By David Meade
Anderson School District One Board of Trustees heard a building program update and approved personnel for the 2018-19 school year during their meeting Tuesday. They also held a budget worksession following the regular meeting (see separate story).
In the regular meeting, Superintendent of Instruction Jane Harrison reported that during a recent Instructional Principals Meeting, principals reported being ready for testing and that students are prepared and there will be online testing.
She also reminded the board of special activities coming up including a 5th grade strings concert, presentation of Little Shop of Horrors at Palmetto High, students participating in March of Dimes fundraisers and students celebrating reading will be at the Greenville Drive baseball game.
Harrison also had a special presentation by a student who went through the Fast Lane program to graduation at Wren High.
Harrison said the District no longer just accepts dropouts and has created the Fast Lane program to help prevent them. She said the program has contributed to fifteen students graduating.
Wren High Principal Seth Young said the program has been “a tremendous asset to our school this year.”
In the student nutrition report, Associate Superintendent Robbie Binnicker said meals served in March were up by 16,000 and the average daily participation was up by 768 meals per day. The nutrition program brought in $28,500 more in March of this year than it did last year, he said.
Binnicker said they are purchasing new equipment for the program and that three schoools, Cedar Grove Elementary, Palmetto Elementary and Spearman Elementary, are getting wireless point of sale tablets to help cut line waits. Binnicker also said the summer food program will be returning this year.
Superintendent David Havird reported that the Palmetto High Multi-purpose Athletic Facility is completed with only some punchlist items left. He said the building will be used for a variety of sports including wrestling, softball, cheerleading and could even be used for indoor football practice.
The project includes restrooms and an office, sidewalks, additional parking and a Mustang logo on the outside wall.
Havird also reported that construction has begun on the Powdersville Middle/Roe Road project. Havird said the project is expected to be completed prior to the opening of school in August and has included getting permits, building a bridge and road.
The board approved 550 personnel recommendations for the upcoming school year:
Among new recommendation approved are the following:
Administrative Recommendation: Nicole Alford, Wren Middle, Assistant Principal; Delaney Sutton, West Pelzer Elementary, Assistant Principal.
Teacher Recommendations: Megan Cortez, Grade Five, West Pelzer Elementary School; Caitlin Epperson, Music, Powdersville Elementary School; Dale Gilbert, Science, Palmetto High School; Joy Harvell, Kindergarten, Cedar Grove Elementary School; Elizabeth Lloyd, Grade One, Concrete Primary School; Cathleen Marseil, Speech Language Pathologist, Anderson School District One; Katherine Plowden, Grade Three, Powdersville Elementary School; Rachael Reed, Spanish, Wren Middle School.
Transfers:
Amy Godfrey, Grade Three Teacher, Hunt Meadows Elementary School to LAUNCH position in Anderson School District One.
Leave:
Samantha Barnhill, Grade Four Teacher, Powdersville Elementary School; Katherine Bowers, Music Teacher, Wren Elementary School; Heather Hollar, ELA Teacher, Palmetto Middle School.
Resignations: Archie Adams, Grade Eight Math, Palmetto Middle School; Erin Fox, Math, Powdersville High School; Sharon Hall, Grade One, Palmetto Elementary School; Josh McDonald, P.E., Wren Elementary School; Marie Moon, Grade Three, West Pelzer Elementary School; Sarah Payne, Grade Three, Powdersville Elementary School.
