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The WS/FCS Board of Education and the NCSBA have confirmed the following dates, times, and locations for students, staff, parents, and any interested community members to attend community forums designed so the board can hear directly from stakeholders about the qualities and characteristics desired in the next superintendent:

• 8 a.m. on Wednesday, April 24, at Northwest Middle School, located at 5501 Murray Road in Winston-Salem

• Noon on Thursday, April 25, at Clemmons Elementary School, located at 6200 Bingham Ave. in Clemmons

• 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, at Venture Café, located at 486 Patterson Ave. in Winston-Salem

• 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, at Carver High School, located at 3545 Carver School Road in Winston-Salem

• 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7, at East Forsyth High School, located at 2500 W. Mountain St. in Kernersville

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education has hired the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) to help facilitate its search for the next superintendent of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS). To that end, the board is seeking direct input from interested students, parents, other members of the community, and staff to help shape the search process and to assist in defining the qualities and characteristics desired in the next WS/FCS superintendent.

The board invites students to participate in a special student survey that can be accessed and completed online by clicking the superintendent search survey link on the main WS/FCS website at https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/113552. For students without personal access to the internet at home, the schools have computers with internet access available for student use. All surveys must be completed by Wednesday, May 8, with results to be compiled, summarized and presented by NCSBA at the regularly scheduled board meeting on Tuesday, May 14.

The board also invites parents and other community members to participate in a community survey that can be accessed and completed online by clicking the superintendent search survey link on the main WS/FCS website at https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/ . For parents and other community members without personal access to the internet at home, the Forsyth County Public Library has computers with internet access available for public use. All surveys must be completed by Wednesday, May 8, with results to be compiled, summarized and presented by NCSBA at the regularly scheduled board meeting on Tuesday, May 14.

In addition, all employees of WS/FCS will have an opportunity to complete a separate online staff survey. Details about completing the employee version of the superintendent search survey will be communicated via school system e-mail.

Students, parents, staff and other members of the community are also invited to attend one or more upcoming community forums, which are tentatively scheduled for 8 a.m. on April 24; noon on April 25; 7 p.m. on May 2; 2 p.m. on May 4; and 6:30 p.m. on May 7. The community forums will further allow the board to hear directly from stakeholders about the qualities and characteristics desired in the next WS/FCS superintendent. Planning for the community forums is currently ongoing, and additional information regarding the forums, including the locations, will be shared as soon as possible. Please mark these dates on your calendar and plan to attend one of the community forums at your convenience.

In addition to input received from the surveys and community forums, local groups and organizations may submit written statements regarding the leadership qualities that they consider important in the next superintendent. Such statements should be submitted to Allison Schafer via mail at NCSBA, P.O. Box 97877, Raleigh, N.C., 27624, via e-mail at aschafer@ncsba.org, or via fax at 919-841-4020. These statements should be received no later than Wednesday, May 8.

Students, parents, staff and other members of the community may also may sign up to address the board during the public comment period at any of the upcoming regularly scheduled board meetings, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on April 30 and May 14. The meetings will be held in the auditorium of the education building, located at 4801 Bethania Station Road in Winston-Salem. All individuals and groups must sign up to speak before the meeting begins and must otherwise comply with applicable board policy.