Regular School Board Meeting Update

Post date: Dec 9, 2016 4:03:44 PM

New School Board Members, High Regional and State Rankings for End of Grade and End of Course Tests, National Blue Ribbon School Award Winner, and Weather Notification Updates

At the regular meeting of the Yancey County Board of Education on Monday, December 5, 2016, Yancey County Clerk of Court, Tammy McEntyre, conducted the swearing-in ceremony for incumbent school board member, Norb McKinney, and newly-elected member, Edwin Fortner. Upon completing the oath of office, McKinney and Fortner took their seats with Mike Orr and Jeanne Tyner behind the school board desk. Because board member Angie Weatherman was unable to attend due to illness, voting for school board officers was postponed.

For student and teacher-performance during the 2015-2016 school year, Yancey County Schools received exceptionally high rankings in the Northwestern and Western Regions of North Carolina and across the state of North Carolina. Third-grade math scores at Bald Creek Elementary School (Jessica Duncan) tied with other schools in the state for number one; fifth-grade math and science scores at South Toe Elementary School (Margot Atuk) tied with other schools in the state for number one; eighth-grade science scores at East Yancey Middle School (Chris Brocci) ranked number one in all regions and across the state; Career and Technical Education (CTE) ranked at second in the state; and Mountain Heritage High School ranked at number ten in the state for graduation (Please see Angie Anglin’s Press Release for more detailed information.)

Bald Creek Elementary School has been named a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School. It is one of eight schools in North Carolina and one of 279 in the United States to place in the top half of the top 1% in the United States for closing achievement gaps. Principal, Sherry Robinson, and third-grade teacher, Lori McCourry, attended the awards ceremony in Washington, DC on November 7th and 8th.

In an effort to streamline our emergency notification system, we will be using the following media outlets when making calls for school delays and closings: WLOS – Channel 13 in Asheville, WKYK Radio, WWNC Radio, www.citizen-times.com, www.yanceync.net, the Yancey County 911 Office pages information over their system, if a home scanner is at used at home, the Yancey County Schools’ Weather Line at 682-7322, and our Blackboard Connect 5 Communication System, capable of phone calls, texts, and emails. All information is included on the Yancey County Schools website: www.yanceync.net.