Bamberg School District One
Minutes of Regular Meeting of Board of Trustees
Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School Library
February 28, 2005
7:30 P. M.
Members present: Chairman Dale Padgett, Vice-chairman John Bamberg, Mr. Donald Mallory,
and Mr. Gregory Bamberg.
Absent: Mrs. Sheri Seigler
1. Call meeting to order: Chairman Dale Padgett called the meeting to order and asked the
audience to repeat the Lord’s Prayer.
2. Notice to Media: In accordance with the S. C. Code of Laws, Section 30-4-80
(e), as amended, the following have been notified of the time, date, place and agenda of this meeting:
The Times and Democrat
The Advertizer-Herald
3. Approval of Minutes
Chairman Dale Padgett asked for additions or corrections to the minutes of January 24, 2005.
Mr. Donald Mallory stated that agenda Item #11 should read, “The chair will address the request” of Mr. Donald Mallory.” The minutes stated, “Mr. Donald Mallory received permission from Chairman Dale Padgett to discuss additional funds for his travel expenses”. Mr. Mallory stated that Agenda Item #8 was an organizational issue. He and Dr. Starr discussed this issue but he was not able to get with him due to some classes he had under the emergency situation; however, the State submitted a plan that covers both plans. The minutes stated, “Mr. Donald Mallory wanted to know the status of the District’s Emergency Plan and if a Disaster Plan exists. Dr. Starr responded by stating that the principals have compiled a list for the Emergency Plan and he is waiting for them to come in. Also, the State Department submitted a plan that covers both plans.”
4. Student/Staff Recognition
Superintendent Schwarting stated the following:
· Kristen Hicks was selected as one of 160 fast pitch softball players to participate in the 11th annual Ringor Showcase that was held in Kent, Ohio on January 8-9, 2005. Kristen’s team went undefeated in the tournament as she led her team defensively by
pitching 9 innings in 3 games. Hicks struck out 21 of the 33 batters she faced while giving up just 2 hits. Hicks also showed her ability at the plate, hitting .375 with 2 RBI’s in going 3-8 at the plate over the two day period. Kristen earned “Best of the Best” honors for her performance at the showcase.
· South Carolina High School League Class A All-State Honorees are Ricky Sapp, Defensive Lineman and Ben Morrell, Linebacker.
· Therisa Mazyck, Ashley Walker, Essence Glover, and Jennifer Linder, students from Mrs. Amy Stembridge’s English Language Arts class, submitted poems to the Anthology of Poetry, Inc. and they have been accepted for publication. This edition of the Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans will go to print on March 31st and will be available for distribution twenty to twenty-five weeks after this date.
· Caitlin Crider, a student in Mrs. Amy Stembridge’s English Language Arts class, is the Lt. Governor’s Writing Contest Winner.
· Bamberg-Ehrhardt Wrestlers Daniel Lain, Dustin McCully and Freeman Cooler qualified at the Lower State Wrestling Tournament to wrestle at the State Championship in their weight class at the Carolina Coliseum on February 26.
· The results of the State Wrestling competition are as follows: Freeman Cooler – State Champion; Daniel Lain – 3rd place; and Dustin McCully 6th place.
· The Girls and Boys Basketball teams finished 3rd place in region and made playoffs. Danielle Francis has been selected to play in the North-South All-Star Game.
· Bamberg-Ehrhardt junior varsity and middle school wrestlers finished their 2005 wrestling season. Going undefeated and placing first in the heavy weight JV division was Wayne Brown. Earning a second place medal in the 125 weight JV division was William Spires. Lee McCully was a second place medalist in the middle school division.
· Lauren Bruns, Sallie Clark, Sarah Moustafa and Aaron Ness participated in the USC-Salkehatchie High School Bowl on Friday, February 25.
· Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School had a number of students to participate in the Clemson Emerging Scholars Summer program for current 9th grade students.
5. First Reading – Board Policies:
(Board Packet Enclosures)
JFB – School Choice
JBC – School Admissions
JI – Student Rights and Responsibilities
JB – Equal Educational Opportunity/Nondiscrimination
AC – Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity
GAAA – Equal Opportunity Employment/Affirmative Action Policy
JAA – Equal Educational Opportunities
JII – Student Concerns, Complaints and Grievances
Dr. Rick Starr, Assistant Superintendent, presented Policies JFB – School Choice, JBC – School Admissions, JI – Student Rights and Responsibilities, JB – Equal Educational Opportunity/Nondiscrimination, AC – Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity, GAAA – Equal Opportunity Employment/Affirmative Action Policy, JAA – Equal Educational Opportunities and JII – Student Concerns, Complaints and Grievances for first reading.
South Carolina School Boards Association recommends that immigrant status or English speaking status be added to the policies in order to meet the guidelines on non-discrimination. The policies will be presented again in March for second reading.
6. Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Schwarting reviewed the following highlights of House Ways & Means Budget Recommendation for FY 06:
o The base student cost is set at $2,290. This is a considerable increase. From past experience, the district will not use the top dollar figure to plan a budget due to contingencies and cuts that sometimes come mid-year.
o Legislators are discussing taking the K-12 Partnership Technology Funds and the EIA local School Innovation Appropriation.
o The State Minimum Salary Schedule increase appears to be approximately 1.6%.
o Teacher Supply Reimbursement increases from $200 to $250 per teacher.
o Summer School money will be increased.
o Additional funds for High Schools That Work.
o School Bus Transportation is scheduled to receive an additional $18 million.
o Attached to the base student cost of $2,290, Representative Shirley Hinson introduced an amendment that would block educators’ ability to email their legislators about pending legislation.
Handout: Bamberg School District One Spring Sports
Superintendent Schwarting reported that according to Ms. Debbie Elmore, from South Carolina School Boards Association, the following things have been added to public education:
1900-1910 – nutrition, immunization, and health.
1920-1940 – vocational education, the practical arts, business education, speech and
drama, half day kindergarten, physical education including organized
athletic and school lunch programs.
1950’s – safety education, driver’s education, expanded music in art education, foreign
language requirements and sex education.
1960’s – Advanced Placement programs, consumer education, career education, peace
education, leisure education, and recreation education.
1970’s (breakup of the American family accelerated) – Title IX programs, drug and
alcohol abuse education, Head Start, parent education, behavior
adjustment classes, character education, environment education, and
school breakfast programs.
1980’s (floodgates open) – keyboarding and computer education, global education,
ethnic education, multicultural/non-sexist education, English-as-a second-language, and bilingual education, early childhood education, Jump Start, Early Start, Even Start, and Prime Start, full day kindergarten, preschool programs for children at-risk, after school programs for children of working parents, alternative education in all its forms, stranger/danger education, anti-smoking education, sexual abuse prevention education, health and psychological services, and child abuse monitoring becomes a legal requirement for teachers.
1990’s – HIV/AIDS education, death education, expanded computer and Internet
education, inclusion, Tech Prep and School to work programs, gang education, bus safety education, bicycle safety education, gun safety education, curriculum standards in English, mathematics, science and social studies, annual standardized testing, and annual school and district reports cards.
Not a single minute has been added to the school calendar in five decades. The bottom line: schools cannot do it all. Schools cannot raise America’s children.
On March 1 and 2, 2005, there will be a meeting at Trinity United Methodist Church in the fellowship hall to work on the district’s five-year strategic plan with the principals and a teacher from each school, and School Improvement Council members. The plan is due at the State Department by April 30, 2005.
On March 10, 2005, school will dismiss at 12:00 noon in order for teachers to begin working on their School Renewal Plans. Instead of Friday, March 11, being a school holiday, teachers have agreed to return and continue to work on the School Renewal Plans. They will receive a small stipend. The only other alternative was to work on Saturdays and many people are not able to do this.
The District’s Strategic Plan will be presented to board members at least two weeks prior to the March board meeting for approval and the School Renewal Plans will be presented in the April’s board meeting.
The 2005-2006 School Calendar was not presented at this meeting due to final school planning of the legislators; however, three school calendars have been drafted by the administration. One draft has school opening with teacher workdays on August 3, 4 and 5, with students coming in on August 8. The next calendar has school opening the first Tuesday after Labor Day with staff development on August 29, 30, and 31, and workdays on September 1, and 2, and students coming in on September 6. The third calendar has the starting date of August 25. The administration tries to end the first semester prior to the Christmas holidays so students can have their exams before leaving. The calendars with school opening on August 25, or starting after Labor Day do not allow students to finish the first semester prior to the Christmas break.
As a recipient of the 2004-05 Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards Program, Mr. Randy Maxwell, Principal of Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School, was presented a flag and letter from Mrs. Inez Tenenbaum, State Superintendent of Education. This school scored an excellent on the Absolute Rating and an excellent on Improvement Rating.
Superintendent Schwarting asked the board for permission to enter into a cooperative bid process with vendors who provide appropriate equipment for the Project Lead The Way pre-engineering course at the high school. The school received a Workforce Investment Grant of $150,000 that needs to be spent by March 31, 2005. The main bulk of the grant is to purchase specific equipment for the pre-engineering curriculum that will be continued to be added to until it is a full curriculum. Mrs. Christine Balch is the teacher.
Mr. John Bamberg made a motion and Mr. Donald Mallory seconded to give the administration permission to enter into a cooperative bid process with vendors who provide appropriate equipment for the Project Lead The Way pre-engineering course at Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School. The motion passed (4-0).
Mr. Donald Mallory stated that South Carolina Association of Pupil Transportation offers awards to school bus drivers. He plans to nominate Mrs. Barbara Toomer as a recipient of the Driver of the Year Award. The State will give the district that wins $500 for training stipends and come in and conduct trainings. Due to the lack of past in-house training programs in the district, the association is being held up. There is also an IC Training Safety Grant Award, a Special Needs Transportation Grant and something available for aides with or without driver’s licenses. A driver’s record will play a main key in winning. Mr. Mallory stated that there will be a School Bus Safety Championship Rodeo on March 19, 2005, at the airport in Columbia. Drivers must have a valid CDL and must be full-time or part-time drivers. Information has been distributed into the schools on a National Bus Safety Speech Contest (high school) and a National School Bus Safety Poster Contest (elementary and middle school).
In response to Chairman Padgett’s inquiry about the Driver of the Year requiring board action, Mr. Donald Mallory responded by stating that this basically comes from the association which he is a nominating member of; however, he will inform the board as the process continues.
7. Monthly Financial Report
Board Packet Enclosures: Financial Report – January 2005
Ms. Devon Blume, Finance Director, reported that Dues and Fees, Repairs and Maintenance, and School Level of Instructions accounts were overspent. In response to
Mr. John Bamberg wanted to know if the district has paid Cope any money this year (Account #370). Ms. Blume responded by stating that the funds in that account were a transfer – paid but transferred at the end of the year.
8. Visitors’ Comments
Mr. Henry Maynard stated that he would return at another board meeting with a request from Voorhees College regarding the summer program for students.
9. Executive Session
Chairman Dale Padgett called for a motion to enter Executive Session. Mr. Donald Mallory moved and Mr. Gregory Bamberg seconded the motion to enter Executive Session. The motion carried (4-0). The purpose for entering executive session was to discuss:
a. Student Release for 2005-2006 School Year
b. Personnel
Open session: Chairman Dale Padgett declared the board out of Executive Session.
A. Student Release for 2005-2006 School Year
Vice-chairman John Bamberg made a motion and Mr. Gregory Bamberg seconded to accept the release of Danielle Priester from Bamberg School District One to attend school in Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4 for the 2005-2006 school year. The motion passed 4-0.
B. Personnel
Vice-chairman John Bamberg made a motion and Mr. Donald Mallory seconded to accept, with regrets, the resignation of Mrs. Dana Wilson, kindergarten teacher from Richard Carroll Elementary School – Campus A (stay at home with a new baby and focus on raising her children), at the end of the 2004-2005 school year. The motion passed 4-0.
Vice-chairman John Bamberg made a motion and Mr. Donald Mallory seconded to accept, with deep regrets, the resignation of Mr. Joseph Brandenburg, assistant principal at Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School, at the end of the 2004-2005 school year. The motion passed 4-0.
With no other business before the board, the chairman adjourned the meeting.
Minutes approved:
_____________________________
Dale Padgett, Chairman
_____________________________
Sheri Seigler, Secretary