Latest / Mind Your Business - A Podcast Series produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce / Across the Stage & Into the Workforce: The Class of '26 and Where They Go Next...and some BIG Chamber news.

Transcript

Across the Stage & Into the Workforce: The Class of '26 and Where They Go Next...and some BIG Chamber news. · Mind Your Business - A Podcast Series produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: School is out for the summer, and the graduates of today now presents toward their roles in the workforce of tomorrow.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_02: Catch up on the year that was for Without the County Schools and the Chamber News this week as well.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_02: From the Moon Area Chamber of Commerce, this is Mind Your Business.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: Mind Your Business.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_01: Brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, providing professional commercial real estate services.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: Visit Appalachian CRE.com.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_02: Hello and welcome into Mind Your Business.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_02: I'm David Jackson, President and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for joining us once again this week, whether through the airwaves of WATA here in Boone or as a subscriber of the podcast version of this program, which is made possible each week by our good friends at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_02: If you are not a subscriber or if you're new to the show, hey, that's not a problem.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_02: And if you're new, hey, thanks for joining us.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_02: Remember, you can search for this program wherever you find your podcast, just type in mind your business and subscribe.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_02: You will get bonus content, extended episodes, and plenty more as we connect you with the business news that you can use from right here in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_02: We here at the Chamber are ready to channel our inner Alice Cooper this week.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_02: As indeed, school is out for the summer here in Wataga County.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_02: We are on the early side of the school release trend.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_02: In fact, Wake County, Mecklenburg, and Guildford County, three of the largest districts in the state, they all get out late next week.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_02: And that should spark the beginning of summer around the state of North Carolina, particularly in tourism-dependent areas like ours.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_02: Thus, this is a time where some of our volume businesses are working to address staffing.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_02: And notice I said working, not absolutely adding.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_02: Because for a variety of economic reasons, business is still off here in the high country, from about 6% on the lower side to 20% in some parts of the community over last year's economic activity.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_02: We will dive deeper into this a bit later in the program.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: But for now, know this is an important period coming up, and we as a region need to produce.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_02: So back to those kids.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_02: Off to the bus stop or the car rider line for the last time until August.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_02: The camp hustle starts Monday.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_02: You parents know what I'm talking about, too.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_02: It's how you are still able to work in the summer while your younger kids have that downtime.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_02: Between Wataga County Parks and Recreation, the local faith-based community, and other business ventures and nonprofits, there are no shortage of fun experiences to be had in the summer.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: Those not going to camp may be about to enter the workforce.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_02: The summer job, the gateway to savings, or at least spending for some.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_02: My first job at 14, sweeping floors and bagging groceries at the Win Dixie down the street from my house.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, everyone starts somewhere.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_02: For the graduates of Wataga High School and others across the region, the next step may be slightly bigger than heading to the local ice cream shop.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_02: Some students will walk across the graduation stage and hit the other side with an industry credential in hand that is good enough to put them to work right now, in some of the areas that our economy needs a boost, like the trades, automotive repair, and the healthcare industries.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_02: Many of those students have earned those skills with no major financial burden to consider, thanks to dual enrollment and other ways students can gain college credit for their work while in high school.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_02: There are other students where those career technical education pathways or CTE courses are the gateway to continued work.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_02: And again, I point toward healthcare and the number of students that progress toward various medical career paths after getting exposed to those skills in high school.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_02: And between Cobwell Community College and Technical Institute and Appalachian State, some local students can move up in the ranks in the healthcare world without having to leave the county.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_02: And those pathways are leading to higher wages and more career trajectory depending on the subject area.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_02: We as a community are doing a better job at realizing the choose your own adventure aspect to post-high school life, rather than the all roads lead to a four-year education pathway that existed and was quite honestly drilled into most of us children of the 80s and 90s.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_02: Watauga County Schools continues to perform at some of the highest levels in the state when it comes to CTE proficiency.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_02: Programs like Rise Caldwell Watauga are getting students exposed to jobs before they commit to the educational pathway.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_02: And while, yes, four-year degrees are still an attractive option for many, they are no longer the only option for career readiness and trajectory.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_02: We as a community are much more supportive of that concept over the last several years.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_02: Events like our trade signing day ceremony back in April help showcase the next generation of the jobs we need.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_02: Period.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_02: No matter what path they have to take to get to that point.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_02: On this week's Mind Your Business, we'll visit with Dr.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_02: Leslie Alexander, superintendent of Watauga County Schools, an interview we recorded on Thursday, June 4th, catching her in between some local middle school promotion ceremonies, and on the eve of Watauga High's graduation.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_02: We will discuss the year that was, we'll get an early look at testing performance, and we'll also talk about how this year's graduating class, and it is a big one, how facilities, experienced teachers, and the curriculum that is available is making all of their academic exploits possible.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_02: Dr.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_02: Alexander joins us in just a few moments.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_02: Also on the show, some breaking chamber news, a story that was actually embargoed until late yesterday, hence the later release date of this week's show.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_02: But it's a story worth waiting on, and we'll get into that right on the other side of this break.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_02: Put your sunscreen on, break out the slip and slide, our first summertime edition of MindYour Business rolls your way right after this.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: For more information, go to their website at Appalachian CRE.com.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome back to Mind Your Business.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_02: I'm David Jackson.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_02: Before we get into the big news of this week, let's take a moment to recognize a local business that never takes a break from their pursuit of locking you in to your next great business space.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_02: That's James Milner and Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_02: They solve simple and complex commercial real estate problems in and around the Boone area and beyond.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_02: Whether you own or lease commercial real estate, regardless of the property type, have an advocate on your side, along with the expertise and experience to assist you and your business.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_02: For more information, check them out on the web, Appalachian CRE.com.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, so it's our podcast, our news goes first this week.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_02: And please permit us a moment or two to be proud of a significant accomplishment.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_02: Earlier this week, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce received word from the American Association of Chambers of Commerce Executives that we have been selected as one of eleven finalists across four categories for the National Chamber of the Year Award.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_02: Categories are set by community size and organizational budget, and we are being recognized alongside the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce, both in the state of Michigan.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_02: We have all communicated and they are as excited to hear more about our area as we are about theirs.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_02: And yes, we did stop short of trolling them by sending them a photo of the app Michigan Scoreboard.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, chances are they have heard of Boone once before, at least.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_02: To the process and how this matters to you and your business.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_02: The National Chamber of the Year process is a bit of a gauntlet, deeply reflective on everything from policy to programming to strategic direction.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_02: It is not a balance sheet and membership exercise.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_02: This is about who you are, what you are about, and does the work match the mission on a deep, deep level?
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_02: This journey started for us through the Family Forward NC certification process.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_02: We are proudly one of nearly a dozen businesses now in Watauga County that are certified through that program, with more on the way, I might add.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_02: And that process had us examining our policies through the lens of an employee with family considerations.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_02: After we submitted and received our Family Forward certification and stable certification on top of that, our team continued to look at those policies.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_02: Just because we were compliant with a certification program didn't mean that we were satisfied with what we were offering.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_02: So we dug deep into the bylaws of our organization, policy and procedure manuals, and I'm almost embarrassed to say that our staff onboarding booklet included the phrase, now that the World Wide Web is here, point being, it had been a while since we as an organization had made sure our policies and procedures were in line with the language and needs of today.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_02: We've since recently received board approval for a sabbatical policy, and we are working on a succession plan document for all staff positions.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_02: So if someone leaves, and heaven forbid that happens quickly, the organization has a plan of what to do next.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_02: Our chamber also went through a strategic plan revision last year, right around this time.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_02: So combined that renewed attention on our mission and vision, along with a revamped set of policies and procedures, and we decided that it's best to now see how our business stacked up against peers from around the country.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_02: Much like each of you, just because your business provides a similar service as a competitor down the street, it doesn't mean you do it the same way or that you even truly provide the same service.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_02: In order to truly benchmark your organization, you have to align with others that have similar funding streams, population sizes, and in our case, economic influences.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_02: ACCE provided that opportunity through its Chamber of the Year program, which is an opportunity to review and refine all of these things while also touching a key area of focus.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_02: Why you choose to champion that cause and how it's going to make an impact.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_02: If you have been paying attention to our work over the last several years, you'll know that we are a lead voice in the Southeast when it comes to stating the economic development challenges associated with inadequate child care.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_02: And that goes for the availability of space for children to the condition of the business and the workforce itself.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_02: That was our topic area of choice to show an audience of national reviewers why we feel child care is a root support of community and economic development and an overall healthy business climate for our region.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_02: As an example, let's go back to the graduation story for a second.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_02: The workforce of today had to start somewhere academically, right?
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_02: The idea of providing a safe, nurturing environment where learning is fundamental and done in a way that promotes kindergarten readiness is essential to developing the workforce of tomorrow.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_02: And I would guarantee you there is a parallel to be drawn to those that started with those supports in place in an early child care center or a family child care business and their scholastic achievement of today.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_02: And that will make them a more sought-after member of this future workforce we've been talking about.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_02: To make this all happen, you need consistent, well-trained workers to make up that workforce that's behind the work in a business that offers stability from employment and an operational perspective.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_02: We continue to bang the drum and rally with many friends and coalition members on the need for a statewide subsidy floor for qualifying children and families so we can stabilize the business of child care so the parents of these tiny learners can go to work themselves.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_02: We all know that it's becoming increasingly hard to work and live in this community on just one income.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_02: The vast majority of families here are dual career families.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_02: If we don't have a robust child care system, we lose workforce, and that means further economic strife.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: And frankly, none of us can afford that, us included.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_02: So we applied, we told our child care story, and here we are.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_02: A finalist for National Chamber of the Year with 10 other organizations across the country.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_02: We'll get to learn a lot from these organizations and many others.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: Part of the experience is attending the ACCE convention later this summer, where we'll get to tell that story.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_02: And this may be my favorite part of the whole experience.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_02: We get to share the story of the high country, the resilient business community that makes up this area of amazing people.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: And we get to share what's important to us here as a community and how our work supports those goals.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_02: I'll close with this.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_02: Our organization would not be in this position without strong leadership from our board of directors, the work and unmatched energy of our staff, and most importantly, the support of our members.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_02: We don't talk chamber finance much on this program, but our business is solely supported by you, our members, our event attendees, our program participants.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_02: We receive no tax stream or no other funding lines.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_02: So in essence, this is your chamber because every time you renew your membership or you attend an event, you are fueling the work that we do every day.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_02: We are grateful for that support, and we will take that feeling of gratitude with us as we continue this experience in New Orleans later this summer.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_02: If you are not yet a member of the chamber and would like to support our work, you can sign your business up today at Boonchamber.com.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_02: You can also support our foundation's work.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_02: We have raised$1.6 million over the last nearly two years since Helene, and 100% of that money has stayed local, with 94% of that$1.6 million going directly to business support and stability through disaster grants and our support of the early child care system.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_02: The rest of that 6%, if you will, goes to our overhead so we can all live, work, and play in the community that we are trying to have an impact.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_02: We want to see this community do well, and we know you do also.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_02: You can learn more about our foundation's work and how you can support and fuel our next big project at BooneChamber.com.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_02: After the break, we ring the bell to release school for the summer as we talk with Dr.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: Leslie Alexander about the year that was as she gets ready to lock those doors for a few months.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_02: You are listening to Mind Your Business.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_01: For more information, go to their website at Appalachian CRE.com.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome back to Mind Your Business.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_02: I'm David Jackson.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_02: School is out for the year, or it is by the time you hear this podcast at least.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_02: Dr.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_02: Leslie Alexander is superintendent of Watauga County Schools and a member of the Chambers Foundation Board of Directors, partly because Watauga County Schools is an economic driver.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_02: They are one of our county's largest employers.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_02: Their workforce literally trains the future workforce, and they are one of the top attractions for families that are relocating to this area, or in our case, a significant reason as to why people wanted to stick around this beautiful place to raise a family.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_02: Today, as I record on Friday, June 5th, we said goodbye to 14 years of having kids at Parkway School, an experience we will truly cherish forever.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_02: And soon enough, we will have a second Wataga High School grad, and our family feels great about the life preparation that comes along with that school assignment.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_02: Dr.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_02: Alexander starts our conversation by celebrating and reflecting the completion of another academic year.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's always a good feeling to, you know, get the year completed and feel like it's been successful.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_03: We have a great team at each of our schools, and they've just they've worked real hard this year.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_03: The kids have worked hard.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um parents have been supportive.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_03: So it's a good feeling to wrap up a good solid year.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_02: Parents that have uh had kids going to school these last few weeks have been going through the testing process, and and that wraps up uh here as the school year ends as well.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_02: What do you know early about the results there?
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: And and how does the the retesting process go on if that is needed?
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_03: So our uh K-8 schools did their initial first administration testing last week.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, they did some retesting um this week.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_03: Our high school students, of course, tested this week.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_03: Today we tested fourth block.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_03: Tomorrow will be some retesting for the high school.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_03: And so our schools have worked really hard to get the kids to you know have that first administration and be successful.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_03: And they've also worked really hard to get kids who did not pass on their first administration to come back in and do to do retesting.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_03: And that's not always been uh a priority necessarily in previous years because retesting has changed a bit over the past couple of years.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_03: It used to be that retesting you only got to count for proficiency, but you now get to count it for growth.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, not everybody understands those two uh different measurements.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_03: When we have, as you know, each school has a school report card, and so 80% of that is based on proficiency, but 20% is based on growth.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_03: And so when you're able to calculate that, that helps schools to show the hard work they've done throughout the year because kids can just have an off day.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_03: And what's really important too with our kids is we want them to know that effort matters, and even if they don't pass on that second time, so often you see growth.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_03: And so each year, if we can get kids to grow, then they're gonna, you know, they're gonna do better every single year.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_03: And so it's really important for our kids to understand that that their effort matters.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that's that's something they've done a really good job with this year.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_02: You know, there's been a lot of reporting and a lot written lately about the academic rebound from mostly the COVID pandemic and the disruption to school then, but then we had that added layer of disruption with hurricane and Helene, you know, 20 months ago or so.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_02: How do you all chart that?
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_02: And are you seeing progress in those students that have been with you that that entire six-year period, if you will?
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, we we are seeing progress.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_03: And, you know, we're trying we're charting things beyond just what comes out as a test score in third through twelfth grade with our EOGs and EOCs.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_03: We're focusing a lot on early learning opportunities.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_03: And so there's measures that we take with our kindergartners and our first and second graders that show us if they're if they're gaining the needed skills to be proficient readers when they get to third grade.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_03: So it's really important that we address those needs early on.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_03: Um as soon as we can get kids on grade level, then that's that's more success for them for more years in in our school system.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_03: So um, yeah, we're we're tracking all those measures and we're seeing good results.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, last year with the hurricane, um, we only drop we only dropped from when we were talking about the performance of all students across the county, from 67.3 to 67.1.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_03: So that was pretty amazing uh with the number of the days we had out for the hurricane and with the remote learning days that we had.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_03: So super proud of our staff for that this year.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_03: We're hoping to just continue to move forward.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_03: I think one of the things that's always a difficult balance to strike is celebrating the success that you've had because we have been the fourth top performing district in the state.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_03: But also remembering just because 67% of our kids are proficient, that's not all of them.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_03: So, what do we do to keep focused on making sure that we're meeting the needs of those students who aren't on grade level yet?
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_02: You know, as you're talking about successes and setting students up for success, I think one of the top stories uh related to local public school this year has to be the opening of Valley Cruises School.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_02: And and certainly there was a timing element to that with the hurricane that that we were very fortunate that you were as far down the road as you are.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_02: But but now that students and and staff are in that school every day, uh what has been the overall reaction and and what's the next thing on the horizon in in terms of the the school system's capital needs?
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_03: It's been wonderful to have them in there.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_03: They got in there after first quarter this year, so they haven't had a complete year there.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, but it they they're home, you know, they're happy to be there.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_03: Uh everybody, when you go in, lots of smiles.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_03: That's an amazing staff.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_03: No complaints throughout this whole process, just you know, really team players.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_03: And it's it just makes you really happy to see a group of teachers and students and families who endured so much to be in such a nice space.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_03: So that's been a huge celebration.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_03: As you know, we recently had the dedication of a building that was exciting.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so I'm excited for them to get to start the year in their new home and have a normal complete uh year next year.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_02: There's uh also the the business of the old school out in Valley Cruces as well, and and what you may be able to do with that facility to further the school system's needs.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_02: What where are you on that project and what comes next there?
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_03: So we were awarded the total money, and that's money from insurance FEMA and some from the state.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_03: So we know what our dollar amount is.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_03: And so, in order to have that money granted to you, we created a scope of work.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_03: of what we would do with the flooded building and then additional needs within our district.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_03: So we actually were awarded something that's called an alternate project, which means we can do the initial project of repairing the old Valley Cruises School, not the whole thing.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_03: We're not gonna, we're gonna have to strategically demolish the 49,000 square feet that were flooded.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_03: But renovate the part that's closest to the road that's above the floodplain.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_03: Luckily that's part of the rock building that's has some historical value and meaning to folks.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_03: So once we are able to renovate that space and use it for program needs within our county then remaining funds we can use to address needs like air conditioning that we have and that need in some of our schools.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_03: So we have to do first things first and we have to we're working with an architect to get exact cost estimates for that first project which is the the Valley Cruces the old school.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_03: But we're excited about it.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna get hopefully some program needs that we don't have currently met.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_03: We're we're legally required to have an ALP, an alternative learning program and currently we don't have a physical space for that K-8.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_03: So that'll meet that needs.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_03: We're hoping to get some zero to three childcare spots out there.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_03: We know our community needs that one thing I'm super excited about is having a professional development space for our teachers.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_03: If you go down the mountain in other counties there's there's often really nice um spaces for teachers to collaborate and so to have their professional development.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm I'm really excited.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_03: Our teachers deserve that it'll be great to have more than one grade level of available to collaborate and play in.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_03: So I think that's going to be something that'll benefit our county for years to come.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_02: You know you alluded to something in this this process as you're talking about the money that came to you for that project.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_02: And I think people maybe now that the budget is in the conversation again statewide, people are starting to understand more and more that funds are very compartmentalized and and not all funding can be used for all things.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_02: One of the areas that has always been so beneficial to Watauga County schools has been support from the Watauga County commissioners and how they are able to use some of their tax collection to help offset what the school system might not be getting from the state of of North Carolina.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_03: What can you say about that that ask this year and and what do you feel like the the commissioners allotment will will allow you to be able to do so we we have a great partnership with our county commissioners and you know I know from talking with superintendents across the state that that doesn't exist in every county.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_03: So it's definitely not something that that we take for granted you know the county is supposed to supply the capital needs for the school system and the state's supposed to supply funding for personnel and everything else and that's just not the way that it actually works.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_03: Our county commissioners they they fund about 28% of our budget and that's a lot of positions of 70 70ish certified positions and about 50 classified positions are funded through our local the money that we get from our county commissioners.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_03: So they've been great with that.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_03: You know we we had a a a budget issue a couple years ago where we had to right size some staffing across the district and they were they helped us through that and it it was really amazing because as many positions as we had to decrease we didn't have to fire anybody or they call it riffing or reduction force.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_03: We were able to hold on to in place the people that we had and take advantage of retirement and attrition to keep our folk and so that was really important.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_03: They've also helped us now that we right sized our district we did a a study with the Hill group who's a group that helps us look at our our budget and our finances to do a salary study for our classified staff and really where do they fall related to counties around us.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_03: And what we found is while we do okay with our entry level pay we were really falling behind at the mid and later points in people's careers.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_03: So they helped us do a study and develop a multiple 30 year step scale that'll allow people to be compensated more adequately and accurately.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_03: So that's that was part of our ask this year is to take that study and um break it into three years.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_03: And so we asked for year one of that increase for our classified staff and they they granted us the funding to do that.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_03: And so next year our EC, our TAs and our ECTAs will have a change in where their steps are and that was important too because we are adding some minutes to our instructional day.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_03: So we wanted them to be compensated for those additional minutes at the rate that that would be appropriate for this new pay scale you know I I think the the way you describe that you you describe retention strategy just like any other business does.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yet you might not necessarily have the same flexibility that businesses do because again of the compartmentalization of funding uh how have you and your team worked to prioritize that in other ways it might not necessarily be just the money but but ways to make teachers feel like they're supported inside the schools and and are supported in doing the valuable work that they're doing for the community?
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah that's a that's a great question.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_03: I mean retention's huge and you know as you know not as many people are going into the field of education um down the mountain you know when I was HR director in a different county I started a school you were at 150 teacher vacancies it was a larger county um but that's that was very much felt and so we haven't felt that as much in Wataga over the last three years because we've been um sort of right sizing our staffing so we haven't had to be out recruiting new folk to come work for our district but we're at a point where people will continue to retire and now that we are staffed appropriately how do we get people to to move to Wataga and that's not just your teachers that is your mechanics that is your maintenance staff that is your school nutrition folk and so we have to look at the cost of living in Watauga and how are we going to retrain retain and attract new employees so that we continue to have such an amazing school system.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_02: You know you are training a lot of those same types of workers yourself through the uh continued evolution of the CTE program uh throughout Watauga County schools how that feeds into to Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute and then on from there can you tell us a little bit and I know we got a chance to talk about this a little bit in the context of Trade Signing Day but you've got another group of students that are benefiting from these programs that are going to be workforce ready.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_02: How is that that changing the game in terms of uh workforce preparation and making sure that you're meeting the numbers that businesses in the state are saying that you need to meet in those regards.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_03: Right we have to look part of the CTE plan is you have to look at workforce needs in your community and make sure that those are robust programs in in your high school our CTE programs are amazing.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_03: Our partnership with CCC and TI is amazing.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_03: We had we have more students signed up for summer classes um than ever before and our students who take advantage of dual enrollment I mean it's a game changer um we we're seeing kids in the ninth grade start to plan their course of of study including dual enrollment far earlier than we used to see and that's a huge benefit not only for students but for families because the cost savings when you can knock that out when you're in high school um it's just huge and then I know you've heard of uh the RISE program that we've that began this year.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_03: It's a partnership with CCC and TI and Wataga and Caldwell County schools where we're really focusing on pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, internships.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_03: And so that's that program we were kind of nervous because it's the first year you start anything you don't know how it's going to go has been a huge success.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_03: And we wanted it to be successful for our kids but we also wanted it to be successful for the employer because we want them to have a good experience so that they want to continue to do that.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_03: And we've heard nothing but amazing things from the people that we get to work with.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_03: And our kids have had such great experiences.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_02: So there's just a huge potential for that in our community and and to your point making sure that as a school system you know does our maintenance program do they have an apprentice you know are we trying to grow our own within our county so that we can keep the amazing kids we have here when they become adults it's interesting Ryze came up in a conversation yesterday as it relates to UNC Health Appalachian there's a great partnership in in placing kids not only in in the medical aspects of that but when you also look at some of the business aspects of large kind of corporate environments such as a hospital is is this kind of scratching that intended itch of making sure that students have the I the chance to identify all of the career pathways that that exist within a business not just the ones that maybe make a building famous when you drive past it.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly it's understanding the the total working of it and it's been such a great that program is so great for our kids because you know there's a there's a a stipend each month to cover gas and transportation but there's also a performance stipend.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_03: And so you know students are learning early on what is expected in a workplace and how to be successful.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_03: And so those are some things that are that are a little harder to learn in a classroom.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yes you need to turn your homework in on time but it's different when you don't you know show up to work on time.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_03: And so you know they're in these professional environments and they're they're treated just like the other employees.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_03: So that perspective and that experience I think is hugely beneficial for our kids.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_02: Well the final question for you is we're talking achievements and celebrating this is the time of year where promotion ceremonies graduation you get a chance to reflect back on on the longer journey for some of these students whether they're transitioning to the high school or getting ready for the next step.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_02: Can you tell us a little bit about some of some of those achievements and and what this time of year means for you personally it's a great time of year.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_03: There's so much celebrating happening and so many reasons to celebrate this graduating class has they're amazing.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_03: They have over$4.6 million in scholarships awarded to them.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_03: As far as the kids I talked about dual enrollment we have a lot of kids that take AP courses too those scores aren't out until later in July so they calculate the senior classes performance based on their uh scores at the end of their junior year.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_03: And the class of 2026 is the highest performing AP class we've had in the last five years.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_03: So just kids that are just doing great things and it's it's a great time of year to be able to celebrate them.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_02: Well I know you've got many a ceremony in your future between now and the next time we talk to you so best of luck with all of those and and congratulations on another fantastic year.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_02: We we look forward to to seeing the the efforts uh turn into our local workforce here and we uh we certainly appreciate the insight into to one of the most important aspects of our community so thank you for talking thank you David thanks to Dr.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_02: Alexander for spending some time with us at a busy time of year and congratulations to the class of 2026 especially our CTE cord wearing students we are all excited to see what you do next.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_00: You are listening to mind your business are you a young professional looking to expand your network the High Country Young Professionals affectionately dubbed the High Country Young Rose is a dedicated group of 200 plus professional young adults under the age of 40 serving in various industries across the high country join us for our casual networking event on the first Tuesday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m as we visit locations across the high country events are free of charge however donations are appreciated.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: Not a chamber member that's okay no membership needed to join us you have to be under 40 to learn more about high country GoPros at bootchamers.com slash A C Y P.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_01: Mind your business brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate offering sales, leasing consulting and appraisal services visit Appalachian CRE dot com so we told you earlier that we'd get into some numbers later in the show and what do you know we have reached that point.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_02: Last week we did some random research I'll call it we reached out to about a dozen businesses across the region to get a sense of how things are heading into the summer.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_02: While each set of answers provided different details there are some trends to make you aware of trends that illustrate once again the need for small business support.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_02: By and large our local businesses are doing more work with less people only one of our 10 non-attraction businesses reported the intention to hire more staff than last year.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_02: And that's mainly because of business expansion our attractions are hiring and they are waiting on that wave of high school grads to finish off the job.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_02: But for now squeezing a bit more margin by right sizing staff has been somewhat of an undertaking by many businesses in our community mainly due to the overall squeeze of the economy and the lack of flexibility.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_02: Part of that lack of flexibility comes from goods costing more.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_02: Nearly all of the retail and restaurant respondents reported likelihood of cost escalations because things cost more in the food sector cooking oil and tomatoes hey sometimes national issues don't make their way here to us in the high country but other times the political impact on supply chain is real and it's simply costing more to produce food right now.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_02: So you will see that pass along and it's also a great reason to support local growers and farmers because they are being hit with rising costs as well and we can keep them in business by grabbing as many of these goods as possible as close to the source as possible.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_02: Finally performance I said earlier most businesses are reporting being down year over year about six to twenty percent the higher number certainly heard the farther away you get from the city centers like Boone and Blowing Rock and West Jefferson.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_02: For us here at the chamber we are down nine percent over this time last year for a few reasons.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_02: Two of those are sneaky reliance on the mail for most of our payments USPS is all but telling businesses to find another way to get paid due to their lack of performance and anticipated downsizing.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_02: You may have seen that we recently announced that July 1st the chamber will assess a 3% fee on all credit card transactions, but we will waive that fee if you establish an ACH payment option with your membership.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_02: So many of you already do this within your businesses and we all know that we pay bills automatically all over the place.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not afraid to say that we have a five figure amount of money that is due to us that is allegedly in the mail as they say with some businesses saying they sent checks over a month ago that still have not reached our doors.
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_02: If it's happening to us it's happening to you so do some digging and make sure you are paying attention to how you are getting paid.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_02: Another sneaky thing for us is performance of other businesses and the impact on timing.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_02: We all see this too if your cash flow is off you play the shuffle a little bit more businesses seem to be in that predicament at this time and that's due to a number of factors yet still some hurricane lag on our economy higher gas prices overall costs being higher you can name them all but I will also say this I've not yet seen anyone eager to throw in the towel we will get our summer swell of visitors very soon and as Jonathan Allen mentioned a few weeks ago high gas prices at times have benefited our community as people travel closer to home for longer.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_02: Even if your business is not directly tourism impacted I promise you you have indirect impact all over your business.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_02: So again hopefully this region performs the way we need it to over these next few weeks.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_02: We are back to wrap up this episode right after this you are listening to Mind Your Business.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_02: One last note before we go business after hour is coming up next week that's June 11th details and registration waiting for you now at newspaper.com great opportunity for connection and networking and getting outside in this incredibly beautiful weather we will be in the Stanford Commons at AppState again that's the event area just outside Reese dining hall just across the Sky Bridge from the River Street parking deck.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_02: Follow the crowd we will make sure that you get a chance to see AppState conferences and events team at their very best.
• 39:03
  SPEAKER_02: They support so many events over the course of the year and you can learn a little bit more about how they may be able to help you sometime in the future.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_02: Join us for Business after hours again at June 11th from 5 to 7 and register online at boonchamber.com That'll do it for this episode of Mind Your Business this program is written and produced by the Boon Area Chamber of Commerce each and every week thanks to WATA for placing us on the Airways weekly and thanks as always to James Miller and the team at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate for making the podcast version of this program possible.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_02: If you have not subscribed yet to fix that issue today just search for Mind Your Business wherever you get those podcasts.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_02: You can also visit us online anytime at boomchamber.com until next week go along everybody