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[1. Closed Meeting- 5:30 p.m]
MADE THAT THIS OPEN PUBLIC MEETING OF THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD BECOME A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 11.THE SCHOOL BOARD DESIRES TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING MATTER IN A CLOSED MEETING, SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 A ONE, DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION OR INTERVIEWS OF PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE DEMOTION, SALARY DISCIPLINING, OR RESIGNATION OF EMPLOYEES OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, SPECIFICALLY THE PERSONNEL REPORT, EMPLOYEE NUMBER 2 0 2 4 0 4 1 7 0 1, EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE NUMBER 2 0 2 4 4, AND EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE 2 0 2 4 0 5 0 1 AND SECTION 2.2371 A SEVEN.
CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL AND BRIEFINGS BY STAFF MEMBERS OR CONSULTANTS PERTAINING TO ACTUAL OR PROBABLE LITIGATION WHERE SUCH CONSULTATION OR BRIEFING AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE NEGOTIATING OR LITIGATING POSTURE OF THE PUBLIC BODY AND CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL EMPLOYED OR RETAINED BY THE PUBLIC BODY REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS REQUIRING THE PROVISION OF LEGAL ADVICE BY SUCH COUNSEL, SPECIFICALLY CASE NUMBER C 2 4 0 1 4 7.
IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT.
MR. VALENTINE, COULD YOU DO ROLL CALL PLEASE? YES, MR. AYE.
ACCORDING TO THE VOTES RECORDED BY THE CLERK, THE SCHOOL BOARD OF WARREN COUNTY DOES HEREBY CERTIFY THAT TO THE BEST OF EACH MEMBER'S KNOWLEDGE ONE, ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS, LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT WERE DISCUSSED IN THE CLOSED MEETING TO WHICH THIS CERTIFICATION APPLIES.
AND TWO, ONLY SUCH PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS AS WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE MOTION BY WHICH THE CLOSED MEETING WAS CONVENED, WERE HEARD, DISCUSSED OR CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD.
IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT.
MR. VALENTINE, COULD YOU DO ROLL CALL? YES.
[2.A. Call to Order - Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence - School Board Chair]
THIS EVENING.IF YOU COULD ALL, UM, JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE, CATHOLIC ALLEGIANCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC HANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
[2.B. Accept or Modify the Agenda - School Board]
MOTION TO ACCEPT OR MODIFY THE AGENDA? I'D LIKE TO MODIFY THE AGENDA.UM, I MOVE TO MODIFY THE AGENDA TO INCLUDE A NEW ACTION ITEM, SCHOOL BOARD POLICY REVIEW PROCEDURES WHERE WE WILL DISCUSS OUR CURRENT PROCEDURE OF USING OUR LAWYERS SAN ANDERSON, TO DO POLICY REVIEW AND REWRITING AND VOTE ON WHETHER TO CONTINUE THIS EXPENSIVE PRACTICE.
IS THERE A SECOND ON THIS MODIFICATION? A SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
NEXT UP WE HAVE THE ATTENDANCE AWARD PRESENTATION
[2.C. Attendance Award Presentation - Dr. Ballenger]
DR.AND EACH MONTH WE DO OUR, UH, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AWARDS.
UH, WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE WORK THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE DOING WITH OUR, OUR FACULTY AND STAFF, AND WE ALSO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR OUR STUDENTS TO BE IN SCHOOL IN FRONT OF A TEACHER ON A DAILY BASIS.
UM, THIS MONTH'S ATTENDANCE AWARDS FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL.
I'M GOING TO START WITH THE SECONDARY FIRST THIS TIME.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH A 92.76%, UM, RATING FOR THE MONTH AS OUR
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SECONDARY WINNER.I ALWAYS ENJOY BEING HERE TO ACCEPT THE ATTENDANCE AWARD.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE END OF THE YEAR, HOPING ATTENDANCE WILL PICK UP WITH SOL TESTING ALL THE END OF THE YEAR ACTIVITIES.
UH, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE SUPPORTING ATTENDANCE SCHOOL.
NEXT I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE ARE MOST IMPROVED.
UM, THEY HAD AN INCREASE OF 2.71% FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL, AND THAT IS LFK.
IMPROVED ATTENDANCE CONTRIBUTES TO A POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
WHEN STUDENTS ATTEND SCHOOL REGULARLY, THEY DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR PEERS, IMPORTANT HABITS SUCH AS TIME MANAGEMENT, RESPONSIBILITY, AND A FOUNDATION OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS.
TODAY WE WOULD LIKE TO CELEBRATE SOME OF OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE ACHIEVED PERFECT ATTENDANCE.
THIS YEAR WE HAVE WITH US ROBERTO, ANDREAS, AND OLIVIA.
AND IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO SPEAK, YOU CAN.
OLIVIA, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK? YEAH, COME ON OVER.
YOU WANNA GO AHEAD? TELL US ABOUT WHO, WHO YOU ARE AND WHY YOU LIKE LFK.
TELL, TELL US, WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN? I'M OKAY.
AND TELL US, WHAT DO YOU LIKE?
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT KINDERGARTEN? I LIKE MUSIC AND ART.
ANDREAS, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK? OKAY, THIS IS, GO AHEAD.
SO MY NAME ISS, I LIKE TO TO PLAY, UM, PE SO I WANT TO RUN AND EXERCISE.
WE ALSO WANNA CELEBRATE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
WE HAD A DAY OF AWESOMENESS TODAY, WE HAVE A FUNDRAISER EVERY YEAR.
ALL OF THE PROCEEDS ARE GOING TOWARDS OUR NEW PLAYGROUND AND WE HAD BOUNCE HOUSES DURING OUR SPECIALS TIME AND ALL OF OUR STUDENTS REALLY ENJOYED THAT.
AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR ELEMENTARY AWARD WINNER WITH 95.08 AND THEY, UM, ARE NOT NEW TO THIS AWARD.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AS RHODES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, SO I DID WANT TO, I THINK WHEN WE'VE BEEN UP HERE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE'VE THANKED EVERYONE AND DEFINITELY WE NEED TO ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THAT THE STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS ARE THE ONES THAT MAKE THIS AWARD POSSIBLE FOR US.
UM, WE DID HAVE OUR FIRST SOL TEST ON TUESDAY AND FOR THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE, WE ONLY HAD TWO STUDENTS ABSENT.
ONE WAS ILL AND ONE HAD A PREARRANGED ABSENCE.
SO I THINK THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THE VALUE THAT THEY, UM, SHOW EVERY DAY TOWARDS EDUCATION WITH THEIR STUDENTS.
AND LAST, UM, TIME THAT I WAS HERE, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM.
SO WE ARE VERY PROUD THAT OUR DAILY ATTENDANCE RATE IS AROUND 95% FOR THE YEAR, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE DON'T HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE
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CHRONICALLY ABSENT.WE STARTED THE TUTORING, YOU MAY REMEMBER AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL.
SO WE HAVE 36 STUDENTS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THAT, THAT WE HAD INVITED SEVERAL STUDENTS, UM, AND WE HAVE 36 OF THEM THAT ARE COMING.
WE IDENTIFIED STUDENTS THAT AT THAT TIME WERE AT THE 10% THRESHOLD.
SO THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT'S WHERE THEY WOULD BE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, OBVIOUSLY, BUT JUST IN CASE.
UM, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE RIGHT NOW 39 STUDENTS WHO ARE CHRONICALLY ABSENT AND THAT PUTS US AT ABOUT 14.6% OF CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM FOR OUR SCHOOL.
BUT WE HAVE EIGHT STUDENTS THAT ARE EARNING THAT TIME BACK ALREADY WITH, UM, AND THEY ALREADY ARE AT THAT 17 THRESHOLD.
SO I JUST KIND OF LOOKED AT THOSE STUDENTS.
EIGHT OF THOSE STUDENTS HAVE ALREADY EARNED THEIR TIME BACK TO BE BELOW 17 OR BELOW THAT 10%.
SO THAT WOULD PUT OUR OVERALL CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM RIGHT NOW AT 11%.
SO I CAN'T THANK THOSE PARENTS ENOUGH FOR WORKING WITH US, PARTICIPATING IN THE TUTORING, AND FOR THAT BEING AN OPTION.
HOPEFULLY THE STATE OF VIRGINIA WILL CONTINUE ALLOWING US TO DO THAT NEXT YEAR BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S A VALUABLE TIME TO CATCH UP ON SOME OF THE LEARNING THAT IS MISSED IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND IT ALSO, YOU KNOW, DOES HELP FOR THOSE FAMILIES THAT COULDN'T, YOU KNOW, AVOID THOSE ABSENCES AND WE APPRECIATE THEM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY.
[2.D. Recognition of Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge Finalist - Ms. Nickole Kinsey]
WE HAVE RECOGNITION OF THE SODEXO FUTURE CHEFS CHALLENGE FINALIST.MS. NICOLE KENZIE, HOW ARE YOU? OKAY.
I DIDN'T WANNA WASTE THE PAPER, SO I'M GONNA DO IT FROM MY PHONE.
UM, SO WHILE EATING HEALTHY CAN BE A CHALLENGE FOR KIDS AND PARENTS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS USE THEIR CULINARY SKILLS TO REIMAGINE THEIR FAVORITE RECIPE FROM HOME OR FAMILY BY CREATING ORIGINAL RECIPES IN THE 2024 SODEXO FUTURE CHEFS CHALLENGE.
THIS NATIONAL INITIATIVE IS NOW IN ITS 14TH YEAR, IT WAS CREATED TO GET STUDENTS THINKING ABOUT MAKING HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES WHILE ALSO ENCOURAGING THEM TO BE ACTIVE AND CREATIVE IN THE KITCHEN.
WARREN COUNTY, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS JOINED THOUSANDS OF OTHER STUDENTS FROM OVER 200 SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS 30 STATES AND TWO COUNTRIES TO SUBMIT THEIR TWIST ON THEIR FAVORITE RECIPE FROM HOME OR FAMILY.
EACH, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT HOSTED A LOCAL COOKING COMPETITION AND THE WINNER FROM EACH DISTRICT WAS THEN ENTERED INTO REGIONAL JUDGING, UH, JUDGING PROCESS.
A PANEL OF JUDGES REVIEWED AND VOTED ON THE RECIPES BASED ON THEIR ORIGINALITY, HEALTHY ATTRIBUTES, EASE OF PREPARATION, KID FRIENDLINESS, ADAPTABILITY FOR SCHOOL, LUNCH OR BREAKFAST.
AND AFTER REVIEWING HUNDREDS OF RECIPES, FIVE TOTAL STUDENTS WERE SELECTED FOR THE NATIONAL FUTURE CHEFS FINALISTS AND OUR VERY OWN AIRLY KIDWELL.
AND HER RECIPE FOR THE BREAKFAST DELIGHT WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF THE FIVE NATIONAL FINALISTS.
AND WE ARE HERE TO CONGRATULATE AIRLY ON HER ACHIEVEMENT.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING AIRLY UP AND SAY CONGRATULATIONS.
UM, WE HAVE A LITTLE CERTIFICATE FOR HER.
AND DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING TO THE BOARD ABOUT YOUR RECIPE? SOME OF THEM WERE AT THE COMPETITION.
DID YOU BRING THE BANANAS
YOU CAN TELL THEM ABOUT WHAT YOU PREPARED MAYBE.
SO, UM, I FELT THAT THIS RECIPE WAS VERY EASY TO MAKE FOR CHILDREN AND JUST OVERALL AN AMAZING MEAL.
AND I WAS VERY SURPRISED WHEN I WAS ACCEPTED INTO NATIONALS WITH MICROWAVEABLE EGGS
BUT, UM, I AM JUST SO THANKFUL THAT I HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND THAT I HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE.
AND SO, CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? YES, YOU CAN.
SO I KNOW THAT WE AND MYSELF AND MR. MCFADDEN, WE GOT TO TASTE YOUR, YOUR, UM, DISH.
SO WHEN YOU SUBMITTED IT NATIONALLY, WAS IT JUST BASED ON A RECIPE OR DID YOU SUBMIT IT AND SOMEBODY ELSE GOT TO TASTE IT TOO? HOW WAS THAT DONE? IF YOU DON'T MIND SHARING IT.
SO WHEN WE SUBMIT IT NATIONALLY, THEY, I ACTUALLY, I ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW IF THEY COOK THEM AND TASTE THEM OR IF THEY JUST GO BASED OFF A POINT SYSTEM OF, UH, I I AM NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE HOW THEY JUDGE TO GET THE TOP FIVE NATIONALLY, BUT WHAT I WILL TELL YOU IS THAT STARTING MAY 6TH, WE WILL START A PUBLIC VOTING PROCESS.
IT WILL GO THROUGH MAY 17TH AND
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LY AND I COMPLETED A REALLY SUPER GOOD VIDEO OF HER PREPARATION OF THE RECIPE.SO AS SOON AS THAT GOES PUBLIC, I WILL SEND OUT AN EMAIL, I'LL BE POSTING IT ON FACEBOOK AND SHARING IT EVERYWHERE SO THAT WE CAN GET AS MANY PUBLIC VOTES AS POSSIBLE.
AND MAYBE THEN SHE WINS THE ENTIRE NATIONAL COMPETITION.
SO THE VOTING WILL BE OPEN FROM MAY 6TH TO MAY THE 17TH.
SO WE'LL KEEP YOU GUYS POSTED ON EXACTLY WHEN THAT VOTING GOES LIVE.
AND WE WILL ALSO FIND OUT IF WE CAN VOTE ONCE A DAY OR IF WE CAN ONLY VOTE ONE TIME.
WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE ABOUT THOSE DETAILS YET.
SO ONCE WE HAVE THEM, WE WILL DEFINITELY SHARE THEM.
[2.E. School Reports - Dr. Ballenger]
WE HAVE SCHOOL REPORTS AND I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MRS. TOTENBERG FROM HJB.WELCOME TO YOUR LAST SCHOOL PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR,
SO WE DECIDED SINCE WE ARE LAST THAT WE WOULD KIND OF PUT TOGETHER A COLLECTION OF THINGS FROM THE STUDENTS IN OUR BUILDING TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON, UM, IN OUR BUILDING OVER THIS PAST YEAR.
AND MRS. KIDWELL IS ONE OF THE TEACHERS WHO HELP GET EVERYTHING PUT TOGETHER AND INTERVIEWING THE STUDENTS.
SO I'M GONNA HAVE HER TALK MORE ABOUT IT.
AND THEN WE HAVE A VIDEO FOR YOU ON THE SCREEN.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA JUDGE THAT.
MY DAUGHTER'S PROBABLY A BETTER PUBLIC SPEAKER THAN I AM WITH ADULTS.
UM, SO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE WERE DOING, WE'D WATCHED ENOUGH OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS THAT WE HAD AN IDEA OF WHAT WE WANTED TO PRESENT.
UM, LORI AND I TEND TO BE SLIGHTLY LOQUACIOUS AND I KNOW THAT I HAVE WATCHED SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS WHERE I'M 40 MINUTES IN.
I'M LIKE, ALL RIGHT, WE GET IT, WRAP IT UP.
SO, UH, WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO WAS TO LET THE KIDS TALK FOR OUR BUILDING BECAUSE THEY'RE WHO REALLY MATTER.
YOU DON'T NEED MY OPINION, YOU NEED THEIRS.
I'VE BEEN 16 YEARS, UH, UH OOH, LEMME THINK
I DIDN'T COME THE FIRST YEAR I WAITED TILL.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WE LOVE OUR BUILDING, WE'RE VERY VOCAL ABOUT IT, BUT WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU WHAT THE KIDS HAD TO SAY.
AND IT WAS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME VERSUS ME TALKING AND TALKING AND TALKING.
IT WAS 40 MINUTES TO START BECAUSE IT'S NOW 17TH.
AND IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE, WE HAVE MORE VIDEO CLIPS.
WE JUST HAD TO STREAMLINE GO STREAMLINE.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME YOUR NAME AND YOUR GRADE? GRACE AND SECOND GRADE? GRACE AND SECOND GRADE.
AND GRACE, WHEN DID YOU START HERE AT HJV? UM, PRE-K PRE-K.
ALRIGHT, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN HJB BEAR? IT, IT, IT MEANS TO BE RESPONSIBLE, KIND TO.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME AND GRADE LEVEL? MY NAME'S ANNA AND I'M IN SECOND GRADE.
ANNA, WHEN DID YOU START AT HWB? WHAT YEAR? WHAT YEAR DID YOU COME, DID YOU START IN KINDERGARTEN? KINDERGARTEN.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHY YOU LOVE COMING TO HJB? IT'S VERY FUN.
WHAT'S FUN ABOUT IT? WE GET TO DO CENTERS, WE GET TO READ, WE GET TO WRITE, WE GET TO LEARN, WE GET TO WHAT WE GET TO LEARN.
SO YOU LIKE IT? WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE CENTER? PROBABLY, PROBABLY, UM, READING THE READING CENTERS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MISS ANNA.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME AND GRADE LEVELS? I'M EMMA AND I'M IN FIRST GRADE AND I'M HARPER AND I'M ALSO FIRST GRADE.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE DAY THAT YOU HAVE HAD SO FAR? UM, PROBABLY THE DAY THAT WE MADE HOUSES FOR OUR PEEPS.
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UM, NOT REALLY.IT WAS JUST LIKE WE HAD NOTHING ELSE TO DO.
SO MS. PIPE JUST SAID, HOW ABOUT WE JUST MAKE HOUSES.
SO SHE GAVE YOU A FREE STEM TIME? THAT WAS NICE OF HER.
AND THAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE? YES.
AND I LIKED THE, THE MOST RECENT FIELD TRIP WHEN WE WENT TO LANDY FARM, TO BLANDY FARMS. WHAT DID YOU DO THERE THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS FUN? I LOVED WHEN WE WENT IN THE FIELD AND PICKED THE LITTLE, THE FLOWERS.
DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING OR HAD MS. PLATTER ALREADY TAUGHT YOU EVERYTHING YOU KNEW THERE? UM, YEAH, I TOOK THEM ON A COUPLE THINGS.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME? WE WRIGHT WESTON WRIGHT.
WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN? YOU'RE IN KINDERGARTEN, WESTON.
SO I'M ASKING EVERYBODY WHAT THEIR FAVORITE THING TO HAPPEN AT HJB WAS.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE THING? THE PRINCIPAL GETTING SLIMED.
WHY WAS THAT YOUR FAVORITE? THAT'S BECAUSE IT WAS FUNNY.
CAN YOU SHOW ME WHAT SHE LOOKED LIKE WHEN SHE GOT SLIMED? IS THAT THE FACE YOU MADE? WE'LL HAVE TO SEE.
WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN? SECOND.
UH, WILL YOU TELL ME WHAT YOUR FAVORITE FIELD TRIP HAS BEEN SO FAR? PROBABLY THE ONE WHERE WE WENT TO THE PUMPKIN PATCH WITH MY DAD.
WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE PUMPKIN PATCH THAT MADE IT THE MOST FUN? UM, JUST A LOT OF FUN THINGS WE DID.
MAYBE WHERE YOU COULD JUST KIND OF DIVE INTO THE CORN, THE GIANT CORN POOL OF CORN WHERE YOU DOVE INTO THE GIANT POOL OF CORN.
DID YOU HAVE ANY CORN IN YOUR SHOES AFTERWARDS? YES, AND I ALMOST LOST MY SHOE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM WOULD'VE DONE IF YOU CAME HOME WITHOUT A SHOE? WOULD IT HAVE BEEN YOUR FAULT OR YOUR DAD'S? UH, PROBABLY MINE
I THINK I WAS THE ONE THAT FOUND IT.
I MEAN, I, I THINK I WAS THE FOUND THAT LOST IT ONE THAT LOST IT.
YOU WERE THE ONE THAT LOST IT? YEAH, I THINK IT WAS ONE OF EACH TWO.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME YOUR NAME AND YOUR GRADE LEVEL? MY NAME IS ION AND I'M THIRD GRADE.
AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU ATTENDED HJV? THREE YEARS.
CAN YOU TELL ME, OH MY GOODNESS.
WHAT DID WE JUST SAY? I WAS GONNA ASK YOU ABOUT UM, THE, WHAT'S MY FAVORITE AFTER SCHOOL? THAT'S IT.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITY? MINE IS STEM NIGHT.
WHAT DID YOU DO AT STEM NIGHT THAT MADE IT FUN? SO LIKE, THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITIES TO DO, SO THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO DO.
LIKE ONE OF THEM WAS UM, LIKE MAGNETS.
SO, UM, I DID THAT AND I MADE A REALLY GOOD ONE.
ZION, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WITH ME AND KEEPING ME ON TRACK.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME YOUR NAME AND GRADE? MY NAME IS RAYMOND BROWN AND I AM IN FIFTH GRADE, MS. ROSEBOROUGH.
AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU ATTENDED HJB FOR MAYBE FOUR OR THREE YEARS, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE FIRST GRADE.
SO RAYMOND, WILL YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE FIELD TRIP YOU'VE EVER TAKEN HERE AT HJB? IT'S, IT IS I FLY, BUT YOU KNOW THE SKYDIVING FIELD TRIP.
OH, WAS THAT, WAS THAT IN FOURTH GRADE OR WAS THAT THIS YEAR? UH, THIS YEAR.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THAT? WELL, I WENT TO GO SKYDIVING.
IT WAS SO WINDY, BUT IT WAS HONESTLY BUT SCARED.
I'LL GO FLYING UP INTO THE CEILING.
DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR TEACHERS WROTE A GRANT FOR THAT AND WE NEVER WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT UNLESS MS. MOYER AND MS. COCKRELL WROTE A GRANT.
THEY WROTE A GRANT TO GET THE MONEY FOR THAT FROM THE EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENT AND THEY WON BECAUSE THAT WAS LIKE A $5,000 FIELD TRIP.
WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD $5,000? NO, I ONLY HAVE LIKE EIGHT, LIKE 10.
DO I ONLY HAVE LIKE EIGHT DO $10.
AIRLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GO IF I'D HAD TO PAY FOR IT.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY TO MS AND MS. COCKRELL? THANK YOU MS. MOORE AND MS. COCKRELL FOR MAKING SUCH AN AWESOME FIELD TRIP.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME AND YOUR GRADE LEVEL? UM, MY NAME IS CAMDEN CARDOZO AND I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
YOU'RE IN FIFTH GRADE? CAMDEN.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES? I LIKE THE DANCE AND ALSO I LIKE THE, UM, THE CHORUS
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PRACTICES, SO THE DANCE AND THE CHORUS PRACTICES.WHY DO YOU LIKE THE DANCES? BECAUSE, UM, MISS KIDWELL, SHE WAS DIRECTING THE DANCE AND SHE LET ME PUT ON THAT ONE SONG.
IT'S CALLED NEVER GOING TO GIVE YOU UP SOMETHING, IT GOES LIKE THAT.
OH, SO YOU GOT TO RICKROLL EVERYONE? YEAH.
AND THAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE? YEAH.
AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT CHORUS? SO I LIKE, BECAUSE I GET TO SING MM-HMM.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME AND GRADE LEVEL? MY NAME IS JOAN TERESA DODGE.
UM, MY TEACHER'S NAME IS TIFFANY HOPKINS.
I'M IN THIRD GRADE AND THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR AT
SO TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE THING THAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR.
THIS YOUR FIRST YEAR AT HILDA? YES.
SO WHAT I I'M GONNA TELL YOU IS, IS YOU KNOW THOSE TURKEY RUNS AND THE HALLOWEEN RUNS, RIGHT? MM-HMM?
DID YOU SEE ME DRESS UP AS WEDNESDAY? YES, I DID.
AND THAT, THOSE ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IN HILDA J AND I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO DO IT AGAIN.
HELLO FRIENDS? UM, I'M GONNA ASK YOUR NAME.
CAN YOU TELL ME YOUR NAME PLEASE? MY NAME? YEAH.
WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN? YOU'RE NOT IN FOURTH GRADE.
CAN YOU TELL ME YOUR NAME? SEAN.
AND WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN? PRE-K.
AND CAN YOU TELL ME YOUR NAME? LIN AND RAELIN.
ALEXANDRA, WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN? A PRE-K.
SO ALL FOUR OF YOU GUYS ARE IN PRE-K? YEAH.
SO I'M DOING A VIDEO TO FIND OUT WHY PEOPLE LIKE COMING TO HJB.
SO VASH, CAN YOU TELL ME WHY YOU LIKE COMING TO HJB? MM-HMM,
LOVE WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO? LIKE PLAY? I EAT LUNCH AT THE BARN.
YOU LIKE EATING LUNCH HERE? OKAY.
AND SEAN, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO HERE? UM, MINE IS MY FAVORITE LITTLE BLOW UP THE BLOW UPS.
SO ALL THE INFLATABLES THAT WE DO? YEAH, THAT'S YOUR FAVORITE.
AND RAYLIN, WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE? MY FAVORITE IS THAT I'M HAVING FUN.
YOUR FAVORITE IS THAT YOU'RE HAVING FUN.
AND ALEXANDRA, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE? MY FAVORITE IS BECAUSE I LOVE PLAYING BASKETBALL SO MUCH.
YOU LOVE PLAYING BASKETBALL SO MUCH.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GO PLAY BASKETBALL.
ELLA, WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN? KINDERGARTEN.
MISS ELLA, CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU'VE EVER DONE AT HJB? MY FIELD.
WHAT FIELD TRIP? UM, I WENT TO MY MOM'S PLAY.
OH, WE DID GO SEE YOUR MOM'S MUSICAL.
FROZEN JUNIOR WAS YOUR MOM'S PLAY, WASN'T IT? AND THAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART? YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK THAT WAS, I DIDN'T GET TO GO WITH THE SCHOOL.
I WENT AFTER SCHOOL, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS I DID THIS YEAR TOO.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING MISS ELLA.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME YOUR NAME AND GRADE LEVEL? I'M NA I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
WHAT, UH, WHAT YEAR DID YOU START HERE AT HJV? I STARTED IN THIRD GRADE.
YOU STARTED IN THIRD GRADE? ALRIGHT.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE FIELD TRIP? UM, THE BOWLING ALLEY.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE BOWLING ALLEY? FIELD TRIP.
WHAT DID YOU SEE THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS THE COOLEST IN THE TOY? WELL,
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LIKE, UM, LIKE HOW THE BALLS WENT BACK.HOW THE BALLS WENT BACK WITH I, I CALL IT A BALL ELEVATOR.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S ACTUALLY CALLED.
WELL, THANK YOU NAHUM, I APPRECIATE YOU AND
SO, AND WHAT ELSE IS GOOD ABOUT THE SCHOOL? IT'S EDUCATIONAL, IT'S FUN.
AND THE PRINCIPAL IS REALLY NICE.
THE ANNOUNCEMENTS WOMAN IS LIKE, HOW IT'S HOW SHE'S TELLING US TO BE SAFE.
AND, AND ALSO ONE OF THESE WEEKS WE, UM, WERE LEARNING ABOUT A KINDNESS SCHOOL.
IT'S NOT HARD BE, IF YOU WANNA BE TREATED HOW PEOPLE TREAT YOU, TREAT THEM THE WAY YOU WANNA BE TREATED.
HELLO FRIEND, CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME YOUR NAME AND GRADE LEVEL? MY NAME IS DAVID BARMAN AND I'M FROM THIRD GRADE.
AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU ATTENDED HJB DAVID? EVER SINCE KINDERGARTEN, WHICH IS FOUR YEARS.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE F YOUR FAVORITE ASSEMBLY THAT WE'VE EVER DONE AT HJ JB? MY FAVORITE ASSEMBLY WAS THE MOST LATEST ONE, WHICH WAS, 'CAUSE WHEN WE ALL THE LIKE ONE SCHOOL, ONE BOOK.
BUT THIS TIME IT WAS ONE SCHOOL, TWO BOOKS.
B WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN? FOURTH.
AND WHEN DID YOU START HERE AT HJB? UM, IN KINDERGARTEN? YEAH.
I THINK YOU WERE IN KINDERGARTEN TOO.
B CAN YOU TELL ME WHY YOU LOVE TO COME TO HJB? BECAUSE THE TEACHERS ARE LIKE REALLY NICE.
IT'S JUST LIKE A FUN PLACE TO BE.
SO YOU JUST LIKE COMING TO SCHOOL BECAUSE OF YOUR FRIENDS AND THE TEACHERS? THE TEACHERS ARE LIKE, AWESOME AND IT'S FUN TO LEARN.
THEY TEACH YOU LIKE THE WAYS THAT THEY TEACH YOU OR LIKE, FUN WAYS? SOMETIMES WHEN THEY TEACH US WE GET TO GO OUTSIDE AND STUFF, SO SO YOU THINK THEY GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO MAKE IT FUN TO LEARN? YEAH.
WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN? FOURTH.
UH, CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE LESSON THAT YOU'VE HAD AT HJB? UH, A DECIMAL LESSON.
A DECIMAL LESSON, A MATH LESSON.
WHAT, WHAT MADE IT FUN? UH, MY TEACHER TOLD ME HOW TO SEE WHAT NUMBERS AND THE TENTHS, THE HUNDREDS AND THE THOUSANDS AND THE ONES.
AND THAT EXAMPLE WAS REALLY COOL AND EASY.
YOU THOUGHT IT WAS COOL AND EASY AND YOU JUST, THAT'S YOUR FAVORITE LESSON OF THE YEAR? YEAH.
WHAT'S YOUR NAME AND GRADE? MY NAME IS MACY TINSDALE AND I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
MACY, WHEN DID YOU START HERE AT HJB? I STARTED HERE IN KINDERGARTEN.
SO I WANNA ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE LESSON THAT YOU'VE HAD HERE AT HGB THAT YOU CAN THINK OF.
PROBABLY WHEN THEY TOOK US IN THE CAFETERIA BEFORE LUNCH AND WE GOT TO, WE HAD A RELAY RACE, UM, DESCRIBING GENRES LIKE NONFICTION AND FICTION, ALL THE GENRES UNDERNEATH THAT, AGAINST ANOTHER CLASS LIKE MS. MOYER'S CLASS.
OH, SO IT WAS LIKE A RELAY RACE TO THE FINISH.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME YOUR NAME AND YOUR GRADE? UM, IVY IN FIFTH GRADE.
AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU ATTENDED HJV FIRST GRADE? I THINK.
UM, CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT WHY YOU LOVE COMING TO HJB? UM, 'CAUSE WE GET TO DO A LOT OF FUN STUFF.
WHAT'S ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE HERE?
[00:35:01]
UM, THE READING OLYMPICS.WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE READING OLYMPICS? UM, WE HAD TO LIKE, SORT OUT LIKE THESE BOOKS AND PUT THEM IN LIKE GRAPHIC NOVEL, UM, NONFICTION AND STUFF.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME YOUR NAME AND GRADE? MY NAME'S ELIZABETH AND I AM IN FIFTH GRADE.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU ATTENDED HJB? UM, SINCE I WAS IN THIRD GRADE.
SINCE YOU WERE IN THIRD GRADE? ALRIGHT.
UM, ELIZABETH, I'M WONDERING, WHAT DO YOU THINK THINK YOUR FAVORITE ACTIVITY THAT YOU'VE DONE AT HJB IS SO FAR? THIS, UM, PROBABLY READING OLYMPICS.
WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE READING OLYMPICS? UM, WE WENT OVER STUFF THAT WE WENT BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND LAST YEAR AND WE HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH IT AND DID A BUNCH OF CHALLENGES.
AND WHERE DID THEY DO THIS FOR YOU? BECAUSE THESE WERE YOUR CLASSROOM TEACHERS WHO RAN IT, RIGHT? THEY DID IT IN THE CLASSROOM? YES.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT SOMEONE TO KNOW ABOUT HUB? IT'S A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
OLD SHOW, THE SHOW WHERE THE KIDS, WE TALK WHY I DRAWN THE BLAME KIDS SAY THE DARNEST THINGS.
INTERVIEWING THEM WITH PE BEHIND US IN FRONT OF A GREEN SCREEN WAS AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE.
AND I LOVE THE DECIMAL ANSWER.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, OF ALL THE LESSONS, DECIMALS, LIKE YES.
WERE SOME OF THE ANSWERS THAT WE GOT THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT WERE ALSO LIKE, I ASKED ONE, I WAS LIKE, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE? AND HE WAS LIKE, REMEMBER THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WHEN YOU TESTED OUR MILE? AND I WAS LIKE, THE, THE MILE TEST THAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU'VE DONE ALL YEAR.
HE'S A RUNNING THIS RACE, A RACE THIS WEEKEND.
HE COULD WIN MONEY IF HE WINS.
[2.F. WCPS 101 Recognition of Participants]
EVENING WE HAVE OUR WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL'S 1 0 1 RECOGNITION OF PARTICIPANTS.AS PART OF MY EFFORT WITH OUR INITIATIVE FOR PARENT ENGAGEMENT, I INITIATED THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR WCPS 1 0 1.
UH, THIS WAS A PROGRAM WHERE WE WERE GOING TO OFFER TO OUR PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO COME IN AND LEARN ABOUT WCPS, ITS OPERATIONS, INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
UM, WE REALLY WANTED TO CREATE A SENSE OF PRIDE AND KNOWLEDGE AMONG OUR, OUR PARTICIPANTS, THE PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, TO ENABLE THEM TO ALSO GO OUT THERE AND WORK AS AN AMBASSADORS FOR WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE HAD 13 PARTICIPANTS.
UH, WE WERE GOING TO SELECT 25 AND WE SENT APPLICATIONS OUT TO ALL THE PARENTS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
UH, WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, NOT KNOWING HOW MANY APPLICANTS WE WOULD HAVE, WE CREATED A, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, HANG ON, I JUST LOST IT.
UH, WE, WE'VE CREATED A, A WAY TO, TO WHERE WE COULD SELECT OUR CANDIDATES.
UM, AND, AND SO, BUT WHEN WE ONLY, WHEN WHEN WE STARTED, WE ONLY RECEIVED 13, UM, APPLICATIONS.
AND SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UM, AND, AND THIS, I WILL SAY THAT THROUGH THIS TIME THAT 13 CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN VERY ENGAGED, UM, IN ALL OF OUR MEETINGS, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL WAS TO ALWAYS GET OUTTA THERE BY EIGHT O'CLOCK.
I DON'T THINK I HIT EIGHT O'CLOCK ONE SINGLE TIME.
I, YOU KNOW, AND I WANT TO APPRECIATE THEM BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE THERE ASKING QUESTIONS 'CAUSE THEY WANT TO LEARN ABOUT WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND SO I THINK THE LONGEST MAYBE WE STAYED WAS CLOSE TO 8 45, 9 O'CLOCK ONE NIGHT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD STAY THERE AND SO WOULD MY TEAM AS LONG AS PARENTS HAD, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THEY HAD QUESTIONS AND BECAUSE WE WANTED TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THEM.
SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT WE COVERED WAS, OUR FIRST SESSION WAS AN OVERVIEW AND WORK OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT TALKED ABOUT THE BRIEF HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
OUR MISSION, OUR VISION, TALKED ABOUT OUR DIVISION LEADERSHIP, OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.
UM, DURING THAT MEETING, WE ALSO HAD, UM, THE BOARD CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR, UM, THERE TO REPRESENT AND TALK ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE GOVERNANCE, UM, VERSUS MANAGEMENT AND BOARD STRUCTURES AND COMMITTEES.
[00:40:01]
WE, WE DISCUSSED INSTRUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY.OH, AND, AND EACH OF OUR, EACH OF OUR SESSIONS WERE, WE HELD AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION.
SO THE FIRST ONE WAS HELD AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.
WE GAVE OUR PRINCIPALS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO TALK ABOUT THEIR SCHOOL AND TO GIVE A TOUR OF THE SCHOOL.
AND THAT ALLOWED PARENTS TO ALSO ASK QUESTIONS CONCERNING SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT MAY BE HIGHLIGHTED BY THAT PRINCIPAL.
BUT IT WAS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE.
AND WE ALSO DID THAT NOT JUST AT OUR SCHOOLS, BUT WE ALSO WENT TO TRANSPORTATION.
AND SO THEY WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO GO DOWN AND, AND LOOK AT THE BUS BARN AND, AND SEE SOME OF OUR NEW BUSES AND, AND ASK QUESTIONS THERE AS WELL.
OUR SECOND SESSION WAS INSTRUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY.
WE HAD OUR INSTRUCTIONAL DEPARTMENT THERE.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR LONG RANGE PLAN, SPECIAL EDUCATION, INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLAN.
UM, WE DID TALK ABOUT INSTRUCTION THEN VERSUS NOW, HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
UM, THE, OUR THIRD SESSION WITH STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES, SPECIAL EDUCATION, PUPIL SERVICES.
AND HERE WE TALKED WITH OUR, OUR DEPARTMENTS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PUPIL SERVICES AND TALKED ABOUT OUR SUPPORTS, OUR COUNSELING PROGRAMS, UH, HEALTH SERVICES, AND, YOU KNOW, THE ROLES OF, OF, OF, OF, OF DIVERSIFIED MINDS AND BRIGHTER FUTURES.
UH, OUR NEXT SESSION WAS HELD AT THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, AND THAT WAS TO DISCUSS FINANCE AND TRANSPORTATION.
THE OVER, WE PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT FUNCTIONS, UM, THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUDGET PROCESS AND OVERVIEW.
UM, THEN WE ALSO TALKED KIND OF ABOUT HOW WE WILL GO INTO WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED BUDGET.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW, AND THEN THEY GOT TO TOUR THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
UH, THEN OUR NEXT SESSION WAS PLANNING DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES THAT WAS HELD AT LFK.
WE FELT THAT THAT WAS, WAS RELEVANT SINCE THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING RENOVATED.
AND, UM, SO AT THAT POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, MR. SMITH AND, AND MR. HELMICK AND MS. VACA, THEY DID A GREAT JOB.
UM, THERE GOING OVER THE OVERVIEW OF HOW WE PLAN AND DEVELOP, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT FOR PROJECTS, UH, HOW WE LOOK AT ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS, OUR, UH, COMP, OUR, OUR CONSTRUCTION PLAN, UH, ALSO FACILITY SERVICES OVERVIEW.
AND THEN, UM, FOCUS ON STABILITY AND ENERGY.
AND THEN OF COURSE, TOURING, UM, LFK AND SEEING SOME OF THE NEWLY RENOVATED AREAS.
UH, THEN WE, WE MOVED INTO SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY, CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION THAT WAS HELD AT BLUE RIDGE TECH.
WE DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT NIGHT.
I'M GONNA SAY THAT THAT WAS THE BEST FOOD THAT WE HAD.
SO AT, AT EACH SESSION, THE, UM, THE, UH, SCHOOLS PROVIDED THE REFRESHMENTS, UM, THERE.
SO THAT NIGHT THEY GOT TO, TO TEST SOME OF MR. SMITH'S, UM, UH, CULINARY DELIGHT AND, AND WHAT HIS STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO PUT ON FOR US.
SO, UM, THAT WAS, UH, THE BEST, I'M, I'M GONNA SAY WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, FOOD OPTIONS.
UH, SO EVERYBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO UP THEIR GAME NEXT YEAR, UH, TO MEET DEVIN AND, AND WHAT HE PROVIDED FOR US THAT NIGHT.
UH, WE, WE DID DISCUSS THEN, UM, SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY.
UM, WE ALSO DISCUSSED OUR INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS.
THERE WAS A TOUR, UM, WCPS ALTERNATIVE ED PROGRAM.
AND THEN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. WE ALSO HAD A COUPLE OF TEACHERS THERE THAT NIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, WENT INTO DETAIL ABOUT, UH, THEIR PROGRAMS AND HOW PROUD THEY ARE AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE ENROLLED.
THEN OUR NEXT SESSION, UH, WE WENT TO, UM, THE SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THIS WAS OUR FINAL SESSION, UH, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY JUST LAST WEEK.
UM, SO WE, WE HAD SCHOOL NUTRITION, HUMAN RESOURCES, AND AGAIN, WE TALKED AN OVERVIEW OF THE HR DEPARTMENT, UM, NATIONAL TEACHER SHORTAGE.
UH, WE ALSO HAD OUR, UM, SERGEANT DU, UH, WITH, UH, THE WARREN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS THERE TO TALK ABOUT THE SRO PROGRAM.
AND, UM, THEN MS. NICOLE KINZIE WAS THERE TO TALK ABOUT CHILD NUTRITION.
AND SO THAT BRINGS US TO TONIGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE EACH OF OUR PARENTS, AND SOME OF THEM ARE HERE AND SOME OF 'EM ARE NOT.
BUT WHAT I AM GOING TO ASK IS, MR. BALLANTINE IS GOING TO READ THE NAMES, AND I'M GONNA STAND DOWN HERE.
AND, AND WHEN WE CALL YOUR NAME, I WOULD LIKE TO ONE, PRESENT YOU WITH YOUR CERTIFICATE, BUT THEN I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PROGRAM IF YOU WANT.
UM, AFTER THAT, I WOULD LAST THAT ASK THAT WE STAND OVER HERE TO THE SIDE, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A GROUP, UH, PHOTO, UH, A FINAL PHOTO, AND MR. STEFANSKI, IF WE CAN, WHEN I'M HANDING A DIPLOMA, IF OR, OR THE CERTIFICATE, IF WE CAN GET A PICTURE OF THAT AS WELL.
SO, UM, I DO WANT MY, UH, PARENTS TO PLEASE
[00:45:01]
FEEL FREE TO, TO TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAM.UM, YOU KNOW, I VALUED THEIR INPUT FROM THE FIRST MEETING.
THEY PROVIDED INSIGHT AND CHANGE.
UM, FROM THE FIRST MEETING WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT GOVERNANCE AND SCHOOL BOARD, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS AND DOCUMENTS.
AND THEY WERE LIKE A, A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT IS THIS, WHAT IS THAT? AND FROM THAT FIRST MEETING CAME, CAME OUT FROM THAT WAS THAT NOW WE SEND A NOTICE OUT TO ALL FAMILIES, HERE'S WHAT'S ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AGENDA TONIGHT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, FROM THE FIRST MEETING, THEY HAD AN IMPACT ON WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND THEN THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN, YOU KNOW, SERVED, HELPED US WITH OTHER, UH, PROGRAMS, WITH TITLE ONE PROGRAMS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE WHEN WE WOULD DO INSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW, UM, MS. BOY AND WOULD COME IN AND, AND GET THEIR INPUT AND, AND HAVE DISCUSSION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO I APPRECIATE THEM AND THE VALUE THAT THEY BRING AND, AND, AND JUST, IT WAS, IT WAS WONDERFUL HAVING A GROUP THAT WAS SO INQUISITIVE, BUT ALSO DEDICATED TO LEARN ABOUT WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PARTICIPANTS.
SO I'M GOING TO STEP DOWN HERE AND THEN, UH, MR. BALLANTINE WILL CALL YOUR NAME AND WE'LL GET YOU RECOGNIZED.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR WCPS 1 0 1.
JEANNIE ANDERSON, JAMIE FOSTER.
OKAY, THIS IS GONNA BE MY THIRD STRIKE.
I DID WANNA MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
UH, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO A FEW FOLKS, UH, DR.
BALLINGER FOR HOSTING THE PROGRAM.
I GUESS REALLY FORMING IT, PUSHING IT FORWARD, UH, AND THEN GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND.
AND TAMMY HOLLOWAY, WHO KIND OF KEPT US ORGANIZED AND KEPT US ON TRACK.
UH, THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS WHO ATTENDED ALL THE MEETINGS, THE PRINCIPALS AT EACH OF THE SCHOOLS AND THE DEPARTMENT LEADS, JUST GAVE OUT GREAT INFORMATION.
IT'S OBVIOUS THEY PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO IT.
UH, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, UH, YOU GUYS ATTENDED.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY STOOD OUT AS YOU GUYS WERE WILLING TO STAY AS LATE AS ANYONE WANTED TO STAY, OR AS LONG AS ANYONE STILL HAD ANY QUESTIONS, SO APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL.
IT WAS A, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
WE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO, HOW THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WORKS AND THE HUGE AMOUNT OF EFFORT THAT GOES INTO EDUCATING OUR KIDS.
UM, IT WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW THE FOLKS WHO ARE DOING THAT EDUCATION.
UH, AND AGAIN, THE WILLINGNESS TO STAY LATE AND ASK AS MANY QUESTIONS.
BALLINGER STAY LATE EVERY SINGLE TIME.
AND IT WAS ALMOST, UH, SOME OF THE SESSIONS WERE ALMOST LIKE A LITTLE, UH, FIRESIDE CHAT.
UH, AND THE OTHER THING I REALLY APPRECIATE ABOUT THAT IS IT WAS VERY TRANSPARENT WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, WITH ALL THE FACULTY, WITH DR.
WE COULD ASK ANYTHING AND IT WAS JUST VERY TRANSPARENT.
WE FELT LIKE WE, LIKE WE WERE HEARD.
UH, SO, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THE SURVEY THAT'S GONNA BE COMING OUT AND HOPEFULLY, UH, THE 13 OF US WHO ATTENDED THE FIRST ONE CAN GIVE SOME REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK.
MAYBE WE CAN HELP TO MAKE IT EVEN A LITTLE BIT BETTER FOR, FOR NEXT YEAR, UH, SO THAT THERE'S CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT.
UH, I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE, UH, PARENTS TO ATTEND THE NEXT ONE.
HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE FIGHTING FOR A SLOT.
UH, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE IDEAS AND JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.
SARAH GREEN, I
I JUST, AGAIN, WANNA REITERATE WHAT MIKE SAID.
YOU KNOW, I REALLY ENJOYED THE PROGRAM I'VE BEEN IN INVOLVED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PTO.
UM, MY KIDS BOTH WENT TO AS ROADS.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED THERE FOR YEARS AND KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE OTHER WORKINGS OF HOW OUR KIDS ARE TAUGHT.
UM, SO IT WAS REALLY EDUCATIONAL FOR ME.
UM, I FEEL LIKE WE WERE TAUGHT VERY WELL DURING THE PROGRAM, SO
[00:50:01]
JUST THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT WAS, WAS INVOLVED.UH, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU DR.
BALLINGER FOR YOU GUYS HOLDING THIS PROGRAM.
UM, AND I WAS GLAD TO BE A PART OF THE FIRST ONE.
I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE ANY PARENTS OUT THERE THAT SEE THIS, UM, AND TO GO AHEAD AND APPLY.
I KNOW I TALKED TO SOME PARENTS AFTERWARDS AND TOLD THEM I WAS IN IT AND THEY WERE LIKE, OH, I THOUGHT IT WOULD FILL UP SO FAST.
AND I TOLD THEM NO, IT ACTUALLY DIDN'T FILL UP.
SO ANY PARENTS OUT THERE LISTENING, DEFINITELY PUT THE APPLICATION IN AND DO IT.
UM, AND IF YOU CAN FIND THE SITTER AND MAKE THE TIME FOR IT, IT'S REALLY WORTH IT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S EDUCATION.
BUT THANK YOU, MARK MILLER, JENNIFER MULLIGAN, KRISNA MURPHY.
I'M NOT SO GOOD WITH PUBLIC SPEAKING, SO HOPEFULLY I CAN CONVEY THIS CORRECTLY.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF DR.
BALLINGER FOR GIVING US OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY ATTEND THIS PROGRAM, TO HAVE TO, UM, HAVE THIS PROGRAM AND HAVE PARENTS LIKE ATTEND AND REALLY UNDERSTAND.
I, UM, JUST LEARNING ALL THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE LEARNED THROUGH THE PROGRAM HAS REALLY OPENED MY EYES TO A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
SO I COME FROM A DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, BACKGROUND.
I COME FROM A DIFFERENT CULTURE FROM A WHOLE DIFFERENT COUNTRY AND OUR SYSTEM IS LIKE VERY DIFFERENT.
BUT NOW THAT MY KIDS ARE IN THE SCHOOL, UM, I EVEN WAS VERY LIKE RELUCTANT TO SEND THEM.
BUT LIKE, JUST KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WHEN I GO SEND MY KIDS NOW TO SCHOOL, LIKE I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE WELL FED, THEY'RE GONNA BE SAFE, AND THAT THEY'RE LEARNING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LEARNING.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND THANK YOU EVERYONE.
JESSICA PAGET, FROM THE MOMENT THAT I SAW THAT EMAIL COME THROUGH ABOUT THAT CLASS BEING AVAILABLE, I WAS SO EXCITED.
EVEN THOUGH I WORK AT ANOTHER SCHOOL DIVISION, I'M A BOOKKEEPER, UM, IN MANASAS CITY, I, EVERY, AFTER EVERY CLASS, I WOULD ALWAYS GO BACK TO WORK THE NEXT DAY AND BE LIKE, GUESS WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT OUR, THE DIVISION THAT MY KIDS GO TO.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST COMPARING THEM TO OTHER DIVISIONS IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE AREA AND STUFF, LIKE THINGS ARE NOT THE SAME EVERYWHERE.
AND SO WHILE I THOUGHT THAT I KNEW HOW THINGS WERE, LIKE I COULD LEARN FROM HERE AND BE LIKE, WELL, MAYBE THIS IS A BETTER WAY.
YOU KNOW, SO I'M LIKE GOING BACK, SO SORRY, WE'RE GIVING OUT TRADE SECRETS,
BUT I JUST, I WAS SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT AND IT DID NOT, I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED.
I REALLY, REALLY ENJOYED EVERY SINGLE CLASS THAT WE HAD.
BRANDY NER, TAYLOR SEVILLE, EMILY THOMAS.
UH, THIS PROGRAM WAS VERY PERTINENT TO HELPING ME UNDERSTAND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THOUGH IT WAS A LITTLE LONG-WINDED AT TIMES, IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND MADE IT MUCH MORE CLEAR HOW THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WORKS.
IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT ALL THE PEOPLE WHO TOOK THE TIME OUTTA THEIR EVENINGS TO COME AND TALK TO US ABOUT THEIR PART IN THE SYSTEM, WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS A BETTER PLACE.
AND I GOT THE DISTINCT IMPRESSION
[00:55:01]
THAT ANYONE WHO TOOK THIS ENTRY LEVEL COURSE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE GET THE VERY BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF HOW IT ALL WORKS AND WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT GOING DIRECTLY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT WITH EVERY ISSUE WOULD BE LIKE GOING TO THE PRESIDENT WITH A TRAFFIC TICKET.I THINK EVERYONE WITH KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THOSE WITHOUT KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BUT ARE STILL INTERESTED IN DABBLING SHOULD TAKE THIS CLASS.
STACY WILLIAMS. MY NAME'S STACY WILLIAMS AND I HAD TWO REASONS FOR WANTING TO COME, UM, AND JOIN THIS, THIS PROGRAM.
UH, I HAVE TWO KIDS AT LFKA KINDERGARTNER AND A FIFTH GRADER.
SO WE'LL BE PART OF WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR QUITE A WHILE.
AND MY OTHER REASON IS I HAVE A BUSINESS IN TOWN THAT, UM, IS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
SO WE WORK WITH A LOT OF FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IF THEY'RE NOT ALREADY IN PUBLIC SCHOOL, THEY'RE HEADED THERE.
SO JUST TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM SOME OF THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I LEARNED HAS BEEN HELPFUL.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES THEY DO COME TO US WITH QUESTIONS.
UM, THROUGH EACH MEETING THAT WE WENT TO, IT WAS JUST REFRESHING TO SEE THE ENTHUSIASM THAT EACH PERSON HAD WHEN THEY SPOKE ABOUT THEIR TOPIC.
THEY WERE WELL VERSED IN WHAT THEY PRESENTED.
THEY PUT TIME INTO THEIR PRESENTATIONS AND THEY WERE JUST GENUINELY EXCITED.
AND YOU COULD, YOU COULD JUST FEEL THE LOVE THAT THEY HAD FOR THEIR POSITION AND FOR THE, THE COMMUNITY AND THE CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UM, SO I'M EXCITED THAT THIS IS HOPEFULLY SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE AND THAT, UM, AS YOU MOVE FORWARD THAT MORE PARENTS WILL BE ABLE TO, TO COME AND TAKE PART.
EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN A GUEST THIS EVENING, I KNOW WE STILL HAVE SOME LITTLE ONES OUT THERE.
ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO TAKE THIS MOMENT BEFORE WE START COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION TO LEAVE,
[2.G. Community Participation]
PLEASE FEEL FREE.IT IS THE DUTY OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SCHOOL BOARD WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE COUNTY SHERIFF AS NECESSARY TO CONDUCT THE MEETING IN AN ORDERLY MANNER AND TO LIMIT DISCUSSION TO TOPICS RELEVANT TO THE ISSUE BEFORE THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION.
PERSONS ADDRESSING THE SCHOOL BOARD ARE ADVISED TO LIMIT THEIR REMARKS TO THOSE RELEVANT TO THE PENDING ITEMS. NO PERSONS IN ATTENDANCE SHALL BE ALLOWED TO VOICE REMARKS EXCEPT AS RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIRPERSON OR THE CLERK OF THE BOARD AFTER AUDIBLY STATING THEIR NAME AND WHOM THEY REPRESENT.
IF APPLICABLE, NO PERSON SHALL BRING INTO THE BOARDROOM ANY SIGN, BANNER, OR OTHER SUCH ITEM WHICH WOULD INTERFERE WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN SEEING, HEARING OR OTHERWISE PARTICIPATING IN THE MEETING.
PROVIDED THAT MODELS, PHOTOS, MAPS, CHARTS, DRAWINGS, AND OTHER SUCH DEMONSTRATIVE MATERIALS INTENDED FOR USE IN A PRESENTATION BY A SPECIFIC PERSON SHALL BE PERMITTED UPON RECOGNITION BY THE CHAIR OR THE CLERK OF THE BOARD.
THE SPEAKER SHALL ADDRESS THE SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR CONFINE THEIR COMMENTS TO ISSUES OF PUBLIC CONCERN RELATING TO THE OPERATION OF WARREN COUNTY.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS REFRAIN FROM WORDS OR STATEMENTS, WHICH FROM THEIR USUAL CONSTRUCTION AND COMMON ACCEPTANCE ARE DEFAMATORY TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS OR TEND TO VIOLENCE OR BREACH OF THE PEACE.
REFRAIN FROM OBSCENITY AND VULGARITY.
STAY WITHIN ALLOTTED TIME AND STOP SPEAKING.
WHEN DIRECTED BY THE CHAIRPERSON GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS IN THE AUDIENCE CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE DETRIMENTAL TO, TO, OR DISTURBING.
THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING WILL BE ASKED TO REFRAIN FROM SUCH CONDUCT ONCE ANY ADDITIONAL DISTURBANCE AFTER THE WARNING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
AND THE CHAIRPERSON WILL ASK THE COUNTY SHERIFF TO REMOVE THE INDIVIDUAL GROUP OR CLEAR THE BOARDROOM SO THAT THE BOARD CAN CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION WHEN RECOGNIZED.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, WHETHER YOU'RE A COUNTY RESIDENT, PARENT OF WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT OR AN EMPLOYEE OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION, AND LIMIT YOUR COMMENT TO THREE MINUTES.
MR. VALENTINE, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP THIS EVENING? MADAM CHAIR, ONE PERSON HAS, AND THAT IS LESLIE MATTHEWS.
[01:00:08]
GOOD EVENING AFTER SEEING ALL THE GOOD VIDEOS AND EVERYTHING.UM, IT'S ALL BEAUTIFUL AND IT'S ALL GREAT.
AND I HAVE A CONCERN THAT I'M BRINGING FORTH TO YOU GUYS TONIGHT.
UM, MY NAME IS LESLIE MATTHEWS.
I HAVE TWO STUDENTS AT SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I AND WE PARENTS ARE ONLY GIVEN THREE MINUTES A MONTH TO GET UP HERE AND EXPRESS OUR CONCERNS TO YOU, OR WE'RE TOLD THAT WE CAN EMAIL YOU, BUT I NO LONGER TRUST THAT METHOD OF EMAILING FOR REASONS THAT MINE AND OTHER PARENTS WHO HAVE EMAILED CONCERNS TO THIS BOARD.
THERE'S SOME ON HERE, ON THIS BOARD THAT ARE USING OUR INFORMATION AS A CRUTCH FOR YOUR OWN POLITICAL MOTIVES.
IT'S SUCH A DISGRACE FOR YOU AS A PUBLIC SERVANT TO GO AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO FOIA THE CONCERNS OF PARENTS WHO ARE NOT LIKE-MINDED AS YOURSELF.
SO THEREFORE, OUR CONCERNS ARE GOING PUBLIC.
IT'S ALSO NOT GOOD TO EMPLOY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF REDACTING SOMEONE'S PERSONAL INFORMATION.
SO IF WE WANT MORE POSITIVE IN WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THEN WE NEED TO START AT OUR LEADERSHIP.
AND IF WE WANT OUR KIDS TO SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY AND BECOME PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS, THEN WE SHOULD ALLOW GOD BACK INTO OUR SCHOOLS.
THERE'S YOUR ANSWERS AND IT CAN'T GET HIM ANY SIMPLER THAN THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME TONIGHT.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK THIS EVENING? OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON THEN
[3. Consent Agenda]
TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE THAT THE CONSENT AGENDA BE ACCEPTED AS PRESENTED? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
[4.A. Superintendent]
FIRST WE'LL HEAR FROM DR.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY THAT HAS ATTEN THAT IS, THAT WAS IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT AND STILL IS ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY THAT'S JOINING US ONLINE.
UM, SO THE FIRST THING I WANNA DISCUSS TONIGHT IN MY REPORT IS THAT THE MONTH OF MAY IS, UM, MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH, MAY 9TH, 2024 WILL BE, UH, SELECTED AS THE DATE FOR VIRGINIA TO RECOGNIZE CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY.
UH, THE GOAL OF THIS DAY IS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF, OF EVERY CHILD'S MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO BE ENGAGED IN ACTIVITIES THAT BOOST MENTAL HEALTH, UM, SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED AS MUCH AS ROUTINE PHYSICAL CARE.
UH, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO ASK IS THAT IF PARENTS, UM, NEED SUPPORT, UM, WITH THEIR CHILDREN, I ASK THAT THEY PLEASE REACH OUT TO THEIR SCHOOL, UM, SO THAT WE MAY EITHER HELP OR CONNECT THEM WITH, UH, SERVICES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, THAT THAT CAN HELP THEM WITH THEIR CHILD.
THE NEXT THING THAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS WE HAVE 15 DAYS LEFT OF SCHOOL, UH, WENT THROUGH THE CALENDAR, SO I KNOW EVERYBODY'S COUNTING THAT DOWN.
UH, SO WE HAVE, UH, STARTING TOMORROW, THEY'RE COUNTING TOMORROW.
UH, FRIDAY IS A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, SO THAT WILL BE NO SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN.
UH, WE WILL HAVE STAFF IN FOR, FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, MAY 23RD.
SO, UM, EARLY RELEASE DAY ON THE 23RD WITH A PROFESSIONAL DAY ON THE 24TH.
THAT INSTINCTS FOR, UM, STAFF AND STUDENTS.
ALSO, I WANTED TO, UH, JUST REMIND THE BOARD THAT, UM, ON MAY 13TH, UH, WE DO HAVE OUR BACCALAUREATE AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, ALSO ON MAY 16TH, WE WILL HAVE THE GRADUATION AT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT WILL START AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
[01:05:01]
THE GRADUATION AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.THAT WILL ALSO START AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
WE DO HAVE A RAIN DATE OF MAY 18TH IN CASE YOU KNOW, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, SEVERE WEATHER OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
WE WILL PUSH IT TO THAT SATURDAY.
UH, WE WILL TRY TO LET PARENTS KNOW, UM, IN ADVANCE, AT LEAST BY TUESDAY, UM, OF WHETHER WE'RE GONNA GO OR, OR MOVE IT.
UH, SO I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW AS FAR AS FROM THE BOARD, WHO ALL IS PLANNING ON ATTENDING, UH, THAT WAY WHEN THEY SET UP THE STAGE, WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH SEATS AND THAT THE STAGE IS, UM, LARGE ENOUGH.
SO IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A FEW BOARD MEMBERS, SO, SO IF YOU GUYS COULD LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE GONNA YES OR NO.
THAT WAY I CAN LET PRINCIPALS KNOW AS THEY'RE SETTING UP OR MR. HELME, HIS TEAM BACK THERE.
THEY SET UP, UH, THE STAGES AND SO THEY JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW BIG THEY'RE GONNA SET THE STAGE UP AND HOW MANY CHAIRS THEY'RE GONNA PUT ON THERE.
[4.B. School Board]
WE HAVE SCHOOL BOARD REPORTS THIS EVENING, MS. SALEMS, I, UM, I LEFT ALL THE PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING.THE, UM, THE WCPS 1 0 1, UM, THAT I ATTENDED WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND I HOPE WE DO CONTINUE IT NEXT YEAR AND EXPAND IT.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PARENTS TO FILL IT UP, THEN I HOPE WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO, UM, TAX PAYING CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND THE INNER WORKINGS OF A PUBLIC INSTITUTION.
UM, IDEALLY I'D LOVE TO OPEN ONE UP FOR LOCAL CIVICS IN GENERAL, BUT UM, THAT'S KIND OF OUTSIDE OF OUR SCOPE HERE.
UM, I ATTENDED THE RETIREMENT DINNER WITH ALL OF YOU AND WE, WE ARE LOSING SOME, SOME, SOME WONDERFUL STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE MOVING ON TO BIGGER AND BETTER RETIREMENT THINGS.
UM, AND UH, WE HAD THE BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE IT WAS.
UM, THE LFK RENOVATION PROJECT IS WRAPPING UP HEAD OF SCHEDULE UNDER BUDGET.
WE'VE STARTED THE E WILSON MORRISON, UM, AUDITORIUM TO GYM CONVERSION AND I'M EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE MEETING AS WELL.
UM, I ALSO ATTENDED SOME ADDITIONAL SBMA TRAINING COURSES.
UM, WE DID ONE ON THE STANDARD OF QUALITY FIVE STANDARD OF QUALITY SEVEN, UM, PROPER SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION PROCESSES AND THEN ALSO STRATEGIC PLANNING.
UM, LAST NIGHT WE ATTENDED THE JOINT BOARD BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING.
SO OUR, OUR FULL BOARD SAT DOWN WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE, I HEARD THEM LOUD AND CLEAR, SO I WANT THEM TO, TO KNOW THAT I, I HEARD EVERYTHING THAT THEY SAID LAST NIGHT, LOUD AND CLEAR.
UM, WE ARE IN A SITUATION IN THIS COUNTY RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'VE HAD ADDITIONAL ASKS FROM, FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
I KNOW AT THE BEGINNING OF BUDGET SEASON THEY SAID THEY WERE AT $18 MILLION OVER WHAT OUR CURRENT REVENUE WOULD COVER.
THEY GOT THAT TRIMMED DOWN TO 12 AND THEN ENTERING INTO THE SUPERVISORS MEETING WHERE THEY SET THE TAX RATE, THEY WERE 7 MILLION SHORT.
THEY SET THE TAX RATE AND I'M SURE EVERYBODY HAS HEARD THE TAXES HAVE GONE UP AND THEY HAVE BROUGHT IN OR THEY INTEND TO BRING IN AN ADDITIONAL $4 MILLION, UM, IN THESE INCREASED TAXES.
NOW OUR BOARD HAS REQUESTED ALMOST 3 MILLION OF THAT.
UM, BUT THEY HAVE OTHER ENTITIES TO THINK OF.
THEY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND FIRE AND RESCUE, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL OF THE FIRES THAT WE RECENTLY HAD.
AND, UH, THE SUPERVISORS REALLY GAVE US A TASK AS A BOARD, WHICH WAS TO COME BACK WITH A BUDGET THAT IS AS LEAN AS POSSIBLE.
AND IT WAS VERY CLEAR TO ME LAST NIGHT THAT THEY'RE NOT HAPPY WITH US.
AND SO IF WE CANNOT AS A BOARD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO TRIM BACK OUR BUDGET, THEY ARE GOING TO TRIM IT FOR US.
AND WE ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO LIKE HOW THEY TRIM IT FOR US.
AND IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT I SEE OUR TEACHERS GET THEIR RAISES.
SO I AM HOPEFUL THAT OUR BOARD WILL LOOK AT TAKING
[01:10:01]
IT UPON OURSELVES TO DO, AS WE'VE BEEN ASKED, AND TRIM EVERY OTHER AREA POSSIBLE IF WE ARE GOING TO PROTECT OUR TEACHERS' RAISES.UM, I GUESS WE'LL SEE HOW THAT, HOW THAT GOES.
I HOPE WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT SOME NUMBERS AND MAYBE GO BACK AND REVISIT VOTING ON, ON OUR BUDGET.
OTHERWISE, IT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS AND IT WILL BE FULLY IN THE SUPERVISOR'S HANDS AS TO HOW, HOW THIS IS HANDLED.
UM, AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE FOR TONIGHT.
UM, SO I WANTED TO TAKE, I, I DID NOT, UH, I FORGOT TO THANK THE WARREN COUNTY ENDOWMENT AT THE LAST, UM, MEETING, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I THANK THEM FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THEY ARE DOING.
I THINK WE SAW SOME OF THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOR THIS EVENING WITH THAT.
UM, I FLY EXAM, UM, FIELD TRIP THAT HAPPENED.
I REMEMBER TALKING TO THE TEACHER, UM, WHEN SHE WAS SHARING US ABOUT HOW EXCITING THE, YOU KNOW, THE KIDS WERE TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE.
UM, IT'S A PRETTY AMAZING EXPERIENCE.
SO IT'S PRETTY SUPER, UM, INTERESTING TO DO.
UM, BUT THEY JUST HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN UNWAVERING SUPPORT TO, TO SEE THAT, UM, OUR TEACHERS CAN BE CREATIVE AND, YOU KNOW, WRITE THESE GRANTS.
SO I, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, WE WERE ALL AT THE ATTENDED THE RETIREMENT DINNER, AND I WANNA, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST THANK ALL OF THOSE STAFF THAT ARE RETIRING FOR THEIR A HUNDRED AND SOMETHING ACCUMULATIVE YEARS.
I THINK IT WAS A HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR FORTY SIX.
UM, THAT'S A LOT OF YEARS OF, OF TEACHING AND WORKING WITH STUDENTS.
UM, AND I WISH THEM ALL THE BEST IN ALL THEIR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS WAS SAID AS WELL, YOU KNOW, WE ALL WERE AT THE, UH, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING LAST NIGHT.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO WATCH THAT VIDEO, I WOULD CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO.
UM, I WANNA THANK OUR PARENTS WHO WERE HERE TO, AND THAT WERE PRESENTED WITH THE CERTIFICATES FOR THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 1 0 1 PROGRAM.
UM, THE ONE NIGHT THAT I GOT TO ATTEND, IT WAS VERY AWESOME, GREAT, RICH DISCUSSIONS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS A TAKEAWAY FROM ME JUST NOW, UM, WHEN THEY WERE COMING UP, IS I WATCHED THEIR KIDS THAT WERE HERE WITH THEM, AND, AND NONE OF 'EM WERE HERE, I DON'T THINK, BUT WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED THEIR MOM'S NAME OR THEIR DAD'S NAME, THEIR KIDS WERE GOING YES.
AND, AND I LOVE THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, UM, THEY ARE MODELING FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO BE INVOLVED AND TO BE A PARTICIPANT.
AND YOU CAN JUST SEE THE EXCITEMENT ON THEIR KIDS', UM, FACES.
I WISH WE COULD HAVE HAD THAT ON VIDEO FOR THE PARENTS.
UM, I'M NOT SO SURE MY KIDS WOULD'VE GOTTEN THAT EXCITED.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THANK THEM.
I THANK THEM FOR SHARING THEIR, UM, GREAT, HONEST WORDS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK I HAD SAID THIS AT THE BEGINNING, BACK IN THE, WHEN IT STARTED IN THE FALL, I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR THAT WE ONLY HAD 13 OUT OF, YOU KNOW, 25 APPLICATIONS.
UM, I WAS THINKING WE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE MORE.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY NOW WITH THIS BEING OUT, THEY UNDER, UH, EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDING, UM, WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
I, I UNDERSTAND IT CAN BE A CHALLENGE SOMETIMES TO, TO, UH, SECURE THOSE TIMES AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILIES AND, AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR EVENINGS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY IN THE LONG TERM, WE WILL BUILD THAT PROGRAM UP.
SO I THANK ALL OF OUR STAFF HERE AT WARREN COUNTY FOR YOUR EVENINGS AND YOUR HOURS AND PREPPING AND, AND WORKING WITH THOSE FAMILIES.
UM, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, YOU KNOW, UM, AS WAS SAID, I, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS ONLY 15 DAYS UNTIL THE END OF SCHOOL, OBVIOUSLY A LOT LESS THAN GRADUATION.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIES PREPPING FOR GRADUATION RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT BRING, IT'S, IT BRINGS A LOT OF JOY.
IT BRINGS A LOT OF EXCITEMENT.
SO I WANNA CONGRATULATE ALL OF OUR 2024 GRADUATES.
AND I JUST WANNA SHARE, UM, A MESSAGE TO YOU FROM ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS.
YOU CAN STEER YOURSELF ANY DIRECTION YOU CHOOSE.
YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW, AND YOU ARE THE ONE WHO'LL DECIDE WHERE YOU GO.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GRADUATES.
UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE TO DO, UM, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION IS LIKE NO OTHER.
IT IS THE ONE THING NO ONE CAN TAKE AWAY FROM YOU.
WHETHER IT'S A TRADE SCHOOL EDUCATION, WHETHER IT IS AN APPRENTICESHIP EDUCATION, WHETHER IT'S A FORMAL POST-SECONDARY, WHETHER IT'S LIFE, EDUCATION, AND YOU'RE GOING IMMEDIATELY OUT THE DAY AFTER GRADUATION INTO THE WORKFORCE.
THAT IS A VALUABLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE.
AND NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU, EVER.
SO, WORK HARD, DO WELL, AND CONGRATULATIONS.
[01:15:04]
THANK YOU.UM, YEAH, MY, MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE JUST TALKING THIS MORNING ABOUT HOW THERE'S ONLY 15 SCHOOL DAYS LEFT, AND THERE WAS QUITE A LOT OF JOY AND EXCITEMENT ABOUT THAT.
UM, IN OUR HOUSE AS WELL AS I'M SURE MANY ACROSS THE COUNTY, UM, OVER THIS PAST MONTH, UM, I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND AND HELP OUT AT TWO, UM, SCHOOL DANCES AT RESCUE JEFFRIES, UM, WHICH WERE BOTH A LOT OF FUN.
SO THANK YOU TO THE TEACHERS AND THE STAFF AND THE OTHER PARENTS WHO MADE THAT POSSIBLE.
I WAS, UM, COVERED IN PIXIE DUST BUFF BY THE END OF THE NIGHT, BUT IT WAS FUN.
UM, I ALSO ATTENDED THE ADVISING, THE COUNSELING ADVISORY GROUP AT RUSTY JEFFRIES.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS REALLY GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING OVER THERE AT THAT COUNSELING PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF INITIATIVES AND, UM, DATA TO EVALUATE WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING.
AND SO IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO SEE THEIR RESULTS AND WHAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, LIKE YOU ALL, WE WENT TO THE RETIREMENT DINNER, UM, EARLIER THIS WEEK.
SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE FOLKS FOR THE WORK THEY'VE PUT IN, UM, WITH OUR COUNTY.
UM, AND THEN THE MEETING WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS LAST NIGHT.
UM, SO FIRST OFF, MSS STOLE MY THUNDER.
SHE SAID EVERYTHING I WAS GONNA SAY, WE SHOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED BEFOREHAND.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I KNOW TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK IS NEXT WEEK.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE IN SESSION, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE TEACHERS.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
AS SOMEONE MAY, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, I'VE TAUGHT EVERY GRADE LEVEL FROM PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADUATE SCHOOL.
I WOULD NEVER TEACH SEVENTH GRADE AGAIN.
BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT JOY TO, TO DO IT.
AND WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS THE, IS THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE AFFECTING THE FUTURE GENERATION.
SO WE, WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOU.
HOPEFULLY YOU'LL BE GIVEN LOTS OF GIFTS AS WE WERE GIVEN GIFTS.
I, I'M STILL LIVING OFF SOME OF THOSE GIFTS THAT WERE GIVEN TO US DURING OUR APPRECIATION WEEK.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
UM, WE HAD THE BUILDING COMMITTEE WITH MS. NCE.
UM, AS WE MENTIONED, WE WENT TO THE RETIREMENT DINNER.
IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE, THE COMMITMENT AND THE, THE STORIES OF THE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SORT OF TALKING ABOUT THEIR, THEIR FORMER EMPLOYEES OR THEIR, THEIR CURRENT EMPLOYEES THAT ARE LEAVING.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE COMRADERY, THE LOVE, THE GREAT FRIENDSHIPS THAT THEY HAVE WITH IT.
IT'S, IT'S A REAL, WHEN YOU'RE IN THIS COMMUNITY, YOU'RE IN A COMMUNITY AND YOU LEAVE.
UM, I DID SPEND, SPEND A LOT OF TIME READING OVER A LOT OF SCHOOL POLICIES THAT, THAT'S, AGAIN, ONE OF OUR MAIN THINGS THAT WE DO ON THE SCHOOL BOARD IS TO LOOK AT THE POLICIES, EDIT 'EM, HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR THEM.
RIGHT NOW, THE, THE BOARD IS LOOKING AT DIFFERENT THINGS TO DO WITH HOMESCHOOLING AND DISCIPLINE.
SO I'VE BEEN DOING MY PART TO READ OVER THAT.
UM, I WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE JOINT BOARD MEETING LAST NIGHT.
I HAD HAD ANOTHER COMMITMENT, BUT I, I PUT MY TIME IN.
AND WHEN THAT MEETING WAS OVER, I, I WATCHED IT ONLINE, FINISHED IT UP THIS MORNING.
IT, IT, IF, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO, IF YOU HAVE TO WATCH ONE MO ONE VIDEO OF ALL TIME, THAT'S THE ONE TO WATCH.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A NEW, SORT OF A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN, AND THE NEW BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OR NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, HOW THEY'RE OPERATING.
UH, AGAIN, I, I DON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME WATCHING THEIR VIDEOS, BUT BECAUSE WE WERE RELATED TO IT, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY GOOD.
SO HERE'S MY TAKE ON IT, THE WHOLE BUDGET SITUATION, UM, WE SORT OF GOT KICKED IN THE TEETH BY, BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WHO, WHO, THEY'RE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO GIVE US THE MONEY.
WE HAVE TO ASK THEM FOR THE MONEY AND SAY, PLEASE GIVE US THE MONEY.
AND I, AS SOMEBODY WHO WASN'T INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF THE BUDGET, NOR DID I VOTE FOR IT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO SORT OF GET A BETTER HANDLE ON FOR NEXT YEAR.
BUT NOT EVEN WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR.
BUT EVEN THIS YEAR, AS MS. SALEM MENTIONED, IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, THE PEOPLE ARE GONNA SUFFER THE MOST OF THE TEACHERS, BECAUSE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ARE GONNA SAY, FEW PEOPLE CAN'T GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER.
WE'RE JUST GOING JUST KINDA ALIGN THROUGH EVERYTHING.
SO I THINK IT SHOULD BE UP TO US TO, HOWEVER, THE MECHANISM IS, TO GO THROUGH IT AND SEE WHAT CAN WE ACTUALLY DO TO SAVE THE, UH, YOU KNOW, ASK FOR SOME MONEY, BUT NOT ALL THE MONEY, AND FIGURE OUT WHERE THE CUTS ARE.
UM, IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WELL, EVERYONE DESERVES EVERYTHING.
BUT WE'RE NOT IN A COMMUNIST COUNTRY.
WE, WE DON'T GIVE IT OUT TO EVERYBODY.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF SUPPLY AND, AND A BIG DEMAND AND, AND FIGURE IT OUT.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON.
I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S BEEN IN THE PAST, BUT I'M A LITTLE BIT EMBARRASSED FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD AND, AND HOW IT CAME OUT IN THERE.
WE KIND OF GOT SCHOOLED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, AND, UH, EVEN THOUGH I WASN'T THERE, I SORT OF FELT IT THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE TV WATCHING IT.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO NOT HAVE THAT HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE AND BE ABLE TO GET, GET UP TO PAR AND BE ABLE TO GO IN THERE AND SAY, NO, HERE'S, WE, WE THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
HERE'S WHAT ALL, EVERYTHING THAT WE PUT IN LINE ITEMS, HERE'S WHAT IT STANDS FOR.
HERE'S WHAT IT IS, HERE'S WHAT WE NEED IT.
BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, OTHER DEPARTMENTS DID THAT, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE CAME IN AND SAID, HERE'S EXACTLY HOW IT IS.
THE FIRE AND RESCUE, EVERYONE CAME IN AND LAID IT ALL OUT IN OURS.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A HUGE BUDGET.
WE, IT WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME TO LAY IT ALL OUT, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE CONFUSED.
SO IT'D BE GREAT IF IN THE FUTURE WE COULD NOT BE SO CONFUSING AND BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN IT IN A BETTER WAY.
AGAIN, THAT'S COMING FROM A GUY WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT IT, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
[01:20:01]
IT AND GET INVOLVED TO MAKE IT EASIER SO WE CAN GET THE MONEY THAT WE DESERVE, THAT WE, THAT WE NEED FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING.UM, I AM VERY PROUD OF THE PARENTS WHO DID THE ONE OH ONES.
IT, IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
I MEAN, EVEN EVEN FOR US UP HERE ON THE, ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, WHEN WE RUN, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE RUNNING FOR ALL THESE OFFICES.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE SHOWING UP TO EXTRACURRICULAR PARENT EVENTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT STUFF.
THE, THE MORE YOU LEARN, I MEAN, I'M LEARNING SO MUCH STUFF.
BEING ON HERE, DOING THE RESEARCH, MEETING PEOPLE, IT'S GREAT.
AND IF YOUR KIDS ARE INVOLVED IN THE SYSTEM, IT'S GREAT TO KNOW THE PEOPLE, WHAT'S GOING ON, YOU KNOW, BEHIND THE CURTAIN.
IT'S A, IT'S A VERY GOOD THING.
SO I DO HIGHLY RECOMMEND PEOPLE TAKE THE TIME OUT TO DO THAT.
OBVIOUSLY IT IS A COMMITMENT TO DO THAT.
SO, UH, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, I THINK.
UM, THIS PAST MONTH, I ALSO ATTENDED THE REST, THE RUSSY JEFFRIES COUNSELING ADVISORY GROUP.
IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR THE WORK THAT MS. FRANKEL AND MS. CHARLES ARE DOING, UM, WITH THEIR SMALL GROUPS IN THAT SCHOOL TO HELP, UM, REALLY FOCUS ON WAYS TO SHOW THEIR STUDENTS THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING TO SCHOOL BETTER STUDY HABITS, WHILE ALL OF THOSE THINGS ALL CREATE THE WHOLE PICTURE FOR THAT STUDENT TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT RESI.
AND THEY HAD SOME REALLY POSITIVE OUTCOMES WITH THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO THAT WAS GREAT TO SORT OF HEAR THE ALMOST END OF THE YEAR UPDATE ON THAT.
UM, THIS PAST SATURDAY, I ATTENDED THE MOUNTAIN VISTA GOVERNOR SCHOOL FOUNDATION RECEPTION, UM, AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.
IT WAS, UM, IT WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE, UM, BASICALLY EVERYTHING THAT THAT FOUNDATION DOES.
SO EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE AS A SCHOOL DIVISION.
AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE HEARD FROM WARREN COUNTY EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENT, HOW THEY FUND ALL OF THESE SEPARATE PROGRAMS AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STUDENTS.
WELL, MOUNTAIN VISTA GOVERNOR SCHOOL FOUNDATION RAISES MONEY TO BASICALLY HELP SUPPLEMENT OUR GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL'S STUDENTS.
SO STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO PAY THE DUAL ENROLLMENT COSTS FOR LAUREL RIDGE, UM, THEY CAN PAY FOR SOME OF THOSE EXTRA TRIP EXPERIENCES THAT STUDENTS OTHERWISE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PAY FOR.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT IN THE, THE GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL BUDGET, BECAUSE THAT'S A, AGAIN, A PART OF OUR WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUDGET TO HAVE THOSE STUDENTS GO TO THE GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL.
SO THAT WAS JUST A WAY FOR, UM, US TO SEE THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND STUDENTS WERE THERE WITH SOME OF THEIR SCIENCE, UM, FAIR PROJECTS, AND THEY WERE THERE, UM, AUCTIONING OFF ACTUALLY SOME OF THEIR ARTWORK TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE FOUNDATION.
SO THAT WAS A WAY THAT STUDENTS COULD ACTUALLY RAISE MONEY FOR THEIR OWN PROGRAMS, UM, BACK TO THE FOUNDATION.
SO THAT WAS A GREAT, UM, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND REALLY THANKFUL THAT WE, AGAIN, HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE WILLING TO PUT THEIR TIME IN TO SUPPLEMENT THE BUDGET THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE.
UM, I ALSO ATTENDED THE RETIREMENT DINNER.
UM, IT WAS GREAT SEEING EVERYONE, ALL OF THOSE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ALL IN ONE ROOM.
AND OF COURSE, AS EVERY YEAR, IT'S GONNA BE A BIG LOSS TO WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UM, TO, TO WATCH ALL OF THAT INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE LEAVE.
AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE YEARS THAT THEY DID DEDICATE TO WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, I ALSO HEARD EVERYTHING FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS LAST NIGHT.
UM, I HAD SOME GOOD CONVERSATION FOLLOW UP WITH MR. VALENTINE THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, BASICALLY JUST SORT OF SEEING, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR WORK SESSION IN MAY CAN LOOK LIKE TO JUST ADD SOME CLARIFICATION TO SOME OF OUR BUDGET POINTS.
SEE, YOU KNOW, REALLY WHAT SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS MEAN.
AND JUST REALLY HAVE A GOOD WRAP UP FOLLOW UP DISCUSSION FROM THAT MEETING LAST NIGHT.
SO, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT OPPORTUNITY IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THIS EVENING.
MOVING ON TO OUR ACTION AGENDA THIS EVENING.
FIRST UP, WE HAVE THE INTRODUCTION AND APPOINTMENT OF THE LFK SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND MS. JENNIFER CAMERON AS PRINCIPAL OF LESLIE FOX KEER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR THE 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR.
MS. CAMERON IS AN EXPERIENCED EDUCATOR AND LEADER IN WARREN COUNTY.
SHE IS TAUGHT AS AN ELEMENTARY TEACHER IN FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE.
SHE ALSO HAS EXPERIENCE AS A LITERACY LITERACY COACH, PROVIDED SU, WHICH PROVIDED SUPPORT TO GRADE LEVEL TEACHERS IN HER BUILDING.
AS AN ADMINISTRATOR, MS. CAMERON HAS SERVED AS THE DEAN OF STUDENTS AND AS THE ASSISTANT SU ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
DURING HER YEARS OF SERVICE, MS. CAMERON WAS SELECTED AS THE ROTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR IN 2008, AND WAS THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL'S ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR IN 20 15, 20 16.
[01:25:01]
AS A LEADER.SHE HAS BEEN INTEGRAL IN TRANSFORMING E WILSON MORRISON AND HAS SERVED AT THIS CHAIR AS THE CHAIR FOR THE DIVISION'S ATTENDANCE COMMITTEE FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.
MS. CAMERON IS THE GREAT FIT FOR LFK, AND I KNOW THAT HER SKILLSET WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE LFK FORWARD.
AND AGAIN, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO RECOMMEND HER AS THE PRINCIPAL FOR LESLIE FOX KAISER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO, THAT IS MY RECOMMENDATION.
IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE THAT JENNIFER CAMERON BE APPOINTED AS THE PRINCIPAL OF LESLIE FOX, KAISER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST, 2024? IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
IT IS A GREAT HONOR FOR ME TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO ACCEPT THE POSITION OF PRINCIPAL OF LFK, UH, SORRY.
I'M LESLIE FOX, KAISER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AS A LIFETIME, WARREN COUNTY RESIDENT, AND AN LFK ALUM.
I'M EXCITED TO REJOIN THE LITTLE CAT FAMILY.
I CAN'T BELIEVE THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE BUILDING, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING IT IN THE COMING MONTHS.
THANK YOU FOR ENTRUSTING ME WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY TO NURTURE YOUNG MINDS AND TO FOSTER THE CONTINUE EXCELLENCE OF LFK.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO CONTINUE THE PATH TO EXCELLENCE AT FORLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I'M TRULY HUMBLED AT THIS HUGE RESPONSIBILITY THAT YOU HAVE ENTRUSTED TO ME AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR AND THIS NEW ADVENTURE THAT AWAITS ME.
[5.A. Acceptance of New Scholarships for the Class of 2024 - Ms. Donna Settle/Mr. Smith]
NEXT UP, WE HAVE ACCEPTANCE OF NEW SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE CLASS OF 2024.MR. SMITH AND MS. DONALD SETTLE.
UM, I, I WOULD LIKE, UM, TO INTRODUCE MS. DONNA SETTLE.
SHE IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRONT ROYAL CARDINALS, UM, AND A AND A GREAT PARTNER WITH WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND IN THE PAST, UM, YEARS AGO, I BELIEVE THE CARDINALS GAVE, UH, SOME SCHOLARSHIPS, UM, AND THAT WE ARE BRINGING THAT BACK.
SO, I, I JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE MS. SETTLE AND THAT SHE CAN EXPLAIN OR READ HERE IN REGARDS TO THE SCHOLARSHIPS THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO OFFER THROUGH THE FRONT ROYAL CARDINALS.
I WON'T TELL YOU WHAT YEAR, BUT YOU CAN ALL GUESS THAT LATER.
UM, SO I, I'M PLEASED TO REPRESENT THE FRONT ROW CARDINAL BASEBALL TEAM.
THE FRONT ROW CARDINAL BASEBALL TEAM IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, AND WE ARE ABLE TO BRING COLLEGE LEVEL, UM, BASEBALL TO WARREN COUNTY.
AND WE ARE PART OF THE VALLEY BASEBALL LEAGUE.
AND THE WHOLE LEAGUE IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
SO AS, AS A PART OF OUR FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES, WE ARE PLEASED TO HELP SPONSOR, UM, LITTLE LEAGUE, BOTH GIRLS AND AND BOYS.
AND WE'RE ALSO, UM, ABLE TO GIVE BACK TO THE WARREN COUNTY BASEBALL IN SOFTBALL PROGRAM.
AND THIS YEAR, OUR, OUR BOARD HAS VOTED TO BRING SCHOLARSHIPS BACK TO WARREN COUNTY.
SO I KNOW WE'RE A LITTLE LATE IN THE SEASON, BUT WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY SET ASIDE FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE 2024 STUDENT ATHLETES.
SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO, AND WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, IS, UM, WE'D LIKE TO OFFER FOUR SCHOLARSHIPS, ONE SCHOLARSHIP TO A SKYLINE BASEBALL SENIOR WHO PLANS TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $500.
ANOTHER ONE FOR, UM, SKYLINE SOFTBALL SENIOR, WHO ALSO PLANS TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION FOR $500.
WARREN COUNTY BASEBALL SENIOR, WHO PLANS TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION FOR $500.
AND A WARREN COUNTY SOFTBALL SENIOR, WHO ALSO PLANS TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION FOR $500.
SO A TOTAL OF $2,000 THAT AN ORGANIZATION WOULD LIKE TO GIVE BACK.
AND I'M PROUD TO, UM, ASK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE TODAY.
IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE THAT THESE SCHOLARSHIPS BE ACCEPTED WITH GRATITUDE? IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
[5.B. Donation of Auditorium Seating]
UP THIS EVENING, WE HAVE DONATION OF AUDITORIUM SEATING, MR. SMITH.[01:30:03]
OKAY.THE WILSON MORRISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AUDITORIUM IS BEING RENOVATED TO PROVIDE AN INDOOR FACILITY FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF.
THE AUDITORIUM SEATING WAS REMOVED AND IS SET TO GO TO AUCTION.
MR. ROB MCDOUGALL HAS GRACIOUSLY PROVIDED A FACILITY TO STORE THE AUDITORIUM SEATING FROM E WILSON MORRISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL UNTIL THEY CAN BE SOLD AT AUCTION.
THIS BOARD WISHES TO DONATE A COUPLE OF THE AUDITORIUM SEATS TO BE DISPLAYED AT HIS THEATER ONCE RENOVATIONS ARE COMPLETE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. SMITH? IS THERE A MOTION? YES.
CAN I ASK A, A RELATED QUESTION, BUT NOT SPECIFICALLY THIS, DO WE KNOW, UM, I KNOW YOU WERE LOOKING INTO THE, UM, THE AUCTION PROCESS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE ANY, I DON'T HAVE A CLEAR UPDATE.
I, I DON'T HAVE A CLEAR UPDATE.
I'M WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AT THE SCHOOL TO BE ABLE TO ADVERTISE THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, THE, THE QUESTION I THINK THAT, THAT THAT COMES UP IS THE POLICY ITSELF.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, UM, THE HISTORICAL CHAIRS, UH, THE THEATER SEATING CHAIRS, UH, THAT CAME FROM E WILSON AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO, TO AUCTION THOSE, ALL SELL THOSE OFF, UH, TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, AND THOSE FUNDS THAT WE REGAIN FROM THAT, WE COME BACK TO HELP BUY, UH, PORTABLE CHAIRS THAT WE COULD USE WHEN WE TURN THE FACILITY FROM AN AUDITORIUM INTO A, A GYMATORIUM OR GYM.
UH, A COMBINATION OF A, A GYM AND AN AUDITORIUM.
UM, BUT THE POLICY ALSO IDENTIFIES THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A SURPLUS SALE AND YOU ARE ARE SELLING ITEMS, THERE IS A PARTICULAR WAY THAT WE HAVE TO DO IT IN ORDER FOR WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD EMPLOYEES TO ACTUALLY BUY.
SO, UM, YEAH, I CAN, I CAN PROBABLY PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THAT AT THE, THE NEXT MEETING.
UH, BUT YEAH, WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT.
WE HAVE THEM CURRENTLY AND THE CHAIRS IN LIKE SECTIONS OF THREE.
UM, AND THEY DO HAVE A LOT OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, NOT ONLY TO THE BUILDING, BUT ALSO TO THE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY A LOT OF THE FOLKS WHO PERHAPS TAUGHT THERE ARE STUDENTS WHO WENT THERE.
SO, UM, I I, I DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE, I APOLOGIZE, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE IN REGARDS TO, TO THAT.
NO, I'M SORRY TO PUT YOU ON, ON THE, IT'S THE SPOT.
IT'S, I JUST LOVE HAVING YOU TALK ABOUT THE CHAIRS BECAUSE I WANNA DRUM UP AS MUCH COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THIS AUCTION OF THE, OF THE CHAIRS AS POSSIBLE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT THEY NOT ONLY GET SOLD, BUT ALSO MAKE IT INTO THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE THAT THEY SENTIMENTALLY MEAN SOMETHING TO.
SO, I'M SORRY FOR CATCHING YOU OFF GUARD WITH THAT.
IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION? YES.
I MOVE THAT, UH, TWO AUDITORIUM SEATS BE DONATED TO MR. MCDOUGALL SO THAT THEY CAN BE DISPLAYED IN THE THEATER UPON COMPLETION OF THE RENOVATION.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL IS IN FAVOR? AYE.
[5.C. Teacher and Instructional Assistant Sick Leave Payout Incentive - Mr. Lee]
WE HAVE TEACHER AND INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT SICK LEAVE PAYOUT INCENTIVE, MR. LEE.SO I BELIEVE THIS IS THE SECOND READING.
UM, SO THIS IS THE, THE TEACHER AND INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT OR SU SUPPORT STAFF INCENTIVE THAT WE, UH, PRESENTED ON THE, UM, MARCH 20TH, UM, WORK SESSION.
BALLINGER READ THE FIRST READING AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING.
UM, SO THIS WOULD BE THE SECOND READING, UM, WHERE, UM, WE'RE PAYING OUR SUPPORT STAFF AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF, UH, IF THEY OPT TO BE, UM, A PART OF THE, THE INCENTIVE FOR THE SUPPORT STAFF.
UH, THE THREE ATTACHMENTS THERE.
UM, THE, THE FIRST ATTACHMENT IS THE ACTUAL PAYOUT AMOUNTS.
UM, AGAIN, IT WOULD BE $50 FOR THE SUPPORT STAFF AND A HUNDRED DOLLARS TOWARDS THE, UH, PROFESSIONAL STAFF.
THE SECOND ATTACHMENT THERE IS THE SU THE, THE ACTUAL, UM, POLICY OR, OR CODE GD BD DASH R.
THE HIGHLIGHTED AREAS THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD, UH, REVISE.
SO THE SICK LEAVE PAYOUT, AGAIN, THIS IS FOR THE SUPPORT STAFF OR INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANCE, THOSE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO OPT IN TO RECEIVE
[01:35:01]
PAYMENT OF UN UNUSED SICK LEAVE FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, SICK LEAVE, MINIMUM BALANCE, 31 DAYS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.BALANCE REQUIREMENTS, MINIMUM 30 DAYS AFTER THE PAYOUT, PAYOUT MINIMUM ONE DAY, MAXIMUM 10 DAYS OPT-IN FORM COMPLETED AND CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR.
BY AUGUST THE 31ST ELIGIBILITY, UH, FOR THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANCE WILL RECEIVE, UM, $50 PER UNUSED SICK DAY AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, UM, UH, IN BY THE END OF JULY.
AND THEN FOR THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF, LEAVE AGAIN, THE HIGHLIGHTED AREA, UM, THAT WE WOULD REVISE THE QUALIFIED TEACHERS WOULD BE CLASSROOM TEACHERS, PRE-K TO 12 SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, ELL TEACHERS, ATHLETIC TRAINERS, UM, LISTED QUALIFIED TEACHERS ABOVE ARE ELIGIBLE TO OPT IN TO RECEIVE PAYMENT OF UNUSED SICK LEAVE FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR.
ELIG GB ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ARE SICK LEAVE MINIMUM BALANCE, AGAIN, 31 DAYS AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, SORRY.
UM, BALANCE REQUIREMENTS MINIMUM 30 DAYS AFTER PAYOUT, PAYOUT, MINIMUM ONE DAY, MAXIMUM 10 DAYS.
OPT-IN FORM COMPLETED IN THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR.
BY AUGUST THE 31ST, ELIGIBLE QUALIFIED TEACHERS WOULD RECEIVE A HUNDRED DOLLARS PER UNUSED SICK DAY AT THE END OF THE, THE SCHOOL YEAR BY, BY IN JULY.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
IS THIS, IS THIS PLAN, IF WE, IF THIS IS AGREED UPON, START THIS JULY 1ST, 2024? OR IS THIS A WE'RE DOING THIS FOR START JULY 1ST, 2025.
SO THAT WOULD BE FOR THE 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR.
I, THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE THINKING IT WAS, WE'RE NOT DOING IT UNTIL FROM A YEAR FROM NOW, CORRECT.
WE'RE SAYING WE'RE STARTING AT THIS CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR FOR, FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
SO, SO THE POLICY GOES IN EFFECT JULY 1ST, 2024.
WHICH MEANS THE PAYOUT WOULD NOT, WOULD BE FOR THAT SCHOOL YEAR, RIGHT.
SOMETIME IN MAY OR JUNE OF 25.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR MR. LEE? UH, ONE OTHER, MR. LEE.
HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU HAD MUCH FEEDBACK FROM ANYBODY ABOUT ANY OF THIS? UM, I HAVE TALKED TO A COUPLE OF FOLKS, JUST, YOU KNOW, OUT OF CURIOSITY JUST TO SEE WHAT THEY, THEY THINK.
I, I THINK SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY JUST SHOULD SHOW UP AND DO THEIR JOB.
UM, I, I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK
AND THE BEAUTY OF IT IS IT'S OPT IN, SO IT'S THEIR CHOICE.
SO EVERYBODY GETS WHAT THEY WANT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, UM, NO QUESTION.
JUST, AND IT COULD BE THE FONT, AGAIN, JUST A VERY SMALL TYPO, I THINK ON THE, UM, GDB DASH R ON THE SECOND PAGE THERE UNDER THE HIGHLIGHTED, 'CAUSE I HAVE IT PRINTED OUT AND I'M LOOKING, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE THE WORD ELIGIBILITY FOR ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS MIGHT BE SPELLED WRONG.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE I'S AND THE L'S IN THERE.
BUT I THINK IT'S, I THINK ELIGIBILITY IS SPELLED WRONG THERE.
BUT JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT OUT.
WE MIGHT WANNA LOOK AT THAT AND FIX IT.
[5.D. Request to Have Warren County Board of Supervisors Appropriate FY2022 School Operating Fund Surplus - Dr. Ballenger]
NEXT UP THIS EVENING, WE HAVE REQUESTS TO HAVE WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROPRIATE FISCAL YEAR 2022 SCHOOL OPERATING FUNDS SURPLUS.UH, LEMME GET HERE TO THE RIGHT ONE.
WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS RECEIVED THE 2122, UH, COUNTY AUDIT REPORTING AT THE FEBRUARY 28TH, 2023 MEETING.
A COPY OF THE PAGE SHOWING THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD'S OPERATING FUND SURPLUS IS ATTACHED.
THE TOTAL 2122 SCHOOL OPERATING SURPLUS IS $973,098.
IT IS BEING REQUESTED THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROPRIATE 300,000 OF THIS SURPLUS SURPLUS TO THE SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION FUND THAT IS HELD BY THE COUNTY AND THE REMAINING $673,098, UM, TO THE SCHOOL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND THAT IS ALSO HELD BY THE COUNTY.
THE 300,000 DESIGNATED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF BUSES AND VEHICLES, BUT HAS NOT BE, OH, OH, SORRY, I GOT OFFLINE HERE.
UM, THE 300,000 DESIGNATED FOR THE TRANSPORTATION FUND WAS ORIGINALLY INCLUDED IN THE 25 PROPOSED SCHOOL OPERATING BUDGET TO PURCHASE REPLACEMENT BUSES AND VEHICLES, BUT HAS SINCE BEEN REMOVED, CONTINUED TO UPON THE FUNDING BEING APPROPRIATED TO THE TRANSPORTATION FUND OF THE 673 9 80, UH, $98
[01:40:01]
REQUESTED FOR THE COUNTY SCHOOL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND.40,000 WAS ORIGINALLY INCLUDED IN THE 25 PROPOSED SCHOOL OPERATING BUDGET TO COVER THE REPAIR REPLACEMENT OF THE CHILLER AT HILDE J BARBER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND TO UPGRADE THE HVAC REPLACEMENT SYSTEM AT SEVERAL SCHOOLS.
THE REMAINING BALANCE OF 630 3098 BEING REQUESTED FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND WILL BE REQUESTED AT A FUTURE DATE FOR OTHER CAPITAL PRIORITIES SUCH AS REPLACEMENT OF TENNIS COURTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DR.
BALLINGER ON THIS? IS THE, UH, CHILLER, IS THAT THE SAME THING AS THE COOLING TOWER? YES.
UM, I NOTICE WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UM, PURCHASE CONTRACTS ON HERE.
SO FOR INSTANCE, LIKE THE $300,000 FOR THE, UM, TRANSPORTATION, WHAT SPECIFICALLY DO WE KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD BE? SPEND TIME? WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PICKED OUT TO PURCHASE SPECIFICALLY RIGHT NOW.
THE BUSES ARE ABOUT, UM, $120,000 EACH.
AND THEN, UH, MR. MITCHELL HAD MENTIONED THAT HE NEEDS TO REPLACE SOME, UH, VEHICLES, SOME WITHIN, UH, MAINTENANCE, AND THEN OTHERS JUST GENERAL PURPOSE VEHICLES.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE A LIST OF SPECIFIC REPLACEMENTS OR PURCHASE AT THIS TIME.
I KNOW MR. MITCHELL HAS PROBABLY IDENTIFIED SOMETHING THAT, THAT HE'S LOOKING AT.
AND SO FOR, JUST FOR THE, FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND, THE WAY THAT THE BUDGET WORKS FOR EACH DEPARTMENT IS, UM, OBVIOUSLY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S NOT ALLOWED, IT'S ILLEGAL FOR US TO OVERSPEND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS BUDGETED TO US.
SO AT THE END OF EVERY YEAR, WE, THERE IS LEFTOVER MONEY AND THAT LEFTOVER MONEY.
THEN ONCE ALL THE AUDITS ARE ARE DONE, THEY LET US KNOW HOW MUCH IS LEFT OVER ANYTHING LEFT OVER RETURNS TO THE COUNTY COFFERS, THE COUNTY COFFER.
WE, WELL, THE COUNTY, WE KIND OF HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THAT THAT MONEY WILL BE RETURNED TO US IN SOME WAY.
UM, I, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS IT WAS GONNA GO TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE AGREEMENT THAT I UNDERSTOOD THAT WE HAD WITH THE COUNTY.
UM, AND I KNOW LISTENING TO THEM LAST NIGHT, HEARING ABOUT THESE 1.3, $1.5 MILLION IN REPLACING TENNIS COURTS, THAT IS DEFINITELY A STICKING POINT FOR THEM IN OUR BUDGETING PROCESS.
UM, THIS MONEY IS COMING BACK TO US NO MATTER WHAT.
LIKE, THEY'RE NOT, IF WE DO NOT APPROVE THIS TONIGHT, THEY'RE NOT TAKING IT BACK.
THIS WOULD BE ASKING FOR THEM TO TAKE IT FROM THEIR, UM, UNDESIGNATED RESERVES, WHICH IS WHERE IT WENT WHEN IT WAS NOT SPENT BACK AT THE END OF FISCAL 22, AND THEN ASKING THEM TO PLACE IT IN A DESIGNATED FUND, ONE OF THEM BEING FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, THE OTHER FOR BEING TRA FOR TRANSPORTATION.
WE WOULD THEN HAVE TO GO TO THEM AND ASK THEM TO SPEND IT FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES, UH, AT A FUTURE DATE.
SO YEAH, THEY, THEY HAVE THE MONEY NOW AND, UH, THIS IS JUST ASKING THEM TO DESIGNATE IT, UM, FOR THE PURPOSES AS OUTLINED IN HERE, OR AS YOU WOULD APPROVE TONIGHT.
SO THIS, THIS IS US SAYING, THIS IS WHERE WE WANT YOU TO PLACE THESE FUNDS, CORRECT? YES.
INTO THESE TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, WHICH AGAIN, THEY HOLD, BUT THEY'RE SORT OF, THEY'RE HELD IN THE NAME OF THE SCHOOL SCHOOLS, WHEREAS NOW THEY'RE JUST IN AN UN-DESIGNATED FUND.
UM, THAT'S PART OF THE COUNTY'S OVERALL FUND BALANCE.
SO WITH EVERYTHING IS IN A STATE OF UPHEAVAL AS IT WAS LAST NIGHT, IF WE VOTE FOR THIS RIGHT NOW AND WE MOVE THESE FUNDS, THESE FUNDS WOULD NO LONGER BE ON THE TABLE.
IF SAY OUR BUDGET IS KEPT FLAT, WE COULD NOT THEN SAY, OH, HEY, HOLD ON.
WE WANNA USE THIS TOWARDS TEACHER RAISES.
WELL, I, I THINK YOU COULD TAKE IT BACK.
YOU'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS AND ASK THE COUNTY, BECAUSE IT'S JUST BEING DESIGNATED FOR THESE PURPOSES.
[01:45:01]
THE PAST WE HAVE BEEN VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT TAKING MONEY SUCH AS THIS ONE TIME MONEY, RIGHT? IT'S NOT A CONTINUOUS REVENUE STREAM AND USING IT FOR PURCHASES THAT WILL, OR NOT PURCHASES FOR EXPENSES THAT WILL BE ONGOING INTO THE FUTURE, BECAUSE THAT CREATES A HOLE THEN WHEN YOU START YOUR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.AND I THINK THE COUNTY HAS ALL ALSO ENCOURAGED US TO DO IT FOR JUST ONE TIME, SINGLE EXPENSES SUCH AS THE BUSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT YES, IT, I I THINK ONCE IT WAS PUT THERE, IT COULD THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ACTION BE DESIGNATED FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
AND I THINK HISTORICALLY IT'S BEEN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND.
IT'S BEEN TRANSPORTATION, WHICH WE'VE HAD THE BUS FUND GO IN THERE MULTIPLE TIMES.
AND THEN I THINK TEXTBOOKS HAS BEEN THE THIRD CATEGORY THAT THEY'VE HELD FOR US IN THE PAST.
WELL, I THINK THE TIME WITH THE BUSES, IT STANDS OUT IN MY HEAD WITH WHAT, WITH MS. MS COLORS, THERE WAS SOME MONEY THAT WAS APPROPRIATED TO BUSES AND THEN IT WAS USED DIFFERENTLY AND THERE WERE, SO THAT'S HOW WE ENDED UP ON CATEGORICAL FUNDING.
I, MY FEAR WITH THIS IS AFTER HEARING WHAT WE HEARD LAST NIGHT, OUR BUDGET IS A COM IN A COMPLETE STATE OF UPHEAVAL RIGHT NOW.
AND SO TO, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS JUST A RUSH TO, UM, I THINK WE MIGHT WANNA THINK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
YEAH, I, I WOULD AGREE THAT IT'S ANY OTHER YEAR, MAYBE IT'S KIND OF LIKE A KNOWN THING, BUT THIS YEAR IT'S LIKE, WELL, LET, LET'S, WE, WE MAY GET SPANKED INTO ALL OF OUR MONEY THAT WE ASKED FOR, NOT GIVEN TO US.
I THINK WE SHOULD ASK FOR THIS, BUT MAYBE LET'S DO THE BUDGET FIRST, GET THAT APPROVED, AND THEN THEN GO BACK AND ASK FOR, FOR DESSERT.
WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH, WITH OUR BUDGET AT THIS MOMENT.
AND, UM, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S LIKE, UM, IT SPENDING OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT WHEN WE'VE JUST FOUND OUT SOME REALLY BAD NEWS THAT WE'VE GOT SOME POTENTIAL UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES HAPPENING.
SO AT LEAST FOR ME IN MY PERSONAL LIFE, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE A TIME THAT I WOULD SAY, HMM, LET ME NOT SPEND THE, THE SAVINGS ACCOUNT RIGHT AWAY.
LET'S, LET ME PROCESS AND DIGEST THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED 24 HOURS AGO AND REGROUP AND MAKE SURE WE MAKE THE BEST STRATEGY POSSIBLE MOVING FORWARD.
SO I, I'M NOT A, I WOULD NOT BE A, NO, I WOULD BE A, LET'S, LET'S HOLD OFF AND REVISIT THIS IN TWO WEEKS.
DA, BECAUSE THEY MENTIONED THIS MONEY LAST NIGHT AND THEY KNEW IT WAS ON OUR AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION WITH THAT COMING THROUGH? WELL, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE TALKED TO DR.
DALEY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE USE THE 300,000 AS EXPLAINED EARLIER, UM, WITH THIS CARRYOVER FUNDING, THEN THAT TAKES THE 300,000 OFF OF THE OPERATIONAL SIDE.
SO RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE 300,000 IN OPERATIONS, WHICH IS PART OF THAT $2.4 MILLION.
UM, AND IF YOU PUT THAT, PUT THE BUSES TOWARDS THIS, THEN THAT REDUCES THAT NOW DOWN TO 2.1 MILLION FOR OPERATIONS INSTEAD OF, UM, STILL BEING THERE AT 2.4.
SO HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, LET'S SAY THAT THEY DECIDE NOT TO GIVE US A DIME EXTRA OR WORST CASE SCENARIO, THEY DECIDE TO CUT OUR FUNDING AND REDUCE OUR BUDGET ALTOGETHER.
I MEAN, WE, WE WILL HAVE TO START LOOKING AT THESE PURCHASES AND WE'VE GOT A WHOLE LOT TO ABSORB.
UM, DO WE WANT TO MAYBE GIVE IT MORE THAN 24 HOURS WORTH OF THOUGHT AND REALLY THINK AND CRUNCH THESE NUMBERS HARD BECAUSE WE ARE FACING HARDSHIP.
SO A COUPLE OF THINGS, I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO OP THERE'S, THERE'S TWO BUDGETS WE LOOK AT.
WE LOOK AT THE OPERATING BUDGET, WHICH 80% IS STAFFING PERSONNEL.
UM, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE OPERATING BUDGET.
AND THEN THE CPI BUDGET IS SEPARATE.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE HAVE HISTORICALLY, I THINK FOR MANY A YEARS, I'M GUESSING, UM, MR. VALENTINE, YOU CAN TELL ME ANY OF THE EXCESS FUNDS FROM THE OPERATING BUDGET, THEY GO BACK TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
THEY'VE, THERE'S BEEN, I MEAN, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, KIND OF A INFORMAL THOUGHT PROCESS DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN IN PUBLIC, BUT WE DON'T HAVE IT WRITTEN THAT IT'LL ALWAYS GO TO THE TEXTBOOK TRANSPORTATION OR C UM, CPI FUND BECAUSE THAT, THAT, UH, THAT'S PAID FOR LFK, THAT'S PAID FOR BLUE RIDGE TECH, UM,
[01:50:01]
ROOF THAT PAYS FOR ALL OF THE STRUCTURAL, UM, FACILITIES.FACILITIES DOES NOT COME OUT OF OUR OPERATIONS BUDGET.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE A BUDGET, BUT, UM, AS, AS, AS WONDERFUL AS HE IS, HE DOESN'T HAVE A BUDGET THERE OF, UH, IN OUR OPERATIONS TO, YOU KNOW, RENOVATE LFK.
SO I THINK THERE HAS BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY WHAT I HEARD, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH DR.
AND MY CONCERN WOULD BE IS IF WE, UM, LOOK AT THIS THROUGH THE LENS OF, OH, WELL THERE ARE, THERE'S 900,000 THERE.
IF WE, IF THE, IF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DOES, UH, KEEP OUR BUDGET AT LEVEL PAY AND WE DON'T GET THE EXTRA, YOU KNOW, WE, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE IN GOOD PRACTICE FOR US TO TAKE THAT AND PUT IT INTO THE OPERATING BUDGET BECAUSE THEN WE'VE PUT $900,000 IN THE OPERATING BUDGET THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING REVENUE FROM, AND THEN NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA BE IN THAT SAME, WHERE ARE WE GONNA COME UP TO PAY THAT AGAIN? UM, SO I WOULD DISCOURAGE US FROM DOING THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE TAKE THAT, UH, THE CPI, YOU KNOW, WE PUT THAT IN THERE.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THAT NEXT PROJECT AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I KNOW THAT THEY'VE TOYED AROUND WITH.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE POSSIBLE TO DO BOTH SETS OF TENNIS COURTS, BUT THERE'S, THE TENNIS COURTS WAS ON THERE.
I THINK, UM, THERE WAS THREE THINGS.
I'M, UH, AN HVAC AT BLUE RIDGE TECH, I BELIEVE.
AM I MISSPEAKING? BUT I BELIEVE THAT WAS ONE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW WHAT, ONCE THEY, THEY KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE, WHAT'S THE MONIES THAT'S IN THE CPI ACCOUNT, THEN THEY CAN, UH, THE FACILITIES COMMITTEE CAN PROCESS THAT AND DETERMINE WHAT IS THE PRIORITIES FOR THOSE, UH, MAINTENANCE AND FACILITIES PROJECTS.
AND THEN WE STILL ARE ABLE TO HAVE BUSES.
IT TAKES AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME.
I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE BOARD, I THINK IT TOOK EIGHT MONTHS TO A YEAR FROM THE TIME WE ORDERED SOME BUSES TILL WE THEY WERE DELIVERED.
UM, AND, AND I KNOW OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT HAS A WHOLE PROCESS OF HOW THEY ROTATE AND USE BUSES.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE ALWAYS NEED TO PREPARE FOR.
UM, SO WE HAVE THOSE TWO, TWO FUNDS.
MY NEXT PROCESS THOUGHT IS, YOU KNOW, IF, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD A, A HARD, UH, LOFTY ASK.
UM, WE ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN MULTIPLE OTHER COUNTIES THAT NEEDS ARE CONTINUING TO GROW AND ASKS ARE CONTINUING TO GROW AND WHATEVER THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, YOU KNOW, SO CHOOSES TO DO EITHER, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY, WELL, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE TO DO, I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE.
AND THERE'S A THOUSAND DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
BUT THEN WHAT WE'RE TASKED WITH AS A SCHOOL BOARD IS JUST TO TAKE THAT NUMBER THAT THEY HAVE APPROPRIATED, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE, THERE, YOU'RE, THERE'S YOUR NUMBER.
GET YOUR BUDGET TO THE NUMBER.
AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST.
UM, THAT'S WHERE WE CRUNCH AGAIN.
WE LOOK AND WE SAY, OKAY, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, AND WE, WE DO THAT AND WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M AT.
I'M NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A PROPONENT OF OF, OF USING IT FOR ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT CPI OR, OR ANYTHING AT THE TIME.
SO THEY WERE PRETTY CLEAR THOUGH, IF WE DO NOT COME BACK WITH A LOWER BUDGET, WE'RE GETTING NOTHING.
SO FOR US TO SAY THEY, THEY'RE SICK OF BEING THE BAD GUY.
THEY ARE SICK OF BEING TREATED LIKE THE PARENT IN THE ROOM AND US COMING UP TO THEM AT, WITH AS KIDS WITH THIS CHRISTMAS WISHLIST THAT'S RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE.
SO THAT WE CAN SAY, ASK FOR THE WORLD AND THEN HAVE THEM DO THE, THE BE THE BAD GUY AND CUT THIS, CUT THAT, AND COME BACK TO US WITH A NUMBER.
AND, AND THEN WE WORK WITH THAT.
THEY'VE GIVEN US A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT.
WE'RE EITHER GONNA DO IT OR WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE CONSEQUENCES OF IT.
AND THIS GROUP OF BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS, I MEAN, MR. JAMESON IS HIGHLY TRAINED.
HE'S GOT HIS DOCTORATE AND I BELIEVE ANALYTICAL MATHEMATICS, THIS IS NOT A MAN YOU WANNA PLAY AROUND WITH.
I'M NOT PLAYING A GAME OF CHICKEN AND TAKING THE RISK WITH TEACHERS RAISES.
SO YES, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WITH ONE TIME EXPENSES, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, RECURRING EXPENSES.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS THIS MONEY, WE'VE GOT A HUGE ONETIME EXPENSE RIGHT NOW FACING US WITH 600 AND SOME ODD THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE, THE TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES, RIGHT? THAT'S A ONETIME EXPENSE IF WE'RE GO, THAT'S A ONE TIME EXPENSE THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN AND THE FUNCTIONALITY OF SOMETHING AS CRITICAL AS OUR COMPUTER SYSTEMS, UM, FOR US TO PRIORITIZE THAT OVER 1.5 MILLION IN TENNIS COURTS, UM, I THINK WOULD BE SEEN AS A GOOD FAITH GESTURE.
AND IF WE CAN MOVE WHAT IS CURRENTLY IN OUR BUDGET WITH OUR ADDITIONAL
[01:55:01]
ASK OF THAT TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE, IF WE MOVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT OVER INTO THIS, THEN THAT DOES FREE UP SPACE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT THE TEACHER RAISES.I'M NOT SAYING PAY TEACHER RAISES OUT OF THIS.
I'M SAYING WE COULD POSSIBLY PURCHASE SOME OF THOSE ONE-TIME EXPENSES IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT THOSE RAISES.
EITHER WAY, I THINK JUST THE LEVEL OF DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW SHOWS THAT THERE'S A LOT TO BE DISCUSSED AND MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T MAKE A SNAP JUDGMENT ON THIS.
SO I THINK, AS I SAID EARLIER, UM, KEN, I ALREADY STARTED THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT GOING BACK TO THE BUDGET AT THE MAY 15TH WORK SESSION.
SO I THINK IF EVERYONE'S AGREEABLE, THERE'S NO SENSE OF URGENCY.
THERE'S NOTHING RIGHT ON THE TABLE THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE A PURCHASE ON THIS IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
SO IF THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT'S AGREEABLE TO EVERYONE, PERHAPS TABLING THIS TO GO WITH THAT BUDGET DISCUSSION COULD BE A SUGGESTION FOR THIS EVENING.
AND, AND OBVIOUSLY TO FOLLOW UP, YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET COMMITTEE HASN'T MET, UM, TO LOOK AT ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL OPTIONS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOMETHING LITERALLY EVERY NIGHT THIS WEEK WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY, UM, AS DR.
BALLINGER HAS ALWAYS SAID, WE WANNA BE A GOOD PARTNER, UM, AND WE WANNA DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE.
BUT I WILL CONTINUE TO ASSERT, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE BECAUSE, UM, I'M HERE TO, TO SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STUDENTS AND CERTAINLY NOT OPPOSED TO THAT, UH, MADAM CHAIR.
UM, AND WE WILL JUST CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
I JUST WANNA SAY IF THIS BOARD WANTS TO DISCUSS THIS MORE AT OUR NEXT MEETING, THAT'S FINE.
BUT I DO WANNA POINT OUT IN THE PROPOSAL THAT WE RECEIVED IT IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID.
IT'S TAKING SOME OF THOSE ONE-TIME PURCHASES OUT OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET FOR BUSES AND USING THIS MONEY TO SPEND IT.
SO THIS IS, IT'S, IT'S DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND WE CAN DISCUSS IT FURTHER, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS IN HERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE NICE IF WE HAVE THAT BUDGET IN FRONT OF US SO THAT WAY WE CAN SAY, OKAY, WELL THIS IS, IF WE'RE MOVING IT HERE, THEN THAT'S WHAT OUR OPERATING BUDGET NOW LOOKS LIKE.
MAYBE, I MEAN, MAYBE IT GOES HAND IN HAND.
YEAH, NO, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I MEAN, IF, IF WE HAVE TO LOOK AT VERY SPECIFIC DATA, UM, YES, OBVIOUSLY PURCHASING BUSES IS A NEED, BUT I MEAN, I, I DON'T SEE SERVICE RECORD DATA FOR KNOWING WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE TWO BUSES THAT ARE LITERALLY GONNA STOP WORKING.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING FROM WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE, IF WE DO NOT UPGRADE WITH, AND TECH IS NOT MY FIELD, THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD ABSOLUTELY IS, BUT IF WE DON'T UPGRADE OUR COMPUTER SYSTEMS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA WORK.
SO AT SOME POINT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAYBE CHOOSE BETWEEN TECH UPGRADE THIS YEAR, BUSES NEXT YEAR.
WE'RE, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS.
SO I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF TABLING THIS.
AND I, AND I THINK WITH ALL THAT, THERE'S MUCH MORE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO GAIN TO, TO GAIN, TO LOOK AT IT FULLY.
I MEAN, YEAH, WE CAN STILL DISCUSS.
I DO THINK THAT WE DID RECEIVE THAT BUS INFORMATION THOUGH LAST WEEK, NOT BY EMAIL.
SO THE, SO THE BUS INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED AND, AND I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH WHAT AARON MITCHELL PUT FORWARD, BUT IT'S NOT WHAT I AM TYPICALLY USED TO VIEWING IN FLEET INFORMATION.
SO WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SERVICE FLEET IS YOU HAVE A SERVICE RECORD, THERE'S A SERVICE RECORD THAT CARRIES WITH EVERY BUS, AND YOU START LOOKING AT NOT JUST MILEAGE AND NOT JUST YEARS, BUT YOU LOOK AT THE COST INCURRED FOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS ON A VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE OF SAID VEHICLE.
SO THAT WOULD BE INFORMATION THAT I WOULD WANNA SEE, AS WELL AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PURCHASING ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE VEHICLES, ARE WE LOOKING AT, I KNOW HISTORICALLY, UM, I'VE BEEN TOLD WE'VE RECEIVED, UH, HAND-ME-DOWNS FROM THE COUNTY AND FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
WOULD THAT BE A POSSIBILITY? SO THAT WE CAN SAVE, SAVE ANY BIT OF MONEY THAT WE CAN BUYING USED VERSUS BUYING NEW, UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAINTENANCE VEHICLES THAT ARE, THEY'RE JUST GONNA BE GOING RIGHT AROUND TOWN AND THEIR, THEIR WORK VEHICLES.
SO THEY NEED TO BE FUNCTIONAL, BUT THEY ALSO DON'T NEED TO BE BRAND NEW.
UM, THESE ARE THE, THE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE AND SAVE EVERY NICKEL AND DIME WHERE WE CAN.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO TABLE THAT I MOVE THAT WE TABLE THIS DISCUSSION UNTIL OUR WORK SESSION ON MAY 15TH? IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT.
ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
[02:00:01]
OKAY.[5.E. Policy Review and Update]
NEXT UP WE HAVE POLICY REVIEW AND UPDATE, UM, AS MR. SMITH IS WALKING UP HERE, I'M JUST GONNA SAY FOR EVERYONE THAT'S WATCHING FROM HOME, THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL UPDATE FROM OUR ATTORNEY THAT DIDN'T GET POSTED UNTIL 4 55 THIS AFTERNOON.SO I HAVEN'T EVEN OPENED IT YET.
SO IT'S LISTED AS A FIRST READING, BUT IT'S ALREADY CHANGED A LITTLE BIT.
AND I ALSO JUST PRINTED THOSE OUT.
UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST READING.
SO NORMALLY WE WOULD HAVE THREE READINGS FOR A POLICY, UH, THAT IS A POLICY.
UH, AND ALSO WE HAVE WHAT ARE REGULATIONS AND REGULATIONS, UH, POLICY IS THE, THE START, THE, THE, THE DEFINITIONS AND SO FORTH.
AND THEN A REGULATION IS HOW WE TAKE THAT PARTICULAR POLICY AND WE APPLY IT TO OUR, UH, DIVISION.
SO WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS THE FIRST READING, AND THIS IS DEALING WITH HOME INSTRUCTION.
UM, ALSO, UM, EXEMPTIONS FROM SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, UM, AND RELEASE FROM COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE, UH, FOR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND SO FORTH HERE.
UM, SO NORMALLY OUR FIRST READING, UNLESS YOU, UH, HAVE DIALOGUE OR CONVERSATION IS TO PRESENT THESE AS THE FIRST READING.
AND NORMALLY WE HAVE OUR SECOND READING IS AT THE, UH, WORK SESSION, UM, WHERE WE, WE DO HAVE MORE DIALOGUE.
AND THEN THE THIRD READING WOULD BE, UM, THE 1ST OF JUNE, UH, WHERE WE THEN WOULD HAVE THESE POLICIES GO INTO EFFECT.
UM, SO THE WAY THAT THIS CAME UP IS THE HOME EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION OF VIRGINIA REACHED OUT AND CONTACTED US TO LET US KNOW THAT OUR POLICIES WERE NOT IN LEGAL COMPLIANCE WITH VIRGINIA STATE LAW.
AND SO THE GOAL IS TO WORK TO GET THOSE IN COMPLIANCE WITH VIRGINIA STATE LAW.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE JUST RECEIVED THE UPDATES FROM OUR ATTORNEY.
I HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN ABLE TO READ THOSE YET.
UM, AND THEN I BELIEVE MR. MCFADDEN'S BEEN PUTTING IN A LOT OF TIME WITH, UM, MS. BEAR FROM THE, THE HEAVE ORGANIZATION.
SO, UM, I GUESS WE DON'T REALLY EVEN NEED A MOTION ON THIS RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL JUST, WE'LL JUST WORK ON IT AT THE, AT THE WORK SESSION.
UH, I WOULD RECOMMEND ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN THE WHOLE HOME EDUCATION CONCEPT AND HOW IT ALL WORKS TO, TO READ OVER THESE THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, GET YOUR INPUT ON IT.
I, I DID SEE THE, THE LATEST UPDATE I HAVEN'T PRINTED OUT HERE.
THE, UH, ATTORNEYS GOT GOT RID OF PARAGRAPH AFTER PARAGRAPH AFTER PARAGRAPH, WHICH IS GREAT.
SO I, THEY'RE ACTUALLY, UM, PRETTY GOOD IN TRYING TO, THEY'RE PRETTY TIGHT FOR WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SAY.
SO I, I, I THINK THEY'VE DONE A, THEY'VE DONE A GOOD START.
THEY'VE INCLUDED SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS, UH, GIVEN TO US BY PROFESSIONALS WHO, WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE LAWS REGARDING THIS.
SO IT'S, UM, IT'S A GOOD START TO DO IT.
BUT IF, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC, THIS IS YOUR TIME TO SHINE AND, AND READ OVER IT AND, AND, AND COME TO THE, THE NEXT MEETINGS AND TALK ABOUT IT.
NEXT UP WE HAVE, UM, POLICY REVIEW PROCEDURES.
UM, THIS IS GONNA HAVE TO DO WITH THE SAN ANDERSON PLAN THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY UNDER FOR BASICALLY A POLICY REWRITE, UM, THAT WE FIRST APPROVED, I THINK IN 23.
I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK THAT BACK UP.
ANYWAY, UM, I DON'T FEEL LIKE I HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION THIS EVENING FROM KIND OF WHAT OUR ORIGINAL PLAN WAS, BUT BASICALLY WHAT WE DECIDED AS A BOARD AT THE TIME WAS TO HAVE SAN SANDERSON GO THROUGH OUR POLICIES AND ESSENTIALLY DO THIS REVISION REWRITE.
UM, AND AT THE TIME, A NUMBER, SOMETHING LIKE $50,000 WAS PRESENTED TO US.
UM, SO FAR WE'VE RECEIVED ONLY THE FIRST COUPLE OF SECTIONS AND WE'RE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, GONNA FAST EXCEED THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE ORIGINALLY DISCUSSED AS A BOARD.
SO, UM, THIS, I, I HOPE WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON AT OUR, AGAIN, MAY WORK SESSION.
JUST KIND OF WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR WITH OUR POLICY SERVICES AND OUR POLICY UPDATES AND WHAT IS THAT COSTING OUR SCHOOL DIVISION TO DO THAT? SO I DON'T, WHEN I SAY I DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THIS EVENING, UM, THIS KIND OF GOES HAND IN HAND WITH, AGAIN, SORT OF HEARING WHERE OUR BUDGET IS AND WHERE IS OUR MONEY BEING SPENT AND, YOU KNOW, CAN WE JUST SORT OF HAVE A PAUSE AND THINK ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THIS PROCESS? AND I KNOW MR. MCFADDEN, YOU SORT OF, UM, HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
SO YEAH, SO I GUESS WE USED TO BE PART OF THE VS BA AND PART OF THE VS B'S POSITION WAS THEY WOULD KEEP US IN TRACK AND TELL US WHEN WE WERE, WHEN THERE WAS A NEW LAW
[02:05:01]
COMING OUT OF VIRGINIA, SO THEY WOULD UPDATE OUR POLICY TO MAKE SURE WE WERE IN COMPLIANCE.BEFORE I WAS ON THE BOARD, IT WAS VOTED BY THIS BOARD TO, OR THE, THE FORMER BOARD TO MOVE AWAY FROM THERE.
AND THE PLAN WAS THEN TO SAY, WELL, WE, WE CAN JUST GET OUR LAWYERS TO DO IT.
AND THE LAWYERS WOULD THEN SAY, YEAH, IF THERE'S NEW LEGISLATION COMING OUT, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD REVIEW IT, MAKE SURE IT'S UP TO SPEED, WRITE, REWRITE OUR POLICY TO MAKE SURE IT'S COMPLIANT, UH, TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.
AND SO WHAT IS, WHAT THEY ARE DOING SAN ANDERSON ARE DOING IS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE WE COME UP AND SAY, HEY, CAN WE, CAN WE LOOK AT THIS AT, AT THIS POLICY? SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS HOMESCHOOLING POLICY, AND THEY DID GO INTO IT AND DIVE DEEP INTO IT AND TRY TO REWRITE IT.
BUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING ON A, ON A REGULAR BASIS IS, IS REWRITING THE ENTIRE POLICY.
THINGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELEVANT TO US, OR THINGS THAT WE MAY NOT CARE ABOUT AT THE MOMENT.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S OUR POLICY, SO WE CARE, I GET IT.
BUT THE POINT IS, IT MIGHT NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WE REFERENCE VERY FREQUENTLY.
SO THEY'RE GOING SYSTEMATICALLY THROUGH A BINDER THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, 12 INCHES DEEP GOING THROUGH IT ALL.
AND PAYING LAWYERS TO DO ANYTHING FOR THAT MUCH IS JUST A LOT OF MONEY.
SO WE HAVE SPENT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE PAST, JUST THIS YEAR, JUST ON POLICY REVIEWED, JUST ON, ON UPDATING OUR POLICY, WE SPENT OVER $5,000.
THERE ARE COMPANIES OUT THERE THAT ARE, ARE, ARE INTER, LIKE SBMA, WHO, WHO MAY, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE A, HAVE A POLICY THAT FOR THE WHOLE YEAR THEY DON'T NEED CHARGE YOU 5,500.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND SOME WAY TO SAVE SOME MONEY, STOP THE BLEEDING, STOP PAYING OUT TO OUR, OUR, UM, LAWYERS, AS MUCH MONEY AS WE ARE FOR THINGS THAT CURRENTLY ARE NOT AS IMPORTANT TO US AS OTHER THINGS.
SO THAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS ONE IS TO SAY, WE'RE NOT MAKING A DECISION HOW WE'RE GONNA PROGRESS IN THE FUTURE.
MAYBE THAT'S A DISCUSSION AT A DIFFERENT, UH, MEETING.
BUT FOR TODAY IT'S LIKE, LET'S JUST, LET'S STOP, LET'S STOP THE BLEED AND, AND, AND TELL HIM TO HALT AND, AND STOP REWRITING THE POLICIES THAT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO, TO REWRITE RIGHT NOW.
THAT WAS THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHY I BROUGHT IT UP.
JUST TO EXPAND ON WHAT, UH, MR. MCFADDEN SAID, UM, I, PREVIOUS BUDGET CYCLE, I BELIEVE OUR, OUR BUDGETED AMOUNT WAS SOMETHING LIKE $30,000.
AND THEN WHEN WE DID LEAVE THE, THE BSBA AND WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING THESE POLICIES REWRITTEN, IT WAS GONNA LOOK ANYWHERE FROM 30 TO $50,000 SPREAD OVER THREE YEARS.
UM, I DON'T BELIEVE WE ACTUALLY GOT A CONTRACT IN PLACE WITH SAN SANDERSON.
SO THERE WAS SOME MISCOMMUNICATION, MISUNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT WE WOULD BE EXPECTING WITH REGARD TO THAT.
UM, NOW, AS OF THIS YEAR, WE, WE FOUND OUT, THANKFULLY, UH, SOMEBODY FOYER REQUESTED OUR LEGAL EXPENDITURES SO FAR THIS YEAR.
AND AS OF APRIL, WE WERE IN, WE HAVE, WE HAD BUDGETED FOR $55,000 IN LEGAL EXPENSES THIS YEAR THAT WAS ADDING IN THAT EXTRA $15,000 ISH TO, TO START WORKING ON THIS POLICY REWRITE.
UM, AS OF APRIL, WE WERE OVER $160,000 SPENT IN LEGAL SERVICES, NOT ON POLICY SERVICES, BUT ON LEGAL SERVICES.
THE POLICY REVISION THAT THEY HAD DONE FOR US SO FAR WAS $13,624.
SO, POINT BEING IS THAT THAT LEGAL BUDGETED AMOUNT IS SO GROSSLY OVER BUDGET.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO, TO SPEND MONEY ON POLICY REWRITES RIGHT NOW WHEN WE'VE ALREADY THREE TIMES OVERSPENT OUR, OUR BUDGET.
UM, SO I THINK THE IDEA IS WE NEED TO HIT PAUSE WHILE POLICY REWRITES ARE, ARE GREAT.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE OPTIONS OUT THERE, AND WE NEED TO SAVE EVERY DIME THAT WE CAN BECAUSE WE ARE HEMORRHAGING MONEY THROUGH SAN SANDERSON RIGHT NOW.
AND WE JUST NEED TO HIT STOP, LIKE, HEAR WHAT THE SUPERVISORS TOLD US LAST NIGHT AND, AND, AND PUT THIS ASIDE FOR RIGHT NOW AND LOOK AT MORE AFFORDABLE OPTIONS.
I WILL SAY THAT, UM, WHEN THE, THE PREVIOUS BOARD, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND STOPPED USING THE VSBA FOR POLICY SERVICES, THIS WAS EXACTLY MY CONCERN, THAT IT WOULD BE TOO EXPENSIVE TO GO FOR THIS CADILLAC PLAN OF HAVING THEM LOOK AT EVERY POLICY AND THE REST OF THIS BOARD FELT THAT IT WOULD BE FINE TO DO THAT.
UM, AT THIS POINT, I FEEL LIKE THIS WAS NOT EVEN ON OUR AGENDA.
I I DON'T WANT TO CHANGE WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR POLICIES.
WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED TO SANS ANDERSON TO SEE WHAT THEY WANNA DO.
BALLINGER EXPLAINED AT OUR LAST MEETING THAT, UM, THE RECORDING WASN'T AVAILABLE, THAT, UM, THERE WAS SOME ISSUES THAT HAPPENED WITH THE, THE SPECIFIC ATTORNEY WHO WAS GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH THIS WITH US THAT CAUSED SOME DELAYS.
UM, AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHAT THAT IS.
YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE READY RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THIS IS MORE OF A WORK SESSION ITEM.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE READY RIGHT NOW TO MAKE A CHANGE TO OUR POLICIES, CONSIDERING IT WASN'T EVEN ON OUR AGENDA TO PREPARE FOR.
SO SINCE WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS THIS, LET'S MAKE SURE WE DISCUSS THIS
[02:10:01]
ACCURATELY.WE HAVE NOT EXCEEDED THE CADILLAC PLAN.
WE HAD BUDGETED, UM, THE 30 TO $50,000 SPREAD BETWEEN THREE YEARS.
WE ARE ONLY AT $13,000 IN THE POLICY SERVICES.
THE POLICY SERVICES HAVE NOT BEEN WHAT HAS PUT US THIS DISGUSTINGLY OVER BUDGET ON OUR LEGAL.
SO PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO BLAME US LEAVING THE VSBA FOR THAT.
THE REASONING THAT WE ARE HAVING TO REWRITE ALL OF OUR POLICIES IS BECAUSE OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE VSBA POLICY SERVICES FOR OVER A DECADE HAS RESULTED IN US HAVING POLICIES THAT ARE NOT MEETING VIRGINIA STATE LAW NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO ARE REDUNDANT AND ALSO IN CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER.
WE'VE JUST LAYERED POLICY OVER POLICY, OVER POLICY.
UM, LET'S REMEMBER THAT BACK IN MAY OF LAST YEAR, WE FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS THE, THE VS B'S POLICY SERVICES THAT LEFT US IN AN AREA WHERE WE DID NOT HAVE OUR MANDATORY REPORTERS BEING TOLD THAT THEY WERE MANDATORY REPORTERS.
WE DID NOT EVEN HAVE A MEMORANDUM OF, OF, OF AGREEMENT WITH SOCIAL SERVICES FOR CHILD ABUSE ISSUES BECAUSE WE JUST TOOK THE VSBA A'S POLICY, SIGNED IT, VOTED IT, AND NEVER DID THE ACTION ITEMS THAT WERE REQUIRED WITH IT.
SO OUR POLICIES, THANK YOU VSBA ARE A MESS.
THAT'S WHY WE LEFT THEIR POLICY SERVICES.
WE HAVE NOT LEFT, WE HAVE NOT EXCEEDED OUR BUDGET FOR OUR POLICY REVISION.
WE HAVE EXCEEDED SAN SANDERSON'S BUDGET BECAUSE WE'VE GIVEN HIM A BLANK CHECKBOOK.
AND WE HAVE HAD LEGAL ISSUE AFTER LEGAL ISSUE AFTER LEGAL ISSUE THIS YEAR.
NOW, WHAT I FIND FUNNY, NO, NOT FUNNY AT ALL, ACTUALLY QUITE DISGUSTING, IS THE FACT THAT SAN SANDERSON DID THE FIRST SECTION OF POLICIES IN SEPTEMBER.
AND WHEN WE RECEIVED THEM, IT WASN'T QUITE WHAT WE HAD EXPECTED.
THEY'RE TAKING ALL THESE LETTERED POLICIES AND CONVERTING 'EM INTO NUMBERED POLICIES, AND IT'S JUST A, IT'S A LOT OF BUSY WORK.
AND OUR BOARD HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT, HMM, THIS ISN'T REALLY WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING.
AND THERE ARE NO MORE INVOICES FOR POLICY SERVICES FROM THAT TIME UNTIL ALL OF A SUDDEN THE SBMA COMES TO US AND, AND OFFERS US THIS MUCH CHEAPER SERVICE.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE STRANGEST THING HAPPENED.
SAN ANDERSON STARTS BILLING US FOR THEIR POLICY REVISION.
THEY START PICKING IT BACK UP AGAIN.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE SOMEBODY IS TRYING TO RACE TO HAVE SANS ANDERSON DO THE JOB FOR 10 TIMES AS MUCH FASTER THAN WE CAN GET IT TO A VOTE TO HAVE THE SBMA BE CONSIDERED FOR, FOR DOING THE SAME JOB FOR LESS.
I'M SURE THAT'S PROBABLY JUST A COINCIDENCE.
I'M, I WOULD HOPE NO ONE WOULD EVER ACTUALLY DO THAT.
IT WOULD SEEM SUPER UNDERHANDED, BUT YEAH.
'CAUSE I THINK WE HAVE INVOICES WHERE THEY STARTED 'EM IN JANUARY WITH THOSE AT THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY WAS THE FIRST, LIKE MOST RECENT FROM 2024 THAT HE SENT US TODAY.
BUT, BUT BASICALLY I THINK THE PART THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT ON THIS IS WE DID, WE HAD THIS VOTE, WE DECIDED TO DO THIS, AND THEN WE REALLY NEVER DID GET THE CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH OUR ATTORNEY WHO, WHO WENT ON LONG-TERM LEAVE.
SO IT DOES HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT BECAUSE WE NEVER CARRIED OUT WHAT OUR PLAN WAS AS THE BOARD AT THAT TIME TO SAY, THESE ARE THE STEPS THAT WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW.
WE NEVER HAD THAT SIT DOWN CONVERSATION.
AND SO I THINK NOW HERE WE ARE MULTIPLE MONTHS LATER WITH, WITHOUT THAT PLAN IN PLACE, UM, MY CONCERN IS I'M NOT REALLY SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE ACTUAL POLICY UPDATES AS THEY'RE COMING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE GETTING WITH VSBA AND AT LEAST MY UNDERSTANDING, WHICH COULD CERTAINLY BE WRONG, IS THAT THEY'RE KIND OF INCORPORATING THOSE UPDATES AS THEY HIT THOSE POLICIES WITH US.
BUT WE'RE NOT REALLY LIKE NECESSARILY GETTING THEM AT THE TWICE A YEAR UPDATES THAT THEY'RE COMING OUT.
SO I, I REALLY JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING IN COMPLIANCE WITH NEW CHANGES AS WELL.
AND SO, MS. LOW, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT IS A WORK SESSION ITEM AS FAR AS REALLY GETTING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE DONE WITH OUR POLICY SERVICES.
IT IS REALLY UNFORTUNATE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE OUR WORK SESSION, UM, RECORDED LAST TIME.
BUT THERE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF STARTED THE DISCUSSION, BUT THEN I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S MORE DISCUSSION TO BE HAD TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH, WITH THE PLAN WE'RE CURRENTLY ON.
YEAH, THIS ONE'S JUST TO CEASE THEIR ACTIVITY RIGHT NOW.
IT'S NOT TO CANCEL THEM OR FIRE THEM OR NOT HIRE THEM AGAIN, JUST FOR RIGHT NOW UNTIL WE HAVE THE WORK SESSION, TALK ABOUT MORE,
[02:15:01]
MORE DETAILS.WE DON'T WANT THEM JUST SAYING QUICK, LET'S, BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS, LET'S JUST WRITE SOME MORE STUFF AND GET PAID.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY CEASING HIM FROM REWRITING THE SCHOOL WHERE POLICY CURRENTLY, THAT'S IT.
IT'S NOT SAYING, DON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS, THIS WAS ABOUT, IN MY OPINION, STOP THE BLEEDING.
AND WITH THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATES, UM, I, I TOO REMEMBER, AND I WENT BACK AND CHECKED MY NOTES FROM THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND WHAT WE WERE TOLD BY SAN ANDERSON IS THAT THEY'VE ALWAYS PROVIDED US WITH LEGISLATIVE UPDATED UPDATES, AND OF COURSE THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO, AND THOSE LEGISLATIVE UPDATES ARE ALSO SENT OUT THROUGH SUPERINTENDENT'S MEMOS.
SO CERTAINLY IN THE MEANTIME, WE COULD HAVE OUR SUPERINTENDENT MAKING US AWARE.
I KNOW I HAVE WRITTEN IN TO REQUEST THAT, THAT I BE ALLOWED TO GET ON THIS EMAIL LIST SO I CAN RECEIVE SUPERINTENDENT'S MEMOS AS WELL AND TRY AND STAY ON TOP OF IT.
I HAVE, I HAVE NOT SUCCESSFULLY HEARD BACK ABOUT BEING ALLOWED TO DO THAT, BUT, UM, WE JUST HAVE TO BE AWARE FOR RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO PAUSE THIS HEMORRHAGE OF LEGAL FEES.
I MEAN, SANS ANDERSON SENT US POLICY REVISIONS TODAY THAT YOU JUST SAID LOOK PRETTY GOOD.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHY WE WOULD STOP.
ANDERSON SENT US POLICY REVISIONS THAT I SAID I HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO EVEN LOOK AT BECAUSE THEY WERE SENT TO US AT 4 55 AND SAN ANDERSON HAS BEEN AWARE THAT WE'VE HAD THESE REQUEST.
I WAS TALKING TO TOM, THAT'S WHAT TOM SAID.
WE'VE HAD THESE REQUESTS SINCE, UM, PATRICIA BEAR FROM, HE FIRST REACHED OUT TO US AND I BELIEVE IT WAS OCTOBER.
SO YES, SAN ANDERSON DID SEND US OUR REVISIONS TO GET US IN LEGAL COMPLIANCE.
BUT THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, I'M NOT JUDGING THEIR COMPETENCY, I'M JUST JUDGING.
WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO SPEND IT JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, THAT'S SEVEN MONTHS LATER, FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE MEETING.
I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THEIR COMPETENCY.
THEY SEEM TO GO, JUDGE, DO A GOOD JOB.
SO IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
IT JUST SEEMS TO BE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO REWRITE THE POLICIES.
STARTING NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN SO FAR, IF THEY JUST SAY WE'RE GONNA KEEP DOING NUMBER THREE AND NUMBER FOUR, THAT'S JUST MORE MONEY WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE.
THAT'S THE ONLY POINT OF THE STORY IS WE DON'T HAVE THE EXTRA MONEY TO REWRITE THE POLICIES.
IF THERE'S A POLICY THAT SOMEONE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT WE'RE OUT OF WHACK AND WE'RE NOT UP TO COMPLIANCE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE REQUIRE TO UPDATE.
BUT THE, THE OTHER THING WE'RE DOING, JUST THE GENERAL REWRITE IS A, IS A LUXURY ITEM THAT WE'RE JUST DOING BECAUSE WE SHOULD DO IT AT SOME POINT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT RIGHT NOW.
AND A REMINDER TOO, THAT THIS BOARD DID IN FACT, P TRY TO PAUSE THIS BACK MONTHS AGO BECAUSE WE THEN SAID, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF DOING A WHOLE REWRITE, WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT THE POLICIES THAT ARE CAUSING US THE MOST ISSUES RIGHT NOW AND FOCUS ON THOSE.
AND WE AGREED THAT WE WERE GONNA START REWRITING THE DISCIPLINE POLICY FIRST.
AND TO THE POINT WHERE THIS BOARD, WE, WE ATTEMPTED TO, I KNOW I SPENT HOURS, I KNOW MR. MCFADDEN SPENT WAY MORE HOURS WHERE OUR BOARD WAS LITERALLY ON A GOOGLE DOC TRYING TO REWRITE THESE POLICIES OURSELVES AND GIVE INSIGHT AND TRY TO SAVE US AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE.
SO, NO, THIS IS, THIS IS A BIG OLD MESS, IS WHAT IT'S TURNED INTO.
I HAD LIKE TO SEE, WELL, ONE, I I NEED TO, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING AWARE THAT THIS WAS GONNA BE BROUGHT UP THIS EVENING.
UM, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY TIME TO DO SOME RESEARCH.
UM, SO I'M NOT IN ANY POSITION TO, YOU KNOW, I, I NEED TO DO MY, MY RESEARCH.
UM, I'VE SEEN THE NUMBERS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN TOSSED AROUND AND, AND SUCH.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO GO BACK FOR MYSELF AND DO MY, MY RESEARCH AND SEE WHAT HAS HAD OCCURRED.
HAVE A TIMELINE, HAVE EVERYTHING THERE.
WE, WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, CREATE A PLAN WITH SANS ANDERSON.
SO I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE AT THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION IS A WELL THOUGHT OUT PLAN FOR SAN SANS ANDERSON.
IT'S A TONGUE TWISTER, UM, WITH WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, UM, SHORT OF A, YOU KNOW, A CONTRACT WITH THEM THAT SETS, STATES IT ALL OUT WITH ALL THE NUMBERS, ALL THE EXPECTATIONS THERE SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT THOSE, YOU KNOW, TWO OPTIONS ARE.
AND IF THERE'S THREE OR FOUR OR ANYTHING ELSE, UM, THAT'S WHERE I'M AT.
IS THERE A MOTION ON THIS? I MOVE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IMMEDIATELY CEASES TO USE SAN ANDERSON TO REWRITE THE SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES A SECOND.
I FEEL LIKE I JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT OF DISCUSSION ON THAT, EVEN THOUGH WE JUST HAD DISCUSSION ON IT.
AGAIN, IT'S A SIM SIMPLE POINT THAT IT'S JUST, IT'S THE RE IT'S JUST THE, RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT FIRING THEM, IT'S
[02:20:01]
JUST FOR FROM NOW UNTIL WHENEVER WE MAKE THE NEXT DECISION, WHICH MIGHT BE IN TWO WEEKS, JUST FOR THE TIME BEING, IT'S TO CEASE IT.I JUST, HOW ABOUT WE, YOU PAUSE FOR TWO WEEKS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW MORNING THERE WHOMEVER MIGHT BE WORKING ON SOMETHING WOULD STOP MOMENTARILY, UM, TO GIVE US THE TIME TO DO THE REVIEW AND THE RESEARCH TO COME BACK TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AND MAKE A FINAL, UM, DETERMINATION.
WE HAVE NO CONTRACT WITH SAN ANDERSON.
I THINK WE'VE ESTABLISHED THAT THE PROBLEM WITH GIVING A LAW FIRM AN OPEN CHECKBOOK WITHOUT VERY SPECIFIC PARAMETERS WAS A, WAS A PROBLEM.
AND WHAT WE ARE CEASING IMMEDIATELY IS THE POLICY REWRITE, NOT CEASING HAVING THEM AS ATTORNEYS.
IF WE REQUEST THEIR LEGAL SERVICES TOWARDS A POLICY LIKE THE ONE THAT WE ARE REWRITING ON HOMESCHOOLING, THEN OF COURSE WE CAN REQUEST THOSE LEGAL SERVICES BECAUSE THEY'RE OUR ATTORNEY.
AND WE USED THEM IN EXACTLY THAT WAY.
ANYTIME THE VSBA WOULD GIVE US A MODEL POLICY, WE WOULD SAY, HEY, HERE'S THE MODEL POLICY THAT THE VSBA GAVE US.
CAN YOU REVIEW IT? AND THEY WOULD REVIEW IT AND THEY WOULD BILL US FOR JUST THAT.
BUT TO ALLOW THEM TO CONTINUE WITH THE POLICY REWRITE THAT GIVES THEM CART LAUNCH.
SO IF WE WANNA RESUME WITH SAN ANDERSON, THEN THAT NEEDS TO BE ITS OWN VOTE ON A SPECIFIC CONTRACT IN PLACE.
BECAUSE I NEVER IMAGINED THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE 11 SECTIONS OF POLICY.
WE, THEY'VE ONLY DONE TWO OF THEM.
THE FIRST, THE FIRST SECTION OF THE 11 SECTIONS COST US $13,000.
SO THAT RIGHT THERE, DO THE MATH, THAT'S $150,000 THAT WHEN THEY PROMISED US 30 TO 50.
SO CLEARLY WE NEED TO GET A CONTRACT IN PLACE IF WE'RE GOING TO USE SAN SANDERSON TO, TO DO THIS.
I JUST WANTED THE CLARIFICATION THAT, UM, AND YOU'VE COVERED THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED THE WHOLE BOARD TO AGREE THAT THAT IS THE CLARIFICATION.
IF WE HAVE A SPECIFIC POLICY THAT WE NEED REVIEWED REDONE DURING ALL OF THIS, WE ARE NOT PA PAUSING THAT PART OF IT.
WELL, I THINK THAT'S WHERE I, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS WITH THE MOTION AS IT WAS STATED.
UM, I WAS MAKING SOME COMMENTS.
UH, I REMAIN SOME NOTES, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE MAKE A MOTION TO PAUSE THE CURRENT POLICY REWRITE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S EVEN THE CORRECT WORD TO USE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE OR UNTIL FURTHER NOTED.
UM, SO THAT, AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND.
LET'S, LET'S, WE COULD, LET'S TAKE A PAUSE ON THE BLANKET, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORD, POLICY REWRITES THAT'S HAPPENING SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IF ATTORNEY A IS TOMORROW, THEY HAD ON THEIR TO-DO LIST TO START ON THIS SECTION OF POLICY, THEY STOP.
UM, SO IF WE PUT A PAUSE ON THE CURRENT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS CAN HELP ME OUT HERE.
I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK PAUSE IS THE RIGHT TERMINOLOGY BECAUSE PAUSING, WELL, I TAKE, OKAY, SO PAUSING MEANS, HEY, WE STARTED THIS WHEN WE HAVE NO CONTRACT IN PLACE, SO LET'S HOLD ON ON THAT, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA REENTER NOT HAVING A CONTRACT IN PLACE THAT IF I CAN FINISH.
UM, SO IF WE PAUSE RIGHT NOW AND THEN THAT GIVES US, THAT STOPS THAT CARD BLANC, WHATEVER POLICY REVIEW, AGAIN, IF WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT COMES UP THAT WE NEED THEM, WE COULD GET THEIR SERVICES, BUT IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER TO CREATE THAT DETAILED EXPECTATION OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
AND THEN WHEN WE, WE COULD PICK BACK UP SAYING, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE.
THAT WOULD NEED TO BE A NEW VOTE OF ITSELF THOUGH.
THAT IS HOW I, SO THIS WOULD BE CANCEL AND RE-VOTE, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE WOULD HAVE A MULTIPLE, I'M NOT GOOD WITH PAUSE.
I THINK WE NEED TO, TO CANCEL THE POLICY REWRITE WITH SANDS ANDERSON WHILE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE THEM AS OUR LEGAL COUNSEL, WHICH CAN INVOLVE POLICY ASSISTANCE AS NEEDED.
AND THEN WE WILL REVISIT THIS AT THE WORK SESSION, EXPLORE ALL OF OUR OPTIONS, AND THEN VOTE ON A VERY SPECIFIC CLEAR LAID OUT CONTRACT MOVING FORWARD WITH HOW WE HANDLE, HANDLE OUR POLICIES.
MR. MCG, I COULD JUST SAY ON THE FLOOR YOU CAN, YOU CAN ADJUST YOUR MOTION.
WE CAN GO FROM THERE, AMEND IT TO WHATEVER SHE SAID.
I, SO JUST MORE PO AGAIN, I'M, I'M OKAY WITH IT.
IT'S, IT'S USING THEM FOR WHEN WE NEED THEM TO, LIKE THEY DID THE HOMESCHOOLING ONE, THAT'S COOL.
IT'S JUST STOPPING THE GENERAL REWRITING THAT'S, THAT COULD JUST GO ON AND BANKRUPT US.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY POINT OF IT.
AND WE MAY GET BACK WITH THEM IF ONCE IT'S DECIDED, IF WE GET IT INTO UNDERSTANDABLE TERMS AND WE LITERALLY HAVE NO IDEA IF THERE'S ANOTHER EIGHT SECTIONS.
[02:25:01]
HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA COST TO REWRITE THAT THING.WE, WE JUST DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THEY CHARGE HOURLY.
SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
SO I, I HAD ORIGINALLY SAID I MOVED IT TO SCHOOL BOARD IMMEDIATELY CEASES TO USE SAN ANDERSON TO REWRITE SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES.
THAT'S STILL WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S JUST THE REWRITING OF POLICIES IF WE WANT TO ADD SOMETHING ABOUT, BUT WE WILL STILL USE THEM TO, TO MODIFY AND UPDATE POLICIES AS AS NEEDED.
IF THAT'S THE ADDITION WE NEED, I'M, I'M COOL WITH ADDING THAT TOO.
I'M, I'M, I'M STILL STUCK ON THE C VERSUS PAUSE TO GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY.
WE CAN JUST SAY THE, I REMEMBER THE SCORE BOARD IMMEDIATELY STOPS USING STAN SAN ANDERSON C SOUNDS VERY ARGUMENTATIVE
I MOVE THAT WE, THAT WE CANCEL OUR POLICY REWRITE WITH SANS ANDERSON EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, BUT CONTINUE THEIR LEGAL SERVICES AND USE THEM AS NEEDED FOR POLICY ASSISTANCE.
IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND THAT.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I FEEL LIKE THE IDEA THAT WE COULDN'T VOTE ON A PRETTY CLEAR BUDGET ITEM THAT WAS ON THE AGENDA THAT WE HAD TIME TO LOOK AT.
THAT'S THE SAME THING WE'VE BEEN DOING YEAR AFTER YEAR BECAUSE WE NEEDED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT.
AND YET WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THIS ITEM.
THAT SHOULD BE A DISCUSSION ITEM THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT.
SO WE CAN TALK TO SANS ANDERSON SO WE CAN SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED AND WHAT THE FUTURE IS.
WE'RE TRYING TO RUSH INTO A VOTE.
I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO STOP A HEMORRHAGE OF A NON-CONTRACTED LEGAL EXPENSE THAT IS ESCALATING BY THE DAY.
THEY'RE NOT OVER BUDGET FOR POLICY REWRITES.
WE ARE OVER BUDGET BY THREE TIMES FOR OUR LEGAL SERVICES, NOT FOR POLICY.
I I'M JUST, MY MIND IS BLOWN RIGHT NOW THAT I I MEAN,
I MEAN, RIGHT NOW THE BOARD IS LOOKING AT US, LOOKING AT OUR POLICIES.
THIS WOULD BE EXCESSIVE SPENDING, SPENDING MONEY TO JUST REDO OUR POLICIES IS EXCESSIVE MONEY AT THIS MOMENT, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT O OVER BUDGET ON THAT.
IF I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF RENOVATING MY KITCHEN FOR PLEASURE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CHILD IS INJURED AND I HAVE MEDICAL BILLS, GUESS WHAT I'M PUTTING ON? PAUSE THE RENOVATION.
WE HAVE TO START DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN WANTS AND NEEDS IN THIS BUDGET.
I THINK GETTING OUR POLICIES RIGHT IS A NEED.
I MEAN, THIS COULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE FOR US TO NOT HAVE THE POLICIES, RIGHT? THEY'VE ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING IN, IN A YEAR.
TWO OUT OF 11 SECTIONS OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE SO FAR, FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN IS THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN OUR ALPHABETICAL SYSTEM OF POLICIES AND HAVE STARTED TO PUT NUMBERS NEXT TO THEM INSTEAD OF LETTERS.
SO WE HAVE VOTED ON NOT A SINGLE POLICY CHANGE OF THEIR REWRITE BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTA WAIT FOR THE WHOLE THING TO BE DONE FOR IT.
IT IT IS TURNING INTO A CONVOLUTED MESS.
AND WE ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM VERBALLY INSTEAD OF CONTRACTUALLY.
AND THAT IS A PROBLEM, THAT IS A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT EXCEEDING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA DO A POLICY REWRITE THAT COSTS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, GUESS WHAT? IT'S GOTTA GO OUT TO BID.
SO ARE WE BREAKING THE LAW BY ALLOWING TO TAKE A VOTE FOR A 30 TO $50,000 EXPENSE SPREAD OVER THREE YEARS AND THEN GROSSLY OVERSPENDING IT LIKE THAT? I, I DON'T KNOW THAT MAYBE THAT'S BREAKING THE LAW.
IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING AS A TAXPAYER THAT I FIND ABSOLUTELY OFFENSIVE AND RECKLESS.
I JUST WANNA HEAR FROM THEM AND SEE A CONTRACT IN PLACE OF WHAT THE PLAN'S GONNA BE GOING FORWARD BECAUSE I, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING THE WAY THAT WE ORIGINALLY INTENDED IT TO DO.
SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO CALL FOR A VOTE ON THIS.
MR. VALENTINE, COULD YOU DO ROLL? CAN YOU READ IT ONE MORE TIME WHAT YOU SAID? OH GOSH.
I HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT I SAID.
DO YOU HAVE WHAT I SAID? I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT VERBATIM.
SO THE, THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION WAS TO IMMEDIATELY STOP THE POLICY REWRITE WITH SANS ANDERSON EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY WHILE RECOGNIZING THAT WE WILL STILL USE THEM AS THE SCHOOL BOARD'S ATTORNEY AND AS NEEDED FOR POLICY ASSISTANCE.
[5.F. School Board Communication and Evaluation of School Board Operational Procedures]
EVENING WE HAVE SCHOOL BOARD COMMUNICATION AND EVALUATION OF SCHOOL BOARD OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES.[02:30:01]
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS AT THE WORK SESSION, UM, LAST MONTH.AND, UM, I'LL JUST GO THROUGH IT REALLY QUICK BECAUSE I KNOW IT WASN'T RECORDED.
UM, SO BASICALLY THIS CAME UP AS A, A POLICY, UM, THAT TOM ACTUALLY SENT TO US BACK IN FEBRUARY THAT, HEY, IT'S SCHOOL BOARD POLICY THAT WE SHOULD DO AN EVALUATION ON OURSELVES AS A WHOLE ONCE A YEAR JUST TO MAKE SURE OUR GOALS ARE IN LINE, THAT WE'RE DOING THE JOB THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
IT'S NOT MEANT TO GIVE ANYBODY ANY HEARTBURN.
IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE ANYTHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, OVERLY COMPLICATED.
WE HAVE NUMEROUS, UM, OPTIONS NOW BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT WE DO COMPLICATE THINGS.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE COULD LOOK AT THIS A FEW WAYS.
UM, I KNOW MR. MCFADDEN, YOU'VE ALREADY SAID YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE AT OUR WORK SESSION IN MAY, SO, YOU KNOW, NO EVALUATION IS GONNA HAPPEN UNLESS THE FULL BOARD IS PRESENT.
SO AUTOMATICALLY OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO HAVE THIS PROBABLY FOR OUR JUNE WORK SESSION.
OUR GOAL FOR THIS EVENING WAS JUST TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EVALUATION FORM WE THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA USE.
UM, AND I THINK WITH THAT IN OUR WORK SESSION IN JUNE, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN PRESENTED, IF NOT IN MAY, DEFINITELY IN JUNE.
UM, I THINK THAT WILL LET US SEE WHAT THE GOALS ARE GONNA BE FOR THE SCHOOL DIVISION.
IT WILL ALSO HELP US, HOPEFULLY AS A BOARD TO IDENTIFY WHAT SOME OF THOSE GOALS WILL BE FOR US OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
AND THAT WILL GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS EVALUATION, HAVE OUR GOALS SET, AND THEN REVISIT HOW ARE WE DOING WITH THOSE GOALS WHEN WE HIT SOMEWHERE IN THAT NOVEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY RANGE MID-YEAR, AND THEN CIRCLE BACK TO IT AT THE END OF THE YEAR IN JUNE, 2025 AND SEE WHERE WE WERE.
BASICALLY, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, WE'VE NOT DONE ANY SORT OF EVALUATION LIKE THIS.
I ASKED MR. VALENTINE IF HE REMEMBERED HISTORICALLY AND LIKE NOBODY REALLY REMEMBERS IT.
LIKE THE POLICY HAD LAST BEEN REVISED IN 2003, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO AGAIN, NOT MEANT TO BE A HUGE DEAL, JUST SOMETHING THAT HOPEFULLY WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE DISCUSSION, HAVE GOALS THAT WE CAN PUT FORTH AND JUST HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CHECK OFF OF OUR LIST THAT, HEY, WE, WE ARE ACTUALLY ACHIEVING ANY OF THESE GOALS THAT WE'VE SET.
SO WHAT ANYBODY'S THOUGHTS ARE? WELL, THERE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO EVALUATE.
I KNOW IN MY JOB THAT I'M, I'M GONNA EVALUATE EVERY SINGLE YEAR BASED ON GOALS THAT ARE SET BY ME AND DECIDED UPON AND AGREED UPON WITH YOUR EMPLOYER.
AND YOU GO THROUGH THE YEAR AND YOU'RE HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR, YOU CHECK 'EM OFF AND SAY, HOW ARE WE DOING? WHAT DO WE NEED? DO WE NEED ANY RESOURCES? THERE'S A, IT'S A WAY OF JUST KEEPING EVERYONE IN BALANCE.
SO IT'S NOT MEANT TO SEND SOMEONE TO THE DOGHOUSE OR FIRE THEM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S JUST MEANT TO SAY, LET'S, LET'S HAVE A STANDARD BY WHICH WE CAN EVALUATE OURSELVES.
OBVIOUSLY FOR US, WE'RE HELD, WE HAVE A LOT OF LAWS GOVERNING HOW, UM, HOW SCHOOLS WORK.
SO IT'S NOT EVEN OPTIONAL FOR, WELL, I'D LIKE TO DO IT THIS WAY.
IT'S LIKE, WELL, THERE'S, THERE'S LAWS THAT GOVERN THE WAY IT IS.
I THINK WE'RE GOING INTO A PROCESS OF EVALUATION FOR THE FIRST TIME AND FOREVER MAYBE IT MIGHT BE GOOD JUST TO SAY, WELL, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE LEGAL THINGS THAT WE, WHAT ARE THE LEGAL MINIMUMS THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MEETING OR DOING? BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING GOOD TO KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT
THAT IF YOU WAIT TO EVALUATE OURSELVES TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING WHAT THE, WHAT THE LAW SAYS, THAT WAY IT DOESN'T BECOME PERSONAL.
WELL, VIRGINIA STATUTE SO AND SO SAYS THIS.
ARE WE DOING THAT? ARE WE DOING IT WELL? ARE WE DOING IT POORLY? OKAY, LET'S WORK ON IT TO MAKE IT BETTER NEXT TIME.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND WHATEVER EVALUATION TOOL WE USE, BEING JUST MORE LEGALLY BASED.
AND YOU CAN ONLY DO, YOU CAN CHANGE 'EM EVERY YEAR IF YOU LIKE.
AND IF AT THE END OF THE YEAR WE'RE LIKE, THAT WAS KIND OF STUPID.
WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T LEARN ANYTHING, WE DIDN'T BENEFIT FROM IT.
LET'S GET A NEW, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE TOOL.
UH, DR. MARTIN, UH, FORMER, FORMER, UM, SUPERINTENDENT SENT US A COUPLE OF VERSIONS OF IT.
TWO OF US END UP FINDING ONE OF THE SAME VERSIONS.
UM, BUT THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE SBMA HAS AN EVALUATION FORM THEY CREATED THAT'S PURELY BASED ON THE LAW.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY HORSE IN THE RACE WHICH ONE IT SHOULD BE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE FOR A FIRST TIME AD IT SHOULD BE THE MOST SIMPLE DIRECT TO THE POINT EVALUATION TOOL SO THAT WE DON'T GET ALL KIND OF WORKED UP AND JUST KINDA LOOK AT IT AND SAY, OKAY, THESE ARE OUR GOALS.
HERE ARE WHAT OUR POWERS AND DUTIES ARE.
SO AS A RESULT, LOOKING AT ALL THE DIFFERENT ONES THAT ARE OUT THERE, I PERSONALLY LIKE THE SBMA SCHOOL BOARD EVALUATION TOOL, WHICH TO BE HONEST, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY CREATED IT FOR US.
UH, I, I CONTACTED 'EM A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND JUST SAID, DO YOU GUYS DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS? AND LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T, BUT WE COULD.
AND THEY, THEY SPENT SOME TIME PUTTING IT TOGETHER AT NO CHARGE.
AND AGAIN, I, I DON'T KNOW THE LAWS INSIDE OUT, BUT READING OVER IT, IT'S BASED PURE THAN THE LAW.
SO I'M LIKE, WELL, THAT, THAT COULD BE A VERY OBJECTIVE WAY TO, TO JUDGE OURSELVES ON IT.
AND FROM THERE WE COULD MAKE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND, AND, AND, UH, PLANS FROM THERE.
SO THAT, I'M, I, I LIKE THAT CONCEPT OF IT.
I LIKE OTHERS OF THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE MORE INVOLVED.
BUT AS FAR AS THE FIRST TIME GOING, I THINK THAT'S ONE THAT'S
[02:35:01]
VERY JUST TO THE POINT AND TO THE LAW.OTHER THOUGHTS? INPUTS ON THIS? I MEAN, I THINK, UM, I, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU FOUND THIS IN OUR POLICY, TOM.
I THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA, AND I AGREE WITH YOU THAT LIKE, THAT ANNUAL EVALUATION, UM, IS, IS A GOOD THING FOR THE BOARD.
A A BEST PRACTICE FOR US TO DO.
UM, I THINK ALL OF THESE HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS I LIKE, YOU KNOW, I IMAGINE LIKE PULLING TOGETHER LIKE A FRANKENSTEIN OF THE LITTLE BITS OF ALL OF THEM THAT I LIKE, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY EXCESSIVE.
PENCE, WE GET A LITTLE OVERZEALOUS.
UM, I THINK IF I WOULD PICK ONE, I, I LIKE THE ONE, THE FIRST ONE THAT YOU SENT TOM, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT, UM, DR. MARTIN ALSO SENT US.
IT'S THE ONE THAT'S CALLED SCHOOL BOARD EVALUATION FORM.
UM, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S NICE AND IN DEPTH AND HAS, UM, I LIKE HOW IT'S ORGANIZED BY THE DIFFERENT, UM, WHAT IS IT, DIMENSIONS.
BUT I THINK IN GENERALLY IT WOULD BE A GOOD THING, WHICHEVER ONE WE PICK.
YEAH, I, I LIKE, I LIKE THAT ONE TOO.
IT'S A LITTLE MORE INVOLVED, WHICH IS FINE.
BUT I WENT THROUGH AND SORT OF LOOKED AT ALL THE QUESTIONS AND CHECKED 'EM OFF.
I'M LIKE, YEAH, THESE, THESE LOOK LIKE THINGS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
IT'S NOT CODIFIED AS THE SBM A ONE IS SAYING THAT THIS IS THE LAW.
COULD, COULD THERE BE A COMBINATION OF TWO? YOU KNOW, KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID AS THEY SAY.
BUT YEAH, I, THAT, THAT, THAT ONE I HAVE, I THINK IT LOOKS LIKE A GOOD ONE TOO TO START WITH.
I LIKED THAT YOU BOTH FOUND THAT ONE SEPARATELY.
YEAH, I MEAN, I PERSONALLY, I, I'M JUST A VERY LOGICAL PERSON AND I THINK WITH EVALUATIONS, UM, IT NEEDS TO BE BASED ON MORE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAN FEELINGS.
AND, UM, I, I LIKE HOW THE SMAS VERSION, EVERY SINGLE ONE HAS THE LEGAL CITATION WITH THE LINK TO THE LAW.
AND, UM, I, I SIT IN A BIT OF A UNIQUE POSITION UP HERE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE, UM, I AM, I'M THE ONLY PERSON HERE WHO'S ATTENDED THE SB MA'S TRAININGS AND WHAT THEIR TRAININGS ARE ALL ABOUT ARE, UM, EMPOWERING SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS THROUGH EDUCATING THEM ON WHAT THEIR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES ARE.
AND, UM, I KNOW I HAVE BEEN LEARNING, WE, WE HAVE SOME IMPROVEMENT TO DO.
UM, SO I THINK STARTING OFF WITH A VERY BASIC CHECKLIST OF ARE WE IN COMPLIANCE AND FOLLOWING THIS LAW, THIS STATE OF VIRGINIA LAW, I THINK THAT IS A GREAT PLACE TO FOCUS ALL OF OUR ENERGY AND ATTENTION BEFORE WE START GETTING INTO VERY SUBJECTIVE FEELINGS ABOUT MATTERS.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY TAKE ON THIS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR PUTTING THIS DOCUMENT TOGETHER BECAUSE IT WAS VERY FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE OF THEM.
I KNOW, TOM, YOU'RE A MEMBER AS WELL.
UM, IT'S, IT'S INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERSHIPS.
AND IT WAS VERY NICE TO BE ABLE TO ASK THEM, CAN YOU DO THIS? AND HAVE THEM PUT ONE, PUT IT TOGETHER FOR US FOR FREE.
UM, WE DID FIND OUT THAT, UM, NO OTHER SCHOOL BOARDS ARE DOING THIS.
AND SO I DON'T WANNA GET SIDETRACKED AND GO OFF ON TOO, IN DEPTH OF A TANGENT OF, OF EVALUATING OURSELVES AND BEING SELFISH AT A TIME IN WHICH WE HAVE LEGAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
WE NEED TO BE FOCUSING ON OUR BUDGET, ON OUR TEST SCORES, ON OUR LEGAL OBLIGATION TO HAVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S EVALUATION COMPLETED BEFORE THE END OF JUNE.
UM, SO THAT'S MY THOUGHTS ON IT.
DO WE KNOW, UM, FOR THE, YOU KNOW, I, I DO APPRECIATE THE LINK TO THE CODE, SO IT'S VERY CLEAR FOR ANYONE WHO LOOKS AT IT.
THE QUESTION, UM, IS DIRECTLY, DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE CODE.
DO WE KNOW, UM, 'CAUSE THERE'S A VERY CLEAR NO PART OF IT'S COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.
IS THERE, IF WE WERE TO USE THIS, WOULD THERE BE AN ADDITIONAL FEE? 'CAUSE IT, THERE'S A STATEMENT AT THE BOTTOM.
HAS THAT BEEN DISCUSSED AT ALL? THERE WOULD NOT BE AN ADDITIONAL FEE.
THERE WOULD NOT, THERE WOULD NOT BE AN ADDITIONAL FEE.
THERE, I MEAN, NOT BE AN ADDITIONAL, IT JUST MEANS THE COPYRIGHT IS THERE BECAUSE WE ASKED TO BE ABLE TO PUT THIS ON OUR AGENDA SO THE PUBLIC COULD READ IT AND THE PUBLIC COULD READ THE LINKS.
AND NO OTHER SCHOOL BOARD WHO DOESN'T HAVE MEMBERS IN THIS, THEY, THEY CAN'T JUST STEAL THE PROPRIETARY.
[02:40:01]
UNFAIR OF THEM TO, RIGHT.I MEAN, GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE.
AND THE, THE, UM, THE DIMENSIONAL ONE, I LIKE TWO, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY CUMBERSOME.
UM, I THINK THAT ONE'S, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THERE'S, THERE'S SOME, SOME GOOD OPTION.
YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE TWO GOOD OPTIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GOTTA START SOMEWHERE.
SO I MEAN, WE COULD LOOK AT THE, THE ONE WITH THE DIMENSIONAL ONE.
WE COULD SAY, WELL LET'S, LET'S FOCUS ON THE LAW.
'CAUSE THIS ONE DOESN'T HAVE ANY.
THE DIMENSIONAL, DIMENSIONAL ONE DOESN'T HAVE ANY, DOESN'T HAVE ANY REFERENCE TO LAWS, RIGHT? SO YOU COULD DO SAY, WELL THIS CAN BE OUR LAW ONE, THEN WE, AND WE COULD EITHER SAY, WELL, IF THERE'S EIGHT OR NINE POINTS UNDER EACH ONE OF THESE, MAYBE WE SAY, LET'S GO THROUGH AND SAY, WHICH ONES DO WE WANT TO DITCH? YOU KNOW, WHICH ONES DO WE THINK ARE NOT GONNA VALUE BE A VALUE TO US? AND WHATEVER EVERYONE DITCHES, EVEN IF IT'S LIKE, WELL WE ONLY LEFT TO TWO, WELL LET'S JUST KEEP
AND SO YOU SAY, WELL WE'RE GONNA, FOR THE LEGAL STUFF, WE'RE GONNA USE THE SB MA 'CAUSE THAT SEEMS LEGIT.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONES FOR THE, WE'RE GONNA SAY, WELL, THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE, THIS ONE'S JUST KIND OF A STUPID QUESTION.
LET'S, LET'S, LET'S X THAT ONE OUT.
THE ONE THING I, I ACTUALLY
THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO.
SO I THINK IF, IF THERE ARE ONES ON HERE THAT ANYONE ON HERE DISAGREES WITH ON THE, ON THE LONGER ONE, WE COULD GO THROUGH AND SAY, WELL LET THAT ONE'S, THAT ONE'S NOT GONNA MOVE US FORWARD.
MAYBE THAT'S AN, AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT.
OR WE JUST LITERALLY EACH ONE GO YES OR NO VOTE ON THAT
THAT'D BE A LONG TIME OBVIOUSLY, BUT MAYBE WE COULD COME TO A UNDERSTANDING OF ON OUR OWN TIME BETWEEN NOW AND THE MAY 15TH THING.
WHICH ONES DO, WHICH WHICH ONES DO YOU, DO YOU, DO YOU LIKE, PUT A CHECK BOX AFTER WHICH ONES DON'T YOU REALLY PUT AN X AFTER AND COMPILE 'EM AND SAY, OKAY, WE'LL TAKE OUT ALL THE X'S AND LEAVE ALL THE CHECKS AND THERE WE GO.
IF EVERYONE CHOSE TO DO THAT, WE COULD JUST, UM, EASILY HAVE THEM ALL SENT TO, UM, MS. HOLLOWAY AND THEN SHE COULD LIKE JUST MARK OUT YEAH.
WHATEVER COUPLE FROM EACH SECTION WE WANTED.
SO NOW WE'RE ARE WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT MERGING IT WITH THE S BMAS THOUGH, RIGHT? USING S BMA IS THE MAIN, AS THE MAIN TOOL AS IS AND THEN HAVING SOME EXTRA ONES AND ADDENDUM THAT, THAT ARE RELEVANT TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE, YOU KNOW, NON-LEGAL ASPECT TO IT FOR US TO LOOK AT AS WELL.
I, THE ONLY REASON I WAS ASKING IS JUST BECAUSE I HAD THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH THE SBMA ABOUT LIKE THE MERGING AND THEY FELT VERY STRONGLY ABOUT EVALUATIONS SHOULD FOR A SCHOOL BOARD SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE BASED OFF OF LEGAL COMPLIANCE BECAUSE ULTIMATELY OUR EVALUATION COMES FROM THE VOTERS.
AS FAR AS ALL THE SUBJECTIVE SIDE OF IT.
SO THEY WERE, THEY DO NOT WANT THEIR PARTICULAR DOCUMENT TO BE, UM, ADDED TO.
THEY, THEY WOULD LIKE TO, THIS WOULD STAND STAND ATONE AS IS AND WE WOULD JUST HAVE AN ADDENDUM.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE OUR GENERAL PLAN IS TO, SOMEONE WANNA PUT A MOTION I'M HEARING USING THE SBMA ONE AND THEN TRY TO CONSOLIDATE DOWN TO A MORE MANAGEABLE PEOPLE PEOPLE AGREE ON YEAH.
YOU CAN HAVE MS. HOLLOWAY, UM, COMBINE THOSE AND LIKE IF THREE PEOPLE LIKE ONE OF THE BULLETS, THEN THAT GETS ADDED.
THEN THAT WAY SHE CAN COMPILE ALL THAT FOR US.
WE CAN JUST EMAIL IT DIRECTLY TO HER, IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD.
SO WE WOULD, WE'LL LOOK AT THIS ONE KIND OF GO THROUGH AND THEN WE JUST GIVE IT ALL TO HER.
SHE WOULD COMPILE IT THREE OR MORE AND THEN OKAY.
WHOEVER HAS GETS THREE MORE PLUSES IT GETS IN EACH ONE.
SOMEONE WANNA PUT THAT IN A MOTION.
I, I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE SBMA EVALUATION TOOL AND THAT WE ALSO, UM, HAVE INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS EVALUATE THE TOOL THAT IS CALLED SCHOOL BOARD EVALUATION FORM DRAFT AND MARK EACH ITEM AS SOMETHING WE WANT TO INCLUDE OR NOT WANT TO INCLUDE.
AND SEND THAT TO MS. HOLLOWAY SO THAT SHE CAN COMPILE IT WITH ALL OF THE PIECES THAT YOU'RE WRITING ALL THIS DOWN.
ROB, ALL OF THE PIECES THAT THREE OR MORE MEMBERS SAID YES TO YES.
IS THERE A SECOND ON THIS? WE SECOND THAT.
AND THEN JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE'LL ACTUALLY BE DOING THIS THOUGH FOR JUNE 15TH, ASSUMING ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT AT THAT WORK SESSION OR I'M SAYING JUNE 15TH, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S JUNE 5TH OR WHATEVER.
LOOK AT THE DOING THE EVALUATION.
SO WE'LL BE DOING THE SUPERINTENDENT'S EVALUATION AND OUR EVALUATION ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M SAYING THE 15TH.
[02:45:01]
BE DOING OURS AND THE SUPERINTENDENT'S EVALUATION ALTOGETHER.I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT THAT NIGHT.
NO, I'M SAYING WE'RE NOT, I'M JUST ASKING.
WELL, WE COULD WE DO IT AHEAD OF TIME RIGHT AHEAD OF TIME AND BRING IT? YEAH.
WE'RE JUST, WE WOULD DO ALREADY HAVE IT PREPARED TO BRING IT.
'CAUSE I THINK THE RULES SAY WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BRING TOGETHER AND HAND IT TO YOU.
THAT'S WHAT AND THEN YOU, YOU COMPILE THIS? YEAH, SHE CAN, YEAH.
LOOK AT IT'S MOVING ALONG SO FAST.
UM, SO LAST ITEM DISCUSSIONS BY THE SCHOOL BOARD.
I FEEL LIKE, SO THIS IS KIND OF OUR NEW ITEM WHERE WE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT WE WANT TO SEE ON FUTURE WORK SESSIONS OR MEETINGS, BUT I THINK WE ALREADY HAVE, UM, A PRETTY LONG LAUNDRY LIST THAT STARTED THIS EVENING, STARTING WITH OUR WORK SESSION NEXT WEEK WITH, UM, BUDGET DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM THAT WE TABLED THIS EVENING.
AS WELL AS JUST KIND OF REVISITING AND REALLY JUST TAKING OUR TIME TO CLARIFY, UM, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS LAST NIGHT THAT, UM, OBVIOUSLY THE SUPERVISORS HAVE AND JUST SORT OF JUST LOOK AT THAT BUDGET AGAIN.
AND THAT'LL GIVE HOPEFULLY OUR BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE SOMETIMES LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
AND THEN WE CAN HAVE JUST OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN, UM, HOPEFULLY IF WE HAVE TIME TO GET SOME UPDATES IN PLACE FROM SAN SANDERSON, JUST SEE WHERE WE ARE, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE MOVING FORWARD.
IF NOT, THEN IT'LL GET BUMPED TO A FUTURE WORK SESSION AGAIN IN JUNE, WOULD BE MY OPINION ON THAT.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY, I WANNA SEE HAPPEN? I DO.
UM, AND NOT, AND NOT NECESSARILY IT'S JUST FOR THE FUTURE, BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, BUT THESE WERE THINGS I WAS THINKING ABOUT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE, THE MINUTES UPDATED ON OUR WEBSITE.
UH, IT'S BEEN, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS WHY THEY MAY NOT EXIST RIGHT NOW, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY MINUTES EXCEPT FROM THE FIRST MEETING OF JANUARY, I THINK.
AND IT'D BE GOOD TO BE ABLE TO REFERENCE THEM AND GO AND SEE THAT, UH, AT, AT THE REGULAR MEETINGS THAT WE DO.
I THINK SOMETHING THAT WE'VE LEARNED, EVEN FROM THAT, WATCHING THAT BOARD MEETING THAT I WATCHED THAT YOU GUYS WENT TO IS THAT KIND OF HAVING REGULAR REPORTS WOULD BE A REGULAR, WOULD BE A GOOD THING.
AND WE, WE GET THE REPORTS OF WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE SCHOOLS AND WE GET DIFFERENT THINGS THAT GO ON.
BUT I THINK MORE JUST INTO THE, INTO INTO THE WEEDS IDEAS, LIKE ON THE SCHOOL DISCIPLINE REPORT OF GOING THROUGH IT AND SAYING, HERE IT IS IN RELATION TO EVERY MONTH.
WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS VIA EMAIL, BUT GOING BACK AND SAYING, HOW'S IT, HOW'S IT IN RELATION SO WE CAN, AND HAVE A FULL SENSE OF IT RATHER THAN ONE TIME.
EVERYTHING IN CONTEXT CONTEXTUAL IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE, THE HISTORY OF IT, HOW IT ALL WORKS TOGETHER.
UM, QUARTERLY FINANCE REPORTS SHOWING OUR YEAR TO DATE SPENDING PER LINE ITEM OF OUR BUDGET, I THINK WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL FOR US WHO ARE TRYING TO FOLLOW ALONG AT HOME.
BOTH, AND, AND ALSO TO HAVE IT POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE SO PEOPLE CAN FOLLOW ALONG.
HAVING QUARTERLY ACADEMIC MEASURABLE REPORTS FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, BUT MOST IN PARTICULARLY THE FORD VDOE, UH, FAILING SCHOOLS WHERE WHATEVER THOSE MEASURABLES ARE THAT, THAT SOMEONE WANTS TO PUT FORWARD AND SAY, WELL HERE WE'RE DOING GREAT STUFF AND THAT WE CAN BE IN THE KNOW ABOUT.
I THINK HAVING RAW DATA REPORT FOR THE SOL SCORES IN JUNE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT THE SL SCORES OR HOW THEY WORK, BUT I DO KNOW THAT PEOPLE CAN TAKE THEM MULTIPLE TIMES.
BUT IT'D BE GREAT TO GET SOME RAW DATA, UH, MONTHLY JOB VACANCIES REPORT, INCLUDING INFORMATION, HOW THE VACANCIES CURRENTLY BEING FILLED, LIKE WHETHER IT'S A LONG-TERM SUB OR TEACHER COVERING DURING THE FREE TIME, HOW MANY JOB APPLICATIONS WE RECEIVE FOR THESE OPEN POSITIONS.
AND THEN FINALLY A QUARTERLY DETAILED REPORT ON OUR MEASURABLE PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS.
THESE ARE ALL JUST REPORTS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE THAT INVOLVED.
YOU CREATE THE, THE FORMAT ONE TIME AND FILL IN THE DATA.
THEY'RE NOT MEANT TO BE EXCESSIVE, BUT I THINK THERE ARE REPORTS THAT WE CAN REFER TO AND SAY, HERE IT IS AGAIN, IN MY, IN MY POSITION, I'VE, I'VE REPORTS I DO ALL THE TIME REPORT TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
IT'S THE SAME DATA FOR EVERY YEAR, FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS.
AND IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO COMPARE AND CONTRAST.
AND SO FOR PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY FOR BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE COMING AND GOING AND FOR, UM, IT, IT'S A GOOD THING TO HAVE THE, THE SET, SET DATA SETS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
SO I THINK FOR IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE DURING THE, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT TO SAY, WELL, HERE'S THE LATEST DATA AND ALSO FOR THE PEOPLE AT HOME TO NOT JUST HEAR ABOUT IT, BUT THEY CAN LOOK AT IT ON THE BOARD DOCS AND SEE THE DIFFERENT DATA SETS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, NO, NO, GREAT HURRY ON IT.
BUT I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IT'D BE GOOD TO HAVE THAT DATA TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS AND TO BE KEPT IN THE KNOW ABOUT THE REGULAR PROGRESS AND THE GREAT PROGRESS THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I CONCUR WITH EVERYTHING THAT, THAT HE JUST SAID.
UM, AND DOING THE, THE TRAINING ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS VERY EYE-OPENING.
UM, AND I, AND I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO, UM, UPDATE HOURS THE WAY THAT, THAT THE TRAINING EXPLAINED OUR, THE WAY A STRATEGIC PLAN SHOULD BE OPERATING IS,
[02:50:02]
IS THAT YOU HAVE YOUR SPECIFIC GOAL AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR MEASURABLES.AND EXACTLY AS HE SAID, YOU HAVE REPORTS THAT ARE SCHEDULED AND YOU TRACK THAT AND THEN YOU ATTACH DOLLAR FIGURES TO IT.
SO THAT WAY WHEN WE DO COME UP ON BUDGET SEASON, WE CAN TELL THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, HERE'S OUR GOAL.
WE ARE, WE WANT TO, I'LL JUST HYPOTHETICALLY WE WANNA IMPROVE OUR READING SCORES.
WE ARE GOING TO DO THAT IN, OR WE WANT TO DO THAT IN X, Y, Z WAY.
THE DOLLAR FIGURE ATTACHED TO IT IS THIS.
WE WILL BE CHECKING IN TO SEE THAT THAT PLAN IS WORKING BASED ON THIS DATE, THIS DATE, AND THIS DATE IN THIS FORMAT, IN THIS FORMAT.
AND THAT WILL KEEP US ON TRACK.
SO WHAT I WAS HOPING TO DO IS, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE ALL, EVERYBODY UP HERE I THINK IS AN OVERACHIEVER AND THE FACT THAT WE GET THESE IDEAS AND WE WANNA RUN WITH ALL OF 'EM AND THERE'S TOO MANY THINGS HAPPENING ALL AT ONCE AND WE'RE, WE'RE, UM, WE NEED TO ADD A LITTLE ORGANIZATION TO IT.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS, AS WE START THIS NEW BUDGET SEASON, JULY ONE, MAYBE WE COULD GET, UM, A CALENDAR IN PLACE WHERE WE GO AHEAD AND SCHEDULE OUT FOR THE FULL BUDGETARY YEAR THE PLAN.
KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE STARTED TO DISCUSS, UM, WITH THE SUPERVISORS LAST NIGHT.
I THINK, UM, MR. VALENTINE EXPLAINED THAT, THAT JUNE, THERE'S THE TWO PAYMENTS AND, AND THEN MR. DALEY SUGGESTED, OKAY, WELL APRIL WOULD BE OUR THIRD QUARTER.
SO WE COULD GET THAT ON A BOARD CALENDAR IN ADVANCE THAT WE KNOW THAT AT THE APRIL WHATEVER DATE MEETING, WE WILL BE REVIEWING THE THIRD QUARTER BUDGETARY EXPENSES AND THEN HAVE YOUR FIRST QUARTER EXPENSES IN THERE, HAVE YOUR SECOND QUARTER EXPENSES IN THERE, UM, SET THAT ON THE CALENDAR AND THEN, UH, ALSO ADD IN THOSE, THOSE MEASURABLES WITH, WITH TEST SCORES OR WHATEVER METHOD BY WHICH WE WANT TO TRACK THE ACADEMIC PROGRESS AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE REPORTS DON'T, UM, OVERLAP.
SO WE'RE NOT RECEIVING BOTH A ENTIRE FINANCE REPORT AT THE SAME NIGHT AS WE'RE TRYING TO RECEIVE ALL OF THE, THE ACADEMIC REPORTS.
AND WE CAN HAVE, 'CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE AGENDAS THAT, THAT SOME OF THEM ARE HUGELY LONG AND IN DEPTH AND IT'S, IT'S A LOT.
AND THEN WE HAVE OTHERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE LIGHTER.
SO IF WE HAVE THESE DEFINITIVE ALREADY SCHEDULED METRICS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THEN WE CAN FILL IN AND BETTER DISPERSE OUR BUSINESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW IN ADVANCE EXACTLY, EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING.
AND SURE, YES, THINGS COME UP THAT AREN'T, THAT ARE NOT EXPECTED, BUT I THINK IT WOULD JUST HELP MAYBE WITH THE, UM, SCHEDULING PROCESS, UM, AND HOPEFULLY TAKE SOMETHING OFF YOUR PLATE.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU DEAL WITH A LOT WITH THAT DR.
PENCE WITH THE TRYING TO GET THE AGENDA TOGETHER.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT, THAT HAS KIND OF POPPED INTO MY HEAD IS, UM, AS WE MOVE INTO, UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S ALREADY BEEN SET AS A PUBLIC MEETING THAT THE GRIEVANCE HEARING AND SEEING THE PROCESS FOR THAT AND HOW IN DEPTH IT IS, I WOULD AGAIN LIKE TO REASSERT MY DESIRE TO HAVE A TWO BOARD MEMBER ROTATION TO WHERE WE CAN AS A BOARD, BE PEOPLE THAT OUR STAFF CAN COME TO WITH ISSUES BEFORE THEY ESCALATE TO THE POINT OF NEEDING AN OFFICIAL GRIEVANCE HEARING.
BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT MY TAKEAWAY IS WITH SEEING HOW IN DEPTH THIS PROCESS IS, IS IT'S REQUIRES AN ATTORNEY, IT'S EXPENSIVE AND I WOULD NEVER WANT A STAFF MEMBER TO BE DETERRED FROM HAVING THEIR ISSUES HEARD BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT.
AND IF WE CAN HEAR FROM OUR STAFF WHEN THE PROBLEMS ARE SMALL AND HELP RESOLVE THOSE ISSUES, WHEN THE PROBLEMS ARE SMALL, WE CAN HELP RETAIN EMPLOYEES, WE CAN HELP MAKE IT A BETTER, HAPPIER WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT AND WE CAN BE AWARE OF, OF WHAT WE CAN IMPROVE EARLIER ON.
[02:55:04]
OKAY.[6.A. Approval of May 1, 2024 Personnel Report - Mr. Lee]
APPROVAL OF CLOSED MEETING ITEMS. IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE THAT THE PERSONNEL REPORT AND THE PERSONNEL REPORT ADDENDUM BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE THAT OUR BOARD ALLOW EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE NUMBER 2 0 2 4 0 4 1 0 1 AS WE HAVE DETERMINED THERE IS JUST CAUSE TO PROCEED WITH THE STEP FOUR GRIEVANCE HAVING TO BE THE STEP FOUR GRIEVANCE HEARING TO BE HEARD BY A THIRD PARTY ADJUDICATOR.
IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT.