Superintendent announces 10th‑day enrollment, NC Connect outreach and school recognitions
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Allen reported a 10th‑day enrollment of 11,557, updates on NC Connect, Leader in Me and several construction and program updates; the board also recognized two Pumpkin Center schools and a community muralist and librarian grant recipient.
At the Sept. 2 Lincoln County Schools Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Allen told the board the district's 10th‑day enrollment for pre‑K through 12 was 11,557 students.
Dr. Allen highlighted a new outreach called NC Connect, a partnership involving the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the university system and community colleges that notifies qualifying high‑school seniors about guaranteed‑admission options. "It's not spam mail," he said, urging parents and seniors to watch for the notices.
The superintendent said about two thirds of district schools have begun teaching lessons from the Leader in Me curriculum and that the first eight‑day rollout received positive responses in the initial cohort schools. He also reported the district's SAVE program at Asbury is operating to provide dropout‑prevention alternatives and additional educational opportunities for referred students.
Construction projects are underway at multiple sites, Dr. Allen said: middle‑school restroom projects, ongoing work at Saint James and Rock Springs, and a West Lincoln barn project. He said preliminary state testing results for the 2024–25 school year were shared in a work session earlier the same day but remain embargoed until the State Board of Education finalizes and ratifies the data; a district press release is planned for Friday.
The board also recognized two Pumpkin Center schools. Candy Masters, owner of Centimeters Art Academy in downtown Lincolnton, was commended for donating time and materials to paint a "7 habits" mural at Pumpkin Center Primary to support the Leader in Me rollout. Pumpkin Center Intermediate was acknowledged after librarian Cindy Moore won a $5,000 Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries grant; the money will be used to purchase additional library texts to encourage student reading.
Superintendent Allen thanked staff, families and the community for supporting the start of the school year and the projects under way.
