This week has been nothing short of extraordinary for our Roanoke Rapids Graded School District.

From celebrating student growth and fiscal strength at our September 16, 2025, Board of Trustees Meeting, to advancing a statewide call for cardiac safety in every school, to working together with our neighbors on Belmont traffic concerns — we continue to show what it means when we say, “Together We Succeed.”

Celebrating Growth and Excellence at the September 16 Board Meeting

At Tuesday evening’s Board of Trustees meeting, along with Executive Director Lauren Hinnant and Public and Student Information Officer Mandy Clark, I had the honor of sharing superintendent comments and special recognitions that highlighted just how far we have come as a district. The room was filled with pride as we celebrated the amazing growth in student achievement across our schools.

Belmont Elementary School moved up a letter grade to a C, exited low-performing status, and increased proficiency in every grade and every subject area. Belmont Elementary also earned their highest school performance grade since the school performance grade system was established.

Manning Elementary School earned a C, continued to grow, and showed large gains in reading and math for grades 4 and 5.

Chaloner Middle School moved up a letter grade to a C, exited low-performing status, and saw significant improvements in reading and math achievement in grades 7 and 8.

While Roanoke Rapids High School slipped one point to a D, they saw significant increases in Math 1 and Math 3 proficiency and their Cohort Graduation Rate for four year graduates while continuing to support English Learners and other subgroups.

Roanoke Rapids Early College once again earned an A rating, exceeded growth expectations, and kept a 95 percent + pass rate in English II.

RRGSD also showed improvement compared to similar districts across the state. According to the NC School District Typology released in April by the Carolina Population Center at UNC Chapel Hill, Roanoke Rapids is grouped with Asheboro City, Hickory City, Kannapolis City, Lexington City, Newton-Conover City, and Thomasville City Schools. Among these seven, RRGSD moved up from #3 to #2 in overall proficiency, trailing only Newton-Conover City Schools.

In the Roanoke Valley and surrounding region, RRGSD holds the #2 spot in overall proficiency, behind only Pitt County Schools. This ranking highlights the district’s steady academic progress and positions RRGSD as one of the top-performing districts in the area.

These gains reflect the hard work of our teachers, administrators, and support staff — and the resilience of our students and families.

The full agenda included updates on curriculum, facilities and safety, policy, and finance and personnel. 

Each report reaffirmed that we are a district moving forward with confidence, strategy, and unity. Our Board of Trustees voted to allow Chaloner Middle School students and staff to opt in to participating in a research study on cell phones’ effect on middle school students’ health. 

The Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development at UNC Chapel Hill, in collaboration with Jeni Corn at the NC Collaboratory, reached out to me to ask for Chaloner Middle School to represent the Northeast Region of North Carolina in this research study, which is in partnership with NCDPI Digital Teaching and Learning Division and the NC Collaboratory funded by the NC General Assembly. We are proud to have our middle school students and staff represent the entire Northeast region as a part of this study.

While students’ instructional growth and contributing to the field of academic knowledge would always be highlighted, we also celebrated an equally important accomplishment: another CLEAN financial audit.

This achievement is about more than balanced financial books. It is a reflection of the trust our community places in us to manage resources wisely. Just as strong leadership in classrooms is driving student learning, strong leadership in operations and finance is keeping our school district on solid ground. Taken together, these accomplishments send a clear message: RRGSD is a district that pairs academic growth with operational excellence.

Belmont Elementary Traffic Queue: Listening, Learning, and Leading Together

Another important discussion at this week’s Board of Trustees meeting centered on the Belmont Elementary traffic queue. 

During public comment, a Robinson Drive neighbor asked us to consider changes to the current arrival and dismissal plan, which includes parents entering the queue from Robinson Drive. 

I shared the history of how and why we arrived at our new plan and our work with the North Carolina Department of Transportation who designed and funded the modifications, including the fact that we recently learned the promised flyer to Robinson Drive residents was never distributed.

Understandably, this left our neighbors without the opportunity to provide feedback before the changes began. Several Robinson Drive residents attended the meeting, and I emphasized that we are committed to listening, learning, and problem-solving together.

To that end, I am convening a new Advisory Group that will include representatives from Robinson Drive, Belmont parents and staff, the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, NCDOT, RRGSD Board Members, and district leadership. This larger, more inclusive team will study traffic flow data, review safety concerns, and consider possible adjustments — including community-driven suggestions like the proposal to re-route traffic back through Bolling Road.

We know our current plan works when followed correctly, but we also recognize the unintended consequences it has created. 

Those unintended consequences are exacerbated if our families do not follow the traffic laws and the traffic management plan for Belmont. 

By bringing all stakeholders together, we are confident that we can refine this plan to serve students, families, and neighbors safely and effectively and demonstrate being a good neighbor for our students and community.

Partnering with the American Heart Association

This week, I also had the opportunity to speak out in a statewide op-ed in support of making every North Carolina school “heart safe.” 

In an article titled “Back to School Safety Alert: Make Every North Carolina School Heart Safe,” I shared our district’s journey since the tragic cardiac event in February 2022 that claimed the life of one of our students.

Out of that heartbreak, we made a promise—to put cardiac emergency preparedness at the center of our safety planning. Over the past three years, RRGSD has developed Cardiac Emergency Response Plans, purchased additional AEDs, expanded CPR training for all RRGSD staff every year, and practiced drills so that staff and students know exactly how to respond when seconds matter.

These measures have positioned RRGSD as a leader in cardiac readiness, and we are proud to be working alongside the American Heart Association to support the Smart Heart Act. This legislation would ensure that every school in our state has the same tools, training, and plans that we now consider essential.

As I emphasized in the article, school safety is about more than locked doors and fire drills. It is also about ensuring that every child has the best chance to survive a cardiac emergency. By preparing today, we can save lives tomorrow.

Looking Ahead

From academic growth to clean audits, from statewide advocacy to neighborhood collaboration, this week has shown once again that RRGSD is a district defined by action and results. I am proud of our progress, but even more, I am grateful for the people who make it possible—our teachers, staff, students, parents, and community partners.

As I write this column, I’m preparing to head out to celebrate our alumni baseball and softball teams and watch our fighting Yellow Jackets take on Hertford County in our Homecoming game. I look forward to highlighting our RRHS Homecoming festivities in next week’s column!

Together, we are not just celebrating success; we are building a future where every child learns, grows, and thrives in a safe, supportive environment.

Together We Succeed.