TCC and TSCS Facility Exploration
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education held a public hearing about the future of The Special Children’s School during their meeting on Tuesday night.
WS/FCS leases the buildings for these schools from the Center for Exceptional Children, and the district is facing an upcoming deadline to decide whether to end or renegotiate those leases.
The district has sought feedback from staff members, families, and community partners at these schools to decide whether to relocate the programs and services. TCC and TSCS are the only current locations in WS/FCS that implement the Developmental Day program.
During a recent Buildings & Grounds Committee meeting, the board members recommended relocating TSCS to Middle Fork as a Pre-K Center in 2027-28 under a new name while keeping TCC at its current facility under a new lease to continue supporting medically fragile school-aged children.
Stakeholder surveys held after the recommendation was made found overwhelming support for keeping TCC its current facility, but a strongly negative reaction to relocating TSCS.
The board was originally set to vote on a plan during the meeting on Tuesday night, but chose to postpone that vote pending further feedback. That vote will now take place at the meeting on Tuesday, June 9.
2026-28 Strategic Plan
The board also approved the overarching strategies for the strategic plan that will guide the development of district policy for the next two school years.
Development of a new strategic plan began in autumn of 2024 but was paused in spring of 2025 while the board focused on budgetary matters. Work resumed earlier this year as district staff engaged stakeholders for more feedback.
The new plan prioritizes providing rigorous, comprehensive educational opportunities for students, a supportive and fulfilling work environment for employees, and a stronger sense of communication and connectedness for families. The full plan can be viewed here.
The plan is still in the discussion phase. If approved, it will be implemented in August.
Board Meeting Schedule
The board also voted to approve changes to Policy 9000 regarding its meeting schedule. In the future, the Buildings & Grounds, Policy, Finance, and Curriculum committees will all meet during a work session held on the second Tuesday of each month at 4 pm. The full board will meet only on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm. Both meetings will include a public comment period.
The board currently has two committee meetings and a regular full meeting twice a month. One full meeting per month is the standard for most North Carolina public school districts. A majority of the board members felt that this change would help the board make more efficient use of their meeting time and would be less demanding of employees who work and make presentations at the meetings.
The new schedule will take effect in August.
Finance Committee and Audit RFP
During the Finance Committee meeting, the board members discussed issuing a request for proposals (RFP) for auditing services for the district’s next comprehensive financial audit. WS/FCS undergoes audits of this nature annually, but opening an RFP for this year’s audit was suggested by the district’s Audit Advisory Committee. The board later voted to issue RFP during the board’s full meeting.
The Finance Committee also approved a contract to install a greenhouse at Walkertown High School. The latest budget-to-actuals report can be found here.
Curriculum Committee
During the Curriculum Committee meeting, the board members advanced plans for intermediary textbook adoptions, funding for the iReady Bridge Partnership for elementary math curriculum support, and contracts for EC itinerant services. They did not advance a contract with Safe and Civil Schools that involved addressing racial disparities in suspension among students with disabilities.
The Board of Education will meet again on Tuesday, June 9.
Full Meeting:
Committees: