00130 p.m. And I call the Thursday, August 21st meeting to order. Madam clerk, please call roll. >> Dr. Williams, >> present. >> Mr. Payne, >> here. >> Miss Walker, >> present. >> Mr. Terry, >> here. >> Miss Cam >> here. >> Miss A >> here. >> Mr. G >> here. Next, I'll move to item 1.3, approval of the agenda. >> Mr. Chair, I make the motion that we approve the agenda. >> Second. >> Motion made by Mr. Payne. Second by Miss Cunningham. Any discussion on the motion? Any discussion? Hearing none, Madam Clerk, please call RO. >> Miss Cunningham? >> Yes. >> Mr. Payne? >> Yes. >> Dr. Williams? >> Yes. >> Mr. Terry? >> Yes. >> Miss Walker? >> Yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. At this time, we'll have a moment of silence and pledge
002by Dr. Williams. >> If you'all could please stand and join me for a moment of silence. >> Please join me for the pledge. >> I pledge algiance 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. Thank you. Next, we'll move to item 2.1, approval of minutes. These are the minutes from August 7th, 2025 regular meeting and August 7, 2025 work session. >> Mr. Chair, I move that we approve the minutes as presented. >> Second. >> Motion by Dr. Williams, second by Mr. Payne. Any discussion on the motion? Any discussion? Hearing none, madam clerk, please call ro. >> Favor. >> Yes. >> Mr. P. >> Yes. >> Dr. Williams. >> Yes. >> Mr. Terry, >> yes. >>
003Mr. >> Yes. Next, we'll move to item 3.1, consent agenda items. Attendance awareness month. Attendance awareness month. This is an action item. >> I move that we approve the population for attendance. >> Second. >> Motion made by Miss A, second by Mr. Terry. Any discussion? Any discussion on the motion hearing? None. Madam clerk, please call roll. >> Dr. Williams, >> yes. >> Mr. Cunningham, >> yes. >> Mr. Payne, >> yes. >> Miss Walker, >> yes. >> Mr. Terry, >> Yes. Next, we'll move to item 4.1. Public may address the board. Do we have any signed up? Thank you. Next, we'll move to item 5.1, summer school program update. At this time, we'll hear from Miss Agner. Good afternoon, Chair Graves, Vice Chair Aver, members of the board, and Dr. Haristen. I'm pleased to come this
004evening to talk to you about our summer learning opportunities that occurred this past summer. And it it aligns to our strategic plan where it says we will raise student achievement and close the achievement gap and enable students to take ownership of their learning. We begin with our summer enrichment camps and the majority of those took place during June 30th to July 3rd. And I shared with you uh what we had. Our camp invention was hands-on STEM activities and collaborative setting for grades 1 through five. Career camp was grades one through five and it was exploration of career options. Cyber camp was grades six through eight and we explored and learned computer coding. fine arts camp for grades one through eight and it was enrichment in the fine arts areas. And then we had our 21st
005century community learning center that was in collaboration with the church-based tutorial program. We had a total of 307 children participate in our enrichment opportunities this summer. We also participated in Piedmont Summer Regional Governor's School that takes place each year at Chadam High School and it's a collaboration throughout our region. We had uh I can't read my writing here. 10 slots for fourth and fifth graders and we had nine sixth and seventh graders attend and participate and they always have such a great time. And then we had our summer acceleration courses and these were for students who were rising ninth graders in virtual Virginia. We had 83 courses and in egeneuity we had 19. So those were above and beyond what they had to complete. These were extras. So then we have our summer school that
006took place from June 9th to July 3rd. And the purpose was to have the opportunity to continue to work on remediation and recovery opportunities and for meaningful engagement for time miss during the school year. Our elementary program we had 488 students that participated in summer school. In middle school we had 232 students and in high school we had 241 students for a total of 961 students who took advantage of our summer school opportunities this summer. Overall, we consider our summer programs to be a great success and great opportunities for our students. I would also like to add that a large number of students who participate in our summer school do so by choice. They their parents and the students choose to participate so they can keep growing in their grades and I'd be happy to
007answer any questions. >> Any questions? Any questions? >> Miss A. >> Thank you. So, we move to item 6.1, accounts payable warrants. And I'll turn it over to Miss Gillis. Good evening. You have before you this evening um accounts payable warrant number nine in the amount of $13,927. Number 10 in the amount of $1,471,235.36. Accounts payable warrant number 11 in the amount of $2,258. Accounts payable number 12 in the amount of $615,276.71. Number 22 in the amount of $1,9696,48.85. Number 23 in the amount of 2,453,33869. And finally, number 28 in the amount of $3,20,550.37. If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them. Any questions? Any questions? Thank you, Miss Gillis. And we'll move to item 6.2, report on voluntary holiday pay program. Okay. So, um in the spring we discussed
008the holiday um pay plan that we presented for our month our 10-month weekly paid employees. So, our 10-month weekly paid employees, which include our bus drivers, bus monitors, and cafeteria workers, have historically not been paid for the weeks that school is closed during the school year. Those weeks include Christmas, which is two weeks, and then the spring break week. Now, we have an option. So, um here's the plan. Starting this school year, 10-month weekly employees can choose to deduct money from each paycheck during the year. This is completely voluntary. The payroll department is deducting $30 each week from their pay. The deduction started with the August 15th paycheck, that was last week, and will end on the April 3rd paycheck. And what they get is when Christmas and spring break come, each employee employees in
009the program will get a check for $300 for each of those weeks. So that means the week of actually the week after Christmas because they get work the week before Christmas and they don't they get paid the week of Christmas. So the week after that when they don't work the following week they get a check for $300. They also get a check for 300 the week after New Year's and then $300 for the week after spring break. So if the employee leaves or resigns before the payout, they will receive a prorated check based on how much they have deducted. This plan is completely voluntary. And of the 92 employees eligible for the program, we had 34 enrolled this year. Any questions? >> Miss Walker. >> Thank you. Um thank you for that information. So just
010um how was the employees I guess given informed information about this as far? >> So we had we went to the um they had their meetings beginning of school year and I presented it to each of them. I presented to them in the spring at a meeting and then I came back when they had their back to school meetings. age group when this whole whole group was together and we presented it again and then we had them we gave out sign out sheets and we gave them a week to turn it back to into us. >> So there is a time frame like they couldn't start like next month or is you had to start now? >> Well, we had a couple people that started late because they missed the meeting because they were driving
011buses and they didn't get the information from the transportation department. So we let them sign up. They just had to play catchup on the first paycheck. >> Thank you so much. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Mr. Pay. >> Yes. Thank you for this great information. So the the amount is set all the way across the board. Correct. >> Yes. It's a it's a flat amount for every for all employees. >> So it's it will not >> it's not Yes. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions? Any other questions? Thank you, Miss Gillis. >> Thank you. >> Next, we move to item 7.1, public notice for September 2025. Thursday, September the 4th, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. a regular meeting and followed by a work session. Tuesday, September the 16th, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. student achievement committee
012meeting. And Thursday, September the 18th, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. there will be a regular school board meeting. Next, I'll move to item 8.1, gifted uh gifted plan approval. At this time, I'll turn it over to Dr. Jordan. Good evening, Chairman Graves, Vice Chair Aver, Superintendent um Harrison, and members of the school board. On the April 7th meeting, um Miss Guner and I stood before you and gave you a highlight of our uh plan review. Um as a reminder, our plan does align to the strategic plan for Danville public schools and that we want to make sure that students who are performing at or above grade level are taking full ownership of their learning. As a reminder, the plan um feedback that we received um provided us with some great feedback and commended us on our
013efforts to um to provide advanced coursework to make sure that our students had pathways that align to their uh intellectual needs and commended us on our efforts to ensure that we are identifying students with superior um aptitudes. For our plan for 2025 2030, we will work on some of the recommendations that were received. Specifically, we will make sure that we are instituting a high um quality um instruction curriculum for all of our programming. We will make sure that we're providing professional development for our teachers and supporting our families in understanding gifted characteristics for their children and have better ways of um using data to collect and monitor our progress. It is our hope that with the 25 2030 plan that we will continue to showcase how Damville public schools is committed to providing highquality instruction
014and pairing that with intentional talent development so that all students have the opportunity to thrive. So this evening I stand before you respectfully asking that you approve the 25 2030 local plan for education for gifted children. >> Thank you Dr. Jordan. Any questions? Any questions? This is an action item. >> Mr. Chair, I move that we approve as stated. >> Second. >> Motion made by Mr. Payne, second by Miss Cunningham to approve the gifted plan that has been presented. Any discussion? Any discussion? Hearing none, Madam Clerk, please call RO. >> Dr. Williams, >> yes. >> Miss Cunningham, >> yes. >> Mr. Payne, >> yes. >> Mr. Terry, >> yes. >> Miss A. >> Yes. >> Miss Walker, >> yes. >> Mr. Yes. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next, we'll move to item 9.1, personnel recommendations.
015At this time, we'll hear from Miss Wimberly. [Music] >> Okay, thank you. >> I would also like to pull case uh 19. So 719 and 20. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> This is an action item. >> I move that we approve the personal recommendation to excluding cases 7, 19, and 20. >> Second. >> Motion made by Dr. Williams, second by Mr. Payne. Any discussion? Any discussion? Hearing none, madam clerk, please call roll. >> Mr. P. Yes, >> Miss A. >> Yes, >> Dr. Williams. >> Yes, >> Mr. Terry. >> Yes, >> Miss Cunningham. >> Yes, >> Miss Walker. >> Yes, >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Next, we'll move to item 10.1, finance report. This time, we'll hear from Miss Gillis. [Music] >> Good evening. Once again, you had before you
016the changes in one and then section two, minor changes. >> Gotcha. >> I see it now. >> Uhhuh. Okay. >> All right. This is an action item. >> I move we approve the regular policy updates. >> Second. >> Motion made by Miss Walker, second by Miss A. Any discussion on the motion? Any discussion on the motion? Hearing none, madam clerk, please call roll. >> Dr. Williams. >> Yes. Yes. >> Yes. Nick, I'm sorry. >> And then 12.2 um a similar but these are associated with the opiad and um different set of policies that we'd like your approval for this evening. >> This is an action item. >> Make a motion to adopt the policies as presented. >> I second. >> Motion made by Mr. Terry second by Miss A. Any discussion on the motion? Any
017discussion hearing? None. Madam clerk, please call roll. >> Dr. Williams. >> Yes. >> Cunningham. >> Yes. >> Walker. >> Yes. Next, we'll move to item 12.3 >> and that's the retire policy IKG. Um, which is uh will address some of the that was addressed in 12.2. >> Okay. This is an action item. >> I move that we retire policy IKG. >> Second. >> Motion made by Dr. Williams, second by Mr. Payne. Any discussion on the motion? Any discussion? Hearing none, madam clerk, please call roll. >> Mr. >> Yes. And while the previous policies reflected um some changes um in language and references, these policies are uh have been presented for public hearing and are due to new legislation. >> This is an action item. >> I move that we approve legislative policy updates. >> Second.
018>> Motion made by Miss Walker, second by Miss Cunningham. Any discussion on the motion? Any discussion? Hear none. Madam clerk, please call roll. >> Dr. Williams, >> yes. >> Walker. >> Yes. Next, we'll move to item 13.1, board requests for information for future agenda items. Miss Walker. >> Yes. I would like um Dr. Harrison to have like the um enrollment currently with our communities and schools. >> Could you repeat that? I would like to get um some information in regards since we start our new year our enrollment with the communities and schools. Maybe a brief little >> if we could we'll just to let you know we'd like to wait till October for that. What they do in the beginning of the year is they assess the students and go through an assessment period and
019um we have a new director that Dr. Babalola met with um today. So we should have that by the 1 of October if that's okay. >> All right. Thank you. >> Any others? Mr. Pay. >> Yes. Uh Dr. Harris, if we could get a breakdown of the zoning once again that we've adopted as well as how many uh scholars we have at each school and then in per class after the zoning. >> So, a zoning overview, a breakdown of how many scholars we have in each school, then how many scholars we have in each class. >> Thank you. Mhm. >> In each class, tell me a little bit more. >> How many you know, you how you you do a review of if it's 30 kids in each class, 20 kids, 20 scholars, >> you
020know, you have do like the teachers and then you say, >> yeah, >> how many you have in each class, >> right? I we'll talk offline about that. >> Okay. Okay. >> Sounds good. >> Okay, Miss C. >> I'll just add a little bit to Mr. campaigns also the numbers of the students that we have enrolled in the motivate and innovate programs. >> Okay, >> Dr. Williams. >> Uh just an update for the next phase of school openings and then if we have so data by then but if not we should know with the state. >> Any others? Any others? All right. Next we'll move to item 14.1 city attorney. >> I don't have any comments. >> Superintendent >> just want to um thank the staff and teachers. Um I tell you being fully staffed
021makes a world of difference. Miss Wimberly and HR team, it makes a world difference in how we open uh our central office staff could um engage in their work. Uh in the past, I think probably Miss Agnar, you've taught class almost through November. So, we appreciate you, but the opening uh of school has been amazing. Getting kids to home on time, few late buses, but that has uh worked out well. And if you have a chance to go by any of the CTE courses over at uh the high school, um stop by to watch some of the kids in the um flight simulator and um the terminology that they have learned already and excitement is really great. So thanks to everybody, principles, teachers, families, students for a great uh great smooth opening. Thank you so
022much. Madam clerk, please call role. >> Just want to offer a uh an official welcome back to our teachers, to our staff, and our students. Um it seems like it's been a great beginning so far of the first couple of weeks. So, I'm looking forward to an exciting new year. >> Okay. Um good evening. Not to be rhetorical, um but again, of course, thank you to everyone who had a hand in the open house and the opening of the schools. Um the first day of school, all teachers, staff, administrators. Um, I've seen where Principal Ragsdale is already on her skates. So, I will say that we have officially started school. Um, I know that we've had um our first testing of our ready and benchmarks. Um, I've heard good things about that from some of
023the teachers. Um, so I will just say continue on and good just good speed, Mr. Terry. >> Yes. Uh since I'm fairly new, I visit a few of the schools and the uh it's electric. I think uh the teachers are excited, the kids are excited, all the changes. Uh Dr. Harrison, you guys have done a great job in preparing uh the schools for the kids. I'm looking forward to the year. >> Miss, >> yes, pretty much. Good evening again to ditto on what everyone has said, but um it has been an exciting um moment going through each school and um looking at the students and students that are excited about learning. I think that's a blessing for the district. Also, just a reminder to parents that it is the beginning of school. So be mindful
024of checking like notifications, directives, emails, anything that um is coming from the schools because um that helps a great deal to start off the year right. So just thank you and thank you again as um Mrs. Terry said to Dr. Harrison because you know it has been some exciting moments in these openings and these open houses and so um just thank you for also all that you do. >> Mr. pain. >> I had the opportunity of visiting a different uh district on today. The hospitality was out of this world. It was just it was great. Um, but I went in and I began to just think about four years ago when I actually started on the school board >> and thinking about where we at now, how our schools look, the morale is changing. Um,
025just all the way across the board, we have changed and um, it made me feel good to be a part of Damma Public School and the school board. Um it's been a great uh beginning of the school year. We've had uh ribbon cutings. I think um that has I mean it was it was an emotional time for us cuz this is something that has hasn't happened in a very very long time in years. And I think the board should be very happy about being able to go down in history about being able to say that we had a part of establishing these different changes at George Washington High School, bringing a new elementary school. Um, believe it or not, we're being talked about throughout this whole region, and that's something good. And it's nothing negative,
026but we're being talked about how well we're doing. Do we have hiccups? Absolutely. But they can't say that we were we we at where I started four years ago. And I'm happy about that. I thank Dr. Haristen for her leadership um as the superintendent. Um I keep saying that when I came on the board, we didn't have a superintendent. And that process I do not want to go through again. And I happy that we have a great superintendent. Um, I thank you for your leadership. Um, I thank you for your uh, relationship with the community and being able to be visible in the community, not just the community, but outside of the community. And I can't say enough about this young man. Um, he has took a lot of hits from uh, this this district.
027And Mr. Graves, we thank you for your leadership. I know it's not easy, but you have stood the test and you ke on the right direction, right path, and we appreciate you. I'm also happy to announce that this has not happened and we will uh be hosting the VSBA, the Southern Region meeting. This has not ever happened in history. So, I'm happy about that. I'm happy about that. And the reason why I'm happy about that because we see dam about DPS doing this and uh bus problems etc. We be we are able now to display what we have going on and they want to show they want to see we going to make sure that they see what devil got going on. So I'm happy about that. Um, I'm looking forward to uh putting a
028committee together to to plan um the regional meeting and um I'm just I'm I'm happy about where we stand as a a district. And I just say the best is yet to come. We just keep keep moving forward. Go home and get some rest. Come back out, cry home, wipe them tears, and come on back out again. Charge them cell phones up. Take the calls. Fix the problems. And come on back out. Thank y'all. Well, I got a tough act to follow. Um, but no, just to echo um what everyone has said um visiting some of the schools the first week and a half of school um every school I went to, it just seemed like everything was running smooth. So, that's what I'm gonna go with because that's what I saw. Um so, so
029that is um hopeful. I think uh Mr. Terry said it best, it was electric. So, um continuing with that excellence, um thank you Miss Agnar and Dr. Jordan for those presentations. Um I get excited about curriculum information and so just knowing that our students have access to so many opportunities when it comes to learning. It does not have to be cookie cutter. there's something for every student to take part in. So, I do thank you all and appreciate all the work you do for that. Um, and to just end, I do want to announce and I'm pretty sure many have seen information about the Danville Public Schools Hall of Fame coming up on Saturday, October the 11th. Um, this is going to be a great event. Um, Danville Public Schools has turned out many so
030many people that could go in the Hall of Fame. So, this is the inaugural group. If you have not gotten your ticket, get your ticket. They are on Eventbrite. Um, the keynote speaker is going to be Mr. Herman Moore, who is a former NFL player. I think he played for Detroit Lions, I think. and um also a musical performance from Angela Mecca Scott Redmond. Um many people may know that name. She's also a graduate of GW who was featured on Jay-Z's um platinum album Reasonable Doubt in 19 something. I forgot. So any if you have not gotten your ticket, this is going to be a great event. It is also uh JW's homecoming weekend. So, we will kick off this event Friday night at the game and carry it on into the lunchon for the
031inductees on that Saturday the 11th. Um, again, the tickets are on Eventbrite DPS Hall of Fame 2025. >> I don't think it's anything left. >> Mr. Terry, welcome aboard. >> Thank you. >> Um, Mr. Payne took my time and his time, so I'll just be quick. Um, I just want to thank everybody that had a hand in the school openings, uh, open houses, the new buildings, um, and just the work that's being done in our schools. I want to thank everybody that played a role in that. Dr. Harrison and your team and your leadership, we appreciate you. But also say to the board members, we appreciate you because you guys have been everywhere. So, let's give them a round of applause. And lastly, I'm just going to tell you what the word on the street
032is. Um, that tomorrow night GW play Gretina Hawks. And the word is that Dr. Harrison is fixing French fries and Jeff is fixing fish. So, if you have nothing to do, please come out. Please come out and support our Eagles tomorrow night as they take on their first game of the season. And I think that's it. And do we have a motion for recess? move that we uh recess for seven minutes. >> Recess for seven minutes. We have a second. >> Second. >> Motion made by Dr. Williams, second by Mr. Payne. Any discussion on the motion? Any discussion? Hearing none, madam clerk, please call roll. >> Yes. Mr. >> Yes. Thank you.