Poquoson City Public Schools - School Board Meeting 2025-06-24

001You guys ready? Good evening everybody. Good evening. Can I have everybody's attention? We're going to 6:00. We're ready to get this show going. We got a lot of people here tonight. Um want to thank everyone for coming tonight. Uh, tonight is the Tuesday, June 24th, 2025 Picosen School Board meeting. Um, want to go ahead and get this started and call it to order. Um, first off, we have a new student representative, uh, Miss Stud. She is going to come up. Uh, this is her first meeting. She's going to lead us in the pledge of allegiance, a moment of silence, and a inspirational quote. understand. [Music] Um, please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible,

002with liberty and justice for all. Please pause for a moment of silence. Please be seated. Today our quote comes from Mother Teresa. Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come without leaving happier. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Carol. Do we have any additions andor modifications to the agenda tonight? Chair Burbage, we do have an addition or modification to the agenda on the dis before the board members is an updated personnel action document. This document contains lastm minute personnel ch changes and we ask that it be added to the personnel action listed under the consent agenda at section 7 subp paragraph C. Thank you. Thank you. Um, well, I guess we'll go ahead and get started. Um, Miss Perty, are you ready for recognitions for tonight? Chair Burbage, members of the board, community members,

003and colleagues, thank you for joining us this evening. We have a lot going on to celebrate and so we're going to do some musical chairs also. But the start us off, I would like to formally welcome Miss Sophia Stud. We are very pleased to welcome her as a rising junior at PHS as our new student representative to the Picosen City Public School Board. Sophia is an active and engaged student leader who previously served as a sophomore class president and the SCA historian. She is involved in a variety of organizations including the Key Club, Leo Club, Chick-fil-A Leadership Academy, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Students to Student, where she's also the secretary, and DECA, where she was one of the top 10 finalists in a statewide job interview competition. Sophia is deeply committed to service, having volunteered

004at community events such as the Seafood Festival, the local nursing home, and through initiatives that support those in need. She brings a passion for representing her peers, strengthening connections between students in the community, and advocating for educational improvement. We look forward to the valuable perspective she will bring to the board. Please join me in welcoming Sophia Stud. Wait one second. Sophia, my clicker wasn't working. So, your beautiful face went on. Just congratulations. All right, I guess next. Go ahead. Yes. I am thrilled to be here tonight to share some truly outstanding news about our students accomplishments in this year's Odyssey of the Mind competition. This program challenges students to think creatively, solve complex problems, and work collaboratively under pressure. They worked tirelessly all year round long and their efforts continue to be recognized both on

005the state and international level. This year, Picosen City Public Schools made history. Two of our Odyssey of the Mind teams were named for state champions, and all three earned the opportunity to represent Virginia at the 2025 world finals held at Michigan State University. And let me tell you, they did not disappoint. We will first begin with the Picosen High School team who competed in problem four on the high school level, which is division three. It is a technical and vehicle-based challenge that demands both precision engineering and theatrical storytelling. After taking home the state title in the spring, they advanced to the world stage and won it all. That's right. Our high school students are now world champions. This is an incredible feat, not only because of the level of global competition, but because this marks

006Picosen's second world title in recent years. It is interesting to share that while at world they created a 15 g structure which for reference is equivalent to the weight of three nickels. So three nickels they were able to hold 1,040 pounds. Their ability to innovate under pressure to build test revise and perform with excellence is nothing short of inspiring. Next we have our Picosen Middle School team. After competing the problem four this year in division two, they brought on they brought on five new team members this year and they captured the state title. They advanced to the worlds to compete in against 43 other countries and placed fourth. That's top four in the world. Another phenomenal result. Their 17 g structure held an incredible amount of 140 pounds which was the team's best ever. Their

007imaginative solution executed with skill and confidence proved that they are among the world's best and we just couldn't be prouder. And lastly, but by no means least, our youngest champions, the Picosen Elementary School team, who had four new team members this year. They also tackled problem four, competing in division one. They impressed judges at the state level to earn second place finish and move on to the worlds, where they competed against 50 other countries. Here, they put on their best performance of the year, earning them the third place trophy. Their 18 g structure held 995 lbs, which was their best weight of the year. Our elementary students stood on the podium among the best young minds in the world. Their creativity, teamwork, and joy were evident in every moment of their performance. Across all three

008school levels, elementary, middle, and high, our team stood among the best of the best on a world stage. This kind of sweep is rare, and it speaks volumes about the strength of our Odyssey of the Mind program, our dedicated coaches, our involved parents, and most importantly, our incredible students. These accomplishments represent more than just awards. They reflect the heart of what we strive for in Picosen. Academic rigor, creative thinking, perseverance, and pride and performance. At this time, we're going to call you all up and we would like to have a group photo so that we can take a picture while you receive your individual awards. We're going to start with PES. Joshua Bolt. Caleb Dubose, I don't believe, is here. Lindsay Jordan, I don't believe is here. Is she here? No. Okay. Anya Ley, did

009I say that correctly? Ley? No. Okay. Natalie Mccclure. Caleb Watson, Owen Watson, and Coach Norman Remchuk. Do a picture. [Music] Congratulations. Dr. Burbage, I'm sorry I still need you. We have a lot more. Let's go on to our middle school. Is Lee Bolt here, please? Alex Coulson, Kellen Harrison, Gray Libby, Bentley Martinez, Llaya McAdams, Victoria Winchester, Coach Rachel McAdams and Mr. Roch, would you like to come up as well? And our first place world champions, the high school team, Bo Bagot, Carlson Gil, Ethan Jordan, who's not with us, Cassidy Larson, Charlie Libby, who's not with us, Emily McAdams, Andrew Wawa, and coach Troy Wawa. Hold on. More pictures back. [Music] Oh, some more. Hold on. Okay, thank you so much. I just wanted to give one more shout out to take a moment and recognize

010our coaches and mentors who guided these students. We all want to thank them for the for the support that they provided along the journey. And of course we want to give a standing ovation to one more time to these amazing teams who not only made Picosen proud but brought home world class honors in the progress. Congratulations one more time Elizabeth. She's not here. Okay. I'm sure the they need you guys need we do need the Odyssey of the mind folks. We have some special guests that are here tonight to give an award. Um so I do want you don't leave the building cuz uh Senator Diggs and uh Representative Cordoza are going to be here in a little bit. Mr. Diggs is here now. So we can go out and come back in after the

011Sorry about the confusion. Yes, it is. [Music] So that's big team. [Music] Okay. We should have just been on the field. I'll talk to you later. It's okay. Thank you for everybody's patience as we play musical chairs. [Music] There's still plenty of chairs. [Music] We have a lot of chairs here in the middle. here too. [Music] Picosen schools is proud to recognize the high school girls varsity soccer team who recently captured the 2025 VHSL class 2 state championship. The Lady Islanders capped an impressive 13-6 season with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Clark County in the state final on June 14th. Their championship run included playoff wins over Riverheads and ClinVar before their thrilling title match performance. The team showcased outstanding consistency, teamwork, and determination throughout the season and postseason. This state title marks a historic

012achievement for the girls soccer program and brings great pride to the Picosen community. The Lady Islander success is a shining example of the dedication, resilience, and sportsmanship we celebrate at Pakosen City Public Schools. As I call your name, will you please join me up front to receive a certificate of recognition and remain up here so that we can take a team photo. Quimby Amry Lindsay Pepper, Kelsey Kquit, Marie Council. Is Kelsey here? No. Okay. Thank you. Madison Denort. Addison Forest, Kayla Gil, Hannah Garcy, Michaela Goodson, Ashley Gross, Brian Gross, Caroline Harper, Callie Henson, Tegan Horning, Mary Jones, Jordan Mulling, Abigail Rugart is okay and her father coach Annabelle Simmons Sophia Studi Vogle Katie Weiss, Sienna Williamson, Aubrey Stroke, team manager, head coach Jeff Imrren, assistant head coach Chad Koid Ko, assistant coach Jen Mullin, assistant

013head coach Tomway, and I'm wondering if we've missed a couple of um certificates, but I'd like to bring up Grace Oats. [Music] Sophia Donado, we will be sure to get you certificates. Would you like placeholders? Okay. Okay. I'm going to Ladies, we know how to take a picture, right? So, I'm going to need another layer up front. Parents, if you want to Should we do three layers? [Music] One, two, three. [Music] Hold [Music] on. Are we done? Okay. Thank you so much, ladies. What a great accomplishment. Before they all leave, I as they're leaving, I should say, I do want to um give one more congratulations to head coach Jeff Gimrs on receiving just recently the title of um region soccer coach um for girls soccer. So, congratulations, Coach Jeff. [Music] Okay, we are going

014to pivot back. If you could bear with me for a second. Picosen Schools is proud to recognize Elizabeth Trent, a remarkable student athlete who continues to represent our division at the highest levels of competition. You might recognize her face because she's been here a few times before for receiving similar accolades. She is a dedicated member of the PHS track and field team, has distinguished herself as a repeated state champion and distance events. Most recently, Elizabeth captured the 2025 VHSL class 2 state title in the 3200 meter run, solidifying her place among Virginia's elite high school distance runners. Elizabeth has also played an important role on Picosen's relay teams and consistently contributes to team points at regional and state levels. Her dedication, sportsmanship, and work ethic serve as an outstanding example for students across our division.

015We commend Elizabeth for her achievements and look forward to following her continued success. Please join me in congratulating Miss Trant on her recent accomplishment and we'll get a picture real quick. Did you run here, Elizabeth? Congratulations. Okay. The next item on our agenda is the Islander Award. The Islander Award is an distinguished award that is given locally to those who go above and beyond. It is open to every employee with nominations given by peers. Each year we have an incredible list of nominees and we are and they are selected truly be because they go above and beyond in both our school and our greater community. Tonight I'd like to share a little bit about each winner before calling them up front for a group photo with their certificate of recognition. First, we have Picosen High

016School. Britney Baker's dedication to Picosen High School extends far beyond her classroom. She creates meaningful opportunities for students through clubs and service projects, helping them grow as leaders and community members. Whether coordinating food drives, organizing prom nights for senior citizens, or helping students earn scholarships and service hours, Britney's impact is felt across the school and the community. She goes above and beyond to make sure students feel supported, valued, and inspired. Tim Sofus is known for bringing energy, enthusiasm, and generosity well beyond the requirements of his role. He has worked tirelessly to build school spirit by organizing major events like springfest and the blood drive, all while supporting students and staff at countless afterchool activities. Tim's positive attitude and willingness to take on extra responsibilities make him an invaluable force for connection and pride at PHS.

017Don McBride goes above and beyond the duties of her registar to provide unmatched support for Picosen High School. Her meticulous work behind the scenes ensure smooth operations, accurate records, and vital scholarship connections for students through the school counseling office. Don is always ready to step in to assist staff, solve problems, and facilitate partnerships with the community, allowing teachers and students to focus on learning and growth. Her dedication strengthens every part of the school. Bernie BSI exemplifies what it means to go above and beyond. He has grown the criminal justice program into a model of experiential learning, developing opportunities like the Philadelphia field trip and ensuring students have access through fundraising efforts alongside the Picosen Education Foundation. Beyond his program, Bernie steps up whenever he's needed. Whether serving as an assistant athletic director, covering classes, or

018mentoring students, his tireless commitment and positive spirit lift the entire PHS community. At Picosen Elementary School, Marquita Williams is a shining example of an educator who goes above and beyond at every opportunity. As a fourth grade team lead, she not only ensured highly qualifi qualified, I'm sorry, high quality instruction, but also provides constant guidance and encouragement to colleagues. She volunteers her time to sponsor SCA, helps revive school traditions, and even supports the high school show choir as a choreographer. Whether she's cheering on students at events or helping staff members behind the scenes, Marquita made Costa Elementary a stronger, more connected community, we will miss her next year as she now lives on the West Coast with her newly wedded husband. At Picosen Primary School, Donna Evans has con consistently gone above and beyond throughout her

019career at Picosen Primary. Not only does she build lasting relationships with her students, staying connected with them and their families for years, but she dedicates time outside of the classroom, within the community, and at sporting events. Donna is an informal mentor to new teachers, always ready to lend a hand or a kind word, and she gives generously of her time to school activities and community service. As she retires this year, her impact as an educator, colleague, and community leader will be deeply missed. Glenda Clifton far exceeds the expectations of her role as a pair professional. Every day she works well beyond her hours to make sure her students have what they need to succeed. She has created and provided nearly all the adaptive classrooms materials this year, lesson plans, tasks box, and more entirely on

020her own initiative. Whether supporting students throughout after school programs, volunteering in the community, or helping her family, Glenda shows what it means to give selflessly and fully in service to others. Furthermore, the Virginia Department of Education has a RISE program that recognizes employees of school divisions who go above and beyond. Our selection committee selects from the Islander Award winners someone who nominate for this award at the state level. And this year, PCPS has selected Miss Glenda Clifton to be our RISE nominee as she has done tremendous work for our students. At this time, I would like each Islander Award winner to come up when your name is called. Is Miss Baker here? Delicious. Mr. Sofus, I apologize. I got him out of the way, too. There we are. Don McBride, Donna Evans, Bernie Bonic, and

021of course, Marquita Williams is not here, and Miss Glenda Clifton. We recognize it's tricky to be here during this summer time. So, we appreciate you guys for coming very much and thank you for your service to our students and community this year. Thank you. At this time we are going to rotate once more. [Music] Hi, Dylan. Okay. Have a good evening. We're good. It's a shame. [Music] I guess we should do it in one of the school. What? [Music] This is not [Music] Just [Music] I think we have so much to celebrate. We need to lobby for a larger meeting room. This is Yes, this is a frequent occurrence. Thank you guys for being flexible. We wanted to bring you back in here because we do have some very special guests that would like to

022honor you in a very unique way. We have with us Senator Diggs and Delegate Cordoa. And at this time, I'd like to call them up as they um have some words for you. Well, thank you so much. It's quite an honor to be here this evening. As I sat there reflecting about all the great things that y'all have done, it came upon me that I I'm a product of Picosen and Picosen City Schools. In fact, it was 50 years ago this month that I graduated and doesn't seem like that long. So, uh, make sure you keep yourselves busy. Anyway, I want to say congratulations. Your accomplishments are just almost beyond belief and I want to thank you so much. And I also want to thank uh the parents and the teachers for providing such a

023great foundation for our students to propel themselves to the great heights that they've been able to achieve. So I want to just uh thank you so much. Uh and in a little while I I've got something to say from our congresswoman why Whitman. So now I'm going to turn it over to Delegate AC Cordoza. I just wanted to uh uh echo the sentiments of our senator guys. You guys have done an amazing thing bringing world recognition to our our our small town here in Picosen. We appreciate you. We appreciate every coach, all the teachers, all the staff and faculty, our school board, everyone for everything they've been able to do by coming together as a community and providing this opportunity for our students and of course our students for the wonderful job they've done. Thank

024you and uh keep it up. Now, I'm going to put on another hat because Congressman Rob Whittman has asked me to represent him uh this evening. Uh he he's in Washington busy, but he did send uh challenge coins for each of the participants and letters of congratulations as did I and uh Delegate Condoza. We provided each of you with letters of congratulation. Um, Congressman Whittmann had this read into the congressional record. So, you can go online uh and look and it it'll be there. This was broadcast to certainly every uh citizen in the United States. And and it reads, "Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding students at Picosen High School for achieving an extraordinary accomplishment. first place at the 2025 Otisu the mind world championship. Odyssey of the mind is a prestigious

025international competition that challenges students to think creatively and work collaboratively to solve complex STEMbased problems. Teams from around the globe compete in this rigorous program. To rise to the top of such an accomplished and diverse field is nothing short of remarkable. Pakosen High School competed in the structure category, one of the five STEM focused divisions, and showcased their engineering excellence by designing and constructing a structure using a maximum of 15 grams of balsa wood and glue capable of holding over 1,000 lbs. This is a testament not only to their technical skills but also to their determination, creativity, and teamwork. This historic win was made even more special under the dedicated guidance of their coaches. Their unwavering support and mentorship have shaped generations of students and this moment is a shining example of the lasting impact

026a great educator can have. Congratulations to the students, coaches, their families, and the Picosen community. You have made Virginia proud and inspired students across the Commonwealth and the nation with your innovation, perseverance, and excellence. I commend you all and look forward to seeing the comp continued impact of your talents and leadership in the years to come. Go Bull Islanders. Sincerely, Robert J. Whitman, member of Congress. So congratulations. That actually concludes our recognitions for the evening. Thank you very much. Congratulations everybody. One more time. Thank you, Miss Party. Uh, I also want to thank uh Senator Diggs and Delegate Cordoza and it's unfortunate Mr. Whitman couldn't make it tonight, but I understand he's got important things to do up in Washington, but thank you guys for coming as well. I appreciate it. Uh, I guess we'll

027if you guys we're going to kind of get into presentations. If y'all want to stick around for that, you're more than welcome. Uh or if y'all want to head on out, I understand you all. Have a good evening. [Music] Those t-shirts are awesome. Great t-shirt. I thought I was looking at those too. I had seen some really neat. All right. Is that everybody? Uh, we'll move on to presentations and reports. Uh, Miss [Music] Well, I guess I can do it without a crowd. Good evening, Chair Burbage, school board members, Superintendent Tilllet, staff, community members. Tonight, I will present several items for board approval, including our ESSA grant applications, the division literacy plan, a modification to the program of studies, and the adoption of a new high school English textbooks. Additionally, we will share information regarding

028our AI roadmap for the upcoming school year. This evening we are seeking board approval for the submission of our every student succeeds ESSA federal grants which includes title one, title two, title three, title four part A. These grants provide critical funding to support a range of academic programs and services aimed at improving educational outcomes for all learners. Each grant supports a specific area within the division which will be explained in this presentation. The Virginia Department of Education has not yet released specific award mounts for all of the grants at this time. However, school divisions have been directed to utilize the 2425 funding allocations for our 2526 submission, which is typical. We will make amendments once we have been provided the exact allocations. Title One is a federal program designed to provide financial assistance to schools

029with children from low-income families and is intended to help ensure that all students meet challenging state academic standards. Title One allocations are used to fund 1.5 reading specialist positions at Picosen Primary School to provide highquality reading intervention services. And new for the 2526 school year, we are seeking to add a grant-f funded paraprofessional position to support students identified at risk in literacy and math. This paraprofessional will provide smallroup intervention to identified students on a weekly basis. An additional set aside of title one funds will be used to address identified needs under the McKenna Vento homeless assistance act. Title two part A of the Every Student Succeed Act is a federal program designed to improve the quality and effectiveness of educators by providing funding for professional development and support for teachers, principles, and other school leaders.

030In PCPS, title 2 funds are used to partially support the salary of one professional learning and communication supervisor. This individual works closely with teachers, staff and school administrators and division level leaders to design and deliver professional development, mentor educators, support instructional improvement initiatives, and coordinate content area meetings, researchbased pre best practices, coaching, and support to new teachers. The Title 2 grant does not cover the full cost of this position, but it does play a key role in supporting the division's efforts to build educator capacity and improve student outcomes. Title three funds will be used to provide instructional resources that support English learners in acquiring language proficiency while accessing grade level content. During the past school year, Picosen piloted the use of Lexia English language development or what we call Lexia Eel, an adaptive research-based program

031designed to accelerate English language acquisition through speaking, listening, reading, and writing tasks embedded in academic content. Based on positive results from the pilot, the division will continue implementing Lexia Eel to strengthen language development and support instructional access for English learners. For title four part A, funds will be used to support the district's talent development and gifted education initiatives through the purchase of universal screeners, excuse me, screening tools designed to identify students with advanced learning potential. These screeners will help ensure a more inclusive and equitable identification process by capturing a broad range of student strengths. In addition, Title 4 funds will be used to purchase materials and resources that enhance STEAM education, providing students with hands-on inquirybased learning experiences that promote critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving skills. That's it for the ESSA grants. The next

032that we're seeking board approval for is the revised division literacy plan, which you have all of this you have a reading file for. In accordance with the Virginia Literacy Act, the VLA, each public school division in Virginia is required to develop a division literacy plan. This plan must address key components including assessment and data analysis, instructional strategies, intervention programs, professional development, family engagement, and progress monitoring. Originally created last year, PCPS division literacy plan has since been revised with the VA's expanded requirements to include grades K through 8. Updates to the plan include an increased focus on foundational literacy efforts across all grade levels and review of current assessments and instructional materials to ensure alignment. The revised plan continues to serve as a strategic framework to build the division's work ranging from early identification of reading

033difficulties to the implementation of targeted interventions and ongoing professional development uh for educators. PCPS conducted a comprehensive review of secondary English language arts resources through a school-based committee and has selected HMH into literature for adoption. This recommendation aligns with the 2024 Virginia standards of learning updates and ensures continuity with the H.M.H instructional materials already in use in grades K through 8. The materials were made available for public viewing and the division now seeks schoolboard approval to move forward with the adoption. And finally, the last thing we're seeking board approval for is the update to the program of studies. This update includes participation requirements for advanced placement and dual enrollment courses beginning in the upcoming school year. The program of studies is an organic document that evolves over time to reflect new academic requirements with updates

034from the VDOE and responds to the changing needs and interests of our students. As part of the division's continued commitment to academic excellence and college readiness, students enrolled in AP and DE courses are expected to fully engage in all components of the coursework, including end ofear course assessments. The program of studies has been revised to include the following. For AP courses, students enrolled in AP courses are required to take the corresponding AP exam at the conclusion of the course. Since the division covers the full cost of AP exams, a exam participation is considered an essential component of course completion. Students who do not take the AP exam except in cases of documented extenuating circumstances approved by the school administration will not be eligible to enroll in future AP courses. For DE courses, students participating in

035DE courses must complete the entire course, including all college level assignments and assessments as required by the partnering post-secondary institution. Tuition and associated fees are fully paid for by the division. Therefore, successful completion of the course is mandatory. Students who do not complete a DE, excuse me, who do not complete a DE course without documented school approved extenduating circumstances will not be eligible to enroll in future DE courses. These expectations ensure the responsible use of division resources, reinforce the rigor and integrity of our advanced academic programs, and allow the division to collect meaningful data to evaluate program effectiveness and ensure we are meeting our college and career readiness goals. Do you have any questions on that section before I move on to our AI road map? I have just a really quick question. I have

036no personal concerns from what I looked at as well, but always like to ask regarding the new textbook. Did you hear any public comment or questions or concerns? We had no public comment, questions or concerns. Thank you. Okay. So, as we focus on strengthening core areas like literacy, curriculum, and instructional resources through our ESSA grants and textbook adoptions, it's equally important that we look ahead to how emerging technologies are shaping the future of education. With that in mind, I'd like to shift our attention to artificial intelligence, AI, and the role it's beginning to play in schools. From instructional planning to student learning, AI has a potential to be a powerful tool when used responsibly. Tonight, we'll share our roadmap for how we plan to explore, pilot, and implement AI across the division for the coming

037school year. AI refers to the computer systems that perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence such as recognizing patterns, understanding language, making decisions, learning from data, creating schoolboard presentations. The list goes on. In schools, AI supports teaching and learning by personalizing learning to meet each student's pace and needs, assisting educators with grading, feedback, and curriculum planning, analyzing data to track student progress and improve decisions, improving operational tasks like scheduling and communication. Students use AI in various ways such as getting real-time tutoring and homework help tailored to their level, receiving assistance with writing, research, and organizing ideas, creating personalized study guides, practice quizzes, test prep, exploring create creativity through AI generated images, music, or coding projects. When used responsibly, AI helps students build important skills like critical thinking, digital literacy, and ethical technology use, preparing them for

038the future. Tonight, I will be sharing our one-year roadmap for AI implementation and policy development. This plan outlines the key steps we will take to thoughtfully integrate AI into our schools, ensuring safe, effective use while supporting students, staff, and families along the way. [Music] We broken it down in quarters as if a school year, you know, we have four quarters. So in quarter one, our goal is awareness and foundation building. Our goal is to build a shared understanding of AI and to assess how it currently impacts our schools. To do this, we plan to form an AI task force or committee that includes instructional leaders, IT staff, administrators, teachers, students, and community representatives. This team will conduct an AI readiness audit, taking inventory of both formal and informal use of AI currently used by staff

039and students, identifying strengths and risks, and determining what training might be needed. We will also host an introductory AI workshop during our spark that's our summer PD session covering the basics of AI tools like chat GBT magic school and introducing practical low-risk ways to use AI in the classroom but most importantly how to do it ethically such as ensuring privacy and fura during this process we will take the opportunity to learn from neighboring districts they're our greatest partner their experience experiences and participate in relevant trainings as we ensure we are aligned with best practices. And finally, we'll develop a communications plan to share our clear, consistent message about what AI means for us in PCPS. Our deliverables here will be our charter, drafted communication materials, and our baseline survey to gauge that student and staff

040understanding. In quarter two, our goal would be to pilot safe AI use in the classrooms with a select group and begin drafting foundational policy principles. To start, we will select a small group of teachers to pilot AI tools with coaching support focusing on instructional planning, differentiation, and assessment strategies. At the same time, we will draft an AI framework based on guiding principles such as transparency, and human- centered decision-making. To ensure the framework reflects our community's values, we will hold listening sessions with teachers, students, families, and administrators to gather their hopes, fears, and expectations. Professional learning will support this work, taking deep dives into the e ethical use of AI, and as well as leadership sessions exploring AI's impact on school operations. Our deliverables will include the draft AI guiding principles, a summary of the stakeholder

041feedback, and a mid-year check-in with staff. In quarter three, our goal is to translate our AI guiding principles into clear policies and procedures while building systemwide capacity for effective AI use. To achieve this, we will draft comprehensive policies covering acceptable use for both students and staff, ensuring data privacy, vetting of AI tools, student guidelines for AI use, and defined roles and responsibilities for our staff. We will continue to develop professional learning tracks tailored to the different needs. To ensure sustainable oversight, we will build systems that include a formal process for approving AI tools and to regularly evaluate and update our policies. And finally, our goal is to finalize AI policies about this time next year to launch comprehensive training across the division and establish plans for sustainability. We will begin by presenting the finalized AI

042policy to the school board and key stakeholders for approval, followed by broad communication to students, families, and staff to ensure everyone understands the new guidelines. Next, we will launch systemwide professional development, embedding AI training into our existing professional development days. We will also share model lessons and success stories from our pilot teachers to highlight the best practices. Looking ahead, we will begin planning for year two by establishing a schedule of ongoing policy review, identifying AI leaders at each school to support implementation, and updating student digital citizenship programs to reflect the evolving role of AI questions. So, so I did have one question said in quarter one you're forming that AI task force. What do you envision that task force makeup? Is that all teachers? No, that would be a variety of stakeholders including uh the

043IT staff, administrators, teachers, students, community members. I did have one maybe go back you talking about the AP um enrollment exam requirements. you have a um a percentage of students that were currently not taking the exam. How how many people acting with that? I'm gonna have to defer. There were some who just chose not to take it this year um after it was paid for. So that's why we wanted to prevent that from happening. And there's no risk in taking it. So if they don't score well, it doesn't get reported to an institution. But it certainly gives them a benefit of taking a college level exam and getting that full experience as well as giving us the data to support if we need to change our programming in any way and it's provided at school

044so they don't have to travel anywhere to take it. So that the requirement is for all students enrolled in that AP or dual enrollment class must sit for the exam. But I think you said there are methods for people to remove. Sure. there is any kind of extenduating circumstances, we're certainly going to be flexible in that, but that has to be pre-approved by the school administration. Thank you. And certainly if there's um circumstances that cause them not to get that preapproval, we do have makeup testing sessions that we would be able to provide to them as well. Is there any concern that this requirement is going to prevent students from taking these AP classes? I can speak to that uh having uh done this for many many years. Um it's it's very unusual for school

045divisions that offer a high quality AP curriculum um like Picosen does to not require the exam. Um uh the typical uh only reason is if the school division doesn't finance the exam. you can't require a student to pay for uh an exam. So, with us taking that out of the way, there's really no we don't anticipate any um uh detriment to our participation. And and historically with school divisions that do this, it actually grows the program. Thank you. We wanted to let families know of this ahead of time because the exam is also registered and paid for months in advance of them actually taking it. So we want them to thoughtfully make their selections based on this requirement. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Uh now for our operations update, Mr. Roberts. Well, good

046evening, uh, members of the school board, Superintendent Tilllet, staff, and community members. Want to start off, uh, just like to provide you a quick update of some of the major summer projects that we have underway. Um, if you look under the major products category, um, if you've been by the high school, uh, you may have witnessed this picture of the big crane, um, it's already off campus. They, uh, utilize that to put the youth, uh, rooftop units onto the the school. Um, that is on schedule. I couldn't be more pleased with the work that work is doing. It's coming along nicely. Um, the PMS gym roof is going to begin next week. Um, deliverables for materials should be um, probably at the end of this week, definitely by the beginning of next. and the PES

047gym floor. I got confirmation um just this week that July 28th they will start redoing which that means they're going to resand it, repaint it, and finish it. It'll uh match the other two gym floors that we've had redone past few years. Um other notable projects that we're either um getting online scheduling or you know in the middle of uh the AC system in the kitchen uh the middle school exterior painting at the elementary going to start soon in August. Uh the job coach van, I was at some dealerships this past weekend to to secure that. Um phone system RFP is going to be determined this week. Uh the interior courtyards is being scheduled with the landscaper and many others. Um want to end it with a highlight. The school security officer grant was approved

048by DCJS. So we're good for the funding for the next school year. Um and we are fully staffed with four security officers in uh one each school. All right. Within your reading files, you will see that Dominion Energy has sent a request to enter into a right-of-way agreement. Their goal is to be able to continue their project of placing outage prone overhead power lines underground within Picosa. The main benefit of this project is to reduce power outages due to the vulnerability of overhead lines um to weather, wind, and other factors such as vehicles uh which we did experience this past school year. Picosen Primary School is the key access point that they're interested in uh for this project due to the surrounding properties that connect to the primary school's property. PPS has five poles uh

049in one ground power box on the property that Dominion is interested in utilizing for this project. They've also stated that they possibly would like to place a transformer on that property. Um they're checking for permission for another land owner. If that goes through, we don't have to worry about it. Uh but if not, they will be approaching us. We do have a little bit of leeway. um if we accept it um we don't have to but um where that gets placed um they'll give us the parameters but I would like to show you a diagram here provided by Dominion Energy. You'll see the red and black dotted line and the the red dots are actually the poles on the property. Um what we like about this project is not really interfering with anything that we're

050going to have to really tear up. It's not impacting our roadways. It's not impacting our building. Um the only point of concern and this is something we'll just have to negotiate um if we get to that point with the agreement is that last pole to the far right you'll notice is in the playground area. Um however if they're planning on removing that and putting it underground it actually may be a benefit to us. So um again very important uh piece of property because of the surrounding areas they're trying to do the underground work um from Picosen Avenue onto Odd Road and this is a pivotal piece because of the connecting properties. Um, so we are seeking approval tonight for the superintendent be given authority to uh sign that rightaway agreement. All right, on to bus

051patrol. Um, we've been talking about this for several uh months, including your reading materials is the information on bus patrol. If you remember, um, they're the vendor that we have selected to, uh, pursue to provide stop arm, interior, and exterior cameras for school buses, enhance our safety. Uh, this program is fully funded through revenue generated from the stop arm violation citations at no cost to the division. We've worked with our legal council to draft anou with the city and the police department which is currently under their review. Our attorneys have also reviewed the bus patrol agreement and recommended edits to protect the division legally and operationally particularly to ensure that we are not involved in enforcement or the collections. We are requesting authority for the superintendent to sign both and agreement contingent on our legal

052and operational revisions being accepted. If approved, the next steps would be to finalize theou with the city and the police department, negotiate request changes with bus patrol, and proceed with signing the agreement once all conditions are met. If conditions are not met, we would not sign. All right, moving on. Uh the briement policy uh included in your board pack is also a ring file outlining a proposed revision to policy 5-7 um.6 that includes a briement leave uh policy. Currently, it only allows an employee to use 5 days of their accumulated unified leave agreement. The proposed revision would provide three dedicated agreement leave days for the death of immediate family member. It will also include a a clear definition of who is an immediate family member and outlines the process for requesting and approving this leave.

053We are seeking approval tonight on the first reading to approve these policy revisions so we have them ready for the new school year. And this does closely uh mirror the city's policy for leave as well. All right. Uh capital improvement. Tonight we are requesting final approval of our uh capital improvement plan. Mrs. Spence will provide more information and details in her um presentation, but I'd like to briefly highlight two key projects and discuss some of the challenges that all divisions are facing with CIPs these days. As you know, market conditions are unpredictable. Inflation, tariffs, and other external factors continue to impact construction costs. When projecting estimates year in advance, years in advance, we're working with a moving target. It's critical that we regularly update cost estimates and remain flexible in identifying funding solutions as needs

054evolve. Highlighting the uh roof replacement for F-25 or FY26 year for the high school roof replacement. Um this is a significant project. Obviously that is a huge roof. If you've never actually been up there, it is a lot of surface area to cover. Um we have been contacting a vendor um the same one that's doing the middle school roofing project and what they do is they kind of outsource for other bids for us and really market to uh to find that best product at the best price. They have found a solution that does fit our current budget but it is extremely tight and some adjustments were made from the products that were chosen for that that particular bid. Um we are actively exploring additional support options including working with solar companies to offset costs if

055needed. Um and if needed and improved um we are we will consider FY25 carryover funds or any net savings that we generate off some of these projects that we are coming in lower cost than of what was projected. Uh we will definitely keep you informed as we progress. Moving on to the tennis courts. Um the FY27 tennis court replacement project at the high school. Um these courts are deteriorating faster than what was anticipated. Um, our original plan was to rely on service coatings and patching to extend their use to the FY27. Recently, we contacted a contractor through a cooperative who assess the temporary or who assess the courts um and that the temporary fixes are no longer sufficient. The rapid increase in cracking and service failure suggests there may be uh deeper issues with the

056foundations. We are working with this contractor to conduct a geotechnical study by engineers to determine what is the contributing problem. They'll take cores and do a lot of different tests to see that. This past winter's freeze thaw cycle did have a huge role in this uh which advanced the cracking to other areas. Due to the worsting conditions and growing concerns about the safety and usability, we are now wanting to advance the timeline for this project. If approved, the funds that could be utilized would be carryover funds from FY25 and again net savings from projects that we are already underway or completed. The contractor we are currently working with is the same contractor who recently completed the city's courts which are very nice. Um and this contractor has some previous history with our courts and was

057already telling me things that you know I would have never known. So um very very knowledgeable uh contractor with this project. They are fully committed to helping us identify a long-term cost effective solution so we're just not reoccurring with this part uh same issue. They said, "Yeah, we could slap a coating on this, but you know, we could only guarantee it for a couple months." So, the the cracks are that significant. As you can see in the pictures, um, you know, I was talking to, uh, Dr. Burbage. I mean, even from the spring the start to the finish, uh, there's more, I call them spiderweb cracking that continues to to to grow. So, I know that was a lot, but any questions on any and all the presentation? So did have one question on the

058Dominion Energy um right of way. When when they came to us, did they provide any kind of safety review that showed you know what the sides or downsides would be to converting to underground power lines setup? Yeah, so far they've only provided us with the agreement, but before we would sign that, um if he's given approval, I would be definitely meeting with the Dominion team. I've been in contact with the the team lead on the rightway project. Um, but I would be in communication then with the actual project manager for that team to get more details because we would want to know specifically, you know, what we're getting into as well. The city planners are uh very involved in this process as it it's a it's a a much larger scale project throughout the city.

059The goal over time is to um get rid of the electricity poles and have underground. Um, and there's that's a win-win all the way around. uh having experienced this project in a previous community, uh it it uh virtually eliminates a lot of the um power outages that we see often in Picosen. Um I the city is is very uh interested in this project uh completion. So we would be partnering with them throughout the process. So any of those questions about um liabilities of of transition from one to the other would be uh uh addressed by the city planners. All right. Well, thank you. And I did have one other question. Sorry if anybody else. Um this may be more of a curiosity, but they're painting the primary school. Are we keeping the same color scheme

060oring that? Yeah, correct. I imagine we're going to stick with that same color. um you know if there's something that you know would want to be suggested you know I'm just thinking and gold is the city color and I've always wondered why we did that big green school there I will I will add this one piece and again I'm not invested in the in the color um what um uh experience tells us with with large buildings and painting projects is darker colors fade faster um and often times schools will will choose a lighter version of a color um on those buildings. Um it doesn't show the the wear and tear as quickly as a darker color like unfortunately maroon. So maybe but maybe gold could be. But just just a thought as we go through

061that. We'll certainly vet the longevity of the color as well. I did I did have one last question about the tennis court project. So um looking at the price tag for that study, that's a pretty hefty price. Have we evaluated of repairing our existing tennis courts versus relocating them? So, just to be clear, um this geotechnical study is going to be very key with the decisions that we make on which path we actually choose. I mean, we were hoping that when they take those core samples, they're like, you have no water. This is just, you know, some phenomenon or whatever. And they can just mill it and repave, which would be quite less than what you're seeing on that $400,000 P uh price tag that is currently listed. But, you know, with the significant cracking

062and and you know, the the guy being concerned and suggesting the geo study, you know, I think it's very important that we we pay attention to that. So, what year were they most recently resurfaced? Um, I think that was about 3 years ago that we had a recoding um done. Um, and that, you know, when we say recoting, it's it's just really the painting. It's it's a thicker material that just builds it up a little bit, but it's not going to really address those those type of cracks. I I've got a few questions. Um just we you didn't talk about it tonight, but uh the bus GPS, is that still on track for Yeah. Um thank you for bringing that up. We did uh test pilot that with a couple of staff members uh that

063that were in the office to be able to see that the last week of our school um year and it was a success. I mean they they reported that was GPS was pinging about literally seconds off which is what we wanted. Um, we're going to be continuing that into the summer school, summer academy. The first week we're only going to run it on two buses. Um, again, we just don't want to massly do this. Just one to so we catch our breath to know how much we we we need to absorb it once. Um, but by the end of the summer academy, we'll have all those buses on it with full implementation scheduled for the the start of the school year. Okay. Uh, regarding the gr, it was a grant for the school security officer

064that was for four officers. So that would be wonderful. Okay. Um and then regarding the bereavement policy, the unified days, what's what's the difference between like is it earned annual leave that they're taking off or Right. So basically this is going to be a benefit to the employee that they won't have to to tap into their leave count against them. Uh it's a true benefit. Okay. It's not something that's, you know, that they're going to have to have something accumulate to be able to take. Right. That's the true advantage. Okay. and it will match what the city is currently. Okay. Correct. That's all I had. Thank you. Y and I think I just have one more remaining after listening to the others regarding the bus patrol on theou with the police department. Uh the police

065department has no concerns about the staffing or the time or any such thing that would be involved on their end as far as enforcement of the violations. I guess I'll say right. The the chief of police has been over the moon about this from the jump. I remember having the first conversation in my office and I was a bit nervous to bring it up because I didn't know how it would be and he was in full support in day one because I think he's had it in other um areas that he served. But um yes, he's they're they're fully on board. Anybody else? Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Roberts. Uh, next will be our finance and budget update from Miss Spence. Righty. Good evening, Chairman Burbage, members of the school board, Mr.

066Tlet, staff, and the school community. For tonight's finance report, I'd like to take a moment to walk through the school's proposed CIP for fiscal year 2027 and beyond 2031, as well as share the annual summary of donations our schools have received during the last year. While individual donations are included in your schoolboard meeting agendas each month, this gives you a chance to see the full list from the past school year all in one place. and a copy of that has been provided at your at your seat. The original proposed CIP for fiscal year 2027 through beyond 2031 was shared during last month's work session and included a 5% contingency as well as a 1.8% in inflation adjustment. Since then, the plan has been updated to reflect a 3.5% inflation adjustment. No other changes were made

067compared to what was introduced last month. This is being presented this evening for your approval. Just to recap, there were several new projects which were added to the CIP for both the Picosen Primary School and the Picosen Elementary School. There's an intercom PA system upgrade added to the fisc year 28 slot. And at the high school, there's three projects. a fire alarm system in fiscal year 27, the project for digitizing student records in fiscal year 28, as well as the indoor batting and athletic training facility project, which we've put in the fisc year 31 project list. [Music] Alongside the new projects, the timelines for some existing ones were adjusted across the fiscal years to better align with our operational needs. The paint project, the primary school was moved up two years. The Possen Middle School,

068the gym AC project was moved up from 28 to 27 as well as the replacement pro, the locker replacement project was moved from post fiscal year 30 to 31. The high school has been discussed. The tennis courts moved at fiscal year 27, but that's currently being um reviewed, but it needs to go in the CIP list. The media room and infrastructure upgrade was moved as well as the Bradshaw Fields renovation project and locker room renovation project. And lastly, the division wide, the asphalt repair project was moved from post 31 to 30. Next, let's talk about donations. Our schools are fortunate to receive support from a wide variety of generous uh generous sources including individuals, churches, civic groups, local businesses, PTOs, the Pa Picosa Education Foundation, as well as individual. These generous donations have supported a

069wide range of needs from classroom supplies and equipment to materials for various school departments. They also helped fund our amazing Odyssey of the Mind teams, athletics, as well as student clubs. And just like in past years, many thoughtful contributions were made to show appreciation to our teachers and our staff, our students. This year, the schools were fortunate to receive $86,578 as compared to approximately 55,000 in the prior year. Donations in excess of 5,000 were 22,342 from the PTO at the primary school, 11,325 for the Allander Soccer Association, 11,224 from our Pep Coen Education Foundation, as well as 8,886 from various individuals, which I just want to say that's 10% of our total, which is amazing for how our community support for individuals. Now, this is kind of really small here, but this chart reflects donations

070less than 5,000. And of course, I've I've given the print out for you. And again, these have been included in your monthly meetings uh agendas. We're incredibly grateful to everyone who contributed donations this year and their generosity truly makes a difference and supports our schools as we've seen in countless meaningful ways. And that concludes my report for this evening. Does anyone have any questions? Thank you, Miss Spence. Thank you. Um, I guess Miss Carol, do we have anybody here tonight for public comment? Chair Burbage, we have no one to comment today. Loft. Um, well, I guess we'll move on to section seven, the consent agenda. Um, we have four items for the consent agenda. There is a change to item C. We have the additional names that have been added for last minute additions. Is

071that correct, Miss Carol? That's correct. Okay. Um, do we need to do anything in particular to put that into the record? Okay. All right. So, we can still all four items with one vote. Okay. All right. Uh, item A is approval of financial reports. Item B is authorization to change appropriation and to accept and expend funds in accordance with attached request. Item C is approval of personnel action. And item D is approval of minutes for May's regular meeting and work session and June special call board meeting. Oh, there's an E down there. Oh, yep. I missed that. It's on the next page. Uh item E is authorization for the appointment of student representative of the school board for school year 2526, Miss Sophia Stud. I shouldn't have forgotten that one. I'm sorry. Um can I

072get a motion uh to approve the consent agenda? So moved. Can I get a second? Second. Uh, do we have any questions or comments about the consent agenda? Okay. Uh, Miss Carol, can we have the vote? Roger Bartlett, I. Mr. Claude, I. Um, Miss Jones, I. Mr. Maxwell, I. Chair Burbage, I. Vote passes. 5-0. Thank you. Uh moving on to item or section 8 other matters for consideration. This is going to be there are 10 items that we're going to vote on individually. So just uh it's going to take a little bit of time. Uh item A is consideration to amend the 2025 2026 program of studies to add a dual enrollment pathway. Reading file enclosed. Um can I have a motion to Thank you. Uh can I have a second? Second. Uh any questions

073or comments about the dual enrollment pathway? Everybody good? Okay. Miss Carol, can we have the vote? Dr. Bartlett, I. Mr. Claude, I. Miss Jones, I. Mr. Maxwell, I. Chair Burbage. I. Vote passes. 5-0. Okay. Moving on to item B is consideration of approval of regular school board meeting dates and times for the 2025 2026 uh school year. And I get a motion to approve the school dates. So moved. I get a second. Second. Any questions or discussion about uh schoolboard meeting dates? Okay. Uh Miss Carol, Dr. Barbage, who who made the motion? We have two hands. I second you. I think I second it. Miss Jones. Thank you. Uh, Dr. Bartlett, hi. Mr. Claude, hi. Miss Jones, hi. Mr. Maxwell, I chair Burbage. I vote passes 5-0. Okay. Item C, consideration to approve the adoption

074of English textbooks for Possen High School. So move, Mr. Chair. Got a second. Second. Thank you. Uh, any questions or discussion? Okay. Uh, Miss Carol, the vote. Dr. Bartlett, I. Mr. Claude, I. Miss Jones, I. Mr. Maxwell, I. Chair Barbage, I. Vote passes. 5-0. Okay. Uh, item D is consideration to authorize the superintendent to sign a contract for non-medical temporary staffing services with Allied Instructional Services LLC. Can I have a motion to approve? So moved. Second. Any questions or discussion? Okay. Miss Carol, the vote, please. Dr. Bartlett, I. Mr. Claude, I. Miss Jones, I. Mr. Maxwell, I. Tier Burbage. I. Vote passes. 5-0. Okay. Item E is consideration to approve the capital improvement plan CIP for FY27 to beyond FY31. I have so move, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Uh second, please. Second. Uh any questions

075or discussion about item E? I guess I'll just you know add a comment. I appreciate um Dr. uh Roberts providing those pictures of the tennis courts. It does show that that really is becoming a decision easier to move that one up and crossing my fingers that that price tag comes down and maybe we could push some of those other things back up cuz it may not be one of the most utilized assets that we have but seeing it in its condition does warrant that action. Any other questions, comments? Okay, Miss Carol, the vote, please. Dr. Bartlett, I. Mr. Claude, I. Miss Jones, I. Mr. Maxwell, I. Chair Burbage, I. That passes 5-0. Okay. Item F is consideration of approval of the superintendent to sign the memorandum of understanding with the Picosen City Council and Picosen

076Police Department and contract with bus patrol system. Can I have a motion to approve? So moved. So moved. Second. I'll second. Okay. Any questions, comments? I'll just add a comment. I think that this is this is a big win for our our city. I think this is going to greatly alleviate some of the bus concerns that the community has voiced over the last few and especially having the the GPS tracker and ways of communicating the bus issues. I think improvement. So, thank you to Mr. Robertson and his team for Mr. Clark. Yes. Uh, as you know, uh, this has been something that I've done a lot of research on. Uh, submitted a couple of pages, uh, at your request, Mr. Chair, of questions as well as a markedup contract with questions, concerns, and comments and,

077uh, was assured that I would receive responses brought before the board. Unfortunately, I have not. So, um, without that information and without the actualou to have before us with the contract, uh, I can't support this. So, just let you know. All right. Is that anything that I mean could be reviewed or is it not where are we at in that process, I guess? Yeah. Um, typically the boards don't review contracts. Uh, that's the job of staff. Um, and the attorneys uh vet every contract andou. Matter of fact, they're written by our attorneys. Um, and those are the the details that uh typically are not um on the board level, but uh certainly those contracts will be made available when they're finished. They're back and forth. This is just authorizing the superintendent to exercise the operations

078side of the house and and enter into contract with a company to uh provide a service for our school division. We enter in lots of contracts. So it's um not typically um uh a role of the board to negotiate and and vet contracts. Um we have uh uh provided to the board we believe a lot of information about the con context of this program what its purpose is and what it's not. And um the questions that we believe were raised and maybe we we've missed something were concerns about um the role of the school division in enforcement of the um the legal side of this. and uh we've been assured that we have no role in that and it will we've our attorneys have um edited those things in the contract that was presented. Um

079it's a boiler contract typically that's where they start um and our attorneys uh go through it with a fine tooth comb and have sent those things back that indemnifies us from any of that process. So um those um levels of detail are in the works. uh we can uh you know the contract is certainly available when it's complete. It's just not complete at this point. It's back and forth in negotiation between the attorneys um and the company. Um theou again is between us and the the city really and that's being vetted by the city attorney and the police department and our attorneys to make sure that everybody's side of that uh responsibilities of that are um protected. And so we feel confident that we'll have both of those documents vetted by all the players um

080both the um city attorney and the schoolboard attorney. um and be ready to sign those. They will the other side of this will be signed by the city manager, of course, and I will sign for the schools. And that's typically how contracts are engaged. Um they're not actually um typically vetted by by the boards or city council. Maybe um just like a point of clarification for the parents who may be listening at home, just the bus patrol is not a a new company, right? And I think there are other bring divisions who are using that and I believe we bus control for different services before or is that this will be the first time we're using them. It comes recommended from other neighboring divisions. They've been in the team. I think they were one of

081the first to do what we and we've also vetted them and and gotten recommendations from quite a few other school divisions that use this particular company for this same purpose. um including many of our neighbors, Chesapeake, Porchmouth. There's quite a few divisions around us who use this same company and have for some time. Just curious, too, as far as community notification, you know, to if making sure people know, you know, I mean, when you put a stoplight in, you know, they kind of blink it for a few days to make sure everyone knows, hey, this is coming and then it starts. That's not the schools either, though, right? I mean, that would be not on us. This is really law enforcement. It's not our It's not our world. This is law enforcement. What we're doing

082is providing mobile cameras. Um that's really our only purpose. This is a camera system that's on our buses that notify a company um who provide us these resources for free, including cameras on the inside of the bus, which we desperately need and are very expensive. um that uh only serve a purpose for us to monitor activities inside the bus. But the stop arm gives activ gives opportunity to report that back um to this company who then works with the police department directly to enforce passing of a of a stopped school bus which um is a a serious problem all over the country and and and a serious problem in Picosen. We did an little bit of anecdotal uh research one week and we our bus drivers reported eight um cars buzzing by stop school buses

083which is an accident about to happen. And the goal of the thing for this part of the the the program is to protect our children. But um we we do want to do diligence and make sure that we're protected and not in the law enforcement side. We're not in law enforcement. the police have to work with the company and that's part of theou and have agreed from the beginning. Police department were involved in drafting the first round of theou um and have also worked with other police departments uh who have similar relationships with their school division and this company to make sure that everybody's interest in this is protected. I hope that generally answers the question. Just a comment. Um I was told in the beginning this should be thought of as police department as

084you said this is their program allowing us to use put c them to put cameras on buses. Respectfully disagree with that. What it is and I'm looking at the ordinance right now. There's one line in there that says the police department will verify the violation. I watched the meeting when they adopted it and the police chief said Bush Patrol does the rest. I'm also not 100% sure even though we say there's no cost uh there in my mind is at least cost because if you do look at the contract there are many places there that talk about support provided by staff by the school. The contract I was told was with the city initially. It is not. It is with the school board. We are in the ordinance. We are in the contract. We are

085going to be in theou. This is a five-year agreement. And I think even though it may I don't question it's legal. I don't question what the legal people say. But I will say in my opinion a lot of things are legal, but it doesn't mean they're right for Picosen. And I personally believe number one that uh we should have looked at other vendors that are out there. One of my questions is did we and why didn't we? Uh along with many other questions that remain unanswered. So again, I'm not going to belabor it. Uh I can't support it. Uh but I will provide my questions and comments with this to uh clerk for the record and also uh pass this along to uh city council in the hopes that they'll consider some of it. So

086I just want to make the public aware they have not had any of this information available to them. And uh you're right, the staff should do it. And uh I'm not in any way trying to be negative. Mr. Roberts has done a great job on this as many other things. I just think that we have not been given what I consider the the amount of information I need to make a choice on this uh to support it tonight. back. Any more comments or questions? Okay. Um, see where are we? This is item F. Uh, can we have a vote for item F? Dr. Bartlett, I. Mr. Claude, no. Ms. Jones, I. Mr. Maxwell, I. Chair Burbage I vote is four yay four I's one nay and it still passes 4 to one. Thank you. Okay.

087Uh moving along to item G consideration of approval of the first reading of the amended bereavement policy and waiver of second reading. Um so this is um typically we would do two readings. Um this is asking that we wave the second reading and vote to approve bereavement policy tonight with this vote. Um can I have a motion to approve this item G please? So moved. Second. Second. Uh discussion. Yes. I just this is a really compassionate change. It's this is so good. Thanks. Any other comments or concerns? Okay. Miss Carl, the vote. Dr. Bartlett, I. Mr. Claude, I. Miss Jones, I. Mr. Maxwell, I. Chair Burbage. I. Vote passes 6. Thank you. Uh, moving along to item H. Consideration of approval for the superintendent to sign an easement request from Dominion Energy for underground power

088lines. Can I have a motion to approve item H? So move, Mr. Chair. Thank you. A second. I'll second. Thank you. Uh questions or comments? I I'll just add the comment. I do have significant safety concerns about any kind of work we're doing or relocating any power grid infrastructure or transformers near the schools. Um I just hope that the superintendent and our staff is going to adequately review that uh before we enter into any agreements. Okay. Any other comments or questions? Uh Miss Carol, the vote, please. Dr. Bartlett, I. Mr. Claude, I. Miss Jones, Mr. Maxwell, I. Chair Burbage, I vote passes 5. Okay, moving along to item I, consideration of approval of the 2025 2026 ESSA grant application. Can I have a motion to approve item I? I move that we approve it. Thank

089you. Uh, second. Second. That was Mr. Claude. Uh, any questions, comments, or discussion? Okay, Miss Carol, the vote, please. Dr. Bartlett, I. Mr. Claude, I. Miss Jones, I. Mr. Maxwell, I. Chair Burbage, I. Vote passes. 5-0. Okay. Item J, consideration of approval of literacy plan. Can I have a motion to approve item J? Thank you. Uh second second. Okay. Any comments, questions, discussion. Okay. Miss Carol, the vote. Dr. Bartlett, I. Mr. Claude, I. Miss Jones, I. Mr. Maxwell, I. Chair Burbage. I. Vote passes. 5-0. Thank you. Okay. Um, moving along to item or section nine, communication and or other matters by school board and or superintendent Maxwell put me on the spot right at first again. So, I'll start with my preemptive uh echoing what my colleagues will say that I will have forgotten. Um,

090there was a huge list of people. Thankfully, I wrote down everyone's names and I'm going to read them all now. Aren't you only kidding? Um, congratulations to our new student representative, Miss Sophia Stut. Um, congratulations to our Odyssey the Mind World team. Outstanding. Putting our little town on the map. That's that's makes me very proud to be a Bull Islander. Um, special thank you to those coaches who help support those teams, too. Um, congratulations to the girls soccer team. Congratulations to Miss Trant and her state champ at the 3200. Um, congratulations to all the Islander Award winners. Again, I've got the names here, but statement for the sake of time. Um, a special thank you to Senator Dig, Delegate Cordosa, and Representative Whitman for their acknowledgement of our students successes here. Um, and also I

091know colleague here always likes to point out the donations. Impressive that we have $86,000 in donations from from city here and all the groups and organizations that help school system uh the great system that it is. So special thank you to to all them. Um and then I would just close by saying hope everyone has a wonderful summer. Thank you Dr. Bartlett. Um I'll I'll echo all of the accolades that um my colleague just shared. Um, this marks the end of my first year on the city school board and I'm I'm full of gratitude particularly today because a lot of people I I have heard a lot of people say, well, you know, Mosen's unique and that's why they're so good and they're homogeneous and and blah blah blah blah blah. This can't this level

092of success that this school system just celebrated tonight is not random. It's systemic. It's systematic. And I just applaud all of the children, their families, and their their teachers and the administrators in these schools because this doesn't just happen. So, bravo. Um, I feel lucky that I've been able to serve this year with Thank you, Mr. Claude. Nothing this evening, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Okay. Uh, Miss Jones, I'll echo I won't repeat all of the names just for the sake of time, but a a blanket extreme congratulations. We really saw a lot of very impressive students and teams and individuals this evening. Um, a big thank you as as Mr. Maxwell mentioned as well to Senator Diggs, Delegate Cordoza, Representative Whitman, really a very worthy um but notable recognition. That is a really neat thing

093and I'm very happy we were able to honor our Odyssey of the Mind team, the world champions just with that little something extra. I think that was very important. Um Miss, thank you for all of the work. Um especially with the AI, this is new territory and uh you know see a lot of discussion about that as I'm researching different issues that are impacting our schools and I'm excited and look forward to what's to come in that area. I think it will be a tremendous learning opportunity for us all. Mr. Roberts, thank you for all of the information as well. Uh the construction projects over the summer I know are a lot to keep up with and this is the time to do it and happy to hear that all are on track. And finally

094um thank you and congratulations to all of our graduates. I had the privilege of attending the graduation ceremony and it is humbling and exciting and as as you kind of said um it just makes you very proud to serve on this board and witness those accomplishments. So, congratulations to our latest graduates. I'm excited for all of the wonderful things they will do in the future and everyone have a wonderful summer. Thank you. Um, I wanted to congratulate um, Miss Sophia Stud as the new student representative on the school board. But I also wanted to thank all of the other applicants that applied for the position. We had a great round of applicants. Um it was a very difficult decision for the school board to pick that representative. So I want all of you that applied,

095you know, give yourself a pat on the back. Uh I will add that if you would like to seek feedback from your interviews, uh I am perfectly willing to meet with you through the summer. Um I, you know, we can meet in the library, however you want to do it. Um Odyssey of the Minds. Um, I liked uh Senator Diggs's comment. He said that best young minds in the world here in Picosen. And that couldn't be more true. And we have an exceptional group of school students. And I think that is representative of the teachers and staff that are working with these kids. Um, the parents who are helping. You know, I see a lot of the Odyssey of the Mind kids on the weekend out, you know, over at Norman's house, you know, practicing

096and doing whatever they're doing. And I'm just I know what it is. But, um, girls soccer state championship, that was that was awesome. Um, also want to congratulate Miss Elizabeth Trent again. Uh, at some point we'll have to add up how many state championships she's won. 10. God, 10 state championships. Uh before she left, I asked her, I said, "Well, what was your two-mile time?" And she was 10 minutes and 30 seconds. That's that means at least 5 minutes and 15 seconds or faster for one of those two miles. That that's amazing. Um again, you know, thank you for Senator Diggs, Delegate Cordoza, Representative Whittmann for their comments and being here. Um the I guess um Mr. or actually Miss thank you for all the work that you've done for the AI. That's something that

097we use a lot where I work at. Um it is a growing technology. I think it's something that will benefit all of our kids in the future. Mr. Roberts, uh you've got a busy summer ahead of you. Um, I don't suspect you're going to be taking a whole lot of time off. Um, Miss Spence, um, thank you for the report on the donations. Uh, the community, we're clearly a community that cares about our kids. Um, you know, we I think I heard this correctly, $86,000 this year. That's an increase from 55 last year. So, um, thank you to all the parents and families who donated their hard-earned money to our schools. We appreciate it. Um, and that's, uh, congratulations to all the 2025 high school graduates. Um, it was a wonderful ceremony. Um, I wish

098the best to all of our graduates and what their future holds for them. and then I hope everyone has a great summer and we'll meet again in August. Thank you. Um I certainly as always echo these um uh comments tonight. They were all spot on. Uh we have a lot to celebrate in this um small but amazing community. Um, I I do want to thank and congratulate um the over 2,000 students that we have, the 305 amazing employees, and all the parent support. You hear it in donation. you know it, you know it every day in the participation um in all of our events and activities and we have um just an extraordinary community and it shows um uh through our school system and I'm very appreciative and and thankful to be here. Thank you.

099Um I did want to add one last comment. Sorry, Miss Carol. Uh I want to thank Miss Perie. I know that tonight was a little chaotic for you. Um, I appreciate your hard work in coordinating because it was a little chaotic. So, thank you very much. Um, that being said, uh, Miss Carol, is there any other material for board review? We have no other material tonight. Okay. Um, we had originally had a call for closed session, but the material for that closed session, I haven't finished putting it together yet. So, I'm going to remove that from the agenda. and we are going to earn the meeting. Thank you.