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Jones County board highlights top regional teacher working-conditions ranking and readies students for year-end tests
Summary
The Jones County Board of Education celebrated a top regional ranking on the North Carolina teacher working-conditions survey, noted $315,000 in scholarships for seniors and discussed steps to reduce student stress ahead of upcoming EOC/EOG testing.
The Jones County Board of Education heard a department update noting the district ranked first overall in the southeast region on the North Carolina Teaching Working Conditions survey and recognized the district as a Purple Star School District for supporting military families.
Mr. Mars reported that the district’s combined survey average was 83% overall and that the district achieved 100% participation among certified staff. Staff noted 11% of students are from military families and said the district hopes to grow that share to qualify for additional federal impact funding. Superintendent Maris (as identified later in the record) added that the district’s overall score rose from 79 to 83 compared with past reporting.
The board also celebrated student successes: seniors’ “decision day” resulted in more than $315,000 in scholarships, and Jones Senior High School reported 49 students slated to graduate, with eight having graduated earlier in the class.
Board members and staff spent significant time discussing upcoming EOC and EOG testing scheduled two weeks from the meeting. Multiple members urged simple measures to reduce student stress on testing days — emphasizing adequate sleep, nutrition and, where feasible, adjusted schedules (for example, later start times or shortened school days on test days). Staff noted practical constraints such as parents’ work schedules when considering later start times.
The update included school-safety notes: continued partnership with the sheriff’s office and School Resource Officers, and the return of the DARE program to elementary schools with a planned fifth-grade DARE graduation.
Public commenter Keith Parish praised recent extracurricular work (including a student drama production) and asked about the survey methodology; staff said 111 respondents produced a 91% favorable response for school leadership and that detailed results are posted on the district website.
The board closed the item with expressions of appreciation to teachers, administrators and support staff for the district’s results and community engagement.
