HAMLET — At its Oct. 12 meeting, the Richmond County Board of Education approved an overall budget of just over $91 million for the 2026-2027 year.
Of that total, slightly less than 16% will come from local sources. The state supplies 69% of the total, with the remainder emanating from federal sources.
In other action, the board approved a one-year $60,513 contract with Siemens Industry of Charlotte for HVAC operations and services. Board members also approved an additional $67,705 contract with Moseley Designs, Inc. of Raleigh, the architects designing the new L.J. Elementary School. The amount — related to the Bell project — is for: project management coordination; boundary, topographical and environmental services; an asbestos audit; and, a traffic management plan.
On another motion, a $96,900 contract with Johnson Educational Solutions was approved for the current school year. The amount would be drawn from a federal grant to provide educational support for teachers and staff, especially in low-performing schools.
Steven King, director of construction and maintenance for Richmond County Schools, reported that demolition of the current L.J. Bell school has been set back from November to after the beginning of 2027. A closer examination of the level of hazardous materials in the 75-year old facility was cited.
King also noted that replacement of the fire alarm system at Richmond Senior High is underway.
"It's been replaced once since the school was built [in 1972] — sometime around '92 or '95 — but it's at the end of its useful life," he observed.
Board members were presented a district academic testing and accountability report. The local graduation rate is up about 10% since 2023 to just over 90%. Four of our schools have progressed from state-measured low performing status. Overall, tested proficiency of local students in grade 8 or below is up four percentage points from 2025.
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Reading proficiency in county schools remains below 50%, although some grade levels are showing improvement. Math and science proficiency is at, or has surpassed, 50% in most levels.
There appears some consensus that improvements in tests and proficiency represents a turnaround from covid-era setbacks.
"For years, we've heard 'COVID, COVID, COVID,'" Vice Chair Scotty Baldwin noted, "but it seems we've worked our way from that, now."
Dr. Kate Smith, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, presented improvement plans for low-performing schools. In compliance with state law, the board approved a district plan of improvement for those schools.
