Public Schools of Robeson County

BOE Meeting Highlights

March 11, 2025 - 6 p.m. ✨

🕊️ Moment of Silence
At the start of the meeting, a moment of silence was held to honor the legacy of Lisa Gales, a custodian at Lumberton High School, who recently passed away. 🙏 Board Chairman Vonta Leach also asked everyone to keep Board Member Henry Brewer in their prayers.

Pledge of Allegiance
The Oxendine Elementary School Beta Club led the Pledge of Allegiance.

💜 Women’s History Month
PSRC Chief Communications Officer Jessica Sealey reminded everyone of the significance of Women’s History Month, which is commemorated in March.

🏆 Recognitions & Awards

📣 State BETA Convention Winners Honored
Dr. Debra Dowless, PSRC Director for Curriculum, Instruction, and Accountability, recognized students who excelled at the State BETA Convention. 🏅 A full list of winners is available here: View Winners

🎖️ 2024-2025 Students of Excellence
The following students were honored for their outstanding achievements:

🏫 Lumberton Senior High School

• Leslie Soto Flores - 12th

• Katelynn Foil - 10th

🏫 Early College High School

• Carlos Eumana Carranza - 13th

• Cami Sampson - 12th

🏫 Fairmont High School

• Jordyn Hunt - 11th

• Halona Locklear - 9th

🏫 Purnell Swett High School

• Lyndzie Locklear - 12th

• Gabriel Chavis - 11th

🏫 Red Springs High School

• Noah Cayton - 11th

• Alena Oxendine - 12th

🏫 St. Pauls High School

• Jaina Hickam - 10th

• Jenna Altman - 11th

📱 Yondr Pouches & Cell Phone Legislation
Board members also received recommendations by other NC districts concerning the use of Yondr Pouches, a potential solution for managing student cell phone use during instruction. This discussion came as legislation that seeks to ban cell phone use in classrooms continues to advance. Learn more about Yondr Pouches here: Yondr Pouches

🏀 NCHSAA Realignment
PSRC Athletic Director Glenn Patterson provided updates on NCHSAA realignment and how it impacts PSRC teams. More details can be found here: Conference Realignment Info

📅 Upcoming Work Session
After much discussion, board members voted to schedule a PSRC Board of Education Work Session to discuss the 2025-2026 Academic Calendar. 🗓️ 

The session will take place on:
📍 Monday, March 17, 2025, at 5 p.m.

📊 Financial Updates

💰 PSRC Receives a Clean Audit
PSRC received a clean audit for the year ending June 2024. 🎉

👨‍💼 Audit highlights presented by Lee Grissom of S. Preston Douglas and Associates included:

• No internal control findings ✅

• No compliance findings ✅

• Concern: School Nutrition Services saw a $3M net position decrease 📉

💵 Child Nutrition Financial Concerns
PSRC Chief Finance Officer Erica Setzer explained that the Child Nutrition Department has struggled with rising costs. The department’s fund is an enterprise fund, which means it funds itself and must be self-sustaining. Setzer explained that the district is only reimbursed for food served, not cooked, making student meal participation a priority for financial sustainability.

📝 Board Approvals

During the meeting, the board approved the following:

📌 2025-2026 Lawn Contracts
📌 2025-2026 Capital Outlay Projects (View Details)
📌 Monthly Financial Report
📌 2024-2025 Budget Resolution
📌 2024-2025 Budget Amendments
📌 Closed Session Minutes
📌 Personnel Report

🚀 Upcoming Career Fair

Board members were also reminded of the upcoming career fair.

📢 PSRC Career Fair Hiring Event is happening Saturday at Lumberton High School! 🏫
📅 Time: 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
📍 Location: Lumberton High School