BY KARISSA MILLER
The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education on Monday unanimously approved a resolution supporting the creation of an early college program on the campus of the Career Academy and Technical School (CATS) that will focus on career and technical education.
The resolution requests Mitchell Community College’s Board of Trustees collaborate with the I-SS superintendent and administration to establish the early college program.
Mitchell Community College already provides significant support for the programs at CATS. The I-SS Board said adding an early college program would benefit the community by allowing students to earn a high school diploma and an associate degree or other career certification.
Board member Martin Page said that most of the students that are enrolled in the early college program are just taking the courses required for their first two years of college.
Unlike the district’s existing early college programs, Page said the CATS program would allow students to get a jump start on their career.
Vice Chair Charles Kelly said that the idea has been talked about for years.
“I’m just wondering if we could have laid a little more groundwork with all people concerned before we take a sheet of paper and lay it front of the president of Mitchell,” Kelly said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other matters:
♦ The board held a first reading of Policy #2310 Public Participation in board meetings. The only update to the policy is the addition in Section B.
It states, “No person may use the public comment portion of a board meeting to actively campaign for or endorse a specific candidate running for public office.”
Active campaigning includes but is not limited to stating that a person is a candidate for public office, asking for support for a candidate running for public office, and/or stating what a candidate will do if elected to public office.
♦ There was also a first reading of Policy #4316 Student Dress Code. It prohibits clothing that “is a costume or part of a costume, including but not limited to tails, gloves, ears and collars.”
Regular school-sponsored events where costumes are appropriate, such as a drama or theater production or spirit week, are an exception to this prohibition. All clothing worn, however, must follow a school’s dress code.
The policy revision will be available soon for the public to view on the Iredell-Statesville Schools website at https://www.issnc.org.