# October 19, 2026 Gaston County Board of Education Meeting

The Gaston County Board of Education’s regular meeting on October 19, 2026, included procurement and facilities updates. The board unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included contracts for security vestibule designs, SmartNet, and a chiller replacement; the transcript does not provide contract amounts or clearly identify vendors. The Operations Committee also reviewed planned additions at New Hope Elementary and Belmont Central Elementary, using a construction-manager-at-risk approach. Design, preconstruction, and construction are projected from April 2027 through July 2028, with project bids expected to come to the board for recommendation and approval in March 2027. Revisions to Policy 9110 on bidding for construction work were also included in the approved consent agenda; drafts of 39 other policies are still being prepared for committee review.

The board unanimously approved state-funded employee bonuses and a separate 3.5% annual bonus for eligible classified hourly employees. The classified bonus was budgeted at approximately $1.1 million from local operating funds and is intended for payment in November. The meeting also recognized district energy-efficiency projects supported by Duke Energy rebates and cardiac-response equipment and training supported by the David and Nicole Tepper Foundation; no new purchase amounts were stated for these initiatives. Other discussion focused on academic strategy, staffing, and long-term facility planning, including a demographic and enrollment analysis to be presented at the board’s January retreat.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Education, Construction & Infrastructure
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** October 19, 2026

### Sources
- [October 19, 2026 Gaston County Board of Education Meeting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCnt-5ypSyo) - Gaston County Board of Education