School Board Meeting - February 24, 2026

001The date is February 24th, 2026 and the time is 6 pm and I would like to call the Frederick County School Board meeting to order. We have an agenda before us. Do I have an a motion for approval? >> Madam Chair, I approve we I move that we approve the agenda as set before us. The motion has been made and properly seconded. Any discussion? All in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion passes. Mr. Vice Chair, >> I move that the county school board of Frederick County, Virginia enter a close session meeting for the following. One, to review and discuss appointments, administrative appointments, administrative leave, resignations, support staff hires, substitutes, tutors, and volunteers pursuant to Virginia Code section 2.2-3711A1, 2-3711A1 and to review and discuss individual student matters that would

002involve specific students and particular information contained in the Scholastic records, including requests for release from compulsory attendance for religious reasons pursuant to Virginia Code section 2.2-3711A2. >> We have a motion to go into close session. Do we have a second? >> Second. The motion has been made and properly seconded. Any discussion? All in favor signify by saying I. I. I.................... Any opposed. Motion passes. We are now in close session and we'll reconvene around 7 p.m. >> I move that we return from close session. >> Second. >> We have a motion to return from close session and it has been properly seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. >> I move that to the best of each board member's knowledge only public business matters lawfully exempted from

003opening from open meeting requirements under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act were discussed in the closed session and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which the closed session was convened were heard, discussed or considered by the school board. Second. >> Oh, do I am I allowed to second? >> Uh, Madam Chair, I move that the board recess its meeting until 7 p.m. >> Hold on. I'm sorry. >> Roll call. Certified. >> Yeah. >> Mrs. Sturdivvent. >> I, >> Mrs. Klene. I >> Mr. Moran. >> Hi, >> Mr. North. >> I, >> Mrs. Caruso. I >> Mr. Bell. I >> Mr. Proek. I >> I move that the board recess its meeting till 7 p.m. >> Second has been made. >> Any discussion? >> The motion's been made to recess.

004Is there any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion passes. >> Madam Chair, I move that the board reconvene its meeting. >> Second. We have a motion to reconvene that has been properly seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. >> Madam chair, I have two motions coming out of close session. Uh the first motion is I move the board approve the personnel actions as recommended by the superintendent. >> Second. We have a motion to approve personnel actions. That has been properly seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. >> Madam chair, the second motion is that I move the board approve the release of students A and B

005from compulsory attendance. >> Second. >> We have a motion uh for compulsory attendance. That has been properly seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. >> All right. Please join me in a minute of silence. Tonight's minute of silence will be held in honor of Mrs. Carrie Tuck Tuck Ash, one of our teachers who has recently passed away. Thank you. I now ask everyone who is able to stand for the pledge of allegiance. Tonight we are being led by students from the Dal J. Howard Center. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right. Next up is the consent agenda. Do

006I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> Madam Chair, I move the board uh to approve the agenda as presented. >> Second. >> It has been properly seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. Up next are our sta student and staff recognitions. Dr. Hammer. >> Madam Chair, we have proclamations to read as well. You always want to read those first. >> And Madam Chair, I'd be happy to read the CTE proclamation. All right. >> So, we have a proclamation for career and technical education month, which is February of 2026. Whereas career and technical education empowers students with the academic knowledge, technical skills, and employability competencies needed for success in post-secary education, the workforce, and military service. And whereas CTE programs integrate rigorous academics

007with hands-on real world learning experiences aligned to high demand industries and regional workforce needs. And whereas Frederick County Public Schools Career and Technical Education provides equitable access to career pathways, industry recognized credentials, work-based learning, and career readiness opportunities for all students. Now therefore, be it proclaimed that the Frederick County School Board hereby proclaim February 2026 as Career and Technical Education Month in Frederick County Public Schools and encourages students, staff, families, and community partners to recognize and celebrate the value of career and technical education in preparing students for employment, enrollment, enlistment, and life. Dated this 24 day of February, 2026. Madam Chair, I have a proclamation for National FBA week. Whereas Future Business Leaders of America Incorporated, FBLA is a nonprofit educational organization whose first chapter was established in Johnson City, Tennessee in 1942. And whereas

008Iowa became FBLA's first state chapter in 1947. And whereas Frederick County Public Schools officially chartered its FBLA local chapters, Jameswood High School in 1950, Sharando High School in 1993, and Milbour High School in 2004. And whereas FBLA includes more than 250,000 members and adviserss in 4,600 chapters nationwide in middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities, career and technical schools, and private business schools. And whereas FBLA is a professional business organization dedicated to bringing business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs. And whereas FBLA members perform community service activities and strive to build a student's understanding of the realities of the modern business world. And whereas FBLA teaches middle school, high school, and college students basic business and leadership principles and assists them in the transition from school to

009work. Now therefore, be it proclaimed that the Frederick County School Board hereby declares the week of February 8th through the 14th, 2026 as National FBLA Week in the state of Virginia, the county of Frederick, dated this 24th day of February, 2026. Madam Chair, I have a proclamation for National School Social Work Week. Whereas social whereas school social workers are exceptionally skilled in providing services to students who face serious challenges to school success including disability, poverty, discrimination, abuse, neglect, mental illness, homelessness, bullying, familial stressors, and other barriers to learning. And whereas school-based mental health programs are critical to early identification of and early intervention for mental health problems and in the provision of appropriate services when needed. And whereas school social workers being licensed mental health professionals in schools provide necessary assessments, interventions, counseling, family outreach,

010and community referrals. Whereas school social workers serve as vital members of a school's education team, playing a central role in creating partnerships between the home, school, and community to ensure student academic success. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the Frederick County School Board hereby declare the week of March 1st through the 7th, 2026 as National School Social Work Week. >> Over to you, Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, so good evening and welcome. It's great to see you all. Um, this is our awards of excellence portion of our program. Before we proceed, I would like to ask that everyone stay here throughout the entire program out of respect for each individual who is being recognized. Once we have completed all of the presentations, you will have an opportunity to leave and enjoy the rest of your

011evening. In addition, when you come forward for your certificate, please take a moment to pause with Madame Chair and myself for a photograph. Then move to the right and remain at the front and we'll take a photo of those being recognized if you're with a larger group. So with that, Madam Chair, if you can join me down front. Thank you. In December, Dal J. Howard Center criminal justice students competed in the Skills USA District 10 crime scene competition and criminal justice traffic stop competition. Evaluators praised our teams for their professionalism, attention to detail, and extra steps taken that many professionals may not consider. In the spring, these teams will be competing at the state competition. Congratulations to the second place crime scene competition winners, Lucia Argon, Danny Grenle Rosa. and Noah Perez. the First place

012criminal justice traffic stop goes to Allison Edwards. The second place criminal justice traffic stop goes to Alita Korea. In February, Dal J Howard Center students continued their skills USA District 10 competitions with automotive maintenance and light repair where Mitchell Ireland earned second place. Landon Wely earned first place in the auto service technology competition. Landon Landon will also be competing in the state competition this coming spring. Congratulations The FCPS Honorary Award is given to an individual who demonstrates leadership, excellent character, behavior, and a positive attitude, or makes contributions that have measurable impact to the school community. Tonight, we'd like to recognize Mr. Rich Turwilliger, a retired physics teacher. Mr. Mr. Towil Turwilliger reached out to the physics teachers in the Frederick County public schools to offer his help. Since then, he has offered his time and

013skills by providing demonstrations for teachers, offering his help to tutor students, providing physics materials he made on his own, which he allowed us to keep, and substitutes for FCPS on a regular basis in an exceptional manner. Mr. Towiliger is an exceptional community contributor. Thank you. We'd also like to take this time to recognize Deputy Sam Ricketts. Deputy Rickettts is an SRO with the Frederick County Sheriff's Office. A parent shared in an email with Sheriff Lenny Milholland expressing their sincere gratitude for the impact Deputy Rickettts had on students and specifically on her son. She shared that her son faces unique challenges that make coming to school difficult. But the patience and kindness of de deputy Rickettts has made on him has been just a trusted confidant. He has acted as a peer and shared his own

014experiences signifying he is here for the support, care, and safety of our children. His commitment has made this school year manageable for all of us. We truly value his presence and hope he remains in this role for a long time to come. Thank you, Deputy Sam Rickens. And at this point, I'm going to hand the program over to Mr. Bell. >> Uh, good evening everyone. Thank you for indulging me. Uh tonight I want to share with you a story about an amazing person, teacher, friend who we lost entirely too soon. Carrie Tuck. Carrie taught in Frederick County Public Schools for almost 25 years. All of them at Robert Elorer Middle School. She was both of my children's sixth grade science teacher, a friend, a colleague, and a supporter and contributor to and of my election

015to the to this board. So, it's her fault. Carrie Tugash was the kind of person who changed the temperature of a room just by walking into it. There was warmth, energy, and an unmistakable sense that something meaningful was about to happen. She didn't just teach lessons. She created moments. Moments where a child felt capable. Moments where curiosity felt powerful. Moments that quietly shaped futures. What made her so special to me and to the rest of our community was that it didn't just stop when your children or my children left her classroom. It grew for me into a friendship. For better or worse, Carrie helped me get elected to this position serving Frederick County on this board. But something that means more than I could ever express in any words was her time teaching my own

016children. I recognize the same spark, the same patience, the same unwavering belief in young people that a teacher gave to me and one that is responsible for lifting me to become a teacher myself. That's the kind of teacher Carrie Tuck was. But what I didn't realize then was just how deeply she would shape both my son and daughter's future. I can only imagine how many stories like this are out there from the hundreds upon hundreds of students that Ms. Tuck taught. My son is currently studying at Virginia Tech getting his engineering degree. His love of science began in sixth grade with Miss Tuckash. He would come home time and time again and talk about the different things that he did in science class with Miss Tuckash. My daughter, same thing. She didn't just learn science

017from Miss Takash. She fell in love with it. She saw in her a model of intelligence, strength, and a joy in discovery. She saw that science wasn't just facts in a textbook. It was an adventure. It was a possibility. It was something she too could belong to. And today, as my daughter tries to figure out what in the world she wants to be, she's thinking right now to become a doctor. And I know that her journey began in that classroom under Miss Tuckash's guidance. That is a legacy few people ever get to see, and even fewer get to create. But Carrie Tuck created that legacy for many students that have passed through Frederick County Public Schools. She was a teacher, a friend, but more than that, she was a multiplier of dreams. Her influence will

018ripple forward in every experience the many students she taught will have, in every question they bravely ask, and in every young mind they may one day inspire themselves. We miss her deeply, but what she planted in all of us and all of her students over the years continues to grow. And for that we will be forever grateful. Thank you. All right. And Dr. Dr. Hummerry, you are up next again with administrative appointment announcements and the school board and schoolboard clerk appreciation month announcement. >> All right. Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh, first up, we have the new principal of Jordan Springs Elementary School, Mrs. Courtney Bowser Villa. Let's give her a round of applause. Courtney is currently in Florida and she is coming home. She is a graduate of Milbrook High School and she is relocating

019back to the area. Once she heard that we had an opening at one of our schools, she applied and she is very excited to get started. Um, she was currently a school improvement specialist and regional director for the Florida Department of Education. Her experience also includes almost three years as a reading coach, one year as a K8 instructional coach, and two years as a middle school science and math teacher. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Old Dominion University, a master's degree in instructional leadership from American Public University, as well as a doctor in educational leadership from Nova University. Please join me again in welcoming Mrs. Bowser Villa, and she will be starting in the middle of March. We also have a statement for her that she prepared that she wanted us to read

020for her. >> Yes. Thank you, Dr. Hummer. On behalf of uh Jordan Springs new principal, Dr. Courtney Bowser Manilla, she writes, "I am truly honored to be joining Frederick County Public Schools as the principal of Jordan Springs Elementary. As a graduate of Frederick County Public Schools, it is especially meaningful to me to return home and serve the community that helped shape me. I'm excited to meet the students, staff, and families of Jordan Springs and to support the strong work already underway. Thank you for your trust and for this opportunity to serve. Thank you. Give another round of applause. Welcome. >> Last but not not least is the next assistant principal of Admiral Bird Middle School, Mr. Brian Barber. Come on down, please, sir. Congratulations. Mr. Barber transitions from the dean of students to assistant principal

021at Admiral Bird Middle School. Mr. Barber's extensive teaching experience includes four years as a history teacher and social studies teacher at Frederick County Middle School, 14 years as a social studies teacher at Randolph Mon Academy and three years as a teacher at Faulier County Public Schools. During his tenure as a teacher, he has served as a summer school administrator and department chair. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from Lynchburg College, master's degree in secondary education from University of Mary Washington, and a master's degree from Shannidoa University. Please join me again in congratulating Mr. Barber in his new role. Madame Chair, Dr. Humber, members of the school board, Mr. Thompson, Miss Knight, ladies and gentlemen, I am truly honored and humbled for the trust and confidence shown in confirming me in my new position as

022assistant principal at Admiral Richard E. Bird Middle School. There are many individuals that I wish to thank for their continued support and encouragement. Mr. Grant Jversack, former principal of Jameswood Middle School, who hired me as a seventh grade US history teacher, and the amazing staff I had the privilege and honor to work with. Mr. Ben Thompson, Dr. Julie Myers, Miss Christine Hickeyi, and Mr. Javvisac again, as well as former supervisor of history and social studies, Mr. DJ Cavalier for allowing and granting me various leadership opportunities and experiences that have prepared me for this new role. My family for their continued support and encouragement. My parents who both work for Fauler County Public Schools who instilled in me a love of learning and education. And as I assume this new role and as I have done

023in my previous ones, I pledge to do my best to serve and work with the students, families, faculty, and staff and my fellow administrators to ensuring the best educational experience for the students in my charge. On a personal note, my father who was an educator in Fauler County Public Schools for nearly 50 years, who even taught me in fifth grade, passed away in January of 2023. Dad, if you're looking down on your boy right now, which I hope you are, I promise to keep making you proud of me. Thank you. Wow, we got some good people joining our team. Very, very excited. Thank you both. Um, all right. So, next up, Mrs. Madam Chair, if you don't mind, uh, every year we celebrate our dedicated and outstanding school board members across the Commonwealth. We are

024extremely fortunate to have such dedicated individuals that care deeply about this exceptional school division and the work that we do every single day. We are all extremely grateful for your hard work and dedication to our students, to our staff, and this amazing community to ensure we have nothing but the best resources and support. Your work is critical for helping our students achieve their goals every single day. And to show our appreciation, we have some students who made some outstanding artwork for you you to take with you. Somebody can just go ahead and show off that artwork some of our Sherando students made there. We have exceptional students who are led by an outstanding staff and that is all thanks to you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next, last and certainly not least, Mrs. Nina

025Dantis is clerk appreciation month. And how lucky guys are we to have Mrs. Dantis to keep us all in line, >> right? From showing up to meetings on time to getting to schools, having all of our resources every single day. We greatly appreciate you being the the leader of this train. And you know, it's a very big train and we appreciate you for that. We also want to thank our deputy clerks. We do have one in the audience right now, Mrs. Katherine Jelle. Thank you for all of your work. And just for those that don't know, our deputy clerks work very hard behind the scenes to support all the amazing work that Mr. DeSantis does. And lucky them, if Mr. Santis is ever out, they get to sit up here on the dis as well.

026So, there's a lot of training and work that they do. So, thank you to Miss Jelle. Thank you to Whitney Scrugs as well as Tracy Written. Um, and we deeply, deeply thank you and appreciate all of the hard work that you do. It never goes unnoticed. We also have a couple items there that we got for you. those flowers and cards we picked out ourselves just for you. So, thank you for all that you do every single day. Nina, thank you. Let's give her a round of applause. >> Madam Chair, that is all my announcements as of right now. Thank you. >> All right. At this point, I would like to pause for those who would like to leave and enjoy the rest of your evening. If you don't find this enjoyable, please feel free

027to stay if you wish to do so. All right, next up is citizen comments. The Frederick County School Board is pleased to receive public comments at each monthly meeting from members of the public, which include residents of Frederick County, Virginia, including residents of Winchester City, Virginia, FCPS students, parents, and legal guardians of SCPS students, FCPS employees, and businesses located within Frederick County, Virginia. Individuals speaking to the board will be allotted three minutes. Those individuals representing groups or organizations will be allotted five minutes with one representative per group. Upon recognition by the chair, a speaker should approach the lectern to speak to the school board. Members of the audience and speakers are expected to be courteous to th to others and model for students how to respectfully participate in public meetings by speaking and behaving in

028such a manner that adheres to FCPS code of student conduct. Complaints regarding FCPS employees should first be submitted to the school principal or to the schoolboard office. Complaints regarding individual students should be submitted to the school principal or the appropriate official. The school board is committed to showing respect and courtesy to all citizens. Comments that are not protected under the first amendment of the US Constitution will not be tolerated. This includes comments that are vulgar, obscene, threatening, and comments that are intended to incite violence or other breaches of the peace. Members of the audience are not permitted to interrupt the speaker or meeting by asking questions or making comments. Signs, posters, placards, banners, or like other objects are permitted into the schoolboard's meeting, but only if the individual possessing such items remain in the back

029of the room so to so as to not restrict the view of those attending the meeting in person. Violation of the guidelines will result in the chair ruling the speaker out of order. Continued violation may result in removal from the premises. The chair has discretion concerning public participation at schoolboard meetings. Schoolboard meetings are taped for recorded for the purpose of clarification and the development of the official minutes. All right. I have Danielle Johnson, Shaunie, uh before I start, is it okay if I just put my daughter's photo up here for everybody to see? Good evening, members of the board. On February 20 22, 2026 marked one full year since the passing of my daughter, Faith Marie Johnson. I ask that you please remember her name, Faith Marie Johnson. It has been one year since her

030death, and to date, I have received no answers and no direct communication from this school board. Tonight, I ask every parent in this room and every member seated on this board to consider one question. What if this had been your child? Have you taken a moment to view this situation from that perspective? This could have happened to any child, but it happened to mine. I want to be clear with everyone in attendance. Our children are not safe within Frederick County Public School System. There have been multiple incidents within this system that demonstrate systemic failures. If anyone chooses to not deny that reality, I stand here as living proof that it is true because my daughter lost her life. The parents of this county deserve transparency, accountability, and honest from the school board. Teachers, administrators, aids,

031assistants, and school nurses must be properly trained in accordance with Virginia state requirements. They must hold appropriate credentials for their roles, participate in continuous education, and receive hands-on training specific to students with disabilities and medical complexities. I stand here tonight to make one thing very clear. I'm not going anywhere. I will continue to pursue justice for my daughter and I and justice will prevail. I will continue to advocate for new laws and strengthen policies that protect children with special needs and medical complexities. You may not agree with me. We may not see eye to eye, but personal differences must be set aside when the safety and lives of children are at stake. Every child in this community matters. We will work to ensure that policies and procedures both here in Frederick County and across the

032Commonwealth of Virginia are strengthened to protect children with special needs and medical complexities. Why? Because their lives matter, too. Every life matters, and it is time that we as society return to that fundamental truth. Thank you. I have Tim Michaels. Tim Michaels. >> Thank you for letting me um speak at this meeting. So, um, on February 12th, um, Milbrook High School allowed the students to walk out of class to protest ICE removing dangerous illegal aliens out of this country. To this, I say, you are putting politics before teaching. It's a shame to allow the students to walk out of school without giving them an unexcused absence from their classes and allowing this to happen. I think this was a copout by the school board to call it studentled. When you read the constitution, it speaks

033of peaceful protests. And if you look up peaceful in the dictionary, it means free of disturbance and not involving violence. Now, the naysayers will say that ICE started all the violence, but I think we can all see with our own eyes who started the disturbance and the violence. Maybe it would be better to teach our students the rule of law. Teach them to love this country. My father fought and bled for this country. And I want these students to know that um that these patriots are remembered. Teach them that with every action there's a reaction. It could be good or it could be bad. Um and no one wants any loss of life. It's a tragic loss. I don't want any uh myself hate to see someone die over these circumstances. But all these tragic

034deaths were preventable and it's not the job of the school system to encourage students to walk out of class and protest. It should be left up to them without the peer pressure that the school is allowing. So next time, please just do your job. Tell them this is not the place to protest. This is a place of learning and I thank you for your time >> Dr. Osborne Abby. Good evening. Although speaking on behalf of the um citizens budget advisory committee, uh I promise you I will not take five minutes. Okay. Um, on February 20th, uh, Mr. uh, Grass Monk, chair of the committee, sent to each of you, uh, a letter. Okay. Um, it was a letter of reaffirmation of our commitment in support of fully funding the community eligibility provision in the FY27

035budget. Um, it's important, the letter was important to us as a committee. um simply because uh it was a way of again conveying to you um our feelings on the importance of this particular provision. And as you're going to be voting tonight um to decide whether or not it may be in your proposal to the board of supervisors, um we felt it was important to ask um that this letter be considered along with our uh formal report which you received on the 11th of February and then tied into the oral presentation that Mr. Grass made on the 17th. uh key uh to me being here tonight is a concern that maybe not all of you received that letter. And the reason I say that is the only uh members who in fact uh affirmed receipt

036were Mrs. Klein and Mr. Bell. So our concern was that perhaps because it was an email uh not all of you may receive have received it. So, I would ask um and I know it's not a dialogue box, but I would ask is there anyone who did not receive that letter? Okay, good. That I'm glad I'm glad that the transmission was successful. Um, and then I would add from the committee, they asked me to add some commentary uh to share that they we really do appreciate all that you're doing and your commitment to ensuring that um the school children of Frederick County uh are ready to learn. Um in handin glove with that we are also sure that you can all agree on the value ad that SEP uh brings to achieving that overarching goal.

037uh the ration that we provided in our formal report and our oral presentation and now the affformentioned letter serve as documentable evidence um that justifies fully funding the program. This is especially so as the data in those documents that you've read or heard uh that SEAP is fiscally sustainable over time which makes it a valuable opportunity. Um, the inclusion of SAP in your budget also provides myriad benefit for your stated goals of improved attendance, uh, reduction in disciplinary action and measurable academic gains and elimination of unpaid meal debt. Uh, and perhaps most importantly, the inclusion itself reflects responsible stewardship of public resources. Um, with that said, I close by just thanking you for accepting the committee's recommendation to fully fund SEP in FY27. Thank you, >> Derek Joval. >> Good evening. Um, I am a

038student of Mil Brook High School. I wanted to come and speak about the ICE out protest that happened at my school. First, I would like to thank the board and the superintendent for allowing us to exercise our constit constitutional right for the short halfhour protest and their willingness to trust students with this opportunity allowing showing that our voice matters. The experience was very successful, peaceful, and completely studentled with over 200 students of all race and backgrounds participating. That level of involvement shows unity and highlights how much students care about our community. It was not about creating division but about raising awareness and encouraging respectful conversation. I would like I am very proud of my classmates for this event, demonstrating that when students are given the chance to lead, we can do so responsibly in a

039way that reflects positivity on our school and community. Thank you for your time. >> Kyle Mackey. >> Good evening me, members of the board, superintendent and fellow advocates. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today about the topic that impacts every school in our division, the compensation and support of our teachers. As we consider the upcoming budget, I'd like to address three interconnected priorities. Teacher pay compensation, insurance premium assistance, and cost of living increases. First, it's important to acknowledge that Frederick County has made efforts to increase salaries, including a negotiated 2% cost of living increase in the latest tenative agreement for with teachers. Independent data suggests that average teacher pay is around $68,000 per year. In comparison, the most recent state survey shows an average classroom teacher salary almost $77,000 for our fiscal year in

0402026. While our salaries may be competitive with neighboring divisions, they lag behind broader averages within the state and in higher paying districts. This can make teaching and recruitment and retention especially challenging, particularly when other counties offer higher pay scales and are more robust compensation packages. Another critical issue for our educators is health insurance. While our most recent agreement included almost a modest increases to employer compensations for medical RX and V vision insurance, the rising cost of premiums means teachers are often paying out of pocket. In a competitive labor market with health insurance remains remaining as one of the top non-sary concerns. Increased premium assistance can help make a real difference in teachers and take-home pay and overall financial stability. I urge the council to consider ways to offset premium costs for educators so that their

041benefits keep pace with rising healthcare expenses in our community. While the contract negotiated a 2% cola increase this year, many teachers feel that this increase does not fully keep up with in inflation and cost of living in our region. This sentiment echoes statewide conversations about the pace of salary growth compared to real increases in living costs. A meaningful cola is just one line item and it signals our recognition of rising costs and pressures for educators as they what they face daily. From housing and child care to transportation and groceries. Without adequate adjustments, we risk losing experienced teachers to counties that offer higher and more competitive pay scales. In closing, I respectfully urge the budget counselor to prioritize salary increases that bring our teacher pay more in line with regional and state averages, expand insurance premium

042assistance to allow teachers to get keep more of their hard-earned salaries while managing health care costs, and support the COLA increases that reflect a real living cost and changes in helping our educators thrive in this community. Thank you. >> All right, Dr. Hummer, you're up next with the soup report. >> All right. Thank you, Madam Chair. So, I do have a couple announcements, a couple statements I would like to make. Um, first, I want to thank the school board, um, and extend my thoughts and prayers to the Tuck Ash family. Um, losing a a staff member, a student, um, somebody very close to us is is always very, very hard. Um, she leaves behind a beautiful family. Uh, and she was such an amazing individual. Um, thanks to you all for commemorating the moment of

043silence. Thanks to Mr. Bell for sharing his heartfelt message and and please everybody life is short. Um, and and I strongly encourage everyone to truly truly appreciate the time that we have and and with loved ones and family and friends and every second and every minute matters. So, please make sure you you take time to enjoy that. Um, on on a more positive note, I I do want to thank the school board for recognizing CTE, FBLA, and social workers. Also too, Mr. Santis, we'll have to fix this for next year. It's also FFA week as well. Um, I was out at some schools this past week, and I was able to enjoy a breakfast at Milbrook yesterday, first thing in the morning, and our students do such an amazing job, and we actually have um

044one of the highest attendances in Virginia for FFA. um and the the amazing work that they do every single day and CTE with the pathways and opportunities that we add on for students. Uh it really really helps build our futures and and build opportunities for students. We also have a fellow FBLA member down here who is trying to be a state officer, the president. So, we're definitely going to be giving you uh some much much needed support there. And I'll write him a thousand reference letters because they definitely need to take Gavin um to represent us well. But thank you to the school board for that. there's a lot of work that we do there and and we greatly appreciate all that support. Um as well as with the amazing staff at Shando. I know

045you guys help with that that as well. Um lastly, I wanted to make some some additional comments about the budget as well as addressing our amazing staff. Uh as we started this budget journey back in October, our promise was to promote and advocate for exactly what our students and staff deserved. I believe we had a very successful collaborative meeting two weeks ago with the board of supervisors and we had a very productive work session last week uh with just us and we are greatly appreciative for everyone's support. This budget process as we know is very fluid and there's a lot of work that still needs to be done but I believe that we will continue to see the improvements with the pre preliminary proposal from the county and we are definitely moving in the right

046direction. If you recall, we started at $6 million and we continuously grow and we thank the board of supervisors for that progress. I am also extremely encouraged to see that we are planning ahead and not just looking at the current budget because we have to look three to five years in advance so that we can continue to build that better foundation as the gentleman mentioned earlier to stay ahead of pay increases for taking care of our health premiums as well as all the other resources that our students and staff deserve. I also want to thank you school board for your support as well as our I see her hiding behind Chante's back there for our amazing finance team for their amazing efforts. This is never ever an easy process and they work hard every single

047second, every single minute and every single day including weekends. And I want to thank Mrs. Anderson and her team for that work. Um and always with a smile on her face. Always. Always. Lastly, and and definitely most importantly, I want to take a moment to recognize and acknowledge our incredible staff, but especially our teachers. We know this year has brought meaningful change. the roll out of our strategic plan, our effective school framework, strengthening our professional learning communities, clearer lesson plan expectations, and renewed grading practices. On top of the daily work of teaching and caring for students, we thank you for that. That is a lot of work. None of this work though is about compliance. It is about strengthening tier one instruction so every student in every classroom benefits from consistent and high quality learning

048experiences across division across the division. We are increasing clarity around learning goals and deepening student thinking in every classroom including our advanced courses. We will continue refining this work by listening very closely to our teachers voice and building these expectations together. I believe deeply deeply in the professionalism, expertise and the commitment of our teachers. The progress we are seeing that we show you and the community is because of you and we have made a lot of progress. This work that we do every day matters but it takes time. It takes time and we are building it thoughtfully and steadily but most importantly together. We can do this together. I know we can. At the end of the day, our shared commitment to students is what unites us. And I am extremely confident that we are

049heading in the right direction. And I share it with my team every day. I share it with the staff every day. And I share it with you every day because I believe that and I am a man of my word and integrity is very important to me. And if I didn't think we were on the right track, we would be having a different conversation. But we are on the right track. Lastly, I always welcome feedback and conversations as we continue this work together. Listening to our educators makes us stronger and our direction remains grounded in what students need and deserve. Thank you, Madam Chair. That's all I have. >> And next is the student representative report. Good evening, Dr. Hummer and members of the school board. My name is Gavin Flynn, and I'm honored to

050introduce myself as one of your student representatives alongside Isabella Collegeman. Beyond my role here, I have a variety of interests that shape who I am, including finance, track, and skiing. Looking ahead, I plan to become a financial adviser, a goal fueled by the knowledge I've gained in clubs like Future Business Leaders of America. My background in finance has taught me the importance of fiscal responsibility. And that doesn't just mean balancing a budget. That means I hope to work with students to maximize the return on every resource we have, turning dollars into tangible benefits for the student experience, whether it's through enriched academic programming or support for extracurricular activities. Through involvement in these organizations, I've also taken on state and regional leadership positions, which inspired me to pursue further leadership locally at the schoolboard level. In

051this capacity, I strive not only to represent FBA students, but every student in our school community. As a student representative, I understand that my role goes far beyond attending meetings and advocating for specific groups. I am committed to representing and listening to every student at every level of public education. from elementary to middle school to high school. From those celebrating their acceptance into college to those simply struggling to get through the day. To achieve this goal, I plan to volunteer at as many schools as possible so I can understand how they operate and connect with students. I also plan on attending student advisory meetings with the superintendent, Dr. Hummer and students from all levels and participating in PR principal advisory committee meetings with high school level students and using survey data gathered. After Isabelle and

052I collect feedback, we will finalize a plan of all the goals we envision for the 2025 to 2026 calendar year as well as future recommendations for student representatives. Recently, Isabelle and I have been working on our preliminary plan with ideas we intend to survey students about. So far, we have attended principal advisory committee meetings at all three high schools, and tomorrow we will be attending our first student advisory meeting. To give you a better idea of what we've been hearing, now I will hand it over to Isabella to provide more details on our discussions from the principal advisory meeting. >> Thank you, Gavin. Good evening, everyone, Dr. Hummer and members of the board. My name is Isabella Collegeman and I am one of your student representatives. As Gavin mentioned, I want to share one of

053some of the work we've been focusing on this past month. More importantly, what we've learned directly from students across our three high schools. One of our main priorities this month was meeting with each school's principal advisory group. We recognized that in order to represent students effectively, we need we need consistent meaningful feedback from the student body. These advisory meetings gave us the opportunity to share our ideas and just as importantly listen. During these meetings, we introduced several initiatives we've been discussing at the student representative level. One of the most supported ideas was implementing 4pm buses. Many students want to participate in clubs, sports, peer tutoring, or other afterchool activities, but simply don't have reliable transportation home. Providing a later bus would remove that barrier. It ensures that involvement in extra extracurriculars and academic support isn't

054limited only to students who have a ride. Access should not depend on transportation availability. Another proposal we shared was creating an official social media platform for student representatives. The goal is simple, clearer communication. Students often feel disconnected from board level decisions that directly impact them. A dedicated platform would allow us to share updates, explain changes, and gather feedback more efficiently through polls or surveys. This would strengthen transparency and allow students to feel more informed and involved in decisions that shape their daily school experience. We also discussed expanding access to peer tutoring and specific subject-based tutoring after school. Academic support should be both accessible and collaborative. With the addition of 4 PM buses, students without transportation could stay after school for tutoring. It also creates an opportunity for students to work in groups, build study habits

055together, and improve academically in a supportive environment. When students help students, learning often becomes more comfortable and effective. In addition to responding to our proposals, students shared concerns of their own. One major topic that came up repeatedly was the grading scale. Many students feel that the current scale affects a wide range of learners and creates unnecessary stress. They expressed a desire for a review or discussion around how grading policies impact academic performance, GPA calculations, and overall student morale. Another consistent request was for more career focused opportunities. Students want greater exposure to real world professions. For example, anatomy students suggested inviting healthc care professionals to speak about their careers, education paths, and daily responsibilities. Opportunities like this help connect classroom learning to real life applications and allow students to explore potential career interests in a meaningful

056way. I also want to emphasize that the goals and initiatives I've shared tonight are not a finalized list. This is just the beginning of a larger process. Our focus this month was gathering input and identifying the most immediate priorities. In the coming weeks, we plan to conduct broader student surveys and collect more structured data to ensure that our goals reflect the needs of the entire student body, not just the voices in the advisory meetings. At a future board meeting, we will present a more comprehensive set of goals supported by survey results and data analysis. We believe that combining student voice with measurable data will allow us to bring forward thoughtful, wellsupported proposals that are both realistic and impactful. Overall, these advisory meetings reminded us of something very important. Students want to be heard and they

057have thoughtful, practical ideas. Our role as student representatives is not just to share our own preone opinions, but to amplify the voices of the broader student body. We are committed to continuing these conversations and working collaboratively with Dr. Hummer's team, administrators, and the board to turn these ideas into actionable solutions. Thank you for your time and your consideration and for valuing student input in shaping the future of our schools. Thank you. Can I give a round? >> Great job. >> Nicely done both of you. >> All right. We do have some unfinished business tonight regarding the proposed FY27 budget. Dr. Hummer. >> All right. Thank you, Madam Chair. This this will be quick. Um we have discussed the budget um in full detail at the work session last week. There were some additional scenarios that

058you all wanted to see which are in the presentation for you this evening. There's a couple things I wanted to go over. Uh before we jump to that and then of course let you guys have conversations and we're here to answer any questions that you have. So this is just a reminder that today we are asking you to adopt the FY27 needsbased budget. Keep in mind that it is it is your responsibility to adopt a budget that we will then send downtown. Now, a couple clarifying points that I want to mention, and we talked about this last week, and this is a reminder, is that what we are sending downtown is just a number. We're not sending downtown all the items that we're going to get with that number. We're not going to send the

059items that we're going to be cutting based on what number they're going to send back to us. That is conversation and topics for you to discuss with guidance and support from us. So, I just want to be very clear on what does it mean when the budget is adopted. It just means that you adopt it and then it gives Mrs. Anderson and I the opportunity to then formalize that and send it downtown. So all that goes downtown is a number. Want to be very clear on that. So once that goes downtown after today, after you adopt the budget, um there will then be a work session in March. Right now it's scheduled for March 11th, and that is where we'll be invited to that work session downtown to answer any more questions that they have.

060It's going to be a little less formalized than it was when we were down there two weeks ago. And then hopefully they will approve the budget in April. And then at the April meeting, the school board meeting is when you all will approve the budget because then that is when they will send us the official appropriation and then that's where we will dive into all the details in regards to what we want to go into the budget in regards to additional cuts we have to make. The other piece of good news is over the weekend we heard from the state Virginia assembly uh that the house and the senate have proposed additional funding which we anticipated. Historically, the Senate always recommends more than the governor and then the House always recommends less than the Senate

061but more than the governor. So, right now based on where it lands, we are looking at some additional revenue. Now, we don't know what that number is going to be because as that continues to work through and is fluid, we get updated C tools and I don't think we receive that just yet. So, we will get an updated calc tool in regards to how much money that will be. So that is a good thing and that is what we anticipated to hopefully alleviate if the if the county gives us less money than what we anticipated that will be less money that we have to work through throughout the budget process. We will know what that number is before the county approves that number. Now if there is any hiccups at the state level and they

062do say they they don't know what the final number is going to be and the number winds up being larger then we can always go back to the county and have that conversation of getting that money appropriated to us as well. So we will work through that process if it gets to that point. Any questions about that? Okay. So as I mentioned, you have three options essentially. The first is to move forward my initial needsbased budget. We've had many conversations about that with the board of supervisors and you. So there are what was that? >> A timer. No time limit for you. >> Am I done? No. No. Got some more things to talk about. All right. So, or you can reduce what my initial proposal was or you can increase. Ideally, at the bottom

063there, as I mentioned, I'm recommending that you adopt the FY27 needs spacebased budget proposal with the scenarios that we're going to dive into here in a second. Keep in mind that yes, we know that the needsbased budget has changed based on conversations with you and conversations with downtown, but my recommendation is to continue to keep the priority on our staff. Our staff is what keeps the school division running. Our staff is what provides our students with exactly what they need and we want to be able to keep good staff and continue to attract good staff as well through the natural attrition process. So that is my main recommendation is to please keep the priority on our staff. So here was the initial proposal. Uh as I mentioned that state number is there is the governor's

064recommendation and that's if we go with the 2% at least 2% uh and then the 18 million is what my initial recommendation was. So here's a breakdown. So scenario A is the full 18.2. The only reason I put the bullets here is to remind you of what was in that initial budget proposal. >> Yes, sir. >> Dr. Ammer, I'm sorry. Uh, Madam Chair, if I may, um, just for this thick Scottish head of mine, um, we're not sending down scenario A, B, C, D, or F. We're just giving them a number. Is that correct? >> So, I'm giving you scenarios to take into consideration. So you can either one pick one of these scenarios and the motions are there in front of you to decide what the board wants to do or two you would

065essentially come up with your own number that you would want to send downtown. >> Correct. But are you sending the bulleted points on that's what I was saying earlier. >> Yeah, that's what I thought. I just wanted to be clear about that. >> So that's what I was sharing earlier. The only thing that goes downtown is the number. >> Yeah, it's it's my thick Scottish. Sorry about that. >> It's all right. Yep. And please, Mrs. Anderson, please chime in, please. So, at the work session last week, we were asked to add in if we were to get the C built into the 18.2 and not asking for more, what our recommended cuts would be. Now, keep in mind this is just a recommendation. If that is what the will of the board is to move

066forward with C, if we got more money from the state and we made some other adjustments in other areas, then that's potentially what we might take a look at. But as of right now, cutting 12 positions would get us the full $900,000 if that would be the will of the board. Just to keep that into consideration. The other piece too, just to be clear, we've said this in many, many contexts, many, many forums, and I want to make sure we make this very clear, is that we do not want to cause a widespread panic about the potential of cutting positions. We talked about three areas that we are looking at. One is not we're going to try to stay away from studentf facing positions because that is the priority. Secondly, we were going to be

067focusing on the staffing standards. So any positions that don't align with the staffing standards, but three and probably most importantly is we're going to try to focus on vacancies as much as possible. We are trying our hardest not to impact the livelihood of individuals. So we will be looking at those vacancies and if there is people in those positions, we will be looking at moving those people around. But there is not we're trying to minimize that widespread panic. But we are in a budget shortfall and unfortunately this is what we have to go through in order to meet the level of compensation that we're trying to meet with our staff with the minimization of what we're getting from the locality. So we there h the money has to come from somewhere because again our budget

068is 83% staff. Um so again just just keep that that in mind. We are also asked to put forward a 15.2 number and this 15.2 with what we would get is in the black. what we would have to consider removing in the red. Again, this is just a recommendation. So, we would take care of the health insurance. We would do a 5% average increase across the board. We will fund our compliance positions which are needed for the state requirements. And we would also be able to add our two new programs, the virtual school and the summer school expansion. We would not be able to add on the additional bus. We would also move the 11 buses from operating and capital, which would be about a 1.6 surplus to our operating. and then we would have

069to reduce by 11 positions. Now, based on conversations that we have had, we're we're hearing that 11.5 is going to be more than likely the number that the county might land on. I think we're going to continue to work through that. So, if we were to get 11.5 and we wanted to get the four items in black there, the 5% average, compliance positions, and funding new programs, these would be the areas that we would have to consider cutting back on. So number one would be we would have to move those buses over to uh the capital projects capital fund, excuse me. We would have to reduce departments by 15%. Pay attent or pay attention to the next slide on that one. I had a request of what that cut looks like and we added that

070in. And then we would uh unfortunately have to reduce by 14 positions with the same criteria that I mentioned earlier. So we did receive the question of what does a 15% reduction look like? So thank you again to Mrs. Anderson and her team. And this is what it would look like across the board. So, high schools would see a reduction in $44,000. Middle schools would see a reduction in $18,000. Elementary schools would be six. And then you see I you don't I don't have to read all those numbers to you. Now, I did have some just preliminary conversations with some principles as well as my staff of what this would look like. Um, and it would be a a reduction in some resources for for the building level that they utilize. it might cut back

071on maybe have instead of going to I'm just using this as an example instead of 10 band trips they would be reduced to six um but our principles are masters of budget and they would they would figure that out. The other piece to remember too because not only are we good stewards of our dollar but our principles are good stewards of our dollar every year there is always a cost and savings for all of our budgets. They don't just spend all of their money just to get down to zero. So $44,000 sounds like a lot but there will be some cost and savings. So yes, it will impact, but we believe it will not be a significant impact. Now, we're not recommending any 15% reduction. This is just if we want to get to, as

072I mentioned, to that 5% division average across the board. The other piece to remember and I've had conversations with the county on this and just so you all are aware as well as I wanted to add this in is that keep in mind the operating is different than the capital project which is different than the debt capacity. 11.5 does not include these other two items and they are very clear on that. So as of right now remember we have an 11 million ask here. Um I've heard that they are going to focus on our level one priorities which is appreciated. Um, but we will have those conversations in regards to how much money we'll get for capital and then we'll loop you into those conversations. And then we also have the 1.1. Now, as we've

073discussed in the future, this hopefully will be taken care of if the 1% sales tax is approved in November or voted on, excuse me. So, these two slides might take care of themselves in the future, but we still need to keep track of all of our projects and we would work with the county of how these projects are being funded. So, as I mentioned earlier, and I did field some questions as well, we yes, I am required to provide you all with a needs-based budget, and I did and provided you the 18.2, but that is why we have fluid conversations. That's why we work through our work sessions. We had conversations with the board of supervisors. We've heard what money we will get. So, you do not have to vote down the 18.2. you have

074the authority to make a motion now, which you have some motions in front of you of what you are proposing and then if there's amendments or what have you per your conversations, you guys can move forward with that motion. So, you do not have to essentially vote down the 18.2. You put forward what motion you want to do and then we can help you um guide you through that conversation. So, with that, I want to open up any basic questions and then allow you guys to open up for discussion. Any questions for me about what's being presented? Could you go back to slide 10? >> Absolutely. >> Oop, sorry. Okay. Yes, ma'am. >> That one's the 15.2. Okay. And then slide nine. >> I'm sorry. I went the wrong way. I apologize, Miss Klein. >>

075So, that's the full Okay. That's C. Okay. And back to 10. So, scenario C is 15.2. Okay. And then the next one, slide 11 is 11. Okay. Thank you. >> Yes, ma'am. Madame Chair, in order to um to honor the integrity of this process, I move the board adopt the superintendent's originally proposed FY27 budget. >> A second. >> All right, we have a motion to move forward with the originally proposed FY27 budget and it has been properly seconded. Any discussion, >> Madame Chair? Um I agree with Mr. Proek about um honoring the original proposal. Um I would also like us to consider proposal B uh which is including the C. Uh the toughest the toughest decision that all of us will have to make if that is the will of the board will be to

076determine what we whether or not we feed children or cut positions. Now hearing Dr. Hummer tell us that they would do their very best to not eliminate positions of face fronting the students or existing positions where people are involved. Doing your best is not the same as guaranteeing it. So it could affect individuals. So the toughest question I guess maybe for me is whether or not to uh move forward with the C which is of course uh something that I care deeply about or potentially losing uh a valuable employee in in our system. Um but I do want us to consider scenario B as well as scenario A. Thank you. And madam chair, >> um I would like the board to consider scenario C, the 15.2. And and here's why. This board member woe believes

077that we are woefully underfunded, believes that we should have a budget ask in excess of 18.2 and in excess of the original 24 that Dr. Hummer started with. I this this board member would love to see a medical magnet school at Milbrook. Would love to see an aviation magnet school at the fourth high school. would love to see an engineering magnet school at James Wood and um something else at Shando. I would also love to see that strength of schedule that Mr. Bell talked about because that resonates with me. 25 years ago, I was slided for an academy slot because I did not have that strength of schedule. So, I get it. I want to see all those things. 18.2 million is not enough. 24 million is not enough. I'm convinced that a h 100red

078million is not enough because we have spent the last four decades not funding our schools and not funding our community to a level that substantiates the growth. And that is a problem. And now we're all having to deal with it, including the board of supervisors and including every other entity that the BOS funds. I've had the privilege of sitting down one-on-one with four of the seven BOS members and exchanging phone calls and emails with the other three. They have made it abundantly clear to me and shown me the data behind it that we are in a $42 million budget shortfall as a county. We have to make up for that somehow. They have taken our initial proposal from FCPS. They've taken the sheriff's department's proposal. They've taken the fire department's proposal and every other entity

079that they fund. They have taken those proposals and they have told them to go back to the drawing board and make more cuts because the the blood is not in the turnup. It is just not there. I think this board needs to understand that yes, we students are our priority. Absolutely, 100%. I cannot agree more. We are part of team Frederick County. We are part of the same team with the board of supervisors, with the fire department, with the police department, and all of those other entities. We need to also come back to the table with to the board of supervisors showing that we have taken some consideration to the cuts to our need-based budget as these other departments have. Do I like this? I absolutely do not, patently do not. I wish we could

080send them that hundred million dollar figure because it sounds really nice and we could get a lot of things done for our kids, but it is simply not the environment here to do so. Now, what I have heard from the board of supervisors is not this year, but following years. They have plans in place. They are working on initiatives to bring more revenue to this county. I have faith in the restructuring efforts that they are going to be undertaking with certain entities to help bring more businesses to this county that will bring more revenue so that discussions like this will not have to be had. But we're not there yet and we need to assist them in their efforts. So I would strongly consider that the board consider strong the board strongly consider scenario C

081which is the 15.5 million. Madam Chair, um I I I agree um with what Mr. Bell has has said and and Miss Klein as well. Um and I I I appreciate hearing that from from my peers. I you know, I spent some time over the weekend trying to think think this through as well. Um but uh kind of to your last couple points, Miss Klein, you know, I'm I'm definitely team Frederick County. Um, but I'm on the Frederick County School Board and my priority will always be, um, putting the schools first, I think when we talk about cuts, um, I was kind of leaning at that 152 originally as well. Uh but the more and more I thought about it and looked over the proposals and people's thoughts and comments, whether it's through a healthy

082avenue or unhealthy avenue, um you know, I I I I just can't help but think about uh the fact that we've already made these cuts. Uh we've we've cut elementary K through three teachers uh positions that were asked by building leadership who know our students and the need in their buildings. We cut a speech pathologist uh role that our leaderships were were advocating for. A special education lead that uh I think we could all agree we need more more supports um and structure and resources there. We cut high school instructional coaches. We cut parent liaison and we talk a lot about transparency with parents. I think those positions would be super helpful to address that. Uh I read a proclamation about social workers. We cut three proposed social worker positions. We cut a criminal justice

083teacher. We we recognized some students who came here this evening who did some stellar work and I would love to see growth in that department. Um and I think there's a return on investment opportunity for us there. We cut an accountant position. Uh we've heard from our staff bi-weekly pay is a priority. Um things are getting more more expensive in our lives. Um, some folks can't wait four weeks to to have that compensation, and I'm certainly not going to tell them how to budget their money. We cut custodian positions that were requested by building leadership. We cut HR analyst position. We cut elementary dean positions for two elementary schools. We hear a lot about we need to get the behavior fixed in our schools, but you know, we have to be able to fund those

084positions as well. We cut a data analyst. So, I I appreciate the position that um people are in. I I am hopeful uh for the partnership with the board of supervisors. I think they're great gentlemen. I'm looking forward to working with them for four years. Um that's their job. They signed up for it just like I signed up to run for Frederick County School Board represent Shauny District in the school division. Um so for me, this is a needsbased budget. Um I agree to Miss Klein. I wish it could be 100 million. I wish we could have those magnet schools. Um and I and I know we'll get there. We'll see some of that growth um in the future. I also want to add a caveat that I am 100% behind C. Um I apologize

085for not returning an email fast enough. Um you know, uh we all have things going on in our lives that may not result in immediate response. Um, but the idea of a child being hungry at school, I don't think sits well with a lot of people. Uh, so I I do hope that we can move forward with the 18.2, I think it's realistic. Um, also for us to then think about we're going to probably have to make cuts cuz that that is a lofty number and we've had that discussion and we've heard that feedback. Um, I I can't bring myself to to propose cutting anything more cuz I feel like we continuously cut in public education. That's what brought me out. And I'm going to stick to my word about why I ran. And that's

086to grow programs, not cut them. It's to take care of our teachers and compensate them, cuz their work is completely challenging in this society right now. And anything um less of what Dr. Hummer and his building leaders are requesting um would would go uh completely against this board member and what I stand for and why you you get to hear me for the next four years whether it's a good thing for people or not. But uh that's my two cents and thank you >> Madame Chair if I may. um to echo the sentiments of a number of other board members in private conversations that I've had with them as well as members on the board of supervisors. The shortfall situation that the county is in, we are all residents. We are all here for the

087purpose of a better community and a better environment in which to grow and live. And there are a myriad of considerations that seem to change daily. Um, if it's not rising cost of living, it's infrastructure or I mean, pick pick a subject. Um, we trusted the and continue to trust our school system to Dr. Hummer and the administrators and the headquarter staff, everyone who works in the school system um with our kids and future generations that will come up through Frederick County schools. Um the 182 was a reduced number. I can absolutely understand and agree that we do have to be fiscally responsible that we do have to all of us be on team Frederick County and 1,00% this board member is. The commitment that I made in running was to, and I said it

088a few times in various uh meetings, as as the child of a teacher and as someone who has been on both the the staff and uh pseudo faculty side of things. The least that we can do is understand that a needs-based budget While we have a on the school board sight and understanding, we are not on the ground. We are not in the classrooms. We do not understand fully the intricacies of what teachers and students experience and go through just by virtue of our own schooling days having been more or less behind us. Um it is an unenviable position for the uh board of supervisors. I absolutely respect everything that they're doing and I like other board members have said very much look forward to working with them and I know that they have gone

089through with multiple fine tooth combs to make sure that every necessary group gets as much funding as they can. Um there is no room for um pork as it was. Uh we would be doing I feel a disservice to our teachers to go with anything less than 182. Now, that being said, we absolutely understand that that number is most likely and in conversations that I've had with board of supervisors uh members, they have other priorities and other needs and that is absolutely um something we will consider. We've shown through a number of other scenarios going all the way down to six that we are committed to making do with anything that we are allocated and working to a better uh to get to a better better place in the future. That is my two cents

090and I welcome any thoughts um comments from board of from from school board members, from board of supervisors, from the public. Um, and I say that, um, understanding that the 182 is most likely not going to h it. It, you know, is a lofty number. It's a lofty number. Um, but I'm confident that we and the board of supervisors, um, we'll do everything we can. It's a long way of saying that. Um, I look forward to the the hard work and making sure that everyone can get as much as as they possibly can um, going forward. Madam Chair, real quick. >> Um, I acknowledge we're going to have to have difficult conversations in the future between feeding children, compensating staff and teachers, school buses, virtual learning programs. But, um, at this time, I'm just not

091compelled to, um, increase or decrease the ask of the superintendent, recommend that we we go forward with the 18.2, to have have these difficult discussions at a later date. >> Agree. Um I came in ready to um second the scenario C. Um we acted in these um exercises in good faith with the taxpayer dollar and and all of the different um scenarios that would fully fund our teacher salary increases and fund their health insurance which is most important to me. But then looking at having to sacrifice in programs that we just saw students receive awards from today. And um I I think that it should be noted that we did go through all of these exercises. And I it doesn't sit well with me to further reduce what we're we're defining as needs. Um school

092buses, um teachers, positions, programs. I mean, that's what makes up a school system. So um I'm in that direction, too. uh to move forward with the originally proposed budget. So, we ready for a vote? Any any further comments here? >> All right, we have a motion to um adopt the originally proposed FY27 budget >> and there was a >> has been properly seconded. Um any further discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> No. >> Motion passes. >> All right. We have uh new business. First up is the finance committee reports for February 2nd and 9th. Miss Klein. >> Thank you. Both are mine. I have the finance committee report for February 2nd, 2026. A meeting of the finance committee of the Frederick County School Board was held

093on February 2nd. The meeting was called to order at 4:35 p.m. and a copy of the minutes has been provided to each board member. During the meeting, Mrs. Cybert reviewed the contract award to Dell Marketing LP for information technology equipment and gave a budget transparency update. Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Campbell discussed the proposed salary initiative and shared the health insurance benefits. Mrs. Anderson reviewed the staffing standards request and Mrs. Knight discussed the instructional initiatives. The meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m. Additional details regarding the information covered at the finance committee meeting are included in the minutes provided to board members. Are there any questions from board members about the information shared at the finance committee meeting held on February 2nd, 2026? All right, we do have two motions out of that meeting. First motion, I move

094the board approve the contract award to Dell Marketing LP for information technology equipment in the amount of $1 million. Second. >> All right, we have a and just a little more color on this, Madam Chair. The $1 million specifically to Dell goes for replacing Chromebooks. So those wear out easily and those are that's a refreshment for that for the public's knowledge. >> Second. >> Madam Chair, I think Mr. Moran already seconded. >> Oh, did he? Yeah. No, it's okay. We have a motion to um approve the contract award to Dell Marketing for the amount of $1 million and it has been properly seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. >> And second motion or uh second motion is I move the board approve the

095minutes from the finance committee meeting held on February 2nd, 2026. >> Second. We have a motion to approve the minutes from the finance committee. Um, and it has been properly seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. >> All right. One more report. I have the finance committee report from the meeting held on February 9th, 2026. Yes. A meeting of the finance committee of the Frederick County School Board was held on February 9th. The meeting was called to order at 4:31 p.m. and a copy of the minutes has been provided to each board member. During the meeting, Mrs. Anderson gave an update on questions asked at the previous meeting. Mrs. Anderson and Mr. Thompson reviewed the transportation request and Mrs. Anderson also discussed the community

096eligibility expansions, the operating budget scenarios, if FCPS's budget does request does not get fully funded, and the capital projects fund and the debt service fund. The meeting adjourned at 5:17 p.m. Additional details regarding the information covered at the finance committee meeting are included in the minutes provided to board members. Are there any questions from board members about information shared at the finance committee meeting held on February 9th, 2026? All right. I move the board approve the minutes from the finance committee meeting held on February 9th, 2026. >> Second. A motion has been made and properly seconded to approve the finance committee meeting. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. Um up next we have buildings and ground committee report with Mr. Prosk. >> Thank you.

097A meeting of the building and grounds committee of the Frederick County Public School Board was held on February 2nd, 2026. Meeting was called to order at 5:38 p.m. and a copy of the minutes has been provided each board member. During the meeting, Mr. Kaitton discussed the cap replacement schedule and the CAP projects update. Mr. Thompson reviewed the light duty fleet reduction plan and Mr. Holland shared the obsolete part and cost availability information for the transportation department. Mr. Shepard discussed the CIP project updates, the fourth high school planning and design update, and the Middletown Elementary School and Jordan Springs elementary school expansion, and gave a redistricting update. Mr. Thompson reviewed the resolution authorizing the superintendent and designate to execute regulatory and administrative documentation related to major construction projects. The meeting adjourned at 6:03 p.m. Additional details

098regarding the committee meeting are included in the minutes provided to board members. The board members have any questions about what was covered at the building and grounds committee held on February 2nd? All right. I move the board approved the resolution authorizing the superintendent and design to execute regulator and administrative documentation related to major construction projects. >> Second. A motion has been made to approve the resolution authorizing the superintendent and designates to ex execute regul regulator and administrative documentation related to major construction projects. Is there any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> I. Any opposed? >> Motion passes. >> Move the board approve the minutes from the building and grounds committee held on February 2nd, 2026. >> Second. A motion has been made to approve the meeting the meeting minutes from

099building and grounds committee. Um is there any discussion? >> All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. And we have the personnel committee report with Mr. North. >> A meeting of the personnel committee of the Frederick County School Board was held on February 9th, 2026. The meeting was called to order at 5:31 p.m. and a copy of the minutes has been provided to each board member. During the meeting, Miss Rinker gave a staffing update. Mr. West gave a recruitment and retention update and Miss Campbell reviewed the plan of intent survey and gave a human capital management system update. The meeting adjourned at 5:57 p.m. Additional details regarding this information, the information covered at the committee meeting are included in the minutes provided to board members. Are there any questions

100from board members about information shared at the personnel committee meeting held on February 9th? >> All right. I move the board approve the minutes from the personnel committee meeting held on February 9th, 2026. >> Second. >> A motion has been made and properly seconded to approve the minutes from the personnel committee me meeting. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Any opposed? And last, we have the instruction committee report with Mr. Ball. Oh, not last. Sorry. Thank you, Madam Chair. A meeting of the instruction committee of the Frederick County School Board was held on February 9th, 2026. The meeting was called to order at 6:31 p.m., and a copy of the minutes has been provided to each board member. During the meeting, Dr. Hummer reviewed the agenda. Mrs. Knight, Mrs.

101Muldown, and Dr. Meyers discussed the current state of FCPS. Mrs. Knight also reviewed the desired state for FCPS and what it will look like when we get there, as well as enabling conditions. The meeting adjourned at 7:42 p.m. Additional details regarding the information covered at the committee meeting are included in the minutes provided to board members. Are there any questions from board members about information shared at the instruction committee meeting held on February 9th? Hearing none hearing none. There is one motion that came out of the meeting which is simply two. I move the board approve the minutes from the instruction committee meeting held on February 9, 2026. >> Second. We have a motion to approve the minutes from the instruction committee meeting held on February 9th and it's been properly seconded. Any discussion? >>

102All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion passes. And then we have the amendment to the 2025 2026 calendar. Uh Dr. Hummer. >> Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. So, a couple items. I know we've had some conversations about this request. I just want to talk through the origin of this request and and why it's coming forward. First and foremost, anytime there is any shift or change in the calendar, there's two ways that can happen. Uh the first way that it can happen is if there is some sort of anomaly that happens within a school year and we get requests from the building to shift or adjust. Um and we we take that into consideration. So um the second reason is of course if the school board wants to make a

103shift or an adjustment uh or if there is something that is out of our control such as a special election which has been scheduled for April. So due to the winter um wonderland that that hit us already and I'm hearing we're getting some more snow. Hopefully that that stays away. Um but uh we currently have about 4 days left um to to expend in regards to snow days. So, we're trying to avoid from missing any instructional time. And of course, if there is additional snow days, we do not want to have to cut into spring breaks and summers of our teachers. That is definitely something we do not want to do. Um, so with that being said, uh, we did get requests from the building administrators and teachers to shift the nine weeks to give

104them more time because they missed that week of instruction. And with shifting the week, it is also shifting the unencumbered planning day. Um, I want to expel any rumors. We are not taking days away days off for teachers away. These were days that were unencumbered planning and a professional learning day for teachers that we are shifting. Uh and then of course to avoid missing instructional time with students. We are shifting the PD day that was scheduled for um the 9th and we're shifting that to April 21st. We do not like to keep our schools open when it is open to the public. Um that is something we like to to avoid. Um so with those those two items there, uh that is why we have the proposal. One last thing, Madam Chair, if I may,

105I know we received some questions from parents. We understand that these were days off for students and we know that sometimes parents schedule vacations for those long weekends. I want to be very clear and our policy is very clear that vacations is covered under the excused absence. We're not asking you to change your vacation. Okay? So if you have a vacation that you've already scheduled, you made your deposit, it is an excused absence. Okay? So I want to be very clear on that as well. Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Dr. Hummer, may I offer one point of clarification? Absolutely. the April 21st day though it's identified as a PD day which would be the shift um the technically will be a building level collaboration learning and planning day just trying to clarify that term so

106that the building level principles will have the flexibility to to work with their staff in any manner they choose which could include up to professional learning so that that is a building level decision and they can decide how they'd like to use that so I just wanted to make sure it's not a divisionwide PD day that we will be offering on April 21st. It's a building level CLP or collaboration learning and planning day and buildings can choose the manner in which to use that. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Um I do have a question. Um >> of course. >> So to exercise that excused absence, is there any anything that the parent needs to do to >> just notify the principal? Okay. >> Yep. As as of any other absence. the what constitute as

107an unexcused absence of course if a student is purposefully missing school or if there is no notification to the school as to why a student has missed the principal has the ultimate authority to make that decision but our policy is very clear you just have to notify the principal and it it is typically determined as as excused the board the the principal has that that authority to do that but we will remind the principles that due to these circumstances to please use that discretion. Thank you. I move the board amend the 2025 2026 school calendar as follows. The third quarter will be extended to end on March 12th, 2026. And the fourth quarter will begin on March 16th, 2026. And March 6th, 2026 will shift from a teacher grading unencumbered day to an instructional day

108for students. And March 9th, 2026 will shift from a professional learning day to an instructional day for students. And March 13, 2026 will shift from an instructional day for students to a teacher grading unencumbered day, an optional partial professional learning day. And report cards for third quarter will be distributed on March 23rd, 2026. And April 21st, 2026 will shift from an instructional day for students to a professional learning day. >> Second. A motion has been made and properly seconded to move the board um to for the board to amend the 202526 calendar. Um is there any discussion? >> All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. >> All right, Madam Chair. Next calendar update is we were notified by the Apple Blossom Festival that not this year but

109next year where the Apple Blossom typically partakes it is actually Mother's Day and they want to respect all the amazing mothers across Virginia and especially in this community. So they have shifted that to the previous weekend. So that has something that has changed. We were notified of that. We just want to fix that now in the calendar for next year so everybody can plan accordingly. So that is why that is up for your Yes. >> Yes. And Madam Chair, if I may, the proposed motion before the board, I just noticed it has April 30th, 2026 and May 7th, 2026. I believe that should be 2027. >> That is correct. >> Good catch, Caitlyn. Thank you. >> Madame Chair, I move the board amend the 2026 2027 school calendar as follows. April 30th, 2027 will be

110changed from an instructional day for students to a no school day when administration and school officers are closed, offices are closed. And May 7, will ch be changed from a new school day when administration and school offices are closed to a regular instructional day for students. >> Second. A motion has been made and properly seconded to amend the 2026 2027 calendar year. Is there any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion passes. >> And Dr. Hummer, back to you with the approval of intensive support plan for nine schools. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. So, these were presented at the last instructional committee meeting. there's a lot of work that goes into these plans and just to go to share some of the things that we do

111to kind of delay some of the things that come out from the state is they wanted these completed within a week and there there was no way to do that. Um so we went ahead and pushed that so that we can work through doing these things correctly. Uh and that is why these weren't up for your review at that instructional committee meeting. So these have been posted on the website. Um and we will continue to work through these to get our schools back on track. So these are required for your approval and I'm available for any questions as well as Mrs. night. >> And madam chair, I move the board approve the intensive support plans for the 202526 school year for the following schools. Apple Pyidge Elementary School, Bass Hoover Elementary School, Evenendell Elementary School,

112Gainesboro Elementary School, Greenwood Mill Elementary School, Jordan Springs Elementary School, Orchard View Elementary School, Red Bud Run Elementary School, and Stonewall Elementary School. >> Second. A motion has been made and properly seconded to approve the intensive support plans for the 2025 2026 school year. Is there any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion passes. And last but not least, we have the approval of the construction bid for the Middletown Elementary School expansion. Dr. He. >> Madam Chair, I move the Oh, do you want >> Can I can I share something really quick? I do have some very very exciting news and I want to thank Mr. Thompson and his amazing team for that promise that we made to make sure that we are good stewards of

113the dollar. I'm going to start this and Mr. Thompson please chime in. So if you recall we were we were appropriated $22 million for this project. There was roughly about $3 million for A&E as well as for some other services and we actually were were awarded a bid for $15 million. So we are saving the county a little under $3 million. Um, and that is thanks to Mr. Thompson and his team and through and as well as Mrs. Anderson and her process as well. Uh, and I want to be very clear, we are not watering down the work, right? We have Shaki who's going to be doing this project for us. So, it is going to be top of the line and we are saving $3 million. So, that is to our efforts and our

114promise to continue to do that. Mr. Thompson, I don't know if you want to add anything there. >> Yeah, just just add very much appreciative of the work that Mr. Shepard and Mr. Kenny and their team has done um to really go through this and make sure that we're getting the the best possible product that we can for the best possible dollar. So, big deal. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Mrs. Klein. I'm going to cut you off there. That was important. >> That's all right. Um I move the board approve the contract award to Howard Shock and Suns for Incorporated for the Middletown Elementary School expansion project in the amount of 15,871,700. >> Second. A motion has been made and properly seconded to approve the contract award to Howard Shock and Sons for

11515 8 15,871 and $700 for the Middletown Elementary School expansion project. Is there any discussion? >> Madam Chair, I would like to call for a roll call vote for this, please. >> And Madam Chair, just one comment as well before that roll call vote. Um it's oftent times we we've been awarding a lot of contracts during the two and a half years roughly I've been on this board and it's really nice to see a local company. So all the companies go through the process and everyone is evaluated the same whether they come from California or Maine or Virginia and it's really nice to see a name here locally right here in Winchester. So agreed >> madame clerk Mrs. Sturdivvent >> sorry. >> Hi. >> Okay Mrs. Klein >> I >> Mr. Moran >> I >>

116Mr. North >> I >> Mrs. Caruso >> I >> Mr. Bell >> I >> Mr. Proek >> I >> motion passes. >> All right. Do I have a motion? >> Board member comments. Sorry, Madam Chair. >> All right. Uh do we have any board member comments? >> Uh Madam Chair, I just have a few. Um, thank you very much. Uh, first I'd like to thank everyone that came tonight to speak and to congratulate all of our wonderful students and our wonderful staff. Um, I especially would like to say thank you to Derek Joel for coming up here and speaking. I know it's not an easy thing to do, especially as a student, but um, I truly appreciate your words um, regardless of my agreement with your cause. Um, but I think that you showed a

117great deal of moxy by coming up here and speaking. Um, I also would like to give a plug out to Bright Futures. Um, and to ask anyone that is still interested in providing the uh, shelving units for the schools as uh, food banks um, to reach out to Miss Elise Stein Dolaner at Bright Futures. Um, you can find her contact information on the Bright Futures website. I know there was a large number prior to the winter break. Uh, but with their busy schedule, they were unable to accommodate that. Now, she is ready, willing, and able. So, please reach out to them. I also spoke with Miss Dominico at U Middletown Elementary School and that's where uh the first uh food bank was uh food bank shelf was placed. and I saw her yesterday the other

118day at the grocery store and she said that it's being used and it's being used very well. Um, also I'd like to uh sort of make a plea um a request. So, I I prepared some remarks about the budget and just the reasons behind why I am in support of fully funding this. And I appreciate all the hard work that our staff has put forth in this. I appreciate Dr. Hummer and the clarity in which he presented it to us. And I also appreciate the members of this board and the uh forethought that they put into uh their decisions before coming here tonight. Um, but I would I would like to sort of read this something I prepared um to make sure that I I got it right to our board of supervisors who I

119highly respect and look forward to greatly working with. Um, I think they're a great bunch of uh gentlemen and I believe that they have the county's best interests in mind and along with that our schools and our students. So, one of the reasons I I want to uh recommend to fully allocate the 18.2 million to the board of supervisors is that this isn't about expansion. It's not about excess. It's not about stability, responsibility, and foresight. It's the single most consequential investment a local government makes. Roads deteriorate, buildings age, equipment depreciates, but an educated population appreciates in value year after year. When we fund schools adequately, we are not spending money. We are strengthening the e economic, social, and civic infrastructure of this community. First, it is a legal and moral obligation. Public education is not

120optional. It is mandated. Our laws requires to provide equitable and adequate education to every child in our jurisdiction. Operational funding ensures that classrooms are staffed, buildings are safe, and students receive the services to which they are legally entitled. When a municipality underfunds education, it does not merely tighten a budget. It assumes legal risk. It invites compliance failures, state oversight, and potential litigation. Most importantly, it compromises the promise we make to families that every child, regardless of background, will have access to a quality education. This allocation fulfills our statutory duty and affirms our moral commitment. Second, underfunding is more expensive than funding. There is a misconception that reducing school funding saves money. In reality, it defers costs and deferred costs compound. When maintenance is postponed, small repairs become capital crisis. When staffing is cut, turnover rises,

121and recruiting and training new educators costs far more than retaining experienced ones. When academic support services are reduced, remediation expenses increase later. An 18.2 2 million allocation is not inflationary spending. It is cost avoidance. It is fiscal discipline applied at the front end rather than crisis management at the back end. Sound governance means preventing problems, not reacting to them. Third, education drives economic strength. The well-funded school system is one of the strongest predictors of local economic vitality. Graduates earn higher wages. Higher wages generate greater tax revenues. Businesses relocate to communities with strong public schools. I'll say that again. Businesses relocate to communities with strong public schools. Property values stabilize and grow growth in areas served well are served by wellsourced districts. Every credible economic study affirms the same conclusion. Investment in education yields imme yields

122measurable return not abstract return measurable return. If we are serious about workforce development, economic competitiveness and sustainable tax growth, then funding our schools fully is not negotiable. It is strategic. The $18.2 million we allocate today strengthens this tax base of tomorrow. Fourth, and there's only five, stability in the workforce ensures stability and outcomes. Our teachers, administrators, and support staff are the backbone of our education system. Operational funding ensures competitive compensation, manageable class sizes, professional development, and student support services. When funding becomes unstable, educator attrition rises, recruitment becomes harder, institutional knowledge disappears, student achievement suffers. Stability in funding creates stability in staffing. Stability in staffing creates stability in instruction. Stability in instruction produces consistent academic outcomes. You cannot build excellence on uncertainty. You cannot demand high performance without providing predictable support. This allocation ensures continuity and

123continuity is the foundation of educational success. Fifth and finally, schools anchor community stability and public safety. Schools are more than academic institutions. They are community hubs. They provide structured environments, nutritional programs, counseling services, extracurricular engagement, and safe spaces for young people. Communities with strong, well-funded schools consistently experience lower crime rates, higher civic engagement, and stronger social cohesion. When we weaken schools, we do not eliminate costs. We transfer them often to public safety budgets, social services, and emergency interventions. The choice is clear. Invest proactively in education or pay reactively in remediation. The $18.2 million allocation protects not just academic performance, but community stability. Let us be clear, this proposal does not represent expansionary ambition. It represents operational necessity. It maintains existing programs. It covers essential personnel. It sustains infrastructure. It ensures compliance. It protects equity. Failure

124to fund at this level would create service reductions, increased class sizes, staff attrition, deferred maintenance, and long-term financial exposure. Approval, by contrast, demonstrates foresight, prudence, and leadership. Public service requires difficult decisions. But this is not a difficult one. The question before us is not whether we can afford to fund our schools at 18.2 million. The real question is whether we can afford not to. History consistently rewards communities that invest in their children. It penalizes those that attempt to economize at their expense. Tonight and in the future, we have taken the opportunity to affirm a simple but powerful principle that education is the foundation upon which every other civic priority rests. Economic development depends on it. Public safety depends on it. Workforce readiness depends on it. Community cohesion depends on it. and above all, our children

125depend on it. I respectfully urge the board of supervisors to fully fund the $18.2 million operational allocation, not as a gesture, not as a favor, but as a responsible act of governance. Thank you, >> Madam Chair. I move to adjourn. >> Second. >> Oh, wait a minute. I have my own comments to make. First and foremost, let me apologize to everybody here this evening because uh I I don't want it to appear that I'm less than thrilled to be here. That's not the case. >> We have a motion on the floor. >> Say again. >> We'll have to vote on the motion. There was a motion that was on the floor and it was seconded. >> Second. Madame Chair, um I would like to amend the motion if I or I can't because I didn't

126make the motion, can I? All right. Momentito portfol a separate there would have to be a vote taken. Okay. >> All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> All those opposed? >> No. >> So, we're not adjourned. >> We are not adjourned. So, any board member comments? >> Yes, I have comments. I don't appreciate being cut off when I'm trying to make one either. Again, I apologize. I've suffered from minier syndrome for the last 35 years and the medicine is making me really groggy. So, I don't want it to look like I'm not thrilled to be here this this evening. It's just the medicine is wearing me out. So, I apologize if anybody took offense thinking I wasn't interested. And the last thing I want to comment on um in in regards to

127um the student walkouts, yes, they do have a first amendment right according to Tinker versus De Moine 1969 to peacefully symbolic symbolically uh protest by passing out buttons, armbands, clothing, signs, petitions, and flyers. that is protected. But the Young Voices of Winchester uh sort of said that in cooperation with Frederick County and I don't know about the rest of the people on this board, but I was against it. So I didn't have I I would um just want to clarify that I was against the walkouts because they do not have a right to to disrupt class. So I was against it. I was never for it. So I just wanted to make that clear. And with that now you can adjurnn. >> Make a motion to adjurnn. Second. >> A motion has been made and

128properly seconded to adjurnn. Um >> any all those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion passes. We have one announcement for tonight. Our next school board meeting will be on March 17th.