[00:09:40]
>> THE CLOCK STRIKES 6:00. I'M PECULIAR THAT WAY. IT'S 5:59.
[00:09:51]
>> YOU'RE RIGHT. IT'S ABOUT SIX O'CLOCK.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE JANUARY 17, 2023 SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF AIKEN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ORDER.
[00:10:01]
AS IS OUR CUSTOM, WE START EVERY MEETING WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND THEN FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.PLEASE JOIN ME IN THAT MOMENT OF SILENCE.
TONIGHT WE ONLY HAVE A FEW AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
THIS IS REALLY MORE LIKE A, WE'VE GOT A BUDGET WORKSHOP.
THEN ALSO WE HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP TOPIC GOING OVER THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND POPULATION STUDY AND GOING OVER THE TIMELINE THAT IS PROPOSED TO COME TO A DECISION SPECIFICALLY TO ONE OF OUR NEW SCHOOLS.
THE AGENDA WAS CIRCULATED AHEAD OF TIME AND NONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS SUGGESTED ANY CHANGES.
WE WERE MADE AWARE THAT THE EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT IS ON THE AGENDA IS NOT NEEDED, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO AMEND THE AGENDA FOR THAT, WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO DO IT.
THE FIRST-ORDER IS THAT WE HAVE A BUDGET WORKSHOP.
WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS LAST TIME.
BEFORE THE DISTRICT GOT INTO THE BIG TASK OF PREPARING A DRAFT BUDGET, I JUST WANTED THE BOARD TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS WHAT THEIR IDEAS WERE FOR BUDGET PRIORITIES.
I'M SURE IN A LOT OF WAYS IT MAY BE THE SIMILAR TO THE BUDGET PRIORITIES THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS.
IN A MINUTE, MR. TREXLER IS GOING TO GO THROUGH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION AS A PREFACE.
THEN THE REST OF IT IS REALLY JUST A DISCUSSION BETWEEN US.
WE'RE GOING TO THROW OUT IDEAS.
WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY'S HAD A CHANCE TO PRESENT THEIR IDEAS, THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH A TYPE OF MULTI VOTING TECHNIQUE TO PUT SOME CONSENSUS OR PRIORITY TO IT.
BECAUSE I THINK WE OWE THE ADMINISTRATION THAT TO GET A SENSE OF NOT JUST A LIST OF IDEAS, BUT WHAT THE PRIORITY ONES ARE.
NOW, NONE OF THAT IS BINDING. THIS IS NOT A VOTE.
WE'RE NOT VOTING ON THE BUDGET, BUT I THINK IT'S GOOD TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PROVIDE INPUT EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS.
MR. TREXLER, YOU WANT TO COME FORWARD AND GO OVER A FEW SLIDES?
>> GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIR, MR. LAWRENCE, BOARD MEMBERS.
AS MR. NUESSLE MENTIONED, I WANTED TO PROVIDE JUST A FEW SLIDES, JUST BE VERY BRIEF, BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD BACKGROUND INFO AND ALSO LOOKING FORWARD.
I FIRST WANTED TO HIT ON A 22/23 RE-CAP AS A REMINDER FOR BOARD MEMBERS WHO WERE HERE RECAP FOR OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER.
ONE SIGNIFICANT ITEM THAT WE DEALT WITH LAST YEAR WAS A NEW STATE FUNDING FORMULA.
IT WAS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.
THERE WERE SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE HOUSE VERSION, IN THE STATE SENATE VERSION, AND ULTIMATELY THE HOUSE VERSION IS WHAT PASSED.
ONE KEY HERE TO REMEMBER IS THAT OUR FUNDING FROM THIS IS GOING TO BE BASED ON A PROPORTIONATE SHARE OF WEIGHTED PUPIL UNITS.
IN THE PAST, IF OUR ENROLLMENT WENT UP, WE CAN ALMOST ALWAYS COUNT ON REVENUE GOING UP.
IF OUR WEIGHTED PUPIL UNITS DON'T INCREASE AS FAST AS THE STATE AVERAGE, THEN WE MAY LOSE FUNDING.
WE ACTUALLY COINCIDENTALLY RECEIVED AN UPDATE FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT TODAY THAT SAID THAT AIKEN'S FUNDING, EVEN THOUGH OUR ENROLLMENT WENT UP AT THE 45TH DAY, WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING ABOUT 57,000 LESS.
LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS HAD LOST FUNDING, WE WERE ACTUALLY 57,000 OF A DECREASE.
ISN'T TOO MUCH TO COMPLAIN ABOUT.
THERE WERE SOME MORE SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS, BUT THAT WAS ONE BIG THING THAT PASSED THAT WE HAD TO KEEP AN EYE ON AT THE STATE LEVEL.
[00:15:02]
AS FAR AS THIS BOARD, THE BOARD APPROVED PAY INCREASES, THERE WERE PAY INCREASES ACROSS ALL SCALES.A 3.25 PERCENT COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR NON TEACHERS.
TEACHERS GOT THAT 3.25 PERCENT COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT BUT WITH AN EARLY JULY BUDGET AMENDMENT, THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL 750 THAT WAS ADDED TO THE TEACHER SCALE.
BUS DRIVERS BASED ON REQUIREMENTS BY THE STATE RECEIVED A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT THAT AVERAGED ABOUT 4.65 PERCENT.
THERE WAS A STEP INCREASE FOR ALL ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES.
THE BOARD ADDED A STEP AT THE TOP OF EVERY PAY SCALE.
WE HAD SOME EMPLOYEES, WE HAD ALMOST 200 TEACHERS THAT WERE TOPPED OUT.
THAT ADDITIONAL STEP ADDED TO EACH PAY SCALE ASSISTED THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
THE AMOUNT THAT WAS PAID FOR ATHLETIC SUPPLEMENTS, THAT PAY WAS INCREASED AS PART OF THE BUDGET.
FOLKS MAY RECALL THAT ORIGINALLY THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT PHASING IT IN OVER MULTIPLE YEARS, ULTIMATELY THAT FULL REQUEST WAS APPROVED.
THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF BANDS SUPPLEMENTS.
THEY WERE BASED, THOSE SUPPLEMENTS ON THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IN EACH SCHOOL'S BAND.
THE BOARD ALSO CREATED A NETWORK SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR POSITION.
THUS, IN OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT NEED THERE.
EVERY YEAR WE HAD TO DEAL WITH INCREASES IN STATE RETIREMENT AND STATE HEALTH AND WE HAD SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INCREASES THERE TO DEAL WITH.
EARLIER THIS YEAR AS A MIDYEAR CHANGE, WE HAD A $1,000 SIGN ON BONUS FOR BUS DRIVERS THAT WAS SET TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
THE BOARD APPROVED EXTENDING THAT THROUGH THEN TO THIS SCHOOL YEARS, WE CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH A BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE.
IN SEPTEMBER, THE BOARD ALSO INCREASE BUS DRIVER PAY BY ONE DOLLAR PER HOUR.
RETRO TO THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
IN DECEMBER, THE BOARD APPROVED AN ADDITIONAL ONE DOLLAR PER HOUR FOR A VARIETY OF SPECIAL ED HOURLY POSITIONS, BUS DRIVERS, MONITORS, AIDS, AND A HANDFUL OF OTHER HOURLY POSITIONS.
THERE WAS A MID-YEAR CHRISTMAS BONUS.
ALL OF THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT A TAX INQUIRIES.
WE DID UTILIZE SOME UNUSED EIA THIS STATE CARRYOVER MONIES THAT CARRIED OVER FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR TO HELP BALANCE THE BUDGET.
BUT IN ADDITION, A LOT OF THESE PREDOMINANTLY ALL OF THE MID-YEAR ITEMS THAT I'VE MENTIONED HERE ARE ALSO BEING COVERED BY VACANT TEACHER POSITIONS THAT HAD BEEN ON FIELD.
THOSE ARE DOLLARS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN INCURRED IN OUR BUDGET AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO COVER THE COST OF THOSE ITEMS THROUGH THAT.
FLEXES IMPORTANT FOR THE BOARD TO UNDERSTAND THE STATE TIMELINE.
ABOUT HALF OF OUR FUNDING IN ANY GIVEN YEAR COMES FROM THE STATE.
WE'RE RECEIVING WEEKLY UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
YOU SEE HERE THAT IN JANUARY THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION STARTS, THE GOVERNOR DISCUSSES HIS BUDGET.
IN FEBRUARY THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS VERSION OF THE BUDGETS TYPICALLY APPROVED AND PROVIDED TO SCHOOL BOARDS AND OTHER ENTITIES.
IN MARCH, THE FULL HOUSE APPROVES THIS VERSION OF THE BUDGET.
IN APRIL, THE SENATE FINANCE AND FULL SENATE, HE MADE THE SESSION ENDS.
BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE HOUSE VERSION AND THE SENATE VERSION OF THE BUDGET THAT HAS TO BE WORKED OUT.
IDEALLY INTO MAY THE BUDGET PROCESS AT THE STATE LEVEL IS GOING TO BE FINISHED THIS PAST YEAR.
IT PUSHED ALL THE WAY UNTIL THE END OF JUNE.
WE ACTUALLY HAD TO BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED.
OUR BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED IN EARLY JUNE LAST YEAR, AND THEN WE HAD TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD AT THE 1ST JULY MEETING, AND REQUESTS CONSIDERATION FOR BUDGET AMENDMENTS JUST BECAUSE THE STATE HADN'T FINALIZED THIS BUDGET.
WE HAD TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF THAT.
THEN WE BROUGHT SOME ADDITIONAL ITEMS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
[00:20:02]
THROUGHOUT THIS, THINGS ARE VERY FLUID.WHAT WE HEAR IN FEBRUARY MAY NOT BE WHAT WE HEAR IN APRIL, MAY NOT BE WHAT HAPPENS ULTIMATELY IN THE BUDGET.
NOW OUR BUDGET CALENDAR, OF COURSE, TONIGHT'S OUR FIRST BUDGET WORK STUDY.
WE HAVE ONE SCHEDULED IN APRIL.
WE HAVE THE FIRST READING OUT THE BUDGET SCHEDULED IN APRIL.
OUR BUDGET HAS TO BE ADVERTISED BY APRIL 24TH, BASICALLY TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE OF A BUDGET HEARING, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR SECOND AND FINAL READING.
OTHER BUDGETS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 23RD.
THE BOARD DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADD DATES AS NEEDED.
IF THERE WERE ADDITIONAL BUDGET WORK STUDIES THAT WERE NEEDED FOR VARIETY OF REASONS.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF HOLES AND DATES IN HERE.
WELL, SO HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUSH BACK THE SECOND AND FINAL READING THERE AS WE DID LAST YEAR.
BUT JUST TIMING WISE, IT IS DIFFICULT TO PUSH IT BACK BEYOND REALLY THAT FIRST JUNE MEETING, JUST BEING ABLE TO CLOSE OUT THE YEAR AND HAVE THINGS READY FOR THE NEW YEAR.
THAT JULY 5TH PAYCHECK FOR EMPLOYEES.
AS WE LOOK AT THE 23, 24 BUDGET.
THEY'RE ALWAYS ITEMS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT BEING MUST ITEM.
THANK BOARD MEMBERS, THEY'VE HEARD ME SAY THAT FOR YEARS, THESE ARE THE MUST DO ITEMS, STEP INQUIRIES FOR TEACHERS.
THE STATE IS GOING TO REQUIRE THAT.
PAY INCREASE OR AN INCREASE IN THE TEACHER SCALE.
IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A DOLLAR FIGURE PER SALE.
HISTORICALLY THAT HAD BEEN A PERCENTAGE ON THE TEACHER SCALE.
WE HAD LITTLE BIT OF FUNKINESS LAST YEAR THAT WE HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT WE HADN'T SEEN IN THE PAST, BUT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT THE STATE IS GOING TO REQUIRE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO REFLECT IN OUR BUDGET.
WELL, RECENTLY, THE STATE HAS MADE SOME CHANGES TO THE BUS DRIVER MINIMUM PAY SCALE, AND WE'VE BEEN REQUIRED TO REFLECT THAT IN OUR BUDGET THE LAST TWO YEARS, IT'S BEEN A HIGHER PERCENTAGE THAN SOME OTHER REQUIREMENTS WE ANTICIPATED A LOT OF FOCUS ON THAT THIS YEAR AS WELL AT THE STATE LEVEL.
WE ANTICIPATE A 1.0 PERCENTAGE POINT INCREASE IN STATE RETIREMENT.
WE EXPECT IT TO GO UP TO 24.81 PERCENT.
LET'S SAY THAT OUR SALARIES ARE 125 MILLION FOR INSTANCE.
EVEN IF THOSE DIDN'T CHANGE, IF OUR BUDGET DIDN'T INCREASE ANY.
JUST BASED ON THAT ONE PERCENT INQUIRIES WERE DEALING WITH ANOTHER 1.25 MILLION IN RETIREMENT COST IS SIGNIFICANT.
WELL, SO I HAVE AN INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'LL BE TYPICALLY AS PUBLISHED IN APRIL.
THIS PAST YEAR, THE STATE HEALTH FOR EMPLOYERS WENT UP 18 PERCENT, IN JANUARY 1, WE HAD TO BUILD THAT INTO THE BUDGET.
THE TRUE BUDGET IMPACT IS ABOUT HALF OF THAT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T GO INTO EFFECT JULY 1, IT GOES INTO EFFECT JANUARY 1.
I'M NOT GETTING DEEP INTO NUMBERS TONIGHT, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SITUATIONS I WANT TO MAKE THE BOARD AWARE OF AND TO SHARE NUMBERS IN THESE TWO.
HIGHLANDS SPRINGS ELEMENTARY, IT OPENS NEXT YEAR.
A LOT OF THE TEACHER STAFF HAS GONE FOLLOW THE STUDENTS FROM HOWEVER, WE PULL STUDENTS INTO THIS NEW SCHOOL.
BUT EVEN OUTSIDE OF THAT, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF POSITIONS REGARDLESS OF ENROLLMENT THAT ARE GOING TO BE NEW TO THIS SCHOOL.
THERE GOING TO BE SO MUCH STUDENT-DRIVEN.
IF YOU LOOK THIS BOTTOM LINE HERE WE'RE ESTIMATING A COST OF JUST OVER 1.1 MILLION FOR THE PRINCIPAL, FOR THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, FOR COUNSELORS AND SO ON.
THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND THERE.
THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE A VARIETY OF ONETIME CAUSE SOME OF THOSE WE MAY BE ABLE TO HANDLE WITHIN THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET BEFORE WE ROLL OVER TO NEXT YEAR THERE'S A LOT OF PLANNING THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S AS ONE NUMBER I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD, 1.1 MILLION APPROXIMATELY FOR HIGHLANDS SPRINGS.
[00:25:03]
THE OTHER ITEM THAT I WANTED TO SHARE IS LEGISLATION THAT PASSED LAST YEAR.IT GOES INTO EFFECT THIS YEAR, JULY 1, AND IT REQUIRES THAT KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE TEACHERS HAVE 30 MINUTES OF UNENCUMBERED TIME.
IF THERE ARE FULL-TIME TEACHER, THEY HAD TO GET 30 MINUTES, OF UNENCUMBERED, FREE TIME.
IN ADDITION, ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL ED TEACHERS.
WITH MORE THAN 20 PERCENT OF THE SCHOOL DAY WITH STUDENTS THAT ARE REMOVED FROM A GENERAL ED SETTING HAVE TO HAVE THE SAME 30-MINUTE UNENCUMBERED TIME SLOT.
LAST YEAR THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, WELL, IF FOLKS WORKED THROUGH THIS TIME, CAN WE COMPENSATE THEM IN LIEU OF, NO YOU CAN'T.
WE HAVE TO HAVE 30 MINUTES OF UNENCUMBERED TIME SO WE CAN'T PAY ANY EXTRA TO WORK AROUND THAT.
THE ADMINISTRATION'S BEEN LOOKING AT THIS, HOW DO WE ACCOMPLISH IT? REALLY IT'S LARGELY GOING TO BE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROBLEM OR THE MAJORITY OF IT'S GOING TO BE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ISSUE.
WE'VE ESTIMATED THE NEED FOR AN AVERAGE OF TWO AID LEVEL FTE PER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.
THE ESTIMATED COSTS, THERE'S 1.3 MILLION.
AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS FURTHER, THE THING THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED AS WE KNOW THAT THESE FOLKS WOULD HAVE SOME LUNCH DUTIES, THEY WOULD HAVE SOME RACIST DUTIES.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE THESE WEAPONS DETECTORS.
NOW SCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS DON'T HAVE SAFETY MONITORS LIKE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS, THEY ARE WALKING UP AND DOWN THE HALLWAYS AND ENSURE DOORS UNLOCK.
OTHER FOLKS ARE DOING THOSE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A DEDICATED SAFETY MONITORING.
OUR THOUGHT IS TO UTILIZE THESE POSITIONS IN A SAFETY MONITOR TYPE CAPACITY TO DICTATE SOME OF THOSE DUTIES THAT ARE BEING SHARED WITHIN THE CURRENT STAFF.
I ALSO WANTED TO TIE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND THE BOARD THAT ESSER FUNDING EXPIRES SEPTEMBER 30TH OF 24.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WON'T CONTINUE, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WILL CONTINUE.
IT WOULD BE WISE OF US TO BE MINDFUL OF SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE HAD TO BUILD INTO FUTURE BUDGETS.
AS WE'RE BUILDING THIS YEAR'S BUDGET TOO.
GENERAL FUNDS GOING TO BE THE MOST LIKELY SOURCE.
BUT JUST LAST WEEK, THE BOARD TOOK ONE STEP TO ADDRESSING THE EXTINCTION OF ESSER FUNDING BY DESIGNATING SEVEN MILLION IN FUND BALANCE FOR LAPTOPS.
WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT RATHER THAN WAIT A COUPLE OF YEARS DOWN THE ROAD TO COME UP WITH FUNDING, WE'VE DESIGNATED A PORTION OF UNBALANCE.
WE ANTICIPATE SHORTLY WHENEVER THE BOARD GOES THROUGH THEIR THOUGHTS, PUPIL TEACH RATIOS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE HOME THE LIST WE WANTED TO SHARE THIS JUST AS A REMINDER WHAT THE PUPIL-TEACHER RATIOS ARE, EACH OF THOSE GRADES.
YOU SAY THIS RANGING FROM 16 IN FIRST GRADE, 20 IN KINDERGARTEN THAT'S KEPT BY THEIR ASSERT AT PROGRAM BY THE STATE, 25 INTO KINDERGARTEN, 23 IN GRADES TWO THROUGH FIVE.
THEN FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, WE'LL USE 25 AT MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS.
SOME SCHOOLS USE TITLE 1, TITLE 2 ALLOCATIONS TO PULL THOSE CLASS SIZES DOWN FURTHER.
WITH THAT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THINK FOR DISCUSSION AS NEXT.
>> DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUICK QUESTIONS FOR MR. TREXLER? THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT MR. TREXLER.
ESPECIALLY, GIVES US AN IDEA OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE IT'S REQUIRED.
THE ONE THING I FORGOT TO SAY PREVIOUSLY IN A MINUTE, I'M GOING TO GO DOWN AND I'M GOING TO BE A SCRIBE AS WE GET IDEAS OUT THERE.
[00:30:07]
I'LL RECALL BACK TO LAST YEAR'S BUDGET CYCLE.I KNOW I PERSONALLY FELT LIKE WHEN WE SAW THE BUDGET FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT WAS A CONSERVATIVE BUDGET AND THERE WASN'T MONEY FOR ANYTHING EXTRA.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET YOUR IDEAS OUT THERE IN YOUR PRIORITIES.
IF NOTHING ELSE IS SOMETHING ASPIRATIONAL THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS IF WE STAY ALIGNED ON THOSE PRIORITIES.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THIS SO UPFRONT BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT THE BOARD TO WORRY ABOUT MONEY BECAUSE THIS IS JUST FROM WHAT YOU SEE, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU.
I WAS INFORMED THAT I'M PROBABLY AS I USE THAT EASEL PAD, IS PROBABLY GOING TO BLOCK ONE OF THE CAMERAS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LET ME KNOW IF I NEED TO MOVE, BUT LET ME GO DOWN THERE AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO START.
>> MR. SILAS ASKED ME ABOUT BORDER AND I SAID I'M JUST GOING TO GO LEFT TO RIGHT, DOWN TO IT AT LEAST ONE TIME.
YOU SEE WHERE IT GOES FROM THERE.
I GUARANTEE YOU I'M GOING TO BOX ON THE PAGE.
YOU ACTUALLY PUT IT ON THE WALL LINES.
>> IT'S ON JUST TO GET US STARTED.
I'VE ALREADY WROTE ONE THING DOWN LIKE THIS.
THIS IS NOT MY NUMBER 1 CHOICE OR ANYTHING.
AS AN EXAMPLE, AND I KNOW THE FOLKS ARE THERE CAN'T SEE WHAT I WROTE.
BUT ONE THING I THOUGHT WE SHOULD CONSIDER IF THERE WERE FUNDS AVAILABLE IS IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION AID IN EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
JUST BRIEFLY, I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
ISS AS A CONSEQUENCE AND THE CODE OF CONDUCT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE DON'T FUND IT FROM A DISTRICT LEVEL TO HAVE A SPECIFIC RESOURCE FOR IT.
NOW THAT WE'VE GOT ABOUT 20 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND MAYBE ABOUT EIGHT OF THEM FUNDED WITH LOCAL FUNDING AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL. THAT'S THEIR CHOICE.
I WOULD SAY, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT HAS ONE PRINCIPAL, ONE API, AND THAT NEVER GETS BIGGER.
BASED ON HOW BIG THE SCHOOL IS.
SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A BEHAVIOR RESOURCE LIKE ISS IF IT'S DONE INCORRECTLY FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS.
WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO CONSIDER THAT LATER FROM A PRODUCT STANDPOINT, WHICH IS HOW YOU WANT TO START US OFF AND YOU THINK YOU'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT YOU WANT TO PUT ON THE LIST?
>> YEAH. I WILL AND LIGHTLY, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE PROMPTLY WENT UP QUITE A BIT OF OVERLAP BECAUSE SOME OF OUR IDEAS COME FROM SIMILAR CONVERSATIONS WITH TEACHERS OR PRINCIPALS AND LIKELY THE DISTRICT MAY EVEN THIS MAY BE, BUT THIS IS A GOOD WAY, AND I'M GLAD WE'RE GETTING IT ON THE TABLE FROM A BOARD PERSPECTIVE.
THE FIRST ONE I HAVE ON THE LIST, I LIKE BECAUSE IT DIRECTLY IMPACTS STUDENTS AND IT ADDRESSES A NEED.
THAT IS A MATH INTERVENTION SUPPORT, PARTICULARLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
THIS IS ONE WHERE THERE'S PROBABLY SOME OVERLAP AMONG US.
BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB WITH READING COACHES AND ADDRESSING STUDENTS THAT HAVE DEFICIENCIES THERE.
BUT MATH IS AN AREA WHERE IS MY UNDERSTANDING WE DON'T GIVE AS MUCH ATTENTION TO AND THIS WAS NOT LET ME MAKE IT CLEAR BECAUSE MR. LAWRENCE KNOWS MY POSITION ON CONTENT INTERVENTIONISTS.
THIS IS NOT CONTENT INTERVENTIONIST STUFF.
THIS IS DIRECT ONE-ON-ONE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT TO ADDRESS THOSE STUDENTS THAT HAVE SOME MATH DEFICIENCIES.
THAT HELPS THEM HOPEFULLY OVERCOME A LEARNING GAP AND ULTIMATELY TEST SCORES.
BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, ADDRESSES STUDENT LEARNING.
>> MR. SILAS, FORGIVE ME, WOULD THAT BE REQUIRED IN EVERY SCHOOL OR ELEMENTARY?
>> ELEMENTARY, I'M ONLY FOCUSING ON IT BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY NEEDED IN MIDDLE AND HIGH.
[00:35:01]
SOME PARTICULARLY HIGH SCHOOL THERE ARE OTHER PLACES THAT MAYBE THEY GET THAT, BUT THAT'S WHY I'M FOCUSING ON THE EARLY LEARNING NEEDS.>> THAT'S NUMBER 1 ON MY LIST.
>> I APPRECIATE YOUR PAUSE THERE.
DOES IT MAKE SENSE JUST TO LET'S GO ONE-BY-ONE?
>> I THINK SO AND IT'S COMFORTABLE.
>> WHAT'S ONE THING ON YOUR LIST?
>> ODDLY ENOUGH, MY NUMBER 1 AND NUMBER 2 ARE ALREADY UP THERE, [LAUGHTER] BUT THAT'S GOOD.
BUT I'LL START WITH MY NUMBER 3, WHICH WILL NOW BE, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF AT ALL POSSIBLE THAT WE UPGRADE THE INTERNET IN SOME WAY, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE HAVING ABOUT TWO OUTAGES A WEEK AT MOST SCHOOLS.
THAT'S PRETTY IMPACTFUL THE MORE WE ADD TO, INTERNET-BASED LEARNING.
>> I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER, AS WE ALWAYS DO, A PAY INCREASE FOR CAFETERIA STAFF, JANITORIAL STAFF, MAINTENANCE.
>> WHAT IS THE SAME TERM FOR THAT?
>> MR. SMITH, WHAT'S ONE IDEA YOU MIGHT PUT UP HERE? [NOISE]
>> I REALLY LIKE ONE AND TWO, BECAUSE YOU GO INTO OUR SCHOOLS AND YOU SEE KIDS SITTING IN DESKS ALL AROUND THE OFFICES AND SO FORTH, SO ON, UNLESS THERE IS SCHOOL SUSPENSION.
IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE TO DO THEIR JOB BECAUSE THIS IS A BEHAVIOR PROBLEM THE HARD WAY.
I REALLY LIKED THAT AND I LIKE THE TUTORIAL PORTION WHICH COULD BE DEFINED AS WELL.
I'VE GOT TO SAY THIS, PRINCIPLES OF [INAUDIBLE] THEY SPEND SO MUCH TIME INTERVIEWING CUSTODIANS AND GET ENQUEUED CAFETERIA PEOPLE STAY WITH THIS IS TOUGH TOO.
I KNOW WE GOT SOME CLASSIFIED PEOPLE IN THERE.
I KNOW THEY DON'T START OUT MAKING A WHOLE LOT.
BUT OVER TIME, THE SALARY GETS BETTER. I REALLY LIKED THAT.
BUT IF WE COULD LOOK IN SOME WAY AND OTHERS SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT THOSE AND MONEY IS DIFFICULT.
WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AGAIN HOPING THAT OUR LEGISLATORS WILL INCREASE THAT $1 IN 64 CN OR WHATEVER IT IS THEY GIVE US FOR BUS DRIVER, OUR SOVIET DOESN'T TAKE SUCH A LARGE CHUNK OF OUR BUDGET.
MAYBE WE COULD DO SOME MOMENT.
>>YEAH. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, MR. SMITH, IS THAT SIMILAR TO THE PAY FREE?
>> YEAH. I APPRECIATE THAT. [NOISE]
>> I'M NOT HONESTLY UNDERSTANDING.
HOW DOES THIS SMALL PROJECT [INAUDIBLE]?
>> YEAH, THAT THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MOSTLY, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT OPERATING BUDGET PRIORITIES, WHICH IS PRIMARILY WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A WISH LIST, SO TO SPEAK OF WHAT WE WANT TO ADD.
WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT PHYSICIANS, FTES.
NOW, THE SMALL PROJECTS, SOMEONE ELSE BEHIND ME WHO ARE IN FRONT OF ME, YOU CAN MAYBE HELP ME OUT IF THAT'S COMING OUT OF THE SAME BUDGET.
>> IT DEPENDS. I MEAN, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE DESIGNATED IN THE GENERAL FUND, BUT A LOT OF THINGS, ESPECIALLY SMALLER SCHOOL LEVEL THINGS ARE GOING TO BE PART OF SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGETS LIKE TITLE ONE, TRAINING OF STAFF MEMBERS, THAT MIGHT BE PART OF TITLE TWO.
THERE ARE SEVERAL POTS OF MONEY THAT ARE NOWHERE NEAR THE SIDES OF THE GENERAL FUND WHERE SMALLER, THINGS OFTEN COME FROM, BUT THERE ARE A FEW SMALLER THINGS THAT THERE WOULD BE IN THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET AS WELL.
>> WHAT I'D SAY IS I KNOW IN THE SCHOOLS ARE REPRESENTED, WE GOT ITEMS, HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP OVER TIME.
[00:40:01]
AUDITORIUM SEATING, COVERS FOR SCHOOL BUS, KIDS AND YOUNG ADULTS WAITING ON SCHOOL BUSES TO COME OUT TO LOAD AND UNLOAD THAT.WE DON'T HAVE COVERED AREAS FROM CLIMATE, WEATHER, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I KNOW ONE THING, I DON'T KNOW REALLY THAT IT IMPACTS THE BUDGET THAT WAS BROUGHT TO ME WAS IN THE SIDE OF GOING INTO 12 MONTH TONE.
LIKE THE PEOPLE WORKING WITH STUDENTS, WITH THE CLASSES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
THAT SOME OF THEM ARE ONLY 11 MONTHS NOW AND NEVER REALLY NEEDED IN THE SUMMER.
>> ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A READING COACH OR WHAT KIND OF POSITION BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE WHAT CONTRACT IS THERE?
>> THE [INAUDIBLE] CONTRACT IS LIKE YOU COUNSELORS AND THEY'LL LET HIM.
>> IT DEPENDS ON THE COUNSELOR.
>> THE HEAD COUNSELOR IS WHAT I WAS BROUGHT THAT WOULD NEED TO BE POSSIBLY LOOKED AT.
THEY'RE PRETTY DARN CLOSE TO BEING 12 MONTHS, BUT NOT QUITE.
IT'D BE OUT OF ORDER, BUT I JUST WANT TO JUST SAY I HEARD THAT AS WELL.
TO GO TO 200 IT WAS SUGGESTED GO 260 DAYS BECAUSE MANY TIMES DURING THE SUMMER THEY'RE NEEDED WAS THE FEEDBACK I GOT.
THEY'RE NOT THERE AND THERE'S THE NEED FOR THEM TO. I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT.
>> MR. CHAIRMAN, I KNOW IT'S AWKWARD.
BUT IF WHEN YOU'RE TALKING, IF YOU COULD PULL THAT MICROPHONE OVER TO YOU.
>> SURE. YOU HEAR ME BUT NOT EVERYBODY MIGHT HEAR ME.
>> JUST ONE AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS WOULD FALL, BUT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SALARY STUDIES BEING DONE FOR AWHILE, LIKE A DEEP DIVE, ESPECIALLY ON THE SPECIAL HEAD DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE HAVING A PROBLEM RETAINING AS ALWAYS, AND KEEPING.
THERE SEEMS TO BE A DISCREPANCY FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD WITHIN SPECIAL HEAD.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT ADDRESSED AND COME UP WITH ANY INCENTIVE INCREASES.
WHATEVER CAN BE DONE, BUT A DEEP DIVE LOOK.
>> THE WAY I'M GOING TO CAPTURE THAT PRIORITY IS TO COMPETITIVE SALARIES BASED ON THE SALARY STUDY.
WOULD THAT BE AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION?
>> BECAUSE THAT'S NOT STARTED YET, BUT THAT SALARY STUDY WILL START, CORRECT?
>> THIS TIME WE'RE JUST GOING TO GET EVERYBODY THROUGH WITH ONE.
>> MY BIG THING IS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO GIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD OUR BEST SHOT BECAUSE THE KIDS DON'T GET IT IN THE FIRST FEW GRADES.
RESEARCH INDICATES THEY DON'T GET IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO CAP TO PUPIL-TEACHER RATIOS.
BY THAT WHAT I MEAN IS THAT WHEN IT SAYS ONE TO 25, IT MEANS ONE TO 25.
IT DOESN'T MEAN ONE CLASS HAS ONE TO 10 AND ANOTHER ONE TO 30.
EVERY KINDERGARTEN SHOULD BE 25 OR LESS. THAT'S PART A.
PART B IS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SECOND GRADE PUPIL-TEACHER RATIO REDUCED TO ONE TO 16, JUST LIKE FIRST GRADE.
AGAIN, THE IDEA HERE IS THAT KINDERGARTEN, I LIKE TO SAY THOSE PUPIL-TEACHER RATIOS REDUCED ALSO, BUT WE'VE GOT AN AID THERE.
BY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, WHAT I MEAN IS K THROUGH TWO,
[00:45:01]
OR MAYBE THREE EVEN, BUT LET'S START WITH K THROUGH TWO.WE'VE GOT ONE AND AN AID TO 25 INTO KINDERGARTEN, ONE TO 16 IN FIRST GRADE.
NOW I'D LIKE TO ADD SECOND GRADE TO THAT ONE TO 16.
BUT THE REAL COST ITEM I THINK MIGHT BE CAPPING THE NUMBER OF KIDS WHO CAN PHYSICALLY BE PLACED IN ONE OF THOSE CLASSES.
>> A CAP COULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO START AND THEN WORK ON REDUCING.
>> I WOULD AGREE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO DO ANY PART OF THIS, I LOOK AT THE CAP FIRST.
>> I KNOW A LOT OF YOUR FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS AGREE BASED ON THEIR INPUT THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE AIKEN STANDARD.
THAT WAS A REOCCURRING THEME FOR PRIORITIES FOR THE YEAR WAS PUPIL-TEACHER RATIO IN EARLY CHILDHOOD.
>> MR. CHAIR, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO MOVE THAT SHEET AND I KNOW YOU WILL, I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO HIS AND YOU CAN USE IT AS MY NEXT SUBMITTAL IF YOU WANT.
BUT I TOTALLY AGREE WITH DR. BRADLEY ON BOTH OF THOSE THAT THE CAP IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND I THINK SECOND GRADE IS THE NEXT MOST IMPORTANT.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIRD GRADE ALSO AT THE 16 OR NOT 16 TO ONE.
I SAID I HAD 23 TO ONE CUT IT DOWN TO 22 TO ONE.
THE REASON BEING THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES ON IN THIRD GRADE AND WE HAVE TO RECALL, THERE ARE NO AIDS PAST KINDERGARTEN.
WE'RE LOOKING AT GRADES ONE, TWO AND THREE, I MAY BE WRONG, MAYBE GRADE ONE HAS AN AID, I DON'T REMEMBER, BUT TWO AND THREE DEFINITELY DO NOT HAVE AN AID.
LOOKING AT SEE IF WE COULD POSSIBLY REDUCE THAT ONE. THAT'S ALL.
>> I THINK I'LL JUST CARRY IT. [LAUGHTER] I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO A LOT OF US.
I'M GLAD WE ALL HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK UP ON THAT.
I'D LIKE YOUR POINT ABOUT CAPPING FIRST AND TRY TO WORK ON REDUCTION, WHICH MAY TAKE MULTIPLE YEARS.
BUT YOU GOT TO FIND THE MONEY IF IT'S IMPORTANT, IT'S PART OF THE MISSION.
WE'LL GO FOR ANOTHER GO AROUND.
MR. SILAS, WAS THERE ANYTHING NEW THAT YOU WANT TO ADD TO THE LIST?
>> I THINK SO. IF WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE THAT STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO, I NOTICED SOME CHALLENGES THERE WITH CLASSROOM SIZES AND HIRED MORE TEACHERS.
SOMEBODY WILL PROBABLY SPEAK TO RETENTION SO I WON'T, BUT WE BETTER FIGURE OUT A WAY TO KEEP TEACHERS AND BE A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENT OR EFFECTIVE THERE.
BUT MINE SPEAKS TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
IN FACT, I WAS JUST READING IN THE STATE PAPER.
NO RAMBLE JUST A SECOND, TODAY ON AN ARTICLE ON WHY TEACHERS ARE LEAVING AND SOME, IT WAS A STUDY THAT WAS DONE BY SO-CALLED EXPERTS.
IT SAID, NOT JUST SALARIES IT'S JUST A SMALL PART, BUT WORKING CONDITIONS.
HOPEFULLY SOMEBODY WILL ADDRESS THAT.
BUT WHOEVER WILL SPEAK TO NEXT, MAYBE ADDRESSES WORKING CONDITIONS AND DISCIPLINES PERHAPS.
A SCHOOL LEVEL 504 ADMINISTRATOR.
PARTICULARLY THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE A HEAVY CASELOAD.
THAT'S NOT EVERY SCHOOL, BUT I THINK THE ONES THAT HAVE A HEAVY CASELOAD MAY REQUIRE THAT.
I UNDERSTAND IN YEARS PAST, MAYBE IT WAS DONE AS A SUPPLEMENT OR WAS OFFERED TO SOMEONE TO DO THAT.
I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE A SPECIAL ED CERTIFIED TEACHER, BUT I THAT WILL HELP US STAY IN COMPLIANCE.
THE BIGGEST THING IS IT TAKES IT OFF ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS DUTIES.
I'M NOT SURE HOW EVERY SCHOOL DOES IT, BUT I KNOW A COUPLE THROW THAT ON ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, WHICH TAKES AWAY THEIR TIME TO MONITOR HALLWAYS, DEAL WITH DISCIPLINE.
WE NEED TO REMOVE SOME OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES IF WE CAN, AND PLACE THEM WITH SOMEONE WHO CAN FOCUS ON THAT AND ALLOW THEM TO DO OTHER ASPECTS OF THEIR JOB.
THINK OF SCHOOL LEVEL 504 ADMINISTRATOR WHERE NEEDED OR WHERE APPROPRIATE.
>> THE ONLY OTHER ONE I REALLY HAVE IS IT DOES DEAL WITH RETENTION AND BRIAN AND I TALKED BRIEFLY ABOUT THAT.
I APPRECIATE MR. TREXLER SHARING THE FACT THAT WHERE WE STAND WITH THE COUNTIES THAT ARE CLOSE TO US, THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE CLOSE TO US.
I THINK THAT FOCUSES ON TEACHERS.
BUT I'D LIKE TO FOCUS MY DISCUSSION ON RETENTION WITH ALL STAFF.
I'M RAMBLING A LITTLE BIT, SORRY ABOUT THAT, I'LL MAKE IT MORE SUCCINCT IN A MINUTE.
[00:50:01]
I DON'T THINK IT HAS TO BE A SALARY INCREASE.FROM WHAT I HEAR WHEN I GO OUT IN MY SCHOOLS, I HEAR A LOT OF TEACHERS PARTICULARLY AND STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH DISCIPLINE ISSUES.
SOME OF WHAT MAYBE WE DO WITH THE CODE OF CONDUCT MIGHT HELP WITH SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS.
BUT MY QUESTION, THAT I DID HAVE, AND MR. TREXLER, YOU POSSIBLY CAN ANSWER THIS.
I'M JUST CURIOUS WHEN WE ARE GOING TO GIVE A $10,000 SIGNING BONUS SPREAD OVER THREE YEARS, WHERE DOES THAT PUT US A BRAND NEW TEACHER OPPOSITE OF FIVE-YEAR TEACHER, FOR INSTANCE.
I CAN'T GET THAT FROM THIS MEMO.
I WAS JUST WONDERING SALARY WISE WHERE DOES THAT PUT THE TWO?
>> IF BOARD COULD GIVE ME UNTIL NEXT WEEK I'LL BE HAPPY TO FORWARD IN THAT FILE TOGETHER.
JUST FOR BREVITY, I HAD THAT BRIEF MEMO THERE AND WANTED TO SHOW THE RANKINGS.
THAT'S NOT CERTAIN, I DON'T RECALL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO GRAB THAT INFO.
NOW TO MAKE IT MORE SUCCINCT FOR MR. NUESSLE, I JUST THINK WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT RETENTION INCENTIVES.
WE COULD CALL IT THAT, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SALARY.
>> MR. SMITH, ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD?
>> I'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME AND I KNOW WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD WISH LIST RIGHT THERE.
BUT THERE'S ONE THING I KEEP HEARING, ESPECIALLY FROM SOME OF THE HIGH SCHOOL ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, IS THAT THEY NEED THEIR ATTENDANCE CLERKS LONGER.
BECAUSE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THEY CARRY AS FAR AS FUNDING IS CONCERNED FROM THE STATE AND SO FORTH, KEEPING UP WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF FUNDING.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD.
THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD LIST RIGHT THERE.
>> I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
ONCE YOU GET AROUND 10 THINGS, SOMETIMES WE MIGHT BE LUCKY TO GET ONE THREE MONTHS FROM NOW ONCE WE START SEEING NUMBERS.
BUT I WANT TO KEEP GOING DOWN.
WE'LL HAVE GONE THROUGH THE BOARD TWICE.
AND THEN IF ANYBODY HAS GOT A REAL STRONG IDEA THEY WANT TO ADD AFTER THAT THEY CERTAINLY CAN. MR. BRIAN.
>> I KNOW WE'RE WORKING A LOT ON SECURITY.
WE'RE NOT FUNDED IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS WITH A SECURITY OFFICER?
>> THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE ONE IN EVERY SCHOOL NOW?
>> EVERY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL, WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING ONE.
NOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE OFFICERS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE VARIOUS LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISIONS, BUT WE'RE COMMITTED TO GETTING THOSE FILLED.
>> THAT MAYBE SOME OF OUR UNFILLED POSITIONS RIGHT NOW?
>> THAT WAS JUST MY COMMENT BECAUSE I THINK DEFINITELY WE NEED TO HAVE IN EVERY SCHOOL.
>> THAT'S GOOD. WE DON'T HAVE SROS OR SAFETY MONITORS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
>> I THINK IT'S NEEDED PERSONALLY, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY COULD MAYBE HELP WITH SOME OF THESE OTHER DUTIES WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE HALLWAY KIND OF DUTIES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A SECURITY OFFICER IN EVERY SCHOOL.
>> I'M GOING TO WRITE THAT DOWN.
>> THIS MAY NOT MAKE IT TO THE LIST, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR BUS DRIVERS, ARE THERE SECURITY OR VIDEO CAMERAS ON EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL BUS?
[00:55:02]
>> FROM THE WISHLIST FROM LAST YEAR, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE HAVE AND THE WISHLIST ITEM THAT ASK FOR WIRELESS VIDEO ON EVERY BUS SOFTWARE?
>> DR. MURPHY IS GOING TO ADDRESS THAT.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.
>> GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. THE DIFFERENCE IS THE WIRELESS IS A TRANSFER RATE.
RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE TO ACTUALLY HAVE THE BUS HAVE THE HARD DRIVE, THEY HAVE TO TRANSFER IT OVER IN ORDER FOR US TO RETRIEVE BASICALLY THE VIDEO THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO WIRELESSLY TRANSMIT.
THAT WILL SAVE A LOT OF TIME AND TRANSPORT AND GETTING THE INFORMATION TO WHO NEEDS TO HAVE IT.
>> SAYING INFO AVAILABLE, JUST A DIFFERENT FORM OF GETTING IT TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
>> A LOT QUICKER TRANSMISSION.
>> ANYTHING TO ADD, MA'AM? DR. BRADLEY?
>> WELL, MS. BRANUM TOOK MY SECOND ONE, WHICH WAS I THINK THAT EVERY SCHOOL NEEDS A SRO AND FAILING THE SRO IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY MONITOR.
I'LL GO TO MY THIRD ONE, WHICH IS IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO ARTICULATE IT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M ASKING FOR, BUT I'M AUTOHARP ON IMPROVING OUR VIRTUAL CAPABILITIES.
[NOISE] THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO WITH A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING.
I'VE TALKED ABOUT CONSOLIDATING SMALL CLASSES INTO ONE AND HAVING IT TAUGHT REMOTELY TWO CLASSES AND OTHER INTO SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS, THAT THING.
BASICALLY, OVERALL, I DON T KNOW WHERE THE FUNDS ARE NEEDED TO DO THE KANSAS THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT IDENTIFYING WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH THE VIRTUAL PROGRAM.
FOR EXAMPLE WE'VE EFFECTIVELY LOST OUR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS NOW BECAUSE OF DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH, WHO PROVIDES THOSE WHO CAN'T FIND PEOPLE TO FILL THE POSITIONS.
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE.
TELEHEALTH IS BEING USED FOR MENTAL HEALTH PURPOSES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY NOW.
IT MIGHT EVEN BE POSSIBLE TO DO SOME COUNSELING AND THAT THING VIA TELEHEALTH.
BUT IN ANY CASE, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO DO A CLOSE SCRUTINY OF MY VIRTUAL PROGRAM AND SUPPLEMENT THE FUNDING THERE WHERE IT'S NEEDED IN ORDER TO DO WHAT'S NEEDED.
THE FIRST STEP IS TO IDENTIFY WHAT'S NEEDED TO DO SOME OF THESE THINGS, WHAT THEIR CAPABILITIES ARE.
TWO IS WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO FUND? I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S VERY CLEAR.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WRITE THAT DOWN.
>> I WOULD TRY TO SUMMARIZE THAT AND I'M LOOKING FOR CONFIRMATION, INCREASE THE VIRTUAL LEARNING OPTIONS?
>> YEAH. FUNDING FOR I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS NECESSARY.
I THINK INCREASE IS BETTER THAN SAYING FUND.
I ADJUNCT TO THAT, LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL WAYS TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH TO OUR STUDENTS.
WHEN YOU DO THIS, I WANT EVERYBODY'S IDEA TO GET OUT THERE.
AT THIS POINT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE BOARD TWICE.
PLEASE JUST RAISE YOUR HAND AND BE RECOGNIZED IF YOU WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING ADDITIONAL ON THE LIST.
>> [NOISE] THE ONLY THING, IT'S LIKE DR. BRADLEY'S, IT MAY NOT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, BUT I'M STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE HERE COMES THE BUS PROGRAM.
UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE HAVING TO DOUBLE UP AND TRIPLE UP ON ROUTES.
BUT I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S SOMETHING AVAILABLE TO BE ABLE TO TRACK STUDENTS WITH THAT OCCURRING BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM PARENTS
[01:00:01]
OF HAVING TO SIT AT THE BUS STOP FOR OVER AN HOUR WAITING ON THEIR STUDENTS.>> I READ THAT ON THE PAPER THIS MORNING ABOUT THAT.
WE'VE GOT SOME INFORMATION ON THAT, THAT I LIKE FOR DR. MURPHY TO SHARE JUST REAL QUICKLY.
>> GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN, THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT WE HAVE IN A COURSE WITH THE APPLICATION RIGHT NOW IS THAT IT TRACKS THE BUSES AND NOT STUDENTS.
THAT'S JUST ANOTHER SYMPTOM OF A PROBLEM WE ALLUDED TO EARLIER TONIGHT AND ONE OF YOUR BUDGET PRIORITIES, WHICH IS STAFFING OF THE BUS DRIVERS.
TO ALLEVIATE THAT CONCERN, IF WE HAVE MORE STAFFING, MORE BUS DRIVERS AND WE WON'T BE DOUBLING OR TRIPLING UP THE ROUTES FOR THE STUDENTS, AND THAT WILL ALLEVIATE THAT.
I THINK THAT IT WILL BE A TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECT FOR SOME OF THE OTHER PRIORITIES IF THEY MAKE IT THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS.
>> ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED AND ADD SOMETHING? IN THIS ONE'S ROOM I'M GOING TO ADD SOMETHING.
WE'RE CURRENTLY THAT MEANS WE HAVE 26, 27 STEPS ON OUR SALARY SCHEDULE. HOW MANY TREY?
>> TWENTY-EIGHT ZERO TO 27 ON THE TEACHERS SCHEDULE.
>> I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS MY TOP PRIORITY, BUT LET US CONSIDER A 28TH STEP ON THE SALARY SCHEDULE OFFER.
SO I'M GOING TO TRY. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY LAST SECOND THOUGHTS? YES, SIR.
>> I'VE JUST SEEN TODAY I WAS READING THAT IN THE HOUSE, THE STATE IS LOOKING AT SOME RETENTION AND SOME PROPOSALS THAT ARE COMING OUT.
WILL THIS PAY US? WOULD WE BE REQUIRED TO FUND THESE OR WOULD THE STATE FUNDS THIS? [NOISE] [INAUDIBLE].
>> YES, PART OF THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL AND OTHER BODIES HAVE SUGGESTED A $2,500 INCREASE PER SALE ON THE TEACHER SCALE IN ADDITION TO A 2,500 RETENTION BONUS FOR TEACHERS.
WE WOULD ANTICIPATE SOME FUNDING COMING AS A RESULT OF THAT.
WE WOULD ANTICIPATE FUNDING COMING AVERAGES RESULT OF BUS DRIVER PER INCREASES AS WELL.
WHAT WE HEARD EARLIER WAS THAT THERE WAS 20 MILLION STATEWIDE PROPOSAL THAT WOULD FUND THAT.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT WILL COVER EVERYTHING FOR US, BUT WE WOULD INCREASE OR EXPECT AN INCREASE IN FUNDING FROM THE STATE.
THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS TOO THAT COULD CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS AND WE'LL BE MONITORING IT CLOSELY.
>> THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING ABOUT, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW THAT, I WOULD IMAGINE SOMETIMES WHEN THEY MAKE CHANGES IT DIRECTLY IMPACTS WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AT THIS POINT, UNLESS SOMEONE RAISES THEIR HAND, I KNOW AS MR. TRACKS HAD POINTED OUT, WE GET FIVE MONTHS BEFORE WE PASS A BUDGET.
THIS IS JUST OUR INITIAL IDEAS AND PRIORITY.
JUST LIKE THE ADMINISTRATION IS GOING TO TAKE INPUT FROM FOLKS HERE AND AT THE SCHOOLS ON INPUTS ON THEIR BUDGET PRIORITIES.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN YOU ALL START THAT.
>> I THOUGHT IT'S ONLY FAIR THAT WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING OUT.
[LAUGHTER] I'M JUST GETTING READY.
WE'VE GOT 15 ITEMS ON THE LIST.
WHAT I HANDED OUT TO BOARD MEMBERS WAS JUST A SHEET OF PAPER THAT YOU CAN WRITE THINGS ONE THROUGH WHATEVER AND I THINK I PUT MAYBE 10 ROWS ON THERE JUST BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE WHAT WE'D HAVE.
TYPICALLY IN AN EXERCISE LIKE THIS, IF YOU DID AN N OVER 3, THAT WOULD SAY, I WOULD LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO PICK OUT FIVE OF THE 15 IDEAS.
I WANT TO READ THEM IF IN CASE YOU CAN'T READ MY HANDWRITING.
ON THAT LIST, I WANT YOU TO PUT WHAT YOU THINK IS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY IDEA, NUMBER 1 AND THE SECOND NUMBER 2, AND THEN NUMBER 3.
I'LL ASSIGN AN INVERSE AMOUNT OF POINTS TO GET
[01:05:02]
A CUMULATIVE POINT VALUE ON THAT TO SHOW PRIORITY OR CONSENSUS.THE FIRST ONE WE TALKED ABOUT WAS AN ELEMENTARY ISSA.
SECOND, MATH INTERVENTION SUPPORT AND ELEMENTARY.
THIRD, UPGRADE THE INTERNET OR NETWORK CAPABILITIES AT SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF ISSUES.
THE FOURTH, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT WAS A PAY INCREASE FOR CLASSIFIED STAFF WITH A CAFETERIA CUSTODIANS, YOU NAME IT.
THE FIFTH ONE WE TALKED ABOUT WAS INCREASING THE HEAD COUNSELORS CONTRACT TO 12 MONTHS.
NEXT, ON NUMBER 6, WE TALKED ABOUT COMPETITIVE SALARIES BASED ON THE SALARY STUDY THAT WILL GET UNDERWAY.
MAKE AND FIND A ROOM IN THE BUDGET TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BECOME COMPETITIVE BASED ON WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THAT STUDY.
NUMBER 7 WAS A MIXTURE OF CAPPING PEOPLE TEACHER RATIOS TO WHERE THEY ARE NOW, AND SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON REDUCING THE PEOPLE TEACHER RATIO TO 16 TO ONE IN 2ND GRADE AND REDUCING IT BY ONE IN 3RD GRADE.
NEXT, NUMBER 8, HIRING A SCHOOL LEVEL 504 COORDINATOR OR WHATEVER THE POSITION WOULD BE CALLED.
NINE, RETENTION INCENTIVES FOR HER EMPLOYEES, MUCH LIKE WE'VE HAD SIGN-ON BONUSES TO RECRUIT.
ADD CONTRACT DAYS TO THE ATTENDANCE CLERKS, BECAUSE THEY NEEDED MORE DAYS.
NUMBER 11, SECURITY OFFICER FOR EVERY SCHOOL, WHICH MEANS FROM A FUNDING STANDPOINT, THAT MEANS WE'D HAVE TO FIND FUNDING FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
NUMBER 12, INCREASED VIRTUAL LEARNING OPTIONS, 13, ADDING MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES, 14, I PROBABLY DIDN'T CAPTURE THAT ADEQUATELY, BUT I THINK AN EMPHASIS ON THINGS WE CAN DO TO HIRE BUS DRIVERS AND IMPROVING OUR BUS TRACKING.
BUT WHICH DR. MURPHY EXPLAINED IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH STAFFING SHORTAGES.
THEN THE LAST ONE WE TALKED ABOUT WAS ADDING A 28TH STEP TO THE TEACHER SALARY SCHEDULE.
IF YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IT, TAKE A FEW MINUTES.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE USING THE FIRST FIVE ROWS ON THAT FORM THAT I HANDED TO YOU, AND PUT YOUR TOP IDEA FIRST AND SO FORTH TO ONE THROUGH FIVE.
TAKE A FEW MINUTES NOW TO DO THAT.
[01:12:31]
AS FOLKS WRAP THAT UP, I WANT TO GET STARTED, JUST ADDING UP AN INVERSE AMOUNT OF POINTS.I ASKED YOU TO RANK IT ONE THROUGH FIVE.
I'M GOING TO GIVE FIVE POINTS FOR YOUR NUMBER 1 CHOICE, DOWN TO ONE. [NOISE]
I'M SORRY IF EVERYBODY HAS TO WAIT FOR ME.
[NOISE] THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME, AND IF FOLKS WANT TO TAKE A QUICK RECESS.
IT MIGHT TAKE A FEW MINUTES, IF YOU NEED TO USE THE RESTROOM.
[NOISE] AM I DOING IT? I'M DOING OKAY ON TIME. [NOISE] [BACKGROUND] I'M
[01:16:30]
SURE I'M DOING THIS THE SLOW WAY.YOU'RE DOING IT THE BEST WAY HERE.
LET'S SEE. [BACKGROUND] [NOISE]
>> EXCUSE ME. [NOISE] [BACKGROUND]
[01:23:19]
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
YOU CAN TELL ALL I DID WAS, I ASSIGNED POINTS AS I SAID I WAS GOING TO DO, AND THEN I GOT A CUMULATIVE OR A SUM OF THEM.
THAT'S WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN IN GREEN AND CIRCLED, SO MORE POINTS BETTER.
COLLECTIVELY AS A GROUP, WE HAD A COLLECTIVE PRIORITY AROUND THOSE HIGHER NUMBERS.
I'M NOT GOING TO READ EVERY SINGLE ONE, BUT I THINK I'LL READ THE TOP FIVE.
IT CAME OUT AS A CONSENSUS CAPPING, AND THEN LOWERING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER-STUDENT RATIOS WAS FIRST, FOLLOWED BY MATH INTERVENTION SUPPORT IN ELEMENTARY.
THIRD WAS AN ELEMENTARY ISS AID.
FOURTH, A PAY INCREASE FOR CLASSIFIED STAFF.
THE FIFTH ONE WAS A SECURITY OFFICER IN EVERY SCHOOL.
IT'S FUNNY HOW THESE THINGS WORK OUT SOMETIMES.
I'M GOING TO TYPE THAT UP. WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THE WHOLE LIST, AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THAT AS INPUT TO THE ADMINISTRATION AS THEY START MOVING FORWARD.
WE'RE WORKING ON THE BUDGET AS AN IDEA OF SOME CONSENSUS AROUND PRIORITIES FROM THE BOARD, KNOWING THAT WE MAY END UP WITH NOT ENOUGH FUNDING TO DO ANY OF THIS, BUT AT LEAST WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THAT FORTH AND LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WE'RE THINKING.
ANY FINAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE SECOND AGENDA ITEM?
>> YOU CAN FURNISH US WITH THE TYPED [OVERLAPPING]
[01:25:01]
>> YES, SIR. MYSELF OR KIM WILL TYPE THIS UP, AND WE'LL SEND IT OUT.
>> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT, KIM. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. WE GOT THROUGH THAT IN PRETTY SHORT ORDER.
I APPRECIATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION.
THE SECOND ITEM WE HAVE IN OUR WORKSHOP TONIGHT IS AROUND THE POPULATION DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY AND A DRAFT TIMELINE ON, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A DECISION THIS YEAR TO MAKE ABOUT HIGHLAND SPRINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL.
DR. MURPHY, DO YOU WANT TO GET US STARTED?
>> GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN. WE ARE APPROACHING THAT TIME WHERE WE NEED TO DETERMINE WHICH OF OUR STUDENTS WILL BE ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH OUR BRAND NEW SCHOOL, SO IT'S AN EXCITING TIME AS WELL.
TONIGHT, I HAVE WITH US DR. MIKE RAZOR, WHO'S GOING TO GO OVER A LITTLE BIT OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY AS A HIGH-LEVEL REVIEW AND ALSO PRESENT TO US FIVE SCENARIOS THAT POTENTIALLY SHOW US WHO CAN ACTUALLY ATTEND HIGHLAND SPRINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE'LL GET INTO THE PRESENTATION.
MY GOODNESS. TECHNOLOGY IS WORKING FOR ME AND THAT'S A GOOD START.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MIKE RAZOR.
I'M SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR NGT CONSULTING IS EDUCATION SOLUTIONS GROUP AND I LEAD OUR EDUCATION PERFORMANCE GROUP, WHICH IS FOCUSED ON HELPING SCHOOL DISTRICTS NOT ONLY RUN EFFICIENTLY BUT RUN EFFECTIVELY, DOING THINGS LIKE FACILITIES, MASTER PLANNING, DEMOGRAPHIC STUDIES, BOUNDARY STUDIES, ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS REVIEWS, THAT TYPE OF THING.
TONIGHT, I WANT TO GIVE A VERY FIRST LOOK AT THE STUDY WE DID, AS WELL AS THE SCENARIOS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
TONIGHT IS MEANT TO GLIDE AT A 30-50,000 FOOT LEVEL JUST TO GET THE GENERAL FINDINGS AND THEMES AND THINGS AS WELL AS MAKE YOURSELF FAMILIAR WITH SOME SCENARIOS THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER.
I'M A SPOILER ALERT PERSON UPFRONT.
USED TO BE A SCHOOL TEACHER AND ONE OF THE FIRST LESSONS IN TEACHING IS TELL THEM WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO TELL THEM, TELL THEM, AND THEN TELL THEM WHAT YOU TOLD THEM.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT ASK RIGHT UP FRONT IS, WHY AREN'T THERE MORE SCENARIOS OR WHY DIDN'T YOU LOOK AT THIS? WE'VE TAKEN WHAT WE FEEL ARE THE MOST DOABLE, THE ONES THAT MAKE THE MOST SENSE, AND THE ONES THAT STAY IN LINE WITH THE AIMS AND MISSIONS OF THE BOARD AND THE DISTRICT.
AS WELL AS WE'D LIKE TO EMBRACE AN IDEA THAT HAS REALLY BEEN PROVEN IN RESEARCH THAT'S CALLED THE PARADOX OF CHOICE.
THAT MEANS PEOPLE SAY THEY WANT LOTS OF CHOICES, BUT WHEN YOU PUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF CHOICES IN FRONT OF PEOPLE, IT'S HARD TO NARROW DOWN ON WHAT'S NECESSARILY IMPORTANT.
LIKE YOU GUYS JUST DID IN YOUR BUDGET STUDY.
LET'S LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE FIVE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.
WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU FIVE SCENARIOS TONIGHT.
DOESN'T MEAN THOSE ARE THE ONLY SCENARIOS THAT WE POTENTIALLY COULDN'T WORK ON BUT WE FEEL THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT MAKE THE MOST SENSE.
THE REPORT THAT WE PUT TOGETHER, YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S MADE UP AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THE BASIS FOR MY PRESENTATIONS.
NOW HE'S GONNA GO THROUGH THOSE THINGS, LET YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'VE LOOKED AT ACROSS THE DISTRICT AS WELL AS WHAT WE HAVE FOUND.
AGAIN, TONIGHT'S ABOUT FINDINGS SOME THEMES AND SOME SCENARIOS THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT IN FRONT OF US.
THAT'S THE PATH THAT OUR STUDY TOOK BUT I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S THAT LINEAR BECAUSE MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN CONCERT.
BUT AGAIN, ONCE WE KICK IT OFF, WE LOOK AT THE PROGRAMS. WE TAKE A DEMOGRAPHIC AND ENROLLMENT ANALYSIS OF THE DISTRICT, LOOK AT CAPACITY AND UTILIZATION OF BUILDINGS, AND THEN MAKE ASSESSMENTS OF THE FACILITIES AS WELL AS DOING THE BOUNDARY SCENARIOS BASED UPON OUR FINDINGS.
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT THAT WE HAD A TEAM ON THE GROUND IN AIKEN COUNTY DOING IS AN ASSESSMENT THAT WE CALL EDUCATIONAL SUITABILITY.
THE WAY I LIKE TO DESCRIBE THIS ONE IS
[01:30:03]
A BARN COULD BE A REALLY GREAT STRUCTURE AS A BUILDING, BUT A BARN MAY NOT BE THE BEST SCHOOL.IT IS HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL DESIGNED AND OUTFITTED TO ACHIEVE THE AIMS OF THAT SCHOOL? DOES THIS HAS EVERYTHING WE'D EXPECT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO HAVE.
IT'S REALLY TAKING A LOOK FROM THAT EDUCATIONAL LENS AND THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THERE OR DOES THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT HAVE WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT TO HAVE IN IT? IS THERE PLENTY OF STORAGE AND LOWER ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM IN A SCIENCE LAB? DO YOU HAVE THE EQUIPMENT THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT.
DOESN'T MEET THE SIZE STANDARDS, IS IT LOCATED IN THE RIGHT SPOT? YOU DON T HAVE ADVANCED MATH NEXT TO THE ORCHESTRA ROOM.
KIDS ARE BEING DISTRACTED, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEN AGAIN, DO WE HAVE WHAT PEOPLE EXPECT TO FIND IN A CLASSROOM THAT MAKES IT APPROPRIATE.
LET'S JUMP RIGHT INTO THE DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY THAT WE DID AND WE USE A NATIONWIDE FIRM FOR THE WORK THAT WE DO.
BASED UPON THAT, WE SEE THAT AIKEN COUNTY IS GOING TO HAVE ABOUT 8 PERCENT GROWTH OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
HOWEVER, WHAT I WOULD ASK YOU TO LOOK AT IS THE FIVE TO 20-YEAR-OLD RANGE, EVEN THOUGH THE COUNTY IS GOING TO GROW, THE FIVE TO 20-YEAR-OLD RANGE OF FOLKS IS GOING TO HOLD STEADY OR DROPPED JUST A LITTLE BIT.
NOW, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS FOR THE DISTRICT, YOU'RE SEEING GOOD NEWS THERE.
WE DO THIS WORK ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND WE'RE SEEING DISTRICTS, THEY'RE SHOWING DRAMATIC DECREASES OVER THAT SAME 10 YEAR PERIOD OF TIME.
JUST LOSING A LITTLE BIT IS, IN MANY CASES A WIN IN THIS CASE.
THERE YOU CAN SEE THE ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS OVERALL AT TOP, BUT THEN BY GRADE BANDS AS WELL.
YOU CAN SEE THAT REALLY ARE HOLDING STEADY AND THIS TREND IS ALSO, IF YOU LOOK BACK OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A STEADY DECREASE AS WELL.
TWO REASONS FOR THAT, MAINLY BIRTH RATES ARE DROPPING.
PEOPLE AREN'T HAVING KIDS AND IN MANY CASES, THE FOLKS THAT ARE MOVING INTO YOUR COMMUNITY MANY TIMES COULD BE RETIREES.
I WAS TALKING WITH DR. MURPHY EARLIER, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAS AN AUNT AND UNCLE IN THEIR LATE 60S, EARLY 70S, AND THEY MOVE TO AIKEN COUNTY FROM SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, WHERE THEY MOVED OUT OF A TWO BEDROOM, TWO BATH HOUSE AND IN AIKEN BOUGHT A FIVE BEDROOM, SIX BATHROOM HOUSE BECAUSE THEY COULD PAY FOR IT IN CASH AFTER SELLING THE LITTLE SMALL HOME IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING.
SO EVEN THOUGH YOU SEE LOTS OF DEVELOPMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT, MANY TIMES YOU DON'T HAVE THE NUCLEAR FAMILY THAT YOU EXPECTED FROM THE BABY BOOM, THAT'S GOING TO HAVE 2, 3, 4 KIDS MOVING INTO YOUR COMMUNITY.
WE ALSO AGAIN LOOKED AT CAPACITY AND UTILIZATION.
WHEN WE LOOK AT CAPACITY AND UTILIZATION OF BUILDINGS, WE USE A UTILIZATION FACTOR.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE DISCOUNT THE UTILIZATION OR THE CAPACITY OF THE SCHOOL BY THE UTILIZATION FACTOR.
THE REASON BEING IS IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN A SCHOOL, YOU'RE NOT USING EVERY CLASSROOM, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY.
TEACHERS HAVE PLANNING PERIODS.
YOU ALSO HAVE SOME CLASSES, ESPECIALLY AS YOU GET THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS, THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE FULL CAPACITY IN IT AT TIMES.
JUST A, THE WAY THE MASTER SCHEDULE WORKS OR B, JUST BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT HAVE 32 KIDS TAKING PHYSICS IN HIGH SCHOOL, SO DISCOUNT THOSE TO SOME EXTENT.
BUT AS WE LOOK AT THAT, IF A BUILDING IS SHOWING OVER 110 PERCENT UTILIZATION.
YOU HAVE INADEQUATE SPACE AND WHERE YOU REALLY FEEL THAT ARE IN THE COMMON SPACES FIRST, THE CAFETERIA AS THE HALLWAYS, THE GYMS, THE MEDIA CENTERS AND THE RELATED ARCS CLASSROOMS WHERE EVERY KID MANY TIMES HAS TO TRY TO GET IN THERE.
THEN 95 TO 110 PERCENT IS OKAY BUT YOU'RE RIGHT ON THE CUSP OF BEING OUT OF ROOM.
REALLY WHEN YOU FIND THAT FROM THOSE OF US WHO'VE WORKED IN SCHOOLS, IT'S ALMOST A FEELING OF ONE DAY IT'S OKAY AND THE NEXT DAY THERE'S NO ROOM.
THEN REALLY, THAT SWEET SPOT IS ABOUT AN 80 TO 90 PERCENT UTILIZATION FACTOR INSIDE THE BUILDINGS.
BELOW THAT, 70 TO 80 PERCENT ISN'T REALLY CAUSE FOR ALARM BUT AS YOU CREATE BELOW 70 PERCENT, YOU REALLY GET INTO CASES WHERE YOU'RE UNDER UTILIZING THE BUILDING,
[01:35:03]
WHERE THE FIXED COST OF THE BUILDING ARE THE SAME REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ATTEND THAT SCHOOL.THESE ARE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL UTILIZATION AND CAPACITY RATES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE HIGH-SCHOOL AVERAGE IS 65.77.
NOW, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT THROW THIS OFF A LITTLE BIT IS WE KNOW THE RICH BRINGS SHARES OF SCHOOL.
WE THINK THAT THERE COULD BE A LITTLE OVERLAP WHEN WE LOOKED AT THAT ABOUT WHAT WAS COUNTED AS A MIDDLE SCHOOL SPACE AND WHAT WAS CANADA'S HIGH SCHOOL SPACE BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF DISPARATE INFORMATION.
I WOULDN'T WELCOME BUT I UNDERSTAND IF THERE'S GOING TO BE PUSHED BACK AND WE WILL LOOK INTO THAT.
AS I SAID, THIS IS OUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THIS.
IF A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, A DISTRICT LEADER SAYS, WE'D LIKE YOU TO DIG BACK INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND LOOK AT THAT.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD SAY TWO, IS JUST HAVING A 65 PERCENT RATE ON FACE VALUE.
THESE AREN'T REALLY HARD-AND-FAST THINGS.
YOU WISH THERE WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE BUT IN ANY DISTRICT THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR AWHILE, ANY DISTRICT THAT EXPERIENCED THE BABY BOOM MANY TIMES ALSO, WHAT YOU SEE IN YOUR DISTRICT IS EVEN THOUGH THE POPULATION ISN'T GROWING MUCH, IT'S SHIFTING IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
MANY TIMES TO NEIGHBORHOODS GO THROUGH GENERATIONAL SHIFTS WHERE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD DURING THE 70S AND 80S HAD LOTS OF KIDS IN IT.
THEN PEOPLE GET TO ME, MY PARENTS AGE NOW, AND THEY DON'T HAVE KIDS.
THEN YOUNG FAMILIES START TO BUY BACK INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES AND THEY SORT OF GO THROUGH A REGENERATION BUT YOU CAN'T MOVE BUILDINGS.
BUILDINGS ARE WHERE THEY ARE SO SOMETIMES YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE LOWER UTILIZATION RATES OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THOUGH.
>> NO YOU DON'T HAVE THIS, YOU HAVE THE SCENARIOS.
THERE IS AGAIN, LIKE I TOLD YOU, I'M HITTING THE MOUNTAIN TOPS TODAY BECAUSE WE WANTED THIS TO BE A SHORT PRESENTATION SO FOR THE FINDINGS AND THEMES, THERE'S GOING TO BE DOCUMENTATION BACKUP.
WHAT GOES INTO THESE EVALUATIONS THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE REPORT THAT WE WILL GIVE YOU.
AS YOU SEE AGAIN, RICH SPRINGS HERE, NOT SHOWING VERY POPULAR FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
LIKE I SAID, WE CAN THAT REALLY BOUNCES OUT SOME WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM AS WELL.
THE ONE THING I WOULD SHOW THOUGH, PRIOR TO THE ADDITION OF THE NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE'RE AT A 67 PERCENT EFFICIENCY RATE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
THEN AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL, YOU'RE AT ALMOST 71% UTILIZATION FOR THESE.
THE ONE THAT WE WANT TO DIG IN A LITTLE BIT MORE ALREADY BASED UPON SOME DISTRICT COMMENTS IS OVER BILL OR GLOVERVILLE.
LET ME SAY THAT RIGHT, SO I NEVER MESS IT UP AGAIN. [LAUGHTER]
>> GLOVERVILLE. GLOVERVILLE, WE WANT TO LOOK INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF PORTABLES THERE.
THE OTHER THING ABOUT CAPACITY AND PROGRAMMATIC CAPACITY, SOMETIMES THAT CAN MAKE THESE NUMBERS A LITTLE OFF, IS IF YOU HAVE TO HAVE CERTAIN PROGRAMS IN A SCHOOL OR SCHOOL IS DESIGNED TO CERTAIN WAY, ITS CAPACITY CAN REALLY BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE LET'S SAY YOU'RE USING A CLASSROOM AS A STEM LAB, WELL, NOW THE CLASSROOM MAYBE CAN HOLD 15 KIDS, WHERE IT COULD HAVE HELD 32.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK BACK INTO THAT ONE AS WELL.
WHEN WE MAKE A COMPLETE FACILITIES ASSESSMENT, THIS IS WHERE WE START TO TIE THINGS TOGETHER.
WE LOOK AT THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING, SO THAT IS BRICKS-AND-MORTAR, ROOFS, FLOORS, WALLS.
WHAT CONDITION IS THIS BUILDING IN? MANY TIMES, WHEN YOU LOOK AT A BUILDING SCORE IN A SECOND, WE SHOW THIS, SOMETIMES IT'S THE COST OF REPLACING OR RENOVATING CERTAIN COMPONENTS.
YOU CAN HAVE A SCHOOL THAT LOOKS FROM THE OUTSIDE LIKE IT'S IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE, BUT IT MIGHT NEED A NEW ROOF.
IT MIGHT NEED A NEW HVAC SYSTEM, NEW MECHANICAL GEAR.
THEY'RE ALL REALLY EXPENSIVE COMPONENTS.
ANOTHER BUILDING MIGHT NEED SOME COSMETIC THINGS, CARPET, CEILING TILES, PAINT THAT WHEN YOU WALK IN YOU NOTICE, WELL THIS DOESN'T FEEL THAT NICE, BUT THE COST OF THOSE ITEMS ARE NOT GOING TO BE AS LARGE AS THE COST OF THE OTHERS,
[01:40:07]
SO WE TAKE THE BUILDING CONDITION.WE TAKE THE EDUCATIONAL SUITABILITY THAT I TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT AGO.
WE LOOK AT THE GROUNDS CONDITION.
PART OF THAT GROUNDS CONDITION IS ALSO REALLY HOW WELL LAID OUT IS THE SCHOOL? HOW OUR TRAFFIC PATTERNS, HOW ARE STUDENTS PATTERNS DURING THE DAY AND HOW SAFE IS THE AREA THAT THE SCHOOL IS? NOT NECESSARILY.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE SCHOOL CAMPUS.
IS IT DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT HAS STUDENT SAFETY AND THEN TECHNOLOGY READINESS? ONE THING THAT THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE DID VERY WELL ON IS TECHNOLOGY READINESS, VERY HIGH SCORES IN THAT.
AS WE LOOK AT THE HIGH SCHOOLS, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE AVERAGE HIGH SCHOOL SCORE IS 80.53, THAT IS VERY GOOD FOR A DISTRICT OF THIS SIZE.
WE OFTEN WORK WITH DISTRICTS THAT THEIR AVERAGE COMES OUT TO A 50 ACROSS THE HIGH SCHOOLS.
THE REASON I'M SAYING THIS IS VERY GOOD IS EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE SOME SCHOOLS SCORING IN THE READ, ALL YOUR SCHOOLS AREN'T IN THE RED.
WHAT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO IS REALLY TO SEE AND PRIORITIZE WHAT SCHOOLS NEED HELP NOW.
IN MANY OF THESE CASES, THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN THE RED, IF THEY ARE ON YOUR RENOVATION LIST OR A RECOMMENDED FOR RENOVATION, ALL OF A SUDDEN, AS SOON AS THOSE RENOVATIONS HAPPENED, THEY AGAIN, TWO ARE SCORING IN THE GREEN.
THIS IS A REALLY POSITIVE THING FOR THE DISTRICT.
ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS OFTEN SCORE LOWER JUST BECAUSE MANY TIMES, AND THIS IS WHAT WE SEE ACROSS THE NATION.
MANY TIMES THEY'RE PUTTING BUILDINGS THEY WEREN'T REALLY DESIGNED TO BE INSIDE OF, OR THE PROGRAM IS DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT INSIDE CERTAIN BUILDINGS.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SCORES FOR THOSE BUILDINGS, THEY'RE NOT TERRIBLE AND I KNOW THEY ARE IN THE RED, BUT SOMETIMES WE SEE SCHOOLS SCORING IN THE 20S. LIKE I SAID.
MIDDLE SCHOOLS SCORING PRETTY WELL ACROSS THE BOARD, ESPECIALLY THE THING ABOUT THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, I THINK SCORES THE BEST TIME, IS YOU ONLY ONE SCHOOL IN THE RED FROM A BUILDING CONDITION STANDPOINT RIGHT NOW.
THEN BEYOND THAT YOU'RE AVERAGING REALLY IN THE MID '70S, ESPECIALLY IF YOU PULL THAT ONE OUT ALMOST UP INTO THE '80S.
THEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WIDE, YOU'RE VERY MUCH AROUND THE SAME AVERAGE, ABOUT A 77 AVERAGE FOR ALL OF YOUR BUILDINGS, AND NONE OF THE BUILDINGS IN THE RED, ARE DEEP IN THE RED.
THEY JUST RIGHT BELOW WHERE WE WOULD EXPECT A SCHOOL TO BE.
LIKE I SAID, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SCHOOLS THAT FALL THERE GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE DISTRICT AND THE RENOVATION BUDGETS YOU HAVE, YOU'RE GOING TO CYCLE THROUGH, AND A DISTRICT, I MEAN, A SCHOOL THAT WAS IN THE RED IS GOING TO MAKE ITS WAY BACK UP THROUGH AND WILL BE IN THE GREEN AFTER RENOVATIONS ARE DONE TO THEM.
HIGH-LEVEL FINDINGS AND THEMES THAT WE SAW ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
TONIGHT, AGAIN, NO RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING MADE.
POPULATION OF THE COUNTY'S GOING TO GROW BY EIGHT PERCENT OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
BUT 5-19 YEAR-OLD, IT'S GOING TO DECREASE AROUND 800 KIDS, WHICH AGAIN, GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE DISTRICT, IS REALLY NOT AN APPRECIABLE CHANGE OVER 10 YEARS.
BUT THE OTHER THING THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO IS PLAN FOR STABILITY.
WHAT I MEAN BY PLAN FOR STABILITY IS OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, ALL THE FACTORS ARE SAYING THE DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE ABOUT THE SAME SIZE.
THE DIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE MUCH.
THE ENROLLMENT AGAIN IS GOING TO PREDICT IT TO DROP JUST A LITTLE LESS THAN FIVE PERCENT.
FROM A CAPACITY AND UTILIZATION STANDPOINT WE'VE GOT SOME AVERAGES THAT WE'RE SHARING WITH YOU HERE, BUT ALL OF YOUR BUILDINGS AREN'T EXACTLY THE SAME AND YET THEY HAVE DIFFERENT CAPACITIES.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, THE AVERAGE SCHOOL CAPACITY, 719, 712, 843 AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD SAY THAT THE DISTRICT DOES NEED TO THINK ABOUT AS A WHOLE AND I DO LIKE LOOKING AT THIS AS A WHOLE, WITH THE CURRENT ENROLLMENT THAT WE'RE PREDICTING IS GOING TO HOLD STEADY OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, THE DISTRICT IS 69% FULL BASED UPON THE AVAILABLE SEATS THAT IT HAS.
AS YOU START TO SET BUDGET PRIORITIES AND YOU THINK ABOUT FIXED COSTS AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS, THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND AS YOU MOVE DOWN THE ROAD.
[01:45:04]
THE OTHER THING TOO, THAT IS GLARING IS NUMBER 3, IS THERE ARE 20 SCHOOLS THAT DO FALL UNDER THAT BOTTOM.INEFFICIENT USE OF SPACE CATEGORY, MEANING THE BUILDINGS ARE NOT AN ENROLLMENT THAT IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT.
NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, AND I TOLD DR. MURPHY, I WOULD SAY THIS TONIGHT AND I THINK I SAY IT EVERY TIME I GIVE THIS PRESENTATION TO A SCHOOL BOARD.
THE MATH PROBLEMS I'M TALKING ABOUT A PRETTY SIMPLE.
I CAN WALK YOU THROUGH THE MATH PROBLEMS OF THIS, NO PROBLEM.
THE POLITICAL SCIENCE ESSAYS THAT THESE MATH PROBLEMS ARE WRAPPED UP INSIDE OF.
WE APPRECIATE AND WE UNDERSTAND AND SIT IN THE CHAIRS THAT MADE THE DECISIONS AROUND THIS TYPE OF THING, MADE THESE PLANS, IMPLEMENTED THESE PLANS.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK I'M OVERSIMPLIFYING THE MATH.
BUT IT'S ALSO MY JOB TO SHOW YOU THE MATH FIRST.
BUT THEN ALSO REALIZE WHAT'S DOABLE, WHAT'S ACTIONABLE, WHAT MAKES MOST SENSE FOR A COMMUNITY TO DO.
THEN FINALLY, YOUR BUILDINGS ARE ALL IN FAIRLY GOOD CONDITION OVERALL.
YOU DO HAVE BUILDINGS THAT NEED MORE THAN OTHERS.
BUT OVERALL, IN AMERICA TODAY, IN A DISTRICT THAT'S OVER 20,000 KIDS WITH THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS YOU HAVE, IT SHOULD BE A POINT OF PRIDE THAT YOU'RE SCORING IN THE FAIR TO GOOD RANGE ACROSS THE BOARD.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE DO THIS IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES IN ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
FAIR TO GOOD RIGHT NOW IS REALLY GREAT TO EXCELLENT, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DISTRICTS THAT HAVE HALF OR MORE OF THEIR BUILDINGS ARE IN POOR CONDITION.
IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO EVER DIG OUT AND THEY HAVE MASSIVELY DECLINING ENROLLMENTS.
THOSE ARE TWO REAL POSITIVE POINTS MOVING FORWARD FOR YOU.
NOW WHAT I'M SURE YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR ARE THE SCENARIOS FOR THE NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL.
>> I'D JUST LIKE TO STOP YOU WITH A QUESTION.
IS THERE A BREAKDOWN AVAILABLE? YOU SAID ENROLLMENT IS GOING TO BE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME MINUS 800 STUDENTS, WHICH IS NOT A LOT OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS.
IS THERE ANY REGIONAL OR INFORMATION AVAILABLE, LIKE WHAT PART OF THE COUNTIES? MY POINT IS AN OBVIOUS POINT.
IF WE'VE GOT SEATS OUT IN WAGNER, IN OUR SCHOOLS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BUS KIDS FROM NORTH AUGUSTA OUT TO WAGNER.
THAT'S A MATH THING. DO WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN FURTHER INTO WHAT PARTS OF THE COUNTY ARE GOING TO STAY THE SAME VERSUS GROW OR RECEDE?
>> WE CAN PROVIDE THAT INSIDE THE REPORT, SCHOOL BY SCHOOL, WHAT WE SEE THE ENROLLMENT DOING.
AGAIN, RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE SEEING AGAIN AT THE HIGH LEVEL ISN'T ONE SCHOOL JUST COMPLETELY DROPPING OFF IN ENROLLMENT UNLESS THAT IS CREATED.
[NOISE] ORGANICALLY, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
BUT THAT IS SOMETHING AS WE LOOK AT THIS AND DECIDE ON SCENARIOS MOVING FORWARD TO KEEP INTO MIND, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT MIDDLE SCHOOLS ARE AT 67 PERCENT CAPACITY NOW PRIOR TO THE NEW SCHOOL OPENING.
>> AGAIN, SORRY. BEFORE WE MOVE TO HIGHLANDS SPRINGS SPECIFICALLY, AGAIN, AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, MR. NUESSLE, BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO ASK THAT, WAS THERE ANY PROJECTION SYSTEM MOVEMENT WITHIN THE COUNTY? I THINK BACK TO A PRESENTATION AND MR. LAWRENCE DID PROBABLY SIX YEARS AGO IN ANOTHER CAPACITY WHERE VERY SIMILAR RESULTS.
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, MR. LAWRENCE, THE DISTRICTS OVERALL POPULATION WAS HOVERING AROUND 25,000 AND OVER A TEN-YEAR PERIOD, PRETTY MUCH STAYED THE SAME.
HOWEVER, MOVEMENT WITHIN THE COUNTY OVER THAT PERIOD WAS WHAT WE REALLY SAW A DIFFERENCE IN UP TO NOW.
BUT BACK EVEN SIX YEARS AGO, THE MOVEMENT WAS FROM SAY, EXIT 11 TOWARD NORTH AUGUSTA.
I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW, AS MR. NUESSLE SUGGESTED, WHAT THAT GROWTH AREAS PROJECTED TO BE BASED ON YOUR RESEARCH.
WHEN WE COME BACK FROM THE NEXT PRESENTATION, I CAN HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
BUT YOU BRING UP A REALLY GOOD POINT.
WHAT WE SEE IN STABLE DISTRICTS IS NOT STATIC POPULATION STILL.
MANY TIMES SHIFTING POPULATIONS OR LIKE I TALKED ABOUT, GENERATIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS, THAT SCHOOL POPULATIONS EBB AND FLOW BASED UPON THE AGES OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING.
BASED ON THAT, I JUST HAVE TO SAY IT BECAUSE IT'S JUST A PERSONAL THING,
[01:50:03]
I GET ANGRY EVERY TIME I DRIVE BY A PARTICULAR SCHOOL WITH DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE EIGHT YEARS AGO AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE SPEND AT THIS PARTICULAR SCHOOL WHEN LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS TODAY, IT'S SO FAR UNDERUTILIZED.ANYWAY, JUST MY PERSONAL SOAPBOX, BUT THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER FINDINGS AND THEMES QUESTIONS BEFORE I TALK ABOUT THE SCENARIOS? NOW YOU DO HAVE THE SCENARIOS IN FRONT OF YOU.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHEN YOU SEE THEM UP HERE, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE CURRENT ENROLLMENT IS AND THEN WHAT THE FUTURE ENROLLMENT WOULD BE, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REFERENCE THAT VERY EASILY AS I HAVE IT UP HERE AS THE VISUALS THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU ARE GOING TO SHOW YOU WHAT THE SCENARIOS ARE.
BEFORE YOU GO THERE, LET ME BACKUP TO WHAT WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT COMBINATIONS OF SCHOOLS TO SERVE A PARTICULAR POPULATION.
THE POPULATIONS HAVE BEEN DEFINED NOT JUST BY DISTRICT BUT BY AREA.
THERE'S A LOT OF INTERNAL RESISTANCE ABOUT MOVING KIDS ACROSS AREA LINES AND THAT SORT OF THING.
WHICH IS SOMETHING WE PROBABLY ULTIMATELY GOING TO HAVE TO COME TO GRIPS WITH.
BUT WE NEED TO KNOW THE NUMBERS BY AREA, BY ALL THIS STUFF IN TRYING TO ARRIVE AT THE SOLUTIONS OF SURE WE'VE GOT ENOUGH SEATS FOR OUR ENROLLMENT.
BUT IF THEY'RE NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE, WE STILL HAVE POLITICAL PROBLEMS AND THAT TYPE OF THING YOU DEAL WITH.
IF WE COULD GET THAT, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, I THINK.
AS I SAID EARLIER, AND DIDN'T MEAN A TONGUE IN CHEEK AT ALL, YOU CAN'T MOVE SCHOOL BUILDINGS EASILY.
THEY'RE WHERE THEY ARE AND MANY TIMES YOU HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT IMPACT TRANSPORTATION, STAFFING, ENROLLMENT BOUNDARIES BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE BUILDINGS AND ESPECIALLY IF A BUILDING IS IN GREAT SHAPE, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS AROUND THAT.
WE CAN HOP INTO THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
I'M NOT MUCH ONE FOR READING POWERPOINTS TO YOU, BUT I AM GOING TO READ THESE TO MAKE SURE THAT I SAY THEM CORRECTLY.
SCENARIO ONE DRAWS STUDENTS FROM ALL FOUR SCHOOLS WHICH ARE IN ACPSS AREAS 1 AND 2, SO THAT NO STUDENT WOULD BE MOVED FROM THEIR CURRENT MIDDLE SCHOOL TO AN EXISTING SCHOOL.
WHAT THAT MEANS, [OVERLAPPING].
I WANT TO STOP YOU. I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT AREAS 2 AND 3 AS OPPOSED TO 1 AND 2. THAT CORRECT? YOU ARE CORRECT. I APOLOGIZE THAT IT'S A TYPO. TWO AND THREE.
THE BIGGEST THING TO GET FROM THIS IS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE A KID FROM THE SCHOOL THEY'RE CURRENTLY IN AND PUT THEM IN ANOTHER EXISTING SCHOOL.
ANY STUDENTS BEING IMPACTED WOULD GO TO THE NEW SCHOOL, IN SCENARIO ONE.
SCENARIO TWO ONLY DRAW STUDENTS FROM PAUL KNOX AND NORTH AUGUSTA SCHOOLS, WHICH ARE BOTH IN AREA TWO, SO THAT NO STUDENT WOULD BE MOVED FROM THEIR CURRENT MIDDLE SCHOOL TO AN EXISTING MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SAME THING. IF YOU'RE MOVED, YOU END UP IN THE NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SCENARIO THREE DRAWS STUDENTS FROM ALL FOUR, 2 AND 3 IN A MANNER THAT ENSURES ALL FOUR SCHOOLS ATTENDANTS BOUNDARIES ARE CONTIGUOUS.
AS YOU CAN LOOK ON THE MAPS AS WE MOVE THROUGH, YOU HAVE SOME NON-CONTIGUOUS ATTENDANCE AREAS.
THIS WOULD BRING THEM TO BE CONTIGUOUS.
THEN SCENARIOS 4 AND 5 BOTH DRAW STUDENTS FROM ALL FOUR SCHOOLS, WHICH ARE IN 2 AND 3 IN A MANNER THAT DISTRIBUTES STUDENTS EVENLY WITHOUT REGARD TO STUDENTS MOVING FROM THEIR CURRENT MIDDLE SCHOOL TO AN EXISTING MIDDLE SCHOOL.
TRAVEL TIME, PROXIMITY AND DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN, IMBALANCE OF ENROLLMENT, WERE FACTORS WE USE TO MAKE THESE SCENARIOS.
[NOISE] A QUESTION AS I SAID EARLIER THAT YOU COULD ASK RIGHT OFF THE BAT IS, WHAT ABOUT THIS? HOW ABOUT THAT? THESE ARE THE FIVE THAT WE FELT LIKE BEST EXEMPLIFIED WHAT THE OPTIONS WERE THAT WERE ACTIONABLE, THAT SHOWED A VARIETY OF OPTIONS AND WAYS TO DO THIS.
LET'S JUMP IN AND LOOK AT WHAT THE IMPACTS LOOK LIKE.
SCENARIO 1, YOU CAN SEE WHAT THAT DOES TO THE POPULATIONS OF THE SCHOOLS.
ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY FOCUSED ON WERE PUPILS IN POVERTY AND TRYING NOT TO ADVERSELY IMPACT AS WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE TOTAL STUDENT POPULATION IS CURRENTLY ARE.
THESE ARE THE CURRENT PROJECTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR, FOR THESE SCHOOLS.
IF YOU SAW CAPACITY AND UTILIZATION THIS YEAR, THE TOTAL NUMBERS ARE GOING TO LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE THESE ARE BASED ON NEXT YEAR'S NUMBERS.
[01:55:02]
YOU CAN SEE IT DROPS THESE SCHOOLS FROM BEING A LITTLE OVER 600 TO IN THE 500 BALLPARK WITH THE NEW SCHOOL OPENING UP AT 532.SCENARIO NUMBER 2 DROPS PAUL KNOX UNDER 400, OPENS THE NEW SCHOOL AT 400, NORTH AUGUSTA GOES DOWN TO JUST AROUND 400.
THREE, A LITTLE MORE EVEN POPULATION OF STUDENT BREAKDOWN WHEN YOU BREAK THE SCHOOLS OUT.
BALANCE OF PUPILS IN POVERTY NOT AS UNIFORM ACROSS THE SCHOOLS.
HOWEVER, NOT A GREAT CHANGE AMONG ANY SCHOOL AT THAT POINT OF WHAT THAT IS, EXCEPT FOR THE DROP IN PAUL KNOX AND A INCREASE, IT'S ALMOST COMMENSURATE OR A LITTLE MORE IN NORTH AUGUSTA.
SCENARIO 4 DOES A BETTER JOB OF BALANCING PUPILS AND POVERTY.
ALSO A BETTER JOB OF BALANCING POPULATIONS AMONG THE SCENARIOS FOR THE SCHOOLS REMAINING.
THEN SCENARIO 5 DOES THE BEST JOB OF BALANCING PUPILS IN POVERTY ACROSS THE SCENARIOS AND JUST AS GOOD A JOB AS BALANCING OUT STUDENT POPULATIONS ACROSS THE SCHOOLS.
SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE COME BACK AS WELL IS, I WAS DISCUSSING THIS WITH DR. MURPHY, IS WE CAN HEAT MAP THESE MAPS THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU TO SHOWING YOU WHERE SPECIFIC KIDS ARE COMING FROM ON THE MAP AS THEY MOVE FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL IF YOU FIND THAT TO BE A USEFUL THING TO SEE, AS WELL AS AS WE NARROWED DOWN SCENARIOS, WE HAVE A TOOL CALLED SCHOOL SITE LOCATOR WHERE IF FAMILIES ARE INTERESTED, HOW DOES THIS IMPACT ME? WHERE WOULD I GO TO SCHOOL? YOU JUST PUT YOUR ADDRESS IN, IT'LL TELL YOU THE SCHOOL THAT YOU'D BE ASSIGNED TO.
I'D LIKE TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU THIS EVENING.
ONE OF THE THINGS IS WE WERE ASKED TO MAKE ONE ADDITIONAL SCENARIO AND THAT ONE GOT FINISHED OVER THE WEEKENDS, SO WE WERE COMING IN FRESH WITH THIS TODAY.
THE OTHER THING TOO IS AND I DON'T MEAN THIS, WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU WANTING MORE.
THAT WASN'T THE PURPOSE OF THIS, BUT ALSO DIDN'T WANT TO IN-DEBT THE BOARD WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF INFORMATION WHERE SOME OF THE IMPORTANT PARTS GOT LOST IN THE BEGINNING.
REALLY, WE WANTED THIS TO GENERATE THE QUESTIONS NOW OF WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE.
WE CAN SHOW YOU THE SCENARIO BY MAP THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
YOU'RE GETTING THAT INSIDE THE REPORT.
WE ALSO HAVE THE MAPS, WE CAN SHARE THOSE WITH YOU.
BUT THEN ALSO TO THE POINT THAT WAS MADE, WE CAN PROJECT SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS OUT AS WELL FOR YOU.
>> JUST ONE THING I WANT TO ASK BEFORE I FORGET ABOUT IT.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS AGAIN, IS THERE ANY WAY YOU COULD PROVIDE THE CURRENT STANDINGS AS AN OVERLAY FOR THE PROPOSED OPTIONS? JUST SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT OVER TOP OF THE OTHERS THAT MAKE SENSE?
THEN THE ONLY QUESTION I HAD, THIS IS EASY FOR YOU, BUT I COULDN'T REMEMBER.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THESE OPTIONS THAT DID NOT INVOLVE MOVING SOMEONE FROM THEIR CURRENT SCHOOL TO AN EXISTING SCHOOL, WERE THOSE ONE THROUGH THREE OR JUST ONE?
>> ONE AND TWO, OKAY. THANK YOU.
>> AS PART OF WHAT YOU PROVIDE TO US WITH THE PRESENTATION, I'M ASSUMING IT CAN BE THESE MAPS ALSO?
>> WOULD IT BE IN A DIGITAL FORMAT THAT I COULD ZOOM INTO A LITTLE MORE TO SEE WHERE THESE BREAKDOWNS ARE WITHIN A DISTRICT OR WITHIN AN AREA?
>> YES. I'VE GOT A MAP THAT HOPEFULLY AIN'T TOO BIG WHEN I TRIED TO SHARE IT.
>> I THINK FOR THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS PERFECT, BUT JUST TO GET IN A LITTLE CLOSER, SO OKAY, WELL, WHERE ARE THEY PROPOSING IN THIS LAND AND WHERE EXACTLY IS THAT IN A SPECIFIC AREA?
[02:00:04]
WHAT ROAD? THANK YOU.>> QUICK QUESTION AND I THINK THIS IS MORE FOR SUPERINTENDENT LAWRENCE.
WHAT WAS OUR CAPACITY BILL FOR HIGHLANDS SPRINGS?
>> SEVEN FIFTY. THAT'S A TYPICAL MIDDLE-SCHOOL SIZE TO BUILD.
ACTUALLY, I WOULD SAY THAT ALL THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS INVOLVED HERE PROBABLY HAVE ABOUT A 750 CAPACITY.
>> YES I'LL TAKE CARE OF MOST OF THESE ON MY OWN, I'M SURE YOU'VE BEEN VERY [INAUDIBLE]
>> IF I CAN MAKE A POINT ON TOP OF WHAT SUPERINTENDENT LAWRENCE SAID, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR BOARDS TO UNDERSTAND TOO MANY TIMES YOU INHERIT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
YOU'RE MANAGING SCHOOLS THAT WERE BUILT 20, 30 YEARS AGO.
THERE WERE THEORIES BACK IN THE LATE '60S, EARLY '70S THAT 1,500-KID, 2,000-KID MIDDLE SCHOOL WORKED.
THERE WERE ALSO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT WERE 350, 400 BUILD-OUT, ESPECIALLY AS THE BABY BOOM WAS HAPPENING.
I'M NOT JUST SAYING IN AIKEN COUNTY, BUT AS YOU THINK ABOUT THIS, WHY ARE THOSE BUILDINGS THAT WAY? WELL, IN MANY CASES IT'S NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT ANYBODY ON THE CURRENT BOARD HAS DONE OR ANYBODY IN THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, YOU INHERIT THE BUILDINGS THAT YOU'VE HAD FROM GENERATIONS PRIOR.
THAT'S WORTH KEEPING IN MIND, AND JUST LOOKING AT AGAIN, HOW THE POINT WAS BROUGHT UP HOW YOUR POPULATION STARTS TO SHIFT INTERNALLY, ESPECIALLY IN A STABLE DISTRICT.
>> SIX YEARS AGO WE WERE IN CRISES MODE WITH ALL THE CROWDING IN SCHOOL [INAUDIBLE] NOW, WE ARE LOOKING AT SO MANY SCHOOLS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT IT.
I GUESS WITH ALL THE BUILD-OUT AROUND TO THE LEFT.
I KNOW RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE SHOWING GREATER FOR SCHOOLS UNLESS I'M WRONG, THAT WILL HAVE TO UTILIZE THOSE THREE CONSTRUCTION.
THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE THAT WAS FAIRLY [INAUDIBLE]
>> YES, SIR. MR. BROOME, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
THE SCHOOLS THAT WE SAW OR THAT OUR STUDY SAW AS OVERCAPACITY, THOSE INCLUDED THOSE THAT RECEIVED THE ATTENTION IN 2018.
THAT WOULD BE MILLBROOK, HAMMOND HILL, BELVEDERE, AND MIDLAND VALLEY.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WERE ADDRESSED BASED ON THAT.
I CAN'T THINK OF THAT, I DON'T THINK THERE WERE ANY OTHERS THAT WERE DESIGNATED AS BEING SIGNIFICANTLY OVERCROWDED AT THAT POINT, BUT THOSE WERE THE FOUR THAT ROSE TO THE TOP OF THE LIST IN '18, AND OF COURSE, THOSE WERE THE ONES.
>> USED TO USE OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL [INAUDIBLE]
>> RIGHT. GRANITEVILLE WAS RENOVATED AND OPENED TO REDUCE THE OVERCROWDING AT BYRD.
[02:05:06]
>> YEAH, BYRD WAS THE ONE I WAS SPEAKING OF.
>> BYRD WAS THE ONE THAT NEEDED THAT PRESSURE RELEASE AND IT WORKED.
THEN OF COURSE, HIGHLANDS SPRINGS WAS PART OF THAT BECAUSE OF THE PROJECTED GROWTH IN THE NORTH AUGUSTA AREA. YES, SIR?
>> WELL, I GUESS THE POINT IS FROM PROJECTIONS, I REMEMBER SIX YEARS AGO TO NOW, THERE'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN PROJECTIONS OF WHAT LEADS TO THE GROWTH OF THE STUDENTS, JUST ABOUT WHAT I REMEMBERED, MAYBE YOU ARE DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB [INAUDIBLE] .
>> MR. SILAS, YOU SPOKE MOSTLY ABOUT PERCENT UTILIZATION.
HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO CAPACITY? I'M GUESSING YOU BELIEVE PERCENT UTILIZATION IS A BETTER REFERENCE, BUT DOES IT HIDE SOMETHING WITH PERCENT CAPACITY THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER?
>> CAPACITY IS A CHOICE, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'LL ALWAYS SAY WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS.
IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MORE DIFFICULT THINGS TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE THE SAME BUILDING AND IT CAN HAVE A DIFFERENT CAPACITY FROM YEAR-TO-YEAR BASED UPON THE PROGRAMMATIC OFFERINGS THAT YOU'RE HAVING WITHIN THE SCHOOL AND THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS EVEN, WITHIN A HIGH SCHOOL THAT YOU'RE OFFERING.
BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY, AND THIS IS MY OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF IT.
YOU HAVE FIRE MARSHAL CAPACITY AND THAT'S HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU CAN PUT INSIDE THE GYM.
YOU'RE NOT USING FIRE MARSHAL CAPACITY FOR YOUR CLASSROOMS. THEN YOU HAVE WHAT YOU WOULD CALL A STATE CAPACITY, WHICH IN MOST CASES IN SOUTH CAROLINA IS 27 KIDS IN THE LOWER GRADES AND 32 KIDS IN THE HIGHER GRADES.
BUT KIDS STILL AREN'T CORD WOOD AND YOU'RE NOT JUST PACKING THEM AND STACKING THEM. YOU'RE IN.
WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU DETERMINE CAPACITY AND WHAT WE DO IS YOU GO CLASSROOM BY CLASSROOM BASED UPON THE USE OF THAT CLASSROOM.
FROM THAT YOU DEVELOP THE CAPACITY OF THAT SCHOOL FOR THE PROGRAMS IT HAS.
THEN YOU PUT ON THE EFFICIENCY FACTOR.
THE OTHER THING THAT SOME DISTRICTS WILL DO FOR THE EFFICIENCY OR THE UTILIZATION FACTOR IS BASED UPON THE PIP PERCENTAGE.
THEY WILL KICK DOWN THE EFFICIENCY FACTOR EVEN MORE BECAUSE RESEARCH SHOWS LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STUDENTS LIVING IN POVERTY, LOWER CLASS SIZE HELPS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GET OVER 50 PERCENT POPULATION IN A SCHOOL OF STUDENTS LIVING IN POVERTY.
BUT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT SOME DISTRICTS DO SO.
TO YOUR QUESTION, YOU CAN MASK SOME THINGS THROUGH IT, BUT YOU'RE NOT DOING IT AS A SHELL GAME.
YOU'RE DOING IT PROGRAMMATICALLY.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE DON'T DO WHEN WE WORK WITH THE DISTRICT, UNLESS THE DISTRICT SAYS USE THEM, IS WE DON'T CONSIDER PORTABLES AS PART OF THE CAPACITY OF A SCHOOL.
AT THE SAME TIME, I'LL EVEN DISCOUNT THAT IS IF THERE'S NO WAY IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS YOU COULD ELIMINATE PORTABLES FROM EVERY SCHOOL OR YOU HAVE A SHIFTING POPULATION, YOU ALMOST HAVE TO ASTERISK THAT WE'RE GOING TO DETERMINE THE CAPACITY OF THE SCHOOL BY PORTABLES.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT COMES INTO THAT.
BUT THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD SAY THAT WE ALWAYS ADMONISH DISTRICTS TO DO IS HAVE A CLEAR DEFINITION OF WHAT CAPACITY IS AND A CLEAR DEFINITION OF WHO DEFINES IT.
BECAUSE I WAS A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND WHEN I WAS A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, MY DEFINITION OF CAPACITY WAS WAY DIFFERENT THAN WHEN I WAS CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER.
THERE IS A BIAS THAT FALLS INTO THAT.
>> I'M A LITTLE SLOW, SO SOME OF THAT'S STILL A LITTLE BUDDY TO ME.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING.
IS THERE A LINEAR RELATIONSHIP? BECAUSE I BELIEVED THAT MAYBE IF WE CONSIDER SOME OF THE UTILIZATION NUMBERS, WE'RE PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE OVERCROWDED THAN THAT NUMBER MAY HINT, TOO, I THINK.
BUT THAT'S JUST PART OF THIS EFFORT, I GUESS. THANK YOU.
>> WELL, AND FOR EXAMPLE, I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR POINT, WE'RE DOING A PROJECT WITH METRO NASHVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW.
THEY HAVE SOME VERY SPECIFIC PROGRAMS THAT THEY FEEL ARE, WE TALKED ABOUT EDUCATIONAL SUITABILITY.
THESE ARE NON-NEGOTIABLES THAT ARE GO BE INSIDE EVERY BUILDING.
WELL, IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THESE NON-NEGOTIABLES IN SIZE BUILDINGS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE TO HOUSE THEM.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A ROOM TO DO THAT.
IF THAT ROOM BECOMES A CLASSROOM,
[02:10:01]
THE CAPACITY OF THAT SCHOOL GOES DOWN.IF THAT MOVES OUT TO A PORTABLE, THE CAPACITY OF THAT SCHOOL GOES UP.
>> YOUR FUTURE BUILDING PERMIT [INAUDIBLE]
>> WE USE A SERVICE CALLED MC THAT IS A NATIONWIDE DATABASE THAT GOES DOWN INTO ZIP CODES THAT LOOKS AT BUILDING PERMITS PULLED.
HOWEVER, MC ALSO LOOKS INTO A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.
THE BUILDING PERMITS PULLED ARE STARTING TO DO FALSE POSITIVES.
WE HAVE A SIDE OF MY DIVISION THAT JUST DOES DEMOGRAPHIC STUDIES FOR DISTRICTS THAT DOES ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS, AND RIGHT NOW BUILDING PERMITS ARE STARTING TO SHOW FALSE POSITIVES BASED ON WHAT I SAID WHEN I STARTED MY PRESENTATION.
YOU MAY HAVE THE BUILDING PERMITS, BUT YOU HAVE RETIRED FAMILIES NOW BUYING HOMES THAT YOUNG FAMILIES WOULD HAVE BOUGHT OR YOU'RE NOT GETTING A YIELD OF TWO KIDS ANYMORE FROM THIS HOUSE?
>> YEAH. FROM OUR LISTSERV WE ARE AND THEY'RE GETTING WHAT THEY'RE SEEING OVER TIME.
LIKE I SAID, THE OTHER THING THAT WE LOOK AT ALSO BEST PREDICTOR OF THE FUTURE, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT-TERM IS THE PAST.
WE'RE SEEING A PRETTY STEADY LINE ACROSS THE DISTRICT OF WHAT THE POPULATION IS DOING.
IT'S A SLOW DECLINE THAT STEADYING OUT, AND ESPECIALLY WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THE PROJECTION OF THE OLDER POPULATION GROWING, THE YOUNGER POPULATION HOLDING STEADY OR MOVING ACROSS THE BOARD.
THEN WHAT YOU DO HAVE TO SEE AND THE ONE THING YOU DO HAVE IN THIS DISTRICT THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND AND WE'RE NOT MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TONIGHT IS DON'T WRITE SIZE DOWN TO EXACTLY WHAT YOUR CAPACITY IS BECAUSE THEN YOU'RE IN NO POSITION TO ADJUST TO IT.
SOME CUSHION IS GOOD IN CASE THINGS CHANGE.
NOBODY EXPECTED THE BABY BOOM IN THE 1930S.
THEN FOR 35 YEARS, THERE WERE STEADY INCREASE GROWTH ALMOST IN EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN AMERICA.
>> OTHER QUESTIONS, TONIGHT, IF WE'RE DONE WITH THAT, WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT THE PROPOSED DRAFT TIMELINE SPECIFICALLY FOR HIGHLANDS SPRINGS.
>> I'M SORRY, THAT WAS MY LAST SLIDE AND I STOPPED AND ASKED FOR QUESTIONS, WENT TO EARLY.
>> I KNOW WHAT I WOULD LIKE JUST TO PREFACE THIS AND MAYBE MR. LAWRENCE MIGHT HAVE SOME INITIAL COMMENTS.
THIS WAS ONE OF THE ATTACHMENTS TO THE AGENDA.
YOU LOOK AT THAT TIMELINE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS IS SOME INITIAL INFORMATION.
WE'VE GOT SEVERAL BOARD MEETINGS BETWEEN NOW AND MARCH 7TH THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DISCUSS AND REVIEW INFORMATION.
BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR IS FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD ON THE SUITABILITY OF THIS TIMELINE, AS WELL AS YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE'S A GENERIC TIME FRAME TO GET TOWN HALLS OR COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS ON THIS DECISION AND THE OPTIONS.
I'D LOVE TO HEAR SUGGESTIONS ON HOW MANY AND WHERE.
THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS JUST, IN TALKING TO THE ADMINISTRATION, HOPEFULLY I'M REFLECTING THIS CORRECTLY.
THAT MARCH 7TH DATE, WE NEED TO HOLD TOO AS FAR AS MAKING A DECISION AND THAT WILL BE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
IF WE HAVEN'T MADE UP OUR MINDS BEFORE THEN, WE CAN REALLY DEDICATE THAT TIME TO IT.
BUT MAKE SURE THAT YOU THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A PROCESS THAT WE CAN LIVE WITH IN MAKING A DECISION MARCH 7TH ON ATTENDANCE LINES FOR HIGHLANDS SPRINGS.
I OPEN IT UP TO THE BOARD FOR QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK ON THE TIMELINE. MS. REINHARDT JACKSON.
>> I DON'T MEAN TO ADD ANY MORE WORK TO THE DISTRICT, SO I'M GOING TO APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THE COMMUNITY INPUT MEETING OR TOWN HALL MEETINGS, IS THERE SOME WAY WE CAN MAYBE SEND OUT A SURVEY OR HAVE THOSE PARENTS WHO AREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND THE COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS, BUT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEIR INPUT COMMUNICATED WITH THE DISTRICT VIA E-MAIL TO SOME KIND OF WAY?
>> YES. WE CAN CREATE A DEDICATED EMAIL ADDRESS WHERE WE CAN RECEIVE THAT INPUT.
[02:15:05]
>> I ASSUME WE'RE ALSO GOING TO DO THIS.
I AGREE WITH MS. REINHARDT JACKSON'S CONCERN, BUT I ALSO THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO ASK PARENTS TO PROVIDE INPUT, I'M ASSUMING WE'RE GOING TO PUT SOME INFORMATION OUT THERE ON THE WEBSITE OR SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN SEE.
I MEAN, WE GOT A PRETTY DETAILED VIEW TONIGHT.
THIS WAS, AS YOU SAID, A 30,000-50,000 FOOT VIEW.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING OUT THERE FOR PARENTS TO SEE.
THAT'S ALL. THAT'S PROBABLY FOR YOU, DR. MURPHY.
>> WELL, AGAIN TONIGHT, OUR SOLE INTENT WAS TO BEGIN THE CONVERSATION AND WE HAVE A BUNCH OF DATA THAT IT WAS NO WAY I COULD DISSEMINATE TO YOU ALL.
I WANTED TO GET WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN THE CONVERSATION.
BUT YES, HE ALREADY ALLUDED TO THE WEBSITE.
IT'S GOING TO ALLOW PARENTS LOOK AT THE SCENARIOS AS WELL AS PUTTING THEIR ADDRESSES.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL THAT STUFF GOING FORWARD.
IF I CAN GET YOU THE DATA TONIGHT, I WILL PREFACE THAT BY SAYING IT MAY END UP BEING MULTIPLE EMAILS BECAUSE FILE OF THIS SIZE, WE COULD NOT SEE HIM.
HE WAS NOT EVEN ABLE TO SEND IT OVER TO ME.
I HAD TO WAIT FROM HIM AND THAT THUMBDRIVE.
WE'RE GOING TO STITCH IT TOGETHER AS BEST WE CAN TO GET YOU THE INFORMATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
BUT AGAIN, JUST THE OVERVIEW OF THE DATA AND YOU'LL BE GETTING A COMPLETE DATA FILE VERY SHORTLY.
>> CAN WE SEE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AT DAY TO DAY MEETING FOR EXAMPLE [INAUDIBLE]?
>> IN MY MIND, THE BOARD WILL HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE INFORMATION, TO REVIEW THESE MAPS, TO LOOK AT THE REPORT THAT DR. MURPHY IS GOING TO SEND YOU, GENERATE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
I'M SURE POSSIBLY SOME OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS MAY HAVE SOME INPUT FOR YOU.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE PERHAPS EVEN THESE FIVE OPTIONS GET NARROWED DOWN TO THREE OPTIONS.
THAT WOULD BE IDEAL GOING INTO COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS.
I CAN SEE WHERE YOU MIGHT LOOK AT THESE MAPS AND SAY, "I LIKE NUMBER 3, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THIS LINE WAS SHIFTED OVER HERE OR THIS LINE WAS SHIFTED UP HERE." THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I THINK THE BOARD WOULD WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT BEFORE WE GO OUT TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION OFFICIALLY.
OF COURSE, THE INFORMATION IS GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, BUT TO SHARE EFFICIENTLY WITH THEM AND SEEK INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
>> THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT THOSE AREAS FROM THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THE NIGHT.
WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING OVERLAYS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT DID BETTER DEFINE, AT LEAST TO SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THIS TERRITORY, EXACTLY WHAT GEOGRAPHY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
HOW THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE AREA SITUATION AND ALL THAT STUFF? IF WE COULD GET THAT INFORMATION FOR NEXT TUESDAY, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
BUT, I DON'T FEEL LIKE I'M IN A POSITION TO VOTE ON ANYTHING UNTIL I UNDERSTAND WHAT'S PERFORM A BETTER.
AGAIN, HAVING SAID THAT, I FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I'M IGNORANT PRIMARILY OF A LOT OF THAT TERRITORY OUT THERE IN THE POPULATION TRENDS OTHER THAN JUST DRIVING THROUGH IT AND SEEING WHERE HOUSES ARE BEING BUILT AND THAT THING.
BUT IF IT WERE MY AREA, I'D WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT ALMOST DOWN TO THE STREETS THAT ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED BEFORE I COULD MAKE AN INTELLIGENT DECISION ABOUT ONE OF THESE MAPS.
BUT IF YOU GUYS WHO LIVE IN REPRESENTED AREA ARE COMFORTABLE, I CAN PLAY TAG. I CAN GO A LONG WAY.
>> THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I ASKED FOR THE MAPS DIGITALLY SO WE COULD ZOOM IN, AND SHOW A STREET-LEVEL BREAK DELINEATION OF WHERE THE LINES ARE.
HOPEFULLY, THAT'LL ALLOW THAT DETAIL.
>> MR. SMITH AND THEN MR. LAWRENCE.
>> [INAUDIBLE], THANK YOU. I WANT TO REQUEST THE FIRST PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION, I WOULD LIKE A HARD COPY OF IT SHOWING WHAT THE CAPACITY OF THE SCHOOLS
[02:20:01]
ARE AND ALL THAT OTHER INFORMATION YOU HAD BECAUSE THAT WAS VERY GOOD.I COULD NOT READ IT UP FROM HERE, AND IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING TO TRY TO FOLLOW YOU.
I DON'T MEAN THAT CRITICALLY, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE I GOT THAT INFORMATION AND I'D LOVE TO HAVE IT ASAP.
>> I CAN GET THIS TO DR. MURPHY THIS EVENING THAT HE CAN PRINT OFF AND YOU CAN HAVE ONE.
>> I WOULD LOVE THE COOLER COPY OF IT JUST LIKE IT'S PRESENTED.
>> I'M SURE [INAUDIBLE] GIVE YOU ONE TOO.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD SAY TOO, IS WE REALIZED THAT THE DISTRICT IS UNDER A TIMELINE FOR THIS, AND YOU GOT TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP AND WE WANTED TO GET THE INFORMATION TO YOU TO DO THAT.
BUT BASED UPON YOUR FEEDBACK AND YOURS, MR. LAWRENCE, I THINK WE CAN SHOW SCENARIO BY SCENARIO, CURRENT, NEW, DOWN THE STREET WHERE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE BORDERS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE BETTER.
>> MR. LAWRENCE, DID YOU HAVE A COUNTER?
>> I DID. THIS IS FOR DR. BRADLEY.
YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT ABOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA.
I WOULD SAY THAT THE LAST TIME WE HAD ANY CONSIDERATION OF MOVING LINES, MOST OF IT HAPPENED IN AREA 1, AND I'M SURE THAT EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND GIVING YOU ADVICE.
BUT, IT REALLY CAME DOWN TO THOSE BOARD MEMBERS WHO WERE INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH IT TO REALLY DIG DEEPLY INTO IT.
I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT BEING THE CASE THIS TIME AS WELL.
>> MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS, TOWN MEETING OR WHATEVER, JUST TO FIND COMMENT.
I CAN'T FORESEE HAVING OVER TWO, ONE IN EACH AREA, AND I WOULD REALLY BE AMENABLE TO ONE HONESTLY BASED IN JUST A LITTLE DISENCHANTED WITH OUR LAST EFFORT AT COMMUNITY MEETINGS WITH MODIFIED CALENDAR AND THE LACK OF SUPPORT, THIS PROBABLY WILL GARNER MORE ATTENDANCE.
FOR ME, TWO AT THE MOST, ONE IN EACH AREA AND CONSIDERATION OF EVEN ONE APPROPRIATELY LOCATED AND ADVERTISED.
>> THANK YOU, MR. SILAS. OTHERS HAVE FEEDBACK ON THAT?
>> I THINK WE'VE REALLY COMPACT IN THIS THING, PROBABLY SHOULD'VE STARTED A LOT EARLIER.
I'LL TAKE THE BLAME FOR THAT BECAUSE I WAS CHAIRMAN.
I THINK WE GOT TO HAVE TIME TO ADVERTISE THIS THING SUFFICIENTLY, GIVE PEOPLE TIME TO PLAN TO BE THERE, NOT THEY STORE SOMETHING UP AND THEN IN THREE OR FOUR DAYS AWAY CAVE AND HAVE A MEETING ABOUT IT.
HAVING BEEN THROUGH THIS REZONING, OF COURSE THIS IS GOING BY AN EASY ONE BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S GOING TO A NEW SCHOOL BUT HAVEN'T BEEN THROUGH RESUMES.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR TROUBLE, YOU FOUND IT WHEN YOU START REZONING SCHOOL.
WE NEED TO BE AS SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THESE PEOPLE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
THIS IS ONE THING TO CRAM IT THROUGH, BUT IT'S ANOTHER THING TO HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT.
I KNOW SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE 6-8 YEARS LATER AFTER THAT OCCURRED.
JUST A WORD OF CAUTION, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO FALL BACK ON MY DISCLAIMER.
>> MY OPINION WOULD BE TO HAVE TWO COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS.
WE'VE GOT TIME TO DO IT, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR SUGGESTION, THOUGH.
DID WE ALREADY HAVE SUGGESTED OR WOULD IT BE THE TWO HIGH SCHOOLS FROM THE TWO AREAS, OR DO WE HAVE SUGGESTED LOCATIONS FOR THAT?
>> WE DON'T AT THIS POINT, BUT I THINK THAT THE TWO HIGH SCHOOLS WOULD BE REASONABLE.
>> DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY FEEDBACK FOR THE ADMINISTRATION ON TIMING OF THOSE?
>> JUST ONE COMMENT. I THINK WE'VE ALREADY NARROWED IT DOWN THE TWO TOWN HALL MEETINGS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
THE ONLY THING IN LIGHT OF WHAT DR. BRADLEY SAYING, I'D RECOMMEND WE SCHEDULED THEM CLOSER TO THE END OF THAT FEBRUARY 13TH PERIOD RATHER THAN STARTING JANUARY 25TH TO GIVE A LITTLE MORE TIME. THAT'S ALL.
>> I THINK THE MORE TIME, THE BETTER AND THEN GOOD COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS TO BE SURE THE WORD GETS OUT AND IN SEVERAL FORMS.
>> TWO IS A DEFINITE NEED, AND PROBABLY TIME FRAME TO GIVE ALL PARENTS
[02:25:03]
HOPEFULLY TIME TO GET OFF WORK NO EARLIER THAN 6:30 TO START.>> THANK YOU FOR THAT. BECAUSE I'D LOVE TO HEAR IF, I'M JUST SAYING, THE TIME OF DAY, THE DAY OF THE WEEK.
SOMETIMES, I'M RUSHING TO GET HERE BY SIX O'CLOCK.
[BACKGROUND] OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE TIMELINE FROM THE BOARD? WAS THERE ANY OTHER MATERIAL WE NEEDED TO COVER ON THIS SUBJECT? I'M LOOKING AROUND.
WE'VE COVERED OUR WORKSHOP MATERIAL.
AS STATED PREVIOUSLY, WE DID PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULE A EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR A STUDENT APPEAL, THAT IS NO LONGER NECESSARY.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOTION MADE BY MR. REINHARDT JACKSON.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE ARE ADJOURNED. THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
[BACKGROUND]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.