Hoke County Schools superintendent outlines outreach plans, mechanics and substitute staffing concerns

Dr. Kenneth Bills, superintendent of Hoke County Schools, told the board the district will form committees this spring to create a Wall of Fame and a veterans wall at each school, is organizing a nontraditional job fair for eighth graders, and will meet with substitute teachers to address concerns about inclusion and recognition.

The matters came during Bills’s superintendent’s report, where he also addressed staffing for mechanics and said the district currently has five mechanics of a planned six and is trying to hire a sixth. "We have we're supposed to have 6 mechanics. We have 5," Bills said. He added that more experienced mechanics often leave for higher-paying state positions, making retention challenging.

Bills described plans for two recognition efforts: a district Wall of Fame, for which he said he is assembling a committee to develop instructions and criteria and hopes to begin meetings this summer, and a veterans wall at each school where community members could submit photos of veterans to be displayed. "I do think we need, like, a ceremony for that," he said, describing an intent to coordinate with principals and community members so veterans know about the displays.

He also previewed a nontraditional job fair scheduled for "the seventeenth" at Polk County High School that will include district transportation of eighth graders so they can explore career options and see college programs. "We have 51 attendees this time. I wanna get it up to about a hundred," Bills said, adding that Sandhills and other community colleges will be asked to participate.

On substitute teachers, Bills said he is setting up a meeting after hearing from substitutes at a recent superintendent night out who said they felt "not part of the team." He said the meeting will seek to clarify what substitutes mean and how to make them feel included, and noted some concerns stemmed from distribution of small gift cards that substitutes perceived as an afterthought.

Bills spoke about bus and mechanic certification efforts. He said the district wants mechanics to obtain commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) so they can move buses and to receive certifications needed to perform state-required bus and vehicle inspections. He noted hiring mechanics is not always fast because candidates must meet qualifications and training requirements.

He announced a bus-driver appreciation event on Feb. 18 at the Wright Center from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., for which he said he will serve as emcee. "We're gonna show our bus drivers' bus appreciation," he said.

Bills also said he will attend a conference with about 92 superintendents to discuss public education needs and to frame priorities for the group’s external advocacy. He said the district is monitoring executive orders and legal developments and working with attorneys but has not issued any districtwide letters because guidance is still evolving. "I don't wanna give incorrect information," he said.

Votes at a glance

Approve personnel report — Motion to approve the personnel report was made and seconded; the board approved the personnel report by voice vote.

Adjourn — Motion to adjourn was made and seconded; the board approved the motion to adjourn by voice vote.

(End of superintendent's report.)