LUMBERTON — Members of the Robeson County Board of Education spent about $40,000 attending conferences meant to further their understanding of how to run a successful school system during the 2015-2016 school year.
All 11 school board members attended at least one conference or meeting, according to documents provided by Erica Setzer, financial officer for the Public Schools of Robeson County. Money spent on conferences by individual board members ranged from $42 to $9,400.11.
Conferences were held in Georgia, Maryland, Oregon, Texas and Massachusetts with some ones being held closer to home, in Raleigh, Greensboro and even Laurinburg.
Some of the conferences were themed like one in Atlanta, which was headlined “High Schools That Work” with panels on counseling, leadership and academics. Others were national conferences for school board leadership, American Indian education and Title I funding or North Carolina educational conferences on the same subjects.
Mike Smith, current chairman and a 26-year member of the Board of Education, finds the conferences valuable.
“I try to go to some when I can,” he said. “They refresh you or give you new ideas as things are changing all over the United States in education. Sometimes you can bring stuff back and share it. Maybe it’s being implemented in a system that is similar to yours. It’s just a way to stay abreast in what is going on in public education.”
Smith said he tries to attend at least one conference a year and does his best to attend other conferences that accommodate his work schedule as a bank executive.. He traveled to three conferences at a total cost of $4,850.12.
Peggy Wilkins-Chavis was the most frequent attendee, going to five conferences at a cost of $9,400.11.. The Robesonian was unable to reach her. Jo Ann Lowery, who does not speak to The Robesonian, attended five conferences totaling about $7,300. Setzer said the total cost of any trip includes “everything from registration, hotel costs, meals, mileage, airfare” and other expenses.
Bosco Locklear went to two conferences, totaling $4,890.10; John Campbell went to three conferences, totaling $4,253.71; Brenda Fairley-Ferebee went to three conferences, totaling $3,204.01; Randy Lawson went to two conferences, totaling $1,563.94; Gary Strickland went to two conferences, totaling $1,508.72;; Loistine DeFreece went to two conferences, totaling $1,356.92; and Steve Martin and Dwayne Smith each attended one conference, totaling $42 each.
Setzer said the Public Schools of Robeson County spent about $1.4 million during the school year on staff development for all of its employees, including teachers.
“That represents less than 1 percent of our total budget,” she said.
