001All right. I'd like to call this May 11th, 2026 Virginia Board of Education meeting to order. Head on to call the role. >> Miss Hoffman >> here. >> Mr. Conlin >> here. >> Mr. Lavallet >> here. >> Mr. Feller >> here. >> Mr. B >> here. Stand pledge of 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. >> Okay. Um before we get going, um I have a statement I'd like to read real quick. Um good evening. Uh I want to begin by sincerely thanking our community for taking the time to vote last Tuesday and to engage in the important conversation about the future of Selena Schools. While the levy did not pass, we respect
002the outcome and appreciate the many perspectives that shaped its result. We would like the community to know that we are listening. The board is carefully reflecting on the results, evaluating our financial outlook, and thoughtfully considering our next steps, always with our students and community at the center of those decisions. To be clear, we do have some very tough decisions to make in the near future. Our goal has always been to be good stewards of our community's tax dollars while providing the best opportunities we possibly can for our students, and we will continue to do that. We don't yet know exactly what the future of Sennsylvania schools will look like. The budget issues that prompted the levy remain, but we do know how we will move forward with continued transparency, care, and a commitment to working
003together to ensure Sylvania schools remain strong, supportive places for our students. We look forward to engaging with the community as we navigate the next few months. I don't know if anyone else has anything they'd like to share. >> Nice job. Thank you, Almost. >> Okay. All right. Next on the agenda is a presentation by Porter Engelman. >> Uh good evening. I am Natalie Charles and we are the representatives of Svenius Norw's uh North uh Young Democratic Socialist of America. Uh over here is our president and uh one of our members Kyla and I am the co-chair of our organization. We are very excited to show you our concepts for this potential project. Uh and just to begin uh by a raise of hands, who has participated in or have heard about a community garden? >>
004So not many people. >> Um heard of them. >> Yeah. >> A community garden is a group or community that has come together and to plant and grow greenery. They matter because they are beneficial to the community and environment. So, if we're talking about why we want a community garden, first we have to talk about why it's beneficial for the students. A community garden is going to provide students with major health and social um benefits. According to a 2025 study by Ruckers University, community gardens are shown to positively impact mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. This sentiment has been reflected many times over the years by many prominent institutions such as Michigan University. Students will be able to de-stress by working in the garden or just having a calming space to go during
005study hall lunch commons. Students who participate will learn construction skills, how to take care of garden and plants, teamwork, and other and other major social skills. I also see this as a great um as a great opportunity for the special education classes to have an accessible way to go outside and learn hand eye coordination, repetition, and other important life skills that they probably are only learning inside. Um other benefits for the students other than the benefits for the students, what about the ecosystem? Some of the environmental benefits include improving air quality resulting in easier and better breathing. Community gardens also help uh reduce in urban heat by increasing green space, providing habitats for beneficial insects and birds and help manage storm water runoff by absorbing rain. They promote biodiversity and are uh they promote biodiversity
006and reduce the carbon footprint by encouraging local food production and reducing the need for transportation of produce. Additionally, these gardens enrich soil through composting and natural fertilization uh by capturing and storing uh carbon dioxide and contributing to noise reduction by acting as a green bumper. Uh by creating more green spaces, they also support the overall health of urban ecosystems and foster a stronger connection between people and nature. So, how is the community garden maintained with the sun? With Dr. Denise and the North custodians are open to letting students in and out of the courtyards over the summer during specific periods. Students will water, prune, plant, and otherwise maintain the garden, meaning it won't be any burden to the staff. Implementation. Surveying the courtyards, we determined that this South View courtyard is going to be the
007best place to implement it based on sunlight and accessibility. We will be building, maintaining, and supervising the garden during whatever hours we determine are the open hours. Building materials are going to be provided by club members and through donations such as the rain barrel. The rain barrel is going to be donated to us by a Northwest Ohio member and we will be in collaboration with the Northwest Ohio Democratic Socialist of America during the building of this project. So on the next slide you can see on the left is our composter design. This is a design our club made themselves and it is important because it's a um it's a easily moved machine. It's small. It doesn't smell and it will allow us to easily compost in a way that is unobtrusive. On the left on
008the right you can see the garden bed design. It is made to be visually appealing and practically fit into the courtyard in a space that will not obstruct anything and look very nice. Composting. How does compost work? By collecting and processing dead plant matter and food scraps, we can process them into fertile soil that can be used directly into the garden. So, we're not going to be buying a bunch of dirt. We're going to be making it ourselves. and we're going to be making it by using um dead plant material from the courtyard. So, not only are we going to be staying out of the custodian's hair, we're also going to be cleaning up the yards for them. We're going to be reducing food waste from the culinary arts classroom by taking their um their
009food scrap and putting it directly into our compost bin and using that to grow more food. The compost can is obviously going to be going right back into the garden, but if we make any extra, we can give that to the South View horicultural department. that'll be saving them money as well. In the event that we make even more, we can also follow the University of Toledo's um the University of Toledo's lead and join some of our local farmers um routes for picking up compost. What will we grow? We'll grow fresh fruits like blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Vegetables like Roma and cherry tomatoes. Carrots and broccoli. herbs like garlic and basil, native plants like milkweed and merry gold and companion plants which when multiple plants have a symbiotic relationship and benefit from each other. For
010example, tomatoes and merry golds have a symbiotic relationship because merry golds keep pest away from tomatoes. The produce will grow we grow will be donated to DSA's partner Eagle Pantry which feeds food insecure Toledo families. There is also the potential to let culinary arts class use our fresh fruits and vegetables. So you're thinking this is a great project. How are we going to pay for it? The Northview Young Democratic Socialist of America Club has their own treasury and some of our responsibilities include having multiple fundraisers every year and we would bear all of the financial responsibility for the project. We would get this from donations from fundraising. You guys would not have to pay anything. Thank you so much for giving your time. Uh and does anyone have any questions? Hi David. >> So have
011you presented this to the Northview administration? >> Yes. >> Okay. And what kind of feedback did you get there? >> So some feedback we had in the preliminary stages of kind of feeling this out with the administration is where is the food going to go? And we didn't really have an idea for that at first and now we were thinking maybe give it to the culinary arts classroom. we see that that is probably not a possibility, but all of that food can go directly to the Northwest Ohio's DSA's food pantry and donate that food to um local families which are food insecure. >> Um so have they have you been given guidance by the Northview administration as to whether or not this plan can go forward or I guess I'm wondering why you're coming to
012the board. We're coming to the board number one to show it to people who um are important to the community, but then also because we did unfortunately not get approval in our initial phases. And so we went back to the drawing board, collected more resources, and submitted the um use of property and permanent additions form online. And then we also wanted to give some of our members an opportunity to present Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. Thanks. >> Okay. Next item on the agenda is public participation for agenda items. I believe we have. So, um, when I call your name, you can come up to the front. Uh, make sure you give us your name and address for the record, and then you'll have three minutes to speak. Um, so first is
013Lindsay Binder. >> Binder. Lindsay Bender. >> You said name and address. >> Yes. Yep. Name and address. >> Uh, hi, I'm Lindsay Bender. Uh, address 1630 Gillingham Drive, Pennsylvania. Um I'm here tonight just to talk about um specifically a situation at Maplewood. Um my son is um in special needs classroom with an intervention specialist who has recently resigned from a position. um and the way it's been handled just isn't sitting well with um some of us parents. Like it wasn't communicated and I know it had to go through the board and things like that. Um but the the teacher is such a vital role um to my child's development. He's been with her for two years. Um she makes these social stories. We brought some to share um she actually left those on the students
014desk um before her last day. Um and they were removed from the students desk and that's really confusing to children who one um have communication barriers. These are all special needs children that she's working with. Um two I mean there are children who rely on visual aids and stories. to really grasp something. Um, so for the last four days, my son has just been told that my teacher, his teacher's sick, she's sick, she's sick. Um, he doesn't under he doesn't understand, you know, why is she not coming back? You know, what happened? um even asked me at one point if she died that it it's a bad coincidence our cat died last week and so the connection that our child is making is well someone's gone and why isn't she coming back? Why why is
015the school continuing to tell my child that the teacher sick when she has in fact resigned um under the impression that um she had no other choice or she was going to be let go. So I just I want to understand why there were there was no communication. I mean, there are seven children that are in that special needs classroom with Miss Arur. Um, we get daily text message updates from her, daily emails, daily progress reports. I mean, I can't have a conversation with my child like all of us. I don't know if any of you have a special needs child or a child that is autistic. I don't know how my child's day goes unless somebody else is helping fill in those gaps. I ask him, "How was school?" Sometimes I get, "What do
016you have for lunch?" Sometimes I get nothing. and to it just this just felt very heartbreaking um that my child potentially thought his teacher was dead because of the communication issues and just the lack of transparency. You know, we talk about, you know, Sylvania being community oriented, communication being a foundation being so important. I just felt like I mean I this just felt like a gut punch in the way that it was handled. Um and the way I actually found out about it was this morning when I went in to ask Miss Robbins if Mr. Curry was okay because my child had been going home telling me day after day that she's sick. She's she's not back. She's not back. And Miss Robbins just said that she resigned her personal issues. And that's not necessarily
017my understanding. Um, I didn't have a lot of time to prepare for this at all. This kind of just happened today. But, um, this has been weighing on me and has broken my child in ways that I can't even explain. When I walked out of Miss Robin's office this morning after speaking with her, my child was in there um with one of his paras and he was just completely emotionally overwhelmed, over stimulated, crying, asking for Mr. Curry. Didn't understand and had just thank God I happened to be there. Otherwise, I'm sure I was about to get the phone call to come up there. I just if you can if if if you have kids, even if they're not on the spectrum or have special needs, I'm sure you can sympathize how awful that is. Um,
018and I just I don't know. I'm if there's an opportunity to look at, you know, her continuing her position, I mean, obviously we would love that. I don't know all the details of everything that happened. I understand that it was possibly time off. Again, I don't know all the details to that. Um, we would just hate to lose such valuable teacher who has done so much for my son, other children. I mean, it he wouldn't be where he is without her. >> Yeah. >> Bottom line. >> Okay. Um, thank you for coming and letting us know and and we appreciate you sharing comments. I don't know Dr. Miley or Tim, can someone follow up? I don't I don't know the details of what happened. So, I don't know if someone can maybe follow up. >>
019We can follow up with Miss Robins and work on some communication. >> Okay. Well, we'll have someone follow up with this. So, thank you for letting us know. >> Um, next, Crystal Burke. Again, name and address for the record. >> Crystal Burke. to address this 5810 Summer Street here in town. Um I'm also speaking on behalf for Miss Curry also in like Lindsay. Um it's had a really big impact on our household. Um she hit on a lot of the same things. Um I would just say like I don't know what everybody's role is in the room. I've actually never come to any of these meetings. This is the very first one I've ever come to. Um, but as you know, the special needs classrooms are a lot smaller and I know Miss Curry has
020chased my child down the hallway. She's, you know, she's made the social stories. It's not just the one that she left on the desk to say goodbye, but she also I mean my daughter for a straight week and every year she's had uh these periods where she will regress. She made this this past week because Celia wasn't getting on the bus. I was driving her every day just to get to school. And same thing like um she relies on headphones like these. Um Miss Curry out of her own pocket bought this hat for her and she is getting breakdown on both sides of her head because she is regressing to wearing these more often. I just wanted to come to show support for Mr. Curry and that's all. >> All right. Thank you. >> Um
021Tony speak. >> Hello everyone. My name is Tony Bender. I live at 630 Gillingham Drive. I'll be the third parent here in support for Brandy Curry. As my wife told you this morning, she was told And Miss Aruri resigned for personal reasons. And as a way to say goodbye, she left a short story for each of her students which was considered inappropriate. I'd like to take a moment and share with you this short story. Starts, "Goodbye, Miss R. Curry. At school, I have a teacher named Miss R. Curry. Miss R. Curry helps me grow and learn. I can keep doing my best at school and I can ask for help when I need it. I will be okay. Miss Arur cares about me and my learning and she is proud of me. Miss Arur will
022not be coming back to school. This means I will not see her in my classroom anymore. One day things can change. Sometimes teachers don't have to come back to school. I'm sorry. Sometimes teachers have to leave school. Even though Mr. Curry is not at school, I am still safe. There are other adults here to help me. This change might feel confusing. I might feel sad, mad, or surprised. All of my feelings are okay. And then after that, she wrote a personal letter to my son, which she did for every student that she works with. All we were told was that she resigned for personal reasons and this was considered inappropriate. I highly doubt that. Thank you very much. Can you read what she what she specifically wrote to Tommy? >> Yeah. >> Dear Tommy, I
023am so proud of you and how much you have grown. You have amazed me these past two years working with you. I will miss your big hugs most. You sure have kept me on my toes these past two years. Mostly, you taught me how to be a better teacher. Even though I won't be your teacher anymore, I am always here for you. I will never see a flappy guy that's an inflatable air dancer. Loves those. And whenever I see one, I'll be thinking of you. You are important. You are special. Keep being a rock star. Love, Miss. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Uh, Dr. Mley, we >> Yes, sir. Good evening everyone. I would like to recommend item 4.1 which is an overnight field trip for 25 of our Cougars to attend a cross
024country team event in Lancaster, Ohio. It actually is a country cross country club cross country camp. >> I'll second. >> Thank you. >> Any comments? >> Cold roll. >> Jim, >> yes. >> Julie, >> yes. >> Tammy, >> yes. >> Greg, >> yes. Yes, >> thank you. I recommend item 4.2 which is the adoption of a junior high math curriculum. It is amplified ESMOS and I will share with you that uh all three uh junior highs were involved in selecting this math curriculum and it is my understanding that every math educator also supported it from all three junior highs. So we are pleased that we have a 100% commitment to the program. approval. >> I'll second it. >> Yeah. Is this something we've had before? >> This is a new program. Actually, we have not
025had a lot of formal curriculum in the past. Teachers have been left pulled from different resources. So, this is something that will present continuity and instruction and content. There were a number of teachers who actually participated in testing different programs because we do need a board adopted curriculum. The last curriculum was quite old. Okay. So, this is it replacing something we had with some >> It's replacing something that has not been addressed in several years. So, teachers were peacemealing, buying teacher on teacher to create um materials for instruction. So, this is something that we're moving forward with. >> Okay. Any other comments? >> Cold roll. >> Tammy, >> yes. >> Julie, >> yes. >> Greg, >> yes. >> Dan, >> yes. >> Tim, >> yes. Thank you. I recommend item 4.3 which is anou but
026the SCA. Um this is addressing a change in teaching assignments at Straan Hillview and Timberstein Junior High for the 2026. >> I'll move for approval. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Kim? >> Yes. >> Dan? >> Yes. >> Greg? >> Yes. >> Tammy? >> Yes. >> Julie? >> Yes. Thank you. I recommend item 4.4 which is an agreement with Savannah Schools and Tangible Habits LLC for consulting services. Second >> any discussion. >> What kind of consulting services is this? This is one force uh services for an individual specialized related call. >> Tammy, >> yes. >> Dan, >> yes. >> Julie, >> yes. >> Kim, >> yes. >> Greg, >> yes. >> Thank you. I recommend item 4.5 to remove the uh agenda item 6.3 from the April 27th, 2026 board meeting. And these are policies
027for a second read and approval. >> I'll move approval. >> I'll second >> discussion. >> Why did we have to put this? Didn't we remove it? >> We tabled it and then you had to remove from the table and then the next item is >> the next item is actually voting on the >> So this is just a vote on this. >> Okay. >> All right. Al Julie. >> Yes. >> Kim. Yes, >> Sammy. >> Yes. >> Greg, yes. Dan, yes. >> Thank you. I now recommend item 4.6 for a second read and approval of policies as listed. >> I'll second >> discussion. I'll roll. >> Tammy, >> yes. >> Kim, >> yes. >> Julie, >> yes. >> Greg, >> yes. >> Ian, >> yes. >> Thank you. All right, Mr. Diversity, we are with
028you. Thank you. I will recommend items 5.1 through 5.4 on the consent agenda basis. 5.1 are licensed contract recommendations per existing. 5.2 are licensed increase in positions. 5.3 are licensed resignations and 5.4 is licensed extra duty. Approval on a consent agenda basis items 5.1 through 5.4. I'll second. >> Any discussion? >> Julie, >> yes. >> Kim, >> yes. >> Dean, >> yes. >> Tammy, >> yes. >> Greg, >> yes. >> Thank you. I will recommend items 6.1 through 6.3 on a consent agenda basis. 6.1 are classified new hires. 6.2 is classified resignation. And 6.3 is classified personnel changes. I'm move approval on a consent agenda basis item 6.1 through 6.3. >> Any discussion? >> Julie, >> yes. >> Deian, >> yes. >> Kim, >> yes. >> Greg, >> yes. >> Tammy, >> yes. >> Thank
029you. I will recommend item 7.1, which is non- teaching people activity contracts for 2526. I move approval. Second. >> Any discussion? >> Julie, >> yes. >> Tammy, >> yes. >> Dian, >> yes. >> Jim, >> yes. >> Greg, >> yes. >> Thank you. >> Our next item on the agenda is public participation for non-aggenda items. And seeing none, um, so next I will move that we go into executive session. And I forgot my list, but the employment compensation of a public public employee. Oh, yeah. That >> all right. Any discussion? >> Adam, gold roll. >> Uh, Greg, >> yes. >> Tammy, >> yes. >> Damian, >> yes. >> Kim, >> yes. >> Julie, >> yes. >> And we will not be taking action after executive.