CCBoE 04.22.2025 Regular Meeting Notes
Board Members Present: Chairman Dekle, Judy Teasley, Philip Kent, Kristi Baker, Katie Allen
Call To Order 5:30PM
Invocation: Powell Baptist Church Senior Pastor Dr. Nick Bates
Pledge of Allegiance: Martinez Elementary School and Riverside Elementary School 4H Presidents
Approval of Agenda: Yay 5, No 0
Special Recommendations:
LeAnne Gregg: Chief Academic Officer. Yay 5, No 0
Dr. Brian Campbell: Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction. Yay 5, No 0
Special Recognitions:
GHSA Literacy State Champions for 5A and 6A
NJROTC Tri-State Competition
SkillsUSA
SRP Federal Credit Union Affinity Check Presentation: $55, 157.80
Columbia County Aspiring Leaders Academy 2024-2025 (Instructors: LeAnne Gregg, Dr. Brian Campbell)
Erica Cox - Teacher at BRES
Andrea Eremus - AP at PES
Mendy Grant - Teacher at BRES
Meredith Hinson - AP at HMS
Kevin Holmes - Instructional Specialist at HMS
Ginger Logue - Teacher at HHS
Dr. Timothy Martin - AP at LHS
William McCorkle - Teacher at GHS
Evelyn Newton - Teacher at GMS
Tameria Perry - Math Specialist at GTES
Kwameika Postell - Teacher at GTHS
Andy Tran - Teacher at EES
Mary Beth Waters - Teacher at LES
Catherine Wenner - Teacher at BWES
Rebecca Widener - Teacher at EMS
Allison Wilhelm - Special Services Specialist at GTHS
Board Comments
Approval of Consent Items: Yay 5, No 0
(Katie Allen moved March financial from consent agenda to discussion)
Minutes of 3/25/2025, Work session meeting and 4/1/2025 Special Called Meeting
Fundraisers
Employee Travel
Program/Camp/Employee Participation Request
Lease/Use of Facilities
March Financials:
eSPLOST:
increased expenses -addition renovations
Updated for actual expenditures - applied towards contracts
The determining amounts - actual billed & paid. Expenditures lag by a couple of months
Budget Amendments
Category budgets
Special revenue - separate
Katie Allen asked for a chart of accounts
Katie Allen: On November 12, there was $23.1 million transfer out of general fund to building fund.
Often there is a supplement to the building fund after the budget due to a change in some of the prices (i.e. materials). In the past there was a 40% increase in costs during high inflation so decided to supplement from general fund rather than bonds. Kept good bond ratings because pulled from general fund rather than take on more debt service.
Additional building program - depends on next projects. Selling bonds or use general funds from reserve. Will make those decisions then.
Ms. Allen asked about adding amendments to the website.
Mr. Dekle stated that the budget is a living document.
Dr. Flynt stated that it’s hard to provide context online. Tonight they will try to post the video on the website so peo;le can watch it for the next couple of weeks until the next meeting. He doesn’t want to post the amendments without context because it might unnecessarily raise concerns.
Ms. Allen stated that having multiple years and context are helpful.
Budget Review Process, John Schneider - auditor
Responsibility
Management/Admin: Design/implement system of controls
Board: Oversight of Admin
External Auditor: Makes sure that the financial statements are according to Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP)
Budget Policy
Amendment Policy - Part of internal controls. Amend so real expenditures are entered.
General Fund - Financial statements also sent to the State.
When he audits, he looks at the Board minutes and budget revisions.
ESPLOST: The version in the financial statements. It’s not the actual budget. That is the percentage of completion on the projects.
He looked at Clark, Richmond, Bibb and Chatham Counties for 2023. Columbia County School Baord is very consistent with other counts and school system
Statements in accordance with GAAP - same budget format for other government entities
Did see one that had a tab format and suggested that
Dekle: When we pass the budget, do we then amend before spending $$?
Schneider: Example, $1 million out of instruction to $1 million admin would require approval because it’s across function-levels.
Dekle: If we moved money from the general fund to the building fund without an amendment, would that be a red flag?
Schneider: It could be a transfer rather than amendment.
Allen: Is it necessary to amend the budget to track the expenses?
Schneider: Both. School system uses GAAP. To prevent over-expenditure, regularly revising allows use of budget to be dynamic. You might have more/less property tax than you had planned.
Teasley: moving funds within the budget vs. changing the budget?
Schneider: It’s part of the internal controls - systems, processes implemented by management to prevent/detect misstatement.
Allen: Should we stop amending the budget frequently? Once/ month we’re amending the budget. Once it was for $6.
Schneider: I wouldn’t adjust the budget for $6 because it becomes an issue of materiality.
Allen: Does it make your life easier to consistently adjust the budget monthly?
Schenieder: The system of internal controls to ensure proper reporting/ compliance. So, the budget gets updated.
Allen: ESPLOST. So, here it says $1.6 million on the $60million contract
Schneider: ESPLOST is a 5-year program. Annual budget is a general budget and not really part of ESPLOST. ESPLOST is not annual. That’s the top-line budget and % complete on document.
Allen: No budget for these projects and then keep transferring $$ in when we keep paying.
Schneider: Contract was approved. Any changes would come back. There is an annual ESPLOST examination. % completion rather than budget.
Casado: Budget is function level, which the State prescribes. The function for capital outlay (4000.) Live within function level budget.
Teasley: Prices changing a couple years ago were unprecedented.
Flynt: Rarely do we change orders. Sometimes we want something different or extra but we don’t often do a change-order.
Schneider: Change orders over percentage.
Allen: Do you constantly monitor actual spending vs. budget?
Schneider: No, that would be a management responsibility. Audit procedures at year end. Quality internal controls are active and up-to-date.
Teasey: Is our budget process inline with other school systems?
Schneider: I never say everything is perfect but the process at this school district is similar to other similar size entities.
Strategic Planning
Vision and Mission
Goal Areas and Related Performance Objectives
Maximize Student Achievement and Success for Each Student, Dr. Bosch
Curriculum
Increase Rigor
Supports
Increase understanding & mastery of curriculum
ACE - all next year
Robotics: K12
AP Cyber Networking
Increase Instructional Rigor
Finance Park Advanced
Instructional Professional Learning
Science of reading: 75% GA Literacy Academy
Harlem Middle/High
Advanced Coursework Development
18 CTAE certification options
Enhance Academic Supports
Intervention & Acceleration
Allen: Where can parents review the ACE curriculum?
Bosch: It’s online.
Community Engagement, Mr. Casado
Maximize family & Community Involvement
Foundation, grants
School Improvement
Expand Meaningful business and post-secondary partnerships
Improve Internal/External Communication
Staff newsletter
Website - reorganization and redesign by fall 2025
Social media content calendar
ESPLOST Renewal
STAR Rating Update, Dr. Kristen Carroll (www.gadoe.org)
School Climate
Attendance
Student Discipline
Safe/Substance Free
Climate Perception
Personalized Climate - additional 5 points
Elementary Schools: 15 5-stars
Middle Schools: 4 5-stars
High Schools: GHS 5-stars, the rest were 4 stars
Financial Efficiency: 4.5 Stars as a district. Only 14/180. 5th lowest per pupil expenditures.
Baker: How to move a school up in financial efficiency rating.
Flynt: Increase student achievement while decreasing expenses at the school. Some schools have different programs and more veteran teachers so it’s difficult to use this to compare between schools.
HB268, Penny Jackson
Requirements (won’t know full extent until GADoE gives more info)
Mobile Panic Alert System
School Mapping Data
Anonymous around-the-clock tip line
Transfer and inspection of student records
Student Advocacy Specialists: 1 per 18,000 students (CCSD gets 2)
Services to students in custody of Department of Juvenile Justice or the Department of Human Services
Suicide prevention and awareness program with annual training
Youth violence awareness and prevention; Annual training
Will cost millions over the next few years, unfunded mandate
Allen: Can we use Infinite Campus to document?
Jackson: Yes, we should.
Allen: Are copies of surveys available to parents?
Jackson: Yes
Allen: We might need to have a meeting just for this?
Flynt: Admin will develop practices and bring policies. We will get the new rules from GADoE, then bring updated procedures, policies to you.
Allen: To lawyer, do you think there will be any legal challenges?
Lawyer: It’s too uncertain right now until we get State guidance.
Special Education Update, Mr. Sharard Pritchett
3781 students in SPED: PK-12th
Consultative to self-contained
General Education Diploma or SPED Diploma
Needs Assessment
External Audit 2023-2024
3 Areas of Need
Instruction
Compliance
Behavior
3-year plan for improvement
2024-2025 Focus
SPED Summer Institute July 2024
Monthly Newsletter
Staff Meetings at each school
New teacher trainings
Instruction
SDI at HMS & HHS
Co-teaching
Scheduling support
Compliance
Training on IEP
IEP Goals to Support SDI
Cluster Support Model 2025-2026 (6 schools in each cluster)
Compliance Specialist
Instructional Specialist
Behavior Specialist
Program Specialist
Self-Contained Program Movement
Zoned school, minimize multi-grade levels in one class
640 students in self-contained
77 students impacted by classroom movement
Parent communication plan developed - contact in next couple of weeks
Baker: Are we hiring additional teachers for the clusters?
Pritchett: No, we are reallocating existing resources.
Kent: Right now we have Specialists that only cover 2 schools? Do they have multiple roles now?
Pritchett: Yes, the clusters will narrow the focus so they can give more intentional supports.
Allen: I talked to a parent whose child had already moved 2 times and it causes a really big disruption for that student and family.
Pritchett: We try to minimize the movement. We try not to move them every year and we’re working toward minimizing the movements even more.
Public Participation:
5th Grade student gave 3 minute speech about the need to increase recess time
FY 2026 Budget Presentation
Legal Level - functional expenditures and revenue source by fund
Budget - managed by district
Superintendent can change up to 5% of original budget by just informing board, however district always brings it to the board to vote.
Building program - new ESPLOST cycle detail.
General Fund
58.02% State funds
41.76% Local
.22% Federal
PPE
14/180 FTE Reported
6/180 % Per FTE Instruction
177/180 % Per FTE Pupil Services
179/180 % Per FTE General Admin
175/180 Per FTE Total Expenditures ($11,087)
88.12% Salaries & Benefits - General Fund
Property Insurance +25%
Proposals
5% COLA
#2-17 on list
Fund expenditures by reducing fund balance
Average teacher salary is $75,000 so 5% increase would be $3750 increase
Meal Price increase
Current $3.10, increase to $3.50
$4.25 is suggested
Budget Hearings
April 29: 8AM Initial
May 6 Evening Meeting, public input
May 13, Final budget approval
Building Program
N Columbia: Painting internal, furniture delivery in early July
LHS: Classroom addition coming along, cafeteria footing an slab, PAC looks tall but will balance out
EHS: Over the summer will be doing major inside renovations. Summer staff to Evans Middle. Gym going up and cafeteria.
Bids
Multipurpose Copy Paper: Contract Paper Group, $208,580.40. Approve: Yay 5, No 0 (General Fund)
E-Rate Wiring Projects (5-year, servers, etc): Structural Media, $197,310. Approve: Yay 5, No 0 (ESPLOST)
N Columbia Playground: Playworld, $234,929.93. Approve Yay, No 0 (ESPLOST)
Superintendent Reports:
TAP Talks (future educators)
Arts at the Plaza, April 26
Rookie of the Year, May 14
Kindergarten Round-Up, May 15
Early Dismissal/ Last Day of School, May 21
Class of 2025 Graduation Ceremonies, Evans Towne Center Park
Evans High School, May 21 6:30PM
Greenbrier High School, May 22, 9:00AM
Harlem High School, May 22 6:30PM
Grovetown High School, May 23 9:00AM
Lakeside High School, May 23 6:30PM
Report Cards, May 23
Memorial Day Holiday, May 26
Summer School
Registration, April 28 - May 23
Grovetown High School, May 29-June 26
Graduation, Columbia County Performing Arts Center, June 26
Executive Session
Didn’t talk about illegal subjects. Yay 5, No 0
Personnel Sheets: Yay 5, No 0
Adjourn: Yay 4, No 1 (Katie Allen said she had board items but everyone was ready to go. Karin’s Note: It didn’t appear contentious.)
9:05PM Adjourn