[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6461907,"mediaKeyId","5813306-33b511430be36265f5a3cccdb1729a20","parentId",5813306,"title","Dorchester 02 board approves consent agenda, enrollment and personnel; hears financial update","audioSeconds",3362,"startMs",554820,"endMs",3917810,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5813306-33b511430be36265f5a3cccdb1729a20&start=554&end=3917","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5813306-33b511430be36265f5a3cccdb1729a20/thumbnail_554820.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6461907/South-Carolina/Dorchester-02-board-approves-consent-agenda-enrollment-and-personnel-hears-financial-update","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6461907-4330042c9a4554412d8d8f5bc50e991f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771373599&Signature=GM82l99bxN3Tjt75dq8xFQG3e~VYxHdlEIxrXOD1LOyregWNdupCQP7p4LSY932IYCpoiE8~e3Xyg91HXFi0H4iUD6Cx0K5SZJv3-tnGISeZ22zi7i7LhwBXLFiRtUf5lHvjug4EIR4NuJVoT2v-JBoHAwCGSUW9~eoiqvG~rAuR1xFpbrIBWkdddLhvLnOosh1-hpONyEVyw59nf3eWR9~GS-80lwK5ADC6RakD7qNdMMXmoYHNCtnd4ZAbSWvtRFgx4pw0LENevM3b53OUA0i1NZLSLFRNOd6Cl-~AIVL2D7OF9OgUEHxhva3jy7JBAMjgJzwO5pmNiDWMpe-clA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Dorchester School District Two","date","2025-09-23T00:15:14.44Z","article","The Dorchester School District Two Board of Trustees approved routine business items and personnel and enrollment recommendations during its Sept. 22 meeting; all recorded votes were 6 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 absent.

Motion to approve the consent agenda and meeting minutes — motion made by Mr. Guthrie, seconded by Mr. Lee; outcome: approved (6 in favor, 1 absent).

Motion to accept student enrollment recommendations — motion made by Mr. Lee, seconded by Mr. Farnsworth; outcome: approved (6 in favor, 1 absent).

Motion to accept personnel recommendations — motion made by Ms. King, seconded by Mr. Guthrie; outcome: approved (6 in favor, 1 absent).

Motions to convene and return from executive session were recorded with the same board majority. The board convened in executive session for personnel‑related matters (motion by Mr. Lee, seconded by Mr. Guthrie; approved 6 in favor, 1 absent) and later returned to open session (motion made by Mr. Guthrie, seconded by Ms. King; approved 6 in favor, 1 absent). No action was reported after executive session.

Finance director Meunier presented the August 2025 financial report showing a beginning general fund balance adjustment to about $66 million from $64.7 million and a 20.98% fund balance at the end of August. Meunier told trustees auditors began two weeks of fieldwork in the district office and the team expects to present final audit results in November.

No contested votes occurred and no ordinances or resolutions requiring additional board votes were adopted at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September 22, 2025 - Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved the consent agenda and accepted student enrollment and personnel recommendations unanimously among members present (6 in favor, 1 absent). The finance director reviewed August 2025 financials; auditors began fieldwork.","taxTitle","Dorchester 02, School Districts, South Carolina","taxId",14918,"location","South Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6461913,"Parents urge district action on bullying and youth suicide; resident criticizes county workforce‑housing incentives",121,4012610,4134010,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5813306-33b511430be36265f5a3cccdb1729a20&start=4012&end=4134","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5813306-33b511430be36265f5a3cccdb1729a20/thumbnail_4012610.jpg","/articles/6461913/South-Carolina/Parents-urge-district-action-on-bullying-and-youth-suicide-resident-criticizes-county-workforcehousing-incentives","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6461913-991c50cc3d9e02c727cf639e23380467/orig.mp4?Expires=1771373599&Signature=Wgeppr4BHZEvZt1m060sW3jE2u4~9NK5wfgE~cIWG2Qxdx49U2YwIltb~RYqZ-BJtM1jYS~3c74~G2d2JieJ0DyAkYG0Mm4xvPuzg2sX1Ic6auNPTIUFFs9YZIQ5FcGnZJQaW1ueVrN6bCHJM7psoRSeChawU9bKmeWIqc6-~yNhk74ZXlgbTZ9kB1K4k0NahCrlOxZa61ycdOImA87IRKy4juLF6kh8WtHxXOljm1zuGLRePxHwYrPH8msAo3REgoK8Ytpn84NFppoBxv7Jd2OE8dEICqdSDrThDnbSnKBPjDtMzEBy~~bwtoCPgBYz2H3oOqZEGcEoj3K-9f3jxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jason Brockert used public comment time at the Sept. 22 Dorchester School District Two board meeting to describe a decade of advocacy and to urge the board to partner on anti‑bullying activities after the family’s son died by suicide.

\"I'm offering to help coordinate and provide materials for that,\" Brockert said, offering to host a Unity Day event on Oct. 22, the date of PACER's Unity Day. He said the district did not participate in a community vigil he organized during National Suicide Prevention Month and asked trustees to join future efforts to acknowledge youth suicide and bullying.

Following Brockert, Tommy Fagan raised concerns about a Dorchester County ordinance then in first reading that would create incentives for workforce housing. Fagan warned that tax incentives could shift revenue from commercial tax rolls that support school operations and expressed privacy and security concerns about developer‑controlled housing for school employees.

Board member Lee used his public remarks to call for restraint and civility in public discourse. He said elementary and middle school classrooms are not the place for politics and warned that anyone who \"celebrates the assassination of a political opponent\" is unfit for positions of trust. \"We should edify and build up rather than tearing down,\" Lee said.

No formal board action followed the public comments, but trustees acknowledged the speakers and thanked them for their involvement.","A parent whose son died by suicide urged the board to partner on anti‑bullying Unity Day activities; another resident raised concerns about a Dorchester County workforce‑housing incentive ordinance and potential taxpayer impacts. Board member Lee also urged civility and condemned celebration of political violence.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6461917,"Citizens advisory panel flags wetlands, palmland conveyance and schedule risks for two new schools",169,3324900,3494740,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5813306-33b511430be36265f5a3cccdb1729a20&start=3324&end=3494","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5813306-33b511430be36265f5a3cccdb1729a20/thumbnail_3324900.jpg","/articles/6461917/South-Carolina/Citizens-advisory-panel-flags-wetlands-palmland-conveyance-and-schedule-risks-for-two-new-schools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6461917-d7ff3d0c00724cdabc13c3711eabbe3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771373599&Signature=naOvff39WUDWJAikxOeNeDaUKHCook7JtHj64OsvsRyTq4lE1YB00vkq-YmNvRLAC0zTfC8Y5xsdLVNiyHd9i4HnAQpG9WoLsPHW9qyBlEY-n~kdtnLL09VbBnVilvSUiihsTUnU04JVneQnDZz1N-gv-XR0jON92ZYrDHWpEt8zKQZ7N4x04D122QeZWJvP20s-qJpeBmgyv7IYUSRE4ocaVyD6u2YQVwSjwjQwbXbGqZLA1I0qjVZ4UAbONmceA8HbJmwPmFKo~2kgGLJ~gTahvcl47w7EpwHbzP5saGsOia3sSgyH4OD0QAUw1TStfi-nT-dZYbE3xrmIIiKzsg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jay Lombardo, representing the Citizens Advisory Review Panel (CARP), briefed the Dorchester School District Two board on Sept. 17 findings and summarized them for the Sept. 22 meeting: 77 referendum projects are under review, 58 are in work or complete, and approximately $41 million — about 22% of referendum funds — have been spent or encumbered.

Lombardo told trustees the panel lowered the safety and security completion rate to 85 percent because of the addition of door alarms and voiced concern about recent local reports of an armed student at a middle school. He also warned that two capital projects carry schedule risk: palmland conveyance for a new school and a wetlands issue at Yerby Track.

\"The carp views that shovels need to be in the ground by January 2026 if it's at all possible so we can meet the August 2027 date for school,\" Lombardo said, and asked the board to consider alternative plans if wetlands or conveyance issues cannot be resolved in time.

Lombardo reported 15 projects awaiting starts; two were slightly delayed by weather and one project — the ponds — was well behind schedule. He said the CARP will meet again on Dec. 10 and offered to forward a formal memorandum to the board outlining the concerns.

Facilities chair Farnsworth and other board members thanked the CARP and encouraged a formal memo to aid discussions with county partners and developers. No formal board action was taken on the CARP report; district staff and CARP agreed to continue coordination.","The Citizen Advisory Review Panel reported 77 referendum projects; panelists identified wetlands at Yerby Track and a palmland conveyance as potential schedule risks, urging shovels in the ground by Jan. 2026 to meet an August 2027 opening.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6461922,"Dorchester 02 calendar committee proposes two draft school calendars with midweek starts and added weather makeup days",661,2497850,3158850,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5813306-33b511430be36265f5a3cccdb1729a20&start=2497&end=3158","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5813306-33b511430be36265f5a3cccdb1729a20/thumbnail_2497850.jpg","/articles/6461922/South-Carolina/Dorchester-02-calendar-committee-proposes-two-draft-school-calendars-with-midweek-starts-and-added-weather-makeup-days","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6461922-11f3cb17664e9d070a666d9b208f8f4e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771373599&Signature=F2S6Ala3~DmMP1WBL1BLocoWYo8CgnayTSw1J~LtQ8v9mLAm-S~Vp~ZuSTlNbaikemCSGny-GlaceYjru7k0OUuHYZ-WQjrFTFioOgHp06VlvXuSkFg8Z4iVLb23O7gHY-pGmDEOjoFIK9iU2P~EyWYQnD2Tvyre2rgv3dTYthsiHGS0dTT0QkihOivF4rxaklvmEh1Gp2pjFhGjcF2ic5oKpxbnt7b72cLbYMTz7w7oUe1kmCJN-cZ193CNlrVJKag7ceILKfVv0oHay0W7zmEbrZdupMM7mn3f59mmlxsF9~hzN3-9ZYUm3Z1cGwBL0itBWi3boX5I4DlepcU-QQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A calendar committee made up of parents, teachers, principals and district staff presented two draft school calendars for 2026–27 and 2027–28 at the Dorchester School District Two board meeting on Sept. 22, recommending midweek student start days, a fall break and additional weather makeup days.

Jennifer Passmore, co‑chair of the calendar committee, said the group met in August and again Sept. 9 to collect input and finalize two recommendations that will return to the board for a vote in October. “By South Carolina law, the school term has to be made up of a hundred and 90 days, which that's made up of 10 staff days and a hundred and 80 instructional days,” Passmore said.

Key committee priorities included starting the school year midweek to reduce early‑week fatigue, adding a fall weather makeup day, keeping a five‑day Thanksgiving break, scheduling a staff day immediately after winter break for facilities checks and aligning spring break to Easter where possible. Committee members proposed a standalone weather makeup day in late April so that if not needed it would become a long weekend for students and staff.

Jennifer Bates, principal at Eugene Sires, said the committee also emphasized keeping fall break and avoiding a July staff start that would push teachers into work days immediately after Memorial Day. The committee recommended staff return the last three days in July with students starting on a Wednesday or Thursday in early August in both drafts.

Passmore said the committee sought alignment with neighboring districts to ease family scheduling and noted Berkeley County has already signaled a similar spring break window for 2026–27. The board discussed the drafts and set a timetable to bring the calendars back for a formal vote at the October meeting.

The presentation was informational; no vote was taken on the calendars on Sept. 22.","The calendar committee recommended two drafts for 2026–27 and 2027–28 that emphasize midweek start dates, a fall break, a staff day after winter break and standalone weather makeup days; board to vote in October.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6461926,"Dorchester 02 details special‑education changes, cites disproportionate suspensions among African American students",800,1532160,2332365,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5813306-33b511430be36265f5a3cccdb1729a20&start=1532&end=2332","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5813306-33b511430be36265f5a3cccdb1729a20/thumbnail_1532160.jpg","/articles/6461926/South-Carolina/Dorchester-02-details-specialeducation-changes-cites-disproportionate-suspensions-among-African-American-students","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6461926-22491a59c68e98755087709cdc3af271/orig.mp4?Expires=1771373599&Signature=iJ0kIn9mmdK~ayKBsFE9axbaDMUFZEToGfqbRE6r0TVfmGdf-NeW9--7bjSQF1WVwkS8X3Ph9kechugfmdDM1uWQGNPH2ItK0c1QQhJolzui1Qti-oBzUl8OgqfxBTT6xDju8whj8Cde6Y8KctbsrA1K-JCRlGGQ5u6gkKQuRDl-453sKR9KjtXgkhf9XkFYd-xRRelDLd4L7-5j8~6r~ivKULlF204GL1S-8Jheb9grAysBUlLfopUgM0XzPmnj0nn6gBFeS7VScubgyOWL3dDvmcLut6wU2Ku0k6iVa4GyS6wxTb5KLu9dKFBx3fW0fvi4EPpHclag1pz3Z0uMeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Michelle Jacques, interim executive director of special services for Dorchester School District Two, told the board on Sept. 22 the department has rolled out new observation tools, staffing‑request tracking and staff training intended to improve services for students with disabilities and reduce disproportionate long suspensions.

Jacques described a district quadrant system that places special‑education programs closer to students’ home schools, and said staff created a paraprofessional handbook and a set of “Look For” observation items administrators can use to assess tier‑one instruction and behavior supports. “We established a an observation tool that school administrators and support staff can use as they go into our special education programs,” Jacques said.

The update focused heavily on disciplinary outcomes tracked by the state. Jacques explained that in special education a student’s suspensions beyond 10 days are counted in a monitored indicator and that the district has been classified as “significantly disproportionate.” She said the district now calls on outside partners, including the Behavioral Alliance of South Carolina (BASC), to help strengthen tier‑one supports and reduce long suspensions for students identified as African American.

“The problem is still the same, but we have now had to get support from other kinds of agencies,” Jacques said. She added BASC is working with district teams and that several schools are serving as partners in that work: Fort Dorchester High School, River Oaks Middle School and Eagle Nest Elementary.

Jacques also described an educational‑assistance request system the district is developing to document when teams request additional adult supervision for medical or behavioral reasons, with the stated aim of ensuring supports are tried before long‑term staffing changes are approved. “We want to ensure that we are tracking that request and we are documenting reasons why the request is being made,” she said.

Board members praised staff efforts and asked for continued data collection and follow up. Board member Lee said the district appears to be “at a great point” with district leadership aligning around the issue. Board member Farnsworth highlighted that having model schools and consistent MTSS practices districtwide should prevent students from reaching the 10‑day threshold.

The presentation also noted professional development delivered to paraprofessionals and a summer conference for families and teachers, and said the district will use feedback from initial implementation of the “Look For” tool to refine it for classroom observation software.

The board did not take formal action on the update; Jacques said the special services team will continue work and return with follow‑up reports.","Interim Special Services director Michelle Jacques outlined new tools and partnerships to improve inclusion, track extra‑staffing requests and reduce disproportionate long suspensions for students with disabilities; district is partnering with BASC and expanding MTSS interventions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Dorchester 02 board approves consent agenda, enrollment and personnel; hears financial update

Parents urge district action on bullying and youth suicide; resident criticizes county workforce‑housing incentives

Citizens advisory panel flags wetlands, palmland conveyance and schedule risks for two new schools

Dorchester 02 calendar committee proposes two draft school calendars with midweek starts and added weather makeup days

Dorchester 02 details special‑education changes, cites disproportionate suspensions among African American students