School Board Meeting / Public Hearing - 10/9/2025 - 5:00 PM

001can type it out. >> Half fast $2. >> Got to pay to get in. I went to Friday night $50. It's going to be all in 75. >> So, they won't be here till >> y'all ready to roll? >> I'd like to call to order the Beth County School Board meeting for tonight, Thursday, October 9th. Uh, Miss Johnson, Mr. Daniels did notify me that he would not be present tonight due to travel. If you will please call roll call, please. >> Mr. Mhill, >> present. >> Mrs. Pedroan, >> Mr. Sill, >> present. >> Mr. Hullbrook, >> here. >> Dr. Hubach, >> here. >> Mrs. Pervvis, >> here. >> Mr. Chairman, you have a quorum. >> All right. Thank you. Do I have a motion to approve the agenda as presented? >> All right. I have

002a motion by Miss Pervvis. Do I have a second? >> Second by Dr. Hubach. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Any opposed? All right. Agenda is approved. And I do apologize. Um just a reminder to the board members, we are in a different location tonight. Make sure you're talking into your mics so we're heard and um just a good reminder. So I may have to do it again if I get a signal by Miss Johnson. Um but just FYI. All right. If you will join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Uh before we go into our moment

003of silence, I did want to mention um I attended a funeral this afternoon uh for Mr. Toby Sherman uh who was a 39-year administrator for Bever County Public Schools. And so if you will during this time uh if you would remember him and his family uh while we have this moment of silence. Thank you. All right. Moving on to staff reports 2.01. Mr. DePair, superintendent report. >> Good evening. Tonight, the BCPS school board will take action to amend the strategic framework originally developed in the FY223 school year to include revision of goal four, family and community partnerships, and to add goal five, efficiency and effective use of resources. Let me remind the board that in coming weeks and this would be for parents as well. We will again begin to process the and explaining the

004aspects of each individual goal and the actions taken um by in each goal. Uh we'll be doing this on a monthly basis and so it will be very transparent and very helpful to understand where we are in that strategic framework also known as a school improvement plan. As a followup to the ongoing executive order number 33, cell phone free schools, I'd like to take this opportunity to address the pressing concerns and effects of smartphones on our students and frankly on all of us. This discussion comes after researching the topic and reading the governor's recommended reading on the anxious generation by Dr. Jonathan hate. as the school year begins. Um, at at the beginning of the school year was I I was approached by a parent uh who asked the question that we've all been asking

005um would we continue to use the yonder pouch and and I told them yes. Their concern was that we had not spoken to them about the effectiveness of the pouches. And I made it kind of clear that it's hard to correlate the effectiveness of the pouch on academic scores because we don't have that correlation yet. Hopefully we will at some point. Um we also um spoke to the fact that one of the things that we did have going for us was survey to the teachers and while they were returning their surveys we be it became very evident that where the teachers had seen it was improvement in attention span engagement and less distraction in instruction time. Um what I would like to more than anything and we don't have the ability right now um and

006this is something I'm going to promote every time we stand or or have a board meeting and that is we would love to be able to correlate between uh academics and the use of cell phones but it's just not there yet. But I will say that we have moved from 36 to 31 and I'm going to keep pounding that horse as long as I can. And that is probably has some a little effect or some effect from cell phone use in the classroom because of tenderness. But for this most part, I just want to make it publicly known that we really thank the teachers and the students and the parents for getting behind this and improving not only our scores but also the activities in the school day. Um, while we in education are looking

007for an academic correlation and justification for executive order three, order 33, I think the real conversation that needs to run concurrently with this and in removing bell-to-bell cell phone access needs to include reducing cell phone access and use outside the school as well as in it. Cell phones or smartphones are here to stay and we all know their benefits to our lives. But we also need to acknowledge that the need to supervise and scrutinize these in our home and outside of school in general, especially with children of under the age of 16. To start this conversation, let's look at the undeniable pros and cons of smartphone use. On the positive side, the Quora blog, a question and answer website, tells us that smartphones improve our lives with enhanced communication, internet access, navigation, entertainment, productivity, organization,

008mobile banking, photography, video capacities, emergency services, learning and education, and with even built-in ad apps. Um, we probably use them all the time, whether it be flashlight, uh, when we lost our keys or whatever. We we have so many benefits from a cell phone, but we often do not spend the time uh publicly to talk about the ills of it. And I I really wanted to bring a poster here tonight, but I'm going to wait. I'm going to do this on another night. I have a poster. It's about 7 years old. and it said in the year of 2010 when smartphones came about I have a post that shows a gentleman holding up a cell phone because he had control of this and then about 7 years later in 2017 it's the cell phone holding

009up a little man saying I have control of you and there's a lot of reality to that and as we go through the next couple months what I want to do is be able to kind of discuss this Um, it'll show up in not only superintendent reports, but it'll also show up in newsletters that will go home to the parents. And for those that are here that don't understand where the the superintendent's letter goes, it goes to the superintendent's page in the bottom. So, you can literally link on tonight and you'll see three links that I'm getting ready to discuss. While we talk about the positives, we also need to look at the the negatives. Research tells us that an over reliance on smartphones increases mental and emotional effects to include anxiety, depression, sleep disruption,

010addiction, and cognitive impairment. Cell phones also increase physical health complications such as eye strains, reducing physical activity, neck and posture issues. Cell phones also increase negative social and behavioral effects such as social isolation, relationship strain, distraction, and unattendedness. So, what I'm going to do over the next coming months is to take each one of those and kind of pull it apart. And some of it will be uh controversial because we don't want to necessarily discuss it. Um, but it will give our parents and our teachers and our kids an idea of how we need to control this and how it affects our lives. Um, tonight, and this is my last area that I want to cover because I want to make sure that I don't get too winded tonight, but uh, too long-winded, but tonight

011the board will hear public comments regarding redistricting of the Forest Zone Elementary Schools to address overcrowding at Forest Elementary and New London Academy. The current proposal will also affect or would also affect Thomas Jefferson Elementary, Otter River Elementary, Boonesboro Elementary if approved in its entirety. The current capacity concerns highlighted at Forest Elementary are 98% currently and New London Academy at approximately 89 89%. While we can't pinpoint start dates and end dates of the projected housing developments in the forest zone, we can project that when they do come to fruition, whether it be 5 years from now or or eight years from now, without taking a action on redistricting the elementaryaries forest zone, we would we could expect those capacities of both of those schools to exceed what is their top capacity. While the executive team

012created an elementary redistricting plan for Forest Zone as directed by the school board in April 2025, the executive team is open to considering the plan in its entirety or reconstructing the plan, making suggested changes directed by you, the school board. As we move through the public hearing phase tonight, please understand that present and future capacities of the elementary schools in the forest zone need to be addressed now rather than later. I want to thank you for your work on this. I want to thank the executive team for the many many hours that have been put into this and um I know that at the end we're going to come up with something that works for the for the division. Um and I'm sure that um the next 30 days or so we'll be working on

013that. So I want to thank you for your cooperation with tonight's information and the request and the the public hearing time. Um and um just know that we're here to to execute the plan as you want. This concludes the superintendent's report for September. Thank you very much. >> 2.2 first quarter financial analysis. Mr. Haggley. >> Yes. Good evening. Uh finance committee met earlier this week and reviewed these documents and so um presenting this to the full board tonight. Um this is our first look on how the budget's doing for this year and um how we look uh you know and I project out for the full year. Um we'll do this now and then in December we'll start picking up the budget for next year. So uh they'll kind of coincide at the same time.

014Um we look pretty good this year. I'll talk about the revenues first. Um so on the first page we're looking at the revenues. Um in the first quarter kind of projecting most everything the same. The one thing that's down is state revenue. That's because our enrollment came in a little bit lower than projected. So, there's a slight decrease in that of about $661,000 of state funding. Sales tax from the state looks strong. So, I I I put in there a projected $100,000 more than forecasted by the state. So, overall looking at about $342,000 reduction uh in in total revenue um from all funding sources for our operating fund for this year. So, not too far off. That's 3%. So pretty close for the whole budget. Any questions on the revenue side. Okay. On the next

015page, we'll be looking at the expenditures. On the expenditure side, once again, this is just based upon the first quarter, first three months. A lot of our expenditures um take place in the beginning of the year, but we still have the winter with electrical and heating, fuel, and a lot to go. So, we look pretty good here. I'm projecting overall for the operating fund coming in under about $424,000 under budget. So you put those two together, ending balance off our budget of $125 million is $81,000 at the end of the year to the good. So still got a long year to go, but uh there's nothing in there that really gives me great concern. I think uh we've got a good budget and we should be able to bring the finance and the year end

016on budget this year. So no big concerns at this point. Any questions about the expenditure side? Okay. Um, if we flip forward, I'm going to go over the other funds outside of the operating fund. One is the nutrition fund. We'll start with there. Um, happy to report here there's been a lot of work done by the finance committee and also our nutrition staff and trying to curtail losses that we've been having over the past three or four years. In the first quarter uh of this year, I'm uh we're reporting about $100,000 profit. Um once again that might get eroded as the year goes on as we have expenditures and staffing. Uh but we look a lot better than we had in the previous year. So uh good report on this. Uh the finance committee we

017we've been working on this for the last year and a half and uh I give credit to my nutrition staff and leadership there and trying to curtail expenses. Um on the textbook fund we did do the math adoption. Um you'll see a lot of expenditures going through for um the first quarter there in addition to some other expenditures but the ending balance projected at about 1.5 million. Um there that money is uh set aside for future adoptions when they take place. So that fund builds up over time when there's a large adoption that could be a million plus. We've got the funds set aside to adopt whatever subject we're doing. That's typically on about a seven-year cycle for each subject. The maintenance reserve fund uh started with uh about 9.1. I have put in uh

018reserves for ongoing projects. The biggest part of those reserves are Liberty High School, Stan Ruby High School. We're looking uh we have an RFP on the street right now for roofing and also HVAC repairs. Uh so those are going to be bid big projects. Um those bids should be presented to the board November, December for approval. Um but we got quite a bit reserved for that. So, at the end of the um that that'll probably be a two-year project, but um with those two projects about $420,000 remaining uh for other projects. Mainly that's set aside for contingency. Anything that breaks, we can go out and fix it. So, we have money set aside for that. Um gotten quite a few quite a few things done with the maintenance reserve uh fund the these last few

019years. Self uh insurance health fund started with 2.6 and it went 2.4 in the first quarter. Once again, you see an erosion of reserves there. That is still a concern. A long year yet to go. Health claims are hard to predict. They could be low in the first quarter, high in the second quarter. It's just what what's taking place. We continue to see increased inflation on that u on our premiums and our uh reserves there. So, the committee is also very attuned to that. We're watching that. Our health care consultants are um uh we we just hired new healthcare consultants. We made a change with the county and we're engaging with them on any cost cutting measures we can take place or things that we can put in place to uh keep that under control.

020But that is one area that um gives me concern and we'll have to continue to watch over time. Be happy to answer any questions about those four funds outside our operating or anything on the finances if you have those. >> Um you know, I'll just make a comment on that nutrition fund. Just a reminder to the board, last year we ended with a $300,000 gap. Year before that it was a $800,000 gap. Uh so it's nice to see a profit on that line. So nice job, Randy, to you and team. So really appreciate the work that's gone in on that. >> And I'll just say the goal is not to make a profit. It's coming close to break even. You want to have reserves for a year that's down. So we're not trying to make

021too much of a profit. So um but at least break even to maintain our >> There's not Yeah, >> understand. It's good to see it going positive to make up some of the losses we've had before. >> Any other questions or comments? All right. Um,formational items 3.01, policy updates. Mr. Dupair, >> the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee met on September 22nd, 2025 to review proposed revisions to the following eight policies. These policies will be returned on November 13th for approval. Um the first is BDD electronic participation in meetings from remote locations. The second is EB school crisis emergency management and medical emergency response plan. Next is EAB school bus scheduling and routing. Policy GAB, acceptable computer system use. Policy GABA, employee use of personal electronic communication devices. Policy IIA acceptable computer system use, JO, student records, and

022last KP parental rights and responsibilities. questions, comments. All right, we will skip down to additional action items. 7.01, approval of strategic framework. Mr. to pay her. >> Last month, we brought you the strategic framework um on September 11th with upgrades to goal four, family and community partnerships, and goal five was added, efficiency and effective use of resources. That would include annual budget support for strategic framework goals to monitor long-term capital improvement plan and the sources of funding to explore cost-saving opportunities for school nutrition lunch and to advocate state and local representatives to fully fund rep present legislative mandates and remove restrictive laws that hinder daily operations for students. This is up for approval. Do I have any questions for Mr. Dupair? I have a motion to approve 7.01 approval of the strategic framework as presented.

023>> So moved. >> Have a motion by Mr. S. Hill. Do I have a second? >> Second by Miss Pervvis. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? 7.01 is approved. 7.02 approval of 2627 school calendar. Dr. Woodford. So, we're just asking that the draft from uh that was presented at the September meeting. Um, we're just asking for approval for that for the 2627 school year. >> Questions, comments? Do I have a motion to approve 7.02 2627 school calendar? >> So, moved. >> Have a motion by Miss Pervvis. Do I have a second? >> Second by Mr. Hullbrook. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? 2627 school calendar is approved. 7.03 approval of fiscal year 2627 budget calendar. Mr. Haggler. >> Yes. In front

024of you is the budget calendar proposed for next year and adopt and get to the adoption. It is a long session at the state. So, we've kind of adjusted that, but that's in front of you for uh work session set aside and um some target dates. >> Comments on the budget calendar. All right. Do I have a motion to approve 7.03? 3 for the fiscal year 2627 budget calendar as presented. >> So moved. >> Have a motion by Mr. S. Hill. I have a second. >> Second by Dr. Hullbrook. Excuse me. Dr. Cubach. >> Any any questions or any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Any opposed? >> All right. 7.03 is approved. 7.04 4 approval of 26 schoolboard meeting calendar. Mr. Dupeer >> the schoolboard calendar for uh 2026

025will you'll see a significant change during this process um in the second semester because we we made room and instead of going to Susie G we made room for both Liberty and Stanton River who are having their theaters redesigned and rebuilt to go straight to the school administrative office for all of our meetings. and we'll return to the original plan of going to Suzie G the following year once the theaters are completed. We wanted to make sure be be to make sure that those two theater programs and any other special activities had a place to perform. So the calendar you see has that little change to it. Um but it's up for approval. >> Do have a quick question. Yes, Mr. Bear. Um >> I know in the past we've had to go to larger

026venues like this. Um do we still have that option? I know it's it's uh we don't have those two auditoriums like we once did. >> You do have that option. >> Okay. >> Yeah, it but this was a temporary move um to benefit both of those high schools. >> That that's solely based on um recognizing students where we had set that up to do that quarterly. But anytime like tonight where we have a larger crowd or we know it's a topic that needs a larger facility, you just get with Miss get with Miss Johnson and she'll find you a space like >> here Forest Middle School or one of the other higher middle schools. So they are options. All right. 7.04. Any other discussion? Do I have a motion to approve the 26 school board

027meeting calendar? So moved. >> All right. I have a motion by Mr. S. Hill. Do I have a second? Second >> second by Mr. Hullbrook. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? 26 school board meeting calendar is approved. 7.05. Approval of policy updates presented at the September 11th, 2025 board meeting. Mr. Dupair. Inter governmental affairs met on August 26 to review proposed revisions of the following seven policies. Um DJ small purchasing GCL professional staff development IIA instructional goals and objectives IG A career and tech education IG AE IG AEF health education and physical education IGBA programs for students with disabilities and JFCG cell phone and other personal electronic communication devices. That's September 11th board meeting. Do I have a motion to approve? >> So moved. >> All right. Have

028a motion by Dr. Hubach. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Go ahead. >> All right. I'm gonna give that one to Miss Pervvis. Y'all both said it. All right. Uh, any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Any opposed? All right. Policy updates presented September 11th are approved. All right. Do I have a motion to go into close session? >> Pursuant to code of Virginia 2.2-3711A131 2-3711A131 for the discussion, consideration or interviews of prospective candidates for employment, assignment, appointment, promotion, performance, demotion, salaries, disciplining or resignation of resignation of civic employees of Bedford County Public Schools for the discussion of the open where the discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bar bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body. I'm sorry, I missed a section. For

029the discussion of the acquisition of real property for public purpose or the disposition of publicly held real property where the discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body. >> It's a lot. >> I'm sorry. I'm >> It's all good. All right. So, we have a motion by Mr. S. Hill. Do I have a second? >> Second. Uh Mr. Hullbrook. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? We are in close session. All right. Do I have a motion to come out of close session? >> So moved. >> Have a motion by Mr. Sill. Do I have a second? >> Second by Mr. Hullbrook. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Any opposed? >> All right.

030We are out of close session. Miss Johnson, if you will certify the closed meeting. Whereas the Bever County School Board was convened on excuse me has convened a closed meeting on this date pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and where section 2.2-3712D of the code of Virginia requires a certification by this school board that such closed meeting was conducted in conformity with Virginia law. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Bedford County School Board hereby certifies that to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements by Virginia law were discussed in the closed meeting to which this certification applies, and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed

031meeting were heard, discussed, or considered. >> Yes. Public comment. The public comment portion of tonight's agenda is limited to 40 minutes. Speakers are asked to state their name and voting district. The school board is here to listen to your comments, but will not engage or respond to speakers during this 40-minute period. Please remember that this is a public meeting and that we expect all speakers to refrain from any foul, profane, abusive, or hateful language during their comments or anytime while in attendance during this meeting. We also ask that speakers keep their remarks objective and about the school in nature. Please keep all comments limited to matters related to the public schools and any comments that are harassing or amount to a personal attack against any identifiable individual whether board member or staff or student are

032having the potential to cause unnecessary delay or disruption to this meeting are prohibited. This is a public meeting for public matters. If a speaker is not present when their name is called, we will proceed with the next name on the list. An individual who is not signed up to speak may not substitute for that time slot. Individuals will have four minutes to address the board. An alarm will sound when an individual has 30 seconds remaining and a second alarm will sound when the allotted four minutes have expired. When this second alarm sounds, please discontinue speaking and allow the next person in line to come to the podium. Should you be unable to finish your comments, please send or give them to Miss Johnson. Miss Johnson, if you identify yourself, and she will give them to

033board members. Please do not adjust the microphone at the podium as it has been positioned for optimum audio quality. Um, I'm going to call the first five names and if you will please come forward uh and then just speak one after the other so we can make sure we get through everyone tonight. There are a couple that are on the waiting list that we would like to get to if we have time. Um, so be prepared. Uh, first up is Paula Mason followed by Matt Saunders, Mallerie Evans, Mary Joe Herbert, and Heather Brumfield. Good evening. My name is Paula Mason and I have been teaching for 31 years. Education has changed drastically in the last 15 years. But there has been a monumental shift since 2019. Our classrooms include students who need more. more emotional

034support, more academic support, and more one-on-one attention. A classroom of 25 is not what it used to be. It feels more like a classroom of 50. While students needs have grown, our resources have not. The curriculum has changed dramatically and the testing expectations have tripled. There is little to no teacher voice in decision-making. Teachers are stretched thin. We are expected to be counselors and social workers, often without the time, training, or support to do so effectively. Our building serves 379 students. Currently, there is only one special education teacher responsible for supporting 18 students across six grade levels, each requiring a variety of services. The most significant area of need is behavioral. Aside from the building administrator and a guidance counselor, there is no dedicated behavioral or emotional support staff in the building. As a result,

035other staff members are frequently pulled to provide one-on-one support for these students, disrupting instruction and limiting consistency. Additionally, the only other remedial support is a single reading specialist who is responsible for a case load of 58 students. This is not a problem that is exclusive to our school. It is countywide. To help illustrate these issues, I invite teachers from around the county to stand if the question applies to you. If you have a student or students in your building who do not have an IEP, who require one-on-one support due to behavior, please stand. If you have been bitten, spit on, kicked, hit, or had something thrown at you, remain standing. If you spend at least 10 to 15 hours a week or more outside of your contract working on school work, remain standing. If you

036work a second job to make ends meet, remain standing. If you are teaching a curriculum that you believe is not the best for your students, remain standing. If you need support with a student or students, more time to complete lesson plans, paperwork, etc., remain standing. We Excuse me. Thank you, ladies. We are tired. Many are leaving, not because we don't love our students, but because the system no longer loves us. Teacher salaries have not kept up with the pace of inflation or match the level of education required. If we want to keep great educators in the classroom, we must invest in them. That means smaller class sizes and policies that prioritize teacher well-being. Our students deserve it. Our teachers deserve it. And our future depends on it. The solution? Smaller class sizes, more support for

037students through additional staff in the building, and mental and health and behavioral support. I invite the school board members to come to the buildings to talk to the teachers and see what I have referenced in my speech. Thank you. >> Yeah, Matt Saunders. Uh I'm on Belleview Road and this is for the redistric uh districting of our uh for us to go to Otter River versus uh New London. Um, our change has been really hard for my family. We moved here about three years ago and it's been an emotional roller coaster for us uh to get into the community and get really tied in. And this change is really going to be be affecting my children, my two kids, um, as they're going to school and as as we go and I'm on Belleview and

038driving down and having a school bus to go down that road is is impossible. So, they'd have to go past the two school into two other school districts in order to go into uh Otter River. This is a huge emotional uh emotional roller coaster for my kids to be able to do that. Um there's absolutely no way uh I've I've approached um the school board before on on paving our road to be able to have fullon u paving through that road, but it's it's un it's unsafe to have a bus go down that road. um they're going to have to make their way all the way back out Belleview down Thomas uh Thomas Jefferson all the way down 221 to get to Otter River and it's it's going to pay a toll on my kids

039for just the emotional of going past Thomas Jefferson passing New London and and going through that emotional where they know that they're going to there and the kids and the community that we have with those groups is just going to be detrimental and I I just hate that this is going to be the change that we're looking at and as we're looking at this I I do want to also look at the other developments that are coming in around the Belleview around Matthew Talbot. Uh there's trees that are being cut down and new developments are going to be processed in that in that area. Um I think it's going to be where the schools are going to be we're going to have another change in a couple years where those those uh areas are going

040to be more developed and as farmland is continuing out that way. That's a huge risk for us to be taking for reszoning uh that school because there's going to be more farmland going into developments and we need to keep that into consideration as we're moving forward with these these resonings. Uh that's all I have to say. Thank you. >> Mallerie Evans and I think I'm zone three. So, first let me say and start with this. Um I say this to myself. I say this to my children. I say this to my friends, my sisters. Um, suck it up, buttercup. That life is not always fair, right? My name is Mallalerie. I'm a mom of three. Raiden in fifth, Bridget is in third, and Carmen, my youngest, is in first grade. If you know me at

041all, that you know that I am not a very emotional person or a soft parent. I'm a business owner. I live by profit and law sheets daily. And I know that numbers don't have emotions attached to them, right? But on top of that, I am a dedicated, hard-working mother, and that's why I took off of work here to be here with you tonight. So, yes, I understand budgets and zoning, but what looks like numbers on papers to you guys maybe tonight is actually my three children, my family, and this community. My husband and I built two homes in the New London Academy zone, and we did that on purpose. This school was part of our forever plan and because of its location, I as a mom was given the gift of being present. I can

042stop in for lunch. I can volunteer for field day. I can read to Carmen's first grade class. I can volunteer for teachers for just 5 or 10 minutes daily. My kids see me, the teachers know me, and sending us to Otter River instead of New London Academy will look and sound something like this for me and for my family. Carmen, baby, I'm sorry mom can't come and read to your first grade class today like other parents and moms might. Bridget, sweetie, sorry I can't volunteer for for a field day like I have every single other year. I hope you win your race, but this mom today will now be on the sidelines cheering you on. And Raiden, you know I'm upset, but you forgot your math worksheet once again. And mom can't just zoom by

043the school on the way to work and drop it off. That's actually what it means for me. That's what the decision means for me and for a lot of other other families in this area. It's not just lines on a map. It means me personally going from a mom that's worked really hard to do and be present and to show up to a mother now that only exists in emails and class dojo messages. And if you ask the teachers, I like to be present. That's the decision that you guys hold on this board. I was naive when I thought that when I built my home this time, the security could not be ripped from underneath me. But now you get to decide. I was very naive, like I said, and I thought that power was

044with me, but it's actually with you. You're about to make this this decision without any real input from the people who voted you into office. One public hearing isn't real involvement, guys. That's just checking a box in my opinion as a mom for one night. I do have a suggestion moving forward. I think that we need to have a citizen advisory committee that speaks up for us, speaks up for the real people, the real families, and gives real feedback and fights for us. Big decisions like resoning shouldn't happen without the voices from the community being part of it. So you hold the power to keep me right now as a present mom at New London Academy or to make me a absent mother moving forward at Otter River. I personally do not want my children

045to go to Otter River and it has nothing to do with Otter River but everything to do with what New London Academy means for my kids, my family, and for this hardworking mom. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Mary Joe Herbert. I recently retired after 30 years as an educator in Bedford County. 25 of those years proudly at New London Academy, a place that became my second home. My husband and I have lived in Forest for 35 years. All four of our daughters attended NLA, FMS, and JF. It was an intentional choice to live in the NLA district. A brick on NLA sidewalk reads NLA forever in our hearts. A reminder of how much this place means to my family. In 1995, we celebrated NLA's 200th anniversary with a feature on Good Morning America.

046Even during COVID, we quietly marked 225 years of continuous education. And now in 2025, we celebrate 230 years, a distinction no other school in Virginia can claim. I'm here tonight because I am deeply concerned about the proposed redistricting plan. During my years at NLA, I saw what makes this school special. The extraordinary sense of community, the strong parental involvement, and the dedication of so many teachers. The redistricting the redistricting plan that has been created is much more than just addresses and numbers on a map. These are people who volunteer, support classrooms, and help create the nurturing environment that defines NLA. If this plan is approved, many families will be pushed much farther away, making it harder to get their young children to school or stay involved. Otter River may be a great school, but it

047is not near the homes or the workplaces of many of these families, nor the school that these parents intentionally chose. They chose to be in close proximity to New London Academy. Reassigning them means much longer bus rides on narrow roads, raising safety concerns and worsening congestion on Route 221. Over time, that distance, both physical and emotional, will erode the connections that help students thrive. One of those families is my own. My daughter and son-in-law purchased their home in Terrace View so that their children, our grandchildren, could attend NLA. It was a thoughtful, intentional investment in a school and community that they love. Redistricting would undo that support system for them. It's even harder to understand that families in these brand new developments not yet built with no ties to New London will be allowed to

048attend while longstanding deeply involved families are displaced. That's not fair. When looking at the capacity numbers and enrollment concerns, it's unclear to me why Otter River can count a mobile unit in its capacity while NLA can't, or why NLA's capacity numbers are reduced because of their cafeteria and gym space. when more students have used these areas in the past without an issue. Even when enrollment was much higher, I never felt NLA was overcrowded. And I do not believe this is an unmanageable problem at this time. NLA is more than a building. It's where traditions are passed down, relationships nurtured, and families remain connected across generations. Moving these children would dismantle a supportive community and damage trust in our school system. I respectfully ask you to please vote no on this plan for NLA and to

049find thoughtful, forward-looking solutions that welcome growth without tearing apart what so many have worked hard to build. These families and their children deserve better. Thank you for your time. Miss Brumfield, if you'll hold on one second. Uh Matt Berkkey, Bridget Evans, Katie Templeton, Katie Clark, and Marcus Shepard. All right, Miss Brumfield. My name is Heather Brumfield, District 3. Uh I am writing as a concerned mom, community member, and business owner in the community regarding the proposed resoning of 83 students of New London Academy to Otter River Elementary School. This resoning will have a significant and deeply personal impact on my family and many other families in the New London area. In 2020, prior to moving to the New London area, I spent over a year interviewing parents, students, both present and past teachers of the

050surrounding area, private and public schools, to select the best academic environment for my children's education. After all of this searching, we decided that New London Academy and the Forest area was right for our children and we bought a house there in Terrace View. My husband and I are both individual business owners. We move the locations of our businesses in order to be close to the school and the community. And we're raising three adorable children. We love this community that we serve and we serve them every day. I've been serving the surrounding area for 20 years now. Uh, we support New London Academy and the PTA financially through our businesses, but really we are the business. I I'm a single business. Me, myself, he's a single business. Since our children have been attending New London Academy,

051we have found it to be a wonderful community of teachers, parents, and other children that are involved in the school and the activities around the school. We see the same parents outside, you know, at the activities, at the sporting events. Um, when we when I learned that I wasn't going to be able to drive for 6 weeks after two hip surgeries last year, one of the moms volunteered to pick up my son every day for 6 weeks. I mean, who does that? I've been around and I've been in other districts and and no community is like the New London Academy community. If we are redistric, these changes will vastly affect the academics of my youngest child, Kinsey. She's 8 years old. It will disrupt her educational needs. She was diagnosed with dyslexia last year and

052we've been doing independent tutoring since then twice a week. This is in place of an IEP. Right now, we want to try and go with the independent tutoring. However, the tutor is right around the corner from New London Academy. So, I pick her up at 2 so she doesn't miss school. Get there at 2:15, ends at 3:15, get to the middle school to pick up the other kids. if she was moved to Utter River, she would miss school or she would have to find a different tutor. You know, I might be late. I might not be able to pick up my other kids. You know, all of these families have things like this. All of the New London Academy families have specific stories. And you know, I'm just one voice of the 83. So, there's

05382 other stories out there. In addition, um this would require my kids to be on the bus a lot longer and my daughter gets car sick and she has kidney hydro nephralgia or nephrosis and so that would be a problem. We would have to find another route. We would not be able to go to Otter Ripper. We would have to look into homeschooling or another avenue. We really don't want to do that, but that's that is an option. So I just kindly ask that the board, you know, reconsider their proposal in the best interest of the students and the community involved. You know, if you reconsider the proposal and you get together with some of us parents in the area, we have ideas. I mean, there's fundraising that can be done if you need help.

054Um, so feel free to contact me and thank you so much for your time and consideration. >> Good evening, members of the board and community members. My name is Matt Berkkey and I live in the Forest District, specifically near New London. I'm here to respectfully ask the board to delay any reasonzoning decision related to the town home development off 811 and then towns of New London which has not yet begun construction and the 219 single family lots at New London residential until we have real measurable data from these projects rather than speculative projections. Uh first point, current enrollment data shows that New London is not overcrowded. heard the gentleman say uh we're at 89% um which means we could still accommodate modest growth without immediate boundary changes or largecale reasonzoning across the BCPS attendance zone.

055Uh attendance is down 85 students this year um showing that it's not a systemwide uh capacity crisis at this time. Second point, the projected 76 students from the two affforementioned development projects are hypothetical. Um the large developments res driving this resoning discussion. The 200 some units in both spots have not yet begun. The estimated 76 students is based on a planning multiplier of4 students per townhouse and 0.9 per single family home which assumes full buildout and occupancy. But that's a long-term projection, not an immediate impact. In real world housing markets, construction and occupi occupancy gradually takes about five years. If it began tomorrow, it's it's going to take five years. Um, it simply doesn't make sense to move current students now for future students who don't yet exist. Third point, reszoning now would create unnecessary

056disruptions such as reassigning existing students with families who have built relationships and routines in their current schools. Increasing transportation times and cost, especially in uh our area, um our current commute is about 8 minutes like many families you're hearing from this evening. If we were reszoned to Otter River, they would have a 25minute car ride or 45minute bus ride at best. One of our kids gets severely carick as well. No doubt she would get sick on the way to and from school. Imagine the mental and physical toll this would take on a child. In addition, all six of our children that have attended New London to there currently are involved in sports year round. If we had additional transportation time in the afternoons via car or bus, it would be impossible to get them to

057all the events in on time. In turn, we'd be trading valuable family time around our table for drive-through dinners in the car. And lastly, the county would risk eroding community trust if the developments slow down or don't yield the projected number of students. Um, data-driven reversible alternatives are available. BCFPS has short-term, lowcost, and flexible options to manage enrollment before resorting to resoning. We could monitor enrollment annually and assess when the projects reach 25 to 50% occupancy. We could use modular classrooms or temporary learning spaces if short-term capacity pressure emerges. We could co coordinate with county planning staff to phase school capacity improvements along verified housing growth. Engage developers in contributing cost to school infrastructure when their projects produce measurable student increases and create a magnet school for gifted learners using space in existing schools that

058are well below capacity. These strategies give BCPS time, data, and flexibility without uprooting families who intentionally bought property near New London. In closing, I urge the board to make this decision in the way Bedford County always should based on facts, not forecasts. Let's preserve stability for current students, use flexible planning tools for future growth, and ensure any reasonzoning is grounded in real data, not projections. Thank you for your time, your commitment to transparency, and your dedication to the students and families of Bedford County. [Music] [Applause] Dedication number three. My name is Bridget Evans and I'm 8 years old and I'm in third grade. I don't want to leave to go to Otter River because I will be sad and I don't want to leave all my friends and memories behind. I don't want to be

059a new kid cuz I think it will be scary. My favorite teachers at NLA have been Miss Yates, Miss Sha, Miss Rusher, and Miss Jessup. I will miss them and they will miss me. I don't want to leave my bus driver, Mr. Thompson, because he's the only bus driver I've ever had. I would like for the new kid that had a river to come to NLA, too. But there isn't enough room for both of us, right? How can we fix this? Please help us. Thank you. [Applause] Good evening. My name is Katie Clark and I'm a parent of a second and third grader at New London Academy. I have been teaching for 17 years and I currently teach the as the kindergarten, first and second grade teacher at New London as well in the adaptive

060curriculum classroom. First, I want to thank each of you for serving on this board. I know this is no easy position and it requires significant commitment of time and energy from your families. The work you do is commendable and deeply appreciate it. Thank you for representing and being the voices for so many in our community tonight. I hope you listen carefully to everyone's thoughts and opinions especially on the topic of reasonzoning and forest. I hope I hope you truly hear the concerns of parents as they discuss this critical issue. I am asking the board to reconsider the entire resoning proposal and remove it from consideration. Instead of moving students and families simply to decrease overcrowding and essentially bring up capacity at some schools, we should focus on building onto existing schools and expanding where needed.

061There are many other possibilities to explore and numerous community members are willing to help brainstorm creative solutions rather than rushing to move students away from their neighborhood schools. Specifically regarding New London, I'd like to share a few observations. Since I work there, I have heard concerns that the cafeteria and the library are too small. I've worked at this school for now 2 years and am in these spaces every day. I can confidently say there is plenty room for our students now and room for growth. I invite you to visit while school was in session to see firsthand those spaces can support growth. Looking to the future, we know that more students may come due to rapid development. We need to be proactive and creative in planning for overall expansion. For New London, options include bringing

062the alumni building up to code so it can serve our growing school community, creating an individual education building or learning space where the canery is or where the white storage building is currently expanding the front of the building or and then utilizing the uh soccer fields for parking. Throughout discussions, I've repeatedly heard that New London is landlocked. But a closure look shows that is really not. There is room to grow. And if we think creatively and are willing to invest in the community, um I'm sorry. If we think creatively and are willing to invest in this community school, I am confident other schools like Forest Elementary have similar potential. Families intentionally move to this area so their children can attend community schools. this community school. It doesn't make sense for them to drive 25 minutes

063to another school when their neighborhood school are is minutes away. People love their community schools. Let's find solutions that keep families where they are and preserve the heart of each school community. Thank you for listening tonight. I hope you will vote in alignment with the voices and concerns of the majority of these parents, keeping the best interests of our students and families at the forefront. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Katie Templeton and I stand here with many others in strong opposition to the proposed four zone redistricting plan. My connection to New London Academy isn't just as a former student. It's a family legacy. My three sisters and I attended NLA and my mother dedicated 25 years of her teaching career there. This isn't just a building. It's the heart of our community. We

064are not just numbers on a capacity table. My husband and I specifically purchased our home in Tears View so our children could be part of the same school family that shaped us. We invested here knowing that NLA was only a few miles away. To now be reassigned to Otter River Elementary is deeply unfair. That school is a 20inut plus drive on long winding roads creating a heavy and unnecessary burden on our family. Not to mention the dangerous left turn onto Route 221 every busy morning. Redistricting should strengthen communities, not fracture them. With NLA's increase in numbers being just merely estimated and not guaranteed at this time, I ask that you do not reszone this area. I respectfully urge you to reconsider this plan and keep our neighborhood and our children connected to the New London

065Academy family that has always been our home. Thank you. My name is Marcus Shepard. Uh, I have a kid, a kindergarter in New London Academy, as well as a preschooler who's autistic with a speech impediment. I don't want to have to move and change how they're going to school. I know a lot of teachers in the county are great and good at what they do. I can't guarantee that my son is going to sit there and take to a new speech teacher. Just adjusting to him to the one he has, getting him away from me and the family, that in of itself has been hard. and getting him to open up and not potentially backpedal in his development is going to be a problem in of itself that's going to concern me greatly just in

066the fact of him changing and potentially his speech teacher not moving with him if he has to go to another zone and in other contexts I am a former Beer County employee here at JF I served over 11 years as a head custodian so I can honestly say the reasonzoning is just a stopgate forest has been growing since my family moved in here in the '9s. I've watched attendance throughout the school system go up and down. Even here, I went through the renovation here at Jefferson Forest High School. I know the renovation at Forest Middle School. To be honest, if what they're saying and the growth in this community is going to be, what needs to happen is renovations to the elementary schools. expand the schools to where they can hold the kids better. I

067know Aud River is down, so obviously they may not need something, but in 5 years that could change. Everything's been changing constantly. People have been dropping out, going to other systems. People have been coming in. It changes every year. The numbers rise, they fall. I've seen them fall and rise just in the school year alone by decent amounts. There's plenty of room at Thomas Jefferson Elementary. They've got a lot of land that they could expand on. You could probably with the designs of architect that we see today double the size of that school. Vest Elementary, they're not as much land as the other does, but there's potential to grow there. New London Academy, there's a lot of land there that you can see. Some of it's not being used, some of it is. I know

068there's a warehouse just below the canery. There's a field right there. What's there that could be done? There's ways to adjust things and the potential to find ways to move things around to adjust things to be able to make space in the schools and add on to the buildings because the thing is whether if you redistrict it now or not, you're going to be having the same conversation again in another few years. I mean, Somerset Farms on 460 is up for sale. That's 30 to 40 some acres. What's to say a contractor is not going to buy that and another two to 400 and some homes show up on that soon. We need to sit there and look at the long-term growth of the county. We ain't slowed down but so much. We just back

069and forth. We need to look at expanding the elementary schools that are most constantly affected of overcrowding. I can honestly say being a little bit overcrowded, that's not that big of a deal. I went to JF when it was overcrowded. I went through renovation and all the chaos that was in with adjusting everything there. It's highly possible and easily done to go through and make adjustments to these schools and find plans that would work to expand on them because we're just going to keep having these conversations as the years come. if we don't expand these elementary schools, especially if we don't want to build another elementary school, because that's what we're going for at some point is we're not gonna be able to keep bumping people around before we have to either build something new

070or expand. And I would rather see expansions to these great schools rather than adjusting kids. Thank you for your time. [Music] Next is public hearing for zone elementary redistricting. This portion of the meeting is designated for public comments regarding redistricting of elementary schools in the forest zone only and is limited to 40 minutes. Speakers are asked to state their name and voting district. The school board is here to listen to your comments, but will not engage or respond to speakers during this 40-minute period. Please remember that this is a public meeting and that we expect all speakers to refrain from any foul, profane, abusive, or hateful language during the comments or anytime while in attendance during this meeting. any comments that are harassing or amount to a personal attack against any identifiable individual, whether board

071member or staff or student or having the potential to cause unnecessary delay or disruption to this meeting are prohibited. If a speaker is not present when their name is called, we will proceed with the next name on the list. An individual who is not signed up to speak may not substitute for that time slot. Individuals will have four minutes to address the board. An alarm will sound when an individual has 30 seconds remaining and a second alarm will sound when the allotted four minutes have expired. When the second alarm sounds, please discontinue speaking and allow the next person in line to come to the podium. Should you be unable to finish your comments, please send or give them to Miss Johnson and she will give them to board members. Please do not adjust the microphone

072at the podium as it has been positioned for optimum audio quality. Same thing. I'm going to call five names. Travis, Kristen Wit, Lauren Shelonburgger, Casey Mc Mccricard, and Whitney Holly. It's Travis Engle here. Kristen Wit. Good evening. My name is Kristen Wit. I'm actually here to talk about the redistricting for New London Academy. I got the letter from my children and my nieces as well um that there's a possibility they could be redistricted. Um our residence has been in the New London Academy district for 27 years. My brother went to New London Academy. My oldest niece went through New London Academy from kindergarten to fifth grade. My oldest nieces went to New London Academy. And now my children and my younger nieces go to New London Academy. My oldest daughter, excuse me, my oldest daughter

073has progressed in her academics so much better than she has in any school that she's ever attended since she started New London Academy. She had some learning issues in these schools that they could not handle. New London Academy addresses these and she is now making A's and B's. My mother has heart conditions. So, New London is 5 minutes away from us. She may have to pick up the children from school at any point in time that we may be at work. Therefore, if she has to drive further away, she may not be able to help to get the kids while me and my brother are at work, while our children are at school. New London Academy has been the best school that our kids have ever went to, including himself. And he's now 33 years

074old and a very successful man. So I graduated from here. This this school district has been our school district for 27 years. My parents bought their home in the New London Academy area because they wanted their children and their grandchildren to attend New London Academy. So as I I had a whole speech prepared and then I listened to my neighbors and we're all in the same agreement that our children should stay in the school because that's where they belong. They're comfortable with that school. They love that school. And if they're moved from that school, they may not progress as well as they are doing a new academy than they would in any other school. That's all I got. Lauren Sheldon Berger. I'm a parent of three students at FES and three out of the four

075that would be sent to Burnsboro under the current redistring plans. I ask that you adjust these plans because they do not take into consideration where the development is actually occurring and instead disproportionately punish rural students, sending them even farther away from their currently zoned elementary schools. In addition, the current redistricting plan will incur unnecessary transportation costs and longer bus routes that could be avoided by reszoning the areas where new development is occurring. The proposed resoning plans also move some students, such as my own, nearly twice as far away as their current school, while other students are allowed to remain inzone even when they live only a few miles from the next closest school. For example, my children would be sent to Boonsboro, which is almost 8 miles from our house, even though TJ is actually

076the next closest school to us. Homes at the back end of Ivy Hills in the Gilfield area are actually closer to Boonboro Elementary School than we are, but they are allowed to remain in the fees zone. The new Weston housing development, though it is next to FES, is also only about 2 miles from TJ 7 and a half to Otter River. Likewise, residents along Elk Valley Road are being asked to travel over 10 miles to get to Otter River when residents in Weston Village are actually closer to both of the other schools with capacity. The current plans punish rural students who already attend their zone school, sending them even farther away to accommodate new housing developments that the community opposed for this very reason. The current resoning plan also doesn't address the issue of increased

077enrollment in the forest area. Moving your rural students farther away won't provide a long-term solution because many of these students are living in areas that are unlikely to be developed further because they have been generational homes. On the contrary, the highdensity housing developments are much more likely to experience consistent turnover, continuing to create a burden on enrollment numbers for years to come. According to FES principal Lorie Manley, FES currently has 30 students from the Western development alone. And that development is going to wreck havoc on enrollment numbers every year for the foreseeable future. Moving four students to Boonboro and four students to Otter River is not going to solve your problem because once those rural students complete their education, they will no longer affect those enrollment numbers. But these other areas are likely to see

078the continual turnover. Um, excuse me. and these areas are unlikely to see the continual turnover that a highdensity housing development incurs. The proposed changes also would increase transportation costs and send more traffic down rural routes that are not designed for it. For example, if my children were to be moved to Boonesboro and instead of fees, the bus would have to drive all the way down to the intersection of Coffee Road and Perville anyway to turn around and it would have to do so at a much bigger and more dangerous intersection. Finally, though I know exemptions exist that would allow reszone students to continue to attend their previous elementary schools, these exemptions do not allow students to continue to ride the bus, which again disproportionately affects your rural working-class families. These families are more likely to

079struggle with getting their children to and from school. It is not fair to punish these families by limiting their transportation options, especially when it would be easier and more cost-effective to bus students in the new developments to other schools with capacity. If the county refuses to limit development, which I know has been an issue, then the school board must work to ensure that the new developments and not the students currently enrolled are moved to other schools with capacity. Don't punish the students that are already enrolled in their schools because of poor planning by the county. Thank you, [Music] Casey McCricard and uh Whitney Holly and James Holly. Good evening board members. My name is Casey McCricard and my from district 3 and my family received a letter about being reszoned schools. Currently my son attends

080New London Academy which is just 2 miles a 4-minute drive from our home. According to the resoning map, our house falls right at the cutoff on Belleview. It is extremely unfair that established members of the New London Academy community are being reszoned to accommodate potential future developments whose families are not yet part of the school community. We built our home eight years ago. We chose this location based on the schools our children would attend. New London Academy, Forest Middle, and Jefferson Forest, the same schools my husband and I attended. Under the proposed resoning, my son would be assigned to Otter River Elementary. This would mean passing directly by New London Academy and continuing another 13 miles, 20 minutes in ideal conditions, which could easily extend to 30 minutes with school traffic. This would add an

081extra 6 hours and 40 minutes each week for our commute, which is not only inconvenient, but cuts into family time, homework, and sports. This longer commute means more time on back narrow roads in fog, rain, or snow, which is dangerous. If I take Route 221 instead, I'd be passing three elementary schools just to get to Otter River, which feels unreasonable. I also would not be readily available if there's an emergency at school. There have been times in the past where I had to urgently get my child from school and take him to the doctor's immediately whereas I will now be further from his doctor's office. Half the year I'm essentially a single parent due to my husband's work and I rely heavily on my village of my parents and sister for school transportation. They all

082live and work in Lynchburg. So with New London, their support is manageable. But with resoning to Otter River, this would turn a 25-minute drive into nearly an hour which caused a major strain on our family. One day I was picking Grayson up from school. My tire pressure light came on. I had a hole in my tire. Thankfully, I just lived 2 minutes from New London and I was able to make it home safely. If I had been coming from Otter River, I would be stranded on back roads with two kids and a flat tire. This fright uh the the thought of that situation is frightening and one of the many reasons why proximity is so important. Most importantly, my son does not do well with change. In kindergarten and first grade, the couple weeks of

083school were difficult. He would cry as we got in the car and the anxiety would build as we got to drop off to the point where the teachers and guidance counselors would have to call me. He is now in second grade and for the first time he hasn't gotten upset. He is excited to be with his friends and go to school. I fear that moving him to Otter River where he would not have familiar faces with teachers and classmates, it would cause him to regress. Grayson also plays sports year round through FYAA. In every sport he joins, he knows kids from school. This might not be in the same grade, but he sees them at school and then he'll see them at practices and games. This would he would lose this connection going to school.

084He wouldn't I'm sorry. He'd lose his connection because he wouldn't be going to school in the same community where he plays sports. It might seem like a small thing, but for him, those familiar faces and friendship make a big difference. Furthermore, we have another son who will be starting kindergarten in a few years, and we want him to have the same great experience at New London. When I was leaving for this meeting tonight, Grayson was double crossing his fingers with tears in his eyes and said, "I hope they don't make me go to a new school." As a parent, hearing that is heartbreaking. For both my child's emotional well-being and our family's ability to function, I respectfully ask that you vote no to the New London reszone so Grayson and his brother can remain in

085their school community. Thank you. Hi, my name is Whitney Holly and I live in District 3. Come drive to school with us. Destination, New London Academy. Get in your seat, buckle up, and let's go see how long it takes us to drive to school. Did you know the school board is proposing to reszone our neighborhood? That house is the cutoff line. Our daughter is one of the only ones on this street that would go to a different school. She won't get to play with the kids on her street. We won't know them. Sure, she'll make new friends, but she won't be able to go to their house and play. They live over 30 minutes away, and we just won't have time to drive that far and still make it back for dance practice. This is

086just one reason that I believe the current resoning plan goes against Bedford County Schools core values. Number one, to focus on students. Not only will students lose connections in their local neighborhoods, they will lose a minimum of 2 and 1/2 hours of sleep per week due to increased commute times. This can directly affect grades and absenteeism. Number two, to collaborate with families, staff, and the community. Our daily round trip would jump from under 10 minutes to at least 40, a 300% increase, and cost families like mine $5 per day for travel instead of 50. Reszoning threatens New London teachers with school or grade changes, making it even harder for them to support students in meeting the VDOE's elevated academic standards. This plan places unequitable burden on New London, a community thriving for over 230 years

087to meet the enrollment needs at Otter River. A fair and student centered plan should strengthen both communities, not divide them. Number three, to act with integrity. Acting with integrity means honesty and transparency. The lack of detailed maps, shifting capacity numbers, and limited communication has left many families guessing at what data was used in developing this plan. Our community deserves a process that is built on trust, one that values openness, clarity, and genuine collaboration. Number four, to energize learning by creating safe and dynamic learning environments. Discussions of these plans is part of your job. You can leave it and you go home. But for our families, our lives changed when we received letters on September the 23rd. My daughter, who has dreamed of attending New London since she was really little, learned from a friend that

088she may have to leave next year. In her words, "Who even thought of this idea to kick the other kids out? It's not a good idea. What if I have to go to second grade and they kick me out in second grade? What if they told me I have to go to a different school tomorrow? It's not fair that they're kicking me out." Living just under two miles from New London means that we will see it all the time. And every glimpse of the building will serve as a painful reminder that she wasn't allowed in her own community. So, she finds her own solution. Mom, I know how I can stay at my school, my lucky gold coin, and she sleeps with it under her pillow at night. No child's future should rest on luck.

089I leave this as a reminder that these are real children with real lives, and they deserve stability. No future should be determined by a coin toss. Do these core values truly guide your decisions, or do they simply exist as words on your web page? Tonight, I ask you to remember a drive past friends homes along familiar roads to the school at the heart of our 230year-old community. I urge all of you to travel the reasonzoning routes before voting. And my guess is that if your families were affected by this plan, you would be here speaking tonight as well. Will you vote to keep our community community together or do you drive it apart? You have reached your destination, New London Academy. It is on your left. This is how long that it takes mine and

090many families to drive to school and we would like to keep it that way. Mr. Holly, before you start speaking, Jared uh let me put glasses on. Jared Zintz, Ashley Rusher, Drew Evans, and Becca Dutul. James Holly, District 3. Good evening, members of the board. I'm here as a parent of a kind kindergarten student who will be affected by this resoning. I'm here to ask the board to vote no on this plan. If this plan is passed, it would negatively impact my daughter's mental and emotional health as well as her academics. We live under two miles and less than four minutes from New London. I never thought I would have to consider her being sent over 20 minutes away from her home to a new school a distance of almost increased 300%. We chose our

091family home based on the fact that she would attend New London along with Forest Middle and JF High. With this plan, she will be pulled away from her friends and her community. We decided to send her to public school so she would be a part of her community where she could develop and grow relationships both in and out of school. With this plan, she will no longer be part of her community, but yet an outsider where school is in one area and friend and extracurricular activities are in another. This has created stress and anxiety in her life as she is her peers having conversations about this at school. I had to speak with the guidance counselor. She would come home and say, "Dad, if I move school, I have lied to my friends. I've told

092them that we would always be in school together." or dad when I tell my friends on the playground I still may not be here. She says that they become sad and she does not want them to be sad over her. This weight no child should have to carry while at school to meet numbers at a different school. Speaking of numbers, this plan looks to be a numbers game to the board. So, let's revisit. If New London loses these 83 students and enrollment is not the projected 90 new students from developments that have not started in New London, they could lose up to four teachers. That would not only affect the students and families being forced out, but those who left but those who are left without a friend or a teacher. Other numbers that are

093concerning with this plan is Otter River would be at 96% capacity with a mobile unit and it only takes one developer to come in build a new neighborhood that could easily push Otter River over 100%. Then what? Potentially reszoning the same students and families all over again. It's been mentioned the transportation department played a large role in finding 80ome students since that's how many the board needed, stating they could make the plan work. Sounds like the board's playing a chess game with our students and they're they're the game pieces. I'm very concerned with the safety of the route in which New London families, mine included, would have to take to complete the journey to Otter River. This involves a lefthand turn onto 221 off of Good Station Road. This is a four-way stop with businesses

094and a post office as well. during the morning rush of speeding traffic of people going to work in Bedford and Lynchber and with both side streets making right and left-hand turns all at the same time. It's a very unsafe situation that needs to be addressed. Finally, community support would also dip an Otter River as families would simply not be able to be as supportive and involved as they could at their local schools. Schools need and rely on families to help with school field trips, PTA membership fees, and support, just to name a few. I only have four minutes to explain the main issues with this plan. I see no positive coming from this resoning, only negative impacts on all students and families of New London, both those being transferred and those being left with less

095support for their social development and academic performance. I'm asking the board to vote no on this resoning and support New London students, families, and the community. This isn't a chess match. Don't play a numbers game with our children and families who are part of the Beard County School System. Hi, my name is Jared Zent, District 3. Uh, good evening. I sincerely appreciate each of you taking the responsibility to be on the school board. That's not a light job. My wife and I have two children in New London Academy. And in 2019, we found out we were expecting our second child, and we began searching for a long-term home. We decided to prioritize the New London Academy District. We were outbid multiple times, and we passed on other houses because they were just not in the

096NLA district. And feeling discouraged, we just trusted God would provide. And we continued to pray for an open door. And several months later, in the spring of 2020, a house became available that was perfectly in our budget and had everything we wanted. and it was in zoned in NLA and buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions people will make in their lifetime and we made that significant decision because it was NLA. Our neighbors turned out to be the previous NLA principal Dr. Ay and his family and we became very close friends. We volunteered countless times watchdog different field days because NLA became our family and our community. My wife has developed an income taking care of some young children during the day and others after school who ride the bus to our

097stop. If we were reszoned, she would have to drive almost three times the distance in the opposite direction instead of just dropping off her kids off on the way to work. She would be adding about a 35 to 40m minute total drive time just before she's getting to those children's homes. And this would not be early enough for their parents to leave their work, which we might lose that income. And that would directly impact our income by a few thousand dollars a month. The children who get off the bus at our house now are also part of the NLA community and some of them would not be reszoned and buses would no longer come from NLA which is another decrease in income and other families are left trying to figure out after school care. My

098daughter in fourth grade has an IEP and the team she works with has known her for the past 5 years and truly know who she is beyond that struggle. And my concern is that we're getting momentum now with the help we need and that would be disrupted for fifth grade and then also the following year going into middle school. Another concern that I have is that this resoning would negatively impact real estate value for our homes. I realize there are many variables with that and be very difficult to quantify those exact numbers, but I'm speaking constantly to my neighbors and other people in the neighborhood and they have no idea the reasonzoning is actually being even considered and they do not like this idea. I don't believe that all impacted parties have been properly notified.

099I truly do do not believe that any of you have any ill will. And the way that I kind of perceive the situation is that the board of supervisors granted permission to a new development and just gave you the task of figuring out the logistics with the school system. You have been given the burden of finding a solution to a problem that you did not create. And I implore you, kicking us out so new developers can slap New London Academy on their advertisements to increase the value and the profit is not the answer. Solutions do not have to start with the automatic presumption that the developments get to go to New London. I actually had a conversation with Dr. Ay and he suggested a solution that I hope maybe you would consider. Don't disrupt the

100current community, but simply send dedicated buses to the new development and directly send those children to Auto River or even Bedford Elementary. It's only a 14-minute drive, which is shorter than some families that we will have to take if they get reszoned. the few buses would be safer and more efficient than the many families of 80 children. Developers may not like that because they expected to be in the New London district when they bought the property. Well, so did we. And we are already here. Perhaps the developers could pay for the needed renovations or maybe even the bus routes if that's needed, if they want to be in NLA. The school board has no obligation to appease the developers at our expense. and I just respectively ask that you to vote no to dividing MLA

101and instead assign dedicated buses to the new development if that makes sense. Thank you for your consideration. Appreciate it. Good evening. My name is Ashley Rusher. I'm live in district 3 and I'm a second grade teacher at New London Academy. My husband and I have lived in this zone for over four years now and have a three-year-old and 5-month-old who we are planning to send to New London Academy for their elementary age schooling. All of these parents tonight are going to tell you how much New London means to them and their children. I feel the same way. I am disheartened to know that there are families within our county with preschool age kids like my own that are unaware this change may be happening because letters were only sent to those currently enrolled in NLA.

102Had I not taught for Bedford County, I would have been unaware of this change that will affect my own kids in the future. My son currently attends a private school for preschool because he's only 3 years old. Our plan was to have him attend New London Academy for kindergarten because the location is convenient to our home and where we work. I also know firsthand what an amazing community we have here and personally know how amazing our teachers are at New London. If the zone moves, we would likely need to re-evaluate the decision to send our children to public school because with our work schedules and transportation, Otter River is farther away and in the opposite direction. Similar to others here, it just doesn't work for our family. I really wanted to speak tonight, however, because

103I feel like I have unique perspective as an educator in New London Academy. A generic job description may tell you that an elementary school teacher is responsible for creating a nurturing and inclusive classroom environment that supports the academic, social, and emotional development of students in the early grades. This role includes lesson planning, classroom management, student assessment, and collaboration with colleagues and families to ensure student success. I'm here to tell you that teaching is much more than those things. My job could really be titled relationship builder. An educator knows how important it is to foster relationships with the students you teach. I watch my students grow and partner alongside them on their learning journey for 10 months out of the year. I spend more time with these students than their parents on the weekdays. You will

104often hear me refer to my students as my kids. I am deeply saddened at the thought that this resoning may take many of my kids away from a community that they've built since kindergarten and place them in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar faces farther from their homes. Some of these students that I consider my kids I may never see again. I will no longer be able to do my morning handshake with my student from last year that is being reszoned to another school. Some of my previous students will no longer be able to bring me their sports schedule so that I can come see them compete. My students with behavior plans from last year will no longer feel the comfort of knowing that across the hall is someone who cared for them and encouraged them

105in their lowest moments. They may regress because at a new school, the accountability that a new face has to offer just isn't the same. I see the relationships that these students build with their peers. I see the love they have for this school. The relationships I build with these students are irreplaceable. I'm sure the teachers at Otter River are great, but they're not me. They don't know where these kids started. They don't know how hard some of them work to overcome. The students know this, and I'm willing to bet they will not work as hard without the love and community they are used to here at New London. I also know an influx of this many students would greatly change the school dynamic and routines at Otter River. As well, it is already difficult enough

106saying goodbye to your previous students as they complete fifth grade and graduate elementary school years. I ask that you please don't make me say goodbye to students who are being torn from everything they have ever known too soon. Nothing about my job is glamorous, but these kids are the reason I come to school every day. Your job as a board is not glamorous either. I feel certain these kids are the reason you took interest in serving your community in this way, too. If inconvenience families is not enough of a reason to vote no to the new London zone change, let it be for the kids. Let's take the time together, work together, and find a solution that serves these kids best. Vote no so that these kids that I teach can be kids just a

107little while longer. Thank you. >> Hello, my name is Drew Evans. I'm representing District 3. I'm the father of three amazing children, all who currently are enrolled at New London or have enrolled there in the past. While my family owns property in three of the surrounding areas, in 2017 we decided to make our roots here in the Forest community. We made those decisions based off the community, its academics, athletics, but most importantly, the relationships that we had developed here. And now we're discussing a plan that would rip these ties apart, not because of anything that our families have done, but because of the new growth that was permitted without forward thinking. As the old adage goes, if you get of an inch, they'll take a mile. We'd be naive to think that this issue ends

108here. What begins at the elementary level will only ripple into our middle and high schools. The deceit and lack of transparency in this process is exactly why so many constituents have lost trust in our government, not just on a national level, but here on the local as well. I've reached out to the board asking for the numbers of how many families were notified based off these changes, as well as how many families were not notified. I've yet to receive an answer for that. uncontrolled growth is a good or controlled growth is a good thing. But what what's being suggested now is the negative impact of uncontrolled growth. Let's look at those numbers. The forest population has grown from 9100 in 2010 to 11,700 in 2020 and now to almost 12,500 in 2023. That's rapid growth.

109But what developments and improvements have been made into our education system to prepare for it? Now, I'm not against growth, development, or expansion. However, it should not come at the expense of the families who helped build and strengthen this relationship in the community in the first place. Moving children who are already established just to make room for brand new developments that have yet to start, much less be completed, is not a solution. It's a disruption to the very families that made forest a desirable place in the first place. So, solutions. How do we move forward with true solutions that instead of just stop gaps? Many thriving communities across the country are facing very similar issues today. And many have chosen practical and sustainable solutions. The first that I present to you today would be considered

110impact fees. And while I know it's outside the scope of the school board and may fall at the feet of the board of supervisors, I challenge you to explore that with them as a viable and working option. This is a simple, proven approach. Before a new home or apartment can be built, the builder pays a one-time fee directly tied to the infrastructure needed to support these residents. Those funds go straight towards schools, roads, services, offsetting the stresses of the new communities. This way, growth pays for growth without shifting the burden onto these existing families. Some states those fees range from $4,500 for the fee up to $45,000 that can go directly into our education system to pay for the improvements that are needed in order for us to stay. Second, smarter planning with transportation as

111if we're looking at this from a pure number standpoint. The accounting method I take you and ask you to follow is the last in first out method. What that means is it's an inventory method where the most recently acquired items are assumed to be the first ones sold or used while impacting the cost of goods. So please consider that as you begin to explore this. Specific bus routes could be created to direct new development into schools like Otter River, alleviating the immediate strain on New London without uprooting the established students. If we are specifically planning for those four new neighborhoods to bring in 91 new students, it would be simple to run two, three, or four buses directly into these locations and to the needed elementary schools. Of course, then the question becomes, would these

112developers be looking to build in these areas if they wouldn't be able to take advantage of the schools that we so dearly care for and stand in front of you pleading to keep our students a part of? We all want to welcome new families into forest. Growth is a good thing, but it has to be managed equitably and responsibly. The families who help build this community deserve stability for their children. The newcomers deserve schools that are prepared for them, and we all deserve leadership that plans ahead rather than reacting too late. Thank you for your time, and I hope that you take everyone's opinions with you tonight. Good evening. My name is Becca Dutil and I'm a special education teacher at New London Academy as well as a mom of a second grader and preschooler

113who both attend New London Academy. I'm here tonight to express my concern over the proposed resoning that would remove my children and many others from the school community we intentionally chose, invested in, and have come to love. Like many parents, my husband and I carefully planned and made pivotal financial decisions to buy a home in the community where we dreamed of raising our children. We made this decision the year before our oldest son started kindergarten because we know how important it was to give our children a strong foundation from the very beginning. We weren't just buying a house. We were choosing a community. We wanted our children to grow up in a place where they would feel supported, connected, and rooted throughout their school years. As the saying goes, it takes a village. And we

114wanted that village in place from day one without the disruption of moving during their most formative years. Now, despite all our careful planning, it feels as though the stability we worked so hard to provide for our children may be slipping away through no fault of our own. I feel deeply for every parent who finds themsel in the same situation we do. My children, like so many of those represented here tonight, are thriving at New London Academy. They feel safe, connected, and deeply rooted, not just with their classmates, but with the staff, the families, the culture. This is their village. Forcing them out of this environment would disregard the emotional, social, and academic bonds they've worked so hard to build. As a special education teacher at New London Academy, I see the power of that village

115every single day. I see it when my students walk into their classrooms with confidence, when they light up as they greet familiar faces in the hallway, when they experience timehonored NLA traditions. I see it when they know they belong. I also see what happens when that sense of belonging is shaken. These children are not just names on a roster. They are part of my heart. I love seeing them grow and celebrating their milestones. The idea of them starting over in a new school next year and being separated from even one of them because of zoning lines on a map feels deeply wrong. I understand that the school board faces challenges as this forest zone continues to grow. But uprooting 83 students and their family from the community they love is not the best solution. Families

116like mine have built our lives, our finances, and our futures around the current zoning. I respectfully ask the board to consider another path, one that allows the projected 91 students moving into new developments, both of which are very far behind schedule, to attend Otter River Elementary instead. These families are making new choices and can plan accordingly, while current families who made their choices years ago can keep the stability their children depend on. I know there are concerns about bus routes if this option were to happen, but I would submit that adults adjusting to slightly longer or unconventional bus routes is a small sacrifice to protect the stability of 83 children and their families. Please, before making this decision, think about it what it truly means for these kids. Stability matters. Relationships matter. When we pull

117children from the place that makes them feel safe, we risk far more than we realize. Thank you for listening and for taking the time to hear the voices of the parents and teachers who love New London Academy. We're not just asking you to keep students in a school building or zone. We're asking you to keep them in their village. And I have not heard a single person here tonight be in favor of this proposal. So do hope you hear us and vote no to this. Whitney Roser and Amanda Leafoy. Um, my name is Whitney Roser and I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you all. Um, while I understand and respect the need to balance enrollment numbers, I would like to provide information showing the reasonzoning these the three roads that I'm concerned with of

118Scarlet Lane, Grassy Mountain, and Tabernacle Drive. Um, these areas are highly unlikely to experience any growth. We are all on parcels of land. We have no intentions of selling our land, anybody else coming in. Um, of the kids that go to Forest Elementary School, uh, four are currently enrolled at Forest Elementary School. One will be going to middle school next year. I don't foresee there's a lot of help with zone, um, with space being provided by just these group of small number of kids. Um, additionally, zone transfers are currently allowed in schools right now. Um, I'm not sure if anybody would consider taking those out. So, the people who are not zoned for the schools should be considered first to move in my opinion. Um, it's important that decisions about resoning be guided by accurate

119projections of where true sustainable growth is likely to occur. These three roads fall within areas expected to expand and develop further. There's there's no plans of anything happening on their roads. Um, if someone offered to buy my land right now, I'm not selling it. The the families on Grassy Mountain, I've knocked on the doors. They're not selling land. Tabernacle, there's not even students that go to Forest Elementary School right now on that and they have no intentions of selling their land. Um, I respectfully ask that the board to reconsider including these these roads. Um, I do know that growth needs that growth would cause change. So, I'm not saying that this plan is awful. I'm just saying you need to reconsider where you chose to draw those lines. Um it's it's a it will simply

120shift a handful of students and not a measurable impact to your overall decision making. Um I think that's all. Sorry I I had so many notes. Um but that's all I have to say. Those three roads I don't see there's any growth coming from them to give you any more space. Thank you. [Applause] My name is Amanda Lefoy. My neighborhood is currently zoned for New London with the possibility of being reszoned to Otter River. It currently takes 5 minutes to drive from my house to New London Academy. We chose to buy a house to be near NLA and JF and the businesses in that area. In past years, I've had to ask neighbors to drive my children to school. They didn't mind because it was so close by. To relocate us across town doesn't make

121sense. The next closest elementary school to us is TJ. My neighborhood's current elementary school bus route ends by making a right-hand turn on to 811 to head towards NLA. Our bus could just turn left instead and go down to TJ. Both schools are on 811. this would make sense. Sending us far across town on dangerous, windy, hilly roads to a school not near us does not make sense. On a daily basis, I drive past NLA and TJ between two and eight times. The last time I saw or passed by Otter River was several years ago when I attended a reszoning meeting there. I have not gone down that road since. Students living near 221 should go there, not those of us living near Route 460. At that reasoning meeting, I asked if the county had

122considered other alternatives to redistricting, like creating a STEM magnet school for third through fifth grade gifted students. This program would be housed in the Liberty zone and would pull students from all of the elementary schools across Bedford County, which would help with current capacity issues. Another alternative is to relocate all preschool programs to a specific county building. This would open up muchneeded classroom space for K through 5 and would centralize resources for those preschool teachers. Two other options to consider that would specifically affect these newest h neighborhoods that have been built. Option number one, completely reszone the newest neighborhoods and send them to an elementary school that can accommodate them. Most likely this would be in the Liberty zone. These people haven't been paying Bedford County taxes for an extended period of time. So why

123do they deserve priority to the closest school? For almost 20 years, my neighborhood has volunteered at NLA, been officers in the PTA, been instrumental in safety changes for the school, as well as huge fundraising events. We worked to make NLA better, and are now at risk of being kicked out of our school just because a builder decided to bring in a bunch of new residents, and the county didn't require that builder to build an addition onto the school that he is affecting. It's now hurting longtime residents and taxpayers. I request that the school board speak to the county board about requiring funding from these builders. Other counties require builder funding. We should too. Option number two, which is a very popular one across the United States, leave the school zones untouched. And when a zoned

124school is full, a new resident is then informed they will be sent to a school that can actually accommodate them. Then they're put on a waiting list for their zoned school. If a spot opens up in their grade level, they're asked if they want to take it or not. If they pass, it moves to the next person on the list. This plan allows current longtime Bedford County residents priority for their zoned school registration, which is what is deserved. I will be sending you a detailed email very soon that touches on even more issues and concerns. I ask that you take time to consider all options and please put this resoning on hold until a more logical plan is created. Thank you. [Music] >> Moving on to the approval of the consent agenda. Do I have

125a motion to approve? >> Still moved. >> Have a motion by Miss Pervvis. Do I have a second? >> Second by Mr. S. Hill. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? All right. Consent agenda is approved. Matters from the board committee reports. Dr. Hubot. Uh IG met and uh those uh policies were presented to you this evening by Mr. pair and uh CPO met as well and um nothing nothing major to report. >> Okay, Mr. Pervis, >> uh Gov School is full on looking into getting a new director right now. They have whittleled down um to three applicants that they were going to be interviewing in the next few weeks. Um, so that's where we are right now. Uh, the STEM Academy has um some wording in there that

126is DEI. So we're working on um making sure that gets removed so that we are only looking at merit-based and not um race or gender based um applicants for the STEM Academy. We already have been doing um it based on merit but we're um but the wording in the in the proposals is hasn't been changed. So we are working on that too. >> All right. >> Uh we did not meet with uh PPA or um facilities this month. Uh we're we're scheduling here uh in the upcoming month uh to talk about Stanton River more. Uh I did go out and visit Stanton River today. Uh construction's going on schedule. They were getting ready for some additional footers. Um so everything seems to be going in the right direction on on that large project. >> You

127say it. >> All right. Sounds good. Kathine. >> Yeah. I attended the um governor's school meeting in Ron Oak on behalf of Bedford County Schools and students and parents. Um it was a great meeting. It was very informative. Um um Mark Levi is the director. um just nice guy and is happy to take any questions. Um the highlight uh was that every six years the department of education does an evaluation on site and so that is coming up um that is coming up November uh November 6th and um of course I'm new um on the board um however Dr. Woodford has been attending um these meetings for the past six years. So she has um gone through the process of applying um center foreman and so she'll be there to do um the interview on

128behalf of Bedford County Schools. Um that's about it. >> Start with you down there. Comments and concerns from school board members. Um, I'd just like to say appreciate everybody coming out and voicing their opinion. Uh, it is a tough decision. I've been on the board for four years. Been talking about this the entire time I'm I've been here. It's been shot down a couple times. Um, and it unfortunately it does boil down to funding money. I mean, I hate to say that, but that is the driving factor. That's not the only driving, but it's a big one. You know, I said from day one, we need to build more schools up here, bigger ones, add-on, whatever, because this, you know, this district is is this area is growing far faster than any of the other

129ones. But, you know, the average elementary school is about 85,000 square ft. That's around $250 to $300 a square foot. So, you're looking about 30, you know, anywhere from 20 to 40 million. That's just the building of it. Plus, like some people said, some of these schools have room for additions and we have some additional land here and there. You know, I certainly don't want taxes raised and I'm sure most of you don't. But that may be part of the answer there, you know, because it's when I was on y'all's side, I I looked over on this side. I'm like, what the hell are they doing with all the money? you know, what about the lottery money? What about this and what about that? And it's not as simple as you would think. You know,

130a lot of the funds are they're allocated for certain things and that's all you can do with them. And then if you don't use them for them, you would lose them there and, you know, maybe gain some other places. It's so many stipulations tied to the state money, the federal money, the local money. Um, but you know, I don't like the idea of redistricting. know more than you do. You know, uh my family was possibly going to be redistricked when we were talking about the Steuartsville and the Good View area and of course we were right on the line and we would have gotten switched, you know, and so I know how you feel. It's not a it's not a good thing. Um, so it does lie a lot on on the board of supervisors

131and what has happened, you know, what they've allowed to happen, how they've handled the things. Um, and they just seem to not want to give us any money. You know, DSS, police, fire and rescue, lots of other ones have gotten increases and the school system has not. So, you know, unfortunately, we're doing the best with what we got at the moment and, you know, we're going to think long and hard before making any decisions. >> I just want to begin tonight by saying thank you to all of my neighbors and friends um that that took the time out of their evening to come and speak with us. I know it was a lot and I know um it has been very impactful to our whole community in District 3. Um, I appreciate this board and

132the the time we spent discussing this, but I am angry. I am upset at how this has all gone down. And I'm not upset at one person up here at this day. I'm upset that we're in a position to where we are having to react to things that are outside of our control. For as long as I can remember, the school board has been forced to react to developments, housing expansions instead of planning proactively. We're rarely consulted during zoning or development approvals. Yet, we're the ones to make the tough calls to redraw redraw lines that directly impact families, and those are the human cost that are not associated often with this. I know we've heard a lot of stories tonight of the human cost. A couple of the emails that that was sent this week

133um really impacted me as well, things that I wouldn't have considered. There was one email that came through uh talking about how this is going to affect their custody agreements and they may have to move houses. That's an extremely expensive cost to pay just because having to redraw lines. Um there was another family from New London that um has chosen to foster a lot of kids and how detrimental it is for their um their sense and well-being to have to change schools. Um, under Virginia law, particularly 22.179 of the Code of Virginia, the authority to set attendant zones lies squarely with the school board, not the board of supervisors, not the zoning board, not the board of education. I I suggest that we look into adopting an overflow model that will help us manage growth

134and give a stronger voice in future development decisions, giving us a seat at the table and ensuring that educational impact is part of the planning process from the very start. Traditional redistricting often shifts entire neighborhoods from one school to another, sometimes uprooting dozens of families all at once. While it can relieve overcrowding, it also disrupts friendships, add transportation burdens for both Bedford County Public Schools and parents and understandable frustrations. We do have challenges though. Our current enrollment patterns, especially in the forest zone, show that some schools are nearing or exceeding capacities while others still have room to grow. In recent weeks, I've spoken directly with representatives from both new housing developments uh that are driving our projective enrollment increases. Neither expects to be completed by this fall. The single family home development has not even

135begun its footers and they don't even have a start date for when they're going to begin their footers. They're looking into late next year, early 27. Um the town home development projects to only be about 27% of its units will be completed by this fall. Given those timelines, I'm concerned with the current redistricting proposal. We may be moving too aggressively. a risk placing Otter River at roughly 96% capacity while returning New London while reducing excuse me while reducing New London Academy to around 62%. Despite that the growth that may not materialize immediately I can tell you right now if I'm sitting here next fall and we have a New London at 62% I'm not going to be able to go to the grocery store and get out alive. Uh so tonight I'd like to consider

136adding an overs model to our redistricting tool belt. Under this approach, instead of redrawing large attendance zones all at once, we set clear capacity thresholds for each school. When a school reaches that threshold, the newly enrolled students from that area are assigned to a near neighboring school with available space. Importantly, current families stay where they are and only new arrivals will be redirected. Bedford County isn't the first community to face rapid growth in some areas while other school remain underenrolled. Uh, a few examples. Lowden County has used the overflow assignment model in high growth areas. When nearby schools fill up, new students are directed to designated overflow schools, allowing existing students to remain in place. Prince William County has applied similar approach to elementary schools, shifting only new enrolles rather than moving whole neighborhoods. Hanover

137County has successfully combined an overflow assignments with selective reasonzoning, which gives them the flexibility to respond to population shifts without major boundary changes. These models demonstrate that overflow policies are not only legal under Virginia law. They're practical to administer and effective in reducing disruption to families. The benefits of an overflow model. It minimizes disruption, protects family stability, efficient use of our facilities, allows adjustments where growth occurs using instead of avoiding frequent large-scale resoning models. It also gives us a chance to ingratiate oursel with our community. Gradual transitions feel fair and they reduce upheaval. All zones in Bedford County are going to continue to experience population shifts over time. There is growth currently moving in the good direction. Um, being in construction, I know of 15 homes that got uh footers dug out in the last

138two weeks that'll be going to Otter River. I urge my fellow board members to separate November's vote into two items. One concerning Forest Elementary and the other concerning New London Academy. Following that, I ask for your support in directing staff to research overflow policies in comparable Virginia districts, bringing back draft language for our consideration. By exploring this model now, we can demonstrate to our families we are listening to their concerns. We value stability, and we're committed to using every reasonable tool to protect the learning environments of Bedford County students. I would just like to add we don't have many much power as the school board when it comes to developments or roadways or um what what money comes in through us. It's a lot from the state and from the board of supervisors. This is

139one of our very few determining factors that we have. This is one of our levers of powers that we can use that when a new developer comes in, we can have them understand from the very beginning what school they may or may not be going to and then having the choice on whether they'd like to fund it or not. Um, so that that is my urge. I want to encourage us to to continue that path, but more most importantly research this and also understand how this how this affects the human cost. Thank you guys. [Applause] >> I want to also thank you all for for being here tonight. I know a lot of you sent us emails. Um just FYI, if you send it to all of us, only the chair is allowed to respond.

140So if you send it to us individually, I always try to to make sure I respond to you. Um, I really I appreciate Well, first of all, I want to talk about the zoning and then I want to talk to the teachers cuz I'm with you. Um, I come from I came here from California. I know, don't kill me. Um, I was only there for a few years, but one of the things I loved about California is that every single c uh every single neighborhood when it was planned out had a green space in it. So, I could just walk down three or four blocks and take my kids to play in their neighborhood um playground and their schools were all planned very well. When I got to Bedford County and I realized, well, when

141we moved here, I was trying to find a park and I had to drive 30 minutes to get to a park. and with my kids and I homeschooled them when they were when they were younger. That is a that is a problem. There is a very serious problem with our planning here in Bedford. And I know how I'm not a I'm not a planner. I I'm not an architect. I don't do any of that stuff. But there's a serious problem here. And when I heard that they are not funding for new schools or they're not making any problems or um plans for that or or aotments for that, I was dumbfounded because that's what you're supposed to be doing. So a lot of the the angst that I have right now is is the lack

142of communication between the school board and the plan the uh planners who are planning our county. And a lot of the things that you are complaining about need to probably be addressed to them. And I'll probably be crucified for that. But I don't care. I'm tired of it. We have tried to talk to them. We have had conversations over and over again with them. They do not listen to us. They don't care. And I'm going to address the teachers. We have asked them for more money so we can pay you guys a decent salary. I was offered several different positions when I was teaching Spanish by several different districts. Which one do you think I took? The one that paid me better and that I could wasn't, you know, spending so many hours in giving

143all these extra time. We need to pay our teachers. We need to have support for our teachers. I know as a teacher there was so much that I had to put up with that I I used my my um planning periods to help kids to tutor them or sometimes just to hold their hands or hold them because they were crying because of things they're going through. I know what you guys have done. I know the hours I put in 60 hours a week. I couldn't I couldn't sustain that. You get burned out pretty quickly. So, we need to support our teachers. And I don't care if the board of supervisors are mad at me because this is this is ridiculous. We need to be able to to pay you guys well. We need to have

144the support that you need. We need to be able to not have to constantly reszoning and and do all this other stuff. That being said, in Outer River, some of these teachers are only teaching 13 students. Wouldn't you love to teach one of those classes? I've taught both. I've had up to 27. I've had two in one of my classes. The kids that had I had two, they learned a lot better than 27 because I'm spread too thin with 27. I can't give them the attention. So, we have a problem and that's why we have to reszone because we have some classes that are just way too small and others that are just getting too big. And you want the best education for your children. I know there's emotional issues. I know that there's problems

145with that. You also want the best education. When I, you know, being a high school teacher, I would tell the kids who are going into college, don't choose the biggest university because you're going to get some kind some, you know, somebody's um gradu graduate assistant doing your grading because they can't keep up with everything. Um, as a teacher, go to a smaller school where you're actually getting your own teacher doing your grading and who who can talk to you. So that is also something that you need to consider as you guys are going through this process, as we're going through this process. The bigger classrooms, you have less opportunity for learning. The smaller classrooms give you and and evening evening them out is important. Um, however, somebody's got to have to move to do that.

146And that's that's not fun. I know. And I and I totally get it. But I I also want to caution you to also understand that that this is not just about money. It is in that we have got to come up with some money because we're not getting it. Um but it also is about quality education. And um I can tell you my my Spanish students, like I said, who were in smaller classrooms, they they got it. They they learned it well. And those when I had 27, they didn't get it as well. So, um, anyway, that being said, I'm praying for you guys a lot. Um, I'm praying for us to to do what we need to do and how we need to do it. I really like the idea of the committee. Um,

147that's going to push us a little bit further out, but hopefully we still come up with a a solution for next year. Um, and I loved some of the ideas that you guys gave. So, if you have ideas, like if if you come to us just complaining, well, you know, we understand everybody's going to complain because nobody wants to change, but if you come with us with ideas, I wrote a lot of them down. I'd like to discuss them with the with the administrators and um with the board to see if we can come up with some other solutions. Um, so anyway, I want to encourage you all to to keep praying about this and also not just attack but actually learn um how some other ideas and there have been great ones today as

148well as I appreciate um Mr. Hill's comments as well. So anyway, that's all I have to say. It's enough. >> Dr. Yeah, I want to thank everybody for coming out tonight and and sharing with us not just your personal situations, but uh the community as a whole. um your emails and uh all of your comments are on our hearts too and uh we're hearing you and we are at the same time having to juggle the numbers and so we can't just look at one aspect of this. we have to look at the whole picture and uh we appreciate your prayers uh because it requires a lot of wisdom and decisions uh in all the decisions that we make. Um I especially am thankful for for those of you that brought ideas to us tonight. Um

149we like those ideas. we, you know, we have to brainstorm together to come up with good solutions that are the best for the most and uh uh we will consider all of those. So, thank you for that. Um thank you, Mr. Hill, for your your comments and uh your um involvement in this. It's very personal. I understand that, but it's it's uh it's also well researched and thought out and you have a lot of insights that the rest of us need. Um so, thank you, >> sir. >> All right. Well, uh I would like to thank everyone for coming tonight and speaking as well. Uh I will say that, uh hearing words like deceit and lack of transparency and this being rushed is very disappointing. Uh all of you are always invited and welcome to

150our schoolboard meetings that take place monthly. We have public comment. Uh we encourage you to go online and listen to our meetings and find out what's going on. Um the last few months there's been maybe one, two, if nobody who comes to our meetings or speaks. So for words of deceitful and trans lack of transparency uh and rushed uh to be used is very disappointing. And unfortunately, you know, I'm sorry that any of you would feel that way. Uh that is definitely not the intent of this board. We've been very transparent. Uh this has been talked about for years. This is year number eight for me. Mr. Hullbrook just told you it's year number four for him where we've had it. This this topic was here last year. It was back on the agenda back

151in May. It got pushed. I use the term kick the can, which we are very famous for doing. and unfortunately it's time to stop kicking that can. So that is my message to all of you that are here. Uh I echo everything that they have said. We we have decisions to make. Uh and we appreciate your feedback. Um now to the board. Um I do have a message that um I want all of us to make sure we are considering as we go forward. Um, let me first say I I'm open to a a plan that gets us to where we need to be. Uh, what we can't do is not do anything. Uh, so let me make that very clear. Um, but dear board members, uh, thank you for your time and thoughtful attention

152tonight. We've heard from several parents and community members regarding the proposed elementary school transfers, and I want to express my sincere appreciation for the perspective shared. Their voices reflect the deep care and investment our community has in the future of our schools. As we continue to listen to the emotional concerns raised, I encourage this board to also weigh the facts and rationale behind the plan we asked our superintendent and executive team to develop. This proposal is rooted in several key goals. Achieving cost savings by balancing classroom sizes across all schools. expanding access to additional programs for all children in the Forest Elementary Schools, utilizing our facilities as effectively and efficiently as possible, ensuring that every building is serving students in a way that maximizes both space and resources. Redrawing school lines is never easy, but

153it offers meaningful benefits. It allows us to better distribute enrollment, reduce overcrowding, and create equal learning environments. Most importantly, it enables us to offer mo more robust and consistent programming across all schools, giving every student access to opportunities that may have previously been limited on certain campuses. I know that Forest Elementary and New London Elementary are both excellent schools and I deeply respect the work being done there. But I also want to affirm that Boonboro, Thomas Jefferson, and Otter River Elementary are equally outstanding schools led by top tier educators and leadership teams who are committed to excellence. This plan is not about diminishing any school. It's about lifting all of them up and ensuring every child benefits from the best we have to offer. It's also important to note that there are planned neighborhoods that

154will impact and require space at Forest Elementary and New London Elementary. These developments should absolutely be reviewed to determine which elementary school is best suited to serve those new communities. However, this forwardlooking consideration does not take away from the action that needs to be taken now to address our current challenges. While some may argue financial savings and have suggested the savings amount to two to three teaching positions, I urge you to consider the broader financial context. We are entering budget discussions in January, or I should say you are entering budget discussions in January with a projected $1.8 million deficit. That's what you're starting with. As many of you have said tonight, we requested 4.2 million from our board of supervisors and received 1 million. Fortunately, we were able to use 1.8 8 million in grants

155which will not be available next year that allowed us to maintain classroom structures for the current year. That cushion will not exist moving forward. Additionally, we must not overlook the fact that our current budget did not address teacher salary competitiveness nor the looming impact of reversion which will significantly affect our operations. As I've said before and will continue to say, we cannot afford to keep kicking the can down the road. Tough decisions lie ahead and they will come quickly. I urge each of you to reflect on the feedback shared tonight, but also to remain grounded in the physical realities we face. We must take action and I encourage you to be ready to do so during our November meeting as planned. Thank you. Next on our agenda is adjournment. Do I have a motion to

156adjurnn? So >> moved. >> Have a motion by Miss Pervvis. Do I have a second? >> Second by Dr. Hubach. Any discussion. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? We are adjourned.