001[music] Hey. [music] [music] Hey. Hey. Heat. Heat. N. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Oh, [music] hey. [music] Thank you. >> It's not a personal which is strong. Yeah. Very last one. ma'am. >> Good evening everyone. >> Good evening. Oh, it's so quiet. >> That's okay. I knowing I know you cold >> trying to get warm. Okay. Well, I'm delighted that each of you are here. Uh we had to change the meeting and you all know why because of the weather for our second Monday. So we are here and we're we couldn't control what happened tonight. So it's still cold. So we had to go on. We have business attend attend to. So we're here and I'm delighted and we are delighted that those of you who
002chose to come out in the weather, you're here with us. Okay, we will declare and call our meeting to order. And we will stand ask everyone to stand and recite our pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you so much. We hope you've had an opportunity to pick up an agenda right out here on the podium and we will try to follow it to the best of our ability at this time. I would ask Dr. Bryant, do you have anything else that we may need to add to our agenda? Madam Chair, there is one item we'd like to take off the agenda. It's under recognitions 3.2
003>> and we'll be moving that to our next board meeting. >> All right. >> That was for uh for everybody out there. Child nutrition recognition uh for innovation award and we'll be doing that our January 12th meeting. All right. Hearing none other, I would ask for a motion to approve the agenda as amended. >> Madam chair, move for the approval of the agenda as amended. >> Second. Has been moved and properly seconded that we will approve our December 15th agenda as amended. Any other discussion on the motion? All in favor of the motion, let it be known by saying I. >> Oppose the same sign. >> The motion carries. Thank you very kindly. All right, Miss Hope. >> Good evening, madam. Mr. Vice Chair, program of the board, superintendent Dr. Brian. I'm excited to introduce
004our employee of the month for for December. Tabitha Burns is the MTSS and special populations coordinator. She's a dedicated team player who consistently goes above and beyond to support both the exceptional tourists department and student support services. Known across the district as the true data guru, Tabitha ensures that our decisions are informed, precise, and meaningful. Whether she is analyzing student performance trends, supporting MTSS processes, or assisting staff, her work is always accurate, timely, and insightful. According to Megan Sykes, director of exceptional students, her respons responsiveness is unmatched. In moments of crisis, Tabitha is the calm in the storm, quickly assessing the situation, identifying solutions, and mobilizing the necessary support to ensure the very best outcomes for students and staff. Her steady leadership and ability to remain focused under pressure make her an invaluable asset to
005the entire district. Please join me in congratulating Tabitha Burns, our December ECPS employee of the month. [applause] Congratulations. [laughter] Thank you. >> And I also have a gift card for Miss Burns from Greg Cessum who's a State Farm agent here in town. Thank you. Okay, that's always a fun part of our meeting is to do our recognitions. Now we'll come to the section of our meeting where the public comment section we ask the public if they would only speak three minutes during this time frame if you've signed up. And I will call your name when it's your time to come up. Okay, the first person on the list is Mr. Ronnie Maretti. [clears throat] All right. Good evening to superintendent, board, and audience. My name is Ryan Mercedi. I am the PE teacher at Stocks
006Elementary School. I've been teaching at Stocks Elementary for five years now. Going on five years now. I started out in EC. Uh today I'd like tonight I'd like to talk about the meet confer policy that we're pushing for. Uh I'd like everyone to imagine two different scenarios. Scenario one, we have a educator, experienced, respected educator that has dedicated years of their career to our schools. and due to there not being an outlet for their concerns, whether it be in the classroom, maybe something they like to implement in the classroom. Over years, this frustration builds and they inevitably end up leaving our county. And scenario two, the same educator, same amount of years, same amount of experience, they do have that outlet, meaning that they do have somewhere to go with their concerns and they do
007have somewhere to go with their ideas and what they would like to implement into our schools. That limitation will be called meet confer where representatives are chosen by our staffs. That can be anyone from nutrition experts to EC experts to physical education, physical education experts to custodial experts to be the leaders that represent our schools to implement what we believe will be the best for our schools. Right? And these misconfer pauses are already already being implemented in different counties such as Durham and Asheville. They've already reached me and confer in Durham earlier this year and they're having their first me confirm they've had their first ME confer meetings in April. So this is not a new thing and I am 100% behind the fact that if we do implement M confer in our schools it
008will be to the betterment but we have more of a voice. We have more ways to tell each other what is going on and what we need in our schools. And I thank you so much for listening to this concern. Thank you to the board superintendent and Thank you. >> Next person, Gloria Davis. >> Good evening. My name is Gloria Davis, member of Edcom United, formerly the school merger the district working group and I am the president of the metro neighborhood association living at 1812 Lon Avenue Rocky Mountain in Edome County. Edgecom United members want to bring two items requesting information for the community to your attention. We're asking for a written update on the North Edgecom campus capital project and a way to get ongoing community updates. Number two, thanks for the information on
009the ECPS payment for charter school students for 2425 at 1.8 million. In addition, we need to know the number of students paid for in charter schools for that time period and the amount of the total school budget for 2425 so we can know the impact of the charter school funding on the ECPS budget. We would like the same information for 2526 school year as well. Please let us know when we can get that information that we may that we may have it requested in writing so we can share that with the community for their information as well. Thanks so much for your attention to these matters so that we can support MCPS and our community. >> Thank you M. That ends our [clears throat] public comment session at this time. Okay, we're down to island
010five. >> I didn't get a chance to sign up. I just got here. >> Yeah, thank you. Good evening to the school board um superintendent um and everybody in the audience. >> Sign me if you don't mind. >> Oh my appreciate it. First off, I wanted to um you know, wish everybody a merry Christmas early because I'm we're not going to be speaking in until after the new year, but I wanted to speak on me and confirm myself. Um, you know, we we've been trying to get win this so that we can get a seat at the table. We just want a voice. That's all we want as educators. We want to we want a chance to have a voice to be heard, you know, and this isn't new, as uh Mr. Mor said he
011had said. Um, so, you know, like I said, we want to work together and we feel like we can accomplish some really good things if we all just work together. So, that's basically what I have to say in a nutshell. So, >> thank you. >> Okay, we'll move on to item number five. our 10th open session minutes. I know that we've had an opportunity to read them. I just need to hear any concerns that we have in that set of minutes, any information that you see fit to question. If you did not find any, then we need to have a motion for approval. that set of minutes. November 10th, our regular business meeting. >> Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve our November 10th, 2025 regular business board meeting open session minutes. >> Second.
012>> It's been moved and properly second that we will approve our November 10th, 2025 regular business meeting minutes. Any other discussion as it relates to those minutes? Hearing none. All in favor of the minutes. I need to hear your response by saying I >> I oppose the very same sign. Hearing none, the minutes is approved. Item number six, items for information, our school update. Dr. Brown. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. U few announcements tonight. Uh very proud of our uh teachers that work program. We had three teachers during the summer who worked with STEP uh to go to local businesses and work [clears throat] and then bring that information back into the classroom. Um they did a presentation a couple weeks ago to members of STEP and uh school personnel talking about their experiences and
013what they did to bring that back into the classroom. Uh it was very very enlightening and very exciting what what they talked about and uh this is an annual opportunity that STEP always provides each summer and very appreciative for to have the opportunity to do that. uh Sarah Clark at W Carver Elementary School, Philip Lampron at South Ed Middle School, and Marsha Smith at Coco Wimberly Elementary School participated and uh they did a great job with their presentations and uh learned a great deal. So, we're excited to get a new group of teachers involved with that next summer. So, looking forward to that. Uh also like to uh update some folks um on a uh food giveaway and co-drive. Uh very very timely with that. Uh great for the opportunity to partner with Kelly's Community
014Pantry on the uh Saturday before Thanksgiving uh for a meal box giveaway. Uh our ECPS family resource center served as the pickup location and several of our staff members stepped up to assist throughout the event. Also very proud to donate coach to support the annual coke giveaway. Very meaningful day for collaboration and uh service and community care. I think one of the things that represents our community so well and such a welcoming and giving community that we have here and uh it was just a really great event. We had a number of members from the community participate. It's always heartwarming to uh to see that and be a part of that. Also like to recognize our EC department. uh they hosted a parent involvement forum uh recently and uh they brought together families and community
015partners and stakeholders for a conversation about IEP processes, mental health supports, autism services, and housing credit resources. And uh we're grateful to everyone who attended engaged in discussions focused on strengthening wraparound services for our students. Special thanks to Sheena Evans for organizing the event for all EDC teams to partner to serve on the panel. It was a really nice turnout and uh just [clears throat] very uh very very excited to uh have that participation from the community. Um, finally, um, just very excited, uh, to again recognize Tarpal High School football for their state championship over the weekend. And, um, they won their consecutive their second championship in two years by [music] win over Murphy High School on Saturday at Lenor Ride University, Hickory. Uh this is now the 10th state title for Tarbor High School
016and the ninth straight appearance in the state championship football game for Tarbor High School. Coach Crack, his staff and players um did a great job in winning and playing on the field obviously, but also I think they represent our our school and district and themselves quite well with sportsmanship and honor. And uh that's that's evident by the way they play and uh we we have uh just proud of what they they've done for their high school. And um and the other thing I note at our next meeting we have uh we're sort of in this role of recognizing several different accomplishments within the community. Some uh both inhouse and in the community. I'm looking forward to bringing back at the next meeting where we're going to recognize some folks who've done some really great things
017for our uh for our schools and the community. So, very excited about that as well. And uh testing got off to a pretty good start today at our high schools and that'll be going on the rest of this week. So, that concludes my report. Madam Chair, >> thank you. Does anyone have any comments or questions to Dr. on any of the information you shared with us? Okay, thank you very much. 6.2 maintenance update. Yes. Good evening chair, vice chair, >> board members, superintendent. We put a new 5B put a new 5 in atello. We took up the carpet at Park and Middletown. We hang it um with your logic in the hallway on the wall and negative top that causes the water to come back in on the wall. Madam Chair, may I add something
018to that just as a followup that um the board knows this, but I'm not sure the public does back a few months ago back August if I remember correctly. Uh you approved through lottery funding um the new chillers at Pascoville in Fair View. Those chillers are now uh set and in place and partially hooked up I believe will be hooked up in the next after our break at the end of next week at the end of this week. >> This doesn't follow up to everybody. So big uh big items that make a huge difference for for schools. So appreciate the mayor department hard work and doing that and all kinds of other things as well. any other words. You all have to wake up a little bit earlier now, don't you? >> Yes, ma'am. Uh
019the >> to make sure that the schools are more >> Yes, ma'am. The girls are using that school. >> We got to go. and get don't want the kids to be cold. >> And uh as everybody knows, the cold weather we've had now, it's obviously very tough on equipment and a job. And uh we had we had staff out yesterday just checking on schools and checking on doing things. That that doesn't mean we didn't have to deal with some things today, which we we did, but our main staff was quick to try to handle that. and uh and move on. So, thank you. >> Thank you all. >> Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. >> And I should know, Madam Chair, also our our transportation um staff and bus drivers taking care of things this
020morning and particularly with the cold trying to be efficient with that. Thank you. >> Very good. When I heard the bus roll this morning in my neighborhood, I said to myself, "Oh, the little children got to get up and be right out there ready to go." Uh, and I mean, it was cold at that time. So, I knew the bus drivers have to get up very early and get the buses ready. We do not have any uh committee reports at this time. And we'll move to item 8.8, our consent items. And we will only end one motion on the item. Madam chair, would you have extended pay trips um that will be taking place over the next month and a half? Uh your fundraiser uh 842A from EW Elementary School. It's also approval of the
021um the annual bonuses you all approved for the child nutrition staff in the amount not to exceed $125,000 that is paid by child nutrition funds and then elementary school received a grant funding from Gloria Alone Foundation in the amount of $17,95 uh to supply the school with a full set of string instruments violins follow central music accessories support the school's music program. So I'm very excited to receive that. >> Any questions about the consent items on the agenda? >> Just excited about the strings. Okay. So, we just need one motion for all of the items under our consent. >> Madam chair, I'll make a motion to approve the consent items as presented. >> Second. >> Has been moved and properly second that we will approve our consent items as presented. Any other discussion? All in
022favor of the motion, let it be known by saying I. >> Opposed the same sign. The motion carries. Thank you very much. >> Okay. 8.2A our fundraisers. >> Yeah. I went all the way down to 84. >> Okay. >> So you you are >> I'm sorry. I'll snuck that in. >> Cover two items. >> I think four attorney is okay with that. >> That's fine. Thank you. 8.4. >> Yep. >> All of that. >> I was moving really fast. [laughter] >> 8B item for action. Okay, that that's Miss >> Good evening, >> Madame Chair, vice chair, board members, and Dr. Bryant. I'd like to share something with you if you give me permission to before I get into the procurement plan. Would that be okay? Yeah. >> Okay. This is a poem that was shared
023with me uh by uh one of my co-workers uh that used to be with us and I did we I had somebody do a little bit of changing to it but I felt that it was very appropriate you know to to I want you to know it too. Okay. So the day in the life of a food service director. Okay. Our programs are growing and getting stronger in spite of new regulations. The pondering list gets longer each year while we wait for reauthorization. How will we do it? How will we succeed? When I applied for this job, I thought I only had to feed. [laughter] I didn't realize I'd marched to Capitol Halls, taking the lead, educating lawmakers regarding what our students need. How many called out today or was just a no show? The
024main entree is short one case. Yes, I need to know. We must adapt, work hard to prepare with an abundance of haste, but we will succeed in feeding the kids. But how? By his amazing grace. >> One combi oven here and one walk-in cooler there. Sometimes the task seems massive, but we get through it with prayer. We are put to the test each and every day. Yet, we try to do our best, overcoming multiple obstacles to make our children feel blessed. The true gratification of it all is to see the students take a taste, hoping they are satisfied. That's the true reward I faced. To nourish those kids makes you feel so very proud. remembering to thank them and saying it out loud. And just when you think it's entirely too much tension, take a
025deep breath, breathe, don't forget about your pinion. Nourish students here and focus students there. So why do we continue this fight? Because we have hearts that care. >> Thank you. >> All right. Okay. >> Now for my presentation to you. Okay. I stand before you tonight to get approval of our procurement plan. Now the procurement plan only needs to be approved when there's a change. And the change in the procurement plan for this year is they they have increased our threshold from $10,000 to $15,000 which makes it better for us to secure more equipment without having to put it out to bid. So can I get board approval to approve this procurement plan? Does anyone have any additional questions or comments for Miss M? >> If not, we need to hear a motion for it.
026>> Madam Chair, I recommend we approve the approval of the child nutrition program procurement plan. >> Second. Has been moved and properly second that we will approve the child nutrition program procurement plan >> for 20 26 >> Well, it's one year. >> No, it's until there's a new change. >> New change in >> Okay. So the trick to the motion is the word change in in the motion. The word change has to be in that motion, right? >> I think it should be because that's what you all. >> It's in effect until there's a new change and then I'll come to that one. >> Okay, that is the motion. And we already have a second. Any other discussion on the motion? All in favor of the motion, let it be known by saying I. I.
027>> Oppose the same sign. The motion car. >> Thank you for your interest in presentation. >> Okay. How is she here? Oh, okay. Good evening. Matt is here vice chair and board of education superintendent um or his co-workers. I don't have a presentation or poem like Mr. McDow. [clears throat] So, um but the money is exciting. and I'm here to bring this thing [laughter] just to present to the board for approval our first budget amendment of fiscal year 2526. This is the first amendment to the um adopted budget and it is um given update to the student public fund to federal grants um and make sure I'm looking at the right child nutrition and special revenue fund and I will ask for approval as presented. for anything. >> Is there anything uh specific you need
028to point out for us? Um, no. I just No. Um, you know, the difference between I'll just draw attention to the difference between, you know, the week from last week to this week allowed for additional revenue to come in from federal grants alike. On the bottom part where it tells you the revision through is through the state revision 32, but how the federal funds drop in is through the most recent import. So sometimes, you know, that number can change from day to day more often than the um state public funds. So that probably be the only thing that's kind of just for information purposes. Okay. Does anyone have uh any questions about our first one? Thank you for this budget amendment number one. I don't seem to have any questions on you right now. [clears
029throat] It would be nice if we could get this before the meeting starts so we would have a chance to look at it. >> Yes, ma'am. >> And not get it right before we have to vote on it and not have a chance to look over it. Has everybody else had a chance to glimpse over it? And do you have any questions? [snorts] >> If you do not have questions, then I need to hear a motion. So, we can move the meeting. We have money. Y'all like some more time to look at it and then >> I would like to bring it back. [clears throat] >> Y'all want some more time on >> I just like to be able to >> at least look at the whole thing before I know it. >> You think
030you at the end? I most certainly can be. >> Okay. >> I got a question. I have a concern anyway with page. I don't know what page it's on on theary services. I see a discrepancy in the numbers. >> Which one? >> What page? >> This is on the last page. >> Page. >> Yes, sir. uh the 924 versus the 923 balance, the revenue and the total appropriation is looks like it's off by a dollar or am I correct? >> Rounding. >> It's rounding. >> Okay. Well, okay. Well, I would like to see it if it's rounding >> that it balances. I don't care if it's on only a dollar. >> Okay. Okay. >> Yes, ma'am. Are there specifics that uh have been amended from the last one that we got? Are there specifics here?
031>> Yes. >> Can you point if you'll point those out, we can actually look at it so we can go through. >> Okay. So on the one that's labeled budget amendment one. >> Okay. So if you look at that, not the revised budget through budget amendment one, if you look at the one that says budget amendment one, all the columns categories that have dollar amounts in them, those are the ones that we have actually new funds and possibly repurposed funds, meaning between the program codes from the original adopted budget to this budget amendment. So that's where you'll see changes to the state public fund and a total of 2.193232 local current expense budget that's at a zero because when we adopted at the beginning of the year there's been no additions or changes. Um federal
032grant funds this is where you'll see a amendment additional 10,85387 and then capital outlay. You'll also see that there's no changes because what we received from the county is what we received. School lunch fund. That's where we'll see our five um 5,29200. And that's approximately about the same as we started off last year with. And then special revenue, those are the new funds that have come into the special revenue fund this year. And that's also an amendment to what was originally presented. Did you get your question? >> Yes. >> She said it was the rounding >> and I can give an updated one for that for the records. Okay, we'll give it to Miss Austin. Anybody else [cough] right now? Cuz we you you said you would wait. Mhm. >> Yes. >> Uhhuh. To the
033end. >> Because we'll have another place that we can refer you to. >> Okay. >> Give them give them more time. Okay. >> To read. >> Okay. Have a seat. >> Thank you so much. >> M. Um, madam chair, I make a motion under the North Carolina open meeting law section section section 143-318 11A1 A3 and 86 to go into close session section section to consider personnel matters to consult with the attorney to preserve attorney client privilege information and to prevent the disclosure of student records render confidential under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act 20USC 1232G and the disclosure of personnel records render confidential under GS uh 115C-319 through 321 >> has been moved and properly second that we will go into close session any discussion on the motion all In favor of the
034motion, let it be known by saying I. I oppose the same sign. The motion carries. We'll take five minutes. >> [music] [music] >> down. [music] Hey >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey, hey. [music] Heat. Heat. Hey, [music] hey, hey. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] [music] >> [music] [music] >> Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Hey. [music] Heat. Heat. N. [music] Hey, hey, hey. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. [music] Hey, Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Hey, [music] >> [music] [music] >> Hey. Hey. Hey. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Hey, hey, hey. I'm going
035to hold you down. [music] >> [music] >> la. [music] Please. [music] Hey. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey. [music] D hey. Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] Heat up here. Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Hey, hey, hey. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Ooh. Oh. [music] Oh, [music] this feel [music] boss. [music] >> [music] [music] >> by [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Yeah. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Hey. Hey. Hey. [music] >> [music] >> Yeah. [music] Hey. Hey. [music] >> [music] [music] >> down >> [music] [music] >> Number [music] n. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. [music] Hey, Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Boom. Boom. >> [music] [music] >> Hey, [music] hey, hey. >> [music]
036[music] >> Hey, [music] hey, hey. Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. N. [music] a >> [music] >> Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat. N. [music] Yeah. Heat. >> [music] >> Hey, hey, hey. Happy birthday. [music] Everybody [music] is back. Heat. Heat. N. [music] [music] Heat. Heat. N. [music] >> [music] [music] >> I'm on the block. [music] Is it [music] [music] everything you want? Heat. Heat. N. [music] [music] Heat. Heat. N. [music] >> [music] >> Take it. [music] Hey, [music] Hey, [music] hey, hey. Heat. Heat. [music] Hey. Hey. Hey. [music] [music] Heat. Heat. [music] [music] >> [music] >> I'm thinking Okay. >> All right. >> Madam Chair, >> I make a motion that we table budget amendment one until the next regularly scheduled meeting in January 2026. Second. >> Has been moved and properly
037second that we will postpone budget amendment number one until our next board meeting in January. All in favor the motion let be known by saying I >> oppose the same sign. The motion carries by personnel management. >> Did you want to do that? >> No, I'm going to do that. I make a motion that we approve the personnel management. >> Second. >> It's been moved and properly second that we will approve our personnel management. Any other discussion on the motion? All in favor, let it be known by saying I. I. >> Oppose the same sign. Motion carries. Thank you very kindly. Extracurricular activity. >> Madam chair, I make a motion that we approve 10.1.2 extracurricular activities. Uh, winter sports. Second. >> That's been moved and proper. Second that we will approve 10.12 our extracurricular activities
038winter sports. Any other discussion on the motion? All in favor of the motion let it be known by saying I. >> Opposed the same sign. The motion carries. Resolution of dismissal. Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the resolution of dismissal for Jimse Williams. >> Second. >> It has been moved and properly second that we will approve the resolution of this missile for [cough] >> Jimse Williams. Any other discussion on the motion? All in favor of the motion, let it be known by saying I. I. >> Opposed? Name sign. Motion carries. >> Okay. Madam chair, I make a motion that we approve the midyear graduate and early release high school students for 202526 year pending completion of requirements. Second. has been moved and properly seconded that we will approve our midyear graduate and early
039release high school students 2526 school year upon completion >> of requirements >> requirements and completion just requirements in the completion of requirements completion of requirements. All in favor of the motion, let it be known by saying I. >> I oppose the same sign. Motion car. Board correspondent. Okay. Item brought by board members or the superintendent for consideration or discussion. Do we have >> with Okay. Could we hear a motion for a journ? >> I make a motion that we adjourn the meeting. >> Second. >> Has been moved and proper second that we will adjourn our meeting. Any other discussion on the motion? All in favor of the motion, let it be known by saying I. I >> oppose the same song >> motion.