Bamberg School District One

Minutes of Regular Meeting of Board of Trustees

Ehrhardt Elementary School    

July 23, 2007

7:30 P. M.

Members present:  Chairman Dale Padgett, Trustee Rita M. Sease and Trustee Tony E. Duncan.

Absent:  Vice-chairperson Sheri Seigler and Trustee Stacey H. Long.

1.         Call meeting to order:  Chairman Dale Padgett called the meeting to order and asked the audience to repeat the Lord’s Prayer. 

The board meeting agenda was amended to include “Purchase of Land” to the Executive Session.

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

The minutes of  June 25, 2007, meeting were approved as presented.

4.                Approval of TAN for 2007-2008 School Year

The board gave Superintendent Schwarting permission to participate in the South Carolina Tax Association of Government Officials (SCAGO Tan) program.  This is a program that the administration has participated in for the past 4 or 5 years.  Money can be borrowed if needed during the school year to help with payroll and save on issuance cost at a favorable interest rate.   The administration can borrow $1.25 million during the 2007 school year and interest on the note must be re-paid by April 14, 2008.  Earnings that are not drawn will be returned.  Signatures on the application will be required from the Chairman or Vice-chairperson of the board and the district’s Superintendent. 

Trustee Rita Sease moved and Trustee Tony Duncan seconded to enter into an agreement with a Bond Anticipation Note in the amount of $1.25 million to provide necessary improvements in the district.  The motion passed 3-0. 

5.                Committee in Support of Bamberg School District One’s Board Referendum (September 18, 2007)

Upon the request of Superintendent Schwarting each board member will select at least 2 people from his/her seat area to work on a committee to promote the referendum and the new school facility.  Names and addresses should be submitted to Jannette Stokes at the district office by August 1, 2007.  Chairpersons of the School Improvement Councils from each school will be included on the committee and a firm may be called in for advice. 

The article that was printed in the Advertizer-Herald Newspaper regarding the referendum for the school proposal was not correct.  Superintendent Schwarting will contact the company that submitted the article and have it corrected and printed again.

6.                2007-2008 Budget

Handout: 2007-2008 Budget

Superintendent Schwarting presented a brief review of the 2007-2008 School District Budget.  She stated that it was a balanced budget in the amount of $15,122,443.71.  The administration is not comfortable with the levies of current operations; however, if anything has to be amended, the board will be advised.  Any amendments will depend on how the $2.5 million from the state is allocated between Denmark School District and this district.  

Superintendent Schwarting stated that the budget presented did not require approval because the board had already approved a Budget Resolution.

7.                Assistant Superintendent’s Report

Assistant Superintendent Rick Starr reported the following:

·       DHEC will inspect the 4K Kindergarten classrooms at Richard Carroll Elementary School Campus A very soon.  This is the last step of the process in getting certification to operate the 4K program under the new guidelines.  Due to the age of the building, corrections may have to be made.

·       The Field House will be completed in two weeks.  The parking area will remain the same; however, approximately 20 yards of practice area was taken. 

·       The board will tour the Field House following the August board meeting.  

8.                Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Schwarting reported the following:

·       SCSBA awarded a certificate and/or pin to the following board members for Boardmanship Institute Training:

Trustee Rita Sease - Level II [Certificate and Pin]

Trustee Sheri Seigler – Level II [Certificate and Pin]

Trustee Stacey Long – Level I [Certificate]

·       Assistant Superintendent Starr and staff members Sandra Avinger, Clarice Cockrell and Sharon Zion are in the process of completing Staff Development schedules/calendars.

·       Damion Jones received a $2,000 scholarship at the Old Friends Banquet.  Damion must maintain a “B” average for 4 years. 

·       Board Packet Enclosure: Report Card                                                                                                 The board reviewed a draft copy of a new Report Card for grades 1 through 5.  The grading system will change from six weeks to nine weeks.  There will be a mandatory process for teachers to issue mid-term grades to parents.  The categories on the Report Card will be explained to parents during orientation at the schools and clarification of the codes will be sent home.  The Report Card will be reviewed further by the staff and parents before returning to the board for final approval.

·       The administration needs a special education teacher and two math teachers.

·       Board Packet Enclosure:  Workshop Flyer

A mandatory Substitute Teacher Workshop is scheduled for August 8, 2007, from 9:30 a. m. through 12:00 noon.  The criteria for substitutes are: 18 years of age, high school diploma or GED, TB test, and SLED check. 

·       Board Packet Enclosure: New Substitutes Salaries

Non-certified short-term substitutes salaries will change from $37 per day to $50 a day; non-certified long-term substitutes - $65 a day (20 or more continuous days); certified short-term substitutes - $75 a day; and certified long-term substitutes - $85 a day (20 or more continuous days).

·       Board Packet Enclosures: School Level Teacher Attendance, Budget Report by Account, Board Policy and Administrative Rule GBRI - Professional Personnel Personal Leaves and Absences

Superintendent Schwarting reported that the district has a significant problem with teacher absences.  The School Level Teacher Attendance for 2006-2007 is as follows: 

·       Superintendent Schwarting asked the board to be supportive with the administration in enforcing the district’s policy on attendance to cut down on absences this school year.  The policy states that each teacher gets 12 days at the beginning of school and personal leave will not be granted on days set aside for in-service education, on the last day before or the first day after a holiday, or on the first or last day of school, except in extenuating circumstances and with the principal/supervisor recommendation and the superintendent’s approval.

·       Ehrhardt Elementary School has been awarded an Alternative Assistance Grant of $75,000 and Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School has been awarded $250,000 pending approval from the External Review Team.  

9.                Approval: Revised Draft Policy Manual (Section I – Instruction) – SCSBA

Handout:  Section I – Instruction – Policy Manual

Assistant Superintendent Starr presented Section I – Instruction of the district’s policy manual that is recommended by South Carolina School Boards Association for second review.  These policies will bring the district in line with the current numbering system, fill in policies that were needed and eliminates polices that were not needed.

Trustee Rita Sease moved and Trustee Tony Duncan seconded to accept Section I – Instruction Policy that is recommended by the Administration and South Carolina School Boards Association.  The motion passed 3-0.

10.            Visitors’ Comments

None

11.            Executive Session

Chairperson Dale Padgett called for a motion to enter Executive Session.  Trustee Rita Sease moved and Trustee Tony Duncan seconded to enter Executive Session.  The motion carried (3-0).  The purpose for entering executive session was to discuss:

a.      Resignations

b.     Student Transfer Requests

c.      Purchase of Property

Open session: Chairman Dale Padgett declared the board out of Executive Session.

A.  Resignations:

Trustee Rita Sease moved and Trustee Tony Duncan seconded to accept the resignation of Lawanda Johnson, language arts teacher at Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School, providing a replacement can be obtained.  The motion passed 3-0.

B.  Student Transfer Requests:

Trustee Tony Duncan moved and Trustee Rita Sease seconded to accept the school transfer requests of the following students:

1)     Casey Stevens and Brock Stevens – From Bamberg School District One to attend school in Branchville Schools in Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4.

2)     Trey Wright – From Bamberg School District Two to attend school in Bamberg School District One.

3)     Hayden Gant Brown – From Bamberg School District Two to attend school in Bamberg School District One.

4)     Piper Richardson (4K) and Brice Richardson (4^th) – From Ehrhardt Elementary School to attend school at Richard Carroll Elem School – Campuses A and B.

5)     Alexander J. Smith, Amaris J. White and Armani J. White – From Bamberg School District One to attend HKT Elementary School in Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4

The motion passed 3-0.

C.  Purchase of Property:

Trustee Tony Duncan moved and Trustee Rita Sease seconded to give the administration permission to proceed in trying to find a suitable parcel of land to build a new school facility for grades 4K-12 students in the district.  The motion passed 3-0.

With no other business before the board, Chairman Dale Padgett adjourned the meeting.

Minutes approved:

_____________________________

R. Dale Padgett, M.D., Chairman

_____________________________

Stacey Long, Secretary