Superintendent highlights strong attendance, bus-app uptake and school renaming

Superintendent Wallace reported to the board that district attendance stands at 94.32 percent, the highest rate the district has recorded since 2017-18, and he praised teachers and administrators for the improvement.

Wallace updated the board on the Here Comes the Bus tracking application: 769 active households have signed up and roughly 1,100 students are viewable in the system, a step he described as a positive increase in parent engagement with transportation tracking.

Wallace also recapped a Dec. 11 ceremony that renamed the former Central Davie Education Center the Julius Souter Education Center and thanked the facility-naming committee and community participants. He noted broad community attendance and praised the Souter family and school staff for their involvement.

On athletics, Wallace briefed the board about the North Carolina High School Athletic Association's proposed reclassification that will move the state to eight classifications and place Davie County Schools in a new alignment (the presentation described Davie County in a 7A classification and likely placement in a split conference with nearby systems). He said coaches and principals had been involved in discussions and an appeals period would follow the initial proposal.

Wallace closed by encouraging continued parent partnership and recognizing board appreciation month. The board thanked staff for school visits and for taking part in school walk-throughs in December that highlighted collaborative teacher practices and community-service projects across campuses.