001The March uh 16th work session of the Hornet County Board of Education is now in order. Well, good morning everyone and let's begin uh our activities today with our invocation. So, if everyone will please stand. And Mr. Godfrey, welcome back. We're so glad to have you back with us. Uh, would you please lead us in prayer? >> I'll be glad to. Bow your heads and pray with him if you will. Our gracious, kind heavenly father. Lord, we thank you for the privilege of being here in your presence this morning. Lord, we thank you for everybody's health this morning, Lord, that's able to get out and be here. And Lord, I pray safety today for everyone in North Carolina, dear Lord, that you would look after us, Father. Look after our property, Lord. If we do
002have any storms, Lord, I pray that you would just lift them up before they get to us, Father. Protect us and guide us and direct us and be with us like you always do and forgive us of our many sins, Lord, because we know there are many. Be with us as we carry on our business this morning. and we'll do it in a kind, considerate, compassionate way, dear Lord, looking after everyone's needs as best we can. The Lord is these things we pray in the name of Jesus and for his sake. Amen. >> Amen. Mr. White, would you lead us in the pledge of allegiance? >> Yes, sir. 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
003and justice for all. >> Thank you. And you may be seated. Are there any adjustments to our agenda? If not, I'll entertain a motion. >> Motion to approve the agenda is read, Mr. Chairman. Second. >> We have a motion and a second. Is there further discussion? Hearing none, the chairman votes I. >> Abate I. >> Gainy I. >> John for I. >> Hearing nay votes. The motion carries and the agenda is approved as presented. We're going to begin our meeting this morning with a special presentation and that's a uh career and technical education teacher apprenticeship program and that would be Miss Michelle Vancan. So, Miss Funkanet, if you come forward along with Miss Hardy and Miss Johnson. >> I was just getting ready to take Miss Hardy is going to join me um with in
004this presentation today because it does involve some CTE immersion and so I know she would be the expert to speak to that. And good morning. Good morning. I hope everyone's okay. Yeah. Okay. All right. Fantastic. All right. Well, thank you for having us this morning. We wanted to speak to you briefly about a um a program that we have been working on for a couple months now and crafting it and it has evolved in several iterations now. And so, we feel really good about what we've got for you today. Um and I do want to preface this. The teacher in me is coming out. Um, you're going to hear the word apprenticeship three different times today, but it has three different meanings. Okay? So, this program we're calling the TA apprenticeship program. That would be
005the Hornet County Schools apprenticeship program. Okay? But within that program, you'll hear us talk about a youth apprenticeship. That is a North Carolina registered apprenticeship um through the Department of Labor. Okay? So, if you hear youth apprenticeship, that is um that's different. And then you'll also hear the adult apprenticeship that is also a North Carolina registered apprenticeship through the North Carolina Department of Labor. So I know it's going to be a little bit confusing. We'll try to keep you um squared away in the differences in the three. But uh let's start with the north with our version what we're creating um or would like to create the Hornet County Schools TA apprenticeship program. The purpose of this is to develop a pipeline of future educators through a structured pathway that starts in high school and
006goes all the way through ideally um teacher lensure and entering the work our teacher workforce here in Hick County schools. Okay. And so what we have done is created a nice structured pro u pathway for potential teachers. Um and so the the purpose of this or the reason why we've we've created this program, it was actually inspired by a Rockingham County program um that uh I believe Mr. Matthews and Miss um Thompson saw at a presentation and so they liked it and said, "Let's see if we can create something for Hornet County Schools similar to this." Um and so it it we have some barriers right now in our school system that this might help to break through. Um the first one is just our TA vacancies. We do tend to carry a few TA
007vacancies and that's throughout the year. Um and then also we I I speak to a lot of current teacher assistants who would like to become teachers but almost always they talk to me about the um financial barriers that they are faced with and so that might keep them from becoming a teacher and pursuing their lensure. So, what we hope to do with this program is break down some of those barriers. This program will give um aspiring teachers an opportunity to have hands-on classroom experience from the time they're in high school all the way through their college experience. Um, it greatly reduces the out-ofpocket college expenses for the program participants and it would help to satisfy some of and fill some of those TA vacancies that we are feeling um on our side. Here's an overview
008of the entire program. As you can see, it does start in high school and in just a second, Miss Hardy is going to speak to that a little bit with an that youth apprenticeship that I mentioned. Um then it carries to the community college uh in an adult apprenticeship and if the participant would like to they can carry on to the four-year university. Um and we have been in talks with Campbell about some ways that they can provide um opportunities for this apprenticeship to continue. And then finally, you know, once they finish up with in a four-year university setting and they have their teacher license, they can move into a full-time position as a teacher with us. Okay. So, let's speak a little bit more about the different phases and we're going to start with
009the high school phase one. And I'm going to let Lindsay speak to that. Thank you, Michelle. Good morning, everyone. Um, from the CTE side, uh, youth apprenticeship is a great asset that we need to tap into more, not just here in Haret County Schools, but our local industry as well. And one of the main reasons for that is the tuition waiver that the state offers. if you're in a youth registered apprenticeship program. And I'm sure that will be expanded upon later. But when Michelle came to me about the idea Miss Thompson, her team had for this program, this came to mind uh very quickly for me because this is something that we want to take advantage of if we're if we are able to because of the funding that comes with it. So, in a
010North Carolina registered youth apprenticeship program, which the state is no longer registering adult apprenticeships without a youth tagged to it, and if you think about that, there's a reason for it. So, statistics show if you get someone into your business, industry, agency, or school system at a younger age, retaining that individual, the statistics of that goes up tremendously. So initially there were tuition waiverss for adult apprenticeships to incentivize business and industry to take advantage of funding from the general assembly and the federal government for those programs. However, they are underutilized. And so how do we close that gap as a state and as a country is to approach folks at a younger age. And so if you get them at a younger age, such as a high school student, into a youth program, they become
011eligible if they complete the program for tuition free at the state if they continue into an adult program. So that's why we're starting with the youth program this morning and explaining that to you. In CTE alone, um there are proven models both here and across the state that if you expose students in that junior year, sometimes senior year to a cohort of peers in a structured environment with a common career goal that you retain those students in that program and in that industry. And so every student that comes through this may not be retained here forever, but the likelihood of them staying in education in some facet increases just because they have come through a cohort together with their peers in a structured program. So aside from all that background information my teacher had on
012this morning as well, uh how would we do this in Haret County Schools? So we would work in partnership with Central Carolina Community College. They have a team of folks that do this every day, a dedicated team for apprenticeships and they would help us to create a a registered youth apprenticeship. There are a few components that are required for that. So students would need a college course, it could be one, it could be more than one um attached to the youth program that they would do through dual enrollment which is already in existence and paid for through our schools and our um county funds. In addition to the dual enrollment course or courses that would be attached to the youth program, they would need a work-based learning piece. And so the good thing about an
013existing partnership with the community college is the work-based learning piece would count for us in Har County Schools as a high school credit as well as on the job experience for the youth in the program, but the uh college would articulate that those um hours. So depending on how many hours they worked in a CT internship as a teacher assistant, the college would then in turn give college credit for that at no cost to the student and very minimal cost to um the PSU. So you have the work-based learning piece where students are getting on the job experience and really learning if they want to do this or not. you have the dual enrollment course or courses that they could take uh free of cost to the student to allow them to start a pathway
014at the community college that they would then continue in the adult apprenticeship. At the end of the program, the students would receive a certificate, a nationally recognized certification from the Department of Labor that they had completed the youth apprenticeship and then we would hope that those individuals would continue into the adult program. Thank you. Okay. So the next phase um you know we we'll we'll start with the youth apprenticeship program at the high school phase. Okay. And then we would get to determine which participants can enter our Hornet County Schools TA apprenticeship program. Okay. It may not be all of them. We would set up an interview phase and there would be qualifications. We really want to consider their GPA. we would want to consider um attendance because of course we want to make sure
015that they're going to attend their college courses and going to show up to their TA apprenticeship program. Um but we would we would decide who we want to be a part of the Hornet County Schools TA apprenticeship program and then they would continue on to the community college um and we would involve them in a an adult apprenticeship. Now, remember, Lindsay just said that we can't do adult apprenticeships without that youth apprentice tag. So, these folks will have been through that youth apprenticeship. So, we can then carry that over to an adult apprenticeship. Um, make sure I'm covering everything. And we would get that, we would work with uh Central Carolina to get that taken care of, and they would help us craft um and decide which courses we would want the um participants to
016take um and things of that nature. Yeah, the next slide has a lot of um so the chosen apprentices would work as a TA in our system. This would be their apprenticeship for 20 hours a week while completing 16 hours of college coursework at the community college level. Now, here's the wonderful thing. The tuition and fees are covered since it is a North Carolina registered apprenticeship. Plus, don't forget they received funds and tuition coverage through that youth apprenticeship as well. So they're they're covered with that. Additionally, the apprentices are paid for both their time in the classroom and the 16 hours of college coursework. So they're paid 36 hours a week to participate in this apprenticeship. Plus, don't forget their tuition and fees are covered at the community college. So it's definitely that's that's that
017great um financial barrier that that I was telling you about that we're trying to break through. Um now of course you know our teacher assistants our full-time teacher assistants in Hornet County are required to drive a bus. Um for for the purpose for this purpose the people that are participating in this program the Hornet County Schools TA apprenticeship program they would be exempt from driving a bus while participating in the program because they are full-time students and working with us part-time. Okay. Now at that point they can they can go one of three different directions. Okay let's say that at this point they decide this is not for me. I want to to entertain a different career altogether. That is fine. They have worked with us. They you know we have uh benefited from their
018TA work for those two years and they go and pursue a different career. They might decide that I really like being a teacher assistant and this is what I want to do full-time. in which case they would join our workforce as a full-time teacher assistant and then pick up those bus responsibilities or what we would ideally like is that they enter a 4-year uh university, finish their degree. Okay. Uh and if they choose to go to Campbell University, um we I have spoken with them and they are willing, you know, they have to do a lot of um uh field experience anyway. Uh Campbell is willing out an agreement where when they're doing their field experience, they can continue a part-time employment with us as a teacher assistant. So, they could get paid for that.
019So, it would be like a paid experience for them. Okay. So, so Campbell has agreed to that. Now, um the I'm sure you're aware of the um Hornet County promise, tuition promise that Campbell offers. Okay. Where if they go to high school county, they get free tuition. They are not able to offer that free tuition at Campbell because they are not um with them for all four years. They're coming in after the third year, but it is still um a um it's providing financial uh breaks for them at the community college level. Okay? And they're able to do their field experiences and get paid for that time with Hornet County Schools. Okay? They don't have to go to Campbell. They can go to any four-year college that they want to to finish their degree if
020they choose to. That's a something that Campbell has offered. Okay. So, you you've heard there's lots of benefits both to the district itself and to the teacher assistant who would be participating in the program. And you can see that list of um benefits to us. It's going to help to fill that void of the teacher assistant vacancies that we have. Albeit it's in a part-time capacity, it's better than nothing. Okay. It's better than than nothing at all. Um, it also is going to help strengthen our pipeline because we're going to get them in. They're going to fall in love with Hornet County Schools. They're going to fall in love with the kids. They're going to fall in love with our teachers. And so, they are going to want to come back and either serve as
021a full-time teacher assistant or as a teacher with our school system. From the teacher assistant side of things, it's definitely benefiting their them because they're going to be immersed in the classroom from high school all the way through finishing college. Okay? So, they're they're going to be extremely well trained. Um, they've got that coursework behind them. They've got all that experience behind them. So, they are going to be more than ready to enter the classroom, which is what we want um when they graduate if they decide to enter and join us as a teacher, full-time teacher. Okay. Um All right, Lindsay, is there anything I muted that you wanted to add? >> No. Um I forgot to include one piece for the youth apprenticeship. So, currently students in order to advantage of free tuition at
022Central Carolina. When they graduate, they have to complete 12 credit hours and or there's a number of courses that's the equivalent of that. With this opportunity, students could choose to complete a pathway through CCP, but they don't have to. So, this could be students that are at that GPA threshold where they would make a good college student, but maybe they haven't gone out and taken advantage of dual enrollment thus far. Maybe they want an opportunity that seems I don't want to use the word overwhelming, but seems more accessible to the to them, something where they can try a course out and find success and then potentially continue in dual enrollment to complete a pathway. So, there are a group of students that um would see this as an advantage because they don't have to commit
023to completing three full college courses to get the full tuition waiver. So, that's an incentive for those students as well. Okay. What questions do you have for us? >> Okay. >> Questions for Miss Vancan or Miss Hardy? >> I have several. >> Um, my first question, if they do Central Carolina, when they do Central Carolina, can they go to a state school and continue that tuition waiver? From the the reading that I have done, that tuition waiver is um they're very explicit in the policy that it has to go to a community college. >> Okay. >> So, it it doesn't continue through from the community college to a state. >> That's right. >> Okay. >> That's right. >> Next question. Um you mentioned financial barriers of TAS and and trying to break through those and
024what have you. And starting salary of a first year teacher, as we all know, is $41,000. at $58,210 a year. That's $116,000 for for a student to to get their teaching degree. If they were to not do this program and go to Campbell's 4-year promise program, that's $72,840. That's a $43,580 savings. >> You know, I'm Yes, they would be working as a TA and getting paid while they were in in college and basically doing a heck of a a work study program. >> Um, but I guess the the numbers just don't work for me. Is there anything Campbell was willing to do as far as a a tuition discount for our our county like in some sort of a cohort or something like that? >> No. No. Um they did mention um that participants would
025be eligible for the FELS grant. Um and the FEL's grant offers up to $20,000 for undergrads. Um 10. So I think it's actually $7,000 a year if they were a recipient for that. So that would help offset the costs and then they might be eligible for other financial aid opportunities. So that that price that you see on is is exempt of any scholarships or financial aid opportunities or anything like that. >> This is just face value tuition. >> Correct. That's just that's just what it would be at full cost if they didn't pursue any other types of um financial scholarships, awards, grants, or anything like that. But I did ask specifically about the HART promise and and they they I guess it has to do with the language of the grant. Um they were unable
026to do that. Now, um when I did speak with them last, they said it would be worth um asking to see if any of the grant money could go towards um to uh housing, but that was late in the week last week, so I haven't had an opportunity to look into that any further. >> In in your discussions, have you been talking with Dr. DS directly or was it other folks? >> No, not directly. It's um I have talked with uh Dr. Bryant uh in the school of education and um Mayus, Courtney Makis, >> right? >> Um, as well the school of education, but I haven't talked to him. >> Say if we could if we could get together with Dr. DS. >> Okay. >> Um, as much as as he is becoming just the
027biggest champion of Campbell University of anyone I've seen since basically Dr. Wallace. Mhm. >> Um I think I would imagine with numbers that they're facing and what have you that it would uh it would probably beneficial to have those conversations to see if we can work out some sort of a a better partnership between Hornet County Schools and and Dr. downs because he has been so proactive already in our community and and trying to grow the university as much as he can. So, I think this would it's a good starting point, but I think it would be a great opportunity to to reach out to him directly and and have those conversations. >> I I will say on my part, I think Dr. down opened the door for the conversation because I met with him
028at when he presented to the principles a few months ago and so he opened the door and made a way for this to happen and kind of um a quick turnaround time for us. So he, you know, he did u do that part as well. And I will say, even though I understand the numbers piece, too, but most teachers really kind of um the breakdown begins when they can't make it with discipline in the classroom and they can't really manage the classroom. And so this really gives them a real kind of head and a shoulders above what a typical teacher gets, what I got in the classroom. I mean, they're kind of getting that ahead of time. So I am hopeful that it'll provide some structure that on that side of things too. But I
029understand definitely what you're saying about the finances. I mean we that's why we asked to try to we were hopeful that that would carry over. >> Does the title one um low wealth uh forgiveness still apply to loans? >> I do think there would be, you know, I'm not sure about some of the TA money. if they were working for us as a TA, they could qualify for some of that money probably as well. The reimbursement that TAs are able to get like while they >> Well, well, not that I'm talking about, you know, you teach in a title one school for so many years and then your loan can potentially. >> Yes, we are still completing those loan forgiveness. >> So, that does that still? >> Yes. May >> absolutely. >> Thank you. Um,
030I think something important to remember as well and in our early conversations is this provides an all grant for students that may not consider going to camp straight out of college because of the financial responsibility that that comes with. Even if it's reduced, they still a lot for the average person in Harvard County. And so this allows an opportunity for someone who may make an incredible teacher one day, but just does not come from a place that they can afford to go to college with a tuition offset or not. This is a fairly expensefree opportunity for them to earn while they learn. That's what an apprenticeship is designed for them to do. And then they may decide that they want to continue working while they do a few university courses at a time. So if
031you think about the big picture here and how in all areas of education we need folks, we need CT teachers, we need TAs, we need custodial staff, we need social workers, we need school counselors. The more opportunities to get folks a pathway enrolling regardless of where they ultimately end up is is a great route to offer especially if it takes a financial burden off of a family or an individual. So that's just my final piece. I do think this program has great potential uh but particularly how we could uh help improve our pipeline of teacher assistance at virtually no cost in fact for way them to make a almost full-time salary and so forth while earning their degree uh for free technically. So that's a good thing and for those uh that would like to
032go on to become teachers uh I'm like Mr. Bate when I saw 58,000 was kind of scary. But I also know that very few people at Campbell today pay the entire amount and there are tremendous financial aid programs that could help offset considerably these expenses. I do think it'd be a good idea for perhaps to arrange a meeting perhaps several of us in leadership could meet with Dr. downs and perhaps we could work out some type of deal where we could do a cohort where it would uh be considerably u more cost-effective for people wanting to go to the four-year thing. But I think it's a good deal. Two questions I had uh one of which let's go back to the high school portion of this. Uh would this be available like for their junior
033year, their senior year or about when would we look into moving into someone with interest into this? So we typically have students starting uh so the workbased learning course they would take while enrolled in our programming is CT internship. There is a course and there's a state code for CTE apprenticeship but an internship would do the same thing. But if we wanted to add the official course that says CT apprentichip, we can certainly do that. It's accessible to us and our students. We typically have students do that around the junior year just because if they have to drive to a work site, they're able to do that. But as far as the CT internship goes, there's no prerequisites for us. So, technically, a student could start as early as freshman year. We just look at
034that junior year because that would also be the time they're eligible for the dual enrollment course and it just gives them a little bit of maturity and coursework under their belt to ensure that they'd be eligible to proceed in the program as an adult apprentice. Um, we currently have hundreds of students in CT internship across Hick County schools that are fully insured. Some of them are working in our school building. Some of them are working in local business and industry both during the school day and after school. So there's a lot of flexibility with that course as well. The students do not earn a GPA point for that course, but they do earn high school credit one. Um and then again um for us the magic number is a minimum of 120 hours to award
035them high school credit. But if you think about if you did that for half of a day, so we have some students that leave after second block and go to work through CT internship. Those hours add up very quickly. So getting that 12 hours can be accomplished in much less than one semester and then the more hours that they have in that course would be higher articulated credit at the community college for that. >> Okay. Thank you. And I think you answer my second question there about uh could they possibly work at their own high school? Would this be a deal where they would leave like half a day and go to like a a nearby elementary school or middle school or possibly a combination of all? >> I think a combination just so if
036a student had a transportation barrier that that's not limiting them. >> Okay. Thank you. Are there other are there other questions? >> Mr. Chair, if I might just add one thought in kind of follow up to Mr. Bate and and and your thoughts regarding the u possible tuition cost. Um Mr. White, do you think it would be appropriate for uh you to get Miss Funan in ch in touch with Dean Clark and have that conversation? And I think that uh might help move that along to some upper level leadership there at the university. >> Yes, sir. Um we actually meet with him tomorrow morning. So we'll be over there so we can certainly make that connection. >> All right. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. >> Okay. Okay. Anything else? Thank you very much. >> Thank
037you all. Moving along now to discussion items and we have one that is a 2026 2027 local approach local appropriations funding development and Mr. Matthews. >> Uh thank you chairman pal. We uh are bringing to you u uh Mr. Cox and I our initial u thoughts with regard to our budget discussions. Of course, this is uh I'm going to turn it over to Mr. CZ in just a second. He's far more versed in uh uh walking y'all through this than I am. But I will say that this is our just our initial prelim preliminary start on what we uh know you folks have identified as things that are important to you and uh some things that uh uh we would like to see as well um from the uh school leader from the district leadership
038perspective. uh and just get your feedback and uh any other thoughts you might have, anything we may not have included here that you would like to see or uh wherever that com conversation leads. Mr. Cox, thank you, M. Excuse me. Thank you, Mr. Matthews. Uh as he did say, this is just from our initial conversations. Um as the the budget starts out, it does start out as the uh superintendent's recommended budget. Um, and then you guys uh weigh in there and then it becomes your budget. Um, after some time, um, if you see the sheet that's got the the green on it yet, the sheet there that Mr. Powell's holding, um, uh, the local appropriation funding request at the title at the top there. This year we did receive $39, uh.9 million from Hornet County
039for our operations. Um just like last year that they're holding 5.5 million that we lost in low wealth the previous year in a contingency if we need it. Um they'll release that. Uh uh going down to the next little section of it. I've done costing on uh items that uh um we know we'll have and as Mr. Matthews said items that the board has uh mentioned they have an interest in and some things that Mr. Matthews um uh has an interest in. Um you'll see there that the first line is uh increased base aotment to cover charter school reductions. It's not really a reduction. I guess it is in the sense that the county gives us the money and then we have to turn around and give the per pupil amount to the charter school.
040Um, so if they give us the full amount of of what the request currently is, additional $6.8 million, um, that would be roughly 1.1 million new dollars that would need to go to charter schools there. Um, and that's factoring in um about 200 more students going to chart new students going to charter schools next year, which has been the average over the last few years um, of students going to charter schools. Hick County residents going to charter schools. We have to pay for um we've got two new positions on here. Safety and security and curriculum position. Um there uh the next line item you see is uh increasing our local supplement. Well, excuse me. That next line is a total of the next four items which are increase in teacher uh supplements uh increase in
041schoolbased administrator supplements, increase in employer paid benefits to match the state and the increase the classified scale and then adding in M's pay um for those teachers who have received a master's degree after the state uh stopped recognizing them for pay purposes um there. So, you see those dollar amounts there to increase the teacher supplements um to 15%. If the state gives a 4% salary increase, that'll be a little more than $4 million to go to 15% um to increase the uh administrator, schoolbased administrators, 15%. That'd be a little over half a million. uh increase a 3% salary increased retirement uh hospitalization cost um for our classified well for all locally paid folks and the salary increase for classified um be just under 400,000. And then uh to recognize those who currently have a master's
042degree that aren't earning pay from the state would be a little over half a million dollars. So, uh, right now the way we have it, uh, from our initial discussions without additional input from y'all, which is why we're here, um, a a new request a request to the commissioners for new funding for just over $6.8 million. I'm happy to get feedback, uh, things you like, don't like about this, uh, top section, things you want us to consider, um, before we bring it back as a superintendent's recommended budget for you to consider. Um, happy to take that feedback at this point. >> Okay. >> I particularly like the additional 3% supplement increase. I think that was part of our initial uh discussions last year when we were able to raise it to 12% and that was
043like one of our goals to continue to increase it. So, I think it's a step in the right direction. And I also greatly appreciate the uh little over half a million for the master's pay. Uh I think that was uh I'm hoping hopefully the state will correct that eventually but until they do I I think that's uh just honorable on our part. We need to look after our teachers particularly the ones who put in the work and the effort to earn this advanced degree and I just think it's the right thing to do for us to >> all right >> you masters as much as we can. Are there other comments or questions? I'd just like to make a comment that um I think my priority one in this expansion request would be the master's
044bay. um you know if we had to prioritize them obviously with the 3% increase in supplements right there with it but uh you know I would love to see our our teachers who's who've received their masters after the um when the state stopped to to be able to get rewarded for their whole >> other comments or questions for Mr. college. >> Okay. >> All right. And then further on down you see capital outlay. Um you the first item there is tier one projects. If you shift to the other uh sheet title 26 27 school facilities needs list. The second grouping are your tier one projects uh currently um which are the new school transportation facility, Haret Early College CT High School, uh Triton High School auxiliary gym and Boy Creek Elementary School replacement. So those
045total 90,41,352. That's where that total comes from. and we'll talk about that list in just a minute about priorities and everything um on there, but just want to tell you where that number comes from um on the sheet. Then the next items um I have them highlighted in a yellowish kind of tannanish color. These are items um that are carryover from last year that we haven't updated yet. Um we're working to go through to find out what has not been um procured this year from that list that we may need to go forward um with. And then when we bring back the superintendent's recommended budget, we'll have those items listed in capital outlay for you to consider at that point. Um, but again, these are things that were on the list last year. I know
046we've done several of these things, maybe not all of them. So, we'll update that. We'll work with Mr. Pearson, get that updated, Mr. Avery um, work and get those things updated and have those back when we bring back the superintendent's recommended budget request. But if you have any specific things that you think we need to include there, certainly have to take that feedback and get those added um as well. >> So on the uh next list, Yep. Sorry, M. >> Excuse me, Mr. Chair, if I might interject here as well. Um just um from a my perspective in uh working uh through this process either in a assistant superintendent's role or superintendent's role. I will tell you that uh these uh capital outlay in category 2 three um the facility maintenance uh capital items. We
047are at a different level uh than we have been five, six, eight years ago. Uh the county through their CIP plan and their capital investment they're making for us. It used to be like pulling teeth to try to figure out how to get enough money to buy a truck. I can tell you that is not the case now. So, we're in so much better shape than uh what I remember from years past that uh Overall, this might be the least of our concerns with our funding requests. Uh, so I just did want to mention that that u um Miss Honeyut and her folks uh Miss uh >> um Lisa, what's Lisa McFaden? Miss McFaden, they've done a really good job of trying to meet our capital our ongoing capital and maintenance needs. So, I did
048want to say how much uh we appreciate that. And and I will say that over every year since I've been here, the amount of funding for I think they technically call it capital maintenance um has been a million and $21,000. Um so we can put whatever we want to on there as a request, but historically that has been the amount we've gotten. I mean we can't ask for more, but that's just just as a information piece uh there on that. But I do agree Mr. Matthews, they've done a very good job in supporting us um through these things. All right. So, the second list um you have there is the 2026 27 school facilities needs list. Um I mentioned those tier one projects, but before I'll just mention the current approved projects that are ongoing
049or are in in the planning phases of getting started type of thing or Flatwoods Middle School, you know, that is underway. the um Highland High School uh is starting to move forward. Um we got the school nutrition freezer cooler project which is moving forward um there. So they have been approved and the steps going in the right direction with those. The next ones as I mentioned tier one projects uh the new school transportation facility, the CTE high school, the Triton auxiliary gym, um and boy Creek elementary school replacement there. Then our tier 2 projects which are three to four years out are Lafayette yearround school gym renovations um and uh additional renovations for Haret Central, Triton and Western Haret. Then our tier three projects which are five to six years out uh northern or northwest
050Haret ele area elementary school, Northwest Hornet uh area middle school. Um we do have the land uh for that already. Um then a southwestern um elementary school and then a north haret primary renovations uh and is the last one for that tier three project and then our tier four projects currently on the list uh or 7 to 8 years out which will be a western haret area middle school and then other school renovations as needed. Happy to have conversation about the uh where they are on the list. anything else that we may need to uh add shuffle these or uh what whatever your preference is. >> Just curious uh for I guess Mr. Matthews, but u perhaps maybe on a tier three project or something and I see all these different uh projections for different
051elementary schools. Uh, is there a possibility with the building of the new Flatwoods Middle School, is there uh a possibility of a need for an elementary school in that general area that you could foresee in this? >> I I definitely think so. Certainly on out into tier three, tier four. I will also say that um Mr. Pearson I think he mentioned last meeting has um is working with ORED to get our projections updated and as we get those numbers in I think we'll be better uh positioned to be able to make some decisions on tier three and tier four projects going down the road. Uh we have not how many years had it been since we did a update >> 2022 was our last >> Yeah. So, so it's been several years since we uh
052had those projections and most mo most of these tier three, tier four projects were based on numbers that are now four years old. We know how much our county has begun to change in the last three or four years. Uh, so I suspect that we once we get those numbers, we'll probably as a board need to sit back down and have these discussions about what new priorities there may be, what kind of shifts we may need to make on some that have already been identified, that sort of thing. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And Mr. Chair, I think that uh unless you have something else, Mr. CS that kind of con concludes our preliminary uh view of what what we've been looking at. Uh so uh and certainly if you as you get a chance
053to study this uh once you get back and get some time uh if you something else comes to mind feel free to reach out and touch base with us and we'll certainly have those conversations. Uh this is a a process for us to work through and and try to end up with what we think is u the best and most appropriate use of taxpayer dollars to support our children uh in their educational efforts. So um I suspect that we'll see some more tweaks as we move through this process, but uh don't don't hesitate uh if you think of something or see something and we're not sitting in a meeting discussing it to pick up the phone or shoot us an email or whatever. >> Yes, sir. >> Thank you. And uh ju just to follow
054up on that um we do plan to bring the superintendent's recommend budget back to you on April 20th. >> So if you have uh any desire for additions, changes, modifications, um feedback to us, please have it to us before then as we bring superent recommend budget on April 20th. >> We're good. >> Thank you. >> Is there further discussion? >> I have one question. >> Yes, sir. >> The CT high school at 30 million. I know we've a previous number was 60 million for that. >> Well, I I will say that we have not tweaked these numbers since last year. >> Okay. >> And they are some of them way out of line. Uh that's probably it'll probably be double that or more to build that building. Uh I can tell you that the the
055Highland High School's come going to come in well over that 100 million. So we already know that from preliminary numbers even though we don't have final numbers. They're working through that now. Uh but um uh yeah, >> most all these figures are going to increase. >> Okay. Thank you. Moving along now to our action items and our first one is to review and consider the approval of site assessment services for the career and technical education high school project. Mr. Pearson. >> Thank you, Chairman Pal, members of the board. Um, as you'll see in your packets, we had RFQS come in and have scored those. This is based on uh studying the land options and uh ensuring that the the land can support what we're trying to do there. The Timmans Group is who we are
056recommending for approval for this service. >> Okay. I will entertain a motion. >> Chairman, I move that we approve Timmans Group Assessment Services for the CTE High School project as presented. >> Second. We have a motion and a second. Is there further discussion? >> One moment, sir. >> And while you're looking, Mr. Bate, we have used a Timman's group for several other projects, have we not, Mr. Beers? >> That is correct. Yes, we've overall had very good working relationship with them. Okay. >> So, what will this assessment consist of? Um I understand that on the commissioner's agenda tonight is a piece of property um beside central Carolina for the CT high school. Is this after we secure the site for them to do surveys of it or or what exactly is >> that? That's correct.
057So this just allows us to enter into negotiations with them. >> Okay. >> For the services. Um, mainly this is, you know, soil studies, drilling, uh, for foundation needs. You know, if we're going to put a building there, can the soils support it? What work do we have to do to make that happen? Um, with a goal that ideally this is on CCCCC's campus in Lilington. Okay. >> So, we are waiting on that land procurement for final location. this both this approval and the next one that we will see um we do plan to submit again for the state grant in relation to um the needsbased grant that we've submitted last few years we have received guidance that having these projects shovel ready is much more um appealing in that grant process right >> uh
058so some of the work we're doing here is also u simply saying we are ready to go if we do get uh funding from the commissioners or the state >> so this is a pre-purchase surveys. This is pre-build surveys. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. >> Is there any additional discussion? Chairman votes I >> hearing. A votes. The motion carries. Thank you, Mr. Pearson. And now we'll return to Mr. Pearson for our uh second one. uh review and consider approval of a construction manager at risk for the career and technical education high school. >> Thank you again, Chairman Pal. As you said, this is in preparation for funding either through the commissioners or through the state grant. Um we have again received RFQS from folks. Uh we are recommending the selection of Metcon for this. Um
059we have worked with them certainly in traditional schools in the past and had a pretty good experience. Also specifically, they are um have currently finished construction of a CTE high school that we have toured. Um and so we they have a little bit of a additional experience on this type of building that will look somewhat different than a traditional high school. And so we are recommending Metcon as this selection. Okay. >> Now we entertain a motion. >> Mr. Chair, I move we approve Metcon Incorporated as the sewir for the CTE high school project as presented. >> Sir, I have a motion and a second. Is there additional discussion? Just like to say I know I've been very pleased with what I've seen from Metcon so far, the Iran Elementary and the Northwest Hornet projects and
060really seems like they're on the ball too with the con current construction of Flatwood. So, been very pleased with their work. >> Yes, sir. So far chairman votes I >> I >> gain I votes >> I >> hearing no votes the motion is approved. >> Mr. Chairman, I move that we go into close session pursuant to general statute 143 318 11 A1 A3 and A6 to prevent the disclosure of confidential personnel files under GS115C 321 to consider matters relating to initial employment of an individual employee and to consult with the board's attorney in order to preserve the attorney client privilege. >> Second. >> We have a motion and a second. Is there additional discussion >> hearing? None. The chairman votes I >> for hearing. No votes. The motion carries and we are now in close
061session. following a motion and a second. We have returned to open session. Mr. Matthews, do we have anything else today? >> Uh, nothing more from from me, Mr. Chairman. >> Anything from the board today? If not, I will entertain a motion. >> Motion to adjurnn, Mr. Chairman. >> We have a motion and a second. All in favor say I please. >> I. >> We are adjourned. Thank you.