On Tuesday, July 11, the Columbia County Board of Education monthly regular session began with a number of special recommendations, followed by board members offering congratulations to Greenbrier High School’s girls golf team for winning their first state championships.
“I’m sure that our golf team is ready to get started next year, and no doubt the coaches are ready as well,” said board member and District 3 representative Judy Teasley. “I’m looking forward to continued excellence there, and it’s more evidence that Columbia County is a great place to live and go to school … thank you, we are blessed.”
The meeting then proceeded with Superintendent Steven Flynt discussed with board members possible policy changes the administrative staff would consider in order to address concerns about graduation stoles and representation.
“This past year we got a good bit of feedback, and it came right about the time of graduation regarding different ways to provide military stoles and awards for students,” said Flynt. “We are working with all of our JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) instructors to make a requirement for certain grades so that students will be able to wear stoles at graduation.”
Board member and District 1 representative David Alalof then requested Flynt look into ways to also acknowledge students who are enlisting into the military following graduation regardless of their participation in JROTC.
“Well right now the one that we’re working on is for the JROTC, but I’ll ask them to also look into that,” said Flynt.
Teasley followed Alalof’s appeal by also requesting the district consider recognizing students who finished a CTAE (Career, Technical and Agricultural Education) pathway, such as welding or automobile repair, since their completion of the program did not guarantee them a spot as an honor student.
Flynt responded by pointing out that all stoles, awards and other accolades would need to be carefully decided and weighed upon to prevent an overabundance of graduation honors that might overshadow traditional academic achievements.
For students with too many accolades, board member and District 2 representative Kristi Baker suggested the county consider a “cap” or “limit” that allows students to choose what honors they would like to display at graduation to prevent too many stoles and cords from being worn.
“For me, I think it’s a big thing when a young man graduates high school, and his career is going to be in the military by going into one or the services; I think it’s a very important step in a young man’s life and recognizing it is very important,” said Alalof. “The other career pathways are very important as well, and we’re trying to figure out a way to also honor those pathway recipients somehow.”
By finishing one of the county’s many career pathways, Alalof said some students graduate high school and immediately enter the workforce with a high annual starting salary of $30,000 to $60,000, depending on what field they pursued.
“We may not be able to acknowledge it at regular graduation, but maybe we can figure out a way to increase recognition for these people completing a pathway and earning that accomplishment,” he said. “It’s very important and a great thing.”
Before opening the floor for public input on the property taxes, the session continued with Flynt discussing the county millage rate taxes and how they expected the school’s annual budget to be affected.
To read more about Columbia County’s changing millage rate, click here.
Future public hearings about the millage rate will be held on Thursday, July 25, at 5:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, August 8, at 6 p.m. in the Board of Education building, located at 4781 Hereford Farm Road in Evans, Ga.
Flynt then discussed ongoing building updates to several schools within Columbia County as part of the school district’s 10-year plan.
These school changes included: new furniture being delivered to Columbia Middle, Harlem Middle receiving completed tile and A.C. installation, Euchee Creek Elementary’s detention pond being cleaned and reestablished, Westmont Elementary’s new building having completed gutter work with more floorwork being installed, North Columbia Elementary receiving temporary retention ponds and underground piping being delivered, Brookwood Elementary and Stallings Island Middle receiving detention ponds, Lakeside High receiving additional classrooms, and Greenbrier High having new lights and tiles installed.
Prior to sharing the Superintendent report, Flynt informed board members of annual bidding results for future contracts with companies in order to keep schools functioning.
While a paper goods contract was given to Southland Paper for being the lowest bidder at $351,583, the second lowest bidder was suggested and chosen to provide the county’s school nutrition chemical products for $580,228 due to the Southeastern Paper Group having higher quality products.
“They are a K-12 food service industry leading product group when it comes to safety of preparation and sanitizing,” said the school district’s Chief Financial Officer Alex Casado. “I do think they place an emphasis on eco-friendly type products, water based for example, but that’s not the reason we’re choosing them; we’re choosing them, because of the quality of the product as well as our experience with them and overall satisfaction.”
Following the approval of both contracts, Flynt ended the meeting by emphasizing several important upcoming dates, such as deadlines for existing student registration ending on Aug. 3 and community efforts.
“On Wednesday, July 26, 2023, we will host the AAA School Open Drive Carefully Drive Campaign at Grovetown Elementary School beginning at 10 a.m.,” said Flynt. “We are always excited for this, and were delighted again to be selected by AAA to host this event, which is designed to help bring awareness to the driving public across the state that school buses will be back out and about with schools going back into session.”
The meeting then adjourned with parents being reminded of upcoming open house dates occurring on July 31 for middle and high schoolers, and on Aug. 1 for elementary students.
The educational board’s next meeting will be a work session on July 25, with the first day of school following close behind on Aug. 3.
