Lexington School Leaders and NAACP urge community to attend Tuesday’s Commissioner Meeting
Lexington City Schools Board Chair Brent Wall, Superintendent Dr. Nakia Hardy, and Alan Suber, president of the local NAACP are calling on the community to attend Tuesday night’s Davidson County Board of Commissioners meeting in support of support for Lexington City Schools.
As the county moves through the proposed budgets. LCS and advocates have requests that they want to make the public aware of.
“I think it’s important to go as a collective community,” Wall said. “Several things need to be addressed, and I think this will be a good start.”
Wall noted that county will address the district’s need for an additional $500,000 to complete work related to unforeseen HVAC issues—part of a larger facilities project that already delayed LMS’s opening last school year. School leaders will listen as the county presents those issues to the County in hopes of finding a path forward together.
Wall expressed disappointment in the pace and process of the renovations. He noted that the district did not oversee the selection of the project’s engineer and hopes for improved collaboration going forward.
“The County told us who we were gonna use,” Wall said. “We didn’t have options when we were getting bids.”
While temporary AC units are currently in place to ensure classrooms remain functional, the full HVAC upgrade is not expected to be complete by the start of the school year.
Wall also addressed expected criticism over past funding decisions, such as the district’s decision to install a turf football field at Lexington Senior High School.
“If you don’t know, you don’t know,” he said. “There are categories of funds that can only be used for certain things. I think the kids deserve it. Whether it was turf or grass, we had to do it.”
County officials will deliver a presentation outlining the process for unforeseen ongoing renovation delays at Lexington Middle School.
Dr. Nakia Hardy will not present on the renovations to speak on the proposed supplemental funding for teachers in the 2025-26 Budget. She said, “We’re requesting the flexibility to use it for teachers as well as classified employees making under $40,000.”
Suber of the NAACP emphasized the need for community support—especially for school staff often overlooked in funding decisions. He pointed to County-imposed restrictions on a $198,000 to all three schools systems. The funding can only be used for teachers. Lexington City Schools limits how the district can spend those funds.
“The County gave Lexington City Schools $198,000, but now they’re trying to dictate how it’s used,” Suber said. “We need to make sure those restrictions aren’t hurting the very people who keep our schools running.”
Suber also spoke to the “deeper issue” of economic fairness in the school system's pay. Classified employees include bus drivers, cafeteria workers, maintenance and custodial staff and clerical staff.
“Many of our supplemental and classified staff aren’t making a living wage,” he said. “They’re working full-time jobs, but still struggling to get by. We’ve got to do better than that.”
The County’s proposed 2025–2026 budget includes a 4.2% increase in education funding compared to FY 2025, with per-pupil spending rising from $1,400.17 to $1,451.97. Capital funding remains at $4.8 million for all three public school systems in Davidson County.
Lexington City Schools’ supplement is slightly higher, however, that local Davidson County contribution remains well below the state average. According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, total per-pupil spending statewide—including state, federal, and local dollars—averages around $11,596. An article in Ed NC noted that Davidson County’s local share is among the lower tiers in the state, prompting concerns from educators and advocates about how funding gaps affect everything from building maintenance to staff retention.
In the past, County Commissioners expressed concern for transparency from the state when it comes to per-pupil funding and how education dollars are tracked. School leaders hope that spirit of shared accountability and shared concern will carry into Tuesday night’s discussion.
The public meeting will be held on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Davidson County Governmental Center in Lexington. School officials and community advocates are urging residents to attend and stand in support of expanding the use of funding, better wages for classified employees and dialogue on how education dollars are spent.
