Board Meeting Minutes DATE: June 3, 2019 PRESENT: Chair Anna

Minutes Recorder: Carol Rankin

Board Meeting Minutes

DATE: June 3, 2019

PRESENT: Chair Anna Barrett Smith, Vice Chair Betsy Flanagan, Amy Cole,

Tracy Everette-Lenz, Caroline W. Doherty, Melinda Fagundus, Worth Forbes,

and Benjie Forrest, and Mary Blount Williams

ALSO PRESENT: Dr. Ethan Lenker, Jennifer L. Johnson, Debra Baggett, Matt

Johnson, Dr. Ve-Lecia Council, Dr. Steve Lassiter, and Media

IN-HOUSE COUNSEL: Emma J. Hodson

TIME: 6:30 P.M.

PLACE: Court Room, Farmville Town Hall, 2637 Main Street, Farmville, NC,

27828

1) Start of Meeting

A) Chair Smith called the Board of Education meeting to order in Regular

Session on June 3, 2019 at 6:30 P.M. in the 3

Floor Board Room, 1717 West

Street, Greenville, NC 27834.

B) Mary Blount Williams led the Board members in the pledge of allegiance and

a moment of silence which ended in a prayer.

2) Routine Business

A) Adjustments to the Agenda

Caroline Doherty made a motion to approve the Agenda as presented with a

second by Benjie Forrest. The motion to approve the Agenda as presented

passed unanimously.

B) Spotlight on Teaching and Learning

Public Information Officer Jennifer L. Johnson introduced the following to the

Board members:

1) Farmville Central High School State Champions

Coach Larry Williford shared with the Board members that his team was 32-0

for the second year in a row and won the North Carolina High School Athletic

Association NCHSAA State Championship for 2A Men’s basketball. The team

members were: #1 Dontavious Short, #2 Terquavion Smith, #3 Rashae Owens,

#5 Justin Wright, #10 Red Foskey, #11 Rande Harper, #12 Tae Suggs, #14

Dyquavis Wilkins, #21 Leontae Moye, #23 Samage Teel, #24 Josh Baker, #32

Nic Taylor, and #42 Derrick Cox. The coaches were: Larry Williford, Ronald

Reid, Donald Reid, Tyre Mayo, Justin Foskey, Dennis Pitt, and Juan Barerr.

On behalf of the Board members, Betsy Flanagan, presented each team

member and coach with a ‘Creating Excellence in the East’ certificate and a Pitt

County Schools medallion.

2) Battle of the Books Team from Hope Middle School

Tracie Below, Hope Middle School’s Media Coordinator, introduced her Battle of

the Books (BOB) team to the Board members for winning the Local and

Regional competitions and placing sixth in the BOB state competition. The

team members present were: Nicholas Ahn, Bouchra Benzit, Westley Blakeslee,

Sean Branigan, Samuel Fuh, Jiah Lee, Jiwoo Lee, Josie Motsinger, and Taryn

Whited. Team members unable to attended were: Baker Brimhall, Michael

Huynh and Christine Yoon. The BOB coaches were: Tracie Below and Wanda

Bingaman. On behalf of the Board members, Benjie Forrest, presented the

Minutes Recorder: Carol Rankin

BOB team members and both coaches with a ‘Creating Excellence in the East’

certificate and a Pitt County Schools medallion.

3) Battle of the Books Team from Creekside Elementary

Meredith Hill, Creekside Elementary School’s Media Coordinator, introduced

her Battle of the Books (BOB) team for winning the Local and Regional BOB

competitions. The team members were: Greyson Abel, Rex Augustson, Isabella

Calix, Kaylee Goff, Zephyn Manning, Pranab Mitra, Trathen Quinn, Elina

Shearin, and Mary Beth Wright. The coaches were Meredith Hill and Whit

Blanchard. On behalf of the Board members, Betsy Flanagan, presented the

BOB team members and both coaches with a ‘Creating Excellence in the East’

certificate and a Pitt County Schools medallion.

4) National Center for Women and Information Technology

Don Marr, Principal of D.H. Conley High School, introduced Anna Below for

recently being honored at Campbell University by the National Center for

Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). Anna told the Board members how

NCWIT benefited her as a female student. On behalf of the Board members,

Worth Forbes, presented Anna with a ‘Creating Excellence in the East’

certificate and a Pitt County Schools medallion.

5) State Math Fair

Principal Jennifer Poplin introduced two students that competed in the State

Math Fair. Thomas Brann won first place for creating an inclinometer to

measure the height of a building from a distance. Leah Wainright won third

place for her equation that can be used to predict height from hand width. On

behalf of the Board members, Benjie Forrest, presented Thomas and Leah with

a ‘Creating Excellence in the East’ certificate and a Pitt County Schools

medallion.

6) State Science Fair

Crystal Malpass, Hope Middle School’s Science teacher, introduced four

students who competed in the State Science Fair held at NC State University.

Jiah Lee placed second for her ‘Biological A experiment’ and Elyana Hvastkovs

placed second, for her project, in the Chemistry Division. Both students will

represent Hope Middle School in the National Science Fair competition to be

held in Washington, DC in October. Josie Motsinger, and Sean Branigan also

competed in the State competition but did not place. On behalf of the Board

members, Benjie Forrest, presented each student and Ms. Malpass with a

‘Creating Excellence in the East’ certificate and a Pitt County Schools

medallion.

7) Amy Carrol/ Sherry Little Award

Virginia Gaynor, Director of Exceptional Children Programs, introduced

Michele W. Mazey, Exceptional Children’s Adapted Physical Education teacher

as the winner of the Amy Carroll/Sherry Little Award. This award is presented

to an educator who goes Above and Beyond in the field of Health and Physical

Education and serves as a memorial for Amy Carroll and Sherry Little, two

Physical Educators whose untimely death occurred while en route to the 1990

North Carolina Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation,

Dance and Sports Management (NCAAHPERDSM) Convention.

C) Public Expression

Ms. Lee Guth, with the Pitt County Farm and Food Council, came to share

information concerning the Pitt County Food Finder app with the Board

members.

3. Consent Agenda

Caroline Doherty made a motion to approve the consent items, with a second

from Mary Blount Williams. The motion to approve the Consent Agenda for

Minutes Recorder: Carol Rankin

June 3, 2019, passed unanimously. The Consent Agenda items included the

following:

• May 6, 2019, Regular Board meeting minutes

• May 20, 2019, Board Work Session minutes

• May 20, 2019, Closed Session Board minutes

• Personnel Report for June 3, 2019

• Financial Audit Contracts for 2019, 2020, and 2021

• 2019-2020 Interim Budget Resolution

• DEEL/ Professional Development Building Build-Out Contract amount of

$987,600.00

• 2019-2022 Academically Intellectually Gifted Plan

• 2019-2020 CTE Local Plan

• Board Panel Student Transfer Hearing Recommendation List

With no discussion, the motion to approve the Consent Agenda passed

unanimously.

4. New Business:

A) Greenville Utilities Commission Water Easement Request

Matt Johnson, Assistant Superintendent of Operations, shared information

concerning the requested Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC) water

easement. Mr. Johnson stated the request was to allow GUC to connect an

existing water line with water service to an existing pump station located on

the Wintergreen Intermediate property. After consideration, Mr. Johnson’s

recommendation was to grant GUC the 35-foot-long by 10-foot-wide easement

at the cost of one dollar. Caroline Doherty made a motion to approve the GUC

Water Easement request at the cost of one dollar, with a second from Mary

Blount Williams. The motion to approve the easement request passed

unanimously.

B) Parents for Pitt County Public Schools Community Conversation Report

Kylene Dibble, Executive Director of PPS-PC, assisted by DeVont’e Arrington,

PPS-PC Intern. Ms. Dibble and Mr. Arrington gave a summary of the fifth

annual community conversation report which included the following.

• Strong accolades for PCS

• Facilities need to be updated

• Customer Service needed to help make schools feel welcome and secure

• Redistricting input needed from parents

• Robust CTE program

5. Closing Comments

Closing comments were made by Dr. Lenker, Board members, and Chair

Smith.

6. Adjourn

Benjie Forrest made a motion to adjourn with a second from Caroline Doherty.

The motion to adjourn passed unanimously. Time adjourned was 7:54 P.M.

Respectfully Submitted,

____________________________________

Anna Barrett Smith, Chair

____________________________________

Dr. Ethan Lenker, Secretary