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Catawba County Board of Education approves capital request, budget packet, calendar, policies and personnel motions
Summary
At its Jan. 27 meeting the Catawba County Board of Education unanimously approved the district's 2025–26 fixed capital outlay request, submitted its current expense request to the county, approved facilities and course changes, adopted a 165‑day student calendar, and moved multiple policy and personnel items, including Title IX policy amendments.
The Catawba County Board of Education on Jan. 27 approved a package of budget, facilities, policy and personnel items, including the district's 2025–26 fixed capital outlay request and a 165‑day student calendar for the 2025–26 school year.
Board members voted unanimously by a show of hands on motions to send the 2025–26 fixed capital outlay request to Catawba County commissioners, to forward the district's 2025–26 current local expense request to the county, and to approve a slate of consent items and personnel recommendations with one recusal noted. The board also approved a bid for HVAC equipment at Star Town Elementary, added a sports-and-event-marketing course to several high schools' catalogs, approved the proposed 2025–26 school calendar, renewed an access easement for sewer infrastructure, and adopted several policy amendments and deletions, including changes tied to Title IX regulations.
The capital outlay list presented to the board included site-specific critical needs and school requests to be considered by the county for the 2025–26 fiscal year. The board approved the list after a motion by a member who said the group had reviewed items earlier in the day, including theatrical lighting and a greenhouse at Maiden High School.
On the district budget request, staff told board members the request largely mirrors the prior year and that no increased local supplement was requested this cycle because of capital needs; staff said the board and new finance staff will have an opportunity to revise the request in February if needed before county submission.
Facility and procurement approvals included a low bid of $76,708.30 from a Hickory firm for HVAC mini‑split equipment at Star Town Elementary; staff noted equipment warranties of five years and seven years on compressors.
Curriculum changes approved by the board added a level‑3 sports and event marketing course (an honors designation because existing level‑2 offerings are honors) at the high schools listed in the agenda for additional student course options.
The board approved the 2025–26 school calendar that reduces student days to 165 by adding an employee workday on Sept. 26; staff summarized the calendar as starting Aug. 25 and concluding in May with a 77/88 first/second semester split.
On policy, the board voted to amend and delete several policies identified on the agenda; the Title IX item was presented as an amendment to return policy language to the 2020 regulations and to remove references to the 2024 regulations after a legal review referenced a Kansas court finding invalidating the 2024 rules.
On personnel, the board approved the recommended hires and other personnel actions listed in the packet and recorded one recusal: Dr. Barnett was recused from consideration of a personnel item related to Alyssa McCreery.
All motions on the agenda passed by the board as recorded in open session. Where votes were taken, the board used a show-of-hands method and recorded unanimous approval for the motions shown in the meeting record.
The meeting concluded after approval of the agenda items and a motion to adjourn.
