Board committees approve multiple contracts, 2025–26 budget resolution sent to full board

Nash County Public Schools committee members on multiple standing committees approved a series of contracts and routine items for the 2025'26 school year and advanced the district's 2025'26 budget resolution to the full board.

Committee members approved renewals and new contracts covering substitute staffing, international teacher recruitment and immigration legal services, driving instruction, speech-language services, and one-on-one nursing services for students with medical needs. The approvals were taken in committee and either recommended to the full board or, when within the committee's delegated authority, were approved to proceed.

The approvals are largely routine renewals and vendor engagements for the coming school year, but collectively they set staffing, service and fiscal commitments that the district will rely on as school opens. Committee members who spoke during the meetings emphasized continuity of services (substitute staffing), compliance needs for international hires (recruitment and immigration counsel), and ensuring medically necessary supports allow individual students to attend school.

Key items approved or forwarded

- CIS contract (annual agreement for campus information systems): approved in committee; presenter Sheila Wallace asked for committee approval on behalf of Superintendent Ellis; committee later ratified the CIS contract in a subsequent unanimous motion.

- 2025'26 budget resolution: presented for approval to take to the full board. The committee approved forwarding the 2025'26 budget resolution for full-board consideration.

- Kelly Services (substitute teacher staffing): committee reviewed a vendor survey (41 respondents including principals, assistant principals, directors and bookkeepers) showing 92.7% favorable; committee approved renewal for the 2025'26 school year and requested vendor improvements on substitute screening, attire and notification when substitutes cancel.

- Global recruitment vendor (international teacher recruitment): committee approved renewal for the 2025'26 school year. Staff reported 56 teachers currently placed through the program and low nonrenewal rates in recent years.

- Silverman Law (immigration legal services): committee approved renewal for the 2025'26 school year to assist with J-1 to H-1B conversions for international teachers.

- Jordan's Driving School contract (career/CTE driving instruction): approved by the Academic Services & Accountability committee; funding described as state-provided.

- International field trip (Athens, Greece, Feb. 14'21): the committee approved an out-of-state, overnight international field trip for eight students sponsored by the American Council for International Studies.

- Tar River alternative school accountability model (Option B): the district requested and the committee approved continuing Option B (an accountability model that weights student persistence and growth indicators for alternative schools) for the coming cycle; the superintendent requested approval to continue Option B for Tar River.

- Chitter Chatter contract (speech-language services): Student Support Services and Operations committee approved the Chitter Chatter contract to provide speech and language services funded with federal funds for private-school children and school-aged services (pre-K through grade 13).

- Maxim nursing contract (one-on-one nursing services): committee approved a contract to provide one-on-one nursing staff for three students with medically required support; staff described the fiscal implication for that contract and said the amount in packet covered the three current students but would vary if students with higher acuity (e.g., requiring RNs) were added.

Votes and outcomes

Most approvals were recorded by committee voice votes ("all in favor, say aye"). Where motions were moved and seconded, the record shows the motion carried and the items were either approved in committee or recommended to the full board as noted above. The committee minutes and forthcoming full-board agenda will list formal vote records and tally counts for items advanced to the board.

Why this matters

These approvals set vendor and staffing arrangements and identify financial commitments for the coming school year. Contracts for substitute staffing, international recruitment and legal support affect classroom staffing and retention; the nursing contract directly affects the district's ability to serve students with medical needs in-person; and the budget resolution forwarded to the full board is the next formal step in adopting the district's fiscal plan for 2025'26.

What's next

Items forwarded to the full board will appear on the next board meeting agenda for final action. Committee-approved contracts that fall under administrative authority will be implemented for the 2025'26 school year. The district will publish the committee minutes and the full-board packet with formal roll-call votes and any fiscal details that were summarized in committee.