BY DEBBIE PAGE
Greg Whitfield and Rakeem Brawley were sworn in for another term on the Mooresville Graded School District School Board of Education on Wednesday night by Superior Court Judge Troy J. Stafford.
Whitfield was re-elected as the board chairman, with Brawley chosen as vice chairman.
BUS DANGERS
Chief Operations Officer Michael Royal reported that stop-arm violations remain alarmingly high. This school year, there have been 268 violations so far, up sharply from 150 during the same period last year.
Royal pleaded with drivers to slow down and obey school bus stop-arms before a tragedy occurs. The Mooresville Police Department is assisting with heightened availability at those times and areas.
Board member Monica Bender also said drivers are failing to follow the directions and signals of the high school’s crossing guard on Magnolia Street as well.
Royal noted that buses have both internal and external cameras and that bus drivers are doing a good job of capturing violators and their vehicles.
Superintendent Jason Gardner noted that the district can bring civil cases against offenders under a 2017 law passed by the General Assembly. However, MGSD needs county commissioners to pass an ordinance to allow the county’s school systems to bring civil cases.
Gardner and Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Jeff James both presented a request to commissioners for the civil penalties ordinance last year, which commissioners expressed interest in passing but have not yet acted.
Bender said it seems to be getting to point where somebody has to die to get something done. She assured violators that the board is looking for ways to deliver consequences to violators to curb these serious safety issues for MGSD students.
Whitfield, a lawyer, noted that civil cases require a lower burden of proof than criminal cases, which require identifying the driver beyond a reasonable doubt. The ordinance could also be structured to ramp up civil fines for repeat offenders.
Board member Debbie Marsh suggested posting images of offenders on social media.
“Shame on our community if we wait until we have a tragedy” to act, she said.
NEW CELL PHONE POLICY STARTS JANUARY 1
Chief of Communications Tanae McLean presented the second reading of the district’s revised cell phone policy, which passed unanimously, in response to House Bill 959, otherwise known as the “cell phone bill,” which was signed into law this past summer.
The new policy will take effect on January 1 after a December marketing effort by the district to notify students and parents of the changes.
The district chose to have a complete ban on electronic device use from the start to the end of the school day in grades K-8. In grades 9-12, the policy imposes a complete ban on electronic device use during instructional time but allows use between classes and during lunch.
The bill defines wireless communication devices to include devices such as cell phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, paging devices, two-way radios, and gaming devices.
The bill requires that the governing body of every N.C. public school unit establish a wireless communication policy that, at a minimum, prohibits students from using, displaying, or having a wireless communication device turned on during instructional time by January 1, 2026.
However, the bill does allow students to use a wireless communication device (such as a tablet or laptop) during instructional time if authorized by a teacher for educational purposes or in the event of an emergency.
Brawley suggested teachers require students to place phones in some kind of pocket organizer at the beginning of class as a possible solution to avoid phone confiscation or confrontations that could escalate.
Whitfield thinks the new policy is a “wonderful idea” that will lead to increased attention spans and more faces looking at others in the room instead of a device.
EOC/EOG EXAM RETESTS
For the 2025-2026 academic year, students who are not proficient on their EOC/EOG exam will be allowed to take the exam again.
State law requires parent or guardian permission before the student can retest.
The parents/guardians of students who are in EOC courses this fall have been notified of this opportunity, and the district is presently working to gain permission for students to retest if needed.
“It is imperative that parents complete the opt-in form if they want their students to have the opportunity to retest,” said Jonathan Ribbeck, chief of schools.
After retesting, the student will receive the higher of their two scores. In high school, the higher of the two exam scores will count for 20 percent of the student’s total grade.
The higher score will also count towards proficiency and growth calculations for the school and district.
N.C. Department of Public Instruction guidelines require retests must occur during the final 10 days of the semester for EOG exams and final five days for EOC exams.
Retests are allowed for all EOC exams. Science 5, Science 8, Biology, and ELA 3 are all included in the retest opportunity this year.
Because of the additional time for English II scores to be finalized, that retest window is extended until four days after the last score is returned to the LEA.
Superintendent Gardner said the administration is considering adding retest permission forms to the beginning of year forms to get stronger participation.
PROPOSED 2026-2027 CALENDAR
McLean presented the first reading of the proposed 2026-2027 calendar. The calendar committee, comprised of staff members, parents, and administrators from each district school, met three times to develop the draft calendar being presented.
The state requires the ten-month calendar to have 215 total days (including instructional days, annual leave, holidays, and work days). It must have at least 10 annual leave days and nine work days, with two workdays being optional.
McLean said the proposed calendar has 174 instructional days, or 1,054.4 instructional hours., well above the state-required 1,025 instructional hours per year.
Some highlights of the proposed calendar include:
♦ Start date for staff: July 29, 2026
♦ Start date for students: August 5, 2026
♦ 1st semester: 86 days
♦ 2nd semester: 88 days
♦ Fall Break (October 12-16, 2026) and Spring Break (March 8-12, 2027), which align with Mitchell Community College breaks
♦ Friday and Monday off at Easter (March 26-29, 2027)
♦ Last day for students: May 20, 2027
♦ Graduation: May 22, 2027
The only early release is the day before Thanksgiving. The district will operate as a full day before Christmas break because the last day is so early before the holiday.
The board is expected to vote on the 2026-2027 calendar at its January 6 meeting after considering any feedback.
PARENT SURVEY
Parent feedback helps school district and community grow and improve and helps the district evaluate its progress in meeting MGSD Strategic Plan goals. McLean said one of the best ways to get feedback is through parent surveys.
MGSD is partnering with Panorama Education to learn more about parents’ experiences with their children’s school and the MGSD district. The answers to the 10-minute survey are confidential, which means no one at the school or district level will know who completed them.
The district’s goal is to hear from at least 20 percent of students’ families.
Parents should already have an email with a unique survey link from Panorama at the parent/guardian email address(es) on file. If parents have more than one student in MGSD, they will get a separate survey link for each school their children attend.
Parents who did not receive the survey email from Panorama should check their spam folder. Those who did not receive the email should contact the district office. The survey will close on Friday, December 12.
SPARK LAB GRANT
Ribbeck announced the district received a $10,000 grant to start a Spark Lab, a collaborative, high-tech learning space where students can explore interests in fields like technology, engineering, and design.
The labs offer a personalized, project-based approach with flexible learning units, industry connections, and the creation of portfolios for college and career readiness. Some Spark Labs are connected through a larger network, allowing students to interact with peers and professionals across different schools.
OTHER BUSINESS
The board also passed a “Shared Use of Facilities MOU” with the Town of Mooresville. The agreement mostly partners the district with Mooresville Parks and Recreation to allow town use of elementary gyms and multipurpose fields and the MHS stadiums for youth sports programs.
In return, the schools get to use the Charles Mack Center, Edgemoor Park for tennis matches, the town’s golf course for matches, Selma Burke Center spaces, town park shelters, and the mobile recreation unit.
The board also passed budget amendments to allocate additional funds received since the 2025-2026 budget was adopted in July. Additional revenue includes a state allocation of $745,000, Capital Outlay money ($1,292,449) from Iredell County (part of which was left from from last year), $112,498 from local funds, and $2,500 from the Carolina Panthers for flag football.
Marsh noted that the state legislature has still not passed a budget, forcing school systems to operate using a continuing budget resolution based on last year’s revenues and expenditures.
The board also approved the MHS cheer team’s request to attend the High School Cheer National Competition in Orlando, Fla., from February 5-9, 2026.
Approximately 25 students will attend this trip with a cost of $1,500 – $1,800 per student. The cheer team did have to earn a bid to enter this competition, and they will be fundraising to assist with costs.
STUDENT OF THE MONTH
Senior Nariah McKee was selected by the Mooresville High School Administrative Team as the December Student of the Month.
“McKee began her 9th-grade year strong, and throughout her time at MHS, she has continued to grow in remarkable ways. Although she faced challenges and worked through adversity early on, Nariah’s transformation has been inspiring. She now leads with confidence, compassion, and maturity.”
As a student leader, Nariah helps guide campus tours and serves as a positive role model for both her peers and the students who follow behind her. She excels as both a standout player in flag football and as the captain of the varsity girls basketball team. “Her dedication, resilience, and commitment to excellence shine both on and off the court.”
“Nariah consistently upholds the core values of MHS with grace and integrity. She has become a true beacon of positivity on our campus, and we are proud to recognize her as this month’s Student of the Month.”
ARTIST OF THE MONTH
Senior Ava Di Re was nominated by the Fine Arts Team at MHS as the December Artist of the Month.
In the nomination, the staff said “Ava has demonstrated consistent excellence in every fine arts discipline. She is a strong, accomplished member of the band. She is a solid actress and takes leadership roles.”
In the play, “Night Witches” for NCTC, Ava researched the style of Soviet music that fits the time period of the show. She wrote, arranged, and taught the music to other members of the cast to enhance the play. She is also acted as well.
Since she will be chorus in the spring, Di Re asked to audition for the Mars Hill Choral Festival and was one of three MHS students accepted for this honor. That event will be held in February on the Mars Hill campus.
Ava was also instrumental in starting and organizing the Tri-M Music Honor Society for students who want to do more in the arts and build their skills. Ava is vice president and has been amazing at creating spreadsheets, keeping track of who has joined, and helping with the choral section by choosing music, teaching parts, and taking a strong leadership role.
She is actively looking for places to perform and plans to share her love of music not only with the community but also with younger students in the district to help encourage students to continue studying music in high school.
ABCD AWARD
MHS Financial Data Manager Sandy Verley was nominated by Principal Samone Graham for the Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award.
Verley was described as “a key asset to Mooresville High School (MHS). She consistently goes above and beyond for our staff and students every day.”
“Her efforts are crucial, ranging from ensuring all classes are covered to keeping our school finances in order. Ms. Verley also genuinely loves having conversations with staff members, ensuring everyone in the building feels supported and checked in on.”
“MHS is truly blessed to have Ms. Verley as part of our team.”
SPOTLIGHT ON PEOPLE
The MHS Varsity Volleyball Team was recognized as Co-Conference Champions for the 2025 season. The team finished the 2025–2026 season with a 20–7 record and a North Piedmont Conference championship. The team also made it to the fourth round of the 7A state playoffs, the furthest the program has gone in over 20 years.
Several players earned recognition for their achievements, including six all-conference selections, including Offensive Player of the Year Gia Lowe and Defensive Player of the Year Reagan Young, along with three First Team All-Conference picks.
A few MHS athletes led the conference in major stat categories, including Kelsey Fliss, who finished second in the entire state in total blocks. Lowe was selected to the All-Region Team, a national award given by the AVCA. She will also represent Mooresville at the NCVBA All-Star game on December 6.
The MHS JV Volleyball Team was recognized as Co-Conference Champions. This achievement is the culmination of a marked by hard work, dedication, and incredible teamwork. The Blue Devils executed strategic plays, showcased dominant defense, and displayed relentless competitive spirit throughout their challenging conference schedule.