The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners announced on May 1 that it is inviting county residents to apply for appointments to several local boards and committees. Applications are due by May 29 for consideration at the June 15 meeting, and forms can be found online at Commissioners.NHCgov.com.
This effort aims to increase public involvement in county government by filling vacancies on a range of advisory groups. The list includes the Airlie Gardens Foundation, Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees, Cape Fear Museum Advisory Board, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, New Hanover County ABC Board, Adult Home Care Community Advisory Committee, Airport Authority, Health and Human Services Board (licensed dentist category), Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (juvenile defense attorney and under age 21 categories), Library Advisory Board, Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Tourism Development Authority (vacation rental properties owner/manager category), and Parks Conservancy of New Hanover County board.
Applicants must reside within New Hanover County. According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, education outcomes in the county show that among senior students taking the science portion of the ACT during the 2022-23 school year, about 30 percent were considered ready for college. Among juniors taking the same test in science that year, roughly 27 percent met college readiness standards.
For reading skills measured by the ACT in the same period, nearly 44 percent of seniors were deemed college-ready while about 41 percent of juniors reached this benchmark according to state data. In math performance on the ACT exam during this timeframe, approximately 30 percent of seniors and around 32 percent of juniors achieved scores indicating they were prepared for college-level coursework as reported by education officials.
The call for applications comes as local leaders continue efforts to engage more residents in shaping policies affecting schools and community services. Broader participation may help address ongoing challenges such as educational achievement across key subject areas.
