Davidson County Schools swear in new board of education members

Sharon Myers, The Dispatch
·2 min read
Newly elected Davidson County School Board of Education member Nick Jarvis takes the oath of office during the school board meeting on Monday.
Newly elected Davidson County School Board of Education member Nick Jarvis takes the oath of office during the school board meeting on Monday.

The Davidson County Schools welcomed a new school board member, renewed the oath of office of a returning member and recognized a longtime outgoing board member during its regular meeting on Monday.

Nick Jarvis, who defeated Neal Motsinger during the recent election, was sworn in to the Davidson County Schools Board of Education to start his first term.

Ashley Hicks Carroll, who was reelected, was also sworn in for her second four-year term.

Also, members of the school board and Davidson County Schools staff recognized outgoing board member Neal Motsinger. Motsinger has served three four-year terms on the school board.

Davidson County Schools Superintendent Emily Lipe thanked Motsinger for his years of service.

“I would say some of these years have been extremely challenging for all of us. Neal has certainly done a great job being a dedicated board member during this time,” Lipe said.

Motsinger thanked everyone before exiting the meeting.

“You are the ones that make Davidson County Schools, in my opinion, one of the best school systems in North Carolina,” he said.

Returning Davidson County Board of Education member Ashely Carroll is sworn in for her second term during a school board meeting on Monday.
Returning Davidson County Board of Education member Ashely Carroll is sworn in for her second term during a school board meeting on Monday.

Also, the school board announced the appointment of several principals and vice principals.

Matt Coloton, current principal at Central Davidson High School, was named the principal of Ledford High School beginning Jan. 3.

Pam Hedrick was named interim assistant principal at Southwest Elementary School and Angie Kieger as the interim principal at Friedburg Elementary School on a part-time basis from Jan. 3 until Feb. 6.

The school board also approved a $1,250 bonus for all full-time staff and $625 for all part-time staff who remained employed for the second semester of the school. The bonuses will be paid at the end of the school year in June.

“We know that we can never fully repay our staff for all they do,” Lipe said. “The need is still there and continues. Our teachers and staff are continuing to cover classes and help out in many ways. I think this is one way to show our appreciation for that.”

During the meeting, Lipe announced the winners of the 2022 Davidson County Schools Superintendent Holiday Card Contest: Kaitlin Dunlap, a fourth-grader from Silver Valley Elementary School; Morgan Wood, a seventh-grader from North Davidson Middle School; and Natalie Sanchez, an 11th-grader from Oak Grove High School.

Also during the meeting, the Davidson County Schools Board of Education held a public meeting to receive input on the 2022-2023 school calendar. No one spoke in opposition to the proposed calendar.

This article originally appeared on The Dispatch: Davidson County Schools swear in new board of education members