BY DAVID STEPHENS HOMETOWN NEWS After entertainment was provided by Boiling Springs Intermediate School, Vice Chair Joyce Wright convened the monthly meeting of District Two School Board of Trustees on March 11 with eight trustees and Superintendent Dr. Scott Mercer in attendance. The first order of business was a public comment from a private citizen and District Two parent. The individual informed the board of the many accomplishments of the Boiling Springs wrestling team and of the upcoming resignation of the coach. He urged the board to see if there was a way to retain the coach and if not, to undertake an immediate search to hire a suitable replacement. Vice Chair Wright stated that the board would take his comments under advisement and someone would provide feedback. Rhonda Henderson then presented certificates to 10 spelling bee winners from District Two schools. Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services, Dr. Quincie Moore, provided trustees with curriculum update status. Moore stated that several school visits had been conducted which in all cases proved to be productive. Dr. Moore requested and received approval to apply for an available grant from the Best Buy Corp. and another grant to be used for attendance incentives. The assistant superintendent stated that a “classxp/school messenger” system was now in use at the intermediate and secondary schools. The system is used to track attendance and provides automated calls to parents for cases of absence. Moore went on to state that teachers had been surveyed regarding the administration of non-exempt exams and that the results were being studied. Dr. Moore stated that more teachers would be receiving training soon in Cognitive Compatible Classroom strategies at Swofford Career Center. She stated that a request to add a Math Coach at Mayo Elementary School had been approved and that the teacher was now in place. Moore stated that 10 District Two students were among the 37 finalists to be interviewed for the 25 slots at the next Scholars Academy and that five had been selected. She also related the story about two ninth-graders at the current Scholars Academy who were attending a pre-calculus class with University freshmen and that the ninth graders had the highest GPA of 99 in the class. Lastly, Dr. Moore received approval to apply for the yearly Title I grant. John King, director of student services, said that several facilities construction and upgrade projects were under way and on track. The new Chesnee Elementary School is progressing and should be ready for next school year. King asked for and received approval for several student releases to other districts where the students’ parents worked. Three trip requests for Boiling Springs High School were also approved. Director of Personnel Dr. Kristi Woodall provided updates on classified and certified appointments and resignations. A second-reading approval was also granted for a board policy concerning virtual education. Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Wayne Chamblee gave trustees copies of the February financial statement. Chamblee asked for and received approval for the routine issuance of bonds and provided some preliminary key statistics for review before preparation of the 2008-2009 budget. Rhonda Henderson, public relations director, gave trustees a schedule of SCSBA meetings. She also stated that in April letters for volunteer appreciation would be sent out to all schools. Trustee Sarah Simmons provided some insight into the new board member orientation that she had recently attended. She said that she had learned, among other things, how important a good relationship between the board and the superintendent is and that it is vital to stay in touch with the community that is being served. Simmons said, “It is important for the board to be unified and work as a team.” Trustee Angie Horton added that she had learned, “The confidentiality of the board and executive sessions is vital for the board integrity.” In the Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Mercer spoke about the recently shelved consolidation bill. He presented some conclusions reached from earlier studies of consolidation done by various organizations. Mercer said through use of a powerpoint presentation that, “There is no major nationwide movement to consolidate school districts and that there are no federal or state incentives to do so.” He presented a statement from a study done by the Education Oversight Committee in 2003 that concluded there was no relationship between district size and student achievement. In the last order of business, Superintendent Mercer informed the board that the architectural firm for the new middle school had offered to lower their fee from 5 percent to 4 1/2 half percent if the district would enter into a five-year contract for future work with them. Mercer said that the lowered fee would save the district $77,500 just on the new middle school project. He also said that the contract provisions also allowed either party to terminate the five-year commitment upon seven days notice. Entering into this agreement for the lower fee was approved by a 5-3 majority vote of the board. With regular business concluded, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for April 8, at 7 p.m. at District Two Offices at Carlisle Crossing. Contact (864) 578-0128 for information.