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Craven County Board approves easement, energy partnership, HOPE pilot slot, Lexia renewal and retesting option
Summary
At the work session the board approved: a permanent easement for the H J McDonald property, a voluntary energy partnership for Havelock Elementary (estimated ~$11,000 annual savings), participation of West Craven Middle in the HOPE grant, renewal of Lexia contracts for K–5 literacy, and Option A for immediate retesting for non‑proficient students.
The Craven County Board of Education voted on a set of agenda items that advance infrastructure, cost‑saving partnerships, teacher supports and student assessment policy.
Easement (HJ McDonald): Dr. Blunt presented the City of New Bern’s request for a permanent water easement running along the southern border of the H J McDonald property to support water infrastructure from Highway 43 to Glen Burnie Road. Jordan Hughes, the City of New Bern engineer, described the alignment and said the easement is adjacent to an existing utility easement and should not cause major disruption to school traffic. The board approved the easement by roll call (all present members voting yes).
Carteret Electric voluntary program (Havelock Elementary): Dr. Blunt and representatives from Carteret Electric said the district’s on‑site generator at Havelock Elementary could be enrolled in a voluntary program that allows the utility to draw limited power during wholesale grid events. Dr. Blunt said the agreement is estimated to save the school about $900 per month ("just under $11,000 a year" in district savings). The board approved the partnership by roll call.
HOPE Project (SREB) — West Craven Middle: Representatives of the Southern Regional Education Board presented the federally funded HOPE Project, a research‑backed, five‑year initiative focused on seventh‑ and eighth‑grade math improvement using summer institutes, quarterly coaching cycles, classroom enactments, video coaching and stipends for teacher participants. Dr. Christy Edwards said program costs to the district are intended to be nil (the grant covers stipends, subs up to $125 per day, video equipment and in‑person coaching). The board approved inclusion of West Craven Middle School in the HOPE grant pilot.
Retesting policy (Option A): Dr. Boutwell briefed the board on two state options for students who test non‑proficient on end‑of‑grade or end‑of‑course assessments. Option A allows immediate retesting (no minimum remediation required) within the testing window; Option B requires eight days of remediation before retest and would carry higher summer/operational costs. The board approved Option A (immediate retest for non‑proficient students) by roll call.
Lexia Core5 contract renewal: Jason Griffin presented the Lexia Core5 renewal and implementation plan for K–5 literacy support, explained fidelity expectations and data reporting (including HomeConnect family letters), and described funding sources: a Title I allocation covering 14 elementary schools and a separate contract for Creekside. Griffin said long‑term partnership pricing has produced a lower cost than past years and cited a quoted reduction versus last year’s contract. The board approved the Lexia contracts.
Motions and votes: The minutes record that motions and seconds were offered for each item and that roll call votes were taken with the usual board members present; where roll call was recorded each named member voted yes.
Why it matters: The approvals collectively preserve district infrastructure plans, lock in a modest utility saving for a campus with an on‑site generator, expand federal‑funded professional development focused on math instruction, reduce barriers to students improving assessment outcomes, and maintain an evidence‑based literacy platform districtwide.
