While raising his right hand and reciting a prepared oath, Dr. Travis Reeves was sworn in as the new superintendent of county schools at the Ashe County Board of Education Central Annex Tuesday evening.

Clerk of Ashe County Superior Court Pam Barlow swore Reeves in while board members and Reeves’ family looked on. The evening marked Reeves first board of education meeting in Ashe County although he did not officially take office until Wednesday morning. Reeves, the former Eastern Guilford High School principal, replaced retiring schools’ chief Donnie Johnson.

Following Reeves’ inauguration, the board formally recognized Ashe County Middle School for maintaining the status as a National Schools to Watch. With the recertification, ACMS became one of only 79 schools nationwide to adorn the title as a NSTW.

ACMS Principal Bobby Ashley approached the board to share some background information on the middle school’s designation as a school to watch. According to Ashley, the process for certification as NSTW began with former Principal Nancy Reaves in 2002. ACMS became a NSTW the following year in 2003. Ashley explained that he inherited the process in 2004 and assisted the school in the recertification process in 2006.

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform requires schools to become recertified as NSTW designation every three years. The middle school received the designation once again for 2009.

Board member A.B. Weaver commented on the significance of the middle school’s inclusion in the elite classification as a School to Watch.

“I’m proud to be a part of the continuing saga having to do with the national recognition of our middle school,” Weaver said. “It is the epitome of teamwork.

“This is a very elite group of schools in the U.S.,” Weaver continued. “We’re one of five schools by some measure,s and I am extremely proud of that.”

In his first moment of floor time, Reeves joined Weaver in commemorating ACMS and Ashley. Reeves approached the podium to congratulate Ashley on the middle school’s recertification under the NSTW designation. Both Reeves and Ashley were finalists for the superintendent position this spring.

In other business, the school board passed a motion to approve an interim budget resolution for the 2009-10 school year. Reeves explained that an interim budget is necessary when the state has yet to pass a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. By passing the interim budget, the school system can operate for the year until a finalized budget is provided.

North Carolina has already passed an interim budget to operate under until the state House, Senate, and Gov. Bev Perdue can reconcile their proposed budgets.

“On Monday, I talked with Rep. Cullie Tarleton and Sen. Steve Goss and the impression I got from them is that it may a week to several weeks before we have a final budget,” Reeves said.

The current deficit is measured by some to be at approximately $4.6 billion.