001All right. Good evening. I’d like to call our meeting to order. This time, I’d like to turn to board member Deborah Napper to open us up. If everyone would please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and remain standing for a moment of silence. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please be seated. Thank you. We will begin tonight’s meeting by honoring students and staff who achieved state championship status in their winter sports seasons, including the northern hi girls basketball team, as well as individuals from wrestling, swimming and indoor track. At this time, I’d like to ask Senior Director of Athletics and Driver’s Education Lee Hebbard to come to the podium to
002share more about these athletes. Welcome. Thank you, Miss Hayes. I think I just lost my voice. Give them all a second to get in. Me in a line. All right. Good evening. Board members. Superintendent and guests. Tonight we get to recognize excellence among an elite group of student athletes in GCS through sports across our district. These students, these student athletes have demonstrated that with discipline, teamwork, resilience, and in some cases, a little bit of luck, grit and determination, there is no limit to what they can achieve. We’ll begin with our individual state champions. When your name is called, please step forward and raise your hand. Audience. Please hold your applause until the very end. We’ll begin from Northeast Guilford High School in the five, a women’s indoor track coached by Jimmy Mack in the. Four
003by two. The four by 200 meter relay team. State champion of Shania King, treasurer Duff Corey Taylor and senior Nicole Nevada is a senior in plans to pursue aerospace and aerospace degree and become a pilot while continuing her track career in AA. Wrestling from Northwest Guilford High School and coached by Ron Baer. We have state champion wrestlers Conor Reese at £138, Carter Furman at £126, Jack Gibson at £150. Jack is a senior and plans to attend Appalachian State University from Paige High School. We have Justin White and seven, a indoor track. Justin is the state champion in the 55 meter hurdles and was coached by Vernon Hall. Justin plans to attend UNC Wilmington next. Also from Paige High, we have Albert Schmelzer, state champion, swimming in both the 50 meter and 100 freestyle. Albert was
004coached by Caroline McCauley and is headed to to college at UC Berkeley, which my understanding is one of the best swim teams in the country. Uh, next. Coached by Simeon Platt at Ragsdale High School. Uh, we have champions in the six AA women, six AA women’s indoor track. We have Elle Dawson, champion in the 1600 and 3200 meter runs to Rosie Jordan, champion in the 60 meter and the four by 200 meter relay team of Taraji Jordan, Kendal Spruill, Mackenzie Stevenson and Nevaeh Jones from Southeast Guilford, coached by Austin Cook. We have state champions in six AA indoor track. Artesia Yvonne Vasquez, champion in the 300 meter in the 500 meter runs, a tie will be headed heading to the University of Georgia. Also from southeast is the Championship four by 200 relay team made
005up of Kristen Christian Washington, Joshua Penn, Chase, Little David, Roger to third and Christian Hamm. Kristen is a senior, but his college plans are currently undecided, and the last individual we have is Jordan McNeil. Um, the state champion in also in seven, a indoor track, uh, coached by Charlie Brown and Desiree Wright. Uh, we have Jordan McNeal in the 300 meter run. Those are the individuals. And now for the one team we are here to recognize tonight. Um, it’s a team that showed the true meaning of resilience. Uh, the Nighthawks finished an incredible season with a 27 and four record. Their journey to the six A was defined by a spectacular 17 point comeback in the state final. I’m sorry. That’s an 11 point comeback in the state final to win 62 to 52, bringing
006the trophy home to northern for the first time since 2018. The path to the finals was anything but easy. Just weeks ago, in a nail biting 62 to 59 Western Regional final against Alexander Central, the Nighthawks showed what they were made of, led by a stellar 22 point performance from freshman Ilya Settle, the team fought through a high pressure second half to punch their ticket to the big stage. When they reached Winston-Salem for the state title game against Terry Sanford, they faced another test. At one point in the first half, the Nighthawks found themselves in a hole trailing 18 to 11, but this team didn’t quit. They chipped away at the lead, cutting it, cutting it to a five point lead by halftime, and then took an absolute took absolute control in the second half.
007By outscoring their opponents 39 to 24 in the final two quarters, they completed a spectacular comeback to win the game 62 to 52. Join me in recognizing the team members from the 2026 state champions. First, the freshman Aleah Siddall, who was also the six AA state championship Most outstanding player. Elias Womack and Ava Fouché. Sophomores Vanessa Franklin, Lauren Graham and Sarah Moore, Juniors Lena Field six AA state championship MVP Abigail Malcolm, Anaya Perley and Aliya Hooks, and then finally the seniors Kayla Graham, who received the six AA Sportsmanship Award and has accepted a full scholarship to North Carolina State and Georgia. Lewis, who has been accepted to NC State University for Business Administration. The coaches for the Nighthawks are Whitney Clendenin, Jerry McCain, Leah Turner, and head coach Josh Evans. Uh, Coach Evans to you
008and your staff, congratulations on leading this group of talented young ladies to the pinnacle of North Carolina high school basketball. Basketball. With the state championship. To all the athletes here tonight, you have represented your schools and Guilford County with class. You are the best in the state. And we are proud of we are proud. You call GCSS home. Whether it was in the pool, on the court, on the mat or on the track, you demonstrated the highest level of athletic excellence in North Carolina. Your dedication to your sport, balanced with their balance, with your commitments in the classroom, represent the very best of our district. Let’s have one big round of applause for all these state champions. It’s always so much fun. Now we’re going to recognize our volunteer of the month for March. We’ll
009miss Alice Mercer, please come forward to the podium. All right, miss Mercer began her teaching career at Northwood in 1974 and served scholars there for 43 years as an educator specializing in fifth grade science. Even after retiring, her commitments to students never stopped. Miss Mercer continues to support Northwood by volunteering 2 to 3 days a week, working with small groups of fifth grade scholars. Miss Mercer brings science to life through hands on experiments, games and creative lessons that deepen students and their understanding and excitement for learning. One recent example includes baking sugar cookies shaped like the United States, where students decorated them to represent weather patterns. While reviewing for their science assessment. In addition to teaching lessons, she has created a dedicated science learning space at the school and even provides many of the materials
010and incentives herself to keep the students engaged. Teachers and staff can always easily identify students who learn from Miss Mercer because they arrive in middle school well prepared and confident in science despite facing personal health challenges, Miss Mercer continues to show up for our students with dedication, positivity and a passion for helping children succeed. In total, she has dedicated over 52 years of service to the scholars at Northwood Elementary School. Miss Mercer exemplifies the heart of volunteerism and the lasting impact one person can have on generations of students, says Susan Steen, principal at Northwood Elementary, who, along with many other staff members, nominated Miss Alice Mercer as the Guilford County School Volunteer of the month. Miss Mercer was presented with a $50 gift card courtesy of Toyota of Greensboro. And during March, your photo will
011be displayed at the district’s central offices. Toyota of Greensboro and Northwood Elementary. At this time, I’d like to call on board member Linda Wilburn to present Miss Mercer with a certificate of recognition on behalf of the board. Miss Mercer. It is my pleasure to recognize you as the Guilford County Schools Volunteer of the month for March. That story was amazing. 52 years and engaging children in that way that they will always remember and love science, because it takes that kind of heart to get children excited about learning. So. And you’re volunteering your time and it is very special. And I know all those children love you. Um, okay. Uh, I have a certificate that says Guilford County Board of Education, Certificate of Recognition for Alice Mercer. March 2026 volunteer of the month. In recognition of
012your outstanding dedication, generous contributions of time and talent, and unwavering commitment to supporting the success of our Northwood Elementary community. And if that doesn’t speak loudly about you, it truly does. And it is signed by our superintendent, Whitney Oakley, and our, uh, chairwoman Dena Hayes. And I will bring this down. And I have your $50 gift. And then we would like to. Okay. Um. I just want to say what a pleasure and privilege it is to be at Northwood. Um, this happened about a month and a half ago, and I shared it with the principal at Northwood, but we had two fifth grade girls who were in one of my groups, and they were new to Northwood. They had lunch with me that day, and one of the girls said to me, Northwood, the school
013for elite kids. And I wasn’t really sure what she meant. And I said, could you elaborate? She said, yes, they must handpick these kids because everybody here wants to help you learn. The teachers don’t just teach, they care about the kids, and the kids are nice to each other. And I thought, well, that didn’t say it, that that was it. Thank you very much, I appreciate it. Thank you, Mr. Mercy, and we want to congratulate you. And we want to congratulate you. You’re going to go get your family friends in any schools. Um, folks that are here with you. Uh. There are some people I brought. Fantastic. About that. Okay. Round to the end. There. So there you go. I want. Thank you, thank you. You. Next, we will recognize our volunteers of the month
014for April. We’ll miss Mrs. Tina Robertson and Tonia Taylor. Please come forward to the podium. We are proud to recognize Mrs. Robertson and Mrs. Taylor for their exceptional service and leadership as PTSA volunteers. As dedicated parent leaders, they serve as a vital bridge between families, teachers and school staff, strengthening communication across the school community. They have made an extraordinary impact by organizing annual fundraisers and family centered events, working collaboratively with teachers, parents and local businesses. Through their leadership, they built and coordinated a strong team of volunteers, ensuring that events were engaging, well organized and successful. Their efforts have increased family participation and strengthened the sense of community within the school. They have also played a key role in boosting parent involvement and enhancing school spirit. Their commitment has helped create a warming, welcoming and supportive
015environment for students, teachers and staff as shared by their nominator, Terry Mills, former secretary, office support at southern. High. Their dedication and leadership exemplify the vital role that volunteers play in the success of our schools. As a Guilford County Schools, Volunteers of the month, Mrs. Robertson and Mrs. Taylor have been awarded $50 gift cards courtesy of Toyota of Greensboro and during the month of April, your photos will be displayed at the District Central Offices. Toyota of Greensboro and Southern Guilford High School. At this time, I’d like to invite board member Christy Pratt to present Mrs. Robertson and Taylor with a certificate of Recognition on behalf of the board. Good evening. This is so much fun. We get two for the price of one. And this is fantastic. And I can tell just watching the two
016of you sit there and listen as your bio was read. You can really see, like your love for each other. And, you know, you were looking at each other and I just I love that. So it’s so exciting to be able to share this together. Your certificates will say Guilford County Board of Education Certificate of Recognition. This certificate is proudly presented to your name here. On April 26th. Volunteer of the month. In recognition of your outstanding dedication, generous contributions of time and talent, and unwavering commitment to supporting the success of our Southern Guilford High community. And your certificates are signed by Doctor Whitney Oakley, our superintendent, and our chairperson, Dena Hayes. I’ll bring these down, and then we would love to hear a little bit from the two of you. Guys, thank you. Thank you.
017This is huge. Thank you so much. Thank you. Oh. It gives me great honor to. Accept this. Um, in fact, this is a good start to my birthday month. This is my birthday. It’s the 19th, so this is a good start. Um, we love what we do. She’s not only my friend, she’s my sister. And, um, we put a lot of time in a lot of stuff that we do. And it’s good to see. And, you know, within the community that we are being recognized. And it’s such an honor. And I do appreciate each and every one of y’all. And I appreciate the staff at Southern Guilford for dealing with me since 2019. And I’m not going nowhere. So thank y’all. Thank you. This also. Was a honor and a surprise. Um, like Tina said,
018we’ve been with Southern Guilford since 2019. Um, building a strong PTA that we have there in the community, and we couldn’t do it without the staff that we have there and the beloved principal that we have there as well. So once again, thank you everyone, for recognizing us for April. Thank you. Well, thank you. And we would like to congratulate you ourselves and anyone that’s with you family, friends, school staff. So come on down. We see. You. All. We will continue tonight’s meeting by recognizing our April employees of the month. Will our five transportation employees please come to the podium at this time? The employees. The employees of the Guilford County Schools transportation garage describe themselves as a family who relies on each other, responding to any call. When a fellow team member experienced a
019medical emergency while on the job. David Brown, raise your hand. Matt Hoff, Monte Kimber, Carla Boulware, and Darryl Searcy did not waiver under pressure for one moment. On February 9th, an unimaginable moment occurred when a colleague went into cardiac arrest and was unresponsive in the office, wrote Doctor John Carlos Miller, assistant superintendent of operations Support Services. In that critical incident, these employees did not hesitate. They acted with courage, compassion and extraordinary presence of mind, administering CPR and using the AED. They literally became the difference between tragedy and hope because of their lifesaving actions, a family still has their spouse, their parent, their grandparent, the transportation family still has one of its own. There are no words that can fully capture the gratitude that we feel, but their heroism will never be forgotten. I am profoundly
020thankful for each of you. Your willingness to step forward in a crisis reflects the very best of who we are. People who care deeply for one another and who rise where it matters most. You did more than respond. You saved a life. David Brown, Matt Hoff, Monte Kimber, Carla Boulware and Darrell Searcy each earned recognition as employees of the month for April due to their life saving efforts. Each employee received a $50 gift card courtesy of the Greensboro Jaycees, and during the month of April, your photo will be displayed at the District Central offices at the Transportation Office, and in the Greensboro Jaycees office. At this time, I’d like to ask board member Vice Chair Betty Jenkins to read aloud the certificate honoring these worthy employees. Good evening, and I thank you very much for.
021All that. You did and will do in the future if needed. You are the heroes in the Rose, and we thank you very much. This certificate reads. Guilford County. Board of Education. Certificate of Recognition, presented to the Fab Five, another Jackson five. But the Fab Five for transportation for the month. Employee of the month, sponsored by the Greensboro Jaycees, April 2026 and is signed by the superintendent, Whitney Oakley and Board Chair Gina Hayes. Thank you. Ladies first. Um, they always elect me to be the spokesperson. Um, so on behalf of David, Matt, Darryl, Monty and myself, we want to say thank you, um, for this recognition. We also want to thank the ones who nominated us. Um, you know, transportation is a family, and we rely on each other to come together to make sure
022our students arrive to school safely each and every day. Our leaders, miss cray cray, Fay Crowder Phillips, Daisy Bullock and retired Mike Lee. They always inspire us to make sure we work together. And on that day we did just that. We came together. Um, we just happened to be in the right place at the right time and things came together. And so, um, to us this we say thank you. And this is really a true testament of what it means to be better together, because the transportation department, we work together to make sure the job gets done. So thank you. Thank you. We’d like to congratulate you on anyone that’s here with you. So anyone from the Transportation department, any friends or family that are with you? We’d like to congratulate you. All. On. On.
023All right, well, you can’t top that. But I will turn to a board member, Alan Rouse, to read the National Volunteer Week 2026 proclamation into the. Record. For the record. Proclamation, National Volunteer Week, April 19th through 25th, 2026. Whereas the entire Guilford County Schools community can inspire, equip and mobilize individuals to take meaningful action and support of our students, schools, and broader community. And whereas individuals, organizations and businesses can help transform learning and life outcomes for every student by contributing their time, resources, and talents. And whereas, during this week, both nationally and within Guilford County Schools, volunteers are recognized for their service and commitment through various projects and initiatives. And Whereas, school based volunteer coordinators play an essential role in recruiting, welcoming, organizing and sustaining a volunteer force of more than 13,000 individuals who have
024collectively contributed over 320,000 service hours. And Whereas the contributions of volunteers and volunteer coordinators are vital to the continued success and strength of Guilford County Schools now, therefore, the Guilford County Board of Education does hereby recognize April 19th through 25th, 2026 as National Volunteer Week in Guilford County Schools and calls upon the Guilford County Schools community to honor and celebrate those who give their time and talents and service to our students and schools, knowing that their impact reaches far beyond the classroom and helps shape the future of our entire community. Signed this 14th day of April 2026 by Dana A, Hays Chair, Guilford County Board of Education and Whitney Oakley, superintendent. Thank you. We are now at public comments, and I just like to remind our speakers tonight that you have three minutes when your
025name is called and you come to the podium, we would like for you to give your name and whatever address that you feel comfortable with. Um, if there are people in the audience that support what’s being said, we would like for you to demonstrate that by doing this so that the speaker can continue uninterrupted. When the amber light comes on, you have 15 seconds. So please wrap up your comments so that the next speaker is able to begin their comments. Um, our first speaker, we also ask that you not mention any staff or student by name if there is a concern or an issue that you have, we will have a staff person that will meet you in one of the lobbies here to support and assist you. Our first speaker is Jenny Hunt, followed
026by Jennifer. Shaw. Welcome. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Jenny Hunt. I live at 718 Percy Street and I am the media specialist at Southwest Guilford High School. And I am the president of the Guilford Association of School Librarians. And last time I spoke to you as October and I told you that I would be here more often this year, but I found out it was breakable. And so I’m so glad that I’m able to come and talk to you tonight. I’m here to wish you a happy national School Library Month, and I’m here to let you know that copies of Whirly Gigs, which is a North Carolina Children’s Book Award winner and written by our local author, Carole Boston Weatherford, will be on the way soon. They it was just a mix up,
027and we’ll have them here directly. Um, I’m also here to thank you for ensuring that our ever stretching school budget includes library media coordinators at every academic level that we provide here at Guilford County Schools. I spoke to a high school colleague from another part of the state this week. We work together on a committee, and she told me that she would not be able to work on that committee with me anymore because her job was cut. She is sad. Her students are sad. She’s hoping for a library position somewhere in her system. Um, I I’m not I’m not sure how that happened. And I’m confused as to why her school system made this decision. Her students didn’t suddenly become all knowing once they entered high school. Y’all, if you know ninth graders, I mean,
028love em, but they’re not all knowing. Um, in fact, my high school students at southwest are always looking for something in the library. Research resources, project supplies a book to take them away from their worries or a safe place during a rough day. The school library media coordinators make sure that those students can find everything they need. In the meantime, the student gains another trusted adult at school and another outlet. Whether it’s pleasure reading, intellectual pursuit, or a healthy peace and quiet. Thank you so much for continuing to staff GCS schools with qualified school library Media coordinators at each academic level. We cannot afford to let our schools drift backward when our students deserve to move forward. A fully staffed library is not a luxury. It is a commitment to literacy and opportunity. Thank you
029for choosing to invest in the future. Our students are already working so hard to build. Thanks. Thank you. Jennifer Shaw, followed by Lizzy. Biddle. Welcome. Good evening. Good evening. Madam Chair. Honourable members of the Guilford County School Board. Our esteemed superintendent and your excellent staff members. My name is Jennifer Schall. My address is 7928 Bayfield Lane in Greensboro. I have been a taxpayer in Guilford County and a proud supporter of Guilford County Schools for over 40 years. Unfortunately, as you know, the North Carolina Supreme Court has recently backtracked and reversed the Leandro decisions after decades of refusing to adequately fund public education. That leaves us with the current North Carolina General Assembly. That has much for which to answer. Ending public education is a clear goal of the sitting legislature and the willingness to lie,
030to mislead and to misinterpret for the public is rampant. The General Assembly members are easily identified as favoring white, well-off people as they push for public money to support vouchers, charters and private schools, even as they refuse to budget adequate support for the public schools. No caring person would admit to feeling the same. Yet we must examine ourselves, our own local public schools when our outcomes continue to show persistent disparities. Could they not be racially motivated? I know teachers care. I come from a family of public school teachers. Teachers are undervalued. They are underpaid. It goes without saying. So many teachers are exceptionally talented and have amazing results. They deserve our thanks and our support. However, the culture that assigns value by race still exists. It impacts our classrooms as well as the General Assembly.
031It makes our own biases invisible because we deeply care for our students. How can we continue harming them? Sadly, such reasoning is terribly flawed. It is in our classrooms where disparities happen. Even when we care for our students and it is there that we must examine them. This is not about blame. It’s about accountability. There is no one who is not affected by the racial history of our country. Recognizing it in ourselves is extremely difficult. Most especially when we mean well, caring, however, must have a new definition. It must mean that we are determined to see the disparity never happens again. Thank you. Thank you. Lizzy Biddle, followed by Carrie Small. Welcome. Thank you. Good evening, esteemed Board of Education members. Guilford County School staff, and my fellow community members. My name is Lizzy Biddle,
032and I live on Ainsworth Drive near Guilford College and in both an active member in the community and a future Guilford County School parent to my two year old. Like you, I care deeply about the quality of education and the daily experiences of our students, their families, and the staff who serve them. Thank you. Thank you. Board of Education and Staff, for your continued efforts to support everyone whose work makes our schools better, cleaner and safer. They deserve both recognition and fair pay. I want to speak directly to the persistent reality in our schools. The gap in outcomes between white students and students of color. This pattern stretches back nearly three quarters of a century. Unfortunately, it has remained consistent through times of both robust funding and limited funding. I think that tells us something
033important, something we often overlook if the outcomes remain the same, regardless of funding levels, then funding alone is not the root cause and it won’t on its own be the solution. I realize that’s risky to say. During budget season, budgets can push us into either or, thinking as if complex, decades old challenges can be solved with single line items. This kind of narrow thinking can lead to poor decisions. It limits our focus to what we think is most urgent, and often leaves us reacting to the loudest voices. If funding isn’t the root cause, then we have to ask different questions and expect a different level of accountability. What is driving these outcomes? Our staff, aware of the unfair differences in academic and academic and discipline outcomes. How are those differences being explained and why haven’t
034previous efforts worked? This is not about blame, as we just heard. This is about, I feel, moving in some part beyond the binary. I know our teachers and staff care deeply. I saw this firsthand as a former sub and youth service provider in Greensboro. This is about accountability for what students and families are experiencing. Without a serious, ongoing and honest examination. The disparities risk becoming normalized simply is accepted as these are the way that things are. As you do have budget decisions and tough decisions and choices to make, know that when we do reduce disparities, we also reduce the long term costs that come with them. When more students succeed. Systems work more efficiently. In other words, addressing these gaps, the racial disparities can also address funding gaps. The question is not whether we care,
035but whether we are willing to change what isn’t working, even when it challenges how we have always done things. Thank you. Thank you. Kerry Small, followed by Joanne Johnson. Welcome. Hi. Good evening. Esteemed members of the board. Good evening. Community members and guests. My name is Carrie Small. I currently live in Durham, but I represent the city of High Point through the Miss North Carolina organization. Like I said, I miss High Point 2026. And I’m also the founder of an initiative called Arts for autism, where every ability becomes a masterpiece. This is an initiative dedicated to creating inclusive, sensory friendly, arts based learning opportunities for children and adolescents on the spectrum. I would like to begin by briefly sharing who I am in the arts and how they’ve shaped my life. I performed in seven
036different theater productions. I played three instruments, I sang, I’m an avid painter and a writer. I began exploring many of these creative opportunities as early as five years old, and I cannot imagine who I would be today without these opportunities. The arts have given me confidence and outlet in a sense of belonging, and they continue to transform lives for those that have access to them. Too often, individuals on the spectrum are left out of programs that are not designed with their needs in mind. Limiting their ability to experience the same growth, connection, and self-expression that the arts have made possible for me. When we talk about accessibility in the arts, we’re talking about more than participation. We’re talking about belonging to inclusivity means designing programs, classrooms, and experiences that don’t ask kids to fit in,
037but instead adapt to meet them where they are. It means recognizing that every student deserves the opportunity to express themselves and to be seen. Research consistently shows that arts education improves communication skills, increases academic engagement, and supports social and emotional development for students with disabilities, especially those on the autism spectrum. The arts can be a powerful bridge, helping them communicate in ways that sometimes words cannot. I’ve seen this firsthand as a behavioral therapist, graduate student, and advocate. I’ve worked directly with children who have found their voice through painting, movement, and music. However, access remains a barrier. Many families struggle to find programs that intentionally are designed to be inclusive. This is where our schools have an incredible opportunity to lead. Inclusivity in the arts can be implemented through simple but meaningful steps incorporating sensory friendly
038classrooms, providing professional development for teachers, offering flexible participation options, and ensuring that materials and spaces are accessible to all students. It’s not about creating separate programs, it’s about strengthening the ones that we already have so that every student can thrive within them. Through my initiative, I’ve hosted sensory friendly dance workshops and arts events that prioritize these principles. This is the most important impact of arts education. When we invest in inclusive arts programming, we’re not just supporting creativity, we’re fostering confidence, communication, and community. We’re telling every student, you belong here and you matter. I urge this board to continue prioritizing accessibility in the arts, ensuring that every child, regardless of ability, has a chance to create, express and be seen. Thank you for the outstanding work that you’re doing in Guilford County Schools. Thank you. Joanne
039Johnson, followed by Lee. Zheng. Good evening. My name is Joanne Johnson. My address is 3223 Pleasant Garden Road in Greensboro. I’m here because on Friday, February 13th, 2026, a school bus driver shut the doors of a school bus on my son’s right hand and his left foot while the bus was on school grounds. I told the principal, the SRO and the GCS Transportation Department. I spoke to two transportation Department supervisors who both claimed they saw the video from the buses camera, and both of them said that the driver did not shut the doors until all the students were on the bus. Because of this, the SRO told me he wasn’t going to write a report. I wanted documentation of this incident, so I went to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department. One month and five days
040later, I got the case number from the report. The SRO ended up writing and the SROs investigation. The bus driver admitted she closed the doors on my son. He was getting on the bus behind two other students when the driver claimed she accidentally pressed the button to close the doors. The bus driver has to reach to press the button to close the doors on the bus. So I don’t understand how it happened. Accidentally, my son’s wrist was still caught in the doors, so he had to push the doors open to get inside the bus. As he was getting on, he looked at the bus driver in a way that let her know he was upset. She did not ask my son if he was hurt. She did not fill out any type of incident report.
041What she did say to him was, I’m sorry, don’t look at me like that. You know it was an accident. You better stop having an attitude with me. The incident was either not caught on the camera or the transportation supervisors lied to me about what they saw. Another student. Another student saw what happened, and he and my son both wrote. Storms made sworn statements for the principal. The principal tried for 14 days to have the transportation department sent him the video, and they finally told him it was sent to another school and could not be retrieved. That said, none of the none of the people with the authority to hold this bus driver accountable are willing to pursue any action. My son is just having to deal with what happened. At the end of the
042day, this was a fair to keep my son safe. And as his mother, this is beyond upsetting for me. My son, as well as every other student in this county, deserves to be around adults who are going to keep them safe on their bus rides to and fro from school. My question for each of you is how will you implement and enforce the necessary procedures so that bus drivers are required to report incidents like this and the videos from these buses are preserved. Thank you. Miss Johnson. Doctor Miller will meet you in the lobby to assist you. Thank you. Liz Zhang, followed by Kathy. And I hope I said your. Name right. Hello. Good evening. So my name is Layton. I’m a professor of physics at Winston-Salem State University. So three years ago. So Michigan
043State University received a big funding, $7.7 million from Department of Education and developed a new curriculum called culture based. And especially for help the minority students for African-American students to success for physics and chemistry courses, and also prepare for minority students for the future. Career and also for future education. So, uh, the curriculum is aligned with the state academic standards and also free to use. And Winston-Salem state, as a partnership. And I try to help them to implement in local schools, including Guilford County and local high schools. And I we we during the last two years, we make a contest with the local high schools, but there’s no follow up. So that’s the reason I come here. And to talk to all of you, the board members and the superintendents, and to looking for the
044support to help our young students in next generation. It’s very important for the community, also very important for the country, for staying Stem, because we need more Stem students. And now we can create a more high paid job. That’s the that’s the purpose. And also, once the semester and also Michigan State are ready to willing to help provide the resources and even for free training staff and also help the science teachers for local high schools to make that happen. So I’m coming here and ask your support and to help our student success for the future. And hear you saying briefly, I have a program and I also have some examples for Queen, Queen, and especially for physics and chemistry here for the hard copy. And also I have an electronic version. So for, you know,
045your school district for evaluate. So there’s any questions you can contact with me, I will leave my contact information. So if there’s any interest, the target is the target. They want to implement. So the new curriculum is coming for okay. But I do believe there are a lot of many high school here. And I have a number of the percentages. The number of minority students, especially African American students with the same state. So for minority students, for a long, long time, especially for African American students, we want them success. This is the purpose. Thank you so much. Thank you Doctor Zheng. We will have Miss Manners meet you in the lobby as well to get your contact. Thank you so much Kathy. Kathy Krauskopf followed by and you can leave that. Did you want to
046leave that information with her? Okay, Kathy, followed by our final speaker, Patricia Chambliss. Welcome. Good evening. It’s nice to be back and see you all again. My name is Kathy Krueger and I live in Greensboro. 27410. Actually, I think you guys are doing a great job. Your job is not easy. And this budget issue is not new for you. You have been to Raleigh many times and you are already working on some very innovative solutions. So I want to call upon that now. Tonight I ask for that same innovative thinking be given to reducing the achievement gap that shapes all student income outcomes. When students are invisibly segregated by color, the achievement gap widens. In 2022, research conducted by Stanford University found that overt and covert racial segregation is strongly linked to larger black, white,
047and Hispanic white achievement gaps, showing that this is a systems issue. A 2024 journal published by PubMed central demonstrates that progress is possible by noting that black white academic gaps were smaller in areas with real educational opportunity. This article tells us that the gap is not inevitable, and it reflects decisions about giving our students access to rigor, examining all of the discipline, practices, and staffing, of course, that need meets the need. So what can we do when we’re faced with all of these budget problems? And I understand, I understand it’s it’s is hard. I come from corporate America. I’ve been there. So as my daughter likes to remind me, as I’ve told her and she tells her sons, do what you can control, control attitudes and control effort. Identify and focus on schools and students
048with the greatest need, not the ones with louder voices. Give students who have historically been left out the access to a self-fulfilling prophecy of success through their exposure to experienced teachers and rigorous coursework. Examine discipline, placement. Excuse me, examine discipline and placement policies to ensure that race is not shaping who gets pushed out of a class labeled as behind or just plain denied an opportunity? You have the power to change trajectories, closing the achievement gap will happen when you continue to treat equity as the priority that it is set. Public goals track progress by race, and remain accountable to results. Thank you, thank you. And our final speaker, Patricia Chambliss. Welcome. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Madam Chair. Board members and superintendent. My name is. Oh, sorry. I’m usually louder than that. Um, once again, good
049evening, Madam Chair. Board members and superintendent. My name is Patricia Chambliss, and I’m at 1521 Caldwell Street. I’m a special education teacher, a parent advocate, and I’m the Guilford County coordinator of public schools. Strong. I stand before you tonight, not just as an educator, but as someone who sees every single day what happens when our schools are under-resourced, understaffed and overlooked? This is not just professional. For me. This is personal. My grandson is at one of the elementary schools. He is a level one autistic. He has ADHD and he is nonverbal. So he is one of these. I’m sorry. He’s one of these children who is lacking consistent support and equipment. And right now, that stability at his school and in other schools is at risk. There are too many substitutes who are trying to
050take the place of certified special education teachers. This is not good. This is against the federal mandate. There are students who have not had a special education teacher for eight months, and whose IEPs are three months old. This must stop at my grandson’s elementary school. There have been several several exceptional children’s positions unfilled where substitutes have fallen asleep, and these children have eloped from the school to the local grocery store. And no one was made aware of this. Had it not been for some of the teachers at that school to reach out to us. This is extremely unacceptable and it is an extreme safety issue. We are here because of budget uncertainty and stalled funding, and I need to be very clear these cuts will not just impact programs, they will impact our children, not
051just the children with special needs, but all of our children, regardless of race, economic status. It does not matter. It will impact them greatly. Excuse me, students with disabilities who depend on consistent, legally required services. Students already struggling academically, teachers who are already stretched beyond capacity, and families who rely on public schools. I’m a teacher of 34 years, so I can attest to all of this. We are stressed. We are underfunded. We need resources because we love our children, and we want the best for them. And special education. We are federally mandated to provide services under Ida when positions go unfilled. It is not a staffing issue. Or was it? It becomes a compliance issue, a learning loss issue and a safety issue. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Thank you. We’re at the end
052of our public comments. We’re now at approval of the agenda. Is there a motion? Second. All those in favor say aye. Aye aye. Any opposed? All right. We are now at the consent agenda. Doctor Oakley. Good evening, Madam Chair, and members of the board. This evening’s consent agenda includes the following items. Approval of February 24th, 2026. Retreat in March 10th, 2026. Regular meeting minutes. Personnel. Action Report and Addendum to Personnel Action Report 2526. Budget amendments. Transfers report. Project ordinance revisions for the shady Brook Elementary School Comprehension comprehensive Renovation and Addition project. The contractual agreement with Mech Works Mechanical Contractors for the swing space at the old Kaiser Middle School HVAC replacement project. Contractual agreement with Msj Construction Incorporated for the wood workshop and classroom renovation project at High Point Central High School. Recommendation to negotiate
053engineering services with civil engineering for the Ferndale Middle School HVAC replacement project and the 2026 Replacement School Bus Financing arrangement that concludes this evening’s consent agenda for your consideration. Thank you. Board member never has asked that we pull item E. Um, and I will turn to Diane as well for an amendment to the personnel report. Madam chair, we want to, uh, put an addendum to the personnel report for, uh, recommendations for administrative appointments for assistant principal, principal, central office, and also for principal. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Uh, okay. And this is for items A through D and items F through H. Kim. Yes. Deborah. Yes, Linda. Yes. Pastor. Yes. Betty. Yes. David. Yes. Yes. Chrissy. Yes. And Diane and Deena. Yes. That passes unanimously. All right. Board member Knapp. Oh, um, board
054member Knapp. And then I’ll come. To you. Okay. Yes. Oh, there it goes. For good. Yes. That’s the. Sorry. That’s my electronics change. So I just need somebody else to come breathe on, and it’ll work just fine. Um, okay, so I asked to pull the contractual agreement with, um. Mech works mechanical contractors for the swing space at Kaiser Middle. Um, to replace the HVAC. Um, it came up as a point of discussion because Kaiser is one of the schools that was slated for a tear down at some point in time, and here we’re talking about using it for swing space. And so I was just going to see if Doctor Monk could give us an idea. If we have it, how long we’ll be needing it for swing space. And, you know, kind of what
055after the swing space use is done, what the plan is for new HVAC, things just kind of outlined for us where that’s going to go. Yeah, sure. Um, it’s currently being used as swing space for Sternberg as we build the new elementary school. Um, and they’re going to be there for about another year, um, after they move out. Um, we have joiner, uh, that we’re looking at maybe using that space as a swing space as well as Bessemer. Um, elementary. Um, that’s in the city of Greensboro. Um, depending on how far we get down to bond referendum, there may be other schools that we move into that space. Um, and so this is a good time to make those updates so that we can just keep moving. Kids, um, through that space as opposed to
056trying to, um, keep making renovations while these spaces are occupied. And I’ve spoken to a couple of Sternberg’s parents, and they say that it’s actually working really well, better than they thought a middle school would for elementary swing space. So I think we’re putting it to very good use. Um, so we’re looking at a minimum, another 5 or 6 years. Um, when we do that, let’s, let’s say that that is it. That’s as far as we use Kaiser are the HVAC units repurposed at that point? Yeah. So the units themselves are the wiring and things like that. Um, we’re not able to use again, it’s not the first time that we’ve done this. When we replace Hunter elementary, for instance. Um, as a part of that bond program, we first did renovations to the AC
057system, built the new Hunter, and then once we tore down to Oak Hunter, we reclaimed the equipment that could be salvaged from it. Awesome. Thank you. Nobody has any other further questions. I’ll move on to me. Thank you. Is there a second? Thank you. Kim. Yes, Deborah. Yes, Linda. Yes, pastor. Yes, Betty. Yes, David. Yes. Chrissy. Yes. Dan. Yes. And. Dina. Yes. That passes unanimously. All right. Doctor. Ugly. Um, yes. Want to say congratulations to Carrie Page, principal of Summerfield Elementary School, and Nicholas Dixon will name his placement as we get closer to the summer principal. Um, here in GCS. Congratulations to both Nicholas and Carrie. Thank you. Uh, good evening and welcome again. Um, ACS registration has opened for the 2026 2027 school year. The popular after school care program is available at many
058of our elementary schools, and enrollment is dependent on space availability, availability. So please visit. ACS to learn more and register. It’s also time for families to complete and approve their course registration for the upcoming school year. Current high school families will approve their child’s schedule using the campus parent portal. Current, middle and rising middle school families will receive a paper copy of their child’s schedule to review and approve the deadline to approve schedules is April 19th. Please speak with your child’s council counselor if you have any questions. For those parents or caregivers whose children have completed the Youth Science Assessment, please make sure to review their results with them as a part of this process. You can log in to Youth Science from the link and the clever portal. Parents or caregivers may have noticed
059some new information in their email inboxes. First, we have made updates to the Peach Jar Electronic Flyer system to help ensure families don’t miss timely information from the district and trusted community partners. In addition, you may have seen the GCS in Focus Quarterly newsletter from our superintendent or receive the receive the monthly communications from the Guilford County Schools Family Academy. These are just a few of the ways we hope to help families stay informed of timely district updates. If you aren’t receiving emails, please update your contact information in the Campus Parent portal or through your School data manager. We also encourage you to get involved and stay connected by registering with the Guilford County Schools Family Academy at GCS, NC. Com. Slash Family Academy Register April. As we’ve already heard, is School Library Month and
060I want to take a moment to appreciate our Library Media specialist for the great work they do to develop students and to insightful readers. They also work closely with our battle of the books teams who competed at the district level. In March. Congratulations to our winners! At the elementary level, we had Jones District eight in first place, Jessie Wharton in second place, in Oak Ridge in third. At the middle school level, we had southwest and first place Brown Summit in second place in Jamestown in third. And at the high school level, we had the early college at Guilford in first place. Grimsley and second place in Southern High and third. Well done to all of our teams. Southwest middle won the region five competition and will now compete at the state level. Early College at
061Guilford placed third in the region. In addition, 11 teams participated in the second elementary Stem battle of the books competition at the Community Education Center on March 26th, where students showed off their Stem problem solving and robotics coding skills. Congratulations to the top three teams from the day. General Greene Elementary, McNair Elementary, and Rankin Elementary. Congratulations. And before I close, I want to acknowledge that we are operating in our broader moment of change for public education across North Carolina. As it’s been mentioned tonight with the recently Android decision and a state budget that has not yet been finalized, there are still important conversations ahead about how schools are funded and supported. But what remains constant for us here in Guilford County is our commitment to our students, our staff, our families, and to ensure that
062every student has access to the opportunities they need to succeed. Thank you. And this concludes my remarks. Turn to Doctor Oakley. Good evening. Kindergarten registration is in full swing. If your child will be five years old by August 31st. We want you to visit GCS in com slash kindergarten to register and find dates for your school’s kindergarten tours. Tours continue through the end of April. Kindergarten families can also check out our latest podcast in session. This episode features members of our early Learning department and focuses on kindergarten readiness tips for parents. Find it on Spotify or whatever your favorite sources for podcasts. And if you have a future kindergartener or our simply new to GCS, please attend the K-12 Resource Fair on Saturday, May 2nd from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Sponsored by Shifted and
063Guilford Family Academy. The event will take place here at the district’s Community Education Center, will feature games, food, music and a wealth of information to help families prepare for the transition to the next grade span. The Family Academy calendar can be found at GCS and com Slash Family Academy. To learn more and to register. Want to congratulate Brad Rue, the district’s K-8 science and Stem coordinator, for receiving the Outstanding Science Education Leadership Award in North Carolina from the North Carolina Science Leaders Association. Also want to recognize Southwest High School athletic director Brendan Christman, who received a lifetime achievement award from the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association. Our educators are truly amazing. I also want to take a moment to highlight some encouraging news from across North Carolina. Recently, the state shared some data that students
064are earning industry recognized credentials at record levels, and more than half of our students graduates are completing college level coursework while they’re still in high school. That’s really important because it means more about life after graduation. It also aligns with work we’re trying to strengthen here through what we’re calling the Guilford Guarantee, with a simple promise that every student can graduate with real options college credit, a credential or meaningful workplace experience, not just something a few students can find, but something every student can access. The work is in front of us, and we’re continuing to build those systems and partnerships to make that true in every school. If you want to celebrate an amazing GCS employee, May is a great time to do it. And GCS, we celebrate all employees in May through a campaign
065called GCS All Stars, and we want the community to get involved too. To submit your GCS All Star, please share the person’s name and title in a short write up and a photo for us to use on social media. You can find that form through the Let’s Talk platform or the communications web page, or our website. You can also find a form on the web page to share information about the class of 2026. Specifically, we’re looking for then and now stories showing our graduating seniors now and then when they were in elementary school. These submissions will also be posted on our social media channels. Um, this concludes my remarks. And prior to our public budget hearing, I’m going to invite Mr. Beck to come up and remind us of what was in the budget recommendation
066that the board has heard. All right. Thank you, Doctor Oakley. And I’ll just take a short minute to kind of do a brief overview of the 2627 recommended budget for Guilford County schools, uh, that was presented on the March 10th Board of Education meeting. Um, as you can see on the slide, we have four budget priorities that have driven our work. As we all know, these are aligned with our strategic direction. Um, the first being the increase in staff compensation, technology replacement, continued school safety and strategies, as well as items related to vehicle activities for non bond eligible expenses. Um, we’ve talked about GCS being the best choice for students in Guilford County because of the educational opportunities, uh, supports and services we provide. All students in the district. Our students and families are getting
067a great return on investment with all the kids. But our with what we can offer all kids, but not just some kids. Um, this investment that shows in this budget request shows all of these items fully at work and shows that a successful business that’s there. As a reminder, um, this year was a little bit different of a process with the county. Um, as we tried to walk through a funding plan and as you can see on this side, we’ve looked at kind of a forecast over five years that looks into funding, fiscal constraints with the county, but also create some, um, established parameters for what we look for moving forward. Um, in the total request for this current year, you see the operating budget will increase for 20 for a total of $24.5 million.
068And then the capital budget will increase for a little over 20. Um, from those requests. And you can see those on the slide for what, the five year forecast is. As a summary, you can see the total, um, request of our budget is 961 million. Um, and so after review and all of these items, um, if there’s any questions, will be more than happy to address them, but just wanted to create a comparison or a summary of what the information that we’ve shared at the previous meetings, uh, prior to the public hearing and potentially a ratification of the budget. The last thing that I always like to end is kind of the progress, right? We know, uh, we presented the superintendent’s recommendation. Uh, we’ll have a public hearing later this evening. Um, with the potential
069budget, uh, ratification. If not, then potentially on April 28th to fulfill our obligation of submitting to the county by May 15th. Then the county will then present their budget. Um, projected the county manager’s budget will be at May 21st and be able to see all the full hope of the five year plan within that. And then you can see, as we progress through this, um, for the county and the local budget. One key factor that’s missing is the 2526 state budget. We still do not have a current budget. So therefore we have a lot of potential. Um, projections within that and hope to have at least a clean slate going into 26, 27 with some clear parameters of what those will be. As we kind of lead to questions, I know that’s, um, we’ll move
070into additional presentations, but I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions if there are any. Okay. Any questions before we open up the public hearing on the budget. All right. So we are now opening the public hearing on the superintendent’s 2627 budget recommendation. We have about seven speakers. I would like to remind our speakers that they have three minutes to make their comments. Again, if there are people here that agree with what’s being said, we’d like you to demonstrate that by doing this so that the speaker can continue uninterrupted. Please give your name and address that you feel comfortable with. Please refrain from using a student or staff members name. Um, and I will begin with our first speaker, Edwina miles, followed by Joanna Pendleton. Welcome. Hello. I’m a seventh grade science. Teacher, and
071I’ve been in education for 14 years. I love my job because I get to do something I care about helping children be the best they can be by learning about science and themselves. We all know for students to do well in school, every public school worker from the bus drivers, SaaS workers, custodians to the teachers, counselors, social workers and everyone in between. Play a special role in our students well-being. Our students learning conditions, our public school staff working conditions. I will be getting a second job when one job should be enough. I know I can’t be the very best teacher I can be for my students, because I have to work a second job to survive in this economy. I know that I’m not alone because I know of teacher assistants, bus drivers, and SMS
072workers who have two or more jobs on top of their full time job. With one job should be enough. I know of others who leave the education field for better paying jobs. This year I will enter the free zone where I will be at the same salary for ten years. Thanks to the North Carolina General Assembly. And this means I’m thinking a lot about staying in public education because I can’t afford to have a salary freeze for that long. Now, at this moment, we are facing even more cuts to our public schools from state and federal decision makers as they take our public school dollars for private school vouchers, cut funding for federal programs, and at the same time cut taxes for corporations and billionaires. We know that because of local advocacy efforts, a public
073schools, public school workers and our board of education, our board of county commissioners have stepped in to fill some of the education funding gap. But we know that school funding still falls short of the needs of our students and staff. The pay of all public school workers need to be prioritized when tough calls are being made about the local budget, because our student learning conditions are our public school staff’s working condition, prioritizing staff pay makes all the difference to the well-being of our students, because we are all all in this together. Thank you. And please come to Raleigh on May 1st. Thank you. Joanna Pendleton, followed by Amy Harrison. Good evening. My name is Joanna Pendleton. I am here coming to I live in I live in Greensboro on Calderwood Drive. I am the mom
074of three Guilford County School students. I am a school librarian, and I am currently the president of the Guilford County Association of Educators. Happy to be with you. Tonight. I wanted to share a little bit of what you already know about the truth about public school funding here in North Carolina. Here in North Carolina, we have just been ranked 50th in the country in effort to fund our public schools. Dead last. Shameful. Here in North Carolina, our state legislature is spending billions of dollars on private school vouchers that fund private school for wealthy families who already sent their kids to private school here in North Carolina, we have the lowest corporate tax rate of any state. That’s not zero. With a plan to get to a 0% corporate tax rate by 2030, here in North
075Carolina, there was a recent Supreme Court decision on Leandro, which is a case that’s come up time and time again. Um, basically letting our state legislators know that they are illegally underfunding our public schools. So here we are in our state of North Carolina. Loving our state, loving our students. Loving our public schools. And we know also that there are some truths about local funding. Here’s some truths about local funding are that you have stepped up. You have advocated with our county commissioners, as we’ve seen in the budget process for this year, especially, you have a legislative agenda that reflects our shared belief that kids are worth our investment in their education. You have also told us truthfully, and we have agreed with you, that the real problem is in Raleigh. And this year, on
076May 1st, we are inviting you to come with us to Raleigh to advocate for our public schools and our public school students. We do have an engraved invitation to give to each one of you. I’ll leave it up here, and I’d like to read you the invitation. Um, as we deliver it tonight to our local elected leaders on the Board of Education and Board of County Commissioners with great solidarity and pride, we, the undersigned, workers of Guilford County Schools, together with our students, families and communities, request the honor of your presence on May day as we get on the bus to Raleigh to stand together before our legislators to ask them to prioritize kids over corporations by fully investing in North Carolina’s public schools. So that will be on May 1st, 2026. And delegation days
077prior to this day of action. Your presence will demonstrate that you stand with the public, school students and workers of Guilford County. Thank you. Thank you. Amy Harrison, followed by Lisa Randall. Welcome. Hi. My name is Amy Harrison. I live at 7385 Wood Springs Drive in Whitsett. I’m a special education teacher at Reedy Fork Elementary. I’m also a proud member of the North Carolina Association of Educators, serving as co-chair of our Local government relations team, local treasurer, and on the N.C. Board of Directors representing Guilford and non other locals. This is my 26th year teaching in my 18th at Reedy Fork. I love what I do and consider what I do my calling. I’m going to be honest, this has been one of the roughest years I have ever taught. It’s a different kind of
078stress than the uncertainty of Covid teaching or the changing of principals. We’ve had a lot of turnover this year at Reedy Fork. One of my teammates got a promotion to an EC lead over the summer. My assistant retired in November, and the other resource teacher that we hired resigned in February. We’ve got a permanent sub that we work with to plan lessons and make sure that all IEPs are followed. On top of all of these staffing changes, our students have significant needs. I have a student that has limited verbal skills and is not potty trained yet, and another who needs hand over hand assistance to complete many tasks. They are both max resource, so they spend 2 to 3 hours a day with me a day due to their needs. During some parts of the
079day I have three different grade levels at one time to meet all of my students needs and their IEP minutes. While I sit my assistant that I share with the other teacher does inclusion and even with the significant needs and the challenges that we are facing. All of my students are making amazing progress on their academic and social emotional goals, which is amazing. And I can think about how much progress that they would be making if we had enough staff. On top of that, we’re getting 14 rising kindergarten students next year that I’ve already have IEPs. We’re slated to get another resource teacher, and I’m so excited about that. However, I’ve seen what’s going on in other districts, and I’m very apprehensive about whether or not we’ll really get another teacher. Tonight, I’m asking the
080board in our district leadership to be transparent if and when cuts are being made. I’ve heard from my union colleagues across in the other counties that their leadership is not doing this and causing confusion and distrust about parents, staff in the community. I don’t want that to happen here. I’m also looking forward to seeing each and every one of you get on that bus with us to travel to Raleigh on May 1st to hold our General Assembly accountable for the decisions that they have made. And I’d like to thank you for your time, service and dedication to the students, public school workers, and citizens of Guilford County. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Lisa Randall, followed by Samantha Patino. Perez. Welcome. Thank you. Good evening, Doctor Oakley and school board members. My name
081is Lisa Randall. I live in Brown Summit, zip code 27214. I have been an educator in Guilford County for 16 years, and I have two kids in Guilford County schools. I invite you to join us in Raleigh on May day, Friday, May 1st. We know the majority of our public school dollars come from state funding. And you often are sorry. We know that the majority of our public school dollars come from state funding, and you often tell us to go to Raleigh. Well, now we’re going. And will you come with us? We want you to use the voice and the power of your position to stand up to North Carolina and demand that they fund our public schools. I have entered that point in my career where I where I am on step 15 through
08224, where I have to have a pay freeze. At year 25, I will get one year’s race and I will be frozen again for the rest of my career. Per your strategic direction, you say that you want to recruit, retain and reward top talent. Do you think it’s best for our students and our schools to freeze the pay of veteran teachers? And what are you willing to do about it? Back in 2016, I graduated with my master’s degree. My master’s degree truly helped me to be a better teacher for my students. However, ten years later, I have still not been rewarded for what’s doing best for my students. Our classified workers are often working 2 or 3 jobs. They cannot earn a living wage and keep up with our economy with the salary they receive.
083I know that increasing classified wages is part of your legislative agenda. So again, I’m asking, will you come with us to Raleigh and stand with us for increased salaries for all public school workers? We are asking you to prioritize worker pay during this budget season so that we do not lose educators to surrounding counties or states, or to other careers. I believe that investing in our people is a better use of our money than spending it on customer service initiatives. Thank you. Thank you. Samantha Patino Perez, followed by Ashley Faubus. Welcome. Good evening. My name is Samantha Patino. Perez and I live in Greensboro, North Carolina. I grew up here and I have now made my career as a math teacher. In my seventh year of teaching. Uh, I want to do this for the
084rest of my life. I, I love teaching, and this is all I ever want to do. I come before you today in a state of excitement and great stress. I have to I have decided to put in my leave request for May 1st. I plan to organize in Raleigh to ask our General Assembly to put kids over corporations and fund our public schools. We don’t have a budget like we’ve talked about. We need one. The reason I am both stressed and excited is because I have put countless hours, evenings, weekends and even summers to get to this point. Every second I don’t spend educating my students is spent talking to my colleagues. The truth is, I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel like we needed to. I’d rather be teaching my students. It’s exhausting
085and terrifying work. I am putting myself out on a limb by making this choice, and I know, I know that many will ask, why would I do this to my students? Why would I take a day when they I should be teaching them? I’d rather be doing that. But what I want to say to those questions is, why would I not? How could I not fight for my students, speak for their futures and their present advocate for the voiceless and uplift the ones that are already filled with rage? I teach high school so they let me know if the choice is action or inaction. For my students, I choose action because my students know they are very smart. They know they deserve more than the crumbs that the General Assembly is giving them. They know
086they deserve to have hopes and dreams and believe in a world where they are valued over corporate tax breaks. That is why I am taking a day on May 1st. That is why I am choosing to impact my students for this one day. Because I know that I can also impact them for the rest of their lives. Lastly, I became an educator with the belief that if I could change one life, make an impact on just one soul, that it would make a difference. And that’s all that mattered. Today, I stand before you as an educator that believes that I know I can change many more lives. And even if I’m scared that I should do it anyway, I hope you join us on May 1st. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Ashley
087Faubus, followed by our final speaker, Tessa Penley. Welcome. Good evening. My name is Ashley Faubus, and I’m a mother of five GCS students, one being a SEC student ranging from 10th grade to fourth grade. I’m here today to talk about the $19.5 million device replacement line item in the 2026 2027 proposed budget and hopefully bring to your attention the subject of how one on one device policies like this one, along with big EdTech, may actually be harming our children’s ability to learn. In recent years, schools have embraced digital devices and platforms as essential learning tools, but new research, including a 2025 policy brief from the National Education Policy Center, urges educators to look more critically at the systems we’ve invited into our classrooms and homes. Chromebooks and online learning platforms are part of a large
088commercial ecosystem that track, analyze, and influence student behavior. AI features are now embedded in our Google tools and interact with our students directly, shaping their thinking and writing while reducing independent problem solving. We don’t have an option to opt to opt in or opt out. The technology is already there, prompting them to ask AI for help. Despite promises and years of investment, innovation, engagement and efficiency, research has not shown consistent learning gains from heavy digital use. Students who rely heavily on screens perform worse on literacy and comprehension measures. Children are being given devices without proof of efficacy or development. Appropriateness. Parents are being excluded from the decisions about their child’s digital exposure, and often just assume school networks and devices are safe, while in reality, filtering systems are imperfect and supervision is limited. Teachers are
089seeing more distracted and shallow engagement when doing schoolwork. The proximity of games and YouTube reduces deep focus, eye contact, discussion, and shared attention. Tech heavy classrooms deprives kids of opportunities to develop handwriting skills. Writing by hand stimulates different areas of your brain than typing, touching, and just looking at a screen. It results in faster learning, higher reading levels, and increased cognitive and executive functioning. In addition, the lack of physical textbooks can make it difficult for parents to help with homework because of the loss of familiar accountability systems and clear reference point for the curriculum and the intent of the teacher. Textbooks provided a structured guide to what has been taught, what will be taught, and this is often missing from content that is being delivered from various digital resources. Teachers custom PowerPoints or online materials
090may lack the depth and explanation, all while halting the natural curiosity of a child just to turn the page to see what’s next. So now we need to turn the page. What’s next for Guilford County Schools in Burke County of Education? They just recently passed a resolution encouraging balanced instruction and reduced screen use. Doctor Stan Winburn, superintendent of Greenville County, has also initiated device free days, hoping to provide a healthy mix of technology and old school pencil and paper learning. Thank you for your time. Thank you. And our final speaker, Tessa Penley. Welcome. Good evening. My name is Tessa Penley. I live in Betty. Representative Jenkins District, and I teach third through fifth grade. Ell at Union Hill Elementary in High Point. And I’m going to keep it brief tonight. And I want to say
091that just like the writing of an annual budget, the invitations that we have delivered to you from signed by, I believe, more than 800 of my coworkers, 800 fellow public school workers, um, around transparency, around prioritizing people and the workers that make public school happen every day and around coming to Raleigh with us on May 1st are an opportunity for you all to stand on the values that you profess. It is an opportunity for you to be about what you talk about, and it is an opportunity for you to move in such a way that there is no question that you are truly on the side of public school students, that you are on the side of kids over corporations. It is up to you. Please do not. Waste the opportunity. Thank you. And that
092concludes our public comments on the public hearing. And so I will say that the public hearing is now closed on the budget recommendations. I will now go back to Doctor Oakley for a presentation on the Customer Service Initiative update. We can do that unless there’s an appetite of the board to amend to vote on the budget while the folks are here, or we can move to the customer service, update. whatever makes the most. Sense. Motion to adopt that budget. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. Um. Kim? Yes. Deborah. Yes. Linda. Yes. Pastor. Yes. Betty. Yes. Chrissy. Wholeheartedly. Yes. And, Dina. Yes. That passes by a vote of 7 to 0. Thank you. Alan. Mr. Chavez. Yes. Okay. Uh, I would like to introduce another item of business for board consideration. Um, we’ve heard a
093lot about action tonight, and I would like to move that by action of the board. May 1st be designated an optional teacher workday. Uh, this is with recognition of the concerns stated here tonight by our educators. Um, the staggering observations made, uh, particularly the recent action on Leandro and the continued negligence in passing a budget. Um, I think we could wait to make this decision for practical reasons, but we have a chance to do so tonight for proactive reasons. Uh, and I again move that the board take action to designate Friday, May 1st, as an optional teacher workday. Second, the motion. Thank you. Any discussion? All right. Kim? Yes, Deborah. Yes. Linda. I am I think we are skirting the line on the limit of the law. And because I believe. We should. I would
094love. I think General Assembly has failed us. I think that we do have to do this. Uh, that we do have to go and argue. But there’s a limit here that I’m not willing to, um, do, because I don’t think it is the right thing for all students. And Guilford County. Um, we’re going to be there. Parents that need to go work. We’ve got people that need food. I mean, students need to be fed. We’re going to have to have because we have. Whenever we do these things, we make sure that the children can come and get food. Um, so for me, I support y’all a hundred ways, but I’m not willing to step up to, um, a teacher workday. You’re still going to have to take if you’re going to do it. It is
095an optional day. You’re still going to have to take it. Um, so I support you, but I’m limiting because I do not. I think we’re skirting the law. Thank you. Thank you, pastor. Yes. I’m sorry. Not wanting to say. Right with my vote. Allow me to say succinctly that any harm and inconvenience on Friday, May 1st, is caused not by this board, nor by these teachers, but by those who control 60% of our funding in Raleigh. Yes. Thank you. Betty. Of course, my concern is for the classified staff, um, who may not have the days, but my vote is. Yes. Thank you. David. I missed some of this. It’s, um. It’s. Alan made a motion for a voting future. Work date. I’m for it. Yes. Thank you. Chrissy. This is a. This is a really,
096really hard one. I 1,000% support increases to teacher pay. I 1,000% support the need for a state budget here in North Carolina. I struggle with the unspoken purpose behind this day. Um. I I’m I’ll. I’ll vote yes. Thank you. And I have comments, but I’ll make them in my closing comments. But I’m voting yes to. So that passes by seven a vote of 7 to 1. Thank you. Uh, Doctor Oakley, customer service initiative update. Yes. Um, so Doctor Slate is going to provide a brief update on some work we have done, um, around customer service. This has been in response to some parent feedback that we’ve received. Also continuing to work on enrollment. Um, just wanted to provide content since it was mentioned that the only budget item that’s been put forth through this is
097for a speaker that we had at a summer institute. Otherwise, this has been additional responsibilities that have been taken on by internal staff with a careful eye on enrollment, which is exactly how we’re funded. Um, so it’s really important work. So I’m going to turn it over to Doctor Slade for this brief presentation, and we’ll open it up for any questions. Thank you. Good evening, Madam Chair. Board members and Doctor Oakley, on behalf of the Customer Service Initiative team, I’m pleased to share a brief update on the customer service initiative that we have here in GCS. So students and families remain the center of our work. Um, the Guilford Experience served as a strategic foundation for enrollment and for family engagement. It helped us take a step back and ask the fundamental question, how do
098families and staff experience GCS, and how does that experience influence whether they choose us or not? To answer this question, a cross-functional team was established that it included over 80 district staff, school leaders and classified staff, and the focus was on the three goals that you see here on the screen, which aligns to our programs. It strengthens how we tell our story and also ensures a consistent, high quality customer service experience. After a year of work, those priorities did not go away. They actually became embedded as strategic initiatives within our strategic direction and across all the work. Two things became clear from this work. One, the experience that families have with us. It matters a lot. And two, the experience is not always consistent across schools or across departments. Like many districts in North Carolina
099and nationally for that matter. Guilford County Schools has seen a downward trend in enrollment, and that was accelerated by the pandemic. We’ve heard it, but we’re not standing still. We are implementing enrollment strategies to ensure that every student, every family, has a positive experience with GCS. We’re strengthening our customer service practices at the school and the district level, making sure that families feel welcome. Making sure families feel supported and valued the moment that they interact with staff. We’re communicating more clearly. We are communicating more often with families. We’re using multiple platforms to share important information to families, and we’re highlighting opportunities through the district. So this framework for customer service is grounded in both research and feedback. We receive feedback from district leaders, students and families. The research across education and other sectors consistently show
100that the stakeholder experience. How. What is your experience with the district, especially with communication, trust and responsiveness? How fast does someone respond to you? Those are key drivers of satisfaction, loyalty, and it’s actually a key indicator as whether families choose to stay or seek other options. We heard directly from approximately 700 families through surveys and focus groups, and their message was consistent. What they said was the communication needs to be clearer and more timely from our district. They said interactions matter, specifically how people are treated. It matters and also access to information and consistency across the system matters as well. So those were the three that we pulled, pulled away from what we heard after spending time reflecting on on on the feedback, we realized that we had pockets of strong individual practices, but we
101didn’t have a district wide, shared, system approach to customer service. It was just being done in pockets. If we want families to choose GCS, stay with GCS, recommend GCS to others, then we must be intentional about the experience that we’re given to them. Every interaction, every entry point, every time. This is what led to the development of our customer service framework. That feedback and interactions with other families. This work is directly aligned to our strategic direction, particularly under the recruit, retain and reward top talent, because the same conditions that create strong experience for families also create strong working environments for our staff. When we feel staff is supported, clear on expectations and they’re equipped to respond, it strengthens both their retention and also family trust. What you’ll see next is how we’ve approached this work
102as a strategic initiative over. Over time, we’ve moved from listening to implementation to now scaling and trying to sustain. So this is the timeline of this work. The feedback from families didn’t just inform our thinking. It shaped how we structured and advanced the work. So what this slide highlights is the intentional progress of the work as a strategic initiative. It’s not just a one time effort. It is ongoing. We started by organizing this cross-functional team to lead the work. We got the right people at the table to ensure that representation was there. From schools. We had representation from central offices. We wanted this to be practical and grounded in how our system actually operates. From there, the focus was building shared expectations and a common language. So we’re speaking the same language. Families have a
103consistent experience, regardless of where they enter the system. That consistency was important. As implementation began, we prioritize early, actionable steps, and we created what’s called quick wins. And these were just small, small things we could do to improve the experience for families. These are these help with the day to day interactions. While the broader work continued to develop. At the same time, we established a progress monitoring. We wanted to see how can we measure customer service in the district? How do we know what we’re doing is actually is working and where we are now. We’re focusing on scaling and accessibility. We’re making sure that all staff has access to training. And we’ll talk about the training percentages after this. But we want to make sure that everybody has received the same level of training across
104the board. This included creating feedback loops, making sure we’re listening to what the staff and families are saying to respond to that. It’s not just an individual school or it’s not just an individual departments effort, it’s an entire district. And overall, this reflects from isolated efforts. The pockets that I mentioned to more coherent systemwide approach to customer service, one that we’re going to continue to strengthen over time. So here are some of the training quotes that we have here. But we launched this training last summer summer of 2025. And to date, we’ve trained 74% of all Guilford County school staff. So that’s about 7000 people out of 9000 staff. So we’ve completed about 74% to make sure that all new hires are receiving this training. And all existing hires as well. Now, from those trainings,
10596%, based on the survey that was completed, 96% reported that it was relevant, it influenced their practice and it was useful. So these quotes here on this slide, just what we’ve heard directly from staff. This tells us that the work is not only reaching staff, but it’s actually resonating and beginning to shift. How staff engage with families and one another. We see that reflected in the feedback, highlighting the importance of empathy, trust, creating positive experiences for families. And we’re still early in the work, but we’re focused on continuing to expand and scale these efforts across the district. To make it more actionable, we identified four benchmarks. So the benchmarks are listed here for strong customer service. First. When you think about customer service, you want to reduce delays and resolve issues efficiently. You don’t want
106to wait two and three weeks to respond to things, and it gets worse. Second, you want to focus on how people feel during interactions. How do you make people feel? How are you responding? Third, make sure it’s consistent and accessible for all families. And fourth. We want to prevent confusion by providing that clear, proactive communication. And those are the four benchmarks that we’re really focusing on as part of this initiative. At the center of the work is who we are as a district. Every interaction reflects our values, and that is a key message that we’re trying to get across as we’re providing the training. Defining strong customer service expectation was an important step, but what matters most is how it shows up. How do you actually measure this? So this year I mentioned the quick
107wins. You see the sign here. You may have seen these signs at the different schools. I don’t know if you remember the last year signs. They were yellow and they was like go to the front office, check in, go straight to jail. It was something like that. Okay. Yes. That one with the exclamation point. So we just a quick win is basically saying, hey, now it’s we’re so glad you’re here. The Colorado line is now closed, but come on in. We’re still going to welcome you. That feels a lot better. Even though it’s a sign on the outside. Uh, but these are quick wins that we’ve tried to create or we not try. We have created and we’re doing little things each month to help with these small changes, because the small changes will add
108up to big things and big responses. But that’s just an example of one quick win. You may be familiar with Let’s Talk, which is now called N flow, but we use that data, um, as one of our measurements. You know, we try to measure and use measures to see how is customer service in the district. And this is one, uh, n flow is our inbound communication platform that allows anyone to submit questions, concerns, requests directly to the appropriate school or department. So since this summer of 2025, we’ve received over 11,000 submissions. Uh, so that’s almost 11,000 a month. And the average satisfaction rate of those is 8.7 out of ten, which is the first, uh, chart there, uh, 8.7. And you can see that it is improved a bit since last year’s measurement. We’re also
109seeing an increase in the positive experiences. So if you measure stuff and you monitor stuff, things get done. So now we’re starting to measure it. And we see here that we’ve had on the right side there 817 positive experiences compared to 400 for the entire school year last year. So that just says, you know, we’re we’re hearing the work, we’re feeling the work, and the results are showing in that aspect, it’s important to note that we expanded access. We’ve added additional topics to let’s talk, uh, you can go into let’s talk and find all the different categories. Um, we made it makes it easier for families to connect with us. Uh, the growth reflects both increased engagement and improved experiences, and that gives us valuable insight as to how we can continue to refine our
110work. These are early indicators, and yes, they are encouraging, but they’re just one measure. We have a lot more to do. We remain focused on making sure we are continuing to strengthen this and how we serve families. As we look ahead, our focus is on sustaining and strengthening the work in the short term. It’s the first column that the first first column of this slide, we’re trying to build awareness, and we’re doing a great job with that. With the 74% of the staff, we got to get to that 100% goal. We’re aligning our expectations and strengthening how we monitor service quality in the midterm, our focus shifts to more consistency. So once we get everybody speaking the same language, we now have to practice consistency. We have to ensure that our families have similar experiences
111across schools, across departments, and in the long term, this is about culture. Embedding customer service on how we operate and strengthen both staff for retention and family engagement. I mean, culture takes a while, but, you know, companies where when you go there, you’re going to feel a certain way. You go to certain theme parks, you know how you’re going to feel. We want that same experience when you come to Guilford County. You’re going to have that high level of expectation. And if we consistently offer a great level of customer service, it’s going to strengthen our trust. It’s going to improve experiences for families, and it’s going to position us as a district where families choose to enroll and stay. So just note, before we open it up, that all the accessible versions of these materials
112will be posted on our board meeting web page for anyone who may need that for accessibility purposes. And with that, I’m happy to answer any questions regarding our customer service initiative. We’re all satisfied. Thank you. Thank you. That was for a really great presentation. The way you delivered it was was wonderful. So thank you for for your effort. It really does matter. Um, you know, it really does. I mean, people stop going to restaurants, they stop, um, you know, you know, some people will move, but, um, you know, just when people have an unpleasant experience, it just as a Dom, it can be a domino effect. So thank you for, um, the time and attention and the effort on this. All right, all right. We are now on a policy committee report. I’ll turn to
113David Coates. Okay. Thank you. Um. At our March 25th meeting, the policy committee voted to publish five policy recommendations for a 30 day public comment period from April 14th through May 14th. The policy revisions reflect our continuing comprehensive legal review. The policies with proposed proposed revisions are. Policy 7240 drug and alcohol free workplace. Policy 7273. Domestic and workplace violence Policy 7450. Interscholastic Athletic coaches Policy 5016. Criminal background checks on volunteers and Policy, 5015 school vouchers. As a reminder, you can review the policy revisions in detail in the Policy Committee report on the board agenda, and they will be featured on the website and on social media channels. After this meeting. These policy recommendations will come back to the board for consideration at our June meeting, after the public has had a chance to give input.
114Thank you. Thank you for that report. We are now at, um, action items. Um, I want to say that, um, item C1 has been pulled and we will go back and discuss that one. But we are now at B resolution urging the North Carolina General Assembly to pass a 2026 appropriations act. Is there a motion. Madam chair? Uh, board Member Pratt has. It’s a read into the record. I’m sorry. Thank you. Chrissy. Resolution. We have the resolution urging the North Carolina General Assembly to pass a 2026 appropriations act, whereas North Carolina General statute 143 C four one states, the General Assembly shall create a budget for two fiscal years beginning on July 1st of each odd numbered year. And whereas it is ten months into fiscal year 2026 and a current Operations Appropriations Act has
115not yet been enacted by the General Assembly, and whereas Guilford County Schools receives approximately 57% of its funding from state appropriations and builds its budgets according to those appropriations. And Whereas the 2026 short session convenes on April 21st, less than one month before local boards of education must submit their budgets to county commissioners. And Whereas Guilford County Schools and Guilford County government have had to plan the fiscal year 2027 budget without knowledge of state appropriations for the current fiscal year, let alone the next one, and Whereas, despite the provision in North Carolina General Statute 140 3C54B for budget continuation of recurring funds at the level of the previous fiscal year, the failure to pass a biennial budget has forced Guilford County Schools to operate with significant budget uncertainty well into the current fiscal year. And
116Whereas, despite provisions for steady increases without passage of an appropriations act, salaries of approximately 10,000 employees of Guilford County Schools are frozen at 20, 24, 25 levels. And whereas the lack of a budget and frozen pay scales, coupled with the rise in health insurance premiums for employees participating in the North Carolina State Health Plan has resulted in a net pay decrease for teachers and school employees of Guilford County Schools. And Whereas Guilford County Schools strives to meet nationally recommended staffing ratios for school health personnel and requiring sufficient state appropriations to do so. And whereas the enrollment of exceptional children in Guilford County Schools is 16%, but state funding is capped at 13%, requiring the district to allocate approximately $11 million in local funds annually to cover that gap. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the
117Guilford County Board of Education does hereby request that the North Carolina General Assembly immediately pass a 2026 Appropriations Act that mirrors the House proposal for all school employee salaries in the second year of its proposed budget. SB 257, version six includes step increases at every level and provides education based salary supplements, increases the public school repair and Renovation fund from $50 million to 70 million, as proposed in both the 25 2025 Senate and House budget plans. Allocates 27.9 million in recurring funds for 320 additional school health personnel positions and implements a weighted funding model for exceptional children funding or, in its absence, a minimum increase of the cap to 13.5% of the allotted average daily membership ADM, at a cost of $20 million in recurring funds, be it further resolved that the Guilford County Board
118of Education encourages families, students, and other community members to contact their state representatives, requesting that the General Assembly pass a state budget that includes the items listed above. I make a motion to adopt this resolution, urging the North Carolina General Assembly to pass a 2026 appropriations act.. So move. All right. So we have a motion. Seconded. All those in favor say aye. Aye, aye. All right. No. Opposed. Thank you. Christie. Uh, we’re now at item C-1, which is the policy revisions based on legal updates and policy 32264205 on internet safety. Christie. Yeah, I wanted to talk about this one really quickly. I, I did a little bit of digging on this. There was one line that I have issue with, and it seems like there are just some inconsistencies. Maybe in state law and federal
119law. Imagine that. Um, so my concern and, Jill, I’d love to have you weigh in on this is, you know, this policy is about internet safety. It’s defining things that students may run into online. It’s defining child pornography, sexual acts, sexual contacts, all sorts of really important things that we want to be protecting our kids from. And then it says minor for purposes of this policy, the term minor means any individual who has not yet attained the age of 17 years. And I do understand that there is the I think it’s called the Child Internet Safety Act that uses this same language that defines a minor as 17. Um, but yet there are other legislation or laws out there that define minors as not yet reached 18, especially when it comes to child porn. And
120this just feels like such an important issue that I wanted to have Jill kind of speak on it and see where we are with this. I believe. This policy is is reflecting the federal laws you’re talking about, and there. are different ages of what is considered a minor. 18 is the general, um, when you’re a minor for the purposes of many things. But there’s also the whole juvenile when you can drop out of school, for example. Six you know, there are different ages as to what what they, uh, call it. And I assume that they picked 17 here because of the federal, um, child protections. Director K. Can speak to that, too, if you want. Her to.. Sure. That would be great. Yes. Good evening. Members of the board. Um, this policy is specifically about
121internet safety, and we are trying to reflect changes to the state law. And, um, for the purposes of internet safety, 17 is what the law considers to be the age of majority. Um, and example, when I look at my kids, um, when my parental controls on my kids phones, the highest setting for parental controls is 17 plus or the highest app rating, um, for internet safety purposes is 17 plus, because that’s how the designations are in the law. Do we have any other. Policies here in Guilford County where we’re defining minor as 17 instead of 18? No, but I don’t think I can’t. I would have to research it, but we don’t generally define minor in any of other our other policies. We probably don’t generally define anything that’s defined by law, because that tends
122to change with the law. I think this is so particular to this set of laws. Is there any would there be. Any issue if we were to propose potentially changing this language to 18 and airing on the side of caution with our kids? Is having a different definition than that federal definition? Does that cause any trouble in any way? I think it would. With regard to contracts that you make with, um, tech providers. You know, we require extensive confidentiality and protections and all this, um, and they basically track the federal law. And so I think if you had something different, it could prompt some concerns for national companies that probably standardized their agreements. I mean, I don’t know what practical difference it would have, but I think that you would get pushback if there are
123areas that are covered nationally and cite that national law. We haven’t made a motion yet. Right. We’re just still discussing. This has been pulled. So if I wanted to make a substitute motion for an amendment to the policy, how would I do that? I don’t believe this motion is on the floor. Yeah, we’re just discussing it. Okay. Okay, so we currently have it listed as 17. Is there basically an adult. Is that what we’re saying? This is saying. Now what I heard you say we go 18 right. So there’s 17 up to their birthday. I mean there’s 17 up to their 18th birthday. So could we say you’re so they’re saying you’re. A. I’m not here. I don’t. Think that’s how this reads. Sorry. But I think this reads has not yet attained the age
124of 17. So this is for 16 and under. And this is this area of law is really challenging because the federal law defines, um, ages of majority and the ability of young people to consent for things like releasing their data in very different ways that we consider it in any other part of the law. So, um, at the federal level, 13 is the age at which a young person can consent to they’re basically giving their data away to be used, which is why you see the, um, apps like Facebook and Snapchat are, um, 13 plus is their age range. Uh, 17 plus is the age range. And the federal law. This part of this policy is based on the North Carolina School Boards Association. Um, I think to Jill’s point, it would probably be difficult
125for us to do something different than what the federal law has happening in the different digital applications that we’re using, because those are, um, often vendors that are serving, uh, districts across the country. Um, but I also don’t we don’t have different filters on our systems for students who are 17 to 18 years old than we do for students who are under 17. So I think the concern that young people would have access to something like this, um, through their school account, um, is like, what, the age that we’re defining minor here is not going to change that. All of our internet filters protect kids from all of these things when they are at school, whether they’re even if they’re over 18. So. So what’s the motion, Jill? If. There is no motion. On that,
126I mean, so Christy wanted to make a motion around the policy. And so what would the motion. Be regarding the policy revision? Yeah. As soon as we figure out what the motion is and I’ll come to you. Can I make a motion that says to adopt it as written with with the change of 17 to 18? That’s the change that I would be requesting. Yeah. So attained the age of. 18 has not yet attained the age of 18. So once they hit their 18th birthday, they’re considered a minor longer. You can make that. And who knows. Okay, so moved. Can you read that again? Certainly. I make the motion that we adopt the internet safety policy. Uh, 3226 Dash 4205 with the change to item B five, the definition of minor changing from attained, not
127yet attained, the age of 17 years to 18 years. Is that. It.? All right. So a. Second. I’ll second. Okay. Kim. Are we voting? No discussion. You have a question? No, I just want to say that. This policy. protects everyone. In the district, right? No one in it. Even if I’m older than. 18, I. Still don’t have. I will. Not have access. to that kind of. Information. Am I correct? That was. What, uh. Is that. Doctor K was was saying was it doesn’t change the filters. It just changes the policy. It just. Changes our policy. And will it. Have to go back. Out because of this. Change? 30 day. I don’t believe it will. The questions. All right. Kim. I’m going to come back to. You. Chrissy. Yes. David. I would like to vote. Yes,
128but I think that this is just going to cause problems. And. You know, it’s a gesture. I think sometimes gestures are helpful. I think this is just going to cause a lot of headaches and really not move the needle. So I’m going to have to reluctantly vote no. Okay, Betty. No. Pastor. Yes, Linda. Yes, Deborah. Jill, let me clarify it. This does not actually change any of the filters, any of the functional things that we’re doing. This is simply a definition of minor in your policy. For this particular reason. But you’re concerned that it could raise issues with larger providers. Like, I’m thinking about our laptop providers, our software. I’m concerned that providers that use that term in some other context will be limited to the definition in this policy that may have nothing to
129do with what we’re trying to do. Gotcha. Um. It may have to do with permissions. For example, it may have to do with other things. But once you’ve defined a term, it’s that term in the contract. That said, when I when we initially put this to the policy committee, I was thinking along the lines of what was mentioned earlier, that they were 17 until the day of their 18th birthday, and that would cover all the way through then, not six, not through the 16th year. Um, I’ll actually vote yes on this. One. Kim. I’m still not clear. Um. So I’m going to vote no. And I vote no. Um, so it’s a tie. All right. Thank you. So, um, but we need to vote on, um, the policy as it was. So we’re on item
130C, the policy decisions based on legal updates. Is there a motion? Mr. Kurtz, you do have those motions. Um. David, do you have those? So we’re on C1. I’ve got a statement. I’ve been handed. Policies presented for to the Board of Education for approval. Uh, tonight we are considering eight policy items that were reviewed by the policy committee and published for public comment. March. No comments were received. Members of the public who would like to view the policy revisions may do so in tonight’s board meeting agenda, which can be accessed at. And under Board of Education, we will consider the items and the groupings found on the agenda. Items. Action items, Roman numeral 11 C-1 for revisions based on legal updates, the first group of revisions based on legal updates. I make the motion to
131adopt the policy actions, items C1 through four as presented. And I’m going to keep reading here. And I think we can do. Unless there’s a desire to split these. Yeah. So you made a motion. But we need a second. But we need to vote on these separately. Uh, either way, If are there any other objections on any of the the motion. That would do them all at the same time? Apparently, the only one that was asked to be pulled was C1. And we just went through that. So. I second. Okay, so we’re going to go through we’re going to go through one through four under C okay okay. So we’re only doing one one. Through four one through four. First we have C and then we’ll go to item D. These are the policy revisions
132based on legal updates uh policies one through four okay. Um Chrissy. I’m going to vote no on C1 just because I don’t like changing the definition of minor. And yes, on the others. Okay. Um, David. Yes, Betty. Yes, on all four. Pastor. Yes. Linden. Yes. Deborah. Also go. No on one and yes on two. Three, four. Say that again. No on one. Okay. Yes. On all of them. Okay. And Dina. Yes. So, um, two, three and four, um, passed by a vote of 8 to 0 and one passes by a vote of seven to 6 to 2. Linda Courtney, let me clarify one thing. So when we tied on the first vote for the amended C1. Yeah, that means it failed. That Chris’s motion. Failed. Okay. So then so it still passes by a vote
133of 5 to 3. Okay. So Linda, you got Linda changed her vote on C1. Okay. Now, David, we’re at item D, policy revisions related to employee performance, performance evaluations policies. So that’s one through four. Okay. And I move. As presented. Yeah it wasn’t it wasn’t going. On. Anyway. One more time. Here. You got it. Read it one more time. One more time okay I move, we adopt, uh, items D1 through D4 as presented. Thank you. Second, thank you. Chrissy. Yes, David. Yes, Betty. Yes, pastor? Yes. Linda. Yes. Deborah. Yes. Kim. Yes. And Dina. Yes. That passes by a vote of 8 to 0. All right. No closed session is needed. We took care of that earlier. We’re now at board member comments. And I will start with David. I’ll start with you. Okay. Thank you.
134Um, on April 2nd, 2026, uh, it was the last day of a 32 year journey through the courts. What is known as Leandro 2022, based on a substantial record, our North Carolina Supreme Court found the state had not met its constitutional duty to the state’s public school children and ordered the General Assembly to fully fund the first two years of a plan for educational improvements and funding, which had been fashioned by the parties to the court proceeding, and based upon the findings of a neutral third party appointed in earlier phase of the litigation. On April 2nd, our same Supreme Court overturned the 2022 decision on the basis that the original parties and the intervening party had only raised local issues in their pleadings, and thus the court was without subject matter jurisdiction to order a
135statewide, quote, facial remedy. You may have noted that I haven’t discussed the most recent court’s decision in terms of its view of the constitutional adequacy of the North Carolina scope and support of public education. That’s because there was no discussion. Must be noted that nowhere in the history of this case, this jurisdiction argument, been raised by any any of the parties. This novel and feeble reason led to the dismissal of this case with prejudice, which simply means it is dead. It’s gone. Justice Earl’s dissent, with precision, remarkable precision and depth, makes mincemeat of this rationale for dismissal. Three justices joined the majority decision one. Justice Philip Burger Jr reluctantly concurred. He would held that a Supreme Court could not constitutionally meddle in the state appropriation process, which was solely a function of the General Assembly.
136This, in my opinion, is a flat out assault on judicial review. The ability of a court to determine a violation of our Constitution by the estate and impose a remedy. This is not conservative. North Carolina was the first state in the country to have its Supreme Court enshrine judicial review in our law. This was in 1787, 16 years before Chief Justice John Marshall wrote the landmark decision of Marbury versus Madison. It must be noted that Justice Haynes, a Republican, joined in dissent with his two Democrat colleagues. He acknowledged, quote, the state’s shameful failure to meet its constitutional obligations. Period. End quote. If Guilford County Schools had received funds as a result of the 2022 decision, teacher salaries would have been raised. We would have lived more, had more counselors and social workers. pre-K would have
137been expanded, as well as education, service. Uh, for at risk children. None of this is happening, and it didn’t happen because the General Assembly decided to defy a court order. A constitutional remedy. They felt, which in my opinion, is more or less a ministerial obligation than turned it into, uh, uh, a matter of right as a matter of right. My opinion comes from the sections dealing with children’s right, a child’s right to a based education, elections matter, as does adherence to precedent, exception, exceptional circumstances which are flimsy, resort to subject matter, jurisdiction, argument concocted out of nothing, does not provide. Thank you. Chrissy. Good evening. First of all, I would. like to encourage our fabulous state legislature in Raleigh to pass a budget when they go into the short session next week. I think a
138lot of people would appreciate that if we could get that rolling. Um, next up, last week I had the pleasure of going down to Southern High School for the dedication of the Pat Mills concession stand, which this board voted on the naming of last meeting. And it was just a beautiful, magnificent event, really being able to just celebrate the community. Um, and speaking of community, I personally am a huge fan of neighborhood schools. Um, I, I love the the sense of community. And you’ve got a group of kids who are together from elementary school to middle school to high school. And I, I just think there’s something so very magical about it. Um, there’s lots of appeals to, to different school models. But for me, neighborhood schools are where it’s at. And recently last week,
139actually, we had an awesome event in High Point that was run by a combination of Central and Ferndale. Um, I want to read this real quickly. Last Tuesday, High Point Central and Ferndale partnered to host their very first block party and feeder elementary schools, Fairview, Oak Hill, Northwood and Shady Brook. So all over our High Point area joined us for a vibrant, multicultural event featuring music, free food and opportunities to connect with middle and high school staff about academic programs, athletics, and campus offerings. Attendees also enjoyed watching High Point Central softball and baseball teams take on their rivals from Andrew’s. And we had colleges, businesses, job opportunities and community organizations on site as well, and there were well over 1000 visitors on site, which is just amazing to me. What an absolute awesome showing of
140that community coming out to support the schools. And you know, having all those kids there all the way from elementary all the way to high school, I just think it’s so, so awesome. So I encourage schools all across the county, you know, get together with your your partner schools, your feeder schools, and, and do cool things with your community. It’s a great way to bring everybody together. So that’s all I have. Um, I think, you know, we’re fast approaching graduation season. Um, that’s going to be here before we know it. So we are in the kind of final push for the school year and keep on going. Teachers and students, you got this. Thanks. Thank you. Kim. Yes. Good evening everyone. I had the opportunity. To visit. Erwin Montessori recently to learn a little bit
141more about our Montessori programs. And I. had a great time at Colfax Elementary who collected cereal, um, for I think it was help. One of the food for the food bank programs in Guilford County, um, service learning. Uh, we received a couple of videos from students around the district that did service learning projects. And I’m going through a lot of those videos right now. Our students are trying to solve problems in Guilford County, um, around immigration. They have some concerns about immigration and the quality of education, which was spoken of tonight. Um, at the podium about those inequities. Um, so it’s good to see that students are thinking a lot more deeply around their community overall. Um, going to Raleigh is, to me is not just about teacher pay. It’s really about the quality of
142life in North Carolina, the quality of education, um, that we all are impacted by. Right? Like it’s no longer, uh, a good thing to say that we’re funding a basic education because our children definitely need more than a basic education in order to be successful, um, in the world that they live in today. So it’s not acceptable to me for it to just be basic. Um, it’s about organizing. Um, it’s about raising awareness of what is happening in education and the inequity, not just for students, but for our educators. I meet people in Guilford County that have been here at least ten plus years. So we know that we have dedicated educators in Guilford County, and I always lift that up wherever I go about Guilford County and the great work that’s happening, um, here.
143And I am appreciative of my children’s experience in Guilford County. I worked in aces, so I know what it’s like to work part time, or to work for $9 an hour. Um, and definitely not to be able to afford health insurance. So I totally understand why we need to go to Raleigh. I wish we would just do it a little bit more often. Actually, I do think it needs to be a rolling effort of seeing those legislators until we can flip those seats and get the right people in place to get what we need for everybody in Guilford County. So and in North Carolina. So I’m in for May day. I hope I can make it. My mom’s birthday is April 29th, y’all. And you know she’ll be 82. So I’m I might not make
144it, but I’m in. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Kim Deborah. I usually try and be good to stay under my three minutes tonight. I make no promises. Uh, but first let me say, um, if you can zero in on my name tag here, you’ll see that I have a sticker that says I’m at my job today because of an early childhood educator that came home in my four year old’s packet today from her pre-K class. And, um, let me tell you what, that statement is true for me and for a lot of people I know, and I’m eternally grateful for the pre-K teachers that can handle a classroom full of children, like my child who is afraid of absolutely nothing. Um, so if you want to zoom in, there’s a QR code there. It will
145take you to a page celebrating the week of the Young Child in April, which is April 13th through 17th of this year. And I will remind myself to celebrate my child as I try and wake her up at six in the morning for school. But past that, I frequently come back to, uh, a while ago at the last election cycle where someone asked, what is the value of public education besides all of us sitting here at this room today? What is the value of public education? Ladies and gentlemen, the value of public education is Artemis two. We have a North Carolina public school educated graduate of our schools. Who is the woman in history with the longest time in space, the longest spacewalk. She got her degrees right here from colleges in the state of
146North Carolina. Through our public education system. And she is absolutely amazing. If you have not looked up, Miss Cook, please do, because she will knock your socks off and she is homegrown right here out of our public school system. And several people have mentioned the Leandra decision. And as we watch on both the local and international level, we are learning. We are learning that devaluing the public school systems does not work out well in the public’s opinions. Viktor Orban and his authoritarian style of rule just learned on an international level. Phil Berger just learned on a local level. I suspect deep in my soul after this Leandra decision that Phil Burchard junior will also learn that these types of devaluation of the schools that we all hold so dear, the teachers who gave us so
147much, whose names I can still tell you, my kindergarten teacher to this day, I can tell you the high school teacher that gave me my love of literature. I can tell you the college teacher that gave me my love of nursing. I can tell you who won an Oscar last year and I don’t care the value of publication is public education. It is here. It is now. It’s been all over the TV all week, and those who seek to devalue it are losing their places of authority and power to do so. And I will continue to work with those who challenge those rulings. Hey, look, I did. Do it. Thank you. Linda. Yes, sir. I just want to say, I know the General Assembly needs to do their job. Absolutely. Our teachers and our classified
148staff desire an increase in pay. The cost of supporting our children has increased. Our special needs students have been shortchanged for years. We need to increase the percentage of children funded with special needs from 13 to 16%. We also need to allocate by severity level which children get more funding because there’s a wide range. So absolutely, I know everyone in the school system struggling. Most people in general at this time are struggling. Regarding my vote, staff and families are struggling. Not everyone is in a position to take an optional work day. Not every parent is in a position to have ready child care. I think bringing this up two weeks or possibly ahead of time and letting every parent and family know that we’re going to have an optional work day is going to be
149challenging for some families and some staff. So that is my vote. Why I decided to vote no, I support you. I think we need everything. I know we’re in there and we’re struggling. I understand that, but I could not support that. Thank you. And I do wish the General Assembly gets on board tomorrow. Thank you. I’m Pastor Charles. Uh, I would like to read a statement from the president of the Guilford County Association of Educators. We are asking for our community to stand with us. We are here fighting for high quality public schools. They have supported us in the past, and we are looking forward to May 1st in standing with parents, community members, teachers, school workers, bus drivers, everybody to really get our students the schools they deserve from Guilford County Association of Educators
150President Todd Warren and 2019. And so still, here we are. I remember being at that May 1st, 2019 rally with my four children and my spouse, and our youngest was holding a sign in one hand that was supporting teachers and was holding a stuffed dog in the other with a pacifier hanging from the clip on her red shirt. And tomorrow, she stars in her fourth grade play. Um. She is thriving in her school, Irving Park Elementary, but that is in spite of all of the ways that the highest levels of government and leadership are failing her and undermining her education. And it is entirely because of her teachers, her educators, and the workers in her school. Uh, there is so much that we can’t do as a board, as a district. But let’s continue to
151find the things that we can do. And one of those is to listen to our teachers who tonight have asked us for three things to name them. Again, transparency. Number two, prioritizing workers and our budget decisions. And number three, get on the bus come to May day with GCA. And I appreciate the decision tonight to designate May 1st as an optional teacher work day. I do regret any hardship that it causes for classified workers, for families, for students. I hope that by giving two weeks notice, we’ve at least given some ability to prepare and to brace. But I do want to say again and stress that the hardship or inconvenience is not caused by this board or by these educators, but by those in Raleigh who control 60% of our funding. Our schools are not
152underperforming. They are underfunded. And the only side to be on is the teacher’s side. Thank you, Vice Chair Jenkins. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, good evening. First I will say it’s been repeated before. Um, happy National School library or media specialist month? Um, and I know that the media specialist always encourage our students to read at least 30 minutes each night. Um, we had a program at Northeast Middle School. It was for homeless or transition kids. Um, the the money raised went to them. And that was a great program. It was funny how the different, um, teachers and principals played against each other in basketball. So that was something that the not only the school system, um, took apart, but the entire community took a part in that. So that was very rewarding. As Doctor
153Slade mentioned about the hearing and the feeling, um, I’m going to add to doing and I will say that the sign that is out now in front of the school, it is so appealing now than it was before. Um, it brings a lot of light. And so that’s the way we measure our customer service. And the only person, only place I know can probably match us right now is chick fil A, and I leave that there. Um, the 46th annual, um, Junior Achievement was held at the Coliseum, and our students really perform. Um, they did the prayer. They did invocation. They did the opening. They really did a good job. So happen that the students who perform was from Bluford and Dudley, which is district seven, and they showed out. Last but not least, um,
154I’ve been told that Shirley Chisholm stated, if people don’t invite you to the table, you just pull up a seat and bring yourself. So therefore save me a seat on the bus on May 1st. I’ll be there. Thank you. Thank you. Um. I just. Want to say a couple of really quick stories. One is about Carrie Jones. Carrie Jones was a woman who was set in a wheelchair to Dallas Regional Medical Center in Texas, screaming, crying and screaming in pain. She had called the hospital while in route and informed that she was in active labor. However, when she got there, the church charged. Nurse did not seem to register the urgency of the event, and she waited for 30 minutes without medical care until she delivered her baby in the emergency room. Mercedes Wells is
155an African, another African American woman in Crown Point, Indiana, urgently needing to deliver her baby at the hospital, begging the nurse, saying that she is in active labor. Um, and she was told to go home and come back when her contractions were less than a minute apart. She delivered her baby on the side of the road. Eight months and eight minutes into her ride back home, Tiara Walker experienced seizures, high blood pressure and diabetes, recognized symptoms of preeclampsia because it led to the stillbirth of her twin daughters. She was increasingly concerned about her ability to survive this particular pregnancy. One doctor said that documented her as high risk of clinical deterioration or death. One doctor told her that despite the seizure, high blood pressure, blood clot and other symptoms she was experiencing, there was no
156emergency. And a few days after Christmas, on his birthday, her 14 year old son found her dead in bed from preeclampsia. Now, this is a story from 2025 and 2026. I can go back to 2024 and name women. I can go to 2023, 2022, you name it. And there are stories. And I’m saying that to say that most of the people in our system say that they would never do that. And it happens over and over and over again. And I’m saying that to say that tonight as we talk about the underfunding and the devaluing, I have stood with every educator, every instructional person, every staff person in this district that touches the lives of children and family. And I will continue to do so. Period. And if you look at the grade level proficiency
157for 2025, for Guilford County, out of a 14 subgroups, African American students are number 11. They fall behind every racial and ethnic subgroup. They fall behind every gender group. They fall behind all of the other proficiency levels. And that is unacceptable. And we can go back every year since I got here in 2002 and see the same thing. So as we fight for and advocate and put pressure on people who are withholding funds, people who are underfunding education, who are not fulfilling their requirements to mandates on the school system, we have to hold ourselves accountable for these poor outcomes. These affect children’s lives. And you know what else they do? These are some of the preexisting conditions that cause women and children to lose their lives. This is a factor. So, um, I support everything.
158And we have to be held accountable for this. So with that said, I’ll entertain a motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? All right. Good night.