CCBoE 1/14/2025 Regular Meeting
Call to Order
Invocation - Christ the King Lutheran Church Co-Lead Pastor Chuck Mann
Pledge of Allegiance - Grovetown Elementary School 4H Presidents
Approval of Agenda: Yay 5, No 0
Swearing-in of Newly Elected Board Members Honorable Alice Padgett
Philip Kent
Katie Allen
Chairman Dekle (new term)
Selection of Vice-Chairman
Judy Teasley: Yay 5, No 0
Selection of CC School District Foundation Trustee
Kristi Baker: Yay 5, No 0
Approval of Board Attorney
Mr. Fletcher: Yay 5, No 0
Approval of Board Meeting Dates & Times for 2025: Yay 5, No 0
Board Norms and Protocols
This won’t be put to a vote tonight.
Board members will read through and send in comments to teak it.
Protocols help get work done and is an expectation to maintain exemplary board status
Can vote at the next meeting or in February. Important but not urgent.
Special Recognitions
Georgia Junior Beta State Secretary: Harlem Middle School (name redacted by Karin)
GHSA Girls Flag Football Division II State Championship
Board Comments*:
Teasley: Happy New Year and welcome new board members. Thank you to the 4Hers. Good job to Junior Beta Secretary (name redacted by Karin). Greenbrier High School - Two years in a row, wow, you are really raising expectations. How many seniors are on the team? 2? Well, that’s wonderful. Thank you. We are blessed.
Baker: Thank you Pastor Mann for opening up. Thank you to the 4Hers for being good leaders in your schools. Thank you to (Name redacted by Karin) representing Harlem Middle. Greenbrier - Thank you for representing Columbia County with flag football. They didn’t have that when I was in school but I think I would have loved that. Thanks to the coaches for growing this wonderful program. Congratulations to the new board members.
Allen: I am humbled and honored to be here. I intend to use my time to honor voters, the administration and Jesus Christ. Thank you to students and parents and administrators. Thank you to citizens and thank you to everyone.
Kent: Congratulations Mrs. Allen. Greenbrier High School - I looked it up and you’re 4th in the nation now? That’s great. You are a force to be reckoned with. I appreciate the hard work that goes into that. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be here right now, I wouldn’t have believed you, so thank you to those in the community that believed in me. I plan on being a watchdog on the budget as a fiscal conservative. We have a great board attorney and we had a great orientation. I’m looking forward to continuing to make this school system golden.
Approval of Consent Items: Yay 5, No 0
Minutes of December 17, 2024, Regular Session Meeting
November Financials
Budget Amendment
Fundraisers
Employee Travel
Program/Camp/Employee Participation Request
Lease/Use of Facilities
Building Program
North Columbia: above ceiling electrical and plumbing continues to be installed. Waiting on delivery of metal flashing. Painting on the interior has started.
Lakeside HS: Parking lot in the back is in use. PAC coming along. There is balance on the other side -entrance and cafeteria and media center. Relocated student parking in the back. Leveling out the old parking lot.
Evans HS: PAC footing installed. Moving utilities - this is a tight sight. Contractor hit a power line knocking out the power for 1.5 hrs. Luckily able to get it restored. CTAE wings in the back will be renovated.
Comments*
Baker: Are students still in those classrooms right there near the construction?
Flynt: Yes, they are still located there.
Baker: Can I ask about Lakeside High School? What is the flow of traffic like?
Flynt: It was a little congested the first day. Everyone was figuring that out. Lots of updates.
Penny Jackson: The cars in the pick-up/drop-off line were letting the students out early but now they are pulling all the way up which has improved the flow of the traffic.
Flynt: My daughter usually tells me if we’re getting something wrong there since she’s a Senior.
Teasley: With North Columbia, you said there was metal flashing on order. Is that going to slow anything down?
Flynt: We’re not thinking it will be a problem. We’re actually 5 months ahead of where Westmont was at this same point. It should be OK.
Bid Results:
This is for Tech Devices. Each school will get 2 classroom carts 2/devices. This also replaces desktops that are on the schedule to be replaced.
Prosys about 1.2 Million (I will update this when I get the slides because I couldn’t see the number)
Approve: Yay 5, No 0
Allen: I see it’s the lowest bid. Have we used this vendor before? Are they reputable?
VanMeter: They are a great vendor. We’ve used them before. They are always the lowest bid and great to work with.
House Bill 581 Update (Alex Casado)
(I encourage everyone to attend the public hearings because there was no way to write down everything for this discussion.)
1 opportunity to opt-out of the bill. There must be 3 public hearings and it must be passed by 3/1
Impact on School Districts if opt-in
Loss of local control
Negatively impact property tax revenue for school districts
Won’t benefit from higher property values above the established cap
May have to artificially raise millage rate
Negatively impact credit ratings
Compounding impact of already existing exemptions
Once hit 20 mill cap and still having budget shortfalls
Furloughs or lay offs
Increase class size
Reduction in programs
The age 70+ exemptions are substantial and growing. This would compound the problem of opting-into HB 581.
Comments*
Baker: Why did they set this up so it’s set for 50 years?
Casado: I don’t know why.
Teasley: We know that the economy isn’t going to be stable for 50 years….
Baker: I remember when we had to make big budget cuts and that was not a fun time on the board.
Flynt: Counties can raise funds with a sales tax but that’s not available for schools.
Baker: If we opt-in, do we have a way to get more State or Federal if we have shortfalls?
Casado: No, not really.
Teasley: If we opt-in, we will be making the decision for future boards without knowing what their situation will be.
Baker: If we opt-in would we need to change the 10-year plan?
Flynt: Now now but will have to be very careful with the budget.
Allen: Reflecting on the market changes…. Are we depending on increasing property value to fund the schools though?
Casado: It’s a factor in the budget but I’m not sure we're increasing just on property values. We’ve had increases in expenses for Health Insurance.
Allen: Are we creating a budget though, expecting increasing property values?
Casado: Try to take the average or less than average approach when making the budget. If the digest comes back more conservative- we can adjust the budget.
Allen: As far as the impacts if we hit the max millage rate/ have to make budget cuts…. Is that how we have handled it in the past or is that based on other School Districts?
Casado: That’s what School Districts do when there are large budget cuts. Increasing class size is the easiest way to cut millions at once.
Teasley: We’re trying to make a decision over a 50-year timeframe. We have a process we know and use right now.
Flynt: CPI doesn’t flow exactly. 12% one year but property doesn’t reassess all at once. In the past, there were lags.
Teasley: But we’re assuming CPI
Casado: I used previous years but not sure what they’re going to use.
Allen: What was the voter intent?
Casado: I would be speculating and I don’t necessarily want to do that but if they didn't’ read the law, they might not have understood the law.
Allen: It’s fair to say that the voter wanted to lower their taxes, right?
Teasley: Nobody likes to pay taxes though. Tell me one tax that anybody likes to pay. We still have to fund the schools though.
Kent: How would the vote go if we voted today? I’m concerned about State programs passed down to the district that we’re forced to pay for.
Flynt: Benefits for non-certified employees have been a large increase. Non-certified is not funded at the same rate. We have to follow the Health Plan.
Casado: TPS funding levels are State mandated. Health insurance doubled in the past couple years.
Flynt: Our ratios (gave funding ratios compared to other districts)….. The Board has been very fiscally conservative.
Superintendent Reports:
8th Grade Pathway Fair
1/15-2/7 Permissive Transfer Window
1/16 District Spelling Bell @ Greenbrier Middle School
Public Comments:
Janet Duggan:
In 2022 the budget was approved, and then because property values went up, the district received an additional $3 million.
Can’t be confident that board is truly fiscally conservative
Wants the board to be truly fiscally conservative
Jessica Fisher
Refreshing to see questions and discussion around many of the issues
Urges the board to take time to see how policies affect the classrooms. Encourages the board to spend more time in classrooms rather than just doing photo-ops.
Karin Parham
Statement on behalf of the Columbia County Democratic Party
Congratulated new board members
Reminded the board that positions are non-partisan and encouraged the board to not get mired in culture war topics. Invited board members and Dr. Flynt to speak at monthly meetings.
Executive Session: affidavit that only allowed topics discussed during executive session: Yay 5, No 0
Personnel: Yay 5, No 0
Worker’s Comp Settlement: Yay 5, No 0
Legal
Real Estate
Board Items
Board Policy BH, Code of Ethics
Board Policy BHA, Conflict of Interest
Whole Board Training: 2/4/2025
Adjourn: Yay 5, No 0
*Comments: Board Comments and discussions aren’t 100% transcribed unless noted specifically. I try to write down everything they say but I’m human and I can only write so fast. Often, it’s paraphrased or not exact. Sometimes, if I have a recording, I will transcribe comments but that will be noted.
"I intend to use my time to honor voters, the administration and Jesus Christ". Lady, where does your religion enter into this?
Just what every school board needs, a god-botherer.