The Cumberland County Board of Education held a work session on February 19, 2026, beginning with the standard opening procedures (call to order, moment of silence, Pledge of Allegiance), followed by community comments and a brief closed session with legal counsel.

The board reviewed several policy updates on first reading. A policy regarding Agendas was proposed to require supporting materials for added items to be posted at least 48 hours before meetings, aligning with transparency practices, even though school boards lack a strict statutory deadline.

A policy regarding Extracurricular Activity Drug Testing generated discussion on shifting from random testing toward a “for cause” or “reasonable suspicion” approach, with board members requesting refinements for clarity, consistency in definitions, and possible inclusion of procedures to support affected students.

A policy regarding Equipment and Supplies prompted questions about language, claiming that any materials or personal items brought into schools automatically become board property; the group sought model policy comparisons and clarification to avoid unintended seizure of teachers’ personal classroom items like desks or chairs.

The strategic plan revision focused on the staff retention metric under human resources. The prior goal of increasing retention to 78–80% annually was removed because its origin was unclear, and no baseline data supported it. Instead, the board discussed establishing a current baseline by calculating actual retention rates across roles and schools, then targeting improvements—particularly in high-risk areas such as bus drivers—while acknowledging that some turnover is unavoidable. The revised wording aims to monitor overall retention, prioritize risk areas, and seek measurable annual gains without mandating blanket increases across all positions.

The Director of Schools (DOS) evaluation was aligned with the strategic plan changes by removing the unsupported 78–80% retention target. Updates to the DOS contract language incorporated the revised evaluation and strategic plan metrics, along with incentive bonus criteria tied to performance ratings; board members questioned the feasibility of achieving the highest tier and suggested adjusting bonus thresholds to more realistic ranges.

The board examined insurance options extensively, noting a 16% rise in board-paid premiums over recent years. Drafts included shifting everyone to the lower-cost Standard plan or paying a flat board contribution. Grandfathering current employees while applying changes to new hires was modeled for phased savings. Comparisons to neighboring counties were reviewed, and the possibility of exploring private plans outside state insurance was raised for future discussion with consultants like Gallagher.

Other topics included allocation of TISA outcome money (~$600–700k received in December, recommended for the teacher line); a middle school reconfiguration update (matrix scoring nearly complete, data to be shared soon); athletic schedules and field maintenance (ongoing spreadsheet covering multi-year plans for fields, gyms, tennis, etc.); and a placeholder for the athletic manual update (slated for next year).

The session closed with a reflection on the meeting format and priorities. One board member strongly advocated creating a temporary committee to overhaul the athletic manual, address compliance/scheduling/maintenance gaps, and better align athletics with the strategic plan, noting limited progress to date.

Items put forward for approval, and more will be discussed at next week’s meeting on Thursday.