OCS Board News | December 2021
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The Onslow County Board of Education held a special meeting on Wednesday, December 15 at the Family Education and Professional Development center. Agenda items included a closed session to discuss the acquisition of real property and school safety plans, as well as an open-session presentation on the district’s Capital Improvement Plan.
Shortly after the meeting was called to order, the Board went into closed session, where they discussed the acquisition of real property and school safety. Upon their return to open session, Chairman Bob Williams shared that the Board decided to direct staff to move forward in negotiations for the acquisition of a piece of property. He also shared that the district would be sending out information to families about school safety and the importance of knowing when to speak up and how to responsibly share information about potential threats in our schools.
In the meeting’s last order of business, Chief Operations Officer Steve Myers presented to the Board the district’s plan for the Capital Improvement Program. The Capital Improvement Program aims to forecast the district’s infrastructure needs over the next 10 years. This includes large-scale maintenance projects and construction needs.
Needs are forecast based on anticipated maintenance projects, as well as data regarding projected population growth in the county and projected student enrollment. Identified needs over the next 10-year period, according to the presented plan, include new roofs and deferred maintenance projects at several schools, as well as the construction of new schools to address projected growth in the county.
Additional, secondary items to consider in the plan were new facilities for the OVS/central services office, a new bus garage, and a new child nutrition center.
After discussion about options to address growth in the district, the Board unanimously approved the plan as presented and directed staff to move forward with implementation.
The Onslow County Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting on December 7 at the Eastern North Carolina Regional Skills Center. Agenda items included a presentation on College and Career Readiness initiatives in Onslow County.
The meeting’s first order of business was the annual election of the chairperson and vice-chairperson. Bob Williams and Jeff Hudson were re-elected as chairperson and vice-chairperson, respectively.
Next up, OCS Chief Communications Officer Brent Anderson presented to the Board a Good News Spotlight segment, which highlighted several schools for their work during Red Ribbon Week, students chosen for the NC Honors Chorus Ensemble, and the Board of Education’s Silver Bell Award from the NCSBA. Following the Good News Spotlight, 3 speakers spoke during the public comment period.
In the meeting’s only item of general business, Michael Elder, director of college and career readiness, took to the podium. He shared with the Board the district’s vision of providing all students with the resources and support they need in order to achieve the futures they see for themselves. He said that through various programs, such as AVID, IB, Future-Focused Families, NC College & Career Promise, gifted services and more, OCS is able to meet the unique needs of students as they navigate making future plans, whether they be for college or joining the workforce.
OCS Superintendent Dr. Barry Collins closed the meeting with his comments, saying that he would like to thank families and staff for a successful month at OCS. He congratulated those at OCS who received a Bright Ideas Grant and thanked JOEMC for contributing more than $48,000 to promote innovation in our schools. Lastly, he reminded everyone that the district is still taking food donations for Christmas Cheer and offered his wishes for a Merry Christmas.