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.

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.

Lenoir County Public Schools proudly hosted a successful EC Connections Fair on April 1st, bringing together families, educators and community partners to connect with essential resources and services for exceptional children.

At the newly revived Road-e-o competition, ten drivers from five LCPS schools guided a 72-student capacity, 26,000-pound, 36-foot-long bus through seven obstacles, testing their ability to maneuver in tight spaces, back into an enclosed area and come to a stop inches from an obstruction.

Each year, teams of young academics across the county put their book smarts to the test in two Battle of the Books competitions- middle/high school and elementary. Each competition is a fierce battle of knowledge, and this year was no different.

Where is Rhode Island?

The kindergarten students at Northwest Elementary could color the state in on their map of the USA – if only they had a postcard or letter from someone who lives there. The littlest state is also – as of Thursday morning – the last, the missing piece in the students’ quest to collect a mailing from a resident of each of the 50 states, a project that aims to teach them about the geography of the country and some interesting facts behind each state name.

Kinston High trumpeter Devin Hayes is heading to Fayetteville State University on a full-ride music scholarship, but before the senior says goodbye to high school he’ll say hello again – for the fourth time in as many years – to the LCPS All-County Band.

A triple-decker tribute to Arts in the Schools Month kicks off Saturday when more than 200 students from Lenoir County Public Schools take the stage for the 2025 edition of the All-County Chorus.

Three outstanding students from Lenoir County Public Schools are proving that hard work, leadership, and academic excellence open doors to incredible opportunities. South Lenoir High School’s Rachel Noble, as well as North Lenoir High School’s Lilli Daughety and Melissa Espino, have earned some of North Carolina’s most prestigious merit scholarships, setting them on a path toward bright futures at NC State University.