During their meeting last Tuesday (Feb. 28), the Anderson School District One Board recognized the 3A State Champion Wren High School Volleyball team and Coach, students who had perfect SC Ready science scores and authorized the Superintendent to negotiate land purchases for a new elementary school. The Board also recognized several District personnel.
Nicole Alford was introduced as the new Wren Middle School Principal. Alford is currently serving as Assistant Principal at the school where she has served for the past five years.
New Wren High Head Football Coach Anthony Frate was introduced. Frate will also serve as the P.E./Weightlifting teacher at Wren High and has previously coached and taught there.
Stan Yarborough, who has been named the new Athletic Director at Wren High, was also introduced. Yarborough has served as a teacher and coach for various sports in School District One for 23 years. He has served as the Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Gameday Operations for Wren Athletics since 2017.
Members of the Wren Volleyball Team were recognized for winning the 3A State Volleyball Championship. Wren Volleyball Coach Amy Godfrey was recognized for being named the SCACA Coach of the Year for all classifications, A-5A.
Middle school student Jackson Hilliard was recognized for his actions during a recent school bus incident.
Hilliard was on a District One bus when a student allegedly stabbed another student. According to Superintendent Robbie Binnicker, Hilliard immediately took action and intervened in the incident. He was in “a position to influence a bad situation from being extremely bad”, Binnicker said. Hilliard was presented the AD1 Citizenship Award for his actions.
District One Finance Director Travis Thomas reported that the Local Option Sales Tax receipts for January (for October and November) were $2,045,000. Of that, $409,000 went to Property Tax relief and $1.6 million went to Capital projects. The LOST currently has a fund balance of $10.3 million.
The 2019 Building fund has a balance of $6.1 million. Punchlist items at the Transportation and IT Building at Spearman and work being done at the Palmetto High Baseball Field are the final items on building program. District One is just finishing the $132 million building program that included construction of two new middle schools, classroom additions, renovations and safety improvements throughout the District.
The 2022 Building fund has a fund balance of $21.8 million.
The District is planning a new building program to meet increasing growth and enrollment over the next seven years. The new two building program will be a two phase program beginning in 2023. It will include construction of a new elementary school in the Powdersville area to relieve overcrowding at Concrete Primary and Powdersville Elementary schools and other schools throughout the District will see classroom additions.
In his Instructional Report, Dr. Jeff Wilson told the Board that new State Report Card projected growth models are being introduced. The new models will show projected proficiency for grades four through eight.
Superintendent Binnicker updated the Board on the current building program. He said the IT and Transportation Building has a small number of punchlist items and furniture left. “It is much nicer”, than what they had before, he said.
The improvements at the Palmetto High baseball field are “moving slowly”, he said. The Baseball team will be playing in a preseason tournament which will have three games away and one home game. Due to the situation with the field, the home game will be played at the Powdersville High Baseball Field. Binnicker said the Palmetto Baseball Team should be able to play on their new field next week, however work behind the field will still be going on. “The field looks really good,” he said. “Behind the field is not ready yet.”
In Board action, the Board unanimously approved a request by Superintendent Binnicker to allow him to perform preliminary negotiations, with the real estate company and landowners, for property for a new elementary school in the Powdersville area.
The Board also unanimously approved first reading on a State policy, GLCE – Unencumbered Time.
The Board also unanimously approved a number of personnel and administrative recommendations which will be published in The Journal next week.
