Denita-Dowell-Reavis
The Alexander County Board of Education held its regularly scheduled meeting for June on the 16th. The meeting opened with the pledge led by board member Jesse Bowles.
Work Session
Before the full meeting, board members heard from Taylor Dellinger with the Western Piedmont Council of Governments, a regional planning agency. He gave three options for redrawing voting districts for the school board. The new districts would not affect where students go to school.
In November 2024, Alexander County voters approved a referendum that requires the voting districts to be redrawn to match the 2020 census. The referendum also established that Alexander County School Board members must be elected by political party.
The school board’s voting districts have not been updated since 2001. The law says the districts must be equal in population to avoid one area of the county having more influence than the other. Based on Alexander County’s population, the target is 5,206 voters per district with an allowance of plus or minus five percent of the target number.
The ideal map would have seven equal-sized districts, would avoid splitting voting precincts or neighborhoods, and be similar to the boundaries for the students attending the seven elementary schools.
Dellinger presented the three proposals.
“We were able to work it out where you don’t have to run against each other. And I think that’s the fairest way to do it,” he said.
In each of the proposals, the land mass of Bethlehem’s voting districts is smaller because it represents a high concentration of people. In the proposals, a district that shows a bigger geographical area that would encompass Ellendale and Sugarloaf.
Alexander County Schools’ next step will be to allow for public input and questions in July.
The board of elections would like to get the maps as soon as possible to allow the group to notify the public. The voting districts will affect filing for office, which begins December 1st.
Honors and Recognitions
Dr. Denita Dowell-Reavis opened the regular meeting with recognition for teachers and staff who earned their local endorsement for teaching Academically and Intellectually Gifted students during the school year. The staff members completed an estimated 60 hours of work through the Northwest RESA while still working their regular assignments. The studies included lesson planning and differentiation for high-performing students. Adding to the number of certified AIG teachers is one of the district’s goals in the three-year AIG plan.
Dr. Amy Bowles – Central Services
Dr. Denita Dowell-Reavis – Central Services
Ms. Mary Beth Bumgarner – Alexander Early College
Mr. Ashley Bumgarner – Alexander Early College
Ms. Jessica Cook – East Alexander Middle School
Ms. Christy Crouse – Hiddenite Elementary School
Ms. Lydia Gwaltney – Stonypoint Elementary School
Ms. Rebecca Johnson – East Alexander Middle School
Ms. Allie Lackey – East Alexander Middle School
MyFutureNC
Dr. Kim Case presented to the board about the work of MyFutureNC, a nonprofit organization aimed at making sure more North Carolinians get work credentials after high school and/or continue with completion of college or university classwork. The goal is to make sure that the state is economically competitive. In particular, the MyFutureNC statistics show that Alexander County could work on the following:
Reduce individuals with some college, no degree.
Increase attainment in non-degree credentials and bachelor’s degrees.
Align degree programs with labor market needs to prevent oversupply.
Case told the board that in Alexander County a single parent of one child would need an estimated $32 per hour to earn a sustainable wage. For a family with two parents and two children, the earner would need to make $22 an hour. She also pointed out that rural counties struggle to grow economically because they lack affordable housing and childcare.
Superintendent Dr. Bill Griffin asked the board members to adopt a resolution supporting the work of MyFuture NC. The intent is to outwardly collaborate with business partners and other elected leaders. The board approved the resolution.
Since 2019, when MyFutureNC was founded, the number of North Carolinians aged 25-44 holding a degree or credential has increased statewide by 15 percent.
CTE Update
Career and Technical Education Director Crystal Hoke presented the CTE update which focused on partnerships the department is enjoying. She also reported that the percentage of students who have successfully gotten their credentials has increased from 47.8% in 2022-23 to 62% in 2023-24. The latest data from 2024-25 must be approved by the state before it can be released.
Hoke also talked about employers who visited with students both at the high school and middle schools in hopes of inspiring them in their job planning. She says the department is also promoting job shadowing and internships.
Hoke says that the state and federal funding for CTE has been cut by about $80,000. However, the department has gotten more than 359-thousand dollars in grants to upgrade the school kitchens and other specific projects.
Administrative Updates
The board approved more administrative shifts Monday evening as the district prepares for the 2025-26 school year. AP Heather Houston will move to the high school after it was announced June 9th that Ed Wills is moving to Caldwell County for a principal position. Houston has been at West Alexander Middle School since 2022 where she worked as an instructional coach and then as Assistant Principal. Houston started her career as a teacher at Taylorsville Elementary.
Wills has worked as an AP at ACHS since November of 2022. Before serving as an administrator, Wills taught social studies and coached the boys basketball team for several years at Alexander Central. Wills says he is “excited about this opportunity” as he plans his move to Hibriten High School to be the school’s principal.
A second assistant principal position at the high school will be filled by English teacher and assistant softball coach, Averi Miller. The slot became open after AP Jennifer Miller was selected as the new principal at Ellendale Elementary. Jennifer Miller had served at ACHS since moving over last fall from East Alexander Middle School. Averi Miller has also taught at Claremont Elementary and Mill Creek Middle School. She graduated from Alexander Central in 2011. She will start at the high school as AP in August.
Next, Ashley Jenkins will move to West Alexander Middle School as the assistant principal. Jenkins has served as assistant principal in a position split between Hiddenite and Bethlehem Elementary Schools since the 2022 school year. Before Jenkins came to Alexander County, she worked at Webb Murray Elementary in Catawba County. The district plans to post the assistant principal position shared between the two schools.
Another new hire will work as the Student Success Coordinator and is a familiar name for the community. Dr. Angie Charles worked as the SSC coordinator once before and also served as the principal of East Alexander Middle School. Charles has a doctorate in leadership from Wingate University. Charles is expected to start on July 1st.
The spot at SSC became open after coordinator Brett Huffman was hired as the transportation director in Catawba County. Huffman returns to the county where he started his administrative career. His new position begins July 1st.