Board of Education moves forward
Jamie Morphis, far right, speaks to Wanda Hassler, center, and Maureen Thomas, far left.
Photo by Jana E. Pye
By Jana E. Pye, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
The Darlington County School District Board of Education meeting was held on Monday, October 17 at the district office at 120 Smith Avenue in Darlington at 6 p.m., their last meeting before the bond referendum will reach the voters in Darlington County to approve their plan to build three new schools to replace six aging elementary schools in the district.
On November 8, voters will vote on a one-penny sales tax to fund the construction of three new schools to replace six aging schools:
• Darlington: to replace Brunson-Dargan Elementary and Cain Elementary
• Hartsville: to replace Washington Street Elementary and West Hartsville Elementary
• Lamar: to replace Spaulding Elementary and Lamar Elementary
Based on a statement from the DCSD released in September:
“If voters approve the referendum in November, the school district will use its fund balance to pay off the remaining debt from the 2003 penny sales tax referendum. The new one-cent sales tax would begin after the old penny sales tax expires. In essence, the penny sales tax would continue, and consumers would not see a tax increase. If the voters do not approve the referendum, the one-cent sales tax will expire in 2018.”
The wording on the ballot will be as follows:
BALLOT QUESTION 1
EDUCATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS SALES AND USE TAX ACT REFERENDUM FOR DARLINGTON COUNTY
Must a special one percent sales and use tax be imposed in Darlington County for not more than 15 years with the revenue of the tax used to pay, directly or indirectly, the cost of the following education capital improvement projects in Darlington County:
Acquiring (including the acquisition of real property), constructing, furnishing, and equipping three (3) elementary schools in the School District of Darlington County, with one (1) such school to be located within or within five miles (measured in a straight line) of the municipal limits of each of the Town of Lamar, the City of Hartsville, and the City of Darlington, respectively.
All revenue received from the sales and use tax will be used to pay the costs of the education capital improvement projects described above and to pay debt service on general obligation bonds, if any, issued by School District of Darlington County to fund the education capital improvement projects described above.
Yes [ ] No [ ]
Those voting in favor of the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word “Yes”, and those voting against the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word “No”.
BALLOT QUESTION 2
ISSUANCE OF NOT EXCEEDING $60,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF DARLINGTON COUNTY
If the sales and use tax described in the preceding question is approved, shall the Darlington County Board of Education, the governing body of The School District of Darlington County, South Carolina be authorized to issue and sell, either as a single issue or as several issues, general obligation bonds of The School District of Darlington County in the principal amount of not exceeding $60,000,000 to defray the cost of issuance of such bonds and of the following improvements to the facilities of the District:
Acquiring (including the acquisition of real property), constructing, furnishing, and equipping three (3) elementary schools in the School District of Darlington County, with one (1) such school to be located within or within five miles (measured in a straight line) of the municipal limits of each of the Town of Lamar, the City of Hartsville, and the City of Darlington, respectively.
Yes [ ] No [ ]
Those voting in favor of the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word “Yes”, and those voting against the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word “No”.
The Darlington County School District has the information about the bond referendum on its website at www.darlington.k12.sc.us. Citizens who have questions about the facts of the referendum are encouraged to call the Darlington County School District Office of Communications at 843-398-8824.
Clean Schools of the Month
The Clean School Committee has inspected all the schools by using district criteria. The Clean Schools of the Month for September are:
• Carolina Elementary School, Division I (325 or less students)
• Darlington County Institute of Technology, Division II (326 or more students).
Mr. Ervin McElveen, Director of Maintenance/Operations, recognized the Clean Schools of the Month.
First Reading approved for ADF School Wellness
School board members voted to approve the ADF School Wellness – The General Assembly passed a bill aimed at “cleaning up” old or obsolete language in State law relating to elementary school food service meals and competitive food requirements. The amended law requires schools to comply with Federal Law. It directs the State Board of Education to establish requirements for all school food service meals and competitive foods provided to students in kindergarten through 12th grade during academic school year that meet or exceed nutritional requirements established by the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. The new law requires health improvement plans to note compliance with Federal nutritional requirements.
The school district hosted several chefs in the past year to help prepare tastier meals for the students in the district.
October 23-31 as Red Ribbon Week in the Darlington County School District.
The Board approved the Red Ribbon Week Proclamation to encourage children to remain Drug Free.
Action Items:
1617-2 Minor Roof Repairs
At the September 12, 2016 board meeting, the Board of Education tabled the bid for Minor Roof Repairs.
Board approved the bid to Robert W. Nunnery Roofing based on their overall low bid.
Invitation For Bids for Minor Roof Repairs were received by 11:00 a.m., August 16,
2016. The bid was advertised in SCBO (South Carolina Business Opportunities) and on the Darlington County School District Website.
Bids were received from:
• Robert W. Nunnery Roofing,Summerton, S.C.: $23.45 per square foot
• Gardner Roofing, Hartsville, S.C.: $25.05 per square foot
• Nunnery Roofing,Sumter, S.C.: $43.50 per square foot
• Roofco,Inc.,Sumter, S.C.: $48.12 per square foot
The contract resulting from this award will be a one year contract with optional four (4) one year contract extensions.
Motion by Charles Govan, second by Warren Jeffords.
Final Resolution: Motion Carried
Yea: Billy Baldwin, Thelma Dawson, Connell Delaine, Charles Govan, Wanda Hassler, Warren Jeffords, Jamie Morphis, Maureen Thomas.
1617-8 Mayo High School Roof Replacement and Retrofit: $1,016,000.00
The 1617-8 Mayo High School Roof Replacement and Retrofit lowest bid was LaFave’s Construction.
Invitation For Bids for Mayo High School Roof Replacement and Retrofit were received by 2:00 p.m., August 18, 2016. The bid was advertised in SCBO (South Carolina Business Opportunities).
Bids were received from:
• Lafave’s Construction, Landis, N.C.: $1,016,000.00
• I & E Specialties, Lexington, S.C.: $1,343,000.00
Motion to approve was given by Thelma Dawson, second by Charles Govan.
Final Resolution: Motion Carried
Yea votes were: Billy Baldwin, Thelma Dawson, Connell Delaine, Charles Govan, Wanda Hassler, Warren Jeffords, Jamie Morphis, Maureen Thomas
Brownstone Construction Group Contract: $1,200,000.00
The Darlington County School District administration recommended that the Board approve a five-year contract from Brownstone Construction Group to provide construction management services through June 30, 2021.
The Board voted to table this; board members Jamie Morphis and Wanda Hassler both spoke out about the fee. “This seems pretty high,” both said repeatedly.
As found on the district website under Board of Education: Meetings: Board Docs, in a letter sent to the DSDS, Dale L. Collier, CCM President of the Brownstone Construction Group outlined Brownstone’s role in providing Construction Management Services for the school district based on an approved projects list provided by DCSD to prepare their fee and initial proposal for the work.
• Total Project Time Period – 5 Years
• Anticipated Annual Construction Costs – $5,000,000.00 / Year
• Project Total Anticipated Project Costs during Contract Term – $25,000,000.00
• Initial Year Projects and Budget– $10,231,000.00
• Potential Expansion of Contract if pending $60M Bond Referendum is passed
Schedule Information
• Five Year Contract – August 2016 through June 2021
• Contract Start Date – August 9, 2016
• Contract Completion Date – June 30, 2021
Superintendent’s Update
Board Work Session- October 28 at 9:00 a.m. to discuss budget will be held in the Administrative Office, Conference Room 3.
Board will be hosting the Joint Dinner Meeting with County Council, City and Legislative Delegation on Monday, October 31 at 6:00p.m. in Training Room at
Administrative Office.
Per suggestion by board member Wanda Hassler, the evening will be more of a collaborative work session for the groups to work together, versus the “update” format the meetings usually are. Dr. Ingram said that the official make-up days for students were still awaiting on clarification from SCDE.
The Board of Education entered into executive session at the end of their October meeting to discuss the superintendent’s evaluation.
See adjoining story for details of Dr. Ingram’s evaluation.
The next regular Darlington County Board of Education meeting is scheduled for November 14, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. in the board/community conference room at the Darlington County School District Administrative Annex I in Darlington.