Board approves consent agenda, property sale and budget requests; several items carried after debate

Transylvania County Schools Board of Education voted on a package of routine and substantive items during its April meeting, approving the consent agenda, moving a playground request to the county for funding, authorizing the sale of a surplus parcel on Confederate Lane and forwarding a budget and capital request to county officials.

The board approved the consent agenda, which included minutes from the March 17, 2025 meeting, the personnel report dated April 21, 2025, a budget amendment, a policy amendment (13-10-40 O2) and a list of proposed food and supply vendors for 2025–26. The board then considered several items that drew more discussion.

On the Boulevard Elementary playground procurement, the board voted to forward the school's recommendation to the county so the county could consider additional funding. Facilities staff had recommended Blue Ridge Playgrounds after comparing bids; staff said one bidder (referred to in the record as “BARS”) quoted less square footage and a lower total than requested. Brevard Elementary recommended Blue Ridge despite the bid putting the project about $61,000 over the originally budgeted $300,000. The board’s motion to move the request to the county passed (vote tally not specified in the public record).

The board considered a surplus-property resolution to sell a county-owned lot on Confederate Lane “as is” for $31,000. Trustees debated whether the parcel had been adequately marketed (questions were raised about MLS listing and advertising), whether an appraisal should be obtained, and cleanup costs; staff said landfill disposal alone could be about $8,000 and that the purchaser would be responsible for demolition and sewer work. After discussion the board approved the sale resolution on a recorded 3–2 vote.

On curriculum, the board approved a three-year renewal of the Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) elementary ELA adoption, with a condition that staff return with the results of a May work session that will address teacher concerns about pacing and novel units. A motion to delay approval failed; a subsequent motion to approve the adoption with the requested follow-up passed (vote tally not specified in the public record).

The board also approved the district’s summer remediation and retest plan for 2025, which takes advantage of a state extension allowing remediation and testing into late June, and approved two first‑read purchasing-policy updates from the district’s counsel on federal procurement thresholds.

Finally, the board approved the district’s FY operating and capital requests to county commissioners, including two options for increasing local salary supplements for staff. The district requested additional local supplement funding (option A, to match a neighboring county’s supplement levels, or option B, a larger supplement) and a capital package that included an elevator replacement at Rosman Middle/High, two activity buses with wheelchair access, furniture and equipment replacements and a $100,000 set‑aside for future turf replacement. The motion to forward the budget/capital request to the county passed (vote tally not specified in the public record).

Several items that involved formal motions and votes appear in the record without roll-call tallies; where a numeric count was given, the Confederate Lane sale was recorded as passing 3–2. The meeting record includes motions, seconds and typical “all in favor/any opposed” calls in open session.

Ending: The board’s actions send funding requests and one property sale forward to county officials and direct staff to return with follow-up reports — on curriculum pacing, grant or fee details for playground funding, and other implementation specifics.