Here are highlights of Monday (June 14) night's meeting of the Board of Education:

1. Two NC State school/community planners reviewed procedures they used in a recent study for Cleveland County Schools as well as their findings for the Board. Jeff Tsai and Tom Cook of the Operations Research/Education Lab at NC State's Institute for Transportation Research & Education provided a data-driven, policy-based model to forecast future enrollment and determine the best locations for new schools and attendance boundaries. To arrive at their recommendations, they reviewed average enrollments in recent years as well as the county's live birth rates. They looked at school building capacities and studied facility needs. They interviewed city, county and transportation planning officials and analyzed growth patterns as well as building and construction plans throughout the county.
A summary of their findings:

*Declining enrollment in the next one to three years with an annual average loss of 150 to 200 students
*If subdivision growth materializes, CCS should see student population growth starting in 2011-12 or 2012-13 school years
*Long-term growth shows Kings Mountain school cluster with highest student population growth potential
*A new elementary school will be needed in Kings Mountain. The board should practice "land banking" for a new elementary school (the best site would be near the middle and high schools)
*A new intermediate school in the Crest district would relieve crowded elementary and middle schools ( the best site would near the airport)
*A new middle school is needed to replace Shelby Middle (the best site is east of town close to the Kings Road/Country Club Road intersection.

2. Principal Anita Ware introduced members of her staff and updated the board on the opportunity that Cleveland Early College High School will have to partner with the Expeditionary Learning Schools/Outward Bound (ELOB) initiative. Dr. Ware said CECHS will be the first high school/early college in the country to partner with ELOB. ELOB shares the same philosophy as CECHS and the partnership will provide additional opportunities for students and high quality professional development for staff, she said.

3. CTE Director Tony Fogleman presented a bid of $43,300 for the house built by Crest High construction students. The bid, accepted by the board, will be advertised for upset until July 25.

4. The board approved personnel report actions including naming of several new assistant principals: Molly Blanton at Graham Elementary, Robby Brown at Crest High, Sandra Cooper at Burns Middle and Laura McGill at Jefferson Elementary.

5. The board approved its school visit schedule for 2008-09.

To view the OR/Ed Lab report, slide presentation and other reports to the board, click on the link below:

http://nc.schoolboard.net/dman/Folder.phx/School+Boards/%5Eboard-clevelandcounty/Meetings/%5Eeman.454?cmd=browse&folderSort=&folderOrder=&documentSort=&documentOrder=