Congressman Don Davis is back home in North Carolina and spent this week connecting with schools across his district.

One of his stops: Mariam Boyd Elementary School.

Upon his arrival, Warren County Schools welcomed Davis with open arms. He greeted staff, met with students, and shared words of encouragement as they gear up for a brand-new school year.

[See image gallery at warrenist.com]
Credit: Warrenist (August 25, 2025)

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Going back to school is always better with a little extra confidence—and that’s exactly what Warren County Schools and the Warren County High School Alumni Association delivered on Sunday, August 24.

Inside the Hawkins Educational Center, Warren County elementary students were treated to a one-of-a-kind pop-up barbershop experience. Local barbers Christen Freeman and Anthony Ray Young brought their clippers and their care, giving 30 students fresh haircuts that had them grinning ear to ear.

But the day didn’t stop there. Each child also received a free backpack stuffed with school essentials, plus a sweet, icy treat from Mac Scoops—Italian Icee that hit the spot on a warm August afternoon.

A mother of four was quoted to saying that she greatly appreciated what the school district was doing for the students before the first day of school. “Normally, I pay $50-60 for their haircuts. This really helps a lot.”

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Warren County law enforcement, Warren County Schools, and local government departments joined forces at the Warrenton Lions Den on August 16th to host what felt less like a school supplies giveaway and more like a community block party.

Families picked up free backpacks stocked with essentials, while the smell of hot dogs fresh off the grill filled the air. Chips and cold drinks kept everyone refreshed, and kids had a blast in their own play zone complete with a bouncy house and hula hoops—plenty of giggles included.

The real highlight? Seeing neighbors, leaders, and families come together in a genuine show of support for Warren County’s youth.

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Warren County Middle School (WCMS) has been selected as one of just 15 schools statewide to participate in the Golden LEAF Schools Initiative, a five-year, $25 million program aimed at boosting academic success and career readiness for North Carolina’s middle schoolers.

WCMS is expected to receive approximately $1.8 million in benefits over the next five years.

Funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation and led by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) in partnership with Marzano Resources, the initiative focuses on improving instruction, especially in math, and helping students connect what they learn in the classroom to real-world career opportunities.

“This initiative offers a rare combination of financial support, professional development, and resources that can make a real difference,” said Warren County Schools Superintendent Dr. Carol Montague-Davis. “Our students and staff deserve every opportunity to grow and thrive, and this grant gives us another way to support them.”

WCMS is expected to receive approximately $1.8 million in benefits over the next five years./ Crystal Myrick (Warrenist)

As a member of the Transformative Schools Cohort, WCMS will receive focused coaching, new math resources, and career development tools tailored to meet the needs of Warren County’s students and teachers.

“The Golden LEAF Schools Initiative will allow us to strengthen our teaching practices and create more meaningful learning experiences for our students,” said WCMS Principal Michelle Dunbar. “We’re excited to see how this investment helps both our students and staff grow.”

“The Golden LEAF Schools Initiative is a powerful first step toward our goal of ensuring that North Carolina’s public schools are the best in the nation,” said North Carolina State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green. “By investing in middle school math instruction – especially in our rural and economically challenged communities – we are building a foundation that prepares every student for college, careers and lifelong community engagement.”

The selection process was highly competitive and included a rigorous application and interview process involving district and school leadership.

“Golden LEAF is proud to fund this bold, collaborative effort to improve student outcomes and build a stronger future for our state,” said Scott T. Hamilton, President and CEO of the Golden LEAF Foundation. “By investing in middle schools through research-based strategies and intensive support, we are not only strengthening academic achievement in critical areas like math but laying the groundwork for career readiness and long-term economic vitality in North Carolina’s rural communities.”

For more information about the Golden LEAF Schools Initiative visit the Golden LEAF Schools’ website.

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It’s official! The Warren County Board of Education voted unanimously to pull Dr. Carol Montague-Davis out of retirement and crown her the new School Superintendent. To celebrate her “homecoming,” a reception was thrown in her honor on June 2nd at the Warren County Schools Auxiliary Building.

Family, friends, her Delta sorority sisters, former and current colleagues, and a plethora of Warren County’s who’s who showed up to give congrats and well wishes to “Dr. M-D” on her new role. Guests entered the venue which was formerly the Warren New Tech High School and were greeted by Montague-Davis, school board members, and her executive board. While everyone mingled, one would be remiss to not notice the repeated nods to “Kindness Changes Everything,” a mantra that Montague-Davis adopted in her personal and professional life.

Watch Dr. Carol Montague-Davis, Warren County School Board, and others share stories, laughs, and sentiments about the past and what’s to come.

Photo/Video Credit: Crystal Myrick (Warrenist)

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The Warren Early College High School held its 2025 commencement ceremony on Friday, May 23, inside the Warren County Middle School gymnasium. Assistant District Attorney and an alumna of the inaugural WECHS graduating class, Khadijah T. Howze, Esq. served as the commencement speaker for the event.

WATCH: Warren Early College High School Graduation 2025

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The Warren County Health Department and Warren County Government hosted a kick-off meeting on March 26th for the federal Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Impact Grant. Staff from the Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition (WCSPC) who are leading this regional effort came to Warren County to introduce the program to local partners and to get their input on how the program can best be implemented here.

WCSPC staff in attendance were Jeff Wilson, Executive Director; Pamela Letchworth, Yolanda Outlaw, and Cordain Dancy.

Local partners participating in the meeting included representatives from Freedom House Recovery Center, Trillium Health Resources, Warrenton Church of God, Warren County Schools, Emergency Services, Health Department, Administration/Finance Office, Sheriff’s Office/Detention Center, Auger Communications, and Hope Restorative Solutions.

The Warren County Health Department is a Network member in the Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition’s NEW3 Impact – Nash, Edgecombe, Wilson, Warren, Wayne – Project. NEW3 Impact will improve access to integrated, coordinated treatment and recovery services for substance use disorders, including opioid use disorder, in rural areas of Eastern North Carolina. NEW3 Impact supports HRSA’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) – Impact. 

The five counties taking part in this grant represent a diversity of sectors, including primary care, pharmacy, public health, workforce, local government, faith-based, law enforcement, tribal, and substance use. Collectively, 77% of Network members reside within HRSA-designated rural areas. As Network members, we will:

• Provide services exclusively in the target rural service areas of Warren County, Wilson County, Bailey Township (Nash County), Mount Olive/Brogden Township (Wayne County), and eastern/southeastern Edgecombe County. 
• Commit to regularly engage and visit the target rural service areas to demonstrate strong connections with the communities. 
• Participate in regular Network meetings, which will take place at least quarterly. 
• Coordinate with other Network members on NEW3 Impact activities. In addition to committing to NEW3 Impact activities we are individually responsible for as outlined in the work plan, we will work with all members to:
  • Distribute OneBoxes to increase access to emergency treatment.
  •  Distribute fentanyl and xylazine testing strips to address emerging threats.
• Participate in the RCORP Data Sharing Group, led by Pamela Letchworth, and share aggregate data for performance reporting to HRSA. 
• Develop approaches to ensure continuity of operations to minimize the impact of potential service disruptions such as staffing changes, clinician turnover, public health emergencies, and severe weather.
• Work together to develop a sustainability plan to maintain services after the project ends. 

The duration of the NEW3 Impact Project is 4 years. The total award is $2,997,556 and Warren County Health Department is expected to receive $600,000 over the life of this grant.

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The Warren County Board of Education voted unanimously Monday evening to hire Dr. Carol Montague-Davis as Superintendent.

Dr. MD, as she’s affectionately known, has been serving as Interim Superintendent since August 12, 2024. She’ll remain in the interim role until the start of her new, three-year Superintendent contract on June 1, 2025.

“Dr. MD has been doing an exceptional job leading our school district for the past seven months as Interim Superintendent,” said School Board Chair Victoria Lehman. “It’s been like a seven-month-long job interview. We’re thrilled to bring Dr. MD home for good!”

Dr. Montague-Davis was born and raised in Warren County and educated in Warren County Schools. She served as the Principal of Warren County High School for six years from 1998 to 2004. Dr. MD then moved to Winston-Salem and worked 18 years for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, serving as a high school principal and Instructional Superintendent for Continuous Improvement.

Her professional background includes extensive experience in curriculum development, discipline implementation, teacher modeling and training, and community support programs. She has worked as a classroom teacher, athletic coach, assistant principal, and principal in middle and high schools.

“It’s a dream come true to come back home and be able to serve the community that helped make me the person I am today,” Dr. MD said with a smile. “My family is here. My nieces and nephews are students in our schools. This is where my heart is. I want Warren County to have the best public schools for all our children. I’m excited to be the next Superintendent, so we continue the transformational work we started at the beginning of this school year.”

Since rejoining Warren County Schools in August, Dr. MD has significantly impacted how the district analyzes student and teacher performance data and how we’re training teachers and administrators to improve student instruction. She’s also tweaked internal processes for better efficiency and collaboration and worked to strengthen trust and engagement in the community.

“It’s energizing to have someone from Warren County leading our schools,” Chair Lehman added. “Warren County is a special place. There’s a unique bond when you grow up here. Our students can be inspired seeing someone who started out just like them lead such a happy and successful life and come back home to help others achieve their dreams as well.”

Dr. Montague-Davis received her undergraduate degree from Elizabeth City State University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. She earned a Master of Education in School Administration in 1991 from The University of Maryland at College Park and a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from Gardner-Webb University in 2017.

She is a member of United Way Women United Executive Board and Chair of the Membership Committee, Vice-President of the Greater Triad ECSU Alumni Chapter, a member of the Education Foundation for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Since returning to Warren County in August, she has rejoined her home church, Bethlehem Baptist, in Wise. She also serves on the Warren County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) and the Warren County Economic Development Board.

Dr. MD is married to Garrett Davis, CEO of Gdavis Production and Films. She has a bonus daughter, Brittany and bonus son, Nelson and two bonus grandsons, Ace and Win.

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Warren County Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. Carol Montague-Davis and her executive staff met with the community to discuss their roles and their strategic plan for the school district. The town hall was hosted by Voices of Warren.

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The Warren County community is invited to listen, express their concerns, and offer solutions about Warren County Schools and public education on Tuesday, January 21st, at 6pm in the John Graham Gym.

Hosted by Voices of Warren, Warren County Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. Carol Montague-Davis is the invited guests and will answer questions from concerned parents, students, and the public.

Those who are unable to attend in-person can watch via Zoom:
1 (309) 205-3325
ID: 88944280198
Passcode: 1

John Graham Gym is located at 115 Wilcox Street in Warrenton, NC.

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