Haywood County school board approves budget, calendar, programs and contracts

The Haywood County Board of Education voted to approve the full budget presented earlier in a public hearing and carried several additional administrative measures at its May meeting.

The board’s action on the budget followed a staff reminder that the full budget had been presented during the open public hearing; a motion to adopt the budget “as presented” was seconded and carried unanimously, the chair said. The board then moved through routine business, approving the previously adopted 2026–27 school calendar and other items tied to the district’s operational plan.

Board members approved a summer "accelerator" career-development program that staff said will allow students to earn certificates and participate in construction- and transportation-related projects. According to presenters, the State of North Carolina will fully fund student participation levels for the program. The board voted to move the program forward.

The board also authorized travel for members planning to attend a leadership conference and adopted a resolution put forward by the North Association Board of Directors urging local legislators on an unspecified matter. Chair remarks indicated the calendar and the resolution were discussed in the context of ongoing state-level action.

Separately, the board approved funding related to on-site cleanup and restoration work at a high school after a fire; meeting discussion cited containment and smoke remediation and referenced a figure of $20,544 for cleanup work. Members then approved a $20,000 change order related to construction and authorized a contract with Young Office not to exceed $230,000.

All recorded motions discussed in the meeting transcript were described in the meeting as carried (including an explicitly noted unanimous vote on the budget). The transcript did not provide mover/second names or roll-call vote tallies for most items; where the record shows only that a motion carried, this article reports that outcome as stated in the meeting record.

Next steps noted in the meeting included implementing the approved calendar, moving forward with program planning for the summer accelerator, and proceeding with the authorized contracts and construction change orders.