Fort Mill school board discusses new courses, policies for 2016-’17

The Fort Mill School District is adding new courses and policies for the next school year.

Starting with the 2016-’17 school year, Fort Mill students entering ninth grade will be required to take the 100-question U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services civics test, Marty McGinn, assistant superintendent of curriculum and human resources, said at Dec. 8 school board meeting.

The test is required by the James B. Edwards Civics Education Initiative, a part of the national Civics Education Initiative campaign by the Joe Foss Institute, which aims to get civics education legislation passed in all 50 states before Sept. 17, 2017, the 230th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution, according to information in the school board meeting packet.

Students will take the test as part of their high school U.S. Government class, McGinn said. While the test does not affect the students’ grades, the results are reflected on the school district’s report card.

McGinn also shared new district policies during the Dec. 8 meeting:

▪  Health education policies now include domestic violence education and instruction on sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention, introduced at developmentally appropriate levels, McGinn said. She said the education was already a part of the district’s instruction, but is now part of the curriculum.

▪  The district is adding three courses at the high school level, including two college-level advanced placement classes, said Chari Young, director of middle and secondary education. The board approved the additions, which includes a computer science principals AP course and a non-honors physics class for juniors and seniors. A human geography AP course will be offered to just ninth grade students and counts as a social studies credit.

The new courses will not require any additional staffing, Young said.

Other business

Other topics discussed at the meeting included updates on attendance figures and the district’s finances. The district reported $27.1 million in expenditures and $18.7 million in revenue, which means the district had to dip into its fund balance for $8.4 million – not usual toward the end of the year, said Leanne Lordo, assistant superintendent of finance and operations.

The district received $255,000 from impact fees for November, Superintendent Chuck Epps said. He said growth continues to increase the district’s impact fee revenue.

In attendance, the district gained 18 students from Oct. 29 to Dec. 2, bringing the total to 13,135, Epps said.

Springfield Elementary School received the monthly attendance award with 96.8 percent, he said.

Athletics

The district once again supports middle school athletics as part of the operating budget, allowing the Fort Mill School District Athletic Board to disperse its required reserves, $175,200, to the four area middle schools, said athletic board chairwoman Lisa McCarley. Each school received $43,800.

“We appreciate your support throughout the years,” she told the school board.

The athletic board will now support high school as well as middle school sports, she said. Its biggest fundraiser, Dancing with the Stars, will be 6 p.m. on Feb. 13 at the Pointe Arts and Recreation Center in Fort Mill. VIP tickets are $100 and include dinner. Show-only tickets are $50.

The celebrities include local businessman Aaron Rucker, Mrs. SC International 2016 Dana Boutwell and WRHI’s Chuck Boozer. Dan Mace, owner of Moseley Architects, will take the spot of Tega Cay City Manager Charlie Funderburk, who is out with an injury, McCarley said.

For tickets or more information, visit fortmillathletics.com.

This story was originally published December 11, 2015 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Fort Mill school board discusses new courses, policies for 2016-’17."