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Sep 12, 2023 091223 AIKEN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING

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[00:05:04]

WELL, WELCOME.

[00:05:06]

WE'LL CALL THE SEPTEMBER 12TH MEETING OF THE AIKEN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ORDER.

WE BEGAN EVERY MEETING WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE.

PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE.

WELCOME TO EVERYBODY.

WE HAVE SOME GOOD PRESENTATIONS LATER ON IN THE MEETING, BUT WE'LL BEGIN WITH OUR NORMAL BUSINESS.

THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING WAS CIRCULATED AND PUBLISHED IN ADVANCE TO THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC.

I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY REQUESTS FOR ALTERATIONS, EDITS OR CHANGES, AND WE'LL ACCEPT THE AGENDA AS APPROVED WITH NO OBJECTIONS.

SECOND. WE APPROVE.

WE HAVE ONE SET OF MINUTES TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING FROM AUGUST 22ND OF THIS YEAR.

NEED APPROVAL? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE MINUTES? MOVED BY MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY MR. MOULTON. THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE THE AUGUST 22ND MINUTES.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THOSE MINUTES, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

THAT'S EIGHT. THE MOTION CARRIES.

WE HAD ONE REQUEST HERE AT THE MEETING FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

AND MISS DEANNA BURCH, PLEASE GO TO THE MICROPHONE OVER BY DR.

MINOLFO. AND MISS BURCH IS GOING TO ADDRESS US ON SAFETY ISSUES.

YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES, MA'AM, WHEN YOU BEGIN.

OKAY, I'LL ADJUST THIS A LITTLE.

I'M SHORT. I HAD ON AUGUST THE 21ST SENT AN EMAIL TO EACH BOARD MEMBER, INCLUDING SUPERINTENDENT LAURENCE AND MR. MURPHY. CORY MURPHY.

I BELIEVE IN REGARDS TO CONCERNS THAT I HAVE AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENT.

I HAVE FIVE CHILDREN, FOUR THAT HAVE COME THROUGH AND GRADUATED THROUGH AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

AS I HAVE COME THROUGH AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND WE STILL HAVE ONE THAT IS CURRENTLY IN AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

UM, I HOPE THAT EACH ONE OF YOU HAVE READ THE EMAIL THAT I SENT OUT, BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO ALSO READ THE EMAIL.

I DON'T HAVE PROBABLY ENOUGH TIME TO READ THE WHOLE EMAIL WITH THE OTHER COMMENTS THAT I'D LIKE TO SAY.

UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OF YOU THAT ARE ON THE BOARD CURRENTLY HAVE A CHILD IN AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

MAYBE A GRANDCHILD OR ANOTHER RELATIVE, BUT AN ACTUAL CHILD.

SO HAVING A YOUR OWN CHILD IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM, THAT CHILD COMES HOME EVERY DAY AND LETS US KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON, WITH WHOM ALL THE CHILDREN KNOW, FACULTY AND STAFF KNOW WHICH CHILDREN ARE PROBLEM CHILDREN.

I THINK THAT SPEAKS A LOT.

UM, I DO.

WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO RECONSIDER SOME OF THE MEASURES THAT YOU ALL ARE SAYING THAT YOU ALL WILL GO FORWARD WITH.

METAL WATER BOTTLES BEING ONE.

I SEE WE HAVE ONE RIGHT HERE AT THE PODIUM.

AND I KNOW ONE PERSON WALKED THROUGH IT, TURNED RED, AND THEY TOOK THE WATER BOTTLE.

THEY WALKED BACK THROUGH IT WAS GREEN AND GAVE THEM THE BOTTLE BACK.

AND I'M NOT SURE THAT MISS TAYLOR HAD TO DO THAT.

SO, AGAIN, THAT'S HERE AS WELL.

THESE METAL WATER BOTTLES ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY.

THEY DO NOT CONTAIN TOXINS.

THEY'RE MUCH SAFER FOR OUR CHILDREN TO DRINK INSTEAD OF THE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES THAT HAVE FOREVER CHEMICALS IN THEM THAT GO INTO OUR CHILD'S BODIES.

THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH YOU CAN DO ON THAT AS WELL.

UM, SO ALSO WITH COVID MEASURES, IT WAS VERY MUCH ENCOURAGED TO HAVE SAID WATER BOTTLES TO BRING TO SCHOOL, NOT USING WATER FOUNTAINS.

YOU COULD NOT DO SO FOR THE SPREAD OF GERMS. THAT IS STILL A SAFETY ISSUE CURRENTLY THAT WE ARE UNDER EFFECT TO NOT HAVE AS MUCH CONTACT

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AS POSSIBLE WITH OTHER STUDENTS IN THAT CAPACITY.

UM. SO I.

WOULD LIKE TO SAY FOR THE SAID STUDENTS THAT HAVE SOME DISCIPLINARY ISSUES THAT IT WOULD BE A MUCH BETTER OPTION TO HAVE THOSE STUDENTS TO BE SENT UP FOR EXPULSION OR OTHER OPTIONS FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE THAT ACTUALLY WANT TO LEARN.

THOSE STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOLS.

IF YOU TAKE AWAY THOSE STUDENTS, WHICH IS PROBABLY ABOUT 5%, THE OTHER 95% OF THE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND COME FORWARD AS BETTER CITIZENS AND IN OUR COMMUNITY TO KEEP THIS ALL GOING.

UM. AND I WAS ASKED BY A BOARD MEMBER I HAD SPOKE WITH PRIOR TO THIS, AND I WAS TOLD, WELL, WE DIDN'T HAVE WATER.

METAL WATER BOTTLES WHEN WE WERE IN SCHOOL.

AND THAT IS CORRECT.

BUT WE ALSO DID NOT HAVE LAPTOP COMPUTERS THAT ARE IN OUR BOOK BAGS WITH WATER BOTTLES.

A PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE IS MUCH MORE EASY TO HAVE, CONDENSATION TO GET PUNCTURED TO SPILL.

AND NOW WHO'S GOING TO REPLACE YOUR LAPTOPS? WE ALSO.

WE DID HAVE THERMOS CONTAINERS THAT WE COULD TAKE TO SCHOOL FOR OUR SCHOOL LUNCHES, AND OUR CHILD LIKES TO TAKE HER LUNCH TO SCHOOL AND HER THERMOS CONTAINER. NOT EVERY DAY, BUT SOME DAYS.

AND IT DOES HAVE A METAL SPOON THAT'S FOLDED INTO THE LID THAT GOES WITH THAT.

AND YOU MAY SAY, WELL, WE HAVE FREE LUNCH FOR EVERYONE.

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THERE IS ENOUGH TIME FOR EVERY STUDENT TO GO THROUGH THE LINE AND HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO EAT THEIR LUNCH BEFORE THEIR LUNCH TIME IS OVER.

ALSO, WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, WE HAD STUDENT BUS DRIVERS.

WE HAD TRUCKS, HAD GUN RACKS IN THE BACK OF THEM WITH RIFLES IN THEM.

AND STUDENTS WOULD LEAVE SCHOOL AND DRIVE OFF AND GO HUNTING.

THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR PAST, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT METAL WATER BOTTLES IS THE ANSWER TO OUR PROBLEM FOR PROHIBITING THEM FROM SCHOOLS AND AND ALSO I'D LIKE TO ADD IT IS IN MY EMAIL I HAVE THREE OF MY BOYS ARE IN MILITARY ACADEMIES AND TWO AT WEST POINT, ONE AT NAVAL ACADEMY.

AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE LEADERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE FIGHTING FOR THESE VERY FREEDOMS THAT YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO TAKE AWAY FROM US TODAY.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MISS BIRCH.

NEXT ON THE AGENDA, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. LAURENCE. FOR SOME RECOGNITION.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

WE ARE PLEASED TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE FOLKS UP HERE ON THE ON THE DAIS TONIGHT.

THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION TAKES LEADERSHIP VERY SERIOUSLY, AND IT IS A PRIORITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ACROSS THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

ABOUT. 40 YEARS AGO, THE SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION STARTED ITS SWORDSMANSHIP INSTITUTE.

AND WITH THAT, THERE ARE VARIOUS LEVELS THAT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS CAN ATTAIN IN THEIR TRAINING.

AND TONIGHT, SIX OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS ARE BEING RECOGNIZED.

AND I'M GOING TO CALL YOUR NAME AND WE'LL AND THEN WE'LL RECOGNIZE YOU.

I HAVE YOUR PINS AND CERTIFICATES THAT THAT WILL HAVE FOR YOU SHORTLY.

BUT I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT.

ALL OF THESE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE REACHED LEVEL THREE.

THERE ARE SIX LEVELS ALTOGETHER IN THE BOARD SWORDSMANSHIP PROGRAM, AND THESE MEMBERS ARE AT LEVEL THREE.

SO BARRY MOULTON, BRIAN SILAS, PATRICIA HANKS, CAMERON NESSEL, PATRICIA RHINEHART-JACKSON AND DWIGHT SMITH HAVE ALL REACHED LEVEL THREE. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

THANK YOU, MR. LAURENCE, AND THANK YOU FOR NOT MAKING ME GET OUT OF MY CHAIR AND I'LL LET YOU CONTINUE BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT.

HA! SO TONIGHT WE'VE WE CONTINUE WITH OUR SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT.

AND TONIGHT WE HAVE FOLKS FROM CLEARWATER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HERE.

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SO I'LL ASK THE PRINCIPAL TO COME FORWARD AND ANYONE ELSE THAT YOU HAVE WITH YOU.

AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO TO THIS SPOTLIGHT FROM MISS LOW.

GOOD EVENING, SUPERINTENDENT LAURENCE, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MEMBERS OF CABINET AND GUEST.

I'M LESLIE LOWE, THE PRINCIPAL OF CLEARWATER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS HAPPENING AT CLEARWATER.

BUT FIRST, LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO WE ARE.

WE ARE A SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL OF ABOUT 350 STUDENTS.

A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS THAT ATTEND THEIR PARENTS ALSO ATTENDED OUR SCHOOL GROWING UP.

WE ARE A TITLE ONE SCHOOL AND WE HAVE AN 83% POVERTY RATE.

OUR DEMOGRAPHICS ARE QUITE UNIQUE.

WE ARE VERY DIVERSE.

WE HAVE 25% BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN, 29% WHITE, 35% HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND 11% TWO OR MORE RACES.

BECAUSE OF THIS DIVERSITY.

AM I SPEAKING TOO CLOSE BECAUSE OF THIS DIVERSITY? I'VE BEEN VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT PURCHASING BOOKS FOR OUR CLASSROOM LIBRARIES AND FOR OUR MEDIA CENTER THAT REPRESENT THE STUDENTS THAT ATTEND OUR SCHOOL. DIVERSE LITERATURE ENSURES THAT ALL CHILDREN FEEL REPRESENTED IN BOOKS IN RELATION TO THE CHARACTERS AND CULTURES THAT THEY GREW UP WITH.

IT ALSO ALLOWS STUDENTS TO EXPERIENCE CULTURES AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THEIR OWN.

AND I HAVE A PICTURE UP THERE OF SOME OF THE BOOKS, BUT I ALSO BROUGHT SOME TO THIS ONE AS I AM ENOUGH.

A GIRL NAMED ROSITA.

AND THE PROUDEST BLUE.

AND WHEN WE INTRODUCE THESE TO OUR TEACHERS AND THE STUDENTS, THE STUDENTS WERE SO EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO CHECK OUT SOME OF THESE BOOKS THAT REPRESENT THEM, BUT WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY AVAILABLE FOR THEM ALSO.

NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SCHOOL CLIMATE RESEARCH.

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT A POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE CORRELATES WITH THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS.

AND AT CLEARWATER, WE HAVE A VARIETY OF THINGS IN PLACE TO HELP FOSTER A POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE AND CLIMATE.

THE FIRST THING WE DO IS WE HAVE STUDENT CELEBRATIONS.

WE RECOMMEND WE RECOGNIZE STUDENTS OF THE MONTH, STUDENTS OF THE WEEK.

WE HAVE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR BECAUSE WE ARE THE CUBS.

WE HAVE CUB CASH TICKETS THAT WE GIVE TO STUDENTS THAT ARE SHOWING GOOD BEHAVIOR.

AND THOSE TICKETS GET PUT IN A DRAWING AT THE END OF THE WEEK AND THEY GET TO GO TO THE POSSUM NOOK.

THE POSSUM NOOK IS SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY GET TO PICK PRIZES.

AND SO WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF PRIZES THAT THEY CAN PICK.

THE KIDS LOVE THIS AND WE ALSO DO IT ON THE ACADEMIC SIDE AS WELL.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY MEET THEIR GOALS, THEY MAY HAVE DANCE PARTIES OR HAVE A MOVIE ON POPCORN DAY.

SO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS FOR KIDS THAT CELEBRATE THEM.

WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO BE LEADERS IN OUR SCHOOL.

ONE THING THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF IS THE JUNIOR BETA CLUB.

THIS IS FOR STUDENTS IN FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE THAT EXCEL ACADEMICALLY.

THEY DO LOTS OF PROJECTS AROUND OUR SCHOOL, SUCH AS CLEANING UP THE GROUNDS, MAKING SURE IT'S CLEAN.

THE PICTURE RIGHT THERE ON THE RIGHT IS THEM PAINTING THE CAR LINE CURBS SO THAT THE PARENTS KNOW WHICH ONE TO PULL UP TO IN THE AFTERNOON.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT'S NOT BASED ON ACADEMICS THAT GIVE STUDENTS A CHANCE TO BE LEADERS SUCH AS OUR SAFETY PATROL OR BREAKFAST HELPERS.

AT CLEARWATER. WE LEARN AND GROW TOGETHER FROM THE SMALLEST STUDENTS TO OUR FIFTH GRADERS.

AND ONE THING THAT WE REALLY LIKE TO DO IS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PICTURES IS OUR BOOK BUDDIES.

OUR FIFTH GRADERS PAIR WITH OUR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ONCE A WEEK AND THEY GO DOWN THERE AND READ TO THEM.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR STUDENTS, THE FIVE K STUDENTS READ TO THE FIFTH GRADERS, AND THEY ALL LOVE THAT.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS IS ALSO HELPS BUILD OUR SCHOOL CULTURE AND CLIMATE.

ONE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT'S UP THERE IS MIDLAND VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL.

THE PRINCIPAL AT MIDLAND VALLEY PROVIDES US WITH T SHIRTS AND CUPS AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS TO GO IN OUR OPOSSUM NOOK FOR OUR STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE FUTURE MUSTANGS, WE HOPE. AND SO THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED TO GET MUSTANG APPAREL THAT THEY CAN WEAR.

THE LAST THING I HAVE LISTED UP HERE AIKEN YOUTH EMPOWERMENT.

THIS IS A PROGRAM OF HELPING HANDS.

THEY MEET WITH SMALL GROUPS OF STUDENTS, FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE GIRLS ONCE A WEEK DURING THEIR ACTIVITY TIME.

THEY FOCUS ON FRIENDSHIPS, POSITIVE SELF IMAGE, HEALTHY DECISION MAKING AND GOAL SETTING.

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ONE OF OUR BIGGEST COMMUNITY PARTNERS IS HOPE FOR SCHOOLS.

THEY ARE BASED OUT OF A CHURCH IN NORTH AUGUSTA.

THEY DO SO MUCH FOR OUR SCHOOL AND THEY ADOPTED US SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

THEY PROVIDE EVERY STUDENT THAT WALKS THROUGH THE DOOR BOOKBAGS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES.

THEY DO NOT HAVE TO BUY ANYTHING.

THEY PROVIDE A FREE SANTA SHOP AND A FREE BOOK FAIR FOR ALL STUDENTS BECAUSE WE HAVE A HIGH POPULATION OR WE HAVE A HIGH A HIGH RATE OF FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH.

AND WE DO NOT WANT MONEY TO BE A BARRIER FOR ANY OF OUR STUDENTS.

SO WE WANT THEM TO HAVE ACCESS TO EVERYTHING AS WELL.

AND HOPE FOR SCHOOLS ALLOWS US TO DO THAT.

WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE PARENTS.

THEY'RE ALWAYS WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO BE PART OF THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION.

AND WE WELCOME THEM ANY TIME.

AND THESE ARE JUST A FEW PICTURES OF THEM AT SOME OF OUR EVENTS THAT WE'VE HAD.

NOW, HOW DOES THIS ALL TIE TOGETHER? EVERYTHING THAT I'VE DISCUSSED HELPS FOSTER A POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE, WHICH DOES INCREASE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES ARE LISTED.

IT INCREASES STUDENTS INTEREST IN LEARNING.

IT IMPROVES ACADEMIC OUTCOMES, REDUCES PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOR, STRENGTHENS STUDENT AND TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS, AND BOOST ATTENDANCE.

IN THINKING ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION AND THINKING ABOUT MY CLOSING, THIS QUOTE, WHICH IS IN MY OFFICE, CAME TO MIND.

WE ALL KNOW THAT EDUCATION IS A VERY HARD JOB AND OFTEN WE DEAL WITH MANY OBSTACLES AND HURDLES ALONG THE WAY.

BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS NO MATTER WHAT, NO MATTER THE DAY, I ALWAYS WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE, THE STAFF AND STUDENTS AT CLEARWATER, STRIVE FOR GREATNESS AND NEVER SETTLE FOR ANYTHING BUT THE VERY BEST.

THANK YOU. DOES THE BOARD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS..

LOWE? DON'T WALK AWAY YET, MR. SILAS. NO QUESTIONS, MS..

LOWE, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU COMING.

THANK YOU. YOU KNOW THAT I'M A PROUD ALUMNUS OF CLEARWATER ELEMENTARY, SO EVERY TIME I VISIT, I'VE GOT GOOD MEMORIES.

MR. MCKINNEY WAS MY PRINCIPAL.

MS.. TOWNSEND WAS MY FAVORITE TEACHER IN THIRD GRADE.

BUT SO IT'S GOOD TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE FUN THINGS YOU HAVE GOING ON AND GOOD STUFF THERE.

AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMING.

AND SINCE YOU MENTIONED HIM, THE PRINCIPAL IN MIDLAND VALLEY, ALSO AN ALUMNUS OF CLEARWATER ELEMENTARY.

YES. YES, HE IS.

LEAN ON HIM A LITTLE HARDER THEN.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'LL KEEP ASKING FOR STUFF FROM HIM.

YES. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU AGAIN, MS.. LOWE.

APPRECIATE IT. NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS OFFICE OF BOARD CHAIRMAN.

I JUST HAVE ONE ANNOUNCEMENT.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO AT THE NEXT MEETING OR IT COULD BE THE MEETING AFTER THAT IS CERTIFY THE DELEGATES TO THE 2023 DELEGATE ASSEMBLY OR THE ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION AND AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS EIGHT VOTES AND WE NEED TO DECIDE WHO ARE THE DELEGATES ARE GOING TO BE AND APPORTION THE VOTES TO THOSE DELEGATES.

SO THIS IS YOUR NOTICE THAT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DOING SO, PLEASE THINK ABOUT THAT AND SOLIDIFY THAT BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING.

THAT THAT ANNUAL MEETING OR DELEGATE ASSEMBLY IS IN ADDITION TO A CONFERENCE ON DECEMBER 2ND.

ALL RIGHT. THAT BRINGS US TO INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. WE ONLY HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL ITEM, AND THAT'S THE LIST OF PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS.

SO THERE'S THE BOARD WAS PROVIDED A LIST OF CLASSIFIED AND CERTIFIED PERSONNEL THAT WAS SCREENED BY HUMAN RESOURCES AND APPROVED BY ADMINISTRATION THAT WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IN ADVANCE AND WE NEED TO APPROVE IT.

IS THERE A MOTION IN REFERENCE TO THAT, THE LIST OF PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS? ALL RIGHT. MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON MOVES TO APPROVE THE PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS.

IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND BY DR.

HANKS. WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE THE PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR. THE MOTION CARRIES.

THE PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS ARE APPROVED.

WE HAVE A SHORT LIST OF CONSENT ITEMS THIS EVENING THAT WE CAN DISCUSS INDIVIDUALLY, BUT WILL BE VOTED ON AS A GROUP AND WE CAN HAVE ANY DISCUSSION PRIOR TO A VOTE BEING TAKEN.

FOR THE FOLKS WATCHING AND FOR THE BOARD, WE'LL JUST SUMMARIZE THEM BEFORE WE GET TO ANY MOTION.

THERE IS A LIST OF EXPULSIONS THAT ARE NOT BEING APPEALED THAT WE MUST RATIFY.

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THERE'S ALSO A LIST OF OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSFER REQUESTS.

TRANSFERRING OUT OF THE DISTRICT TO A NEIGHBORING DISTRICT.

WE HAVE SEVERAL DONATIONS.

SO THE BATTELLE SAVANNAH RIVER ALLIANCE IS DONATING $7,500 TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STEM LAB FOR STUDENTS AT GREENDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

BUT RADCLIFFE ELEMENTARY, IF APPROVED, WILL RECEIVE A YOUTH LITERACY GRANT AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,950 FROM THE DOLLAR GENERAL LITERACY FOUNDATION.

AND THEN THE TOWN OF JACKSON IS DONATING $2,000 TO THE TWO RED CLIFF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO BE USED FOR FACULTY AND STAFF INCENTIVES.

IS THERE A MOTION IN REGARD TO THESE FIVE CONSENT ITEMS? MS.. RHINEHART-JACKSON MOVED TO APPROVE THE FIVE CONSENT ITEMS. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY MISS TYLER.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE THE FIVE CONSENT ITEMS AS PRESENTED.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR. THE MOTION CARRIES THE CONSENT ITEMS ARE APPROVED.

SO THAT BRINGS US TO INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PRESENTATIONS AND AS WELL AS OUR CONSTRUCTION REPORTS.

SO I THOUGHT I'D GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST ONE BECAUSE I REQUESTED IT.

SO. THE WONDERFUL FOLKS FROM AIKEN INTERMEDIATE AND PEOPLE FROM THE DISTRICT ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE TRANSITIONAL MODEL AT AIKEN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL. I'M JUST GOING TO MY INTEREST IN THIS IS A COUPLE FOLD.

ONE THAT.

MY KIDS WERE THE LAST CLASS OF KIDS IN AIKEN THAT DIDN'T GO THROUGH AIKEN INTERMEDIATE.

AND AS I WATCHED THEM GO THROUGH SIXTH GRADE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SEEING THEIR STRUGGLES AND THEY WOULDN'T WANT ME TO SAY THAT I DID RIGHT.

THEIR STRUGGLE, YOU KNOW, THEY GOT BULLIED.

THEY STRUGGLED. THERE'S A LOT OF TRANSITIONS, RIGHT, THAT HAPPEN IN SIXTH GRADE.

AND YOU'VE GOT IT'S A LOT DIFFERENT THAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

AND THEN THE VERY NEXT YEAR, WE STARTED AIKEN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.

AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA, BUT WHEN WE MAKE WE MAKE LARGE CHANGES IN INSTRUCTION LIKE CREATING A SIXTH GRADE ACADEMY OR AN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.

WE SHOULD AS TIME PASSES, WE SHOULD REFLECT AND SEE HOW DID THAT GO? RIGHT. WE HAD SOME KIND OF GOAL, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS OUR SUCCESS BEEN AND WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM IT? AND.

I THINK, MR. LAURENCE, YOU PROBABLY WANT TO INTRODUCE SOMEBODY AND WE'LL START WITH THAT PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND I'M GOING TO ASK DR.

EDWARDS TO COME FORWARD AND BEGIN THE PRESENTATION, AND SHE'LL INTRODUCE OTHERS AS SHE GOES.

IS NOW BETTER.

SO BEFORE I INTRODUCE MISS DENISE MCCRAY, I JUST WANT TO GO OVER A COUPLE OF THINGS I'VE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET A SET OF DATA, BECAUSE WHENEVER I CAME TO AIKEN COUNTY, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU A STORY.

I HAD NEVER HEARD OF AN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL BEING SIXTH GRADE, SO IT MADE ME REALLY DELVE DOWN INTO THE DATA TO SEE WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT.

I KNOW FROM MY HISTORY THAT THE TEAM CONCEPT IS RESEARCH BASED, AND GENERALLY IF ANY OF YOU HAVE EVER HEARD OF SCHOOL WITHIN A SCHOOL MODEL OR A NINTH GRADE ACADEMY MODEL, IT'S THE SAME TEAM CONCEPT MODEL SO THAT IT ALLOWS KIDS TO REALLY HAVE THE MENTAL SUPPORT THEY NEED MOVING FORWARD.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I FOUND WHENEVER I WENT INTO AIKEN INTERMEDIATE, AND SHE'S GOT A GREAT PRESENTATION.

BUT LOOKING AT YOUR DATA, I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF TIME TO GO OVER IT, BUT I NEED FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHY I DID THIS.

I NEEDED TO SEE THE DATA AS WELL.

I NEEDED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AIKEN INTERMEDIATE, AND THIS GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO IN YOUR PACKET, I HAVE GIVEN YOU COMPARATIVE DATA DATA THAT ACTUALLY IS A COLLECTIVE DATA.

AND AS YOU SAID, MR. NESTLE, WHENEVER YOU LOOK AT THE DATA SHEET, YOU'LL SEE GOING BACK TO 2016 HOW IT LOOKED WITH THE THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS SEPARATELY. AND THEN I PULLED IT TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY SO THAT WE COULD SEE HOW THE STUDENTS WERE PERFORMING AT THE TOP OF THE FIRST TWO SHEETS FOR ELA AND MATH. I'VE GIVEN THE COLLECTIVE DATA FOR YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT, AND ACTUALLY THE ELA IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE WHENEVER YOU LOOK AT IT COMPARED TO THE SINGLE DATA.

BUT IF YOU'LL SKIP OVER TO THE THIRD PAGE, I JUST WANT TO AS I GOT DEEPER, I JUST WANTED TO LEARN MORE AND MORE.

SO I GOT REALLY INTO IT.

AND THE THIRD PAGE GIVES US A PICTURE OF WHO WE ARE AS SIXTH GRADE ACROSS OUR DISTRICT SO THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW WE COMPARE AIKEN INTERMEDIATE WITH EVERY SIXTH GRADE CLASS.

AND THIS IS READY DATA FROM THE LAST FROM 2122.

AND THIS YEAR, 23, THE EMBARGO HAS BEEN LIFTED FOR 23 DATA.

[00:30:02]

SO THAT IS AVAILABLE AS WELL.

I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT AT THE END OR MIDDLE OF OCTOBER, WE ARE SCHEDULED TO DO A FULL DATA REPORT.

SO THIS WILL AGAIN BE INCLUDED IN THAT.

BUT I WANTED YOU TO SEE IT WHILE WE WERE SPOTLIGHTING THIS PARTICULAR SCHOOL.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST ON THE LAST PAGE, I FOUND THIS QUITE INTERESTING.

AND THERE IS THERE IS ROOM FOR ERROR ON THIS LAST PAGE OF DATA, AND IT'S THE FEEDER PATTERN DATA SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THESE STUDENTS WHEN THEY LEAVE AIKEN INTERMEDIATE, MOVING ON INTO KENNEDY AND SCOFIELD, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THEY PERFORMED AS SEVENTH GRADERS.

SO THIS IS THE ONLY ONE I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO JUST GIVE YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ON IF YOU'LL SEE THE SHADED TITLE ABOVE EACH DATA SET. 2020 AS STUDENTS, THIS IS WHO THEY LOOK LIKE IN 2021 AND THEN SO FORTH SO THAT YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE FEED OF DATA, THE DATA THERE.

SO BEFORE I INTRODUCE MISS MACRAE TO COME TO THE PODIUM OR ASK HER TO COME UP, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PACKET OF DATA THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH? OKAY. I'M GOING TO INVITE MS..

MACRAE TO COME UP AND MISS MACRAE.

YOU KNOW, I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW EACH PRINCIPAL AS I GO OUT AND VISIT THE SCHOOLS, AND SHE'S BEEN IN OUR DISTRICT FOR OVER 15 YEARS, RIGHT, AT 15 YEARS.

AND WE HAVE A LOT IN COMMON.

WE'RE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT WE DO.

AND I'M THRILLED FOR HER TO SHARE THE ACTUAL TRANSITION MODEL SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT IN OUR DISTRICT.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT LAURENCE, FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE TRANSITION MODEL AT AIKEN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.

AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORTERS HERE.

WE HAVE A REALLY DEDICATED FACULTY AND STAFF, AND WE'RE JUST SO EXCITED FOR YOU TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TRANSITION MODEL.

SO JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO WALK AND MOVE, SO I TALK LOUD.

I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR THIS IS MY 33RD YEAR, SO I TALK LOUD AND IT'S GREAT SEEING YOU GUYS TALK.

SO JUST TO LET YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT.

DR. STOWE, WHO WAS THE VERY FIRST PRINCIPAL OF.

THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE.

I CAN'T. THEY CAN'T HEAR YOU. YOU CAN'T HEAR ME? OKAY. SO DR.

STOWE, WHO WAS THE VERY FIRST PRINCIPAL OF AIKEN MIDDLE, WAS THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE.

THIS COMMITTEE INCLUDED MANY STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE COMMUNITY.

SO YOU HAD BUSINESS LEADERS, YOU HAD PARENTS, YOU HAD TEACHERS FROM THE FEEDING SCHOOLS.

AND AT THAT TIME, YOU HAD BOTH PRINCIPALS OF THE THE PRINCIPAL OF KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE PRINCIPAL AT THAT TIME OF SCOFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH WAS MYSELF. SO I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE FROM THE GROUNDWORK.

AND JUST REALLY AS WE MET, WE MET FOR A YEAR DISCUSSING WHAT WOULD BE AN IDEAL PLACE FOR SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS.

WHAT IF WE COULD BUILD A SCHOOL AND MAKE IT IDEAL? WHAT IS IT THAT WE WOULD WANT THAT TO LOOK LIKE? SO WE'D LIKE FOR YOU TO TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT A VIDEO TO SEE WHAT AN IDEAL SCHOOL LOOKS LIKE FOR SIXTH GRADERS.

[00:36:40]

TODAY WE ARE REVIEWING FOR OUR UNIT SIX TEST USING VLOOKUP.

ALL RIGHT. TODAY IN OUR CLASS, WE ARE WORKING ON TEST PREP AND WE'RE DOING THAT THROUGH STATIONS ROTATIONS.

STUDENTS ARE READING PASSAGES ON CANDY PRODUCED AROUND THE WORLD, AND THEN THEY ARE ANSWERING INFORMATIONAL TEXT QUESTIONS AND THEY ARE THINKING CRITICALLY AND AGREEING UPON THEIR ANSWERS AND JUSTIFYING THEIR ANSWERS.

HAPPY PI DAY. TODAY IS 3.14.

WE ARE FINDING THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF CIRCLES USING PI.

PARTY, AND I'M EATING A PIE.

TODAY WE'RE DOING A MOBILE WORD SHEET, SO WE'RE GOING TO BE BLOWING.

WE'RE USING SOAP AND WATER AND WE'RE BLOWING BUBBLES, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO FILL OUT OUR WORK SHEET.

UM, ABOUT.

SO WHAT YOU'VE GOT A CHANCE TO SEE OR SOME CONFIDENT STUDENTS WHO WERE WELL ROUNDED.

SO HERE WE HAVE OUR MISSION AND VISION.

I HOPE THAT YOU SAW SOME KEY WORDS THERE.

I'M GOING TO TRY TO USE THIS POINTER HERE.

SO WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS, RIGHT? WE'RE DEVELOPING HABITS OF MIND AND LEADERSHIP ABILITIES.

WE ARE FORGING STRONG, POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS THAT BUILD CONFIDENCE, GAIN, HELP THEM TO GAIN ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE.

AND ULTIMATELY, I KNOW ALL PARENTS WANT THEM TO ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE, RIGHT? SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? THROUGH OUR SUPPORT, WITH OUR STUDENTS, WITH THROUGH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING?

[00:40:01]

THE THREE ASPECTS THAT WE ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON ARE OUR CAMPUS EXPECTATIONS, CAPTURING KIDS HEARTS AND ACADEMIC AND COLLEGIAL RELATIONSHIPS.

SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST AREAS OF CONCERN THAT PARENTS ALWAYS EXPRESSED WHEN STUDENTS WERE MOVING TRANSITIONING FROM ELEMENTARY TO MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS, WILL MY CHILD BE SEEN AS AN INDIVIDUAL? WILL THEY BE SEEING MORE THAN JUST THE WORK THAT THEY PRODUCE? WILL THE TEACHERS KNOW MY CHILD? WILL THEY BE ABLE TO CALL THEIR NAME? THAT'S IMPORTANT.

CALLING SOMEONE'S NAME.

SO THE WAY THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE GROUPED, THEY'RE GROUPED IN CAMPS WERE CAMPS INSTEAD OF TEAMS, BECAUSE WE'RE EXPLORERS.

SO EXPLORERS CAMP.

SO WE'RE IN CAMPS WHICH MAKE AN INTIMATE SETTING FOR STUDENTS COMING FROM ELEMENTARY WHERE THEY'VE BEEN WITH ONE TEACHER OR TWO TEACHERS FOR MOST OF THE DAY. NOW THEY'RE GROUPED IN CAMPS, WHICH IS FOUR CORE TEACHERS GROUPED TOGETHER, AND THEY'RE CLOSELY THEY'RE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY.

SO PARENTS DON'T WORRY ABOUT STUDENTS GETTING LOST GOING ALL ACROSS THE BUILDING.

SO THOSE CAMPS, THOSE TEACHERS ARE CLOSE KNIT AND THEY KEEP WATCH ON THOSE KIDS AND DEVELOP A A SENSE OF FAMILY.

EACH CAMP HAS ITS OWN NAME AND IDENTITY, WHICH ALSO FOSTERS THAT SENSE OF FAMILY WITH STUDENTS.

OUR EXPECTATIONS.

IF YOU NOTICE, OUR CAMPUS EXPECTATIONS ARE NOT JUST SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS.

IF YOU TAKE THIS LAST WORD OFF SCHOOL.

SO WE HAVE COME PREPARED TO LEARN WHAT EMPLOYER DOESN'T WANT THEIR WORKERS, THEIR EMPLOYEES COMING, PREPARED TO LEARN, AND TO WORK EVERY DAY.

OWNING YOUR ACTIONS.

WE ALL WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

MAKING SAFE CHOICES? ABSOLUTELY. AND PERSEVERING, NOT GIVING UP.

AND I'LL ALWAYS TELL KIDS THAT WE DON'T GET THAT.

WE DON'T LEARN HOW TO PERSEVERE WHEN WE TURN 18 BECAUSE THERE'S NO SWITCH ON THE BACK ON YOUR BACK AND WE FLIP IT ON.

AND NOW I KNOW HOW TO PERSEVERE, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO TEACH THAT.

AND THAT'S WHAT CAMPUS IS ABOUT.

IT'S ABOUT INTENTIONALLY TEACHING STUDENTS THESE HABITS, THESE HABITS OF MINE.

SO IF YOU TAKE THE SHOW PRIDE IN YOUR SCHOOL OFF AND YOU SAY SHOW PRIDE IN YOUR FAMILY, SHOW PRIDE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, SHOW PRIDE IN YOUR NATION RIGHT. THOSE ARE IMPORTANT BEHAVIORS THAT WE WANT STUDENTS TO EXHIBIT.

OKAY. SO IF YOU NOTICE OUR CAMPUS DESIGN, OUR OUR LOGO IS A COMPASS, RIGHT? SO WE SAY THAT A COMPASS, OUR GUIDING EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS, WHAT WE LIVE BY.

CAPTURING KIDS HEARTS.

SO EACH YEAR YOU WANT TO GROW.

WE BEGAN WITH OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS, BUT WE NEEDED TO BUILD ON THAT.

WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD A COMMON LANGUAGE AND THAT COHESION ACROSS ALL CAMPS AND IN ALL CLASSROOMS. SOME PEOPLE NATURALLY KNOW HOW TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS WITH STUDENTS.

IT SEEMS THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY JUST THEY CAN JUST DO EASILY.

SOME PEOPLE JUST NATURALLY DO THAT IN LIFE, BUT SOME PEOPLE NEED MORE STRUCTURE, MORE DETAILS, MORE INSTRUCTION ON HOW DO YOU BUILD THOSE CLOSE CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS.

CAPTURING KIDS HEARTS GIVES US THAT COMMON LANGUAGE FOR US TO USE, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND TO HAVE THOSE COMMON EXPECTATIONS AND CONTINUITY ACROSS THE SCHOOL.

SO THE THREE COMPONENTS.

ONE IMPACTING THE EDUCATORS HEART FIRST.

SO THE WORK THAT WE DID STARTED WITH US.

LIKE WHAT DID WHAT US BUILDING THOSE STRONG COLLEGIAL RELATIONSHIPS FIRST.

THEN PROVIDING THE STRUCTURE WITH A CLEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, COMMON LANGUAGE FOR STUDENTS, AND OUR LEAD WORTHY CHARACTER LESSONS.

SO EACH MONTH WE HAVE A DIFFERENT LEAD WORTHY CHARACTER FOCUS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, OUR FOCUS IS EMPATHY, RIGHT? SO WE WANT KIDS TO DEVELOP THESE SKILLS.

SOME OF THE LEAD WORTHY CHARACTER FOCUSES MIGHT BE RESPECT, KINDNESS, COURAGE.

THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOCUS ON.

AND FINALLY, THAT SERVICE LEARNING ASPECT, GIVING STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY.

AND HOPEFULLY AS THEY LEAVE US, THEY ARE SELF-DIRECTED LEARNERS.

ACADEMIC AND COLLEGIAL RELATIONSHIPS.

SO FIRST WE HAVE OUR CONTENT AREA, PLCS.

THOSE ARE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES.

EACH CONTENT AREA HAS A COMMON PLANNING PERIOD.

[00:45:03]

THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING SPECTACULAR FOR TEACHERS BECAUSE THEY GET TO WORK WITH OTHER COLLEAGUES WHO ARE TEACHING THE SAME SUBJECTS AND SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE, GET PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND THEY HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY DAILY.

THEY HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TO ZIP DOWN TO A COLLEAGUES CLASSROOM AND SAY, HEY, I'M HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME WITH THIS.

HOW ARE YOU TEACHING THIS? SO THEY'RE ABLE TO SHARE IDEAS AND SHARE EXPERTISE.

AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES, THOSE CAMPS THAT ARE GROUPED TOGETHER.

SO WE HAVE CAMP ODYSSEY, CAMP QUEST, CAMP ENDEAVOR, CAMP, ADVENTURE, CAMP INFINITY, AND OF COURSE, CAMP EXPLORATORY.

THESE CAMPS MEET TOGETHER AND THEY ACT AS SO IN THOSE MEETINGS.

THEY BRAINSTORM WAYS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS.

IT MIGHT BE THROUGH INTERVENTION.

AND WHAT WAYS CAN WE HELP STUDENTS BUILD CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS AND IMPROVE ACADEMICALLY? HERE AGAIN WITH PARTNERSHIPS.

YOU'LL SEE WE ALSO HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOL COUNSELORS.

THE SCHOOL, ONE OF OUR ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE MONTHLY IS COFFEE WITH COUNSELORS AND ADMIN, WHERE WE INVITE PARENTS IN AND WE HAVE WORKSHOPS.

YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS PARTICULAR WORKSHOP WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TRANSITION TO SCHOFIELD AND THE TRANSITION TO KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL.

SO WE INVITED THE COUNSELORS FROM SCHOFIELD AND KENNEDY TO COME IN AND TALK TO PARENTS ABOUT THAT TRANSITION.

AND FINALLY, JUST THIS PICTURE IS JUST HERE BECAUSE WE JUST WANTED YOU TO SEE OUR STUDENTS SMILING FACES AND SEE HOW LIKE ONE.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN AFFIRMATION AND THAT'S PART OF CAPTURING KIDS HEARTS.

SO STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO AFFIRM EACH OTHER.

ANOTHER ASPECT OF CAPTURING CAPTURING KIDS HEARTS IS GOOD THINGS.

AND WHAT IS SO WHAT IS SO GOOD, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD ABOUT GOOD THINGS IS OFTENTIMES WE HEAR OLDER ADULTS SAY THESE KIDS JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO TALK TO PEOPLE.

RIGHT. THEY'RE SO BUSY.

RIGHT. IN THEIR DEVICES.

BUT OUR STUDENTS ARE GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES TO LEAD, TO LEAD THE CLASS, TO LEAD THE CLASS AND GOOD THINGS, TO LEARN HOW TO ASK FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS AND TO PROCESS.

THEY KNOW TO THEY STAND AT THE DOOR AND GREET EACH OTHER.

SO GIVEN THOSE LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN HOW TO TALK TO THEIR CLASSMATES AND LEARN HOW TO SPEAK WITH PEOPLE AND TO NAVIGATE THE WORLD.

SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AIKEN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.

WE ALSO HAVE SOME SOME PEOPLE HERE TODAY WHO JUST LIKE TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES.

WE'LL START OFF WITH MISS CHRISTY WILLIAMS, WHO IS A PARENT, A FORMER PARENT FROM AIKEN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL, AND SHE'D LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER CHILD AND HER FAMILY'S EXPERIENCE.

WOULD YOU COME UP, MISS WILLIAMS? OKAY. DO YOU NEED THIS? DO YOU WANT TO GO WITH THIS? THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.

DO I HAVE IT? YEP. OKAY.

THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.

I'M GLAD THAT MS.. MCCRAY CALLED ME AND THAT.

WELL, MS.. BARRON, I THINK FIRST, IT IS WONDERFUL TO SHARE WHAT A ABSOLUTELY LOVELY EXPERIENCE WE HAD AT AIKEN INTERMEDIATE.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT SCHOOL, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY.

UM, IT WAS ONE OF MY SON'S BEST YEARS AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT THE STAFF DID SUCH A GREAT JOB.

I SEE MANY OF THEM HERE OR A FEW OF THEM THAT KNOW MY SON AND HELPED HIM TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

HE'S IN EIGHTH GRADE NOW OR SEVENTH GRADE NOW, AND HE IS JUST HAVING JUST THE GREATEST YEAR.

UM, THE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATION AT AIKEN INTERMEDIATE WERE PASSIONATE WHEN I SEE THIS PRESENTATION.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS MADE UP.

THIS IS WHAT REALLY, REALLY WENT ON.

THEY HAD PASSION FROM THE MINUTE YOU DROVE UP, I WAS LIKE, DO THESE PEOPLE DRINK COFFEE OR WHAT IS GOING ON? BECAUSE THEY ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING STARTED THIS MORNING AND THEY ARE TRULY BEING THAT BRIDGE BETWEEN ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. THEY ARE LASER FOCUSED ON WHAT SIXTH GRADERS NEEDED, AND I'M ONE OF THOSE PARENTS THAT ARE BEING DESCRIBED HERE THAT WAS LIKE, OKAY, MY SON IS GREAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S READY TO GO TO MIDDLE SCHOOL YET.

SO WHEN THIS OPTION CAME ALONG, I WAS REALLY, REALLY EXCITED.

UM, HIS TEACHERS SET EXPECTATIONS, BUT THEY ALSO OFFERED HIM GRACE.

I MEAN, DON'T WE ALL NEED THAT? HE WASN'T STRESSED OUT BECAUSE HE HAD HOMEWORK, BUT HE DIDN'T HAVE TOO MUCH HOMEWORK.

[00:50:02]

HE HAD OPPORTUNITIES, BUT HE WASN'T LIKE BEING SHOWN SO MANY THINGS THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHICH DIRECTION TO GO.

AND HE WAS ALSO GIVEN VERY DETAILED AND PRACTICAL WAYS THAT HE COULD IMPROVE BOTH ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY.

MY SON THRIVED IN THIS CAMP ATMOSPHERE.

CLIMATE CULTURE, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.

IT WAS COMFORTABLE, BUT IT WASN'T TOO COMFORTABLE BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT THAT.

AND IT WAS THAT PERFECT MIX BETWEEN THAT GREATER INDEPENDENCE AND NOT LIKE JUST GIVING THEM FULL FREEDOM.

I MEAN, JUST BECAUSE YOU GIVE THEM A PHONE DOESN'T MEAN YOU JUST SET THEM OFF WITH THE PHONE TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT.

THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

HE WASN'T BABIED, AT LEAST I DON'T THINK SO.

BUT BUT HE ALSO WASN'T EXPECTED TO BE LIKE A TEENAGER.

IT GAVE HIM ANOTHER YEAR TO MATURE AND GROW AND CONTINUE TO BUILD HIS SELF CONFIDENCE.

AND THAT'S WHAT HE NEEDED.

AND I SEE THAT DIFFERENCE IN HOW HE PERFORMS NOW IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

BUT I'LL BE HONEST, I THINK ONE OF THE FAVORITE, OUR FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT AIKEN INTERMEDIATE IS THAT IT WAS AND STILL IS.

I KNOW A HAPPY PLACE, AND THAT MIGHT SOUND FUNNY TOO, BUT IT'S BECAUSE I THINK I'M NOT SURE THE TEACHERS WANT TO BE THERE AND THEY LIKE SIXTH GRADERS.

DO YOU KNOW THAT THEY THEY LIKE SIXTH GRADERS.

I LOVE MY SIXTH GRADER, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO BE WITH THAT MANY SIXTH GRADERS.

BUT BUT ANYWAY.

AND ADMINISTRATION TALKS GREAT ABOUT THEIR TEACHERS.

WHY WOULDN'T THEY LOOK AT ALL THAT YOU'VE SEEN TONIGHT? AND MAYBE ALSO BECAUSE BEING IN A SCHOOL WHERE ALL THE STUDENTS ARE THE SAME AGE AND IN THE SAME BOAT KIND OF CREATES A GREATER COMMUNITY.

AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE THAT AGE.

SO I'M NOT REALLY EXACTLY SURE WHY, BUT I THINK MY SON FELT THOSE GOOD VIBES.

I KNOW I FELT THOSE GOOD VIBES BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE, YES, EDUCATION REQUIRES HARD WORK.

MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, OUR KIDS NEED TO KNOW HOW TO WORK HARD.

OUR KIDS NEED TO STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE, BUT THEY SHOULD LIKE GOING TO SCHOOL.

THEY SHOULD LIKE LEARNING.

THAT'S A PART OF LIFE.

AND SO I THINK AIKEN INTERMEDIATE DID A GREAT JOB AND WE'RE SUPER EXCITED THAT MY SON WENT THERE AND THAT WE KNOW ALL OF THEM.

AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER PARENT MISS TAYLOR WOULD LIKE TO SHARE.

WE HAVE. WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE ONE OF HER CHILDREN LAST YEAR, AND WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE THIS YEAR.

SO WE'RE CONTINUING THE LEGACY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. MCCRAY. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

DR. LAURENCE, SUPERINTENDENT LAURENCE AND THE BOARD.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL TONIGHT.

I WAS ECSTATIC WHEN I MOVED HERE.

AND I'M AN ALUMNUS OF AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BY THE WAY.

BRIAN AND I WERE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL OR IN HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER.

ZELDA GARRETT WAS A MAIDEN NAME.

BUT LET ME JUST SHARE THAT I MOVED AWAY ALL OF MY ADULT LIFE WAS IN NORTH CAROLINA, AND MY OLDEST SON WENT TO A NINTH GRADE SCHOOL JUST LIKE THIS ONE. AND SO I WAS ECSTATIC WHEN I CAME BACK.

AND I FOUND OUT AFTER GARRETT COMPLETED FIFTH GRADE DURING THE YEAR OF COVID.

RIGHT. AND HE WAS GOING TO GO TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HE WAS GOING TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST BE WITH SIXTH GRADERS AND TO TO BE ABLE TO LEARN AND JUST FOCUS ON SCHOOL AND NOT WORRY ABOUT ALL THE CRAZINESS THAT COMES WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ALL THE OTHER GRADES.

AND SO HE EXCELLED.

STRAIGHT-A STUDENT HAS BEEN DOING REALLY, REALLY WELL.

AND I TELL MY KIDS THAT MY JOB IS TO GO TO WORK EVERY DAY AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE FAMILY.

YOUR JOB IS TO GO TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY AND TO LEARN EVERYTHING YOU CAN, AND THAT'S YOUR JOB.

SO THAT ONE DAY YOU CAN GET A GOOD JOB.

RIGHT? AND I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY FEEL AND I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT THE SETUP AT AIKEN INTERMEDIATE.

I THINK IT'S A PHENOMENAL PROGRAM.

MY KIDS NOT ONLY WERE INSPIRED AND MOTIVATED TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN, BUT BEING A PART OF CAMP ODYSSEY AND NOW JACKSON IS A PART OF CAMP ADVENTURE.

LIKE THEY WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY.

THEY'RE LIKE. JUST ECSTATIC.

THEY WAKE UP, THEY WAKE ME UP IN THE MORNING TO GO TO SCHOOL AND THAT'S FOR REAL.

AND THEY'RE EIGHTH GRADE AND SIXTH GRADE NOW.

SO I WANT TO SAY THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, BUT WE'RE ECSTATIC ABOUT THE PROGRAM, SO PLEASE KEEP IT.

AND SO WHAT WE'LL ROUND IT OFF AND END OUR IN OUR PRESENTATION WITH A STUDENT PRESENTATION.

SO CHRISTOPHER ASH IS A FORMER STUDENT OF AIKEN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.

HE IS NOW A SEVENTH GRADER AT SCHOFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL.

CHRISTOPHER GAVE THIS SPEECH AT THE END OF THE YEAR PROGRAM.

HE GAVE A SPEECH ON REFLECTIONS OF AIS AND HE WAS SO IMPRESSIVE THAT I THOUGHT THAT YOU'D WANT TO HEAR WHAT CHRISTOPHER HAD TO SAY AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR LAST YEAR.

ON HIS REFLECTIONS OF AIS.

COME ON UP, CHRISTOPHER.

[00:55:02]

I MUST SAY, CHRISTOPHER SAID THAT HE WAS NERVOUS AND I TOLD HIM, BABY, IT'S JUST LIKE CHURCH.

YOU GET UP AND SAY YOUR EASTER SPEECH AND EVERYBODY'S LIKE, OH, LOOK AT THAT BABY.

HE'S SO GOOD.

SO THAT'S HOW WE ALL FEEL.

OKAY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

AS THE YEAR UNFOLDS AND WE GO INTO SEVENTH GRADE, WE DO AN AWFUL LOT OF LOOKING BACK ON THE BEST ASPECTS OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR.

STUDENTS MAY THINK ABOUT DIFFERENT EXPLORATORIES WE HAD THE DIFFERENT TOPICS WE MAY LEARN OR MAYBE HAVE LOOKED BACK ON THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLWIDE ACTIVITIES WE HAD WATCHED OR MAYBE PARTOOK IN.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS MOST STUDENTS LOOK BACK ON IS THE IMPACT OUR FAVORITE TEACHERS HAD ON OUR ABILITY TO LEARN.

WHEN I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING THE SPEECH, I THOUGHT TO WRITE ABOUT THE POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES MY MAIN CORE TEACHERS HAD ON OTHER STUDENTS IN MY CAMP.

ONE TEACHER THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE STUDENTS COMMENTED ON WAS MISS BENNETT.

EVERYONE I CAME TO HAD TO SAY SOMETHING NICE TO SAY ABOUT THEIR SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER.

STUDENTS SAID THAT THEY LIKED HOW EVERY DAY IN HER CLASS WAS A FUN DAY AND WAS A PLEASURE TO BE IN HER CLASS.

STUDENTS EVEN SAID THINGS ABOUT HOW SHE WOULD BRING IN FUN ASPECTS, SUCH AS INTRODUCING NEW CHARACTERS TO TEACH US ABOUT TOPICS IN A FUN WAY SO WE WOULD HAVE FUN, BUT ALSO BE EAGER TO LEARN AND DO OUR SCHOOLWORK.

ANOTHER WONDERFUL TEACHER THAT WE HAD THE PLEASURE TO BE REACHED BY WAS MISS MANS.

MISS MANS IS OUR WONDERFUL LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHER WHO BRINGS FUN ASSIGNMENTS AND ACTIVITIES TO STUDENTS SUCH AS HER FUN ESCAPE ROOMS WHILE MANAGING TO MAKE SURE HER STUDENTS GET THE LESSON AND GET THEIR WORK DONE.

MOST STUDENTS SAY THEY LIKE THE TIME WHEN SHE PLAYS TIME WARP TRIO FOR US TO INTRODUCE US TO NEW TOPICS WHILE STILL LEARNING.

AND THEY LIKE HOW WELL ORGANIZED HER CLASSROOM IS.

MS.. HARGRAVE IS OUR SCIENCE TEACHER WHO HELPS US UNDERSTAND ALL OF OUR GIVING ASSIGNMENTS AND TOPICS BY ASSIGNING US AN INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK THAT KEEPS US PREPARED FOR ANY CHALLENGES OR ANY HARD SUBJECTS BY GIVING US A RELIABLE SOURCE TO LOOK BACK ON.

AND WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO PREPARING HER STUDENTS FOR ANY TEST.

NOT ONLY DOES SHE EXPECT YOU TO DO YOUR BEST, SHE OFTEN REWARDS ALL HER CLASSROOMS FOR DOING THEIR BEST, WHICH MAKES US EVEN MORE PREPARED.

AND SURE, WE WILL PASS OUR TEST IN ASSIGNMENTS.

AND LASTLY, NOT LEAST, THIS IS MS..

EARL. MS.. EARL IS OUR MATH TEACHER WHO MAKES SURE HER STUDENTS DO THE BEST INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF CLASS.

MS.. EARL OFTEN IMPLIES THAT WE NEED TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF OURSELVES WE CAN BE AT ALL TIMES.

STUDENTS HAVE STATED THAT THEY LOVE HOW SHE BREAKS ALL OF OUR SUBJECTS DOWN INTO A WAY THAT WE CAN BEST UNDERSTAND IT AND WHO WE ARE AND WHEN WE NEED HELP.

SHE IS ONGOING, EAGER TO HELP US WITH OUR TASKS BY GIVING US SECOND CHANCES TO LEARN TOPICS.

AND SHE EVEN TELLS US THAT WE COULD COME TO HER ANY TIME TO TALK ABOUT HER ASSIGNMENTS OR TOPICS WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE WITH AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

WE ALL THINK ABOUT HOW EVERYTHING IN THIS YEAR HAS IMPACTED US.

BUT ONE THING WE CAN ALL UNDERSTAND AND THINK ABOUT IS HOW ALL OF OUR FOUR CORE TEACHERS AFFECTED US STUDENTS PERMANENTLY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YOU MIGHT HAVE TO COME BACK UP, BUT YOU.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT. BUT I WAS GOING TO ASK IF THE BOARD HAD ANY QUESTIONS OF THE GROUP THAT PRESENTED.

I HAVE A COMMENT. MS..

RHINEHART-JACKSON DO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR? MS.. MCCRAY. YES, MA'AM.

I'M GOING TO FIRST ADDRESS THE YOUNG MAN.

YOUNG MAN, I AM SO IMPRESSED WITH YOU.

YOU DID SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB.

I COULD VISUALIZE AND FEEL EVERYTHING THAT YOU WERE SAYING.

GREAT JOB.

MS.. MCCRAY AND STAFF.

YOU ALL KNOW THAT I POP IN QUITE OFTEN.

AND THE MOTHER'S ASSESSMENT ABOUT YOU ALL BEING HAPPY PEOPLE IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

I AM VERY REFRESHED AND VERY PROUD TO BE YOUR SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE.

AND THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO.

THANK YOU.

THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE ELSE? MR. SILAS. I'LL LOOK AT THE DATA TOMORROW IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

BUT JUST IN SUMMARY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

[01:00:01]

WE ALREADY SEE ALL THE OTHER BENEFITS, RIGHT? SOCIALLY AND ALL THAT STUFF.

BUT WHAT DOES THIS DATA TELL YOU IN SUMMARY? WELL, WHAT IT'S HARD TO BOIL DOWN WHAT WE DO AT AIKEN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL WITH SINGLE POINTS OF DATA FROM ONE STANDARDIZED TEST.

IN FACT, THAT'S QUITE HARD TO TO NAIL THAT DOWN.

BUT THE DATA JUST TELLS YOU THAT WE'RE GROWING.

IT'S SHOWING THAT AN ELA THAT WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES IS SHOWING THAT IN MATHEMATICS AS ACROSS THE DISTRICT, THAT THERE'S STILL WORK TO DO. SO AND THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEGUN WITH AN IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR NEW MATH PROGRAM.

SO I THINK THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE GROWING AND THAT WE HAVE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

BUT REMEMBER, YOU'RE EITHER GREEN OR GROWING OR RIPE AND ROTTING.

SO IF I COULD SUMMARIZE, THEN MAYBE IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S WORKING.

YES, SIR. RIGHT. IT'S WORKING.

YEAH. YEAH.

ANYBODY ELSE? THANK YOU, MISS MCRAE.

THANK YOU. I HAD A POINT OF CLARIFICATION FOR DR..

YEAH. THANK YOU FOR DR.

EDWARDS. DID YOU SAY YOU WERE COMING BACK AT OUR SECOND MEETING THIS MONTH? I'LL BE BACK IN OCTOBER FOR THE FULL DISTRICT.

YES, SIR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. IF THERE'S NOTHING FURTHER, WE HAVE AN ADDITION.

A PRESENTATION REQUESTED BY THE BOARD.

AN OVERVIEW. I CALL IT AN OVERVIEW OF MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS.

AND DR. YARBOROUGH IS GOING TO COME UP AND PRESENT, BUT SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE YOU STANDING UP, DR.

MURPHY. I THINK YOU JUST DID IT FOR ME.

I WAS GOING TO WELCOME DR.

YARBOROUGH TO THE PODIUM.

THANK YOU, SIR. YEAH, JUST READING THE AGENDA.

SO THANK YOU, MR. NESTLE AND BOARD MEMBERS AND MR. LAURENCE FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT.

THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT, OF COURSE, BUT.

JUST TO GET US STARTED.

PERHAPS THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT WOULD BE TO.

TO LOOK AT THE FACT THAT WE.

WE NEED HELP.

HOW DO YOU DO THIS? OH, NO, GO BACK.

OKAY, SO WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 50 FACILITIES, OF COURSE.

ABOUT 45 SCHOOLS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST SCHOOLS.

WE ALSO HAVE BROOKHAVEN AND THE OPERATIONS CENTER AND TRANSPORTATION AND SIX POINTS.

AND SO WE HAVE 50 FACILITIES ACROSS THIS FAR FLUNG DISTRICT THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR.

WE HAVE A FLEET OF VEHICLES THAT WE MAINTAIN BOTH IN THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE DISTRICT.

THE IT DEPARTMENT, THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.

SO ALL THOSE FOLKS COME TO US FOR SERVICE AND SO FORTH.

WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR LANDSCAPING IN THREE OF OUR ATTENDANCE AREAS, AREAS TWO, FOUR AND FIVE AREAS ONE AND THREE ARE CONTRACTED.

AND SO ALSO ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT IS USED BY THOSE LANDSCAPING CREWS IS MAINTAINED BY US AS WELL.

SO LOOKING AT THE PEOPLE.

WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL THREE GENERAL FOREMEN THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL SKILL AREAS THAT YOU MIGHT THINK OF IN A MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT LIKE ELECTRICIANS, CARPENTERS AND AND THE OTHER FOLKS THAT YOU SEE THERE, REFRIGERATION, PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, STADIUM MAINTENANCE.

THAT PERSON, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT ONE PERSON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SEVEN HIGH SCHOOLS AND 11 MIDDLE SCHOOLS, ALL OF THEIR ATHLETIC FACILITIES.

WE DO HAVE A LOCKSMITH AND WE HAVE A GLAZIER.

AND WE PUT A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL THERE BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT A GLAZIER IS, BUT THAT'S THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF OUR GLASS WINDOWS AND PLATE GLASS AND SO FORTH. WE HAVE A PROGRAM MANAGER WE CALL HIM WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A PRETTY WIDE RANGE OF RESPONSIBILITIES.

FIRE ALARMS, BURGLAR ALARMS OR INTRUSION SECURITY CAMERAS, ACCESS CONTROL.

THOSE BUTTONS YOU HAVE TO PUSH TO GET INTO THE BUILDINGS, PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, EQUIPMENT AND HE SUPERVISES TWO ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS AND A ROOFER.

AND YES, WE DO ONLY HAVE ONE ROOFER.

UM. BUT CONTINUING WE HAVE A PERSON

[01:05:06]

THAT WE DESIGNATE AS THE LEAD FOREMAN.

HIS PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS PLUMBING, BUT HE HAS SUCH A VAST EXPERIENCE THAT WE HAVE DESIGNATED HIM AS A LEAD FOREMAN AND HE RECEIVES A SUPPLEMENT FOR THAT, AND HE PROVIDES EXTRA GUIDANCE TO THE OTHER FOREMAN WHEN NEEDED AND IS JUST A GOOD RESOURCE FOR THEM.

OF COURSE, ALL THESE DIFFERENT SKILL AREAS CREATE QUITE A BIT OF PAPERWORK AND CLERICAL RESPONSIBILITIES.

SO WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES FOREMAN WHO OVERSEES THE SECRETARIES AND THE DISPATCHERS, AND WE'LL GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT THOSE DISPATCHERS DO LATER.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE A COURIER FOR OUR DISTRICT AND AND THEN ONE CUSTODIAN THERE AT THE OPERATIONS CENTER FOR FOR WHICH THIS THIS FOREMAN IS RESPONSIBLE.

WE HAVE A CUSTODIAL SERVICES FOREMAN AS WELL.

AND 177 FTES IN THIS DISTRICT FOR CUSTODIANS AND THIS PERSON.

THIS FOREMAN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, HOW TO DO THE JOB, HOW TO STRIP OR WAX FLOORS, HOW TO PROPERLY USE CHEMICALS.

AND SO THIS POSITION IS PRETTY WIDE RANGING AND HAS QUITE A WORKLOAD.

HE HAS A CUSTODIAL SERVICE TECHNICIAN THAT DOES NOTHING BUT MAINTAIN ALL OF OUR CUSTODIAL EQUIPMENT LIKE FLOOR SCRUBBERS, ZAMBONI'S AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. AND THEN WE HAVE AN EVENING CUSTODIAL MANAGER WHO SUPERVISES THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE LATE SHIFTS WORKING AT NIGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS, WHICH WE HAVE QUITE A FEW, BECAUSE TRULY YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T CLEAN A BUILDING WHEN IT'S FULL OF CHILDREN AND EMPLOYEES.

WE HAVE GROUNDS MAINTENANCE.

FOREMAN TWO OF THOSE THREE LANDSCAPING CREWS WHO MAINTAIN THOSE SCHOOLS WE MENTIONED IN AREAS TWO, FOUR AND FIVE. AND ALSO THESE FOLKS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SURPLUS.

AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT ANY TIME ANY OF OUR EQUIPMENT, FURNITURE, ANYTHING LIKE THAT IS NO LONGER USABLE OR SCHOOLS DON'T WANT THAT IN THEIR SCHOOLS ANYMORE, THAT HAS TO BE MOVED OUT OF THOSE SCHOOLS INTO OUR SURPLUS COLLECTION POINT, WHICH IS AT FRIEDMAN.

AND SO THESE FOLKS NOT ONLY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR GROUNDS MAINTENANCE, BUT ALSO ALL OF THAT MOVING OF FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES.

SO THAT'S WHO WE ARE.

THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP THE DEPARTMENT.

AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE WORKFLOW, AS IT'S CALLED, WHEN SOMEONE IN A SCHOOL NEEDS SOMETHING REPAIRED, THEY REQUEST THAT REPAIR THROUGH THE THAT ONLINE SYSTEM CALLED SCHOOL DUDE.

AND THAT WORK ORDER IS ASSIGNED A NUMBER.

AND THEN THE PEOPLE IN THE SCHOOL DECIDE THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, WE NEED SOMETHING DONE RIGHT NOW OR IT'S A HIGH PRIORITY OR A MEDIUM OR LOW PRIORITY.

AND THEN THOSE LADIES THAT WORK THERE IN THE OPERATIONS CENTER, THEY RECEIVE THOSE WORK ORDERS THROUGH THE ONLINE SYSTEM AND THEN THEY ASSIGN THEM TO A SKILL AREA. SO IF IT'S PLUMBING OR ELECTRICAL OR ROOFING, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, THEY MAKE SURE THAT THAT THAT WORK ORDER IS DIRECTED TO THE RIGHT FOREMAN AND THAT THE RIGHT SKILL AREA ADDRESSES IT.

SO THAT'S HOW THAT SYSTEM WORKS.

AND OF COURSE, WE CAN TRACK THE PROGRESS TOWARD MAKING THOSE REPAIRS THROUGH THAT SAME SYSTEM CALLED SCHOOL DUDE.

SO OUR GOALS FOR AND I NEED TO REMEMBER TO CLICK THIS DOGGONE THING.

YEP. THERE WE GO.

OKAY. I NEED TO DO BETTER.

SORRY. WE ASSIGN THEM, AS I SAID, PRIORITY LEVELS.

EITHER IT'S AN EMERGENCY, WHICH MEANS LITERALLY ONE OF THE LADIES AT THE OPERATIONS CENTER CALLS A FOREMAN AND SAYS, WE'VE GOT A DOOR THAT CAN'T BE LOCKED OR THE AIR CONDITIONING IS NOT WORKING OR TOILETS ARE OVERFLOWING.

THE WATER STOPPED WORKING POWERS OUT.

THOSE ARE EMERGENCIES.

AND SO WE DROP WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WE IMMEDIATELY GO THERE AND DEAL WITH IT.

IF THEY ASSIGN IT A HIGH PRIORITY LEVEL, THEN OUR GOAL IS, IS TO RESOLVE IT WITHIN 24 TO 48 HOURS, MEDIUM, THREE DAYS AND A LOW PRIORITY ONE WEEK. SO THOSE ARE OUR GOALS.

AND. I GAVE YOU.

YEAH, I GAVE YOU SOME STATISTICS HERE FOR HOW WE PERFORMED IN THE FIRST 31 DAYS OF SCHOOL OR WHAT WE DEALT WITH.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD SNAPSHOT.

31 SCHOOL DAYS A MONTH OF SCHOOL.

WE HAD A LITTLE OVER 2000 WORK ORDERS THAT WERE SUBMITTED.

OF COURSE, WE STARTED IN JULY AND AUGUST AND SO IT WAS HOT AND SO THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF HVAC RELATED ISSUES AND STILL IS HOT AND WE'RE STILL WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY ON HVAC ISSUES AND WE DID STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN THAT RESOLUTION TIMELINE THAT I THAT I SHOWED YOU EARLIER.

[01:10:06]

SO OUR GOAL WAS TO BECAUSE THOSE ARE EMERGENCIES.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE HVAC AND IT'S 100 DEGREES OUTSIDE, THAT'S AN EMERGENCY.

AND SO WE TRY TO GET THOSE RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY OR WITHIN 24 TO 48 HOURS.

AND WE DIDN'T ALWAYS MEET OUR GOAL, UNFORTUNATELY.

SO WE'VE GOT SOME PERSONNEL RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND I WILL SAY THERE'S ONE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN WHAT'S HERE ON THE SCREEN AND WHAT'S ON YOUR HARD COPY.

YOUR HARD COPY IS CORRECT, BUT I'LL GET TO THAT IN JUST A MOMENT.

WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO MEET THOSE THOSE RESOLUTION GOALS AND RESOLVE ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS IN A TIMELY FASHION.

SO IT WOULD HELP US TREMENDOUSLY IF WE HAD ONE ADDITIONAL PLUMBER.

PLUMBING PROBLEMS VERY OFTEN ARE TIME TIME INTENSIVE, AND EVERYONE IN THE PLUMBING SHOP, AS WE CALL IT, HAS TO DROP WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WORK TOGETHER.

WHEN A WATER LINE BREAKS AND THE SCHOOL DOESN'T HAVE WATER, WE HAVE TO GET A BACKHOE OUT THERE.

WE HAVE TO DIG BIG HOLES AND WE HAVE TO GET DOWN IN THEM, INTO THEM.

AND IT JUST TAKES A LOT OF TIME.

IT'S VERY LABOR INTENSIVE.

IT WOULD HELP US TREMENDOUSLY IF WE HAD ANOTHER PLUMBER.

WE WOULD WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ANOTHER HVAC TECHNICIAN, ESPECIALLY FOR THESE CRUNCH TIMES LIKE THE SUMMER MONTHS, THE LATE SPRING MONTHS WHEN IT'S SO HOT, WE WOULD LIKE TO REASSUME OR TAKE OVER ALL OF THE GROUNDS RESPONSIBILITIES ONCE AGAIN AS WE USED TO. AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR NINE MORE FTES SO THAT WE COULD SERVICE ALL OF OUR AREAS, NOT JUST AREAS TWO, FOUR AND FIVE BECAUSE WE'RE CURRENTLY CONTRACTING FOR AREAS ONE AND THREE WITH A PRIVATE LAWN SERVICE. BUT WE WOULD PAY FOR THAT THROUGH.

WE WOULD PAY FOR THOSE NINE FTES BY NO LONGER PAYING FOR A PRIVATE SERVICE TO DO THAT.

SO THAT WOULD BE A SORT OF A ZERO SUM THERE.

PAINTERS, WE NEED PAINTERS ALL THE TIME NOT TO PAINT AN ENTIRE SCHOOL, BUT TO PAINT A WALL OR TOUCH UP A DOOR.

AND WITH SO MANY FACILITIES, WE COULD KEEP TWO PAINTERS EXTREMELY BUSY ALL THE TIME.

AND THAT TRULY IS A NEED.

THE FACT THAT WE ONLY HAVE ONE STADIUM MAINTENANCE PERSON OR A STADIUM SERVICES PERSON FOR SEVEN HIGH SCHOOLS AND 11 MIDDLE SCHOOLS IS IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH.

THAT PERSON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE FIELDS, ALL OF THE FENCING, ALL OF THE ELECTRONIC SCOREBOARDS IN GYMS, IN STADIUMS. IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE JOB.

YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS AS A STADIUM MAINTENANCE OR A STADIUM SERVICES PERSON.

WE REALLY NEED ANOTHER ONE.

WE ONLY HAVE ONE LOCKSMITH.

IF YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW MANY DOORS AND HOW MANY DOOR PROBLEMS WE HAVE IN THIS DISTRICT TO ONLY HAVE ONE LOCKSMITH.

IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH.

AND WE ONLY HAVE ONE OR WE ONLY HAVE TWO ELECTRONICS TECHNICIANS.

WE REALLY NEED ANOTHER ONE FOR ALL OF THOSE CAMERAS.

ACCESS CONTROLS, BURGLAR ALARMS, FIRE ALARMS. IT'S A LOT.

SO THAT'S JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR YOU FOLKS.

NOT ASKING ANYBODY TO MAKE A DECISION.

BUT WHEN THE BUDGET SEASON ROLLS AROUND IN JANUARY, I HOPE YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT.

REMEMBER THAT ANOTHER FUNCTION OF OUR DEPARTMENT IS.

DOING CAPITAL, WHAT ARE CALLED CAPITAL OUTLAYS.

THESE ARE NOT THE NORMAL REPAIRS THAT WE ARE ASKED TO DO EACH AND EVERY DAY.

THESE ARE BIGGER PROJECTS, ESSENTIALLY.

VERY OFTEN NEW CONSTRUCTION.

SOMEBODY WANTS TO DIVIDE A LARGE ROOM LIKE THIS INTO FOUR OFFICES.

AND SO THEY NEED FOR US TO PUT IN WALLS AND DOORS AND AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

RENOVATING EQUIPMENT AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE JUST NOT CATEGORIZED AS ROUTINE REPAIRS.

SO THE PROCESS IS THAT THE PRINCIPAL COMPLETES A CAPITAL OUTLAY REQUEST.

THEY SUBMIT IT TO ME FOR WHETHER OR NOT IT'S AN APPROPRIATE REQUEST.

AND THEN I HAVE TO LOOK AT FUNDING AND I MEET WITH MY SUPERVISOR, DR.

MURPHY. WE TALK ABOUT THE MONEY AND WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN DO IT.

AND OF COURSE, WE TRY TO DO EVERYTHING WE'RE ASKED TO DO AND IN MOST OF THE TIME WE DO.

BUT ONCE WE DECIDE HOW WE'RE GOING TO ATTACK THAT PROBLEM, THEN WE CAN EITHER ASSIGN IT TO THE APPROPRIATE SKILL AREA IN MAINTENANCE, OR VERY OFTEN WE OUTSOURCE THESE CAPITAL OUTLAY REQUESTS BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY OFTEN BIG JOBS THAT TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF A LOT OF LABOR.

SO WE DEAL WITH THOSE QUITE A BIT.

THERE'S ALSO INCLUDED NOT IN THIS, NOT ON THESE SLIDES, BUT IN YOUR PACKETS.

[01:15:02]

THERE'S A MEMO FROM DR.

MURPHY THAT SHOWS YOU HOW WE DID IN THAT THAT 31 DAY PERIOD FROM JULY 20TH 5TH TO SEPTEMBER THE 6TH.

AS FAR AS WHETHER OR NOT WE MET OUR GOALS.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT COMPLETING WORK ORDERS.

IT'S THAT MEMORANDUM FROM DR.

MURPHY, 58% SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF WORK ORDERS IN THAT TIMELINE THAT WE THAT WE TRY TO MAINTAIN.

WORK IN PROGRESS.

VERY OFTEN WE'RE NOT ABLE TO COMPLETE A WORK ORDER IN A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD BECAUSE WE NEED PARTS AND WE'VE ORDERED PARTS AND MATERIALS AND WHATNOT, AND WE'RE WAITING ON THOSE.

AND IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HVAC EQUIPMENT OR ELECTRONICS, SOMETIMES THE WAIT TIME THESE DAYS IS WEEKS.

SO THAT SLOWS US DOWN THERE.

SO VERY OFTEN IF A IF A WORK ORDER IS CATEGORIZED AS A WORK IN PROGRESS, THEN IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE WAITING ON SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THE REPAIR.

YOU CAN SEE WE DECLINED VERY FEW WORK ORDERS.

SOMETIMES WE ARE ASKED TO DO THINGS THAT JUST AREN'T AREN'T APPROPRIATE.

BUT THAT'S AGAIN 1% PENDING, DUPLICATE AND VOIDING AND THEN WAITING ON MORE INFORMATION.

THOSE WORK ORDERS. THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT WE NEED INFORMATION.

SOMETIMES PEOPLE TWO PEOPLE IN ONE SCHOOL WILL PUT IN DUPLICATE WORK ORDERS, BUT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN.

YOU CAN SEE THAT'S LESS THAN 1%.

SO THAT'S HOW WE DID IN THAT 31 DAY PERIOD.

SO I WOULD OPEN IT UP TO YOU, TO YOU FOLKS, IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS.

I SAW DR. BRADLEY'S HAND FIRST.

DR. BRADLEY, YOU HAD THE FLOOR.

WELL, IF YOU GAVE US ALL OF THOSE FEATS THAT I ASKED FOR, I WOULD HOPE THAT MR. TRAXLER COULD DO SOME REALLY QUICK MENTAL MATH.

ONE, TWO.

11, 12, 13.

14. 15. 16.

350,000, BUT IT'S WHAT I'D ESTIMATE IS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

THAT'S. THIS.

INCLUDING. HIRING OUR OWN HOME.

IN LIEU OF CONTRACT.

THERE WOULD BE A WASH.

YES, SIR. JUST. JUST ESTIMATING THAT THIS.

I AGREE. YES, SIR. DR.

BRADLEY. MISS TYLER.

STOOD OUT THE YARBOROUGH ON HERE YOU HAVE THAT THERE ARE THREE LANDSCAPING CREWS CURRENTLY.

YES, MA'AM. AND YOU'RE SERVICING THREE AREAS.

SO WOULD YOU SAY THAT THERE'S ONE CREW ASSIGNED TO EACH AREA? NOT NECESSARILY. NOT NECESSARILY, NO, MA'AM.

WELL, WHAT WE TRY TO DO, OUR GOAL IS TO ADDRESS THE GRASS AND SHRUBS AND WHATNOT AT A SCHOOL EVERY SEVEN DAYS.

SO IT'S SORT OF LIKE A ROTATING CYCLE IN A WAY.

YES, MA'AM. THEY'RE THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO AN AREA, BUT VERY OFTEN THERE'S OVERLAP.

SO THE THREE GUYS THAT ARE IN AREA FOUR PERHAPS, OR AREA FIVE, THEY'LL BE ASSISTED BY PERSONNEL FROM ANOTHER CREW.

BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, YES, MA'AM.

ASSIGNED TO AN AREA.

RIGHT. WE ONLY HAVE ONE ROOFER, ONE REASON, ONE ROOFER.

YOU DIDN'T REQUEST AN ADDITIONAL ROOFER? WELL, I AM REQUESTING ONE MORE.

YES, MA'AM. SO WHAT THAT MEANS ON THAT PAGE IS THOSE.

THOSE ARE THE EXTRA PEOPLE I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE.

SO ROOFER.

I DID LEAVE ROOFER OFF.

I'M SORRY. I NEED ANOTHER ROOFER, BY THE WAY.

I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT.

SO FOR 100,000 INSTEAD OF 350.

THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM.

MR. BROOME. DR.

YARBOROUGH? YES, SIR.

I KNOW THAT I CAUSED A LOT OF THIS BY REQUESTING THIS.

AND I KNOW I'VE KIND OF UPSET YOU AND DR.

MURPHY A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME OF MY CRITICISM TOWARD MAINTENANCE, AND YOU JUST SHOWED ME WHY WE'RE HAVING ISSUES.

IN MY OPINION, I'M A BLUE COLLAR GUY.

YOU ARE SO GROSSLY UNDERSTAFFED THAT WHAT YOU'VE ASKED FOR TO ME WOULD BE.

HONESTLY, I DON'T THINK IT'S CLOSE TO BEING ENOUGH.

I'M JUST GOING TO SAY. HERE'S MY ISSUE.

WE BUILD SCHOOLS, WE REMODEL SCHOOLS.

WE'VE GOT 40 SOMETHING SCHOOLS.

WE SAY WE'RE A PREMIER SCHOOL DISTRICT.

THE FEATS YOU JUST SHOWED US TRYING TO MAINTAIN THESE FACILITIES IS.

ANYBODY IN THE MAINTENANCE ROOM WOULD KNOW.

[01:20:01]

AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT MY ISSUE HAS BEEN.

I'VE BEEN MORE HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH SOME OF THE SCHOOLS ON A HANDS ON WAY WITH MAINTENANCE, AND PROBABLY Y'ALL WOULD EVEN LIKE IN OVER MY LAST EIGHT, 12 YEARS IN IN MY AREA, I'VE COME IN THERE AND DONE A LOT OF WORK MYSELF, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. AND I KNOW THAT WE FROWN ON THAT BECAUSE.

YOU HAVE A STANDARD THAT YOU WANT WORK DONE.

NOW, I KNOW I MEET THAT STANDARD, BUT.

EVERYBODY THAT COMES IN.

YOU CAN'T JUST LET THEM GO IN THERE AND DO STUFF.

I UNDERSTAND ALL THAT.

AND I SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE BEEN DOING PROBABLY SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE DONE.

I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SAY, HOWEVER, WE HAVE SEEN SO MANY THINGS.

YOU KNOW, I'M JUST GOING TO GO BACK TO EVEN THE LAWN MAINTENANCE AND GO BACK TO ONE OF MY SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW.

I KNOW WE GOT SPRINKLER SYSTEMS NOT WORKING.

WE GOT DEAD SHRUBBERY EVERYWHERE.

WE GOT PINE STRAW HADN'T BEEN REPLACED.

WHAT I'M SAYING IS, AM I EXPECTING TOO MUCH TO THINK THAT WHEN WE BUILD A SCHOOL THAT THERE SHOULD BE A STANDARD? THAT WE KEEP THAT STOOL OUT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT SUPPORTING THE MAINTENANCE SIDE TO THE POINT OF WHAT WE'RE BUILDING.

THAT'S OBVIOUS.

AND AND I SEE THESE THINGS.

I HEAR THE COMPLAINTS, THE WORK ORDERS COME IN AND I GUESS.

SOME OF MY ISSUE IS, IS I'M A GUY.

WHEN YOU GO IN TO WORK ON SOMETHING, I DON'T LIKE TO SEE JUST THAT LITTLE PIECE DONE IF THERE'S THINGS WRONG AROUND IT.

BUT THAT WORK ORDER MAY HAVE BEEN TAILORED TO THAT LITTLE PIECE.

AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT COMES IN AND GETS DONE.

SO IT'S BACK ON A PRINCIPLE OR SOMEBODY IN THE SCHOOL TO POINT OUT EVERY LITTLE THING.

AND I JUST THINK OUR WHOLE MAINTENANCE PHILOSOPHY NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED AND I'M NOT.

WHEN I LOOK AT THE FIGHTS YOU GOT INTO AND WHAT YOU EXPECTED TO DO WITH THE STAFF, I'M SURPRISED YOU HADN'T COME.

WANTED TO PUNCH ME OUT.

YOU MAY HAVE. NO, NOT AT ALL.

ABSOLUTELY NOT. BUT WHAT I'M GETTING AT AND I DO SAY AS A JOKE, Y'ALL, BUT WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS THERE'S NO WAY TO MAINTAIN ALL THESE BUILDINGS WITH WHAT YOU GOT.

YES, SIR. AND TO GO BACK TO YOUR QUESTION, MR. BROOME. YES? WHEN WE BUILD A NEW SCHOOL, JUST LET'S TAKE HIGHLAND SPRINGS, WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL, A BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS, BUT IT IS SO COMPLEX.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE DESIGN OF THE SCHOOL AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, THINK IMAGINE THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN THERE AND I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL BEEN THERE.

ALL OF THE ISLANDS THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE PARKING LOTS, YOU CAN'T TAKE A MOWER AND MOW THAT GRASS.

YOU LITERALLY HAVE TO GO OUT INTO ALL THOSE ISLANDS AND USE WEED EATERS.

IT'S EXTREMELY TIME CONSUMING.

A SCHOOL THAT SIZE WITH THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND EMPLOYEES THAT IT HAS, HAS AN EXPANSIVE LANDSCAPING DESIGN, WHICH IS BEAUTIFUL IF YOU MAINTAIN IT.

WE SHOULD EXPECT A CERTAIN LEVEL OF CURB APPEAL WHEN A PARENT PULLS UP TO A SCHOOL.

I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO THINK THIS LOOKS SQUARED AWAY.

BUT A CAMPUS THAT SIZE WITH THE AMOUNT OF GRASS AND SHRUBS AND BEDS AND SO FORTH IS A DIFFICULT ONE TO MAINTAIN SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE SIZE AND THE DESIGN OF IT.

SO I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS WE HAVE TO ADEQUATELY STAFF THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING IT.

AND THEN IF YOU FOLKS ADEQUATELY STAFF US AND WE DON'T MEET A STANDARD, THEN THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH ME AND THE PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH ME.

BUT IF WE ADEQUATELY STAFF IT, I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN DO THE JOB WELL AND WE WOULD HAVE THE CURB APPEAL THAT YOU AND THE PUBLIC AND I WOULD EXPECT.

SO I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE SAID.

AND PLEASE LET ME SAY THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE YEARS, MR. BROOME, AND I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE IS TREMENDOUSLY APPRECIATED.

YOU'VE DONE SO MUCH WORK, NOT JUST IN AREA FIVE, BUT OTHER PLACES TOO, SO WE DON'T FROWN ON IT.

YOU'VE CERTAINLY NOT CREATED ANY RESENTMENT ON MY PART OR DR.

MURPHY'S PART. WE APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU WANT THINGS TO BE DONE RIGHT.

THAT'S THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.

SO PLEASE DON'T DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT AT ALL.

I HOPE I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.

I THINK I DID. MR. MOULTON DR.

YARBOROUGH, I JUST WANT TO SORT OF GO ALONG ON ALONG THE LINES OF MR. BROOME. I DON'T KNOW THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS, BUT I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD BACKGROUND IN THE IN THE MAINTENANCE ARENA.

I WAS A OPS SUPPORT MANAGER FOR 25 YEARS AT SAVANNAH RIVERSIDE.

AND WHAT I'M SEEING IS YOU MAINTAIN A LOT OF FACILITIES.

WE WON'T EVEN GET INTO THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THOSE FACILITIES.

I MAINTAINED TWO FACILITIES IN MY 25 YEARS WITH A STAFF PRETTY MUCH DOUBLE WHAT YOU'VE GOT FOR 40, WELL, 50 FACILITIES.

AND SO I THOUGHT WE HAD WE LITERALLY HAD EIGHT ELECTRICIANS AND SIX MAINTENANCE FOLKS AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO AUGMENT THAT WITH CONSTRUCTION UNION LABOR AS NEEDED.

SO WHEN I SEE YOUR FTE REQUEST, I'M JUST HOPING TO SORT OF VALIDATE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING BECAUSE I KNOW FROM THE INSIDE WHAT THAT'S LIKE.

[01:25:10]

ONE OTHER THING THAT I WILL COMMENT ON, BECAUSE I OWN A LANDSCAPING COMPANY FOR 13 YEARS.

I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU MENTION HIGHLAND SPRINGS.

WHEN I GO UP, I SEE THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE AND I SEE THOSE ISLANDS AND I THINK THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN GET A ZERO TURN MOWER OUT HERE.

THIS IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE HAND WEEDED AND PEOPLE DON'T SEE THAT.

AND THAT'S A LOT OF LABOR THAT IS NOT BEING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE BUILD THESE SCHOOLS.

SO I DO NOTICE THAT ON A ON A REALLY POSITIVE NOTE, AND I'LL END WITH THIS, AND THAT IS I WHEN I CAME ON THE BOARD A LITTLE OVER FIVE YEARS AGO.

THERE WAS A WORK ORDER THAT WAS 880 DAYS OLD AT MOSSY CREEK, AND I THOUGHT, MOSSY CREEK HASN'T EVEN BEEN HERE THIS LONG.

OKAY. BUT WHAT I SEE NOW AND HERE'S THE DIFFERENCE FOR ME ON A SCHOOL AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY FEELS THIS OR NOT.

FIVE YEARS AGO, I GOT 2 TO 3 REQUESTS, USUALLY FROM FACULTY AT SCHOOLS OF THINGS WE NEEDED TO DO IN THE SCHOOL WORK, ORDERS THAT WERE SITTING OUT THERE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, I'VE RECEIVED ZERO.

I THINK THAT SPEAKS WELL OF YOUR ORGANIZATION.

AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ON THE ON THE SAME THING, ON THE SAME NOTE, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO COVER THIS MUCH TERRITORY WITH THE FTES YOU'VE GOT, I DON'T THINK IT'S A STRETCH AT ALL.

YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST SAW THAT, I'M LIKE, GOLLY, THAT'S A LOT OF FTES.

BUT SITTING HERE AND THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS DO, I THINK YOU DO AN EXCELLENT JOB DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MOULTON. I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR DR..

SURE MR. BROOME FLOOR IS YOURS.

WHEN YOU ASKED THE FTE, YOU SAID WOULD YOU BE MODEST OR DO YOU THINK YOU CAN ACTUALLY.

IT MAKES SOME EFFECT CHANGE WITH THAT NUMBER? YES, SIR. THESE FTES WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.

YES, SIR, THEY WOULD.

PEOPLE IN SCHOOLS CAN'T HELP BUT BE MODEST WHEN THEY ASK FOR THINGS.

MR. BROOME IS JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE WAY WE ARE.

WE ALWAYS FEEL LIKE WE'RE ASKING FOR TOO MUCH.

TEACHERS SAVE EVERYTHING BECAUSE THEY GET NOTHING.

THAT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE.

WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL, I WOULD ASK TEACHERS TO THROW THINGS AWAY AND THEY WERE LIKE, NO, I MIGHT NEED IT ONE DAY AND THEY CAN'T HELP IT.

IT'S IN THEIR DNA BECAUSE THEY PINCH PENNIES.

THEY SPEND THEIR OWN MONEY.

IT'S DIFFICULT FOR A LOT OF SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES TO TRULY GO BLUE SKY AND ASK FOR WHAT THEY REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE.

SO. IF YOU ALL WOULD CONSIDER WHAT WE ASKED FOR TONIGHT, THAT WOULD BE A TRUE BLESSING AND WE WOULD DO A MUCH BETTER JOB WITH WITH THAT.

AND I ASK THAT BECAUSE I KNOW IN MY EXPERIENCE WHEN MAINTENANCE IS NOT DONE AS IT SHOULD.

IN THE BACK, THE BACK, THE BACKSIDE.

YOUR SPENCE USUALLY ENDS UP BEING HIGHER THAN IF YOU DONE THE MAINTENANCE.

ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, WHO IN THIS ROOM WOULD NOT CHANGE THE OIL IN THEIR CAR? AND YET. AND YET BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IF YOU DON'T YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TRANSLATE THAT OVER TO WHAT WE DO IN THE SCHOOLS.

IF YOU DON'T MAINTAIN THEM, THEY WILL BREAK DOWN ON YOU AND THEN THE EXPENSE WILL BE STAGGERING.

YES. SO I GUESS GO BACK TO THE TO THE GROUND.

YOU FEEL LIKE THAT IF YOU HAD NINE MORE GROUNDSKEEPERS AND YOU TOOK ALL THE SCHOOLS BACK, THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A PINE-STRAW SCHEDULE, A SHRUBBERY, SCHEDULE SPRINKLERS? I DON'T KNOW. DOES THE GROUNDS CREWS HANDLE THE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS, TOO, OR.

WELL, NO, SIR. THAT'S STADIUM MAINTENANCE.

THAT ONE PERSON DOES ALL THE IRRIGATION, PROBABLY BECAUSE, I MEAN, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THAT KIND OF STUFF.

RIGHT NOW THERE'S A LOT OF SHRUBBERY THAT I WOULD, IN MY OPINION, WOULD NEED TO BE PULLED OUT AND REPLACED BECAUSE WE SPENT MONEY TO PUT IT IN.

WE'VE HAD FAILURES WITH SPRINKLER SYSTEMS AND NOW WE'VE GOT DEAD SHRUBBERY THAT'S ON IT'S IN, YOU KNOW, GROUND APPEAL OR CURB APPEAL ISSUES THAT AND MAYBE I EXPECT TOO MUCH.

AND THAT'S WHAT THIS BOARD'S GOT TO DECIDE BECAUSE I KNOW IT COSTS MONEY, BUT I WOULD EXPECT THAT.

I MEAN, FOR ME, THE CURB APPEAL NEEDS TO BE TOP NOTCH AT THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING.

I MEAN, IT'S THE FIRST THING YOU SEE WHEN YOU DRIVE UP AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.

SO THAT'S ALL I COULD SPEAK ALL NIGHT ON THIS, BUT THANK YOU.

YES, SIR. ANYBODY ELSE, BECAUSE I INTEND ON HAVING THE LAST WORD.

OKAY. ONE QUESTION FOR YOU.

YARBOROUGH AT A HIGH LEVEL, LONG RANGE SPEAKING LIKE LIKE IMPACT.

NO IMPACT. ORDER OF MAGNITUDE.

[01:30:01]

SO WHEN YOU COMPARE OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA WITH THE SAME NUMBER OF STUDENTS OR MORE OR LESS, WE HAVE A LOT OF BUILDINGS, WE HAVE A LOT OF CAMPUSES. AND IF IT WAS, LET'S SAY IF WE WERE MORE IN LINE WITH MAYBE THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS FOR A DISTRICT OUR SIZE, WHAT KIND OF IMPACT WOULD THAT HAVE ON WHAT YOU NEED TO OPERATE A MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT, GIVEN THAT IT'S THE SAME NUMBER YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE? BASICALLY, YOU MIGHT END UP HAVING THE SAME SQUARE FOOTAGE OR STUDENT ENROLLMENT, BUT FEWER CAMPUSES.

THAT WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT.

YES, SIR. SO MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE ARE SMALL, THEY'RE TINY, AND WE HAVE SO MANY OF THEM.

SO JUST THE LOGISTICS OF GETTING FROM THIS SCHOOL TO THE NEXT SCHOOL TO DO THE TO DO THE WORK.

I HOPE I'M I HOPE I HOPE I'M ADDRESSING WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.

YOU ARE SO FAR. YES.

YOU KNOW, THIS THIS COUNTY IS SO FAR FLUNG, TRULY.

I MEAN, TO DRIVE FROM SILVER BLUFF TO MONETA, IT TAKES AN HOUR.

IT TAKES MORE THAN AN HOUR IF YOU'RE IN A TRUCK WITH A TRAILER PULLING EQUIPMENT.

SO THE FACT THAT WE ARE SO FAR FLUNG DEFINITELY IMPACTS THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE CAN SPEND DOING THE WORK THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.

THERE'S NO QUESTION IF WE HAD FEWER CAMPUSES WITH MORE CHILDREN IN THE BUILDING OVERALL, SAME NUMBER OF KIDS, IT WOULD BE MUCH EASIER TO MAINTAIN THEM.

OKAY. I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.

YEAH, I JUST CONSIDERING WE BASICALLY WOULD HAVE MAYBE THE SAME SQUARE FOOTAGE, I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE NEGLIGIBLE OR NOT.

YOU'RE SAYING IT WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE NEGLIGIBLE? IT WOULD. IT WOULD NOT BE NEGLIGIBLE.

IT WOULD. IT WOULD BE A VERY MUCH A POSITIVE IMPACT.

OKAY. THANK YOU, DR.

YARBOROUGH. YOU'RE WELCOME.

THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE ALL THE INFORMATION.

AND BEFORE WE GET TO OUR CONSTRUCTION UPDATES, THANK YOU.

I WILL SAY THIS IS THIS PRESENTATION WAS AT THE REQUEST OF THE BOARD BASED ON SOME DISCUSSIONS AND QUESTIONS WE HAD PREVIOUSLY, AND I THINK THIS WAS WORTHWHILE IN REFERENCE TO THE BUDGET.

JUST I'M MAKING AN EDITORIAL COMMENT.

I THINK YOU COULD THROW A ROCK AND HIT A DEPARTMENT IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT'S UNDER STAFFED.

RIGHT? SO THESE ARE WORTHY, VERY WORTHY THINGS TO CONSIDER, ALONG WITH PROBABLY A LOT OF THINGS.

AND THAT'S OUR JOB WHEN WE CONSIDER THE BUDGET.

BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR.

MURPHY FOR CONSTRUCTION UPDATES.

WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.

THAT TIME TO SHOWCASE OUR DEPARTMENT.

AND I'LL BRING YOU A VERY BRIEF CONSTRUCTION UPDATE AS WE WRAP UP THREE OF THE FOUR PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE DISCUSSED THIS EVENING.

LET'S SEE HERE.

SO WE START WITH THE AIKEN HIGH AUDITORIUM.

BASICALLY, CONSTRUCTION IS NEARING COMPLETION.

WE'RE DOING PUNCH LIST ITEMS. OUR FINAL OUR LAST INSPECTION WAS PUSHED BACK DUE TO WEATHER RELATED AS WELL AS A FIRE ALARM ISSUE.

SO WE FULLY ANTICIPATE BEING ABLE TO BE COMPLETELY IN THAT BUILDING AROUND MID OCTOBER WHEN THEY COME BACK AND DO THAT FINAL INSPECTION THERE. THIS IS ANOTHER SHOT OF THE INSIDE.

THIS WAS A TOTAL OF $16 MILLION ON THE BUDGET.

AND WE ARE CONTINUING BASICALLY ON OUR SCHEDULE RIGHT NOW.

OVER AT HAMMOND HILL. WE ARE IN THAT CAFETERIA.

THE BUILDING HAS BEEN OCCUPIED SINCE JULY AND THE REMAINING WORK IS JUST PUNCH LIST ITEMS AS WELL.

WE WERE FINISHING UP THE PAVEMENT AROUND THE DRIVEWAY AREA THERE AND SO THAT BUILDING IS READY TO GO.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU SHOULD BE GETTING AN INVITATION IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE FOR A DEDICATION BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO DEDICATE NOT ONLY THE CAFETERIA AND THE TECHNOLOGY LAB THAT WE JUST COMPLETED, BUT ALSO THE NEW TWO STORY ADDITION THAT WE'VE ADDED LAST YEAR.

SO WE DECIDED TO COMBINE THAT INTO ONE.

AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT SHOULD BE COMING OUT FROM MISS PICCOLINO VERY SOON.

OWNER OF THE HIGHLAND SPRINGS.

THE SAME, SAME BASIC STORY WE'RE JUST FINISHING UP ON THE INSIDE RIGHT NOW, HAVING AN EXPANSIVE PUNCH LIST AND THE SITE WORK RIGHT NOW.

WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOING THE SITE WORK AND GOING BACK IN.

AS YOU ALL RECALL, WE WE REALLY SHORTENED THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT I GAVE THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS TO GET US IN THE BUILDING.

AND THAT MEANT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF BACK END BECAUSE IF WE'RE RUSHING SOMETHING, THEN WE GOT TO COME BACK IN AND GET IT ADDRESSED.

SO THEY'RE REMEDIATING SOME THINGS THAT THEY NEEDED TO IN SCHOOL AND THEY'RE DOING IT WHILE SCHOOLS AND IS OPEN.

SO I REALLY DON'T HAVE A FIRM DEADLINE OF WHEN THAT PUNCH LIST IS GOING TO BE COMPLETED.

BUT I JUST TOLD THE GUYS, HEY, THEY DID WHAT WE ASKED THEM TO DO.

SO NOW THEY GOT TO GO BACK AND FIX EVERYTHING OR MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS AS PROPERLY AS IT WOULD BE.

SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO CONTINUE TO BRIEF THIS BASIC STATUS UPDATE FOR THEM.

BUT LIKE I SAID, HAMMOND HILL SHOULD BE FALLING OFF AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THIS ON A LEASE UNTIL THE PUNCH LIST IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE.

NOW, WAGENER-SALLEY HIGH IS THE ACTUAL ONE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO START SEEING PROGRESS ON, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE.

[01:35:02]

THE MAINSTREAM WORK CONTINUES TO STILL CONTRACTORS ON SITE MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING WORK IS CONTINUING AS WELL AS THE SITE CONTRACTORS INSTALLING OUR UTILITIES. HERE'S ANOTHER A COUPLE MORE SHOTS HERE.

BASICALLY, THIS $50 MILLION PROJECT IS SET FOR COMPLETION ON JULY 1ST.

AND WE ARE STILL FROM THIS DAY OUT ON OUR SCHEDULE PENDING YOUR QUESTIONS.

YES, SIR. MR. BROOME.

HOW MUCH ON THE US GOING INTO THE NEW SCHOOL WITH THE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE THE RUSSIAN THAT WE HAD TO DO TO GET IN.

IS THIS I KNOW IT'S CREATING PROBABLY SOME CONTRACTOR ISSUES BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO WORK WHILE WE'RE IN THERE.

IS IT GOING TO AFFECT COST, YOU THINK, OR.

I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY SAY A DIRECT CORRELATION ON THE COST, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING WARRANTY OR ASK FOR WARRANTY WORK AS WE'RE OCCUPYING THE SPACE.

AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THEY COULD JUST AS EASILY SAY MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE WE GOT KIDS IN THE BUILDING THAT CAUSES ISSUES.

SO WE ARE GOING THROUGH AND HAVING TO DISCUSS WHAT WAS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE AS A DELIVERABLE AT THE COMPLETION AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AFTER A MONTH OF USAGE. YEAH.

AND SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS NOW.

I CAN IMAGINE THAT IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY SLOW, PAINFUL PROCESS.

IT'S LESS THAN IDEAL.

YEAH. BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING IT.

Sep 12, 2023 091223 AIKEN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING

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