Aiken County Board of Education - September 13, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.

THE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT OF AIKEN COUNTY

BOARD OF EDUCATION

AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA

                                       

 

  

Location:                                     District Office                                                     Aiken, SC

                                                   1000 Brookhaven Drive

 

 

  

REGULAR SESSION: 7:00 P.M.

 

  

 

DEVOTIONAL & PLEDGE: Dr. Cecelia Hewett

 

 

  

APPROVAL OF AGENDA:

 

 

  

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

 

 

Special Called Meeting – August 16, 2011

Regular Meeting – August 23, 2011

                    

 

  

SPECIAL ORDERS OF BUSINESS:

 

 

·         9-11 Tribute Video

 

 

·         Public Participation

 

No Items This Meeting

 

 

·         Office of Board Chairman

 

No Items This Meeting

 

 

 

  

A.                  INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: The following items are for information only and do not require Board action.

 

 

1.         Freshman Retention Rate (9^th to 10^th grade) (Dr. O’Gorman)

 

 

 

 

2.         Alternative Learning Update (Dr. O’Gorman)

 

 

 

 

3.         Conceptual Master Plan (Mr. Caver) 

 

 

 

 

4.         Legislative Update (Mr. Liner)

 

 

  

 

B.                 CONSENT ITEMS: The following items will be voted on as a group. Individual items may be discussed prior to a vote being taken.

 

 

1.             Out-of-District Transfer Request (Area 4) (Dr. Stowe)

 

Board Policy JBCD allows the Aiken County Board of Education to arrange with other school districts for the interchange of students. The policy stipulates that when students transfer out of the District, “the School District of Aiken County shall assume no responsibility for tuition to the receiving district.”

 

  

 

2.                  Construction Document Plans for the Byrd Learning Center (BLC) Food Service Operation Center Project (Mr. Caver)

 

The administration has completed the scope of school food service needs for the BLC Food Service Operation Center Project. The architectural firm of LS3P and their consultants have utilized this scope to produce the construction document plans. Due to the limited size and scope of this project, Schematic Plans and Design Development Plans were combined with this package.

 

 

 

3.                  Jackson Middle School Additions Project Final Architectural Contract Documents (Mr. Caver)

 

The architects, Craig Gaulden Davis, for this project have completed the final working documents for construction of the Jackson Middle School Additions Project and are prepared to present these final plans and construction budget under separate cover to the Board for approval.

 

 

 

4.                  South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Homework Center Grant to North Aiken Elementary School – FY12 (Dr. O’Gorman)

 

North Aiken Elementary School received a $19,250 South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Homework Center grant. The funds will be used to pay salaries for personnel working with the Homework Center program and for materials and supplies.

 

 

 

5.                  School Outfitters Ken-A-Vision Science Giveaway donation to Aiken Middle School – FY12 (Dr. O’Gorman)

 

Aiken Middle School was awarded a donation from School Outfitters Ken-A-Vision Science Giveaway. The items donated include 12 cordless student microscopes (monocular), one cordless instructor microscope (binocular), one document camera, and two microscope cameras, along with the Ken-A-Vision Applied Vision 4 software to run the products.

 

 

 

6.                  Augusta Service Company, Inc. Donation to Paul Knox Middle School – FY12 (Dr. O’Gorman)

 

Paul Knox Middle School received a $3,000 donation from Augusta Service Company, Inc. The funds will be used to purchase two digital Nikon cameras to be used by the Publishing Class to take pictures for the school newspaper, North Augusta Star articles, and pictures for the yearbook. The funds will also be used to cover the cost of printing the school newspaper.

 

  

 

7.                  Budget Adjustment #6; Funds #2, 3, 8 and 9 (FY11) (Mr. Traxler)

 

Periodically during the fiscal year, the Division of Fiscal Services submits adjustments to the approved budget as may be required in the conduct of operations.

 

 

 

8.                  Amendment to Policy DKC - Expense Authorization/Reimbursement – First Reading (Mr. Burkhalter)

 

All Board Policies relating to compensation, including reimbursements for travel expenses, have traditionally been limited by, or subject to, available state funding. At various times during major funding shortfalls, substantial measures have been necessary in order to meet budgets with available funding. In some instances travel and supply accounts have been reduced by as much as fifty per cent. By implication, these emergency measures (which may last for an indeterminate period of time) become, to the extent necessary, implicit or express limitations on what might otherwise be considered expected benefits under one or more policies of the Board of Education. The purpose of this amendment is merely to state expressly those circumstances as related to travel in order to prevent any misapplication or misinterpretation of the policy.

 

 

9.                  Amendment to Policy CFC – Assignment and Transfer of Building Administrators – First Reading (Mr. Burkhalter)

 

Policy CFC relates to one of the District Superintendent’s most important responsibilities, namely the appropriate utilization and placement of school administrators, including reassignment of administrators when needed. In order best to discharge this responsibility, the Superintendent must have wide discretion and latitude, as encompassed within this longstanding policy. The Educational Accountability Act of 1988 made substantial changes in the rights of administrative personnel by removing them from the protection of the Teachers Employment and Dismissal Act. As a buffer to the uncertainty of the extent to which the Act removed protections for administrators’ rights, transfers or reassignments, including changes in position and/or salary, were heretofore subject to the district’s grievance procedure since the due process hearing rights had been removed. A recent South Carolina Supreme Court decision – Henry-Davenport v. The School District of Fairfield County – specifically interpreted the meaning of the EAA amendment relating to the removal of due process protections from administrative rights and made it clear that the plain meaning of the language was, in fact, the effect of the Act.

 

10.             Amendment to Administrative Rule GBK-R - Staff Concerns/Complaints/Grievances – First Reading (Mr. Burkhalter)

The District has a comprehensive grievance procedure in Policy GBK and Rule GBK-R to deal with a variety of issues that can be grieved by employees. These procedures also constitute the internal district procedure for handling civil rights complaints of various types. As the State Department of Education has refined certified employee evaluation instruments and procedures, and as it continues to refine the procedural requirements for principal evaluations, the models have become more specific in their guidelines and have some internal review or rebuttal measures available. Performance parameters are clearly defined and outlined in the models, as well as the utilization of team approach methodologies for formal evaluations.   Consequently, the ability to file grievances in connection with evaluations, evaluation models utilized, the assignment of improvement plans, and other aspects of evaluation processes should be exempt from the grievance procedures in the view of the administration.

 

 

 

11.              Amendment to Policy JICFFA – Harassment, Intimidation or Bullying – First Reading (Mr. Burkhalter)

 

In 2006 the South Carolina Legislature required all school districts in the State to adopt a policy on harassment and bullying. The policy was required to meet certain specifications and include certain provisions, and had to be put into effect by January 1, 2007. The Aiken County Public Schools created the present Policy JICFAA, and modeled the policy strictly in accord with the statutory requirements. This policy is also set forth in full as an appendix to the Code of Conduct and is referenced in the suspension level offenses outlined in the Code.

 

 

            

 

C.        INDIVIDUAL ITEMS:

 

 

1.         Personnel Appointments (Dr. Hewett)

 

The certified and classified personnel presented have been screened by the Personnel Services Department and interviewed and approved by the Principal and the Area Assistant Superintendent.

 

 

 

   

D.        INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS

 

 

1.                  AGENDA ITEMS SUBMITTED BY INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS:

  

·         Mr. Fleming – Email Questions

 

2.                  CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESSED TO BOARD MEMBERS:

 

·         Letter of Appreciation

 

3.                  REPORTS FROM BOARD LIAISON TO VARIOUS COMMITTEES:

 

 

 

   

E.         OFFICE OF DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT:

 

 

·         Update

 

 

   

 

F.         EXECUTIVE SESSION:

 

 

            1.         CONTRACTUAL ISSUES:

 

                                   

·         Employee Contractual Issue

 

 

 

  

2.         LEGAL BRIEFINGS:

 

 

·         Legal Briefing

 

 

 

  

3.         PERSONNEL ISSUES:

 

 

·         Administrative Appointment

 

 

 

  

4.         OFFICE OF DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT:

 

 

      No Items This Meeting

 

  

 

 

5.         APPEALS:

                                   

 

                                            No Items This Meeting

 

 

 

RETURN TO OPEN SESSION

 

ACTION ON ITEMS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION:

 

ADJOURN