THE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT OF AIKEN COUNTY

BOARD OF EDUCATION

AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA

OFFICIAL AGENDA __REGULAR SESSION _6:00 P.M.__OCTOBER 13, 2026

Location:                   1000 Brookhaven Drive                    Aiken, SC

Tuesday’s meeting will be live streamed on our website, acpsd.net.

REGULAR SESSION: 6:00 P.M. 
 

MOMENT OF SILENCE & PLEDGE: Mr. Cameron Nuessle

APPROVAL OF AGENDA 
 
APPROVAL OF MINUTES

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

SPECIAL ORDERS OF BUSINESS

A. INDIVIDUAL ITEMS: The following items will be voted on individually.

The administrative, certified and classified personnel presented have been screened by the Human Resources Department, and interviewed, and/or approved by the Principal or supervisor for each location.

Board Policy DBG requires that the Aiken County Board of Education adopt a budget calendar by November 1 each year.

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

The School Board, according to the Code of Laws for South Carolina Section 59-63-240, is authorized to expel students from school.  Although the Board may receive recommendations for expulsion from others, it is solely empowered to take the final expulsion action.

Board Policy JFABC 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.”

The Aiken County Public School District Division of Instruction- Elementary Level would like to submit an application to the META: The Future is For Everyone- Aiken Data Center Grant in the amount of $20,000.00.  The purpose of this grant is to support an elementary interactive learning and STEM initiative. If awarded, grant funds would be used to purchase a Mobile Active Floor Learning System and supplemental STEM materials and supplies to expand hands-on, technology-enhanced learning opportunities for elementary students across the district.

The Mobile Active Floor transforms open spaces into interactive learning environments where students use movement, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving to engage with academic content. With grant funding, additional STEM materials and supplies that complement the Active Floor would be purchased to expand opportunities for students to participate in hands-on science, engineering, problem-solving, and collaborative learning experiences. These resources would be managed by the Division of Instruction through the Director of Elementary Teaching and Learning and made available to schools for use.

The Aiken County Public School District Division of Instruction would like to submit an application to the META: The Future is For Everyone - Aiken Data Center Grant in the amount of $25,125.00. The purpose of this grant is to provide math-focused professional development for educators through the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP). OGAP training deepens teachers’ content knowledge of mathematics and empowers teachers through a rich understanding of the learning progression within additive and multiplicative reasoning by providing research-based strategies and formative assessment tools. This investment will help ACPSD math teachers to make data-driven instructional decisions that enhance student learning outcomes. If awarded, grant funding will provide four in-person, live training sessions, two in-person, live follow-up sessions, and participant materials for twenty-five participants.

The Aiken County Public School District Division of Human Resources would like to submit an application to the META: The Future is For Everyone- Aiken Data Center Grant in the amount of $200,000.00.  If awarded, the $200,000.00 grant would support the proposed META Educator Excellence Scholars Program, a recruitment and retention initiative in partnership with USC Aiken. Funding would allow ACPSD to cover graduate program costs for 30 District educators to complete 36-credit master’s degrees through USC Aiken while continuing to work in our schools. 

Grant funds would be used to pay approved program costs directly to USC Aiken on behalf of participating educators. Selected participants would be required to remain employed with ACPSD throughout the graduate program and sign a service agreement committing to a minimum of five additional years of employment with the District following receipt of their master’s degree.

The Aiken County Public School District Division of Instruction would like to submit an application to the META: The Future is For Everyone- Aiken Data Center Grant in the amount of $25,000.00.  The purpose of this grant is to support the continued growth of the ACPSD Youth Strings Academy. Funds will be used to purchase violins and provide salary for a qualified strings instructor, increasing access to high-quality music education for elementary students. The program has expanded to 7 elementary schools, providing students with opportunities to develop musical skills, creativity, confidence, discipline, and collaboration. This investment will help ACPSD fine arts remove financial barriers and ensure more students have access to meaningful arts education experiences.

The Aiken County Public School District Division of Instruction would like to submit an application to the META: The Future is For Everyone – Aiken Data Center Grant in the amount of $106,035.00. The purpose of this grant is to support the continued implementation of Leader in Me at Chukker Creek, Mossy Creek, North Augusta, Wagener-Salley, and Byrd Schools, as well as 4 Disciplines of Execution professional learning for administrators.

Funds will be used to support online subscriptions, professional learning, job-embedded coaching, and curricular materials. Since 2022, the program has supported students and staff in developing leadership practices based on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Through this investment, the district seeks to deepen a culture of student empowerment, strengthen staff capacity to implement evidence-based leadership strategies, and align schoolwide goals with measurable outcomes.

The district will also host a District Leadership Day, providing educators from other schools an opportunity to visit participating schools and observe Leader in Me in action. This event will showcase student leadership and schoolwide practices while encouraging collaboration and the sharing of strategies that support leadership development across the district.

The requested funding will enable participating schools to sustain and expand these initiatives, ensuring that leadership development remains an integral component of teaching and learning.

The Aiken County Public School District has received $4,998.00 in grant awards from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The funds will be used by the Aiken County Public Schools Instructional Division to purchase TranslateLive Instant Language Assistant (ILA) Pro devices to be used at Jefferson Elementary School and at Midland Valley High School. These devices will include fully managed hardware, charging accessories, and language translation services that will be used to facilitate communication with multilingual families during enrollment, counseling sessions, and school events. Use of these devices will assist in increasing engagement and will support increased academic success for multilingual learners.

The Aiken County Public School District has received a $20,000.00 donation from Parkers Kitchen. The funds are designated to support district initiatives as determined by administration.

On September 18, 2026, the selection committee reviewed and ranked the qualifications of electrical contractors interested in performing district-wide electrical services. These contractors will perform electrical related services on an as needed basis. The committee was composed of the following:

Proposals for the 2026 annual contract for uniform rentals were received on September 8, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Services are needed for district-wide uniform support for maintenance and other departments throughout the district.

The administration has completed the scope of needs for the Aiken High School batting cages and improvements. The architectural firm Method Works Architecture has utilized this scope to produce schematic design plans and a preliminary budget for the project. The estimated construction budget is $550,000. The overall budget includes design and inspection fees for a total of $591,100. The scope of work includes new baseball and softball batting cages, baseball bleachers, and a baseball scorer’s tower improvements. This project will use 2014 1% funds.

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

District Strategic Plans are developed every five years using current research-based practices. The plans are approved by our School Board and must be submitted to the South Carolina Department of Education for final review and approval.  

In an effort to keep the Board current on the status and budget of this school construction project, the architects for this project, Cheatham Fletcher Scott (CFS), and the administration prepare a bi-monthly status report for the Board’s review.

In an effort to keep the Board current on the status and budget of this school construction project, the architects for this project McMillan Pazdan Smith (MPS) and the administration prepare a bi-monthly status report for the Board’s review.

In an effort to keep the Board current on the status and budget of this school construction project, the architects for this project Goodwyn Mills and Cawood (GMC) and the administration prepare a bi-monthly status report for the Board’s review.

D. INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS

E. OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT

F. EXECUTIVE SESSION

No Items This Meeting

No Items This Meeting

RETURN TO OPEN SESSION

ACTION ON ITEMS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION

ADJOURN