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Votes at a glance: Board approves makeup days and several calendar/policy items; drug‑policy change fails
Summary
The board approved several agenda items on Jan. 28, including end‑of‑year makeup days and several calendar and policy adjustments; a proposed change to the district’s drug‑testing policy failed after public comment.
At its Jan. 28 meeting the Winston‑Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education recorded the following formal actions and outcomes.
Votes at a glance
- Naming of Glenn High School softball scoreboard after Barbara Stanley Volcan(o/Volcano): Motion by Board Member Crowley, second by Board Member Brown Gaither; passed unanimously. Public introduction and supporter testimony reported Mrs. Stanley funded several scoreboards and facility improvements at Glenn; the board approved the naming.
- Plan to make up instructional hours for the 2024–25 school year (choose end‑of‑year makeup days rather than adding 15 minutes to every day): Motion to keep makeup days at the end of the year (rather than add 15 minutes daily). Motion moved and seconded; outcome: passed 8–1. The adopted approach keeps the three makeup days at the end of the school year rather than extending daily schedules and preserves current testing and graduation scheduling with the reteaching/retesting plan to be handled in follow‑up implementation details.
- Amended Early Middle College academic calendar for 2025–26 (substitute motion removing August 12 start date): Substitute motion by Board Member Crowley to approve the amended calendar but remove the August 12, 2025 start date; seconded; outcome: passed 7–2. The board voted to add the December 19 and May 22 student days but not the August 12 start.
- Policy 6145 (sponsored extra‑class activities): Motion to approve proposed changes; passed unanimously. Board meeting minutes note the change primarily aligns district practice with state requirements for sponsored extra‑class activities.
- Policy 4116.3 (Staff rights and responsibilities / drug‑free workplace): Motion to approve proposed changes to allow conditional hiring for some pre‑employment THC positives was moved and seconded; after extended public comment and board discussion, the motion failed (vote count not specified in the transcript). The district’s existing practice (applicants who test positive are ineligible for six months) remains in effect.
- Policy 5127.7/5127.1 (early graduation): Motion and second; passed unanimously.
Other items: The board approved the general personnel report and consent agenda items without recorded objection. Several informational presentations (Open Gate pilot, RIDES bus expectations, superintendent’s update) were given; no procurement action for Open Gate units was taken at this meeting.
The board asked staff to return at the next meeting with final audit numbers and grant award status related to Open Gate procurement, and several members requested clarified AR language, numeric thresholds and follow‑up test timing should the drug‑testing policy be reconsidered.
