NEWTON — The Catawba County Board of Education received the North Carolina School Boards Association’s Silver Bell Award at its meeting Monday night. The award recognized the board’s “commitment to whole-board training during the 2025–26 academic year,” according to Catawba County Schools.
The district announced the award in a Facebook post after the board’s 6 p.m. regular meeting at the Catawba County Schools Center for Administrative Services on North Anderson Avenue. The post also congratulated board member Michelle Teague “for completing more than 120 hours of training.”
The award was presented during the superintendent’s recognitions, according to the meeting livestream.
What the Silver Bell means
The Silver Bell is one of two whole-board awards in the school boards association’s recognition program. The association gives the Silver Bell to a board “when every member has actively worked towards meeting their 12 hours of training” between July 1 and June 30. The Gold Bell goes to a board on which every member earned 12 hours of training in that window, according to NCSBA.
The district did not say how many training hours each member logged during 2025-26.
State law requires every local school board member, elected or appointed, to get at least 12 clock hours of training every two years. The training must cover public school law, school finance and the duties of local boards. It can come from NCSBA, the UNC School of Government or other qualified providers the board chooses, under G.S. 115C-50.
NCSBA also recognizes individual members on a scale of cumulative training hours. For example, 101 to 200 hours earns a Certificate of Achievement. Teague received NCSBA’s Certificate of Achievement, for 100 to 200 hours of training, according to the meeting livestream.
Who is on the board
The seven-member board is elected countywide to four-year terms, according to the district. Its members are Chair Tim Settlemyre, Vice Chair April Underwood, David Goforth, Clayton Mullis, Don Sigmon, Michelle Teague and Greg Whitener.
Teague was first elected in 2022 and is in her first term, according to her district biography.
Other business Monday
At the start of the same meeting, the board removed proposed Policy 9.2500, the Catawba County Schools Flag Display Policy, from its agenda without a vote. Read the updated story.
Disclosure: Catawba First News publisher Tom Dees ran for the Catawba County Board of Education in 2026 and is chairman of the Catawba Valley Republican Men.
As of publication: Catawba County Schools had not posted a news release about the award on its website. NCSBA had not published a list of 2025-26 Bell Award recipients. The district had not said how many hours each member completed during the year.
Earlier coverage: Catawba County Schools board pulled flag display policy from Monday’s agenda without a vote
Source note
- Catawba County Schools, Facebook post on the Silver Bell Award and photos, Sept. 28, 2026.
- Catawba County Board of Education, regular meeting tentative agenda and public notice for Sept. 28, 2026 (catawbaschools.net, School Board page, 2026-27 agendas).
- Catawba County Schools, School Board page, member list and biographies.
- North Carolina School Boards Association, “Board Member Training”, Bell Award criteria and recognition levels.
- N.C. General Statutes, G.S. 115C-50, “Training of board members”.
- Catawba County Board of Education, livestream video of the Sept. 28, 2026, regular meeting (board YouTube channel, @ccsboard).
- Tip: Catawba County Schools Facebook post, Sept. 28, 2026, shared with Catawba First News.
Cover: Members of the Catawba County Board of Education pose with the North Carolina School Boards Association’s Silver Bell Award at the board’s Sept. 28, 2026, meeting in Newton. Photo: Catawba County Schools.
