ST. MATTHEWS -- The Calhoun County School District Board of Trustees is exploring ideas for the use and disposal of surplus property after completion of ongoing building projects.

The board has received the Facility Committee Report concerning the disposition of surplus school district property from committee chairman Dr. Bucky Stokes. The district’s projects include plans to add a middle school to the Sandy Run School and a new St. Matthews K-8 school to replace Guinyard Elementary School and John Ford Middle School.

Stokes reported on April 20 that the committee is “generally supportive” of district plans to move the Calhoun County School District office to Guinyard Elementary School, noting the community’s general consensus is to preserve John Ford Middle School “at all costs.”

Suggested uses for John Ford Middle School include as a community center or school since the building has 36 classrooms, a gym and a “fine media center. I think the consensus is to keep John Ford open,” Stokes said.

He said the committee has also been asked about the costs of sending students to the The Technology Center in Orangeburg. Stokes said the district has in the past pulled all of its students out of the center and that a cheaper alternative may be to use John Ford Middle School.

The committee is looking at John Ford Middle being fully utilized as a school or technology center, he said, noting the committee has a lot of questions and ideas and has not yet come to a final decision on the usage of the surplus property.

Stokes announced that the next committee meeting would be held at 7 p.m. Monday, April 27. Committee members would be looking at the district’s other assets: Bethlehem Elementary School, St. John Elementary School and the district office.

During public comments, Melody Pedings said it would “be a shame” for the district to lose John Ford Middle School Principal Hughie Peterson, particularly since he has enhanced discipline at the school.

In other comments, Mark Mitchell said he wondered why his daughter, who had been attending John Ford Middle School, had to attend Sandy Run School next year. He said while he lives only five miles from St. Matthews, there is a 20-mile distance between his home and the Sandy Run School.

Calhoun County School District Superintendent Ken Westbury said the division of the county attendance zones was determined by the U. S. Department of Justice because the district still under a desegregation court order. He said the district’s hands were tied and a decision from the U.S. Justice Department was largely the key in being able to make any changes to the zones.

Westbury also said the district was “getting close” to getting out from under the court order. He said the students attending each of the elementary and middle schools were split, with 540 students attending the Sandy Run K-8 school and 556 attending the St. Matthews K-8 school.

In other matters, Chief Financial Officer Jerry Sullivan gave the financial report, stating that the Fiscal Year 2008-09 budget was still “up in the air.” He said the district would, however, have to give first-reading approval to a new budget during its next board meeting, as well as vote on continuing the district’s Tax Anticipatory Note and bond resolution plans. A budget workshop would also have to be held ahead of the budget’s third and final reading on June 15, Sullivan said.

He said the district would experience a cut in its budget to the tune of $761,000 as handed down from the state, noting that the base student cost has decreased from $2,209 in 2006 to $2,034 in 2009 and that the district would be operating with $1.2 million to $1.5 million less.

“We are being very cautious” on budget estimates, he said, noting that if jobs were cut, if would be among administrative staff and retirees and not teacher contracts.

Board member Gary Porth said, “Some big districts (around the state) are in a dilemma.”

Westbury and Sullivan had, however, managed the district budget well and state budget cuts would have less of an impact on Calhoun County, Porth said.

Sullivan also reported that the S.C. Education Oversight Committee is combining all accounts to allow for more “flexibility” in making changes to money allocations. He said the district is now required to post all expenses online for five years.

Sullivan also said he received a letter from the state Budget and Control Board about allowable millage being capped at 3.8 percent, with Westbury stating, “We’ll take what we get and make the best of it.”

Also during the meeting, Westbury stated in his report that Guinyard Elementary School was in collaboration with the University of South Carolina to provide for an increase in math and science teachers through a “Diverse Pathways” program.

He said all of the district’s schools made Average Yearly Performance, or AYP, and all received either gold or silver awards. He added that Calhoun County was the only district to have all schools make AYP.

Westbury said Calhoun County High School received a Gold Award for General Performance and a Gold Award for Closing the Achievement Gap, along with $6,085 cash award. Guinyard Elementary School received a Gold Award for Closing the Achievement Gap and a $1,200 cash award. John Ford Middle School received a Silver Award for General Performance and a $2,051 cash award, while Sandy Run Elementary received a Silver Award for Closing the Achievement Gap and $1,000 in cash.

Following an executive session, the board voted to amend one administrative assignment upon Westbury’s recommendation. John Ford Middle School Hughie Peterson will become principal of the district’s new St. Matthews K-8 school. The board also hired one social studies teacher.

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

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