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written by Bladen County Schools

*This is not the official minutes of the meeting, only a recap summary of the meeting. Official minutes of a board meeting are approved by the Board at the next regularly scheduled board meeting.

Copy of the August Agenda

During its August 9, 2021 regular monthly meeting, the Bladen County Board of Education opened its meeting with the following members in attendance: Chris Clark, Dennis Edwards, Tim Benton, Gary Rhoda, Vinston Rozier, Cory Singletary (virtual) , Alan West, Glenn McKoy, and Roger Carroll. Board attorney Gary Grady was absent. The Board took the following action:

Approval of minutes from July Board meetings – July 19, 2021
The Board approved unanimously.

Citizen Participation –

Three individuals addressed the following topics with the Board during its Public Comment period. Board Chairman Roger Carroll read the following statement aloud before public comment participation: According to Board Policy 2310 (adopted October 1, 1988), the first part of at least one regularly scheduled board meeting will be set aside for citizens to address the board through public comment. Each speaker will receive three (3) minutes to present comments; however, the public comment session will not exceed thirty (30) minutes total except by majority vote of the board. During the public comment period, 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. Board members will not respond to individuals who address the board except to request clarification of points made by the presenter.

Request to meet with the Board in closed session; Critical Race Theory – (Corey Lyons, Bladen County NAACP President)
Financial support of textbooks for students attending BCC; data results and advocating for all students, not just EBHS students – (Elizabeth Ruffin-Cox, Counselor at East Bladen High School)
Economic challenge of student uniforms, logistics of students returning to in person learning, invitation to visit all the schools – (Donell Goins, Counselor at East Bladen High School)

Information Items –

Maintenance Update – Rusty Worley, BCS Maintenance director, shared with the Board for information only (not requiring action) an update on work being done by the maintenance department. Costs to rubberize track at high schools would be approximately 150K per school with a 10 year life; Cost to resurface would be 90K per high school; Tennis courts (should be put on concrete, not ashphalt or sand) – 250K at West courts to move courts to side near water tank due to the current location being on the lowest part of the land; 100K at East to repair – district put 100K into them three years ago; Cost to replace bleachers at middle schools will increase 130 to 142K due to company not bidding with tax.
Review of Pre-Covid Accountability Data – Dr. Anthony Hinson, BCS Accountability Director, shared with the Board for information only (not requiring action) Bladen County Schools’ 2018-2019 Performance Overview With New Math Standards

Consent Agenda – The Board approved all consent agenda items.

Exceptional Children contract – to contract with the NC Division for Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Bladen County to provide vocational services to students with disabilities.

Action Items

Student and Staff Masks – Superintendent Dr. Jason Atkinson presented to the Board four options to review and consider as they relate to student and staff masks for the 2021-2022 school year. The Board approved Option D by majority vote. Read the full details of the action item here.
Ensure dignity and nondiscrimination in schools – Superintendent Dr. Jason Atkinson presented to the Board (per their request at the July 19 board meeting) information relating to HB 324, which is in pending legislation. Dr. Atkinson contacted the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) who shared with him that Brunswick County, Cabarrus County, and Moore County school boards had recently enacted a policy change, a policy adoption, or a policy resolution to their board policies in consideration of HB 324. The Board approved to adopt a resolution similar to Cabarrus County’s by majority vote. Dr. Atkinson will bring a draft resolution to the Board at their next regular monthly meeting.
Spring Custom Board Policy Updates overview and details here – Superintendent Dr. Jason Atkinson presented to the Board 48 policies in the update – 23 with substantive updates and 25 with only minor changes (technical updates to statutory citations). There are no new policies in this update. Per standard procedure with custom policy updates, the Board votes to remove the policies from the table and then votes to adopt the policies. The Board voted unanimously.

Closed Session – To go into closed session for the purpose of discussing personnel, as per NCGS 143.318.11(a), to consult with an attorney, if needed, as per NCGS 143.318.11(a)(3), and to discuss student reassignment and student discipline as per the 1974 Family Rights and Privacy Act.

Certified / Classified Personnel – presented for Board approval by Dr. Antonia Beatty, BCS Assistant Superintendent of Administration. The Board approved by majority vote.

Superintendent’s Report

Successful summer leadership with district strategic plan being developed, professional development in Collective Efficacy, and school safety; lots of excitement looking forward to seeing students; early college staff return this week; board retreat to discuss strategic planning process; NCSBA eastern regional webinar August 25 (no in person mtg this fall); Met with Dr. Amanda Lee, BCC President and Jay Stanley, BCC Vice-president to discuss textbooks for BCS students; they will look at costs and ability to help; Open Education Resources (OER) may be feasible in place of textbooks; Dr. Lee to attend Sept board meeting to update our board of BCC initiatives.

After no further discussion, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:50 pm. Board members were invited by Dr. Robert Heavenridge, BCS Transportation Director to tour the school bus parked outside the office. The tour featured new security cameras and exterior lighting, which provides added safety for bus passengers. BCS’s entire school bus fleet has been retrofitted with these new features.

The next regular Board of Education monthly meeting will be held on
September 13, 2021 at 6:00 pm.