McKie's telephonic attendance on 2/11/2020

Will the Board Secretary, Cheryl Caution-Parker, document in the Minutes of the February 11, 2020 Regular Meeting of the School Board to reflect the absence of Amelia McKie and the authorization of her attendance at that meeting by telephone? Will the Minutes include the reason she did not attend the meeting in person and a copy of McKie's request to the Chair, the Vice-Chair, or the superintendent to attend by telephone?

Board Policy BEDM allows telephonic attendance only in exceptional circumstances, such as "special medical and/or travel situations, military service, or job constraints."

When a Board member is absent, should the Board Chair explain to the other Board members and to the public why that member is absent? Since this is the second meeting in 2020 that she has missed, is this the beginning of a pattern? The only way to determine a pattern is to keep records. Public mention and record in the Minutes would create such a record. Last year McKie was absent related to a death, but it was never mentioned how close the relationship was or when any service was in relation to the date of the meeting she was missing.

Shouldn't the Board vote on allowing an absent member to attend by telephone? This is done in meetings of many public bodies. The Secretary could inform the Chair of protocol and reference in Robert's Rules of Order. Is that part of her responsibilities as Board Secretary? To see that things are done correctly? Her role of Secretary is not just to sign her name, when someone tells her to do so.

Since McKie has never taken the oath of office legally and owes $51,750 to the Ethics Commission, isn't it time for McKie to leave the board? Actually, she can't "leave" the board, because she has never legitimately been on it. To become a legal member, all she has to do is raise her right hand and take the oath. Even now, it's not too late. She became eligible to take the oath on December 4, 2018. Of course, she'd have to refuse her trustee wages since November 13, 2018.

What will be the effect of a garnishment of School Board Trustee wages, when the S.C. Department of Revenue attaches McKie's wages in collection of the debt to the Ethics Commission? How will the Secretary record that? Will she?

Why isn't the Board Secretary throwing a red flag on the field over this? Cheryl Caution-Parker, as Board Secretary (versus the secretary on the District staff who writes up the Minutes) is the keeper of the official records. I wonder if she even knows this.

Under Board Policy AR BD-R a duty of the Board Secretary is to "prepare such reports ... as may be prescribed by the statutes or directions of the chairman of the board." Has she ever been directed to prepare a report? This Policy allows for a staff person only to record minutes and proceedings. Does the Secretary review and approve them before they are presented for Board approval? Does the Secretary know what is required of her under the South Carolina Code of Laws?