The Wildcat Word

Dear Draughn High School Families,

Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year at Jimmy C. Draughn High School!

I am honored to welcome both returning and new students and families as we begin another exciting year together. At Draughn High, we are proud of our traditions, our strong sense of community, and our unwavering commitment to helping every student succeed. As we continue building on the momentum of the past year, I look forward to what we will accomplish together.

This year's theme is ELEVATE: Learning. Leadership. Results.

Elevate is more than a theme it is our commitment to continuous growth. We will challenge ourselves to elevate learning by providing engaging and meaningful instruction, elevate leadership by encouraging students to serve others and make positive choices, and elevate results by striving for excellence in academics, athletics, fine arts, and every opportunity our students pursue.

At Draughn High, we believe success is about developing the whole student. Our goal is to prepare students not only for graduation but for college, careers, military service, and life beyond high school. We are committed to providing a safe, welcoming environment where every student is known, valued, challenged, and supported.

To our Class of 2027, this is your year! Your leadership will help set the tone for our school community as you leave a lasting legacy for future Wildcats. We are excited to celebrate your accomplishments and support you every step of the way toward graduation.

Parents and families, thank you for your continued partnership. Your encouragement, involvement, and support are essential to the success of our students. Together, we can create an exceptional educational experience for every Wildcat.

I am excited for the opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to seeing our students learn, grow, lead, and achieve throughout the year.

Let's make 2026–2027 a year where we ELEVATE together.

Proud to be a Wildcat,

Charles Williams
Principal
Jimmy C. Draughn High School

Our hallways have been upgraded! We are excited to share that our halls are full of color and photo opportunities for our students. You can check these out at Open House.

We're excited to begin the 2026–2027 school year with our new theme: ELEVATE!

At Jimmy C. Draughn High School, Elevate is more than a theme—it's our commitment. Together, we'll challenge every Wildcat to rise higher academically, lead with purpose, grow in character, and achieve meaningful results. Throughout the year, each month will highlight a key area that helps us elevate ourselves, our school, and our community.

August – Elevate Expectations
Start the year strong by establishing high expectations, building positive habits, and committing to excellence.

September – Elevate Relationships
Create meaningful connections, strengthen our Wildcat family, and foster a culture of respect and belonging.

October – Elevate Engagement
Be fully present in learning, activities, and school life by participating, asking questions, and giving your best effort.

November – Elevate Gratitude
Recognize the people and opportunities that make our school special through thankfulness, service, and generosity.

December – Elevate Character
Demonstrate integrity, responsibility, kindness, and respect in every decision you make.

January – Elevate Goals
Reflect, refocus, and set intentional goals that challenge you to grow both personally and academically.

February – Elevate Leadership
Lead by example, serve others, and make a positive impact—because everyone has the ability to lead.

March – Elevate Learning
Take ownership of your education by embracing challenges, seeking growth, and striving for continuous improvement.

April – Elevate Growth
Persevere through challenges, celebrate progress, and continue becoming the best version of yourself.

May – Elevate Achievement
Celebrate accomplishments, recognize hard work, and finish the year with pride and purpose.

June – Elevate the Future
Honor the Class of 2027 as they begin their next chapter while inspiring every Wildcat to continue reaching new heights.

At Draughn High School, we believe that every student has the potential to elevate their learning, leadership, and future. Together, we'll build on our successes, embrace new challenges, and continue creating a school where excellence is expected, growth is celebrated, and every Wildcat has the opportunity to rise.

Together, We Elevate. Together, We Achieve.

The DHS Calendar of Events section of our website is the place to go for all WILDCAT HAPPENINGS. We work to ensure all campus activities are up-to-date and posted on the website calendar for our families and community.

For all the latest WILDCAT information, reminders and announcements be sure to like and follow our FACEBOOK page!

Our office personnel are here to help support our students and families. Below is a listing of our Wildcat Personnel that can help with the various needs of our students.

Charles Williams, Principal (charleswilliams@burke.k12.nc.us)

Chanda Stokes, Curriculum/Assistant Principal (chandastokes@burke.k12.nc.us)

Brian Lowman, Athletic Director/Assistant Principal (blowman@burke.k12.nc.us)

Julie Davis, Bookkeeper/Finance (jthompson@burke.k12.nc.us)

Britainy Rash, Data Manager/Registrar (bduckworth@burke.k12.nc.us)

Chandler Miller, School Counselor for students with last names ending in A-L (chandlermiller@burke.k12.nc.us)

Melissa Kirwan, School Counselor for students with last names ending in M-Z (mkirwan@burke.k12.nc.us)

Matt Cook, Career Coach (matthewcook@burke.k12.nc.us)

As students begin to return on Aug. 24 Draughn High School reminds students and families about the Burke County Public Schools Board of Education Policy concerning cell phones as well as NC House Bill 959. Our goal is to ensure instruction and learning are the focus of our 90 minute instructional blocks.

Cell phones (wireless communication tools) are not be allowed in classrooms during instruction time, unless they are being used for instructional purposes. All cell phones will be placed in a designated area in the classroom until the end of the instructional period.

The policy gives teachers authority to collect cell phones and turn them over to parents at the end of the school day. Students will have access to phones during class transitions and lunch. Otherwise, all devices will be put away during class instructional time.

We thank you in advance for reminding your student of the policy and expectations.

Below, you will find the link to the Draughn High Student & Family Handbook. The handbook outlines valuable information to help your student be successful.

BCPS Board Policy 4400 - Attendance is an essential element in the learning process. The primary responsibility of school attendance rests with students and parents. Because students daily receive 90 minutes of instruction in each class, good attendance is crucial. Our goal at DHS is 95% in daily positive attendance rates. Make a plan to ensure we meet this goal each day.

Below is a list of Back to School fees that will need to be paid prior to the beginning of school. As a reminder, some fees can be paid online using SCHOOL BUCKS (https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/getmain.action?clientKey=&requestAction=home)

In addition, a reminder that parking passes and device fees have forms to be signed by parents/guardians. These are attached below.

For specific questions, please contact Mrs. Thompson (BOOKKEEPER) at 828.879.4200

(PARKING REGISTRATION)

https://drive.google.com/.../1feb7WvxJXJ0pq2tln7p.../view...

Form must be signed by a parent/guardian

All school debts must be cleared prior to purchase

(BCPS TECHNOLOGY FORM)

https://drive.google.com/.../1nFIES0cp75pj.../view...

Form must be signed by a parent/guardian

(MY SCHOOL BUCKS DEVICE LINK)

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZRHU2LDA6IX5LW_ZZ5QO3TPIR3TU63

Band and Color Guard: $100

Senior Class Fee: $15

All students will continue receiving free breakfast and lunch from their school cafeteria through the CEP program. You do not need to complete the free and reduced lunch form this school year. Employee and adult prices will be the same next year.

BCPS will continue to collect a technology fee for Chromebooks this school year. The charge is $25.00 for one student or $50 for two or more students. Payment can be made on MySchoolBucks or in person during Open House on August 18th.

Balancing Technology and Traditional Tools
Burke County Public Schools continues to embrace a balanced approach to learning through the Pencil and Paper Resolution. While technology and devices remain an important part of instruction, we recognize the lasting value of traditional tools in building essential skills and keeping students engaged. Our goal is not to replace technology, but to ensure students experience a healthy blend of digital learning and hands-on work that supports deeper understanding, creativity, and focus in the classroom.

Mrs. Stokes, our Curriculum Assistant Principal, Mrs. Rash, our data manager. and our school counselors are working diligently to ensure students have a balanced schedule for this school year. Draughn High School's master schedule and course offerings are built on student requests from the previous year and we try to honor those as much as possible.

Students register for both semesters of the school year. Schedule changes are permitted only for the following reasons:

1. Seniors who need a course to graduate

2. Student is misplaced academically (requires parent/teacher permission)

3. Student has not had prerequisite course

4. Student has already passed course.

*Students may request changes beginning on Monday, August 24th via a "schedule change form." The request will be reviewed and then contacted by our office. We do not promise that schedule changes can be honored.