VOL. 99 NUMBER 1’
THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 1986
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA
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BILL DAVIS
Kings Mountain school
teachers, led by last year’s
Teacher of the Year Joel
Rountree of Kings Mountain
tion to the school board’s re-
cent action to change to a six-
weeks grading period at Mon-
day night’s meeting of the
board of education.
The board voted 3-2 to con-
tinue with plans to change to
a six-weeks period at the
start of the 1986-87 school
year but also. voted
unanimously to refer the
matter back to the study
team which recommended
changing the grading period
and have that group re-
investigate the pros and cons
of both systems and report
back to the school board.
Following a lengthy
Presentation by Rountree,
oard member Kyle Smith
made a motion that the high
school be allowed to remain
ill Davisls Retiring
William F. Davis, superintendent of
Kings Mountain District Schools since July
of 1977, announced his retirement at Mon-
joy night’s meeting of the Board of Educa-
ion.
The board instructed Davis to begin
advertising the vacancy and said it hoped to
named his successor by July 1. His retire-
ment is effect June 30.
Davis, who has been in public education
for 36 years, said his ‘“‘internal clock’ has
told him it’s time to retire and the state’s
retirement system ‘made a difficult deci-
sion fairly comfortable.”
Davis said he will continue to reside in
Kings Mountain and remain active in
social, civic and religious activities. He is
an active member of Central United
Methodist Church, is a Kiwanian, and vice
campaign chairman for next year’s United
Way campaign.
Davis issued a prepared statement to the
board during an executive session. It read:
“After 36 years of employment in the
public schools I have decided that it is time
for a change. Therefore, I am announcing
my retirement to become effective at the
end of June 1986.
“Since public education has been my
avocation as well as my vocation, this deci-
sion has been a difficult one.
‘Public school administration has afford-
ed me an opportunity to live and work in
several fine communities, and Kings Moun-
tain is among the very best. I wish to thank
the many cooperative and supportive
citizens, students, teachers and principals
for the role which each has played in mak-
ing the Kings Mountain School System a
quality system.
“I am most appreciative of the School
Board members for your dedication to
quality education and for your support of
me and my work over the past nine years.
The nature of our relationship has endeared
each of you to me.
“We can indeed take pride in the many
accomplishments which have occured as
we have worked together to stregthen our
schools.
“Kings Mountain has been good to me and
my family. I look forward to continued in-
volvement in the civic, social and church af-
fairs of this community.”
Davis came to Kings Mountain from
Stokes County, where he served as
superintendent. He served for several years
as superintendent in Wilkes County and as
Turn To Page 8-A
Budget
High School, voiced opposi-.
on a nine-weeks grading
system and all other schools
go to a six-weeks system. His
motion was seconded by Paul
Hord Jr., the only board
member who voted against
the action last month to move
to a six weeks system. The
motion was voted down by
the other three board
members, Bill McDaniel,
June Lee and Doyle Camp-
bell.
Campbell then made the
motion to-refer the action
back to the study committee. -
Teachers from the high
school said switching to a six-
weeks system would put an
undue hardship on that school
because all of its grades are
kept on computers. Rountree
pointed to several other
reasons for. retaining the
nine-weeks system.
‘“The nine weeks system is
far superior to the six weeks
system in enhancing achieve-
School Teachers Oppose
6-Weeks Grading System
ment and improving com-
munications between parents
and teachers,” Rountree told
the board. He said the mid-
term report to parents which
KMHS requires of all
teachers is a ‘“‘motivator’’ for
students who need to improve
their grades while a six-
weeks grading period does
not allow enough time for a
student to bring poor grades
up.
“The six weeks grading
period: could frustrate: the
young people,”’ Rountree
said. “With the nine weeks
system we’re more able to
drop the low grade, notify
parents and allow the student
a chance to improve.”
‘Rountree gave an example
of one of his students who was
not doing well early in a nine-
weeks grading period this
year. ‘I sent the mid-term
Turn To Page 8-A
| Shriners from all over
North Carolina will be in
Kings Mountain this
weekend for a variety of ac-
tivites to celebrate the suc-
cess of the young White
Plains Shrine Club and to
raise funds for Shriners
Hospitals for Crippled ‘and
Burned Children.
Gene Morrison, Potentate
of the Oasis Temple, will lead
a band of an estimated 800 to
3,000 Shriners who will
parade in downtown Kings
Mountain Saturday at 4 p.m.
The parade will focus on
entertainment for the
children and will include
clowns, pretty cars, the Pied-
mont Pistons go-carts, and
many other units. The
parade will lineup on Deal
Street and begin on King
Street in front of Kentucky
Fried Chicken. It will travel
west on King to the overhead
bridge and turn left onto Bat-
tleground Avenue. From
there, it will go south to East
Gold Street, turn left and dis-
band near the Governmental
Services Facilities Center.
Carl Champion, past presi-
dent of the White Plains
Shrine Club, is heading up
the weekend events, whic
include a Hot Wax Show and
Dance Friday and Saturday
nights at the American
Legion, "and an all-day
barbecue sale Saturday In
the vacant lot at the corner of
East Gold and Highway 161. :
Shrine Parade,
Barbecue Saturday §
Kings Mountain was
chosen as one of three sites
for this year’s Shriners
parades because of the suc-
cess of the White Plains
Shrine Club which was
organized three years ago.
Each year since its inception
the club has strengthened in
members and in funds raised
for crippled and burned
children.
Friday’s Hot Wax Show
and Dance will be open to the
public. Admission is $20 and
tickets may be purchased
from any Shriner or by call-
ing Champion’s office at
739-9511.
The show features music
from the 1950’s and imitators
of the late Buddy Holly and
Elvis Pressley. The show will
begin at 8:30 p.m. and end at
1 p.m. Three different one-
hour shows will be held.
All night Friday, Shriners
will be cooking barbecue to
be sold Saturday from 10
a.m. until 6 p.m. Barbecue
tickets will be $30 for
He
GENE MORRISON
“Of course, all the funds rais-
ed will go to help the crippled
and burned children. And the
parade, which is very funny,
will be the best parade Kings
Mountain’s ever had for the
children.”
All of the activities of the
weekend will get Kings
Mountain area citizens in the
spirit for the White Plains
Shrine Club’s annual Softball
Classic which will be held
May 24 at Deal Street and
soulders, $3.50 for plates and Davidson Parks. Champion
$3.00 for two sandwiches. said this year’s tournament
Tickets may be purchased will feature two divisions,
from any Shriner or by call- with the national powers such
ing Champion’s office. as two-time champion
~ Saturday night, the Hot Howard's Western Steer
Wax Show and Dance will playing in the Super Division
perform for Shriners and and area teams p aying in the
their ladies at the American Carolinas Division. Trophies
Legion. will be given to top finishers
“We hope everyone will and players in both divisions.
come out and support these Eight teams will compete in
ctivities,” Champion said. each division.
TALKS TO SCHOOL BOARD - Kings Mountain High
teacher Joel Rountree addresses the Board of Education at
Monday night's meeting at the superintendent’s office. Roun-
tree was the spokesman for many local teachers who oppose
the board’s recent action to switch from a nine weeks to six prove those funds, the servo)
weeks grading system.
Commissioners Call Meeting
On Personnel Matters Friday
A special meeting has been
called by the board of com-
missioners on Friday, April
18th, at 12 noon at City Hall
for the purpose of discussions
of personnel matters.
~ Commissioner Norman
King said the board has
several job vacancies to con-
sider and several job applica-
tions to review.
By 5-1 action of the board of
commissioners at the regular
April meeting last Tuesday,
the commissioners amended
four sections of the City Code
of Ordinances which took the
hiring out of the hands of the
chief executive officer of the
city, the Mayor, and put it
back into the hands of the six
commissioners. Commis-
Secretary
Day Slated
Kings Mountain will
celebrate National
Secretaries Day next
Wednesday with a luncheon
at the Holiday Inn.
The event is sponsored by
the Kings Mountain Chamber
of Commerce. Tickets are
$7.50. Reservations may be
made by calling the Holiday
Inn.
Gene Bumgardner, choral
director at Kings Mountin
High School, will be in charge
of the program. Door prizes
will be awarded.
The luncheon will begin at
12 noon.
Photo by Gary Stewart
sioner Harold Phillips
presented the proposals,
which were not on the board
agenda, and were questioned
by: Commissioner Humes
Houston who cast the only no
vote. The amended or-
dinances return the hiring
Senator Marvin To Speak
At Academic Awards Banquet
North Carolina Senator
Helen Rhyne Marvin will ad-
dress the sixth annual
Academic Awards Banquet
at Kings Mountain Senior
High School Cafeteria Mon-
day night at 6:30 p.m.
The banquet, which will be
attended by 300 students and
porenis and educators, will
onor 81 sophomores, juniors
and seniors for academic ex-
cellence. Each student to be
honored has attained a
cumulative 3.5 scholastic
average and will be introduc-
ed and presented an engrav-
ed plaque.
A highlight of the event will
also include the announce-
ment of the winner of the
fourth annual ‘Excellence in
Teaching’’ award.
KM District Schools Supt.
Bill Davis and KMSHS Prin-
cipal Ronnie Wilson will
make the presentation.
‘Kings Revue’’, a 17
member group of choral and
band students from the
Junior and Senior High
Schools, will present special
Requests
Presented
Kings Mountain District
Schools anticipates a budget
of $2,942,477 for the 1986-87
school year and Monday
night authorized Supt.
William Davis to present re-
quests of $1,552,598 for cur-
rent expenses and $287,761 for
capital outlay to the
Cleveland County commis-
sioners.
Those figures represent in-
creases of about 20 percent
for current expenses and 10
percent for capital outlay,
‘Davis said.
In a proposed budget which
Davis prepared for school
funds was originally
$1,421,598. The board
authorized Davis to add
$131,000 to that amount to try
to save the jobs of four
teachers and five aides. If the
county board does not ap-
Turn To Page 8-A
authority to the six commis-
sioners, upon recommenda-
tion of department heads,
and means the six must also
meet in personel meetings
to approve pay r.ises and
department head reco. men-
dations on promotions
HELEN MARVIN
music as entertainment for
the banquet, which is spon-
sored by Kings Mountain’s
financial institutions, in-
cluding BB&T, First Citizens,
First Union, Home Federal
and First Federal Savings
and Loan Associations.
Following the banquet, the
new members of the National
Honor Society will be in-
ducted in ceremonies in the
board members, the request |,
for county current expense |
KMSHS library.
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