3. New Business

Groups audience:

A. Golden Leaf Grant Application (Action)

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

Dr. Lisa Fletcher will present a Golden Leaf Grant application for Board approval. The grant application is due by March 21, 2025. Dr. Fletcher will answer any questions you may have.

A Motion is in order to approve the Golden Leaf Grant application.

Public Attachments:

Golden_Leaf_Grant_Presentation_Concise.pptx.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

B. Wide-Area Network Contract Renewal (Action)

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

Director Chris Whitlock will present an Addendum to the current contract between Transylvania County Schools and Comporium, Inc. to extend the school district’s WAN (wide-area network) connectivity until June 30, 2026. Board approval is required for expenditures in excess of $90,000. Mr. Whitlock will answer any questions you may have. The Contract and Addendum are attached.

A Motion is in order to approve the Contract Addendum between Comporium, Inc., and Transylvania County Schools to extend WAN connectivity until June 30, 2026, pending Contract review by the Board attorney.

Public Attachments:

5 Comporium Contract WAN 24-25.pdf

6 WAN addendum.pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

C. School Calendar 2025-2026 (Action)

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	X
Operations and Support	X

Two calendar committee meetings were held in December and January during which the committee developed two draft calendars for the 2025-2026 school year. The committee included parent and staff representatives from each school.

Dr. Brian Weaver will discuss options, answer any questions you may have, and request Board approval of a 2025-2026 calendar. The recommended draft calendar is attached.

North Carolina’s current calendar law is summarized as:

Requirements and Guidance on School Calendar - S.L. 2020-3 (SB704) Updated June 30, 2020. School calendars must meet the following requirements:

Start date no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26 and end date no later than the Friday closest to June 11 (unless a weather related calendar waiver has been approved, year-round school, charter school or cooperative innovative high school.) If waiver is approved the start date can be no earlier than the Monday closest to August 19.
There are no educational purpose waivers for exemption of the opening and/or closing dates.
All schools within the district must be closed all day for purposes of determining eligibility for a weather related waiver (delayed starts or early dismissals of two or more hours no longer apply).
Covers at least nine calendar months.
Must have a minimum of 185 days OR 1,025 hours of instruction.
Must have at least nine (9) teacher workdays.
Local Boards shall designate two (2) workdays on which teachers may take accumulated vacation leave. Local Boards may designate the remaining workdays as days teachers may take accumulated vacation leave.
Have a minimum of ten (10) annual vacation leave days.
Have the same or an equivalent number of legal holidays occurring within the school calendar as those designated by the State Personnel Commission for State employees.
School shall not be held on Sunday.
Veterans Day shall be a holiday for all public school personnel and for all students enrolled in the public schools.

A Motion is in order to adopt a school calendar for 2025-2026.

Public Attachments:

7 2025-2026 TCS DRAFT (August 25) Calendar revised_252025.pdf

8 2025-2026 TCS DRAFT (August 13 Start) Calendar revised_252025.pdf

9 2025-26 School Calendar Comparison (1).pdf

Groups audience:

School Board

D. Report(s) from 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

On January 25, 2025, Chris Wiener attended the CALN School Board Bootcamp in Columbia, South Carolina, and on January 29-30, 2025, Ruth Harris, Greg Cochran, Ricky Lambert, and Dr. Lisa Fletcher attended the NCSBA Core Training for new Board Members at the WRESA offices in Asheville. Board Members will have an opportunity to give reports from the events.

Groups audience:

School Board