The Vance County Board of Education met at the Administrative Services Center on Graham Avenue on Monday.
Steve Graham, purchasing agent for the school system, was recognized for receiving the Purchasing Management Certification offered by the Institute of Supply Management.
Nick Long, a lawyer and parent of students at Northern Vance High School, appeared before the board with several concerns regarding the Academically and Intellectually Gifted high school services program.
Long said that of 34 programs designated as Advanced Placement by the College Board, Northern Vance offered only five last year and the same number this year. Long asked that the board review the matter and added that he hoped all 34 would be offered in the future.
Not only are AP courses worth extra grade points in Vance County, but the classes prepare students to take the year-end AP exams, which can be worth college credit.
Long said many of the students from Vance County enrolled in Advanced Placement courses did not score 4 or 5 out of 5 to earn college credit.
Long then addressed the Vance-Granville Dual Enrollment Program, inquiring as to how many Vance County students were allowed to take the class during regular school hours.
Long concluded his remarks by saying that many major scholarship programs require lengthy essays and that some nominees for scholarships have not been notified early enough to have adequate time to prepare the essays. Long requested that the board investigate the matter.
L.B. Yancey Elementary School received the monthly attendance award with 98.41 percent of its pupils in attendance on an average day during September. Yancey Principal Phillip Rountree, and several students, parents and staff accepted the award.
The secondary attendance award went to Eaton-Johnson Middle School, which achieved average daily attendance of 96.74 percent in September. Eaton-Johnson Principal Mike Talley accepted the award.
Schools Superintendent Norm Shearin announced that Vance County students collected $15,635 for the Katrina Disaster Relief Fund. Northern Vance High School students collected $3,300, and a donor matched that amount.
Shearin recognized the efforts of state Reps. Jim Crawford and Michael Wray and Sen. Doug Berger to assist Vance County during the recent session of the legislature.
The board unanimously endorsed the local effort to launch a Boys & Girls Club.
Shearin reported that because of the increase in the price of diesel fuel, it is costing Vance schools approximately $12,000 per week to operate school buses. Shearin said that means the expense will amount to $432,000 for the school year, compared with $151,000 during the past school year.
The school system hopes for relief from the state Department of Public Instruction and the General Assembly.
School board members Emeron Cash and Margaret Ellis will attend the North Carolina School Boards Association annual conference in Greensboro on Nov. 13 to 16. For that reason, the next school board meeting will be Nov. 7 instead of Nov. 14.
Terri Hedrick will coordinate a new program designed to inform parents of absences, meetings, cancellations and other pertinent information. The program, known as the Home Communication System, will begin Nov. 1.
The school board approved the Southern Vance High School senior class field trip to Orlando, Fla., providing that funds are available for every qualified senior. The vote was unanimous.
The board then went into executive session.