CCBoE 01.28.2025 Notes
Working Session
Call To Order
Moment of Silence
Pledge of Allegiance by Stevens Creek Elementary School 4-H Presidents
Approval of Agenda: Yay 5, No 0
Special Recognitions
Georgia Junior Beta State Convention Competition:
Columbia Middle School: 3rd Place Woodworking, 2nd Place Creative Writing, 1st Place Cake Decorating, Golden Ticket Premier Performer National Convention
Stalling Island Middle School: 2nd Place Painting
CyberPatriot State Championship
Greenbrier Middle School: 1st Place Team & 2nd Place Team
Stalling Island Middle School: 3rd Place
Greenbrier High School: 3rd Place, Silver Tier
Board Comments: Only Mr. Dekle spoke - He had the parents stand if their student was recognized. Said that the students made the board proud and thanked the 4H Students
Approval of Consent Items: Yay 5, No 0
Minutes of January 14, 2025 Regular Session Meeting
December Financials
Budget Amendment
Fundraisers
Employee Travel
Program/Camp/Employee Participation Request
Lease/Use of Facilities
Building Program Bid Results
54 Passenger Bus: Net cost $52,000. Vote to Approve: Yay 5, No 0
Superintendent Reports
Budget Calendar: Move one meeting from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.
1/16 Rising Freshman Night
Progress Reports, February 5
CTAE Workforce Showcase and Competition February 7
Student Teacher Achievement Recognition Banquet, February 13
Early Dismissal/ School Professional Learning Day, February 14
President’s Day February 17
Pre-K Registration, February 24 - March 21
Columbia County School District Foundation Top Golf, March 3
Columbia County Career and College Expo, March 6
End of 3rd Nine Weeks, March 11
Early Dismissal/ Parent Conferences, March 14
School Board Appreciation Week, March 17-21
Report Cards, March 18
Pre-K Drawing, March 28
Break for HB581 Hearing 2
Board Oversight Annual Audit Review
6/30/24 Fiscal Year Audit
Audited financial statements & Letter
Responsibilities
Auditor - Present Information Fairly
Finance - Producing Financial Statements
Board - Oversight
Clean/unmodified opinion - no material misstatements
4 Reports
Independent Auditor
Compliance/Controls
Federal Award Programs - No findings
SPLOST expenditures - in compliance
Supplementary Management Discussion - not audited
Note disclosures - significant liabilities including pensions
Teasley: You said there were no findings?
Auditor: No material non-compliance, no findings, expenditures are in compliance
Kent: Are there any thresholds?
Auditor: The threshold is 5% to not be a low-risk audit. Risk assessment and materiality…. There are multiple thresholds.
Allen: Thank you Mr. Casada for doing a good job on the financial statements/audit.
Discussion Topics and Presentations: (Moved the Literacy and ELA Update to next month)
Student Achievement Update, Assistant Superintendents Dr. Kristen Carroll and Steven Cummings
Baker: Do we need to hire people to work on closing some of the gaps for High School/Middle School?
Carroll: We’ve increased teacher support. We provide resources and different components. It does take time to differentiate instruction - for both higher achieving students and those students who tend to need more help. Subgroups did better. Science is weaker so the curriculum team is working to help support that area.
Teasley: Are we reaching the gifted underachievers?
Cummings: Teachers understanding data and how to make adjustments to instruction. Enrichment is not the same for all students. Planning and adjusting everyday. We are working through collaboration. The curriculum team is providing more resources and helping teachers understand how to apply the data to their students.
Kent: Is it a level playing field?
Baker: Is the State doing things different?
Flynt: We just started 1-2 years ago. We saw the movement in the elementary schools first. We have plans in place to make progress. There’s some push back and it’s tasking our folks but we’re committed to making it work.
Allen asked a question about the State changing how they calculated scores.
Carroll: Can’t really compare scores over years because it’s changed. The past few years have been the same so we can compare.
Flynt: This is why we benchmark against other districts to compare to… CCRPI isn’t the only way to track.
Kent: So the baseline is 2021?
Carroll: Baseline is 2022
Staff Reports
Human Resources Update, Tony Wright
Staffing based on 28,644 projected enrollment for 2025-2026, has steadied a bit in the past couple of years.
Baker: When is the count for the State?
Wright: The count is done in October.
Flynt: We’ve hired consultants for some of this which has helped quite a bit. They were able to say where we were leaving money on the table, etc.
Teasley: Asked about endorsements that teachers can get
Wright: ESOL, additional endorsements, etc…. Can maximize those pay increases with endorsements
Allen: I read something about changing the QBE Formula?
Flynt: They have been saying that since 1981….. He’s worked on a group with that before but there were never able to get it through.
Executive Session: Didn’t discuss unapproved topics: Yay 5, No 0
Personnel: Approve Yay 5, No 0
Legal
Real Estate
Adjourn: Yay 5, No 0