The regular monthly meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education was held in the Boardroom of the YCS District Office on Monday, December 16, 2024.
Election of Officers
The Board elected Mr. Edwin Fortner as Chair and Mr. Cody Whitson as Vice-Chair for the Board of Education.
Additions at BES and BRES
Mrs. Amos informed the Board that she and her team have continued conversations with Harper General Contractors. The anticipated completion date for the addition at BES is August 2025. At BRES, the grading process has begun with a completion date set for December 2025.
Barn Update
Mrs. Amos reported that the team is continuing to survey the proposed areas and will meet in January to finalize designs.The old barn at MHHS is being cleaned out to be used by the Ag department in the future.
Tyler Technologies
Mrs. Amos informed the Board that she has approved the request from the Town of Burnsville Police Department that the cost of their electronic system be deducted from the proceeds that are given to Yancey County Schools.
Mr. Dahlberg requested to have a discussion regarding the condition of the baseball fields at EYMS and CRMS. The field and press box at CRMS have sustained significant damage due to large trucks and equipment in that area during the recovery period after Hurricane Helene. At EYMS, the bank beneath the outfield has experienced a landslide and could erode more. Mrs. Amos reported that Mr. Derek Murphy has a plan and is working to get the fields and dugout repaired.
Welcome & Pledge of Allegiance
Chairman Edwin Fortner welcomed everyone to the meeting. Mr. Will Hensley led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Moment of Silence
Mrs. Amos requested a moment of silence to honor EYMS student Yevhenii Segen and his family that were lost in the flood from Hurricane Helene.
Good News
NC Educator of Excellence
Mrs. Amos congratulated Ms. Shannon Anders for receiving the NC Educator of Excellence award at the EC State Conference. Ms. Anders is an EC teacher at MHHS.
Presenters at NCTIES
Mrs. Amos congratulated Mrs. Leigh Davis and Ms. Beryl Carroll for being invited to present at the NCTIES conference. Mrs. Davis is a Science teacher and Ms. Carroll is the Media Coordinator, both at EYMS.
Lenovo Laptops & Chromebooks
Mrs. Amos recognized and thanked Tech Director Sonya Wheat for helping secure Lenovo laptops and Chromebooks donations for YCS.
Dogwood Award
Mrs. Amos congratulated Mr. Derek Murphy for receiving the NC Attorney General’s Dogwood Award. This honorable award is given to people who work to improve the health, safety and well-being of their community. Mr. Murphy was honored for his work with Emergency Management and YCS throughout Hurricane Helene and the recovery process.
Superintendent Updates
Christmas Cheer
Mrs. Amos thanked everyone who has contributed donations to the approximately 500 families in need. Mrs. Kristin Buchanan and Mrs. Keli Miller have led the organization and distribution efforts for YCS. Mrs. Amos also thanked Dr. Brent Laws, Mrs. Melanie Bennett and all the faculty and staff that have assisted in organizing and preparing the packages to be picked up at Burnsville Elementary.
NCHSAA
Mrs. Amos announced that NCHSAA has released the updated conference alignment changes. MHHS had been classified as 1A, however, with the restructuring of the system based on ADM, they will now be classified as 3A high school in the 2025-2026 school year.
Curriculum Updates
Mrs. Amos reported that DPI is making changes to Language Arts, Math and Science curriculum. Feedback is being collected by NCDPI from the teachers and administrators. The directors will work to implement these updates in YCS as they become available.
New State Superintendent
Mrs. Amos reported that she had the opportunity to meet the new state superintendent Mo Green and looks forward to working with him in the future.
State Funding Allotments
The state funding allotments have not been announced yet but YCS is continuing to assess needs and make plans to use the allotments to fund tutors, Pre-K, ELL, CTE programs and possibly assistant principals in the near future.
Principal of the Year
Mrs. Amos and the Board congratulated Dr. Brent Laws for being voted as Principal of the Year by his peers. Dr. Laws is the principal at Burnsville Elementary School.
New Business
2025-26 Calendar
Mrs. Amos presented the proposed calendar for the 2025-26 school year to the Board. The calendar was approved unanimously. The first day of school will be on Monday, August 18, 2025 and the last day of school will be on Friday, May 22, 2026.
Public Input
None
Chairman’s Updates
Mr. Edwin Fortner expressed his gratitude for the many people who have blessed Yancey County with assistance and supplies throughout the recovery effort from Hurricane Helene. He also thanked all of the volunteers who have given of themselves during this time. Mr. Fortner stated he looks forward to YCS continuing to advance for the benefit of our students.
Informational Items
Christmas Break for YCS will be December 23, 2024 through January 3, 2025. Students will return to school on Monday, January 6, 2025.
There will be School Board Training with Chris Campbell on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at the YCS District Office 4:30-6:30 pm.
The next regular meeting of the school board will be held on Monday, January 27, 2025 in the Boardroom of the YCS District Office. Work Session will begin at 5:30 pm, followed by the Regular Meeting at 6:00 pm.
PUBLIC INPUT – To sign up for public input, please call 828-682-6101 ext. 102 by 3:00 pm on the day of the meeting. A sign-up sheet will also be available at the meeting location from 4:00-5:50 pm prior to the meeting.
