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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.

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.

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.

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.

Zaryah Bracy doesn’t wear her story on her sleeve—but listen long enough, and you’ll hear one of Kinston High School’s most powerful turnarounds in recent memory.

Once a student adrift in grief and anger, Zaryah served as  the captain of the Kinston High School JROTC Color Guard and one of the newest LCPS graduates in the Class of 2025. Her transformation didn’t happen overnight—but it started with a simple decision to walk into a classroom that would change everything.