001Oops. Stay stand. >> Good evening everyone and welcome to the regularly scheduled board meeting for December 16th, 2025. At this time, would everybody stand to 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. >> First time. Do >> I have a motion to approve tonight's agenda? >> Make a motion that we approve tonight's agenda. >> I second that motion. >> All in favor? this time turn it over to Dr. Ays with some special recognitions. >> A lot of things. >> So we are going to start with one from our office right here first of all. Um so if I could have Kim Jones to come to the front. So Kim
002has been really gracious because um I missed getting her on the agenda in November. So it's completely my fault. Um, but I want to make sure that you hear a little bit about what she's been doing. In October, our very own finance accountant, Kim Jones, completed the NC Association of School Business Officials Business Management Academy. For short, they call it NC ASBO. The academy was established in 2006 to develop future school business leaders through a comprehensive training program in the area of school finance. The academy provides a series of core courses for the classifications of school business management and is available to any NCSBO member. The program is designed so that individuals can attain the certification status in three years or less. How many years did it take you? >> Uh, seven months. >> Seven
003months. That's pretty incredible. Very good. >> 21 classes. >> In seven months. That's pretty incredible. Kim has served as the finance accountant role with JCPS for less than two years and previously worked at Smoky High. So, she's no stranger to JCPS. We're really proud of what she's doing. She does aspire to be a CFO, a chief finance officer one day. So, Christy, hold on to your job because she might be coming after it. So, congratulations, Kim. I don't know which way to look. >> You don't look like Shenica. >> Congratulations. >> All right. Now, I'm going to ask a whole herd of folks to come up here. So, I like for them to have to stand up here and listen to me read about them um in the beginning. So, I want the following staff
004members from all of our schools, if they are present, to join me up here. Deb Howzer, Emily Beam, Ena Sutton, Michelle Long, Hannah Martin, Allison Matthysse, Chelsea Stevens, Kayla Day, Dana Goshorn, Tiffany Jones, Craig Moy, Alicia Brown, Ray Crawford, um, and Cheryl Seeddra. So, if all of those would come up and kind of make an arc because, of course, we're going to have to have a picture. So, I'm going to let y'all be the center of attention for this. >> Could they make the ark over this way? Cuz we can't see it all. >> Sure. If you will go that way and make the ark >> if they don't mind. I want to see their beautiful faces. smaller. >> I was going to say, who's the organizer right here? Right here. Shortest in front, tallest
005in the back. If you're making two rows, I'm the math teacher. Jake. All right. So this evening I would like to recognize the following teachers who exceeded growth in EVOS for the 24-25 school year. Each year the state of North Carolina provides information about student performance and teacher growth exhibiting progress. Teachers receive an EVOS growth score number and a designation. The designations are did not meet, met or exceeded growth. And so for those of us who are educators, you will hear us talk about being blue and that means they exceeded growth status. Each of the following teachers are the highest growth leaders in our entire district. And we're really grateful for what they do because what you do is impact our students every day. So I have a certificate for each of you and then
006I want to make sure I call out a special designation for one of you. So I'm going to try to be a little more organized with this and then we'll do a group picture all together. So, Emily Beam, Eningga Sutton, did y'all just notice standing that order? Stay on up here, Emily. We're going to do a a group picture. Michelle Long. Now, I'm going to make Michelle pause. Michelle has the highest growth index of any teacher in Jackson County Public Schools. Everyone, congratulations. >> Hannah Martin, Allison Matthysse, Chelsea Stevens. How about Scott Creek representing here? Way to go, Eleanor. Kayla Day, Dana Gohorn, I'm not saying your name right. Boshorn, I apologize. Congratulations. And Tiffany Jones. So when I talk about EVOS growth, what that means is the state has this really radical formula that
007they figure out where students are and how they compare to all of the students in the state of North Carolina. And then they look at their teachers and have this really magical yet secretive formula that they do not share that lets them know whether they are exceeding growth or meeting growth or did not meet growth. So this is the best of the best in Jackson County Public Schools. So, I'm going to ask them to come all together and let's do a photo. >> Taking it. >> Everybody, now come back over this way and let's see if we can blank that way. >> Can you get around the podium? You look like a >> beer. Congratulations. >> We have a few more that we will be recognizing in January because they could not attend this evening.
008And now they can quickly exit the room. >> Do I have a motion to approve the open session minutes of the regular meeting in November? >> I make a motion that we approve the open session minutes from the November meeting. I second that motion. >> All in favor on to information with the superintendent's report. >> Yes. And while um I read my report, you're going to see some artwork in just a moment that I think you're going to enjoy. So, good evening, chair and board members. The hustle and bustle of December has arrived and everyone is incredibly busy. Our staff are holding students accountable to m good maintain good attendance and complete EOCC's and exams. This has been a month of athletic events, band and coral concerts and lots of opportunities to showcase our students
009talents. I'm grateful for a time of seasonal change and all of us are ready for a much anticipated rest. This week all high school students are completing end of course test, final exams and taking retests. They have worked hard to prepare for these exams and teachers have ensured they received intentional and highquality instruction each day. I look forward to seeing our EOCC results and their impact on our overall academic pro progress for the year. Thank you too to our assistant principles. If you don't know that they are the ones who are responsible for creating a testing plan and that is not easy in either a small school or a large school. I'd also like to share a sincere sincere word of thanks to the school nutrition staff, finance team, tech department, and other central office,
010and community volunteers who made our Thanksgiving lunchon on November 20th a remarkable success. We served about 4,500 meals on a single day in about three hours altogether. So, I am very grateful for everyone who participated. We have lots of volunteers from our community. um parents came and volunteered, but many folks from this office were also volunteering and it was a really really good strong day. What you're seeing on the screen now is part of the annual superintendent Christmas card winners. They were selected earlier this month. Mave Lden, who is a senior from Jackson Community School, is the cover art winner. And the inside cover winner is Kareemi Faria, a sophomore at Blige Early College. The artwork is displayed here on the screen for you to see and was in the printed card that went out
011to all of the superintendents across the entire state. Our card offers our students a chance to show off their artistic skill and talent. Congratulations to Mave and Karemi. And finally, we continue to move forward with our work alongside Pinnacle Architect and Venoi Construction. Bids for the Smoky Mountain High School track went out in October and a company has now been awarded the contract. I'm not sure if I can say their name out loud, so I'll just keep it right here. And Jake's not giving me the yes, so I'm going to keep it in my head. Bids are soon to go out out for Fairview's new cafeteria and kitchen. All the while, soil borings, which is so exciting to have soil borings are occurring along with architect drawings for the new site at Smoky Mountain Middle
012School. and drawings are being created for the Blueridge projects. Just as we have done in the last several years, our board of education will meet jointly with the Jackson County Board of Commissioners to discuss construction projects, provide input and updates. The joint meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 22nd at 6 p.m. and will take place in the Burl building on the campus of SEC. We're really eager to continue with the many growth projects that are happening in JCPS. And that concludes my report. I just hope everybody has a merry Christmas and a welldeserved winter break. >> All right. Thank you for that report, Dr. Aris. Up next, go ahead. >> I just wanted to um make one um comment. I think many people here are aware of this, but um just for those that might
013be listening online, um you for several years, and I'm not sure how many um but I know it's at least 10 years, United Christian Ministries has provided bags for students to take home over the Christmas break with food and things like that for students that are identified as having um that need. And so, um, this year they did over 700 bags. There were over 84 volunteers. And many of the churches in our community contributed food. Um, and what blesses me so much, some of the churches we have are large, and then we have some churches that have maybe 30 or 40 members and they will contribute just as much. And it's so wonderful to see that. And then we had some of our staff I know here help distribute those to each school. So that
014is a wonderful community effort and I just wanted to commend United Christian Ministries for taking that lead. >> Thank you Gal. All right. Up next we got Christy Walker with the unodudited financial summary. >> Good evening board chair Dr. Ays members of the board. In your package, you have a December unodudited financial statement which continues to show her within our 2026 budget resolution. What questions do you have for me, if any, on that document? >> Um, I don't have it in front of me, Miss Walker, but there was it it's about a million dollar 985,000 something more. Um, what caused that amount to be needed? >> Are you talking about increased? Yes, I have one right here. If you want to >> you want to >> No, I saw it. What I'm wondering is what
015caused that >> increase. >> Yeah, the increase. >> So, we regularly Let me step back over here so they can hear me. >> Oh, sure. I'm sorry. >> Increase. That's okay. >> Um, so we regularly get state aotments every month. And so when I bring those amendments to you, those are generally increases or decreases in our revenue. So that's um we get federal aotments, state aotments, if we receive any grants, if we receive any um local changes, those all go into that million dollars. So specifically, I could get you a list of what happened, but it's going to be any budget amendments between the prior board meeting and this one, which would be in your packet as well. So in in is it partly just the adjustment of what the actual money we get from
016the state as to as opposed to what was projected? >> So uh when I bring your budget resolution generally they just have the uh what they call the initial aotments which is just a basic group of a lotments to get us started for the year. Sure. >> And then every month they're adding different things and then the federal grants they're on different cycles and so they get dropped at different times and we bring those to you. Good. Yeah, that's good questions. >> Thank you. >> Any others? >> Thank you, Christie. Do we have anybody sign up? >> So, up next is Christy Walker with the amendments to the audit contract. >> Yes, sir. So, I amendments to the audit contract. Yes. Um so in front of you is a document um that was given to
017me by Anderson Smith and Wack particularly Andy um Deals who is our head auditor that comes out due to a delay of the release of the compliance supplemental requirements from the local government commission they've had to move their audit up and this is across the state everyone has this so original date we would have been uh required to have our audit to the local government commission for review by December 31st and because of those delayed supplemental requirements being conveyed to our auditors. It's going to take them through February. So, they have to amend this and then send it back to the local government commission that lets them know that they have asked for that. Not necessarily will they need all that time, but they are asking that we provide that so they can do a
018full and precise job on our audits. >> And I think that's a document that Kora placed in your folder too, just so you would have something in writing to understand that. Mhm. And so that would be what I am asking is for you to sign that to give them any necessary time they might need to compare what they have gotten ready to what they need to be um in that packet to be in compliance with the local government commission's requirements. It doesn't change the fees or anything like that. >> Do I have a motion? >> I make a motion that we approve the amendment to the audit contract for 2025 2026. Does anybody have any questions? >> I do. >> Chie, it'll be very helpful um to us rather than just seeing these lumpsum amounts
019that are moved from one place to another to know why you know what that uh item was. >> Okay. >> Especially for the larger items. So, if you can help us with that, that would be great. >> Okay. So, u typically if I if you don't find this sufficient, I'll be glad to expand. But on your amendment, there is a paragraph halfway, like a third of the way down >> um that tells you what those amounts stand for. And then also provided for your review is um this worksheet that I do to come to those totals. And at the bottom, it will give you exactly what they are and the amounts that go with them and what PRC. So if you would like additional once you look at those over, if you want additional information
020on these, if you'll let Dr. Ays know, she will definitely I apologize Christie. I have not had a computer for the last month and a half. >> Uhhuh. >> Um and anything that's been sent to me on the Jackson County comm computer is not coming through. >> So sorry. >> I'll take a look at it whenever Greg gets me fixed up back here. >> Absolutely. And just convey to her what additional information you would like to see on there and I'll make it happen. >> Okay. Thank you, Christie. >> Absolutely. >> Any questions about the audit contract or amendment? Okay. Second. I second that. All in favor? All right, Christie, you're up again with budget amendments. >> So, I Yes, I am. Yes, sir. And I'm bringing to you budget amendment number two, which uh
021is for the state um state public school fund and your other specific revenue fund. And those details are in those two documents that I just held up. Um one each one has an amendment, an actual official amendment that uh the board chair will sign if you approve. And the other one is your details. and I'm asking for approval. If you have no questions for me regarding those amendments, >> we have a motion for the budget amendments. >> I make a motion that we approve the budget amendments. >> Any questions regarding the budget amendments? >> That motion. >> All in favor? >> Okay. Thank you, Christie. At this time, uh, we find it necessary to go into close session pursuant to general statute 14318.11 for the following purposes. Under subsection A1 to prevent the disclosure of
022privileged or confidential personnel information pursuant to general statute 115C-319-321 and A3 to discuss matters protected by the attorney client privilege. Do I have a motion to go into close session? >> I make a motion that we go into close session. Second that motion. >> All in favor? We have a swoosh on them or something. >> All right, we're back in open session now. There was no action taken during close session. >> So at this time, Dr. Z, do you have personnel action to recommend? >> I do. I am seeking your approval for personnel action um agenda as presented. >> I make a motion that we approve personnel action agenda as presented. >> I second that motion. >> All in favor? All right. The next regularly scheduled business meeting for the board of education is January
02320th, 2026 at 6 PM here at this office, the board of education office. I hope everybody has a merry Christmas. And at this time, do I have a motion to adjurnn? >> I make a motion that we adjourn today's meeting. I second that motion. All in favor?