August 24, 2021

Fort Mill School Board Meeting Highlights

Recognition of 2020-2021 Fort Mill School District Retirees

The district recognized 29 retirees who retired during or at the end of the 2020 – 2021
academic year. Combined, the 29 retirees provided 577 years of service to the district and
impacted countless lives during the course of their tenure. These retirees have worked in
all facets of the district – from the frontlines of school offices to the classrooms,
administration, and those essential services that keep our schools running, such as
transportation. The district truly appreciates and applauds our retirees for their
outstanding contributions to the district and to putting our “Children First…Every Day”
motto into action.

Keystone/Duke Endowment Grant

Ms. Danielle Russell, Executive Director of Keystone, presented information regarding the
Student Assistance Program (SAPS). SAPS teaches students the importance of decision
making, coping with feelings, and the dangers of drugs and alcohol. The program is
designed to intervene early before it becomes a long-term problem and covers the entire
continuum of care. The program is funded by a grant through The Duke Endowment. The
grant will fund the program for three years and promotes positive outcomes for students
including: improved student behavior; increased school attendance; increased assignment
completion; higher grades and academic achievement; higher rates of high school
graduation; and increased self-control, self-efficacy, and social competence.

Procedures for Remote Teaching (Fishbowl Model)

Mr. Brian Spittle presented an overview of the Fishbowl Model – an option for remote
teaching. The Fishbowl Model is a one-way communication model where the student
observes classroom instruction. Within this setup the teacher creates a Google Meet from
Google Classroom for the student to join. Students can access the Meet Link either via
Google Classroom or Seesaw. While the student will not be able to interact with the
teacher or students, this Fishbowl Model allows for the student to follow along with the
class and see/hear classroom instruction.

2021-2022 School Opening and Enrollment Update

Dr. Chuck Epps provided an overview of the school opening, along with an enrollment
update. Monday, August 16 more than 17,500 students returned to school either virtually
or in-person to begin the 2021–2022 school year. The district saw the opening of Forest
Creek Middle School, which is the 6th middle school and 20th school site in the district.
While we saw some expected delays in transportation and car rider lines, along with some

Fort Mill School District · 2233 Deerfield Drive · Fort Mill, SC 29715 · (803) 548-2527 · www.fortmillschools.org
issues with new third party applications being implemented, the day and week went well.
We are still facing the challenges of beginning school during a pandemic.

Mitigation strategies in place include but are not limited to:

 Masks are highly recommended for students and staff

 3ft social distancing where possible
 Limited student/class interactions
 Contact tracing
 Limited return of volunteers
 Cleaning and sanitizing of schools and buses
 Ongoing installation of the Air Guardian System
 50 percent capacity use of elementary cafeteria space
 Increased number of lunches and eating spaces in middle and high schools

Based on current case information we will be implementing the following additional

mitigation strategies beginning this week:

 Elementary schools will return to meals in the classroom.

 Class interactions during recess periods will be limited or suspended.
 All out of district academic field trips are suspended.
 No volunteers or visitors will be allowed in the buildings.
 All large participation events such as open houses or pep rallies will be canceled or
transitioned to virtual events.
 All sports programs and events will follow the guidance of the SCHSL.

Dr. Epps also addressed the issue of mask mandates in school as it relates to the current
legislation in South Carolina. Proviso 1.108 states that schools districts may not use any
state appropriated funds to require, announce or enforce the use of masks by students or
employees in any educational facilities. The large majority of the district’s operating
budget is derived from state funding. The Fort Mill School District receives only a small
portion of federal funding each school year and could not operate on these funds alone
should the district lose state funding under the proviso. In order to maintain operations
and continue to provide educational services to our community, the district must remain
in compliance with all South Carolina Funding laws.

In conjunction with DHEC, the district will make determinations on the need to transitions
individual classrooms, grades levels, schools sites or the district as a whole to virtual
learning based on COVID-19 case data. The standard for making a transition is
determined using multiple factors including evidence of community spread within a
program, class or school, or the safe operation of the school. The district will follow the
general percentages of positive cases listed below in making any decision.

Transition Percentages:

Fort Mill School District · 2233 Deerfield Drive · Fort Mill, SC 29715 · (803) 548-2527 · www.fortmillschools.org
  Individual classroom – 20% positive or 3 student positive test results triggering a DHEC
cohort quarantine.
 Individual grade level – 10% positive test result
 School – 10% positive test result

Dr. Epps also shared that the district is in the final stages of planning another vaccine
clinic event for students, staff, and the community. The district will continue to encourage
the public to receive the vaccination to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to avoid the
need for missed school time due to quarantine. Individuals who are fully vaccinated at
least two weeks prior to exposure are not required to enter the DHEC quarantine protocols
and can remain in school unless they present with symptoms.

Approval of Additional June 30, 2021 Year End Transfer

Mrs. Leanne Lordo presented for approval an additional year end transfer. Based on
updated financial reports for June 30th, Mrs. Lordo recommended an additional transfer of
$2.5 million to Debt Service for the reduction in tax millage. In addition to the $2.5
million, she requested to transfer the reimbursed construction costs of $5 million to debt
service for a total transfer of $7.5 million. With this transfer, the fund balance at year end
will still be maintained at 18% to 19% of the FY21-22 operating budget. This request was
approved.

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

Fort Mill School District · 2233 Deerfield Drive · Fort Mill, SC 29715 · (803) 548-2527 · www.fortmillschools.org