001Good evening and thank you for being here at this special call meeting on April the 15. It's tax day and so I know all of you have completed everything and ready to to enjoy an evening. Um Mr. Hunter I'm assuming is going to be Speaking of Mr. Hunter, we we do have more than a quorum. We have perfect attendance. So, thank you board. Um, we need an agenda uh to adopt the agenda as presented, if you will, for this special call meeting. Is there a motion to approve the agenda as presented? Marie makes the motion. Second. I'll second. Con makes a second. Question or discussion regarding the agenda? If not, all in favor, show of hands. Motion carries 70. First item on the agenda is one that we don't do a whole lot of and
002it's a public hearing for uh to meet to meet the laws of the state of North Carolina. I'm ask Mr. Wallace if he'd like to say a word or two about this and then we'll go directly from there to Miss Wilson who will conduct the public hearing. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good evening, everyone. Um, you're right. We don't typically do this and and you know, most of you on this board in this community know the history of when COVID hit in in March of 2020 and then the next year we had nearly 800 kids that signed up to go virtual. We were directed by the governor that we had to offer a virtual option and we did. We had a good outpouring and we really our staff and team poured into that. I've mentioned many
003times that we want to be the right choice, the right educational choice in the area, the region, particularly in Davy County. So, we have sustained, continued to sustain and keep open our virtual school. Our team has worked tirelessly, been phenomenal, done a tremendous amount of work. But unfortunately, what we're seeing or fortunately is the the demand for virtual setting is continues to decrease in Davy County. Last year we reduced from we no longer served fourth and fifth grade and we reduced the staff uh reduced the staff member because of numbers. We've worked closely with Mr. Brown, the principal. We've worked closely with the staff. We've talked with them and we've continued to monitor numbers, but the numbers for next for what's projected for next year just isn't there. So, as we presented to you in
004our budget work session, we feel is is really the only decision we have is to close Davy County Virtual School. So, I'll be glad to try to entertain any questions around that. We did as we discussed extensively during the budget meeting and I will also remind you that we have a we did a demographic study a population forecast in 22 and and the slight decline that we're seeing in enrollment. Now again our enrollment is not not any drastic changes which is good. It's is pretty level, but we're just seeing a decline in the interest or enrollment in in the virtual school. So, I'll entertain any questions. Otherwise, I'll um turn it over to It's not a question, but I believe your staff has contacted all the parents of the students. Thank you, Mr. Pots. Great
005point. Mr. Brown reached out to every student and that was actually in and spoken to parents personal phone call, which is good. It's the way we like to do things when we can and we were able to do that this time and there was one that was I mean some were disappointed some understood and we had to do a follow Mr. Brand I do a follow-up call one parent and I think everybody's understandable now understands disappointed we all are cuz it was a choice it was an option but we can no longer sustain that with you know we have our a lotments I discussed that during the budget work session that we were going to lose a teaching position an instructional service position services and we were also losing some months of employment which is
006related to CTE not this however we're seeing a slight reduction that in part goes is back to the funding in a rears that the state implemented last year. So our funding for the 2526 year will be based upon this year's highest PMR average daily membership in month one and month two. So a little bit of a change uh but we either way that that's really not affecting the the um the enrollment but yes to your point every person's been contacted. Yes sir. And so we will now turn the public hearing over to our attorney, Jill Wilson. And board members, pursuant to statute, it is always advisable that prior to closing a school, you give your public an opportunity to give their opinion on that topic should they choose. So this is the opening as we
007speak of the public hearing for anyone who wishes to be heard on the closing of the virtual school. Nobody has signed up. Did we overlook anyone? In light of the fact that no one seems to want to speak with you, I suggest that you move to close the hearing. So, you would entertain a motion to close the public hearing to consider the closing of the virtual public school. Okay. Board, you've heard the recommendation of our attorney. Is there a motion to that effect to close the hearing? Okay. Joe makes a motion second. Stephanie makes a second. Any questions or comments? If not, we consider this virtual hearing closed and we'll come back to that as a as an item a little bit later. Next on our agenda is a consent agenda. But based on our
008parliamentary rules, is there a motion to approve the consent agenda that's in our booklet? Motion by Marie. Second. Second by Michael. Any questions or discussions? Hearing none. All in favor? Motion carries. 70. We'll move directly to our business agenda. Uh and the first item is Mr. Wallace regarding budget and personnel related to the virtual school. Yes. So this being the business piece business portion of the agenda board, I'd again make the recommendation that you that the Davy County virtual school be closed. That's you have a recommendation from the superintendent to close the virtual school. We need a second. Second by who said that? Joe. And any questions or recommend uh questions or comments regarding virtual school? If not, all in favor? Motion carries. 70. Next, um, our finance officer, Mr. Klay Harris, regarding the Pine
009Brook, excuse me, the Chromebook. The other business item is related to the purchase of our Chromebooks. As we discussed last week in the business, I'm sorry, in the in the budget session, we talked about going ahead and purchasing the Chromebooks with capital um, fund balance. So, in consent, we approved the the amendment to be able to do that. Now, I present to you the contract for us to go with Trfera to purchase the 1,200 Chromebooks at a cost of $430,346.31. These are on state contract. And so, that's the reason that we don't have multiple bids associated with it. So, I'd ask that we approve that so we can move forward. Okay. You've heard the recommendation of Mr. Harris to move to purchase the capital from capital outlay the Chromebooks for the keep our one one
010to1 ratio. Is there a motion to that effect? Jeff makes the motion. Second second by Khan. Now questions to Mr. Harris regarding the purchase hearing. None. All in favor? All right. Now I think that is most of our dull business. So the next part on our agenda is a little bit more exciting and for many of us the probably the main reason that you're here this evening. Uh and before we get to the the point of making motions so forth, I want to just I want to share this with you guys because it's important to me. uh thank Mr. Wallace for his continuing support and even even in the hall 10 minutes ago to encourage uh a smooth transition. We can't say enough to say thank you for that. And uh you sort of got
011your heart touched yesterday. We were we were doing we were doing a tour at Davy High School and we made one turn down one of the long halls and 500 plus sophomores were lined up down the halls doing that. So he walked for seven minutes probably a long time uh with those kids clapping and he almost cried a couple times but he he tried to have a lot of pride not not show it but again that was a good indication that the staff there at the high school and the students have have supported you and I know you greatly appreciate it. Uh to Carol and Jenda and Karen during these past few months, thank y'all. Uh Jenna stepping up to be interim superintendent. And uh Karen getting press releases together. She's got things ready to
012hit send already. And uh and for Carol taking care of us as usual, getting food for us and uh making sure all the things were posted to take care of our legal concerns. We we do appreciate that. Uh Sam Thorp, who's not here uh with the schoolboard association, guided us through this process, so we say thanks to him. But now getting back to what I said I wanted to do is really thank you guys. I would be less than honest to say I wasn't a little bit nervous going into this process. It's not a not a thing that we do a whole lot. So like the public hearing and too many nights I laid there and I thought what if we're split? What if two or three of us are feeling this way and two
013or three this way, two more another way and trying to get all on the same page? I don't know why people worry about stuff that you can't control because it just worked out so beautifully. Uh you worked together, you ranked the candidates um that you wanted to interview. We got all those candidates lined up to come in or Sam did. you remain confidential during that period of time because I know there's at least one or so of the candidates that some of you know personally and I knew personally that that makes it a little tougher when the community ask about folks. Um, and when we finished interviewing, we went around the table and talked to each other. And if you'll remember, I went to that white marking board and had that graph up there that
014Michael Hunter thought was ridiculous, but we had a graph and it it forced us to say who my number one choice is. And then I think we all got to at least put our second choice up there. And I say all that again the way of saying thank you because you were focused on who would be the best leader in this school system. And Jeff Wallace would say that just doesn't happen that we we had seven people who ranked their number one choice and it was all the same. And somebody on my right hand side, I'm not really sure which voice it was, but somebody on my right hand side said, "Why do we need to keep on interviewing because we had plans all the way up to May 7th, I believe, to have second
015interviews. We had this really good plan laid out, but somebody came to chose to come in and and just blow our our our plan." Um, so with that introduction to my appreciation for you, I would like to hear if there is a some board action that we might could take on hiring a new superintendent. Yeah. Board members, would someone like to make a motion to hire Dr. Heath Belchure for a term from July 1, 2025 to June June 30th, 2029. You know, math is not my best thing. Uh on the terms and condition contained in the contract and the transition agreement that we have that we will execute at the end of this meeting. So, if someone would so move, we'll be ready to go. I'll make a motion. Okay, we have a motion on
016the floor from Marie. Is there a second? I saw Jeff's hands first. So, uh, you called the name, right? I did. Okay. Okay. Just want to make sure that's official that you called the name. All in favor of hiring Dr. Belure, raise your hand. All right. Congratulations. [Applause] we say welcome. Uh we're proud of the school system. We know you're going to be a an integral part of us continuing to be proud of the school system. We're fortunate and and grateful that you have brought two beautiful people with you this evening. You want me to introduce you? You want to go ahead and have the privilege? I love that. All right. So, this is my beautiful and lovely wife Joanna. She is We've been doing this for 23 years together. She's a teacher and mostly
017fourth grade. So certainly proud of her. And then my equally beautiful and lovely daughter, Grace. Grace is a senior at High School. She's will be graduating a few weeks and will be going to the UNCC this fall. So certainly proud of her. My son Nate is a sophomore in college at University of Arizona Tucson. So he couldn't quite make the triply proud of of him as well. I just chairman Pototts, Vice Chair Helms, and all the board. I appreciate your um this opportunity, your vote of confidence and your trust. And Jeff, Jinda, I certainly thank you and just what a great place to to come and And I know that you would probably attribute that to the staff, the principles, the central services staff, the teachers, just all the employees across school. So I'm certainly
018excited to be here. I know the community is is a great community. We're ready to make our home and certainly appreciate the community partners, just the board of commissioners that have supported the school system. all the nonprofits, the organizations, just a great place to be. Couldn't be more excited. I will say this, same thing I told the board when I first met them. Um, I'm a person of faith. And so, um, I believe that God gives us gifts and talents and skills that we can use in service to him and our neighbor. And while God gives us those gifts, I was fortunate to have a mom and a dad that gave me some values and beliefs that helped me use those gifts to serve our our neighbors and serve each other and serve him. And
019then I told them as well that my wife who keeps me accountable to those values and guys don't know she's like they're like a rock. They can foundation or when you get a stray they can knock you upside the head too. So certainly um appreciate them and then of course grace and kids they give me that meaning and purpose and I know that's the same meaning and purpose that um Jeff and all the superintendents before him have have lived up to and that the board and previous boards have lived up to. So again just thrilled to death. Couldn't couldn't be more excited and look forward to uh a great relationship and continuing the good work. Thank you very much. And we have some board members who want to say some things. So, we haven't we
020haven't talked a whole lot about your bio and uh I don't know if we've even said that you're currently in Lincoln County as an associate superintendent and uh yellow and or gold and black has you have some of that blood in you from ASU and uh then you had some Catamount. Uh what about Catamounts? Yeah. Carolina. Western Carolina. Uh, I think they're looking forward to maybe trying to find some orange. We'll take care of you. We'll take care of you. So, at this time, let's open up the opportunity for you guys to share or welcome or whatever it feels led to say. Thank you, Mr. Pots, and thank you, Dr. Belchure. are excited for you to be here and for your family and to let the community know all about you and your family and
021I know people have been waiting a long time and um it it was a very taxing process. Absolutely. Um it it was a big weight to know that we were making a decision for every student, every family, every person in the county. And I'm just so grateful that you're here and um that we're moving forward. Um, one of the things that I just wanted to share that caught me initially before even meeting you was um, one of the pa one of the paragraphs in the 48page application of yours that we had 28 of. So, we spent a lot of time reading, but I just want to share it with everyone. Um, this was kind of my where I got my first impression of you. says, and this is what you'd said, "My goal is to
022ensure that the children of Davy County and their families are educated in a school system that is safe, supportive, and collaborative, has effective instruction in every classroom, and provides a guaranteed and viable curriculum. Above all, my calling in education is rooted in a profound desire to serve a purpose greater than myself. I believe that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, deserves an exceptional education that prepares them for a successful future. I believe that future generations of families in Davy County want to know that their child learns in an environment that is safe, empowering, and family focused. I also know that the citizens of Davy County want a school system that prepares their students for their future. If given the opportunity to lead Davy County schools, I will dedicate myself to be equally prepared in
023fostering an environment where students thrive academically, teachers feel empowered, and the entire community takes pride in its schools. So that really meant a lot and I could tell that it was genuine and I could tell even more so when I met you. So thank you. We're excited to have you. Yeah. I just um want to sort of echo what Marie said. We're so excited to have you and your family uh to have you move here and and provide over all of our students and our staff. um I read your bio and along with 27 others and uh you really stood out. So when you walked in that room, it was just a clear choice for me. So very excited to have you and welcome to Davy County. I just want to say welcome to Davy
024County to you and your family. I think you're going to find the people here um supportive and uh they're going to enjoy getting to know you. So congratulations again won't be in a war you go now. So congratulations. I think the 70 um unanimous that you're just a great fit for this county after meeting you just kind of said everything. So we're we're all excited to have you here and I think the staff will be too. Um, I just want to say we had a lot of people praying over this decision and I prayed hard over this decision and was very at peace at everything that we talked about and went through and that we chose you. like everybody else, just really excited for the future and um looking forward to working with you and
025I'm gonna steal one from him. It's a great day to be a war eagle. Would like like for everybody to join us. We have some cake and a little little table over there. Have some before we not before we do. We have some trinkets over there or and other things to welcome you to our area. And again, as already been said, we're so delighted that the three of you and wish your son could join you as well. But understand, we're excited to have you in Davy County. And I truly believe that you're going to be a good fit. I truly believe that uh the staff is going to be excited when they get to know you. So with that, can I have a motion to adjurnn? So move Michael second. Joe, any questions? All in
026favor? Meeting close. Meeting ajourn.