The Alexander County Board of Education met Tuesday evening.
Renee Meade
ACHS SkillsUSA winners recognized
Eight Alexander Central High School students were recognized by the board of education members and administration for placing in the state SkillsUSA competition in Greensboro, NC in April.
Competition winners are as follows:
Architectural Drafting: Silver Medal – Sarah Gilbert
Carpentry: Silver Medal – Elijah Peal; Bronze Medal – Bentley Gilbert
Drafting 1: 4th Place – Ashlyn Turnmire; 5th Place – Noah Jamison
Basic Firefighting: Bronze Medal – William Harris; 4th Place – Lane Herman
Information Technology Services: Silver Medal – Isaak Mauck
Elijah Peal was selected to compete in Carpentry in the national SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta, Georgia on June 20-25.
ACHS staff advisors are Josh Bowles, Justin Deal, Roy Hadley, and Dustin Hand.
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA offers many opportunities for growth through career competitions.
NC Tobacco Trust Fund Grant winner
Alexander Central Agricultural teacher, Scottie Cook is a recipient of the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission Program Improvement Grant. Fourteen agricultural education programs in the state were selected to receive funds. Mr. Cook will receive $15,000 for his project entitled, Improving Student Marketability in Ag Mechanics. This project will provide an additional tool to enhance career development by purchasing a Plasma Torch CNC Machine and table for the Ag Mechanics shop.
Cook Named ACS’ 2022 NCCAT CTE Teacher of the Year
Alexander Central High School Career and Technical Education teacher Scottie Cook is the 2021-2022 Alexander County Schools Career & Technical Education (CTE) Teacher of the Year. Mr. Cook has been teaching for over 23 years. He currently teaches Ag Mechanics I and II classes and is one of the sponsors of the outstanding FFA program at ACHS.
The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) announced the first annual 2022 NCCAT CTE Teacher of the Year Award. The NCCAT CTE Teacher of the Year process was developed to honor and retain excellent CTE teachers and education leaders in North Carolina public schools and public charter schools. Each district is allowed to nominate one teacher in the district, which will continue onto regional and state competitions. Candidates for this award show excellence in contributions to student success, innovations in CTE, and leadership in the local and greater CTE community.
Seno is finalist for the ASU NC Principal Fellows Program
Alexander Central High School teacher Katherine Seno has been selected as one of the 15 finalists for the NC Principal Fellows Program at Appalachian State University. The ASU Principal Fellows Program is a two-year program that prepares outstanding educators to serve as school administrators in NC Public Schools. The NC Principal Fellows Program provides participants with full in-state tuition and fees for the 36 credit hour, 2-year Masters in School Administration. Candidates receive salary replacement during the second year for the 10-month, full-time internship at the salary level commensurate to the position they hold currently in the 2021-2022 school year (plus any relevant step increases and raises). Participation in the Principal Fellows Program requires a commitment of service for 4 years in an NC Public School as a school administrator, and candidates must repay the grant through service.
Houston and Loudermelk receive ASU Public School Partnership mini-grants
Two Taylorsville Elementary teachers received grant allocations for the Appalachian State University Public School Partnership mini grants.
Heather Houston received funding for her project titled: Oh the Places We Can go with Reading and Writing in the amount of $993.25. The project will provide students with materials that promote reading and writing while collaborating with a virtual community.
Shana Loudermelk received funding for her project titled: Opening Doors for Special Learners in the amount of $889. This project will create an outdoor learning space in an already fenced-in, outdoor area of the school campus. This space will also serve as a sensory break from the confinement of the typical classroom.
Appalachian State University Public School Partnership awards mini-grants twice a year to build relationships between Appalachian State faculty members by engaging in collaborative projects that are connected to internships, student teaching, professional development of teachers, and/or student learning (P12 and preservice teachers). The funding is not intended to take the place of current money, but should be used to expand or refine existing efforts or to begin new initiatives.
Bethlehem Elementary Roof Repair and Replacement Made Possible Through DPI Grant
Bethlehem Elementary School will get a new roof thanks to a North Carolina Department of Public Education (NCDPI) grant and the 2021-2022 Needs-Based Capital Fund. The roof repair and replacement project will cost $1,353,370.
Alexander County Schools is one of more than two dozen school districts across North Carolina to share nearly $400 million in new state lottery-funded grant awards for school construction, renovation projects, and other capital improvements.
“The Alexander County Board of Education and I are so pleased with the award from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund. This funding will be instrumental in addressing one of the capital needs in our school system. Awards such as this positively impact our students, staff, and communities, and for that, we are extremely grateful,” stated Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Hefner.
The grants, awarded under the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, represent the largest annual allocation under the program, created by the General Assembly in 2017 from state lottery revenues. The grants are in addition to the state’s lottery-supported Public School Building Capital Fund, from which all districts receive an allocation each year.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt said the needs-based grants are a key support for districts where local tax resources fall short of needs for modernizing or replacing aging school facilities.
“Just as all students in North Carolina need an excellent teacher in every classroom,” she said, “students and teachers need high-quality schools in good repair that help support learning. These needs-based grants are an important boost for many districts and communities – and most importantly, their students.”
Maintenance Director Chris Campbell submitted the grant application on behalf of Alexander County Schools. NCDPI reviewed the grant applications based on priorities in the law, including the ability to generate revenue, high debt-to-tax revenue ratio, and the extent to which a project will address critical deficiencies in adequately serving the current and future student population.
Ellendale Elementary School Update
Ellendale Elementary School Principal Mr. Jason Evans presented a demographic overview of the student and staff at the school. He noted the school has 213 students with a 33 percent free and reduced population. Seventeen percent of the student population is receiving Exceptional Children services.
Mr. Evans highlighted student growth, parental involvement, and community partnerships.
Superintendent’s Report
Associate Superintendent Dr. Betsy Curry gave the following report.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) calculated the average daily membership used for projecting state funding in the fiscal year 2022-2023. DPI funds school systems based on 2022-2023 projected ADM or the higher of the first two months ADM for 2021-2022. Next year the funded ADM will be 4,497 students. The projected ADM was higher than our actual ADM for the first two months of school. The allotted ADM was 4,663 for this school year. That is a loss of funding for 166 students.
On the May 5 update from NCASA, there was an excerpt detailing the work of the
Government and Community Affairs Committee. NCDPI staff this month provided a brief overview of the legislative priorities proposed during the April State Board of Education (SBE) meeting, which included items such as a new school psychologist internship program, as well as funding for 115 additional early literacy specialists.