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Community college and county schools outline workforce, facility and health-care needs at budget hearing
Summary
Davidson‑Davie Community College and Davidson County Schools used the county budget public hearing to highlight enrollment growth, facility planning and requests including a full‑time nurse at Stoner Thomas and ongoing support for teacher supplements.
At a May 27 public hearing on the county’s proposed 2025–26 budget, education leaders told Davidson County commissioners of enrollment growth, capital plans and uncovered needs that they said should inform budget decisions.
Jenny Varner, president of Davidson‑Davie Community College, told the board the college celebrated 1,320 graduates on May 15 and reported curriculum enrollment increases of about 5.5% from the previous spring, with summer and fall enrollment running higher year over year. Varner highlighted near‑term construction that will improve campus access and training capacity, including roadwork at the college interchange and design work for an emergency‑response center funded partly by earlier COVID relief appropriations.
"The reality is that our nearby land and our newly completed interchange will give us the ability to grow for the future to meet campus and community needs," Varner said. She also noted the county’s historical role of supporting community‑college physical plants.
Greg Slate, superintendent of Davidson County Schools, thanked commissioners for the board’s recent move to increase the county teacher supplement from 6.125% to 6.75% and urged continued partnership on capital and student‑health needs. Slate asked specifically for assistance to fund a full‑time nurse at Stoner Thomas School, which serves students with significant medical needs from multiple districts, saying a dedicated nurse was "not a luxury, it is a necessity." The board asked staff to gather more information about kitchens lacking air conditioning after a commissioner relayed a constituent concern; Slate confirmed seven school kitchens countywide lacked air conditioning and volunteered to provide details to county staff.
No formal budget action was taken at the hearing; the board declared the hearing open, heard public testimony, and closed the hearing. Commissioners scheduled a budget workshop for June 5 to continue deliberations.
