Board of Education to conduct drop-in sessions to gain community input

Citizens are encouraged to provide feedback for superintendent search process 

The Gaston County Board of Education will conduct two drop-in sessions on Saturday, July 15, 2023 to engage the public in the superintendent search process.

The morning session from 9:00 - 11:00 is at Tabernacle Baptist Church, 519 W. 19th Avenue, Gastonia.  The session will take place in the chapel.  The afternoon session from 1:00 - 3:00 is at The Pointe Church, 6700 Wilkinson Blvd., Belmont.

Members of the community with an interest in Gaston County Schools are invited to drop by during either session to talk with Board of Education members about what qualities they would like to see in the next superintendent for Gaston County Schools.  The format for each session is informal, and attendees may drop by at any point during the two-hour time frame.

The Board of Education has hired the N.C. School Boards Association (NCSBA) to facilitate a national search for Gaston County Schools’ next superintendent.  The superintendent search process involves advertising the position, reviewing applications, arranging interviews, and selecting a candidate.  It also includes receiving feedback from stakeholders.

In addition to the two drop-in sessions on Saturday, July 15 to gain input from stakeholders, the Board of Education is conducting a Superintendent Search Survey.  Parents, school employees, business/civic leaders, and others in the community are encouraged to complete the survey to give input about what they would like to see in the person who is selected to be the new superintendent.

The survey is available now on the Gaston County Schools website homepage (www.gaston.k12.nc.us).  It includes questions about the characteristics, experience, knowledge, and skills that the person chosen to lead the school system should possess.  It also includes an open-ended response section where survey takers can provide comments for the Board to review.

The deadline to complete the survey is Monday, July 17.  NCSBA will compile, summarize, and present the survey data to the Board of Education in August.

“As the Board of Education conducts the process to select the next superintendent for Gaston County Schools, we are seeking input from our entire community,” said Board of Education chairman Jeffrey K. Ramsey.  “We would like to invite everyone to attend one of our community sessions on Saturday, and we also hope citizens will take about 10 minutes to complete our Superintendent Search Survey.”

Ramsey added, “We want citizens to share their thoughts and ideas with us as we choose a new leader for Gaston County Schools.  Not only do we want people to take the survey, we hope they will share the survey link with family members, neighbors, and friends as feedback from all stakeholders is important to us.”

Stephen C. Laws, Ed.D., is serving as interim superintendent while the superintendent search process takes place and until a permanent superintendent is hired by the Board of Education.