Board Briefs

The Vance County Board of Education honored the 2025 Educators of Excellence: Brian Schlessinger of Vance County Early College as Teacher of the Year, Simone Harris of Vance County Middle as Beginning Teacher of the Year, LaVonda Williams of Pinkston Street Elementary as Assistant Principal of the Year (now serving at Vance County Middle), and Dr. Carnetta Thomas of EM Rollins STEAM Academy as Principal of the Year.

The awards were presented at the district’s annual Excellence in Education banquet, which was held on Wednesday, June 11th, at the Henderson County Club. The banquet honored teachers, staff, and administrators from across the district, representing their respective schools.

The Board of Education recognized Milton Lima, administrative intern at EM Rollins STEAM Academy, who has been selected to serve as a NASA Ambassador for North Carolina and join the NC Space Education Ambassador (NCSEA) crew. This opportunity will allow him to deepen our students' engagement in STEM through access to NASA-backed learning experiences, competitions, and real-world problem-solving challenges. Read more >>> https://ncspacegrant.ncsu.edu/.../nc-space-grant.../

The Vance County Board of Education recognized two outstanding students, Jahson Shepherd and Neleh-Kate Sandlin, both students at Vance County Early College, for their participation in the District C Teamship program. Through this innovative, real-world learning experience, the students collaborated with a team to solve an authentic problem for a business, demonstrating critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork. Their achievement highlights the power of connecting classroom learning to real-world challenges.

The Vance County Board of Education proudly honored Alexandria Meeks (Meredith College - Mathematics) and Karol Hernandez-Nava (Greensboro College - Natural Science), who participated in the prestigious North Carolina Governor’s School, a summer residential program for gifted and talented high school students. These students were recognized for their academic excellence, creativity, and leadership, representing Vance County Schools with distinction at the state level.

The Vance County Board of Education proudly recognized the Finance and Business Operations Department for earning the Government Finance Officers Association’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. This prestigious award, the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, reflects the department’s commitment to transparency, accuracy, and excellence.

The Board of Education honored two long-time employees of the district: Dr. Michael Putney, Sr., and Phyllis Newcomb. Putney served as the Dabney Elementary School Principal with 47 years of state service. Newcomb serves as the VCS Director of Child Nutrition and has served 42 of her 47 years of service with Vance County Schools. We wish both of them well on their retirement journey and are incredibly grateful for their service to our students, staff, and community.

Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett shared the following:

• Fiscal Oversight Monthly Report
• Accountability Report
  - Our schools are moving in the right direction in grade-level proficiency.
  - Finalized data will be released in October.
• School Status Report
  - Less than 20 vacancies across the district
  - Great opening day at VCEC, VCHS, and EMR.

The Board of Education voted and approved the following:

Finance

• Approval of the purchase of a backup generator for the Server Room to ensure a continuous power supply for the internet servers.
• Approval of the purchase of a braising pan replacement at Vance County High School cafeteria.
• Approval of the surplus of the current braising pan at the Vance County High School cafeteria.
• Approval of the Graduation Alliance contract for the 2025-26 school year.
• Approval of the classified local supplements (2% to all classified staff) to be paid out in December and June.

Building & Grounds

• Approval to proceed with the application process for Carver Restroom renovation design funding of $25,000.00.The funding is to be requested from the lottery repair and renovation fund.

Policy

• Approved the changes to the remaining Spring Policy Updates.
• Approved the changes to Policy 4318: Use of Wireless Communication Devices without the 30 day review period.

The Board of Education approved employment recommendations for 22. We would like to welcome Tabatha Frank (Aycock), Quentin Ramseur (Aycock), Sherina Terry (EMR), Rayemma Wimbush (EOY), Thereasa McElhinney (EOY), Gwyneshia Green (VCMS), Erica Reid (ZV), Elaine Webb (ASC), Jeremy Hetrick (ASC), Miah Hart-Olivis (Dabney), Trisha Campbell (EMR), Haylee Hargrove (EOY), Malia Simmons (EOY), Dylan Jones (Maintenance), Deborah Hawley (Pinkston), Kayla Lyons (Pinkston), LaRhesa Whittley (Pinkston), Jeanette Noel (VCEC), Brandon Simmons (VCHS), Kenneth Northcutt (VCHS), Mark Kaleel (VCHS), and Derron Reece (VCMS).

The Board accepted 1retirement, 18 resignations, and 27 promotions/transfers.

The Vance County Board of Education approved 25 requests to transfer into Vance County Schools and 10 requests to transfer out, totaling 35 transfer requests.

None.

2025 Meeting Schedule

September 8, 2025

October 13, 2025

November 10, 2025

December 8, 2025

2025 Board Meeting Schedule was adopted by the Board of Education on December 9, 2024.

Vance County Schools, located in Henderson, NC serves students Pre-K through 12th grade, as well as Early College 5th year students. There are 16 schools served in our district.

Website: www.vcs.k12.nc.us
Location: 1724 Graham Avenue, Henderson, NC, USA
Phone: 252-492-2127
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vance-County-Schools-920214704715692
Twitter: @VanceCoSchools