001Good evening. I'd like to call to order the April 14th, 2026 Matthews County School Board Town Hall. Item 1.2, would you please all stand and 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. As chair, I will be the facilitator of this event tonight. I will for item 1.4, I will read the town hall procedures, which have been posted prior. Each Matthews County citizen wishing to speak shall provide his or her name and address on the sign-up sheet provided at the entrance to the Brooks Auditorium. Matthews County citizens who wish to speak will have the opportunity to approach the podium one time and singly to ask
002a question. A citizen's question should be kept to a maximum of two minutes. Questions should not pertain to personnel or individual student matters. School board members and or the superintendent will address each citizen's question. Once a Once a citizen's question has been addressed, the citizen will have up to two minutes for one follow-up question or rebuttal. Once all initial questions from citizens have been addressed, and as time permits, each citizen will be able to ask a maximum of one additional question. Matthews County citizens who are unable to attend the town hall meeting in person or prefer to submit questions by email may do so by using the Google form available on the MCPS division website by 12:00 noon today, Tuesday, April 14th, 2026. The directions were to please include your name and address on the
003form. The questions will be read aloud and addressed at this town hall meeting if time allows. The town hall meeting will adjourn no later than 8:00 p.m. And with that, we will move to item two, submission of questions. 2.1, the submission of questions not pertaining to personnel or individual student matters. I have the sign-up sheet in front of me. Our first speaker at the podium is Dr. Rosemary Smith. Hello, I'm Rosemary Smith, and I have questions about teachers unions. I would like to know what role they play in Matthews County Public Schools, especially what role they play in the curricula. Also, um is union membership or payment of dues required of teachers? And how many teachers in the Matthews County School District are members of a teachers union? And I ask these because it seems
004like, you know, in the past decade or so, a lot of the many teachers unions have gone a bit beyond fighting for better pay and benefits, and they've moved rather into emphasizing political action. I found this to be made quite clear in print when the 2025 NEA, or the National Education Association, one of the largest ones, um published their handbook online. And in that handbook were discussions about promoting the careful and proper use of pronouns, advocating for men in women's sports. The handbook further stated that teachers must recognize white supremacy and that white uh privilege exist. They downplayed parental rights. There was even a seminar very recently posted online explaining how one can teach very young children about LBGTQ rights. They explained these little ones of five, four and five years old can understand it.
005And they were also teaching how to make a political action, such as marching in protest, seem to be less scary for young children, so they would feel comfortable in participating. In fact, right now, they're preparing for a May Day parade, a parade celebrating that the traditional May 1st uh holiday that has long been embraced by communist and socialist movements as a day of mass political action. Dr. Smith, I'm sorry, those are the two minutes you're at that are up. Um Dr. Daniel, do we have any information on the legislation pertaining to uh possible governor signing of teacher union information or relevant legislation that's coming up? I know there is some that is being considered. I don't have an update on the legislation and the implication for um collective bargaining that was being discussed and debated
006at the General Assembly. But Dr. Smith, I'll go back to your um part of the question related to, I guess, within Matthews. So, historically, there's been a Matthews Education Association. I think that's part, maybe a branch of the VEA. Um that I don't think is as strong an organization as perhaps it maybe once was. Um in my time in Matthews, I have not had a meeting specifically with any MEA rep or anyone who has identified themselves as representing the Matthews Education Association. Um so, I to be honest, I don't know what their membership roles currently look like or stand at this point in terms of numbers. Um in terms of influence, in terms of for curriculum or anything along those lines. Um there's um I Again, there's not been a representation from MEA as part
007of a curriculum organization or a curriculum group. Um so, I can't I can't really speak to what's happening with MEA. I don't know if Ms. Bohannon Stewart has, from her, you know, recent time as as a as a teacher, um but I don't believe there's any sort of required payment of dues or there's no required membership. I think that's a legal thing where there's um a right to work um process within Virginia. So. Uh >> [clears throat] >> I can tell you what I know. I haven't kept current with what's going on with them, but I taught here for many years. Um and at one time was the president of the local Matthews Education Association, which my understanding is still not a union. Um I completely detached from that in 2020 as a member entirely,
008and of course then fell out of touch with them. But um you know, I wouldn't think the school would keep records of who was a member and who was not unless those people decided to tell the school um or run their dues deductions through the payroll office, which used to happen, but members are not required to run payroll deductions for those MEA dues through the um school board payroll office. Some people pay online with a credit card. Um as [clears throat] I did sometimes back when I was a member. But um yeah, I think that organization has diminished over the years is my impression. And I detached from it in 2020. Okay, so There's Do Yeah, I don't the MEA In order to be a member of the MEA, you you you also automatically become
009a member of the VEA and then the NEA. There's no choice. If you're a member of the local one, then you're a member of all of them. So. There's no representation from AFT that I'm aware of. Um there's not I don't I don't know that there's really an AFT presence to my knowledge, my awareness within Virginia. Um so. Dr. Smith, you have one minute to ask another question or provide a rebuttal. Well, um what is the position of the Matthews School District on um the state position that has come down. I don't know if it's actually I think it's been codified that January 6th, if it is taught, must be taught as an insurrection. I think that was vetoed. Wasn't that vetoed? >> I think that was vetoed, wasn't it? >> I thought it was
010vetoed, but anybody wants to respond on I'm pretty sure that the law has passed. I don't think that I know the board has not had any discussion regarding that and how it will be handled within this division. But I'm pretty certain that the law did pass. I'm I'm pretty sure it did, too. Then do you have a vehicle by which you would know if it's being taught in the schools? I mean, I just Yes, please. Usually, when there's a law passed and it and there will be policies that will be written with regard to that law and how it's to be implemented. We have not received any policies any policies from anything that's been passed in the General Assembly. Often times they will come in in the next couple months because you want to put
011them in place by July 1. Sometimes it's January 1, but we have not seen anything in regard to that. So so so if we get a policy or a recommended policy that our board can adopt it as it is or we can make modifications to it as we as a board wishes. I think it I don't think she vetoed it. I think I was wrong. I don't think she vetoed it. That's what she said. Okay. Okay. She said she didn't think it was vetoed. And my understanding of the writing of the legislation was that if you choose if the school division chooses to teach about that particular event, it must be taught through a specific lens and I disagree with that. I think there are many lenses by which to view events and that would
012be I would not be in support of that limitation. Okay. I mean that's >> I would not either. That's a personal you know couple of responses to how would you respond as far as considering the teaching of it. I know that I know that it's an option whether or not to teach it. So I was just curious as to what you would do. And I've got a couple of responses. So thank you very much. >> Thank you Dr. Smith. Woo! Our next speaker is Jayden Nott. Jacqueline. Jacqueline, excuse me. I am so sorry. Jacqueline Nott? Woo! I have two questions. The first question is is why is bus drivers only receiving a 1% raise? My second question is to ask the last meeting that we had you had one of the slide screen up here
013saying the new furniture for $20,000. If we're getting rid of a school, we don't need new furniture. That could be placed elsewhere. We were told they were only going to get a 1% raise with a health insurance increase of 75% in this economy. That is not reasonable. This rate does not offset any of the pay we're getting. Bus drivers do not do more than just drive students to and from school. We maintain our CDLs, complete mandatory training, handle parents calls, respond to students issues, work through route changes, flooding, breakdowns, fueling, maintenance, and extra drop-offs such as sports. All this unpaid. We trust every day with safety of our students. We are the first face that the children see in the morning and the last when they get off in the afternoon. We support them, protect
014them, and care for them. We are doing the most important job in the school system and one of the hardest. We have been told we are essential employees. This is the first time we've been separated from the teachers raises. They're getting a 6% raise and we're getting a 1% raise. That is just un- unbelievable. Um especially when you're spending $20,000 on furniture. I had asked truly that you consider the value of our bus drivers. You have drivers who've been driving over 20 years and like I said, we hear the kids when they're happy, when they're sad. We're not only drivers, we are counselors, we are health care providers. If they have a boo-boo, we listen to them crying, we listen to them when they're happy. We're excited when they're happy. And for us not to
015be getting but a 1% raise when teachers are getting a 6% raise and we were told prior that we are just as important as the teachers and that we should stay with them because we're the main link to a lot of what they are. We get a lot of jobs we do we don't get paid for. I take a sports team to a a different area. I don't get paid for that. We have drivers that are doing uh when we go for P tests, when we take classes online. Some of those are like 40 minutes each class. When we come into school meetings for meetings, we don't get paid for any of that. Sorry Miss Nott, you the 2 minutes is up. Um Dr. Daniel, would you like to address I can start. So to
016clarify one piece. So um bus drivers and teachers are getting 1% plus a step. So that's a total of 2%. So bus drivers and the only the only employee group not receiving that overall 2% is teacher assistants. Teacher assistants are 5% plus a step. Um so and neither any employee group the health insurance increase is is going to be more than the raises that we are able to provide based on our budget realities. So it's um that's kind of the reality that that we have. In terms of the furniture, um originally we had a $20,000 furniture replacement. So historically we've not had a line item in our budget to replace broken desks, broken whatever, any kind of furniture. So that was put in as a placeholder for us to be able to do that. With
017the um again, that had that line item has since been removed in order for us to meet the local funding at 8.5 million. So the $20,000 furniture has since been removed. That was originally in the budget, yes. But in order for us So the school board approved a budget that was I think 9. um 9.4 is what we requested and then I think we went back to 9. I think 125 in order for us to get from a local funding of 9.125 down to 8.6, we had to divert more health insurance costs onto employees and also go through several line items and reduce or eliminate um the funding in those specific line items and the funding for um furniture was was reduced. Well, that's good. I have a rebuttal question. >> Yes, absolutely. My rebuttal
018question is why do we not get paid We used to in the past get paid for drug tests. We used to get paid for any kind of classes we took, anything that we did outside of what our school bus run consists of, taking kids to and from home. That is what our contract say, to and from home. Not to sporting stuff, not to drug tests. And I mean, come on, Saluda? Seriously? You don't have a place closer that we can go to other than Saluda? And we don't get paid for any of that? We take at least six to nine classes a year that's mandatory for us to take plus in school when we have to go in the classroom and take classes. And we don't get paid any extra for any of that. And
019that's a lot of time. I mean, do you guys donate a whole lot of time cuz we do. Plus we get parents phone calls. We get no no reimbursement at all for our phones. We are getting phone calls from parents. We are the ones to talk to the parents all the time. If there's flooding in my road, I'm calling them to tell them I'm not picking up your children. If there's a problem on the bus with the child, we're the ones talking to the parents. Then we go to the school. >> Thanks Miss Miss Nott, that's good. Um I certainly understand your frustration. I do not know the payment structure and it it's I don't know if this is a correct venue to engage with that topic, but I think that a discussion with HR
020Yeah. I don't know all the details in terms of historically what had been done and when that changed, but I can do some research and find out. I know I've got a a phone call I think we need >> [snorts] >> That's a lot. Okay. Any other comments? I mean, I just need to say I agree with a lot of what you said. We rely on bus drivers to take our children to school and it's never more evident than the first time you put your child on a bus and you realize that they are responsible for the safety of your child. So I I agree we I think everybody up here um supports bus drivers, realizes the the critical importance of them um and and certainly I would like to see them getting more of
021an increase, but there's just not funds available this next year. It's just there just aren't funds available. I I learned something by listening. I didn't know they had you had all these classes. So >> take a lot of classes. We take a lot of classes. You know, like I said, the random P test, you can get one up to five a year. I've been five times for a P test. Yeah, I didn't know about those. And it's not just go in there and pee. You're with five other schools and you have to wait your turn between the driver and there's one person doing the test. So you're there for a couple hours. Man. And we all have jobs, most of us, in between our runs. So we're missing that to do this other stuff. >>
022I think they get surprised with that. Thank you Miss Nott. They're going to surprise. Our next speaker is Miss Rebecca Miss Rebecca Mullins Considering you recently had two state findings of non-compliance, what is your plan to ensure that the special education improves so that this failure to meet fair and appropriate education doesn't happen again? I mean the simple answer is making sure we have the right licensed teacher in the right classrooms. I mean we had some vacancies and we pursued an action that we thought was was in compliance. The state told has told us otherwise. So, as we're going through staffing right now, we're trying to make sure that we've got the appropriate licensure lined up in those in those classrooms going forward. Do I get one more question? >> One minute one minute rebuttal
023or question? Mhm. Why did it take almost an entire month before the school board found out after the 60-day case closed for the state complaints? Um part of that is day-to-day operations in terms of So, as a superintendent, I'm in charge with day-to-day operations. Um so, I've had some conversations with board members. They've since been The information has since been shared with them. Um so, I think I can take some some ownership on like can I have could I have informed the board more quickly? Absolutely. Um but I'm also hesitant to especially via email um sending out and sharing individual student information. Um but we have conversations um me and board members time to time on on issues such as this. So, I mean they were informed of like the the cases going forward and
024some of the details surrounding those cases. Um part of the delay too is we had some debates on whether or not to appeal, whether or not we we know like or if we just needed to do better and move forward. Um so, we decided okay, we we have a we've heard from the state, we know what we need to do. Um and also too having there was a little bit of um information changed. So, the two complaints were fairly similar in the substance of those complaints. Um the second complaint we added a little bit more information based on um what we received back from the first complaint. So, part of the delay was we were trying to figure out if any additional information changed anything. It didn't. Um we were still found to be non-compliant
025in some of those issues. Um so, I've I've shared that information with the board. Um also too the second the second complaint, the findings came out right prior to everybody going for spring break. The 16th of March was when they came >> Was the first one. No, the second one. The first one closed the 13th of March. But the the state report didn't come back. The finding from the state didn't come back. >> Yes, it did, sir. The 16th of March. >> The 16th of March? Yes, sir. Then we may be talking about two different things. I don't think so. Okay. The second complaint you talked about I have a rebuttal, correct? I think that was your second question and then I think >> have you do have about 30 seconds left on your >>
026Okay. The on the second state complaint that you added more on, you actually were found in non-compliance with more things, correct? Correct. Okay, thank you. Thank you, Miss Mullins. We do not have anybody else signed up on the sheet. Is there anyone who would like to approach the podium? Please state your name and address for the clerk. My name is Barbara Bowling and I'm in Bohannon. Um last school board meeting, we brought some concerns to your attention about the transportation department. We've also had a meeting with two of the school board members and um voiced our concerns specifically that we were worried about and we were we're all kind of wondering what is the what is the plan for the transportation department starting next year? Sure. So, um I'm assuming y'all want me to answer
027that. Sorry. >> So, um we'll um share that probably in the next 2 days. We're still finalizing cuz I think we had talked about splitting some of the responsibilities. And so, we have to um communicate with the individuals all the individuals down the line whose job responsibilities are adjusting. So, we hope to finalize those conversations tomorrow if not Thursday and then we will be sending out messaging based on um who's who's doing what responsibilities, where those responsibilities will lie. So, that should come out by the end of this week at the very latest. By the end of the week? >> Yes, ma'am. You'll have a 1-minute rebuttal or question? This splitting up has been tried before and it didn't work. So, do you have any backup plans? I mean I don't we don't understand why
028we can't keep our supervisor. So, I guess the the backup plan um I don't know that there is a a backup plan in terms of if it doesn't work, we'll have to revisit it after time um to see okay, if this is a colossal failure, then we're we're we'll have to pivot and find another solution. Um the reason we're going forward with it for right now is our budget realities. So, I have to um absorb find about $650,000. So, that's um that an individual retiring part of our strategy to meet that shortfall is absorbing um vacant positions. And so, the transportation director retiring, that position is is vacant. So, we had to kind of figure out a way to um see if there's a way to split those responsibilities to make sure we can still
029make keep the buses running, get the kids here, and educate them. I mean it's there are numerous decisions um that we're not in love with and I'm not excited about having to make, but unfortunately these are the the decisions that we're kind of placed with at that currently. These new duties assigned to different people, will those people be compensated for that? Additional compensation, no. Thank you, Miss Bowling. Thank you. Well, there's one exception. Do you want to address I don't I don't right now. Okay. Carrie Collison-Huggins This none of this seems to make sense to me. You seem to have money for certain things, but not others. Getting the kids back and forth to school is a pretty big deal. I think during COVID, whoever was here to see that, I mean it was the
030cafeteria workers and the bus drivers who were keeping all of the children fed. And this is how you're compensating them. This is how you're repaying them. Makes no sense whatsoever. And Mary Gibbs, you told me that you were going to do better by the bus drivers after what happened to my mother in 2023, after driving a school bus for this county for 39 years and getting completely ditched when it came to being recognized for her service. The whole school held the end of the year give out your plaque for your 39 years of service while she was still driving her bus. It was ridiculous and you said you were going to do better. And Lena Huggins, you were on that board at that time as well. So, that brings me back to how do we
031have money for certain things, but not others? The sign. I am mad about the sign at the high school and no one has given me an answer and I have asked. The money was there to cut the tree down. The money was there to remove the sign. The money's there for the people that are making six-figure salaries, but the people that are barely making 20 grand, you don't have it? How the heck are you supposed to get the kids to school? And what are you going to tell the kids? Oh, I'll figure it out later? Is this all part of the master plan to shut the whole damn county down? That's what I want to know. I want to know who cut the I want to know who cut the tree down. I want to
032know who removed the sign. Why it was done, who exactly paid for it, who ordered the tree service to come and do it. Where is the rubble of the sign now? And what are the plans to answer these questions for the taxpayers who are paying for all of it? Thank you, Miss Collison. We have a couple issues to to address. I do want to since I was named, I do want to address the uh recognition for the retiring service providers, bus drivers or otherwise. I totally agreed with you and we um changed the ceremony for retirees specifically because I thought that was very unfair and It is but so is not compensating. >> illogical We were dealing with the ceremony of the retirement. So I was not on compensation and we weren't talking compensation but
033there was a recognition factor for the celebration of the retirement that we have changed the process for that so that to ensure that everyone is not working while they should be receiving their retirement recognition and that has been changed due to you bringing this to my attention and us working together ensuring that your mom and others were recognized properly. So I that has been done but it I was not involved with any there's no compensation per se for that but it was the doing the proper recognition ceremony such that people were not on a shift while they should have been while they were being recognized in absence. It was it was not right. So I I agree with you on that but that has been addressed and ever since that issue we have changed up
034the way that the bus drivers are recognized upon retirement and all employees such that they can be available for for their their celebration. Um Does there is there a bus any other bus driver compensation? Uh could Does anybody want to speak to that compensation issue? I understand and I will just say I understand your frustration and I and I do. I hear it. Um We are in a compromise situation with our budget at hand right now. We are in a very difficult situation. Uh there are hard challenges the solutions are not They're not the best. They are not what I would like. And we are in a rock and a hard place. I did not know about your mom and the situation and these bus drivers I know that you all care for the children
035day in and day out and at the last meeting we all heard you loud and clear and Lord knows I I can speak for myself but I think I speak for these others as well. We would love to have more money in our budget so everybody gets a raise so that we don't have to put the health care more of that back on the teachers. But that's not the way it's working this year and I am very sad about that and I wish I had a plausible answer and I do not. I I would love to be I wish I were a rich person and could donate money to the system. Um and I hear you and I I just wanted to say hats off to you and thank you all for what you do
036and I hope and pray things will turn around in the near future so that raises can be made and adjustments in the budget won't have to slash here and there and yonder. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. All right. I'll talk a little bit about tree and sign. Okay. So um I'll first start with money for some things but not other things. So there are different pots of money and what the school division um we can't carry money over internally year to year. Um we also the maintenance budget is not housed uh within the school division. Having said that so I can't So if I have money this year for certain things it doesn't mean that that money necessarily carries over into next year. So from the school division side. So whatever money we have at
037the school division has at the end of the year that goes back to the county. The county can then reallocate that money back to the schools um but ultimately the the county allocates and what we don't use it goes back to the county. So money in one year doesn't next It's not like a savings account that you kind of store up and then you can use year to year to year. So we have from July 1 to June 30 roughly kind of a set amount of money that is allocated to the schools that we can use. Okay. So that and then within that there are certain pots that we can um spend money from for certain tasks. So not every dollar can go to every task or everything. Okay. So that's kind of a a
038global very short version of of some of the school finance piece. In terms of the tree. So sometime ago I had a conversation with Mr. Tillich about the maintenance um the the lawn maintenance the shrubbery maintenance in front of the high school. So in looking at the tree the amount of um what I would call tree litter the dropping of fronds and limbs and things um historically had not been maintained well. Additionally that species of tree has um a very large expansive sort of root system and it also has I guess nodules that move up in the ground. Okay. That that pop up. And so as you're running a lawnmower over that you're running over kind of mini wooden stumps. That's going to damage lawnmower blades lawnmowers um and so trying to find some level
039of efficiency to keep the front of all of our schools relatively low in maintenance and looking good. Um I think we've not done a good job in the division historically about maintaining a certain level of curb appeal the appearance the outer outer appearance of our schools. So I had um I gave permission we had some conversations about if it works then we can go ahead and like if the money is available if like maintenance needs it we can go ahead and take that tree out for the purpose of um maintenance. As Mr. Tillich and I don't want to put words in Mr. Tillich's mouth but we had a meeting today on this topic to try to um kind of get county and schools. So one of the other challenges this year is we have a
040merged maintenance department. So I don't have a specific school maintenance team any longer. Um we entered into an agreement with the county to kind of merge those departments with the goal of saving money getting better um better repairs better focus on our facilities. So both internally within the buildings and kind of the landscaping. That that merger requires increased communication. Um I think there's room for the school division and the county myself Mr. Tillich Miss Wilson to improve our communication about jobs and timing and um awareness of what jobs are being done when. And I think that that lack of communication led to confusion about why and also for our board to kind of provide some notice about hey folks this is coming. So as Mr. Tillich looked at the tree as a follow-up to kind
041of my conversation with him he became concerned about the expanse of the roots the um I think he calls it root intrusion I'm not an arbor intrusion sorry I'm not an arborist but um root intrusion both into cuz he noticed under the sign that tree had already started lifting part of that sign up. Um there's also issues with some of the sidewalk around and other in close blocks close proximity to that tree. As we're thinking through a sidewalk project in the future preventing future damage to that sidewalk is all was also a concern and paving of that sidewalk coming wanting the the the roots and that that soil to be ready for that sidewalk project and that's still a little bit ahead of us um in terms of timing. So as they're limbing and taking
042down the tree the sign became was damaged. There was also existing damage as from that root and intrusion and curson um lifting up. Um apparently they didn't realize this until afterwards but when it was built there was not it was not built on again not a mason either but a proper what would typically be done in terms of like a foundation under that sign. So I think there was some block and then some brick but not typically what you would have with like a footer in a house kind of foundation. So the root system was um weakening that sign. The lack of maintenance over the years there were issues with um the brick mortar and so the bricks were starting to deteriorate the mortar was starting to deteriorate. So it was it was not in
043great shape. Um coupled then with the damage from removing the tree um so then that the block was then kind of placed into a flatbed trailer. We've requested um to see that the trailer hasn't been dumped yet. So we've requested to see if we can recapture at least one of the facades so that we can do something with that with that facade reuse that facade going forward in some other in some other capacity. And you stated you're not an arborist. Is Mr. Tillage one? Did I miss that? No, Mr. Tillage is not an arborist. >> took the word of someone who did not know about the tree, did not know about the root system, and DMV or excuse me, VDOT states the root system's not a problem for the sidewalk. That they would have I
044think they would have said that they would have gone around it. >> the point. It's out of the point. It's It's not even in the project. So I'm I'm again trying to understand how we're wasting money. If If we really wanted to know, why did we not get an arborist to come look at the tree? I think contracting an arborist to come out >> you haven't looked at the sign yet? That happened last Wednesday and it was a pretty big public outcry. No one has said, "Hey, I'd like to see what's left of the sign." Mr. Morgan has. >> Okay, and you did see it. And is it enough left to salvage? It is loaded on a dump trailer with lots of debris, dirt, tree limbs, tree roots. I was not able to see the
045actual granite or marble. Was there another tree cut down afterwards? The The video I watched, the stone was picked up, laid very nicely into the back of a county truck. The tree was already removed. So I'm really just trying to figure out what is going on and what we're being told is it the truth? Is it not? That sign, no one contacted the historical society? Nobody asked any questions. That sign was built in 1972. Two three years after the schools became disaggregated? Two three years after uh segregation of the schools? Eight black men, six white men get together and build this sign for generations to come for this high school. I mean the in 1972 it was a big deal and in 2026 it's a big deal. No one thought to contact anybody and the
046only question The only answer that we have a week later is, "Uh it was in the back of a truck and there's some stuff over it so we don't really know." Miss Colson, you had a question? That's unacceptable. Um I would like to say that I have I have the same concerns uh about uh Well, that's why we're here to get answers. I I just We're tired of being put off. We The There is an attempt My understanding right now is there is an attempt to find that granite and to salvage that piece. And I would like that to be whatever I I want to know what that piece looks like. And if we can highlight it, showcase it in addition to other archival information, historical information we have from our historical high school, and
047make sure that that is honored. And to just the answer to the question I originally asked of who ordered it was So it would be you and Mr. Tillage that ordered the removal of the tree and the sign and the county taxpayers the the county budget that paid for it. Or the They're grouped together now so it was a both budget. And no one else knew about this and no one else gave an okay. Is that what I'm hearing? That is correct. >> That's correct. Yes. Are there any other comments from members? Yeah, I'd like to just really really quick um regarding the tree and the sign um of course I didn't know about it until it was all said and done. But I started to ask questions with to anyone I could find that
048I thought might possibly be able to help me with this. And I um Friday afternoon late I was in the county administrator's office along with Mr. Tillage at which time I said, "Where is the sign? Has it been carried Excuse me, carried to a landfill?" And they said, "No, it's in the back of this dump trailer and it's parked in such and such place." I said, "Okay." I said, "I'm only one member of a five-member school board. So alone when I have no authority to do anything, tell you anything or request anything. But I'm going to ask you just as person to person, can you hang on to that debris until someone can look at it and determine if that granite, I believe it's granite, whatever stone it is, can be salvaged?" He agreed to
049hang on to it. He did. Uh I went and looked at the trailer but it was covered in such a fashion that I would would not have been able to see that actual stone. At today's meeting he agreed again not to dispose of any of it until we could determine if it can be salvaged. I know that's not much information for you but it's all I have at the moment. Any more comments? >> Yeah. Um thank you for um your questions and comments. Um I really and I appreciate the the personal history lesson behind the sign. Um you know, I'm I I'm sentimental towards I get attached to things too, particularly of a historical significance. Um so I I totally understand it and I did not know that it was going to happen until I
050got a phone call from a relative in the middle of the day while I was at work in Gloucester that it happened. And I knew nothing of it. And so and I've been asking questions ever since. So um thank you so much for like I said, the extra history behind that and um sharing your concerns and and I appreciate Mr. Mr. Morgan who tracked what he could down and took a look at it and so thank you. Moving forward, I'm not sure how you're going to, you know, tackle these things, which is one reason I brought up the 2023 and my mother. It's the constant "We're going to do better. We're going to do better. We're going to do better." Well, that sign meant something to us. And we paid for it. We've already paid
051for it once. It should have been handled with better care. Should have been moved. It wasn't Well, I mean, if it was had to be moved, it should have been handled and done properly. Should not have been destroyed. And moving forward, that's something all of y'all are going to have to figure out cuz that's why you're elected is to represent us. Thank you, Miss Colson. Thank you. Is there anyone else who'd like to approach the podium? What we'll do is we will as soon as everyone has had their first round, then we will go back and there'll be one more question. Yes. Good evening, Mr. Dobson. Please state your name. >> 1050 Round Point, Cobbs Creek, Virginia. This was a beautiful day. Well, I see where we're not going to find the maintenance shop for
052the school buses to have a leader. You're in a potential problem here. After we had the accident last year, the bus that went through the stop sign up at Ward's Point. I did some investigation. I talked to the first sergeant of the state police barracks up here in Gloucester. They do not inspect buses when they have an accident and no cost of life is lost. The only time they will inspect that bus is in the event of a death. They also do not come around during the year and then look at these buses for inspection. Okay? I talked to him seeing if they could come every every 90 days to inspect one bus in the bay and then inspect one bus on the road. Those buses are not always in the best of shape and
053I'm not blaming anybody. I'm not pointing any fingers. There was a tire that was on one of the buses that took two weeks to change that somebody took a picture and showed me. I'm not blaming anybody. But the problem is if we don't have somebody that's in charge of maintenance up there, you're not going to know what's going on. You can't have two guys that are mechanics trying to be in charge of that place. Those buses would cost the county a fortune if not maintained properly. You also lose loss of life and you probably get lawsuits filed against you. I don't understand why I called the state police up in Richmond and asked them why they do not inspect buses and I could not get an answer. They are supposed to be inspected like a
054rig because of the size that they are and what they carry. Thank you, Mr. Dobson. Is there is there um some investigation we could do about the bus inspection process just for the edification um of the division because I I remember from years ago. >> Okay. Just let let me let me finish here and then we'll give you 1 minute. Hold on. So, the buses have to be inspected um either in-house or we would have to contract that inspection out to another entity. So, bus >> Okay. bus inspections occur um more frequently than your than your car inspections. I think it's I want to say it's every 3 months um is that inspection cycle. Um and so, we have to um go we'll have to kind of solve that problem right now. Um we've had
055a conversation with the lead mechanic about getting um his inspection license. Um in in the meantime, we'll have to contract that out for um the inspection of the buses. Okay. Yes, Mr. Collison. So, let me make sure I understand. In the past, we have had someone in-house that have done those inspections or we have taken them to a garage that's approved by the state for inspections. >> My understanding is that his Right. Right. Okay, thank you. That's That's Wait, hold on. Hold on. Thank you. I'm just trying to understand. >> has his inspection license. Okay, thank you. Whoever is in charge is supposed to be the person inspect I know years ago the fellow that used to run the gas station on Gwynn's Island when he came to the bus station, he had an inspection
056license. That I do know. Okay. You've got 48 seconds left of a rebuttal or additional question. Well, we can't keep This is the fourth or fifth year in a row we have got hit on the budget. And everybody wonders why we have problems. We don't have money to fix the problems we have now cuz every everybody's always trying to pinch a penny. I believe in pinching a penny, don't get me wrong. Most of you up here know I usually vote no on pay raises. Okay? But, some things you're going to have to spend money. I can't help that the Board of the Supervisors don't understand how the school system works. That's not my problem. Okay? And it takes to be on this board, it's going to take you three or four years to realize what's
057going on cuz there's no manual that that really goes through everything. Okay? >> Thank you, Mr. Dobson. >> [clears throat] >> Thank you. Has everyone spoken who would like to speak at the podium for the first time? Before Dr. Gibbons >> Yes. Before we move on, can I ask a bus driver, whichever one of you knows this answer, um are there other inspections of the school buses in addition to the annual state inspection? Something like every 45 days runs in the Got you. Okay. So, they do get looked at in some fashion, but there's no official state inspection sticker? Just one just once. Right. Got you. Okay, thank you. Is it 45 days? I was thinking 45 days was stuck in my head for some reason, yeah. The bus driver is supposed to do an
058inspection daily twice daily. Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Thank you. Now, >> Pre-trip. Okay. Is there anyone who would like to approach for the first time or and now, if not, we'll move on to one question for everyone who has already spoken. You will have one question, no rebuttal, but you'll have one question that you can ask for 2 minutes. Ms. Bowling? Nope, they want to see you. I think I think for the for the for the folks viewing at home Um we would love to have more money. Don't get me wrong. But, the point that I and the other bus drivers have been trying to make, you have a principal who leads the elementary school. You have a principal who leads the middle school and another one that leads the high school. Clyde is
059our principal. Okay? You have a head of the all the departments. You're treating us like it's nothing to it. As a teacher, last Friday on a field trip, she Clyde didn't get the paperwork for a bus. So, they called around and I ended up doing it and she says, "I turned it in in February." And I said, "You always should verify anything like that, an appointment, whatever." And she says, "I don't get it. It's just the bus shop." People, there's more to the bus shop than drivers driving a school bus. There's more to it. We need a leader, not we got to go to this one cuz we want a day off. We got to go to this one because we got a student problem. We got to go to this one cuz we got
060a bus problem. We need our leader. Okay? That's the point that we have been trying to make mostly. And like I said, we'll take all the money you'll give us, but uh that is our point. That is our concern and that's what we want to focus on. Okay. Thank you, Ms. Bowling. You're welcome. >> Thank you. Anyone who's already spoken who would like to speak again? There being none, online. >> [laughter] >> Come on up, Mr. Dobson. You'll have one 2-minute question. No rebuttal, no second question. Bobby Dobson, 1050 Round Point, Croaker, Virginia. This School Board does a good job. We were fortunate and lucky to get the superintendent we got. I can tell you now, when this man first took over, he looked like he was beat up every day. It was one problem
061right after the other. He's putting together some good things and they're just now starting to unfold. But, what I'm afraid of is with the way this Board of Supervisors have been acting the last 2 years, that they are imposing themselves on the School Board. I thought it was a good idea that they were working together, but now I don't think so cuz I've watched what's been going on. You can't continue to cut the budget. They think because we have less students, it costs less money. That's wrong. It's costing more money with less students because of the way the Board of Education in this state figures out how much the cost is. And it will continue to go up. And we're not the only ones having this problem. There's others and and the board seems to
062be aware of it, but they're not moving very fast. We need to come up with some conventional ideas to where maybe we can cut some costs, but move to somewhere else. I don't know if you all remember when the lottery came into effect, that money was supposed to go to the schools. All right? Not included in their budget, but given to them so they could do things that need to be done. All right? Well, now it's incorporated into the money that we get. And I think last year it was $684,000. We could have done a lot with that money. But, it was already incorporated into our situation. But, what I'd like to see is that we really take a look at what we're doing. All right? We got some things I don't want to see
063ever cut. And that's the ROTC. That That's very important and we need to get an auto shop in here. If we get an auto shop in here, we can trade some slots out to the other schools around here and get beautician school and stuff that these other schools are doing. So, there's ways we can get our kids in the things that work. Mr. Dobson. Yes, ma'am. I'm done. Great to hear from you. Thank you very much. Ms. Collison. Sherry Collison Hudgins. I would I'd to say thank you to the bus cuz Donna over there has driven all four of my children to school. When the FedEx driver pulled out in front of you, do you remember that day? And I got a call from my niece because my daughter was very upset. She was young,
064very scared. And I got there and there was Donna getting all of the kids off the bus. Crying. Everybody was crying, but she kept everybody safe. Bus drivers are way more than what you're giving them credit for. I do believe that you're top-heavy in this school for the amount of students you have. And I think there's a lot of things that you can do to help money, but not replacing Clyde's job is is actually ludicrous. I I I don't even understand how you're going to attempt to do this. And when the bus doesn't show up because somebody's sick or somebody has an accident or somebody just flat-out can't get here and no one answers the phone and no substitute comes, then it's going to fall on the the office staff. It's it's not going to
065fall on anybody making the money. It's going to fall on the the peons who are answering the phone. And not that I feel like they are, but I feel like other people feel like they are. I think they're the best. The custodials, the the I mean, all the way through. I can't rave about more. I four children, 32 years old is my oldest child and 18 is the youngest and that's how long I have been in this school and that's how much they have done. And I do appreciate that Nancy Welsh gave raises across the board and if you couldn't do that, she just she found a way to do it or she found a way to just not do it. But everybody got it together. Maybe everybody felt important in that moment, but right
066now all you're doing is showing them and the parents I just don't understand how you think you're showing the parents that their children matter. Or these people that their jobs matter. They have the most I mean, responsibility-wise, they're driving your kids and trust me, I mean, when something goes down, you want a Donna there. You want somebody holding your child. When your child is in the second grade and they're crying because they've just been in an accident, you want somebody that loves them that much. That is looking out for them. I I don't understand why y'all are not looking out for the bus drivers. Thank you, Ms. Collison. Anyone else like to approach who's already approached? We have one question that has come There be none, we'll move on to the questions that has come
067in. We have one that's come in by email from Beth Davis on 636 Buckley Hall Road in Dutton. The question is, why was a chief financial officer position created when MCPS already had a business and financial manager position? Does MCPS have an organizational chart? I'll ask Dr. Daniel to answer that question. So, the um business and financial manager um when we had a vacancy at the school board office due to retirement, the business and financial um manager requested to move into that position. That then left vacant our finance position. Um so, when we advertised um and interviewed candidates, um the the candidate of choice had a um deep and rich skill set, experience um to be able to provide um much greater oversight um and management to our financial system. And because of that capacity
068and skills and experience, the position was changed from a business and finance manager to a chief financial officer. In that time, um we've experienced um several savings coming um one one quick one is reimbursement for Medicaid. So, we've been able to recoup about $90,000 um by getting reimbursement for Medicaid that hadn't happened previously. Our ability to um apply for and manage grants has increased to the point where we've been able to We at one point were going to have to give back some of our all-in tutoring money. Um so, we've been able to um use about an additional $65,000 of that all-in tutoring money um for other grant-specific things. Um so, in the short time that the CFO has been in place, um that salary has um has has already like we've already saved money
069on on that on that position. And so, as we look forward to um a tighter and more restrictive budget, as we're looking forward to evaluating whether or not we continue with CEP. And if we no longer continue with CEP, managing much more of the paperwork that comes with individual applications for free and reduced lunch, managing that process becomes more cumbersome, if you will. Having more experience and a a greater skill set um to do that puts our division in a better stance. Um again, I know folks get concerned about salaries and um why we're doing the things that we are doing. Part of what we are trying to do is place experience in in positions to move our division forward. And so, this was a key piece for our division to be able to better
070utilize and better communicate our um our funds um that on the day-to-day basis, month-to-month basis, and annual basis. Um Do we have an organizational chart? Um no. Um we've um talked about it a couple times. Um I think we've got probably a couple drafts in place. Um when this question came in, we started penciling in kind of an organizational chart, especially as we're having to reallocate responsibilities and duties. So, my hope is my goal is to um put on our website an organizational chart once we reconstruct some of the some of the positions and some of the responsibilities. I think that's absolutely necessary. Yeah, I think it'll help. Yeah. Members, are there any final comments? Yeah, [clears throat] I would like to speak to the bus drivers just briefly. Um I wish there was more
071we could do about the salaries. Unfortunately, doesn't look so. But I I would like to say this to you. Um I appreciate for one, I appreciate what you do. I know what you do. I was a substitute driver many years ago and I helped a little bit when I was teaching. Uh I would drive when there was no other person available. And I know what you do. I know what you go through. I know your responsibilities. Uh I too believe that you need a supervisor, superintendent, whatever word you want to use. Um One of the key reasons I say that is I remember one of the last runs I drove when before I was on the school board. Um had a young a young child, I don't know, third, fourth grade, maybe. And that child
072was rode the bus I drove that day, but it was not that child's regular bus. That child had a note to get off at grandma's or wherever. Um the confusion came in the name of the road. It was the run I was running that day, I went down Blue Water Drive, I believe it was and he was supposed to have been on another blue something else. Um which I can't recall all the specifics. Anyway, long story short, I got to the end of the run and I had this one lone child and I looked up and I said, uh did we pass your house yet? And he said, Mhm. And I said, well, can you show me where you live? Um Not down here. So, I called Clyde on my cell phone and I told
073him the situation. I said, I don't mind taking the child home, but I don't know where he lives. He said, bring him back to the bus shop. We'll get him home. There happened to be a driver had just come back in that was driving one of the cars. And that driver immediately took the child where the child needed to be. Uh in those types of situations, you need someone and I will go on public record as saying, you need someone there on scene, I I fully believe. And I support you 100%. And I for one am not just brushing you off. Mr. Royals has been an exceptional director as you all have testified to. He gets things done, doesn't bring attention to himself, just does it. Um and when uh it was presented at a
074school board meeting that he was retiring, I was like oh my. This is not good. When someone retires, we have to accept their retirement. So, moving forward, what do we do? It was budget time. We knew that we would not have the money that we've had in previous years. And so, unfortunately, some decisions had to be made that I don't think any of us like the outcome. None of us like the outcome. We don't We would like to have someone dedicated for all the reasons you said, all the reasons that we thought about ourselves about problems that may surface. It is not a good plan to have many people oversee a the buses. No one likes that. I don't like it. Unfortunately, our financial situation is such that I'm afraid it's going to get worse
075before it gets better. I don't like it. I don't want it. Um and but we have a designated amount of money that we have to make do. And decisions are being made based on the money that we're told we're going to receive. And the and the funding streams, I think as Dr. Daniel mentioned, you sometimes you can't mix and match. Um they have to go to dedicated certain um designated programs. Um I I wish I could say something more than just we do appreciate you. I know my husband used to say um when he worked in maintenance, that Mr. Ward would say an attaboy. That's an attaboy. A good good job and but no money would be attached. And you know, he many times would say, "Oh, I'm tired of hearing attaboys." Um but unfortunately,
076if there's not money, there is not money. And um we can't create it. Ms. Collison, to your to your um comments, I had not heard about your what happened with your mother. Um unacceptable. That is so uh we missed it clearly. That is for someone who's done something for 39 years, that's not a way to express your appreciation. And I wish we could go back and fix that. >> fix it. We fixed We fixed it going forward. We can't go We fixed it. >> it for her and going forward. >> Okay. That's what we did. Great. And that's but going forward, we recognize that the way we were recognizing retirees was was was not the best situation to make sure everybody was able to attend. Yes. Um but that that had to hurt at the
077time, clearly. Um we we have made mistakes in the past and we will continue to make mistakes. I wish we could say we're perfect. We are not. I wish we knew about that sign. No one knew about the sign which you just shared with us today. I've never heard that. And I came to the county in '73. I've never heard that. So, it it it hurts my heart to hear that we that we've lost possibly lost, probably lost that um the fact that integrated schools came together in that sign. And it was more than just a sign is what I was hearing you say. I I would like to to to know more of those kinds of things with our school buildings as we move, you know, as we get as as as time marches
078on. I'd like to know about those stories because we want to I think it's fair to say for me and I think for my colleagues here, we wanted to um to take those stories and make sure that um our next generation knows about those. Um I I I know when I was a school counselor, one of the things I felt very strongly about was making sure that everybody um who had a scholarship in their name that we knew who that person was and what they contributed to our school. Um we have many people that have passed on and we don't know about who they were and what they did. Ms. Nellie Callis was one that comes to mind. I mean, there were many people that many of us know, but the next generation may not
079know unless we're able to capture that. But aside from that, we have made mistakes. We won't We are not perfect. We will own it and then we'll learn from it and then move on. Um but and I'm sorry for any hurt that has been caused in the some of the mistakes that have been made. That's not ever the intent of this board. Um and and I will say that if we had money, I would want to give it fairly to school bus drivers, to teachers, to the many people that work many hours to make sure our children are safe and that they're taught um as as um as as they as they need to be taught and are contributing citizens when they graduate from Mathews High School. Thank you. Um thank you um to everyone
080who asked a question. I I learned so much tonight. And um you know, I really feel like it's my job as a school board member to listen and I learned lots of things some things about bus driving that I did not know and I worked with the bus driver as a teacher assistant for years. So, I thank you for that. Um learn more about the history of the sign. Um and I love how seeing the bus drivers organize in this manner. I love seeing you sitting there with your shirts on. Um you know, you don't need an organization like MEA or VEA or NEA to to organize and you guys are concerned with your local issues and I love that. And so, I hope that spirit of organization kind of spreads to teachers and all
081school staff. So, I I commend you for that and I've tried to to kind of rile teachers up to do what you're doing for years when I was a teacher here. So, um you know, I I appreciate you you all for that. And what I would ask um some some of my other board members have you know, we're not happy about some of the decisions that we have had to make this year. Um I I always before I sat in this chair, I often advocated spent a lot of time advocating for adequate funding so that we can take care of the children. And I I learned a lot over the years doing that. And what I would ask is when that next for future moving forward, when that next budget calendar comes out, okay, look
082at that. Talk to your board of supervisors members, too. Okay? Um early on in that budget process, help us, you know, get the funding that we do ask for so that we don't have to make as many tough decisions. Um our local composite index hurts us, too. The state judges our ability to pay um I think that index is quite a bit unfair, particularly to us. It's mainly based on real estate prices and we suffer because of it. Um we get money per student, but also the state judges our ability to pay um last time I looked it was our they judge our ability to pay as being higher than New Kent. Um which means more of your state tax dollars go to places like New Kent than come back to Mathews to fund your
083own schools. So, um you know, help us advocate for different LCI formula. Help us um you know, when it comes budget time and and talk to board of supervisors members, too, cuz they also how much they decide to give us dictates what we can do. Um so, and I have seen in the past, I've been in Mathews a long time now, well over two decades. I've lived here longer than I've lived anywhere else and I love Mathews cuz of its culture. Uh I I came I used to come visit my grandmother here and I said, "I want to live here one day." I love Mathews. I love listening to hear my Mathews relatives talk. And I love their culture and now it's my culture. And I have seen in the past here enough citizens and
084school employees organize in a manner like you guys. If enough of you get together and do this for long enough, I've seen it make a difference in the past. So, I just want to encourage you that moving forward and thank you. Lady, just Two ladies would like to speak. We have We've exceeded our speaker time. I mean, we we offered and offered and offered. So, we're we're not able to do that. I'm sorry. I just have a question about I have another aspect >> Talk to me. Oh, stay after I'll talk to you. I understand. I agree with you. Just in terms of protocols and just staying with the schedule and the agenda. No. No. I'm sorry. I had to ask for everyone who wanted to speak and then I had exhausted that and we're
085going to follow the protocol, but I am positive you can have a separate conversation probably this evening if you if you so choose. Um, is there are there any final comments here? I I do just want to say thank you also to everyone who has come out, has spoken with members, who has contributed input about the various issues that have been spoken about tonight and others. It is my goal, it's always been my goal and and I think this board to hear from the citizens. Town halls are not something that are done uh necessarily and uh in divisions or on any kind of regular basis. We hold to two to three a year in addition to having two citizen um podium approach times at each of our meetings, which is also unlike many divisions. Um,
086so we we value what you're saying. We are on your page on so many of these issues. Uh, we we if we could change it, this board would change our situation. Uh, it is hurtful as Mrs. Hodges says, hurts her heart. I think we are all in that uh hurting position as well. Um, we can empathize, sympathize to the best of our ability, but you are living it. Um We all we all live, we all endure our situations. They are not always what we would want them to be. I can't say I felt your pain directly, but I have pain. So, um we want to keep hearing from you. Uh even though answers are not satisfactory all the time, please keep talking, keep reaching out, keep we will do the very best we can as
087humans and we are just all of us are that. We're humans doing the best we can uh under some tough circumstances on on in the school division at this time. Uh our next town hall will be scheduled for we'll probably meet in the fall. Um but again, in between now and then, feel free to approach us. We thank you. Thank you for listening at home and without any further comments from anyone up here, I will call the meeting adjourned. Thank you very much.