The Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees met on Tuesday for its regular monthly meeting, discussing major moves in the district’s efforts to support students with special needs.
District Superintendent W. Burke Royster introduced a new position at the meeting, a parent resource representative for special education services. This will be the first role of its kind in Greenville County, aiming to provide a liaison for special needs families in the district.
The new position will be assumed by Jennifer Meisten, the current principal at Beck International Academy. In addition to her work with Greenville County Schools, Meisten brings experience as a former special education teacher and family support specialist.
“[Meisten] has made great strides at Beck [Academy] with various inclusive programs for the special needs population,” Royster said. “We could not be more pleased to introduce her tonight in this new role.”
Royster introduced one other employee at the Board’s meeting. Emily Cook, the current program facilitator at the Washington Center, will assume the role of principal at the school. The Washington Center is a school specifically for students with intellectual disabilities.
Board member Charles Saylors also updated the trustees on his committee’s efforts to have special needs students recognized at the state level.
Currently, some students are considered not on track to graduate by the state education department because their educational track might not result in a standard state diploma. In South Carolina, many special needs students receive a certificate of completion when they finish their high school careers, rather than a standard diploma.
Because the state does not currently recognize these students as on track to graduate, the tracking of school graduation rates may not be fully accurate. The District’s Advocacy Committee met with the State Education Oversight Committee a few weeks ago to discuss these concerns, a conversation Saylors notes as being productive.
“If you’ve been following some of our conversations over the past several months, we have had an ongoing concern related to our special needs population being recognized accordingly,” Saylors said. “In short, the education oversight committee agreed with the concerns being raised, and there will be action taken at either their May or June meeting to correct what we would call a loophole and ensure our students and the schools of our students are recognized.”
Other actions by the Board on Tuesday included the renomination of Superintendent Royster for a four-year term on the Greenville Technical College Area Commission. The Board unanimously approved his nomination. The Board also unanimously approved the district’s annual personnel contract recommendations, which were discussed in executive session.
Finally, the Board unanimously approved the denial of three student disciplinary appeals. Denial was the recommended action by the hearing officer in all three cases.
For more information on the Greenville County Board of Trustees, visit its website.
