Catawba County Schools board meeting, Oct 26, 2026
1 h 03 min · 4 public speakers
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What happened
What happened at this meeting
Catawba County school board adopts flag display and clear bag policies 54:32
- Clayton Mullis read a letter resigning from the board effective at the end of the meeting, and the board voted unanimously to accept it. 7:38
- Speakers at public comment addressed the proposed flag policy, and Tim Settlemyre told one speaker not to call out board members by name. 22:46
- The board also unanimously approved the final audit report and the school improvement plans. 33:48
- The Catawba County Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt a flag display policy and a clear bag requirement for school events, with the clear bag rule to take effect January 1st. 1:01:07
Item by item (15)
- Opening business and member resignation 1:59
- Tim Settlemyre called the meeting to order, and a pastor gave the invocation. 1:59
- Clayton Mullis read a letter resigning from the board effective at the conclusion of the meeting, saying the added job duties meant no longer being able to devote the necessary time to board service. 7:38
- Tim Settlemyre listed agenda changes, including adding a second reading of proposed policy 9.3500 on clear bags and removing the superintendent evaluation from the consent agenda. 10:18
- The board voted unanimously to accept the resignation, approve the September 28th, 2026 minutes and approve the agenda adjustments. 8:46
- Chairman's report and recognitions 10:18
- Tim Settlemyre recognized October as National Principals Month across the district's 28 schools. 11:20
- The superintendent recognized several employees with Spark Awards, which the district uses instead of Employee of the Month. 12:55
- The superintendent also recognized a Bandys High School student who won first place at the North Carolina Beta Club Convention. 13:59
- Public comment 21:45
- A speaker at public comment said the group the speaker represented supported the flag policy and that the U.S. flag should be the only nation's flag adorning public schools. 22:46
- A speaker accused board members of hypocrisy over book removals and religion, and Tim Settlemyre told the speaker not to call out board members or use names. 24:44
- Another speaker thanked the board for pursuing the flag policy, while a third speaker said the proposed policy was unnecessary and would have a dampening effect on classroom expression. 28:23
- Consent agenda 31:56
- Final audit report 32:24
- School improvement plans 33:28
- Locker room naming request 35:44
- North Star Academy lease agreement 37:37
- A district staff member said the lease is a $10 year agreement under which the district covers a third of utilities and minor maintenance, and the county covers large items. 37:48
- The staff member said the one change added grass mowing and trimming as a county responsibility. 37:48
- The board unanimously approved the revised lease agreement. 39:37
- Playground projects at elementary schools 39:48
- A district staff member said the Catawba Elementary surface work would cost $62,932.05 against $65,000 approved through capital outlay. 40:12
- The staff member said the Balls Creek equipment replacement totals $164,849.98, with $150,000 approved through capital outlay and the Balls Creek PTO covering the difference. 42:27
- The board unanimously approved both the Catawba Elementary surface installation and the Balls Creek Elementary equipment replacement. 42:20
- Bunker Hill HVAC renovations 44:46
- A presenter said $500,000 is budgeted for the Bunker Hill High School HVAC project through capital outlay and that additional funds are expected to be requested for fiscal year 27, 28. 44:56
- A speaker said part of the initial $500,000 would go toward design and critical needs. 46:03
- The board unanimously adopted the resolution to proceed with the design-build delivery method for the project. 46:14
- Driver education vehicles 46:36
- Maiden High greenhouse bids 48:55
- Fetal development video resolution 50:12
- The board voted unanimously to amend the agenda to add a draft resolution on the Meet Baby Olivia and Meet Baby Oliver fetal development videos. 50:33
- A district staff member said the videos would supplement instruction for students in 7th grade and up, with an opt-out for parents. 52:21
- The staff member said the superintendent would report to the board by the start of the new year on how the videos would be delivered. 53:24
- The board approved the resolution unanimously. 53:53
- Flag display and clear bag policies 54:32
- A district staff member said the flag policy limits which flags the district displays permanently, does not restrict students, and now adds the county flag and official college and university flags. 54:51
- The staff member said the clear bag rule allows bags of 12 by 6 by 12 inches or a 1 gallon plastic bag, one per person, and that all bags are subject to search. 58:22
- A district staff member said the clear bag policy would take effect January 1st to allow time to publicize it. 1:01:07
- The board voted unanimously to adopt the flag display policy and the clear bag requirement for school events. 1:01:24
- Personnel recommendations and adjournment 1:01:52
Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.
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Video: posted by the district as “10-26-26 Board of Education Meeting”