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WE WILL CALL THE OCTOBER 24TH MEETING IN AIKEN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ORDER.WE BEGIN ALL OUR MEETINGS WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING WAS PUBLISHED IN ADVANCE, BOTH TO THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC.
I HAVE NOT HEARD IF ANY CHANGES REQUESTED TO IT AND WITHOUT ANY OBJECTIONS, WILL ACCEPT IT AS PRESENTED.
WE DO HAVE ONE SET OF MINUTES TO APPROVE THIS EVENING AND THOSE ARE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF OCTOBER 10TH OF THIS YEAR.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 10TH?
>> MOVED BY MS. REINHARDT JACKSON. IS THERE A SECOND?
>> SECONDED BY DR. BRADLEY, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 10TH MEETING PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
I HAVE COUNTING PROBLEMS TODAY.
SEVEN IN FAVOR, ONE IN ABSTENTION.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU BECAUSE THE ONLY SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS WE HAD TONIGHT IS THE SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT.
MR. LAURENCE, IF YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR SPEAKER.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
WE'RE PLEASED TONIGHT TO HAVE MR. MARK DUGAR, WHO IS THE PRINCIPAL OF OUR ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM AT THE CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE LEARNING AT PINECREST.
I'M GOING TO INVITE HIM TO COME FORWARD.
>> DR. HANKS POINTED OUT I SKIPPED SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA.
>> WE GOT FOUR PARTICIPATIONS TONIGHT, SO I APOLOGIZE.
I GOT A LITTLE EXCITED ABOUT TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION.
WE DO LIKE TO HAVE OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPANTS GO FIRST IN CASE THEY NEED TO GET HOME.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE FIVE THIS EVENING.
JUST A REMINDER, EVERYBODY WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
FIRST ONE IS ANDREW MCCASKILL WHO WILL BE SPEAKING ON NJROTC GRADUATION COURTS.
>> SORRY, I WAS HAVING TO GET DIRECTED.
I APPRECIATE BEING ALLOWED TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
FIRST OFF, BEFORE I SPEAK ON THE NJ CORDS, I WANTED TO INVITE THE BOARD MEMBERS, I HAVE A FLYER FOR YOU.
I PROMISE IT'S TOTALLY SAFE VICKI CHECKED ME OUT EARLIER.
WE ARE HAVING A MARINE FITNESS CHALLENGE ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH AT SOUTHLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.
WE WOULD LOVE IF YOU COULD COME AND OBSERVE, BE EVEN GREATER, MAYBE KING COULD GO OUT WITH A BANG AND MAYBE PARTICIPATE.
MAYBE MR. PASTEL WITH ALL HIS ARMY AND CITADEL BACKGROUND, MAYBE HAVE A TEAM HERE FROM THE BOARD, WE'D LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO COME FOR THAT.
MY REASON FOR COMING TONIGHT IS I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR THAT THE NJROTC STUDENTS ARE UNABLE TO WEAR THEIR CORD AT GRADUATION.
AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, I AM A PARENT OF THREE ALUMNI FROM AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.
TWO OF MY CHILDREN WERE IN THE NJROTC PROGRAM.
MY DAUGHTER, KATIE ELIZABETH, GRADUATED IN 2019, WAS ALLOWED TO WEAR HER NJROTC CORD AT GRADUATION.
MY SON DID NOT DO THE FOUR YEARS OF NJ'S, HE DID IT FOR ONLY TWO YEARS, THEY ARE BOTH ACTIVE DUTY SERVING IN THE MARINES AND THE NAVY RESPECTIVELY.
THE NJROTC STUDENTS, WHEN THEIR THIRD OR FOURTH YEAR STUDENT, THEIR CLASS IS CONSIDERED AN HONORS LEVEL OF COURSE.
THESE STUDENTS, IN ORDER TO MAKE RANK, ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO ACADEMIC REGIMEN.
THEY HAVE TO TAKE TESTS, THEY HAVE TO KNOW MATERIAL.
IN ADDITION, THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE A LOT OF SERVICE HOURS.
THOSE SERVICE HOURS ARE USED BY EACH INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL, I BELIEVE AT AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL, THE LAST YEAR I REMEMBER A NUMBER,
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THEY DID ABOUT ALMOST 5,000 SERVICE HOURS FOR AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.I KNOW THAT THEY NOT ONLY HELPED WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE HELPED WITH THE DISTRICT, GENERALLY WITH PARKING OR CLEANING UP.
I KNOW THE SILVER BLUFF AND NJROTC HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK HELPING TO BEAUTIFY THEIR CAMPUS.
I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT THE STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT ONLY MAKING ACADEMIC EFFORT, BUT ALSO LEARNING HOW TO SERVE THE SCHOOL AND SERVE THEIR FELLOW STUDENTS, ARE NOT BEING RECOGNIZED AT GRADUATION.
I WOULD LIKE FOR THE BOARD TO RESEND THIS, LIKE I SAID, I KNOW MY DAUGHTER IN 2019 GRADUATED WITH HER NJROTC CORD.
I KNOW THE STUDENTS IN 2020, AND 2021, ALL WON NJROTC CORD, AND I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT FOR SOME REASON I THINK THERE WAS SOME POOR LOGIC USED IN TAKING THAT OPPORTUNITY AWAY.
THESE ARE STUDENTS AGAIN, THEY ARE TAKING ACADEMIC TIME.
THEY ARE THIRD FOUR-YEAR STUDENTS IN THIS PROGRAM, SO IT'S AN HONORS LEVEL COURSE.
IN ORDER TO OBTAIN RANK, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE FOUR-YEAR, THEY HAVE TO SHOW THEMSELVES ACADEMICALLY SUCCESSFUL, AND AS WELL AS TAKING THAT TIME TO SERVE.
FOR EXAMPLE, MY DAUGHTER, SHE WOULD GET UP AT 04:00 AM TO DO HER HAIR, TO GO TO A DRILL COMPETITION.
SHE WENT TO THE CITADEL FOR LEADERSHIP WEEK, TWO YEARS IN A ROW.
SHE WAS THE COMMANDER OF A WEEK-LONG SUMMER CAMP.
I THINK THESE STUDENTS, IN MANY CASES DO MORE THAN STUDENTS IN AN ACADEMIC PROGRAM.
I'M NOT TRYING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE ACADEMICS, BUT I THINK IT'S A SHORT-SIDED THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE BOARD TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE NJROTC PROGRAM AT ALL SEVEN OF OUR SCHOOLS, IF THEY'VE TAKEN THAT THIRD AND FOURTH YEAR, ARE ALLOWED TO WEAR THEIR CORDS AT GRADUATION BECAUSE THEY'VE CERTAINLY EARNED IT.
THEY'VE DONE IT MORE THAN JUST DOING HOMEWORK AND MORE THAN JUST TAKING TEST.
THEY'VE SERVED THE SCHOOL, AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE RECOGNIZED. THANK YOU.
DR. BRADLEY, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION?
>> YEAH, I DO. I THOUGHT THAT WE DEALT WITH THIS ONCE IN THE PAST.
THIS VERY SAME ISSUE WAS PRESENTED, I THINK TO THE BOARD IN THE PAST, AND THE DECISION WAS MADE I BELIEVE.
I'M AN OLD MAN AND MY MEMBERS NOT GREAT ANYMORE, BUT I KNOW THAT EITHER AT SOME LEVEL, THIS PROBLEM WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD AND DECISION WAS MADE TO ALLOW THE NJROTC STUDENTS TO WEAR THAT CORD OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED.
I DON'T THINK THE BOARD HAS TAKEN REVERSED, ADDED ANY LEVEL.
I THINK IT'S NOT PURELY ACADEMIC, BUT IT'S AN HONOR TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY, AND I THINK IT'S AN HONOR TO RECOGNIZE THE STUDENTS WHO OWN THAT PATH.
I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU GET MARRIED, YOU CAN GET MARRIED IN A FORMAL WEDDING WITH YOUR MILITARY UNIFORM, AND OFTENTIMES THE GROOMER, IF THEY ARE MILITARY PEOPLE, CERTAINLY.
IT'S JUST A LEVEL OF RECOGNITION.
I THINK A VERY POSITIVE DIRECTION IF CHILDREN TAKE.
I WOULD ASK THAT WE WOULD GO BACK AND INVESTIGATE WHAT HAPPENED IN SAY BY FIXING THIS.
>> IF I MAY, MR. CHAIRMAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THE BOARD ACTION IT MUST HAVE HAPPENED A LONG TIME AGO BECAUSE [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE'RE SINCE I'VE BEEN BACK SECOND [OVERLAPPING] [INAUDIBLE]
>> MIGHT NOT BEEN A BOARD ACTION, BUT IT WAS CERTAINLY A DISCUSSION THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN THAT.
ANY WAY, NOT TO GET INTO IT TONIGHT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS POLICY LOOKED AT.
>> I KNOW THAT THE NJ WITH THE JUNIOR ROTC COMMANDERS AND AND PRINCIPLES ARE SOME OF THE HOSPITALS ARE LOOKING AT A PROPOSAL FOR HOW THAT MIGHT BE ACCOMPLISHED.
ONE OF THE THINGS IS, WE LOOKED AT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, LIMITING THE NUMBER OF CORDS THAT STUDENTS WORE, AND WE FOCUSED ON ACADEMIC CORDS AND OFFICIAL CORDS.
FOR INSTANCE, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROVIDES A CORD FOR STUDENTS WHO ENLISTED IN THE MILITARY.
AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DOES NOT HAVE A CORD FOR GENEALOGY, SEE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT SCHOOLS ARE LOOKING AT AND SEEING WHAT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO PROPOSE TO THE BOARD.
THE BOARD DID NOT TELL THEM NOT TO WEAR THE CORDS,
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SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS MIGHT END UP BEING WHEN THEY HAVE A PROPOSAL.>> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT MY RECOLLECTION WAS THAT WE HAD GRANTED PERMISSION FOR THIS STUDENT TO WEAR THE CORD.
>> WE'LL PUT THIS ON [OVERLAPPING]
>> AGAIN, I COULD BE WRONG ABOUT WHO DID THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
>> RIGHT. WE'LL PUT IT ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
>> WE HAVE THREE MORE SPEAKERS ON THE SAME TOPIC.
LYDIA MAGEE IS ALSO SPEAKING ON NJROTC CORDS.
>> HI, MY NAME IS LYDIA MCGEE.
I'M THE COMMANDING OFFICER AT AIKEN HIGH.
I'VE BEEN THE COMMANDING OFFICER FOR A LITTLE OVER SINCE SCHOOL STARTED THIS YEAR, AND I WAS TOLD BY ONE OF MY INSTRUCTORS THAT I'M NOT ALLOWED TO WEAR MY CORD BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN ACADEMIC PROGRAM, BUT I BELIEVE THAT'S UNTRUE BECAUSE OUR SCHEDULE IS MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
WE HAVE ACADEMICS ORBITAL LEARNING FROM ANYWHERE FROM THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE MILITARY HISTORY, AND WEDNESDAY IS OUR DRILL DAY, I MEAN, OUR UNIFORM DAY, AND THURSDAY IS OUR DRILL DAY AND FRIDAY IS OUR PHYSICAL TRAINING DAY.
I'VE DONE 20 SOMETHING SERVICE HOURS, LITTLE 20-SOMETHING SERVICE EVENTS, AND THAT LEADS UP TO ABOUT 50 HOURS.
I'VE BEEN IN THIS PROGRAM FOUR YEARS.
I'VE MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP, AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET RECOGNIZED BY WEARING MY CORD BECAUSE IF THE FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA CAN WEAR THEIR CORD, I THINK I SHOULD BE ABLE TO WEAR MY CORD.
BUT I WAS TOLD THAT IT'S NOT AN ACADEMIC COURSE, BUT I'M IN THE FOURTH YEAR, AND IT'S AN HONORS CLASS IN THERE, AND NEXT SEMESTER I'LL BE THERE MY FIFTH YEAR.
WE DO ANYTHING FROM AIKEN HIGH ALL THE WAY UP TO THE DISTRICT.
WE DO CROSS HOME PARK PARADE, WE DO ANYTHING THAT WE'RE ASKED TO DO.
>> MA'AM, CAN YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF?
>> EVERY DAY NJ STARTS ITS DAY WITH RAISING THE FLAGS FOR THE SCHOOL, AND EVERY DAY THEY TAKE THE FLAGS DOWN.
WE HAVE ACADEMICS TEAM, WE HAVE DRILL TEAM, WE HAVE DRONE TEAM, WE HAVE A SEAT-PERCH TEAM.
WE HAVE ALL THESE TEAMS, AND WE HAVE ALL THESE AWARDS THAT CADETS ARE GIVEN, AND FOR US TO NOT BE ALLOWED TO WEAR OUR CORDS, WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE UNRECOGNIZED BY THE SCHOOL.
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH NJ PARTICIPATES IN ALL THESE EVENTS AND WE DO ALL THIS STUFF FOR THE SCHOOL.
FOR US NOT TO BE ALLOWED TO WEAR OUR CORDS, WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE UNHEARD AND UNSEEN AT OUR SCHOOL.
>> THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU-ALL.
THERE WAS ALSO MS. DAILEY VILLANOVA.
YES, MA'AM YOU WANTED TO SPEAK ON NJROTC CORDS?
>> I AM DOLLY. I DO NOT LIKE PUBLIC SPEAKING. I AM NERVOUS.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I AM ON THE BOOSTER CLUB.
FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN VARIOUS REASONS OF WHY WE CAN'T HAVE THE CORDS.
THERE'S TOO MANY CORDS, YOU CAN'T RECOGNIZE THEM.
KIDS WOULD TRIP OVER THE CORDS, WE'VE HEARD THAT THERE'S OTHER ONES, BUT I'LL JUST NOT GO THERE.
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE KIDS, THEY FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO WEAR THE CORDS.
YOU'VE GOT THE KIDS WHO, LET'S FACE IT, THEY'RE NOT THE JOCKS.
THEY'RE THEIR OWN LITTLE GROUP TYPE OF THING OR WHATEVER, AND THEY DO STRIVE HARD.
SOME OF THE KIDS, AND I THINK I FEEL LIKE I'M STARTING TO RAMBLE, BUT A LOT OF KIDS COME FROM BROKEN HOMES, AND THAT'S ANOTHER STORY.
BUT ANYWAYS, IF YOU COULD JUST RETHINK THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT THE CORDS, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
AGAIN, I HATE PUBLIC SPEAKING.
BUT IF YOU ALL COULD JUST RETHINK THIS THING AND JUST THINK OF HOW MUCH THE CADETS DO, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
>> THANK YOU, MA'AM. JUST TO APPRECIATE ALL THE FOUR SPEAKERS ON THE NJROTC CORDS, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THIS DISCUSSION'S ABOUT WHAT FOLKS WEAR AT GRADUATION HAS COME UP ONCE EARLY IN MY TENURE.
THERE WAS NO BOARD VOTE ON IT.
THERE IS NO BOARD POLICY ON THIS, AND THERE WAS NO BOARD VOTE,
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BUT IT WILL BE ON A FUTURE AGENDA AT THE REQUEST OF OUR MEMBERS.>> THE THING THAT THREW ME IS, WHY THE SUDDEN CHANGE? ACCORDING TO THE SPEAKER, AT LEAST THEY WERE ALLOWED TO WEAR THE CORDS UP UNTIL 2022, AND THEN IT WAS STOPPED.
BUT I KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE ABOUT IT PRIOR TO THAT.
>> JUST TO CLARIFY, JUNIOR ROTC CORDS WERE NOT SINGLED OUT.
FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE MANY ORGANIZATIONS AS A PROUD ROTARIAN.
WE SPONSOR INTERACT CLUBS, AND IN SEVERAL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, INTERACT IS ANOTHER ONE THAT HAD A CORD, [INAUDIBLE] HAS A CORD, KEY CLUB HAS A CORD.
MOST OF THE CLUBS HAVE CORDS, AND MOST OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS HAVE A RECOGNIZED NATIONAL CORD OR STATE CORD.
FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF DHAKA, SAY, AND MAYBE YOU HAVE TYPICALLY IN THE PAST HAD A CORD.
WELL, IF YOU'RE IN DHAKA, YOU'RE ALSO LIKELY A COMPLETER IN THE CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY PATH OR FOR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND SO YOU'RE GETTING THAT COMPLETER CORD.
YOU'RE ALSO GETTING CORDS FOR BEING COLLEGE AND CAREER-READY.
OF COURSE, FOR BEING EITHER COLLEGE OR CAREER OR BOTH READY.
SO THOSE CORDS ARE ALL AVAILABLE AS WELL.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE DECISION WAS A GROUP DECISION BY ALL OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND IT WAS JUST SOMETHING TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CORDS THAT WERE BEING WORN DIDN'T MEAN THAT AN ORGANIZATION COULDN'T AWARD A CORD.
CORDS CAN BE WORN FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING FOR THEIR SENIOR PICTURES, FOR AWARDS DAY, FOR ALL OF THOSE THINGS JUST DURING THE ACTUAL GRADUATION CEREMONY OR FOCUSING ON THE OFFICIAL CORDS FOR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT WE DISCUSS THIS AT ANOTHER TIME WHERE IT'S MORE APPROPRIATE.
BUT I DO NOT WANT TO LET IT GO.
>> YEAH. WE HAVE ONE MORE PERSON THAT SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
DR. HARRIS WANT TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH.
>> GOOD EVENING, MR. NESTLE, THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, AND MR. LAWRENCE.
I'M MARSHA HARRIS, COMMUNITY CITIZEN, AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE BEGINNING YOUR SEARCH FOR A NEW SUPERINTENDENT AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE RETIREMENT OF OUR PRESENT ONE, AND AS YOU LOOK AT THE SCOPE OF THE SEARCH, IT MAY BE LOCAL, NATIONAL, OR REGIONAL, AND I WOULD RECOMMEND AND HOPE THAT IN LOOKING FOR THE BEST THAT WE CAN BRING TO THIS COUNTY, THAT YOU DO A NATIONAL SEARCH. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, DR. HARRIS. NOW WE CAN GO TO OUR SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT. THANK YOU.
>> I'LL ASK MR. [INAUDIBLE] TO COME FORWARD.
>> GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN NESTLE.
BOARD MEMBERS AND MR. LAWRENCE AS WELL.
I CAME OUT TONIGHT TO TALK TO YOU ALL A BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS OF OF ENROLLMENT.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE LEARNING, THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL.
I WANTED YOU TO GET A FIRST-HAND LOOK AT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN A PARENT AND A STUDENT COMES IN FOR AN INTAKE AND ENROLLMENT.
WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU HAVE AN ENVELOPE WITH ALL OF THE PAPERWORK THAT THE PARENT WOULD FILL OUT.
IT TAKES PROBABLY ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO FILL OUT THAT PAPERWORK.
THEN AFTER THEY FEEL THAT PAPERWORK OUT, WHAT TAKES PLACE AFTER THAT IS A POWERPOINT SLIDESHOW, WHICH IS WHAT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU ALL IN A FEW MINUTES,
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BUT THAT'S ABOUT 15 MINUTES.THIS POWERPOINT NORMALLY WITH THEIR QUESTION OR TWO, WOULD TAKE PROBABLY ABOUT 15 MINUTES, BUT I'M GOING TO NARROW IT DOWN BECAUSE I'VE BEEN GIVEN A TIME LIMIT UP HERE.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET THROUGH IT AS FAST AS I POSSIBLY CAN.
IF YOU-ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THE PROCESS YOU ALSO HAVE A WHITE ENVELOPE THERE.
THAT WHITE ENVELOPE, AN INVITATION.
THAT'S AN INVITATION FOR YOU TO COME OUT AND VISIT.
WE WANT YOU TO COME AND SEE THE PROCESS FOR YOURSELF.
WE WANT YOU TO COME AND LOOK AT AN INTAKE.
WE WANT YOU TO COME AND LOOK AT OUR SEL PROGRAM.
WE WANT YOU TO COME AND LOOK AT TEACHERS TEACH.
WE WANT YOU TO COME OUT AND SPEAK TO TEACHERS AND JUST SEE HOW THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL RUNS.
SO IF I HAVE TO SEND YOU A CALENDAR INVITE, I'LL DO THAT AS WELL, BUT I REALLY WANT YOU TO COME.
I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT AND I'VE, I'VE SEEN IT THAT OVER AND OVER.
I WANT YOU ALL TO COME OUT AND SEE WHAT WE DO AT THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL.
I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT THE KIDS HAVE TO GO THROUGH THERE VERSUS WHAT THEY DO IN A TRADITIONAL REGULAR SCHOOL, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE SAME STUFF, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE STRUCTURE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.
I'M SORRY. THAT WAS THE WELCOME.
[LAUGHTER] THE FIRST SLIDE FOR PARENTS WHEN THEY COME IN, WELCOME TO THE CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE LEARNING.
THE SECOND SIDE, WHAT IT DISCUSSES HIS DRESS CODE POLICY.
WE ASK THAT THE STUDENTS WEAR NAVY BLUE PANTS WITH A BELT, BELT LOOPS, NO CARGO PANTS, JEANS OR LIGANDS.
BELT NEEDS TO BE WHITE, BLACK OR BROWN, NO DECORATIVE BELT BUCKLES.
WE DON'T ALLOW ANY OF THE BIG BELT BUCKLES FOR SAFETY PURPOSES.
SHOES, PRIMARILY WHITE, BLACK, GRAY BROWN LACES, TIED KNOW BEDROOM SHOES, BOOTS, OR CROCS.
NO HOODIES, OR HATS, NO CAMOUFLAGE, NO SHORTS, LONG PANTS, NO SHORTS OR LOAN PAYMENTS UNDER THE BLUE PANTS.
FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, KIDS CAN HIDE THINGS ANY OTHER PANTS AND INTO SHORTS UNDER THE BLUE PANTS.
NO EXCESSIVELY LONG OR POINTED FINGERNAILS, NO COLORED EXTENSIONS, JEWELRY OR BEADS, OR IN THE HAIR NATURAL HAIR COLORS ONLY AS DETERMINED BY CEO STAFF.
NORMALLY, WE WORKED THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
WE REALLY, THE MAIN THING THERE IS REALLY TWO, TO GET AWAY FROM WEARING RED HAIR, OR BLUE HAIR.
WE DON'T WANT ANY GANG PROBLEM AND I DON'T WANT ANY KIDS THINKING THAT THESE KIDS ARE INVOLVED IN A GANG.
WE TRY TO MINIMIZE A NARROW THAT HAIR COLOR THING DOWN.
ALL CLOTHING MUST FIT APPROPRIATELY.
THIS IS A PICTURE OF WHAT WE SHOW THE PARENTS, THE GRAY SHIRT SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE GRAY SHIRT.
WE SELL THE GRAY SHIRT, BUT IF THEY WANT TO GET IT FOR $4 AT WALMART, THAT'S GREAT.
WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT COLOR.
THE NAVY BLUE PANTS, WHITE SHOES, BLACK SHOES, BROWN SHOES, AND A BELT IS A MUST.
WE DON'T DO THIS PANTS SAGGING.
IF YOU DON'T WEAR YOUR BELT, WE HAVE A BELT FOR YOU, BUT WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT GOING TO ALLOW YOU TO WALK AROUND WITH PANTS HANGING OFF.
VIOLATIONS, DRESS CODE VIOLATIONS, DISCIPLINE REFERRALS WILL BE WRITTEN FOR ANY LACK OF ADHERENCE TO DRESS CODE, INCLUDING THE HEAD THAT, OR NOT HAVING A BELT.
FIRST OFFENSE NORMALLY AS A PARENT CONTACT, SECOND OFFENSE COULD BE A ONE-TO-TWO DAY SUSPENSION.
THIRD OFFENSE COULD BE A THREE TO FIVE DAYS SUSPENSION.
BADGE VIOLATION FOR A MISSING OR DAMAGED BADGE, FIRST OFFENSE STUDENT CONFERENCE, TO REPLACE THAT BAD JUST $5.
SECOND OFFENSE, PARENT CONTACT TO REPLACE THAT BADGE JUST $5.
WE NORMALLY DON'T GET INTO SUSPENSIONS WHEN IT COMES TO DRESS CODE OR THE BADGE, NORMALLY, IT NEVER MAKES IT THAT FAR.
PARENTS USUALLY STEP IN AND HELP US OUT.
AT THE DISCRETION OF CIVIL ADMINISTRATION, ADDITIONAL CONSEQUENCES MAY APPLY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ADDITIONAL DAYS AT SEAL.
FORBIDDEN ITEMS, NO CELL PHONES, NO JURY, NO NECKLACE, BRACELET, PIERCING, ETC.
NO BOOK BAGS, PURSES, WALLETS, NO CHAPSTICK, CARMEX, LIP GLOSS.
UNLESS THERE'S A MEDICAL SITUATION WHERE THE STUDENT NEEDS THAT, THEN WE'LL HOW'S THAT IN THE NURSE'S OFFICE, AND THE STUDENT CAN COME AND GET IT AS THEY NEED IT.
NO CANDY, GUM OR GUMMIES OF ANY SORT.
NO GANG SIGNS OR SYMBOLS, NO DARK GLASSES, NO BANDANNA'S HEAD BANDS.
NO OUTSIDE FOODS, BEVERAGES, AND BEVERAGES ONLY IN LUNCHES, NO ENERGY DRINKS.
CAN BEVERAGES, WE DON'T DO THE TWIST OFF TOP.
YOU CAN OPEN THEM AND PUT STUFF IN THEM SO WE RATHER STICK WITH THE CANS.
LUNCHES MUST BE IN A SEE-THROUGH ZIP LOCK BAG ONLY.
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YOU CAN TURN IT BOTH SIDES. YOU CAN LOOK AT IT.YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY WHAT'S IN IT.
DISCIPLINE REFERRALS WILL BE WRITTEN FOR POSSESSIONS OF CONTRABAND.
ANY STUDENT IN POSSESSION OF A VAPE PEN, OR A CELL PHONE WILL AT THE DISCRETION OF CIL ADMINISTRATION, BE RECOMMENDED FOR EXPULSION FROM THE AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WHILE ATTENDANCE CIL, STUDENTS MAY NOT BE ON ANY SCHOOL GROUNDS OR ATTEND ANY SCHOOL EVENTS OF AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT OTHER THAN ASSIGNED SCHOOL SITE, WHICH IS CIL.
A STUDENT, MAY RECEIVE DISCIPLINE REFERRALS OR CHARGED WITH TRESPASS IF THEY'RE CAUGHT ON ANOTHER SCHOOL CAMPUS, OR IF ANOTHER ADMINISTRATOR SEES HIM AND SAYS, HEY, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE, I'LL WRITE YOU UP.
THEY CAN DO THAT, AND SEND THAT TO CIL AND WE'LL ADDRESS IT.
TRANSPORTATION. TRANSPORTATION IS DOOR TO DOOR.
WHAT WE TELL PARENTS IS PLEASE CONTACT TRANSPORTATION FOR DETAILS.
SOMETIMES IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AS TO HOW THEY PICK KIDS UP IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES, OR ON DIRT ROADS.
WE GET THEM TO COMMUNICATE WITH TRANSPORTATION TO FIND OUT HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK FOR THEIR PARTICULAR AREA. WEEK ZERO.
WEEK ZERO IS A PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE AT CIL, IS A GREAT PROGRAM.
DEALS A LOT WITH SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING.
ALL STUDENTS WILL ATTEND WHEN THEY FIRST ARRIVE.
CURRICULUM CONCENTRATES ON SOCIAL EMOTIONAL, LIFE SKILLS PROVIDED THROUGH JOURNALING, GROUPING, DISCUSSION, ONE-ON-ONE, OUTSIDE SPEAKERS, VIDEO PRESENTATIONS, COMPUTER BASED PROGRAM, AND MORE.
STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE ALL ASSIGNMENTS, ASSESSMENT, AND WRITE A LETTER TO PARENTS, GUARDIANS BEFORE LEAVING WEEK 0.
STUDENTS START REGULAR ACADEMIC SCHEDULE UPON THE COMPLETION OF THE WEEK 0 PROGRAM.
BADGES ARE GIVEN TO STUDENTS IN WEEK 0 AND THEY GET THEIR BADGE IN WEEK 0 AND THEN THE BADGE IS WORN THROUGHOUT THEIR STAY WHILE THEY'RE THERE AT THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL.
UPON ARRIVAL EACH MORNING CARE THE COACHES CHECK FOR DRESS CODE COMPLIANCE AND SCAN ALL STUDENTS.
WHEN I SAY SCAN, I MEAN, WE HAVE METAL DETECTORS.
THE HANDHELD METAL DETECTORS, KIDS COME IN.
THEY OPEN UP THEIR SKIN FROM HEAD TO TOE, BACK, FRONT, AND THEY STAMP THEIR FEET TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE NOTHING IN THEIR POSSESSION.
SOMETIMES WE DO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED SEARCH WHERE LIKE FOR INSTANCE, IF WE GET A RISE ON FINDING VAPE PENS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE, SOMETHING THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.
WHAT WE WILL DO IS REMOVE SHOES AND CHECK SHOES, DO A LITTLE BIT MORE THOROUGH SEARCH JUST TO LET KIDS KNOW WE WILL LOOK FURTHER.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, FOR THE MOST PART, WE'VE BEEN PRETTY GOOD THIS YEAR, NOT FINDING A WHOLE LOT SO FAR.
THAT'S A GOOD THING. THE POINT IS NOT TO CATCH SOMEBODY.
THE POINT IS THE DETOUR YOU FROM DOING IT.
AT CIL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO RESPECT THE PROCEDURES IN EACH CLASSROOM, PROCEDURES WERE CREATED TO ENSURE A PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY SAFE ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO TEACHING AND LEARNING.
AT ALL TIMES, STUDENTS MUST WALK IN A SINGLE FILE LINE ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE SIDEWALK.
JUST WALK ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, GOING DOWN ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, COMING BACK.
NORMALLY GIRLS ARE IN THE BACK, BOYS ARE IN THE FRONT. CAFETERIA PROCEDURES.
STUDENTS WILL BE ESCORTED BY A TEACHER TO THE CAFETERIA.
THERE ARE STOP SIGNS IN THE CAFETERIA.
STUDENTS STOP AT EACH ONE OF THOSE STOP SIGNS.
THERE'S NO MORE THAN THREE STUDENTS AT A TIME AT THAT STOP SIGN OR IN THE FOOD CORRAL AT THE SAME TIME INSIDE THE SPOT WHERE YOU GET YOUR LUNCH AT.
STUDENTS WILL SIT AS DIRECTED AND EAT IN THE CAFETERIA.
STUDENTS WILL BE DISMISSED AS THEIR BUSES ARE CALLED.
CAR RIDERS, WALKERS ARE DISMISSED AT 04:30.
WALKERS MUST HAVE A NOTE SIGNED BY THE PARENTS.
PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, STUDENTS WILL DEPOSIT THEIR BADGE IN THE BASKET OF THEIR FIRST PERIOD CLASS IN THE CAFETERIA, AND THEN THAT'S WHERE THEY PICK IT UP IN THE MORNING WHEN THEY COME IN.
WE EXPECT ALL OUR STUDENTS TO BE STARS.
WE EXPECT THEM ALL TO DISPLAY GOOD BEHAVIOR.
WE WANT THEM TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, AIM HIGH, AND BE READY TO LEARN EACH DAY.
[00:35:02]
THESE ARE SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THINGS THAT WE EXPECT OUR STUDENTS TO DO IN THE CATEGORIES OF SHOW RESPECT, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, AIM HIGHER, AND BE READY TO LEARN.WE LOOK AT THE ARRIVAL, THE BUS SETUP SITUATION OF WHICH DISMISSAL AND ARRIVAL, AND THEN ON INTO THE CLASSROOM.
NORMALLY WHAT WE DO IS WE ALLOW PARENTS TO GET A LOOK AT THAT.
WE TAKE 10, 15 SECONDS AND ALLOW THEM TO JUST LOOK AT THAT FOR THEMSELVES AND THEN WE MOVE ON FROM THAT [NOISE].
STUDENTS WITH IEPS OR 504S, PLACEMENT AT CIL OR TRANSITION BACK IS DETERMINED BY A TEAM.
CONTINGENT UPON THE MEETING OF THE GOALS THAT THE STUDENT WAS PLACED THERE FOR.
DURATION OF STAY IS DETERMINED BY THE HEARING OFFICER PRIOR TO PLACEMENT AT CIL.
EXCESSIVE ABSENCE OR VIOLATIONS OF THE DRESS CODE OR CODE OF CONDUCT MAY EXTEND YOUR STAY.
NUMBER 1 THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IF THESE THREE THINGS ARE ACCOMPLISHED, WHICH IS ACADEMICS, BEHAVIOR, AND ATTENDANCE.
IF THEY'RE ACCOMPLISHED, WHILE YOU'RE THERE, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT YOU'LL TRANSITION BACK TO YOUR HOMESCHOOL.
NUMBER 1 IS TO RECEIVE NO MAJOR OR MORE THAN THREE MINOR DISCIPLINE REFERRALS.
NUMBER 2, MAKE ACADEMIC PROGRESS AND ADVANCE THROUGH THE CURRICULUM IN ALL CLASSES.
NUMBER 3, HAVE NO MORE THAN THREE UNEXCUSED ABSENCES, UNEXCUSED ABSENCES MAY BE ADDED TO THE END OF YOUR STAY.
IF YOU'RE THERE FOR 45 DAYS AND YOU HAVE THREE OR FOUR ABSENCES, THOSE THREE OR FOUR ABSENCES WILL BE ADDED TO THE END OF YOUR STAY, YOU GET THREE UNEXCUSED.
IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RETURN TO THE HOME-SCHOOL STUDENT MUST MEET DISTRICT ESTABLISHED STANDARDS.
WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AIKEN CENTER DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR THE STUDENTS.
THE STUDENTS CAN DO A 6-8 WEEK TREATMENT PROGRAM THERE OR THE AIKEN CENTER COMES TO CIL AND THEY ACTUALLY DO A THREE-WEEK PROGRAM THERE ON THE CAMPUS.
IT HELPS A LOT WITH PARENTS WHO DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION AND CAN'T GET THEIR KIDS TO THE AIKEN CENTER THAT HELPS A LOT.
WE APPRECIATE THE AIKEN CENTER FOR THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT.
THERE'S AN APPLICATION IS NOT IN YOUR PACKET BUT THAT APPLICATION, THESE PARENTS CAN FILL THAT APPLICATION OUT AND THEN TURN IT INTO US AND THEN WE'LL TURN IT INTO RURAL HEALTH.
BUT THEIR CHILD CAN BE LOOKED AT MEDICAL WISE, DENTAL, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WHAT WE DO IS WE TELL THEM COMPLETE THE APPLICATION AND WE'LL TURN THAT IN FOR THEM AND THEN RURAL HEALTH WILL CONTACT THEM.
THE CUMBEE CENTER ALSO COMES OUT.
THEY COME OUT AND TALK TO OUR KIDS AND BUILD AND TALK ABOUT HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP GROUPS WITH THE HIGH SCHOOLERS, WE DON'T DO THAT WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS.
WE FEEL THAT THEY'RE NOT READY FOR THAT JUST YET.
WE WANT TO KEEP IT WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT THIS POINT.
WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF TELEHEALTH.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE CAN GIVE A STUDENT A COMPUTER, PUT THAT STUDENT IN A QUIET PRIVATE ROOM AND ALLOW THAT STUDENT TO TALK TO A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR THROUGH TELEHEALTH.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT THERE ON CAMPUS, BUT RIGHT NOW, TELEHEALTH IS WHAT WE HAVE, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO UTILIZE.
TRANSITIONING BACK TO YOUR HOMESCHOOL.
STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE FROM THE CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE LEARNING PINECREST.
STUDENT AND PARENTS SHOULD REPORT TO THE HOME-SCHOOL ON THE DESIGNATED DATE.
YOUR POWERSCHOOL GRADES SHOULD HAVE NO UPDATES FROM YOUR FIRST DAY AT CIL UNTIL YOU RETURN TO YOUR HOME SCHOOL.
GRADES SHOULD BE UPDATED BY HOMESCHOOL UPON RETURN.
THAT'S MYSELF, THE DIRECTOR, MR. DUGAR, MR. LEE, THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
WE HAVE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER, OFFICER FUNK.
WE HAVE A BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION, THIS TRANSITION COORDINATOR, MRS. HOUSE, SHE'S ALSO THE ONE WHO DOES THESE INTAKES. WHAT ARE WE HAVING? MY SECRETARY, MRS. ALEXANDER, BOOKKEEPER SLASH NURSE, MS. DOE, SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR, MS. TRACY MCCORMACK, AND MS. BURT IS THE ATTENDANCE CLERK.
WE HAVE THREE CHARACTER COACHES, MR. MIKE ROZOVICH.
WE HAVE MR. MITCHAM, AND WE HAVE A FEMALE CHARACTER COACH, MS. MOODY.
[00:40:04]
WHAT WE TELL THEM IS AT THE END OF THIS POWERPOINT IS THESE ARE SOME REMINDERS.DARK BLUE PANTS, AND THE GRAY CREW NECK T-SHIRT ONLY.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. WHAT YOU JUST SAW IS EXACTLY WHAT EVERY PARENT THAT HAS A CHILD THAT COMES TO THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL GOES THROUGH IN THE INTAKE PROCESS BEFORE THEIR CHILD IS ALLOWED TO START GOING TO SCHOOL THERE.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DO, THE SAME WAY, THE PAPERWORK AND THE POWERPOINT. THANK YOU ALL.
I APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO TAKE THE TIME TO SHOW THIS TO YOU.
BUT AGAIN, THAT WHITE ENVELOPE IS AN INVITATION.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THAT AND KNOW THAT BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU COME OVER AND SEE YOU A LOT OF THIS STUFF IN LIVING COLOR. THANK YOU.
>> MR. DUGAR, CAN YOU PLEASE STAY FOR SOME QUESTIONS? MR. REINHARDT JACKSON?
>> YES, MA'AM. HOW ARE YOU DOING?
I AM VERY GLAD TO SEE YOU THIS EVENING.
AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN TO SEAL SEVERAL TIMES TO VISIT, I AM ALWAYS EAGER TO LEARN, AND THE INSIGHT THAT YOUR STAFF PROVIDES ME IS INVALUABLE AS A BOARD MEMBER WHEN MAKING DECISIONS WHEN IT COMES TO DISCIPLINING OUR KIDS.
SECONDLY, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPEN INVITATION.
THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST GIFT OR TOKEN OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT I'VE RECEIVED AS A BOARD MEMBER SINCE BEING ON THIS BOARD, AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO OPEN THE DOORS AND SAY COME ON IN, YOU'RE WELCOME.
I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS, SO I'M APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, I WROTE THEM DOWN SO I WOULDN'T FORGET.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS, CAN YOU PLEASE CLARIFY UNDER EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THAT CAN NOT BE ATTENDED, CAN STUDENTS WHO ARE ENROLLED IN THE CAREER CENTER STILL ATTEND THE CAREER CENTER WHILE THEY'RE ENROLLED IN SEAL?
>> YES, MA'AM. THAT'S MORE SO AT THE DISCRETION OF MR. LOT, THE DIRECTOR OF THE CAREER CENTER.
IF HE DEEMS THAT A STUDENT CANNOT ATTEND THE CAREER CENTER ANYMORE, THEN THAT'S HIS DECISION, BUT I'M ON BOARD WITH ALLOWING KIDS TO CONTINUE THEIR HANDS ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION.
WE ALSO SET UP TRANSPORTATION AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET TO AND FROM LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO, SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING.
>> AWESOME. MY NEXT STATEMENT OR QUESTION IS, WOULD YOU PLEASE SPEAK TO WHAT YOU FEEL IS SOME OF THE MISCONCEPTIONS THAT PARENTS AND STUDENTS MAY HAVE WHEN THEIR CHILD IS ASSIGNED TO SEAL.
>> I THINK THAT ANYTIME YOU SPEAK, AND THIS IS AROUND THE STATE, ANYTIME YOU SPEAK OF ALTERNATIVE SETTING, ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION, IT'S ALWAYS A NEGATIVE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT WITH THE TRADITIONAL KIDS.
YOU HAVE PARENTS WHO THINK THAT THIS IS A BAD ENVIRONMENT, THEY'RE SENDING ALL OF THE BAD KIDS THERE.
MY KID CAN GO THERE AND MY KID HAS GONE TO EVEN BECOME BADDER.
THAT'S NOT THE CASE. WE GOT SOME GREAT KIDS AT SEAL.
WE GOT SOME CREATIVE KIDS AT SEAL.
THEY MADE A MISTAKE. I UNDERSTAND.
I'VE MADE A BUNCH OF MISTAKES IN LIFE.
IF IT WEREN'T FOR FIRST, SECONDS, AND THIRDS, I WOULDN'T SIT BEHIND A DESK THAT I SIT AT EVERY DAY.
WE BELIEVE IN GIVING THOSE KIDS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT THEMSELVES AND GET BACK ON TRACK.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO KILL THAT STIGMA OF THE FACT THAT SEAL IS NOT THE PLACE TO BE.
TO ME, SEAL IS A GREAT PLACE AND IT'S PROBABLY THE THE SAFEST PLACE.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES, A LOT OF DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS THAT ARE THERE.
BUT AGAIN, WE BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, WE KEEP THOSE KIDS UNDERSTANDING THAT WE CARE ABOUT THEM AND WE WANT THEM TO DO BETTER AND BE BETTER, AND SO THAT'S HOW THINGS ARE PRETTY MUCH DONE THERE, BUT IT'S DEVELOPED A STIGMATISM THAT IS NEGATIVE AND HAS BEEN NEGATIVE OVER THE YEARS AND I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO TO FIGHT THAT, OTHER THAN TO JUST CONTINUE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND MAKE PARENTS KNOW THAT THEIR CHILD IS SAFE THERE AT THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL WITH US.
>> OKAY. WOULD YOU PLEASE SPEAK TO THE MISCONCEPTION THAT STUDENTS WHO ATTEND SEAL DO NOT RECEIVE THE SAME LEVEL OF TEACHING OR RESOURCES THAT OTHER STUDENTS RECEIVE.
[00:45:01]
THE STUDENTS AT SEAL RECEIVE THE SAME EDUCATION THAT THE STUDENTS IN THE 43 TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS DO.
THE TEACHERS THAT I HAVE ARE HIGHLY, QUALIFIED, CERTIFIED TEACHERS.
WE HAVE ONE SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE AT THIS POINT IN TIME RIGHT NOW WITH MR. LEE, MY ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AS WELL.
BUT THOSE TEACHERS ARE PASSIONATE.
THOSE TEACHERS ARE ON THE SAME PACING GUIDE, THEY'RE EVALUATED THROUGH THE ELIOT EVALUATION SYSTEM THAT WE USE.
EVERYTHING THAT THE ORIGINAL TRADITIONAL SCHOOL DOES, WE DO THE SAME THING AT SEAL.
IT MAY TAKE US FIVE OR 10 MINUTES TO GET KIDS TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN TEACH THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR BEHAVIORS, BUT THEY'RE BEING TAUGHT THE SAME STUFF AND THEY'RE USING THE SAME PACING GUIDE AS THE OTHER 43 SCHOOLS IN THIS DISTRICT.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE FOR ME AS A BOARD MEMBER TO KNOW WHEN HAVING TO CONSIDER PLACING A STUDENT AT SEAL?
>> I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE STUDENT IS GOING TO LEARN ACADEMICALLY, AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THAT STUDENT.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE STUDENT IS THERE TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANT TO GET THAT STUDENT BACK TO THE TRADITIONAL SCHOOL.
WE ARE A PROGRAM, WE CAN'T GRADUATE THEM.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I HAVE PARENTS AND STUDENTS WHO COME TO ME ON A DAILY BASIS AND SAY, "HEY, LISTEN, CAN MY CHILD STAY HERE?" I HAVE TO TELL THEM NO, BECAUSE, I CAN'T GRADUATE YOU.
YOU NEED TO BE IN A TRADITIONAL SETTING.
I ALSO HAVE KIDS WHO COME IN AND SAY, "MR. DUGAR, I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK." I WOULD LOVE TO KEEP YOU, YOU'RE A GREAT KID.
YOU JUST SIMPLY MADE A MISTAKE, BUT YOU NEED TO GO BACK AND ENJOY THE TRADITIONAL SETTING OF SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL OR MIDDLE SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
YOU NEED TO GO BACK AND ENJOY THAT.
>> MY LAST QUESTION, WHERE HAVE YOU FOUND AS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEASURE THE SEAL USES TO REACH STUDENTS PLACED THERE?
>> BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. THAT'S NUMBER 1.
ULTIMATE. WE GET THEM IN, WE DON'T CARE WHAT THEY'RE THERE FOR.
WE EMBRACE THEM, WE HUG THEM, WE UNDERSTAND THEM, WE LOVE THEM, AND WE TELL THEM THEY MADE A MISTAKE AND THEY DID AND LIFE IS NOT OVER.
THIS AIN'T THE FIRST MISTAKE AND THIS WON'T BE THE LAST, I PROMISE YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE MANY MORE MISTAKES.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE WANT THOSE KIDS TO KNOW THAT WE CARE ABOUT THEM AND THOSE PEOPLE OVER THERE, THEY'RE PASSIONATE. THEY BELIEVE IN THAT.
EVERYBODY AROUND ME UNDERSTANDS THAT THE KID AT THE END OF THE DAY IS WHAT'S BEST FOR THAT KID, IS WHAT'S BEST FOR ALL KIDS.
WE WANT THE KID TO KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE FOR THEM.
WE JUDGE, MAN AND THE THING IS SOMETIMES WE RIDE HARD ON OUR KIDS BEHAVIOR, BUT WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON AT 5:30 OR SIX O'CLOCK IN THAT HOUSE THAT THEY'RE GOING HOME TO.
I GET IT. BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE, I'VE BEEN THAT KID, WHAT I WANTED TO DO IT IN THE TIME THAT I HAVE LEFT IS I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THAT KID THAT I CARED.
I WANT THAT KID TO UNDERSTAND THAT I CARE, AND I WANT THEIR PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND THAT I CARE.
A LOT OF TIMES, I WENT 75% OF THE BATTLE BECAUSE I CAN GET TO THE PARENT.
IF THAT PARENT UNDERSTANDS THAT I MEAN WHAT I MEAN ABOUT THEIR CHILD AND THAT I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR CHILD LEARNING AND ABOUT THEIR CHILD GETTING BACK ON TRACK, THAT PARENT JOINS ME.
THAT PARENT IS ON MY TEAM NOW.
NOW, I'M GOING TO GET 25% FOR THAT KID BECAUSE THE PARENT IS GOING TO GO HOME AND SAY MR. DUGAR, ENOUGH PEOPLE CARE ABOUT YOU.
YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR SETTING, YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE, YOU NEED TO BECOME A BETTER PERSON.
NOW I GOT TO THE PARENT ON MY SIDE, SO I'M WINNING IF I CAN GET THAT KID BACK TO HIS SCHOOL AND NOT HAVE THAT KID COME BACK TO SEAL AGAIN. I'M WINNING.
>> THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF.
>> JUST TWO THINGS, MR. DUGAR.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO TELL YOU.
THANK YOU AND HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR STAFF.
I HAVE BEEN THERE AND NOT ENOUGH, I NEED TO COME MORE, BUT YOU GUYS DO A TREMENDOUS JOB AND IT SHOULD NOT GO UNNOTICED BECAUSE WE NEED IT AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> NUMBER 2, MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO PROVIDE ANY OF THIS INTAKE INFORMATION OR ANYTHING LIKE YOU'VE TOLD US TONIGHT, DO YOU GET A CHANCE TO TELL THE KIDS OR PARENTS THAT BEFORE THE FIRST DAY AT SEAL, LIKE WHEN THEY GET ASSIGNED TO SEAL? BECAUSE WHAT WE EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY COME FOR AN EXPOSURE HEARING, FOR INSTANCE, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALREADY GOT THAT NEGATIVE CONNOTATION AND IT SEEMS LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF POSITIVE ENERGY, A LITTLE BIT OF POSITIVE INFORMATION FROM SOMEONE LIKE YOURSELF COULD HELP THEM UPFRONT.
>> WHEN A CHILD IS RECOMMENDED FOR EXPOSURE FROM THE SCHOOL, THEY DON'T MAKE IT TO ME UNTIL ALL OF THE DECISION PROCESS IS DONE.
THEY GET THE 45 DAYS NOW THEY'RE COMING TO SEAL.
SO REALLY THE ONLY CHANCE THAT I HAVE TO TALK TO
[00:50:01]
THEM IS WHEN THEY COME FOR THE INTAKE PROCESS.NORMALLY, ME, MYSELF AND MR. LEE WILL GO DOWN TO INTAKE IF WE HAVE THE TIME.
SOMETIMES WE DON'T MAKE IT DOWN THERE, SOMETIMES THINGS ARE GOING ON.
IT'S AN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL, SO YOU HAVE BEHAVIORS, YOU HAVE KIDS DOING THINGS THAT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND WE GOT TO DEAL WITH IT.
A LOT OF TIMES THOUGH, WE'LL GO TO THE INTAKE MEETING AND WHAT WE'LL DO IS MAKE SURE PARENTS UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE UP IN THE OFFICE, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME UP TO THE OFFICE AND SIT DOWN WITH ME AND HAVE CONVERSATION.
A LOT OF TIMES PARENTS DO COME AND THEY GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE PLACE WORKS AND THEY SAY, "YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU JUST EASE MY NERVES BECAUSE I WAS JUST AFRAID ABOUT SENDING MY CHILD HERE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE." WE WANT TO GIVE THEM THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THEIR CHILD IS GOING TO BE SAFE HERE, WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THEIR CHILD IS GOING TO BE EDUCATED HERE, BUT AS FAR AS A HUGE PLATFORM TO DO THAT, HAVE NOT BUT PARENTS THAT COME IN FOR THE INTAKE PROCESS, WE DO BUT NOT EVERY ONE OF THEM, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
>> YEAH. THANK YOU AND I DID HAVE ONE OTHER THING TO YOU.
I KNOW YOU'RE AT THE MERCY OF HOW MANY STUDENTS GET ASSIGNED THERE, BUT DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA WHAT YOUR AVERAGE ATTENDANCE IS AND DO YOU HAVE A CAPACITY LIKE A NORMAL MINIMUM OR MAXIMUM TYPE CAPACITY AT THE SCHOOL?
>> MY CAFETERIA IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO HOLD SOMEWHERE ABOUT 150-175.
AFTER THAT, YOU STAND IN KIDS UP.
IN THE CAFETERIA THAT IF THEY WERE ALL IN THERE AT ONE TIME, THE BEAUTY OF THAT IS THAT WE HAVE TWO HIGH SCHOOL LUNCHES, ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL LUNCH, AND A ONE-WEEK ZERO LUNCH.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THEM ALL IN AT ONE TIME.
THE CAPACITY THING, EVERY ROOM ON THAT CAMPUS IS FILLED UP BECAUSE AS YOU ALL KNOW, THEY CREATED EXHALE, SO THAT TOOK D WING.
NO LONGER DO WE HAVE D WING, WHICH MEANS THAT ALL OF THE ROOMS ON THE THREE WINGS, A, B, AND C WINGS ARE FULL, BUT I'M NOT SAYING FULL OF STUDENTS.
I'M SAYING THAT THEY'RE FULL AS FAR AS THEIR CLASSROOMS THAT TEACHERS ARE UTILIZED, THEY ARE BEING USED.
CAPACITY WISE, WE RELEASE KIDS JUST ABOUT EVERY FRIDAY.
THIS PAST FRIDAY, WE RELEASED ABOUT FIVE OR SIX KIDS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY HAVING 60 OR 70 STILL YET RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE RECEIVED PACKETS OF KIDS THAT ARE COMING.
WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING MEETINGS WITH THE 43 OR THE SIX THROUGH 12, THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS ABOUT SPED STUDENTS THAT ARE GOING TO COME EVENTUALLY.
OF COURSE, IT'S A TEAM DECISION.
BUT MR. LEE AND MYSELF, WE SIT AT EACH ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS AND DISCUSS THE OPTIONS FOR THAT KID AND WHETHER OR NOT SEAL IS THE BEST PLACE FOR THAT KID.
>> YES, SIR. THANK YOU-ALL. APPRECIATE IT.
>> WE'LL BEGIN OUR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. WE HAVE A LIST OF PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS AND THESE ARE CERTIFIED AND CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL THAT IS SCREENED BY HR AND THEN APPROVED BY THE ADMINISTRATION.
WE'VE HAD BEEN SUBMITTED THAT LIST FOR APPROVAL.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LIST OF PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS WITH MR. REINHARDT JACKSON. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY DR. HANKS AND ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THAT'S EIGHT.
WE'VE GOT A SECOND READING OF A POLICY REVISION.
THAT'S THE REVISION TO THE POLICY AIKEN GRADING/ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS, SPECIFICALLY AROUND SOME FURTHER CLARIFYING LANGUAGE ON QUALIFICATIONS FOR THOSE SELECTED AS VALEDICTORIAN SALUTED TORREON.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SECOND READING OF THE REVISION OF AIKEN.
REMEMBER MR. REINHARDT JACKSON, IS THERE A SECOND?
>> SECOND BY DR. HANKS. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING SECOND READING OF POLICY AIKEN REVISION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THEY'RE SEVEN. ALL THOSE OPPOSED.
ANYONE IS STAINING. MOTION CARRIES SEVEN IN FAVOR AND ONE EXTENSION.
WE HAVE SOME THIRD ITEM ON INDIVIDUAL ITEMS IS ADOPTION OF SOME POLICIES, ADMINISTRATIVE RULES, AND FILES.
THAT IS EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORDS THERE, BUT IT'S SO POLICY J, F, A, B, D, ADMISSION OF HOMELESS STUDENTS ON FIRST READING.
ADMINISTRATIVE RULE J,F, A, B, C ADMISSION OF HOMELESS STUDENTS,
[00:55:02]
WHICH ONLY REQUIRES ONE READING.THEN FILES JFABD-E, ONE AND TWO AND THREE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FIRST READING OF THE POLICY, THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULE, AND THE THREE FILES.
MOVE ON, MR. REINHARDT JACKSON, IS THERE A SECOND?
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR. THE MOTION CARRIES.
UP TO NUMBER FOUR ON INDIVIDUAL ITEMS, AND THAT'S THE CALENDAR FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
WE HAVE MR. JEFF CODE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AS NEEDED.
MR. JEFF, CAN YOU PLEASE COME UP.
>> WELL, GOOD EVENING, MR. NESTLE, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MR. LAWRENCE.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF PRESENTING TO YOU THE MODIFIED CALENDAR FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 24, 25.
ONCE IT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS, HOW WE GOT TO THIS CALENDAR, WE MODEL THIS 24, 25 CALENDAR AFTER OUR CURRENT MODIFIED CALENDAR TO 23, 24 SCHOOL YEAR, I PRESENTED THAT CALENDAR, A DRAFT, THAT CALENDAR OR TO OUR TEACHER FORUM LAST SCHOOL YEAR TO GET THEIR INPUT AND SEE ANY CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO BE MADE.
BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALSO GOT SOME INPUT FROM ALL OUR STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT ONE OF THE MAJOR CHANGES, WHICH WAS THE FALL BREAK, IS THAT WE COULDN'T GET THAT INFORMATION.
LAST WEEK WAS OUR FIRST WEEK BACK FROM FALL BREAK.
WE MET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT IS ADVISORY COUNCILS, SIX GROUPS, THREE STUDENT GROUPS, ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, OR HIGH, THREE PARENT GROUPS, ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH, TO GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE FALL BREAK.
THEN WE ALSO SENT OUT A SURVEY TO ALL STUDENTS, I MEAN, ALL PARENTS AND SURVEY TO ALL OUR STAFF.
WE HAD AN ACTIVITY WITH CHART PAPER AROUND THE ROOM AND ASK SEVERAL QUESTIONS AT PARENTS AND STUDENTS SPILLING OUT THIS CHART PAPER AND IN GATHERING INFORMATION, NOT GOING TO READ ALL THESE TO YOU, BUT WE ASK THEM ABOUT WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THEY EXPERIENCE AS A RESULT OF THE FALL BREAK, BUT ALSO WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BENEFITS? SOME OF THE CHALLENGES IS, YOU CAN SEE HERE TO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS SAID, AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
NOW OUR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS DID ALSO TAKE IT VERY LITERALLY.
THEY ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT ANY PERSONAL CHALLENGES THEY EXPERIENCED DURING A BREAK.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE CHILD AND THEY GOT SIX, MIGHT SAY IF FINANCES SOMEBODY TALKS ABOUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE AC THAT WEEK.
BUT THEY ALSO TALK ABOUT SOME OTHER THINGS, MISSING SOME OF THEIR FRIENDS AND TEACHERS.
IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS SHARED ABOUT FORGETTING SOME OF THE MATERIAL.
THEIR SLEEP SCHEDULE WAS INTERRUPTED AND NOT MUCH TO DO.
THEN OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, THEY SHARE SOME OF THEIR CHALLENGES RETAINING INFORMATION BECAUSE OF SPORTS SOME DIDN'T GET AS MUCH OF A BREAK BECAUSE THEY WERE PRACTICING AND THEN SOME VIRTUAL AND DUAL ENROLLMENT CLASSES WERE CHALLENGING TO GET TO.
THEN WE ASKED THE SAME QUESTIONS TO OUR PARENTS.
SOME OF THE ELEMENTARY PARENTS TALKED ABOUT WORKING PARENTS AND DAYCARE DASH.
THEY SAID, PLEASE PROVIDE A LIST OF CAMPS AND ACTIVITIES.
SOME SAY IT WAS MAYBE CHALLENGING FOR THEIR CHILD TO GET BACK INTO THE ROUTINE, BUT THEY WERE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT TEACHERS WHO WORKED DURING THE BREAK.
THEY DIDN'T GET THE FULL TWO WEEKS.
WE EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT IT WAS VOLUNTEER.
THEY VOLUNTEERED FOR IT AND GOT PAID FOR IT, AND THAT MADE THEM FEEL BETTER ABOUT IT.
THEN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS FELT ABOUT SOME COULDN'T GO ON VACATION BECAUSE OF SPORTS AND BANDCAMP.
OF COURSE, THE BIG ONE THERE, GROCERIES WENT UP.
THERE ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES FROM THE PARENTS, FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS TAUGHT ABOUT THE SCHEDULING OF SPORTS EVENTS DURING THE BREAKS AND THE DUAL ENROLLMENT CHALLENGES.
MR. COSTELLO EXPLAIN TO THEM ABOUT THE SPORT SCHEDULES MAY SEVERAL YEARS IN ADVANCE.
ONCE THAT GOES THROUGH HIS NEXT CYCLE, THEY CAN MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT.
WE ALSO ASK THAT HORSE, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BENEFITS.
THE ELEMENTS STUDENTS TALKED ABOUT THE FACT OF BEING ABLE TO SLEEP IN, HAVING FUN, GETTING TO VISIT FRIENDS AND SLEEPOVERS.
MY FAVORITE OF COURSE, WAS ONE STUDENTS THAT ONLINE SHOPPING DURING THE BREAK.
THEN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ALSO TALK ABOUT SPORTS CAMPS, VISITING FAMILY, AND HAVING MORE TIME TO SPEND WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
MIDDLE-SCHOOL STUDENTS TALKED ABOUT SLEEPING AND CATCHING UP ON HOMEWORK, A BREAK, WE'RE HAVING TO DO A LOT OF RED TAPE, GETTING A BREAK AND REST FROM TEST.
[01:00:02]
ONE STUDENT TALKED ABOUT HAVING A CHANCE TO DO SOME OF THEIR CULTURAL AND FAMILY CELEBRATIONS BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY NEAT.THEN ALSO A PERSONAL LEARNING TIME AND INTERESTS.
THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SOUGHT VOWEL RECOLLECT THEMSELVES.
THEY ALSO GAVE THEM MORE CHANCE TO PASS BECAUSE OF INTERSESSION AND ATTENDANCE RECOVERY.
I HAVEN'T TIME TO DO MAKEUP WORK AND THEN SPENDING TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND TIME TO RESET FROM SCHOOL PRESSURES.
THE ELEMENTARY STUDENT'S PARENTS TALKED ABOUT THE BENEFITS.
THEY LIKED THAT TWO WEEKS TO HAVING TO BREAK THE WEEKEND ON BOTH ENDS, BUT ALSO HAVE A WEEKEND IN THE MIDDLE, WHICH GAVE THEM ACTUALLY 16 DAYS. THEY ENJOYED THAT.
THEY FELT RE-ENERGIZED AND READY TO GO BACK, OFF-SEASON TRAVEL, MENTAL BREAK, AND A QUARTER 1 ENDING BEFORE THE BREAK.
MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS TALKED ABOUT IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO RECHARGE, HELPING THEIR KIDS CATCH UP BECAUSE HAVING SOME ONE-ON-ONE TIME WITH THEIR TEACHERS OR AN INTERSESSION, VACATION.
ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THEY TALKED ABOUT WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS FOR THEMSELVES AND ALSO THINKING ABOUT TEACHERS NOT HAVING TO MISS WORK FOR APPOINTMENTS EITHER.
IT MADE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO GET DENTAL APPOINTMENTS AND OTHER THINGS IN.
THEY TALKED ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF INTERSESSION.
THE HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS ALSO TALKED ABOUT SECOND BAND CAMP, EXTRA TIME FOR SPORTS, PRACTICING, WEIGHTLIFTING, BONDING.
ONE HIGH SCHOOL TALKED ABOUT THEY DID A LOT OF TEAM BUILDING OVER THE BREAK AND REST AND MENTAL BREAKS.
WE ALSO ASKED THE STUDENTS, SO HAVE THE PARENTS IN SURVEY, BUT WE ASKED THE STUDENTS SHOULD WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A FALL BREAK AND ONE STUDENT SAID NO, BUT 58 PLUS SAID YES WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE A FALL BREAK.
WE ASKED THEM ABOUT WHAT WAS THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE LENGTH OF TIME FOR THE BREAK.
16 STUDENTS SAID IT WASN'T LONG ENOUGH, SO THEY WANT A LONGER MORE THAN TWO WEEKS, 36 SAID IT WAS JUST RIGHT AND 15, SAID IT WAS TOO LONG.
THEN AFTER THAT, WE SENT OUT A SURVEY TO ALL THE PARENTS AND ALL OF OUR STAFF.
PARENTS, WE SENT 4,300 PARENTS COMPLETED THE SURVEY AND WE HAVE A ROUGHLY ABOUT 23,000 STUDENTS AND SO WE ESTIMATE ABOUT 15 TO 18 THOUSAND HOMES.
WE FELT REALLY GOOD ABOUT OUR RESPONSE FOR THE NUMBER OF SURVEYS WE GOT BACK.
THEN THE STAFF, 2,327, WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER 3,300 STAFF.
ROUGHLY AROUND ABOUT 70% OF THE STAFF COMPLETE THE SURVEY.
YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN THERE OF WHO ALL COMPLETED A SURVEY AND WHAT LEVEL THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH.
THEN WE ASKED SEVERAL QUESTIONS ON THE SURVEY.
ONE, WERE YOU ADEQUATELY INFORMED ABOUT THE PURPOSE AND THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE FALL BREAK? THAT WAS ONE THING WE WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR EXPLAINING WHY WE WERE HAVING AND 80% OF OUR PARENTS SAID, YES, THAT WAS 3,461 PARENTS AND 852 SAID NO.
OF THE STAFF, 2,037 SAID YES AND THEY REPRESENT ABOUT 88% OF OUR STAFF SAID YES, THEY UNDERSTOOD WHY WE WERE HAVING A FALL BREAK.
WE ALSO ASKED PARENTS AND OUR STAFF, WERE THEY ABLE TO MAXIMIZE THE FALL BREAK FOR FAMILY ACTIVITIES OR TRAVEL BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE PIECE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THE FALL BREAK.
PARENTS, 2,863 SAID YES, WHICH IS ROUGHLY ABOUT 66%.
THE STAFF, 84% SAID YES, WHICH IS 1,954 STAFF MEMBERS SAID YES, THEY WERE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE THAT TIME.
WE ALSO ASKED THEM, DID THE TIME IN THE FALL BREAK ALIGN WITH THEIR FAMILIES SCHEDULES AND NEEDS.
WE HAD 2,921 PARENTS WHICH REPRESENTED ABOUT 68% SAID YES, IT DID ALIGN WELL, AND THE STAFF 1,972, WHICH IS ABOUT 85%.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE PRESENTED THE MODIFIED CALENDAR OPPORTUNITY FOR TRAVEL AND DOING OTHER ACTIVITIES.
WE JUST GOT TO ASK, WHERE DO PEOPLE GO? DID THEY STAY IN AIKEN COUNTY? DID THEY STAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA? DID THEY TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF SOUTH CAROLINA? DID THEY EVEN LEAVE THE UNITED STATES? FOR PARENTS, 2,080 STAYED IN AIKEN, 840 TO TRAVEL WITHIN SOUTH CAROLINA, 1,247 TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AND 144 TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.
A LOT OF TRAVELING TOOK PLACE OVER THE BREAK.
FOR THE STAFF, 653 STAYED IN AIKEN, 569 TRAVELED WITHIN SOUTH CAROLINA, 981 TRAVELED OUTSIDE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AND 124 LEFT THE UNITED STATES.
A LOT OF TRAVEL, WE THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING ON CRUISES DURING THAT TIME WHAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT.
WE ALSO ASKED PARENTS, DID THE FALL BREAK ENHANCE YOUR CHILD'S ENGAGEMENT AND PREPAREDNESS UPON RETURNING TO SCHOOL? SEE THAT 2,743 SAID YES, ABOUT 64% OF OUR PARENTS FELT LIKE THIS REALLY ENHANCED THEIR CHILD'S ENGAGEMENT AND PREPAREDNESS FOR WHEN THEY RETURNED BACK FROM FALL BREAK.
[01:05:01]
WE ALSO ASKED THE PARENTS, DID YOU HAVE A STUDENT PARTICIPATE IN INTERSESSION? AND WE HAD 469 PARENTS SAID, YES, AS REPRESENTED BY 11%.REMEMBER THE INTERSESSION WAS BY INVITATION ONLY, SO IT DID NOT GO OUT TO EVERYONE.THERE WAS CERTAIN CRITERIA AT EVERY LEVEL AND SO WE KNEW THAT RESULT WOULDN'T BE AS HIGH BECAUSE IT WASN'T AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE, JUST CERTAIN GROUP, BUT STILL 11% SAID THEIR CHILD HAD OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
THEN WE ASKED PARENTS, WHICH THIS WAS INTERESTING TO ME, WE ASKED PARENTS IN THE FUTURE, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN YOUR CHILD PARTICIPATE IN ENRICHMENT OR ACCELERATION OPPORTUNITIES DURING THE FALL BREAK AND IT'S SPLIT.
ABOUT 50% SAID YES, BUT 50% SAID NO.
THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO ME THAT HALF ARE SAYING YES, THEY WERE LIKE SOMETHING OTHERS SAY, NOPE.
ONE OF THE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS SAID THEY JUST WANT TO CHILL AT HOME AND NOT DO ANYTHING.
WE ALSO ASKED OUR PARENTS AND OUR STAFF, WHAT WAS YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE DURATION OF THE FALL BREAK WAS IT NOT LONG ENOUGH WAS IT JUST RIGHT OR WAS IT TOO LONG? PARENTS, 208 SAID WAS NOT LONG ENOUGH.
2,850 SAID IT WAS JUST RIGHT WHICH REPRESENTED ABOUT 66% AND TOO LONG WAS 1,255 IS 29%.
ABOUT 71% WANT TWO OR MORE WEEKS OF A FALL BREAK.
FOR STAFF, WE ASKED THE SAME THING AND 168 SAYS NOT LONG ENOUGH.
1,867 IS JUST RIGHT, WHICH IS OUR LARGEST GROUP AT 80%, AND 299 IS TOO LONG.
WITH STAFF, ABOUT 87% WANTED EITHER TWO OR MORE WEEKS OF A FALL BREAK.
THEN WE ASKED BOTH GROUPS SHOULD WE CONTINUE WITH THE FALL BREAK.
PARENTS, 3,443 SAID YES, 870 SAID NO.
THAT'S ABOUT 80% OF OUR PARENTS THAT YES, WE SHOULD CONTINUE WITH THE FALL BREAK.
THEN FOR STAFF, IT WAS HIGHER 2,190 TO SAID YES, 135 SAID NO SO 94% OF OUR STAFF THAT YES, WE SHOULD CONTINUE WITH THE FALL BREAK.
THEN THIS IS THE ONE THAT I'M REALLY PROUD OF, THE DESIGN OF THE CALENDAR BECAUSE ONE THING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR DISTRICT IS ABOUT SAFETY.
I ALWAYS THINK OF SAFETY IN TWO ASPECTS ARE WE KEEPING OUR STUDENTS PHYSICALLY SAFE WITH OUR SECURITY PROCEDURES, BUT ALSO WE'RE CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR WELL-BEING AND THEIR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SAFETY.
WITH THIS QUESTION DID THE FALL BREAK HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUR CHILD? FOR STAFF DID IT HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU.
FOR OUR PARENTS 3,426 PARENTS SAID, YES, WHICH WAS 79% SAID FALL BREAK HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEIR CHILD'S WELL-BEING.
WERE IN A TIME WHERE WE ARE TRYING TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN TEACHERS, THAT WAS VERY EXCITING TO SEE THAT OUR DESIGN AT A CALENDAR HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR STAFF.
WITH THAT, I'M JUST ABOUT READY TO PRESENT TO YOU TO 24, 25 CALENDAR.
JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW A FEW OF THE PARAMETERS THAT WE KEPT IN MIND AS WE DESIGNED TO CALENDAR.
THE FIRST PARAMETER IS THAT THE FIRST SEMESTER WE WANTED IT TO END BY WINTER BREAK.
WE WANT THE FIRST, ESPECIALLY NOW WITH BLOCK SCHEDULING FOR HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH WORKS REALLY WELL TO HAVE THAT FIRST SEMESTER, ALL THOSE COURSES COMPLETED BEFORE THE STUDENTS GO OUT ON BREAK.
THAT WAY THEY CAN TAKE THEIR FINALS BEFORE BREAK.
THEN WE WANT TO MAKE SURE TO SCHOOL YEAR ENDS BY MAY 31ST.
THERE'S JUST SOMETHING MAGICAL ABOUT SAYING YOU END IN MAY AND NOT IN JUNE.
WE WANTED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
WE WANTED A TWO-WEEK FALL BREAK,TWO WEEK WINTER BREAK, TWO-WEEK SPRING BREAK, MAKE SURE THAT THE HOLIDAYS ARE FOLLOWING ALL THE SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES.
ON THE FIRST DAY FOR THIS WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE TEACHER FORUM.
THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT AFTER WINTER BREAK, THAT FIRST DAY BACK IS A TEACHER WORKDAY.
AND THAT REALLY IS GOING TO HELP OUR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS OUT.
NOW THEY START DOING SECOND SET OF COURSES.
THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE TEACHER FORUM.
THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T NOT GOING TO BE A WEATHER MAKEUP DAY.
THEN OF COURSE MAKES SURE WE FOLLOW OUR STATE REGULATIONS FOR SCHOOL CALENDARS.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, I PRESENT TO YOU THE '24-'25 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR.
[LAUGHTER] I'LL JUST TELL YOU A FEW LITTLE THINGS ABOUT THE CALENDAR.
IT'S MODELED AFTER THIS CURRENT CALENDAR SO NOT A WHOLE LOT OF CHANGES.
A FEW TWEAKS BASED ON THE TEACHER FORUM.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR TEACHERS IS THE 16TH, THIS YEAR THAT WAS A WORKDAY AND THEN THE NEXT DAY WAS A PD DAY.
THE TEACHER FORUM ASKED US TO SWITCH THAT AND TO MAKE THE FIRST DAY A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY SO THAT THEY CAN GET INFORMATION FROM THE PRINCIPALS.
IF THEY NEED TO MAKE ANY CHANGES IN THEIR ROOM, THEY'LL HAVE THE NEXT DAY TO DO THAT.
WE MADE THAT SWITCH BASED ON THAT.
STUDENTS WILL RETURN ON JULY 22ND WHICH THIS CALENDAR ALSO ALLOWS,
[01:10:02]
FOR NOW, A NICE CYCLE.THE STAFF WILL HAVE A SIX-WEEK BREAK AND STUDENTS WILL HAVE A SEVEN-WEEK SUMMER BREAK.
THEN PRETTY MUCH I'LL SAY THE SAME AS THIS.
THE INTERSESSION IS THAT FIRST-WEEK IN OCTOBER, THE SECOND WEEK IS THE SECOND PART OF FALL BREAK.
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE DAY ON THE 21ST.
THAT DAY CHANGED FROM MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK WE WORKED ON THAT AND FINALLY CAME BACK WITH THE 21ST.
THE OTHER MAJOR CHANGE WAS AT ONE OF THE THINGS TEACHERS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR SEVERAL YEARS IS THE DAY BEFORE WINTER BREAK TO BE A HALF-DAY.
USUALLY, WE HAVE THREE HALF DAYS AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WE TOOK ONE OF THOSE HALF DAYS, PUT IT ON THE DAY BEFORE WINTER BREAK, HALF DAY FOR STUDENTS, NOT STAFF, A HALF DAY FOR STUDENTS.
THEN THE LAST TWO DAYS OF SCHOOL WILL BE HALF DAY FOR STUDENTS INSTEAD OF THREE DAYS.
THIS CALENDAR, A FEW CHALLENGES.
OCTOBER OF 2024 IS AN ELECTION YEAR, SO WE HAD TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT, MAKE SURE WE HAD THAT ON THERE.
THEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, JANUARY 1ST IS A BOARD-APPROVED HOLIDAY BECAUSE IT'S NEW YEAR'S DAY.
THE SECOND WOULD HAVE BEEN THE TEACHER WORKDAY AND STUDENTS WILL HAVE RETURNED ON THAT FRIDAY WHICH THAT DIDN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE.
WE DECIDED LET'S GO AHEAD AND GIVE THEM THAT FULL WEEK AND START BACK THAT MONDAY WITH A TEACHER WORKDAY AND STUDENTS WOULD RETURN ON THE 7TH.
THEN EVERYTHING ELSE PRETTY MUCH FOLLOWS THE SAME AS IT DOES THIS YEAR.
THE TWO WEEKS IN APRIL FOR SPRING BREAK, THE FIRST WEEK INTERSESSION, THE SECOND WEEK IS OUT FOR EVERYBODY BECAUSE OF MASTER'S WEEK.
GOOD FRIDAY DIDN'T ALIGN WITH THAT.
GOOD FRIDAY'S AT 18, SO YOU COME BACK FOUR DAYS AND YOU HAVE GOOD FRIDAY.
THEN, OF COURSE, THE STUDENT'S LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IS THURSDAY, MAY 29TH, AND TEACHER'S LAST DAY IS A WORKDAY, MAY THE 30TH.
I PRESENT TO YOU TO 24, 25 MODIFIED YEAR CALENDAR AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MR. NESTLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE.
>> THANK YOU, MR. JEFFCOAT. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. JEFFCOAT? MR. MOULTON?
FIRST OF ALL, A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT BECAUSE I HEARD A LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT THE CALENDAR.
BUT I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR NEXT YEAR.
THE ONLY THING THAT I HEAR A FEW PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IS DID ANYBODY LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY OF DIVIDING UP THE PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES TO BE LIKE A THURSDAY UNTIL SIX, AND THEN A FRIDAY UNTIL ONE TO ALLOW PARENTS THE EVENING TIME AND THEN THE MORNING TIME, AND THEN NOT HOLD TEACHERS ON A FRIDAY, FOR INSTANCE, UNTIL SIX O’CLOCK ON A FRIDAY.
BUT I THINK IT'S ALREADY BEEN MOVED TO MONDAY.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION THERE, IS THAT RIGHT?
>> THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES.
WE HAD IT EARLIER IN THE WEEK THEN MOVED IT TO FRIDAY.
BECAUSE SOME TEACHERS FELT LIKE HAVING TO STAY LATER AT THE BEGINNING OF WEEK, WE MADE YOUR TIRED FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.
BUT THEN FRIDAY RAN INTO FOOTBALL GAMES, SO THAT BECAME PROBLEMATIC.
WE DECIDED LET'S MOVE IT BACK.
THEN WE THOUGHT ON THURSDAY, BUT THEN WE MAY HAVE A HIGHER TEACHER ABSENTEEISM ON FRIDAY AND WITH THE SUB SHORTAGE THAT CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS. THE BEST DECISION WE FELT LIKE WAS AT MONDAY.
STAYING A LITTLE LATER THAT MONDAY FELT LIKE THAT WOULD SOLVE SOME OF THOSE PROBLEMS.
>> THANK YOU. I FIGURED IT WAS PROBABLY TALKED ABOUT.
>> THAT WAS ONE OF THE ODD ONES THAT CHANGED EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK AS WE KEPT DEBATING WHERE TO PLACE THAT ONE.
>> I LOOKED AT THE SURVEY RESULTS AND THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE SAID THAT THE LENGTH OF THE INTERCESSION WAS FINE. THE TWO WEEKS WAS GOOD.
BUT THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS I RECEIVED FROM PARENTS, WAS IT BROUGHT UP OR WAS IT CONSIDERED ABOUT DOING MAYBE A ONE-WEEK FALL BREAK AND A FULL WEEK FOR THANKSGIVING BECAUSE OF ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT I RECEIVED, THANKSGIVING WAS THE WEEK THAT THEY THOUGHT SHOULD BE A FULL WEEK.
IF THAT WASN'T, WHAT WOULD THE NUANCES OF ATTEMPTING THAT BE?
>> WE DID DISCUSS THAT ONE SEVERAL TIMES IN SEVERAL GROUPS.
IT WAS THE MAJORITY DID NOT WANT TO GIVE UP THE TWO-WEEK BREAK.
ACTUALLY, MOST PEOPLE WANTED TO TRY IT BOTH.
SAY IF WE DID BOTH, WE WOULD WIND UP HAVING TO START THE SCHOOL YEAR TWO DAYS SOONER AND PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT EITHER.
IT'S DO WE SACRIFICE PART OF THE TWO-WEEK AND DO A ONE-WEEK AND A FULL WEEK THANKSGIVING? WELL, FOLKS REALLY FELT LIKE THEY REALLY WANTED THAT TWO-WEEK BREAK.
[01:15:08]
THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.THEN LOOKING AT THE SURVEY RESULTS, PEOPLE REALLY LIKE THE TWO-WEEK BREAK.
>> MY LAST QUESTION, MR. JEFFCOAT.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU AS FAR AS, IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR REASON OR STRONG PREFERENCE WHY THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY ON SEPTEMBER 3RD COULDN'T HAVE BEEN ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 30TH? IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC REASONS? WE GOT LABOR DAY WEEKEND THERE AND WE'RE MAKING A FOUR-DAY WEEKEND OUT OF LABOR DAY WEEKEND FOR STUDENTS.
IS ANY PARTICULAR REASON WHY IT WAS SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY INSTEAD OF FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY?
>> NO PARTICULAR REASON. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE EASILY CHANGED IF YOU WANTED TO GO THAT DIRECTION.
>> THAT ACTUALLY COULD WORK OUT EVEN A LITTLE BETTER FOR STAFF TO HAVE THAT PD DAY FINISHED AND NOT BE THINKING ABOUT THAT OVER THE WEEKEND AND THEN GO INTO THE LABOR DAY WITHOUT HAVING TO THINK ABOUT COMING BACK TO A PD DAY. EITHER WAY WOULD WORK.
>> THANK YOU, MR. JEFFCOAT. WE DO NEED A MOTION.
IS THERE A MOTION TO? I'LL TELL YOU WHAT INSTEAD OF JUST AMENDING IT, I'LL MAKE THE INITIAL MOTION BECAUSE I DO WANT TO SEE THAT CHANGE.
I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE PROPOSED 2024, 2025 SCHOOL CALENDAR WITH THE ONE CHANGE OF MOVING THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY FROM SEPTEMBER TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD TO FRIDAY, AUGUST 30TH.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CALENDAR WITH THE ONE CHANGE.
NOTED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE HAVE A CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR.
THANK YOU. I WILL SAY THAT NOT THAT I'VE HAD TO DO IT PERSONALLY, BUT I CAN IMAGINE MAKING A CALENDAR IS A THANKLESS TASK, SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE FOLKS THAT WORKED ON THAT.
YOU ALWAYS HAVE WINNERS AND LOSERS, AND IT'S NOT AN EASY TASK, SO I APPRECIATE THE GROUP THAT WORKED ON THAT.
THAT BRINGS US TO THE LAST INDIVIDUAL ITEM WHICH MR. TRACKS HAS PREPARED A PROPOSED INCENTIVE FOR BUS DRIVERS AND MR. TRACKS, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO? I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER.
JUST TO REMIND THE FOLKS WATCHING, THERE'S A CRITICAL BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE IN AREA 4 RIGHT NOW, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PROPOSED INCENTIVE OF $750 BONUS OVERALL PER QUARTER FOR A TOTAL OF 3,000 PER YEAR.
THIS WOULD ONLY BE IN EFFECT THIS SCHOOL YEAR THAT WE'RE ALREADY IN, SO IT WOULD NOT CONTINUE PAST THIS SCHOOL YEAR WITHOUT CONSIDERING IT AGAIN.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS INCENTIVE?
>> MOVED BY MR. REINHARDT JACKSON. IS THERE A SECOND?
ANY DISCUSSION? I HAVE ONE QUESTION, MR. TRACKS. JUST ROUGH ESTIMATE, HOW SHORT ARE WE RIGHT NOW? HOW MANY VACANCIES DO WE HAVE? 5, 10, 15, 20?
>> FIFTEEN VACANCIES IN AREA 4.
WE HAVE VACANCIES THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
THIS ONE IS BY FAR THE MOST OF THE BEER.
>> IT PROBABLY HELPS THE MOST GEOGRAPHIC AREA TO COVER?
>> THAT AND ALSO NEIGHBORS ANOTHER DISTRICT THAT OFFERS VERY COMPETITIVE BUS DRIVER SALARIES FOR A YEAR.
>> THAT WAS MY ONLY QUESTION. ANY OTHER, MS. TYLER?
>> I DO HAVE MORE OF A STATEMENT.
I'D LIKE TO SAY, I JUST APPRECIATE YOU GUYS WORKING TO COME UP WITH THIS SOLUTION.
I'M HOPING THAT IT'S A SOLUTION BECAUSE THE PARENTS ARE COMPLAINING BECAUSE THEY'VE DEALT WITH IT FOR A LONG TIME AND THE KIDS ARE GETTING HOME VERY LATE, 5:30 AND SIX O'CLOCK IS A LONG TIME FOR JAVA TO BE AWAY FROM HOME.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS COMING UP WITH SOMETHING THAT MAY ACTUALLY GET US MORE DRIVERS DOWN THERE, BUT LEXINGTON IS PAYING MORE IN THERE.
[01:20:02]
WE'RE HAVING TO COMPETE WITH THEM, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.>> ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? THANK YOU, MR. DREXLER.
WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED INCENTIVE FOR AREA 4 BUS DRIVERS.
WITHOUT ANY MORE DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR, THE MOTION CARRIES.
WE HAVE TWO CONSENT ITEMS THAT WE CAN DISCUSS INDIVIDUALLY, BUT WE'LL VOTE ON THEM AS A GROUP.
WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED A LIST OF EXPULSIONS TO RATIFY THAT ARE NOT APPEALED.
AND THEN WE HAVE A DONATION TO RICH BRING MONETTE MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL FROM HER LONG CHEVROLET FOR $2,500 FOR THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE TWO CONSENT ITEMS?
>> MOVED BY MR. REINHARDT JACKSON? IS THERE A SECOND?
>> SECOND BY MR. MOLTEN DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE TWO CONSENT ITEMS AS PRESENTED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR, THE MOTION CARRIES.
WE HAVE TWO INFORMATIONAL ITEMS TONIGHT, AND WE HAVE SOME GUESTS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT HAVE BEEN PATIENTLY WAITING TO GIVE US SOME INFORMATION.
WE'VE GOT MR. WILL ROBERTS WITH US HERE THIS EVENING AND MR. BILL BURKE HALTER, AND I'LL INVITE ONE OR BOTH OF YOU UP AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE PRESENTING SOME INFORMATION.
MR. WILL ROBERTSON IS ABOUT REAPPORTIONMENT OF OUR DISTRICT SEATS.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN NESTLE AND BOARD MEMBERS? WILL ROBERTS IS THE DIRECTOR OF CARTOGRAPHY FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, HE CAN EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.
THEY OPERATE IN VERY HIGH ATMOSPHERE.
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT CLICKER, HE WAS AT THE US SUPREME COURT LAST WEEK IN CONNECTION WITH SOUTH CAROLINA CASE.
THESE GUYS ARE VERY SOPHISTICATED IN THEIR BUSINESS.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO LET WILL TAKE IT OVER.
>> THANK YOU, BILL. I APPRECIATE.
BILL, IF I GET YOU TO PASS THESE OUT FOR ME.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS ABOUT 24 YEARS AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS LONG ENOUGH THAT I KNOW IF I HAND YOU STUFF RIGHT NOW, THAT'S THE PLAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROPOSE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO ME.
THE PLANE I'M PASSING OUT NOW IS WHAT WE CALL THE BENCHMARK PLAN, AND THAT IS YOUR CURRENT SEATS WITH THE 2020 CENSUS DATE ON IT, AND SO YOU'RE GETTING A COPY OF THE BENCHMARK PLAN, A COPY OF THE POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS STATISTICS BASED OFF THE 2020 CENSUS, AS WELL AS THE CRITERIA THAT WE USE FOR REDRAWING PLANS.
ONCE A DECADE, WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD IN THE NEWS ABOUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS, THE HOUSE SENATE, YOUR COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICTS HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS, I BELIEVE MAYBE SOME OF YOUR CITIES AROUND HERE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
BUT EVERY DECADE WE GO THROUGH THIS REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND IT'S REALLY TO BALANCE OUT THE POPULATION OF THE DISTRICTS THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS REPRESENT.
THIS IS FOUR-YEAR SCHOOL BOARD SEATS.
THIS DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LINES.
I WAS IN ANOTHER COUNTY LAST YEAR AND WE WERE DOING THIS AND A LADY GOT UP COMPLAINING THAT SHE WAS UPSET THAT HER KID WAS GOING TO CHANGE SCHOOLS. THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
THIS IS FOUR-YEAR ELECTION DISTRICTS ONLY, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT SCHOOL YOU'RE GOING TO ATTEND.
I'M GOING TO HELP BILL OUT REAL QUICK, TRY TO GET THOSE PASSED OUT.
THE FIRST SET OF INFORMATION YOU GOT WAS GOING TO BE THE CRITERIA THAT WE USE TO DEVELOP THE PLANS, BUT ALSO THE BENCHMARK.
BENCHMARK AGAIN, IS YOUR CURRENT DISTRICTS WITH THE 2020 CENSUS NUMBERS IN IT, AND SO WHAT I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT IS
[01:25:02]
THE STATISTICS PAGE THAT CAME WITH THE BENCHMARK PLAN.WHAT THIS IS GOING TO SHOW, GILBERT CALLS THE TOP AND THE EXPLAIN WHAT THESE ARE.
THE FIRST COLUMN IS GOING TO BE YOUR DISTRICT NUMBERS AS TO INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT YOU REPRESENT.
THE SECOND IS THE POPULATION IN THAT DISTRICT ACCORDING TO THE 2020 CENSUS.
NEXT IS YOUR DEVIATION, HIGH OR LOW OF WHAT OUR TARGET VALUE IS GOING TO BE FOR EACH DISTRICT, THEN YOU HAVE PERCENT DEVIATION.
YOU HAVE YOUR PERCENT HISPANIC NUMBER, YOU HAVE YOUR PERCENT NUMBER OF NON-HISPANIC WHITES PERCENT NON-HISPANIC WHITES, NON-HISPANIC DOJ, BLACK POPULATION IN THAT AS A PERCENTAGE.
THEN WE COME OVER TO THIS 18+ POP.
THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR VOTING AGE POPULATION.
THAT IS EVERYONE THAT'S 18 YEARS OLD OR OLDER AT THE TIME THE CENSUS IS TAKEN.
THEN WE HAVE THE DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWNS FOR ALL THOSE THREE CATEGORIES.
YOUR HISPANIC, YOUR NON-HISPANIC, WHITE, YOUR NON-HISPANIC, DOJ BLACK.
LOOKING AT YOUR DISTRICTS, THE WAY YOU GET YOUR TARGET DEVIATION VALUE AND THE THING WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS BASICALLY EQUAL OUT THE POPULATION BETWEEN THE DISTRICTS.
AS YOU KNOW, AIKEN COUNTY HAS GROWN A LITTLE BIT OVER THE YEARS, THE LAST DECADE, BUT IT HASN'T GROWN UNIFORMLY ACROSS THE BOARD.
YOU'VE GOT CERTAIN AREAS OF THE COUNTY THAT HAVE GROWN FASTER THAN OTHERS AND SOME AREAS MAY HAVE LOST POPULATION DURING THE DECADE.
OUR GOAL IS JUST TO BALANCE THE POPULATION OUT ACROSS THE DISTRICTS.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANT TO FIND WHAT THE ACTUAL IDEAL VALUE OF EACH DISTRICT WOULD BE.
THE WAY YOU GET THAT YOU SHOULD TAKE YOUR TOTAL POPULATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH IS 171,000.208, AND YOU DIVIDE THAT BY 9, WHICH IS THE NUMBER OF SEATS THAT'S ON THE BOARD.
THAT COMES UP WITH 19,023 PEOPLE PER DISTRICT.
IF WE WENT IN AND LOOKING AT THIS TO DRAW IT EXACTLY DOWN TO THE ZERO, WE PLACED APPROXIMATELY 19,023 PEOPLE IN THAT PLUS OR MINUS A PERSON BECAUSE THAT TOTAL POPULATION ISN'T DIVISIBLE BY NINE.
THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE LOOK AT, BUT WE HAVE SOME WIGGLE ROOM IN HERE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT WITH THE THE WIGGLE ROOM IS THE DEVIATION.
THE COURTS HAVE SAID ANYTHING THAT'S LESS THAN 10% IS OKAY.
WE DON'T HAVE TO REALLY DO TOO MUCH TO IT AS FAR AS THE OVERALL RANGE DEVIATION.
IF IT'S ABOVE THE 10% DEVIATION THEN WE NEED TO REVIEW IT AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE IF WE CAN TWEAK THOSE LINES TO BRING THAT DEVIATION DOWN.
WE LOOK AT WHAT THEY CALL THE OVERALL RANGE DEVIATION OF A PLAN.
THE WAY YOU GET THAT AS YOU TAKE YOUR LARGEST NEGATIVE, AND YOUR LARGEST POSITIVE AND ADD THOSE TOGETHER, DISREGARDING THE ALGEBRAIC SIGN.
BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU AN EXAMPLE FOR YOUR FOR AIKEN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOUR LOW WAS DISTRICT 1.
IT WAS LOW, 1,993 PEOPLE, WHICH IS 10.48%.
YOUR HIGH IS DISTRICT 6 AT 10.53%.
ADD THOSE TWO TOGETHER AND YOU COME UP WITH 21.01%.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS ADJUST ALLIANCE TO BRING THAT OVERALL RANGE DEVIATION DOWN BELOW THAT 10% TO COMPLY WITH THE ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE.
WHILE DOING THAT, WE GO BACK TO THE CRITERIA THAT WE USED TO ADOPT.
THE CRITERIA THAT WE USE IS EQUAL POPULATION JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT TRYING TO BALANCE THE POPULATION OUT OF THE DISTRICTS.
WE ADHERE TO THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT AND CONTROLLING COURT DECISIONS.
WE MADE SURE THAT MINORITIES HAVE THE ABILITY TO LET CANDIDATES OF THEIR CHOICE IN THE DISTRICTS.
ALSO, WHILE WE'RE DOING THIS, WE HAVE TO RESPECT CONTINUITY.
WE CAN'T HAVE A PIECE DOWN IN WAGNER AND ANOTHER PIECE OF THE DISTRICT OF NORTH AUGUSTA.
THEY HAVE TO BE CONTIGUOUS AND EVERYTHING HAS TO BE TOUCHING.
THOSE THREE CRITERIA ARE REALLY THE MAIN OVERALL ONES THAT WE USE TO DRAW THESE PLANS.
THERE'S SOME OTHER CRITERIA THAT WE TYPICALLY USE WHILE WE'RE DOING THIS AS WELL.
ONE IS TO MAINTAIN CONSTITUENT CONSISTENCY. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WE TRY NOT TO GO IN AND DO TOO MUCH TO YOUR DISTRICT TO GIVE YOU A WHOLE NEW AREA.
WE JUST WANT TO GO IN AND PROVIDE SOME CONSISTENCY BETWEEN WHO'S BEEN ELECTED IN THE DISTRICTS AND ALSO WHO THE CONSTITUENTS ARE BEEN IN THOSE DISTRICTS.
ALSO, THIS MEANS THAT WE TRIED TO SEPARATE THE INCUMBENTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE MAP, LOOK AT THE DOT ON THE MAP.
I KNOW THOSE SMALLER ONES ARE HARD TO READ JUST BECAUSE OF GEOGRAPHIC LAYOUT OF AIKEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SO I'VE GOT TWO LARGE ONES DOWN THERE.
TAKE A LOOK, MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT YOU PLACED IN THE RIGHT DISTRICT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE TWO YOU IN THE SAME DISTRICT, WHICH I'M PRETTY SURE WE DON'T.
WE TRY TO MAINTAIN THAT CONSTITUENT CONSISTENCY WHILE DOING THIS.
WE ALSO TRY TO RESPECT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.
THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF WHAT A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST IS SO WE LEAVE THAT UP TO THE LOCALS TO GIVE US FEEDBACK ON THE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.
WE ALSO TRY TO MINIMIZE SPLITTING VOTING PRECINCTS, BUT GIVING THE ONE PERSON ONE VOTE REQUIREMENT, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO END UP HAVING TO SPLIT SOME OF THESE PRECINCTS.
ALSO COMPACTNESS OF THE DISTRICTS, TRY TO MAKE THEM AS COMPACT AS POSSIBLE BUT THERE ARE STATISTICAL METHODS TO CALCULATE COMPACTNESS BUT WE TYPICALLY JUST USE THE EYE TEST AND MAKE SURE THAT THE DISTRICTS NOT ELONGATED WHEN WE CAN MAKE IT MORE COMPACT TO GIVE A MORE BALANCED DISTRICT.
[01:30:04]
THOSE ARE REALLY THE CRITERIA THAT WE USE TO DRAW THE PLAN.NOW I WILL PASS OUT THE PROPOSED PLAN THAT WE'VE GOT AND BILL, IF YOU DON'T MIND HELPING ME.
>> I WAS ASKED BY THE DELEGATION TO COME AND PRESENT THIS TO YOU ALL AND THIS IS REALLY JUST A STARTING POINT FOR US.
IF THERE'S IN WHAT THEY WANTED ME TO DO IS TO COME PRESENT THIS TO YOU, EXPLAIN WHY WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
EXPLAIN WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT WHEN WE DREW THIS AND JUST PUT THIS OUT THERE FOR YOUR INPUT AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC INPUT AND SO THERE'S DELEGATION.
YOU CAN CONTACT THE DELEGATION IF THERE'S ANY COMMENTS OR ANYTHING, ANY CHANGES YOU WANT OR YOU CAN GO THROUGH MR. BURKE HALTER, AND HE CAN RELAY ANY INFORMATION TO ME IF YOU WANT TO SEE CHANGES IN THIS PLAN BUT THIS WAS STUFFS JUST FIRST OPENING SHOT AT TRYING TO GET THE MAP OUT THERE SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL STATISTICALLY COULD PASS FASTER IF ANYONE TOOK A LOOK AT IT.
WITH THE DISTRICT 1 THE PLAN 1 THAT WE'VE DONE, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE POPULATION.
YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK. A LOT OF THESE NUMBERS HAVE COME DOWN FROM WHERE THEY WERE.
GIVING AN EXAMPLE, DISTRICT 1 WAS AT LOW, 10.48% IS NOW LOW, 2.2. DISTRICT 2 WAS DOWN, 3.65 IS NOW LOW 2.71.
IT WAS HIGH AT 6.07, WE BROUGHT THAT DOWN TO 2.12.
DISTRICT 4 YOU WERE DOWN 1.65%.
DISTRICT 6, WHICH WAS THE BIG ONE, IT WAS UP 10.53.
WE BROUGHT DISTRICT 6 DOWN TO 0.07% SO IT'S JUST ABOUT RIGHT ON THE MONEY, IT'S OFF BY 14 PEOPLE.
DISTRICT 7, WHICH WAS LOW, 10.42%, IT IS NOW LOW, ONLY 2.59%.
DISTRICT 8 WAS AT 1.77 HIGH, NOW IT'S 1.31 AND DISTRICT 9 WAS AT PLUS 4.65% AND NOW IT'S AT 0.56%.
OUR OVERALL RANGE DEVIATION ON THE PROPOSED PLAN, THE LOW IS NUMBER 2 AT 2.71% AND OUR HIGHEST DISTRICT 5, THAT 3.05%, WHICH GIVES US A 5.76% DEVIATION SO WE'RE BACK DOWN BELOW THAT 10% THRESHOLD WITH THE POPULATION.
AS FAR AS A COMPLAINT WITH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, UNDER THE BENCHMARK PLAN, WE HAD MINORITY DISTRICT NUMBER 7, CAME IN AT 55.09% NON-HISPANIC, DOJ BLACK WITH A 52.91% BLACK VOTING AGE POPULATION.
UNDER THIS PLAN COMES IN AT 55.04% NON-HISPANIC BLACK WITH A 53.12% BLACK VOTING AGE POPULATION IN THAT DISTRICT.
STATISTICALLY WE FEEL THAT THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO ELECT A MINORITY CANDIDATE OF CHOICE IN THAT DISTRICT 7.
AGAIN, DISTRICT 7 THE NUMBERS IT WAS 55.09% AND 52.91 UNDER THE BENCHMARK AND UNDER THE PROPOSED IT'S 55.04 AND 53.12.
WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE THIS TO YOU FOR YOU TO SORT OF DIGEST THIS.
I KNOW THESE MAPS ARE REALLY HARD TO READ, ESPECIALLY AT THIS SMALL SCALE SO THERE ARE TWO LARGE ONES THERE FOR YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. [INAUDIBLE]
[01:35:07]
>> THE IDEA WOULD BE TO, SINCE YOU HAVE ELECTIONS COMING UP IN 2024, IT'D BE A PHASED-IN PROCESS, SO THE ONES THAT WILL BE UP IN 2024 WOULD BE UNDER THE NEW PLAN, AND THEN THE OTHERS WOULD CONTINUE TO SERVE OUT THEIR FOUR-YEAR TERMS AND COME IN IN 2026 UNDER THE NEW MAP.
THE SCHOOL BOARD REDISTRICTING IS DIFFERENT THAN COUNTY COUNCIL, CITY COUNCIL, SO Y'ALL ARE BEHOLDING TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE, SO THEY HAVE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY ON WHAT THE MAP LOOKS LIKE AND THAT.
IT GOES THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, AND WITH LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMING UP, WE'VE GOT JANUARY THROUGH ABOUT MID-MAY TO GET THIS DONE, AND SO THEY WERE LOOKING TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT THERE SO THAT IN JANUARY THEY CAN COME IN WITH A BILL AND GET THAT PROCESS ROLLING, AND SO HOPEFULLY IT SHOOTS THROUGH IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS SO WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION BACK.
BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT RUNNING AND CAMPAIGNING, WE'VE ALSO GOT TO GET THIS INFORMATION TO THE VOTER REGISTRATION OFFICE.
THEY'VE GOT TO GET THE VOTERS UPDATED IN THE NEW ELECTION DISTRICTS AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S THERE IN PLACE BEFORE FILING STARTS IN MARCH.
I'M SORRY. IT'D BE AUGUST FOR YOUR NONPARTISAN FILE.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. ROBERTS, MR. BROWN?
>> YES SIR. THIS IS REALLY NOT SO MUCH TO DO WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE, BUT AND I WAS NEW TO RUN IN FOR POLITICS WHEN I RUN THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR ON THE BOARD.
BUT WHAT I REALIZED WAS THAT THE AREA THAT I REPRESENT FOR SCHOOLS, SOME OF THAT POPULATION DID NOT VOTE.
THEY WERE VOTING FOR REPRESENTATIVE IN ANOTHER AREA.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY MAY BE IN THE SCHOOL I REPRESENT, WHICH I UNDERSTAND I REPRESENT THE WHOLE DISTRICT, BUT PARTICULAR SCHOOLS THEY'RE NOT VOTING FOR ME BECAUSE MAYBE WHERE THEY'RE AT AT A POLLING PLACE FOR ANOTHER.
>> YEAH WE DON'T TAKE A LOOK AT SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LINES, AND GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHY WE DON'T DO THAT: IS I HAD ANOTHER COUNTY WHERE WE LOOKED AT SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LINES, DREW THE DISTRICTS SORT OF MIRRORING THE HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LINES, AND IF HIGH SCHOOL A, YOU GOT A BAND BUS, HIGH SCHOOL B WAS GOING TO GET A BAND BUS EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE A BAND.
WE TRY NOT TO LOOK AT SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LINES BUT TO ACTUAL THE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
>> BECAUSE I WAS ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO VOTE FOR YOU, BUT YOU WASN'T ON MY BALLOT, YOU NOW TYPE DEAL.
>> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.
>> OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. SILAS?
>> YEAH. YOU MENTIONED A LARGER MAP, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET A DIGITAL VERSION OR IS THERE A REASON THAT WE COULD ZOOM IN?
>> I COULD DEFINITELY GET YOU A DIGITAL VERSION.
>> YEAH THAT MAKE IT A LOT EASIER? TO BE ABLE TO RELATE.
>> DO YOU HAVE ONE THAT COMPARES THE CURRENT DISTRICT WITH THE PROPOSED DISTRICT?
>> I COULD DO THAT. YEAH, THAT'S NO PROBLEM.
I CAN DO THAT AND SEND A PDF TO MR. BURKE HALTER, AND HE CAN GET THAT TO YOU,.
>> CAN WE GET ONE PRINTED OUT?
>> THE SCREEN IS TOO SMALL FOR ME.
WHAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO DO IS TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN, PERHAPS WITH MR. BIRKHOFF, AND LOOK AT THIS THING IN AN INDIVIDUAL WAY.
THIS IS A LOT OF INFORMATION TO LOOK AT.
IF I JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, MINE DIDN'T CHANGE MUCH AT ALL.
BUT IT CHANGED SOME BECAUSE THE NUMBERS CHANGED AND I JUST PRIMARILY INTERESTED IN WHAT THOSE CHANGES WERE OR WHERE THEY WERE.
>> CERTAINLY. WITH THE GROWTH THAT AIKENS HAD, IT WASN'T AS DRAMATIC AS SOME OF THE DISTRICTS WE'VE SEEN.
I'LL TELL YOU, WE HAD JASPER COUNTY; THEY HAD A SUN CITY DEVELOPMENT COME UP ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF JASPER COUNTY ALONG WITH A MARGARITAVILLE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY.
THAT POPULATION COMING INTO THAT RURAL COUNTY JUST SHOT IT UP IN ONE DISTRICT, WAS ABOUT 2-3 TIMES THE SIZE OF ANOTHER DISTRICT.
YOU DON'T HAVE THAT CHANGE HERE.
YOU JUST GOT SOME TWEAKING ALONG THE EDGES OF SOME OF THE DISTRICTS. [INAUDIBLE]
>> CAN WE EMPLOY MR. BURKE HALTER FOR A DAY TO ALLOW US TO
[01:40:06]
MEET WITH HIM TO GET OUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND SO FORTH? [INAUDIBLE] I COULDN'T HEAR YOU, BILL.[INAUDIBLE] I WAS JUST TRYING TO KEEP YOU FROM HAVING TO DEAL WITH THIS SO MUCH ONE-ON-ONE.
BUT BEING SELFISH SOUNDS LIKE GETTING ON AND SAYS WITH THE DEVIL WITH THE REST OF YOU.
>> MR. BERMAN, YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION?
>> ITS HARD TO TELL FROM HERE NONE OF THE SCHOOLS THAT YOU'RE REPRESENTING NOW, DID ANY OF THEM CHANGE? WAS THERE ANY SCHOOLS ENCOMPASSING ANY CHANGES AS FAR AS THE LOCATION?
>> WE DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT WHERE THE SCHOOLS WERE LOCATED, OR WHAT THEIR ATTENDANCE LINES WERE, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
>> ANY OTHER FINAL QUESTIONS FOR MR. ROGERS? I APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN AND SPEAKING TO US, SIR, AND BEING PATIENT AND WAITING TOWARDS THE END OF OUR AGENDA, AND THE SAME APPRECIATE HAVING YOU HERE, MR. BURKE HALTER.
I THINK OUR FOLLOW-UP IS WITH THE DELEGATION AT SOME POINT, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> YOU'RE RIGHT, EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE COMPLETELY DISTRACTED.
I'M GLAD THERE'S NOT MUCH ELSE ON THE AGENDA.
I'M NOT MAKING FUN OF IT, BUT THE MAPS ARE LIKE THE COLORFUL, SHINY TOY THAT WE'RE GOING BE INTERESTED IN.
BUT WE NEED TO TURN OUR ATTENTION TO OUR LAST INFORMATIONAL ITEM.
I'LL INVITE DR. EDWARDS UP, AND SHE'S GOING TO PRESENT SOME OF OUR DISTRICT DATA.
>> I THOUGHT I MIGHT BE OFF THE HOOK.
[LAUGHTER] [NOISE] GOOD EVENING, MR. NESTLE, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MR. LAWRENCE, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW RIGHT UP FRONT THAT I HAVE CHANGED UP THE PRESENTATION A LITTLE BIT FROM WHAT YOU'VE SEEN IN THE PAST, AND IT COMES FROM MY EXPERIENCES ACROSS THE STATE IN PRESENTING THESE KINDS OF SETS OF DATA.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REQUIRES US TO SHARE REPORT CARD DATA IT'S A REQUIREMENT IT'S A COMPLIANCE ISSUE USUALLY, AND I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL I WAS AT THE PRINCIPAL'S MEETING LAST WEEK.
I REMEMBER BEING A SCHOOL-LEVEL LEADER AND HAVING SO MUCH ANGST OVER THE REPORT CARD.
IF YOU ALL CAN ONLY IMAGINE, SCHOOL LEADERS JUST GO CRAZY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THEY DID OR DID NOT DO CORRECTLY, OR BETTER OR WORSE, OR WHATEVER AND THE UNFORTUNATE THING ABOUT REPORT CARD DATA IS IT REALLY DOES MEASURE A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT WE REALLY DO IN THE SCHOOLS.
WHAT I'VE TRIED TO DO IS TO TURN IT AROUND SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANGST AND THEY USE THE DATA AS A TOOL TO INFORM DECISIONS MOVING FORWARD.
BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU, THERE'S A LOT OF DISAPPOINTMENTS SOMETIMES THEY ARE NOT EXPECTING, SO IN SAYING THAT, I WANT TO START THIS PARTICULAR PRESENTATION WITH THE ICONIC PROFILE OF A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE.
I WAS INVOLVED IN THIS AT THE STATE LEVEL AS ESCAPISM MEMBER, AND WHEN THE EDUCATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CAME IN, AND EVERY GUY TRIED TO AFFIRM THIS THING UP.
THIS IS NOT NEW TO YOU ALL, BUT ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL THINGS THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE RECENTLY IS THEY'VE TAKEN THIS SOUTH CAROLINA PROFILE OF A GRADUATE AND ACTUALLY CREATED COMPETENCIES SO THAT WE CAN REALLY SHARE THOSE, AND THAT IS FORTHCOMING, NOT TONIGHT, BUT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THIS CLOSELY JUST TO GIVE THE PRINCIPALS MORE SUPPORT AND REALLY TO HELP THE KIDS UNDERSTAND WHAT'S EXPECTED OF THEM.
FIRST OF ALL, THESE ARE THE INDICATORS, AND WHAT I HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY TONIGHT IS I'VE PREPARED A SET OF APPENDICES FOR YOU ALL IF YOU WILL TAKE OUT YOUR BLACK REFERENCE NOTEBOOKS IT HAS THAT ON THE FRONT COVER.
WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH THAT JUST SO THAT I CAN MAKE THIS DATA RELEVANT FOR YOU.
I DON'T WANT IT TO BE A COMPLIANCE SITUATION.
I WANT YOU TO SEE JUST HOW IT AFFECTS STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOLS AND
[01:45:03]
ALSO HOW PRINCIPALS CAN USE THIS DATA COLLECTION TO HELP THEM MAKE DECISIONS.LET ME WRITE THIS. THIS IS NOT SHOWING UP. HERE WE GO.
THESE ARE THE INDICATORS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH, AND FIRST OF ALL, THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT INDICATOR THAT WE HAVE HERE, THAT IS THE ONE THAT GIVES PRINCIPALS THE MOST HEARTACHE.
BECAUSE WHEN WE GO IN THESE CLASSROOMS AND WE SEE THESE TEACHERS GIVING EVERYTHING THEY'VE GOT IN ONE GIVEN DAY, OR ONE PERIOD OF TIME, OR A SEASON OF TESTING, OFTENTIMES IT'S DISAPPOINTING THAT THEY DON'T PERFORM.
BUT TO SHARE WITH YOU, THESE ARE THE RATINGS, AND THEY HAVE NOT CHANGED.
THEY'VE BEEN THE SAME RATINGS OVER AND OVER THE YEARS, AND HERE WE ARE THIS IS THE FIRST INDICATOR THAT I'VE REALLY FELT GREAT ABOUT.
WHENEVER WE GOT THIS, WE SEE A NICE TREND IN AIKEN COUNTY THAT WE HAVE MOVED AS YOU CAN SEE, 2022 VERSUS 2023, THE BLUE VERSUS THE GREEN, YOU SEE A TREND.
WE NOW HAVE NO UNSATISFACTORY SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT, AND THE BEAUTY OF THIS IS THE BELOW-AVERAGE SCHOOLS THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR HAVE ALL MOVED UP.
SOME TWO OR THREE CATEGORIES UP, AND WE DO HAVE A NEW SET, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED THIS YEAR, AND YOU'VE GOT A MEMO IN YOUR FOLDER ABOUT THOSE FOUR THAT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE SIX SCHOOLS THAT WERE RATED EXCELLENT ON THE SCHOOL REPORT CARD, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT IT.
PROBABLY BELVEDERE ELEMENTARY WENT UP THREE CATEGORIES TO GO TO EXCELLENT, WHICH WAS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
GLOVERVILLE ELEMENTARY ALSO WENT UP TWO.
OAKWOOD-WINDSOR. AIKEN SCHOLARS SECOND YEAR IN A ROW THERE, EXCELLENT.
NEW ELLENTON MIDDLE AND PAUL KNOX MIDDLE SO HATS OFF TO THOSE PRINCIPLES; THEY DID A GREAT JOB TO GET THOSE SCORES UP.
THE REPORT CARD HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE HAVE.
THESE ARE GREAT HIGHLIGHTS IF THAT I SHARED THESE WITH MARY GLENN, JUST BECAUSE THESE ARE JUST HIGHLIGHTS WHENEVER YOU LOOK AT REPORT CARD INFORMATION ACROSS THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
THESE RATE RIGHT UP THERE WITH BEING SOME OF THE BEST 36.4 INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS, RATED GOOD OR EXCELLENT.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY SCHOOLS RATED UNSATISFACTORY.
35% OF OUR SCHOOLS INCREASED AT LEAST ONE CATEGORY; BELVEDERE, AS I'VE MENTIONED, WENT UP THREE CATEGORIES; GLOVERVILLE, GREENDALE, WARRENVILLE, AND PAUL KNOX JUMPED TWO PROFICIENCY CATEGORIES.
90% OF AIKEN COUNTY SCHOOLS LANDED IN THE AVERAGE GOOD AND EXCELLENT CATEGORIES.
WHAT I'VE PROVIDED FOR YOU IS THE FIRST APPENDIX A.
SAY IF YOU WILL TAKE A LOOK AT APPENDIX A NOW, I'VE GIVEN YOU EXACTLY THE POINT SYSTEM THAT WAS SENT TO US IN A DATA FILE SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE AMOUNT OF POINTS THAT WERE GIVEN UNDER EACH ONE OF THE INDICATORS.
I ALSO PROVIDED FOR YOU BY AREA SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE THEATER PATTERN IN YOUR AREA OF HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL RATINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS LISTED, ALL OF THEM THEN MIDDLE, THEN HIGH, AND THEN, OF COURSE, BY AREAS.
HERE WE ARE I JUST HIGHLIGHTED THESE SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT 38% OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS FALL IN THE CATEGORY OF EXCELLENT OR GOOD, AND 86%, THAT'S 18 OUT OF 21 OF THEM ARE AVERAGE AND ABOVE.
FOR MIDDLE LEVEL, 27% OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS FELL IN THE GOOD OR EXCELLENT CATEGORY, AND 91% OF THEM WERE AVERAGE AND ABOVE AND AS FAR AS HIGH SCHOOL, THIS IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA; 50% OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS WERE CATEGORIZED AS GOOD OR EXCELLENT, AND 100% WERE IN THE AVERAGE AND ABOVE CATEGORIES.
THAT'S A GREAT STARTING POINT MOVING FORWARD; WE'RE USING 2021 AS OUR BASELINE DATA.
IF THIS IS OUR BASELINE, WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE AS FAR AS MOVING UP.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK NOW, I'VE GOT THE INDICATORS SETUP HERE FOR YOU ALL TO TAKE A LOOK AT BY GRADE LEVEL.
THIS PRESENTATION IS A DISTRICT PRESENTATION, BUT IN YOUR APPENDIX C, I ACTUALLY HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN FOR YOU SO THAT YOU CAN SEE,
[01:50:01]
I'M SORRY, THAT'S B I APOLOGIZE.APPENDIX B HAS THE PERFORMANCE FOR YOU BY SCHOOL LEVEL AND ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS, AND I USE THIS WITH PRINCIPALS.
THIS IS A SELLING POINT TO REALLY USE THIS DATA AS A GUIDE TO MAKE PLANS FOR FUTURE INSTRUCTION, AND THAT IS, I'VE GIVEN YOU EXACT NUMBERS HERE.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR DATA IN THE APPENDIX, YOU'LL SAY THE EXACT NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO MET OR EXCEEDED, AND ALSO THE EXACT NUMBERS OF STUDENTS WHO DID NOT MEET.
THAT'S SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE SIZES OF OUR SCHOOL OFTENTIMES, WHENEVER WE PRESENT IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS, WE HAVE 28%.
28%; IN REALITY, THAT MAY BE ONLY EIGHT KIDS THAT DIDN'T MEET, SO IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE REAL NUMBERS THAT ARE INVOLVED.
IN THESE PARTICULAR SLIDES, I'VE GOT AIKEN COMPARED WITH OUR STATE BECAUSE, UNFORTUNATELY, THEY COMPARE US TO THE STATE THAT'S HOW WHENEVER THEY PUSH THE DATA OUT, WE'RE ALWAYS COMPARED TO THE STATE.
WE'VE GOT 3,4, AND 5, AND AGAIN, THIS IS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
HERE 6,7, AND 8 FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT FOR ELA AND MATH.
THE ONLY ONE THAT REALLY CAME CLOSE TO COMPARING WITH THE STATE IS ELA, SEVENTH GRADE.
WE'VE GOT SOME WORK TO DO ON THIS.
WE KNOW THAT, AND WE'RE PREPARED, AS YOU WILL SEE WHENEVER WE GO OVER THE GOALS AND PLANS AT THE END.
FOR EOC, FOR HIGH SCHOOL, EOC MEASURES ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALGEBRA 1 AND ENGLISH 2, SO I COMPARE THIS TO THE STATE, AND I APOLOGIZE, I ACCIDENTALLY FLIPPED SOUTH CAROLINA WITH AIKEN AIKEN WAS ON TOP AND THE OTHER ONES.
I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE YOU, BUT HERE'S THE ALGEBRA 1, ENGLISH 2.
WE HAVE C OR HIGHER IN THE PASS RATE FOR THESE, AND THIS ALL FALLS UNDER ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
SOME FOLKS GET CONFUSED AND THINK THAT ALL CONTENT AREAS FALL UNDER ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
BUT PREPARING FOR SUCCESS ACTUALLY COVERS OUR SCIENCES AND OUR US HISTORY.
IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, WE HAVE GRADES 4 AND 6, ARE THE ONLY TWO GRADES THAT TEST THAT COME UP ON OUR ACCOUNTABILITY MODEL.
WE HAVE GRADE 4 AND 6 HERE AND THEN PREPARING FOR SUCCESS FOR BIOLOGY, THE END-OF-COURSE EXAM.
WE HAVE THE RESULTS FROM THIS YEAR'S HERE, AND THEN US HISTORY IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE PREPARING FOR SUCCESS.
THIS INDICATOR, THE SCHOOL CLIMATE INDICATOR, IS ANOTHER BIGGIE FOR OUR DISTRICT.
THIS IS AN AVERAGE OF WHERE WE FALL IN THE DISTRICT, AND WE RATE VERY CLOSELY WITH THE STATE AS YOU CAN SEE.
ANOTHER INDICATOR, MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS.
BY THE WAY THAT'S THE ENGLISH LEARNERS FROM BEFORE THEY REWORDED OR RENAMED THIS PARTICULAR INDICATOR FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS.
AIKEN COUNTY DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB WITH THIS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
DR. HARDY GOES OUT OF HER WAY TO BE SURE THAT ALL SCHOOLS HAVE THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED AND WE REALLY SHINE IN THIS RESPECT.
AGAIN, AIKEN COUNTY WE KNOW WHERE WE STAND, WE'RE SHINING AS FAR AS OUR GRADUATION RATE.
THE INDICATOR FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS.
IF YOU GO BACK TO THE PROFILE OF A GRADUATE, WE REALLY NAIL THIS.
YOU CAN TELL BY THE COLLEGE AND CAREER READY HERE, OR COLLEGE OR CAREER READY HERE, WE'RE REALLY OUTSHINING THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING WHEN IT COMES TO OUR COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS INDICATORS, VERY PROUD OF THIS.
AN ACTION PLAN MOVING FORWARD, WE TAKE ALL OF THIS DATA AND WE SAY, SO WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH IT? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE, THE PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOLS ACROSS AIKEN COUNTY, IF YOU ASK THEM WHAT THEIR FOCUS IS, AND I CHALLENGE YOU TO DO THAT, ASK THEM, WHAT IS YOUR FOCUS THIS YEAR AROUND INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES? THEY WILL TELL YOU ACTIVE LEARNING.
WE PUT IN PLACE THE ELEOT TOOL TO BE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THESE KIDS ENGAGED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW BLOCK SCHEDULE THAT WE HAD, THAT WAS A BIGGIE FOR US.
WE REALLY NEEDED TO BE SURE THAT THE KIDS WERE ACTIVELY ENGAGED.
I HATE FOR THIS TO EVEN COME OUT OF MY MOUTH BECAUSE I DO NOT EVER WANT TO USE THE PANDEMIC AS AN EXCUSE, BUT IT DID MAKE IT DIFFERENT IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO WE'RE HAVING TO GO BACK AND REALLY FOCUS ON DIRECT INSTRUCTION, FACE-TO-FACE TEACHING INSTEAD OF DEPENDING SO MUCH ON TECHNOLOGY.
[01:55:05]
AN ACTION PLAN THAT WILL ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO GROW, PROVIDE ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND WE'RE DOING THAT WITH OUR CONCEPTUAL MATH AND ALSO WITH BALANCED LITERACY, PUTTING INTO PLACE THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVELS.BUILDING PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND LEADERSHIP CAPACITY.
STRIVE FOR "NO EXCUSE" TEACHING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.
WELL, THAT'S THE EFFECTIVE LEARNING TOOL THAT MR. DUGAR TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TODAY.
WE FOUND OUT THAT, JUST THROUGH OUR SELF-STUDY THAT THAT WAS A NEED IN AIKEN COUNTY.
SO WE WERE, I THINK, VERY PROACTIVE IN DECIDING TO DO THAT OURSELVES.
THE PRINCIPALS HAVE BEEN RECEPTIVE, THE TEACHERS ARE ENJOYING IT A LITTLE BETTER JUST BECAUSE THEY GET COACHING.
INSTEAD OF USING A TOOL THAT WOULD BE MORE PUNITIVE, WE'RE ABLE TO COACH THEM AND GROW THEM AS BETTER INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS.
ALSO, WE'RE GOING TO UTILIZE DATA CONSISTENTLY.
IN THE BACK OF YOUR FOLDER, YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT, THAT MS. ELLEN HAS CREATED, AND IT IS IN THE BACK SLEEVE.
IT IS ACTUALLY A GOAL SHEET FOR EACH STUDENT, ALMOST LIKE, IT'S A DATA SHEET.
WHAT IT DOES IS, SHE IS ABLE TO PULL ALL OF THE INFORMATION FROM POWERSCHOOL AND PROVIDE THOSE TO THE PRINCIPALS SO THAT WHEN THE PRINCIPALS HAVE THOSE MEETINGS, THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT EACH CHILD IN THE BUILDING NEEDS.
THEY KNOW WHERE THEY STAND, THEY KNOW WHAT INTERVENTIONS THEY NEED.
MOVING FORWARD, I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE.
IN FACT, I HAD A COUPLE OF COMPLIMENTS TODAY FROM PRINCIPALS, WHERE MS. ELLEN IS GOING AROUND AND HAVING THESE DATA MEETINGS WITH THE PRINCIPALS.
THEY'RE SO EXCITED BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE FEELING MORE COMFORTABLE ABOUT USING THE DATA.
WE'RE GOING TO BE DEVELOPING PERSONALIZED PLANS FOR STUDENT GROWTH, THAT'S THE GOAL SHEET.
EXECUTING AND MONITORING ALL THE PLANS THAT ARE PUT IN PLACE.
OUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS DO A GREAT JOB WITH MONITORING THROUGH QUARTERLY MONITORING.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE COVERED IN THOSE QUARTERLY MONITORING VISITS.
I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE IN GETTING BETTER AT DETERMINING THEIR NEEDS, AND USING DATA REALLY TO GO IN AND GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED IN THE CLASSROOM, TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS.
LASTLY, PROVIDE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK FOR LEADERSHIP AND INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING.
SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE IN PLACE CURRENTLY.
I KNOW YOU PROBABLY HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AND I KNOW YOU ALL PROBABLY LOOKING AT THE MAP STILL WHILE I'M GOING OVER THIS.
[LAUGHTER] BUT THERE'S A LOT, THERE'S SO MUCH.
IF I COULD TAKE ONE THING AWAY FROM THIS IT WOULD BE EXACT NUMBERS.
I LIKE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WHENEVER WE NEED TO MAKE GAINS OR WE NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY KIDS AREN'T MASTERING LEARNING, I LIKE THE NUMBERS.
I HOPE THAT YOU CAN TAKE THAT AWAY AND JUST SEE WHAT YOUR AREA REALLY LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF THE NEEDS FOR KIDS NOT MEETING STANDARDS. ANY QUESTIONS?
>> QUICK QUESTION, DR. EDWARDS.
FIRST OF ALL KUDOS TO BELVEDERE ELEMENTARY, BUT CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME AN IDEA, I KNOW, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I DON'T THINK THE ADMINISTRATOR HAS CHANGED, WHAT DID THEY DO DIFFERENTLY? WHAT ABOUT THEIR MODEL HAS ALLOWED THEM TO JUMP THREE EFFICIENCY CATEGORIES?
>> I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER, BUT WHEN MISS ALLYSON LONG CAME TO PRESENT, I KNOW THAT NOT ONE SINGLE ONE OF YOU ALL FORGOT HER ENERGY.
SHE IS ON TOP OF EVERYTHING, AND I THINK THAT SHE JUST EMBRACES ANYTHING THAT SHE NEEDS.
I KNOW THAT SHE HAS A NICE BALANCED LITERACY SYSTEM GOING ON IN HER BUILDING, SHE'S FOCUSING ON PHONICS MORE AT THE YOUNGER GRADES AND SHE USES DATA.
FIRST OF ALL, SHE BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS, WE KNOW THAT THAT HAPPENS, BUT HER STAFF TRUST HER BECAUSE SHE WILL NOT GIVE UP.
SHE'S BOUND AND DETERMINED THAT SHE'S GOING TO WIN, AND SHE DID.
SHE SHOWED US ALL THAT, SHE WAS COMMITTED TO IT AND SHE REALLY PUT FORTH THE EFFORT NEEDED.
BUT THE ENERGY, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY IF SHE DID ANYTHING, ALL I KNOW IS SHE'S ON FIRE RIGHT NOW, AND SHE WANTS TO BE EXCELLENT NEXT YEAR, AND SHE DOES A GREAT JOB.
>> I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE WAS SOMETHING IN PARTICULAR ABOUT THAT MODEL OR WHATEVER SHE'S DOING THAT CAN BE SHARED WITH OTHER SCHOOLS.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IT GOES BACK TO LEADERS.
WHEN SOMEBODY IS DRIVEN LIKE SHE IS, I THINK IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP AND HER WILLINGNESS TO TAKE CRITICISM AND TO GROW FROM IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ONE PARTICULAR THING.
[02:00:01]
I THINK IT'S A BUNCH OF THINGS. YES, MA'AM.UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY DO RIGHT AND TRYING TO DISSEMINATE THAT TO THESE OTHER SCHOOLS.
UNDERSTANDING EVERY SCHOOL IS DIFFERENT AND HAS A DIFFERENT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES OR WHATNOT.
BUT I THINK THAT'D BE A, POTENTIALLY A BENEFICIAL THING.
WHAT'S DR. EDWARDS, "NO EXCUSE" TEACHING?
>> SO THAT'S FROM THE BOOK OF AMY EDWARDS REALLY.
MY GOAL IN THIS WORK IS REALLY TO GIVE LEADERS EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL, SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WHEN WE ASK THEM, OKAY, WHAT HAPPENED? THERE'S NO EXCUSE.
AIKEN COUNTY IS SO RICH IN RESOURCES.
WE HAVE ANYTHING THEY NEED EXCEPT BUS DRIVERS MAYBE, BUT, [LAUGHTER] SPEAKING FROM THE INSTRUCTIONAL PIECE, THERE IS NOT ONE THING THAT OUR TEACHERS NEED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE.
SO JUST GETTING THAT MINDSET, NOT SETTLING.
YOU NEED IT? LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU NEED SO WE CAN COME IN AND GIVE IT TO YOU.
ANYWHERE FROM INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS TO REALLY PEOPLE SUPPORT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE PUT INTO PLACE IS, OUR PRINCIPALS HAVE A LIFT PARTNER.
THAT'S JUST A PARTNER, LIKE A MENTOR, AND THE BEAUTY OF THIS RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY'RE BUILDING THIS YEAR AND THEY DID IT LAST YEAR AS WELL, IS THEY'RE BEING MORE OPEN ABOUT THINGS THEY NEED.
WE'RE GOING TO VISIT SCHOOLS AROUND OUR DISTRICT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
EVERYBODY IS DYING TO KNOW WHAT ALLYSON LONG'S DOING AT BELVEDERE, AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY'RE ASKING AND SHE'S SHARING.
IF WE CAN KEEP THAT FIRE GOING, I THINK WE'LL SEE MORE EXCELLENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, AND REALLY ALL LEVELS SCHOOLS.
ON THESE REPORT CARDS, YOU'VE GOT SOME AREAS THAT ARE BLANK.
>> CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IT MEANS?
>> ON THE REPORT CARD SHEET WHEN THEY TALLY UP, THAT MEANS THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STUDENTS TO MAKE A SUBGROUP.
SO IF YOU HAVE LESS THAN 20 MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, YOU DON'T GET ANY POINTS FOR THAT.
IT GETS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING, YOUR DENOMINATOR CHANGES TO 90.
YOU HAVE 100 POSSIBLE POINTS IF YOU HAVE ALL OF THE INDICATORS AVAILABLE.
BUT IF YOU'RE MISSING THAT PARTICULAR INDICATOR, YOUR DENOMINATOR CHANGES TO 90.
YOU ONLY CAN HAVE 90 POSSIBLE POINTS.
>> BY EL PROGRESS THAT I SEE SEVERAL OF THEM ARE BLANK.
>> THEY DON'T HAVE 20 EL STUDENTS OR ML STUDENTS.
NOW, I APOLOGIZE, I DID NOT CHANGE THAT EL TO ML.
>> SAY A BLANK FOR PREPARING FOR SUCCESS.
THE PREPARING FOR SUCCESS, THEY SHOULD NOT.
IS THERE A BLANK ON THERE? I'LL HAVE TO JUST DOUBLE-CHECK.
>> WELL, I KNOW TWO OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS HAD BLANKS THERE.
>> THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, IF THEY HAVE BLANKS, THEY DON'T HAVE A SIXTH GRADE.
KENNEDY ONLY HAS 7.8, SO THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN SCIENCE WHICH IS PREPARING FOR SIX CLASS.
>> SANDY WAS BORN [INAUDIBLE].
>> THEN THE LAST QUESTION I GOT IS, CAN YOU EXPLAIN GROWTH, HOW THIS.
>> IT'S A FORMULA AND IT MAKES AS MUCH SENSE AS THE FORMULAS THEY USE TO CREATE THESE MAPS, THE FORMULAS THAT THEY USE AND I'LL BE HONEST, I HAVE RIGHT NOW ON MY EMAIL TO SEND YOU ALL THE ACCOUNTABILITY MANUAL FROM '22, '23, AND THE CHANGES THEY MAKE IN THE WHOLE, THAT HERE WE'RE RIDICULOUS, LIKE WE THINK WE KNOW THE FORMULA FOR GROWTH, BUT THEN IT CHANGES UP A LITTLE BIT.
THE SLIDE THAT I SHARED WITH YOU ABOUT THE INDICATORS, EACH ONE OF THOSE INDICATORS GET SO MANY POINTS.
>> JUST GOT TO BE LAYMAN TO ME FOR WHAT GROWTH COMES FROM.
WHY I SAY THAT IS I NOTICED THERE'S SOME REALLY HIGH GROWTH NUMBERS THAT PROPEL SOME SCHOOLS AND THEN THERE'S SOME REALLY LOW GROWTH NUMBERS.
>> YOU KNOW THAT THEY BOUGHT THEM BACK.
I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, YOU MIGHT SEE A SCHOOL DOES NOT JUST HOLLYWOOD THAT THEY RANK HIGHER BECAUSE OF OTHER FACTS.
>> THAT'S CORRECT. FOR INSTANCE, WE HAD A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT THAT HAD EXCELLENT ON THE CULTURE AND CLIMATE SURVEY AND THAT CARRY THEM TO THE NEXT LEVEL SOMETIMES.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW YOU USE THOSE POINTS.
THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IS JUST FROM ONE TEST.
WHENEVER WE LOOK AT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, FOR INSTANCE, FOR ELEMENTARY, WE'RE LOOKING AT S2 READY SCORES.
[02:05:03]
IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW MANY EACH SCORE.FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU MADE OR IF YOU EXCEED, YOU GET FOUR POINTS TOWARD IT, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUAL STUDENT SCORES.
IT ALL TALLIES UP TO THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
>> I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE REALLY GOOD PRESENTATION.
IT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND SOMETHING I'D NEVER UNDERSTAND IF YOU HADN'T DONE THAT.
THE OTHER THING I WANT TO SAY, I THINK FROM A BOARD MEMBER, I WANT EVERY FACULTY MEMBER, EVERY PRINCIPAL, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, TEACHER TO UNDERSTAND YOUR SLIDE ON THE HIGHLIGHTS WAS AMAZING IN THE SENSE THAT OVERALL AIKEN COUNTY WE'RE IN VERY GOOD SHAPE AND THEY SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF THEIR EFFORT TO GET US THERE AND WHAT THEY DO FOR THEIR STUDENTS.
I DID WANT TO SHARE BECAUSE I'VE MET WITH MS. LONG A FEW TIMES WHEN I'VE GONE AND TOURED BELVEDERE, I THINK THE ONE THING THAT JUMPS OUT AT ME WITH HER, AND IT'S NOT DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHER PRINCIPALS NECESSARILY, BUT IT CERTAINLY STANDS OUT, AND THAT IS, NOT ONLY IS OUR ENERGY LEVEL HIGH, BUT SHE'S EXTREMELY APPROACHABLE BY EVERY STAKEHOLDER I'VE SEEN, WHETHER THAT BE CHILDREN, TEACHERS, BOARD MEMBERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PARENTS.
I SEE HER AS BEING HIGHLY APPROACHABLE. THAT'S ALL
>> WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT. I WILL PASS THAT ONTO HER, THAT I'LL MAKE HER VERY HAPPY.
>> EVERY TIME I HEAR ONE OF THESE PRESENTATIONS, I JUST FEEL LIKE I'M BEING ENGULFED IN SMOKE.
I REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW GOOD WE'RE DOING.
IN YEARS PAST, WE HAD DATA EVERY YEAR THAT TOLD ME WHERE WE WERE IN RELATION TO EVERYBODY IN THE UNITED STATES.
I KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN RELATION TO GEORGIA AND NORTH CAROLINA ANYWHERE ELSE. IT'S THAT IMPORTANT.
WELL, WE USED TO HAVE A SAYING IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THANK GOD FOR MISSISSIPPI, BECAUSE WE WERE NEXT TO LAST IN EVERYTHING TO DO WITH EDUCATION.
HOW DO I KNOW THAT? THAT'S STILL NOT.
WE ARE NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS THE STATE.
THAT'S NEXT TO LAST IN THE UNITED STATES. YOU SEE MY POINT? I'M NOT BEING CRITICAL BECAUSE I DON T KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN.
WE USED TO GET REPORTS BACK FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT ABOUT HOW MANY DISTRICTS DID BETTER AND HOW MANY DISTRICTS DID WORST THAN AIKEN COUNTY.
WE USUALLY FINISHED IN THE TOP 10 DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.
BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT AVERAGES NOW AND WHAT THE AVERAGE APPEARS TO ME, THAT WE'RE NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS THE AVERAGE DISTRICT OR THE AVERAGE STUDENT, OR AVERAGE OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING NEARLY AS GOOD AS WE SHOULD BE DOING.
>> I KNOW YOU DO. WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE, BUT THIS PUBLICIZING IT NOW.
IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN SOMEHOW GET MEASURES THAT TELL US WHERE WE ARE IN READING AND WRITING AND ARITHMETIC, MAYOR ANNA BROAD, COMPARISON WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, NOT JUST WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST LIKE US.
THAT'S IMPORTANT. I'D REALLY BE DISTURBED IF WE CAME IN HERE AND WE WEREN'T AT LEAST CLOSE TO THE AVERAGE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
BUT I'D FEEL A LOT HAPPIER IF I KNEW WE WERE ABOUT AS GOOD AS GEORGIA AND BAD AS GOOD AS NORTH CAROLINA, EVEN IF NOT CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FEEL VERY THANKFUL FOR IN AIKEN COUNTY IN SOUTH CAROLINA, BY THE WAY, BACKING UP THE HOW DO WE KNOW? WE DON'T KNOW AND THAT MAY BE BAD DESIGN.
WE'RE FEDERALLY REQUIRED TO TAKE A TEST, WHICH BY THE WAY, WE DESIGN IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
BUT IN AIKEN COUNTY WE DO HAVE MAP TEST, WHICH ARE NORM REFERENCE TEST, WHICH TELL US WHERE OUR STUDENTS FALL AS FAR AS NATIONAL PERCENTILES.
WE USE THAT BY THE WAY, DR. BRADLEY, FOR FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT SO THAT WE CAN SEE NOW, DO WE KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY LINE UP WITH OUR STATE TESTS? NO, WE DON T KNOW THAT.
BUT WE USE THOSE BECAUSE WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE
[02:10:02]
OUR KIDS STAND AS FAR AS ON GRADE LEVEL FOR MASTERY, AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.>> WE JUST BEEN THIS SEISMIC SHIFT FROM NORM-REFERENCE TEST TO CRITERION REFERENCE TEST, AND BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EVEN WITH SOME OF THESE NATIONAL NORM TEST ARE STILL CRITERION REFERENCE TEST.
I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF POLITICS IN THIS.
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THIS CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF POLITICAL PRESSURES AND THE VOUCHER STUFF AND ALL THAT.
IT WAS A WAY OF TRYING TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH THE PRESSURES THAT THE PARTITION FOR PUTTING ON SCHOOL DISTRICT.
BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES, AND SEE WHERE WE ARE.
I MEAN WE CAN MAKE A BALL CANS OF CRITERIONS, AND SAY THAT WE'RE GOOD BECAUSE WHEN YOU MEET THESE CRITERIA, WE CAN BASICALLY SAY, WE'RE GOING TO BE GREAT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT EVERY CHILD WHO'S TALLER THAN THREE FOOT.
WE'RE GOING TO COME OUT PRETTY GOOD, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING.
REALLY IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR GOAL IS, I MEAN OUR PURPOSE IS TO TEACH CHILDREN BASICALLY TO DO THE THINGS ON YOUR FIRST PAGE THERE.
>> THE BEAUTY OF ALL OF THIS IS WHENEVER WE PRESENT THIS DATA IS, WHENEVER WE TALK TO OUR PRINCIPLES.
THEY KNOW WE'RE NOT AVERAGE, WHICH IS THE FIRST STEP.
THEY KNOW WE ARE MUCH BETTER THAN AVERAGE, SO WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
I FEEL LIKE WE DO AND I THINK THINGS ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
>> SO SHE SAID IT BETTER THAN I DID.
I MEAN, I THINK WE SHOULD BE BETTER THAN AVERAGE.
I THINK GIVEN THE POPULATION OF PEOPLE WE SERVE BECAUSE IT'S CHANGED.
IT'S CHANGED A LOT AND WE'VE LOST A LOT ABOUT SMART KIDS TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND ALL THAT.
BUT I THINK OUR DISCLOSURE SHOWED THAT WE USED TO BE BETTER THAN WE ARE NOW.
I KNOW COVID WAS DEVASTATING TO MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BUT THOSE EFFECTS SHOULD BE.
WHEN WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO SOUTH CAROLINA AND EVERYBODY HAD THAT PROBLEM, AND WE HAVEN'T MADE IT, EASY FOR OURSELVES EITHER BECAUSE WE KEEP CHANGING EVERYTHING WE DOING, AND WE DON'T GIVE PEOPLE TIME TO RECOVER AND CONCENTRATE AND FOCUS ON DOING IT ONE WAY.
BUT ANYWAY, IF WE COULD LOOK TOWARDS COMING UP WITH SOME MEASURES THAT GIVE US A BROADER PICTURE THAN THE ONES THAT WE'RE USING, I KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT FROM THE STATE.
BUT IF WE COULD COME UP WITH SOME, WE COULD IMPLEMENT ON A LOCAL LEVEL.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE GETTING A MUCH BETTER PICTURE OF WHERE OUR STUDENTS ARE AND HOW GOOD A JOB THAT YOU'RE DOING.
>> AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THOSE MATH DETAILS WITH YOU AS WELL. ANY OF YOU?
>> THANK YOU. VERY GOOD PRESENTATION.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I'M SORRY. WE PROBABLY WERE JUST PAUSE IT IN YOUR PRESENTATION WHERE WE.
>> WELL, GUESS WHAT? YOU'RE SO FAMILIAR [OVERLAPPING].
>> WE'RE ON FIRE. WE WERE ON FIRING, SOME QUESTIONS AND LIKE, SHE WASN'T DONE.
SO IT CAN'T BE THE END-ALL, BE-ALL.
BUT LOTS OF TIMES IN THIS DISTRICT, WE'D LIKE TO SHOW SOME TYPE OF COMPARISON TO OTHER DISTRICTS OF OUR SIZE WITHIN THE STATE WHEN WE'RE COMPARING AND I WOULDN'T, AS SOME IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK, I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO SEE SOME OF THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT MEASURES COMPARING US TO THE OTHER DISTRICTS OF OUR SIZE.
>>> OF COURSE, AND I WAS TELLING MR. LAWRENCE EARLIER THAT MY HISTORY IS IN BERKELEY COUNTY, SO I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE LARGER.
BUT AS FAR AS DEMOGRAPHICS, IT'S VERY SIMILAR AND OUR DATA IS VERY SIMILAR TO IT.
SO WE BEAT THEM ON A COUPLE OF PLACES AND I WAS EXCITED ABOUT AND THEN I WASN'T REAL HAPPY BECAUSE THEY BEAT US IN SOME PLACES.
I WANTED TO BE BETTER, SO I CAN CERTAINLY BRING THAT TO YOU ALL.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DR. EDWARDS? THANK YOU, MA'AM.
ALL RIGHT. THAT BRINGS US TO WE HAVE NO INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER ITEMS THIS EVENING.
BRINGS US TO OUR SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE, MR. LAWRENCE.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD JUST VERY BRIEFLY.
[02:15:03]
JUST WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION A COUPLE OF RECOGNITIONS THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS RECEIVED.ONE IS FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.
WE'VE ENJOYED A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH A USA FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, FIVE YEARS IN FACT, AND THEY HAVE JUST SENT US THIS RECOGNIZING US FOR FIVE-YEARS OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM AND I'M SURE THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE.
THEY PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR MILITARY FAMILIES AND WE WORKED WITH THEM WITH OUR MILITARY FAMILIES, AND ALSO WITH THE TRANSITION FROM SO MANY PEOPLE COMING IN WHO ARE MILITARY CONNECTED INTO THE CANARY RICHMOND COUNTY AREA, IN COLUMBIA COUNTY AREA.
A USAID HAS A LOT TO SUPPORT THEM AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP THEM WITH THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE A RECOGNITION THAT WE RECEIVED SOUTH CAROLINA VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION ASSOCIATION, PRESENTED US THE BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP AWARD FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT TOO.
SO FOR THE WHOLE SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN SOUTH CAROLINA, I CAN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT IN RECOGNITION OF ITS OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND ITS ADVOCACY FOR VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION.
I CONGRATULATE DR. MURPHY AND HIS TEAM AND SO MANY OTHERS, OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, AND GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO WORK VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND IN THE EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT AND I THINK OUR FOLKS FOR DOING THAT. THANK YOU MR. CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, MR. LAWRENCE. WE DO NEED AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THIS EVENING.
FOR ONE ITEM. WE NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING MATTER.
IN SUCH ORDERS THE BOARD DEEMS APPROPRIATE.
THERE IS AN EMPLOYEE MATTER RECLASSIFYING A POSITION SALARY SCHEDULE.
FOLLOWING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE IN REGULAR SESSION TO ANNOUNCE THE MATTERS CONSIDERED IN TO TAKING THE ACTIONS AS MAY BE NECESSARY.
IS THERE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THIS PURPOSE? AS MAYBE NECESSARY REINHARDT JACKSON, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY DR. HANKS AND DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR FOR ENTERING EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THIS PURPOSE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AS EIGHT IN FAVOR AND MOTION CARRIES.
WE'LL TAKE A FIVE OR 10-MINUTE BREAK AND GET STARTED ON THIS ITEM IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. THANK YOU.
[03:05:11]
[03:05:16]
WE NEED A MOTION TO EXECUTIVE SESSION MOVE INTO REGULAR SESSION.[03:05:23]
[03:05:24]
>> MOTION MADE BY DR. BRADLEY,
[03:05:26]
SECOND BY MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON.[03:05:28]
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?[03:05:29]
EXCUSE ME, ANY DISCUSSION?[03:05:31]
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ENTERING REGULAR SESSION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.[03:05:34]
THAT SAID IN FAVOR OF MOTION CARRIES WHEN WE ARE IN REGULAR SESSION.[03:05:37]
WHILE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE HAD ONE EMPLOYEE MATTER TO DISCUSS AND THAT WAS RECLASSIFYING OF POSITIONS ON THE SALARY SCHEDULE.IS THERE A MOTION IN REFERENCE TO THIS?
>> I MOVE THAT WE FOLLOWED THE ADMINISTRATIVE RECOMMENDATION ON EMPLOYEE 1 AND 2.
>> DR. BRADLEY HAS MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION OF RECLASSIFYING POSITIONS NUMBER 1 AND NUMBER 2, THAT WAS ON THE PROPOSAL.
ANY DISCUSSION. EXCUSE ME, IS THERE A SECOND? MOTION SECONDED BY MR. SILAS? ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE RECLASSIFYING OF POSITIONS NUMBER 1 AND 2 LISTED IN THE PROPOSAL. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S TWO IN FAVOR. ALL THOSE OPPOSED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S SIX AGAINST, MOTION FAILS 2-6.
IS THERE A DIFFERENT MOTION IN REGARDS TO THAT, MR. MOULTON?
>> I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE SALARY ADJUSTMENT FOR POSITION 1.
>> THERE'S A MOTION BY MR. MOULTON SECONDED BY MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION FOR RECLASSIFYING THE POSITION NUMBER 1 ON THE PROPOSAL.
ANY DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALL THOSE AGAINST. THAT'S ONE AGAINST THE MOTION CARRIES 7-1.
POSITION NUMBER 1 IS APPROVED TO BE RECLASSIFIED.
>> MOVED BY DR. BRADLEY, SECONDED BY MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON, ANY DISCUSSION ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR. WE STAND ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.