[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6084225,"mediaKeyId","2920068-1aebb6a2a7a4ad13fbfbaa556639e0e0","parentId",2920068,"title","Students, counselors and interns urge expansion of ADAPT pilot; board discusses funding paths","audioSeconds",255,"startMs",7093000,"endMs",7348000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2920068-1aebb6a2a7a4ad13fbfbaa556639e0e0&start=7093&end=7348","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2920068-1aebb6a2a7a4ad13fbfbaa556639e0e0/thumbnail_7093000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6084225/North-Carolina/Students-counselors-and-interns-urge-expansion-of-ADAPT-pilot-board-discusses-funding-paths","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084225-37946dcf8e5ff82bb3dbabbdb0959fdb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770911672&Signature=SgWiWnpoJGVn5340WMOPDW9002ZytmwNrBZT0E5pcoHrzD5x6Y-OHF-lAvalaBP1EnU2-HqqDZqVRYKSSGtvN03c47hC19qA5BhehPsyOwSS9YtoAZ4jLYR-ufIXD3twnLwkPsYeJBXVjv1YE6vlbMFSBhE0xgYv4nnanqn8kAhq-cCnLsgHtmBSeOVZ1ANg9Xb9o7C1lwD2vXEyLBhNhOw7Gz8U-EJ2BY4I~0ZZWh7NsP7TBMnoLwiNDI2uYAWKrfL40dbIGntfAae0C0qf5ErqW9yLOZtmDW~HWTr5d3tsHZ7wWIj1FZonKZ5D3m8HPmeO67gC~DIpSPWbXqyYFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-08T12:37:34Z","article","Students, a counselor and community members told the Orange County Board of Education on April 7 about a student-driven substance-use prevention and intervention pilot at Orange High School and urged the board to support its continuation and expansion.

Melanie Lasky, a parent, Orange High School employee and North Carolina certified alcohol and drug counselor, described leading the ADAPT club and collaborating with Orange Partnership on a substance-use intervention pilot that launched in November. “This program was student driven. The students voiced the need and they were heard,” Lasky said, and she asked the board to “consider remedies around substance use and mental health so that we don't continue to lose students academically.”

Vidya Kasturi, a senior at Orange High School and a lead intern with the ADAPT program, said students have begun self-referring to the school-based program and have seen “a dramatic increase in the help that we've been able to give to students” since the program launched. Kasturi said confidentiality concerns and discomfort approaching staff had been barriers; the pilot allows staff- and student-referral as well as self-referral.

Community speaker Guyon Chambliss cited local data about students involved with the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and urged earlier school-based interventions for mental-health and substance-use challenges. Carrie Hamble amplified calls for ongoing attention to students with disabilities.

Board members and staff discussed funding pathways for school-level pilots. Ms. Rhonda Rath and other staff noted that some schools already use state “at-risk” funds and federal resources to support tutoring and interventions; Ms. Dole and Mr. Atherton noted district-level funds can be redirected but that doing so shifts resources from other priorities. Dr. Jones and board members said central-office and grant funds remain options to scale successful pilots without waiting for the county-request outcome.

Speakers and members agreed the pilot’s early results merited further attention; no formal board action to allocate new district funds to ADAPT was recorded at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BOE Meeting Mon Apr 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Speakers described a student-driven substance-use prevention and intervention pilot at Orange High School and urged the board to sustain and expand it; board members and staff identified possible funding sources including at-risk state funds, federal grants and central-office reallocations.","taxTitle","Orange County Schools, School Districts, North Carolina","taxId",38297,"location","North Carolina","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6084230,"Parents, residents urge board to choose Option 2 for school construction to minimize student disruption",1547,6694000,8241000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2920068-1aebb6a2a7a4ad13fbfbaa556639e0e0&start=6694&end=8241","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2920068-1aebb6a2a7a4ad13fbfbaa556639e0e0/thumbnail_6694000.jpg","/articles/6084230/North-Carolina/Parents-residents-urge-board-to-choose-Option-2-for-school-construction-to-minimize-student-disruption","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084230-a27edf60c41d0bc263e9b08dec493dcb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770911672&Signature=N~-Itch~ghU6x6VS4nB2yBsCbSKRh0Hu79fA7Tj9CoO0R0f7nJ5IRtHDckBgHhIUMg3Bb~xIMymUKp2OPcz-5wvP2MUqGRBL~VpOGOCJWG6f3P6WNnuRpfsrg2LsqNf5HkXOdoonidoRcm-o6Uqr0nVR3M2JtbZw1aWSw6sUMjPkrA4ywL4RoZsM0slgbFFig7RKNDBZbfBz75mnEVqoXfW9g~-VEHlE5SWQ7rigrJ3siGxmhq69oq9yziakyO~~0KwqVcEwclH4Bg8~nCeG1OAS7eBzdf6k8yy2V~ONHfoO3-welZ6Mw9hA-G7m7GPTmn2mZi2RMY2Vvz2w1pASzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several parents and community members at the April 7 Orange County Board of Education meeting urged the board to favor “Option 2” in the district’s school-construction planning, saying the plan would cause the least disruption to families in northern Orange County and better address overcrowding.

Joy Naims, a Pathways parent who said she grew up in the district, told the board Option 2 “causes the least disruption to families” and would use available land to relieve overcrowding at Eflin Cheeks Elementary. Naims said she was primarily concerned about the potential loss of a public school in northern Orange County if Pathways students were relocated and warned that longer commutes could harm students who already travel far to school.

Heather Rosie, a fourth-grade teacher and parent, said the proposals could disproportionately affect Title I schools such as Central and Pathways, increasing instability for students who already face challenges. “If schools are combined, will curriculum coaches be doubled for K–2 and 3–5 to ensure adequate support for a larger student population?” Rosie asked, stressing class-size and support concerns.

Corey Sanders of Mebane, who identified as a parent of an autistic child, described how a proposed reassigning of schools under some options could add 30 minutes to commutes and disrupt year-round schedules. “The upheaval in those commutes, the upheaval in changing up the schedules for these kids is not a small deal,” he said, urging the board to consider students’ daily routines and special needs when deciding.

Speakers also suggested short-term measures to reduce displacement, including temporarily designating Hillsborough Elementary as a traditional public school so students could attend nearby schools until new facilities are built. Speakers and board members emphasized minimizing disruption and protecting low-income and Title I students from disproportionate effects.

Board members thanked speakers and said the district will continue reviewing options. No vote on construction options was recorded at the meeting; comments were part of the public-comment period.","Multiple public commenters at the April 7 meeting urged the board to select “Option 2” in the district’s school-construction planning, saying it minimizes disruption for Pathways families and avoids traffic problems near Orange High School; speakers raised equity and transportation concerns.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6084234,"Orange County Board approves $4.1 million request, votes to send budget ask to county commissioners",3457,6348000,9805000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2920068-1aebb6a2a7a4ad13fbfbaa556639e0e0&start=6348&end=9805","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2920068-1aebb6a2a7a4ad13fbfbaa556639e0e0/thumbnail_6348000.jpg","/articles/6084234/North-Carolina/Orange-County-Board-approves-41-million-request-votes-to-send-budget-ask-to-county-commissioners","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084234-1a473aab0fff31b28864f4ca9ebc83c0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770911672&Signature=f9giA7HfT~QQOeM4lhuQZ0~1kazFOC-~Fr1aK~Q7tlPckMNdHPap~hxA1BUdMN-iCI6wG-ZRyvcT3cNQKP8NeDHjoLWjXS7ZXqj6WI2k~kGg407l7VnFBBnbWgzTJsp-fUDVl2NpsEetE1pJLP-mvrgMONCH9yCdeiTufckqLN2IHWgmghEDrLdRcjQ~uFXNemG8pRbiU0ti0GbB1sBbOMThjJD-tj1bEoXmthyyaPIOd36-HUebjCNwGdGLP~-ALWSOriYw3vu8ji8Npmc7MxQJo2TqrfsZ7MryVW96S--BKms5f56NnESONNKHkF8m0bkTlNl8zW1Qrntpne46og__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Orange County Board of Education on April 7 approved its fiscal-year 2025–26 operating budget request, asking county commissioners for $4.1 million to cover a projected 3% legislative salary increase, benefit cost growth and proposed pay supplements.

The board’s budget presentation said the district’s projected average daily membership (ADM) for next year is 6,908 students — the enrollment number used to determine state funding — and that a $1.8 million continuation request would cover a 3% salary increase, retirement and health insurance increases and higher non-salary costs. Expansion requests included increases to certified teacher supplements, a raise for the lowest-band classified employees and a bus-driver hourly pay increase; those expansion items total $2.3 million, yielding a combined $4.1 million request to the county.

The budget presentation was led by Ms. Rhonda Rath (staff member, budget presenter). Rath said the district expects to be able to restore some fund balance after the fiscal-year 2025 audit and reiterated a target fund-balance level of $5,500,000, which she described as roughly 10–12% of the local operating budget to maintain cash flow if other funds are delayed.

Board members asked staff questions about inflation and potential tariff impacts on material and fuel costs. “The short answer is yes,” Rath said when asked whether material and fuel purchases could be affected; she added the district would need to adjust to market changes. Board members discussed that some state contracts lock prices for certain technology purchases but that other supply costs remain volatile.

Several public commenters urged the board to prioritize teachers and to expand school-based mental-health and substance-use supports. Guyon Chambliss, a community speaker, asked the board to consider more early interventions for students involved with the juvenile-justice system; Melanie Lasky, a North Carolina certified alcohol and drug counselor and Orange High School employee, and Vidya Kasturi, an Orange High School senior and lead ADAPT intern, described a recently launched school pilot for substance-use intervention and asked the board to consider ways to sustain and expand it.

Board members and the superintendent said there are funding avenues beyond the county request that could support school-level pilots. Board member remarks and staff answers pointed to at-risk state funds, federal grants and central-office allocations as possible sources to scale promising programs without waiting for a county appropriation. The district’s reported federal funding for the coming year is approximately $6,600,000.

Following discussion, a motion to approve the budget request for submission to county commissioners carried; the board chair called for the vote and members responded in the affirmative.

The board approved several procedural items that evening as well (agenda adoption and consent agenda approval).","The Orange County Board of Education approved a continuation operating budget and expansion requests that ask county commissioners for $4.1 million to cover an anticipated 3% salary increase, benefits and pay supplements; board members and public commenters pressed for mental-health and school-level program funding.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Students, counselors and interns urge expansion of ADAPT pilot; board discusses funding paths

Parents, residents urge board to choose Option 2 for school construction to minimize student disruption

Orange County Board approves $4.1 million request, votes to send budget ask to county commissioners