OCS Board News

The Onslow County Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting on Sept. 1 at the Eastern North Carolina Regional Skills Center. On the agenda was the renewal of the Local School Mental Health Plan, nomination of the Onslow County Board of Commissioners for N.C. School Boards Association County Commissioners of the Year, consideration of the 2026-2030 OCS District Strategic Plan and a proposal to increase bus driver pay.

The meeting concluded with a closed session under North Carolina open meetings law.

The evening's Good News Spotlight included the presentation of a $13,700 grant to White Oak High School's Future Farmers of America program to be used for a student-built arboretum that will feature North Carolina native plants, along with a mapped and digitally cataloged plant collection. Also recognized during the Good News Spotlight was the Onslow Early College High School, which was recently named to the U.S. News & World Report's Best High Schools ranking for the second consecutive year, ranking at #89 in the country and #3 in the state.

Following the Good News Spotlight, Superintendent Dr. Christopher Barnes presented the five-year Local School Mental Health Plan for adoption, which all public-school districts are required to develop and maintain under state law. The plan documents the district's existing efforts and systems for student support, prevention, referral, crisis response, staff training, and coordination with families and others in the community. The board adopted the plan by a vote of 6-1.

The board then unanimously voted to nominate the Onslow County Board of Commissioners for N.C. School Boards Association County Commissioners of the Year. The honor is presented to a board of county commissioners that has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in positively impacting student achievement within the school district.

Next on the agenda was the presentation and consideration of the 2026-2030 OCS District Strategic Plan by Dr. Mark Bulris, executive director of elementary education. The district's long-standing vision of "Excellence in Education" is still a part of the plan, but key updates include OCS' mission and core values.

The updated mission states that "OCS will empower students to be responsible and productive citizens ready for enrollment, enlistment, employment and/or entrepreneurship." The updated core values include a commitment to excellence; student-centered learning; staff, family and community partnerships; collective responsibility;

visionary leadership; continuous improvement; innovation and adaptability; and safe and collaborative environments.

The plan, which was adopted unanimously by the board, is a key piece of evidence in showing continuous improvement throughout the district.

Dr. Bulris also informed the board about School Improvement Plans, which are required by state law and based on comprehensive needs assessments at each campus. Schools began work on their SIPs in June, which all must be presented to the Board of Education for approval on Nov. 2.

The final item on the agenda was the proposed increase in bus driver pay, presented by Dr. Brendan Gartner, chief of operations. Onslow County school buses drive over 1,300 routes a day, covering 17,000 miles, with bus drivers often the first and last district representative to see students on any given day.

Although OCS has 219 school buses, we are currently short 76 drivers, meaning as much as 35% of the fleet sits unused. The shortage often results in early pick-ups, late drop-offs, double runs, cancelled field trips, and even lost instruction time. The starting wage for bus drivers was $17.99 an hour, but staff proposed increasing the starting pay to $20 an hour.

The pay increase was unanimously approved by the board, making OCS a leader in local school bus salaries.

The meeting concluded with a closed session pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes 143-318.11 (a)(1), (a)(3), (a)(6) and (c).

The Onslow County Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting Aug. 4 at the Eastern North Carolina Regional Skills Center. Board members considered several items, including an ONWASA utility easement, a proposed civil ordinance to improve bus stop safety, funding to repair and modernize HVAC controls at 19 school sites, and a presentation on how the state’s recently passed budget bill may affect school districts. The meeting ended with a closed session under North Carolina open meetings law. 

This evening’s Good News Spotlight focused on appreciation for OCS staff members who helped the district recover from June’s cybersecurity attack. The segment recognized the work of several departments, with special attention to the quick action of the Instructional Technology team to identify and respond to the attack, as well as the work needed to restore the district’s technology systems. Their efforts have helped the school system continue serving students, staff and families through the summer. After the Good News Spotlight, Dr. Brendan Gartner, chief of operations, presented three facilities-related items. 

Dr. Gartner first presented a request from the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority, or ONWASA, for a utility easement on the Dixon Middle School property. ONWASA would use the easement to install and maintain a sanitary sewer force main. The requested easement will not affect operations at Dixon Middle School, and the area already includes utility infrastructure owned by Jones-Onslow Electric Membership Corp. OCS, ONWASA and JOEMC will need to develop an official agreement before the easement is finalized. The board unanimously approved the request to grant the utility easement, pending an official agreement with JOEMC. 

Dr. Gartner then presented a request for a civil ordinance to improve bus stop safety. Cars illegally passing stopped school buses is a major concern in Onslow County and across North Carolina. North Carolina General Statute 153A-246 allows counties to adopt ordinances for civil enforcement of school bus stop-arm violations through automated camera systems, instead of pursuing only criminal charges. Civil citations can be handled more quickly than criminal charges and may lead to more immediate consequences for drivers. Law enforcement could still pursue criminal charges for serious violations, especially those that result in injury or death. Footage from bus cameras would be provided to law enforcement through SiteStream, a service paid through a portion of the fines collected. There are no upfront or recurring costs to OCS. Dr. Gartner presented a motion for the board to send the proposed ordinance, which is supported by Onslow County Sheriff Chris Thomas, to the Onslow County Board of Commissioners for its consideration. The ordinance would make illegally passing a stopped school bus a civil violation. The board unanimously approved the motion. 

Finally, Dr. Gartner asked board members to approve funding to replace HVAC controls at 19 school sites. The HVAC control systems at these sites use older technology that has reached the end of its life cycle. The district has also experienced additional issues while rebuilding and upgrading technology systems after the recent cyberattack. Those issues caused a loss of remote network access and centralized control for the HVAC systems, making the upgrades urgent. The board unanimously approved Dr. Gartner’s request for $763,261 to repair and modernize the HVAC control systems at 19 school sites. The funds will come from the State Public School Building Repair and Renovation Fund. 

For the final presentation of the evening, Chief Communications Officer Brent Anderson shared information about work outlined in the recently passed state appropriations act, along with related bills, reports and technical corrections. This was an information item for the board. However, some of the items discussed may require policy revisions or other action at future meetings. Anderson began with an overview of the state budget process to provide context. He then outlined several areas that could affect OCS and other school systems across North Carolina. Many of these requirements will continue to evolve through additional guidance and rulemaking. Anderson closed by saying staff members look forward to partnering with the board on the necessary policy revisions and will keep board members informed as the work continues throughout the year. 

The meeting concluded with a closed session under North Carolina General Statutes 143-318.11(a)(1), (a)(3) and (c).