Superintendent: teacher working-conditions survey shows big gains, but staff time, student supports and facilities need focus

Superintendent Dr. Barnes told the New Hanover County Board of Education on June 2 that the district’s results on the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey improved markedly across multiple categories from 2024 to 2026, while noting clear priorities for further work.

Barnes highlighted district strengths: community support and involvement scored 95.7 percent, teacher leadership 90.6 percent, and retention 90.5 percent. He said recruiting and retaining staff without discrimination rose from 63.4 to 83.8, and that markers of disorder and physical conflicts have declined. “These are strongest results,” he said while displaying slide data comparing 2022, 2024 and 2026 results.

But he warned of challenges tied to staffing reductions and basic needs. “This survey is a reflection of our need for counselors, social workers, mental health therapists and supports in schools,” Barnes said, noting the district eliminated roughly 300 positions over two years and that facility needs remain a priority that the proposed bond is intended to address.

Board members praised the improvements and asked for targeted follow-up. The superintendent described next steps: targeted pulse checks and deeper dives at schools where scores lag, alignment of culture and data insights, and ongoing advocacy in Raleigh. Finance and capital items later discussed at the meeting included references to a $116 million grant toward bond debt service that the superintendent and board flagged as important for long-term facility work.

The board voted later in the meeting to approve a budget amendment (AG) that included additional state salary revenues, federal grants for exceptional children and capital outlay adjustments for additional buses, totaling a roughly $4 million-plus net increase across funds.