Rachel Keith

On Friday, thousands of educators attended the ‘Kids Against Corporations’ rally sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Educators. WHQR spoke with a leader from the New Hanover County chapter.

On this episode, Rachel Keith sits down with Ray Funderburk III, who recently settled with Cape Fear Community College three years after he was ousted from its board of trustees. Plus, Kelly Kenoyer talks with UNCW economist Mouhcine Gouttabi about potential economic impacts of a toll bridge over the Cape Fear River, which is looking increasingly likely.

Last month, the UNCW Faculty Senate officially voted to dissolve the Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. That committee was officially a part of the Senate's bylaws, so the vote required a two-thirds majority. While the meeting minutes only mentioned that the motion carried, a university spokesperson said the vote was 58-5.

New Hanover County Schools improved on a majority of metrics measured by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's Teacher Working Conditions survey, which is produced every two years. Compared to 2022, they also had a higher response rate of 94%, with feedback from 1,772 teachers districtwide.

Cape Fear Community College's legal bills with their firm Ward and Smith, P.A., have increased significantly since former CFCC trustee Ray Funderburk filed suit after the board removed him in March 2023. However, the lack of itemized legal billing means the actual impact remains unclear.

After roughly two decades operating out of modular units that lack many of the amenities of traditional school buildings, plans to give Isaac Bear Early College a proper facility are still in limbo, with the existing agreement between New Hanover County Schools and UNCW set to expire.

Recently, UNCW restructured the Center for Gender Studies and Research under the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. In the process, the director of Gender Studies lost their position. WHQR reporter Rachel Keith spoke with Brenna Flanagan of Port City Daily about what happened.

The New Hanover County school board voted unanimously at its agenda review meeting on Tuesday to have a public hearing on LifeWise Academy before the August board meeting. The official date hasn't been set.

This school year, New Hanover County Schools received a $570,144 federal grant to improve academic achievement for certain student subgroups. These funds will be available each year over a three-year period for a total of over $1.5 million.

Aaleah McConnell has an intimate look at how the family of Edilberto Espinoza-Sierra is coping with grief and searching for justice, after the 21-year-old was killed by law enforcement in March. Plus, Rachel Keith and Ben Schachtman dig into public school funding, with a look at this year's budget – and some potential issues on the horizon.