Special Recognitions
· Service Awards for 25 and 30 Years of Service to the district.
School Spotlight – Forest Creek Middle School
Principal Christine McNeil, along with staff members from Forest Creek, shared their story. From opening a new school in the midst of a Global Pandemic to building a new school culture for students as they returned to school. The school is now in year four and has seen excellent gains in the academic achievements of all students. The school continues to shape their student’s environment and educational achievement through their school motto:
Focus on a growth mindset.
Commit to excellence.
Make meaningful connections.
Succeed Together.
Monthly Financial/Impact Fee Update
Mrs. Leanne Lordo presented the monthly financial and impact fee report:
Monthly Financial Report
· August 31th – First Month full payroll
· Total Revenue $21,119,629
Total Expenditures $25,837,612
Decrease ($4,717,983) – Cash flow using Fund Balance
· August Vehicle tax collections $2,096,127
Impact Fees
· Total collected to date $69,198,180
· To Date, $35,108,935 Requested from York County for Elementary #12 and $1,201,893 for Middle School #7.
· Single Family units 2,700/Multi Family 1,679/ Total 4,379 Units
· September had 38 homes and 0 multi-family units added
· Comparable data for 12 months rolling for Single Family
o September 2023 to September 2024 $7,154,252 or 394 SF Units (32% more)
o September 2022 to September 2023 $5,429,242 or 299 Units
· Comparable data for 12 months rolling for Multi Family
o September 2023 to September 2024 $685,140 or 57 MF Units (71% less)
o September 2022 to September 2023 $2,343,900 or 195 Units
· Calendar Year 2023 Average collections $597,188.
September 2024 Actual collections $690,004.
Property Tax Notices
· County has printed and mailed tax bills.
Financial Audit
· Year End Audit in process with Greene Finney.
Parent Support Groups
· Held Training for PTO/PTA/Booster Clubs last week. Was well attended and all schools were represented. Kim Wickersham, Director of SC Public Charities Division was the speaker and shared information related to annual registrations, IRS filings, and requirements for holding raffles.
Unveiling of Logos for Flint Hill Elementary and Middle Schools
Mr. Joe Burke presented the finalized logos for Flint Hill Elementary and Middle Schools. The logos were created using the previously board approved colors and mascots. Flint Hill Elementary School was designated as the Cubs and the Middle School as the Red Foxes. Each school will receive a complete logo package including multiple variations of approved logos depending on the intended use. The school logos are included below.
Construction Update for Flint Hill Elementary and Middle Schools
Mr. Jim Britton from Leitner Management Group, LLC provided an update on the construction of Flint Hill Elementary and Middle Schools. The update included a full recap of the construction project and included photos of the sites as they have progressed from groundbreaking to current. The two schools are on track for the construction timeline. Flint Hill Elementary is slated to open for the 25-26 school year and the middle school is slated to open for the 26-27 school year. As a lead in to the presentation, Mr. Joe Burke provided the following statement regarding the safety of the school sites.
“We want to take a moment to address some concerns regarding the overall safety of the school sites. We are aware that several legal proceedings are currently underway that could potentially impact future plans at a neighboring site. However, according to the state and federal regulatory agencies responsible for community health and safety, the nearby SILFAB site will be required to meet all health and safety guidelines for operation. These agencies establish operational standards and will monitor compliance to ensure there is minimal to no risk to our community.
Emergency planning is a routine practice for all school districts across the state. We are currently awaiting finalized emergency response plans from York County, which must first receive approval from the EPA. It is our understanding that these plans must be approved and submitted to the county before any chemicals can be present on the SILFAB site. Once these plans are submitted, the district will assess whether any additional site-specific safety measures are needed. This process aligns with the district’s established protocols for addressing unique safety concerns, such as the Catawba Nuclear site and natural disasters. Similar site-specific safety considerations were addressed during the openings of Nation Ford High School, due to its proximity to a nearby rail line, and Banks Trail Middle School, because of the neighboring U.S. Foods facility.
Once we receive the finalized plans and the legal matters are resolved, we can provide any additional information necessary to ensure transparency and safety.”
Consultant Recommendations for Student Assignment for Elementary and Middle Schools
Mr. Matthew Cropper from Cropper GIS presented the Consultant Recommendations for Student Assignment for Flint Hill Elementary and Middle Schools. As part of the reassignment process the district contracts with an outside consultant to provide a recommendation on the school assignments in order to receive an independent and objective view in the process. The information presented by Mr. Cropper along with other information regarding the schools will be available for review on the district website by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 2. Included will be an interactive map that will allow parents see any impacts to their specific address. The district is asking that feedback be submitted to [email protected] for consideration. The district will use the consultant’s recommendation along with feedback to create a recommendation to be presented to the board for first reading at the next school board meeting. The board will vote on the attendance lines during the first board meeting in November.
Approval of District Cell Phone Policy
This policy is in response to the new state law banning student use of personal electronic devices during the school day and is in line with the recently released state model policy. The district began the ban at the beginning of the year under an administrative rule in anticipation of this policy. The board voted to approve the policy as presented.
Approval of Overnight Field Trips
The board is required to approve field trips which cause students to miss 3 or more days of school. The board approved field trips for Fort Mill High, Springfield Middle and Forest Creek Middle schools.
Superintendent’s Report
Dr. Chuck Epps provided an enrollment update and an overview of upcoming events for October, 2024. At the time of the report the district had 18,461 students enrolled. For a complete listing of events please click the calendar link below.
Fort Mill School Board meetings can be viewed live or on demand on the district’s YouTube channel or with the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5GrSlq6jhGdFvBVjjxfu6A
