Preview of the April 24 Board of Education Meeting

APRIL 23, 2012 - The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education will meet tomorrow as part of its regular schedule. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of the Education Building, 4801 Bethania Station Road, Winston-Salem, N.C., 27105.

The meeting will open with a public hearing to receive naming suggestions for the tennis courts at Atkins High School.

The board also is scheduled to recognize:

• Snap-on Tools.
• Sandy Shepherd, the Battalion Chief of Engine No. 4(Winston-Salem Fire Department) for a quick response to an emergency situation.
• Kernersville Middle, for Energy Star recognition.
• the following honorees from the 2012 N.C. Science & Engineering Fair:
• Noah Couch of Meadowlark Elementary School. Noah won Elementary Exemplar Project and Special EPA Award for his project, “The Trash You Throw Away Today Could Clean the Ocean Tomorrow.”
• Daniel Gerblick of Sherwood Forest Elementary School. Daniel won Elementary Exemplar Project for “When will you ‘Tip’ over?”
• Sophia Pauca of Hanes Middle School. Sophia won first place,Special Broadcom Masters and first place in Junior Biological Science for her project, “Autism in Flies Year 2: Testing a Medication for Autism Effects of MPEP on Repetitive Grooming Behaviors of 2 copy and stubby 1 copy.”
• Jonathan Rieco of Flat Rock Middle School. Jonathan won first place, Special Broadcom Masters, Special EPA Award in Earth/Environmental Science and the Special U.S. Naval Science Award for his project, “Mud Power.”

The board also is scheduled to discuss:

• the number of African-American males in the STEM (science,technology, engineering and math) professions.
• bullying prevention and the Rachel’s Challenge education efforts from this year.
• whether to connect 34 school sites to upgraded fiber optic networks being installed to improve Winston-Salem’s traffic control system. The school system would have to pay for installation and maintenance but would be provided free fiber access.
• approving a partnership between Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy and the Thurgood Marshall Foundation. The foundation would bring a blended learning initiative of online and face-to-face learning to next year’s ninth-graders at the school. Ninth-graders would be eligible for about $17,000in college scholarships to Thurgood Marshall Foundation universities if they graduate from high school with a B-average.
• giving final approval to revisions of Policy 5143: Student Wellness Policy. The revisions are minor and reflect changes required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Revisions include getting input from physical education teachers and school health professionals on the wellness policy and making sure at least 15 percent of elementary students’ physical activity each week is guided by a P.E. teacher.
• giving final approval to revisions of Policy 6115: School Opening Ceremonies and new Administrative Regulation 6115. The revisions would allow students to opt out of the Pledge of Allegiance for any reason, as required by state law. The revisions would also require school administrators to contact parents and ask for a written statement explaining that a student is exercising First Amendment rights when the student does not participate.
• giving final approval to the deletion of Policy 6139:Elementary School Physical Education and Activity.
• giving final approval to revisions of Policy 6174: Summer School, Programs, and Camps. The revision would make clear that coaches cannot use school-related camps for recruiting or tryouts.
• amending an agreement with Forsyth Academy to provide transportation services to the charter school. The amendment increases the mileage reimbursement rate from $1.69 per mile to $1.79 per mile.