The Aiken County Public School District Board of Education meeting began its June 13 meeting with two recognitions.
The North Augusta High School boys golf team was recognized for winning the state championship title in 2023.
The team set a 4A state record for the lowest 36 hole score, 15 under par, and won the state championship title by an “astounding” 22 shots. Attending the event were coach Travis Spears and assistant coach Ken Smith who were also recognized.
Aiken Scholars Academy teacher Sharonda Hannah was recognized being named the South Carolina Association of Student Councils High School advisor of the Year Award for 2023.
Also during the meeting, the schematic plans for the Aiken County Career and Technology Center were discussed. Jim Broome, district 9 board representative, questioned whether the new facilities would provide the space needed for welding students.
“We’re turning away a significant portion of our welding applicants right now,” said Broome. “My concern is, are we going to build enough to take care of what we’re turning away now, plus a percentage overage?”
Michael Wenzinger, Columbia Architecture Practice Leader with Goodwyn Mills Cawood Architects, responded by stating that the career center does have limited space but has also already increased the size of their current facilities.
“A possibility in the future too is that the need isn’t localized in a single career center, but you have a second career center at some point. But just to clarify, this is more than doubled the size of what we have now,” said Wenzinger.
The schematic plans for the career center were approved in a board vote of 5-1.
The board was also presented with a request to expand district participation in Communication Eligibility Provision. CEP schools, comprising approximately 40% of the district’s enrollment, allows eligible students to take advantage of no-cost breakfast and lunch. The proposed expansion would allow all students in the ACPSD to eat for free.
The board voted unanimously in favor of this expansion. It was noted that CEP schools are able to provide food to students through federal funding, meaning that this change will come at no cost to the school district.