June 17, 2015 Edition

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News

Tdap Immunization Required for Rising Seventh, Eighth Graders

Rising seventh and eighth grade students must have the Tdap vaccination or submit an objector's statement to their school prior to the first day of school, Tuesday, August 18. Students not meeting the Tdap vaccination requirement will not be allowed to attend school. Students new to Greenville County Schools are granted a 30-day exemption from the date of the student's enrollment.

Food and Nutrition Services Earns USDA Best Practices Award

Greenville County Schools' Food and Nutrition Services (FANS) has earned a Best Practices Award in Fiscal Management from the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FANS was recognized for implementing a districtwide training program to ensure that appropriate food choices were served to meet the requirements of a USDA reimbursable meal. The training resulted in an overall food cost reduction of more than two percent for the 2014-15 school year at a time when the cost of food products rose over 2.9 percent.

Unofficial Board Meeting Summary
June 16, 2015

Board Members Present (11): Dr. Crystal Ball O'Connor, Vice Chairman; Debi Bush, Secretary; Kenneth E. Baxter, Sr., Joy Grayson, Lynda Leventis-Wells, Derek Lewis, Roger Meek, Glenda Morrison-Fair, Danna Rohleder, Chuck Saylors, Pat Sudduth. Absent (1): Lisa Wells, Chairman.

Welcome, Prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance - Mrs. Rohleder

Adoption of Consent Calendar

• Minutes, Regular Board Meeting, May 26, 2015
• Minutes, Budget, Public Hearing, June 2, 2015
• Minutes, Budget, Second Reading, June 2, 2015
• Minutes, Special Called Meeting, June 9, 2015
• Personnel Recommendations
  • Tracy Atkins, Principal, Armstrong Elementary
  • Jennifer Anderson, Assistant Principal, Cherrydale Elementary
  • Teresa Floyd, Assistant Principal, Berea Middle
  • Damon Qualls, Assistant Principal, Berea Middle
  • David Schoolfield, Assistant Principal, Bryson Middle
  • Cory Terry, Assistant Principal, East North Street Academy

Appearance of Visitors - None.

Superintendent's Report - No report. Later during the meeting, Mr. Royster recognized Mr. Bill Utsey, retiring District athletic director.

Action Items

Sexual Education Materials Recommendation - Approved motion from the Committee of the Whole to approve the addition of three videos to the Sexuality Education curriculum. The Sexuality Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) reviewed a number of curriculum materials and recommended two videos, on the topics of STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) and Teen Parenting (entitled Too Young).

Recommendation for SCSBA Board of Directors - Approved motion from the Committee of the Whole to nominate Mr. Baxter for the South Carolina School Boards Region 15 Board of Directors. Also, recognized Mrs. Rohleder for her eight years of service on the SCSBA Board of Directors.

Recommendation for SCSBA Executive Board (Secretary) - Approved motion from the Committee of the Whole to nominate Chuck Saylors for Secretary of the South Carolina School Boards Association.

Right-of-Way at Fisher Middle School - Approved motion from the Committee of the Whole to approve the SCDOT's offer of $6,200 for 2,819 square feet/0.065 acres at Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School. SCDOT plans to widen the road to add a bike lane and sidewalk on Old Sulphur Springs Road.

Right-of-Way at Woodmont Middle School - Approved motion from the Committee of the Whole to approve the right-of-way agreement with Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC at Woodmont Middle School to install the requested electrical service at the school's softball/baseball field.

Mechanical Engineer Selections for HVAC Services - Approved motion from Committee of the Whole to approve Firm A, Firm B, Firm C, and Firm D to provide professional mechanical engineering for HVAC replacement projects at Welcome Elementary, Berea Elementary, Fork Shoals School, Bryson Elementary, Skyland Elementary, and Oakview Elementary.

FY 16 General Obligation Bonds Resolution - Approved recommendation from the Administration to approve the Resolution for the FY 16 General Obligation Bonds, Series 2015. The Administration annually projects the amount of General Obligation Bonds that must be approved for issuance to fund the BEST bond payments and the operations of the Facilities Department. The amount to be issued for FY 16 is not to exceed $120 million.

BEST Bond Resolution - Approved recommendation from the Administration to approve the BEST Bond Resolution, which authorizes the Superintendent to refinance BEST Bonds in accordance with the BEST Bond Resolution. Similar to refinancing a home mortgage to reduce the monthly mortgage payments, bond issuers such as BEST can refinance a portion or all of its outstanding bonds and reduce the annual debt service payments. The ability to achieve reduced debt service payments depends on the activity of the market's long-term and short-term interest rates.

Based on the current interest rate environment a refunding of the BEST Bond Series 2006 would be advantageous to BEST and the District. However, because the BEST Bond Series 2006 was issued as an advance refunding of a portion of the BEST Bonds Series 2002, the BEST Bonds Series 2006 cannot be advanced refunded, on a tax-exempt basis, until September 5, 2016.

There is general consensus that bond market interest rates will rise before September 5, 2016, reducing the refunding savings available to the District. A resolution was presented to and approved by the BEST Board that would allow two actions to be taken by the District. First, the District would pursue interest rate mitigation mechanisms for the BEST Bond Series 2006, including, but not limited to, a forward delivery agreement or an interest rate hedging agreement. The purpose would be to lock in the low interest rate that is currently available until such time that the BEST Bond Series 2006 can be refunded in 2016. Second, the Resolution would allow the District to refund the remaining BEST Bond Series 2006 ($466.2 million in principal) in 2016. This refunding will not proceed unless the District can achieve a net present value savings of not less than 5% which is generally recognized as the standard base refinancing level net of issuance expenses. Refinancing would not extend the final BEST bond payment date, nor would the final payment dates of the new BEST bonds exceed the final payments date of the refinanced bonds.

FY 16 Debt Service Budget - Approved recommendation from the Administration to approve the FY 16 Debt Service Budget. The budget accounts for Debt Service revenues, annual general obligation bond payments and distribution of General Obligation Bond proceeds to the BEST Debt Service and Building Fund Budgets.

FY 16 BEST Debt Service Budget - Approved recommendation from the Administration to approve the FY 16 BEST Debt Service Budget. During FY 16 interest and principal payments, totaling $73,525,596 for BEST Bonds will be paid on December 1, 2015 and June 1, 2016. The funding sources are interest income and transfers from District Debt Service.

FY 16 Building Fund Budget - Approved recommendation from the Administration to approve the FY 16 Building Fund Budget. During FY 16, the projected expenditures are $41.2 million with major projects, roof renovations and technology refresh programs the largest scheduled expenditures. The projected revenues are interest income, proceeds from General Obligation Bonds and fund balance.

FY 16 Food and Nutrition Services Budget - Approved recommendation from the Administration to approve the FY 16 Food and Nutrition Services Budget. The revenue budget reflects a 2.19% increase in the USDA per meal reimbursement rate. It also includes an increase in the estimated number of lunches and breakfasts due to the projected enrollment increase, a 10 cent increase for adult meal prices and a 10 cent increase for full-pay student lunch prices as required by the USDA.

The USDA requires that the price of a full-pay student lunch equal $2.76. This is the difference between the USDA reimbursement rate for a free student lunch, projected at $3.13 for FY 16 and the USDA reimbursement rate for a full-pay student lunch, which is $.37. The FY 15 full-pay student lunch price was $2.20 and will be $2.30 for FY 16. Since FANS is not charging the required USDA lunch price of $2.76, FANS, as required by the USDA, must increase the full paid lunch price by a minimum of 10 cents every year until the $2.76 price is meet. As the USDA adjusts its reimbursement rates, the $2.76 price may increase.

The expenditure budget includes a 3% raise for FANS staff, increase in staff hours due to culinary training and projected additional meals due to enrollment increase; increase in employer portion of employee benefits, and a projected 2.4% increase in cost of food due to inflation and projected increase in number of meals to be served.

FY 16 Special Revenue Budgets - Approved recommendation from the Administration to accept the proposed FY 16 Special Revenue Budgets. A "Special Revenue Budget" is established when the District receives Federal, State or Local funds that have restrictions on how the funds can be spent. While the District's "General Fund Budget" funds the "general" day-to-day operations of the District, a special revenue budget is set up with a specified purpose or direction. The restrictions on special revenue budgets vary budget by budget. Some budgets fund only equipment purchases while another funds focus may be on professional development. The District's responsibility ranges from that of the fiscal "flow through" agent for some budgets to the monitoring of all aspects of the budget activity to ensure compliance with Federal and State laws and regulations.

Separation of Employee Audit - Approved recommendation from Internal Auditing Services to accept the Audit of Separation of Employees for the Period of May 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013. The audit was performed to determine if payroll checks and benefits are ended in a timely manner after an employee resigns, retires, or is terminated.

Student Classification Audit - Approved recommendation from Internal Auditing Services to accept the Audit of Student Classification. The audit was performed to ensure that students were properly classified in the PowerSchool system in order to receive maximum Education Finance Act (EFA) funding.

Internal Auditing Services' Project Status Report - The report was presented as information.

Information/Action From Board Committees/Liaisons

Communities in Schools - Mr. Baxter noted the organization's golf tournament would be held later this year to raise funds and that the 2015-16 budget had been approved.

Finance Report - The report was presented as information.

The meeting adjourned at 8:18 p.m.