Rachel Keith

Cape Fear Community College recently settled a lawsuit filed by former trustee Ray Funderburk, and WHQR’s Rachel Keith has been poring over depositions from the case, including sworn testimony from top college officials. She joins News Director Ben Schachtman to share what she’s learned about the case — and more broadly, about CFCC’s leadership.

This past weekend, Hoggard High School valedictorian Kyler Hosek signed off his graduation speech with an apparent nod to Kanye West. Although he did not name the disgraced rapper, he closed with the words, “As my biggest inspiration once said, ‘Every human being has something of value that they bring to the table.”

At Tuesday evening’s public comment period at the New Hanover County school board meeting, about a third of the participants were educators. They shared concerns about funding and infrastructure improvements. Another third spoke about the controversial ‘during school hours’ Biblical program, LifeWise Academy. The board also supported a measure that would subject future members to a background check.

Aaleah McConnell has an intimate look at how the family of Edilberto Espinoza-Sierra is coping with grief and searching for justice, after the 21-year-old was killed by law enforcement in March. Plus, Rachel Keith and Ben Schachtman dig into public school funding, with a look at this year’s budget – and some potential issues on the horizon.

This school year, New Hanover County Schools received a $570,144 federal grant to improve academic achievement for certain student subgroups. These funds will be available each year over a three-year period for a total of over $1.5 million.

The New Hanover County school board voted unanimously at its agenda review meeting on Tuesday to have a public hearing on LifeWise Academy before the August board meeting. The official date hasn’t been set.

Recently, UNCW restructured the Center for Gender Studies and Research under the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. In the process, the director of Gender Studies lost their position. WHQR reporter Rachel Keith spoke with Brenna Flanagan of Port City Daily about what happened.

After roughly two decades operating out of modular units that lack many of the amenities of traditional school buildings, plans to give Isaac Bear Early College a proper facility are still in limbo, with the existing agreement between New Hanover County Schools and UNCW set to expire.

Cape Fear Community College’s legal bills with their firm Ward and Smith, P.A., have increased significantly since former CFCC trustee Ray Funderburk filed suit after the board removed him in March 2023. However, the lack of itemized legal billing means the actual impact remains unclear.

New Hanover County Schools improved on a majority of metrics measured by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Teacher Working Conditions survey, which is produced every two years. Compared to 2022, they also had a higher response rate of 94%, with feedback from 1,772 teachers districtwide.