The meeting, which took place Thursday and Friday at UNC's George Watts Hill Alumni Center, focused on the Minority Student Achievement program, the operating budget, and capital improvement plans, which included the addition of new schools to accommodate growth in the area.
Board member Maryanne Rosenman said the minority achievement program, which implements activities to address the existing achievement gap between minority and white students, has been tagged by the board as the No. 1 priority. The program will include more than 200 activities and has an expected budget of close to $900,000. "We have a strategic plan for six years, and MSA should last beyond those six years," Rosenman said. "We're really working hard to close the gap. I admire our district for taking on this project."
The board also looked over a 10-year plan that outlines the building of schools needed to accommodate an explosion in area growth. Elementary school 9, high school 3 and elementary school 10 were listed as the top priorities, said board member Nick Didow. "We've been one of the fastest-growing school systems in North Carolina for the past 15 years," he said. "These (new schools) will hopefully accommodate growth."
The board approved the contract to build elementary school 9 for about $15 million. The new school, which is expected to open in August 2003, will be located near Meadowmont, a mixed-use community on N.C. 54.
Didow added that the new school might not necessarily follow the same model of instruction used in the district's established schools. "We're very pleased with the success our current elementary schools have brought our students, but we would certainly be open to other options," he said.
The board also discussed the development of another high school to serve the southern part of the district.
Didow said the high school might act as a magnet school or offer an alternative curriculum. A location for the new school has yet to be determined.
"Our board has been exploring alternative school models and programs for over a year," he said. "We're quite interested in some different applications to faculty and students. Our current two are outstanding. Possibly (high school 3) could be focused on drama or an independent study-based one."
Steve Scroggs, assistant superintendent for support services, said a possible location for the high school is near the Southern Village community.
