The Caldwell County Board of Education has been recognized for earning Level I Master Board status by the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA). The achievement was announced during the awards ceremony at the virtual NCSBA Annual Conference for Board Member Development on November 6.

“Master Board is a knowledge- and skills-based training program that provides school boards with the opportunity to develop governance skills as a full board,” according to Dr. Ed Dunlap, executive director of NCSBA. “What makes Master Board unique from the association’s other training programs is that all board members and the superintendent commit to the training.” School boards can earn two different levels of Master Board status — Master Board Level I requires 20 hours of training, and Master Board Level II requires 40 hours of training. Some course topics include Understanding School Boards in a Democracy, Solving Problems and Making Decisions, and Analyzing Ethical Challenges.

The members of the Caldwell County Board of Education are Board Chair Darrell Pennell, Vice Chair Teresa Branch, Chris Bumgarner, Ann Edwards, Duane Knight, and Joe Sims. The superintendent is Dr. Donald Phipps, and the Master Board trainer for Caldwell County is Dr. Walter Hart.