News Stories

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction today announced the launch of the North Carolina Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council, a new statewide initiative designed to strengthen meaningful family engagement in public education and support implementation of the state’s Strategic Plan.

Discovery Education has named Burke County Public Schools educator Holly Thomas a 2026 Educator of the Year as part of the 2026 Discovery Education Awards program.

The Northwest Regional Educational Service Alliance (NWRESA) has named Burke County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan the 2027 Regional Superintendent of the Year, recognizing his innovative leadership, commitment to student success and dedication to strengthening public education across western North Carolina.

Burke County Public Schools and Chartwells K12 will offer free lunch to children in the community all summer long. Families can choose one of multiple options including daily cafeteria lunches, weekly meal bundles and, later this summer, daily lunch from the M.E.A.L. Mobile food truck.

Burke County Public Schools will relocate Hallyburton Academy to a dedicated wing inside Draughn High School beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year.

The relocation will serve approximately 30 Hallyburton students. Both schools will retain separate identities...
 

Burke County Public Schools has named Table Rock Middle School eighth-grade math teacher Jonathan Morgan as the district’s 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year. Morgan is a native of Morganton and graduated from Patton High School. He attended Western Piedmont Community College and went on to graduate from Western Carolina University with a bachelor’s of science in education.

Middle school students from Walter Johnson Middle School joined peers from across North Carolina on Thursday, March 5, 2026, to participate in Conexiones para la Acción Diplomática (CAD), a Spanish-language global diplomacy simulation hosted by Participate Learning at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

The North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA) has honored Burke County Public Schools for excellence in communications. BCPS earned a total of 10 Blue Ribbon Awards for outstanding and effective communication. NCSPRA presented the awards during a special ceremony held at the Guilford County Schools Community Education Center in Greensboro, NC, on March 6, 2026.

Congratulations to our middle and high school regional science fair winners! Students from across the district earned top honors in multiple categories in the Regional Science Fair held on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Watauga High School in Boone. The students will advance to the state competition at NC State University in Raleigh on March 21.

Burke County Public Schools Archery Programs were well represented last weekend at the National Archery in the Schools Program NC State Bullseye Tournament in Winston-Salem as 16 schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels competed in team and individual challenges. East Burke High School took first place overall in high school team competition. In individual competitions, first place champs were East Burke High School’s Luke D. for high school boys and Icard Elementary School’s Bailey B. for elementary school girls. The next step for many of our top archers is Nationals later this spring in Kentucky.

The assignment: create a poster showing what a healthy heart looks like. These three Burke County Public Schools fourth graders didn’t just understand the assignment, they nailed it, earning top honors in the annual American Heart Association and UNC Health Blue Ridge Healthy HeART Art Contest:

An eighth-grade student from East Burke Middle School has been named the Middle Division winner in the North Carolina Art Education Association's Youth Art Month Flag Design contest,

From testing whether music can influence living things to measuring the impact of natural disasters, curious young scientists in Burke County Public Schools put the scientific method to the test, conducted experiments on probing questions and displayed their findings on colorful tri-fold boards. Their work culminated in the annual Burke County secondary education science fair and awards on Tuesday evening at Liberty Middle School. In all, 33 students completed 21 projects with 1st- and 2nd-place winners advancing to a regional science fair Feb. 7.

In a joint effort with the Burke County Board of Commissioners, Burke County Public Schools received a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services to purchase walk-through metal detectors for high school and middle school athletic events.

Three Burke County Public Schools students will soon be the first graduates of the Navigate Internship Program in the district. The culinary internship, a partnership with Chartwells K12 and Navigate, gives students interested in food service and hospitality real-world experience by working in BCPS cafeterias preparing meals, serving lunch and learning about inventory in K-12 kitchens.

The Burke County Board of Education had a Special Called Community Meeting at Icard and HIldebran Elementary Schools to discuss the proposed new eastern elementary schools.  The meeting took place on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, and Thursday, October 2, 2025.

* Update - School Facilities Study document added December 3, 2025

North Carolina students achieved a three-year high in most standardized tests at the end of the 2024-25 academic year, according to the annually released test data that was presented to the State Board of Education today.  Students scored higher in 12 of 15 math and reading assessments, with only third-grade reading, English II and NC Math I trailing the 2023-24 results.
 

The Burke County Board of Education is aware of an article recently published regarding a lawsuit filed against the district by a former employee alleging that she was terminated due to raising safety concerns at Drexel Elementary School.

When you first hear that your child will receive Exceptional Children’s services, it’s normal to feel uncertain. What will his or her typical day at school look like? What will his or her classroom be like? Will my child be happy? Will he or she be understood? This video about Burke County Public Schools Exceptional Children's services will help put your mind at ease and answer your questions and more.
 

Andrea Gladden, a Technical Education and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) teacher at East Burke Middle School, was recently selected from hundreds of applicants nationwide to participate in the prestigious Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP) fellowship in Germany.

Burke County Public Schools is closely reviewing the impact of a nearly $1 million freeze in federal funding due to an ongoing nationwide review by the U.S. Department of Education. The funding delay, totaling $987,612 for BCPS, affects key services that support instruction, health, safety and English Language Learner programs.

Burke County Board of Education resolution no. 2025-06-16 -  a resolution encouraging balanced instruction through reduced screen use

Burke County Public Schools and Chartwells K12 will offer free lunch to children in the community all summer long. Families can choose one of multiple options including daily cafeteria lunches, weekly meal bundles and, later this summer, daily lunch from the M.E.A.L. Mobile food truck.

The moves are the result of several retirements in the system.  Swan said, “We celebrate and extend our heartfelt gratitude to the three valued members of our administrative team who are retiring. Their careers have been marked by dedication and service to public education, and we thank them for the impact they’ve made on our schools and community.

The North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA) has honored Burke County Public Schools for excellence in communications. The district’s public relations and communications team made up of Public Relations Officer Cheryl Shuffler and Child Nutrition Marketing and Communications Specialist Bethany Duncan, earned 10 Blue Ribbon Awards

Salem Elementary School kindergarten teacher Jamie Lynn Dale has been named a recipient of the prestigious 2025 Career Award for STEM Teachers (CAST), an honor recognizing outstanding educators in North Carolina who demonstrate a profound commitment to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. 

Drexel Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Melissa McClure has been named Burke County Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year. District leaders surprised McClure and her students with the announcement during music class on Monday.

Burke County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan said, “Congratulations to Mrs. McClure on this well-deserved honor.

A message to parents of rising Kindergarteners for the 2025-26 school year:

Burke County Public Schools is pleased to announce that a new dual language immersion program will be launched for the 2025-26 upcoming school year!

The parent meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday evening, February 25, 2025 at 5:30pm in the media center at Mountain View Elementary School. The purpose of this meeting is for families interested in the Global Immersion Academy for their rising Kindergartener for the 2025-26 school year.

Recent federal policy changes have removed previous guidance that discouraged immigration enforcement actions in schools. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) now has the authority to conduct enforcement actions—including arrests, interviews, and document requests—on school property.

The Destination Imagination (DI) team at Heritage Middle School, under the guidance of 7th-grade teacher Michael McQuaid, is making waves with a groundbreaking service learning project that merges STEM education and community service. Responding to the lasting impacts of Hurricane Helene, the team is focusing their efforts on aiding displaced and abandoned animals while promoting sustainable solutions for pet welfare.

Burke County Public Schools has teamed up with Western Piedmont Community College, Appalachian State University and Work in Burke to host a career fair focussed on work in the education field. The event is planned for Feb. 11, 2025, at 4:45 p.m. at Patton High School. Work in Burke is sponsoring a free hot dog supper, and the event will include door prizes.

BCPS will host a hurricane relief donation drop off event from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Burke County Schools Warehouse 412 Kirksey Dr. Morganton NC, 28655. After conducting a student and staff survey of needs, here are the Top 5 our families have asked for:  Non Perishable Food, Hygiene Products, Batteries, Propane Canisters, Formula/Diapers

Additional needs include blankets, gently used/new clothing (child through adult sizes) and socks and shoes.

Then on Monday, Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon students and staff will be able to receive donated items at the same location.

During an emergency called meeting at noon today, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, via phone, the Burke County Board of Education heard a district-wide update from Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan following the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has announced the appointment of Burke County resident Seth P. Hunt, Jr., to the N C State Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators (NCSBENHA). The term of Hunt’s appointment is three years. The Board is responsible for, but not limited to, the exclusive authority to determine the qualifications, skill, and fitness of any person to serve as an administrator or administrator preceptor of the over 400 nursing homes in North Carolina

Burke County Public Schools is preparing to implement new federal regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act regarding certain exempt employees. These new rules from the Department of Labor take effect July 1, 
 

Burke County Public Schools is in the “Examination Period” phase for purchasing a new property at 305 W. Union St., Morganton, to relocate Central Office. The Board of Education has shown its commitment by voting to make an offer on this location at its May meeting.

Daniel K., a rising senior at Patton High School, has achieved a remarkable feat by earning a perfect score on the ACT, a standardized test widely used for college admissions. This impressive score of 36 came on his very first attempt.

Burke County Public Schools and Chartwells K12 will offer free lunch to children in the community all summer long. Starting Monday, June 10, the BCPS Summer Meal program will serve lunch Monday through Thursday each week at the Valdese Elementary School cafeteria and the Mountain View Elementary School cafeteria from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Heidi Galloway, social studies teacher at Liberty Middle School, was selected as a scholarship recipient to attend the Holocaust Educator Seminar in Poland this summer.  Galloway is one of five scholarship recipients
selected from among 127 teachers who applied.

As the country and the world counted down to Super Bowl LVIII and wondered if Taylor Swift would touch down from her Tokyo concert in time to watch her boyfriend’s team repeat as champions, our schools were busy tackling hunger. The 10th Annual BCPS Souperintendent’s Souper Bowl Canned Food Drive scored big this year by helping five local food pantries restock their shelves...

The North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA) has honored Burke County Public Schools for excellence in communications. BCPS earned a total of seven Blue Ribbon Awards for outstanding and effective communication. NCSPRA presented the awards during a special ceremony held in High Point, North Carolina on Feb. 9, 2024.

Burke County Public Schools is receiving a $42 million school construction grant. North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt visited Burke County on Friday to announce the grant award from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, which is revenue from the NC Education Lottery.

The Burke County Board of Education has adopted updates to policies and procedures on how school library and supplementary materials are selected and made available to students, how parents can review the material and the process for handling concerns about the material. The updates came during Monday’s regular board meeting...

BCPS hosted the district-wide Elementary School & Middle School Speech Contests on Wednesday at the Old Rock School in Valdese.  50 contestants gave speeches in four categories in the Elementary contest, and 31 contestants gave speeches in five categories in the Middle School contest.  Please "Read More" to see the results.

With the passing of Senate Bill 68 into law (SL 2023-143), Burke County Public Schools plans to increase supplemental pay for teachers. The Burke County Board of Education and the Burke County Board of Commissioners came together in early September for a joint resolution to repeal 40-year-old legislation that restricted funding streams for Burke County Public Schools.

Burke County Public Schools has named Patton High School Principal Dr. Dillon Sain the 2023-2024 Principal of the Year for the district. Sain’s fellow Burke County Public Schools principals nominated him for the honor, and he is now chosen to represent the district at the regional Principal of the Year level.

State test results from the 2022-23 school year presented to the State Board of Education today show that North Carolina students continued to recover ground lost to the COVID pandemic, with gains across virtually all grades, subjects and student subgroups.
In Burke County Public Schools, district leaders are celebrating how far students have come since COVID-19.

Today, Governor Roy Cooper hosted a roundtable discussion about the extreme NC General Assembly legislation that would undermine and underfund public education. At Western Guilford Middle School, the Governor was joined by school board leaders, superintendents, educators and local elected officials to discuss how these bills would have devastating impacts for North Carolina students, families and businesses.