Smithfield-Selma High School
graduates 371
That's
the number of graduating
seniors listed on the
program for the high
school's 55th annual
Commencement, held last
Friday on a warm and sunny
morning before a crowd of
well-wishers that
overflowed the stands at
Charles Tucker Stadium.
Last year's SSS graduating
class numbered 306.
A total of 2,579 students
graduated from Johnston
County's high schools this
year. That's down from
2,939 reported a year ago.
Friday's Commencement at
SSS was the first for
Principal Crystal Gregory,
who took over last summer
for David Allen, who had
served the school for 16
years as a teacher and
administrator including
six years as its
principal.
Here's the
program from Friday's
Commencement that lists
the graduates as well as
the school's
administrators, homeroom
teachers, counselors,
and student marshals>
New auxiliary gymnasium at SSS is
finished at year's end
Lyn
Andrews, who chairs the
Johnston County Board of
Education, got to take the
ceremonial "first shot" at
a basketball goal inside
the recently completed
facility as part of a
ribbon-cutting celebration
held last Thursday, the
final day of classes for
the 2023-24 school term.
Ms. Andrews looks like she
knows what she's doing.
That's because she was a
standout basketball player
at SSS in the 1970s when
that as the school's only
interscholastic sport for
girls. (Johnston
County Public Schools
photo)
Town
welcomes federal grant
for police body cams
U.S
Representative Wiley
Nickel (on the right)
came to town Monday
morning to present a
$124,000 federal grant to
the Smithfield Police
Department for 45 body
cameras plus data storage.
Mr. Nickel said the grant
to Smithfield is one of 15
appropriations totaling
$13 million he has
recently secured for the
state's 13th Congressional
District, which
encompasses all of
Johnston County; and he
announced he is working on
a $4.9-million grant to
help pay for a proposed
new fire station in North
Smithfield. Standing with
the Congressman during
Monday's check
presentation are (left
to right) Mayor Pro
Tem Roger Wood, Chief of
Police Pete Hedrick, and
Councilman Marlon Lee.
2.4
acres for sale at 1558
W. Market St.
in West
Smithfield
Located
across from Rose Manor
Shopping Center close to
intersection with
M.Durwood Stephenson
Parkway. Just west of
Downtown Smithfield. Zoned
commercial by the Town of
Smithfield. $498,000
MLS#
10021671 (Photo
by
ShowSpaces Photography)
SUSAN
LASSITER
Fonville
Morisey Realty
919-669-9235
School
leaders make their case
for more county aid
Board
of Education Chair Lyn
Andrews and Assistant
Superintendent David
Pearce took the lead roles
in presenting data to the
County Commissioners
Monday evening to explain
the reasons for hefty
increases in county
funding for both
operations and capital
projects in the year
ahead.
For starters, Ms. Andrews
said the school board
learned last week that the
state is cutting
Johnston’s funding
allotment by 42.5 teaching
positions for the 2024-25
school term. "If we keep
those teachers, we've got
to pay for them some other
way," she told
commissioners.
Furthermore, Johnston's
system anticipates a
$2.9-million cut in state
"low wealth" funding –
from $17.9 million
currently to "maybe" $15
million, Ms. Andrews
said.. "When the value of
homes goes up in a
district, the low-wealth
funding is going to drop,"
she said, adding that
those funds cover the
annual cost of 100
employees.
The end of federal grants
under ESSER, the
Elementary and Secondary
Schools Emergency Relief
program enacted by
Congress in response to
the COVID pandemic, will
result in a reduction in
social workers and nurses
in Johnston's schools, Ms.
Andrews noted. "Teachers
are burned out," she said,
and are in need of help
from more, not fewer, of
those employees.
Presently, the county's
school system employs one
social worker per 2,500
students and one nurse for
two schools, Ms. Andrews
noted.
Responding to a question
from Commissioners'
Chairman Butch Lawter, Ms.
Andrews said the school
board's funding request
basically includes two new
initiatives: a $1,500
annual increase in teacher
supplements and
restoration of extra pay
the state once provided
all teachers that earn
master's degrees.
In his proposed budget for
2024-25, County Manager
Rick Hester has
recommended increasing the
appropriation for school
operations from $88.5
million to $93.3 million.
The school board has
requested $111.8 million,
noting that $12 million
was added to the county's
appropriation this past
year from the schools'
General Fund Balance.
Beyond that, the Board of
Education has requested an
increase in capital
funding from $6 million
currently to $28.8
million.
Assistant Superintendent
Pearce said the main thing
behind that request is a
desire to be "proactive"
with preventative
maintenance. "We're in a
reactive mode right now,"
he told commissioners. For
instance, Johnston's
schools have 69 HVAC
"chillers" that are "at
the end of their life
cycle," Dr. Pearce noted.
"One event could drain
this budget very quickly."
Another concern is
replacement of aging
school buses. "I've been
told departments in County
Government replace
vehicles at 150,000 to
160,000 miles," said Dr.
Pearce, noting that the
schools operate 16
vehicles with over 150,000
miles, 10 over 175,000
miles, 31 over 200,000
miles, and four
registering more than
300,000 miles. "You don't
want to put money into
some of those vehicles,"
he said. "It's a waste of
our taxpayer dollars."
School Board Vice Chair
Terry Tippett came forward
to sum up the evening's
presentation on a lengthy
list of needs to maintain
and improve Johnston's
public schools. "If you
want it, you've got to
fund it," he declared.
VIEW details
of the schools' funding
request below the proposed
county budget>
School
board heads toward new
attendance districts
At
its monthly meeting
Tuesday evening,
Johnston's Board of
Education got a schedule
for moving toward adoption
of revised
school-attendance
districts by the end of
this calendar year. That
would give parents and
students ample notice of
changes prior to the
opening of two new
schools: Swift Creek
Elementary next summer,
Wilson's Mills High School
the following year.
Mike Miller of N.C. State
University's Operations
Research and Education
Laboratory (OREd) – which
advises Johnston's school
system on facilities
planning – laid out a
six-month plan for
redrawing districts. His
staff will present
preliminary boundary
adjustments to the school
board in August,
"community engagement"
including public meetings
and online portals will
follow in September, with
a final recommendation
coming to the board in
October followed by
adoption of the
redistricting plan in
November.
It will be implemented
over a two-year period
starting when Swift Creek
Elementary opens next
summer, Mr. Miller said.
"The plan will not satisfy
everybody," he warned.
However, "we're not going
to move families twice,"
he emphasized.
Mr. Miller pointed out
that the redistricting
plan will be based on a
countywide review of
existing boundaries.
Beyond attendance
districts for the two new
schools, planners will
also consider the impact
of revised districts in
light of new additions at
Benson Elementary and
Cooper Academy in Clayton
as well as a proposed
classroom addition at
Cleveland High, he noted.
New
Wilson's Mills High
School to cost $113
million
The
school board approved a
contract with Barnhill
Contracting Company that
caps the maximum
construction cost of the
new Wilson's Mills High
School at $99,816,808.
"Miraculously, this price
is only $1,652,508, or
1.7%, over the original
2022 budget," noted Brooks
Moore, the school system's
chief of facility design
and construction.
With this agreement, total
cost of the new school is
now $113,122,636, Mr.
Moore told the board.
That's about $3.3 million
over an original estimate,
he said.
Board member Kay Carroll
cast the only vote against
approving the cost-cap
agreement after
registering a complaint
about the school's design.
"Interior classrooms (with
no windows) are something
we should not be doing,"
he said.
Although she voted in
favor of the agreement,
Michelle Antoine said she
was in agreement with Mr.
Carroll and cited other
design elements she didn't
like including a front
vestibule located next to
the cafeteria with the
library on top of that.
The board also expressed
interest in learning more
about the pros and cons of
installing synthetic turf
instead of grass on the
main football and soccer
field.
Parking
lots at three schools
will be refurbished
The
board approved contracts
with Paving Professionals,
a regional company, to
rebuild the surfaces of
bus parking lots at
Smithfield-Selma High and
West Smithfield Elementary
that will be "milled with
overlay and restriping." A
similar project was
approved for a parking lot
and carpool lane at Four
Oaks Elementary School.
The three contracts total
$402,650.
Schools
to save $2.4 million on
annual insurance bill
The
board approved the annual
contract for its insurance
package that makes
"significant changes in
vendors and processes that
will result in significant
savings," notes a memo
accompanying the proposal
from Alliant, an insurance
broker employed by the
board back in December.
Cost of the new package
totals $2,475,309, which
is $2,431,445 less that
the sum of the current
year's $3,906,754 plus
another $1 million in
increases projected in the
year ahead under the
discarded arrangement.
For 816 children, Read to Grow
"Booked for Summer"
Story
& photo from
Partnership for Children
of Johnston County
Read
to Grow Johnston County
hosted its second annual
Booked for Summer events,
creating opportunity and
excitement for 816 students
across the county.
The
events encourage summer
reading by providing first
and second-graders with
books to enjoy during the
break. First graders
received Pete the Cat:
Too Cool for School. Second
graders received Narwhal
and Jelly 1: Unicorn of
the Sea.
In addition, all
participating students were
given two more books of
their choice, a parent flyer
with summer reading ideas,
and a notebook and pencil to
encourage both reading and
writing during the summer
months.
Booked for Summer was made
possible through
collaboration with South
Smithfield, West Smithfield,
Selma, and Benson elementary
schools.
“Reading proficiently by the
third grade serves as a
strong predictor of future
academic success,” explained
Heather Machia, Read to Grow
coordinator. “Events like
Booked for Summer play a
crucial role in bridging the
gap for first and
second-graders at risk of
falling behind.”
Read to Grow involves
support from business
leaders, faith community
members, families, My Kid's
Club, Johnston County Public
Schools, and the Partnership
for Children. Read to Grow
is working to connect
resources, develop
initiatives, and achieve the
targets and milestones to
impact the three pillars of
the Campaign for Grade-Level
Reading: kindergarten
readiness, chronic
absenteeism, and summer
learning loss. For more
information, contact Ms.
Machia at 919-397-7822.
WHAT'S COMING
UP
Two Juneteenth celebrations scheduled
in Smithfield
Juneteenth
is celebrated nationally
to commemorate the
official abolition of
slavery in the State of
Texas on June 19, 1865 –
two years after
President Abraham
Lincoln issued his
Emancipation
Proclamation during the
Civil War.
▪ The Town of
Smithfield will host a
celebration from noon till
6 p.m. this Saturday at
the Neuse River
Amphitheater featuring a
band called Soul, Rhythm
& Groove along with
food trucks.
• East Smithfield's annual
event begins at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, June 22 with a
parade from the Johnston
Central Alumni Center to
Smith-Collins Park, where
a free
cookout will follow with
music provided by DJs Sham
Rock and Ricky C.
301 yard sale Friday & Saturday,
triathlon Saturday
a.m.
The
two annual events continue
to fall on the same day
(the third Saturday in
June), with the Endless
Yard Sale along US 301
starting its two-day run
on Friday. The Three
Little Pigs Triathlon
begins early Saturday
morning at the Smithfield
Recreation & Aquatics
Center and includes a
bicycle segment along
Buffalo Road northward to
the Live Oak community and
back. For that, portions
of Stephenson Parkway and
Kellie Drive will be
closed to vehicles from 7
till 10:30 a.m.
County
Commissioners may adopt
budget on Monday
Johnston's
County Commissioners will
meet at 6 p.m. Monday at
the Courthouse for their
regular second monthly
session. On the agenda is
adoption of the county's
budget for the new fiscal
year that starts July 1
along with consideration
of an appropriation beyond
the budget for an
expansion of Cleveland
High School.
VIEW the
complete agenda for
Monday's meeting>
Town
Council meets with DSDC
board Monday evening
The
Smithfield Town Council
will meet with the
Downtown Smithfield
Development Corporation's
board at 6:30 p.m. at Town
Hall "to enhance
communication between the
Town Council and the DSDC
concerning operations,
events, and a potential
social district," reads
the official notice of the
special session.
Town
Council to get another
Buffalo Road plan
Tuesday
The
Smithfield Town Council
will conduct a public
hearing on conditional
rezoning for a 210-lot
single-family subdivision
on 140 acres of open land
at 1041 Buffalo Road
during its meeting at 7
p.m. Tuesday at Town Hall.
This request is separate
from a controversial
220-lot subdivision still
under consideration on the
other side of Buffalo Road
next to the Bradford Park
subdivision (that plan is
scheduled to come back
before the council at its
July 9 meeting).
VIEW the
complete, relatively
short agenda for
Tuesday's meeting>
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
Will
County Commissioners
shortchange schools?
Johnston's
County Commissioners
recently learned from
financial advisors that
the county could
comfortably afford a
$260-million bond issue
over the next couple of
years without jeopardizing
the county's recently
achieved AAA bond rating.
And yet they settled on
putting a $150-million
issue before Johnston's
voters in November's
General Election.
That, despite a
$285-million issue
requested by the Johnston
County Board of Education
and an $85-million issue
requested by trustees of
Johnston Community College
– both to keep pace with
rising demand for
educational opportunities
fueled by unprecedented
population growth all
around us.
Not only that, but the
Board of Education had
thoughtfully planned to
spread out the financing
of new school facilities
with three successive bond
issues: the one approved
by voters two years ago, a
second to be considered
this year, and a third to
follow two years from now.
Cutting back the size of
this year's proposed issue
puts undue pressure on
winning approval of an
adequate amount in 2026.
Then, commissioners last
week appeared to agree on
cutting the county's tax
rate by two cents in the
year ahead in spite of the
school board's convincing
case for another sizeable
increase in county funding
of public schools. That
two-cent cut will be more
palatable to advocates of
public education if the
commissioners surprise us
by approving the school
board's funding request in
full – as they did last
year when they cut the tax
rate by four cents.
During Monday's budget
appeal before the
commissioners, school
leaders pointed out that
Johnston County ranks
110th in per-pupil
expenditures among North
Carolina's 115 school
districts, spending $1,484
per pupil below the state
average.
If we're able to afford to
take care of mounting
public-school needs
without "breaking the
bank," why not just do it?
Dorothy
Johnson: a pioneer of
the Age of Integration
Just
learned this week about
last month's passing of
Dorothy Johnson at age 84
in Petersburg, Virginia
where she grew up and
spent the final years of
her life. She made history
in 1998 as the first
African-American to win
countywide election here,
and she won re-election to
the Johnston County Board
of Education four times
for continuous service of
20 years. At one point she
was the board's vice
chair.
Yet she was perhaps even
better known for her 30
years of work as a home
economist with the
Johnston County
Agricultural Extension
Service (today's
Cooperative Extension
Service), serving in that
capacity from the
mid-1960s through the
mid-1990s. I first got to
know Dorothy when the
Extension Service teamed
up with The
Smithfield Herald
to put together an annual
sweet-potato recipe
contest during the early
years of the Ham & Ham
Festival. She
single-handedly ran that
event, and she ran it very
well.
Dorothy retired from
Extension work in 1995.
But she never retired from
community volunteer
service during all her
many years as a resident
of Johnston County.
Here' the
link to her lengthy
obituary, which sums up
the whole story>
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