001We'll go ahead and call this meeting of Cleveland County Board of Education to order. Monday, December the 8th, 2025. At this time, I'll call on Pastor Aaron Hinton, pastor of Popular Springs Baptist Church to do our invocation. Good evening. Good evening. Dr. Fischer told me I had about 25 minutes for a sermon. Is that is that just making sure? No. Uh, one quick story. Six months ago, uh, the association said, uh, we'd like for pastors to pick a time to pray for the board meeting. And I picked tonight just at random. And my son sits in this FFA group, the good Lord works in mysterious ways. Let's pray. God, we thank you for a time that we can be together. uh God that a time that we can do uh business that you have called
002us to do in this place through this board of education. God, I pray tonight and every day moving forward that this board that this county would be reminded why they are here and it is the students of this county. Let that be their focus. Let that be their vision. God, I pray for this board. I pray for the members of this county, the teachers, the educators, the administrators, and in particularly the students, God, as our two of our high schools go to play a pretty important football game this weekend. God, I don't know how victories work in your eyes, but God, we pray for victory, but more importantly, we pray for the safety of our athletes, our cheerleaders, our band members, our fans. God, we pray for our high schools as they go to support
003those young men on that football field. God, we are grateful for all the opportunities that our students have here in this county, but we are most of all grateful for the opportunity we have this season to remember your son, the reason for this season. God, we are grateful for the opportunity we have this Christmas to yet again celebrate the birth of your son, Jesus. And it's in his name that we do pray. Amen. >> Amen. Amen. Thank you, pastor. Well, it really is maybe God works in a lot of mysterious ways because Miss Benfield randomly picked somebody to lead the pledge tonight. And guess who she picked? Lou Hinton. So, Mr. Hinton from Crest High School, would you come up and lead us in the pledge? Attention. Salute. Pledge. >> I pledge algiance to the
004flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right. Thank you, Mr. Mr. and Mr. Hinton. Uh, at this time, we got some special recognition. I'll call on Miss Rhonda Benfield. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. Thank you for the opportunity to recognize some student members of the Crest High School FFA chapter tonight. These students recently attended the 98th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, where they earned several recognitions on the national stage. First of all, they were named a national top 10 finalist in the premier chapter award program in the category of strengthening agriculture. We also had students recognized in the national aggracience fair category where two teams four students were named national finalist. Luke
005Hinton and Caleb Ples earned fifth place for their research project. Savannah Carpenter and Tucker Forest earned second place for their research project. And if these awards are not enough, Luke Hinton, who you've already uh heard from, was selected to perform in the talent program and several students participated in the student showcase stage. Several of those students are here and we would like to bring them up at this time. as I call their name, they'll come forward, get a certificate from Dr. Fischer here, uh, and then shake hands with all the board members, and then we'll pause for a photo. Those students are Savannah Carpenter. She's the president of the Crest FFA chapter. Macy Cook, >> Tucker Forest, >> Paisley Hamri, Luke Hinton. Congratulations and Caleb Piss. Thank you all. Let's give them a round of
006applause. [applause] They're also accompanied tonight by their teacher, Matt Harris. We appreciate all that he does. [applause] Another CTE program that has earned recognition recently is our EMT program. The teacher, Mr. Carl Lynch and he is here with us tonight along with some of his students. He has our program highlight for tonight. Good evening everybody. Thank you for having me. My name is Carl Lynch. I'm a community paramedic for Cleveland County EMS. A few years ago, part of my job, we looked at doing a community outreach program and we decided to go with as far as our community outreach program, a EMS program um with a uni unique partnership between the school system and Cleveland County EMS. Um, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction offers the EMS program throughout 19 school systems in the in
007the counties in the counties. Cleveland County is the only uh partnership that's unique to DPI where it's a shared partnership between EMS and the school system. [crying] Part of the program first semester, there's two main credentials that students uh achieve. First semester they take an emergency medical responder course which consists of 96 classroom hours and during the second semester the students take an emergency medical technician course which consists of 192 hours of clinical time and 192 hours of school time and 48 hours of clinical time. In addition to classroom time the students do participate in a studentled um club which is called HOSA. It's for future healthcare professionals. In the past three years, the students have completed um during regionals. Every year they've completed in the top 10 spots. The first year the initial group
008we went to state competition uh which led them to international competition in [music] Houston, Texas. Um and in the last two years, Cleveland County Schools has off also hosted the regional competition for HOSA. Outside the schools, um students can be found participate in at football games, um provide emergency medical services both on the field and in the stands. The students also participate at the Cleveland County Fair um in in um in in cooperation with Cleveland County EMS. They're there from the first day of the fair to the last day of the fair. Uh they're also found at school events um participating in stop the bleed and CPR training for their peers. uh the recent success in Cleveland County. Last year, Cleveland County uh schools were partnered with EMS uh was recognized by Department of Public
009Instruction for having the highest pass rates and the highest um strongest student to employee ratios throughout the states. Uh following this recognition, I was asked to to give a presentation at the summer conference for CTE. Uh and following after that, a few months later, the um DPI brought up Cleveland County's program at a EMS conference for the states. Some of our pass rates for the past three years. Uh you can see the top row is the average uh pass rates for the states. All the all 19 programs at DPI uh Cleveland County over the years have met and succeed and succeeded those those pass rates. Um, our student to employee transition year one, uh, we successfully moved over five students right out of high school, uh, with a job at Cleveland County EMS, the same
010number for year two. And for year three, that number is 12. And there's some of their smiling faces there that work for the county. In addition to the program, the the state offers a pre-apprenticeship program that this is the first year that's being run through Cleveland County schools. The pre-apprenticeship program offers the students upon graduation if they become employed by Cleveland County EMS to um go to a full apprenticeship program to where the state pays for their associates degree in emergency medical services. In addition to that, if employed full-time by the county, the county uh will pay for their their paramedic class, their actually seat time. So, they get the courses paid for and actual time in class paid for. >> Um that's that's my presentation. Anybody have any questions? >> Anyone have any questions?
011>> No. Thank you very much. >> I just want to say thank you u very much for this. Uh there's a lot of talk in today's world about AI eliminating jobs and EMS is something I don't foresee. We're going to always have to have that and having students go directly from our schools into your work for the county is tremendous. So thank you for what you do. Really, >> thank you very much for having us. If uh y'all don't mind have a student come on have something for you. >> Bring them up. And our director is here today. Thomas McNeely if you want to come on up too. Um, Zolan is one of our students from Shelby High School. He would like to present you with our EMS challenge going through the school system. Thanks
012for your service. Congratulations. Let's give our EMS folks a hand. [applause] Thank you, Miss Benfield. At this time, I'll call on uh Dr. Steven Fiser. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of first semester. Um, and so tonight we're going to recognize some really special young people. Uh, we've had the opportunity to to recognize some older students. Uh, and and and now we're going to recognize students from across our our great spans. Uh, as you know, we have um started a stand up to kindness program, stand up to bullying program. Um, and really that the the premise of that is to really focus on kindness. And and so today we've got to do some recognition for some students that have really exhibited that
013in their schools. Uh, and we're really proud of of that to be highlighted by your school principal and that school as someone who stands up to bullying, stands up for kindness. Those things are really appropriate and we're excited about these students. So, those students that are here tonight are going to come up. Young people get let you take a certificate from Dr. Hunnel. Uh, we're going to let you stand on this side and then after all the students are up, we're going to have you take one big picture with our board uh with that. So to lead us off from Bethware Elementary, um Elen Pastel [applause] from Boeing Springs Elementary. Roco Brown [applause] [snorts] from Burns High School. Leazia Robinson [applause] from Burns Middle School. Ella Donaldson [applause] from Kazer Elementary School. Malachi Rumswinkle. [applause]
014from Cleveland Early College High School. Caroline Bottoms [applause] from Crest Middle School. Victoria Cruz [applause] from East Elementary School. Alliana Mandreo [applause] from Elizabeth Elementary School. Air Hart [applause] from Falsson Elementary School. Christopher Lynch [applause] from Grover Elementary School. Ariel Murray [applause] from James Love Elementary School. Keana Brooks [applause] from Jefferson Elementary School. Julian Lendesma [applause] from Kings Mountain High School. Gavin Stevenson [applause] from Kings Mountain Intermediate School. Riley Parker [applause] from Kings Mountain Middle School. Seth Tate [applause] from North Elementary School. Malik Sanders [applause] from North Shelby School. Corbin Elmore [applause] from Shelby High School. Janiah Clifton [applause] from Shelby Middle School. Jaden Troyer [applause] from Springmore Elementary School. Miller Reese Pointer [applause] from Township 3 Elementary School. Kinsley Britain [applause] from Union Elementary School. Lily Edwards [applause] from Washington Elementary School. Shaylee Willis
015>> [applause] >> And from West Elementary School, Emerson Bryant. [applause] >> [laughter] >> Okay, I see a bunch of cameras back there. If y'all want to come up and take pictures on this front row, would be perfectly fine. >> [laughter] >> Well, don't tape it once. [laughter] All right, everybody. Good. Oh, one more. >> We can those after. >> Yeah. Yeah. All right, we good. >> All right, y'all. Free to go. Thank y'all. Congratulations. [applause] >> All right. If you want to leave, we'll go ahead and pause for just a minute and let you leave. You're more than welcome to stay. >> You'll be bored. >> Do what? >> You'll be bored. >> Yeah. >> That about empties it out, don't it? You see the sink hole on the shelf? >> I did. I had
016to come down that way. I was going by the post office and it had the dagum. >> Oh yeah. a few minutes. >> Well, they uh they got 74 shut off. >> All the traffic's coming in early. I guess you saw that. >> I actually saw D already was in process. So they So they took him down past the street down 15 back to Charles. That's the best. >> All right. At this time, I would like to recognize Dr. Anita Wear. >> Good evening. Um, I appreciate this opportunity to kind of give you an update on school to work, but also uh broader than that, just Turning Point Academy and all the hard work that um that our staff has been doing over the last few years. This is the first day of school this
017year. Um, we have an incredible staff, dedicated staff of people. Um, our current profile is we have a as of this morning, we have 154 students. 77 of those are traditional students in middle and high. That means they're at school five days a week. We have 64 school to work students who is a special program that I'm going to talk about um a little bit later. Um we have 12 students in our degree program which are students with IEPs and 504s who need an alternative way to get their education and they come in our building a few hours a week. And then we have we do house Alexander uh youth day treatment in our facility and we currently have one student enrolled at Turning Point in that program. We are a free feeding site. We
018have um pervasive generational poverty in our school. Um and also uh I would say pervasive trauma. Our students have difficulties with behavior for a reason. And we have worked very very hard and continue to work um to become a trauma-informed environment so that we can better meet the needs of our students and equip them to be able to go back to the regular setting if that's what they desire to do. Many of them do successfully. But also we feel a responsibility to equip them for life so that they learn to self-regulate so that they can be um a member of society and have a job, take care of a family. School to work um started uh back in um 2016 I believe as a program that offered an alternative pathway for seniors who were struggling,
019were getting ready to drop out, who were just a few credits away, who could finish in less than a year or in a year maximum. And uh that was very successful. By June of 2022, we had graduated 136 students that way. In Finnish, they graduated from their home high school. Um it worked so well that we decided to pilot school to work, which was similar but was for any grade level in high school. And so we started a pilot in the fall of 2022. Um that program involves um specially designed course materials. They come in the building four hours minimum of week to get support from our seminar um coaches. Uh they have access to the same resources our regular traditional students have a counselor, a social worker. We have an in-house Contegra mental health
020counselor. They all work with school to work students. Many of our school to work students um see our mental health counselor while they're on our campus. We help them find a job and keep a job. Um we have graduated since December of 22 because we have two graduations a year, 112 students through school to work. We have 22, crossing our fingers, that will graduate on the 18th at 2 o'clock in this room. And then we have 32 students on track to graduate in June. So, we're very excited about our results. Uh it's not for everybody, but we continue to get students in our program more and more before they drop out because our high schools have referred them to us early before they hit us as a dropout. So, just to summarize, this is the
021group of coaches that work with students when they come in the building. all retired master teachers and they and our staff, our teachers are the reason we've had this success. Um I've mentioned in finish we graduated 156 kids through that program. Um we have graduated 112 already. Um I've mentioned already we're anticipating 22 December the 18th, 32 in June. So that by the end of this year we will have offered u 3 122 Cleveland County students an opportunity to graduate that I believe would have dropped out. And so we're very excited about this. It's not perfect. We're always thinking about how to make it more rigorous, how to offer more flexibility, how to help kids more get jobs and keep them. We make very sure that every graduate has a plan after they graduate. Many
022of our school to work students have gone on to Cleveland Community College to start um an a two-year degree. Some have taken the pharmacy tech program and are working as a pharmacy tech now. We've had one student go to lineman school. And so we're we're still working really hard to build that bridge to the community college um for our students. Oh, I wanted to mention that a few years ago we uh affiliated with a group um called Capturing Kids Hearts. It was really a missing piece because it focused on how do you build relationships, particularly relationships with kids who struggle with self-regulation and behavior. Um and it's really been a gamecher for us to learn how to not get in power struggles with kids. a lot of lessons learned that I hope will eventually um
023continue to help all schools in our district, not just those students who end up at Turning Point Academy. And so that's been an important part of our program for the last couple of years. Um we also, as many of you know, we have Cleveland Early Intervention. We've had this program for years. It's the JCPC grant funded program. This year, Tim Guest, our social worker, works with students one-on-one and in small groups um to focus on life skills, crime prevention. We're trying to keep these students from getting in the system. And she currently already in December has 22 students, about 5050 middle school and high school. And so, she's had a great impact already in our building. Um, and this year we moved our school to work program into a new space. Um, on the on
024my left you can see the what the what used to be known as the carpentry room. Uh, down in the gym complex, no air conditioning. Um, that's what the room looked like. And now on the right is how the room looks. We are using that now uh for our school to work program. It's a beautiful space. We've also had um district professional development in that space. So, we're very very excited about that addition. We've taken wasted space and have made it purposeful. And this was our last graduating class. Um this is what it's all about. Um and so I appreciate the opportunity to talk about this program and I'll be glad to answer any questions you have. [applause] Any questions for Dr. Wear? All right, Dr. Fisher. Oh, >> can I I'd like to just
025make a Dr. Just don't don't leave. >> I just want to make a comment. I think what you're doing is fantastic and uh I mean the some of these kids uh my heart goes out to them and you are making them better than they ever would be. So, thank you for what you're doing. >> Thank you. Well, Mr. chairman, members of the board. Um, tonight I would like to take just a moment to recognize and and celebrate an extraordinary leader, colleague, advocate for students, and my friend, Dr. Anita Wear on this special occasion, her upcoming retirement at the end of this month. Um, Anita Wear has served our district with exceptional dedication, most recently as executive director of innovative programs and Turning Point Academy. As she's talked about tonight in these roles, she's worked tirelessly
026to expand opportunities for students who need the most support. Uh, champ champion creative solutions to challenging issues. Some of these situations have not been easy, but Anita is always looking for an answer and looking for a way to get a young person a diploma and strengthen the pathways that every learner realize their potential and not just get them a but hooked up with a job, get them connected with somebody that uh postgraduation they can be successful. Under Anita's leadership, Turning Point has continued to grow as a model for individualized student centered learning. Dr. Wear has been a driving force behind initiatives that focus not only academic success but on social emotional growth, behavior support, second chance opportunities, programs that truly truly change lives and and not just change the lives of those students, but change
027the lives of those students families. And many of the students that graduate may already have a child or when they when we have graduates that finish here, they they may be the first gradu in their family to ever graduate. And so not only we changing the lives and through doctors uh wear uh toutelage not only changing that student's lives you may change trajectory of an entire family. Her work has has helped our district think boldly and act compassionately ensuring that students of all backgrounds have access to tools resources and encouragement they need to thrive. Dr. Wear can be described as a visionary. Dr. Wear's always got an idea. She's always got something in in that brain thinking. There's many times I walked in the hall and said, "Let me run an idea about you. I've
028been thinking this and and and so many of those thoughts have become into reality." Dr. Wear loves Cleveland County Schools. She is passionate about the work that we're doing and she's deeply committed about doing what's best for children. If you need an advocate for a child, Dr. Weer is your person. Whether she was building partnerships in our community, supporting staff, encouraging student to keep on going, her presence made a meaningful and lastful lasting impact on our district. Dr. Wear was a catalyst, initial catalyst for Cleveland Early College High School. In fact, she served as school's first principal and I remember long time ago setting in planning meetings and Dr. aware leading those planning meetings and and and developing what was what is now a huge successful program in the Cleveland Early College High School and
029she served as that school's first principal. She's also served in various roles in our district and she served as a time at principal at Kingsm Middle School. As she retires, we we honor the legacy that we leave behind. A lot of times I talk about legacy and I said you don't get to choose whether you leave a legacy or not. You do get to choose what legacy you leave. And Anita Wear is has chosen to leave a legacy that she's an advocate for students. She's an advocate for what's right in in the educational system. She's a legacy of innovation, of courage, and of heartfelt service. Anita, your work has touched countless families and shaped the future of Cleveland County Schools in profound ways. Some ways that you and I don't even recognize at this moment.
030Uh we're grateful for your leadership, your passion, and your unwavering belief of young people. On behalf of our staff, the board of education, families, communities, many many students you've touched over this your career. Uh we congratulate on your retirement. Uh we extend our deepest thanks for for years years of service. Uh we wish you joy, peace, rest, enjoy happiness in your next adventures. If you don't know, Anita is leaving this field of service and she's entering to the church field of service as she uh turns the page, not retiring for advocating for people, but just changing a location. And actually, I think not too far from here, right across the road, she's going to be continuing to to to be in the in the community building ministry as we do that. So, Anita, thank you
031for what you've done for Clint County Schools. We appreciate you and and I know your work here will be done at the end of this month but we also know that your work in our community continues. So please join me in celebrating Dr. needle [applause] get [applause] a hug, but I >> [laughter] >> Thank you. [applause] All right, it's the first month or first meeting in December. Uh we do our election of chair and vice chair. At this time, I will turn the meeting over to Dr. Fiser. Thank Mr. Chairman, members of the board, um yearly, um according to policy 2200 in your uh policy manual, the board will elect a chairman and vice chairman to serve for a one-year term or until her his or her successor is elected and qualified by taking the
032oath of office prescribed in article 6, section 7 of North Carolina Constitution. Organizational meeting for the election and qualification of officers will be held as the first item of business at the regular scheduled December meeting of the board. And that's where we are tonight. Officers will be elected in the following order. chairman and vice chairman. Um, we will use policy 2340 says we'll use Robert's rules of order uh to to work through that. I will in just a moment I will open nominations uh for the office of chairman. Uh I will hold that until uh the nominations stop. Don't necessarily need a motion to close those nominations. When there are no more nominations, I will move forward with the election of the chair. So, at this time, do you have a question or do you
033wait? >> I'm on nomin. >> All right. Wait just a minute. Let me let me open the floor for nominations. Okay. I appreciate your eagerness. Are there any questions? >> All right. At this time, I open the floor for nominations for the position of chair of the Cleveland County Board of Education. Mr. Blunt, >> I'd like to nominate Kenneth Leadford for chair. >> We have a nomination. Kenneth Leadford. Mr. Blandon. Mr. G, we don't need a second for those. It's just a nomination to do that. Thank you, Mr. Blandon. I nominate Joel Shores for the chair. >> We have a nomination for Joel Shores by Walter Sperling. Are there any other nominations? Hearing no other nominations, I'm going to move towards a vote. Um, all in favor of Kenneth Leadford for chairman of the Cleveland
034County Board of Education, please raise your hand and say I. is one, two, three. All in favor of Joel Shores as chairman of the Cleveland County Board of Education, please raise your hand or say I. >> I. Two, three, four, five. That is six. Congratulations, Mr. Shores. Appreciate your willingness to serve as chairman of the Cleveland County Board of Education. At this time, I'll open nominations for the position of vice chair of the Cleveland County Board of Education. >> I'd like to make a nomotation by Mr. Ronnie Grigg for Danny Bland. Thank you, Mr. Grigg. >> I'd like to make a nomination for Aaron Bridges. >> A nomination by Gloria Sherman for Aaron Bridges. Are there any other nominations? Hearing none, I'll move forward with the vote for position of vice chair of the Cleveland
035County Board of Education. All in favor of Danny Blatton, if you'll raise your hand and say I. >> I. One, two, three, four. All in favor of Aaron Bridges for the position of vice chair of the Cleveland County Board of Education, please raise your hand and say I. >> I. >> That is five. >> Congratulations, Mr. Bridges. I would say I appreciate all of you being willing willing to serve uh this board of education and and also serve uh our our students and staff and the people of Cleveland County. Um so, Mr. yours uh by being elected as chairman of the board of education. I return the meeting over to back over to you. >> Okay. Next on the agenda calls for a recess. If I don't hear an objection, we'll move on. Is or
036does anybody want to reset it? We just move on. All right. Next then will be the adoption of the agenda. Uh we'll need a motion to adopt the agenda as presented. >> Mr. Chairman, before we make a motion for the agenda, I would like to make a motion to amend the agenda tonight. I would like to remove the sale of Marian school from the agenda tonight. I feel that there are um discussions that need to take place about this information that we have gotten and so I'd like to uh take this off the agenda tonight and not make a motion to sell the school. >> Okay, we have a motion and I heard Mr. Greg with a second. Any discussion? Yes, sir. >> Yes. Well, I'd like to make it clear tonight. I'm not against
037that group that was wanting to buy under no circumstance because I've adopted. I'm all about foster and the whole nine yards. But my thoughts is we're getting crowded >> in Cleveland County with housing. >> Well, I don't I want to interrupt you. I want the the conversation is about >> just having a discussion before we sell it. We got to have >> removal of this from the agenda. That's the discussion >> that we've got to ask. >> Well, I want the people to know how I feel up here. I work for them. >> Well, you have a public comment coming up in just stay tuned, folks, cuz that lie will last a half an hour. >> Well, no, it won't. But anyway, >> you'll have to throw me out. >> All right. Uh, we can
038act like some adults up here, please. Uh, >> I have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? All in favor? Did you? Yes. >> What? A motion to what? >> Remove it from the agenda. >> Yeah. >> Okay. All right. >> All right. So, >> because you couldn't get enough votes, probably >> uh ahead, >> Mr. Blandon, please. I I I've sat here all the time. I try to follow Robert rules of order and I don't call you out a lot, but can we not necessarily go down this road? I I'm trying to get let everybody get involved, but little smart comments like that are unnecessary. >> That's right. >> Okay. We have children watching this meeting. >> Yes, we do. >> And we got them on TV. Let's act like adults and leave
039the smart comments alone. Thank you. >> Now, what about your smart comment? Next on the agenda is a motion to adopt the agenda as with the removal of >> Marian Marian Elementary. All right, I make a motion >> as amended. I second >> Mr. Humphrey's and Mr. Bridges. All in favor? >> That's 90. Uh, next on the agenda is the approval of the minutes. Uh if without objection uh we'll take all the ones the two from November the 10th. >> I make a motion to approve all the minutes on the meeting. >> Okay, I have a motion. Do I hear a second? >> Secondly, Mr. Humphrey's. All those in favor approval of the minutes to zero. All right. Next on the agenda is a close session. Uh >> make a motion. >> Okay. I a
040motion to enter into close session. >> Yes. >> Was that including the minutes of the uh committee meetings? >> No. >> Okay. >> All right. Make a motion to go into close session uh pursuant to general statute 143-31811 section A3 um to discuss and consult with the attorney. >> All right. Have a motion. Do I have a second? >> Second by Mr. Grigg. All those in favor zero. We'll now be in close session. All right.