School Board Address 02.10.25
I am Ron Sinclair. My wife and I have been residents of the Glenwood area of McDowell County since 1980. For most of those years, I have worked in music ministry with the United Methodist Church. I appreciate the opportunity to address the board.
According to the NC Bd of Education 23-24 report, only 2 of our 15 schools are given an A rating. No B’s, 10 C’s, and 3 D’s.
Only ⅓ met growth goals, and 40% failed to do so
Both middle schools received a D.
The high performing schools are the Academy for Innovation and the Early College program. Why the disparities?
English proficiency 17.9% vs state avg of 27.3%
Graduation rate of only 85,2%, which is the lowest in WNC
ACT score of 19 or above for only 34.8% vs 40.2% state
ACT Work only 45.1% vs 60% state
During the recent school shooting hoax, teachers were required to secure outside doors that remain open at all times, by using an allen wrench to lock them after being given an alert, unnecessarily exposing them to danger or even death.
There is chaos in DC. Last week’s announcements that all grant payments would be paused surely created a crisis in our Head Start program, since 100% of it is funded with federal and state grants.
What happens if the Dept of Education is abolished?
What contingencies are you prepared to take if funding is greatly reduced or eliminated? Are you communicating your concerns to Chuck Edwards, Thom Tillis, Ted Budd and even the President himself? Have you asked the county commission to submit a petition to these elected officials asking for protection for these funds designed to help our children? Have you prepared or submitted a petition to these representatives yourselves?
What actions are you taking now to calm the waters for both students and faculty during the chaos?
There is a real fear in our vibrant Latino community. Fears of ICE raids and demonization of brown and black people has increased incidents of taunting and confrontation in our schools and community. The same atmosphere has increased tensions and fear in our LGBTQ community. What are you doing to minimize these tensions? Dr. Grit, after reading the article on wunc.org that shared your background, I would think that you would have a special knowledge of exactly how difficult it is for students to learn while facing these stressors. And following in the same vein,
You have received a grant to address mental health needs for faculty and students. Are you expediting the hiring of mental health professionals? Or are you planning to institute programs?
At last count, 40 teaching positions were open. We are losing good teachers to surrounding states and even surrounding counties mostly because of pay, but also because of working conditions, including a lack of support services.
Our local supplement from the McDowell Board of Commissioners is only an average of $1,487 (2021-22)
North Carolina ranks near the bottom of states for funding public schools. In 2024, North Carolina ranked 48th for funding level among 50 states.
McDowell County ranks 75th out of 116 school districts in the state for per pupil funding. But it also ranks only 93rd out of 116 school districts for local funding (county commission). What plans do you have to improve these statistics?
The state is funneling money to private schools who are not required to meet the same standards as public schools. Many school districts are complaining. Several years ago, this board, with the dissenting vote of only one member, sent a resolution to our state representatives asking them not to fund private schools with public money. Are you in agreement to spend public money on private schools?
There is still no librarian at McDowell High School.
We have a shortage of bus drivers, resulting in long, complicated routes for students.
There continue to be reports of students not receiving accessibility accommodations throughout the system.
Our facilities are old, and constantly in need of repair.
According to statistics of the State Board of Ed, we have a diverse student population. Is the disparity of resources between the two high performing schools and the underperforming schools a contributing factor?
And of course, the rebuilding of Old Fort Elementary is ongoing. And with the consolidation of OFE with PGE, overcrowding is an issue that is being addressed with temporary classrooms. Further complicating things is the fact that both schools are below standard in the NC BoE ratings.
So in the midst of these pressing issues and others, you have spent the first 90 days of your term addressing two primary issues: Opening board meetings with prayer, and removal of books from the school libraries. Both priorities are an expression of political optics that have no effect on the educational outcomes of our students. If any of us wishes to privately pray in any setting, I was taught when I entered ministry that every thought is a prayer because God hears it. And every deed is an act of worship, because God sees it. And Jesus himself addresses public prayers in the gospel of Matthew as a pretext for teaching us the “Lord’s prayer:” Matthew 6:5-8
5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
But perhaps the silver lining of your focus upon removal of books from school libraries is the realization that students, especially teenagers, will seek out many of these titles to read, just to see what all the fuss is about. And maybe, just maybe, reading comprehension scores will improve, and they will develop greater empathy for others.
