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The day before Halloween at Northwest Elementary School, the reading lesson for Leah Jones’ kindergarten class centered on “Pumpkin Jack,” a story about children who carved a jack-o-lantern, set it outside to melt into the ground and, when the time came, saw its leftover seeds grow into vines, flowers and little Pumpkin Jacks. But in this teacher’s telling, there was much more to the story.

Lenoir County Public Schools educators have once again proven that innovation thrives in their classrooms, and this year their bright ideas are shining brighter than ever.

For the 2025-2026 school year, 65 LCPS teachers have been selected to receive Bright Ideas Grants from Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation, earning a combined $51,602.16 to bring creative, hands-on learning projects to life. This marks a new high for LCPS, surpassing last year’s record of 62 winners and $47,685.41 in grant funding.

At a school with nearly 800 students, from four-year-old pres-choolers to 14-year-old middle-schoolers, learning can be loud and active. That’s exactly how teachers and staff at ​​​​​Contentnea-Savannah K-8 School want it.

When the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education added to the roster of STEM Schools of Distinction with a high-profile announcement last month, no school district in the state added more names to that list than Lenoir County Public Schools.

The recognition of Northwest Elementary School, EB Frink Middle School and Contentnea-Savannah K-8 School made LCPS one of only two districts with multiple honorees this year and, on the list of 63 STEM Schools of Distinction accumulating since 2014, one of only four districts with three or more recognized schools.

If their students turned the tables and asked what they did this summer, two LCPS teachers could regale them with an account of travel abroad and an all-expense-paid professional development opportunity that opened their eyes to a different culture and another system of classroom instruction.

Elizabeth Hamm, an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at EB Frink Middle School, and Jillian Campbell, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Woodington Middle School, joined more than 40 other teachers from across North Carolina for a 10-day trip to the Netherlands in June.

With local employers hungry for qualified workers and more students anxious to go to work, Lenoir County Public Schools has stepped up with instructional programs and personalized assistance that high school graduates can literally take to the bank.