The Richmond County Board of Education held its regular board meeting Tuesday, before its second millage rate hearing. During the proceedings, after a series of recognitions—including those for schools with COGNIA accreditation and for teachers who have earned professional certifications—the board voted unanimously to adopt an updated retirement savings plan for classified employees.
The board approved enhancements to the retirement benefits in the budget for the 2025 fiscal year. Among those upgrades were an increase of the deferral contribution rate from 3% to 6%, and immediate eligibility for anyone who was age 21. While the changes went into effect July 1 of this year, the IRS requires the school board formally adopt a resolution to amend and restate the plan document.
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School District Superintendent Kenneth Bradshaw addressed concerns about the district’s recent policy prohibiting cell phones from the classroom, stating that “our administrators and, more importantly, our teachers appreciate the limited distractions in the classroom due to the new policy, and I truly believe it’s the right thing to do to build a stronger school culture and a positive climate for our students.”
Bradshaw also spoke on the incident on Aug. 16, in which gunshots erupted during the Laney-Westside High School football game. He emphasized that law enforcement has confirmed that the shots did not come from the Lucy C. Laney High School campus, but from an adjacent neighborhood, and that students “deserve better.”
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“Gunshots at football games should not be the topic of discussion Monday morning,” said Bradshaw. “Let’s continue to work together as a school system and as a community to make our environment better, not only for our students, but for the entire community.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
