Harnett schools seek teachers

Assistant Superintendent Monica Thompson reviewed human resources at the June 30, 2025, Harnett County Board of Education regular meeting.

The county had 24 vacancies last year and has 12 vacancies now. Exceptional Learning had 19 vacancies last year and now has 16.

Thompson said they lost bus drivers when the county hired them as teacher assistants.

According to the board’s provided data sheet, Harnett County Schools experienced several retirements and resignations. Three longtime teachers, Lial Miller from Highland Middle, Angela Jones from Overhills High, and Gary Pierce from Triton High, plan to retire between July and September 2025.

One assistant principal, Tamika Morris of Western Harnett High, resigned, effective June 30.

In total, 19 teachers resigned from schools across the county, with Highland Elementary seeing the most with three departures. Most of these resignations happened at the end of the school year.

Four teacher assistants, one school counselor, one school nutrition worker, three custodians, and a transportation clerk left their roles.

The district hired 29 new teachers, with multiple additions at Highland Middle, Anderson Creek Primary, and Northwest Harnett Elementary. They added 13 new teacher assistants and 20 bus drivers, to cover past turnover and meet growing transportation needs.

Read the data sheet from the  Harnett County School Board here.

Michelle Vuncannon presented an update on teacher recruitment efforts through the Growing Greatness Program as seen here.

Growing Greatness lost a couple of teachers last year to other school districts, so this year, the participants signed a legally binding agreement to exchange a year of learning from master teachers for a year of teaching in Harnett County.

The board approved pay increases for school board members to align with the board of commissioners’ pay increases. Each will earn $610 per month for travel. Members earn $15,000 per year, while the vice chair earns $15,570 and the chair earns $16,500 beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026.

The board entered a contract with Synovia Solutions LLC, a Cal/Amp company, for routing 288 buses and a Global Positioning System software system for parents at $148,435.20 yearly. The software tracks, monitors and protects assets and passengers. Learn more about the buss software here.

Parents will need the Here Comes the Bus app for the new school year.

In other action items, Harnett County Schools’ Capital Improvement Project for LaFayette Year-Round School included the purchase of ten 10-ton 460v three-phase Bosch water heat pumps. The board approved the $ 150,299.90 purchase from United Refrigeration Inc.

Assistant Superintendent Chris Pearson reviewed upgrading, installing and training for the building automation system at Overhills High School. The board approved the $375,000 capital improvement project with Automated Logic Contracting Services Inc from Morrisville.

Automated Logic Contracting Services Inc agreed to install and supply digital controls for Overhills High School for chilled and hot water systems, single and multi-program air handling units, HVAC units and boxes, exhaust fans, lighting circuits, 13 hot water heaters and an outdoor air sensor.

The contractor will replace controllers in the athletic section, connect existing to the server, modify standard ALC graphic displays, replace associated wiring, conduit and terminators and submit engineering drawings.

Automated Logic Contracting Services Inc agreed to complete the project by Dec. 31, 2025.

June 30, 2025

Stephanie M. Sellers