Pittsboro, NC – Chatham County’s Board of Education used its June 1 regular session to close out the school year with a mix of recognitions, student-support agreements, workforce-development planning and budget action, while also marking the final board meeting for retiring Superintendent Dr. Anthony D. Jackson. The board unanimously approved several action items, including a 2026–2028 Career and Technical Education plan, the first Teach Chatham scholarships, a recommendation to name the new Bennett School gymnasium for longtime educator and board leader Gary Leonard, a $150.8 million amended budget, and a surplus-property request near JS Waters School.
A Meeting Framed by Transition
The June 1 meeting came at a transitional moment for Chatham County Schools. It was the final regular board meeting for Jackson, who was scheduled to retire June 30 after leading the district through a period marked by growth, new partnerships and expanded student-support initiatives. The board recognized Jackson for his service, leadership and contributions to students, staff, families and the broader community.
The district also framed the meeting around “Power of Connection, Communication, and Community,” a video highlighting activities across Chatham County Schools during May 2026. The theme matched much of the agenda: partnerships with outside organizations, recognition of student and staff achievement, and efforts to connect students with health services, career training, teacher-preparation pathways and community support systems.
Consent Agenda Highlights Student Services and Community Partnerships
The board unanimously approved the minutes from its May 11 meeting and reviewed a broad consent agenda that included policy updates, memoranda of understanding and program renewals. Among the items was a review of North Carolina School Boards Association Spring 2026 policy updates covering 15 policies. The district noted that four policies would be held for further review, while Policy 1710/4020/7230 involved contact-information updates only.
One of the more forward-looking agreements involved Spark NC, a program that provides nontraditional learning opportunities in high-tech fields such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning, software development and computer systems engineering. Under the arrangement reviewed by the board, students may earn one high school elective credit after completing at least eight modules, and the district funds 10 months of the Spark Lab Facilitator position through its state Career and Technical Education allotment.
The board also reviewed continuation of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina partnership at the George Moses Horton Professional Learning Center. The club has operated there since 2021, and the proposed continuation would allow it to serve about 75 students daily while using other school facilities as needed.
Communities In Schools of Chatham County also remained part of the district’s student-support strategy. The board reviewed a 2026–2027 memorandum of agreement totaling $158,000, funded through at-risk student funds subject to availability and budget considerations. The partnership has supported students since the 2014–2015 school year through Student Support Specialists and targeted programs.
Another agreement with Hispanic Liaison would continue youth-development programming intended to help Latinx students build leadership skills, succeed academically, graduate, pursue higher education and engage in the community. The annual cost is $50,000, also funded through at-risk student funds subject to district funding availability.
Health, Foster Care and Transportation Items Move Forward
The board reviewed a proposed 2026–2027 agreement with the Chatham County Public Health Department to continue student health and wellness services. The agreement includes partial funding for two school nurse positions and full funding for the School Health, Physical Education, and Wellness Instructional Program Facilitator position. According to the district, those roles support health and physical education programming, wellness-policy implementation, staff development and coordination with school-health partners.
A separate memorandum of understanding with the Chatham County Department of Social Services outlines procedures to support students in foster care. The agreement addresses how the district and DSS determine whether remaining in a school of origin is in a student’s best interest, as well as how transportation arrangements and costs will be handled through district transportation funds when needed.
Transportation also surfaced in a more routine but practical context: yellow school bus use for school-sponsored, campus-to-campus field trips. The district’s meeting notes show the estimated cost of operating a yellow school bus for field trips at about $3.49 per mile, compared with $1.50 per mile for an activity bus plus the driver’s hourly rate.
Student Athletes, Artists and Musicians Recognized
The meeting included a series of recognitions for students, staff and districtwide achievements. Chatham County Schools recognized high school athletes who earned state honors after the May board agenda had been finalized, including state champions from Jordan-Matthews, Northwood and Seaforth high schools. Honorees included individual champions in long jump, pole vault and the 400-meter dash, along with Northwood’s 3A boys team state champions and Northwood’s 4×400-meter relay state championship team.
The board also recognized Chatham County Schools for receiving the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for the eighth consecutive year. The district said it was one of only three districts in North Carolina to receive the national recognition, which honors music access and education.
In a June 11 district release about the award, Jackson said arts education is part of the district’s broader support for students. “Arts education is a vital part of how we support the whole child in Chatham County Schools,” Jackson said. “By investing in the arts, we nurture creativity, strengthen academic growth, and ensure every student is supported socially and emotionally as well as intellectually.”
The board also recognized Taylor Thompson of Northwood High School for placing second in the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for North Carolina’s 9th District. Thompson’s artwork, Faith, Family and Liberty, was selected under this year’s “America 250” theme and is scheduled to be displayed in U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson’s Washington office for the year.
Advisory Councils Put Staff and Parents in the Conversation
The board recognized the 2025–2026 Educator Advisory Council, made up of classified and certified staff representatives recommended by school principals. The council meets quarterly with the superintendent and senior staff to provide feedback on professional development, budget planning and education policy.
The Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council also received recognition. Parent representatives from across the district attended bi-monthly meetings with senior staff to learn about district initiatives, discuss present and future challenges, and provide feedback on issues including student civility, vaping, support services, school safety, district growth, budgeting and communication.
Those recognitions were more than ceremonial. They showed how the district is trying to gather feedback from employees and families at a time when Chatham County faces both growth pressure and changing student needs. The advisory councils serve as structured channels for concerns that might otherwise appear only during public-comment periods or isolated school-level conversations.
Staff Service and Student Citizenship Honored
The board named Suzannah Pessagno as the month’s Excellence and Opportunity Champion for her work as the district’s McKinney-Vento Liaison and Basic Needs Coordinator. Pessagno was nominated by Carrie Little, executive director of Federal Programs and Title I, and was commended for helping families with school access, basic needs and community resources.
Norma Boone was recognized as the May Power of One Award recipient for more than 40 years of service in education. The district cited her work as a teacher, counselor, principal and district leader in Chatham County Schools.
Kayle Maxfield of Chatham Early College was recognized as the May Champion of Character for Citizenship and Service to the Community. According to the district, Maxfield has completed more than 1,000 volunteer hours and led more than 20 service projects focused on youth advocacy, mental health, environmental awareness and community engagement.
Calendar Planning Begins for 2027–2028
The board received two draft academic calendars for the 2027–2028 school year for traditional schools. The primary differences involved the timing of spring break and the number of teacher workdays. The calendars were developed with input from a districtwide committee representing teachers, staff, administrators and parents, with a community survey planned before a final recommendation returns to the board.
Calendar planning remains constrained by North Carolina law. State statute generally requires that, except for year-round schools, the opening date for students be no earlier than the Monday closest to Aug. 26 and the closing date no later than the Friday closest to June 11, unless a waiver or exception applies.
For families, calendar decisions affect child care, vacations, testing, high school course pacing and alignment with college-credit programs. For educators, the number and placement of teacher workdays can shape professional development, grading time and preparation for the start and end of semesters. The district’s practice of maintaining two years of approved academic calendars is intended to support long-term planning and transparency.
Opportunity Culture Moves Toward Districtwide Implementation
The board received an update on Chatham County Schools’ implementation of the Opportunity Culture model through the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Advanced Teaching Roles grant. Several schools used Multi-Classroom Leader roles during the 2025–2026 school year, while remaining schools completed professional development and continued planning for implementation. The district’s goal is for all Chatham County Schools to implement Opportunity Culture during the 2026–2027 school year.
The district describes Opportunity Culture as a staffing model designed to give students more consistent access to high-quality instruction by extending the reach of strong educators. Its stated principles include reaching more students with excellent teachers and their teams, paying teachers more for extending their reach, funding pay within regular budgets, protecting time for planning and collaboration, and matching authority and accountability to responsibilities.
At the state level, North Carolina’s Advanced Teaching Roles program allows districts to apply for grants to design and implement new organizational and compensation models that extend the reach of highly effective teachers to more students or teams of teachers. The N.C. Department of Public Instruction lists Chatham County Schools among past Advanced Teaching Roles applicants and approved districts.
Mental Health and Technology Supports Remain a Focus
The board also heard an update on student safety, well-being and school-issued technology. The presentation highlighted Daybreak Health teletherapy services, Yondr pouches, Gaggle, GoGuardian, Say Something Anonymous Reporting and ZScaler. The district described the tools as part of a broader effort to promote student safety, reduce distractions and strengthen support systems.
According to district meeting notes, data shared during the presentation reflected positive outcomes, including student participation in Daybreak Health services, reported clinical improvements and a continued decrease in suspensions and students suspended compared with May 2024 and May 2025.
The mental-health update placed Chatham County Schools in the same position as many districts nationwide: attempting to balance digital learning tools, student privacy, distraction management, mental-health services and campus safety. The board’s discussion showed that the district is treating mental health, discipline and technology oversight as connected issues rather than separate administrative categories.
Career and Technical Education Plan Approved
One of the major action items was approval of the 2026–2028 Career and Technical Education local plan. The plan was developed through a required comprehensive local needs assessment and is supported by local, state and federal CTE funds. According to the district, the plan focuses on increasing student exposure to local jobs through work-based learning, increasing industry credentials earned by students, and improving student and parent awareness of CTE course offerings and pathways.
No new funds were requested because existing CTE funding sources will support the programs included in the plan. The board unanimously approved the Local Plan Application for Career and Technical Education for 2026–2028.
Chatham County’s broader education and workforce context makes the CTE vote particularly important. The Chatham Economic Development Corporation describes the district as having an award-winning CTE program and an innovative dual-enrollment program, Central Carolina Works, which allows students to earn college credit through courses that also count toward a high school diploma.
Teach Chatham Scholarships Approved
The board unanimously approved the first Teach Chatham Scholarship Agreement. The scholarships total $20,000 and will be funded through donations and other local funds, with no additional financial implications for the district. The district plans to award scholarships to Peyton Douglas and Landon Johnson, both 12th-grade students at Chatham Central High School.
The scholarships are tied to the district’s partnership with Central Carolina Community College and UNC Chapel Hill to grow the local teacher pipeline. Teach Chatham is designed as a “grow your own” pathway that prepares future educators from Chatham County for service in Chatham County Schools.
That work builds on earlier teacher-pipeline efforts. In 2024, Chatham County Schools was one of 20 North Carolina districts selected for a pilot teacher recruitment grant, with Teach Chatham receiving $50,000 to expand recruitment activities. The district describes Teach Chatham as a partnership among Chatham County Schools, Central Carolina Community College and the UNC School of Education.
The district also signed a 2025 memorandum of understanding with Central Carolina Community College to launch an Elementary Education Residency Licensure Certificate Program. That program is intended to help currently employed, non-licensed elementary educators pursue licensure while remaining in their classroom roles.
Bennett Gym to Honor Gary Leonard
The board unanimously approved Jackson’s recommendation to name the new gymnasium planned as part of the Bennett School project the Gary Leonard Gymnasium. The recommendation honors Leonard’s more than five decades of service to Chatham County Schools as an educator, coach, athletic director, Board of Education member and board chair.
The naming recommendation places Leonard’s legacy in a facility intended to serve future generations of students. For small communities, school gyms often function as more than athletic spaces. They are gathering places for games, assemblies, performances, ceremonies and civic life. The board’s approval ties the Bennett project to a local figure whose service crossed classrooms, athletics and governance.
Board Approves $150.8 Million Budget Amendment
The board unanimously approved Budget Amendment No. 3 for the 2025–2026 fiscal year. The amendment reconciled budgets across major funds and established a total amended budget of $150,843,374.95. The adjustment included the State Public School Fund, Federal Grants Fund, Capital Outlay Fund and Other Local Current Expense Fund while maintaining balanced budgets as required by North Carolina law.
Major changes included additional funding for capital improvement projects, federal program allotments, school safety, Teach Chatham and other district priorities. Budget amendments are a regular part of school-district finance, particularly as state, federal and local allocations shift during a fiscal year and as projects or grants move from planning to implementation.
Surplus Property Near JS Waters School
The board also approved a request to declare Chatham County GIS parcel 0070488 surplus. The 0.72-acre parcel near JS Waters School is no longer needed for school purposes, according to the district.
The board authorized the superintendent to offer the property to the Chatham County Board of Commissioners for the fair market value of $4,374. If the county is not interested in purchasing the land, the superintendent is authorized to proceed with the upset-bid process.
What Comes Next
The next regular session of the Chatham County Board of Education was scheduled for Monday, July 13, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at the Central Services Building, 468 Renaissance Drive in Pittsboro. A personnel session was scheduled for Monday, June 29, at noon.
For parents, staff and taxpayers, the June 1 meeting offered several points to watch in the coming months: how the district implements Opportunity Culture in all schools, what feedback emerges on the 2027–2028 calendars, how the CTE plan expands job exposure and industry credentials, how the Teach Chatham scholarships develop the local teacher pipeline, and how the amended budget supports safety, capital needs and student services.
A Closing Meeting With Long-Term Implications
The June 1 Board of Education session was not defined by a single dramatic vote. Instead, it served as a year-end snapshot of a school district managing transition, growth and complexity. The board celebrated student achievement, honored longtime service, renewed partnerships, approved workforce-focused plans, adjusted a $150.8 million budget and prepared for a superintendent change.
The clear takeaway for families and residents is that many of the board’s decisions will play out over time. The CTE plan, Teach Chatham scholarships, Opportunity Culture implementation, health partnerships, foster-care coordination and calendar planning all point toward the same question: how Chatham County Schools will prepare students, support educators and manage community growth in the years ahead.