Choosing to stay on the “safe side” Bamberg School District One Trustee Board members gave third and final reading approval to its projected fiscal year 2011-2012 budget which included a general fund budget of $9,839,950.81 and a total budget of $12,851,744.46. District One Superintendent Phyllis Schwarting noted, the 2011-2012 budgets represented a three percent decrease from last year’s budget and was built on a conservative base student cost of $1,788 per student.

Superintendent Schwarting noted if an unexpected “pot of money came in” it could possibly be used later in the year to offset some of the furlough days faculty and staff members were given.

Also during the meeting:

• In an update on the district’s construction and renovation projects, it was noted that the district received $125,000 in C-Fund money to help with road construction at the new Richard Carroll Elementary School. The acquisition of the C-Fund money may allow the district to free up some money to use in other areas.

Dale Collier of Brownstone Construction Group, the Owners Representative stated that work to the front of Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School and Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School buildings will continue through October and November. Collier noted that a portable office is setup at the back of the middle school for registration, where work is projected to be done by December. He said work at the high school is now in the “put back stage.” At the new Richard Carroll Elementary School site work continues with “a lot of underground work.” In the next month walls and concrete blocks walls should be seen going up.

• Superintendent Schwarting reported the guidance department at BEHS determined that members of the class of 2011 earned $2.3 million in scholarships. “It’s something that makes you very proud when you see how hard these young people have worked,” she said.

• District One Trustees approved by general consent the district’s use of DocuScan software to scan district records, thereby freeing up badly needed storage space.

• Board members agreed to look at the district’s policy manual concerning the district’s school bus discipline plan at their July meeting. Trustees approved an administrative rule (Not a Policy) to go in a manual all students will receive when they come back to school.

• Trustees gave approval to a state requirement of no step increase for the 2011-2012 teacher pay scales. It was noted that basically all districts in the state have frozen their teacher pay for the last three years. It was also noted that this would not affect the level of education a teacher may obtain in the future. The state requires the matter to be voted on in open session.

• By a 3-2 vote trustees rejected a resolution adopting an amendment to Bamberg School District One’s 403(b) retirement plan. District finance director Devon Furr noted the district was with Gate Keeper and under IRS regulations that were adopted under Gate Keeper were not sufficient. She noted that the new agreement would help employees to roll-over their money into an account directly with a new company CPI. “This is a benefit to our employees. This is to help our employees and not to hurt them,” Furr said. Trustee Board Vice Chair Rita Sease noted in voting against the proposal that she would like an option to choose from more than one company.