Board finalizes several routine and capital items; budget request, easement and stadium bid approved

The Iredell-Statesville Board of Education approved a set of personnel, administrative and capital items during its March 2025 meeting, voting on the personnel report, meeting minutes, a requested easement at Lake Norman High School, a bid for stadium upgrades at Statesville High School, authorization for summer retakes of end-of-grade and end-of-course tests, and the district's 2025-26 local current budget request to the county.

Why it matters: the motions move routine personnel and administrative items into the record and advance capital work at two high schools while formally starting the district's funding request process with the county. The actions also include an annual authorization from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) process that permits summer retests for students who were not proficient on state tests.

Votes at a glance

- Personnel report accepted. Motion to accept the personnel report was made and seconded; the board voted 6-0 to approve the report. (Motion: accept personnel report; outcome: approved 6-0.)

- Minutes. The board accepted the Feb. 3, 2025 Committee of the Whole minutes by voice vote (6-0). The Feb. 10, 2025 board meeting minutes were postponed for correction and brought forward at the board's request (motion to postpone approved 6-0).

- Easement, Lake Norman High School. The board approved a 30-foot easement across school property to allow a developer to tie into a sewer line. The developer offered $25,000 to Iredell-Statesville Schools as an "all-in" payment, including attorney costs, with the developer responsible for installation and restoration. Motion carried 6-0.

- Bid award, Statesville High School athletic stadium upgrades. The board voted 5-1 to approve the bid proposal for the stadium upgrades, which include a new turf field matching the product used at Lake Norman High School, a track with eight lanes in the straightaway and six lanes on the curve, and allowances to address site-specific challenges including floodplain constraints. The motion passed 5-1.

- End-of-grade and end-of-course summer retakes. The board authorized the district to offer voluntary summer retakes and remediation for students not proficient on DPI-administered tests; the item passed 6-0. The district noted retake results affect school proficiency numbers but not the growth index used by DPI.

- 2025-26 local current budget request. The board voted 5-1 to submit a local current funding request to the county manager that requests a roughly 15% increase in local revenue over the prior year (a county request total of about $65 million as presented) to cover projected salary and benefit increases, special education shortfalls and other operating costs. The vote followed extended discussion of priorities and process.

What the votes do not do: the 2025-26 local current request is a starting figure to begin negotiations with the county; it is not a final appropriation. Likewise, acceptance of the easement grants property access rights but does not expand school facilities. The stadium contract approval advances a capital contract award but includes alternates and allowances and may be adjusted during final contracting and construction.

Board procedure note: one board member, Abby Trent, participated remotely and was not eligible to vote under board policy for voting items; the chair said votes were therefore taken from six eligible members where applicable.

Ending: The board moved on to public comment and several committee updates after completing the votes. Formal implementation steps for the approved capital projects and budget negotiations with the county will be handled by district staff and return to the board as required.