Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2011 09:45:27 -0500
From: Mia Munn
Subject: School Board Retreat summary
issued by the district:
Chatham County Board of Education Mid-Year Retreat Summary – January 14, 2011
The Chatham County Board of Education met for a mid-year retreat on Friday, January 14, at RAFI-USA in Pittsboro. Below is a summary of agenda items.
Detailed information regarding agenda items is found under the following link:
http://www.chatham.k12.nc.us/board/meetings/2010-2011/Mid-Year_Retreat_01_14_11/agenda.htm
Redistricting Discussion
• Redistricting of Northwood district: The Board members expressed concern that parent meetings have not been held with Moncure families about the possibility of converting Moncure from a K-8 school to a traditional elementary (K-5) school. With regard to redistricting of Northwood feeder schools, the Board was in consensus to “leave it on the table for exploration” and pursue learning more about the impacts (including transportation, staffing, services, and fiscal) of redistricting of the Northwood feeder schools including a Pittsboro Elementary, Horton, and Moncure grade configuration change. (Gary Leonard preferred to leave the configurations as they currently are.)
Central office administration will now explore more deeply aspects of a reconfiguration and include information as a scenario (option) in its upcoming budget discussions between now and March. The Board wants included in the budget options where other services would be lost without redistricting. Equity of services the district is able to offer to students in K-8 schools versus middle schools is one of the “arguments” for moving from K-8 to elementary/middle school configurations. Examples of areas of concern include staffing, programs, and athletics.
• Redistricting of schools in the JM district: Four of the Board members agreed to “leave it on the table for exploration” and discussion. Gary Leonard preferred to leave the configurations as they currently are.
• Redistricting of schools in the Central district: Four of the Board members agreed to “leave it on the table for exploration” and discussion. Gary Leonard preferred to leave the configurations as they currently are.
New school construction
The Board members had varying preferences on the immediate priority of a future new high school and/or a new elementary school in the northeastern part of the county, but are interested in beginning to look for land possibilities since there currently is none purchased. The Board favors keeping the high school as part of a long-range county plan and carefully watching enrollment trends to move forward with a high school as the need arises. (Land has already been purchased on Jack Bennett Road for a new high school.) The Board agreed with central office administration’s recommendation to have a yearly ORED assessment conducted for Chatham County in order for the district to be able to accurately anticipate student trending numbers.
Other items on this agenda were presented as informational and, because of the length of the redistricting discussion, other items (like the bullying presentation) were tabled.