September 23, 2015 Edition

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News

Greenville County Schools SAT Scores Higher Than Nation and State

Follows Higher Score than Nation and State on ACT College Entrance Test

SAT scores for Greenville County Schools students topped the national public school average for the first time in the new era of the college entrance exam. Earlier, it was released GCS students outperformed the national and state averages on the American College Test (ACT).

The 2015 SAT average composite score for Greenville seniors was 1463 on the SAT's 2400-point scale, one point higher than the national average of 1462 and 35 points higher than the state average of 1428.

• Six high schools scored at or above the national public school SAT average: Riverside (1557), Eastside (1538), Wade Hampton (1519), Southside (1508), JL Mann (1505), and Mauldin (1479).
• Six Greenville County high schools rank in the top 25% of the state based on SAT average scores.
• Seven schools scored above the state average: Riverside (1557), Eastside (1538), Wade Hampton (1519), Southside (1508), JL Mann (1505), Mauldin (1479), and Blue Ridge (1433).

9 Out of 10 Greenville County Schools 11th Graders Are "Work Ready"

First Year of ACT WorkKeys for SC Students

Nine out of ten of last school year's almost 5,000 Greenville County high school juniors are considered "work ready" according to ACT WorkKeys, a new state assessment administered for the first time in spring 2015.

WorkKeys, designed to measure essential workforce skills, consists of three sections: Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, and Reading for Information.

Students earn a National Career Readiness Certificate based on their score. Students passing WorkKeys earn a bronze, silver, gold or platinum certificate.

In all, 89.2 percent of GCS students earned a bronze certificate or higher. GCS students were awarded certificates as follows:

• Bronze: 20.9 percent (scores of level three or higher on all exams)
• Silver: 40.3 percent (scores of level four or higher on all exams)
• Gold: 27.1 percent (scores of level five or higher on all exams)
• Platinum: 0.9 percent (scores of level six or higher on all exams)

The certificate can assist students with finding part-time or summer jobs, internships and employment. In South Carolina over 1,400 employers recognize the certificate.

Unofficial Board Meeting Summary
September 22, 2015

Board Members Present (12): Lisa Wells, Chairman; 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 (0): None.

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

Adoption of Consent Calendar

• Minutes, Regular Board Meeting - August 25, 2015

Appearance of Visitors - Mr. Bob Davis

Superintendent's Report - Mr.Royster recognized Susan Griffin, Assistant Superintendent for Special Education Services, who is leaving for a position in the private sector. A video was shown thanking the Board for funding musical instruments for middle and high school band and strings programs.

Visitors - Students from Anderson University, Furman University and USC-Upstate were recognized.

Action Items

Land Swap Agreement with City of Greenville - Approved recommendation from the Administration to approve the land swap of 0.873 acres of city property for 0.803 acres of district property on the JL Mann High site.

Resolution to the State Board of Education for Surplus Property at Blue Ridge High (Executive Session) - Approved resolution, as recommended by the Administration, to declare 0.81 acres at Blue Ridge High School surplus so that it may be sold.

Request to Hear Personnel Grievance (Executive Session) - Approved recommendation from the Administration to uphold the decision to deny hearing the grievance.

Review of Financial Controls Audit 2014 - Approved recommendation from Internal Auditing Services to accept the Audit of Review of Financial Internal Controls 2014.

Additional Audit Request - Approved recommendation from Internal Auditing Services to approve an additional audit project request to review cost, consumption, and internal controls of the fuel tank monitoring systems at the Distribution Center and the Donaldson Bus Center.

Tax Increment Financing Agreement with City of Greenville (Executive Session) - Approved the Administration's recommendation to approve a Tax Increment Financing Agreement with the City of Greenville regarding distribution of tax revenue above the annual amount needed by the city for payment of the principal and interest of bonds issued for redevelopment projects within the TIF areas. (Mrs. Wells recused herself from the discussion due to her employment with the city.) The city created two TIF districts in the 1980's (Central Business District and West End District) and one in the 1990's (Viola Street District) to spur economic development in blighted areas in and around downtown. The three TIFs have successfully accomplished this goal, which has resulted in the generation of additional tax revenue. Also, under the terms of the agreement, the city agrees to end the Viola Street District in 2016, twelve years earlier than specified in its TIF plan, and to close the West End District in 2021, one year earlier than its plan. With regard to the additional revenue generated by the Central Business District and the West End District, the district will received projected revenue of $20 to $25 million over six years beginning in fiscal year 2017. The district will receive beginning September 2021 enhanced tax revenue resulting from the redevelopment of the TIF areas.

Information Items

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

Committee / Liaison Reports

Advocacy Committee - Mr. Meek noted the Board will host a meeting with economic development leaders on September 30 and a series of meetings will be held next month with Delegation members.

Finance Report

Finance Report - No report.

The meeting adjourned at 7:28 p.m.