Watauga school

board greets new

staff members
By Cara Kelly
cara@mountaintimes.com

Several new faces graced the Watauga County Board of Education meeting Monday July 14.

Newly hired superintendent Marty Hemric attended his first meeting, along with Scarlet Davis, the newly appointed assistant superintendent for auxiliary services.

Michael Wyant was another newcomer after finishing only his fifth day as the new principal of Watauga High School.

“There were top-notch people interviewed for these positions,” said board chairman Lowell Younce about the newcomers.

“You were chosen and we have great faith in you to do a wonderful job.”

As the meeting progressed, discussion centered around Hemric’s proposition of a capital fundraising campaign for the new Watauga High School.

In response to the controversy of the June board meeting, a task force, comprised of members of the core committee and the athletic director, coaches and community members, met to discuss fundraising options that would enable the construction of the original plans of the state-of-the-art facility.

Options discussed for fundraising included naming rights and soliciting community members and WHS alumni.

“The subcommittee met to try to come up with ideas as to how to move back to the level of the budget that had originally been proposed,” Hemric said.

“As a result of the meeting, we decided to come to the board about the possibility of doing a capital fundraising campaign that would supplement not only the athletic fields but other areas of the new facility.”

Board members and superintendents agreed that fundraising, not only for the artificial-turf soccer field debated in the last meeting, should be discussed at greater length to provide for wish lists regarding technology, music and the arts.

During public comment, Ivan Roten, a member of the core committee, stressed the importance of making fundraising decisions in a very timely manner to ensure that no plans are cut because of the budget.

“I believe this community gives so much to our schools, I think you’re going to find people going, ‘Sure, I’d be glad to give money that would build this complete institution that would help academics and athletics’,” Roten said.

“But anytime there is a change in plans with construction you see money going from our account to theirs. I would like to see decisions made as soon as possible.”

Another concern regarding the new high school was discussed following the suggestion of capital fundraising.

People who live in the neighborhoods surrounding the construction site of the new high school have already voiced concerns about access to the Greenway Trail. Board members agreed that they must be responsible neighbors and work together with community members; yet, they are concerned with a public access to the trail so close to school grounds.

“I think we are willing to do this,” board member Deborah Miller said. “But we have to reiterate that safety of the school is our main concern, and at the moment I don’t think we know enough of the specifics to say we can definitely keep our students safe.”

The board confirmed that they would work with the town of Boone to compromise with the concerns of residents and safety issues surrounding the future campus.

The board also approved the bread-bid decision presented by Susan Trivette. For the first time in 10 years, the bread bid will not be awarded to Interstate Grand, but rather Sara Lee.

Trivette urged board members to abandon their partnership with Interstate after numerous incidents of inadequate supplies of wheat bread. In these incidences, Interstate delivered white bread, which left the schools short of the mandatory serving of grains.

“Had we been inspected by the USDA the days we were using white bread, which were a lot of days, we would have been written up for being out of compliance,” Trivette said.

“I called the bread company several times to stress the point of this, and I was repeatedly told it would be corrected but was not.”

The board unanimously voted to give the bid to Sara Lee.