Low-performing schools aren't a new problem, but the Covid-19 pandemic — and related shifts in the labor market — have made them even more challenging to deal with.
As defined by the state, these are schools that received performance grades of D or F and failed to meet growth expectations in a state assessment system.
Those schools are: Alderman Elementary, Blair Elementary, College Park Elementary, Forest Hills Global Elementary School, Rachel Freeman Elementary, Holly Shelter Middle, International School at Gregory, CRA Mosley, Myrtle Grove Middle, Snipes Elementary Academy of Art and Design, Williston Middle School, and Wrightsboro Elementary.
Staff noted that the problem is not limited to New Hanover, and that several neighboring counties have an even higher percentage of low-performing schools.
Chief Academic Officer Patrice Faison said the greatest challenge to addressing low school performance is recruiting and retaining effective staff.
“You’re not gonna buy your way out of low-performing…it’s not about that type of capital, it’s about human capital,” Faison said.
Incentive pay
Forest Hills Global Elementary and Rachel Freeman Elementary, two of the low-performing schools, will be receiving a three-year federal grant that gives incentive pay to different levels of staff.
The grant is for schools that have poor graduation rates or fall in the bottom five percent of the state. It aims to incentivize staff to work in those schools.
The district will reopen the transfer window for next school year to allow staff to request to transfer to those schools.
For teachers who provide direct instruction, that can mean up to nine thousand dollars of additional pay for each year of the grant — as they will be doing extra work to support students.
Board Member Hugh McManus said he worried about the high levels of exhaustion he’s seen in teachers–and that extra work could add to that.
Faison said state requirements do require more work out of staff at low-performing schools, but district staff are focused on listening to and respecting teachers.
Board member Stephanie Walker said she’s also creating a task force to address this issue, and has plans to give monthly progress reports.
Budget cuts
While retaining staff is a priority for low-performing schools, some positions may be cut for next year.
Superintendent Dr. Charles Foust said budget talks for next school year are underway — and the district expects to see diminished funds.
Foust said that all divisions will undergo a 10% reduction in funds, calling it a “right size effort.”
These reductions are needed, according to Foust, because the district has to allocate more funding to state-mandated salary increases and retirement and medical expenses.
Additionally, the school system has experienced a close to 4% decrease in student enrollment — or a drop of about 1,000 students.
This means NHCS will have less money allocated to them. The district had to overcome the per-student shortfall by using $4 million from its fund balance.
Foust said that principals have been meeting with human resources to see where some positions can be cut for next year. He added there will also be cuts to the Central Office.
From last year’s budget, about 43% came from state funding, a quarter from the county, and a fifth from the federal government. The rest comes from a combination of capital and fund balance appropriations.
The school board is continuing to have budget meetings and district staff will bring a final budget for them to approve. The district will then send its request to the county's board of commissioners, who ultimately appropriate the local funds.
Anti-bullying practices
District staff also presented on the procedure for bullying incidents. The process involves screening, investigation, resolution and documentation, and following up on disciplinary actions and student wellbeing. Parents are also notified in the event of bullying.
McManus said, “We have to have some behavior consequences for kids who do things because what you do is set a precedent, intended or not.”
Staff said there is a graduated response system for matching the severity of behavior to the consequence. Principals are the final decision maker in school-level discipline.
McManus said he would want to know if principals feel restricted in how they are allowed to discipline students.
Public participation meeting dates
The board also decided on dates for public participation meetings: April 18, August 15, and October 17, 2023. The April meeting will be a town hall.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the list of low-performing schools.
