GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Thousands of students and teachers returned to the classroom across Gaston County’s 56 schools Wednesday morning.
"I can’t wait to have them back in the building," North Belmont Elementary School principal Justin Beam said.
Teachers say they anticipate students to come in with the energy and excitement that comes with the start of a new year.
"It kind of rejuvenates us as teachers when these students come in ready and excited to learn," Amanda Matz, a teacher at North Belmont Elementary School, said.
District leaders touted some things families can look forward to this year. More students are getting access to free breakfast and lunch, plus the district says more than 50 renovations projects were completed over the summer.
One glaring issue that plagued the district last year is still top of mind. Payroll problems, where many teachers went home with incorrect or missing paychecks.
"This is truly a nightmare situation that educators are living daily and it has created unnecessary stress and hardships," Elizabeth Haywood said.
Haywood and another teacher filed a lawsuit in North Carolina Superior Court alleging the school board's actions were negligent, unlawful and unconstitutional. The suit followed more than a year of protests from district employees asking for their paychecks to be corrected.
In a statement to WCNC Charlotte, Gaston County Schools says the issue is being resolved, saying the payroll system is “stable.”
“While the conversion of our payroll system has been less than optimal, we have made progress," the district's statement says. "We realize that no system Will be free of errors, and we are committed to addressing any errors that occur.”
While working to permanently resolve those payroll issues, the school district is also continuing to search for new leadership at the top.
Stephen Laws is serving as interim superintendent until a new leader is found.
Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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