Staff Writer

At this past Wednesday’s Fairfield County School Board meeting it was announced by Superintendent Samantha Ingram that the district projects approximately $600,000 left over from the 2007-2008 school year budget will be able to be restored back to the fund balance. This is in addition to other cuts from that year’s budget.

The fiscal savings was considered significant by board member Bob Drake and that this was something that had not been accomplished in years according to board member Becky McSwain.

Other motions presented included the approval of Pat Smith as an education consultant who will work on professional development with 50 teachers grades K-8th grade.

Retaining two resource officers through the Town of Winnsboro, one for the high school and one for the middle school, was approved despite at 2% increase in cost due to benefit changes.

It was explained by Dr. Ingram that due to budget constraints other schools would have to depend on local law enforcement.

Many questions and discussions were directed to presiding Board Chairman Harold Heath. Some were addressed at this meeting while others will be revisited at the next board meeting September 23.

Board member Catherine Kennedy asked the superintendent what her strategy was with hiring new teachers with zero years of experience.

Ingram responded with a variety of reasons such as newly graduated teachers have the “most recent research.” She noted that the staff development would assist new teachers and added that teacher shortages also played a part.

Board member Rickey Johnson asked for an update on teaching positions still needing to be filled.

Ingram reported that six classroom teacher positions needed to be filled but that two of those teachers attended the Raise the Bar conference and were just waiting for final approval.

Of the four teaching slots still to be filled, Ingram noted that they were in difficult to fill areas. Those positions were for a science teacher at Gordon Elementary, a science teacher at Fairfield Middle School and two math teachers at Fairfield Central High School.

Annie McDaniel citing the Marva Collins speech at the Raise the Bar Conference, requested the district look into more foreign language training for students in all grades.

Board Member Henry Miller was concerned about the $30 cost of the Boys & Girls Club after school program being offered this year. He noted that many who needed the program most were the ones who could not afford it.

Dr. Ingram said that due to budget cuts planned for the upcoming year, the district could not wave the fee but was looking into helping with the transportation cost for that program.

Ingram also said that the United Way was already “footing the entire bill” for their part of the program.

She assured board members that the intervention tutoring provided by the district would not be affected by a student inability to pay for the Boys and Girls Club after school program since the tutoring occurred immediately after school and this was done by teachers.

Suggestions were given on ways to help students receive scholarship for the Boys & Girls Club after school program. Civic organizations, businesses and private citizens were among the hopeful answers to helping students receive this after school care.