02/25/2025 New Hanover BOE Meeting Summary pt2

Apr 28, 2025

Board Meeting: Key Discussions and Decisions

Agenda Modifications

  • New Agenda Item: A Personnel item was added to the agenda after the Personnel report.
  • Motion Passed: 7 to 0 in favor of adding the new Personnel item.

Personnel Reports

  • Approval: The Personnel report was approved unanimously.
  • Contract Agreement: Motion to enter into a contract agreement with Superintendent Dr. Burs was passed 7 to 0.

Open Meetings Law Briefing

  • Reminder: Board members were reminded about the requirements of open meetings law.
  • Communication Caution: Simultaneous texting or emails by a majority (more than four members) can constitute a board meeting and should be avoided to prevent scrutiny.

Contracts and Purchase Orders

  • Policy 6420: Contracts above $300,000 require board approval. Contracts between $100,000 and $300,000 are reported for informational purposes.
  • Revised Reports: New reports with more detailed information were provided to the board members.

Stop Arm Cameras for Buses

  • Proposal: Installation of cameras on school bus stop arms to catch violators.
  • Collaboration Required: Must work with the sheriff's department and county commissioners.
  • Potential Revenue: Citations issued could provide some revenue, shared with the partnering company.
  • Motion: Directed the superintendent to pursue county ordinance for this initiative, passed unanimously.

Summer School Update

  • Plans: Proceeding with the same process as last year for summer school involving credit recovery and other programs.
  • Incentives: Discussions on partnering for attendance incentives.

Call to Audience

  • Apology Request: Discussion on whether the board should formally apologize to Reverend Dante Murphy for interruption during his call to audience.
  • Motion to Apologize: The motion did not pass.

Presidential Mandate and Strategic Plan

  • Discussion: Impact of new guidance from the federal government on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
  • Federal Funding Concerns: Board discussed potential impacts on federal funding due to non-compliance.
  • Legal Advice: Emphasized the need for legal guidance on compliance.
  • Motion Passed: Begin removing DEI and gender identity aspects from policies, with a focus on updating the strategic plan.

Curriculum Item: Family Life Education

  • Discussion: Comparison between "My Life" and "Stepping Stones" curriculums.
  • Concerns: Compliance with federal guidance.
  • Motion to Amend: Retain both curriculums but allow for legal and staff review to ensure compliance.
  • Motion Passed: To address this topic in-depth in the next meeting.

Committee Reports

  • No specific reports mentioned in the transcript.

Adjournment

  • Motion to Adjourn: Passed unanimously at the end of the meeting.