Orangeburg County School District: Advanced College students praised; participants ‘have done a great job’

An advanced program implemented by the Orangeburg County School District two years ago is reaping benefits for the students enrolled, according to district officials.

Dr. Stephanie Alford, the district’s coordinator of Advanced College/Dual Credit and Early College programs, informed school trustees that the district’s Orangeburg Advanced College program has proven beneficial to the academic progress of students enrolled in the program.

“I am extremely proud of the hard work they have put in,” Alford said during the OCSD Board of Trustees’ recent meeting.

“They have done a great job over the course of the two years,” she said.

The 20 students who participated in the program in its first year took eight college courses and received 22 college credits.

About 90 percent of students received advanced degree credits, meaning students earned college credits that go on their high school transcripts.

“They are doing very, very well,” Alford said.

Alford said 75 percent of the students, or 15 of the 20 students in the first year, currently rank in the top 10 percent of their home school’s graduating class.

The average grade point average is 4.25, with a high of 5.06.

While data is incomplete for the 39 students in the program’s second year, Alford said students have taken three courses and earned seven credits in the first semester with plans to earn six additional college credits by the end of the school year.

The Orangeburg Advanced College program allows students to pursue an associate degree from Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.

The program is open to current eighth-graders who will be entering ninth grade next year. In addition to the associate degree, students will also receive their high school diploma.

The program also allows students to transfer courses from OCtech to other colleges.

Students accepted into the program remain officially enrolled in their “home” high school, maintaining eligibility for athletics, band and club participation.

During their ninth and 10th grade years, OAC students engage in advanced coursework at their high school and college-level coursework at OCtech.

Eleventh and 12th grade OAC students are fully immersed in college coursework on OCtech’s campus. In the 11th and 12th grade, students spend all day at OCtech.

Students are selected for the program based on academic performance, behavior, parent/legal guardian engagement, recommendations, personal essays and self-reported interests and activities.

Magnet academy enrollment

The enrollment window for elementary school magnet academies will close Feb. 3, 2023. Any child can apply for enrollment into a magnet academy

The magnet academies are in Edisto, Holly Hill, Mellichamp and Marshall elementary schools.

Enrollment will be available online at www.ocsdsc.org/magnet. Magnet academy fairs will also be offered at elementary schools participating in the program.

MLK Oratory Contest

The district’s Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Contest is scheduled to take place Monday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m.

The event, themed “Celebrating the Impact of Our Youth,” will take place at New Mount Zion Baptist Church at 1785 Amelia Street.

Election of officers

Trustees re-elected Ruby Edwards as board chair and Dr. Debora Brunson as vice chair.

Peggy James-Tyler was named secretary and Dr. William O’Quinn was named parliamentarian.

Officers serve for two-year terms and can’t serve for more than two consecutive terms.

Trustees also voted on appointing a board legislative contact to the South Carolina School Boards Association. The board’s policy calls for the appointment of this individual to serve as a liaison on educational issues on the state and federal levels.

Trustee Mary Ulmer said the board has not had a legislative contact with the SCSBA in the three years it has been formed despite board policy requiring one to be appointed.

A motion was made to appoint Dr. Sylvia Bruce-Stephens to the position. It failed on a 5-4 vote.

Those opposed were James-Tyler, R.L. “Poppy” Brown, Edwards, Brunson and Betty Pelzer. Those for Bruce-Stephens’ appointment were Mary Ulmer, Idella Carson, Bruce-Stephens and O’Quinn.

“We need a representative,” Carson said, following the vote. “We need this representative to bring the contact back to us. This is board policy.”

Brown said while it is board policy to appoint someone to the position, the vote failed to carry. Under parliamentary procedures, he said the matter can be brought up at another meeting or during a special called meeting.

“We have not violated anything,” Brown said.

“I know parliamentarian procedures,” Carson said.

Bruce-Stephens said the board is divided and that does not look good across the state.

“We have a problem on this board. You have 5-4 everything. That is a problem. We sit here and we say we are for the children, but we have no clue what the children need or what they want,” she said. “We need to stop this. We need to do what is best for Orangeburg County.”

Bruce-Stephens then went on to say that she does not need to be designated as a legislative contact, “because I am going to go see what is going on in the legislature myself.”

“I don’t need y’all to tell me to do that because I do it anyway,” she said, then saying “half of you all don’t even know what is in the bylaw book.”

“But you are sitting on a board for Orangeburg County and you have over 60,000 voters. Let’s get real up in here,” she said.

Ulmer encouraged board members to review the board rules and policies more diligently.

“We need to take it upon ourselves to self-develop,” she said.

In other business:

• Trustees unanimously approved local courses for the 2023-2024 school year.

The approved courses are not listed in the South Carolina Activity coding manual and need to be approved by the board annually. The course offerings are reviewed by school principals.

Last year, about 613, or 20 percent of the district’s high school students, took advantage of the locally approved courses.

• The district received $10.4 million in revenues for the month of December and spent about $11.8 million for the month. The expenditures include about $2.1 million in bonuses paid out to employees.

The district received an additional $7.3 million in revenues for the month, but district finance officials say the money came in later and was not placed on the books for the month.

• Trustees were presented with a proposed budget calendar for the 2023-2024 school year. First reading will occur April 18; second reading, May 9 and third reading June 13. A budget workshop is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, March 28 with a time for the workshop to be determined at a later date.

• Trustees gave second reading to a policy stating that revenues the district does not immediately use will be placed into an interest-bearing account for investments to earn the maximum return possible in accordance with state law.

The policy was recommended by the district’s legal counsel.

Ulmer was opposed.

• Trustees were informed the district kicked off its new “One Child One Chance” mentoring program Nov. 16.

The program focuses on at-risk students – particularly those students who have been expelled or have had multiple suspensions.

Individuals interested in mentoring students are asked to contact the district.

• The district recognized trustees and their work as part of the School Board Appreciation Month, which is January. Students wrote letters to trustees thanking them for their service. Edwards, on behalf of the board, thanked the students for the letters.

• Trustees recognized Mellichamp Elementary School teacher Kimani Dobson as the Rookie Teacher for the Month of December.

• Trustees recognized Nurse Melissa Kinard from the Cope Area Career Center as Employee of the Month for December.

• Trustees announced a special called meeting will be held Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at district headquarters at 102 Founders Court.

• The board read and members signed the ethical principles pledge it is obliged to follow as members of the school board. The pledge is required by the South Carolina School Boards Association.

• Trustees held a moment of silence and prayed for 17-year-old Branchville High School student Rock Riser, who received a lung transplant.