001Thank you. You're off the hook, Jason. You stay seated. >> I'd like to begin with a short invocation and we'll follow by the pledge of allegiance. Heavenly Father, we humbly express our gratitude for the amazing accomplishments that our district has experienced and for every dedicated individual in every area that has made this a reality. We humbly beseech you to continue to grant us the wisdom our decisions require and the compassion that's necessary to bind us together as a loving and caring community. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. You have before you the minutes for the May 18th, 2026 meeting. Are there any additions or corrections that
002you'd like to make? Hearing none, the chair request a motion to approve the minutes of the May 18, 2026 minutes. >> I'll make a motion to approve the minutes as presented for the May 18th meeting. >> Thank you, sir. Is there a second? Second. >> Thank you. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. Those opposed. Motion carries. You also have before you the state agenda for tonight's meeting. Are there any additional or corrections you wish to make in that area? Hearing none, the chair requests a motion to appro approve the agenda as so presented. >> I'll make a motion to approve the tonight's agenda. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, sir. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. >> Those opposed? Motion carries. Hearing no uh
003and seeing no indication of public input, uh the chair defers to Dr. Crockett for the Heart of the Hornet. >> Sure. Hey, good evening everybody. It's uh great to see you. Thanks for thanks for being here in attendance. Um I do want to uh kind of go and and share this month's Heart of the Hornet recognition is someone that we know that's usually here always here every every uh board meeting and has served in uh to support our secretary with uh taking the minutes and has uh been a bus transportation director, helped as a in finance as well for for over over the years, many many years of service, dedicated service to our uh school district. And so we she was easing her way out through retirement, but now uh we have Miss, of course,
004Miss Wells, who is now officially uh her her stint with Greenwood 51 is coming to a close and we are very excited for her. It's a loss for us, but more importantly, uh we are extremely excited for you and your family. And we celebrated with her this about a week ago, a week and a half ago, and her family came and and we enjoyed them and they're all excited uh for her to be around. Lots of lots of grandkids running around and and so it's a special time for that family. But uh Miss Wells is and like everyone knows, extremely hardworking. um here here early making sure that her her responsibilities especially with transportation is 24/7 always making if there's a bus down she's got a plan and and mo the biggest compliment that I
005can give her is that this is someone I trust like my my confidence in her trust in her when I need when I need someone she's she's my go-to and I I really appreciate uh her dedication to uh to me but also more importantly to this district. So, I I appreciate Miss Wells. We recognize her as a heart of the Hornet this year. And Miss McDeal is going to pass out some We got some flowers for you, Wimpy. Thank you for for all that you all that you do. And and we'll come up here and get a photo with you and say thank you for everything for over these years. We sure do appreciate all that you all that you've done and how much you mean to us. [applause] On behalf of the board of
006trustees and the superintendent, we present these to you with more love than you can measure. [applause] >> That's a big smile. That's a big smile. Congratulations. >> Thank you, Dr. Crockett. The chair will continue to defer to Dr. Crockett for a superintendent update. >> And before we do, we're just going to allow Miss Wells to exit stage, right? And thank you. [applause] >> Yeah, that's a special special special day for sure. >> All right. And uh for for the superintendent update, there's a few updates like I'd like to share with you, recap some things, let you know some things that we're we're working on as well. First and foremost, since our last meeting, thank you for being in attendance for for graduation. It was it was wonderful. It was a beautiful night. I'm really pleased
007with the decision making that went up to that moment as far as the weather, you know, trying to get a gauge on that weather. I know early on in that week, it looked like uh rain was was coming in and uh but we We we appreciate the patience of our community as well hanging in there with us as we try to make the best decision. And it turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous night, one that our seniors seniors were will remember. And so we're excited for them taking their next chapter, cheering for them. I see them encouraging them as they as they are now taking that next step in life after graduation. Um and and again, just a a special time and and I always love graduation. means a lot to me and just
008a a stellar group of kids and and there'll be some some information that's going to be coming out about these seniors. Uh cut they're making some records and we'll be looking forward to releasing those figures when when they become when they're released and their embargo and until we get some more um uh information that comes in and officially released. But this is a very special class and you will soon see that. Uh, also want to direct your attention to our Hall of Fame um inductees this year. Um, Mr. Ber, Mr. Cox, uh, Mr. Martin, Mr. Maxwell, and Miss McCulla. Just outstanding people that have had huge contributions to to our district, to the wearables community. They they love our school system, and they represent it very very well. So, I'm very very excited to to
009honor them in the fall. And so just as a reminder, there's a a committee, the Hall of Fame committee, uh that does this. I don't I don't vote for this, but I to help facilitate that for them. Um and it is uh um 501c3 that recognizes these these folks. So very pleased um for these recipients. Also very proud of our three uh teachers of the year. Very very proud of them. Just a outstanding group uh that were recognized as their school winners. Appreciate Mr. Rice uh and uh uh uh the teacher forum uh for a lot of a lot of work that went into it restructuring it a little bit making making things better and uh more efficient and um so very pleased Miss Addis, Miss Ellison, Miss Cromer. I want to bring our attention
010to one of the the the great supporters uh that's just down just down the road from the primary school and that is uh Odell Corporation and um we went from uh I think it was three weeks ago they had we received a check for them for $7500 uh for um the hundred year celebration. They said, "Hey, we have lots of our employees are former graduates of Wear Shoes High and we want to uh we want to support that." And so being one of our largest donors to the 100redyear celebration. So we're extremely thankful for that. And then they followed that up with just a week and a half later said, "Hey, can you come back? We have a check for for the primary school to make sure that all the students um at Wshaw's primary
011will have the supplies they need for the first day of school. And um John Stra just behind the scenes is just and Odell Corporation that whole team is just a wonderful group of individuals um who who are are very generous very very generous. not the largest corporation around but boy by far the the heart of of giving and they do thanks for supporting us with camp Leopold over the years um supporting other initiatives that take place and um that's just a special special group and so want to make sure that we recognize them for and we'll do something special have something in mind to to recognize them this fall so uh we'll we'll be sure to do that in a very special It's the end of the year, our fiscal year. Okay. And uh I
012know there's usually January 1 is uh New Year's New Year's Day. Uh but ours is July 1. So our fiscal year comes to a close and we start our new year on July one. We're excited about that. Ending the year very strong and very pleased with where where we are. But this means not just uh fiscally but we also uh for the end of the year is meaning that we have uh lots of state and federal accountability. We have lots of reports that are due. Um we have a uh the construction projects that we're trying to get accomplished over a very short time frame. Um but so this is a a crunch time that the treadmill is moving very very fast for us. But we're excited about the progress and the position that we're in
013right now. I also wanted to recognize uh Jaden Johnson and not sure if you had heard this or not. He's to be inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame. And so that is uh an extreme um um honor uh to to receive. And so uh we we are looking forward to celebrating him in Greenville. I believe it's ne I have it on my calendar, but I think it's uh next next month um for us to to go and to watch him um be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Just a what a great honor. We're already talking about next year, but before we meet again, we're already going to have our registration for school that's going to be taking place. And so it's we're we're looking at about three weeks or
014so. I mean, just we're just going to kind of put this in perspective here. So, where are we at? three and a half weeks or so where we have uh registration day. So we're excited excited for that to take place. Uh there's some open houses the schools will do some have their own little format ninth grade orientation or the schools will do open houses at the primary school. They have their own little unique way and they'll be connect uh connecting with parents but our official um opening for registration will be uh July the 8th from 11 to 7:00 p.m. at this at each school. So, we're um uh getting ready for that. Of course, we're talking about back to school already. So, that'd be July 23rd and um and and and we're we're getting there.
015It's a little closer. And I know we're catching our breath. And I know we're trying to get the this year wrapped up. Kids in summer school. Uh had had one of our seniors, our last senior that had some work to do, got got through um and did his part. So, we're we're glad. But school's school's going to be starting here really soon, which >> is hard to believe. Um these are the the board uh uh meetings for next week. I know in your packet you have some dates. I emailed you a revision and so um hopefully you had a chance to see that. We are reverting back to I appreciate your feedback and trying to maintain the third Monday. We'll do that as all the way through except in in June of June 14th. Uh
016that second Monday um is is because there is an administrator's conference on that third. So trying to to make sure that we can get as many folks there as we possibly can. Um so that's our that's our uh our our schedule that's coming up sticking to the third third Monday. Appreciate people's feedback with that and I can get you I can certainly get you another re revised copy of that. And so when we come down to our u I guess it's tab one for the action items and just just kind of want to make sure that we're We're understanding that it's going to be that third Monday except for the one in in June. Okay. I'm just going to kind of get that in your attention. >> Great. >> And that is the superintendent's update.
017If you have any questions about the material that was presented, I'll certainly be glad to to go into more depth. >> Wonderful news, too. The chair would like to rep uh recognize Mr. Darren Rice for an overview of the federal programs. >> Thank you, sir. >> Good evening. We're going to talk about um title one this evening. Um so I've got a little presentation. >> Can I get quicker? [snorts] >> Oh, sure. Yes, sir. [laughter] >> That way I can. [snorts] >> All right. So, we're going to talk about what you know what is title one? Um the purpose of title one is to ensure that all students receive fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain highquality education and reach minimum proficiency on state standards. Um title one schools receive funds uh to help supplement
018math and ELA curriculum programming to buy materials um you know supplies to help um fund staff support services and even class size reduction. Um these are these school schoolwide title one plans um are resources in addition to what we um have through our our general fund as well. Um let's see I'm doing that. Let's go. Um but a school can qualify if they have at least 40% of their student population is considered um in poverty. And in order to figure that out, um they determine it through a variety of methods, but one of them is is a calculation called pupils in poverty or um direct certification, which is how many people sign up to use um certain benefits, and we'll talk about those in just a second. But um both methods determine the percentage of
019students in poverty based on um SNAP enrollment, temporary assistance and needy families eligibility, Medicaid enrollment and participation, students in foster care, and then students that are deemed homeless, transient, or runaways. So all of those situations um help a student to be qualified as living in poverty, a student, a pupil in poverty. Um funds are distributed based on a formula that considers percentage of low income students at each school. This is what our latest numbers look like um in our district. So for years the primary school has been the highest had the highest level of poverty but the last couple years the high school has actually moved up and um but they're all within basically one percentage point of each other. So, um it's pretty consistent across the board. Around 70 to 71% of our students
020live in are considered to be pupils in poverty. Um title one programs uh aim to help children especially those at most risk of falling behind um the in achieving academic proficiency and meeting state standards. Um the the purpose of title one is to help local education agencies improve teaching learning in high poverty schools and help children failing or at most risk of failing by meeting challenging state academic standards through supporting struggling students enhancing instruction uh promoting schoolwide reform engaging parents and families and then providing evidence-based interventions. Um, how is the purp uh how is the purpose of title one funding accomplished? Uh, by providing enriched and accelerated educational programming, providing schoolwide reform through schoolwide programs or through additional services that increase the amount of quality amount and quality instructional time by significantly upgrading the quality
021of instruction by providing staff opportunities for professional development. uh by affording parents meaningful opportunities to participate in their child's education and then pro providing personalized learning through instructional technology devices and infrastructure. Um how do we how what are the components of title one program? We start out with a comprehensive needs assessment. um is that is conducted. Uh schoolwide strategy provide opportunity for all students to meet state uh performance standards, high quality, highly qualified faculty and staff instruction throughout the day. We provide professional development continually throughout the year for our instructional staff. Um parent involvement opportunities throughout the year. All of our schools offer parent involvement opportunities. Students with learning difficulties are provided the necessary assistance as well. All right. So, how are title one funds used in where Scholes? Um, so our plan in our
022plan and we've done this for the last few years. Uh, we provide computer lab assistance at the primary school and middle school, reading reading interventionists at the primary and the middle school. Uh, we purchased service agreements for computer programming in to increase student engagement and differentiate instruction. Um, we provided instructional supplies for grades 4K through 8th grade. um Prometheian panels, personalized laptop devices, instructional technology in the classroom. For pupil services, we maintain full-time guidance counselors at both the middle and the high school or excuse me, middle and the primary school and also full-time media specialists at the primary and middle school through title one funding. Uh requirements for title one program highly high quality academic assessments for accountability recruiting hiring and retaining highly qualified instructional staff teacher prep and training through professional development. Uh curriculum
023and instruction materials. Uh meeting all student needs academically, closing the achievement gap and then target areas for targeting areas for improvement. offering opportunities for parent input and involvement and then of course our our mission um here in the district. Does anyone have any questions about our Title One program? >> Mr. Rice, I wonder if those are amazing opportunities. Do you find that people respond and take advantage of it? >> Uh we do. Much of our funding is is tied up in our salary for um positions. Um but we do use um we do use funding for providing opportunities for again professional development, providing materials, things like that. Um we provide information to our parents, to our community. Um the the schools provide parent nights, community nights, things like that. U we do have title one
024talk basically the same talk with our title one uh parents or with all of our parents concerning title one >> but do and you find they do reach out to you >> some do yeah >> some do that not as many as probably we would like to >> um but yeah I think I think they they are aware >> um you know but we do we provide enough information that they should be aware of our programming and what we do >> that's great >> each year >> anybody Anybody have any questions? >> Super. >> Okay. Turn that. >> Thank you, sir. >> Again, I will defer to the superintendent, Mr. Dr. Crockett, for budget review. >> Great. Um, last month we went through our first reading of the budget and appreciated the support that was
025there. There was not much change to the overall budget. Okay. We have a little we're able to dial it in just a little bit more because we have made some hires, some classified hires, and uh we were able to get a little bit of a closer feel to how things would end at the end of this year and made some changes uh a little bit just but really the difference between last month and and this and this month may have just been a few a few thousand dollars. So, we're we're right where we we're right where we need to be. I believe that we are going to be um we have a positive outlook and we are positioned uh for continued success with this budget and it's one that I I believe that is um
026it it's conservative um uh for example there's house and senate numbers that have come out and we're still waiting to get some you know final numbers as to what our final allocation will be from the state. Um the House was a little bit less. We're talking about 120,000 less than what the Senate had had proposed. So, we're going we're going to take that conservative uh House uh put uh projection put that in. So, we know at least we'll be getting that hoping to have a little bit more flexibility in some areas as well. So, it's going to be a balanced budget. projecting a balanced budget budget >> and um and I we are continuing to kind of hit our marks as we as we continue to go through our our finances and we're we've been
027fortunate and blessed to uh continue operations making sure that we uh maintain all of our employees uh ensure that there are uh standard of living uh increases as well across the board and and to be able to start investing in a little bit of projects that are taking place around the district. So, we're uh of course we'd love a lot more to come through, but we we live within our means and and still feel like uh this is a budget that that is very manageable for us to to obtain. >> Dr. Crockett, no indication when the Senate might roll in. Uh the Senate has the House the House Ways and Means has the Senate Finance Committee has um they've both made their made what they their recommendations and now it's in committee trying to figure
028out probably in between those two figures as as where we're going to land. >> So um >> that'll be great. >> We we'll see how that shakes out there. There also has been just to bring this we're talking about budget wise. we received a little bit of a blessing um and that was we received at the very end um some some more federal funding came in especially in the area of title one in fact all of our federal programs had a little bit of an increase that came in now they we we took that we're using that for to offset some of our expenses uh helping summarize salaries that we we've had as well so um that was that was unexpected you never can expect that to come in we we put that to to
029good use and I think that will also help out our budget for the the current year. So thank thankful for that. >> Any additional questions? Then we'll move to the action items. Under tab one, you will find the board meeting dates for the 20 20 26 27 academic year. The chair asked for a recommendation to approve these dates. I'll make a motion to approve the 2026 2027 school board meeting dates as presented. >> Is there a second? >> Thank you. Any discussion? I appreciate very much your willingness to take the second Monday in June. >> Oh, yeah. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. >> Uh that'll uh be very helpful. It normally comes in January and we just flipped it into June to accommodate the superintendent. Under tab two, you will see a certified contract recommendation. The
030chair is requesting a motion to approve the employment of Miss Gabrielle Wright as a third grade teacher for the 2026 27 academic year. >> I'll make a motion. >> Thank you, sir. >> Mr. right >> for the position that she has applied for. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. Any discussion? >> Thank you very much. >> Under tab on that. >> Yes, sir. Um before we move to tab three, any discussion on any of those um recommendations is clear. All those in favor say I. >> Those opposed. Motion carries. Thank you, sir. Now, under tag three, you're going to see the wearables high painting project and laptop um acquisition. And the chair is requesting a motion to create unbudgeted expenses for these two projects. Both the wear high school painting project
031and the purchase of laptops for the eighth grade and the high school for accounting purposes. >> And and for clarity, I'd just like to just make sure that we're we're very clear on what we're we're voting on. Um, we could at the end of the year we could take some funds off several accounts to to go ahead and to cover this expense. Still think we're going to operate within our general budget that's been provided and approved. But it would be significantly easier on us if we could just have an unbudgeted line item for our laptops, unbudgeted line item, and leave those balances until we roll over to the next year instead of skimming, you know, uh, 1,500 from here or 800 from here. And we'll just uh, we still think we live within our means,
032but it'll just be significant and easier for accounting purposes if we have those unbudgeted items in there. >> And I do think that's significant. We we do have the funds and it is for accounting purposes. >> I make a motion to approve the wear high school painting project and laptops unbudgeted expense as presented. >> Thank you, sir. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. Motion carries. Under tab four, um we see um the slide that you placed on the overhead, Dr. Crockett. And um it really looks very very good. And this is the second reading. So the chair is requesting a motion following the second reading of this budget to approve the 2026 27 budget as so presented. >>
033I make a motion to approve the 2026 2027 budget as presented for a second reading. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Those opposed? Motion carries. under tab five. This is a great thing. What you have uh in your packets is information pertaining to what I refer to as the fieldhouse project. The chair is and I hope you've taken the time to read this and um understand clearly what's what's being asked. The chair is requesting a motion to replace the necessary windows at the fieldhouse. In addition to that, the addition of air in in that fieldhouse and everybody doing um what athletes do in there will love you forever. And there's also a need to replace that fieldhouse door. >> And
034the this funding will come from the general obligation bond that we approved last last at our last meeting. Is there a motion at this point? >> I'll make Go ahead. >> I'll make a motion to approve the fieldhouse window replacement project as presented. >> Thank you, sir. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Thank you, sir. Any discussion? >> I think it's long overdue. I think it's been need to be done. I'm glad it's getting done. >> Remember working out in that fieldhouse with fans? It definitely need I'm going to tell you that was a test of survival. They ought to have a TV show on that. But I I concur. It's long overdue and it'll be a fabulous addition. >> We got a beautiful fieldhouse and now you cleaning up the small stuff,
035making it way just beautifying it, making it >> Thank you. >> way more presentable. [cough] >> Hearing the discussion, all those in favor say I. >> I. Those opposed? Motion carries. At this point, the chair recommends a motion to enter into executive session. >> I'll make a motion we enter executive session. >> Is there a second? >> Thank you, sir. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. >> Opposed. Motion carries. The time is 6:31. Is there a motion to come out of executive session? >> I make a motion to come out of executive session. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor say I. >> All those opposed? Motion carries. Uh at this time, I think I can annual action was taken. We'll proceed with our
036agenda and we end with the monthly finance review. Dr. Crockett has given you the bulk of that review and I really appreciate all your insight on the budget, but I couldn't end a meeting without asking you if you had any questions about any general fund expenditures or the high school activity uh finances. They look great, by the way. um amazing turnaround and uh on athletics and everything else looks really well too. If there's no comment or concern or input on that uh score, the chair recommends and ask humbly a motion to adjourn. >> I make a motion to adjourn. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, sir. All those in favor say I. opposed. We are.