BOE May 5, 2025 - Recorded Backup

001Be careful. forgot Are you okay? Secondary. Hey, she I call this meeting of the Enzo County Board of Education to order and we will begin our meeting this evening with the invocation which will be delivered by Pastor Dr. Joel Churchwell, Sandy Run Missionary Baptist Church. Let us pray. Eternal and gracious God, we thank you yet again for this wonderful opportunity to assemble in this manner for the greater good of the citizens and students of this great county. We just pray now that you will continue to shower great wisdom on our board of election board of education as they exercise governance for this great district. Continue to strengthen the staff and teachers. continue to instill and give them endurance that they may continue to execute the decisions that will be great for our students and their

002achievement in all aspects of their growth. Thank you for the parents and their involvement in each child's education. Thank you for each and every opportunity that we're able to assemble and express ideas and share and engage. Continue to bless us. This we ask in Christ Jesus name. Amen. >> Amen. Thank you, Pastor Churchwell. At this time, please stand for the pledge of >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Next item on the agenda is the recognition of elected officials. I don't believe we have any here this evening. So our first order of business is the approval of tonight's agenda. Do I have a motion to approve? >> Do I have a second? >>

003Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor signify by saying I. >> I. All opposed? Motion carries. The next item is the approval of the consent agenda. Do I have a motion to approve? >> So move. >> Do I have a second? >> Any discussion? All in favor signify by saying I. >> All opposed. Motion carries. The next item on the agenda is the good news spotlight. And I will turn it over to Mr. Anderson. Thank you, Chairman Garvey, Mr. Chair, members of the board, Dr. Barnes, executive staff, and our audience this evening. Odyssey of the Mind, or OM, is an international educational program that challenges students to think creatively and work collaboratively to solve open-ended problems. Teams spend months developing clever solutions, writing scripts for their performance, and then showcasing their work in front of

004judges. OM incorporates elements of STEM problem solving, creative writing, improvisation, and teamwork. What makes it unique is that all solutions must come entirely from the students themselves. Coaches can guide and support, but the creative ideas and problem solving strategies belong to the team's members. During the past school year, approximately this past school year, approximately 22 Odyssey of the mind teams representing 16 Oslo County schools used their creativity to develop unique solutions to problems. 10 teams advanced to the North Carolina Odyssey of the Mind State Finals, which was held at Appalachin State University. This evening, we'd like to recognize the three OM teams from OCS who qualified to participate in the Odyssey of the Mind World Competition. Now, our first two teams both competed in their respective levels of problem three, the epic quest. They were

005tasked with creating an epic poem that detailed a team created quest to be acted out in their performance. The quest had to include an original beast, a rescue and overcoming an epic challenge. So, please welcome the Coastal Elementary team members, coaches Shaina Kamemer and Jennifer Connard, and principal Tim Joins along with Mr. Will Lane, our executive director of secondary education, who is going to be assisting with tonight's recognition. So, let's meet the team members from Coastal Elementary OM team. And I'd like to ask the coaches and administrators come on down. From from Coastal Elementary, fourth graders Luke Hanland, Athena Pomerer, and Carter Wy. And fifth graders Emit Levent, Nora Martin, Laya Passingham, and Renie Rivera. Now, this team wrote an epic poem that put them on a quest to save a baby Octar R from

006a fierce volcano beast. They sailed across the ocean, defeating an evil sea goddess in an epic rap battle on their way. They won first place in their division and problem at both the regional and state competitions and are excited to be heading to the world finals for the second year in a row. A big round of applause for our OM team. First of all, Right. And they wore their hardware tonight. This is nice. You guys look good. Now, please welcome the Dixon Middle OM team members, coaches Patty Brown and Eric Gruner, and principal Jason Cornnegie. And our Dixon Middle School OM team members are sixth graders Scarlet Kamemer, Joselyn Cring, Emma Walker, and Arya West, seventh graders Audrey Martin and Caleb Maxwell, and eighth grader Emma Kendrick. Now, since October, this dedicated group has been

007hard at work meeting weekly after school and on weekends to find their perfect solution. They wrote an original script, designed costumes and props, built a backdrop, and honed their teamwork skills to tackle spontaneous challenges. This marks Dixon Middle School's third trip to the OM World Finals. Now, finally, please welcome the Enslow Early College OM team members along with their coach and principal Jay Stro. The Enslow Early College High School OM team members are ninth grader Bradock Loftton, 10th graders Sarah Bundle, Chandler Fontaine, and Robbie Hansen, and 11th grader Austin Klinsky. Now, this team competed in problem five, taller tales of John Gyber. In this problem, the students created and presented a humorous performance about an original tall tale. The tale included a team created hero or heroine that performed an incredible feat, a unique explanation

008of how something began or came to be, and a surprise for the audience. Each event was accompanied by a visual weather effect that represented an emotion. The team had perfect scores for spontaneous at both the regional and state competitions and this is only the second year of OM at the early college. Congratulations Now, the OM World competition is being held May 27th through 30th at Iowa State University. Competing at Worlds is an incredible opportunity, but it comes with significant costs, including registration fees, room and board, flights, and other expenses to make the most of this once in a-lifetime experience for these students. If anyone would like to help support one of these teams financially, please feel free to reach out to the school or the coach. Any and all support is truly appreciated as we

009help these hardworking teams reach the global stage. Now, to assist with our next presentations, please welcome Jason Lawrence, our assistant director of digital learning and teaching. The 2026 edition of Battle of the Books brought together students from across the county to celebrate their love for reading and literature. The structure of the annual Battle of the Books competition not only makes reading fun and engaging, but also promotes teamwork, critical thinking, and a healthy competitive spirit. Even when the competition is intense, students and coaches understand that the objective is to read, not necessarily to win. This year's Battle of the Books competition would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of many individuals. Special thanks go to the organizers of this year's event, Mr. Steven Taylor, Jason Lawrence, and Samantha Tatton, who is here

010this evening with our digital learning and teaching division. And they would like to thank all those who helped organize, run, and judge this year's competitions, especially Southwest High School Principal Shawn Love and his staff for providing a central location for this year's event. So, we're going to begin with our elementary school battle of the books champions. For the elementary competition, teams were responsible for reading 16 books. Now, after a 4-day event in February, including 21 schools, the Battle of the Books team from Parkwood Elementary emerged and claimed the title as Enslo County Battle of the Books Elementary Champions. This team represented Enslo County in the regional competition on April 14th at Blair Elementary in Wilmington, where they finished second. Please welcome coaches Aaron Glover and Michelle Bailey and Parkwood Elementary principal Megan Bond. And when

011I call your name, please come up to be recognized. Our members of the elementary school battle of the books team from Parkwood. Fourth graders Andrew Dovin, Meline Dupi, and Watts Riapel. And fifth graders Evelyn Broda, Molly Boutwell, AnnAise Israel, and Hope Tolman. Congratulations to our Parkwood Elementary School Battle of the Books Elementary Champions. Now, the middle school battle the books competition is a one-day event in which nine middle schools participated. Middle school teams were assigned to read 20 books. The winning team was from Newbridge Middle School and they went on to represent OCS at the regional competition held on March 25th at Grover Seields Middle School in Newberg. There they competed against district winners from across our region and brought home second place. So please join me in welcoming the Newbridge Middle School Battle of

012the Books team. They are coached by Jennifer Sullivan and they're joined this evening by Newbridge Middle School principal Michelle Padet. When I call your name, please come on up and be recognized. Team members are sixth graders Elijah Dwi and Karen Guzman. Seventh graders Kalia Baron, Lee Fleming, and Jordan Watson. And eighth graders Derek Becttel, Coraline Beck, Isaac Dupi, Declan Foil, Gianna May, Denise Podell, and Ben Walker. Now, the high school Battle of the Books competition included eight of our OCS high schools, and students in this competition were responsible for reading 16 books. Please help me welcome the Battle of the Books team from Dixon High School. This team is coached by Renee Hill, and they're joined this evening by Dixon High School principal, Paige Heisman. These students represented OCS at the regional competition on March

01326th at Kinston High School where they took first place and represented OCS at the state competition which was held on April 20th in Statesville. So, please welcome the Dixon High School Battle of the Books team members, ninth grader Stevie Durban, 10th grader Casey Linkel, and 12th graders Molly Dinger, Aaron Mian, and Mason Whitley. Now, the International Society for Technology and Education or ISTY was founded in 1979 by a group of forwardthinking K12 and university educators who shared a belief in the potential of educational technology. Today, ISTY is a global community dedicated to helping educators use technology to revolutionize learning. At this time, I'd like to ask Meview digital learning and teaching facilitator Jerry Sides, media specialist Megan Kester, and their principal Cheryl Twiger to join Mr. Lawrence at the front. As they're making their way

014up tonight, we'd like to announce and recognize Miss Sides and Miss Kers's completion of ISTY's certification for educators. The ISTY certification for educators is a globally recognized credential which shows that educators have met the ISTY standards for educators which are based on teaching methods not on specific tools or devices. ISTY certification aims to transform educational practice no matter the individual's role be it classroom teacher instructional designer library media specialist technology coach school administrator or something else. The process combines 10 weeks of professional learning with a six-month portfolio application and review process. Recipients can also apply to receive up to four graduate level credits for their participation. So, congratulations on this very distinguished accomplishment. Now, Skills USA is a national partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce by

015providing students with opportunities to gain personal skills, workplace skills, and technical skills grounded in academics. The Skills USA North Carolina State Leadership and Skills Conference was held April 15th through the 17th in Greensboro. Nearly 3,000 students and 500 adviserss attended the state conference with more than 140 competitive events showcasing the skills and talents of high school, middle school, and college or postsecary students from across the state. Tonight, we'll be recognizing those OCS students who received gold or first place awards at this year's conference. To assist with these presentations, please welcome back up Mr. Will Lane, our executive director of secondary education and director of career and technical education. And when your name is called, we'd like to have the student, their Skills USA adviser and administrator, join Mr. Lane for recognition. And we'll take one

016group picture of all of our winners for this one. So, our first category we have a gold first place winner in was prepared poster and that goes to Caroline Bowers, 10th grader from North Side High School. Gretchen Lewis is the contest coach. Sorry, give me to step on the applause there. Gretchen Lewis is the contest coach and Skills USA adviser. And Mr. Brad Staley is principal at North Side. Now, the Skills USA poster contest challenges members to design and handdraw a 22x 28 inch promotional poster that reflects the current Skills USA theme. Contestants are evaluated on educational value, layout and design, workmanship, creativity, and how well their poster communicates the Skills USA message. Contest celebrates artistic talent and promotional skills within the Skills USA community. So, congratulations. Our next gold first place award is in

017the construction tool identification category and goes to Isabella Alvarez Almadobar, 11th grader from Jacksonville High. Robert Bond is the contest coach and Skills USA adviser and Miss Brenda Herman is the principal. Now, the Skills USA construction tool identification contest evaluates students knowledge of the tools used in the construction industry. Competitors are challenged to quickly and accurately identify a wide range of tools from visual presentations, demonstrating their familiarity with essential equipment used across the building trades. So, congratulations. Our final recognition for this part of the program is in the gold first place for the teamworks team from Jacksonville High School. This is made up of Finn Thompson, 11th grader. Logan Buts, Bradley Ruse, and Anderson Tant who are 12th graders. Mr. Kenny Kellum is the instructor and Skills USA adviser. And again, Miss Herman is the

018principal at Jacksonville High School. The Skills USA teamworks competition challenges a team of four students to demonstrate their knowledge, technical skills, and professionalism across multiple construction trades. Competitors work together to plan, present, and complete a hands-on building project showcasing their abilities in carpentry, masonry, plumbing, electrical work, and teamwork. while meeting industry standards for safety and quality. So, not only did the Teamworks team win gold first place in the state competition, they are also qualified to participate in the National Skills USA conference which will be held June 1st through the 5th in Atlanta, Georgia. Congratulations, Mr. Kelly. Congratulations, guys. Mr. Garvey, for our next presentation, we're going to ask Jacksonville High School health science teacher Heather Morrow and JHS principal Miss Herman to join Mr. Lane up at the front. So tonight, we're proud to announce

019that Heather Marorrow has been named the OCS nominee for the INCAT 2027 Burough's Welcome Fund North Carolina Career and Technical Education or CTE Teacher of the Year Award. The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the North Carolina Association for Career and Technical Education developed the CTE Teacher of the Year award to honor remarkable CTE educators and emphasize the importance of CTE instruction in North Carolina schools. This nomination places Heather among the an outstanding group of educators from across North Carolina, each recognized for their innovation, passion, and impact on student success. Miss Marorrow is an accomplished health science educator and registered nurse with over 12 years of combined experience in education and clinical healthcare. And in her role as a health science teacher

020at OCS, Miss Marorrow has taught a diverse range of courses including health science 1 and two, anatomy and physiology 1 and two, biomedical technology, IB sports medicine, and nursing fundamentals. Her instructional design connects theoretical knowledge with practical application, providing her students with meaningful hands-on experiences aligned with CT and international balaria standards. Now, from the statewide district and charter school nominees, 24 educators, three from each of North Carolina's eight regions, will be selected as regional finalists through a rigorous portfolio review process. These 24 finalists will attend a week of leadership focused professional development and attend a recognition event to honor them and announce the ENCAT 2027 Burough's Welcome Fund North Carolina Career and Technical Education Teacher of the Year. So, congratulations to Miss Marorrow for this recognition and her nomination for this award. Now, Mr. Garvey,

021for our final recognition this evening, I would like to ask Swansboro High School social studies teacher and 2526 Enzo County Schools teacher of the year, Mr. Casein Justice, along with Swansboro High School principal, Dr. Helen Gross, to please join Dr. Barnes at the front. Excuse me. Now, in January, we had the opportunity to recognize Mr. Justice as the Southeast Region Teacher of the Year. Tonight, we are proud to recognize Case and Justice as the 2026 Burough's Welcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. Congratulations, Now, the announcement was made by State Superintendent Maurice Mo Green on Friday, April 24th at an awards lunchon honoring Mr. Justice and the eight other regional teacher of the year finalists at the Umstead Hotel in Kerry. A national board certified teacher and North Carolina teaching fellow, Mr. Justice inspires

022his students to be active participants in their education by doing history with lessons such as an archaeology dig in a World War I dodgeball battle. A 13-year veteran educator, he serves beyond the classroom as a mentor teacher, strategic planning team chair, and teacher leadership council member at Swansboro High. As the adviser for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes since his start at Swansboro High School, the program has grown from 15 to 250 students where he encourages them to be strong student leaders. He says that these lessons reflect my core teaching philosophy that anyone, especially my students, can do history. Within a week, I've shown them that history isn't crusty old books. History gives them the tools they need to investigate the world around them. It gives them confidence that they can do more than they thought

023possible before. I often tell my kids, "Be pilots, not passengers." I make all my kids believe in their ability as learners, and all it takes is some dirt and dodgeballs. Now, Kase will spend the 26 27 school year representing and advocating for North Carolina's teachers. He will have the opportunity to participate in professional learning opportunities at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching, the National Teacher of the Year Conference, and International Space Camp. They'll also be able to attend the International Society for Technology and Education or the ISTY conference with support from the digital learning initiative as well as travel abroad through an endowment sponsored by Global NC. He'll receive a mobile device from Lenovo, an engraved award, financial support to serve as a liaison for North Carolina public schools, a monetary award

024from Bojangles, and a gift from the North Car or from the Carolina Hunger Initiative. And as an NC State graduate, I believe that Kase might have been most excited to hear he will also receive a prize package and recognition during an NCATE athletics football game. Now, additionally, Kase in the 2026 Regional Teacher of the Year cohort will also take part in the year-long North Carolina Education Policy Fellowship with funding for his participation provided by the Burough's Welcome Fund. Throughout the 2627 school year, Justice will work alongside the eight additional regional teacher of the year finalists. So, congratulations on this well-earned recognition, and we're honored to have you represent Oslo County at both the state and national levels in the year to come. Congratulations. And Mr. Chairman, from the podium, that is your good news for

025this evening. >> Thank you, Mr. Anderson. So, at this time, if you were here just for the good news spotlight and you would like to leave, please do so at this time. What happened? It's cold in here. >> That was a good Our next item on the agenda is the public comment period and tonight we have six speakers. The board welcomes and values your comments at our meetings. We remind you to keep your comments within the three minutes allotted. And as always, be respectful and civil when addressing the board. Please remember that verbal outbursts will not be tolerated. Specifically, we're asking speakers to begin wrapping up their comments before the three-minute time limit so as to adhere to the three-minute period. If a speaker fails to relinquish the podium at the three-minute mark, they will

026be asked to be seated. Failure to comply will result in their removal from the property by law enforcement. Any verbal outbursts from the audience will result in that person being removed from the property in accordance with general statute 143-318.17 disruption of official meetings and who upon being directed to leave the meeting by the presiding officer willfully refuses to leave the meeting is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor. County Board of Education policy code 2310 public participation at board meetings states that speakers are asked to be respectful and refrain from personal attacks and insults directed at the board at individual board members, staff, students, or members of the general public. The policy further states that board members will not respond to individuals who address the board during the public comment period. Board members will reserve any

027appropriate general acknowledgement or clarification for the board member comment period at the conclusion of the meeting. Our first speaker this evening is Brandy Cochran. >> Good evening. Last month I posed three questions. What responsibility does the board have to ensure all schools meet the minimum 5h hour duty-free planning for its teachers? How do we define what duty-free planning includes and excludes? Will the board research adjusting elementary instruction requirements so principles can provide this time? On April 8th, I forwarded my three asks to the BOE and the superintendent. Mr. Garvey responded that the board does not serve as an investigative body and referred my concerns to the superintendent. It is now nearly a month later and I have had no response. So, I'm back tonight to seek clarity concerning Anzo County School Policy Code 3120. Your

028policy states, "Pursuant to the school improvement plan, every full-time assigned classroom teacher must be provided duty-free instructional planning time with the goal of providing an average of at least five hours of planning time per week. This policy not only direct um directly impacts whether teachers can effectively lesson plan but also implement the instructional framework with fidelity and support the vision of the BOE's school improvement plan. How can the board not be responsible for answering who ensures compliance or what these policies actually mean? Again, I asked the following questions. Who is responsible for ensuring compliance with Enso County School Policy Code 3120? And what constitutes duty-free lesson planning under Enso County School Policy Code 3120? If the board cannot answer these questions about its own policies, then we have a much larger problem. I'm asking for

029clarity, not an investigation, simple answers. Thank you. Our next speaker this evening is Katherine Wendling. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Superintendent Dr. Barnes, and executive members for the opportunity to speak today. CLA classified staff play a vital role in the success of our schools. Each day we support instruction, create safe and welcoming environments, and help ensure that every student has the opportunity to learn and grow. But our work goes beyond responsibilities and routines. We build trust, offer encouragement, and often become a steady presence in a student's life when they need it most. As someone who works directly with students every day, we see firsthand the difference that relationships make, often in ways that cannot be measured, but are deeply felt. A smile, a moment of patience, a word of encouragement. These may seem small, but for

030many students, they are everything. The impact of classified staff is found in both the quiet and everyday moments and the large systems that keep our schools running. We take pride in the role we play, and we remain committed to moving forward with purpose, professionalism, and a shared focus on student success. We are sincerely grateful for your consideration to provide a yearly supplement for our classified staff. This support is more than financial. It is a message that our work matters, that our contributions are a scene, and that the relationships we build each day are valued. Investing in our people in this way reflects a commitment to our continuous improvement and is one of the most powerful levers we have for increasing internal capacity. When teachers teacher assistants feel recognized and rooted in their school community, they

031stay in a staff that stays grow stronger and together year after year. In closing, when you invest in classified staff, you are investing in the heart of our schools, the people who stand beside students every day, lifting them up, encouraging them forward, and helping them believe in what is possible. Thank you for your time, your consideration of the supplement, and your continued support. Thank you. Our next speaker is Tanya Stewart. >> Good evening. I'm Tanya Stewart. I'm a teacher at a local high school as well as a parent of students in the district. I want to honestly share what it's really like to be a teacher right now. Not the version you read about in headlines, nor the version discussed in policy meetings, but the reality we face every day inside our classrooms. We are

032overwhelmed, not because we don't care, but because we care deeply. We are asked to do more than ever before with less support. Instead of meaningful solutions, we're often met with constant micromanagement and pressure to keep everyone happy rather than focusing on what the students truly need. We are told what to teach, how to teach it, when to teach it, and to document every moment. Every decision is scrutinized. Every action must be justified. Yet, many of those making these decisions at the national, state, county, and schoolboard levels haven't stepped into a classroom in years, if ever. Where is the shared responsibility? If our leaders generally want to understand education, that responsibility must go beyond policy and into practice. That includes county leadership and elected schoolboard members, those who choose to serve our communities and our schools.

033Spend time where the work happens. Substitute in classrooms. Shadow teachers for a full day, not for a photo op, but for the real experience. Sit through the interruptions, manage the behaviors, and strive to meet the needs of 25 or 30 students, all at different levels, all needing different things at the same time. Visit our staff meetings, listen to our conversations, see how much time is spent not on teaching but on compliance documentation and meeting the evershifting expectations. And while doing all of this, we're expected to constantly adapt to new initiatives, new strategic plans, new slogans, new priorities that shift each year. Instead of dedicating time and resources to fix what's clearly broken, we often apply temporary fixes, move on quickly, and introduce the next initiative. Too often, it's less about meaningful change and more about

034the next presentation or the opportunity for our higherups to earn praise. Meanwhile, our core challenges remain. Let's address the pressure to please everyone. Teachers are pulled in countless directions. Parents, administrators, mandates, testing, and somewhere in the middle, the true purpose of education gets lost. We are professionals, yet we're often treated as if we can't be trusted to do the job that we are trained to do. This isn't sustainable. If we want strong schools, we must start by supporting those inside them. That means trusting teachers. It means cutting back on unnecessary micromanagement and offering real support, not just adding more requirements. And it means committing to fewer initiatives that are done well rather than constantly shifting focus without addressing core problems. Most importantly, it means showing up not in just in policy, but in practice. Until

035decision makers truly understand what happens in a classroom, we will keep missing the mark. Our students deserve better and so do our teachers. Thank you. Next speaker this evening is Doug Patton. Oh, good evening. The current economic turmoil combined with a dysfunctional state legislature that doesn't seem to care about our state employee classified personnel presents our board of education with a great opportunity to recognize the efforts and contributions of those who work behind the scenes of our schools. State personnel cuts by our legislators require our classified personnel to take on additional responsibilities to fill those personnel voids. but with no additional compensation. Board members who have worked in the school system know that the teaching staff along with the school itself cannot function without the classified personnel. Now, while a $500 supplement doesn't seem like

036much, the approval of the motion sends a message that these employees are valued and appreciated. I along with all your classified employees request the board of education without hesitation unanimously approve the approval of a motion that's going to be presented tonight. Thank you. Next speaker is Kayla Anderson. Good evening, OCS team. Employee appreciation week asks us a quiet question beneath all of the celebration. What does it actually mean to honor someone? We can honor people with words. We can honor them with recognition. And tonight, we did both with full hearts. This board has shown up for our community in ways that matter. You have engaged, listened, and leaned in. and you are part of what is good in um public education. And there is a form of honoring that most of us rarely extend and

037it is the one educators deserve the most. It comes when we look at the professionals who spend their days shaping young lives and say your voice belongs in this conversation. That is reverence. And reverence is not a gesture. It is a posture. And that posture looks like trust. Genuine teacher leadership emerges the moment a system a system stops asking who is in charge and starts asking who is closest to the work. When we create space for that expertise meaningful transformative change takes place because trust when offered as a testament to professional value has a way of taking root and growing. That is what it looks like to increase the internal capacity of county schools. That is what it means to invest in the teacher leaders charged with caring for our youngest leaders. It is by

038every measure upholding a culture of continuous improvement. And yes, it may move some toward unfamiliar ground, but belief was never meant to be contained in the house of certainty. Often we must move to improve. And let us not mistake innovation thinking for the tangible alone. True innovation dares us to venture past the familiar, past the outgrown, across siloed mindsets, and into what we have not yet imagined. Our community leads in many real realms. But do we lead in understanding the capacity of teacher leadership, in trusting educators to be considered value added in the conversations that result in action, in growing our own when it comes to the next generation of executives and board members? The next the same teacher leaders seeking to deepen their practice alongside you are the same educators receiving accolades this evening.

039The same teachers that the governor and the state superintendent are partnering with. The same teachers who choose OCS year after year. So let us not wait for a change in board membership to determine when teacher voice becomes necessary. We can do it now. Adding to why OCS remains the best place to work, learn, and grow. We have incredible teacher leaders who can be trusted to lend their voice in spaces where they may not be present. In the teacher leadership council, we practice the Merryold effect, making the daily, sometimes momentby-moment choice to positively influence the growth of those around us. Tonight, I ask, how will you be a merryold for our group of teacher leaders? You may even find joy in what gets built when teachers are simply invited to pull up a chair. Thank you.

040>> Thank you. >> Our last speaker this evening is Ary Rackowitz. Before I return to the EqualityNC press releases and openly secular pamphlets, I will mention an April event I learned about as a member of the LGBTQ2IA plus student group on my college campus in which I began to describe in my comment at the county commission meeting last night, the Day of Silence. 2026 marks the 30th year for the Day of Silence protest, explained the awesome people at glisten.org. A quick excerpt from the site. Originally held by students at the University of Virginia in response to the bullying and harassment of LGBTQ plus students, it has grown to a national day of action pushing back against the silencing of LGBTQ plus youth and the eraser of our experiences. In our deepening cultural and political divide,

041LGBTQ plus students are more directly targeted than ever before. From harmful legislation to erasing LGBTQ plus history from school curriculum, it is now more important than ever to take a step back and let our communities know what it feels like when we are stripped of our voices. I hope county schools participated in 2026. I didn't hear it here. If not, please mark your calendars for April 9th, 2027 and visit glisten.org/dayofsilence for actions you can take to rise up for intersectional LGBTQ2IA plus youth now. And remember, June is LGBTQ2IA plus Pride Month. Back to the press releases on transgender people's rights to full participation in society, including sports and healthcare. I continued at the meeting last night. Equality NC condemned an anti-trans executive order from 2025 and a UNCC health ban on gender affirming care from

042earlier this year. Equality NC reaffirms its mission to fight for LGBTQ plus power through protecting and supporting our trans community. This is an attack on the transgender community, said executive director Alzar Patada. Transgender people, especially transgender women and girls, face tremendous barriers to full participation in society. This order only adds to the daily discrimination, exclusion, and harm they experience. Equality NC aims to ensure that every North Carolinian sees themselves reflected in the movement to create a safer, more equitable world for all marginalized individuals. remains committed to holding UNCC health accountable for engaging in extreme overreach of an already dangerous law banning gender affirming care and encourages all supporters to visit equalitync.org to learn more and donate. Anti-trans policies further harm people throughout North Carolina and the country. Equality NC calls on lawmakers, business leaders, and

043communities to stand together in support of transgender rights and reject any efforts to impose discriminatory policies locally and nationwide. I would also remind you that requiring students to participate in religious rituals like prayer, including your invocations or lunches with proitizing clergy to participate in public school or government events violates their first amendment right to freedom of expression along with board policy 3515 and goes against researchbased best practice and information. Good luck to the speaker earlier. I've been waiting more than a year. I mentioned at the county commission meeting that the Enslow NAACP has seven discriminations in progress and that one is for racial discrimination by school. So that concludes our public comment period and we will now move into the general business portion of our agenda. Our first item on the agenda is a classified

044supplement. >> Mr. Chair, I need to request recusal on this discussion and vote because My spouse is a classified employee. Therefore, I move to recuse myself from the discussion and vote. >> Board members, our policy requires that we vote to authorize a board member to recuse herself. Is there a second to Miss Long's a motion? Second. All in favor signify by saying I. >> All opposed. Motion carries. This time we will now turn it over to Mr. Hollowman. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. Dr. Barnes. I'm so excited to be able to present this next agenda item to you tonight. Um, as you know, the board of education superintendent have been very strong proponents of rewarding the commitment that's displayed by Oslo County Schools employees. and to encourage the retention of our

045dedicated classified employees. Establishment of a classified employee supplement has been recommended. Of course, the classified employees, those are are hardworking, dedicated employees who do things in positions such as teacher assistants, custodians, office support, transportation, maintenance, child nutrition, and all of our other supporting type positions. This program would be implemented consistent with uh the way we have implemented some uh one-time bonuses and such in the past in that it would apply to all the classified permanent uh salaried employees as well as the uh hourly paid bus drivers, bus monitors and child nutrition workers who have a daily work assignment. I just note that does not apply to other types of uh work assignments uh that are you under the 20 hours a week or uh positions that are temporary, intermittent or substitute uh type basis employment

046and obviously would not apply to those who are eligible for the certified supplement. the classified supplement uh would be paid uh timed along with the certified supplement in that it would come with the end of June u end of month payroll in June each year. Uh and this would be paid to those employees who remain in active employment status through the end of that school year. Now, this we're talking about this item that will be included in the upcoming uh budget item that's coming next. So, we're talking about next year's uh fiscal year 27 budget. So, just for clarity, this would be set to begin with the first payment at the end of next fiscal year, June 2027. It would be in the amount of $500 and that would be of course subject to the

047availability and budget approval. This payment would be uh included with retirement. So it' be subject to retirement and tax withholdings being deducted. And as we've done in the past, finance and HR be authorized to administer these payments in keeping with the general purposes and intent of the proposal. So, in summary, uh, classified employee salary supplement to being with payments in June of 2027 at $500 per classified staff, serving as a retention uh, reward for the important roles that all of these folks play throughout our uh, school district and the impact that they have ultimately on our our students. We'll point out that this represents a $1 million investment in our staff and that is a very significant uh investment by this board. So at this time it's requested that the board consider approval of a

048motion to establish the classified employee salary supplement as presented in this agenda item. So, at this time, I need a motion to approve the classified supplement plan as presented. >> I have a second. >> Second. >> I have any discussion? >> No. But I would like to say how proud I'm of this. And I know it's a small step, but we can start on something good. Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other comments? All in favor signify by saying I. I. >> All opposed. Motion carries. Next item on the agenda is the 2027 budget approval for the local current expense fund and capital outlay fund. Mr. Chairman, members of the board, Dr. Barnes, the proposed budgets for fiscal year 2027 for the local current expense fund and the capital outlay fund are included in your

049packet. These budgets were developed with input from all schools and departments as well as the board of education. The superintendent's proposed budget was presented to the board during a budget workshop held at a special call meeting on April 23rd. At that meeting, budgetary items were highlighted by staff and reviewed by the board. In addition, the board held a public hearing on May 5th prior to this meeting in order to receive comments from the public regarding the budget. The budgets in your packet remain as presented at the April 23rd budget workshop and presented now for your conven for your consideration for approval. And upon approval, these budget requests will be forwarded to the board of county commissioners. At a later date, uh these budgets will be submitted to the board of education along with the budgets

050of the remaining funds for formal adoption by the board of education. So at this time it is requested that the board consider a motion to approve the local current expense fund budget proposal and the capital outlay fund budget proposal for fiscal year 2027 as presented. So at this time I need a motion to approve the local current expense fund budget proposal and the capital outlay fund budget proposal for fiscal year 2027 as presented. >> Do I have a second? >> Any discussion? All in favor signify by saying I. I. >> All opposed. Motion carries. >> Next item on the agenda is the beginning teacher program plan with Dr. Carinic. >> Good evening and thank you for a few minutes on your agenda. I'll try to be brief on a topic that I could talk for

051hours about, but I won't. I promise. Just a few slides. Uh I'm presenting the updated Enzo County Schools beginning teacher plan um for your consideration tonight. This plan outlines how we build internal capacity by supporting teachers in their first three years in the profession and ensuring alignment with current state requirements. This plan is required by the state board of education policy tceeded-016, but it is also tailored to meet the needs of Enzo County schools. While the framework is standardized across the state, the way we implement it locally allows us to build capacity and consistency across our schools. Board approval of this plan is required to ensure compliance and alignment with district priorities. Um why this plan was updated is something that I just wanted to highlight. Uh the beginning teacher support plan is required for

052us to have and maintain indefinitely. There is not a um schedule of required updates um by the board. it is just required to be updated when the state um implements a significant change. And so they did that at their meeting in October of 2025. And so we were required to update our plan to be in alignment with them um by August of 2026. So, uh, that that's what prompted this, although we had it on our agenda to do anyway, uh, because we are scheduled for a comprehensive audit of our beginning teacher support plan in the fall of 2026. So, um, we wanted to revisit this, but we also needed to do it to get in alignment with these updates that the state made this fall. um those changes were that that they added in October

053of are not super significant for us because they were things that we were doing already. We have updated the plan to make sure that they're reflected in writing and emphasized, but there's no big change of practice here. The most significant change that the that the state made is um by saying that all teachers with fewer than three years of experience must be participate in a uh beginning teacher support plan regardless of how they entered the profession. In Enso County schools, we were doing that already anyway, so this isn't a change for us. But some districts across the state were not including their alternatively licensed teachers in their beginning teacher support plan. Their uh residency teachers, emergency licensed teachers, um honestly not including that group of teachers never crossed our minds. We never considered it to

054be an option. But apparently uh other people in the state are uh I don't know just more creative or clever. Uh I think if it had crossed our minds we would have said well no that doesn't make sense to exclude them. Um so the the at the state level they discovered that districts were doing that because this policy only addressed initially licensed teachers. Um and so they changed the wording and said now that's not what we meant and you include everybody but we were anyway. Um they also strengthened expectations around identifying beginning teachers because they kind of discovered this discrepancy. They've come up with a practice of annually uh we send them who we've identified as our beginning teachers and then they send us back feedback on if they think we've missed anybody. Again, we

055did that process this year. We weren't missing anybody. Uh in fact, we found their data that they they were missing people. Um so nothing earthshattering for us to do differently. Um they also clarified uh North Carolina testing requirements, lensure testing requirements and a requirement for beginning teachers and principles to participate in the recent graduate surveys that have been mandated by the state and those that I'm going to talk about surveys in a minute. This particular survey that has been updated in this plan um is part of the university report card. So the survey results of recent graduates from their programs and the employers of those recent graduates is part of how university teacher preparation programs are evaluated. And as you might imagine, they were having a terrible time getting people to fill out the surveys.

056Um, and so they've mandated it in this plan. We we were already encouraging and monitoring this. Um, solidifies that and and makes it uh a mandate that they participate and that we strongly encourage. So, y'all know me and we're strongly encouraging our people to do it. It's going on right now. Mr. Pitman's helping me. Um, and so we'll we'll make sure we have that in order. So, our revision here just ensures that we're fully in line with all the expectation that the staff that the state has, excuse me. This slide highlights the core supports that we provide to beginning teachers. These include onboarding, trained mentors, structured observations and feedback, and school-based coordination. Our use of school-based beginning teacher coordinators is the backbone of our plan. Uh each site identifies a beginning teacher coordinator, usually a

057teacher leader in their building and those folks um are are yolked to me and the HR team for the year. We meet regularly at least once a month and they are they are what makes this whole plan work. Um they're key to implement implementation of all the components of this plan. We also provide uh support for meeting those lenture require requirements including the required testing. Uh this timeline outlines how we structure support and evaluation throughout the year. Beginning teachers receive early training followed by structured observations, feedback cycles and professional development planning. The process ensures that support is ongoing and not isolated to one point in time and builds consistency across our schools in how beginning teachers are supported and evaluated. Um, I will tell you many years ago, uh, I think when we first initiated

058having this plan and first had it approved, uh, Pam Thomas was the chair and I think it might have been my first time ever presenting something to the board and she and when it was done, she said, "Um, well, that all sounds great, CJ, but how are you going to evaluate that?" And um I didn't really have a good answer for that, but I've made up for that over the years. Uh I think that because at the time as you know a young person at the central office, I'm like gosh, I don't know how we evaluate that. But over the years, I think the program evaluation has become one of the strongest aspects of this plan. We use a lot of um different multiple data sources to evaluate the effectiveness. That includes the North Carolina

059teacher working conditions survey data. We have our own annual firstear teacher survey. We have a comprehensive five-year survey of both beginning teachers and mentors. We incorporate feedback from our school level coordinators. We conduct an annual self assessment and participate in a peer review with a peerreview partner district. Our partner district right now is Wayne County. They're a great partner because they're also a military community and and we've learned a lot from each other. And all of these things allow us to continuously refine the program based on data and experience. So, uh here's my latest favorite topic. um that I've been very excited about and I've gotten a few other people excited about it. Not everybody, but some people I've gotten interested in this one. Um and I think all of you have now seen it

060and have been very interested. Um the North Carolina working conditions survey what that was just administered in March. uh we already have that data back which honestly is pretty impressive that it was done at the end of March and we already have those results which you know uh recent quick feedback is good like if we didn't get those results until next year it just wouldn't be as meaningful. Um these results are especially strong and reflect overall positive working conditions across our district. For example, 93% of teachers report their school is a good place to work and learn. 93 also 93% also report that teachers mentor other teachers to improve effectiveness. Um there was a 97% participation rate from the eligible folks in our district which gives us a high level of confidence in the data.

061Um that was 1,875 of our employees who took the time to take this survey which um that's that's a fantastic participation rate and um I really thank all of them for doing an extra task so that we would have this data to use. These results from the teacher working condition survey res align closely with what we see in our own beginning teacher survey. Every year we give um a very brief survey to just our first year teachers. Um and these are the results from this year. 94% of beginning teachers reported their schools program was effective. Um and 95 and 91% uh respectively from 24 and 25 reported that their relationship with their mentor was an effective one. um 80% report regularly weekly interaction with their mentor which is what we recommend you know at least

062once a week that the mentor have some interaction with the beginning teacher. So it's good to see that our mentors are fulfilling that expectation. Um these results are confirmed by this fall we did our fiveyear comprehensive it's been a lot of surveying. Thank you to everybody out here who's filled out all these surveys. It's a lot of surveys in this program. Um, but next year since we are anticipating our five-year comprehensive audit from the state, we do a five-year survey of both beginning teachers and mentors. This survey asks more global um things in it and it it's all beginning teachers whether it be T1, two or three and all of our mentors. And the results from this survey were also very uh positive and promising. Um and on the mentor and the beginning teacher survey,

063we had about 250 people each uh complete those which again that's a lot of people. um that makes you feel good about this this data is reliable. So these were the results from five-year beginning teachers. Uh they reported that their mentor support was ongoing and engaging. Uh that they understand lenture requirements. I was particularly happy to see that one. It's so complicated and it's uh it's very difficult to keep people up to date on the expectations that the state has of their license. Uh 93% reported that they know how to ask and get help if they need it. Uh likewise, we also um surveyed the mentors to make sure that we're evaluating both sides of this support relationship. Mentors overall reported strong confidence in their role and their preparation and the training that they got

064to become a mentor. 95% report that they provide um classroom observations and feedback and 80% report that they go beyond the minimum expectations that we set in terms of that. So that was uh important to me because it shows that mentoring is not just happening but it's also rooted in instruction and improving instruction which is what we're going for in this plan. So that's uh the highlights and I know you all got uh a copy of the very lengthy plan uh for your reading pleasure and we are uh requesting board approval of the updated and revised 2026 Enslo County Schools beginning teacher support program plan. So, at this time, I need a motion to approve the updated Alto County Schools beginning teacher support program plan as required by North Carolina State Board of Education Policy

065TCED-016. Do I have a motion? >> I have a second. Second. I have any discussion or comments? >> Make a comment, please. I remember back in the 90s when we started looking at retaining teachers and what was being effective and what wasn't when the infrastructure was being laid in place and we have built highly upon that infrastructure to have a successful program and I commend you for that. >> I would also like to say being a former principal and knowing how overwhelming it is for young teachers when they come into public education so many expectations and so forth. I know how important this program is for those people to have that consistent support uh throughout the the school year and it's it's so encouraging to see such positive results on your surveys. So congratulations on

066that. Any other comments? >> Just one question Dr. Kett the category beginning teachers does that span a specific amount of years? >> The first three years. So they they're beginning teacher one, twos or threes. Um it can get a little more complicated than that because you know we hire people after January one and we actually consider them BT zeros because that first year they don't get a a full year experience. So um they they actually could end up being in the program if they were a late hire their first year three and a half years. But it's a it's a three-year experience. And again, the state is requiring, which we were already doing, no matter what license type they have, that they participate in this program in their first three years of teaching experience. >>

067Thank you. Any other comments, discussion? So, all in favor signify by saying I. >> I. All opposed. Motion carries. >> Thank you so much. Thank you, Dr. Krennic. Next item on the agenda is Parent Academy with Mr. Lane. Lovely members of the board, executive staff, thank you for allowing me to share this parent academy information on behalf of Dr. Elder. Uh the first thing that we want to mention is our Enso County Schools spring college fair that will be held on Monday, May 18th at North Side High School from 5 to 7:00 p.m. Uh that is free to our parents and students to attend. They plan to have over 20 colleges, both private and public schools. Uh this is a co-sponsored event with Britney Privet from the College Foundation of North Carolina. Uh Dr. Elder

068and Britney Norman of the Enso County Schools. Next, we have a competitive scholarships for 2026 2027. Uh this is a virtual only session that will bring representatives from various uh colleges and universities across the state. These are those high competitive u scholarships such as the Morehead Kane, Lavine Park, Brinkley Lane uh just to name a few of those. So again, that will take place uh virtually on Tuesday, May 26 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. And we just have one last thing to mention here. I want to thank all of our students who completed their FASA. Uh you can see the dates there have all expired, but Dr. Elder has come up with one more drawing to reward those students and to encourage them uh to please complete your FASA. We have lots of students who

069begin that process, but we want to see it all the way through to the end. The final drawing will be on May 18th. >> All right. Thank you. >> Any questions? Any questions, comments? Thank you, Mr. Lane. So, our last item on the general business portion of our agenda is an update on our legal services. And I'll turn this over to Dr. Barnes. Yes, sir. Thank you for the opportunity to uh present this item to you all. Um, and of course we have the board's general counsel, Miss Cornetto, who can also chime in on some of these related items, and she'd be happy to do that. So, what uh we put together uh this evening, although just I'll remind you that I've been in this role uh for less time than all of the board

070members in their roles and the general counsel and hers. So, I will be then the appointed one to kind of go over the history that some of you may know actually better than me. But um back in November of 2023, uh the board uh inter went through an interview process and and presentations with five uh law firms and completed general counsel rubrics and and score sheets. And on that same day, uh Pointer Spru was selected as the board's general counsel. And that was uh really just one step in the process. Uh on February 5th, 2024, uh prior to the meeting on February 5th, uh the uh then superintendent uh Dr. Collins was directed by the board to uh review the uh the options set forth uh by Pointer Spruel, the engagement letter options and to

071provide a recommendation. And if memory serves, the staff option was uh number three. And I'll I'll talk about that in a little more detail in a moment. So what uh what was ultimately adopted uh at that point was engagement letter at a certain set of uh rates and certain expectations with option three and also uh with Irwin law firm uh similar type of letter and Mr. Irwin works on the local fines and forfeitures uh component of our our legal work and that was for a March 1 24 through May 30th 26 time frame and what is before you tonight are new letters of engagement uh with Irwin Law Firm and with Pointer Spruel and I've just outlined there sort of the differences uh in the two with that uh red word update there to indicate

072same retainer monthly retainer fee uh slight increase in the um hourly rates that are uh commensurate with the industry standards. But this uh locks us into these prices uh for the term of the the the letter from pointer spru. So I want to share a little bit about you know how how does it then come to to be my recommendation or staff recommendation that we proceed with that. Uh first is that the board has generally expressed satisfaction with legal services we've had and there's a great benefit of course to the consistency and continuity working with staff um as as we move forward and I'll share this a little more in a moment but standard governance practice to to continue as long as there's interest in doing so with with the folks that we're working with.

073some things about letters of engagement that somewhat new business to me, but a letter of engagement uh and what you have before you from the two firms. These are not employment contracts. Um this does not lock the board in in the same way that an employment contract does. It simply defines the scope of services they will provide. It locks in the the rates uh and terms and what the expectations are for the duration of the time that the board is interested in in remaining with those firms for this purpose. The board's authority is fully uh maintained through this process. So if you approve the engagement letters, um this does not uh prevent the board from initiating a a new bid process. I would say at any time that's technically true. There's of course takes some

074time to get the bid process going, but although this agreement from the law firms is for three years on what they will lock in at at any point in that process, if the board is interested, new process can begin. Um, and it doesn't um the binding it does here is essentially to the to the firms and and what will be provided and at what rates. The it's kind of interesting Dr. Krennic U mentioned the I don't know how long ago that was, Dr. critic that the Miss Thomas meeting was but thinking about okay well what's the evaluation component well here I have at the bottom with the this concept of a related staff action uh we would like to set a board workshop we recently had a very successful board workshop and I think it's

075a process that um all are interested in continuing on a very periodic basis uh in that next workshop we would like to consider establishing an annual legal services evaluation or review process uh that the if the board is interested in establishing that. So you can look at this and in the meantime we're asking for staff recommendation uh the staff recommendation rather is to to adopt or to accept the two letters of engagement for the law firms. And that's what I have Mr. Chairman unless you have some questions for me or Miss Ketto. >> You have any questions at this time? I'm sorry. I guess after the uh >> I'll make the motion. Yes, sir. >> So, at this time, I need a motion to accept the letters of engagement from Pointer Sprru LLP and Irwin

076Law Firm, PLC, for legal services to be provided to the Enzo County Board of Education. Do I have a motion? >> Moved. I have a second. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Could you clarify on the set of board workshop for the purpose of considering and establishing any? >> Sure. So it um and sometimes time bends a little bit. I was it it's just within the last few weeks we had the last board workshop. Is that right? Okay. In some ways that feels like three months ago. But what we will do is work with the board on establishing in a very timely fashion a board workshop where among other topics of your interest, we can work through some uh different possibilities of a legal services evaluation process and establish premise kind of like we worked

077with what the protocols would be, you know, for different, you know, board activities. what will our protocols be for evaluating the legal services that we're receiving? Dig into some of the information that may be of of interest to the board and to look at to decide, you know, I would recommend annual an annual process. And again, with a letter of engagement, locking in those uh those rates, if after that process or outside of that evaluation process, you don't have to engage in that process. uh the the board could still choose to open up the competitive bid process for um you know for legal services which is something that it is certainly fair to do every there's not one set number but every three to five to seven years if if you do your own research

078I'm sure you'll see different numbers but there's not one set number as to how often that process has to take place >> okay so instead of doing it now we're going to evaluate it in three months whenever Well, I I would say in the first meeting we would need to establish the um what the evaluation process would be and I think we could immediately begin engaging in that. Do you have some familiarity with that? And >> Miss Todd, you're asking um a really great question. A lot of school boards like to do their legal evaluation by having board members and senior staff give feedback about the responsiveness, the quality of legal services and be able to find out areas that we can improve. Um, and that if you decide based on the evaluations that you'd

079rather go out for bid, that would be the time to say, "Well, these evaluations are what they are, but we'd like to see what else is out there in the market." Okay. because I was say this seems like not a process to start the conversation for that the RFP. So I wasn't sure where that was supposed to start. I would imagine that would be a conversation for us and executive staff together. I think the hope is to have data for the board to be able to decide next steps. Um and it would be great to get feedback on ways we can improve and ways that we're serving you well. >> Okay. And then does anybody else have a question because I have one more. >> Okay. So on the scope of engagement waiver um in

080my research today it seems like it's pretty vague. Is there any way to tighten that language? >> It's negotiable. How would you like to tighten it? >> So the things that came up to me was uh first notice before the firm takes on any matter that could be perceived as adverse to the board. Even if you believe it's unrelated, that allows us to evaluate governance and public trust implications. >> I'm obligated to do that by law. >> Okay. And then the second item was we need the waiver narrowed so it doesn't apply to board level issues like governance policy, personal manners requiring board action, student matters requiring board action, or anything that could affect our statutory responsibilities. >> Again, obligated by law. Glad to do that. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other comments? >> If

081I may, just for clarifi clarification for the public, >> we're talking about establishing a workshop so that we can build parameters for our ability to evaluate our legal team on the services that they provide. Period. Full stop. Yes, sir. And the specific motion is simply to adopt the engagement letters, but that what I'm saying on unless the board were to act and say please don't do this, we would establish also a workshop to do to do that very thing. Yes, sir. >> Thank you. Any other comments? All right. I'd like to go on record as saying that I do think it's important to set up the workshop to establish that for an annual basis, but I want to go on record in saying that I have been completely and totally satisfied with the services that

082we have received from uh Pointer Sproul. >> Yes, if I may. >> Yes, sir. >> So am I. >> Thank you. >> And I'll go on the record saying this isn't about replacing anybody. It's about doing our due diligence as a board. That's how I see it. Thank you. >> Any other comments? So at this time, all in favor signify by saying I. I. >> All opposed. Motion carries. Next item on the agenda is the superintendent comments. Mr. Chairman, members of the board, executive staff, and for those who are watching here and at home, um, for most of our schools, we are 30 calendar days away from the last day of school. Not that anyone counts that down, I'm sure. And as we conclude this evening and and we move into what some folks in

083this area might call the short rows for the school year, um I want to highlight just a couple of the leadership priorities that are key to this time of year and and some observations. Um in just a few weeks, we're going to celebrate a series of graduation ceremonies, uh signups to come, right, Miss Ramsey, for the board, and I know that's a big time of year for our board members as well. and we're going to send several thousand graduates forward uh to their next big step because of the innovative um and meaningful opportunities that they have experienced um grounded in strong core knowledge and what I hope are very durable skills for jobs that we can't even anticipate fully at this point in their future. The ultimate measure of unlocking student potential is now really

084unfolding for the class of 2026. that measure shows itself in what comes next for these young people, whether that's employment and enrollment, enlistment, entrepreneurship, a combination thereof. Um, and that that's really going to be the measure for for their success. Uh, the the metric of grad graduation rate is important, but what they do next is important as well. So, there is no one single version of success, no one-sizefits-all future that defines what it means to be productive, engaged citizens. But some of the elements that our folks have have believed in for a long time are our young people contributing through work and service uh through participating responsibly in civic life, treating others with respect and using their knowledge, skills, and judgment to strengthen the community. And we're fortunate that we have a lot of young

085people that choose to stay in this community uh when when they finish. For the few days we still have with this senior class and their families, I have a senior as well. I want to offer particular encouragement particularly if your plan is not fully set, if you have not availed yourselves of Mr. Lane's um FAFSA uh opportunities and whatnot at this point, if things are a little unclear for you or if you feel maybe you didn't take advantage of the opportunities um that that you had in front of you, this isn't the time to give up. Um it feels a little late, especially when all of your friends have uh big plans. Um, but you still have time to talk with counselors and and trusted teachers, administrators about next steps and those conversations really matter.

086And so even for parents that are out there, if they don't feel they have a strong plan, call call the school and talk with them about what is possible next. And this is without any compensation. This is an endorsement. I just want to add that our own Coastal Carolina Community College, it's an outstanding option for many students. uh they provide affordable access to high quality instruction. There are a number of direct guaranteed transfer pathways to North Carolina public uh four-year universities and industry recognized certifications that can lead directly to meaningful jobs. So, uh for parents at home, if if your uh new graduates say, "Ah, there's nothing out there to do," there's plenty. And Coastal is a is a great way to to go through. It can be a first step. It can be a

087next step. It can be a launching point toward to many great things and again that's without uh without compensation that that endorsement comes. It has been certainly good to my family. So unlocking student potential that's not it doesn't end at graduation. It continues through the choices that these young people will make supported by families and educators and a community that believes in in their success. And so it's a really exciting time for for our kids. Um, the next core leadership priority I want to mention is just the ongoing effort to create and maintain safe and secure environments for the people who trust us each day to take care of their kids. That's that's a pretty heavy responsibility. uh for the students that fill our schools, for the adults who spend some or all of their

088working lives in in uh our these buildings, and for those who when they hear about violence or threats send up prayers uh sincerely in hopes for the safety of people. I just want to reiterate that um really nothing matters more than than the safety of the folks in our schools. If you are familiar with Maslo and the hierarchy of needs, you know that we can't get anywhere if folks are are in schools and they're afraid. We're always going to listen and continue to do everything that we can to to keep the folks in our schools uh safe. Um I'm a parent who's gotten the calls before. Also, um I get the the Brent Anderson special calls and and the others. I usually know what they're going to be, so they're not surprising calls, but I

089know what it's like to be a parent who uh who gets the call and and it can be kind of scary. So, we have some dedicated school leaders and others that even when they do all the right things and it's handled appropriately, when you get that call, even if everyone is safe and your kid is safe, there's a natural question as what are you going to do next? And it's a fair question and uh it's one that um every uh department and division here and every member of our board takes very seriously. It takes time um and it's it's never completed no matter what the answer is. I want to connect that to my appreciation for the work of this board, the staff and community in advancing a local budget because that budget supports safe

090and secure schools through the local budget uh that that you all have endorsed tonight that moves forward to the county commission. Some of the safety and security connections I just want to connect to real quickly are those elements that support our special populations and at risk students uh that other funding sources don't fully take care of alternative programs and services. Um we have young people that um need to be in different kinds of environments. Um, I I don't know if everyone has visited OLC, but as a principal, one of the most regrettable things to me about working with a young person going to OLC is I knew that 90% or more of the time they wouldn't want to come back to my school because they they found an environment that was smaller and more manageable

091for them in one form or fashion. And not every school system has they literally don't have an OLC because that stands for Enso County Learning Center. But they don't have that option and we can't have those options without budgets like the one that you passed tonight. Uh support for locally funded positions that the state does not fully cover. uh whether it's assistant principles, the the student monitor program that is is now a few years in the making, our SRO program, uh and other educators and support staff, and then your ongoing support regardless of funding source of nurses and social workers and school psychologists, the counselors, uh TAs, all who do the good work every day. And they have such a hand in um in what makes a safe and secure school. It's a daily focus

092of people and systems working together with strong relationships, trusted adults. Uh it involves student and teacher voice, direct and anonymous reporting uh processes, constantly looking at what's happening in our schools, and close partnerships with families and law enforcement. The the people really matter the most. So, thank you to the members of the board, OCS leadership, executive staff, um in particular, Mr. Halman in finance, and Dr. Gartner and operations for what they put together for tonight. Our county commissioners who based on the the funding agreement we have I I believe will support what the board has put forward and then the taxpayers of Enzo County who are critical also in this role for maintaining safe and secure schools. Uh Mr. Chairman and members of the board, I'll close by sharing that public education is a noble

093profession. It's the cornerstone of this community. It's accessible to all of our children and it's a strong and successful school system. Thank you for your leadership and the opportunity you've given me to serve children. Thank you, sir. >> Thank you, Dr. Barnes. We will now move into our board member comments. Miss Long. >> Well, this month there was no shortage of student opportunities. It's always great to see our students participating in shining. Um, you know, we talked about it this week, but the reality is that we don't get to student success without our employees. All our employees, every single one of our employees, they build culture. So, I just want to say thank you and I appreciate you, >> Miss Howie. >> Um, ditto on that because we are a team and I always hear

094and as Dr. And there's no I in there. It's just it's that E goes there. It's us. We're all working together. This uh month I've had an opportunity. It's musical season time. White Oak Once Upon a Mattress. Anastasia at Jacksonville High School. The Sound of Music North Side. Shrek the musical. And I did see uh Susical the preview of it last month. They were fabulous. If you didn't get a chance to see any of them yet, uh this weekend Southwest High School and and Dixon High School will be doing their plays. Dixon's doing Catch Me If You Can and Southwest is doing Zombie Prom. So, it was a very exciting and it was it've all been very good. There've been a lot of events going on next week. We'll be having chest, high school, elementary,

095and middle and more stuff. It just keeps happening and I appreciate all you do to work hard to ensure this happens. And I think about what Dr. uh Barnes was saying about the last few days. I remember my first year of teaching and I had my little countdown because that seems to be what teachers do. And I had u a mentor as a principal that was very astute about asking questions. He goes, "What's that up there for?" I says, "It's how many days I have left." He goes, "What are you gonna do during that time?" I said, "What?" He goes, "Are you counting down how many more times you got to make an impact or a difference?" And I got to thinking about that. I only have 30 days left to make that impact or

096that difference. And it totally changed how I saw what I was teaching. rather than 30 days and I get to run. I get 30 more chances to make the impact to connect to do something for a child that they'll remember to their very last day because that's been uh since 89 90 I was told that and I still remember that get one more day to make a chance and to our students I say it's not where you start honey it's where you finish finish strong finish proud and good luck we've got a lot of testing coming up. >> Thank you Miss Hie. Mr. Lir want to thank everyone who attended tonight and congratulations to all those who have received awards for their uh efforts and also thank you to executive staff and every member of

097Oslo County Schools. I think one important takeaway from this particular meeting is that we care about each other. we make an effort, for lack of a better term, reward you for your efforts for being there all the time. Um, our ability to be able to provide another supplement, though it's a year-end supplement, like Miss Hie always says, baby steps. Um hopefully in the coming future uh nationally and statewide we can be recognized to the point where you can get the absolute value of your worth. Thank you for all you do. >> Thank you Mr. Lair. Mr. Williams. >> Thank you Mr. Chair. Good evening everyone. As a board member, a community member, and a parent, I'm often blown away by the number of opportunities our students are offered through our throughout our school district. Most

098recently, I had the opportunity to attend several performing arts events across the district from elementary to high school. I fortunately had the experience of enjoying Shrek the musical at Richland High School as a parent. In fact, I enjoyed it and watched it five times. As a member of the uh audience each night, I was blown away. Sorry, I lost my place. As a member of the audience each night, I sat in awe. The talented students, amazing props, and vibrant costumes. However, believe it or not, the most beautiful parts of the performance happen each day leading up to show nights. The dedication that it takes for students and staff is incredible. As audience members, we don't see the work that takes place to pull off an extraordinary performance. As a parent, I watched my own child's

099comp confidence and skill level sore. I frequently thought about how grateful I am to have so many people who are committed to helping our students grow. I encourage all of our students to get out there to challenge their comfort zone and try something new at school. Whether it's a trade, a school club, sports, or a musical, teacher appreciation week should be more than just a few days a month. We should appreciate the people that are up every day and pour into our pour into the lives of our students. I also want to thank um everyone that um students and staff at the schoolbased enterprise. Uh, another great event. Takes a lot of coordination to pull that off. Miss Herman, thank you for hosting it and your staff. I understand it was a very busy day

100between that and the TA conference and prom. A lot going on. Um, I'd also like to know uh I know Mr. Keyspace, not here. But I don't know if y'all saw the uh dishes that they prepared for the national competition in Baltimore, but I'd like to know when they're going to be on the menu so I can make sure that I can try them because they looked absolutely amazing. So anyway, thank you everybody. >> Miss Todd, >> I want to thank everybody that came out tonight. Thank you for our speakers. Um I appreciate you being comfortable enough to come out and share your concerns. and your joys and your support on many issues. Congratulations to all our winners on the good news spotlight. A lot of great things going on. I'm excited. Well, I'm sure

101you're excited. The last 30 days of school are coming up. So, I want to wish everyone the best on your on the home stretch as we usually call it. Um, I did want to touch base on the RFP. Um, it's in my opinion is simply good governance. It shows the community we're being transparent and responsible of taxpayer dollars. It also lets us compare firms on expertise, cost, responsiveness, and potential conflict, so we know we're getting the best fit for our district. School law is specialized in our needs have grown, and our FP helps us make sure our legal council aligns with our priorities, protects the board from conflicts, and provides level of service our students and staff deserve. This isn't about replacing anyone. about doing our due diligence as a public board and making a

102defensible informed decision. And I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight. Thank you, >> Mr. Williams. >> It's a pleasure to be here with you tonight and just to share what um OCS is doing and what all of you are part of. I'mma try to do something different tonight. Uh I don't know if any of you watched the Kentucky Derby this past weekend. Did you? Okay, some of you did. I was afraid I'd be the only one. So maybe this will make sense to some of you. I haven't really thought this out or how I wanted to do this, but my my goal is to make you aware that you are all valuable, more valuable than you'll ever really understand. Um, on Saturday night, the Kentucky Derby happened. I think it was like the

10352nd annual running or something like that, many of them. It's one of the most prestigious uh horse racing events that exist. And horses will spend uh a couple years in training and their sole purpose is to go and race and hopefully uh qualify for that. Owners will spend decades trying to raise a horse to even qualify for the race. Um jockeys will spend an entire lifetime trying to get to that race. And the whole purpose in their existence really is to get to that race and and how they finish and all that stuff gets celebrated. But really, every person that's involved, every animal that's involved on that track has value. Uh, the horses are taken care of better than most animals will ever imagine being taken care of. The owners dump everything into the people

104that are are working uh for that horse, the people that care for the track, the animals, the people that drive those those horses around, the jockeyies are are uh going through an immense amount of training. And it and it just seems like sometimes um we miss a lot of people or a lot of things that's going on because we're focused on on certain aspects. And sometimes that aspect might be the the great thing that's happening right now. And it might also be the most negative thing that's happening right now. And an example of that was Saturday night. There was a horse uh that was winning uh and then there was a horse that was at the end. So you got the first place current on the track and the horse is uh last place currently

105on the track. And as the the race tighten that gets down to the last quarter mile or so, you'll see the camera on most most broadcasts, it'll narrow down to the first couple that's in the race, the first few horses like first through fourth, fifth place, and that's where everybody's attention is. Meanwhile, there's another 15 horses or so, another 15 jockeys racing uh for the chance to to just get to the podium. And what happened was is as you watch the towards the end, all of a sudden this horse that was absolutely last was barreling down the track just trying to catch up. And it took a while, but somebody finally realized that, oh, this horse is coming from dead last might have a chance to do something spectacular. And sure enough, Golden Tempo came

106from dead last to first. And it brought to my mind that sometimes whatever's on our viewing screen, we tend to forget these other things or we forget these people. And sometimes we focus on what has our attention. Meanwhile, there's all these other 4,000 employees, 28,000 students, and and people are just pouring into each other's lives doing what you some of you were born to do to to educate or to support or to do all these things. It brings to my my mind bus monitors, the nutritional staff, you you educators are in the classroom every day, your classified staff. My my goal for this whole rambling is to tell you that you are valuable and you're important and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you're doing each and every day. Thank

107you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Williams. I too would like to thank everyone who came out this evening. Again, congratulations to all those that were recognized during the good news spotlight. I'd like to thank Miss Welding Windling for the invitation to the TA banquet uh Friday night. Uh that was an opportunity to come out and celebrate our teacher assistants. And again, I'm going to go back to my principal days when I was a principal at an elementary school and I totally and completely understand the importance of our TAs and what they do in our schools for our students. So again, thank you so much for for what you do. At this time, I need a motion to enter into close session pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 143-318 uh.11 subsection A1, A3, and C to

108prevent the disclosure of information that is privileged or confidential and to consult with the board attorney to preserve the board's attorney client privilege. Do I have a motion? >> Move. >> Second. >> I have a second. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I. All opposed. We will now go into close session. >> One to our left. >> To our left. >> Further left. >> Bradley Williams. I missed that. >> It was amazing. I saw the highlights. right Watch There's something in there. So at this time I need a motion to resume open session. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> All opposed. >> I need a motion to adjurnn. >> Second. Second. >> All in favor? >> All opposed. We are adjourned. >> You too. Thank you.