Board approves budget amendments, multiple contracts and grant applications; district names EC stipends and updates construction projects

The Craven County Schools Board of Education approved a cluster of routine and substantive items Wednesday at its work session, including budget amendments, insurance renewals, vendor contracts and several district program approvals.

Budget and finance: Chief Finance Officer Heidi Daley reviewed the June budget update, including year‑to‑date expenses and capital adjustments. Daley reported a remaining project balance for the Freedom Middle School project and explained county appropriation reimbursements and the recording of state bus purchases. The board unanimously approved the 2026–27 budget amendment package, a continuing budget resolution to maintain operations while state and federal funds finalize, and a year‑end budget resolution. Daley told the board the district still had a remaining balance of "$14,709,000" in the project fund as of June 1.

Contracts and procurement: The board approved several contracts following presentations from staff:

- A school‑nursing contract with Emergis (term 08/01/2026–06/30/2027) not to exceed $350,000 to staff nurses at six schools; the board also approved an Emergis 1‑to‑1 skilled nursing arrangement (student‑acuity based, no fixed not‑to‑exceed amount) and an Emergis athletic‑trainer contract not to exceed $225,000 to cover athletic trainer services at New Bern, West Craven and Havelock high schools. (The transcript contains inconsistent spellings of the vendor name: both "Emergis" and "Emeritus" appear; district presenters used "Emergis" in the principal contract descriptions.)

- A Kirkland Floors contract for waxing/stripping at five schools (low bid $105,440) and a six‑month custodial pilot contract with A and B Cleaning for a pilot school (low bid $11,939.25 per month) were both approved.

- The board approved a resolution to declare K–5 iPads surplus and begin disposal.

Programs, grants and fees: The board approved the 2026–28 Career & Technical Education (CTE) local application required by the state and authorized staff to apply for a Bosch Community Fund grant ($37,444 requested) to support teacher externships and professional development. The board also approved a second Bosch Community Fund application focused on robotics and STEM kits for classroom use. Jason Griffin presented and the board approved the 2026–27 student fee schedule and the Title I plan for 2026–27, which details district set‑asides, per‑student allocations and a roughly $1,000,000 carryover used in district planning.

Exceptional Children staffing stipend: Dr. Boutwell proposed an annual leadership stipend of $4,000 per program specialist (nine positions) to better align those leaders’ compensation with experienced teachers and support recruitment and retention in special education roles; the board approved the stipend and accepted the recommendation to fund it from improved Medicaid reimbursement efforts. "I'm recommending that we implement an annual leadership stipend of $4,000 for the program specialist," Dr. Boutwell said.

Construction and operations: Facilities staff updated the board on Freedom Middle School construction (bus lot, walls, loading dock, kitchen reconfiguration) and listed upcoming purchase/installation timelines for classroom furniture; contingency and allowances exceed $1,000,000 but staff reported the project remains on schedule for turnover in mid‑July 2027. Facilities also reported an unplanned underground steam‑pipe failure at Brinson Memorial estimated at about $100,000 to repair; staff said they expected to fund the repair from capital contingencies.

Food service: The district’s school nutrition leaders described an expanded "Sun Meals" summer program (congregate sites, mobile routes and pre‑packed 'to‑go' kits using an in‑house packaging machine). Early season distribution has already exceeded last year’s initial numbers; staff estimate they have served roughly 1,500 children so far and urged community partners to call ahead when they expect larger groups so the team can plan distribution quantities.

Votes at a glance (selected items approved unanimously unless noted):

- Adopt agenda — carried unanimously - Approve 2026–28 CTE local application — carried unanimously - Approve Bosch Community Fund grant applications (CTE teacher externships and robotics/STEM) — carried unanimously - Approve 2026–27 student fee schedule — carried unanimously - Approve 2026–27 Title I plan — carried unanimously - Approve Emergis school‑nursing contract (not‑to‑exceed $350,000) — carried unanimously - Approve Emergis 1‑to‑1 skilled nursing contract (student‑acuity based, no cap) — carried unanimously - Approve Emergis athletic‑trainer contract (not‑to‑exceed $225,000) — carried unanimously - Approve surplus declaration for K–5 iPads — carried unanimously - Approve Kirkland Floors waxing contract ($105,440) — carried unanimously - Approve six‑month custodial pilot contract with A and B Cleaning (pilot monthly low bid $11,939.25) — carried unanimously - Approve budget amendment package, continuing budget resolution and year‑end budget resolution — carried unanimously - Approve workers’ compensation and auto‑insurance renewals with North Carolina School Boards Trust — carried (one abstention recorded) - Approve participation in teacher‑leader federal grant application with DPI — carried unanimously - Approve EC program specialist leadership stipend proposal (~9 positions at $4,000 each; funding proposed from improved Medicaid reimbursement) — carried unanimously

What to watch: the district will implement the CVA closure transition (see separate story), monitor Medicaid billing improvements tied to EC funding, and finalize Freedom Middle School furniture procurement and contingency spending.