To

Bamberg School District One

Minutes of Regular Meeting of Board of Trustees

Richard Carroll Elementary School Campus A

June 2, 2008

7:30 P. M.

Members present: Vice-chairperson Rita M. Sease, Secretary Stacey H. Long, Trustee Sheri

Seigler and Trustee Tony E. Duncan.

Absent: Chairman Dale Padgett

1. Call meeting to order: Vice-chairperson Rita Sease 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

The minutes of April 28, 2008, were approved as presented.

4. Student/Staff Recognition

Superintendent Schwarting announced the following:

· The Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School Commencement program lists the graduates and their awards. The Valedictorian was Kayla Jo Linder and the Salutatorian was D’atra Simone Walker. [Board Packet Enclosure].

· Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School Class of 2008 has been awarded $2,014,225.00 in scholarships this year.

· On May 21, 2008, Larry Long, school bus supervisor, received a Certificate of Completion for having completed training that meets the requirements to administer the South Carolina School Bus Driver Physical Performance Tests from the South Carolina Department of Education-Office of Transportation.

· Mrs. Jannette Stokes, secretary to the superintendent, was elected President of the South Carolina Division of the International Association of Administrative Professionals for the fiscal year 2008-2009.

· Board Packet Enclosure: The Dragon Newspaper. Mrs. Jannette Stokes prints all newsletters for the district which is a savings to the district.

· Board Packet Enclosures: Character Letter (April and May). April’s newsletter is on perseverance and May’s is on Personal Best.

· The Red Raider Baseball Team won the state championship for the fourteenth time. Coach Horton has won more games than any coach in the nation. This is a record for the number of state championships won by a high school team.

5. Federal Programs Report – Phyllis Overstreet

Title I - $592,453.00 – Funds are used for teacher salaries, to support instruction with classroom and curriculum supplies and for staff development. Since it is projected that the Richard Carroll Primary School Campus A will remain in Continuing School Improvement status, 20% of funds must be set aside off the top for Supplemental Educational Services. Approximately 90 students participated in the program this year.

Title II - $139,323.00 – Teacher Quality – Funds are used to support teacher salaries and to provide staff development.

Title IV – Safe and Drug Free Schools - $7,542.00 – Funds are used to support character education and activities related to safe and drug free schools such as bullying prevention. It is anticipated this is the last year these funds will be sub-granted to districts. The focus is shifting to Emergency planning/preparedness as a function of Homeland Security.

Title V - $0 – Was not funded for Fiscal Year 2009, however, the program has not been eliminated and there is some hope that funds will be restored in 2010.

Title VI - $46,248.00 – Funds are used for technology licenses, staff development, and classroom instructional supplies.

Trustee Sheri Seigler moved and Trustee Tony Duncan seconded to name Superintendent Phyllis Schwarting as the authorized representative to sign the Title I application. The motion passed 4-0.

6. Report From Budget Work Session

Superintendent Schwarting stated that a budget work session was held tonight, June 2, 2008, at 6:00 p. m. The budget was reviewed and the budget is out-of-balance at a short fall of $245,000.00. A budget public session will be held prior to the June 23, 2008, Board of Trustees Meeting.

7. Assistant Superintendent’s Report

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Rick Starr stated that the principals will survey their buildings for areas that need to be repaired. The custodians will move all classroom furniture and clean the carpet or strip floors. There will be no major building work done this summer.

8. Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Schwarting reported the following:

· The following Board of Trustees received training from SCSBA from July 1, 2007 through May 23, 2008: Tony Duncan – 31 hours; Stacey Long – 7 hours; Rita Sease – 36 hours; and Sheri Seigler – 7 hours.

· Bamberg School District One won the 2008-2009 Enhancing Education Through Technology (E2T2) Competitive Grant for $200,000.

· The district now has science labs at all schools with the exception of Ehrhardt Elementary School and Richard Carroll Elementary School Campus A.

9. Monthly Financial Report

Board Packet Enclosures – Financial Reports for April 2008

Finance Director Devon Furr reviewed the financial report for April 2008.

10. Visitors’ Comments

Clint Carter, Ehrhardt District 7 County Council Representative, expressed his sadness over the closing of Ehrhardt Elementary School. He believes that there could be some cuts made in order for the school to remain open.

Harry Hughes expressed his concerns in keeping Ehrhardt Elementary School open by stating that he thinks there is some discrimination going on against the children of Ehrhardt. He does not understand the motive behind the display of a tee shirt at the last meeting that stated: two towns, one goal, and one team. Following the review of the budget on Thursday, May 29, 2008, he believes a budget could be boosted any way one would want it to be if you want to keep a school open. He has love for both schools because he has had children in Bamberg and Ehrhardt.

Gordon Walling expressed his concerns in keeping Ehrhardt Elementary School open. He believes the input from the citizens of Ehrhardt has not been included in anything that took place. There are figures thrown out but there is no clear cut budget. Something is going amiss as far as accountability. It appears that the community of Ehrhardt is being attacked. The whole picture needs to be reviewed. He asked that the community of Ehrhardt be given the same consideration as Bamberg. All are friends – live and work together! Mr. Walling further stated that he doesn’t mind paying taxes as long as he knows what is going on. He wondered if there were any board members who had visited Ehrhardt Elementary to review the school and assess the situation. Board members are taking the word of someone who has an agenda.

Bill Edinger, Ehrhardt Councilman, expressed his love for Ehrhardt by stating that the administration should be looked at when $2.3 million is being spent a year to operate the system – that is like $1,700 a student. Something is wrong at the top.

Mayor William Stanley stated that closing a school has a catastrophic affect on a community. In most communities where this happens, the community dries up. When the decision to close Ehrhardt was first made by the administration, there appeared to have been a tremendous shortage by the state. Since that time a budget has been passed, and the funding has been restored. It is his understanding that additional funding has been added to K-4 and K-5. Mayor Stanley asked that the budget be reviewed again with these changes in mind and help keep the school open. He believes there are alternatives out there if you really try to find them.

Judy Harriett-Brandt – Relinquished her time.

11. Executive Session

Vice-chairperson Rita Sease called for a motion to enter Executive Session. Trustee Tony Duncan moved and Trustee Sheri Seigler seconded to enter the Executive Session and amend the items for discussion to omit the Superintendent’s Contract (Continued) and add Receipt of Legal Advice or/Pending Legal Claims. The motion carried (4-0).

a. Student Transfer Requests

b. Resignations

c. Employment Recommendations

d. Receipt of Legal Advice or/Pending Legal Claims

Open session: Vice-chairperson Sease declared the board out of Executive Session.

A. Student Transfer Requests

Trustee Sheri Seigler moved and Trustee Stacey Long seconded to accept the school transfer requests of the following students for the 2008-2009 school year: John (Jack), James, and Michael George - from Bamberg School District One to attend school in Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4; Rebecca Ann Spires – from Bamberg School District One to attend school in Orangeburg Consolidated 4; Kayla Michelle Joye – from Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4 to attend school in Bamberg School District One; Jonathan Williams – from Orangeburg School District 4 to attend school in Bamberg School District One; and Whitney Lauren Jones – from Bamberg School District Two to attend school in Bamberg School District One. The motion passed 4-0.

B. Resignations

Trustee Sheri Seigler moved and Trustee Stacey Long seconded to accept the resignations of Arthur McMillan, custodian; Beth Clark, teacher; Ruby Graham, food service operator; and Diana Varn, teacher at the end of the 2007-2008 school year. The motion passed 4-0.

C. Employment Recommendations

Vice-chairperson Rita Sease moved and Trustee Tony Duncan seconded to accept the employment of Nolan Austin Black, band teacher; Roberta D. Faust, consumer science teacher; Megan Nicole Fox, English teacher; and Ann B. Caldwell, special education teacher for the 2008-2009 School Year. The motion passed 2-0-2 [Trustee Stacey Long and Trustee Sheri Seigler abstained].

D. Receipt of Legal Action

Vice-chairperson Rita Sease announced that there was no legal action taken.

With no other business before the board, Vice-chairperson Rita Sease adjourned the meeting.

Minutes approved:

_____________________________

R. Dale Padgett, M.D., Chairman

_____________________________

Stacey Long, Secretary