Finalizing a facilities master plan -- and convincing voters to authorize school bonds to pay for new and upgraded facilities -- was at the top of the list as the Moore County Board of Education met in a goal-setting work session on Thursday, August 29.
Turning to other matters near the end of that meeting, Board members voted to cancel a joint meeting with the Moore County Board of Commissioners that had been scheduled for Thursday, September 5..
Vague Objectives for Joint Meeting
The joint meeting, which was originally suggested by School Board Chairman Ed Dennison to Commissioners Chairman Nick Picerno, was supposed to focus on finances, facilities, and Moore County Schools' [MCS] digital learning initiative.
But some School Board members felt that neither the agenda nor the School Board's objectives for the meeting had been well defined.
"I don't think we have had time to discuss what we want the outcome of that meeting to be," Kathy Farren said. "I don't think we are ready to go into the meeting."
"I don't think our objectives and the County's objectives for the meeting mesh," Laura Lang agreed.
Dennison noted that the idea for the joint meeting came up just before the regular August School Board meeting, leaving little opportunity for the Board to discuss the agenda and objectives.
Dennison told The Times that the two Boards had also not agreed on whether staff members would be participants in the meeting.
"They wanted it to include just the members of the two Boards," Dennison said. "We always want to have [MCS Superintendent Aaron] Dr. Spence present and participating."
Farren made the motion to cancel the meeting, which was approved unanimously by the members present. Charles Lambert and Dale Frye were not in attendance.