2025-11-04 Board Meeting

001I did very That is an alarm. >> I might have just snoozed it, but We should get started. >> All right. Good evening, everyone. It is Tuesday, November 4th, 2025 at 5:45 p.m. We're calling this regular meeting of the Wake County Board of Education to order. and welcome those of you who are watching at home and those of you who have come out to join us in person tonight. Thank you for coming. Wake County Board of Education meetings are conducted for the purpose of carrying on the official business of the Wake County School System. The public is cordially invited to attend board meetings to observe the board as it conducts its official business. Persons who willfully interrupt, disrupt, or cause disturbances at an official meeting may be directed to leave by the presiding officer. Members

002of the audience should show respect for the speakers by refraining from loud comments or any other disruptions while someone is speaking. Disruptions by any person or persons of a public meeting will be subject to action in accordance with general statute 1431817. Um so we do have a member participating virtually tonight. Miss Le Edmunds is joining us by WebEx. Uh, so we will need to conduct all of our votes tonight. Um, while we have a virtual member participating by roll call. So again, I have my reminder up here, but if I miss it, y'all call me on it. Okay. Um, so with Miss Edmond's participation, we do have a quorum. So I'd like to invite everyone who's able to stand as we recite the pledge of allegiance. Pledge of Allegiance to the flag >> of the

003United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. So, our first item tonight for consideration is approval of our meeting agenda. I'd entertain any motion at this time. >> Uh, Mr. Chair, I move for the adoption of tonight's agenda. >> Second. >> We have a motion from Vice Chair Swanson, a second from Miss Rice for adoption of the committee agenda. All in favor say I. >> Roll call. >> Oh, see right there. Right there at the jump. Thank you, Vice Chair Swanson. We'll start uh with Miss Edmonds. All right. Miss Edmonds may still be connecting. Mr. Hershey. >> Hi, >> Dr. Ring. >> I >> chair votes I. M. Vice Chair Swanson. >> I >> Miss Cfield. >>

004I >> Miss Rice. >> I >> All right. With um I believe six voting in the affirmative. The the agenda has been adopted. Uh the first item on our agenda tonight, again, just because we do have uh some members remotely, we want to jump to our action item. the chief of staff plans for improvement of low performing schools in accordance with uh Dr. Clint. It's the plans for improvement of our low performing schools. Um and Dr. Clinton Robinson will present. I will ask my team to come down and join me. They're trying to be incognito over on the side. So if you guys can come down just in the event you are called for any questions. Chair Haggardy, Vice Chair Swanson, super esteemed board members and superintendent Taylor. As shared at our October the 21

005meeting, state law GS 115C-105.37 requires the state board of education to identify schools each year that receive an overall grade over D or an F and a uh growth score of met or not met expected growth as low performing. Within 30 days, the superintendent must submit a plan outlining strategies for improvement and C central office support. The local board must review, approve, and submit the final plan to the state board, then posted publicly and notify parents. Plans were shared with you for review prior to today's meeting. We are now seeking board approval of the plans of improvement for low performing schools in compliance with state statute. Joining me this evening are area superintendent in the event board members may have any clarifying questions. >> Thank you, Dr. Robinson. All right, Vice Chair Swanson. >> Charity,

006I move for the adoption of the low performing school improvement plan. Low performing plans. Um, >> so we have a motion from Vice Chair Swanson for um acceptance of the low performing school plans that were submitted. Is there a second to the motion? >> We have a second from Miss Rice. All right. At this point, is there any discussion or any questions for Dr. Robinson or his team? Again, we do have area superintendents here. It's the role of the area superintendent to review those uh low low performing uh school plans um work with the principles to implement implement all the conditions and terms within them. Miss Cfield, >> thank you for bringing this to our attention and I do think it's really um it's really important. I want to be clear about what it is

007that we're voting for. So, if you can just I know we've talked about this in >> well, I think it was actually just close session before it actually came on to us here. >> So, I just want to know exactly what we are voting for with the plan. If there's things that we would like to see adjusted or like what is it that we're voting for that counts today? >> Absolutely. So, what you're voting for today are the plans for improvement for low performing schools. And within our district, we utilize a school improvement plan and the indicators to really address the issues for low performing schools in order to make significant improvement. That's what we are voting on today. We're not speaking to any plans for principal leadership or anything of that nature. These are

008only plans for improvement for low performing schools. >> Okay. So the the this is their intention on how to improve. Yes. >> Right. because they've been put into this DRF status and it there's I mean each one was like 30 something 40ome pages long so it's really involved these people have put a lot of work you know our staff has put a lot of work into all of that and how often do we actually review these plants >> I would say we review them often we have quarterly reviews where area superintendents are working with principles and staff in order to go over the uh data and look at the plans in totality ology. Um, so when you say how often, I would say we review them consistently and often. >> Okay. For feedback on change,

009I think I was more trying to get at. I mean, I know our schools are continuously working all year long. Correct. >> Um, but as far as the board approving and putting this into play, how often does that happen? >> So, it it happens once a year. And so, when you're going to approve the plan this evening, you're approving the plan. if you have any plan where there are concerns and uh attorney Malone if you can help me with this. I believe by state statute there are some things that you have to do in regards to talking about the mitigation of the plan. It is my understanding if I am correct that the board does not have the authority to change the tenants of the plan but there is an opportunity to have some type

010of mediation with regards to the specifics of the things within the plan that you may have concerns about. Am I correct in that statement, sir? >> Well, I was actually reading the statute to try to remind myself in the answer to that. Give me one second. >> Absolutely. >> And then, Miss Cfield and then Mr. Cfield, after we get that answer, do you have a followup or if not, I'll go to Vice Chair Swanson. >> No, I think I'm just really trying to understand and um Dr. Robinson in full transparency while we're asking these questions. We did talk about some of the plans and we do intend on meeting afterwards to, you know, with our area superintendent, but >> um I think it's really important for these particular schools that are really struggling that we

011see the needle move. Um and some of the plans that I was reviewing, although they do have intentions and they do have plans, it seems like they have already been doing that. So, it's really not as specific to see where is how is the needle going to move from what we've been doing in the past. So, that's really my concern. Um, and I know we could meet afterwards, but it's the implementation that goes on these plans that we're approving that is actually that's the purpose of the vote. Right. >> Correct. >> All right. Thank you, Miss Caulfield. Vice Chair Swanson. >> Yes. Thank you. And I I will say I I think I understand the gist of Miss Cfield's question. This is the first time that the board has actually had this pulled from action

012to consent. In the past has always been a action a consent item. Uh but in my conversations with Dr. Robinson and chair and the superintendent, it was important to elevate these issues to indicate to the public that our school improvement plans are the driver are the north stars of what's happening in our schools. and they're public documents that every person uh can log on and see where the schools are moving, what concerns they may have, and as board members where we need to shift our attention to to support our schools. Um, but as it relates to our low performing schools, I think there is, and I I neglected to say this at the the uh last time we spoke about this at the last meeting, but in our budget that we passed, there was support

013and there is support uh for low performing schools that need that. I think it's what 6 million. It was originally four that we moved to six to ensure that if area superintendent needed to give those schools additional resources that goes further past the allotments that they have the the resources that they need to move the needle forward. So therefore we can see these schools move. Um although we are now at 34 I believe is it 34 low performance schools. >> No sir 30 >> 30. So we were at we we've decreased a little bit. I'm not trying to increase that number, but we have we have been moving the needle a little bit, but I think really the work is is there for all of us. And I would say to community members that are

014in, you know, are looking at ways that they can support schools, there are ways to adopt a school, um whether it's, you know, if you're focused on literacy rates, uh Rotary clubs are doing the get a book, read a book where they're reading with students. So, there's ways for us, not just as a a board, but for all of us as a community to come together to support our schools because our schools are a part of our communities. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention what some of the folks I had of my constituents in the retirement home have reminded me that they want students to be very well educated, so therefore they can become great members of society to pay their taxes so one day I can get a social security check.

015So, um I I think that's where we are as a community. And so I I think it's important for us to really as a board shift our focus and to really focus on the things that are related to teaching and learning. And I'll leave it at that. >> And Vice Chair Swanson, may I add one more thing? [clears throat] One of the things that we talked about and discussed, Miss Caulfield, as well during the board retreat, area superintendent are going to be available to really dive into the school improvement plan and answer any clarifying questions that you may have. So there's been time allocated during the board retreat for that specific work. Thank you. So, Dr. Taylor, um, what I'd like you to do is if you could walk us through the timeline for these

016reports because it does seem like an awful short period of time between when we first hear about them and then when we're asked to approve them. Can you give us some of the history and background like how the reports come up with, what the state requirements are, and what our deadlines are? And so, uh, when you look at the timelines that are in the statute, they're pretty firm in terms of a of a 30-day progression. And so, the state board will, uh, approve state results. And, that's usually in the September time frame. And then after that, uh, a district has the 30 days to be able to, um, approve not only the principles, but as well as the low performing school plans. And so, this is what I do want to add clarity to that

017I think will answer uh, Mrs. Cfield's question that what you are approving is a plan for those low performing schools to approve. Now what we do in the district is that plan is reflected within their school improvement plan. And so a district can have the option to either having a separate plan for improvement or having that plan uh reflected in the school improvement plan which is what we ask you to approve. And so uh and I also will go back to what Dr. uh Robertson referred to in terms of the board not necessarily being able to change the specific plan that a school has presented uh but can give feedback on what's in that plan. And so so we adhere to the the the timelines that are reflected in the statute which will usually come

018uh that period after the state board has approved those results. Uh and then we one uh approve principles either bringing them back with a plan without a plan. moving them to another school based on what the statute says and then also approving the plan for those schools performing. And so it's a pretty fast timeline. Uh the other thing that I will add to this is that um um I along with the chair and the vice members of the board uh do want to bring attention to this because this is something that has not come to the board before in this particular manner. And so area superintendents do make sure that um the school improvement plan, the principal goals and the strategic plan do align. And so ultimately we want principles and teachers to hear that

019this is a conversation that we're having and that it is not a plan that sits on the shelf that um that I have tasked uh area superintendent as the board has tasked me to make sure these are the things that we address in these plans. But ultimately uh Mr. Chair, as you've said, it is the timelines that are reflected in the statute. Uh, and we adhere to those pretty closely. Uh, and that is why there's not a lot of room for conversation, but it is what we have the opportunity to conversate after we approve these. And so, Mr. Balone, I see you're chomping at the bit to say something about what you in the statute. I don't know. I >> I definitely wouldn't say chomping at the bit. Um, but I it the statute says

020that the board's options are to approve, modify, or reject a plan. That's what the statute says. So, those are the three options available to the board tonight. >> Thank you, Mr. Malone. So, Dr. Taylor, just to follow up, we talked about the um low performing school plans, but we also talk about the school improvement plans, which every school in the district has. So can you tell us a little bit about those plans, how they run concurrent with the low performing school plans and then is there any ability to provide any feedback or direction on those school improvement plans? >> Yes. So uh the school improvement plans don't necessarily run concurrent with uh the low performing status but it is uh one of the mechanisms that we use uh to to address the low performance plans.

021Now our school improvement plans plans run on a two-year cycle. Uh and I would assume we're in year two of the cycle. >> It come next year. It'll come next year. Correct. >> This is year we're going to do year 26. >> Yeah. And so so that um um uh our constituents will know that is a 2-year plan that is presented and is approved. Uh but schools also work within that two years to make any changes in that plan that we would deem uh necessary or required. Um there are quarterly reviews that all schools are engaged in. Area superintendents will be reaching out to board members. So, if there is a particular review uh when it's on the docket that you want to be a part of, you can come out and review that. But

022that is a two-year cycle and that is separate from the the low performing plans. Uh but ultimately um u we use that plan for the improvement of the low performing schools. So ultimately we use it to kill well two birds with one stone. I'm trying not to use those words Dr. Robinson. uh but um using that plan to deal with both the low performance as well as the school improvement plan if they are a low performing school but every other school is a two-year cycle uh and then we have opportunities for feedback on that. So if I understood you, it is a the school improvement plans are a living document such that there can be changes or modifications made >> by you the guidance with area superintendent and other the district staff and the board

023as needed. >> Absolutely. And so that is one of the great things about um uh the academic data that we get back. uh uh area superintendents will make sure that if there are some major changes that need to be made in the school improvement plan, then they have the the the school and academic data to drive what those changes are. It is the same thing that they now will double down on as it relates to uh principal goals uh that are reflected there. And so uh what we want to say to everyone is that we welcome people to review the plans to give that feedback because because [clears throat] we you and I have had conversations about some things that we feel may not be reflected in the plan. And so that is where uh

024we want them to make sure that they are paying attention to that and making the necessary changes when they get new achievement data that uh requires them to go into a different direction. And so I don't want to put any area superintendent on the spot, but if one of you will will sort of reflect on how you had those conversations uh with a school in terms of directions that you would have them to go differently with their school improvement plan. Any of you that would want to comment on that? >> Good evening. So um one of the things that we do is to meet with them regularly. Um particularly once we receive the student achievement data back then we go through different sessions with the principal. Our senior administrators also meet with the process chairs

025and the people that are working on school improvement within the district and ensure that as we do an assessment of that school that we're able to address the new student achievement indicators that may have come up. Um, so sometimes those are good. If they've mastered some indicators that are a part of that school improvement plan and sometimes there's some areas where they've fallen short, then we want to be sure that we have the opportunity to address those. And so we work with them in terms of uh adjusting those school improvement plans. That's why we do refer to it as a living breathing document. Um, and then we also address that within the uh principal's performance goals as well. So um um could you also talk about the difference in the indicators uh in a school

026that be may be low performing versus one that is not because there's an additional requirement. >> Sure. So the state requires that we carry additional indicators um for schools that are identified as low performing. And so that's why sometimes when there's conversation about it seems like they're the same or it seems like they haven't moved or changed, it could be because you're looking at the indicators and those specific indicators do not change unless they master those indicators. And so we do carry additional indicators for low performing schools. >> All right. [clears throat] Thank you, Dr. Taylor. So I just want to check either Mr. Overman or the Cardinal of Colleges here, the College of Cardinals here. There shouldn't be anything that a board member brings up in a school improvement plan that catches any of

027you by surprise. Is that right? >> That's correct. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you, Dr. Robinson. >> Well, Mr. Chair, I'll say this that uh if there is something that a board member recognizes in a plan and they want to um u bring that to the attention of an area superintendent, then by all means do so. And uh we would hope that we won't be caught by surprise. But you can ask me something that I will be surprised by, but we will need to address it. But don't hesitate not to bring it up. >> All right. Thank you. Um we had Miss Rice and then uh Dr. Ing, and then we'll come back to Miss Caulfield. Uh thank you. I just want to say I'm very thankful that we're

028raising this to the board level table to bring highlight um to the school improvement plans as it is with our lower performing schools. as a person who has participated on the school improvement plans team um at my children's schools over the years um I think oftent times um it may not get the recognition that it really needs to be in the school that it's just like our strategic plan it is supposed to be a living breathing document and so I think for us as a board highlighting this is very necessary and very helpful um to bring it to the table knowing that our schools schools better understanding that we're aligning with the fact that hey this is what is necessary um for better outcomes um so that everyone has the buy in for it. So

029I just really wanted to um say thank you all for you know raising the bar for that with our principles and supporting our schools and I think for um vice chair Swanson for bringing um this up um at a higher level. So, I think it's necessary, something that I always thought was very important um around creating those plans, but really raising it up so everybody understands this is what's necessary for our schools to improve. >> Thank you, Dr. Ring. >> Uh yes, thank you. Um, I've just been kind of reviewing some of these u from my schools and um, you know, certainly it's very descriptive and um, um, it it it's, you know, hard to for me to see the what, you know, the metrics that would measure what is being um, uh, set out

030for on these um, on these proposals for in the plan. Um so I guess you know there will I mean ultimately there is data at the end correct >> that would show us whether the things that are being um proposed to do will um make a make a dent in the uh the achievement student achievement. Now my my question is um you know is is there um uh who who who puts the these these statements in the in the plan together? Is it the principal uh with the with the uh area superintendent or who who puts it together? >> There's a school improvement team and the school improvement team puts all that together. It's not one individual. Okay. It's a team within the school. >> Okay. But it's the the the um uh area superintendent

031will have input into it as well. >> Area superintendent are um absolutely involved in that process, overseeing the process, making sure that the guidelines and the protocols are followed to the degree that they're supposed to. And they provide support and guidance with the principles as well. >> Okay. Yeah. And some of them are are, you know, pretty pretty detailed, but some of them are pretty general. I I kind of noticed um um and and almost kind of similar verbiage. Um, and so I mean, you know, it would be nice to see or or or hear from about some of the granularity of the of the plans, you know, in terms kind of school specific stuff. >> During the board retreat, we are really going to be able to unpack all of it and share specifics

032and details with regards to what's in those plans. >> So, so Dr. One of the things I would add is that um because we have 203 schools, uh it's it makes it logistically hard to be able to bring those plans to be approved. Um I think in the largest district I was in before was Cumbland, we had about 80 schools and that was a process that they could come to the board and obviously in smaller districts, you know, they would be presenting to the board. But that's where I do want to encourage uh board members to to come to those quarterly reviews and you can ask these kind of questions about a school improvement plan. um what we also used to call the school improvement chairs now called the process manager and they're responsible for

033logistically putting this in but also serving as a partner uh with the principal um in representing the staff in terms of how they develop the different components that go into the plan and so process manager used to be school improvements here but that is where I would encourage you that if if there's any particular school you may be concerned about that when it's time for that quarterly review, reach out to the area superintendent and that's a perfect opportunity to be able to ask those kinds of questions. >> Okay. >> Thank you. Mr. Hershey, just a process question about how these are put together. Can you just talk about, you know, we have some schools where principles retire all of a sudden and then all of a sudden you have an interim for 3 months and

034then a new principal. Can you talk about how for us and for the public how putting these plans together is impacted by those types of situations? >> Absolutely. And what I am going to do is I'm going to defer to my colleagues and have somebody to come up because they deal with this quite often and they can provide you more details. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Good question, Mr. Hershey. Thanks. Um, so yeah, you're right that that definitely can happen and um what we have in place like Dr. Robinson already referred to is school improvement team and that school improvement team is led by process managers, right? And those process managers uh we we provide training and guidance and coaching and professional development over the course course of the years in the development of a plan

035and the understanding of the indicators. Um so those process managers are in place whether a principal should uh leave a school or not leave a school. Um, and there's usually co-process managers at schools. So, it's not just single point of failure on a plan with with somebody that has a knowledge, but even beyond that, it's a full team of folks, right? It's not just the process managers and the principles talking together to develop a plan. It's usually a pretty robust team at the school. So, when one person, to your example, principal leaves or a school process manager leaves or retires or whatever, the plan doesn't fall apart. the process doesn't fall apart. It continues to go. >> Yep. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Hershey. Miss Caulfield. >> Yes. Um I certainly appreciate this being

036moved to an action item because it's really important um subject and the process because I know that it takes a lot to put you can see the details that are in the reports. There's a lot of information in there. Um it does feel a little bit rushed. Um so trying to go through that. But I mean I had seven schools and if you just average them at 33 40 pages with line details it's a lot of information. So putting the time into reading what is happening and it goes back for many years you know so you can see like the progression. Um but for me it's all about moving the needle for our students. Um some of my district plans they were great. I could see that they've made a lot of changes and they're

037like okay we're shifting. This is how we're doing it. not necessarily um major changes, but they've been able to see what they were doing before and make changes and some are not. So, right now, I guess our vote is just going to be it's either a yes or a no. Um but especially what we just saw in the last presentation and seeing the numbers, it alarms me to not have that full conversation. And I feel like um some of our schools are not new to being low performing and some of them do have continuous the the the principles you know are the same. So um although it is proposals and we're seeing what they want to do um some of them are not new. So for me that's kind of challenging to approve that. Um

038like we see the wording like monitor PLC's seal meetings walkthroughs and but they've been doing that all along. So for me, I would have rather seen what are we doing different knowing what we've done already? What can we do to push this to the next level so we can see results? So I'm struggling with that. I'll just be honest. >> Thank you for sharing. >> So So I'll I'll um agree with you on what you're saying and this is what I mean by that. And uh this is for area superintendent and for me uh the multiaceted part of the work. And so that means that if a school is not performing and moving where it needs to be, then we have to determine is that the leadership um uh what are we going to do

039to help that principal to be better at leading that school? Do we need to get an ELC involved at a higher level? Uh is it um the inexperience of the staff? Um we're going to have instances where um a high percentage of the um of the staff are provisionally licensed in BT1s, if you will. Uh those are all the things that we have to look at to determine what is the root cause of a school not performing. And so what I can tell you is that uh they know that's something that that we're laser focused on that I'm laser focused on as a superintendent. So when we have our conversations and our meetings, it is about uh what are the issues that we are seeing? Is it a singular thing? Is it multiple things? And

040then what kind of supports are we going to put in place? So that's when we talk about um having a cohort of principles to to to go through um um uh high impact feedback. uh when we look at who we assign ELC's to when we go in and do um um uh PLC work all uh when we look at uh what school is going to land on on what tier level those are all the multiaceted things that we have to do and so I appreciate you asking those questions uh and it is good that everybody hears that this is what uh the big part of the focus is that we want to be able to know what is the root calls and so that when I ask superintendent and you all ask me, I'm able

041to answer that question because if I can't, then these are the people that I'm going back to and I know who they're going back to and so this is what has to happen if we're going to move the needle. So, I appreciate >> I just have some quick followup. When when does this have to um is it have to be approved before November 18th? I believe the date was >> I believe it was 30 days from the time that it was presented to the board. >> Correct. >> Was that last Wednesday? >> My job. Great. [laughter] >> So is that last Wednesday when we got the report? >> It would have been our last board meeting. >> It' be the Yeah, >> that' be Yeah. >> Okay. So, I understand what you're saying that that

042means that when we presented it, uh the next board meeting you would have would be within, excuse me, within those 30 days. And so, unless you decided you wanted to convene a call meeting to address it within those 30 days, you're normally going to do it on the board meeting that's going to fall in between. But, you know, For me, I would like to see that call happen before we vote on it. That's just my opinion. >> Okay. Is that an expression of an opinion or is that a motion? >> That is a motion. >> Okay. Could you please state your motion? >> I would like to move the vote um for our low performance uh plans um to be at our next board meeting. And I'm okay with being a consent item just as

043long as we had that conversation before. >> So there was there was an there was a motion on the floor and so this would be a motion to table this mot table the the vote on this motion until the next meeting. >> Okay. Before we can have any debate or discussion, is there a second for the motion? >> Okay. Not hearing a second. You've effectively made your point. I think it's been heard. >> Okay. Thank you. Okay, Vice Chair Swanson. >> Yeah, I was just looking through and I have experience serving as a member of ENLO's uh school improvement team representing the special education department. And one thing about that, it's important that the school improvement plans brings all the departments together and there's representation to talk about issues and for those individuals that are

044elected because they are elected or appointed to serve on a school improvement team to take that information back to their department. So, everyone is in align with this. And when you thumb through this, there's also parent representation, there's student representation. So there's a a collective voices at the table uh that brings folks together to talk about all these plans and the the work is aligned um and they also connect it back to our strategic plan. I also just want to thank Dr. Robson for you know sending the and the area superintendent number one for being here and for doing the work daily and keeping up with these documents on top of the million things that you have to do on top of that. um but for giving us opportunities to select or to offer feedback

045prior to this meeting um which was in your email and so for me I'm prepared to you know move forward with this and it's a fluid document there's opportunities but I I think that you know it could be helpful as school visits are happening to do learning walks. Um one thing that I do and Dr. Chavis is sitting there and and so is Mr. Overman and uh Mr. Williams who I work closely with. I love to do the learning walks to see what the students are learning. you should be able to walk into a classroom and see the objectives on the board to as an indicator of what's happening versus having to guess. And so I think, you know, these plans are are the plans. I I I think there there's ways for us to

046keep moving the needle that does not require us to delay a vote. >> Thank you, Vice Chair Swanson. So, um I will announce Miss Edmonds, who had been with us virtually, did have a professional conflict. She is on a business meeting out of town. She's had to drop off the call. Before we move to a vote, I did want to acknowledge uh Miss Christina Gordon and just see if she had any questions or comments at this time. And if not, we'll move to a vote. Miss Gordon, >> I don't have any question. Can you all hear me? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. I don't have any questions um at this time. I think it is just I I really want to stress the point to the public that the school improvement team is made up

047of several individuals. Um not just the principal and staff. Um but it it it is staff and there has to be by law there has to be a parent representative. Um so I think that is really crucial in in this discussion that we're having about school improvement teams um and how much the work of the teams brings about the uh the improvement of like the overall school. Um so that's that's the only comment that I have but I am prepared to vote. >> All right. Thank you Miss Gordon. All right. At this time is there readiness to vote? All in favor of the motion. Roll call vote. Thank you. I even had the note right here in front of me. At this time, we'll move to a vote. All in favor of um the motion

048on the floor from Vice Chair Swanson to adopt the low performing school plans will say I. We'll start with Miss Gordon. >> I. >> Mr. Hershey. >> I. >> Dr. Ing. >> Chair votes I. Vice Chair Swanson. >> I. >> Miss Cfield. >> Sorry, Dr. Robinson. No. >> And Miss Rice >> I. >> All right. The motion carries. Dr. Robinson. The plans have been approved and can be submitted to the state. >> Thank you. >> All right. That concludes our action agenda item. Um, thank you all for your participation. The next item on our agenda is the public public comment portion. Um, I don't believe we have any students tonight signed up on the agenda. Let me double check. Nope. So, and we don't have any speakers speaking on agenda. So, we will move to

049our off agenda speakers tonight. Um, let me run through the instructions just in case there is someone who has not joined us before. Uh, there are just a couple guidelines for public comment. Um, when you come up to speak, only the person speaking at the podium will be able to stand. All other attendees that are not speaking are asked to remain seated. Concerns related to personnel issues or student matters that can be addressed through applicable WCPSS personnel policies, the grievance policy, and other policies can be directed to staff and staff leadership that are here tonight. The board welcomes all points of view include including criticism directed at student ideas, actions, and substantive ideas, actions, and procedures. However, the board's public comment policy also requires that order and decorum be maintained. So in the interest of

050maintaining order to quorum, speakers are encouraged to direct their comments up here to the board, not to the rest of the not to your fellow participants out here or other speakers. Um, you must refrain from personal attacks or insults. Again, it takes a lot of courage to come out and speak up tonight. Maybe you'll hear positions you agree with, maybe positions you disagree with, but please show every speaker the basic respect and courtesy that you would want as a speaker yourself. All comments are asked to remember that uh sometimes we do have children attending these meetings and to keep their comments substantive and civil. So when speaking, please remain at the podium during your speaking time. If you have materials to share, please present them to our board attorney, Mr. Rod Malone, here at the

051end of the table. If you hand them to and before your comment or after the comment, it won't come out of your time. Um and during public comment, you may speak for up to three minutes. The microphones at the podium are adjust. We'll go ahead and adjust them before you begin to speak. And then once you begin to speak, your time will start. You'll see a green light come on. And um it will stay on until you hear the first audible tone. With that tone, the light will turn yellow. And that's your sign that you have 30 seconds left. When the light be when the light turns red and you hear the tone a second time, your time is concluded. I'm going to call the next speaker up to speak. Again, please respect the time

052limit. Speak no more than 3 minutes. And we will uh jump in with our first speaker tonight is Mr. Joseph Deon. He'll be followed by uh Carol Gartell. [clears throat] Policy 4240 addresses neglect, physical and sexual abuse in the home or a child care facility, including those run by the school system, but otherwise does not mention sexual misconduct by school employees. The latter topic needs to be the sole focus of a separate policy because the school environment is your jurisdiction. This separate policy should be combined with policy 4040 on staff student relations but renamed preventing and reporting sexual abuse by school employees to emphasize everyone's responsibility. Otherwise, people say prohibiting staff student relations is obvious and and doesn't apply to them. policy does no good unless you train people. There there is a 2-hour training

053on 4240, but not 4040. I could not find the actual training on the website, but the list of topics in section G about sexual abuse was appropriate. The the grooming process, warning signs, and legal reporting responsibilities. There needs to be training that's focused exclusively on sexual misconduct by school employees because other employees repeatedly fail to report suspicious behavior. It needs to be an annual training, not every other year like 4240. It needs to be required for all school employees, not just teachers and principles like 4240. Cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and custodians see things too. I did find the training video on harassment, and it was very well done, but was only 22 minutes. one or two examples were relevant to employee misconduct towards students. You need to build upon those examples to create training for

054a new policy specifically for sexual misconduct by school employees without diluting attention with what might be happening elsewhere. The examples must include all the common types of boundary crossing behavior. So employees have a clear idea what they're required to report and stress that the standard for reporting is not proof but reasonable suspicion of inappropriate behavior. Thank you. Good evening. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Carol Gartell who'll be followed by Danny Coleman. >> Good evening chairman and superintendent and all board members. I'm back because we feel that just about every week we are now attending funerals of our classmates and not very many of us are left and many of our alumni who are still living often are no longer living in Raleigh. So it is difficult for us to get people to come

055out. Some of them like me should not be driving at night and then others are preoccupied with taking care of um other parents. At any rate, my point is it's already difficult to get people to come out, the ones who are here. And when we decide that the one community meeting that we will get to have November 24th is now requiring people to sign up or register, go online and register. And for many of those people, that's going to be a turnoff and we're trying to make certain that people come out for that one community meeting that we are having since May 15th. So, we're just um we want you to know that we're very grateful for the time that you've given us to even speak, but we want to make sure that we continue

056to make our presence felt because we are still working to keep Ligan at the top of the hill, not the bottom of the hill, in the back of the school. history is is valuable and I know it doesn't bring in a lot of money that a lot of new buildings that are across the street from Lenor on the Leno street side multi-million dollar condos coming up we still want Ligan to be visible and we want you to consider that as you continue to hear um our plea to keep Ligan at the top of the hill. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our next speaker is Danny Coleman who will be followed by Amy Churuk Churukuri. Thank you. >> Good evening. [clears throat] >> Our primary purpose this evening, just as it has been in our

057two preceding meetings, is to continue advocating for the JW Lian, the high school, the junior high school, and now the Magna School. We can all agree that JW Lian has [clears throat] has long stood as a symbol of educational excellence serving generations of parents, teachers, students, and surrounding community. We come tonight to express our gratitude for your leadership and to reaffirm our request that JW league remain on this historic hilltop, a lasting testament to the school's legacy and a visible beacon of learning, pride, and community for future generations. We also want to acknowledge the strong spirit of partnership that has always characterized this city and county. The late Senator John Wes often reminded us that to have a friend, you must be a friend. That same spirit guides us tonight as we seek to work

058with you in a spirit of mutual respect and shared purpose. We recognize the difficult choices before you as you plan for the 2627 academic school year and beyond. Just as you have listened to our concerns, please know that we hear yours as well. We are committed to being constructive partners in finding thoughtful, sustainable solutions to our shared challenges, especially those related to funding and long-term planning. This week, we're also extending our thanks to the many organizations and individuals who have voiced their support for our pres for preserving JW Ligan's historic site and keeping it where it belongs on the hill that has long represented opportunity, achievement, and hope for the community. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Amy Cherukuri who will be followed by Dsh Pariah Wala. >> Good evening.

059Please bear with me as I am here to again speak on behalf of the Southerntherland community regarding the 2026 school reassignment proposal. We feel that Southerntherland is unique in this proposal due to our prior assignment history, particularly related to Mills Park Middle. While we understand this history does not make us immune to future reassignments, we do request that the board fully consider its prior impact. When the Southerntherland neighborhood was established, we were the only community off Green Level Church Road assigned to Turner Creek Elementary and Salem Middle School. All surrounding neighborhoods within a several mile radius were assigned to Mills Park Middle with the exception of Southerntherland. When White Oak Elementary opened, we were reassigned to White Oak with a traditional calendar. However, our middle school assignment remained at Salem on the year-round calendar. Our

060community later petitioned for Mills Park Middle to align the school calendars and our book graciously granted that request. With the 2026 assignment proposal, Southerntherland will once again be sent back to Turner Creek and Salem on a year-round calendar. We are disheartened to hear that our community will again be denied the ability to attend our closest middle school. While we understand that reassignments are sometimes unavoidable, we do not understand why Sutherland is selected to switch schools and calendars when we already endured these challenges. Not only do we have to acclimate to new school communities, we also have to adjust to a different school calendar. Any family with a high school student will now have multiple school calendars to navigate. This is not an insignificant inconvenience. With this proposal, buses will service neighborhoods several miles further down

061Green Level Church Road and will pass the Southerntherland community to attend Mills Park Middle. A new development 0.1 miles away is assigned to Mills Park. Yet Sutherland is being reassigned. I respectfully ask why. Why is Sutherland once again being excluded from attending our nearest middle school? We have small enrollment numbers that cannot significantly impact the crime concerns at any school. We are also right on the edge of the proposed reassignment map. I would like to further note that many of us moved to Southerntherland when Turner Creek and Salem were the assigned schools. Our request to remain at White Oak and Mills Park Middle is not due to any negative feeling towards Turner or Salem. Our request is based on a belief that younger siblings should have the ability to attend the school their older siblings

062attended. Students should be able to attend middle school with the kids they grew up with in elementary school and communities should not be flip-flopped back and forth between school assignments. As adults, it is easy to forget how impactful school friendships are to student engagement and achievement. Please remember we are not talking about numbers or data points. We are talking about children. In conclusion, I implore you to consider why the children of Southernland are again being assigned away from Mills Park Middle and respectfully request to remain at Mills Park Middle and White Oak Elementary as our base school assignment. I thank you very much for your time and consideration. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Dsh Parala. He'll be followed by Mary Katherine Connor. Good evening board members. Uh I'm resident of Southerntherland community. I'm

063here to express our concerns regarding 2026 27 school enrollment proposal and I urge the board member to limit any resoning to the south of Green Level West Road. Uh just south of this road uh the Vedes development uh part of the town of Kerry Green level destination center has already been approved. It includes about 1,300 residential units, multiple hotels, over 20,000 square ft of retail space and upcoming Duke Health uh hospital expansion. The plan also adds new traffic signals and intersections which will increase congestion along uh green level west and nearby areas. This single development is expected to bring 400 elementary and 200 uh middle school students with several students uh several other uh projects nearby will add more. Uh as a result, Turner Creek Elementary and Salem Middle School both south of Green Level

064West Road will likely reach capacity within few years. Green Level West Road is being expanded into major fourlane highway connecting NC55 and Green Level Church Road. It will serve as a natural proximity and safety boundary for school assignments. Reassigning our community south of it would force children to cross multiple major roads with no safe walking biking routes. Uh creating longer commutes, heavier traffic and high safety risk. We are open to reassignment north of Green Level West Road which maintains proximity, stability, safety and consistent feeder pattern. However, moving our neighborhood south would disrupt that balance and create unnecessary risk for the families. Our community has already been reassigned in the past and approving this proposal would make it almost inevitable that we will faced yet another reassignment within 10 years. Especially because our community lies outside

065of the proximity zone and it sits on the edge of the reassignment area. We respectfully urge the board members to prioritize safety, proximity, and long-term stability by keeping Southerntherland zone north of uh Green Level West Road. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Mary Katherine Connor who will be followed by Dolce Rios. >> Good evening. My name is Mary Katherine Connor and I'm a former Wake County Public School teacher, a proud Bronten High School and Root Elementary School parent and the Root PTA PTA's advocacy chair. I want to share a concern on behalf of many root families regarding the recent House Bill 805 le directive requiring teachers to catalog every book in their classroom libraries. Last month, our teachers, administrators, and parent volunteers spent nearly 40 hours

066scanning, listing, and labeling the thousands of books that make up our classroom libraries. All while continuing to teach, plan, assess, and care for our children. As we tackled this task as a school, some teachers even apologized for having too many books. That should never happen. We saw firsthand that our teachers classroom libraries are treasures built to spark curiosity, empathy, and a lifelong love of reading. They are doing what we ask them to do, nurturing readers, thinkers, and kind humans. And the results of this show in our strong student literacy growth year after year, but more significantly in our strong school community that extends well beyond fifth grade graduation. In the face of that, this new requirement added an enormous burden that pulled time and energy away from what truly matters, teaching. Furthermore, this directive was

067not something our parents were asking for. When we provided the opportunity to for parents to share their feedback on the initiative, we heard the following four quotes. One, this is a disgraceful undermining of teachers. Two, this is absolutely ridiculous. Teachers need to be teaching, not scanning library books into a database. I trust teachers to use their judgment. If we're curious about the books in their classroom, will visit the school or ask. And lastly, this policy sets a dangerous precedent of censorship. Our focus should be on empowering children to engage with a broad range of ideas, not shielding them from them. I love Wake County Public Schools and I share this concern from a place of pride and partnership. At a time when we already face significant teacher shortages, we must remove obstacles, not add to

068them. I recognize that it may have come from the state level, but I urge you all to advocate on behalf of our teachers and students and to implement these requirements in ways that minimize the burden on classrooms going forward. I hope this experience serves as a reminder any new initiative should be weighed against the time it takes away from teaching connection and learning and that will impact that will also have an impact on students later academic success. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Dolce Roose who will be sponsor who will be followed by Sher Ro. >> Hi, good evening. >> Good evening. As a parent and former educator, I care deeply about the safety and well-being of all students. I believe that our school should be places where every child

069feels safe, supported, and respected. Recently, my child experienced an incident at his school that the law recognized as an assault. While I appreciate the staff's efforts, I'm concerned that the district does not prioritize immediate safety measures when allegations are made and while investigations take place. After the initial report, it took a couple days for administration to contact me with an update and almost a week for a proposed resolution. When a student is assaulted and upset, there should be immediate and ongoing communication between the school and the parent. A parent should never be left in the dark without information about what is being done to protect their child. Further, in cases of bullying, harassment, or assault, a student should never have to return to a classroom or space where they might encounter the person who caused

070them harm. This adds to the trauma and makes it difficult for them to feel safe and remain focused on learning. I urge the district to be proactive and not reactive, putting clear safety and safety support plans in place before incidents escalate. I asked the board to review how cases involving students with disabilities are handled, provide trauma-informed training for staff, and to ensure that every student's safety and dignity comes first. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Sher Ro. She'll be followed by Evelyn Ponz. Thank you. >> Good evening. Thank you for letting me speak with you tonight. Please join our group to advocate a halt to this Airport Boulevard Town Hall Drive expansion phase 1 project. We are interested in knowing how the Wake County Public School System board and

071district stand on this issue. My name is Sherry and I am a parent of a second grader at Cedar Fork Elementary School. The reason that I'm here tonight is to to discuss the four-lane highway that is planned to be built between Cedar Fork Elementary School and the Sterling Monasuri School. The parents that have children attending these schools don't know that the four-lane highway is planned to be built between their children's schools. The parents at the school should be told about this project and other details about it. Here are a few details about the project that we think they need to know. The first one, they need to know that the safety of their children arriving and leaving school will be more dangerous with the highway if it goes through. Second speed limit on Airport Boulevard.

072The four-lane highway will be 45 miles an hour. It will cross over Town Hall Drive at that speed and it will not be the normal school zone of 25. So you have 45 and 25. Third, more traffic on Town Hall Drive will make it even harder to get to school safely. We already have a problem with speeders at the 25 mph school zone. Fourth, the traffic will increase and back up on Town Hall Drive. We already have that problem. Now, just think if we add more traffic to Town Hall Drive. Fifth, the schools of Wake County already have an HV HVAC problem in many of the schools. Cedar Fork is one of these schools. Kids are either sent home early or they combine two classes into one room that has the proper temperature. Our children

073do not have a voice that will be heard. The voice will come from us, the parents, the teachers, and you, the school board. We have a lot of students and parents that enjoy walking or riding bikes to school. Then we have some students and parents that don't have a choice but to walk or ride their bikes to school. The families may only have one car or the parents don't drive. No buses are offered to the students that live nearby. We are in a no transport zone which means that the parents are solely responsible for getting their children to and from school. We have close to 800 children that attend Cedar Fork Elementary School. It doesn't matter how they arrive or how they leave because at the end of the day, all we want is the

074families and the children to get home safely. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Our final speaker tonight, excuse me, will be uh Evelyn Potts. >> Good evening. Um, thank you for letting me uh come and speak to you all tonight. I also wanted to speak on the uh expansion for Airport Boulevard, the phase one in Morrisville. Um, I am a Wake County resident in Morrisville and um, we're zoned to Cedar Fork and um, my second grader uh, was there kindergarten and first grade. Um, but now my two kids go to Sterling Montasauri, which is a school that's next door. Um, so uh, and it's right next to Cedar Fork. Um my kids and I bike to um school every day because we live really close. Um next year our soon to be three-year-old will

075also be riding with us to school. Um our route would take us riding straight through the airport boulevard extension. Um you know according to the Department of Transportation there's I I think I read some the the statistic is like 15,000 kids a year uh are injured uh walking to school. Um, and some of these are uh fatal injuries. Uh, I believe that allowing for the extension of Airport Boulevard to run straight through to like between two elementary schools uh is going to lead to more dangerous commute to school for my family and for all the families that walk to Cedar Fork and to Sterling Montasauri. Um, this extension will funnel thousands of cars from Davis Drive to Church Street. um which will bring more noise, pollution, pollution and traffic to the area where hundreds of

076kids are walking and biking. Um cutting down all these trees next to the school will also bring hotter temperatures to the school. Um as Sher mentioned, um Cedar Fork actually when my um daughter had to was there last year, uh the Cedar Fork had to close early 2 days because the HVAC system um wasn't working. So cutting down all these trees right next to these schools are going to bring even hotter temperatures to already overworked HVAC systems. Um I would like to urge you to join us in our effort to halt the plans for this extension. Uh and um next to these uh two schools in order to protect our children. I also wanted to mention that um so my second grader is actually uh here with me tonight and I I uh I drew

077out what was what we were talking about today. I got my uh a piece of paper and I said, "So this is what's happening that this is where they're going to put the road right through here." And she looked at it. She was like, "That is a terrible idea." So, you know, it took her like, you know, a minute to understand that this is like a really terrible um place to put a road this big between two um elementary schools. Um so, thank you so much for your time. >> Thank you. And that will conclude our public comment period tonight. Thank you. Um I do want to announce that um Miss Gordon and Miss Edmonds have left the call. So, for board members, it's now only those of us who are in here in person.

078So, we no longer are required to have a roll call vote for our final votes. All right. So, with that, the next item on our agenda, I believe, is our consent agenda. Do we have a motion in reference to the consent agenda at this time? >> Motion to adopt the consent agenda. >> We have a motion from Vice Chair Swanson, a second from Miss Rice for adoption of the items on the consent agenda. All in favor of adoption of the consent agenda, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Nay. >> All right. I hear one one nay. All right. So, now we'll move to that. And that concludes our consent agenda. So, now uh we only have our information items left tonight. And we'll begin with remarks from our superintendent, Dr. Robert Taylor.

079>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I'm proud to share some exciting news about two of our schools being se uh recognized as among the very best in North Carolina. Uh, on Monday, Apex Friendship Middle and Mills Park Middle were two of the four schools statewide to receive the inaugural North Carolina Blue Ribbon Award from from the Department of Public Instruction. Uh this new state honor continues the legacy of the national blue ribbon schools program which has long been recognized which has long recognized excellence in academic performance and student growth. Um I do want to remind um all of our listeners that this program was discontinued at the at the federal level and now uh our state has taken up the responsibility of recognizing those schools. And so we do want um uh everyone to recognize

080that these schools actually would have been recognized nationally for this award. Uh both schools earned this distinction based on their 23-24 accountability data demonstrating exceptional proficiency rates and significant progress in closing achievement gaps. Apex Friendship Middle posted an overall proficiency rate of 88.4% 4% with more than 95% of eighth graders uh proficient in science and ranks second statewide in student growth. Uh Mills Park Middle uh achieved an outstanding 93% overall proficiency rate, the highest growth score in the state and exceeded expectations across every student group. These results uh reflect the skill and dedication of our teachers, the engagement of families, and the leadership of principles David Cassidy and Dr. Stephanie Rafford, who emphasize both academic rigor and emotional support for students. Uh this recognition is not just about test scores. I do want to share

081that. It's about what happens when a school community works together to help every student succeed. Uh, I want to congratulate both schools, their staff, students, and families on their incredible achievement, and then thank them for representing our district so well. Their success reminds us of what's possible when we combine strong leadership, high expectations, and a shared belief in the potential of every child. Tomorrow evening, I have the pleasure of attending the annual Stars of Education Gayla hosted by Wake Partnership. Uh this celebration recognizes outstanding educators, community lever leaders, and advocates who make a lasting impact on public education in Wake County. The event is one of the highlights of the year for our district and uh and for me personally, serving as a reminder of the deep community pride and support that surround our schools.

082Each year, the Gayla honors new inductees into the Wake County Public School System Hall of Fame, representing excellence across categories such as the arts, athletics, business, community service, education, and entre and entrepreneurship. This year's honores feature some names that will be familiar to many, including our former chief of schools, Miss Jackie Ellis, longtime coordinating teacher for the arts, Bo Reese, uh legendary center high school tennis coach Andy Fowler, Wake Forest High School senior Alejandro Garcia in Aurelius Luggo, and innovative arts teacher at Herbert Akens Road Middle. The event also will recognize former educator Dr. Alice Garrett uh with the Robert Bridges Lifetime Achievement Award uh and former NC State Chancellor Dr. Randy Woodson uh with the Vernon Malone Friends of Education Award uh honoring their legacies of leadership and service. You can learn more about

083each one of these honores by visiting the Wakehead Partnership website. So, I'm g deeply grateful to the Wake Partnership for its continued support of our schools and for its tireless advocacy on behalf of public education in Wake County. Tomorrow night celebration is a reflection of what happens when a community truly believes in its schools and I'm proud to represent our district as we honor those who help make it thrive. And so again, congratulations to all the honores and my thanks to the Wakehead Partnership uh and all who make this event and the work it celebrates a success. Uh November is National Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor and celebrate the rich history, culture, and contributions of indigenous peoples across the United States. This year, we're excited to celebrate with a special learning opportunity

084uh for our fourth graders. On [snorts] November the 25th, uh, students from 16 elementary schools will be visiting Marbles Kids Museum for an event called Together We Learn, celebrating American Indian culture. The event developed in partnership between our K12 advanced learning services department and marbles will feature exhibits, stations, and performances that explore the tribes and native cultures of North Carolina. Uh [snorts] we'll produce a video of this event and we'll show that at our next board meeting in December. We're grateful to the Marbor Kids Museum, Becky Lockier, and our entire American Indian Education Department and our local tribal leaders and volunteers for helping make this hands-on learning experience possible. It's a powerful example of how partnerships can bring history and culture to life for our students while honoring the traditions that continue to shape our

085state and our community today. Finally, this week is National School Psychology Week, a time to recognize the tremendous contributions of our school psychologists and the impact they have on students, families, and school communities. The theme for this year, Finding Your Path, highlights how school psychologists help students and adults alike identify pathways to learning, growth, and well-being that fit their unique needs. Our school psychologists apply their expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior to help students thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. Uh work that is essential to our mission as a district. This week is an opportunity for all of us to thank these professionals for the vital role they play in helping every child find success. I'm especially proud to share that one of our own, Jasmine Trober, has been named the 2025 North Carolina School

086Psychologist Association Practitioner of the Year. So, I think that's amazing uh when a Wake County person receives that honor uh of all psychologists across the state. Jasmine has served as a school psychologist for 10 years, nine of them here in Wake County uh county and currently supports Pleasant Union Elementary and Sanderson High School. She was named the WCPSS uh school psychologist of the year in 2024. Uh she describes her work through the lens of our uh district's learning model particularly level three see me focusing on true understanding uh each students uh true truly understanding each students strengths and experiences. Her collaborative approach has helped improve access outcomes and trust among students families uh and school teams. So, we are deeply proud of Jasmine's leadership and grateful to all of our school psychologists for the care,

087professionalism, and expertise they bring to this district each and every day. And with that, Mr. Chair, I'll end my comments. >> Thank you, Dr. Taylor. Dr. A. >> Yes, sir. >> Caught me off guard. Good evening. Um um last Monday, I took part in the joint meeting with the Wake County Commissioners. Um I want to thank them for hosting the meeting. Um it was a very productive meeting and as always we appreciate their partnership especially now that we are continuing to face some uncertainty in our state and federal fundings. Um so it is good that we can have a healthy discussion on uh how they can um partner with us in our local funding. Um last week I also attended the grand opening of the Fox Road Boys and Girls Club. Um this building has

088triple the space of the previous um Brentwood location and is able to serve a thousand children each week. Um the keynote speaker was Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt who is a big supporter of public education. And in attendance were members of the Wake County Commissioners, the Representative Monica Johnson Hustler, who we know uh and Representative Sarah Crawford. um the um the Boys and Girls Club um uh board and many of the donors and supporters. Um after the ribbon cutting, we were all given a tour of the facilities by the children of the club. They were very cute. They were so excited to show us around. Um they they they were very fast. Also, I couldn't keep up. Um the new building is really a great addition to the uh North Raleigh community. Um yesterday, uh Mr.

089Hershey and I had a chance to join Dr. Taylor and several senior leadership staff at the first regional facilities meeting. Um it was held at Durant Road Elementary School and many parents from that school were in attendance. Um and I hope that they went away with a better understanding of how we have to address the competing needs of all the schools. Um the capital improvement plan budget may look enormous but we also have an enormous number of schools and many of them are 50 to 70 years old or or older. Um so um but I'm glad that we are starting to refocus our resources to fixing our ex existing schools rather than acquiring more land. Um, we talked about an evaluation that was done in 2021 that looked at schools that were over 30 years

090old and ranking them on a priority list for repairs or replacements. Um, I believe this kind of assessment of all our aging schools need to be done on a regular basis, perhaps every 5 years or so, uh, to see if the school's level of needs have changed. And I believe that we need to revisit the criteria that are used for this assessment. Um the schools in district 3 may not be as old as some of the uh historic schools that we have in our uh school system, but many of them are year- round schools and they have had a high usage over the years. Um with this kind of regular uh reassessment um even if a school does not meet the criteria for a major renovation perhaps uh it would point to the needs for

091some partial renovation or um some extra TLC. Um and our next board advisory council meeting will be on November 17th, Monday, at Abbottz Creek Elementary. Our our speaker will be Dr. Brad McMillan uh who's the assistant superintendent for data research and accountability. Um he will give us an analysis of the latest student achievement student academic achievement data for uh our schools especially for district 3. Uh dinner will be at 5:30 as usual uh for staff and BAC members and the meeting will be open to everyone starting at 6. Uh and finally today is election day. Um and my uh constitution moment today is about election. Um and um um trying to remember that we have a responsibility to exercise our duty to vote. Um but what does the constitution of the United States say about

092that? Actually um I did a little research and I said the first time the phrase right to vote was used was actually in the 14th amendment. Um, the framers of the amendment wanted to make sure that there was no loss of congressional representation of a state if a if a state were to deny the right to vote to any of its male citizens over the age of 21 unless he participated in a crime. Um, since that uh amendment, there were have been four more amendments to the United States Constitution uh talking about voting. Uh the 15th amendment prohibits states from denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The 19th amendment says that states cannot deny the right to vote based on sex. The 24th amendment made sure that

093states do not impose a pole tax as a condition to vote. And the 26th amendment made it possible for people age 18 and above to vote. So there's actually no constitutional assertion of a right to vote only that the government cannot deny the right to vote based on these criteria. The point of all this was for for us is to um to know that the right to vote was hard fought both on the battlefield for of for independence and on the battlefield of ideas. So we should cherish that right to and responsibilities as citizens of this country. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Hershey. >> Thank you. Um, I feel like if my colleague is going to do constitutional comments, I should do budget comments, specifically from the North Carolina General Assembly. I just wanted

094to lift up one part of an earlier meeting. I was listening, though I was not here. Um, long before I was on the board, Wake County Public Schools has done an excellent job with its career and technical education. And it's a question that we get asked often about. We are often asked if we do it and then people are surprised with how robust it is. And people talk especially in these days about hey how about providing more trade um education for students. Well uh you know I have said before that a budget is a reflection of your values especially when you control the funding. So at we as board members we are not able to tax anybody. So we are left it is we are in the hands of the state and the county and

095the federal government. So the one item I want to lift up is that we are getting $1.8 million less from the state for our career and technical uh education funding. $1.8 million. That means we have to find it from somewhere else. So if the So if you're asking us to do more and you would like to see that as part of a more robust education, prioritize that over cutting corporate taxes down. Prioritize that over sending voucher money to families who don't who didn't ask for it and don't need it. I would say a budget says a lot about what your priorities are and it's the action that is important there not just the words of asking school systems to do more in the trades. Those are my uh general assembly comments. Now on to the

096rest of my comments. Uh we want to do some celebrating here in Wake County because it is state championship time across the state and uh much like the North Carolina State women's cross country team which dominated at the ACC, we dominated in the 8A cross country state championships this uh last weekend. Uh green level girls won the 8A cross country championship. The Brotten Boys of District 6 won the uh 8A cross country championship. And also we want to do a shout out to the Green Level Girls volleyball team. They were down two sets to nothing and rallied to win the 8A state championship for girls volleyball. So really fantastic job. Um we had a lot of other schools placing very high as they have changed. We used to have four state champions, 1A, 2A, 3A,

0974A. We are now 1A to 8A. We had a lot of schools that had a lot of success in our state tournaments so far, and we have more to come. Um, before I forget and close out, Miss Edmonds asked me to just say a brief word on her behalf, and it was really just to um she wanted to lift up all the staff who work behind the scenes for tech support. Um, so she's able to attend and so all of us who are not who are able to attend remotely when we have to are able to do so. So she said she had a lot of support today and and she just so appreciates the staff. Um, the last thing I want to lift up, we had board comments today um about the Ligan meeting

098and that registration may be required and I'd like to get some information on that because um I was at the meeting with Dr. Ing Dr. Wing um Dr. Sorry, just losing my train of thought here. Uh yesterday and I and I wasn't sure if registration was required for that. And we need to make sure that we're consistent. If we're not requiring registration for a facilities community meeting, I don't know why would we we would require registration for the Ligan meeting and that's really important for me and I don't know what the answer is. So I don't know if they were correct or not, but I wanted to lift up that from the board comments. >> Thank you, Mr. Hershey. And just in reference to that, we'll turn to Dr. Taylor at the conclusion of board

099comments and he can address it. That meeting is not actually a WCPSS meeting, but is a community meeting organized by one of our board members. And for any more guidance on that, we'll come back around the table to Miss Rice. >> Well, thank you so very much for allowing me to speak on behalf of my district to bring forth clarity. I'll address those comments within my board comments that's already been written so folks can understand that. So, thank you, chair, board members, and superintendent Taylor. This past week, I had an opportunity to visit Bug Magnet Elementary, Carnage Magnet Middle, and Southeast Raleigh Elementary School, and I must say it was an inspiring time. Um each campus de demonstrated innovative engaged learning in action from hands-on classroom experiences to creative instructional strategies. It was evident that

100both students and educators are thriving in spaces where curiosity and collaboration are encouraged. not en not um enjoying seeing um I also enjoyed seeing superheroes and crayon costumes with delicious chocolate treats that were shared with myself and area superintendent Pekom. I am thrilled to attend the NC music educators conference on Monday, November the 10th in Winston Salem where Enlow High School and Carnage Middle School will be performing from district 4. Um as we celebrate economic um academic innovation, I also want to pause and highlight the eight dimensions of wellness tip um for today. its environmental wellness as it connects to school working conditions um and renovations. Just as we invest in student engagement, we must continue investing in the environments where our staff, teachers and stu and support learning every day. Safe, well-maintained and environmental

101supportive spaces nurture both productivity and purpose. A healthy school environment sustains the well-being of everyone inside it. And finally, I want to invite our District 4 families and alumni to attend the upcoming District 4 community meeting on Monday, November 24th at Southeast Raleigh YMCA at 1436 Rock Road from 6 PM until 8:00 PM to discuss the Ligan Magnet Middle School renovation project. This session is specifically for the district 4 community to share input and engage in dialogue with me as your board member along with superintendent Taylor joining. Please register at tshibarice.org/liggan. Registration is preferred but not required. The district will host additional community meetings led by the superintendent and staff to ensure continued transparency and collaboration as the project moves forward. Let's keep leading with engagement, excellence, and wellness for all so that we can

102have a positive and productive day. And so even though I've ended my comments, I want to address everyone so that we have all points of clarity. Um this Ligan project is very important. Um and I want to continue to thank um all colleagues who understand that and who want to support Ligan and whatever the renovation project looks like. Um what I will say is that um unfortunately as a district um we did things a little bit different. Um meaning we did not have a community um meeting first before we chose an architect and before we chose construction people. And so therefore we you know missed the mark of being able to have a little bit of cultural humility when it concerns Lian. And so therefore, as the board member that represents Lian, I'm here to

103rectify that situation so that we can get everybody back on the same page. Um, I have been making sure that I've told everybody that this meeting is being called by me as the board member because the community felt unheard and unseen what had already gone forth with the previous meetings that we've had. Um, it's been my understanding that after there's been a loud outcry, including from myself as a board member, the superintendent is also going to come back with the facilities team and host further community meetings that will be led by the district. However, in order for me to best advocate as one of the nine people around this table, to share with my other colleagues, you all, what is necessary, it was necessary for me to hear from my community first so that I

104can advocate appropriately um so that everybody could be on the same table. I'm on the same um playing field and then Superintendent Taylor and his staff will follow suit um because those meetings were not already readily scheduled. So that's what the November 24th meeting is and unfortunately it is happening the week of um the holiday but it's only because the community said I was trying to do it in two weeks community said Toshiba that's not enough time for us to get the word out so please make sure that people understand no one is required to register it is preferred why because Lian has a large community and our YMCA partner is choosing to support us. And it would not be um well thought of if we just had a meeting and just had people show

105up and we didn't have a control of how many people are coming so that we can plan appropriately so that we can do all things decent decently and in order. >> Thank you, Miss Rice. Miss Cfield, >> thank you. Um, so I just wanted to explain that I had voted no uh for a consent for policy 7820 because I feel that it's important to have all the things in the file for transparency so that we could recognize any unfortunate patterns and avoid problems going forward. I [clears throat] also feel it's important for our employees to have responses when it is dismissed but it's important to have that paper trail. So for me it was uh more a transparency thing and I expressed that in the committee. So, that was my thoughts on that one. Um,

106it is important that we have all these conversations about lifting up our schools and being positive and making it a great place to live and work and go to school and to try and hype up all the positive. I think it's great and I think we should celebrate our successes. But when partisanship comes into play and it present and there's a problem with presenting facts, it gets really hard to sit here or at home or in our community, our state and our federal leaders to make decisions about what you want to do either here on the board voting or voting at home. I'm still hearing from teachers that they are worried about the federal cuts and hearing that teachers and special education students and families are worried about losing their jobs and their services. The

107administration has stated from the beginning that they are not removing services and programs from things like special education from CNS and our teachers. They are challenging the need to fund millions and millions of dollars of grant money towards the towards being unbiased like biased training and divisive initiatives. That is why they were cutting some of our funding. I think it is important to repeat what happened in our committee meeting last week where we addressed the funding cuts that affected the administrator roles at the federal level. We need to discuss possibilities uh we did discuss the possibilities of block funding which would go to our states and then we would have to look at our state leaders which is why elections are so important to get great leaders in those roles. Then it would go to

108the DPI and the districts but this is also is not set it was just a discussion. So, I wanted to repeat that the funding is not removing our special education services or teacher roles. As Dr. Taylor had confirmed in our last meeting, I hear teachers that are still worried about this, their jobs and student services. So, I felt it was important to be clear on that. We get our teachers um I know special education families really upset when we put out the whatifs that were never mentioned and what could happen versus what did happen and what is happening. We did lose the TSL grant because it fits certain guidelines on what they were they are removing like professional development to that they didn't want it to be biased and based on ideologies. It is a

109valid question to ask if we can adjust our professional development or recruiting to get these grant funds. Other counties and other districts that are not doing these things are not losing funds. So, it's important to ask that very question. So, yes, well, we are still experiencing federal funding uncertainty at the government that the government is still shut down. This is affecting all of us and I think it's important to understand both sides of this and in our busy lives and hearing what is being discussed here as well as home. I wanted to address it because it affects all of us. I think it's important to say the clean uh continuing resolution was approved bipartisan. The shutdown affects our service members, troops, TSA, our wick program, SNAP and other things. There is a lot of gaslighting

110and misunderstood information. I really wish that our news outlets and social media would go back to the days when you were only allowed to print a facts instead of opinions. It makes it really hard for the people to find accurate information. So, I really understand everyone's frustration and heightened emotions about it all. But here are some of the other aspects being discussed. Both shot both sides should be heard and not just blaming Republicans because they're in the majority. when the Democrat leaders have voted 14 times to shut it down. A tactic that they are using knowing that the constituents they supposedly care about are going to lose funds like SNAP and the Wick program because they're more interested in spending trillions on other count's ideologies in other countries. $1.5 trillion on spending obligations. 200 billion

111for free healthcare for illegal immigrants. I mean, can we help our own veterans, our homeless, and our displaced citizens here? First, half a billion in one-sided news organizations. I do not understand that. Why? Billions in ideology awareness in Africa, all while cutting $50 billion in rural hospital funding. Yet, they talk about free health care. And we might have all seen our insurance rises going through the roof. both our home and healthcare. Obamacare has raised 60% since it passed. Our costs continue to rise because nothing is for free, like our bonds that we pass at election time. Someone is paying for it. While they remove things like affordable healthcare and the budget that affects our rural areas, if they really cared about the health care, they would approve they would approve it and open and open

112back up again. So let's be clear. There is no such thing as free. Whether it is the grants that we are putting in consent or free health care for all or free housing for illegal immigrants. Who do you think is paying for that free? We are the working class trying to put their kids through school and college seeking programs to help their family's well-being. Families who are working two, three, and even four jobs. Those are the families that are paying for this affordable health care that is free to all. So when you see the premiums go up as I have and I'm sure most of you have and our poor teachers are now know that it that free comes at a cost. The rest of us are paying for it. Not to say that families

113don't need assistant assistance and many times but we need to serve our own citizens first like our veterans like our families who are displaced and those in need. If we had all of that squared away, then maybe we can consider these extra funds to spend on other countries special interests. The only reason that I bring this up is because as a leader, we all do hear all the misinformation or one-sided information and it is being spread around social media. And I understand our teachers are getting scared and worried about their students as our families are. They're worried. I'm worried about their well-being and they're they're worried about their jobs. As Dr. Dr. Taylor confirmed in our last committee meeting, our special education services are not changing and our teachers sta staff are not being affected

114by these cuts. The teachers jobs are not being affected by the federal cuts. This is where good communication comes in and having a conversation with our principal can help you understand if there is some kind of movement in the staff and you could be as much you okay. It could be very much because of the ADM or the need to change or the needs have changed in your particular school. Each year brings a new set of students that attend for that school year. Sometimes those things shift and they have to make adjustments. But I felt was it was important to clarify that nobody is losing their job or special education services because of these Department of Education changes. This is also um adding to another reason why I fear that AI taking over and feeding

115us with information that is not factual or real or questionable. So, I hope that some of this information either guides people to check out the information or it settles some of their concerns. Thank you. >> Thank you, Vice Chair Swanson. >> Thank you, Chair. You know, I do hope as we move forward, we can model behaviors. And if the public cannot speak for more than three minutes, I don't think board members should be able to speak more than three minutes. So, let me model and get back to my remarks really quickly. Um, I do want to thank my colleagues who were able to attend the joint meeting. I was unable to attend due to work uh conflicts but was able to thumb through and listen online and really appreciate the discussion that went through and

116the partnership that we have with the commissioners as we are all striving to support our students. Um, speaking of that, I also want to uh thank um Vice Chair Mile from the county commissioners who was able to tour West Kerry with Chair Hagerty and and I um last week as we were able to look through and some of the schools that are on the list um or that meet that criteria that Dr. Ing was was refer referring to, excuse me. Um had a great tour there and uh Partnership Elementary School and Mr. Hershey's district was able to really see the unique needs of that school and very grateful for the work that they're doing despite the settings that they're in. And so, um, it just shows that our teachers are and administrators are doing the

117really the best that they can with the resources that they have and they need board members who support those initiatives with their votes and not voting down consent items that are on their that impacts their districts. Um, I also want to say that in my last couple of minutes that um there's 6 minutes until election. So, if you are in line, stay in line. Uh, show your ID, vote. I think 11 out of our 12 municipalities, uh, have elections on the local level. And so, thank you, Dr. Ing, for lifting that up. And I wanted to add one other piece, uh, which is the Voting Rights Act of 65, which was a part of that struggle that you referenced. So, that's one particular piece as well. And so, um, go vote. Happy voting. And I

118would, uh, lastly like to just thank the, uh, uh, Kerry Rotary Club for, uh, under Bill Fletcher's leadership, I had the opportunity to, uh, read, uh, yesterday to a couple of students, and I was a little late due to the time change, and the young man that I've been reading to for the past 3 weeks actually chastised me for being late. um but was grateful that I showed up and so I told him that I will be back and that I will make sure that I am there a little bit earlier and so uh he's a great student and we developed a really great uh little friendship over some books about uh you know yeah so it just shows that if we are serious about doing the work of moving the needle on these issues

119uh we can't put the burden on our on our teachers we have to step up as well and so uh thankful for that and thankful for all the folks that are doing this important work. Um, and I will conclude my remarks because I think I went over my three minutes. >> Thank you, Vice Chair Swanson. So, uh, to wrap up our board comments, I want to thank those of you that mentioned our, uh, joint meeting with the Wake County Commissioners. And I really want to thank those that were able to participate either in person or remotely. Um, meetings like this, especially when it's not in the middle of the budget season, I think are so crucial to helping explain our work to the commissioners, to hear from the commissioners about their priorities and look for

120areas of, you know, shared cooperation and collaboration. Um, we got wonderful feedback about the county's revenue situation and the challenges they're facing. Um, but then we also talked about some exciting possibilities around affordable housing that I think everyone was very enthused about. when you look at the price of housing in Wake County and how many public employees, teachers, school staff, and also county employees also cannot afford um to purchase a home and and many can't afford even the rental units that are available near the municipalities, near the county offices or near the schools where they work. So, um I just want to thank Chair Susan Evans and the rest of the commissioners for their collaboration. I also want to thank them for actively coming out with us. Um, Vice Chair Swanson had referenced some visits

121to some of our schools, whether it was Hunter Elementary, Partnership Elementary, Wake or West Kerry Middle. Um, it was important for our county commissioners to see the working and the teaching conditions in a number of these schools and some of their priorities. Um, I do want to, um, reference something that, uh, Mr. brought up about the schools that are, you know, 30 years or older. We do have some extreme cases of schools under 30 years. I'm sorry, was that Dr. Ring? Dr. Ring. Um, Durant Road, for example, and I can mention other schools built around the same time where their calendar age doesn't necessarily reflect the wear and tear on the school. And so, we may need to just expand our efforts of evaluation around some of those. But we all know and we've been

122talking for some time about the needs in our schools. And it was great to hear that our county commissioners are willing to work with us to rep prioritize um some of the funding that we get to really come in and address these urgent situations. It's not going to be tomorrow. It's going to take some time, but I think they see the urgency around this request. And so I just want to thank them for their cooperation um on that topic. Speaking of cooperation and collaboration, I want to give a special shout out to one of our Kerry Town Council members, uh, Sera Bonsil, who has been very responsive to community concerns around Panther Creek High School. As you know, we had a very unfortunate event around the high school regarding the traffic situation out front. And,

123you know, we've been talking about these conditions for years. And often times in situations where you know it's a public school but the street beyond the public school is within the city's jurisdiction but it's a federal road. Sometimes there's a lot of buck passing that goes along, but uh councelor Bonsel had a great community conversation, has talked to us about some of the initiatives in the town of Kerry that are available to help maybe address that situation in the long term with safer routes to school, but has also talked about some some collaboration with Kerry PD about how they might be able to help monitor that situation, um evaluate the speed limits around there and just make the environment so much safer for all of those students immediately around the school that are coming from

124that community that is very walkable. So, a special shout out to her. Um, again, uh, coming back to Mr. Hershey correctly this time, um, if you know as our as our facilities committee chair, he's been very involved working with municipalities about sidewalks and safer routes to school. and I wanted to thank him for some of his collaboration with the city of Raleigh and some of the work that he's doing to identify areas where a sidewalk around a school really would make a huge difference for the safety for our students. So, thank you for that, Sam. Um I I before I leave I I I the comments I I do have to come back to some of the comments that were made around our budget because when we had the budget committee meeting in our budget

125chair's absence there were some comments made and I asked staff for clarification on those comments and this is important because you know for full understanding of the situation we have to understand where we are right now. We do not have a federal budget that has been adopted, but we have various budget proposals. And so you can say, well, it's not true that anything has been cut in the budget because we don't have a budget, right? But I do want to present what I believe is correct information that might run contrary to some information that we just heard. So, by my research, we've seen cuts to the Department of Education. This has not been, we need to specify, cuts to Wake County public education teachers and public education staff. Um, however, federally by the numbers that

126I'm getting from the Associated Press, we have about 1,781 employees in SP at the US Department of Education who have lost their jobs. 465 during the shutdown alone have been laid off. You can argue, well, is that staff? Is that programming? It might not be a cut to a program, but if it is the staff that implements the program, that will handicap those delivery of services. So, I understand teachers concerns around this and the families of special education students that are concerned around this, but to be clear, that is not a cut to WCPSS special education staff. If we have concerns about federal special education funding, now is the time to contact congressional representatives and stress the importance of preserving these programs. As we talked about with the unanimous vote around our our continuing budget

127resolution, this should be an issue we should be able to build unanimous support behind funding the needs of those programs that serve some of our most vulnerable students in special education. So, you know, I can say that by the numbers I have, we have seen cuts to the US Department of Education and cuts specific to special education. Those are not Wake County cuts, but they could impact the delivery of services here in Wake County. So, if we have concerns about that, please contact your congressional representatives. I also want to say some of the comments did stray a bit from education. And if we're going to open that up, then I want to present a rebuttal, which is we can look at a number of federal priorities and federal spending priorities. But it bothers me when

128we talk about certain educa that, you know, there's certain spending for certain education grants that are not as worthwhile as other spending. and specifically the reference to Veterans Affairs because what we've seen with these, you know, w with the with the federal shutdown, with the big beautiful bill, and with federal budget proposals is a loss of about 80,000 jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. And with the SNAP cuts that we have seen, one out of every four veterans are reported to live in a household that receive food assistance from SNAP. So I would agree that veterans benefits are important and we need to support our veterans, but at the same time, I can't turn a blind eye to federal actions which are reducing benefits that directly benefit our veterans. 680,000 children of working veterans,

129people that go to work every day to earn a living for themselves and their family are going to be affected by the cuts that have come out of the or sorry that are going to be excluded from a lot of the tax relief, those child the the the extension of the child care cuts that would come in the big beautiful bill. So if we care about veterans, let's not try to play schools off versus veterans. Both are important and let's advocate to our congressional representatives that we should be supporting both. Just like Dr. Taylor talked about, we have two blue we have two of the blue star schools here in Wake County. There are only four in the entire state of North Carolina. We've got half of them. So, we know that benefits that help

130our veterans help our voters and our students here in North Carolina. And we should be funding both of these programs sufficiently. And I'll just end with that. So at this point, I'll entertain a motion in reference to close session. >> So move. >> Second. We have a motion from Miss Rice, seconded by Vice Chair Swanson. I believe this is to consider confidential information protected under GS 143 31811 to consult with the board attorney to preserve the Italian client privileges provided by GS 143 31811. to consider confidential student information under GS15C42 and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act and to consult with a board of education attorney and preserve the attorney client privilege in as provided in GS14331811 due to current litigation JH versus Wake County Board of Education. That is not me JH just

131if there's any clarification there. Um Jessica Ryan and National Ryan Na Na Nathaniel Ryan on behalf of JR versus Wake County Board of Education. Jessica Ryan at all versus Wake County Board of Education and um AW by and through parent CW versus Wake County Board of Education. All in favor of the motion, please say I. >> Any opposed? All right. Thank you. We're going to go into close session.