Lenoir County Board of Education recognizes standout educators, reviews intervention success
The Lenoir County Board of Education met Monday, Oct. 6, recognizing several outstanding educators and reviewing key instructional and financial updates across the district.
Superintendent M. Brent Williams opened the meeting by celebrating teachers and staff whose work reflects LCPS’s “students first” mission.
Among the honorees was Jessica Jones, agriculture education teacher at Woodington Middle School, who was named a finalist for the 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Career and Technical Education Teacher of the Year. Jones’s FFA chapter is one of the largest in the state and has been recognized as a Gold Star chapter. She was joined by state and NCCAT officials to receive her certificate.
The board also recognized Lillian Hartsell, seventh-grade history teacher at E.B. Frink Middle School, as LCPS Beginning Teacher of the Year, Emily Peterson of Kinston High School as Exceptional Children’s Professional of the Year, and Andrea Williams of Northwest Elementary as Exceptional Children’s Teacher Assistant of the Year.
Williams announced that South Lenoir graduate Rachel Noble became the first LCPS student ever named a U.S. Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education, one of only three students selected from North Carolina.
The board heard presentations on the district’s District C workforce development program, which partners students with local businesses such as Neuse Regional Library, Pink Hill Chiropractic, and the Kinston Community Council for the Arts. Students shared how they developed and pitched real-world solutions, with several internships created as a result.
A detailed report from Diane Heath and Stacy Cauley highlighted the success of LCPS’s Program of Instructional Interventions and Support, which uses data-driven small-group instruction to help struggling students meet or exceed state growth projections. Board members praised the measurable improvement and called the program “a strong return on investment.”
Other agenda items included:
Presentation of 2025-26 school improvement plans by Frances Herring, to be brought back in November for board approval.
Approval of Budget Amendment No. 1 for the current fiscal year.
Approval of BM Roofing for the Rochelle Middle School roof replacement, contingent upon NC Education Lottery funds.
Authorization to use $113,183 from the E.B. Frink Middle School price escalation contingency.
Selection of W.D. Anderson, Bruce Hill, Elijah Woods, and Michelle Davis as voting delegates to the North Carolina School Boards Association annual conference.
Approval of an eighth-grade field trip for Woodington Middle School to Williamsburg, Virginia, March 19–21, 2026.
Declaration of surplus maintenance items for disposal or recycling.
The board concluded with a closed session to discuss personnel matters before adjourning.
