BY DEBBIE PAGE
The Mooresville Graded School District Board of Education on Tuesday night approved teacher supplements, a variety of budget amendments, and the board’s meeting calendar for next year.
TEACHER SUPPLEMENTS APPROVED
Through the Appropriations Act of 2021, the N.C. General Assembly created recurring funding for public school districts and charter schools to provide salary supplements to teachers and instructional support personnel.
MGSD was allotted $558,313 for a maximum per teacher supplement of $1,096 for qualifying teachers and instructional support personnel. The board voted 4-0 to make the payment in June to those individuals who are actively employed through the end of the school year.
BUDGET AMENDMENTS
The board also approved several budget amendments to the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget presented by Chief Finance Officer Angie Davis. The amendments allocated new state funds awarded to the district, including a $256,368 increase in instructional services funds, a $100 systemwide support services increase, and a $26,000 increase in community services programs.
In the local current expense budget, $2,114 was moved from instructional services to systemwide support services.
From federal grant funds, MGSD received $38,869 for instructional services and $944 for non-program charges.
FIELD TRIPS
Mooresville High School received the board’s permission to travel to Costa Rica during the 2028 spring break, estimated to be between March 2-11, 2028. This trip will involve approximately 30 students at cost of $3989 per student.
Kelsey Agar and Tracy Wade are organizing this EF Tours opportunity and will attend as chaperones. The proposed itinerary includes stops in Costa Rica, San Jose, Tortuguero, Sarapiqui, the Arenal region, and Guanacaste.
Additional chaperones will maintain a one to eight teacher/student ratio. Students will be offered several fundraising opportunities over the next two years to allow student participation regardless of income level.
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
The Mooresville Intermediate School Student Council, including fifth-graders Aubree Weathers, Charlie Smith, Ella Carpenter, Emmitt Tomczak, Brielle Shirk, Gianni Rivera, Charlotte Kincaid, Mia Maczka, Zoey Wright, Bentley Beltz, Ian Diaz Carmona, Jase Lane, Charlotte Bacher, Koi Suggs, Aiden Pruitt, Karla Galarza, Jaxon Barrier, Kinley Rucker, Ta’Maure Bennett, Dikarrie Dukes-Bethea, Joseph Babiarz, Henry Mickelson, Liz Hernandez Fernandez, Emma McKeown, Jacob Freeman, William Stowers, Kaylyn Desimone, Ethan Halpain, Jaxon Bearden, Myrone Rickett, Allison Moore, Alyssa Walls, Felicity Beck, Zoe Negron, Jacob Keller, Eli Hall, and Shiloh Finkbiner, were nominated by the MIS administration team to be the April Students of the Month.
The students led the Pledge of Allegiance to begin the meeting.
This group of students was chosen by their teachers to represent their peers in fifth grade because of their determination, empathy and willingness to lead by example. Their mission has been to help the school define and demonstrate respect in action.
They developed schoolwide resources to help guide their peers through struggles they may experience and taught lessons throughout the school about what respect looks and sounds like. They also gave back to the community by volunteering at FeedNC.
The MIS fifth-grade student council representations are making a difference in their school.
ARTIST OF THE MONTH
MIS student Ashanti Duff was nominated by Leah Crawford, Art Teacher/Karaoke Club Teacher, as the Artist of the Month.
Crawford praised Ashanti’s artistic talents:
“She is truly a well-rounded, fun, and respectful student. I’m lucky to have Ashanti in art class and in the Karaoke Club. She has an amazing way of showing her love of the arts through her voice and song choices. Whenever Ashanti performs for the class in the Karaoke Club, I always notice students passing in the hallway smiling and listening to her sing.”
“She has a humble confidence that radiates everywhere she goes. She is very deserving of this award.”
Ashanti demonstrated her talents at the board meeting by performing “I Believe I Can Fly.”
ABCD AWARD
Odilia Husko, instructional assistant at Mooresville Intermediate School, was nominated by Principal Mark Cottone and Assistant Principal Katie Calloway for the “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty” Award.
In their nomination, the administrators said, “Ms. Husko consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty and is truly deserving of this recognition. Two teachers she works closely with, Ms. Pao and Ms. Silvestri, agree that she brings an ‘all in’ attitude each and every day, demonstrating a genuine commitment to both students and staff. Ms. Husko is always willing to step in wherever she is needed, offering support to teachers and providing meaningful assistance to students to help them succeed. Her flexibility and positive mindset allow her to seamlessly jump into any classroom at a moment’s notice, making a difference wherever she goes.
“She approaches each day with a servant’s heart, often asking, “How can I help?”—and then following through with care, professionalism, and enthusiasm. Ms. Husko is one of those people you only come across a few times in life. Her willingness to help, her empathy for others, and her great patience in fulfilling the duties each day brings are what make her so deserving of this recognition.”
SPOTLIGHT ON PEOPLE
MHS Wrestlers
Mooresville High School wrestlers Jace Barrier, Austin Green, and Drew Teeter, earned individual state wrestling championships this season.
Barrier, a senior wrestling in the 126-pound category, has established himself as one of the most accomplished athletes in the program. The two-time state champion and four-time state placer has demonstrated consistent excellence at the highest level of competition throughout his high school career.
Coaches say his success is a result of “his disciplined work ethic, technical skill, and competitive toughness. As a senior leader, he sets the standard in the room and competes with a level of focus and determination that elevates those around him.”
Green, a senior wrestling at 144 pounds, is one of the most resilient and accomplished competitors in the program. A two-time state champion and three-time state placer, Austin’s career has been defined not only by his success but by his perseverance.
“He captured his first state title while competing with a torn ACL and returned from reconstructive surgery to continue performing at an elite level heading into his senior season. Committed to wrestle at Davidson College, Austin exemplifies leadership both on and off the mat. His toughness, discipline, and character make him a cornerstone of the team and a role model for his peers.”
Teeter, a sophomore wrestling at 175-pounds, emerged as one of the program’s rising stars. A two-time state placer, Drew demonstrated remarkable toughness by placing as a freshman while competing with a broken rib.
After capturing a state championship in his division this season, Drew has proven his ability to compete and win at the highest level. Coaches said Drew continues to mature, but “his competitive edge and willingness to step up when the team needed him most speak volumes about his character. With continued focus and commitment to his training, the sky is the limit for his future in the sport.”
MHS Varsity Men’s Basketball
The MHS men’s basketball team won the West Regional championship this season, finishing with a record of 27–3. They claimed the regular season conference title and followed it with winning the conference tournament, showing consistency from start to finish.
The team’s momentum carried into the postseason, where the young men earned both the 7A West Sectional Championship and the 7A West Regional Championship.
Coaches said that “this team stood out for its toughness, unselfish play, and ability to rise to the moment. Night after night, they competed at a high level and found ways to win, putting together one of the most memorable seasons in program history.”
SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS
MIS Principal Mark Cottone, Assistant Principals Katie Calloway and Jordan Black, and Intervention Specialist Jamie Abercrombie presented the school’s “Strengthening Reading Through Relationships” program that has increased students’ confidence and enthusiasm about reading.
Abercrombie said now if someone asks MIS students about school, they will talk about their friendships and what they are reading.
The program fulfills the school’s improvement plan goal to create and enact a volunteer program designed to link local organizations, small businesses, and agencies with individual classrooms to celebrate student reading.
Obstacles to students’ motivation to read include widening gaps in skills and knowledge decreasing reading volume, lowering motivation and engagement, increasing text complexity, and testing pressure, struggling with comprehension and stamina, and decreasing confidence and a negative reading identity.
To disrupt this downward cycle, the staff decided to build students’ intrinsic motivation to read independently through access to a variety of reading materials and opportunities to discuss texts, to give them relevant high-interest, authentic reading experiences that build relationships at the classroom and the school level, and to give students choice by providing opportunities to self-select texts and activities.
Abercrombie noted that many students at this age have not connected the relevance of reading to their future career and personal success.
Cottone credited the program with cultivating relationships with 29 community businesses to establish classroom level reading partnerships to encourage students in their reading.
These partners helped students connect the relevance of strong reading skills to their future careers. They also want the students to see that the community cares not only about their reading but also the kids themselves.
Yeager Snowmen and Crafts owners Christi and Michael Yeager work with students in Mrs. Mangouri’s fourt- grade class. Students say the Yeagers did a lot for them, including giving them prizes and doing craft projects (door hangers, ornaments) as the couple encouraged them to be stronger readers.
The Yeagers, in business for ten years, told the board that this project was the “best thing we’ve ever done.” Michael is currently thinking of ways to keep students engaged in reading this summer. He also wants to get young people in his woodworking shop to express their amortistic natures.
The Yeagers, whose creations will be sold at the new Josh’s Farmers Market location opening in June, also gifted the board members and district staff with an assortment of custom wood door hangers.
Calloway said that at the school level, the staff chose one book for the entire school to read for a common literacy experience, proting the book with “hype” activities, a pep rally, celebrations, and rewarding classes with most points with playing a basketball game with staff, complete with music and cheerleaders.
Black said the staff also planned quarterly events and challenges to encourage reading when goals were met. The students were also challenged to 500 books over winter break but excelled by reading 776, earning a hot cocoa reward.
Students also partnered with an elementary school for Read Aloud Day and Read Across America activities. Kids also earned ice cream rewards and discounts to buy books at Fred and Junes’s and food at Bae’s Burgers.
The statistics show that the reading program is having a positive impact. In 2023–2024, students checked out 11,709 books. In 2024-2025, that number increased to 13,021 books. This year students have checked out a record of nearly 19,000 so far.
Abercrombie said students’ perceptions of reading have also improved, with students believing that their teacher caring about their reading increasing by nearly 2 percent. Just over 93 percent of students also said that another adult cares about my reading, up just over 3 percent.
A nearly 33 percent increase (from 45 to 78 percent) occurred in students’ belief that their community cares about their reading skills.
She also noted that in reading achievement, third-graders were up 2 percent in reading accuracy and 8 percent in projected proficiency over last year.
Abercrombie said, “With all the experiences and events that we talked about this evening, our goal was to connect our classrooms and our community and celebrate reading.”
“In these local partnerships and shared experiences, our students were at the center of every single moment.”
“This is what happens when community comes together and gets behind kids and their reading.”