY TO VOTE? DO YOU NEED THE MOTION AGAIN? DR.
OH, CAN YOU, UM, WRITE IT IN THE CHAT BOX SO DR.
[01:05:01]
QUAS CAN SEE IT? I CAN SEE ROBIN'S SCREEN NOW, SO THAT'S FINE TOO, IF IT'S ON THE SCREEN.I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION.
WHEN THE MOTION GETS UP THERE.
IS IT OKAY YET, MR. SMITH WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION.
YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THE MOTION FIRST, NOT SEE IT.
AND THAT THE BOARD SECRETARY BE THE CHAIR OF THE YES MA'AM.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE, UM, IN A, IN AN AMENDMENT THAT SHE MOVED, THAT I MAKE A MOTION AT THIS TIME THAT WE, THAT, THAT WE COME UP WITH A POLICY C COMMITTEE AFTER OUR BOARD WORK SESSION.
AND THE REST OF THE VERBIAGE CAN, UH, THE REST OF THE VERBIAGE CAN STAY, BUT JUST THAT WE COME UP WITH, WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE, THAT WE COME UP WITH A, UM, YOU WANNA POSTPONE? YEAH, I JUST WANNA, I, I JUST WANNA POSTPONE UNTIL AFTER THE WORK SESSION.
WHAT DO WE DO? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
SO THEN WE VOTE, WE VOTE TO ACCEPT THE AMENDMENT.
WHICH ONE? WE VOTING MRS. SMITHS.
SO I'LL WORK, WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON NOW.
AFTER THE COURT, IF THAT FAILS, THEN WE'LL, OKAY.
SO THE MOTION HAS BEEN PROPERLY AMENDED AND PRESENTED.
READY FOR THE VOTE FOR THE, WHAT IS THE AMEND? YES.
POSTPONE, POSTPONE AMENDED MOTION CAN HEAR AND HEARING.
OH, BASICALLY I MAKE AN AMENDMENT THAT WE, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE POSTPONE THE, THAT WE, THAT WE POSTPONE, UH, THE, THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE UNTIL AFTER THE WORK SESSION, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE WORK SESSION.
THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT WE, UH, THAT, THAT WE COME UP WITH THE, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT WE COME UP WITH THE, THE, UH, COMMITTEE.
THAT BA BASICALLY WHAT HE'S SAYING IS POSTPONE POLICY, THE POLICY COMMITTEE BEING STOOD UP UNTIL AFTER THE WORK SESSION.
MY PARLIAMENTARIANS ARE SAYING THAT WE VOTE NOW ON THE POSTPONEMENT AMENDMENT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF BEING POSTPONED, SAY AYE.
AND THIS IS THE MOTION TO, UM, TO VOTE.
SO IT'LL BE, UH, ACCEPTED AFTER THE EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY.
THE MOTION, THE CURRENT MOTION IS TO POSTPONE THE, THE STANDING UP OF THE POLICY COMMITTEE UNTIL AFTER, AFTER THE WORK SESSION.
THE WORK SESSION UNTIL AFTER THE WORK SESSION.
AFTER THE WORK SESSION IN AUGUST.
ALRIGHT, SO THEN WE MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR ORIGINAL MOTION.
EVERYBODY HAS HEARD ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION? WHAT WAS THE RESULT OF THE AMENDMENT? WHAT WAS THE VOTE? MINE THREE PLUS AND SIX AGAINST POSTPONEMENT MOTION.
[01:10:11]
THREE.THE ORIGINAL MOTION HAS BEEN MADE.
ALL IN FAVOR STANDING UP THE POLICY COMMITTEE? YES.
THAT CONCLUDES MY, UH, REVIEW.
OKAY, THE NEXT ITEM, SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
THE ACADEMIC ACADEMIC COMMITTEE.
SORRY, MY GLASSES ARE FAILING ME.
[Committee Reports]
MET ON JULY 21ST, UH, WITH ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES INCLUDING AGENDA APPROVAL AND MINUTES FROM THE MAY 18TH MEETING.THE HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING MET ON SEVEN 20 AND REPORTED THAT THEIR VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL HEALTH COURSE DEVELOPMENT IS AT A POINT OF ADDRESSING 15 SPECIFIC VOCABULARY ITEMS WITH UPDATES EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY AUGUST 5TH.
FOLLOWING THIS, THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE FOCUSED ON TWO MAIN TOPICS.
KAREN MCKENZIE PRESENTED UPDATES TO I 43 GRADING AND ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS AND IS 48 PROMOTION AND RETENTION AND ACCELERATION OF STUDENT REGULATIONS.
AND DR. COX OUTLINED THE DISTRICT'S NEWLY PROPOSED INTER-DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION.
DURING THE ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES, MS. MCKENZIE, UH, SHARED HOW THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS COMPLIANT WITH SOUTH CAROLINA'S NEW PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADING BILL 5 0 7 3, WHICH WAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR ON MAY 18TH, 2026 TO GO INTO EFFECT ON JULY 1ST, 2026.
SHE INDICATED THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE A GRADE FLOOR AND EXPLAIN THE NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR SENIOR SCHOLARS PROGRAM AND GRADE POINT AVERAGE REQUIREMENTS.
ALSO ANNOUNCED THE TIMELINE FOR THE RELEASE OF HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTO SALUTORIAN AND SHARED CREDIT RECOVERY PRACTICES THAT TO BE, THAT ARE TO BE IMPLEMENTED FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED CONCERNS ABOUT GRADE INFLATION AND THE NEED FOR PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW MASTERY BASED GRADING REQUIREMENTS.
DR. COX ALSO OUTLINED THE DISTRICT'S PROPOSED INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION EXPLAINING HOW NON-RESIDENT STUDENTS FROM ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA CAN APPLY TO ATTEND BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOLS.
STARTING WITH THE 20 26 27 SCHOOL YEAR WITH APPLICATIONS STARTING IN FEBRUARY, 2026.
THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON BORDER SCHOOLS AND PROGRAM SPECIFIC ENROLLMENT.
THE FOLLOWING STEPS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED SINCE THE JULY 18TH ACADEMIC COMMITTEE.
THE REVISED, UH, WE REVISED THE SENTENCE REGARDING BOARD MEMBERS ATTENDING THE SENIOR SCHOLAR CEREMONY IN THE IS 43 ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION.
ALSO, THERE'S AN UPDATE TO THE PARENT FLYER TO CLARIFY THAT STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE A ZERO OR MORE THAN ONE ZERO AS A GRADE ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CREDIT RECOVERY UNTIL THEY HAVE MET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ZERO GRADE.
ALSO, SUBMISSION OF A DRAFT INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS SS 62 TO THE STATE FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
THE NEXT STEPS BRING UPDATED DISCIPLINE MATRICES TO THE COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW, INCORPORATING RECENT LEGAL CHANGES, AND THAT THE NEXT ACADEMIC COMMITTEE IS
[01:15:01]
SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 25TH AT 4:00 PM THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.SO I WAS INTERESTED IN THE AR FOR INTERDISTRICT INTERDISTRICT TRANSFER.
THIS WAS LEGISLATION THAT CAME OUT IN 2025, AND WE'VE BEEN WAITING ON MODEL POLICY AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT.
IT'S, IT'S A VERY COMPLEX, PROBLEMATIC ISSUE.
UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE.
SO I WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE AND TALK ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO ME BEFORE THIS CAME UP TO ACADEMICS COMMITTEE.
UM, AS FAR AS THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WE ARE, UM, IN A UNIQUE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION BECAUSE WE ARE SORT OF HEMMED IN WATER TO THE, YOU KNOW, EAST, UH, GEORGIA TO THE SOUTH.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT SORT OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STATE SURROUNDED BY COUNTIES.
WE REALLY, THERE'S CALLIN AND HAMPTON, BUT WE ARE, UH, VERY MUCH BORDERED BY JASPER COUNTY.
AND AS MOST OF US KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, JASPER COUNTY'S GOING THROUGH A TURBULENT TIME.
THEIR SCHOOL BOARD, IT'S BEEN DISSOLVED BY THE STATE.
UM, AND THE STATE'S INSTALLED A SUPERINTENDENT.
THE PROBLEM WE'RE HAVING IS THIS SUMMER, UM, I WAS INVOLVED IN HIRING PROCESSES FOR SEVERAL PEOPLE OVER THE SUMMER.
AND WHAT HAS BECOME ABUNDANTLY CLEAR TO ME IS THAT FAMILIES ARE NOT MOVING TO JASPER COUNTY.
AND THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH CONCERNS ABOUT WHERE THE SCHOOLS ARE CURRENTLY, WHERE THE DISTRICT'S GOING, THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
AND SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED 'CAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT HAS BECOME PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE TO MOVE TO HILTON HEAD.
UM, IT HAS BECOME VERY EXPENSIVE TO MOVE TO BLUFFTON.
UH, PEOPLE ARE MOVING OUT TO BUFORT WHERE WE SEE ALL THE APARTMENTS GOING UP.
UM, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE MOVED OUT THAT DIRECTION, BUT ONE 70 IS DISASTROUSLY BAD FOR TRANSPORT.
SO WHERE I SEE, EVEN TO HILTON HEAD FOR ENTRY LEVEL JOBS, MOST OF THE WORKFORCE NOW, WHICH IS YOUNG PEOPLE, FAMILIES, THESE ARE TEACHERS, NURSES, MRI, TECHNOLOGISTS, UM, NURSES, AIDES AT A, UH, ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY, ET CETERA.
AND JASPER COUNTY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BUILD A LOT OF HOUSING TO ATTRACT WHAT THEY'RE BUILDING NOW IS 55 AND PLUS.
AND AS A HEALTHCARE PERSON, WHAT THAT MEANS IS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO NEED CARE WITHOUT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CAN PROVIDE THAT CARE.
SO I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR DISTRICT REALLY NEEDS TO CONSIDER.
THE OPERATIONAL PART OF IT IS ONE PIECE, AND THAT IS DELEGATED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS TEAM.
AND IT IS COMPLEX AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE STATUTES COME OUT FULLY FORMED.
UM, AND I THINK THIS IS A MOVEMENT TOWARDS OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IN THE WORK.
SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE RUSH TO DO THIS FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT, WHICH I THINK IS STILL WELL WITHIN THE BOARD PURVIEW BECAUSE THE BOARD ACTUALLY SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT IS VERY MUCH BY STATUTE ASSIGNED TO THE SCHOOL BOARDS.
AND THIS MODEL POLICY WAS DEVELOPED TO ASSIST LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES AND SETTING A POLICY FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE.
I THINK THE BOARD NEEDS TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS, WHAT WE TURN INTO THE STATE, THE NUTS AND BOLTS, AND TO GET SOME FEEDBACK THAT CAN BE A SEPARATE PROCESS.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS AND WE NEED, THE ONE THING I THINK THAT IS MISSING WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING JUST AT HOW WE, THE DISTRICT ARE GOING TO OPERATIONALIZE, UM, WHAT'S BEING HANDED TO US, THAT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CONVERSATION, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY GO OUT AND LOOK AT WHAT THE COMMUNITY THINKS ABOUT IT.
SO ARE WE DOING WHAT, YOU KNOW, CANDACE OR DR.
BRUDER, EXCUSE ME, DOES VERY WELL IN TERMS OF PUTTING A SURVEY OUT.
HOW DO PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT IT? UM, ARE THERE CONCERNS? AND THERE ARE GONNA BE A LOT OF CONCERNS, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST ON HILTON HEAD IN PARTICULAR.
OUR TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE AROUND.
I KNOW ONE'S BELOW 50% AND ONE'S SLIGHTLY ABOVE.
AND SOMEONE WAS TELLING ME THAT WE USED TO HAVE THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ON HILTON HEAD.
UM, BECAUSE OF THE COST OF LIVING, OUR SCHOOLS ARE NOT AT CAPACITY.
SO THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO WHERE I WORK AT VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE, UM, WE TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE IN A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC REGION.
AND AS ALL OF OUR PATIENTS BEGIN TO MOVE OFF OF HILTON HEAD OUT OF BLUFFTON AND INTO HARDY, WE MAY, UH, CHANGE, WHICH SAID THAT IF YOU LIVE OR WORK ON HILTON HEAD, YOU CAN STILL BE A PATIENT OF VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE.
I THINK THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES HERE.
AND SO WHAT I WANTED TO SAY IS, WHILE THIS AR HAS BEEN DELEGATED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AS FAR AS NUTS AND BOLTS AND GETTING IT TO THE STATE AND GETTING THE FEEDBACK AND TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THIS PROCESS, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING, UH, DISCUSSION AT A WORK SESSION OR ANOTHER BOARD MEETING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS COULD MEAN AND HOW WE'RE GONNA INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY IN SOME OF THESE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE.
YEAH, I JUST CAME UP AND INVENTED.
I NEED TO PROVIDE ANY CLARIFICATION ON THE, UM, PROCESS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO IF, IF I'M NOT NEEDED, I'LL JUST
[01:20:01]
STAND HERE AND SMILE.DO YOU MIND IF I FOLLOW UP WITH THAT? YEAH, I THINK THERE'S TWO SEPARATE PROCESSES.
I THINK THERE'S, HERE'S WHAT THE STATE'S SAYING.
I THINK EVEN THE STATE'S LIKE, SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THIS
I THINK THAT THAT'S A SUPERINTENDENT, BUT I STILL THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITY INTERESTS.
THERE ARE, IF WE LOOK AT OUR REGION AS ALL THE JOBS THAT ARE COMING AND THE BUCKY'S, YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THE, UM, THE WAGES POSTED FOR BUCKY'S.
THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD JOBS COMING TO JASPER COUNTY AND I HATE TO SEE THE WORKFORCE LIVE IN SAVANNAH WHEN JASPER COUNTY'S THERE.
AND I KNOW THAT THE COST AND EVERYTHING, BUT THERE IS A POLICY ASPECT OF THIS, A HIGHER LEVEL THAT I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THE BOARD HAS ROBUST DISCUSSION ON.
SO I DON'T NEED TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
THERE'S A FINANCIAL IMPACT AS WELL, AND THAT FINANCIAL IMPACT CONCERNS ME.
AND, AND SO, UM, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GO INTO THIS, UH, WITH AN OPEN MIND, BUT YET WE MUST KNOW WHAT THE FINANCIAL IMPACT IS AND IT'S A NEGATIVE FINANCIAL IMPACT ON THE, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO, UM, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE OUR COSTS AND WE KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
SO I GUESS THAT COULD BE ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS.
I'LL COME RIGHT BACK TO YOU IN TERMS OF MAYBE BEFORE THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS STELLAR STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE FINANCIALS ALONG WITH, UH, CFO CROSBY AND HER TEAM.
UM, A A ALONG WITH THAT, UM, I, THERE, THERE, THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SOME CONCERNS THAT HAVE CAME IN TERMS OF STUDENTS TRANSFERRING IN AND OUT AND ALSO IN TERMS OF RANKINGS AND HOW, HOW THAT, UH, AFFECTS THEM IN TERMS OF CLASS RANKING AND, AND WHERE THEY ARE AT AND WHAT THAT TIMELINE IS AS WELL.
I REMEMBER I THINK MAYBE AT, UH, ONE OF OUR, ONE OF THE LAST BOARD MEETINGS WE HAD HERE, I THINK THERE WAS SOME PARENTS OVER THERE WHO KIND OF MADE, I WAS MIMICING THAT TO ME, UH, OVER, I REMEMBER OVER BY, BY, BY I FORGOT WAS, WAS PERFORMANCE THAT WE HAD.
BUT ALSO, UM, I, I'VE HAD SOME PARENTS WHO HAVE, UH, BOUGHT THAT TO, BROUGHT THAT CONCERN TO AS WELL AS TERMS OF CLASS RANKING AND THE TRANSFERRING, UH, AND WHEN, WHAT THAT DAY LOOKS LIKE OF WHEN THEY CAN START, UH, AND HOW LONG DO THEY HAVE TO BE A STUDENT IN THIS DISTRICT TO BE ABLE TO RANK AND THINGS OF THAT, THAT NATURE AS WELL.
SO THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING TOO THAT WE POSSIBLY NEED TO, UM, TO, UH, REVISIT AS WELL IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING THAT AS WELL.
AI CHAIR, THAT WOULD BE THREE, UM, SEMESTERS OF THEIR SENIOR YEAR.
IT'S IN THE AR AS WELL, THE UPDATED INFORMATION.
WE HAVEN'T CHANGED THAT LANGUAGE.
THE RELEASE FOR THE VALEDICTORIAN SALUTORIAN.
AND WHAT IS THE CHANGE? IT WOULD BE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF YOUR SENIOR YEAR.
AND THAT WAS A REQUEST, IF I'M CORRECT, ALSO OF INPUT BY, UM, FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAD COME FORWARD TO THE BOARD AS WELL AS OUR SUPERINTENDENT.
IT WAS A PRACTICE ACTUALLY IN THIS DISTRICT FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
WE DID ALIGN OURSELVES TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION FROM 2017, UM, IN THE EARLY 2020 DECADE.
BUT WE ARE GO GOING BACK TO A PRACTICE THAT WAS UTILIZED HERE IN THE DISTRICT AS WELL, SIR.
SO THE ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD BE FOURTH QUARTER AND STUDENTS ARE TO BE CONSECUTIVELY WITHIN THIS DISTRICT, SIR.
I MEAN, AND I, AND I APPRECIATE YOU FOR, FOR GIVING US THAT UPDATE.
BUT ONCE, I JUST THINK THAT IN THE PROCESS OF US DISCUSSING THIS WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, THOSE, THOSE, UH, TWO TOPICS, I THINK THIS TOPIC SHOULD BE, UH, SHOULD BE, THIS SHOULD BE, UH, DISCUSSED AS WELL BECAUSE APPARENTLY THIS, THIS DISCUSSION HAS CAME UP A COUPLE TIMES AND EVEN OVER ANOTHER SIDE ON MY SIDE OF ABROAD.
SO I UNDERSTAND IT COULD, IT COULD BE DOWN THERE, BUT THE SAME WAY HOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOVERNANCE AND POLICIES THAT WE HAVE THE POLICIES THERE, BUT THAT DON'T MEAN THAT WE'RE NECESSARILY GOING BY THEM.
THAT THAT COULD STILL BE AN ISSUE, UH, BE, BE, BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE, COULD GO UNDER THE, UNDER THE RADAR.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT IS HAPPENING, BUT I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO GET INTO THAT DISCUSSION TODAY.
BUT I DIDN'T WANNA BRING IT CLEAR THAT SINCE WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE JUMPED OUT AT ME AND I JUST WANTED TO PUT IT OUT THERE.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REVISIT AND TALK ABOUT AND THEN YOU HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF IT AS WELL.
AND, UM, JUST FOR THE BOARD'S EDIFICATION, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE'VE HAD A SERIES OF YEARS OF FAMILIES ASKING FOR THIS TYPE OF SHIFT OF PRACTICE FOR US AS A SYSTEM.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT AS WELL.
IT WASN'T JUST AN ISOLATION CURRENTLY, BUT THANK YOU MR. SMITH.
THIS IS EXACTLY THE STATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE.
AND TO YOUR POINT ON THE FINANCIAL PIECE, I MEAN, IT'S WELL
[01:25:01]
TAKEN ON THE RANKING.THERE ARE A LOT OF CONCERNS WITH HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS, RIGHT? SO, CORRECT.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT NEED TO BE WORKED OUT.
AND THEN I THINK, UM, WHEN I LISTENED TO THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE MEETING, 'CAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO BE THERE IN PERSON, SOMEONE USED THE TERM, AND I THINK IT WAS MR. NAY, THAT PEOPLE, PARENTS ARE STARTING TO SEE EDUCATION AS A MARKETPLACE.
SO THE MODEL OF YOU LIVE HERE AND THIS IS THE SCHOOL YOU'RE ASSIGNED TO AND NORTH, SOUTH, NORTH OF BROAD, THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF SCHOOL CHOICE SOUTH OF ABROAD, IT'S PRETTY TIGHT BECAUSE OF CAPACITY THAT THEREFORE BECAUSE YOU LIVE HERE, YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THESE PROGRAMS. PEOPLE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING THAT.
AND THAT IS A SHIFT THAT I THINK WILL CONTINUE.
SO I THINK IT'S BE, UM, A GOOD IDEA FOR SCHOOLS TO START THINKING ABOUT HOW DOES AN EDUCATION MARKETPLACE LOOK? HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE THE STUDENTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT ALSO MAKING IT WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET THE EDUCATION THEY FEEL IS RIGHT FOR THEIR CHILD.
FOR THE FINANCIAL PIECE, WHAT STRUCK ME ABOUT THIS IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COST PER PUPIL, UM, I THINK THAT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, THIS IS ALSO FOR PUBLIC, UM, INFORMATION TIED TO THE, WHAT IS IT? EDUCATION, THE VOUCHER SYSTEM ESSENTIALLY WHERE YOU GET $7,650, I THINK PER STUDENT THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL OR WHATEVER THAT WOULD BE APPLIED HERE, WHICH IS MUCH LOWER THAN I THINK OUR AVERAGE IS 13,000 AND CHANGE.
THERE ARE POSSIBILITIES WHERE IF YOU'RE AN EMPLOYER, YOU COULD OFFER A SIGNING, YOU KNOW, YOU OFFER A SIGN AND SAY, HEY, IF YOU COME WORK FOR US, HERE'S YOUR SALARY.
BUT THE OTHER THING IS, IF YOU LOOK AT A SCHOOL THAT IS WELL UNDER ENROLLMENT, THE COST PER STUDENT IS TREMENDOUSLY HIGHER.
IF YOU LOOK AT A SCHOOL WHERE WE ARE MAXIMIZING THE RESOURCES INSIDE THE BUILDING OF THE TEACHERS, AND THAT'S WHAT CONCERNS ME A LITTLE BIT, IS EVENTUALLY IF WE CONTINUE TO LOSE YOUNG STUDENTS IN HILTON HEAD BECAUSE THE COST OF LIVING IS PROHIBITIVE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES, WHERE ARE WE GONNA BE WHEN WE START SEEING BELOW 50% IN THESE BIG BUILDINGS? THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PUSHBACK ON THAT.
SO THIS IS A WAY TO SAY, HEY, WE HAVE THESE RESOURCES, CAN WE FIGURE OUT A WAY? THERE PROBABLY IS A WAY TO MAKE IT AT LEAST FINANCIALLY NEUTRAL.
SO MY WHOLE THING IS JUST, THERE'S A, THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES OPENING, AND I DON'T WANT TO IGNORE THEM, BUT I, THIS IS THE CONVERSATION.
'CAUSE I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SOLD ON IT.
I JUST DON'T WANT THIS TO GO BY WITHOUT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY AT THE BOARD LEVEL.
SO BACK, I, I UNDERSTAND AND, AND I AGREE THAT THERE MAY BE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THIS, BUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTS IS THAT WE HAVE A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO THE TAXPAYERS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY AND BRINGING IN, UH, STUDENTS WHOSE PARENTS AND BUSINESSES OR WHATEVER, UH, PAY TAXES IN JASPER COUNTY OR CALDEN COUNTY ARE MUCH, MUCH LESS.
AND SO IN, IN ESSENCE, WE ARE SUBSIDIZING THEIR EDUCATION.
AND SO, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT IS, THAT'S THE SELL THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE, UH, TO OUR TAXPAYERS.
AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHO ELSE HAS A MORE COMMENT ON IT.
HOW SO DO PRIMARY HOMEOWNER PAY SCHOOL TAXES? THE BUSINESSES PAY SCHOOL TAXES AND THE BUSINESSES ARE SUFFERING FOR EMPLOYEES.
AND SECOND, HOMEOWNERS ARE SUFFERING FOR SUPPORT SERVICES.
SO I'M NOT SAYING I WANT TO BE COGNIZANT.
THE OTHER THING IS, I WILL TELL YOU FROM A TAXPAYER STANDPOINT, NOT ME PERSONALLY, BUT I THINK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE UNDER ENROLLED SCHOOLS ARE SEEN AS A TAX BURDEN AS FAR AS THE BUILDING, THE COST OF MAINTAINING AND RUNNING THEM.
UM, AND SO I THINK, AGAIN, WE GOTTA LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND I DEFER TO YOU ON A LOT OF THAT, BUT I THINK THERE'S AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION TO BE HAD BECAUSE AGAIN, IF YOU ARE A PRIMARY HOMEOWNER, YOU'RE NOT PAYING THE TAXES ANYWAYS.
SO IF THIS IS A BOON TO BUSINESSES AND INCREASES BUSINESS ACTIVITY AND YOU DON'T LOSE BUSINESSES TO SAVANNAH, IT COULD BE A NET POSITIVE.
TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WE ARE BUILDING.
AND SO WE, WE CAN'T FORGET THAT EITHER.
ANY MORE CO ANY MORE COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? OKAY.
AND I THINK I SAW MS. LEE, DR. LEE WRITING AND CAPTURING DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO I'VE GOT ALL OF THIS INFORMATION.
MR. CHAIR, UH, I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT WE SKIPPED OVER BOARD BUSINESS.
WE WENT, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S NO CURRENTLY NO BOARD BUSINESS LISTED.
UH, SO YOU SKIPPED OVER, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO POP IN THERE BEFORE, UH, DR. CARR STARTED HIS, UH, HIS, UH, COMMITTEE REPORT.
UM, HE'S ALWAYS JUMPING THE GUN.
I TELL, UM, SO, UH, MY APOLOGIES.
BUT, UH, BECAUSE OF THE MOTION THAT WAS MADE TO TO, TO START THE POLICY COMMITTEE, UH, THE BOARD HAS TO VOTE AS THE CURRENT POLICY STATES, THE BOARD HAS TO VOTE ON, ON THE COMMITTEES.
UH, SO WE NEED TO MAN THE COMMITTEE TONIGHT SO THE BOARD, THE BOARD CAN VOTE ON IT.
SO THAT WOULD BE NEW BOARD BUSINESS TONIGHT BASED ON THE MOTION THAT
[01:30:01]
WAS PASSED.UH, SO WE NEED, UM, NOW IN THE POLICY IT SAYS THAT THE, THE CHAIR CAN NOMINATE, BUT THE BOARD HAS TO, TO, HAS TO, TO VOTE ON IT.
UH, SO, UM, THE NEXT TIME THAT WE'RE TOGETHER AS A BOARD IS AT THE WORK SESSION, WHICH IS, I WAS HOPING TO HAVE THIS COMMITTEE STOOD UP BEFORE THEN.
'CAUSE WE MADE THE, THE MOTION TONIGHT STAND IT UP IMMEDIATELY.
SO WE NEED TO MAN THAT COMMITTEE TONIGHT AND VOTE ON IT.
UM, WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AS CHAIR TO STAFF THAT COMMITTEE THE FULL YEAR OF 2026.
AND I THINK PART OF IT IS UNDERSTANDING WHO HAS A COMMITMENT ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC.
WHO HAS THE TIME? A LOT OF US WORK, GOT FAMILIES TRAVELED, ET CETERA.
SO I WOULD PREFER, AGAIN, TO BE VERY METHODICAL AND GO BACK AND ALLOW EVERY MEMBER OF THE BOARD TO SAY, I'M INTERESTED SO THAT THE CHAIR CAN MAKE A NOMINATION AND THEN VOTE ON IT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A NEC NECESSITY TO VOTE ON IT TONIGHT, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE COULD DO THAT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE PREMATURE AND KIND OF EARLY.
UH, THE MOTION WAS MADE TO STAND UP THE C COMMITTEE IMMEDIATELY.
THE NEXT TIME WE'RE TOGETHER IS FOR, UM, AND THE, THE, THE MOTION WAS VOTED DOWN TO WAIT UNTIL THE, UH, THE WORK SESSION.
SO THE, THE WILL OF THE BOARD IS TO STAND UP THE COMMITTEE IMMEDIATELY.
UM, I MEAN, WE CAN TAKE VOLUNTEERS OR WE CAN DO WHATEVER.
UM, BUT WE LIKE THE, THE, I I DO NOT FEEL THAT WE CAN PREPARE FOR THE WORK SESSION UNTIL WE, WE STAND UP THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
I, I DON'T MEAN TO KEEP BEATING A DEAD HORSE OVER THIS, BUT, UM, THAT I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO VOTE ON IT TONIGHT.
I THINK, YES, THIS, UH, UH, RESPECTFULLY, I THINK THAT BOTH OF YOU CAN GET WHAT YOU WANT.
I THINK, MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK THAT IF YOU COULD GET WHAT PEOPLE AFTER TONIGHT'S MEETING AND THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO, UH, TO, UH, IN TERMS OF, OF HOW WE'VE HAD, I GUESS, CURRENT PRACTICES IN TERMS OF YOU'VE LET US KNOW, UH, WHO'S GONNA BE ON THE BE ON THE, ON THE, ON THE COMMITTEE.
I THINK YOU, YOU CAN TALK TO EVERYONE TONIGHT AND YOU CAN SEND IT OUT BETWEEN NOW AND WHENEVER, UH, NEXT WEEK OR WHATEVER.
AND THAT, THAT WILL STILL SHOULD BE SUFFICE.
BE THAT WOULD BE BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING, UM, THAT MR. UM, THAT MR. NAY IS TALKING ABOUT.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD, THAT, THAT, THAT RIGHT THERE WOULD, WOULD, WOULD TAKE CARE OF BOTH OF Y'ALL ARE BOTH OF YOUR, YOUR CONCERNS.
I MEAN, IF, IF, I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU BOTH FEEL ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK THIS, IF YOU WOULD JUST SEE BASICALLY WHO'S INTERESTED AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TIME TO, UH, MAKE THAT DECISION AND SEE THAT WAS EVERYONE AVAIL AVAILABILITY, BECAUSE EVERYONE'S NOT EVEN AT THE MEETING TONIGHT.
SO THERE'S STILL SOME, UH, SOME MEMBERS THAT YOU MAY NEED TO CHECK WITH AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH.
UM, SO I, I THINK THAT WOULD, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD, UH, BE, BE, BE, BE MORE SUFFICE WHERE YOU GIVE EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY WHO'S, WHO'S NOT HERE, WHO'S NOT IN PERSON TONIGHT, RESPECTFULLY, OF COURSE, DEFER TO THE CHAIR.
BUT, UH, I, I THINK THIS IS THE, THE BOARD IS, AGAIN, I DEFER TO THE CHAIR, BUT THE, THE BOARD MADE ITS WILL, IT'S WELL KNOWN TONIGHT, I THINK.
AND, AND YOU ALSO NOTED THAT THE CHAIR TRADITIONALLY HAS NOMINATED PEOPLE FOR THE COMMITTEE.
SO I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE THAT ROLE.
THE, UM, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS IS, AND LET ME SHARE WITH THOSE THAT ARE LISTENING AND BOARD MEMBERS HERE.
WHEN I WAS ELECTED CHAIR, I REACHED OUT TO EVERY BOARD MEMBER ON THE BOARD AND ASK EACH ONE OF THEM, WHAT DID THEY WANT TO DO? WHAT WAS THEIR PREFERENCE? WHAT WERE THEY WILLING TO ACTUALLY EXPEND ENERGY TO ENGAGE ON? NOT EVERYBODY ANSWERED THE EMAIL OR THE TEXT MESSAGE.
AND I JUST TOOK THAT AS THEY, THAT WAS THEIR TACIT WAY OF SAYING, NO, DON'T WANNA PURSUE IT.
BUT FOR THOSE THAT DID ANSWER, WE GAVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO SELECT COMMITTEES.
AND WE MADE A VALIANT EFFORT TO ASSIGN PEOPLE TO THE COMMITTEES THAT THEY SAID WE WOULD WANT TO WORK ON.
I AM VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
UH, WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING MR. SMITH REACHING OUT.
EVERY OCCUPATION I'VE EVER HAD, I ASK ANYBODY WHO EXHIBITS ANY SCINTILLA OF INTEREST IN A DIFFERENT ASSIGNMENT.
SO NO ONE CAN SAY THEY DIDN'T GET A CHANCE.
EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE, BUT YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY NO.
SO IF THE, IF, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT EXPEDITED AND THEN COME BACK WITH NOMINATIONS FOR THE BOARD FOR THE COMMITTEE THAT THE BOARD CAN VOTE ON THAT.
I BETTER KEEP MY GLASSES ON TOO.
[Superintendent’s Report]
YES.UM, TONIGHT TO BEGIN OUR SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, WE HAVE DR.
STRATOS AND MEMBERS OF THE EXTREME TEAM TO SHARE ON MAGNA MAGMA MATH DR.
SO, BOARD MEMBERS, I DO WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE WE DO HAVE PART OF THE EXTREME TEAM WITH ME, AND I DO WANNA TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY OF INTRODUCING THE MEMBERSHIP.
I FEEL HER, BUT I DON'T SEE HER.
[01:35:01]
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.SHE MANAGES MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE FOR OUR DIVISION AS WELL AS OUR DISTRICT.
STANDING DIRECTLY BEHIND ME IS SHARON MCMAHON.
SHE'S OUR KEEPER OF ELEMENTARY MATH.
AND RIGHT BEHIND ME TO MY RIGHT IS RACHEL ROTH.
SHE IS OUR SECONDARY MATH GENIUS.
THIS, THIS TEAM OF INDIVIDUALS, THE DEDICATION AND WORK THAT THEY PUT FORWARD IS NOT FROM HERE.
IT'S ACTUALLY DIRECTLY IN THESE CLASSROOMS. AND I DO WANNA BRING THAT FORWARD.
UM, THIS PAST YEAR, AS YOU WOULD SEE IN THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THAT SHARED WITH YOU, WE HOSTED A PILOT OF MAGMA MATH FOR EIGHTH GRADE.
I RECOGNIZE THAT OUR MATH SCORES RIGHT NOW ARE EMBARGOED.
SO I WILL NOT GO INTO GREAT DETAIL.
THIS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY GIVES YOU A LITTLE NARRATION OF TWO TEACHERS DIRECTLY, A CITATION FROM THEM.
BUT I DO WANNA BRING SOME POINTS OF, TO YOUR ATTENTION IN YOUR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SHARE WITH YOU IF YOU SEE THE SCREEN.
ONE THING THAT MAGMA MATH ALLOWS YOU IS THAT YOU AS AN EDUCATOR, EITHER BY HAVING LARGE SCREEN IN THE CLASSROOM, CIRCULATING IN THE CLASSROOM, OR YOU BEING ABLE TO SMALL GROUP, UM, GROUP WORK, ALLOWS THAT TEACHER TO SEE WHAT THE STUDENT IS DOING TO SEE IN PROCESS.
THAT THOUGHT PROCESS OF OUR STUDENTS AS THEY'RE SOLVING EQUATIONS AT ITS CORE IS CON IS WHAT DR. DIXON WILL SHARE WITH YOU IS CRA CONCEPTUAL REASONING AND THEN TAKING OUR STUDENTS INTO ABSTRACT USE OF MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS.
I AM NOT GONNA BE THE PERSON, BE THE MATH GENIUS IN THE ROOM.
I LET THEM KNOW THAT I TRY TO DIVE IN MATH, BUT I KNOW I KNOW INSTRUCTION VERY WELL.
BUT I, AND I WILL SHARE THAT FROM SPEAKING WITH EDUCATORS.
THE UTILIZATION IN THIS PILOT IS THE WHY THAT WE'RE NOW BROADENING IT INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS FROM GRADE SIX THROUGH EIGHT, INCLUDING ALGEBRA ONE AND ALGEBRA ONE HONORS WILL BE ALSO IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL FOR THOSE COURSES RESPECTIVELY.
IF YOU GO TO THE THANK YOU ON THE NEXT PAGE OF YOUR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, I DID PROVIDE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TWO VOCABULARY WORDS.
ONE ITEM IS PRODUCTIVE STRUGGLE.
YOU'VE HEARD US USE IT WITH YOU IN THE PAST.
THAT IS WHEN WE GIVE A STUDENT AN OPPORTUNITY TO SOLVE A PROBLEM, SOLVE IT.
NOW TALK TO ME HOW YOU ARE DOING THE SOLVING.
NOW LET'S GO BACK AND DO CONFIRMATION WHAT IS CORRECT OR LET'S CATCH YOU ON YOUR LOGIC.
SO I ALSO KNOW AS AN EDUCATOR TO RETEACH.
'CAUSE IF I SEE A CONSISTENT LOGIC ERROR THAT MAY COME FROM THE EDUCATOR AS WELL.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE GOOD PARTS AS WELL OF UTILIZING MAGNA MATH.
THIS IS NOT IN LIEU OF THE EDUCATOR AS IF YOU HAVE READ THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.
IT WILL SHARE FOR YOU WITH YOU THAT THE UTILIZATION WILL BE AT THE OPENING AND AT THE CLOSE OF A LESSON.
IT IS NOT IN LIEU OF THE EDUCATOR.
IT IS TO HELP INTRODUCE NEW CONCEPTS.
AND THEN IT IS TO HELP AT THE CLOSE OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL LESSON SO THAT MYSELF AS AN EDUCATOR, I HAVE ONGOING INFORMATION WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MY CLASSROOM.
I PROVIDED YOU WITH SOME FACTS WITH REGARD TO MAGMA MATH THAT'S ON THE BOTTOM PART OF THIS PAGE.
AND IF YOU COULD LOOK AT PAGE THREE, ALSO GIVE YOU A SLIGHT UPDATE OF HOW THE UTILIZATION OF MAGMA MATH OR THE STATE SUPPORTED SOFTWARE WHERE CERN IS ALSO BEING INCORPORATED.
SO IT GIVES YOU PROS OF BOTH AND THE UTILIZATION.
I WANT US TO RECOGNIZE THAT CERN IS ALSO TO BE USED AS SMALL GROUP.
IT IS NOT IN LIEU OF THE EDUCATOR.
THE MAC HAPPENS WITH THE EDUCATOR.
THE SUPPORT COMES WITH PURPOSEFUL USE OF ASSIGNMENTS FROM OUR SOFTWARE.
I DIDN'T WANT TO GET INTO A LARGE AMOUNT OF DETAIL WITH YOU.
I GAVE YOU SOME INFORMATION ON SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES.
AND I WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THIS MATHEMATICAL INFORMATION IN FRONT OF YOU SO YOU AS BOARD MEMBERS CAN EXPERIENCE MAGMA MATH.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OKAY, GO AHEAD.
WELL, YOU LOOKED, I THOUGHT MAYBE THERE WAS LIKE A DEMO GOING ON BEHIND ME.
I REALLY, IF YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DIVE INTO THEIR SANDBOX, PLEASE DO.
BUT I WOULD LIKE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO EXPERIENCE IT.
TECH IMPLEMENTATION IS A BIG THING FOR ME.
SO I THINK IT'S AN IMPROVEMENT BECAUSE IT DOES DO, IT DOES HAVE A SMIDGE OF AI, IT DOES HANDWRITING RECOGNITION.
UM, AND SO BASICALLY I THINK THE, THE STEP FORWARD THIS IS MAKING FROM LIKE AN IREADY MATH IS THAT YOU CAN SEE THE WORK AND SEE WHERE THE KID WENT OFF THE RAILS, RIGHT? SO SEE WHERE THE MISTAKES BEING MADE.
WILL I HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK FIRE ONES? SPANISH IS AVAILABLE.
[01:40:01]
MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.HOW DO THEY CHANGE? DO THE, DOES THE STUDENT CHOOSE THEIR LANGUAGE AT THE BEGINNING THAT I'M GONNA HAVE TO ASK MY EXPERTS BEHIND ME.
SO SHIFTING LANGUAGE, SET IT, YOU CAN SET THE LANGUAGE FOR MAGMA.
IT COMES IN 140 DIFFERENT LANGUAGE, DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
SO IF THE CHILD SPEAKS SPANISH, I CAN TOGGLE AND PUT IT IN SPANISH FOR THEM.
RIGHT? 'CAUSE I SAW THAT YOU COULD LIKE PICK QUESTIONS AND SO IT, IF IT'S YOU SEND THAT OUT, WILL IT AUTO TRANSLATE INTO SPANISH? MM-HMM
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A HUGE OVERLOOKED USE OF AI WHEN YOU'VE GOT AS MANY MULTI-LANGUAGE LEARNERS.
UM, IN ALGEBRA HIGH SCHOOL, I KNOW RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON THOSE, UH, HPS, THEY'RE NOT TOUCH SCREENS.
ARE THERE STYLISTS INVOLVED? HOW ARE WE WRITING ON THE SCREENS, LIKE ON AN IPAD? I GET IT.
FOR THE YOUNGER GRADES, WHAT IS THE HARDWARE THAT'S GONNA BE REQUIRED? AND I THINK MARK'S IGNORING ME ON PURPOSE.
WAIT, CAN YOU COME TO MIC, COME ONTO THE MIC.
THEY CAN USE THEIR TOUCH PAD ON THEIR COMPUTER THAT HAS LIKE THE MOUSE PAD.
THEY CAN WRITE ON THAT AND IT WILL RECOGNIZE THAT THEY CAN TYPE AND THEN THEIR SCREENS ARE TOUCH SCREEN SO THEY CAN WRITE ON THEIR SCREEN.
ARE THE SCREENS TOUCH SCREEN MARK? THE, THE, THE HPS? MM-HMM
UM, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT COULD BE A POTENTIAL FRICTION POINT TRYING TO WRITE ON SCREENS.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER SIGNED FOR A PACKAGE.
IT DOESN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE YOUR PACKAGE.
SO I'D BE KIND OF CURIOUS AS TO HOW THE ROLLOUT OF THAT GOES.
'CAUSE I WOULD THINK YOU WOULD NEED SOME SPECIFIC, LIKE A STYLIST TO MAKE IT REALLY WORK.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD WANNA KNOW HOW THAT'S WORKING.
AND THEN IS IT A PER MONTH PER STUDENT COST OR IS IT A DISTRICT ENTERPRISE? I MEAN, HOW ARE WE PAYING FOR THIS AT THIS TIME? YES.
IT COMES OUT DIRECTLY OUT OF OUR EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY THROUGH MY DIVISION.
WE, WE BA WE BUDGETED FOR IT AND THE MEAN IN AT THAT BUDGET AND WE CUT BACK AT OTHER AREAS.
AND WE'RE, IS IT A SUBSCRIPTION MODEL THEN PER STUDENT? YES, MA'AM.
COLONEL GARR, THIS, UH, KIND OF, UM, HITS ME PERSONALLY A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE, UH, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THE MATH INSTRUCTION THAT I HAD WAS, UH, MATH INSTRUCTION IN A SILO.
I DID ALGEBRA, I DID GEOMETRY, I DID UM, TRIGONOMETRY, AND I DID, UM, CALCULUS.
AND THERE WAS VERY LITTLE THINKING.
IT WAS MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO IN EACH SILO.
THIS IS WHAT, WHAT I SEE WITH THIS IS, THIS IS THE THOUGHT PROCESS, THE MENTAL APPLICATIONS AND HOW THEY CROSS BETWEEN EACH OF THOSE SILOS.
IS IS, IS THAT WHAT I'M THAT'S WHAT IT APPEARS TO BE.
IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? COLONEL GEERS HERE, THE REASON I'M SMILING BECAUSE YOUR COMMENTARY ALIGNS WITH THE NEW STATE STANDARDS AS WELL.
TAKING IT INTO INDICATORS APPLICATION, NOT TEACHING MATH AT ISOLATION, HAVING TEACHERS WORK AT THAT SKILLSET OF OUR STUDENTS, OF HOW DID YOU GET HERE? AND THEN HOW DO WE APPLY THIS? THAT'S THAT ABSTRACT COMPONENT OF THE CRA THAT I MADE MENTION TO WHEN I FIRST STARTED AT THE PODIUM, SIR.
LET'S RECOGNIZE THIS PAST YEAR WE HAVE NEW STYLE, NEW STANDARDS, NEW LEVELS ON ASSESSMENTS, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE TO START LOOKING AT NEW TOOLS TO BUILDING THAT CAPACITY FOR STUDENT LEARNING, BUT AS WELL AS OUR TEACHING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? ANYONE THERE?
THEY WILL NOT COME FORWARD TO BOARD MEMBERS.
AND IF YOU DO GET THAT OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER, I WOULD HAVE A DEMONSTRATION SET UP FOR YOU.
WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU PLEASE? YES.
THIS PASTOR GORDON, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME PASTOR GORDON, MS. PASTOR GORDON.
UM, UM, READING OVER THE, THE INFORMATION 25 26 YEAR, THERE WAS A PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE EIGHTH GRADERS, RIGHT? AM I CORRECT? YES, SIR.
IS IT, WAS THERE ANY WAY TO MONITOR, UM, THE GRADE INCREASE? ABSOLUTELY.
I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SOME THINGS ARE EMBARGOED.
SO THE STATE RIGHT NOW HAS OUR DATA POINTS.
WE HAVE BEEN REVIEWING ITEMS AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN A POSITION THAT I, I CAN'T TALK OF ANY INCREASES OR SHIFTS AT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE MEASURES OF MATH AT EIGHTH GRADE.
GU OR PA UH, PASTOR GORDON, YOU JUST HAD ASKED A QUESTION.
GUS, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, WE'LL GO TO MR. SMITH.
[01:45:03]
I, MR. SMITH.ARE YOU DONE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION? YES, SIR.
OKAY, BECAUSE I WAS, I, I DID HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
I JUST THOUGHT YOU WERE STILL GOING.
SO, UM, IN ONE OF MY QUESTIONS ARE, UM, IN, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF THE, IN, IN TERMS, IN TERMS OF THE MATH, BACK IN THE BACK IN THE DAYS, WE USED TO HAVE SOMETHING CALLED THE, UH, PARENT UNIVERSITY BECAUSE, UH, THE MATH, THE FROM, UH, UNDERSTANDING AND TALKING TO THE PARENTS IN THE COMMUNITY, THE MATH, SOMETIMES THE MATH IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT, THAN WHAT IT, THAN WHAT IT USED TO BE.
AND SO IN, IN TERMS OF THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD THAT WHEN WE HAD THAT WE HAVE, LIKE WHEN WE HAVE PARENT UNIVERSITIES THAT WE, THAT WE'RE SHOWING THESE PARENTS HOW THIS MATH WORK.
I THINK BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF, OF HELPING THE PARENTS TEACH OR HELPING THE PARENTS ASSIST THE TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL SAY IT SAYS TEACHING STARTS AT HOME, UH, AS WELL.
BUT IF, IF THEY DON'T, IF THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS IS SOME NEW MATH TO THEM AS WELL, OR IT'S KIND OF FOREIGN, THEN I THINK THAT WHEN WE HAVE THOSE PAIN UNIVERSITY GET BACK TO THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT WILL ALSO IN, IN THAT, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD HELP HELP US IN TERMS OF, OF A DISTRICT IN, IN TERMS OF THE RESULTS THAT, THAT, THAT WE, THAT WE'RE GETTING.
SO THAT, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING I, I WANTED TO PUT OUT THERE TOO.
AND THEN, UH, ALSO IN, IN, IN TERMS OF USING THE TOOLS, I WAS, UH, AROUND SOME PARENTS YESTERDAY AND WE WERE TALKING, UM, IN, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF, UH, ACTUALLY WE WERE TALKING IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY MATH AND ENGLISH AND, AND WHAT THE, WHAT THE DISCUSSION WAS.
ARE, ARE WE USING, ARE WE USING ANY TEXTBOOKS ON, ON IN ANY, ON ANY SUBJECTS RIGHT NOW? THE TEXTBOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY, SIR.
AND WE ALSO ARE NECESSARY, UM, IF IT'S WRITTEN SPECIFICALLY THROUGH A 5 0 4 AN INP OR AN IEP, UM, OR PARENT PARENTAL REQUEST AS ACCESSIBILITY TO A HARD COPY OF TEXTBOOKS AS WELL.
BUT WE'D HAVE TO RECOGNIZE A PREDOMINANT AMOUNT OF THE PUBLISHERS TODAY PUBLISH THEIR TEXTS ELECTRONICALLY.
CONSUMABLE MATERIAL ARE HOT COPY AND WE UTILIZE CONSUMABLES AS WELL.
WELL, AND THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING THAT IN TERMS OF WHETHER WE USE TEXTBOOKS, I SEE THE CAMERA LIKE, WHERE YOU GONNA MS. SMITH WITH THAT IS BECAUSE, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE POINT THAT MRS. UH, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WERE JUST MAKING IN TERMS OF, UH, BEING ABLE TO COMPETE AND KEEP STUDENTS IN THE CHAIRS, SOME OF THE, I I ASKED A PARENT, UH, WHY, WHY DID THEIR CHILD GO TO ONE SCHOOL? AND, AND THE PARENT WAS SAYING, WELL, THE, THE DIFFERENCES THAT MY CHILD USED THAT THEIR SCHOOL, THEY USED ACTUALLY TEXTBOOKS.
AND SO I SAID THAT, WELL, I SAID, WELL, IN THE DISTRICT WE USE TEXTBOOKS AND YOUR KIDS CAN GO OUT AND GET BOOKS AND READ BOOKS AT THE LIBRARY AS WELL.
AND SO, SO, SO DON'T BE ASKING THAT QUESTION IS TO GET THE UNDERSTANDING, MAKE SURE THAT I KNOW THAT I'M BEING EDUCATED, I'M PUTTING OUT THE RIGHT THING, BUT THIS IS THE TIME TO BE CLEAR ABOUT IT AND, AND UNDERSTAND WHETHER WE ARE STILL USING TEXTBOOKS AND NOT, BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE PARENTS' ARGUMENTS IS THAT I WANT MY CHILD TO BE ABLE TO USE TEXTBOOKS IN TERMS OF MATH.
WHEN MY CHILD BRING THAT TEXTBOOK HOME, I CAN LOOK THROUGH THAT TEXTBOOK AND, AND, AND READ THROUGH SOME OF IT MYSELF AND HELP THEM OUT WITH IT.
SO THAT'S THE POINT OF ME ASKING THAT QUESTION.
THAT'S WHERE THAT PROGRESSION IS COMING FROM.
THAT'S WHERE THE TEETH OF IT IS.
MAY I JUST BRING A POINT FORWARD? 'CAUSE MR. MA'AM, MR. SMITH, YOU'RE DRIVING THE BUS TO WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH PUBLISHERS.
RESEARCH IS SHOWING THAT THE UTILIZATION OF A HARD COPY IS, DOES HAVE GREATER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
SO PUBLISHERS ARE GOING THROUGH A SHIFT AND MANY STATES ON THEIR TEXTBOOK ADOPTION AS THAT DOC DR.
SO THEY RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S AN INCURRED COST TO THE STATES AND STATES HAVE TO SHIFT THEIR BUYING POWER BECAUSE THE STATES DO HAVE BUYING POWER WHEN IT COMES TO TEXTBOOKS THAT WE UTILIZE IN THE SCHOOLS.
BUT THAT THERE IS A SHIFT NA, NATIONALLY ACTUALLY GLOBALLY INTO TOUCHING THAT TACTILE COMPONENTS, SIR.
ALSO, UNDER OTHER MATTERS THIS EVENING WE HAVE INFORMATION FROM THE OPENING DAY ON FRIDAY, JULY 31ST.
WE BROUGHT OUR STAFF MEMBERS BACK TO BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL AND HAD AN EXCITING DAY WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK, UM, SEVERAL PEOPLE, BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL, OBVIOUSLY FOR HOSTING.
WE ALSO HAD BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL AND MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR, ROTC, ASSISTING WITH PARKING.
UM, IT TOOK A LOT TO GET ALL OF THE PEOPLE THERE AND IN TO START AT EIGHT 30, BUT THEY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.
WE ALSO, ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS WORKED TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THIS DAY WAS SUCCESSFUL.
UM, BUT SPECIAL THANKS TO STACY CLEVELAND, MICHELLE SACKMAN AND KAREN MCKENZIE FOR WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE OUR DAY WAS SUCCESSFUL.
I ALSO WANNA, UM, SAY DR. CAMPBELL, BEFORE SHE LEFT AND RETIRED, SHE DID A LOT OF THE PRE-WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD EVERYTHING IN ORDER AND WE COULD
[01:50:01]
CONSISTENTLY CONTINUE WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.THERE WERE A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS FOR OUR TEACHERS.
WE HAD INFORMATION FROM OUR MATH SESSIONS.
WE HAD, UM, SESSIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH.
WE HAD, UM, THINGS FOR OUR ADMINISTRATORS ON THE ACCOUNTABILITY.
UM, SO THERE WERE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, THERE WAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.
UH, WE ALSO HAD OUR BANDS FROM EACH HIGH SCHOOL COME TOGETHER AND PERFORM.
AND THAT WAS AMAZING TO THINK THAT THEY HAD NOT PRACTICED TOGETHER AND THEY CAME AND THEY WERE ABLE TO DO A, UM, A SESSION TOGETHER.
SO, UM, COLONEL GEIER WAS THERE AND I DON'T KNOW IF HE HAS ANYTHING THAT HE WANTS TO ADD.
COLONEL GUYER, DO YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? I JUST MENTIONED TO MR. NAY THAT I WISH MR. MILLER WOULD'VE BEEN THERE TO US.
UH, TO SEE THAT BECAUSE IT REALLY WAS SPECTACULAR.
ANYBODY RECORD IT SO WE CAN GIVE IT TO HIM? I'M SURE IT WAS RECORDED SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT HE HE'S ABLE TO SEE THAT.
SO, SO JUST WANTED TO SAY WHAT AN EXCELLENT DAY WE HAD THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS ABLE TO SHARE HIS VISION FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR AND HAS ALWAYS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF EXCITEMENT FOR THAT DAY AND, AND I THINK EVERYBODY WAS EXCITED TO BE BACK AND LOOK FORWARD TO A, A NEW YEAR.
SO I WANNA SHARE THAT INFORMATION.
I WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT DUE TO TRAVEL.
UM, AND I HEAR THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT DID A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION FULL OF INFORMATION.
IS THAT AVAILABLE TO I'M SURE HE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
[Points of Celebration ]
WELL, ME AGAIN.SO FOR POINTS OF POINTS OF CELEBRATION, WE HAVE THE RETIREE RECOGNITION THIS EVENING.
OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT'S MISSION IS TO PREPARE GRADUATES WHO COMPETE AND SUCCEED IN AN EVER CHANGING GLOBAL SOCIETY AND CAREER MARKETPLACE.
ACHIEVING THAT MISSION TAKES THE DEDICATION, PASSION, AND COMMITMENT OF EXTRAORDINARY EMPLOYEES WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY IN THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS.
TONIGHT WE HONOR A REMARKABLE GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS WHO YEARS, WHOSE YEARS OF SERVICE HAVE HELPED SHAPED OUR SCHOOLS, SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY, AND INSPIRE GENERATIONS OF LEARNERS.
PLEASE JOIN US IN RECOGNIZING THESE OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS THROUGH A SPECIAL VIDEO, HIGHLIGHTING OUR RETIREE RECOGNITION EVENT AND CELEBRATING THE REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTIONS THEY HAVE MADE THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREERS.
AS YOU WATCH, PLEASE JOIN ME IN REFLECTING ON THE COUNTLESS CONTRIBUTIONS THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE MADE TO BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE LASTING LEGACY THEY LEAVE BEHIND HONORING DECADES OF MEDICATION LEAVE THE VIDEOS COMING UP.
IT'S CELEBRATING, ITS RETIRING EDUCATORS DURING A SPECIAL CEREMONY AT THE COLLETON RIVER CLUB IN BLUFFTON.
AT THE EVENT EACH RETIREE WAS CALLED TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM AND RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION IN THE LASTING IMPACT THEY'VE MADE ON THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS STUDENTS AND FELLOW STAFF MEMBERS.
I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS EDUCATION THING FOR 47 YEARS, 27 OF THEM IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
IT WAS A POSTER OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS GOING TO MISS, AND THEN I WANTED A POSTER OF THE THINGS THAT I WASN'T GOING TO MISS.
THANKFULLY THE SECOND ONE WAS SMALLER THAN THE FIRST THAT I MENTIONED.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS I'M GOING TO MISS.
28 YEARS OF SERVICE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I WILL MISS ALL OF THE FRIENDS THAT I HAVE MADE ALONG THE WAY.
I WILL MISS THE CONNECTION IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS JUST SERVING WITH THE KIDS THAT WE LOVE SO MUCH IN OUR DISTRICT.
I'VE BEEN TEACHING FOR 30 YEARS.
I'M GONNA MISS THE KIDS AND I AM A MATH NERD AND LOVE TEACHING MATH.
BLUFFTON HAS BEEN MY HOME, SO I THINK I'M GONNA MISS BLUFFTON HIGH THE MOST.
THESE RETIREES ARE LEAVING BEHIND A LEGACY OF SERVICE, LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION THAT HAS HELPED SHAPE GENERATIONS OF BEAUFORD COUNTY STUDENTS AND STRENGTHEN SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
YOU WALKED IN YOUR OFFICES, CLASSROOMS, WHEREVER EVERY DAY, FILLED WITH PASSION, FILLED WITH DEDICATION.
WHILE RETIREMENT MARKS THE END OF ONE CHAPTER, THESE EDUCATORS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITIES AND ADVENTURES THAT LIE AHEAD.
BEING RETIRED, I AM BEING A VERY PRESENT MOTHER.
I'M TAKING MY DAUGHTER TO ALL OF HER ACTIVITIES TO INCLUDE VOLLEYBALL, TRAVEL VOLLEYBALL, HER CLUBS.
I'D LIKE TO PLAY DECENT GOLF AGAIN SOMEDAY, BUT THAT'S ME.
I'M STILL GONNA BE WORKING IN VOLLEYBALL AND I'M GONNA BE WORKING PART-TIME TEACHING MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, WHICH WILL BE NEW FOR ME AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL ON THE ISLAND.
ABOUT 70 EDUCATORS RETIRED AT THE END OF THE 20 25 20 26 SCHOOL YEAR FOR THE BUCA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
[01:55:01]
SOCONGRATULATIONS TO OUR BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT RETIREES.
WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE AND WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN THIS EXCITING NEW CHAPTER.
AND THANKS THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THE WONDERFUL SETTING AT THAT PARTICULAR FACILITY AND THE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT WERE PROVIDED TO THE, I THINK IT WAS 65 PLUS RETIREES THAT WERE THERE.
[Consent Agenda]
IS THERE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA SO I PROPERLY MOTION AND SECOND.[Future Agenda Topics]
TOPICS.WE'VE ALREADY HAD ONE, WHICH IS THE JASPER COUNTY DEVELOPMENT AS IMPACT ON SCHOOL, UH, ENROLLMENT IN, UM, SOUTH OF THE BROAD.
ANY OTHERS AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME? YES MA'AM.
WHERE ARE WE ON SOME OF THE, LIKE THE AI, THE SCREEN DEVELOPMENT, ARE THOSE ON THE LISTS ALREADY? UH, SCREEN TIME AND UM, AN AI POLICY? 'CAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN THOSE COME UP YET.
UM, I KNOW SCREEN TIME IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ON THE, ON A UPCOMING AGENDA.
AND JUST TO BUTTRESS THAT THE AI, THERE'S BEGINNING TO BE RESEARCH THAT IS CARRIES CARRIES SOMEWHAT NEGATIVE IMPACTS FOR EDUCATION OUTCOMES.
SO, BUT THAT HAS, YES, DEFINITELY.
BUT I MEAN THE AI POLICY, MOST BOARDS HAVE ADOPTED AN AI POLICY.
YEAH, WE'VE NOT DONE THAT YET, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN, I'VE GOT IT DOWN.
UM, MRS. BOATWRIGHTS DISCUSSION ON UH, THE, UH, THE AR FOR INTERSTATE OR INTER INTER DISTRICT.
YOU GOT THAT INTER INNER DISTRICT TRANSFER? YES.
AS A POLICY RATHER THAN A AN AR.
UM, I REC OR, UM, MY, UM, TOPIC WAS UH, UH, PLACED TWO MORE ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO.
I HAD POLICY AND I HAD FOIA AND I HAVEN'T SEEN, WELL WE TONIGHT WE OBVIOUSLY DISCUSSED POLICY, BUT HOW ABOUT THE OTHERS? I COULDN'T HEAR THAT LAST PART.
AND SO I SUGGESTED FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS AT OUR FIRST JUNE MEETING OF, UM, AGENDA SETTING POLICY AND FOIA.
WE OBVIOUSLY DISCUSSED POLICY OR BEGAN TO TONIGHT.
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER TWO? UH, ANY THAT WERE RAISED IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DISCUSSED? YOU CAN ADD THEM TONIGHT.
YEAH, SO WE'LL, SO I'M ADDING, SO, BUT I'M SAYING IT AGAIN NOW.
TWO MONTHS LATER, AGENDA SETTING IS A TOPIC AND THEN FOIA IS A TOPIC AS PART OF THAT.
SO LET ME MAYBE, MAYBE I DROPPED THE BALL ON THIS, BUT AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ANYTIME I'M GOING TO EXECUTE A CHANGE, IT IS LEGALLY EXPLORED AND DEFENDED AS BEING WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF THE STATE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO IF I DIDN'T COMMUNICATE THAT, I WILL DEFINITELY PLEASE ACCEPT THIS AS COMMUNICATION THAT OUR CURRENT METHODOLOGY OF HOW WE HANDLE THE AGENDA SETTING PROCESS AND FOER RESPONSES HAS BEEN VETTED BY ATTORNEYS.
WE HAVE GOTTEN A WRITTEN OPINION.
HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH THE BOARD.
ANY OTHER TOPICS? ALRIGHT, ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[Announcements]
BLESS YOU.NO, THAT WAS NOT CAN I MAKE ONE OF THOSE? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SPEAK TO ALL THE PARENTS WHO HAVE COME UP AND TALKED TO ME AND EXPLAIN.
WE DID NOT NECESSARILY WANT TO START THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL ON FRIDAY.
IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION THAT HAD A LOT OF RAMIFICATIONS AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE WHY, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE CONCERNED AS TO WHY WE STARTED SCHOOL ON A FRIDAY.
IT WAS SO THAT YOU GUYS COULD HAVE A BETTER THANKSGIVING BREAK A BETTER, UH, AND WE ARE BOUND BY STATE REQUIREMENTS.
SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT.
SECOND PUBLIC COMMENTS? ANY, OKAY.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE
[Executive Session]
SESSION? I MOVE.[02:00:01]
I MEAN YOU GO RIGHT AHEAD.WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSION OF EMPLOYMENT MATTER REGARDING PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 TECH FOUR 70 A ONE.
DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE WITH MCKNIGHT CONSTRUCTION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PALMETTO EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER, EARLY SITE PACKAGE AND EARTHQUAKE DRAIN.
SCOPE OF WORK GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 T FOUR TAX 70 82.
DISCUSSION NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER 10 WITH THOMPSON TURNER CONSTRUCTION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND.
SCOPE OF WORK GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 T FOUR TAX 70 82.
RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE RELATED PENDING LEGAL CLAIMS COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 T FOUR TAX 70 82.
RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO WILLOW RUN NINTH AMENDMENT COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 30 T FOUR TAX.
RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO SOCIAL MEDIA COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY, CLIENT ATTORNEY.
ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE PURSUANT SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 40 T, UH, 40 T FOUR TAX 78 2.
OKAY, PROPERLY MOTION AND SECOND.
I WOULD LIKE TO LIKE TO KNOW, UH, WHO WILL BE ADVISING US ON, ON, ON THESE LEGAL MATTERS, MS. CARTILAGE, KAYLA BRAZER AND POSSIBLY DAVE DUFF AND GIBSON.
VOTE DO WE VOTE? WE HAVE NOT VOTED.
MARY, CAN YOU SHARE, SHOW THAT SO EVERYONE CAN SEE IT AND THE TWO BOARD MEMBERS? UH, THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, UH, WANTS US TO, IF WE WILL, UH, HAVE A PICTURE BEFORE THIS SIGN SO THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE IT TO THE POPULATION THAT, UH, WE ARE HEADED BACK TO SCHOOL AND WE ARE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IT.
WILL YOU SORT OF SET UP MAYBE WHEN WE COME BACK IN BEFORE WE GO INTO SESSION OR SHOULD WE DO IT AND MEET? IT'S UP TO YOU ALL.
THE DOCTOR CAN GO HOME, I GUESS.
[Action as Necessary or Appropriate Regarding Matters Discussed in Executive Session]
SECRETARY, ANY MOTION? YES.WE HAVE THREE MOTIONS COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
FIRST I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE EMPLOYMENT LISTED ON JULY 1ST, 2026 THROUGH JULY 31ST, 2026.
PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT.
AND SECOND, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, UNFORTUNATELY TONIGHT DUE TO SOME DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I'VE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UM, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO, UH, SUPPORT, SUPPORT THIS, UM, TO SUPPORT, TO SUPPORT THE, UH, RATIFICATIONS, UH, UM, ON TONIGHT BECAUSE I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS SO I WON'T BE ABLE TO SUPPORT TONIGHT.
ALRIGHT, PROPERLY MOTION AND SECOND.
GU AND PASTOR GORDON CAN'T HEAR AGAIN.
SHE STILL, OH, CAN'T HEAR AGAIN.
AND SECOND, DO THEY NEED THE MOTION AGAIN? CAN YOU HEAR US NOW? YES, I HEAR YOU.
DO YOU NEED A MOTION AGAIN? HOW'S GORDON? DO YOU NEED TO HEAR THE MOTION AGAIN? YOU AND DR.
YES, I WE CAN, THE MOTION I MOVE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE EMPLOYMENT LISTED ON JULY 1ST, 2026 THROUGH JULY 31ST, 2026.
PERSONNEL RATIFICATION REPORT.
[02:05:01]
SHE'S ON.I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE WITH MCKNIGHT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PALMETTO EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER, EARLY SITE PACKAGE AND EARTHQUAKE DRAIN SCOPE BASED ON THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE OF $6,452,413 AND 97 CENTS.
SECOND PROBABLY MOTION AND SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND, SAY AYE.
AND I SAID YES TO THE OTHER ONE, BUT I GUESS YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME.
AND LAST I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER 10 WITH THOMPSON TURNER CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND BASED ON THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE OF $852,312.
ALL IT'S, IT WAS, UH, SECOND BY, UH, MS. UH, HAY.
OKAY, THIS CONCLUDES, UH, MOTIONS OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT AN EXECUTIVE SESSION WHEN STAFF BROUGHT FORWARD AN ISSUE THAT YOU PROPERLY MO RULED OUT OF ORDER BECAUSE IT WAS NOT, UM, PROPERLY NOTED ON THE AGENDA.
SO I TOTALLY SUPPORT AND APPLAUD THAT ACTIVITY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES, IF IT WILL HAVE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT THAT CANNOT BE MITIGATED PRIOR TO OUR NEXT MEETING ON AUGUST 21ST.
I DO BELIEVE EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES EXIST IN THIS.
WE COULD MAKE A MOTION TO GO BACK INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND HANDLE THIS.
UM, BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE TWO THIRDS VOTE MAJORITY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL ITEM AND TO GO BACK INTO PER EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, TO HEAR AN EX EXIGENT SITUATION.
IS MOTIONS MOST OKAY? UM, WELL MY, MY QUESTION WOULD BE, UM, ARE WE SURE THIS IS, WE ARE SURE THAT THIS ISN'T, THIS IS AN ACCIDENT IN THE EMERGENCY BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS STATED THAT SHOULD HAVE, WE SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEET OF THE MEETING IN TERMS OF, UH, UNDERSTANDING OR PRIOR TO US GOING IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO ONE OF OUR ATTENTIONS SO THAT WE COULD PUT THAT OUT THERE.
AND I AGREE AND I THINK, UH, OUR CHAIRMAN HANDLED THAT ADMIRABLY.
BUT WHAT I'LL SAY IS THAT THERE WAS A, IT WAS A MISCOMMUNICATION ON THE STAFF'S PART THAT, YOU KNOW, IS, IS DEFINITELY A PROCEDURAL BREAK.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NOT AN EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCE IF AN INDIVIDUAL WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED DUE TO LACK OF ACTION BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA, AN EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCE CAN RISE WITHIN 24 HOURS, WHICH THIS DID NOT.
OR IT CAN BE THAT IF WE POSTPONE TAKING ACTION ON THIS, THERE COULD BE SIGNIFICANT HARM TO AN INDIVIDUAL OR TO THE DISTRICT.
AND I THINK IT FALLS INTO THAT SECOND CATEGORY.
AND I'LL JUST SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
AND ALSO JUST TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL, WE DO HAVE THE, UH, RIGHT TO CALL EMERGENCY MEETINGS IF WE SEE THE NECESSARY FOR, FOR A SITUATION LIKE THIS AS WELL.
I, I AM NOT GONNA SAY ANY, ANYTHING.
I, I THINK, UH, VOTING, UH, WHAT, WHAT, UH, INGRID HAS SAID IS FINE.
THE OTHER THING, IT POSSIBLY COULD FALL UNDER ONE OF THE LISTED CATEGORIES ALREADY, SUCH AS, UH, RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE, UH, FOR A POSSIBLE CLAIM.
THAT IS ACTUALLY ANOTHER WAY IT COULD BE ADDRESSED, BUT I THINK, I HONESTLY THINK INGRID'S WAY IS BETTER.
AND, AND ARE WE, ARE WE HAVING AN ATTORNEY TO ASSIST US ON THIS, ON THIS, UH, LEGAL, LEGAL MATTER? DO WE HAVE ANY ATTORNEYS WHO, WHO WILL BE ASSISTING US ON THIS? IT WOULD JUST BE MS. CARTILAGE WOULD BE IN THE ROOM.
UM, IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOTIONED AND SECOND TO REENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION TO ADDRESS THE EXIGENT ISSUE AND IT REQUIRES A TWO THIRDS VOTE OF THE BOARD.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HANDS.
HOW MANY IS THAT SIX THEN? ONLINE WIDES, QUADS? YES.
MR. GORDON? I, OKAY, SO IT'S ONLY SO WE GO BACK IN.
WE'VE RETURNED FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MR. SECRETARY, THERE IS NO ACTION SESSION.
NO ACTION OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I THINK THAT BRINGS THE MEETING TO CONCLUSION.
[02:10:01]
TO ADJOURN? SO MOVE SIR.YOU, YOU GOT, YOU GOT A, YOU GOT A STREAK RUNNING HERE.
THIS IS LARRY ROWLAND AND THIS IS THE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
ONE OF THE, UH, MOST FASCINATING ARTIFACTS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE ARE THE RUINS OF THE OLD SHELDON CHURCH.
THE PROPER NAME IS THE PARISH CHURCH OF PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH, SOUTH CAROLINA.
PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH WAS FOUNDED IN 1745.
IN RESPONSE, IT WAS THE SECOND ANGLICAN PARISH IN THE BEAUFORT DISTRICT.
HELENA PARISH FOUNDED IN 1712, THE ORIGINAL PARISH, PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH IN 1745 WAS IN THE MIDST OF AN ECONOMIC BOOM BECAUSE RICE PLANTATION SURROUNDED THE SITE ON HUSSAH NECK WHERE THE CHURCH EVENTUALLY WAS BUILT AND THOSE RICE PLANTERS WERE VERY WEALTHY.
IN 1745, THE COMMONS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ESTABLISHED PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH, AND IN 1751, THEY LAID THE CORNERSTONE FOR PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH.
THE CHURCH WAS FINISHED BY 1755 AND WELL APPOINTED.
IT HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE FIRST OR OLDEST TEMPLE FORM GREEK REVIVAL BUILDING IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.
SO THAT RUIN AT SHELDON, WHICH FASCINATES PEOPLE, ABSOLUTELY SHOULD FASCINATE PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST EXAMPLE OF A TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE THAT BECAME ASSOCIATED WITH AMERICAN DEMOCRACY IN AMERICAN PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH, OR THE OLD SHELDON RUINS, WAS BURNED BY BRITISH TORIES DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN 1779, IT LAYIN RUINS.
UNTIL 1826, CHARLES FRAZIER, THE FAMOUS LOW COUNTRY ARTIST, PAINTED A PICTURE OF IT IN 1819, AFTER IT WAS RESTORED TO USE AND SERVICES.
IN 1826, HE CAME AND LOOKED AT IT AND HE SAID, MY GOD, THEY'VE TAKEN A BEAUTIFUL RUIN AND TURNED IT INTO AN UGLY CHURCH.
SO THE UNION ARMY AND THE EVENTS OF THE CIVIL WAR RESTORED IT TO A BEAUTIFUL RUIN.
WE THOUGHT FOR MANY YEARS THAT PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH HAD BEEN BURNED BY SHERMAN'S FORCES AS THEY MARCHED THROUGH THIS DISTRICT.
THAT TURNS OUT NOT TO BE TRUE.
THE CHURCH WAS INTACT AFTER THE CIVIL WAR AND WAS DISMANTLED BY LOCAL FOLKS WHO USED THE PARTS OF THE CHURCH TO BUILD THEIR HOMES AND BARNS.
AND SO THE WOOD BASICALLY WAS TAKEN OUT.
THE ROOF FELL IN THE CHURCH, BECAME A RUIN, AND WAS IN DISUSE UNTIL MODERN TIMES IT HAS REMAINED.
AS CHARLES FRASER SAID, A BEAUTIFUL AND ENTICING RUIN.
THIS HAS BEEN A BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.