001Hello, thank you for coming. This is the last meeting of the semester. I'm thrilled. I hope you all are as well. And it's the last night before voting tomorrow, and I know there are some of those are thrilled about that as well. It's been a long, drawn-out voting season, so we're glad to have that behind us tomorrow. And congratulations in advance to those of you who win. First, I would like to ask Miss Debbie Edmonds if she would give an invocation and lead us in a pledge. Thank you so much. Would you all bow with me, please? Heavenly Father, thank you for this amazing school year and all the growth and progress that has been made. We ask your protection over our students, faculty, and staff over the summer, and we ask for wisdom and
002discernment as the curriculum continues to be developed during this time. We ask that your peace and a sense of calm and assurance to be our very breath, and that our students' growth and achievement be the underlying motivation for every conversation and decision made. We praise you and lift you up in the name of your son, Jesus. Amen. Will you please stand with me for the pledge? 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. Be seated. Thank you, Debbie. Now, I would request the Honorable Angela Harrison step forward, please, to administer the oath of office for Mr. Matthew Robbins. Ms. Johnson, and if you would step up as well too with
003your guests. All right. Yes, ma'am. Place your left hand on the Bible and raise your right hand. I do. And repeat after me. Yes, ma'am. I do solemnly swear or affirm that I am duly qualified I do solemnly swear and affirm that I am duly qualified, according to the Constitution of this state, to exercise the duties of the office, to exercise the duties of the office, to which I have been appointed, to which I have been appointed, and that I will, and that I will, to the best of my ability, to the best of my ability, discharge the duties thereof, discharge the duties thereof; and preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of this state and of the United States; to— and preserve, protect, and defend; to preserve, protect, and defend; the Constitution of this state
004and of the United States; the Constitution of this state and the United States; so help me God; so help me God. Thank you, Judge. Thank you, Matthew. Please be seated in seat 5, buddy. Next, we'll introduce the board members, will introduce themselves starting with Mr. Cook. Good evening, I am David Cook. I am proud to represent District 1. That would include Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach attendance area. Hi, it's so nice to see so many people tonight. My name is Debbie Edmonds and I represent District 2, which is the Myrtle Beach area and a small portion of Carolina Forest. Good evening, I'm Tracy Winters. I represent District 3, which is Carolina Forest, and I also serve on the State School Board Association representing Regional 4. Good evening, my name is Wendy Hodges and I represent
005District 4, which is Socastee, St. James, and Myrtle Beach. Good evening, my name is Matthew Robinson. I represent District 5, which includes St. James, Burgess, and portions of the Socastee attendance area. Hello, I'm Melanie Wellens, District 8, which is portions of Conway, Carolina Forest, and Socastee. Good evening, I'm Pam Dawson. I represent District 6, which is Socastee, St. James, and a portion of Carolina Forest. Good evening, I'm Janet Graham. It is my pleasure to serve District 7, which is Conway and a part of Carolina Forest. I also serve on the South Carolina School Boards Association as president-elect. And also on the South Carolina School Board's Insurance Trust as chair. Good evening. I'm James Edwards. I serve District 9, which includes some of Green Sea Floyds, Loris, North Myrtle Beach, a portion of Carolina Forest, and
006a portion of Myrtle Beach. Good evening. My name is Neil James. It's my pleasure to represent District 10, which includes portions of the Loris, Green Sea Floyds, Carolina Forest, and Conway attendance areas. Good evening, I'm Darrell Ricketts. I represent District 11, which is the Aynor attendance area, part of the Conway attendance area, and part of the Florence community of the Green Sea Florence attendance area. Thank you, board members. And my name is David Cox. I have the pleasure of being the chairman, having been elected countywide 4 years ago. And that's who we are. I need an approval of the agenda. So moved. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, like sign. Hearing none, the motion passed. Approval of the, uh, minutes. So moved. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, like sign. Hearing
007none, that passed. That was for the May 18th and the May 28th meetings. Next, I'd like to recognize Miss Marilyn Foore. So at this time, Chairman Cox, Vice Chair Wellens, board members, I'd like to call Dr. Marilyn Foore to the podium, please, to be recognized. Tonight, we're honored to recognize Dr. Marilyn Foore for her extraordinary contributions to education and especially to the students of Horry County. As the first female president of Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Dr. Foore has dedicated her life to HGTC, serving as a professor, academic dean, senior vice president, and ultimately president. As she prepares to retire on July 31st, 2026, we celebrate a legacy that has changed lives strengthened our community, and expanded possibilities for generations of students. At this point, I'd like to read the proclamation. Whereas Dr. Marilyn Foore was sworn
008in as the 5th president of Horry-Georgetown Technical College in 2017, following 42 years of dedicated service to the college that began as a faculty member in 1975 and her retirement in 2026 now concludes a remarkable 51-year career, and whereas Dr. Foore played a crucial role in the design and development of more than 80 academic programs across the college's 3 campuses and established a highly collaborative educational partnership with these Horry County Schools focused on early college access, dual credit opportunities for high school students, and workforce development, and whereas the collaboration between HGTC and HCS functions through a multiple Fundamental Education Pathway, which encompasses HCS Early College High School, PACE Dual Enrollment, Technical Scholars, and Career and Technical Education, and whereas under the leadership of Dr. Foore, the college has witnessed considerable growth in enrollment, broadened its
009workforce development programs, and enhanced transfer partnerships to promote student success and foster regional economic development. Demonstrating profound dedication to access, opportunity, student achievement throughout her time in office. And now therefore be it resolved that on this 8th day of June, 2026, representing the students, staff, administration, the Horry County Board of Education, and Superintendent Cliff Jones, wish to convey the school district's profound gratitude to Dr. Marilyn Murphore for her visionary leadership at Horry Georgetown Technical College and the beneficial influence her presidency has exerted on our school community while also extending best wishes for rewarding and fulfilling retirement. Presented on this 8th day of June. Dr. Fore, if you could please come to the middle and we'll take a picture. Thank you. She has the Rise of Reading. Yes, Thank you, Murph. As she's affectionately known, has
010provided an enormous contribution to this county, and we're all very grateful. Thank you. Now, next, uh, Mr. Chairman, here With us tonight is South Carolina School Boards Association President Tim Rhodes. Mr. Rhodes, if you could come to the podium. And while he does that, he is— Mr. Rhodes has served nearly every leadership capacity with SCBA and his local board, including president-elect, secretary, treasurer, and as regional director. He is nearing his 20-year service in his local board in Abbeville and is the current chair. Mr. Rhodes is here on behalf of the association, as are his friends and our friends, uh, your board members, SCSBA president, uh, Janet Graham, and South Carolina School Boards Association Region 4, uh, representative Tracy Winters with a special presentation for Horry County Schools. Mr. Rhodes, the floor is now yours, sir.
011Thank you very much. Uh, good evening, board chair David Cox, members of the Horry County School Board of Education, Superintendent Jones. Thank y'all so much for having me here. It was a pleasure to come down. I told Miss Janet that the traffic here reminds me of Greenville, a little tight, cause I live in a little small town called Abbeville. We don't have a lot of traffic unless a deer runs across the street. That's about the stop of our traffic. So, but I really appreciate that. It is a pleasure to be here with you, especially for this presentation, as meaningful as this alongside my friends, like you said, and fellow board members, South Carolina School Board President-Elect, Miss Janet Graham. And Region 4 Director Tracy Winters. Would y'all please join me for this presentation? Miss Grant.
012At this time, I'd like to invite Chairperson Cox and Superintendent Jones to join us as well. We are here this evening to honor a remarkable community partner, ORE Telephone Corporation. Would representatives from ORE Telephone Corporation also please come forward? I think they're sneaking up behind me, aren't they? First, let me say thank you. Your collaboration in Horry County Schools is a model of dedication for our students' success. Partnerships like yours exemplify what possibility when local industries and public education works together for the betterment of our children and our community. It is for this reason that the South Carolina School Board Association is proud to present you with the Champions for Public Education Award. This award honors businesses, organizations, individuals who make significant contributions in support of public education, and your efforts stand out among the
013very best. Ori Telephone Corporation has set a high standard for what it means to be a true partner of education. The award is based on three key pillars: leads, advances, and inspires. Horry Telephone Corporation fulfills each one of those fully. For decades, Horry Telephone Corporation, also known as HTC, has exemplified what it means to be a champion for public education. As a member-owned corporation, HTC provides sustained visible support to Horry County Schools and neighboring districts through the strategic investments aligned with district priorities. Its contribution spans academics, athlete— athletics, the arts, workforce development, and youth leadership. HTC supports literacy innovations, recognizes students' achievements, funds scholarships, and expands access to opportunities for rural and underserved students by actively participating in student-centered events and reinvesting in the communities. HTC demonstrates a belief, belief in shared responsibilities. Its corporate
014model and long-term engagements has strengthened education opportunities and community support for public schools, making HTC highly deserving of a state recognition. HTC demonstrates leadership By aligning its efforts and district goals and supporting programs that enhance student success, it advances early literacy through partnership with United Way of Horry County, supporting initiatives such as Caring for Kindergartners and Ready Set Kindergarten. For providing incentives for reading challenges, HCC also supports Freedom Readers to expand literacy enrichment and commitments to whole child development, including partnering with the American Heart Association unoccupied CPR training kits to high schools, sponsoring middle schools, and sports championships. Recognizing art and education through Long Bay Symphony Music Teacher of the Year program. HTC leaders regularly participate in student recognition events, reinforcing a culture of achievement and, uh, excellence. HTC advances public education by expanding academic
015and career opportunities. Through events like Pathways to Possibilities and Build Something Amazing. Students gain exposure to career pathways and workforce skills. HTC provides sustaining scholarships, including targeted support of electronic engineering technology students at Horry Georgetown Technical College, helping build a skilled local workforce. As the district's telecommunications provider, HTC meets complex technology needs and supports the annual technology fair. It has also invested in its organizations such as the Carolina Human Reinvestment Center, the Waccamaw Youth Center, and provides mentorship and stability in vulnerable youth. HT models democratic values through community ownership and active engagement. By sponsoring the Foundation for Rural Service Youth Tours, supporting programs like Real Kids, and participating in events such as Touch a Truck, As a career fairs, HC promotes civic awareness and inspires leadership. Its ongoing investment in students and community initiatives reinforces
016vital connection between public education opportunity and a strong democracy. Let me be clear in what I say. HTC leads with purpose, advance meaningful outcomes, and inspires a community-wide commitment to public education. You are not only supporting schools, you are cultivating opportunities, strengthening civic life, and building stronger future for Horry County. On behalf of the South Carolina School Board Association, congratulations and thank you for everything that you do. You're a true champion for public education. Thank you. Cheese! Thanks, gentlemen. You're awesome. Appreciate y'all. Glad you could come see us. Appreciate it. Thank you for coming. I've been to Abbeville. It is a big town. That was good. Thanks a lot. Appreciate that. All right, where are we? Number 2 is when we adjourn the board meeting and convene a public hearing. I need a motion. Move
017to adjourn and convene our public hearing. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Those like sign hearing, none. We're now in a public hearing on the 26-27 superintendent's comprehensive budget. There are some members of the public who wish to speak on this budget, and I'll call them out in the manner in which— the number in which they requested. First would be Jean Reed. Is she here? Thank you, Miss Reed. Step forward, please. Mr. Jones, board members, welcome, Miss Mr. Robinson. Tonight's meeting is focusing on our budget. The first part of my request requires no impact whatsoever on the budget. Classified. It can refer to ads in a newspaper, and all of us, I think, are old enough to remember what that is. Classified can refer to top secret information. Classified can refer to how things
018are organized in groups. In Horry County Schools, this is how the sports staff is referred to, classified. I would like to alter that nomenclature. Our administrative assistants are professionals that deserve respect. Our bus drivers and bus aides are professionals and deserve respect. Our classroom aides are professionals and deserve respect. Our cafeteria workers are also professionals and deserve respect. The Horry County Education Association requests the use of the phrase education support professionals for the category of workers currently referred to as classified staff to show them the respect they have earned and deserve. As I have previously stated, this costs nothing. Eventually, we would like to see it used in district communications and policy handbooks, etc. My second request, however, does impact the budget. Education supports professionals, or ESPs, deserve to be paid a decent wage. I
019know you've heard that several times over the past few meetings. Please show them respect. By reconsidering that $0.75 raise for those workers who are the foundation of this school district and whose work is so valuable we couldn't function without them. In other words, please put some respect in their check. Thank you, Miss Reed. Now I'd like to ask Miss Susan Hobgood. If you would please. Hi, I'm Susan Hopka, the president of the Horry County Education Association. Good evening and welcome to our newest board member, Mr. Robinson. I've talked about this before, but I'm going to give it one last The budget is a statement of priorities because it requires us to make choices. Every dollar spent in one area is a dollar that cannot be spent somewhere else. Those choices tell our employees and community
020what we value. Mr. Jones and the board and everybody involved in the budget process has taken the issue of ESP seriously, and I do appreciate that. I know difficult decisions have been made. But I ask that you continue looking for opportunities to do more. For example, before dedicating approximately $3 million to attendance bonuses, I would ask whether some of those funds could be instead used to move educational support professionals closer to a living wage. Attendance of teachers is very important, but so is ensuring that the paraprofessionals supporting our most vulnerable students, or the custodian cleaning our rooms, or the cafeteria worker serving meals and the office staff member assisting families so they can afford to live in the community they serve. Many of these employees are not asking for luxury. They're asking for stability. They're
021asking for the ability to pay bills, handle unexpected expenses, and support their families with dignity, and to maybe just work one job. The budget is a statement of priorities. The choices we make today tell our employees what we value tomorrow. I respectfully ask that every reasonable opportunity be explored to strengthen the compensation increases being considered for educational support professionals. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Next, Miss Josie Hewitt, is that right? Please step forward, ma'am. I would like to start by saying, um, good evening to everyone. Um, I'm a 20-year cafeteria employee with Horry County Schools, and I'm just here to voice my opinion on, um, the pay. And I know you guys are coming upon a resolution on a on a budget for us. But I feel like, as we hear every year, that our
022job is just as important as every other job in the school. I just feel like we should be showed that, not only told. We should be showed it, you know, in our paychecks. I know we'll never make up to like what the teachers make, but I would give an example. I've been there 20 years and I don't even bring home $1,000 every 2 weeks. If that lets you know how the raises went in the past. So that's all I had wanted to just come in and put my part. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Miss Jennifer Lewis Williams. Good afternoon to everyone. Um, my name is Jennifer. I have been with Horry County Schools for 13 years, and as everyone said, um, we feel like as far as the pay for support staff, it's not making
023any sense. I mean, and I understand that you got to go, you know, you got certain protocols you got to go I respect that and I understand the teachers that like that plays a big role, but I feel like you guys need to look without, okay, the teachers play their role, but you gotta understand everybody else in the system. The teacher's not gonna go in the cafeteria and cook. The teacher's not gonna go in the classroom and clean. So we all play important role in the school. And I feel like you should put that into consideration. 'Cause like she said, 13 years and you're not even bringing about $800 or $900. It's not adding up and it's not making any sense, but you want us to do so much. And for me, trying to get
024a second or a third job knowing that I have a husband that has cancer, so who trying to get off this job, make sure my husband straight, then try to go find another job? Like, it's hard. But I understand, like, I'm voicing my opinion. I'm telling you how I feel. But I feel like it's just something that everyone one should take into consideration. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Anyone else? Okay, I guess not. So that— those are all that signed up. Now, Mr. Chairman, I move we adjourn the— oh, I'm sorry, adjourn the public hearing and reconvene the board I'll second. Okay, great. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, like sign. Hearing none, we're into a discussion with Miss Allen. Good evening, Mr. Cox, Miss Williams, board members, and Superintendent Jones. Tonight I want
025to share just a little bit of information about our OE-12 monitoring report. I'm very excited to present this information, and I hope it provides you a glimpse into the resources and programs that we have through our learning environment. Now, I will tell you, this report is very different than some of the others that you have seen this year because we are at the end of the school year, and we have not— I mean, we just finished last Thursday. We don't have all the data that shows how well these programs that are listed in that report are working. But certainly we do look at that over the summer and we do make decisions based on what we've learned from that data. I also want to point out that this report provides information from 3 different departments.
026It provides information from my department, Student Services, from Learning Services, and from Safety and Security. So if at the end if you have questions, it may not be me answering those questions but we will make sure one of the other representatives comes up from those departments. From my department, this report contains information, and you've probably seen it, on our comprehensive counseling program, which includes 3 things, 3 areas. It includes our school counselors, it includes information about RBHS, which is obviously in every one of our schools, and it provides information on Care Solace. Which is our online program that we use as a resource for not only our students, our faculty members, but also for community members. And so that has been a valuable partnership for us. There's information in the report on our risk assessment
027protocol, which that helps us evaluate the student's mental health at the time of an incident or at the time of a crisis, which helps us evaluate him and know how to proceed from there. That is a tool that was developed internally with, um, with the help of several experts in the area. So that has been very valuable to us. There's information there about our bullying plan and our intervention plan and our student mentoring program, and that is a partnership with Coastal Carolina University. It's a strong partnership, and we value that partnership. Mr. Jones and I actually got the, uh, report, which is what you about 100 pages just this past week to review so that we can look at that and see how many students were affected. So we're excited about that. From the area
028of learning services, there's information on both our work-based learning coaches and our graduation coaches, on the therapeutic learning center, which we all refer to as TLC, and then our AVID program, which we have in some of our high schools and middle schools. Schools, and AVID does stand for Advancement Via Individual Determination. And then the last department I mentioned is the Office of Safety and Security, and there's information in this report about our school resource officers and our school security officers in addition to the other things that we have implemented this year. So I hope, like I said, I hope you've had an opportunity to review all of this information, and if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them. I have one, Mr. Chairman. Certainly, Miss Edmonds. Thank you so much. Um,
029we do so many— one, we have so many programs that are wonderful and very helpful, and we need them, right? They're very much needed and they're utilized. Um, one of the things that I've heard you say in the past is the home-based learning opportunity for parents, and I did note that the deadline is coming quickly up So are we approaching or putting out through social media or things the opportunities for students that perhaps need those services? And because we've mentioned that before of getting it broadcasted more widely so that more parents know that that's available. And Mr. James, you can come and help answer that if you want to. But with— we do have several programs that we are implementing that they would not be in this report. Support, obviously, because they're new programs. We
030actually piloted one of them this past spring at two of our high schools, but that would be an opportunity for like a flex schedule. And like I said, that hasn't been published yet because it's not time yet. It's not there yet, but I'm ahead of it. I'm sorry. No, it's okay. You're ahead of the game, and that, that is awesome. So we are looking at several programs like that that we can offer flexibility to our parents. Okay, perfect. Thank you so much. And you will hear about them soon. Wonderful. Mr. Edwards, just one quick question. Have all the employees been issued a badge, the strategic badge, and been trained as, as of now? I'm gonna let Mr. Frederick answer. Yes, sir, they've all been issued and there have been several waves of training. We'll have
031continued training over the summer, but the initial training was done months and months ago. We had some refresher training that went with the physical badges, and then we'll have some more drill-oriented training throughout the summer for the admin staffs. And then of course we'll be hopefully fully live when we come back to school beginning next year. Yes, sir. Thank you. Thank you. Any more questions? Thank you, Velma. Thank you, Mr. Lee James. Good evening, Chairman Cox, Vice Chair Wellens, board members, and Mr. Jones. Included in your agenda packet for this evening's meeting was a copy of the R6 6th grade metrics, personal success and citizenship monitoring report. This report again is different from previous reports in that it highlights many of the programs and activities that we offer students in this area rather than relying
032on multiple sources of student achievement data. For this presentation, I've selected one activity from each level to share with you. It is important to note that many of the activities that I will discuss span across multiple grade levels, even though I'm highlighting them for a specific grade level. This presentation will then conclude with a discussion of student results on the civics exam and highlights from other citizenship activities across our district. We'll begin our presentation of the R6 monitoring report with a focus on an activity that is held in each of our elementary schools, Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is a week-long celebration focused on responsible decision-making and drug awareness and prevention. Throughout the week, students celebrate being drug-free through a variety of engaging activities including games, dress-up days, and other events that reinforce the
033importance of making responsible choices. At the elementary level, October is a very special month. It is a month when we recognize Stomp Out Bullying and the Great Kindness Challenge. Through Spirit Weeks, friendship challenges, team-building activities, and community service projects, students are encouraged to be upstanders, rather than bystanders. They— these events foster a culture of compassion and bullying prevention while teaching students the importance of kindness and good citizenship for their school and community. And at the high school level, we have numerous student organizations that focus on developing strong citizens and community leaders. Service learning through extracurricular organizations provides students the valuable opportunity to develop leadership, teamwork, and civic responsibility. Through community service projects and organizational involvement, students apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world situations while making a positive impact on their school
034and community. These experiences help students discover their strengths and become engaged and responsible citizens. All across the district, at every grade level, in every classroom, Students recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day. This reaffirms their commitment to our nation and their dedication to being good citizens. This practice extends beyond the classroom into community events. It is commonplace and expected to see students and community members reciting the pledge or honoring the national anthem at athletic events, school ceremonies, community parades, and student performances. By honoring both patriotism and individual liberty, we model the democratic values we want our students to learn and practice. As a part of the United States Government course, which is required for graduation, students complete a civics exam that is modeled after the U.S. naturalization test. The purpose of this assessment is to
035provide— is to strengthen civic knowledge and deepen students' understanding in our nation's history and our government. We believe that civic literacy is essential and preparing students to be responsible citizenship— citizens. And across Horry County, approximately 97% of our students passed the civics exam during this current school year. It's a great accomplishment by our students. Would like to point out that that involves all groups of students, all groups of diploma-seeking students, not simply those who are in our general education classes. Additionally, I'd like to highlight two of our citizenship activities that our school participated in this evening, and they are the Mock Trial and National History Day program. Last year, 7 middle and high school students participated in the Mock Trial program. During these competitions, students take on the role of attorneys, witnesses, judges, and jurors
036in a simulation of a real courtroom trial. This program provides students with the opportunity to learn about the judicial system, legal procedures, and constitutional rights while developing critical thinking, public speaking, and argumentative skills. Of the 7 schools that participated this year, 3 earned the opportunity to compete at the state level. And our final slide, National History Day. Through the National History Day program, middle and high school students engage in a year-long, very rigorous research progress— project focused on a historical topic and produce a product in one of 5 categories. Exhibits, documentaries, performances, papers, or websites. National History Day fosters historical thinking, research literacy, and analytical skills. This year, more than 225 projects were submitted, with 63 of them qualifying for the state-level competition, and based on the performance in that competition, 23 of those projects
037advanced to the national competition, which will be held next week at the University of Maryland. We wish these students the best of luck as they compete for the opportunity to have their work recognized and potentially displayed at the Smithsonian Institution and other museums in our nation's capital. And that concludes my presentation of the R6 Monitoring Report. At this time, I'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have. Any questions? Hearing none, thank you, Lee. Miss Anderson? Good evening, Chairman Cox, Vice Chair Wellens, board members, Mr. Jones. It's the time of year when we change a little bit of our daily operations, so I submit to you the request to grant authority to the superintendent to approve employment contracts for professional employees through the summer months beginning tomorrow, June 9th, through August 11th. If
038you have any questions, I'll be happy to entertain those at this time. Questions? Hearing none, thank you, Mary. Newell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. At our last meeting, the Facilities Committee, during the report, we shared that there had been a request approved by the Green Sea Floyd Improvement Council as well as the Advisory Committee that we name the tennis courts at Green Sea-Florence High School in honor of Miss Sandra Sonny Lovett Shelley. Miss Sonny was a graduate of Florence High School, and then she came to work as a teacher at Green Sea-Florence High School and later became the first original professional coach that Green Sea-Florence had, leading them to a state championship. Miss Sonny was, first of all, an outstanding and caring individual. She was a quality educator and she was also a teaching coach. She
039was certainly a vital part of the Greenesee-Florence community and as a result of that, they have requested that we name the tennis courts at Greenesee-Florence High School in her honor. This is both a business and a discussion, so we're doing the discussion now and we'll vote on it later. Tonight. And thank you, Neil. Any questions? I wouldn't think so. Ben Prince. Good evening, Chair McCox, Vice Chair Wellens, board members, and Mr. Jones. At our May 18th Facilities Committee meeting, staff requested a transfer of funds to begin our fine arts audit. This cross-divisional effort will be led by members of our operations team working in conjunction with team members from our academics division. The facilities committee approved our request, and our next step is to come tonight to the— bring this to the full board for
040your consideration of approval. Specifically, we ask our board members for approval to transfer $300,000 of residual funds from closed-out capital improvement projects to a new account for funding this initial phase of the project. Our team has worked with Mr. Gardner to help identify our funding source, and we ask for our board's consideration for approval this evening. As a reminder, our fine arts programs include visual arts, theater, orchestra, chorus, dance, band, and piano. I'll be happy to take any questions at this time. Miss Graham. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can you give me a little enlightenment on exactly how this audit will look? Yes, ma'am. We're in the early phases. Obviously, we don't want the cart before the horse. We want board support and approval, but our plan is to take a comprehensive look from a facilities
041perspective at how we can further strengthen our overall fine arts programs districtwide. Okay, so we're looking at buildings and how those— our buildings can house these programs. Yes, ma'am. And or if they don't, how we can embellish that. Yes, ma'am. And the study is $300,000? Yes, ma'am. That's our anticipated cost to initiate the beginning phases of the audit. And this should take how long? Well, we're working through those specifics. We didn't want to start until we were— everyone was on board tonight, but we'll work through that, and I will keep you updated through that, through our Facilities Committee and through our board meetings of how progress is going. Okay, so we may be seeing additional requests for funds if we have to do some facilities updates? There could be things that come out of it
042based on the information from the audit, but again, that will be very transparent and we'll bring that to you all well in advance of any of those types of decisions. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. Good question. Thank you. Mr. Hudson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Prince, good evening. Refresh my memory. I'm trying to draw some parallels between between what this study might look like and the study we had done for athletic facilities. If I remember correctly, athletics came back to us with something like, was it $200 million in improvements that needed to be made over a period of time? I don't quite remember the number. And that's where in our capital improvement plan we have $25 million million allocated at $5 million a year for our 5-year capital improvement plan for athletic facilities. When we had
043that study done, and if I remember, there was a consulting firm that came in that did that study. Approximately how much was that study? That study was approximately $200,000, $250,000, I think was the approximate number, which was the most recent information we had to pull this from. So that's where we anticipated some assumptions of what that was going to be. We drew some comparisons so we could bring you what we felt like was a reasonable number. Okay, that's what I wanted to get to, is was— did, did this number come based upon your reference back to the athletics facilities audit that you did? Thank you very much. Yes, ma'am. Debbie, thank you. Uh, really quick, it's an outside firm that is being hired to be brought in? Yes, ma'am, that's what we are proposing. That's
044our plan. Any more questions? Hearing none, thank you, Ben. Yes, sir, thank you. I'll turn the mic over to the superintendent for a— Thank you, Chairman Cox, Vice Chair Wellens, board members. Tonight I'm bringing forward to the board and the community awareness of the Horry County Multi-Jurisdictional All-Hazards Mitigation Plan. Uh, this— we talk about, uh, business now and then we'll have a vote later on. Uh, this resolution would reflect our commitment to proactive planning, hazard mitigation, and strong collaboration with our local, county, and regional partners. By signing on to this plan, Horry County Schools joins other governmental organizations recognizing our shared responsibility to prepare for emergencies, reduce risks, and strengthen our community's resilience. Simply put, this resolution will allow us to sign on with the county to be covered by FEMA resources in the case
045of an emergency. Any Any questions? Hearing none. If you would continue, sir. Certainly. Well, board members, um, I want to start tonight with congratulating our graduates. You all blessed our graduates with your presence, but sometimes we didn't actually see all the things that they had achieved based on the ceremony that we were at. So let me just, do our graduates by the numbers for a second. Um, we had 3,351 students earn an Horry County Schools diploma. This includes 28 students earning a certificate of attendance and 55 students earning an occupational credential demonstrating multiple pathways that we have in Horry County. Graduates reported— let me just repeat that— graduates reported, uh, $98 million worth of scholarships reflecting both academic excellence, expanded post-secondary opportunities, as well as arts and athletics. 196 students earned the prestigious South Carolina
046Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, one of the state's highest academic honors. 1,668 graduates qualified for the South Carolina LIFE Scholarship, and 477 graduates qualified for the South Carolina HOPE Scholarship. In total, 2,341 graduates qualified for a state scholarship. That's a remarkable job by those students. 66 graduates committed to military service through enlistment, choosing to serve our nation and our community. 66. 2 graduates received appointments to the United States Military Academy, and 4 were accepted to various other military colleges. Through our partnership with Ori Georgetown Technical College, 52 students crossed the stage with an associate's degree and a high school diploma all at once. These accomplishments are the result of years of hard work by students, families, teachers, support staff, school leaders, community partners, and this Board of Education. Every diploma represents a story, a story of perseverance,
047of growth, of achievement. Kudos to the board for establishing the expectations and vision and conditions to help make these accomplishments possible. While we continue to await for the state academic results, so I can't give you all the SCReady scores yet. John Washburn would not be happy with me. All available indicators suggest that our students achieved and demonstrated greater academic growth during the '25-'26 school year than in recent years. This progress reflects the impact —of our focus on literacy, of our focus on strong instructional environments for all kids and meaningful interventions, but more importantly, this board's belief that every student can achieve at high levels. Congratulations to our Class of 2026. Please play the video now. With that, I'd just like to recognize two of our staff members who also had graduates in their households. Mr.
048Lee James, Mr. Mike Frederick, congratulations to your daughters. Next, um, this is an important topic for me. This is one that, um, is personal, uh, but also really part of, of how I view the future of education, not the past, and that's screen time. So board and community members, I'm pleased tonight to bring forward the first step to reclaiming a sense of balance regarding the use of technology. As part of the development of HCS' focused learning framework, the district convened a screen time task force to examine how technology is being used in our schools and to develop recommendations that support both academic achievement and student well-being at the same time. Task force included multiple Teachers of the Year, principals, district leaders, and instructional staff representing elementary, middle, and high school levels Their work focused on
049reviewing research, gathering stakeholder feedback, and identifying practical strategies to ensure technology remains a tool for learning rather than a distraction from it. The result is a more balanced approach that emphasizes purposeful technology use, meaningful instructional tasks, and increased opportunities for hands-on learning. Also, We want to increase collaboration, reading, writing, discussion, and also physical movement as well. So beginning in the 2026-27 school year, Horry County Schools will provide educators with resources to monitor screen time, implement blended learning strategies, and incorporate more device-free instructional experiences throughout the school day. The framework also includes the exploration of designated protected learning times and technology-free learning opportunities that promote student engagement and face-to-face— not device— face-to-face interactions. This work reflects our commitment to creating learning environments that are intentional, balanced, and focused on what matters most: student learning, student wellness,
050and preparing our students for success in school and in life. More information can be found on our website. And before I conclude this topic, being a former teacher, board members, I have given you all summer reading. Uh, it is in front of you. So I would like to provide each board member with a copy of the book Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt as a summer reading tool. This book will be read and discussed by our executive leadership team during the upcoming coming school year, it has profoundly influenced my own understanding of the impact of technology, the impact of smartphones, the impact of social media, uh, on our kids and their well-being. While reasonable people may differ on specific solutions, the research and perspectives presented in this book have helped shape many of the conversations that
051led to the development of of this framework, and I believe it provides a valuable context as we continue this important work on behalf of our students and our families. We don't have to wait to do what's right for kids. We don't have to wait for Columbia. We don't have to wait for others. We can do what's right for kids, and this is a step in that direction. Board members, at this time I'd like to call Lisa Borsier to cover a few more important recognitions. Recognitions. Good evening, Chairman Cox and Vice Chair Wellens, board members and Superintendent Jones. Tonight we have several recognitions to highlight. First, we would like to congratulate Caitlin Black and Alistair Wrigglesworth of Laurest High, Nicholas Nook of St. James High, and Anthony, Giorlando, Robert Hucks, and Alexander Nikolov of Scholars Academy
052High. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has awarded these students National Merit Scholarships in recognition of their superior academic achievements. There are 3 types of National Merit Scholarships that are offered. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit Scholarships, which is awarded on a state representational basis. The National Merit winners of 2026 will be announced in 4 nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. Next, the South Carolina National History Day results are in, and HCS is once again well represented on the list of winners. A total of 30 projects submitted by 56 students from 9 schools have ranked in the top 3 in their categories. First and second place winners will move on to the national competition at the University of Maryland in June. Third place winners will serve as alternates
053should first or second place winners are not able to attend, and we do have a full list of these winners available on our website to view. We would also like to congratulate Zoe Gustine, a senior at Socastee High School. She has been named the 2026 overall state winner for the South Carolina Art Education Association's Youth Art Month high school level art contest., and that's for her colored pencil drawing of a horse. Zoe grew up on the farms of Tennessee and in Boone, North Carolina, one of my favorite places, and she loves creating artwork on animals and farm life that has impacted her life. And lastly, the HCS communications team is proud of the work that we do, but we are also very proud of the work of our school-level communication— communicators as well. At the
054South Carolina chapter of the National School Public Relations Association Annual Awards of Excellence ceremony. Uh, our team received 3 awards for video content we produced. And meanwhile, Ten Oaks Middle School won an award for their video content, and Myrtle Beach High School won for their newsletter. And finally, Conway Elementary won in the branding image package category. And that concludes tonight's recognitions. Thank you. Thank you, Jones. Appreciate that. Thank you, Lisa. So now I need a motion to go into executive session, I believe. Mr. Chairman, I'd make a motion that we go into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel matters, potential sale of property, and litigation updates. Second. Second. In favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed, like sign. We are adjourned. Okay, we need to adjourn the board work session and convene a special called
055meeting, and I need a motion. Motion. Motion. Second. Mr. Chairman? Yes, ma'am. Uh, should be noted that no, uh, decisions were made and no votes were cast during executive session. That's right. Any second? All in favor say aye. Aye. Those like sign. We're now into business. Mr. Jones. Yep. Chairman Cox and board members, I'd like to recommend, make a personnel recommendation for Ms. April Scott for the Deputy Chief Officer of Academics, uh, effective July 1st, 2026. Motion to approve. Second. Okay. We have a discussion. No discussion. Vote. All right, congratulations, Miss April. That looks pretty unanimous to me. Mr. Birch, step up. Hurry. He's a little freaky. Jeez. Are you sure? I'm more than sure. I can't even tell you how sure I am. Good evening, Mr. Cox, Mr. Chairman, Miss Wellens, Vice Chairman, members
056of the board, Mr. Jones. Glad to be here tonight. So pursuant to South Carolina Code of Laws Section 59-40-170, Horry County Schools declared the Old Conway Education Center Center on Sherwood Drive in Conway as a surplus property. As required by the state statute, we notified all charter schools in Maury County alerting them of the opportunity for required first right of refusal to purchase the property if it is surplused by the board. We have received a contract from the Academy of Hope Charter School to purchase the property at the appraised market value of $1,650,000. Uh, we bring this proposed sale to you tonight, uh, for your consideration. Move to approve, Mr. Chairman. Second. Okay, please vote. Yes. Looks good to me. Very good. Thank you very much, Mr. Gardner. Wait, wait, wait. What? What? There you
057go. I need your heart. I have a senior moment. John, only have one per night. Good evening, Chairman Cox, Vice Chair Wellens, board members, Mr. Jones. And thank you, Mr. Gardner. Tonight the board is asked to take the final action on the Horry County Schools budget for the '26-'27 school year. Since our last meeting, the South Carolina Senate Education Finance Committee completed is getting close to complete its work on the state aid classroom, uh, provision. As a result, Horry County Schools is projected to receive approximately $1 million in additional state funding beyond what was anticipated when the proposed budget was first developed. Through this budget process, our focus has remained clear: investing in people and programs that have the greatest impact on students while maintaining our commitment to fiscal responsibility. After reviewing the updated revenue
058projections, I'm recommending that the additional funding be directed toward two priorities. First, I recommend increasing the proposed support staff compensation adjustment by an additional 25 cents per hour. This would bring the total increase for support staff, uh, to 50 cents per hour with beginning pay of $16.75. This recommendation reflects our appreciation for their service and our commitment to remaining competitive and attractive and retaining highly qualified employees. Second, I recommend allocating an additional $5,500 to every middle school and high school performing arts program across the district. Our performing arts programs provide students with opportunities to develop creativity, discipline, teamwork, and confidence. And these programs enrich the educational experience for thousands of students. And are a source of tremendous pride for our schools and our communities. Together, these recommendations allow us to make meaningful investments in both
059our employees and our students while utilizing this unexpected revenue in a thoughtful and sustainable manner. I'd also like to thank the board, our finance committee, Mr. Gardner and the finance department, district leadership, and all stakeholders who contributed to this year's budget development process. The budget before you reflects our shared commitment to providing exceptional educational opportunities, supporting our employees, and ensuring that every decision we make is centered on what is best for students. At this point, I respectfully recommend the 2026-27 Horry County Schools budget as presented. Mr. Mr. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Chairman, move to approve. Move to approve. Okay, perfect. Let's vote. Mr. Chairman? Yes. Have discussion? No discussion. I don't want a discussion. But if you want to say something, I do want to say something. Say how you please. I think last time I
060had mentioned that I had concerns over our support staff salaries and the commitment we made and the superintendent made. I was looking back at those articles that came out in February, and I think we got their hopes up a lot. And as we have moved forward through this, this, we have seen that over the last 5 years they have received the lowest amount of percentage of raises and they have our lowest salaries. So I would like to see us get a little closer to that $18 that you promised them for next year. So I move an amendment to the superintendent's comprehensive budget that we add 75 cents per hour plus COLA and step to all support staff salaries. We need a second. We need a second. I hear no second. It dies for lack of
061support. Thank you. All right. Now, back to the original motion. We need— we've had a motion and a second on that. We need to vote. We need discussion again. Okay. This is the first thing. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know we're all anxious to proceed. I would just like to remind everybody that our The State General Assembly has still not approved their budget. So the budget we're approving tonight may very well require an amendment if the funding that has been projected is changed in any way. Right now, the House and the Senate have each presented versions of their budgets, and both of those budgets have been debated at items in the statehouse, and they are now currently in conference committee. So let's just all be aware, we are projected tonight, and I would support this
062budget as it's been presented by the superintendent, but we need to be aware that if there are any significant changes or impactful changes by the statehouse, that we may very well be back here making amendments to our budget. So let's just just bear in mind that it's not quite a, a done deal yet. So just so everyone's aware. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Dustin. Any more conversation, discussion? Okay, I think we've had a motion, and I remember we had a second, so I guess it's time to vote. What do you think, Melanie? Yes. All right, let's vote. All right, you want to vote? Oh, you voted against it. That makes sense, this is your first night, good for you. Okay, Mr. Gardner. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, our last meeting we presented, um, the annual
063request to authorize expenditures from revenues collected from the education capital improvement sales and use tax, and we're recommending the board approve the resolution not to exceed $90 million from sales tax for the direct payment of cost of approved projects, including classroom and instructional technology, the short-term facilities plan, the 2021-24 facilities plan, and the 2024-29 capital improvement plan. Mr. Chairman, I move to approve. Second. Any discussion? Well, that's it. Thanks, John. Miss Anderson, just to reiterate, the request has been submitted for the superintendent to approve professional employment contracts through the summer months. So moved. Second. Any discussion? Hearing none, please vote. Whoops, okay. Oh, I'm sorry. Mr. Prince. Good evening again, Chairman Cox, Vice Chair Wellens, board members, Mr. Jones. Earlier tonight, staff brought the request forward for the transfer of $300,000 from residual funds from
064closed out capital projects to initiate our fine arts audit. We appreciate your consideration for approval. Okay, motion. Motion to approve. Second. Okay, discussion. Please vote. Thank you, Ben. Thank you, Neil. James. Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the Green Sea Florence community, the School Improvement Council, and the Green Sea Florence Advisory Committee, I move that we rename the tennis courts at Green Sea Florence High The Sonny Shelley Tennis Courts. Second. Okay, discussion, hearing none, let's vote. Mr. Jones. Mr. Chairman, board members, I recommend that Horry County Schools sign on to the Horry County Multi-Jurisdictional All-Hazards Mitigation Plan so we can seamlessly respond and remediate for major emergencies in the region if needed. So moved. Do approve? Second. Okay, second. All in favor? Thank you. Now we need a consent. We need a motion needed for the
065consent. Aye. Excuse me, hold up. Foundation nominations. I got a nominee. Anybody got anybody? I got one. Great. I move to nominate Miss Karen Huggins for District 9. Second. Okay, discussion? Did we vote by— do we use the machine or we vote by hand? Just use a machine. Okay, that's fine. It's here, we're here. Thank you. Anyone else? No? Okay, so now may we be consented? Motion to approve consent agenda. In favor? Second. All right. Let's just use this thing again. All right, my gosh. Now we need an adjournment. So move. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Mr. Chairman, please remind everybody to do our survey. Okay, don't forget your survey.