The Wilson County Board of Education is currently making decisions about long-range facilities planning at the direction of the Wilson County Board of Commissioners. Listed below is a summary of the process. Information about Board of Education meetings, such as agendas, minutes and videos of the meetings, is always available on the Wilson County Schools (WCS) website under About Us > Board of Education. Agendas of upcoming meetings are posted on the website 48 hours in advance of the meeting. Agendas of upcoming meetings have also recently been added to our WCS social media channels.

Timeline

Feb. 17, 2020
Link to the Official Minutes
Link to the Audio Recording of the Meeting

     During the Feb. 17, 2020, Regular Board meeting, the Board received information about a contract with Operations Research and Education (OREd) Services. Board Policy 2500, Contract Administration, states that the Superintendent is authorized to enter into contracts involving amounts up to $90,000, and the Superintendent shall report such contracts exceeding $20,000 to the Board at the next regularly scheduled meeting. The contract with OREd was less than $90,000. It was approved by Superintendent Dr. Lane Mills and reviewed by the Board attorney. OREd, which is a company through North Carolina State University, will complete an Integrated Planning for School and Community (IPSAC) and Land Use Study for WCS. The company will conduct enrollment forecasting and trending research that will help provide information for the future. WCS has seen a decline in enrollment the past few years. OREd will also study demographics and historical enrollment. 

Sept. 21, 2020
Link to the Official Minutes
Link to the Youtube Video of the Meeting

     During the Sept. 21, 2020, Regular Board meeting, the Board received information about the IPSAC and Land Use Study conducted by OREd. Thomas Dudley and Terry Karlson, who both work with OREd, participated in the meeting and provided an overview of their findings regarding land use, membership and an evaluation of residential, commercial and industrial developments approved within Wilson County. The Administration also shared the district’s five and ten year facilities plans and estimated costs for maintaining the sites.
    OREd shared that WCS elementary schools are currently operating at an average of 65 percent utilization, which means there are schools serving far fewer students than they were built to serve. Underutilization contributes to staffing and funding challenges.
Mr. Dudley and Mr. Karlson shared that the next step in the process was to answer these questions: 

• What are the student enrollment trends that WCS is facing in the next 10 years?
• What challenges do these trends present for WCS?
• What steps should the Board of Education take to help address these long-range facility concerns?  

March 8, 2021
Link to the Official Minutes
Link to the Youtube Video of the Meeting

     During the March 8, 2021, Special Board Meeting, Dr. Mills shared information with the Board that included the IPSAC and Land Use Study, membership forecast, capital projects and possible next steps. 

     The next steps presented by Dr. Mills were: 

• The Board needs to set priorities
• What particular school level to focus on - elementary/middle/high
• Where to invest for renovations and upgrades
• New facilities versus age of buildings, current standards and maintenance costs
• Utilization of buildings
• Programmatic usage for existing buildings

• The Board needs to determine what information is needed to continue the process
• The Board needs to determine what input is needed and when
• The Board needs to plan for future meetings with County Commissioners to share information and plan together

     The Board asked the Administration to bring back the following information to consider at a future discussion on long-range facilities planning:

• Schools located in areas with growth in businesses
• Schools that haven’t received any repairs in 20 years
• Schools that are landlocked
• Schools with history and considered landmarks
• Schools that are at capacity
• Residential developments and student numbers
• Redistricting
• Elementary numbers and utilization
• Schools that can be combined
• New facility versus updating a facility
• Utilization and student population
• Program needs
• Program usage at each school
• School districts that are close to subdivisions

May 10, 2021
Link to the Official Minutes
Link to the Youtube Video of the Meeting

     During the May 10, 2021, Special Meeting, Dr. Mills shared information with the Board regarding the membership forecast; athletic and capital projects; current trends; capacities and usage; status of the buildings; maintenance funding; “what if” scenarios; recommendations; and first steps.
     The “what if” scenarios presented by Dr. Mills were:

• Winstead Elementary could be combined with Vinson-Bynum Elementary
• Demolish the old two-story wing of Winstead Elementary
• The remaining wing could house the alternative school and print shop or the technology center
• Daniels Learning Center could be closed

• Stantonsburg Elementary could be combined with Lee Woodard Elementary
• Lee Woodard Elementary has acreage to expand
• Paving and roofing have been completed at Lee Woodard Elementary

• Vick Elementary could be combined with Barnes Elementary
• Barnes Elementary has acreage for expansion and is built to allow for extension of wings

• Wells Elementary could undergo major renovations and extend based on acreage
• Hearne Elementary could be combined with Wells Elementary
• Existing Hearne Elementary building could become the Pre-K Center
• Hearne Elementary is not able to expand

• Frederick Douglass Elementary will need careful consideration for renovations versus rebuilding
• Gardners Elementary and Stantonsburg Elementary - Locations
• Could consider a new school and combine

• Rock Ridge Elementary and New Hope Elementary
  • Need to examine growth patterns in housing
  • Could consider a new school between Rock Ridge Elementary and New Hope Elementary

•  

The first steps presented by Dr. Mills were: 

• Need to get on OREd's calendar to begin an assignment plan
• The Board will need to share your priorities with OREd
• OREd can also make recommendations for consolidation and siting new facilities
• OREd will need updated data file and our priorities
• OREd will need decisions on construction or consolidation

     After discussion, the Board voted to have the Superintendent contract with an entity, such as OREd, for the purpose of reassignment and organization of students. 

Aug. 16, 2021 
Link to the Official Minutes
Link to Audio File 1
Link to Audio File 2
Link to Audio File 3

     During the Aug. 16, 2021, Regular Board meeting, the Administration shared information from OREd on the redistricting process. OREd requested that the Board review and set priorities to assist in determining student assignment scenarios. OREd requested that the Board rank 11 student assignment priorities in order of importance as a starting point to receive feedback as they work through models. The priorities were: 

• Balancing utilization
• Maximizing student proximity to schools
• Demographic balancing
• Maintaining feeder patterns
• Respecting neighborhoods
• Minimizing reassignment impact
• Facility age, condition and security
• Access to programs
• Financial impact
• Mindfulness of family input
• Busing efficiency and logistics

     OREd will also offer community engagement sessions in the future for the public to discuss the process. The Board voted for the individual members to complete the OREd student assignment priorities and send those to Dr. Mills within a week so that he could have direction moving forward.

Oct. 28, 2021
Link to the Official Minutes
Link to the Youtube Video of the Meeting

     During the Oct. 28, 2021, Special Board Meeting, representatives from OREd presented a preliminary draft scenario and recommendation regarding the district’s facility needs and usage. Currently, WCS elementary schools are operating at an average of 65 percent utilization, which means there are schools serving far fewer students than they were built to serve. Underutilization contributes to staffing and funding challenges. Dr. Mills cautioned Board members that the recommendation from OREd was preliminary at this point and was a starting point for discussion. 
     The draft scenario (titled Scenario A: Draft 1) suggested the closure of three elementary schools in the future - Stantonsburg, Vick and Winstead. Scenario A would bring the district’s utilization of elementary schools to 80 percent. In that scenario, students at Stantonsburg Elementary would attend Barnes Elementary; students at Vick Elementary would attend Hearne Elementary; and students at Winstead Elementary would attend Vinson-Bynum Elementary. There would also be situations where students from these three schools may be assigned to attend another elementary school depending on where they lived. In making the recommendation, OREd weighed several assignment priorities that were decided upon by the Board - balancing utilization and demographics; maximizing student proximity to schools, maintaining feeder patterns, respecting neighborhoods; and considering facility age and condition. 
     The Board members had numerous questions and concerns with the preliminary draft, such as how long the students at those three schools would be on buses to travel to their new school, and asked OREd to create another option for comparison to present at the November meeting. Community engagement is also important in the long-range facilities planning process and once the Board agrees on multiple viable options for increasing utilization, the options will be presented to the public.

Nov. 22, 2021 Work Session
Link to the Official Minutes
Link to the Youtube Video of the Meeting

     During the Nov. 22, 2021, Work Session, representatives from OREd presented a second preliminary draft scenario and recommendation regarding the district’s facility needs and usage. Currently, WCS elementary schools are operating at an average of 65 percent utilization, which means there are schools serving far fewer students than they were built to serve. Underutilization contributes to staffing and funding challenges. Dr. Mills cautioned Board members that the recommendation from OREd was preliminary at this point. OREd presented a second preliminary draft scenario to the Board (titled Scenario B: Draft 1), which suggested the closure of two elementary schools in the future - Stantonsburg and Winstead. In that scenario, students at Stantonsburg Elementary would attend Barnes Elementary, and students at Winstead Elementary would attend Vinson-Bynum Elementary. Scenario B would bring the district’s utilization of elementary schools to 74 percent. The schools absorbing additional students - Barnes Elementary and Vinson-Bynum Elementary - would be at 90 percent capacity and still have room for growth.
     At the October 28, 2021, Special Board Meeting, OREd presented one preliminary draft scenario to the Board (titled Scenario A: Draft 1), which suggested the closure of three elementary schools in the future - Stantonsburg, Vick and Winstead. In that scenario, students at Stantonsburg Elementary would attend Barnes Elementary; students at Vick Elementary would attend Hearne Elementary; and students at Winstead Elementary would attend Vinson-Bynum Elementary. There would also be situations where students from these three schools may be assigned to attend another elementary school depending on where they lived. Scenario A would bring the district’s utilization of elementary schools to 80 percent. The schools absorbing additional students - Barnes Elementary, Hearne Elementary and Vinson-Bynum Elementary - would be at 90 percent capacity and still have room for growth. 
    The Board members had numerous questions regarding the two scenarios and asked OREd and the Administration to work on the following information to be brought back to the Board during the next scheduled Work Session in December:

• Bus transportation information for students whose school would close, which includes how long they would be on the bus to their new school, the distance the buses would travel and how the changes would affect bus efficiency scores. 
• Housing development information for the city and county to see where future growth is expected. Board Member Blake Boykin mentioned several developments planned for Stantonsburg Elementary. OREd received information from the county planning office earlier in the day but did not have time to go through the information prior to the Work Session. Board Member Rhyan Breen also wanted to see how the current student population density map compared with the housing development information. 
• Board Member Beverly Boyette advised that she would like to see a third scenario with the closure of two elementary schools - Stantonsburg and Hearne.

     The Board indicated that a joint meeting with the County Commissioners may be beneficial to learn what plans the Commissioners have for the county as far as growth and development once this information is presented at the December Work Session. 
     Superintendent Dr. Mills also provided clarity to the following Board members' questions during the Work Session:

• How long would the process of consolidating or closing schools take?
  While it is difficult to put a timeframe on the process, Dr. Mills did not foresee any school consolidations or closings during the remainder of this school year. 
• Will we lose staff if schools are consolidated or closed?
  By factoring in attrition and vacancies, Dr. Mills shared that we should not lose staff - though positions may shift.
• When will the public have an opportunity to address the Board during a forum?
  Community engagement is important in the long-range facilities planning process and once the Board agrees on multiple scenarios for increasing utilization, the options will be presented to the public. It was originally indicated that a public forum would be held in January, but the timeframe of the meeting depends on when the Board decides on the multiple scenarios.

Dec. 8, 2021
Link to the Official Minutes
Link to the Youtube Video of the Meeting

     During the Dec. 8, 2021, Work Session, representatives from OREd presented additional draft scenarios and recommendations regarding the district’s facility needs and usage. The information presented by OREd is preliminary at this time and no final decisions have been made. OREd shared that based on a review of historic membership data over the past six years, WCS had a decline of 2,000 students. Currently, WCS elementary schools are operating at an average of 60 percent utilization, which means there are schools serving far fewer students than they were built to serve. Underutilization contributes to staffing and funding challenges. At previous meetings, OREd forecasted the utilization at 65 percent, but the percentage has changed slightly with updated enrollment data. 
     At the previous meetings in October and November 2021, OREd presented two preliminary draft scenarios to the Board. The first scenario suggested the closure of three elementary schools in the future - Stantonsburg, Vick and Winstead. The second scenario suggested the closure of Stantonsburg Elementary and Winstead Elementary. During the December 8 Work Session, OREd presented additional scenarios. However, the Board did not spend much time discussing those scenarios and instead asked OREd to cease working on scenarios until an updated forecast is done to include current housing, new subdivisions and housing starts in the town of Stantonsburg and other areas of Wilson. OREd is currently using housing information that is almost two years old, and the Board is concerned that there are new housing developments in the works that OREd has not included in the scenarios. The forecast will also include the projected number of students in grades K-5 in those areas. 
   It was the Board’s consensus for Dr. Mills to connect with OREd to discuss when the new forecast will be completed.  Once he has a projected completion date, the Board will schedule a work session to review the information and restart the long-range facilities planning discussion.


Feb. 3, 2022 
-This was a joint meeting with the County Commissioners and no Official Minutes were required 
-Video was not recorded 

     The Wilson County Board of Commissioners and the Wilson County Board of Education held a joint meeting on Feb. 3, 2022, to discuss current capital projects and plans for the future. During the meeting, the Commissioners inquired about plans for Frederick Douglass Elementary because it is one of the oldest schools in the district. Dr. Mills shared that he and County Manager Denise Stinagle had discussed the extensive renovations needed at Frederick Douglass Elementary and that based on the data from the OREd study, that area will continue to have stable student enrollment over time. Dr. Mills shared that given the location and acreage, a new school could be built onsite, which would be a better investment than renovations. Dr. Mills and Ms. Stinagle had discussed applying for Needs-Based Public School Capital Funding from the state to fund construction of a new building. School districts now only have to wait three years in between application cycles, and three years have passed since the district applied for Needs-Based Capital School Funding for the new Wilson Academy of Applied Technology building. The Commissioners advised that they were in support of an application being submitted. The Board of Education could not take action during the joint meeting but indicated that the Board would direct the Administration to do what is necessary to apply for the funds. 
     The Board of Education asked the Commissioners for their input on the potential closure of schools since the Board of Education began investigating the possibility based on the Commissioners’ direction. Commissioner Chris Hill shared that he and Commissioner JoAnne Daniels attended the last Board of Education meeting where the possibility of closing schools was discussed and that they were surprised the Board did not discuss building new schools. Mr. Hill and Ms. Daniels both thought the Board was aware that the Commissioners were ready to build two or three new schools. He added that the Commissioners would like older schools to close and for the students affected by the closure to be sent to new schools. He said there are hard decisions ahead and that no one wants to close a school, but there will be opportunities for communities to share schools while optimizing funds. Commissioner Sherry Lucas shared that change is inevitable and students will adjust. She added that Wilson is in transition, growth is happening and we cannot keep propping up schools that are 80 years old. She is also an educator and nostalgic of the schools she attended, but change must be embraced in order to provide the best staff, programs and facilities for students. 
     The Boards were in agreement that they should meet biannually to ensure they are on the same page in regards to facility planning. They will look at potential dates during their February Board meetings and reconnect on a good time to meet again in the fall.

March 17, 2022 Work Session 
Link to the Official Minutes
Link to the Youtube Video of the Meeting

     During the March 17, 2022, Work Session, the Administration shared updates on facilities, which included items related to OREd among other renovation and capital projects. Dr. Mills shared with the Board that the district completed a Needs-Based Public Schools Capital Funds application for the construction of a new Frederick Douglass Elementary. This is the same funding source as the Wilson Academy of Applied Technology project. Notification of the grant award is anticipated by April 12, 2022. Dr. Mills also shared that in the future, the Board will need to discuss the following: school utilization and assignments based on the OREd Study and a plan for Frederick Douglass Elementary students and staff during construction.

March 28, 2022
Link to the Official Minutes
Link to the Youtube Video of the Meeting

     During the March 28, 2022, Work Session, Dr. Mills shared information with the Board regarding next steps in long-range facilities planning. Dr. Mills shared the following information with the Board:

• Priorities Already Set
• Construction of a new Frederick Douglass Elementary
• Moving Forward
• The OREd study indicated that Winstead Elementary could be consolidated with Vinson-Bynum Elementary and a few planning areas could be assigned to Hearne Elementary.
• Daniels Learning Center could be reassigned to the most recent addition to Winstead Elementary (1988) and the current Daniels Learning Center could be closed.
• The district would need a commitment from the County Commissioners for funding for demolition of the two-story section of Winstead Elementary.
• Toisnot Middle can serve as the interim location for Frederick Douglass Elementary and future school construction – the district will need to reassign students and staff to Darden Middle, Elm City Middle and Forest Hills Middle 
• If the Board acted upon the school usage possibilities:
• Toisnot Middle would be closed/subsumed
• Daniels Learning Center would be closed
• Winstead Elementary would be closed/subsumed
• Based on the OREd report, these changes would not address all of the capacity and efficiency issues at the elementary level.
• Additional decisions are needed to address the Commissioner’s support for constructing a new school.
• The Board would need to consolidate another elementary school(s).
• The Board would need to determine a location for the new school.
• The Administration needs direction and a timeline from the Board regarding next steps to address these issues.

• Rough Timeline:
• A plan is needed for the new elementary school construction (including a general idea of an area) and priorities by the May 3 budget meeting with the County Commissioners.
• Finalize the location and secure land for the new elementary school – Fall 2022.
• Begin the process of RFQs for architects, funding and design/bids during the Spring of 2023.
• Create a calendar for ongoing facility planning and a process for selecting priorities.
• The district is expecting a decision in April or May from the NC Department of Public Instruction on the Needs Based Application that was submitted for Frederick Douglass Elementary.
• If WCS is not selected for the Needs-Based funding, the County will seek funding from the Local Government Commission.
• RFQs for architects - WCS and the County would need to secure funding.
• Six months to do designs and bids
• Transition Frederick Douglass Elementary to Toisnot Middle and Toisnot Middle (staff and students) reassigned to Darden Middle, Elm City Middle and Forest Hills Middle at the start of the 2023-2024 school year
• Decision regarding assignments must be completed in the Spring of 2023
• Movement of furniture and equipment from Toisnot Middle and Frederick Douglass Elementary needs to be completed the first part of Summer 2023
• Double move – cannot be done over the holiday break
• Bus routes, School Nutrition, etc. all have to be completed over the summer

     The Board did not take any action on the information presented. The Board directed the Administration to contact OREd or another company to assist the district in finding locations for a new elementary school.

April 13, 2022
Link to the Official Minutes
Link to the Youtube Video of the Meeting

     During the April 13, 2022, Work Session, Dr. Mills shared information with the Board regarding next steps in long-range facilities planning. He shared that he needed direction on the following items that were shared at the last meeting:

• The OREd study indicated that Winstead Elementary could be consolidated with Vinson-Bynum Elementary and a few planning areas could be assigned to Hearne Elementary. The consolidation could be done as early as next school year if the Board made a decision.
• Toisnot Middle can serve as the interim location for Frederick Douglass Elementary and future school construction – the district will need to reassign students and staff to Darden Middle, Elm City Middle and Forest Hills Middle. The consolidation could be done as early as next school year if the Board made a decision.
• If the Board acted upon the school usage possibilities:
• Toisnot Middle would be closed/subsumed
• Winstead Elementary would be closed/subsumed
• Based on the OREd study, closing Winstead Elementary and Toisnot Middle would not address all of the capacity and efficiency issues at the elementary level. Additional decisions are needed to address the Commissioners’ support for constructing a new school.
• The Board would need to consolidate another elementary school(s).
• The Board would need to determine a location for the new school.

• The Board has the Commissioners’ support to construct a new Frederick Douglass Elementary. The Board needs to determine a date for selecting an architect. Seven firms have submitted applications
• The Board decided to hold architect interviews on April 27 at 1 p.m.

     After discussion, the Board directed the administration to move forward on the steps that would need to be taken to possibly close Toisnot Middle and Winstead Elementary. If that decision becomes final in the future, Toisnot Middle and Winstead Elementary staff and students will be reassigned to other schools beginning as early as the 2022-2023 school year. Prior to any final decision being made about these schools, a public hearing will be scheduled where the public can give input to the Board on this matter. Staff and families across the district were informed of the Board’s discussion and made aware that a public hearing would be scheduled and more details would be shared in the future.