001Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Welcome to tonight's regular meeting for Monday, April 13th, 2026. The school board met earlier this evening for closed session matter. We're now ready to begin our open session and we'll begin that with a moment of silence if you'd like to join us. >> Thank you. At this time, we will stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. The next item on our agenda are the public comments, and there are none at this time. So, we'll move on to the consent agenda board members. In the consent agenda, there are multiple things there for you to look at the minutes from March 4th, March 23rd, March 24th, field trips, the personnel listing, and I do need one motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. >> I move >> to approve the consent agenda as
002presented. >> Thank you, Ms. Lord. We have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Ms. Bourgoin. Any questions or comments? Hearing none, all those in favor of approving the consent agenda, please say yes. Yes. All those opposed, say no. Motion passes 5-0. That moves us into action items, and we'll begin with our CTE Perkins local plan for the 2026-2027 school year, presented by Ms. Carey Gray. >> Thank you. I bring to you for consideration for your vote the um 2026-2027 Perkins plan. I do want to note one change um since I presented it to you last meeting. As I was reviewing some documents, I realized that VDOE um published incorrect targets for our um standards and as I went back and looked at the actual targets we were supposed to use for this year, we
003also didn't meet post um program placement and we were just like 0.1 or 2 away from that. But what that means is students that are um completing or taking a sequence of two CTE courses in our program are not necessarily going on to further education or careers in that field. Um and so that could be because they're completing in more than one area and we're asking them about the area they're not going into or could be that we need to amp up our um career um exploration and counseling a little bit more. So, that that is part of our plan already. So, I feel confident that we'll hit that target in the future. But happy to answer any questions about that. >> Dr. Shifflett. >> Chair Hurson and board members, I recommend approval of a
004CTE Perkins local plan for the 2026-2027 uh as presented by Carrie Grace, supervisor of career and technical education. >> Thank you, Dr. Shifflett. Board members, do we have a motion to follow? >> So moved. >> Thank you, Ms. Cave. >> Second. >> The second to Ms. Laura. Thank you, board members. Any questions or comments for Ms. Gray? >> So, we're just a tick under where we're supposed to be for kids that are completing CTE two consecutive classes and then not going into the field. >> Right. So, we um have to do completer surveys the year after they graduate. We contact all of our students that took that two-year sequence of CTE courses and we ask them, "Were they satisfied? What are they doing now? Are they um in a two-year program, four-year program, are they
005in the workforce? And um we're just right under the target that we need to be for them aligning their completer sequence to what they're studying or or work working in right now. >> But isn't some of the point so they can explore careers and maybe not go into that career if they didn't like it, you know? >> [laughter] >> I mean, what I'm not super concerned about it, but I did want to make sure that you all understand stood that that that was the case. >> What's the problem if we stay below that? >> Pardon? >> What's the problem if we stay below that? Is there a penalty or just we have to fill out the form? >> Okay. >> Well, great. Thanks for reporting on the form. [laughter] >> Could that number be affected
006by um juniors who graduate from a two-year program and then are still enrolled in high school for another year and not they're not post-grad yet, right? >> No, because we survey them the year after they graduate whether they completed as a 10th and 11th grader or ninth and 10th grader. We're still waiting to see if they >> the NTC graduation, it's just right, high school completion graduation. Okay. >> Correct. >> And do you get those results or is that going to state? The as the results of those surveys when you send them out? >> Um so, we report then to the state. We're actually in the process of doing them right now for >> you get the data and then you send it in. >> Mhm. >> So, our teachers um at the schools contact
007those post-grads because they have the best relationship with them. If I call, it's like, who is who is this person? Her teachers call and get that information for us. >> So, to Mrs. Lord's point about you know, isn't this their opportunity to explore, what about if they they graduate high school and they just I know a lot of people want to just take a year off. We don't follow up with them two years later and maybe they're in their field. So, that >> Yeah, it's a very kind of point in time um piece of data. So that's why I said it's not super I still think we're on track for what we're supposed to be doing for our career counseling and what we're doing for our students. Um, I just want to be perfectly transparent
008that we also didn't meet that target, but it's not um it we will continue to make sure that we're counseling students about career pathways and and getting them into the right courses. Um and yeah. >> Does the state track the data for a specific reason? If they're not using it and if there's no penalty and like is it just a data point for the sake of having a data >> Part of the assurances for the federal Perkins money. So just like we do a local plan for Perkins, um the state has to do a state plan to access that federal money. So as part of their state plan they say we're going to this is the data that we're going to track and these are the targets that we're going to expect all of our
009schools to make and then they submit that to the federal government and get approval or don't. >> So it doesn't affect our funding though? >> No, not at all. None at this point. >> Anything further? Thank you, Ms. Gray. >> Thank you. >> Um board members, [clears throat] we have a motion to follow the um superintendent's recommendation for approval of the CTE Perkins local plan. Please say yes if that is your vote. Yes. >> [laughter] >> Any nos? Motion passes 5-0. Thank you, Ms. Gray. Our next action item is brought to us by Mr. Steve Reed. It's a bid recommendation for the classroom furniture for Pleasant Valley Elementary School and McGackeysville Elementary School. And I hesitate because maybe not many people are as aware, but we have lots of elementary schools with P's that begin
010with P's. Pleasant Valley, [clears throat] Plains >> Yes. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> Peak View. >> I have to stop and read the acronym there. >> So, Chair Hurst, Dr. Shiflett, members of the board, we have two additions that are scheduled to be complete for the this coming school year at Pleasant Valley and McGaheysville. So, we need to put some furniture in these new classrooms. So, we put the bid together for classroom furniture. We we divided into three sections. One, the first section is classroom furniture, teachers desks, teachers chairs, student desks, student chairs, student tables, kidney tables, those types of items. The second is like teacher wardrobes and bookcases. And the third section is early childhood furniture. Um the learning centers and that type of thing. So, we sent out we had sent 13 suppliers. We
011had nine suppliers respond with sealed bids. Um our recommendation is towards section A to H. International Impelx LLC in the amount of $79,689.66. Section B to Virginia School Equipment in the amount of $54,934 and section C to School Specialty in the amount of $14,412.12. >> Dr. Shiflett. >> Chair Hurst and board members, I recommend awarding the bid for classroom furniture for the additions at Pleasant Valley Elementary School and McGaheysville Elementary School to the lowest bidder as presented by Steve Reed, Director of Maintenance. >> Board members, do you have a motion? >> Some of these in section A are so >> Sorry. >> I move to follow the superintendent's recommendation to award the bid for classroom furniture for the additions for Pleasant Valley Elementary and McGaheysville Elementary Schools to the lowest bidder as presented by Steve
012Reed. >> Thank you, Ms. Lord. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Ms. Bergoine. Does anyone have any questions? >> Sorry. I think someone might have a question. You don't listen and you're thinking about what you're going to say instead of >> That's okay. >> Yes. Um close section A, there's some wildly different prices. I was curious if you could speak to that and was there a quality difference too? >> Yes, quality difference. If you notice, there's a couple there that says did not meet spec. So, those two prices are actually were less than the one that we recommended to award. When we get these bids, we start with a low bid. We uh compare the items that they are bidding or selling us to our specs. And if it doesn't [clears
013throat] meet spec, we say do not meet spec, then we move to the next low bid. Some of the ones that are above that are higher above, they may not meet spec either, but we just didn't didn't look at them cuz we went to the to the lowest number that met spec. Um yeah, there's there's different grades of furniture. Uh we typically are are toward the more I don't want to say lower end, but it's the non-fancy end of furniture that we purchase. >> Then, can you speak to Are Are these all like traditional seating arrangements or there any like flexible seating or >> are all These are all traditional seating. Uh I met with each school's faculty and the the administration before we put these bids together and said, "What do you want in
014your classroom?" And this is what we went with. >> That was my next question, so thank you. >> Yep. >> Any other questions? Hearing none, all those in favor of awarding the bid for classroom furniture and the additions at Pleasant Valley Elementary School and Mechanicsville Elementary Schools to the lowest bidders as presented, please say yes. >> Yes. >> All those opposed, say no. Motion passes 5-0. Thank you, Mr. Reed. That concludes our action items for tonight, which brings us into our information items. There are two there, beginning with Mr. Chris Bryant, who is presenting on the special education annual plan and application for federal funds. >> Good evening. How are you all? Chair Hurst, members of the board, Dr. Shiflett, every year state school divisions all across the country are compelled to present the annual
015plan and how they plan to use their federal funds for the the the following school year. So, I'm here to make sure informationally you all have that information. You should have in your packet a presentation and then an insert that I'm just going to briefly refer to. And part C and part B are are phrases that I'd like you to know about. Part C are federal dollars that are allocated to students age 3 to 5. Um we get quite a bit of funds that are are provided to those students as they move from the infant toddler community to our school system services. Uh the part B is our school age children. So, you're talking uh 5 to 22nd birthday. So, that's the part C part B. So, prior to the uh submission to the VDOE,
016um I'm required to share that annual plan and federal funding plan with our local SEAC and submit it to uh the local school board, which we're here tonight. And a couple of weeks ago, I see the cash is here. They're part of our SEAC. They heard the presentation. Uh we had a really good dialogue and quite a good attendance, I think, for um the the review. So, that was good for the SEAC. And I'm going to get into the presentation you have in front of you. First, I'd like to thank quite a few people cuz I don't do this alone and I certainly couldn't do the job on my own. So, I do want to thank you. Uh you've been very steadfast and supportive of me and this team for uh you know, the the
017entire time I've been in the seat and prior to. Uh executive team has really done a lot for us in the last uh year and really very recently. Uh Mr. Moyers' financial guidance, extremely important. So, I I couldn't do it if he didn't give me um guidance and an ear anytime I needed it, as well as uh Dr. Painter for HR support. Uh in the office, I need to thank Dixie, Karen, and Terry. They keep things afloat. They're the admin professionals and I thank them. Uh Jen Baker, Sarah Fawley, uh Ashley Hauf, Barbara Eanes, Sarah Wymer. I needed to thank all those personally. They helped develop all this. So, we have in front of us um our presentation of our annual plan for the year. This is our Blue Ridge Community College post-grad program. You
018see kids hard at work. They're learning marketable skills in in these pictures and they were in our office uh putting together packet for SEAC. And so, we had a model example to go by and they were able to use that model in order to create the the packet for uh new parents to our school division. And pretty awesome that things are always going on. Um and I wanted to highlight one of our programs. So, Blue Ridge won won the drawing there. Uh Myers Ford donated lockers. Now, they're learning combination locks and it's very important life skill to know how to do a combination lock. So, I'm just really proud of what's going on there at Blue Ridge for our 18- to 22-year-olds. Okay, so last year I came to and I talked about a road
019map. Uh that road map was kind of a strategic plan, a vision of what we would really like the department to look like. Um and I I I have a little history. I know what the departments look like over a few years, and I'm not doing it alone. So, we had big wish li- items, big dreams, and we just put it all out there. And you heard all those requests. And in addition to that, I'm just going to read you all the things that you actually helped us achieve. And this is the previous year. A pay differential for adapted teachers and adapted paraprofessionals, the adoption of a middle school multiple disabilities program, retention of speech and language contracted services to meet rapidly growing special ed needs, um a third postgraduate class at JMU, a high
020school behavior support program, a focus on professional development targeting behavior support, uh sped EL dually identified student um committee, a psychologist intern position to reduce those testing caseloads, uh in an effort to recruit and retain school psychologists, we provided data comparing school psychologist uh compensation packages to the surrounding divisions, um a third itinerant early childhood teacher, the addition of an adapted coach, addition of a general curriculum coach, and finally, uh the appropriate use of proportionate set-aside funds, which are our home school students, private school students do get a certain amount of funds to meet their needs if they have a disability. You said yes to all those things, and I just want to thank you for a lot of room at last year. So, the state of Virginia has um six areas that they expect
021school divisions to focus on, and um you know, I shared these with you last year. They're not going away. Uh everyone can see them there, but I think for our team, we're going to focus on three of them. Uh we feel like we're doing really well with three of them. High-quality instruction at the top is something that we've talked a lot about. Dr. Shifflett's talked about it in admin meetings, uh uh parental engagements. We did a survey as as far as inclusive practices in the school division. Uh parents had a lot of good things to say, but they do feel like we could do more with getting them pulled into the mix and knowing what's going on with special ed services. So, uh the team wants to focus on that. And then the last one
022is the the big big word inclusion. All right, least restrictive environment for individuals with disabilities to the maximum extent possible. So, those are three things I can answer questions we need to focus on. Um So, some enrollment numbers. And of course Mr. Moyer's triple-checked these with me. So, these are accurate for the last 4 years. The growth is not just staggering. So, I just want you to know that the growth is not staggering, but we did tip over 1,500 uh this year for the first time. And so, that's that's the growth. And that's why we have this phrase maintenance of effort every year, which is spending more on special ed than you did the year before. I know that's a simple way to say it, but uh because we can expect growth in needs to
023increase, we do have an maintenance of effort requirement, an MOE uh annually to maintain. All right, so here's the disability categories in Rockingham County Schools, 13 of them. Um and you can see there's some that are, you know, more prevalent, and there's some that are more of what we call the uh low-incidence disabilities you don't see very often. I'll break it out a little better. Here are four disability categories that have more significant growth. Um speech language impairment is that that first. Other health impairments the next, autism, and vision impairment. And of course I have my own uh I smile at my own ideas as to why those certain categories are growing. Um speech is really, really, really growing uh everywhere. I do think our kindergarteners from the pandemic have have hit our schools. Uh
024they're intelligent young people, but they didn't see facial expressions. They didn't see words in mouths moving to make shapes and sounds, so we're going to have some catch-up to do with that. We do think that's part of the speech growth. Uh we OHI is other health impairment. That is I think we're seeing more and understand more about trauma-informed care. I think we understand more about the anxiety and depression. Um those types of things are going to fall under OHI. Autism research is is just growing and we know more. So, we do think those are reasons for those categories growing. Now, I would last year when I came to you, this was the dynamic in the uh in the department and we were we were getting the job done. And I came to you and asked
025for us to look at a strategic plan and this year um you provided us the coaches and um Ms. Abernathy has helped guide kind of the coaching uh PD that they've received. I think they're doing an excellent job. Um I'd love to put them in front of you to share what they do. But, we have one general curriculum coach and one adapted. They mentor new uh early career teachers. Um they're in buildings. They're not sitting in our office and they put a lot of miles on their cars. And we I sign those mileage checks every month because, you know, as long as they're out and getting around to those hot those needs, then then we're doing our job. So, Lucinda Furry Furry and uh Mary Combs are doing a great job. So, then for next
026year, you have already given us hopefully the green light and executive team supported it having a preschool supervisor. Um you know, the pandemic caused challenges for our three, fours, and fives. I need somebody dedicated to really make sure inclusion's happening. And the state wants Rockingham to have 4-year-olds in with their non-disabled peers. So, we got that preschool supervisor. Uh intervention services facilitator. That is basically our child specific meetings, our um community funds with fact, and the Children Services Act CSA. Somebody who goes 3 days a week to meetings and says, "This is the We need CSB support. We need mentoring, things of that nature." So, that's going to be very helpful to me and my team to be in our buildings more frequently than going to meetings. So, I appreciate that. We think we've been
027very supportive. All right, a wish list item for uh 2027-2028 school year. But just putting it out there. Autism coach. Somebody who has had lots of experience with autism and um understands autism and can help teachers who teach students with autism. Um and we have two teachers of students with autism now, but they have kids in front of them all day. Maximum of eight. That's the cap on the caseload. Three paraprofessionals. But um I'm telling you they could benefit from somebody who understands behavior and has those years of experience. So, I'm just putting it out there for 2027-2028 wish list. Okay, so I I shared this slide a year ago. We wanted all these things. We were begging, thank you, please give us these things, and look at all the checks. Those are the things
028you said yes to. And so, again I just want to thank you the asterisk is we contracted with speech language center to fill the the growing speech need that has been wonderful and it has caused some budgetary problems so I'm just going to be transparent Justin's got me doing some work now to figure out how to make that work in 26 27 and I am going to continue working on that um Dr. Shiflett has talked about allowing me to have another SLPA who would serve another group that would help defray some of this uh extra expense so we're moving um and those last two that aren't checked I told you earlier we need to work on instructional practices professional development and specifically designed instruction which is special ed so we'll build PD related to that
029for 26 27 and that's all the folks who help stakeholders in our special ed department that may have been a little quick I'm hoping maybe you have some questions and we're excited about the plan >> board members do you have any questions you would like to ask Mr. Bryant? >> um can we go back to this slide it was >> the graphs? >> this and can you tell us what all those little letters stand for? >> yes ma'am >> cuz cuz I've been doing this for a couple years and I still don't know what all the letters stand for so I'm sure my fellow board members would benefit from that all the >> I'm going to go left to right they're very small specific learning disability very very regimented criteria to qualify it wouldn't be
030a lot of volatile change. Speech language impairment, other health impairment, autism, developmental delay, and that that's that ends at 7 years old. You have to have an actual disability category after 7. Uh multiple disabilities, emotional disability, hearing impairment, vision impairment, orthopedic impairment, traumatic brain injury, deaf blind. A lot of our deaf blind go to VSD B. They feel more comfortable there. We welcome them. We have hearing and vision teachers. Uh and we have students who have like a secondary need and so our hearing and vision do support those students with a secondary hearing and blindness. >> I think can you go back one more slide? >> Yeah. >> Um what that number 20 is the one for this year, the 1504. And this might be more of a Justin question. What percentage is that of
031our total pop? Is Oh, did you run the number? What? >> Yeah. >> I ran it based on 11,499 students. 10%. >> 10% The state the country is at 15. >> Oh, wow. >> And school. So, we are below the country's average. It used to always be 10. >> Are we under identifying or >> Well, great question. I mean, I I don't know if we're under identifying. Case loads wouldn't say that, but >> Right. Well, right. >> But I think there's room for us >> the same standardized scores, so you either qualify or you don't. >> Right. So, obviously we're identifying appropriately. >> Mhm. >> Uh I think it's okay to be under. Uh 10 surprised me. I thought we were a little higher. But >> You can You can double check my numbers. >>
032Yeah. >> Mr. Moyer as well. >> we were 12. So, he had I I think what you said, but uh we can check it. >> I know like for years a previous director would get up here and say, "Yeah, we're right about 10% which is where we like to see it." And so, I was wondering if if it had increased and it feels like it should have increased. >> Well, division enrollment hasn't increased that much. >> That's what I was thinking. >> look at that. And so, I the percentage had to move. The needle had to move somewhere. So, we'll check it. But I you know, we our psychs and social workers are the gatekeepers towards that eligibility and they it's a tough job. And they take it serious. So, I do feel like they're
033they're legitimate, credible, you know, when they're founded. >> Absolutely. And then the autism coach, can you explain that a little bit more? Would that be coaching gen ed teachers or sped teachers? >> It would our adapted our adapted teachers primarily. Um and gen ed teachers, honestly, because we're finding high-functioning students with autism are extremely bright. And but they may have social implications. They may have some rigidity. Some things that a gen ed teacher cannot manage. And the autism teacher is in class with eight kids. And their parents. So, we we feel like I'm glad you asked the question because that's the population that the coach could really help make sure these folks have access to their general curriculum. They may even They may pass with a pass advanced diploma, but if they're getting in trouble
034because they don't know some you know, inferences and some things, then they're going to have problems. So, I think the coach could really help. >> Mhm. >> And and again, ABA, applied behavior analysis, is a prerequisite for that person. They would understand behavior and how to reshape that behavior through training with with with kids. >> I'm going to ask a question that's sort of off It's on topic but not necessarily about this. Um when we were in attendance for your um professional development day, you mentioned wanting another pathway for the students to graduate. We're missing some people in the middle. So, where are we on that and how can we help >> Wow, I'm glad you asked that. I've talked to SEAC about it. I honestly we had more options for SOL testing in years
035past. I've been in the business a little bit. We had VGLA, Virginia Grade Level Equivalency. We had VAP. We had IEP type diploma options. Um And now we have students who don't qualify for the VAP. Have to take the SOL. They may be non-verbal. And they may they may be they may not be ambulatory, which means they don't walk. They're in a chair. Um and and that we can't really test their true mastery of concepts. And that's not fair to them. So, I you know, we have three schools in improvement for sped. We'll own that. Out of 15 elementary schools, we're doing okay. But I they also have highly adapted programs. And those kids can't qualify for a VGLA that doesn't exist. And now they they have a hard time qualifying for VAP because the
036stakeholders want VAP to be a more substantially involved child. The the VAP would be a student who would now has higher needs than what it was 5 years ago. And that's just not that that's frustrating for my team. So, we have a gap in SOL options. >> So, that's a state level issue. >> Yes, ma'am. Yeah, and and again it's a big issue because I got a VAP or I've got an SOL taker and it's a it's it's a crime. It's a shame. Some of the folks we've got were reading the test, too. And that's she says that's the policy. So, that's it. >> Other questions? My My question has to do and maybe you don't know this and you'll just have to get me this information later, but my my question is um looking
037at your um special education teachers, how many we have in general curriculum, adapted curriculum. Um my question is, how many of these are provisionally licensed? >> Can [clears throat] you get back to the slideshow? Thank you. That's a great question. I don't have the number here, but I'll get it for you. >> that for me. >> Yes, ma'am. Um >> I've said that's This is a really tough program to be provisionally licensed in, which is why I think we um were very ready to agree to coaches. >> Okay. So, we're we're hiring first people who are morally morally and ethically good people. I mean, and and they're going to be safe for children. And so, after we find that, we're looking for people who have the most credentials to do the job. And those people
038are few and far between. We're hiring young people. We're hiring career switchers. Uh they're all great people, but we have provisional licenses. >> It's just a tough field to come in provisionally licensed as I mean, teaching general education would be tough or is tough anyway, but special education requires specialized knowledge for sure. Um What's the profile of a graduate coming out of local universities as far as what they're certified in for special education? And I remember when I was teaching, I had a student teacher who was going to be dually certified in special education for infant through grade three, but also be a general education teacher in K through five or six, I don't remember, and I thought that's a lot. Are you in school a little bit extra for that? And the answer was
039no. >> Right. So, now they've broken it out and you have to take a track. >> Mhm. >> So, you're either a general curriculum SOL taker, uh standard diploma uh teacher, or you are saying I want to be an adapted teacher, and you're getting more coursework on behavior um and those additional uh specially designed instruction courses. So, >> Okay. [clears throat] >> Uh they broke it out. I you know, I teach at higher ed um as I can, adjunct, and uh you know, gen curriculum teachers don't get many sped classes. >> Teachers >> No. >> Those those young people who want to teach third grade, they get like one sped sped class. >> Right. >> And I try to give them one good one, you know, but so we could do more at the higher
040ed. I would love to have more of a committee uh listening session with the higher ed folks to talk about curriculum. Uh but yeah, >> I just think people being certified or knowledgeable just in specific learning disabilities, that category alone >> is massive. >> is is massive and far far-reaching, right? You can have I'm assuming dyslexia in that category. >> Yeah. >> Right? But you can have other things like processing disorders, you can have >> Yeah. >> long-term retrieval, >> But >> working memory, all of all of the above, and all of those are very specialized. >> Mhm. >> If if you for instructional purposes, so. >> And you know, again, retention is always the number one thing because if you have that, you're going to have people who who have experience in what worked,
041what didn't work. >> Mhm. >> Um we're going to be pushing a little more co-teaching. That's a special educator and a gen ed teacher in the same room. One knows disabilities and one knows the curriculum, and that's expensive. Uh Pence has a really good one with Monica Johnson and uh Nicole Meredith, seventh grade math. It's fabulous. Go see it if you can. But we don't have a lot of them. Co-teaching, it's it's expensive. I mean, you take a salary and you have times it by two. And they do a great job with math, 7th grade. So, anyway, we're looking at specially designed instruction professional development. Especially in light of three schools under improvement for SOLs with with sped, so We'll focus on that next year. >> Yeah. I even think in the category of other
042health impaired, you have students with ADHD, too. Sometimes qualifying it there, and that's a whole 'nother >> Oh, that's very different than a learning >> That's very different. >> learning disability. >> Right. >> Yeah. Is some of this stuff that we could teach at our Rockingham learns? Is that what the the thing is called? What's that? >> I think for probably for general education, but yes, professional development for sure. There are some things like just learning what executive functioning, how that looks for a typically developing versus a child with ADHD, what what what that looks like in how you can help them succeed in your class. I think those are things you can you can definitely do an in-service training and professional development. I think it goes deeper than that when you're talking about >>
043Yeah. >> natural licensure >> Yeah. >> for sped and >> Yeah. >> Well, just so you know, and you may have already heard that we're going to do an a principal training this summer for principals, and I think that's where it starts. If they understand sped 101, then they can better support their They're not all sped principals. They don't know sped. So, if we do a June 29th, uh all day principal training, sped 101, we'll do it again July 29th in case folks are out of town for summer. We feel like principals come back feeling better about sped 101 information, and they can support their their staff uh with you know, trainings. Uh whether we're doing them, James UT taxes one of them, or the in-house. So, that's where we're going to start with principles
044this summer after the retreat. >> Thank you for that because in in this conversation, I'm like, "Oh my goodness, we need this coach now." Because also, one thing I know we as a board look at um our personnel reports. We have resignations and this time I mean, anytime there's resignations, there's usually somebody's bed. It's really a hard thing it's a hard area to teach. And and we've got six on the the report for tonight and six resignations out of the entire division and one is sped and it's almost always that way. So, we've got to do a we've got to do everything that we can to to support our teachers, especially our sped teachers. >> And and we're finding that taking someone who's gone through full programming in in college is a more long-term investment
045than trying to switch people. And those resignations you're seeing are people who thought it might be fun and might be good, but we need people who are willing to I don't want somebody who's not all in and understands what they're getting into. So, it's probably best but we need long-term four-year degrees plus four you know, five-year degrees that we're hiring. >> Okay. Did the parents that came want to to say anything or just hi, thank you for coming tonight? >> This is Brandon and Britney Cash. And there's Miss Katherine. Hey, bud. >> So, um we really support Chris. Um he does a great job of listening to everything that we have to say um being very optimistic, but also very realistic. Um our discussions are great. Um it's we we couldn't ask for a better
046partner in all of this. >> And they ask tough questions sometimes. That's not right, but but I do feel like they give me the time to say I don't know or get an answer. So, that's it's great. Appreciate you. >> And thank you guys for being here. >> Yep. So now I'm the teach I'm the gatekeeper for that class. >> [laughter] >> Whenever I get a section of it. >> Thank you Mr. Bryant. We do appreciate all you do for the division. >> Thank you all for all you do to support us. >> [clears throat] >> Okay, that concludes No, that does not. That was just a joke. >> [laughter] >> That concludes that presentation. >> that presentation, but wait, there's more. Mr. Moyers is coming up to give us a maintenance project committee update.
047>> First of all, it's 13%. >> 17? >> 13. >> Oh, 17. 13. I'm sorry. I'm going to It was 13. 13. You crunched the real hard numbers. I'm a fast numbers. Thank you for helping us with that. >> So good evening Chair Hurst and members of the board. Dr. Shiflett, um just want to thank you for having me this evening. I wanted to go over a little bit new committee that Dr. Shiflett had wanted to start, which was the Superintendent's Maintenance Project Committee. The purpose of this committee was to review the maintenance projects that we're doing on a yearly basis that were over $60,000 and try to get some input from other stakeholders in the county on what our process is, how we rank projects, and what we can do better, and then how
048what we can bring to the board um to help that process during budget time. So, the members of the committee this year were Kevin Flint, who's on the planning commission, David Kurfman, who's also on the planning commission for Rockingham County, Dwayne Martin, the deputy county administrator, Steve Reed, director of maintenance, Shannon Klem of maintenance, and myself. So, we met a couple weeks ago. We went through all the projects that were over $60,000 for next year's budget, and then we reviewed our process with them on how we rank these projects and where the information comes from. And then we asked for their input, like what did they see as their priorities, what priorities should we look at for the county as a whole. Um the whole point of this is for us to just solicit feedback.
049So, this year we kind of did it late in the process. We did it after the budget was set. The plan in the future is that we will do this in October. They will help us kind of set our priorities that then we bring to you all to look at in um December and through the budget process. Uh at the end of the day, the goal for I think myself and also for Dr. Shifflett is to make sure that we're getting the right priorities in place when we bring them to you, and also if we need to ask for more money from the county board of supervisors to fund some of these projects that are very important, we'll kind of have some community buy-in to do so. Um so, I just wanted to bring it
050to your attention tonight cuz it is something new that we're doing, and then I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have. >> Does anyone have any questions? >> I would like to say in maybe June or July, depending on um our current agendas and what we have moving, I'd like for um Mr. Reed to come back and and basically explain some of the the pro- the the process that he uses to go go things. For example, tonight we had a bid recommendation for furniture. So, one may assume Miss Irons had a great question. One may assume that Steve just went through a catalog and picked out some furniture on his own and said this looks good and I think that would look nice and whatever. But, then you learn that he goes and
051spends time with the faculty and asks the the teachers in that building and asks the principals, "What do you want in your classrooms?" Right? So, it's not his ideas and and what you'll discover when you have that presentation that that happens over and over and over again on every single thing. It's uh Steve is sort of the director of it, but he is getting feedback on everything that he's doing and I think having him come before this board and explaining that the process and and and their regularly scheduled maintenance and all those things uh I think would be very beneficial for this board and uh I appreciate Justin working with this committee and putting it together and I think it was very informative and as we get into, as he said, next fall and we
052start talking about budget again, we'll we'll have a role we'll have other eyes on it as well from our community and stakeholders to tell us, "Hey, you know, this this is not enough funds for maintenance. We got other projects that we're going to have to take care of because um right, money's limited, so you have to make choices. Right? So, if you do this project, that means you you do not do that project. So, I think it will just make us better in the future moving forward. So, thank you, Justin, for for doing that for us. >> Anything further? Thank you, Justin. Appreciate it. Okay, that concludes informational items, which moves us into item number eight, superintendent comments. >> Thank you, Chair Hurst. Uh wanted to um make the school board um aware we have
053had two uh grading committee meetings so far. We had our first one in February and then another in March. And our first two meetings were more about information gathering, kind of determining what we were doing across the division K-12 and all the schools. And now we've kind of started to narrow our focus a little bit. So our next meeting is April 30th. Our plan is to begin drafting a new policy for grading and promotion and then to work on that April and May and then the goal to have a draft to the school board in June for information. So we'll be able to move through with that policy. So I just wanted to make you aware of that. Also, I would like to work to schedule a joint work session with our with our school
054board and our local Board of Supervisors perhaps sometime in May to review the designs for MTAC and maybe finalize the exterior colors which um I will remind you I do not devote on those things, but I think other people here have lots of opinions about that and it would maybe good to hear the perspective from the Board of Supervisors. I would also if if we could and I have to coordinate with Mr. Armstrong, I'd like to um include some visits to Pleasant Valley, McGaheysville and Elkton Elementary. I think it would be great for our board members to see our renovation process. So McGaheysville is just getting started. I think it would be nice to to look at what's happening there and then we're getting towards the end of our Elkton Elementary renovation to see what
055the end product looks like and and I can say the few times I've visited when I've been inside the space at Elkton Elementary School I wouldn't know it wasn't a brand new building. Right? That's how good it looks from the inside. So I think that would be valuable. And then also to look at the addition at Pleasant Valley that that the gym and the music room and so forth is coming on. So we'll coordinate maybe with Caitlin to find a date. I know we we sometimes earmark Wednesday. So we'll see what the county can do on their side. I know all of you are busy folks. So that's that's going to be a challenge in finding a date that suits everyone, but we'll do we'll do our best. And then the last thing I want
056to say is the employee perfect attendance winner for the month of March was Sarah Hernandez Wood, and she teaches adapted curriculum at Montivideo Middle School, and so I'll be teaching for her one day this month and uh doing my role with special education. So, for that one day they'll get high-quality instruction, I'm sure, Mr. Bryant. Or or not. Maybe I Maybe Maybe I'll take Mr. Bryant, you know that part of your contract that says all other duties assigned? Let me Let me Let me Let me Maybe you and I collaborate on this. So, it'll be good. We're looking forward to it, so. Hey, that's music to my ears, Mr. Bryant. That's what we'll need. I surround myself with people who are way smarter and more intelligent than I am, right? That's just how I do
057business. >> Thank you, Dr. Shifflett. Um that brings us to other business, school board highlights, questions and comments. We'll begin with Ms. Irons down here on the on my left. >> Thank you. Good evening. Thank you all for being here. Um I came in I sort of had a day where I like my brain was really relaxed and I was like I don't know what I'm going to say. So, I was going to say something general, but you guys stirred me up today, so uh but first what I was going to say is um just to thank you to all the teachers in the county that go above and beyond this week. Um I had to pick up my son from an after-school club early so we could get to a doctor's appointment, and so
058I got to go walk in and pull him out and see what he was doing in the after-school club. And afterwards, he was telling me all about the fun they were having, and I I wrote the teacher an email just to say thank you cuz they don't get paid to do that. They go above and beyond and they stay after school and they entertain my kid, and he had the he had such a great time. And so, I just want to say thank you to all the teachers and all the staff that go above and beyond because something we repeatedly talk about all together up here is in in our meetings is how we care um about all the I mean all our teachers, but especially the ones that go above and beyond that we
059are so blessed for our students to have have so many quality teachers that do that. So, thank you to everyone. Um speaking of the grading policy and being a parent in Rockingham County, I just want to point out that as a parent, I experience so many of the things that you all experience as students um but through the parent lens. And so, we are taking all that into strong consideration as we make decisions up here and I think it's a really strong value of our board that we have so many parents as we are seeing it firsthand in action and how it affects you all. Um and us also seeing speaking about the renovations, I got to go tour these renovations already as part of just get getting myself acclimated to the board and I
060think that's a really awesome idea that we get to go see um cuz seeing the things in action makes a is a big difference. Um and I was really glad for you guys to bring up the strategic plan idea and both I mean we got to see your strategic plan for sped, but then also Justin yours for ranking projects because that's something I've been thinking about a lot for the the county as we think about alignment. I have a you know, I if you paid attention to the campaign that I was doing to run for this office, um I have a lot of background in the boosters and the PTA and fundraising and stuff and it's really important to have a strategic plan so we're not just like hotchpodging raising money for something here and
061there and then that we're all working together with the county and the stakeholders of parents and students that are actively wanting to improve our schools because we can generate money and funds and we do have connections and things that we can use that will help alleviate some of the stressors, but I think it's really important to have a one, three, and five-year plan for that and I'd love to see that happen with all of our external groups that come in to support our county. Yeah. So, just been thinking about that a lot. Yeah. >> Thank you, Ms. Irons. Ms. Laura. >> Thank you. Um It's I love that I'm coming after you today because talking about supporting teachers, I definitely and pe- teachers who go above and beyond, I definitely want to address that in
062part of my comments. I also it's spring bus driving season, and hey, everybody should get their bus driver's license because I am having so much fun going places, and we need people to go places. I got to drive to Virginia Beach this weekend. Who doesn't want to drive a bus to Virginia Beach? I mean, come on, sign up, folks. >> [laughter] >> I tell you, I had the best seat in the bus because everybody else is foom foom all the way through uh Hampton, and I'm at least bouncing on my seat, so it it's the place to be. Um but, I got to go to the FCCLA conference, and I would like to extend congratulations to Ariana Stroop. She is a new FCCLA uh state officer. We had um Jude Hickman was our past state
063officer. We had several up Oh, wait. Yeah, that was our We also have a national officer, but I forget his name. I'm so sorry. Um I think it was he Was he Did we Was he from Rockingham? No, they're saying no. Okay. Um I think we only had the one student from Rockingham. But, >> What? >> Sorry. Uh brain moment. But, I had to help with Jude's teacher, um Ms. Tate, and she she had so much she had to do at the conference. It was unbelievable, and I would really like to have some conversations on how we can um support these teachers moving forward that have these state officers because it was an awesome conference, and the students did such a great job pulling it off and it was really neat for me to see
064something that wasn't FFA for a change and to see how different organizations run their state conferences. And I did get asked to go to DECA but that was during lambing season. So I'm going to have to change lambing season next year and figure figure out DECA moving forward. Yeah. >> [laughter] >> Um and then I would like to ask everyone to pray for me because I'm driving to DC three times at the end of the week and beginning of next week. So keep me in your prayers. And do we have students here tonight? Are you guys Rockingham County students? Are you JMU students? Well, thank you and welcome welcome tonight. Are you Really? Really? You guys are the high school students and you guys are the college students. I would have not guessed that. >>
065[laughter] >> Um so you Spotswood students. Well, thank you guys for being here. And that's all I have. >> Thank you, Ms. Flora. Ms. Cave. >> Was that enough? I said yeah, you make me tired. >> [laughter] >> Oh, I have No, this is great cuz I wanted to talk about the FCCLA conference conference, too. And I figured that you had lots of of stories. So this is great. But I will say before I go into what I want to talk about is Dr. Shiflett the mark of a wise man is one that will remain in a room where everyone around him is smarter than him. I heard someone say that. When you become the smartest man or woman in a room, it's time to change rooms. So I always think about that when I
066hear people say that. But I there was so much going on I guess in Virginia Beach over the weekend that I figured you would cover a lot of it. And so I never want to come in and like step on any toes or anything. So I just off the cuff this evening I happen to see something online. A friend of mine was posting about two students at um Turner Ashby High School that they went to the FCCLA conference and um they've been hard researching their topic for their presentation for um I think she may have even said it over the course of a year like specific case study and it was on um Sorry. >> I didn't see all of them, so it >> This one was on troubled teens are in trouble. And it
067just I read it this evening and I was like, "Man, I got to share this." I text really quick and I was like, "I'd really like to talk about this at the board meeting because, you know, when we think about FCCLA and all those things we we don't always think about those topics." And so um the two students were um Esme Harris and uh Lelat Hyson and um I thought it was such a great thing. Um they talked about how placing troubled teens in a group home um the effects of that and they followed a specific case um what happened with one specific boy. And I just thought that was so brave and different and I just wanted to highlight them tonight and just say thank you for highlighting such a thing at such a
068really important place to do it at. I think I think it was really great and she said um I'm trying to find they placed first in the state, so they're on their way to nationals with it. So I just wanted to congratulate them tonight and just say thank you. >> Thank you, Ms. Cave. Ms. Bourgoin? This is hard to follow you guys here tonight. Um I just wanted to say there's 35 days left of school. >> [laughter] >> Um >> Things between >> Well, spring break was so nice and the weather was so perfect. My kids had a hard time going back. They they were like, "This felt like summer and we didn't do anything and it was amazing. Um and some some of the board was out of town so nobody called me and
069it was just quiet and peaceful. Although I love you although I love you guys. It was it was really really a nice week and and like I said the weather is beautiful and then of course it was cold again but um >> [laughter] >> That's right. Yes. Um tomorrow uh Mrs. Laura and I are doing a Broadway High School government trip here. Uh so we'll be here all day tomorrow and I wanted to thank um our clerk Caitlin Gilkeson. She got me an awesome bag of swag for our CPS stuff for the kids. Um and so I really do appreciate you. And um I also want to publicly invite Justin Moyers and Dr. Shiflett to help me count pennies this week at Linville-Edom because we have our PTO um penny challenge this week and they
070did come last year so I feel like if I publicly invited them this year they have to come. Uh they did come they both came last year. And um the very last day is usually over a thousand dollars in coins and it's terrible. And it is it it takes hours. And so um it's a great fundraiser and the kids love it. My boys were running around trying to find change today and um it's a lot of fun. So and the board's invited. If anyone wants to join me it is a blast. So anyways, that's all. >> [laughter] [laughter] >> Um that Yeah. So I'll I'll conclude um by thanking everyone for their hard work on this school board. We've um been meeting a lot um just as a board but I think we're in um
071really good shape and we've got a lot of really great things going on. Um Miss Laura, in your experience, um, what are the busiest months as a school board member? >> All of them. All of them. >> But, just pick one. >> Remember when you came on, I was like, just wait until when when we came when we hit spring break, I'm like, buckle up. >> Yeah, that's what Ms. Lore said to me my first year on the board. So, this is, um, passing passing advice to, um, our our newest member on the board that May is a very busy month with really great events and like >> May-cember? Yes. Um, but but we also get to add all of our graduations to it because that's at the end of May. So, we have a
072lot to look forward to. Um, but yes, I have found that May is definitely the busiest. It's there's a lot of events on the calendar and they're all great things. This is not a complaint. This is just yes, there's a lot of busy busyness in, um, in May. So, anyway, uh, that concludes our school board meeting tonight. Uh, I want to thank you all for coming out this evening, joining us for our school board meeting in person and wish you all safe travels. This meeting is adjourned. Thank you.