# Beaufort County Board of Education Meeting  at 5PM

The Beaufort County Board of Education meeting was held October 6, 2026. The Board approved a five-year financial advisory services contract with its current provider, Compass Municipal Advisors LLC, which has become a subsidiary of Willdan Financial Services. The agreement covers bond issuance, debt management, refinancing, and financing for construction, renovations, and equipment purchases; bond-issuance fee terms remain unchanged, with an hourly rate of $400 for specified additional analyses. The contract was described as exempt from competitive bidding under the procurement code but required Board approval, and the motion passed unanimously. The Finance Committee also reported that minority- and women-owned businesses received about $18.9 million—approximately 14% of controllable spending—in the latest reporting period, exceeding the 10% goal for a third consecutive reporting cycle; sole-source and emergency procurements were included in the report. The committee requested further analysis of grounds-maintenance spending, which has risen 17.8% over three years, including potential cost savings from artificial-turf practice fields.

The Board reviewed year-end finances, including approximately $239 million in budgeted property-tax revenue, spending at 97.9% of the $377 million budget, and a fund balance of 22.3%. It also approved student reassignment option 2A, including assigning the Gascoigne Bluff community to Bluffton High School and grandfathering current K–12 students. Policy committee items and an administrative technology item were removed from the agenda for further work. The Board additionally approved a five-business-day deadline for superintendent evaluations and received reports on teacher mentoring and financial reporting; no other contract awards or purchasing approvals were identified.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Education, Professional Services
**Published:** October 07, 2026

### Sources
- [Beaufort County Board of Education Meeting  at 5PM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qae3WspVx4U) - BCTV