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Board hears Safer Schools video rollout, literacy plan and staffing updates as school year begins
Summary
Committee reports to the Gaston County Board of Education detailed implementation of a state-mandated Safer Schools video (parent opt-in), a district literacy intervention plan tied to Senate Bill 387 on the consent agenda, and a staffing update showing fewer teacher vacancies than prior years but ongoing bus driver shortages.
At its Aug. 18 meeting the Gaston County Board of Education received committee briefings about implementation of a state-mandated Safer Schools video, the district literacy intervention plan and staffing levels at the start of the 2025–26 school year.
Dr. Rebecca Powers presented the Safer Schools video program and described the parental notification and opt-in process. Per the presentation the district will distribute information to families with beginning-of-year materials and “Parents were able to choose to opt in or opt out for their child,” Powers said in the committee report. The transcript records the authority cited during the operations committee as “general statute 1 1 5 c dash 12, 1 to 4.7” (as spoken at the meeting); the committee materials stated the video is a state mandate and will be implemented with parental notification at the school level.
Academic and staffing updates: Beth Suber reported 49 teacher vacancies at the time of the curriculum committee meeting but told the board the district opened the year with about 40 vacancies — down from 73 the prior year and 115 two years ago. “We continue to feel the effects of bus driver shortage. We have about 20 driver vacancies to date,” Superintendent Dr. Houchard said during the board presentation.
Tyler West presented the district’s 2025–26 literacy intervention plan, required by Senate Bill 387; the plan was placed on the consent agenda and recommended for approval. Sonia McGraw presented proposed board policy updates reflecting changes to state law; board materials show those policy updates were posted for public review and later were pulled from the consent agenda for separate consideration.
What the board decided: The consent agenda containing the literacy intervention plan and other items was approved later in the meeting by unanimous vote. Committee members said students will not be shown the Safer Schools video without parental consent.
Context: Tom Nancetti and others also described a demographic study and enrollment-forecasting work by Cropper GIS that the district may use for long-range planning.
Follow-up: The district will proceed with parent notifications and opt-in forms for the Safer Schools video and will bring additional policy updates back to the board after public posting and review.
