Caldwell County board approves transfer closures for four schools, posts parent-organization policy for public comment

The Caldwell County Board of Education on Jan. 13 approved closing four elementary schools to new student transfers for the 2025–26 school year and posted proposed revisions to Policy 5010 on parent organizations for a 30-day public comment period.

Andy Poole, assistant superintendent for the district, presented the recommended transfer closures and said the practice is triggered when buildings approach 90% of their recommended capacity. "These are the schools that we try to close for transfers... We base that based on the school capacity when the school approaches 90% capacity," Poole said, naming Davenport Elementary, Granite Falls Elementary, Lower Creek Elementary and Balmain Elementary as the recommended closures. The board approved the list without discussion.

The changes to Policy 5010 were presented later by Dr. Thomas Howe, assistant superintendent for human resources. Howe described the draft as "a living document" and said the district plans to solicit feedback from principals and the public before finalizing it. Under the proposed revisions, the district would remove a sentence that currently bars school-system employees from serving as officers of parent organizations during the work day and would replace it with a narrower rule: "Leave-earning school system employees are not permitted to serve as an officer of a parent organization, but are eligible to serve as a faculty sponsor to the parent organization. Each parent organization is required to have a faculty sponsor," Howe said.

The draft also adds a screening requirement for parent volunteers who serve as officers. Howe read the proposed language into the record: "All parent volunteers who serve as an officer of a parent organization are required to be screened and approved by Caldwell County Schools for the *** offender registry and criminal background check. The approved volunteer officers will be monitored by screening software for notification of any future criminal violations." The board voted to post the revised policy for public comment for 30 days; the presenters said additional edits from meetings with principals will be incorporated before the public posting.

During discussion of closures, Poole explained that the district uses capacity figures produced by an architect in 2020 and applies a 90% threshold to leave room for students who move into the district midyear. "If you go full 100% you have to take the students that move into the district," he said. The board noted that individual grade levels or schools can later be adjusted if enrollment patterns change.

The meeting also included routine personnel and administrative approvals: contracts with an entity identified in the meeting as the North Carolina Division of Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities for vocational rehabilitation services, a contract with an independent contractor for the exceptional children's department, human-resources contracts and substitute approvals, and January board transfers; each of those items was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. Dr. Katrina McKellan, assistant superintendent, presented the vocational-rehab contract and "respectfully request[ed] approval," which the board granted.

Chairman Pinnell called a brief closed session later in the meeting; the board said no action was expected after the closed session. The regular meeting then adjourned.

Votes at a glance

- Approve agenda as presented — approved by voice vote. - Approve minutes of Dec. 9 regular meeting — approved by voice vote. - Approve contract between Caldwell County Board of Education and the North Carolina Division of Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities (vocational rehabilitation services) — approved by voice vote. - Approve contract with an independent contractor for the exceptional children's department — approved by voice vote. - Close Davenport Elementary, Granite Falls Elementary, Lower Creek Elementary and Balmain Elementary to new transfers for 2025–26 — approved by voice vote. - Approve human-resources usual and customary contract items (one-year employment contracts) — approved by voice vote. - Approve substitute list (noted as small due to time of year; training planned) — approved by voice vote. - Approve January board transfers for 2024–25 — approved by voice vote. - Post revised Policy 5010 (Parent Organizations) for 30-day public comment — approved by voice vote. - Enter closed session (no action expected after) — approved by voice vote.

The board said additional details from forthcoming principal meetings will be incorporated into the posted Policy 5010 draft before the public comment period begins.