Lenoir County school board reviews intervention results, construction updates

Lenoir County school leaders reported gains among students receiving extra academic support and progress on the new E.B. Frink Middle School during the Board of Education's Oct. 5 meeting.

The board also approved a budget amendment and policy revisions, reviewed school improvement plans and heard that the district had submitted a grant application for a replacement Woodington Middle School.

The meeting was held at the district's central office on West Vernon Avenue in Kinston.

Associate Superintendent Frances Herring and Elementary School Education Director Stacy Cauley presented results from the district's 2025-26 intervention program, which provides additional instruction to students identified as needing academic support.

Administrators said students receiving intervention services at many schools performed above projected results or expected growth measures in reading and math. They emphasized that the data described students targeted for additional help, rather than the entire student population.

The program served 887 elementary students in reading and 681 in math during the reporting year. At the middle school level, 533 students received reading support and 767 received math support, according to the presentation.

Cauley said schools determine how to use their interventionists based on student needs. Woodington, for example, focused its intervention resources on math. Interventionists generally work at an assigned school, though the district also used a math specialist to assist middle school students before exams.

At the high school level, staff described support for students earning course credits and returning to their expected graduation timeline. North Lenoir had an interventionist dedicated to helping students who had fallen behind their graduating class.

The district has 31 interventionists this school year, compared with 36 in 2025-26 and 95 in 2022-23. Superintendent Brent Williams said LCPS had made continuing the program a priority after federal pandemic recovery funding ended.

Board members praised the work of retired teachers serving as interventionists. In response to a question about students with individual reading plans, Cauley said many were represented in the reported data, but she could not provide a separate count or growth figure for that group.

Herring also presented comprehensive improvement plans and principal-written executive summaries for all 17 schools. Board members will study the plans this month, with approval anticipated at the next meeting.

Common strategies include targeted small-group instruction, lessons tied to grade-level standards, teacher collaboration, classroom observations and regular reviews of student progress. The plans also address attendance, behavior, family involvement and partnerships with community organizations.

Herring said schools use assessment results and other data to adjust their work throughout the year. Students are also encouraged to track their own progress through data conferences and other activities.

Assistant Superintendent Nicholas Harvey II reported that the new E.B. Frink Middle School remains on schedule and on budget, with completion possible as early as January 2027.

Permanent power is available throughout the building, and conditioned air has been turned on in two classroom wings. The September report showed exterior canopies about 90% complete, exterior glass 95% complete and approximately 95% of doors installed.

Upcoming work includes ceiling tiles, cabinetry, flooring, athletic equipment installation and final site work. Harvey said the project team had completed 368 quality observations and reported no safety incidents resulting in lost work time.

Williams said the district submitted its needs-based facilities grant application to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction on Oct. 2 for the Woodington replacement project. He thanked district staff, county commissioners and elected officials who supported the application. The application is pending; no grant award was announced at the meeting.

For the 2027-28 school calendar, Herring outlined a process beginning with selection of committee representatives from schools and departments during October. The district calendar committee is scheduled to meet Nov. 5, followed by feedback and discussion Nov. 6-20.

Calendar votes are due Dec. 4, according to the timetable in the agenda packet. Herring said the selected option would come to the board in January 2027 for consideration, with action anticipated in February. The board did not adopt a 2027-28 calendar at this meeting.

Interim Finance Director Helen Hooker presented the September financial report and Budget Amendment No. 1. The approved amendment increases the district's working budget across all funds by approximately $12.3 million, from $131.4 million to $143.8 million.

The amendment changes state, capital outlay and other local current expense appropriations. The local current expense budget remains $12.495 million, according to the budget resolution.

The board approved a policy revision package presented for study at the previous meeting. The packet addresses areas including confidential information, instructional materials, technology use, counseling, school nutrition and other district operations.

A separate set of newly introduced policy revisions will remain under review before a later vote. Board members also approved declaring maintenance department items surplus. Proceeds from sales would return to that department, with low-value electronic items directed to an authorized recycler.

Williams recognized three Moss Hill Elementary School teachers participating in the district's aspiring administrator cohort and pursuing school administration degrees at East Carolina University. He also thanked principals during October’s principal appreciation observance and highlighted student participation in the county fair and upcoming school harvest festivals.

No public comments were offered. The supplied recording ends as the board votes to enter closed session. It does not include any subsequent personnel action or adjournment.