Dr. Meghan S. Doyle, Superintendent submitted her resignation to Craven County Schools Board of Education on Monday, May 24th, 2021. The Board of Education formally accepted her resignation effective June 30, 2021, during a special called meeting on Thursday, June 3, 2021.
Mrs. Frances H. Boomer, Board Chairman shared the following statement at the meeting on behalf of The Board of Education, “By accepting Dr. Doyle’s resignation from the office of the Superintendent, effective June 30, 2021, the Board and Dr. Doyle have mutually ended her contract effective on June 30th.
As of July 1, 2021, Dr. Doyle would have had three years remaining on her contract. Dr. Doyle is releasing those three years and the Board will pay to her, or for her benefit, the sum of $212,000.00, less required or customary, deductions.
The Budget Amendment just approved by the Board moves the money form the Board’s Fund Balance, its saving account, to its local fund, its checking account, so the payment can be made to Dr. Doyle when due.
North Carolina General Statute 115C-271 requires the Board to make public the funds to be transferred or used for this purpose, which I am doing now. No state funds can be used for this purpose, which is why the money is being transferred from the fund balance. Local funds appropriated for teachers, textbooks, or classroom materials, supplies and equipment cannot be used for this purpose. Again, this is why the Board is transferring the funds from the fund balance for this purpose. Finally, no funds were acquired through donation or fundraising for this purpose.
As is required by law, the Board will notify the State Board of Education of the funds to be transferred or used for this purpose.”
Dr. Meghan S. Doyle has served as the Superintendent for Craven County Schools since August 2016. Under her leadership, Dr. Doyle has been a constant and strong voice advocating for academic success for all students especially during uncontrollable circumstances to include Hurricane Florence and a global pandemic.
Because of her commitment and dedication to student and staff learning, Craven County Schools was able to easily transition to virtual learning this past year due to everyone receiving an electronic device during the 2017-2018 school year. This visionary leadership allowed Craven County Schools to take the lead among the State and the nation in returning to learn without a lengthy interruption.
Dr. Doyle has worked extremely hard to build and sustain relationships with business and community stakeholders while sharing student success and supporting employees along the way. During her tenure, Dr. Doyle was instrumental in working together with the Board of Education and the Craven County Board of Commissioners to nearly double teacher supplement from 5.3% to 10%. This has been a great incentive for our educators and an excellent recruitment tool to attract highly qualified teachers to Craven County.
The Board of Education extends their appreciation for Dr. Doyle’s investment in continuous improvement and her commitment to professional learning that has been delivered from the Board room to the classroom. She has modeled this approach for all while establishing clear priorities for the district under the strategic plan.
The Board of Education will determine their next steps and the process for hiring the next Superintendent. Once the Board takes action, all information will be clearly communicated.
By Jennifer Wagner, Director of Public Relations