Hickory City Schools Community,
Yesterday, the Hickory City Schools Board of Education submitted its formal brief to the North Carolina State Board of Education in opposition to the proposed merger of Hickory City Schools, Newton-Conover City Schools, and Catawba County Schools.
Throughout this process, we have remained committed to transparency and to ensuring that decisions affecting our schools are grounded in facts and, most importantly, in what is best for students. Our brief outlines several significant concerns that we believe the State Board should carefully consider before making its decision.
First, an important legal question remains unresolved regarding the boundaries of Hickory City Administrative School Unit. Students living in Burke County have attended Hickory City Schools for decades and continue to do so today. Historical documents establishing the official boundaries of our administrative unit have not been located, raising a question about whether the county followed the appropriate process under state law.
People are also reading…
Our brief also addresses the financial and educational impacts of the proposed merger. The county acknowledges that some state funding would decrease when three school districts become one. Those reductions could affect funding that supports CTE, school health personnel, English learners, preschool services, at-risk students, and other areas that directly serve children.
We also remain concerned that projected construction savings depend on future decisions about changing attendance boundaries and moving students, decisions that have not yet been made. At the same time, protections for several programs important to HCS families, including Orchestra, the Advanced Placement Academy, and Hickory Career & Arts Magnet, extend for only the first two academic years following merger.
Perhaps most importantly, no comprehensive independent study has been completed to determine whether this merger would improve educational opportunities or outcomes for students. Our board requested such a study, and I personally repeated that request because we believe a decision of this magnitude should be supported by a complete understanding of its educational, financial, and operational consequences. The county did not fund that study.
For these reasons, the Hickory City Schools Board of Education is asking the North Carolina State Board of Education to deny the proposed merger plan.
I encourage you to read our full submission to better understand the information and evidence we have provided to the State Board.
What happens next
The State Board has established the following schedule for its review:
- October 26, 2026: The Catawba County Board of Commissioners may submit a reply to the briefs filed by the three school districts.
- November 4–5, 2026: The proposed merger will come before the State Board as a discussion item, allowing members to discuss the proposal after reviewing the materials submitted by all parties.
- December 2–3, 2026: The State Board will hold a formal hearing. Each party will have an opportunity to present its position, followed by questions from State Board members. The board will then deliberate and is expected to vote on whether to approve or deny the proposed merger at the December meeting or as soon thereafter as possible.
The proposed merger has not been approved by the North Carolina State Board of Education.
Our focus has always been, and will continue to be, our students. We will continue to advocate for their educational opportunities, resources, relationships, and programs while keeping our staff, families, and community informed as this process moves forward.
