SUMMARY OF BOARD MEETING MINUTES |
May 3, 2021 |
The Board of Education of the Wilkes County Administrative Unit conducted a regular meeting in the Arnold and Becky Lakey Boardroom on Monday, May 3, 2021 at 5:30 PM at 613 Cherry Street, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina 28659. COVID-19 guidelines were enforced.
Present for the meeting were Chairman Mr. Randall “Rudy” Holbrook, Vice–Chairman Mrs. Sharron Huffman, Board Members Mr. Kirk Walker, Mrs. Joan Caudill, and Mr. Hardin Kennedy, III. Also attending were Superintendent Mr. D. Mark Byrd, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Westley Wood, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Donna Cotton, Chief Technology Officer Mrs. Julie Triplett, Chief Finance Officer Mr. Seth Prevette, Director of Maintenance Mr. Bergie Speaks, Director of Pre-K and Elementary Education Mrs. Callie Grubb, Director of Student Services Mrs. April Marr, Director of Middle School, Federal Programs, Interim County Athletic Director, Dr. Joe Bullis, Director of Testing and Accountability and Cultural Arts Mr. Jeffrey Johnson, Director of Child Nutrition Mr. Marty Johnson, Director of CTE/Career and College Promise Mr. Wayne Shepherd, Public Information Officer Mrs. Morgan Mathis, and Executive Administrative Assistant Mrs. Carolyn Triplett.
Chairman Mr. Rudy Holbrook called the meeting to order.
On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mr. Walker and duly carried, the agenda was approved as presented.
Chairman Mr. Randall “Rudy” Holbrook recognized Superintendent Mr. Mark Byrd for the Superintendent’s Welcome and Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Byrd stated, “Each month I try to recognize someone or something in our school system that has gone exceptionally well, and I don't see how our timing could be any better than meeting on the first Monday in May, as today we began with Teacher Appreciation Week. In addition, while this is celebrated each year during this week, this year should be special for everyone associated with Wilkes County Schools due to the efforts of our teachers during a worldwide pandemic.
While we are always appreciative of what our teachers do for our students, every staff member, parent, and community member should be proud of what our teachers have offered for our students over the past 14 months. As I have shared multiple times, I am not aware of a district in the state of North Carolina whose teachers provided more face-to-face instruction than those with Wilkes County Schools. When teachers across our country were arguing to not return to school, teachers in Wilkes County were serving students both face-to-face and virtually every day. They did not have remote days, or planning days, but spent five days per week working face-to-face with students. In addition, while it was the hardest year of most of their careers, the reason they did it was for the over 8000 students in Wilkes County Schools. Therefore, while Teacher Appreciation Week is generally a school system celebration, I personally think our entire community should be taking part this year to let our teachers know how much their efforts have been appreciated. So as I welcome each of you to the May 2021 meeting of the Wilkes County Board of Education, I am going to ask that you join me in a standing ovation of thanks to the teachers of Wilkes County Schools over the past 14 months for their efforts for our students!”
Superintendent Mr. Mark Byrd recognized Dr. Westley Wood, Assistant Superintendent, to announce The Wilkes County Soil and Water Contest Winners. The Wilkes County Soil & Water Conservation’s mission is to foster voluntary, incentive-driven management of soil, water, and related natural resources for the benefit of the environment, economy, and all citizens. Each year they hold education awards in poster, slideshow, essay, speeches, and computer poster contests. This year, they were unable to host in-person field trips so they created a virtual field trip to introduce students to watersheds and their environment through Forestry, Wildlife, Soils, and Watershed presentations. This year’s theme was, “We All Live in a Watershed”. The Wilkes County Soil & Water Conversation held its Awards Banquet virtually on March 4, 2021, to recognize students for their hard work.
Congratulations to the following first-place winners:
- 5th Grade Poster Contest: Devin Johnson from Mulberry Elementary School
- 6th Grade Essay Contest: Jordan Holleman from East Wilkes Middle School
- 6th Grade Slideshow Contest: Laurel Mitchell from Central Wilkes Middle School
- 7th Grade Speech Contest: Breagha Kilpatrick from East Wilkes Middle School
- 8th Grade Speech Contest: Isabella Doyle from East Wilkes Middle School
- 9th Grade Computer Poster Contest: Alea Mitchell from Wilkes Early College High School
Superintendent Mr. Mark Byrd recognized Dr. Westley Wood, Assistant Superintendent, to recognize the students accepted to the North Carolina School of Science and Math. The North Carolina School of Science and Math (NCSSM) offers education to junior and senior high school students from across the state who excel in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It is the world's first public, residential high school that provides a specialized curriculum in the areas of math, science, and technology. Wilkes County Schools had five students be accepted for the next school year - Nathaniel Burchette from East Wilkes High School, Ashley 'Grace' Stanford from North Wilkes High School, Hamilton Taylor from Wilkes Central High School, Ava Bass from Wilkes Central High School, and Anjali Raman from Wilkes Central High School. Congratulations to these students!
Superintendent Mr. Mark Byrd recognized Dr. Westley Wood, Assistant Superintendent, to recognize the TeachSweet Contest Winner. North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission, based in Benson, North Carolina, is a nonprofit corporation made up of over 400 sweet potato growers along with the packers, processors, and business associates that support them. The sole purpose of the commission is to increase sweet potato consumption through education, promotional activities, research, and honorable horticultural practices among its producers. The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission hosted #TeachSweet, a social media contest running from Jan. 15 - Mar. 15, 2021 for teachers and homeschool parents all over the country. Mrs. Jennifer Estes, a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at Wilkes Central High School, was recently announced as the winner of the #TeachSweet Contest! Mrs. Estes won the grand prize of a $500 classroom shopping spree and $500 cash by teaching about sweet potatoes!
Superintendent Mr. Mark Byrd recognized Dr. Westley Wood, Assistant Superintendent, to recognize the HOSA State Leadership Conference Winners. HOSA is a high school student organization that stands for Health Occupations Students of America. Students who participate in this program develop leadership and technical HOSA skill competencies through a program of motivation, awareness, and recognition, which is an integral part of the Health Science Education instructional program. They participate in competitive events at the regional, state, and international levels, and they are actively involved in the community. The HOSA State Leadership Conference was held virtually from April 7th-10th. The following students were announced as the HOSA State Leadership Conference Winners.
Tyler Gambill, West Wilkes High School - 3rd Place - Veterinary Science
Julia Cook & Landon Gambill, West Wilkes High School - 4th Place - CERT Skills
Superintendent Mr. Mark Byrd recognized Dr. Westley Wood, Assistant Superintendent, to recognize the SkillsUSA State Winners. SkillsUSA is a Career and Technical Student Organization that is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure that America has a skilled workforce. They hold industry-designed competitions and professional and leadership development workshops to give students an opportunity to enhance both their technical and employability skills. This year’s state competitions were held virtually April 14-23, 2021. Congratulations to the following first-place winners. These students will represent North Carolina at the SkillsUSA National Conference later this summer.
Raul Mendiola Limon, Wilkes Early College High School (Diesel and Heavy Equipment Technology)
Matthew Blankenship, West Wilkes High School (Power Equipment Technology)
Ryan Johnson, Blake Owens, and Elijah Walker, Wilkes Central High School (Welding Fabrication Team)
Superintendent Mr. Mark Byrd recognized Dr. Westley Wood, Assistant Superintendent to recognize the Wilkes County Schools “Unsung Heroes”. In order to allow our schools the opportunity to say "Thank You" to some staff members who have gone above and beyond the call of duty as we faced a worldwide pandemic, our Principals and their staffs were asked to submit a short video recognizing a staff member or group of staff members as "Unsung Heroes" for their schools. Thank you to all who are recognized for their efforts for students and staff over the course of this school year, they are as follows:
Tamara Koch (Bus Driver & Student Assistant) - Boomer Ferguson Elementary School
Robert Royall Jr. (Head Custodian) - C.B. Eller Elementary School
Remondia Bumgarner (Bus Driver/Custodian) - C.C. Wright Elementary School
Cliff Richardson (Bus Driver) - Central Wilkes Middle School
Alvin Sales (Custodian) - East Wilkes High School
Mark Wood, Dianna Tullock, Kenneth Carter (Custodians) - East Wilkes Middle School
Marianna Bowden (School Counselor) - Millers Creek Elementary School
Dwight Patrick (Custodian) - Mulberry Elementary School
James Eller (Head Custodian) - Moravian Falls Elementary School
Tabitha Lovell and Kaycee Curry (Teacher Assistants) - Mt. Pleasant Elementary School
Grant Tharpe (Assistant Principal) - Mountain View Elementary School
Emily West-Dula (3rd Grade Teacher) - North Wilkesboro Elementary School
Tammy Baity, Missy Elliott, Bonnie Moore, Debbie Richardson, Mark Shumate, Tony Welborn, Ronnie Wood (Teacher Assistants) - North Wilkes High School
Amanda Glass (Media Specialist) - Ronda Clingman Elementary School
Benny Roland (Lead Custodian) - Roaring River Elementary School
Buddy Caudill (Custodian) - Traphill Elementary School
Jason Bumgarner (Technology Technician) - Wilkes Central High School
Penny Souther (Social Worker) - Wilkes Early College High SchoolJanet St. John (Media Specialist) - Wilkesboro Elementary School
Jackie Stone, Mitch Stegall, Jason Clonch, Randy Watkins, Tyler Watkins, Danny Winebarger, Tanya Neice, Sterlin Church (Bus Drivers & Custodians) - West Wilkes High School
James Finney (Custodian) - West Wilkes Middle School
Dr. Donna Cotton, Chief Academic Officer, presented Focus on the Curriculum. Dr. Cotton provided the latest updates on Summer School information. Because of the pandemic, instruction was not normal. There were missed days, assignments, technology issues, and many more interruptions to learning. These issues contributed to missed learning opportunities for students, mostly at no fault of their own. It is hoped that through this summer school opportunity, we will be able to fill some of the educational gaps created by the missed learning opportunities for our students most at-risk and others as space is available.
The following points are an overview of Session Law 2021-7:
- This is a voluntary opportunity, parents will make the final decision
- 150 hours or 30 days of instruction, not including lunch, transition time, physical activity; cannot be on Saturdays
- WCS is planning Summer School: June 14-July 29 (4 days weeks; a full day; off July 4th week)
- Students who are not at risk may participate if space is available
- Summer Reading Camp will be integrated into Summer School
Required to report the following to NCDPI by October 15, 2021:
- Results of competency-based assessment given to students in grades K-8 at the beginning of the program.
- Results of competency-based assessment given to students in grades K-8 at the conclusion of the program.
- The number of students who progressed to the next grade level after participating in the program.
- The number of students who were retained in the same grade level after participating in the program.
- The number of students who received credit recovery in high school.
A staff compensation plan is being established to be beneficial to all employees working during the summer school sessions. Incentives will be in place to encourage teacher and staff commitment to summer school and be competitive with our neighboring districts. Principals will receive the compensation plan and will share it with staff willing to help facilitate summer school. Several services will be available such as counselors, school nurses, social workers, breakfast, lunch, and transportation. Plans are to have summer school at every school possible. The theme for this year’s summer school (2020-2021) is Summer Camp.
Chairman Mr. Rudy Holbrook asked if anyone had signed up for Public Comments. No one had signed up.
On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mrs. Caudill and duly carried, the minutes for April 12, 2021 were approved as presented.
On a motion by Mrs. Huffman, seconded by Mr. Walker and duly carried, the Personnel Report was approved as presented.
Resignation(s) and/or Retirement(s)
Jo Berrong – Teacher Assistant – Millers Creek Elementary School
Retirement effective – June 1, 2021 with thirty years and three months of service
Vicki Church – Teacher Assistant – Mulberry Elementary School
Retirement effective – June 1, 2021 with forty-two years and nine months of service
Shelia Cranford – Teacher Assistant – Traphill Elementary School
Retirement effective – July 1, 2021 with twenty years and six months of service
Alma Dancy – Child Nutrition Assistant – Millers Creek Elementary School
Retirement effective – June 1, 2021 with eighteen years and one month of service
Donna Eads – Teacher – C.C. Wright Elementary School
Retirement effective – July 1, 2021 with fifteen years and five months of service
Kimberly Ellis – Child Nutrition Manager – North Wilkesboro Elementary School
Retirement effective – July 1, 2021 with twenty-one years and two months of service
Janice Wagoner – Teacher Assistant – Mountain View Elementary School
Retirement effective – June 1, 2021 with twenty-six years and three months of service
On a motion by Mrs. Caudill, seconded by Mrs. Huffman, the Renewal of Licensed Personnel was approved as presented. In accordance with North Carolina General Statue §115C-325 requires that a contract between the local board of education and a teacher who has been employed by the local board of education for less than three years be for a term of one school year. Teachers not recommended for renewal should receive a written notice by June 1st. Reasons for non-renewal cannot be arbitrary, capricious, discriminatory, personal, political, or prohibited by law. The attached list of teachers were approved for renewal of contract.
2021-2022 Teacher 1-Year Contract Renewal List
Bethany Davis |
Exceptional Children Department |
Barbara Linnville |
Exceptional Children Department |
Patricia Phillips |
Exceptional Children Department |
Andrea Smith |
Central Services |
Tara Barr |
C.B. Eller Elementary School |
Caroline Nichols |
C.B. Eller Elementary School |
Jessica Simmons |
C.B. Eller Elementary School |
Laura Billings |
C.C. Wright Elementary School |
Alayna Brovont |
C.C. Wright Elementary School |
Alisha Ellis |
C.C. Wright Elementary School |
Jessica Laster |
C.C. Wright Elementary School |
Dominique Roberts |
C.C. Wright Elementary School |
Jared Story |
C.C. Wright Elementary School |
Morgan Woods |
C.C. Wright Elementary School |
Caitlin Amburgey |
Central Wilkes Middle School |
Vanessa Baker |
Central Wilkes Middle School |
Darren Beebe |
Central Wilkes Middle School |
Paul Bruce |
Central Wilkes Middle School |
Kevin Byrd |
Central Wilkes Middle School |
Carly Clonch |
Central Wilkes Middle School |
Ellen Mastin |
Central Wilkes Middle School |
Casey Souther |
Central Wilkes Middle School |
Frances York |
Central Wilkes Middle School |
Justin Call |
East Wilkes High School |
Brinsley Faircloth |
East Wilkes High School |
Albert Guessford |
East Wilkes High School |
Mitchell Jenkins |
East Wilkes High School |
Michelle Sampson |
East Wilkes High School |
Josiah Blevins |
East Wilkes Middle School |
Hannah Cook |
East Wilkes Middle School |
Hanna Eudy |
East Wilkes Middle School |
Daniel Rash |
East Wilkes Middle School |
Kassandra Riley |
East Wilkes Middle School |
Laura Roten |
East Wilkes Middle School |
Whitney Bell |
Millers Creek Elementary School |
Jessica Yates |
Millers Creek Elementary School |
Jennifer Gryder |
Moravian Falls Elementary School |
Emily Linville |
Moravian Falls Elementary School |
Stacey Robbins |
Moravian Falls Elementary School |
Shannon Watkins |
Moravian Falls Elementary School |
Caroline Church |
Mount Pleasant Elementary School |
Jean Graham |
Mount Pleasant Elementary School |
Natasha Brown |
Mountain View Elementary School |
Kara Cheek |
Mountain View Elementary School |
Bobbie Scott |
Mountain View Elementary School |
Bridgette Sebastian |
Mountain View Elementary School |
Alexandra Carr |
Mulberry Elementary School |
Chelsea Davis |
Mulberry Elementary School |
Jordan Gilbert |
Mulberry Elementary School |
Chanda Griggs |
Mulberry Elementary School |
Danielle Barlow |
North Wilkes High School |
Kelly Dancy |
North Wilkes High School |
Veronica Sims |
North Wilkes High School |
David Wojtecki |
North Wilkes High School |
Alexandra Allen |
North Wilkes Middle School |
Angela Caswell |
North Wilkes Middle School |
Brandy Jones |
North Wilkes Middle School |
Madison LaBarbera |
North Wilkes Middle School |
Erica Marsh |
North Wilkes Middle School |
John Miller |
North Wilkes Middle School |
Shelby Vogt |
North Wilkes Middle School |
Kaitlin Carroll |
North Wilkesboro Elementary School |
Madison Dunshie |
North Wilkesboro Elementary School |
Elizabeth McConnell |
North Wilkesboro Elementary School |
Rachel Minick |
North Wilkesboro Elementary School |
Donna Welborn |
North Wilkesboro Elementary School |
Alecia Prevette |
Roaring River Elementary School |
Kelsey Welborn |
Ronda Clingman Elementary School |
Lauren Mitchell |
Traphill Elementary School |
Susan Coleman |
West Wilkes High School |
Philip Collett |
West Wilkes High School |
Erin Frye |
West Wilkes High School |
Faylene Lankford |
West Wilkes High School |
Amy Myers |
West Wilkes High School |
Dana Blankley |
West Wilkes Middle School |
Kenneth Bryan |
West Wilkes Middle School |
Ashley Carlton |
West Wilkes Middle School |
Mary Garrett |
West Wilkes Middle School |
Joshua Hickman |
West Wilkes Middle School |
Marguinia Hull |
West Wilkes Middle School |
Crystal Walker |
West Wilkes Middle School |
Nina Badgett |
Wilkes Central High School |
Hannah Eddy |
Wilkes Central High School |
Linnette Fitzgerald |
Wilkes Central High School |
Jacqueline Johnson |
Wilkes Central High School |
Matthew Sherman |
Wilkes Central High School |
Dustin Triplett |
Wilkes Central High School |
Michelle Wetherington |
Wilkes Central High School |
Breanna Wooten |
Wilkes Central High School |
Brooke Bentley |
Wilkesboro Elementary School |
Alice Campbell |
Wilkesboro Elementary School |
Amber Mathis |
Wilkesboro Elementary School |
Shannon Yates |
Wilkesboro Elementary School |
Sarah Winebarger |
Wilkes Early College High School |
In accordance with North Carolina General Statute §115C-287.1, the attached list of administrators were granted for renewal of contract.
Administrator Contract Renewal List
Jennifer Blankenship |
Director |
July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025 |
Ashley Boykin |
Assistant Principal |
July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025 |
Rodney Graham |
Principal |
July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025 |
Candie Greer |
Assistant Principal |
July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025 |
Beth Hubbard |
Principal |
July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025 |
Tina Johnson |
Assistant Principal |
July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025 |
Delania Jones |
Principal |
July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025 |
Grant Tharpe |
Assistant Principal |
July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025 |
Craig Tidline |
Principal |
July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025 |
On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mrs. Huffman and duly carried, the Renewal of Licensed Personnel Subject to Obtaining a North Carolina Professional Educators License was approved as presented. North Carolina General Statute §115C-325 requires that a contract between the local board of education and a teacher who has been employed by the local board of education for less than three years be for a term of one school year. Teachers not recommended for renewal should receive a written notice by June 1st. Reasons for non-renewal cannot be arbitrary, capricious, discriminatory, personal, political, or prohibited by law. The attached list of teachers were approved for renewal of contract subject to the employee obtaining a North Carolina professional educators license by July 30, 2021.
Emily Perryman |
Exceptional Children Department |
Maranda Ferguson |
Central Wilkes Middle School |
Bobbie Perkins |
Central Wilkes Middle School |
Sydney Wallis |
East Wilkes High School |
Briana Hinshaw |
East Wilkes Middle School |
Allison Foster |
North Wilkes High School |
Robin Harmon |
North Wilkes Middle School |
Jennifer McNeill |
West Wilkes Middle School |
Andrea Skerbinc |
West Wilkes Middle School |
Chandler Bare |
Wilkes Central High School |
Holly Crum |
Wilkes Central High School |
On a motion by Mrs. Huffman, seconded by Mr. Walker and duly carried, the Revision of Board Policy 7240 Drug-Free and Alcohol-Free Workplace policy was approved as presented. The policy has been revised to consolidate employee-reporting procedures and to include updated federal reporting requirements.
On a motion by Mrs. Huffman, seconded by Mrs. Caudill and duly carried, the Software package for Finance and Human Resources was approved as presented. Education Management Systems (EMS), whose software solution is referred to as LINQ, has been the provider of Finance, HR, and Nutrition software for several years now. They have instituted a new offering for a discounted rate if we contract with them longer than 1 year. They have a standard 1-year rate of $7 per ADM but have added additional offerings of $6.50 per ADM for a 3-year commitment or $5.75 per ADM for a 5-year commitment. The contract is based on our current ADM, which is low due to Covid-19. The discounted rate will more than compensate even if the ADM happens to decrease further. The EMS LINQ and the software product itself are viable options now and will continue to be five years down the road. Attorney Johnson has reviewed the contract prior to this meeting.
On a motion by Mr. Walker, seconded by Mrs. Huffman and duly carried, the Supplemental Athletic Insurance for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 was approved as presented. The Young Group was the provider of our athletic supplemental insurance for 2020-2021. The rate they have offered is $21.50 per high school athlete and $10.25 per middle school athlete (no increase). Our premium will be $27,983.75. They are a reputable vendor as several surrounding districts utilize them for their athletic insurance needs. The coverage on these supplemental insurance plans is determined by the NCHSAA, so the coverage is the same regardless of the vendor.
On a motion by Mrs. Caudill, seconded by Mr. Kennedy and duly carried, the Out-of-County/Overnight Field Trip list was approved as presented. This trip was for one student to attend the following destination:
School |
Group |
Destination |
Dates |
North Wilkes High School |
JV/Varsity Girls' Basketball |
Catawba College
|
06/26/2021-06/28/2021 |
On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mrs. Huffman and duly carried, the Wilkes County Schools' Summer Program for 2020-2021 was approved as presented. The Department of Public Instruction has approved that all districts may administer the End-of-Grade (EOG) and End-of-Course (EOC) tests during a summer program. The scores from the tests will be included in the proficiency calculations for school accountability within the current accountability year, which ends on July 6, 2021. Wilkes County Schools has elected to provide a summer program, called “WCS Success Academy”, immediately following the last day of school. It will extend the school year for qualifying students by up to 4 days.
On a motion by Mrs. Huffman, seconded by Mr. Kennedy and duly carried, the Wilkes Community College Board of Trustee Appointment was approved as presented. Mr. Jay Vannoy was appointed for a four-year term beginning July 1, 2021.
Director of Career & Technical Education, Mr. Wayne Shepherd, submitted for discussion the CTE Local Plan for the 2021-2022 school year. The Career & Technical Education Local Planning System (LPS) is the vehicle for strategic planning, managing performance, and assuring accountability for CTE. Part I of the LPS is a system overview and strategic planning tool that includes a historical overview of related data. Part II contains the specifics of the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (no public access allowed). Part III includes a narrative of our plan for utilizing state and federal funding that will be used to address areas in need of improvement (based on the results of the Comprehensive Needs Assessment). Part IV is not applicable to our local CTE program. Part V includes a detailed budget plan for each funding source. Under Perkins V, CTE Local Applications are written to address the needs for a 2-year period. For that reason, and due to the challenges associated with COVID this past school year, the plan for 2021-2022 is not significantly different than the one submitted and approved last year. The following link permits public access to the CTE Local Plan: https://ccip.schools.nc.gov.
Chairman Mr. Holbrook had the following announcements:
- May 26, 2021 – Early Dismissal (Elementary 12:30 PM; Middle/High 1:00 PM)
- May 26, 2021 – Fourth Grading Period Ends
- May 27-28, 2021 – Required Workdays
- May 31, 2021 – Memorial Day Holiday
- June 1-3, 2021 – Optional Workdays
Chairman Mr. Holbrook announced the next meeting to be June 7, 2021. This meeting will be held in the Arnold and Becky Lakey Boardroom located at 613 Cherry Street, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina beginning at 5:30 PM.
On a motion by Mrs. Huffman, seconded by Mr. Kennedy and duly carried, there being no further business, the Board adjourned at 6:45 PM.
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