001Okay, I would like to go ahead and open and welcome everyone to our November 24th, 2025 school board meeting. We did meet earlier this evening for some closed session um items and are returning from recess now. So, I'm going to go ahead and start with a moment of silence. Okay. And this evening for our pledge of allegiance, I would like to invite Jacob Meyers down. And then could everyone please rise? To the flag of the United States and to the stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. You may be seated. Um, Dr. Chair Horst and members of the board. My name is Jacob Meyers and I am currently serving as the chapter president for Elton Middle School FC School Family Career and Community Leaders of America or FCCLA. On behalf
002of our officer, team, members, and adviserss, we would like to welcome you to our school tonight. We considered it an honor to prepare dinner for you all tonight. FCCLA is the only student organization that has family as the central focus. We not only teach students to strengthen their families, but also teach them how to serve and improve their communities and develop career and leadership skills. FCCLA has over 200,000 members across the nation serving and learning how to develop our nation into a better place to live. FCCLA is the ultimate leadership experience. The Elton Middle School FCCLA chapter would like to thank Dr. Shifflet and the members of the school board for supporting our adventurers as we are hashtag connected with FCCLA this year. This past summer, seven Elton Middle School chapter FCCLA members had the
003opportunity to travel to Orlando, Florida for the National FCCLA leadership conference. Five students placed in the top 10 in their n national and their competitive events including personal finance, professional presentation, red talks and chapter website design. This fall, we had the opportunity to travel to the State Fair of Virginia for FCCLA Day, Liberty and Bridgewater Colleges for FCCLA college days, and the Rockingham County Fairgrounds for the FCCLA fall rallies. Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC for Capital Leadership Conference. While there, I was able to network with other FCCLA members from across the country, meet with lawmakers to discuss policies affecting career and technical education, and attend the wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cere Cemetery. I brought valuable leadership skills back to Elton Middle School to use to improve the
004chapter. The Elkton Middle School FCCLA chapter will participate in our annual community service activity on December 24th by serving a spaghetti dinner to those in need in our community. Last year, we served around 140 people. Again, welcome to Elton Middle School and thank you for continuing the support. [applause] Thank you very much, Jacob. And thank you to FCCLA uh here at Elton Middle School for feeding us tonight. This is always one of my favorite dinners because everything is so good and I'm always embarrassed by how much I eat, but it is worth it. Um we all went for seconds at least. Um okay, next on our agenda are comments from the public and Mr. Zimmerman, you are up. Good evening, Dr. Shifflet, Chair Horst, and members of the school board. My name is Nicholas Zimmerman,
005and I am currently one of two family and consumer sciences teachers here at Elton Middle School, as well as FCCLA adviserss. I would like to echo what our chapter president, Jacob, said in welcoming you to our school and thanking you for the work that you do for family and consumer sciences and career and technical education. I come to you this evening to speak regarding item 6A on the agenda and to bring your awareness to something that is important to me as an educator that value values equitable opportunities for all students across all CTE areas in middle school. in the proposed program of studies for next school year at the middle school level. Family and consumer sciences will be to my knowledge the only CTE area that will not have a high school level credit class
006for eighth grade students next school year. When I inquired administratively about the reasoning behind this, I was informed that we did not need to add another class to the middle school elective class offerings next year. I encourage you to re-evaluate your decision regarding this for upcoming school years, understanding the implications that it has on our students currently and for years to come. and also to be able to provide equitable justification and look at how this affects students and staff members who start sequential classes in 8th grade. All CTE areas should have the opportunity for a high school level class in the eighth grade or no CTE classes should provide an opportunity for students to receive high school level credit in the eighth grade. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mr. Zimmerman. Okay, moving
007on is our consent agenda. Do I have a motion? So moved. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Oh, I'm sorry. Consent agenda. Okay. All in favor say yes. I'm sorry. Moving on really quickly here tonight. >> Yes. On the oppos. Okay. Motion passes 40. This brings us to our action items. Dr. Emily Holloway is up first for our high school course offerings for year 26 27. Vice Chair Burggoyne, Dr. Shifflet, members of the board, I was before you at your last meeting, as you are aware, on November the 10th to present the program of studies and the changes reflected in that, specifically highlighting the high school courses related to the UCGs, the lab school, uh, and then our dual enrollment and concurrent offerings. I am here tonight to ask for
008your approval of the presented 2026 27 program of studies. Vice Chair Borne and board members, I recommend approval of the high school course offerings for the 2627 school year as presented by Emily Holloway, supervisor support services. >> Thank you, Dr. Shiplet. Do I have a motion from the board? I move we follow the superintendent's recommendation. Have a second. Second. Thank you, Mrs. Cave. Any discussion from the board member? >> So, regarding what Mr. Zimmerman just said, I'm looking at at the course of studies and I thought that our push was kind of to start moving away from offering high school classes in 8th grade. And I'm also looking and of course we all I'm very I'm very familiar with agg. So I'm looking at a and I'm not seeing an egg. Do we have do
009we have other CTE programs available in the eighth grade for college for high school credit? >> Wait, you want me to answer that Dr. Shiva? >> We do. Um we have a high school credit offering. The a class that you are talking about they call it farmtoplate and it is taught with the FCS teacher. Um but it is an A high school credit. Um it is they receive middle school credit for FCS but a high school credit uh for agg but teched um and ITF all CTE classes in 8th grade and next year's program of studies does include a high school credit not counting FCS >> but FCS has the farm to plate and we are planning on keeping the farm to plate class not only next year but moving forward. >> Yes ma'am. Okay.
010>> The I think just to clarify it's it's not an FCS credit. It's an A credit um of the landing for the program of studies credit in 8th grade but it's a high school credit. Yes. Is there any other um as Mr. man said, "Is there is every CTE course except for FCCLA given an opportunity to earn high school credits?" And that's the only one that's being left out >> reflected in this program of studies. That is correct. >> Okay. >> And that would require some work on aligning curriculum uh to be able to do that and combine it. And right now it falls under the egg um course code for a high school credit. >> Okay. >> Do we have We don't offer business classes though. So like DECA classes, we don't have one
011of those in eighth grade, do we? >> ITF. >> Use more words. Sorry. [laughter] >> Okay. You're going to make me leave this out. >> It is It is the business eighth grade. It is >> It's business eighth grade under the business department. referencing the information technology fundamentals. >> Yes. >> And that is a high school credit in the business. >> So is that in the business or the technology? >> So that is it falls under the business of ITF like keyboarding in sixth grade. Um and so in eighth grade it is the business fundamentals. Um and that still is under the career and technical ed. It's not the teched class. It is the um but it is under career and technical education. >> So what is the high school offering that we have for
012teched? >> The design it's in the program of studies. I'm sorry Dr. Shifflet. I I did not bring that before me tonight. Um >> technical drawing and design. >> Yes. Yes, sir. >> All right. I just wanted to get a sense of where there's gaps and from what I hear you saying that it's FCS is is the the course that's not earning a um high school credit currently in the program of studies >> currently. Yes. >> But to do that we're going to have to work on some curriculum alignment to make that happen. we would have to work on um which course of the SFC FCS program um that we would want to bring into that and would that be a high school credit for the farm to plate? Would it align and then they
013choose or would it be a separate course? And so it would take a lot um further discussion. And to my understanding from attending the middle school principal meeting where this was um discussed and in further conversation with Carrie Gray, either could happen, but for this year, that would want to be a conversation also with FCS teachers. um because of the current schedule and you know the case load that they're teaching um it would potentially pull students um from other FCS classes um while providing them yes it would provide them the pathway in FCS um but we would want to have some conversations and insight and buy in um from the FCS teachers as well and communication regarding would we want that to be the farmtoplate or a separate course not a mind where they would
014choose which credit they would receive because they would not be receiving two high school credits for one class. >> So we could pass this and then have conversations further about this one course, right? >> So if passing this tonight would would pass this in approval for the next >> 26 27, >> right? and and we could begin discussions for the following school year um for that. But in working to make that happen, a lot would go into that prior to the scheduling season which starts in January. And um it would, you know, with the breaks and all, I would not want to misspeak and make that sound possible to have all of those discussions and happen for this current program of studies to have an amendment. That makes sense. >> Dr. Shiplet, is that too
015much to make happen for the 26 27 year if it's something we wanted to talk about? >> Yeah, I think we would want to be very thoughtful about the process and and looking at this. And so I think for this year, I would recommend staying the course. Also want to just remind the school board. So for a student to graduate from um Rockingham County Public Schools and a standard diploma requires 22 credits, advanced is 26. In high school alone, from freshman year to senior year, students have an opportunity for 32 credit hours. So, there's more than enough opportunities for students to get the credits they need for graduation. And what we have noticed over the past several years is we have lots of students um who the only thing they need to complete for their
016senior year to graduate is uh English 12 and US and Virginia government. And we see a lot of those students taking those courses over the summer and graduating early. and and we're happy for them if they have a a plan uh to move forward and to, you know, begin their career or move on to college or continue their trade school education. But also just want to be mindful the more the more courses we put in in middle school for high school credits. Um these students will be graduating perhaps a year early from Rockingham County Public Schools and that means many of them will be 17 years old. So, just something to keep in the back of your mind when we we're looking at eighth grade, but also let's think about the the other side of
017this when they're seniors. >> And if we make this credit if we make a credit like the farm to plate class. >> Yes, ma'am. >> We don't offer the farm to plate class at the high school level. >> Correct. >> So, if we offer something FC >> C L Thank you. If we offer something there, then it's something that we kind of have to take away from the high school that curriculum. >> Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. >> So, so it's not super simple. >> And this program of studies, we really did clean up some of that to where there are grade levels attached um with the courses and so that there are no repeated courses. Even in course names, even if the course number was changed, we tried to clean up the course names as
018well. Um, so there's no repeat option in high school for what they take in middle school. Anything further from the board? Okay. So, we do have a motion to approve the high school offerings for 2627 as presented. All those in favor, please say yes. >> Yes. >> All oppose say no. Motion passes 40. Thank you, Dr. Holloway. Appreciate it. >> Thank you very much. >> Um, next up we have Mr. Steve Reid with the McGisville Elementary addition and renovation. Vice Chair, Vice Chair, sorry, Dr. Shepher, members of the board, before I start with this recommendation. put at your all's seats this evening a letter of recommendation from our architect about this bid recommendation. Also, just additional information that came from the architect. With that said, the bid for the addition renovation at McGeeville Elementary was
019uh properly specified and advertised. We had two firms uh submit sealed bids. Our recommendation is to award the contract to the low bidder Lance Construction Company of Broadway in the amount of 15,589,000. That will make the total project budget uh for the project at $18 million. Vice Chair, regarding schoolboard members, I recommend awarding the bid uh to Lance Construction. Um per the recommendation of Mr. Steve Reid, director of maintenance. >> Thank you, Dr. Shifflet. Board members, do I have a motion? I move we follow the follow the superintendent's recommendation. >> Second. Thank you. Any discussion? Um I have a question that's off topic from the bid, so it's okay if you don't know the answer and it's totally random. Do you know if this renovation includes a new gate around the bigger playground? Um because
020we are extending the parking lot up and closer that way. And I know that's random. I apologize. I do not believe there is a gate at the bigger playground in this project. However, it's been a budget request of Makisville Elementary that we've kind of said let's put on hold till we get done with this addition because it's going to be in the way as we do the addition. >> Okay. >> So, it's something that's that's being asked for that on the radar. It's just it's not part of this. >> Okay. >> So, then I guess I just want to say to Mr. Baker to keep it on your budget requests, make sure that happens. So for clarification, we are approving the low bid tonight, but the or that's what the recommendation is currently. Um but
021the total budget is higher than the low bid. Can you explain that a little bit better? >> Yes. So so we have things that we handle outside of the scope of general contractors uh contract such as the uh hazardous material abatement. We handle the cabling of the building. We handle all of the kitchen equipment, uh, paper towel dispensers, soap dispensers, fire extinguishers, blinds in the classrooms. We handle all that stuff outside of the scope of the general contractor. Uh, is a money savings thing basically. It also the 18 million includes then the design fees. >> So, will we bid on some or will we vote on some of those separately at some point if Yeah. Uh, as a matter of fact, in the last two meetings, we brought the cabling bid and we brought the
022asbestous abatement bid for y'all's approval. I think the last two meetings. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Board, we have a motion to approve. We have a motion on the floor to approve Dr. Shifflet's recommendation. >> All those in favor, please say yes. >> Yes. All those opposed say no. >> Motion passes. 40. Thank you, Mr. Reid. And you have the next agenda item as well. >> Right. Before I start that, I want to bring up Shannon Clim. He uh he worked on this bid with us. Uh and he is scheduling all the delivery of the copy paper. So, I ask him to be here with us tonight. U that said the bid for the copy paper was specified and advertised. We had nine suppliers were sent bid package. We had six suppliers respond with sealed
023bids as followed. One of them submitted an alternate did that did not meet spec and that was because of the brightness of the paper and the ability of that paper to lose what brightness it had if it was left outside in the in the light. So, our recommendation is to award the contract in the amount of $93,27360 to WB Mason of Columbia, Maryland. We have used their paper in the past. Uh we had good luck with that. Uh last year's cost uh was $2844 per carton and that was from Liberty Paper. So, as you can see, the prices went down not quite a dollar. Vice Chair Burggoyne and school board members, I would like to recommend uh to award the bid for the copy payer to the lowest bidder as presented by Steve Reed, director
024of mainten maintenance and Shannon Clem, lead mechanic. And that award would go to WB Mason. >> So moved. >> Thank you. Yep. I like this. Um any discussion, board members? So, just to be crystal clear, uh the the one that didn't meet spec, you don't recommend it because of the lower quality or the lower brightness that they >> because they did not submit a product that we specified. That's that's the real reason they didn't it would if if we would accept their bid, then we would accept any bid for anything and it would our specifications would have no meaning. But we don't want to rebid it or anything. We just just making sure. >> Right. We we specified everything uh because of history and in what uh we found is product that's access acceptable for
025everybody. >> Thank you. >> All right. We've got a motion to approve WVM Mason, I believe. >> All right. All in favor, please say yes. Board members, >> yes. >> All oppose, say no. Motion passes 40. Thank you very much. And now for information items, we have Dr. Amy Painter with some policy revisions. Uh, good evening, Vice Chair Burggoyne, school board, Dr. Shiplet. Um I have three different policies uh up for tonight. The first two are revisions of existing. Um the first one is about support staff employment status. It adds a sentence about all support staff positions have a 90-day probationary period. And then employees who've successfully completed the probationary period for one position serve another probationary period if they move to another position. And that's for our support staff personnel only such as classified
026employees. The second policy GBMA goes along uh with that same group of employees. Um it just defines the classified employees and specifies what the other policy had about that they've completed a required probationary period is provided in that policy GDB2. A question about either one of those before I go to a totally different type of policy. >> So what does it entail for the probate probationary period? Does are they so if that if they would move from like custodian at uh Elton to custodian at Eastrock, they'd go under a probationary period again. >> Yes, ma'am. >> And then does that include that they also don't have health insurance for that? >> This has nothing to do with benefits. This happens >> benefit wise. Okay. >> Employment and the grievance procedures. >> Okay. Thank you. Um,
027our third policy for tonight, um, it's nothing new. It was an administrative directive, but we're moving it to be a policy JHCCB. It's procedure for headlight control. Um and the administrative directive um the difference between the two is numbers 78 and nine on the new proposed policy that are the that's the differences between the two. It has to do with um the principal determines notice to other parents um about when they're allowed to return to school and then what happens if it's persistent or recurring infection. So we've had this policy. It's just being as a directive. It's been turned into a policy. Any questions? Board members. Okay, I'm good. Mr. Cross, do you have any questions? Good to go. Okay, thank you very much. All right, moving right along. We have Let's see. We have
028two um sheets in your packet for the finance department staff report and financial review for October 2025. And next up we have our superintendent update. >> Uh thank you chair. I first would like to say thanks to the Elton admin team for hosting our meeting this evening and also shout out to the FCCLA club for providing our delicious dinner. Uh I had the opportunity to attend the legislator's breakfast on Wednesday, November the 19th. Um this event was hosted by Shannondoa public schools. Um Chair Hurst was there, Mrs. K, Mrs. Lure was also in attendance and uh as well um state senators open chain and French and delegate Tony Wilt. And this provided us a forum to uh thank them for their support of public education. and I was able to do so at that meeting
029and also gave us an opportunity to advocate for their continued support. So I just wanted to to share about that that you know we continue to advocate for our school division. Uh also um I'm looking forward to some upcoming musicals. Uh typically this is a spring event but Monovido is uh doing uh Elf Jr. this winter and Spotswood is also I think performing is it frozen? Um and they have been doing two M musicals over the last several years. And then finally, um the perfect uh attendance for employees winner in October. So for the month of October, uh the employee who won the perfect attendance was Mrs. Debbie Nazaro Borts and she drives bus number 99 for Pence and TA. And so I will be driving her route for her tomorrow morning. And um this
030is very interesting. So, she had perfect attendance for the month of, you know, October, which made her eligible for the drawing. But I scheduled a time last week to to ride with her so I could get a sense of what her route was like and how many turnarounds and whatnot. And she told me I am the first substitute she's ever had. She's been with us almost four years and she's yet to miss a day. And so, I'm her first substitute and I I think she trusts that I will do a good job. She asked me when I, you know, I got on the bus with her. I think it was last Thursday morning. She said, "Have you ever driven a bus?" And I said, "Actually, I have a few times, not many, but her route
031is out beyond Ottabbine, out in, you know, Spring Creek area out around um, uh, Clover Hill." And so, uh, there's three turnabouts that I'm a little worried about, but I I think I can manage it and, uh, get the kids safely to school and then hopefully get them safely home tomorrow afternoon. So, that's what I'm going to be doing. So, please do not call me between the hours of 6 and 8:30 and between 3 and 4:30. Thank you. Thank you. >> Has she warned her students? >> Yes, absolutely. She gave them warning and uh they they were very receptive to me that morning on the bus. So, it was really good. And and last thing I do want to say is happy Thanksgiving to everyone. >> Thank you, Dr. Shifflet. Um, all right. Now for
032board highlights, comments, questions. >> Mrs. Kate, would you like to start? >> Sure. Um, hey, I just want to back up just a second on this finance department staff report. Dr. Shiplet, we got So, I see two two here, replacement glass and the copy paper. And we did the copy paper tonight. We did not do the replacement glass. Is that And that was due on the 20th. Is it next time? Okay. >> Yeah, I think they were due the bids were due on the 20th and so they'll be at the next board meeting. >> Okay. All right. Um and Dr. Shifflet stole all my highlights. So anyways, that's all I had to say. No, I'm just kidding. Um he really did, but I wanted to add to what he said because he he won't brag
033on himself. Um Dr. shiplet always does really well advocating for our school division um when we go to these things and he did last year we went I think you and I went right Miss Lure to the take your legislator to school right yeah we went we went last year and um he just always does a really good job for us so um we're blessed in that thank you Dr. And um yep, I was going to talk about the um winter musicals as well. So it seems that everything is happening on the same weekend in December. So I intend to get to as much stuff as I can. Um but anyways, um thank you everyone for all you do. Oh, and Dr. Johnson, thank you for the job that you're doing here. Administrative principles or
034assistant principles, thank you all. Um I hear all good reports. I really do. um even in the complaints, it's never about the it's not really ever about the administration. So, appreciate all you do. I know it's hard work and um thank you for the meal tonight and um my favorite part was the sparkles on the um Hershey kisses. Anyways, all right. Thank you. Um so, yeah, Dr. Shifflet took some some of the things, but I will tell you, um when you're driving a us. Not that I do routes because routes are hard and thanks to all of our school board or our school bus drivers because routes are hard. Not only do you have to get up early and be there on time and be on a schedule, but the turnarounds are hard and stopping
035and getting making sure you have all the kids. We're really particular. We want all the kids, Dr. Shifflet, you have to pick them all up. You not not most. Um, but when you do back up, you have all those little eyeballs that can help you back up. So I'm always like, "Hey everybody, we're all backing up the bus now." So that that's pro tip for you. [laughter] But uh and I used that pro tip when I took um the science club to uh John Paul Jones Arena uh two weeks ago to see Neil Degrasse Tyson speak and that was super fun and super cool. So uh thanks to them for inviting me to take them. Um and uh that was a great experience and I'm looking forward to I was so excited. Thank you for
036hosting and having having your FCCLA students um make our meal. I mean like we are all stuffed. It we are starting the week of eating well. So um but I will be driving those students to Virginia Beach this spring. So it was nice to get to like see a couple of them and get to start knowing them. So, um, but as always, thank you so much for for your hospitality and everyone, please have a wonderful Thanksgiving and try to spend some time, some downtime with your family. Okay, I will close it out. We're gonna practice saying Berggoin as a group here. I'm just kidding. [laughter] It's so funny how people say my last name and I can tell everyone struggles with it. So, I apologize. I'll apologize uh for my husband. Um I'm just joking.
037What? I know. I know. I like when people try to say it real fancy. Anyway, um thank you again to the FCCLA team here for providing dinner. It was amazing. One of my highlights was um I went to Thanksgiving Thursday at my kids school and um the food was amazing. I feel so bad. The cafeteria staff there was I asked them if they were over it. They said they had been over it since Monday. Um it's a lot of planning. I think what did I tell you? 475 475 meals um served and parents, grandparents um came out and they decorated the cafeteria and um it was just really nice to be with your family but also in the Lynville community and Dr. Shifflet showed up and I noticed that our principal needed a break. So
038I am always willing to volunteer him for things. So, he jumped right in there and started serving lunch, which was great. But that is absolutely the kind of person Dr. Shifflet is. Um, thank you again to Elton Middle School for having us and hosting us. It's always a good time here. And I will tell you, I I usually dread getting messages saying, "Hey, I've got to talk to you about a school." But I have gotten nothing but positive messages um about Elton Middle School, and I like to forward them to uh Dr. Johnson. I got another one. I got another one. Um, so it's always good positive things coming out of here. So, thank you for that. Um, and yeah, that will close our meeting. I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving giving and safe
039travels to anybody who's traveling. I'm thankful to be staying home this year. So, thank you all for coming out and you all have a safe trip home.