[1. Closed Meeting - 5:30 p.m.]
[00:00:06]
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 1 1.
THE SCHOOL BOARD DESIRES TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING MATTER IN CLOSED MEETING, SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A ONE, DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION, OR INTERVIEWS OF PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT APPOINTMENT PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE TO MOTION SALARIES, DISCIPLINING, OR RESIGNATION OF EMPLOYEES OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, SPECIFICALLY THE PERSONNEL REPORT, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S EVALUATION EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE NUMBER 2 0 2 4 0 4 1 0 DASH ONE AND EMPLOYEE PERSONNEL ISSUE NUMBER 2 0 2 4 DASH 7 0 3 DASH ONE.
IS THERE A SECOND? I SECONDED.
MR. STEIN, COULD YOU DO A ROLL CALL PLEASE? YES.
IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT.
MR. VALENTINE, COULD YOU DO A ROLL CALL PLEASE? YES.
[*This portion of the meeting was joined in progress*.]
ALL PLEASE, UM, JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE.PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WISHES STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE STRONG.
[2.B. Accept or Modify the Agenda - School Board]
OKAY.FIRST THIS EVENING, IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT OR MODIFY THE AGENDA? I MOVE THAT THE AGENDA BE ACCEPTED AS PRESENTED.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL IS IN FAVOR? AYE.
[2.C. School Resource Officer Report and Update]
NEXT UP WE HAVE A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER REPORT AND UPDATE.I FEEL LIKE WE WERE JUST HERE
UM, AS FAR AS THE NORMAL REPORT, UM, I DID WANNA ANNOUNCE THAT TODAY WE FINALIZED A, UH, SHERIFF'S FUND DAY.
SO I LEFT A BROCHURE AND A FLYER OVER THERE.
SO ON MONDAY, JULY 22ND, FROM EIGHT TO SIX, WE WILL BE HOSTING A CANOEING SWIMMING, FISHING ALL DAY FUN TRIP.
UM, SO THERE ARE APPLICATIONS OVER THERE.
UM, THERE'S INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE AS WELL ABOUT HOW TO APPLY WHEN THE DEADLINE IS AND ALL OF THAT.
SO I DID WANNA ANNOUNCE THAT 'CAUSE WE JUST LITERALLY GOT IT APPROVED RIGHT BEFORE LEAVING HERE.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO TOUCH BASE ON, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, AS OF JULY 1ST, WE HAVE SOME NEW LAWS THAT WENT INTO EFFECT.
UM, AND ONE OF THOSE BEING, UM, CHANGES TO WHAT WE TYPICALLY WOULD CHARGE UNDERAGE POSSESSION OF A VAPE, WHICH IS CODE SECTION.
AND I HAVE COPIES IF YOU GUYS WANT IT.
UM, SO THIS YEAR, LEGISLATION, THEIR BIGGEST ISSUES WERE THEY WANTED, THEY WERE WANTING TO UPDATE THE LEGISLATION TO BE ABLE TO HIT RETAILERS HARDER FOR SELLING TO UNDERAGE USERS.
UM, SO THEY DID, THEY DID INCREASE FINES AND PENALTIES.
UM, THEY MADE SOME VERY POSITIVE CHANGES.
THEY PROHIBITED INTERNET SALES OF LIQUID NICOTINE, NICOTINE VAPOR PRODUCTS, UM, EXCEPT TO RETAIL DEALERS.
'CAUSE I'M, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE AWARE, BUT YOU COULD PREVIOUSLY BUY A VAPE ONLINE AND HAVE IT MAILED TO YOU WITH REALLY NO CHECKS AND BALANCES.
SO THAT'S NOW PART OF THE LAW.
UM, THE LAW, UM, FOR THE PURPOSE OF SELLING, UM, AND DISTRIBUTE AND DISTRIBUTING TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO A PERSON YOUNGER THAN 21, THEY UPDATED THAT AND CHANGED THE DEFINITION TO NICOTINE VAPOR PRODUCTS SO THAT IT ALSO INCLUDES ALL TYPES OF NICOTINE AND VAPES AND ALL OF THAT.
UM, BUT THE BIGGEST THING IN THAT WAS THEY REMOVED THE PROVISION PROHIBITING THE ATTEMPT TO PURCHASE THE PURCHASE OR THE POSSESSION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS BY, UM, PERSONS YOUNGER THAN THE AGE OF 21.
SO WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT REMOVES
[00:05:01]
OUR ABILITY TO CHARGE ANY PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF 21 WITH PURCHASING OR POSSESSING A VAPE, WHETHER IT IS TOBACCO, UM, AND OR THC.THE ONLY EXCEPT EXCEPTION WOULD BE, UM, 44.1 DASH 1109, WHICH IS THC ON SCHOOL GROUNDS.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, FOR THE SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE, THE ONLY WAY WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CHARGE A JUVENILE WITH A VAPE WOULD BE IF IT DID IN FACT COME BACK WITH THC.
UM, SO MOVING FORWARD, YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF DECREASE FROM US ON THOSE TYPES OF CALLS FOR SERVICE SINCE, UM, WE WOULDN'T BE CONFISCATING THEM, WE WOULDN'T BE DOING LITERALLY ANYTHING WITH THEM EXCEPT FOR HELPING POSSIBLY DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE THC OR NOT.
UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A BIG CHANGE BECAUSE IT EVEN AFFECTS JUVENILES, UM, THAT WE SEE ON THE STREET.
IF THEY'RE ON THE STREET, THERE'S LITERALLY NOTHING WE CAN DO ANYMORE.
IF THEY'RE IN POSSESSION WITH A VAPE, WE CAN'T CONFISCATE IT, WE CAN'T TAKE IT.
THEY'VE PROHIBITED ALL OF THAT.
SO IT'S KIND OF TIED OUR HANDS A LITTLE, ESPECIALLY I FEEL IT'S SENDING A MIXED MESSAGE TO THE JUVENILES THAT, HEY, IT'S, YOU CAN HAVE IT.
THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING, BUT WE DON'T WANT YOU TO DO IT.
IT'S STILL ILLEGAL, BUT, SO IT'S KIND OF, I'M GONNA FEEL SENDING MIXED MESSAGES AND WE DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW IT'S GOING TO LOOK.
SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY THIS SCHOOL YEAR REALLY PUSHING OUT MORE INFORMATION ON THE DANGERS OF VAPES AND HOW IT CAN BE ADDICTIVE AND REALLY TRYING A MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH SINCE WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE OTHER WAYS TO KIND OF DEAL WITH THEM AND HELP THEM GUIDE THROUGH AND NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS.
I, I JUST FEEL IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE A TOUGH TIME, BUT WE'LL JUST HOPEFULLY BE MORE PROACTIVE IN DOING MORE, UM, TRAININGS AND THINGS FOR THE KIDS TO MAKE THEM REALLY UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS OF IT, UM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE.
I MEAN, OF COURSE IT WOULD STILL BE, YOUR POLICY WOULD NOT CHANGE, YOU KNOW, THEY STILL CAN'T HAVE A ONE SCHOOL GROUNDS.
IT'S JUST OUR INVOLVEMENT WOULD BE, WOULD BE DIFFERENT IN THAT.
SO UNFORTUNATE, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL GET THROUGH IT.
SO,
WE'RE STILL, YOU STILL CAN'T HAVE A VAPE ON SCHOOL.
YOU WILL STILL GET IN TROUBLE.
IT'S JUST WE WOULD DO IT AND NOT YOU PERSONALLY.
SO IT WILL NOT CHANGE ANYTHING WITH YOUR SCHOOL POLICY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S STILL ALL INTACT.
IT'S JUST THAT YOU WOULD KNOW THE SCHOOL WOULD NO LONGER HAVE TO BE REQUIRED TO REPORT IT TO US.
WE WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE INVOLVED.
OF COURSE, IF YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WANT US PRESENT DURING SEARCHES, WE'RE STILL GONNA BE THERE AND WE'LL STILL HELP DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT'S A THC VAPE OR A NICOTINE VAPE.
THEY JUST WON'T BE TURNED OVER TO US.
WE JUST WOULDN'T BE DOING A REPORT.
AND THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY INFORMAL HANDLING, UH, PETITIONS, DIVERSIONS, SUMMONS AS ANY OF THAT.
SO REALLY IT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING FROM THE SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE.
IT'S JUST GONNA CHANGE FROM THE SRO PERSPECTIVE.
SO DOES THIS OVERRIDE THE, UM, THE CLEAN AIR LAWS? SO I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE WITH THAT.
I KNOW FOR US, WE WOULD, WE HAVE LIMIT TO WHAT WE CAN CHARGE WITH.
SO I, I'M NOT SURE TO ANSWER THAT.
I KNOW IN TALKING WITH THE COMMONWEALTH, REALLY THE ONLY THING WE HAVE LEFT AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO EVEN CHARGE A CHILD OR REALLY GET IN INVOLVED WITH THEM, UM, TO GET THEM SERVICES IS THE 4.1 1109 STATUTE.
SO, BECAUSE THE, THE FEEDBACK THAT, THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING ON THIS, OF COURSE, WE DON'T WANT TO TURN KIDS INTO CRIMINALS FOR, FOR SMOKING, RIGHT? BUT, UM, I KNOW WE HAVE CHILDREN WHO HAVE, UM, REACTIVE AIRWAY DISORDER MM-HMM.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT THROUGH THE POLICIES THAT, YOU KNOW MM-HMM,
UM, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I WE'RE WORKING ON FINALIZING THE NUMBERS FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR TO REALLY PUT IN PERSPECTIVE THAT YES, THOUGH IT MAY SEEM LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE DEAL A LOT WITH VAPES, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT AS, UM, WHETHER IT'S AN INFORMAL, RIGHT, SO INFORMAL MEANING THAT WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY CHARGING THE KID, WE'RE JUST SITTING DOWN WITH THEM AND DOING CLASSES, UM, WHETHER THEY'RE ISSUED A SUMMONS, WHICH IS A CIVIL PENALTY.
UM, SO WE'RE WORKING ON OUR YEARLY DATA TO, TO REALLY PRESENT AND SHOW AN OVERVIEW THAT WHILE
[00:10:01]
IT MAY LOOK LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH A LOT OF VAPES, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY PUTTING KIDS IN THE SYSTEM WITH EVERY VAPE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.SO WE'RE WORKING ON FINALIZING, UM, THAT HOPEFULLY BY JULY 30TH WE'LL HAVE THE FINAL REPORTS THAT WILL SHOW, LIKE, OF ALL THE INCIDENTS, THIS IS HOW MANY WE'VE HANDLED INFORMALLY.
THIS IS HOW MANY WAS REFERRED TO THE COURT, THIS IS HOW MANY WAS ACTUALLY RECEIVED A PETITION, UM, THROUGH THE JUVENILE INTAKE.
SO, AND I'M HOPING MOVING FORWARD THAT WITH, UM, THE MONTHLY REPORTS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO INCLUDE THAT DATA AS WELL VERSUS JUST AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND SAY, HEY, BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE DONE.
SO, YOU KNOW, SO WE ARE WORKING TO FINALIZE THAT AND HOPEFULLY, AND THEN OTHERS WILL SEE THAT IT'S, WE'RE REALLY NOT TRYING TO, UH, SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE.
WE, WE JUST WANNA GET THE KIDS THE HELP THAT THEY NEED BEFORE IT GETS TOO BAD.
AND I, AND I JUST WANNA, WANNA FIND A MORE EFFICIENT WAY NOW, SINCE WE'RE KIND OF LIMITED.
SO ANY IDEA OF SUGGESTIONS, WE ARE HAPPY TO HEAR FROM THEM.
AND THERE'S FORMS OVER THERE IF THERE ARE ANY OF THE KIDS WALKING IN THAT WANNA PARTICIPATE IN FUN DAY.
[2.D. Community Participation]
OKAY.NEXT UP THIS EVENING WE HAVE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION.
AND SECOND HERE, 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 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 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 A WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT OR AN EMPLOYEE OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION.
AND LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
MR. VALENTINE, WHO'S ON OUR LIST FIRST? UH, NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP IN ADVANCE.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FIRST THIS EVENING? YES.
I'M NOT GOOD AT THE PUBLIC SPEAKING THING.
IT'S A LOT EASIER ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
I AM A WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEE, A SPECIAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT AT LESLIE FOX KAISER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR FIVE YEARS NOW.
I'M ALSO A LONGTIME WARREN COUNTY RESIDENT.
LIVED HERE MY WHOLE LIFE, WENT TO WARREN COUNTY SCHOOLS MY ENTIRE LIFE.
UM, MY MOM RETIRED FROM WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AFTER 26 YEARS, MY SISTERS BOTH WORK FOR THE COUNTY.
BOTH MY CHILDREN GO TO THE SCHOOLS IN THIS COUNTY.
I REALLY DON'T HAVE A PLAN TO COME UP HERE, WHAT TO SAY.
OTHER THAN THAT, I AM VERY CONCERNED IN THE WAY THINGS ARE MOVING WHEN IT COMES TO LACK OF SUPPORT FOR THE STAFF AND FOR THE STUDENTS.
A LARGE MAJORITY OF COLLEAGUES AND PARENTS ARE NOT HAPPY.
I'VE JUST DECIDED TO BE THE ONE TO SPEAK UP.
UM, I'M GONNA READ THIS LETTER THAT A STUDENT WROTE ME TWO YEARS AGO,
MS. SMITH IS AN AWESOME TEACHER WHO IS DEDICATED, WHICH I'M NOT A TEACHER YET DEDICATED TO HER PROFESSION.
SHE HAS BEEN TEACHING OVER SEVEN YEARS AND HAS A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE IN HER FIELD.
[00:15:01]
A UNIQUE WAY OF IMPORTING KNOWLEDGE TO HER STUDENTS, WHICH MAKES LEARNING ENJOYABLE AND EFFORTLESS.HER TEACHING IS ALWAYS ENGAGING AND INTERACTIVE.
SHE ALWAYS FINDS A WAY TO MAKE EVEN THE MOST DIFFICULT SUBJECTS EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
MS. SMITH IS ALWAYS VERY APPROACHABLE AND WILLING TO HELP HER STUDENTS, BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM.
SHE IS A GREAT ROLE MODEL AND AN INSPIRATION TO HER STUDENTS AND HER IMPACT ON THEIR LIVES IS IMMEASURABLE OVERALL.
MS. SMITH IS AN OUTSTANDING TEACHER WHO IS PASSIONATE ABOUT EDUCATION AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF HER STUDENTS.
AND THAT IS WHAT I WANT ALL OF YOU UP HERE TO UNDERSTAND.
BECAUSE THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND LEVEL ARE THE ONES MAKING THE DIFFERENCE FOR THESE STUDENTS, MAKING THEM WANT TO COME TO SCHOOL.
AND IF WE WANNA TALK ABOUT ABSENTEEISM, THAT'S A HUGE PART OF IT.
WHEN STAFF MORALE IS DOWN AND STUDENT MORALE IS DOWN, THE COMMUNITY MORALE IS DOWN, IT'S GONNA GET WORSE.
KIDS AREN'T GONNA COME TO SCHOOL, THEY'RE NOT GONNA LEARN.
YOUR TEACHERS ARE NOT GONNA WANNA TEACH.
THEY'RE GONNA KEEP GOING TO OTHER DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE TO START COMING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND HELPING THESE, THESE CHILDREN, OUR OUR KIDS, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR SCHOOLS, STOP THE INFIGHTING, STOP THE EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.
WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND START WORKING TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S REALLY, THAT'S ALL I WANNA SAY RIGHT NOW.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK THIS EVENING? OKAY,
[3. Consent Agenda]
NEXT UP THIS EVENING, WE HAVE OUR CONSENT AGENDA.IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE THAT THE CONSENT AGENDA BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED? IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
[4.A. Superintendent]
HAVE REPORTS, DR.AND I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT AND EVERYBODY JOINING US ONLINE.
UM, I KNOW WE'RE GETTING READY TO GO INTO THE 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
SO I KNOW THE, UH, SCHOOLS WE ARE OUT, UH, AS FAR AS OUR OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED TOMORROW AND FRIDAY.
SO I HOPE EVERYBODY ENJOYS A, UH, A NICE FOUR DAY WEEKEND, UH, WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
BUT, UM, TONIGHT, I, I HAVE REALLY A SHORT, UM, AS FAR AS A REPORT ON MY, MY SIDE, I DID WANT TO INFORM THE BOARD AND OUR STAFF.
WE WILL SEND OUT AN EMAIL NEXT WEEK, BUT WE ARE GOING TO CANCEL CONVOCATION, UH, BECAUSE WE NEED THAT HALF DAY FOR TRAINING.
UM, AS THE BOARD IS FULLY AWARE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT THE LAST WORK SESSION.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING WITH OUR CALENDAR.
UH, ONE OF OUR STAFF DEVELOP, OR ONE OF OUR, UH, IT WAS A HALF DAY FOR STUDENTS WHERE IT ROLLED INTO A PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE THAT NIGHT.
WE ARE MOVING THAT TO A PD DAY BECAUSE WE NEED THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR STAFF SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE WE'RE BRINGING IN A LOT OF CHANGES FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WHEN WE DEAL WITH THE, UH, VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT AND THEN THE CHANGES WITH OUR, OUR MATH AND, AND ENGLISH.
AND JUST, JUST A LOT OF CHANGES COMING IN AND WE'RE SCRAMBLING TO TRY TO GET IT ALL FIT IN AND WE'RE JUST NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO.
AND SO, UM, WE WILL STILL HOLD OUR TEACHER OF THE YEAR LUNCHEON AND OUR SUPPORT PERSON OF THE YEAR LUNCHEON.
WE WILL STILL HOLD THAT, BUT AS FAR AS THE CONVOCATION, WE'RE GOING TO UTILIZE THAT SO THAT OUR TEACHERS CAN, CAN GET THE TRAINING THAT THEY NEED, UM, SO THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO THIS, THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
UM, THE NEXT THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT NEXT WEEK I WILL HAVE MY ADMINISTRATIVE RETREAT.
UH, WE, WE WILL HAVE THREE FULL DAYS OF, UM, TOPICS FOR ADMINISTRATORS GETTING PREPARED FOR THE START OF THE SCHOOL NEXT YEAR.
UM, THEN ALSO WANTED TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT WE ARE FINISHING UP, OR, WELL, ESY WILL FINISH UP NEXT WEEK, BUT SOME OF OUR SUMMER SCHOOL HAS ALREADY FINISHED UP, SO WE ARE EITHER FINISHING UP OR HAVE FINISHED UP WITH OUR SUMMER SCHOOL ESY, UH, PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
AND THEN TODAY I REALLY WANTED TO TAKE A, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO INTRODUCE, UM, A COUPLE OF PEOPLE, LET THEM HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UH, BEFORE THE BOARD AND LET THE, THE COMMUNITY SEE WHO THEY ARE.
UH, BECAUSE I DO KNOW THAT THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, THIS IS LIVESTREAM.
AND SO WE WANT PEOPLE TO, TO KNOW THAT, UM, WHO THEY ARE AND PUT A FACE WITH THE NAME.
BUT FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE DR. CHARLES COSTNER.
COSTNER IS COMING TO US FROM SOUTH CAROLINA.
HE IS TAKING OVER FOR MR. SMITH AS THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT.
SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK DR.
COSTNER IF HE WOULDN'T MIND COMING UP TO THE PODIUM AND JUST GIVE HIM A LITTLE BIT OF MIC TIME TONIGHT.
[00:20:01]
CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS, I, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND, UM, THANK DR.BALLINGER FOR HAVING CONFIDENCE IN ME TO BE ABLE TO FILL THE ROLES OF ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF ADMINISTRATION.
UM, I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW I'M EXCITED AND I AM VERY EAGER TO WORK AND LEARN AND WORK UNDER DR.
BALLINGER AND CONTINUE THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN, UM, WARREN COUNTY.
I, I MEAN, IT'S THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, AND THEN THE OPPORTUNITY ACTUALLY FOR ME TO WORK WITH YOU ALL ON SOME COMMITTEES.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE THINGS.
AND JUST, JUST KIND OF A BRIEF SNIPPET ABOUT ME AND HOW THE, HOW DID A GUY FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, AND I DON'T THINK I HAVE AN ACCENT OR ANYTHING ELSE, SO, UM, BUT, UM, HOW DID A GUY FROM SOUTH CAROLINA END UP HERE? UM, JUST GOING TO BACKTRACK A LITTLE BIT.
I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE AND I THOROUGHLY BELIEVE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND I HAVE BEEN, UM, A PART OF EDUCATION FOR MANY YEARS IN SOUTH CAROLINA FROM SERVING FROM AN ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL ALL THE WAY UP TO A HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
BUT, UM, I, UM, WHEN, WHEN, UM, I'VE ALWAYS, I'VE GOT TWO GIRLS AND I ACTUALLY, I, I FELL IN LOVE WITH AND MARRIED MY SCHOOL MENTOR, WHO WAS MY WIFE SUSAN.
AND, UM, WE HAVE TWO WONDERFUL CHILDREN.
THEY, UM, ONE CAME UP HERE AND GOT MARRIED AND HAS CHILDREN.
AND I'VE TRIED TO TEACH MY CHILDREN GROWING UP.
THE THREE MAIN THINGS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KEEP YOUR FAITH STRONG, YOU KEEP YOUR FAMILY CLOSE, AND YOUR MIND AND BODY FIT.
AND I TRIED TO INSTILL THAT IN THEM.
WELL, WHEN THEY STARTED MOVING AWAY, I SAID, OH, FAMILY CLOSE.
SO HOW CAN, HOW CAN WE WORK THIS OUT? SO A POSITION CAME AVAILABLE HERE.
I WATCHED, I ACTUALLY, I PICKED WITH DR.
BALLINGER, I WATCHED SOME YOUTUBE VIDEOS ON HIM AND JUST A STRONG FAMILY UNIT.
AND, UH, JUST A TOUR IN THE COMMUNITY TO BECOME A PART OF IT.
AND NOW THAT I CAN HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE HERE FOR THE CHILDREN HERE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN MY GRANDCHILDREN'S LIVES.
SO I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL AND TO BE ABLE TO SHARE SOME THINGS THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED, UM, CONTINUE TO HELP US GROW HERE.
SO, ANY QUICK QUESTIONS? OKAY.
YOU DO HAVE AN ACCENT, JUST SO YOU KNOW.
DO I, DO I REALLY JUST, JUST MAKING, MAKING SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU BE.
JUST, JUST, JUST A LITTLE BIT.
AND NOW, MADAM CHAIR AND, UM, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP OUR NEW, UH, AND, AND INTRODUCE OUR NEW PRINCIPAL AT SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
MR. CHAD BURKE, BOARD, MADAM CHAIR, DR.
BALLINGER, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND INVITING ME THIS EVENING.
UM, I'M STANDING HERE IN FRONT OF YOU, HONORED AND PRIVILEGED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, BEING NAMED PRINCIPAL OF SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT MYSELF.
I GREW UP IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA IN A SMALL TOWN OUTSIDE OF PITTSBURGH, UM, CALLED LA TRO, PENNSYLVANIA.
ANYBODY HERE, MR. ROGERS? ARNOLD PALMER.
UM, I DID MY UNDERGRAD AT WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY, ALSO, UM, PLAYED SPORTS THERE AND STUDIED ELEMENTARY EDUCATION.
UM, PACKED MY CAR AFTER GRADUATION AND MOVED OUT WEST, SO FAR WEST TO SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, WHERE I STARTED MY TEACHING CAREER.
UM, TAUGHT FOURTH GRADE THERE FOR TWO YEARS.
MOVED BACK TO, UM, THE EAST COAST IN 2001.
MOVED TO VIRGINIA, STARTED TEACHING FIFTH GRADE IN SHENANDOAH COUNTY.
DURING THAT TIME, I HAD A PASSION FOR LEADERSHIP, INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP, AND, UH, WENT TO SHENANDOAH UNIVERSITY WHERE I EARNED MY MASTER'S DEGREE IN ADMINISTRATION.
STARTED MY ADMINISTRATION CAREER IN 2007 AT HARRISONBURG CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, SERVED THAT COMMUNITY FOR 17 YEARS AT ALL THREE LEVELS, ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH.
UM, NOW MOVING INTO, UM, SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, BOY, PEOPLE ARE WORKING HARD THERE.
POSITIONS ARE GETTING FILLED, CUSTODIANS ARE WORKING HARD, CLEANING.
UM, SECRETARIES ARE ORGANIZING.
AND, UH, I'VE BEEN IMPRESSED SO FAR.
WE'RE GONNA WORK TO CREATE A VISION, UH, AND HAVE A VISION OF HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL.
UM, WE'RE GONNA WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE A SAFE, CONDUCIVE PLACE TO COME AND LEARN.
AND WE'RE GONNA BUILD PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY AND, AND CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THOSE PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAMILIES.
UM, SPEAKING OF THAT, JULY 17TH, FROM FIVE TO SEVEN, I HOPE TO SEE YOU AT SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL, HAVE A CONVERSATION, A LITTLE MEET AND GREET, MAYBE GRAB A HOT DOG.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT TIME TO MEET FAMILIES.
I HAVE SOME LETTERS GOING OUT.
UM, I'M GONNA BE MEETING WITH TEACHERS.
UM, MS. DON AND I, THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL WILL, WILL SIT DOWN AND HOPEFULLY MEET WITH EVERY TEACHER, UM, DURING, UH, A COUPLE WEEKS.
UM, AND, UH, WE, WE, UH, WE, WE HAVE SOME GOOD
[00:25:01]
PLANS.UM, THANK YOU FOR INSTILLING THE CONFIDENCE IN ME AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING WITH YOU.
SO, MADAM CHAIR, THAT WOULD CONCLUDE MY SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
AND MR. BURKE, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT TOO.
[4.B. School Board]
YOU.FOR BOARD MEMBER REPORTS, I HAVE DR.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO REPORT ON, UM, THIS EVENING, BUT I DO WANNA WELCOME OUR NEW EMPLOYEES.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS AN EDUCATOR, SUMMER IS THE TIME THAT WE ALL, UM, HOPEFULLY ARE ABLE TO TAKE FOR OURSELVES AND KIND OF REGROUP, YOU KNOW, AS, AS HUMAN BEINGS AND JUST REGROUP.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE DO LOTS OF READING IN THE SUMMERS.
WE HAVE ALL THESE GREAT, MAGNIFICENT PLANS.
I LOVE HEARING THE ENERGY THAT I KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS COMING SCHOOL YEAR.
UM, AND I JUST HOPE THAT EVERY EMPLOYEE, YOU KNOW, IS ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES FIRST AND FOREMOST, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF BEFORE YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF, TAKE CARE OF ANYONE ELSE.
SO, I HOPE THAT EVERY EMPLOYEE IS DOING THAT.
I HOPE THAT THE ADMINISTRATORS AT THEIR RETREAT NEXT WEEK, UM, ARE, YOU KNOW, ENERGIZED AND, AND, UM, I'M JUST LOOKING FOR ALL THOSE GREAT WORDS.
YOU KNOW, I'M JUST KIND OF AT A A MY BRAIN'S AT A, A LOSS RIGHT NOW.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD TO, THAT'S, IT'S A GOOD POINT.
I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD ENERGY, A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE COMING ON, AND JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR MISSION AND OUR VISION HERE WITH WARREN COUNTY FOR THE COMING YEAR.
THANK YOU, MS. UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME ALL OF OUR NEW STAFF MEMBERS.
AND REALLY THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO REPORT IS WE HAD OUR BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING AT THE LAST WEEK.
UM, LFK RENOVATION IS COMPLETE, AND THE E WILSON MORRISON GYM AUDITORIUM TO GYM CONVERSION IS TRACKING ALONG AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND WILL BE COMPLETE VERY SOON.
SO, UM, E WILSON MORRISON, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE, THE SEATING IS HISTORIC.
AND WE'LL BE SELLING THOSE ON JULY 19TH FROM ONE TO FIVE.
EVERYBODY COME OUT BY A CHAIR, HELP SUPPORT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UM, THE SALE WILL BE HELD ON MAIN STREET AT THE OLD, UM, MURPHY THEATER BUILDING.
UM, MR. ROB MCDOUGALL HAS BEEN GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO HOST THIS EVENT FOR US.
SO THE 19TH FROM ONE TO FIVE, PLEASE COME OUT AND AND PURCHASE A SEAT.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS THIS PAST COUPLE WEEKS.
SEEMS LIKE WE'VE HAD THEM EVERY, EVERY SECOND DAY.
UH, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME PRINCIPAL BURKE AND, UH, DR.
I'M, I'M, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, I'M A NEW GUY ON THE BOARD.
I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE JANUARY, SO I'M LEARNING THE ROPES AS WELL.
BUT SO FAR IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A GREAT RIDE.
AND, UH, LEARNING THE VALUES OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE AND THE TEAM, WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT BUCK SMITH, HE'S OBVIOUSLY DR.
I ONLY KNEW HIM AGAIN FOR THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS, BUT HE, HE, HE'S GONNA BE SORELY MISSED.
AND, AND, UH, I, I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO HIM OF, OF ALL THE GREAT STUFF THAT HE DID AND, UH, JUST HIS, HIS LOVE OF HISTORY AND HIS LOVE OF THIS COUNTY.
AND WHAT HE KNOWS IS JUST AN, IT'S AN AMAZING, IT'S AN AMAZING THING.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA MISS HIM, BUT WE'RE VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE AS WELL.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I'VE BEEN, UM, FOR WHATEVER REASON, BEEN COINED THE POLICY KING BY SOME OF THESE FOLKS UP HERE.
I DO A LOT OF READING OF POLICY.
SO I'VE BEEN TAKING THE TIME TO READ THROUGH A LOT OF OUR DIFFERENT POLICIES, EVEN THOUGH WE, WE, WE'VE AGREED TO HAVE THE SBMA BE OUR POLICY REWRITER, IT'S GOOD TO KIND OF LOOK THROUGH IT OURSELVES, TO KEEP UP TO SPEED ON WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT WE DON'T HAVE.
UH, WE, WE'VE, WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT.
SO I WAS DOING A LOT OF WORK WORKING TOWARDS THE, UH, THIRD READING OF THE, THE DISCIPLINE POLICIES TONIGHT AS WELL.
UH, BY THE WAY, FOR THE, THE POLICIES THAT ARE COMING UP, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT.
THE REASON WE PUT IT UP ON THE, UH, ON THE, FOR THE, ON THE WEB, FOR PEOPLE TO COMMENT ON IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN UP THERE FOR, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SINCE ABOUT FEBRUARY, AT LEAST IN MY TERM.
AND THEY TELL ME, THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SINCE SEPTEMBER, ABOUT THE DISCIPLINE POLICIES.
BUT IT'S BEEN UP ON, AS, YOU KNOW, RE TRYING TO RECEIVE, RE HAVING THE THREE OR TWO ONE READINGS UP THERE.
THE REASON THEY'RE UP THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW IS FOR YOUR INPUT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME AND STAND AT THE PODIUM.
IT'S A SCARY, PEOPLE SAY IT'S ONE OF THE SCARIEST THINGS IN THE WORLD TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC, AND I GET THAT.
BUT THERE ARE WAYS YOU CAN COMMUNICATE ABOUT DIFFERENT POLICIES THAT ARE UP FOR GRABS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO REVIEW.
BY EMAILING US, YOU CAN EMAIL ONE OF US, ALL OF US, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO, UM, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY
[00:30:01]
FOR THE TEACHERS AND THE PRINCIPALS AND THE PARENTS, YOU'RE THE ONES DEALING WITH THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS OF WHAT, WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT ISN'T WORKING.AND SO WE HAVE RECEIVED JUST ABOUT ZERO AMOUNT OF INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE POLICIES.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING UP HERE SORT OF WITH OURSELVES AND LAWYERS AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO, TO FIGURE SOME THINGS OUT, TRYING TO ALIGN IT WITH LAW.
BUT I, I'M NOT SURE WHETHER HOW WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON IT TONIGHT OR HOW IT'S GONNA WORK, BUT IN THE FUTURE, IF YOU SEE POLICIES UP THERE IN A FIRST READING, SECOND READING, THIRD READING, SO ON AND SO FORTH, THE REASON IT'S UP THERE IS TO GIVE THE THE PEOPLE THE TIME TO, TO MAKE, MAKE A COMMENT ON IT.
SO I, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT FOR ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH, THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE WITH THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND AS, AS, AS MS. SMITH CALLED THE PEOPLE WORKING IN THE FIELD, WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
I, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE FROM, FROM THEM REGARDING PARTICULARLY THE DISCIPLINE POLICIES.
MY TAKE IN THE DISCIPLINE POLICY FROM READING THEM AGAIN, WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE, IS THE, THE POLICIES AREN'T, AREN'T WAY OFFERED OR, OR, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ACCORDING TO STATE LAW, IT SOMETIMES IT'S A MATTER OF JUST INTERPRETATION OF WHAT THEY ARE.
BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ECHO WHAT MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HAVE SAID, UM, AND WELCOME OUR NEW EMPLOYEES, THOSE WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT, AND THOSE THAT AREN'T.
WE HAVE A LOT OF EMPLOYEES COMING ON, OF COURSE, THIS TIME OF YEAR.
UM, AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S STARTING TO GET EXCITED FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I HAVE IS THAT I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, RECENTLY TO GO TO THE BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNOR SCHOOL PROGRAM AND, UM, SEE THE WORK THAT THOSE, UM, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS HAD BEEN DOING.
UM, SO THAT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE TO SEE ONE OF THOSE, UM, SPECIAL ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, ONE OF VERY MANY THAT WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTY.
UM, AND SEE HOW EXCITED THOSE KIDS WERE TO BE LEARNING ABOUT SCIENCE.
UM, SO I APPRECIATED THAT, AND IT WENT, WENT VERY WELL.
I DON'T THINK I HAVE MUCH ELSE TO ADD.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBERS, UM, ALSO THIS EVENING, DR.
UM, AND I WANTED TO JUST REPEAT FOR ANYBODY THAT MISSED IT BEFORE THE SHERIFF'S FUND DAY.
THAT WAS, UM, MENTIONED EARLIER ON JULY 22ND AT 8:00 AM UM, 8:00 AM TO 6:00 PM SHE SAID.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO THE SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL ON JULY 17TH.
AND THEN, UM, WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL HAVE THEIR COMMUNITY FUN DAY ON AUGUST 10TH.
THAT'S AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL AGAIN, I ASSUME SO, JUST SO EVERYBODY HAS THOSE THINGS ON THEIR CALENDAR.
UM, WE HAD A MOUNTAIN VISTA GOVERNOR SCHOOL GOVERNING BOARD MEETING, AND, UM, THE DIRECTOR, DR. HUFF, WHO HAS BEEN AMAZING AND SO MUCH ENERGY FOR THAT SCHOOL, UM, IS MOVING ON TO OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WE'LL BE, UM, AS THAT BOARD MOVES FORWARD INTO AUGUST, LOOKING FOR, UM, A NEW DIRECTOR FOR THE GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL.
BUT, UM, DR. HUFF IS LEAVING IT IN REALLY GOOD HANDS TO GET THE SCHOOL YEAR OFF RUNNING.
AND, UM, IT'S GONNA BE AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT ATTEND THERE, JUST LIKE IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN.
BUT JUST LIKE, WE'LL BE MISSING BUCK SMITH QUITE A BIT HERE.
WE'LL BE MISSING DR. HUFF FROM MOUNTAIN VISTA GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL, AND ALL OF THE, THE ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT THAT SHE BROUGHT TO THAT PROGRAM.
[4.C. Special Services Update]
UP, WE HAVE A SPECIAL SERVICES UPDATE.UM, THANK YOU, UH, SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH YOU REGARDING OUR RECENT COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES HERE IN WARREN COUNTY.
UH, THAT WAS CONDUCTED BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
UM, AND WHEN I SAY COMPREHENSIVE, I MEAN IT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE.
UM, WE, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE THIRD AUDIT THAT I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF IN WARREN COUNTY.
AND THIS WAS BY FAR THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE.
UM, IT SPANNED THE COURSE OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR.
UM, WE STARTED, UH, WITH A REVIEW OF OUR OWN DOCUMENTS, UM, THAT OUR STAFF MEMBERS AT SPECIAL SERVICES, UH, CONDUCTED THAT PROCESS.
UM, ONCE THOSE DOCUMENTS WERE REVIEWED BY US, UM, WE THEN SUBMITTED THOSE TO THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, UM, IN WHICH THEY DID THEIR OWN VALIDATION OF SERVICES.
SO THEY REVIEWED 60 OVER 192 RECORDS THAT WE ACTUALLY REVIEWED ONCE WE COM, UH, COMPLETED THAT SELF-ASSESSMENT.
THE VDOE MONITORING TEAM ACTUALLY CAME TO, UH, WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, THEY DID THEIR OWN ONSITE INTERVIEWS WHERE THEY INTERVIEWED SPECIAL EDUCATORS, GENERAL EDUCATION EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS, UM, AS WELL AS CONDUCTING WALKTHROUGHS, UM, WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
SO THEY ACTUALLY WENT IN AND WERE, UH, OBSERVED AND VISITED 20 OF OUR CLASSROOMS HERE SO THEY COULD ACTUALLY SEE THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES THAT WERE BEING PROVIDED TO OUR STUDENTS.
[00:35:04]
SO AS PART OF THAT, WE WERE, UM, IDENTIFIED AS HAVING STRENGTHS.THEY ALSO, UH, IDENTIFIED A FEW AREAS OF EMERGING, UM, AND THEN ALSO SOME AREAS OF NON-COMPLIANCE.
I'M GONNA GO INTO EACH OF THOSE.
UM, AS FAR AS OUR STRENGTHS, UM, THEY STATED THAT STAFF STATED THAT THEY FELT VERY SUPPORTED BY SPECIAL EDUCATION, UM, SPECIAL SERVICES HERE IN WARREN COUNTY, THAT WE PROVIDE ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
THAT THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE DIVISION AND THE SCHOOLWIDE AND SCHOOLWIDE, UM, BEHAVIOR POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS AND STRATEGIES THAT ARE USED FOR OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF TRAINING FOR BUILDING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS.
THERE'S A CONSISTENT PROCESS OF ENSURING THAT GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHERS HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION OF THEIR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES SO THAT THEY CAN SERVE THEM IN THEIR, IN THEIR, UH, CLASSROOMS. THERE'S ALSO COMMON PLANNING TIME SO THAT OUR SPECIAL EDUCATORS AND OUR GENERAL EDUCATORS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE NEEDS OF OUR, OR SUPPORTING THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS.
UM, AND THAT WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS ADEQUATELY STAFFED TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF, OF THEIR STUDENTS.
SO THAT WAS THE FINDINGS OF OUR STRENGTHS THAT VDOE REPORTED.
UM, AN AREA THAT WAS EMERGING IN WHICH THEY FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO CONTINUE THE WORK THAT WE HAD IMPLEMENTED, UM, WAS TO CONTINUE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, UM, FOR OUR, UH, STAFF THAT, THAT SUPPORTS OUR STUDENTS WITH, UM, LOW INCIDENT DISABILITIES.
I APOLOGIZE FOR MY PRESENTATION.
UM, IT WAS NOT IN POWERPOINT FORM, AND I GUESS THE FORMATTING KIND OF THREW IT OFF.
SO, UH, SO THAT WAS OUR EMERGING NEED.
AND THEN THERE WERE THREE, UM, AREAS OF COMP NON-COMPLIANCE THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.
UM, THEY WERE ALL PROCEDURAL COMPLIANCE, MEANING THAT WE WERE ACTUALLY, UM, DOING THE REGULATIONS OR PROVIDING WHAT WAS IN THE REGULATIONS.
WE JUST WEREN'T DOCUMENTING THEM.
SO THERE WAS LACK OF DOCUMENTATION.
UM, IT WAS VERY MINIMAL, MY FEELING.
UM, AND ACTUALLY THE VDOE MONITORS SAID THAT OUR REPORT WAS VERY THIN, WHICH WAS A VERY GOOD THING.
UM, BUT THE ACTUAL PROCEDURAL, UM, ISSUES THAT WE HAD, UH, ONE WAS THAT OUR DOCUMENT LACKED, UM, THAT WE WERE ADMINISTERING OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION EVALUATIONS THAT WERE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE.
IT WASN'T SAYING THAT WE WEREN'T DOING THAT, IT WAS JUST SAYING THAT WE WEREN'T DOCUMENTING IT WELL.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THAT, UM, OUR REPORTS ARE BEING PROVIDED TO OUR PARENTS TWO DAYS PRIOR TO OUR ELIGIBILITY MEETINGS.
SO FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE ELIGIBILITY PROCESS, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT PARENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE REPORTS, UM, WITHIN TWO DAYS OF, UM, OF THE MEETING.
AND SO THAT PROCESS IS HAPPENING.
WE JUST WEREN'T DOING A GREAT JOB OF DOCUMENTING IT.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, DOCUMENTATION THAT A STUDENT, ONCE THEY REACH THAT TRANSITIONAL AGE OF, OF 14, WHERE WE'RE HAVING TO IMPLEMENT, UM, TRANSITION PLANS THAT WE WEREN'T NECESSARILY INDICATING ON THE MEETING.
NOTICE THAT THERE WOULD BE A DISCUSSION OF POST-SECONDARY, UM, GOALS AND TRANSITION SERVICES.
SO, UM, IN THE, I FELT LIKE IN THE WORLD OF NON-COMPLIANCE, THOSE WERE PRETTY MINIMAL.
UM, AND THE GOOD THING ABOUT, UM, ABOUT DOING IT OURSELVES WAS THAT AS SOON AS WE IDENTIFIED IT, WE WERE ABLE TO PUT CORRECTIONS IN PLACE.
SO WE STARTED CORRECTING THAT AS SOON AS WE FOUND IT, UM, AND STARTED DOING TRAININGS FOR STAFF THAT NEEDED THE, THE APPROPRIATE TRAINING TO CORRECT THOSE.
SO LOOKING AT OUR, UM, EMERGING AREA WHERE WE NEED SUPPORT, UM, IT WAS TALKING ABOUT OUR LOW INCIDENT DISABILITY POPULATION.
SO THERE'S A VISUAL THAT KIND OF SHOWS THAT CONTINUUM OF SERVICES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION, UH, STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE TO AFFORD, UM, TO ALL STUDENTS IN OUR, IN OUR DIVISION WITH DISABILITIES.
AT THE VERY TOP IS OUR STUDENTS THAT WOULD BE SERVED IN OUR SELF-CONTAINED ENVIRONMENT.
SO THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THEIR SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES ARE BEING PROVIDED AWAY FROM THE GENERAL EDUCATION SETTING OR AWAY FROM THEIR GENERAL EDUCATION PEERS.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE VISUAL KIND OF SHOWS THAT, THAT'S OUR LOW INCIDENT MEANS WE HAVE VERY, WE DON'T HAVE VERY MANY STUDENTS THAT ARE GETTING THAT LEVEL OF, OF NEED OR THAT LEVEL OF RESTRICTION.
UM, SO PART OF OUR SUPPORT, UM, IN THAT IS, IS OUR LEARNING CENTER.
SO OUR LEARNING CENTERS, UM, OUR CLASSROOMS THAT ARE DESIGNED FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS WHOSE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL NEEDS REQUIRE HIGHLY SUPPORTIVE, SUPERVISED SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
PLACEMENT WITHIN THE LEARNING CENTER MAY BE FOR ALL OF THE DAY, IT MAY BE FOR PART OF THE DAY WHERE SOME OF THE TIME THE STUDENTS ARE IN THEIR GENERAL EDUCATION SETTING.
THE GOAL OF, OF THE BEHAVIOR PROGRAM IS FOR OUR STUDENTS, UM, TO IMPROVE THEIR ACCEPTABLE AND APPROPRIATE BEHAVIORS TO DEVELOP SELF-AWARENESS, SELF-MONITORING AND SELF-CONTROL, AND TO MAKE PROGRESS IN THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GENERAL EDUCATION, UM, SETTING WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
SO THAT'S ALWAYS OUR GOAL, TO HAVE OUR STUDENTS, UM, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH THEIR GENERAL EDUCATION PEERS.
[00:40:01]
ARE MINIMAL CHANGES THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING, UM, FOR OUR LEARNING CENTERS FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.SO IN OUR, UM, IN OUR, I GUESS, DESIGN OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE AND REALLOCATE OUR LIMITED SERVICE, OUR LIMITED RESOURCES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS.
UM, SO WE ACTUALLY GOT OUR STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER.
SO WE MET WITH ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS AT THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL TO KIND OF GET THEIR FEEDBACK ON HOW THINGS WENT THIS YEAR WITH OUR LEARNING CENTERS.
UM, AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT WE HAD A TOTAL OF 15 STUDENTS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL THAT WERE BEING SUPPORTED, EITHER PART-TIME OR ALL, ALL DAYTIME IN OUR LEARNING CENTERS.
UM, AND IT WAS ALMOST AN EVEN DIVIDE WHERE 18, EIGHT OR EIGHT OF THOSE STUDENTS WERE ON SKYLINE ZONES OR OUR ELEMENTARY FEEDERS TO THE SKYLINE SCHOOLS.
AND THEN SEVEN OF THOSE STUDENTS WERE IN OUR WARREN COUNTY ZONE.
UM, SO WHAT WE DETERMINED WAS THAT PROBABLY ONE LEARNING CENTER AT EACH ZONE OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WOULD BE ABLE TO, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE STUDENTS.
SO THAT WOULD BE A MINIMAL CHANGE.
THIS PAST YEAR, WE ACTUALLY HAD THREE LEARNING CENTERS THAT, THAT WERE SUPPORTING THOSE 15 STUDENTS.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE PROPOSAL THAT WE'RE MAKING, UM, FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
AND LIKE I SAID, SPECIAL EDUCATION IS EVER CHANGING, AND IT'S A FLUID PROCESS.
WE ALWAYS HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR, THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS AND THEN MAKE CHANGES AS, AS THOSE NEEDS ARISE,
SO SOME OF THE OTHER CHANGES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING IS CONTINUING, UM, TRAINING FOR OUR, OUR STAFF THAT ARE SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS THAT WOULD, WOULD NEED THAT LEVEL OF SUPPORT.
UM, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT HAVING ALL OF OUR LEARNING CENTER STAFF, UM, GO THROUGH A 40 HOUR BEHAVIOR TRAINING THAT WOULD BE AN ONLINE TRAINING, UM, WHERE THEY WOULD POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, AFTERWARDS TAKE A COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT AND THEN THEY WOULD ALSO HAVE THAT CONTINUING SUPPORT THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED BY OUR BOARD CERTIFIED, A BEHAVIORAL ANALYST OR, UM, MEGAN MORAN.
UNFORTUNATELY SHE WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
SHE, UM, IS COMING BACK FROM DISNEY, SO I'M PRESENTING HER PART OF THAT.
UM, BUT SHE IS, UM, CONTINUING, SHE WILL CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR BUILDING LEVEL ADMINISTRATORS TO ENSURE THAT THE SUPPORT, UM, IS BEING, UH, PROVIDED TO OUR STUDENTS, AGAIN, WITH THAT AIM TO GET THEM BACK INTO THE GENERAL EDUCATION SETTING.
SO ANOTHER, UM, KIND OF LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE WITHIN OUR DIVISION THAT WE'RE WORKING ON FOR THOSE LOW INCIDENT DISABILITIES, UM, IS OUR PATHWAYS AND CONNECTIONS.
AND WE'RE KIND OF CHANGING THAT.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA MAKE THE ACRONYM OF PACE, UM, PATHWAYS AND CONNECTIONS, UM, EDUCATION, UM, HOPE PETTY HAS A REALLY, UH, GOOD PROGRAM THAT SHE'S BRINGING IN CALLED PATHWAYS.
SO WE DIDN'T WANNA CONFUSE THE TWO.
UM, THAT'S MORE OF A, A NEW TEACHER SUPPORT.
UM, SO WE'RE THINKING ABOUT CHANGING, UH, TO PACE.
UM, AND SO OUR CLASSROOMS, OUR PACE CLASSROOMS ARE THOSE THAT SERVE OUR, UM, STUDENTS THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANT COGNITIVE AND ADAPTIVE DISABILITIES.
SO THESE WOULD, THESE WOULD BE STUDENTS THAT WOULD BE ON THE, UM, ALTERNATIVE CURRICULUM PATH.
SO THEY WOULDN'T BE WORKING TOWARD NECESSARILY THE STANDARDS OF LEARNING.
THEY WOULD BE WORKING ON THAT ALTERNATIVE STANDARDS OF LEARNING.
SO, UM, IN THE PACE CLASSROOM, THE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS ENSURE THAT STUDENTS ARE PROVIDED INSTRUCTION UTILIZING AN ADAPTIVE CURRICULUM, UM, THAT ALIGNS WITH THE VSOS OR ASLS, UM, PLACEMENT.
AND PACE IS AN IEP TEAM DECISION.
STUDENTS MUST MEET SOME, SOME CRITERIA IN ORDER TO BE ON THAT, UM, TRACK FOR, UH, TRACK OF, UM, THEIR CURRICULUM.
THE GOAL OF PACE IS TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO PROMOTE MAXIMUM INDEPENDENCE BY ADDRESSING ALL DOMAINS OF LEARNING, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE AND COMMUNICATION.
THE PROGRAM, UM, SPECIALIZED PROGRAM COORDINATOR THAT WAS, THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE MARCH, UM, HAS ACTUALLY DONE A LOT OF SUPPORT, UH, WITHIN OUR CLASSROOMS. AND THAT'S WHY WE WERE, UM, NOTED AS EMERGING.
SO WE HAD A LOT OF GOOD SUPPORTS IN PLACE.
THEY JUST, THE VDOE MONITORS FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO CONTINUE THOSE SUPPORTS AND TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO IMPLEMENT, UM, THOSE GOOD STRATEGIES.
SO, UM, WE WERE VERY PLEASED WITH OUR FINDINGS.
WE DID FEEL THAT, UM, THAT WE WERE IDENTIFIED AS HAVING MINIMAL, MINIMAL CORRECTIVE ACTIONS.
UM, AND AS, LIKE I SAID, AS PART OF THAT CORRECTIVE ACTION, UM, WE HAD ALREADY PUT SOME THINGS IN PLACE.
SO, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH I'LL BE, UH, DEVELOPING, OR WE IN SPECIAL SERVICES WILL BE DEVELOPING THAT CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN THAT WILL GO BACK TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT THAT WILL BASICALLY IDENTIFY, UM, THE AREAS THAT WE'RE GOING TO IMPROVE AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR, UM, THAT THOSE ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED.
SO, UM, I'M VERY HAPPY THAT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHAT WE HAD IT, I THINK IT REFLECTS OUR, UH, SYSTEM'S DEDICATION TO ENSURING THAT ALL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES RECEIVE A FREE APPROPRIATE EDUCATION THAT'S REQUIRED BY THE LAW.
SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY.
SO THE LEARNING CENTERS WERE ONLY IN THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
SO THERE WASN'T ONE IN LFK OR AS ROADS? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, AS ROADS IS IS BASICALLY ABOUT
[00:45:01]
SPACE.AND LFK BEING UNDER CONSTRUCTION, UM, WAS KIND OF THE THOUGHT BEHIND THERE WASN'T THE SPACE THERE, UM, FOR, DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION.
UM, BUT THEN OUR PLAN WAS TO ACTUALLY HAVE A LEARNING CENTER AT LFK AS WELL, THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
BUT WHEN WE LOOKED A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THE SUPPORTS THAT WE WERE PRO, THAT WE WERE PROVIDING AND IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WERE BASICALLY ABOUT 15 STUDENTS, WE FELT THAT THOSE COULD BE MET, UM, THROUGH THOSE KIND OF TWO CLASSROOMS, UM, THAT WOULD FEED INTO, YOU KNOW, WARREN COUNTY AND SKYLINE.
AND SO IF AS THIS GOES ALONG, IF THAT'S TOO OVERWHELMING FOR EITHER OF THOSE SCHOOLS, THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR WE WOULD, WE WOULD REASSESS AND YES, ABSOLUTELY.
AND LIKE I SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NEEDS AND ADJUST IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SET IN SEPTEMBER, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE SAME THING, YOU KNOW, COME THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WE ALWAYS HAVE TO ADJUST AND KIND OF REALLOCATE THOSE RESOURCES TO ENSURE THAT THE STUDENTS ARE BEING SUCCESSFUL.
AND WE DID, UM, THIS PAST YEAR WE DID MEET MONTHLY WITH OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND WE CONTINUE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AS WELL, UM, TO KIND OF MONITOR THOSE.
SO THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD HAD DURING BUDGET SEASON AND WELL LAST WEEK, UM, ABOUT THE, THE REMOVAL OF THE THREE, UM, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, BUT REVIEWING THIS, IT SAYS THAT WE'RE ADEQUATELY STAFFED.
SO DID THAT LEAD THE DECISION TO REMOVE THOSE POSITIONS? I THINK IT SUPPORTED THAT THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IF WE WERE TO ASK BUILDING PRINCIPALS, IF THEY'RE ADEQUATELY STAFFED, I THINK THEY MIGHT FEEL A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION USES A, A KIND OF A DIFFERENT GAUGE THAN I GUESS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY OUT PROVIDING THE SERVICES
SO I'M NOT SURE THAT OUR PRINCIPALS WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE.
UM, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT BASED ON STAFFING RATIOS, WHICH IS SOMETHING WITHIN THE VIRGINIA REGULATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW, WHICH WE DO.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE LEGAL GUIDELINE.
UM, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THOSE THREE SPECIAL EDUCATION POSITIONS WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF.
HOW DO STUDENTS GO FROM ONE OF THE SCHOOLS WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE THE LEARNING CENTER TO THE SCHOOL? WITH THE LEARNING CENTER IS THERE, WE PROVIDE THE, THERE WOULD BE A PROCESS YES, THAT WOULD GO THROUGH THE IEP TEAM.
SO THE IEP TEAM IS ALWAYS THE DECISION MAKER FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO IF A STUDENT IS NOT BEING SUCCESSFUL, THEN WE WOULD BRING THAT TEAM TOGETHER, POSSIBLY WITH AN ADMINISTRATOR AND A CASE MANAGER FROM THE SCHOOL THAT WOULD POSSIBLY BE RE RECEIVING THAT STUDENT.
UM, SO THAT IT CAN BE A SHARED KIND OF DECISION MAKING.
UM, THERE IS A KIND OF A HIERARCHY OF SUPPORTS THAT WE'D WANT IN PLACE PRIOR TO MAKING THAT DECISION.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE JUST A, A ONE TIME, YOU KNOW, BEHAVIOR INCIDENT AND THEN YOU'RE MOVING TO THIS SCHOOL.
SO WE WOULD HOPE THAT IT WOULD BE A CONTINUED LEVEL OF SUPPORT TO TRY TO KEEP THEIR STUDENT, THE STUDENT IN THEIR HOMESCHOOL.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE OUR GOAL.
UM, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE SIBLINGS OR FRIENDS THAT ARE ATTENDING.
YOU KNOW, WE WOULD WANNA KEEP THEM IN THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE DO HAVE SOME SITUATIONS WHERE, YOU KNOW, A STUDENT IS JUST NOT BEING ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT THAT LEVEL OF SUPPORT.
UM, WE ALSO SEE IT AS MAYBE LIKE A STEP DOWN FROM OUR BRIGHTER FUTURES PROGRAM.
SO IF WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN KIND OF AN ALTERNATIVE SETTING, THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO BRING THEM BACK TO A LEARNING CENTER TO GET THEM BACK INTO A, A, A SPECIAL OR INTO A, UM, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY.
TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF HIS QUESTION, UM, SO HOW DO WE PHYSICALLY GET THEM THERE? THEY WOULDN'T RIDE THE BUS.
WE WOULD SEND, WOULD WE STILL BE PROVIDING THEM WITH TRANSPORTATION? YES.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, WE HAVE TO SERVE THEM WITH, WITH TRANSPORTATION.
AND AGAIN, THAT, THAT WOULD BE BRINGING TRANSPORTATION TO THE TABLE AS WELL.
SO THEY USUALLY ATTEND OUR IEP MEETINGS WHEN SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR MS. LEE? I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
IT WAS FOR SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT, IT WAS ABLE TO GET A LOT OUT OF IT.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT PRESENTATION.
[5.A. Memorandum of Understanding For School Resource Officers - Dr. Costner/Sgt. Hajduk]
NEXT UP THIS EVENING WE HAVE THE MOU FOR THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, DR.COSTNER, AND IS IT SERGEANT? HI, DUKE OR HAUK? HI, DUKE.
YEAH, I WANTED TO, I WANNA KNOW THE, THE BEST WAY TO DO IT IS JUST NOT EVEN LOOK AT IT, JUST, IT'S JUST I DO, THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
SO HE'S ACTUALLY GONNA TAKE THE ONE, I'M JUST KIDDING.
IT'S, IT IS WHATEVER YOU WANT.
I'LL THIS, SO JUST A FEW CHANGES FROM THE LAST TIME, UM, ON THE MOU, UM,
[00:50:01]
YOU'LL NOTICE AT THE TOP, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS LIKE THAT THE LAST TIME, BUT WE REMOVED THE VIRGINIA MODEL JUST TO MAKE IT MORE CLEAR AND CONCISE.UM, WE ADDED, SO EVERYTHING WE ADDED, IT'S KIND OF IN THE RED THERE.
UM, ONE OF THE CHANGES I ADDED WAS THE 50%.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER CHANGE WAS ON PAGE THREE FOUR.
UM, WE KIND OF BROKE IT DOWN TO ENSURE THAT EACH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WOULD, UM, DO THE TRAINING FOR THE MOU ANNUALLY.
SO WE KIND OF BROKE IT DOWN UNDER THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND THEN UNDER THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, SO THAT IT, IT STAYS IN PART WITH THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THAT PARTICULAR ENTITY.
SO WE ADDED THAT TO KIND OF KEEP IT UNIFORM SO THAT IT'S IN BOTH PLACES VERSUS JUST IN ONE.
UM, THE OTHER THING WAS IN THE SRO ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, WE JUST KIND OF REWORDED SOME THINGS THERE TO KIND OF REITERATE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SROS ARE GOING TO BE ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL, BUT THAT WE'RE NOT EMPLOYED BY, UM, THE SCHOOL OR THE SCHOOL BOARD.
UM, THEN THE LAST BIGGEST CHANGE THAT YOU WOULD NOTE, IT'S ACTUALLY NOT IN RED AND I'M NOT SURE WHY.
UM, IN ORDER TO KEEP THE ROLES DIFFERENT BETWEEN THAT OF THE SRO AND THE SSO, WE CREATED A DIFFERENT SECTION.
SO WE SEPARATED, UM, ON THE PREVIOUS MOU, THE SSOS ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WERE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SROS, BUT IN ORDER FOR, TO GIVE A TRUE OVERVIEW OF THE DIFFERENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SRO AND THE SSO, WE KIND OF SEPARATED THOSE.
UM, WE DIDN'T CHANGE ANY OF THE WORDING, JUST GAVE IT ITS OWN SECTION SO THAT IT'S CLEARLY DEFINED AND THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THAT WAS ALL THAT WAS CHANGED.
SO HOPEFULLY, YEAH, THAT WAS EVERYTHING.
AND WE JUST BRING THIS TO YOU TONIGHT BECAUSE IN AS, AGAIN, IN REFERENCE TO POLICY, KNAJ I'M RELATIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AU AUTHORITIES.
THIS REQUIRES THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO HAVE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AND, AND THAT SETS FORTH THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
SO, UM, THIS MOU IS REVIEWED AND AFFIRMED OR AMENDED AT LEAST EVERY TWO YEARS.
SO, UM, THE REVISION OF THE MOU IS MODELED AFTER THE VIRGINIA SCHOOL, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERSHIP MODEL, MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, AND IT'S DEVELOPED BY THE, UM, BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES.
AND SO WARREN COUNTY, UM, PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE WARREN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY TO, UM, ENSURE THAT THE MOU ALIGNS WITH, UM, OUR POLICIES AND PRACTICES.
SO WE BRING THIS FORWARD TO YOU TONIGHT, UM, FOR APPROVAL.
ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN ANSWER OR I CAN LET SERGEANT HAYEK ANSWER, I'LL BE GLAD TO DEFER TO HER UNDER THE LIST OF THE REQUIRE OF THE, UH, THE FOLLOWING ACTS, WHICH ARE CONSIDERED REPORTABLE INCIDENCES THAT YOU ADDED TO IT.
NOW THAT WHAT YOU REPORTED EARLIER ABOUT THE DRUGS THING IS NUMBER FIVE DOES HAVE TO BE REWRITTEN AT ALL.
NO, BECAUSE IT IS A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, ILLEGAL DRUGS, INHALANTS PARAPHERNALIA, SYNTHETIC HALLUCINOGENS, OR UNAUTHORIZED PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS.
SO THANKFULLY TOBACCO WASN'T ACTUALLY IN THAT LIST, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS REPORTED TO US.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO UPDATE THAT.
I ACTUALLY RE LOOKED AT THAT TODAY ONCE I REALIZED THE STATUTE.
BUT, UM, IN THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, UM, BOTH IN THE FRONT AND IN THE BACK, UM, NEITHER ONE OF THEM HAVE THE TOBACCO ON THERE, SO IT KIND OF COVERS US THERE.
I WANTED TO MENTION, THERE'S ONE, UM, SPOT AT THE TOP OF PAGE TWO WHERE IT STILL SAYS LIKE DATE IN BRACKETS.
SO WE WILL UPDATE THAT WITH THE, UM, ACTUAL DATE THAT, UM, I DIDN'T HAVE THE PHYSICAL COPY.
SO WE WILL UPDATE THAT, UM, WHATEVER THE UPDATE I GUESS FOR THE THIRD READING.
SO, AND AT THIS POINT, ARE YOU GUYS BOTH HAPPY WITH IT? I MEAN, FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SIDE AND FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD SIDE? EVERYBODY'S, I THINK, YEAH, WE'VE MADE, WE, WE HAVE MADE SOME CHANGES.
UM, IF YOU EVER DO LOOK UP THE MODEL POLICY, YOU, YOU WILL REALIZE THAT, UM, THE SSO ROLES WEREN'T IN THERE, NOR WERE THE, UM, WHAT WAS IT, I'M SORRY.
UM, SO APPENDIX B WHERE IT IS LIKE
[00:55:01]
THE OBJECTIVES.UM, SO PART OF THE COLLABORATING BETWEEN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND US, WE WORK TOGETHER TO KIND OF DEVELOP WHAT THE SSOS ROLES WERE GONNA BE, AS WELL AS SET FORTH OBJECTIVES FOR US.
SO, UM, WE ACTUALLY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND THE, THE STATE MANDATE TO KIND OF REALLY REFLECT BACK TO, YOU KNOW, MEET ANNUALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY CHANGES.
AND WE ADDED IN THERE FROM BOTH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SIDE AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SIDES, THAT NOT JUST THE ADMIN ARE GONNA BE FAMILIAR WITH THE SR, THE MOU.
LIKE, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERY EMPLOYEE AS WELL, UM, AS OUR EMPLOYEES ARE UP TO DATE AND UNDERSTAND THE CURRENT MOU AS IT IS.
SO, UM, WE'VE KIND OF ADDED THOSE THINGS TO REALLY HELP BETTER THE RELATIONSHIP AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLES OF EVERYBODY.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR THESE GUYS? UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY YOU, YOU REALLY HAVE DONE A FABULOUS JOB PUTTING THIS TOGETHER IN, IN SUCH DETAIL.
UM, I KNOW WE HAD HAD KIND OF TOUCHED ON MONTHS AGO, THE 15 REPORTABLE OFFENSES MM-HMM.
AND I KNOW WE HAD HAD TALKED BRIEFLY ABOUT, UM, FINDING A WAY TO GET A RUNNING TOTAL GOING MAYBE EVEN ON OUR SCHOOL'S WEBSITES, THAT WAY PARENTS CAN EASILY SEE THE, THE CLIMATE OF THEIR CHILD'S SCHOOL AND KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO BE DISCUSSING WITH THEIR STUDENTS AT HOME.
SO THAT IS STILL SOMETHING WE HAVE DISCUSSED.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF GETTING THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS, UM, MENTIONED EARLIER IS, YOU KNOW, REALLY BEING ABLE TO, IT WAS HARD TO START IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT I'M HOPING NOW THAT WE'RE STARTING A NEW SCHOOL YEAR, REALLY BEING ABLE TO PUT FORTH THAT DATA SO THAT THE SCHOOLS, AND WE CAN HAVE IT ON OUR WEBSITE AND EACH INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL WEBSITE, SO THAT THERE'S A BASIC UNDERSTANDING FOR PARENTS AND NOT JUST A SHOCK SHELL AT THE MONTHLY MEETINGS WHEN THEY HEAR ALL THE THINGS OR, YOU KNOW, GIVEN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THAT.
SO THAT IS STILL IN THE WORKS.
IS THERE A MOTION ON THIS? I MOVE THAT THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IS IN FAVOR, AYE.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE WORK ON THIS.
I'LL UPDATE THE DATES AND CLEAR OUT ALL THE RED EDITS AND WE WILL GET 'EM, GET DR.
BALLINGER AND THE SHERIFF TO SIGN IT.
[5.B. Third Reading of Discipline Policies - Dr. Ballenger]
NEXT UP WE HAVE THE THIRD READING OF THE DISCIPLINE POLICIES.SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES, JFC STUDENT CO.
UH, STUDENT CONDUCT JFCD WEAPONS IN SCHOOLS, JFCF DRUGS IN SCHOOLS JFCH DASH R-J-F-C-I DASH R, SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
J-G-D-J-G-D-J-G-E, STUDENT SUSPENSION EXPULSION, AND JGDA DISCIPLINE OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
JGDB DISCIPLINE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR INFLICTION OF SERIOUS BODILY INJURIES, UM, IS NOT THE RED LINE FOR REVIEW.
RED LINE ITEMS, UM, ARE FROM LEGAL'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE ATTACHED DOCUMENTS.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD, UM, DISCUSSIONS ON, UH, CONCERNING THE POLICIES AND JUST GOING TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO, UM, ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS AS THE BOARD PLEASES.
WHO'D LIKE TO GO FIRST? MR. MCFADDEN? YOU'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT.
UM, SO I'M LOOKING AT THE, SO THERE'S VIRGINIA LAW, I I I GUESS THE WEBSITE, THE VIRGINIA LAW WEBSITE IS UP TO DATE.
I, MAYBE IT ISN'T, BUT IT'S WHAT, WHATEVER'S ON THEIR WEBSITE.
UM, THE LAWYERS WENT AND LAST TIME AND TRIED TO UPDATE OUR POLICY, JD SLASH JGE UNDER REPORTING.
UM, THEY, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY TRIED TO DO MOST OF WHAT WAS IN THE POLICY, BUT THEY LEFT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
SO, UH, FOR WHATEVER REASON, LAST TIME WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS, I DIDN'T BRING THIS UP.
SO UNDER THE REPORTING SECTION, UH, WHICH IS SECTION SEVEN OF, OF THAT, UH, OF THAT CODE, THEY ADDED A, A NEW ONE, WHICH IS ALCOHOL MARIJUANA CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.
SO THEY, THEY ADDED THAT, WHICH IS WHAT THE, WHAT THE CODE SAYS.
AND THEN NUMBER TWO, THEY STARTED WITH THE SEXUAL ASSAULT, DEATH SHOOTING, STABBING, CUTTING OR WOUNDING, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
BUT THEY, THEY LEFT OFF WHAT'S ACTUALLY NUMBER TWO IN THE VIRGINIA CODE, WHICH IS JUST THE, THE REGULAR ASSAULT AND BATTERY THAT RESULTS IN BODILY INJURY.
SO THAT'S, IT NEEDS TO SORT OF BE ADDED IN THERE.
'CAUSE OTHERWISE IT DOESN'T EVER HAVE TO BE REPORTED.
UM, SO THEY, WE, THEY CROSSED IT OUT ON, ON THE RED LINE.
[01:00:01]
AND I, I PERSONALLY THINK IT SHOULD JUST, IT SHOULD BE, IT SHOULD BE A NEW NUMBER.'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY SEXUAL ASSAULT IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT TO JUST THE REGULAR ASSAULT OR, AND BATTERY OF A PERSON WITH OR WITHOUT BODILY INJURY IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION TOO.
SO THAT'S JUST, AGAIN, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ACTUAL VIRGINIA SCHOOL, VIRGINIA LAW, WHEN OUR, WHEN OUR, WHOEVER EDITED OUR POLICIES AND REDLINED IT, THEY, MAYBE IT WAS JUST A MISTAKE.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT NEEDS TO BE IN THERE.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT VIRGINIA LAW STATES.
UM, ALSO IT DOES LATER SAY THAT ANY WRITTEN THREATS AGAINST SCHOOL PERSONNEL WHILE ON A SCHOOL BUS, ON SCHOOL POLICY OR A SCHOOL SPONSORED ACTIVITY SHOULD BE REPORTED.
PERSONALLY, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S JUST WRITTEN, BUT THAT IS WHAT THE LAW SAYS.
IT JUST SAYS ANY, ANY WRITTEN THREATS.
I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WOULDN'T BE VERBAL OR WRITTEN THREATS, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT THE LAW SAYS, UM, JUST WRITTEN THREATS LATER IN, IN OUR SCHOOL CONDUCT POLICIES.
IT DOES TALK ABOUT ANY THREATS WHATSOEVER.
BUT ACCORDING TO THIS, THIS IS JUST UNDER THE REPORTING SECTION, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE WE SHOULD ALIGN AS BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT THE LAW ACTUALLY STATES.
SO E EITHER WE JUST SIMPLY CUT AND PASTE IT FROM, FROM THE ACTUAL LAW AND JUST SAY, HERE IT IS.
LIKE I SAID, IN THE EDITING PROCESS, I THINK THE, THE PART ABOUT ASSAULT, REGULAR ASSAULT AND BATTERY THAT RESULTS IN BODILY INJURY OF ANY PERSON ON A SCHOOL BUS, ON SCHOOL PROPERTY OR A SCHOOL SPONSORED ACTIVITY WAS REDLINED OUT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS I WOULD, I WOULD SAY WE SHOULD PUT BACK IN.
SO EVEN THOUGH THE LAW DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY GENERALIZED THREATS, MY CONCERN WAS, UM, WHAT IF WE JUST LEFT IT AS, AS THREATS? BECAUSE I, I REALLY DON'T FIND ANY FORM OF THREATENING OF A STAFF MEMBER TO BE ACCEPTABLE, WHETHER THAT'S VERBAL, WRITTEN OR AS WE'VE HEARD, LIKE THE MOTIONING OF, I'M GONNA CUT YOUR THROAT OR I'M GOING TO SHOOT YOU.
I, I DON'T THINK ANY OF THAT IS, UM, ACCEPTABLE.
SO IT WOULD JUST A GENERALIZED THREATS BE SUFFICIENT.
AND THIS WHOLE SECTION IS, IS JUST STATING FOR EVERYONE THAT'S NOT READING THIS ALONG BASICALLY WHAT IS REPORTABLE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
SO WE COULD MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, AS LIKE, AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO HAVE REPORT, EXCUSE ME, REPORTED IN THAT, UM, CASE.
ANY, ANY THREAT WOULD BE MORE BROAD.
YEAH, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT TOO.
IS SOMEBODY TAKING SPECIFIC NOTES ON THIS TO EDIT FOR THE NEXT, I MEAN, I GUESS I WOULD JUST WONDER BECAUSE WE CAN, OBVIOUSLY OUR DISCIPLINE POLICIES ARE, YOU KNOW, FIT INSIDE THESE POLI.
I MEAN OUR, OUR CODE OF CONDUCT AND WHAT OUR STAFF ARE IMPLEMENTING IN SCHOOLS FITS INSIDE OF THIS, BUT THEY CERTAINLY COULD INCLUDE OTHER THINGS.
SO I JUST WONDER, I MEAN, IF THAT WAS ONE OF OUR ATTORNEYS THAT PUT IN WRITTEN, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS TO MATCH THE CODE.
LIKE IS THERE A DOWNSIDE TO, TO KEEPING IT OUT? I WOULD JUST KIND OF WANNA ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE IT MAKES SENSE TO ME, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY, I GUESS WHETHER IT SAYS WRITTEN THREATS OR IT JUST SAYS THREATS.
WE CAN STILL REPORT ANY KIND OF THREAT AND I THINK WE WOULD TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
UM, SO I JUST WONDER IF THERE IF, LIKE, IS THERE A DOWNSIDE TO, TO NOT HAVING IT MATCH THE CODE EXACTLY IN THAT WORDING? I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, I DON'T, I THINK IF WE LEAVE IT AS WRITTEN THREATS, THEN YEAH, IT LEAVES THE, THE OPTION OPEN THAT STUDENTS CAN BE THREATENING THEIR TEACHERS WITHOUT HAVING THE SUPERINTENDENT RECEIVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF IT, WHICH WE KNOW HAS HAPPENED.
AND SO, NO, I, I WOULD ONLY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS AS SAYING THREATS PERIOD.
I THINK WE OWE THAT TO OUR TEACHING STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW AND CAN FEEL SECURE IN THE FACT THAT IF THEY HAVE BEEN THREATENED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, THAT, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT SAYING WE'RE GOING TO ARREST THEM, WE'RE SIMPLY SAYING THAT THE STUDENT THREATENS A STAFF MEMBER.
THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL BE MADE AWARE OF IT.
WELL, REALISTICALLY, IT WOULD BE THE STAFF MEMBER WHO WOULD NEED TO MAKE SOMEONE AWARE.
SO, I MEAN, THEY'RE KIND OF IN THAT POSITION ANYWAY TO TELL SOMEONE, WELL, THEY'D BE HELD TO THE, WHAT THEY'RE TOLD IS THAT THEY HAVE TO GO UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
SO YES, WE HAVE HAD STAFF MEMBERS THAT HAVE REPORTED TO THEIR SUPERIOR, BUT IT HAS NOT MADE IT TO THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT NOR THE BOARD.
SO AGAIN, I, I DON'T SEE ANY HARM THAT WOULD COME TO STAFF OR STUDENTS TO SIMPLY REPORT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
SO-AND-SO THREATENED MR. OR MRS. SOANDSO, IT'S JUST A PASSING ALONG OF INFORMATION.
YEAH, OUR ATTORNEYS ADDED THE WRITTEN ASPECT TO IT JUST TO MATCH UP WITH THE LAW.
AGAIN, WHY, WHY THE LAW HAS SIMPLY WRITTEN, I, I HAVE NO IDEA, BUT JUST FOR OUR, IF WE SAID TO ANYONE, IT'S NOT GONNA, WE CAN'T BE LESS, WE, WE CAN BE MORE STRICT IN A SENSE THAN WHAT THE LAW HAS.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, THE DEFINING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, I MEAN, I KNOW A WRITTEN DIFFERENCE AND WRITTEN AND VERBAL IS, BUT FOR THE PERSON WHO'S RECEIVING THE THREAT, IT SEEMS LIKE ANY THREAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING
[01:05:01]
THAT COULD, SHOULD BE REPORTED.AND I BELIEVE IT'S FINE TO PUT IN THERE, YOU KNOW, SINCE IT SAYS WRITTEN, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE WRITTEN, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, WRITTEN VERBAL OR OTHER THREATENING BEHAVIORS OR THREATS OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO PUT IT, OR JUST PUT THREATS.
I MEAN, THAT IS UP TO THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD, WHICHEVER DIRECTION YOU WANT TO GO THERE.
IT JUST SEEMS SIMPLER TO ME TO JUST LEAVE IT AT THREAT.
I, I MEAN, I, I'M FINE WITH THREATS.
IF WE GET INTO HAVING TO TRY, DEFINE EVERY POSSIBLE THREAT, THEN THAT JUST SEEMS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED.
I THINK JUST THREATS ARE NOT OKAY, JUST CLARIFY, SIR.
ARE WE JUST DOING THREAT THERE? IS THAT THE I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
WHAT ELSE? WELL,
SO, IN, IN THE VIRGINIA LAW, THERE ARE POLICIES ABOUT, UH, FIREARM USE AND DRUG USE.
AND THEY, THEY USE CERTAIN, CERTAIN, UM, QUALIFIERS WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT DISCIPLINE ABOUT IT.
AND THAT, THAT WHAT THEY ACTUALLY SAY IS THAT STUDENTS WHO HAVE THESE PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH EITHER, UM, ILLEGAL DRUGS OR WITH WEAPONS THAT THEY SHALL BE EXPELLED.
AND THEN THEY HAVE A LINE AFTER IT SAYING THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS ALLOWABLE ACCORDING TO THE LAW ARE POLICY POLICIES.
SOME OF THEM SAY SHALL, AND SOME OF THEM SAY MAY.
AND SO ONE OF THEM, MY PUSHES HAS BEEN TO SAY, TO BE HONEST, I DON'T PARTICULARLY CARE WHICH ONE WE GO WITH BECAUSE EACH ONE ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE AN EXCEPTION EITHER WAY.
BUT WE SHOULD SAY EITHER MAY OR SHALL FOR ALL THREE OF THE TIMES IT APPEARS IN OUR, IN OUR, UM, REPORTING.
SO IN, WE HAVE, IN THE, IN THE, UM, WEAPONS IN SCHOOL JFCD, IT SAYS THAT YOU, YOU MAY, MAY BE EXPELLED IF THIS HAPPENS IN THE POLICY JFCF, WHICH IS DRUGS IN SCHOOL, IT SAYS MAY BE EXPELLED WITH THIS THING.
BUT IN OUR ACTUAL POLICY ON EXPULSION AND SUSPENSION, IT ACTUALLY SAYS, SHALL BE EXPELLED.
SO I, I'D LIKE TO SEE US GET ONTO ONE PAGE OR THE OTHER WITH REGARD TO SHALL OR MAY, UM, ALWAYS KNOWING THAT THERE'S ALWAYS AN EXCEPTION THAT CAN BE MADE TO THE POLICY BASED ON, UH, AN ESTABLISHED SYSTEM OF HOW TO MAKE EXCEPTIONS.
SO JUST TO MAKE NOTE, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT A POLICIES, SO J-J-G-D-J-G-E, AS MR. MCFADDEN SAID, THAT IS THE ONE THAT WE LOOK AT FOR SUSPENSIONS AND EXPULSIONS.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT JFCF AND JFCD, THE REASON THEY USE MAY THERE BECAUSE IT SAYS IN THERE, REFER BACK TO J-G-D-J-G-E BECAUSE IN THAT POLICY IT HAS BOTH SHALL AND MAY.
NOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF THE, IF THE BOARD WANTS TO PUT THE, THE LEGAL DEFINITION IN ALL OF THE POLICIES AND JUST PUT WHAT YOU HAVE IN J-G-E-J-G-D OR JGE, BUT IT NEEDS TO REFER BACK TO THE EXPULSION POLICY.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN, IN THE USE OF MAY INSTEAD OF SHALL BECAUSE FOR INSTANCE, UH, LEMME JUST READ IT HERE ON JFCF, ANY, ANY STUDENT WHO HAS DETERMINED TO HAVE BROUGHT THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE OR IMITATION CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE ONTO SCHOOL PROPERTY OR TO SCHOOL SPONSORED ACTIVITY MAY BE EXPELLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH POLICY JD SLASH JGE STUDENT SUSPENSION EXPULSIONS.
SO WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS THAT ADMINISTRATOR, WHEN I READ THAT, AND I'M DEALING WITH SOMETHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH, WITH, WITH DRUGS IN SCHOOLS, AND IT TELLS ME IN ACCORDANCE WITH POLICY J-G-D-J-G-E, THAT MEANS NOW I TAKE, I LEAVE THAT POLICY AND NOW I'M JUMPING BACK TO THE SUSPENSION EXPULSIONS POLICY, AND THEN I GO DOWN THROUGH THAT POLICY TO TELL ME WHAT ACTIONS I CAN TAKE OR WHAT ARE CONSEQUENCES OR OTHER THINGS.
BUT I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE, IT THERE, THERE CAN BE THE CONFUSION BETWEEN MAY AND SHALL.
[01:10:01]
THINK WHEN WE LOOK BACK AT J-G-D-J-G-E, WHEN YOU GET TO THE SECTION WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT, UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S ON PAGE FOUR, YEAH.SO SINCE I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE DRUG THAT WOULD BE ON PAGE FIVE, IT DOES SAY THE SCHOOL BOARD SHALL EXPEL FROM SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
ANY STUDENT WHOM THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS DETERMINED TO HAVE BROUGHT, UM, A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, IMITATION CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, AS THOSE TERMS ARE DEFINED IN VIRGINIA CODE 18 2, 18 0.2 DASH 2 4 7 ON SCHOOL PROPERTY OR TO SCHOOL SPONSORED ACTIVITIES, THEN IT ALSO CONTINUES TO SAY THE SCHOOL BOARD MAY HOWEVER, DETERMINE BASED ON THE FACTS OF A PARTICULAR CASE, THAT SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES EXIST AND ANOTHER DISCIPLINARY ACTION IS APPROPRIATE.
IN ADDITION, THE SCHOOL BOARD AUTHORIZES THE SUPERINTENDENT OR THE SUPERINTENDENT'S DESIGNEE TO CONDUCT A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF SUCH A CASE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE DISCIPLINARY ACTION OTHER THAN EXPULSION IS APPROPRIATE.
SO THAT'S WHERE, WHEN, WHEN I'M, YOU KNOW, AS AN ADMINISTRATOR, SO ANY ADMINISTRATOR THAT'S DEALING WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, UH, A POSSESSION OF A VAPE ONE, WE KNOW IT'S GONNA FIT UNDER THE, THE DRUGS IN SCHOOL.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT POLICY, AND THEN IT TELLS US, OKAY, WELL IS THIS AN EXPULSION OR IS THIS GONNA BE A SUSPENSION? WE'VE GOTTA NOW JUMP BACK TO JGD AND JGE TO LOOK AT THAT TO FIND OUT, OKAY, HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT FOR CLARIFICATION AS FAR AS WHY IN JFCF AND JFCD, IT DOES NOT SAY SHALL, BECAUSE IT REFERS ADMINISTRATORS BACK TO THE OTHER POLICY.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT BE EASIER JUST TO COPY AND PASTE THE, THE PARAGRAPH FROM THE ACTUAL POLICY OF, OF SUSPENSIONS AND JUST PLOP IT DOWN AND, AND, AND NOT HAVE TWO DIFFERENCES.
THAT'S AGAIN, THE WHOLE TAKE THE WHOLE PARAGRAPH AND JUST SAY, HERE IT IS.
SO THERE'S NO REFERENCING BACK TO IT.
SO, 'CAUSE IN THE, IN THE, IN THE ONE THAT SAYS, SHALL IT BASICALLY IS SAYING THE NORMAL ROOT OF APPEAL, THIS IS THE NORMAL THING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS EXPULSION.
WE HAVE TO, WE CAN MAKE THE EXCEPTIONS, IF YOU SAY IT SHALL, IT MEANS THAT IT'S ALWAYS OPEN.
IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S ALWAYS OPEN TO INTER, WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT THE ANSWER'S GONNA BE.
ONE OF 'EM COULD BE EXPULSION, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY SORT OF SET POLICY.
AND WHAT IT IS, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE I WE'RE, IT'S, THERE ARE POLICIES, THE, THE STATE ACTUALLY USES THE WORD SHALL THE SAME AS WHERE WE GOT IT FROM IN THE, IN THE DRUG OFFENSES HERE ON THE, ON THE, ON THE JGE POLICY.
I JUST DON'T, IF WE HAVE TO REFER BACK TO THAT POLICY, WELL, WHY NOT JUST BRING THAT POLICY INTO THAT ONE AND WHY, WHY HAVE TWO POLICIES SAYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT? AGAIN, I'M OKAY WITH IT BEING SHALL OR MAY ON EITHER CASE, BUT IT'S JUST IT, I, I, UNDER, I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT IT, BUT WHY HAVE YOU GO BACK AND REFERENCE AND HAVE TO LOOK IT UP? SO, SO, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET INTO THE SUSPENSIONS POLICY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ON PAGE FOUR BEFORE YOU GET INTO THE FIREARMS, IT GIVES SOME REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXPULSIONS, FOR ACTIONS OTHER THAN THOSE SPECIFIED BELOW.
SO WHEN, WHEN YOU GET INTO THE J-G-D-J-G-E, IT DEFINES LONG TERM, IT DEFINES EXPULSION.
SO IF YOU'RE GONNA MOVE ALL OF THOSE, THOSE ACTIONS TO THAT ONE POLICY, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD HAVE TO, TO MOVE A LOT OF THE OTHER TERMINOLOGY TO GO INTO THOSE AS WELL.
I WOULD, I WOULD THINK I JUST THINKING THAT ONE PARAGRAPH ABOUT DRUG OFFENSES AND THE ONE PARAGRAPH ABOUT THIS.
SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, MR. MCFADDEN.
SO ONE THING I WOULD RECOMMEND, I, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO PUT THAT PARAGRAPH THAT'S IN J-G-D-J-G-D-J-G-E, SORRY, THAT'S A TONGUE TWISTER THERE.
SO MY PERSPECTIVE ON THIS AS A MOTHER IS THAT IF YOU SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS WITH YOUR CHILDREN AND YOU LET THEM KNOW WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE GONNA BE, AND IT'S DONE IN A WAY IN WHICH THE CHILDREN CAN UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT, I MEAN, THIS, JUST HEARING THE EXPLANATION IS VERY CONFUSING.
AND WE'VE RUN INTO THIS IN OTHER AREAS BEFORE, WHEN WE LEAVE CONFUSION IN GRAY AREAS FOR CHILDREN.
THIS SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT ANY PARENT OR ANY CHILD COULD PULL UP ON OUR WEBSITE AND
[01:15:01]
READ.UM, WHEN I THINK OF ADULTS AND I THINK OF LAWS FOR ADULTS, IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU COMMIT MURDER, THAT'S A CRIME.
IT'S NOT, THEN THE COURTS HAVE TO DECIDE, WELL, MAYBE THERE WERE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.
YES, OF COURSE THERE ARE GOING TO BE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND THOSE SHOULD CERTAINLY BE INCLUDED.
AND, AND I BELIEVE WHAT YOU HAD PROPOSED EARLIER CERTAINLY INCLUDES THOSE REASONINGS RATIONALES EXCEPTIONS TO EVERYTHING.
HOWEVER, I THINK IT REALLY MUR THE WATERS WHEN WE HAVE, WELL, YOU, YOU MIGHT BE EXPELLED, BUT THEN YOU'VE GOT A REFERENCE BACK TO HERE.
LET'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE THEY, WHAT WAS THE TERM FOR IT? THE, THE KISS.
LIKE, JUST, LET'S JUST KEEP IT SIMPLE.
I I DON'T THINK ADDING THAT EXTRA PARAGRAPH TO EACH ONE OF THESE IS TOO OVERLY COMPLEX.
THAT WAY ANYBODY WHO PULLS UP ONE OF THESE POLICIES CAN READ IT SIMPLY AND STRAIGHTFORWARD.
THIS IS, IT IS SHALL BE AN EXPELLABLE OFFENSE.
OF COURSE YOU COULD ALWAYS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, ASK FOR AN EXCEPTION BECAUSE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES REGARDING IT.
TO ME, THAT IS JUST THE SIMPLEST WAY TO GO ABOUT DOING IT AND TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO OUR STUDENTS THAT BRINGING GUNS AND BRINGING DRUGS TO SCHOOL IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
I THINK WE'RE ALL BASICALLY SAYING THE SAME THING HERE.
UM, I THINK MY BIGGEST CONCERN WITH ANY OF THIS BETWEEN THE MAY AND THE SHALL IS IF WE JUST HAVE IT BE SHALL AND WHATEVER OUR EXEMPTIONS ARE GONNA BE, I THINK THE WEAPONS ONE IS PRETTY CLEARLY LAID OUT.
WHAT MY PERSONAL CONCERN IS, AS SERGEANT UC ALREADY SPOKE TODAY, WE HAVE KIDS THAT END UP WITH THC VAPES, WHICH NOW OUT ON THE STREET, THEY'RE NOT EVEN GONNA GET IN TROUBLE FOR HAVING, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE RIGHT.
I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA FIND US EXPELLING THOSE STUDENTS.
FOR BRINGING, OF COURSE NOT A THC VAPE BECAUSE WE'VE PUT SOME KIND OF SHALL INTO OUR POLICY.
YES, THEY SHOULDN'T BE DOING IT.
BUT TO AN EXPULSION IS 365 DAYS OF NO EDUCATION FOR WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND FOR A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THAT, THAT PROBABLY MEANS NO EDUCATION AT ALL.
THAT MEANS THEY'RE, WELL, THEY'D BE REQUIRED TO GET AN EDUCATION ELSEWHERE.
IT WOULD JUST BE AT THE INCONVENIENCE OF THEIR PARENT.
BUT YES, WE COULD CERTAINLY INCLUDE THAT EXCEPTION THAT WHEN, WHEN WE AREN'T AT DRUGS IS A VERY QUOTE UNQUOTE BLANKET STATEMENT, UM, WE COULD MAKE THE EXCEPTION THAT THAT THC IS NOT AN EXPELLABLE OFFENSE.
NOW THEN YOU GET INTO, AGAIN, IT'S ALWAYS IN THE DETAILS, RIGHT? DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS.
SOMEBODY COULD THINK THAT THEY HAVE A THC VAPE WHEN IN FACT, LIKE WE LOOK AT SURROUNDING COUNTIES WHO HAVE HAD ONES THAT HAVE BEEN LACED WITH FENTANYL AND A CHILD HAS DIED, SO, OR HAS COME CLOSE TO DYING.
UM, WHICH THEN, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, THERE IS, SO YOU ALWAYS GO FOR THAT
I MEAN THERE, LIKE, AGAIN, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING SO MAYBE WE JUST NEED TO DEFINE THE EXCEPTIONS BETTER FOR THE DRUG CLASSIFICATION.
WELL, JUST SAYING NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO REQUIRE A STUDENT'S EXPULSION REGARDLESS OF THE FACTS OF THE PARTICULAR SITUATION.
I MEAN, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF IF THINGS OR BUTS IN THE THING ANYWAY.
SO I GUESS, YEAH, I GUESS MY PREFERENCE, IF WE WANNA PICK SHALL OR MAY, I WOULD PICK MAY JUST BECAUSE WE CAN'T, I DON'T THINK WE CAN SIT HERE AND PREDICT THE CONTEXT OF EVERY SINGLE SITUATION THAT MIGHT ARISE.
AND SO LEAVING THAT IN THE HANDS OF OUR STAFF, I THINK WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
UM, I ALSO THINK THE CODE OF CONDUCT CAN SPELL IT OUT, YOU KNOW, MORE CLEARLY THAN OUR POLICY WOULD.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT TRYING TO MATCH UP OUR CODE OF CONDUCT WORD FOR WORD WITH THE VIRGINIA CODE.
SO I THINK THAT WILL BE A MORE READABLE DOCUMENT.
WELL, IT SEEMS, IF IT'S, IF THE CODE OF, IF VIRGINIA SAYS SHALL EXPEL, I MEAN, WE CAN BE STRICTER THAN VIRGINIA.
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE CAN BE LENIENT LESS.
AND I, I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS, BUT, AND AFTER THE YEAR THAT WE'VE HAD, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DISCIPLINARY ISSUES THAT WE HAVE HAD, I DO NOT THINK WEAKENING OUR DISCIPLINE POLICIES IS GOING TO GET US THE RESULT THAT WE NEED TO HAVE.
I MEAN, THESE ARE TWO OFFENSES THAT CAN END LITERALLY IN AN INNOCENT STUDENT'S DEATH.
AND I DO NOT THINK A MAY IN THERE IS ACCEPTABLE.
I KNOW WHEN I TELL MY CHILDREN WHAT I EXPECT OF THEM, I DON'T SAY, YOU KNOW, WELL, MAYBE IF YOU CLEAN YOUR ROOM, OR MAYBE YOU NEED TO DO SOME SCHOOL TODAY.
NO, IT IS, THIS IS WHAT I EXPECT OF YOU.
YOU SHALL NOT BRING ILLEGAL DRUGS TO SCHOOL.
YOU SHALL NOT BRING A GUN TO SCHOOL.
[01:20:01]
THEN FROM THERE, IF IT HAPPENS, THEN YES, YOU GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY.YOU LOOK AT THE DETAILS, YOU LOOK AT THE INTENT, YOU LOOK AT WHICH TYPE OF DRUG IT WAS, WHAT WAS THE INSTANCE WITH THE WEAPON.
AND YOU LOOK AT THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND YOU GO FROM THERE.
I THINK MAY IT LEAVES ENTIRELY TOO MUCH WIGGLE ROOM FOR TWO EXTREMELY SERIOUS OFFENSES.
BUT IF WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY GOING TO ALWAYS EXPEL THEM, THEN WHY ARE WE SAYING SHALL? BECAUSE THAT IS THE DEFAULT SETTING IS SHALL IF YOU BRING A GUN TO SCHOOL, YOU SHALL BE EXPELLED IF YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF EXPLANATION.
I, I CAN'T EVEN FATHOM THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF EXPLANATION.
BUT WE WILL THEN LOOK AT EACH CASE BY CASE BASIS.
WE WILL SAY THAT THE DEFAULT SETTING IS IF YOU COMMIT THESE TWO CRIMES, THEY'RE VERY SERIOUS OFFENSES.
THE DEFAULT SETTING IS YOU SHALL NO LONGER BE IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR.
NOW WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THE DETAILS AND SEE IF WE ARE WILLING TO GIVE YOU LENIENCY.
AND DO YOU MEET ANY OF THE CRITERIA TO WHERE, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE IT WAS AN ACCIDENT THAT THE CHILD BROUGHT THE GUN TO SCHOOL AND MAYBE THEIR PARENT BORROWED A BOOK BAG OR SOMETHING, PUT IT IN THERE.
THEY TOOK IT TO SCHOOL, THEY REALIZED, OH MY GOODNESS, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS IN HERE.
THEY IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO A TEACHER.
UM, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, THAT CERTAINLY I WOULD NOT THINK WOULD BE AN EXPELLABLE OFFENSE, BUT MAY IS JUST, IT IS JUST THAT LEAVES WAY TOO MUCH ROOM FOR POSSIBILITY AND, AND UNCLARITY, I I DON'T THINK THAT THESE TWO EXPECTATIONS ARE, ARE I, IT'S DRUGS AND GUNS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
I MEAN EVEN THE, BUT THIS ALL COMES BACK TO THE 2014 GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WHEN EVEN THEY'RE THE ONES WHO SAID THAT THE STATUTORY MANDATE TO EXPEL ANY STUDENT FOR DRUG USE AND POSSESSION MAKE CLEAR THAT NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO REQUIRE A STUDENT'S EXPULSION REGARDLESS OF THE FACTS OF THE PARTIC PARTICULAR SITUATION.
SO EVEN THEY'RE SAYING IT'S, YOU KNOW, REQUIRED, BUT OH, NOPE, DON'T CONSTRUE IT TO MEAN THAT THEY HAVE TO BE EXPELLED.
SO I THINK PART OF OUR PROBLEM HERE IS THAT WHAT WE'RE GOING BY ALSO HAS CONFLICTING WORDING, BUT THEY START FROM A DEFAULT SETTING OF SHALL, AND THEN THEY WALK IT BACK UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO I, I PREFER TO DO IT THAT WAY RATHER THAN TAKE THE LENIENT APPROACH AND THEN TRY TO ESCALATE IT AND DARE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A PARENT SAYING, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, I, I DIDN'T KNOW MY CHILD COULDN'T BRING FENTANYL TO SCHOOL.
I, THEY, THEY SHOULDN'T BE EXPELLED.
SO THAT'S MY PERSONAL OPINION ON IT.
WELL, I FEEL LIKE IT, I WOULD LIKE US TO HAVE POLICIES THAT WE ACTUALLY DO.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S UNDERCUTTING THE POLICY.
IF WE WANT TO PUT IN STERN LANGUAGE LIKE THAT, YOU SHALL.
AND IN THE SAME BREATH WE'RE SAYING, WE DON'T REALLY MEAN WE ALWAYS WILL.
I THINK THAT'S UNDERCUTTING THE POLICY AND GIVING A MESSAGE THAT WE DON'T REALLY ALWAYS FOLLOW IT.
AT LEAST NOT EXACTLY HOW THE WORDS ARE.
WELL, I THINK IT'S PRETTY WEAK TO SAY, WELL, WE MIGHT EXPEL YOU IF YOU BRING A GUN TO SCHOOL.
WE MIGHT EXPEL YOU IF YOU SELL FENTANYL.
I THINK THE CLEAR EXPECTATION OF THE CHILDREN IS DON'T BRING GUNS TO SCHOOL.
IF, IF WE WANNA WRITE IN SOMETHING SPECIFIC ABOUT THC NOT BEING AN EXPELLABLE OFFENSE, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
BECAUSE LEGALLY SPEAKING, THAT'S, THAT'S THE LAW HAS CHANGED WITH REGARD TO, TO THAT.
UM, BUT SCHOOL SHOOTINGS ARE A VERY REAL THING THAT ARE HAPPENING.
FENTANYL OVERDOSES ARE A VERY REAL THING THAT ARE HAPPENING.
AND STUDENTS SHOULD BE EXTRAORDINARILY CLEAR ON THE FACT THAT THOSE EXTREME BEHAVIORS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED BY WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I, YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD AGAIN, PROPOSE THAT WE WANT TO ALIGN IT WITH THE VIRGINIA LAW IS, IS EVEN IF VIRGINIA LAW HAS SOME KIND OF MESSED UP THINGS IN IT, THEY ALL, THE VIRGINIA LAW ALL SAYS SHALL WITH ALL THE LINE OF EXCEPTIONS AFTER IT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWING THAT LAW.
AGAIN, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, WE, WE, WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE CAN BE EXPELLED FOR SOME OF THESE THINGS.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A WHOLE POLICY ABOUT HOW YOU CAN EXPEL PEOPLE FOR THINGS.
SO I THINK IF WE, IF, IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A SHALL, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT VIRGINIA CODE SAYS, IF WE JUST COPY VIRGINIA CODE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN GO WRONG WITH IT.
MM-HMM,
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JUST SITS WITH ME IS WHAT I DON'T WANNA SEE US WITH THE, I MEAN, AND I, I KIND OF FEEL LIKE IT, IT IS, IT'S SHALL IT'S MAY, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T GIVE US A LOT TO WORK WITH TO BEGIN WITH.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME, UM, STUDENTS WHO, THEY GO OUT ON THE WEEKENDS TO BOY SCOUTS,
[01:25:01]
UH, CUB SCOUTS.THEY DO HUNTING WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
AND IF THEY GRAB THEIR BOOK BAG AND THEY HAD MAYBE A FIVE INCH A KINDERGARTNER HAD A, THAT THAT SCHOOL BOOK BAG, 'CAUSE THEY ONLY HAVE ONE BOOK BAG.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEY GRABBED, THEY TOOK THAT 'CAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY BOOK BAG THEY HAD, AND THEY PUT ALL THEIR GEAR IN IT AND THEY ARE PREPPING IT.
AND THEY HAD THAT, UH, LET'S SAY THAT'S THAT FIVE INCH KNIFE IN THAT BAG, AND THEY ENDED UP AT SCHOOL WITH IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT KINDERGARTNER AND YOU MENTIONED IT, IT'S, IT'S INTENT.
WHAT'S THE SITUATION? UM, IT COULD BE AN OLDER STUDENT WHO AS SOON AS THEY GOT ON THE BUS, MAYBE THEY REALIZED, OH DEAR GOODNESS, UM, I TOOK THAT BOOK BAG AND I'VE GOT THAT IN THERE.
IF THEY DO THE RIGHT THING, THEY TAKE IT.
I DON'T WANT THOSE SITUATIONS FOR THOSE STUDENTS TO BE THE, WITHOUT THE CONTENT, THE INTENT, UM, THE CONTEXT AND THE INTENT OF IT.
YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, I I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT'S AN EXCEPTION.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A LEARNING SITUATION THERE.
BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, KINDERGARTEN STUDENT WHO MIGHT HAVE THAT IN THEIR BOOK BAG OR, OR, OR THEY GENUINELY THOUGHT THEY WERE BRINGING IT FOR SHOW AND TELL TODAY BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THEY DO ON THE WEEKENDS WITH THEIR DAD, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
UM, I DON'T WANT THAT CHILD, I DON'T WANNA TRY TO SEE THAT CHILD EXPELLED FOR 365 DAYS.
UM, WELL, AND THAT, BUT WHAT I HEAR IS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, THERE'S ENOUGH IN THERE THAT THE PERSON INVESTIGATING CAN, YOU KNOW, WRITE ALL THAT INFORMATION DOWN.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS THAT TOO.
IT SAYS THE SCHOOL BOARD AUTHORIZES THE SUPERINTENDENT OR SUPERINTENDENT'S DESIGNEE TO CONDUCT A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF SUCH A CASE OF SUCH CASES TO DETERMINE WHETHER A DISCIPLINARY ACTION OTHER THAN EXPULSION IS APPROPRIATE.
NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO REQUIRE STUDENT EXPULSION REGARDLESS OF THE FACTS OF THE PARTICULAR SITUATION.
SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT BOUND TO ANY OF IT.
IT IT, WE SET UP OUR OWN LITTLE INVESTIGATIVE PROGRAM AND JUST LIKE WE DO FOR ANY OTHER PROBLEMS THAT, THAT OCCUR, UH, IN THIS SCHOOLS, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT IT'S, IT'S, UM, THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN TOO IN THE CONTEXT OF THOSE SITUATIONS.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IN 25 YEARS I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN.
AND I, THE, THE ADDITION THAT, UH, MR. MCFADDEN WAS SPEAKING ABOUT ADDING TO EACH OF THESE SECTIONS IS WHERE IT SAYS THE SCHOOL BOARD MAY HOWEVER, DETERMINE BASED ON THE FACTS OF A PARTICULAR SITUATION, THAT SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES EXIST AND NO DISCIPLINARY ACTION OR DISCIPLINARY ACTION OR ANOTHER TERM OF EXPULSION IS APPROPRIATE.
SO IT CERTAINLY LEAVES US THAT WIGGLE ROOM.
I THINK IT JUST STARTS WITH THIS, THIS IS NOT APPROPRIATE.
NOW, GIVE US YOUR EXPLANATION AND WE'LL SEE IF THAT FITS INTO A DIFFERENT CATEGORY.
IS THAT JUST THE SCHOOL BOARD? SORRY, GO AHEAD.
I, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT JFCF AND JFCD, THEY TAKE OFF THE FIRST PART OF IT.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO MATCH J-G-D-J-G-E, JUST TAKE WHAT'S IN J-G-D-J-G-E AND PUT IN THOSE FOR DRUGS AND FOR WEAPONS, BUT REFER BACK TO J THAT POLICY SINCE THAT IS THE EXPULSION POLICY.
AND THAT WAY THE LANGUAGE MATCHES IN ALL THREE, YOU KNOW, POLICIES OR, YOU KNOW, BOTH POLICIES REFER BACK TO THE EXPULSION DISCIPLINE OR EXPULSION SUSPENSION POLICY.
YOU KNOW, ON PAGE FIVE, THE, IT SAYS DRUG OFFENSES, IT TALKS ABOUT SHELL, THEN IT TALKS ABOUT MA THEN IT TALKS ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BOARD GIVING THE AUTHORITY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT SUPERINTENDENT DAYS AND KNEE PUT THAT IN JFCF OR YEAH, JFCF, BUT THEN ADD A COMMENT THERE THAT REFER, YOU KNOW, ALL DISCIPLINE NEEDS TO REFER BACK TO J-G-D-J-G-E BECAUSE THAT'S STILL THE DISCIPLINE POLICY FOR SUSPENSIONS AND EXPULSIONS.
THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD THING TO DO.
AND THEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE SAME, THEY'RE THE EXACT SAME IN BOTH POLICIES.
BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER WHEN YOU'RE REFERRING BACK, YOU KNOW, FROM J-J-J-F-C-F, YOU HAVE TO REFER BACK TO JGED TO, TO MAKE, SO THAT'S THE GOVERNING, RIGHT.
THAT'S THE GOVERNS TO FIGURE ONE.
SO, SO IT'S JUST COPY WHAT'S IN, YOU KNOW, ON PAGE FIVE INTO J-J-F-C-F AND THEN COPY WHAT'S ON PAGE FOUR INTO JFD AND THEN JUST PUT IN THERE THAT ONE LINE THAT'S IN THERE, YOU KNOW, ACCORDANCE WITH POLICY J-G-D-J-G-E STUDENT SUSPENSION AND EXPULSIONS.
SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD COMPROMISE.
I THINK WE REALLY MIGHT BE SAYING THE SAME THING NOW,
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY SCHOOL IS STARTING SOON.
WE'RE GONNA NEED TO PRINT THOSE CODES OF CONDUCT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE, AND, AND THIS IS A QUESTION FOR MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE NOT REALLY TRYING TO CHANGE OUR APPROACH.
WE'RE JUST UPDATING THE WORDING.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, CAN WE GIVE DIRECTION TO OUR SCHOOLS THAT WE'RE FINE TO CONTINUE ON AS WE HAVE, AND WE'LL
[01:30:01]
CLEAN THIS UP MAYBE AT THE NEXT MEETING AFTER WE'VE ALL SEEN WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED.YEAH, I WOULD NEED TO SEE WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED.
I MEAN, WE, WE, THERE WERE SOME CHANGES ADDED THERE BY OUR, BY OUR LAWYERS AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE GOOD THINGS TO ADD IN.
THIS WAS JUST THAT ONE POINT OF MAKING SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, BUT WHAT DR.
BALLINGER JUST MENTIONED OF TAKING THAT PARAGRAPH AND PLOPPING IT IN THERE, AND IN BOTH OF THE CASES, I DON'T SEE HOW THAT, WE CAN GO WRONG WITH THAT.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD VOTE ON IT OR ANYTHING TONIGHT BECAUSE WE SHOULD WAIT TO SEE WHAT IT IS.
BUT YEAH, FOR THE FOLKS OUT THERE LISTENING, I, I DON'T, I THINK IT SHOULD BE JUST CARRY ON AS, AS IS BECAUSE IT'S, IT WAS ALREADY IN THE POLICIES IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO CODE OF CONDUCT IS JUST STILL GONNA SAY DON'T BRING DRUGS TO SCHOOL.
I COULD GET YOU EXPELLED, RIGHT? YES.
AND THEN JUST WHEN THIS IS RE REWORDED, UM, IT'LL COME FIRST THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATOR AND SUPERINTENDENT.
SO LIKE, SAY WE GET THAT THC VAPE AT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL, THAT'S NOT GONNA COME TO THE BOARD.
THE ADMINISTRATOR SUPERINTENDENT DECIDES, OKAY, THIS ISN'T AN EXPULSION, THIS IS WHATEVER ALL THE SUSPENSIONS ARE IS THE WAY IT'S WORDED NOW.
AND THAT'S HOW IT WOULD STILL BE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE PARENT COULD APPEAL IT TO THE BOARD LEVEL IF NEED BE.
[5.C. Request for Calendar Changes - Ms. Bragg]
REQUEST FOR CALENDAR CHANGES.BALLINGER MENTIONED IN HIS SUPERINTENDENT REPORT, UH, WE ARE PROPOSING A CHANGE TO THE DIVISION CALENDAR TO PROVIDE TEACHERS TIME TO WORK ON THE TRAINING MODULES THAT WILL BE REQUIRED BY THE VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT OR HOLD CURRICULUM PLANNING SESSIONS.
UH, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO CHANGE SEPTEMBER 19TH FROM AN EARLY RELEASE DAY FOR STUDENTS TO A NO SCHOOL DAY.
THE CHANGE, UH, WILL PROVIDE TEACHERS AN ADDITIONAL FOUR HOURS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TIME.
THE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES WILL STILL BEGIN AT THREE FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND FOUR O'CLOCK FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED.
SO COULD YOU DESCRIBE PLEASE FOR ME, WHAT WOULD THAT DAY LOOK LIKE FOR TEACHERS? WOULD THEY BE EXPECTED TO BE DOING THEIR TRAINING FIRST THING IN THE MORNING OR WOULD THEY BE COMING IN LATER? OR WOULD THEY HAVE A BREAK BETWEEN THE TRAINING AND THE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THE TEACHERS DON'T HAVE TOO LONG OF A DAY WHERE THEY'RE EXHAUSTED FOR WELL, THAT, SO, SO THAT'S A NORMAL DAY.
SO IF, IF WE DIDN'T CHANGE THIS, THEY'D BE COMING IN AT THEIR NORMAL TIME.
SO THEY WILL COME IN AT THEIR NORMAL TIME.
THE ONLY THING IS WE WERE DOING AN EARLY RELEASE, WHICH WE WOULD, WE WOULD STILL KIND OF STOP AT THAT TIME FOR, FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS AND FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS TO GIVE THEM A BREAK IN THE AFTERNOON BEFORE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES STARTED.
AND THAT'S WHY ON THE BACKSIDE OF THAT, THE NEXT DAY THEY COME IN THE NEXT MORNING, THEN THEY GET THE REST OF THAT DAY OFF.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S AN EXCHANGE OF WE UNDERSTAND YOU'RE WORKING FOUR HOURS EXTRA ON THIS DAY.
WE'RE ONLY GONNA WORK YOU, YOU KNOW, FROM, I THINK IT'S EIGHT O'CLOCK, FOUR OR NINE NINE, HUH? NINE TO NOON.
NINE TO NOON, THEN YOU'RE OFF THE REST OF THE TIME.
SO, SO WE'RE GIVING THEM THAT TIME THAT THAT DAY IS A WORKDAY NO MATTER WHAT, WHETHER WE HAVE STUDENTS OR WHETHER THEY'RE DOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WELL, YEAH, I I, I DID UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS A WORKDAY NO MATTER WHAT.
BUT I, WHAT I WAS TRYING TO CLARIFY WAS IT WAS ORIGINALLY AN EARLY RELEASE DAY.
SO THEY WOULD BE DOING THEIR TRAINING DURING THE HOURS IN WHICH THEY WOULD NORMALLY HAVE HAD STUDENTS, BUT THEY WOULD STILL HAVE THAT BREAK BETWEEN YES, YES MA'AM.
WHICH IS ROUGHLY ABOUT, IT'S ROUGHLY UP.
WE WOULD STILL GIVE THEM THAT SMALL BREAK, THAT WINDOW TO ALLOW FOR THAT.
SO IT'S FOUR HOURS OF TRAINING.
THE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE RUNS ROUGHLY THREE HOURS, SO SEVEN HOUR DAYS.
SO IT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A A THREE HOUR BREAK AROUND, YOU KNOW, 12 TO 12 TO THREE O'CLOCK FOR, UM, ELEMENTARY TEACHERS, AND THEN PERHAPS LIKE ONE TO FOUR FOR SECONDARY TEACHERS.
I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT.
'CAUSE IT WOULD MAKE FOR A LONG DAY.
AND THEN, SO WITH THE CANCELING OF CONVOCATION, DO WE HAVE NOW ENOUGH BUILT IN FOR THEM? BECAUSE I, I AM STILL GETTING CONCERNS THAT, UM, THIS IS A LOT.
IT'S NOT GONNA EQUATE TO THE ROUGHLY 30 HOURS OF TRAINING THAT, UM, THE VLA HAS PUT OUT AS FAR AS THE MODULES GO.
SO, UM, BETWEEN THE CANCELLATION OF CONVOCATION, WHICH, YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME YOU TRAVEL, WE'RE ALL TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES TIME TO, TO GET OUTTA THE PARKING LOT BECAUSE ALL OF US ARE IN THE
[01:35:01]
SAME PLACE.YOU KNOW, THAT'S BASICALLY THE MORNING OF THAT FRIDAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE THAT TIME, YOU TAKE, UM, THIS DAY HERE, THAT GAINS US ROUGHLY ABOUT EIGHT HOURS ADDITIONAL TRAINING.
NOT EVERY DAY OF THE, UH, TEACHER BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK IS FULL UP, YOU KNOW, SO THERE ARE DAYS FOR PLANNING SESSIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
EVERY AVAILABLE HOUR, UH, OF THE NEW, OF THE BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK IS, IS NOT SCHEDULED FOR TRAINING ON THOSE VLA SESSIONS SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S NON MODULES.
THEY'RE EACH ROUGHLY A COUPLE, THREE HOURS IS WHAT THE STATE IS TELLING US.
AND THE, THE GOAL IS NOT TO CRAM IT ALL IN YOUR HEAD, AND THEN YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY PRACTICE THE APPLICATION OF IT.
THE STATE HAS SAID, INITIALLY THE STATE SAID THAT THE MODULES HAD TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THE 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR.
I THINK EVEN NOW THEY'VE EXTENDED THAT OUT EVEN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER IN THEIR MOST RECENT UPDATE, UM, ACROSS, I THINK IT'S THE SUMMER, I CAN GET THAT TO YOU EXACTLY.
I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY, BUT THEY DID A LITTLE BIT EVEN MORE OF AN EXTENSION ON TRYING TO GET THE MODULES COMPLETED.
THE IDEA IS TO GIVE TEACHERS ENOUGH TIME IN THAT, UM, AND, AND REALLY IT'S, IT'S, IT'S K FIVE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE STATE'S TELLING US THAT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MODULES WON'T BE AVAILABLE UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
SO THIS CHANGE WOULD ALLOW, HOPEFULLY, IF VDOE HAS THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MODULES READY TO GO, IT WOULD ALLOW THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TO GET STARTED ON THEIR MODULES, UM, BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK, WOULD ALLOW ELEMENTARY TO GET STARTED ON THEIRS.
YOU KNOW, GET THOSE FIRST FEW MODULES IN, START TO LEARN ABOUT THE BASICS OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SCIENCE BEHIND READING IS, WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
BUT ALL OF THAT HAS TO BE ACCOMPANIED WITH THOSE CURRICULUM CHANGES THAT ARE ALSO BEING IMPLEMENTED.
SO SOME OF THAT IS PLANNING TIME, AND AGAIN, WE ARE ESTABLISHING, UM, YOU KNOW, PLC OPPORTUNITIES TO, YOU KNOW, TO TO, TO WATCH THOSE VIDEOS TOGETHER AFTER SCHOOL AND HAVE DISCUSSION FOR IMPLEMENTATION WITH OUR VLA READING SPECIALISTS.
WE'VE HAD SUMMER CURRICULUM WORK GOING ON THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JUNE.
ALMOST EVERY DAY THERE'S BEEN ENGLISH AND MATH.
AND, AND NOT EVERY TEACHER HAS TO COMPLETE THE 30 HOURS OF VLA TRAINING.
AND THAT'S WHY IT SAYS OR HOLD CURRICULUM PLANNING, BECAUSE EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE HAVING, UM, YOU KNOW, CUR TIME FOR CURRICULUM PLANNING AS WE START THE YEAR AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN SEPTEMBER WE WILL ALSO HAVE, YOU KNOW, DATA BACK ON EARLY TESTING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THERE'S, IN MY OPINION, YOU COULD BUILD IN A, YOU KNOW, TWO WEEKS OF TIME TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO GET ALL OF THIS READY.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S CERTAINLY THINGS THAT, UM, ALL TEACHERS, WHETHER YOU'RE HAVING TO COMPLETE VLA LEARNING MODULES, YOU'RE DOING CURRICULUM TEAM PLANNING FOR THOSE, YOU KNOW, FOR HIGH SCHOOL IT MIGHT BE CROSS COUNTY PLANNING, YOU KNOW, OUR AG TEACHERS AT BOTH SCHOOLS CAN GET TOGETHER AND DO SOME PLANNING FOR SOME OF THEIR THINGS.
SO THERE IS AN EXPECTATION THAT DURING THIS TIME, ALL TEACHERS ARE INVOLVED IN CURRICULUM PLANNING, WHETHER THAT'S DOING VLA TRAINING MODULES OR PLANNING FOR THEIR CLASSES.
DO YOU THINK THERE'LL BE ROOM TO REVISIT, LIKE I SEE IN FEBRUARY THERE'S ANOTHER CONFERENCE SITUATION THAT'S SET UP THE SAME WAY? YEAH.
IF WE NEED TO GAIN ANOTHER FOUR HOURS THERE? I THINK, I THINK SO.
WE DIDN'T WANNA GO AHEAD AND CHANGE THE FEBRUARY AT THIS TIME.
LET'S SEE HOW WE ARE, LET'S SEE WHERE, KIND OF GAUGE WHERE WE'RE AT.
AGAIN, WE'RE DEVELOPING A, UM, SUGGESTED PACING TO TRY TO KEEP FOLKS MOVING THROUGH THE MODULES WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DOING 'EM ALL ON THE LAST NIGHT BEFORE THEY'RE DUE.
BUT, UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK IN FEBRUARY IF WE NEED TO, IF WE NEED TO MAKE THAT CHANGE OR NOT.
WE'LL ALSO AT THAT POINT, PROBABLY, UM, KIND OF KNOW AT LEAST HOW DECEMBER AND JANUARY ROLLED WITH WEATHER AND WHETHER WE NEED THOSE FOUR HOURS TO COM, YOU KNOW, TO MEET THE 990.
SO WE JUST DIDN'T WANNA CHANGE IT AT THIS TIME.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR MS. BRAGG? UM, JUST KIND OF A THOUGHT.
UM, I KNOW FOR, FOR PARENTS AS ONCE THEY GET THIS CALENDAR, IF THEY KNOW IN ADVANCE AND THEY CAN, THAT CAN PLAN, UM, FOR HAVING A DAY OFF, IT'S NOT AS BIG OF A DEAL IF WE START CHANGING THE CALENDAR, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR OR THE SCHOOL YEAR, UM, HAVING TO FIND ALTERNATIVE PLANS FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
I JUST, UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH BUILT IN FOR THE TEACHERS TO DO THIS.
ONE OF THE THINGS, AND THEY'RE, YOU PROBABLY, YOU'RE THE EXPERT, YOU PROBABLY HAVE MORE, UM, UNDERSTANDING OF THIS THAN I DO, BUT ONE OF THE, UM, DAYS THAT, THAT I, THAT POPPED UP THAT I'VE HEARD FROM TEACHERS IS THAT THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN TENDS TO BE A DAY THAT KIDS HAVE BEEN OUT LATE AND THEY'RE CRANKY AND THEY'RE CRABBY, AND THE DAY DOESN'T GO THAT WONDERFULLY ANYWAY.
IT LOOKS LIKE THAT NOVEMBER 1ST FALLS ON A FRIDAY.
UM, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD CONSIDER AS
[01:40:01]
DOING A DAY TO OPEN UP ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR TEACHERS TO BE SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE GETTING LOW ON YOUR INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS FOR THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT WE HAVE TO MEET.SO WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN AS MANY DAYS.
WE LOOKED AT DOING A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, SUCH AS, UM, ADDING TWO DAYS OR TAKING TWO DAYS OF PD AT DURING THANKSGIVING.
BUT WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT WEEK OF THANKSGIVING, BUT WE KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY MADE PLANS FOR THAT.
AND WE WERE NOT GOING TO SAY, HEY, NOW WE'RE GONNA DO TWO PD DAYS DURING THAT TIME.
SO I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TAKING ANY FULL INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS.
THAT'S WHY WE, WE STARTED WITH THIS EARLY RELEASE DAY AND ONLY ONE OF THEM BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WINTER'S GONNA HOLD.
AND IF WE START TAKING OTHER DAYS OUT, THEN, THEN WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE START TACKING ON DAYS AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND WE'RE GOING INTO, INTO JUNE AFTER SOLS ARE DONE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO I WOULD BE, I WOULD JUST BE HESITANT TO SAY, TAKE ANY ADDITIONAL DAYS AT THIS TIME.
THE OTHER THING WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF IN THAT FIRST SEMESTER, AND ALREADY YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DAYS IS ALREADY FOUR DAYS LESS FIRST SEMESTER THAN SECOND SEMESTER, IS THAT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS RUN ON THAT FOUR BY FOUR SCHEDULE.
AND SO IN ORDER FOR THEM TO GET THIS FIRST SEMESTER IN AND TESTING DONE PRIOR TO CHRISTMAS BREAK, WE DID LOOK AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS TO TRY TO FIND ANOTHER DAY OR TWO.
YOU KNOW, I CONSIDERED THE FOURTH, WHICH, UH, NOVEMBER 4TH, WHICH IS THE DAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY.
MAYBE WE'RE JUST OUT THE FOURTH AND THE FIFTH, BUT IT'S JUST SO THERE'S NOWHERE IN THE CALENDAR TO GAIN THAT DAY BACK BECAUSE OF HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST SEMESTER IT JUST, IT HAS LONG HOLIDAY BREAKS WITH THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS.
IT'S JUST REALLY HARD TO TRY TO FIND A DAY TO GAIN, TO GAIN BACK THE FIRST HALF.
UM, I PROBABLY WON'T SEND IT ON THE 4TH OF JULY, BUT PROBABLY ON FRIDAY.
UM, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, GONNA OFFER TEACHERS THE OPPORTUNITY.
THE BUILDINGS WILL BE OPEN ON AUGUST 1ST IF ANYONE WANTS TO COME IN TO, YOU KNOW, GET THEIR CLASS, START GETTING THEIR CLASSROOMS SET UP SO THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY, BUT THAT'S ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY.
UM, AUGUST 2ND, WHICH IS A FRIDAY FOR TEACHERS WHO WANT TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THE MANDATORY TRAINING OUT OF THE WAY, LIKE THE MAN TRAINING, UM, MANDATORY REPORTING TRAINING.
THEY CAN ESSENTIALLY ATTEND THAT DAY, DO THAT TRAINING SIGN IN, AND IN EXCHANGE FOR GETTING THE MAY 2ND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, THAT'S APPLE BOSS ON FRIDAY FOR GETTING THAT DAY OFF.
UM, IN THE PAST, WE'VE SWAPPED THAT DAY FOR, UH, TEACHERS WHO'VE CON, UH, PARTICIPATED IN THE LAUREL RIDGE SUMMER CONSORTIUM CLASSES.
THOSE, THOSE LAUREL RIDGE HAS CHANGED THAT SUMMER CONSORTIUM, THAT OPPORTUNITY HAS GONE AWAY.
UM, AND TO BE HONEST, THERE'S SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO IN MAY 2ND RELATED TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT YOU'RE COMING TO THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
I MEAN, YOU CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO FOR SOL PREP AND THAT SORT OF THING, BUT HONESTLY, THE PD NEEDS TO BE DONE UP, UP IN FRONT, YOU KNOW, NOT AT THE NOT, NOT NECESSARILY AT THE END.
SO IT'S A WAY TO OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP FREE UP SOME TIME DURING THE BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK SO THAT THERE'S SOME TIME FOR, AGAIN, TEAM PLANNING, UM, AND, AND OFFER TEACHERS TO SWAP THAT, UH, MAY 2ND APPLE BLOSSOM DAY FOR, FOR, FOR THAT DAY FOR COMING IN.
SO WE'VE TRIED TO BE AS CREATIVE AND FIND TIME WHERE WE COULD.
BALLINGER SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, CANCELING CONVOCATION, I KNOW THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US TO COME TOGETHER, BUT JUST WHERE WE ARE WITH CURRICULUM AND ALL THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING THIS YEAR WITH NEW ENGLISH STANDARDS AND NEW MATH STANDARDS, AND THOSE ARE TESTED YEARS.
THERE'S NO CROSSWALK YEAR LIKE THERE USED TO BE.
WE JUST FELT LIKE THAT THAT'S TIME WE COULD GAIN BACK.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR MS. BRAGG? IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE THAT THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD APPROVE SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2024 AS A NO SCHOOL DAY FOR STUDENTS AND A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE DAY FOR STAFF? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
[5.D. Technology Purchases Over $25,000 - Ms. Bragg]
MS. BRAGG WITH TECHNOLOGY PURCHASES OVER 25,000.SO I'M, UM, ALSO, UH, HELPING OUT, UH, DOUG STEFANSKI, THE DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY TONIGHT, WITH A REQUEST THAT THE, UM, WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT, UH, WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE THE MICROSOFT LICENSES, THE GO GUARDIAN CONTENT FILTER
[01:45:01]
AND MANAGEMENT, AND THE POWER SCHOOL SUPPORT.THE TOTAL COST OF THE ITEMS COMBINED IS 141,000, DO $358 AND 22 CENTS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. BRAGG? IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE TO ALLOW THE PURCHASE OF TECHNOLOGY, SOFTWARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES FROM GOGUARDIAN, POWERSCHOOL, AND SHI IN THE AMOUNT OF $141,358 AND 22 CENTS? IS THERE A SECOND? IS SECOND? ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
[5.E. Approval of Expenditure - Mastery Connect - Ms. Bragg]
APPROVAL OF EXPENDITURE MASTERY CONNECT, MS. BRAGG.UM, MASTERY CONNECT IS OUR COMPETENCY BASED LEARNING PLATFORM THAT HELPS TEACHERS IDENTIFY STUDENTS LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING TARGET STUDENTS FOR INTERVENTION AND INFORM INSTRUCTION.
UH, MASTERY CONNECT IS THE ASSESSMENT, UH, PLATFORM THAT WE USE TO ADMINISTER OUR, UH, QUARTERLY AND, UH, MIDYEAR BENCHMARKS.
AND THE TOTAL COST THIS YEAR IS $33,650.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. BRAGG? DO WE, UM, LOOK AROUND AT, AT OTHER SYSTEMS TO DO THIS? I MEAN, WE EVALUATED WHETHER THIS IS THE BEST ONE, NOT EVEN NECESSARILY THE MOST, THE LEAST EXPENSIVE, BUT JUST IS, ARE THERE OTHER ONES OR ARE THERE PEOPLE THAT USE THE, SOME OTHER VERSION? THERE ARE OTHER SOFTWARE ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS, HOWEVER, OUR ASSOCIATION WITH CIP, WHICH PROVIDES OUR BENCHMARKS, UM, MASTERY CONNECT IS THE SYSTEM THAT THEY USE.
THERE WAS, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY A LITTLE WHILE BACK AS WE TRANSITIONED, SOME SCHOOLS WERE USING A POWERSCHOOL ASSESSMENT SOFTWARE OR MASTERY CONNECT.
WE DID HAVE POWERSCHOOL ASSESSMENT AT ONE TIME.
UM, IT WAS NOT A, UM, IT, IT WASN'T USER FRIENDLY FOR
IT TOOK ABOUT 18 MONTHS TO GET IT ONLINE AFTER MANY PROMISES OF DELIVERING IT ON TIME.
UM, SO THAT WAS NOT AS POSITIVE EXPERIENCE.
SO WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY CAME TO MOVE TO MASTERY CONNECT, WE DID MOVE.
SO IN ORDER FOR US TO CONTINUE TO USE CIP BENCHMARKS, WE HAVE TO HAVE MASTERY CONNECT.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? IS THERE A MOTION, I, I MOVE THAT THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PURCHASE MASTERY CONNECT AS AN ASSESSMENT PLATFORM FOR THE 20 24 20 25 SCHOOL YEAR AT A COST OF $33,650? IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
[5.F. Substitute Plan for WCPS 2024-25]
WE HAVE THE SUBSTITUTE PLAN FOR WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR.MR. LEE, I ASK THAT THE, UH, WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, UH, CONTRACT WITH ESS AS ITS OUTSOURCING SUB PROVIDER FOR THE 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR, HAVE WE HEARD BACK FROM ESS? THERE WERE SOME CHANGES ADDED TO THE CONTRACT THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LAST WEEK.
I SEE THE ONE SPECIFICALLY DEFINING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE ONSITE MANAGER, JUST FOR EVERYBODY LISTENING COMPANY, WILL PROVIDE A FULL-TIME ONSITE MANAGER DEDICATED TO THE DAILY MANAGEMENT OF THE SUBSTITUTE PROGRAM AT THE DIVISION TO INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SET OFFICE HOURS TO BE PRESENT IN CENTRAL OFFICE DAILY IN PERSON FOR TRAININGS AND WORK WILL INCLUDE WEEKEND AND EARLIER, LATE HOURS AS NEEDED FOR RECRUITING AND SUB PLACEMENT DIVISION WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE HIRING PROCESS.
AND THEN RIGHT BENEATH THAT IS 3.6 COMPANY WILL PROVIDE THE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION AND SCHOOL BOARD A MONTHLY REPORT OUTLINING RECRUITING, HIRING, SUBSTITUTE USE USAGE IN EACH SCHOOL AND MONTHLY BUDGET USAGE.
AND, AND WE HEARD BACK FROM THEM AND I BELIEVE DR.
BALLINGER SPOKE WITH THEM TODAY.
YES, I SPOKE TO THEM AND, UM, EVERYTHING SEEMS FINE WITH THAT.
SO THAT I DID ADD THAT, UM, AS THE, I THINK IT'S A VERSION TWO MM-HMM.
SO THAT HAS BEEN SENT, UM, THE CONVERSATION I HAD, EVERYTHING WAS, SEEMED OKAY WITH THAT.
SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT ONE BECAUSE ACTUALLY THAT'S THE ONE THAT I BROUGHT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN CASE FOR THE BOARD CHAIR TO DECIDE.
SO THE EMAIL THAT WENT OUT WITH THE UPDATED VERSION AT THREE 30,
[01:50:01]
YOU'VE SPOKEN TO 'EM SINCE THAT SINCE THEN AND THEY'RE, THEY ARE GOOD WITH THIS? YES.AND IF FOR SOME REASON IT GOES TO THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND THEY'RE NOT GOOD WITH THIS, THEN A CONTRACT WILL NOT BE SIGNED WITHOUT THESE ADDITIONAL ITEMS. JUST BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THE WORDING OF THE MOTION THAT IS SUGGESTED AND IT JUST SAYS THAT WE MOVE THAT, THAT WE'RE CHOOSING ESS, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY WORDING IN THE MOTION ABOUT THAT.
IT, IT'S THIS CONTRACT, THIS WELL, AND THE MOTION, AND THAT PROBABLY WAS ON THERE BEFORE WE HAD ALL THESE AMENDMENTS LISTED.
SO WE COULD CERTAINLY SAY THE SECOND REVISION OF THE CONTRACT.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. LEE? IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE THAT WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD CONTRACT WITH ESS AS PER THE SECOND VERSION OF THE CONTRACT LISTED AS ITS OUTSOURCING SUBSTITUTE PROVIDER FOR THE 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR? IS THERE A SECOND? A SECOND? ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
[6. Discussions by School Board]
BOARD MEMBER REQUESTS, WE'LL START WITH MS SALE.SO, UM, I KNOW I'M HARPING ON THIS ISSUE, BUT I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO HARP ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE OUR AGENDA REGULATION SLASH POLICY UPDATED.
I, I WANT THE POLICY UPDATED AND FOLLOWED ASAP.
GOOD GOVERNANCE REQUIRES PROPER REVIEW TIME FOR OUR BOARD AND FOR THE PUBLIC.
WE REALLY HAVE TO HAVE COMPLETED AGENDAS WITH ALL OF THE UPLOADED DOCUMENTS.
FRIDAY CLOSE OF BUSINESS, LEGIBLE DOCUMENTS, FRIDAY CLOSE OF BUSINESS.
THIS IS CAUSING US PROBLEMS. IT'S CAUSING US, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, DR.
PENCE YOU'VE SEEN THIS WEEK CAUSED AN ISSUE WHERE WE HAD STAFF MEMBERS WHO COULD NOT READ TWO OF THE OPTIONS WITH THE HEALTH INSURANCE.
I COULDN'T READ THE TWO OPTIONS WITH THE HEALTH INSURANCE.
UM, I SENT THE EMAIL ON FRIDAY, I HEARD NOTHING BACK.
HAVING NOT BEEN ABLE TO PREPARE ADEQUATELY, YOU CANNOT SIT DOWN IN A MEETING AND BE HANDED DOCUMENTS WITH THIS AMOUNT OF DETAIL THAT IS NOT GOOD GOVERNANCE TO HAVE NO REVIEW TIME AT ALL.
AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR US TO START TO ADHERE TO THAT.
AND I THINK THAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, IT NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN INTO POLICY, SPECIFICALLY WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE.
UM, THE SECOND, UM, THING THAT I WANTED TO HAVE US MOVE FORWARD WITH WAS TO HAVE STAFF MOVE FORWARD WITH CREATING POLICY FOR THE ALLOWANCE OF VIRTUAL MEETING ATTENDANCE FOR THOSE THAT HAVE, THAT ARE CAREGIVERS.
FUNK REQUESTED AT OUR LAST MEETING, IT IS NOW LEGAL FOR US TO DO SO, AND I THINK WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY HAVE THE CONSIDERATION AND DO SO.
UM, THREE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO HAVING A NEW ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS TIME TO SHIFT JOB DUTIES SO THAT THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT IS NO LONGER A FOIA OFFICER AND CAN INSTEAD FOCUS HIS TIME ON THINGS LIKE POLICY WRITING AND, AND USE HIS EXPERTISE IN EDUCATION IN MANNERS THAT ARE BETTER SUITED.
UM, FOIA OFFICERS CAN BE HIRED.
YOU CAN GET A, A FOIA OFFICER WHO'S ESSENTIALLY TRAINED ADMINISTRATIVE TYPE STAFF IN MORE A TEACHER SALARY TYPE, UM, OR SECRETARIAL SALARY TYPE RANGE.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE, UH, FINANCIALLY BENEFICIAL FOR OUR DIVISION TO MOVE THAT DIRECTION INSTEAD OF USING SOMEBODY WHO IS SO HIGHLY TRAINED AND SPECIALIZED AND COULD BE BETTER UTILIZED IN AREAS OF, OF POLICY WRITING.
UM, NUMBER FOUR, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST OUR ATTORNEY PROVIDE US WITH A FINALIZED LIST OF LEGISLATIVE UPDATES THAT MAY REQUIRE US TO ADD SLASH EDIT POLICIES.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE OPTED NOT TO GO WITH SBMA OR VSBA FOR THIS.
AND IT WAS, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND, AND I THOUGHT THE BOARD'S UNDERSTANDING WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS OVER A YEAR AGO NOW, THAT OUR ATTORNEY WOULD BE PROVIDING THAT FOR US.
[01:55:01]
RECEIVED ANY OF THOSE.UM, AND THEN MY FIFTH AND FINAL REQUEST IS THAT WE IMMEDIATELY START WORK ON CREATING THE CELL PHONE POLICY.
UM, OUR BOARD HAD WORKED ON THIS BACK IN 2022 IN THE SPRING.
WE HAD MEETINGS IN APRIL AND JUNE ON THIS MATTER, AND IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WERE CREATING CELL PHONE POLICY.
THE ONE DOCUMENT SPECIFICALLY SAYS IN THE FIRST LINE THAT THIS IS A POLICY.
UM, I TRIED TO REVIEW MEETING VIDEO FROM THE JUNE MEETING WHERE THAT WAS ACCEPTED AND THE, THERE IS NO VIDEO BECAUSE IT WAS A WORK SESSION AND WE WEREN'T DOCUMENTING MEETINGS AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
SO I REMEMBER IT AS US VOTING ON A CELL PHONE POLICY, BUT APPARENTLY IT WAS ONLY PUTTING IT INTO THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
AND I THINK, UM, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE AN ACTUAL POLICY.
UM, IT'S NOT LIKE WE DECIDE SAME WORDING, JUST PUTTING IT INTO POLICY.
IT IS NOT, IT'S NOT BANNING STUDENTS FROM BEING ALLOWED TO HAVE PHONES.
IT'S JUST PROHIBITING THE USE DURING CLASS TIME BECAUSE STUDENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN CLASS LEARNING.
OUR TAXPAYERS PAY A LOT OF MONEY TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND THE CHILDREN NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON WHAT IS GOING ON IN CLASS.
MR. MCFADDEN, I'M WITH HER
UM, WELL SHE HAD ALREADY MENTIONED WHAT I WAS JUST GONNA BRING UP AGAIN ABOUT THE VIRGINIA CODE, UM, 2.2 DASH 3 7 0 1 AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 0 8 0.3.
SO I'D LIKE TO DEFINITELY LOOK AT THAT.
UM, I, UM, AND I I I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE CELL PHONE POLICY.
UM, WE, WE DID, YOU KNOW, I, UH, I THINK WE EVEN PUT OUT A, UM, I MEAN WE GOT A, WE DID A PARENT SURVEY, A PUBLIC SURVEY ABOUT CELL PHONE USAGE AND STUFF.
SO WE PUT, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT.
UM, I THINK WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD FEEDBACK.
AND CERTAINLY MAKING THAT A POLICY IS, IS DEFINITELY A CONTINUED DIRECTION.
SO THOSE ARE JUST TWO THINGS THAT DEFINITELY POP UP.
UM, I THINK EVERYTHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID, UM, I AGREE WITH THE ONLY THING I WOULD EXPAND ON THAT AGENDA REGULATION SLASH POLICY UPDATE.
I THINK WE AS BOARD MEMBERS NEED TO SHOW THE SAME TIME COURTESY TO STAFF THAT'S WORKING REALLY HARD TO GET OUR AGENDA AND DOCUMENTS TOGETHER.
SO WHEN WE HAVE A BOARD MEMBER OR BOARD MEMBERS WHO WANT INFORMATION, WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE FOR THE UPCOMING BOARD MEETING OR WHENEVER IT'S GONNA BE FOR, IF IT'S GONNA TAKE OUR STAFF A COUPLE OF DAYS TO WORK ON IT, UM, WE NEED TO BE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR TRUE JOB DUTIES TO BE FILLING AND FULFILLING, UH, DURING THAT TIME.
SO I THINK WE PROBABLY, WE NEED TO SET SOME KIND OF EXPECTATIONS FOR OURSELVES, UM, AS WELL WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT POLICY.
IT'S NOT THE SAME POLICY OBVIOUSLY, BUT UM, JUST BEING AWARE OF THE BURDEN THAT WE CAN PUT ON STAFF MEMBERS IN DOING THIS.
UM, CERTAINLY I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THE VIRTUAL MEETING POLICY PRETTY QUICKLY.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME MODELS IN NEIGHBORING COUNTIES THAT WE CAN LOOK TO FOR THAT.
I AGREE WITH THE FOIA REQUESTS AND THAT SHOULD NOT FALL ON OUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT.
WE SHOULD WORK TO FIGURE OUT A, A DIFFERENT WAY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW WE SAID IN A WORK SESSION A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO THAT IT'S ALREADY IN OUR POLICY THAT WE'LL CHARGE FOR FOIA.
UM, I THINK WE ALL JUST SORT OF, WE SAID WE DIDN'T NEED A VOTE ON IT BECAUSE IT IS OUR POLICY.
BUT WE KIND OF JUST DECIDED THAT, HEY, ON JULY 1ST, IT'S THE NEW YEAR.
I JUST WANTED TO PUBLICLY SAY I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, MR. SMITH USED TO SPEND HOURS ON END FULFILLING FOIAS AND THAT WAS AT NO COST TO THE PERSON MAKING THE REQUEST.
IT'S ALREADY IN OUR POLICY THAT WE CHARGE.
AND SO, UM, I JUST, ANYONE LISTENING THAT'S HAPPENING NOW, UM, AND YES, ON THE ATTORNEY UPDATES, WE SHOULD BE GETTING THOSE.
AND THEN THE CELL PHONE POLICY, I ALSO, UM, THOUGHT THAT IT WAS GONNA BE IN OUR ACTUAL POLICY MANUAL.
SO IT WAS A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK THAT IT IS IN THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
I THINK IT IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY THOUGH FOR US TO REVIEW WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS AWESOME AT THE TIME.
AND MAYBE THERE, THERE IS SOME OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT EVEN A LITTLE MORE STRICT, UM, ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I SEE WHEN I'M IN THE SCHOOLS AND EVEN READING IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK MAYBE THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF LENIENCY
[02:00:01]
THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THERE.SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT MOVING FORWARD.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE THIS EVENING.
[7. Closed Meeting]
MS SALE.COULD YOU READ US BACK INTO CLOSED SESSION? THIS MOTION IS 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 CLOSED MEETING SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A ONE DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION OR INTERVIEWS OF PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINING, OR RESIGNATION OF EMPLOYEES OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, SPECIFICALLY THE SUPERINTENDENT'S EVALUATION.
IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT.
MR. VALENTINE, COULD YOU DO ROLL CALL PLEASE? MRS. SALAN? AYE.
[8.A. Approval of July 3, 2024 Personnel Report and Addendum - Mr. Lee]
I THAT TO THE BEST OF EACH MEMBER'S KNOWLEDGE, ONE, ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS, LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM INFORMATION ACT WERE DISCUSSED IN THE CLOSED MEETING TO WHICH THE CERTIFICATION APPLIES.AND TWO, ONLY SUCH PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS AS WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE MOTION BY THE CLO BY WHICH THE CLOSED MEETING WAS CONVENED, WERE HEARD, DISCUSSED OR CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD.
UM, MR. VALENTINE, COULD YOU DO ROLL POLL, PLEASE? YES, I WILL.
IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE THAT THE JULY 3RD, 2024 PERSONNEL REPORT AND ADDENDUM BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND WE SECOND IT.