The Orangeburg County School District has been working on projects ahead of the start of school.
Assistant Superintendent for Operations Bob Grant gave an overview of various projects around the district during a board meeting last week.
• HVAC units have been replaced at Holly Hill-Roberts Middle, Lake Marion High, Robert E. Howard Middle, Marshall Elementary, Rivelon Elementary, the Dover Elementary gym and The Technology Center.
The units were replaced with federal American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund money.
• A non-functioning elevator at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School was replaced. The project was completed in March with district capital funds. The project also included mechanical room upgrades for the elevator.
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• Roof repairs are on ongoing at the Carver-Edisto Middle gym and Lake Marion High School. There are also minor repairs at LMHS, HHRMS, Howard, Elloree, North and Hunter-Kinard Tyler. The projects are funded with ESSER and capital project funds.
A roofing project is beginning at St. James-Gaillard Elementary.
• All burned-out light bulbs were replaced at the district’s 14 baseball and softball fields using capital funds. Light replacements are just beginning at football stadiums across the district.
• Tracks have been resurfaced with U.S. Department of Agriculture grant funds and district capital funds. Rubberized surfaces will be placed at all high schools. The tracks have been laid at O-W, North/Middle High and Bethune-Bowman Middle-High and work is underway at Lake Marion, Branchville and HKT.
Edisto High School’s track also needs to be replaced, although the track was extensively damaged and discussions need to be had on costs of replacement, Grant said.
• Grading and foundation repairs are complete at Edisto Primary, HKT and Sheridan Elementary. The projects were funded through ESSER funds.
• Security access doors/cameras added at schools in the eastern and western area of the county. The project is funded with capital and USDA grant money. All the schools in the district will be under a single system.
• The interiors and exteriors of schools have been painted at Marshall, Howard and Holly Hill Elementary, and work is underway at Sheridan, Edisto Primary and HKT. The painting is funded through capital money and a USDA grant.
• Window replacements at William J. Clark and Edisto High School are complete and Marshall and Sheridan Elementary replacements are underway.
The projects will be funded through ESSER and capital funds.
• The installation of a repeater is underway at Lake Marion High School to allow new multi-channel radios. The project will be paid for with capital money.
The project is needed to enable better radio communications throughout the LMHS campus.
Director of Maintenance and Facilities David Hess said a number of projects are underway to upgrade the energy efficiency of the district’s schools and are about 10% complete.
Timeline for the projects are as follows:
• Water conservation fixtures will be installed at schools, with the work to be completed by the end of October.
• Substantial completion of lighting work is expected by the end of September or early October.
• Substantial completion of emergency egress lighting work is expected by the end of September or early October.
• Coil cleaning will be done by the end of October.
• All HVAC units will be replaced by the summer of 2023.
Some trustees expressed concerns about the district’s phone system. The way the system is set up, teachers need a computer or laptop to access the system within their classrooms.
Trustee Dr. William O’Quinn noted he has had concerns that substitute teachers can’t access the telephone system.
“Don’t we have an old-timely telephone with a phone line in there that they can grab and not have to sign into something that is not available?” O’Quinn said. He expressed concerns that an incident may happen and the substitute teachers do not have a way to communicate.
Assistant Superintendent for Communications and Business and Community Partnerships Merry Glenne Piccolino said teachers and long-term substitutes have access to the technology.
District Superintendent Dr. Shawn Foster said the district will continue to look into the matter to ensure connectivity is maximized.
Trustee Mary Ulmer asked if teacher assistants also have access to a laptop and the phone system.
“I cannot see just the sub having access to technology and a TA who is working with the teacher who may need access to a laptop does not have access to that,” Ulmer said.
Piccolino said the district has responded to teacher assistant requests for technology.
Other trustees were concerned that phone calls directed to schools often revert back to the district’s office. School officials say if a call is directed to a school and it is busy, it will roll over to the district’s office.
Foster said the roll over is for security reasons so that if a school line is busy, the public will still be able to receive an answer.
Stephens said an answering machine often answers the district office.
Foster said the matter will be looked into.
Some trustees also expressed concerns about the yard maintenance at some schools, with grass being high at some schools.
Some schools are serviced by district employees and others are served by the district vendor. Grant said the vendors have been generally responsive, but they will be engaged in conversation to make sure the work is being done and corners are not being cut.
Trustee Peggy James-Tyler noted she received a call praising the yard work done at HKT.
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