School Board Meeting 5/13/21

001Yes. I got it. I saw it. Thank you. Thank you. It's 6 o'clock, and we're going to reconvene into our open session. Certification of compliance, please. Thank you, Madam Chair. I make a motion that the closed meeting was conducted in conformity with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act as required by Section 2.2-3712D of the Code of Virginia and certify that only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements were discussed. and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which the closed meeting was convened were heard, discussed, or considered. Second. Okay, we have a motion. It has been seconded. Vote, please. Okay, motion carried. I want to welcome everyone to our May School Board meeting, and we're going to open by asking Ms. Tynes if she would

002lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and the moment of silence. 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. Thank you. At this time, we are going to move on to our Isle of Wight Achievers. All right, here we go. The vision for Isle of Wight County Schools is to create a learning environment that will enable every child to discover his or her unique gifts and talents. The Isle of Wight Achievers section of our board meeting gives us an opportunity to recognize and celebrate students and staff for their unique talents and gifts. And I feel like there's a little bit of a sense of a return to normalcy when we have a lot of Achievers in the house.

003So I'm really excited to see all these people here with us. And especially... in light of maybe some of the petroleum issues going around too. So thank you for using your gas wisely to be here tonight. When we call up our honorees, I just want to do a little bit of protocol pieces here. If you would come up and go over to about the green spot, if you're a group, go over to about the green. You're going to face the board while I am reading your accolades. And if you're with the group, then after we get all of our folks up here, we'll have you turn around to the audience for a round of applause. So that's how we'll do this. And we are excited. to start off with recognition of Smithfield High School's debate

004team. And when I call your name, once again, if you would come up and face the board, the Smithfield High School's debate team secured their, not one, not two, not three or even four, but their fifth consecutive. State Championship fifth consecutive state championship so team members include so once again Please come up and face the board Elijah Smith And you can clap for them as they come up to Vincent D Elijah Elijah if you'll come back here, and we're gonna have you stand right there That's okay. It really is awful to be first Asia Marie Andrews. So all of these folks helped to compete at the state level. We have some students on the team who also placed at the state level, placing fourth in public forum, Rachel Klinger and Shelby Jones. I know we

005have Shelby with us. Placing third in Lincoln Douglas, Jason Cox. Placing second in policy, Cameron Barrett and Sydney McAleer. placing first in Congress and receiving the most outstanding Senator award Samantha Solomon and the team is coached by Mr. Andrew Henson. Mr. Henson if you'll join your group up here. And we certainly want to congratulate all members of the debate team. They certainly have created quite the dynasty at Smithville High School. And we certainly wish them well going into their sixth consecutive year as state champion. At this time, please turn around so we can all congratulate you from the audience. Mrs. Briggs, Mrs. Briggs, over here. I would like to say something while these young people are standing here. I guess many of you already know that I'm a native of Ottawa County. I'm a graduate

006of Smithfield High School, class of 1975. I was a member of the Smithfield High School debate team, their first debate team. And I'm very proud of all these young people. Did we play snow? Well, we started a debate team. Today, we have a debate team that are champions. Thank you very much. This is what... our students we expect our students to do they are transitioning from here to here thank you very much young people and i hope you go forth in life and all of you are going to do well thank you but miss times you laid the foundation yes we did that's what i was trying to say and i'm so proud of them they are champions today our next honoree is also from smithville high school taylor price taylor if you'll come up

007taylor competed in the vhsl class four state championship in cross country in Leesburg and Taylor is a junior so we look forward to having him back at that state championship next year and I'm sure he's going to improve his times even for next year right Taylor? Yeah there he is. Thank you. And you know, I neglected to say, and I apologize, when they come up for photos, if you feel comfortable taking your mask off for a picture, you're welcome to do so. I should have said that sooner. But strictly up to you. Next, from Smithville High School, we are recognizing two students from the Beta Club. We have Alexandra Grossman. So if you'll come up and I'll just read some. This year the state made a convention and the accompanying student competitions took place virtually

008Several students brought home awards from the event tonight. We're recognizing two students who placed first Alexandra placed first in the scrapbook category and Maggie Mandera placed first in creative writing their Sponsor is Miss Julie Ng and we want to congratulate Alex and Maggie for their achievement Okay, this time we're going to be recognizing our seniors of the month. And, um. Oh, Jesus. Sure, Alex. We'll start with Smithville High School. How about that? Alex, come on up. Very good. Well, the senior of the month for May from Smithville High School is Alexandra Grossman. Alexandra has contributed so much to her school community. She's the editor of the yearbook and has worked tirelessly to bring this book to completion. She's dedicated her time and energy to making this yearbook the best possible book under the most difficult

009of circumstances. She's remained positive and energetic even when she has had little to no sleep in order to meet the yearbook deadlines. She has a true eye for detail and ensures that as many students as possible have appeared in the book. She cares and wants to make sure that it is done right. Additionally, Alex's leadership skills have enabled her to motivate her staff to work as hard as she does. Alex genuinely cares about her classmates as she treats everyone with respect. Because of the way she treats everyone, her staff respects her as well. Alexandra is a true academic student who has challenged herself during her senior year to take advanced courses, and she was elected president of the National Honor Society. She's also an active member of the Beta Club, where she has participated in

010the state conference all four years of her high school career. Alex also works part-time at the Y, where she supervises children in the after-school program. This is a young woman who cares about people. Alex will be attending Old Dominion University in the fall and will major in business and minor in business management. We want to congratulate Alex. Alex, you can turn around and face the crowd. Our honoree from Windsor High School, I don't believe, is with us tonight. I'm just going to turn real quick. Okay, but this is our last month of Seniors of the Month, and we are going to recognize Kaitlyn Pippins from Windsor High School. Each interaction with Kaitlyn brings a smile to one's face. Her genuine kindness and eagerness to be present, not just counted, is inspiring. She is confident and

011a steady student who contributes significantly to the atmosphere of her classroom. Kaitlyn is always moving forward toward her goals. She has been a real force behind the Windsor High drama team competition and the school's forensics team. With both, she helped them to great wins including taking them to the state level. Kaitlyn is what the world needs more of, a bright smile and willingness to rise above the disappointments and challenges that this unique year has dropped to her feet. She has used these challenges as stepping stones towards a brighter future beyond her senior year. When I think of resilience, I think of Caitlin, and that makes my soul smile. And that's from the Windsor High School nurse, Shea Pugh. Caitlin will be attending Shenandoah University, where she will be a pre-pharmacy student. And we certainly want

012to congratulate Caitlin, and we'll have this on the video so that she can enjoy this. Congratulations, Caitlin. Okay. During a typical year, the division recognizes a support staff member quarterly who's gone above and beyond the call of duty. Because many support staff were filling in across the division and located at sites that were not their usual assignments, we put ABCD on hold. I'm excited to announce that tonight we will be recognizing several employees with ABCD awards as we catch up on our recognitions of the year. As a reminder, anyone throughout the division can submit nominations. A panel reviews the nominees and selects the winners. All of our honorees are receiving a personalized plaque created in the Smithfield High School Makerspace, and they are receiving a $50 Visa gift card thanks to the generous support of

013Chartwells, who donated two of the gift cards, and Bluebird Bus Sales of Virginia, who donated three of the gift cards. When I call your name, please come up to the corner. Dr. Thornton has your plaque and your gift card and a pen. Okay. And you'll come forward, the first one, if you'll face the board. And if you'll stay facing the board until we have all of our honorees up front, then we can have everyone turn around for a big round of applause. First, we have Alicia Wood, a special education instructional assistant from Westside Elementary School. And I'll go ahead and start reading. The teacher that nominated Ms. Wood said, I had some medical issues this year where I needed to be out for an extended amount of time. Mrs. Wood has showed grit and greatness

014by continuing with our classroom routines and procedures so our students could have consistency. She also took the initiative to find lessons that fit our students' IEP goals and objectives and collected data while I was away. While I was out some of our students came to school five days a week and she prepared the classroom for their return Mrs. Wood is self-motivated She suggests ideas that would assist our students to be more successful and is always looking for ways to assist others Mrs. Wood is a great asset to not only Westside Elementary But to Isle of Wight County Schools, so we congratulate you and if you'll please stay up front, okay, we can give her a round of applause Our next honoree is from right here at Windsor Elementary, Mark Ruffin, Food Service Manager. His nomination

015stated, The business of feeding people is the most amazing business to Mr. Ruffin. This year, Mr. Ruffin has invited the GTMS cafeteria staff into his kitchen at Windsor Elementary. We cannot thank Mr. Ruffin enough for being so flexible and adaptable. Mr. Ruffin efficiently delivers lunches to classrooms daily to ensure our students enjoy a hot meal. The meals are well packaged and delivered with love. Also, he accepted feedback from our students to improve their lunch experience by adding additional menu options. We appreciate the Southern hospitality. And that's from Christy Buggs, principal of Georgie Tyler Middle School. Congratulations. Okay. And our next honorees are a twofer. They were nominated together. From our technology department, we are recognizing Donnie Young. and Phil Curry. They were nominated together and the nomination stated, our engineering curriculum has depended more on

016internet and wifi than ever before. Anytime there was an issue at Smithville High, Donnie and Phil have been there within minutes, supporting me and my virtual students. They always have a smile and they never let a cranky router ruin their day or positive demeanor. They have been our lifeline in this unprecedented year. I would personally make the plaque for those guys on the laser cutter after all they've done for us this year. And that's from Ms. Heather Greer, engineering teacher at Smithville High School. Congratulations. We do have one more honoree in, if you'll bear with me. She was unable to attend tonight, but we do want to recognize her and have her information on the record. And that is Joyce Sledge, the bookkeeper at Carrollton Elementary School. Her nomination stated, her current job title is

017bookkeeper, but Joyce goes above and beyond her financial responsibilities. When a parent registers a student with a disability at Carrollton, Joyce sets in motion the many moving parts of this process. She ensures the special education department is informed immediately, that we have all of the required paperwork and documentation without fail, and she informs the Carrollton administrative team as well as the process facilitator of the incoming student with the disability. While these moving parts may seem routine, when performed consistently, it proves to be a smooth transition, most importantly for the student and the parents, and for the SPED office as well. Joyce sets the mark high for employees that go above and beyond the call of duty, and that was from Lisa Phipps' Special Education Department. So we want to congratulate all of our nominees at

018this time. You can turn around and face the audience. We'll give you all a big round of applause. Thank you very much, and congratulations once again. And for our final achievers, we do have some other recognitions that will be coming up a little bit later. But for our final achievers, we will hear from SSC. Each month, SSC recognizes one of their employees with a special award. And Assistant Unit Director Karen Stacey will present the award to this month's honoree. The first one, he has been selected to be our gym and that's due to him taking a role with more responsibilities and he sacrificed for the team to ensure his school functions and daily duties are completed. He is highly praised from his peers and management, which does not go unnoticed. Thank you for a job

019well done. In addition to that, he will receive a $50 reward from SSC. Secondly, Mr. Howard, we appreciate your dedication to high safety standards. Your daily actions help prevent possible accidents. Thank you for following safety rules, staying alert, and making the workplace safer for everyone. And with this, you also receive a $25 gift card. Thank you. And that's going to conclude our achievements for tonight. We want to once again congratulate all those that were recognized and their family members that came out here tonight with them. And we wish them well. And thank you again. Thank you, Ms. Briggs. At this time, we are going to have a special presentation, the little sprouts. Aw, she's so cute. Good evening, and I'd like to thank you for inviting us this evening to tell you a little bit

020about our journey through our first year of our newest CTE program, Early Childhood Education. As soon as I was hired last May, April, May timeframe, we had to hit the ground running. We had to come up with a name for our pre-K. We had to create an application and an application process. We had to create a flyer to let our high school students know about the course so we had some students to teach. We had to review and select a textbook so that we could order it and it would be here for the fall. And my favorite part was I was able to select furniture and materials to order. I was so excited. Here's my template. And I had that in my living room like for a good month, moving things around. And then my

021husband said, did they give you a budget? And I said, yes. And he said, are you sticking to it? And I said, yes. And I did try and I did a pretty good job. So we actually are using this as a teaching tool in my classroom. It's hanging up. So when we talk about creating an early childhood environment, we actually look at what Mrs. Branch did and we can manipulate it. It also came in handy this year when we needed to create spacing for our COVID mitigation procedures so we could move the furniture around and see what it would look like. Then in late June or early July, we had a two-way mirror installed. We actually have two classrooms. We have a high school classroom for our teacher cadets, and we also have the pre-K

022environment. And when I was hired, I said something to Mrs. Couch and Mrs. Sullivan. I said, wouldn't it be great if we had like a two-way mirror? And they were like, yeah, and they made it happen. So thank you. I went too quickly. The great thing about this two-way mirror, it allows me to do a lesson in the high school classroom with the high schoolers, and then we're able to watch a teaching strategy and then have some dialogue about it without interrupting the pre-K classroom. You can imagine that four-year-olds can become distracted at times. So that was a great... tool. The other thing it allowed me to do is that I could be in the pre-K classroom and demonstrate something that they could watch again without them interrupting. Or I could have the high schoolers

023looking at the students for developmental milestones again without intruding into the classroom. And maybe the pre-Kers might act differently if they knew that they were being watched inside the classroom. So on the left, you can see that's what it looks like from afar. But as you get close up and we kind of dim the lights in the high school room, you can see right into the pre-K. Then in July, I started painting. I really wanted to create an inviting environment for both our high school students and our pre-K students. I painted and painted and I painted some more. I won't be painting anytime soon, but it really did turn out great. We've had lots of compliments on how the rooms look, and I feel like the kids enjoy being in the space. So here is

024our furniture was arriving and then that was starting to get really exciting because everything was coming together and Then this is kind of the final product. This is our teacher cadet classroom slash workroom They spend a little bit of time in here each day and that's where they keep their things. If they're prepping a lesson, there's a paper cutter in there for them, there's a printer, copier, any kind of materials that they might need so that they can pull everything together so that they're ready for four-year-olds. Four-year-olds are not very patient either, so they have to be ready when they come in to teach. This is just this was our little sprouts classroom at the very beginning of the year It's a lot busier when they're all there And I really feel like it turned

025out really well. We've got the big sprouts coming out from the wall those were an Ikea purchase Not on the school's dime. It was on mine my husband much to my husband husband's chagrin Then came the really hard work of creating the curriculum, and it was very rewarding to be able to shape this program. I had a blank slate because there's nothing in the program. There's no other program in the county right now. So I was able to shape the program, hopefully instilling a passion for teaching and igniting their passion, hopefully, to become future educators. This year we did have 10 four-year-olds in our first enrollment. We did hit the enrollment kind of late. Typically pre-K started enrolling at around February and we didn't really hit until late April. So we had 10 four-year-olds. However,

026this spring, I think the word got out, within our first week we had 17 applications. We have received a lot of positive feedback from the community, which was really heartwarming. Our first year of high school enrollment, we had nine high school students that took early childhood level one, and we had three that took early childhood level two. And it looks like the word is spreading around the high schools again as well on social media. For 21-22, we're looking at 16 students have requested level one, and nine students have requested level two. So I'm very excited about those numbers. Then we have a lot of celebrations at the very beginning of the year just like the rest of the four-year-old programs in the county we gave the PALS assessment the PALS Pre-K assessment and There was

027a class average of approximately 53 out of a possible 125 in the fall. And then just a couple weeks ago when we gave it in the spring, our class average was about 100 out of a possible 125. So our little ones made great gains. However, that's only one measure. One thing I really wanted to share with you was some writing samples. This is one student's fall writing sample. When you look at a writing sample, you can not only see their fine motor development. But you can see, do they have a sense of story? Can they share a story? Do they have any letter-sound relationships? Are they using any conventions of print? So this is the fall. And then this is that same student, mid-year. You can see their drawing has progressed. It's much more developed.

028You can start seeing that they're using some sound relationships. the sentence was I'm looking at a rainbow. She used I, and then she used the L and the C for the L and that K sound and looking. So that was super exciting. And then this is her. April. Look at the look at the development of the drawing. Lots more detail. Her fine motor skills are a lot more developed and you can see she wrote four sentences using a lot more conventions of print. Spacing is starting to emerge in her writing. She actually wrote a full story. I was outside. It was raining. I got wet. I did not like it. I don't like that either. Makes my hair not so great. So we were able to stay open all year. We remained open five days

029a week for all of our pre-K students. I had a lot of parents that were extremely appreciative of this because it did give them some sense of consistency in a world that was a little chaotic. Our other celebrations is that we were able to give our local community, especially this year, an additional choice for pre-K, since the choices of pre-Ks are limited in the southern end of the county. We had all of our level students, level two students complete the Virginia Child Abuse Training Course for educators through the Virginia Department of Social Services. I did have one student, Taylor Cornett, just recently, she's a Smithfield High School senior, she just recently awarded a CTE scholarship in which her essay reflected on her time in our class. We have three students that took the workplace readiness

030skills test and this gets me a little choked up this last one but all seniors who took this class are seeking courses in education in institutions of higher learning and I'm so proud of these young women. I did bring a few friends along with me, some of my high school students and a pre-K student, one of our little sprouts. I'd first like to introduce Ms. Emma Wobblehorst, Smithville High School senior. When I first started this class in the fall, I thought I wanted to be a teacher. Being in this class has helped me solidify my decision. This class has helped me narrow down what age levels I would like to teach. One of my favorite things in this class was creating the photo journals. The photo journals allow us to see how far the students

031have come since the beginning of the year. We have placed a few examples at your tables if you would like to look at them. Being in this classroom with these kids has taught me a lot I need to know before becoming a teacher. For instance, I've learned that creating a lesson plan isn't as easy as it seems. Finding something that meets the needs of all the learners can be difficult. Although it is hard, I like the challenge of trying to find something for everyone. This is why I am pursuing my degree in education at Rider University in the fall. Thank you for adding this opportunity to work with young children in a lab environment and it meant a lot to me for the board to allow CTE students to be in person since the beginning

032of the year. At this time, please allow me to introduce Grayson Scott, Smithfield Windsor High School sophomore. I like working with kids which is why I took this class. I have really enjoyed creating bonds with the kids and little sprouts. I love greeting them at the door. I feel like it brightens their morning and it makes me happy when they smile. When I lead small group instruction, I love watching them learn something new. It is fun to see how curious they are about learning new things. I feel like I've learned a lot of new things and I definitely feel more confident working with the little ones. Most of the first part of this course we have learned about safety, emergency procedures, and early childhood environments. And now we are learning about classroom management and planning

033lessons. Since I enjoyed this class so much, I plan to take level two next year, which will be my junior year. Allow me to introduce Ms. Emerson Samansky, one of our little squirrels. I love to teach. I love the teachers here so much. I miss them when they come. They also play with us at stations. They are a fun reputation. They teach us new things. They also play with us at stations. I love to do show and tell. I love the farm, the kitchen, and the new sidewalk. Come on out and visit us sometime. As Zimberson said, come on out and visit us sometime. And I really would like to thank the board, division leadership, and school leadership for implementing this program. It's been a great thing. Are there any questions? This is exciting. I

034mean this was this is just a blessing to see Congratulations to you Obviously your leadership has made a huge impact in the success of this program I've seen you in action in the classroom as branch and and I'm just very very excited for what's happened and Also, what's going to happen in this program for the future? Thank you so much And Ms. Emerson, I happen to be the lucky one who got your book. You are doing a fantastic job, and you spoke so beautifully. Thank you so much for sharing with us today. I got Mr. Calvin's. Just leave them on the table. Okay, they're nice. Okay, next on the agenda is Olive White County Schools Teacher of the Year. Teachers of the Year. They're not joking when they talk about tough acts to follow. We're

035going to go from little sprouts to big sprouts. Good one, Ms. Briggs. I'm here all night. Okay. While we are not able to hold our Teacher of the Year and Retirement Banquet this year, I'm very happy to be able to recognize our Teachers of the Year at tonight's board meeting. All of our honorees will receive a special plaque for being their School's Teacher of the Year. When I call your name, if you'll please come up, you're going to receive your plaque from Dr. Thornton, plus there's a pin, and they're in order the way I call them. And if you saw all the students go before you, so you're going to do just fine. You're going to follow in up front, stay facing the board until we get everybody introduced. I know I have a few

036people missing tonight, but we're still going to recognize everyone. First, from Carrollton Elementary, the Carrollton Elementary Teacher of the Year is Shay Wildey. Ms. Wildey. While she's moving this way, Ms. Wilde is a 17-year veteran teacher in her fifth year of teaching third grade at Carrollton. She's originally from Texas, but has spent the last 23 years in Virginia with her husband, four children, and three grandchildren. She earned her associate's degree from Tidewater Community College and went on to earn her bachelor's degree in political science from Christopher Newport and then her master's in educational leadership from Regent University. Congratulations, Ms. Wilde. And if you'll stay up here, our next, I'm not sure if our next teacher of the year is here from Carsville, but that is Lynn Taplin. She is in her second year. Yay! Okay.

037She is in her second year as the library media specialist and coding teacher at Carsville. Prior to coming to Isle of Wight County Schools, she taught in Hampton City and Franklin. Ms. Taplin is originally from Londonderry, New Hampshire. She started her college career at Bryant University studying business administration. She then earned her undergraduate and master's degree in social work from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of South Carolina, respectively. Ms. Taplin's desire to work in education led to her... to complete the career switcher program and then her master's degree in library science at Old Dominion University. She lives in Isle of Wight County with her husband and daughter, who is a student in the division. Congratulations, Miss Tappan. All right, let's see. Hardy Elementary's Teacher of the Year is Jennifer Haslup.

038Is Jennifer with us tonight? I don't think I saw Jennifer. Jennifer is a third grade English language arts teacher at Hardy. She's in her third year of teaching, all which have been at Hardy. She's a product of Olive White County Schools and received her Master of Science in Elementary Education from ODU. She was born and raised in Olive White County and currently resides in Smithfield with her husband and son, who is a student in the division. So congratulations to Ms. Hayslip. Westside Elementary's Teacher of the Year is Erica Newcomb. Mrs. Newcomb is in her second year of teaching sixth grade mathematics at Westside. She has taught for both Portsmouth Public Schools and the Department of Defense education activity in Rota, Spain. Originally from Norristown, Pennsylvania, Mrs. Newcomb completed 21 years of active duty service in

039the United States Navy. She has a bachelor's degree in social science from Chapman University, a master's of elementary ed degree from Regent, and a master's of math leadership degree also from Regent, and is currently working on a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with Liberty University. Congratulations. The Georgie Tyler Middle School Teacher of the Year is Alexandra Hodges. Mrs. Hodges is a seventh grade English teacher and in her fourth year of teaching, all of which have been at Georgie Tyler. She grew up in the driver area of Suffolk and graduated from CNU with a bachelor's in history. After a few years in the nonprofit sector as a volunteer manager and grant writer, she returned to school at Old Dominion to earn her teaching degree. She lives in Windsor with her husband. Congratulations, Mrs. Hodges. Next we

040have the Windsor High School Teacher of the Year Leslie Mooring and I'm not sure if Miss Mooring I don't believe Miss Mooring is with us tonight But Miss Mooring is in her second year as a biology dual enrollment biology teacher at Windsor High Before coming to Windsor she spent four years as an environmental scientist peptide chemist and nine years teaching for a neighboring school division Originally from Chester, Virginia, she earned her Bachelor's of Science in Biology and her Master's of Science in Environmental Science from Christopher Newport University. She lives in Windsor with her husband, two young daughters, and dog. Congratulations to Ms. Mooring. You notice we have a lot of career switchers that we're recognizing, so I wanted to point that out. Now in addition to the plaque, the three teachers who were selected as

041the elementary, middle, and high school teachers of the year are going to also receive a beautiful silver signet ring from our partners at Jostens. So that hasn't come in yet, but they will be getting that, and they've already sent the ring size in, so we appreciate that from Jostens. First we have the Windsor Elementary School Teacher of the Year and Division-Wide Elementary Teacher of the Year, Sarah Bachman. Mrs. Bachman has spent nine years, it doesn't seem that long, at Windsor Elementary School teaching second and third grade. She's originally from Carrollton and a proud graduate of Smithville High School, in one of my classes. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Old Dominion University, her master's in teaching from Western Governors University, and most recently her education specialist degree in educational leadership from Liberty. Ms.

042Bachman lives in Isle of Wight County with her husband and daughter, who is a student within the division. Congratulations, Ms. Bachman. The Smithfield High School Teacher of the Year and the Division-Wide High School Teacher of the Year is Awilda Velez-Chambers. Mrs. Velez-Chambers is in her fourth year teaching and is a geosciences teacher at Smithfield High School. Before becoming an educator, she was a geospatial analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency and Department of Defense. Mrs. Velez-Chambers grew up in Newport News and went on to become the first in her family to attend college, where she graduated with a degree in geography and political science from Virginia Tech. Mrs. Velez-Chambers lives in Smithfield with her husband and twin sons. Congratulations, Ms. Velez-Chambers. And finally, the Teacher of the Year from Smithfield Middle School, who's also the Division-Wide

043Middle School Teacher of the Year and the Overall Teacher of the Year for Isle of Wight County Schools, Ms. Erin Jewett. Mrs. Jewett is a seventh grade English teacher at Smithville Middle School. During her 10 years working at Smithville Middle, she spent the first seven teaching seventh grade United States history before switching to her other passion of helping students find their love for reading and writing. Before coming to Isle of Wight County School, she spent six years as a fifth grade teacher. Born and raised in Goochland County, Virginia, she graduated from the College of William and Mary with undergraduate degrees in history and elementary education in 2005. After her years teaching elementary school, she felt called to middle school, and she added endorsements for sixth through eighth grade social studies and English instruction. Mrs. Jewett

044lives in Portsmouth, Virginia with her husband, nine-year-old son, and Labrador retriever. Congratulations. Before they are seated, we have a special presentation for them on behalf of the Education Foundation for Isle of Wight Public Schools. So can they turn around now? Okay, turn around and face the crowd. At this time though, I'm going to welcome Andrea May, oh, I'm sorry, and Keisha, from the Education Foundation to the podium. Good evening. in a normal year we hold an annual fundraiser gala to provide grants to teachers in the county unfortunately we weren't able to hold the gala in 2020 we are holding it in 2021 november 6th if you'd like to mark your calendars tickets are already on sale however instead we did a series of online raffles and we were able to raise enough money to do

045something new so we are very excited to announce that all of our teachers of the year are going to get a check for 250 dollars Our teacher of the year for the county will get $500. And if you've ever gotten a grant from us, we don't need any receipts this time. No pictures. We actually suggest that you spend it on you and not necessarily your classroom. So congratulations, and we'll drop them out. They say timing is everything. What a great year for you guys. Be teachers of the year. That's awesome. We do have a video presentation, but I'm not going to have you stay standing for the video presentation. So before they sit down, let's give them another round of applause and congratulations. Thank you so much. Please have a seat so you can also

046enjoy the presentation we have on the screen. It's a brief one. We normally would do this at our banquet. So we will have this. We have this. Do I need to hit play? Nope, they got it. So I'm going to sit down. To all of our teachers of the year, thank you for being with us tonight, and thank you to the Education Foundation for supporting them with the $50 and the $500 for the overall teacher of the year. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, well, we're moving on to another big sprout. This is superintendent of the year. The Virginia School Board Association and the Virginia Association of School Superintendents requested our assistance in recognizing our division superintendent, Dr. Jim Thornton, as a Virginia Superintendent of the Year for 2020-21. Virginia Association of School Superintendents, the VASS,

047has historically recognized eight regional superintendents of the year and from the eight selected, one as the Virginia Superintendent of the Year. But due to the extraordinary leadership of school division superintendents during the 2020-21 through the COVID pandemic. The VASS is honoring all division superintendents as Virginia Superintendents of the Year. Dr. Thornton has worked tirelessly with his team and has been dedicated to doing what is best for our students in Isle of Wight despite all the unprecedented challenges. And we'd like to note that because of his leadership for in-person instruction throughout this school year, he was asked to help lead other superintendents in a plan to reopen their schools. So we want to honor his leadership tonight, and I'm going to present this VASS resolution, and then we, the school board, will vote to approve Dr.

048Thornton as a superintendent of the year for 2020-2021. Whereas in order to ensure the health and safety of all Virginians, schools across the Commonwealth closed on March 13, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and most have provided virtual instruction since then as in-person teaching and learning evolved. and whereas individual school divisions retain the autonomy to decide whether or not new instruction would continue and the format in which the instruction would be presented. And whereas stable and consistent leadership by local school division superintendents have been vital in serving children through the pandemic. And whereas school division superintendents are responsible for the health, safety, welfare, and education of each child while creating school cultures, even within a pandemic, that serve all children regardless of their circumstances. and whereas public school division superintendents utilized guidance from the Centers

049of Disease Control, Virginia Department of Health, Virginia Department of Education, local health departments, and local case data in fulfilling leadership responsibilities in their communities like no other time in their careers. And whereas the local school division superintendents work collaboratively within their school boards, educators, parents, and community stakeholders in providing technology, resources, curriculum content, emotional support, and meals to children during the pandemic. And whereas traditionally VASS superintendents of the year have been selected via a diverse panel of education associates after reviewing an individual superintendent's ability to demonstrate leadership for learning, communication, professionalism, and community involvement, and whereas all 133 Virginia Public School Division superintendents have extraordinarily exhibited these qualities while leading their school divisions and communities during the 2020-21 school year. And whereas the VASS Board of Directors agreed on January 7th, 2021 to suspend the

050traditional selection process of determining a single superintendent of the year and unanimously agreed to recognize and honor all Virginia Public School Division superintendents as superintendents of the year for 2020-21. And whereas VASS is appreciative of the Virginia School Boards Association supporting this resolution and the honor provided to each division superintendent by having his or her respective school board present this resolution to the superintendent to be recognized within the community for which he serves and leads. At this time, we need to approve the resolution from VASS recognizing Dr. Jim Thornton as a Virginia School Superintendent of the Year. Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the resolution from Virginia Association of School Superintendents recognizing Dr. Jim Thornton as a Superintendent of the Year. Second. Okay, we have a motion. It has been second. Vote, please.

051Unanimously approved. So now, therefore, be it resolved that the Isle of Wight County School Board does hereby recognize Dr. Jim Thornton as a Virginia Superintendent of the Year for 2020-21 as designated by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents. Dr. Thornton, we do thank you for your leadership during this. Extraordinary, challenging school year. Thank you, Madam Chair. And we have an amazing team in Isle of Wight County. Yes, we do. Okay, at this time, we're going to move on to the request to speak. In accordance to policy BDDH-E, citizens scheduled on the agenda will be permitted five minutes to speak, maximum time for their presentations. Delegations will be requested to limit their speakers to two. Persons speaking are asked to be specific, state the issues for the board's consideration, and attach a copy of your prepared

052remarks. If you have prepared remarks, they should be given to the board clerk. Please do not approach the board members. The school board requests that speakers refrain from making references to specific individuals that any matter related to specific students are individuals we discuss in a closed meeting. First, we have Mr. Michael Uzzle. Good evening, board members. Once again, I come to bring you some good trouble. Ms. Carr, I want to thank you for I received your package in the mail. I appreciate that and under review. And we will get back with you some other time on what we talked about earlier for our meetings. I also want to thank the superintendent for I received, I found your package and left it in the central office. I picked it up and that's under review too. But

053I definitely appreciate the information that you give me. And that's very important, making a change in the school system. If we can recall back some years back, we started a CTE program at the high school. And the program is a success program. And I really haven't toured it yet, but it's, from what I understand from the students that attended, it's really progressing from there. This come out of the results of the equity program that we try and start here in the county It's nothing wrong with the program but equity program is what we need to try to Encourage everybody to be a part of and it's sound for us to just be a part of that you will have just lights and lights but according to what the superintendent has said and piece of paper

054that I reviewed that it just given a chance. It's given the students a chance and the whole county a chance to adjust to the change. And that's all it is about change. So I'm just reminding those who always dislike some new programs to at least give a chance to get off the ground and then see what it's like to be. Remember, we all in together try to help the students as well as the communities. you know, to adapt to the change. But like I said, it's a good program. I don't see nothing wrong with the program. And I want to commend the board members too from the last session of the school board they had when the superintendent was talking about the equity program that he really transparently broke it down too so that we

055as the public could understand it. One thing we could not basically understand what the program even being about. And that's the biggest concern about it. But once he stood there and broke it down, I saw other people had called me on the program and saw step by step by step. And then when I looked at that paperwork that he gave me, it all lines up. It all lines up, what we need to try to get done. And like I said, it's for all. It was down to the last line of what she said. I commend her what she said, too. Because like I said, they are our future, and we need to participate and try to help them as long as we can. I'm just going to leave with this note that we are not

056watching what y'all are saying. We are watching what y'all are doing. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Assel. Next we have Ms. Katie Lemon. Board members and Dr. Thornton, take a few seconds now and try to remember your senior year in high school. I bet you had great memories. Now imagine being a senior this year. Everything you've had has been stolen from you. Every single thing you look forward to as a senior has been ripped from your hands. No homecoming, no parades. You can't watch a game. You can't go to a band concert. And not one single time have you allowed this class to gather as a whole class. You have all these fun activities that you were looking forward to, and you can't have them. But now you're making our kids pay for their own

057graduation? Oh, and it gets so much better. Not only are you going to make them pay for graduation, you're going to give them a diploma with the wrong date on it. I don't understand that. Oh, and it gets even better. Not only were people aware weeks before the diplomas were given out, they refused to correct them. So I've got to ask you, when you graduated from high school, were your diplomas correct? I bet they were. Why should my son... or any child not have that fixed. Do you know how embarrassing it is to say, again, my own high school, my own county couldn't tell me when I graduated. But you know what? It's par for the course over here. With all due respect, I've got to ask you, are you kidding me? Are you out

058of your mind? You're going to make them pay for a graduation and give them a wrong diploma. Last year, you did so many things for these seniors, as you should have. You put signs in their yards. You recognize them in the paper. This year, crickets are chirping. No signs. No, they can't even have graduation as a whole class. Maybe now, after today's CDC, they can. But you've done none of this. Krispy Kreme Donuts has done more for my senior than you all have. Krispy Kreme Donuts. You could be working on a car parade with the town, but I bet you're not. You could be funding signs to recognize these kids, but you're not. You know, what rationale goes into this? Who dropped the ball on the diplomas? My senior gets two days, two days of

059school. He works the other three because there's nothing given to him. Do you know he's pulling all-nighters to do his AP work because he only gets two days? He has to self-teach himself the rest. You've dropped the ball. You've managed to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars on socially distancing furniture when you've got a warehouse full. But you can't spend any to pay for our kids' graduation. You can send elementary school students to school five days a week, but our high school kids, two days. How is that even competitive? We've got so many seniors that don't even want to come to graduation. Because you all lack compassion and you lack the integrity to do anything for them. And another topic I want to discuss is, Ms. Carr, on January 14th, you didn't tell the truth

060about the two FOIA lawsuits. I asked you and other board members in an email, did it last night, to share the whole truth at today's meeting. And again, I bet you won't. If you choose not to tell the truth about the two FOIA lawsuits, please explain to me in writing why you and the other board members feel you don't need to tell the public the whole truth. One minute. I have all of the court transcripts, and I've got an electric version of it, too. So if you need a refresher, I can give that to you. But my main thing is, get off your backsides and do something for these seniors. You have done nothing but insult them all year by your lack of compassion, integrity, and action. And they deserve better. Thank you, Ms. Lemon.

061Ms. Jennifer Molesworth. Good evening. Similarly for our seniors, and of course the school year. Now my kids started at Hardy Elementary oh so many years ago. My youngest is graduating this year. My daughter graduated last year, so I had both my children's senior years stolen from them. Now last year we got some signs and we got some accolades, but my daughter fell into, well, a great big depression because, well, she had nothing. So my senior this year, my son, has had little bit of with band thank goodness for band he's had no instruction two days a week is not enough and it's not enough for them socially at all little kids great they should go to school every kid should be in school this is ridiculous my kids have missed out on everything and I

062as a parent have missed out on the years I put into helping them with homework and with everything else to get done And I get this. We get a diploma with the wrong date. That is absolutely atrocious. And we were told they're not going to reprint them. I suggest you fix it. Now, 13 years I've gone through this school system, Mr. Crawford, God bless his soul, sold me on this school system, and I bought in wholeheartedly, and he was the greatest principal we could have ever had. And since then, I have seen nothing but a decline in this school system. I am absolutely appalled in the last five years of what's gone on in this school district. I've watched wasteful spending. I've watched complete and utter miscommunication. I get more emails and phone calls about

063meal distribution, which is important, but nothing about my senior and what's going on with the class at all, let alone schools. I don't get any information on what they're doing in school. On top of that, I have watched school board meetings at the beginning of the COVID and This is an unusual situation and our hands were tied and yes, we should have shut down at that point We didn't know what we were dealing with but I watched some some Member of the school board state that one child's death is too many Absolutely. Absolutely 100% you were correct, but you didn't take into account the mental effect that this had on these kids and I hear actually I read because I went through that you all had mental health assistance set up for the kids I

064never heard of it, never saw it, never got notification for it. My kids have been completely, it's just been horrible for them. And mine aren't the only ones. And how many kids have been into deep depression or suicide or suicidal thoughts? One of those is too many too. And then another school board member. stated that the schools aren't babysitters. No, they're not babysitters. But our tax money pays for their education. So I'm coming today because I'm afraid of repercussions for my son. I've watched this tyrannical system, the central office, treat our teachers like garbage. We've lost incredible teachers. It's been absolutely just appalling. I'm going to keep saying that. Ring them in. Do better. Do better for the future kids. Getting rid of our math program, our advanced math program, and I know it's a

065state program. Fight back against it. If it wasn't for advanced math, my kid wouldn't have gotten a scholarship. These kids need more. They haven't had enough in the last two years. And they deserve more, and they deserve a better senior year than they're getting. One minute. So, again, I have had enough of this. I'm glad my child is leaving this school district. Thirteen years ago, I would have been, I've told everybody I want, you need to go to Isle of Wight County Schools. Absolutely. Stay away from the private schools around here. Don't worry about it. This is the best school district. Never again. Never. I would never recommend somebody new moving here to go and send their kids to this public school system. It has failed my kids in the last five, six years. I'm

066done. And I'm thankful I'm done. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Mr. Reverend Willie Williams. Madam Chair and school board members, Dr. Thornton and my friend, Ms. Tracy, you can use your stopwatch tonight. I've got a lot of stuff in my head that I need to delete before I even get started. But I want you all to know. that the NAACP is very proud of the work that you all are doing with the Equity and Inclusion Program. We are all in with the school system. On Monday night we had our regular meeting and Miss Jones, Kiana Jones and Dr. Thornton was invited as our special guest. And they did appear. And Dr. Thornton introduced Miss Kiana Jones. And Miss Kiana Jones laid out for all of the members the exact specifics of the Equity and Inclusion

067program. And we were just elated over the things that she had laid out for us. And I come tonight to just simply say Thank you, school board, Dr. Thornton, Ms. Kiana Jones, and for all of the work you're doing. When you're talking about changing hearts, I hope you would realize and accept the fact that changing hearts is a very slow process. There may be times that it appears that all your work is for naught. But I'm here tonight to tell you that I'm already hearing people talk about the equity program. I met a young lady who is a science teacher at Smithfield Middle School. And I asked her, I said, do you know Mrs. Jones, Ms. Kiana Jones? She said, yeah. And I've heard about the equity and inclusion program. And I believe, she believes

068that it's going to be a winner. I believe it's going to be a winner. It's already taking roots. Anytime you can disturb the mind of others, the mind is just right for the acceptance of new growth. So keep on doing what you're doing. Everything is going to be all right. Dr. Thornton, Ms. Jones, if nobody else is with you. The NAACP backed you 100%, 110%. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Mr. Williams. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I think I skipped Mr. Dorff. Mr. Herbert Dorff, come on up. I didn't see you behind there. Yep, I didn't see you back there. Madam Chair, before I get into my remarks, may I have your permission to make a comment about Teachers of the Year and the debate team? Sure. I think it is phenomenal.

069Considering the circumstances under which our teachers have had to work this year, they have gone above and beyond. And if they were in the military, they would get a significant elementary, middle, and high school. They can never be applauded. Secondly, and they're little. I'm here to talk about the school board reports and policies. The IWS school board chair and superintendent, Thornton, have provided, in my opinion, inaccurate. information in their reporting of the IWCS standards of quality compliance report which entails Virginia law 22.1 253.13 and other miscellaneous reporting requirements to VDOE in accordance with the Virginia law 22.1-18 for the 2019-20 school year. From information obtained from the VDOE senior policy analyst Elizabeth Carlton, I shared some of these with you earlier today via email at your IWCS email. In August of 2020, the IWCS superintendent

070and chair Carr provided their signatures. On the IWCS SOQ compliance report and other reporting requirements verification report that signified for the 19-20 school year that we certify that Division I of the White County is in full compliance with all the standards related to the requirements of the Code of Virginia. I contest that this is inaccurate and will provide some evidence here. Referring to the State Superintendent's Memo 141-20 of June 2020, Provides a list of questions related to compliance with the standards of quality which is to be responded to with a simple yes or no You all provided all yes answers. I Opine some should have been marked. No with a corrective action plan submitted to VDOE So the non-compliance could be corrected for the next reporting year Here are some of these questions in the

0712019 20 SOQ compliance and other certification report standard 2 C 4 Please explain how you all mark yes the school division provides all middle and high school teachers with one planning period per day or the equivalent an equivalent for planning period is a planning block unencumbered of any teaching or supervisory duties when both of you know that the CTE teachers at Smithfield High School teach double block classes and don't have planning periods or planning blocks. M1. Why did y'all mark yes for this section because the school board did not report annually before December the 31st to the public the actual pupil teacher ratios for elementary middle and high school classrooms during the 2019-20 year standard 3g1 Why did you all mark yes for this section when you know that Dr. Thornton has submitted data and

072reports that are not accurate, such as the certification that the IWCS board has reviewed each of the nine schools crisis management plan during the 2019-20 school year. Ms. Carr, I remember you quizzing them about that last year when I brought it up then. Standard 6, B3. Why did y'all mark yes for the section for the SOQ compliance report the 2019-20 school year when you knew that the school board did not report to the public by November the first of each number year since the division-wide comprehensive plan was approved in October? The extent to which the objectives of the division-wide comprehensive plan have been met during the previous two school years, if the school board did make that report by November the 1st to the public during an open session of an IWCS board meeting, please

073provide me the date of the meeting. Standard 7B1. Howdy, Joe. I'll mark yes on this section for the SOQ compliance report for the 2019-20 school year that the school board have reviewed policies at least every five years. When you know that has not been done because tonight this board is reviewing IWCS policy GDN evaluation of support staff in tonight's meeting. One minute. 13 May. They have not been reviewed since August of 2012. The IWCS board members are to follow up to date policies under the standard. Why are we not doing that? These policies were a problem. AFA, there's no evidence of this being done in any IW school board minutes. BBA, powers and duties of school board. Why did we provide inaccurate information to VDOE in my opinion? BCA, school board organizational meeting. During the

074January 14th 21 school board meeting the board only did one of the three items required under BCC school board clerk Superintendent never really appointed anybody not to this day BDDA notification school board meetings y'all constantly refer to them starting at 6 p.m And I could go on. But in any case, thank you very much. I appreciate you hearing me this evening. And I'd like an answer to some of my questions by the 20th of May. Thank you, ma'am. Y'all have a good evening. Stay safe and healthy. And CDD says we don't need to mask indoors. You're going to give that? I'll send it to her by email. Okay. Thank you. Okay, next on the agenda is board member committee reports and information. Anybody have any reports? Okay, we're going to move on to the financial

075presentations. Madam Chair, members of the board, I apologize for my comment. I feel bad. So in front of you with the packets this past Friday was the financial reports, your check register summary, facility usage, large ticket items. There was a good question regarding on your check register related to our Bank of America. We have purchasing cards and we'll use these P cards. And periodically if someone uses a P card to make a local purchase, and I'll use this as an example, one of many, and they are charged tax, we actually pay the Bank of America for that charge. So we pay them in full. But the tax piece that we shouldn't have been charged in the first place, we do pay it. But in our budget software, we charge one particular line account so that

076we can track it. So that when we call the vendor to get the reimbursement, we can track those charges and ultimately get credited for those charges. So when you see on your check register a negative, that's us getting the money back. So under your Bank of America in your check register, you'll see many of those negatives, and those are things that if we paid and an item was broken, we pay the Bank of America in full for that charge. But when the money is refunded, you'll see that as a negative. Is this a new thing that we started? It's not, but ultimately I do know this past couple months we've been having to reconcile, and we shut down our spending. for I'd say about mid-april we put a freeze on spending for the balance of

077the year which is typical in the Isle of Wight so people were spending up until that date so it's I think it's a result of that and there might have been a period of more spending in a more in a condensed time so people were using those peak hours more frequently during about a six week period of time so that's why you'll see more on that check register Are there any questions on the financial reports? That was my only question, which you just answered. You'll notice, and I just wanted to bring something to the board's attention, the last page of your financial summary references the food service account. And there was, again, a negative of $94,000 in terms of how much we spent versus what we received. But March's claim had not yet come in

078from the federal government in the amount of $507,000. When that comes in... We will have a balance in the amount of $412,000 in the black. This what I would like to bring to the board's attention is we will have a recommendation in June to amend your food service budget. During this pandemic, the federal government was ultimately paying for everyone's lunch. So since lunches were so our families didn't have to pay for a single lunch or breakfast that they received through the schools So our sales even though they didn't cost the families skyrocket So we received significantly more in sales through the federal government than we do in a normal year and that required additional spending as well So our revenues are higher than our expenditures, but we've exceeded the expenditures that you approved last So

079I would ask the board, Dr. Thornton, we've spoken to amend your food service budget in the amount of 1.3 million and that'll bring it to a level of your expenditures that is going to be realistic come June 30th and that would really reconcile your budget. But upon your approval to amend, then we would go to the Board of Supervisors and ask them to do the same. So you'll see that in June, and it is a result of the pandemic and ultimately receiving additional revenue. It's ironic, but we spent more because we received so much more. We didn't anticipate this many sales. So are there any questions on that that you'll see on your agenda next month? Madam Chair, I just want to say Mr. Kepnes has been in communication with the county about this, so

080they're aware of the situation. And we so appreciate that. I mean, that communication between us and the Board of Supervisors is so critical. So thank you for that. My pleasure. Thank you. Okay, so moving on. 14.2. per pupil cost report in your attachment you'll see a summary of your per pupil cost expenditures for this year that was or no I'm sorry next year's budgeted year this year's revised and last year's actuals and you'll you'll will notice that for the budgeted amount those amounts have increased the per pupil cost has increased and that's not as much a result of increased spending but a result of decrease in enrollment. We divide by our number of students. When we divide by a smaller number, your answer goes higher. So you will see a slight increase in the per

081pupil cost. But after this meeting, one of the requirements in the state is to post those on our website. Any questions on the per pupil cost report? 14.3, your tuition rates. are also listed for you and we are recommending $4,000 per student for students who don't reside in the county who will attend your schools. $4,000 per student. And that's an action item. And just as a question for everyone, what is it to attend currently? $4,000. Okay. It's not changed. It has been for some years. I was just for reference. Okay. Okay, so this is an action item unless there are questions before. Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the tuition rate of $4,000 per student for all students attending Isle of Wight County schools who do not live within the county in accordance

082with the provisions of Section 22.1-5 of the Code of Virginia. Second. Okay, we have a motion. It has been seconded. Vote, please. Okay, motion carried. Thank you. The next item, 14. point four is again an action item regarding the pay scales for all positions in the other white county schools including the teacher scale which i do believe was presented to you in the past we're including this to be comprehensive madam chair i recommend that the board approve the salary scales for the implementation on july 1 2021 for the 2021-2022 school year second Okay, we have a motion. It has been second. Vote, please. Okay, motion carried. Thank you. 14.5, your health insurance rates for the 21-22 school year. They are presented. I just wanted to inform the board of an issue that's been brought to

083our attention, and I'm announcing this also for our employees' benefit. The most recent health insurance contract was from October 1st. October 1st 2020 until said this coming September 30th however we're starting a new contract with anthem beginning July 1st so the question that's been brought to our attention is people who have a high deductible have met that deductible and this time of year may June certainly July August September haven't had to pay any more towards that deductible And the concern was, will we cut that off July 1 and then they'd have to start their deductible over early. And the good answer is, we've reached out to Anthem, the answer is no, that won't be cut off. So I'm announcing that as much to you folks, to our faculty and staff. But we will, Anthem will

084continue to monitor that through October 1st, in which time then their deductibles will start over. So I was pleased to hear that Anthem will work with us on that. So that was some good news in addition to, I know people are anxious about changing insurance companies, but that's some good news. So when will it start, July to July? That's a good question. So we're going to have a 12-month contract with Anthem. We're going to break it into three months and then nine months. So prior to October 1st, we'll have a conversation regarding deductible. The clock will start over. on July 1st, 2022, but we'll have to have a conversation of how that impacts deductible. And is there something that Anthony can work with us on to relieve that timeframe after that? So Madam, Madam chair

085and board members, it looks as though the nine month contract will probably be a nine month contract. So those deductibles will add up over that time. But we wanted to work this agreement, and Mr. Kepnitz worked with Anthem, because if we cut it off this year, they didn't know that. So we wanted to give them. So if they do know that it's going to run from October to June 30th, they know ahead of time and can plan accordingly. So we felt like that was the best option for our employees. Okay. So that's my report on health insurance rates. Unless the board has other questions, this is an action item. So if there's any questions. Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the health insurance rates as attached to be implemented July 1st, 2021 for

086the 2021-2022 school year. Second. Okay, we have a motion. It has been second. Vote, please. Okay, motion carried. And next for you is the budget approval. Okay, so Madam Chair and Board Members, I'm going to give us a little background first before Mr. Ketton, this goes over the actual numbers. So we both attended the Board of Supervisors meeting last week where they were discussing the four cent tax increase to pay for the bond initiative, which includes Hardy Elementary School. There was... conversation back and forth between Board of Supervisors members to discuss whether to do that four cent tax increase, whether to do a plan that Mr. Keeton introduced that was two cents this year and two cents next year. And in those scenarios that they were presenting, they had to show if they weren't going

087to do that tax increase, where were they going to find the revenues? and they had a variety of revenues. I'm not going to go through all the options, but in those options, to find one cent of that tax was to cut the school budget by $500,000. $500,000 is approximately one cent in tax. And they asked us that that night would it be possible... Of course it's possible. If they cut us, we have to live within our means. But we did share, and they gave us an opportunity to speak, which was very generous. It was their meeting. And so what we're recommending is we haven't started the bus leases that are in the operational budget. And as you know, we're asking for new buses to be paid for by the CARES Fund. So we can afford

088not to start the lease, but we had a conversation with them that if that money isn't put back, then we won't have a lease continuing and purchasing buses on a rotation, which is vital. And they understand that. The other $100,000 we want to take from maintenance, and that was the new coordinator position in maintenance. Hardy, as you know, the prices are escalating with steel, etc. We're working with the county and with the contractor as we go through. And so there's not an immediate need for that position at this point. So we felt like those were two. Safe areas to cut in the budget and we want to work with the Board of Supervisors and so tonight it looked as though the recommendation is going to be to cut us and So in preparation for that

089so we can move forward with our contracts We're recommending to cut our budget 500,000 in those areas You have it questions on that I have a question, Dr. Thornton. From what I just listened to you, from what I understand, the Board of Supervisors understand if we cut our budget $500,000. because we just coming out of the pandemic and everything, and we were had some savings because of cares. They understand going forward, maybe next year, that they will put it back in the budget for us. Is that what I understand? Yes. There was a lot of conversation around that. And it seemed to be a general understanding that that's a necessity. Okay. To put that lease money back so that we continue to buy buses on a rotation. Okay. Thank you. What about the idea of

090that coordinator position? As we get closer and need that, are we going to revisit that? Yes. At the time that we really break ground and are moving fast track and need that boots on the ground, then we'll bring that back to discuss that. Okay. Okay. This is an action item. Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the fiscal year 2021-2022 school budget. Second. Okay, we have a motion. It has been second. Vote, please. You were up here a long time tonight, weren't you? Had a lot going on with that. Okay, motion carried. That's all I have. Thank you. Thank you. Transportation update. Good evening, everybody. Good evening. Come before you and have my wonderful report and we're coming to the end of the year and we're starting to get excited about that but also

091we're starting to get excited about summer school and the new things coming to us at the transportation complex so if there's any questions I'm here for that at the moment. We have our fuel tanks all full. Well, luckily, they came and filled our diesel tanks last week. Yeah, we have diesel. So we're pretty good on that. Propane was not affected by the pipeline issue. Gasoline, we have a very limited storage tank of gasoline. Basically, the only thing, the gasoline that we use is for our white fleet. We're in good shape, but we could get a little tight on gasoline, but I haven't heard whether the delivery is coming up tomorrow or not. It may be a couple of days. We may be delayed, but we have other vehicles that we can trade in and trade

092out, so we should be fine. Okay. Next is transportation and vehicle purchase. Mr. Coleman is going to do that, but I'm going to have that. Madam Chair, members of the school board, what you have in front of you is the actual purchases for transportation. Not on that. It's actually in your packet. It's going to be an action item to move forward with the purchase of the four buses and the one-speed bus in front of you. And those buses are propane. Okay, and this is an action item. Any questions? Yes, it is. Okay. Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the purchase of four buses and one special education bus for the student transportation in the amount of $520,630. Second. Okay, we have a motion, and it has been second. Vote, please. It cares. Okay.

093Next on the agenda is a support services and operations full report. All right, and I'm chair once again support services and operations report for May One thing the first thing I want to actually bring to your attention is the Smithfield middle school chiller number two if you remember last year replacement field middle school chiller number one All right out and when we had to replace that item it was literally on his last leg So we replaced that item and now at this time the chiller number two is actually down now one thing they want to I want to pinpoint here is the preventive maintenance that we have been doing, actually looking forward into the future. We're now starting to actually lay out plans that you will hear a little bit more about. So for future

094development over the next 10 years, we'll be able to actually plot this out so we can see what is actually about to meet its time to expire and actually plan effectively for that. What is recommended by SSC at this time is renewal service for chiller number two. And that's not running at this time. A renewal service is pretty much just like taking an engine. You just need to do it maybe every 15 years. It's every 15 years. A chiller usually lasts 30 years. And at the 15-year mark, you have to actually go in, take everything out, redo it, put everything back together, and put it there. So this is the renewal service. This is something that needs to be done to every chiller throughout the division on the 15-year mark. Any questions concerning Smithfield Chitlin

095No. 2? All right. The next item I want to talk to you about is division controls. I want to make sure we touch bases about division controls. Now, at this time, Allerwhite does not have an overall division control system. You don't have one set unit. that we can actually sit right here and I can tell you what's the temperature in room 303 at Carrollton, what's the temperature at 201 in Carlsville. A lot of school divisions have that. It actually gives you more insight and gives you better control over your HVAC system. Now, what we're seeking right now is to actually combine that, get a control system in Allen White, and some of the things that it's going to do, actually replace some of the controllers, the older ones, to upgrade those, the 15 new. JACEs,

096that's like the little brains in the different schools, only units, different things of that nature. And I do want to pinpoint the installed IAQ sensors. That is going to be your air quality sensors. The air quality sensors are going to be big at this time. They're going to be located in the front lobby of every single school and tell you exactly what's going on in their quality in that particular school. There's just more information on the details of what's going on into the actual division patrols. The HVAC department will have actual laptops, and they'll be able to determine what's going on actually before it occurs so teachers can stop walking into their rooms and be surprised. We know what's going on way before the school actually opens. And where is that going to be located?

097It's going to be located, well, it's going to be kind of. The controls and where you look to see what is what. Is that like you see on a computer? It's going to be on a laptop. On a laptop, okay. It's going to be on a laptop. Wow. Right, everything's going to be at one. So you can be at home and tell me what the temperature is in room 302 at whatever. Absolutely, at 1 o'clock in the morning, yes ma'am. Just text them. Okay. It's important information. Important information it is. What I hear, though, is y'all are being proactive in the plans for all this maintenance. That is the key. Being proactive instead of reactive at this time. That's right. All right, if there's no questions concerning controls. Next, I wanted to bring your attention.

098It's the RFP at this time for the HVAC pipes at Carrollton. And I think that we talked about last month that we're actually getting some professionals to come in, work with SSC, actually brought in some subject matter experts to tell us what was going on with the Carrollton system. We pinpointed the largest. issues, the biggest issues on Wing D on the 200 Hall. And after we had the subject matter experts to come in, SSC, we walked with them and they actually wrote out a plan in coordination with SSC and actually put together an RFP. So now we're going to actually put it out there. We have to put out RFP so that we can get other. I guess you'd say experts, to come in and actually fix the system. So the RFP was actually issued

099on 5-3-21, and now the closing date for that is the 19th of this month. And once we get there, I will actually pick someone, and then we actually come back here and get approval to move forward with that individual. So we're researching it. We're finding the issue and we're trying to move forward once again, being proactive, trying to solve these issues. I have a question. Yes. Didn't we just replace the pipes at Carrollton like three or four years ago? So I'm a little king. I don't know anything about HVAC. So tell me it's a different set of pipes, please It's a different set of pipes. Okay It was the pipes for the fire fire suppressant system. Okay. Yes. Okay I just know there were pipes everywhere and I just want to make sure this is

100not every four years I will say so this is one section is for other sections that could have these conditions And so we will be monitoring those sections over the next few years. And we may have more replacements in different sections. But this was the one recognized as critical at this time. Thank you. Any more questions concerning the RFP that we're presenting? All right. And once again, I just want to really emphasize that at one time I was the actual one going out trying to get the quote, trying to put this together, and then I had to actually outsource to get a subject matter expert that knew more about pipes, bring them in, sit down, talk to them, maybe even sometimes actually pay those individuals to do that. But now with SSC, I can actually

101rely on them to actually bring all of that information in-house to allow me to actually work the process from the school point of view, which is outstanding. And with that said, I want to move right into 15.4 if there are no other questions. All right. We're ready. So next will be the actual 2021 Annual Business Review with SSC. I want to introduce Mr. Val Emery at this time. Good evening, Madam Chair, Board, Dr. Thornton. Good evening. We have been, you hear a little talk about SSC, and I'm sure through the last three years, we have been your custodial grounds and maintenance. Provider in partnership with the district so we thought it would be important at this time to kind of go through what we've done over the last year in the form of an annual

102business review especially given the current Hopefully coming off of the current circumstances and then talk a little bit more about how we're going to assist Chris and dr. Thornton moving forward with the ten-year plan that in deferred maintenance that he was referring to In order to do that, I wanted to take a step back and kind of reintroduce who we are. We provide three services, grounds, maintenance, and custodial, and education only, K-12 and higher ed. My name is Val Emery, as he said. I'm the division vice president. I've been working with the district since we became partners and have we've taken a very active role in making sure that we get Chris the information that he needs so that he can not worry about the things related to facilities. To start off, we've done over

103the last year 1,800 hours of training. By no means is this an all-encompassing list, but just some high-level items that we've discussed with our employees, hourly and management employees. This has allowed us to continue to do the process of cleaning, maintaining items in buildings, and all-around grounds work. As you well know, we all dealt with over the last year COVID-19. We were instrumental in assisting Chris and Dr. Thornton in supplying the needed items when suppliers couldn't find them. We actually were able to source because of our buying power, the disinfectant and those things when quite frankly, the federal government was. holding it for themselves and distributing as needed. So we're very proud to say we were able to assist in this matter and help keep schools where we needed to be, whether open or virtual

104or however you guys decided to do that. We've also done quite a few accomplishments within custodial department, and as you see, one of the ways that we become efficient is we don't just utilize our employees to do custodial-only matters. We had some painting door frames. We split up the workload so that we can get the job of whatever needed to be done and rally the troops, if you will. Another example of quite a few things that were taken I'd like to point out some of those furniture moves at the time we pulled this together They're around you know four to five hundred deaths at this point. I think we're about two thousand so we're we're constantly moving and doing things within the district that You would expect your facilities department to do Grounds as we

105pulled up today you saw our guys outside cutting the general grounds We've utilized about four FTEs over the last few years to maintain all the facilities. And I jokingly tease Dr. Thornton when he has his special projects. We're there for those, too. We consider ourselves a partner for the district. Again, some examples in plant ops and maintenance, from the hand dryers over around the corner to just getting out and doing some physical work, whether it's digging a ditch and repairing a pipe or assisting, as you just heard Chris talk about, with the chiller breakdown. We've been a part of just about everything. Moving slightly into some data, I won't bore you with it, but this is very important. There are two things that we do. One is corrective maintenance. That really means fixing it when

106it's broke. We can all relate to that. The other thing is PMs, or preventative maintenance. And what you want to see as the program matures is we get away from having to fix everything, which usually happens initially in a contract. to now getting towards preventative maintenance and seeing those numbers change. That means that we are able to maintain the assets for the district. and more predictably know when they're going to fail or when they're at their useful end of their useful life cycle. What this represents for the district is true dollar savings. So we monitor that data and we report it out to Chris and Dr. Thornton on a regular basis. And what that has meant for. the district over the last 18 months is we have actually been able to quantify $488,000 that the

107district did not have to spend to fix things because we caught it before it broke. The district did over that same amount of time. There's a threshold within our contract that we take care of things and then we have to go and get quotes and work with the administrative team to get additional dollars that they would have to spend. The district did spend around $900,000. All of that still represents some savings to the district because for a good part of it, we would self-perform the work. So you don't have to necessarily call somebody, but we could assist somebody if they were called. To kind of lead into what Chris was referring to in deferred maintenance. Everybody has deferred maintenance. We all have deferred maintenance in our personal lives. A bit of an example of that,

108I've been having to paint the outside of my house for the last three years. For one reason or the other, I have not gotten to it. That means that maintenance has simply been deferred. That's all deferred maintenance means. But with that deferred maintenance, a price tag comes with that. And that price tag could go from simply having to buy paint and the physical labor to do it to now potentially having to replace the soffit or the wood that has rotted because of the paint. So what we are doing and are in the final process of wrapping up. is pulling together a deferred maintenance program for the district. So as Chris accurately said, we can now predict over the life cycle of the assets when certain items should be replaced. So I'll go through that really

109quickly. All assets have a life cycle from a level one, which is in terrible condition, to excellent condition. Excellent condition would be a brand new building. Everything is brand new. look at all of the assets within a building as you can see up top from HVAC to electrical to the exterior and life safety. We collect the data. I had a team on site about three weeks ago that literally went around with iPhone and iPads and input every bit of data into the system. We use a program called RSMeans and BMAR, which was actually developed by NASA. It is a standard within the industry. The information that I'll talk about briefly is the same whether it's Isle of Wight or any other institution. It's the same type of process and program. From using these two programs,

110we developed what's called a facility condition index, which is very simply, I've got to give NASA folks credit, but sometimes it seems like they create a difficult way to describe things, which is very simply the building replacement costs over the deferred maintenance costs. To try to give you an example of that, we've all been in the situation where we're juggling, do we fix the car or do we buy a new one? At some point, it's just not worth it to do. So what we're pulling together is the data to help Isle of Wight make those types of decisions with data versus guessing. There are three levels to do that, and thinking of those levels, I'd like you to kind of think of a funnel. Level one is building the budget by system. That's where we

111are right now. Level two will be by component. Your HVAC, your chillers, as Chris was just talking about, we start to narrow it down. And then finally, some very specific details about everything that I just discussed. So now we have a very true budget and a very good idea of the dollar amount that it would take to replace things, assets in this case. So far, we've gone to every facility within the district and given it that rating that I just described. And so far as a district overall, we're in very good condition. But there's a life cycle to everything. And what we're in the process of doing now is building, helping Chris and Dr. Thornton look at what those budgetary dollars were so that we can come up with a 10-year deferred maintenance plan. So,

112Madam Chair and board members. As you know, we've come a long way in facilities over the last six years. And this really is the final piece of the puzzle. And we would not have been able to do this work without the support and the assistance of SSC. And I want to explain a little bit about this 10-year plan. As you're well aware, the Board of Supervisors budget $250,000 a year in capital maintenance. And that is for these chillers and these unexpected breaks that happen. We do have dollars in the regular operational budget for some of the information that Mr. Emery shared, but those unexpected ones. We want to get away from the $250,000 unexpected. We want to be able to go to the Board of Supervisors and Mr. Keeton and say in 2023, these are

113the chillers or the controls or whatever it is that are at the end of life, and we feel these should be replaced. Now, some of those will be at the end of life, and it's running fine, and we'll defer that to future years, which is the deferred maintenance. But this way, we'll have a clear budget that we can send them and say, you know, this year, we need $450,000. Next year, we need $100,000. Maybe the year after that, we need $800,000. But it will give a clear budget of what we need. And I think Mr. Emmer said it, no more guessing. And for the first time, there was nothing. when I first came here and to have every system in a computer and every control and everything is in this database, that knowledge is so

114powerful for us to take care of our facilities and make sure they last for a very long time. So thank you for the work you've done with Chris. It's really outstanding. Any questions? This is kind of off of that. I don't even know if you can answer it. Sure, but your SSC, right? So I'm thinking about I'm thinking about you know, I like I like County employees they got cost of living raises and I talked to your custodians and Just a little bit concerned about you sharing how they may get some type of incentive raises because they feel kind of left out right now. So they get cost of living raises as well, but it's also coupled with merit. So part of what we do is give an evaluation every year, but it's every year

115on hire. So it may not be in conjunction with when you guys do yours, but we have passed along raises to all of our employees. How are you doing with the are there schools that don't have enough because you can't you don't have enough applicants to hire Do we have schools that are short? Custodial staff. I can't give you the exact number just because I don't know it. But we are running into staffing issues just like everyone else with the current situation. But what we have done as a company is offered stay bonuses. We've also offered incentives for people to come to work for us. And we've also beefed up our recruiting efforts by getting some dedicated recruiters for the jobs that we do. But it's just a very difficult time right now everywhere for

116service industry. I've got to give kudos to Kenny and his team. He's really held it together with what he has and I think performing some really, really good work. That's kind of where we are. Thank you. I just want them to know I'm going to be talking for them as well. Absolutely. If you hear otherwise, let me know. We'll take care of it. Okay. Thank you. I have a question. Yes, ma'am. With what you just mentioned to the board chair, you said how your employees get their raises. So what you're saying, they will probably, okay, if I'm hired today, which is May 13th. The earliest I could even consider a raise or anything would be May 13th, 2021. That's our normal cycle, but we do have off-cycle things that if Kenny says, hey, we've got

117some special folks and we want to do something special, we do that as well. I can't tell you what those are specifically right now, but that is our normal timeline. Okay. What I'm thinking is, just like we approved the budget tonight, we approved the salary and everything for our staff tonight. Starting their new contracts July 1 of this year, we know if they're going to get the raise or whatever, it will be in that new contract. With your employees... It pretty much depends on their anniversary with the company. That is correct. And performance. So everyone will not be getting it like all of ours are getting it at the same time. There may not be a blanket. Right. I understand. I understand now. I just wanted you to clarify that. That's all. Thank you. Although

118I don't have anything to do with your employees, I just wanted to know because I think we were, not the last meeting, but the meeting before, I think the staff members, when we were discussing raises for our staff members, maybe was a little confused and said, well, how come we're not getting one? And I'm like, okay, they don't work for us, do they? So now I can understand. If someone on your staff just approached me, really not knowing because that's understandable. Sure. I can explain. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Thank you. We're going to move right to 15.5, if you don't mind, Madam Chair. And it's going to be an action item that you have in front of you. The definition for Windsor High School and Smithville High School. And this will close out

119the district. Okay. Any questions? Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the purchase of furniture for Windsor High School and Smithville High School in the amount of $258,190.50. Second. Okay, we have a motion. It has been second. Vote, please. Do we need a vote? Okay, motion carried. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, at this time, we're going to take a five-minute break. We will reconvene in five minutes. We're going to come back to order, please. We are now on the agenda. Number 16, report from the superintendent. 16.1, 2020-21 extended school year proposal. Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board. Dr. Thornton, you guys have in front of you, I believe, the proposed budget for ESY for this summer. And it is for information only. If you have any questions, please let me know. This

120is kind of the same as we do each summer. It is. I think this year we probably have in the budget one more teacher and one more instructional assistant simply because we're expecting the numbers to be a bit greater, but it's typical for our ESY. Okay. Any questions? Is this an action item? No. Just for information. Okay. I didn't think so. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Next on the agenda is equity update. Madam chair board, Dr. Thornton. This is an update for our equity and inclusion plan here in Alamo County. I like to start off with a quote from Costco that says there is only one way to look at things until someone shows us how to look at them with different eyes. The position of equity and inclusion here in Isle of

121Wight County Schools is just that, an opportunity to look at our educational system with different eyes. To be exact, it's an equity lens. And equity in education ensures that all students have what they need to succeed. Equity benefits students from all backgrounds. So let's talk about why now. Classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse. The number of students with disabilities, English learners, and students of color, and students of LGBTQIA, and students in pre-K through 12 has increased over the past 12 years. Now LGBTQIA are labels that help to identify gender identity or sexual orientation. Equity addresses the visible and invisible barriers students have to overcome. Depending on how many social identities students hold, they may face multiple barriers like poverty or limited transportation or fear of harm due to their identity. So it's important that we acknowledge

122that students come into our school with barriers that sometimes we can see, but invisible barriers that we cannot see. There are new license requirements that support culturally competent educator workforce. So what a cultural competent educator is is someone who is aware and acknowledges that culture strongly influences the attitude, values, and behaviors that students and teachers bring into instructional process. So according to the Senate Bill 1196 and the House Bill 1904, to support a culturally competent educator workforce here in the Commonwealth, a couple of things have to happen. The first is that teacher evaluations will include cultural proficiency. The second is that every person seeking a new license or to renew a license must take a cultural competency course or training. Then thirdly, every person seeking to have a new license or renew a license, but

123if they have an endorsement in history or the social science, they have to complete instruction in African American history. And lastly, each school board shall adopt and implement policies that require each teacher and any other school board employees holding a license issued by the board to complete cultural competency training in accordance with the guidance issued by the board at least every two years. Next, I want to talk about why now the opportunity gaps are growing. Achievement gaps, performance gaps, and discipline gaps by social class take root in the earliest years of children's lives and fail to narrow. What this means is that when children start to fall behind, they stay behind, and they rarely make up the lost ground. Next, that diversity and inclusion improves critical thinking and creativity. Students learn and enrich their abilities

124to think critically and creatively as they engage in conversations across differences, especially when all learners' abilities are embraced. Next, there is always a risk of exclusion. There is a risk that low-income students, special education students, students of color, and students who identify themselves as LGBTQIA do not see themselves in their schools. As they get older, they do not feel included and thus, they do not have a sense of belonging. Students need to see themselves in their schools. They need to see themselves in their buildings, on the walls, in the quotes, and it's beyond Heritage Month celebrations. We need Asian and American Pacific Islander figures introduced year-round. Students need to read books from a variety of diverse authors and backgrounds. Exposure to the more diverse material and an environment will make all of our students more

125well-rounded. Lastly, VDOE has new recommendations. They are recommending that my position of a coordinator of equity and inclusion be implemented in every division. This is why this is important. If we are to deepen our understanding of why equity and inclusion is important here in Isle of Wight County schools, we must first be aware. Awareness is important. Dr. Maya Angelou says that once you know better, then you can do better. Equity and inclusion only works when the adults are aware of educational disparities and opportunity gaps in our division. We need to acknowledge that language and labels matter. Social identities should be used only to identify a student, but not to define them. Labels, whether they are intentional or unintentional, have no place in conversations about the systems of a support. Now research shows us that educational

126systems and school environments that are centered around diversity, equity, and inclusion, that they are stronger. And we will have a better outcome for all of our students. Higher expectation, lower discipline, referral rates, and improved academic results for all of our students. The time is now. So we must shift our language. Diversity acknowledges the unique differences amongst our students and our staffs based on the ways in which they may be treated different in society. We cannot control how society will treat our students, but we can control how we treat our students in our schools. And so we're saying that we want to celebrate you. We see you and we hear you. And then equity is our approach to ensure that students get the things that they need. Equity seeks to balance the scales of disparity and

127opportunity gaps. And justice says let's remove the barriers that exist in the first place. Inclusion is being invited into. That's the access. Are we inviting everybody in? And if we invite them and give them access, do they have a sense of belonging? Are they able to show up as their most full and authentic self? And does their presence impact the community? Diversity, equity, and inclusion. She'd go by mirrors, windows, and sliding doors. Mirrors that students should see themselves. Windows that students should be able to see out of them to see others. And sliding doors that students should be able to have access to walk into success and to their future. Are we providing mirrors, windows, and sliding doors for our students? Equality says give everyone the same thing. Yes, it is beneficial, but it does

128not address everyone's specific needs. It's like giving everyone a laptop and thinking that everyone will be successful, but have we taken into consideration that some people don't have access to internet? Even if a school is equal, some students still may struggle. But the reality is that students come into our buildings at different points. They have different reading levels, different family constellations, and different barriers. If our students come in at different levels, with different backgrounds, with different barriers, the outcome will be just that, different and in favor of those who came in with more. We are expecting them to be different. The expectation at the end is all graduation, success, hopes, and dreams. Then Langston Hughes posed the question, what happens to a dream deferred? There's too many of our students and their dreams are being

129deferred. So then, if that is our reality, then let's add equity to it. Equity provides students with what they need. When schools provide their students with resources that fit individual circumstances, the entire classroom environment improves. Schools with the smallest achievement gaps between demographics have the highest overall test scores. Why? Because this means that when the most disadvantaged student score improves, all of our students improve. All of our students win. Equity does not mean that we're focusing on one and neglecting the other. What we're saying is that it's all of us or none of us. Social justice is removing the barriers, remove the fence that causes separation between students learning and being able to have access. That means we have to review our policies, our practices, our regulations that causes exclusion or present disparities. We need

130to use an equity lens. We need to have courageous conversations. We need to become more aware of our own biases and assumptions. We have to ask ourselves if the same educational system that we used 100 years ago is still okay today for everybody. So then we must deepen our understanding. We must deepen our understanding and understand that bias is not a bad word. Bias doesn't make us bad, bias makes us human. And everyone has biases. Our brains are wired to recognize patterns and make generalizations that often bias our judgment and decision making. In these situations, these unconscious biases are normal. They're healthy aspects of our cognitive abilities, but there are other times when our biases can cause us to act in ways that undermine our own personal values and goals, like biases and assumptions about

131the kid who gets suspended too much. Biases about the English learner who has to translate for their parents at open house. Biases of the single parent who works multiple jobs. Biases of the student or staff who identifies as LGBTQIA. Biases and assumptions are normal. but they must be addressed. And when they are implicit, they operate at the subconscious level. But having courageous conversations helps us to not make sure that they're not explicit biases. As educators, leaders, parents, and community members, we all care about our students and we want them to be successful. So acknowledging the possibility that unconscious biases may be impacting our schools, I know that it is difficult to imagine. But despite the difficult nature of this possibility, it is important now more than ever that we understand the impacts of unconscious biases

132in our school. This is a statement in regards to equity in education adapted from the Department of Education. And I'll focus just on this. Education equity is the moral and civil rights obligation to ensure that students are provided the tools they need. They need to succeed regardless of background, race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, native language, social economic status, or any other discriminating factor. This is it. And the question is, are we doing it? We're attempting to. Here is a glance at what we've been attempting to do for equity and inclusion. Starting a division's equity audit. Now prior to my arrival in 2020, one, before my position was created, our division had already started an in-house equity audit with the principals and admins. An equity audit is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that

133assesses diversity, equity, and inclusion for all of White County schools. It's a great tool used to collect data that informs the process of removing the barriers that impede... participation, access and opportunities for students to receive an equitable and excellent education. We will start this equity audit and there will be opportunities for focus groups with parents, with teachers, with students. Next, we had equity courageous conversations with the leaders and I'm so proud that our executive team, our principals, APs, instructional coordinators, instructional coaches, coordinators, directors have all participated in our equity courageous conversations and have allowed themselves to be transparent and be empathetic to see someone else's perspective and someone else's truth. We are building community and committees. We're building community and having these courageous conversations. We're learning more about each other. We're being quick to think

134and slow to speak. We're building committees where we have equity action committees for our parents, for our students, and for our division, and for our community. So soon parents will get emails about those committees, and when they do, please sign up. Please come out to learn more, to be a part, because your voice matters. We are identifying the opportunity gaps. We're having conversations that are hard, uncomfortable conversations about where there are opportunity gaps for all of our students. Where there are low expectations. We're not saying that our teachers are bad as a matter of fact our teachers are amazing and you saw that tonight. What we're saying is let's take it to another level. Let's make us even better by using an equity lens to find the places where there are gaps. And lastly we're

135celebrating our division's diversity. This month is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as well as Jewish American Month and we're celebrating with our Wednesday celebration videos being able to interview people in our community who hold these identities. But that's not it. Before spring break we gave away 300 we call them spring forward bags with a community partner. We understood that not all students have access to resources over the spring break so we wanted to provide them with something. So inside of those bags were toiletries as well as educational resources. In addition to that, we wanted to empower our women. We wanted them to know that we see you and we hear you. So during Women's Empowerment Month, we acknowledge all the women in our division. They all got pins. And then we decided, let's

136empower our little girls. And we decided to start the program Girls on the Run. And I am proud to say that we have over 100 girls in our Girls on the Run program at every school in the elementary level. And just so you know, we are the first school division in the nation to implement it in all of our schools. We are trying. It's going to take little steps, but we can do it. Thank you. What is Girls on the Run? Yes, ma'am. So Girls on the Run is a mentorship program that allows students to have physical and social-emotional mentorship. And so twice a week, the schools, the girls meet. So some of the teams are 15. However, Smithfield Middle School was very excited. We had 23 girls at the middle school. And they come

137together and they exercise and they walk together and they have lessons to empower them to talk about what does it feel to not feel wanted or not to be seen. And they have conversations together and then they're walking. And it all culminates with a 5K at the end of the program. Thank you very much. Thank you. Would you like to have a drink of water? Help yourself. Here you go. That's all we have to offer. Thank you. Who's following that? Next on the agenda is Return to Learn. Who is this? This gets? Did I miss one? Oh, I'm sorry. That's at the very bottom of my page. Next is transgender policy. Unfortunately, I follow that. So state law 22.1-23. Point three, adopted by the General Assembly, directs the Virginia Department of Education to develop and

138approve policies for the protection of transgender students' rights. Model policy language has come out from the Virginia Department of Education, and local school boards are required... to develop and adopt policies consistent with this model language by the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. We will be working the next several months to develop our policy and have it ready to implement by September when school starts. I know since I graduated from high school over 40 years ago, we have learned and have so much more knowledge about individuals who identify as LGBTQIA. The American Pediatric Association, the American Psychological Association, educational researchers are all in agreement that gender identity is not a choice, a preference, a medical or psychological condition. It is the affirmation of how we see ourselves and being our most authentic self. I'm going

139to share information from the Virginia Department of Education's recommended policy that to some will seem extreme and to others seem acceptable. It is the school board's responsibility with administration's assistance to develop a policy that balances the diversity of thought in our community while ensuring we meet the needs of transgender students as well as the entire diverse student population. We currently have transgender students identified in our school division. as well as students and staff identified as LGBTQIA. I want everyone to keep in mind as we work on this policy and have public input and have public comments that all students matter and their feelings matter. Nobody benefits from students feeling bad about their identity. We want all students to feel a true sense of safety and belonging when attending school. So some of the language in

140the model policy, I'm going to read just some of it. And it's an extensive document that all of you have and the public can have access to. The VDOE model policy includes prohibiting any and all discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on an individual's actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other characteristics protected by law. All school personnel shall adhere to legal standards of confidentiality on information about a student's transgender status, legal name, or gender assigned at birth. Transgender status will not be disclosed to other students and parents. Schools are directed to allow students to assert name and gender pronouns, which reflect their gender identity, without any Evidence. School staff will, if requested by a student or parent, address the student using the asserted name and pronoun corresponding

141to their identity. Schools are also directed to eliminate or reduce segregating students by gender to the extent possible. And for any school program, event, or activity, including extracurricular activities, allowing students to participate in a manner consistent with their gender identity. Athletic participation will be outlined in policies and rules by the Virginia High School League. The policies enacted as law stipulated that students should be allowed to use the facility, restrooms, locker rooms, which corresponds to their consistently asserted gender identity. School administrators should designate gender-inclusive or single-user restrooms commensurate with the size of the school. These will be accessible to all students without special codes or keys. So that's just a few of the recommendations in the VDOE's policy. The board will be charged with developing Isle of Wight policy. And so we'll be going through that

142process over the next few months. So we have already, over the last couple years, had parents of transgender students meet with our principals to discuss and collaborate and make decisions about pronouns and about the use of bathroom facilities. Parents and students to date have chosen to use a designated gender-inclusive single-user bathroom. As transgender students and families share information with us in the future, we will continue to meet with them individually and make decisions together. I share this as one example the school board will have to decide in their policy. So I want to make it perfectly clear to our community, because there is so much information out there, that this policy is not about introducing a curriculum to our students in any way. I want to further reiterate, this policy will be designed to ensure

143that we do not discriminate against any individual. That's the key to the policy. And I know as a community, that we will be able to discuss this topic and other topics that affect our students and staff and come to a mutual understanding of how to best support students and staff. At this time, I'll entertain any questions. One of the items that you listed from VDOE model policy is that the transgender status will not be disclosed to other students and parents. So parent what is I mean so that is other students and parents not okay? But but I will say and we're going to go over these again over the next few months as we make recommendations and one of one of the recommendations in this video II document does say that the student has rights

144and that possibly you should not disclose that they are a transgender student if they have disclosed it to say a guidance counselor and not their parents yet. Those are recommendations. These recommendations do not have to be part of our policy and what we do because as we go through this we'll be talking with our attorney as well and we also have to consider the constitutional rights of parents. And so there's a lot in this document that I haven't even gone through. But I think we'll help the community that when we create a draft, we'll list the VDOE recommendations. And then we will list the Isle of Wight County recommendation. And so that the public can then comment. This presentation tonight was not to get people excited one way or the other. It is to let

145our community know this policy is mandated through the state. We have to adopt a policy. The overall theme of the policy is to not discriminate. And so as we work through it, we do want public comment or emails. But we would love if you would wait until we have the draft ready, which we hope to have a draft ready maybe by the next school board meeting. And then we still have plenty of time over the whole summer to discuss that. So this will not be a policy that we bring in June and then have you vote on in July. We don't have to vote on this policy until late August. We do have to have it ready. for when school starts. I do want to make a request to anyone in the community who does

146want to speak on this. to still be kind. These are people in our community. These are children who are part of the LGBTQIA community. It could be your niece. It could be your nephew. It could be your child, and you may not know. So I think it's really important to be respectful of the group of people as we are moving forward, and we all are going to have different opinions and thoughts, but the main thing is to be respectful of the children. who are dealing with any of these issues and the acceptance in the community because we don't want to hurt the children. The point is to work through a policy, and we can express our disagreements but still be respectful for the people it affects. And I just wanted to put that out there

147because I've heard some people say some things that are not so kind, and I just want you to think if your child was in this category, and they heard you say that, how would they feel? And I just want people to be mindful that there are students currently who are in this group and that we need to be mindful of their feelings and their sense of who they are. That's all. Madam Chair, I concur with Ms. Hulick. And also, I would like to... It's personally me, not the board. If you would like to come and comment and give your thoughts on this as we are in the developing stage, we would like to hear from you. But if you want to come out to our public meetings, please come with positive things because we have

148students, everyone is open to our meetings, and we don't want to hurt their feelings. I'm not telling you if you want to be negative. that you cannot discuss it with us. If you want to be negative myself, I will recommend you do it through an email and our email addresses are on the school board site. Thank you. So do you have a like a recommended timeline as to when we may would meet to start working on this or. So one of the issues or concerns we have right now is that VSBA does not have a sample policy. As you all know, VSBA gives us sample policies. Ms. Jones has researched policies from other states and in some of that language, so we're looking through those. We're hoping that VSBA does a policy, but we can't

149wait. We're going to move forward and hopefully have a draft maybe by June, if not by the June meeting, maybe a work session in June. And we probably should have a couple opportunities where we give, we show a draft, get some feedback. maybe put another draft out there and get some comments and maybe have another work session. So I don't think we're going to be able to do it at just our regular meetings. We may have to have some work sessions involved in this. So once I get a little more direction, I can put a timeline together and get that out. Okay. I did read today that there is a lawsuit that has been filed against the Virginia Department of Education by the Founding Freedoms Law Center challenging procedural and constitutional deficits in the policy.

150So this is controversial in our state. I mean, we have to be ready for the controversy that's going to be out there. Absolutely. Any other comments? But we're also, in my opinion, much better off to begin to consider the policies that may be put in place and how to equitably treat our children who may not be exactly like us. I think that's extremely important. It's just important that we put policies in place where all of our students can be happy. All of our students, including our staff. Thank you. So you will get with us and let us know some possible timeline on this. Yes, ma'am. So that we can begin communicating with the community. And as far as the... the model policy that has come down, the model policies for the treatment of transgender students

151in Virginia public schools. How can we get that out to our parent community? this is on the Virginia Department of Education website we could get a link or something so that make it easy for them to go easy to get the information we can maybe put a blurb together with the link that would be good okay next on the agenda is return to learn update I'll go to mic number two Susan I don't know. I don't even need a microphone. Good evening. I'm going to give you a brief update on our virtual learning. So as you know, back in April, we did a survey. We asked parents who was interested in a virtual learning plan for the next school year. Last Thursday, we held a virtual info session to get information of what virtual school

152would look like, kind of what we did for you all at the last board meeting. We shared that with parents. We had about 60 parents join us for our Zoom session. We recorded it and then we posted it online. We have sent emails. We've done phone calls. We've done remind messages. It's all over social media. Our virtual plan with the video as well and the due dates, which for secondary, it is tomorrow. We need the contracts signed. and turned into the schools by tomorrow and for elementary virtual students it would be june 11th so right now that is what we're doing we are collecting the contracts from parents we are going to do another email tomorrow to those who have expressed interest to kind of like this is our final push for high school and

153middle school and then we are enrolling in virtual virginia if the student is virtual this year but is going back next year into in person um do they have to do any paperwork that's a great question the answer is no so if your student is returning back to in person you do nothing we are assuming you are coming back to in person unless you submit a contract to your school all right stating that you want to stay virtual yes ma'am you're going to go with virginia That is correct. So that's where we are right now. Any questions? Thank you. So look out September. Okay, next on the agenda is the action on closed session items. 17.1, personnel report and roster. Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the personnel report as presented. Approve all

154closed session items as presented. Second. Ms. Perkins. Ms. Times, could you hit yours again for me? Thanks. Got it. Thank you. Okay. Motion passed. Next on the agenda is the meeting minutes, donations, and financials. Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the consent agenda as attached and presented. Okay. We have a motion, and it has been second. Vote, please. Okay. Motion passed. Policy updates and revisions in 19.1 is policies for the second read. There were two policies. This is an action item. Any discussion? No? We need a motion. Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the policies for second read. Second. Okay, we have a motion. It has been seconded. Okay, motion carried. 19.2, policies for first read. Yes, we took a long time. It was a lot to review. Are there any

155questions on any that are listed? Madam Chair, if I might, I just wanted to point out policy JEC, school admission. And if you look on page three of that, which is read and underlined, it says children of full-time employees of Isle of Wight County schools, non-residents. Full-time employees of Iowa County schools who do not reside in Iowa County may enroll their child in Iowa County schools free of charge The superintendent will establish a plan for reviewing requests and granting approval on a space available basis Permission is also subject to the impact on staffing and resources So that currently exists in another policy and regulation that has to do with zoning. And so this is really about admission. So it's really a matter of fact moving it to school admission. But I do want to point

156out to the board, we've had some requests over the past few years and one recent request from a county employee. that is requesting that lives outside of our county that wants their child to attend our school free from charge the same as our school employees. And so that it's been a request for several years and what I read to you is our recommendation to you. We have not included county employees in the recommendation. And the reason is this is a space available basis. And many of our schools are crowded and sometimes it could cause adding another teacher, et cetera. And we have no idea how many of our county employees have children that live outside the county or the impacts or the impacts of the future. So I just wanted. to go on record saying

157that because I wanted to address the individual who made that request. But it is the board's, you know, if you would like to add county employees, you may, but our recommendation is that we do not. And right now it is even teachers who live outside the county, their children could be denied based on Space. Based on space. Space. Yes. And sometimes a teacher from outside the county or an employee may request that their child come to Carrollton. And we have denied that and said you can come, but you need to go to Hardy where we have more space. Or the same thing on this side. It may be we have more space in Carsville. We're going to deny Windsor. So it is space available. And I don't think we've turned down anyone, but we've moved

158them to a different school than they requested, though. Okay. This is a first read. Yes. We have some time. Okay. The BBA, that's where the schools get information from the Department of the Police, and they get this electronically. It's electronic notice about sex offenders within the school division. Does that come by email to our principals? I'm not sure how that comes. Yeah, that's how it used to be years ago, and it's the same nail, and I know that could get overwhelming. So I thought that we were going to have something in the schools that... You ready to talk, Eric? Okay. Okay, because wouldn't that take the place, like if somebody comes in, it would automatically show that they are registered a sex offender? Yes, ma'am. You need to go over there. Yes. Yes, ma'am. We

159do have a school gate guardian. We've had it for about three or four years now. Well, that's what I thought. Yep. It'll do a lookup on any valid driver license or letter ID card. So should our policy reflect that? I mean, I'm just thinking how. Those emails are overwhelming. They come in, you would make a copy, you would file them. And is that even necessary if we have the technology that we now have in schools? It's something we need to talk about. We don't have to decide tonight, but I'm just... Madam Chair, I feel that maybe we still need to do the emails because the emails are coming from court. Sheriff's Department. They come in from the state police. Okay. Law enforcement. We all know. Schoolgate Guardian comes from a national database. State police is

160a local database. Okay. But there is always concerns about falsifying identity. You have false positives. You have all kinds of other things that it never hurts to have additional information. Yeah. There are a lot of people out there sometimes. So we need to continue to do both. Is that what we're saying? Yes. It's probably just an extra layer of protection. Okay. Uh-huh. Okay, thank you. That's the only question I have. Did y'all have any? Okay, next is the regulations and exhibits. There are no questions with that. Next, board comments. I'd like to make a comment. So with it being mental health awareness month for May, at our pre-board meeting earlier this week, Dr. Thornton and I and Ms. Briggs and Ms. Ruett and Leah, we all discussed something that like ways that we can reach

161out to our students because it's been a really tough time like with mental health, like especially with COVID and amount of school stress that people have. And so We have been talking about ways that we could try and help our students, like reach out to them. So in the next coming weeks, we're going to be meeting with our, some of our health professionals that like work in the school district to find better ways to help our students and give them more resources. That way they're not so like isolated with their mental health issue. Thank you. Anybody else have a comment? Okay. Well, this time we're going to adjourn.