Regular Meeting

Dates:

Monday, May 19, 2025 - 6:00pm

The Transylvania County Board of Education will hold a Regular Meeting on Monday, May 19, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.

The meeting will be held at the Morris Education Center located at 225 Rosenwald Lane in Brevard.

The meeting is open to the public. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

If you are unable to attend in-person, the meeting will be livestreamed and may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/user/tcsnc.

Groups audience:

School Board

I. OPENING OF MEETING

1. Call to Order/Welcome

2. Pledge of Allegiance - We are honored to have local JROTC Cadets with us tonight, who are going to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and in the recognition of former TCS Students' military service.

3. Recognition of Former Transylvania County Schools' Students' Military Service - The Board wishes to honor and thank the former students from Brevard High School, Davidson River School, and Rosman High School who are active duty service members or military veterans. A list of names, a copy of which is posted on our website and is also provided with tonight's handout, is read aloud twice a year in recognition of Memorial Day (May meeting) and Veterans Day (November meeting). Additional names are added to the list as they are received.

4. Invocation

Public Attachments:

TCS Veterans List.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

II. BUSINESS ITEMS (including amendments and rescissions):

Groups audience:

School Board

1. Regular Business

Groups audience:

School Board

A. 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 May 19, 2025.

Groups audience:

School Board

B. Facilities Update

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

i. County Manager Jaime Laughter will provide updates on the Joint School Bond Projects.

Groups audience:

School Board

C. Consent Agenda

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

The following items are submitted for consent approval:

i. Minutes of the April 21, 2025, meeting (regular and closed sessions)

ii. Personnel Report for May 19, 2025

iii. Budget Amendment No. 7 for fiscal year 2024-2025. Chief Financial Officer

Michelle Mullinax will be available to answer any questions.The Memorandum and the Budget Amendment are attached.

A motion is in order to approve the consent items.

Public Attachments:

Memo for Budget Amendment #7.pdf

Budget Amendment #7.pdf

Personnel Report.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

2. Old Business

Groups audience:

School Board

A. CTE Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment

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		Discussion	X
Operations and Support	X

Career and Technical Education Director Kerry Putnam presented a first-read of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment at the April 21, 2025, meeting. Board approval is required for Transylvania County Schools to submit a Local Application for CTE State/Federal Funding for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year. The entire CTE Plan can be reviewed at https://ccip.schools.nc.gov/, and the Executive Summary and the 2025-2026 Local Application are available on our website. Mr. Putnam will be present to field questions from the Board.

A motion is in order to approve submission of the 2025-2026 Local Application for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) State/Federal funding.

Public Attachments:

CTE Local Needs Assessment.pdf

TCS CTE Executive Summary 2025 .docx.pdf

FY 25 CTE Local Application Signature Page TCS880.docx.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

B. Brevard Elementary School Playground Improvements

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

For Board approval, Facilities and Maintenance Director Kerry Putnam will present the Blue Ridge Playground contract on the Brevard Elementary School Playground Improvements project. The contract has already gained Board of Commissioners’ approval and is available for review on our website. Mr. Putnam will be available to answer questions.

A motion is in order to approve the Blue Ridge Playground contract for the Brevard Elementary School playground improvements project.

Public Attachments:

BES Playground Project Contract.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

C. School Population Study

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

At the April 21, 2025, Board Meeting, the Members voted to obtain an updated School Population Study. For Board approval, Dr. Lisa Fletcher will review the received quotes for the study, copies of which are posted on our website.

A motion is in order to approve a School Population Study quote.

Public Attachments:

Carolina Demography School Population Study Quote.pdf

ITRE School Population Study Quote.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

3. New Business

Groups audience:

School Board

A. TCS District Strategic Plan Review

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	X
Operations and Support	X

Dr. Lisa Fletcher, along with Dr. Jill Reinhardt and Dr. Wendy Frye of NC Peak-NC Department of Public Instruction, will jointly review the updated Transylvania County Schools’ District Strategic Plan for Board approval. NC Peak, whose organization includes retired educators from Henderson, Polk, Surry, Iredell-Statesville, Davidson, Lincoln, and Rockingham counties, provided consulting services as to the development of the updated TCS Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan will be available on our website, and the NC Peak representatives and Dr. Fletcher will take questions following their presentation.

A motion is in order to approve the Transylvania County Schools District Strategic Plan, as presented.

Public Attachments:

2025-2030 Transylvania County Schools Strategic Plan Presentation.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

B. AIG Plan for 2025-2028

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	X
Operations and Support	X

Chief Academic Officer Carrie Norris and AIG Coordinator Heidi Bullock will present a first reading of the Academically/Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Plan for 2025-2028. Ms. Norris and Ms. Bullock will address questions following their summary of the Plan, a complete copy of which is available for review on our website. Board approval will be requested at the June 16, 2025, Meeting.

Public Attachments:

Spring 2025 - TCS AIG Plan (1).pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

C. NC State Education Lottery Distribution Request

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

Dr. Lisa Fletcher will present for Board approval a distribution request from the North Carolina Education Lottery Fund to the Public School Building Capital Fund in accordance with NC General Statutes, Chapter 18C. The request is being made to fund the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, which is a comprehensive school solution to enhance school security and safety. The Request form provides additional project details and can be viewed on our website. Dr. Fletcher will open the floor to questions from the Board.

A motion is in order to approve submission of the State Education Lottery Distribution Request, pending Board of Commissioners’ approval.

Public Attachments:

Lottery Application 5.19.25.pdf

Lottery Distribution Request.Pg 2.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

D. Budget Amendment - Mechanical Funding Oversight

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

Facilities and Maintenance Director Kerry Putnam will present a budget amendment request for Board approval. Budgetary requests made in October and November of 2024 did not include additional monies needed from the County to complete HVAC/Mechanical projects required at Brevard Middle School. The Budget Amendment Request Form is available on our website, and Mr. Putnam will be available to answer questions.

A motion is in order to authorize a budget amendment request to the Board of Commissioners.

Public Attachments:

Budget Amendment Request Approval Form.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

4. 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.3).

Each month, a part of at least one regularly scheduled Board meeting will be set aside for citizens to address the Board through public comment. Board meetings, which include public comment, are a limited public forum. The Board limits public comment to issues relevant to, and within the jurisdiction of, the Board of Education. The Board will not discriminate based on the viewpoint expressed by speakers on permissible topics.

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 three (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 request 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.

Public comment is not a time for dialogue between individuals and Board Members or amongst individuals. Board Members will not respond to individuals who address the Board, except to request clarification of points made by the presenter. The Board does not transact any official business during public comment.

Individualized personnel and student matters are confidential as provided in applicable federal and state law. Such matters are within the jurisdiction of the Superintendent or designee to investigate and resolve or to make recommendations to the Board in accordance with law and Board policy. In such matters, the Board of Education serves as an avenue for appeal and/or final decision in accordance with law and Board policy. Therefore, public comment is not the appropriate forum for complaints related to identified school employees or students.

The Superintendent or designee shall make available policy and other relevant grievance procedures to any individual or group wishing to submit a complaint regarding an identified school employee or student. In addition, nothing in policy prohibits the ability of a citizen to send the Board of Education comment in writing, which may be maintained as confidential in accordance with applicable law. State and/or federal law may require disclosure of a written comment or complaint to any employee, student, or parent(s) of a student identified in the comment or complaint.

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.

Personal attacks on school employees or Board Members are prohibited, and disruptions by any person or persons of a public meeting will be subject to action in accordance with G.S. 143-318.17.

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:

School Board

5. Superintendent's Report

Groups audience:

School Board

A. Good News Report

TC Scholars Recognition Evening – May 15, 2025, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. @ Brevard High School

We thank Administrative Assistant Sheila Byrd for providing the following information about the TC Scholars Recognition Program: In 1983 the Transylvania County Board of Education envisioned a way to honor and recognize Transylvania County Schools’ highest achieving students in which, Transylvania County Scholars Recognition Evening was established. It typically is held the third Thursday of May each year.

Transylvania County Scholars are graduating seniors who have achieved an overall GPA of 3.8 (weighted) and 3.5 (unweighted) while pursuing a demanding course of study. The underclassmen, sophomores and juniors, who are honored are the highest-ranking students in their classes.

The Board honors these students and parents starting with a dinner in the Brevard High School cafeteria before the program begins.

The program has three different parts that consist of scholar recognition, scholarships awarded, and the grand finale is the Memorable Educator part. Senior scholars have been given the opportunity to name an individual who gave them special inspiration in their educational journey. This is a surprise as the educator doesn’t know who selected them until that part of the program!

Transylvania County Public Schools Student Art Show

An exhibit of artwork created by Transylvania County Public Schools students in grades K-12 shall be displayed at the Transylvania Community Arts Council, 349 S. Caldwell Street, Brevard, May 7^th-May 17^th, 2025. The opening reception is set for Thursday, May 8^th, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. This annual event, partnering TCS and TCArts, showcases student works selected by TCS art teachers. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Saturdays (during exhibits) from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please visit tcarts.org for more information.

BHS Thespians

The Brevard High School Thespians present, “Legally Blonde the Musical,” on May 9^th and 10^th at 7:00 p.m. and on May 11^th at 2:00 p.m. All performances will be given at the Brevard High School Jones Auditorium. Please treat yourself to some great theater and remember, “Believing in yourself never goes out of style!”

National School Principals’ Day

National School Principals’ Day is observed on May 1^st annually to recognize the essential, multi-faceted responsibilities of school principals. Their duties include managing school operations, overseeing staff, developing curriculum, implementing disciplinary measures, managing budgets, ensuring school safety, and fostering a positive learning environment. Principals set the tone for the entire school and promote the success of staff and students alike. Please join us in thanking our dedicated and talented TCS Principals:

Michael Kirst, BES	Amanda Lewis PFES	Robert Dinsdale, RES
Patrick Chapman, TCHES	Jessica McCall, BMS	Julie Queen, RMS
Mick Galloway, BHS	Dr. Roderick Brown, DRS	Jason Ormsby, RHS

School Lunch Hero Day

North Carolina recognizes School Lunch Hero Day on the first Friday of May, which is May 2^nd this year. This is a day to celebrate and recognize the devoted work of school nutrition professionals, who provide healthy meals and who make a difference every day in the lives of our students.

National Teacher Appreciation Week

In 2025, National Teacher Appreciation Week is being celebrated May 5^th through May 9^th. Teachers shape the lives of millions of children every day. They ignite young minds to excel, dream, and create, and they instill in students a love for learning and a belief in their own potential. They work tirelessly to reach the students who are struggling, and they strive to meet every challenge with compassion and care. They go above and beyond in their classrooms, not only to teach, but to impart a sense of safety and belonging. Please join us during this special week in showing appreciation to the dedicated educators who empower the next generation to reach for the stars.

National School Nurse Day

Wednesday, May 7, 2025, is National School Nurse Day. This day is set aside to show appreciation for the vital contributions school nurses make toward the safety of students. School nurses act as a liaison to the school community, families, and healthcare providers and provide access to care when children’s cognitive development is at its peak. School nurses are members of school-based teams (e.g., school health services, 504/IEP, disaster/emergency planning) providing care coordination to address the school population. They understand the link between health and learning and advance the well-being of all students every day. They are essential for healthy kids, healthy schools, and healthy communities. Please join us in recognizing our wonderful school nurses for all they do: April Owenby, Ashley Owen, and Amy Parker

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: 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:

School Board

B. Important Dates

May 9	Early Dismissal for students	12:00 p.m.
May 15	TC Scholars Recognition Evening	5:00-7:00 p.m.	Brevard High School Auditorium
May 15	Free Sports Physicals – RHS & RMS	1:30 p.m.	Rosman High School Gym *see flyers on website
May 19	REGULAR MEETING	6:00 p.m.	MEC
May 26	Memorial Day – no school	All day
May 27	Free Sports Physicals – BHS & BMS	2:00 p.m.	Brevard High School Gym *see flyer on website
June 5	Davidson River School Graduation	10:00 a.m.	Brevard Music Center
June 6	Early dismissal – last day of school for students	12:00 p.m.
June 6	Brevard High School Graduation	6:00 p.m.	Brevard Music Center
June 7	Rosman High School Graduation	10:00 a.m.	Brevard Music Center
June 9-13	Teacher work days
June 16	REGULAR MEETING	6:00 p.m.	MEC
June 20	4 day work weeks begin for Central Services/Administration
July 3	Central Services/Admin Closed in observance of Independence Day	All day
July 21	REGULAR MEETING	6:00 p.m.	MEC
Aug 18-22	Teacher work days
Aug 18	Central Services/Admin resume normal work schedule
Aug 25	First day of school for students

Public Attachments:

Sports Med Physicals 2025 Flyers_Brevard High.pdf

Sports Med Physicals 2025 Flyers_Rosman High.pdf

Sports Med Physicals 2025 Flyers_Rosman Middle (1).pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

6. Closed Session

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

The Board will entertain a Motion to go into closed session pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 143-318.11(a)(1) to discuss a confidential personnel matter pursuant to N.C.G.S. 115C-319-321; and pursuant to subsection (a)(3) to discuss a judicial action brought by J.S.-K. by and through parents J.S. and A.K. against the Transylvania County Board of Education

A Motion is in order to go into the closed session. A Motion is in order to reconvene following the closed session.

Groups audience:

School Board

III. ADJOURNMENT

Groups audience:

School Board