✨ PSRC Board of Education Meeting Highlights ✨
🤝 OATH OF OFFICE 🤝
Crystal Weindel Monroe took the oath of office to serve as the District 6 representative on the PSRC Board of Education during the January 11, 2024 meeting. The oath of office was administered by the Honorable James Gregory Bell, Senior Resident Superior Court Judge, Judicial District 16B Robeson County. Monroe took the oath with her family by her side before taking her seat with her fellow board members.
Monroe was appointed by board members to fill the District 6 seat left vacant by the resignation of Mike Smith in October. She will serve in the seat until she or a successor is elected and qualified in the election scheduled for March 5, 2024.
"Ms. Monroe, congratulations on being seated as our newest board member. We are excited. You are joining a powerful board that really understands the work is for and about our kids," said PSRC Superintendent Dr. Freddie Williamson. "We are excited to have you aboard to help us continue this journey."
👏 RECOGNITIONS 👏
🤝 PSRC Board of Education members were recognized for their service during the meeting as part of School Board Appreciation Month. 🤝
"I am so honored to serve with this wonderful board that's really making some powerful, wonderful decisions for our district as we continue to improve," said Superintendent Dr. Williamson.
🏫 Schools that met or exceeded growth in the 2022-2023 academic year were also recognized. 🏫
Those schools are as follows:
The following schools met growth:
- Deep Branch Elementary School
- Fairgrove Elementary School
- Long Branch Elementary School
- Lumberton Senior High School
- Orrum Middle School
- Parkton Elementary School
- Pembroke Elementary School
- Pembroke Middle School
- Peterson Elementary School
- Piney Grove Elementary School
- Purnell Swett High School
- Rex Rennert Elementary School
- South Robeson Middle School
- Tanglewood Elementary School
- W. H. Knuckles Elementary School
The following schools exceeded growth:
- PSRC Early College at RCC
- East Robeson Primary School
- Lumberton Jr. High School
- Magnolia Elementary School
- Oxendine Elementary School
- Prospect Elementary School
- Red Springs High School
- Rowland Norment Elementary School
- St. Pauls High School
- Union Chapel Elementary School
- Union Elementary School
🎓 PSRC Early College High School also was celebrated for its 97% graduation rate! Congrats! 🎓
📝 INFORMATION ITEM 📝
Board members also heard about a playground project proposed for an area near Lumberton Junior High School.
Kewanda Merritt, founder and executive director of CONNECT Community, Inc., told board members that the proposed playground would be community-centered and have a lifespan of 12-15 years.
"So in surveying the area of South Lumberton, we looked for open space of 2,000 plus square feet, an area that families of children of ages 5 to12 could walk to from their home," she said.
Merritt said that there are seven playgrounds located east and west of the 400-2300 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. However, there are no playgrounds from the 2300 block to where Lumberton city limits end on the 3700 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Two possible areas that would accommodate a playground are located near Lumberton Junior High School, she said.
"As owner of the two spaces identified, we are asking the Public Schools of Robeson County to be a community partner in this project," she said.
The district's major responsibilities in the project would be giving permission to build on the land, securing permits as required, and assuming insurance, maintenance and liability of the new play space, Merritt said.
Superintendent Dr. Williamson said the intent is to bring the item back next month for action with more details about what the board's responsibilities in the project would be. Thus, no action was taken on the project during the meeting.
🇺🇸 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LEADERS 🇺🇸
Long Branch Elementary School Songbirds were the inaugural Pledge of Allegiance leaders. The students led the pledge alongside Music Teacher Janet Meier, which took place Thursday for the first time at PSRC Board of Education meetings. Each month, students will lead the pledge at the start of PSRC Board of Education meetings.
💼 PERSONNEL 💼
Following a closed-door session, board members approved a personnel report including the naming of Nakeia Mckiver as PSRC's Director of Personnel. Mckiver will take on the role on Jan. 16. She most recently served as a Human Resources Specialist/Beginning Teacher Coordinator with the school district.
You can watch the full board meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqo8FH9rC9Y