School Board Regular Meeting (Public Hearing followed by Regular Board Meeting)

001Good afternoon, board chair Richard, esteemed members of the school board, staff, families, and members of the Petersburg of our community. Thank you for joining us tonight for the public hearing on the fiscal year 2027 superintendent's proposed budget. My goal this evening is to simply walk you through the budget in clear plain language. Explain what is driving costs and how this proposal supports our students, our staff, and the long-term stability of Petersburg City Public Schools. We begin with the legal foundation for this process. Under the code of Virginia, every school division must prepare and submit estimate of the funds needed to operate our schools for the upcoming fiscal year. That estimate must be organized by major state classifications and reflect what it truly takes to run our schools. Tonight's presentation is part of that transparent process,

002sharing with you what we need, why we need it, and how it connects to our responsibilities under state law. Here's our road map for this evening. We'll talk about our strategic priorities, FY27 budget initiatives, enrollment trends, K3 class size reduction, revenue trends, VRS and local composite index index impacts, major cost drivers, the&m assessment recommendations, uh how to mitigate our shortfall in revenue, job vacancies, fund balance, housing and Senate amendments and dialogue with the community. We'll move steadily through these and pause in key moments and connect the numbers back to students and staff. Our strategic priorities as we move into the FY2027 budget, it's important to ground our work in the strategic priorities that guide every decision we make as a division. These priorities reflect what our community has told us matters most and they anchor

003both our investments and our long-term planning. Our budget is not just a spreadsheet. It is a reflection of our five-year strategic plan and our values as a community for FY 2027. Our strategic priorities remain student achievement, wellness and support, talent acquis acquisition, development and retention, operational excellence and infrastructure, fiscal steward stewardship and resource management, family engagement and community partnership. Every decision in this budget is tied back to these priorities. Our FY2027 budget initiatives. Our budget includes several key initiatives that directly support students, staff, and day-to-day operations. These initiatives total 3 million and they include salary increases and compensation and classification study 2.8 million. two added seats in code RVA 26,000 one full-time operations coordinator 124,000 after school activity bus and drivers 150,000 these investments help us strengthen instruction expand opportunities for students and support the

004operational needs of our schools a few important notes about these amounts insurance rates increase will be absorbed by PCP PS salary amounts are averages of comparable positions and not exact numbers. All amounts include fringe benefit cost. These initiatives reflect our commitment to supporting students, investing in staff, and maintaining the services our community depends on. Enrollment history and forecast. Enrollment is one of the biggest drivers of school funding. Over the past decade, Petersburg's enrollment has moved up and down from under 3,800 students and at some point it's 4,100 in 2024. We are now forecasting a gradual decline to about 3,900 students in FY2027 with slight changes in the years that follow. Because state funding follows students, declining enrollment means declining revenue even when our fixed cost like buildings, transportation, and core staffing remain largely the same.

005That tension is a major theme in this budget and we need to account for that. K3 class size reduction grant. We continue to qualify. Uh we continue to look for opportunities to uh get the uh K3 class size reduction grant back. But for FY2027, um the grand funding of 2.2 million will not be uh coming to us from VDOE because we don't qualify. General fund revenue change between 2024 to 27. This slide tells an important story. From fiscal year 2024 through fiscal year 2026, our general fund revenue increased each year. for FY 2027. However, we see a decline of about 20 262,000. Even with a 2.9 million increase in the city's revenue uh transfer because of compent class that we're requesting, state revenue declines more than offset that gain. At the same time, the construction

006of the new school requires 53 million in budget authority which will be added to the capital projects fund. So we are balancing two realities. A flat declining operating budget and a major capital investment in our facilities. General revenue fund. Here's a breakdown of our general funds revenue. State revenue decreases by 3.2 million. City revenue increases by 3 million. Federal and other revenues remain flat or slightly down. Overall, the general fund decreases by about 0.4%. Across FY 2026 and 2027 combined, we experience a cumulative loss of about 6.8 million in state revenue. This is a significant headwind. Food service and grant funds. Our food service fund increased due to higher federal reimbursements while state and other revenues in that fund shift downward. Our grants fund remains relatively stable with modest increases in federal and state grants

007and small decreases in other sources. These funds are restricted. They must be used for specific purposes like nutrition and targeted programs. They are essential supports for students but they cannot be used to solve general fund challenges. When we look at all funds together, the total budget increases from about 85 million to 139 million. That large increase is driven almost entirely by the reactivation of the capital projects fund to account for the 53 million construction of the new school. It is important to emphasize this is a one-time capital investment, not an ongoing increase in operating funds for classrooms and staff. VRS reduction and local composite index change. Two major state level changes affect our budget. Virginia retirement system rate reduction. The rate drops from about 14.27% to 12.2% of covert payroll saving us around 385,000. For

008the local composite index, it increased from.2076 2076 to 2152, which means the state expects the city to contribute more. This results in a loss of about 440,000 in state funding and an increase in that same amount from the city side of things. So, while we gain some savings from VRS, we lose more through the LCI change. Cost drivers for FY 2027. This is where the pressure builds. The evergreen compensation and classification study implementation would require 2.8 million and provides at least a 3% increase for every employee. Health insurance. We recently learned that our health insurance premiums would increase by about 28% or about 2 million. One of the largest single year increases we have seen. Liability insurance would go up by 5%. Health insurance options. We explored the local choice TLC as an alternative uh

009health insurance option. The projected savings are not that much, which would be around 200,000 and switching plans would require us to maintain a 1.2 million reserve to protect the division during the transition. We will continue to evaluate options, but for FY2027, this budget must absorb the 28% increase in health insurance premiums while we plan for longerterm solutions. the&m report. We continue to uh implement the&m report recommendations and using these findings as a road map for uh for um for reforming the finance uh function to balance the 2027 budget in the face of declining state revenue and rising costs. We took two major steps. We eliminated the 500,000 uh budget development reserve and removed the one-time FY2026 cost. These actions allow us to present a balanced budget without cutting core instructional programs, but they they also

010reduce our flexibility to absorb future shocks, job vacancies, and deactivated positions. Another part of our strategy has been to carefully manage vacancies and deactivate positions that we think we could do without. We have reviewed vacant positions to determine which are essential to student learning and operations and which can remain unfulfilled. We've deactivated se select positions that no longer align with our c current structure and that we can uh sustainably do without. Our goal is to protect classrooms and direct student services first while tightening in areas where we can consolidate House and Senate amendments at the state level. The General Assembly's House and Senate budgets include amendments that could affect our funding. While the final numbers are still being reconciled, these amendments may adjust state support for K12 generally, provide targeted relief or grants in specific

011areas, and potentially offset some of the shortages we facing. We are monitoring these amendments closely. As the state budget is finalized, we will update our projections and if possible bring forward adjustments that benefit our students and staff. This is our updated budget calendar and so this is something that came as a result of um feedback we received from the school board the last time we had the work session. Um, fund balance is something we've we've talked about for over a year and we still haven't implemented. This is this is lifted exactly from last year's uh public uh hearing. And what it says is um in 2020 the city po passed an ordinance allowing the school division to keep any remaining fund balance for capital improvements. In 2023 that ordinance was rescended. In 2024 the city

012swept about 6.1 million of PCPS fund balance and used a portion for the fieldhouse. Under the new approach, PCPS recovers 1.27 million from facilities future PCS. And this is another slide of what we recommended um last year and is as a result of the uh feedback we received from the school uh school board to strengthen our long-term financial health. We are proposing several changes to our budget process. Maintain a three million million dollar fund balance as a target. Use net income first to fund that balance and then to support capital and technology needs. Implement a funded capital improvement plan, technology improvement plan, move fully to a needsbased budget where we start from what students need and um provide the budgeted numbers. We want to fully implement a capital projects fund for major construction and renovation.

013These changes would help us responsibly and avoid the cycle of short-term fixes. This is as a result of the uh feedback we got from the conversations last time. It's not in the budget yet, but is a recommendation that we would need to discuss with the city at our work session coming up. Summary and framing of um our current budget situation. We are facing declining state revenue and rising cost especially in compensation and health insurance. The city has increased its support and we are grateful for that partnership. We are investing in staff compensation, class reduction and a new school while tightening in other areas. We are strengthening our financial systems and proposing process changes to support long-term stability. This budget is about balancing immediate needs with long-term responsibility. That's the end of the presentation and we'll

014leave we'll hear from the community on the proposed budget. Mr. Preacher. >> Thank you, Dr. Greywood. Before we get started with questions, Miss Brandon, do you have any comments before we open the floor up? >> Thank you, board chair and school board members. Thank you, Dr. Greywood, for our recap of our FY27 draft proposed superintendent's proposed budget. We are really excited about this budget for this year because it does focus on our employees and a big portion of it focuses on of course our health care um that we have brought forward and we were able to get feedback and so tonight we'll be making you know the recommendation as a part of the budget to make sure that we um can move forward with our second proposal which was to increase the deductibles for Anthem

015um to 1,000 and 2,000. Is that correct Dr. Greywood? >> Yes, ma'am. And so that is a portion of this budget that if approved tonight to move forward to city council, that's the direction that we'll be going for Petersburg City Public Schools for the next school year and I guess the outy years um as each budget year comes up. Also just want to say that this budget of course prioritizes compensation and classification and so it's really focused on you know raising the um the salaries if approved for our teachers. And so we've long said and I've had lots of conversations with board chair Pritchette who said conversations with the mayor and the city about raising the starting salary for teachers here in Petersburg. And so this budget if approved with the additional compensation and classification

016funding would start Petersburg teachers off um coming in um with zero experience at 60,000. And that is going to in my opinion I think that is going to be a gamecher because we will continue to be able to attract um you know highquality um teachers who want to come and we know it's not all about money but it is about money and it's about compensation especially in this environment. So, we are really really excited about that. But it'll also this compensation package will also if approved in the budget will also um take care of our people who have been here that have been here in the trenches in Petersburg and have not had any increases outside of the um raises each year. It'll allow us an opportunity to right set their salaries as well. And

017so that is some of the big portions of our budget um for today. And so thank you Dr. Greywood. I hope I didn't miss anything. I did come in on the conversation. So, I don't know if this presentation based on what we uploaded on Friday. Did it include the new numbers from the state? I know that they have they finalized those numbers. >> They haven't finalized the numbers. The um both chambers of the um legislature have not agreed to. So um they basically um adjoined the session signai and they will be returning um on the 23rd I think in April. >> Got >> so after that session we would know for sure what the numbers are. Our budget is based on all the revenue information we know as of today. >> But we do anticipate

018getting additional funding just we just don't know how much. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> And so we will be able to update Boyce Pritchard and school board members. I think we'll be able to update that information for the city when we do our work session on the 31st. I think at that time we're able to make changes before we take it to the the city council. Is that correct? >> We we don't know when they would decide. They'll be back on a special session and we uh we're anticipating that they would be able to reconcile and come up with final numbers. >> Gotcha. >> And we get those final numbers we would incorporate into the budget. the budget is built based on what we know currently. >> Okay. Gotcha. Okay. Thank you. And then

019my final comment is I just want to again for all of our listeners and to our employees to hear that for another year, Petersburg City Public School Board has has again decided to absorb all of the increases related to health care. We know that health care costs continue to go up exponentially and of course this year ours went up 28% with Anthem. And so, um, again, that is a big benefit of working in Petersburg that we are absorbing those full cost, um, where that's not happening everywhere. And so, I just want to highlight that. And again, we will be moving toward the new support, but we will be able to keep Anthem and keep them provided with a great health care plan um, with the changes in deductibles, but the board will be absorbing all

020of the costs related to the increases. So with that, thank you for allowing us to bring the budget forward and I'll turn it back over to you, Port. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Greywood and Miss Brown. This is a public hearing and at this time we'll open the floor for anyone wishing to speak. The sun, the sun is in my face, so I really can't see who's sitting back there. That way, not the sun, but the glare. So, we're good. Okay. >> Yeah, we good. When did this >> We did receive some feedback online. U Miss Brown, I don't know if you want to read it into record or not, but >> but the feedback >> to acknowledge that we received some feedback. >> Absolutely. That's a great point. If you all want to

021read the feedback, as you or Miss Godboat, we were able to put out um a link um as recommended by the board to put a link out so that we could get feedback from constituents on the actual budget. And so we've been able to receive feedback. And so I'll ask that Miss Godbolt, our senior our senior um budget analyst, along with Dr. agree with our CFO to read through the feedback that we were able to get from our community and from our teachers related to our budget and anything included included in the budget for this for FY27. Thank you. >> Uh good evening uh board chair Pritchette, uh Vice Chair Tucker, Board Chair members, um Superintendent Brown, Petersburg community and leadership. Uh we received the FY27 budget feedback on today from uh people of the

022community that would like to uh express their responses uh for the FY27 budget. So classroom size feedback uh reads, "Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed two 2027 budget. As a secondary teacher, I am encouraged to see the class reduction grant and I'd welcome seeing that extended to the middle and high school classrooms as well. We also had compensation feedback which states, "I strongly encourage the board to consider a retention bonus for licensed staff who return as well as increase funding for afterchool programming. Our non-athlete students deserve productive outlets and will need to and will need to offer stipens to make staff participation sustainable. Is there a cost of living or general pay raise planned? Will the cost of health insurance retirement benefits stayed the same or increase? The healthc care

023feedback states, I think that we should remain with Anthem. The uncertainty that comes with the provider for the first portion option is unacceptable. Cantara did not work well for me. I would be denied claims where where necessary. I was going through a series of medical events while we were with Cintara. I pray that we continue with Anthem. Another commenter stated, "Please continue to utilize coverage through Anthem for individuals like me who have multiple chronic health conditions, including rare, uncommon disorders. Changing insurance providers wrecks havoc on our ability to maintain uninterrupted medical refills, appointments, and other health needs. Each time coverage is changed, new prior authorizations must be completed. billing issues occur and sometimes we are forced to change providers entirely. This produces an erroneous amount of stress, especially when experts in chronic illness are already

024difficult to find and even harder to get an appointment with. Furthermore, having an experience with multiple different insurance providers, Anthem is by far the most well-rounded and offers the broadest coverage. It is also much easier to budget for when we know what the monthly charges are going to be and it will not change within the year. With TLC, if any if any entity within the co-op leaves, our prices can go up without notice. Most educators can barely afford the coverage as it is, let alone if it unexpectedly goes up. It may cause people who have restricted budgets to skip the coverage costs entirely. Another commenter stated, "I appreciate the division's efforts to keep our monthly premium stable by absorbing the $24.59% rate increase. However, the jump from $250 deductible to a $1,000 deductible is a

025significant financial burden for staff. I would like to see the division offer a one-time FSA contribution or enhance wellness incentives to help employees cover these higher out-ofpocket costs. Another commenter stated, "Since 1990, I have chosen PO plans because a PO plan allows more control over my health and my decisions for choosing a provider. Sometimes we need immediate health care. HMOs and programs that require referrals hinder care. We know our bodies. We pay health insurance to these companies. Employers and employees should not be penalized with higher deductibles and organizational costs due to insurance companies wanting to have control over which doctor we see, where we receive care, and when we receive care, and for what ailments, big or small. For these reasons, I choose the PO option. Another commenter stated, "I would like to see us

026keep Hanum Health Insurance." Another commenter stated, "I would like for the school division to keep our current health insurance, Anthem, for the FY 2027 school year." Another commenter, "Please retain Anthem as our insurer with the increased deductibles. I believe changing to a TLC plan would not benefit the majority of the employees and it has many unknown factors that could lead to financial hardships for the employees and for the division. Another commenter noted option B for health insurance. Another commenter noted retaining Anthem would be more financially sound. Miscellaneous feedback we received no pool. Another commenter noted, I I am concerned because wanting parents support the time you are holding this meeting are not in the best interest for working parents. And finally, we have staffing feedback. Additional classroom support would make a meaningful difference for behavior

027management, field trip supervision, and overall student experience. While our district carries a significant number of highly salary positions at the top level, there are teachers who routinely continue to cover the cost out of pocket. Field trips, student meals, and basic supplies. Teaching is a calling, but it shouldn't come with a personal financial cost. >> Thank you, Miss Thank you, Miss God. Um, Dr. Greywood, I do have a question about the wellness incentives. have and and I'm not sure if the employees here receive some of those incentives, but have you looked into wellness incentives? Because I know with the plan that I had with the state like for my medication because I participate in the program, I don't have to pay anything for my medication. As long as I'm as long as I follow up with

028the nurse, like it's a nurse line and and they set up an appointment, they call you at home and go over your health and as long as you participate, my medications are paid for free. So, and that's an incentive that the state provides. Have we looked into any incentives? >> There might be opportunities for that. The uh the the admin we currently have is looking at opportunities for uh reducing further, you know, any out- of- pocket expenses for employees. >> Okay. >> The Pierce group, that's the Pierce group, is that correct? >> Yes. >> So, the Pierce group would be the organization that's building the plans for us and giving us the feedback. They would then determine working with Anthem >> what we could offer. >> We've talked to them about coming up with opportunities

029for reducing further any of these uh out- of- pocket expenses and got >> um such thing is what they're looking at. They have wellness and you know one of the uh one of the commenters talked about FSAs or whether we could put you know some funds down. We we're looking at all uh configurations between the uh the plans that we have that would make it cheaper for uh employees. Dr. G, I will forward the information because I know when I was asking about the state plan with board chair Pritchette, they have a lot of that information on there. So maybe we can pass that on to um and I think Dr. Gwood was on the email maybe on the email. >> Okay. That might be able to forward and say, "Hey, what's what's maybe comparable

030to some of that?" Okay. We've asked for them to look at all opportunities and that's one of uh the opportunities they're looking at for reducing out-of- pocket expenses. >> Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you. Okay. At this time, board members, we will adjourn from our public hearing. Is there a motion to adjurnn? >> So move. >> Moved by Mr. Miles. Is there second? >> Mr. Pierce. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carry. This meeting is now adjourned and we we will return at 5:00 PM. Thank you. Thank everyone for being here. Yes. >> Good evening everyone. The time now is 5:10 p.m. and we would like to call our regular schoolboard meeting to order. Miss Davis, if you would call the role, please. >> Mr. Steven Pier, senior >>

031here. >> Mr. Halby Mel, Senior >> here. >> Mr. Kenneth El Pritchette >> here. >> Mr. Carrie Tucker >> here. >> Joyce Proctor >> here. Mr. Bernard Lundy Jr. >> here. >> Mr. Adrian T. Dance senior >> here. >> Thank you. Board members, we move to 1 A, approval of the agenda. If there are no corrections, I accept a motion. >> So move. >> Moved by Mr. Lundy, second by Mr. Pierce. All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. 1B. Moment of silence. Miss Davis. The following are to be remembered during the moment of silence. Our PCPS student who passed away on Tuesday, March 9th, 2026. Miss Jacqueline B. Hopkins and family in the passing of her mother, Dr. Jacqueline J. Hopkins, retired PCPS employee on Wednesday, March 11th, 2026. and the family of Miss Gloria

032May Doy, retired PCPS employee, Friday, March 13, 2026. Thank you. At this time, we have a moment of silence. Thank you. Next, I ask that you stand for the pledge of allegiance and will be led by Mr. Pierce. >> To the flag, United States of America stands one nation with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Next we move to 1D correspondence. Miss Davis. >> The board received correspondence that reads with special thanks. This extra special thank you note sent to you today holds more appreciation than any words can say for you're among the nicest people I've ever known and you'll never be forgotten for the thoughtful thoughtfulness you've shown. Thank you for everything. Sincerely the family of William H. Steel III will coach Steel These are the coaches of the speech team. >> Coach

033Lawson >> who has done a great job with them throughout the year. Coach Lawson, can you please introduce our coaches extraordinaire so that everyone in the audience and who are listening online can hear and see our fantastic coaches who lead students >> and our assistant coach, Coach Vasquez, and our head coach, Coach Smith. Congratulations. >> Thank you. and good luck to you all next week. >> Our next team that I would like to bring up is the wrestling team. Uh these members qualified and competed in the state qualifiers. Uh they competed in the state tournament and they finished in the region. Isaiah Hill finished first place. Enrico Mazize finished second. He was second team all region. >> Nazir G finished second place in the region. And for girls, Manasia Wilson finished second place in the

034district and second place in the regionals and was a state qualifier. And then the future of Petersburg, we have a second grader from Cool Springs Elementary, Aiden Brown for the Petersburg youth wrestling team versus Hopeware Chesterfield League. He was the champion. He was a regional champion in the kids VAWA state runnerup for AU and like I said, the future of Petersburg. All righty. and the coaches Keian Owens. I can't I can't. And the rest and the other coaches, please come forward. >> I couldn't see. And Tyran Taylor, assistant coach. Coach, Coach Lawson, I just like to point out to the audience that what Isaiah Hill did was only done twice before in the history of Peasburg public school. A freshman win the region. So, I just want to give him another round of applause. Congratulations.

035>> Congratulations, >> Coach Lawson. We got some athletes in Petersburg. Do you hear me? Wow. >> Yes, ma'am. We We've always had them. >> Always. Always been. Woo. And now we're gonna uh recognize our girls basketball players. >> Leila Graves, first team all region. >> Dia Mason, second team all region. and Aaliyah Turner second place all region and it's it's very bright for our girls team. Uh this year's girls team did not have one senior on the team and they went to the regional semifinals this year. So, I'm going to put some pressure on y'all next year. Next year. Next year. >> I can't see in the back. Is coach Harrison here? >> Okay. Congratulations. And now, as you all know, uh, our team won the states 52 years. Here, I >> I'm going to

036go a little backwards from what I usually do. I want to uh first recognize coach Tatro White, senior. As we know, he was regional coach of the year and class three coach of the year this year. You know, he he promised you all something when he came and he lived up to his promise. Um, coach coach White knows how I feel about him. Uh, with the, as we've said, 52 years and was crazy. I felt all those losses where we were there. You know, I I was my father, he dealt with it in 78. I dealt with it as a kid in 78. Then I was a manager in 85 and 89. Then I was a coach in 2010. I was AD in 2012 and 20122. Those were the years that we lost in the

037states. Now we were there many years. So when I tell you, you know, sometimes you can't see all my emotions on my face, but Saturday was one of those. It got me because I've been here. You know, I wasn't born or went to school in Petersburg, but I've been here all my life. So when it comes to Petersburg basketball, coach knows. And um I first gave him his first job. He was my assistant coach. And even when he matured when he went away, I was still following him. You know, I always said when I introduced Coach White, I taught Coach White how to tie his first tie when he played here. You know, so when I say we've been together for a long time, we have, you know, I'm just grateful. And coach White came

038and like I said, lived up to his promise in the first year. So now we I'm putting pressure on him now cuz cuz before I leave Petersburg, I got to give me a couple more rings. I'd like to bring up the basketball team to please come forward in the middle. Yeah, just in the middle of right Yeah. Right with coach for right now. Right with coach right now. And I'd like to recognize uh a couple of the guys. Um Oh, Coach Blackwell, I'm sorry. Co coach Blackwell is the quiet one uh in front of everybody, but we know Coach Blackwell can get loud, but uh Coach Blackwell means a lot to uh Coach White who's he's been with Coach White the whole time and he came with Coach White, you know, so he mean a

039lot. uh first team and player of the year for the region and the state. Latrell Alman and McDonald's all-American. Learius Given, first team all region, first team all state. Kelvin Anderson, second team all region. >> King Bacott, second team all region. This group was, as y'all know, tremendous for our city. You know, people came out that you hadn't seen in years just to come and support. So, I'd like to say thank you to the team for your dedication to Petersburg and Petersburg basketball. Thank you. >> Thank you, Coach Lawson. Can we introduce each of our players on the team as well just so that everybody can put a name with the face that they've seen throughout the season through our through our wonderful season here. Can you please introduce every player so that every so

040all of them can get their shine? >> I'm going to give Coach White the opportunity to introduce everybody. I know I'm going somebody name up. >> First we have Kelvin Dorset Anderson. Wave your hand. Dorset Cameron Isaiah Clayborn. Reload Chris Shaw Keenan Rday Mason Nalin Antonio Robinson Larry Walker Jr. Cordell Lamont Oliver, King Arot, Samir White, Aaron Bridgefor four. And last but not least, the big fella, My main man May. Big fella. Big fella. Big fella. Big fella. Learius Tashan Ja. Michael Blackwell. A lot of people see me in the front, but a lot of people have a right-hand man. I have a right hand and a left-hand man, cuz this is he is the coach and he is the guy. He's the brains of this thing. I get a lot of credit for, but

041he's a guy behind the scene who's selfless, who really makes this thing work. And in order to have a really successful team, you have to have people who are willing to to commit. His best ability is his availability. He's always there. He's always counted on. So, I'm so grateful for these group of individuals who make sacrifices and the coaches that we have. I told you all when I first got the job that it's our turn now, but the truth of the matter is it's our turn now, it's our turn later, and it's our turn forever. Got to get it. Yeah. Yeah. Let's get What is That's right. I might as well go get in that one more time. some ball good man. >> All right. That was strange. That was strange. >> Yeah. What's going

042on? >> What are they playing? >> So, before we move on, I know everyone is walking out. I just wanted to take a moment and give a shout out to Coach Lawson. If y'all would stand with me and give Coach Lawson a round of applause because a lot of people don't see what goes into athletics, but all of the nights, the late nights and the sacrifices that he makes, taking away time from his kids and his family. We just want to say thank you so much and we really do appreciate you. PCPS is better because of you. Athletics is better because of you. So, thank you so much. All right. >> Okay. Next we move to 2B, Miss Brown. >> Thank you, board. School board members. And so as we continue with our recognitions, we

043have some more to celebrate in Petersburg City Public Schools. I'd like to bring up Miss Wanda Stewart who is the leader and I think she is the CEO. Is that correct? President and CEO of communities and schools who is a major partner and part of Petersburg City Public Schools. We could not do this work without the support of communities and schools. and so she will come forward and talk about our schools that have received a community schools designation by the Virginia Department of Education. So, thank you, Miss Stewart. Take it away. >> Thank you. Um, good evening um, chair, vice chair, board members, superintendent, um, PCPS family, CIS family and community. On behalf of our board and CIS staff, I bring you greetings. Um, we had a great opportunity um, from a fall phone call

044from our state office back on November 19th. Um, and the question was, "Are your schools community school designated?" And I said, "I don't believe so." and he asked us to jump on the call. So I jumped on the call with um Darien Wyatt who has been part of she's a program director with CIS. Um and Darien and Natasha please join me. Um Darien Wyatt is our program director and Natasha Johnson is our director of program operations. And um after receiving that phone call, we had numerous um meetings in which Darien was part of. Um, and then on December 4th, they asked us um if we would like to send in a letter of intent. We sent in the letter of intent and it had to be separate for each school. We couldn't send in one

045for the division, which I tried to do. They said no. Um, we had to separate each school and the due date was December 12th for the application, the full application. And so, um, I immediately contacted the superintendent's office and asked, um, is this something that she would approve? Do we want to move forward? And she said yes. And so I dug in, um, and we wrote the application for each school within Petersburg City Public Schools. Um, and Alexandra Jabna with the Department of Ed Virginia Department of Education assisted me with making sure that we had all that we needed for each application. And so I truly thank her. And on January the 23rd, I received a letter that every school in Petersburg City Public Schools was chosen as a community school to receive community school

046designation. Um, thank you. And in order to receive this, we had to be we had to prove that we had grants, a designated coordinator who will coordinate community engagement and um partnerships. We had to do a needs assessment, have wraparound services and supports. We had to have a reflection tool, um a um strategic plan and be part of shared leadership. And CIS site coordinators being in every school in Petersburg City Public Schools set this in place because they're designated person within the school that could um bring in community partnerships and work with community resources. Um we do a needs assessment each year. Um we deliver wraparound supports. um and they are part of the school improvement teams and the school leadership teams and they have a CIS team on which they work with at each

047school. And so we felt that all we had to do we were doing all of these things and from the administrative standpoint I was writing grants to bring in grant funding for um Petersburg City Public Schools. So we met all the requirements so it was just easy and we had to just articulate it in order to um receive designation. So what does this mean? This mean that as a community designated school that we are now able to qualify for community school designated funding and state level initiatives. And so of course the reporting begins because there is always a DOE report that you have to do at the end of year. Um but we will also um make sure that we are part of applying for the grants and the state level initiatives that um we

048are afforded now that we're community school designate. So I want to thank you um Superintendent Brown PCPS staff because without you all our principles we could not do what we do. And so we just thank you for the support. We thank the board for the support. Um, and on to New Horizons. Thank you. >> Any questions? >> Just want to say thank you for all that you do. I know you I text you at night, late at night, early in the morning to let you know families that are in need and you will respond back and say we'll take care of it. Thank you for all that you do for Petersburg City Public School. >> C. We move to C. >> Thank you, board chair Bridget and school board member. We'll now move to our

049our final recognition this evening. And of course, we this is our attendance or our chronic absenteeism traveling trophy. Just as a reminder for everyone listening and everyone in the audience, as a part of our 20 2526 school year board goals, our one of our top goals is to reduce chronic absenteeism by 3% by the end of this school year. And so as a part of our overall plan, our team is working to make sure that we are able to recognize by following the data very closely as it relates to attendance, the work of our attendance task force and everything that's been put in place so that we could focus on reducing the number of students and the percentage of students who are chronically absent from school. And so with that, I'm going to turn it

050over to our assistant superintendent of student services, Dr. Tori Manson, to talk a little bit about the data this month and to recognize the month for the month March. For the month of March, the new chronic the new school that will get the chronic absenteeism trophy. Dr. Manson. >> Uh good evening, Chairman Pritchette, Vice Chairman Tucker, fellow members of the school board, Madame Superintendent, and all all those assembled. Uh the award tonight is for the month of February for the reduc reduction in chronic absenteeism for the month of February. We do want to give a shout out to Pitman Academy which is a program for their continued hard work in reducing chronic absenteeism. And we also want to give a shout out to Vernon John's Middle School. Um they made it very close for their

051hard work each um month. Vernon John's is right there on the cusp of making it to being the um to being the um winner for the chronic absenteeism. But for this month with a 10% uh drop in their chronic absenteeism, Petersburg High School once again is the trophy winner. So I ask Miss Pierce to come up and get your trophy yet again from Petersburg High School. They've shown a 10% reduction in their chronic absenteeism from last year to this year. So congratulations Miss Fields and the team of Petersburg High School. >> Miss Fields, you see like you're lifting several trophies and back to back. >> That's exactly right with athletics. >> That's exactly right. That's exactly right. Congratulations to Petersburg High School and thank you to our attendance task force, our teachers, our staff, and

052everyone at Petersburg High School for your continued focus on helping to ensure that kids are coming to school every single day. Thank you. Congratulations. Okay, board members. Next we move to three, the approval of the consent agenda. Miss Brown, 3 A, B, and C. And board members, hopefully you had an opportunity to look at the personnel agenda. There wasn't anything on there that needed to go back into close session. >> Okay. Thank you, Board Chief Pritchette and school board members. for a 3A. It is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the final personnel agenda dated as provided. 43B, the approval of the minutes. It is a superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the minutes of the 1217205 and you can see them on the screen. regular board meeting. The meeting for 11420

0532026 organizational meeting. The meeting for 11426 2026 regular meeting. The special and regular meetings for 218 2022 special and regular meetings and 34 2026 special board meeting as provided. And for 3C board members, donations received by Petersburg City Public Schools. And it is the superintendent's recommendation the school board approve the donation received the no donations received from March 1st to March 15, 2026 as provided. You can take a look at the screen as a report is prepared by our finance department. So we want to thank everyone all of our donors who continue to provide donations to Petersburg City Public Schools. And you'll see some of those donations that we've received between March 1st, 2026 and March 15, 2026. So with that, it is again the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve 3A, the final

054personnel agenda dated 318, 2026 as provided, 3B, the approval of all the minutes listed on 3B and the donations that have been received um between March 1st and March 15, 2026 as provided. >> Thank you, Miss Miss Brown. Any questions? Is there a motion to accept thismendation? >> So move. Mr. Pierce who second Mr. Dance all in favor I opposed motion carries thank you next we move to our superintendent and staff reports number 448 Miss Brown >> thank you board chair Richard and school board members we'll start this afternoon with our presentation update for the board which is our title one annual program comprehensive needs assessment for the 2026 2027 school year and that'll be given by Dr. Tia Palmer, who is our interim director of federal programs. And so, we are excited because if

055you all remember last year, board members, we um there was um we brought a needs assessment to you all, I think in the late spring of last year. And of course, there was not enough time at that time to have everything collected. And so, we revamped our process this year based on that experience. And so we're really excited to have a update for the title one annual comprehensive needs assessment summary that you'll hear tonight. And so thank you to Dr. Tia Palmer and thank you thank you uh to Dr. Dartra Jackson. Thank you Dr. Palmer. >> Good evening Chair Pritchette, members of the board, Superintendent Brown, and members of the audience. Today we are reviewing the targeted findings and action steps identified during the comprehensive needs assessment on February 25th and 26th. We will also

056look at how these findings seamlessly align with our overarching strategic plan for Petersburg forward 2031 for 2026 through 2031. Here's a quick look at our agenda for today. We will start by grounding ourselves in our mission, accomp acknowledging the incredible team that made this assessment possible, and then diving into our specific findings, including our newly defined goals for teacher retention and compensation. Everything we uncovered in the CNA and every goal we set is designed to ensure our students graduate with a life filled with choices. These four areas allowed us to identify current realities and ma and map out our strategic goal for the coming years. The assessment required a deeply comprehensive and collaborative effort bringing together top division leadership, schoolboard representation, and our building principles. We also rely heavily on the grassroot perspectives of our

057teachers, specialized coordinators, data analysis, VDOE support, parents, and community partners to ensure our findings were grounded in reality. To ensure all students are succeeding academically, we have set a firm target for our English learner populations by aiming for a 4% increase. We are actively pushing our schools toward the mastery performance indicator for L progress. Priority two of our strategic plan demands that we support our educators. We cannot expect provisional teachers to navigate the lensure project process alone. The pathway to lensure program will be our centralized solution to this gap. Furthermore, to f fully support our instructional staff and meet growing student needs, we must actively increase the number of language instructional educational program or LEAP teachers. This is a it's critical to meet the new increased standards of quality or the SOQ requirements. The state

058has shifted away from the previous flat ratio of 44 to1 to a targeted tier system based on English learners profess proficiency levels. We must align our hiring and lensure pipeline to meet the new ratios. To stop the revolving door of new educators, we must invest heavily in our staff. By combining salary adjustments with a three-year commitment pack and robust mentorship, we aim to transition our novice teachers into seasoned professionals and raise our retention rate to 85%. A strong academic environment requires safety and support. Equipping 90% of our teachers with deescalation training will directly support our strategic goal of cultivating a safe work and learning environment. By leveraging parent surveys and other engagement strategies, we guarantee that our families have a true voice in our district's direction. Getting this input is the only way to ensure

059our funds are actually paying for services that benefit our students and increase their success. Moving forward, we have drastically increased stakeholder participation. So, our future assessments are highly representative of our community. This directly aligns with priority five of our strategic plan, which is entirely focused on strengthening family voices and partnerships. As we approach the July one launch of the comprehensive strategic plan, our immediate focus will be on building the organizational frameworks necessary to support our educators, adjusting compensations, and improving our school climates. Furthermore, the data and goals we have discussed today are highly actionable right now. They will serve as the foundation for our upcoming title grants, ensuring that our funding requests are perfectly aligned with our division's most pressing documented needs. And Dr. Palmer did a wonderful job um putting all this together. She

060started way back like um Superintendent Brown said way in advance. I just want to echo some of the hard work that went into this. It may seem like it was easy, but some of you all was there participated know there was a lot of work that went into this. A lot of data. When we say two days, it was two days of hard work looking at data really to find out what is the root cause analysis. What is the root cause analysis? What can we do to resolve that? What can we put forward and measurable actionable items and as you know it has to also be tied to our strategic plan. So that was not an easy task. If you notice all those names that was up there, we had higher level division leadership there

061participating. Um I was actually at Mr. Ma's table and he challenged me and I challenged him back and it was a wonderful learning experience. So we grounded everything based in data and it kind of was a eye openener. We pulled folks in who was kind of experts in that area and it was a great great experience. I want to kind of highlight some of the things that Dr. Palmer just um kind of announced. So we can just kind of go back just to re reiterate some of those tasks that we um set forth and some of those goals that Tide. I just want to kind of highlight those and then we'll ask um see if there's any questions from the audience. So Dr. Palmer um noted the first priority this one right was student achievement

062wellness and support. So we can go back a few slides just so we can make sure. Yes, one more right here. So right here you notice with this goal by 2025 as she mentioned already the air progress um we set a goal to increase by 4% in each school from the previous year. That goal is important because that ties directly to our new accountability system. And we noticed as we looked at the data and we looked at each school and we said where are they not progressing? Where can we gain more points? Our group or that group that had that data say hey we can increase if we look at this L population right here. Not just in one school but in all schools. So that wasn't easy to come up with that goal. We

063set that target and said over the next four um over the next year we want to increase by 4%. That was very very important. That was a great goal and again aligns with our priority one. >> Thank you po. I just have a quick clarification Dr. Jackson. It says by June 2026 and I know we worked on this work. So is that's the end of this school year. Are we okay? So that's set for >> So we right because we looked at the progression. So we we So principles already been working on this. Let let's go ahead put out there. Principles already know when I met with principles way back they knew this was something they need to work on individually. But as a division when we're doing a divisionwide needs assessment, it's no longer

064about the individual school. It's all of our schools. So we want to emphasize that. Yes, PHS may had an individual goal, but we looked at every single school and say that's great PHS, but how can we also do that at all of our schools? So, that's our goal for 4% this year and the next year so we can make sure we close that gap. I do want to emphasize that. >> So, we didn't wait a year out no >> to continue the focus even though we knew we had been working on moving all of our subgroup populations, but we already knew we were working on that. So, we integrated into our plan. >> Absolutely. for this year. So, and then next year we'll also build off of that, but we wanted to make sure that

065we kept the goal in front of us that we want to see that increase of 4% in each school based on that that student population perfect. >> Thank you. >> Yes. Okay, next slide. Just again to reemphasize some of the things Dr. farmer already shared and um a lot that came out you'll hear everyone talking about at different tables was about um how we retain our great teachers and how do we do that and if you heard I know Dr. long lane. There's already things she's already doing in her pipe. Again, we're going to make this divisionwide. Schools are kind of seeing this. So, to kind of align, they looked at the data. They looked at a lot of different data that was provided from both human resources and different survey data to come up

066with this goal. >> Thank you, Dr. Jackson. I just want to highlight for the board that as a part of each one of the priorities that we aligned to our um strategic plan were the root cause and the findings. And that's the big piece is that this needs assessment right there when it says findings. That's what we found when we dug into the data for Petersburg. And so that's what set the direction of where we're going. So for here for number two, we are currently at 68% teacher lensure. And so I just want to make sure attention to the root cause analysis of what we found when we did the deeper dive into the data. And that should be for each of the priorities which allowed us to be able to say okay now that

067we know that now where do we want to go from here now that we know that that's what the data is telling us and I can attest because I was a part of this process that there was so much data that everyone throughout the school division that were participated could dig into every single detail of data over the last what three years is that correct >> yes >> and so this is what we found with our teacher lensure so is that 68% % is saying what? So it's 68% of our teacher lensure is that saying that's 68% of our teachers are currently licensed Dr. laying in team >> and and actually the total from based on what VDOE deems as highly qualified is actually 52, >> right? >> But um we know that with different

068metrics that they use. So it's 52, but we want to kind of get that 277, but some the 68 would include those teachers who also have provisional license and things of that nature as well as a regular license. >> Right. So a fully a full license and a a um a license that is provisional is considered to be licensed in the state of Virginia. >> Yes, it is. >> That is correct. >> So currently we have 52% of our teachers, right, are currently either licensed or provisionally licensed. Is that correct from our data? Yes. Okay. Just wanted to highlight that. Okay. >> All right. Again, another goal that was also kind of supporting um to increase teacher retention, meaning those teachers will stay and we want them to stay right here in Petersburg. That was

069another goal. So, they want to align again that's aligned to priority two as well as I want to say was it priority um priority four, but it was objective um two. I think it was objective four, right? So it was objective four underneath priority two for teacher retention and focus on increasing um the retention rate. >> So some of our goals are currently this year 2026 and then we also have a goal by 2029. So we're saying by 2029 we will increase the teacher retention rate from 50% to 85%. And is that in alignment with our strategic plan? Because our strategic plan goes to 2031. So that means that we're going to have to take another look because if it's only to 2029, what about 2030? What about 2031? Because that is the five years

070for the plan for us to get to so are we saying we're going to get to 100% by 2031. So just wanted to understand as you all broke that down. How did you say that we're going to get to 85% by 2029? Um >> so over that three years um we didn't set all the way to five because we need to probably reassess. You think about it. So when you first set a goal and if you try to set out for five years that's so long you need to be able to come back and reassess. So what have we where are we now over the first and second year to be able to gauge those longear um plans where we might need to either increase or decrease it. For that reason that 15 points is

071five incremental point five um over the next three years. What's this one? All right. So this one is priority two also and is focused on talent acquisition and um and development and this focus on um staff and best practices and cultivating a welcome and safe learning environment. And this one it says by 2029 we're going to increase the staff capacity and relationship building um and engagement strategies as well as deescalation and um and that means for all staff by 90% of the of staff and leaders. We looked at a survey and um we noticed that um the survey that went out so we did share that there wasn't as many respondents. We were aware that that particular survey that we had didn't have a long enough time that it was shared. So we know that

072things of course now we're doing differently. But that particular data point stood out because we say, "Hey, only a certain number of our families responded to this. What was so then we dug into it a little deeper. Well, how long was the survey out? What are the ways that we can make sure besides just out electronically that all families receive this information?" So, those were some things that went into making sure that we really do have um that information and surveys and make sure everyone's kind of um participating this this one. Okay, so the next one priority five is family engagement. So, by 2029, um the percentage of stakeholders that complete the district comprehension needs assessment will increase by 80%. Um, I'm sorry. I think I mixed up. I was talking about surveys. I was

073looking at this one. Our last needs assessment survey, we noticed there was not as many participants. And you can't, if you only have a small percentage of feedback, then we can't really say that's how our community feels. So, we know anytime we do a needs assessment, we need to make sure that we're reaching everyone. We're really pushing the envelope, leaving it out a little longer to make sure we have at least 80% um feedback. The team was a little apprehensive. Well, we only had this amount last year. It's 82 high. So there was a lot of conversation looking at the data to say well what can we say that really represents they went from can we say 60 can we say 75 then the 80 is we have 80% feedback then we know that truly

074represents the majority of the community and we want to make sure we hear all voices to say well what can we do differently if I can reach this family through this way what else can I do can I knock the door can I send some home in a backpack can I attend maybe a community event we really want to make sure that we're really pushing the envelope to make sure every family voice is heard so that's why we set that number. I know it seems a little high, but it's what we need to make sure all voices are heard. >> So, Dr. Jackson, I know that that number is much higher than what statistics say. It is >> makes a survey reliable, right? And so, I know that that number I don't know what that

075number is, but I know that that's that's definitely well higher than what um what research and statistics say. when you have a survey, there's a certain amount of people that you should get and that makes it, you know, a a valid survey that you can use the data from. Okay, thank you for aiming. Hi. >> Yes, that was that group. So, the next steps are very important. So, um we're not just stopping here as you noticed um as you already said, why not 3031? It says here that we structured for just for three years so we can go back and reassess um to put the goals all the way out to five, we wouldn't have time to go back and reassess. So that's why you notice it said to 2029, but it is Petersburg forward

076um 2031. So I just want to reemphasize that. And then um we're going to make sure that we have those established baselines so we can make sure we measure um be able to measure those relationships and things have that has improved. And then we're going to really use this data as we write our grants. That's what's most important as we write grants, we find out how we can best move Petersburg forward. This data was serving that purpose. So if we don't have this baseline data to be able to say that, we won't know what direction, how we can really truly push. So that was one major thing that was discovered. Is there anything else you want to add, Doug? Okay. This time, are there any questions? >> Any questions from board members? Mr. Miles, >>

077first off, thank you. That was uh very good. I did have the opportunity to participate both days and it was very enlightening and um uh my my thing is about um how we need you know things that we need to bring together. One of them is family engagement CIS and PTA. I think that would be very beneficial to the to the whole if if we can come out somehow work those three together develop that PT because we need need that relationship between um family engagement and CIS which is very strong and then to work it in there with the PTA. Um um that was one of the things I think where we could use we could be way more effective in reaching people and reaching families and reaching parents and students because um that's the

078goal of all three to bring those three together and has some type of um um not just communication but I'm talking about some type of relationship when it comes to the PTA. Um the other thing is um we had a I saw a lot of good feedback through this activity. I mean through this training. I I received a lot of good training. One thing I know about policies, they're only as good as the programs we create. So I saw a lot of good policies or things things that we were coming up with. Now we need to come up with program to support those policies. And I think we are on the in the right going in the right direction. Um I was really impressed when it when it came to you enlightened me about accreditation

079and what each school it was different. It wasn't the same for all schools. >> Exactly. >> And they I think everybody on the board need to be aware at least educated on the challenge of each school because I was not aware that it was like that, you know. So, but uh and uh a lot of things we could do. You brought up about um English learners, we we we we lose points for accreditation and money for not having the right number of English learners, teachers. I was not aware of that. Uh same thing when you talk when uh you brought up about the elementary school teachers not being licensed. We we losing funds and we got to focus on on that. Um and I said this over and over again to my board members, constituents,

080we have to educate ourselves because if we going to lead this thing, we need to know exactly what they need in order to give them what they need. And u you know, somebody telling you is not enough. You need to learn for yourself. And so, thank you for allowing me to come in there, Brown and yourself, come in there for two days and receive some training. I appreciate it. Thank all of y'all for participating. Mr. Brown, too, cuz he enlightened me a couple on a couple of things. Conversations that we had because the conversations that take place in those workshops are not the same conversations that take place on in this boardroom, you know, in the board meeting. So, those you got to build those relationships also. So, thank you a lot for what um

081for for that. And hopefully I know we moving in the right direction. It's going to take a while to get there. It's not going to happen overnight. >> Right. Thank you for your participation. >> But the question was those three together CIS and PTA. So you know about trying to bring >> together >> build those relationships. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Thank you, Mr. Miles. Any other questions for board members? Miss Tucker. >> So I do have one question. Um, well, it's not really a question. To Mr. Ma's point, PTA has come up several times, and excuse my voice, I'm still trying to get it back from the game on Saturday. Um, PTA has come up several times in our pack meeting and our parents are really concerned when it comes to PTA. There's been

082a lot of push backs in in the schools from the principles with forming PTAs. We have been discussing PTAs before the school year started and we still only have three up and running right now because of the push back. So I guess my question is how do we make PTA a non-negotiable when it comes to the schools because we have parents that are actively waiting to get in the buildings and to start fundraising and to get these things that we need for the buildings. So, I guess how do we make it um a non-negotiable and how do we eliminate the push back? >> Thank you. Um board member Tucker, Vice Chair Tucker. Um that is a conversation we're currently having with principles now. Um I would I think part of us as a division, we

083have to bring parents back into the school. And so we are working with our leaders to kind of break away from those barriers and having our parents be a part of the conversations. Today we have started like our midyear conversations with principles. And that's one of the questions I'm asking. What's the status of your PTA requirement and what supports you need? So I will say to you that you will see have a different result. I would love to hear which schools that are pushing back because in my conversation with them, we are trying to build up. And so we can have that conversation and I will guarantee you by the end of this school year, we will have PTAs in all of our schools or they will be preparing to be members of PTA. >>

084Perfect. >> Yeah. >> Thank you so much. I knew you was coming. I knew you was coming >> cuz we having that conversation. Yes, ma'am. >> Absolutely. because our parents are waiting and as much as you know we understand the risk that it that comes with having our parents but I think we have to give them we have to allow an opportunity for them to come in so it is great to hear that it's something that we are actively working on in the division and we'll have an outside coming >> yes ma'am and um I will say to you to our parents who are out there in order for us to change the trajectory of what our students academic performance look like we have to have a partnership with our parents and so those conversations

085for those parents who may not be a part of PTA, we still want them to connect with the school and make sure they are part of the school community. So that's those conversations we are currently having. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Vice Chair Tucker, for your question. I also just want to remind everyone that in our five-year approved strategic plan as a part of priority number five, that is a focus area for family engagement. So when you said non-negotiable, the five-year strategic plan is the law of the land. And so it's already embedded in our five-year strategic plan. And so that is the expectation that has been set by you all voting to approve it, that we will have PTAs in all of our schools. And so that push back, as Mr.

086Brown said, he will address that. But I just want you all to know that the expectations already been laid. And that's what we're focusing on, our fiveyear strategic plan with those PTAs and family engagement priority number five. Thank you. Thank you. >> When you when um and my throat is gone, too. When Mr. Brown first came, Mr. Graham first came in, he separated um our leadership and our leadership was able to to bring one another back together because our parents weren't coming together with one another. You remember that, Mr. Brown? moved those um leaders in one area and then you moved another in another area and we began to try to make some leadway with one another. But it never holds itself. Clay always breaks and we need to make sure that we can bring

087that part has to get back together and that's the only way things will work. But we need more of that. Our our parents have to work with each other. We have to learn how to walk around in our areas and share what it is that we know and share what it is that we may not know and share what it is that we can do better. But we have to do what we can with our parents so that we can get them to allow their kids to be as active as they should be doing. So that's that's one of our targets that we need to look at. >> Thank you, Mr. Lundy, Dr. Gate. >> Yes. Good afternoon, board chair, superintendent, and our esteemed board members. Um, I just wanted to add this. This is

088in addition to Mr. Brown's um you know declaration of us uh creating more of a cohesiveness um around family engagement um communities and schools and other supports. There's a term that says you're designed to get the results that you get. Meaning that if you are designed to um if you have uh high chronic absenteeism somewhere you're designed to get that. If you are increasing in attendance and decreasing chronic absenteeism, you're designed to get that result. We are creating a design of family engagement. And I just want to honor Dr. Lee and her team um uh family and community engagement. We've created a design um with your board approval of increasing parent liaison support. They are the mediators between home and school where we can dig deeper into that connection with families. I just want to

089acknowledge also that we went from zero to three PTAs in one year. Uh so just want to celebrate the small wins that the small wins predict the bigger wins. So we are moving forward to uh uh uh board member Miles point. It's going to you know we're moving fast. It's going to take a minute, but we're going to continue to increase. I just want to provide an example. Our partnership with uh Virginia State University uh working with one of our schools and the conversation that came from that is before we start creating programs, we need to address uh uh some things that have happened in the past. So, there's some healing work that is happening in our schools before we create PTAs. Um well, not before. I'll say that we're doing it in tandem. So

090if there is some resistance, we want to get down to the root cause of why there is resistance. So I would love as Mr. Brown mentioned to know more about where that resistance is so that we can provide uh more targeted support around that. But I just wanted to uh to share that we are on our way um with building PTAs um in our schools. Thank you. >> Thank you Dr. Gate. Any other comments from board members? Oh, you hit one, Miss Tucker. >> So, just one more question. I'm sorry. So, I do know that um to Dr. Gay's point with the parent liaison positions, we have the two parent leaison positions. Are we looking to put other either more parent leaison in other buildings or more family engagement? Because we do know that that

091is a small team. Um, are we looking to increase that number to put one in each building so they're not stretched so thin and we can get we can actually get more results and greater results um with more bodies. What does that look like? >> Absolutely. Um, that has been the goal from the beginning um is to have a parent leaison for every school. Currently, we do not have a parent liaison assigned to every school. Um I think there's one parent liaison for two to three schools right now and they're doing a great job um with building their capacity and working with families and our uh administration and schools but um you know we are working um is contingent upon our budget um and we're going to be looking at grants um outside grants uh

092to support the process as well that has been the conversation. So, um it's still in the thought process. Um I know our superintendent um is an advocate for parent leaison and so we'll continue to work towards that. >> Thank you so much, >> Dr. Gay. Thank you. I think I'm just expounding on the fact that I think we're looking at grant funding now. Is that correct? As we look at transitioning our them to to to be able to leverage some of the grant funding that's already at the school level. Am I correct? because we we're trying to get to a point where one can support a school and so we're looking at our I think it's Mr. Brown I think is Dr. Gay our title adopt title dollars I think we're looking at related to

093parent leaison and we're looking to work with our principles to have them write that type of um role into um some of the grant funding um as we try to build each year and so as we get grant funding as Dr. Gay talked about I think that's some of the intention we talked about in our planning. Is that correct Mr. Brown and Dr. Gay? >> Um yes ma'am. So principles right now are looking at as a part of the title one assessment they're also looking at the title one dollars that we get and we do have to do a better job of informing our principles of the role of family engagement because for so long it was housed downtown when it should have been attached to the school. And so we need to calibrate around

094what those roles are and how they support schools and principles and how they are part of those conversations. So we're kind of reorganizing the way our parent liaison are principles are looking at if we need to increase where they're not as you know with our title one dollars if we need to increase those positions. Those conversations are happening. I would say two things have to happen in our division. One is that principles have to see the value of them and how they are supporting those that school community. And so that's a part of us recalibrating. Two is looking at if there's a need for increasing the amount if it's halftime going to one. Those the conversations we're having with principles right now. And as Dr. P Palmer develops the Title One funding document. Those are

095the things that we're trying to realign our um our money to to make sure that it's attached to the school. >> Perfect. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Mouse. You know, um when it comes to um interacting with the public, interacting with the parents, we have a lot of people that's working in our school system that supports staff that's that that's not teachers. We got um um counselors and and and a lot of different people. Um I know for a fact when we when when I first started out on the school board before I before 2025, um I spent a lot of time at Blandford Academy, a lot of time at Blandford Academy, three days a week and on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. And um and I challenged the school board that each one

096of us since it's only seven schools, seven school board members, each one of us um adopt the school to support what you're trying to do um at that school and um and that's why I chose Bford Academy because in my ward we don't have a school and um and that since that split from the middle school but this 2025 I had a lot of issues where I couldn't attend because I had four surgeries. But starting today, I'm going I'm going to start that back up because we need the participation from everybody. You got to be willing to inconvenience yourself. If you want to do something to make a change, you got to be willing to in inconvenience yourself to get it done. We got a lot of people working in the school system that could

097be at a PTA meeting um um or plan a PTA meeting because we know the nature of Petersburg. They not going to come unless the kids participate. So if you got a activity going on that day, whether it's the first grade, second grade, third grade of that elementary school at the PTA meeting and you have it organized, if it don't take but 20 minutes, those parents from that grade level going to show up and you know, you might not get the rest of them, but you going to get a lot of them. So if the more activities you had that involve kids and the more people a min not not not just a um staff but I told schoolboard members and everybody else we we show a presence and interact and get communities of schools

098and family engagements involved in that plus the different people that parents need to talk to at the PTA meetings. you're going you're going to get better participation, but you got to have a goal what you want to accomplish when when once the parents get together or how to organize them so they can make the decisions, not you or how they want that PTA run and how they want to support that school because that's what the PTA is for. It's not for you to dictate to them, for them to see what you need and provide that need. And so it's very important that we do it right. And uh so getting the PTA is one thing. Making it effective, that's a totally different thing. And so we want to do more than just bring them to

099the meeting. We want to make sure they we we we organize them and have goals that the PTA want to meet to support that school. And um so um but we need the commitment from everyone and hiring more people is not going to solve the problem. We need the people that we have to get involved. That's all. Thank you, M. Thank you, Mr. Miles. Thank you, Dr. Jackson. And thank you, Dr. Palmer. Who else? Oh, you again. >> The only thing The only thing I wanted to share is that when we think about the PTA and all of the other things that we bring about, we have to remember that we have all types of people and we have to learn how to negotiate with them. and to share with them how we can make

100this process really take place. Because some some people are open people, some people are quiet people. Some people just want to be able to check it out until they feel like they become a part of it. And this is how you bring people together. You cannot bring people together if you stand in a room like this and everybody spreads his or herself. That's not how you do it. We have to bring it together so that our adults can get it and so that our children can pick it up even at a later time or an earlier time. We need to concentrate on that. Anyone else? Good. Thank you, Mr. Brown, Dr. Jackson, Dr. Palmer. Appreciate it. >> Next, we'll move on to the B. >> Thank you, board chip and school board members. Our second

101presentation of this afternoon is our Claude Moore grant um through our CTEA CTE program. And so, we have Dr. Thomas Mi Mi our director of CTE programs. Thank you, Dr. I got it right this time, right? Thank you. >> Uh, thank you, Superintendent, school board, and board chair. I'm so going to discuss our Clawmore grant proposal. U going to go over the background of Clawmore, our uh our budget proposal, and take any questions that you might have. Uh so the um the Clawmore scholar program one component is to provide local school systems with grant funds to establish healthcare education programs for high school students. So Petersburg has applied for Clawmore grants since 2019 and we received three different grant awards during that time time span. So want to kind of pause and emphasize um that

102area right now. Um this is not a given like some grants are kind of cyclical and they're almost going to be like a given. These are competitive grants and so it's not guaranteed. So, just want to put that out there so everyone knows that this is not necessarily a guaranteed grant, but we have had some success in the past u obtaining three different grant awards. Um, so this definitely goes towards our board goal number two, subsection two, to increase each year the percentage of students participating in workforce readiness and dual enrollment programs. And I'm going to show a little video of our nursing program. Nursing a program. It helps you become a certified nursing assistant. I know a lot of people who went to trade school to become a CNA or did it after they

103got out of high school. We could when we get out of high school, we could go we could do our LPN class next year and then when we get out and go to college, we could go straight into being an RN, which mean we will only need about 3 4 years of college. A lot of people to become a doctor or RN, they be at college for like 8 years. Seeing that a lot of people don't have good nurses, I want to be that good nurse for them. >> Feel like this is a very good opportunity for us. >> So, thank you to Chelsea and Frank for putting those videos together. Did a couple of those throughout the year. Um definitely been a huge help. Um so in developing our grant proposal for club more

104this year um so in times pasting from different situations a lot of times they look at adding different programs or adding different classes um for the grants. Uh so made a strategic decision not to add programs as to not water down what we currently have. Um so Miss Gary's done an excellent job in the last few years getting both the practical nursing and nurse a programs onto board of nursing approval. Um that's thing something throughout the years one was one wasn't practical nursing would have the board of nursing approval nurse A wouldn't and it would kind of flip-flop back and forth. Um so as opposed to stretching ourselves too thin and having those board of nursing approvals go away we want to strengthen what we currently have with our existing programs. Um and we'll get

105a little bit more into the meat of that in just a second. Um so our project addresses quality outcomes for students which results in more students entering the healthcare workforce that are prepared to serve our community. Uh so currently we have students just going through the nurse aid classes receiving the credit but while that's good and there's benefits to that uh we want to be moving away from students just taking the class without we want them to exit with their clinical hours in hand and also passing the enclelex to get um their state license as a nurse aid. So that's the main goal instead of just students just going through the class we want students coming out with their license to go into the workforce. Um so objective number one is to increase the number

106of students that are completing the nurse aid course that meet the criteria for state lensure and pass the INLEX. Um and that's something I'll kind of highlight uh that we have to take very seriously uh as far as the ENLEX pass rate. Um to stay within the board of nursing approval, we have to have an 80% or higher pass rate on the ENLEX. Um objective number two is better to better prepare students that are going into phase one of their practical nursing program. That goes hand in hand with objective one. If we are strengthening the students that are coming out of the nurse aid program and they want to go into practical nursing, that's going to um go hand in hand with objective one. Then objective three is to expand mental health assistant careers program

107and offer certifications through that course. Something we've actually already started making some headway on that. U Miss Tiffany Jones is our mental health assistant careers teacher. She's already um got stuff set up to where we can test for the certifications throughout that course. will be completing the paperwork for having mental health assistant careers too u in the coming months. Um so the strategy is to achieve those goals. Um we would looked at providing weekly after school I enclelex prep in a monthly Saturday session. Um provide follow-up courses sorry next slide. Provide follow-up courses for underassman if students are not ready for the INLEX. So if they're a junior in the nurse a class and we're going to have them again next year and they're not ready to take the ENLEX during their junior year, they'll

108come back to us in another course to receive remediation for the ENLEX. Uh we'll also look at moving up the start of their clinicals and offer more clinical times than just the required 40 hours. Um as most of us know, students retain um better with a combination of hands-on learning that comes with those clinicals. We'll also provide training for instructors to attain required certifications for mental health so students can attain any certifications in that field. So, as far as the dollars for the uh budget proposal, so personnel is about $76,560. Currently, there is a teacher match that is tied with Claude Moore. Um, so that's a little bit over half of that. It's about 42,000. um a part-time staff to help out with the remediation for the INLEX purchase services um is about 83,820 with

109um items for whether it be for ATI CPR that's kind of followed in with the e-learning clinical scheduling software and transportation with increased clinical time instructional supplies is at 17,000 these are items like uh linens glucometer stethoscopes um bringing the total up to $177,380. Um, any questions on the items covered whether it be the budget focus areas as far as objectives or the strategies? >> Thank you, Dr. Any questions from board members? Mr. Dance, >> good evening. >> What is uh X? What that mean? >> ENLEX. That's the there's various ENLEX tests um within the nursing healthcare world. So, the nurse aid students to be able to get their state license would have to pass the ENLEX nurse aid examination. Thank you. >> Any other questions? >> Yeah, >> Mr. Miles, >> um what are

110your plans to ex uh to expand on um the um and and you know to have more opportunities in different subject areas and because I just visited and planning on visiting more schools that uh have outstanding um CTE programs. I last yesterday I visited Louisa. It was amazing. I was out there. It was absolutely amazing. Um next week I'm visiting um Winchester >> and because um Virginia School Board Association said they're one of the best. Um and um and so I want to see what they have. um what do you have planned for us in the future for our kids far as programs? >> Uh so for currently kind of on the on the docket. So in coming months they'll be we'll be receiving um course proposals for not only mental health assisting careers part

111two but also for hospitality and tourism um because of the surrounding area as far as items that we want to prepare our students for. Um but also um this is probably a couple years down the road but we'll look look at more skilled trades programs for our young men. Um so a little closer to my heart is electrical side of things. Um, but we need to look at options that are in need in the local area, but also uh programs where young people can come out of high school and get their foot right in the door. Um, whether it's the skill trades, electrical, manufacturing, and so forth. But as of right now, things are on the docket. >> I I was more concerned about working while you're in high school, like you get a work

112permit at 14. When I was in high school, they would call me to the council's office and they would say, "Hey, do you want a job this summer? Do you are you planning on working this summer?" And stuff like that. They help you get a work permit. They help you get all the information, I mean, all the things that you need in order to work go into the workforce. The school system even hired some of the kids to um for in the in the system, you know, for the part-time jobs during the summer and some of them work during the school year part-time. So, the thing is is that we don't have any of those programs now. And I was out there at Louisa and and about a a fifth of their workforce were students.

113And they saved a lot of money using these students. They didn't have to pay no benefits. They didn't had to do a whole lot of things they they didn't had to do. And these kids are gaining valuable experiences doing things in the system. And the thing is is that um that's why I told um the board I'm going to Winchester and and take a look at that also because I want to see what other people are doing. And and uh the thing is I I know for a fact that when these kids graduate from high school, we we haven't been hiring them in the system. So I know we have jobs that we need not just in the not just in the city but in the schools also. So the thing is is that everybody's

114not going to go to college right away. Some people might take trade schools, different things like that, but at the same time, they need to work to get money to make it. So, what do you you have any plans like that in the future? >> Yeah. So, I guess uh kind of spoiling surprise for upcoming board meetings where I give a different CT update, but I'll kind of expound upon that right now if that's okay. Um, so our automotive students are u automotive 2 students are interning every Friday at CMA Automotive right off exit 58 at the Honda dealership, Hyundai, Kia, and Subaru dealership. Um, so they go there every Friday from 9:30 to 1:30. Our early childhood students, both early childhood one and early childhood 2, go to Westview for the clinicals. Um, I'll

115get back on track on other experiences, but so cool thing about those two programs, the Alder 2 and the early childhood 2 students. Um, those that completed the paperwork for it are getting paid. Um, they're getting paid not by us, not coming out of, you know, Petersburg school district funds, but uh, connected with Tabitha Taylor and Kurink Patrick at the Creative Regional Workforce Development Board. uh they had some additional um funding that they could utilize to help support our programs. Um so they had to complete, you know, certain paperwork for it, but those students essentially are getting paid each day for coming to class and going to their internships. Um so it's about $100 per week for those students, but it's mainly for coming to school, participating in their workbased experiences. Um so that's those

116students. We're going to look to expand that. Had another meeting today with an organization that is looking to possibly fund expansion of that. Um but as far as other workplace experiences, uh so the nursing students specifically, they have clinical hours. Um our culinary students, uh so was able to connect with Miss Martin, our school nutrition, uh manager. And so we have about 12 students in our culinary 2 program. And so it worked out well numbers wise. Monday through Thursday, a group of different three students will come down to the school nutrition school cafeteria and help out and support our individuals there. Um just now kind of starting to um crack this egg but um getting with Daryl for um any Mr. Galette rather um any type of basic handyman type of um construction builds whether

117it's the chairs they actually did that recently for the auditorium but using the carpentry students whenever we know that the maintenance department has items that they need to thus build so we can utilize our individuals to help support our school district and schools. So there probably a couple others that left out but stay tuned. So >> so we've started that. Is that correct? We started using those students to help support Mr. Goted in maintenance. Is that correct? >> Yes, sir. >> Yeah. Um I know when I was in school, we um my first job was at Fort Lee through Peas High Public Schools. They they they hired about like um about 50 of us and we were in the mess halls. We did uh lawn service. We did a whole lot of things down at

118Fort Lee. They had a partnership with Fort Lee. So the kid, you you know, so soon as the school year was over with, matter of fact, it went over into the doing school too because they still needed us. But at the same time, those partnerships are very, very important for those little part-time jobs where those kids get their work permits, they can go out there and make money because let me tell you, it's a difference when they have money in their pocket. >> Y >> it's a different kid. So if you create opportunities for them to work and if it's like you said it's only a $100 a week that $100 a week make a a big difference in a person life you know. So the thing is is that those type of opportunities and

119they build up a resume that they have some because the main thing they got to do in order to be successful in life is what we're focusing on there attendance. If you're not where you're supposed to be on time doing what you're supposed to do ready to go you're not going to have a job. And that's very important. They need to learn that. That's the first thing to order to have a job. You have to be there. And if you're not there, you're there just sometimes it's not going to happen. But we need these opportunities for them so they'll understand more so than just sports because our kids lean towards the coaches. We need to lean towards, you know, these opportunities also. So the more opportunity you can create for them to work, it gonna

120make a difference. >> Yeah. Showing up is half the battle. Had that conversation with the students. Hey, we're not here these days. That's coming off the paycheck. So, >> I had gotten people off the corners by create by finding them a jobs drug dealers. I said, "Hey, man. Wouldn't you rather have a job?" He said, "Yeah, but where I going to work?" And put put them with a roofer. Next thing you know, you making money. You don't want to half them don't even want to be out there on the corner. They just don't have anything else to do. And if they had something they could do that made them feel good that they can look back and look at, hey, I put that roof on right there. that's a change lives. So we got to

121create these opportunities for them and um so the more we can do. Thank you. >> Thank you >> Mr. Lundy. Want to ask one thing um as as for instance the culinary um do we time our kids? Do we does our chef do they do um do they prepare things faster? Do they know what they're doing? Do they get their um everything prepared so it can be in place and say if we had something taking place in here that someone would be able to make sure food is out immediately. Not when you want to get ready and chef want to come when he gets ready. That's not how it works because I'mma sit here and I'mma be hungry. And so I'm wondering, are we paying attention to these things? These small things are what comes

122in the end of things. And then when you start seeing it happen that way, you begin to say, "Oh, we we messed up." And that's what happened in here. We had a lunchon. And when we had a lunchon, I mean, we didn't have anything that was prepared. not one thing for black history. We didn't have any preparation. And that's because somebody's working in this area that he or she doesn't know how to put this thing together called CT. >> As far as the timing for the culinary students, that's part of their competencies and it's also going to goes back to the um importance of getting them out into work rellated experiences. So timing in the classroom in the in the culinary lab is one thing. But then also coming down with Miss Martin and the

123other um individuals to work with with them. That's a different timing type of situation. It's a real life situation scenario. Um as far as here with the school nutrition, school cafeteria or also same thing out in the restaurant. So that's why we need to work on expanding more of our programs to get students out of the classroom in the lab and into real world experiences whether it's culinary or carpentry or so forth. But I'm saying those individuals that stand in front of of of our students that have to lead should be leading. We we shouldn't have to go whereas we had a a lunchon. We have to go all the way back around all the way down to CTE when preparation should have been taking place. So somebody's missing the ball and we have to

124do better with that. M dance. >> Yes. Some people may not know this, but um the police department offers jobs to our students each year. Um they work several hundred of our students each year in different places like the fire department, police department. So that um an opportunity is out there. Library, whole lot of different places. So, um, Chief Miller, assistant, um, city manager Miller, he runs that program and it's a very good program. So, we do have jobs out there for our children each summer through the city. >> Yes, we connected with the city of Petersburg individual that runs the summer internship. So, we've sent that out to our uh our staff as far as for the application for it. They'll actually be here next week to provide more information for our students. But

125correct, you're it's absolutely correct from the police department, city manager, fire department, um, and various other entities within the city. They have the summer interns that are available for our students. >> Great program. >> Yeah. And um so we we've kind of connected a little more this year. We want to once the once the applicants are in for the summer internship, we're going to they're going to u share the information with us to where we're then going to look at what program they are here they are taking here currently at Petersburg High School so they can try to match them because right now the application is just a basic general summer internship application. >> We want to help align that as much as possible to where it's a good fit not only for that department

126but also for the student. Um, so as opposed to having a carpentry student go and work in HR, um, we want to have that person that's maybe doing something with facilities or the department of utilities towards a better fit for both parties. >> Yeah, I kind of follow that program for the last couple of years. The kids, they really learn a whole lot. They get a whole lot of good experiences. >> Yeah. >> Through that program. Thank you. >> Yes. I I have one more question and and I'm not sure if you're familiar with it. I know Dr. Manson is, but we had we had a partnership with the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental Services where we had students, they were here and we had students that were taking courses for mental health and it

127was to be in partnership with Central State Hospital, meaning that if they completed the program that they could come to Central State and work as a mental health tech or a um or security tech or whatever, do you all know whether or not we're still working with Do anyone know? >> Um, >> because I was in that meeting when we brought them here down to the central office and we sat there and I remember it was a couple of students who actually entered the program, but we had >> you know what what year this was? >> This was maybe about two years ago, Ryan. Maybe about two years ago. >> No. Um, >> I mean, and it's I mean, it's a program that that will provide kids with state benefits, a full-time job with state

128benefits. I I know Dr. Manson is familiar with Central State because we hire his students through special education and once they graduate if we have openings they're hired they receive full-time state job with state benefits and so we were doing the same thing with the mental health course also it's an actual program to go through >> getting that information to me and I'll follow up and see how we can >> Okay Dr. Dr. miss it. >> Okay. Appreciate it. >> Thank you for bringing that to our attention. >> Mhm. Anything else? >> Yeah. Um your your um plans for to develop the the the STEM because that's fall under you also. Do you have anything new coming up with STEM? >> Uh that's Miss uh Coleman Milner is for the um STEM side of things.

129>> All right. Well, I just would like to inform you if you need the name. I think I have it on here with Dominion Energy. They had a pro I went to their graduation this um September. They had a summer program for graduates, high school graduates, and you could be had actually been out of school a couple years if you wanted to. But everyone that finished that program, they trained them on the job as field people, um um linesmen, all kinds of stuff. And let me tell you, it was real, really really, really good. They had about 100 people in the program. I think about 38 graduate. And all 38 people interview for jobs and got jobs. And one on were the reason why I went because oneonone was a Petersburg High grad that was

130um one of my mentees and I was really impressed with the program and that was the second year and the state sponsored it. The state of Virginia sponsored it. So the thing is it's open to all. But uh are you familiar with that? >> Who's the contact with that? >> I got the contact. I get with you afterward. Dominion ended. >> You finished? >> Are you finished? Yeah, I'm finished. >> Thank you, Mr. >> Thank you. >> Okay, Miss Brown, we'll move next to 4C. >> Thank you, Schoolboard members. We now will have our monthly division update, which is an update of our Head Start and our grants update for the month of February given by Dr. Matias Greywood, our chief financial officer. Dr. Greywood. Good evening. Um, board chair Pritchette, Vice Chair Tucker, esteemed

131members of the school board, Superintendent Brown, staff, and members of the Petersburg community. Tonight, I will provide our monthly update as of February 28th. This update covers all major funds, including the general fund, food service, grants, and Head Start. Our agenda would deal with the Petersburg city transfer, general fund budget and expenses, food service grants, Head Start, and both the federal and non-federal side. This slide shows the city transfer for FY2526. The original budget was 12.97 million. We have received so far 9.7 million to date. The remaining balance is 3.24 million. So far we have received eight installments of 1.08 million each. General fund budget and expense by state category. We have the general fund budget and expenditures by state. Um instruction current budget is 46.17 million yeartoate expense 26.99 million remaining balance 19.18 million

132for administration attendance and health expenses are tracking as expected with 2.7 million remaining. People transport year-to-ate expense 2.26 million remaining balance 1.2 22 million. For operations and maintenance, expenses total 7.55 million with 2.81 million remaining. For technology, expenses total 2.25 million with 989,000 remaining. Overall, the general fund has a remaining balance of 26.9 million, which is consistent with expect expected spending patterns for the rest of the year for food service, school construction, and grants. Current budget for food service is 4.18 million. Year-to- date expense 3.06 million. remain in balance 1.13 million food service continues to operate within budget and remain stable fund five school construction this is our u CIP uh fund we currently have 75,000 budgeted with minimum spending of uh a few dollars remaining 74.74,840 For fund seven, which is grants across all

133grant categories, instructional grants show about 7.55 million expenses with remaining 6.49 for the rest of the year. For admin, transportation, operations, and debt servicing, all tracking appropriately for the rest of the year. Across all three funds, the total remaining balance is 8.7 million. When we combine all funds, general fund, food service, construction, and grants, the total FY26 budget is 91.7 million. Year-to- date expense is 56.12 million with a remaining balance of 35.61 million. This is consistent with expected expenditure for February. Moving on to Head Start. This slide shows the Head Start federal budget and expenses. Total federal budget is 1.4 million. Year-to- date expenses 825,000. Remaining balance 574,000. Most spending is in personnel and fringe benefits, which is typical for this program. Supplies and other operating expendited expenditures are tracking normally for this point of

134the year. Head Start non-federal funding. Total non-federal budget is about 350,000. Year-to- date expenses 203,000 remaining balance 146,000. Combined federal and non-federal totals brings the Head Start budget to 1.75 million with 721,000 remaining. questions. >> Any questions for Dr. Greywood? >> No questions, sir. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Okay. Next, we move to our public comment period. And I do not believe we have. Okay. Next, we move to our action item, Miss Brown. 6A. >> Thank you, board chair pitch, and school board members. Our 6A, our first action item this evening relates to our updated 2024 2029 capital improvement plan for Petersburg City Public Schools. And so my recommendation this evening is that the superintendent superintendent's recommendation the school board approved the updated 2024 2020 through 2029 capital improvement plan with the amended projects

135that were presented at the March 11, 2026 school board work session. If you want to take a look, it is attached and those are the that is the original capital improvement plan 2024 2029. And then we also have the update. So that'll show what was the original plans from the um operational advisory committee. And then they also projected with some updated pieces for our capital improvement plan. And so some of those updated projects that we added addition a little bit more And so we've made a few additions to the capital improvement plan. So we can continue to scroll up. Thank you. And so you'll see some adjusted approvals. Adjusted approval. Adjust adjusted additions, excuse me. And so you see the gym locker rooms and we're going to address those. We're going to bring those for

136recommendation this evening. And then we have some other additional proposed items to be a part of our CIP. Okay. Along with unplanned maintenance and emergency repairs. So with that, it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the updated 2024 through 2029 capital improvement plan or CIP with amended projects presented at the March 11, 2026 school board work session. >> Thank you. Thank you, Miss Brown. Any questions? Board members, you heard the superintendent's recommendation. Is there a motion to accept? >> Yes. I move that we accept the the plan. >> Second. >> Moved by Mr. M. Second by Mr. Dance. All in favor? >> I oppose. Motion carries. 6B. >> Thank you, board chair pitch and school board members. This is our proposed FY superintendent FY27 proposed budget adoption. And I want to make

137sure I have the right number. Okay. And so it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the sorry. It is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the final proposed budget adoption for FY27 in the amount of 139,126,72 and that is inclusive of our 53 million for the Walnut Hill Elementary School project. And so again, it is the superintendent's recommendation the school board approve the superintendent's FY27 proposed budget for adoption. In addition, so let me go back. So, in addition um to the superintendent's recommendation, the school board approved approve the um FY27 proposed superintendent's budget um to include the 53 million for the Walnut Hill PreK5 project along with the addition of our and the in increase in our health care for the deductibles of a,000 and 2,000 as a part of

138the FY27 budget proposal as provided. >> Any questions? Is there a motion to accept the recommendation? >> So moved by Mr. Pierce, second by Mr. Miles. All in favor? >> I opposed. >> Motion carries. Next we move to six. >> Thank you board chair Bridget and school board members. This is our VSBA 2026 business honor role which is Breitpoint Community College, Crimson Clinic, and Concerned Black Men of Petersburg. And so it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board. Okay. So we'll go back approve the resolution for the 2026 business honor role celebrating recognizing Breitpoint Community College, Crimson Clinic, and concerned Black Petersburg. Do I need to read the actual if you could click on >> I'll just do the first one. >> Okay. And so for each of the resolutions again for those three

139organizations, Breitpoint Community College, Crimson Clinic, and Concerned Black Men of Petersburg. So whereas public schools and local businesses are an integral part of this community, and whereas many local businesses play a crucial role in supporting our schools, and whereas the economic health of our community, state, and nation depends on a strong public school system. And whereas collaboration between local public schools and local businesses strengthens schools and the business community alike by providing a well-trained and highly educated workforce. And whereas an excellent public school system is vital to the quality of life in this community and fundamental to preserving a strong democratic society now and in the future. So therefore, be it resolved that Petersburg City Public School Boards names Breitpoint Community College, Crimson Clinic, and Concerned Black Men of P of Petersburg as the 2026

140Virginia School Boards Association business honoral recipients showing appreciation for the ongoing support of Breitpoint Community College, Crimson Clinic, and Concerned Black Men of Petersburg. Your work has aided this community in focusing on the goal of providing the best public schools we can for every child who attends them. Abdopted by the school board of the city of Petersburg this 18th day of March 2026. So again, it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the resolution for the VSBA 2026 business honoral recipients, Breitpoint Community College, Crimson Clinic, and Concerned Black Men of Petersburg as provided. >> Thank you, Miss Brown. You've heard the recommendations. Is there a motion to approve? Moved by Mrs. Proctor, a second, Mr. Pierce. All in favor? I >> I opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. We move to D. Thank you,

141board chair pitching and school board members. This is our Walnut Hill Elementary School prek to5 new school construction selected preferred proposer. It is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board accept the new construction advisory committee recommendation and approve the selection of the preper preferred proposer design bill team Gilbane Building Company and Moody Nolan to proceed into the interim agreement and design initiation phase consistent with the PPE process timeline presented. Thank you, Miss Brown. Any questions from board members? You've heard the recommendation. Is there a motion to accept? >> So move, Mr. Chair. >> Moved by Mr. Dance, second by Mr. Pierce. All in favor? >> I oppose. >> Motion carries. Yes. Thank you, Bo Pritchette and schoolboard members. 6E, the Walnut Hill Elementary School prek to 5 new school construction interim agreement process. And so

142it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board authorize the superintendent or designate to negotiate and execute an interim agreement with the selected preferred proposer design bill team Gilbane building company and Moody Nolan in order to initiate the design phase activities consistent with the PPA schedule and next steps. >> Thank you. Any questions board members? Is there a motion to accept the superintendent's recommendation? >> So move. >> Moved by Mrs. Proctor. Is there a second? Second. >> Mrs. Tucker. All in favor? >> I oppose. Motion carries. Congratulations to Gil Bane. Look forward to working with you all. Thank you Mr. Miles and Mr. Dan for serving on the committee. I know it was a hard job, but someone had to do it. Thank you. What a pleasure. >> Definitely a pleasure. Go ahead. >> And

143I also want to thank the community and the advisory team, the first one, the second one, and the entire team. It was a it was a it was a a collective effort and it was a great great very rigorous process. And so we're excited to be at this point um with beginning to start the building of our new elementary school, PreK5 Walnut Hill Elementary School. And so we are excited and again we look forward to working with the chosen proposer. And so the work now begins of designing what our new school will look like handinhand with the Gilbang Company and Moody Nolan. So thank you again and congratulations. So for 6F, gymnasium lockers and budget expenditure, it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the Petersburg High School gymnasium lockers budget expenditure as

144provided. And if you could please click on that. And so on November 12th, 2025, Deputy State Fire Marshal Marlo Jones conducted a formal inspection of the Petersburg High School gymnasium and locker room facilities. The resulting report concluded that existing conditions um provided offered an opportunity for students and staff and visitors and declared the spaces unsafe for occupancy. Critical and high-risisk violations cited in the report included some safety, electrical hazards, and systemic um facility issues. The PCPS facilities department has immediately remediated those most urgent findings, and the local fire department subsequently granted its approval for the continued use of the building. So, Petersburg City Public Schools request approval for the amount of $29,779 to complete a comprehensive modernization of all three PHS locker rooms through BSN Sports under the nationally competitive solicited Omnia COP cooperative contract

145R250101. The scope of the work includes the supply and installation of the new impact highdefinition laminate lockers for the boys varsity room with seat cushion packages accent lighting and name plate name plate holders the boys JV room 21 club lockers with aar combi prolocks and the girls room 27 locker rooms which supply an installation of 3/8 impact rubber sports flooring with wall base and doorway transitions across all three rooms and custom branded wall graphic wraps featuring the school colors and athletic imagery for all three spaces. All locker units will be finished in black onyx with a red edge band accents matching the Petersburg High School Crimson Wave logo. Completion of the full scope is projected no later than June 30th, 2026. subject to the division fulfilling required site preparation responsibilities in advance of installation. So,

146we're requesting board approval of this investment will deliver safe, modernized, and equitable athletic facilities that reflect the pride and aspirations of our Petersburg City Public Schools and Petersburg High School student athletes. So again, it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board the approve the Petersburg High School gymnasium lockers locker rooms budget lockers budget expenditure through the cooperative agreement of Omnia in the amount of $29,779 as provided. >> Thank you, Miss Brown. Any questions? Is there a motion to >> so move that we accept the proposal? >> Moved by Mr. Miles. Is there a second? >> Second, >> Mr. Dance. All in favor? >> I oppose. Motion carries. >> Next is the >> 6G. >> Next is the other thing. What's it thing? What is it called? Mr. Dance on the field. >> Slay. Sled.

147>> Sled. Yes. Sled. That's next. >> Yeah. Okay. >> We'll bring that at the next meeting. We'll bring that for um for approval. >> Yeah. The sled, the training sled. Yeah. >> Okay. >> 6G. So, we have our field trips for this for this afternoon for for requesting for approval. So we have it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approved the field trip to Washington DC for the National Catholic Forensic League National Speech and Debate Tournament on May 2020 on May 22nd through 24th 2026 at Salem High School, Salem, Virginia for the VHSL state speech competition on March 27th through 28, 2026 and the 4H Ignite Conference in Washington DC on March 25th through 29th as provided. you can click on those field trip forms. >> And this is our first one for

148May 22nd through the 24th of 2026. And this is again for our national speech and debate tournament. And you met some of our wonderful speech and debate students earlier today who have placed and we are very proud of them and so we want them to go to Washington DC if approved and to do and show them all the great things and what they know here in Petersburg City. So thank you for that. This is the first that is the first one. If you can click on the next one and this is also to Washington DC for the 4 ignite conference for um our VSU cooperative um extension. So we are excited about this leadership opportunity and that's March 25th and they will return on March 29th 2026. And then the final. Okay. And so our

149final field trip is to Salem High School in Salem, Virginia. That's March 27 through March 28th, 2026. And so this again is our VHSL state speech competition. And so we're excited for our students and we wish them the best of luck. So again is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the field trips to Washington DC for the National Catholic Forensic League, the National Debate Speech and Debate Tournament on May 22nd through 24th 2026 at Salem High School in Salem, Virginia, for the VHSL state speech competition on March 27th through 28th, 2026. and the 4H Ignite conference in Washington DC on March 25th to the 29th as provided. >> Thank you, Miss Bram. You've heard the superintendent's recommendation. Are there any questions? >> Is there a motion to accept? >> Yes. >> Move to

150accept uh to approve all three field children. >> Moved by Mr. Miles. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Mr. Lundy. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. 6H. Thank you board chair pitcher. School board members, this is for policies for second read. And so you've seen these policies. So it is the superintendent's recommendation. The school board approved the policies for second read. BBD BDD electronic participation in schoolboard meetings from remote locations. BDDL optional electronic participation in committee me from remote locations. And GCE classifications of employment. LBD home instructions as provided. That's it. You've heard the super any questions? You've heard the superintendent's recommendation. Is that a motion to accept? >> So move, Mr. Chair. >> Moved by Mr. Dan, second by Mr. Miles. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. Last is

151our is I six I calendar. >> Thank you, Boj Pitcher. we are bringing to the board for recommendation for approval for our 2526 calendar. And so it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approved the calendar changes for April 21st and April and April 24th so that April 21st, 2026 will be designated as a student holiday and employee wellness day. And April 24th, 2026 will become a regular student school day and workday for employees. board members. This is for our election day. And so if you take a look, this is election day is now um is now April >> 24th. >> Election day is the 21st. >> 21st, excuse me. April 21st. Thank you. And so we originally had that date if you remember as a student as a student >> holiday. Is that

152correct? >> I mean student in in school day, regular work, regular school day for students, excuse me. April 21st was already scheduled what you were approved as a regular school day for students and work day for staff. The 24th of course so we had it originally for the 21st and so now we want to move it. Is that correct? We will be designated. So now we will approve the calendar changes for April 21st and 24th and April 21st will be designated as a student holiday because that is election day and so we want to move students move that day to a holiday for students so that we can have election day without incident. >> Thank you. Any questions? Is a motion to accept the recommendation? >> Moved by Mr. Lundy. Yes. Second. >> Mr. Miles.

153All in favor? I >> oppose. Motion carries. Next we move to 7A superintendence report. >> Thank you board chair pre school board members have a quick superintendence report. Next slide please. Thank you to all of our board members and to everyone in the community who helped to help Petersburg City Public Schools celebrate ReadAcross America Day. During the week of March 2nd through the 6th, 2026, schools across our division celebrated National ReadAcross America. Schoolboard members, division leaders, students, and community members alike came together to read in classrooms as we celebrated literacy and encouraged our students to read. Wasn't it amazing to see our 3A state championship basketball team in the classrooms reading to students? That is amazing. And that is the the visual and that is what we want everyone to know that our students are

154not just athletes, they are student athletes. and a part of their role is to give back to the younger generation and to give back to their community. So, thank you to Coach Tyrell White and thank you to the schools that open their arms to them. Well done board members. Well done to our staff and well done to our class 3A state championship boys basketball team for coming and to participate participating in our ReadAcross America Day in our schools. Next slide, please. Again, congratulations to our state championship title returns to Petersburg City Public Schools. We've already celebrated them today, but I just want to highlight that we of course won against Lake Taylor High School, which is in the Tidewater area. Is that correct? In Norolk. Norolk is if I pronounced it correctly. And so, we

155are so excited and congratulations once again to our team, Titro White athletic director Bill Lawson. And congratulations to our schoolboard members and our entire Petersburg city community. Thank you. Next slide, please. Our career technical highlight, education highlight is now culinary arts. We're continuing to highlight the different academic and learning opportunities afforded to our PCPS students. Recently, we highlighted highlighted our culinary arts students. Of course, you saw before we highlighted our nursing students and then we also highlighted our I think it was Appamatics, is that correct? Appamatics Regional Governor School. So, we're excited that we get a chance to tell everybody that if you come to Petersburg City Public Schools, you have a wealth of opportunities that meet the needs of your individual child. We have something for every student. Just give us a try. Come

156to Petersburg. I know that you won't be disappointed. Next slide, please. Okay. And sorry, there is if you press play. Thank you. The culinary arts program is a program that teach you like the basics of cooking, show you how to cook things like knife guides, the sizes of the cuts like small dice, medium dice, all of that. It shows you new skills, shows you how to cook things that you never cooked before. I love to cook. I've always wanted to I had a dream of having my own restaurant. I feel like in a way it can prepare me is to be like make sure I'm in a kitchen with a lot of people instead of it's just me by myself and just cooking. You know, it gives me more of an experience of like being

157social, you know, making sure I have the gist of how many people in here and I'm not just by myself. Being at home by yourself, you're working by yourself. You're not thinking about the chaos that's going to be going on in the actual kitchen. So being in here, you hear a bunch of yelling. hot plate, hot pan, you'll have people walking around with knives, you have the grills and everything steaming. So like it's hot, it's loud, and everything's moving so fast. So you got to make sure you're getting used to that instead of being in a quiet house just cooking ain't going to kitchen. It really just keeps you on your toes basically. Yeah, it's been a great experience. >> Thank you. Welcome to Petersburg City Public Schools. Thank you. Next slide. So, I am

158excited to share with our share with our schoolboard members and everyone listening that we have our inaugural Crimson Awards host that has been brought brought into play by our human resources team and Dr. Lane. And so, of course, we know we already recognize our teachers and members of our staff related to their contributions. we have our teachers of the year. And so we now have a new award that we have put into place, the Crimson Award. And so we now have several um several staff members who have been voted on by their peers as the very first Crimson awardees. So congratulations to the elementary winner, India Johnson. She is student mental health and wellness interventionist at the secondary level. Yes. Thank you. Jonah Vazquez, instructional technology resource teacher, and our schoolboard office and operations, Miss

159Stephanie Eaton, our payroll specialist, the winners that were selected by their peers in the school division for their contributions and their daily work. And so, congratulations to those members. Congratulations to those members. And thank you to our HR department for bringing on another award that allows us to recognize our people and the work they do on behalf of students here in Petersburg. So, congratulations to all of our elementary, secondary, and schoolboard office operation winners. We will celebrate you at a later date. And last but not least, as a reminder, please don't forget to take our communications survey. As you know, as a part of our work, we have to build a communications plan. And so, we are excited about that. And so we're encouraging everyone to please scan the QR code, go on to our

160website, you should have gotten a link. We want the entire community to give us your feedback so that we can build a communic communications plan that will take us over the next three years. And so your feedback is essential and we need to hear your voice. So please take our communication survey. Thank you for your feedback. That concludes my superintendent report. Thank you board chair pitch and school board members. Thank you, Miss Brown. Any questions for Miss Brown? Okay, we'll move to 7B, our committee reports. And we do have notes from our special education advisory committee. Please take an opportunity out to read during your spare time. Next, we move to eight. New business from board members. >> Wait a minute. We have a committee. >> You say you have what? >> From the BSBA

161Southside. Um, we have in our I'm going >> to announce it. Okay, good enough. >> That's what I was going to say next. I was at new business. >> You could you back up to committee reports one time? >> Okay, Mr. Dan, committee report. >> Yeah, the AVMAX Regional Governor School Board. We met last Thursday in the uh newly renovated alumni house and uh it's very nice on the inside. Y'all should go and check it out. new kitchen, new bathrooms, redid the floors, >> and uh they don't know exactly what they're going to do with it now, but uh they may make it an event center or Airbnb, but it's very nice. New roof, new front porch, back porch, and um also we're looking at um trying to get a vendor in there for the

162cafeteria. Uh currently, we are bringing in lunches where kids can buy lunches through the vending machines. So, we're trying to get some money through the general assembly where we can open up the cafeteria there and start serving lunches lunches to our students. >> Thank you. >> I did see something from delegate. >> Yeah, >> Pope Adams. >> Yeah, Pope Adams something through. >> Yeah, she put something in for us. Yeah. So, she's working along with us. >> Okay. >> And try to get that done. >> Hopefully, the general assembly will give us some money. Um, Maggie Walker Governor School also needs a cafeteria in their school also. >> And I don't believe they had one that code RVA duty. I don't think they >> Okay. >> Well, we need to add that one to the

163list. >> Okay. >> Doing what they doing. >> Right. It's not free. Okay. So, we move. You finished, Mr. Dance. Thank you. Uhhuh. So, next we move to new business from board members. Um and announcements also A and B. Um Miss Davis did advise me that everyone has signed up for the regional meeting that's going to be held at start at Green is it right? Greensville Greensville County High School. And what's the date? 24th March 24th next week. You thought it was a what? >> And on 31st now, right? You have it on there. Okay. It's 5:00. Yes, it starts. Okay. It starts at 5:00 p.m. Yeah. Whoever wants to take the van, they can. The drive is not bad. Are any of your do you know when was the cut off date? When was

164the cut off date for registration? Because I was know I was going to ask her was any of her staff because it's open. Yes, it's it's open. >> Oh, thank you. Thank you. I'll get with my um senior team. She say it's go. You may not want to announce. Thank you. Okay. Board members. Also, you want to remember that we have a joint meeting with city council on March the 31st. That's that Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. No, we gonna have to be there. They can't be by themselves. I think that's it. Right. Special education will have Petersburg Little Feet Meet on April the 30th and I believe it's here at Petersburg High School on the track. Okay. Right. We see on the 31st. That is that is it. Right. That's it. If you signed

165up for any remember if you signed up for any trainings remember to attend your trainings online but that's it. Okay. Is there a motion to adjourn? Move by Mr. Lundy. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Mrs. um Tucker. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. I hear Miss Tucker. These are the coaches of the speech team >> who has done a great job with them throughout the year. Coach Lawson, can you please introduce our coaches extraordinaire so that everyone in the audience and who are listening online can hear and see our fantastic coaches who lead students >> and our assistant coach, Coach Vasquez, and our head coach, Coach Smith. Congratulations. Thank you and good luck to you all next week. >> Our next team that I would like to bring up is the

166wrestling team. Uh these members qualified and competed in the state qualifiers. Uh they competed in the state tournament and they finished in the region. Isaiah Hill finished first place. Enrico Mazize finished second. He was second team all region. >> Nazir G finished second place in the region. And for girls, Manasia Wilson finished second place in the district and second place in the regionals and was a state qualifier. And then the future of Petersburg, we have a second grader from Cool Springs Elementary, Aiden Brown for the Petersburg youth wrestling team versus Hopewell Chesterfield League. He was the champion. He was a regional champion in the kids VAWA state runnerup for AU and like I said, the future of Petersburg. All righty. and the coaches Keian Owens. I can't I can't. And the rest and the other

167coaches, please come forward. >> I couldn't see. And Tyran Taylor, assistant coach. Coach, Coach Lawson, I just like to point out to the audience that what Isaiah Hill did was only done twice before in the history of Peasburg public school. A freshman win the region. So, I just want to give him another round of applause. Congratulations. >> Congratulations, >> Coach Lawson. We got some athletes in Petersburg. Do you hear me? Wow. >> Yes, ma'am. We We've always had them. >> Always. Always been. Woo. And now we're gonna uh recognize our girls basketball players. >> Leila Graves, first team all region. >> Dia Mason, second team all region. and Aaliyah Turner second place all region and it's it's very bright for our girls team. Uh this year's girls team did not have one senior on the

168team and they went to the regional semifinals this year. So, I'mma put some pressure on y'all next year. Next year. Next year. >> I can't see in the back. Is coach Harrison here? >> Okay. Congratulations. And now, as you all know, uh, our team won the states 52 years. You're here. I I'm going to go a little backwards from what I usually do. I want to uh first recognize coach Tatro White, senior. As we know, he was regional coach of the year and class three coach of the year this year. You know, he he promised you all something when he came and he lived up to his promise. Um, coach coach White knows how I feel about him. Uh, with the, as we've said, 52 years and was crazy. I felt all those losses where

169we were there. You know, I I was my father. He dealt with it in 78. I dealt with it as a kid in 78. Then I was a manager in 85 and 89. Then I was a coach in 2010. I was AD in 2012 and 20122. Those were the years that we lost in the states. Now we were there many years. So when I tell you, you know, sometimes you can't see all my emotions on my face, but Saturday was one of those. It got me because I've been here. You know, I wasn't born or went to school in Petersburg, but I've been here all my life. So when it comes to Petersburg basketball, coach knows. And um I first gave him his first job. He was my assistant coach. And even when he matured

170when he went away, I was still following him. You know, I always said when I introduced Coach White, I taught Coach White how to tie his first tie when he played here. You know, so when I say we've been together for a long time, we have. You know, I'm just grateful that Coach White came and like I said, lived up to his promise in the first year. So now we I'm putting pressure on him now cuz cuz before I leave Petersburg, I got to give me a couple more rings. I'd like to bring up the basketball team to please come forward in the middle. Yeah, just in the middle. Right. Yeah. Right with coach for right now. Right with coach right now. And I'd like to recognize uh a couple of the guys. Um Oh,

171Coach Blackwell, I'm sorry. Co coach Blackwell is the quiet one uh in front of everybody, but we know Coach Blackwell can get loud, but uh Coach Blackwell means a lot to uh Coach White, who's he's been with Coach White the whole time, and he came with Coach White, you know, so he a lot. uh first team and player of the year for the region and the state. Latrell Alman and McDonald's all-American. Learius Given, first team all region, first team all state. Kelvin Anderson, second team all region. King Bacott, second team all region. This group was, as y'all know, tremendous for our city. You know, people came out that you hadn't seen in years just to come and support. So, I'd like to say thank you to the team for your dedication to Petersburg and Petersburg

172basketball. Thank you. >> Thank you, Coach Lawson. Can we introduce each of our players on the team as well just so that everybody can put a name with the face that they've seen throughout the season through our through our wonderful season here. Can you please introduce every player so that every so all of them can get their shine? >> I'm going to give Coach White the opportunity to introduce everybody. I nor somebody name up. >> First we have Kelvin Dorset Anderson. Wave your hand. Dorset Cameron Isaiah Claybourne. Reload Chris Shaw Keenan Rday Mason Nalin Antonio Robinson Larry Walker Jr. Cordell Lamont Oliver, King Arcott, Samir White, Aaron Bridgefor four. And last but not least, the big fella, My main man May. Big fella. Big fella. Big fella. Big fella. Learius Tashan Ja. Michael Blackwell. A

173lot of people see me in the front, but a lot of people have a right-hand man. I have a right hand and a left-hand man, cuz this is he is the coach and he is the guy. He's the brains of this thing. I get a lot of credit for it, but he's a guy behind the scene who's selfless, who really makes this thing work. And in order to have a really successful team, you have to have people who are willing to to commit. His best ability is his availability. He's always there. He's always counted on. So, I'm so grateful for these group of individuals who make sacrifices and the coaches that we have. I told you all when I first got the job that it's our turn now, but the truth of the matter is

174it's our turn now, it's our turn later, and it's our turn forever. Got to get it. Yeah. Yeah. Let's get What Stop. That's right. I might as well go get in that one more time. Play some ball good man All right. >> That was strange. That was strange. >> What's going on as we they playing. >> So before we move on, I know everyone is walking out. I just wanted to take a moment and give a shout out to Coach Lawson. If y'all would stand with me and give Coach Lawson a round of applause because a lot of people don't see what goes into athletics, but all of the nights, the late nights and the sacrifices that he makes, taking away time from his kids and his family, we just want to say thank you

175so much. and we really do appreciate you. BCPS is better because of you. Athletics is better because of you. So, thank you so much. >> All right. Okay, next we move to 2B, Miss Brown. >> Thank you, Bocher Pitch, school board members. And so, as we continue with our recognitions, we have some more to celebrate in Petersburg City Public Schools. I'd like to bring up Miss Wanda Stewart, who is the leader, and I think she is the CEO. Is that correct? president and CEO of Communities and Schools, who is a major partner and part of Petersburg City Public Schools. We could not do this work without the support of communities and schools. And so, she will come forward and talk about our schools that have received a community schools designation by the Virginia Department of

176Education. So, thank you, Miss Stewart. Take it away. >> Thank you. Um, good evening. um chair, vice chair, board members, superintendent, um PCPS family, CIS family and community. On behalf of our board and CIS staff, I bring you greetings. Um we had a great opportunity um from a fall phone call from our state office back on November 19th. Um, and the question was, "Are your schools community school designated?" And I said, "I don't believe so." And he asked us to jump on the call. So, I jumped on the call with um Darien Wyatt, who has been part of, she's a program director with CIS. Um, and Darien and Natasha, please join me. Um Darien Wyatt is our program director and Natasha Johnson is our director of program operations. And um after receiving that phone call,

177we had numerous um meetings in which Darian was part of um and then on December 4th, they asked us um if we would like to send in a letter of intent. We sent in the letter of intent and it had to be separate for each school. We couldn't send in one for the division, which I tried to do. They said no. Um, we had to separate each school and the due date was December 12th for the application, the full application. And so, um, I immediately contacted the superintendent's office and asked, um, is this something that she would approve? Do we want to move forward? And she said yes. And so I dug in um and we wrote the application for each school within Petersburg City Public Schools. Um and Alexandra Jabna with the Department of

178Ed Virginia Department of Education assisted me with making sure that we had all that we needed for each application. And so I truly thank her. And on January the 23rd, I received a letter that every school in Petersburg City Public Schools was chosen as a community school to receive community school designation. Um, thank you. And in order to receive this, we had to be we had to prove that we had grants a designated coordinator who will coordinate community engagement and um partnerships. We had to do a needs assessment, have wraparound services and supports. We had to have a reflection tool, um a um strategic plan and be part of shared leadership. And CIS site coordinators being in every school in Petersburg City Public Schools set this in place because they're a designated person within the

179school that could um bring in community partnerships and work with community resources. Um we do a needs assessment each year. Um we deliver wraparound supports. Um and they are part of the school improvement teams and the school leadership teams and they have a a CIS team on which they work with at each school. And so we felt that all we had to do we were doing all of these things and from the administrative standpoint I was writing grants to bring in grant funding for um Petersburg City Public Schools. So we met all the requirements. So it was just easy and we had to just articulate it in order to um receive designation. So what does this mean? This mean that as a community designated school that we are now able to qualify for community school

180designated funding and state level initiatives. And so of course the reporting begins because there is always a DOE report that you have to do at the end of the year. Um but we will also um make sure that we are part of applying for the grants and the state level initiatives that um we are afforded now that we're community school designated. So I want to thank you um Superintendent Brown PCPS staff because without you all our principles we could not do what we do. And so we just thank you for the support. We thank the board for the support. Um, and on to New Horizons. Thank you. >> Any questions? >> Just want to say thank you for all that you do. I know you I text you at night, late at night, early in

181the morning to let you know families that are in need and you will respond back and say we'll take care of it. Thank you for all that you do for Petersburg City Public School. >> Said C. We move to C. >> Thank you board chair Bridget and school board members. We'll now move to our our final recognition this evening. And of course we this is our attendance or our chronic absenteeism traveling trophy. Just as a reminder for everyone listening and everyone in the audience, as a part of our 20 25 26 school year board goals, our one of our top goals is to reduce chronic absenteeism by 3% by the end of this school year. And so as a part of our overall plan, our team is working to make sure that we are able

182to recognize by following the data very closely as it relates to attendance, the work of our attendance task force and everything that's been put in place so that we could focus on reducing the number of students and the percentage of students who are chronically absent from school. And so with that, I'm going to turn it over to our assistant superintendent of student services, Dr. Tori Manson, to talk a little bit about the data this month and to recognize the month for the month March. For the month of March, the new chronic the new school that will get the chronic absenteeism trophy. Dr. Manson. >> Uh good evening, Chairman Pritchette, Vice Chairman Tucker, fellow members of the school board, Madame Superintendent, and all all those assembled. Uh the award tonight is for the month of February

183for the reduc reduction in chronic absenteeism for the month of February. We do want to give a shout out to Pitman Academy which is a program for their continued hard work in reducing chronic absenteeism. And we also want to give a shout out to Vernon John's Middle School. Um they made it very close for their hard work. each um month, Vernon John's is right there on the cusp of making it to being the um to being the um winner for the chronic absenteeism. But for this month, with a 10% uh drop in their chronic absenteeism, Petersburg High School once again is the trophy winner. So, I ask Miss Ps to come up and get your trophy yet again from Petersburg High School. They've shown a 10% reduction in their chronic absenteeism from last year to

184this year. So, congratulations, Miss Fields and the team of Petersburg High School. >> Miss Fields, you see like you're lifting several trophies in back to back. >> That's exactly right. That's exactly right. Congratulations to Petersburg High School and thank you to our attendance task force, our teachers, our staff, and everyone at Petersburg High School for your continued focus on helping to ensure that kids are coming to school every single day. Thank you. Congratulations. Okay, board members. Next we move to three, the approval of the consent agenda. Miss Brown, 3 A, B, and C. And board members, hopefully you had an opportunity to look at the personnel agenda. There wasn't anything on there that needed to go back into close session. >> Okay. Thank you, board chair Pritchette and school board members. for a 3A. It

185is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the final personnel agenda dated as provided. 43B, the approval of the minutes. It is a superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the minutes of the 1217205 and you can see them on the screen. Regular board meeting, the meeting for organizational meeting. The meeting for 11426 2026 regular meeting, those special and regular meetings for 24206, 218 2022 special and regular meetings and 34 2026 special board meeting as provided. And for 3C board members, donations received by Petersburg City Public Schools. And it is the superintendent's recommendation the school board approve the donation receive the donations received from March 1st to March 15, 2026 as provided. and you can take a look at the screen as the report is prepared by our finance department. So, we want to

186thank everyone, all of our donors who continue to provide donations to Petersburg City Public Schools. And you'll see some of those donations that we've received between March 1st, 2026 and March 15, 2026. So, with that, it is again the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve 3A, the final personnel agenda dated 318 2026 as provided. 3B, the approval of all the minutes listed on 3B and the donations that have been received um between March 1st and March 15, 2026 as provided. >> Thank you, Miss M. Brown. Any questions? Is there a motion to accept this recommendation? >> So move it, >> Mr. Peters. Second, Mr. Dance. All in favor? >> I oppose. Motion carries. Thank you. Next we move to our superintendent and staff reports number 448. Miss Brown. >> Thank you board chair Richard

187and school board members. We'll start this afternoon with our presentation update for the board which is our title one annual program comprehensive needs assessment for the 2026 2027 school year. And that'll be given by Dr. Tia Palmer who is our interim director of federal programs. And so we are excited because if you all remember last year board members, we um there was um we brought a needs assessment to you all I think in the late spring of last year. And of course there was not enough time at that time to have everything collected. And so we revamped our process this year based on that experience. And so we're really excited to have a update for the title one annual comprehensive needs assessment summary that you'll hear tonight. And so thank you to Dr. Dr. Tia

188Palmer and thank you thank you uh to Dr. Dartra Jackson. Thank you Dr. Palmer. >> Good evening Chair Pritchette, members of the board, Superintendent Brown, and members of the audience. Today we are reviewing the targeted findings and action steps identified during the comprehensive needs assessment on February 25th and 26. We will also look at how these findings seamlessly align with our overarching strategic plan for Petersburg forward 2031 for 2026 through 2031. Here's a quick look at our agenda for today. We will start by grounding ourselves in our mission, accomp acknowledging the incredible team that made this assessment possible, and then diving into our specific findings, including our newly defined goals for teacher retention and compensation. Everything we uncovered in the CNA and every goal we set is designed to ensure our students graduate with a

189life filled with choices. These four areas allowed us to identify current realities and ma and map out our strategic goal for the coming years. The assessment required a deeply comprehensive and collaborative effort bringing together top division leadership, schoolboard representation, and our building principles. We also rely heavily on the grassroot perspectives of our teachers, specialized coordinators, data analysis, VDOE support, parents, and community partners to ensure our findings were grounded in reality. To ensure all students are succeeding academically, we have set a firm target for our English learner populations by aiming for a 4% increase. We are actively pushing our schools toward the mastery performance indicator for L progress. Priority two of our strategic plan demands that we support our educators. We cannot expect provisional teachers to navigate the lensure project process alone. The pathway to lensure

190program will be our centralized solution to this gap. Furthermore, to f fully support our instructional staff and meet growing student needs, we must actively increase the number of language instructional educational program or LEAP teachers. This is a it's critical to meet the new increased standards of quality or the SOQ requirements. The state has shifted away from the previous flat ratio of 44 to1 to a targeted tier system based on English learners profess proficiency levels. We must align our hiring and lensure pipeline to meet the new ratios. To stop the revolving door of new educators, we must invest heavily in our staff. By combining salary adjustments with a three-year commitment pack and robust mentorship, we aim to transition our novice teachers into seasoned professionals and raise our retention rate to 85%. A strong academic environment requires

191safety and support. Equipping 90% of our teachers with deescalation training will directly support our strategic goal of cultivating a safe work and learning environment. By leveraging parent surveys and other engagement strategies, we guarantee that our families have a true voice in our district's direction. Getting this input is the only way to ensure our funds are actually paying for services that benefit our students and increase their success. Moving forward, we have drastically increased stakeholder participation. So, our future assessments are highly representative of our community. This directly aligns with priority five of our strategic plan, which is entirely focused on strengthening family voices and partnerships. As we approach the July one launch of the comprehensive strategic plan, our immediate focus will be on building the organizational frameworks necessary to support our educators, adjusting compensations, and improving our

192school climates. Furthermore, the data and goals we have discussed today are highly actionable right now. They will serve as the foundation for our upcoming title grants, ensuring that our funding requests are perfectly aligned with our division's most pressing documented needs. And Dr. Palmer did a wonderful job um putting all this together. She started way back like um Superintendent Brown said way in advance. I just want to echo some of the hard work that went into this. It may seem like it was easy, but some of you all who was there participated know there was a lot of work that went into this. A lot of data. When we say two days, it was two days of hard work looking at data really to find out what is the root cause analysis. What is the root

193cause analysis? What can we do to resolve that? What can we put forward and measurable actionable items and as you know it has to also be tied to our strategic plan. So that was not an easy task. If you notice all those names that was up there, we had higher level division leadership there participating. Um I was actually at Mr. Ma's table and he challenged me and I challenged him back and it was a wonderful learning experience. So we grounded everything based in data and it kind of was a eye openener. We pulled folks in who was kind of experts in that area and it was a great great experience. I want to kind of highlight some of the things that Dr. Palmer just um kind of announced. So we can just kind of go

194back just re reiterate some of those tasks that we um set forth and some of those goals that Tide. I just want to kind of highlight those and then we'll ask um see if there's any questions from the audience. So Dr. Palmer um noted the first priority this one right was student achievement wellness and support. So we can go back a few slides just so we can make sure. Yes, one more right here. So right here you notice with this goal by 2025 as she mentioned already the air progress um we set a goal to increase by 4% in each school from the previous year. That goal is important because that ties directly to our new accountability system. And we noticed as we looked at the data and we looked at each school and we

195said where are they not progressing? Where can we gain more points? Our group or that group that had that data say hey we can increase if we look at this L population right here not just in one school but in all schools. So that wasn't easy to come up with that goal. We set that target and said over the next four um over the next year we want to increase by 4%. That was very very important. That was a great goal and again aligns with our priority one. >> Thank you P. I just have a quick clarification Dr. Jackson. It says by June 2026 and I know we worked on this work. So is that's the end of this school year. Are we okay? So that's set for >> So we've right because we looked

196at the progression. So we we brought So principles already been working on this. Let let's go ahead put out there. Principles already know when I met with principles way back they knew this was something they need to work on individually. But as a division when we're doing a divisionwide needs assessment, it's no longer about the individual school. It's all of our schools. So we want to emphasize that. Yes, PHS may had an individual goal, but we looked at every single school and say that's great, PHS, but how can we also do that at all of our schools? So, that's our goal for 4% this year and the next year so we can make sure we close that gap. I do want to emphasize that. >> So, we didn't wait a year out no >> to

197continue the focus even though we knew we had been working on moving all of our subgroup populations, but we already knew we were working on that. So, we integrated into our plan. >> Absolutely. for this year. So, and then next year we'll also build off of that, but we wanted to make sure that we kept the goal in front of us that we want to see that increase of 4% in each school based on that that student population purpose. >> Thank you. >> Yes. Okay, next slide. Just again to reemphasize some of the things Dr. Palmer already shared and um a lot that came out you'll hear everyone talking about at different tables was about um how we retain our great teachers and how do we do that and if you heard I know Dr.

198long lane. There's already things she's already doing in her pipe. Again, we're going to make this divisionwide. Schools are kind of seeing this. So, to kind of align, they looked at the data. They looked at a lot of different data that was provided from World Human Resources and different survey data to come up with this goal. >> Thank you, Dr. Jackson. I just want to highlight for the board that as a part of each one of the priorities that we aligned to our um strategic plan were the root cause and the findings. And that's the big piece is that this needs assessment right there when it says findings. That's what we found when we dug into the data for Petersburg. And so that's what set the direction of where we're going. So for here for

199number two, we are currently at 68% teacher lensure. And so I just want to make sure attention to the root cause analysis of what we found when we did the deeper dive into the data. And that should be for each of the priorities, which allowed us to be able to say, okay, now that we know that, now where do we want to go from here? Now that we know that that's what the data is telling us. And I can attest because I was a part of this process that there was so much data that everyone throughout the school division that were participated could dig into every single detail of data over the last what three years. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> And so this is what we found with our teacher lensure. So is

200that 68% is saying what? So is 68% of our teacher lensure. Is that saying that's 68% of our teachers are currently licensed? Dr. Lane and team >> and and actually the total from based on what VDOE deems as highly qualified is actually 52, >> right? >> But um we know that with different metrics that they use. So it's 52, but we want to kind of get that 277. But some the 68 would include those teachers who also have provisional license and things of that nature as well as a regular license. >> Right. >> So a fully a full license and a a um a license that is provisional is considered to be licensed in the state of Virginia. >> Yes, it is. >> That is correct. >> So currently we have 52% of our teachers,

201right, are currently either licensed or provisionally licensed. Is that correct from our data? Yes. >> Okay. Just wanted to highlight that. Okay. All right. Again, another goal that was also kind of supporting um to increase teacher retention, meaning those teachers will stay and we want them to stay right here in Petersburg. That was another goal. So, they want to align again that's aligned to priority two as well as I want to say was it priority um priority four, but it was objective um two. I think it was objective four. Right. So it was objective four underneath priority two for teacher retention and focus on increasing um the retention rate. >> So some of our goals are currently this year 2026 and then we also have a goal by 2029. So we're saying by 2029 we

202will increase the teacher retention rate from 50% to 85%. And is that in alignment with our strategic plan? Because our strategic plan goes to 2031. So that means that we're going to have to take another look because if it's only to 2029, what about 2030? What about 2031? Because that is the five years for the plan for us to get to so are we saying we're going to get to 100% by 2031. So just wanted to understand as you all broke that down. How did you say that we're going to get to 85% by 2029? Um >> so over that three years um we didn't set all the way to five because we need to probably reassess. You think about it. So when you first set a goal and if you try to set out

203for five years that's so long you need to be able to come back and reassess. So what have we where are we now over the first and second year to be able to gauge those longear um plans where we might need to either increase or decrease. For that reason that 15 points is five incremental point five um over the next three years. What's this one? All right. So this one is priority two also and is focused on talent acquisition and um and development and this focus on um staff and best practices and cultivating a welcome and safe learning environment. And this one it says by 2029 we're going to increase the staff capacity and relationship building um and engagement strategies as well as deescalation and um and that means for all staff by 90% of

204the of staff and leaders. We looked at a survey and um we noticed that um the survey that went out so we did share that there wasn't as many respondents. We were aware that that particular survey that we had didn't have a long enough time that it was shared. So we know that things of course now we're doing differently. But that particular data point stood out because we say hey only a certain number of our families responded to this. What was so then we dug into it a little deeper. Well how long was the survey out? What are the ways that we can make sure besides just out electronically that all families receive this information. So, those were some things that went into making sure that we really do have um that information and surveys

205and make sure everyone's kind of um participating this this one. Okay. So, the next one, priority five is family engagement. So, by 2029, um the percentage of stakeholders that complete the district comprehension needs assessment will increase by 80%. Um, I'm sorry. I think I mixed up. I was talking about surveys. I was looking at this one. Our last needs assessment survey, we noticed there was not as many participants. And you can't, if you only have a small percentage of feedback, then we can't really say that's how our community feels. So, we know anytime we do a needs assessment, we need to make sure that we're reaching everyone. We're really pushing the envelope, leaving it out a little longer to make sure we have at least 80% um feedback. The team was a little apprehensive. Well,

206we only had this amount last year. It's 82 high. So there was a lot of conversation looking at the data to say well what can we say that really represents they went from can we say 60 can we say 75 then the 80 is we have 80% feedback then we know that truly represents the majority of the community and we want to make sure we hear all voices to say well what can we do differently if I can reach this family through this way what else can I do can I knock the door can I send some home in a backpack can I attend maybe a community event we really want to make sure that we're really pushing the envelope to make sure every family voice is heard so that's why we set that number.

207I know it seems a little high, but it's what we need to make sure all voices are heard. >> So, Dr. Jackson, I know that that number is much higher than what statistics say. >> It is makes a survey reliable, right? And so, I know that that number I don't know what that number is, but I know that that's that's definitely well higher than what um what research and statistics say. when you have a survey, there's a certain amount of people that you should get and that makes it, you know, a a valid survey that you can use the data from. Okay, thank you for aiming. Hi. >> Yes, that was that group. So, the next steps are very important. So, um we're not just stopping here as you notice um as you already said,

208why not 3031? It says here that we structured for just for three years so we can go back and reassess. Um to put the goals all the way out to five, we wouldn't have time to go back and reassess. So that's why you notice it said to 2029, but it is Petersburg forward um 2031. So I just want to reemphasize that. And then um we're going to make sure that we have those established baselines so we can make sure we measure um be able to measure those relationships and things have that has improved. And then we're going to really use this data as we write our grants. That's what's most important as we write grants, we find out how we can best move Petersburg forward. This data was serving that purpose. So if we don't

209have this baseline data to be able to say that, we won't know what direction, how we can really truly push. So that was one major thing that was discovered. Is there anything else you want to add, Doug? Okay. This time, are there any questions? >> Any questions from board members? Mr. Miles, >> first off, thank you. That was uh very good. I did have the opportunity to participate both days and it was very enlightening and um uh my my thing is about um how we need you know things that we need to bring together. One of them is family engagement CIS and PTA. I think that would be very beneficial to the to the whole if if we can come out somehow work those three together develop that PT because we need need that relationship

210between um family engagement and CIS which is very strong and then to work it in there with the PTA um um that was one of the things I think where we could use we could be way more effective in reaching people and reaching families and reaching parents and students. because um that's the goal of all three to bring those three together and have some type of um um not just communication but I'm talking about some type of relationship when it comes to the PTA. Um the other thing is um we had a I saw a lot of good feedback through this activity. I mean through this training. I I received a lot of good training. One thing I know about policies, they're only as good as the programs we create. So I saw a lot

211of good policies or things things that we were coming up with. Now we need to come up with programs to support those policies >> and I think we are on the in the right going in the right direction. Um I was really impressed when it when it came to you enlightened me about accreditation and what each school it was different. It wasn't the same for all schools. >> Exactly. and they I think everybody on the board need to be aware at least educated on the challenge of each school because I was not aware that it was like that you know so but uh and um a lot of things we could do you brought up about the um English learners we we we we lose points for accreditation and money for not having the right

212number of English learners teachers. I was not aware of that. Uh same thing when you talk when um you brought up about the elementary school teachers not being licensed. We we losing funds and we got to focus on on that. Um and I said this over and over again to my board members, constituents, we have to educate ourselves because if we going to lead this thing, we need to know exactly what they need in order to give them what they need. And um you know somebody telling you is not enough. You need to learn for yourself. And so thank you for allowing me to come in there Brown and yourself come in there for two days and receive some training. I appreciate it. Thank all of y'all for participating. Mr. Brown too cuz he enlightened

213me a couple on a couple of things conversations that we had because the conversations that take place in those workshops are not the same conversations that take place on in this boardroom you know in the board meeting. So those you got to build those relationships also. So thank you a lot for what uh for for that and hopefully I know we moving in the right direction. It's going to take a while to get there. It's not going to happen overnight, >> right? >> Thank you for your participation. >> But the question was those three CIS and PTA. So you know about trying to bring >> together >> build those relationships. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Thank you, Mr. Miles. Any other questions from board members? Miss Tucker. >> So, I do have one question. Um,

214well, it's not really a question. To Mr. Ma's point, PTA has come up several times, and excuse my voice. I'm still trying to get it back from the game on Saturday. Um, PTA has come up several times in our pack meeting, and our parents are really concerned when it comes to PTA. There's been a lot of push backs in in the schools from the principles with forming PTAs. We have been discussing PTAs before the school year started and we still only have three up and running right now because of the push back. So, I guess my question is how do we make PTA a non-negotiable when it comes to the schools? because we have parents that are actively waiting to get in the buildings and to start fundraising and to get these things that we

215need for the buildings. So, I guess how do we make it um a non-negotiable and how do we eliminate the push back? >> Thank you. Um board member Tucker, Vice Chair Tucker. Um that is a conversation we're currently having with principles. Now, um I would I think part of us as a division, we have to bring parents back into the school and so we are working with our leaders to kind of break away from those barriers and having our parents be a part of the conversations. Today we have started like our midyear conversations with principles and that's one of the questions I'm asking. What's the status of your PTA requirement and what supports you need? So I will say to you that you will see have a different result. I would love to hear which

216schools that are pushing back because in my conversation with them we are trying to build up and so we can have that conversation and I will guarantee you by the end of this school year we will have PTAs in all of our schools or they will be preparing to be members of PTA. >> Perfect. >> Yeah. >> Thank you so much. I knew you was coming. I knew he was coming >> cuz we having that conversation. Yes, ma'am. >> Absolutely. Cuz our parents are waiting and as much as you know we understand the risk that it that comes with having our parents but I think we have to give them we have to allow an opportunity for them to come in. So it is great to hear that it's something that we are actively working

217on in the division and we'll have an outside coming. >> Yes ma'am. And um I will say to you to our parents who are out there in order for us to change the trajectory of what our students academic performance look like, we have to have a partnership with our parents. And so those conversations for those parents who may not be a part of PTA, we still want them to connect with the school and make sure they are part of the school community. So that's those conversations we are currently having. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Vice Chair Tucker, for your question. And I also just want to remind everyone that in our five-year approved strategic plan as a part of priority number five, that is a focus area for family engagement. So when

218you said non-negotiable, the five-year strategic plan is the law of the land. And so it's already embedded in our five-year strategic plan. And so that is the expectation that has been set by you all voting to approve it that we will have PTAs in all of our schools. And so that push back as Mr. Brown said, he will address that. that. But I just want you all to know that the expectations already been laid and that's what we're focusing on. Our fiveyear strategic plan with those PTAs and family engagement priority number five. Thank you. >> When you when um and my throat is gone too when Mr. Brown first came Mr. Graham first came in, he separated um our uh leadership and our leadership was able to to bring one another back together because our

219parents weren't coming together with one another. You remember that, Mr. Brown? moved those um leaders in one area and then you moved another in another area and we began to try to make some leadway with one another. But it never holds itself. Clay always breaks and we need to make sure that we can bring that. Potter has to get back together and that's the only way things will work. But we need more of that. Our our parents have to work with each other. We have to learn how to walk around in our areas and share what it is that we know and share what it is that we may not know and share what it is that we can do better. But we have to do what we can with our parents so that we

220can get them to allow their kids to be as active as they should be doing. So that's that's one of our targets that we need to look at. >> Thank you, Mr. Lundy. Dr. Gay. >> Yes. Good afternoon, board chair, superintendent, and our esteemed board members. Um, I just wanted to add this. This is in addition to Mr. Brown's um you know declaration of us uh creating more of a cohesiveness um around family engagement um communities and schools and other supports. There's a term that says you're designed to get the results that you get. Meaning that if you are designed to um if you have uh high chronic absenteeism somewhere you're designed to get that. If you are increasing in attendance and decreasing chronic absenteeism, you're designed to get that result. We are creating a

221design of family engagement. And I just want to honor Dr. Lee and her team um uh family and community engagement. We've created a design um with your board approval of increasing parent liaison support. They are the mediators between home and school where we can dig deeper into that connection with families. I just want to acknowledge also that we went from zero to three PTAs in one year. Uh so just want to celebrate the small wins that the small winds predict the bigger wins. So we are moving forward to uh uh uh board member Miles point. It's going to you know we're moving fast. It's going to take a minute, but we're going to continue to increase. I just want to provide an example. Our partnership with uh Virginia State University uh working with one of

222our schools and the conversation that came from that is before we start creating programs, we need to address uh uh some things that have happened in the past. So, there's some healing work that is happening in our schools before we create PTAs. Um well, not before. I'll say that we're doing it in tandem. So if there is some resistance, we want to get down to the root cause of why there is resistance. So I would love as Mr. Brown mentioned to know more about where that resistance is so that we can provide uh more targeted support around that. But I just wanted to uh to share that we are on our way um with building PTAs um in our schools. Thank you. >> Thank you Dr. Gate. Any other comments from board members? Oh, you

223have one, Miss Tucker. >> So, just one more question. I'm sorry. So, I do know that um to Dr. Gay's point with the parent liaison positions, we have the two parent leaison positions. Are we looking to put other either more parent leaison in other buildings or more family engagement? Because we do know that that is a small team. Um, are we looking to increase that number to put one in each building so they're not stretched so thin and we can get we can actually get more results and greater results um with more bodies. What does that look like? >> Absolutely. Um, that has been the goal from the beginning um is to have a parent liaison for every school. Currently, we do not have a parent liaison assigned to every school. Um I think there's

224one parent liaison for two to three schools right now and they're doing a great job um with building their capacity and working with families and our uh administration and schools but um you know we are working um is contingent upon our budget um and we're going to be looking at grants um outside grants uh to support the process as well that has been the conversation. So, um, it's still in the thought process. Um, I know our superintendent, um, is an advocate for parent leaison and so we'll continue to work towards that. >> Thank you so much, >> Dr. Gay. Thank you. I think I'm just expounding on the fact that I think we're looking at grant funding now. Is that correct? As we look at transitioning our them to to to be able to leverage

225some of the grant funding that's already at the school level. Am I correct? because we we're trying to get to a point where one can support a school and so we're looking at our I think it's Mr. Brown I think is Dr. Gay is our title adopt title dollars I think we're looking at related to parent leaison and we're looking to work with our principles to have them write that type of um role into um some of the grant funding um as we try to build each year and so as we get grant funding as Dr. Gay talked about I think that's some of the intention we talked about in our planning. Is that correct Mr. Brown and Dr. Gay? >> Um yes ma'am. So principles right now are looking at as a part of

226the title one assessment they're also looking at the title one dollars that we get and we do have to do a better job of informing our principles of the role of family engagement because for so long it was housed downtown when it should have been attached to the school. And so we need to calibrate around what those roles are and how they support schools and principles and how they are part of those conversations. So we're kind of reorganizing the way our parent liaison are principles are looking at if we need to increase where they're not as you know with our title one dollars if we need to increase those positions. Those conversations are happening. I would say two things have to happen in our division. One is that principles have to see the value of

227them and how they are supporting those that school community. And so that's a part of us recalibrating. Two is looking at if there's a need for increasing the amount if it's halftime going to one. Those the conversations we're having with principles right now. And as Dr. P Palmer develops the Title One funding document. Those are the things that we're trying to realign our um our money to to make sure that it's attached to the school. >> Perfect. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Mouse. You know, um when it comes to um interacting with the public, interacting with the parents, we have a lot of people that's working in our school system that supports staff that's that that's not teachers. We got um um counselors and and and a lot of different people. Um I

228know for a fact when we when when I first started out on the school board before I before 2025, um I spent a lot of time at Blandford Academy, a lot of time at Blandford Academy, three days a week and on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. And um and I challenged the school board that each one of us since it's only seven schools, seven school board members, each one of us um adopt the school to support what you're trying to do um at that school and um and that's why I chose Blandford Academy because in my ward we don't have a school and um and that since that split from the middle school but this 2025 I had a lot of issues where I couldn't attend because I had four surgeries. But starting today, I'm going

229I'm going to start that back up because we need the participation from everybody. You got to be willing to inconvenience yourself. If you want to do something to make a change, you got to be willing to in inconvenience yourself to get it done. We got a lot of people working in the school system that could be at a PTA meeting um um or plan a PTA meeting because we know the nature of Petersburg. They not going to come unless the kids participate. So if you got a activity going on that day, whether it's the first grade, second grade, third grade of that elementary school at the PTA meeting and you have it organized, if it don't take but 20 minutes, those parents from that grade level going to show up and you know, you might

230not get the rest of them, but you going to get a lot of them. So if the more activities you had that involve kids and the more people a min not not not just a um staff but I told schoolboard members and everybody else we we show a presence and interact and get communities of schools and family engagements involved in that plus the different people that parents need to talk to at the PTA meetings. you're going you're going to get better participation, but you got to have a goal what you want to accomplish when when once the parents get together or how to organize them so they can make the decisions, not you or how they want that PTA run and how they want to support that school because that's what the PTA is for.

231It's not for you to dictate to them, for them to see what you need and provide that need. And so it's very important that we do it right. And uh so getting the PTA is one thing. Making it effective, that's a totally different thing. You so we want to do more than just bring them to the meeting. We want to make sure they we we we organize them and have goals that the PTA want to meet to support that school. And um so um but we need the commitment from everyone and hiring more people is not going to solve the problem. We need the people that we have to get involved. That's all. Thank you, M. Thank you, Mr. Miles. Thank you, Dr. Jackson. And thank you, Dr. Palmer. >> Who else? Oh, you again.

232The only thing the only thing I wanted to share is that when we think about the PTA and all of the other things that we bring about, we have to remember that we have all types of people and we have to learn how to negotiate with them and to share with them how we can make this process really take place because some some people are open people, some people are quiet people. Some people just want to be able to check it out until they feel like they become a part of it. And this is how you bring people together. You cannot bring people together if you stand in a room like this and everybody spreads his or herself. That's not how you do it. We have to bring it together so that our adults can

233get it and so that our children can pick it up even at a later time or an earlier time. We need to concentrate on that. Anyone else? You good? Thank you, Mr. Brown, Dr. Jackson, Dr. Palmer. Appreciate it. Next we'll move on to the B. >> Thank you board chip and school board members. Our second presentation of this afternoon is our Claude Moore Grant um through our CTE CTE program. And so we have Dr. Thomas Mi our director of CTE programs. Thank you, Dr. I got it right this time right. Thank you. Uh thank you superintendent school board and board chair. I'm so going to discuss our Clawmore grant proposal. U going to go over the background of Clawmore uh our budget proposal and take any questions that you might have. Uh so the um

234the Clawmore scholar program one component is to provide local school systems with grant funds to establish healthcare education programs for high school students. So Petersburg has applied for Clawmore grants since 2019 and we've received three different grant awards during that time time span. So want to kind of pause and emphasize um that area right now. Um this is not a given like some grants are kind of cyclical and they're almost going to be like a given. These are competitive grants and so it's not guaranteed. So I just want to put that out there so everyone knows that this is not necessarily a guaranteed grant but we have had some success in the past u obtaining three different grant awards. Um, so this definitely goes towards our board goal number two, subsection two, to increase each

235year the percentage of students participating in workforce readiness and dual enrollment programs and I'm going to show a little video of our nursing program. >> Nursing a program, it helps you become a certified nursing assistant. I know a lot of people who went to trade school to become a CNA or did it after they got out of high school. We could when we get out of high school, we could go we could do our LPN class next year and then when we get out and go to college, we could go straight into being an RN, which mean we will only need about 3 4 years of college. A lot of people to become a doctor or RN, they be at college for like 8 years. >> Seeing that a lot of people don't have good

236nurses, I want to be that good nurse for them. >> Feel like this is a very good opportunity for us. So that's a thank you to Chelsea and Frank for putting those videos together. Did a couple of those throughout the year. Um definitely been a huge help. Um so in developing our grant proposal for club more this year. Um so in times pasting that from different situations a lot of times we look at adding different programs or adding different classes um for the grants. Uh so made a strategic decision not to add programs as to not water down what we currently have. Um so Miss Gary's done an excellent job in the last few years getting both the practical nursing and nurse a programs onto board of nursing approval. Um that's thing something throughout the

237years one was one wasn't practical nursing would have the board of nursing approval nurse a wouldn't and it would kind of flip-flop back and forth. Um so as opposed to stretching ourselves too thin and having those board of nursing approvals go away, we want to strengthen what we currently have with our existing programs. Um and we'll get a little bit more into the meat of that in just a second. Um so our project addresses quality outcomes for students which results in more students entering the healthcare workforce that are prepared to serve our community. Uh so currently we have students just going through the nurse aid classes receiving the credit but while that's good and there's benefits to that uh we want to be moving away from students just taking the class without we want them

238to exit with their clinical hours in hand and also passing the enclelex to get um their state license as a nurse aid. So that's the main goal instead of just students just going through the class. We want students coming out with their license to go into the workforce. Um so objective number one is to increase the number of students that are completing the nurse aid course that meet the criteria for state lensure and pass the INLEX. Um and that's something I'll kind of highlight. U we have to take very seriously uh as far as the ENLEX pass rate. Um to stay within the board of nursing approval, we have to have an 80% or higher pass rate on the ENLEX. Um objective number two is better to better prepare students that are going into phase

239one of their practical nursing program. That goes hand in hand with objective one. If we are strengthening the students that are coming out of the nurse aid program and they want to go into practical nursing, that's going to um go hand in hand with objective one. Then objective three is to expand mental health assistant careers program and offer certifications through that course. Something we've actually already started making some headway on that. U Miss Tiffany Jones is our mental health assistant careers teacher. She's already um got stuff set up to where we can test for the certifications throughout that course. will be completing the paperwork for having mental health assistant careers too u in the coming months. Um so the strategy is to achieve those goals. Um we would look at providing weekly after school I

240enclelex prep in a monthly Saturday session. Um provide follow-up courses sorry next slide. Provide follow-up courses for underassman if students are not ready for the enclelex. So if they're a junior in the nurse a class and we're going to have them again next year and they're not ready to take the ENLEX during their junior year, they'll come back to us in another course to receive remediation for the ENLEX. Uh we'll also look at moving up the start of their clinicals and offer more clinical times than just the required 40 hours. Um as most of us know, students retain um better with a combination of hands-on learning that comes with those clinicals. We'll also provide training for instructors to attain required certifications for mental health so students can attain any certifications in that field. So, as

241far as the dollars for the uh budget proposal, so personnel is about $76,560. Currently, there is a teacher match that is tied with Claude Moore. Um, so that's a little bit over half of that. It's about 42,000. um part-time staff to help out with the remediation for the ENLEX purchase services um is about 83,820 with um items for whether it be for ATI CPR that's kind of followed in with the e-learning clinical scheduling software and transportation with increased clinical time instructional supplies is at 17,000 these are items like uh linens glucometer stethoscopes um bringing the total up to $177,380. Um, any questions on the items covered whether it be the budget, the focus areas as far as objectives or the strategies? >> Thank you, Dr. Any questions from board members? Mr. Dance, >> good evening.

242>> What is uh X? What that mean? >> ENLEX. That's the there's various ENLEX tests um within the nursing healthcare world. So, the nurse aid students to be able to get their state license would have to pass the ENLEX nurse aid examination. Okay. Thank you. >> Any other questions? >> Yeah, >> Mr. Miles. >> Um, what are your plans to ex uh to expand on um the um and and you know to have more opportunities in different subject areas and because I just visited and planning on visiting more schools that uh have outstanding um CTE programs. I last yesterday I visited Louisa. It was amazing. I was out there. It was absolutely amazing. Um next week I'm visiting um Winchester >> and because um Virginia School Board Association said they're one of the best. Um

243and um and so I want to see what they have. um what do you have planned for us in the future for our kids far as programs? >> Uh so for currently kind of on the on the docket. So in coming months they'll be we'll be receiving um course proposals for not only mental health assisting careers part two but also for hospitality and tourism um because of the surrounding area as far as items that we want to prepare our students for. Um but also um this is probably a couple years down the road but we'll look look at more skilled trades programs for our young men. Um so a little closer to my heart is electrical side of things. Um, but we look at options that are in need in the local area, but also

244uh programs where young people can come out of high school and get their foot right in the door. Um, whether it's the skill trades, electrical, manufacturing, and so forth. But as of right now, things are on the docket. >> I I was more concerned about working while you're in high school, like you get a work permit at 14. When I was in high school, they would call me to the council's office and they would say, "Hey, do you want a job this summer? Do you are you planning on working this summer?" And stuff like that. They help you get a work permit. They help you get all the information, I mean, all the things that you need in order to work go into the workforce. The school system even hired some of the kids to

245um for in the in the system, you know, for the part-time jobs during the summer and some of them work during the school year part-time. So, the thing is is that we don't have any of those programs now. And I was out there at Louisa and and about a a fifth of their workforce were students. And they saved a lot of money using these students. They didn't have to pay no benefits. They didn't had to do a whole lot of things they they didn't had to do. And these kids are gaining valuable experiences doing things in the system. And the thing is is that um that's why I told um the board I'm going to Winchester and and take a look at that also because I want to see what other people are doing. And

246and uh the thing is I I know for a fact that when these kids graduate from high school, we we haven't been hiring them in the system. So I know we have jobs that we need not just in the not just in the city but in the schools also. So the thing is is that everybody's not going to go to college right away. Some people might take trade schools, different things like that, but at the same time, they need to work to get money to make it. So, what do you you have any plans like that in the future? >> Yeah. So, I guess uh kind of spoiling surprise for upcoming board meetings where I give a different CT update, but I'll kind of expound upon that right now if that's okay. Um, so our

247automotive students are u automotive 2 students are interning every Friday at CMA Automotive right off exit 58 at the Honda dealership, Hyundai, Kia, and Subaru dealership. Um, so they go there every Friday from 9:30 to 1:30. Our early childhood students, both early childhood one and early childhood 2, go to Westview for the clinicals. Um, I'll get back on track on other experiences, but so cool thing about those two programs, the auto 2 and the early childhood 2 students. Um, those that completed the paperwork for it are getting paid. Um, they're getting paid not by us, not coming out of, you know, Petersburg school district funds, but uh, connected with Tabitha Taylor and Kurling Patrick at the Creative Regional Workforce Development Board. uh they had some additional um funding that they could utilize to help support

248our programs. Um so they had to complete, you know, certain paperwork for it, but those students essentially are getting paid each day for coming to class and going to their internships. Um so it's about $100 per week for those students, but it's mainly for coming to school, participating in their workbased experiences. Um so that's those students. We're going to look to expand that. Had another meeting today with the organization that is looking to possibly fund expansion of that. Um but as far as other workplace experiences, uh so the nursing students specifically, they have clinical hours. Um our culinary students, uh so was able to connect with Miss Martin, our school nutrition, uh manager. And so we have about 12 students in our culinary 2 program. And so it worked out well numbers wise. Monday through

249Thursday, a group of different three students will come down to the school nutrition school cafeteria and help out and support our individuals there. Um just now kind of starting to um crack this egg, but um getting with Daryl for um any Mr. Galette rather um any type of basic handyman type of um construction builds, whether it's the chairs, they actually did that recently for the auditorium, but using the carpentry students whenever we know that the maintenance department has items that they need to thus build so we can utilize our individuals to help support our school district and schools. So probably a couple others that left out, but stay tuned. So >> So we've started that. Is that correct? We started using those students to help support Mr. Goted in maintenance. Is that correct? >> Yes,

250sir. >> Yeah. Um I know when I was in school, we um my first job was at Fort Lee through Peas High Public Schools. They they they hired about like um about 50 of us and we were in the mess halls. We did uh lawn service. We did a whole lot of things down at Fort Lee. They had a partnership with Fort Lee. So the kid, you you know, so soon as the school year was over with, matter of fact, it went over into the doing school too because they still needed us. But at the same time, those partnerships are very, very important for those little part-time jobs where those kids get their work permit, they can go out there and make money because let me tell you, it's a difference when they have money

251in their pocket. >> Y >> it's a different kid. So if you create opportunities for them to work and if it's like you said it's only a $100 a week that $100 a week make a a big difference in a person's life you know so the thing is is that those type of opportunities and they build up a resume that they have some because the main thing they got to do in order to be successful in life is what we're focusing on there attendance. If you're not where you're supposed to be on time doing what you're supposed to do, ready to go, you're not going to have a job. And that's very important. They need to learn that. That's the first thing to order to have a job. You have to be there. And if

252you're not there, you're there just sometimes not going to happen. But we need these opportunities for them so they'll understand more so than just sports because our kids lean towards the coaches. We need to lean towards, you know, these opportunities also. So the more opportunity you can create for them to work, it going to make a difference. >> Yeah, showing up is half the battle. Had that conversation with the students that have not here these days, that's coming off the paycheck. So >> I had gotten people off the corners by create by finding them a jobs, drug dealers. I said, "Hey man, wouldn't you rather have a job?" He said, "Yeah, but where going to work?" And put put them with a roofer. Next thing you know, you're making money. You don't want to Half

253them don't even want to be out there on the corner. they just don't have anything else to do and if they had something they could do that made them feel good that they can look back and look at hey I put that roof on right there that's a change lives so we got to create these opportunities for them and um so the more we can do thank you >> thank you >> Mr. Lendy want to ask one thing. Um as as for instance the culinary um do we time our kids? Do we does our chef do they do um do they prepare things faster? Do they know what they're doing? Do they get their um everything prepared so it can be in place and say if we had something taking place in here that someone

254would be able to make sure food is out immediately. Not when you want to get ready and chef want to come when he gets ready. That's not how it works because I'mma sit here and I'mma be hungry. And so I'm wondering, are we paying attention to these things? These small things are what comes in the end of things. And then when you start seeing it happen that way, you begin to say, "Oh, we we messed up." And that's what happened in here. We had a lunchon. And when we had a lunchon, I mean, we didn't have anything that was prepared. not one thing for black history. We didn't have any preparation. And that's because somebody's working in this area that he or she doesn't know how to put this thing together called CTE. >> As

255far as the timing for the culinary students, that's part of their competencies and it's also going to goes back to the um importance of getting them out into work rellated experiences. So timing in the classroom in the in the culinary lab is one thing, but then also coming down with Miss Martin and the other um individuals to work with with them. That's a different timing type of situation. It's a real life situation scenario um as far as here with the school nutrition, school cafeteria, or also same thing out in the restaurant. So that's why we need to work on expanding more of our programs to get students out of the classroom in the lab and into real world experiences whether it's culinary or carpentry or so forth. But I'm saying those individuals that stand in

256front of of of our students that have to lead should be leading. We we shouldn't have to go whereas we had a a lunchon. We have to go all the way back around all the way down to CTE when preparation should have been taking place. So somebody's missing the ball and we have to do better with that. M dance. >> Yes. Some people may not know this, but um the police department offers jobs to our students each year. Um they work several hundred of our students each year in different places like the fire department, police department. So that um an opportunity is out there, library, whole lot of different places. So, um, Chief Miller, assistant, um, city manager Miller, he runs that program and it's a very good program. So, we do have jobs out

257there for our children each summer through the city. >> Yes. We connected with the city of Petersburg individual that runs the summer internship. So, we've sent that out to our uh our staff as far as for the application for it. They'll actually be here next week to provide more information for our students. But correct, you're it's absolutely correct from the police department, city manager, fire department, um, and various other entities within the city. They have the summer interns that are available for our students. >> Great program. >> Yeah. And um so we we've kind of connected a little more this year. We want to once the once the applicants are in for the summer internship, we're going to they're going to u share the information with us to where we're then going to look at

258what program they are here they are taking here currently at Petersburg High School so they can try to match them because right now the application is just a basic general summer internship application. >> We want to help align that as much as possible to where it's a good fit not only for that department but also for the student. Um, so as opposed to having a carpentry student go and work in HR, um, we want to have that person that's maybe doing something with facilities or the department of utilities towards a better fit for both parties. >> Yeah, I kind of follow that program for the last couple of years. The kids, they really learn a whole lot. They get a whole lot of good experiences. >> Yeah. >> Through that program. Thank you. >> Yes.

259I I have one more question and and I'm not sure if you're familiar with it. I know Dr. Manson is, but we had we had a partnership with the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental Services where we had students, they were here and we had students that were taking courses for mental health and it was to be in partnership with Central State Hospital, meaning that if they completed the program that they could come to Central State and work as a mental health tech or a um or security tech or whatever, do you all know whether or not we're still working with Do anyone know? >> Um, >> because I was in that meeting when we brought them here down to the central office and we sat there and I remember it was a couple of students

260who actually entered the program, but we had >> you know what what year this was? >> This was maybe about two years ago, Ryan. Maybe about two years ago. >> No. Um, >> I mean, and it's I mean, it's a program that that will provide kids with state benefits, a full-time job with state benefits. I I know Dr. man is familiar with Central State because we hire his students through special education and once they graduate if we have openings they're hired they receive full-time state job with state benefits and so we were doing the same thing with the mental health course also it's an actual program to go through >> getting that information to me and I'll follow up and see how we can >> Okay Dr. Dr. miss it. >> Okay. Appreciate it. >>

261Thank you for bringing that to our attention. >> Mhm. Anything else? >> Yeah. Um your your um plans for to develop the the the STEM because that's fall under you also. Do you have anything new coming up with STEM? >> Uh that's Miss uh Coleman Milner is for the STEM side of things. >> All right. Well, I just would like to inform you if you need the name. I think I have it on here with Dominion Energy. They had a pro I went to their graduation this um September. They had a summer program for graduates, high school graduates, and you could be had actually been out of school a couple years if you wanted to. But everyone that finished that program, they trained them on the job as field people, um um linesmen, all kinds

262of stuff. And let me tell you, it was real, really really, really good. They had about 100 people in the program. I think about 38 graduate. And all 38 people interview for jobs and got jobs. And one on were the reason why I went because oneonone was a Petersburg High grad that was um one of my mentees and I was really impressed with the program and that was the second year and the state sponsored it. The state of Virginia sponsored it. So the thing is it's open to all. But uh are you familiar with that? >> Who's the contact with him? >> I got the contact. I get with you afterward. Dominion ended. >> You finished? >> Are you finished? Yeah, I'm finished. >> Thank you, Mr. >> Thank you. >> Okay, Miss Brown, we'll

263move next >> to 4C. >> Thank you, Schoolboard members. We now will have our monthly division update, which is an update of our Head Start and our grants update for the month of February given by Dr. Matias Greywood, our chief financial officer. Dr. Greywood. Good evening. Um, board chair Pritchette, Vice Chair Tucker, esteemed members of the school board, Superintendent Brown, staff, and members of the Petersburg community. Tonight, I will provide our monthly update as of February 28th. This update covers all major funds, including the general fund, food service, grants, and Head Start. Our agenda would deal with the Petersburg city transfer, general fund budget and expenses, food service grants, Head Start, and both the federal and non-federal side. This slide shows the city transfer for FY2526. The original budget was 12.97 million. We have received

264so far 9.7 million to date. The remaining balance is 3.24 million. So far we have received eight installments of 1.08 million each. General fund budget and expense by state category. We have the general fund budget and expenditures by state. Um instruction current budget is 46.17 million yeartoate expense 26.99 million remaining balance 19.18 million for administration attendance and health expenses are tracking as expected with 2.7 million remaining. People transport year-to-ate expense 2.26 million remaining balance 1.2 22 million. For operations and maintenance, expenses total 7.55 million with 2.81 million remaining. For technology, expenses total 2.25 million with 989,000 remaining. Overall, the general fund has a remaining balance of 26.9 million, which is consistent with expect expected spending patterns for the rest of the year for food service, school construction, and grants. Current budget for food service is

2654.18 million. Year-to- date expense 3.06 million. remain in balance 1.13 million food service continues to operate within budget and remain stable fund five school construction this is our u CIP uh fund we currently have 75,000 budgeted with minimum spending of uh a few dollars remaining 74.74,840 For fund seven, which is grants across all grant categories, instructional grants show about 7.55 million expenses with remaining 6.49 for the rest of the year. For admin, transportation, operations, and debt servicing, all tracking appropriately for the rest of the year. Across all three funds, the total remaining balance is 8.7 million. When we combine all funds, general fund, food service, construction, and grants, the total FY26 budget is 91.7 million. Year-to- date expense is 56.12 million with a remaining balance of 35.61 million. This is consistent with expected expenditure for

266February. Moving on to Head Start. This slide shows the Head Start federal budget and expenses. Total federal budget is 1.4 million. Year-to- date expenses 825,000. Remaining balance 574,000. Most spending is in personnel and freeing benefits which is typical for this program. Supplies and other operating expendit expenditures are tracking normally for this point of the year. Head Start non-federal funding. Total non-federal budget is about 350,000. Year-to- date expenses 203,000 remaining balance 146,000. Combined federal and non-federal totals brings the Head Start budget to 1.75 million with 721,000 remaining. Questions? Any questions for Dr. Greywood? >> No questions, sir. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. Okay. Next, we move to our public comment period. And I do not believe we have Okay. Next, we move to our action item, Miss Brown. 6A. >> Thank you, board chair pitch, and

267school board members. Our 6A, our first action item this evening relates to our updated 2024 2029 capital improvement plan for Petersburg City Public Schools. And so my recommendation this evening is that the superintendent superintendent's recommendation the school board approved the updated 2024 2020 through 2029 capital improvement plan with the amended projects that were presented at the March 11, 2026 school board work session. If you want to take a look, it is attached and those are the that is the original capital improvement plan 2024 2029. And then we also have the update. So that'll show what was the original plans from the um operational advisory committee. And then they also projected with some updated pieces for our capital improvement plan. And so some of those updated projects that we added addition a little bit more And

268so we've made a few additions to the capital improvement plan. So you can continue to scroll up. Thank you. And so you'll see some adjusted approvals. Adjusted approval. Adjust adjusted additions, excuse me. And so you see the gym locker rooms and we're going to address those. We're going to bring those for recommendation this evening. And then we have some other additional proposed items to be a part of our CIP. Okay. Along with unplanned maintenance and emergency repairs. So with that, it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the updated 2024 through 2029 capital improvement plan or CIP with amended projects presented at the March 11, 2026 school board work session. >> Thank you, Miss Brown. Any questions? Board members, you heard the superintendent's recommendation. Is there a motion to accept? >> Yes. I

269move that we accept the the plan. >> Second. >> Moved by Mr. M, second by Mr. Dance. All in favor? >> I oppose. Motion carries. 6B. >> Thank you, board chair pitch and school board members. This is our proposed FY superintendent FY27 proposed budget adoption. And I want to make sure I have the right number. Okay. And so it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approved the sorry. It is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the final proposed budget adoption for FY27 in the amount of 139,126,72 and that is inclusive of our 53 million for the Walnut Hill Elementary School project. And so again, it is the superintendent's recommendation the school board approve the superintendent's FY27 proposed budget for adoption. In addition, so let me go back. So, in addition um

270to the superintendent's recommendation, the school board approved approve the um FY27 proposed superintendent's budget um to include the 53 million for the Walnut Hill PreK5 project along with the addition of our and the in increase in our health care for the deductibles of a,000 and 2,000 as a part of the FY27 budget proposal as provided. >> Any questions? Is there a motion to accept the recommendation? >> So moved by Mr. Pierce, second by Mr. Miles. All in favor? >> I opposed. >> Motion carries. Next we move to six. >> Thank you board chair Bridget and school board members. This is our VSBA 2026 business honor roll, which is Breitpoint Community College, Crimson Clinic, and Concerned Black Men of Petersburg. And so it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board. Okay. So we'll go back

271approve the resolution for the 2026 business honor role celebrating recognizing Breitpoint Community College, Crimson Clinic, and concerned Black Petersburg. Do I need to read the actual if you could click on >> I'll just do the first one. >> Okay. And so for each of the resolutions again for those three organizations, Breitpoint Community College, Crimson Clinic, and Concerned Black Men of Petersburg. So whereas public schools and local businesses are an integral part of this community, and whereas many local businesses play a crucial role in supporting our schools, and whereas the economic health of our community, state, and nation depends on a strong public school system. And whereas collaboration between local public schools and local businesses strengthens schools and the business community alike by providing a well-trained and highly educated workforce. And whereas an excellent public school

272system is vital to the quality of life in this community and fundamental to preserving a strong democratic society now and in the future. So therefore, be it resolved that Petersburg City Public School Boards names Breitpoint Community College, Crimson Clinic, and Concerned Black Men of P of Petersburg as the 2026 Virginia School Boards Association business honoral recipients showing appreciation for the ongoing support of Breitpoint Community College, Crimson Clinic, and Concerned Black Men of Petersburg. Your work has aided this community in focusing on the goal of providing the best public schools we can for every child who attends them. Abdopted by the school board of the city of Petersburg this 18th day of March 2026. So again, it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the resolution for the VSBA 2026 business honoral recipients, Breitpoint

273Community College, Crimson Clinic, and Concerned Black Men of Petersburg as provided. >> Thank you, Miss Brown. You've heard the recommendations. Is there a motion to approve? Moved by Mrs. Proctor, a second, Mr. Pierce. All in favor? I >> I >> opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. We move to D. Thank you, board chair pitching and school board members. This is our Walnut Hill Elementary School prek to5 new school construction selected preferred proposer. It is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board accept the new construction advisory committee recommendation and approve the selection of the preper preferred proposer design bill team Gilbane Building Company and Moody Nolan to proceed into the interim agreement and design initiation phase consistent with the PPE process timeline presented. Thank you, Miss Brown. Any questions from board members? You've heard the recommendation. Is

274there a motion to accept? >> So move, Mr. Chair. >> Moved by Mr. Dance, second by Mr. Pierce. All in favor? >> I oppose. >> Motion carries. Yes. >> Thank you, Bo J Pritchette and schoolboard members. 6E, the Walnut Hill Elementary School prek to 5 new school construction interim agreement process. And so it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board authorize the superintendent or designate to negotiate and execute an interim agreement with the selected preferred proposer design bill team Gilbane building company and Moody Nolan in order to initiate the design phase activities consistent with the PPA schedule and next steps. >> Thank you. Any questions board members? Is there a motion to accept the superintendent's recommendation? >> So move. >> Moved by Mrs. Proctor. Is there a second? Second. >> Mrs. Tucker. All in

275favor? >> I oppose. Motion carries. Congratulations to Gil Bane. Look forward to working with you all. Thank you Mr. Miles and Mr. Dan for serving on the committee. I know it was a hard job, but someone had to do it. Thank you. What a pleasure. >> Both of you. Definitely a pleasure. >> Go ahead. >> And I also want to thank the community and the advisory team, the first one, the second one, and the entire team. It was a it was a it was a a collective effort, and it was a great great very rigorous process. And so we're excited to be at this point um with beginning to start the building of our new elementary school, PreK5 Walnut Hill Elementary School. So we are excited and again we look forward to working with the

276chosen proposer. And so the work now begins of designing what our new school will look like handinhand with the Gilbang Company and Moody Nolan. So thank you again and congratulations. So for 6F, gymnasium lockers and budget expenditure, it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the Petersburg High School gymnasium lockers budget expenditure as provided. And if you could please click on that. And so on November 12th, 2025, Deputy State Fire Marshal Marlo Jones conducted a formal inspection of the Petersburg High School gymnasium and locker room facilities. The resulting report concluded that existing conditions um provided offered an opportunity for students and staff and visitors and declared the spaces unsafe for occupancy. Critical and high-risisk violations cited in the report included some safety, electrical hazards, and systemic um facility issues. The PCPS facilities department

277has immediately remediated those most urgent findings, and the local fire department subsequently granted its approval for the continued use of the building. So, Petersburg City Public Schools request approval for the amount of $29,779 to complete a comprehensive modernization of all three PHS locker rooms through BSN Sports under the nationally competitive solicited Omnia COP cooperative contract R250101. The scope of the work includes the supply and installation of the new impact highdefinition laminate lockers for the boys varsity room with seat cushion packages accent lighting and name plate name plate holders the boys JV room 21 club lockers with aar combi prolocks and the girls room 27 locker rooms which supply an installation of 3/8 impact rubber sports flooring with wall base and doorway transitions across all three rooms and custom branded wall graphic wraps featuring the school

278colors and athletic imagery for all three spaces. All locker units will be finished in black onyx with a red edge band accents matching the Petersburg High School Crimson Wave logo. Completion of the full scope is projected no later than June 30th, 2026. subject to the division fulfilling required site preparation responsibilities in advance of installation. So, we're requesting board approval of this investment will deliver safe, modernized, and equitable athletic facilities that reflect the pride and aspirations of our Petersburg City Public Schools and Petersburg High School student athletes. So again, it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board the approve the Petersburg High School gymnasium lockers locker rooms budget lockers budget expenditure through the cooperative agreement of Omnia in the amount of $29,779 as provided. >> Thank you, Miss Brown. Any questions? Is there a motion

279to >> so move that we accept the proposal? >> Moved by Mr. Miles. Is there a second? >> Second, >> Mr. Dance. All in favor? >> I oppose. Motion carries. >> Next is the >> 6G. >> Next is the other thing. What's the thing? What is it called? Mr. Dance on the field. >> The slay. Yes. Sled. That's next. >> Yeah. Okay. >> So, we'll bring that at the next meeting. We'll bring that for um for approval. >> Yeah. The sled, the training sled. Yeah. >> Okay. >> 6G. So, we have our field trips for this for this afternoon for for requesting for approval. So, we have it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approved the field trip to Washington DC for the National Catholic Forensic League National Speech and Debate Tournament on

280May 2020 on May 22nd through 24th, 2026 at Salem High School, Salem, Virginia for the VHSL State Speech Competition on March 27th through 28, 2026, and the 4H Ignite Conference in Washington DC on March 25th through 29th as provided. you can click on those field trip forms. >> And this is our first one for May 22nd through the 24th of 2026. And this is again for our national speech and debate tournament. And you met some of our wonderful speech and debate students earlier today who have placed and we are very proud of them and so we want them to go to Washington DC if approved and to do and show them all the great things and what they know here in Petersburg City. So thank you for that. This is the first that is the

281first one. If you can click on the next one and this is also to Washington DC for the 4 ignite conference for um our VSU cooperative um extension. So we are excited about this leadership opportunity and that's March 25th and they will return on March 29th 2026. And then the final. Okay. And so our final field trip is to Salem High School in Salem, Virginia. That's March 27 through March 28th, 2026. And so this again is our VHSL state speech competition. And so we're excited for our students and we wish them the best of luck. So again is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approve the field trips to Washington DC for the National Catholic Forensic League, the National Debate Speech and Debate Tournament on May 22nd through 24th 2026 at Salem High School

282in Salem, Virginia, for the VHSL state speech competition on March 27th through 28th, 2026. and the 4H Ignite conference in Washington DC on March 25th to the 29th as provided. >> Thank you, Miss Brown. You've heard the superintendent's recommendation. Are there any questions? >> Is there a motion to accept? >> Yes. >> Move to accept uh to approve all three field children. >> Moved by Mr. Miles. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Mr. Lundy. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries 6H. Thank you board chair pitcher. School board members, this is for policies for second read. And so you've seen these policies. So it is the superintendent's recommendation. The school board approved the policies for second read. BBD BDD electronic participation in schoolboard meetings from remote locations. BDDL optional electronic participation in committee

283me from remote locations. And GCE classifications of employment. LBD home instructions as provided. That's it. You've heard the super any questions? You've heard the superintendent's recommendation. Is that a motion to accept? >> So move, Mr. Chair. >> Moved by Mr. Dan, second by Mr. Miles. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. Last is our is I six I calendar. >> Thank you, Boj Pitcher. we are bringing to the board for recommendation for approval for our 2526 calendar. And so it is the superintendent's recommendation that the school board approved the calendar changes for April 21st and April and April 24th so that April 21st, 2026 will be designated as a student holiday and employee wellness day. And April 24th, 2026 will become a regular student school day and work day for employees. board members. This

284is for our election day. And so if you take a look, this is election day is now um is now April >> 24th. >> Actually is the 21st. >> 21st, excuse me. April 21st. Thank you. And so we originally had that date if you remember as a student as a student >> holiday. Is that correct? >> I mean student in in school day, regular work, regular school day for students, excuse me. April 21st was already scheduled. what you were approved as a regular school day for students and work day for staff the 24th of course. So we had it originally for the 21st and so now we want to move it. Is that correct? We will be designated. So now we will approve the calendar changes for April 21st and 24th and April 21st will

285be designated as a student holiday because that is election day and so we want to move students move that day to a holiday for students so that we can have election day without incident. >> Thank you. Questions motion to accept the recommendation moved by Mr. Lundy. Yes. Second Mr. Miles. All in favor? I >> oppose. Motion carries. Next we move to 7A superintendence report. >> Thank you board chair pre school board members have a quick superintendence report. Next slide please. Thank you to all of our board members and to everyone in the community who helped to help Petersburg City Public Schools celebrate ReadAcross America Day. During the week of March 2nd through the 6th, 2026, schools across our division celebrated National ReadAcross America. Schoolboard members, division leaders, students, and community members alike came together to

286read in classrooms as we celebrated literacy and encouraged our students to read. Wasn't it amazing to see our 3A state championship basketball team in the classrooms reading to students? That is amazing. And that is the the visual and that is what we want everyone to know that our students are not just athletes, they are student athletes. and a part of their role is to give back to the younger generation and to give back to their community. So, thank you to Coach Tyrell White and thank you to the schools that open their arms to them. Well done board members. Well done to our staff and well done to our class 3A state championship boys basketball team for coming and to participate participating in our read across America day in our schools. Next slide, please. Again, congratulations

287to our state championship title returns to Petersburg City Public Schools. We've already celebrated them today, but I just want to highlight that we of course won against Lake Taylor High School, which is in the Tidewater area. Is that correct? In Norol. Nor is if I pronounced it correctly. And so, we are so excited and congratulations once again to our team, Titro White athletic director Bill Lawson. And congratulations to our schoolboard members and our entire Petersburg city community. Thank you. Next slide, please. Our career technical highlight, education highlight is now culinary arts. We're continuing to highlight the different academic and learning opportunities afforded to our PCPS students. Recently, we highlighted highlighted our culinary arts students. Of course, you saw before we highlighted our nursing students and then we also highlighted our I think it was Appamatics,

288is that correct? Appamatics Regional Governor School. So, we're excited that we get a chance to tell everybody that if you come to Petersburg City Public Schools, you have a wealth of opportunities that meet the needs of your individual child. We have something for every student. Just give us a try. Come to Petersburg. I know that you won't be disappointed. Next slide, please. Okay. And sorry, there is if you press play. Thank you. The culinary arts program is a program that teach you like the basics of cooking, show you how to cook things like knife guides, the sizes of the cuts like small dice, medium dice, all of that. It shows you new skills, shows you how to cook things that you never cooked before. I love to cook. I've always wanted to I had a

289dream of having my own restaurant. I feel like in a way it can prepare me is to be like make sure I'm in a kitchen with a lot of people instead of it's just me by myself and just cooking. You know, it gives me more of an experience of like being social, you know, making sure I have the gist of how many people in here and I'm not just by myself. When you're at home by yourself, you're working by yourself. You're not thinking about the chaos that's going to be going on in the actual kitchen. So, being in here, you hear a bunch of yelling. If you have a hot plate, hot pan, you'll have people walking around with knives. You have the grills and everything steaming. So like it's hot, it's loud, and everything's

290moving so fast. So you got to make sure you're getting used to that instead of being in a quiet house just cooking ain't going to catch you. It really just keeps you on your toes basically. >> Yeah, it's been a great experience. >> Thank you. Welcome to Petersburg City Public Schools. Thank you. Next slide. So, I am excited to share with our share with our schoolboard members and everyone listening that we have our inaugural Crimson Awards host that has been brought brought into play by our human resources team and Dr. Lane. And so, of course, we know we already recognize our teachers and members of our staff related to their contributions. we have our teachers of the year. And so we now have a new award that we have put into place, the Crimson Award.

291And so we now have several um several staff members who have been voted on by their peers as the very first Crimson awardees. So congratulations to the elementary winner, India Johnson. She is student mental health and wellness interventionist at the secondary level. Yes. Thank you. Jonah Vasquez, instructional technology resource teacher, and our schoolboard office and operations, Miss Stephanie Eaton, our payroll specialist, the winners that were selected by their peers in the school division for their contributions and their daily work. And so, congratulations to those members. Congratulations to those members. And thank you to our HR department for bringing on another award that allows us to recognize our people and the work they do on behalf of students here in Petersburg. So, congratulations to all of our elementary, secondary, and schoolboard office operation winners. We will

292celebrate you at a later date. And last but not least, as a reminder, please don't forget to take our communications survey. As you know, as a part of our work, we have to build a communications plan. And so, we're excited about that. And so we're encouraging everyone to please scan the QR code, go on to our website, you should have gotten a link. We want the entire community to give us your feedback so that we can build a communic communications plan that will take us over the next three years. And so your feedback is essential and we need to hear your voice. So please take our communication survey. Thank you for your feedback. That concludes my superintendent report. Thank you board chair Pitchette and school board members. Thank you, Miss Brown. Any questions for Miss

293Brown? Okay, we'll move to 7B, our committee reports. And we do have notes from our special education advisory committee. Please take an opportunity out to read during your spare time. Next, we move to eight. New business from board members. >> Wait a minute. We have a committee. >> You say you have what? >> From the BSBA Southside. Um, we have an I'm going >> to announce it. Okay, good enough. >> That's what I was going to say next. I was at new business. >> You could you back up to committee reports one time? >> Okay, Mr. Dan, committee report. >> Yeah, the AVMAX Regional Governor School Board. We met last Thursday in the uh newly renovated alumni house and uh it's very nice on the inside. Y'all should go and check it out. new kitchen,

294new bathrooms, redid the floors, >> and uh they don't know exactly what they're going to do with it now, but uh they may make it an event center or Airbnb, but it's very nice. New roof, new front porch, back porch, and um also we're looking at um trying to get a vendor in there for the cafeteria. Uh currently, we are bringing in lunches where kids can buy lunches through the vending machines. So, we're trying to get some money through the general assembly where we can open up the cafeteria there and start serving lunches lunches to our students. >> Thank you. >> I did see something from delegate. >> Yeah, >> Pope Adams. >> Yeah, Pope Adams. >> Something through. >> Yeah, she put something in for us. Yeah. So, she's working along with us. >>

295Okay. >> And try to get that done. >> Hopefully, the general assembly will give us some money. Um, Maggie Walker Governor School also needs a cafeteria in their school also. >> And I don't believe they had one that code RVA duty. I don't think they >> Okay. >> Well, we need to add that one to the list. >> Okay. >> Doing what they doing. >> Right. It's not free. Okay. So, we move You finished, Mr. Dance. Thank you. Uhhuh. So, next we move to new business from board members. Um and announcements also A and B. Um Miss Davis did advise me that everyone has signed up for the regional meeting that's going to be held at start at Green is it right? Greensville Greensville County High School. And what's the date? 24th March 24th next

296week. You thought it was a what? >> And that's on 31st now, right? Okay. It's 5:00. Yes, it starts. Okay. It starts at 5:00 p.m. Yeah. Whoever wants to take the van, they can drive bad. Are any of your do you know when was the cut off date? When was the cut off date for registration? Because I was No, I was going to ask her was any of her staff going because it's open. Yes, it's it's open. What's the >> Oh, thank you. Thank you. I'll get with my um senior team. She say it's go. You may not want to announce. Thank you. Okay. Board members. Also, you want to remember that we have a joint meeting with city council on March the 31st. That's that Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. No, we gonna have

297to be there. They can't be by themselves. I think that's it, right? Special education will have Petersburg Little Feet Meet on April the 30th and I believe it's here at Petersburg High School on the track. Okay. Right. We see on the 31st. That is that is it. Right. That's it. If you signed up for any remember if you signed up for any trainings remember to attend your trainings online but that's it. Okay. Is there a motion to adjourn? Move by Mr. Lundy. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Mrs. um Tucker. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. I hear Miss Tucker.