The Clarendon County School District Board of Trustees met Monday, April 7, to approve the first reading of its 2025-2026 budget, table a proposed policy revision, and hear impassioned public comments about preserving the legacy of Walker-Gamble School.
The meeting opened with an invocation by Rev. Johnnie Lawson and included the approval of the evening’s agenda and minutes from the March 3 meeting.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CENTER ON WALKER GAMBLE’S LEGACY
During the public comment portion, former school board member George Frierson advocated for maintaining public access to Rainbow Lake Road and stressed the historic and educational significance of Walker-Gamble School.
“I used to drive and ride a school bus on that road,” Frierson said. “That building will still be part of the Walker-Gamble community … we need to keep that in mind.”
Clarendon native Eugenia Fleming, a 1969 graduate of Walker-Gamble, asked the board to consider nominating the school for the National Register of Historic Places. “The Walker and Gamble families made an enormous sacrifice to provide education to Black students in the eastern section of Clarendon County,” Fleming said. “This may be the end of formal education in that building, but I’m asking you to consider preserving the memory of that sacrifice.”
ACTION ITEMS AND BUDGET DISCUSSION
The board approved several key items, including overnight field trip requests for Manning High School’s JROTC and the adoption of math textbooks for the 2025-2026 school year.
A proposed revision to policy GCQF (Discipline, Suspension, and Dismissal of Professional Staff) was tabled after Chairman John Bonaparte expressed concern about not having the original policy available for review.
The board unanimously approved the district’s 2025–2030 Strategic Arts Plan, which could help secure additional grant funding.
BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
The Office of Finance presented the monthly financial report and the first reading of the 2025–2026 general fund budget, which totals $49,507,533.28. The proposed budget includes a $3,000 teacher pay increase, pending final state legislation.
Chief Financial Officer Cathy Williams explained the millage rate increase proposed to help fund the budget.
“The allowable millage for fiscal year 2025–2026 is set at a 2.95% millage rate increase, which equates to a 5.19 mill increase, or approximately $500,000,” Williams said. “The total available millage for the district in 2025–2026 is 10.95%, which equates to an increase of 19.26 mills. This will raise the school district millage from 175.86 to 195.12, generating approximately $1.8 million in additional revenue.”
Williams also noted that assistant principals and principals remain behind in salary due to a lack of raises since 2023, while teacher pay has increased due to state mandates. Adjustments to administrative salaries will be finalized after the state salary schedule is confirmed.
TECHNOLOGY AND CYBERSECURITY UPGRADES
The Office of Technology provided an update on improvements funded through the federal E-Rate program, which now recognizes Clarendon as a single district entity. The district has secured a five-year license agreement for network equipment and will no longer pay annual license fees.
The department also announced a multi-phase replacement of aging teacher desktops with docking stations and laptops to improve cybersecurity and efficiency. New systems will include trusted devices with two-way verification to protect district data from cyber threats.
NUTRITION AND PERSONNEL MATTERS
An update from the Office of Nutrition was included in the board packet. The board expressed condolences to the department director, who was absent due to the loss of a family member.
Following an executive session, the board approved the release of three students and accepted the superintendent’s personnel recommendations for the 2025-2026 school year.
The meeting adjourned without additional board comments. The next CCSD Board of Trustees meeting will be held on May 5, 2025.
