The Pender County GOP appointed Hansen to the District 1 seat, which was left vacant after former board member Brent Springer was elected to the county commission.
Hansen, who lives in Burgaw, had previously served as PTA president for Penderlea School and Pender High School. She has also worked as a substitute teacher since 2022. Her term will expire in 2026.
Superintendent Brad Breedlove also introduced a proposal to improve the school bus driver program at Pender County Schools. Breedlove is asking the school board to allocate over $300,000 towards wage increases for bus drivers — $271,000 for school bus drivers and $61,000 for monitors. For starting bus drivers, that would amount to an hourly pay increase of about 24 cents.
Breedlove also asked for $400,000 to purchase and install 120 bus radios in each bus, saying that communication was a top concern for drivers. Currently, he said, the primary method of communicating with school officials was through phones — which often don't get service in more remote areas of Pender County.
"Our bus drivers are on an island," he said. "That's the feedback they've given us. When they go out early in the morning or late in the evening, they're by themselves."
Breedlove wrote the proposal after soliciting feedback from Pender County's 100 bus drivers and 15 monitors. Staff also asked for easier access to school bathrooms, consistent usage of tags for younger students, and for mentorship opportunities.
Currently, PCS has 10 vacant bus driver positions.
