School Board Approves 3.5 New Teaching Positions

The School District of Pickens County Board of Trustees voted to approve the creation of six 4K classes and the addition of 2.5 new teaching positions during a meeting on Monday night. 

"One of the things that we tried to do this year is protect classroom teaching positions," said Chairman Alex Saitta.

The district will be able to add 2.5 new positions for the additional 4K classes by cutting lower priority Title I spending. Additional funds were made available by promoting Dr. Kelly Pew to Curriculum Coordinator after the former coordinator retired, according to Saitta.

Dr. Pew was formerly the Title I Coordinator, but had taken on the added responsibility of the Curriculum Coordinator position. The district has hired a junior accountant to take over Pew's Title I responsibilities. 

"Doing the math, Pew saved $41,000 that is being used to help pay for these new 4k classes," Saitta said in an email Monday night.

The board also approved the elimination of a combination class at Holly Springs Elementary School and the addition of one more teaching position.

The combination classes, which combine two grade-levels, were instituted during tough budget years. Last year, Ambler and Six Mile Elementary Schools were also using the combination classes but due to changes in student population did not require them this year, Saitta said.

The elimination of the combination structure this year at Holly Springs by adding a new teaching position using funds the district has saved through internal promotions.

"I think we just made 16 or 17 internal promotions in a row," Saitta said. "One of the byproducts of that is that you typically save money when you do that."

Internal candidates would get a pay increase from their previous position, but would not be at the same pay scale as the individual they are replacing.

"If you do that 15 or 16 times you generate savings," Saitta said. "That generated about $50K in savings."

The board also received an update on the progress of the Building Futures Facilities Program in Pickens County from Building Program Administrator Bob Folkman.

"We are happy to report that progress on all our projects remain strong, budgets continue to be stable," Folkman said. "The building program is 65 percent complete as of today."

The new Easley High School is still on track to be completed in November 2011 and the school will open in January 2012.

Daniel High School is expected to be completed in June 2012 with classes beginning in August 2012.

The School District of Pickens County also has five new schools that will be open on the first day of school on Sept. 6: Pickens High, Liberty High, Dacusville Elementary, Chastain Road Elementary and the Pickens County Career & Technology Center.

Also at Monday night's meeting, Superintendent Dr. Henry Hunt recognized Board of Trustees Vice-Chairman Jim Shelton for his completion of Level 3 in the South Carolina School Boards Association' Boardsmanship Institute.