News

When it came time to name a new director of facilities maintenance, Lenoir County Public Schools had to look no farther than a middle school principal prized for his experience with LCPS, appreciated for his nuts-and-bolts knowledge of school operations and renowned for his get-it-done attitude.

Dr. Stephanie Harrell, the STEM Coordinator for Lenoir County Public Schools, is one of only 15 educators
statewide selected for the 2025–26 NC Space Education Ambassadors program, a NASA-affiliated
initiative housed at NC State University through the NC Space Grant.

Jessica Jones, who was honored in March as LCPS’s Career and Technical Teacher of the Year, has now earned a spot on the short list of finalists for the 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Career and Technical Teacher of the Year Award.

On Thursday, at its annual Retirement Luncheon, Lenoir County Public Schools celebrated the people and the process by honoring 36 individuals, including Hunter, who – at least for now – are calling the 2024-2025 school year their last. The retirees, in aggregate, represent 952 years of service. They wrapped up their careers at 21 different LCPS schools and departments, completing tenures that ranged in length from 16 to 45 years.

The Lenoir County Public Schools Class of 2025 was celebrated in five graduation ceremonies over the past month, culminating Saturday with nearly 600 students receiving diplomas from South Lenoir High School, Kinston High and North Lenoir High. Earlier ceremonies were held for the 11 graduates of Lenoir County Learning Academy on Friday, and for the 53 seniors of Lenoir County Early College High School in May.

Lenoir County Public Schools is expanding and refreshing its lineup of summer programs, offering rising 6th through 12th-grade students a series of immersive and engaging experiences that blend academics, career exploration and hands-on learning.

Contentnea-Savannah K-8 School has been added to a growing list of Lenoir County Public Schools campuses recommended to the State Board of Education for recognition as North Carolina STEM Schools of Distinction—joining earlier recommendations for E.B. Frink Middle School and Northwest Elementary.

The Lenoir County Schools Association of Educational Office Professionals (LCSAEOP) gathered last Thursday for its annual banquet, a celebration of service, scholarship, and excellence across the district. The event featured the installation of new officers, recognition of student scholarship recipients, and the presentation of two of the organization’s highest honors: Educational Office Professional of the Year and Administrator of the Year.

Lenoir County Public Schools is proud to announce that two of its school nutrition professionals have received top honors from the North Carolina School Nutrition Association, marking a rare and outstanding achievement for the district.

In a contest where tweaking can often tell the story, eighth-grade engineering students from Woodington Middle School stuck with the plan Wednesday in defending their title in the annual LCC STEM Challenge.