March 24, 2021 Edition

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News

Job Fair March 30

We're hiring great people for positions as bus drivers, bus aides, custodians, and food service personnel. Greenville County Schools will host an in-person Job Fair on Tuesday, March 30 from 5-7 pm at Golden Strip Career Center, 1120 E. Butler Road, Greenville, SC (Directions to Golden Strip Career Center). Social distancing will be in place and masks are required.

• Bus Driver $15.21 - $19.06
• Bus Aide $10.43 - $16.54
• Custodian $11.25 - $13.71
• Food Service $11.25 - $13.71

GREAT BENEFITS, including health and dental, retirement, sick leave, and free life insurance, are available for employees who work 30 or more hours per week. Training is provided. If you are interested in working at a job where you can make a difference in the quality of our community and receive great benefits, you are encouraged to attend this event. For more information contact INFOLine at 355-3100 or visit the GCS Website.

Eastside High SIC Named Riley Award Finalist

Eastside High School is among five South Carolina School Improvement Councils (SICs) that have been named statewide 2021 award finalists for their accomplishments in family and civic engagement within their school communities. The SC School Improvement Council's annual Dick and Tunky Riley Award for School Improvement Council Excellence recognizes the significant contributions made to public education by local SIC members. More about Eastisde SIC

eLearning Date Set for Employee Second Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine

Greenville County Schools is planning for all students to participate in eLearning on Friday, April 16. Confirmation of this date will be made by Tuesday, April 13. This date is tentative because it hinges on our ability to secure enough vaccine for our employees. As soon as it's confirmed, we will let parents know. In the meantime, please make childcare arrangements for Friday, April 16.

GCS expects to accommodate ALL employees who signed up to get the shot. We do not believe another eLearning day for the purpose of vaccinations will be necessary after the 16th. Teachers will continue to provide lessons on the day they are receiving their second dose. Assignments will be posted during the time they are away from work to get the vaccine.

SCREADY, SCPASS Testing Dates Scheduled - eLearning for Brick and Mortar 3rd-8th

Virtual students will attend in-person school for State testing; brick-and-mortar students will eLearn on identified days. State Testing Schedule

All testing will be conducted at the schools' physical locations. Remote testing is not available. Students will be required to follow all established safety measures, including mask-wearing and social distancing.

Board Meeting Summary

March 23, 2021

Welcome, Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance

Awards and Recognitions
Boardmanship Institute Level 6: Lynda Leventis-Wells

Adoption of Consent Calendar
Minutes, Regular Board Meeting - February 23, 2021
Minutes, Special Called Meeting - March 9, 2021

Personnel Recommendations -
Heather Dye, Principal, Taylors Elementary School
Preston Spratt, Principal, A. J. Whittenberg Elementary School

Adoption of Public Comments - Approved recommendation from the Administration to adopt comments submitted electronically, and include them as part of the official minutes of the board meeting. At the May 12, 2020, Special Called Meeting, the Board of Trustees approved a Temporary Procedure for Public Input to Board Meetings during the Governor's current State of Emergency and any subsequent State of Emergency pertaining to the COVID-19 Pandemic and consistent with Board Policy KCA to allow the public to communicate their comments while also adhering to safety and health precautions and legal requirements.

Appearance of Visitors
Melissa Witherspoon - mental health
Barry Burdette - missed opportunities
Nacole Hause - mental health
Emma Wright - mental health
Stephanie Wright - mental health
Valerie Bynum - Full time school
Amanda Meyer - mental health
Erin Busch - mental health
James Brundege - Approved reading list
Courtney Cureton - mental health
Sara Head - school choice
Natalie Finch - mental health
Parker Andrew Finch - mental health
Kozbi Bayne - mental health
Kelli Moxie - children's challenges during COVID
Russ Esmacher - mental health
Amanda Phillips - mental health

Superintendent's Report
Introduction of two new principals - Heather Dye, Taylors Elementary
Preston Spratt, Principal, A. J. Whittenberg Elementary School

Action Items

Revision of Board Policy FGB: Property Acquisition - Approved motion from the Committee of the Whole to approve the revision of Board Policy FGB as presented.  The current policy is outdated and revisions are necessary to update the language and to make the policy more definitive and clearer. The new language emphasizes that all necessary due diligence must be completed, including two appraisals, for property acquisition before the transaction is presented to the Board of Trustees for approval. The revised language also directs the Superintendent to create an administrative rule with more detail pertaining to property acquisitions.

Revision of Board Policy JHCC: Student Publications - Approved motion from the Committee of the Whole to approve the revision of Board Policy JHCC as presented. The revisions to this policy accurately reflect the balance between freedom of speech and expression of students with unprotected speech, such as disruptive conduct, as it pertains to student publications. The revisions also update the definition of school student publications to include electronic forums. The language also adds the path for students to communicate concerns about censorship.

Revision of Board Policy IKD: School Observances/Ceremonies - Approved motion from the Committee of the Whole to approve the revision of Board Policy IKD and re-designate it as Board Policy KP as presented. The new language for this policy captures the District's commitment to support the free exercise of religion of students and staff with the requirement for the District to remain neutral pertaining to religion in accordance with the United States Constitution. The area of religion and public schools is a nuanced area of the law, and this policy should reflect broader language than currently contained in the policy. The administration has and will continue to train administrators and employees related to the parameters and requirements related to religion.

Revision of Board Policy JQE: Married/Pregnant Students - Approved motion from the Committee of the Whole to approve the revision of Board Policy JQE as presented. The revisions remove outdated language referencing the Teen Parent Program and revises other language to emphasize the District's commitment to provide additional supports and accommodations to pregnant students, students with children, and married students in accordance with Title IX and applicable law. The more effective model for supporting these students and currently utilized in the District is to continue to serve these students in their regular school setting with additional supports at the school-level to promote stability and consistency for these students while also implementing medical homebound and other strategies to accommodate their needs away from school. The revisions consolidate this policy with JQF (Married Students), and therefore, the related recommendation is to delete Policy JQF.

Deletion of Board Policy JQF: Married Students - Approved motion from the Committee of the Whole to approve the deletion of Board Policy JQF as presented. With the changes to Board Policy JQE, this policy is no longer necessary.

Amendment to Employee Bonus - Approved recommendation from the Administration to amend the conditions of the bonus payment approved on January 12 to provide a one-time bonus of $500 to previously ineligible employees who worked the first half of the 2020-21 school year, in recognition of their service to GCS. The Board action of January 12, 2021 to provide bonuses in appreciation of the additional work of our employees during the challenges of the pandemic included the following parameter: "Employees must be employed on the date of the payment to be eligible to receive the payment." The document indicated that the date of the payment would be February 15, but due to the holiday weekend, the bonuses were deposited on February 12. The Board action also provided that employees hired December 1, 2020 through March 25, 2021 will receive a bonus payment in June 2021 if still employed at that time. The Administration believes this creates an inequity between new employees who work the second half of the year and former employees who worked the first half of the year, and, in most cases, a number of years previously. The administration has identified 45 employees who worked at least 50% of the 2020-21 year (through December 31 for 12-month employees and through January 15, the end of the first semester, for non-12-month employees), but left our employment before the date of the bonus payment. Employees who left without giving appropriate notice, violated their contracts, or due to performance issues will not receive this bonus and are not included in the number above. Although these individuals are no longer employed by GCS, in appreciation for their efforts, the Administration recommends that they receive a $500 bonus payment. Such a payment will not impact the budgeted amount designated in the January 12 Board action.

Approval of Contract Recommendations (Executive Session) - Approved recommendation from the Administration to approve the annual personnel contract recommendations as presented.

Information/Action from Board Committees/Liaisons
Mr. Lewis reminded the Board of tomorrow's Board Tours of Westcliffe Elementary and Tanglewood Middle School.

Mr. Meek shared that the Auditing Committee met before the Board Meeting and will meet again on the day of the April Committee of the Whole.

The Advocacy Committee met prior to the Board Meeting and discussed four particular legislative items related to K-12 education.

Monthly Finance Report - The report was presented as information.

The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.