With a new school year coming soon, the Board of Education for Sampson County Schools selected two new leaders.
The group re-organized during a Monday evening meeting. Telfair Simpson was selected as the chairman and Kim Schmidlin as the vice-chairwoman.
Sampson County’s 2016-17 academic year will mark the 11th year on the board for Simpson. He has served as chair twice before and was voted to vice-chair three times.
Born in Sampson County, he grew up mainly in Roseboro and graduated from Lakewood High School in 1982. Simpson is married to Rosemary and they have two sons, Wilson and Coleman. He has been a real estate appraiser for 30 years.
“I look forward to continuing the good work our past board has accomplished and working with our new members to ensure our students are prepared for life after school,” Simpson stated.
Schmidlin joined the board in 2015 to fill a vacancy left by longtime member G.H. Wilson. She is the president of Carolina Therapy Services, Inc, in Dunn. She resides in the Plain View community and is married to Jim. Their children are products of Sampson County Schools.
“I am honored to serve as the vice chair for the Sampson County Board of Education,” Schmidlin said. “I am committed to quality education for our students and look forward to continuing to be an advocate for the students, parents, and staff of our school system.”
The chairman and the vice-chair positions was previously held by Dewain Sinclair and former member Sonya Powell, respectively. During the meeting, Sinclair said he was ready to turn the role over to someone else.
“I’ve been board chairman for two years now and it’s been a privilege and honor,” Sinclair said during the meeting while acknowledging former and current board members.
Sinclair also said Powell was an excellent vice-chair.
After switching chairs, Simpson thanked Sinclair for his two years of leadership as chairman.
“He’s done a wonderful job — an outstanding job,” Simpson said about his dedication to the position.
Powell, a retired educator, was honored for her service during a June meeting. Former board members Faye Gay and Glenn Tart were also recognized last month. They were replaced by Tracey Ivey Dunn, Tim Register and Pat Usher following a swearing-in ceremony. Monday was the first official meeting for the newly-elected members.
Track proposal approved
Sampson County Board of Education unanimously approved a layout for a track and soccer field at Hobbton High School. The proposal also includes spaces for competitions such as the pole vault, shot put, and long jump. It also includes an area for discus throwing.
Plans will be sent to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for cost estimations. During a previous meeting, the calculated cost was listed at $200,000 and were based on estimates from Lakewood High School. But it may cost a little more because of fill dirt work and related expenses.
Hobbton is the only school in the district without a track and it’s an inconvenience for students who have to travel for practice. In 2015, supporters made a presentation pushing for the facility since.
