Not all trustees approve MSD7 policy changes

Not all trustees approve MSD7 policy changes

By JoANNE HICKEY
Staff Writer

Besides presentation of 2007 test data, strategic planning reports by school administrators and an audit report, business during the November Marion School District 7 Board of Trustees meeting included approval of changes to board policies, the superintendent’s report, and an out-of-district transfer request.

Policy changes

Board approval is needed to bring MSD7 policies in line with legal changes, mostly at the state level, Chairman McKeever Williamson said, as he read off policies by their coded initials and asked for a motion.
Preceding the motion, Trustee Priscilla Legette requested discussion of BID and BID-R, asking what brought about the change?
It was explained that BID and BID-R originated in-district, based on board recommendations, to insure fiscal accountability by instituting a mechanism to monitor expenses such as those for professional development.
The controls apply to the board, Auditor Rick Newell pointed out, but the change is not a reaction to fiscal irresponsibility; it’s a general move, in accordance with GASB 34,* to reduce the potential for abuse by government agencies.
Trustee Michael Hemingway also questioned the need for a policy change. Superintendent Dr. Everette Dean Jr. reiterated, “This is what the board recommended.”
Legette said she remembers discussing the policies, but doesn’t remember “agreeing to this.”
Noting that BID and BID-R neither increase nor decrease the available funding for the line item, Trustee Robert Wallace made a motion and Trustee Billy Richardson seconded, to approve (all) the policy changes on agenda item number 11. With Trustee Mickey Boatwright absent, the vote was 4-2; Legette and Hemingway opposed. Legette said that BID and BID-R should be reconsidered separately. Trustee James Gause said, you’ve had a motion, a second, and a vote — it’s done.

Superintendent’s report

Dean said iAm grant money came Oct. 3, and laptop computers are expected to arrive within the next two weeks.
He listed the district’s October events, such as Parents’ Nights on Oct. 3 and 7; a professional development day on Oct. 12; a monthly data meeting for principals and administrators to review budget and teacher-student attendance, etc.; an opportunity on Oct. 23, 24 and 25 for students who did not graduate to retake high school exit exams; end of first quarter on Oct. 23; and report card pick-up on Oct. 30.
Other announcements were:
* Coastal Carolina University agreed to provide professional development trainers to the district;
* Eighth graders are to formulate a graduation plan, and declare a major in 10th grade;
* Teachers who attended outside-district professional development activities in Myrtle Beach and Greenville will be sharing their experiences with staff.
Dean announced that the Marion County Board of Education will meet on Monday, Nov. 19, to accommodate the Nov. 21-23 Thanksgiving holiday. The next scheduled MSD7 Board of Trustees meeting is Dec. 4.
*(For more about the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, visit www.gasb.org)

MSD2 continues reorganization

By Naeem McFadden
Staff Writer

Marion District 2 Superintendent Nathaniel Miller unveiled Phase II of the reorganization implementation plan at the Nov. 1, Board of Trustees meeting in McCormick Elementary. The upgrades in development, scheduled to continue for the next three years, will involve redesigning schools in Mullins, building of new facilities, and the introduction of new curricula. The faces of the schools in Mullins will change, Miller said.
According to the presentation, the District’s vision “believes that society as a whole will benefit from a unified effort to educate all individuals and from a common desire for the community to succeed.” Miller said it was essential that every student learns to read and write, which is becoming the focus of the district, as the superintendent said a reading program for grades four through 12 will soon be implemented.
“We’re trying to bridge the gap,” Miller said of the core subject, adding that the district will begin orientating teachers to help improve students’ ability.
During the overview, Miller said new learning standards will occur at the Mullins Early Childhood Center and North Mullins Primary, beginning in 2008. Land acquisition will help McCormick Elementary in building a new multi-purpose building, which will house the school’s gymnasium. Set for 2008-2009, the school will also have a redesigned entrance.
Palmetto Middle School will also undergo a change in the form of a redesigned entrance. For the 2009-2010 calender year, the school will have a multi-purpose building housing fine arts. Expansion of curricula is also expected in 2008-2009. A multi-purpose, fine arts building will also be built for 2009-2010 at Mullins High School. The campus is expected to receive further cosmetic changes with a student courtyard, Miller informed. Expansion in curricula at MHS for the 2008-2009 school year will include enhancements in the areas of music, arts, sports, clubs, and academic majors.
The Parent Education Center will receive expanded programs in the future, with the potential of creating a magnet program at the facility. Parents are currently taking advantage of the free instruction with technology applications at the center, said Miller. The superintendent’s presentation included a number of initiatives in the planning stages that will soon be getting off the ground with board approval.
MSD2 will be introducing art programs and creative contests, along with programs to increase community service among students. To aid in academic development there will be an addition to staff in the form of a Arts Coordinator and Director of Educational Services, he said. With the recommendation from the superintendent, the board voted to accept the implementation plan.
In other business, the board gave permission to begin a teacher incentive program and approved recommendations to approve the district’s technology plans.
Vice Chairwoman Elizabeth Hammond will be taking the lead in formulating the criteria for honoring past employees of the school district, and the honoring process formed by a committee was approved by the board.
The board granted permission for its chairman, John Hughes, to address the Marion County school board to discuss MSD2 board turnover. The county appoints members for two-year terms. On behalf of the trustees, Hughes would like to recommend that no more than two new members be appointed.
The turnover shows a need for stability, Hughes said, as the board is considering a three-year cycle in lieu to the two year term. The board will also present a packet of request, asking to be “more creative financially,” regarding the superintendent’s contract. Hughes will go before the county board to present the information pertaining to the two issues.

Auditor pronounces MSD7 ‘in good shape’;
Johnson is district’s new home-visitor

By JoANNE HICKEY
Staff Writer

Rick Newell presented the 2006-07 audit report for Marion School District 7 to trustees at their November board meeting.
Newell distributed a copy of the report to each trustee, then presented a verbal rundown of figures as trustees followed along, saying the district’s fund balance lines are derived by subtracting liabilities from assets and that fund balances are positive numbers in every section of the report.
He explained that it is recommended for districts to avoid borrowing, by maintaining a fund surplus to cover two to three months of expenses. The surplus is needed to cover unexpected expenses and bridge the time-lapse before tax money comes in, he said.
Newell reported that MSD7 only has a one-and-one-half month cushion, but the amount approaches what is recommended when transferable funds are added in, such as the fund reserved for unemployment. Newell cautioned that funds should be put aside now, in a separate bank account, to meet a balloon payment due in 2017 on a note taken for Creek Bridge High School. He said monthly installments are being paid on the loan with tax money, but the district must prepare for the final balloon payment.
Superintendent Everette Dean Jr. observed that the note is not for CBHS, but for 1994 renovations on Britton’s Neck Elementary, and is due in 2014.
Newell explained that refinancing occurred, and encouraged trustees to read through their financial report “to see that sort of thing.”
Newell noted that $204,000 in property depreciation is posted as a deficit, but that this is not as critical for a non-profit as it is for a commercial business. Newell said, “In my opinion, you are in the best condition that you have been in many, many years.”
He advised the district to adhere to its budget.
The floor was opened for questions before Chairman McKeever Williamson called for a motion to accept the audit. Trustee Michael Hemingway said, since the audit was completed Oct. 17, he would have liked to get the report sooner to have time to read it before voting.
Newell explained that field work was finished on Oct. 17, but that it took until now to compile the report. He said trustees had until the “submit” date a few weeks from now to ask questions. Trustees made a motion and voted to accept the audit on the condition that they are given time to read it and question data.
In other action at the meeting, trustees discussed a student transfer request. Trustees approved a request for an out-of-district transfer to MSD1 for one year.
Board members voted to go into a closed session to discuss “personnel and contractual matters.” Upon coming out of the closed session, Williamson noted that no action had been taken during executive session. A motion was made, seconded, and passed by trustees to employ Crystal Johnson as a home-visitor for the district.

No Bullying: NO WAY!

Contributed

Johnakin Middle School had a poster contest recently. The general consensus of the student body was “No Bullying, No Way.”
Students were to design and create original posters with an anti-bullying theme. Principal Jason Bryant said, “So much has been going on in our school lately, with Red Ribbon Week and other great activities. The students have really gone all out.”
The middle school sixth graders were the participants in this poster project. Deborah Rogers, Prevention Specialist for Trinity Behavioral Care, said our public schools are really cracking down on their bullying problems.
Rogers was very impressed by all of the colorful, original artwork and the effort that the students put into the contest. “The teachers in (Marion) school districts 1 and 2 have worked really hard to incorporate the anti-bullying curricula into their lesson plans each week.
The Achieving Safety and Peace Grant, written by Paula Grant, Safe Schools/Healthy Students director of MSD2, purchased the curricula for the elementary, middle and high schools in both districts.
“We have three terrific curricula, and the teachers are doing great things with them. We’re seeing some positive results in both districts,” says Rogers.
Rogers and School Resource Officer Sgt. Cindy Barr judged the posters. Barr and Rogers said it was certainly a tough decision.
The winners are: first place, Jada Robertson; second place, Kenay Dixon; and third place, Shania Lane.
The students were awarded ribbons and prizes donated by Grant.
Barr also had a safety campaign with the students all week. Students signed Gun Pledges stating that they would never touch a gun or bring one to school.
Stephanie Maddux, a sixth grader, took it a step further and wrote “Gun Pledge Poem.” She was also awarded a prize by Rogers for her extra effort.
Her poem appears below:

Gun Pledge Poem

I will never bring a gun to school
Even if it makes me cool.
If it’s you or if it’s not
Don’t bother me cause I’m a Fox.
I’m nice. I care. I even share.
Don’t bring a gun even
If it’s a dare.

Bullying should not be an everyday fact of life

November 19-23 is Bullying Awareness Week. No student should be afraid to go to school because of bullying, and no parent should be worried that their child may be bullied; yet, it happens every day. Someone calls someone an ugly name. Someone kicks someone on the playground and then laughs. Someone isolates another by telling others not sit with them at the lunch table. Bullies are everywhere.

Who gets bullied?
 
Well, there are your passive or submissive victims. These students are usually quiet, careful, sensitive, and may cry easily. They are unsure of themselves and have poor self-confidence (negative self-image). The boys or girls in this group do not like to fight, and they are often physically weaker than their classmates, especially the bullies. They have few or no friends.
There is also the provocative victim. A classroom with a provocative victim of bullying generally has somewhat different problems than a class with a passive victim. It is more common that a number of students, sometimes the whole class, may be involved in harassing the provocative victim. These children are often restless, clumsy, immature, unable to concentrate, and generally considered difficult. Some may be characterized as hyperactive (unsettled and restless because of concentration difficulties) and often have reading/writing problems. They can be quick tempered and may try to retaliate if they are attacked or harassed, but often without much success. Because they are bullied, they may themselves try to bully weaker students. They may also be disliked by adults — their teacher, for example — because of their irritating behavior.

Who bullies?

It has often been presumed that bullies are anxious and unsure of themselves underneath their tough surface. However, research finds that bullies are characterized by very low levels of anxiety and insecurity. Their self-image is about average or even quite positive.
Some bullies are popular while others are not. A bully will often have a group of two or three friends who provide him or her with support and often join in the bullying with them.
Bullies have a marked need to dominate and suppress other students, to assert themselves by means of force and threats, to get their own way. They are often aggressive toward adults, both parents and teachers. They are often hot-tempered, impulsive, and not very tolerant of obstacles and delays (frustrations). They find it difficult to fit in with rules. They appear to be tough and show little sympathy toward students who are bullied. They view violence more favorably than most students do. AND, they are very good at talking their way out of difficult situations. Below are warning signs to determine if your child is being bullied or is a bully.

Is your child being bullied?

     *  Your child has bruises, injuries, cuts, and scratches and cannot give a credible explanation for what caused them
     *  Seems afraid or unwilling to go to school in the morning; or seems unhappy, downhearted, depressed, or has mood swings with sudden outbursts of irritation or anger
     *  Often has little appetite, headaches, or stomach aches; or sleeps restlessly with nightmares and possibly cries in his/her sleep
     *  Steals or asks for extra money from members of the family (to soften up the bullies)
     *  Loses interest in school and gets poorer grades
     *  Comes home with torn, dirty, or wet clothes or damaged books, or “loses” things without being able to give a proper explanation of what has happened
     *  Chooses an “illogical” route to and from school

Is your child a bully?

     *  Your child is aggressive, nasty, spiteful, and generally in opposition
     *  Has a marked need to dominate or manipulate others; and seems to like to insult, push around, or tease other children
     *  Forms a group to follow his/her lead in bossing other children around; and hits someone and shows no sign of remorse
Deborah Rogers is a prevention specialist at Trinity Behavioral Care. You may reach her at .

Chamber recognizes MSD7 students

The Marion Chamber of Commerce has named the Citizenship Awareness Recognition (CAR) award recipients for Marion School District Seven’s first grading period. The chamber awarded students with savings bonds, which were sponsored by the Pilot Club Foundation.

McCormick Elementary School

Honor Roll for First Nine Weeks

Third Grade All A’s: Carmen Odom, Tiffany Owens and Devin Hodge
Third Grade A/B: Gregory Cook, Samantha Cook, Sa’Quain Gerald, Jasmine Harley, Corey Jones, Sha’Asia Ross, Ra'Shaun Rush, Tanasia Brigman, Nick Collins, Kamren Davis, Preston Lauyans, Joslyn Smith, Kaela Strickland, Ja’Nautica Watts, Randva Lewis, Airam Perez, Camryn Shirley, Kendall Grant, Alexis Robinson, Phillip Ward, He’Lencia Page and Stone Pulley
Fourth Grade All A’s: Madeline Grant and Haley Hargrove
Fourth Grade A/B: Sierra Mullins, Andrew Thigpen, Tara Bessent, Olivia Mason, Precious McLaughlin, Lee Crawford, Alissa Rowell, Eric Amaro, De'Shaon Davis, Jewell Elliott, Jamar Finklea, Michael Ford, Daja Hickson, Tashan Hughes, Joseph Lilly, O'Neisha Page, Elliott Spencer, Ranessa Horton, Olivar Ramirez, Lee Rogers, Jessica Beck, Haleigh Brown, Shakiera Ceo and Zariyah Williams
Fifth Grade All A’s: Jessica Chavez, Kenneth Lasane, Ja’Leah Lasane and Maya Rush
Fifth Grade A/B: Maggie Floyd, Megan Huggins, Colby Jackson, Kayla McDaniels, Hannah Myers, Damini Patel, Elexus Reaves, Aubrey Stokley, Antonio Woodie, India Page, Shane Squires, Emily Elliott, Amber Huggins, Keyairra Smith, Kaytlin Stone, I’yona Mullins, Talia Jones, Hannah Thigpen, Alma Dyson, Destiny Smith, Ja’Riek Richburg, Jasmine Bethea, Destiny Genwright, Edilbert Guzman and Tiquon Wilson