The Cumberland County Schools Board of Education will meet Tuesday to consider changes to some of its policies to comply with the recently passed N.C. Parents’ Bill of Rights, approve the purchase of vehicles, present awards to a custodian and a parent, and more.
Here’s what to expect:
Policy revisions
Board members will review changes to eight policies — many of which now fall in line with N.C Senate Bill 49, also known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which became state law in August after the General Assembly overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto.
The bill outlines policies for public schools including prohibiting instruction on “gender identity, sexual activity, or sexuality” in kindergarten through fourth grade and requiring notification to parents prior to any pronoun or name changes for a student used by school staff or on official records.
According to N.C. Health News, these types of laws can hurt LGBTQ+ students by outing them before they may be ready to tell their families or to potentially unsupportive home environments.
Another school policy change gives parents greater leeway on what educational materials they can object to and a more detailed review process for challenged material.
The agenda does not indicate when these updated policies would go into effect.
Awards
The board will give out its Extra Mile and Committed Community Support awards.
Head custodian Thomas Wade of Brentwood Elementary School will receive the Extra Mile Award for assisting a parent in fixing a flat tire during school drop-off. The Committed Community Support Award will be given to parent Yvonne Smith from Honeycutt Elementary School for her commitment to the PTA and community of Honeycutt.
Other business items
Board members will decide if the baseball stadium at Gray’s Creek High School will be renamed Jeff Nance Stadium –– honoring the school’s longtime coach. If approved, the new name will be dedicated on March 6.
Cumberland County Schools seeks approval to purchase 25 vans and trucks from local dealerships at a cost of about $1.6 million. The district typically purchases vehicles through a contract with the state, but a vehicle shortage has caused manufacturers to set limits on the number of vehicles that can be purchased by each customer. The local dealerships CCS is requesting to purchase from include Lafayette Ford, Piedmont Truck Center and Randy Marion Ford.
The board will also decide whether it will approve contracts with n2y, a special needs curriculum provider, and Public Consulting Group, a professional development firm, for its exceptional children’s program. The cost is $331,540.
Board members will also vote to renew contracts with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office to provide school resource officers.
The board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at 810 Gillespie St. Read the full agenda.
Contact Char Morrison at cmorrison@cityviewnc.com.
