Anderson School District One’s new Superintendent Robbie Binnicker presided over his first meeting with the District One Board Tuesday. A new Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Kelly Pew was also present.
Binnicker’s first report as the new superintendent was related to the budget.
Binnicker told the Board that the state budget is still being decided by legislators in the House and Senate and is expected to be completed later this week or next.
The final state budget will determine the actual budget for Anderson School District One and school districts across the state.
The budget is slated to be presented to the Anderson County Board of Education for their approval at 5 p.m. on July 19.
Binnicker recommended the Board consider holding their next meeting on July 17 for final approval before it is presented to the county board.
District Finance Director Travis Thomas reported payments from the County for the Local Option Sales Tax is running three months behind. According to Thomas, the County received $1,000,792 for February. District One’s share of that (thirty-one percent) amounts to $557,059.
Twenty percent, $111,411 will go to property tax relief, while eighty percent, $445,647 will go to capital projects.
The District currently has just over $2 million in the (LOST) account.
Thomas reported revenues for June, and for the end of the year, are very good, with several approaching 100 percent of amount budgeted.
Year to date, the District has received $63,842,592, or 89 percent of the total budget.
He also said the July payroll will be paid and will be coming out of the 2017-18 budget year.
Superintendent of Instruction Jane Harrison reported that test scores are expected to be available in July. She also said an administrators retreat was held and that Superintendent Binnicker presented his expectations for the next year.
The summer reading camp began in May and is finishing up before July 4th. “After July 4th they don’t usually come back,” she said.
Reading coaches have been successful, she said.
She also reported that the Goal Post program at Palmetto High, and a Strings Camp and an Arts Camp at Spearman will finish this week.
Harrison said that District One graduates received approximately $14 million in scholarships this year.
In the student nutrition report, Binnicker said that average daily participation was up over 800 meals per day, from 6670 to 7478 meals served.
The program showed a year to date profit of $629,000. Of that, $225,000 will go to indirect costs and new equipment costing $67,430 was also purchased in May.
Binnicker said that the Director of Student Nutrition Services, Jeff Dopkins, has a business mindset and was making improvements to the program.
A little used service line at Powdersville High was relocated to Palmetto High and an oven that was not being used at Wren was moved to Palmetto Middle School.
Binnicker said they are looking to use some of the nutrition funds for improvements to cafeterias at Palmetto and Wren High Schools including LED lighting, replacing ceiling tiles and new tables
Binnicker also reported that participation in the summer meals program was down a bit this year due to some of the district schools not qualifying for free and reduced lunch.
He said the program was able to stock up on items near the end of the year at low prices including frozens items and produce valued at $25,000 from other districts that were not able to use it
Binnicker also reported on the Roe Road project.
He showed photos and video of construction including work on the new bridge and contractors blowing up rock on the site.
Binnicker said the contractors had rock at the site which was adding to the expense on the project.
Large concrete culverts for the bridge project were constructed specifically for the project, he said.
Binnicker also presented a question and answer sheet for parents in the Powdersville area. The information related to pick up and drop off for the Powdersville schools and use of the new road which is expected to be completed by August.
The Board also approved the following personnel recommendations: Laura Ellenburg, Physical Education, Wren High; Bethany Olmstead, Anderson District One, Early Childhood; Lindsay Smith, Grade Three, Cedar Grove Elementary; William Threlkeld, Grade Six Social Studies, Wren Middle; Brooke Williams, Grade Three, Powdersville Elementary.
Resignations: Rachel Conlon, Mathematics, Palmetto High; Corrine Paul, Physical Education, Wren High.
