Board approves 2025–26 CTE budget, business advisory representatives and tractor purchase for Bandy's High
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Summary
Trustees unanimously approved the 2025–26 Career and Technical Education (CTE) budget, four representatives to a merged Business Advisory Council and a compact tractor purchase for Bandy's High School's agricultural program.
The Catawba County Board of Education approved the proposed 2025–26 Career and Technical Education (CTE) budget, appointed representatives to a merged Career and Technical Education Business Advisory Council and authorized purchase of a compact tractor for Bandy's High School at its May 19 meeting.
Dr. Jeff Eisenhower presented the CTE budget element of the district’s biannual comprehensive local needs assessment and said the district received 744 months of employment funding this year — 15 months fewer than the prior year — and will use 726 months in the proposed budget, leaving an 18-month surplus. Ten of those 18 months are earmarked to fund an additional health-science position to support nursing fundamentals across the district. Eisenhower noted the PRC-014 state allocation for CTE is $257,409 and that federal PRC-017 funds were budgeted at 95% of the prior year pending state finalization.
A motion to approve the CTE comprehensive local needs assessment budget for 2025–26 carried unanimously.
The board also approved four recommended representatives to the merged Newton-Conover and Catawba County CTE Business Advisory Council: Eddie Chapman (Conover Fire Department), Dr. Robin Ross (K64), Sean Brown (mayor of Cramerton? — transcript affiliation: cargo transporters) and Katie Fulbright (Catawba Valley Health System). Eisenhower said the advisory group will continue to invite nonvoting attendees such as chamber and economic-development officials to advise both districts. The motion to approve the representatives passed unanimously.
On a separate consent-level action, trustees authorized purchase of a low-bid compact tractor (quotes reviewed; low bid from James Rivers Equipment) for Bandy's High School’s agricultural program. Eisenhower said the current tractor is undersized for some work and that the district requires tractor certification for any student or adult operator. Board members asked about warranty/service; Eisenhower said a typical three-year service agreement is included. The purchase motion passed unanimously.
Trustees voted to approve these items by show of hands; no recorded roll-call tallies were provided in the meeting minutes shown at the meeting.