Rock Hill School Board Has Long Meeting

Notes from the Monday, August 23 Rock Hill School Board Meeting are below:

The following action items were approved with 7-0 votes:

• Consent agenda (including; minutes; personnel recommendatins; Impact Church facilities request for the use of Rawlinson Road Middle School; 6 overnight field study requests; approval for Ann Reid to attend a School Board meeting at her own express; Jim Vining's board compensation to be distributed to Early Learning Partnership, Elementary Honors Choir, and High School Math Departments)
• The appointment of Cassidy Valerino as the new Principal for Northside Elementary School of the Arts
• The School Board's Community Outreach and Communications Effort 
• Insurance Policy JLA for second and final reading
• Facilities request for Elevation Church for the use of Northwestern High School
• A $2.5 million request for technology purchases
• A $2.5 million request for capital upgrades and purchases
• A $1.4 million request for improvements to Lesslie Elementary and Sunset Part Elementary Schools (To be paid from funds left over from previous bonds)
• A 4 year, $2.5 million dollar bond (to pay for technology and capital upgrades). There will not be a tax increase associated with this.
• A resolution against the republican parties request to make school board elections partisan.

Action items that did not receive a unanimous vote:

• The board voted 6-1, with Brown against, to move forward with a plan to make Oakdale Elementary School a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Magnet School and convert Saluda Trail Middle School from a middle years IB Choice School to a Middle School Magnet starting with the 2012-13 school year. Brown's objection was over the district's image of changing Saluda Trail two years in a row and the negative impact this would have on parents who transferred in this year. The administration promised to utilize the Saluda Trail SIC in evaluating both programs and if the parents did not support the move, it would not be made. The district will provide transportation for magnet schools but not for choice. They anticipate being able to acquire grant money for the STEM conversions and do not believe there will be any impact to next years budget. 
• The board voted 6-0-1 with Reid abstaining, on a letter to the state school boards association expressing displeasure over some of the association's current practices. Reid abstained because she is a member of the board but supports the will of the board.

The board recognized; new administrators; Cindy Elder as the SC Volleyball Coach of the Year; Jennifer Molnar as a State Economics Winner; Kent Murphy as a State Economics Poster Contest Winner and; Kelly Hollingsworth as the new District Teacher of The Year.

The board heard reports on; the opening of schools; AYP results and; district performance measures.

There was way too much on the agenda for the meeting, which adjourned shortly before 11 pm. I'll have follow up comments later in the week.