Tagged: columbia school board

The Columbia School Board decided to allow the use of cell phones in schools.  Christine King, president of the Columbia Public School Board of education, said this policy will help students access school material through their phones.

“We want to provide the technology of online instruction through a variety of ways to students.  In order for them to use their iPhone, for example, to look up whatever it is they need to do for a class, we have to allow them to bring that into school,” said King.

The Columbia School District's Board of Education is reconsidering the school start times included in its controversial three-tier transportation plan. At last night’s board meeting,district parents, students and employees spoke loud and clear: The current proposed start times simply don’t work.

The Columbia School District's Board of Education has agreed to move forward with a three-tier transportation system for district schools. The three-tier system means that elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools will have staggered start times allowing busses to have layered pickup and dropoff times. At a regular board meeting last night, board members said the next step is getting community feedback.

The board is issuing a survey later this week asking parents, teachers, and students for feedback about the potential three-tier system.

Columbia's very public discussion about a proposed Enhanced Enterprise Zone in the city made an appearance at Monday night's School Board meeting, where residents said the policy could negatively impact education funding by reducing tax revenue to schools. The EEZ policy has been supported by some economic development groups to encourage new-business development in the city.

Five Columbia residents spoke out against the EEZ policy in the Columbia School Board's public comment session Monday night.