What Happened at the March 30th Montgomery County, NC School Board Meeting — And What It Means for You

Meeting Coverage | MoCo's Voice Montgomery County Schools Board of Education

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The Short Version

The state of North Carolina sent representatives from the Department of Public Instruction directly to a Montgomery County Schools board meeting to report on the district's progress. Their message was clear: the work is real, the partnership is strong, and the results will take time — but the district is moving in the right direction under Dr. Roseboro's leadership.

Here is what the public needs to know.

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Why the State Is Involved

Montgomery County Schools is currently operating under district improvement status — meaning the state has stepped in to provide technical support and oversight. This happened because six of the district's schools were classified as low-performing for multiple consecutive years:

Under state law, when at least 50% of a district's schools are on the low-performing list for three consecutive years, the entire district qualifies for intervention. That threshold was met, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) began formal technical support.

This is not a new problem. These schools did not become low-performing overnight. The conditions that led to this status were years in the making, long before Dr. Roseboro arrived.

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What the State Said About Dr. Roseboro's Leadership

Two representatives from NCDPI's District Legal Support Team, Dr. Alethea Taylor and Dr. Jamie Stroud, appeared before the board in person to deliver their assessment. Their remarks were direct and unambiguous.

"Montgomery County School really has exhibited a collaborative spirit and partnership with us, and it's one like no other. We really are proud of the work and the partnership that has happened thus far." — Dr. Alethea Taylor, NCDPI

The DPI team described a structured, multi-phase improvement process that has been built in genuine collaboration with Dr. Roseboro and her staff. That process includes:

• A two-day district improvement planning session held in July 2025, where central office staff, principals, and the superintendent worked together to develop a shared mission and vision for the district
• A root cause analysis was conducted with district staff to identify the real reasons students are struggling
• Needs assessment visits to every school between November 2025 and January 2026, involving classroom observations, teacher focus groups, student focus groups, and interviews with school and district leadership
• Weekly senior leadership meetings and monthly professional learning communities for principals and assistant principals
• A collaborative meeting structure that brings DPI specialists, district leaders, and principals together side by side

The state's conclusion, based on all of this work, is that Montgomery County Schools is on the right path.

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What the District Is Working On

The DPI team identified clear strengths across the district, things that are already working and need to be protected and expanded:

What is going well: Strong school culture and climate across the district. Students are showing respectful behavior. Teachers are maintaining orderly classrooms. Principals and instructional leaders are visible and actively engaged with students and staff throughout the school day. Schools are using targeted intervention programs, both during and after school, to address student learning needs.

What still needs work: The DPI team was equally honest about areas that need improvement. The most significant need identified across the district is increasing instructional rigor, meaning students need to be challenged at higher levels, asked to think more deeply, and engaged in more meaningful academic dialogue. The district also needs to make better use of data to drive instructional decisions, and professional development needs to be more focused and targeted.

The professional development plan going forward will center on rigorous instruction, student engagement, instructional monitoring, and coaching for instructional leaders.

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The Timeline: This Will Take 3 to 5 Years

One of the most important things said at this meeting, and one that the public needs to hear, is this:

"Any consistent action that is constant and there is some process and procedures that have been laid and put in place, any notable change that will make a sustained impact and long lasting, it will not go away overnight. Long lasting change takes 3 to 5 years." — Dr. Jamie Stroud, NCDPI

The state was explicit: they are not expecting overnight results. They are looking for sustained, systemic change, the kind that does not disappear when leadership changes or when political pressure mounts. That kind of change takes time, and the research is clear on this.

This matters for the community to understand. Anyone who is demanding that Dr. Roseboro produce dramatic test score improvements in one or two years is either ignorant of how school improvement works or is not being honest about their real agenda.

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Questions the Board Asked, And One That Went Unanswered

Board members asked several follow-up questions of the DPI team. One exchange stands out.

A board member asked how many students have been taking advantage of the after-school tutoring program that has been implemented district-wide. The DPI representative's answer: "We'll have to get that data and share with you. I don't have that right here with me."

A follow-up request was made for the data to be broken down by school, to know which schools are seeing students show up and which are not.

That data has not yet been provided publicly. MoCo's Voice will follow up to ensure the community receives it.

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Recognition: Teachers and a Departing Counsel

The meeting opened with two recognitions worth noting.

National Board Certified Teachers: The district recognized teachers who have achieved National Board Certification, one of the most rigorous professional credentials available to educators. Dr. Roseboro expressed the district's goal of expanding the number of nationally board-certified teachers and using current recipients as mentors.

Max Garner: The board presented a special recognition to Max Garner for his years of service as legal counsel for the Montgomery County School District from 1996 to 2026.

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The Bottom Line

The state of North Carolina came to a Montgomery County Schools board meeting and told the public, on the record, that the district is doing the work. The partnership between Dr. Roseboro's team and NCDPI is described as exceptional. The improvement plan is real, structured, and aligned with state standards.

The problems in this district are deep and long-standing. They were not created in the last year. They will not be solved in the next year. What the community needs, and what the state is asking for, is the time and stability to let the work happen.

That requires leadership stability. It requires a superintendent who is allowed to do her job.

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MoCo's Voice covers Montgomery County Schools board meetings and public proceedings so that every resident has access to what is being decided in their name. If you attended this meeting or have information to share, contact us at [email protected].

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