MADISON, N.C. — During the public‑comment portion of the Henderson County Board of Public Education meeting on Jan. 12, community members urged the board to take public action on school funding, speak to civil‑rights issues, and address concerns about library materials.

Diane North (speaking on behalf of Joe Elliott) opened the public‑comment block by citing a report that places North Carolina near the bottom of per‑capita public‑school spending and urged the board to bring a resolution at the next meeting asking state legislators — Sen. Moffitt and Reps. Balcom and Johnson — to explain their positions on public‑school funding. "It is now time for this board to take the same action," she said, arguing the board's first responsibility is to the district's roughly 12,000 students.

Paul Wachenbaum used the approaching Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to press the board to consider what public education can do to address racism and to "explicitly welcoming and valuing immigrants to America as fellow human beings," saying schools must help students recognize the root causes of unequal outcomes.

Robert Cannon called for continued focus on recruiting, developing and retaining teachers of color and for instructional materials that reflect students' identities so that more students feel a sense of belonging.

Cherish Silvious returned to the board table to raise concerns about specific books in school libraries, reading aloud from an article about "explicit books" and urging board members to participate in the book committee and to change relevant policies.

Other speakers, including representatives of Henderson County Public School Strong and longtime educators, praised successful schools and urged the board to continue advocacy, planning and transparency around budgets and support for high‑need schools.

Board members acknowledged the remarks and indicated they would consider advocacy and communications steps; no formal resolutions were adopted at this meeting.

The public‑comment period lasted the scheduled 30 minutes with ten speakers; the board moved to the consent agenda after public comment concluded.