Latest news with #Dossenbach
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Good news' from school board meeting
Lee County School officials shared some 'good news' at their July 8 school board meeting. Superintendent Chris Dossenbach noted that he asked vendors that the district utilized over the past year to voluntarily help fund costs associated with two upcoming events: a three-day accelerated learning conference and a convocation. Both are scheduled prior to the start of school next month. Over $25,000 has been committed for these events. 'Those who we supported stepped up to support us,' he said. In addition, he noted that because the district anticipated that there could be a delay in receiving some federal funds, it should be OK even though such funds have been delayed because the district budgeted for it. 'We may have to make some minor cuts here and there, but we don't feel like it's going to be too major for us here,' he said. Funds impacted by the delays include Title 1©, 2 and 3. These represent migrant education, professional development for staff, and 'after school' programs and enrichment for gifted students. The total for these programs is around $1 million. 'We remain hopeful that the funds will be released,' he said. Dossenbach noted that Lee County's portion of some $6.8 billion in federal education funds relates to the Trump administration reviewing seven federal education programs. The disbursement date for such was July 1, according to LCHS BLEACHERS Construction of new bleachers on the visitors' side of the Lee County High School football field will begin this month, Dossenbach said, noting this is earlier than the previous start date in October. This will save the district some funds that would have been spent on bleacher rentals for some football games, he said. PRESCHOOL Board member Alan Rummel noted that the district plans to add a second entrance at W.B. Wicker Elementary to accommodate the addition of the district's preschool, which is moving from Warren Williams School. This includes installation of a security door and 'customer window' in the office. In addition, the district is adding two classroom exit doors and sidewalks. A relatively new playground at Warren Williams was recently moved to W.B. Wicker and a new sign will be installed. If the preschool had remained at Warren Williams, some $1 million in upgrades were needed there, he added. LOCAL PRODUCE Rummel noted that, in accord with a school board goal, LCS will be using some local produce this year in students' lunches. R&H Produce won a bid for grocery supplies and will include products as part of the North Carolina Farm to School program. BUS GARAGE The board unanimously approved a Request for Qualifications submission from CRA Associates of Chapel Hill, an architectural and engineering firm, for a new bus garage. Rummel noted that CRA designed the bus garage in Chatham County. The 27,000-square-foot Chatham bus garage with 16 work bays — which was built in 2017 — cost $6.1 million following a $5.8 million bid and some change orders, according to a board document. LCS' bus garage has a budget of $13.5 million, he said, noting he'd like to stay under that amount. LCS' Director of Facilities Chris McNeill recently told the Sanford Herald that the tentative plan is to build the new bus garage next to the district's current facility on Cox Maddox Road.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
West Lee, SanLee chosen for Golden LEAF Schools Initiative
West Lee and SanLee middle schools were selected to participate in the Golden LEAF Schools Initiative, a five-year, $25 million school improvement program focused on enhancing academic outcomes and career readiness for middle school students across North Carolina. The initiative is led by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation in partnership with Marzano Resources. West Lee will receive $1.8 million and SanLee $400,000, according to Superintendent Chris Dossenbach. At the district's June 10 meeting, he called the funds 'a game changer' for those schools. Both will join different cohorts of 15 schools across the state receiving intensive support to implement innovative instructional strategies, with a strong emphasis on mathematics and career development. 'This program will provide an infusion of resources, focus and energy that we are confident will strengthen our instructional practices, build staff capacity and provide our students with high-quality learning experiences in our local public middle schools,' Dossenbach said. He noted Aimee Petrarca, Christian Chaney, Natalie Kelly and Ricky Secor for their hard work in making this a reality for our students. As part of the Transformative Schools Cohort, West Lee will benefit from focused coaching and support. This includes implementation of the Marzano High Reliability Schools Framework, math curriculum resources, instructional coaching and career development resources tailored to meet the unique needs of West Lee's students and staff. As part of the Personalized, Competency-Based Education Cohort, SanLee will benefit from focused coaching and support. This includes implementation of the Competency-Based Education Model and career development resources geared to meet the individualized needs of SanLee's students and staff while challenging them to reach higher goals. The selection process was highly competitive and included a rigorous application and interview process that involved key school and district leaders.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LCS approved for stand alone bus garage
It looks like Lee County Schools will be getting a new bus garage in the near future. During the LCS board meeting on Tuesday, April 8, Superintendent Chris Dossenbach said the district was given approval for the stand-alone facility as opposed to a joint facility with the county that was previously discussed. Dossenbach reported that information from an initial '5 on 5' committee meeting between the two governmental entities from Monday. In addition to him, the meeting included the county manager, county finance team and the school finance director. 'I felt like it was a productive meeting,' Dossenbach said. In an email, LCS spokesman James Alverson noted that the current LCS Bus Garage is located at 416 Cox Maddox Road. It has been in use since November 1974. Funding for the new garage would come during the 2025-26 school year, Dossenbach said. During the 5 on 5 committee meeting, he said he stressed the need for additional classified employee funding, noting that school staff provided information dating back 17 years when salaries were frozen during the Great Recession. Board chair Sherry Lynn Womack asked when the next 5 on 5 meeting would be. Dossenbach said none is currently scheduled, adding that county staff want to get through the budget season first. FORFEITURES Board attorney Stephen Rawson noted that LCS pulled in $75,483 in bond forfeitures from July 1, 2024 through Feb. 28. After questioning from Womack, Rawson added that some of the funding will go to charter schools for Lee County students who attend such. Rawson's fees for culling the funds total $12,822, which he said represent a six-to-one ratio. CELL PHONES Board member Chris Gaster reported on the district's Discipline Committee, noting that although only 5% of the student discipline referrals are for technology, 73% of them come from the middle schools. 'That blew me away because I was thinking it would be high school,' he said, noting there were 286 violations in middle schools. 'This is a bigger problem than people even imagine,' he said, adding that 'a lot of that is from disrespect. It all starts in the home.' Operations Committee chair Alan Rummel noted they also talked about that issue, but noted that more discussion is needed for what to do about it. REDISTRICTING Rummel said the Operations Committee approved using the Institute for Transportation Research and Education out of North Carolina State University for elementary school redistricting. Their study would include 'far more than redistricting,' he said, adding that it would include sites for future school construction, along with other information. During new business, the board approved a contract for $148,558 with Bureau Veritas Technical Assessments of Elliott City, Md. for a facilities condition assessment. The report should be finished by August, according to Rummel. The assessment will be used to drive the district's capital improvement and master facilities plans, according to a board document. GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL During the meeting, Dillon Crockett, the district's science coordinator, announced that two 11th grade students were chosen for the Governor's School for four weeks this summer. Addison Tunnard, a student at Lee Early College, will attend the Governor's School East at Meredith College for social science. Larkin McBryde, a student at Southern Lee High School, will attend the Governor's School West at Greensboro College for natural science.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
School board approves $25.1M budget request; 16% increase includes classified pay bump
Feb. 20—During a brief meeting on Monday night, the Lee County Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a requested budget for fiscal 2025-26. Their request of the county commissioners represents a 16% increase over the current fiscal year and would fully fund a four-step pay increase for classified staff, along with other items. Superintendent Chris Dossenbach explained, using a chart, that based on the county's current funding, the request represents 24.1% of the county budget. He noted that the schools' percentage of the county's budget has declined from 25% and 26% several years ago to only 20.8% in the the current budget. "This ask is entirely reasonable," board member Cindy Ortiz said. "A true olive branch would be for them to fund our budget request." This was a reference to county Commissioner Taylor Vorbeck recently calling the commissioners funding of asbestos removal from the old Jonesboro School and the foundation for visitors' side bleachers at Lee County High School an "olive branch." Fully funding a classified pay increase is $2 million. Dossenbach's proposed budget also includes supplemental funding of $459,438 for certified employees, $271,001 for central office employees and $122,085 for administrators. That funding is based on information from an Evergreen Salary Study. Dossenbach also noted the effect that attrition has had on the school system. He showed a chart that represented the school districts where 17 teachers went after resigning from LCS since Sept. 1, 2024. Five went to Wake County, four went to Chatham, two went to Moore and the rest to six other counties. Wake, Chatham and Johnston schools have higher teacher supplements, Dossenbach said, although the other six counties do not. According to a chart he presented, for the 2022-23 school year, Lee County Schools' attrition rate was 16.1% while the state's was 11.4%. The total budget request was $25.1 million plus about $2.1 million for capital outlay projects. Some of the proposed capital outlay projects include: $300,000 for more parking at Broadway Elementary, $200,000 for in-house construction at various locations, $175,000 for lighting at the Lee County High School softball field and $136,500 for cafeteria table replacements at San Lee Middle School. Other projects include $368,500 for visitors' side bleachers at LCHS, $150,000 for a Chromebook refresh, and $180,000 for replacement of three fleet vehicles, purchase of a trailer for moving large equipment, a mini digger and a scissor lift. During public comment before the budget meeting, classified employee Emily York said she is pleased to see the budget proposal includes the full amount for classified staff. She asked again for the school system to post the classified staff pay scale on the district's website. "If we were to put up the pay scale, it would cause mass confusion," Dossenbach said toward the end of the meeting. "Every single [classified] employee is on a different place on the pay scale." He noted that the district's classified staff pay scale was frozen for 15 years until recently, but there are varying circumstances surrounding each employee's pay. He said two finance employees have been working on implementing the first of four scheduled classified pay raises by the end of February. Board Chair Sherry Lynn Womack noted the salary information is a public record, so someone could request salaries for all classified staff, for example. Dossenbach said the district could post a "fully-funded" classified salary pay scale within two months.
