Fort Mill School Board Meeting Highlights

Teacher Recruitment and Retention Update

Mrs. Darleen Romenick presented an update on Fort Mill School District’s evolving approach to teacher recruitment and the continued growth of the Teach Fort Mill initiative. With South Carolina continuing to experience a significant teacher shortage, the district has expanded its recruitment efforts beyond traditional hiring practices to build relationships with future educators throughout the year.

Those efforts include a growing national recruitment footprint, targeted university partnerships, personalized candidate tours and experiences, digital outreach, and opportunities for current Fort Mill educators to serve as guest recruiters and share their own stories with prospective teachers. The district is also intentionally developing its own future educator pipeline by connecting with students beginning in middle and high school, staying connected with graduates pursuing education degrees, and investing in interns and student teachers through the RootED in Fort Mill Intern Development & Engagement Program.

The relationship-driven strategy is producing results. This hiring season, Fort Mill Schools welcomed 179 new hires, with 91 or 51% coming from universities where the district intentionally recruited.

The update also highlighted the important role of university, community, and business partnerships in helping candidates experience not only Fort Mill Schools, but the community they could become part of. These efforts reflect the district’s 4 C’s: Culture, Community Engagement, Collaboration, and Continuous Improvement and reinforce the belief that recruitment is not simply about filling vacancies; it is about building relationships and developing a sustainable pipeline of future educators.

Summer Space Camp Report

Mrs. Amber Smith presented an update regarding the district’s summer program.

Space Camp

This program is designed for students in Grades K-4 and included nearly 100 total hours of instruction for 240 students across all elementary schools. Space Camp includes:

• Summer Reading Camp
• ESOL Support
• Title I Reading and Math Support
• Lunch and Learn Program

This program would not be possible without support from multiple district departments:

• Host school Orchard Park Elementary
• Student Nutrition served a delicious breakfast & lunch each day
• Transportation provided two buses that covered the entire district
• Special Services connected students with instructional assistants to make camp accessible

The summer reading camp saw positive student outcomes:

Number of Students Enrolled

• 6 -1st grade classes (50 students)
• 8 -3rd grade classes (47 students)

Pre & Post Results

• Pre & post STAR scores collected on 84 students.
• 87% maintained or increased STAR scale score.

Successful Completion for GCE (10 Third Graders)

• 9 of the 10 students met the alternative assessment (STAR) benchmark

Consideration of Approval of General Obligation Bonds for Refunding of IPRB Bond

Mrs. Lordo requested the approval of the issuance and sale of not exceeding $25,300,000 million general obligations bonds for the Fort Mill School District, which are used to pay the annual IPRB (Installment Purchase Repayment Bonds). This refunding is related to the IPRB issues which have previously needed to be issued each year.

The total net present value savings projected from this refunding issue is $382,976.29. The district will also save on the $161,000 bond issuance costs associated with the 4 additional separate issues each year, which are no longer needed. Together, the estimated total cost savings is $1,026,976.

The board voted to approve the request as submitted.

Consideration of Approval of Additional Year End Transfer

Mrs. Leanne Lordo presented a recommendation for an additional year end transfer of $695,500 to cover the additional district programs listed below:

• High School Athletic Fund
• Strategic Planning Initiatives
• Teacher Recruitment and Retention Initiatives
• Air Quality Program
• Winthrop Dual Enrollment

The board voted to approve the recommendation as submitted.

Consideration of Approval of Policy JFAB Admission of Nonresident Students

As required by S.C. Code Ann. § 59-8-165 (2025) and the SCDE Model Guidelines for Interdistrict Transfers, Dr. Latoya Dixon presented the recommended policy JFAB and Administrative Rule JFAB-R. This policy and administrative rule outline the district’s process for allowing nonresident students to enroll in the Fort Mill School District. State law requires the district to implement an interdistrict policy for the 2027–2028 school year.

This policy includes the following criteria for acceptance:

• Interdistrict transfer is only available to South Carolina K-12 students.
• Enrollment is subject to available space; the district is not required to expand capacity to accommodate enrollment applications.
• Students must be in good standing for attendance and discipline at their current school.
• Parents must provide transportation to nonresident students.
• Required transfer fee which is calculated by the South Carolina Department of Education annually based on the previous school year’s local per-pupil tax revenue.

The board voted to approve the policy as presented.

Consideration of Approval of Policy JH Excused Absences for Participation in Interscholastic Athletics

South Carolina Lawmakers have formally authorized school districts to excuse student absences not to exceed ten school days per school year, to participate in a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) experience in which student participation and learning outcomes are directed by a certified teacher for assessment of competencies or participation in any interscholastic activity authorized for student participation by the school or school district, regardless of whether the activity is sanctioned by the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) or other entity that governs, sanctions, or operates interscholastic athletic and intramural activities and competitions. Dr. Latoya Dixon presented recommended updates to policy JH Excused Absences for Participation in Interscholastic Athletics. The updates include participation, not to exceed ten school days per school year, in any interscholastic activity authorized for student participation by the school or school district, regardless of whether the activity is sanctioned by the South Carolina High School League or other entity that governs, sanctions, or operates interscholastic athletic and intramural activities and competitions as a lawful excused absence.

The board voted to approve the recommended updates as presented.

Consideration of Approval of Fort Mill School District Staff Member Appointment to the York County First Steps Board of Trustees

The board voted to approve Erin Owens as the district’s representative on the York County First Steps Board of Trustees.

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