Beacon City School District

The board meeting featured presentations on the Digital Defenders program, a student-led initiative focused on increasing digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness through peer-to-peer lessons. The presentation covered the program's curriculum across elementary, middle, and high school grade bands, addressing topics such as password security, phishing, cyber ethics, and the dangers of misinformation. The board also discussed the importance of cybersecurity in schools due to rising cyber threats and considered the potential for expanding the program to other districts.

The board meeting focused on the annual school district budget hearing, discussing budget basics, tax cap calculations, revenue sources, and expenditure breakdowns. Key topics included proposed initiatives such as the expansion of the ninth-period day for middle school students, the procurement of new transportation vehicles including wheelchair vans and an alignment machine for in-house repairs, and updates on universal prekindergarten funding and programming. Additionally, the board discussed the ballot propositions for the upcoming budget vote and the election of board members.

The meeting focused on the introduction of a new architect for project site coordination and the presentation of a four-phase construction project timeline. The phases include roof work at middle and high schools, ceiling work at an elementary school, septic improvements, and various campus upgrades including classroom improvements, playground renovations, and repairs to the track and pool. Additionally, the committee established a management plan featuring bi-weekly meetings during active construction, quarterly committee updates, and reporting procedures to the Board of Education.

The committee discussed updates to their meeting calendar and various public relations initiatives, including a website audit process, the implementation of a monthly digital newsletter, and the development of classroom posters displaying board goals. Legislative and advocacy topics covered local infrastructure updates regarding Matteawan Road, regional advocacy through LHEC concerning Foundation Aid and State Aid formulas, and state-level advocacy on absentee ballots and amendments to the Open Meetings Law. The committee also planned for an upcoming legislative panel and the annual Legislative Lobby Day.

The committee discussed several items, including the election of a committee chair for the 2021-2022 school year. Discussions on public relations focused on promoting the capital project, initiating an annual website audit, and enhancing the advocacy section of the website. Advocacy efforts were centered on identifying regional and state-level focus areas, specifically addressing payment issues related to teacher quarantine days and federal support for permanent universal free lunch. The legislative segment covered the potential transition to a ward-based voting system for board members and monitoring state legislation for the current year.