ST. MATTHEWS – Calhoun County School District Trustees received good news about the district’s Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test scores from Superintendent Ken Westbury during the board’s meeting on Sept. 15.

Westbury said the Calhoun County School District was the most improved district in the state PACT tests for the 2007-2008 school year. He said the schools “did a commendable job” and the district moved up from 85th among all districts last year to 25th place this year. In doing so, he said, the district ranked “Above Average” in 14 of 24 categories.

“We are very proud of all our schools,” Westbury said. “I feel like this is a step to another plane.”

In the Midlands pass rate rankings, Lexington 1 had 81 percent, Kershaw County and Richland 2 had 77 percent and Calhoun County was next with 75 percent, he said, adding that Calhoun County High School posted a passing rate of 84.1 percent.

Associate Superintendent Lyn Dukes announced a celebration of the test scores will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6, at Calhoun County High School.

Dukes said when beginning the PACT, South Carolina made a conscious decision to make their standards tougher than other states and that was the reason for the struggle to good performance on the test. She said it had paid off because the Department of Defense has chosen to use South Carolina standards.

Dukes, however, noted this was the last year the PACT would be administered. The state is changing to a new test next year called PASS, or Palmetto Assessment of State Standards.

In public participation, Sharon Player of Sandy Run said the school bus her daughter rides had broken down and the parents weren’t notified. She said the children remained on the bus in excess of the allotted time and asked that something be done to resolve the situation.

“It’s too long for students to be on the bus,” Player said.

Also during the meeting, resident Melody Pedings complained that alternative school students are riding the same bus with other children, which she said is prohibited by the state. Pedings said there should be no interaction between alternative and regular students.

“It’s a joke,” she said.

Trustee Gary Porth and Board Chairman Tom Arant agreed with Pedings, and resident Karen Brophy reiterated the law requires separation, adding, “They are not being separated if they are riding the buses.”

In other business, Jerry Sullivan, the district’s chief financial officer, reported that the 45-day enrollment for the district is higher than anticipated. The projected enrollment was 1,520 students, and the actual enrollment is 63 more, at 1,583, he said. Sullivan cautioned that the figure which counts for state funding is the one taken at the 135-day mark.

Also during the meeting:

* Sullivan reported the IRS changed reporting requirements for the 403B Retirement Plan and the district will have to begin tracking the particulars of the plan, where in the past the individual participant was responsible. He said that also requires the district report the previous two years.

* Westbury held drawings for prizes for people submitting suggestions for the name, mascot and colors for the new school. The winners and prizes are: School name – Steve DeBruhl, $300; Mascot – Leila Darby, $200; and Colors – William Hart, $100. A committee consisting of those who submitted entries will make the final decision on the new school’s name, mascot and colors at a later date.

* In response to a question by Arant about school bus operating expenses, Westbury said all expenses for purchase and operation for the buses is paid by the state except for those that occur outside state guidelines, which the district picks up.

* The Board, at Westbury’s request and contingent upon funding, approved a seventh-grade trip to Washington, D.C., in connection with the presidential inauguration. The cost for each student will be $250, and the remainder will be paid by the PTA.

* The board took action on certification of delegates for the Delegate Assembly, approving Sandra Tucker for the third year.

T&D Correspondent Larry P. Jordan can be reached by phone at 803-874-3276.

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