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District seeks two-year endowment to fund 42 school specialists, pilot program to collect data on staffing needs
Summary
Superintendent and staff requested endowment funding to pilot 42 school specialist positions using an evidence-based framework (Safe and Civil Schools/STOIC) and an UNC Wilmington evaluation; staff said the pilot would provide data to press for changes in state allotment formulas.
Dr. Barnes and district staff asked the committee on May 20 to support a two‑year endowment request to fund 42 school specialist positions that would be placed at schools based on local priorities.
The positions would allow each participating campus to choose a specialist aligned to its school improvement goals — for example, academic remediation, academic extension, behavioral support, graduation-rate work, or services for exceptional children. Julie and Robin (district staff) described an implementation framework based on the STOIC problem‑solving model (Structure, Teach, Observe, Interact, Correct), which the district plans to pilot alongside the Safe and Civil Schools program.
“We are hoping to move, full steam ahead with Safe and Civil Schools work in the next school year,” Julie said, and staff intend to partner with UNC Wilmington to design an evaluation and progress-monitoring plan so the district can produce “a comprehensive data driven response to our state decision makers on allotment.”
Dr. Barnes framed the endowment as a time-limited pilot that would produce evidence to accompany the district’s ongoing requests for changes to state funding formulas. She said the district needs the positions now, and emphasized that the pilot is intended to generate results that can be used in state advocacy about allotment funding.
Several commissioners asked whether the proposal would become a recurring county ask if not funded by the endowment. Dr. Barnes said publicly that she does not intend to turn the two‑year endowment positions into an ongoing county funding request, but added that if the endowment is not approved she would return to other funding options. The committee requested that the district put those commitments in writing and clarified that the endowment proposal is for a pilot period.
No formal vote on county funding was taken. Staff said they will proceed with the written materials and evaluation design for the endowment submission and will return to the committee with details as the proposal develops.
