001All right. Um, prior to us getting started, just wanted to do a few housekeeping. If you guys need to use the restroom, they are out of the double doors to your right and left, respectively. There is a lot of cake over there. Feel free to go happy. we are not taking it home. Um, and with that, we are also, if you notice, wearing the color blue in support of disability awareness week. Um, so I believe I see some students in the audience wearing blue as well. So, we're standing in solidarity. With that, I see all board members seated. So, we have a determination of quorum. You guys have the agenda in front of you. So, please review it. Take a minute to look at it. If there's any amendments to be noted, please let us
002know. If not, we will entertain a motion to approve. Madam Chair, I'd like to be heard on the agenda real quick. Yes. Go ahead. Um, in regards to items number nine, I think uh last week there was a little bit confusion on the reasons behind changing the agenda up and I would move to revert back to our old procedures in reviewing um personal action reports. And if there's a issue with any actions, then we move number nine to close session to discuss We have a motion on the table. Do we have a second or does anyone else wish to be heard? I think I'd like more discussion. So, I'd like a second to that. Second. Okay. All right. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor syndicate by saying I. I. Those
003opposed? Nay. Nay. All right. We have six eyes, one nay. Motion passes. All right. If we can go ahead and observe a 15-second moment of silence followed by the board invocation, gracious and loving creator, we thank you for bringing us together this evening to serve the students, families, and educators of Burke County. As we face the tasks before us, grant us wisdom, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to doing what is right and just. Tonight, we pause to recognite and celebrate the excellence of our teachers. These devoted professionals give so much of themselves day in and day out to inspire learning, nurture growth, and support every student's potential. Their passion, perseverance, and impact cannot be overstated. They are the foundation upon which bright futures are built. We also honor disability awareness week and take this moment
004to affirm the value and strength found in the uniqueness of all of our students and staff. May we continue to build a culture of belonging where every ability is recognized, every voice is heard, and everyone has the opportunity to succeed. As we move to through tonight's meeting, may our decisions reflect care, foresight, and a deep belief in the power of education to transform lives. Amen. Right. We will now have the presentation of colors and the pledge of allegiance of the flag of the United States of America by Drawn High School's JOTC color guard. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Left forward. [Applause] Thank you to Drawn High School's JOTC color guard led by Chief Tony
005Crouch. All right, I believe we have student recognitions. All right, if the board will join us in front of the podium. Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board. Excited to be able to share with you tonight our winners for our elementary science fair which was held on Thursday, March the 6th at Old Rock School. like to invite forward our first place winners, Wyatt Coverdale from Oakill Elementary and Parker Heap from Oakill Elementary. [Applause] Our elementary math counts competition was held on Wednesday, March the 19th. We had some great competition. Our individual winner, first place representing Mountain View Elementary, Ezekiel Melendez Cruz. [Applause] And our first place winning team was also Mountain View Elementary coached by Cecilia Zambbrana and Kaden Smith. This time if you are a member of that team as I call your
006name, please come forward. Lincoln Baxter, Anakah Bji, Daphne Chang, Kayn Doula, Ezekiel Melendez Cruz, Adeline Scott, and Anthony Velasquez Mahia. Congratulations, Mountain View. [Applause] Good evening. Um so on March 11th um this year we had the Elementary robotics competition. Um, and we actually have three different categories and this particular school won first place overall and that is Oakill Elementary School. So, as I call your name, please come forward and receive your certificate. Coach Kelly Weathers and Coach Eve Walker, we want to thank you. Um, Jay Da, please come forward. Avery Weathers, Seth Propes, Asher Sonus, Sam Britain, Lyric Cami got thirst so Pier Sonus Avery Beck Emmy best, Parker Heap, Spencer Thompson, and then if we we'll have those two coaches come forward, Kelly Weathers and Eve Walker to take a picture with your group.
007Let's give all of this this entire team a round of applause. [Applause] Madame Chair, vice chair, members of the board, members of our community that are here tonight, we are excited to share several celebrations with you. Starting with our Burke Soil and Water Conservation Speech and Essay contest winners from Burke County Public Schools. Our students participated in the Burke Soil and Water Conservation Speech and essay contest this past month. We had three students who took first place in their respective categories and we're excited to honor them tonight. From Walter Johnson Middle School, Lily Kate Rice took first place in the sixth grade essay category supported by Mrs. Kim Carter. Come on up, Miss Lily. [Applause] from Table Rock Middle School in the seventh grade speech category. Ari Beaman took first place supported by Mrs. Megan.
008Congratulations to Ari. And then also from Table Rock Middle School, Colin Stedm took first place in the eighth grade speech category. And he was also supported by his coach, Mrs. Brittney [Applause] Davis. Let's be sure we recognize them when we we see them out and about. From the high school side, we have Mr. Malik Harris from Freedom High School who competed in the statewide American Legion ortorial contest in Chapel Hill on March the 29th. Malik took home first place and will be advancing to the national competition. [Applause] He will be advancing to the national competition at Hillsdale College in Michigan on May the 16th through the 18th. There are over $23,000 in scholarships awarded at this event. Again, please help me in congratulating Malik on this outstanding accomplishment. We're so proud of him representing Burke
009County. [Applause] So standing behind the podium is just a little bit different than how we will do it at the orientation. Uh sure that works. Okay. So, it might be a little easier for y'all to take a seat. I don't know. It's a It's a little lengthy of a Okay. Hate to change the rules in the game, you know. The Oxford dictionary defines patriotism as devotion to or vigorous support for one's nation and being prepared to defend it against enemies or deflectors. But today we find ourselves in intense debate about what it means to be a patriot. Is patriotism defined by symbols, slogans, party affiliation, or an unwavering allegiance to political ideology? Or is it measured by our actions? Our dedication to the common good in our willingness to serve something greater than ourselves. I
010believe that patriotism isn't found in blind allegiance, but in active civic participation, in showing up, speaking out, and serving our communities with integrity and purpose. Patriotism is preserving the values that define us as Americans and ensuring they endure for centuries to come. The Constitution begins with three simple yet profound words. quote, "We the people." These words aren't oramental. They aren't decorative. They are a declaration of ownership, responsibility, and unity. This nation doesn't belong to king, aristocrats, or politicians. It belongs to us. and the strength of our freedoms, the survival of our democracy, and the promise of our future depend entirely on how we rise to that responsibility. The Constitution is not merely a historical document. It is a living, breathing contract between the government and its govern. It guarantees unparalleled freedoms. The freedom of speech,
011the freedom of religion, the freedom of the press, and to assemble and petition our government. But it also guarantees numerated and unnumerated rights throughout our constitution. But we must face an uncomfortable truth. The ideals enshrined in our constitution are under attack. And not just from a distant enemy, but from within. You see, misinformation spreads faster than facts. Trust in our institutions are eroding. and political polarization has reached a breaking point. Democracy depends on an informed citizenry. Yet misinformation is weaponizing social media and distorting reality to where truth itself has become a battleground. When facts are dismissed as opinions, when lies are repeated until they sound like truth, the very foundation ingrained in our constitution begins to crack. Furthermore, gerrymandering, voter suppression, and efforts to undermine faith in our electoral process threatens the most sacred pillar
012of our constitution, democracy and the right to vote. When citizens feel their voices no longer matter, when they lose faith in free and fair elections, our constitution, furthermore, our democracy falters. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, quote, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." End quote. His words remind us that civic engagement isn't optional. It's a responsibility to stand up against injustice, speak out for what's right, and actively participate in our democratic processes. But unfortunately, in America, civic engagement is declining. In the 2024 presidential election, only 64% of eligible voters casted a ballot. Beyond the voting booth, fewer than 20% of Americans contacted their elected officials or attended a town hall. And even more alarming, 70% of Americans would fail basic civic literacy quizzes about how our government functions. President Dwight D.
013Eisenhower once warned, quote, "A people who values his privileges over his principles soon lose both." End quote. We must insist on accountability, demand transparency, and commit ourselves to truth over lies, effort over convenience, and unity over division. Because the greatest threat to the promises of our constitution isn't the strength of its enemies. is the indifference and the complacency of its citizens. Throughout history, leaders from all political perspectives have called on us to rise to our constitutional responsibilities as citizens. Our foundations cannot survive on its own. It requires resilience and an unwavering belief that our collective efforts will build a better future. First Lady Michelle Obama said, quote, "Democracy continues with each generation. You don't have to change the world all at once, but you can start by showing up." End quote. Her words remind us
014that true patriotism begins with presence. Having the courage to show up, speak up, and participate even when it gets hard because future generations will look back on your courage and be inspired to continue the efforts. Patriotism isn't reserved for grand gestures or extraordinary moments. It happens in the everyday acts of citizenship. President Theodore Roosevelt said, quote, "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood." End quote. Roosevelt's words remind us that true citizenship, true patriotism is about standing up to defend our Constitution even when the stakes are high. So show up, speak up, and participate. Hold our elected leaders accountable by voting in every local and national election. Volunteer and serve in our communities. And most importantly, actively pursue educating yourself. Because
015the work to defend our Constitution is not a spectator sport. It requires that all of us work to see our nation take strides towards quote a more perfect union. And let us never forget those who embody these ideals in its most profound way, our military service members. Their courage and their sacrifice secures the freedoms we often take for granted. But their sacrifice demands something of us in return. It demands that we honor their service, not just with words, but with action. We must ensure that the nation they defend remains worthy of their courage. From these voices emerge a common truth. The soul of our constitution thrives on consistent effort from all Americans. Each quote is a challenge asking, "Will you step into the arena? Will you face these hard truths? Will you ensure that the
016promises of our constitution endures for centuries to come? The answer must always be yes. So I challenge you to reflect on your role in this great American experiment. I ask you, what kind of nation do you want to leave for your children and your grandchildren? The answer lies in how you live out your civic responsibilities today. President John F. Kennedy said, quote, "Ask not what your nation can do for you, but what you can do for your nation." End quote. Those challenges as urgent today as it was in 1961. So I ask you to reflect on your role in this great American experiment. Will you stand by and let others shape the future? Or will you join the legacy and the vision of our founding fathers? Will you join the leaders who sought to continue
017our path on quote liberty and justice for all? That challenge is not the constitution is not self-sufficient. It requires your resilience, your courage, and your effort. Let us rise to this responsibility with the same resolve as those who came before us. And let us be remembered as a generation of patriots that ensured the promises of our constitution endures for centuries to come. Thank you. [Applause] Leak. Where'd you go? Malik, we wish you luck. Uh we will definitely be keeping an eye on this to see the progress of this. So, good luck and congratulations again. All right, Madam Chair, members of the board, one of the great joys we experience throughout the year is participating in what we call uh a prize patrol in Burke County Public Schools. On March 25th, we had the honor of
018surprising one of our teachers uh that applied for a multi- $175,000 grant um through the Burough's Welcome Fund. Um we found out about this probably early March. It was very difficult to keep this secret. uh from this teacher as well as her principal and other folks within the community. Uh so on March 25th, we had the honor of surprising Miss Jamie Dale in her kindergarten class at Salem Elementary. Um Miss Dale has been named a recipient of the prestigious 2025 career award for STEM teachers, also known as CAST award. This highly competitive honor presented by the Burough's Welcome Fund recognizes exceptional STEM educators across North Carolina who are committed to advancing technology, engineering, mathematics in their schools and communities. Out of hundreds of applicants across the state, only five educators were selected and we are
019incred incredibly proud that Miss Dale is among them. This award comes with $175,000 grant over the next five years. Miss Dale plans to use this grant to develop a cutting edge STEM focused maker space innovation lab, a hands-on hub where creativity, collaboration, and problem solving will thrive. We are thrilled for Miss Dale and her students and the entire Salem community. This is the shining example of what's possible when passionate educators are empowered to dream big, and we cannot wait to see the incredible innovations moving forward. Miss Dale, please come forward. [Applause] Madam chair board, good evening. Tonight we are going to recognize our teacher of the year from each of our schools as well as our Burke County Public Schools 2025 teacher of the year. So a couple criteria as follows. So the teacher of
020the year, they must hold the standard license in their area. They must be employed at least 70% of the time with the school system and the prior teacher of the year is not eligible. Principles survey their staff starting in December and they typically recognize right before the holidays or right after when we return to school. So, as I call names, if you would please come forward and receive your certificate and a gift. We will hold applause to the end from Ray Children's Elementary. Anna Crawford from Mountain View Elementary. Janette Cruz Lewis from North Liberty. Libra Deon from Forest Hill. Michelle Evans from Mull. Jesse Maj from East High School. William Guyire from Heritage Middle. Dia Hefner, Halbert Academy. Amber Hicks from Salem Elementary. Laura Horton from Patton High School. Pamela Isbel, East Middle, Melinda Kennedy,
021Hillrest Elementary, Victoria Linder from Drex Elementary, and also your Burke County Public Schools teacher of the year that will go on to represent Burke County at the next level at the regional competition, Miss Melissa Mccclure. Freedom High School. Laura McGlamry, Walter Johnson Middle. Tina Mcichael, Oakill Elementary. Jessica Parsons, Valdis Elementary, Taylor Reese, Glenn Alpine Elementary, Jessica Reilla, George Hildebrand, Donna Row, Iikard Elementary, Crystal Cheryl, from Hild Debrand Elementary. Amanda Underwood, WA Young, Laura White from Drone High School, Charity Williams from Liberty Middle. Kristen Wilson. And finally, from Table Rock Middle, Sarah Young. Please join me in congratulating these folks. [Applause] as they're wrapping up with their congratulations. Just a quick little bit about Miss McCclure. I believe she's a Kataba County native, so we have stole her from Kataba County. We're grateful for that. Um,
022she came to us from Kataba County Schools as a graduate. She went on to UNCC Wilmington to finish her undergraduate and she is currently in school for her masters now. We wish her the best of luck as she looks to finish that up in the next year or so. So again, she'll go on to the next level and represent Burke County and compete at the regional level. So ML, we wish you the best. Congratulations. [Applause] Please feel free to take a whole bunch of cake with you guys home. Great teachers. cake. I was going to try to break because I hadn't coached since. But where's yours? Baseball. All right. Um, we're going to go ahead and move on to our public comment section for the evening. Uh, vice chair, do we have anyone signed up
023for public comment? We do. We have one. All right. Uh, let me read this before we go into public comments. A person will speak in the order in which they have signed up to speak. Each speaker during this public comment section of board meeting shall have a maximum of three minutes for his or her comments at which point the speaker will be politely asked to bring comments to a close followed by thank you. State board policies, state law and federal law have established separate and distinct procedures and forms for the resolutions of employee grievances, employee complaints and against individual employees, pupil suspensions and appeals and political campaigns. To avoid circumvention of those separate proceedings and ensure fairness to all parties concerned, no person shall speak regarding one, a filed grievance. Two, pending employee a complaint
024filed with the school district or an outside agency, three complaint against individual employees, four employee disciplinary action, suspension or termination, or five, pupil suspension or appeal which may ultimately reach the board of education. Additionally, prior to elections, no person who has publicly announced or filed as a candidate for public office may speak during public comments concerning his or her candidacy. The board chair or designate may terminate any presentation that is not in coordinance with this criteria except as limited to the previous provisions. Public comments will be allowed during the public comments period on any subject that is within the jurisdiction of the board. And the speaker that we have tonight is Amanda Hi. Thank you so much for having me. Um, you'll have to forgive me. I don't have the same um courage as Malik.
025Um, but my son goes to Drexel Elementary School. Um, Mccclure was his teacher last year. I nominated her for teacher of the year last year. Um he competed in math counts um on the Drexel team. He's on the archery team as well. I see some familiar faces. You may know me um from my my job. I will I will keep it as brief as I can. As I said, my son is a fifth grader at Drexel Elementary. He'd give the shirt off his back to help his friends. That's how I've raised him. Excuse me. He's the kind of kid who would run into the line of fire for his friends or his favorite teacher. I mean that literally. Um, excuse me. In North Carolina, the laws are not in our in our favor to protect
026our children from gun or other violence. Lawmakers also made efforts to repeal several remaining gun safety protections. Excuse me. I want to ensure our children are safe moving forward. Before this occurrence, no one would expect something like this to happen in Drexville, North Carolina. But I hope we're questioning our confidence in that now. I'm asking for transparency. The county failed to notify parents about the threat to our children. And when the news broke, it was said that the parents were informed the next day after the arrest. That was not true. I only found out 10 days later by googling our school's name. I don't have social media or cable, and I should not be penalized for that. Thank you again for listening. Just today, I learned that the school has a resource officer. That's a
027step in the right direction. But why did I have to dig for this information? I imagine the guilt of not being able to remind my child to stay safe in a situation because I wasn't notified and I didn't know to look. I hope we never face this again, but we need clear, reliable communication every step of the way if we do. If you found out this new on the news, Facebook or any other uh source of or platform that you considered untrustworthy that a heavily armed man armed with an AR-15, plenty of ammunition, floor plans of a school, and a plan to quote cause as many casualties as possible, unquote, making his way towards you or your family, and coming horrifically close to accomplishing his goal, how would you feel? I drive past his home
028every day on the way to school. May I finish? I will I'll be very brief. Thank you so much. Do we know with certainty that the secondary loy doors to the school automatically latch? How can you be sure that the doors effortlessly lock upon closing behind a prek student? Their hands are tiny. You have responsibility that a principal, teacher, or coach has multiplied by 11,770. I'm sure it's a heavy weight. That's how many kids are in our county. I know you know that many of us parents are counting on you for transparency, accountability, and at the very least, communication. I have suggestions for solutions. If you want us discuss this further, I'd be glad to. You guys can't change the world and I know that. But you have the power to make change here. And
029as I feel the call to act, I'm asking for you to as well. Again, thank you so much for your time. Thank you. All right. Does that bring us to public comment? Very good. Thank you. All right. Moving on to consent agenda items. We have open session minutes from February 24th as well as March 3rd and close session minutes from February 24th and March 3rd as well. Um, do we have a motion? Motion by Mr. Beck. Do we have a second? Second. Second by Mr. Camp. All those in favor syndicate by saying I. I. Those opposed, nay. Passes unanimously. Moving on to action agenda items for the revised personnel board action report for 4825. The motion was made earlier in the meeting to vote on it as a total report. So, we're going to go
030ahead and uh request a motion. Motion by Mr. Johnson. Go ahead. So what we changed the agenda earlier, were we not going to hold that for close session or were we going to talk about it at this point? If you want to discuss it, we can discuss it right now. We just can't use names. So if there's any questions, yes, I just want to make sure that we all are are of are understanding what's what we're doing and how we're doing it and why we're doing it. So, um, can I ask for clarification about why we pulled items 21 through 31 out to start with? I requested that. Um, the reason that I pulled that out was because Dr. Sean and I have talked about this several times this week. Um, I have talked to
031multiple teachers in our county that have told me that they would like for the board to look and to consider doing multi-year contracts again. Um, I believe that that was pulled 15 years ago. A recommendation by the state I think is what we said. And so I told I don't have a problem with any of those people that are on there. I think they're all great people. U what I'd like to look at and and Dr. Swan and I have talked about is possibility of looking at multi-year contracts and and to discuss that with the board. Uh for teachers, you know, obviously there has to be stipulations around who would get that multi-year contract and things like that. You know, how long you've been with us and things like that. Um, and so that is
032why I pulled those out with the intent to still vote for them, but have the opportunity to to talk a little bit about um what we need to do to at least address some of the teachers concerns. You know, when I when I first come on this board, I was told basically that if you're a good teacher, you shouldn't worry about the one-year contract because you'll get another contract. Um, and the teachers that I have spoken to have said that they feel like that should be the same for administration as well, that it should be on a level playing field. Um, and so I know that that's not really comparing apples to apples, but I would just like for the board to consider for us to have conversation going forward about the possibility of um,
033teachers to have multi-year contracts. It's not required that we have one-year contracts, but it's what everybody else in the state, I believe, is doing. Correct, Dr. SL? I wouldn't say everyone in the state. It's it's kind of a hodge podge, but that is the industry standard typically for a one-year contract for teachers and four year two four two-year for new administrators and a four-year for veteran administrators. Correct. Correct. A little bit of clarification. I think that you know, if we're going to vote. We vote on this, but then I think we need to discuss what he's talking about. You know, we have to discuss that session anyway, but then I think we need to talk about that there aside from the actual stuff that's on the report tonight. Noted. Do we have any other discussion
034questions? So, we're voting on it all together, correct? Yes. Okay. I'm then going to talk about Yes. I'm completely fine with that as long as the board is okay with us having a discussion about multi-year contracts for teachers. Do we have a motion? Make a motion. You made a motion. Okay. So, I'll take a second. All right. And Miss Pocket has the second. All those in favor syndicate by saying I. I. Those opposed, nay. Eyes have it. It passes unanimously. prior to going forward. Just a point of clarification. Are we going to have the multi-year contracts topic tonight in close session or do we want to move that to a work session? Well, I I think that it's going to have to be an an okay thing, right? I don't think we're going to solve
035it. So, in one session, one situation. Yeah, that's fine. Very good. Time to get some information. I'd like to get council involved as well. All right. So, we're going to move that for later if we can get Can we get like the general statutes on those? I mean, I've looked them up myself, but Yes. Very smart. All right. Moving on to the next agenda item. We have the food service contract by Mr. Wall. Good evening board. Thank you. Uh we are asking as part of the um committee to select our next food service management contract uh from our last work session. We're asking you to please consider the uh renewing Chartwell's five-year contract renewable every year um and the rates and all the things that we talked about last week. I'll make a motion to
036approve. A second. Second by Miss Taylor. All those in favor syndicate by saying I. I. Those opposed, nay. Eyes have it. It passes. Thank you, Mr. Wall. All right. Next, we have DHS and Duke Energy Power Line Easement. Dr. Akre. Good evening, Madam Chair, vice chair, board members. Last week, I presented to you a request for an easement for Duke Power to cross over into uh Drone High School's property uh to hook to a transformer there near the football stadium. So, as part of the um uh easement, I just asked uh for the board to consider that easement for for Duke Power. Okay. Do we have any questions or do we have a motion? Motion by Mr. Wyoff. Do we have a second? Second by Mr. Johnson. All those in favor sign by saying I.
037I. Those opposed? Nay. Eyes have it. It passes unanimously. Thank you, Dr. Akert. Thank you. Moving forward with the second reading of board policies by Dr. Uton. We have 2310 public participation at board meetings and 7520 family and medical leave. I'll be happy to entertain any questions around those two policies if you have those this evening. Questions? If not, do we have a motion? Motion. Motion by Mr. Johnson. Do we have a second? Second by Mr. Wyoff. All those in favor, Senate by saying I. I. Those opposed, nay. Eyes have it. Thank you, Dr. Oden. Next, we have the budget revision. Mr. Good evening, board members. Uh, I request your consideration uh and approval uh on budget revisions number 10 and also number 11 uh as presented in last week's work session. All right. Do
038we have any questions regarding budget revision 100408 20225? If not, do we have a motion? Second. Mr. Beck made the motion. Mr. Johnson made the second. All those in favor, Senate by saying I. I. Those opposed? Nay. Eyes have it. All right. Moving on to item B 1104082025. Do we have any questions or do we have a motion? Motion by Mr. Woff. Do we have a second? Second. Second by Mr. camp. All those in favor syndicate by saying I. I. Those opposed, nay. Eyes have it. Passes unanimously. Thank you, Mr. Lawson. Thank you. Do we have a need for close session? We do not. Do we have a motion to adjurnn? Motion to adjurnn. We have a motion by Mrs. Rocket. Do we have a second? Second. Second by Mr. Johnson. All those in favor
039sign by saying I. I. Those opposed, nay. Eyes have it. Meeting is adjourned. Thank you guys.