Bamberg School District One

Minutes of Regular Meeting of Board of Trustees

Ehrhardt Elementary School    

January 28, 2008

7:30 P. M.

 

 

 

Members present:  Chairman Dale Padgett, Vice-chairperson Rita M. Sease, Secretary Stacey  

                                 H. Long, Trustee Sheri Seigler and Trustee Tony E. Duncan.

                               

Absent:  None

 

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

The minutes of November 26, 2007, were approved as presented.

 

4.              Election of Officers for 2008

Superintendent Phyllis Schwarting presided during the election of the 2008 Board Chairperson. 

 

Trustee Sheri Seigler moved and Trustee Stacey Long seconded to re-elect Trustee Dale Padgett as Board Chairman.  The motion passed 5-0.

 

Trustee Tony Duncan moved and Trustee Sheri Seigler seconded to elect Trustee Rita Sease as Board Vice-chairperson.  The motion passed 5-0.

 

Trustee Sheri Seigler moved and Trustee Tony Duncan seconded to re-elect Stacey Long as Board Secretary.  The motion passed 5-0.

 

5.              Approval of 2008 Board Calendar

Board Packet Enclosure:  Monthly Board Meeting Schedule for 2008

January 28         7:30 p. m.  -        Ehrhardt Elementary School

February 25        7:30 p. m.  -        Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School   

March 24            7:30 p. m.  -        Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School

April 28               7:30 p. m.  -        Richard Carroll Elementary School - Campus B     

May 26               7:30 p. m.  -        Richard Carroll Elementary School - Campus A                   

June 23               7:30 p. m.  -        Ehrhardt Elementary School

July 28                7:30 p. m.  -        Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School   

August 25            7:30 p. m.  -        Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School

September 22      7:30 p. m.  -        Richard Carroll Elementary School - Campus B

October 27          7:30 p. m.  -        Richard Carroll Elementary School - Campus A     

November 24      7:30 p. m.  -        Ehrhardt Elementary School        

December 22      7:30 p. m.  -        Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School

Superintendent Schwarting reviewed the 2008 Board Calendar.  She stated that school board meetings are rotated among the five schools and are held on the 4th Monday of each month

 

Trustee Sheri Seigler moved and Trustee Stacey Long seconded to accept the 2008 Board Meeting Schedule as presented by the Superintendent.  The motion passed 5-0.

 

Vice-chairperson Rita Sease requested that the board review the 2008 Board Meeting Schedule and consider having meetings in one central location.

 

6.              Student/Staff Recognition

Superintendent Schwarting announced the following:

·      The following 8th grade students qualified for the South Carolina Junior Scholars Program for 2007-2008:  Michaela Cornforth, Kevin Jones, Bonnie Miller, Joshua Wilkerson, and Ajadae Williams.

·      Board Packet Enclosures – MEG (Measuring Education Gains by John Wardlaw)   

The district did exceptionally well on PACT score IMPROVEMENT for the 2006-2007 school year.  The district ranked 1st in IMPROVEMENT in English; 2nd in IMPROVEMENT in Science; 2nd in IMPROVEMENT in Social Studies; and 2nd in IMPROVEMENT in All Subjects.  Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School and Ehrhardt Elementary School were listed among schools that made the most improvement in the state.  These ratings were in grades 3 through 8.

·      Land Hiers won 4th Place in the state’s Middle School Wrestling Tournament.

·      Bianca Gibson, a 6th grade Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School student, won first place in a “What My Home Means to Me” Coloring/Essay Contest.  She will receive a $100 Savings Bond, a bicycle, and a certificate from the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority.

·      Courtney S. Owens, a Junior at Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School, will be a U. S. House of Representative Congressional Page in Washington, DC, starting January 28, 2008. Courtney will attend school and work there through June 6.

·      Daquan Bowers is now attending Clemson University.  He left Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School the second semester with a 3.1 GPA.  Daquan played football in the All American Bowl and was ranked the 9th best player in the nation.  During practice for this game, he moved up to number 4 and was chosen the Most Valuable Player of the game.  Daquan is now classed as the number 1 high school football player in the nation. 

·      The Wrestling Team is number 3 in the state.  The lower state duals will be held at Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School on February 2, 2008, starting at 10:00 a. m.

·      Larry Long has achieved the following in Wrestling:

o   Set the all-time career wins record at Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School with 165 wins and counting.

o   Set the single season win record with 49 last year and is on pace to break that record this year.

o   First team selection on Team Palmetto.

o   Two time state qualifier and placer.

o   Chosen team captain three years in a row.

 

·      The Boys Varsity Basketball Team is presently ranked in the top 10 in the state and is currently number 2 in the 5-A Region.

·      Handouts: Character Education Newsletters (November, December, and January)

·      Handouts: Dragon Newsletters (November and December)

 

7.              Presentation of the Aaron Manigault Scholarship Fund – Ms. Eva Manigault and Mrs. Anita Manigault

Handouts (Mrs. Eva Manigault):  Scholarship Criteria and Memo

 

Ms. Eva Manigault presented the board with criteria for an Aaron M. Manigault Scholarship on behalf of her daughter-in-law, Anita, and the Manigault Family.  Aaron was a student in this district and he played in a variety of sports; however, his first love was football.  He was a coach, mentor for students and he transported and helped students with their homework.  Now the family would like to give back to the community and help other students pursue their education or goals in his memory.  A meeting is scheduled with Principal Randy Maxwell and Guidance Counselor Vernon Wallace to make sure the criteria and information for the scholarship is developed.  The first scholarship will be awarded at the end of the 2008-2009 school year.  An award amount has not been established at this time due to funds that are still coming in.  The criteria for the scholarship will be:

The scholarship will be given yearly to the student at the Annual Athletic Awards Banquet and recognized at Awards Day.

 

The scholarship will be given to a graduating football player that will attend a college or university in South Carolina.  The student should have taken college preparatory courses and has maintained a high scholastic or average grade point in his senior class.

 

The student will be responsible for sending proof of enrollment from the Admissions Office to:  Eva O. Manigault, 3159 Charleston-Augusta Road, Bamberg, South Carolina 29003.

 

The amount of _________ will be applied to the students account upon receipt from the Admissions Office.

 

If there is a tie, the student with the lowest last four digits of the social security number will be awarded the scholarship.

 

The board was appreciative to the Aaron Manigault family.

 

8.              Approval: Revised Draft Policy Manual (Section K – School – Community – Home Relations and Section L – Education Agency Relations) - SCSBA

Handout:  Section K – School – Community – Home Relations and Section L – Education Agency Relations

 

Following a review of Section K and L Policies by Superintendent Schwarting, Trustee Sheri Seigler moved and Trustee Stacey Long seconded to accept for final approval Section K– School – Community – Home Relations and Section L – Education Agency Relations) as presented.  The motion passed 5-0.

 

9.              First Reading: Board Policy – Use of School Facilities –  KF (Childs & Halligan Law Firm)

 

 

 

Board Packet Enclosure:  Board Policy – Use of School Facilities – KF

 

The Board omitted Agenda Item 9 [Board Policy KF – Use of School Facilities].

 

10.           Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Schwarting reported the following:

·      An electrical engineer from the Adjutant General’s office will check the district’s electrical system and install generators in case the facilities are ever used for emergencies. 

·      The district received a BlueCross Blue Shield Grant for $52,414.  This money will be used to provide a Mental Health Counselor at Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School.  The district is the host agent and the Orangeburg Mental Health Agency will employ the personnel with the district’s approval.

·      Bamberg School District One and Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4 received a $500,000 Public Schools Choice Innovation Grant.  Funds from this grant will be used to implement new strategies and ideas in the middle school.

 

11.           Monthly Financial Report

Board Packet Enclosures: November 2007 and December 2007

 

Finance Director Devon Furr presented financial reports for November 2007, and December 2007.  Buildings and Property Insurance accounts are overspent because there was not enough money budgeted.  Due to the recent CDEPP Funding (approximately $9,000), the Supplies Account will be offset of its deficit.  Data Processing Supplies are overspent because of the purchase of new software that was not budgeted.  Although the administration did not budget funds for School Messenger Software, it has been purchased for approximately $5,000.  This program allows the administration to place phone calls to parents and teachers with messengers.  Hopefully, the program will be paid for out of some grants.  This will be a pilot year – one year contract for this software.

 

Vice-chairperson Rita Sease requested that the accounts on the financial report be broken down by schools if possible.

 

12.           Visitors’ Comments

Larry Long, parent, wanted to know if the board had a response to his concern from the spring of 2006, in which his daughter was placed on homebound for three weeks.  In May it was brought to the Superintendent’s attention that his daughter did not received homebound.  The Superintendent turned it over to the Principal.  In September there was a meeting – no resolution, no actions, nothing, according to Mr. Long.  On January 22, 2007, he brought it to the board and was assured that appropriate actions would be taken and he would be notified within 10 days.  As of today, January 28, 2008, he has not received a response.  In the meantime the only person that has been held responsible is his daughter.  She failed the 2 classes and had to repeat them and has passed them.  It is still a sore spot with him because nobody has ever had to answer for this.  He asked the board to again to please find some resolution.

 

 

 

13.           Executive Session

Chairman Dale Padgett called for a motion to enter Executive Session.  Trustee Sheri Sease moved and Trustee Stacey Long seconded to enter Executive Session.  The motion carried (5-0).  The purpose for entering executive session was to discuss:

a.     Student Transfer Requests

b.     Employment/Resignations

c.     Superintendent’s Evaluation

 

 

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

 

 

A.  Student Transfer Requests:

Trustee Sheri Seigler moved and Vice-chairperson Rita Sease seconded to accept the school transfer of Raven Johnson to attend school in another school district and Leslie Hall to attend school in Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4 for the 2008-2009 school year.  The motion passed 5-0. 

 

B.  Employment/Resignations:

Chairman Dale Padgett called for a motion for the release of Ron Duncan, Teacher/Head Football Coach, effective January 23, 2008.  No motion was given.

 

C.  Superintendent’s Evaluation:

Chairman Dale Padgett announced that there was no action taken on Agenda Item 13 - C [Superintendent’s Evaluation].  A copy of an instrument will be obtained from the district office and mailed to each board member.

 

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

 

 

Minutes approved:

 

 

_____________________________

R. Dale Padgett, M.D., Chairman

 

 

 

_____________________________

Stacey Long, Secretary