Center named after beloved educator

The BSD45 Board of Trustees unanimously approved the Presbyterian Church of Barnwell Property as the Carolyne S. Williams Early Childhood Center.

Williams previously served as superintendent of BSD45 and gave 38 years to the district serving as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and lastly as superintendent.

The property once owned by the Presbyterian Church was purchased by the school in 2020 just as schools closed due to the pandemic. Williams played a vital role in helping the district secure this property and worked directly with The Shepherding Team of Charleston ­Atlantic Presbytery.

Some of the purchasing funds were later donated back by the church to the district to aid in transforming the space into an early childhood center.

Currently, Barnwell County First Steps resides in the facility through a partnership with the school.

BOMB THREAT UPDATE

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) determined the origin of the five bomb threats received by BSD45 from February 17 to February 27.

The threats were electronically generated from juveniles in Texas and California. Law enforcement in those states are working to determine more information.

BSD45 sent a districtwide letter on March 3 to update families on the threats and address claims made on ­social media.

A statement from the district explains, “We continue to work closely with SLED and local law enforcement to assist in providing any information they may need, helping follow up on any possible leads, etc.”

BSD45 leaders met with Special Agent Josh Deurkop from the SLED bomb squad who explained there has been an unprecedented rise in bomb threats both state and nationwide.

Due to these threats, the Comprehensive Safety Plan is being evaluated by the Barnwell County Sheriff’s ­Office and SLED including how to specify and respond to a phone, email, written, or verbal threats.

In addition, a new emergency response command center is currently being installed.

FEMA GYM

BSD45 buildings serve as emergency response hubs or stations for surrounding counties EMS personnel to coordinate during a ­disaster.

When a level four or five hurricane is identified, Barn­well County serves as the hub for all emergency personnel in Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Port Royal at Barnwell High School (BHS).

Beaufort County emergency workers are held at Barnwell Primary School (BPS), Marines from the ­Marine Corp Air Station at Guinyard-Butler Middle School (GBMS).

While these emergency service personnel are here, Barnwell County has use of their respective equipment.

The FEMA Gym will be a backup shelter at the BHS gym to house much of this emergency response.

David Abbott, a historical preservation specialist from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation ­Division, performed a Phase I Archaeological Survey at Barnwell High School (BHS) on March 14 and 15.

With this completed, they are awaiting approval from FEMA to begin the second phase of development.

This emergency backup plan has been in place for years.

CONSERVATION SAVINGS

The installation of LED lights at Guinyard-Butler Middle School (GBMS) and Barnwell Elementary School (BES) completes the projects recently underway at each BSD45 school.

Since July 2022, BSD45 has saved over $138,000 through the energy conservation program.

FACILITY UPDATES

•The gymnasium in Barnwell Primary School (BPS) is being outfitted with a new HVAC system.

•Work is set to begin for the fire alarm system at BHS through Carver Security, an Aiken based security ­systems company.

•Shade structures have been ordered for two playgrounds at BPS, the picnic shelter will soon be renovated.

•Received a proposal for roof maintenance from Lyon & Associates, a Columbia and Savannah, Ga., based roofing contractor. Open bidding took place on April 5.

•Plans for new BPS auditorium seats have been finalized.

•The Window and Door project began over a year ago to replace all windows and doors across the district in need of repair due to age or wear.

•Other projects that are in route for approval are a new intercom system at BPS, new bathrooms in the gym and main hallway at GBMS, new bathrooms at the football stadium, and new flooring throughout GBMS.

POLICY APPROVALS

A policy was approved on the second and final reading regarding unencumbered time. In January, the State Board of Education provided a model to ensure the principals of each school establish an unencumbered time schedule. This would provide 30 minutes of ­duty-free time during each regular school day for eligible teachers. Eligible teachers include full-time, kindergarten through fifth grade and working a minimum of 30 hours per week. Also eligible are teachers who are responsible for instructing special education classes for more than 20% of the school day.

A policy was read for the first time regarding flag displays. Although the district already had a policy to ensure schools will fly both the national and state flags everyday, this policy states these flags will be displayed inside buildings alongside specific mottos of U.S. and S.C. These changes were made to adhere to legislation from the State Board of Education.

The board unanimously approved an overnight trip to the South Carolina Technology Student Association (SCTSA) State Conference held March 23 to March 28. There are 14 students in Barnwell High School TSA Chapter alongside sponsor Steve Andrews. The conference took place in Myrtle Beach and is meant to showcase student ­accomplishments through over 70 events ranging from biotechnology to dragster design and prepare them to compete at a national level.

Barnwell students place at SCTSA State Conference

• Amaika Adi won second place in Architectural Design

• Matthew Moore won third place in Computer Aided Design

• Dustin Jones and Macey Kennedy won first place in Debating Technological Issues

• Samuel Tadamatla and Antwone Williams won second place in Debating Technological Issues

• Tori Johnson and ­Jonnay Dobson won third place in Debating Technological Issues

• Hunter Pigman won first place in Dragster Design

• Tori Johnson won third place in Essays on Technology

• Tori Johnson and ­Jonnay Dobson won second place in Forensic Science

• Joel Horn and Kinsey Lewis won first place in Music Production

• Tori Johnson won third place in Photographic Technology

• Samuel Tadamatla, Amolik Sinha, and ­Antwone Williams won third place in the Technology Bowl

• Samuel Tadamatla and Antwone Williams won first place in Technology Problem Solving