Board approves audits, contracts, construction items and program plans; HVAC, modular units, Red Rover contract among actions

The Catawba County Board of Education approved a series of routine and capital items including the district audit engagement letter, the 2025–26 budget calendar, program plans for summer learning, multiple school calendars and several facilities and equipment purchases.

Major budget and facilities approvals included acceptance of an audit contract with Anderson, Smith and Wike to audit district financials for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025; approval of HVAC equipment purchases totaling $1,536,164.61 (Maiden Middle School: $1,081,446.22; Claremont Elementary: $454,718.39); and a construction change order for Bandy's High School multipurpose building (official change order amount $311,576, along with a noted decrease of $59,252 and an increase of $52,376 reflected in project accounting).

Other approvals included a $57,060.07 quote for a new school nutrition delivery vehicle from Piedmont Trucks; a three-year contract with Red Rover for substitute management (including a one-time implementation fee); approval of 2024–25 summer learning programs (remediation/credit recovery, required reading camp for grades 2–3, and one-day jump start for rising grades); and approval of draft 2025–26 calendars for Challenger Early College High School, Compass Academy and Catawba Rosenwald Education Center.

The board also approved moving forward with modular units for Balls Creek Elementary and St. Stephens Elementary conditional on subsequent approval and funding from the Catawba County Board of Commissioners at their March 17 meeting.

Personnel recommendations and an addendum to personnel recommendations were approved in open session. The board announced a special called meeting on March 17 at 6 p.m. for a facilities update from McKissick Architecture.

Most motions were moved, seconded and approved by raised hands; the chair frequently announced the result as unanimous. The meeting transcript does not include roll-call vote tallies for these items.

Votes at a glance (as reported in the meeting record): - Audit engagement letter with Anderson, Smith and Wike — Approved (motion and second; chair announced unanimous). - 2025–26 budget calendar (with a corrected March meeting date) — Approved (motion and second; unanimous). - Purchase of school nutrition vehicle (Piedmont Trucks) — $57,060.07 — Approved (motion and second; unanimous). - 2024–25 summer learning program (remediation, reading camp, jump start) — Approved (motion and second; unanimous). - Draft 2025–26 calendars for Challenger Early College High School, Compass Academy and Catawba Rosenwald Education Center — Approved (motion and second; unanimous). - Contract with Red Rover (substitute management), three-year term, including implementation fee — Approved (motion and second; unanimous). - Modular units for Balls Creek Elementary and St. Stephens Elementary — Approved contingent on County funding approval March 17 (motion and second; unanimous). - HVAC equipment quotes: Maiden Middle School $1,081,446.22; Claremont Elementary $454,718.39 — Approved (motion and second; unanimous). - Construction change directive / change order for Bandy's High School multipurpose building: decrease $59,252; increase $52,376; official change order $311,576 — Approved (motion and second; unanimous). - Personnel recommendations and addendum — Approved (motion and second; unanimous).

Where motions were made the meeting record shows a motion and a second; where roll-call tallies were not read into the record the minutes note approval by raised hands as announced by the chair.