CSS annual meeting scheduled for Nov. 9
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on October 29, 2017 1:45 AM
Communities Supporting Schools in Wayne County has much to share at its annual community partner meeting next month, including a keynote speaker in charge of juvenile programs for the state of North Carolina.
This year's event will be held at First Baptist Church on John Street in Goldsboro, on Thursday, Nov. 9. At 9 a.m., coffee and doughnuts will be available and the meeting will kick off at 9:30, said Selena Bennett, CSS executive director.
"This is our community partners meeting, where we invite all of them and open it up to the public, anybody is welcome to attend," she said. "We'll be celebrating our successes from the past year.
"We'll highlight things like our data, the number of students served in our programs and also it will be a time where we highlight our direction because of the fact we have pulled out of our state and national network."
The former Communities in Schools agency changed its name, and its affiliation to non-profit status, effective July 1. Other agencies in the state have made similar changes and continued as independents.
Bennett said she is especially pleased to have a speaker at this year's event, William Lassiter, deputy secretary of juvenile justice with the N.C. Department of Public Safety.
His role is pertinent now that "raise the age" legislation was recently passed, which means that 16- to 18-year-olds will no longer be prosecuted as adults, she said.
"There's a lot going on within the state of how to charge children," Bennett said. "We thought it was timely to get Billy to come and be the keynote speaker.
"He has a background with DPI (N.C. Department of Public Instruction) in the area of gangs and bullying."
The subject is pertinent to CSS because of one of its programs, Teen Court, she said.
"There will be some affect on Teen Court. We anticipate our numbers will increase," she said. "But across the state they have got to put more juvenile probation officers in place. They have got to look at where the money is coming from.
"It's a great thing that we got juveniles back where they should be but at the same time we have got to look at the impact of what this legislation is going to mean."
CSS has many partnerships in the county, Bennett says -- from law enforcement and school resource officers to the district attorney's office and the court system -- and ongoing meetings about the changes have been held in recent months.
"We want to be sure that juveniles are going to be served appropriately and that the proper sanctions are in place with this raise the age legislation," Bennett said.
In addition to partners and supporters of CSS, the public is also welcome to attend the annual meeting, she said.
"We use this meeting as a way of not only showcasing what we have done the previous year but thanking all the partners who have supported us throughout the previous years," she said. "We try to highlight all of our programs.
"We'll discuss the success coach program, as well as the Teen Court program and also the importance of the mentors who are working with us in the community."
The event is free, but registration is encouraged, by calling 919-735-1432 or emailing sbennett@waynecss.org. To learn more about CSS and programs, visit the website, waynecss.org.