Rachel Keith
Reporter/HostRachel is a graduate of UNCW's Master of Public Administration program, specializing in Urban and Regional Policy and Planning. She also received a Master of Education and two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and French Language & Literature from NC State University. She served as WHQR's News Fellow from 2017-2019. Contact her by email: rkeith@whqr.org or on Twitter @RachelKWHQR
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In the GOP primary, three districts for the Brunswick County Board of Education were contested. One incumbent moves forward to face a Democratic challenger in the general election — winners in the other two races are set to sail through the general without opponents.
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The New Hanover County Schools district is facing a roughly $20 million funding shortfall. The budgetary details are complicated, involving the expiration of federal Covid-relief funds, as well as the need to replenish the district’s general fund. Superintendent Dr. Charles Foust has resisted calls to ask the county to increase its local funding to help fill the gap — meaning the only way to balance the budget is cutting spending, and dozens if not hundreds of jobs.
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Incumbent David Robinson was running for re-election when he passed away on Monday. He had been facing two challengers in the Republican primary for Brunswick County Board of Education’s District 2. There will be no Democratic challenger in November.
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On this episode, we unpack the recent forum for Republican primary candidates running for the New Hanover County Board of Education. We’ll look at how each of the candidates tried to position themselves among their fellow conservatives. We’ll also look at some of the issues facing the district, including a staggering $20 million budget shortfall, the ongoing debate about DEI, learning loss and low-performing schools, and calls to fire superintendent Dr. Charles Foust.
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Lavar Marlow and Vickie Smith compete for a seat on Brunswick County's Board of Education District 1Incumbent Ed Lemon is not running for re-election for Brunswick County Board of Education’s District 1, so two newcomers are vying for his seat. There will be no Democratic challenger in November.
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Two Republican primary candidates are running for a seat in Brunswick County Board of Education’s District 4. Janis Simmons will be the winner’s Democratic challenger in November.
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At Monday’s New Hanover County Board of Education budget work session, members got briefed on the worst-case scenario for staffing cuts.
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At Tuesday’s New Hanover County School Board meeting, members voted 6-1 to consider new options for general counsel. The board also voted 4-3 to look for additional legal support for the current school year.
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On Tuesday, the New Hanover County Board of Education is discussing the future of the Vogel Law Firm, LLC. In January, two of the firm’s attorneys, Jonathan and Leigha Sink left the firm, and now are suing him for breach of contract.
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On this episode, WHQR's Rachel Keith helps unpack the latest work from New Hanover County Schools' Turnaround Task Force. The group has been generating some actionable ideas that could see local funding — but the district as a whole still faces challenges, including increased market pressures as it struggles against charter and private schools for public funding. Plus, we hear from some student leaders who are trying to bring their own perspective — and some valuable data — to tough conversations in the district.