Board of Education Committee Meetings 10-13-2026

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education’s committee meetings and board session on October 13, 2026, included procurement and facilities decisions. The board approved the revised Ashley Elementary design and release for public bidding by a 6–1 vote. The approximately 103,500-square-foot, 600-student-capacity project is proceeding through a construction-manager-at-risk process; a guaranteed maximum price and construction contract are expected to return for approval later. Staff cited a possible late-May 2027 construction start and identified about $2.5 million in county lottery/R&R funds as a potential funding source. The Buildings and Grounds Committee also voted 3–1 on a proposed land exchange with the City of Winston-Salem involving property near Ashley Elementary and the downtown school; members asked staff to pursue repairs to the alleyway before the exchange. The committee voted 3–1 to advance an SSC custodial-services extension, with a proposed 2.2% CPI increase and a not-to-exceed amount of $17,513,330.95, including continued repayment costs for 28 district employees. Members raised concerns about service quality and requested a cost analysis of bringing custodial work back in-house by 2028.

The board approved an ESS Southeast contract for temporary child-nutrition staffing after an RFP process, covering October 16, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with estimated spending of $828,000 plus approximately $227,000 in fees at a 27.48% markup; the contract may be renewed for up to two additional annual terms. The committee also reviewed a proposed TEACH autism-training engagement estimated at about $62,292 for training and consultative support, and approved checking references before proceeding. Budget materials included $7.4 million in federal grant carryovers and $3 million in year-three MSAP funding; the board unanimously approved the FY2027 budget amendment and transfer number five. Separately, the board unanimously approved naming the relocated special children’s school Pathways Academy at Ward.