Pickens County school board places five policy revisions for public review and approves budget amendment, personnel report and consent agenda

The Pickens County School Board voted to place five revised board policies out for public review and approved a fiscal-year budget amendment, the personnel action report and the consent agenda during its regular meeting.

The board moved to post revisions to policies GAEB (harassment of employees), JCAC (harassment of students), GARH (employee leaves and absences), IFBG (Internet acceptable use) and JV (student attendance) for public comment through the board's next regular meeting on Sept. 11, 2025. The motions followed a work session where staff said the revisions reflect recent state law and U.S. Department of Education guidance; for example, GARH was updated to reflect a new state law allowing leave without loss of pay for organ and bone-marrow donation, and IFBG was revised to comply with Senate Bill 351 related to internet use requirements.

The board also approved a fiscal-year 2025 budget amendment described by CFO Abby Smith as primarily an internal reallocation of existing budget categories to align with state allotment requirements. "This is not a change in the total budget amount; it's simply moving from one category to another to satisfy the state's allotments," Smith said. Smith reported general fund revenue collected through July was 6.68% and expenditures were 6.75% of the tentatively approved budget; she said capital project expenditures reflected summer construction at the high school.

Other routine actions approved on the consent agenda included financial reports, overnight out-of-state field trips, minutes from multiple July and August board meetings, and declared surplus from the district warehouse.

The board took the actions by motion and second; the motions were presented and called for the vote and recorded as approved during the meeting record.

Votes at a glance - Personnel action report: motion moved and seconded; approved by the board as recorded in the meeting. (Mover/second: not specified) - FY25 budget amendment: motion moved and seconded; approved. (Mover/second: not specified) - Policy GAEB (harassment of employees): motion to place out for public review through 09/11/2025; approved. (Mover/second: not specified) - Policy JCAC (harassment of students): motion to place out for public review through 09/11/2025; approved. (Mover/second: not specified) - Policy GARH (employee leaves and absences): motion to place out for public review through 09/11/2025; approved. (Mover/second: not specified) - Policy IFBG (Internet acceptable use): motion to place out for public review through 09/11/2025; approved. (Mover/second: not specified) - Policy JV (student attendance): motion to place out for public review through 09/11/2025; approved. (Mover/second: not specified) - Consent agenda (financial reports, field trips, minutes, warehouse surplus): motion moved and seconded; approved. (Mover/second: not specified)

Board members who spoke during the item identified the process: proposed policies are posted for public review at one regular meeting and considered for adoption at the next regular meeting. The record shows motions were made and seconded and the chair called for the vote.

The board did not vote to adopt the policies at this meeting; they were placed on the agenda for public comment ahead of the Sept. 11, 2025 meeting.

The board's actions complete routine governance steps that will return to the board when the public-review period closes and the board considers final adoption.