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Staff Reports

 

The Polk County Board of Education took a moment Monday to congratulate all Polk County Early College and Polk County High School Class of 2022 graduates.

 

At the board’s regular monthly meeting at Stearns Education Center, Chairman Mike Ashworth briefly discussed attending both ceremonies and how impressed he was with graduates from both schools. Polk County Early College had 13 seniors graduate on May 21 while Polk County High School had 145 seniors walk across the stage on June 10.

 

“The Polk County Board of Education and Polk County Schools congratulates all the Class of 2022 Graduates and families,” said Superintendent Aaron Greene. “Job well done.”

 

In other business conducted by the board:

 

* Polk County High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Director Josh Hill and Career Development Coordinator Lindsey Edwards provided highlights and a summary of next year’s CTE plan, which received board approval.

 

* Curriculum and Instruction Director Jan Crump provided a summary of the Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Summer Seminars being offered this year at various district sites.

 

* Child Nutrition Director Jennifer Peeler received approval of food bids for the 2022-2023 school year and for recommended increases in meal prices to offset dramatic increases in food service supplies and operations costs. Breakfast will now be $1.75 for all students, with lunch now $3 for those in grades K-5 lunch and $3.50 for those in grades 6-12.

 

* The board approved budget amendments submitted by Finance Officer Debbie Lovelace as well as a year-end budget resolution that allows school districts the ability to make final amendments to the current budget at the end of the fiscal year. This provides a means to reconcile any remaining revenue or disbursement occurring late in June.

 

* The board approved two student transfer requests and two overnight field trips for Polk County High FFA, one to the FFA State Convention and the other to FFA Camp in Eastern North Carolina.

 

* Assistant Superintendent Dave Scherping provided a progress update on the PCHS HVAC project and the preschool addition to Tryon Elementary’s campus.

 

* The board voted to approve its annual driver education contract with Mountain Professionals for provision of classroom and driving instruction pending counsel clarification of the contract.

 

* Greene updated the board on the current COVID status in the schools and the board voted unanimously to continue with optional masking and its current approach to the handling of cases.

 

The next Polk County Board of Education Meeting will be the upcoming summer Budget and Personnel work meeting held on June 23. The meeting is a work session with no other agenda items or public input. There will be no meeting in July.