August 11, 2025 School Board Meeting

001Test test test one two test test one two test test one See? Good evening. It is 5 o'clock, so I'm going to go ahead and call the August 11th meeting to order. I get a motion to approve the agenda. >> Make a motion to approve the agenda. Is >> there a second? >> Second. >> Um, all those misses. Um, I move to amend the agenda to defer item 8B until the board votes per policy FF on the name of the new school. Second, >> so um 8B is the Spring Hill Middle School logo and I don't believe the board's ever voted to for that name. Um, and so I think we should wait until we can we may well vote for that name, but I just think we should wait and and follow the policy.

002And I've got something about this. I've got the email back when I asked this. I've got the email saying that we did vote on it on July 21st, but the vote on July 21st was for the adoption of the updated educational structure and redistricting plan. It wasn't to change the name. So, I'm going to put this in the in the minutes. I did send that um meeting date because I thought that that was the meeting date. Amy and Dr. Ross, do you happen to know the specific meeting? Um because I thought that was the date that you gave me, but if I'm wrong, please. >> That was correct. The last board meeting per exhibit L the specific language of the motion had as you look at the exhibit it says Spring Hill Middle School previously

003Chapen Middle School same thing I mean that would be true of crossroads correct because all of these were named within exhibit L of that meeting it passed 42 >> and that was at the meeting that she's referencing. Yes, sir. >> Um, and I did not include Crossroads in my motion because the name the name Crossroads is not changing. Um, you know, we could somebody else could amend my motion, but the purpose of the vote was not the exhibit. the the purpose of the vote, and I'll read the wording again, was um I make a motion to approve the adoption of the updated educational structure and redistricting plan for 2627. And if you recall, and it does say as shown in exhibit L, but that's doesn't say the name of the school. It says the purpose

004of the is is the updated. And I just think as a board, you know, we need to be careful that we follow policy and policyy's there for a reason. Um, I and at least one other board member have previously expressed concerns with this name, um, because of the connotations that it may give people given that our high school has the exact same name and it's a magnet school. And like I said, we may arrive back at this at this exact same name, but I think it's important to have the discussion and have the vote. >> We have been presenting this name for over two years. At no time did we talk about not using spring middle school. Uh I think we should refer to board policy FF in its entirety which says the superintendent determines

005the process in which the name is and the board votes. The superintendent determine the process is outlined in exhibit L. It pass policy also says that at any time without any reason the board may change the name of this school. I think two years these schools have been planning very diligently to move forward. vote pass 42. I hope that we would move forward accepting vote or the will of the board. >> But the the school has to and the district has to listen to the will of the board. Will of the board was to move forward with what was outlined by the superintendent per policy. >> Mr. S >> policy also says that the schools are named geographically. Spring of middle school is in spring of South Carolina. So with that, you know, Mr. Satderfield.

006>> Yeah, I was going to ask a question. I know it says um board spotlight for the school, the name of the school and the logo. Um there's intertwined. I mean, you don't have one without the other. And I know my experience in the past and you all can share it with me if you have any other opinions on this, but my experience in the past is that we've always gone uh we had a group of parents and teachers and administrators that get together and have a committee and they come up with those that process the name of the school or the uh and the logo as well. Um did they go through that process with this? >> They did in exhibitu uh 8 A and 8B they want to talk about it and talk

007about how they arrived. >> Um Dr. Ross the that name if you go back to even the very first proposed bond referendum that that name suggested name was on there and I was on the board at the time and and we were never told that a committee had come up with the name and I'm going to take exception that I have said more than once and Miss Hans also said that we wanted to talk about the name because we had some current concerns and that's all I'm asking here is that we have an opportunity to talk about the name. I mean, it it is in my opinion, it's going to cause confusion. And that's what we talked about years ago was that it is going to make people think that if they move into the

008Spring Hill Middle School attendance zone that their child is going to Spring Hill High School. >> And and I'll say this, uh, we have to listen to the board. I'm listening for the board. The board voted 42 on exhibit L. That's what I'm moving forward with. Board policy also says that if there are confusions in the community in the district for parents or community members, those are referenced to the administration and administration gets the opportunity to set those forth before it comes to the board. That's in the board conduct policy. I don't remember ever getting any reference from a parent who's been confused about Spring Hill Middle School. You're fed into the middle school for the elementary schools. the structure shows where you're going to be fed in. We have choice all of our high

009schools. So I I think we should we have a vote move forward 42. Uh these groups have planned to be here tonight to talk about their development of those little so I would support that we continue as as outlined in 8 and B. >> Great. We have Kevin, I'm sorry. Go ahead. >> That's fine. Um, yeah, thank you Dr. Rosson and I agree and I I think there's room to interpret other FF in other ways. One, I believe that we have for the last two years since I've been on the board continuously voted on that name as part of the overall packages. Uh, we don't nothing in the policy says it has to have a specific motion with the specific purpose of the motion regarding the name. Um the policy further is actually under a

010larger policy that is titled the facilities expansion program. This is not an expansion. It is not a new school. It is merely a change in the name of an existing school. And so I would argue that it may not even fall under that policy uh theoretically. But assuming that it does, I think we're very well established to have voted on this this name multiple over multiple times. Um, furthermore, I agree with Mr. Satderfield. Simply by our vote tonight, we're doing the exact same thing uh by voting on or or we're not voting on it, but we're hearing it. So, this we're fine. I I think we're we're not in conflict with the policy. Uh, I even question if the policy applies. Um, I think the administration has followed their procedures and let me ask you,

011Dr. Ross, are you guys would be the ones that deal with any confusion, any fallout from that? I've also brought up concerns about the Rich Lex name because it's called Rich Lex, but our email is Lex Rich and so there's confusion. But ultimately, it depends on you. Are you prepare prepared to deal with the confusion? And if you are, then I'm fine with it. Yes, sir. >> Um I'm going to um call for the vote. Before I do, I want to say um I think this is one of those things where um two things can um can be true. Um I can't speak to Miss Huddle's um comment about Miss Hines u because I don't think I was on the board when that when y'all first had that conversation, so I wasn't present. I can

012say that when we took this vote, I know that um Miss Huddle made comments before about not being a fan of the name, but I don't think that we ever had a full-on discussion about obviously about whether or not um we should change it. Miss Huttle did reach out to me, just for the record, um about this concern and making sure that we were following the policy. I did um talk with Ward because I wanted to be sure we were following the policy. Um and he did say that um the policy is clear in that if it's a new school, you know, we have to do this convening of the committee and the board and and all that, but it doesn't necessarily specify um if we're renaming a current school. So, it would come down,

013you know, obviously it just comes down um to our vote. Um anyway, that being said, we have an amendment um to the agenda on the floor. All of those in favor? All oppose? And the motion fails 4 to three. Back to the original motion on the floor to approve the agenda. All those in favor? have another amendment to um I move to amend the agenda to move um line item 26 and line item 27 from selected employment items exhibit A from executive session to the public session because those are new posi one is a new position without a name and the other are new stipens without names so I don't believe those constitute convention uh confidential personnel matters and those discussions should be held in public >> second >> I don't have that in front

014of me I don't so >> okay I mean the line item and since there's no name on it I'm going to say what it is it's for a bond project manager and there's no name on it um and that's line item 26 and line item 27 is for stipens for Victory South Carolina facilit ators. There's no names on it. And I think the FOYA law allows you to do personnel matters in an executive session because they're related to individual people. I don't think it is appropriate to approve a new position or new stipens without in executive session that are not particular to a person. >> Yeah, >> I don't see 27. >> It's on the very last page. It skips a page. >> My second question is you said a N 26 is a new

015position. >> Well, it says it's a re it's a repurpose of a position, but it's still not a personnel matter. It's a position. So, I don't think it's appropriate for that to be in executive session. I think it should be in public. >> It will have to be voted on in public. Correct. >> Correct. But I think the discussion should be in public. Can I can I So you miss, what you're asking is that we vote on approval of those positions. >> I'm asking for those two items to be moved to public discussion. >> I understand, but I'm saying you want you would like the board in public to vote on those positions. >> Yeah. And and I don't know if we can do it tonight to be honest because under FOYA I think you

016have to put anything that's of a action item has to be on the agenda in advance and public so that the public has a opportunity to participate in in the the process. >> We have repurposed many positions before. This does entitle personnel decisions. I think we should hold this to executive session. You're more than welcome to talk about anything in executive session, you can break your executive session privilege. So the administration ask for action. >> Well, the one concern I think that and I understand Miss Huddle's line of thinking, I believe, but one concern I would be have would be if we delay it until the next if there is a delay, do those positions, it is an important imperative for them to be filled ASAP? Yes, we feel like we're behind schedule already on

017these. There are some personnel matters that we need to discuss. I think we have used repurposing uh many times. It has to be approved. >> Sure. >> So there is no vehicle for the superintendent to if I have to get a board approved and they involve personnel decisions and issues, you can always break your your confidentiality of executive session and open session. But if you have to take an action, you cannot take that in in executive session. It has to be open. >> But we can have the discussion in execution. But to remove from executive session without knowing what this is about, I think doesn't give us that flexibility. >> I guess I have a question. We we approved position changes as part of the budget in open session. So why couldn't we do that

018with this position? >> And I'm saying again, there is no And this is kind of why talking to the superintendent about the pack is important. There are issues that we need to discuss about personel in executive session. We need to be able to do that. You're very welcome to come in open session and have a full discussion about what we talk but we handle personnel items under personnel exhibit A. For the history I've been here, we've handled employment items under exhibit A. >> We have, but they've always had names with them. I've always been about certain people like >> unless they have been reclassifications of of that position. We're changing them from one and I guess we're having an open session right now. We're changing from from one uh account function to another. Some superintendents

019are granted the opportunity to do that. I'm not. So, I need >> Do you have a question? Well, I have I have a comment I hope that will solve this little issue and that is that >> we can still have the discussion when we come back in public session. >> Then you can make the motion to that you just made with regards to those two positions. That's correct. >> So we have an amendment to the agenda um on the floor. All those >> I'll I'll withdraw my amendment. >> Okay. All right. So um that takes us back to the original motion to approve the agenda. All those in favor? All those opposed. And the motion carries 7 to zero. Do I have a motion to enter into executive session? >> Madam chair, I make a

020motion to enter executive session to consider the following. Selected employment items exhibit A for action. Selected employment items, exhibit B, information only. Contractual matter regarding graduation alliance, exhibit C. Contractual matter regarding professional development services, exhibit D. Legal advice regarding the sale of district real estate. Legal advice relating to a data security incident. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> And the motion carries 7 to zero. We'll adjourn to executive session. Do it. Good evening. It is 6:35 and I'm going to call our regularly scheduled board meeting to order. I do apologize um for the delay. Executive session obviously ran a little bit over. So, we're going to go ahead and get right to it with the invocation and pledge by Trusty Huddle. >> Thank you. Gracious and loving God, we come before you today with

021hearts full of gratitude for the privilege to serve our community. As we gather to make decisions that will shape the future of our children and schools, we ask for your guidance. Remind us that our decisions affect young minds eager to learn and grow. Help us to lead with integrity, to speak honestly, and to make choices that reflect the truth in all circumstances. Give us the courage to always act in the best interest of our students, parents, and community. In your name we pray. Amen. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance of the stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> We'll now have Miss Taylor with our school board spotlight. >> Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board. Dr. Ross, good evening. Our spotlights are a little different tonight,

022but very special indeed. We have two leaders with us tonight who since we this is operation transformation this year and they are going to be undergoing some big transformations over the next year and so they are here very eager to share those with you tonight. We have with us from what will be Crossroads Middle School Dr. Erin Dodie and what will be Spring Hill Middle School Dr. Stephanie Huckabe. So we will start with Dr. Dodie. Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board, Dr. Ross, thank you for having me this evening. I'm very excited to talk to you about the plans that we have been making for the new Crossroads Middle School of Innovation. And today, I'm going to share a little bit with you about the process we've gone through selecting our new colors

023and mascot, as well as a little preview of the magnet program that we're going to be offering in a couple of years. Maybe I can get this. Okay, thank you. All right. So, I'm going start with the decision making process and our decision makers. So, we had two very important groups that helped us to come to the decisions that we've made. We started with a brainstorming committee which was volunteers from our staff. We had about 20 staff members total and as you can representation of all of our departments and all of the key players in our school. And I'll talk to you about the process that they went through in just a moment. And then we formed a branding committee from there. We had 11 members of that brainstorming committee as well as some people

024from the community. I have reached out to the elementary schools that will be feeding Crossroads in the um coming years when we are a three-year school and had members from those schools that had rising sixth grade realizing sixth graders as well as some community members and they participated in our branding committee. So this is the timeline. We started last February with our first brainstorming committee and that was just a meeting to talk about where we are, what makes Crossroads special and kind of where we're going. So that committee met and from there we came up with three subcommittees and met again in March. The subcommittees were mission and vision, our academic programming, and then our colors and mascot. Those subcommittees looked at our feeder schools, the schools that we'll be feeding to, the history of

025our community, the history of our school, as well as where we were going with our academic programming and came up with plans. From there, we met in April and May, a smaller group to sort of do some strategic planning and some mapping. We used all the information that those subcommittees had given us, and we came up with two choices for our mascot, two choices for our color scheme, as well as some more plans for our magnet programming, which I'll talk about at the end. Then we had our branding committee, which met this summer in June. We took the OE, I'm sorry, we gave a staff survey as well from those two choices. And then the staff survey results we took to the branding committee. We used the results from the staff survey as well as

026some more information that I had already that I had shared with those committees and we um used a rubric and we kind of rated the options had some small group meetings and then came to consensus for what our school colors and mascot would be and then in June we presented all that to Dr. Ross and a committee for um approval. So from that, you may already have noticed that the colors we selected are green and yellow. As we continue to become Crossroads Middle, we will still feed Armo and Dutch Fork. So that is a support of both of those schools. And we chose the mascot of innovators, which will be represented by a phoenix. We chose the Phoenix for a couple reasons. One, a phoenix represents rebirth, transformation, just like our students going to middle

027school who are going to be transforming into new versions of themselves when they come from elementary school. And um we also focused on innovators because we will be the school of innovation and innovators are decision makers at pivotal moments just like in the middle school years. So we did some research about what a phoenix is. We did some research about innovators and this is the concept that we came up with. As we move into that year, we are going to be also adding a magnet to our to our school. So, we are going to have a specialized approach to learning that will be schoolwide in that all of our classrooms will utilize a design thinking process. We're also working on the creation of a maker space where kids can innovate and test out those that

028design process. And then we are working on some unique electives as well. In addition to that schoolwide piece, we will also have a track that students can apply to. We'll start in 2627 with about 50 sixth graders. And the vision right now is for those sixth grade classes to be integrated. So because it's sixth grade and teachers can be dual certified in more than one area, we will have a teacher who teaches ELA and social studies and one who does math and science. just to focus on that integration and that problem solving. We will offer unique um field studies and then our rise time which is our home room will be Irise and it will be focused on project based learning and that program will be called the academy of inquiry and innovation or AI

029squared. And so that's our project that's our proposal as a moment. That's it. Stand for questions. >> Yes. >> I'm just curious like um So most of you're all sixth grade right now. >> Right now. >> So what um is the current staff? Are most of them able to stay or because of um certifications? Kind of maybe tell us a little bit about what kind of changes you you're going to have to make or will be made because of the move from sixth to sixth through 8th. >> So a lot of our staff is elementary certified. I have um some who are middle level and so they could stay and teach seventh and eth. A lot of the staff that is elementary certified have expressed interest in staying um wanting to get their certification in

030middle level so that they can. So I don't know exactly how much turnover there'll be yet. It's hard to say but hopefully not a ton. >> Mr. Scandinfield, >> I love it. Um great job and so many applications of the Phoenix down the road for various uses. So I fantastic. I applaud you. >> Thank you. Uh yeah, I want to say um my first admin job was at campus I >> and I'm going to tell you date myself. That was Isn't that a long time, Miss Wheeler? That was a long time ago. I guess it was. Um but that school has gone through a lot of transformations and uh a lot of changes to say the least, but I think y'all done a great job of of going through this process and arriving at this

031conclusion. So my hats off to you. >> Thank you. Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board, and of course, Dr. Ross. He gives me great joy tonight um to present to you our vision for Spring Hill Middle School colors and mascot. So, first of all, I want to give a shout out to our branding committee. Many of them are here tonight, so I appreciate them being here. Um, we wanted to include members of the actual community who live close to the school in addition to faculty members. And then of course we have um I'm going to give a shout out to Rick Howell. He's been an SIC member for such a long time at Chapen Middle School and his feedback is also means a lot to us. So I appreciate this committee and um

032we began meeting in February. We had multiple meetings. We did walking tours. Um and so super proud of of that team. We asked three questions. The first one is who are we going to serve? Spring Hill Middle School. What does that mean? And so if you look at our geography, Spring Hill is actually really kind of the only it it kind of arches over all these other pockets that we will serve. Um we also happen to be the school that's closest to the Spring Hill marker that says that it was called Spring Hill in 1791, officially incorporated in 1889. So, um, so I'm I'm proud that we're close to that and there would be some historical significance to tie into the name of the school to to the kids. Um, and then that our school

033is actually that close to the marker. The next question was, how can we honor various pathways of students? So, if you look, our kids are going to be at Valentine Lake Murray for this year. Chapen Media and Chapen Middle are part of that transition. Chapen High is their high school. And then, of course, they have the option for the Spring Hill Magnet. So we wanted to take into account kind of what is the story of of our little corner of the world and how kids are going to travel and what their experiences have been and then where will they go. Um so this is this slide is very important to me. Um I am just going to I I hate wasting taxpayer money and we have a beautiful building. It is 10 years old and

034it is gorgeous. Our custodial staff does an incredible job, but you'll notice there is a lot of blue >> and not blue that we can just change the wallpaper. I'm talking like this is structure >> and I can't imagine coming before the board and saying I need you to rip up all the floors, you know, and um in many of our classrooms also have a blue wall which you can see in this. So it became very evident that blue probably was going to be a good color for us to lean into. So with that, these were our color ideas. First, this is kind of a lighter blue. A lot of our walls are this color, so it it's a nice shade of blue, but to give it some energy of middle school, we needed something

035that would make it pop. And that once again, I don't think it's going to cost a tremendous amount of money for us to rebrand a Spring Hill Middle with a pop of a bright red. So, we've got the blue with the red. I did not know this, but some talented people on the committee were like, "Well, then you need accent colors." So, these are our accent colors. Um, navy, white, gray, and medium blue were the colors that, excuse me, that they suggested. So, the next thing was the mascot. And I'm going to tell you, a mascot means a lot to me. I want it to be something that our kids can see when they are riding home on the school bus if they look out the window. It's something that has visited our campus. Actually

036is right outside my office um last week. Um, and so here's some here's some of the the descriptions. They're part of our school surrounding ecosystem. Depth of vision allows them to see finer details at greater distances than the human eye. Their call is the one that is used most often in movies. So even if you see hear an eagle, this is the call that's actually being used. Okay, this is the real deal. Um and actually if you live in the Chapen area, they recently renamed the road by Chapen Furniture Red Tail Road because there's so many red tail hawks. So that's our mascot. This is what it looks like. But it would be a little awkward to cheer redtailed hawks. Like it just doesn't work right. So I really love this. I love the energy.

037Spring Hill Middle School Red Hawks. I love the um I was an English teacher. I love parallelism. So I was like Spring Hill Red Hawks. Like it had to have that parallelism to it um in order to really work. And so this brings me I've been waiting to show this. Tada. So, um, this is our logo. And, um, I want to point out something that's very important to me about this. If you'll notice the eye, there's another hawk in that eye. It's reflecting because I want the message to be to the kids at Spring Hill Middle School that they are never flying alone. There is always somebody there to be their wingman. And um, and to also see the hawk that lives within them. So, I I love it. My personal goal, and I'll say

038this and extend this to each one of you, is that everyone feels seen, feels heard, feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feels valued and I believe I can bring that to life um with this logo. So this is where we are with our next steps. Um I wanted to get the logo. I wanted to get the mascot and then from there reach out to our families. And so I'll be partnering with the other elementary schools and asking them to tell us what are what do you want out of a middle school for your children? And I think it's important that we listen to parents and then um develop the mission and vision statements based on that. I also really want to

039have studentfriendly mission and value statements and visions because we can have a whole lot of words, but I want our kids to live it and I want them to be proud to be a Red Hawk. So, um that's where we are. We'll hope host an open house and uh and that's our stuff. I'm so glad I finally got to talk about it. Thank you. Um so, I'll be happy to answer any questions. >> Thank you. Do we have any questions? Thank you so much. >> Thank you. I appreciate that. >> At this time, I'll turn it over to Dr. Ross for the superintendent's report. >> All right. Uh thank you, Madam Chair, and I just wanted to thank Crossroads and uh Chapen Middle School for really taking on what we talk about and when we

040refer to our theme of operation transformation. Uh this is just a great example, Dr. Dodie, Dr. Huckerby, of leading transformation in school district 5. Uh we started out with a a great uh rally or had our back to school rally on on the first and um was so excited about um not only the energy in the room, but the the speaker. We had two very impactful speakers, Chase and Cash Harris, that talked about the power of believing. and when you believe in in a child, what can happen? And um someone came up to me and said, "This is the best speech I've heard in recent years." I said, "You know, I spoke last year." And they said, "This is the best speech I've heard in recent years." So, >> it's interesting that Dr. Ross said

041that because when he said we had two impactful speakers, I also spoke and yet he did not acknowledge me. >> I think when Cash came out on the stage, it was all about his show. But I want to thank our teacher of the year, our support employee of the year. You notice all of our speech is very different this year and it just really boated into that notion of operation transformation. A lot of energy. Thanks to the communications team for really putting this together. Uh and so I'm excited about that. We are moving forward for our children and their future. And uh we're able to in the rain. It's been very rainy, but it doesn't stop us from moving forward with the the groundbreaking. You can see the portables that are in the background of

042both of these pictures as we move to get our students in the buildings uh as safer, more conducive for a better educational environment at Chapen Elementary School and Lake Murray Elementary School. So, we thank operations for putting this together. Uh we have uh really excited about moving forward for these groundbreaking opportunities. And we do this as a system, a system asking three critical questions. Why do we do this work? How do we accomplish that why and what are our outcomes? Our why is that we love and grow our students? Our what is or how is through our mission being focused on academic, social, emotional growth and development. And what are we doing is through strategic plan. I'm not going to take uh Audrey Black and Dr. Harris's Thunder tonight because they will go over our

043plan as we come to the end of our five-year plan, our strategic plan moving towards our next five-year plan. But our goal this year uh is supporting our students, supporting our teachers and staff, and supporting the district. It's really about the whole child. Uh we want to make sure that every child comes ready to learn. And to do that, we have to answer three critical questions for each child. Am I safe? Do I feel that I belong here? And does this information have relevance to me? You can hear all of the discussions that the the teachers and principles made in their planning communities is really child center and family focused. Uh and so we believe that children learn best when they're loved, when they're safe, and they're connected. This happens in classrooms and science labs,

044on stage, in art galleries, on fields and courts before, during, and after school. It is truly a whole child center approach but we cannot do this without our teachers and staff. We asked for a year how do we support our teachers and our staff and he said we need to feel valued and we need to grow and uh we do this through three major things. Just acknowledge what we're going through as teachers. Uh give us time to reflect on our practice and then give us the supports that we need uh for teacher and learning. This is from the our our teachers of the year from our our faculty advisory. So, we're leaning into that. We're acknowledging the realities on the ground. We we talk about the tough data that we have in our district because

045this helps them uh get resources in place to do that. Uh we looked at the third graders here. Here's the reality. A lot of our students are doing well. As you can see, the number of third graders that we have above the and the number of students we have in exceeds. Our teachers are doing a tremendous job of growing those students. And then we are looking for the supports that we can do for the number of students that are there in in below the 21st percentile. That takes a lot more when you're two two and a half reading levels behind uh to make those gains, but our teachers are locked in to do that. So they they just ask we recognize, you know, when you have a class with five different levels of achievement and

046how do I meet that challenge and I'm very thankful that our district has come uh equipped with answers and that answers is through MTSS or multi-tered support systems. Uh we believe that the best thing that we can do for all children is to have high quality instruction delivered to our students each and every day. Parents, if you want to be involved in that, I would ask you you can look at our office of academics. They put every class that we teach, I believe almost every class that we teach, it's online. You can see the I can statements, the success criteria, the proficiency uh expectations for every class. So you can be a part of what those uh those tier one interventions. Uh but then we also for those who need additional support, we have tier

047two and now uh thanks to the board, we're adding tier three items supports for our students. So the last piece is supporting the district. This district uh this year our calendar is very very busy. Uh we are redistricting. Uh we are going through restructure resoning and the referendum. There's a lot of new things that we're adding within the basis of this uh this year. And so supporting the district is uh is important. So as we go through these uh these plans, we want to make sure that the welfare of the children that we always have first and foremost as we move through um the uncertainty that a lot of these changes bring. But I'm fortunate to have amazing staff uh that helps ush move through all of this. And so we've had academic reports, we

048had operational reports, uh we had financial reports. Tonight we're going to bring two more departments for the reports. uh the human resources and the office of school uh student services and planning. So we'll uh at this time uh to the lect turn from Dr. Wicker uh to present tonight's human resources report. Dr. Wicker >> members of the board, Dr. Ross, it's my pleasure this evening to invite the lecture, Mrs. Nelie Cohen, who is our coordinator of professional staff, who provide for you our district recruitment update. Mrs. Cohen. Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board, Dr. Ross, for this opportunity to talk to you about where we are with recruitment and retention of our staff, certified staff. I'm excited to let you know that our current fill rate is 99%. Um, that is not 100%,

049but we work every single day to get there um to 100%. We do have several people in the pipeline who are working on certification requirements and so I do expect that to increase hopefully to 99.4%. I would love to say 100% in just a couple of months. Um also an important piece of data for us in the office of human resources is our certified teacher retention rate. Our retention rate from uh last year to this year has been is 89%. Just for comparison, the South Carolina median retention rate is 85%. So, we do remain above that state median rate, which is a good thing. Um, one of our key achievements is what I I know we've called our support to certified staff or support to certify program. What that really is is helping any of

050our certified staff who come in and say, "I'm really interested in being a teacher. My job is to help take them from where they are, maybe have a two-year degree. They need to finish that bachelor's degree. Maybe they have a master's in education but have never gotten certified. I help them where they are and get them help them go through those that certification process. This year alone, it says 15 up there, but just today we've hired one more. So that number, we've hired 16 teachers from last school year who are working as um support staff who are in certified in a certified position this year. So that puts from 2019 to present over the past six years we're at 70 uh folks. So that's enough to more than fill an elementary school. So that's exciting.

051Some areas of focus for us as we uh continue the recruitment and retention of certified teachers is we want to continue to build those university and college relationships um with for that we have interns in our building. We have um classes from USC for our education uh majors that are hosted in um our buildings. So we have about 120 interns uh scheduled for fall. We also have about 150 more students from the university who are maybe not doing their internship here, but they're having classes here and some of their experiences are here. And that's that's amazing. We can get them um into our pipeline, let them see the great things that we're happening that are happening here. We also will continue to use the data from the SC teacher exit survey to increase retention. We

052want to know why are people leaving, where are they going, and how can we just keep some of those people um in our staff. And then finally, we of course will always use data continue to continue to guide staffing decisions based on the needs of our students and of our schools. Some acknowledgements. We can't get to 99% um without everybody's help. Our district administrators have been key in helping to engage with our university students. They help attend events. They um engage with the interns. So the interns in the school know who those principles are and that builds early relationships, makes them want to come to district 5. We engage early with applicants. I can call a principal and say, "Hey, this person's just kind of interested in coming to district 5." Some of them they'll

053call them, text them that day. Hey, come on. come to a visit, come see what our school's all about. And that, folks, is the kind of customer service that people really, they want to come to district 5 when they receive that kind of um engagement. And just actively connecting candidates with our teachers. Teachers want to hear from teachers. They don't want to hear from me. They don't necessarily want to hear from uh from us. They want to hear from their fellow colleagues. And that's how they want to get the real deal. And that's where uh they hear it. So, um, I also want to acknowledge our district teachers. Our teachers speak highly of the amount of instructional supports that we have in district 5. And that word gets around. I can't tell you the number

054of, uh, phone calls I get. They say, "Hey, um, I've heard about district 5. My friend so and so teaches here, and I want to be a part of that." Great. I got you. Let me bring you on in. Um, I like to say teachers recruit teachers. They want to hear from other colleagues about how things are and our teachers talk uh positively about our district. The niche.com rating of the best place to teach in South Carolina absolutely helps. That is huge. Um we have a lot of people moving from out of state into this area. And they do their research. They may say, "My husband's coming to the Midlands. He's gotten a job. I have to follow him. Where am I going to go?" Guys, they have a lot of choices. There are a

055lot of places and districts within driving distance they call and say I saw that your niche.com rating is the best place to teach in South Carolina and I want to be a part of that and that helps. So those ratings are certainly important. Also I like to say that um retention of teachers and staff starts the moment a person walks in our door. So we have to make sure and depend on all these departments in our in our district make to make their onboarding experience is a good one. Of course, my colleagues in the office of human resources really try to work hard to make sure that happens. Um, our friends down in payroll and the office of finance do an amazing job to make sure they get paid on time. Are they getting their

056supply check? Our the folks in the oper office of operations because those new teachers want to get those computers and they want their email addresses. So, they help us out with that. And of course in the office of academics, the support, the wraparound support that they give not only our new teachers but veteran teachers is amazing. So recruitment and retention is everybody's job in district 5 and it's going very well. >> I stand for questions. >> Thank you. Do we have any questions? >> Thank you so much. Uh Melanie before be her education stent was a recruiter for the Texas Longhorns in Alabama. Uh she does an amazing job recruiting the teachers knows everything about each one of the candidates and not all candidates make it to D5 but she still keeps those relationships and

057we have the best recruiter in the state. Coming to lecturing at this time to represent the student services and planning department division is our chief of student service and planning Dr. Mike Paris. Good evening to uh members of the board, Dr. Ross, members of our community. I too have someone I'd like to introduce and present. Uh Miss Audrey Black, who's our director of planning and accountability, who's going to come forward tonight and give us some highlights and some updates regarding our current strategic plan, as well as some insight into the next phase of our next uh strategic plan as well. All right. Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board, Dr. Ross, and members of our community that are here tonight. Thank you for the opportunity to provide a brief overview of our current strategic

058plan and share the process for developing our new plan, which will take effect in 2027 2028 school year. So, we are operating in our fourth year of our current strategic plan and as often reminds us our current strategic plan is made up of four performance goals with each of those performance goals being supported by six strategies. These strategies are in turn supported by 165 action steps that serve as a practical guide to achieve our mission and vision. During our last update our of our strategic plan, we revised the district's gifted and talented goal. So, this goal was approved by the school board on April 7th of 2025 and subsequently approved in June by the South Carolina Department of Education. The South Carolina Department of Education also approved our waiver request. Since the school's goals and

059strategies are directly aligned with the district's plan, we will amend and submit the school plans to reflect that change. So with that revision, it takes us into planning for our fifth and final year within the current strategic planning cycle. I will meet with um school leaders and strategy leads in September to kick off our first update, excuse me, our final update. So during the school year, those groups will meet with their stakeholders to review the plans and monitor and evaluate the action steps to determine any changes. In February and March, the schools at district will finalize all revisions and then bring them to the board for discussion and approval. So, while we are finishing up our planning for the current cycle, we will also begin developing the next 5-year strategic plan, which will take effect

060in the 2728 school year. So, as a reminder, South Carolina state law requires all school districts to develop a five-year strategic plan with schools creating their own five year renewal plans. Both are updated annually. These plans serve as blueprints which guide administration in supporting our district's mission and vision. Here in district 5, our schools in the Kate Center align their renewal plans with the district strategic plan to ensure consistency and focus. These same regulations require that every district and school include goals in three key areas, which are school climate, academic achievement, and teacher and administrator quality. Additional regulations require districts to set goals for gifted and talented education, integrating those plans into the broader strategic planning process. Our district strategic plan development will follow the South Carolina continuous improvement model. Each phase of our planning

061process incorporates elements of this model. Because it's cyclical, the model not only guides us in creating a strong strategic plan, but it also ensures the plan remains relevant and responsive to the district's needs over time. The strategic plan is only one part of the strategic process. Together with the mission and vision, the strategic planning process helps clarify our purpose, defines where we want to be in the future, and provides a guide on how we are going to get there. This year, we've been using Antwanette Portis' book, Not a Box, during our leadership sessions. In the story, a young bunny looks at a cardboard box and sees endless possibilities. I love how the story captures the the many imaginative possibilities hidden in something so simple. Sometimes strategic planning can look and feel like a box with

062its guidelines, defined structures, and state mandates. However, I like to think that our work in strategic planning isn't about the box, but transforming it into a launchpad for creativity, innovation, and the future we want for our students. So, what does that box, our launchpad um look like for our district? It is composed of five phases. The initial phase begins in January 2026 and ends with the submission of our plan in April of 2027. Phase one of our strategic planning process is all about initiation and it starts with our community. We will begin by gathering community feedback through a stakeholder survey and regional input sessions organized by cluster. This allows us to hear directly from parents, staff, students, and community members about their needs and priorities. That feedback will then be synthesized into key themes and

063will be represented to our executive staff and our first executive staff meeting. We will review the current strategic plan alongside this community input. That discussion will help us identify and clarify overarching performance goal areas. So that's the big picture priorities that will guide our work moving forward. In our next step, the executive staff will take action to finalize those goal areas and select committee co-es for each one. We then begin recruitment calls for committee members. Each committee is intentionally designed to be diverse and representative. They include voices from every geographic region in our district, every level, elementary, intermediate, middle, and high school, and a range of stakeholder groups, including parents, support staff, teachers, community members, and administrators. We've also made sure to include representatives who don't fit neatly into those categories, such as adult education

064and career technology education. This ensures that we as we move forward, our planning process reflects the perspectives and needs of our entire district community. Phase two of our strategic planning processes focus on two key parts, the needs assessment and goal setting. We start with Victoria Burnhart's framework for looking at four types of data: demographics, perceptions, student learning, and school processes. By analyzing these four areas, we get a comprehensive view of where we are as a district and where we need to grow. When we bring these four types of data together, they create what Dr. Burnernhard calls a picture of a school. This picture is more than numbers and charts. It's a snapshot of our students's experiences, our community's perspectives, our learning outcomes, and how our schools operate. This well-rounded view is what grounds our strategic

065planning and reality and not assumptions. The needs assessment process is about transforming raw data into meaningful information. We compile data from all the four areas, look for patterns and trends, and identify both strengths to build on and challenges that we need to address. This step ensures that our goals are informed by facts and just not opinions. Once we have a clear understanding of our needs, we shift into goal development. This is where the plan starts to take shape. We use the needs assessments as our guide to make sure our goals are targeted, relevant, and focused on areas that will make the greatest impact for our students and schools. To do this, the district creates strategic planning committees for each performance goal area. Each committee includes parents, students, teachers, staff, administrators, and community members to ensure

066a wide range of perspectives. Committees meet multiple times to review drafted goals, analy needs using shared data protocol and identify key focus areas. They provide feedback to their co-leads who then develop draft goal recommendations to bring back for final committee input. Once committees finalize their recommendations, these go to the executive staff for review and approval. The drafted goals are then communicated to the board during the superintendent's report. Finally, the goals are finalized and shared with our schools so that their strategic planning can begin. So phase three of our strategic planning process is focused on strategy development. At this stage, the district forms content area specific strategy teams made up of internal experts such as academic directors, principal representatives, coordinators, and program leads. These teams carefully examine the previously established goals alongside the data collected. They

067engage in deep discussions about the needs of our students, schools, and the district as a whole. From this collaborative work, the teams develop strategies that are directly informed by those needs. Strategies designed to help us effectively achieve our goals. Once these strategies are drafted, they undergo a thorough review and approval process by the executive staff. We then communicate the drafted strategies to the board through a formal brief followed by presentations during the superintendent report and upcoming board meetings. Phase four is where the meat and potatoes of the strategic plan take shape, and that's the action plan development. The previously established strategy teams will develop detailed action plans for each strategy. Each action plan includes clear action steps, timelines, persons responsible, estimated cost, funding sources, and indicators to track implementation. It's important to note that some

068parts of these action plans will span up to five years, while others may be shorter lasting one or two years depending on the nature of the work. Once developed, these action plans are presented to executive staff for review. We also provide a board brief to communicate the action plans, ensuring transparency and keeping our board and community informed as we move towards implementation. Phase five marks the final step in our strategic planning process, the review and approval phase. District administration conducts a thorough review of all action steps outlined in the plan to ensure completeness and readiness. Following this, the board engages in review and discussion of the plan during a board meeting's discussion agenda. This provides an additional opportunity for questions and input. Next, the plan moves to the board's action agenda where the formal approval

069is sought. And once the board approves, the finalized district and school plans are submitted to the South Carolina Department of Education. Before we close, I want to highlight how we'll communicate progress on this work. Throughout the strategic planning process, district administration will provide periodic updates during board meetings. These updates will ensure that both the public and our board members remain informed about where we are in the process and what's coming next. When done well, strategic planning gives our district clear focus and aligns our resources, increasing both effectiveness and efficiency. It strengthens our teams and it enhances satisfaction and meaning for staff by helping them see the value and impact of their contributions. Most importantly, it allows us to tackle major complex challenges all with a goal of improving student learning. As we move forward, the

070strategic plan will serve as our roadmap for the next five years. It's a dynamic living document, one that will be reviewed, monitored, and evaluated regularly and fully updated annually. Ultimately, this is about focus, alignment, and accountability. Making sure every step we take moves us closer to the future we envision for our students. And that concludes my report. >> Thank you. Do we have any questions? Miss >> um how does um state goals or requirements I'm thinking specifically of I think the state wants us to get to 70% um 75. Okay. Um on math and reading by 2030. >> Does that things like that and those may that just may be an example. Do do those things play into this? >> Yes ma'am. >> Okay. So it's it's not just what we think we need. It's

071also what the state says says we need. >> It is a mixture of both because I mean we we are the ones that know our community best and we know how to make those goals happen. So sometimes even It doesn't say we will reach 75% by a certain date. It doesn't mean that all the goals that we have in place aren't there um driving us towards uh that goal. Yeah. >> Okay. So, that's kind of um goes into what I was asking too in that I know that most of the time the the um numerical portions of these are kind of incremental, >> but but what the state's asking for is a big jump, right? So, are we and maybe I I'm asking you a question about the future, but I'm just are we going

072to to aim for what the state wants and figure out how to get there or are we going to put what we really I hate to say what we really think we'll get, but it they're asking for a lot. So, I guess is how much are we how much do we reach for the future versus what we think is really achievable. >> So, um as you saw in those different steps, there's a lot of input by a lot of holders in the district. And so those will kind of be determinations that we collectively make is do we feel this is realistic um for our district? Is the data showing that we need to make um further stretch goals or do we need to take those increments and look at them um and break it down

073maybe a little bit further. So I would say that right now we just we have so many people that are going to be putting input. I don't think we could say like yes, we're going to have like a 75% goal um or a 70% goal because we just don't have that community and the input yet. >> Well, and a follow-up question to that is I'm curious how the state looks at it like do they appreciate if you have a stretch goal but don't achieve it? Do they penalize you for that or do they like it better if you have a lower goal but you achieve it? I think too it's um kind of looking at the trend data that goes in. >> Yes. >> Um one of the things I would compare this to is

074the cognitive process. We have to kind of validate where did you get that number from? So if we say 75 and your baseline data says you're 50% from that. Why did you pick that? Well, the state said that but why did you pick that for your because we have to show that incremental pro progress and I think like graduation rates remember we all remember no child left behind it was supposed to be 100% and you had to make adequately yearly progress towards 100% but no one made that so I think for for our committees they're tasked with looking at what is our trend and then what's that next next piece I always think it is 100%. I think we can't through our trend data put the time that we'll get there. So I I I

075I like saying yeah the goal is 100%. But based on our trend data it may take us 2032 to get there. So we have to look at that and those small committees will do that. I think our our biggest thing is are those 165 steps they're adequately thought out and and budgeted and resourced uh so that we can actually get there. >> Anybody else? >> All right. Thank you so much. >> Great job and we we thank you. Look forward to this. Um we have Audrey Black and our team are are perfect to take us through this process and I look forward to those committees meeting. The ultimate goal is to get our students from that notion of I can't do this. And I think we've seen people say I'm not good at math and

076I can't do reading on that level. I'm not I can't do science to that level to to I can. And that transformation starts with the heart. That's why uh this is operation transformation. And that is our D5 story. That concludes the superintendent report. Any questions? >> Do we have any questions for Dr. Ross? All right. Thank you. That takes us to the approval of the minutes from the July 21st meeting. Do I have a motion? >> Make a motion to approve the minutes of the July 21, 2025 board meeting. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? Opposed? And the motion carries seven to zero. That moves us um to public participation. The board welcomes and encourages public participation. We respectfully ask that you adhere to the procedures provided in

077board policy BEDH public participation at meetings. Your comments should be limited to three minutes and must remain on either the topic noted on your signin form or a listed agenda item. Questions asked during public participation will be handled in accordance with board policy beh. >> Thank you madam chair. James Matthews is here to speak about a variety of tax related issues. >> Yes, sir. Come on down. >> Thank you for letting me speak. >> Yes, sir. >> You're going to have to uh My name is James Matthews. I've been in the uh school paying taxes in the school district for up to 40 years now. And my sons have not the last son graduated in 193. So, I have been out of following what the schools do for so long. And the only time I

078actually pay attention to is when I get my home home tax bill, when I see 70% of my taxes goes to the school district. And so, I'm very interested in the amount of how the money is spent. And I am a firm believer of when I pay for something, I get and should be able to know every single thing about it. No secrets, all questions allowed, all answers clear, no evading the questions. Let me not take up more time. Okay. So, I thought three minutes. Anyway, I could go on for hours. I've been on uh I have one thing that I could talk about that's tangible. So, Since I'm a senior citizen and I am a uh have a gold card owner and I had this for like since 20 years now, but I never

079really used it and I thought I'd work with something tangible. Okay. And so I follow a lot of things in the news and I hardly ever know what's real or not and the only way to know is to go to the source, right? So, I have this thing about the free breakfast and lunches that evolved over the decades. Okay. I follow the news, whatever they say. And I'm going, really? Wow. Huh? Of course, they didn't have for my kids. So, I'm curious about a lot of things. And I have a call in Miss Ko to give me those details. And she hasn't called me back yet. Of course, it's the beginning of the school year. And I think, okay, I had read many places on Facebook about free breakfast food. A lot of it a

080guy who used to work in a cafeteria, I can't remember which school in the state it was, they would throw a lot of the food away. And I thought, "Oh my god, I hope they're not throwing my money away." So I thought as a sen senior citizen, so we can have something tangible. And I thought if and I don't know this we are throwing some of the food away. I wouldn't know that. How could I know that? I would like to be able to be an overseer on what happens with the food. Exactly. I would like to see what happens with the food. Okay. And I thought if in fact you do have some that's left over and it's going to be trash. I thought well wouldn't it be great if the senior citizens who

081were living on fixed incomes could have it you know either before or after and all the technical things about that is like really really strange because I thought free breakfast I don't want to get into the details but I thought okay for me and my sons breakfast was box of cereal milk and toast a piece of fruit okay so what did they have here. They got bacon, eggs, pancakes, waffles. What? You know, and I'm going, do they need all that? Never mind, how many students are obese? Okay. And then I understood from what I read that c if a certain percentage of the students are within a qualify for the free breakfastes like I think it was 25% then all of the school district gets free breakfastes. So I'm thinking 75% they can afford breakfast

082but they're getting free breakfast. Huh? And are they coming are the students coming actually eating the food? I think you know what really happens and what people say happens is not always the case. So, I thought if I could see how it goes, I would like to help understand how it works and see if you're wasting my money on food that's being thrown away. And I was trying to see if I could witness it personally versus someone telling me, "Oh, no, we don't do that." >> Yes. >> Thank you, Mr. Sailor. I'm sorry. Your time um is up. >> Okay. I got to call Miss Ko anyway. give you more details and also I talked with Amy about my senior advisory. I'm on the senior advisory committee so we'll be in touch. >> Thank you

083for your time. >> Yes sir. Thank you Mrs. Aaylor. >> Okay. >> Kim Murphy is here to speak about a potential Freedom of Information Act violation. >> Good evening. Uh, first I'd like to request that the superintendent pull his microphone a little closer or have the volume turned up. Um, though all other members can be heard when listening online. For some reason, very difficult to hear you. Um, that I appreciate that. Um, related to changing names for schools. Um, fantastic presentation. I liked everything that was presented. Although my feeling is that school names should not be changed. Um, not only does it create confusion, but from a historical perspective, it can impact the unity of a community as it relates to the long-term support of of the school, which is absolutely needed. Um and then

084uh related to um potential FOYA violation at the five o'clock portion of the meeting before executive session, Miss Huddle made a motion to move two items from the executive session agenda to the public session agenda. One was a new position for a bond referendum project manager and the other was for new stipens. She said that they do not constitute confidential personnel matters and therefore the board should not meet to discuss those items behind closed doors um or vote on them uh which if they do could be a potential FOYA violation. Um the items are actually not listed on the agenda at all that's distributed to the public. Uh so they appear to be included in the board's executive session uh packet. um if the items um were listed on the agenda in the executive session

085portion for receipt of legal advice that may allow them to be discussed in executive session but but they weren't. So the bottom line is um this potentially has opened you up to a foyer lawsuit. Thank you. >> Thank you. That moves us to our action agenda. Do we have any motions on items that were discussed in executive session? >> Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve selected employment items as shown in exhibit A. >> Second. >> Um, Madam Chair, if I may. >> Yes. >> There were two items that um there was discussion of public discussion. I'd like to put on public record of items 26 and and 27 in the just for opening. 27 was special education uh stipens. This would not be paid by state dollars. Uh this would be paid by

086a program victory. They would pay for uh some of our students who are special education. We're trying to get them job skills. Uh this uh would allow for those uh teachers who work within the district to receive up to $1,000 for Victory SC. It's not state funds, uh but uh we would need approval to give those uh those teachers back. The second item, item 26 in the packet, just for public understanding, uh is a position that's being repurposed. It's a bond position paid from bond funds, repurposed from fin to operations. This will allow us to get a little bit more flexibility for Allan as he grapples with 3.8 million square feet to someone to help him with the bond projects there. So, just bringing those out of executive session for for discussion this motion. >>

087Perfect. Thank you, Dr. Ross. We have a motion that's been properly second. Um, all those >> Can I ask a follow-up question that did not occur to me previously? Um, so the funds for that position are currently in the operating budget, but it's going to be paid for out of the bond referendum funds. Correct. >> Uh, no ma'am. The funds for this is in the bond referendum will be paid for out of the bond. >> So it's not moving from operations to bond. >> No m to that. This was the position, the um procurement position that was originally brought to the board to be paid for out of bond referendum funds. Um once we posted that position, we didn't get any interest in it and so we just wanted to reallocate that position that was

088would still be paid for out of referendum funds. >> Okay. And then my other question was um since we're in public and this is um not permanent. So if when the bond referendum is wrapped up, this position would go away. >> That's correct. Um the position the posting for all of the bookkeeper the what was procurement that would be now construction all say that these last the length of the project whether the project bon referendum project ends or the funds are exhausted first whichever comes first. So the position would be >> So if for some reason the district wanted to keep that, it would then move to the operating budget and the board at that point would have to approve it as a new position. >> Correct. It would have to come back during the

089budget process or as a new position. >> Thank you. Again, we have a motion on the floor that's been properly um second. All those in favor and the motion carries seven to zero. Madam Chair, I move the board approve professional services with graduation alliance as shown in exhibit C. >> Second. >> We have another motion on the floor for graduation alliance. Um that has been properly second. All those in favor and the motion carries seven to zero. Madam Chair, I move the board approve the outline services with Stan Tucker as well as approving additional funds up to $55,000 for other elementary schools to use Mr. Tucker during the 25 2025 to 2026 school year as shown in exhibit D. >> Second. >> All those in favor? And the motion carries 7 to zero. That moves

090us to the approval of first read proposed revisions to board policy JLCDA. >> Coming to the leg turn to present the next three items with your approval. Madam chair, exhibit E, F, and G is our read and read amended. >> Okay. uh make a motion to approve the first reading of proposed revisions to board policy JLCDA individual healthcare plans as shown in exhibit E. >> Have a second. >> Second. >> Do we have any questions? All those in favor and the motion carries seven zero. Make a motion to approve the first reading of proposed revisions to board policy J I CG tobacco use by student as shown and in exhibit F. >> Second, >> Madam Chair. >> Yes, I was coming to you. >> Um I move to amend and add to board policy JICG

091tobacco use by students. I have copies for everyone with an example. Um the addition would be the district will obtain bait detection devices and also maintain them for all school district five campus restrooms and changing facilities. Second >> you. Yes. Um >> um at this time do we have any such devices and what kind of devices are you are you recommending that that you say yeah I know I know we have smoke detectors >> right. So ju this is just a basic example to give you kind of a jump start. I submitted this a couple of um months ago just kind of um as an agenda item. Had a lot of community concern from you know parents and students with um you know vaping and and different sorts of contraband in our restrooms. And so

092the goal is as a school district to provide a safe you know area restroom environment. So these various different devices this was you know just one particular type that's highly rated used by a lot of different um you know facilities. Obviously, the district can go through their vetting and procurement processes to get the best situation, but just to kind of give an alert. You can't necessarily have a staff member in the bathroom for privacy reasons. So, it's kind of more of a electronic means. >> Can I So, let me ask one more question just to follow up. >> Um, could we not um could we not just still approve the first reading of this like it stands and then um ask our superintendent to look into this? this could be a purchase issue or something

093for us to obviously we're gonna have to purchase this. >> Um I don't know that it would be a I understand what you're saying. I don't think it's a bad idea, but I got a sneaky feeling technology is going to change pretty rapidly. And um uh I would be if you made a proposal or asked the superintendent to look into or Mr. Harris or whoever would be in charge of this to look into um what would be the best solution for that and then ask the board to you know vote for the purchase of such items. I think that most people would be in favor of that. >> I have a um a similar thought. I'm not anti um um a discussion uh on this, but I would like to know exactly um which device

094we were were going for and all the particulars before we made it a policy cuz then I think we would have to do it. And I'm not saying I don't want to do it. I just don't know that we have enough information to do it. But I can support the the notion of us getting more information, whatever that looks like. as I look at Dr. Harris because I mean I don't know what that would look like but you know I'm I'm open to that conversation >> at a different meeting. >> Yeah. Um I would first want to know if we have an actual problem. Um if this is a systemic issue, is it an individual issue? um and kind of categorize it based on what would the district recommendation be. Um personally, I don't think

095that we there's any evidence that there's a systemic issue. Maybe it occurs incidentally in one school or but overall I don't think this is we're seeing a systemic issue here with uh with that. And then is this an actual is this the best solution if there is an issue a problem? Um is this the the best solution? These are uh vaping detection devices are actually very easy to defeat. Um and so I don't know that that would be a very good use of money. Um but I would prefer to hear that if we have a recommendation for it from the administration. >> So Dr. Harris, I'm going to um ask I'm going exercise my right chair. I don't even know if I can do that, but I am going to ask um uh Trusty Bum

096has brought this uh has brought this up and I've been trying to do a good job of at least having the conversations so we can decide, you know, what the path forward should be. So, I'm publicly asking if we could just maybe plan to have a more in-depth discussion on this topic in particular and um kind of what you all see um as the need. Maybe it's a need in some areas that we start out with if we decide to do something because we don't know the cost. I don't know where the money comes from, but something that's more of a um discussion centered around this that has more information for us. Cuz to be honest, I don't think I speaking for myself, I don't even know what questions to ask cuz I don't feel

097like I have enough information, but um I know this is a concern of some parents and so we at least want to um be understanding of that. Dr. Ross, did you want to say something? >> I I would I would ask that as we we gather this uh if any parent community member knows firsthand of this. We have to report it. If we can report this, whether it's through the ask the stop it app or to the administrator, that gives the administrator documentation of an event happening. Uh we can address things once they're they're brought to our attention. So, um I look at the the motion. Uh I would like to look at if we we have that data. Um you know, every bathroom and change of facility in our district. Uh that's a lot.

098That's elementary school bathrooms. That's a district office facilities. That's going to be a huge monetary push and we have other needs that are are going to come out of of a discipline. So I would think if we can record that data that I know people tell the board members stuff, but if it doesn't get to us, uh we don't have that firsthand ability to investigate. And so that that's something I would ask is that we get that information to the schools so that we can build that data set and then it gives Dr. Harris and his team an opportunity to respond. >> Madam Chair, >> yep. >> If I can just close with basically >> we know it's a real problem. Let's let's live in reality. I I' I've had multiple complaints directly to me

099from parents, from students, from my own um daughter. I'm not going to call out the different schools, but it it's a real problem. So, this is to bring attention to an issue. We know anything I put on the table is not going to pass. So, well, let's not do that. I am committing to the I am committing to the conversation. Um I'm not um but I do think it needs to be separate from adding it in this policy just without the information of cost or what the exact system is going to be and that sort of thing. Miss Huddle and then Miss Marhart. Um, yeah. I mean, I guess I just want to point out that I don't think that most students think of the Stop it app for this. And I I mean, I

100al I also kind of worry that we use it if we were to use it for something like that because in the scheme of things, someone vaping in the bathroom probably seems trivial to a student versus a a kid getting bullied or whatever. I just think if we're going to use it for that, I think that needs to be widely communicated because based on the parents I've talked to, I don't think they think of it >> as that. >> And I I would just tell y'all during co you know how a lot of restaurant restaurants had outdoor seating areas. I I won't say the restaurant because it'll tell you where this high school is that's real close to it, but there was a huge group of students um eating at that restaurant and I would

101say over 50% of them were vaping while they were eating. I mean, this is a huge problem. Um and if and if it's happening there, it's probably happening in a school because it's real easy to hide. So, I just want and and those things. It's so dangerous and I just I hate that we don't I'd like us to recognize what a problem it is and talk about it and maybe this isn't the solution, but why can't we just put it on the agenda and talk about >> and I have said that I'm committing publicly to doing that. Miss Barnhart, >> that kind of goes with the same thing. I mean, it obviously is an issue. Um and to deny that is again to deny reality. But um could we possibly get some feedback from the

102schools, from the principles, from the administrators in between now and our next meeting because this is just the first reading of this policy because I I definitely do think going into the future it would be good to have something like Mr. Bannon has suggested within the policy itself. But to get the feedback from the schools and from the principles and from what they see boots on the ground um to confirm or deny, you know, kind of what a what a problem it is that they're seeing. Um because like I said, you know, we're not always in the schools, we're not there with the kids, but based off of statistical data, it is um a growing issue. So, >> and let me be very clear, the no one denies that vaping is an issue with our

103children. Drug use, alcoholism, the these are issues. We have uh whether it's cigarettes or vapes, this is an issue. All I'm saying is that if you're hearing something, we have to act as a team. Sometimes we get stuff and we say a lot of parents are reporting to me and that school given the opportunity to to look at it. So, if you don't want to report it to the superintendent or Dr. Harris, encourage those families to talk to the principles and that way we can get that uh get that addressed. If it's if it's happening to that degree, it's not coming to our offices. If you're hearing it, uh whether it's stop it, that's a a easy way for people to report an issue like that. I don't think it's trivial for us stop it.

104If there's a a child underage who's vaping, alcohol, whatever it is, I think that's something that if they see it, we got to say something. So, it can't be an isolation. If a lot of parents are coming to you about it, report that to the superintendent or ask them about Harris, they go to the school principal. But I think you you don't beat this by one person fighting it. You beat it with the entire community coming together on it. Uh we want to a strategy that works. It's just like the strategic planning process. What actually stops this? It's going to be our ability to work with that child. If we can identify them, then I think that's the the goal. So, any information we can get, but I did want to pause here and give

105my floor to Dr. Harris who works kind of firsthand with it. Is there any suggestions that you would have as we move forward? This is a conversation that we've had um uh any number of times with administrators. Um and I will say to you that there are uh do vape detectors work? Do they work in terms of sounding off? In fact, if there is some detection certainly they will they will certainly sound the alarm. But I think we've got to have the responses to those those bank detection. And I think when you hear uh from administrators, when I've talked with administrators, I think there becomes another side to uh the issue of having made detectives. Um the the the ability to hide and to dis um to hide vapes is another area of concern. So

106I I I I say that yes, certainly it is an area that needs to be addressed. We are addressing it with a curriculum called a a vape um our curriculum. It's a a vape detector, not vape detector, but a vape educate program that's available in our middle and high schools. Uh and it's an online program that's available for students and uh it's a opportunity for them to work through modules to better understand and to also educate themselves and bring about awareness. So those things are in place. Uh we purchased that. So I think that helps. Uh but I I don't again I don't deny that that there are issues of vaping. Uh, however, I just think there is more to the scenario and the conversation than simply having big detectors in restaurants. Um, and and

107I'm sure open to having more conversation so that we can talk about just more in detail what I mean when I say that. Uh, but those are my initial thoughts. >> Thank you, uh, Mr. Siderfield. And then I'm gonna call for the vote. >> Uh, yes. Uh, yeah, thanks for that input, uh, Mr. Harris, and what Dr. Ross said is accurate. Um, listen, I can tell you from working in high schools, if you put them in the bathrooms, they'll smoke in the stairwells. They'll smoke in the parking lot or vape. They find a little nook and cranny, they do it. That's something that high schools have been dealing with for a long time. And it's not a large portion of the kids. Fewer and fewer kids smoke in schools or probably vaping is becoming a

108bit popular. But I do like the idea of um I still the recommendation of separating from the policy change to actually coming up with a plan or an action. So if you can kind of look into that um you know I'm and I've expressed this before you know the way you change behaviors is if the consequences are great enough then you can change behaviors. Um, so probably there's different avenues of looking at how to deter or um, yeah, keep kids from going that route, at least on school grounds. But, um, I think it's I think it's warranted because of the of the concerns that Mr. Bainon brought up. I think it's warranted to look at and see all the different, as you were saying, all the different angles that we and all the different resources

109that we have on how to change those behaviors and just kind of go from there. Yeah. And I was just nobody denies that vaping exists. My my point was is it does it rise to the level and are we seeing actual problems in our schools with it to the point that it would justify the expense that's being recommended uh by Mr. Bum solution. The other thing is we're being presented with a solution without actually categorizing the problem. And that's my point is we need to hear about the actual problem to the extent that it exists in our schools. Um, also Mr. Bayum in the past has uh called for stated very multiple times that we have too many administrators. Well, those are the people who would respond to alarms from vaping. Um, and so how

110do we reconcile those two narratives? Um, so that's my point is we need more information. I'm happy to consider it. Uh, whatever the district puts together and recommends, uh, but I don't want to just out of the box just jump into a solution where we haven't actually discussed it. >> I'm going to call um for the vote for the vote. Um we will get it on the on the agenda um though for discussion. Yes, Miss Barnhart second it the um amendment. So we have an amendment um to the policy on the floor. Um all those in favor? All those opposed. And the motion fails. And then we have the original motion on the floor to approve um first reading of the policy. All those in favor? The motion carries seven um to zero. >> Madam

111chair, make a motion to approve the first reading of proposed revisions to board policy JLCDB, use of EP epinephrine auto injectors as shown in exhibit G. Do you have a second? >> Second. Do you have any questions? >> Um, I was reading over that policy. Is there And I don't know that we have a nurse representative here. >> Oh, we do. >> I'm smart enough to bring the nurse with you. >> You're not a nurse. Um, I didn't notice and some maybe somebody can point out where I'm wrong on this, but is there an age limit on this or is there a certain grade level requirement that they will be allowed to self-administer? Is I know it said that the doctor signs off and says, "Yeah, I'm okay with it. We've gone through the process."

112Um, >> so there's not a a specific age limit. Um it is typically seen more in our middle schools and high schools. >> Um occasionally we have an elementary school student that is a different maturity level maybe has been dealing with the illness for a long time and if they if the nurse feels comfortable and confident that they can manage their illness and if the doctor feels confident of that and we'll sign off the papers then then we'll do it. It's really a case by case based on different cognitive abilities, maturity, anxiety level, that sort of thing. >> So, you you're pretty comfortable with that? I the the only reason I I brought that Well, one of the reasons I brought that up is I know that if it's a federally controlled substance, the kids

113are not allowed to self-administer. They has to go to the nurse and the nurse gives it to them. Um, but I remember kids that would share their federally controlled substances. >> Um, and uh, it's sometimes it's not the kid who brings the medicine. Sometimes it's the knucklehead sitting next to him that causes the issue. But, uh, I I was just curious about the age and thing. And again, I do remember about the doctor signing off saying he approves of this and the training. So, if you're comfortable with that, >> right? And the parent also has to approve. So there's the doctor, the parent, and the student have to all verify that they are comfortable with it. >> So if if if they do that are there's no liability issues or anything on our part as

114a district if another child gets gains access to that or if they get pricricked with a needle or nothing. there is um that's why we really want to make sure that the student that we're allowing to self-medicate and self monitor is actually mature enough and responsible enough to do it. Um and there have been cases where we have revoked that ability. We've had students that decided they wanted to share their inhaler. um you know just one example and then we will revoke that. >> Um so um sure I mean it's you know we do our very best too but you know >> well I know they're kids and yeah you can't account for every last thing choices they make but I was just curious. Thank you. >> Thank you. We have a motion that's been

115properly second. All those in favor and the motion carries seven to zero. Thank you Dr. Harris. That moves us um to our discussion agenda. Dr. Gary. >> Good evening, Dr. Ross. Madame Chair, members of the board, the office of operations brings forth for discussion this evening the community eligibility program resolution which is commonly referred to as C. Um to guide us in this conversation this evening will be Miss Shauna K to our coordinator of student nutrition and from the state department of education, Miss Ellen Ma Mason, interim director for the office of health and nutrition and Miss Shandra Kelly, education associate in department of education that works closely with our district. >> Good evening, Madame Chair, Dr. Ross, and members of the board. I come before you again to talk about community eligibility provision. Sometimes

116a clicker makes me nervous. Um, as you know, um, federal dollars, and I'm gonna say this because it doesn't say this up here, I'm going say it the right way. Our federal dollar, tax dollars do not go to support our program. We do get some state money um for our reimburse. Excuse me. State Department is correcting me. >> All right, let me back up. So, we get state dollars. >> So, we get mainly we get federal tax dollars, but South Carolina passed a proviso last school year to where they will reimburse the um reduced price fee for any reduced students that the traditionally have paid. Um so all of your non C schools um the reduced price family portion is now covered by the state. >> It's our first state funds in the program. So

117we're very excited. >> Yes. All right. So with that, our schools are responsible for paying we are responsible department for paying for our supplies, our labor, equipment, repairs, and all administrative costs. Um, and that, like I told you, you know, a couple months ago, that's the money we get in reimbursement. So, we use that money to pay for those things. Um, we participate in multiple school meal programs, breakfast, lunch, after school, snack, and we also participate in um supper program, which is a is a meal program, but it's not under the um this department of ed. Yeah. So we have 13 schools currently that are under C. Um and that those are the same ones we had from last year. So we did not extend. We kept the schools that we we pulled in. We

118pulled in I think four schools last year, three to four schools last year to make that list grow to 13. And so we that's where we are still this school year. So with there is a criteria that we have to meet. We look at and so will pass this to um our interim director at the state department so she can explain it because it's a it's complicated. It's not one plus one I tell her. >> Okay. Good evening. I was going to say afternoon. Um we're well past that. Um so C the formula for C has not changed over the years. It's the number of identified students in a school. So those that receive SNAP, TANF, FTPIR, um it receives Medicaid. um and students that live in the household with those students along with foster

119students, Head Start um and any homeless, migrant or runaway kids. Um so we take that number of kids divided by the enrollment in the school. Um and to be eligible to participate the current um eligibility percentage is 25%. Um that dropped at the federal level um 23 20 yeah I think so. Um so the one thing they did not do for us when they dropped that is they did not change the multiplier of how we get reimbured for meals. So you take the ISP multiply it times 1.6 six. And that tells you how much percentage of the meals you get reimbured at the federal free rate and how much you get reimbured at the federal paid rate. Anything over 62.5 is 100% free. Um, roughly a 50% ISP gets you or 50% ISP gets you

12080% of the meals you served reimbured at the federal free rate, 20% reimbured at the federal paid rate. So, while eligibility stands right now at 25%, it is not financially viable for a district to participate um at 25%. Um you would get vast majority of those meals reimbured at the federal paid rate, which for lunch this year, I want to say is 40 is 50. We finally hit 50. We finally hit 53 cents. Um yeah, so that that's what you would get from the federal government for a paid meal. So vast majority of the meals at those schools really below 40 really below 50 to 40% sorry would be at that roughly 50 cents per meal and the general fund would be on the hook to pay um any excessive cost and shortfall that would

121come from including those schools at the lower ISP percentage. >> Is it still me or you back up? >> You may keep it. >> I got it. So, the proviso that we've had in place for a couple of the years at the state level, they actually wrote it into law this year that school districts just have to put out um which we did this last year. Um it's nice to see y'all again. Just have to put out reasons why you were not able to include those schools that were over that 25% threshold but did not sign up to participate in C. And for most people, it's going to be a financial reason. Um unless the general fund is going to jump in and cover those meals, you cannot do it at those rates. Um, we

122had hoped to get the 1.6 multiplier increased, but that did not happen at the federal level. Um, currently districtwide, you guys are sitting at 39%, which is pretty low. Um, if you were sitting at 50%, I would tell you to do it. I would stand up here and tell you that you would be fine financially because we've had several school districts do that. 39% I'm not going to say that. I'm not going to stand in front of you that I think and tell you that because I think the general fund would end up supporting food service at 39%. Um, and again, and Shauna ran some numbers, but it's hard to know where that would hit because we do know we get more participation typically when all meals are served at no cost to the kids.

123Unfortunately, though, if you're participating at a very low ISP for C, that actually means more money from the general fund would have to come in. Um, so it's almost a double-edged sword. Unfortunately, we get a great benefit for the kids, but we put the general fund on the hook for the general fund on the hook for a lot more funds in the long run, and that's not something that we want to do to you guys. I know no school district is like, "Yes, we have plenty of general funds. Please take them, use them as you will." So, again, from the State Department angle, you guys would definitely have to put in some funds to support that. Um, again, based on last year's participation, the five schools would be roughly 585,000 per year. And honestly, that's

124would probably go up. Yeah, that would be your baseline. That would be your bare minimum of the general fund needing to support um child nutrition department. And that's just a lot of money. If it was one school, we may have a different conversation, but with five, that's a lot. So, I'll go back to that. That's additional 585,000. The currently the schools that we have on C, we're paying about 400, a little over $400,000. So, you're looking at a million dollars right there to bring in five additional schools. And so, that's why we, you know, we don't just have a million dollars sitting around to support. We want to trust and believe. If they came out and said we can do it, I'mma do it. Hands down. We go across the board. But it's just not

125something we can do. So, can these five schools be added to our existing agreement? And this is why we're here due to this resolution. And I basically due to the financial impact that it will have on our operational budget. At this time, the district is unable to support additional C schools. After the state department review all our numbers, because we worked together to do this, um they indicated that our last C agreement, which was renewed last school year, um our current C ISP could has decreased. So that's something we look at yearly, not one time it is done. We reevaluate those numbers each year. Um resolution for consideration. A review of the financial impact indicates that the addition of five C schools would not be fiscally sustainable over a 4-year period. Do you guys have

126any questions? Miss, um I'm just curious and um with the schools that were moved to C, what has the trend been or the experience been? Do do more children take the school provided lunch? What do we know about what happens when >> I will tell you that at Dutch Fork High School, we feed about 900 kids each day and I think before that was about six, but We have lines standing to the to the back door. Do Dr. Gary can tell you because last year he saw it. Um so typically and I' I've been in other districts in extended C. You see the paid students and they're they're there. Their moms are like go you got to eat. So the participation like um Ellen mentioned but those paid students you see the participation go up.

127It's surprising. And sometimes you see the free participation go down. And so where do we get our money? with the free participation. And so, yes, we we do see an increase. >> And I guess the other question is, and I know you probably don't have a number on this, but you you guys are in the schools every day. >> Um, do we have a lot of students that just don't eat because they don't qualify and they don't bring a lunch? >> So, I can't speak to that just per se, but you do have students that just don't eat. And it's not just because they don't have money. Some students just don't want to stand in line. And and that's the truth. They don't want to stand in those long lines. I speak up about high

128schools because that's where we have long lines. Elementary and middle middle schoolers, they they want to socialize. We want them to eat, but they want to socialize with their friends and things. So, we have to encourage them to come in and eat. high schoolers, if there's a long line, they're typically not going to stand in line, you know, day after day waiting for lunch. And so, we do still encourage them, hey, come and eat. Why aren't you eating? I talked to some administrators this summer about that, say asking students, why aren't they ever in the line to get lunch? Because we know they need it to carry them through the day and they just they say we don't want to deal with the lines. >> But take credit for redesigning the desk for classroom lines

129so that we can give students. >> Yes, sir. It is on my list of things to do to help with that flow. Yes, >> Mr. Siderfield. >> Yeah. I want to ask a question related more to the dayto-day. We had a gentleman that asked a question earlier about uh tossing food. I know that um it used to be when they you would get these little uh individual bowls on on a tray. I'm talking about the old days and they put your sweet potatoes and your limema beans and things like that because it was open. They have had to be thrown away. Prepackaged stuff like granola bars or juice or even fruit like bananas that have not been touched. Do those things is that a federal issue? Does it do they have to be tossed or

130can you retain those things? So some of that state us the department of agriculture which is formerly dehack it's department of a now um some some things we have to throw away okay but single use items that are wrapped we don't so when we when we see an issue with waste and we had an issue last year at Dutch for middle I went over and we talked about ways to not have that where food is piled up on the table where is getting one item and everything else they want to throw away. The trash cans are full of food. You can do something called a share table. And so we can implement those processes where those items that we can keep, we keep and we don't throw them in the trash. We don't want to

131be wasteful. Trust me, I don't like to waste money like to hold on to what we got and use it in ways to help our students eat what they would like to eat. We also talked to the students and asked them, why are you doing this? And so that was a situation where it was a little bit of us and it was a little bit of the school, but we worked together to try to, you know, get that down. >> Thank you. >> I just have one question about the funding that you had the the way you listed it. So, um, when I get my tax bill for my home, >> how much of that money goes to support student nutrition? Um, so the only state funds that go to student nutrition is that reduced

132payment that the state is giving. So for a Lexri 5, the only schools that you will get any state funds for for child nutrition are the five nonC schools. Is it eight? Sorry. >> Um, sorry. The eight schools that are nonce and it's only for those reduced price kids, which is roughly 30 cents for lunch and 40 cents for breakfast. So, however many reduced kids you get, whatever, however many meals those eat in a year. I think statewide I think we spent less than I think we spent like $300,000 statewide. >> Those are state funds, not local funds. >> Those are state funds. That's the only state funds we get. We don't get local funds in this program. We only get federal funds. So, that tax bill that is not us. >> Thank you. Do

133we have any other questions? >> Thank you so much for your time. >> Thank you. All right, that moves us to the discussion of board policy BEDGA board records which um discuss how um in the process that we can request um information from the district and also how the public can um request information. This is something that's kind of been on the waiting list in terms of policies for review. um you all received it in your board packet. So I am open to thoughts um concerns, feedback um or suggestions on updates to this policy if anybody has any for discussion. >> I'll be happy to say a few words. >> Scott, >> yeah, I just noticed um since I've been on the board, we have a lot of like individual board inquiries that we all

134are interested in, you know, our specific areas of things and um I've become aware of what a an ask this can be of the admin and their team and uh sometimes it requires significant research and I feel like we need um first of all we need to be respectful of that to our admin but there there needs to be a point at which this becomes a board question and not individual questions. um things that are easily receivable that we keep data on, I think is is, you know, totally fair game. But um if it requires the administration to go digging and finding information, I think that that should be something that's the will of the board and not so much of the individuals. I don't have any language on proposing to that yet, but I

135at least wanted to open it up for discussion and see if there are other thoughts on this. Um, as a comment to that, I do think that um, that's the hard thing about policy, right? It makes it things so firm. But um one concern I have is that if there's a request I'm sorry of information maybe pri let's say we get our draft agenda like Amy sends it to us um for the meeting and maybe there's something on there that questions come out of and let's say the request is time consuming but the information is relevant to the meeting. who how do we determine that we push it off if we need it for that meeting? So, what are the circumstances? Um, and does that have to also be outlined in the policy so that

136um if somebody's requesting information that could help them in making some decision on something that we have to vote on, what does that um look like? And then my second thing um is um if we're requesting information that is I don't know let's say it's HR related or because or legal advice something that would be in executive session is it on the executive session agenda for us to discuss whether or not we as a whole board want the information that's also just a question that I'm throwing out but those are two things that came to my um as I looked at this policy. Anybody else? Oh, and um if we are going to make um changes to it, um who drafts um that language? >> Does anybody have answers to that question for me? I'll

137just speak to um the administration's interpretation of this policy. When it comes to records, these are items that we maintain. So, we maintain it and it's yours. Uh the question is for items that we don't maintain, which is outside of this this policy, we would ask that the board make a decision. That could be just as tonight while you took no action, it was very clear from the entire board that you want more information about the vaping. >> Oh, I see what you're saying. >> So, it is brought to the public. The public hears it. We as an administration knows that that's kind of the will of the board and so that that that helps us. was we had accusations about misuse of foyer by having these in executive session. If a lot of things

138that are not public record are handled outside of public view, uh then it's hard for us to prioritize the direction we need to go. Each one of the chiefs are directing own divisions with their own to-do list. Uh so if we are going to move them from something, I think it should be in the light of the whiteash of the of the of the public meeting. So >> that's our thing. If it's a document we have uh we we do like that opportunity to pull it. Emails, there's one person that pulled emails is the same person that's protecting our network. So we we ask when we pull that that we have time to do that. But if there are reports or information as we did tonight, the entire board discussed that is the will of

139the board while it wasn't a vote uh to get more information on on vaping and vaping prevention. And so that's something we do. We have other thoughts, questions, concerns of at the moment. All right, that will move us to our next discussion item of proposed revisions to board policy GCB professional staff contracts and compensation. >> Dr. Wicker, you're up. >> This evening, I'm bringing forward three policies for discussion, each with proposed revisions. These revisions stem from the Educator Assistance Act which took effect on July 1st, 2025. The proposed updates are designed to ensure our district is fully aligned with the new requirements while continue to support our educators in the work they do for our students every day. With that context in mind, I'll begin with the first policy, policy GCB, professional staff contracts and

140compensation. In short, this um proposed revision stating that the written notification of reemployment must include a projected minimum salary schedule for the district for the upcoming school year as well as an agreement to provide a final salary schedule as soon as practical upon completion of annual state and local budget processes. And the district will also upon request provide a teacher with the factors used to determine their pay category on the salary schedule. So those are proposed revisions to policy GCB. I'll pause for questions. >> So has the state resolved the issue and this may also be a mucker question of we don't know how much what we don't know what the step schedule is when they have to sign their contract. >> Correct. And so that's a great question. Huddle. Um and so we were

141talking to legal earlier today. What would happen is when our contracts go out, usually that's they go out sometimes middle April to late April and they're due back by May 10th. We provide the actual um schedule at that time for that particular year. Any changes will need to be actually given back to the the employee when those things are put in place, but we would not know ahead of time. >> Okay. So, so we would give them the current schedule. >> They would sign their renewal. Are they allowed to withdraw it if they don't like the new schedule or are they still stuck? >> No, they would be able to do that if they if they so chose to. Now, the thing about once they sign the contract, it'll be a pen and consumable replacement

142uh for that particular teacher. So again, I mean that's where we are right now in terms >> that really hasn't changed anything. >> I'm not asking you to say that. >> I'm bringing forth the new the new recommendations. I think there should be something on that says we hope to be able to pay you x amount of dollars. I'm just teasing. That's not >> Well, what one thing we can say with the actual with this proposed revision is that in the in the um right now when our contract goes out um it does not by any means give a a particular number because again not that being in the in the contract. But as the schedule changes, we could send the particular schedule out to say, you know, based on your years of experience and

143based on your um um uh education level, this is where you would be. Um that would take place based on the current one. And then as anything new comes out, we would then have to go back and provide that to the teacher based on on this new um proposed policy. >> Let me ask you one more question. the um back in the olden days, very olden days, when you got your contract on the second page, you got a copy of your contract, a paper copy, and then on the second page, you got a copy of your how much you were being paid that year. You knew exactly. Um does is the deadline for signing your contracts. Um, I guess that wouldn't be the same as offering a new contract because you already signed, you'd know.

144But there's not an issue with the deadline for contracts and knowing how much they're actually going to get paid with the new steps, right? >> No. So, the the contracts are due back by May 10th. That's the that's by state law. They're due back by May 10th. Um and so again at that time we just provide what the current step the current schedule is because we would not have gone through the budget process by that time. >> Policy has the first reading in May. >> So >> wouldn't pass the budget. >> So we're asking them to sign a contract and they don't know how much money they're going to get. The intent of the educational assistance act was to make sure the teachers knew the next year's budget, but it just doesn't align with the

145budgeting process. >> Yeah. But it's so much is up in the air though for >> unless we moved our budgeting process back. >> We don't get state projections until June. Really? If you want to speak to that, >> we're at the mercy of the state legislature process. So, >> well, I know that uh I think the Last year when I was down at the state house when they had educator day or whatever it is meatball that was one of the big discussions was teachers contracts because teachers felt like they were bound and they had no wiggle room so to speak and uh you know they were sort of held captive and at the mercy of the district or the state um because if you said signed it and you said nah I'm not going to

146do this then you get in trouble with your your certification. So, >> and see little goes to a little bit what Mr. Huddle said and Mr. Satfeld, but like I wonder how many teachers we may lose because we actually might be able to offer them a larger raise than we know. We give them a projection, right? But we don't have that set in stone when they and so they might see greener pastures, you know. >> But what we can say in terms of that is that you know that what you have for this one is not going to go lower than that. So, we definitely know that we're going to be moving. If that's the case, we'll move up. So, um but again, that's that's how it's written right now. >> I guess the good

147news, Miss Tucker, has anyone been earlier in passing the budget than May 10th? We're all in the same boats, I guess. say not that I I think the earliest readings are in May because you don't typically get the second house projections until late April. Any other questions? >> Okay, go ahead and take the second part. All right. So, I'll move on to uh proposed uh for policy GCI uh professional staff development. As we all know, teachers um are contracted for 190 days, 180 days uh for students. Those 10 additional days have now been u proposed with four of those days must be collegial professional development days. These must address academic achievement standards, teaching techniques, assessments, etc. Two days must be staff work days. Teachers and instructional assistants must be afforded time that is self-directed and

148free from assigned meetings and the last four days must be used for teacher planning, academic plans and parent conferences. So those additional 10 days again are outlined as how they must be used >> questions. Right? And then the last one would be uh policy GCK professional staff assignments and transfers. And again, in summary, this states that no later than 14 days before students are scheduled to return, teachers must be notified of their tenative assignment for the school year. Once assigned, the teacher shall not be reassigned to work at another location unless the superintendent can demonstrate the need for reassignment. The teacher must be given five days in a written notice in advance of the reassignment. So, in other words, 14 days, at least 14 days prior to students coming back to school, teachers must be

149notified of their location. If there's a need based on numbers or change, they must be given at least 5 days notice before the reassignment takes place. And so, again, back to the point with that with contracts, when contracts come out in um in May, they have their location um listed on the contract. So they know at that time where they're going to be going, but for some reason that needs to change, they will need to follow that fiveday process that's outlining the proposed new policy. >> Yeah. I want to ask you a question about that, Dr. Ross. Do we have that many that are moved last 10 days before school? Mr. Wicker, I'm asking he's pointing at you. So you get the answer, obviously. So that that we we're very um um happy to say

150that is not something that happens very often with us in terms of a lot of shifting um you know those last 10 days. As of right now we're in this 10day window of kind of looking where our numbers are. So um there may be a few shifts that will take place this year just on numbers but most times that's not the case. Is it more is it more grade level like if I'm an elementary certified teacher or early childhood is it more of that or is it schools going from one school to another? >> So most times it depends I would say probably more school I'm going look back to um to um Mrs. Cohen uh it be more schools because we find sometimes that some of the subject areas may be a little bit

151hard to fill or those type things at certain certain locations. Um so it may be more of a school than than just a grade level. The reason I asked that is I know that a lot of you're talking I think Miss Cohen was talking about teachers talk and that's probably the greatest we probably ought to give them a little stipen if they can pull somebody from another district. Um but the idea is that um they get to know they they're already working this thing in the summer and they get they're all excited about working with their friend or their neighbor or all that. So I I know that's a bit of an obstacle to get over. Um I but I was just curious if that happens often. I mean I I don't remember in my

152time it really happening. I can't remember anytime. >> It doesn't happen that often. It doesn't. >> Thank you. >> Are they afforded that same time if they change grade levels or ch internally into a school subject matter? >> Internal trans that does not that's different. So that does not have the same effect as this right here. So this you're changing locations from one to another inside of the building that still remains the same. the principal has the autonomy to make the needed changes inside of the building. If you're leaving from one location to another, this then comes into play. >> Anybody else? >> All right. Thank you, Dr. W. >> Thank you so much. >> I move that we adjourn. >> Second. >> All in favor? And the motion carries seven to zero. Y'all have

153a good night.