Elizabeth Barnhardt - D5 Trustee

I have received several inquiries about what happened with a student protest at one of our high schools. At this time, I don’t know any more than the information the district has publicly released.

I have asked the administration to share information with board members including whether the protest was authorized in advance, what applicable policies were used and any legal advice received. Know that even if we are provided answers some of that information could be confidential.

As of this post my request for this information has been denied on the basis that a student could appeal a disciplinary decision to the board and because of our quasi judicial role we should not receive the information I requested.

While the board does have a quasi judicial role, I do not believe these questions have any bearing on our ability to hear such an appeal.

As the taxpayers that support our district you are entitled to some answers. Most importantly, you should know when your elected representatives have been frozen out.

Safety Drill Community Notice:
In accordance with recommendations from our law enforcement partners and the I Love U Guys Foundation, the School District Five Safety Team and local law enforcement agencies will be conducting coordinated drills within our schools, while students are present, during the month of September. These exercises are designed to enhance the district's preparedness and ensure the safety of our students, staff, and community.

What to Expect:
• Multiple agencies, including local law enforcement and public safety partners, will participate and be on-site.
• In order to have the most realistic training experience, students and staff will not know about the drills ahead of time.
• Students' ability to follow directions and listen to those responsible for their safety during this time can save their life and others. Please take a moment to talk with your children about the drills that may take place at their school, discuss the Standard Response Protocols, and review how to use the STOPit app. Visit www.lexrich5.org/safety for more information.

School District Five is committed to keeping our community safe and prepared. Thank you for your understanding, support and partnership as we conduct this important training.

🗣️ SOUTHEAST WALKS IT OFF!

WAY TO GO
IRMO!
💛

If any of these change, it impacts property taxes paid by residents and businesses

The board recently passed first reading of a policy change that will increase the required fund balance.

Claims that this change is needed to maintain our bond ratings are patently false. Our current bond rating is Aa and the fund balance for that rating is 17.5-25.0 as a % of the annual budget. Currently our fund balance is 27%.

Unless the budget decreases relative to property values (which will never happen), increasing the required fund balance WILL require increased property taxes.

The result will be higher taxes for residents and businesses and a further disincentive for new businesses to locate in our school district.

I urge you to make your thoughts on this known to our board before Monday’s scheduled final vote.