Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education Packet Summary — August 18, 2026
Meeting Overview
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education is scheduled to hold a Board Workshop on August 18, 2026, at 9:00 AM. The meeting location listed in the packet is the Education Building, Room 219.
The agenda includes discussion items related to the district’s policy manual conversion process and Audit Advisory Committee bylaws, along with a closed session topic.
Key Items on the Agenda
Board Policy Manual Conversion Process
The Board is scheduled to receive information about the process for converting the district’s online policy manual to the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) model policies.
The packet states that the conversion process is expected to take approximately three years and will occur in phases. The project is led by Kaitlyn Autrey, Staff Attorney for the North Carolina School Boards Association, who is scheduled to provide an overview of the process.
The packet explains that the goal of the conversion is to align Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools policies with NCSBA model school board policies. The updated manual is expected to provide a more streamlined approach for future policy updates through NCSBA policy update services.
The contract for the NCSBA conversion process was paid for with grant funds from the Education Foundation.
The agenda identifies this as a discussion item only and states that no Board action is needed for this item.
Audit Advisory Committee Bylaws Discussion
The agenda includes a discussion of proposed Audit Advisory Committee bylaws.
The packet states that the proposed bylaws are for the Board’s review and approval. The Audit Advisory Committee is requesting revisions to Policy 3435 and proposed bylaws regarding term ending dates for committee members.
The proposed bylaws describe the committee’s purpose as assisting the Board in areas including recommendations related to procurement of an independent audit firm, review of financial statement audits before presentation to the Board, and recommendations related to corrective actions and improvements based on audit findings and external auditor recommendations.
The bylaws describe the committee as serving in an advisory role and state that the Audit Committee has no independent authority to take action on behalf of the Board of Education.
Policy / Governance Items
Custom Policy Manual Project Timeline
The packet includes information about the anticipated schedule for the custom policy manual project. The project is expected to proceed through phased reviews of policy sections, with draft policies provided for review during the conversion process.
The packet describes a process that includes receiving initial drafts, internal review, Board first reading, Board second reading and adoption, notification of revised or adopted policies to NCSBA, and posting updates to the online manual.
The packet materials identify the custom policy manual project as being based on NCSBA’s Policies to Lead the Schools (PLS) model policy manual. The project overview states that the customized manual is anticipated to take 24–36 months to complete.
Draft Retirement Policy
The packet includes a draft Policy Code 7910 regarding retirement.
The draft policy addresses retirement in accordance with the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System of North Carolina. It includes provisions regarding employee notice of retirement, recognition of retiring employees, and replacement of existing Policy 4119.1.
The draft policy materials indicate that Policy 7910 replaces Policy 4119.1.
Closed Session
The agenda includes a closed session item to discuss a personnel matter in accordance with Article 21A of Chapter 115C of the North Carolina General Statutes and to discuss a legal matter.
What to Watch at the Meeting
- The Board is expected to review information about the multi-year transition to an NCSBA-aligned policy manual.
- The Audit Advisory Committee bylaws discussion may include review of proposed revisions related to committee membership term dates.
- The Board workshop agenda includes policy-related materials intended to support future review and conversion work.
