Stories and photos by WINGATE LASSITER unless credited otherwise
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Schools open Monday with new principals,
more safety measures, free breakfast & lunch

Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) will be ready for more than 37,000 students when the 2023-24 school year begins. Among new safety measures in place at all campuses for the first time are weapon-detection systems and SROs (School Resource Officers assigned from the Sheriff's Department and municipal police departments).

JCPS has qualified for a federal program that offers free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of household income, at most campuses, including all schools in the Smithfield-Selma district. Federal eligibility rules won't allow that at five campuses>

Staffing continues to be a concern here as just about everywhere else across the nation. Caitlin Furr, JCPS director of communication, this week reported 200 vacancies among certified personnel, which includes teachers, counselors, curriculum coaches, and others. To help fill vacant teaching positions, Johnston's schools are offering a new Retiree Job Sharing program.

Meanwhile, higher pay and other incentives for school-bus drivers appear to be producing desired results. "We are currently fully staffed for bus drivers, which is great news for our students and our district," Ms. Furr said. (Neighboring Wake County has 315 bus-driver vacancies, The News & Observer reported this morning.)

Here's a rundown of leaders assigned to schools in the Smithfield-Selma district
(click on a school's highlighted name for more information):

Newly assigned principals:
• Crystal Gregory at Smithfield-Selma High, moved from Innovation Academy at South Campus (succeeding David Allen, moved to the Central Office staff).
• Chad McLamb at South Smithfield Elementary, moved from Corinth-Holders Elementary (succeeding Susan Jones, also moved to the Central Office staff).

Returning principals:
• LaShunda Faison at Smithfield Middle School since 2019.
• Stephen Baker at Selma Middle School since 2019.
• Maritza Rosado at Selma Elementary since 2018.
• Darrick McNeill at West Smithfield Elementary since 2020.
• Dondi Pate at Wilson's Mills Elementary since 2022.

FAISON	BAKER	ROSADO	McNEILL	PATE

VIEW the 2023-24 calendar for students attending Johnston's public schools>

Meanwhile, Neuse Charter School and American Leadership Academy Johnston – the two charter schools in the central part of the county – have already begun classes, with ALA's first day on Monday, August 7 and Neuse Charter's on Monday, August 14. As a result, both will finish the fall academic semester on December 15 and the spring semester before Memorial Day next May.

Also open already are the Johnston County Early College Academy and Johnston County Career & Technical Leadership Academy, JCPS programs based on the campus of Johnston Community College. Their students began classes August 8.

Johnston's teachers working under the traditional calendar returned to work last week to begin preparing for the 2023-24 academic year. Current state law doesn't permit traditional public schools to start the fall semester before the Monday closest to August 26. Charter schools and private schools are exempt from that requirement.

Two agencies to help Johnston's schools find "missing students"

The Johnston County Board of Education at its monthly meeting August 8 approved contracts with two agencies to provide social workers early in the upcoming school year to track down "missing students."

"Each year, school social workers, student advocates, and a number of other JCPS staff reach out to students and families of students who are enrolled at the start of the school year, but are not in attendance," Chief Academic Officer Nicholas King explained in a memo to board members. He said the school system has $100,491 available from federal COVID-relief funds allotted by the state for "identification and location of missing students" and recommended contracts with Maxim Healthcare Services (based in Maryland) and Schoolforce Solutions (based in Ohio) to carry out that work.

HVAC contracts include full replacement at South Smithfield

The board approved a $1,079,783 contract with CPL of Raleigh to design complete replacements of heating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems at South Smithfield and Four Oaks elementary schools. "A high efficiency hot water/chilled water, variable air volume system with de-humidification, dedicated outdoor air, and re-heat capability is planned," noted Brooks Moore, JCPS chief of facilities design and construction.

The board also approved a $2,863,500 contract with Superior Mechanical Services of Greensboro to replace obsolete HVAC control systems at Selma Elementary, Corinth-Holders Elementary, and West Johnston High.

Costs of both projects will be covered by federal COVID-relief funds authorized by ESSER, the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief program approved by Congress in 2020.
 

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The new Engineering Building at JCC is welcoming students for the first time.

JCC enrolls 4,803 degree students – a new record

Johnston Community College saw record-breaking enrollment on the first day of the Fall 2023 semester. JCC enrolled 4,803 degree-seeking students, the largest number in the college's history. That is more than a 10% increase year over year.

JCC also saw a double-digit increase – nearly 12% – in its full-time equivalent (FTE) numbers. That's the highest it has been in a decade. (North Carolina's community colleges are funded based on total FTE.)

Applications at JCC were up 13% from last fall, the highest number in several years.

"This is a remarkable accomplishment for JCC during a time that many colleges are struggling to recruit and retain students,"  said JCC's President Vern Lindquist. "Many thanks to our faculty and staff who worked so hard to ensure we had the best kickoff to a semester we have seen in a long time," added Dr. Linquist, who took over as JCC's leader in January.

Nearly 700 students at JCC this semester are attending tuition-free thanks to JoCo Commissioners Promise. To learn more about that, visit www.johnstoncc.edu>
 

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Smithfield first assignment for
new Salvation Army officers

Christopher and Aleah Rawls, both recent seminary graduates from Atlanta's Evangeline Booth College, have begun their service as leaders of The Salvation Army's Smithfield headquarters covering Johnston and Harnett counties. The couple met while Aleah was in nursing school at the University of South Alabama in Mobile where Christopher grew up. They were married in 2019 and gave birth to a daughter, Kyleigh, a year later. After completing their officer training in June, both now hold the rank of lieutenant as they begin their Salvation Army careers here.
 

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County awarded highest national credit ratings

Finance Director Chad McLamb said the accomplishment was "20 to 25 years in the making" as he delivered the news before Johnston's County Commissioners Monday evening. Commissioner Fred Smith singled out two previous board chairmen, J.H. Langdon and Wade Stewart, "for starting the journey." Commissioner Tony Braswell, who has served on the board since 2004, said "conservative fiscal practices got us there," adding that "taxpayers in the long run are the ones who will benefit from this."

Finance Director McLamb said the county's elevated bond ratings should keep interest rates on an upcoming school-bond issue around 3.5% rather than commercial rates currently twice that high.

Two of the nation's most-watched credit-rating services, S&P Global and Moody's Investors Service, announced the upgrades of Johnston County's bond ratings to AAA and Aaa, respectively. Both are the highest those agencies award.

Johnston County joins just 10 other North Carolina counties in earning the highest possible credit rating from both agencies.

The rating services cited Johnston County’s growing population, diversified economy, proximity to a large and growing metro area, and sound fiscal management in issuing their ratings.

"The upgrade of the issuer rating to Aaa reflects large surpluses recorded in fiscal 2022 and expected for fiscal 2023,” says the Moody’s report. “Additionally, the rating reflects a local economy which continues to increase in population. The stable outlook is based upon future economic growth potential as part of the greater Research Triangle economy, expected adherence to sound policies, and growth and maintenance of reserves levels guided by a prudent management team."

Says S&P Global: "The rating reflects our view of the county's growing economy, with a tax base projected to exceed $30 billion in the next three years, as well as consistently strong financial performance and flexibility, with a strong track record of proactive management practices. The county's use of conservative budgeting assumptions has typically led to positive operating results, enabling it to build and maintain very strong General Fund reserves. We believe that prudent budget management and ongoing economic development will continue to support the current rating."

The county plans to issue bonds in the near future to construct a new high school at Wilson's Mills and a new elementary school on Cleveland Road northwest of Smithfield. Those bonds were authorized by Johnston's voters in a referendum last November.

Meanwhile, county commissioners and school board members are already working on plans seeking voters' approval of subsequent bond issues in 2024 and 2026 to phase in financing for additional school facilities keeping pace with Johnston's rapid growth.
 

Redrawing commissioners' districts must be done by early October

A plan to redraw the residential districts for electing Johnston's county commissioners will be presented at the board's September 18 meeting followed by a public hearing and adoption of the new boundaries on October 2.

That's the schedule that must be followed if the new plan is to be in place for next year's primary and general elections, County Attorney Jennifer Slusser told the board Monday evening. The filing period for candidates is coming up in December, she noted.

The current districts for electing commissioners dates back to the mid-1990s. As a result of Johnston's population explosion since then, especially in townships closest to Raleigh, the districts as they now stand range in population from 53,688 to 19,070, Ms. Slusser pointed out.

Because all seven commissioners are elected by voters countywide rather than by voters solely within their districts, there's no legal requirement for redistricting, the attorney noted. To give county commissioners authority to redraw the boundaries, special legislation introduced by Johnston's State Senator Benton Sawrey and ratified by the N.C. General Assembly June 1 was required, Ms. Slusser explained.

Johnston's commissioners serve four-year staggered terms, with four of the seven seats up for election in 2024. Commissioner Tony Braswell, who holds one of the four, has announced he will not seek re-election. The other three are presently held by Ted Godwin, Fred Smith, and April Stephens.

Ms. Slusser noted that the special legislation prohibits the redrawing of boundaries in a way that would put two incumbent commissioners in the same district.
Here's the official map of the districts as they now stand>

Proclamation draws attention to rising rates of school absenteeism

Commissioners at Monday's meeting adopted a resolution proclaiming September as "Attendance Awareness Month" – requested by the Partnership for Children to draw attention to "chronic" absenteeism at Johnston's public schools.

Johna Faulconer of the Partnership's Read to Grow steering committee gave board members a chart showing a jump in student absenteeism since arrival of the COVID pandemic in 2020: from a countywide rate of 12% in 2017-18 to 23% in 2021-22. Those rates are based on numbers of students classified as "chronically absent" when they miss at least 10 school days at any time during a school year.

For South Smithfield and West Smithfield elementary schools, the rate jumped to 27%; for Selma Elementary, to 34%.

Ms. Faulconer said the Partnership for Children plans to host "listening sessions" about the issue and a "Why Attendance Matters" poster contest for K-5 students during the month of September.
 

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Dwight Morris (left) at his retirement reception with Chris Key, a Rotary Club volunteer who helped bring about the Partnership for Children "inclusion park" that was built at Smithfield Community Park as a playground for the handicapped.

Partnership for Children thrived under his direction

After almost 17 years as executive director of the non-profit Partnership for Children of Johnston County during a productive period of development, Dwight Morris has retired. The Triangle East Chamber of Commerce hosted a reception last Thursday to salute his service to the agency and the community at large.

Since Mr. Morris took charge in October 2006, the Partnership has grown from a staff of 13 to today's 28. "The financial arm of the Partnership for Children was so well respected under his leadership that nine other Partnerships use them for their accounting," said the Chamber in its announcement of the reception.

Mr. Morris served as chairman of the Chamber's Board of Directors in 2016-17. He was on the Board of the Partnership to Build a Miracle, which raised $1.5 million to build the Miracle League baseball field and adjacent inclusion park at Smithfield Community Park. And served as the only Johnston County board member with the Triangle United Way for nearly a decade, helping to make sure many local non-profits have been supported, the Chamber noted.

Fawn Pattison is interim executive director of Johnston's Partnership for Children.
 

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WHAT'S COMING UP?

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event Saturday

The county's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event is set for 8 a.m. till 1 p.m. this Saturday at the Johnston County Livestock Arena off NC 210 west of Smithfield. This public service is free of charge. Staff will be on site to help unload hazardous materials from participants' vehicles.
VIEW THE LIST of what's acceptable and what's not>

Farmers Market returns this Saturday to Third Street

Two merchants on Downtown Smithfield's Third Street – The Twisted Willow and The Oak City Collection – continue to host this gathering of produce and craft vendors on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month through October 14. They'll be set up from 9 a.m. till 2 p.m. along the 100 block of South Third, closed to vehicular traffic.

Lunch Bunch ends season with jazz next Wednesday

The final installment for this summer's Music for the Lunch Bunch series features a local jazz quintet going by the name of "Reverend Rick and the Amen Corner" for this particular performance at noon next Wednesday at Smithfield's First Presbyterian Church. Joining the Rev. Rick McDuffie on trombone are trumpeter Virgil Early, pianist Jess Pittard, guitarist Ned Attayek, and bassist Wingate Lassiter. Admission is free of charge to these half-hour concerts hosted by the Johnston County Arts Council.

The Weekly Sun is scheduled to return September 7

Following one more break next week heading into the Labor Day holiday, the Smithfield Weekly Sun will resume publication on Thursday, September 7 – two weeks from today.
 

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DEATHS & FUNERALS

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A WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE EDITOR

Commissioners get a thank-you for school funding

School Board Chair Lyn Andrews stood before the County Commissioners earlier this month to deliver a heart-felt "thank you" for recent appropriations being used to address a number of Johnston's public-school priorities, including:

• $8 million for weapon-detection systems on all of Johnston's campuses plus funding to enable the county's 9-1-1 system to install transmitters in all schools for better emergency communications with fire responders.

• $1.7 million in bonuses for teachers and staff at schools designated as "low performing" that reach higher levels of academic achievement.

• College scholarships for students enrolled in a program called JoCo TEACH that entices them to begin their careers in Johnston's classrooms.

• Increased local supplements and stipends for teachers, higher pay for bus drivers and all other support staff, plus $2,500 retention bonuses offered to all school employees.

• $1.7 million to help teachers acquire classroom supplies.

• $7.4 million for signing bonuses to recruit hard-to-get teachers of math, science and exceptional children.

"All of this is being done because of you," Ms. Andrews told commissioners. "I'm not here to ask for anything. I'm here (on behalf of the Board of Education) to say thank you; and we look forward to continuing a great relationship."


Setting the record straight on Outlet Center Drive's upkeep

In the "letter to the editor" that follows, Smithfield's DURWOOD STEPHENSON – a former member of the N.C. Board of Transportation who continues to be involved in local highway matters – provides some background on the neglected maintenance of Outlet Center Drive:

I wanted to clean-up some misunderstandings on Outlet Center Drive that you expressed in your last newsletter (the Monthly Sun of August 10). NCDOT (N.C. Department of Transportation) did not force the Town (of Smithfield) to accept Outlet Center Drive. They (town officials) asked for it because they did not like the changes made to the access from U.S. 70 Business.

Traffic was backing up on I-95 attempting to access the Pottery. USDOT demanded that NCBOT (N.C. Board of Transportation) resolve the issue. NCDOT designed the free-flowing access into the Pottery. The Town was not pleased and asked for control of the road with plans to redesign. NCDOT agreed and donated the road to the town....

I was personally involved in the negotiations between NCDOT and USDOT. Now the problem of maintenance is the responsibility of the town, but they cannot allow incoming traffic to back up on a high-speed Interstate. Not sure how they would address a change to facilitate free-flowing traffic into Pottery....

Mr. Stephenson provided a copy of the agreement executed in 2016 that transferred maintenance of Outlet Center Drive from NCDOT to the town.

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