The Orange County Schools Board of Education met on March 18 to discuss its Bond and Capital Project Recommendations, plans for the after-school program and the end-of-year testing and re-teaching plan.
What's new?
- The Board recognized Xavier Adams, a teacher at Orange High School, for being honored by Gov. Roy Cooper for his work as an African American educator in North Carolina.
- “I’ve worked in this school district for four years — it’s been four of the best years of my life,” Adams said. “I’ve been truly grateful to be able to work with the families, the students and the community.”
- Chief Operations Officer Dwayne Foster, Director of Maintenance Henry McKee, Capital and Facilities Director Patrick Florence and Chris Whitley of the Cumming Group presented Bond and Capital Projects recommendations.
- They recommended that the district use funding they’ve received to complete school improvement projects, including the creation of a new elementary school to replace one of OCS’s oldest elementary facilities.
- “Financially, we take the $49.5 million that we have to build the 600-student elementary school and we believe that the remaining funds will help us to address the high priority needs in educational adequacy at the other schools and facilities,” Foster said.
- Board members said it was important to communicate with voters about the projects and maintain transparency.
- “I just think communicating that whole portfolio is important so folks understand it's not just the more key projects that are getting done, there's actually a whole bunch of other work that's going to be done too,” board member Sarah Smylie said.
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Chris Gammon, the executive director of curriculum and instruction, presented a proposal recommending that OCS outsources the after-school program to the YMCA of the Triangle for the 2024-25 school year.
- The rationale for outsourcing includes challenges staffing the after-school program, high debt levels and past-due accounts, Gammon said.
- Gammon said that upon Board approval, next steps include mapping out logistical elements with the YMCA, including conducting formal agreement between the groups.
- Board members raised concerns about how outsourcing the program would impact the compensation and benefit for current employees.
- Gammon confirmed that OCS staff would have priority in jobs for the YMCA after-school program.
- Chief Academic Officer Denise Greene presented the End-of-Year/Class/Grade re-teaching and re-administration plan, which would provide opportunities for students to receive additional instruction in subjects where mastery was not demonstrated and allow them to retake the exam following remediation.
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Rhonda Rath, the district’s chief finance officer, presented Superintendent Danielle Jones’ recommended local operating budget for the 2025 fiscal year.
- At the board’s next meeting on April 8, there will be a public hearing for community members to make comments regarding the recommended budget, Rath said.
What decisions were made?
- The Board voted unanimously to approve the presented recommendations for a new elementary school and other related Bond and Capital school improvement projects.
- The Board voted unanimously to approve the after-school outsourcing plan.
- The Board voted unanimously to approve the EOY/EOC/EOG re-teaching and administration plan.
- The Board approved a proposal that would keep 2024-25 school fees the same as the previous year.
What's next?
- The Board’s next meeting will be April 8 in the Whitted Human Services Building in Hillsborough.
