Watauga BOE approves tuition plan
Out-of-county students can apply for waivers

The Watauga County Board of Education has adopted a new out-of-county tuition policy and a calendar for the next school year.

The second reading of a proposal covering tuition for discretionary admissions was adopted by the school board Monday night, creating some flexibility in allowing out-of-county students to get waivers in some geographic areas.

Out-of-state students who are allowed to attend school in Watauga County must pay the total amount of per-pupil federal, state and county funding which, according to most recent figures, totals $7,843.

Out-of-county North Carolina students must pay a tuition based on local per-pupil allocation as funded by county taxes, which is about $2,500.

Students who may be exempted from tuition are those in a foster or group home, the homeless, school-age children of full-time or permanent school employees, or children of students, employees or faculty of the state university system or of the National Humanities Center. Students whose parents move out of the county during the school year may finish the year without charge.

Current out-of-county pupils may continue without charge until graduation, and their siblings may enter the school system by paying an annual tuition based on the previous year’s mean average property tax paid in Watauga County, which is about $1,000 a year.

The school board also added some geographic exceptions in which tuition may be waived with board approval.
Those areas were picked based on traditional practice or for areas where schools are underpopulated.

Those include Beech Mountain School/Buckeye Creek Community of Avery County; the Pottertown/Todd community of Ashe County; the Blackberry Community of Caldwell County; the U.S. 221/Buffalo Camp Community of Caldwell County; and the Stony Fork Community of Wilkes County.

Tuition rates will be determined by Aug. 1 of each year. Parents who own property in Watauga County but don’t live there may be eligible for a tuition adjustment based on the amount of property taxes paid.

Board member Steve Combs said the policy was fair to out-of-county students who were already in the system and to those paying local taxes to educate children.

The board also adopted the 2009-10 school calendar. Classes will begin Wednesday, Aug. 12, with the first optional work day on Aug. 6. The first semester would end on Dec. 22. The second semester is scheduled to begin on Jan. 5. The last day of classes is scheduled for May 20.

The calendar includes 15 teacher work days, 10 annual leave days, 10 holidays and four early-release days. As scheduled, high school students will finish their end-of-course exams for the first semester before the Christmas break.

The calendar features an extra work day at the beginning of the year, and it aligns with community college and university calendars for dual-enrolled students. It also has an optional flex day before Thanksgiving, with 89 school days in the first semester and 91 school days in the second semester.

An extra day has been added this December due to the number of snow days missed. School will now be held on Dec. 19 as an early-release day, with elementary schools releasing at noon and high school dismissing at 1 p.m. The date had originally been scheduled as a teacher work day but now will make up for one of the five days missed due to bad weather.

The board also revised a policy to impose more responsibility for school employees in their Internet use. Under the Standard of Professional Conduct policy, school-system employees are expected to serve as positive role models, be honest and treat students with respect. The policy was revised to include electronic communications, in text messages, e-mails and social-networking sites, where school employees are not allowed to engage in profanity or to have romantic relationships with students.

Employees who are found to have posted or created inappropriate online content will be subject to discipline or dismissal. The policy also applies to volunteers, job applicants and student teachers.

A first reading of the criminal History Check policy was presented to the board. The policy requires a background check of job applicants. Employees must report any criminal violations to the superintendent before the next school day and in writing within five days. Background checks may also be conducted on any volunteers, student teachers or any person or group working in or around the schools.

The school system has been conducting background checks for nearly two years, though it has been difficult to track all volunteers.

“This to me is very important because we’re dealing with the safety and security of the students,” Younce said, saying employees may also be at risk. The board unanimously adopted the policy.

School superintendent Hemric said the school administration was preparing for more possible state cuts, but said $177,000 had be taken from the budget without loss of staff positions.

Younce was re-elected to serve as chairman of the board, and Combs was re-elected as vice-chairman.

Younce said the administration, staff, and students were all important in the school system’s success, and community support was a key ingredient as well. “I think we offer about as good a school system as there is in the state or nation,” Younce said.

School board member Marsha Walpole attended her first meeting after her November election, and Younce and Deborah Miller each started new four-year terms.