Rowan-Salisbury School System
Josh Wagner chairs the seven-member Board of Education while Dr. Tony Watlington serves as the sixth superintendent of the combined system.
The system has won several awards, including two statewide Teachers of the Year and two Blue Ribbon schools.
The history of public education in Rowan County began shortly after the state passed its first common school law in 1839.
Several citizens interested in education met and formed the Board of Superintendents of Common Schools of Rowan County on May 8, 1847.
That year, they worked to hire teachers, choose/elect superintendents and divide the county into 47 school districts.
The separate Black schools were phased out, but many opposed to racial integration still put up a fight.
Notable incidents included 12 people arrested in 1967, including Rowan County's Registrar of Deeds, for threats, shootings, and bombings;[6][7] as well as student protests over the playing of the song "Dixie" at school football games at integrated South Rowan High School.
However, the separate city and county school boards approved a merger plan on October 16, 1987.
[15] Adding to the stresses of the merger process, a red measles outbreak in 1989 limited school activities and athletics in Rowan and Cabarrus counties for several weeks.
In response to public complaint, led by Flip Benham of Operation Save America[19] from neighboring Cabarrus county, the Board of Education adopted a policy banning "sex-based student clubs" at all schools in the system.
Disagreements between the county commission and the school board delayed finalizing plans and construction.
The demographic group makeup was: White, 65%; Black, 19%; Hispanic, 12%; Asian/Pacific Islander, 1%; and American Indian, 0% (two or more races, 2%).
[25] In 2012, nearly 70% of Rowan-Salisbury School System elementary students receive free or reduced lunches, according to Amy Goodnight, executive director of Food for Thought.
[28] In response to HB2,[clarification needed] the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education ruled on May 10, 2016 that students can carry pepper spray and mace.
Don Martin was chosen from outside the county to lead the newly merged school district.
[30][31] Joe McCann, who had previously worked for the county school system before the merger was chosen as the next superintendent, serving from 1995 until 2000.
[33] Dr. Judy Grissom was chosen to replace Wiley Doby as superintendent when his contract expired on April 1, 2006.
[36] As Rowan-Salisbury's Superintendent, Moody leads the district of approximately 20,000 students and 3,000 employees in 35 schools and five central office locations.
Classrooms are transforming to increase rigor and engagement through CCRP: Connected-Learning, Collaboration, Relevancy, and Personalization.
Withers., replacing Dr. Lynn Moody Public school districts in North Carolina do not have their own taxation authority; they are fiscally dependent on the State and their respective county Board of Commissioners.
The county Boards of Commissioners vote on funding levels proposed by the school system.
[40] The system's high schools often hold their graduation ceremonies at Catawba College's Keppel Auditorium.
It oversees the largest WILD Environmental Education Site in North Carolina with a 600-acre research area.
[55] Under the direction of former superintendent Dr. Judy Grissom and Executive Director of Technology, Phil Hardin, the system was ranked sixth nationally in 2013 in the Large Student Population District category of the Center for Digital Education's Digital School Districts Survey.
[57] In 2012, the 1:1 mobile device program that was instituted at North Rowan High School by Superintendent, Dr. Judy Grissom, and Executive Director of Technology, Phil Hardin was recognized with the North Carolina School Board Association's overall grand prize in the Award of Excellence In Educational Programs.
[63] Also, Theresa Pierce, from Horizons Unlimited, was named the North Carolina Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Teacher of the Year in 2009.
