Kevin Boozer
Staff Writer
WINNSBORO — Two school uniform proposals, first reading of the 2013-14 budget and student recognitions highlighted the April meeting of the Fairfield County School Board on Tuesday night.
The board approved the first reading of a $34,334,464 proposed budget per Superintendent J.R. Green’s recommendation.
Green’s certified staff recommendations, administrative staff recommendations and the administrative and certified staff resignations/retirees all passed 7-0.
Myra Bramlett, principal of Geiger Elementary School, presented the board with an overview of a proposal for school uniforms for Geiger Elementary for the 2013-2014 school year.
Noting that “it takes teamwork to make the dream work,” Bramlett said she and her staff believe uniforms would promote school unity and cultivate an atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration.
She mentioned studies showing where uniforms improve school security by making students easier to identify, reduce social pressures and distractions and reduce the amount of tardies students receive.
Uniforms would include yellow shirts, khaki bottoms and neutral color shoes. She noted that surveys sent to parents were returned with a majority in support of uniforms at Geiger.
In the same vein, Kathy Woodard, principal of Kelly Miller Elementary School, presented a uniform proposal for her school. Of the Kelly Miller Elementary School parents who were surveyed, 82 percent were in favor of uniforms.
If approved the uniforms would be implemented as optional for the first year. Parents would pay for the uniforms at KME. The uniforms were presented as information for the board and not as an action item. KME uniforms would consist of purple tops and khaki bottoms with an option for purchase of white oxford shirts with a tiger logo.
In other business, the board:
— Passed 6-1 a waiver request for facilities usage at McCrorey Liston for the April 17 nuclear regulatory meeting held there. Annie McDaniel voted against the request.
— Heard from Green that summarative data will be used when assessing students and schools, not the formative data such as testing given to note student achievement gaps as related to instruction. Examples of the summarative data include HSAP scores, PASS data, end of course examinations, SAT data, ACT data and Advanced Placement test scores.
McDaniel bristled at the approach and said it was not acceptable, but other board members, including board chair Beth Reid, concurred with the superintendent.
— Approved a bid packet for ESC, LLP for geotechnical construction and testing services for the new Career & Technology school by a 6-0-1 vote with McDaniel abstaining. The bid was for $ 53,650.
— Recognized Fairfield Middle School students who submitted essays for the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Middleburg Post 8255 Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest. This year’s theme was “What I Would Tell America’s Founding Fathers.”
Essays were submitted by students without names and judged on how well the students understood, developed and presented the theme. Eighth-grader Raven Tucker received first place and a $50 check; seventh-grader Trace Swann received second place and a $25 check; eighth-grader Taylor Martin received third place and a $25 check; and eighth-grader Hannah Delesandro received Honorable Mention.
The Fairfield Middle School Academic Challenge Team along with several other teams from the Olde English Consortium celebrated academics on March 29 at Chester Middle School. Students from across the State exemplified their knowledge in the areas of English, math, science, the arts, and general knowledge categories. The seventh-graders won matches against Great Falls and Clover Middle Schools, while the eighth-graders won the match against Great Falls.
BOARD
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