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Regular Meeting

Dates:

Monday, September 16, 2024 - 6:00pm

The Transylvania County Board of Education will hold a regular meeting on Monday, September 16, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at the Morris Education Center, 225 Rosenwald Lane, Brevard. The meeting is open to the public. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be livestreamed and may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/user/tcsnc.

Groups audience:

I. OPENING OF MEETING

Invocation

Pledge of Allegiance

Call to Order

Welcome

Groups audience:

II. BUSINESS ITEMS (including amendments and rescissions)

Groups audience:

01. Approval of Agenda

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action	X
Excellent Educators		Information
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

A motion is in order to approve or revise the agenda for September 16, 2024.

Groups audience:

02. Public Comment

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

The board of education, as an elected representative body of the school system, wishes to provide a forum for citizens to express interests and concerns related to the school system. In order that the board may conduct an orderly meeting while providing an opportunity for input, individuals or groups may be heard by the board in accordance with policy 2310, Public Participation at Board Meetings, or policy 2300, Board Meetings (subsection D.2).

Each month, the first part of at least one regularly scheduled board meeting will be set aside for citizens to address the board through public comment.

A sign-up sheet will be available 30 minutes before the meeting begins for any individual or group to indicate their desire to address the board.

Each speaker will receive 3 minutes to present comments. Time will begin when the speaker reaches the podium. The public comment session will not exceed 30 minutes total except by majority vote of the board.

The board chair will recognize speakers in the order in which they signed in. Substitute speakers will not be permitted and speakers may not donate any portion of their time to another speaker. If a speaker is unable to present all of his or her information within the specified time limit, the speaker may provide the board with additional information in written form. If an unusually large number of people requests to speak, a majority of the board may decide to reduce the time for each individual or to require the designation of a spokesperson for each group of persons supporting or opposing the same positions. At any time, the board may establish additional procedures to ensure that public comment sessions proceed in an efficient and orderly manner.

Board members will not respond to individuals who address the board except to request clarification of points made by the presenter.

Issues involving individual personnel or student matters are confidential and, therefore, are not appropriate for the public comment session. Concerns related to personnel or student matters should be handled as a complaint and reported to the superintendent or designee.

Except in cases of emergency, information received during presentations will not be acted upon at the time it is received. It will take unanimous vote of the board members present to act on a presentation considered to be of an unusual or emergency nature at the time it is presented.

Disruptions by any person or persons of a public meeting will be subject to action in accordance with G.S. 143-318.17.

No solicitations will be allowed during public comment.

The board may choose to offer a second opportunity for public comment at the end of the meeting. Sign-ups will not be required for the second public comment opportunity.

If the board does not hold a regular meeting during a month, the board will not provide a time for public comment at any other meeting held during that month, unless a majority of the board votes to allow public comment at the meeting or unless the purpose of the meeting is a public hearing.

Groups audience:

03. Good News Report

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship	X	Action
Excellent Educators	X	Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

BES Staff Member Creates Office Mural

Abby Buchanan, Teacher Assistant at Brevard Elementary School, created a beautiful mural this summer at Brevard Elementary School. Principal Kirst asked for a way that students could easily recognize the office--so Ms. Buchanan put her artistic ability to work and created a "BEE" mural on the outside office wall. Now students can enjoy her talents and know exactly how to get to the office! You may view the mural here.

September is Attendance Awareness Month

September is National Attendance Awareness Month, a nationwide recognition of the connection between regular school attendance and academic achievement. A student who misses just two to three days of school per month can be chronically absent. We salute the TCS staff who work hard to develop tiered strategies and personalized interventions and help families recognize the importance of regular attendance for all students K-12.

National Arts in Education Week – Sept. 9-13

National Arts in Education Week takes place annually during the second week of September and is designated to bring attention to access to the arts for all students. Arts education comprises a rich array of disciplines including dance, music, theater, media arts, literature, design, and visual arts. It is a core academic subject and an essential part of a complete education. Students from kindergarten to college benefit from artistic learning, innovating thinking, and creativity. We salute our arts educators for all they do and our local community for their strong support of the arts programs in our schools.

Constitution Day – Sept. 17

September 17 is Constitution Day in the United States. It commemorates the September 17, 1787 signing of the final version of the United States Constitution by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention. The U.S. Constitution contains the main rules and amendments that instill law and order, protect the rights of citizens, and govern politics and daily life in America. The power of this governing charter strengthens our nation and informs what it means to be free.

National IT Professionals Day – Sept. 17

Annually on the third Tuesday in September, National IT Professionals Day honors the technology professionals whose specialized talents are essential to keeping our classrooms, offices, and businesses running. Please join us in expressing appreciation to the Transylvania County Schools IT team who keep our devices, networks and servers running; troubleshoot problems; protect us from cyberthreats; install and maintain equipment; provide training; and patiently respond to hundreds of questions a day. They are the best!

Director of Technology: Chris Whitlock

Technical Support:

Chris Lambert

Blake Tesnow

Stephen Shields

Ed Tech Coaches:

Kathryn Bailey (BHS)

Alicia LaDow (PFES & RES)

Bridgette Whitlock (BMS & DRS)

Alyse Sheppard (BES & TCH)

Erik Wahus (RMS & RHS)

#TeachAG Day – Sept. 19

Agriculture teachers never have the same day twice. One day they may be in the classroom or lab, the next visiting students in the field, preparing for an FFA event, or leading a community service activity. National #TeachAG Day is recognized on September 19, 2024 to bring focus to the important role of school-based agriculture education and to encourage students to consider becoming Ag teachers. Ag education prepares students to be problem solvers, leaders, entrepreneurs and agriculturalists through classroom and laboratory instruction, leadership development, and hands-on learning. It offers students a well-rounded education that will prepare them for college and the workforce and teach them how to be educated consumers. Ag teachers are role models and leaders in the classroom and the community.

For more good news from Transylvania County Schools, please visit us at:

Home Page: www.tcsnc.org ǀ Facebook: facebook.com/transylvania.schools

Twitter: twitter.com/transylvaniasch ǀ Flickr: flickr.com/tcsnc

Instagram: Instagram.com/transylvaniaschools ǀ YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/tcsnc

Smartphone App: Transylvania County Schools on Play Store and iTunes

SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/transylvaniacountyschools ǀ WSQL Radio: bit.ly/TCSYesRadio!

Groups audience:

04. Consent Agenda:

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action	X
Excellent Educators	X	Information
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

The following items are submitted for consent approval:

Minutes of the June 17, 2024 meeting
Minutes of the June 25, 2024 meeting
Personnel report for September 16, 2024
Appointment of Heather Greene as school treasurer at Rosman Middle School, pursuant to N.C.G.S. 115C-448(a)

A motion is in order to approve the consent items.

Public Attachments:

Minutes 6-17-24.pdf

Minutes 6-25-24.pdf

Personnel Report 9-16-24.pdf

Groups audience:

05. Policy: Spring 2024 PLS Custom Updates & July 2024 Special Custom Update

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship	X	Action	X
Excellent Educators	X	Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students	X	Discussion
Operations and Support	X

Dr. Brian Weaver will present 18 policies from the NCSBA Spring 2024 PLS Custom Updates and one policy from the July 2024 Special Custom Updates as first-read information. The 19 updates contain revisions to 17 existing policies and two new policies. Dr. Weaver will review the policies and answer any questions you may have.

A motion would be in order to accept the 19 policies listed below as first-read information:

1310/4002, Parental Involvement. Adds language from SBE policy PRNT-002 in subsection C.2.e. In subsection C.3., adds a reference to the notifications required by law when a school and/or school system is identified as low-performing. Clarifies language in subsection C.4.g. In Section H, references the reporting requirements of SBE policy PRNT-002. Corrects minor errors in Section D. Updates the legal references.

1510/4200/7270, School Safety. Provision added to Section D.3 regarding training on recognizing and reporting threats. New Section E added to address statutorily required threat assessment teams. Legal references, cross references, and other resources were updated.

1760/7280, Prohibition Against Retaliation. Clarifies language.

2127, Board Member Technology Use. Changes Twitter to X. Revises the language in subsection C.3.c to reflect the new legal standard established in a recent U.S. Supreme Court case. Updates legal references.

3220, Technology in the Educational Program. Adds new Section D to address the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI). Adds information on training on the use of generative AI in Section E. Updates the other resources.

3225/4312/7320, Technology Responsible Use. In Section G, references generative AI guidelines as described in policy 3220. Adds other resources.

3420, Student Promotion and Accountability. Creates new Section K to address students receiving high school credit for courses taken while studying abroad. Adds a reference to three-year high school graduation in Section L. Updates the legal references.

3460, Graduation Requirements. Adds new student notice requirements in the paragraph preceding Section A. Reorganizes information from the paragraph preceding Section A into other parts of the policy. Adds a reference in Section A to policy 3420 in regard to credit for courses taken abroad. Changes the local graduation “requirements” to local graduation “recommendations.” Adds information in C.4 regarding gradation high school in three years. Updates the diploma endorsements language. Includes various other minor changes. Updates the legal references. Custom language in c.7 has been removed for consistency with G.S.115C-83.31(c).

3620, Extracurricular Activities and Student Organizations. Removes the local attendance standard for interscholastic athletics participation in light of the new SBE attendance standard effective July 1, 2024. Removes language referencing NCHSAA eligibility rules and adds a reference to applicable eligibility standards of law in B.1.a. Adds a new subsection B.1.c to grant students who transfer schools within the school system immediate eligibility to participate in interscholastic athletics. Adds a new subsection B.1.d to address the participation of home school students in interscholastic athletics (The board must select one of the three options. The county athletic director, high school principals, and school athletic directors recommend Option 2 with local modifications). Removes C.3. Includes other minor editorial changes. Updates the legal references.

4040/7310, Staff-Student Relations. Revises language in subsection C.4 to reference policy 7130, which now contains the reporting requirements from new 16 N.C.A.C.6C .0608. Updates legal references and cross references.

4140, Foreign Exchange Students (NEW). Addresses the admission of foreign exchange students with J-1 visa status.

4240/7312, Child Abuse and Related Threats to Child Safety. Revises language in Section D to reference policy 7130, which now contains the reporting requirements from new 16 N.C.A.C.6C .0608. In Section H, adds a new statutory requirement that applies with the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year. Updates legal references and cross references.

4270/6145, Concussion and Head Injury. Updates statutory references throughout the policy. Includes other minor changes. Updates legal references and other resources.

5023/6128/7268, Emergency Administration of Naloxone (NEW). Addresses the emergency use of naloxone on school property.

5071/7351, Electronically Stored Information Retention. Updates legal references.

6125, Administering Medicines to Students. Updates the division names of N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Updates the other resources.

7130, Licensure. Adds new Section F regarding mandatory reporting of misconduct. Updates legal references.

8340, Insurance. Amends the language to include not just insurance but also other types of liability coverage.

8510, School Finance Officer. Updates the duties of the school finance officer based on the information in State Board of Education Policy FINO-000. Adds new Section C regarding continuing professional education. Updates legal references and cross references.

Public Attachments:

1310-4002_revised.pdf

1510-4200-7270_revised.pdf

1760-7280_revised.pdf

2127_revised.pdf

3220_revised.pdf

3225-4312-7320_revised.pdf

3420_revised.pdf

3460_revised.pdf

3620_revised.pdf

4040-7310_revised.pdf

4240-7312_revised.pdf

4270-6145_revised.pdf

5023-6128-7268_new.pdf

5071-7351_revised.pdf

6125_revised.pdf

7130_revised.pdf

8340_revised.pdf

8510_revised.pdf

Groups audience:

06. 41 Confederate Lane Property

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion	X
Operations and Support	X

At the July 22 meeting, the board tabled a resolution to declare as surplus the property located at 41 Confederate Lane, Brevard, in order to consider other options for the property. The board may discuss and potentially take action regarding the property. A revised resolution is attached.

Public Attachments:

Revised Surplus Resolution Draft for 41 Confederate Ln (00123835xBC088).pdf

Groups audience:

07. Update on Proposal for Bond Project Manager

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

At the September 3 meeting, the board accepted the superintendent’s proposal for a bond project manager to present to the county commissioners and authorized the superintendent to negotiate with the county manager and bring the proposal back for board approval on September 16. Dr. Fletcher will give an update.

Groups audience:

08. Facilities

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

Facilities Director Kerry Putman will give an update on current projects.

Groups audience:

09. Nominations for NCSBA Board of Directors 2024-2025

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

As reported on August 19, the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) is seeking nominations for vacancies on the 2024-2025 Board of Directors. The term of service is two years and members are eligible to serve for two terms. The board holds meetings in November, March, June and September. In addition, each board member typically serves on two committees that meet once or twice during the year. Other meetings are scheduled as needed. It is important that individuals selected for the NCSBA board be able to attend regularly scheduled meetings.

Nominations must be made by the nominee’s board of education by official action. The attached information sheet, a color photo, and a one-page essay describing how and why this person could make a positive contribution to the NCSBA board must be received by noon on October 2, 2024.

The board may nominate a member for the NCSBA Board of Directors.

Public Attachments:

NCSBA Memo_Vacancies on Board of Directors_24-25.pdf

NCSBA BOD Information Sheet_24-25.pdf

Groups audience:

10. Report(s) from Training Event(s)

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

Mr. Wiener and Mr. O’Neill will have an opportunity to report from the NCSBA WRESA/LEAD training event that was held on September 4, 2024 at the Western Region Educational Service Alliance in Asheville.

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11. Important Dates

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

Oct. 4	Noon dismissal - students
Oct. 21	REGULAR MEETING	6:00 p.m.	MEC
Oct. 31, Nov. 1	Teacher workdays
Nov. 5	Election Day
Nov. 11	Veterans’ Day holiday
Nov. 18	REGULAR MEETING	6:00 p.m.	MEC
Nov. 27-29	Thanksgiving break
Dec. 16	REGULAR MEETING	6:00 p.m.	MEC
Dec. 20	Noon dismissal - students
Dec. 23 – Jan. 3	Winter break
Jan. 6	Students return from break
Jan. 20	MLK Day (teacher workday)
Jan. 21 (Tues.)	REGULAR MEETING	6:00 p.m.	MEC

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12. Other Items

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

An opportunity will be provided for comments and/or other items from board members.

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III. ADJOURNMENT

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Source URL: https://transylvania.schoolboard.net/node/6727