Fort Mill School Board Approves Dual Credit Pathways, Advances Non-Resident Employee Enrollment Policy, and Celebrates Student/Staff Achievements

Executive Summary

The Fort Mill School Board’s meeting on December 9, 2025, featured extensive recognition of student and staff achievements and key discussions on policy changes and financial updates.

The Board approved two critical items: Policy JH/JH-R regarding excused absences for Career and Technical Student Organization experiences, and the expansion of Dual Credit Pathways, allowing high school students to earn simultaneous high school and college credit.

A major focus was the first reading of Policy JFAB (Admission of Non-Resident Students). In anticipation of a new 2027-28 state law allowing interdistrict transfers, the district proposes updating the policy for the 2026-27 school year to allow non-resident FMSD employees to enroll their children for an annual fee ($500 for in-state, $1,500 for out-of-state).

Fort Mill Middle School was highlighted for strengthening the student experience through new programs: the Safe Schools Ambassadors, the Behavior Academies (a 6th-grade pilot), and the SRO Book Club.

On the financial front, the district reported a current enrollment of 18,275 and an October 31st financial status showing Total Revenue of $51.2 million against Total Expenditures of $74.2 million. The Impact Fee collections totaled over $82.2 million to date. The final Financial Audit Report by Greene Finney Cauley is anticipated before the Christmas break and will be formally presented in January. The Board also noted that the SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office will delay releasing district projections for changes to the State Aid to Classrooms formula.

Finally, the meeting included special recognition for the Nation Ford High School literary magazine Voices, the Fort Mill High School 5A State Champion Cross Country Teams, and numerous staff who completed the Leadership Academy Strands.

Fort Mill School Board Meeting Highlights, December 9, 2025

Special Recognitions

Recognition of Nation Ford High School Literary Magazine, Voices – Ms. Elizabeth Swann
Recognition of Fort Mill High School 5A Division 2 State Champion Girls and Boys Cross Country Team – Coach Whitaker
Recognition of Leadership Academy Strand Completers – Dr. Latoya Dixon

School Leadership Basics	Mickey Joslin, Aaron Plummer, David Cheske, Nick Janowicz
Courageous Leadership	Aaron Plummer, Brittany Kobak, Tripp Hartley, Megan Mallery, Barry Ledford, Holly Logan, Jenn Hendershot, Vicki Tuzzo, Amy Rhodes, Mabra Wayman
Teacher Leadership	Shaun Simmons, Alex Nees, Lindsey Morgan, Meghan O’Neil, Natalya Segarra, Ashley Scott, Lindsey Browbrowski, Allison Killowitz, Meghan Linkous, Christie Reynolds, Madison Tomcheck, Wendy Byrd, Tyler Scheur, Kristine June
Leadership Personal Development	Ellen Borland, Kristin Rhodes, Megan Mallery, Trina McFadden, Al Stevens
Strand 8	Kelly Dusek, Madison Gennarelli, Nicole Carroll

Superintendent’s Red Nose Award
- Robbie Sluder
- Amber Smith
- Officer Leanna Cutler
- Rebecca Pollack

School Spotlight – Fort Mill Middle School

Fort Mill Middle School worked to strengthen the student experience this year by adding three new supports: Safe Schools Ambassadors, Behavior Academies, and the SRO Book Club. Safe Schools Ambassadors brings together positive student leaders who help guide healthy behavior among their peers. Behavior Academies is a sixth-grade pilot that offers focused support for essential behavioral skills, with plans to grow the program in the 26-27 school year. The SRO Book Club builds meaningful connections between students and the School Resource Officer through a shared reading experience, with groups meeting three times each month for discussion and reflection.

Monthly Financial/Impact Fee Update

Mrs. Leanne Lordo provided the following information as part of the monthly update:

Monthly Financial Report

October 31^st – Fourth Month in Fiscal Year
Total Revenue $51,248,464

Total Expenditures $74,169,679

Decrease ($22,921,215) – Cash flow using Fund Balance

Vehicle tax collections $2,310,002
Real Estate taxes $2,419,434
Act 388 Tier 3 monthly payments began in Oct. $2,429,846

Impact Fees

Total collected to date $82,249,724
Interest earned $7,479,943
$88,921,889 submitted in claims with York County, of which $66.5 million was for Flint Hill Elementary School and $22.4 million Flint Hill Middle School.
Single Family units 2,967/Multi Family 2,204/ Total 5,171 Units
November had 5 homes and 16 multi-family units added
December to date 4 homes and 0 multi-family units added
Calendar Year 2024 Average collections $839,615

November 2025 Actual collections $480,936

December Month-to-Date collections $118,560

Financial Audit

The Federal 2025 OMB Compliance Supplement was released on November 25^th. Last Friday, the State Department issued its final Annual Audit Guide with links to the Compliance Supplement. Greene Finney Cauley hopes to finalize their workpapers and issue our final report prior to the Christmas break. David Phillips, Partner, will be here at the January Board meeting to present. Our final audit report will be loaded on Board Docs for review, if the hard copy books are not available from the printer prior to the break. State deadline for filing final audit report extended to January 9^th.

RFA Report

SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office has now stated they will not release any district projections with their 9 recommendation areas for changes to the State Aid to Classrooms allocation formula until State Budget process begins and specific recommendations are discussed by House and Senate members.

Financial Summary

Impact Fee Report

NAFO Marketing Students Partner with FMSD to tell Our Story

Nation Ford High School marketing students partnered with Darleen Romenick to explore teacher recruitment and retention from the student, teacher, and community perspectives.

First Reading of Policy JFAB Admission of Non-Resident Students

Dr. Latoya Dixon presented first reading of Policy JFAB, Admission of Non-Resident Students. The SCDE released Model Guidelines for an Interdistrict Transfer Policy, which will be effective beginning with the 2027-28 school year. Under new South Carolina law, this policy would allow students to enroll in a school district outside of the district they are residentially zoned for with consideration for school capacity.

In advance of this new law, the district is recommending that policy JFAB be updated to permit full time non-resident employees to enroll their children in our district so long as their employment continues under district prescribed conditions beginning with the 2026-27 school year.

Employees would be charged $500.00 for the admission of in-state students of nonresident employees and $1500 for out of state students of nonresident employees. This fee is based on what the average home pays in terms of debt millage for schools at around a 50% discount as a work-based service credit.

Approval for this policy update will be presented at a future board meeting. Additional changes to this policy to meet compliance with the new law will be presented at a later time for the 27-28 school year.

Report from the South Carolina School Board Association Legislative Advocacy Conference

Board members provided an overview of their recent conference with the SCSBA.

Consideration of Approval of Policy JH and JH-R, Excused Absences for Career and Technical Student Organization Experiences

The board voted to approve Policy JH and JH-R, Excused Absences for Career and Technical Student Organization Experiences.

Dual Credit Pathways

The board voted to approve Dual Credit Pathways. Dual Credit courses allow high school students to earn both high school and college credit at the same time. College credit is awarded based on the final course grade. Credits earned can often transfer to other colleges or universities.

Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Grey Young provided an update on district enrollment, student attendance, and calendar events.

Enrollment Update