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Superintendent outlines 'Unlocking Student Potential' call to action, ties school-level programs to district strategic priorities
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Barnes presented a district call to action centered on six leadership priorities, linking school improvement planning, NCSTAR tools, and school-level initiatives aimed at expanding student opportunities and flexible pathways.
Superintendent Dr. Barnes told the Onslow County Board of Education the district’s call to action for 2025–26 is “unlocking student potential,” a framework meant to align instruction, leadership and community engagement to expand student opportunities and pathways beyond high school.
Dr. Barnes said the call to action grew from stakeholder feedback collected over 2025, distilled into 30 recurring themes aligned to six leadership priorities: rigorous classroom experiences, a growth and innovation mindset, strengthening educator leadership, connecting families and partners to learning, opening creative learning models and future-ready pathways, and a focus on thriving together. He described the district’s use of NCSTAR (Endistar) as a school-improvement platform that houses vision, mission, core values and two-year school improvement plans that must be presented to the board later in the year.
To demonstrate school-level implementation, administrators from the Swansboro area described campus programs that reflect the district priorities. Sandridge Elementary emphasized character development through the CharacterStrong program and strong local partnerships. Swansboro Elementary highlighted “Pirate Patrol,” a fifth-grade student leadership program that supports campus safety and mentorship. Queen’s Creek and Swansboro Middle described instructional planning, targeted intervention time ("VEIL time") for small-group ELA, science and math support, and weekly reflection and career-exploration activities. Swansboro High provided an example of a daily flexible block called “Refresh” where students can meet with teachers, attend clubs, meet college counselors, or get extra help; the school reported participation numbers for clubs and counseling meetings from a single week.
Dr. Barnes said the strategic plan will be informed by these school-level improvement plans and stakeholder input; principals will tailor actions to their communities. He emphasized that flexible options and specialized pathways (dual enrollment, CTE, AVID, DLI, Career & College Promise) should be visible and communicated to families so students can access them.
Board members asked for specific goals the superintendent hopes to see at the end of the plan; Dr. Barnes said increased student opportunities and improved communication about existing programs are priorities. He described the work as a combination of opportunities and communication rather than a uniform program applied identically at every site.
