Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves 2026–2030 strategic plan, CTE local plan and a lease to refresh teacher laptops
Summary
The board approved a multi-year strategic plan, a career-and-technical education application, and a three-year tax-exempt lease for 320 teacher laptops (annual lease payment $83,685.12), while staff said the devices have 16GB RAM and a dollar buyout option at term.
The Bladen County Board of Education on Monday approved a new district strategic plan covering 2026–2030, accepted the local career-and-technical-education (CTE) application for 2026–27 and approved a three-year tax-exempt lease with a dollar buyout for teacher laptops.
Superintendent Dr. Atkinson (S6) summarized the strategic plan, which sets a revised mission, vision and five priority areas (academic excellence; culture and engagement; leadership capacity; personnel/professional capacity; and operations/organizational effectiveness) and described the plan as a “living and breathing” document to be reviewed at least annually. After a motion and second, the board approved the strategic plan by voice vote.
Dana Miles (S16) presented the CTE local application for 2026–28, which listed pathways beginning in fifth grade, workplace-learning opportunities and partnerships with Bladen Community College. She said the district expects eight work-study students this summer and plans to offer roughly 40 internships and pre-apprenticeships for class credit; the board approved the CTE local plan for 2026–27.
William Bell (S15) recommended a teacher-device refresh and proposed a three-year lease with Netcom Business Solutions for 320 HP Pro 14 laptops (16 GB RAM). Bell presented two options: an outright purchase (estimated near $252,784) or a three-year tax-exempt lease with total payments that staff estimated would be approximately $251,055 over 36 months, and the annual lease cost shown to the board was $83,685.12. Bell and staff noted the lease includes depot warranty service and a dollar buyout at term; the board approved the lease.
What’s next: Administration will finalize lease paperwork and funding sources (capital outlay or applicable state closeout dollars) and implement the strategic-plan review schedule and CTE implementation with Bladen Community College.
