10/13/26 Board Work Session

Craven County Schools Board of Education work session, October 13, 2026: The board unanimously approved Budget Amendment No. 1, reflecting a $14,111,857 increase in state allotments, approximately $1.5 million in federal funding, and $37,000 in capital-project funding. The $37,000, appropriated from fund balance, was for athletic-field lighting at all high schools. The finance report also noted $5.31 million in purchase orders encumbered for the Freedom Middle School project; officials said federal budgets were approved but the funds had not yet arrived, requiring temporary coding of some costs to local funds until reimbursement. The board also approved an application for a school nutrition grant; no grant amount was discernible in the transcript.

The board approved Second Life Mac’s $939,875 offer as the initial bid for the district’s Apple-device buyback and authorized the required North Carolina upset-bid process; this was an initial bid, not a final award. The board discussed the 2027–28 school calendar and proposed criteria for a school opening/closing scorecard, with no action on those items. Policy 5210, concerning distribution and display of non-school materials, was tabled while staff gather information about neighboring districts’ policies and experience; related policies were also discussed. No other contract awards or purchasing approvals were clearly identified.