May 27, 2025 052725 AIKEN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING (trimmed)

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OKAY. IT IS 6:00, SO WE WILL CALL THE MAY 27TH MEETING OF THE AIKEN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ORDER.

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AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

OKAY, SO THE PUBLIC WAS DULY NOTIFIED OF THIS MEETING IN ADVANCE.

AND THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING WAS CIRCULATED BOTH TO THE PUBLIC AND TO THE BOARD.

AND I DID NOT I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY REQUESTS FOR CHANGES.

SO IF I DON'T HEAR ANY OBJECTIONS, WE'LL CONSIDER THE AGENDA APPROVED.

HEARING NONE. THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING IS APPROVED.

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR MEETING OF MAY 13TH.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES? MOTION MADE BY MR. LINDELL. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY DOCTOR BRADLEY.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY 13TH MEETING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

THAT'S SEVEN IN FAVOR. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ANYONE ABSTAINING? THAT'S ONE. THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED SEVEN TO 0 TO 1.

OKAY. WITH THAT DONE, WE'LL GO TO OUR SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS PORTION OF THE MEETING.

AND I WILL TURN IT OVER. I ASSUME TO MISS PICCOLINO.

GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN NESSEL. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE BOARD, DOCTOR MURPHY, WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE WITH US TONIGHT SEVERAL MEMBERS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION PARTNERS BOARD, INCLUDING NANCY MARX, BOARD PRESIDENT CHIP REDSON, TREASURER JOHN HUTCHINS, GRANTS REVIEW COMMITTEE CHAIR, AS WELL AS GAIL GULICK AND RISHIKA BUSH.

I'D LIKE TO INVITE JOHN TO THE PODIUM TO ANNOUNCE THE NAMES OF PEP SPRING TEACHER GRANT RECIPIENTS.

JOHN, IF YOU'D PLEASE COME FORWARD.

GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT MURPHY AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS JOHN HUTCHINS. I SERVE AS THE GRANT COMMITTEE CHAIR FOR THE PUBLIC EDUCATION PARTNERS OF AIKEN COUNTY.

THROUGH THE AWARD OF THE CLASSROOM INNOVATION GRANT.

PEP HOPES TO PROVIDE RESOURCES THAT WILL HAVE THE MAXIMUM IMPACT FOR STUDENTS.

OUR GOAL IS TO SUPPORT TEACHERS BY MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR ABILITY TO BE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE, IN DEVELOPING METHODOLOGIES AND STRATEGIES TO ENGAGE STUDENTS AND ENHANCE THEIR LEARNING IN MEASURABLE WAYS.

ON BEHALF OF THE PEP BOARD MEMBERS AND OUR OTHER GENEROUS DONORS, IT'S MY HONOR THIS EVENING TO RECOGNIZE THE TEACHERS THAT HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE CLASSROOM INNOVATION GRANT FOR THIS SPRING, 2025. PLEASE STAND AS I CALL YOUR NAME.

APRIL KOONTZ FROM NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL. ARETHA TARVER, CHUKKA CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

BRANDY T HARLEY. REDCLIFF ELEMENTARY. CHRISTY MCWATTERS.

EAST AIKEN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS. CHRISTINE WALCOTT, NEW ELLENTON MIDDLE STEAM MAGNET SCHOOL.

DEBBIE WILLIAMS, GREENDALE ELEMENTARY. DOCTOR PATRICIA SAXTON, NEW ELLENTON MIDDLE STEAM MAGNET SCHOOL.

EMILY LOZIER. NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL. JENNIFER MCMILLEN.

JACKSON STEM MAGNET MIDDLE SCHOOL. TAYLOR LITTLE, AIKEN ELEMENTARY AND VALERIE MCGEHEE.

JACKSON STEM MAGNET MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO I INVITE YOU TO COME FORWARD FOR A PHOTO AS WE PRESENT THIS CHECK.

YES, SIR. DOCTOR MURPHY, I'D LIKE TO GET A PHOTOGRAPH WITH JOHN AND PEPS BOARD WITH OUR TEACHER AWARDEES.

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YOU START WITH JUST THEM. CAN WE DO THAT? YES, SIR.

OKAY, I'M GOING TO TRY AND FIT EVERYBODY IN.

Y'ALL DON'T BOARD MEMBERS DON'T GO ANYWHERE YET.

ONLY BOARD MEMBERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, PUBLIC EDUCATION PARTNERS, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TEACHERS.

ALL RIGHT. THIS SPRING, NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL MADE HISTORY WITH BOTH ITS GIRLS AND BOYS BASKETBALL TEAMS COMPETING IN THE STATE FINALS. FOLLOWING ANOTHER WINNING SEASON, THE JACKETS WON THEIR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE REGION CHAMPIONSHIP AND OUTSCORED WILSON TO CLINCH THE PROGRAM'S FIRST EVER FOUR A LOWER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AND THEIR CHANCE TO PLAY FOR THE STATE TITLE. DESPITE THE JACKETS INCREDIBLE FIGHT IN THEIR FIRST STATE FINAL APPEARANCE, THE NUMBER ONE RANKED LANCASTER BRUINS DEFEATED NORTH AUGUSTA'S BOYS TEAM FOR THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH A FINAL SCORE OF 69 TO 55. WITH A RECORD OF 26 AND TWO THIS SEASON, AND AS A REGION FOUR A AND LOWER STATE CHAMPIONS, SIX POWERHOUSE SENIORS WILL END THEIR HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CAREER.

PROUD SENIORS, AS I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME UP.

DARON DUNBAR HAS NEARLY 1400 CAREER POINTS.

OF THOSE 1342 POINTS. CAN YOU STAY UP HERE FOR US SO WE CAN GET A GROUP PICTURE AT THE END? I'M SORRY. STAY RIGHT THERE NEXT TO MR. NUESSLE FOR ME.

THANK YOU. THIS INCLUDES 15 IN THE LOWER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AND 17 IN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.

WE ALSO HAVE WITH US TONIGHT THREE YEAR VARSITY LETTERMAN, JAMISON MCKENZIE.

JAMISON. HE IS NOT HERE YET. OKAY. WELL, WE CONGRATULATE HIM AND HE WILL DEFINITELY BE MISSED.

ROUNDING OUT OUR SENIORS ARE MJ WILLIAMS, FRANK COSTELLO, T DURHAM, AND CAMERON HUMPHREY.

THIS SENIOR GROUP HAS AN OVERALL CLASS RECORD OF 90 AND 21, THE MOST WINS BY A SENIOR CLASS IN SCHOOL HISTORY.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN GIVING THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

AND WHILE THIS YEAR'S VARSITY JACKETS WERE MADE UP OF SIX SENIORS, DON'T WORRY, THERE ARE SIX JUNIORS COMING UP AND READY TO PLAY.

THOSE INCLUDE JORDAN RALPH, TUJUAN SCHWABE, TYLER WARREN, TY BASKETT, AND JORDAN DAVIS.

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THEY ALSO HAVE A SOPHOMORE AND A FRESHMAN, SO LOTS MORE WINS COMING THEIR WAY.

IT'S AN UNBELIEVABLE TEAM COACHED BY TONY HARRELL.

IF YOU'D PLEASE COME FORWARD COACH HARRELL.

ASSISTANT COACHES CHRIS ANDERSON, STEPHEN THOMPSON, FREDERIC LENNON, AND MICHAEL RALPH.

ALL RIGHT. CAN WE GET TOGETHER FOR A PICTURE? YES. AND I THINK WE HAVE SOME MORE PLAYERS COMING IN. PLEASE COME FORWARD. PLEASE COME FORWARD FOR A PICTURE.

AND WE'VE GOT I KNOW WE'VE GOT PRINCIPAL CASEY ROGERS HERE.

WE'RE EXCITED, YOU ALL ARE HERE TONIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO GRAB A PICTURE AND THEN TALK ABOUT THIS GIRLS TEAM.

THANKS. ALL RIGHT, I THINK I GOT Y'ALL. OH, YEAH. PERFECT. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. AND CONGRATULATIONS.

NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOLS LADY JACKETS WERE 14 AND ZERO IN THIS UNDEFEATED REGULAR SEASON PLAY, WINNING EACH MATCH UP AGAINST OTHER TEAMS WITHIN OUR REGION.

AFTER OVERCOMING LOWER RICHLAND FOR THE LOWER CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE, THEY MOVED ON TO PLAY WESTSIDE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THEIR SIXTH STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. AFTER LAST YEAR'S SEASON ENDED WITH A SEMIFINAL LOSS TO WESTSIDE, THE.

THE LADY JACKETS WERE DETERMINED FOR A DIFFERENT OUTCOME.

ON THEIR REMATCH WITH THE RAMS. THE JACKETS WERE TRAILING MIDWAY THROUGH THE CLASS FOUR, A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, BUT CAME BACK TO LEAD BY THREE POINTS HEADING INTO THE FOURTH QUARTER.

NORTH AUGUSTA'S DEFENSE HELD WESTSIDE TO 31% SHOOTING AND TURNED THE BALL OVER TO SCORE 14 POINTS, WITH THE GAME ENDING SCORE OF 50 TO 37. THE LADY JACKETS DID JUST THAT AND BROUGHT HOME ONCE AGAIN THE STATE TITLE.

LADIES, AS I CALL YOU, PLEASE COME FORWARD. SELENA GRANT WAS NAMED REGION PLAYER OF THE YEAR.

THE JUNIOR SCORED 17 POINTS IN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, IN ADDITION TO SIX REBOUNDS.

IN ADDITION TO GRANT ASHLEY. WALKER. KENNEDY.

WRIGHT. MESSIAH. WILLIAMS. TRIANA. DAVIS. CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE LADIES WHO ALL RECEIVED REGION HONORS.

ASHLEY WALKER, OUR SOPHOMORE, BOASTED THREE STEALS, FIVE REBOUNDS AND SCORED TEN POINTS.

MADISON. MCCAIN IS OUR SENIOR STANDOUT, AND SHE FINISHED WITH EIGHT POINTS IN THE GAME'S LAST 18 MINUTES, AND JUNIOR MESSIAH WILLIAMS HAD SEVEN POINTS, EIGHT REBOUNDS AND THREE BLOCKS WHILE GUARDING WESTSIDE STAR PLAYER.

CONGRATULATIONS, LADIES. ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THE JACKETS SUCCESS ARE JUNIORS CHRISLYN JOHNSON.

AND TAYLOR BOWEN. SOPHOMORES. JAYLA NORRIS. TAJ FLOWERS.

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HE'S A LEGEND. AND I DON'T KNOW IF OUR ASSISTANT COACHES ARE HERE TONIGHT, BUT IF YOU ARE, PLEASE COME FORWARD. MICHAEL HAWKES. FRED LENNON, AIDAN YOUNG IS THE TEAM'S VIDEOGRAPHER AND ASHLEY DAVIS, TEAM MANAGER. LET'S GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

I'M GOING TO ASK NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH'S PRINCIPAL, MR. CASEY ROGERS, TO COME BACK UP FOR ONE MORE PICTURE.

WE COULDN'T LET THE SCHOOL YEAR PASS WITHOUT HAVING YOU ALL HERE TO CELEBRATE WITH US.

SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. WE KNOW YOU'RE BUSY.

WE APPRECIATE YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU.

OKAY, THAT BRINGS US TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. AND WE'LL START FIRST WITH THE FOLKS THAT SIGNED UP TO BE ON THE AGENDA IN ADVANCE.

JUST REMEMBER, YOU HAVE A FIVE MINUTE TIME LIMIT.

YEAH. OUR PRACTICE IS THAT WE CERTAINLY ARE LISTENING TO YOU, BUT WE DON'T RESPOND TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE MEETING.

AND JUST A REMINDER FROM THE POLICY IS THAT, YOU KNOW OBJECTIVE COMMENTS ON SCHOOL OPERATIONS AND PROGRAMS IS OBVIOUSLY WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR. AND BUT WE DON'T PERMIT PUBLIC SESSION ANY EXPRESSION OF PERSONAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT SCHOOL PERSONNEL OR PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISTRICT.

THE FIRST ONE ON THE AGENDA, I WAS TOLD, IF THIS IS NOT TRUE, YOU CAN SPEAK UP.

MILES DAVIDSON DID NOT WANT TO SPEAK, BUT WE'LL CALL SEAN DAVIDSON UP TO SPEAK.

LOOKS ABOUT RIGHT. SOMEWHERE IN THERE? YEAH. ALL RIGHT.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SEAN DAVIDSON, AND I'M THE PROUD FATHER OF MILES DAVIDSON, A CHILD WHO HAS ALWAYS DEMONSTRATED KINDNESS, RESPONSIBILITY AND A LOVE FOR HIS SCHOOL, HIS FAMILY AND HIS FRIENDS.

MILES REQUESTED TO SPEAK TO YOU ALL TONIGHT, BUT CASEY AND I CHOSE TO SEND HIM TO A SWIM MEET WHERE HE WAS HONORED TO SWIM THE CRESCENDO. HIS TEAM VOTED FOR HIM. AS PARENTS, WE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO RETURN A SENSE OF NORMALITY AND BE WITH TEAMMATES WHO CHERISH AND LOVE HIM. I'VE TRIED DESPERATELY TO RAISE MY SONS WITH INTEGRITY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND SERVICE TO OTHERS.

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AS A CHILD, I WAS SENT TO ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL FOR SOMETHING I DIDN'T DO.

I WAS A FOSTER KID, NOT A GREAT STUDENT. NO ONE BELIEVED ME.

I WAS QUICKLY LABELED AND REMOVED, BUT I FOUGHT BACK AND GRADUATED BAYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL, PROUD OF MY 2.7 GPA.

I EARNED MY TITLE AS A UNITED STATES MARINE. AND NOW I STAND BEFORE YOU AS A FATHER WHO HAS NEVER ONCE GIVEN UP, NO MATTER WHAT OBSTACLE YOU HAVE PLACED BEFORE HIM.

I SHARE THIS BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND WHY, AS AN ADULT I WAS LABELED AND REMOVED.

BUT HOW ANYONE CAN LOOK AT MILES AND LABEL AND REMOVE HIM IS BEYOND ME.

HE IS NOT LOST. HE IS KIND, THOUGHTFUL, LOVING.

BUT NO ONE EVER STOPPED TO LOOK. MYLES WAS HARSHLY DISCIPLINED FOR RETURNING A TOY STILL SEALED IN ITS PACKAGING TO A STUDENT WHO BOUGHT IT ON A SCHOOL SPONSORED FIELD TRIP. HE DIDN'T BRING A WEAPON TO SCHOOL.

HE DIDN'T BRANDISH IT. HE DIDN'T PLAY WITH IT.

HE DIDN'T PURCHASE IT. HE RETURNED IT. AND HE WAS REMOVED FROM THE SCHOOL AND SENTENCED TO AN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR AND INTO NEXT.

MEANWHILE, OTHERS ARE ALREADY BACK IN SCHOOL, BACK TO THEIR SPRING CONCERTS, THEIR SIXTH GRADE YEARBOOK SIGNING.

I HEARD THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS COMING TODAY FOR A FUN DAY.

YET MYLES REMAINS EXCLUDED, PREVENTED FROM ATTENDING HIS BROTHER'S AWARDS CEREMONY AT HAMMOND HILL THIS MORNING.

LITTLE HOLLY MAN GOT STRAIGHT A'S, JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW.

BUT OLIVER MYLES COULD NOT ATTEND. TREATED LIKE A LITTLE JUNIOR CRIMINAL.

THIS IS NOT JUSTICE. THIS IS NOT EDUCATION. IT'S A FAILURE TO APPLY DISCIPLINE WITHOUT CONTEXT OR COMPASSION.

THE DAVIDSON FAMILY SUBMITTED A PACKET FILLED WITH EVIDENCE OF DOCUMENTATION OF DIRECT VIOLATIONS BY PAUL KNOX ADMINISTRATION, DUE PROCESS FAILURES AND CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS.

EVEN STILL, OUR APPEAL WAS DENIED AN APPEAL THAT WAS DONE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

DO YOU FIND IT APPROPRIATE TO JUDGE AND SENTENCE A CHILD WITHOUT THEM, THEIR FAMILY OR AN ADVOCATE PRESENT? BUT WHAT HURTS THE MOST IS THAT NO ONE STOPPED TO CONSIDER WHO MILES IS, HIS CHARACTER, HIS RECORD, HIS INTENT. OVER TEN CHARACTER STATEMENTS FROM EDUCATORS, COMMUNITY LEADERS ATTESTED HIS HONESTY, COMPASSION, AND LOVE FOR SCHOOL. WHY WERE THOSE IGNORED? AND WHAT MESSAGE ARE WE SENDING OUR CHILDREN? BY PLACING THEM IN ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE RUN DOWN AND BROKEN? ARE WE TELLING THEM THEY ARE BROKEN? I WORKED INSIDE THE CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE LEARNING AS A FLOORING CONTRACTOR.

I PERSONALLY INSTALLED THE CARPET IN THE MAIN OFFICE THE YEAR MYLES WAS BORN 2012.

IT IS NOT A PLACE FOR LEARNING. IT IS A JUNIOR PRISON.

WE ARE NOT REDIRECTING KIDS, WE ARE CONDITIONING THEM.

AND IF WE'RE GOING TO SEND STUDENTS THERE, WE HAVE A MORAL OBLIGATION AS A COMMUNITY TO INVEST IN THESE SPACES.

IF MYLES MADE A MISTAKE, LET HIM LEARN FROM IT.

BUT DO NOT DESTROY HIS CONFIDENCE AND TRUST IN THE SYSTEM OVER A TOY STILL IN ITS BOX.

UNDER SOUTH CAROLINA CODE 59, 1990, THE BOARD HAS AUTHORITY TO GOVERN AND MANAGE ALL EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS IN THIS DISTRICT, INCLUDING THE POWER TO REVISIT AND REVISE ITS OWN DISCIPLINARY DECISIONS.

THAT MEANS YOU, THIS BOARD, HAVE A LEGAL OBLIGATION AND A MORAL OBLIGATION TO OVERRULE THIS OUTCOME.

THIS IS NOT OUT OF YOUR HANDS. YOU CAN STILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND NOT HIDE BEHIND BLIND POLICY.

MY REQUEST IS SIMPLE REASSESS THE PUNISHMENT.

REINSTATE MYLES AT PAUL KNOX MIDDLE FOR THE START OF NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR AND ENSURE FUTURE DECISIONS ARE NOT BASED ON RIGID POLICIES BUT ON CHARACTER, CONTEXT AND COMPASSION. I'M NOT DONE. I'M NOT DONE.

I JUST REALIZED I STILL GOT A COUPLE SECONDS TO CATCH MY BREATH.

AND FINALLY, I AM PROUD OF MY SON. HE HAS SHOWN STRENGTH, GRACE, AND MATURITY BEYOND YEARS.

I KNOW RIGHT NOW HE'S AT THE POOL AT FROMETA, CHEERING HIS HEART OUT FOR HIS TEAM AND HIS LITTLE BROTHERS.

HE REPRESENTS THE BEST IN HUMANITY AND HE HAS THE BIGGEST HEART OF ANYONE I KNOW.

AND HE DESERVES A SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT SEES AND NURTURES THAT.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MR. DAVIDSON.

NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS CASEY DAVIDSON SPEAKING ABOUT AIKEN COUNTY SCHOOLS DISCIPLINE POLICIES.

SORRY. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO ME TODAY.

MY NAME IS CASEY DAVIDSON. I'M MILES'S MOM. I WAS AN EDUCATOR IN AIKEN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR ALMOST 14 YEARS,

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I UNDERSTAND THIS DISTRICT, I UNDERSTAND ITS POLICIES, AND I DEEPLY CARE ABOUT ITS STUDENTS.

I'M NOT HERE TO CRITICIZE YOUR DECISION, BUT I DO ASK YOU TO REFLECT ON POLICY AND HOW IT'S APPLIED SO IT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ANOTHER CHILD LIKE IT HAPPENED TO MILES.

EARLY ON, WHEN WE RECEIVED THE DISTRICT LEVEL COMMUNICATION THAT INSTRUCTED THE SCHOOL TO CHANGE THE WORDING OF THE DISCIPLINARY CHARGE FROM SUGGESTED WEAPON TO WEAPON, I FELT THE SYSTEM BEGAN TO MOVE TOWARDS AN OUTCOME THAT WAS NO LONGER ABOUT STUDENT GROWTH, BUT ABOUT MEETING A POLICY THRESHOLD. THAT SHIFT IN LANGUAGE LOCKED US INTO A RIGID CONSEQUENCE THAT LEFT NO ROOM FOR GRACE, CONSIDERATION FOR CIRCUMSTANCES AND NO REGARD FOR THE CHILD.

I'VE HEARD THE PHRASE MY HANDS ARE TIED. IT'S JUST POLICY.

I'VE SAID IT MYSELF IN EARLY YEARS OF TEACHING, BUT I QUICKLY REALIZED THOSE WORDS DON'T HELP STUDENTS.

THEY JUST CREATE HELPLESSNESS. SO I CHANGED. I LOOKED AT STUDENTS LIVES, THEIR STRUGGLES, THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES, AND I GAVE SECOND CHANCES.

I LEARNED THAT GROWTH HAPPENS NOT THROUGH PUNISHMENT BUT THROUGH OPPORTUNITY. IT CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS COULD SAFELY MAKE MISTAKES.

AND IN RETURN, I SAW LEARNING, LEARNING FLOURISH AND RECEIVED EFFORT IN MY CLASSROOM.

WHEN WE CHOOSE TO RESPOND INSTEAD OF SIMPLY REPRIMAND, WE TEACH CHILDREN THAT THEY ARE REDEEMABLE, THAT THEIR MISTAKES DON'T DEFINE THEM. BUT WHEN WE FOLLOW ZERO TOLERANCE POLICIES WITHOUT CONSIDERING CONTEXT, WE TELL STUDENTS THEY'RE EITHER GOOD OR BAD WITH NO SPACE IN BETWEEN.

THAT MESSAGE IS DAMAGING, ESPECIALLY IN MIDDLE SCHOOL WHEN IDENTITY AND RESILIENCE ARE BEING FORMED.

I'VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE PRIORITIZE RESTORATION OVER INFLEXIBILITY.

I'M NOT SAYING WE IGNORE WRONGDOING. I'M SAYING WE TAILOR CONSEQUENCES TO FIT THE BEHAVIOR THE SAME WAY WE TAILOR EDUCATION.

WE DISTINGUISH BETWEEN HARM AND IMMATURITY, BETWEEN DANGER AND MISJUDGMENT.

IN THIS CASE, THE RESPONSE WASN'T JUST HARSH, IT WAS DELAYED.

A TEACHABLE MOMENT WAS MISSED. A CHILD WAS PUNISHED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT, NOT BECAUSE OF HARM DONE, BUT BECAUSE POLICY DEMANDED IT. WHEN WE LET FEAR DRIVE OUR DECISIONS, WE RISK LOSING SIGHT OF OUR MISSION TO EDUCATE, TO SUPPORT, TO DEVELOP YOUNG PEOPLE INTO THOUGHTFUL ADULTS.

THE MESSAGE SENT BY THIS OUTCOME IS THAT A SINGLE MISTAKE CAN ECLIPSE A CHILD'S POTENTIAL.

I'VE SEEN REAL CHANGE AND UNDERSTANDING, AND IT DOESN'T COME FROM DRACONIAN POLICIES.

IT COMES FROM GUIDANCE, FROM TRUST AND THE BELIEF THAT CHILDREN ARE STILL GROWING, LEARNING AND BECOMING THAT THEY ARE WORTHY OF GRACE.

WHEN WE FOLLOW THESE ZERO TOLERANCE POLICIES, IT STRIPS US OF THAT GRACE.

WE CAN'T LET FEAR DICTATE HOW WE TREAT OUR CHILDREN.

YOUR DECISION TEACHES OUR CHILDREN THAT THEIR VOICES, THEIR STORIES, AND THEIR POTENTIAL DON'T MATTER.

LET'S NOT SACRIFICE JUSTICE FOR THE APPEARANCE OF BEING TOUGH.

OUR CHILDREN DESERVE A SYSTEM AND PROCEDURES THAT SEES THEM, UNDERSTANDS THEM AND HELPS THEM GROW, NOT ONE THAT WRITES THEM OFF FOR THEIR MISTAKES. I BELIEVE WE CAN DO BETTER AND WE MUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU, MRS. DAVIDSON. NEXT, MR. BUBBA CRAVEN IS ON THE AGENDA TO SPEAK COMMENTS ON THE ISSUES AND CONCERNS AFFECTING REDCLIFFE ELEMENTARY. GOOD EVENING.

I'M BUBBA CRAVEN FROM BEECH ISLAND. I'VE GOT A FEW BRIEF STATEMENTS TO MAKE.

I'M HERE TO VOICE SOME CONCERNS CONCERNING REDCLIFFE ELEMENTARY ON BEHALF OF THE STAFF, TEACHERS, STUDENTS AND SO ON. MY TALKING POINTS WILL BE AS FOLLOWS.

BULLYING AND RETALIATION. SECRET RECORDING AND A VAULT.

HR CHIEF APPOINTED IN THE MIDDLE OF INVESTIGATION.

CHILD BEING JUMPED ON IN A RESTROOM AND BEGGING FOR HELP, NO ONE WOULD HELP HIM.

I THINK YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF THE INVESTIGATION GOING ON CONCERNING THE CHILD ON THE PLAYGROUND, BUT IT GOES FURTHER THAN THAT. MY WIFE HAS BEEN A SECRETARY AT REDCLIFFE ELEMENTARY FOR 24 YEARS, AND IT INVOLVES HER. SHE'S BEEN TARGETED BY THE PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.

SHE'S UNDER DOCTOR'S CARE AT THIS TIME AND IS NOT WORKING.

AND IT'S DUE TO THE SITUATION AT REDCLIFFE. SHE HAD AN EVALUATION LAST WEEK SAYING SHE DID NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 24 YEARS, FOUR YEARS AS A SUB TOTAL OF 28 YEARS.

SHE WAS TOLD THERE WAS TWO DUTIES THAT SHE DID NOT DO, AND SHE DID NOT KNOW THESE DUTIES WERE HER RESPONSIBILITIES FOR 24 YEARS.

SHE HAS NOT BEEN CANCELED ON THEM. SHE HAS NOT BEEN TOLD THOSE DUTIES WERE HERS.

SHE WAS JUST TOLD THAT THE EVALUATION. YOU HAVE NOT BEEN DOING THESE TWO DUTIES AND THAT'S WHY SHE GOT DID NOT MEET EXPECTATION.

HER DESK AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS WERE MOVED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AFTER SHE HAD LEFT.

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I JUST DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.

ALSO, THE PRINCIPAL INFORMED THE OTHER OFFICE STAFF NOT TO TALK TO MY WIFE ABOUT THAT MOVE.

WE ARE NOT SURE WHY THEY ARE RETALIATING AGAINST MY WIFE, BUT WE FEEL LIKE THEY THINK SHE WAS THE INFORMATION SOURCE.

SHE WAS NOT A INFORMATION SOURCE AT THE TIME.

EXCUSE ME. THE VAULT. MY WIFE WORKS IN OFFICES I SAID.

MY WIFE WENT INTO THE VAULT TO FILE SOME PAPERWORK.

UPON UNLOCKING THE VAULT AND WALKING IN, THERE WAS TWO PEOPLE SITTING IN THE VAULT.

THE TEACHER IN THERE MOTIONED FOR MY WIFE TO GO BACK OUT.

SHE COULDN'T BE IN THERE, SO MY WIFE WENT TO THE PRINCIPAL AND SAID, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE VAULT? AND THE PRINCIPAL'S REPLY WAS, I CAN'T TELL YOU.

SO THERE'S MORE TO THAT STORY, BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT.

IT'S PRETTY DETAILED. AND SHE THEN HR, OUR SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT MEMBER ASKED YOU ALL TO DELAY THE VOTE OF THE HR CHIEF UNTIL THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OVER.

AND OF COURSE, HE DID NOT GET THE SUPPORT OF Y'ALL.

WE ASK Y'ALL THAT NOW. THE RUNNING JOKE CAN BE [INAUDIBLE] JACKSON, AND AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE ADMINISTRATION IN PLACE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, WE'LL NEVER GET A FAIR INVESTIGATION ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN REDCLIFFE.

AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE HR CHIEF, WE HAVE THE SUPERINTENDENT, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT IN PLACE.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET A FAIR INVESTIGATION. BE NICE TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE.

THAT WAY WE KNOW IT'S CLEANED UP AND GOOD TO GO.

YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THIS, BUT THE HR CHIEF AND THE NEW ONE Y'ALL JUST APPOINTED, AND THE PRINCIPAL AT REDCLIFFE ELEMENTARY HAVE MATCHING TATTOOS. SHE BRAGS ABOUT THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS.

MR. MR. CRAVEN, IS ALL THIS GOING TO BE? THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO A PERSONAL COMPLAINT ABOUT PEOPLE AND I'M JUST.

OKAY. WELL, I GOT ONE OTHER THING AND I'LL SIT DOWN.

I JUST WANT IF YOU WANT I WANT TO HEAR YOUR ISSUES AND CONCERNS.

BUT WE CAN'T BE TARGETING PEOPLE. ONLY THE LAST ONE I GOT IS I GOT A LETTER HERE FROM A PARENT CONCERNING A CHILD BEING BEAT UP IN THE BATHROOM.

DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT OR. YEAH. I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM A PARENT YESTERDAY, AND IT SAYS ON MARCH 6TH, HER SON WAS ATTACKED IN A BATHROOM.

A FIRST GRADER, AND HE WAS HOLLERING FOR HELP AND HE ASKED FOR HELP.

NO ONE WOULD GO HELP HIM. THE PARENT CONTACTED THE SCHOOL.

I HAVE THE LETTER HERE AND I ENCOURAGE YOU. I'LL GIVE YOU COPIES OF IT IF YOU'D LIKE.

THE PARENT CONTACTED THE SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL SAID, PRINCIPAL WILL CALL YOU BACK IN 20 MINUTES OR SO.

AND THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL DID CALL BACK IN 20 MINUTES.

AND SHE ASKED THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL SAID YOU KNOW, WE DO NOT GO IN A RESTROOM REGARDLESS OF IT'S SAME SEX OR NOT. WE'RE NOT GOING TO REST ON A CHILD'S RESTROOM.

AND THE PARENT ASKED ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, EVEN IF THEY'RE GETTING BEAT UP AND SCREAMING FOR HELP, YOU'RE NOT GOING. AND THE REPLY WAS, NO, WE WILL NOT.

THAT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CONSIDER THAT A CONCERN OR WHAT, BUT, YES, SIR.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CRAVEN.

NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS, I BELIEVE IT SAYS LUCY PACE, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S LUCY PACE.

YEP. MISS PACE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT CONCERNS FOR THIS DISTRICT.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, FACULTY AND FELLOW PARENTS.

MY NAME IS LACEY PACE. I HAVE A STUDENT THAT MOVED THROUGH REDCLIFFE UP TO JACKSON, AND I HAVE A STUDENT CURRENTLY IN K AT JACKSON.

I'M SORRY, AT REDCLIFFE AS WELL. I'M HERE AS A CONCERNED PARENT.

I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING THAT NO PARENT SHOULD EVER HAVE TO BRING TO A SCHOOL BOARD.

THE PHYSICAL ABUSE OF STUDENTS BY TEACHERS. PERSISTENT BULLYING AND INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR BETWEEN STUDENTS, ALL OF WHICH ARE BEING OVERLOOKED OR INADEQUATELY ADDRESSED BY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.

I WANT TO BEGIN WITH THE MOST SERIOUS MATTER REPORTS OF TEACHERS OR STAFF PHYSICALLY HANDLING STUDENTS IN WAYS THAT ARE SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT ENFORCING DISCIPLINE OR MAINTAINING ORDER.

THIS IS ABOUT ADULTS CROSSING LINES AND PUTTING THEIR HANDS ON CHILDREN IN ANGER, FRUSTRATION,

[00:45:05]

THEY ARE HAPPENING. AND WHEN STUDENTS OR PARENTS REPORT THEM, THE TYPICAL RESPONSE IS SILENCE, DEFLECTION OR WORSE, SOME FORM OF JUSTIFICATION.

OUR CHILDREN DESERVE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, ESPECIALLY IN THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN TODAY.

THEY DESERVE TO TRUST THAT THEIR SCHOOL IS A PLACE OF LEARNING AND NOT FEAR.

I THINK THAT SPEAKS GREATLY TO WHAT THE DAVIDSON FAMILY SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER.

NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT BULLYING, NOT JUST AMONG STUDENTS, BUT HOW IT'S BEING IGNORED OR DOWNPLAYED BY THOSE IN CHARGE.

SOME OF OUR CHILDREN ARE BEING EMOTIONALLY, VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY BULLIED EVERY DAY.

THEY GO TO SCHOOL WITH ANXIETY, THEY COME HOME WITHDRAWN OR UPSET, AND WE AS PARENTS ARE LEFT TO PIECE TOGETHER WHAT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE IT'S NOT BEING DISCLOSED TO US ADEQUATELY BY THE PEOPLE SET IN PLACE TO PROTECT THEM.

WE REACH OUT TO TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, AND TOO OFTEN WE HEAR WE'LL LOOK INTO IT, BUT NO REAL ACTION FOLLOWS.

BULLYING DOESN'T GO AWAY WITH VAGUE REASSURANCE.

IT TAKES PLAN, CONSISTENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

MY SON HIMSELF WAS ATTACKED IN GYM AT JACKSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THEN WAS DISCIPLINED BECAUSE HE TURNED AROUND TO DEFEND HIMSELF.

HE WAS CHOKED IN THE GYM AND THERE WAS NO TEACHER AVAILABLE TO WITNESS.

THEN THERE IS AN ISSUE OF INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR BETWEEN STUDENTS, THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN HALLWAYS, BATHROOMS, AND EVEN CLASSROOMS THAT NO ONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE.

BUT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, WE ARE FAILING EVERY CHILD WHO HAS BEEN MADE TO FEEL UNSAFE OR VIOLATED WHILE IN YOUR CARE. WHEN STUDENTS REPORT INAPPROPRIATE TOUCHING, SEXUAL COMMENTS, OR HARASSMENT, THEY ARE OFTEN MET WITH DISBELIEF OR DISMISSAL.

THIS IS NOT JUST MORALLY WRONG, IT IS LEGALLY DANGEROUS.

WE NEED BETTER SUPERVISION, CLEAR, CLEAR REPORTING PROTOCOLS AND REAL CONSEQUENCES.

I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR. I'M NOT HERE TO ATTACK TEACHERS OR ADMINISTRATORS, NOR WILL I PAINT ALL STAFF WITH THE SAME BRUSH TO THE POINT OF MISS CRAVEN.

I'VE SEEN HER SO OFTEN. SHE'S ALWAYS MET US WITH A SMILE.

SHE HAS BROUGHT CARE AND CONSIDERATION TO MY CHILDREN.

SHE'S BEEN WONDERFUL TO THEM. THERE ARE INCREDIBLE EDUCATORS WHO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT OUR CHILDREN.

THERE ARE WONDERFUL MEMBERS OF OUR ADMINISTRATION WHO BRIGHTEN OUR CHILDREN'S DAY.

BUT WE MUST ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE CULTURE OF SILENCE AND AVOIDANCE BY SOME ADMINISTRATORS IS ENABLING AND HARMFUL BEHAVIOR.

OUR CHILDREN DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO FIX THIS, BUT WE DO.

YOU DO. THE SCHOOL BOARD. YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS THOROUGHLY.

TO SUPPORT WHISTLEBLOWERS, TO ENFORCE CLEAR CODES OF CONDUCT, AND TO PUT STUDENTS SAFETY BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE.

I'M ASKING. IN FACT, I'M DEMANDING THAT THESE ISSUES BE ADDRESSED WITH THE SERIOUSNESS THAT THEY DESERVE.

BECAUSE WHEN WE IGNORE THE PAIN OF EVEN ONE CHILD, WE ALREADY FAIL ALL OF THEM.

I THINK IT'S TIME TO LOOK INWARD, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ACT.

IT IS WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED UPON TO DO. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MISS PEACE. NOW WE'LL MOVE TO THOSE THAT FILLED OUT A CARD TO SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION RIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING. IN OUR POLICY. AND I EXPLAINED THIS TO THE FOLKS THE SECOND MEETING OF THE MONTH FOR THESE WERE LIMITED TO 15 MINUTES.

WE HAVE FIVE. SO WE'LL KEEP EACH ONE OF THESE TO THREE MINUTES.

THE FIRST OF WHICH IS MISS JILLIAN FORREST IS GOING TO SPEAK ON SAFETY CONCERNS WRITTEN BY A TEACHER AT REDCLIFFE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SAFETY CONCERNS. WRITTEN BY A TEACHER AT REDCLIFFE ELEMENTARY.

I AM ANONYMOUSLY WRITING AS A TEACHER AT REDCLIFFE ELEMENTARY, A SCHOOL THAT IS RAPIDLY CRUMBLING UNDER ITS OWN WEIGHT.

MY INTENT IS NOT TO BE DRAMATIC, BUT TO BE HONEST ABOUT THE SITUATION THAT BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ARE FACING EACH DAY.

AND I HOPE AND PRAY THAT YOU WILL TAKE EVERY WORD I WRITE TO HEART.

WE ARE DEALING WITH A SYSTEM THAT IS FAILING AT EVERY LEVEL, AND I CAN NO LONGER REMAIN SILENT.

FIRST, I MUST TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE INCREDIBLE WORK OF OUR SCHOOL SECRETARY.

SHE'S A TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR OUR STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FAMILIES.

HER WORK ETHIC IS UNMATCHED, AND IT'S A SHAME THAT HER EFFORTS ARE MET WITH LITTLE APPRECIATION.

LAST WEEK, WHEN SHE HAD TO TAKE OFF, TAKE TIME OFF DUE TO BEING PUSHED BEYOND HER BREAKING POINT.

THE OFFICE FUNCTION WAS NOT THE SAME. HER MISTREATMENT IS A REFLECTION OF THE LARGER ISSUES AT PLAY IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND IT CANNOT CONTINUE. NOW ONTO THE STATE OF THE SCHOOL ITSELF.

[00:50:04]

SEVERAL PARENTS HAVE ALREADY INFORMED US THAT THEY ARE PULLING THEIR CHILDREN TO HOMESCHOOL NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE THEY NO LONGER FEEL REDCLIFFE IS A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR CHILDREN. THIS IS NOT A DECISION TAKEN LIGHTLY, BUT A NECESSARY ONE IN THEIR EYES.

AND YET NOTHING CHANGES. WHERE IS OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE? I HAVE HEARD FROM AN EMPLOYEE THAT ONE IS SPLIT BETWEEN SCHOOLS.

BUT THE SIMPLE FACT IS THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN HIM AT REDCLIFFE.

NOT ONCE. TEACHERS TO FEEL UNSAFE. WE ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP BECAUSE WE KNOW WE WILL BE TARGETED, TARGETED, ISOLATED AND LABELED. THERE IS AN ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR HERE THAT STIFLES ANY KIND OF OPEN DIALOG.

THIS ISN'T JUST A FEELING, IT'S A REALITY. IT FEELS AS THOUGH THERE IS A SMALL, TIGHT KNIT GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE SCHOOL WHO HOLD MORE INFLUENCE THAN THE REST.

IT'S NOT A FEELING. IT'S TRUE. IT FEELS AS THOUGH A SORORITY MENTALITY HAS TAKEN HOLD, WHERE SPEAKING OUT IS MET WITH BEING LOOKED AT DIFFERENT, TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THE GROWING DISCONTENT IS STARTING TO FEEL LIKE WE'RE CAUGHT IN A GAME OF ESPIONAGE OR SPY.

THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES THIS YEAR WHERE TEACHERS HAVE BEEN QUESTIONED ABOUT WHO THEY WERE TALKING TO, WHY THEY WERE IN THE CLASSROOM, AND WHAT WAS SAID IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

BUT THERE ARE DEEPER ISSUES AT PLAY, ONES THAT I CANNOT IGNORE.

WHY IS THE CUSTODIAN A MAN WHO MAKES TEACHERS FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AND WAS CAUGHT CALLED TAKING INAPPROPRIATE PICTURES OF A FELLOW EMPLOYEE STILL ALLOWED TO WALK AT OUR SCHOOL AND INTERACT WITH STUDENTS. WHY HAS HE NOT BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PREMISES? ALSO, NOT TO LEAVE OUT THAT THE STUDENTS THAT SAW IT WERE ASKED NOT TO TELL ANYONE THAT THIS HAPPENED? HOW ABOUT THE TIME WHEN THE SAME CUSTODIAN ACCIDENTALLY RAN INTO A YOUNG FEMALE STUDENT IN THE HALLWAY AND THEN SPOKE AT HER, AN AGGRESSIVE TONE AFTER SHE BEGAN CRYING? THIS BEHAVIOR CANNOT CONTINUE UNCHECKED, YET IT'S BEING ALLOWED TO PERSIST.

WHY? YES, PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES. AS ONE OF OUR DISTRICT LEADERS REPORTEDLY SAID, BUT THIS IS FAR BEYOND A SIMPLE MISTAKE.

THIS IS UNCOMFORTABLE, CHAOTIC SITUATION THAT SHOULD HAVE RESULTED IN BANNING THIS EMPLOYEE FROM ENTERING WITHIN THE WALLS OF THE SCHOOL. LET ME REMIND YOU, I AM NOT WRITING TO BE DRAMATIC. I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME SINCE YOU SHORTENED THE MANY OF US.

TEACHERS AT REDCLIFFE ELEMENTARY WOULD LOVE A THIRD PARTY INVESTIGATION OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT, DUE TO THE TOXIC CLIMATE OF FEAR THAT IS SO PREVALENT AND THE BEHAVIOR OF STAFF MEMBERS WHO HAVE NO BUSINESS BEING IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH CHILDREN. WE WANT THIS FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN WALKING IN THE HALLS.

THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THESE STUDENTS.

WE NEED A PLATFORM WHERE WE CAN SAFELY AND HONESTLY SHARE OUR CONCERNS WITHOUT FEAR OF RETALIATION.

YES, WE ARE PROTECTED BY THE WHISTLEBLOWER ACT, BUT FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN, THAT ISN'T THE CASE IN THE DISTRICT.

I'LL STOP. Y'ALL DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS ANYMORE.

THANK YOU, MISS FORREST. NEXT, SKYLAR FOWLER WILL BE TALKING ON COMMUNICATION.

GOOD EVENING. THIS IS NOT AN EASY DISCUSSION, BUT IT'S A NECESSARY ONE, BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS, BEHIND THE SCENES AND IN PLAIN SIGHT IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE.

I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO FEEL UNHEARD, STAFF WHO ARE OVERWORKED AND OVERWHELMED, AND FAMILIES WHO ARE FRUSTRATED AND HEARTBROKEN BY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS.

LET ME BE CLEAR. THERE IS A LEADERSHIP PROBLEM IN THIS DISTRICT, A SERIOUS ONE, AND IT'S HARMING THE VERY PEOPLE OUR ADMINISTRATION IS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT.

WE'RE FACING A CRISIS, ONE THAT GOES BEYOND ACADEMICS.

IT'S A BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND LEADERSHIP.

TOO OFTEN, SERIOUS CONCERNS ARE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG.

STAFF MEMBERS RAISE RED FLAGS. PARENTS VOICE THEIR COMPLAINTS AND STUDENTS CRY FOR HELP.

AND YET NOTHING CHANGES. THE TRUTH IS, POOR ADMINISTRATION IS FAILING OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

AND IT'S NOT JUST AN INCONVENIENCE, IT'S A THREAT TO THE WELL-BEING OF STUDENTS AND STAFF.

THERE'S COMPLETE LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND STAFF AND PARENTS.

CRITICAL INFORMATION IS WITHHELD, CONCERNS ARE IGNORED.

DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE WITHOUT INPUT FROM ALL PARTIES INVOLVED.

I ALWAYS FIND MYSELF WONDERING WHAT'S ACTUALLY BEING DONE AND LEFT FEELING HOPELESS.

AND THEN THERE'S THE RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF IMMATURITY AND UNPROFESSIONALISM AMONG SOME STAFF, ENABLED AND TOLERATED BY ADMINISTRATION. INSTEAD OF FOSTERING TRUST AND COLLABORATION, THERE'S FAVORITISM, INCONSISTENCY, AND EVEN RETALIATION. AND THAT'S NOT JUST MY EXPERIENCE.

IT'S SOMETHING MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES TALK ABOUT QUIETLY, BECAUSE SPEAKING UP FEELS DANGEROUS.

HOW CAN WE BUILD A POSITIVE, SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS WHEN THE ADULTS AREN'T BEING TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT? BULLYING IS HAPPENING AND NOT JUST BETWEEN STUDENTS, BUT BETWEEN STAFF AND STUDENTS AND EVEN STAFF TO STAFF.

AND WHEN THOSE IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS TURN A BLIND EYE, IT SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT THAT BEHAVIOR IS ACCEPTABLE.

AND THAT'S A DANGEROUS MESSAGE TO BE SENDING.

[00:55:03]

WE ARE EXPECTED TO SHOW UP, STAY QUIET AND CARRY ON EVEN WHEN THE STRESS IS BREAKING US.

BUT WHAT BREAKS US MORE IS WATCHING HOW OUR STUDENTS ARE BEING TREATED, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

THESE CHILDREN DESERVE DIGNITY, COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING, AND WHAT THEY OFTEN RECEIVE INSTEAD IS IMPATIENCE, PUNISHMENT, OR OUTRIGHT NEGLECT. THAT IS NOT INCLUSION.

THAT'S MISTREATMENT, AND IT'S UNACCEPTABLE. WE NEED CHANGE, REAL CHANGE, NOT SURFACE LEVEL PROMISES OR VAGUE PLANS.

WE NEED LEADERSHIP THAT COMMUNICATES CLEARLY, RESPOND SWIFTLY, AND TREATS EVERY CONCERN WITH THE SERIOUSNESS IT DESERVES.

WE NEED A PLACE WHERE ALL STAFF IS RESPECTED, STUDENTS ARE PROTECTED, AND NO ONE IS AFRAID TO SPEAK UP.

WE ARE NOT HERE TONIGHT TO JUST COMPLAIN. WE'RE HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR STUDENTS, OUR COLLEAGUES AND OUR OWN MENTAL HEALTH.

BECAUSE WE CANNOT POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP, AND WE CANNOT KEEP SHOWING UP FOR A SYSTEM THAT REFUSES TO SHOW UP FOR US.

DON'T WAIT FOR MORE RESIGNATIONS, MORE PARENT OUTRAGE, OR MORE STUDENT HARM BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE.

CHANGE IS NOT OPTIONAL ANYMORE. IT'S NECESSARY.

STAFF MORALE IS COLLAPSING. WE ARE LOSING THE VERY PEOPLE OUR STUDENTS NEED BECAUSE THEY FEEL VOICELESS AND DEFEATED.

AND WHO SUFFERS MOST? OUR STUDENTS. THE RESPONSIBILITY NOW FALLS ON YOU.

YOU WERE ELECTED TO REPRESENT THIS COMMUNITY.

SO I'M ASKING YOU ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTLESS FRUSTRATED STAFF, CONCERNED PARENTS AND HURTING STUDENTS TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE CHANGE MUST COME AND IT STARTS AT THE TOP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS FOWLER.

NEXT. EMILY SATTERFIELD IS GOING TO SPEAK ON STUDENT AND TEACHER SAFETY.

IT'S OKAY. COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. GOOD EVENING.

SO, UNFORTUNATELY, I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING ACTUALLY WRITTEN AND PREPARED TONIGHT.

BUT I DO KNOW WHAT I WANT TO SPEAK ON. AND I REALLY HOPE YOU GUYS ARE PAYING ATTENTION, BECAUSE I DO SPEAK FOR BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AND PARENTS ON THIS.

SO I HAVE A LOVELY SON WHO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET MENTAL HEALTH FOR, FOR QUITE A WHILE.

BUT IF ANY OF YOU ALL KNOW, AS I KNOW, MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE DO, HOW LONG IT TAKES TO ACTUALLY GET HELP IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR ANY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE. SO WHEN THE FIRST ISSUE CAME UP AT MY SCHOOL AT REDCLIFFE FOR MY CHILD, THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH MY SON HAVING ISSUES TRANSITIONING TO FIVE K.

I WENT AND GOT HIM HELP. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A SIX MONTH TO A YEAR WAIT LIST, AND I WASN'T GOING TO RECEIVE HELP IMMEDIATELY.

SO I THEN AFTER 30 REFERRALS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, 30 REFERRALS ON MY CHILD AND A REQUEST FOR AN IEP.

I FINALLY GOT THE MEETING. AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAID? MY SON DIDN'T QUALIFY, BUT THEN THEY WEREN'T GIVING HIM ANY HELP EITHER.

THEY BROUGHT IN EXCEL. EXCEL HELPED MY CHILD.

MY CHILD GOT BETTER. I STILL ASKED FOR ANOTHER IEP BECAUSE WE WERE STILL HAVING TO DO A LOT OF ACCOMMODATIONS FOR MY SON THAT WITHOUT AN IEP SHOULDN'T BE GIVEN AT ALL. WE HAVE A SHADOW ON A 5/6 YEAR OLD, BUT NO IEP.

THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TURN AROUND.

MY CHILD CONTINUES TO HAVE ISSUES. AND YOU'RE BLAMING MY KID.

I'M NOT SAYING MY KID'S RIGHT, BUT I'M SAYING YOUR LACK OF GIVING MY CHILD AN IEP AND PROPERLY PUTTING HIM THROUGH THE PROCEDURES IS THE PROBLEM.

I WAS TOLD HE COULDN'T HAVE IT, PERIOD, THAT THERE WAS NO REASON FOR IT.

THEN WHY DO WE HAVE 30 REFERRALS? SO I ASKED FOR IT A THIRD TIME.

I FINALLY GOT IT. WE HAD A DIFFERENT SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST WHO RAN THE MEETING AND GUESS WHAT I WAS GIVEN? THIS WAS AFTER AN INCIDENT IN WHICH MY CHILD KICKED HIS TEACHER.

NOW WE WERE VERBALLY TOLD HE KICKED HIS TEACHER IN THE FACE, BUT THE REFERRAL SAYS HE KICKED HIS TEACHER IN THE LEG.

TEACHER SAID MY CHILD ASSAULTED HER. SHE DIDN'T WANT HIM IN THERE ANYMORE.

RIGHTFULLY SO. I AM NOT ADVOCATING TO PUT MY CHILD BACK IN THAT CLASSROOM.

WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT IF YOU ALL HAD DONE YOUR JOB RIGHT THE FIRST TIME AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN INVESTIGATION, Y'ALL WOULD HAVE WENT THROUGH THE IEP PROCEDURES LIKE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO. WE WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE IN THIS SITUATION.

SO I'M SAYING WE NEED TO HAVE BETTER PROCEDURES IN PLACE.

AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, I WAS TOLD BY THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT MY CHILD COULD NOT GO TO SCHOOL, THOUGH HE WAS NOT SUSPENDED. AND THEN I WAS TOLD THAT HE WAS GOING TO GO TO A 4K CLASSROOM INSTEAD OF FIVE K BECAUSE HIS TEACHER DIDN'T WANT HIM

[01:00:09]

WHERE'S THE SAFETY FOR THE STUDENT? WHERE'S THE SAFETY FOR THE TEACHER? AND WHERE'S THE SAFETY FOR ALL THE OTHER STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM? I DON'T WANT MY CHILD TO BE THAT STUDENT THAT EVERY KID IS AFRAID OF.

I DON'T WANT MY CHILD TO BE THAT STUDENT THAT THE TEACHER IS AFRAID OF OR DOESN'T WANT IN THEIR CLASSROOM.

I SEE MY CHILD OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL ALL THE TIME HAVING FUN WITH THESE.

YOU'RE GOING TO WAIT, HAVING FUN WITH THESE KIDS AND GETTING ALONG WITH THESE KIDS.

BUT NOW YOU'RE GOING TO SCREAM, MY CHILD ASSAULTED SOMEONE! THE REFERRAL SPEAKS DIFFERENTLY THAN YOUR SPEAKS DIFFERENTLY THAN THE WORDS.

AND THEN A SUPERINTENDENT TELLS ME MY KID CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL.

AND THEN I SHOW UP TO SHADOW AND I'M TOLD TO LEAVE THE PREMISES.

NOW I'M DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS SATTERFIELD.

NEXT, MELISSA PITTS IS GOING TO SPEAK ON STUDENT WELL-BEING AND SAFETY.

HI, GUYS. TONIGHT, I DON'T COME WITH A POLISHED SPEECH.

I COME WITH A PLEA. I DO THIS EVERY TIME. A PLEA THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO BE SAID IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT.

PLEASE PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. WHAT I HAVE WITNESSED IN OUR SCHOOLS IS NOT SAFETY.

IT'S NOT LOVE. IT'S INSTITUTIONAL NEGLECT, RETALIATION AND SILENCE.

AND OUR OWN SCHOOL. POLICE REPORTS DOCUMENT THAT A FIVE YEAR OLD BOY WAS PUSHED TO THE GROUND MULTIPLE TIMES INSIDE A CONFINEMENT SPACE, FIVE YEARS OLD, THE KIND OF HARM THAT BREAKS A CHILD'S TRUST BEFORE THEY EVEN LEARN HOW TO SPELL IT.

THERE ARE OTHER POLICE REPORTS TO REPORTS DETAILING VERBAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE AND EVEN PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT DISGUISED AS EXERCISE.

THAT'S NOT REDIRECTION. THAT'S HUMILIATION AND ABUSE.

BUT WE STILL LET IT HAPPEN. THIS DISTRICT HAS A HISTORY OF IGNORING HARM.

IN 2020, A MOTHER SUED AFTER HER NINE YEAR OLD AUTISTIC SON WAS SECLUDED REPEATEDLY IN A LOCKED ROOM IN HIS OWN URINE, WITHOUT HER CONSENT AND WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE.

SHE FOUND THIS OUT AFTER HE BECAME AFTER HE STOPPED SPEAKING.

SHE SAID IN A PUBLIC ON THE NEWS. MY SON WENT TO SCHOOL TO BE HELPED AND HE CAME HOME BROKEN.

IN 2021, A MOTHER OF AN AUTISTIC CHILD WAS. THE CHILD WAS TACKLED, HANDCUFFED AND ARRESTED DURING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AT SCHOOL.

HE NEEDED SUPPORT AND INSTEAD HE WAS TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL.

IN 2023, ANOTHER FAMILY SUED THIS DISTRICT AGAIN FOR PHYSICAL RESTRAINT AND EMOTIONAL TRAUMA AGAINST THEIR CHILD WITH AUTISM.

NONE OF THESE FAMILIES RECEIVED A PUBLIC APOLOGY.

IN 2024, THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAD TO FORCE THIS DISTRICT INTO A CIVIL RIGHTS SETTLEMENT BECAUSE YOU WERE DENYING SERVICES TO ENGLISH LEARNERS.

AND NOW, IN 2025, THIS DISTRICT IS UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION FOR DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION, RACIAL AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND RETALIATION AGAINST STAFF.

THIS ISN'T A FEW BAD APPLES. THIS IS A DISTRICT WIDE DECAY OF CONSCIENCE.

AND WHILE THIS HAPPENS, CHILDREN, WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING, CHILDREN ARE USED TO WRITE STATEMENTS AGAINST STAFF THAT THEY BARELY KNOW WITHOUT PARENT PERMISSION. THAT'S NOT ETHICAL. THAT STRATEGIC MANIPULATION.

I SUBMITTED A TRAUMA INFORMED PROPOSAL, A PLAN TO HELP THESE KIDS TO STOP THIS BEFORE MORE KIDS ARE HURT.

YOU NEVER RESPONDED? NOT EVEN A THANK YOU. NOT EVEN A POINT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

NOT A MEETING. JUST COMPLETE SILENCE. YOU WANT US TO TRUST YOU WHILE YOU PROTECT ABUSERS AND PUNISH WHISTLEBLOWERS? YOU WANT US TO BELIEVE YOU CARE. BUT SILENCE IS COMPLICITY.

I AM STANDING HERE FOR THE CHILDREN WHO CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE ONES WHO CRY IN SILENCE.

BUT THE FIVE YEAR OLD BOY PUSHED TO THE FLOOR.

AND FOR THE PARENTS WHO SEND THEIR BABIES TO SCHOOL, PRAYING THAT THEY COME HOME WHOLE.

TONIGHT, I ASK A PUBLIC RESPONSE TO THE PROPOSAL I SUBMITTED LEADERSHIP CHANGES IN EVERY SCHOOL WHERE A CHILD WAS HARMED AND IT WAS IGNORED, AND A PUBLIC APOLOGY, NOT JUST TO PROTECT YOUR IMAGE, BUT TO BEGIN RESTORING TRUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A CHOICE TONIGHT, YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR POSITIONS OR YOU CAN PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.

YOU CAN WAIT FOR THE NEXT LAWSUIT, OR YOU CAN BE THE LEADERS WHO FINALLY DO SOMETHING.

SO BE THE BOARD THAT BREAKS THE SILENCE AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

BECAUSE I WAS ONCE A LITTLE GIRL WHO NEEDED SCHOOL TO BE A SAFE PLACE, AND NOW I'M A WOMAN FIGHTING FOR THAT SAME SAFETY FOR CHILDREN WHO DESERVE SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT THEY'RE GETTING RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MISS PITTS. LAST PERSON THAT SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

EXCUSE ME, IS RON KESSLER, WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON POWER SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT.

[01:05:04]

THERE'S NINE. SURE. TEN. IF YOU HAD. YEAH.

OKAY.

I SENT A LETTER TO YOUR CHAIRMAN. I'LL JUST PROBABLY BE EASIER JUST TO READ THAT.

THAT I HAVE A DEGREE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, WHICH HELPS ME DEVELOP EFFECTIVE SYSTEMS LIKE POWER SCHOOL, WHICH WAS IS WHICH IS A GREAT SYSTEM CREATED TECHNICALLY BY ENGINEERS.

BUT THE TEACHERS CURRENT PROCEDURE IS MAKING IT MUCH LESS EFFECTIVE THAN IT SHOULD BE OR COULD BE.

IT WOULD BE. I IT WOULD BE 20 TIMES BETTER FOR THE KIDS, THE PARENTS AND THE TEACHERS IF THE TEACHERS MADE A VERY SMALL LITTLE CHANGE. AND I GIVE YOU THESE HANDOUTS WHICH SHOW THAT MY SON'S SIXTH GRADE REPORT CARD I HAD A DIVORCE, AND MY WIFE AND HER BOYFRIEND, THEY BASICALLY WERE TRYING TO GET MORE CHILD SUPPORT.

SO THEY CUT ME TOTALLY OUT OF HIS SCHOOLING, AND HE GOT REALLY BAD GRADES.

AND SINCE I CAME INTO BACK INTO NOW, THE SCHOOL MADE ME 100% RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS SCHOOLING.

AND HIS MATH SCORE WENT UP FROM THE THIRD QUARTER TO THE FOURTH QUARTER, 28%.

24% IN CREATIVE READING AND WRITING AND UP IN THE OTHER ONES ALSO.

SO THIS IS JUST FROM A PARENT'S PERSPECTIVE THAT THE OTHER PART OF THE HANDOUT IS THAT THE SOCIAL STUDIES. HE HAS EIGHT ZEROS.

AND OBVIOUSLY HE'S NOT LEARNING THAT MATERIAL BECAUSE THE TEACHER, WHEN HE DOESN'T TURN IT IN ON TIME, SHE JUST GIVES HIM A ZERO AND IT'S OVER WITH.

AND I DON'T FIND OUT ABOUT IT UNTIL HE GOT A ZERO.

SO WHAT I AM SUGGESTING FOR POWERSCHOOL VERY ENTER ALL THAT INFORMATION EXCEPT FOR THE GRADE AND PUT IN THE DUE DATE. THAT'S SEVEN DAYS BEFORE THE ACTUAL DUE DATE.

SO THE PARENTS HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE KID AND SAY, WHERE IS YOUR.

IS THAT ASSIGNMENT FINISHED? AND THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAVE MY SON SHOW ME THE ASSIGNMENTS DONE BEFORE HE GOES AND PLAYS HIS XBOX. I MEAN, I HAD TO. HE HAD A LOT OF BAD SKILLS THAT I HAD TO DEAL WITH.

AND HE. I CUT OUT ALL HIS ELECTRONICS. I TOOK AWAY TV.

HE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL HE WAS AND HE MOPED AROUND FOR AN ENTIRE WEEKEND, AND I SAID, WELL, HE SLEPT FOR AN ENTIRE WEEKEND, AND YOU STILL GOT TO DO THE WORK.

SO THAT'S HOW I BOOSTED UP HIS GRADES SO DRAMATICALLY.

SO, ANYWAY, ALL THE TEACHERS HAVE TO DO IS PUT IN THIS, THESE, THIS INFORMATION SEVEN DAYS BEFORE IT'S DUE, AND THEN THE PARENTS CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE KIDS GET IT DONE.

THAT'S VERY I MEAN, IT DOESN'T COST DOESN'T TAKE THE TEACHERS ANY MORE TIME BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY PUTTING IN THE INFORMATION. AND MR. SPENT A LOT OF TIME EMAILING BACK AND FORTH TRYING TO GET EXTENSIONS FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO DO IT LATE AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.

THANK YOU, MR. KESSLER.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. THE FIRST OF WHICH IS PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS.

WE WERE PRESENTED A LIST OF CERTIFIED AND CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL THAT WAS SCREENED BY HR AND THEN APPROVED BY THE ADMINISTRATION FOR EACH LOCATION.

AND WE MUST APPROVE THAT. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LIST OF PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS IN ITEM A1? SO MOVED. MOTION MADE BY MR. LINDELL. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? SECONDED BY MISS MORRIS. ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE LIST OF PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THAT'S EVERYONE.

THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES. THE NEXT TWO ITEMS ARE SOME POLICY SECOND READINGS THAT WE'VE COVERED BEFORE.

THE FIRST ONE ITEM A2 IS POLICY JLCG, CAESAR, EXCUSE ME.

SEIZURE SAFE SCHOOLS. THIS IS A SECOND READING.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE POLICY? JLCG ON SECOND READING.

[01:10:02]

THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION CARRIES. THE SECOND POLICY IS ALSO SECOND READING.

THIS IS POLICY JLCD ASSISTING STUDENTS WITH MEDICINES AND POLICY JLCDA INDIVIDUAL HEALTH CARE PLANS.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE ON SECOND READING? SO MOVED. MOTION MADE BY MR. LINDELL. IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY MISS MORRIS. ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE SECOND READING OF POLICY JLCD, AND POLICY JLCDA, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION CARRIES. OKAY.

EXCUSE ME. THE LAST INDIVIDUAL ITEM IS THE 25-26 BUDGET.

SECOND AND FINAL READING. I BELIEVE MR. TRAXLER WAS GOING TO GO OVER A FEW SLIDES BEFORE ANY MOTION ON THAT.

GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIR. BOARD MEMBERS, DOCTOR MURPHY WHENEVER HE RETURNS.

YES, SIR. WE HAVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE SECOND FINAL READING OF THE BUDGET.

IT'S BEEN A VERY LONG BUDGET PROCESS. IT'S BEEN UNIQUE.

WE HAVE THE SALARY STUDY IMPLEMENTATION THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED THROUGHOUT.

AND THAT WAS A IT WAS A PRETTY LARGE UNDERTAKING.

TAKING. SO IN THIS PRESENTATION WE'LL SUMMARIZE THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS PROPOSAL.

YOU SEE THE BUDGET CALENDAR HERE IS THINGS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IN LENGTH.

WE'VE HAD A BUDGET RETREAT WITH THE BOARD. WE'VE HAD TWO BUDGET WORK STUDIES, FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET.

THE LAST MEETING, WE HAD THE BUDGET HEARING WHERE WE HEARD INPUT ON THE BUDGET, THOUGHTS ON THE MILLAGE RATES.

AND TONIGHT WE HAVE THE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF THE BUDGET.

SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE USED TO HAVE A SECOND AND FINAL READING OF THE BUDGET IN JUNE, AND WE'VE MOVED UP THAT TIMELINE NOW WITH THE TWICE A MONTH PAYCHECKS TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE OUT THE YEAR, TO BE ABLE TO ROLL OVER TO THE NEW YEAR AND PROVIDE THOSE FIRST PAYCHECKS OF THE NEW YEAR ON JULY 5TH. IN YOUR PACKET TONIGHT, YOU HAVE A VARIETY OF ITEMS. YOU HAVE A SUMMARY. IN ADDITION TO THE NARRATIVE, YOU HAVE A SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET.

YOU HAVE KIND OF AN OUTLINE OF WHAT THE EXPENDITURES ARE.

THEY ARE SUMMARIZED. WE HAVE OVER 10,000 ACCOUNTS.

SO THESE ARE SUMMARIZED BY LOCATION WITH THEM SUMMARIZED BY OBJECT.

WE HAVE INFORMATION ON THE REVENUE. WE HAVE A DRAFT COPY OF THE SALARY SCHEDULE FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.

AND WE ALSO HAVE STAFFING FORMULAS. THE BUDGET OVERVIEW.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE A $2,500 PER SALE INCREASE IN THE TEACHER SCALE THAT'S BASED ON 190 DAYS. TEACHERS, WHEN ELIGIBLE, WOULD ALSO RECEIVE A STEP INCREASE.

COST OF THE SALARY. STUDY IMPLEMENTATION. WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS AT LENGTH.

THE ESTIMATED COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $12 MILLION NET.

THE FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET, WE REDUCED THAT BY 10%.

SO 1.2 MILLION. THAT TRANSLATED TO OUR PROPOSED SALARY SCHEDULE AS A 1.5% REDUCTION.

AND FOLKS SAY, ALL RIGHT, WHERE DO WE GET 98.5% OUT OF 90%? WELL, IF WE LOOK AT THAT 1.2 MILLION AND WE LOOK AT TOTAL SALARIES OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IMPACTED IS SOMEWHERE IN THE 75 MILLION RANGE. SO IF WE CUT 1.2 MILLION OFF THIS, THAT'S WHERE WE GET A 1.5% REDUCTION.

THE PLAN WOULD BE TO ADD THAT BACK INTO THE BUDGET NEXT YEAR.

OF COURSE, EVERY BUDGET STANDS ON ITS OWN, BUT AS WE'RE ALREADY PLANNING FOR THINGS NEXT YEAR AND ALREADY MAKING NOTES ON THAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED.

THE BOARD GAVE PRE-APPROVAL TO A SECOND ELEMENTARY ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.

THAT'S FOR SCHOOLS GREATER THAN 500 STUDENTS, WHO ALSO HAVE ADDITIONAL TEACHERS FOR AN EXPANDED LEARNING TO ADDRESS ELA AND MATH IN OUR

[01:15:08]

THAT GOES INTO EFFECT IN JANUARY. SO IN ESSENCE, WE'RE SEEING ABOUT A 2.3% INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE.

LAST YEAR, WE WERE LOOKING AT AN 11.8% INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE, AGAIN A HALF YEAR INCREASE.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO FILL THE WHEN I SAY LAST YEAR, 24-25, WE'LL FILL THE COMPLETE IMPACT OF THAT FOR THIS COMING YEAR.

WE HAVE SHORTFALLS IN CERDEP FUNDING. THAT'S THE 4K PROGRAM.

STATE FUNDING FOR THAT, FOR INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES.

SO OUR FUNDING IS RELATIVELY CONSTANT, BUT AS TEACHER SALARIES INCREASE, AS THE FRINGE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT INCREASES, THAT MEANS THAT THE GENERAL FUND PICKS UP MORE OF THAT BURDEN.

WE HAVE A DEBT SERVICE INCREASE IN THE ABM PROJECT THAT'S PAID FOR OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.

THAT'S NOT GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT. WE HAVE A COST NEUTRAL TECHNOLOGY, STAFFING AND BUDGET UPDATE THAT THAT WE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED THAT ADDED THREE POSITIONS IN UPGRADED OTHER POSITIONS AND NETTED THAT AGAINST CONTRACTED SERVICES IN OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT.

WE HAVE THREE MULTILINGUAL TEACHERS THAT WE'RE ADDING TO THIS VERSION OF THE BUDGET.

THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE FIVE THAT WERE ADDED MID-YEAR IN JANUARY.

WE'RE LOOKING TO SHIFT APPROPRIATELY CREDENTIALED ADS TO ADMINISTRATIVE ROLES.

THAT'S AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. WE HAVE SIX LICENSED SOCIAL WORKERS IN THIS BUDGET AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.

SO THAT WOULD BE AT THE SEVEN HIGH SCHOOLS, EXCLUDING AIKEN SCHOLARS, WITH ONE OF THOSE BODIES SPLIT BETWEEN RSM AND WAGENER-SALLEY HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAVE FUNDING FOR A WEBMASTER VIDEOGRAPHER, CTE PROGRAM MODIFICATIONS THAT WERE DISCUSSED.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON MAINTENANCE POSITIONS.

SO LOOKING NOW TO AND PROPOSING TO ADD THREE POSITIONS HVAC TECH AND ADDITIONAL PLUMBER AND A REFRIGERATION TECH. THAT THIRD POSITION WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH OUR CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM, WOULD OPERATE EXCLUSIVELY AND SERVE EXCLUSIVELY THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM, BUT WOULD STILL OPERATE OUT OF OUR MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT WITH OVERSIGHT BY OUR BY OUR MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE TWO OTHER STAFFING MODIFICATIONS.

WE HAVE A CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM FIELD SUPERVISOR POSITION.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE THREE THAT WOULD BE FUNDED OUTSIDE OF THE GENERAL FUND.

BUT GIVEN THE SIZE OF OUR DISTRICT, WE WANTED TO ADD A FOURTH JUST TO ENSURE THAT THAT WE AREN'T SPREADING OUR SUPERVISORS TOO THIN.

AND ULTIMATELY THIS BENEFITS ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR LUNCHROOMS. WE HAVE THREE SPED COORDINATORS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO UPGRADE TO MODIFIED TO THE DIRECTOR LEVEL.

WE'RE ASKING FOR FUNDING FOR A HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR POSITION.

WE DON'T HAVE A DEDICATED HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR AT THIS MOMENT.

THIS BUDGET INCLUDES FIVE ADDITIONAL DAYS FOR A STUDENT INFO CLERKS, GOING FROM 200 TO 205 DAYS.

THESE POSITIONS HELP CODE STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.

IT HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON FUNDING. AND ACCURACY OF THAT INFORMATION IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

THE BUDGET INCLUDES A 10% INCREASE IN ATHLETIC SUPPLEMENTS AND A 3% INCREASE IN OTHER SUPPLEMENTS AND STIPENDS.

WE'VE CREATED AND ADDED TO THE BUDGET ASSISTANCE SUPPLEMENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL FOR BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, AND GIRLS AND BOYS BASKETBALL. AND AT AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL, WE'VE CREATED BOYS AND GIRLS VARSITY SUPPLEMENTS FOR LACROSSE. THAT'S THE ONLY SCHOOL AT THIS TIME THAT WOULD HAVE LACROSSE.

WE DISCUSSED INTERSESSION. WE HAD USED IN THE PAST COVID FUNDS TO CONDUCT THAT.

[01:20:05]

SO THIS COMING YEAR, WE'VE ADDED IT AGAIN, UTILIZING ONE TIME FUNDS WITH THE PLAN TO EVALUATE THAT DURING 26/27 AND WHETHER TO CONTINUE THAT IN FUTURE YEARS. WE HAVE A CREATION OF A SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MANAGER POSITION.

ORIGINALLY, THIS WAS A REQUEST FOR AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR POSITION.

WE LOOKED AT A LOWER LEVEL POSITION THAT WOULD ASSIST OUR SECURITY DIRECTOR.

WE ASKED FOR FLEXIBILITY WITH ELEMENTARY CLASS CAP.

JUST TO GIVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DISCRETION. WE DESCRIBED THAT OCCASIONALLY THERE WERE SITUATIONS WHERE WE WERE ONE STUDENT OVER THAT THAT CLASS CAP. IT GIVES US DISCRETION.

LOOKING AT THE SCHOOL, LOOKING AT THE SITUATION, THERE MAY BE TIMES WHEN WE DON'T EXTEND THAT, THERE MAY BE OTHERS WHERE IT MAKES EXTREME SENSE WHERE A SINGLE STUDENT COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE IN ADDING A CLASS OR NOT.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ASKING THE BOARD TO, PROVIDE DISCRETION ON.

WE HAVE A VARIETY OF INCREASES IN STATE REVENUE.

WE HAVE INCREASES IN LOCAL REVENUE AS PART OF THIS PROPOSED BUDGET.

MOST SIGNIFICANTLY, AN INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES.

INCREASE IN SCHOOL OPERATING MILLAGE BY 20 MILLS FROM 1 34.2 TO 154.2.

THIS IS THE FIRST INCREASE IN 11 YEARS. THE WE HAVE A TRANSFER FROM EIA INTO THE GENERAL FUND.

A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THAT IS CARRYOVER FROM 2425 INTO 2526 TO ASSIST WITH THE FUNDING OF THE SALARY STUDY. WE'VE TALKED THROUGHOUT THAT SALARY STUDY IS ONLY GOING TO BENEFIT US IF WE ENSURE THAT IT'S SUSTAINABLE. AND THIS WAS A BIG MEASURE IN MAKING SURE A SURE IT'S SUSTAINABLE.

STAGGERING THAT UTILIZING CARRYOVER IN COMBINATION WITH THE TAX INCREASE HERE AND THEN THROUGHOUT, THERE ARE VARIOUS OTHER CHANGES IN THE BUDGET UPDATES JUST BASED ON TRENDS.

WHENEVER WE LOOK OVERALL AT OUR GENERAL FUND, THE PROPOSED VERSION OF THE BUDGET IS $289.9 MILLION.

I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR GO THROUGH ANYTHING ELSE.

THANK YOU, MR. TRAXLER. YES, I THINK EVERYTHING'S PRETTY CLEAR.

THE ONLY QUESTION I'VE HEARD PRETTY CONSISTENTLY FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PRIMARILY ADMINISTRATIVE FACULTY AND THAT IS ON THE SALARY STUDY ROLLOUT. AND WHEN THE, WHEN THE SALARY PLAN GOES INTO EFFECT, IS THERE GOING TO BE A WAY OF ROLLING IT OUT WHERE THEY'LL KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AHEAD OF TIME. BECAUSE I KNOW YOU CAN'T SET A PERCENTAGE NECESSARILY, BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON THE STEP INCREASES AND THERE'S A CHANGE IN THE STEPS.

SO THEY'RE SORT OF WONDERING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THERE.

YES, SIR. WE'RE WORKING ON THAT PLAN. SO ACTUALLY, BASED ON TONIGHT'S DECISIONS, I HAVE A JOINT MEETING SCHEDULED WITH FINANCE STAFF AND WITH HR TOMORROW. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT FOLKS WANT TO KNOW HOW IT IMPACTS THEM.

DOCTOR MURPHY IS SEEING. HE'S LOOKED AT IT. I HAVE LINES AND LINES AND LINES IN AN EXCEL DOCUMENT WHERE WE'VE CALCULATED ALL THIS.

IT'S APPROXIMATELY 1500 VOTES, AND WE'RE STILL GETTING PAPERWORK ON THAT.

SO I WOULD ANTICIPATE HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE MAYBE THROUGH MAIL MERGE OR SOMETHING.

SENDING INFORMATION OUT TO FOLKS INDIVIDUALIZED.

YES. IT IS GOING TO BE VERY DIFFERENT FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE.

FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO HEAR IT AGAIN, WE'RE GOING FROM A ZERO THROUGH 26 STEP SCALE TO A 1 TO 20 STEP SCALE. SOME FOLKS MAY BE ON STEP THREE NOW, OR MAYBE THEY WERE GOING TO BE ON STEP FOUR NEXT YEAR.

MAYBE THEY END UP ON STEP FOUR. THAT'S NOTHING MORE THAN A COINCIDENCE.

BUT WE HAVE A CONSISTENT FORMULA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO APPLY THAT.

I COULD SPEAK PERSONALLY. I'M LOOKING AT MINE.

[01:25:01]

SO WE SEE THAT THROUGHOUT. BUT IT DOES PROVIDE A FINANCIAL BENEFIT TO OUR FOLKS DESPITE THE WHATEVER STEP THEY'RE ON. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO SAY AND CONTINUE TO REMIND FOLKS THAT STEP DOES NOT EQUAL YEARS.

AND THAT'S A COMMON MISCONCEPTION BECAUSE ON THE TEACHER SCALE IT DOES.

ON THE TEACHER SCALE, IT AGREES TO WHATEVER THE WHATEVER THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IS ON THE TEACHER'S CERTIFICATE, WHATEVER THE DEGREE IS. SO WE WILL SHARE THAT INFO.

I FAILED TO MENTION IT, AND I WANT TO, WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT THE TEACHER SCALE.

AND AGAIN, IT BEARS REPEATING THE STATE HAS DONE AWAY OR IS DOING AWAY WITH THE BACHELOR PLUS 18 PAY SCALE.

OUR DISTRICT WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT AMONG THE TEACHER PAY SCALES.

THAT IS FOR FOLKS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THAT SCALE, WE'RE GRANDFATHERING THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, WE WILL NOT BE ADDING PEOPLE, ADDING NEW HIRES TO THAT SCALE.

WE WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT STATE IS GOING TO THEY'RE EITHER GOING TO SHOW A BACHELOR'S ON A CERTIFICATE, OR THEY'RE GOING TO SHOW MASTERS. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SHOW A BACHELOR'S PLUS 18 IN BETWEEN.

BUT THAT'S STRICTLY TO GRANDFATHER, OUR 100 ISH FOLKS THAT ARE ON THE BACHELOR'S PLUS 18 SCALE.

JUST ONE QUICK FOLLOW UP. MR. TRAXLER. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S COVERED.

WE'VE GOT A FORMULA THAT YOU'RE WORKING THROUGH.

I THINK THE ONLY QUESTION WOULD THEN BE, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S GOING TO BE IT'LL STILL SET US CLOSER TO EQUAL ON THE SALARY STUDY, WHICH WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS. AND THEN THE QUESTION WOULD BE, I'M ASSUMING THE FORMULA IS MADE TO SORT OF LIKE IF ONE POSITION WAS PAID A LOT LOWER THAN IT SHOULD BE VERSUS ONE THAT WAS PAID JUST A LITTLE LOWER THAN IT SHOULD BE, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME SORT OF CORRECTION THERE.

IS THAT TRUE? YES, SIR. THE THE AVERAGE I THINK THE AVERAGE INCREASE AND I DIDN'T BRING IT HOME WITH ME.

BUT THE HOURLY FOLKS, YOU MAY SEE SOMEWHERE AROUND 20% FOR FOLKS THAT AREN'T HOURLY.

MAYBE IT WAS IN THE 12 TO 13% RANGE. DOESN'T MEAN EVERYONE'S GETTING 12 OR 13%.

YOU MAY HAVE SOME THAT ARE SIX. YOU MAY HAVE SOME THAT ARE 17 OR 18.

WHENEVER YOU LOOK AT IT THOUGH, THOSE THAT REFLECT A GREATER INCREASE, THAT LIKELY MEANS THAT THEY'RE GREATER OUT OF WHACK. I, WE ALSO WANT TO BE MINDFUL THAT THIS WAS A STUDY.

IT WASN'T INTERNAL. NOW, YES, WE PROVIDED FEEDBACK DURING THE PROCESS.

WE REVIEWED IT. IT WAS A LONG PROCESS. IT WAS BASED ON OR TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION SURVEYS FROM EMPLOYEES.

BUT THIS WAS PERFORMED BY A THIRD PARTY INDEPENDENT TO US THAT LOOKED AT THE AREA.

IT LOOKED AT SALARIES FOR OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND IDENTIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

AND THEN FROM THERE WE WENT THROUGH SOME THINGS.

YES. MR. BROOME. THANK YOU, TROY. I JUST GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

TALKING ABOUT INTERSESSION. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION, AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER, THAT WE DO. WE, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE DIDN'T DO SUMMER SCHOOL ANYMORE.

THAT BEING SAID, NOW I'M WONDERING BECAUSE. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I GOT TWO, TWO KIDS IN SCHOOL AND I SEEN SOMETHING COME OUT FROM SILVER BLUFF THE OTHER DAY TALKING ABOUT SIGNING UP THE ONES THAT HAD TO TAKE SUMMER SCHOOL.

SO CAN SOMEBODY, BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT INTERSESSIONS, WHAT, FOUR DAYS? YES, A LOT OF MONEY. I WAS TOLD I THINK DOCTOR MURPHY SAID, WELL, IF WE DIDN'T DO INTERCESSION, WE'D HAVE TO DO SUMMER SCHOOL. WELL, NOW I KNOW WHAT I SAW.

I SAW A PAPER THAT COME OUT SIGNING UP FOR SUMMER SCHOOL.

SO ARE WE DOING SUMMER SCHOOL? YES. I ASKED DOCTOR EDWARDS TO SPEAK ON SUMMER PROGRAMS. SO FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE ARE DOING RECOVERY SUMMER SCHOOL SO THAT THIS YEAR THE KIDS.

WELL, EVERY YEAR THE KIDS GO TO RECOVER THOSE UNITS THAT THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN CREDIT FOR.

SO WE DO HAVE SUMMER SCHOOL AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE MONTH OF JUNE THOSE STUDENTS WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO GO REGISTER FOR HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER SCHOOL TO RECOVER ATTENDANCE IF THEY'RE MISSING SEAT TIME OR ACTUAL CONTENT.

[01:30:03]

THAT IS A STATE REQUIREMENT WRITTEN INTO LEGISLATION THAT WE HAVE EVERY YEAR.

SO THIS YEAR WE WILL BE PROVIDING SUMMER SCHOOL FOR THIRD GRADERS WHO ARE IN DANGER OF FAILING.

I FEEL LIKE WE WAS A LITTLE MISLED THAT LAST CONVERSATION.

MAYBE I'M JUST THAT IGNORANT, BUT I ALWAYS FELT LIKE I WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT WE WERE NOT DOING SUMMER SCHOOL, AND THAT IF WE DID AWAY WITH INTERSESSION, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO DO SUMMER SCHOOL.

SO NOW I QUESTION, WHY DO WE NOT TAKE THAT MONEY IF WE'RE ALREADY DOING SUMMER SCHOOL? I JUST DON'T SEE THE VALUE FROM TALKING TO MANY PEOPLE IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY'RE IN INTERSESSION. I HONESTLY DO NOT SEE THE VALUE FOR THE MONEY WE'RE SPENDING.

AND I I'VE TALKED TO PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT'S INVOLVED IN IN THIS IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.

AND I JUST I JUST THINK THAT I WAS MISLED INTO BELIEVING WE DIDN'T DO SUMMER SCHOOL.

THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. THANK YOU. I WILL NOTE THAT I THINK WE CONTINUE TO EXPLORE WAYS TO MAKE INTERSESSION MORE EFFICIENT. AND, AND WE'RE MINDFUL OF THE COSTS THERE.

SO, YES. ARE WE AND WHENEVER WE SAY FOUR DAYS, IT WAS FOUR DAYS IN THE FALL, FOUR IN THE SPRING, WHICH I THINK YOU MEANT. YEAH, I DID, AND I DO HAVE A FOLLOW UP.

ANOTHER SUBJECT WE'VE GOT IN THIS BUDGET, SOME AREAS WHERE WE'RE ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF PERSONNEL OR WE'VE UPGRADED SOME POSITIONS. AND I'M JUST GOING TO SAY FOR THE RECORD THAT I FEEL IT'S VERY DISRESPECTFUL TO EMPLOYEES TO RETIRE. AND SOMEBODY COMES IN THE POSITION THEY HELD FOR MANY YEARS AND DID AS AN UPGRADED POSITION.

I THINK IT'S VERY DISRESPECTFUL TO THEM. AND, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND IF YOU IF YOU DO A POSITION AND SOMEBODY ELSE COMES INTO IT, THEN YOU, YOU KNOW, THEY EARN THEIR WAY AND THEY CAN EARN THEIR WAY UP.

BUT TO HAVE SOMEBODY RETIRE, THAT'S DONE A POSITION A NUMBER OF YEARS OR LEAVE THIS DISTRICT AND THAT POSITION IS UPGRADED RIGHT BEHIND THEM.

I JUST THINK IT'S VERY DISRESPECTFUL TO THEM IN MY OPINION, AND THAT'S JUST STATING AN OPINION.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MISTER TRAXLER WHILE HE'S UP THERE? MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON. SUMMER SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOLERS, THEY HAVE PARENTS HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT, CORRECT? I BELIEVE IT'S, WELL, YES, MA'AM.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. BUT I BELIEVE THAT FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE IN PIP STATUS, WE'RE LOOKING AT A REDUCED AMOUNT RIGHT THERE.

THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION.

REVIEW THAT. AND SO THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION IN REGARDS TO THE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF THE 25/26 BUDGET? I MOVE, WE ADOPT THE 2025. SECOND. MOTION MADE BY DOCTOR BRADLEY, SECONDED BY MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON TO APPROVE THE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF THE 2025-2026 BUDGET.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? MR. BROOME. MR. NUESSLE, I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN ALTERNATE MOTION THAT WE ADOPT THIS BUDGET AND REMOVE INTERSESSION FROM THIS BUDGET AND LOOK TO TAKE THAT MONEY AND WORK TOWARDS A STRONGER SUMMER SCHOOL.

OKAY. AND JUST DO A REPEAT BACK. MR. BROOME WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THE MAIN MOTION TO REMOVE FUNDING FOR INTERSESSION.

CORRECT. IS THERE A SECOND FOR THIS AMENDMENT TO THE MAIN MOTION? LONG PAUSE. JUST IN CASE. NOT SEEING ONE. THE MOTION TO AMEND THE MAIN MOTION FAILS FOR LACK OF A SECOND.

ANY FUTURE? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE 25-26 BUDGET?

[01:35:01]

THAT'S SEVEN IN FAVOR. ALL THOSE OPPOSED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

THAT'S ONE AGAINST THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE 25-26 BUDGET ON THE SECOND AND FINAL READING IS APPROVED 7 TO 1.

ALL RIGHT. THAT MOVES US TO CONSENT ITEMS, WHICH ARE THINGS THAT WE WILL VOTE ON AS A GROUP, BUT WE CERTAINLY CAN DISCUSS THEM INDIVIDUALLY BEFORE TAKING THAT VOTE.

THE FIRST OF WHICH IS WE WERE PRESENTED A LIST OF PEOPLE REQUESTING TO TRANSFER OUT OF THIS DISTRICT TO NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, AND WE MUST APPROVE THAT SECOND. WE ARE NEED TO APPROVE ACTUALLY WHAT WE SAW IN THE PRESENTATION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.

THE, I BELIEVE THE PUBLIC EDUCATION PARTNERS GRANT AWARDS TO TEACHERS IN THIS DISTRICT FOR THAT TOTAL, OVER $5,300 THAT TEACHERS CAN USE FOR PROJECTS THAT THEY SUBMITTED THOSE APPLICATIONS FOR.

NUMBER THREE, THERE IS AN SNS INNOVATIVE TEACHING MINI GRANT AWARD TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER $18,000 IN MANY GRANTS FROM SNS FOR THAT WILL GO TO 28 TEACHERS RECEIVING THOSE AWARDS.

NEXT AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THESE UPDATES ON ENTRANCES FOR SECURITY THERE IS A EXCUSE ME.

LET ME GET THIS OPEN. YEP. THE CONSTRUCTION BIDS FOR EAST AIKEN ELEMENTARY SECURE VESTIBULE.

SO IF WE APPROVE THIS I THINK FOLKS KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THAT THE FRONT DOOR OF THAT BUILDING, IF YOU DO GO THROUGH THAT FRONT DOOR, IS RIGHT INTO THE MAIN PART OF THE BUILDING.

SO CONSTRUCTING A SECURITY VESTIBULE SO THAT THERE'S YOU DON'T WALK RIGHT INTO THE BUILDING.

IF WE APPROVE THIS AS PART OF THE CONSENT ITEMS, WE'LL BE AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION TO ACCEPT THE LOW BID AND ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH FIRST CLASS CONSTRUCTION TO BUILD THE SECURE VESTIBULE AT THAT SCHOOL.

THE NEXT ONE IN CONSENT ITEMS NUMBER FIVE IS GMP ONE FOR AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL FIELD DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS AND SCORES TOWER.

THIS IS TO BE PAID FROM THE 2014 PENNY SALES TAX FUNDS.

FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN TO JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND, FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN TO A SOFTBALL GAME AT AIKEN HIGH.

THAT FIELD HAS NOT DRAINED WELL, PROBABLY EVER.

AND IT'S NOT GOOD. SO A LOT OF THIS IS I'M JUST ADDING A LITTLE COMMENTARY IS THAT THEY'RE REPLACING BLEACHERS IN THE PRESS BOX AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT THIS IS REALLY TO RE-ORIENTATE AND MOVE THE FIELD AND REGRADE IT AND DO EROSION CONTROL.

AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE SOME, YOU KNOW, PUT IN SIDEWALKS AND ADA PARKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO GET A FEEL THAT'S DECENT AND DRAINS, BUT THEN ALSO UPGRADE IT WITH A FEW OF THOSE OTHER THINGS.

SO IF WE APPROVE THAT AS PART OF CONSENT ITEMS, WE'LL BE AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT WITH HG REYNOLDS TO INSTALL THE BLEACHERS AND THE FIELD AND THE SCORER'S TOWER AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE MENTIONED.

ALL RIGHT. THOSE ARE THE FIVE CONSENT ITEMS. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEMS? AS LISTED? I MOVE WE APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEMS. MOTION MADE BY DOCTOR BRADLEY, SECONDED BY MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEMS AS PRESENTED.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? MR. LINDELL FOR A NUMBER FOR THE FIRST CLASS CONSTRUCTION.

IS THAT AN AIKEN COUNTY BASED CONSTRUCTION FIRM.

LOOKS LIKE YARBOROUGH IS GOING TO GIVE US THE ANSWER. OKAY. WELL, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M GOING TO ASK MR. GERARD. DO YOU KNOW IF THAT'S IN AIKEN COUNTY? YOU'RE OUT OF COLUMBIA, SIR. COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA. DID WE HAVE ANY AIKEN COUNTY CONSTRUCTION FIRMS BID FOR THIS OR BELOW BID? THERE WERE TWO BIDDERS. IT LOOKS LIKE FIRST CLASS CONSTRUCTION WAS THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE.

BUT, MR. GERARD, CAN YOU TELL US WHO THE SECOND ONE WAS? AT THIS TIME I DON'T REMEMBER, BUT WE CAN DO SOME RESEARCH AND GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.

CERTAINLY. BUT WE DID THIS LOW BID. YES, SIR.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THE FIVE CONSENT ITEMS? HEARING NONE. WE HAVE A MOTION THAT'S BEEN SECONDED TO APPROVE THE FIVE CONSENT ITEMS AS LISTED AND PRESENTED.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THAT'S IT.

[01:40:02]

ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO INFORMATIONAL ITEMS, AND WE'LL CALL DOCTOR YARBOROUGH UP TO GIVE A 2024 1% SALES TAX UPDATE.

YES, SIR. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. BOARD MEMBERS, DOCTOR MURPHY, IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP THE BOARD CURRENT ON THE PROGRESS OF THE 2024 1% SALES TAX PROJECTS, WE HAVE A VERY SHORT PRESENTATION THAT MR. MIKE GEHR, OUR DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION, IS GOING TO COME UP AND WALK THROUGH WITH YOU.

ALL RIGHT, MIKE. THANK YOU, DOCTOR YARBOROUGH.

MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. SUPERINTENDENT, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR PROGRESS WITH OUR FOUR 1% SALES TAX PROJECTS. I'LL SHOW YOU SILVER BLUFF, MIDLAND VALLEY, SOUTH AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL AND NORTH AUGUSTA.

AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY EARLY ON IS IN THAT WE'RE EARLY IN THE PROCESS.

AND WE WANTED TO DISCUSS TO YOU, SHOW YOU OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS UP TO THIS POINT.

EACH DESIGN TEAM HAS PRESENTED THEIR BEST GUESS SCHEDULE BASED ON THE INFORMATION GATHERED AND HAS LIMITED DESIGN.

SO YOU'LL SEE SOME VARIATIONS IN THE END DATES AND THE COMPLETION DATES ONLY BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR BEST GUESS.

OKAY. YOU'LL SEE. SILVER BLUFF. SORRY, I HAVE MY BACK TO YOU.

BUT I CAN SEE THIS. YOU WILL SEE. THERE ARE SEVERAL COMMON ITEMS IN EACH ONE OF THESE SCHEDULES.

THEY'LL BE SCHEMATIC DESIGN. THEY'LL BE PROGRAMING, WHICH WE JUST FINISHED, AND ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.

THEN WE HAVE SCHEMATIC PRICING. AND YOU'LL ALSO SEE IN THIS SCHEDULE AND IT MAY NOT IT MAY NOT BE PREVALENT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, BUT ALL BUT ONE OF THE SCHOOLS AND IF I MAY, YOU'LL SEE IN THE RED THAT'S GOING TO BE A CONSTRUCTION PACKAGE. SO IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BUILD NEW SPACE AND THEN MOVE THE STUDENTS OUT OF THE OLD THEIR OLD SPACES AND MOVE THEM INTO NEW SPACE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE RED.

SO THEN YOU'LL SEE. OKAY, WELL, I GOT AN OWNER.

MOVE IN. WELL, THAT'S OWNER MOVE IN FOR THE NEW PHASE.

THEN WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND ALMOST REPEAT THE PROCESS OVER AGAIN, WHERE WE'LL HAVE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT, WE'LL HAVE DEED DEVELOPMENT, WE'LL HAVE TO GET PRICING.

AND THAT WOULD BE FOR THE RENOVATIONS. AND THEN YOU'LL SEE IN THE RED TO YOUR FAR RIGHT.

THEN THE RED INDICATES THE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE FOR THE RENOVATION AND THEN A MOVE IN DATE.

SO AND YOU'LL SEE THAT. AND JUST FOR SILVER BLUFF WE'RE SHOWING A COMPLETE MOVE IN DATE SOMETIME IN I THINK THAT'S JANUARY OR NOVEMBER. DECEMBER OF 2028.

ALL RIGHT. AND THIS PATTERN WILL REPEAT. OH, LET ME JUST GO THROUGH SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.

MY APOLOGIES. SO IN NOVEMBER OF 24, WE HAD ON SITE MEETINGS WITH FACULTY FACILITIES, PRINCIPALS AND OUR DESIGN TEAM JCS AND HOOD CONSTRUCTION, OUR CONTRACT MANAGER.

THEN WE HAD ONSITE MEETINGS WITH FACULTY PRINCIPAL, THE DESIGN TEAM.

AND THEN THAT WAY STAFF WAS ABLE TO TELL US WELL, WHAT WORKS.

I DON'T NEED ELECTRIC WINDOWS. I DON'T NEED A SUNROOF IN THE CAR.

YOU KNOW, BUT I WOULD LIKE GOOD GAS MILEAGE. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO WE'RE TRYING TO COLLECT ALL OF THE INPUT FROM ALL OF THE STAFF MEMBERS.

THEN OUR DESIGN TEAM, JCS, CONDUCTED FIELD VERIFICATIONS.

WE WENT ROOM BY ROOM, TALK TO EACH TEACHER. WHAT DO YOU NEED? WHAT WORKS? WHAT DOESN'T WORK? AND THEN I CAN MOVE ALONG.

FULL DAY ON SITE MEETINGS. WE HAD ZOOM MEETINGS WITH FACILITIES, AND THEN WE SCHEDULED MEETINGS WITH THE PRINCIPAL FACILITIES, OUR CONTRACTOR, OUR CONTRACT MANAGER, AND THEN PRESENT AND VERIFY OUR UPDATED CONCEPTUAL FLOOR PLAN.

[01:45:08]

ALL RIGHT. AND THEN THAT'S WHAT WE DID. ALL RIGHT.

SO FOR MIDLAND VALLEY THE SAME TYPE OF YOU HAVE THE SAME STEPS.

AND THEN YOU HAVE THE SAME LIKE CALL IT TWO DIFFERENT PROJECTS.

YOU HAVE THE CONSTRUCTION EARLY SITE PHASE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW FACILITIES AND THEN SWING THE STUDENTS INTO THE NEW AND THEN BE ABLE TO RENOVATE THE OLD. OKAY. AND THEN YOU'LL SEE AN END DATE OF NOVEMBER DECEMBER OF 2029.

OKAY. WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN OUR OUR OUR PREVIOUS SCHEDULE.

AGAIN, WE'RE EARLY IN THE PROCESS AND THESE ARE THEIR BEST GUESSES.

ALL RIGHT. SORRY. ALL RIGHT. GO BACK PLEASE.

SO THE FOR SOME REASON IT'S NOT GOING BACK, BUT I CAN TELL.

THERE YOU GO. SO MIDLAND VALLEY HIGHLIGHTS IN DECEMBER, WE HAD A KICKOFF MEETING FROM MARCH 12TH AND 13TH OF 25. WE DID THE, WE DID WALKTHROUGHS. WE DID CAMPUS PLANNING AND PROGRAMING AND PRESENTATION OF NEW CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATIONS OPTIONS TO THE OWNER WILL HAPPEN AT THE END OF THIS MONTH AND BEGINNING OF JUNE, AND THAT WILL BE FOR MIDLAND VALLEY. FOR SOUTH AIKEN YOU HAVE THE SAME SITUATION. YOU HAVE THE SAME PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH.

SAME BOARD APPROVALS. AND THEN NOW AT THE BOTTOM YOU WILL SEE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW AND THEN THE RENOVATION OF THE OLD AND THE LIGHT BLUE WITH A COMPLETION TIME OF 2028. SOUTH AIKEN TIMELINE AGAIN, WE HAD KICKOFF MEETINGS.

WE HAD THREE VERIFICATION MEETINGS. WE HAD FOUR PROGRAMING WORKSHOPS.

WE HAD FACILITY TOURS. AND WE ALSO LET THE DESIGN TEAM LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER FACILITIES TO SEE WHAT WAS WORKING THERE.

ALL RIGHT. CURRENT AND PRESENT UPDATE MILESTONES.

WE HAVE A WE'RE TALKING TO THE PRINCIPAL ABOUT WHAT THEIR FINDINGS WERE.

RESUBMISSION OF REVISED SITE CONCEPTS. TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT.

AND THEN IN JUNE, WE'LL START SCHEMATIC DESIGN.

NORTH AUGUSTA MIDDLE. NOW THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE CONDENSED SCHEDULE BECAUSE MOST OF THIS CONSTRUCTION IS A NEW BUILD WITH VERY LITTLE RENOVATION AND DEMOLITION. AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THE ATHLETIC FIELDS TO THE TOP TIER.

THIS IS A THREE TIERED CAMPUS. SO THE NEW TIER WILL BE DOWN WHERE THE FACILITY, THE WHERE THE SPORTS COMPLEX IS.

NOW WE BUILD NEW TIE TO THE MIDDLE TIER OF THE BUILDING.

GO TO THE TOP TIER. MOVE ALL THE ATHLETICS UP TO THERE.

AND THAT'S WHAT THAT SCHEDULE SHOWS. NOW REMEMBER NOW THEY'RE SHOWING THAT WE'LL FINISH THIS IN 2027.

ALL RIGHT. WELL SOME OF THE OTHER WAS 2028. YOU DON'T HAVE QUITE AS MUCH RENOVATION AS YOU WOULD DO IN SOME OF THE OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS. AND NORTH AUGUSTA MIDDLE.

WE HAD STAFF PROGRAMING. SCHEMATIC DESIGN IS COMPLETE.

AND OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING ON JUNE 10TH. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT OF THAT OF THAT SCHOOL.

WE HAD SUBMISSION TO OSF PRICING BY CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION COORDINATION WITH OUR SITE ENGINEER.

OUT OF THE FOUR BUILDINGS, OUT OF THE FOUR PROJECTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

THIS PROJECT WILL PROBABLY BE THE MOST DIFFICULT AS FAR AS RELOCATING UTILITIES, BEING ABLE TO MOVE THE UTILITIES, KEEP THE EXISTING SCHOOL IN OPERATION, BUILD NEW DISCONNECT AND THEN MOVE EVERYBODY.

ALL RIGHT. SO THIS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SHORTER SCHEDULE, HAS A MUCH MORE COMPLEX SITE PLAN AND UTILITY PACKAGE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT DRAWINGS ARE SCHEDULED FOR JULY EARLY SITE CIVIL ENGINEERING SEPTEMBER AND THEN CONTRACT DOCUMENTS TARGETED FOR OCTOBER 1ST.

[01:50:07]

CORRECT. OKAY. SO WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE WE'RE GOING TO SEE KIND OF THE NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT SCHEMATICS BUT THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN.

YOU'LL SEE A YOU. THAT'S RIGHT. YOU'LL SEE A SCHEMATIC CONCEPTUAL.

NO I'M JUST SAYING. SO I'M JUST I'M SAYING THAT OUT LOUD FOR THE GROUP. THAT'S, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOMETHING BACK IN THE BOARD TO REVIEW. AND I WOULD JUST SAY WE'LL MAKE SURE WE PLAN SO THAT WE LEAVE ADEQUATE TIME TO DO THAT.

BUT MR. BROOME, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU HAD SOMETHING.

I DO, I KNOW I'M GOING TO SPEAK. I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR SILVER BLUFF.

I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MEETINGS. MY QUESTION IS, WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WHY AS A BOARD AND I'M TALKING TO MIDLAND VALLEY, I'M TALKING TO NORTH AUGUSTA, I'M TALKING TO SOUTH AIKEN.

WHY ARE WE NOT AT LEAST GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF THE IDEA OF WHAT IS BEING DESIGNED? BECAUSE WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE PAST. IT GETS SHOT BACK IN HERE FOR CONCEPTUAL DESIGN, AND THEN WE'RE EXPECTED TO APPROVE IT.

AND I'M GOING TO SAY TO THIS BOARD. PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE THEIR INPUT.

BUT WHEN YOU EXCLUDE A COMMUNITY THAT PAYS FOR THIS, WHEN THE BOARD MEMBER DOESN'T EVEN GET ASKED TO EVEN ATTEND A MEETING OR GIVE ANY IDEAS WHEN YOUR ADVISORY COUNCILS ARE NOT INCLUDED AT ALL.

AND THEN YOU GET THIS FANCY PAPER SHOVED IN FRONT OF YOU AND YOU'RE ASKED TO VOTE FOR THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN.

I HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THAT. I'M GOING TO ASK THIS BOARD, IF WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE INVOLVED, THAT WE SHOULD SUPPORT THE BOARD MEMBERS IF THEY'VE GOT ISSUES WITH IT WHEN IT COMES TO THEM AND NOT APPROVE IT.

IT'S JUST DON'T LOOK. THE COMMUNITY HAS TO LIVE WITH THESE PROJECTS FROM NOW ON.

NOW YOU'RE TALKING. WE ARE JUST GOT TO WHERE WE TOTALLY EXCLUDE THE COMMUNITY IN SO MANY WAYS.

RUNNING THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND WE ASKED THE COMMUNITY FOR THE MONEY.

WE ASK THE COMMUNITY FOR THE SUPPORT, BUT THEN WE TOTALLY EXCLUDE THEM IN THE PROCESS.

I FEEL EXCLUDED AS A BOARD MEMBER. SO WHEN I SEE THE FRUSTRATION WITH MY COMMUNITY, I GET IT.

I VERY MUCH GET IT. SO ALL I'M SAYING IS, I DON'T WANT A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN PUT IN FRONT OF ME AND BE ASKED TO APPROVE IT THAT NIGHT.

I WANT MY ADVISORY COUNCIL TO SEE IT. I WANT COMMUNITY LEADERS TO SEE IT, AND I WANT TO HAVE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT. THE PRINCIPLE IS THERE MIGHT NOT EVEN BE THERE WHEN THIS IS COMPLETED, BUT THAT COMMUNITY WILL STILL BE THERE. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING, BECAUSE SO FAR, THE TRANSPARENCY I'VE SEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD IS STUFF SHOVED IN FRONT OF ME, AND WE'RE ASKED TO VOTE ON IT THAT NIGHT.

AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO STOP. YEAH, AND I DIDN'T SAY IT.

MR. BROOME. BUT I WOULD AGREE. I DON'T THINK THIS IS LIKE A, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE SEE THE PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT LISTS ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON IT ON TUESDAY. THAT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. WE SHED A LOT ENOUGH TIME TO DISCUSS IT, BUT WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE AN EXPECTATION TO SEE IT MUCH MORE IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.

NO, I'M SAYING FOR THIS, I AGREE. MR. MOULTON I THINK I'VE KIND OF GOT A SIMILAR QUESTION TO WHAT MR. BROOME WAS GETTING AT. I SAW, I THINK, IN YOUR FIRST PRESENTATION ON SILVER BLUFF, I THINK I SAW SOME DETAIL AS TO WHO THE OWNERS WERE AND WHO THE MEETINGS WERE TAKING PLACE WITH. AND THEN WHEN WE GOT TO MIDLAND VALLEY AND A FEW OTHERS, I THINK I JUST SAW THAT LAST PART OF THE UPDATE.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE OWNER.

AND IN MY MIND I'M LIKE, WELL, WHO'S THE OWNER? YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S DOCTOR MURPHY IF THAT'S THE PRINCIPAL.

I DON'T KNOW WHO THE OWNER IS. SO I WAS KIND OF WONDERING WHO'S INVOLVED IN THAT, INCLUDING POSSIBLY THE BOARD MEMBER AND THE COMMUNITY.

SO KIND OF WONDERING WHO THAT IS. THE NARRATIVE FOR MIDLAND VALLEY WAS A LITTLE BIT CONDENSED COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHERS.

[01:55:02]

MET WITH THE TEACHERS. WHAT DOESN'T WORK? WHAT WORKS.

MET WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS. WHAT WORKS? WHAT DOESN'T WORK? MET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT. OKAY. I MEAN, DEPARTMENT CHAIRS.

AND THEN WE MET WITH THE PRINCIPALS AS AS WELL.

SO IT WAS FOR EACH ONE. EVEN THOUGH THAT ONE WAS CONDENSED.

THEY WERE VERY ROBUST INFORMATION GATHERING SESSIONS.

AND JUST TO COMMENT, I THINK THEY ARE TOO. I'VE ACTUALLY WITNESSED IT AT A SCHOOL THAT WAS BUILT MANY YEARS AGO, WHICH WAS BURT ELEMENTARY. AND I SAW THE FOLKS THAT WERE BROUGHT IN TO REVIEW IT, AND MANY OF WHICH WERE FROM THE COMMUNITY.

IT PROBABLY WASN'T A FORMAL EFFORT, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THE BOARD MEMBER WAS INVITED, BUT I DID SEE A PRETTY GOOD REVIEW GOING ON AND A LOT OF CONCERNS BEING BROUGHT TO THE PRINCIPAL'S ATTENTION, IN WHICH CASE THEY ADDED IT TO THE DESIGN AND GOT IT STRAIGHTENED OUT.

SO I DON'T THINK IT WAS AS BAD AS WE MIGHT THINK IT WOULD BE, BECAUSE I THINK THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHO THE YOU KNOW, WHO THE OWNER IS, WHO ALL IS INCLUDED IN THAT.

BUT THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

MR. LINDELL. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE PLANS FOR NORTH AUGUSTA MIDDLE SCHOOL.

ARE WE STILL ON TRACK FOR THE AUDITORIUM RENOVATION THIS YEAR FOR NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL? YES.

ALL RIGHT. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT AS WELL PRETTY SOON AS WELL.

WE'RE WORKING ON THAT ONE AS WELL. OKAY. THIS WAS JUST FOR THE ONE, OUR 1% PROJECTS.

ANY FINAL QUESTIONS FOR MR. JARROW? WELL, WE LOOK FOR A VERY LOOK FORWARD TO A VERY BUSY 4 OR 5 YEARS.

THAT IS SO I THINK IN GENERAL, THE ORGANIZATION WITH CONTRACTORS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, AND I'M JUST RECOGNIZING THE FACT THAT THAT'S I THINK MOST THINGS WOULD BE FINISHED IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IS WHAT I SAW AND LESS.

AND THAT'S A LOT. SO THANK YOU, SIR. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME.

THANK YOU. ALL. THE OTHER INFORMATIONAL ITEM IS NORMALLY IS IT'S THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING IN FEBRUARY 28TH OF THIS YEAR.

NORMALLY WE JUST ASK FOR QUESTIONS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO READ THE REPORT IN ADVANCE.

MR. TRAXLER. WE'D LIKE TO COME UP AND SEE A FEW THINGS ABOUT THIS REPORT.

YES, SIR. THANK YOU AGAIN, MISTER CHAIR. BOARD MEMBERS, DOCTOR MURPHY.

SO THIS IS FOR THE MONTH ENDED FEBRUARY. AS YOU'LL RECALL, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS LAG BETWEEN WHEN WE COLLECT SALES TAX AND WHEN IT'S REMITTED TO THE DISTRICT. FEBRUARY CLOSED OUT THE PHASE ONE PENNY SALES TAX AT NOVEMBER OF 2014. PENNY SALES TAX. IT WAS ORIGINALLY PROJECTED TO BRING IN 188,639,000 AND CHANGE.

WE FINISHED 231.7 MILLION. SO A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE ABOVE PROJECTIONS THERE. NOW THOSE EXTRA DOLLARS ARE UTILIZED FOR THE PURPOSES THAT WERE ON THE BALLOT.

PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. AND FOR THOSE PROJECTS. OVERALL, WE'RE TALKING 23 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAX RELIEF TO TO OUR HOMEOWNERS HERE IN THE DISTRICT.

SO AS AS CLOSES IT OUT ANY INVESTMENT EARNINGS, ANY INTEREST EARNINGS ARE ALSO BROKEN DOWN BY THAT 10% PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, 90% PROJECTS. BUT WELL WORTH MENTIONING TO YOU.

SO THANK YOU SIR. WHILE MR. TRAXLER IS UP THERE.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS REPORT? THANK YOU, SIR. WE HAD ONE ITEM UNDER INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER ITEMS. AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. BROOME. THANK YOU.

WHAT AM I ALLOWED TO UNDER THE SAME RULES THAT THESE SPEAKERS ARE? THERE'S NO SPECIFIC POLICY ON THAT, BUT THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD GUIDELINE.

I'VE GOT I DID HAVE A FANCY, FANCY THING WROTE WITH A LOT OF THOUGHTS, BUT I THINK I'M JUST GOING TO.

I'M JUST GOING TO SPEAK FREELY FROM THE HEART.

I COME ON THIS BOARD. I'M A STRONG ADVOCATE OF MY COMMUNITY, BEING IN MY COMMUNITY ALL MY LIFE.

ALWAYS INVOLVED IN MY COMMUNITY. I HAVE NO AGENDA.

[02:00:05]

I HAVE I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT RED CLIFF A LITTLE BIT, AND I HAVE NO AGENDA ABOUT THE PEOPLE AT REDCLIFFE BECAUSE THE PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL. I KNOW THEM BOTH.

I THINK I'VE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, I HAVE RECEIVED MORE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT SCHOOL IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, AND THERE'S NOBODY IN THIS ADMINISTRATION IN THIS BUILDING THAT CAN SAY, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN GETTING COMPLAINTS AND THAT THEY WERE NOT GETTING COMPLAINTS.

THEY KNOW HOW MANY COMPLAINTS I'VE GOT, AND THEY KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I'VE BEEN IN THIS BUILDING ABOUT COMPLAINTS.

WHAT MAKES ME SAD IS IT STARTED OUT IT WAS FIRST YEAR.

IT WAS EMPLOYEES. I REMEMBER ALL THE WAY BACK TO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DOING THE 1% SALES TAX THING WHEN WE WAS TRYING TO COMBINE REDCLIFFE, I MEAN COMBINED JACKSON MIDDLE AND U ELLINGTON.

AND I WAS DOING THE MEETINGS TALKING ABOUT IT WITH THE COMMUNITY.

I REMEMBER BEING AT JACKSON ONE NIGHT FOR THAT AND GOT CORNERED BY THREE TEACHERS LEAVING THERE, AND A LONG CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THEY WAS BEING TREATED AT REDCLIFFE.

I HAVE REPORTED PROBLEMS AT REDCLIFFE OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

I EVEN OFFERED SUGGESTIONS ON HOW MAYBE WE COULD RELIEVE, I DON'T KNOW, THE INSIDE OF A CLASSROOM, I'M NOT GOING TO LIE. BUT I KNOW MY COMMUNITY AND I KNOW MY WAY AROUND MY COMMUNITY.

I'M A TOOL THAT SHOULD BE USED TO HELP BRING ME IN AND HELP ME FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS. TRANSPARENCY AT THIS DISTRICT HAS GONE DOWNHILL TREMENDOUSLY.

NOW, WHAT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU IS THIS STARTED OUT I'VE GOT SO MANY COMPLAINTS THAT IT GOT TO BE A RUNNING JOKE IN MY COMMUNITY ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION AT REDCLIFFE AND ADMINISTRATION AT THIS DISTRICT, AND I'M JUST GOING TO TELL YOU, IT WAS A JOKE. THAT WAS A PUNCHLINE. WELL, YOU KNOW, IN MY WORLD, IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, YOU CAN'T NEVER HAVE THE JUDGE AND JURY TO BE YOUR BEST FRIEND.

YOU ALWAYS HAD TO PULL OFF TO SOMETHING ELSE.

BUT SO MY COMMUNITY FELT LIKE THAT THEY WEREN'T BEING HEARD.

AND THE TRUST IN THE DISTRICT HAS GONE DOWN TREMENDOUSLY.

I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU HOW BAD THE TRUST AND ADMINISTRATION OF THIS DISTRICT, WITH A LOT OF CONSTITUENTS IN MY COMMUNITY WHERE IT'S AT NOW, YOU NEED YOU JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE I'M COMING FROM. SO WE MOVE FORWARD.

THEN A PETITION COMES UP ASKING, SIMPLY ASKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT THEY FELT LIKE WERE NOT BEING HEARD.

WELL, WE GO AND THEN WE HEAR THAT WE REALLY CAN'T DO AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION.

SO YEAH, MR. BROOME JUST AS LONG AS YOU DON'T DELVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION STUFF.

I'M NOT. SO AS A BOARD, HOW WHO REPRESENTS THE CONSTITUENTS WHEN THEY ARE UNHAPPY? WELL, WHO IF WE CAN'T DO IT WHO DOES IT.

SO WE MOVE FORWARD. THEN THE PETITION COMES OUT AND I'M TOLD BY THE DISTRICT, WELL, YOU KNOW, A FEW KEYBOARD WARRIORS IS NOT GOING TO. WELL, IT'S UP ABOUT 500 NOW.

SO NOW I COME INTO HERE AND WE HAVE SOMEBODY COME IN IN APRIL, AND THEY TESTIFIED THAT THEY WENT BACK IN NOVEMBER AND FILED CHARGES. ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE TO THEIR CHILD.

AND ONE OF THE SCHOOLS I REPRESENT, THE FIRST I EVER HEARD ABOUT IT.

AND I THINK ANYBODY ON THIS BOARD EVER HEARD ABOUT IT WAS IN THAT MEETING.

THAT'S SIX MONTHS LATER. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? IF THERE'S A LAWSUIT IN THIS DISTRICT, WE'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.

SO HOW CAN THINGS LIKE THAT BE GOING ON AND A BOARD NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT? SO THEN FAST FORWARD YOU HAVE. A EMPLOYEE COMES TO WORK AND IS COERCED BY. SUPERIORS.

[02:05:04]

AND IT ENDS UP IT WAS SPOKE ABOUT SOME TONIGHT ENDS UP IN A VAULT.

AND ADMITTEDLY THE VAULT WAS LOCKED, WHICH IS UNUSUAL BECAUSE WHEN [INAUDIBLE] WENT INTO THIS PLACE TO GET FILES, THEY HAD TO GO BACK AND GET THE KEY. THE VAULTS NEVER LOCKED.

THEY UNLOCKED THE VAULT, THEY WALK IN, AND THEY'VE GOT AN EMPLOYEE THERE WITH A SUPERIOR.

THE EMPLOYEE LEAVES USING AN EXCUSE OF A COFFEE TRUCK BECAUSE THEY ANNOUNCED THEY LEAVES AND GOES OUT AND LEAVES THE SITE, LEAVES THE SCHOOL AND GOES TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

WELL, THE SCHOOL DID NOT KNOW THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS GOING TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

THIS IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT OUT OF LINE. THIS ISN'T OUT OF LINE IS THE FACT, THIS IS FACTUAL OF WHAT'S GOING ON. IT'S GETTING SWEPT UNDER THE RUG.

WE HAVE POLICIES. WELL, WHAT'S THE POLICY SAY WHEN WE DO IT? WELL, WHEN YOU'VE GOT A BEST FRIEND, THAT'S WHEN YOU'VE GOT.

NO LISTEN, WHEN YOU'VE GOT A BEST FRIEND, THAT'S JUDGE AND JUROR OVER A EMPLOYEE.

POINT OF ORDER HERE. DISQUALIFYING THIS BOARD FOR MAKING ANY DECISIONS ABOUT [INAUDIBLE] WELL, EVIDENTLY, THIS BOARD CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS ANYWAY.

WELL, IF YOU'RE JEOPARDIZING THIS BOARD'S ABILITY TO HEAR AND MAKE ANY DECISION.

WHEN YOU'VE GOT. WELL, YEAH. WELL, LET'S GET AN INDEPENDENT BOARD TO COME IN HERE AND MAKE DECISIONS.

WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK ONE AT A TIME, MR. BROOME, I WOULD SAY THAT KIND OF REHASHING SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID IN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. I DO WORRY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DIVE OVER INTO THINGS THAT WERE SAID IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING I WOULD HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT IS I WOULD JUST.

AS A MATTER OF, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE MISS MAHONEY COULD GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF ADVICE BEFORE YOU CONTINUE.

WHAT I WOULD IS THAT ON NOW? WHAT I WOULD STRONGLY URGE THE BOARD TO DO IS UNDERSTAND THAT ANY ROLE THE BOARD PLAYS IN ANY EMPLOYMENT MATTER IN THIS DISTRICT IS WHEN IT'S PROPERLY BEFORE THE BOARD ON A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE ADMINISTRATION AND ANY DISCUSSION OF ANY STEPS THAT SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T BE TAKEN, PUBLICLY OR OTHERWISE, COULD JEOPARDIZE THE IMPARTIALITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL, BOARD MEMBER OR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS TOGETHER, AND ALSO EMPLOYMENT MATTERS SHOULD NOT BE DISCUSSED PUBLICLY BECAUSE THERE ARE EMPLOYEES WITH DUE PROCESS RIGHTS THROUGHOUT ALL OF THAT.

SO ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION COULD JEOPARDIZE THE BOARD'S ABILITY TO ADDRESS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT, THAT THAT THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. OKAY. SO WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS THIS COULD BE AIKEN ONE DAY.

THIS COULD BE NORTH AUGUSTA, THIS COULD BE MIDLAND VALLEY.

I'M ONE BOARD MEMBER. ONE BOARD MEMBER OUT OF NINE.

I HAVE DEALT WITH COMPLAINTS WITH THIS SCHOOL FOR OVER TWO YEARS.

NOW THAT ALL THIS HAS COME TO LIGHT, I HAVE BEEN EVERY DAY THIS WEEK, I HAVE EITHER GOT A LETTER OR A PHONE CALL.

PEOPLE I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT TOLD ME THEIR STORY ABOUT HOW THEY EVEN WERE FELT LIKE THEY FELT LIKE THAT I HAD ONE TEACHER THAT QUIT. AND SHE ENDED UP COMING BACK TO TEACH.

AND SHE SAID SHE WAS SO BEAT DOWN AND NOW SHE'S COMPLETED A SUCCESSFUL YEAR AT ANOTHER SCHOOL BECAUSE SHE EVEN GOT OUT OF TEACHING.

I HAVE RECEIVED CALLS OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

THERE'S PLENTY OF EMPLOYEES IN THIS DISTRICT KNOW THIS.

I HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD I'VE SOME HAVE SWAYED AWAY FROM ME LIKE I'M A TROLL.

I DON'T HAVE AN AGENDA. MY AGENDA IS MY COMMUNITY.

MY COMMUNITY HAS HAD ISSUE AFTER ISSUE AFTER ISSUE WITH A SCHOOL THAT I SERVED IN FOR IN FACT, ALL THE WAY THAT I GOT ON THIS BOARD BECAUSE MY LAST CHILD GOT OUT OF THIS SCHOOL THE SAME YEAR, I GOT OUT OF THAT SCHOOL THE SAME YEAR I COME ON THAT BOARD.

SO FOR THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN AND WHY NOTHING HAS BEEN

[02:10:05]

THAT'S ALL THEY ASKED FOR. WE COULDN'T EVEN GRANT THEM THAT.

WE ALLOWED THE SAME PEOPLE TO DO THE INVESTIGATION.

THAT WAS NEVER DOING NOTHING. NOW YOU CAN CENSOR ME.

YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT, CAM. BUT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

I'M TELLING YOU THE FACTS, AND I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT'S HAPPENED.

I'M JUST REMINDING YOU OF THE ADVICE THAT WE JUST GOT FROM OUR ATTORNEY. OKAY, I'LL STOP RIGHT THERE.

I HAD A REAL I HAD A REAL ELEGANT THING WROTE.

BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THAT I'M A GUY. YOU STRAIGHT UP WITH ME, I'M STRAIGHT UP WITH YOU.

I'M REAL. I CAN HELP YOU FIGURE OUT ANY PROBLEM.

BUT DON'T LIE TO ME. AND DON'T TRY TO HIDE THINGS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JIM. DONNA BRADLEY, I DON'T THINK THAT'S AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE PEOPLE FOR DISCUSSION.

THE LAST THING BEFORE EXECUTIVE SESSION IS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THIS IS TRULY AN EXCITING TIME ACROSS OUR DISTRICT, AND WE'RE CELEBRATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OUR STUDENTS WITH THE END OF THE YEAR EVENTS LIKE AWARDS DAYS, FIELD DAYS, AND OF COURSE, THE UPCOMING HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS.

THESE SPECIAL MOMENTS REMIND US OF THE INCREDIBLE WORK HAPPENING IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR BOARD FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND FOR THE APPROVAL OF TONIGHT'S BUDGET.

THE SALARY INCREASES INCLUDED WILL MAKE A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE FOR OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF, AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THOSE WHO SERVE OUR STUDENTS SO FAITHFULLY.

AS WE WRAP UP THE SCHOOL YEAR, WE WISH ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND EMPLOYEES A SAFE AND RESTFUL SUMMER.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING STUDENTS BACK FOR THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL ON JULY 21ST.

THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING. WE ARE IN NEED OF AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. SORRY. LET ME FINISH. YEAH. SO I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

NO. YOU'RE GOOD DEBORAH, I APPRECIATE THE ENTHUSIASM.

SO WE'RE GOING TO NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING MATTERS IN SUCH ORDER AS THE BOARD DEEMS APPROPRIATE UNDER STUDENT MATTERS. I'M SAYING THIS BECAUSE IT WAS ON THE AGENDA.

THERE WAS A STUDENT APPEAL FROM AREA ONE, AND I SAW THE EMAIL FROM THE FOLKS THAT APPEAL HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN.

I'M JUST SAYING IT BECAUSE IT WAS ON THE AGENDA.

UNDER EMPLOYMENT MATTERS DISCUSS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION.

ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT FOR RIDGE SPRING-MONETTA ELEMENTARY AND HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR.

AND THEN UNDER LEGAL MATTERS, THE REDCLIFFE INVESTIGATION UPDATE.

SO FOLLOWING THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE IN REGULAR SESSION TO ANNOUNCE THOSE MATTERS THAT WERE CONSIDERED AND TAKE ANY ACTION THAT MAY BE NECESSARY.

IS THERE A MOTION, MISS TYLER, TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THIS PURPOSE? SO I HEARD A MOTION BY MISS TYLER, SECONDED BY MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON, TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THESE PURPOSES.

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

THAT'S EIGHT. THE MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL TAKE ABOUT A TEN MINUTE BREAK, AND THEN WE'LL START EXECUTIVE SESSION IN THE CABINET ROOM.

THANK YOU.

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ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THAT'S SEVEN IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION CARRIES.

NEXT ITEM TWO B BRAVO. THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT FOR RIDGE SPRING-MONETTA ELEMENTARY.

IS THERE A MOTION IN REGARDS TO THIS POSITION? I RECOMMEND THAT WE ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. MOTION MADE BY MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON, SECONDED BY MISS MORRIS.

TO ACCEPT THE DISTRICT'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT OF AT, EXCUSE ME, RIDGE SPRING-MONETTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THAT'S SEVEN IN FAVOR.

THE MOTION CARRIES. NEXT, WE ALSO HEARD ABOUT THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR.

AND IS THERE A MOTION IN REGARDS TO THAT? I MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ACCEPT THE DISTRICT'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR POSITION. YEAH. SO JUST MAKE SURE, MR. MOLATE.

SO WE'VE GOT ACCEPT THE DISTRICT'S RECOMMENDATION TO CREATE THE HR DIRECTOR POSITION.

AND THAT MOTION WAS MADE BY MR. LINDELL, SECONDED BY MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON.

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

THAT'S SEVEN IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION CARRIES. WE DID DISCUSS BRIEFLY THE REDCLIFFE INVESTIGATION UPDATE.

UNDER LEGAL MATTERS, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY AT THIS TIME.

IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. MOTION MADE BY MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON, SECONDED BY MISS MORRIS TO ADJOURN.

ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

THAT'S SEVEN IN FAVOR. WE STAND ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.