Regular Meeting

Dates:

Monday, February 17, 2020 - 5:30pm

The Transylvania County Board of Education will hold a regular business meeting on Monday, February 17, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. at the Morris Education Center, 225 Rosenwald Lane, Brevard. The meeting is open to the public.

Groups audience:

School Board

I. Opening of Meeting

Invocation

Pledge of Allegiance

Call to Order

Welcome

Groups audience:

School Board

II. Business Items

Groups audience:

School Board

01. Approval of Agenda

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action	X
Excellent Educators		Information
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

A motion is in order to approve or revise the meeting agenda for February 17, 2020.

Groups audience:

School Board

02. Closed Session

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action	X
Excellent Educators		Information
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

Pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 143-318.11(a)(1) and 115C-319, the board will go into closed session to discuss a confidential personnel matter.

A motion is in order to go into closed session.

Groups audience:

School Board

03. Public Comment

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

The board of education, as an elected representative body of the school system, wishes to provide a forum for citizens to express interests and concerns related to the school system. In order that the board may conduct an order meeting while providing an opportunity for input, individuals or groups may be heard by the board in accordance with policy 2310, Public Participation at Board Meetings, or policy 2300, Board Meetings (subsection D.2).

Each month, the first part of at least one regularly scheduled board meeting will be set aside for citizens to address the board through public comment.

A sign-up sheet will be available 30 minutes before the meeting begins for any individual or group to indicate their desire to address the board.

Each speaker will receive 3 minutes to present comments. The public comment session will not exceed 30 minutes total except by majority vote of the board.

The board chair will recognize speakers in the order in which they signed in. Substitute speakers will not be permitted and speakers may not donate any portion of their time to another speaker. If a speaker is unable to present all of his or her information within the specified time limit, the speaker may provide the board with additional information in written form. If an unusually large number of people requests to speak, a majority of the board may decide to reduce the time for each individual or to require the designation of a spokesperson for each group of persons supporting or opposing the same positions. At any time, the board may establish additional procedures to ensure that public comment sessions proceed in an efficient and order manner.

Board members will not respond to individuals who address the board except to request clarification of points made by the presenter.

Except in cases of emergency, information received during presentations will not be acted upon at the time it is received. It will take unanimous vote of the board members present to take action on a presentation considered to be of an unusual or emergency nature at the time it is presented.

Disruptions by any person or persons of a public meeting will be subject to action in accordance with G.S. 143-318.17.

Complaints about the performance of school personnel, implementation of board policy, the quality of the educational program, or school facilities should be submitted initially for a response to the school system official responsible for the program or facility or to the superintendent. The superintendent or designee shall make available policy 2310, Public Participation at Board Meetings, and other relevant grievance procedures to any individual or group submitting a complaint.

The board may choose to offer a second opportunity for public comment at the end of the meeting. Sign-ups will not be required for the second public comment opportunity.

No solicitations will be allowed during public comment.

Groups audience:

School Board

04. Good News Report

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship	X	Action
Excellent Educators	X	Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

TCS Science & Technology Expo

Congratulations to the following winners of the 2020 District Science Fair & Technology Expo that was held on January 27 at the Transylvania County Library:

SENIOR DIVISION

Biological Science A

1st Place: Nicole Vargas Sancho, Jarek Stewart Karlowics and Elise Poche (BHS): Antimicrobial Activity of Microorganisms Isolated from Western North Carolina Mushrooms

2nd Place: Isaiah Lefler and Graham Green (BHS): An Evaluation of Utilizing Nitrifying Bacteria in Conjunction with Martian Resources to Enable Hydroponic Growth

Biological Science B

1st Place: Fritz Ruppert and Jon Gibson (BHS): Evaluation of the Role of Cryptochromes in Culex quinquefasciatus Magnetoreception

Physics and Math

1st Place: Josh Kupras and Heath Sanders (RHS): Evaluating the Efficiency of Using Martian Materials as Fuel to Reach Martian Orbit

Technology

1st Place: Kathryn Hart and Andy McKibbon (BHS): Developing Computational Models Using Deep Learning Softwares to Identify Individuals Within the Eastern Spotted Skunk Species

Engineering

1st Place: Frank Parsons, Ben Caroway, and Satchel Malo (BHS): The Effectiveness of a 3D Printed Hydrogel to Sustain Algal Growth

Environmental Science

1st Place: Marli Cohen and Ada Weaver (BHS): Different Anodes Effects’ on Biofilm Formation of Local Photosynthetic Microorganisms in Biophotovoltaic Cells

2nd Place: Ivy Scott and Josie Troyer (BHS): Characterization of Pigments Extracted from Southern Appalachian Mushrooms as Sensitizers in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

JUNIOR DIVISION

Biological Science B

1st Place: Madison Henderson (BMS): Mystery Cupcakes

2nd Place: Maxwell Rowell (BMS): Ages Between Magic

3rd Place: Vanessa Miranda-Pineda and Brea Boyd (BMS): Fashion

Honorable Mention: Kyleigh Gillespie and Haley McCall (BMS): Are Dogs Color Blind?

Chemistry

1st Place: Elodi Malo and Lilly Vanderburg (BMS): What’s In Your Water?

Physics

1st Place: Wyatt Bandhauer (RMS): Do You Hear What I Ear?

2nd Place: Lucas Akyroyd (BMS): Which is Better—Aluminum or Wood?

ELEMENTARY DIVISION

1st Place: Sophie Owen (BES): To Rust or Not to Rust

1st Place: Hollyn Compton (BES): Bone Reactions

1st Place: Izayah Dill (RES): Comet Debris

2nd Place: Wrenna Baldwin (BES): Feline Designs

2nd Place: Chelsea Borman (PFES): Can We Clean Up Oil Spills in a Non-Toxic Way?

2020 Western Region Science Fair Winners

Congratulations to the following TIME Science students for their achievements in the 2020 Western Region Science Fair that was held on February 14 at Western Carolina University:

1^st Place Biology A: Isaiah Lefler and Graham Green (BHS): An Evaluation of Utilizing Nitrifying Bacteria in Conjunction with Martian Resources to Enable Hydroponic Growth

2^nd Place Biology A: Nicole Vargas Sancho, Jarek Stewart Karlowics and Elise Poche (BHS): Antimicrobial Activity of Microorganisms Isolated from Western North Carolina Mushrooms

1^st Place Biology B: Fritz Ruppert and Jon Gibson (BHS): Evaluation of the Role of Cryptochromes in Culex quinquefasciatus Magnetoreception

1^st Place Physics; Special Award in Physics and Chemistry: Josh Kupras and Heath Sanders (RHS): Evaluating the Efficiency of Using Martian Materials as Fuel to Reach Martian Orbit

2^nd Place Technology; Best Biodiversity Research Project presented by Highlands Biological Station: Kathryn Hart and Andy McKibbon (BHS): Developing Computational Models Using Deep Learning Softwares to Identify Individuals Within the Eastern Spotted Skunk Species

1^st Place Engineering; Kimmel School Special Prize in Engineering and Technology; Stockholm Junior Water Prize; Regional Water Prize Award: Frank Parsons, Ben Caroway, and Satchel Malo (BHS): The Effectiveness of a 3D Printed Hydrogel to Sustain Algal Growth

1^st Place Environmental Science; Special Award in Environmental Science: Ivy Scott and Josie Troyer (BHS): Characterization of Pigments Extracted from Southern Appalachian Mushrooms as Sensitizers in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Black History Month

The month of February is celebrated as Black History Month in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Classrooms everywhere have activities throughout the month to commemorate the important people and events of the Civil Rights movement and the contributions and accomplishments of African-Americans in every area of endeavor in history.

National School Counseling Week

National School Counseling Week 2020, “School Counselors: Helping Build Better Humans,” was celebrated during the week of February 3-7, 2020 to focus public attention on the important and unique contribution of school counselors within our schools. School counselors have a tremendous impact in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. Join us in thanking these dedicated professionals for all they do.

“Love the Bus” / School Bus Driver Appreciation Week

February is “Love the Bus” month nationwide, and February 10-14 was “School Bus Driver Appreciation Week” in North Carolina. Here are some facts about school buses and bus drivers that you may not know:

In North Carolina, over 14,000 school buses operate daily and travel a total of 181,285,181 route miles per year (this does not include activity buses or “spare” school buses).
Nearly 795,000 total students ride the bus to and from school in our state.
The average bus ride time for students is 24 minutes.
According to the National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other authorities, school buses are the safest form of transportation for getting children to and from school. A child is 13 times safer in a school bus than in other modes of travel.
School bus drivers go through intense, highly specialized training to ensure they are knowledgeable about student behavior management, school bus features, the loading and unloading process, and security and emergency medical procedures. Drivers must participate in pre-employment as well as random drug and alcohol tests, driving record checks, background checks, and medical exams.
“National School Bus Yellow” is an actual color.
The school bus system is the largest transportation system in the nation.

We ask a great deal of our drivers, and we encourage students, parents and staff to take a moment to express their appreciation for the expertise of these dedicated men and women as they serve our children and keep them safe every day.

Random Acts of Kindness

February 17th is "National Random Acts of Kindness Day." Members of the College Walk Retirement Community recently gave a “Random Acts of Kindness” $10 Ingles gift card to the school system. Mr. Barger will request that Alan Justice give the card to a deserving school bus driver. Brevard Elementary students and staff are counting up to 1,000 acts of kindness over a two-week period to spread kindness and raise awareness for the “Jameson’s Joy” campaign.

For more good news from Transylvania County Schools, please visit us at:

Home Page: www.tcsnc.org ǀ Facebook: facebook.com/transylvaniaschools

Twitter: twitter.com/transylvaniasch ǀ Flickr: flickr.com/tcsnc

Instagram: Instagram.com/transylvaniaschools ǀ YouTube: youtube.com/tcsnc

Smartphone App: Transylvania County Schools on Play Store and iTunes

SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/transylvaniacountyschools

Public Attachments:

Good News Report 2020-02-17.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

05. Former Students in the Military

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

The board wishes to thank the former students from Brevard High School, Rosman High School, and Davidson River School who are currently serving or have previously served in the U.S. Military. The attached list of names is recognized at every meeting and read aloud twice a year in recognition of Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Additional names will be included as they are received.

Public Attachments:

Military List 2-17-20.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

06. Consent Agenda

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action	X
Excellent Educators	X	Information
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

The following items are submitted for consent approval (see attachments):

Minutes of the January 21, 2020 meeting
Personnel report for February 17, 2020
Non-faculty coaches for spring sports 2020

A motion is in order to approve the consent agenda items.

Public Attachments:

Minutes 1-21-20.pdf

Non-Faculty Coaches_Spring 2020.pdf

Personnel Report 2-17-20.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

07. School Calendar for 2020-2021

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action	X
Excellent Educators		Information
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

At the January 21 meeting, Dr. Brian Weaver presented the recommended school calendar for the 2020-2021 year. There have been no changes to the draft calendar since that time. Dr. Weaver will answer questions and request approval of the calendar as presented.

A motion is in order to approve the school calendar for the 2020-2021 year.

Public Attachments:

2020-2021 DRAFT TCS Calendar Draft Version for BOE Approval January 2020.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

08. Educator Recruitment and Retention

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators	X	Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

This topic was postponed from the February 3 planning retreat / work session:

Dr. Brian Weaver will give an update from the Educator Climate Committee that was tasked last spring with looking at why teachers leave the school system (or the teaching profession) and ways in which we can improve in order to retain more teachers.

Public Attachments:

BOE Report- Teacher Retention_Recruitment_January 2020.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

09. Policy 3460, Graduation Requirements

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship	X	Action	X
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

Curriculum Director Missy Ellenberger will recommend a revision to policy 3460, Graduation Requirements (see attached). Approval of the revised policy will be requested at the next regular meeting on March 2.

A motion is in order to accept revised policy 3460 as first-read information.

Public Attachments:

Policy 3460_revised.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

10. Schematic Designs & Bond Update

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

Architects from Clark Nexsen will present schematic designs for the school bond construction projects. Norris Barger will provide an update on progress to date and answer any questions.

Groups audience:

School Board

11. Resolution to Support the MyFutureNC Attainment Goal

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship	X	Action	X
Excellent Educators		Information
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

MyFutureNC is a statewide non-profit organization focused on educational attainment and economic development for the citizens of North Carolina. It has a stated goal of having two million North Carolinians earn a high-quality credential or postsecondary degree by 2030. The North Carolina School Boards Association Board of Directors adopted a resolution in support of the work of myFutureNC at their September meeting. Local boards of education have been asked to adopt a similar resolution of support. A draft resolution is attached for your review.

A motion would be in order to adopt the resolution in support of the myFutureNC attainment goal.

Public Attachments:

Resolution Supporting MyFutureNC Attainment Goals.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

12. NCSBA Legislative Committee Application

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action	X
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

The North Carolina School Boards Association Board of Directors is inviting each local school board to nominate one member to serve on the next NCSBA Legislative Committee. The Legislative Committee is tasked with developing a draft legislative agenda for NCSBA and providing guidance to the Board of Directors on legislative matters. Eight “at large” local school board members will be selected to serve.

Interested individuals should be nominated through a vote of the full board taken in open session. The nominee should be able to commit to attending both of the committee’s two scheduled meetings (July 20 and September 14, 2020) in Raleigh. A memorandum from Director Leanne Winner and the application form are attached. The deadline to submit an application is March 5.

The board may nominate a member to serve on the 2020 NCSBA Legislative Committee.

Public Attachments:

NCSBA Legislative Committee Memo 2020.pdf

NCSBA Legislative Committee Application 2020.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

13. Report from Board Training Events

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

North Carolina statute requires board of education members to receive a minimum of 12 hours of professional development training every two years. Local board policy states that members who attend a training activity will provide a report of the event to other board members. On January 23-24, Courtney Domokur attended the NCSBA Public Policy Conference in Raleigh. She will share updates from that conference and other events.

Groups audience:

School Board

14. Superintendent's Update

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

Dr. McDaris will give an update on current and emerging educational issues.

Groups audience:

School Board

15. Important Dates

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

Feb. 27	SCHOOL FACILITY TOURS	7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.	TCH, RES, BES, BMS, PFES, DRS
Mar. 2	REGULAR MEETING	5:30 p.m.	MEC
Mar. 16	REGULAR MEETING	6:30 p.m.	MEC
Mar. 23	Teacher workday
Apr. 6	REGULAR MEETING	6:30 p.m.	MEC
Apr. 7	“Teacher of the Year” Awards Reception	5:30 p.m.	Rogow Room
Apr. 10	Students dismissed at noon	12:00 p.m.
Apr. 13-17	Spring break

Groups audience:

School Board

16. Public Comment

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

The board will provide a second opportunity for public comment.

Groups audience:

School Board

17. Other Items

Strategic Priority		Reason for Consideration
Graduates Prepared for Work, Higher Education and Citizenship		Action
Excellent Educators		Information	X
Healthy, Safe and Responsible Students		Discussion
Operations and Support	X

An opportunity will be provided for comments and/or other items from board members.

Groups audience:

School Board

III. Adjournment

Groups audience:

School Board