Board Notes - Regular Meeting for June 15, 2026
The Orange County Board of Education held the last regular business meeting of the 2025-2026 school year on June 15, 2026.
View all the business items below here
Watch the June 15, 2026, meeting here
The Board posts all meeting materials to Simbli and also displays a calendar of Board and committee meetings on the OCS website. Visit the Board’s page on Simbli for agendas and minutes. Minutes are attached to each meeting after approval by the Board at a future meeting.
Recognitions
Graduations
Graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2026 just took place on Thursday and Friday, June 11-12! Students graduated on the following schedule adopted early in the 2025-2026 school year:
- Partnership Academy High School, June 11, 10:00 a.m. hosted at Cedar Ridge High School
- Cedar Ridge High School, June 12, 10:00 a.m. hosted at the Dean E. Smith Center, UNC-Chapel Hill
- Orange High School, June 12, 1:00 p.m. hosted at the Dean E. Smith Center, UNC-Chapel Hill
Success stories abound — from inspiring student speakers, to graduates earning admission and scholarship offers at competitive schools, to numerous students who shared their future plans during the #OCSSeniorStories campaign on the OCS website and social media (see Facebook and Instagram), and many more!
Photo albums and the text of student speeches will be posted to the Graduation 2026 landing page on the OCS website: www.orangecountyfirst.com/graduation.
Board Recognition
The Board recognized Board Member Andre Richmond for his years of service in Orange County Schools and as a Board Member. Richmond leaves the OCS Board of Education after four years of service as he heads into retirement.
Board Member André Richmond and his family join Dr. Danielle Jones and the Board of Education to celebrate his retirement and years of service to the Board.
Board Member André Richmond standing with wife Denelle (left) and mother Lou (right).
Pride Month
Pride Month is an inclusive celebration that honors the LGBTQIA+ community, their history, achievements, and ongoing struggle for equality. Pride Month's roots are grounded in the Stonewall Uprising, which occurred in New York City in June 1969.
Board Member Carrie Doyle read the Resolution Honoring Pride Month and Celebrating LGBTQ+ Students, Staff, and Community Members.
Spring 2026 Sports Recognitions
The Board recognized state and conference champions for Spring 2026 sports.
State and Conference Champions:
- Cedar Ridge High School Baseball, Big 7 Athletics Conference Champions
- Orange High School Men’s and Women’s Track, Conference Champions
- Orange High School Women’s 4x 800 Relay, 2026 State Champions
- Ava Bishop
- Kensey Ross
- Riley Jermyn
- Kayla Willey
- Orange High School Pole Vault, State Champion Ciara Fowlkes
- Orange High School Men’s Spring 3200, State Champion Myles Jermyn
- Orange High Schools Lacrosse, Conference Champions
2026 Spring Sports Recognition (Presentation)
Superintendent Comments
- Dr. Danielle Jones opened her comments by thanking everyone for their contributions during the 2025-2026 school year: “I just want to thank everyone for a wonderful school year and all of our educators. When I say educators, I mean every single person that touches a building that impacts a student. It takes all of us. I think we’re all invested in wanting to do the right things for children. And when we do the right things and have that mindset, good things happen – and we see those things happening.”
- Dr. Jones then commented on graduation and the accomplishments of the Class of 2026: “Together over 500 graduates walked across the stage this season; 189 students earning honors distinction. Beyond their academic dedication our seniors have secured a combined total of about $3.2 million in scholarships to fund their post-secondary journeys. These figures represent more than just numbers, they represent the relentless hard work of our students, their families, the unwavering support of our staff, and the deep commitment of everyone represented here in this room.”
Consent Agenda
The Board approved Consent Agenda items, including meeting minutes, personnel report, contracts, change orders, policy updates, and academic calendar updates.
The Facility Rentals Proposed Fee Schedule for 2026-2027 was pulled from the consent agenda for Board discussion and the Pride Month Resolution was added to the consent agenda.
Discussion/Action Items
Facility Rentals Proposed Fee Schedule for 2026-2027 (Pulled from Consent Agenda)
Chief Operations Officer Fredrick Davis answered Board questions about the Facility Rentals Proposed Fee Schedule for 2026-2027. After careful review and consideration, facility rental rates for Orange County Schools will remain unchanged for the upcoming fiscal year.
Work Session (Information) Items
Strategic Plan Priority 4 Update
The OCS Student Engagement and Support Services Department and Office of Communications provided the Board with an update on the year-over-year progress of the goals of Priority Four and provided next steps as a result of the data.
Strategic Plan Priority Four Update: Empowering Culture (Presentation)
2025-2026 Annual Ombuds Report
Franklin McCune, Ombuds and Board Specialist, provided the Board with the 2025-2026 Annual Ombuds Report.
School Year 2025-2026 Annual Report (Presentation)
Discussion/Action Items
Safety and Security Updates
Andrew Poole, Director of Safety and Security, provided an update to the Board regarding the implementation of safety and security updates throughout the 2025-2026 school year along with a recommendation to explore metal detectors for use in athletic events at the middle and high school level.
OCS Safety and Security Updates (Presentation)
School Nutrition Update: Summer Meals Program Update/Student Meal Pricing for 2026-2027 School Year
The Board received an update on the status of School Nutrition Services, including:
- The Summer Food Service Program
- Highlights from the 2025-2026 school year
- Community Eligibility Provisions (CEP) sites approval
- Meal prices increase for 2026-2027 school year
OCS School Nutrition Update (Presentation)
2026-2031 Strategic Plan Approval
On May 18, 2026, Orange County Schools staff presented Engage Orange: Building Foundations, Inspiring Futures, the draft of the district's new strategic plan to the Board of Education. Following the presentation, district staff opened a review and feedback process to gather input from the Board of Education, staff, families, and community members. Feedback and input was gathered through 1) an online feedback survey and 2) a Board of Education Retreat. Based on feedback results, staff is recommending that the phrase " reduce opportunity gaps" is added to the following sections:
- Page 8: It ensures that the district reduces opportunity gaps and every student receives what they need to succeed in school.
- Page 10: By setting clear, measurable targets, we will monitor our progress, ensure continuous improvement, reduce opportunity gaps, and hold ourselves accountable for delivering outcomes that prepare every student for life after graduation.
The Board approved the 2026-2031 Orange County Schools Strategic Plan.
Orange County Schools 2026-2031 Strategic Plan (Presentation)
Board Discussion of Legislative Priorities
The Orange County Board of Education is working to identify legislative priorities to guide its advocacy efforts with the North Carolina General Assembly and other state-level decision makers. To begin this process for the 2026 legislative cycle, Board Members were invited to submit potential legislative priorities for consideration. Our incoming Board member (who will be seated in July 2026) also participated and submitted her preferences to the legislative priorities.
The resulting priority areas are:
- Competitive Compensation and Workforce Recruitment/Retention
- Local Calendar Flexibility
- Student Support Services and School Staffing
- Public School Funding and Accountability
- School Nutrition and Early Childhood Education
- Special Education and Student Services Funding
- State Funding Formula and Fiscal Policy
- School Facilities and Capital Needs
- Student Privacy and Responsible Use of Technology
- Graduation Requirements and Workforce Readiness
The Board approved the top three Legislative Priorities (bolded) as well as the full list to be sent to the North Carolina School Board Association.
Legislative Priorities for the 2026 Legislative Season (PDF)
Board Discussion of August 2026 Retreat Items
As part of the planning process for the Orange County Board of Education Summer Retreat scheduled for August 7–8, 2026, Board members were invited to submit topics they wished to consider for inclusion on the retreat agenda. A total of 19 proposed topics were received from Board members. Our incoming Board member also participated and submitted her preferences to the retreat agenda topics.
The eight consolidated retreat agenda topics are:
- Board Governance, Roles, and Expectations
- Board Norms, Team Building, and Effective Working Relationships
- Effective Board Meetings and Annual Work Planning
- Budget, Fiscal Sustainability, and Long-Term Financial Planning
- Strategic Plan Implementation, Priorities, and Performance Monitoring
- Community Engagement, Communication, and Transparency
- School Capacity, Enrollment, and Facility Planning Scenarios
- Board Priorities and Strategic Initiatives for 2026–27
The Board approved retreat agenda items 1, 2, and 4 for the August Board Retreat.
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