Preliminary survey results show that there is some interest in expanding the year-round calendar option to other schools in Moore County.

During the Moore County Board of Education’s regular meeting Monday, Vice Chairwoman Enola Lineberger reported that the system saw “a good response” in participation for its survey seeking to gauge interest in expanding the year-round program to other areas in the county.

“It did show that there is interest in other parts of our Moore County schools community in looking at year-round,” she said. “It’s a baby step, but it indicates we are heading in the right direction, and we’ll hear more from it in the future.”

Lineberger’s report was an update on the board’s annual objective of determining how the system should handle future implementation of the year-round option.

The school system administered the survey Feb. 2, via a Connect Ed phone call. The survey asked one question:

“Would you be interested in your child attending a year-round program if one were offered at an elementary school in your area at some time in the future?” and asked participants to list which elementary school their child attends.

Parents also had the option of completing the survey online or by sending in written responses on forms via individual schools.

The results will be presented at next week’s year-round task force meeting before the system makes them public.

Lineberger stressed that the board is only monitoring the progress of the survey and the task force's informational campaign conducted last month, not implementing it, to determine how the system should move forward.

The survey results will not have any effect on programs for the 2012-2013 year.

The board also approved changes to the system’s student transfer policy to reflect changes adopted last month for transfers into the Pinehurst year-round program for students living in the Pinehurst Elementary School and West Pine Elementary School attendance areas.

During his first report as superintendent, Aaron Spence offered his gratitude to the board and the school system team for the warm welcome and support he and his family have received as newcomers to the area. He described the various things he did during a busy first week on the job and offered his first impressions of the area.

“What I’ve seen in my initial impressions is really indicative of the culture of the place, that this is a place that cares about young people,” he said. “That, of course, was part of the attraction for me to come here and be a part of this organization.”

Spence also reported that the system expects to hire some additional teachers in coming weeks to address overcrowding in some schools and avoid seeking a class-size waiver from the state. He added that the hires will be done within the existing budget.

The board approved a resolution to amend the 2011-2012 budget to reflect additional allocations the system received from the state and federal government this quarter.

Mike Griffin, the system’s chief finance officer, reported that the system received an increase of $230,720 from the state for funding transportation costs and for exceptional children (EC) programs.

Griffin told the board that the system typically sees these funds allocated during this quarter.

The system received $236,915 from the federal government as a second allocation to fund the 21st Century Learning program, an after-school program at Aberdeen Elementary School, as well as additional funding for Title II professional development.

Griffin also reported to the board that the school system is on track to spend its allocations for the current fiscal year.

The budget process for the 2012-2013 school year will begin with budget recommendations from Spence at the board’s next regular meeting, which is scheduled for March 12.

In other business, the board heard a presentation from assistant superintendent Brian Phillips on the Sandhills Leadership Academy. The program, which trains candidates in the school system to become administrators, is a part of the $6 million Race to the Top federal grant awarded to the system as a part of the Sandhills Regional Education Consortium.

Jenny Purvis, a former sixth-grade teacher at Highfalls Elementary School, and Dante Poole, a former guidance counselor at Vass-Lakeview Elementary School, are the system’s first participants among 20 in the region to go through the program.

The two have served as full-time interns this year, Purvis at Union Pines High School and Poole at Robbins Elementary School, working alongside principals Robin Lea and Heather Seawell.

They are currently spending the month working in the Lee County school system to gain administrative experience in different educational environments. The two expect to take on positions as principals in the system next year after completing the program.

Contact Hannah Sharpe at hannah@thepilot.com.