The Bulloch County Board of Education met for a regular session on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 P.M.
The agenda was unanimously adopted as written, after which Chairman Elizabeth Williams recognized the recent success with the CTAE program.
Board Member Donna Clifton congratulated Senior high school athletes in the county that are signing to play sports at the collegiate level.
Superintendent’s Report
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School Spotlight - Brooklet Elementary
Assistant Principal Krista Branch welcomed students and staff of Brooklet Elementary School before the board to present some of their recent successes.
One such success is the student led news broadcast team, guided by fifth grade teacher Ethan Sanhagen. Two student participants, Reese Fowler and Branan Sheffield led the presentation about this media program. The news broadcast motto is student made and student led.
Every week, students present segments with messages and shout-outs to other students. They write skits, play games and dress up at school rallies. They have gotten to sit courtside at two Georgia Southern Women’s Basketball games, with the chance to take over the broadcast. They have also gotten to participate in a student media day at a Savannah Bananas game.
Fowler and Sheffield led a question and answer session during the presentation, where they asked faculty to elaborate about some of the successes at their school, giving a special shout-out to Officer Olson, and recognizing the schools award as a 2023 Title 1 Distinguished School.
Raina Mallard and Nikki Messer, the schools counselors, are leading 18 small counseling groups “We help students build their tool boxes and give them real world skills,” said Mallard.
The girls ended the presentation with a “We are Brooklet” chant.
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SWSS Waiver Update - Strategic Waiver School System - district application.
- Key Changes:
- Consistency in process for all SWSS districts to allow for 6-year contracts beginning July 1, 2024.
- Updated accountability measures aligned with Georgia’s ESSA plan.
- Interventions and support aligned with existing school improvement systems.
- Increased focus on flexibility and the utilization of waivers to enhance student achievements.
- Streamlined application process and contracting process.
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District Support Schools Update
Teresa Philllips, Assistant Superintendent for School Improvement, presented information about their annual Data Dig and shared some updates on the two identified support elementary schools in the county.
She spoke about prioritizing Special Design Instruction coaching in the plan for these schools, while also focusing on teacher clarity/Tier 1 Instruction.
Within the district, three schools (Mattie Lively, Mill Creek, and Sallie Zetterower Elementary School) have been identified as needing support. Categories of rationale for placement on these lists include low score in content mastery, gap closure and readiness.
Initiatives for improvement include providing administrative support for additional student support intervention and developing structures and support for school level instructional coaches.
Phillips stressed the importance of keeping the focus on multiple priorities, rather than letting certain categories of achievement fall while trying to improve others.
Board Member Stuart Tedders says the world has changed, and he is interested in seeing how the strategies of the schools change. ‘We need to be thinking forward,” he said.
Phillips said we have to try different things to reach these goals because kids have changed in the last few years with disruptions like Covid.
District support middle schools (Langston Chapel and William James and Southeast Bulloch) have also seen some declines over the last few years. Content mastery however did improve for LCMS in 2023. SEBMS has a new principal, which Phillips says is important to focus support on.
Plans for improvement include administrative support and monitoring across multiple categories.
All middle and high schools in the district have EOG curriculum work and Unit planning, led by district directors and instructional coaches.
Phillips says that they are trying to be apart of the 2024-25 GaDOE SDI Pilot program. She says they can submit applications for two of the counties schools and that NES and SEBHS are the the most promising for the program. She says it is all tentative.
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FY25 Budget Timeline
- February, 2024 – March, 2024 - Departmental Budget Preparation
- March, 2024 – April, 2024 - School Allocation Funding Preparation, Meet with Department Heads to review Budgets, Preliminary Revenue Estimate development
- April 11, 2024 Board Meeting - Budget Overview, Non-General Fund Budgets
- April 25, 2024 Board Work Session - Budget Overview, General Fund Revenues, General Fund Expenditures, Combined Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Fund Balances
- May 9, 2024 Board Meeting - Budget Overview Recap, Revenues and Expenditures from April 11th and 25th board meetings, Request Tentative Approval of FY ‘25 Budget
- Note: Tentatively approved budget will be advertised for one month
- June 6, 2024 Board Meeting - Request Final Adoption of FY ‘25 Budget
- June 23, 2024 Board Work Session - Reserve for Timeline Adjustment
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FY26 School Calendar Update
“The calendar is not being kind to us,” said Superintendent Charles Wilson. He says that professional learning days are necessary and cannot be sacrificed. There are no exact changes made yet, but they will update the community as it is decided.
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Tabletop Exercise-School Safety
APPROVED 8-0 VOTE - Consent Agenda
A 1. Board Minutes: January 11, 2024 Organizational Session
January 25, 2024 Work Session
2. Board Member Payroll for January 2024
3. Financial Report for December 2023
B. New Business for Approval - NO NEW BUSINESS
C. New Business to be Placed on the Table
D. The board moved to Executive Session and returned to open session. They approved the personnel recommendations unanimously, and the teacher contract recommendation, 6 in favor with two abstentions. The teacher transfer requests were denied by unanimous vote.
Bernard Bodison was approved to lead Mattie Lively Elementary as principal effective July 1.
F. Personnel Recommendations found on this meeting packet.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:13 P.M.
