Jan 11, 2022 Goochland County Public Schools - School Board Meeting 1/11/22

[00:00:14]

JOHN, JOHN, IT'S JUST NOT OUT.

ALL RIGHT, WELL, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

WELCOME TO THE JANUARY 11TH 2022 MEETING OF THE GOOCHLAND COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD.

WE HAVE A LENGTHY AGENDA FOR TODAY.

WHEN OUR AGENDA FOR THIS AFTERNOON IS A REORGANIZATION MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD BEFORE WE GO THROUGH THE REORGANIZATION PROCESS, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK OUR CURRENT CHAIRMAN, KAREN HORNE, FOR A YEAR WORTH OF VERY DEDICATED AND HARD WORK FOR THE STUDENTS, STAFF AND FAMILIES OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.

WHEN MS. HAHN BECAME CHAIR LAST YEAR, I THINK WE WERE ALL OPTIMISTIC AND HOPEFUL THAT WE WOULD GET OUT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC AND MAYBE BE IN A NORMAL OPERATIONAL PATTERN AT THIS

[1. CALL TO ORDER BY SUPERINTENDENT]

RIGHT, EXACTLY RIGHT. AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE WENT THROUGH SOME SOME TRANSITION THIS YEAR AS WELL. AND SO ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR GRACE UNDER FIRE AND FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO LEAD US SUCCESSFULLY THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS.

YOU'RE WELCOME, AND IT WAS MY PLEASURE AND EDUCATION IS MY PASSION, I'M GLAD TO DO ANYTHING I CAN TO SUPPORT OUR CHILDREN LEARNING.

SO THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP.

SO THAT BEING SAID, I WILL ENTERTAIN A NOMINATION OR NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIR OF THE GOOCHLAND COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD FOR THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY TWO CALENDAR YEAR.

DR. REILLY, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT MR. MIKE NEWMAN SERVE AS OUR CHAIRMAN FOR THIS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

MY SECOND, WE HAVE A NOMINATION AND A SECOND, WE HAVE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS.

OKAY. HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR THE QUESTION ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF MR. MIKE NEWMAN, SANDRA SERVING AS CHAIR FOR THE 2020 TO CALENDAR YEAR.

PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I I ANY OPPOSED.

OK, IT'S UNANIMOUS. CONGRATULATIONS MR. NEWMAN. THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS HORNE.

I'LL TURN THE GAVEL OVER TO YOU, MY FRIEND.

THANK YOU. SO BOARD MEMBERS.

GOOD EVENING, THIS WILL WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE ELECTION OF VICE CHAIR.

THE CHAIR WILL ACCEPT NOMINATIONS FOR THE VICE CHAIR OF THE GOOCHLAND COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD FOR CALENDAR YEAR. TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

IS THERE A NOMINATION OF MOTION TO NOMINATE MR. CHAIR? I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE NOMINATE MS. SANDRA BAREFOOT-REID AS VICE CHAIR.

THANK YOU. MS. BAREFOOT-REID HAS BEEN NOMINATED TO SERVE AS VICE CHAIR.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS DISCUSSION? THE SECOND IS THERE A SECOND OH, SECOND, THAT MOTION, SIR.

THANK YOU. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ANY.

ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I I THANK YOU.

NEXT ITEM UNDER THE ORGANIZATIONAL GUIDE IS THE APPOINTMENT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD CLERK.

BOARD MEMBERS THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS RECOMMENDED THE APPOINTMENT OF DIANE BENNETT AS CLERK OF THE GOOCHLAND COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD FOR CALENDAR YEAR TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION SO MOVED AND VERY ENTHUSIASTICALLY GRATEFUL TO MS. HAS BEEN AT EVERY DAY? YES, I AGREE.

AND SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I I I THANK YOU.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE APPROVAL OF THE SUPERINTENDENCE DESIGNEES.

THE SUPERINTENDENT RECOMMENDS THAT DURING HIS ABSENCE OR INABILITY, ANDREW R.

ARMSTRONG, STEPHEN A.

GEYER AND DEBORAH H.

WHITE BE APPROVED AS DESIGNEES TO ATTEND MEETINGS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND TO BE AUTHORIZED TO SIGN REPORTS, REQUISITIONS AND OTHER OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY ONE.

TWENTY TWENTY TWO TO DECEMBER 30 FIRST TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MR. CHAIRMAN, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SUPERINTENDENTS DESIGNEES AS PRESENTED IN THE AGENDA.

THANK YOU, SIR. SECOND BY SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR.

I I THANK YOU.

ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS WHAT WE JUST DID.

[00:05:05]

SORRY. ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS THE APPOINTMENT OF AGENT AND DEPUTY AGENTS.

THE SUPERINTENDENT RECOMMENDS THAT DEBORAH H.

WHITE BE APPOINTED AS AGENT AND STEPHEN A.

GEYER AND ANDREW R.

ARMSTRONG BE APPOINTED AS DEPUTY AGENTS AUTHORIZED TO SIGN CONTRACTS AND DELEGATED AUTHORITY TO EXAMINE AND APPROVE CLAIMS FOR ALL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY ONE.

TWENTY TWENTY TWO TO DECEMBER THIRTY FIRST TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MR. CHAIRMAN, I MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION.

THANK YOU. IS IT THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE? IS THERE A SECOND SECOND? THANK YOU ALL IN FAVOR.

SAY I I.

ITEM NUMBER SIX IS THE APPROVAL OF THE SCHEDULE FOR REGULAR MEETINGS.

SECTION TWENTY TWO POINT ONE SEVENTY TWO OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA STATES THAT EACH SCHOOL

[2. ANNUAL SCHOOL BOARD ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING]

THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS PROVIDED A PROPOSED SCHEDULE FOR BOARD MEETINGS BASED ON REGULAR BUSINESS MEETINGS BEING HELD ON THE SECOND TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH, AND YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THIS AS THEIR MOTION TO APPROVE SO MOVED.

THERE IS A MOTION IS THEIR SECOND SECOND.

THANK YOU ALL IN FAVOR.

SAY I, I.

THANK YOU. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, THE SELECTION OF REPRESENTATIVE AND ALTERNATE TO THE MAGGIE WALKER GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL BOARD, A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER NEEDS TO BE SELECTED FOR THE MAGGIE WALKER GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL BOARD FOR CALENDAR YEAR.

TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

MAY I HAVE A A MOTION MR. CHAIRMAN? NOMINATE JD FOR THIS POSITION.

OK? JD RIGHT, RIGHT.

I'M SORRY. YES, THE SECOND THAT AND THERE IS A SECOND ANY OTHER NOMINATION, DO WE HAVE TO MAKE THE WE ALSO NOMINATE SEPARATE MICHAEL NEWMAN SERVICES ALTERNATE.

THAT'LL BE A SEPARATE VOTE.

OK, SO ALL IN FAVOR OF JD WRIGHT SERVING AS THE MAGGIE WALKER GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL ON THE MAGGIE WALKER GOV SCHOOL BOARD.

PLEASE SAY HI.

AND SO JUST FOR THE PUBLIC NOTICE, MR. WRIGHT IS AWARE OF THIS WITH REGARD TO THIS IN ITS ABSENCE.

HE SERVES AS THE CHAIR OF MAGGIE WALKER'S BOARD, AND HE IS ENTHUSIASTICALLY IN ACCEPTANCE OF THIS NOMINATION.

THANK YOU. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

MS. BAREFOOT-REID. YOU HAD ANOTHER A MOTION, I THINK.

YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, I MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE NOMINATE YOU, MIKE NEWMAN AS THE ALTERNATE FOR MAGGIE WALKER'S SCHOOL BOARD.

SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION IN THE 2ND THAT I WILL SERVE AS THE ALTERNATE TO MAGGIE WALKER GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL. ALL IN FAVOR.

I THANK YOU.

ITEM NUMBER EIGHT IS THE SELECTION OF A REPRESENTATIVE TO THE BLUE RIDGE VIRTUAL GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL BOARD MAY HAVE A NOMINATION.

MR. CHAIRMAN, I NOMINATE KAREN HAHN AS THE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE BLUE RIDGE VIRTUAL GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL BOARD.

I SECOND HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BLUE RIDGE VIRTUAL GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL BOARD.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR.

HI, THANK YOU.

ITEM NUMBER NINE IS THE SELECTION OF REPRESENTATIVES TO SERVE ON ADVISORY COMMITTEES.

AS YOU KNOW, THEIR REPRESENTATIVES TO SERVE ON ADVISORY COMMITTEES, THEY NEED TO BE SELECTED FOR CALENDAR YEAR.

TWENTY TWENTY TWO, THE REPRESENTATIVES FOR CALENDAR YEAR TWENTY TWENTY ONE WERE AS FOLLOWS AND IT'S RECOMMENDED THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS CONTINUE IN THEIR POSITIONS, FACILITIES AND SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

THAT WOULD BE MR. NEWMAN AND MRS. ALLEN GIFTED ADVISORY COMMITTEE, MRS. ALLEN SCHOOL HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE, MS. BAREFOOT-REID ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR EQUITY AND EDUCATION, MRS. HORN CDC ADVISORY COMMITTEE, MRS. BAREFOOT-REID GOOCHLAND EDUCATION FOUNDATION, MR. NEWMAN STEM ADVISORY COMMITTEE MRS. ALLEN SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

MR. BAREFOOT-REID SARAH A MOTION TO ACCEPT THESE NOMINATIONS, MR. CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE NOMINATIONS AS ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES, AS PRESENTED THIS EVENING.

THEIR SECOND. MY SECOND THANK YOU.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, AS PRESENTED, SAY, I HI, MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MAY.

YES, AS A PUBLIC IS AWARE, WE DO HAVE THESE FOLKS.

[00:10:03]

WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO SUGGEST TO BOARD MEMBERS IF THERE'S AN EVENING OR MEETING THAT YOU CANNOT ATTEND. IF YOU WOULD LET MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. NEWMAN KNOW THAT SO THAT ONE OF US COULD JOIN IN THAT MEETING, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THE COMMITTEES.

AND I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT THAT THE RECOMMENDATION TO CONTINUE IN OUR COMMITTEES WAS LARGELY BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE HAD FEWER MEETINGS LAST YEAR THAN WOULD BE TYPICAL AND MOST OF THEM WERE VIRTUAL.

SO WE HOPE THIS YEAR WE'LL GET TO KNOW OUR COMMITTEES IN A BETTER WAY.

THE NEXT ITEM UNDER NUMBER NINE IS THE CALENDAR YEAR TWENTY TWENTY TWO MEETING SCHEDULE, AND THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS CALENDAR THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BECAUSE THIS CALENDAR INCLUDES DESIGNATED MEETINGS FOR BUDGET AND OTHER SPECIAL MEETING TIMES.

SO IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CALENDAR YEAR TWENTY TWENTY TWO MEETING SCHEDULE? MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE CALENDAR YEAR 2022 MEETING SCHEDULE AS PRESENTED THIS EVENING TO HAVE A SECOND BY SECOND MOTION AND SECOND ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I.

AND THE LAST THING IN THIS CATEGORY IS THE CODE OF ETHICS BOARD MEMBERS.

THE CODE OF ETHICS IS A PART OF THE POLICY CURRENTLY POLICY A B AND WAS REVIEWED LAST JANUARY 12 TWENTY TWENTY ONE, BUT IT'S BEEN PRESENTED TONIGHT FOR OUR SIGNATURE AND ACCEPTANCE FOR CALENDAR YEAR.

TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

YOU HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE CODE OF ETHICS.

THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CODE OF ETHICS FOR CALENDAR YEAR.

TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

MR. CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AND PRESERVE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE CODE OF ETHICS. SCHOOL BOARD POLICY BBA BE AS REVIEWED.

REVISED JANUARY 12TH TWENTY TWENTY ONE.

YOU HAVE A SECOND OR SECOND A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CODE OF ETHICS AS PRESENTED AND THE SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I, I.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR.

REILLY, THAT TAKES US TO THE BUDGET WORK SESSION.

[3. BUDGET WORK SESSION]

AND AS YOU KNOW, BOARD MEMBERS WERE TYPICALLY IN A CONFERENCE ROOM AROUND THE SQUARE TABLE, AND WE CAN ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND HAVE SOME CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, ASK QUESTIONS. AND IT REALLY HAS SOME GOOD DIALOG ABOUT THE WORK AS WE DEVELOP OUR FINANCIAL PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR.

WE RAN INTO SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THE ABILITY TO STREAM IN A DIFFERENT SETTING, BUT AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE WILL HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL WORK SESSIONS WHERE WE CAN DO THAT IN THAT SETTING.

BUT BUT ULTIMATELY TONIGHT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE SOME DIALOG.

IT'S A LITTLE ARTIFICIAL IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.

WE'RE STILL GOING TO ACCOMPLISH OUR OBJECTIVE AND AND ASK QUESTIONS MEMBERS OF OUR SENIOR STAFF WHO ARE IN THE AUDIENCE THIS EVENING AND IN A TYPICAL WORK SESSION, WE'RE ALL SEATED AROUND THE TABLE, STAFF AND SCHOOL BOARD, AND WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE NEEDS WE HAVE AS AN ORGANIZATION ASKING QUESTIONS AND JUST HAVING SOME REALLY GOOD DIALOG.

SO WE'LL DO THAT THIS EVENING IN THE SETTING AND THEN WE'LL PREPARE FOR FOR THAT KIND OF SET UP FOR THE FUTURE.

SO THIS TRULY IS A WORK SESSION AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE VARIABLES THAT MAY IMPACT OUR FINANCIAL PLANNING GOING FORWARD.

SO I WANTED TO START THE FIRST PORTION OF OUR WORK SESSION THIS EVENING WITH REALLY TAKING A MOMENT TO ROOT OURSELVES AND WHAT OUR FINANCIAL PLAN DOES AND SHOULD DO.

AND SO ULTIMATELY, EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION GOES TOWARD THE BETTERMENT OF THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO OUR STUDENTS, OUR FAMILIES AND THE WORK THAT'S DONE BY OUR STAFF.

AND SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, I WANT TO CELEBRATE WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AS A SCHOOL DIVISION BECAUSE THE INVESTMENT THAT OUR TAXPAYERS HAVE MADE IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION CERTAINLY HAVE PAID DIVIDENDS TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN A STRONG AND VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL DIVISION.

SO AS WE GO FORWARD AND WE DEVELOP A FINANCIAL PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR, WE NEED TO HONOR THE

[00:15:02]

BUT ULTIMATELY, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE'RE GOING TO IDENTIFY SOME NEEDS THAT WE HAVE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS THAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.

SO JUST AS A REMINDER FOR THE PUBLIC WHO'S WATCHING US THIS EVENING, OUR SCHOOL DIVISION IS HIGH PERFORMING.

WE ARE AN ELITE SCHOOL DIVISION THAT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY NJ.COM FOR FOUR YEARS IN A ROW AS THE NUMBER ONE SCHOOL DIVISION IN THE RICHMOND METRO REGION.

AND IF YOU CAN THINK ABOUT ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE IN GOOCHLAND COMPARED TO SOME LARGER SCHOOL DIVISIONS WITH OTHER RESOURCES, THE FACT THAT GOOCHLAND COUNTY HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS BEING NUMBER ONE BY THIS ORGANIZATION IS CERTAINLY ONE THAT SHOULD BRING A SENSE OF PRIDE TO US ALL FOR THE WORK THAT WE DO FOR THIS COMMUNITY WHO SUPPORTS US IN AN ULTIMATELY, IT'S JUST A FANTASTIC RECOGNITION OF WHAT HAPPENS DAY IN AND DAY OUT IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.

AND THE WORK THAT HAPPENS IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE TALENT AND DEDICATION OF OUR STAFF WHO CONTRIBUTE THEIR HARD WORK TO OUR SCHOOL DIVISION EVERY DAY.

EVERY MEMBER OF OUR ORGANIZATION, FROM OUR PART TIME CLEANERS TO OUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT TO OUR NURSE AND EVERYBODY THAT DOES THE WORK OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTES TO OUR SUCCESS.

AND THE WORK OF OUR TEACHERS HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED BY NJ.COM AS WELL AS WE ARE RECOGNIZED AS HAVING THE BEST TEACHERS IN THE RICHMOND METRO REGION.

AND CERTAINLY, WE KNOW THROUGH RESEARCH THAT THE REASON A STUDENT IS SUCCESSFUL IN THE CLASSROOM CAN BE DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF A TEACHER IN THAT CLASSROOM. SO THE REASON WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IS THE RESULT OF EVERYBODY'S WORK, BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FOUR WALLS OF THAT CLASSROOM AND WE HAVE THE BEST, AND CERTAINLY THAT'S GOING TO FOSTER SOME CONVERSATION LATER ON TODAY REGARDING THAT TOPIC.

DR. JEN WAGNER IS IN THE AUDIENCE FOR US THIS EVENING.

AS YOU KNOW, SHE SUPERVISES OUR EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM HER QUITE A BIT TONIGHT, BUT ULTIMATELY HER LEADERSHIP AND THE WORK OF OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS, OUR NURSES, OUR BUS DRIVERS, OUR TEACHERS, EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED NOT ONCE, NOT TWICE, BUT NOW THREE YEARS IN A ROW BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

NOT JUST FOR COMPLIANCE, NOT JUST FOR OUR ABILITY TO WRIGHT A REALLY GOOD IEP, BUT IT'S A RESULT OF PERFORMANCE.

IT'S ACCOUNTABILITY.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ARE LEARNING AND LEARNING AT A HIGH RATE IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION, 40 QUESTIONS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MONITORS, WE GET 40 OUT OF 40 100 PERCENT COMPLIANCE.

I'LL TAKE THAT PASS RATE ANY DAY.

AND AS WE KNOW, THERE ARE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN THE COMMONWEALTH, AND WE ARE ONE OF ONLY 19 THAT HAVE RECEIVED THAT PERFECT SCORE.

SO AGAIN, IT'S RECOGNITION OF THE ELITE COMPANY THAT WE ARE IN.

WE HAD A. CONVERSATION JUST YESTERDAY, ACTUALLY HIS SENIOR STAFF, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANT MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE THIS MONTH AND WE WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TONIGHT'S WORK SESSION.

AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE HAVE JUST KIND OF GLOSSED OVER WHAT'S ON YOUR SCREEN HERE TODAY AND IN THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE WORK THROUGH THIS PAST FALL.

I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO TAKE FOR GRANTED THE SUPPORT THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS PROVIDED FOR US THROUGH ACCEPTANCE OF A $60 MILLION BOND REFERENDUM AND THE FACT THAT WE HAD AN 85 PERCENT APPROVAL RATING OF A $60 MILLION CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.

IN THE MIDST OF ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE RELATED TO THAT TOPIC, I THINK IS CERTAINLY ONE OF PRIDE.

IT RECOGNIZES THE WORK THAT WE DO AS A SCHOOL DIVISION.

OUR VOTERS SEE THAT THEY FEEL THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE ARE, IN FACT, THAT ELITE SCHOOL DIVISION. AND I DO WANT TO THANK THE VOTERS AGAIN FOR THEIR SUPPORT.

AND IT'S JUST CERTAINLY A RECOGNITION OF WHAT OUR STAFF HAS DONE IN ORDER FOR US TO GET THAT STRONG APPROVAL RATING.

SO ANOTHER ACCOLADE I THINK THAT WE NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES OF FROM TIME TO TIME.

AND THIS IS ONE THAT BRINGS EXTREME PRIDE TO US AS WELL.

THE FACT THAT EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND GOES TOWARDS ULTIMATELY REALLY IN K-12 EDUCATION AS WE INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION, MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT.

ULTIMATELY, WHAT'S THE FINISH LINE REALLY IS GETTING THEM ACROSS THE STAGE, GETTING THEM A DIPLOMA AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE FULLY PREPARED FOR LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL.

AND WE DO THAT EXTREMELY WELL IN THE SCHOOL DIVISION WITH A NINETY SEVEN PERCENT RATE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WALKING ACROSS THAT STAGE ONE TIME IN FOUR YEARS, WHICH EXCEEDS THE STATE AVERAGE BY NEARLY FIVE PERCENT.

SO I SET ALL THAT UP BOARD MEMBERS, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THE INVESTMENT IN THIS COMMUNITY HAS MADE IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION HAS RESULTED IN VERY, VERY STRONG PERFORMANCE.

AND SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT STRONG PERFORMANCE.

AND AS WE BUILD THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY TO TWO THOUSAND TWENTY THREE BUDGET, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DEDICATING ALL OF OUR RESOURCES TO CONTINUING THAT STRONG LEVEL OF

[00:20:04]

SO TODAY'S KIND OF A PIT STOP ALONG THE WAY.

THIS IS ONE OF MANY STEPS THAT HAVE HAPPENED SINCE OCTOBER.

AS WE DEVELOP THE FISCAL YEAR, TWENTY TWENTY THREE SPENDING PLAN BEGAN IN OCTOBER AS WE SOLICITED FEEDBACK FROM OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS.

WE ASKED THEM TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO US ABOUT WHAT THEY NEED FROM A MATERIALS AND RESOURCES STANDPOINT.

WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONNEL REQUESTS? WHAT DO YOU NEED TO SUPPORT THE TECHNOLOGY WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT, WITHIN YOUR SCHOOL? AND WHAT ARE YOUR CAPITAL NEEDS THAT ARE GOING FORWARD? YOU HAVE APPROVED OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR THE NEXT TWENTY FIVE YEARS.

THAT WORK BEGAN PRIOR TO OCTOBER AND HAS PROGRESSED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE FALL.

WE'RE AT CLOSURE AT THAT POINT IN TIME NOW WITH A CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPERVISORS TO BE HAD AND ULTIMATELY THEIR CONSIDERATION AS WE GO FORWARD.

SO AS WE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH PRINCIPALS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS, WE MET INDIVIDUALLY WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.

THEY SUBMITTED DOCUMENTATION TO US AND BUDGET REQUESTS TO US THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE PROCESS. WE ASKED THEM FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO THINK ABOUT HOW THEY CAN USE THE RESOURCES DIFFERENTLY. I'LL TALK IN A MOMENT ABOUT STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT.

YOU'VE HAD THE BENEFIT OF HEARING FROM OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH NOT ONLY PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT YOU HAVE HEARD THROUGH SURVEY WHAT IS ON THE MINDS OF OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES. WE'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH A DEDICATED PUBLIC HEARING AND SEVERAL OTHER PUBLIC MEETINGS WHERE WE CAN HEAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THEY FEEL THAT WE NEED.

SO TONIGHT'S ONE OF OUR FIRST WORK.

SESSIONS WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE WORK SESSION NEXT WEEK, AND THEN IN TWO SHORT WEEKS, I'LL BE PRESENTING MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

YOU'LL CONTINUE TO DELIBERATE, HAVE THAT PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, AND THEN ULTIMATELY YOU WILL APPROVE A BUDGET, YOUR SPENDING PLAN BASED ON ALL OF OUR WORK THAT YOU ARE ASKING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO CONSIDER AS THEY GO THROUGH THEIR BUDGET PROCESS.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY, WE EXPECT THAT THEY WILL APPROVE A BUDGET FOR ALL COUNTY AGENCIES IN MID-APRIL. AS WE DELIBERATE, I WILL TELL YOU, BOARD MEMBERS, THAT EACH YEAR I HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH YOU.

WE ALWAYS HAVE COMPETING INTERESTS.

THERE ARE NEVER ENOUGH FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO MEET ALL OF THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE.

YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT TONIGHT.

YOU WON'T SEE THAT NEXT WEEK.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY, WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE FINAL DECISION IN THE COMING WEEKS.

BUT WHETHER WE'RE MAKING A DECISION ON WHAT SALARY IMPROVEMENT WILL PROVIDE OR WHAT PERSONNEL WE MAY OR MAY NOT INCLUDE.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE AND CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO IN EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND MUST GO TOWARDS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE ABSOLUTE BEST EXPERIENCE FOR THE TWO THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED STUDENTS WHOM WE SERVE, AND EACH AND EVERY DECISION IS BASED ON THE BEST INTEREST OF THOSE CHILDREN WHO WALK THROUGH OUR DOOR THAT WE'RE ENTRUSTED WITH DAY IN AND DAY OUT.

SO EVERYTHING IS ROOTED IN OUR STUDENTS.

BUT ULTIMATELY, WE MUST ALIGN EVERY FINANCIAL RESOURCE WITH OUR VISION AND OUR MISSION, AND OUR VISION IS INSPIRING THOSE STUDENTS WHO WALK THROUGH OUR DOORS.

ARE THOSE STUDENTS AT BYRD THAT MS. BAREFOOT-REID IS HELPING INSPIRING THOSE STUDENTS THAT ULTIMATELY, BY THE TIME THEY WALK THROUGH OUR HIGH SCHOOL AND GRADUATE, THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE WORLD AROUND THEM AND THEN MAXIMIZING EACH AND EVERY CHILD'S POTENTIAL, REGARDLESS OF OUR CHILDREN'S BACKGROUND, THEIR EXPERIENCES WHERE THEY COME FROM.

IT IS OUR MISSION THAT DRIVES US EVERY DAY TO MAXIMIZE, MAXIMIZE EACH AND EVERY CHILD'S POTENTIAL THAT WE GET THE MOST OUT OF THEM, THAT WE CAN EVERY DAY THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THEM.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY MAKING SURE THAT OUR WORK IS ALIGNED WITH OUR CORE VALUES.

HASHTAG ECHO EXCELLENCE, CREATIVITY, COURAGE, HONOR AND OPTIMISM ARE AT OUR CORE.

AND SO AS WE SPEND THESE RESOURCES AND DEVELOP THIS FINANCIAL PLAN, IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALIGN THEM WITH THOSE CORE TENETS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.

SO BUDGET DEVELOPMENT IS A PROCESS.

SOMETIMES WE THINK THAT WE END IN APRIL WHEN THE GAVEL GOES DOWN IN, THE SUPERVISORS APPROVED THAT BUDGET, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S A CYCLE.

AND SO WE'RE NOW AT AT A POINT WHERE WE NEED TO EVALUATE KIND OF WHERE WE HAVE BEEN THIS YEAR, IDENTIFY WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE FOR THE FUTURE.

AND THEN JUST A FEW SHORT MONTHS, THE BOARD WILL HAVE A WORK SESSION.

[00:25:01]

BUT ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO ALIGN OUR FINANCIAL PLAN WITH OUR CORE OBJECTIVES IN THE BOARD'S PRIORITIES AS WELL, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY IT IS YOUR BUDGET THAT YOU WILL ADOPT.

YOU'LL SEND TO THE SUPERVISOR.

SO DEFINITELY A CYCLICAL PROCESS.

AND THEN I'VE MENTIONED THE WORD ALIGNMENT SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY THIS EVENING IS THAT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN DRIVES THAT OUR MISSION, VISION AND VALUES AND THEN EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND NEEDS TO BE TIED TO THE OBJECTIVES OF INSTRUCTION THAT ARE IN OUR OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND THOSE OF OUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS.

AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE CATEGORIES THAT ARE LINKED TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.

BUT THERE MUST BE ALIGNMENT.

EVERY DOLLAR WE SPEND MUST BE VERTICALLY ALIGNED WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AND HAVE IDENTIFIED IN THAT PLAN.

SO LET'S DO TALK STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT FOR A SECOND.

THIS GRAPH IS ONE THAT I'VE BEEN USING FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TO TALK ABOUT OUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.

AND SO IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT RESULTS OVER TIME AND IF WE WERE TO DO NOTHING FROM THE EX ON THE LEFT TO THE EX ON THE WRIGHT, I WOULD SUBMIT THAT OVER TIME OUR RESULTS WOULD DIP.

I WOULD SUBMIT IF WE JUST CONTINUE TO DO THINGS THE WAY THAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE THINGS.

OVER TIME, WE WILL SEE A DETERIORATION IN THE SUCCESS OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION AND OUR RESULTS WILL NOT BE THE SAME THAT WE WERE.

SO ULTIMATELY, THERE'S A GAP BETWEEN WHERE WE ARE NOW AND OUR ASPIRATIONS, THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT ARE OUTLINED IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, ULTIMATELY WHERE WE WANT TO BE.

AND SO AS WE THINK ABOUT THE USE OF OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES, WE NEED TO EVALUATE OUR DAILY OPERATIONS AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN TO REPURPOSE OUR CURRENT FUNDS AND OUR CURRENT RESOURCES, AND THEN USE THOSE FUNDS WHERE WE CAN AND DEDICATE THEM TO CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE WANT TO BE AND HISTORICALLY BOARD MEMBERS. WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT.

OFTENTIMES, LARGE ORGANIZATIONS JUST DO THINGS THE WAY THEY'VE ALWAYS DONE THEM.

AND SO WHEN YOU GO INTO AN ORGANIZATION, YOU SAY, WELL, WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT? WELL, THAT'S THAT'S JUST WHAT WE DO.

THAT'S THE WAY WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT.

I WILL TELL YOU, OUR ORGANIZATION DOESN'T DO THAT.

WE CRITICALLY ANALYZE EACH AND EVERY RESOURCE.

WHEN PRINCIPALS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS COME TO US AND ASK FOR INCREASES TO THEIR BUDGET, WE LOOK AT EVERY LINE AND WE SAY, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU USING THAT FOR AND ARE YOU GETTING THE BENEFIT THAT YOU REALLY NEED FOR THAT? AND IS THAT REALLY PAYING THE DIVIDENDS THAT WE GET? ARE WE GETTING THE RESULTS THAT WE NEED WITH THOSE RESOURCES? AND SO I SAY THAT PUBLICLY TONIGHT BECAUSE THAT'S A PROCESS THAT WE DON'T TALK MUCH ABOUT, BUT WE DO BEFORE IT EVEN GETS TO THIS POINT IN TIME.

SO THERE WILL THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT AS WE GO FORWARD.

AND ULTIMATELY, WHAT THAT DOES IS LEVERAGE US SOME RESOURCES TO DO SOME OF THE INITIATIVES AND SOME OF THE NEEDS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WORK SESSIONS. SO HERE WE ARE IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO, WE HAVE HAD A CHALLENGING 2020 ONE AS WE KNOW WE CAN ALL BE OPTIMISTIC.

THE TWENTY TWENTY TWO AND TWENTY TWENTY THREE ARE GOING TO BE MUCH BRIGHTER FOR US AS WE WALK DOWN THIS PATH TOGETHER.

BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S A PROCESS AND WE ULTIMATELY LOOK BACK ON WHERE WE WERE.

BUT LOOK FORWARD TO WHERE WE ARE GOING AND HOW WE CAN BEST USE THOSE RESOURCES.

SO WHAT RESOURCES WILL WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE MANY NEEDS OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION? ULTIMATELY, WE CANNOT GENERATE OUR OWN REVENUE.

WE KNOW THAT WE RELY HEAVILY ON THE RESOURCES CONTRIBUTED TO US BY OUR GOOCHLAND COUNTY TAXPAYERS THROUGH THE LOCAL TRANSFER.

STATE FUNDING SUPPORTS US MINIMAL FEDERAL FUNDING, BUT WE ARE RELIANT ON THE STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE THE REVENUE TO SUPPORT OUR OPERATIONS.

SO THIS IS WHY IT'S WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR FORECASTED REVENUE FOR NEXT YEAR.

SO LIKE WE HAVE IN THE PAST, THE COUNTY HAS GIVEN US AN INDICATION OF WHAT THEY ARE INITIALLY PLANNING ON TRANSFERRING TO US, AND THAT IS $1 MILLION ABOVE WHAT THEY GAVE US LAST YEAR, AND THAT'S A FOUR POINT EIGHT PERCENT INCREASE.

SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

WE HAVE WE ARE STILL EXAMINING LOCAL REVENUE.

LOCAL REVENUE COMES FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES.

A LOT OF IT DOESN'T CHANGE YEAR OVER YEAR.

BUT IF WE MAKE PLANS TO CHANGE HOW WE'RE GOING TO FUND OUR PRESCHOOL, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT CAN HAVE THAT. THAT CAN BE OUR BIGGEST SHIP.

SO WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH SOME QUESTIONS ON THAT.

SO AT THIS POINT, I'M I'M JUST INDICATING IT'S PROBABLY REVENUE NEUTRAL.

[00:30:07]

WE WERE VERY CONSERVATIVE IN HOW WE BUDGETED SALES TAX.

WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW THIS YEAR WAS GOING TO PLAY ITSELF OUT.

UM, EVEN THIS YEAR, WE ARE EXPECTING SOME NICE REVENUE BY THE END OF THE YEAR THAT WILL HELP US IN OUR DECISION MAKING AS WE COME OUT OF OUT OF THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR.

IT'S THE WAY THE THE BUDGET HAS BEEN PROPOSED WITH, UH, NO GROCERY TAX THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS US BECAUSE WE GET ONE PERCENT OF THE GROCERY TAX COMES TO THE SCHOOLS.

AND SO WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR US IS THEY PROJECTED IT AS THOUGH THE GROCERY TAX WENT INTO EFFECT AT SOME POINT DURING NEXT YEAR.

EXCUSE ME THAT, UH, THE LOSS OF THE GROCERY TAX STARTS UP AT SOME POINT NEXT YEAR.

IT'S NOT. IT DOESN'T START JULY ONE.

IT STARTS AT SOME POINT.

SO, UM, WHAT THEY HAVE PROJECTED, WHAT THEY THINK THE SALES TAX WOULD BE, AND THEN THEY'VE DETERMINED WHAT THEY THINK WE WILL LOSE IN THAT SALES TAX.

AND SO THEY'RE GIVING IT TO US IN TWO PARTS.

ONE IS WHAT THEY CALL A HOLD HARMLESS.

SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE US ABSORB THE LOSS OF THAT INCOME.

THEY'RE THEY'RE GIVING US A SECOND TRANCHE OF MONEY FOR THAT.

SO I HAVE THAT AS ABOUT SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND STATE BASIC AID HAS STAYED.

WE'RE WE'RE ASSUMING IT'S GOING TO STAY THE SAME THE THE LEVEL OF ADAM, THAT'S OUR AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP.

AND THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, WE'VE HELD TO THIS ABOUT TWENTY FIVE HUNDRED.

WE DO NOT GET A LOT PER PUPIL FROM THE STATE.

SO IT'S ABOUT SEVENTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS IS ALL WE GET PER PUPIL.

AND SO WHEN WE OVER UNDERESTIMATE IT IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT FOR US.

OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS GET A LOT OF MONEY PER PUPIL FROM THE STATE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY ESTIMATE WRONG, IT HAS A BUDGET IMPACT.

SO WE CONSERVATIVELY GO WITH THE TEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO STAY THIS YEAR. THERE IS.

SO WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR? IT'S THE FIRST OF WHAT'S CALLED THE BIENNIAL.

AND SO EVERY TWO YEARS THEY RE BENCHMARK.

AND BECAUSE THE LAST YEAR'S THE BENCHMARKING THIS YEAR WAS BASED ON A PANDEMIC YEAR, THEY DIDN'T TRUST THEIR NUMBERS.

AND SO THEY'VE GIVEN MONEY BACK TO SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN THIS BIENNIUM.

THEY'RE CALLING IT A RE BENCHMARKING HOLD HARMLESS.

SO YOU GOT TO HOLD HARMLESS TRANCHES OF MONEY IN OUR, UM, IN THE STATE BUDGET.

AND SO WHAT I'VE SHOWN YOU HERE IS JUST THE DIFFERENCE HERE OVER YEAR.

AND IT TRULY ALL THEY WERE TRYING TO DO IS HOLD THAT STATE BASIC AID ABOUT THE SAME.

SO THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HURT SCHOOL DIVISIONS BECAUSE THE BENCHMARKING WAS BASED ON A BAD YEAR. INTERESTINGLY, THE FIVE PERCENT COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENT DOES NOT GIVE US A LOT MORE MONEY. SO WHAT THE LITTLE BIT OF MONEY THAT WE'VE GOTTEN IS BECAUSE LAST YEAR THEY GAVE US, THEY INCREASED SALARIES BY FIVE PERCENT.

THAT'S PART OF UM.

YOU KNOW, THEIR BASIC CALCULATION.

AND SO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS, UM, WE GAVE YOU THIS MONEY LAST YEAR, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU ABOUT FIVE PERCENT MORE BECAUSE WE INCREASE YOUR SALARIES BY FIVE PERCENT.

SO. SO THAT'S ALL YOU'RE REALLY SEEING IS THE THE SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY OR, YOU KNOW, WE GOT ABOUT A HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS LAST YEAR.

THEY'RE INCREASING IT A LITTLE BIT.

ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY THOUSAND, I GUESS.

SO WE'RE YEAR OVER YEAR.

WE'RE NOT SEEING A BIG CHANGE.

AND BECAUSE OF THE FIVE PERCENT COMP.

AND THEN THERE THERE ARE NEW INITIATIVES GIFTED SPED BECAUSE OF THE ENROLLMENT OF THOSE PROGRAMS HAVE ARE RECEIVING MORE STATE AID.

THERE IS AN INITIATIVE FOR MORE ADD AT RISK FUNDING.

IT'S CALLED AN ADD ON.

AND SO THAT THAT'S A THAT THAT WAS A A REAL INCREASE FOR US.

[00:35:05]

SO THAT HAS THAT HAS GIVEN US SOME MONEY.

I WILL BE GLAD TO GIVE YOU INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS FOR THIS, BUT BASICALLY WE'RE GOING TO GET ABOUT MILLION DOLLARS OF NEW MONEY FROM THE COUNTY AND ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN NEW MONEY FROM THE STATE.

SOME OF OUR SOME OTHER DIVISIONS, YOU KNOW, FOR US, A MILLION DOLLARS OF NEW MONEY IS A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN STATE FUNDING LOCALITIES AROUND US THAT DON'T HAVE A POINT.

LCI ARE SEEING SOME REAL MONEY.

SO EVEN MORE MONEY COMING FROM THE STATE.

DR. REILLY AND I WERE IN A MEETING YESTERDAY, A CONFERENCE WITH SUPERINTENDENTS AND DIRECTORS OF FINANCE FROM ALL OVER THE STATE, AND WE DID HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW HOW MUCH OF THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET MIGHT REMAIN IN PLACE BECAUSE A MILLION EXTRA DOLLARS IS A LOT FOR US TO COUNT ON.

WHAT WE FOUND OUT, AND I THINK SOME OF YOU THAT MAY BE AT YOUR CONFERENCE, THEY TALKED ABOUT IT AS WELL, THAT THE STATE HAS A LOT OF CASH RIGHT NOW.

THEY'VE GOT THAT, THEIR FEDERAL MONEY PLUS AND SOME OF IT, IT'S STILL NOT ALLOCATED.

SO UM, WHEREAS WE'RE GOING TO TALK LATER ABOUT THE FACT THAT OUR OUR FEDERAL MONEY REALLY ALL IS EARMARKED.

YOU KNOW, WE KNOW EXACTLY HOW WE'RE GOING TO SPEND IT OVER THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS.

THE STATE STILL HAS NOT MADE ALL THEIR DECISIONS ON THAT, AND SALES TAX IS GOING UP BECAUSE WITH INFLATION, YOU'RE GETTING MORE SALES TAX BECAUSE THE COST OF GOODS IS GOING UP. INCOMES ARE GOING UP BECAUSE PEOPLE'S SALARIES ARE GOING UP AND EVEN THE LOTTERY DOLLAR THAT WE COUNT ON FOR PART OF OUR FUNDING.

PEOPLE ARE JUST USING THE LOTTERY, MORE SO ALL THE REVENUE STREAMS THAT COME IN FOR THE SCHOOL DIVISION FROM THE STATE ARE IN A AN AN INCREASE.

THEY'RE INCREASING FASTER THAN CERTAINLY WAS EXPECTED LAST YEAR AND EVEN UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THEY DID SAY THAT THE STATE IS PREDICTING THAT A TWENTY THREE TWENTY FOUR.

IT WILL START TO SLOW DOWN.

BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMY IS GOING PRETTY STRONG HERE IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. SO DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I'M I'M NOT SURE I CAN TELL YOU MUCH MORE FROM MY CONFERENCE.

THE HOT OFF THE PRESSES AS TO WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN THE LAST DAY OR TWO.

BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? MR. TO HAVE A JOB, SO I HAVE A POINT OF, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE FROM SOME READING THAT I'VE DONE. SO THE STATE, THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE NOT ALLOCATED ALL THEIR FEDERAL MONEY, THAT'S ACTUALLY A RED AS A POSITIVE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC EVEN MORE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

AND AS WE TRIAGE, WHAT DO OUR STUDENTS NEED, WHAT ARE OUR STAFF NEED? WE WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOMETHING IN A LONGER RANGE BY AND THEN THE FACT THAT THAT THOSE FINANCES ARE STILL THERE, THAT COULD HELP US OUT WITH THESE.

ISSUES THAT ARE STILL DEVELOPING, SO THAT'S ACTUALLY I MEAN, IT BE NICE, YOU KNOW, TO THINK, OK, YES, WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE, BUT.

THERE'S GOING TO BE NEEDS THAT ARISE, AND THE FACT THAT THE STATE CAN STILL SUPPORT THE US IS A GOOD THING.

YEAH, THAT'S JUST WHAT I'VE READ.

YES. OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? THEY ARE REMAINING. YOU'RE RIGHT, THE STATE IS REMAINING FLEXIBLE ON THAT FEDERAL FUNDING. YES.

THANK YOU. OK.

AND THEN I HAVE ONE MORE PART OF THE STATE POT OF MONEY.

AND THAT IS THEY HAVE GIVEN US $1.2 MILLION FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.

IT'S A VERY OPEN ENDED AMOUNT OF CASH FOR US, AND IT DOES NOT HAVE A LOCAL MATCH.

SO WHEN WE OFTEN THE MONEY THAT WE GET FROM THE STATE, THEY GIVE 20 PERCENT AND THEY SAY WE HAVE TO FUND 80 PERCENT.

SO THIS DOES NOT HAVE A LOCAL MATCH, WHICH IS GREAT, AND WE HAVE PRESENTED A CAPITAL, A SIP BUDGET TO THE COUNTY.

THAT'S ABOUT ONE POINT THREE MILLION DOLLARS OVER WHAT WE HAD SHOWN THEM LAST YEAR.

[00:40:05]

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FOR A PROJECT FOR THIS YEAR.

IT CAN ROLL OVER INTO THE NEXT YEAR, SO IT DOES NOT HAVE TO ALL BE USED IN TWENTY THREE.

SO LIKE OUR SIP, IF WE HAVE A PROJECT THAT ROLLS INTO THE SUMMER, WE CAN WE CAN USE IT FOR BOTH YEARS. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE ON THAT.

AND THEN, UM, I AGAIN FROM THE CONFERENCE, THIS IS PROBABLY THE THE MONEY THAT IS IN MOST JEOPARDY BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF CASH THAT IS IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET.

AND INSTEAD OF DEBT FUNDING PROJECTS, HE'S CASH FUNDING PROJECTS SO HE COULD DO A BOND ISSUE THAT WOULD GIVE THIS THIS A LEVEL OF FUNDING TO ALL SCHOOL DIVISIONS.

INSTEAD, HE'S HE'S BRINGING DOWN THE CASH.

SO THE THE STATE HAS SO UM, A NEW GOVERNOR MAY DECIDE NOT TO NOT TO PULL DOWN SO MUCH CASH, BUT TO MAYBE FUND SOME OF THIS SO THAT THIS MAY BE SOMETHING THAT MAY CHANGE.

THANK YOU. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A LITTLE OVER TWO MILLION DOLLARS IN NEW MONEY.

AND ULTIMATELY, THERE'S SOME VARIABLES THERE THAT COULD CHANGE.

THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COULD GIVE US ADDITIONAL RESOURCES BEYOND THE MILLION DOLLARS IN NEW MONEY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COULD GIVE US LESS THAN THAT.

TYPICALLY, THE WAY THINGS HAVE WORKED IS THEY'LL START WITH A FIGURE LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS. AND THEN IF THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, THEY LET US KNOW AND WE USE THAT TO DO SOME VALUE ADDED THINGS IN OUR BUDGET.

WE HAVE HAD SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE SEE IN OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, AND THEY'VE ASKED FOR A RECONSIDERATION OF THOSE FUNDS.

BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE BUILDING THE BUDGET OFF OF A MILLION DOLLARS IN NEW MONEY FROM THE LOCAL TRANSFER FROM THE STATE LEVEL.

GOVERNOR ELECT DUNCAN WILL TAKE OFFICE.

HE WILL ISSUE A BUDGET FOR CONSIDERATION.

THE SENATE WILL ISSUE A BUDGET.

HOUSE OF DELEGATES WILL ISSUE A BUDGET AND ULTIMATELY WILL HAVE A GENERAL ASSEMBLY BUDGET SOMETIME IN LATE MARCH.

SO AS YOU BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE ARE ALWAYS MONITORING THAT STATE REVENUE TO SEE IF WE CAN DO SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS, HAVE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND MAKE SOME REDUCTIONS. SO THIS IS WHERE WE'RE STARTING AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

AND IT'S LIKELY THAT WHEN I PRESENT MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU, WE USE GOVERNOR NORTHAM'S BUDGET AS A STARTING POINT, SIMPLY BECAUSE THAT'S THE FIGURE THAT WE HAVE IN HAND AT THIS POINT IN TIME. SO AS WE WILL DISCUSS TONIGHT AND LATER AT OUR WORK SESSION NEXT WEEK, WE HAVE MULTIPLE NEEDS AS A SCHOOL DIVISION.

AND SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY, WE ARE GOING TO SPEND SOME MORE TIME ARTICULATING TRULY WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION AND WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT WE BELIEVE AS STAFF WE NEED IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THE STRONG SUCCESS OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.

YOU HEARD SOME OF THAT LAST MONTH WHEN DR.

ARMSTRONG TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT AND FROM A COMPETITIVE MARKET STANDPOINT.

YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR NEXT WEEK ABOUT SOME OF THE PERSONNEL RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED BY PRINCIPALS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND ULTIMATELY THERE ARE NEEDS IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION, THINGS THAT WE CAN ACCESS TO CONTINUALLY IMPROVE WHAT WE'RE DOING.

EVERYTHING THAT'S PRESENTED TO YOU WILL BE A NEED.

NONE OF IT WILL BE A WANT.

ULTIMATELY, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE TRUSTED WITH THE TAXPAYERS RESOURCES AND WANT TO SPEND EACH AND EVERY DOLLAR APPROPRIATELY.

SO I WILL PRESENT TO YOU A NEEDS BASED BUDGET LATER ON THIS MONTH BASED ON ALL THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED THROUGH THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

SO I JUST WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT OUR APPROACH MOVING FORWARD.

SO TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON SALARY AND BENEFITS, AS YOU WILL FIND THROUGH THIS PROCESS. NEARLY 85 PERCENT OF OUR BUDGET IS SPENT ON THE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT OUR EMPLOYEES AND SALARY AND COMPENSATION AND OVERALL TOTAL COMPENSATION.

SO IT'S A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OUR BUDGET.

SO WE WANTED TO START THERE THIS EVENING.

NEXT WEEK, WE PLAN ON TALKING WITH YOU ABOUT RESOURCES TO SUPPORT STUDENT HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AS WELL AS OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION NEEDS IN THE BUSINESS OPERATIONS OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION. BUT WE'RE GOING TO DIG IN A LITTLE BIT TONIGHT OR A LOT TONIGHT ON SALARY AND BENEFITS BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE ARE IN THE PEOPLE BUSINESS.

WE ARE NOT A MANUFACTURER THAT PRODUCES WIDGETS WITH MACHINES THAT CAN DO THE WORK WITH A FEW PEOPLE WHO MAKE SURE THAT THEY RUN OK.

WE ARE IN THE PEOPLE BUSINESS AND IT TAKES PEOPLE TO DO OUR WORK.

AND SO ULTIMATELY, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS WHAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF OUR EMPLOYEES GOING FORWARD WHO ULTIMATELY PROVIDE AN EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO STUDENTS

[00:45:04]

AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS TONIGHT.

THE SCHOOL BOARD HASN'T ADOPTED POLICY, AND IN THAT COMPENSATION POLICY, YOU CLEARLY STATE THAT THE BOARD WANTS TO BECOME THE LEADER IN OVERALL COMPENSATION IN THE RICHMOND METRO REGION. AND I CAN REMEMBER WHEN THE BOARD ADOPTED THAT POLICY A FEW YEARS AGO, WE HUNG UP ON HOW WE DESCRIBED WHAT BEING A LEADER IS, AND WE PURPOSEFULLY THE BOARD AT THAT TIME PURPOSELY PUT THE LEADER NOT BECOME A LEADER IN OVERALL COMPENSATION, THE BOARD SAID. WE WANT TO BE THE LEADER IN OVERALL COMPENSATION.

OVERALL COMPENSATION IS NOT ONLY SALARY, BUT IT'S HEALTH INSURANCE.

IT'S RETIREMENT, IT'S THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE PROVIDE.

IT'S ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY.

IT'S A VARIETY OF THINGS AS WE KNOW THAT CONTRIBUTE TO OVERALL COMPENSATION.

IT'S NOT JUST SALARY.

WE WILL FOCUS TONIGHT ON SALARY AS CERTAINLY EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO PUT GAS IN OUR GAS TANK AND PUT FOOD ON THEIR TABLE.

BUT THIS IS PART OF YOUR COMPENSATION POLICY AND WANT TO SPEND SOME TIME DISCUSSING THAT THIS EVENING FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC WHEN WE TALK SALARY IMPROVEMENT.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SALARY IMPROVEMENT FOR PROFICIENT.

AND EXEMPLARY EMPLOYEES, IF WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE ON THEIR SUMMATIVE EVALUATION WHO IS RATED AS UNSATISFACTORY OR NEEDS IMPROVEMENT, THOSE EMPLOYEES DO NOT GET THE BENEFIT OF A STEP ADJUSTMENT AND THEIR SALARY SCALE.

THEY STAY WHERE THEY ARE.

WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT NOW FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS, I BELIEVE.

AND THAT'S A DESIGNATION THAT IS EXPLICITLY ADJUSTED IN COMPENSATION POLICY.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK TONIGHT ABOUT SPECIFIC REVISIONS TO SALARY SCALES.

ULTIMATELY, WE WANT TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE AND OUR HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS. WE HAVE BEEN THE BENEFICIARY OF VERY LOW INCREASES YEAR OVER YEAR IN HEALTH INSURANCE, AND THAT'S A RESULT OF HAVING A HEALTHY WORKFORCE.

ULTIMATELY, AS WE ARE PULLED TOGETHER WITH THE COUNTY, OUR EXPERIENCE IN THE COUNTY'S EXPERIENCE ULTIMATELY WILL RESULT IN WHAT OUR COSTS WILL BE FUTURE YEARS.

THERE HAVE BEEN YEARS WE'VE HAD A ZERO PERCENT INCREASE.

YEARS, WE'VE HAD TWO OR THREE PERCENT.

LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE IT WAS APPROXIMATELY FOUR.

SO AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS FOR BUDGETARY PURPOSES, WE'RE GOING TO PLACE A PLACEHOLDER AT FOUR PERCENT OF INCREASED COSTS YEAR OVER YEAR.

WE HAVE SOME THINGS THAT WE THINK ARE GOING TO BE MORE POSITIVE THAN THAT.

BUT AS WE GET STARTED IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH A CONVERSATION. AND THEN ULTIMATELY, WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION IN TIME ABOUT ADJUSTMENTS TO EXTRA DUTY STIPENDS, AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT LIKELY NEXT WEEK.

OK, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR WORKFORCE.

CERTAINLY, EVERY EMPLOYEE WHO DOES THE WORK OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION IS VALUED AND APPRECIATED GREATLY.

BUT I WANT TO SPEND SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT OVER 200 OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE CONSIDERED TEACHERS. AND MUCH OF THIS IS A REVIEW FOR YOU, BOARD MEMBERS.

BUT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE WATCHING THIS EVENING, WE KNOW THAT WE ANNUALLY RANK OURSELVES AMONG SIX OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS OR OUR TOTAL OF SEVEN IN OUR COMPARATIVE COMPENSATION GROUP.

AND SO WHAT WE DO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS IS WE LOOK AT OUR SALARIES AT STEPS TO ZERO THROUGH TWENTY FIVE AND HOW DO WE RATE IN COMPARISON TO THOSE OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT STEPS ZERO AND FIVE.

WE RANK SIXTH OUT OF SEVENTH AND STEPS 10, 15, 20 AND TWENTY FIVE WE RANK FIVE OUT OF SEVEN AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE OUR SALARIES ARE IN RELATION TO OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS WHERE WE TRULY ARE COMPETING FOR TALENT.

IT IS A COMPETITION FOR TALENT.

THERE ARE. IT'S A TRUE SUPPLY AND DEMAND FEATURE.

THERE ARE NOT A WHOLE LOT OF SUPPLY AND A TON OF DEMAND.

AND I THINK THAT IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN SERVING AS SUPERINTENDENT AND SCHOOL DIVISIONS, THAT COMPETITION HAS INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY.

AND SO WE MUST WE MUST BE EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE IN OUR MARKET FOR TALENT BECAUSE IT'S IF YOU'RE A TEACHER, YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL, YOU'RE A HIGH PERFORMING TEACHER.

YOU CAN RATE YOUR TICKET AND GO PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE YOU WANT.

SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE RETAIN OUR TALENT AND CAN ATTRACT TALENT FROM OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS. AND SALARY IS NOT THE ENTIRE THING TO LOOK AT, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS A CRITICAL FACTOR. SO SAW THIS LAST MONTH AS WELL.

HOW DO WE RATE IN COMPARISON TO THE MEDIAN AND AT EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY? WE ARE UNDER THE MEDIAN, SO THAT MEANS WE'RE LESS THAN FOURTH PLACE IN EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY ON OUR SALARY SCALE.

DR. ARMSTRONG PROVIDED THIS FOR YOU AS WELL, AND IT HAS SHOWN THAT EVEN WITH THE BEST EFFORTS OF THIS SCHOOL DIVISION IN THE CONTRIBUTIONS WE'VE RECEIVED, THAT ULTIMATELY WE ARE NOT PERFORMING AS WELL IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST.

AND IN 2017, WE WERE SITTING IN A PRETTY GOOD POSITION WITH RANKINGS OF THREE AND FOUR

[00:50:03]

THIS IS A DEMONSTRATION WHERE WE WANT TO BE GREEN AND YELLOW.

WE DON'T WANT TO BE RED IN ANY ANY OF THESE METRICS.

AND YOU CAN SEE OVER TIME THAT EVEN WITH THE SOURIRE IMPROVEMENT WE'VE PROVIDED, WE'VE LOST GROUND. AND AS WE SIT HERE TODAY, ALL OF OUR CELLS ARE RED AND WE ARE BELOW THE MEDIAN AT EACH STEP OF THE WAY.

SO IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO SPEND SOME TIME DISCUSSING ABOUT STRATEGIES AND TACTICS AND APPROACHES.

NOT ONLY TEACHERS CONTRIBUTE TO THE INSTRUCTIONAL SUCCESS OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION, BUT ITS OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL POSITIONS AS WELL.

WE SAW THIS LAST MONTH AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THERE ARE MANY RED SPOTS ON THIS GRID AREAS WHERE WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE GREEN AND YELLOW THAN WE DO WITH TEACHERS.

BUT ULTIMATELY FOR OUR INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE.

AND THEN I CERTAINLY KNOW THE SUPPORT THAT OUR CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES PROVIDE TO THE ONGOING SUCCESS OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.

AND LIKE THE INSTRUCTIONAL POSITIONS, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF RED ON THIS GRAPHIC, SPECIFICALLY WITH OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS AND OUR CLERICAL STAFF, WHERE THERE IS NO AREA WHERE THEY ARE EVEN NEAR THE MEDIAN IN OUR REGIONAL COMPARISONS.

SO WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT? WE KNOW THE DATA, OK.

THIS IS WHERE WE RANK NOW.

WHAT DO WE DO? HOW DO WE PROVIDE A COMPETITIVE? SALARY THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO RETAIN OUR HIGHLY TALENTED WORKFORCE AND AT THE SAME TIME, ATTRACT OTHERS FROM OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS AMAZING SCHOOL DIVISION.

SO TONIGHT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU A PROPOSAL FOR CONSIDERATION FOR AN INITIAL CONVERSATION. CERTAINLY A DRAFT AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

BUT GET YOUR INITIAL REACTIONS ON WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS APPROACH.

SO YOU HAVE ON THIS GRAPHIC ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, OUR CURRENT SALARY SCALE AND JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC.

FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE REALLY WORKED HARD TO ESTABLISH A VERY STRONG AND SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURE TO OUR SALARY SCALES, WHERE IN YEARS PAST WE HAD INCREMENTS BETWEEN DIFFERENT STEPS THAT WERE DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES AND DIFFERENT DOLLAR AMOUNTS.

THERE WAS NO RHYME OR REASON HOW YOU PROGRESSED ON THE SALARY SCALE.

SO A FEW YEARS BACK, WE ESTABLISHED THIS STRUCTURE WHERE WE HAVE A STRONG STARTING SALARY AND THEN YOU HAVE AN INCREMENT OF ZERO POINT EIGHT FIVE BETWEEN EACH STEP FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. WE COMPRESS THE SALARY SCALE OVER TIME, WHERE IT WAS AT ONE POINT IN TIME.

THIRTY STEPS, THIRTY FIVE STEPS THAT WE HAVE COMPRESSED IT TO 30 STEPS AS WELL.

SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK TO THE STRUCTURE.

SO YOU SEE ON THE LEFT OUR CURRENT SALARY, AND THESE ARE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HOLD A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN THE CURRENT INCREMENT OF ZERO POINT EIGHT FIVE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.

WHAT I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH YOU THIS EVENING IS A PROPOSAL WHERE WE ARE AGGRESSIVE, WHERE WE ARE BOLD AND AMBITIOUS TO INCREASE OUR STARTING SALARY SCALE STARTING SALARY TO FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.

TO ME, THAT IS AN EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE RECRUITING STRATEGY.

COME WORK FOR GOOCHLAND COUNTY, WHERE OUR STARTING SALARY IS FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS HAS SOME CACHET WHERE WE'D BE ABLE TO MARKET THAT.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY YOU'LL SEE IN SOME DATA WHERE THAT WOULD PUT US IN A COMPETITIVE STANDING. SO JUST FOR CONVERSATIONS STARTING SALARY OF FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THEN YOU FOLLOW THE INCREMENTS OF ZERO POINT EIGHT FIVE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE IF YOU FOLLOW FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WOULD GO FROM STEP ONE, CURRENTLY AT FORTY SIX POINT NINE SIXTY ONE AND GO TO STEP TWO IF FIFTY THOUSAND EIGHT FIFTY FOUR, HOW ULTIMATELY THAT INDIVIDUAL WOULD RECEIVE YEAR OVER YEAR AND EIGHT POINT TWENTY NINE PERCENT SALARY INCREASE.

AND THAT FOLLOWS THE SAME PROGRESSION FROM TOP TO BOTTOM BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE SCALE. SO.

WANTED TO PAUSE THERE FOR A MOMENT AND GET YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS AND REACTION FOLLOWS THE SAME STRUCTURE AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST GOES BOLD, WITH A STARTING SALARY OF $50000 IN A PRETTY AGGRESSIVE SALARY IMPROVEMENT PACKAGE FOR OUR TEACHERS.

ONE OF THE GET YOUR INITIAL REACTIONS TO THAT BOARD MEMBERS QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

ALAN? YES, MR. CHAIR. DR.

REILLY, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT PRIOR TO THE MEETING INFLATIONARY PRESSURE, AND WHILE I APPRECIATE THE STARTING SALARY MAKING A NICE JUMP, I WONDER IF WE NEED TO ENTERTAIN A MORE AUDACIOUS STEP DIFFERENTIAL COST OF LIVING THERE.

WHAT DID WE HEAR? MS. HAHN SEVEN PERCENT YES.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A RAISE OVER SEVEN PERCENT, THEN YOU HAVE NOT BEAT INFLATION, MEANING YOUR QUALITY.

YOUR ABILITY TO MEET YOUR NEEDS HAS DECLINED.

SO JUST WOULD LIKE FOR US TO MAYBE ENTERTAIN WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

YOU KNOW, A MODEST TWO OR THREE PERCENT JUST TO HELP SOMEONE KIND OF STAY EVEN WITH THE

[00:55:05]

YES, MA'AM. AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT APPROACH AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THAT IDEA I WILL SHARE WITH YOU HERE IN A MOMENT WHAT OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS AROUND US ARE GOING TO DO. AND WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE BOLDER IN WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN OR ELSE WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE RED MARKS AT THOSE FIVE YEAR INCREMENTS, EVEN WITH AN APPROACH LIKE THIS.

OF COURSE, COMING.

OH, I WAS JUST GOING TO MY COMMENTS WERE RELATED TO INFLATION.

I UNDERSTAND INFLATION NUMBERS WILL COME OUT TOMORROW, SO THAT WILL GIVE US SOME PRETTY DEFINED NUMBERS OTHER THAN THE NUMBERS THAT ARE HEARD IN THE NEWS TODAY.

SO I THINK THAT IS CRITICAL BECAUSE CERTAINLY WE CONTINUE TO ASK A LOT OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND THEY CONTINUE TO GIVE MORE OF THEMSELVES OF THEIR FAMILY.

AND SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO COMPENSATE PEOPLE FOR THE QUALITY OF WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING AND REGARDLESS OF SALARIES AND OTHER PLACES.

YES, WE WOULD LIKE TO TOP THEIR SALARIES TO ATTRACT THEM, BUT RETAINING THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE, THE AMAZING PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE PROVIDING THEM WITH AN INCOME THAT CREATES THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT THEY ARE EARNING WITH THE WORK THAT THEY DO, THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN OUR FUTURE.

IF WE DON'T TAKE CARE AND PREPARE OUR STUDENTS NOW, THEN OUR ENTIRE ECONOMY IS GOING.

I MEAN, TALK ABOUT INFLATION.

SO OUR ECONOMY IS IS IS DEPENDENT UPON HOW WE EDUCATE OUR OUR CHILDREN AND EVERYBODY IN THIS GREAT MACHINE CALLED CPS MAKES A DIFFERENCE AND HOW THAT OUTCOME IS HOW HIGH IT IS.

SO YES, I AM DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO INCREASE OUR COMPENSATION AND CERTAINLY OUR SALARIES.

MR. CHAIRMAN, YES, SINCE THE COST OF LIVING FLUCTUATES, IT RARELY GOES DOWN, BUT SOMETIMES IT LEVELS OFF.

WOULD A MID-YEAR OR PERIODIC BONUS HELP MEET THOSE NEEDS AS OPPOSED TO PUTTING IT INTO A SALARY WHICH YOU PAY EVERY MONTH THAN EVERY YEAR? AND THEN WHEN IT LEVELS OUT, THE AMOUNT OF BONUS DECREASES AS WELL, THAT IT WOULD HELP BRING OUR EMPLOYEES UP TO THE LEVEL OF COST OF LIVING, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME WE GIVE THEM A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL SALARY RAISE AND THAT I THINK WE CAN MEET IT THAT WAY AND AN EASIER WAY THAN TRYING TO MAKE IT UP IN SALARY, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO FLUCTUATE.

WE CAN GO UP ON A BONUS OR, YOU KNOW, OR NOT GIVE A BONUS OR WHATEVER.

WE HAVE A LOT OF OPTIONS THERE.

MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MAY, I BELIEVE THAT IS A THAT'S CERTAINLY A REALLY, UM, THOUGHTFUL WAY TO APPROACH THIS.

HOWEVER, THAT WOULD BE DEPENDENT UPON US RECEIVING ADDITIONAL FUNDS MIDYEAR TO OFFER SO THAT WE HAVE GOING BACK TO THAT AS WELL.

REALLY? YES, THAT'S IN THIS OVERALL BUDGET.

SO YES, WE COULD, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO OUR SOURCES, CORRECT? WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A REASON WHY I HAVEN'T GIVEN YOU A PRICE TAGS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THE PRICE TAG TO INFLUENCE YOUR THOUGHTS AT THIS POINT IN TIME, BECAUSE WE'RE WHAT YOU'RE THINKING IS WHAT'S BEST FOR THE SCHOOL DIVISION AND WHAT IS THE COST AND CAN WE CAN WE AFFORD IT? AND SO WE'LL FINISH WITH THAT.

BUT I WANT TO DO AT LEAST PRESENT THIS TO YOU.

WE ARE HAPPY TO COME BACK NEXT WEEK WITH AN ALTERNATIVE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE THE PRICING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT THAT RECOGNIZES INFLATIONARY FACTORS. AND THEN WHAT THEN A TRUE RAISE.

QUITE HONESTLY, WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS EIGHT POINT TWO NINE PERCENT.

SO IN ESSENCE, THAT'S A ONE POINT TWO NINE PERCENT IF YOU THINK ABOUT A SEVEN PERCENT INFLATION FACTOR. DR.

REILLY, JUST ONE OTHER THING THAT COMES TO MY MIND AFTER PARTICIPATING IN JOB FAIRS AND MEETING LOTS OF NEW TEACHERS POTENTIAL TEACHERS FOR THE FIRST TIME.

FIRST THING WE'RE GOING TO ALWAYS TELL THEM IS HOW GREAT THE SCHOOL DIVISION IS.

AND NOW WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU BEGAN WITH AS A CELEBRATORY NOTE ABOUT BEING NUMBER ONE IN THE RICHMOND REGION AND SO FORTH.

THEN WE TALK SALARY, AND IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME THAT WE ARE TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX OR SEVEN ON THE LIST OF SALARY.

AND SO I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN THIS REGARD AND WOULD SUPPORT ANY INCREASE IN

[01:00:06]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE.

SO THE BIG QUESTION IS WITH THIS PROPOSAL, WOULD WE GAIN GROUND AND WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME ASSUMPTIONS AND I'M GOING TO SHARE SOME OF THOSE ASSUMPTIONS AND SOMETHING I LEARNED TODAY THAT MAY CHALLENGE THOSE ASSUMPTIONS JUST A LITTLE BIT.

SO WHAT IF WE HAD A SALARY THAT WAS JUST PRESENTED TO YOU WITH THE $50000 STARTING? WHAT WOULD WE BE AT THOSE FIVE YEAR BANS IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT DRAFT AND EVERY OTHER SCHOOL DIVISION IN OUR COMPETITIVE MARKET GAVE A FIVE PERCENT? WOULD WE GAIN GROUND? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS YES.

WE WOULD GAIN GROUND WITH THOSE ASSUMPTIONS.

BUT I LEARNED TODAY THOSE ASSUMPTIONS ARE FALSE BECAUSE IN OUR COMPETITIVE MARKET, WE MAY HAVE ONE SCHOOL DIVISION THAT PROVIDES A FIVE PERCENT ACROSS THE BOARD PAY INCREASE.

THERE ARE OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS THAT ARE HAVING THIS SAME CONVERSATION AS WE'RE HAVING.

AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO ATTRACT TEACHERS AND HAVE A COMPETITIVE SALARY? I HEARD ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES TALK ABOUT A 10 PERCENT SALARY INCREASE TODAY.

SO ANYWAY, I WAS FEELING REALLY GOOD UNTIL I HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH MY COLLEAGUES TODAY, BUT WE HAD TO HAVE AT LEAST AN ASSUMPTION TO MOVE FORWARD AND WHAT IFS.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS POSITIVE THAT AT LEAST WITH THAT ONE SCHOOL DIVISION, WE WOULD MAYBE EXTEND OURSELVES BEYOND WHERE THEY WOULD BE IN SALARY.

AND ULTIMATELY, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE LOCAL SCHOOL DIVISIONS WILL DO WITH THEIR APPROPRIATION AND ULTIMATELY WHAT BUDGETS ARE.

AND THAT'S THE CHALLENGE OF TRYING TO FORECAST WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO COMPARED TO WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS GOING TO DO AS WELL.

BUT WHAT THIS DOES SHOW THAT WITH THIS ASSUMPTION, WE WOULD IN FACT GAIN AROUND AND WE WOULD BE IN A STRONGER POSITION WITH THOSE SCHOOL DIVISIONS THAT DO GIVE A FIVE PERCENT.

THIS IS WHERE WE WRIGHT ARE RIGHT NOW IN THE MEDIAN ANALYSIS AND WITH A FIVE PERCENT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE EIGHT POINT TWENTY NINE FOR US, WE WOULD GAIN GROUND ON THE MEDIAN.

WE'D BE EQUAL TO THE MEDIAN AT STEP 15, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OUR WORKFORCE, AND WE'VE REDUCED SOME OF THOSE DEFICITS.

SO IF WE GO MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN WHAT WE ARE USING THESE FIGURES TO SHOW, CERTAINLY WE'D BE MUCH BETTER. THIS IS WHERE WE ULTIMATELY WOULD BE WITH THOSE ASSUMPTIONS, AS I DESCRIBED, AND WE'VE MOVED FROM ALL RED TO TO SOME GREENS AND YELLOWS, WHICH WOULD BE VERY POSITIVE. OK, SO THAT WAS TEACHERS.

THAT'S THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR WORKFORCE.

BUT MRS. WHITE'S GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SALARY IMPROVEMENT FOR OUR NON-TEACHING WORKFORCE.

SO DR.

REILLY AND DR.

ARMSTRONG AND I GOT TOGETHER.

OH, NOVEMBER, AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT WHAT TO DO AT THE LOWER END OF OUR SALARY SCALE. SO THE THE VERY FIRST GROUP THAT GETS THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH ARE THOSE THAT ARE SITTING AT $11 AN HOUR NOW.

AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE VERY FIRST COLUMN THAT WE DID AN EASY FIX LAST YEAR.

WE JUST SAID, OK, EVERYBODY THAT'S MAKING UNDER $11 AN HOUR, WE'RE JUST GOING TO MAKE THEM $11 AN HOUR.

SO WE HAVE STEPS ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR OR FIVE AND ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE THAT'S SITTING RIGHT AT $11 AN HOUR.

WE ARE MANDATED BY LAW NEXT JANUARY ONE TO BE AT $12 AN HOUR.

SO LIKE A LOT OF DIVISIONS, WE JUST MAKE THE CHANGE RIGHT HERE ON JULY ONE AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A MID-YEAR CHANGE.

SO THAT IS A 10 PERCENT INCREASE, GOING FROM 11 TO 12 OR NINE PERCENT INCREASE GOING FROM 11 TO 12.

SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT AS YOU GO DOWN AND THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE TRULY STEPPED AT SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN $11 AN HOUR, THEY WOULD BE GETTING CLOSER TO A 17 PERCENT INCREASE WITH A STEP.

SO THAT'S ASSUMING THEY HAVE GOOD PERFORMANCE.

SO NICE JUMP FOR THOSE THOSE PEOPLE.

THESE ARE REALLY ARE ARE VERY PART TIME PEOPLE.

OUR CAFETERIA MONITORS ARE PART TIME CLEANERS, A P OR A GENERAL AD INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT, SOME OF AN ADULT IN THE ROOM.

IT'S REALLY WHAT THIS IS.

SO THAT THAT IS THE FIRST THAT IS OUR LEVEL, WHAT WE CALL A ON OUR UNIFIED SCALE.

SO WE CALL IT A EUA SO THAT THAT IS OUR FIRST RECOMMENDATION.

OUR NEXT RECOMMENDATION IS WE HAVE TWO GROUPS OF, UM, STAFF THAT

[01:05:01]

WE'VE TRAINED THEM. THEY THEY HAVE STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY.

THE CAFETERIA WORKERS AND THE CUSTODIANS BOTH HAVE A LOT OF INTERACTIONS WITH STUDENTS AND HAVE SOME, SOME TRUE RESPONSIBILITY.

THEY HAVE BEEN SITTING ON THAT UA SCALE.

WE WENT TO SHIP THEM UP TO THE UBE SCALE.

THE EUBIE SCALE AT 13 50 IS ABOUT 10 PERCENT MORE THAN THAT TWELVE DOLLARS.

SO IT'S A HAVING ABOUT A 10 PERCENT DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN LEVELS IS APPROPRIATE.

SO THIS GROUP OF FOLK WOULD BE GETTING A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE.

AND AGAIN, THOSE THAT WERE MAKING $11 AN HOUR ARTIFICIALLY HELD TO THAT FOR THE FIRST FIVE STEPS ARE GETTING LESS.

SO THE MAJORITY OF THE THE STAFF WOULD BE GETTING ABOUT A 30 TWO PERCENT INCREASE IN SALARY. WE ARE CURRENTLY HAVING DIFFICULTY FUNDING OR GETTING CAFETERIA WORKERS AND FOOD SERVICE. SO THIS IS A GROUP, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE'VE TRAINED THEM, WE DEPEND ON THEM.

WE HAVE TO HAVE THEM IN OUR BUILDINGS.

AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE VACANCIES.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALL SAY THESE PEOPLE CAN GO OUT TO MCDONALD'S.

THEY THEY TRULY CAN.

WHY ARE THEY MAKING 11, 12 DOLLARS AN HOUR? THEY CAN TAKE THEIR SKILL SET SOMEWHERE ELSE.

SO THAT IS OUR SECOND RECOMMENDATION.

THE HEAD CUSTODIANS HAD BEEN ON THE EB SCALE.

SO, UM, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THEY THEY GET A BUMP ON THIS SCALE.

THE HEAD CUSTODIANS OFTEN MOVE FROM BEING A REGULAR CUSTODIAN TO HEAD, CUSTODIAN AND BACK. SO IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT USUALLY A CAREER CHANGE.

UM, SO THAT THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO READJUST THEIR SALARIES, KEEP THEM ON THE SAME SAME STEP, MAKE THEM HEAD CUSTODIANS OR NOT WITH SOME EASE.

UM, THAT.

SO WHAT I DID ON THAT IS I JUST SHOWED THAT IF EVERYBODY ELSE GET GAVE ABOUT A FIVE PERCENT INCREASE, THAT WOULD MOVE US UP TO ABOUT THIRD PLACE FOR THAT GROUP OF STAFF.

OUR INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEMS, WHICH IF YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT WAS THAT PARA PRO GROUP AND THE CLERICAL. YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S OUR ELEMENTARY, CLERICAL AND OUR SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS, THEY WERE BOTH IN RED ALL THE WAY DOWN, AND THEY ARE ON THE THIRD STEP OF OUR SALARY SCALE. WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THEY GO TO THAT 15 DOLLARS PER HOUR.

SO AGAIN, THE UA SCALE STARTED AT 12, B WAS 13 50, AND THIS, YOU SEE, STARTS AT FIFTEEN DOLLARS, SO ABOUT 10 PERCENT LEVEL INCREASES BETWEEN THE TWO, THE THREE GROUPS.

AGAIN, UH, THESE ARE THESE ARE STAFF MEMBERS THAT HAVE INCREASINGLY HEAVIER RESPONSIBILITIES. AND SO THEY'RE AT THAT THIRD LEVEL.

YOU CAN SEE AT THE BOTTOM THESE ARE, UM, ELEMENTARY CLERICAL STAFF, TECHNICAL TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS, PERMANENT SUBSTITUTES, SCHOOL SECURITY OFFICERS, AS WELL AS THE INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS. THERE IS A BUMP THAT THEY HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE.

SO AGAIN, IF WE CAN MAKE THIS STEP AND EVERYBODY ELSE STAYS AT THE FIVE PERCENT, WE THINK WE CAN MOVE TO TWO TO SECOND PLACE.

WE ALSO THINK THAT THIS PUTS US IN COMPETITION WITH OUR PRIVATE SECTOR.

ONCE WE GET A I THINK I MR..

DR REILLY, DID I NOT MAKE THAT CHANGE? SORRY, I GOT A STEP BACK.

HOW DO I STEP BACK ON THIS ONE? ALL RIGHT. WE WILL GO.

INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANCE.

I THINK I FAILED.

WE CAN BRING IT BACK NEXT WEEK.

YEAH, SO THERE'S A YOU'D SCALE SORRY.

AND I'M JUST IT'S A WORK SESSION.

THAT'S OKAY. I JUST GOOFED.

I. SO THERE THERE IS A YOU'D SCALE THAT WE MADE A CHANGE ON AND THAT MOVE THAT GROUP UP

[01:10:01]

SO AGAIN, ABOUT A 10 PERCENT DIFFERENCE.

THAT IS YOUR THE THE UDEH.

SORRY. ARE YOUR CLERICAL THREE, THAT'S YOUR SECONDARY CLERICAL STAFF, YOUR BOOKKEEPER, UM, YOUR ATTENDANCE OFFICER, YOUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. IT IS YOUR CAFETERIA MANAGERS AND IT IS THE DIVISION CUSTODIAN DIVISION LEVEL CUSTODIAN WHO DOES A LOT OF PURCHASING.

THAT TYPE OF THING, SO THAT ONE WOULD MOVE UP TO 16, 50 PER HOUR AND THOSE STAFF AGAIN WOULD BE MAKING A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN 20 PERCENT SALARY INCREASE.

SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT OUR LOWEST GROUP OF STAFF REALLY MAKING SUBSTANTIAL SALARY INCREASES ANYWHERE FROM ABOUT 20 ONE PERCENT TO 32 PERCENT.

SO, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF STAFF ON THESE SCALES.

BUT THERE'S SALARY ITSELF IS NOT LARGE.

UM, INDIVIDUALLY.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT THAT MUCH THAT MUCH OF A SALARY INCREASE IS STILL IT DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME IMPACT AS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING WITH THE TEACHERS.

UM, SO THEN OUR NEXT GROUP IS BECAUSE NOW WE'VE BUMPED UP AGAINST ANOTHER SALARY SCALE.

THE UD BUMPS UP AGAINST WHAT WE CALL THE UIF SALARY SCALE.

AND THAT'S THE MECHANICS AND MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS.

AND SO, UM, WE'RE SUGGESTING NOT QUITE A 10 PERCENT UM.

IT IS ABOUT A SEVEN PERCENT, AND SO THAT WOULD MOVE THAT ONE FROM.

UM, SIXTEEN FIFTY TO SEVENTEEN SIXTY, AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY STARTING AT SIXTEEN POINT SEVENTY FIVE. SO THEY'LL GET ABOUT A SIX AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE.

AND THEN OUR LAST PROPOSAL WAS TO INCREASE EVERYBODY ELSE TO FIVE PERCENT.

AND KAREN, THAT FLIES IN THE FACE OF YOUR EVERYBODY IS GETTING A SEVEN PERCENT INFLATIONARY INCREASE.

WE WERE STAYING TRUE TO THE GOVERNORS, YOU KNOW WE WANTED.

WE WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY AT LEAST A FIVE PERCENT.

UM, SO THAT IS THAT IS THAT IS WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING, WE'VE DONE WE HAVE DONE SOME ANALYSIS. WE DO KNOW HOW MUCH THIS IS GOING TO COST US AND IT IS EXPENSIVE.

BOARD MEMBERS. ANY QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS, I JUST HAD A COMMENT.

WE KEEP COMPARING THESE PEOPLE AND I DON'T I'M NOT AGAINST, I'M NOT AGAINST GIVING THESE PEOPLE A RAISE. THEY HIGHLY DESERVE IT AND AND NEED IT.

HOWEVER, WE COMPARE OURSELVES WITH MCDONALD'S.

BUT DOES MCDONALD'S GIVE BENEFITS? WE'RE PAYING FOR BENEFITS FOR A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE OR MOST OF THESE PEOPLE.

SO WE ARE WE CONSIDERING THAT AS PART OF THEIR SALARY? I MEAN, WE SHOULDN'T.

I'M NOT SAYING WE WE NEED TO BRING THAT SALARY UP.

THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

BUT ARE WE COMPARING WHAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT MONEY WISE FOR BENEFITS TO? THAT'S COMPARED TO WHAT THEY CAN GET IF THEY GO TO MCDONALD'S IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT.

OUR CAFETERIA WORKERS DO NOT GET BENEFITS.

OUR CAFETERIA WORKERS DO NOT GET BENEFITS.

THEY WORK FIVE OR FIVE AND A HALF HOURS PER DAY.

THEY HAVE ACCESS TO BENEFITS, BUT MANY OF THEM ARE NOT TAKING THE BENEFITS THEY CAN GET.

THEY CAN GET THE I THOUGHT WE GOT THAT PASSED LAST YEAR.

SORRY. THEY CAN GET THINKING, YOU'RE GOING, YEAH, THEY CAN GET PART TIME HEALTH CARE.

WE DON'T, WE DON'T PAY.

BUT PART OF IT? CORRECT. RIGHT.

IT DID NOT PROVE ATTRACTIVE FOR THAT STUFF.

I THINK THEY COULD GO OUT ON THE MARKET AND GET A BETTER, BETTER COST.

I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T WANT, SAY, A BETTER DEAL, BUT THEY COULD GET A BETTER COST.

YEAH, BECAUSE WE'RE PAYING ABOUT HALF, I THINK, IS WE'RE ONLY PAYING HALF OF WHAT WE DO FOR OTHER STUFF, FOR THE OTHER PEOPLE.

I GUESS WHEN I THINK OF BENEFITS, I'M THINKING THERE'S THERE ISN'T A PENSION WRIGHT BENEFIT FOR THE CAFETERIA WORKER.

DO WE STILL DO THAT TAX SHELTERED ANNUITY FOR THEM OR DO WE STOP THAT WE HAVE STOPPED IT? IT WAS IT WAS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT.

AND WE HAVE WE HAVE JUST A FEW THAT ARE GRANDFATHERED.

MAYBE ONE OR TWO.

OK. NO, MR. CHAIR. THESE SCALES THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO AND THESE PEOPLE, WE OFTEN CALL THEM

[01:15:03]

THEY PROVIDE DAY TO DAY.

NIGHT TO MORNING SERVICES THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR OUR TEACHERS TO DO WHAT THEY DO AND WE KNOW LIKE YOU'RE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MARKET DRIVEN THAT WE DO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY, EVERYTHING THAT YOU HEAR ON THE NEWS, TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE QUITTING JOBS OR ALL LOOKING FOR A BETTER PAYING JOB.

SO TO MRS. BAREFOOT-REID POINT? YEAH. YES. SO IS IT APPLES AND APPLES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT SALARY TO SALARY? AND YES, WE DO WANT TO MAKE AN IMPACT FOR THESE PEOPLE.

NOW, IN ADDITION TO TELL YOU THE NUMBER, THIS IS ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE ON SCALES A, B AND C 280.

OKAY, THANK YOU. SO IN ADDITION TO THE THE WORK, THESE EMPLOYEES INTERACT WITH OUR STUDENTS ON A DAILY BASIS.

AND FOR ANY OF US WHO HAVE BEEN IN A SCHOOL, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT IS A SPECIAL SKILL THAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE.

THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO INTERACT NOT ONLY WITH EACH OTHER AND ADULTS, BUT TO INTERACT WITH STUDENTS. SO THAT IS A QUALITY ABOVE AND BEYOND SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT HAVE THE SKILLS AND THE EDUCATION TO WORK AT MCDONALD'S.

BUT DO THEY HAVE THE HEART TO INTERACT WITH OUR STUDENTS? AND I WOULD SAY THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE WANT TO KEEP.

AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE VALUED HERE AND THAT SO THEY FEEL VALUED HERE TO WORK IN OUR SCHOOLS? BY INCREASING YOUR SALARY, YOU'RE ALSO FOR THOSE WHO ARE FULL TIME.

YOU'RE ALSO IMPROVING THEIR THEIR THEIR VOICE.

SO AT RETIREMENT, THAT IS VERY HELPFUL.

I DO SOME THINGS WITH CHRISTMAS MOTHER AND I HAVE SEEN SOME FOLKS COME THROUGH THAT HAVE NEEDED THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.

SO PEOPLE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR THEIR THEIR WORKING LIVES TO SCHOOLS AND SOME OF THESE POSITIONS AT RETIREMENT ARE HAVING TO GET ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY TO SURVIVE. SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THEM AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO RECOGNIZE THAT? YES, WE KNOW YOU HAVE GOOD SKILLS, BUT THE FACT THAT YOU CAN INTERACT WITH OUR STUDENTS AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES EVERY DAY WITH THE WORK YOU DO, YOUR PRESENCE, YOUR JOY THAT THEY SEE, THE ABILITY YOU HAVE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK, THAT IT'S HARD TO PUT A NUMBER ON THAT.

SO I, YOU KNOW, I LOOK FORWARD TO US DIGGING DEEP AND SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO, A HOPE THAT WE COULD DO SOME OF THESE NUMBERS THAT YOU HAVE.

BUT THESE SUPPORT PEOPLE ARE ARE VALUABLE WRIGHT ANYONE ELSE? HOW MANY OF THESE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN STAFF ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VOUCHERS? SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE FTE OF THAT GROUP, I SAID THAT THESE ARE A HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN INDIVIDUALS, BUT THEY ONLY HAVE 80 PEOPLE OR NOT.

EIGHTY NINE FTE.

SO UM, I WOULD SAY THAT UM A A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER IN THE YEWA GROUP.

YOUR CAFETERIA MONITORS YOUR PART TIME CLEANERS THAT THERE THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE.

I'D SAY THAT GROUP, UM, WRIGHT ALMOST SINGLE HANDEDLY IS NOT WRIGHT ARE NOT FULL TIME STAFF. THANK YOU.

YEAH, THERE NEED THESE SALARY NEEDS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.

I DON'T HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

WRIGHT I.

I WANT TO BRING UP ONE MORE THING THAT I FAIL TO BRING UP.

UM, FROM THE CONFERENCE THAT I ATTEND IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, AND THAT IS THE ELIMINATION OF THE SUPPORT CAP.

SO THESE ARE THE EMPLOYEES.

WHEN THE STATE IN 2009 REMOVED ELIMINATED THIS, UM, THEY PUT ON A SUPPORT CAP.

SO FOR US IT IS FORTY FIVE.

FTE IS ALL WE ARE FUNDED FOR AND THIS IS EVERYBODY THAT IS BASICALLY NOT A TEACHER.

SO IT'S YOUR BUS DRIVERS, IT'S YOUR CAFETERIA WORKERS, IT'S YOUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS, IT'S MYSELF.

SO THEY THEY PUT A CAP ON IT.

WHAT THE SCHOOL DIVISION ONLY NEEDED FORTY FIVE PEOPLE TO TO RUN BESIDES HAVING TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS AND A SUPERINTENDENT.

SO, UM, WHAT WHAT THEY'VE WE, WE CAN MAKE A CALCULATION.

[01:20:02]

UM, WE CAN SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THEY ELIMINATED THAT SUPPORT CAP.

AND SO MAYBE THE FORTY FIVE POSITIONS GOES UP TO SEVENTY FIVE NOW THAT THEY WOULD FUND.

AND SO FOR US, IT'S ABOUT, UM, TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WE LOSE OUT EVERY YEAR BECAUSE OF THAT SUPPORT CAP THAT THEY PUT IN IN TWO THOUSAND NINE BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS DESPERATE AND UM, THEY HAVE JUST KEPT IT IN PLACE.

AND SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, THE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION, THE FINANCE DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION, THE V.A., THEY ARE ALL SAYING, PLEASE GET RID OF THAT SUPPORT CAP.

YOU HAVE MONEY NOW, PLEASE RESTORE IT.

IT DOES NOT TAKE IT TAKES MANY MORE THAN FORTY FIVE EXTRA STAFF TO RUN A SCHOOL DIVISION.

AND SO THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IF YOU CAN ADVOCATE FOR, JUST PUSH IT.

UM. DR.

REILLY AND I TALKED TODAY ABOUT MY ACTUALLY GETTING THOSE NUMBERS TOGETHER.

AND UM, I HAVE I HAVE A GRAPH, UM, THAT I HAVE SEEN THE GRAPH FOR GOOCHLAND AND WHAT IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS AS FAR AS THAT SUPPORT CAP AND HOW MUCH WE'VE LOST EVERY YEAR SINCE TWO THOUSAND NINE, WHEN THAT WAS REMOVED, WHEN THAT WAS SET UP.

SO. THANK YOU.

RIGHT, SO ABOUT TO BRING US TO A CLOSURE HERE FOR OUR WORK SESSION PRESS RATES, WE'RE EXPECTING TO REMAIN STAGNANT.

WE HAD HOPED AT ONE POINT IN TIME THAT WE WOULD GET A BENEFIT OF A REDUCTION IN THE EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION TO VRS.

I THINK THE ACTUARIES SAID THAT YOU COULD REDUCE THOSE COSTS, BUT THE GOVERNOR'S INTRODUCED BUDGET KEEPS VRC COSTS THE SAME.

ULTIMATELY, THAT IS A GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECISION.

SO WE WERE HOPING TO SAVE A FEW DOLLARS THERE, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO THAT'S A VARIABLE THAT CERTAINLY HAS SOME IMPACT.

AND AS FAR AS HEALTH INSURANCE GOES, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE PROJECTING A FOUR PERCENT INCREASE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

WE FEEL THAT THE OVERALL COST TO US MAY NOT BE FOUR PERCENT IF, IN FACT, THAT'S WHAT WE GET FROM OUR VENDOR.

BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE PENCILING IN THAT FIGURE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

ULTIMATELY, THE END OF JANUARY IS USUALLY WHEN WE RECEIVE THAT PREMIUM INCREASE.

SO I MAY NOT HAVE THE ACTUAL FIGURE FOR MY PRESENTATION TO YOU, BUT BY THE TIME YOU ADOPT, WE EXPECT THAT WE'LL HAVE A MORE FIRM FIGURE THERE.

SO WE SPENT AN HOUR AND A HALF TONIGHT ON SALARY AND BENEFITS.

WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK NEXT WORK SESSION AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE, THESE OTHER NEEDS THAT HAVE BUBBLED UP TO THE SURFACE AND THEN ULTIMATELY BOARD MEMBERS.

THIS IS WHERE WE MUST PRIORITIZE WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO US AS A SCHOOL DIVISION WITH LIMITED RESOURCES AND TO POINT ZERO FOR $6 MILLION IN NEW MONEY IS SIGNIFICANT FOR OUR SCHOOL DIVISION AND WE'RE THANKFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE GET IN NEW MONEY.

BUT IT DOESN'T STRETCH AS FAR AS THE AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL MAY THINK.

ULTIMATELY, THE COST OF WHAT WE SHARED WITH YOU THIS EVENING EXCEEDS THE NEW REVENUE THAT WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE.

IT'S MORE APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS SHY.

EVEN WITH THE PROPOSALS THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU TONIGHT.

SO THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO DO ANYTHING BEYOND ANY SORT OF SALARY INCREASE.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH COUNTY STAFF IS, YOU KNOW, WOULD THERE BE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO PROVIDE SOME LOCAL TRANSFER FROM FOUR PERCENT TO FIVE PERCENT, POTENTIALLY YEAR OVER A YEAR? AND SO THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE'LL SEE WHERE WHERE THAT GOES WITH THEM.

BUT ULTIMATELY, WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS AND WE'RE WE ALWAYS HAVE AND WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.

WE WILL CERTAINLY BALANCE THE BUDGET AND I WILL PRESENT YOU A BALANCED BUDGET, BUT THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME, SOME COMPETING DEMANDS.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE WHERE EVERYTHING BALANCE IS. BUT AS WE CLOSE OUR WORK SESSION TODAY, ANY PARTING THOUGHTS, ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO BRING BACK FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION NEXT MONTH, NEXT WEEK, BOARD MEMBERS? YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, I DID DO A RESEARCH PAPER, BUT I WILL SHORTEN IT TO JUST A FEW STATEMENTS.

THERE IS SO MUCH TO CONSIDER IN THIS BUDGET.

SO FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S A GROWING PUBLIC MOVEMENT NOT ONLY IN GOOCHLAND, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. EDUCATION, CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION IS DESIRED AND NEEDED.

SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND HOW DO WE SUPPORT IT? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WE THINK ABOUT TRIAGE, UNDERSTANDING, LEARNING LOSS AND PROVIDING THE RIGHT RESOURCES AND SERVICES TRANSITION.

HOW DO WE NAVIGATE THIS REOPENING THAT WE ARE DOING AND WHAT IS THE COST OF THAT? AND OF COURSE, THE NEXT STAGE WOULD BE TRANSFORMATION, AND THAT'S INTENTIONAL CHANGES

[01:25:05]

SO AS WE LOOK AT SALARIES, THE SALARIES OF OUR PEOPLE, OUR PEOPLE MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SCHOOL DIVISION.

OUR PEOPLE ARE THE ONES WHO IMPACT THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

YOU HAVE A GREAT TEACHER AND WITHOUT MATERIALS, THAT GREAT TEACHER CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

SO I HOPE THAT, UM, WELL, WE NEED EVERY ONE OF OUR CITIZENS TO ONCE AGAIN, AS WE MENTIONED ABOUT THE BOND REFERENDUM, BUT TO ONCE AGAIN SPEAK LOUDLY FOR OUR SCHOOLS BY SUPPORTING SALARY AND BENEFIT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT DR.

REILLY WILL ULTIMATELY BE BRINGING US.

LET ALL TEEN GOOCHLAND MEMBERS YOU ENCOUNTER KNOW YOU NEED THEM AND APPRECIATE THEM.

THEY ARE VALUED.

THEY FEED, TRANSPORT, SHELTER, INSTRUCT COACH, BRACE AND LOVE EVERY CHILD.

SO DO OUR SUPERVISORS BELIEVE THAT OUR EDUCATIONAL TEAM THAT INCLUDES STUDENTS, STAFF AND FAMILIES DESERVE THEIR 100 PERCENT TRUST AND SUPPORT.

AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL COMMUNICATE THIS TO YOUR SUPERVISORS.

IF YOU BELIEVE, AS WE DO, THAT WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO SUPPORT OUR GREAT TEAM.

GOOCHLAND. THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE? YEAH.

MR. CHAIR. DR.

REILLY, I'D LOVE TO SEE SOME INFORMATION.

I APPRECIATE THE SCHOOL BOARD'S GOAL OF BEING THE LEADER IN OVERALL COMPENSATION.

AND I THINK IT FITS NICELY WITH BEING THE TOP SCHOOL DIVISION AND HAVING THE BEST TEACHERS AND SO FORTH.

BUT DOLLARS ARE RELATIVE TO A MARKET.

MM HMM. AND I'D LOVE TO SEE SOME COST OF LIVING COMPENSATION.

LIKE LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT DOES IT COST TO LIVE IN GOOCHLAND VERSUS DEVASTATED WRIGHT GO.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS A LONG TIME HERE.

SO BUT LET'S NORMALIZE THOSE NUMBERS AND THEN ALSO MAYBE LAYER THAT WITH A REPRESENTATION OF HOW MANY OF OUR STAFF, PARTICULARLY OUR PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STAFF, ARE LIVING OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY JUST SO WE CAN GET A.

I GUESS A BALANCED VIEW.

SURE. WHERE ARE THESE DOLLARS CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER QUALITY OF LIVING? SURE. YEAH. HAPPY TO DO THAT.

I THINK OF MAYBE SOME REAL ESTATE COMPARISONS THAT WE COULD START WITH, YOU KNOW, HOUSING COSTS POTENTIALLY.

WE HAVE THE DATA ON WHO'S TRAVELING FROM WHERE AND WE CAN PROVIDE MAYBE SOME OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC DATA FOR YOU NEXT WEEK.

THANK YOU. THANKS, MAN. MR. CHAIR, I THINK WE DID SOME OF THAT LAST YEAR AND FOUND OUT THAT THE MAJORITY I THINK OF OUR TEACHERS LIVE OUTSIDE OF GOOCHLAND.

YEAH, YEAH. DR.

ARMSTRONG SHOWED SOME OF THAT DATA, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY REJUVENATE THAT AND MAYBE FILTER IT A DIFFERENT WAY. YEAH.

HAPPY TO DO THAT. THANK YOU, DR.

ELAINE. OK, THANK YOU.

BOARD MEMBERS AT THIS TIME, WE ARE APPROACHING OUR CLOSED SESSION MEETING, AND I NEED A

[4. CLOSED MEETING]

MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOVE THAT WE CONVENE A CLOSED MEETING UNDER THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT IN ORDER TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS INVOLVING THE ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARY DISCIPLINE OR RECOGNITION OF EMPLOYEES OF GOOCHLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNDER VIRGINIA.

CODE SECTION TWO POINT TWO THIRTY SEVEN ELEVEN A.

ONE. THANK YOU.

I HAVE A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? THERE IS A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR.

SAY I I BOARD WILL BE IN CLOSED SESSION OR FROM 6:30 UNTIL SEVEN P.M.

THANK YOU.

[02:00:09]

[5. RECONVENE IN OPEN MEETING / CERTIFICATION]

[02:00:14]

[02:00:17]

[02:00:23]

[02:00:27]

[02:00:33]

[02:00:38]

EACH BOARD MEMBER RESPONDS ISO CERTIFIED WHEN CALLED BAREFOOT-REID ISO CERTIFIED ISO CERTIFIED AS A CERTIFIED ISO CERTIFIED.

THANK YOU AT THIS TIME, WE WILL OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.

[6. MOMENT OF SILENCE]

[7. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

BOARD MEMBERS, AS WE PREPARE FOR THE MEETING, I ASK YOU TO LOOK AT THE AGENDA.

[8. ADDITIONS/AMENDMENTS/ADOPTION OF PROPOSED AGENDA]

IS THERE A MOTION? MR. CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED THIS EVENING, SIR, SECOND BY SECOND. THANK YOU.

THE AMENDMENTS THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

THERE'S A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING. AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE PRESENT AND THOSE WHO ARE

[9. RECOGNITIONS:]

THIS IS THE JANUARY 11TH TWENTY TWENTY TWO SCHOOL BOARD MEETING FOR GOOCHLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

IT'S MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME OUR NEW STUDENT LIAISON, ALEX PESKIN, TO HIS FIRST MEETING.

ALEX, WE LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THAT.

YOU WILL CONTRIBUTE TO OUR MEETINGS.

WANT YOU TO KNOW BEGINNING TONIGHT THAT WE APPRECIATE YOUR PERSPECTIVE, THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE, AND WE WANT YOU TO FEEL WELCOME TO SHARE AT ANY TIME DURING THE MEETINGS IN THE MONTHS AHEAD? THANK YOU.

ALSO, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD FOR THE CONFIDENCE THAT'S BEEN PLACED IN ME, AND I PROMISE TO DO MY VERY BEST TO LEAD THE WORK OF THE BOARD IN THIS CAPACITY.

AS CHAIR MS. BAREFOOT-REID WILL SERVE AS VICE CHAIR THIS YEAR, AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MS. KAREN HAHN FOR HER OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP DURING THE PAST YEAR.

DR. ALY, YOU HAVE SOME RECOGNITIONS.

FORBEARERS, IF YOU REMEMBER, LAST MONTH, I SHARED SOME OF THE POSITIVES AND SOME OF THE SUCCESSES OF OUR FALL SPORTS PROGRAM, AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE THIS EVENING SOME OF OUR STUDENT ATHLETES WHO HAVE EARNED ALL STATE RECOGNITION.

AND THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE ARE COMPETING IN THE CLASS 3A VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE COMPETITION.

AND SO TO EARN ALL STATE RECOGNITION AT CLASS 3A WITH SOME AMAZING STUDENT ATHLETES FROM ACROSS THIS COMMONWEALTH, IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO BE EXTREMELY PROUD OF.

WE HAVE FOUR INDIVIDUALS TONIGHT THAT I WANT TO RECOGNIZE AS ALL-STATE PERFORMERS, AND I'M GOING TO START THIS EVENING WITH OUR ALL-STATE PERFORMERS IN VOLLEYBALL.

BLAIR BUSTLES WAS SELECTED FOR THE ALL DISTRICTS, SECOND TEAM, ALL REGION, FIRST TEAM IN ALL STATE SECOND TEAM THIS SEASON.

SHE'S BEEN A FOUR YEAR STARTER IN HER TENURE AS A BULLDOG, AS A DEFENSIVE PLAYER.

SHE WORKED HARD TO FILL THE ROLE OF SETTER FOR HER FIRST TWO YEARS, THEN SEAMLESSLY TRANSITIONED IN THE STARTING LIBERO ROLE AS A JUNIOR AND A SENIOR WITH ONLY TWO YEARS AND A DEDICATED DEFENSIVE ROLE.

SHE HOLDS THE CAREER DIGGING RECORD FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS WITH OVER 700 DIGS.

CONGRATULATIONS TO BLAIR ON HER INCREDIBLE HARD WORK, DEDICATION TO HER TEAM AND SUCCESS ON AND OFF THE COURT.

NO WONDER LING WAS SELECTED FOR THE ALL DISTRICT, FIRST TEAM, ALL REGION FIRST TEAM AND ALL-STATE HONORABLE MENTION TEAMS THIS SEASON.

NOVA HAS BEEN A THREE YEAR VARSITY STARTER AND HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE BULLDOG

[02:05:03]

SHE ALSO HOLDS THE RECORDS FOR THE MOST KILLS AND ACES IN A SINGLE SEASON.

NOVA IS A POWERHOUSE HITTER AND WILL BE MISSED AS SHE GRADUATES AND HOPES TO CONTINUE HER VOLLEYBALL CAREER IN COLLEGE.

CONGRATULATIONS TO NOVA ON OUR HARD WORK AND SUCCESS ON AND OFF THE COURT.

NINA SMITH WAS SELECTED FOR THE ALL DISTRICT, SECOND TEAM, ALL REGION, FIRST TEAM IN ALL STATE HONORABLE MENTION TEAM THIS SEASON.

SHE'S BEEN A THREE YEAR VARSITY STARTER AS A JUNIOR AND IS A PIVOTAL PART OF THE BULLDOGS FRONT ROW DEFENSE.

NINA HOLDS THE RECORD FOR CAREER BLOCKS AND IS TIED FOR THE RECORD IN SEASON BLOCKS WITH OVER 30 INDIVIDUAL BLOCKS THIS YEAR.

ALTHOUGH SHE SWITCHES BETWEEN TWO FRONT ROW POSITIONS, NINA IS ALSO FOLLOWING IN NOVA'S FOOTSTEPS WITH OVER 300 KILLS AT THIS POINT IN HER CAREER.

WE ARE GLAD AS BULLDOGS TO HAVE NINA BACK FOR HER SENIOR YEAR NEXT YEAR AND EXCITED TO SEE WHAT SHE DOES BOTH ON AND OFF THE COURT.

SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING OUR THREE BULLDOGS WHO EARNED ALL-STATE VOLLEYBALL RECOGNITION THIS YEAR.

OUR NEXT RECOGNITION IS FOR MR. TYLER BLACK. TYLER IS HERE THIS EVENING, SO TYLER, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND COMING FORWARD AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE TYLER, SISTER AND HIS FATHER WITH US TONIGHT, IS THAT RIGHT? ALL RIGHT. SO TYLER BLACK WAS RECOGNIZED THIS YEAR AS THE FIRST TEAM ALL REGION KICKER IN SECOND TEAM, ALL REGION, PUNTER, FIRST TEAM, ALL DISTRICT KICKER AND PUNTER AND SECOND TEAM, ALL STATE KICKER.

TYLER'S WORK ETHIC AND DRIVE SHOWED ITSELF THIS SEASON AS FORTY FIVE PERCENT OF HIS KICKOFFS WERE FOR TOUCHBACKS AND JUST FOR THE CITIZENS WHO ARE WATCHING WHAT'S A TOUCHBACK? IT'S WHEN YOU KICK THE BALL INTO THE END ZONE AND THE FOLKS DON'T GET A CHANCE TO RUN IT BACK AND THE BALL GOES ONTO THE 20 YARD LINE.

IT'S PRETTY DARN IT'S A GREAT DEFENSIVE WEAPON, BY THE WAY, HAVING TO WORK WITH A NEW SHORT SNAPPER AND HOLDER.

IT HAD ITS MOMENTS AT THE START OF THE SEASON, BUT WE DEVELOPED INTO A STEADY PERFORMANCE AS WE WENT FOUR OF SIX ON HIS FIELD GOALS WITH ALONG WITH 38 YARDS AND TWENTY SIX FOR THIRTY ONE ON HIS EXTRA POINTS.

WE EXPECT TYLER TO CONTINUE GROWING AND DEVELOPING INTO A KICKER AND PUNTER WHO HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOWCASE HIS TALENTS ON SATURDAYS IN JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS.

SO TYLER, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ALL-STATE PERFORMANCE AS YOUR JUNIOR THIS YEAR.

MR. CHAIR, IF I MAY SPEAK ABOUT TYLER FOR A MOMENT.

I'M AT FOOTBALL GAMES, THE FOCUS THAT YOU HAVE DURING THE ENTIRE GAME IS IMPRESSIVE.

YOU ARE YOU'RE STRETCHING YOUR PRACTICE AND YOUR KICK.

I CAN TELL THAT YOU'RE IMPROVING EVERY MINUTE OF THE GAME AND THINKING ABOUT WHAT WHAT DIFFERENCE THAT'S GOING TO MAKE FOR YOUR TEAM.

SO VERY IMPRESSIVE AND JUST REALLY PROUD OF YOU.

CONGRATULATIONS, DR.

RILEY. YOU HAVE SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS, I BELIEVE.

YEAH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, ALL OF THIS IS LISTED ON THE AGENDA, BUT THEIR

[10. ANNOUNCEMENTS/REMINDERS:]

I WANT TO START OFF BY RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OUR SCHOOL DIVISIONS, PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS.

THIS IS PRINCIPAL'S APPRECIATION WEEK.

WE WILL HEAR TONIGHT FROM MS. MELISSA REMES, WHO IS ONE OF OUR EXCEPTIONAL PRINCIPALS.

WE HAVE MS. RACHEL WILBURN, WHO IS IN OUR AUDIENCE TODAY, AND SO WE ARE BLESSED WITH FIVE AMAZING PRINCIPALS WHO DO AMAZING WORK EVERY DAY AND THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ALONGSIDE THEM.

WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A CHALLENGING TIME IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THEY TRULY ARE ON THE FRONTLINES OF PROVIDING LEADERSHIP SO THANKFUL FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP AND WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THEM PUBLICLY THIS EVENING.

THERE ARE MANY MEETINGS THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE PLACE IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION IN THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS.

WE WILL BE OFF OF SCHOOL THIS MONDAY AS WE HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF DR.

MARTIN LUTHER KING. ALL SCHOOLS AND OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY.

COUPLED WITH THAT IS A DAY OF SERVICE THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AT GOOCHLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL AS WE PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AS I ANNOUNCED PUBLICLY EARLIER TONIGHT, WE HAVE A BUDGET WORKSHOP ON THE 18TH, A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING WITH OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OR COLLEAGUES ON JANUARY THE 19TH.

WE WILL HAVE SOME IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS RELATED TO CAPITAL PLANNING NEW CONSTRUCTION.

I'LL BE BACK TO PRESENT MY BUDGET TO THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR THE CONSIDERATION ON THE TWENTY FIFTH, WITH SOME FOLLOW UP MEETINGS TAKING PLACE AFTER THAT.

AND THAT FORECAST FEBRUARY, WHICH IS SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH, AS WELL AS SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION WEEK, WHICH TAKE PLACE IN FEBRUARY.

ULTIMATELY, YOU ARE SLATED TO APPROVE YOUR BUDGET REQUEST ON FEBRUARY THE 24TH, SO IT'S GOING TO BE A BUSY COUPLE OF WEEKS FOR US.

IF I MIGHT TAKE A MOMENT HAVING BEEN A PRINCIPAL AND KNOWING THE WORK OF A PRINCIPAL, I WANT TO JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION OF OUR PRINCIPALS.

[02:10:02]

THIS TAKES US UP TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

[11. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD (KD/BDDH) (KD-R/BDDH-R)]

WE KNOW THAT THE ISSUES BEFORE US ALL MAY VARY IN TOPIC AND PRIORITY, BUT ALL OF US SEEK THE BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS AS WE WORK TOGETHER TO MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL OF ALL LEARNERS.

WE VALUE YOUR VOICE AS WE WORK TO FULFILL OUR MISSION TO MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL OF ALL LEARNERS. THIS AGENDA TONIGHT INCLUDES THE LINKS TO THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING POLICIES THAT ARE LOCATED ON THE DIVISION SCHOOL BOARD POLICY SITE.

AS WE OPEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION TONIGHT, WE ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT OUR BOARD'S GOAL AND OUR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT FOCUSES ON OUR DESIRE TO CREATE AN ENGAGING AND RESPONSIVE EXPERIENCE WHERE EVERYONE FEELS INFORMED, INCLUDED, VALUED AND EMPOWERED PARENTS, STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.

OPINIONS ARE WELCOME.

PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.

ALL VOICES WILL BE HEARD AND EVEN THE VOICES FOR TONIGHT'S PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WE MAY HAVE RECEIVED VIA EMAIL OR VIDEO TO FOSTER AN INCLUSIVE AND NON-THREATENING ENVIRONMENT.

THIS EVENING, I ASK THAT YOU DO NOT APPLAUD OR MAKE ANY COMMENT AT THE CONCLUSION OF REMARKS THAT ARE MADE.

LET'S MODEL EXCELLENCE FOR OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH ACTIONS, THROUGH OUR ACTIONS THIS EVENING. THERE IS A LIGHT ON THE PODIUM THERE WHICH WILL SIGNAL THREE MINUTES.

ARE WE USING THE LIGHT? YES. SO THE LIGHT WILL COME ON WHEN YOU BEGIN TO SPEAK.

AND I THINK IT I DON'T KNOW IF IT CHANGES COLORS OR NOT, BUT IT WILL INDICATE TO YOU IN THREE MINUTES IS UP.

SO MRS. BENNETT, WE HAVE SOME.

THANK YOU. I HAVE ONE PERSON WHO HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TONIGHT, MS. KATHRYN WIRSING.

HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU TONIGHT.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU A QUICK QUESTION.

I THINK THE THREE MINUTES WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IMPOSED IF THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE SPEAKING. IF I NEED AN EXTRA ADDITIONAL ONE OR TWO MINUTES TO FINISH UP, WOULD THAT BE OK? WE WILL WORK WITH YOU.

OK, WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THEN I WILL SAVE THIS QUOTE TILL THE END.

I WANT TO START OFF BY THANKING THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE DR.

REILLY FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE ON THE BOOK REVIEW COMMITTEE.

AND IT WAS A LOT OF WORK AND I WAS FOREWARNED ABOUT THAT.

BUT I FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO SO.

I WAS HAPPY TO DO IT.

ONE OF THE BOOKS THAT I WAS REVIEWING WAS THE COVID 19, THE SCIENCE OF THE CORONAVIRUS, AND I'M GOING TO START OFF BY JUST READING A PART THAT WOULD BE GOING INTO OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR OUR CHILDREN TO READ.

PROTECT YOURSELF. HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO MAKE SAFE CHOICES.

THEY KNOW THE BEST WAY TO SLOW THE SPREAD IS THROUGH ISOLATION AND SOCIAL DISTANCING.

THE VIRUS CANNOT PASS FROM PERSON TO PERSON IF EVERYONE STAYS AT HOME.

I THINK THAT'S KIND OF A SAD MESSAGE, ESPECIALLY SINCE SUICIDE RATES AMONG OUR CHILDREN HAVE GONE UP DURING THIS PANDEMIC.

AND CODE OF VIRGINIA ONE TWO FOUR ZERO POINT ONE PARENT RIGHTS OF PARENTS.

A PARENT HAS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO MAKE DECISIONS CONCERNING THE UPBRINGING, EDUCATION AND CARE OF THE PARENT'S CHILD.

WE'VE HAD A TOTAL OF 213 POSITIVE CASES SINCE AUGUST OF 23RD, THE 23RD OF AUGUST UNTIL JANUARY 7TH AS THE LAST TIME THE DASHBOARD WAS UPDATED.

WE HAVE A TOTAL OF TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED EIGHTY TWO STUDENTS OUT OF ALL OF THOSE CASES, HOW MANY RECOVERED AND CAME BACK TO SCHOOL? THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE THE SCHOOL BOARD TO THINK ABOUT WHEN THEY'RE MAKING DECISIONS TO TAKE THEIR WAY, THE RIGHTS OF PARENTS, HOW MANY OF THE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS RECOVERED, HOW MANY OF THOSE CASES WERE MASKED AND VACCINATED.

THOSE ARE THE SAFETY MEASURES THAT WE WERE TOLD WOULD KEEP US FROM GETTING IT.

HOW LONG WILL CPS CONTINUE TO TAKE AWAY PARENT RIGHTS TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEIR CHILDREN? WHEN WILL THIS OVERREACH A GOVERNMENT END? FIRST, IT WAS TO SLOW THE SPREAD IT SPREAD ANYWAYS.

THEN IT WAS UNTIL WE GET THE VACCINE.

WE HAVE VACCINES AND THE VIRUS STILL SPREAD.

THEN YOU NEED A BOOSTER.

THE VIRUS IS STILL HERE, THEN A FOURTH VACCINE.

THIS WILL NOT END.

WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE VIRUSES, INFLUENZA, PNEUMONIA AND SO ON.

NO ONE IS ASKING FOR ALL TO UNMASK.

WE ASK FOR IT TO BE OPTIONAL.

I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE HAVE HEALTH RISK THAT THEY NEED TO CONSIDER FOR IT TO BE A CHOICE IF PEOPLE HAVE HEALTH RISKS.

MAKE THE CHOICE TO PROTECT YOURSELF HOW YOU WISH, BUT DON'T HINDER OTHER PEOPLE FROM HAVING THEIR INDIVIDUAL CHOICE TOO FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

WHAT ARE WE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN?

[02:15:01]

MY DAUGHTER TELLS ME BETWEEN CLASSES, THEY ARE TOLD TO BE SAFE.

THAT'S OFTEN SAID AS GREETING AND GOING LEAVING CLASS.

YOU ARE CAUSING HOPELESSNESS IN THIS GENERATION OF CHILDREN.

YOU ARE SAYING LIFE IS NOT WORTH ANY RISK.

ARE WE TEACHING THEM TO BE SAFE AT ALL COST? IMAGINE IF THE GREATS OF HISTORY IN HISTORY HAD DECIDED TO LIVE SAFE LIVES INSTEAD OF GOOD ONES LIVING FOR SAFETY.

FIRST, WE'LL SEE. RENDERED NEXT TO USELESS LIVING FOR WHAT IS GOOD AND WRIGHT INVOLVES RISK AND IT INVOLVES PAIN.

PLENTY OF BOTH. THAT'S WHAT MARK NILES.

IT IS MY GENUINE HOPE THAT THIS IS NOT OUR EXPECTATION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, TEACHING SUCH A BLEAK EXISTENCE WHILE PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE WOULD LOVE TO LIVE IN AMERICA.

YET HERE THERE ARE THOSE IN EDUCATION THAT WOULD POISON OUR CHILDREN'S MINDS WITH HATE FOR THEIR COUNTRY. AND I'M JUST GOING TO END IT THAT PART AND TALK ABOUT THE CRITICAL RACE THEORY LATER.

AND I DID WANT TO END BECAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE GIVEN ME ADDITIONAL TIME, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I THANK YOU FOR THAT.

BUT I WANT TO SAY WE ARE THE EXAMPLE FOR OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN TO FOLLOW, AND I WOULD NOT LEAVE MY CHILD TO FEAR WHEN FACING THE UNKNOWN.

I WILL LEAD MY CHILD WITH COURAGE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND TO THINK CRITICALLY BEFORE MAKING LIFE DECISIONS, AND I HOPE I WOULD LEAD MY CHILD TO HOPE.

AND I JUST WANTED TO END WITH THIS QUOTE.

COWARDICE? ASK THE QUESTION IS IT SAFE EXPEDIENCY? ASKED THE QUESTION. IS IT POLITICAL? AND THE VANITY COMES ALONG AND ASKS THE QUESTION, IS IT POPULAR, BUT CONSCIENCE ASK, IS IT RIGHT? SO I ASKED THE SCHOOL BOARD TO CONSIDER, WHEN WILL THESE MEASURES IN FOR OUR CHILDREN WHEN FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND SOCIAL INTERACTION MEANS A LOT TO THEM? THANK YOU. MS. WIRSING, QUICK QUESTION, WHAT'S THE COPYRIGHT DATE ON THE BOOK THAT YOU READ ABOUT COVID? WAS IT PRIOR TO WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT ISOLATION? JUST CURIOUS OF THE COPYRIGHT DATE? THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT. THEN IT PREMATURE TO PUT A BOOK OUT THERE THAT IT COULD CHANGE AS WE INVESTIGATE, RIGHT? SURE. TWENTY TWENTY ONE BY TWENTY TWENTY ONE.

THANK YOU, SIR.

ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? I SEE NONE AT THIS TIME, THANK YOU.

WE'RE AT SUPERINTENDENTS COMMENTS, DR.

REILLY. THANK YOU, MR.

[12. SUPERINTENDENT'S COMMENTS:]

FIRST IS WE TYPICALLY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN WHAT WE CALL GOOCHLAND READS.

AND SO AT A TIME WHEN WE HAVE THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WHO OPERATE WITH THREE PRINCIPALS AND ULTIMATELY UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF ONE SCHOOL DIVISION, EACH SCHOOL IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN THEIR OWN WAYS AND HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONALITIES.

BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PROVIDE SOME UNITY AMONG OUR THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AND SO, GOOCHLAND READS, IS A GREAT WAY FOR US ALL TO BE READING THE SAME BOOK OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.

AND SO WE ANNOUNCED THE KICKOFF OF GOOCHLAND READS JUST YESTERDAY AND THIS YEAR WE ARE ALL WE ARE ALL READING IMAGINATION, ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY.

SO LOVE TO KNOW WHAT HUMPHREY THINKS ABOUT IMAGINATION.

BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE THE BOOK AT YOUR SPOTS AS WELL AS THE CALENDAR.

SO AS YOU ARE VISITING OUR SCHOOLS, FEEL FREE TO ASK OUR QUESTIONS, OUR STUDENTS QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH HUMPHREY.

AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITEMENT AROUND THIS AS WE COME INTO THE NEW YEAR AND GET THE SECOND SEMESTER STARTED.

SO IT'S A GREAT WAY. IT'S A FEEL GOOD MOMENT FOR OUR SCHOOL DIVISION, ULTIMATELY SUPPORTING LITERACY IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION AND GETTING KIDS EXCITED ABOUT READING.

SO GREAT WAY TO GET STARTED.

THE SECOND THING I WANTED TO SHARE WITH OUR PUBLIC THIS EVENING IS I SENT AN EMAIL AND PROVIDED A LOT OF NOTICE TO OUR COMMUNITY TODAY ABOUT THE LOST INSTRUCTIONAL TIME THAT WE EXPERIENCED LAST WEEK, AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO START OUR SECOND SEMESTER UNTIL YESTERDAY.

WE DID LOSE FIVE VERY VALUABLE INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS.

AND SO AND IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH OUR INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES AND RECAPTURE THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS, WE WILL HAVE FULL INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY THE 18TH AND MONDAY, MARCH 20 FIRST.

AND SO THOSE DAYS WERE PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED AS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS.

THEY WILL NOW BE FULL INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, IS A HOLIDAY AND WE ARE HOPING THAT WE HAVE NO MORE SNOW AND WE CAN KEEP THAT AS A HOLIDAY.

BUT SHOULD WE HAVE TO MS. MORE TIME AS A RESULT OF WINTER WEATHER? MONDAY, THE 21ST OF FEBRUARY, WILL BE AN INSTRUCTIONAL DAY FOR US, SO WE WANT TO PROVIDE NOTICE TO OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT WE COULD MAKE CHANGES AND PLANS FOR OUR OWN PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SCHEDULES.

SO WE'LL JUST WAIT AND SEE WHAT MOTHER NATURE THROWS OUR WAY, AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A MILD WINTER FOR THE REST OF THE TIME.

[02:20:01]

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MAY. THANK YOU, DR.

REILLY, FOR YOUR SWIFT ACTION ADDRESSING THAT SNOWMAGEDDON.

WE HOPE THAT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT WE HAVE, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ADDRESSING THAT SO QUICKLY FOR OUR FAMILIES AND STUDENTS AND STAFF.

YES, MA'AM. NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA ARE A LIST OF CONSENT ITEMS. DR. ELLIE ANYTHING TO ADD TO INTRODUCE THOSE NO MR. NEWMAN. THESE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS SHOW UP ON OUR MONTHLY AGENDA ON A REGULAR BASIS.

YOU HAVE MINUTES, YOU HAVE BILLS AND PAYROLL, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE FINANCIALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATION OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.

WE ARE SEEKING YOUR APPROVAL FOR THE IRS MILEAGE RATE FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF OUR INDIVIDUALS WHO TRAVEL, AND THAT IS LINKED.

LIKE I SAID TO THE IRS RATE, AS WELL AS YOUR APPROVAL OF A NEW TEXTBOOK, THE TEXTBOOK HAS GONE THROUGH THE PUBLIC PROCESS AND YOU SAW AN UPDATE.

YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT LAST MONTH.

WE ARE SEEKING YOUR APPROVAL THAT THIS EVENING AND WE DO HAVE SOME PERSONNEL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THAT YOU DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION EARLIER TONIGHT.

GREAT. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, YOU'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY NOW TO COMMENT OR TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ANY ITEM.

AT THIS TIME, THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONCEALED ITEMS AS A BLOCK.

YOU MAY, HOWEVER, PULL OUT ANY ITEM YOU WISH TO DISCUSS FURTHER.

SO IS THERE A MOTION? MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE CONSENT ITEMS AS A BLOC MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS AS A BLOC AS THEIR SECOND OR SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? IT'S MOTION IN THE SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE TEXTBOOK.

WE KNOW HOW CRITICAL OUR RESOURCES ARE.

IN MY REVIEW OF THE TEXTBOOKS, I DID FIND THAT THIS PARTICULAR DOCUMENT, ALTHOUGH I DO NOT SPEAK FRENCH, I WAS ABLE TO REVIEW THIS AND I FOUND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING ABOUT IT, ABOUT IT IS THE ON DEMAND LEARNING RESOURCES, AND THEY ALLOW FOR PERSONALIZATION, TASK ACTIVITY, GRADING TOOLS AND FEEDBACK.

AND THERE'S A DIGITAL VERSION NOTED AS FLEX TEXTS.

ARE WE GETTING FLEX TEXT? DO YOU KNOW I HAVE TO ASK DR.

GEYER IF HE HAS THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION? YES, I BELIEVE IT'S PART OF THE PURCHASE, BUT I'LL CONFIRM THAT HAHN.

OK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT'S ALL, SIR. THANK YOU.

BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR. SAY I.

I THANK YOU, MR. MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MAY.

YES. SO WITH YOUR APPROVAL THIS EVENING, YOU APPROVED MS. JESSICA STRICKLER AS THE DEAN OF STUDENTS AT GOOCHLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL.

MS. STRICKLER IS WITH US THIS EVENING.

WE'RE THANKFUL TO HAVE HER AS A PART OF OUR GOOCHLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM.

SHE TRANSITIONS TO US FROM SHORT PUMP MIDDLE SCHOOL.

WE HAVE HER PRINCIPAL AND FRIENDS WITH OUR TODAY, SO WE ARE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING YOU JOIN OUR TEAM, JESSICA AND BE A PART OF OUR EAGLE FAMILY.

WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING YOUR TALENTS AND SKILLS SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES AT GOOCHLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL. SHE HAS ON THE RIGHT COLORS SHE DOES.

THAT'S RIGHT. WELCOME ABOARD.

THANK YOU, DR. REILLY.

AND AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE OUR INSTRUCTIONAL REPORT.

YES, WE'LL CALL PRINCIPAL AT RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MS.

[14. INSTRUCTIONAL REPORT:]

TEXTING.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

GOOD EVENING. WE ARE EXCITED TO BE THE INSTRUCTIONAL REPORT TONIGHT, AND OUR GOAL IS TO GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE INTO OUR COLLABORATIVE MODEL FOR GIFTED SERVICES.

WITH ME TONIGHT AND THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE STRUCTURE IS RANDOLPH'S GIFTED RESOURCE TEACHER ELIZA GEMMELL.

ALSO PRESENT TONIGHT ARE TWO OF OUR RANDOLPH TEACHERS KATIE HAD AND JENNIFER GATES, WHO WORK ALONGSIDE MRS. KIMMEL IN THIS COLLABORATIVE MODEL.

AS EDUCATORS, WE ARE CONSTANTLY STRIVING TO MEET STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE AND PUSH THEM FORWARD. OUR COLLABORATIVE MODEL FOCUSES ON COMMON GOALS, INTEGRATION OF SERVICES INTO DAILY CONTENT, NOT SEPARATE SERVING STUDENTS THAT NEED A CHALLENGE NOT ONLY GIFTED, IDENTIFIED AND TO SHIFT THE CULTURE AWAY FROM THE FOCUS ON JUST THAT LABEL.

SO MS. MS., JAMAL AND I BOTH STARTED IN GOOCHLAND TOGETHER AS NEWBIES FROM SURROUNDING COUNTIES IN THE FALL OF 2020, AND AS WE SAT DOWN AND OBSERVED THE GREAT THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING AT RANDOLPH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CONSTANTLY KEPT COMING BACK TO WAS ARE

[02:25:06]

SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO HER TO SHARE SOME MORE OF THE DETAILS AND GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE EACH AND EVERY DAY THROUGHOUT OUR K THROUGH FIVE CLASSROOMS. MS. SCHIMMEL YEAH.

OKAY. SECOND, I JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING THANK YOU TO MS. FRAMES BECAUSE IT REALLY TOOK A LOT OF HER FAITH AND BELIEF IN MOVING TOWARD AND SHIFTING TO THIS COLLABORATIVE MODEL.

AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND ALSO, IT TOOK A LOT OF WORK IN PLANNING TO WORK WITH OUR SCHEDULE TO MAKE IT WORK SO WE COULD SEE AND WORK IN CODE PLAN FOR MATH AND LANGUAGE ARTS.

SO TONIGHT I JUST WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND HOW IT FEELS THROUGHOUT THE GRADE LEVELS.

AND I'M JUST GOING TO FLIP THROUGH SOME PICTURES AS I DO THAT SO YOU CAN GET A FEEL FOR IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, LIKE MS., REAM SAID, OUR FOCUS IS TO CONCENTRATE ON MEETING AND WITH THE WHOLE CLASSROOM, NOT JUST THOSE KIDS THAT ARE GIFTED IDENTIFIED.

SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WRIGHT COPELAND WITH TEACHERS TO DO TEAMWORK ACTIVITIES LIKE TOXIC POPCORN AND SAVE THE SAVE THE LITTLE GUMMY WORM AND THE ART INTEGRATION PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO REALLY FOCUS ON TEAMWORK AND COMMUNICATION AND GOT US INTO CODE PLANNING AND WORKING TOGETHER AGAIN, SERVING THE WHOLE CLASS, NOT JUST THOSE GIFTED IDENTIFIED STUDENTS AND BUILDING THAT COMMUNITY.

AND IN EACH GRADE LEVEL, IT LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

I AM SO PRIVILEGED AND HONORED TO WORK WITH MS. LAWSON AT RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY IN THIRD GRADE.

YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW HER VERY WELL.

AND IN WHEN WITH MS. LAWSON, WE COPELAND AND FOR MULTIPLICATION, WHAT I DO IN ANY SUBJECT IS TO TRY TO JUST BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE.

WHAT CAN I BRING TO THE TABLE TO HELP BETTER DIFFERENTIATE FOR THOSE KIDS THAT ARE NEEDING THE CHALLENGE? SO FOR MULTIPLICATION, WE BUILT A MULTIPLICATION CITY.

WE MADE A MOVIE WITH GREEN SCREEN ABOUT MULTIPLICATION.

IN SOME KIDS, WE DID FOUR TIMES FIVE AND OTHERS WE DID 17 TIMES SIX.

SO IT WAS JUST ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE READY FOR AND HOW WE COULD HELP MEET THEIR NEED IN THE BUILDING OF THAT. AND AFTER INTRODUCING THEM TO GREEN SCREEN, WE WERE ABLE TO DO CONTEXT CLUES WITH DINOSAURS, WITH PICTURE CLUES AND WORD CLUES AND SENTENCE CLUES THERE.

AND THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW WE COULD PLAN AND WORK TOGETHER.

WE BUILD MAPS FOR NORTH AMERICA, AND IN THOSE MAPS WE MADE THEM RELIEF MAPS AND THEN HAD AS ROBOTS THAT WE PROGRAMED TO TRAVEL THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA TO MEET THOSE CHALLENGES.

SO IT'S WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY DO AND THEN HOW I CAN ADD TO THAT.

SHE AND I WORKING TOGETHER, I'M ABLE TO TEACH SMALL GROUPS WITH MS. LAWSON FOR READING TWICE A DAY TO READING GROUPS AND TO MATH GROUPS, AND IT ALLOWS ME TO BETTER DIFFERENTIATE FOR THOSE KIDS WHO ARE READY FOR A CHALLENGE.

AND LIKE MS., REAM SAID, IT'S NOT ONLY THOSE KIDS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED, BUT ANY KID THAT IS SHOWING THAT THEY'RE READY FOR ABOVE LEVEL CONTENT BASED ON THE DATA WE COLLECT THROUGH MAPS AND OTHER WAYS WE COLLECT DATA.

WE ALSO DO GAMES.

ONE OF THE FUN THINGS WE'VE STARTED TO DO THIS YEAR THAT I LOVE AND I BROUGHT WITH ME IS CALLED A SOCRATIC DISCUSSION.

YOU MAY KNOW SOME ABOUT IT.

WE'VE BEEN USING JUNIOR GRADE BOOKS AND JUNIOR GREAT STORIES, WHICH WERE PROVIDED TO US BY DR. FOWLER. SHE WORKED HARD TO HELP US GET THOSE RESOURCES.

AND SO IN THIRD GRADE, FOURTH GRADE AND FIFTH GRADE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO SOCRATIC DISCUSSIONS THIS YEAR.

WE'VE BEEN DOING SOME NOVELS LIKE PENINSULA AND INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY A LOT MORE TO HELP STRETCH THOSE KIDS AND MEET THEIR NEEDS.

AND I'M SO LUCKY TO HAVE MY FOURTH GRADE TEAM HERE TONIGHT.

MS. GATES AND MS. HEAD ARE MY COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS IN FOURTH GRADE, AND THE WAY WE STRUCTURE THINGS IS I TEACH LANGUAGE ARTS WITH MS. HAD AND I TEACH MATH WITH MS. GATES AND KIDS WILL ACTUALLY MOVE FROM ONE CLASS TO ANOTHER WITH FLEXIBLE GROUPING SO WE CAN BETTER MEET THEIR NEEDS.

HERE'S SOME EXAMPLES OF THINGS WE'VE DONE SO FAR, WE'VE DONE TRIPLE LINE GRAPHS AND DOUBLE LINE GRAPHS AND GATHER DATA FOR TENNIS BALL DROPPING AND HISTOGRAMS, AND THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.

AGAIN, SOCRATIC DISCUSSIONS IN FOURTH GRADE WITH JUNIOR GREAT BOOKS, A LOT OF INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY AND SUMMARIZING FICTION AND NONFICTION, STUDYING TEXT FEATURES, USING SLIDES AND GOOGLE JUST WEIGHS ANYTHING I CAN BRING TO THE TABLE TO HELP FACILITATE THAT DIFFERENTIATION WITH MS. HAD. WE OFTEN DO READING GROUPS.

WE'LL DO LESSONS AND TEEN TEACH TOGETHER, AND THEN WE'LL SEPARATE AND I'LL HANDLE THAT GUIDED READING FOR THOSE KIDS AND THEY WILL GET GUIDED READING AND SMALL GROUP AND LARGE GROUP FROM BOTH OF US.

ALSO, WE HAVE MS. GATES. WE DO THE DIVIDE AND CONQUER.

ALSO, WE TEAM TEACH AND SOME DAYS WE'LL DO WHOLE GROUP LESSONS LIKE THIS AS A MATH MYSTERY, WHICH THEY LOVE.

THEY WERE SO EXCITED BEING DETECTIVES AND SOLVING THOSE PROBLEMS, AND WE DO THINGS TOGETHER OFTEN AND OFTEN WE WILL DIVIDE AND CONQUER AND DIFFERENTIATE FOR THOSE KIDS.

[02:30:03]

I'M VERY LUCKY TO TEACH WITH MS. EASTWOOD AND MS. DWYER, WHO ALSO BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE AND I DO WHAT I CAN TO SUPPORT THEM. I TEACH MATH, ADVANCED MATH, THE FIVE SIX COMPACTED CURRICULUM WITH MS. EASTWOOD AND I TEACH LANGUAGE ART SMITH MR. GEYER. HERE ARE SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE DO.

WE'VE DONE NOVELS MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.

THIS IS A BREAKOUT BOX WE DID TO INTRODUCE THAT.

A LOT OF ART INTEGRATION WHERE WE CAN INTO THE CONTENT AND EDITING AND WRITING HAS BEEN A REAL FOCUS FOR US THIS YEAR.

FOR THE FIRST TIME AT RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY, WE DID PUMPKIN CHUNKIN.

NOT SURE IF YOU HEARD ABOUT IT, BUT IT WAS THE WHOLE FIFTH GRADE TEAM PARTICIPATED AND WE INTEGRATED THOSE ACTIVITIES INTO MATH, INTO SCIENCE, INTO READING.

AND WE EVEN HAD MS. EASEMENT AND MS..

DEMUS GOT SOME MUSIC GOING AND THEY WROTE SOME MUSIC ABOUT THE PUMPKIN CHUNKIN EXPERIENCE AND USE TECHNOLOGY TO PUBLISH THAT TOO.

AND HERE'S US IN OUR PUMPKIN CHUCKING IN SECOND GRADE, I MEET WITH THEM THREE DAYS A WEEK TO PROVIDE A BED LEVEL INSTRUCTION IN MATH.

AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. AND FOR SUPPORTING US IN THAT COLLABORATIVE MODEL, AND WE'RE HOPING JUST TO CONTINUE THE GREAT THINGS WE'VE BEEN DOING SO FAR.

MAY I JUST MAKE A QUICK COMMENT? YES, I'M NEW AT THIS, SO I JUST WANTED TO JUMP AT THE OPPORTUNITY, BUT I WAS ACTUALLY VERY EXCITED TO HEAR YOU MENTIONED SOCRATIC DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN SOCRATIC SEMINARS WERE INTRODUCED AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY BECAME THE BEST CLASSROOM OBSERVATION OPPORTUNITY I HAD ON ANY GIVEN DAY.

SO I KNOW IF FOURTH GRADERS AND I'LL JUST SAY ALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE EXPERIENCING THAT NOW, THEY'RE GOING TO BE GREAT AT SHARING THEIR IDEAS AND HELPING OTHERS UNDERSTAND THEIR IDEAS. AH, IT'S AMAZING.

I'M ALWAYS IMPRESSED WITH HOW WELL THEY CAN SIT IN A GROUP AND SHARE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND TAKE TURNS AND HAVE A BALANCED.

WE WORK ON HAVING BALANCED DISCUSSIONS WHERE EVERYONE CONTRIBUTES AND I JUST ABSOLUTELY ADORE. IT'S ACTUALLY MY PROFESSIONAL GOAL THIS YEAR FOR SOCRATIC DISCUSSIONS AND TRYING TO IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE AND SOCRATIC DISCUSSIONS.

SO ANY TIME AND VISIT WE WOULD LOVE TO, I THINK THAT'S GREAT.

BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MS. ALLEN. YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THIS WAS VERY INSIGHTFUL FOR ME.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ONE OF THE BULLET POINTS ON THE STARTING SPOT, THE SHIFT, THE CULTURE AWAY FROM THE FOCUS ON GIFTED LABEL.

CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHY THAT IS AN APPROACH? WE FOUND THAT JUST MERELY BEING IDENTIFIED ISN'T THEN ISN'T THE RIGHT MESSAGE.

YOU SHOULDN'T NEED LETTERS BESIDE YOUR NAME IN ORDER FOR YOUR NEEDS TO BE MET.

AND THERE ARE SO MANY CHILDREN IN GOOCHLAND WHO ARE VERY BRIGHT AND WHO ARE READY FOR A CHALLENGE AND WHO WORK HARD.

AND SO DEFINING GIFTEDNESS AS MEETING THESE CERTAIN CRITERIA IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO BECAUSE WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE IT AND WE NEED TO HAVE WAYS TO MEET THOSE KIDS NEEDS.

THAT IS TRUE, BUT WE NEED TO BE CONCENTRATING ON DIFFERENTIATING FOR ALL, DIFFERENTIATING FOR ALL CHILDREN WHO NEED TO BE DIFFERENTIATED FOR NOT JUST THOSE WITH THE LETTERS BEHIND THEIR NAMES. SO I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT AND YOU WILL FIND A LOT OF PARENTS THAT WERE IN A LOT OF IN SUPPORT OF THIS TOO, BECAUSE THEIR CHILDREN DIDN'T QUITE MEET THE CRITERIA.

MAYBE THEY HAD GONE THROUGH A REFERRAL, BUT THEY ARE HARD WORKERS.

THEY PICK UP THINGS QUICKLY AND THEY'RE REALLY BENEFITING FROM THIS MODEL BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING TO PARTICIPATE AND THEY'RE GROWING AND LEARNING AND REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT BEING A PART OF THOSE CHALLENGES.

AND AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT FOR THOSE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES THAT DO IDENTIFY HAVE MET THE CRITERIA OF A GIFTED DESIGNATION.

DO YOU THINK THAT WE'RE FORFEITING THEIR RECOGNITION BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE, QUITE FRANKLY, IF I EARNED MY PHD, I WANT MY PH.D.

AT THE END OF MY NAME.

BECAUSE I'VE YOU MAKE A REALLY GOOD POINT.

AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ONLY FOCUS ON PULLING OUT THOSE GIFTED STUDENTS AND FOCUSING ON THOSE GIFTED STUDENTS AS I HAVE LESS TIME WITH THEM RIGHT NOW, I'VE INCREASED MY FACE TO FACE TIME WITH GIFTED IDENTIFIED STUDENTS BY TWO LIKE I'M GETTING TO SEE THEM DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF TIME I WAS ABLE TO SEE THEM LAST YEAR, JUST BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURE THAT MS. REAMS HAS HELPED US SET UP.

SO LAST YEAR, IF YOU THINK ABOUT GIFTED IDENTIFIED STUDENT, I ONLY SAW THEM FOR ACCELERATED MATH AND I DIDN'T SEE THEM FOR LANGUAGE ARTS AT ALL.

SO FOR ME, I FELT LIKE I WAS MISSING THIS WHOLE PART OF THEIR GIFTEDNESS.

I WAS ONLY ABLE TO SEE THEM, YOU KNOW, GROW AND CHANGE.

AND AND I DON'T KNOW.

I NEVER GOT TO BE A PART OF THAT LEARNING IN LANGUAGE ARTS.

AND SO NOW I FEEL LIKE I'M GETTING TO DO DOUBLE.

AND THOSE KIDS THAT ARE COMING ALONG FOR THE RIDE THAT ARE THERE AND GET TO MODEL AFTER THOSE KIDS THAT ARE TRULY IDENTIFIED, GIFTED IN REACHING THAT, I'M GETTING MORE TIME WITH THEM AND THEY'RE GETTING TO MODEL FOR OTHERS.

SO IT'S KIND OF, IN MY MIND, THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

[02:35:03]

HONESTLY, IT'S NEW FOR THEM TOO, AND THAT WE REACHED OUT TO THEM AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT THIS MODEL AND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR SERVICE TIME.

AND WE'VE WORKED VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HONORING THEIR GIFTS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB BY THEM.

THAT'S ALWAYS MY FOCUS WHEN WE GO PLAN.

IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE GIFTED FROM 12, 15 TO 115 ON TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY THAT THEY'RE GIFTED ALL DAY LONG EVERY DAY.

AND SO IT'S HELPING THOSE TEACHERS GET THE RESOURCES AND THE THINGS THEY NEED AND SERVICES TO HELP THEM TO PUSH THEM AND HELP THEM REACH THEIR POTENTIAL.

OUTSIDE OF THAT, MAYBE JUST PULL OUT TIME.

SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT THAT YOU MAKE, AND I HOPE THAT WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OF OF IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT.

AND I WILL JUST ADD TO WHEN WE WHEN WE TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY MISSING WITH THE OLD MODEL, AS IF YOU'RE A PARENT OF A GIFTED CHILD AND YOU COULD LOOK AT THEM AND SAY, I'M SORRY, MY SCHEDULE DOES NOT ALLOW FOR ME TO PROVIDE THEM GIFTED SERVICES FOR LANGUAGE ARTS. AS A PARENT, I MIGHT SAY WHY.

SO I THINK THE LAST THING WE EVER WANT TO DO IS IS HAVE A SCHEDULE BE THE REASON WHY WE CAN'T. SO BEING BEING ABLE? CONVERSATIONS WITH FAMILIES WHERE STUDENTS ARE IDENTIFIED AND SAYING, HEY, WE CAN ACTUALLY MEET THEIR MINUTES, MEET THEIR NEEDS.

YOU KNOW, TWO THREE FOLD WITH THIS NEW MODEL.

AND THE OTHER THING THAT I DO LOVE ABOUT IT IS HAVING A PARTNER BECAUSE WHEN I'M BY MYSELF IN A PULLOUT SITUATION AND YOU MAY KNOW I MIGHT HAVE 20 KIDS THAT ARE PERFORMING ABOVE LETTER LEVEL, BUT WITHIN THOSE 20 CHILDREN, THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT, VERY DIFFERENT, AND THEY LEARN IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

IT'S SO MUCH EASIER FOR ME TO MEET THOSE NEEDS WHEN I HAVE A PARTNER LIKE MS. GATES OR MS. HEAD, AND I CAN GIVE THEM THAT ONE ON ONE ON SMALL GROUP ATTENTION.

YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE HOW MUCH SMALL GROUP ATTENTION GIFTED AND ABOVE LEVEL LEARNERS GET IN THIS MODEL.

THEY'RE GETTING DOUBLE DIPPED, PRETTY MUCH.

SO I FEEL LIKE THAT WE ARE HONORING THEIR GIFTS IN THAT WAY, BUT WE'RE ALSO BEING INCLUSIVE OF THOSE WHO ARE READY TO BE CHALLENGED IN OTHER WAYS, TOO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

OTHER COMMENTS? YES, SIR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

OH. WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU.

SO THANK YOU. WELL, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE TIME LIKE I'M GIFTED BETWEEN 12 15 AND ONE 15.

YES, BUT YOUR MODEL ALSO SAYS THAT YOUR GIFTEDNESS IS NOT LIMITED TO THESE FOUR WALLS THAT YOU ARE IN. YOUR GIFTING IS NOT LIMITED TO ONE SUBJECT.

YOU ARE GOING ACROSS CURRICULUM AND CURRICULA, AND YOU ARE EXPLORING SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS OF THING. BUT EVEN MORE POWERFUL IS THAT THIS MODEL SAYS TO EVERY CHILD THAT YOU GIVE THEM RIGOR, YOU GIVE THEM RIGOR.

THIS IS THE EXPECTATION AND THEY ARE RISING TO IT.

SO IT'S POWERFUL FOR EVERYBODY.

WE KNOW NUMERACY AND LITERACY ARE CRITICAL.

SO GIVING THEM THIS RIGOR, GIVING THEM THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN BEYOND THEIR FOUR WALLS, YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN.

YOU CAN EXPAND YOUR MIND.

YOU CAN EXPAND YOUR SKILLS.

NOT JUST IN THIS LITTLE POCKET, SO GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING AND THANK YOU FOR THE TEAM TEAMWORK.

DO IT WITHOUT HIM THERE.

WONDERFUL SUPPORT.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

NEXT, WE HAVE SOME INFORMATIONAL ITEMS, DR ALY WILL SHARE THOSE AND LAST DR.

[15. INFORMATION ITEMS:]

SHE HAS THE NEXT TWO REPORTS ON YOUR AGENDA.

THE FIRST BEING A DECEMBER FIRST CHILD ACCOUNT.

THIS IS AN ANNUAL REPORT THAT WE PROVIDE GIVES YOU A STATUS OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, AND DR.

WAGNER WILL GIVE THAT REPORT TONIGHT.

GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVING ME A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO TALK TONIGHT ABOUT OUR DECEMBER ONE CHILD COUNT REPORT.

OUR DECEMBER ONE CHILD COUNT REPORT IS A REPORT THAT IS REQUIRED THROUGH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

IT PROVIDES A SNAPSHOT OF THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT RECEIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES AS OF DECEMBER 1ST OF EACH YEAR.

IT IS REQUIRED THROUGH FEDERAL REGULATIONS, AND IT DOES HAVE SOME IMPLICATIONS FOR SOC FUNDING. SO KNOWING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN FOUND ELIGIBLE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES WHERE WE'RE RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES AS OF DECEMBER 1ST OF EACH YEAR FROM TWENTY THIRTEEN TO TWENTY TWENTY ONE.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WHEN YOU COMPARE WHERE WE WERE IN 2013 TO WHERE WE ARE IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE, WE'VE GAINED QUITE A FEW KIDS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.

HOWEVER, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MORE RECENT YEARS, TWENTY 18 AND 19 AND 20, YOU CAN SEE THAT

[02:40:01]

AND SO EVEN THOUGH WE'VE DECREASED SOME STUDENTS THIS YEAR, WE'RE STILL PROPORTIONATE WHEN WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO AVERAGES ACROSS THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.

SO FOR US, 13 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN GOOCHLAND COUNTY RECEIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, AND THAT IS RIGHT IN LINE WITH STUDENTS ACROSS VIRGINIA.

SO THE VIRGINIA SCHOOL QUALITY PROFILE REPORT FOR TWENTY 20 20, EXCUSE ME.

ALSO 13 PERCENT OF VIRGINIA STUDENTS RECEIVED SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES AS WELL.

SO RIGHT IN LINE, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THE DECEMBER ONE CHILD COUNT REPORT LOOKS AT IS THE PREVALENCE OF CERTAIN DISABILITY CATEGORIES.

AND SO LISTED ON THIS SLIDE ARE THE 13 DISABILITY CATEGORIES THAT CAN QUALIFY A STUDENT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.

AND THEN THIS SLIDE IS SHOWING THE BREAKDOWN FOR OUR GOOCHLAND STUDENTS.

AND SO YOU'LL SEE THERE AREN'T 13 LABELS ON THE PIE CHART TO THE RIGHT.

AND THAT IS BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY STUDENTS IN GOOCHLAND WHO QUALIFY UNDER DEATH BLINDNESS. WE DON'T HAVE ANY STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR SERVICES UNDER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.

WE DO, HOWEVER, HAVE QUITE A FEW STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR SERVICES UNDER SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES AND OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENTS, AND SPEECH AND LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS.

IN FACT, WHEN YOU COMBINE THOSE THREE, THAT'S ABOUT 70 PERCENT OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION POPULATION. SO STUDENTS WITH WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES HAVE AVERAGE TO ABOVE AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE.

THEY GENERALLY HAVE PROCESSING DISORDERS THAT THEN LEAD TO SOME DEFICITS IN READING, MATH, WRITING OR WRITTEN LANGUAGE OR ORAL LANGUAGE.

STUDENTS WITH OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENTS HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT CAUSES THEM TO NEED SOME SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION.

GENERALLY, THOSE ARE OUR KIDS WITH ADD OR ADHD OR ATTENTIONAL DISORDERS, AND THEN STUDENTS WITH SPEECH OR LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS HAVE COMMUNICATION WEAKNESSES, AND THEY'RE GENERALLY SERVED BY OUR SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS.

WE DO HAVE SOME OTHER DISABILITY CATEGORIES THAT ARE KIND OF LUMPED TOGETHER UNDER OTHER BECAUSE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST A FEW STUDENTS WHO MAY QUALIFY FOR A HEARING IMPAIRMENT OR VISUAL IMPAIRMENT.

SO THAT'S OUR PREVALENCE.

AND THEN FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE BEEN STUCK IN A ROOM WITH ME AND WANT TO EVER HEAR ABOUT MY PHILOSOPHY OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, YOU ALL KNOW I'M PRETTY PASSIONATE ABOUT INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.

AND SO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THIS REPORT LOOKS AT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF TIME OR THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR STUDENTS WHO SPEND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR DAY ALONGSIDE THEIR REGULAR EDUCATION PEERS.

AND FOR US IN GOOCHLAND, THAT'S EIGHTY SEVEN PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES SPEND THE MAJORITY OF THEIR DAY ALONGSIDE THEIR NON-DISABLED PEERS.

AND THE OTHER TWO PERCENTAGES, THERE ARE JUST HOW WE RELATE TO NATIONAL AVERAGES AND STATE AVERAGES. SO WE'RE WELL ABOVE THAT.

BUT THIS PERCENTAGE DOESN'T REALLY ACCOUNT FOR INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL SETTING.

SO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALSO VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IS ENSURING SOCIAL INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR KIDS WITH DISABILITIES.

AND SO JUST SOME PICTURES ON THE SLIDE OR OF SOME OF OUR SOCIAL INCLUSION OPPORTUNITIES FROM HER BEST BUDDIES PROGRAM AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH NOW WE'RE EXPANDING TO OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, OUR UNIFIED P.E.

PROGRAM, UNIFIED SPORTS THAT WE HAVE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, OUR YOUNG ATHLETES PROGRAM AT THE PRESCHOOL. OUR LITTLE FEET MEET AND OUR CHAMPIONS TOGETHER MEETS THAT WE HOLD IN THE SPRING AS WELL FOR OUR STUDENTS.

AND ALL OF THESE PROVIDE ALL OF THESE EVENTS, PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES, REALLY STRUCTURED OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS WITH MORE SIGNIFICANT COGNITIVE DISABILITIES TO INTERACT, TO SOCIALIZE, TO COMPETE AND TO PRACTICE ALONGSIDE THEIR NON-DISABLED PEERS.

SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.

AND THEN I KNOW THAT PART OF THE PRESENTATION WAS RATHER SHORT, BUT I ALSO KNOW VERY MANY OF YOU ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS REPORT BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE PRESENT EVERY YEAR. ALSO, DR.

RILEY HAD ASKED THAT I PRESENT ON EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION, AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, SPECIAL EDUCATION IS THE LARGEST PROGRAM THAT FALLS UNDER SPECIAL EDUCATION.

SO I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION A LITTLE BIT MORE.

MORE IN A BIT, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DECEMBER ONE REPORT NOW.

I'M ALSO HAPPY TO TRANSITION TO EXCEPTIONAL ED WARD MEMBERS ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

PLEASE TRANSITION, I SHALL TRANSITION.

SO EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION IN GOOCHLAND IS AN UMBRELLA TERM THAT WE USE TO TALK ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, AND THOSE PROGRAMS ARE LISTED ON THE SLIDE.

SO EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION INCLUDES A SPECIAL EDUCATION.

IT INCLUDES STUDENTS WITH FIVE OF FOUR PLANS, WHICH ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, BUT I'LL EXPLAIN THAT IN A SECOND.

IT INCLUDES OUR PRESCHOOL PROGRAMING, OUR ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES, PROGRAMING STUDENT SERVICES AND THEN UNDERNEATH STUDENT SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH, SCHOOL HEALTH, HOMEBOUND HOME SCHOOL HOMELESS AND THEN COORDINATION WITH COMMUNITY AGENCIES LIKE SOCIAL SERVICES, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES.

I LIKE TO THINK OF THE EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AS REALLY SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE CONSIDERED AT RISK.

WHETHER YOU'RE AT RISK BECAUSE YOU'RE A THREE OR FOUR YEAR OLD PRESCHOOLER WHO HAS MAYBE

[02:45:04]

MAYBE YOU'RE A STUDENT WHO'S DIABETIC, WHO NEEDS A HEALTH CARE PLAN.

ALL OF THOSE STUDENTS ARE AT RISK, AND THEY'RE ALL SERVED THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. BUT YOU GUYS ALL WANT TO GO HOME TONIGHT, SO WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS. AND SO INSTEAD, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND OUR TIME TONIGHT TALKING ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMING STUDENTS WITH FIVE OF FOUR'S MENTAL HEALTH AND PRESCHOOL.

AND REALLY, THE REASON FOR TONIGHT'S FOCUS ON THOSE THINGS ARE BECAUSE THOSE TOPICS ALIGN WITH SOME OF THE BUDGET REQUESTS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU GUYS WITH SOME CONTEXT ON THOSE BUDGET REQUESTS.

SO FIRST, SPECIAL EDUCATION STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.

AND JUST A FEW SLIDES AGO, I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT MY PASSION ABOUT INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.

I WILL SAY I'M EQUALLY, IF NOT MORE PASSIONATE ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION, TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.

MRS. HAHN ALLUDED TO SOME OF THIS DURING THE BUDGET WORKSHOP, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE HIRE STAFF AND WE TRUST STAFF TO PROVIDE SUPPORTS AND TO INSTRUCT OUR STUDENTS AND ESPECIALLY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, THAT THOSE STAFF ARE REALLY THE ONES THAT IMPROVE ACADEMIC OUTCOMES AND NOT ONLY ACADEMIC OUTCOMES, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. THEY INCREASE SELF-CONFIDENCE AND THEY HELP WITH SENSE OF BELONGING.

SO SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS AND ALL TEACHERS IN GENERAL.

BUT FOR THIS PART OF THE PRESENTATION, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT AND THEY HAVE A HUGE IMPACT.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SPEND A COUPLE OF SLIDES TALKING TO YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS DO.

SO THE DECEMBER ONE CHILD COUNT REPORT REALLY FOCUSES ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, AND THAT'S REPRESENTED BY THAT LIGHT BLUE BAR, THE SPECIAL EDUCATION OR THE CHILD STUDY.

EXCUSE ME, THE CHILD.

THE DECEMBER ONE CHILD COUNT DOES NOT LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR SERVICES BASED ON FIVE OF FOUR PLANS.

SO STUDENTS WHO ARE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION HAVE SOMETHING CALLED AN INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM OR AN IEP, AND THOSE STUDENTS HAVE DISABILITIES THAT REQUIRE SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION AS WELL AS CLASSROOM ACCOMMODATIONS.

STUDENTS WITH FIVE OF FOUR PLANS ALSO HAVE DISABILITIES, BUT THEY DON'T REQUIRE THAT SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE. IN GENERAL, THEY HAVE LESS INTENSE NEEDS, BUT THEY STILL NEED SOME CLASSROOM ACCOMMODATIONS AND SOMETIMES SOME SERVICES IN LARGER DIVISIONS.

FIVE OF BEFORE PLANS ARE GENERALLY CONSIDERED A GENERAL LED INITIATIVE, AND THEY DON'T FALL UNDER SPECIAL EDUCATION.

BUT IN MANY SMALLER DIVISIONS, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS ALSO MANAGE PRIVATE FLOOR PLANS. SO TO TRULY UNDERSTAND OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, YOU REALLY HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR THESE FIVE 04 PLANS SO YOU CAN SEE THE FIVE FLOOR PLANS ARE IN THE DARK BLUE LINE. AND SO WHILE OUR CHILD COUNT NUMBERS HAVE DECREASED OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, OUR FIVE OR FOUR NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED.

SO OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS ARE MANAGING MORE STUDENTS THAN THEY USED TO.

AND WHEN YOU ADD TOGETHER OUR FIVE OF FOUR PLANS AND OUR IEP, WE HAVE FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SIX STUDENTS WHO HAVE A DISABILITY AND RECEIVE SERVICES OR ACCOMMODATIONS THROUGH EITHER AN IEP OR A FIVE OF FOUR PLAN.

AND WHEN COMPARED TO OUR TOTAL STUDENT POPULATION, THAT'S ABOUT 19 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENT POPULATION, WHICH IS CLOSE TO 20 PERCENT, WHICH IS ALMOST ONE IN FIVE STUDENTS WHO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF SUPPORT THROUGH AN IEP OR A FIVE FOUR.

AND SO I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO JUST LOOK AT A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER, I THINK MR. NEWMAN CAN PROBABLY RELATE TO THIS EXAMPLE.

BUT BECAUSE OUR IT'S NOT REALLY A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER BECAUSE WE HAVE A DAY ONE DAY TO SCHEDULE.

SO IT'S REALLY TWO DAYS IN THE LIFE OF A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER.

SO JUST AN EXAMPLE.

OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, MANY OF THEM CO TEACH CLASSES, MEANING THERE'S A GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHER, PRESENT AND A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER, PRESENT.

SO IT'S A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER COULD TEACH SIX SESSION SECTIONS OVER TWO DAYS.

THEY'RE NOT TEACHING ALL SIX SECTIONS WITH THE SAME GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHER.

THEY MAY COPELAND AND PREP WITH THREE GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHERS.

AND SO OVER THOSE SIX SECTIONS, THEY COULD IMPACT OR TEACH ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY STUDENTS AND MAYBE FORTY FIVE TO 50 OF THEM HAVE IEPS OR FIVE BEFORE PLANS.

SO WITH THOSE FORTY FIVE OR 50 STUDENTS WHO HAVE THE IEP OR FIVE OF FOUR PLANS, THEY'RE TWEAKING INSTRUCTION, THEY'RE DOING SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION, THEY'RE PROVIDING CLASSROOM ACCOMMODATIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS, BOTH WITH FIVE OF FOURS AND IEPS, WHETHER THAT'S BRINGING THEM OUT INTO A SEPARATE ROOM FOR SMALL GROUP TESTING, MODIFYING TESTS, CHANGING THEIR SEEING ARRANGEMENTS IN THE CLASSROOM.

THEY'RE ALSO TAKING DATA ON CERTAIN IEP GOALS.

BECAUSE ALL OF OUR IAPS HAVE GOALS, THEY'RE INSTRUCTING ON CERTAIN GOALS, THEY'RE PULLING STUDENTS OUT INTO SMALL GROUPS.

AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, THEY'RE OFTEN CASE MANAGING STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT ON THEIR CASELOAD. SO IN ADDITION TO THOSE 45 OR 50 STUDENTS THAT THEY ARE TEACHING, THEY'RE ALSO MANAGING OTHER STUDENTS SO THEY DON'T NECESSARILY SEE ON A DAILY BASIS.

AND FOR CASE MANAGEMENT, THAT MEANS THEY'RE HOLDING THOSE IEP MEETINGS IN THOSE FIVE OF FOUR MEETINGS. BOTH ARE LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENTS WHERE WE CREATE THOSE WITH PARENTS.

THEY'RE DOING PARENT CONSULTATIONS, THEY'RE CHECKING IN WITH STUDENTS DURING BULLDOG

[02:50:04]

SO OUR DEPARTMENT SPENDS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.

AND SO THIS SLIDE IS REALLY LOOKING AT THE PERCENT OF NEW SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS AND ASSISTANTS BY SCHOOL YEAR.

AND THAT DARK LINE IS LOOKING AT SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS IN PARTICULAR.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE TWENTY SIXTEEN TWENTY SEVENTEEN SCHOOL YEAR, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON RECRUITMENT BECAUSE WE HAD 20 PERCENT OF OUR OVER 20 PERCENT OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS ONBOARDED THAT YEAR.

AND YOU CAN SEE OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT MORE TIME ON RETENTION.

FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE HAD ABOUT EIGHT PERCENT NEW SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, SO WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS. WE HAVE A REALLY STRONG TEAM AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE KEEP OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS THAT WE HAVE.

HOWEVER, YOU'LL NOTICE WITH OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS, YOU DON'T SEE THAT SAME DOWNWARD TREND.

THAT'S FOR MANY REASONS.

THE CONTRACTS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS ARE WRITTEN DIFFERENTLY, WHEREAS MOST OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS ARE LOCKED IN FOR A YEAR, INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS CAN GIVE TWO WEEKS NOTICE. THEY DON'T GET PAID A LOT.

AND AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR WORKSHOP, SOMETIMES THE SKILL SET AND THE DEMAND DOESN'T ALWAYS MEET THE HOURLY RATE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE.

AND SO SOMETIMES THEY LEAVE US FOR FOR OTHER JOBS THAT PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE.

BUT TO MS. BAREFOOT-REID POINT EARLIER, A LOT OF OUR INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS STAY BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE AHA MOMENTS WITH STUDENTS AND ALSO BECAUSE OF THE BENEFITS IS NOT USUALLY BECAUSE OF THE HOURLY RATE.

SO HERE IS JUST A SLIDE THAT KIND OF TALKS ABOUT SOME OF OUR RETENTION EFFORTS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT. SO WHILE ALL NEW SPECIAL ARE ALL NEW TEACHERS ARE ASSIGNED A MENTOR.

OUR DEPARTMENT HAS AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF MENTORING SUPPORT.

SARA FRANKLIN-MURRAY IS OUR COORDINATOR OF STUDENT SERVICES AND SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND SHE HELPS WITH SECONDARY SPECIAL EDUCATION.

AND ABBY MILLER IS OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPERVISOR AND SHE HELPS WITH ELEMENTARY SPECIAL EDUCATION. THEY PROVIDE THAT ADDITIONAL LAYER OF MENTORING SUPPORT.

THEY HOLD OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS HANDS THROUGH THOSE FIRST FEW IEP MEETINGS AND FIVE OF FOUR MEETINGS.

THEY TRAIN THEM ON SPECIAL EDUCATION PROCEDURES.

THEY HELP THEM WITH MANAGING TIMELINES AND HELP THEM WITH CASELOAD MANAGEMENT AS WELL.

WE ALSO OFFER HARD TO STAFF INCENTIVES.

WHETHER IT'S A PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING POSITION TO FILL.

WE MAY OFFER A SIGN ON BONUS FOR OUR INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS WHO WORK WITH STUDENTS WITH SIGNIFICANT PERSONAL CARE NEEDS OR SIGNIFICANT BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES.

THEY CAN GET AN ADDITIONAL STIPEND AND THEN SOMETIMES WHEN OUR CASELOADS GET A LITTLE BIT HIGH, WE'LL OFFER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS FOR OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS TO HELP THEM CATCH UP ON THOSE IEP MEETINGS TO HELP THEM WITH ORGANIZING THEIR IEP DATA COLLECTION AND SO FORTH.

AND THEN LASTLY, WE REALLY TRY TO TAILOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS. A FEW YEARS AGO, WE PROVIDED TRAINING FOR ORTON GILLINGHAM, WHICH IS AN EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WITH READING DIFFICULTIES FOR ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY SPECIAL ED TEACHERS.

THIS YEAR, WE USED SOME OF OUR GRANT FUNDING TO PURCHASE ALEXIA FOR OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS AND HAVE SIX PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES LINED UP FOR OUR TEACHERS TO ENSURE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT.

PROGRAM, JUST THAT, WE'RE REALLY GETTING OUR MONEY'S WORTH OUT OF THAT.

SARAH AND ABBY THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER ALSO WORK CLOSELY WITH AUTISM EDUCATION CONSORTIUM AND ARE CONSIDERED BEHAVIORAL LIAISONS FOR US.

THEY'VE GONE THROUGH A TON OF TRAINING AND DO A LOT OF BEHAVIORAL COACHING AND CONSULTING WITH OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS.

THEY'RE ALSO OUR CERTIFIED SAFETY CARE TRAINERS, SO THAT'S OUR EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAM WE USE TO HELP KIDS DE-ESCALATE WHEN THEY'RE IN BEHAVIORAL CRISIS.

ALL THAT SOUNDS GREAT, BUT WE'RE IN A PANDEMIC.

AND SO, AS YOU ALL KNOW, SCHOOL HEALTH HAS PLAYED A MORE PROMINENT ROLE IN MY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES LATELY.

WE ALSO ARE GOING THROUGH SPECIAL EDUCATION MONITORING THIS YEAR, WHICH IS PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE. WE'RE ALSO GOING THROUGH PRESCHOOL MONITORING, WHICH IS ALSO ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS, WHICH IS ALSO COMPREHENSIVE.

AND WE'VE HAD SOME STAFFING CHALLENGES THIS YEAR TO WHERE ABBY IS ACTUALLY PUSHED IN FULL TIME INTO A CLASSROOM TO SUPPORT A TEACHER AND A STUDENT FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.

SO WE, AS THINGS HAVE STARTED TO STABILIZE.

OUR MONITORING IS BOTH PRESCHOOL AND SPECIAL EDUCATION IS COMING TO A CLOSE.

OUR STAFFING ISSUES HAVE STABILIZED.

ABBY, SARAH AND I ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING INTO CLASSROOMS MORE AND ALSO REFOCUSING AGAIN ON THESE RETENTION EFFORTS.

SO THAT'S WHAT I HAD FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.

I WAS GOING TO MOVE ON TO MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES.

THIS PICTURE IS A PICTURE OF SOME OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH TEAM.

I DIDN'T MEAN TO CROP ANYONE OUT, BUT I HAD TO A LITTLE BIT.

SO THIS PROVIDES A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPREHENSIVE OF A PICTURE OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH TEAM.

YOU'LL SEE ON THE LEFT THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS WE HAVE BY SCHOOL.

YOU'LL ALSO SEE OUR DIVISION WIDE MENTAL HEALTH STAFF.

WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR WHO SPENDS A LOT OF HER TIME AT THE MIDDLE AND HIGH

[02:55:01]

WE ALSO HAVE SOME EXTERNAL SUPPORTS AVAILABLE THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH ELK HILL, AND THOSE OAK HILL PROVIDES THERAPEUTIC DAY TREATMENT TREATMENT TO STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID. AND THEN THEY ALSO PROVIDE OUTPATIENT THERAPY IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND THEY CAN BUILD MEDICAID AS WELL AS PRIVATE INSURANCE FOR THOSE THINGS.

AND SO BOARD MEMBERS IN APRIL, I BELIEVE OF 20, 21 MEMBERS OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH TEAM CAME AND SPOKE ABOUT SOME OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS AND INITIATIVES.

AND SO I'VE KIND OF SUMMARIZED SOME OF THEM HERE, AND I'VE DIVIDED THEM OUT BY STUDENT SUPPORTS AND INITIATIVES, FAMILY SUPPORTS AND INITIATIVES AND STAFF SUPPORTS AND INITIATIVES. OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS, OF COURSE, TO CLASSROOM LESSONS.

OUR WHOLE MENTAL HEALTH TEAM PROVIDES SMALL GROUP COUNSELING AND INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING.

WE DO SUICIDE PREVENTION EDUCATION NOT ONLY FOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO OUR STAFF AND OUR FAMILIES. LAST YEAR, WE DID A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE VIRTUAL PARENT EDUCATION SERIES FOUR FOR FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS.

WE ALSO DID A STAFF SELF-CARE WORKSHOP SERIES.

THIS YEAR WE'VE BEGUN.

I THINK DR.

ARMSTRONG SENT IT OUT TODAY.

FAMILY ENGAGEMENT NEWSLETTERS FOR FAMILIES AS WELL THAT WILL START ONCE MONTHLY.

WE HAVE THREE OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH TEAM MEMBERS WHO ARE NOW CERTIFIED TO BE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID INSTRUCTORS.

YOU MAY HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM DR.

ARMSTRONG OR DR. REILLY EARLIER THIS WEEK ABOUT THOSE OFFERINGS AS WELL.

SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE INITIATIVES AND SUPPORTS THAT WE HAVE GOING RIGHT NOW.

BUT I DID WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING JUST AS AS THIS PANDEMIC EVOLVES.

THE U.S. SURGEON GENERAL ISSUED THIS REPORT.

I BELIEVE IN DECEMBER OF TWENTY TWENTY ONE PROTECTING YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH.

THERE WERE LOTS OF STATISTICS IN THERE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PULL OUT A FEW.

PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES WERE ALREADY THE LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY AND POOR LIFE OUTCOMES FOR KIDS.

AND THEN WE ALL KNOW THAT I THINK THE STATISTICS PRETTY WELL KNOWN ONE IN FIVE CHILDREN HAVE A MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, DEVELOPMENTAL OR BEHAVIORAL DISORDER.

AND AGAIN, A FEW SLIDES AGO, WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT CASE MANAGEMENT AND LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE HAD WITH IEPS OR FIVE BEFORE WE WERE AT 19 PERCENT, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IN LINE WITH THAT ONE IN FIVE STATISTIC RIGHT THERE.

AND THEN EVEN PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE ALREADY SEEING INCREASES IN DEPRESSION AND SUICIDAL THOUGHTS.

AND NOW, WITH THE PANDEMIC IN THIS SUMMER, WE KNOW THAT MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND CHILDREN HAVE LOST A PARENT OR GRANDPARENT CAREGIVER TO COVID.

AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE WERE ALREADY SEEING OR AN EARLY LAST YEAR WE WERE SEEING ER VISITS INCREASE FOR SUSPECTED SUICIDE ATTEMPTS, AND THAT WAS HAPPENING MORE WITH ADOLESCENT GIRLS, BUT ALSO AN INCREASE FOR ADOLESCENT BOYS WHEN COMPARED TO EARLY 2019.

AND GOOCHLAND IS NOT IMMUNE FROM THIS.

ANECDOTALLY, WHAT WE KNOW THIS MEANS OR WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR OUR STUDENTS, WE KNOW THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE MS. CELEBRATIONS.

THEY'VE MS. COMPETITIONS, THEY'VE MISSED PLAY DATES.

WE KNOW THAT THEY'VE HAD DISRUPTED SCHOOLING.

WE KNOW THAT THEY'VE HAD COVID.

SOME HAVE HAD COVID. OTHERS HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WITH COVID.

SOME OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE LONG TERM EFFECTS FROM COVID.

WE KNOW THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE HAD TO CARE FOR A LOVED ONE WE'VE HAD WHO'S HAD COVID OR THAT THEY'VE WE'VE HAD STUDENTS WHO'VE LOST PARENTS DUE TO COVID.

WE KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE HAD DECREASED ACCESS TO THEIR MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. AND BEING IN GOOCHLAND, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THERE AREN'T A TON OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN GOOCHLAND.

AND THEN A LOT OF THE MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS WENT VIRTUAL FOR A LITTLE BIT, AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE INTERNET ACCESS ISSUES IN GOOCHLAND AS WELL.

SO DECREASED OR INTERRUPTED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE, AS WELL AS HEALTH CARE.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT FAMILIES OR STUDENTS EXPERIENCE FAMILY STRESSORS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE IN A PANDEMIC.

BUT FOR MANY OF OUR STUDENTS, THOSE FAMILY STRESSORS HAVE INCREASED.

AND THEN ALSO AS MUCH AS WE'VE PROVIDED IN-PERSON LEARNING OVER THE PAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS, THEY STILL HAVE HAD A REDUCED IN-PERSON INTERACTIONS.

SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO QUANTIFY MENTAL HEALTH DATA, BUT I'VE PULLED TOGETHER A COUPLE OF DATA POINTS. SO THIS IS SHOWING JUST A FEW DATA POINTS FROM THE TWENTY ONE TWENTY TWO SCHOOL YEAR. OF COURSE, WE'RE ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT THIS IS LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF SUICIDE RISK ASSESSMENTS THAT OUR MENTAL HEALTH TEAM HAS COMPLETED, THE NUMBER OF KNOWN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALIZATIONS, A NUMBER OF REENTRY MEETINGS AND THE NUMBER OF THREAT ASSESSMENTS.

SO SUICIDE RISK ASSESSMENTS ARE COMPLETED EVERY TIME WE SUSPECT A STUDENT MAY WANT TO HURT THEMSELVES, IT GENERALLY TO MENTAL HEALTH TEAM MEMBERS DO THE ASSESSMENT TOGETHER.

THE LENGTH OF THE ASSESSMENT DEPENDS.

IT COULD BE 30 MINUTES TO FOUR OR FIVE HOURS.

IT INVOLVES TALKING WITH THE STUDENT HAVING A PRETTY LENGTHY DISCUSSION WITH A PARENT.

SOMETIMES IT MEANS WE CREATE SAFETY PLANS.

SOMETIMES IT MEANS WE HELP FAMILIES ACCESS EMERGENCY SERVICES.

SOMETIMES IT MEANS OUR MENTAL HEALTH TEAM MEMBERS DRIVE STUDENTS TO THE HOSPITAL, SO IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE LEVEL OF RISK.

WE JUST STARTED TRACKING THIS DATA SYSTEMATICALLY CONSISTENTLY ACROSS SCHOOLS IN THE 2019

[03:00:02]

AND AGAIN, KEEP IN MIND THAT WE'RE ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE SCHOOL YEAR.

AND WHEN YOU COMPARE THAT DATA TO WHERE WE WERE FOR THE ENTIRE 2019 20 20 SCHOOL YEAR AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY PERCENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SUICIDE RISK ASSESSMENTS WE'VE DONE.

AND THEN A FORTY SIX PERCENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF RISK ASSESSMENTS WE'VE DONE AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEN IN TERMS OF KNOWN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALIZATIONS.

PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALIZATION OCCURS WHEN A STUDENT IS IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND NEEDS TO BE HOSPITALIZED.

THERE ARE MANY TIMES WHEN WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THOSE HOSPITALIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY OCCUR OVER BREAK OR IF THEY OCCUR OVER THE SUMMER.

SO THESE ARE JUST WHEN PARENTS LET US KNOW WE TRACK THOSE AND REENTERING MEETINGS HAPPEN WHEN A STUDENT'S MS. TIME BECAUSE OF SOME KIND OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.

SO ONE OTHER DATA POINT TO LOOK AT IS JUST CHILD STUDY TEAM REFERRALS AND EVALUATIONS, CHILD STUDY TEAMS MEET ANY TIME ANYONE A PARENT, A STAFF MEMBER, EVEN A STUDENT THEMSELVES SUSPECTS THAT THEY HAVE A DISABILITY.

AND SO THOSE DISABILITIES MAY BE ACADEMIC RELATED AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH, AND MOST OFTEN THEY'RE RELATED TO BOTH.

AND THEN THE CHILD STUDY TEAM REALLY DETERMINES WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN PUT SOME INTERVENTIONS IN PLACE OUTSIDE OF A REFERRAL TO SPECIAL EDUCATION OR A FIVE BEFORE PLAN, OR WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO REFER FOR AN EVALUATION.

SO THEY'RE KIND OF TWO SEPARATE DATA POINTS.

SO THIS IS LOOKING AT OUR DATA FROM THE 2019 2020 20 SCHOOL YEAR, TWENTY TWENTY ONE AND THEN THE FIRST SEMESTER OF THIS YEAR.

WELL. SORRY, I THOUGHT I HAD ANOTHER SLIDE THERE, I MUST HAVE MISSED IT.

SO REALLY, WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS IN GENERAL, THE SPRING IS MUCH MORE ACTIVE FOR CHILD STUDY MEETINGS AND REFERRALS FOR EVALUATIONS.

SO EVEN IF WE KEPT THE SAME PACE AND WE WILL NOT KEEP THE SAME PACE BECAUSE THE SPRING IS ALWAYS BUSIER, WE'RE LOOKING AT VERY MUCH SURPASSING WHERE WE WERE IN THE TWENTY NINETEEN TWENTY TWENTY SCHOOL YEAR.

AND SO WE'VE ALREADY HAD TO CONTRACT OUT FOR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY HELP BECAUSE MOST OF OUR SCHOOL, OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS, HANDLE MOST OF THE REFERRALS FOR EVALUATION.

WE'VE ALSO ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE FOR COORDINATING THOSE CHILD STUDY MEETINGS AND LEADING THOSE CHILD STUDY MEETINGS.

SO AGAIN, THAT DATA POINT IS NOT STRICTLY RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH, BUT WE ARE SEEING MORE REFERRALS DUE TO MENTAL HEALTH.

MOST OFTEN, THOUGH, THOSE REFERRALS ARE NOT JUST FOR MENTAL HEALTH OR FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND ACADEMIC CONCERNS.

AND THEN SIMILAR TO WHAT I DID WITH A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER, I JUST WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT A WHAT THE SCHOOL'S COUNSELOR DOES.

AND AGAIN, I PICKED THE HIGH SCHOOL.

SO TYPICALLY OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS DO CLASSROOM LESSONS AND OUR EDUCATING PARENTS AND HAVING CONSULTATIONS. THEY'RE DOING SMALL GROUP COUNSELING AND INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING.

A PART OF THEIR JOB IS RISK ASSESSMENTS AND THREAT ASSESSMENTS AND REENTRY MEETINGS.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, THEY ARE PROVIDING ACADEMIC COLLEGE AND CAREER AND PERSONAL SOCIAL COUNSELING FOR ABOUT THREE HUNDRED STUDENTS.

HOWEVER, WITH THE CURRENT STATE OF THINGS, RISK ASSESSMENTS MAINLY ARE TAKING UP A LOT OF OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS TIME, A LOT OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH TEAMS TIME.

SO IN FACT, ESPECIALLY OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, WE'VE MOVED MEMBERS OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH TEAM TO HELP OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELING TEAMS. SO OUR SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER, WHO USUALLY HELPS STUDENTS AT ELEMENTARY, WAS STATIONED AT THE MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL CLOSER TO TO WINTER BREAK TO HELP ALLEVIATE SOME MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM AND JUST TO HELP PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.

OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS, WHO USUALLY IS ASSIGNED TO ELEMENTARY, HAS ALSO COME UP TO HELP AS WELL. AND WHEN WE SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON RISK ASSESSMENTS, WHICH IS DEFINITELY NEEDED, BUT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO SOME OF THE PREVENTATIVE THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO, AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO CHECK IN WITH SOME STUDENTS AS FREQUENTLY AS WE WOULD LIKE.

SO THAT WAS HEAVY, BUT IT'S BEEN A FEW MINUTES, THOUGH, IN PRESCHOOL PROGRAMING, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT LIGHTER. IN PRESCHOOL, WE SERVE ONE HUNDRED AND TWO PRESCHOOL STUDENTS THAT'S IN FOR REGULAR EDUCATION, PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS AND THREE EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS. AND THIS SLIDE REALLY JUST SHOWS THE EVOLUTION OF OUR PRESCHOOL PROGRAMING.

WE DID HAVE PRESCHOOL PRIOR TO TWENTY THIRTEEN, BUT THEN WITH SOME BUDGET CUTS, WE LOST OUR PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS, SO WE BEGAN REBUILDING BACK IN TWENTY THIRTEEN.

SO IN TWENTY THIRTEEN WE HAVE ONE PROGRAM AND THEN YOU CAN SEE IN TWENTY SIXTEEN, WE ADDED A PROGRAM. WE ALSO CHANGED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH HEAD START AND BEGAN PARTNERING WITH RICHMOND PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITHIN THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

MOVE THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE WE FOUND MORE STUDENTS WERE QUALIFYING IN 3RD DISTRICT.

WE ADDED ANOTHER CLASSROOM AND THEN NOW AND ACTUALLY TWENTY TWENTY TWO WE HAVE FOR PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS, AT LEAST FOR REGULAR EDUCATION STUDENTS.

AND SO JUST REAL QUICKLY, I COULD TALK ON AND ON ABOUT ALL THE GLOBES WITH OUR PRESCHOOL PROGRAM, BUT WE'VE HAD SUCH AN INCREASE IN THE QUALITY OF OUR PRESCHOOL INSTRUCTION.

DESPITE THE FACT THAT OUR PRESCHOOL TEAM IS DIVIDED UP INTO THREE SCHOOLS, THE TEAM IS SUPER COHESIVE.

THEY MEET REGULARLY AND WENDY TRAVIS, WHO'S OUR PRESCHOOL COORDINATOR, DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB OF COORDINATING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT'S REALLY TAILORED TO THE EARLY LEARNERS. IN GENERAL, PRESCHOOL RETENTION IS REALLY TEACHER.

RETENTION IS REALLY HIGH.

AND THEN WE HAVE A UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL APPLICATION.

[03:05:02]

AND SO THAT CAN BE VERY CONFUSING FOR PARENTS.

SO WE'VE SWITCHED TO A ONE PRESCHOOL APPLICATION, WHICH HOPEFULLY LESSENS THE CONFUSION FOR PARENTS. BUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE EXPERIENCE IS BECAUSE WE HAVE DIFFERENT FUNDING STREAMS, WE HAVE DIFFERENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND THAT IS CONFUSING FOR PARENTS. THEY MAY HAVE FRIENDS IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS AND THAT MAY LIVE IN A DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEIR CHILD GETS INTO A PROGRAM.

BUT IN THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICT, THEIR OWN CHILD DID NOT GET INTO THAT PROGRAM, AND SO THAT'S CONFUSING FOR THEM.

WE ALSO, AS YOU SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, WE SWITCHED OUR PROGRAM LOCATION IN ORDER TO CAPTURE MORE STUDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE.

THE EXAMPLE WOULD BE HEAD START.

HEAD START IS GENERALLY COMPRISED OF STUDENTS WHO MEET THE DEFINITION OF POVERTY.

THEIR FAMILIES MEET THE DEFINITION OF POVERTY.

SO AT ONE POINT, A POCKET OF STUDENTS MET THAT DEFINITION IN THE GOOCHLAND ELEMENTARY DISTRICT, WE MOVE THE PROGRAM TO BYRD TO HOPEFULLY MEET MORE STUDENTS NEEDS THERE.

AND NOW THIS YEAR, AT ONE POINT, WE WERE FINDING ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF STUDENTS THAT WOULD HAVE QUALIFIED ACTUALLY LIVED IN THE GOOCHLAND ELEMENTARY DISTRICT.

AND SO THAT CAN CAUSE SOME TRANSPORTATION ISSUES FOR POOR FAMILIES BECAUSE WE PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION WHEN THE PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR IS LOCATED IN YOUR HOME DISTRICT. AND THEN JUST LASTLY, THE RULES AND REGULATIONS AROUND OUR HEAD START PROGRAM ARE PRETTY DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE.

AND THEN RICHMOND, WHO WE PARTNER WITH RICHMOND PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SOMETIMES THE COMMUNICATION'S A LITTLE BIT DELAYED.

AND SO THAT SOMETIMES CAUSES SOME ADDITIONAL STRESSORS FOR OUR HEADSTART STAFF.

AND SO IT WOULD BE GREAT IF SOMEDAY WE COULD GAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTROL OVER THAT PROGRAM AND MAYBE REDUCE SOME OF THOSE STRESSORS.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO END BY SAYING THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.

WE WERE MEETING WITH MRS. ALLEN MAYBE THREE WEEKS AGO NOW AND I WAS RECALLING HOW EACH OF YOU HAVE REALLY SUPPORTED US FOR A MS. BAREFOOT-REID.

SHE'S GOD BLESS HER, IS ON TWO OF MY ADVISORY BOARDS.

MR. NEWMAN PROVIDED THAT HANDS ON SUPPORT AS A HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR FOR US FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND THE MRS. HAHN SOMEHOW FINDS TIME TO MAKE IT TO EVERY SCHOOL EVENT THAT'S EVER OFFERED.

AND SO I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND JUST REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.

OUR PROGRAM WOULDN'T BE OUR DEPARTMENT WOULDN'T BE WHERE IT IS WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.

SO YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR ME.

YOU CAN TAKE A DEEP BREATH NOW.

BREATHE. THAT'S OKAY. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YEAH, LOTS.

IT'S JUST BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A REFRESHER FOR ME.

SO I HAVE AN ADVANTAGE BECAUSE I HAD TIME TO TO PROCESS IT, BUT.

MENTAL HEALTH. THE STATISTICS ARE JUST SOBERING.

AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE PILLARS YOU PUT AROUND THE SILHOUETTE OF THE STUDENT, I WANT TO CHALLENGE MYSELF AND MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS AND OUR SUPERINTENDENT.

WHICH OF THOSE PILLARS CAN WE CONTROL THROUGH THE POLICIES THAT WE SET THROUGH THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE SO THAT? THE IMPACTS TO OUR STUDENTS ARE MINIMIZED, THINGS THAT STUCK OUT FOR ME WAS DISRUPTED SCHOOLING. WE'VE HEARD FROM NEIGHBORING SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THEY'RE GOING BACK TO ALL VIRTUAL. CAN'T DO THAT TO OUR KIDS AGAIN, MISSED EVENTS, REALLY PROUD OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION FOR MAKING SPORTS DANCES.

FINE ARTS AND THEATER POSSIBLE.

WE MUST CONTINUE TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS TO SOCIALIZE AND IN-PERSON INTERACTIONS. WE HEARD FROM MS. WIRSING TODAY ABOUT THE THE MANDATORY MASKING AND WHAT THAT MAY HOLD IN TERMS OF REALLY THAT HUMAN CONNECTION, BEING ABLE TO READ THAT BODY LANGUAGE.

SO JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REMEMBER THAT THE HAHN, EACH ONE OF THOSE NUMBERS IS A CHILD IN A FAMILY THAT LOVES THEM, AND WE'RE BEING PROACTIVE TO BRING THAT NUMBER BACK DOWN TO SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T FEEL AS DIRE AS IT LOOKS.

YES, THANK YOU, I MEAN, THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING OUR MENTAL HEALTH TEAM ALWAYS TALKS TO STUDENTS ABOUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ANXIETY, IT'S ALWAYS FOCUSING ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL VERSUS FOCUSING ON THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T CONTROL.

THAT'S ONE. YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU, DR.

WAGNER. YOU AND YOUR TEAM SUPPORT OUR ENTIRE STUDENT POPULATION THROUGH THE CRITICAL INSTRUCTIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS.

YOU SHARE THIS EVENING, AS YOU NOTED NOTED TONIGHT, YOU FOCUSED ON SPECIAL EDUCATION AND 504 PLANS, MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS AND PRESCHOOL.

BUT YOU WOULD NEED LIKE A HUNDRED MORE SLIDES TO REALLY, TRULY HIGHLIGHT THE WORK OF YOUR TEAM. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF YOU.

AND AS MS. ALLEN NOTED, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THERE WAS A COLLECTIVE GASP AS YOU REVIEWED THE THE DATA ON THE SLIDE FOR MENTAL HEALTH.

IF THIS PANDEMIC HAD OCCURRED IN THE SEVENTIES, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT DOROTHY LAW NULTY

[03:10:05]

IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH ISOLATION, THEY LEARN TO FEEL ANXIOUS, DEPRESSED AND STRESSED.

I'M SO GLAD THAT WAS NOT IN HER POEM, BUT IT REALLY THAT THAT'S WHAT WE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING, AND THAT'S WHAT YOUR DATA SHOWS.

CHILDREN LIVE IN HOMES, OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR COMMUNITY, AND THIS IS A TIME FOR EVERY ONE OF US TO PROCESS THIS DATA AND DECIDE WHAT POSITIVE DIFFERENCE WE CAN MAKE IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD. WHAT FAMILIES DO AT HOME MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

WHAT COMMUNITIES DO TO SUPPORT A STUDENT OR SCHOOL MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

WHAT WE TOLERATE AND EVEN CELEBRATE IN SOCIAL MEDIA MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

WHAT STUDENTS HEAR AND SEE THAT WE DON'T HELP THEM UNDERSTAND MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

I WAS REALLY PROUD OF OUR SECONDARY ADMINISTRATION THIS WEEK WHO ARE LEADING IN THESE GRADE LEVEL MEETINGS, AND I'M SURE MANY OF YOU SAW IN THE MESSAGES ON THE TOPICS AND THE EXPECTATIONS THEY ARE REALLY SETTING, SETTING AND COMMUNICATING THE HIGH EXPECTATIONS THAT WILL ENCOURAGE SAFE AND WELCOMING BEHAVIORS THAT WE EXPECT OF OUR STUDENTS.

AND SO HOPEFULLY THAT CONVERSATION WILL ALSO LEAD TO STUDENTS SEEKING MORE SUPPORT.

I HOPE IT WILL LEAD TO STUDENTS BEING KINDER, WHICH WILL LESSEN THOSE NUMBERS.

I THINK IT EMPOWERED STUDENTS AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED THEM TO DO.

WE NEED THEM TO BE EMPOWERED TO BE HEALTHIER FOR THEMSELVES.

SO THAT WAS LIKE YOU SAID, WHAT CAN SCHOOLS DO? THAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND THE HIGH SCHOOL THIS WEEK.

SO SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

WHEN WE LOOK AT SPECIAL EDUCATION AND 504 PLANS, INDIVIDUALIZING EDUCATION INSTRUCTION IS ONLY POSSIBLE WITH A STRONG TEAM OF EDUCATORS AND FAMILY SUPPORT.

SO YOUR TEAM AND YOU LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS AND I REMEMBER BACK WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION CASELOAD, YOU KNOW, THE STATE HAS THIS NUMBER.

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WITHIN THIS NUMBER.

I'M NOT EVEN SURE HOW YOU COULD CALCULATE IT.

I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU DO, BUT THE NUMBER OF FIVE HUNDRED FOURS AND IEPS, THAT'S THAT'S STAGGERING AS WELL.

BUT YOUR INDIVIDUALIZING INSTRUCTION, YOU'RE MEETING NEEDS AND HOPEFULLY THAT'S KEEPING SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS OUT OF THAT, THAT DARK DATA.

PRESCHOOL EDUCATION.

OH, MY GOODNESS. ARE THOSE? OH MY GOSH. IF YOU'VE NOT, I MEAN, YOU COULD JUST GO BY AND SEE THE KIDS ON THE PLAYGROUND AND YOU JUST CAN'T HELP BUT JUST SMILE.

SO, BUT AS A LICENSED EARLY EDUCATION TEACHER, I AM A TRUE BELIEVER OF WHAT YOUR TEAM DOES IN THE CLASSROOM EVERY DAY AND DURING OUR SUMMER EXTENSION ACTIVITIES.

EARLY LEARNING RESEARCH CLEARLY VERIFIES THAT HIGH QUALITY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES SUPPORT CRITICAL SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS, LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR LIFELONG LEARNING ABILITIES AND COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.

WE CANNOT FORGET THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT ALSO RUNS THE COVID RESPONSE ACTIVITIES AND THE ENDLESS HOURS GOING THROUGH CONTACT TRACING.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR.

WAGNER. THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION.

I HOPE THAT EVERYONE IN THE PUBLIC LOOKS AT IT.

AND AGAIN, I HOPE THAT EVERYONE IN THE PUBLIC, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NO MATTER WHAT YOUR FAMILY ROLE IS OR NOT, YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT A STUDENT AND IMPROVE SOME OF THIS DATA.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

A GRIEF. DOUG, THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO COMMENT ON WAS FOR ALL I THOUGHT, I KNEW, IT'S EXPANDED TONIGHT PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF YOUR TWO SIDES A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN EXCEPTIONAL ED TEACHER AND ROLE OF THE COUNSELOR.

I PASSED THOSE PEOPLE IN THE HALLWAY AND WE GO ABOUT OUR BUSINESS.

BUT THIS OH MY GOSH, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT THEY DO AND WHAT YOU DO TO LEAD THE TEAM. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU AND GREAT WORK.

SOME BOARD MEMBERS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS IS A PRECURSOR TO CONVERSATIONS IT WILL HAVE DURING THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

AND SO WE TALK TONIGHT ABOUT SALARY AND BENEFITS NEEDS.

BUT AS WE PREPARE FOR NEXT WEEK'S WORK SESSION, THIS IS GOING TO BE A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION AS WELL, IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THE OTHER CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE GOING TO FACE. AND THEN ULTIMATELY, IT'S GOING TO INFORM MS. WHITE'S NEXT PRESENTATION AND OUR WORK SESSION WITH THE SUPERVISORS ON THE 19TH BECAUSE WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FEDERAL RESOURCES AND THOSE RESOURCES ARE GOING TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS THAT WE JUST HEARD ABOUT.

SO IT ALL KIND OF COMES TOGETHER INTO A BIGGER PICTURE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING NOW AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.

SO I WANT TO ASK MS. WHITE TO COME FORWARD AND SPEND SOME TIME TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE ARE USING THE FEDERAL RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED OVER THE COURSE OF THE

[03:15:05]

WE HAVE I HAVE RECEIVED SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE USING THOSE RESOURCES FOR.

IT IS ON YOUR AGENDA WITH THE SUPERVISORS ON THE 19TH.

SO WE WANTED TO EMPOWER YOU WITH THAT INFORMATION THIS EVENING AS YOU HEAD INTO THAT CONVERSATION NEXT WEEK, SO YOU HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THOSE RESOURCES ARE BEING USED FOR. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

SO I HAVE UM.

I'M GIVING YOU A PREVIEW OF THE 19TH PRESENTATION WITHOUT ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES.

SO WHERE IT IS A PRESENTATION AND PROCESS, WHAT WHAT GOT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AGENDA IS THIS VERY COMPREHENSIVE BUT VERY DRY SET OF NUMBERS? AND SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO BRING IT TO LIFE JUST A LITTLE BIT FOR YOU.

SO, UM, THE VERY FIRST THING IS WE WE DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU, BUT THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THE PANDEMIC HAS TOTALLY UPENDED PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THE COSTS OF BOTH RISK MITIGATION AND THE EDUCATIONAL COSTS HAVE BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY EXPENSIVE.

WE HAVE 18 FEDERAL GRANTS THAT WE'VE BEEN AWARDED SO FAR, TOTALING SEVEN POINT ALMOST SEVEN POINT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE CAN USE SOME OF IT THROUGH SCHOOL YEAR TWENTY THREE, TWENTY FOUR, AND WE HAVE FOUR ADDITIONAL GRANTS PENDING.

SO WHAT I'M GOING TO BE PRESENTING TONIGHT IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN AWARDED.

WE REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW THE GRANTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN, UM, THAT ARE PENDING ARE ALL COMPETITIVE, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.

EVERY PENNY OF THAT GRANT MONEY HAS BEEN EARMARKED.

IN OTHER WORDS, WE'VE APPLIED FOR AN APPLICATION.

WE TOLD THEM EXACTLY HOW WE WERE GOING TO SPEND THE MONEY.

AND SO THERE IS NO THERE'S NO CONTINGENCY SITTING OUT THERE.

IT IS TRULY THESE ARE THESE ARE DEFINITE EXPENSES THAT THE HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO USE THE MONEY IF THOSE NEEDS CHANGE.

AND YOU KNOW, UM, I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AS WE GO INTO WHAT'S STILL LEFT.

I HAVE TO SUBMIT NEW APPLICATIONS.

I HAD TO AMEND THE APPLICATIONS, GET NEW APPROVAL.

IT IS A IT IS A BACK AND FORTH PROCESS WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

ALL EXPENSES THAT WE'VE SPENT SO FAR ARE SUPPLEMENTAL AND IN THE EDUCATION SPHERE, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION.

SUPPLEMENTAL MEANS THAT IT WASN'T ALREADY IN YOUR BUDGET.

WITH THIS FEDERAL GRANT MONEY, WE COULD WHAT WE CALL SUPPLANT.

THAT MEANS WE COULD TAKE ONE EXPENSE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN OUR OPERATING BUDGET AND USE FEDERAL MONEY TO PAY FOR IT.

WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE SUFFICIENT SUPPLEMENTAL NEEDS TO USE ALL OF OUR GRANT MONEY, SO THERE ARE SOME SCHOOL DIVISIONS THAT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THEY HAD ENOUGH NEEDS AND SO THEY ARE SUPPLANTING, WE ARE NOT SUPPLANTING ANY OF OUR BUDGET.

SO THE OTHER THING IS, UM, AS I'VE ALREADY INDICATED, OUR DIVISION NEEDS ARE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING. AND SO WHAT WE HAD PLANNED MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE WHAT HAPPENS.

SO BUT OUR GOALS ARE TO USE THE FUNDING MOST EFFECTIVELY AND FOR A LONG TERM IMPACT.

SO IF SOMEBODY TELLS ME I NEED NEW DEATHS, THEN I CREATED A COMMITTEE AND THE PRINCIPALS GOT TOGETHER AND THEY DECIDED WHAT TYPE OF DESK THEY WANTED FOR THE LONG TERM.

SO WE BOUGHT DESKS THAT WILL THAT WILL BE GOOD FOR US FOR FUTURE PURPOSES AND NOT JUST FOR THE IMMEDIATE NEED.

WHEN WE NEEDED A PATIO EXPANSION AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE WENT AHEAD AND BROUGHT IN AN ENGINEERING FIRM AND DID IT CORRECTLY.

SO THAT'S WHAT I'M, YOU KNOW, LET'S GO AHEAD AND USE THIS MONEY WISELY.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE WANT TO AVOID THAT FISCAL CLIFF.

WHEN THE GRANTS END, SO THAT THAT IS THAT THAT IS MY CONTINUING, MY CONTINUING INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROCESS IS AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESSES, WE UNDERSTAND WHAT EXPENSES WE MIGHT HAVE TO PICK UP IN THAT OPERATING BUDGET.

SO JUST REMIND EVERYBODY WHAT HAPPENED AS WE STARTED OUT THIS PANDEMIC AND WE HAD AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE.

WE DIDN'T KNOW FOR.

WE HAD TO COVER IT WITH OUR OPERATING BUDGET, BUT WE WENT AHEAD.

WE GOT INTO THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION BUSINESS.

WE HAD PREMIUM PAY FOR OUR CAFETERIA STAFF.

[03:20:02]

WE GOT A LOT OF PRIVATE DONATIONS FOR THAT RIGHT AWAY, AND THEN WE CAME AND REIMBURSED US THE NEXT YEAR. SO WE HAD ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS OF EXTRA EXPENSES BECAUSE WE WERE NOT BEING FULLY REIMBURSED THROUGH THE FEDERAL PROGRAM FOR THOSE EXPENSES. WE PURCHASED MASKS, WE HAD SPECIAL CLEANING SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT, HAND SANITIZERS. WE DID A LOT OF FACILITY PREP WITH OUR OWN STAFF, WITH OUR OWN BUDGET.

BUT THEN WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND ADD HOT WATER TO THE SCHOOLS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY NOT HAD, UM, HOT WATER.

THAT WAS AN INTERESTING DISCOVERY FOR ME.

SO WE, WE WE DID THAT AND THEN, UH, WE HAD TO BUY MORE KINDERGARTEN STUDENT DEVICES BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T USED TO HAVING THEM TO TAKE HOME.

WE BOUGHT DIVISION WIDE MALWARE.

UM, SO THAT ALL OF OUR STAFF WORKING OFFSITE COULD BE PROTECTED AS WELL AS OUR STUDENTS.

AND THEN WE STARTED BUYING HOT SPOTS FOR STUDENTS.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAD THAT SPECIAL HIGH SCHOOL DRIVE IN CEREMONY.

AND SO WE USE OUR FEDERAL MONEY FOR THAT TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY ONE THOUSAND JUST IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS, BOOM RIGHT AWAY.

SO THEN THE NEXT YEAR, WE DID A WHOLE LOT OF RISK MITIGATION MEASURES DURING THE SUMMER.

AND THEN AS AS, UM, WE HAD MORE FUNDING BECOME AVAILABLE, WE DID MORE.

SO WE WE GOT A WAREHOUSE.

WE MOVED ALL OF OUR EXCESS FURNITURE OUT SO WE COULD SOCIALLY DISTANCE OR STUDENTS SIX FEET APART. SO WE PUT IN WALL PARTITIONS IN PUBLIC SPACES LIKE IN THE UM RANDOLPH IN BIRD, SO THAT THERE, UM UH, THERE ARE OFFICE WORKERS COULD BE PROTECTED.

WE DID THE SAME THING AT CENTRAL OFFICE.

WE FOUND THAT SOME ROOMS WE SIMPLY COULDN'T CLAIM BECAUSE THEY STILL HAD CARPETS.

SO WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING EVERY CARPET AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL WITH TILE. SO WE DID MOST OF THAT IN, UM, LAST SCHOOL YEAR.

WE REPLACED ALL WATER FOUNTAINS WITH WATER BOTTLE FILLING STATIONS.

WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY, ESPECIALLY AT BOURDON RANDOLPH.

THEY HAD OBSOLETE HVAC EQUIPMENT, SO WE REPLACED IT ALL, ALMOST ALL OF IT.

AND THEN WE PUT IN THE LARGEST HEATING UNITS ON THE LARGE SPACES WE PUT BY IONIZATION TO HELP WITH CLEAR THAT THE AIR AS IT GOT RECIRCULATED BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM.

SO IN IMPROVING SCHOOL VENTILATION, WE ALSO DID HEPA FILTRATION MACHINES FOR EVERY CLASSROOM, AND THAT WAS TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR EXPENSE.

VERY HAPPY $200000 EXPENSE.

YOU KNOW, YOU IMPROVE THE HVAC SYSTEM AND NOBODY CAN SEE IT.

YOU PUT A YOU PUT A SPECIAL MACHINE IN EVERY ROOM AND THE TEACHERS KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING SOMETHING FOR THEM. SO THAT THAT WAS A THAT WAS A VERY GOOD INITIATIVE.

WE BOUGHT MORE MASKS, SPECIAL CLEANING SUPPLIES, ANTISEPTIC HAND WASH.

AND THEN WE STARTED GIVING STIPENDS FOR CONTACT TRACERS THAT WERE BEING TRAINED.

AND THEN WE HAD OUTDOOR TENTS, TABLES AND CHAIRS THAT WE BOUGHT STARTED PURCHASING LAST YEAR. UM, THEN WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR? WE ARE THEY'RE EITHER REMOTE OR HYBRID INSTRUCTION.

AGAIN, OUR CORE STAFF WAS ALL THERE.

WE PAID THAT WITH OUR OPERATING BUDGET BUDGET.

SO THIS IS ALL IN EXCESS OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET.

SO WE HAD A LIMITED IN-PERSON SUMMER SCHOOL.

WE PAID TEACHERS FOR THE EXTRA TRAINING THAT THEY HAD TO DO VERY QUICKLY TO LEARN HOW TO GO REMOTE. THEY GOT PAID EXTRA FOR EVENING HOMEWORK AND COUNSELING HOURS.

WE HAD THE LEARNING LABS YOU'LL REMEMBER LAST YEAR WHERE WE BUSED STUDENTS IN, EVEN IF SCHOOL WAS CLOSED OR IT WASN'T THEIR DAY TO COME IN AND WE HIRED SPECIAL AIDES FOR THAT.

SO THAT WAS THAT WAS ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ABOVE AND BEYOND OUR OPERATING BUDGET.

WE SENT A LOT OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS HOME IN.

THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF LAST SCHOOL YEAR, AND THEN WE ALSO AS STUDENTS CAME BACK, WE STARTED BUYING DUPLICATE SUPPLIES SO THAT STUDENTS WEREN'T SHARING.

SO THAT'S A LOT OF ART, MUSIC, PE SUPPLIES.

THE TECHNOLOGY FOR THIS FOR REMOTE OR HYBRID INSTRUCTION, WHEN THEY WERE HAD THOSE DAYS

[03:25:07]

WE HAD SOME GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM JEFF AND BEST BUY.

SO THAT HELPED SUPPORT SOME OF THAT EFFORT.

AND THEN WE HAD TO GET SOME OF OUR TEACHER.

WE HAD TO GET SOME STREAMING EQUIPMENT FOR OUR TEACHERS.

AND AGAIN, WE GOT SOME DONATIONS TO HELP SUPPORT THAT.

SO THOSE STREAMING CLASSES WERE SUCCESSFUL.

SO THAT WAS THAT WAS JUST LAST YEAR.

THAT WAS A COMBINED OF ABOUT TWO POINT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR.

THIS YEAR, WE CONTINUE OUR RISK MITIGATION MEASURES.

WE STILL HAVE A WAREHOUSE, WE HAVE MOVED OUR FURNITURE BACK TO SCHOOLS, BUT WE STILL RETAIN SOME WAREHOUSE TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO OVERCROWDING IN THE CLASSROOMS. WE HAVE DONE A FACILITIES ASSESSMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FACILITIES ARE VENTILATION IS APPROPRIATE AND WE'VE DONE BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM UPGRADES.

WE PUT IN A NEW DISHWASHER AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL AND WE'VE EXPANDED THE CAFETERIA PATIO AND THE BALL FIELD DUGOUTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, SO THEY'RE READY FOR THEIR NEW SEASON NOW.

UM, WE HAVE SOCIAL DISTANCING.

WE'VE GOT OUTDOOR TABLES, LOTS OF SINGLE DESKS THAT WE PURCHASED BECAUSE A LOT OF THE STUDENTS WERE SITTING IN GROUP TABLES, SO WE HAD TO BUY SINGLE DESKS SO THEY COULD SEPARATE. WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT HVAC UPGRADES STILL TO GO FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR.

AND UM, WE'VE DONE A LITTLE BIT, UH, THIS FIRST SEMESTER, BUT MOST OF ITS NEXT SEMESTER.

AND THEN AGAIN, CONTACT TRACERS, MASKS, CLEANING SUPPLIES.

AND I DO HAVE A FEW PICTURES.

SO I TOOK THESE TODAY.

UM, HERE'S OUR CAFETERIA WORKERS BUSILY USING THE TRAYS THAT USED TO BE ALL PLASTIC AND THROW AWAY. SO UM, BOTH AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, THAT'S THE NEW PATIO WITH NEW TABLES, OUTDOOR TABLES.

UM, YOU.

IT'S NOT A GOOD PICTURE.

UM, IT'S VERY NICELY LANDSCAPED, SO YOU CAN'T SEE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT.

YOU CAN SEE THIS LITTLE SORT OF SITTING WALL THAT SORT OF CLOSES OFF THE EDGE OF THE THE PATIO AND THERE'S SOME LANDSCAPING TO THE RIGHT OF THAT.

AGAIN, NOT A GREAT PICTURE.

IT WILL. THE SHADE STRUCTURE WILL HAVE A SHADE ON IT ONCE THE SNOW SEASON IS GONE.

SO WE WE DIDN'T WANT TO PUT IT UP AND THEN HAVE IT RIP UP WITH SNOW, WITH THE SNOW LOAD.

SO ANYWAY, SO THAT'LL BE NICE.

I THINK IT'S IT'S EITHER GREEN OR RED, I CAN'T REMEMBER.

BUT ANYWAY, AND THEN THE DUGOUT, YOU CAN SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PICTURE, YOU CAN SEE THE OLD BROWN DIRT PART OF THE DUGOUT.

AND THEN THE NEW PART IS IT'S ESSENTIALLY DOUBLE THAT SPACE SO THOSE STUDENTS AREN'T SITTING ON TOP OF EACH OTHER WHEN THEY'RE AT THAT DUGOUT.

SO THOSE ARE OUR MOST RECENT PROJECTS, ALL AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

SO FROM AN INSTRUCTIONAL PERSPECTIVE, THIS YEAR WE GREATLY EXPANDED OUR IN-PERSON SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM COST OF EIGHTY SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS.

WE HAD SOME ABOUT $200000 OF STUDENT SUPPORT INITIATIVES, PART TIME COUNSELOR, INTERVENTIONISTS, A SOCIAL WORKER AND THEN SOME ASSOCIATED COSTS.

WITH THAT, SOME SUPPLIES, SOME UM, MATERIALS, SPECIAL EDUCATION INITIATIVES MS. WAGNER HAS. DR.

WAGNER HAS, UM, AS SHE'S INDICATED, SHE'S HIRED SOME PEOPLE JUST TO HELP A LITTLE BIT.

SO SHE STARTED TO USE UP SOME OF HER SPECIAL FUNDING.

WE HAVE PERMANENT SUBS IN EVERY SCHOOL AND WE ARE STARTING TO ADD IF WE CAN GET THEM AS US SUB AT EITHER THE HIGH SCHOOL OR BIRD.

UM, WE DO HAVE SOME VIRTUAL LEARNERS AND THAT TUITION COST IS ABOUT $40000 JUST FOR THE FIRST SEMESTER. AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO HAVE TECHNOLOGY NEEDS TO THE TUNE OF THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THIS SCHOOL YEAR, JUST THE FIRST SEMESTER.

SO WHAT ARE OUR PLANS FOR THE SECOND SEMESTER, WE'VE GOT ABOUT SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR

[03:30:03]

A LOT OF THE MATERIALS HAVE BEEN BOUGHT THE INTERVENTIONIST CURRICULUM, ET CETERA.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT MAINLY, IF WE CAN, GETTING A FEW MORE INTERVENTIONISTS THAN WE'VE GOT THE NEW DEAN OF STUDENTS.

I HOPE SHE'S LEFT. SO WE'RE FUNDING HER OUT OF THIS.

THAT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT EVOLVED.

SO WE WE MOVED SOME EXPENSES OUT AND MOVED THE DEAN OF STUDENTS IN.

WE'VE GOT SOME STUDENT WELLNESS INITIATIVES EXPANDING THE AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING AND BRINGING SOME ACTIVITY BUSSES.

AGAIN, THE PERMANENT SUBS AND THIRD PARTY TUITION.

AND YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD DR.

WAGNER'S TALK, YOU KNOW, HAVE WE DONE WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS? YOU KNOW, ARE ARE WE GOING TO CHANGE THESE PRIORITIES? STILL, LIKE I SAY, THIS IS A CONTINUING, EVOLVING PROCESS.

UM, SO THEN WE LOOK AT NEXT YEAR, THESE ARE OUR CURRENT PLANS.

AGAIN, IT'S EVOLVING PROCESS.

IS THIS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO? SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE.

THE INTERVENTIONISTS, THE DEAN OF STUDENTS STUDENT WELLNESS INITIATIVES, THE AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING, EXPANDING THE SUMMER SCHOOL EVEN MORE, GIVING A GETTING SOME OF THE SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS TO FEEL LIKE INTERSECTIONS A WEEK LONG INNER SESSION.

WE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY THAT WE CAN USE FOR THAT AND THEN PERMANENT SUBS, CONTINUING RISK MITIGATION AND THIS COOLING TOWER PROJECT THAT WE HAVE SPECIFIC MONEY FOR THAT THAT HAS TO BE MATCHED IN OUR COPY.

AND I DO HAVE A LOVELY PICTURE OF THE COOLING TOWER.

WHAT WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT? AND IT HAS.

IT'S REALLY SHOWING SOME WEAR AND TEAR.

SO, UM, DURING THE FACILITY'S ASSESSMENT, THEY SAID THIS IS A TOP PRIORITY.

WE CAN'T HAVE THAT COOLING COOLING TOWER GO DOWN.

UM, WELL, WHILE WE STILL NEED TO KEEP THAT, UH, BUILDING TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED AND THEN FED ALONG FOR THE SPRING COOLING SEASON, THE SUMMER COOLING SEASON IN THE FALL, WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT REPLACED THIS TIME NEXT YEAR IF EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN.

RIGHT, EXACTLY.

SO YES, WE HAVE ONE MORE COOLING SEASON TO TO GET THAT, THAT BABY, IT'LL AMPLE ON.

SO IN THE TWENTY THREE TWENTY FOUR HERE, UM, WE'RE DOWN TO OUR LAST $700000 OF MONEY.

WE GRANT FUNDING WE CURRENTLY HAVE ALLOCATED.

UM, WE HAVE THE BALANCE, CALENDAR INITIATIVES, SOME SPECIAL EDUCATION INITIATIVES.

UM, BECAUSE DR.

WAGNER HAS A GRANT THAT'S AN ARPA GRANT THAT ALLOWS HER TO TO HIRE SOME ADDITIONAL STAFF.

SO SHE'S GOT SOME MONEY THAT GOES ALL THE WAY TO TWENTY THREE TWENTY FOUR.

WE CONTINUE TO HAVE HAVE SOME MONEY FOR TECHNOLOGY NEEDS IF WE CONTINUE TO NEED HOTSPOTS, SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY FOR THAT AND THEN A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THOSE BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEMS. SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WILL OUR PRIORITIES CHANGE? WILL WE GET MORE FUNDING? SO THE LAST OF THE FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WE HAVE IS THROUGH THIS YEAR AND THEN IT GOES AWAY. SO, UM, THAT IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION AND I HOPE BEFORE THE 19TH, I HOPE I HAVE A FEW MORE PICTURES BECAUSE I THINK IT HELPS UM CAN HELP TELL THE STORY A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN BRING IN A LITTLE BIT OF SOME OF THE STRESSES THAT WE'RE UNDERGOING IN THE SCHOOL DIVISION TO EXPLAIN WHY WE'RE DOING SOME OF THESE INITIATIVES.

THANK YOU FOR MEMBERS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS.

OK. I DO.

SORRY. THAT'S OK.

YOU HAD A LINE ITEM IN THE PREVIOUS THE 2020 THE TWENTY TWENTY TWENTY TWENTY ONE SCHOOL YEAR, ABOUT SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTY HOT SPOTS WERE THOSE NOT AN ACQUISITION? ARE THOSE JUST SOME TYPE OF LEASE? AND THEN WE HAD TO HAVE IT AGAIN FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.

SO WE IN 2021, WE BOUGHT THE HOT SPOTS, OK, AND WE PAID FOR A YEAR OF UNLIMITED DATA, ACTUALLY TEN MONTHS OF UNLIMITED DATA.

WE TURN THEM OFF.

SURE, WE CAN TURN THEM OFF REMOTELY.

THEY BECOME LEAD.

WAIT, WRIGHT UM.

AND THEN UM, WHEN WE DID THE TWENTY ONE TWENTY TWO SCHOOL YEAR, WE HAD TO BUY TEN MORE MONTHS OF DATA AND THE HOT SPOTS ACTUALLY ARE FAIRLY CHEAP COMPARED, YOU KNOW, THE

[03:35:02]

THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

UM, THIRD PARTY TUITION FOR VIRTUAL STUDENTS, THIS MAY NOT BE A QUESTION YOU CAN ANSWER.

I'M CURIOUS HOW MANY STUDENTS DO WE HAVE THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THAT AND ARE REASSESSING THE QUALITY OF THE EDUCATION THEY'RE RECEIVING? YEAH. WELL, SO WE HAVE OUR EXPERT HERE.

I DEFER TO THAT.

I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS ALLOWED TO TALK.

WE HAVE, I THINK, AFTER OF MY HEAD, 32 STUDENTS.

WE HAVE MULTIPLE VENDORS BASED ON THE PROGRAM AND WE HAVE BEEN ASSESSING IT THROUGHOUT.

IT'S MOSTLY BEEN POSITIVE, BUT I'VE HAD TO HELP OUT SOME PARENTS THAT HAVE HAD SOME TROUBLE. NO, THAT'S GREAT.

THAT'S A LOT MORE THAN I WAS THINKING.

UM, LAST QUESTION. YOU HAD A LINE ITEM FOR THE TWENTY TWENTY ONE SCHOOL YEAR FOR THE.

NO, IT WAS A 20, 19, 20 SCHOOL YEAR, THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC FOR THE GRADUATION AT THE DRIVE IN. I DIDN'T SEE A RELATED ITEM FOR THE GRADUATION AT BULLDOGS STADIUM AND HOW MUCH THAT COST, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE PLANNING GRADUATION THIS SPRING.

SO I MADE THE HIGH SCHOOL ABSORBED LAST YEAR'S GRADUATION WITHIN THEIR COSTS, SO WE HAD SOME COSTS SET ASIDE FOR GRADUATION AND IN THE 19 20 SCHOOL YEAR, BUT.

WE HAD TO COMPLETELY SWITCH AROUND, AND SO WE WE HAD EXTRA COSTS, AND THAT'S WHAT THAT TWELVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED MS. ALAN, WE HAVE AN ONGOING BUDGET FOR.

I THINK IT'S APPROXIMATELY TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS, WHICH IS JUST A PLACEHOLDER FOR THE ONGOING RENTAL OF JOHN PAUL JONES ARENA, IF WE CHOOSE TO USE THAT SO THAT CAN BE USED FOR ANY GRADUATION EXPENSE.

VERY GOOD. THANK YOU.

YEAH. WELL, YES, I HAD A QUESTION ALSO ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY, SO WE KNOW WE HAVE THE ENERGY AND DATA PLAN, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT GREATER ACCESS TO INTERNET IS HAPPENING AS WE SPEAK. SO AS FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS, WOULD WE STILL BE PROVIDING DATA PLANS, PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD THAT CONNECTION? SO WILL THAT STILL BE AN ONGOING.

SO WE WE ACTIVATED ALL OF OUR HOT SPOTS THIS YEAR.

WE ARE GOING TO RELOOK AT THAT NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN UTILIZED TO THE SAME EXTENT THIS YEAR THAT THEY WERE LAST YEAR.

SO, UM, WE WE DISTRIBUTED HOTSPOTS, PROBABLY, I WOULD SAY WEEKLY, DR.

REILLY. WE'RE STILL HANDING OUT HOTSPOTS AS FAR AS FAMILIES NEED THEM, BUT WE HAVEN'T USED ALL SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTY THIS YEAR.

YEAH. MS. HAHN. THAT IS A QUESTION.

AS THE FUNDING CLIFF ARISES, YOU KNOW DOES THE SCHOOL DIVISION CAN CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE THE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT FAMILIES OR WITH BROADBAND EXPANSION IN OUR COMMUNITY? DO WE SAY NO? YOU NOW HAVE ADDITIONAL PRIVATE OPTIONS.

WE'RE NO LONGER GOING TO BE TO PROVIDE THIS.

THAT TIME WILL COME. WE'LL HAVE TO MEET TO MAKE THAT DECISION.

SO THAT'S THAT'S COMING SOON.

WRIGHT. WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IS AND THE HOMEWORK DIGITAL DIVIDE, BUT WITH THIS ACCESS AND HOPEFULLY WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WILL ACCESS IS THAT COULD BRING DOWN THE COST.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES THERE.

SURE. THE THE THE DECIDING POINT FOR US WAS THE E WRIGHT PROGRAM THAT CAME ABOUT DURING THE SUMMER. THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO HELP YOUR STUDENTS LEARN, YOU KNOW, OFFSITE? AND SO THEY WERE WILLING TO PAY FOR THAT WHOLE DATA PLAN.

SO WE WENT AHEAD AND ACTIVATED ALL SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTY DEVICES.

WE DID NOT KNOW HOW MANY WE'D NEED NOW THAT WE'VE GOT THAT YEAR BEHIND US.

WE'RE GOING TO KNOW AT OUR TOP STARTING POINT NEXT YEAR, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT WE CAN WEAN OUR FAMILIES OFF OF THE HOT SPOTS THAT WE PROVIDE.

WE ALWAYS HAD ABOUT A HUNDRED AND ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY.

IT WAS GRANT FUNDED BY JEFF.

UM, SO WE WE WE HAD A FUNDING SOURCE.

WE HAD HOT SPOTS BEFORE AND THEY WERE GIVEN TO, UM, FAMILIES THAT COULD DEMONSTRATE AND NEED AN INCOME NEED.

THANK YOU FOR THE DETAIL ON BOTH THE THE THE ONLY NO REPORT AND THIS REPORT FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THIS IS A LOT OF WORK THROUGH SEVERAL YEARS.

THANK YOU. MS. BAREFOOT-REID ANYTHING.

SO ALEX, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU AN OPINION ON SOMETHING THAT MUSSELWHITE JUST TOLD US ABOUT. I REMEMBER WOODEN PICNIC TABLES AND ROCKS IN THE PATIO.

CAN YOU COMMENT ON HOW IT HAS CHANGED?

[03:40:01]

SO THE OUTSIDE PATIO NOW IS DEFINITELY REALLY NICE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WEATHER'S WARMER.

MY FRESHMAN YEAR, WE GOT TO USE THEM SOME AND BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION STARTED THIS YEAR, WE'RE USING THEM SOME AND I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR LUNCH AND ALL THE OUTSIDE INSTRUCTION WE CAN DO WITH THOSE NOW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO I GOT TO SEE IT.

SO YESTERDAY WAS THE FIRST DAY THAT THEY COULD USE THE NEW PATIO AND I'M MS. LUNCH TODAY. BUT AS I WAS WALKING TO THE BACK TO GET THE PICTURE, I COULD SEE PEOPLE LEAVING. SO EVEN THIS REALLY COLD WEATHER PEOPLE WERE OUT THERE TODAY SITTING IN THE SUN.

SO YOU KNOW, YOU COULD SEE ON THAT PICTURE THAT THERE WAS A PART THAT WAS IN THE SUN AND THE SHADE. THEY MOVED ALL THE TABLES INTO THE SUN, AND SO I THINK PEOPLE WERE USING IT.

IT REALLY IS A VERY NICE RISK MITIGATION TO HAVE STUDENTS CHOOSE TO EAT OUTSIDE AND NOT IN THE CROWDED CAFETERIA.

IT'S ALSO REALLY NICE TO GET A BREAK TO GO OUTSIDE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE INSIDE A LOT OF THE DAY FOR SCHOOL AND JUST THAT BREAK OUTSIDE IS REALLY NICE.

YEAH, AWESOME.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS..

UH-HUH. OKAY.

MORE MEMBERS NEXT ON OUR AGENDA.

WE HAVE FOUR POLICIES FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, AND NOW WE'RE IN A ROUTINE WITH THE POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

MANY OF THESE POLICIES ARE NEGLIGIBLE AS FAR AS THEIR REVISIONS GO.

AS ALWAYS, MS. EAST HAS PROVIDED AN EXPLANATION LINK TO YOUR AGENDA.

SHE IS HERE THIS EVENING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED ANY HIGHLIGHTS THAT YOU WANT TO PROVIDE TO THE BOARD.

WELL, FIRST I WANT TO SAY HELLO.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY AND WELCOME OFFICIALLY ALEX TO A REALLY SUPER GREAT SUPER EXPERIENCE FOR YOU.

I'M EXCITED FOR YOU.

SO I GUESS WE'LL JUST KIND OF ROLL THROUGH.

SO BCF, KB, KB, E R ARE PRETTY BASIC.

NOTHING REALLY BIG, I THINK IGBY AND IGBY DASH R R R OUR OUR BIGGEST CHANGES AND I WORKED WITH.

TO REVISE THESE POLICIES TO REFLECT OUR PRACTICE.

SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS, YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THESE FOUR POLICIES. THIS IS SEEKING APPROVAL ON FIRST READ.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY SPECIFIC POLICY FOR MIDDLE EAST? MR. MR. CHAIRMAN, WILL THESE BE COMING BACK TO US AS A REVIEW TEAM, THESE FOUR SECOND BEFORE THEY GO TO SECOND READ? THEY CAN BE SURE.

YEAH, IF WE WANT TO LOOK AT THEM, WE GOT SURE.

ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR ONES YOU WANTED TO LOOK AT OR ALL OF THEM? ANY PARTICULAR ONES I'D LIKE TO.

I LIKE TO REVIEW ALL FOR ALL, FOR ALL FOUR.

OK, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT MS. EAST AND MS. BAREFOOT-REID, MS. BENNETT AND MYSELF.

WE MET ON DECEMBER TWENTY SEVEN, WHICH MEANT THAT MS. EAST DID A LOT OF WORK PRIOR TO THAT DURING WINTER BREAK.

SO THANK YOU, MRS. FLETCHER. AND BE READY FOR WE DID MEET VIRTUALLY THAT THAT DAY AND WE DID ACCOMPLISH A LOT BECAUSE OF THE PREPARATION.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, MRS. WELL, THANK YOU. WE WERE ACTUALLY SUFFERING MY ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD WITH COVID OVER WINTER BREAK, SO IT WAS ROUGH A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THIS SATURDAY WE WILL BE CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS WITH OUR FAMILIES.

SO MORE MEMBERS, JUST SO WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.

THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD AT THIS POINT IN TIME IS FOR THESE TO RETURN BACK TO THE POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR ANOTHER REVIEW PRIOR TO COMING BACK FOR FIRST READING AGAIN NEXT MONTH. SO WHAT I'M HEARING? YES. OK, THANK YOU.

OKAY. MR. CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE POLICIES AS PRESENTED THIS EVENING AND FIRST READING ONLY.

MOTION TO APPROVE ON FIRST READING ONLY IS THERE A SECOND? A SECOND BUSH HAS MADE IT ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I, I THANK YOU.

AND JUST FOR MS. BAREFOOT-REID, YEAH, WE WE DO BRING THEM BACK AT SECOND READING, SO THIS JUST APPROVED TODAY, BUT CHANGES STILL CAN BE MADE PRIOR TO OUR SECOND READING.

OK, THANK YOU, DR.

HEALY. OK.

BOARD MEMBERS, LAST MONTH YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW SOME RECOMMENDED NEW COURSES.

DR. GEYER WENT THROUGH THOSE ONE BY ONE, AND BOARD MEMBERS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS. THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE SINCE YOU SAW THESE LAST MONTH.

[16. ACTION ITEMS:]

YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE NEW COURSE INFORMATION.

[03:45:04]

I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION MADE AND SECONDED ALL IN FAVOR.

SAY I. I THANK YOU.

COMMENT MR. CHAIRMAN.

JUST TO REMIND DR.

GEYER THAT THE SWAGIT CODES AND THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THOSE IN.

BUT VIDEO HE IS FAMOUS FOR CHANGING THOSE JUST, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO WATCH BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO THAT MASTER OF SCHEDULE COLLECTION, IF THOSE CODES CHANGE, THEN THEN YOU'VE YOU'VE GOT A DIFFERENT SCORE FOR YOUR, UM, YOUR COLLECTION.

SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THOSE, AND I HOPE THAT THEY WILL NOT BE MANY CHANGES FOR YOU. THANK YOU.

OK, NEXT BOARD MEMBERS IS A PRETTY IMPORTANT DECISION FOR FOR YOU AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING OUR NEW GOOCHLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

LAST MONTH, YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM DR.

BRADLEY REGARDING THE WORK THAT HAS HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE FALL WITH THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN. YOU KNOW, WE'VE VISITED MANY SCHOOLS, WE'VE HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF CONVERSATION WITH STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.

WE DEVELOPED A PROGRAM WE WALK THE SITE DID A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

AND SO WHAT IS PRESENTED TO YOU THIS EVENING IS THE RESULT OF ALL OF THAT WORK THAT WAS SHARED WITH US AS STAFF OVER THE COURSE OF THE HOLIDAY BREAK.

WE HAVE REVIEWED THIS SCHEMATIC DESIGN.

WE HAVE SHARED IT WITH OUR OWNERS, REPRESENTATIVE MVP.

YOU HAVE THE COMMENTS MADE BY MVP LINKED TO YOUR AGENDA.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU HAVE A BUDGET TO ACTUAL DOCUMENT THAT SHARES SHOWS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW WITH THE BUDGET.

OF COURSE, A LOT OF THIS WILL BE DISCUSSED WITH THE SUPERVISORS AT OUR WORK SESSION JUST NEXT WEEK. WHAT WE ARE ASKING OF YOU THIS EVENING, AS REFERENCED IN THE MEMO, IS FOR YOUR APPROVAL OF THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN, SPECIFICALLY THAT BEING THE CASCADE CONCEPT AND THEN ULTIMATELY GIVING APPROVAL FOR US TO TRANSITION INTO THE DETAILED DESIGN PHASE.

THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT WILL BE ADJUSTED THROUGH FROM SCHEMATIC DESIGN TO THE DETAILED DESIGN. MANY COMMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE BY STAFF.

YOU SEE THE COMMENTS MADE BY MBP.

THAT'S WHEN THESE CHANGES WILL BE MADE.

SO YOU HAVE A SIMPLE MOTION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET.

THIS EVENING, WE ARE SEEKING YOUR APPROVAL OF THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN, SPECIFICALLY THE CASCADE CONCEPT, SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.

MR. CHAIRMAN, YES, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, PLEASE THAT WE APPROVE THE BUILDING CONCEPT, INCLUDING THE PROGRAM LOCATION SHAPE, PERIMETER WALLS AND GENERAL SITE CIRCULATION PATTERNS.

THE DESIGN, INCLUDING THE EXTERIOR FACADE, INTERIORS, BUILDING SYSTEMS AND SITE DETAILS, WILL CONTINUE TO BE REFINED AS THE DESIGN DESIGN PROGRESSES.

STAND TECH MAY PROCEED TO THE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT STAGE BOARD MEMBERS.

YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION AS THEIR SECOND BY SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? MR. CHAIRMAN, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT AS DR.

REILLY POINTED OUT, MBP DID A REVIEW AND HAS MADE SOME SOME OF THE SAME COMMENTS THAT I MADE WHEN I FIRST READ THE DETAILS.

SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE THE REVIEW, WHICH COMPARES THE COST AND LOOKING AT HOPEFULLY GEOTHERMAL AND SOME OF THE OTHER, SOME OF THE OTHER LARGER SYSTEM DECISIONS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE THAT ARE VERY COST EFFECTIVE.

I THINK THE FIRE SUPPRESSION ISSUE IS A BIG ONE AND THERE IS A LOT TO BE WORKED OUT WITH THAT, AND THAT INCLUDES A REALLY HARD LOOK AT WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO STORE WATER, HOW DO WE STORE WATER? HOW DO WE MEET THAT REQUIREMENT? THAT'S IN THE BUILDING CODE.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF BIG DECISIONS, BUT I THINK THAT THE TEAM THAT HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS DESIGN, THE COMMUNITY TEAM, THE FEEDBACK, THE STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT, THIS CASCADE DESIGN IS IS WRIGHT FOR THIS PIECE OF LAND.

AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE DETAILS IN THE FUTURE.

THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND MOTION IS AS STATED TO APPROVE THE BUILDING CONCEPT AND THOSE COMPONENTS THAT WERE STATED.

ALL IN FAVOR, SAY I, I.

OK, THANK YOU. WE'LL PROGRESS WITH THE NEXT STEP, AND LET'S STAY IN TECH, KNOW OF YOUR APPROVAL TONIGHT AND CERTAINLY KEEP THE BOARD INVOLVED IN EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

IT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION NEXT WEEK WITH THE SUPERVISORS, THAT'S FOR SURE.

LAST ITEM ON YOUR ACTION AGENDA, BOARD MEMBERS, IS YOUR APPROVAL OF THE POLICIES THAT ARE

[03:50:02]

YOU DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THESE LAST MONTH.

THEY WERE BEEN ON YOUR DESK FOR ANOTHER MONTH AS WELL, AND HE'S HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK. THERE HAVE BEEN NO CHANGES SINCE YOU MADE YOUR INITIAL REVIEW OF THESE.

LAST MONTH, WE ARE SEEKING YOUR APPROVAL OF ALL THE POLICIES AS A SLATE NUMBER 16.

SEE, THANK YOU, DR.

REILLY. JUST ONE THING ALEX IS LEAVING TO GO TAKE CARE OF HOMEWORK.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS TO MAKE BEFORE YOU LEAVE TONIGHT? IT WAS A GREAT FIRST MEETING.

ALL RIGHT. DEFINITELY ENJOYED HEARING ABOUT ALL THIS STUFF AND I'VE LEARNED A LOT.

GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH. SO BOARD MEMBERS, YOU'VE HEARD THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE POLICY UPDATE FOR SECOND READING.

YOU'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THESE POLICIES AND THEY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BY OUR COMMITTEE WORKING WITH MRS. EAST. CHAIR IS SEEKING A MOTION APPROVING THE POLICY UPDATES AND REVISIONS.

MR. CHAIR, YES, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE POLICIES AS PRESENTED IN THIS AGENDA AS ITEM 16. SEE, THAT INCLUDES REVISIONS TO CBE.

SARAH, SECOND HALF SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? OK. ALL IN FAVOR SAY, HI, HI, HI, THANK YOU.

DOCTRINALLY ITEMS FOR BOARD, YEAH.

BOARD MEMBERS, AS ALWAYS, YOU HAVE THE ATTENDANCE AND ENROLLMENT UPDATE AND REALLY NOTHING SIGNIFICANT THAT WE'RE TOO CONCERNED ABOUT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO MONITOR IN THE COURSE OF THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS IS WE EXPERIENCED THIS OMICRON VARIANT IS WHAT THE ATTENDANTS WILL DO TO OUR STUDENT POPULATION. I'M HEARING STORIES FROM MY COLLEAGUES WHERE THEY ARE EXPERIENCING AS MUCH AS TWENTY FIVE OR 30 PERCENT DROP IN DAILY ATTENDANCE AS A RESULT.

AND SO I'M GOING TO BE OPTIMISTIC THAT THAT WILL NOT IMPACT OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.

BUT IT MAY AND WE MAY NEED TO BE CERTAINLY AWARE OF THAT AS WE LOOK AT FUTURE NUMBERS.

IT'S JUST THE REALITY THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION IS EXPERIENCING AT THIS POINT IN TIME, AND I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE'RE IMMUNE, BUT WE MAY NOT BE SO JUST A HEADS UP BOARD MEMBERS.

AS YOU SEE THIS REPORT NEXT MONTH, THERE MAY BE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO OUR ATTENDANCE JUST AS A RESULT OF WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH AT THIS AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

YOU DO NOT HAVE A STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL PLAN UPDATE ON THIS MONTH'S AGENDA.

THAT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND WHAT WE JUST EXPERIENCED WITH WHETHER IT WAS A VERY SHORT TIME FRAME BETWEEN DECEMBER AND JANUARY.

YOU WILL SEE THAT BACK AGAIN NEXT MONTH.

THANK YOU, DR. REILLY.

AND NOW WE COME TO OUR COMMITTEE AND BOARD REPORTS, AND I WILL START WITH DR.

GEYER. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. OVER THE HOLIDAY STRETCH, NO REAL UPDATES FROM THE REYNOLDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD. THE NEXT MEETING IS NEXT WEEK.

OK, THANK YOU, DR. DR.

ARMSTRONG. WE WILL RECONVENE THE CITY SAFETY COMMITTEE ON FEB.

NINE FOR THE BOARD, UPDATING ON THE PROGRESS OF OUR NEW DSM.

THANK YOU, MISS ALLEN.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. ACTUALLY, VERY TIMELY.

THE STEM COMMITTEE MET THIS AFTERNOON AND WE DISCUSSED SOME SCHOOL UPDATES AND TALKED ABOUT CONUNDRUM DAY, CONSIDERING AGAIN WHETHER OR NOT IT SHOULD BE VIRTUAL GIVEN THE SURGE THAT WE SEE BEING EXPERIENCED WITH COVID OUTBREAKS.

SO THAT'S TO BE DETERMINED.

LOOKING AT A STEM CAMP OR EXCUSE ME, STEM INTERCESSION DATES OF THE WEEK OF JUNE 13TH AND THINKING ABOUT THEMES AROUND THAT, AND THEN ALSO SOME ADDITIONAL STEM LEAD POSITIONS AVAILABLE AT GOOCHLAND ELEMENTARY AND GOOCHLAND HIGH SCHOOLS TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BRINGING AWARENESS AND ENGAGEMENT ACROSS THOSE PROGRAMS TO THOSE STUDENTS.

THANK YOU. YES, THANK YOU.

OH, I WAS EXCITED WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE CONUNDRUM DE GOSH, THAT IS A GREAT DAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY. HAPPY NEW YEAR! LET US ALL HOPE THAT TWENTY TWENTY TWO WILL GIVE EACH OF US AT LEAST TWENTY TWO REASONS TO CELEBRATE. OUR SCHOOL BOARD POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MET VIRTUALLY ON THE 27TH AND AND AS I NOTED EARLIER, MS. EAST DID A LOT TO PREPARE FOR THAT.

ACE DID NOT MEET IN DECEMBER OR OUR NEXT MEETING IS JANUARY TWENTY FOURTH.

THE NEXT QUARTERLY MEETING OF BLUE RIDGE VIRTUAL SUMMER SCHOOL WILL BE IN FEBRUARY.

SPECIFIC DATE IS STILL BEING WORKED OUT.

A REMINDER TO ALL CITIZENS THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILL BEGIN THE 2022 SESSION ON JANUARY THE 12TH IS A 60 DAY SESSION.

I'M REGISTERED FOR THE SBA GENERAL ASSEMBLY UPDATES EACH FRIDAY, AS I'M SURE MANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ARE.

AND THIS TAKES PLACE DURING THE ENTIRE SESSION, AND I'M SURE THERE'LL BE NO SHORTAGE OF WORK AS AN ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THESE CHALLENGING TIMES.

[03:55:03]

AGAIN, I'M SURE SOME OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WILL BE ATTENDING REMINDER TO CITIZENS.

THERE IS SOME CONFUSION REGARDING REPRESENTATION DUE TO THE REDISTRICTING CHANGES.

SO IF YOU LISTEN TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, IF YOU GO TO THEIR WEBSITE AND YOU LOOK AT THE REDISTRICTING, THERE ARE STILL GOING TO BE SOME IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL SESSIONS WHERE YOU CAN HEAR ABOUT REDISTRICTING.

BUT WHAT WILL THEY WILL REMIND YOU IS THAT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE.

RIGHT NOW, THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ELECTED, SO REGARDLESS OF HOW THE DISTRICT LINES CHANGE, I STILL SERVE WHAT WAS DISTRICT THREE.

SO THAT IS HOW WE ARE UNTIL THE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.

TWENTY TWENTY THREE.

BUT AS IN ANY TIME, WE ARE ALL HERE TO SERVE THE COUNTY.

SO IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A NEED, YOU CAN REACH ANY OF US.

OUR INFORMATION IS ON OUR WEBSITE, SO THANK YOU.

I HAVE RECEIVED QUESTIONS FROM CITIZENS AND SO I APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO CLARIFY THAT.

LASTLY, YOUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES DON'T DETERMINE WHERE YOU CAN GO.

[18. COMMITTEE AND BOARD REPORTS/COMMENTS]

THIS IS A QUOTE FROM NIKTO COBAIN, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY IN NORTH CAROLINA. SO WE KNOW WE ARE STARTING IN A STILL A CHALLENGING PLACE, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF ROOM AND A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO GO TO BETTER.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU, DR.

REILLY. JUST A QUICK UPDATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AS YOU KNOW, LAST MONTH, THE BOARD APPROVED OR NOTIFIED THE COMMUNITY ABOUT OUR BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT PROCESS.

I AM IN THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING NAMES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN SERVING IN OUR STEERING COMMITTEE.

WE WILL HAVE THE VENDOR HERE NEXT MONTH TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO THE BOARD.

REGARDING THAT PROCESS, THERE WILL BE MULTIPLE COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE.

STAKEHOLDER GROUP MEETINGS, IT WILL BE PUBLIC AND TRANSPARENT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO HIT THAT PROCESS HOT AND HEAVY IN FEBRUARY WITH ULTIMATELY A RECOMMENDATION TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THE SPRING OF THE YEAR.

THANK YOU, MS. BAREFOOT-REID.

NONE OF MY COMMITTEE MET, SO I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT.

ALL RIGHT. AND I ALSO HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT.

SO BOARD MEMBERS, THAT BRINGS US TO NEW BUSINESS.

IS THERE ANY NEW BUSINESS TO BE BROUGHT BEFORE US TONIGHT? NO, SIR. WELL, SEEING NONE.

I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

MR. CHAIR, I MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN MOTION TO ADJOURN.

IS THERE A SECOND? A SECOND MOTION TO ADJOURN A SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR. SAY I THANK YOU.

I CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHEDULE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.