001Mhm. >> Mhm. >> [music] >> Mhm. >> [music] >> Mhm. >> Actually, I will say that now. I'd like to call our meeting back to order. Mr. Greenway, will you please to read us out of closed? >> Sure. Thank you. I move that the Roanoke County School Board come out of closed session for the following: to discuss the investigation of a student matter pursuant to the scholastic record exemption at 2.2-3711A2 of the Code of Virginia, and to certify to the best of each member's knowledge only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements under the chapter, and only such business matters as were identified in the motion by which the closed meeting was convened were heard, discussed, or considered in the meeting by the School Board. >> I'll second. >> Madam Clerk. >> Dr.
002White. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Landon. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Greenway? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Hudson? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Ms. Clements? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Item 2.03, action from closed. >> Yes, Madam Chair, I move that student number EX2025-2026 number 13 be long-term suspended 364 days and be placed in alternative education beginning the 2026-2027 school year under conditions of a contract determined by the >> Second. >> Madam Clerk. >> Dr. White? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. London? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Greenway? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Hudson? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Ms. Clements? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Madam Chair, I move that student number EX2025-2026 number 14 be long-term suspended for 364 days and be placed in alternative education beginning the 2026-2027 school year under conditions of a contract determined by
003the superintendent. >> Second. >> Madam Clerk. >> Dr. White? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. London? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Greenway? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Hudson? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Ms. Clements? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Welcome everyone. Will you please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance? >> [clears throat] >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Item 4.01, announcement of changes in the agenda. We do not have any. Item 4.02, approval of agenda. Do we have a motion to approve the agenda? >> I motion to approve the agenda as submitted. >> Second. >> Madam Clerk. >> Dr. White? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. London? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr.
004Greenway? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Hudson? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Ms. Clements. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Item 5.01, recognition of Northside High School VHSL Class 3 Indoor Track State Pole State Pole Vault Champion Carson Davis, presented by Ms. Jill Green and Ms. Kristen Hunt. >> Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board. Dr. Nicely, Dr. Soltis. Uh it is my honor Come over here. It is my honor tonight to introduce Carson Davis. He is an exceptional student athlete for us at Northside who has once again achieved something truly remarkable. As a senior Carson has earned his second straight indoor pole vaulting state title, uh a testament not only to his talent but his dedication, discipline, and amazing work ethic. Uh at this time I will turn things over to Coach Hunt to elaborate on this
005special young man and his accomplishments. >> Uh thank you so much for the opportunity to speak on behalf of senior Carson Davis. My name is Kristen Hunt and I am the I'm proud represent the coaching staff of Northside High School's Track and Field program, as well as many of the other many of individuals who've been a part of Carson's journey to earning his second state championship. Carson is a lifelong product of Roanoke County Schools. He attended Mountain View Elementary School where I met him. Um and then he went to the Northside Middle School and then eventually came to Northside High School where he began his career as a pole vaulter. Um when Carson first approached me about pole vaulting, I'll admit I was a little concerned. Um he was a little small, a little breakable.
006Um just this idea of him launching himself, you know, 10 ft in the air kind of scared me. Had no no idea where it was going to end up now. Um but his passion and dedication carried him from clearing 8 ft as a freshman um to an impressive 15 ft 6 in this year. Um his sights are set on breaking 16. He's done it at practice in Lynchburg. Um so we're hoping he'll do it at one of the meets this year. Along the way, Carson progressed from placing at districts to winning region championships, um earning two state titles, qualifying for and being accepted into some of the most prestigious meets in the country including Nike, New Balance, and Adidas indoor and outdoor national championships. Um, what makes this journey even more remarkable is that Carson
007built this through his own grit, determination, and relentless drive. Carson represents the very best of our program in Northside High School. He's an athlete who encourages his teammates, the ones who stay after to He's one of the ones who stays after to help. Um, you can always count on him with a question or to help if you need anything. If I come in with his there to help me unload stuff, anything I need. If I'm the only coach, he will be there helping lead practices with me if I need help. He embodies everything we hope for in our athletes. He raises the standard for what it means to be a competitor, a teammate, and a person. When Carson won regionals this year for indoor, his reaction was surprisingly calm. He didn't really seem to care,
008and I was trying to get him riled up. And I asked why he wasn't more excited. He said, "Well, maybe my ninth grade self would have been excited for me." So, Carson, I wanted to take a minute to reconnect with that younger version of yourself. Think of all the things you've done and celebrate yourself cuz we're so proud of you. VERY THANK YOU. >> [applause] [laughter] >> ALL RIGHT. I'M NEXT. YOU GUYS READY? >> ITEM 5.02 recognition of Glenvar High School VHSL Class 2 Indoor Track Individual 55 Meter Hurdles State Champion, Joey Loader. And that's presented by Ms. Tammy Odom. >> Good evening, Madam Chair, board members, Dr. Nicely, Dr. Soltis. My name is Tammy Odom. I'm Assistant Principal at Glenvar High School and I'm beyond proud to be here to rec- to recognize our
009wonderful student athletes at Glenvar. We are so proud of our students who got state championships in indoor track this year. Um we're proud of their work ethic, their diligence, and their grit. So, um moving along, I'm going to let their wonderful coach who's been on this journey with them, Ms. Madison McCroskey. >> So, I'm actually going to talk about Joey and our girls 4 by 4 team um that also placed first in the state. Thank you so much for having us today to recognize our Glenvar High School indoor track state champions. Our team delivered an out- outstanding performance at the Class 2 VHSL Indoor State Championship earlier this month, bringing home state championships in the boys 55 meter hurdles and the boys 55 or sorry, 500 meter dash by Joey Loader, and the girls 4
010by 400 meter relay consisting of Anna Hall, Kaylee McDonald, Reya Bryson, and Aiden Beverly. In the 55 meter hurdles, Joey tied the state meet record, shattered his own school record, and showed the kind of determination and discipline it takes to go out and compete in the 500 meter dash to win. He also placed third in the 300 meter dash. The girls 4 by 4 crushed the school record, and not only did they place first in the 4 by 4, each of these young ladies had a hand in placing either second in the 4 by 200 or third in the 4 by 800, plus running individual events and placing in the top eight. Each performance reflects countless hours of hard work and a commitment to excellence. This group didn't just succeed, they set a new standard.
011Their achievements have helped in setting the tone for the years to come, proving that the future of our program remains strong. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> NICE. >> THAT'S ACTUALLY NICE. THAT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF COOL. >> THIS ONE'S for the individual 500 meter station. >> [laughter] >> Our program is amazing. I was thinking it's pretty sad. Our Our coaches are amazing. They keep winning these state championships and start winning >> Yeah, I'm going to I'll keep moving. Right, yeah. She took it right off the agenda before. >> [applause] >> Item 5.05 recognition of the All Virginia High School Choir presented by Ms. Shannon Norman. Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the school board, Dr. Nicely and Dr. Soltis. >> [snorts] >> It is my pleasure to recognize an outstanding group of Roanoke
012County students who have been selected for prestigious honor choirs at the state and regional levels. These students represent the very best of our music programs and have demonstrated exceptional talent, dedication, and musicianship. At this time, I'm going to ask all of the high school choir kids to come join me as well as the directors. Then I'm not by myself. Yeah, either side. Come on up. There's room for everybody. I think the easiest way to do this is I'll call them one at a time. >> Do you want me to choose who goes? >> Yes, and we'll do it in order of school, so for the high school that would be Glenvar, Hidden Valley, Northside, and Byrd. So, if you guys Do you want to do it that way? Is that the easiest way to do
013it? >> I'll take care of it. >> It doesn't matter. Just someone needs to present them. >> Yep. Okay. First, we have Nick Fraticelli from Glenvar High School. >> You got to do Glenvar first. >> Christian Hill from Glenvar High School. Thank you. Aurora Landry from Glenvar High School. From Hidden Valley High School, we have Tavian Garrett. Carly Johnston Jackson Lubec I don't think he's here. Josue Smallest Lillian Stanley Sana Jay Vedal From Northside High School, we have Jackson Leddy. Juliette Ramos From William Byrd High School, we have Jocelyn Augustinowitz. Did I say it right? Okay, good. Aubrey blew it. Nate Buck. Ava Lordon. And Brody Parish. Those are our high school folks. >> [applause] >> So, HIGH SCHOOL KIDDOS. >> IT'S PRACTICE FOR STANDING ON RISERS, RIGHT? WE ALL set over here? All right.
014>> Thank you. >> Item 5.06 recognition of the All Virginia Middle School Choir. Are you starting with Just in case there's anybody in the Yeah, okay. Ready? Okay. The All Virginia Middle School Honors Choir recognizes the top young vocalists from across the Commonwealth. These students are selected through a competitive audition process and represent the future of choral excellence in Virginia. The following students are to be recognized from Cave Spring Middle School. Miriam Buzidi Miriam, okay. Porter Chrisley Mhm, mhm. Ciel Dela Cruz Diar Garay Lex Kidd Alaina Martin JP Price Jaslyn Sarmiento From Northside Middle School, Khalia Lewis Roldan From William Byrd Middle School, Brooklyn McQueen. CONGRATULATIONS. >> [applause] >> ALL RIGHT, SO ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE ALL WELCOME TO COME on up. Oh, good. All right. >> I'm not done yet. >> [laughter] >> Item 5.07,
015recognition of American Choral Directors Association Southern Region Honors Choir. Again, presented by Ms. Shannon Norman. >> The ACDA Southern Region Honors Choir is an elite ensemble that brings together some of the best young singers from across 11 Southern states. Students are selected through a highly competitive recorded audition process with submissions evaluated by experienced choral educators. This year's event took place in Memphis, Tennessee from March 4th through the 7th. Please join me in recognizing Sharve Patel from Cave Spring High School. >> [applause] >> Mrudula Herrera Rulalon We are incredibly proud of all of our music students and thankful for all of their teachers who joined us joined us this evening. >> Item 5.08, recognition of Kim Bradshaw for national publication presented by Dr. Nicely. >> I'd ask Ms. Bradshaw to come on down. Good evening, Madam
016Chair, members of the board. We want to thank our directors of instruction for their ongoing leadership to employ deeper learning in our schools as called for by our C-Change framework and the K-12 Opportunity Ready Graduate Initiative that includes senior portfolio defenses as well as student-led conferences. Today, we recognize our executive director of elementary instruction, Ms. Kim Bradshaw, for her efforts in leading these programs, but also helping to tell the RCPS story to a national audience. Ms. Bradshaw recently wrote and published a description of the work being done in Roanoke County Schools in a national publication hosted by Envision Learning Partners. Ms. Bradshaw writes about how our Roanoke County students are preparing students with the skills they need for success without losing academic rigor and describes readiness as a developmental journey that starts in the early
017grades and continues through middle and high school and beyond. We congratulate Ms. Bradshaw for her accomplishment and thank her for representing Roanoke County Public Schools so well to this national audience. I'D LIKE TO >> [applause] >> TAKE A PICTURE? >> ITEM 5.09, RECOGNITION of Green Valley Elementary as a STEM School of Excellence, presented by Ms. Kim Bradshaw. Good evening, Madam Chair, board members, Dr. Nicely, Dr. Soltis, it gives me great pleasure to bring before you Green Valley Elementary for their recognition as an ITEEA STEM School of Excellence, one of only 44 schools worldwide to receive this prestigious designation from the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association. Schools receiving this honor represent leading STEM programs from across the United States as well as internationally, including schools in China, Hong Kong, and Germany. This recognition is awarded
018through ITEEA STEM Center for Teaching and Learning and celebrates schools that demonstrated a strong commitment to providing students with meaningful and innovative learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Schools must complete a rigorous application process that includes detailed documentation of their STEM program as well as a peer review edit by experts within the technology field. Green Valley Elementary earned the STEM School of Excellence designation, which is the highest level of recognition, by demonstrating a comprehensive and integrated STEM program that engages students in hands-on learning, engineering design, and real-world problem solving. This recognition reflects the outstanding work of the Green Valley staff and leadership in providing high-quality learning opportunities that prepare students to think critically, collaborate, and apply their learning in authentic ways. So, we'd like to congratulate Green Valley, and they walked across the
019stage along with Hong Kong, Germany, and China this past week to receive their banner, which can be placed at their school, designating them as a STEM School for Excellence. >> NICE. >> [applause] [laughter] >> ITEM 5.10 recognition of Katie Smith, Glencoe Elementary teacher as Roanoke Valley Chapter of VSLA Teacher of the Year Award recipient presented by Mr. Joe Legault. >> Madam Chair, members of the Dr. Nicely, Dr. Sultis, uh it's a privilege to recognize outstanding achievement in literacy across the uh Roanoke County schools. Um Roanoke County the Roanoke Valley Chapter of the Virginia State Literacy Association recognizes one teacher each year whose commitment to literacy is truly exceptional. I'm pleased to share the 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year, Katie Smith. Katie has been teaching for 8 years, including the past three here in Roanoke County.
020During that time, she's made a meaningful impact on students learning through strong instruction and deep commitment to helping all students grow as readers and writers. She was honored at the statewide conference on March 3rd and received a monetary award in recognition of her achievement. We are proud to have Katie representing Roanoke County at the state level, and we congratulate her on this well-deserved honor. >> [applause] >> I have two awards, so if we want to do them back-to-back, then we can have one. >> Okay. She's trying to save us time. >> [laughter] >> Okay. I'll go ahead and announce it if you want me to. >> Yeah, go ahead. >> Item 5.11, recognition of Glencoe Elementary as exemplary literacy award recipient, also presented by Mr. Joe LaGault. >> Thank you. In addition to recognizing an
021outstanding individual educator, I'd also like to recognize excellence at the school level. >> [clears throat] >> The Virginia State Literacy Association's Exemplary Literacy Award is presented annually to a school that demonstrates a comprehensive school-wide commitment to literacy. This award recognizes schools that promote best practices, foster a strong culture of reading and writing, and support literacy achievement for all students. I'm pleased to share that this year's recipient is Glencoe Elementary School. Glencoe has demonstrated literacy excellence through aligned instruction, intentional support for students, and a school culture that prioritizes reading and writing every day. We're incredibly proud of Glen Cove Elementary, uh the community, and the work that they are doing to support student access. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Next up. >> Item 5.12, annual world language presentation, presented by Dr. Paula Noville. >> Good evening,
022Madam Chair, board members, Dr. Nicely, Dr. Saltis. I'm here to present our world language spotlight. Um it's world language month, so this is the time we do it every year. The topics in this year's slideshow are enrichment. Let's see if this works. Yes. Okay. Artifacts, accolades, and events. Okay. For enrichment or professional development, our world language teachers read the book The Integrated Performance Assessment 20 Years and Counting. We were privileged to have Dr. Eileen Gleason, professor emerita of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, speak to us for our December PD about her book. That's That was a big honor. And to go on further with the Integrated Performance Assessment, it is a form of assessment that focuses on interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes of communication. These types of classroom tasks and assessments allow the student to show
023what they can do through thematic tasks and tie in well with our opportunity ready initiatives. Many students use evidence from these tasks as artifacts for their student-led conferences or senior portfolio presentations. You will see collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills in all of the following tasks. Okay. Now I'm ready. In Spanish three at Glenvar High School students practice speaking with visual vocabulary theme-based supports every day at the beginning of class every day. This lowers the affective filter so that they are confident and comfortable when performing the interpersonal speaking task as a formative or summative grade. I've experienced that when I visited that classroom. Um as an example of presentational writing French three students at Northside High School researched local charities and created volunteer recruitment posters based on their research for the volunteering unit. This is
024a great example of using vocabulary in a real-world local context. This slide shows an example of presentational and interpersonal speaking as pairs of German three students at Northside High School collaborated to create a German language game. They then presented to another group of students. One group even created a video game to practice German which I got to see and that was really neat. That was amazing. Oops. If I can go back. Yeah. Interpretive reading is often a task in Latin class because language advancement advanced placement tests or AP tests are leaning toward project-based learning and assessing. Latin four AP students at Hidden Valley High School were assigned a portion of a Latin literary work. In their groups they had to write a summary to communicate the meaning and illustrate a visual representation. They then hung
025their final work in order of the Latin piece of literature. Very creative. Obviously our teachers and students work hard so I thought I would do some accolades. Therefore I included this section. These are quotes from an email that Ms. Donathan, a French teacher at Hidden Valley High School, wrote about our department. This is just a portion of the email. The world language teachers in Roanoke County are all super passionate about their languages and their work. When I go to the world language training sessions together, everyone is there to truly make themselves a better teacher and learn new skills. You can watch all the other world language teachers in the PD sessions doing what we love to see our students doing. All jotting down an important hint or great idea at the same time. And these
026are some more accolades. This slide features a quote from the company that makes Note, a teacher tool similar to Quizlet. A Spanish student at Cave Spring High School nominated his teacher, Ms. Bolen. She was then featured on their web page as an educator of the week. This is a quote from the student. She's an amazing teacher who uses Spanish to teach us about cultures around the world, and she helped me to go from a novice Spanish speaker to being able to read, write, and speak on a very high level. And so, speaking of cultures, this slide also includes a classroom spotlight for my classroom at Cave Spring Middle School, where we have the bracket for many musical. And it's really a shout-out to all the French teachers in Roanoke County Public Schools. We all do
027this many musical every March. Um, the students love it. They love to vote on their favorite French songs. It's a global competition with over 9,000 students studying French worldwide who are voting. The songs feature musicians from Canada, Martinique, France, and the Ivory Coast. And actually, France is French is um and English are the only two languages spoken on five continents. So, it's a worldwide um activity with a worldwide language. And now an accolade or shout-out to our students. 42 Roanoke County students or seniors achieved the Seal of Biliteracy through the STAMP or the AP, which is the advanced placement test in 2025. Four seniors earned it through both STAMP and AP tests, so they took them both. The Seal of Biliteracy is now a recognized workplace credential per the state, state government. This will help
028our Roanoke County students when applying for jobs and programs in the future. And now we're on to our last part, the events. We have had and continue to have a very busy school year and and outside the classroom in world languages. As I said before, National World Language Week is every beginning of March. This year's theme is languages and careers. There are many careers where one can use their language skills. Some events for this school year are on these next few slides. And we're going to go back to last fall. William Byrd celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with student-created posters, contests, a bingo game using um the biography posters in the hallways, and classroom pair activities in the target language in the classroom. They always do a great job with that event. At Cave Spring High
029School during World Language Week, French and business classes, so both, um so several business classes and all the French classes attended a speaker event featuring employees of FGS Global, a global strategy firm, and Rivian, the electric vehicle company. Ms. Poirier talked about how she uses French when she travels outside the country for her company, including the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa. And Mr. Squire emphasized the use of French as a soft skill in a career. For example, when a French-speaking YouTuber wants to feature Rivian in their videos, he is the one who handles those conversations. So it's it was a really interesting talk. The students were very engaged and asked some amazing questions. And I want to thank Jason Sir and Mark Jones for attending this event. They're head of CTE. At Cave Spring
030Middle School, during World Language Week, faculty wore name tags of the language or languages that they studied, speak, or want to learn. It really opened up a lot of conversations for students and faculty. For instance, Mr. Hankins studied Latin, Greek, French, German, and Japanese. He said he uses Latin still to teach eighth grade English, especially when teaching morphology, which he has on the board behind him. He wanted to have the picture taken there. He's like, "Can you get it in front of Oh. One more thing that's not on a slide, the annual international potluck and charity event at Cave Spring High School will be April 16th at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. This year will be a joint effort with the art department. So, we do a lot of collaborating in world languages with other
031departments. And on this slide, we're William Byrd High School will be having their first international day on April 28th. Please come if you're able. Um, it's during the school day, and there will be many speakers who have traveled, lived, studied, or worked abroad. There will be speakers from such companies as Novozymes, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and Revlon. And I leave you with this quote from an Austrian philosopher, "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." And we hope to offer our students limitless possibilities with language learning. We hope that they're going to be lifelong learners. My information is here on the last slide, and I would like to thank the school board members and our community for your continued support of world languages. Thank you. Thank you. >> [applause] >>
032ITEM 5.13, SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT, Clearbrook Elementary, presented by Ms. Laura Bell. >> Good evening, Madam Chair, board, Dr. Nicely, Dr. Solis. I'm Laura Bell, I'm the proud principal of Clearbrook Elementary School, and I have with me Martha Burton, our assistant principal, and Logan Boyd, our PE teacher and aspiring administrator. We are truly honored and excited to speak with you tonight about the incredible students, staff, and families of Clearbrook. What began as a small little red schoolhouse has grown into something much more. A A that truly considers itself family. That sense of connection, support, and belonging is at the heart of everything we do. Clearbrook was originally constructed in 1939. A classroom wing was added in the late 1950s, early 1960s. Another addition in 1968 added a kitchen and a library wing. And a classroom and lunchroom
033addition was performed in 1998. The secure vestibule was added in 2014, bringing us to a whopping 44,000 square feet. We are small but mighty at Clearbrook. We currently have 323 students enrolled and 51 staff members. We have one preschool class and we have three classes per grade level in kindergarten through fifth grade. Our accreditation status is on track and we plan to keep it that way. As you can imagine, it is difficult to capture all of the amazing things happening at Clearbrook in just a few minutes. But tonight, we'd like to highlight several key components that are helping us grow Clearbrook students into opportunity-ready Roanoke County graduates. >> First, our work in the multi-system multi-tiered system of supports ensures that every student receives the support they need to be successful academically, socially, and emotionally. Our
034work is grounded in strong relationships, collaboration among staff, and using data to meet students where they are. At the core of our work is what we call the Cardinal Way. At Clearbrook, being respectful, responsible, and safe is not just an expectation, but it is something that we explicitly teach, model, and reinforce each and every day. This serves as the foundation of our tier one instruction and helps build strong character in all of our students. Additionally, we focus on conscious discipline. Students are learning how to regulate their emotions, make positive choices, and understand that their actions have consequences. These are lifelong skills that extend far beyond the classroom. We believe in strongly celebrating these positive behaviors in meaningful and fun ways. Uh students can receive individual shout-outs from any staff member in our building, um recognizing
035how they demonstrate the Cardinal Way. We read these shout-outs every morning, um and it builds excitement across the school. We also accumulate the shout-outs towards a weekly recognition. Um the homeroom with the most shout-outs earns a chance to spin the Cardinal Wheel. And the choices on the Cardinal Wheel were chosen by our student Cardinal Association. Last week, Mrs. Glazinski's first grade class won extra free time, and you could truly hear the cheers echoing down the hallway on Friday afternoon. In addition, students are recognized monthly as our Cardinal Spotlight, with one student from each grade level being selected by their teachers. Our staff is also celebrated through our Growing in Kindness Board, where colleagues recognize one another for outstanding work, as well as through recognition shared at faculty meetings. School-wide rewards are also voted on by
036our student Cardinal Association, and we have had some pretty good uh school-wide experiences. Baseball-themed celebrations, visits with local hockey players, um a chance to turn Ms. Bell into an ice cream sundae, and currently we are 85 shout-outs from earning our next school reward, which is a glow dance party. And the excitement is building. I'd I'd to take just a few moments to highlight the amazing work our staff is doing to prepare students to be truly opportunity ready. Recently, I had the privilege of representing Roanoke County Public Schools at the ITEEA conference in Virginia Beach. While there, I listened to a panel of industry leaders discuss what they are seeing in graduates entering the workforce. They spoke about concerns such as limited communication skills, difficulty thinking beyond outlined steps, and a lack of persistence and resilience
037when faced with challenges. As I listened, I felt a deep sense of pride knowing that I am part of a school division that understands the importance of a strong and meaningful profile of a graduate. At Clearbrook, we are intentionally embracing our role at the elementary level by focusing on three critical foundation foundational skills, communication, creative thinking, and collaboration. Our students experience these skills every single day through hands-on, engaging learning opportunities. With the addition of new technology like LEGO Spike kits and 3D printers, students are able to bring their ideas to life in meaningful ways. For example, our first graders recently connected literature and innovation after reading The Mitten, designing their own animals to live inside a mitten, and then writing about their adventures. Our third graders combined math and technology by coding and designing their
038own snowflakes, applying their understanding of symmetry in creative and engaging ways. Our fifth graders have taken collaboration to another level. After reading Balloons Over Broadway, they worked in teams to design and create their own balloon floats. They've also explored engineering challenges like building marble roller coasters, testing earthquake-proof structures, and even using circuits to play music with bananas. Nothing motivates a fifth grader like music with bananas. There are just These are just a few examples of the meaningful, real-world learning experiences happening every day at Clearbrook. I'm especially excited to see our solar car team compete on the 8th, and I have high hopes that we are bringing home that trophy. We are also incredibly proud of our partnerships with our high school colleagues as we work to bridge the elementary and high school experience for our
039students. We are thankful for our partners at Hidden Valley and Case Ring High School. Hidden Valley coding students came and worked alongside our fifth graders, not only teaching them how to code micro bots, but truly partnering with them in the learning process. We also welcomed teachers for tomorrow students who supported our third, fourth, and fifth graders as they prepared for their student led conferences. It was truly special to watch those interactions unfold. You could hear meaningful com- communication happening both ways, and at times it felt like the high schoolers were learning just as much from our elementary students. In addition, Ms. Heck and Mr. Boyd helped coordinate high school volunteers to support our American Heart Challenge, and we loved having the football team join us for a high five Friday. Although we did quickly realize
040that we may need to add a how to high five lesson into PE. It was amazing how many of our students just kind of walked past and stared at them. It was a fun and memorable learning moment for everyone involved. >> School climate is another area where Clear Brook truly shines. We embrace a work hard, play hard mindset. Our teachers do an incredible job balancing high expectations with a strong relationship building both with one another and our students. Our sunshine committee goes above and beyond to ensure staff feel appreciated and supported. Whether it's through small gestures like a treat Charlie, organizing lunches, or stepping in during times of need. Clear Brook is a place that digs deep and loves hard, and that sense of care is felt throughout the building. And just as importantly, we
041know how to have fun together. From Halloween celebrations to read across America week to our always anticipated underground spirit week where mustaches somehow become the norm. Our staff embraces every opportunity to build joy and connection. The positive energy carries directly into our classrooms and helps create environment where where both students and staff thrive. Finally, we'd like to thank our PTA cuz they continue to grow and make strong impact on our school community. Through events like spirit nights, school dances, and fun runs, they're creating opportunities for connection while giving back to our students. They've helped bring engaging programs into our school including guest speakers who promote important lessons like healthy choices. Most recently, our PTA helped secure eight outdoor picnic tables giving students the opportunity to enjoy outside dining as a reward, something they absolutely love.
042They also have plans to create a shaded patio space for our students in the future. We're incredibly grateful for their time, energy, and care they pour back into our Clearbrook students. Clearbrook is more than a school. It is a family and we are incredibly proud to represent a community that is so deeply committed to growing students who are not only academically prepared but truly opportunity ready. Thank you for your time and the opportunity to share the story of Clearbrook. >> Again, thank you for giving us just a couple minutes. I know it's been a long night but we appreciate that opportunity. There are great things happening at Clearbrook. Sherry's still here. I might be coming for Sherry's award over there. So again, [clears throat] thank you for the opportunity to share Clearbrook. >> [applause] >>
043And I'm not going to try to hide how biased I am about Clearbrook. Both of my children went to school there. It's a wonderful school. Um they both had wonderful experiences. The staff is great. Um this is Laura's second year as principal there and she's doing an amazing job. So thank you for all that you do. I just love Clearbrook. It's a great little school. I know it is. Thank you for being here. Item 6.01, report by student advisory council representative, Mr. Bear Tyree. >> Good evening, Madam Chair, Dr. Nicely, Dr. Sultis, and members of the board. Thank you for this opportunity to share what happened at the recent SAC meeting on March 4th. The council welcomed Ms. Karen Garlow, who shared information about the college career and mental health support available to Roanoke County
044students. Ms. Garlow addressed one of the council's most common requests, greater college and career support. She reviewed the division's use of major clarity, a career exploration platform. She also highlighted opportunities for students to engage with career fairs, career fairs, college representative visits, military recruiters, and career centers located in each high school. The presentation also highlighted several student support and mental health resources, including life counselors, who are licensed by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health, ReachOut, a 24/7 student crisis hotline, Let's Talk, a program providing up to five free Hello Health counseling sessions, and Speak Up, a platform students can use to report safety concerns. Council members reiterated that these resources should be promoted more frequently. Representatives shared updates from their high schools, or all schools. Some updates include Glenvar High School recently conducted a human
045trafficking awareness campaign, and shared their spring production of The Wizard of Oz. Glenvar Middle School recently had a mental health awareness campaign led by the life counselor. Cave Spring High School had a opportunity ready portfolio defenses, and their Knights made is launching Project GPS, which is Project Get Places Safely. Cave Spring Middle School recognized results from last month's kindness challenge. William Byrd High School students are currently exploring the creation of an anti-vaping club. William Byrd Middle School is discuss- is discussing installing vape detectors. Northside Middle School held a leadership tour with the new principal. Glenvar High School is preparing for the spring production of Cinderella in collaboration with Cave Spring High School, and is celebrating a regional basketball championship. The council shared updates regarding the 2026 student leadership conference, which will be held on April
04624th. The theme for this year's conference is communication creates change. The planning committee has secured the following speakers: Chris Turnball, chief of staff at Carilion Clinic, Elizabeth Chapman, B-Cat mass communications instructor, Nancy Hans, executive executive director for the partnership for community wellness, and Niles Comer from the partnership of community wellness. Brent Hatcher, Roanoke County school board member, and Sheriff Eric Orange, Chuck Lionberger, director of communications for Roanoke County public schools, and Amanda Livingston, executive director of the Salem Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce. The next student advisory council meeting will be held on April 1st. The council will welcome Joe LeGall, supervisor of English and RCPS online, will engage students in a discussion about the academic integrity in the age of artificial intelligence to gather student feedback on this emerging issue. Thank you for your continued
047support of the student advisory council and student voice in Roanoke County public schools. Thank you. >> Item 7.01 hearing of citizens for agenda topics, we do not have any. Item eight, consent agenda. Do we have a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> Motion to approve consent agenda. >> Second. >> Madam clerk. >> Dr. Wyatt. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Warden. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Greenwalt. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Clements. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Item 9.01 request approval of 2026 VSBA business honor roll resolution presented by Mr. Carl York. >> Good evening, board members, Dr. Nicely, Dr. Soltis. Uh each This the VSBA recognizes businesses and organizations that support our schools by inclusion in the annual VSBA business honor roll. School divisions can nominate up to three businesses
048each year. Tonight, it is my honor to recommend Alro Steel, Bower Heating and Air, and Simpson Funeral Home for the 2026 business honor roll. These businesses were three of the first to step up and support us, Roanoke County Public Schools, in the Campaign for Excellence. And in addition, Wayne Bower of Bower Heating and Air, and Alan Simpson of Simpson Funeral Home, not only gave significantly to the campaign, but are both members of our Campaign for Excellence Cabinet charged with helping us bring more businesses into the fold. Official nomination is made via a resolution which is attached to board docs. Staff recommends approval of this resolution. Thank you. >> Thank you. Do we have a motion to approve? >> So moved. >> Second? >> I'll second. >> Any discussion? Madam Clerk? >> Mr. Wyatt? >> Yes,
049ma'am. >> Mr. Winton? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Bringwald? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Hudson? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mrs. Cline? >> Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Item 9.02, 2026-2027 RCPS Pay Plan, presented by Mr. Jim Bradshaw. >> Good evening, Madam Chair, and board members, Dr. Nancy, Dr. Soldis. Part of the school board approval budget process is the pay plan. So, I just want to point out some highlights to you that we made some changes for the pay plan from this year to next year, and I'll be glad to answer any questions as we go through it. The first thing, all the scales have been updated by 2.9%, which we include that with the step gives that 4 and 1/2% that we're going to be recommending this evening. Uh we have also moved the HVAC technicians
050upgrade as well as the HVAC lead. That's going to be moved up a level as well as far as grade to make us more competitive. Um and we've also added the district elementary literacy coach to that part of the pay plan. As far as the um stipend section, we have added wording that basically enables the RCPS retired teacher substitutes. As you know, we pay them a little bit more for coming back and substituting for us cuz we value their experience they bring. So, I want to make sure that's clear. We've updated the word forensics to speech according to VHSL and we've also added, as you all approved, the head and assistant cross country coaches for the middle schools. Other than that, the pay plan is pretty much identical to last year's. Um so, we ask
051for your approval with the pay plan as part of the budget process. >> Do we have a motion to approve? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Discussion? >> I'd like to thank Mr. Bradshaw for his hard work. And I'd also like to recognize and thank this board. 4 and 1/2 percent >> It's huge. >> Obviously, a lot less money than we thought we were going to have from the funding decrease from the county. Very proud of you guys for stepping up and finding ways to cut so we can help our most important part of the organization, which is our staff. Thank you. >> Absolutely, thank you for all doing that. >> Thank you. >> Right. Madam Clerk? >> Dr. Wyatt? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Linden? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Greenway? >> Yes, ma'am.
052>> Mr. Hudson? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Ms. Clayton? >> Yes, ma'am. Item 9.03 2026-2027 annual budget, health, dental, and vision insurance benefits presented by Ms. Susan Peterson. >> Good evening, Madam Clerk. Sorry, Madam Chairman. I apologize for that. Uh members of the board, tonight I am presenting the recommended renewals for our health, dental, and vision insurance for the 2026-2027 For health insurance, we are maintaining our current plan designs with no changes to deductibles or coverage. The recommendation includes a 10% increase to employee premiums, while the division absorbs a larger larger share of the overall cost increase, which is a 22% We have also added an employee plus children tier to better align coverage options with employee needs and to hopefully encourage our employees to review their spouses' plan uh to encourage uh natural um selection
053of spouses going to their employer's plan rather than staying on We are not uh putting in place the spousal exception at this time. This is just a voluntary look for folks to hopefully find better cheaper options um across the board. For the dental insurance, we are transitioning out of the consortium and moving to a standalone fully insured plan with Delta Dental. This changes change provides a greater flexibility and eliminates consortium administrative costs. There are no changes to the plan design for the current year and premium adjustments have been incorporated in the rates as well. Vision uh insurance remains unchanged. It is voluntary, employee paid, and has no changes to the plan design to the Overall, these recommendations reflect a balanced approach. We are maintaining strong competitive benefits for employees while managing ongoing cost pressures in
054a responsible and sustainable way. Um I would be happy to take any questions. >> Do we have a motion to approve? >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> Discussion? >> Again, I would like to thank staff uh for working hard on this. I know we hired new consultants. We had a lot of expenses last year in this area and uh I'm glad to see that we're not having to take away the ability for our staff to have their spouses on insurance. Uh so, I'm glad that we're able to at least absorb a large portion of the increase this year. So, thank you. >> Madam Clerk. >> Mr. White. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. London. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Greenway. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Hudson. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Collins. >> Yes, ma'am.
055>> Item 9.04, 2026-2027 annual budget approval. 2026 through 2035 capital improvement plan, presented again by Ms. Susan Peterson. >> The capital improvement plan has been updated to reflect a couple of key changes as we discussed last night. First, we've added the alternative education public day school at Arnold R. Burton. Uh the estimated cost is 15.4 million, and it's based on the facility study from the December work session. Uh second, we added uh updated how we project the costs uh using a phased inflation approach. Uh instead of a single rate, we're using 3.5% in the near term, 4% um right after that, and then 5% in the later. This gives us a more realistic picture of future costs without overstating the um costs in the near term. Overall, the plan does remain balanced at $202.9 million
056uh with funding aligned to expenditure. And I can take any questions. >> Do we have a motion to approve? >> So so moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Yes, I I would like to just say um kind of what I said yesterday, just to reiterate. Um you know, we haven't revisited that in a while, and Dr. Nicely with a group of our staff here and uh stakeholders uh devised that plan in 2019 for our current CIP. I think things have changed over the last years. Um you know, that's what's almost 7 years ago now. So, uh demographics yes, shift. Um and and different uh schools are getting older. They're not getting younger, right? And we've got what four or five that are just critically really needing improvements, but I think in particular Burlington is
057one that I think we've got to bring to the to the forefront probably. Um you know, need to look at some of the the list behind it or or with I'm not putting it in front, but the ones that that I would consider behind it uh that are need to be done as well. So, I think we really need to have a nice discussion in one of our work sessions to revisit the CIP list and uh we're going to get less money from the county. Uh don't have any idea why their revenue continues to increase, but we're going to get less for our portion of the CIP and we need to take a look at it and be a little more proactive to uh you know, I won't agree with them. They mentioned closing schools.
058I won't agree with that. But, I will agree that we need to take a look because I think things have shifted a little bit. So, thank you. >> Any other discussion? Madam Clerk? >> Dr. White? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. London? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Greenwell? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Hudson? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Ms. Planning? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Item 9.05 2026-2027 annual budget approval. Again, Ms. Susan Peterson. >> The 2026-2027 budget was developed through a series of work sessions focused on aligning available resources with the division's operational needs and long-term financial plan. Early discussions in our replacement planning and establishing a clear understanding of projected revenues including state and local funding. As we progress through the planning stages, the school board reviewed key cost drivers with particular emphasis on employee compensation
059and rising health insurance costs. Updated revenue projection projections and expenditure requirements were incorporated throughout the process to ensure the budgets were balanced and responsive to changing assumptions as we moved through the process. We also held a public hearing to provide the community with an opportunity to offer input prior to finalizing the proposed budget. Throughout the budget development process, a priority list was used to evaluate potential additions and reductions in a structured and transparent manner. The priority list served as a decision-making tool to help the school board weigh competing needs against available funding. Items on the priority list included compensation adjustments, operational needs, planned investments such as textbook adoption, and equipment replacement. As revenue constraints became clearer, the list was refined to identify items that could be deferred, reduced, or removed to maintain a balanced budget.
060This approach allowed the school board to make informed decisions by clearly understanding the financial impact of each option and the trade-offs required. The final proposed budget reflects these priorities that best support the division's core instructional mission while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Um and we did develop the general fund budget using the option three priority list that we shared with you yesterday. This um has increased our general fund revenue by 9.6 million um amount that was in the priority list. We shifted contingency fund um special projects out of the general fund into the grant fund, so it went down a little bit. And then we added a little bit for uh closing the uh technology replacement fund. Um that was 87286 there. So overall, we just kind of realigned a couple of line items in uh between
061the general fund and general fund. Um the bus fund uh is $60,000 and no change from the prior year. The instructional resources fund uh will be 3.1 or 3.2 million dollars um and includes uh $1,539 in additional state revenue and the remaining will be funded through carryover that we are allowed to use with our agreement with the county. The technical re- the technology replacement fund uh will close going into next year. Uh that will be 7.2 million dollars um reduction, but it is offset by general fund reduction. Most of that money was a transfer from the general fund technology replacement fund and what we have investigated and learned through this process is as we started leasing more and more our technology um more of the operating costs were running through that fund and it just
062became much more transparent to just roll that into uh the ITS department in the general fund. So, we did go through that process. Um the grant fund uh went up 4.9 million. That included um possibly a 4.4 million dollar increase from the House budget if that is the one that he um adopted. Uh we did not discuss the use of this yet, um but when we get a final budget, if that does come to pass, that can help with some of these one-time needs. You got is flexible money will not be recurring. That's why we left it in the grant fund to be as conservative as we could be. Other uh grant increases uh 206,000 for VPI, uh 81,000 for vowels, 20,000 for algebra readiness, 10,000 for the jail grant, uh 4,400 for project grad,
063and then we added the special projects uh contingent uh grant fund from the general fund. The nutrition fund uh is 8.7 million. Uh it went down 41.8 thousand dollars because of a reduction in state reimbursements. Uh our activity fund uh fund activity fund fund uh went up by 118,000 uh and this is because we added church billings that we process and they're fully through. Uh they end up in the activity funds for our schools to use. The uh capital projects funds went up 21,000 due to CIP changes of cash that we received from the county for debt to reserves and refunding credits that help us uh start to fund future capital projects. Health insurance fund went up 4.6 million. The dental fund went up 230,000. Both of these are relatable directly to claims and premium
064changes. And so at the end our overall total budget uh for 2027 at this time is 301 million 4,000 and 135 dollars. Uh this is a change from the prior year of 13 million 708,117 dollars. Um and I will reiterate that this is >> [clears throat] >> our first pass as we don't have a final state budget. So I suspect we will be back here um in a another month or so uh going through the process and hopefully adding items back into the process. Uh before I wrap up I would like to express my sincere apprecia- appreciation to my finance team, to our directors, Dr. Niceley, Dr. Soltesz for their collaboration and support throughout this entire budget process. Their collective efforts were instrumental in developing a thoughtful and balanced budget and I am truly grateful
065for their partnership. It's been a long time because I'm getting ready to cry. I'm sorry about that. >> [laughter] >> I'm very stressed evidently. So um there you go. There's your budget for next year uh with a nice tidy bow. I'm sorry that I was unable to get uh this report up in BoardDocs, but I will get it to uh Miss York uh in the morning. >> Thank you. >> Do we have a motion to approve? >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Thank you, Susan. And please extend our gratitude to your staff. I know it's been some long nights. >> Yeah, there is some discussion. So just to reiterate where we were and where we are, um So let me just summarize. Roanoke County Public Schools, according to niche ratings, are
06610th out of 130 district school districts in the state of Virginia. We are one of the top school divisions in the state of Virginia. And so we want to stay there and we want to remain there because as in the real estate field, the first question we get from someone when they move to this area is, "What are your schools like? How do they perform?" Or you know, and they also go around and look, whether you like it or not, they go around and look at the physical presence to see if they're run down, dilapidated. What are they like? So this isn't a testimony to us, this is a testimony to Dr. Nicely, staff, late Miss Peterson and the rest of you for what you do for Roanoke County Public Schools. You have built this,
067you have made it what it is, and we are are the shining example on the left side of Virginia, basically. You know, from central to southwest Virginia, we are the shining example. Why do I say that? Because this year we're losing $3 million of revenue that is just arbitrarily, in my mind, taken from us this year. I don't know if it's a trend where they see this across other counties and cities, but I just think we got to be very careful because we do have something special here. We don't have a lot of we we don't have economic development in our region right now. It's it's lacking. And I think to have a school system as good as this one is, we have to maintain uh the integrity, the the staff, we have to maintain
068the facilities. There's it's it's like running a city. Y'all do an amazing job at what you do. And so, um you know, we've we've lived within this revenue sharing agreement for 22 years now. And wasn't it 2004 that Drew Barrineau and and uh >> Joe McNamara brought that together. And we've lived within that. We haven't We haven't took more. They've reduced it a couple times, but we still lived within that. So, this is the first year we've broke that agreement uh in whole. They've kept the excess revenue. So, they get this $3 million, they keep the excess revenue every year uh you know, from actual to budget it, right? So, that So, they get that. We've raised revenue. They talk about lowering taxes 62 and 1/2 million dollars. We've raised real estate revenue in the
069neighborhood of 125 to 150 million. So, effectively, they're still raising revenue. So, while you're trying to tighten the one product you've got that brings people to Roanoke County, you know, we need we need need to be mindful. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I believe it in everything they've delivered to us in a message, they're going to they're going to take from us the next year, maybe the next few years. And uh you know, you're asking the schools to tighten, and y'all have done an amazing job. We went from where we thought we were going to be at 3% raises, we asked you to look to go to another percent percent and I you went to a percent and a half more. We made that work. We're doing without fleet replacement. We're doing
070without technology stuff. You know, you can't run this operation by reducing revenue every year. Yes, we can tighten our belts, but I think Roanoke County needs to tighten their belts. When you're losing half a million dollars with one one establishment, when you're spending $11 million on I don't know how many libraries we need in Roanoke County. I'm not They're very needed, but we've got to prioritize what is important to us. And for me, it's Roanoke County Public Schools. And so, um I want to say the the last thing. And this is the measure that I think carries the most weight of anything any of us say. When And I don't know if we can do a study on this. When our kids go to college, how many of them return? I've not I don't have
071any statistical data. Can we Can we measure that, Dr. Nash or Dr. Stultis? >> I'd be challenged to do >> Yeah, so my guess is my informal My informal data tells me that we're losing these kids because we don't have the job structure, we don't have the the necessary tools to bring these young folks back to our area. I hear it all the time about them leaving and not coming back cuz we don't have it. Stop worrying about the schools in Roanoke County right now and worry about economic development. We need jobs for these kids. We need to make them stay here to come back. So, you know, thank y'all for what you've done. I know this has been a challenging year. It's no wonder you don't have it ready for us to give us
072some board docs. Bless you and bless the staff but uh for what you've done because this is an amazing year uh to have been hit at the last minute with this knowledge because lack of transparency. They did do some two-by-two meetings. They never came to me, but I do want to give Tammy credit. She did something that none of the other board members could do for the last five or six years. She asked me to sit down and meet with her and we did and it was very productive and I was able to share all this. Doesn't mean it'll change anything, but I was able to share this because, you know, the others control the board. So, uh just be careful, you know, you can be mad at Tim for coming on here and and
073and saying things that need to be said, but when you mess with the the the one thing in Roanoke County that is shining, you know, don't make that mistake of messing that up. We need to keep it right where we're at. Thank you. >> If I may, just think I want to thank Susan and your staff. You did a tremendous job. When I heard that $301 million total, it's it's eye-opening and I know we had to make some difficult decisions, but I want to thank the department heads for for their help in in getting to where we are now. I want to thank Dr. Nicely for holding Dr. Stultzes's hand through this so that next year he's prepared and ready to go. >> [laughter] >> And as Mr. Hudson said, to be able to get
0744 and 1/2% when you look at what all our surrounding jurisdictions are having to do this year and this isn't just a Roanoke County problem. This seems to be a problem throughout the state on inability to give raises to teachers this year, but when a lot of the surrounding jurisdictions are just doing two or or 3% and we're able to give 4 and 1/2, I think that makes a statement to what we think about our our >> [snorts] >> staff and and teachers and all our administrators and everybody else that works for the school district. So, job well done. >> Let me Let me just I appreciate the sentiment, but when you're the lowest in the region in teacher pay, when we're on the bottom side of that, but we're producing at the top rate
075for our school division, 4 and 1/2 versus 3 doesn't get us where where need to be. And and I appreciate we got everything we could get out of this. Did a phenomenal. But you have to remember these these people are getting results that are astonishing. And we need to reward We need to pay them fairly. Thank you. >> And if I could just add to that, um again, echoing the thanks Susan and your entire team and and Dr. Soltis and and Nicely for all the the work and colleagues for coming together and looking at this. Part of this process and this is my first budget that I've had to work through, so trial by fire. It's definitely been a a roller coaster of one. Um but we we were able to look at budgets with
076limited information. We still don't have the final um state budget coming towards us, but we're we're making pretty good educated guesses on it. So, we've had to be flexible and creative and look at ways that we can make fiscally responsible decisions with this money and putting our staff first where they need to they belong, as Tim pointed out. We do have above-average staff here in Monroe County, and we need to pay them what they're they're valued, which is um right now it is below average uh across the state and across national levels. We continue to lag behind. And I brought this up in one of our work sessions, uh between 2020 and 2025 we've seen a cumulative um inflation rate of approximately 26%. And that same time, our teachers have gotten close to 14% pay
077raises for a number of different issues, including COVID uh pandemic um restrictions on pay raises. But that still leaves them 11 12% behind the cost of living increases that have gone on. So, I I want to just make sure that we're being candid and and transparent about what we're trying to do. We need to be trying to close that pay gap to bring our above average staff to at least average salary. And it's going to require us to look at greater than 4.5%, greater than 5% over the next several years just to get them back to average. And that's what we're trying to do with these numbers. So, when people raise eyebrows about us giving higher raises than than counterparts in in government or other areas, it's because we're coming from long ways behind. And
078and our teachers have been phenomenal. Our our support staff, our librarians, our our bus drivers, and everybody have been phenomenal to to give us everything they have with less than average salary. So, I appreciate everybody's efforts and and looking at that and helping us bring the needle. I think we started at a 2% ask for raises, and we brought that up to to 4.5%, which when we were looking at the numbers, we realized it would require at least 3.5% to offset the health care premium costs for all of our employees and not leave anybody with a net pay loss there. So, can't express my gratitude enough for all the work you put into this. >> Thank you. >> I also just want to say thank you to you and all of our staff for doing
079this. We had a challenging budget season this time. But, I'm proud of what we were able to do, and I'm proud of us as board members for coming together and trying to figure out the best way to work through this. And I'm happy with what we've been able to provide for our staff and our schools. So, thank you to everyone for doing that. So, with that, are we ready to Do we have a motion? >> So moved. Yes, that we adopt the >> He's already done that. >> Oh, did we do that? I'm sorry. Okay, so we're ready to vote. Adam Mr. >> I'm sorry. >> You guys talk so much. I didn't >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Greenway. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Henson. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Mr. Fleming. >> Yes, ma'am. >>
080No one ever >> Thank you. And I looked right at you when I said that. >> That was the truest statement of the night. >> [laughter] >> Never. Never. Item 10.01, request to approve RCPS 2026-2027 Perkins Plan, Mr. Jason Sir. >> Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the school board. I see Dr. Sultis. The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, referred to as Perkins 5, is similar to past years' plans. Roanoke County Public Schools' proposed 2026-2027 local Perkins Plan has been made available on BoardDocs for your perusal. Perkins funds augment school board effort to supply high-level CTE programs in our schools in 11 schools. A major use of the federal monies is for equipment such as computers for tech ed classes or equipment for trade and industry classes, also student travel
081and professional development for teachers. The RCPS Perkins Plan is locally developed using constraints outlined by federal legislation and is first reviewed and approved by the RCPS CTE General Advisory Committee. The Perkins Plan was approved by the CTE General Advisory Committee this morning at Burton Center. The next step in the process is is to request school board approval. Since the local plan and the budget is on an Excel spreadsheet that is very cumbersome, a school board summary has been provided on BoardDocs that provides an easy reference to that Excel file. That's the information piece. We leave it on information and then with I'll be glad to answer any questions with the hopes of that being on consent for um the next meeting. >> Any questions? Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Item 11.01 hearing of citizens
082for non-agenda topics, we do not have any. Item 12.01 report by Roanoke County School Superintendent Dr. Ken Nicely. >> Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board. Well, there's been a lot going on in Roanoke County schools since our last school board meeting, which is uh exemplified by the presentations this evening and goes around the the whole uh wheel here. Sports, arts, music, uh world languages, STEM, literacy. Uh so we're so so proud of our students and and all of our staff. Um one of our new traditions for culminating events is of course our opportunity ready graduate senior defenses. Uh this has become a signature program for us and I'm so proud of the hard work and leadership of our principals and teachers to make this vision a reality. Mr. Lineberger's going to uh display
083some of our um our seniors uh defending their portfolios uh uh just a couple weeks ago. Developing and practicing the skills we expect of our graduates starts in elementary and middle schools where our student-led conferences have again been a success. On March 17th and 18th, our five high schools held the opportunity ready graduate senior defenses and it was rewarding to me to visit all five high schools and see the progress we're making in both the number of seniors presenting this year as well as the quality of those presentations. I really saw um a lot of progress made toward really focusing on those skills and the students being very skilled at uh referencing those throughout their presentations. I've asked Mr. Rowley to give uh the board a full report on our efforts this year at the
084next meeting. The initial reports are that we have had over 65% of our seniors earn their opportunity ready graduate diploma seal this year with Glenvar, Northside, and William Byrd leading the way with 86, 82, and 73% participation, respectively. So, lots to be proud of right there. So, we're proud of all of our students. This was just a sampling of some of those. I think Mr. Tyree is on one of those pictures. >> He was on one of >> He looks good. All right. >> [laughter] >> We're also honored and proud to host Virginia Secretary of Education Dr. Jeffrey Smith and State Superintendent Jenna Conway on March 17th as part of their state listening tour to showcase the ways our school district is opportunity ready and preparing current and future students with the skills and knowledge
085they need for success. We took our guest from Richmond on a brief tour of RCCTC and then invited them to observe some of our senior defenses at Northside High School. I want to thank our students, teachers, and staff who who participated in round table discussions with our visitors. I also want to give a special shout-out to and I think she's still here in the audience, Northside Principal Ms. Jill Green for the extra work she put into hosting these events. It was a lot of extra work on top of also organizing all these senior defenses. So, could could actually THANK MS. GREEN. I CALLED HER UP. I SAID, "ARE YOU IN A GOOD MOOD? BECAUSE I have a question." >> [laughter] >> And she she embraced the opportunity and and they were wonderful hosts. So, we
086appreciate that. The Backpack Run Fundraiser at Green Hill Park held on the first Saturday of spring break was successful and the runners were treated to a beautiful day. I want to thank our primary sponsors, RRMM Architects, Virginia Credit Union, Cox Communication, as well as all the volunteers from our Roanoke County Public Schools Education Foundation. None of this work would would be possible, of course, without the extra work of folks like Mr. Lineberger and Ms. York doing all the work behind the scenes. We thank them. Speaking of our business business partners, we of course made a big announcement yesterday at RCCTC celebrating the progress of our Campaign for Excellence, which is already about 1/3 of the way to the overall goal. The investment by Carilion Clinic of a donation of teachers and cash valued at over
0871.25 million dollars will benefit our health sciences program and the entire region for years to come. They're also working with us to identify additional programs that we can add to our CCTC, and they're also working really hard with us to encourage other businesses to partner with with us. So, we want to thank Carilion Clinic. We want to thank of course our business liaison Carl York and our highly respected CTE director Jason Serf for their successful efforts, and we look forward to more to come. Speaking of CTE, they are hosting a student job fair tomorrow evening at Green Ridge Center. That's beginning at 4:00 for our high school students. Any high school students looking for some part-time employment, including summer employment, are encouraged to come on out with their families and and check that out. Want
088to thank the board for your investment in our people with the adoption of the FY27 budget providing a 4.5% salary increase for our employees. Thank Dr. Soltis and Ms. Peterson for leading this process. I don't think that Ms. Peterson has slept for 72 hours, but she did a wonderful job making that presentation and a lot of good decisions for me. So, I applaud them. While we're not able to include some much-needed investments in infrastructure such as school buses, maintenance, and technology due to a significant reduction in the amount of anticipated local funding, there's still much we're able to provide. And you wisely kept as a priority the teachers and staff who provide a top-level education for our children in Roanoke County. And now, the moment you've been waiting for, we're ready to officially announce the
089winners of our annual March Mathness contest. Now, the full video is on our website including an inspirational appearance by the winning coach Dr. Soltis, which is why he's raising his hands over there. But, for the For the of time, Mr. Lineberger cut the video down. We're going to watch a short little version of that. >> [laughter] >> To announce the winners. >> Go cut Jamie out. >> [screaming] >> That's it. Time's up. The final calculations are complete and the results are official. The March Mathness 2026 tournament has come to an end. >> Thanks, Dr. Nicely. Welcome to the championship wrap-up of March Mathness 2026. I'm Chuck Lionberger and joining me again is Sarah Bear, supervisor of math and your March Mathness tournament director. All right, Sarah. You just heard from our referee. Three weeks of
090competition are done. The numbers are locked in and the results, they're final. >> They certainly are and what a remarkable tournament it has been. And throughout this competition, students worked hard completing math exercises known as proficiencies, earning one point for each successful completion. And this year, the results speak for themselves. In just 3 weeks, our students completed nearly 185,000 proficiencies. In fact, 184,169 in total. >> And that's a really precise number and a 6% increase over last year. Now, Sarah, that's not just growth, that's a major leap forward and all that practice is going to pay off when students take those math SOL tests. >> Absolutely. This tournament is all about building confidence and strengthening skills and our students rose to the challenge. And of course, none of this would be possible without our outstanding
091math teachers. >> Absolutely. >> Their dedication, encouragement, and support made this entire experience possible. So, a big thank you to all of our teachers for helping our students succeed. >> Yeah, absolutely. It has been an incredible 3 weeks. But now, it's time for what everyone has been waiting for. Sarah, four teams entered. We've had 3 weeks of competition. We've had 185,000 proficiencies completed. And now, one team will rise to the top. All right, Sarah, it's time to go to our referee, Dr. Ken Nicely, for the official results. >> Thanks, Chuck and Sarah. First, I want to recognize all of our teams and schools. The effort, focus, and determination we saw over these 3 weeks was outstanding. But in the end, one team put together a strong finish and rose above the rest. The 2026 most
092proficient team is the Guardians of Geometry. Congratulations, Guardians. A well-earned victory. >> We got one more major award to go. >> That's right. It's time to recognize the most proficient school. Let's go back to Dr. Nicely for the announcement. >> Thanks again. [clears throat] This was another close competition, and with several schools competing at a high level from start to finish. But one school maintained its position and finished strong. The 2026 most proficient school is Glencoe Elementary. Congratulations, Glencoe. An outstanding performance. >> Well, you heard it. Glencoe Elementary takes home the trophy. >> They held the top spot from the very beginning and finished with an impressive average score of 13.42. Last year's champions, Fort Lewis Elementary, finished in second place, less than half a point behind. Mountain View Elementary placed third, followed by Bonsack
093Elementary in fourth. >> Yeah, congratulations to Glencoe. Rounding out the top 10 are Cave Spring Elementary, Penn Forest Elementary, Clearbrook Elementary, Fluvanna Elementary, Burlington Elementary, and Green Valley Elementary in 10th place. >> What I like about that list, and congratulations to Glencoe, glad you're still here and you can uh hear that uh in person. What I love about that list of the top 10, as you can see it's a it's a wheel around the district. And so, um all parts of the district represented in that and and certainly uh to add our math teachers really led the way in making sure that our students get their practice in and go into the uh spring testing uh you know, well prepared. Um in all fairness uh in interest of time and I know we're running late
094this evening, but uh we did uh have to cut out uh Dr. Sultis' uh winning coach speech. [laughter] So, anything you want to want to add? >> I got it. >> Coach Sultis. >> [laughter] >> He did he guaranteed a a win next year. Are you still going to coach the Guardians? >> Dr. Isley, my grandson my grandson >> [laughter] >> He says they should have won. >> They're in the top 10s, they did still pretty well. That's all I have. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Item 13.01 reports an increase of board members. Dr. White, would you please go first? >> Yeah, sure. Thank you. Um and it's been a long night, so I'll keep it as brief as I can, but I do want to also welcome everybody back. I know
095spring break was recently. I hope everybody uh had a safe and enjoyable week, even if spring break was a little mixed with winter break in there. Um and also congratulations again to all of the uh students, teachers, and staff recognized tonight. Phenomenal list of achievements today. Uh truly reflects the hard work and and we've already touched on this uh couple times tonight, but the hard work and dedication of the um people behind the scenes and in the classrooms making making the difference and helping the students achieve uh these milestones is truly amazing. And you know, they to hear and learn about the uh Green Valley Elementary School uh being awarded the STEM School of Excellence and the scope [snorts] of that competition being international is is truly uh you know, eye-opening for how how well
096we're doing with a lot of our our programs. Um and and it's it's just really humbling to see that. Um I I will take a moment to step back and and you know we we certainly have some things to say about numbers and budgets, but I I do want to thank the Board of Supervisors and specifically their their chair right now Tammy for taking the initiative to reach out and then and rekindle communications amidst some heated discussions about budgets. Uh it it's truly a step in the right direction, I think. Um it certainly hasn't been a perfect relationship, but I think most of us who have relationships in real life recognize that they're not always perfect and there are challenges and especially when tough decisions are are at the table. Uh you know our our
097personal beliefs are our feelings about things do impact how we behave with each other and and I think that it's important to step back and and recognize the the work ahead of us and to manage those appropriately. So so I do want to thank them for that and I do want to highlight too that part of that process was learning about the revenue sharing agreement that has been described multiple times to me now as as the shining example and the model of how to create revenue sharing between a board and and a school board. And I I hope that we can continue to work together and find ways to maintain the agreement that we've we've worked under for so many years and and keep it as as whole as possible. Um but I I do
098recognize that there are financial pressures not just for Roanoke County, state and and national financial pressures and and I I think we can work together to figure out how to to solve these on a wider scale. So I know, hope we can keep doing that. That's brief as I can do. >> Thank you. Mr. London. >> Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to to touch on what Dr. Nicely said about the Carilion event yesterday up at CDE Center. Just a fabulous that Carilion's going to donate 1.25 million over the next five years and I want to thank Jason Sir and and Carl York and Mark Jones at Campaign for Excellence. You guys are doing a fantastic job with that. I know that that hopefully spurs some other businesses to get involved and I'm
099not sure which I'm more excited for up there at the students that are going to get to go to that facility or the community that's going to get to see what what that facility is all about and how it's going to help build economic development and workforce development here in the region because every time I walk through there I'm just surprised at how we're able to get that large a facility to to be built for 80 million dollars. That's not a small amount of money, but when we walk through there and and see what what that facility is is going to have for the students in Roanoke County, just very exciting. So, Carl and Jason, thank you guys very much. And uh unfortunately I had to miss the senior defenses. It seems I'm out of
100town that week every year on a on a trip. Um so unfortunately did not get to see those senior defenses, but I was down in Charlotte this past weekend and uh my wife and I were talking to a 2018 Northside graduate who was telling us she's her boss had told her she was up for a promotion. She was a little nervous about having to meet with the CEO and and um of the company and I thought to myself the these senior defenses and what they go through and that will help prepare them and and we told her about it and um she said, "Oh gosh, I wish we'd had that when I was in school." So, thank you for for doing that. I know it will help those students in the future uh when they
101when they're out there trying to get a job or trying to get a promotion at a job, so keep up that I hope that that continues and just really appreciate that opportunity ready program. That's all I have. >> Thank you. Mr. Greenway. >> Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Um I want to piggyback off the CTE Carilion thing. Um hopefully that as I was telling someone yesterday, I hope that begets other companies to come in and kind of see the momentum and the and everything that we've got going with that program. You know, here we go. As I mentioned to board member yesterday, just get us jobs now because we going we're going to have students ready, willing, and able to do the work. And uh this is our attempt at helping in economic development, right? And
102I did hear the discussion too and and I know we've you know, we're we're at the infant stages, but you know, the adult development to be able to do some of that in the evenings to I mean, we should use this thing 24/7 if we can. Uh you know, it's a just a wonderful uh you know, you think about this. You got five school board members in various districts with all this infrastructure issues that that need to be addressed. You were able to get five school board members to start the process to build a CTE. And we had to have the fund we couldn't do the funding within what they give us, but that was amazing for us to be able to come together and say, "Okay, we're going to have to push this back.
103We're going to push this back, but we can get this done." And for Roanoke County, this is a a huge piece. And thank you guys for yesterday. I think it went very well. Uh Carilion was great. They I can't remember I'm terrible with names. I can't remember the name, but they were wonderful and gracious and seemed like I said that there's more to come, you know, which I thought was That's huge, you know, the largest employer, well, not the largest, we're probably that, but one of the largest in in the area to say, "Hey, you know, we hope this is just the tip of the iceberg." So, that's a wonderful event and thank you for kicking that off. Hopefully, we get some other companies in and come in here and piggyback off that. Um want
104to say that I missed the self-defenses, too. I did get to see it last year. That's phenomenal. Wish we had had that when I was in school, as well, you know, because I think it prepares you in so many ways. You know, public speaking already is even today after doing this for for these years, you know, public speaking's tough and so just that aspect of it, let alone that then the the material that you have to put together to to bring to bear, it's just amazing. And these students are like they're seasoned veterans. That's what's shocking to me is how well prepared they are. And you know, so so we appreciate that and and I You know, those are things that I bet you don't get in other high school. I just think those are
105innovative things. The sea change framework, all that stuff. Dr. Nicely, you you deserve a lot of credit for for bringing a lot of that to bear, but uh thank you and I think that's something that will just benefit these kids as we go forward. Um also, we got a little book up here. Did you You might have mentioned that in your comments and I It was very cuz I thought but you know, so it says it takes a village to raise a 21st century graduate. Well, you've heard me say this, it took a village to raise me. So, so I'm going to I'm going to read this and and thank you for for sharing and congratulations on the award, by the way, too. So, um we lots of good things happening here. And I want
106to leave it with uh Mr. Wyatt brought up the discussions. I give Again, I give Tammy credit. She reached out, you know, maybe after she had reached out to all of y'all, but she did reach out to me and uh we had a good discussion. Uh you know, again, doesn't mean we'll change things, but you know, at least there's an adult at the table now. Um I just feel like you know, the last 5 or 6 years, you couldn't have We couldn't have joint We haven't had joint meeting in I don't know when. So, uh you know, we got to stop acting like 2-year-olds. We got to act like adults, come to the table. I'll call I'll stop calling you names when we have a uh discussion. And uh let's let's move forward. Uh we're
107not going to like everything everybody has to say, right? Um you know, there's opinions. That used to be what made us great. Let's go back to to what made us great. Uh when I came on, we would have those meetings and we'd have discussions and people would say things that maybe weren't popular or or but were constructive and you heard them and you thought, "Hey, that's something to think about." So, let's let's go back to uh joint meetings. Quit this non-transparent two by two or chair or chair, so we don't have to have a media and we don't have to have uh everyone else come in and listen to our discussions. I want you to hear our discussions. I think it's it's helpful and it's meaningful. So, uh That's it. Uh great things are happening
108at Roanoke County Public Schools and we need to promote that. Thank you. >> Thank you. Mr. Hudson. >> I don't think anybody left much for me to talk about, as usual. Um but yeah, I absolutely have to recognize Coralie in that. It's an amazing donation and to think more to come. Um I'd like to thank Carl and Jason there. Thank you very much for the hard work that you guys are [clears throat] putting in to get these donations. They're much needed uh to get this program up and running. Um I'd like to recognize um our teacher here that's still here, I believe, Katie Smith, uh for her teacher of the year award for the Roanoke Valley chapter of the VSLA. She's an example of what we've been talking about pretty much all day, right? That
109our staff is our is really what makes this organization great. So, thank you, Katie. Congratulations. Um and also to Glen Cove for the math award. That's awesome. Thank you, Ms. Brubaker, for all your hard work. Um I love visiting and seeing all the things that you do there to create such a positive environment in that school. Um and I think again with the literacy award, it's just another example of what we're doing and how how accomplished we are. Um obviously, Glenvar state champion, state champion. So, I can't tell you how many state champions we've had this year. I think we're going to have to get another sign built out there, Mr. Solders, because we we're filling it up. Um it is a uh it it's an amazing thing to see our athletes and and I
110know Joey is moving on to Radford here. He committed the other day to uh run track there, and that's just amazing. We have a a great community and a great support staff that really coach these kids and and help them reach their potential. Um as well as Northside, same thing. I can't leave them out, you know. Um I know I've seen um is it Kristen Hunt that's the coach here? Kristen She's amazing. I've seen her so many times come in here uh presenting these kids and winning championships after championships. This is a testament again to their hard work and dedication, because we all know that coaching doesn't pay for the hours that you work. If you calculate it up what you get paid to coach, it's like pennies on the hour. Uh you're probably losing
111money. So, um it's their heart and hard work and dedication to the kids that that really make the difference. Um and again, thank this board, you know, I want to thank the board and recognize, you know, this is my fifth year on the board, and each year we have prioritized pay raises, because like Dr. White and others have mentioned, um we are way behind if you look at state and national um you know, pay studies. Uh we're aware of that, and we're doing everything we can, um um, in some places that sometimes make us a little uncomfortable, but we do realize that our staff have to be prioritized. That's the number one thing in order to recruit and retain uh, the best. So, thank the board and thank Susan again. Um, I know we thank
112you a lot. Maybe a maybe a lunch would be great. We maybe take you to lunch one day because I know you and your staff have worked very hard. Um, and Jim, I know you've worked very hard on on a lot of the items there um, in your division, but just like to thank everybody and recognize that everybody's doing an amazing job and I'm just impressed day by day and very proud to serve uh, next to you guys. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, well, Dr. Nicely and I wrapped up our last visit to Cave Spring schools and this was our last time to to visit schools together, so I'm a little sad about that. We went to Clearbrook Elementary, Cave Spring Elementary, and Cave Spring Middle School. Um, one of the fav- my favorite
113things that we saw was the buddies program at Cave Spring Elementary. So, they have kindergarten students matched with fifth graders, um, and we got to they were meeting that day and so they were going out on the playground together and these kids were so excited. The fifth graders were just as excited as the kindergarteners. Um, so they get together and do things like going on the playground or reading together. Um, and I think it's great for for all of the students. Um, so it was that was really fun to see. Um, Dr. Sultis and Dr. Franklin, who's the principal at Glenvar High School, and Ms. Leftwich, who's the principal at Bonsack Elementary, and I, um, were able to visit Piper School District in Kansas City, um, just a few weeks ago. This is part of
114the Carnegie Foundation Future of High Schools grant that we received as one of 20 school entities. Um, so we were able to to visit them, um, and see their schools and see how they're implementing what they call the portrait of a graduate. And, um, they incorporate real-life experiences like internships, apprenticeships, special projects with local businesses and organizations to enhance the academies and the things that these kids are learning in the classroom. Um, I felt like we left with a lot of information, a lot of ideas, some things that we feel like we can come back to Roanoke County Schools and implement here. So, it was it was a great trip. Um as Dr. Niceley mentioned, we did meet uh Jenna Conway, who's the state superintendent, and Dr. Jeffrey Smith, the Secretary of Education for Virginia.
115Um we were able to meet them after they had done the CTE um tour and um saw some of the senior defenses, and they just were so impressed. They kept telling us how impressed they were with our students and with the CTE Center. So, it was great to to hear um how impressed they were with with our school system. Um and as far as the school defense the senior defenses, I was able to sit in on several of them at Cave Spring High School. Um I was so impressed not only with our students, but with the staff at Cave Spring High School. They did an amazing job. Um it was well organized. It was so welcoming when we came in. Um the staff really showed a lot of support for our students and their family,
116so I was just really impressed. Um the the seniors did a wonderful job. They were poised and confident. Um these kids not only had to present, they also are questioned at the end, which I find so impressive. They don't know what those questions are going to be. There's a panel there, and it's like a job interview almost. And I was so impressed with how poised they were and confident, and um it was just really impressive. It's also great to see how they recognize their growth through high school um and be able to share those experiences and accomplishments. They were also so well articulate. They were able to articulate the ways in which they can demonstrate the skills of the See Change framework, like collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. Um so, it's just really impressive. Um
117I think the best part though was that their were parents were invited, and it was just it was emotional to see these parents and how proud they were of their students, of their kids. Um and it was just really awesome to be a part of it and see that process happening. So, um just want to say again, congratulations to all of our award winners tonight. We have so many talented student and staff members and so um it's great to see that. Um again, thankful for this board and the staff for being able to put together this budget under difficult circumstances. I feel good about what we were able to do and um glad to that we were able to work together and accomplish that. So, if there is nothing else, meeting adjourned. >> [music]