The Kershaw County School Board of Trustees voted unanimously to adopt a minority business enterprise (MBE) plan that sets an aspirational 10% goal for the district’s procurements.

The plan, presented to the board by Mr. Willard, applies to the district’s controllable purchasing dollars and follows state procurement guidance requiring agencies to adopt an MBE plan, Mr. Willard said. “It is a plan. It is a goal. It is not a required percentage that we have to meet,” he told trustees before the vote.

Why it matters: the plan aims to increase participation by minority- and woman-owned businesses in district contracting. Under the presenter’s figures, the district’s controllable procurement base is about $24,800,000 for the year; a 10% target on that amount would equal roughly $2.48 million in goal spending. The presenter also cautioned that districts frequently do not meet the stated goals in practice and that the designation is applied only to firms that seek and receive it from the state.

What the board heard: Mr. Willard described the statutory purpose and the state’s definition of an MBE, including businesses owned at least 51% by persons who are socially or economically disadvantaged or by women. He stressed that firms must apply for the designation and notify the district once they have it: “it is the company's responsibility to seek the designation, and then it is the company's responsibility to inform us that they have that designation,” Mr. Willard said. He also said the district is not required to give certified firms a procurement preference during standard vetting or bidding processes.

Questions and numbers: Mr. Willard explained that the plan excludes federal and other restricted dollars and covers controllable procurement spending only. During his presentation the spoken numerical readout included inconsistent figures for the dollar goal; the transcript records both an approximate controllable-dollar base (~$24,800,000) and a garbled dollar figure for the 10% target. The record does not provide a corrected, single numeric statement from staff. (See clarifying details for the transcript inconsistency.)

Board action: Dr. King moved to adopt the plan; Coach Blackman seconded the motion. The board voted in favor; the record shows a unanimous voice vote.

Votes at a glance:
- Adopt agenda — motion by Mr. Blackman, second by Ms. Furness; outcome: approved (unanimous voice vote).
- Adopt consent agenda — motion by Mr. Jean, second by Dr. King; outcome: approved (unanimous voice vote).
- Move July 14 meeting to July 7 — motion made and seconded (second by Mr. Roberts recorded); outcome: approved (unanimous voice vote).
- Adopt MBE plan — motion by Dr. King, second by Coach Blackman; outcome: approved (unanimous voice vote).
- Convene executive session to discuss personnel — motion by Ms. Furness; outcome: approved to convene (unanimous voice vote).
- Accept administration recommendations concerning employment matters (post–executive session) — motion by Ms. Furness, second by Ms. Hallie; outcome: approved (unanimous raised-hand vote).

The board’s adoption implements the district’s formal MBE goal and places the target and reporting requirements into district procurement practice. Staff did not provide a corrected single-dollar figure for the stated 10% target during the meeting.