Marlboro County Board of Education members voted 5-1-2 Tuesday, during a special called meeting, to give Superintendent Dr. Gregory McCord an eight percent increase in salary and a one-time two percent bonus.
Board members Danny Driggers, David Flowers, and Janice Bright, Chairman Larry McNeil, and Board Secretary Kathy Manville voted yes. Board member Jackie Branch voted no while Vice Chairman Michael Coachman and board member Reginald Gaymon abstained.
Board member Rev. James Smith did not attend the meeting.
When McCord was hired in 2018, his base salary was $130,000.
The special called meeting convened with an amendment to the agenda for discussion of the Omega building on the Bennettsville Intermediate School property. Also on the agenda was the superintendent’s contract and a property contract. A motion was made to go into executive session, which was almost three hours long.
Once board members came out of executive session and returned to regular session, McNeil read a letter on behalf of the board to McCord.
He said the board commended McCord on the work that he accomplished during the 2020-21 school year, especially as the district continues to educate the students and keep the community safe during the persistent COVID-19 pandemic.
The superintendent’s evaluation assessed six categories – policy and governance; planning and assessment; instructional leadership; organizational management; communications and community relations; and professionalism.
“Overall, you received a designation of commendable and the board is thankful for your contributions and leadership during this most recent school year,” McNeil said.
McCord scored highest in policy and governance, professionalism, and organizational management.
McNeil noted as the district moves forward during the 2021-22 school year, the board expected McCord and his team to emphasize the importance of curriculum instruction and rely on various programs and indicators to measure success and navigate opportunities for growth.
“As COVID-19 continues to present challenges for both learners and teachers, we cannot overemphasize how crucial your guidance will be for our school administrators, teachers, and support staff. And their roles to place our students on a path of achievement,” McNeil said.
McCord was given three priorities for this school year. One was to assess test scores and other relevant data to determine how the district can improve student achievement in the classroom.
The second was to engage with his team to ensure that they hire, support, and retain the best qualified staff.
The final priority was to communicate effectively to continue to build trust between the district, and its staff and students in the community.
“Dr. McCord, we are grateful for your leadership, dedication to our community and your being a champion for the students of Marlboro County School District,” McNeil said. “You continue to steer the ship despite adversities we face as a result of the pandemic. We look forward to your ongoing guidance and the strides you will make to improve upon the education of the students of Marlboro County while engaging our community and stakeholders to make this district the best place for students.”
McCord thanked the board, students, faculty/staff, and community for the opportunity to serve .
“We still have a lot of work to do academically here in Marlboro County,” McCord said. “We’ve done well financially. We’ve done well with our facilities. Now, it’s time for us to do well with our students and academics. If we all pull together, the way that we have to get to this point then I have no doubt that we will be successful in making sure each and every student in the district receives a quality education each and every day.”
He added this has been a goal for him since his first day in the school district and will continue to be one.
“Those of you that are not in agreement with what we are doing, we ask that you allow us to come to the table and sit down and talk with you to find out how we can work together. Because again, we all prosper when our kids prosper.”
Board members did not discuss the Omega Building or the property contract during open session.