News from the Board -- January 17, 2024

The Onslow County Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting on January 17 at the Eastern North Carolina Regional Skills Center. This meeting was scheduled for January 9 but was postponed due to inclement weather. Agenda items included an Instructional Services update.  

Before the meeting agenda was approved, Board member Louis Rogers made a motion to add to the agenda an item regarding the creation of a district community advisory council. In a 5-2 vote, the motion did not carry.  

Due to the postponement of the meeting, there was no Good News Spotlight segment. There were 9 speakers during the public comment period.  

In the meeting’s only agenda item, Dr. Chris Barnes, OCS chief academic officer, took to the podium to present to the Board information on the Parents’ Bill of Rights.  

Dr. Barnes shared that the Parents’ Bill of Rights is a newly passed piece of legislation that prioritizes parent involvement in schools and calls on public school districts to accommodate a list of “parental rights.” Some of the rights listed, he said, are existing rights, while others are new or expanded.  

The rights outlined in the bill address access to educational records, access to instructional materials, surveys, participation in parent-teacher organizations, and more.  

To provide resources and understanding for parents, Dr. Barnes said the district has created a webpage at www.onslow.k12.nc.us/PBR. Here, families can learn more about the Parent Bill of Rights and gain access to important district information.  

Next, Dr. Michael Elder gave a brief presentation on recent and upcoming Parent Academy sessions. In January, the district provided sessions regarding college planning for students with disabilities and applying for college financial aid.  

After the general business of the meeting, Rogers made another motion to create a community advisory council. After friendly amendments to the motion, the Board voted unanimously to move forward with setting a future meeting date to discuss the creation of such a council.