001meeting. We do have an existence of a quorum and I'd like to call this meeting to order. Mr. Bob, will you lead us in the moment? >> Sure. If you would please stand and join me with a moment of silence. Thank you. Address the flag, please. >> I aliance 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. Board members, you have uh the open session minutes from our February 10th and our February 23rd meetings and I need a motion to approve those. >> Make a motion. I have a motion by Mr. Ethridge. >> Second by Mr. Mason. Are there any changes or any discussion with those minutes? All in favor by saying I. All opposed. Frell.
002How is the agenda looking? Do we need to make any changes to it? >> No changes. >> That is easy stuff right there. I want to welcome everybody tonight from Ashley Chapel and Monroe Avenue. Glad to have you here tonight. And we'll start off with Miss Cameron Whitley to recognize excellence. Good evening, Chairman Satrell, Dr. Frell, members of the board. It's always exciting to kick off our meetings with some recognition of some incredible staff. So, we will start with Mr. Gomez from Under Avenue. >> Good afternoon, everyone. So, I'll go ahead and welcome Miss Mitchell up first and then I'll call for Miss Lindsay next. So, Miss Mitchell is receiving the Inspiring Excellence Award this afternoon. She is one of our fifth grade math and science teachers at Monroe Avenue Elementary School. Uh, Miss Mitchell
003is always willing to step in and help wherever she's needed, demonstrating true dedication to our school community. This year she actually stepped up to teach two tested subject areas, fifth grade math and fifth grade science, when another teacher had to change roles, ensuring her students continue to receive strong instruction and support. Her willingness to take on this responsibility speaks volume about her commitment to our students and their success. Miss Mitchell truly cares about each of her students and constantly motivates them to do their very best. She serves as a listening ear, providing support and guidance to her students both in and outside of the classroom. She holds high expectations and encourages every child to believe in their abilities. Our students love and respect her and she represents the very best of Monroe Avenue Elementary School
004as a successful teacher and a valued team player. Miss Mitchell, [applause] >> okay, >> we got to wait. Come on. Come on. This way. We got to wait for uh for the platul. Ladies and gentlemen, Cameron Whitley. >> Not even second win. Now, here we go. >> Okay, [laughter] >> I did that on purpose. >> Congratulations. >> One, two, three. >> Thank you. Thank you, [applause] >> Miss Lita Lindsay. >> I want to recognize Miss Lindsay for the extraordinary contribution she makes every day. She truly does it all from supporting in the classroom as a teacher assistant, driving the school bus, and stepping in wherever our students need her the most. Last semester, she went above and beyond when a new teacher joined our self-contained classroom in November. Miss Lindsay volunteered to serve as a
005teacher assistant for two months in that classroom to help establish structure and guide the new teacher. Before the teacher even arrived, she had already developed lessons, taught them, and put systems and procedures in place so the transition for the new teacher will be seamless. That amendment perfectly captures who Miss Lindsay is as a dedicated educator, always ready to lend a hand, and always focus on our students. I have no doubt she will be an outstanding EC teacher when she graduates in the near future. We are truly blessed to have her on our team. A Monroe Avenue [applause] >> [laughter] >> Let me go this side. >> You want me to take it so you can join? [laughter] One, two, three. >> Congratulations. [applause] But she'll share it with you. >> Congratulations. >> And next we
006will have Miss Tiffany Spencer with Ashley Chapel. Good afternoon. >> All right, Miss Humphre. First, I'd like to call up Miss Humphrey. She truly embodies what it means to show up for her students every single day. As an English teacher, she has created a classroom environment that is both warm and inviting. A place where students feel safe, supported, and encouraged to learn and grow. The moment you walk into her room, you can feel the sense of belonging she has carefully cultivated for every student who enters. Her teaching style is both engaging and intentional. She brings learning to life while maintaining a calm and steady presence that helps students feel comfortable taking risk and participating in their own learning. She understands that learning is not just about instruction. It is also about understanding the needs of
007the whole child. She recognizes when students need a moment to pause, offering brain breaks that allow them to refocus and return to their work with renewed energy and confidence. Watching her teach is truly watching a work of art unfold. Her classroom is a place where students are engaged, supportive, and excited to learn. It is no surprise that her students genuinely love being in her classroom. She represents the very best of our profession and the heart of what great teaching looks like. It is my honor to recognize and celebrate her today. [applause] >> Congratulations. >> Okay, camera. Fix this up. You know, I'll stand in the wrong spot. >> Right. Scoot tight. >> Come on. >> There we go. >> Okay. One, two. >> Congratulations. >> All right, Miss Williams. >> I also have the honor
008of recognizing someone who truly represents dedication, commitment, and heart in education. Miss Jackie Williams serves as a teacher assistant, but when the need arose, she did not hesitate to step forward and take on the responsibility of leading the classroom. Stepping into that role is no small task. Yet, she embraced the challenge with confidence and determination, ensuring that instruction continued and that the students never missed a beat. Because of her leadership and consistency, the learning in that classroom has continued to move forward. One of her greatest strengths is the relationship she builds with students. They respect her. They trust her. And most importantly, they know that she genuinely cares about them. While students love being in her presence, they also understand that she maintains high expectations. She is firm when necessary and has no problem getting
009students back on track when they need it. That balance of care and accountability is what makes her so effective. Her commitment to students doesn't end when the school day is over. In addition to her work in the classroom, she also serves as a bus driver. Each day she takes on the responsibility of safely transporting our students to and from school, ensuring they arrive and return home safely. Her reliability and dedication are evident in the fact that she rarely takes time away from work and consistently shows up for our students and our school community. She is one that steps in, steps up, and gives her best in every role she holds. She believes in the work we're doing at Ashley Chapel and she's a reminder that the strength of a school lies in the people who
010are committed to its mission. Today we proudly recognize and celebrate her dedication and the impact she has made at Ashley Chapel. [applause] >> Thank you so much you Congratulations. Thank you. >> We'll have M. Mr. Melvin Ingram talk about our and celebrate our MLK poster and essay winners. Good evening, Chairman Satderfield, members of the board, distinguished guests. Tonight, we are honored to celebrate student excellence as we recognize our winners of the 2026 Martin King Jr. poster and essay contest. This year's theme, mission possible around the world, we are different, but we are all the same. Encourage students to reflect on unity, shared humanity, and Dr. King's enduring legacy. Before we recognize our student honores, I would like to extend a sincere appreciation to Mr. Curtis Ingram, Miss Angelene David, and the entire MLK celebration essay
011postal contest committee for their leadership in this opportunity. Also want to thank the parents of the participants um that we're recognizing tonight for for their help. Um also um we look forward um to see what the future holds for the MLK essay and poster contest. [cough] We also want to thank Miss Karen Good for her support as well with the art teachers. So we're going to begin with our poster contest recognition. Um um please join me in recognizing cross fa. She's an eighth grade student from Hamlet Middle. Cross created a powerful visual interpretation of this year's theme demonstrating creativity artistic [clears throat] skill and meaningful understanding of of the ideas um that were presented. And this is um just a presentation of her lovely work. So we want to congratulate her at this time and
012ask her to come up. [applause] Let her picture. One, two, three. [applause] [laughter] >> We're not going to mess it up. >> All right. Um, next we honor our MLK essay contest winner, Marcus Anderson. He's a senior at Richmond Senior High School. Marcus' essay um reflects thoughtful insight, maturity, and deep appre appreciation for Dr. King's vision of justice, unity, and shared responsibility. His writing calls us to reflect on our roles continuing the work of building a more equitable and compassionate world. At this time, I invite Marcus Henderson to come forward and share his award-winning essay with the board and our community. GIVE HIM A HAND. >> [applause] >> GOOD EVENING. >> Unity to me is like a bridge. A bridge God asks us to build with our words, our actions, and our hearts. Every person
013we meet stands on a different side of that bridge, shaped by their own story, their own culture, and their own experiences. Yet God gives us the tools to reach across the distance that separates us and create a connection where there was once separation. Some bridges are easy to build while others take time to build requiring patience and humility. But every bit bridge built brings us closer to the world God intended for us. A world where all his children can stand together. A society that Dr. King envisioned. One where everyone matters. where people of every skin color can come together and stand in unison. That is why the theme mission possible. Around the world, we are different, but we are all the same speaks to me in a way that goes far beyond just words on
014a page. It connects to the very essence of how I was raised, how I see the world, and the mission I believe God has placed on my life and has called me to fulfill. Growing up in a faith centered environment taught me that unity is more than just a word. It is something you act on, something we are called to live out every single day. When I think about Dr. King and his legacy, I am reminded of Psalms chapter 133 verse1, which says, "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity." This verse captures both the beauty and the responsibility behind the message. Although we come from various places, cultures, histories and occupation, I believe God has created us equal and with equal purpose, that very belief has shaped me and
015continues to guide the mission God has set for me. My upbringing has played a vital role in who I am today. I learned early on to value unity. Some of my Sunday school lessons taught me about loving one another and respecting one another. And listening to my pastor talk about compassion, loving as Jesus loved you. I remember hearing Mark 12:31, "Love your neighbor as yourself." As I grew up, I realized that loving your neighbor means loving people who do not look like you, who do not talk like you, who do not think like you, or who may not agree with you. It means even loving the people who do not love you. It means choosing grace when it's easier to choose hate. Dr. Dr. King lived out this scripture in his philosophy of nonviolence and
016in his belief that every human being whether black, brown, green or indigo carry go carries Godgiven dignity. My experiences and lessons have helped me understand that unity begins within oneself in one's heart and with the willingness to see every person the way God sees them. Throughout my life, I have come face to face with real diversity in school and in various communities. I met people with backgrounds completely different from mine. I have been all the way to DC and have had opportunities to meet with people all over the United States. Of course, we had differences. Those differences sometimes led to misunderstandings or disagreements. At times, it was tempting to just go off the rails, but each time I was reminded of 1 Samuel 16:7, "Do not look at the outward appearance. The Lord looks at
017the heart." That very verse changed the way I approach things, the way I see and think about things. I started to listen, judging people less and trying to understand the story behind people. I attended a theology summer camp one year at Kataba and the theme was what's your story? I heard testimony from many different people from around North Carolina. It opened my eyes and inspired me to learn more. And since that experience, I have attended many more conferences, and the depth of my understanding of diversity has become an anchor in how I interact with people. Dr. King often spoke about a beloved community, a place where differences existed, but did not divide us. My own life has shown me how possible that vision is when we lead with humility and compassion. Dr. Dr. King's teaching
018continues to shape how I view my purpose, my strength, and the responsibility I carry as a man of God. His message reminds me that equality is not a political idea. It is a spiritual truth that is rooted in the belief that God has crafted every single person's life with intention and dignity. Galatians 3:28, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And I hold that very verse close to my heart because it tells me that what separates us externally can never outweigh the value God has placed internally. More importantly though, it tells me that our differences don't compete. They complete each other. And understanding that truth changed how I conduct myself, how I walk, how I talk, and how I live. I tried to live out unity not just
019in the big moments, but in the small ones as well. Even in my everyday decision by showing patience when tempers rise. Offering encouragement when someone feels overlooked >> and choosing compassion when judgment would be easy. Unity requires strength, not weakness. It takes courage to be patient. It takes maturity to forgive someone, but it also takes love to choose peace when the world chooses division. Romans 12:18 says, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." And I try to let that verse guide my character. So when I step into leadership roles, when I stand up for someone who feels voiceless, or when I help resolve misunderstandings, even standing in a pull pit preaching, I do so intentionally because unity is intentional and discipline is not accidental. These actions
020may seem little and quiet, but they are intentional. And it is how I keep Dr. King's legacy alive within me. His dream does not just live in history books or speeches. It lives in how we choose to treat people, how we lead, and how we show up for one another. It lives in the way I show up for others, the way I value everyone's story, and the way I believe unity is in fact possible. What keeps me going is knowing that Dr. King's legacy lives in the choices I make and that his dream does not just sit in a museum. It echoes through people who refuse to allow division to win. It moves through peaceful action in every moment of understanding. Every time someone chooses peace over conflict, I want people to feel valued, respected,
021and seen because of how I carry myself. Every day I wake up with the goal of building a world that looks a little more like the one Dr. King dreamed. a world where differences do not divide us but remind us of the beauty of God's creation. Caring for Dr. King's mission means understanding that unity is not a feeling. It's a choice. Unity is not passive. It is active and intentional. Unity is not easy and if it were the world would not struggle with it so badly. People misunderstand each other. Disagreements happen. Purple things are said and those things those differences can be overwhelming. It fuels division. But even with all these challenges, I have learned that unity is worth every sacrifice, every step, every effort, and every bit of patience that it requires because the
022result is bigger than anything we could ever buy or bear. Galatians 6:9 encourages us, "Let us not grow weary in doing good. For at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." When the road got rocky for Dr. King, when he faced threats, face violence, and despair, he refused to stop. He continued planting seeds of love, justice, and hope. That exact kind of endurance teaches me that unity will always be worth fighting for. His courage taught me that bringing people together is worth the effort. Unity is worth the effort because love is stronger than hate. It's worth it because God calls us to build something bigger than ourselves. So even when it feels challenging, keep going, keep believing, keep loving, and keep uniting. I want to give you a
023blueprint before I close. Isaiah 1:17, which says, "Learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression." That is the verse I want my life to reflect. It calls us to be bold in kindness, firm in justice, and relentless in love. We can stand in love, keep pressing forward, and choose to believe in what is possible because it is possible. It is necessary. It is essential, and it is absolutely worth it. Thank you. [applause] Right. One, two, three. >> [applause] >> Thanks, Marcus. I've heard a lot of those and I think that might be the best one ever. Thank you. >> We have a update from our education foundation, Miss Christy King. Welcome tonight. Thank you for being here. >> Although I'm not sure I want to follow that. [laughter] >> Um, first of all, I just
024want to thank you guys for allowing me to be part of the agenda tonight. As a member of the Richmond County Schools Education Foundation, I want to provide an update on the positive impact that this foundation is having in our school system. Since the restructuring of the foundation board in 2023, we have funded $17,500 in scholarships with another 10,000 allotted for current high school seniors who plan to pursue their degrees in education. The grow your own campaign is structured so that the scholarships are distributed to students who have plans to return to Richmond County to begin their careers within the Richmond County school system. Our goal is to encourage our youth to return home and integrate themselves in the same school programs that they themselves were part of. We also feel it is just important
025to support our teachers as it is the students in our community. In 2025, we began a program entitled Empowering Educators that awards a $1,000 grant to one teacher in each school within the system. Teachers submit their applications and details for which the money will be used. The cit the creativity we have seen has been exemplary and includes such projects as hybrid green houses where students grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs while learning about water conservation, nutrition, and sustainable food systems. emotion regulation toolkits to help younger students identify, manage feelings, giving them concrete strategies for staying focused and engaged in their classrooms. Items to create flexible seating to keep our youngest learners engaged, even field trips to allow students new learning experiences. In two years, we have distributed $29,000 to our teachers for their classrooms. On May
0261st, we will hold our third annual Richmond County Schools Education Foundation Clay Shoot. This is our primary fundraiser each year and it is on track right now to be more successful than years past. In January, we kicked off another campaign, our Phantom Dinner direct mail promotion. While not an actual event, it allows people a hassle-free way to donate and support our initiatives. These fundraisers allow us to continue funding these two significant programs. The Education Foundation constantly looks for opportunities to support the school system by meeting needs as they arise, including funding tuition for a student and the partnership pathways program or providing monetary staff prizes at convocation as we did this past August. The Education Foundation strives to be a promoter, an advocate, and a resource for the Richmond County School System. We are extremely
027grateful for not only the support of this board, but the entire system. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Thank you for what you do for us and for our teachers and our employees. >> Well, I do I just have to echo they work hard. I am very proud of our education foundation. Um this year they are working hard. They even before we left today got another surprise for teachers coming up shortly. So they work hard and their hearts are definitely there for Richmond County and growing our own teachers and they just work hard and it makes and I'm very proud to be on that committee and and help support them. But um just appreciate all you do and thank you for coming tonight and sharing all that we do for the teachers and for the
028students of Richmond County. >> We all thank you. >> Talk about graduation rate with Mr. Arthur Gillian. >> Yes, sir. How are you? How you doing? >> Got a fan club, don't you? >> I don't [laughter] know about that. >> Um to Dr. Pharaoh, superintendent, my old principal, Mr. Satfield, the board. Um it says graduation rate, but we're going to talk about mentor me and how >> it's okay. Yeah. >> No, go on. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> Just to bring some context. So going on my >> Yeah. You all know that uh this year as well as last year we've had a big um push for student engagement um meaning middle school, high school kids becoming engaged because it directly impacts our graduation rate. And so we asked Mr. Gillum and Miss Wallace um dropout
029prevention and CTE director to come and talk to you all just to give you some updates on two very um big worlds that directly impact our graduation rate. And so, um, Mr. Gil, if you'll start. >> Thanks. >> Um, so here to talk about mainly, um, the graduation rate, but if you know anything about me, I never look at the number. Uh, I probably get fussed out a lot because I'm supposed to look at the number, but I believe if I focus on children, the number will go up. And so, my goal is the children and hopefully the number is a result of impacting the children. And it's we've seen that because it went up. So, grateful about that. But um one of the the big factors is mentoring me. And so I want to
030talk to you today about mentoring me and the relationships that change outcomes. So this rubric that you see here on your screen is a rubric that we go through every nine weeks. There are four different categories. attendance, grades, discipline referrals, and tardies. And again, we go through this every nine weeks. So, this is based on a non nine weeks. Okay. So, what we do is we go by I go through 1,600 plus report cards by hand. Um, and we categorize each category gets a certain amount of points. So for example with attendance if students and this is for high school because high school attendance is based off blocks 0 to 11 block absences they get three points. If they have 12 to 15 blocks of absences in a non-weeks they get two they have 16
031to 19 one and anything more than 20 they get no points. And you can go down the list again grades A honor roll. If they get a honor roll they get three points. if they get um AB, two points. Um passing all classes because they're still passing, they get one point and so on and so forth. After we get done with those four categories, they get a point or so many points for each category. At the end, when we tally it up, if they have a total of eight to 10 points, they're in the green. That means they're doing great, they're doing well. If they have a total of five to seven points, they are in the yellow and they're doing okay. If they have a total of two to four points, that means they're
032in the red and they're in danger or they're at risk and it comes on my radar of at risk of being dro of dropping out. If when we get done with those totals, they have zero points or just one point, that means they are in imminent danger of of dropout. Okay, so that kind of gives you a view and we run this report every nine weeks. So, as you know, this nine weeks is getting ready to end on Thursday. As soon as I get those report cards, I'm going to come here and shut up in the room, shut the door, and I'll be in there for a few days running the running this report. Okay. So, after everything is tallied, this is the goal. These are our goals. So, we would like for 80% of
033Richmond Senior High School to be in the green. That's 8 to 10 points. 10 to 15% to be in the yellow. That's that five to seven. Five to 10% of Richmond we want to be in the red. And we really want I don't want anyone in the black. Um so but I'm going to give us 5% leeway because we're human. Okay. So these are these are the goals that we have. And this and afterwards this is how we tier kids. So this is how we we recognize okay where are where are the kids where where are these kids? How are they doing? Are they doing well? Are they decreasing or whatever the case may be? Are they is there room for improvement and or growth? Okay. So, first nine weeks, if you can keep this
034idea of what the goal in mind is, this is where we stood after the first nine first nine weeks by grade level. So, just giving you a few minutes to look at that. Now, most would immediately go to the green and say, "Wow, we're not at 80%." I don't look at that. I immediately go to the black and red. And if you look at the black, we are pretty much in good standing. We're between that zero and 5%. So, that is a good thing. Okay. Um, I also begin to look at the yellow and realize there's a lot of kids in yellow. There's a lot of kids teeter tottering. Maybe one or two points we can get them to green. Okay. Um, and this is where we stood. If I'm going too fast, you guys
035let me know if y'all have any questions. This is where we sit after the second nine weeks. So, again, going straight to black, we're still within that 0 to 5%. Um, seniors, you're scaring me a little bit because you went to six. Um, our green is not quite where we want it to be, but again, that yellow is where we where most of our kids are now. Um, after looking at the data and analyzing the data, what we noticed is ninth and tth grade, their numbers overall are much better than 11th and 12th. But that's for several reasons, right? If you know anything about middle school, at middle school, they have to walk a straight line. Okay? But when they get to 9th grade, you have a little bit more freedom at Richmond. Remember there
036was a transition from with ninth grade academy no longer being those kids went from Rockingham Middle, Elerby Middle, Cordova straight to Richmond. Okay? So they're still very much towing that line. They're doing the right thing and they're they want to get it right. 10th grade, same thing. They came from 9th grade academy, much smaller school. 11th and 12th grade, they're kind of used to Richmond. Uh they they have that kind of freedom and so they're they're kind of towing that line as much as they can. seniors are getting into senior writings and different things of that nature. But that is where mentoring me comes into play. So mentoring me consists of and some of them are here. I'm going to call them up in just a little bit so you can get some faces to
037the names. Miss Dumis um who is our credit recovery teacher. Miss Smith who's a behavior interventionist. Mr. Pedigrew who's a behavior interventionist. You may know him as Bootsie. Mr. Wally who is a credit recovery teacher. Miss Dominique who is our ISS teacher, Miss Breeden um who is also behavior intervention and Miss Fields who is our school social worker and myself. What we do is after those nine weeks and we get the data back, we go and we immediately target the kids who are at risk, those kids that are in the red and black and we try our best to assign them to a mentor, someone who they can develop a relationship or may already have a relationship with. And that we can again number one we do structured school-based mentoring. We target our students based
038on the data. We monitor or our mentors meet with our atrisisk students daily setting goals with them holding them accountable. How are you doing? I need you here every single day. I need to make sure you're engaged in classes. They also there's a family communication component because we don't want to give you a mentor and your family not know that you have a mentor. So then there's a family piece. So when something happens, not only are we holding you accountable, but we have a relationship with your family. They can also hold you accountable as well. So I want to call up some of our mentors. Uh so you could just get a face. Miss uh Dominique, come on y'all. Okay, y'all don't have me up here. Come on. They they they don't want to really
039come up, but I'm going to make them. So, these incredible um incredible men and women, uh they are the face behind the graduation rate. If you want to know why our graduation rate has gone up, it is not because of me. It is because of the amazing work that these men and women do day in and day out. calling kids out of class, making sure kids are in class, making sure they're doing what they're supposed to do, making sure their grades are where they're supposed to be, contacting parents. They are the grassroots movement to our graduation rate. It's easy to say, "Oh, the graduation rate is good, but I'm telling you, these are the hands and feet making sure that that number is where it is and is hopefully gradually going up some more. were
040projected well, but again, I don't look at numbers. We look at children and we want to make sure that those kids have what they need. And I'm telling you, they go over and beyond making sure they have school supplies, if they need clothes or whatever the case may be, if they need outside agencies, whatever they need, they go over and beyond, day in and day out with our most atrisisk students. And I could not stand up here today without them being behind me because again, they are the hands and feet of what we do. So, I want to say thank you and I appreciate you and I can't thank you enough for all you do for our kids. With that being said, and I'm almost out of your way, I want to highlight two amazing
041kids um that have gone through the mentor me program that are currently in the mentor me program and I can't speak highly enough about them. So, Cadavian, you're up first. So, come on. Here to my left is Mr. Cadavian Diggs. So I first met Cadavian while visiting students at Ashley Chapel as a part of my role as dropout prevention. During that time, Cadav and I began meeting regularly to talk about his goals and what it would take for him to successfully return to Richmond Senior. And trust me, he wanted to re go to Richmond Senior High School. He expressed a strong desire to go to Richmond and together we began mapping out a plan for how he could get there. With the incredible support of the staff at Ashley Chapel, um the commitment of Cadavian
042himself, and the amazing encouragement from his family who is here today, we began to see steady progress in both his behavior and his academics. That progress eventually led Cadavian to be recommended to return to Richmond Senior High School. Once he returned, the work we had already started continued through mentoring me. So, I began meeting with him again regularly. I didn't just stop meeting with him when he got to Richmond. Since returning, he has stayed focused. He has avoided disciplinary issues and his academic performance has been outstanding. Cadavian's journey is a powerful example of how consistent mentorship and strong support can help a student stay on track. By the way, I have promised him if he gets up here and stand with me, I won't make him talk. That [laughter] was the deal we made. So,
043that's what I'm talking. We are incredibly proud of the progress Cadavian has made and grateful for his continued the continued support of his family. His story reminds us that when students have someone walking alongside them, believing in them and holding them accountable, their trajectory can truly change. And I'm here to tell you, Cadavian, he's one that normally I meet with. I try to meet with my kids every week. I look at his grades. I'm like, "Hey, Bonn, I go to the next kid." I try my best. I said, I still check in with how you doing? I'm good. I'm good. Everything straight? I'm good. He is doing amazing. And again, I want to thank his family because they have been when I tell you they have been amazing support. They have been amazing support and
044I want to thank you for everything you're doing. Keep it up. [applause] >> Next up, we have Mr. Quincy Bird. [applause] The next student I would like to highlight is Quincy Bird. And his story, his story is especially meaningful to me. I get without this without crying. Um, I first met Quincy when he was my student in my African-American studies class. He was in the 10th grade. Um, he was always quiet. He was always respectful. But over time, I noticed he began losing focus, getting disconnected, and possibly hanging with the wrong crowd. Those choices eventually led Quincy to being placed at Ashley Chapel during his junior year. Before he left, I made Quincy a promise. I told him that just because he was going to Ashley Chapel didn't mean he would be forgotten. Um, I
045fought off. I promised him that I would come check on him and make sure he stayed on track so he could return. That's exactly what he did. I visited Quincy regularly while he was at Ashley Chapel and he made the most of that opportunity. He showed up to school every day. He had perfect attendance. He stayed out of trouble and he worked hard in his classes. And in just one semester, he was only there for one semester, he made so much progress that he was recommended to return to Richmond. Since returning, Quincy has had a few bumps in the road like many students do. But one thing about Quincy is that he has never given up. Today, Quincy is a senior and he will be graduating. >> [applause] >> He has discovered a strong interest
046in construction and he has taken both drafting one and drafting two honors through our CTE program. He has also participated in the Amazon workforce training that we have had where these kids go over and um they begin to fiber optic. Thank you. I'm sorry. He has gone over both times and he has been very instrumental in that training as well. I didn't want Quincy to stop there because I wanted to push him as much as I could. I said, "Have you thought about the army?" He was like, "I don't know about the army." [laughter] I said, "That's fine. Just take the ASVAB and let's see what you what happens. It's free. Just take it." He took it and his score was incredible. and I took his paper and I looked at his individual scores, his
047top scores were with construction. So, he has that as an option in his back pocket because his scores were so high. Quincy's story is a reminder that when students have relationships, support from their family, his mother is here today, um, and the determination to keep moving forward. The future can remain full of possibilities. I'm gonna stop because Thank you. [applause] And so my hope and my prayer is that um this graduation rate will be even better. But just know it's not about the number, it's about directly impacting these babies. I appreciate y'all. Thank you. [applause] >> You are the same as you were in high school. You're you're passionate about things. You love everybody and we are so fortunate to have you in Richmond. [applause] You know, you know, I agree with you. Your passion
048and it takes a village, you know, and and to see everyone working together and even partnership with the CTE. Um, man, I I mean, you're right. every kid that sit and come in our classroom have a story, you know, and um some some may be good, some may be bad um situations, but to have people like this that um very very passionate about about kids and particularly kids that sometimes hit a bump in the road um it it speaks volume. So, I just want to thank you, your passion, your team, your passion, and all of the collaborative partners that that's working behind the scenes to make this happen. This is what it's all about. This is what it's all about. >> And Mr. Gillum, I'll just I'll just echo the exact same thing. Your passion
049obviously shows in this room and it shows in this school system. As someone who lived in the we call it the orange area, I was probably somewhere between the yellow and the red. [laughter] >> I still we all recognize what you're doing and and thank you for everybody that's involved in that because it does show. The numbers are coming up, but I mean the passion's there so the numbers will follow. >> Thank you. >> Appreciate it. Thank you. I'd have to give a shout out to his parents. Thank you so much. [applause] [applause] >> Andy, Quincy, and Cadavian, we're so proud of you, the great job that you're doing now. >> And we'll get to see Kadabian at uh graduation. Quincy Quincy. Quincy at his graduation. Great. >> Hit that early cuz his last name
050is B. >> Call him out first. >> Oh, I'm so sorry. I have to recognize Miss Terina Harris. She I'm going to call her out. She has been their teacher um when they came back from Ashley Chapel. She teaches I'm I'm sorry y'all. This is so out of order. >> [snorts] >> She she taught culinary arts and I had to make sure that they got in her class because she has a way of loving on kids and supporting kids. She knows their numbers, the family's numbers and everything. So I knew I could trust her with them and I knew they would be taken care of. So I also have to say Miss Harris as well. [applause] Yeah, she's an assistant. >> Well, Miss Wallace, you got to follow that. >> I know [laughter] for the
051agenda. That's crazy. >> But to echo all the things that Arthur said, to see those kids come such a long way. When I left Richmond a couple of years ago, I was in that situation. To see those kids go to Ashley Chapel and to see them make that turn around and to be able to come back succeed, it touches you. And you're right, Arthur is in he is doing what God made him to do. He is a great a great asset for our community. So, with that, I'm going to give you a couple of CT updates. Um, as Arthur mentioned earlier with Quincy, he participated in um, the fiber optics course. It's a micro course that Amazon has established with Here we go. >> So, with AWS coming in, we have a high demand for
052fiber optics, HVAC, and plumbing. So, the first thing to get kids interested in fiber optics was to start hosting some micro sessions, micro courses for kids to attend. We had about 20 kids in the fall attend and another 1920 in the spring. Um we actually had one student who completed the two-day training with um fiber optics licing. So he actually gained his certification. You'll see that in just a few minutes. But uh along with fiber optics, we want to increase HVAC and plumbing. We currently at RCC do not have those programs directly at the Richmond Community College campus. Hshack is offered in Scotland community at the Scotland County and you can receive plumbing trades through our construction trades pathway at RC. All right. So the fall and spring splicing micro course that I told you
053about, we had about 40 kids attend it. It gave them a chance to go from about 2 o'lock to 5:30 at RCC. They got to do the on experience running the different parts of fiber optic splicing [snorts] so they could get that training. Um they this was targeted specifically for high school students to spark the interest so we could get more kids interested to build pathways for those that high demand in that area. Um, once those kids started coming back, my electrical guy called me. He, Joey English, teaches electrical trades at the high school, and he said, "I want to figure out a way to incorporate this certification into electrical trade." So, we're just one step closer to preparing those kids to be ready to go into whatever they decide they want to do. So,
054we are exploring opportunities now to figure out how to add that certification in with our electrical trades course at the high school. Um, we talk about reaching kids and where this starts and we really have to go back to middle school, even elementary school. But with middle school, we want to build the foundation, give them many opportunities to see, you know, what they might be interested in as well as what they might not be interested in. Um, so to support the HVAC and plumbing initiatives with AWS as CTE, we would like to put in Patterson labs. I'm not sure if any of y'all are familiar with those, but they are hands-on activities for students to, you know, get interested in. They're not just sitting there reading out of a book. They are up moving around.
055The hands-on activities that sparks more interest that keeps kids in school. And then if they're interested in something from middle school going into high school, that keeps them motivated to stay in school and to increase graduation rate. Um, potential new pathways. Uh we talked with RCC last week and they are trying to figure out a pathway for fiber optics to support that. That's currently not in place, but with AWS being that high demand area, they are looking to put in a pathway for that. As well as y'all are all familiar with the Hendricks Automotive building that's going up at RCC right now. Um they are in the process of rolling out their curriculum for the fall of 2026. and our students at our at Richmond who are part of the automotive program that will be
056a direct feed into that program at RCC. So we are very excited about that. So we do have a couple of certification programs. We call them short-term programs um where we can get kids into these classes, get them out, get them into the workforce. They may not want to sit there and go through community college. They may not want to go to four-year college. and that's okay. You know, we're trying to get every kid to be a productive citizen. So, with the short-term programs, we have currently we have two students within the construction trades. We have four students in linemen, one student with machining. Nurse aid is our big category. We usually have about 10 each semester that participate in that program. We have 25 welding students. And I will tell you, welding is busting
057at the seams. Um, if I could expand in an area at Richmond, even though RCC comes in and teaches those courses, I could I keep welding constantly filled up all the time. Kids love it. I have kids that don't want to participate in student organizations for CTE because they're making too much money welding right now. So, hard to fight that when um they're making a lot of money outside of school. We also offer medical assisting and pharmacy tech, but we currently don't have any students enrolled in those programs right now, but those are continuing to be a work in progress. So, at the high school, while we're still talking about some of those, the new computer science requirement goes into effect next year. We've had a a waiver for the last two years where we
058could opt out, but now all incoming ninth graders starting next year will have to complete a computer science course. And we are going to cover that for all the ninth graders between one of the four courses that you see up there. 3D modeling and animation when our eighth graders visited last week from the four middle schools. Um that was their biggest interest, which I think they're more like, oh, is this gaming DS? but they are also interested in the computer science course. Adobe visual, more of the hands-on creating the infographics and Adobe video is new this fall or excuse me, new this spring and that course has taken off. You'll see a little um demo of that at the end of this presentation. We're super excited about all four of those. Depending on what a
059kid is more interested in, if they like the computer science, the coding, things like that, they're going to generally choose to go the computer science route. The others are a little more creative getting to the computer science requirement. When our middle school students came last week, they received one of these brochures. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> They did all the eighth graders. So on Wednesday, we had two middle schools of eighth graders. They got a blessing and came and they got to tour all of the CTE classrooms. And then we had two more come on Thursday. And then we have tour guides, student tour guides, and obviously the middle school sent adults as well to help chaperon the kids. And they spent from about they got on campus around 8:30. We started in
060the cafeteria just giving them a rundown of all the different programs we have. a couple of different people from the high school spoke and then they were broken up into eight to 10 different groups and they started and they made their way through all of the CTE classes so they could see what the pathway looked like, what kind of programs were offered, what kind of careers they might be interested in. So when they returned to their middle school, they of course had to complete a survey to say what they were interested in. That's where we found out that most of them wanted to take the 3D modeling and animation, but we also have a high interest in building and creating. So that's comforting and a positive note to know that that's going to tie into
061our AWS plan and with those initiatives. But with this brochure, if you open it up on the inside, CTE has again revamped their framework. So on the inside here, this is specific to Richmond County. So, anything that you see under each one of these cluster groupings, and there's a total of six, the ones with the triangles beside it, those are courses that are offered to ninth graders. Now, as Arthur mentioned earlier, nth grade academy is no more. So, it was kind of limited to what we could offer for ninth grade students because they either only came first and fourth block or first and second block. So, there was a limit to how much they could take. Now that everybody's under one campus, they have so many more opportunities. So we our goal as CTE is
062try to get as many concentrators as we can by the time they become 10th graders and that by increasing more of these courses and making them available to nth grade students then they can choose to become a concentrator at an earlier age. That also helps us with early graduation. We're trying to get them established before they get out the door. even if they're want to go to RCC, we're still trying to get them a career pathway established to something that they may want to pursue once they go to RCC or a four-year college, whatnot. So, this is what it looks like for the high school of what courses will be offered. You can see that there's some other details about the inherently honors, and I won't get into all of that, but here are all
063of our different pathways. And this was realigned basically to be better aligned with industry standards, putting kids in the direct path to get them from school to a job. And with these being more aligned, we're going based on the national framework and tying that back into what we offer here that is in need in our county. >> Has JRTC um >> somebody was going to ask me about that one. >> Has GRTC participation reduced due to all these other options? >> It has not. >> No. And actually um AOTC, it falls under the CTE umbrella as of this year, but it's not a CTE course. So, if you look at a transcript or something, they're not going to that doesn't qualify them for a CTE class, but they do take a credential after they take
064their third level of JOTC, which is usually that leadership course. They have done very well on the credential with that. And that's kudos to the teachers that thrill them every single day in those leadership roles. But yeah, it's continuing to grow. All right. So, going back to talk about our middle schools, we were talking about their visits last week. There is a an initiative coming down the pipe. It's actually Jason and Sheree and Lisa. Um, they attended last week to see the roll out of the North Carolina Career Impact Pro initiative. And so, what they're doing is everybody, there's a legislative law around the fact that every student has to complete a career development plan in eighth grade and then they update it in 10th grade. And right now we're just in that compliance stage.
065Yeah, we're doing we're checking all the boxes to make sure that we have those things. And it was rolled out as a CTE initiative, but it's so much bigger than that. When you think about Governor Stein and Mo Green's pillars of the things that they talk about increasing our economic workforce development, credentiing and career development plans, those are at the heart of those things. So one of the initiatives there is to reframe career development planning as a live relational process. It's not something you just do you put in a folder and you say check done. You interact with it. A kid takes a class after a semester and says I thought I wanted to be a nurse but I don't like blood or I thought I wanted to go into business and yeah not so
066much. So you revisit that career plan. You shift focus. But the key part of that is not the how you track it in a platform. It's not specifically what career path they want to. It's the conversations that happen in between and to equip all educators and everybody in the school system to support those students. This is the initiative that is going to be rolled out to give that extra support to increase our educator capacity for all teachers, all administrators, not just guidance counselors, not just CTE teachers to be able to reach those students. So, we are excited about that. We also have um a middle school guidance counselor from Hamilton Middle, Kristen Puit, who will um serve on the regional career development planning committee. There was a grant that was awarded to two different regions
067and she is one of the San Hills representatives that is going to attend that and bring back to us different ideas and ways to increase career development opportunities for our students at both the elementary fifth grade, middle school, and high school. And then along with the computer science initiative that we talked about for the high school, we also have to at least offer something for the middle school students. So the two courses that we that the students, I will actually tell you they're most interested in coding and Minecraft. So we're throwing that one out there for them. And then the computer science discoveries just gives them a general overview that'll prepare them for that computer science class in high school. career and technical student organizations. Um, I will tell you that the student who spoke
068earlier, who did the essay, Marcus, he's one of our first place representatives for FBLA at regionals, uh, we had several place well at FBA regionals back in the fall and they are actually leaving, what's today? The 10th, the 12th to go to state competition. I'm telling you, right? March 12th through the 14th, but we had several students at FBA regionals compete and place first through third place. HOSA has their state competition coming up in the end of March. Skills USA on February 20th. They went to Favville and we had a couple of students place in the American Spirit team competition that was led by our career management teacher Anthony Mayor. um and they will go on to compete at the Skills USA state competition that will be held in the middle of April. And we
069also have TSA. They are not competing, but what I told you about the AW video class that's new. Um they're going to showcase their podcast that they've started for this semester and they've been invited to come to the conference in April so they can show off their skills. Couple of things with credential attainment. This ties back into Governor Stein and Mog's um goals of increasing credential attainment. Uh one thing that we would like to recognize within our region, we have we are one of the five that have reached 70% or higher on credential attainment. And that basically means everybody that's in a program 70 70% of our students are completing a industry recognized credential. And we want to continue to increase that. We want to offer as many credentials as possible to give those students
070the skills that they need to be workforce ready. But, you know, the more we offer and in our area for the region, the Sand Hills region, we are outpacing the state, you see it right up there, by nearly 58%. We are rapidly growing with all the things that are popping up in our region. and you might want to get podcast that link at the bottom there. >> So, we have had two podcast episodes released. One was around um state competition for indoor track, but here is the one that was released right before the middle school students came to visit US LAST WEEK. >> HELLO, eighth graders. Welcome to the CTE podcast. Today I'm here with Mr. Paracus and we're gonna be asking if Wait, M. Wait, Mr. Parakus, >> you work here at Richmond? >>
071I do work here at Richmond High School. >> You work? >> I do work. >> I can see you be walking around. Elaborate on what you do here at Richmond. Walking around. I'm probably going from class to class to actually visit. My job is the career development coordinator for Richmond County schools. We also have another career development coordinator, Shri Young, over at the middle schools. students may have met, but our job is to make sure that through your four years of high school that you know the classes we offer to get through a pathway for you to be successful. >> Wait, did you hear that? Next week we're having this really big day. >> We are having a really big day. >> Can you like explain me like what are we doing? I'm so excited.
072>> So, I know all the eighth graders have been so excited for the last three years working at Major Clarity. >> This is the preview. You can watch the rest of the show on YouTube. [laughter] Thank you for what you're doing for us. >> Thank you. >> Anybody have a question? >> Quick question. Um, is there like u anything that we do like as far as like with uh resume building? Um, >> part of the cred um career development that starts in the middle school. And actually, I'm glad you asked that because we have a new curriculum that we're wanting to push out to eighth graders next year. And Major Clarity is our platform that we use to track the career development process for all the students. And they have a resume builder in there.
073There's that piece there that as they complete a specific course or they gain a credential or they have work workbased learning experiences, they can add those in and by the time they're ready to apply for a job, then they have their resume built within that platform. because that's a new course you in your college. >> Well, the EY32 is the career development. It's just around strictly career development goals and plans for those eighth grade students building that for the first time. The computer science courses that we talked about, those will primarily be for the sixth and seventh graders. And if it builds interest like we think it will, then we'll expand that through that. >> I have one question about expansion, too. You said we had a couple that weren't making. I think it was
074medical assistant, pharmacy tech, so the classes weren't making. is how long does that go on with those classes not making? You said we had some busting at the seam. So, is there an opportunity for expansion on others if those classes aren't making? And >> um I can ask those questions and find out. um with medical assisting and pharmacy tech most of those students are in that health science track going usually they end up under that nurse aid track. So um we also we don't have a whole lot that sign up for EMS things like that. We don't have a direct pathway in high school for those, but we can definitely look at if that's something that is an interest within. >> I would just be curious if there were because I, you know, obviously we
075want every student to get into every class they want to. If there's some where they can't get into the class because they're just overwhelmed with students and we have the opportunity to eliminate something and get more into a different pathway than I think it is. >> Health science areas and your trades. Those are those are not easy classes to fill. It seems like it's the business classes that generally just don't produce as much. Definitely look at increasing or expanding there. >> You're welcome. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you, Randy. >> Thank you. >> Family Resource Center, Miss Kendra Paris. Welcome back. Um personfield board members Dr. Frell. It's really nice to be here to give you an update today on the family resource center. I have Jessica Louderder with me from student as well
076as principal gunnels. And I think I'm supposed to do my own clicker. So I want to express my gratitude to superintendent uh Frell, Dr. Smith, Principal Gunnels, Miss Gallagher, Jessica, and just for, you know, believing in and championing the community school's vision because this leadership and commitment is going to, you know, has made the implementation of the family resource center at Washington Street possible, creating a stronger, more supportive environment for our students and families in our community. And just to give you a little bit of refresher about why we want commu community schools because it brings a vital support directly to those students, directly to their families, hopefully reducing those barriers in such a rural area such as ours and creating a trusted hub for that connection. And by strengthening partnerships of existing agencies and
077organizations, increasing that engagement, which we know through research shows that students do better when their families are involved, and that boosts that student success and builds long-term community resilience. There it goes. And speaking of, since she was talking about the pillars, the four pillars of community schools working together to uh ensure students are supported academically, socially, and emotionally. And by addressing those barriers to learning, connecting those families to a resource, expanding learning opportunities, strengthening those partnerships again among the educators and their communities. This model creates a more equitable and supportive environment where all students can thrive and that community school community coordinator which is myself. And this is essential in implementation of this framework because this role serves as the bridge between the students, the families, uh the staff and the community partners and allowing
078us to organize resources, align those services with the school goals and facilitating that strong communication and collaboration. This leadership not only strengthens the partnerships and reduces barriers but creates a cohesive system of support that allows the community schools model to thrive and deliver that meaningful lasting impact. And so supporting that community engagement is so essential because it strengthens that connection between family schools and local partners creating that shared commitment to each and everyone each and every student. And when communities are actively involved, RE and resources become easier to access, communication improves and students benefit from broader network of support. And that family resource center is a dedicated place in which the in the school system where students, families, and staff can access essential items like food, clothing, diapers, and hygiene products. And it provides computers
079and internet services so that families can come in and apply for jobs and enroll in benefits and even look into other resources. And that family resource center is especially important in this rural community that may be too difficult or they may not even be aware of that's available in our community. So it removes that type of barrier that of that often times limits opportunities in small rural areas. And so as an F FRC we um you can see this is kind of sort of examples of what FRC's might look like with the hygiene, the clothing technology, washer, dryer, um information handouts. And this is just a small part of what a F FRC is going to offer. and I will turn it over to Jessica. >> Good evening, board members. Thank you. Um, like Kendra
080said, I work for Student U and I have the honor and privilege of not only working alongside Washington Street, but I get to support all the community schools across the Sand Hills region. Um, so I would like to share I love an expansion, especially when it's a good thing. Um, my dream is for every school to be a community school. Um, but wanted to share that in July of 24, we started with nine schools at nine schools. I do want to share that there are some districts that have one school only and there is some districts that have multiple schools. So, that's why the dots don't really match up with um the key. So, we started out with nine schools and then in July of 25 we expanded to 23 fullervice community schools. And my
081most exciting part is as of January when Kendra started at Washington Street, we did a Sand Hills Pacific expansion. And so we now have 41 fullervice community schools in the state of North Carolina. I think that's amazing. Um this just kind of represents those schools. So to be a school a fullervice community school, you become part of the North Carolina Community Schools Coalition. Um so great group and great initiatives and excited to report the three purple ones we are looking to expand in the fall of 26 into the west. So community schools just say it's it's not new um it's not a new thing but it's kind of a new concept for North Carolina and this gunnels will share some that later. >> Good evening. So, I'm going to share with you um this is
082an example of the alignment um that community schools has with other things that we already have in place. So, of course, you can see the four pillars that was actually on a previous example and I think I know something you guys have seen before. Um and then you can see each one of those pillars have a specific focus and with it with the focus um you can see NC star. So, that's our indicators. Um those are again are just examples. We have actually 13 indicators that's on our school improvement plan. Those are just a couple examples. I will tell you that um one of the first school improvement team meetings that Miss Ferris went to, we actually took our [clears throat] um school improvement plan. We took all of our indicators and the entire team
083aligned the pillars with our indicators. So we as a school have already done that and we found that our indicators actually could be represented in multiple pillars that um that align with community schools. also our FAM S which we will do in this in the month of March um we actually will go through our NTSS process to just kind of see like that be a facilitative assessment um related to NTSS and we'll just see like where we are aligned um things that we are strong in things we need to continue to work on and that also will be information that we will be able to um take to the advisory team for community for community schools and Miss Ferris will lead she'll lead that team so again it's aligned with the the things that we
084already have in place and that we're already operating under sorry. Okay. And just to let you know that there's also an alignment with um NCDPI and the state board of education. There's actually eight pillars that they have in a strategic plan. And here's just an example of their pillar three of their eight. And you can see that it um relates to enhanced parent caregiver and community support. Um and again you can see that there's a focus there to you know advocate for evidence-based school models and community schools is that one. Um I know Dr. Frell has also shared a plan that was shared with him and there there's actually um of the eight pillars the community schools has actually made connections to all of them. So there's extensive um research on that too. Okay. So,
085we went from this regular classroom, kindergarten classroom, and maintenance put in a lot of work and my and put up with my little fuzziness because I wanted everything to be perfect. And they did a phenomenal job. And I'm only going to give you a little taste of what is in the family resource center at this moment because I'm going [clears throat] to invite you to the big reveal. And the grand opening is um we have chosen a name. It is the Eagles Branch Family Resource Center. And our grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony will be Friday, March 20th at 11:00 a.m. You're all invited as well as the public and some of our community partners will be there as well. And very very um excited about this. So you can come in and check us out,
086see what we have, and look at what we have really accomplished in a short period of time. >> Haven't done a lot of work. I'm tired. >> What you have done? >> Come check us out. And if you can't make Friday, that's okay. You can drop by at any time today. We'll talk about what's going on, next steps. Um just a little hint, we're going to start doing a survey, the assets and needs assessment. We will do students, families, staff, and some of the students, families, teachers, and staff. Um, and we'll do focus groups and interviews to go along with that survey and see what programming is going to look like for next year. That's what that'll determine how we do our funding and spend our funds and what we're going to promote for next
087year. And this coming [clears throat] the end of this school year, we're actually going to start working on our school advisory board getting our members together. We can only have 12 members. Um, and that probably I think there's going to be an overwhelming response to that. So, we'll probably have to have some type of application and process, but that's it. >> We're excited. I just want to say thank you to the maintenance department because they have definitely dedicated some time there and we know that they are extremely busy all the other things is happening around the district. So thank you >> thank you. Yes, >> break a little break up here. >> Good evening, Chairman Satderfield, Dr. refer members of the board. Um so we are about to begin our uh process of developing the
088next five-year strategic plan. Um so I just wanted to give you some information that over the next coming weeks we will engage in a variety of stakeholder groups which will include um different staff groups, students, families, community partners to gather feedback um that will help shape our priorities and direction for Richmond County Schools. Our goal is to bring a draft of the plan back to you all in May. Um that will reflect the stakeholder input uh with the hope of seeking your approval at the June meeting. And so you [clears throat] all have an email that came out at 6:00 and it is going to ask for your individual feedback. Um and it also has the current strategic plan attached and so that way you can use that to give um us feedback. And so
089you also all have a copy of the upcoming meetings that we will have different groups and I would also add that we're going to have departmental meetings here um at central office. I have also reached out to our principal 612 and um to get some student feedback on our strategic plan and priorities for the next five years. So any questions? >> Streamline it. I like it. Yeah, >> we have it's in our email. I'll check it. Yep. And so also in boards uh you also have just forformational purposes the summer camps that we will offer this summer um dates times. So if you have any questions about those um certainly you can shoot an email or um follow up at any time unless there's something right now and just forformational purposes. And last I would
090just ask for your approval of our 2627 calendar. Um, now that we have completed the 30-day review, um, any questions or are we comfortable for a action for approval? >> Anybody have any questions on it? >> Make a motion. >> Motion by Mr. Second by Miss Orby. There any discussion? All in favor by saying I. All opposed? You're good. Record time. Kate, Stephen, you got this. >> Is there gonna be a graduation after the summer school at Richmond? >> Um, a graduation saying is there any of those students ever need credit recovery like that? I can't remember last year. >> Um, are you you ask if there's a graduation after credit recovery? >> Yes. You got some credit recovery? >> Yes. >> Yeah, but we don't have an actual graduation. >> No, no, you'll do
091something for those. >> Yes. How are you doing, Miss Bendell? >> Nice to see you up there. [laughter] >> Good evening, Dr. Frell. Mr. Sfield and members of the board. Shane and I are here. Shane is the IT services manager for the office in case you didn't know. And so we are here tonight to talk to you a little bit about and our WAN that is up for renewal. Um, so we did on February the 2nd put out an RFP and you actually have a packet also in board docs if you want to look on page 15 that starts the RFP if you hadn't had a chance to look at it. But we are trying to get WAN for our school district for the next five years. WAN is our wide area network which is
092otherwise known as our internet to service our schools um through and and our district offices as well through the internet. And so um we put the bid out for one month and um once we came back we had one bid which was Spectrum and um with a rubric rating of 100% um we are asking that you approve for Spectrum to be our um bid for the next five years. They actually offer several different plans. Um all of the plans I will tell you are less than what we are currently paying. Um even though there it is going to be better service than what we are currently have um it also will allow us to grow with our infrastructure if we choose to do that. Um, currently we do pay um around $20,000 a month for
093our our internet services. And the um the option that we are actually wanting to go with is on page um 11. And this is um actually to 13,000 roughly a month. Um, so it is going to top down about $7,000 a month, which is great for us. Um, but we are asking that, um, if you will allow us to use Spectrum as company to go with, our vendor to go with, and we would like to go with the um, fiveyear option with five optional extendings of each year if we would like to. five years and then we have the option to continue that contract for five additional years with each year being able to renew it if we choose to do so. >> Always be five years. So when you go to four, you go
094another one five or >> so we will. So this will take us to five, >> right? And then if we don't want to put out another RFP and go through this process, we have a a year that we can choose to stay with Spectrum again. And then we have another year and another year until we reach another up to five years if we choose to do so. um this um time we actually had five years and one additional optional year that we took for this previous time and so we are up as of July 1st um that we have to have a new contract in place >> Katherine did I see somewhere that Spectrum is our current provider >> spectrum is our current provider yes >> but we're you're recommending go with them again but
095we're getting a better price you said >> yes we are and lots of reasons for that and you may want to speak that too. >> Yep. We're not just getting a better price, we're actually getting better service as well cuz they're quadrupling the speed. We don't have the equipment to use that speed yet and we probably won't until at least 28 when we replace our switches, but it'll allow us to up our speed and already have the equipment in place and the services from Spectrum. >> Is the rate locked in for any duration of time? >> The whole contract. >> Okay. >> Yes. Now, I will say there's one thing that I would like you to look at on page um 22, and this is just because of us doing some remodeling and some moving
096around of schools back and forth and potential um decreasing one school eventually. Um there is going to be a key for moving around. Um for example, with LJ Bell going to the old academy and then back to the LE spectrum may require some type of fees just for having to move different things around. Um but as long as we give them a 60-day prior notice, which we would do, um they that is something that we built into this RFP because we knew that that was coming along and that we knew that there's going to be some school moving and changes, you know, temporarily and permanently. So that is something that is that was put into this. Now, if and when we ever actually do close a school, our price will also change um for that,
097there will be a charge to to take that that location off, but um as long as we keep all the different on here, and we keep them just like they are, there's no fees, but there will be a few fees that are acrewed just with the transitioning, but we wanted to make sure that we put that piece in there because um we knew that that's going to be taking place next few years. Are we aware of how much those fees are going to be? >> Um, no sir. Um, you can see what they they've marked up in here on page 22. Um, >> yes. >> This comes out of our local money, [clears throat] >> right? And Don, you may want to explain it too. So e-ray actually covers 90% but we do something called
098the bear where we pay for the bill upfront and then at the end of each year um we actually get 90% of that back from rates and then the other 10% is actually covered under a state fund which is ERC >> 073 um >> about $36,000 Right. And I don't know if you want to make that more clear if that makes enough sense. >> We usually front it and pay it with low wealth and then when we get the money back, we put it back into the local budget the next year. >> Okay. >> That's kind of how we always work that. Now, like last year, I did use that $36,000 of course because that's the only thing you can use it on. >> Looking for a motion to accept the contract for Spectrum. Yes.
099And the um that it's the the plan that we chose. As long as you're good with that. We have a motion with a second. Any further discussion? All in favor by saying I. >> All opposed. >> You're good to go. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Have internet. >> Thank y'all. Dream Carter resolution authorizing the lease of real property. >> Good evening everybody. Uh Chairman Sfield, Dr. Frell, and members of the board. Um tonight, I'd like to uh before you on board docs is a resolution to allow Jim Co to lease a portion of the land Richmond County School owns adjoining the old Hoffman school field. This land will be leased by Jimco, who is a construction company that Hoffman has uh contracted with to store the materials for a utility project for the
100town of Hoffman. Um it'll be conducted in the next six months. This is an action item. >> I need a motion. Motion second by Miss Orangeby. Any discussion? All in favor by saying I. All opposed resolution. Thank you. [clears throat] Finally, Mr. Chang, >> how are you, sir? >> Well, even General Satfield members of the board. So in your board ops you have a copy of the agreement consulting services with the guidance of Arington Smith attorneys and working with Mosley. We work through the contract recommended that we get her into contract for LJ Bell the new replacement LJ Bell project. So, but I do want to have a I got a few questions here. So, we don't actually know what this school is going to look like. We don't know what kind we don't know
101what the color of paint is. That's why we're going into contract with this. We're a professional design service along with them. You know, we're going to get the nicest flooring, the nicest roof that we can afford. Um, so that that's one thing. Um, [clears throat] One of the some of the exhibits exhibits in there. Exhibit D is an AIA contract that Mosley will actually use with their subconsultants language in there to strugg through some highlighted areas. That's really no contract between Richmond County Schools. That's what it's just an example of what they'll use with their subs. Um E is Mosley's billing rates. Um so Mosley is proposing a contract amount. Those rates are in there for anything outside of their contract. For example, we did our previous projects with LS3P here. We wanted to build
102a gymnasium classroom X amount you know all these things. They did the design services put it out for we entered in contract with computer. Then we decided, hey, we want to renovate the basement of the old gym. So that was additional work that architect firm had. So if we were to get in a situation like that, we found a school, we had extra money left over. We wanted to put a water park and a zipline in they designed that. We would have to that that's the fees that they would charge. That's >> I will if I may note that contract says you want to something extra would first try to negotiate like an additional lump sum. But if you can't get agreement on that and you need them to move right away, then you would
103pay them that hourly [clears throat] rate is% that range. Um 2,190,55 questions. Now you open the door, so I'm going to walk through it. Um you mentioned that it was going to be the highest quality of flooring, the highest quality. Here's my concern. The total production [clears throat] cost is at 44,71,55. I know there's 13 or 1.323 million in contingency. So there is a buffer there. My concern is is looking at the project scope. It has the construction of a new elementary school based off of previous study phase. The existing gymnasium and auditorium will remain. If I remember correctly, it was going to there was an additional cost in keeping the auditorium there and kind of refurbing it. Am I right there? My concern is if there's an additional cost there, are we going to
104have to sacrifice quality or quantity in that in that case to keep that auditorium? >> Well, I I I will say this and we're going to work with Mosley to provide the number of classrooms that we need students. We have instructional spaces, all the things that those students and staff have to have. That's that'll be first and foremost important. But then the auditorium, we can keep pod building or we can model the gym. I mean, all those things, you know, are we going to have basic flooring? Are we going to have TZO flooring or, you know, we're going to have all the nicest things or are we just going to have what what we can afford [clears throat] staff and students have? So, I mean that that's kind of getting into the weeds. I I
105I see your concerns and they're valid, but you know, until we really get in working with with Mosley, a lot of those questions answer. I don't know how to answer. >> And I get it. I'm just trying to It just concerns me with being so close to the top end of the budget. I mean, the long play is, are we going to need to expand classrooms out there at some point? Do we need additional classroom space? Can we get more quantity and more quality by potentially reducing something? And with it being named in this contract, are we committed to keeping the auditorium or is that something that could adjust later? >> We're not committed. >> Okay. >> Um that's I see what you're looking at projects and [clears throat] that's sort of what they're basing
106their on that it'll be a project of approximately dollar um construction budget approximately size. Um that includes fing um so that's sort of they're saying that's our assumptions going in but it doesn't dictate what the final >> just trying to think about the big picture you know the auditorium is the same age as the school you back so this This is an action item. >> Yes, sir. >> I make a motion that we uh approve the recommendation from Stephen King regarding the Mosley contract to approve the Mosley contract. Second by Mr. Eth. Any further discussion? All in favor by saying I. All opposed. Just a just a question to clarify. Scotty said a valid point. Um when Mosley comes in and they start we start designing the school and all that and they have the
107auditorium and the gymnasium in there because that's what we like. Um I guess then they send it out to a contractor. contractor looks at it, they they do all that stuff and that's at that point they're going to say yes, you can do it for this amount or is that just all tied into the cost of the construction? >> Yeah, it's a little different with with construction manager risk. We're not going to put out >> Yeah, because we're not he's not going over that money. >> That's right. We're not going to put out the scope for the construction manager. Yes, there will be that that obviously footage of building we're trying to build hours per square foot associated they'll look at that and they'll look at what needs to be done to the auditory what
108needs to be done to the I mean it'll be numerous conversations in your area But this is just the design, right? And so then we arrive at that, right? That's where something like are we building a new auditorium or keeping existing is going to be factor because you go in maximum price based on the assumption. decide [clears throat] that's not what you want to do, that's fine. But >> thank you. So [clears throat] we we will get some kind of idea of uh what the difference is in keeping and building a new one. Keeping the old orator as opposed to building a new one. We won't build a new one. There's not a new auditorium. We can refine it, but that's not in the scope of work. Having a new auditorium. >> I thought you
109were saying that >> got rid of the old. >> You had said that and I was just letting that go. But yeah, the scope of work does not include a new artic includes a renovated auditorium. Is that correct? >> That's right. And and you know, one of the scenarios is that we keep the auditorium, but we don't renovate. Not this time auditorium is operating as it is now the gym operating as it is. So we got in a situation where we really want to keep these two want to keep the gym and keep auditorium but it's just not in the budget to remodel it at this time firm and the C is should be able to accommodate building a new building around those and have to build those sometime down the road >> and you
110still have a 60 plus year old auditorium [clears throat] since you got an auditorium >> I'm thinking with my wallet not my heart on this one. But if you don't do anything to it, you [clears throat] >> will in the future. It ain't going to get no younger. >> But I think you make a good point, Scott, that point. Well, take it. I mean, that's one of the discussions that we've been talking about trying to get rid of some of the old buildings. If you think about it, I mean, that's that's been our discussion. And so, at some point, we're going to have to make some tough hard decisions. We're gonna have to get rid of old buildings if we're talking about trying to get caught up with uh where we need to be what
111it is. I think everybody on everybody I talk to everybody I think everybody would love to keep the auditorium. I want to but I don't want to sacrifice nice floors or more classrooms or playgrounds which could dive into those things. But that's all as we go forward and Ashley Mosley said that all this could work. So we're going to trust we're going to trust in that. We're going to trust in Ashley. Okay. Um question updates. >> Yes sir. So we vote [clears throat] we vote on that. We I'm sorry. >> Any more questions on that? I'll email you. [laughter] >> So, uh, construction updates academy know we're 300 hall, 400 hall, 500 hall, 600 hall. All those areas have been painted. They're working on 300 flooring that needed waxing five and 600 hall. Now, um,
112They placed some concrete for sidewalks. Um, lighting up right almost complete that work backward and raise as we need them. Um, rear door painting go out for that one. still have some sidewalks to go base. I actually went to LJ Bell and N today and measure the mark signs. The insert at LJ Bell is the same size as the one at night academy. So just take that one out. We'll stick that one in. Paint the frame rings that has has been out this Friday. Um, next Friday at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. LJL staff, Mr. Wood, I'll be there answer questions there questions on. >> Yes, from what I've seen uh over there, there's a lot of hard work going into that building right now. you know, with everybody painting and buffing floors. I'm just
113amazed that we've got some of the talent that we have in our maintenance department that that uh do what they do and it really looks good when it's done. And just one quick correction, I think that walkth through is this coming Friday on the 13th. >> 13. Okay. >> All right. >> Just in case any of them are interested in being there, it's on It's this Friday at Say the times again, Stephen. >> 9 a.m. >> All right. So [clears throat] photo somewhere in the basement I'm sorry I was supposed the baseball field the high school as you can see there it's growing in really We're still monitoring the irrigation um growth um probably ago when we missed the dedication res. So, um I understand they played a game that Saturday and it rained like
114three days in a row in the fields and you know the infield dirt might have been a little muddy but all the grass are outfield project doing well and the running track. So, u work resumed on the run track on February 26. Um, currently they they're installing installed a asphalt t coat and they're installing the rubber running surface. See the the shiny area is a tack surface. The outer area is surface. They're currently on there's seven layers of the rubber. They're on fourth layer now. I told them today they should have all seven layers complete by Sunday week and they will move into striping. That'll take about two days. So hopefully by Monday week and as you can see they um went out there a couple of weeks ago on Sunday morning and let them
115in and they probably had 300 rolls of gorilla duct tape on the back of their truck in the world. But it went all the way around the inside, taped it off all the way around the outside. So when they spray this, it wouldn't get on the grass, it wouldn't get on the fence. So I mean, they've been very meticulous with projects going well. Any question on the baseball field and just a few other various projects, high school partial roof replacement. We met on site today. Um had a pre-construction meeting. They have materials be delivered tomorrow start work on that project auditorium remodel got issued some folks for painting haven't issued that PO yet concrete floor resurfacing got a quote on that looking other options options I got another another company out of Greensboro next have
116been ordered proper replacement put on that contract for the sign services at risk RFQL actually recommendation next month and to move in logistics LJL. We're still trying to work through that. [clears throat] Solid plan for that. Uh and do surplus you should have um rocking and middle seats auditorium. I know we talked about that one time before. So um once you approve that um sell rows, the outside rows are eight seats. [cough and clears throat] The middle one 16 probably going to start with outside rows. Um outside seats are unique. The outside end standard required to make it. But if you wanted two seats, you have to buy eight a row of eight and here however. So we're going to sell them and probably lots of eight maybe five rows. I don't know those sell
117out quickly. We'll we'll list them again. Not sure. You should also have um classroom that system and resell them basically updated all questions. Thank you for your continued work. >> We'll get things done. >> Stephen, you said the track would be completed what day? >> Uh, Monday week. >> And what's what's the Raider track team doing in the meantime? They're away meets or what are they doing? >> Where are they? >> I know they'll be excited. Who decide what time is that baseball field dedication? >> 6:30. >> The game at seven this time. >> You on the 20th. >> Hello, Miss Jordan. >> Good evening, everyone. This has been a long one, hasn't it? We're getting lots of things done. >> We don't good things. Good things. So, [clears throat] if we're on board docs,
118she should have uh budget amendments 10 through13. Um budget amendment number 10 is an increase of state funds for $231,651. Um, budget amendment number 11 is an increase in federal funds of $185,22083. Um, budget amendment number 12 is an increase in capital outlay 4474643. Budget amendment 13 is an increase in other local funds of 46,924 asking your approval for budget amendments 10 through 13. A motion [clears throat] make a motion that approve budget amendment 10 through 13 byman second by Mr. Eth discussion all in favor by saying I all opposed we got them approved thank you Mr. Ingram again Dr. Peril members of the board of board doct have a list of policies presented last month for review. This being the conclusion of the 30-day review period. I would like to present these policies for
119adoption. Policy 1740 or 4010 student parent grievance procedure 2125 7315 confidential information 4240 7312 child abuse and related threats to child safety 4270 6145 concussion head injury 5150 7313 reporting to external agencies 6310 organization of student transportation >> motion to approve the six policies support at all. >> Make a motion. >> Motion by Mr. Ethridge, second by Miss Orangebe. Any discussion? >> All in favor by saying I. >> All opposed. Everybody's getting tired. Mr. We got our We got our good side over here with Mr. President. Mr. Y [laughter] out. noisy. We're just letting them go with backing them up. >> Every time I start talking, people look at me funny. So, [laughter] >> I saw Mr. Ed look up and says, "I need some help over here." >> Dr. Frell surplus. >> All right.
120So, as uh Stephen mentioned, we have four mobile units at LJ Bell that we need list on Gov deals um for sale as well as the auditorium seats heed out from Rockingham Middle. And in addition to that, um we have a a marquee sign um from Richmond Senior High School where we removed that and replaced it with the digital sign that's out there now. And so I'm requesting your approval to list these items on um go deals for >> I make a motion to approve the surplus sale as presented. >> Second by second by Miss Schuler. Any further discussion? >> It is going to be a long meeting. All [laughter] in favor by saying I. All >> opposed. Thank you. >> Mr. Message, we got comments from the board members. Okay. Um I went up
121talked to the people at the bus garage one day and they showed me I think it's called the easy routing where they show where the buses go and all the stuff. Really interesting where you know where every stop is and all that kind of stuff. >> It's great, isn't it? I mean, it's really great. >> Uh, I had the opportunity to do the read across America at LJ Bell, and I want to say to all the people that are on the board that read and all the people in our community that read, thank you. >> U, I want to say congratulations to the Greater Varsity Boys winning conference championship this year. And I I really enjoyed watching the girls and the guys play. That did a great season. uh the pictures that I took of
122giving them to uh over here of the people that are are smiles in the front doors and uh it's made a big difference when you go in and you call them by name and they just they smile because they got that picture. Um two people that uh I want to mention their names. Uh Christina Eller, who is a retired teacher at Richmond City High School, her father-in-law, Joel Eller, passed away and they're doing his his memorial service this Friday at Heritage Funeral Home. Also, uh Jamie Strickland's mother passed away. He's electrician with a maintenance department and they're doing that at 12:00, I think, at Second Baptist Church on Friday. >> Thank you, Mr. Anybody else? Oh yeah, I had some too. Um did get opportunity I know at the last minute we had talked about
123the passing of Bobby Little and so did get a chance to go to his u ongoing service. I do want to compliment um um Arthur Gillum spoke at that and I'm going tell you he did an awesome well but he spoke on behalf of uh Richmond High in the school and I thought he did an amazing job um in his comments and tributes to Bobby um and I know Mr. Mason was also on the pro too did a great job. So one, you know, um I remember you at the last meeting car, I thought you brought it up about um us losing him and [clears throat] system, but I'll just mention that, you know, like I said, I thought Arthur did an awesome job. Um kind of showing who Bobby was and kind of giving
124them a little history behind that. The other thing I did get a chance to go to a couple schools for the Read Across America. That was that was pretty exciting. this side has something. [laughter] Uh I did have the opportunity to visit a couple schools, three classrooms and and do read across America. Uh really good time. If you have the opportunity to go do that and you haven't, please go do it. Do not pick the book Fox and Socks because I'm an auctioneer and the words in there even trip me up. So, [laughter] um outside of that, looking forward to spring sports kicking off now. >> Best. >> No, baseball's playing now, so we got to get going. Um, I got to read at four elementary schools and had a blast reading in several classrooms
125at those schools. I wanted to try to get to all seven elementary schools but just didn't have enough time. And um, I did get to attend the community meeting. Corey was there um, at Piny Grove Gailstown and I enjoyed that. And thanks to Dr. Frell and the leadership team. Y'all do an amazing job all the time. But I think that was so great getting out and just allowing the community to ask questions and and hearing from you all is a great thing and I think it's building those great community relationships. >> Agree 100%. Um I want to piggy back off what Jerry said about basketball teams. They were fantastic, right? Our football team was fantastic. A lot of our teams are fantastic, but the way the North Carolina High School Athletic Associate is set up
126right now, winning championships at the state level is going to be very very difficult because the way they have it set up in the big big counties of call it Meckburgg, Wake County, Cumberland County, Guilford County, and all the other all the other private schools that they are allowed to have it with all their recruiting they do uh whether it's within a big city or big county which I will not call or the private schools that they can flat out recruit charter schools flat out recruit and until our general assembly who is supposed to be over the North Carolina high school ethnic association does something about that be very very difficult and I commend our coaches and our players for winning championships going into the playoffs giving it their all because they are at a
127disadvantage. If nobody sees that, then they're not watching. So, but again, kudos to everybody. I'll get off my soap box. If I could, you know, you just brought up some is um I do want to give kudos to uh football team Brad. They had a um I guess a watered down athletic man >> because of the snow. >> Because of snow. But I'm g tell you something that I was really really impressed with was with those athletes their GPA and I mean they the have turned it around, you know, as far as our programs, our athletic programs and and to see those kids having high GPA, their focus on on academics versus athletic side of it speaks volumes. um to me about the leadership of coaches that put that that time and effort in. So
128I did want to when you brought that up, I did want to mention it. I did um go to that and like I said, I was really impressed with the GPA [clears throat] of athletes. >> It takes a village and it just goes to show those coaches, it's not about wins and losses on a on a athletic field. They're about wins and losses. Thank you for bringing that up. Anybody else? Superintendent reports. Dr. Frell. >> Um, well, first, um, congratulations to Bobby, Sue, Corey, Daryl, and Scotty on your re-election to the board. Thank you for hanging in there with me for another four years of twohour board meetings. [laughter] Thank you for hanging in Thank you for hanging in there with us for another four years as well. >> I heard you loud and clear,
129Scotty. I did. Um, and so, um, speaking of two-hour board meetings, I I know that it has been a long meeting tonight and lots of information and lots of things shared, but I hope that you all are proud of this school district because you definitely should be. I mean, just think about the things that you heard about tonight. you know, Christy King and her group with the education foundation and all the great things that they're doing to raise money and giving it right back to our teachers um and our students and and especially money for scholarships because college is expensive. Speaking as a parent who has paid that um you know and getting getting um some money for that for some of our students to come back to Richmond County and teach is an an
130excellent thing. I mean all I really have to say is Arthur, right? And I can stop right there because I mean he's just amazing. But I mean just the story, the two stories that he shared tonight are just two of many. And I mean what I want to say to Arthur is I mean you changed you all have changed the lives of not just those two students were in here tonight, but their future families, their future children, um by getting them, you know, graduated from high school and and moving on. So, I'm so grateful for Arthur and and he's I tell him all the time, "You amaze me every time I'm in your presence." And so, um the community schools thing um program at Washington Street is another um great example of all that. And
131um so tonight I have shared with you um in the green folder that of course Jenny put together for me. I have shared with you a um document of my um you all asked me for accomplishments and I don't say my accomplishments because I asked members of my team, my direct team to give me some things that they considered major accomplishments this year and I included all of those because it occurred to me that there are so many things that get done that are the work of those people and [clears throat] I'm and I'm grateful for that. And um so I just wanted you all to have a really big picture of the things that we're doing because we really are we really are doing a lot um to to change the lives of our
132students and um and so I'm I'm grateful for the opportunity. you also have in that folder um the uh checklist that you use or the document that you use to evaluate me and I'm not sure if Eva is going to offer anything on all of that um tonight but um or or or Corey but anyway you all have that and then the last thing that I wanted to share with you tonight is um you know Christy King and I hate that she left but you know Christy King does so much for this community and so much for this school district. And um like Arthur, I'm going to I'm going to attempt to get through this with zero emotion, but Saturday was an amazing thing to watch the first um scholarship uh softball tournament um at
133Richmond for her son who was killed almost two years ago in a car accident just about a month after he started driving. and um and you know his and and I think one of the most special things about Saturday was it was also his 18th birthday and so the turnout was great. Um the the food was great. Every the like the camaraderie was great. I hope she I don't know how much money she raised. I hope I I wish that she had raised a million dollars because it you know she's giving it all back to the community and it's just one of those things where um you know those of us who are parents you wonder how she gets out of bed in the morning but she does it and she and and she keeps
134giving to this community. So any opportunity that you get to support Christy King I say go for it and do it. But it was an amazing event and she had to turn down teams. And so we've already started talking about how do we make it next year so that she can have two fields instead of one because you know at Richmond the baseball field and softball field are too far apart for her to really do an event like that. But we have other schools where we could do that. There would be some logistical things. But I just want to say a huge thank you to her and and to all the people who showed up on Saturday um to support her. It's it's obvious that Will had a huge impact on a lot of people
135and um obviously Christy does as well. So want to share that. >> I wanted to say something when when we were talking and I didn't know if it would be appropriate. It was amazing and the diverse group I've never seen so many people and working together for one cause was amazing. >> Definitely a great day. I [clears throat] I got a beautiful little sunburn to as a mento. So, >> well, she's already planning for next year. She's going hard at it. >> Will was in the youth group at our church, First Baptist Hamlet. um you know that um they continue to raise money in his honor for the youth trips and all that. So he's still an integral part of that and um Christie there as well. So um she is she's an amazing lady.
136>> She has a lot of love >> um around her. [clears throat] A motion to enter close session pursuant to account general statute 1433 318 1181 We're good. >> Oh, that's right. Dr. We need to approve the personnel report. >> Thank you. Thank you. That's why you're here. [laughter] >> Chairman Satderfield, Dr. Frell, and members of the board on board docel report and agenda. I'm asking for approval at this time. >> I make that motion. I have a motion by Mr. Eaters to approve tonight's personnel report. Second, >> second by Mr. Ball. Any discussion? >> All in favor by saying I. >> All oppose. >> We are good. Thank you, Dr. >> Thank you for what you do. >> I get a motion. >> Should we close the meeting? >> So move motion [laughter] by
137Mr. Powin. Second by Mr. Kill me.