001Good evening everyone. It is my pleasure to call this April 16th, 2026 business meeting for the Albemarle County School Board to order. We will start our evening with our roll call to introduce ourselves to the public who is here in the auditorium and to those people listening online. Um, Ms. Schmidt, would you start? Roslyn Schmidt, Chief Operating Officer. Daphne Kaiser, Assistant Superintendent. Kate Acuff, Jack Jouett District. Judy Lee Ragged Mountain District. Ellen Osborne, Scottsville District. Rebecca Berlin, White Hall District. Allison Spillman, At-Large Representative. Jim Dillenbeck, Rivanna District. Bob Beard, Samuel Miller District. Matthew Haas, Superintendent. Josiah Black, Chief Legal Officer. Dan Redding, Chief HR Officer. Christine Thompson, Clerk of the Board. Patrick McLaughlin, Assistant Superintendent. And thank you to our officers who are here to serve us today and protect us today and every day.
002We will now stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. 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. We will begin our meeting with a moment of silence. Thank you so much. Agenda point 2.0 is the approval of our agenda. Do I have a motion from the board for the approval of tonight's agenda? I move we approve tonight's agenda. Moved by Ms. Lee. Do I have a second? Second. Seconded by Dr. Acuff. All those in favor of approving tonight's agenda? I. >> I. I. Any opposed? We will move forward with tonight's agenda. Uh, uh, agenda 3.0 is announcements. Our first announcement is to recognize the month of the military child. Um, I would like
003Jamie Gelner, Director of Transportation and a veteran, to introduce um tonight's agenda item. Hi. Uh, my name is Jamie Gelner. I am the Director of Transportation and tonight the Albemarle County School Board is honored to recognize April 2026 as the Month of the Military Child. When I was growing up, I was a military brat, so they called it, and attended seven different schools over my K-12 education. My own father was deployed for the duration of my seventh grade year and we were living at Fort Leavenworth, so I went to a Department of Defense school. Um, and school was definitely a happy place for me while he was gone. Military connected children serve alongside their families in ways that are not always visible, but are deeply felt. They navigate frequent transitions, endure separations during deployment, and
004meet the challenges of change with strength, adaptability, and grace. Albemarle County Public Schools is proud to serve 448 military connected students across the division and proud to recognize Ivy Elementary School, Baker-Butler Elementary School, and Lakeside Middle School for earning the Virginia Department of Education's Purple Star designation in recognition of their commitment to military connected students and families. Many of our schools show support for military families by wearing purple on Purple Up Day, which was yesterday, on April 15th. I'm wearing my shirt just for fun. I'll take it out. And I was really happy to see Mr. Kiner and Brownsville celebrating it. That's where my children attend. Um, this color symbolizes the combined colors of all military branches. The contributions of our military connected children to our schools and communities include unique and valuable perspectives on
005learning, friendship, and growing up, and the ways in which our school staff show up to support military connected children are invaluable to their continued growth. This resolution is offered in gratitude and recognition of the resilience, sacrifice, and contributions of military children and their families and as a statement of this board's continued support for their success and well-being. Thank you so much, Ms. Gelner. >> Thank you. Mr. Dillenbeck will now read a resolution regarding Military Month of the Child. Month of the Military Child. Apologies. Thank you. Whereas military connected children serve our country in their own way through sacrifice, strength, and perseverance, and whereas Virginia is home to some of the nation's most significant military installations and educates more military connected students than any other state in the nation, with more than 78,000 enrolled in public
006schools across the Commonwealth as of November 2025, and whereas Albemarle County Public Schools proudly serves 448 military connected students across the division, and whereas military connected students often navigate frequent moves, family separations during deployment, and the challenges of reintegration while continuing to learn, grow, and contribute meaningfully to their schools and communities, and whereas these students bring resilience, adaptability, and courage to the classroom and enrich our schools with their experiences, perspectives, and strength of character, and whereas Albemarle County Public Schools is proud to recognize Ivy Elementary, Baker-Butler Elementary, Lakeside Middle Schools for earning the Virginia Department of Education's Purple Star designation in recognition of their strong support for military connected students and families, and whereas schools across the division have joined in observing Purple Up Day and other efforts throughout the year to honor and support
007military children and their families, now therefore, be it resolved that the Albemarle County School Board hereby recognizes April 2026 as the Month of the Military Child in Albemarle County Public Schools, and be it further resolved that the School Board expresses its deep appreciation for the strength, sacrifice, and service of military connected students and their families, and reaffirms its commitment to supporting their success and well-being in every Albemarle County school. Adopted this 16th day of April, 2026 by the Albemarle County School Board. Thank you so much, Mr. Dillenbeck. The next item on our agenda is 3.2, School Board, Superintendent, and Committee Updates. Uh, just have another quick update from Dr. Kaiser regarding tomorrow's Student Senate. Good evening, Chair Berlin and Vice Chair Spillman and School Board members. Um, I wanted to provide a brief update on
008tomorrow's Albemarle County Public Schools uh, Student Senate conference. Uh, we will be convening student representatives from across our high schools from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. for a culminating session focused on reflection, student voice, and civic engagement. Uh, this spring's conference is intentionally designed to both celebrate student leadership and create meaningful opportunities for students to engage directly with policy makers and community partners. Um, we will begin the day with a panel discussion uh, featuring Senator Creigh Deeds, who represents Virginia's 11th Senate District, uh, Delegate Katrina Conroy, who represents the 54th House District, and Delegate Amy Laufer, who represents the 55th House District. Um, we have moved um, our panel to the very beginning of the day um, to ensure that our legislators um, can participate and also um, attend the Dogwood um, Vietnam Memorial Rededication
009Ceremony that is um, scheduled for later in the morning. Um, this panel will allow students to engage in direct dialogue around education priorities, safety, and how young people can effectively participate in civic and policy processes. Uh, following the panel, um, students will participate in a Student Senate Showcase where they will present projects they have engaged in throughout the year that align with and reflect the legislative priorities uh, jointly developed by the School Board and Student Senate. These presentations will highlight both successes and ongoing challenges as well as student generated recommendations for next year. Um, the remainder of the day includes a small group uh, rotation and discussions focused on key topics such as the new student um, club policy and a community listening session on gun violence and school climate, as well as time for
010cross school collaboration and reflection. And overall, the event reflects our continued commitment to elevating student voice, ensuring that students are not only engaged in their school communities, but also understand how their perspectives can inform decision-making at the local and state levels. Um, we look forward to sharing reflections and key takeaways with the board following the event the event. Thank you so much. Other School Board or Superintendent or Committee information you'd like to share? Well, I attended my first ACES committee meeting this week. That's the advisory committee on environmental sustainability. We discussed the environmental literacy plan that is currently being devised for elementary schools to talk about recycling, watershed, and energy use and get our elementary students a lot more environmentally aware. I also found interesting in an update on solar use in in all of
011our schools. Right now, there are nine schools that are hooked up with solar panels on top for solar energy. And within the next couple of years, we're going to have 17 solar schools, which is about 50 50% of the schools in the county. So, that is great news as we try to implement the county's environmental plan. Thank you. I wanted to mention that Dr. Haas and I toured Baker Butler this week and it was rescheduled from all the snow or ice or whatever was happening at that time. Who rain could be. So, it was really good to see we got to see HMH in action and see just how clear the curriculum is and how the teacher was really using it with fidelity. We also got to see some students learning to read a clock.
012One of these ones with just the numbers and the hands. Which I think is really good because I I remember knowing kids in college who couldn't read time. And so, I'm glad I'm glad we're back to that. So, and it's also one of the Purple Star schools that we discussed and I saw those on the placards on the walls and that that's fantastic also. So, we were with Miss Cook-Carter and that was just a great visit. Bob, have we talked about our Scottsville visit? We had a spring break in there. But, Bob and I enjoyed a nice visit to Scottsville. It was great. >> Yeah. That was like 2 weeks ago now. Feels forever. I just wanted to bring up something promote an event that's near and dear to me, but also affects Albemarle County
013students. This weekend is Hope Fest, which is a family fan family-friendly musical festival that's being held at Rivanna River Company on Saturday from 4:00 to 8:00. But, we're raising money for Camp Hope, which is a camp summer camp for kids that are navigating foster care, adoption, disabilities, or trauma backgrounds. And many, many Albemarle County students attend Camp Hope and they can't usually attend community-based summer camps. So, if you're looking for something fun to do, we're going to have a kids zone and sensory-friendly area. Lots of bands and food trucks and local vineyards and breweries. If you're looking for something fun this weekend that goes to a really good cause and will help Albemarle County students. I would love for you to join us. Any other updates, Mr. Dulaney back? Dr. Haas and I had a
014chance to visit with Community Lab on Monday. First day back from spring break. And Mr. Ratliff and and his staff were ready to go and the kids were coming in [snorts] and it was really awesome to see what they're doing. They're excited. You know, there's just great energy there. We sat in for a little while on Lizzie Stallings English class and then went to another eighth grade class and just had a great time there with the staff. Thank you so much. Anything else? I [clears throat] had the pleasure of talking to Ms. Mary McIntyre today. She is at she and her team are at the VEA conference in and they were really excited to let me know that they won the the award for the local membership VEA group that has had the largest percentage
015growth in membership. So, very excited for them to receive that award and I think it shows both the amazing work that that team has done in recruitment as well as how important that issue is to our our teachers and professional staff. And she said to me, she was funny. She said, "So, everyone's coming up and asking us how we did it because they're trying to figure out how to do that themselves." And I said, she's like, "I don't know what to answer." I said and I said, "Mary, you know, it is the long work, right? The the day we signed that, we saw the the number of former presidents who supported this work over the years and then the work that the team has done in the last few years. So, it's it's about relationships,
016it's about trust, and it's about what you're bringing to the table. So, they were excited to share the news of the award, but also to share some of the work that they have done in the ideas with others at the conference. So, seeing no other updates before me, we are going to move to public comment and I have asked Vice Chair Spillman to manage that this evening. Thank you. We welcome public input at our school board meetings. To sign up to speak during the public comment period, you can do so in several ways. Online sign up is available from 9:00 a.m. on the Monday of the meeting week until 2:00 p.m. on the meeting day. In person, sorry, by phone, call the school board clerk's office at 434-972-4055 to sign up until 2:00 p.m. on
017the day of the meeting. Or in person, sign up at the meeting is available from 6:00 p.m. until the public comment period for in-person meetings only. Please note that public comment is not received at special board meetings unless specified on the agenda. [snorts] Each speaker will have 3 minutes to speak, but the chair with board consent may reduce this to 2 minutes should there be 14 or more speakers. The maximum number of people or groups that may speak in a meeting is 20. In the event that there are more than 20 people or groups who wish to speak at a particular meeting, each speaker will be assigned a number and numbers will be drawn to determine which people or groups will have the opportunity to speak. Those who do not have the opportunity to speak
018at a particular meeting may sign up to speak at a subsequent meeting and or may submit written comments to the school board's consideration. Speakers should state their name, address, or voting district. Address comments to the whole school board. You may not address individual board members or division leadership individually. Limit comments to school board governance or school division operations and provide written statements and supporting materials to the clerk. The school board will use a timer to track each speaker's time. Once this time is up, speakers are asked to wrap up their comments. To maintain respect, please refrain from clapping or other audible forms of support. You may raise your hand instead. Debate with the school board is not allowed and the projection system is for staff presentations only. Okay, this evening we have nine speakers. The
019first is Jimmy Balou. >> [snorts] >> Hello. I'm Jimmy Balou, the Scottsville district. I'm here tonight because I have a few questions. Let's first start off um You know, Dr. Haas says his office is >> [snorts] >> built with transparency in the guiding principle of his leadership is transparency. Well, I have submitted several emails over the last few weeks. One to include 25 budgetary questions, which none of you all took the time to respond. Fortunately, um >> can't address specifically Dr. Haas. It's just to the board in general. We move We move past that. Specifically, 25 questions about budgetary issues. Um as I was saying, uh Supervisor Galloway did have enough respect to respond. The majority of his questions, the answers were I'll refer you back to the school board. I've emailed multiple people. Um
020The second concern I raised is I raised this with um Dr. Berlin with some of the stuff at Monticello High School. Um I also sent a follow-up email to her email. She was gracious enough to email me back the first time. I do appreciate that. Thank you. Um but, there was no silence after that and it was kind of a an email that was pretty important. You know, it raised some valid concerns after I spoke with about a dozen students at the school level there and I spoke with several staff members. Um but, finally I'm here as we all know, there were some events that took place at Stone Robinson Elementary School in December of last year, which has caused some substantial damage and trauma to my children. As we still deal with that, just
021a prime example, as I spent 30 minutes in the pickup line the other morning coaching my child out of the car with no success. And I will give it to Ms. Leslie Wills-Taylor, who's the principal at Stone Robinson Elementary. She actually got into my vehicle and stood up and said, "You know what? I will make this work." She went above and beyond and I thank you all for having her in that position there. She's been wonderful. But, what brings me here tonight specifically is there's a gentleman there as the counselor. I won't name any names. He has more than 30 years experience. His answer when Mrs. Wills-Taylor was not there Wednesday because she was at a professional development meeting was my child mid panic attack needs to lay down or go home. After 30 years
022of counseling experience, is that an acceptable answer? And if you all sitting here believe that is acceptable, you should just leave tonight. Thank you. [snorts] I would like to remind everyone to not address school board members or division leadership individually. Um number two, Sky sorry, Kyle Smoot. >> My name is Kyle Smoot and I reside in the Rivanna district. I'm here tonight because I believe our school division can and must do better when it comes to inclusion of the people most affected by its decisions. The grading policy episode and situation at Greer are telling. Last meeting, the central office brought a policy before this board for re-approval unchanged without meaningfully consulting teachers, parents, or perhaps most importantly, students. The people who live inside that policy every day were simply not asked. I applaud this board
023for sending it back. However, the revision process still seems murky to many. The point is, we shouldn't need to plead to the board to remedy what the administration shouldn't be omitting in the first place. We're tired of being dictated to instead of being engaged with. So, I have two recommendations. First, every item the administration brings to this board should include a verification statement, a clear, documented answer to the question, "Who was consulted?" If either teachers, parents, or students were not consulted on a given item, the administration should explain why their input wasn't necessary instead of it being assumed. It's a simple step that would create accountability and begin to rebuild trust between the central office, the board, and the community it serves. My second recommendation regards access. Even when the division invites public participation, the
024barriers are high. Too often, it's reduced providing public comment at a meeting. Attending a school board or a board of supervisors meeting often means leaving your children at home on a weeknight, missing a game, missing dinner, missing the vanishingly few hours families can spend together. And then you get 3 minutes at a microphone after the initiative or policy has largely been shaped. This is not meaningful involvement. It's the appearance of it. I'm asking the administration and this board to invest in genuine, accessible engagement. Examples could be more surveys distributed through the schools, town halls during the school day and on weekends, and student advisory input that's actually built into the development timeline. Involvement should occur throughout the process, not be avoided as it was during the greatest grading policy renewal. The teachers in our classrooms,
025the parents in our communities, and the students in our seats are not obstacles to good work. They are the reason for it. When we treat them that way, when we build their voices into our work from the start, we make better decisions for every child. Thank you. Thank you. Um next we have Holly Odum. Good evening, school board. I'm sorry, go ahead. My name is Holly Odum. I'm the mother of three daughters, two at Mary Carr Greer Elementary, and our eldest just graduated from Greer last year, all in the Jack Jouett district. I'm here to follow up on your decision to transfer Greer Elementary's principal, Dr. Steve Saunders, to Crozet Elementary, and the subsequent appointment process for a new principal to Greer. Last night on the Virginia Department of Education listening tour, Superintendent of Public
026Education, Jenna Conway, said to me and other parents, "There is no greater act of trust than sending your child to a Virginia public school." No greater act of trust. Since March 26th, we have emailed you, we have reached out to our county supervisor, we have researched, we have organized. I've rewritten this public comment many times. I've prayed, I've racked my brain trying to think what could move each of you to curiosity, introspection, and action. And I'm left with I don't know. I don't know because you don't know me and I don't know you. Uh standing up here is a really odd way to dialogue. I fully recognize that. I would much rather sit across from you from kind of kindness cafe or volunteer next to you at Greer's culture night next week. I don't know
027your story, so I can do is invite you to ours. Picture it. It's 3:15 this past Monday, the first day after spring break. It's hot and we have 15 girls ranging from third to fifth grade on our Greer Girls on the Run team. If you're unfamiliar with Go Far, that is it's not primarily a running club, it's a connection team where we move our bodies and back each other up. I am in awe of these girls. This one Monday, one of our teammates was having a tough time and she spent the majority of practice speaking to one of our coaches, one of our Greer teachers um here tonight. But as we were doing laps around this playground, another girl noticed this classmate sitting down. She kept checking in with me, just wanting to make sure
028her friend would be okay. This teammate exuded such high character and arguably one of the most important qualities in a leader, empathy. Putting yourself in someone else's shoes. It's lesson 14 in Girls on the Run. >> [snorts] >> And she has such empathy on our teammate for our teammate that tears were running down her cheeks while she was speaking to me. But her empathy did not end there. It gave way to action. She came alongside. She supported her teammate with her actions. Because what is empathy? What is acknowledging someone else's lived experience if not by following up with tangible action items? I am pleading with y'all tonight to lead us with empathy, to tune your ears to what our Greer teachers and our Greer parents have all been emailing you, leaving voicemails, and speaking tonight.
029So, I want to end with just one question. How can you lean into your courage for Greer? Thank you for your time. Sincerely, and I look forward to continued dialogue around this consequential matter. Thank you. Thank you very much. Um next I have Claire LaPlant. Sorry if I didn't say that correctly. Good evening. My name is Claire LaPlant and I'm from the Rio district. I'm a reading special- reading specialist at Greer Elementary. My children attended Greer and my husband completed his school counseling internship at Greer. I have worked at Greer for 10 years. >> [snorts] >> This is more than a school to me. It's a community I deeply value. I've [snorts] been an educator for 28 years. I have worked in many incredible schools and Greer is no different. It's an amazing place that
030thrives on diversity, strong family connections, and a shared commitment to giving students our very best every day. I have chosen to continue working at Greer because I believe deeply in the importance of our work. I am here tonight not to dis- be disrespectful of the decision to move Dr. Saunders, but to express my concerns and advocate for the Greer community. Over the past few weeks, I have tried to understand this decision, yet have struggled to make sense of it. That is what brings me here tonight. While I speak from my own perspective, I know there are Greer teachers and staff standing here with me tonight who share the same concerns. Albemarle County schools pri- prioritizes culturally responsive teaching. In 2020, I completed my micro-credential before it was required because I believe in its important importance.
031Through that learning and through the work of Zaretta Hammond, I came to understand that strong schools are built on relationships and a deep understanding of the community they serve. That is especially true at Greer. Our students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and many are learning English. This requires trust, consistency, and strong leadership. Over the past decade, I've worked under three principals and I've seen how leadership can either strengthen or challenge the school community. For the past 7 years under Dr. Steve Saunders, we have experienced steady growth and rebuilding. Dr. Saunders is a community leader. He has a sup- he has supported staff, built capacity, and created a culture where people feel committed to students and to one another. Our progress is not accidental. It reflects years of intentional leadership and collective effort. Research supports this.
032John Hattie identifies collective teacher efficacy as one of the strongest influences on student achievement. That um that belief is built over time through trust, stability, and strong leadership. When a principal like Dr. Saunders is moved, that stability is disrupted. It impacts morale and risks losing the strong team that has been built at Greer. At Greer, we say we are crew because it takes all of us working together to meet the needs of our students. Dr. Saunders is the leader of our crew. I ask, "Why disrupt a school that is steadily making progress that hasn't reached its full potential yet?" This decision sends a clear message, intentional or not, that Greer is less important, and I can tell you that is how many of us feel. Our work is already incredibly challenged and we need that
033stability, support, and strong leadership to continue serving our students well. Greer is not a school that needs to be reset. It's a school that needs continued support to keep building on the progress we are making. I urge you to reconsider this decision and stand with the Greer community as we continue this work together. Thanks. Thank you. Um next I have Lauren Salmon. I'm sorry if I mispronounced that. Good evening. My name is Lauren Salmon and I am an EL teacher at Greer Elementary. Greer has the largest population of English learners in the county. I'm here tonight to ask for transparency about the decision to move our principal, Dr. Steve Saunders, to Crozet Elementary. This decision was unexpected and deeply destabilizing for our school community. Dr. Saunders has had a profound impact at Greer. Under his
034leadership, our school has grown and strengthened. The sudden change has left many of us trying to understand why. We understand that leadership decisions are confidential. However, when a decision significantly impacts a school community, there is still a responsibility for transparency from the school board about how that decision serves our students. Research consistently shows that strong, stable school leadership is critical to the success of English learners. Principals shape the systems these students rely on, and those systems require stability over time. Greer is a Title 1 school, and our students, especially English learners, depend on that stability. Crozet Elementary is not a Title 1 school. It was already facing a leadership transition due to their principal's retirement. In this situation, it would have been typical for Crozet to undergo the principal search process. Instead, that burden has
035been placed on Greer without an explanation. This is difficult to reconcile, and it raises concerns about equity. It leads us to question whether one school is being prioritized over another, and whether a Title 1 school is bearing the impact. To quote Dr. Haas, our strategic plan makes clear our responsibility to work together as a team to end the predictive value of race, class, gender, and special capacities, so that every student succeeds. This statement from Dr. Haas reflects Albemarle's responsibility and commitment to equity, and the importance of ensuring that equity is clearly reflected in district decision-making. In order to clarify confusion and misunderstanding, I ask that the school board respond to the following two questions. First, how does moving Dr. Saunders from Greer to Crozet align with the division's core value of equity? >> [clears throat]
036>> Second, how does this decision benefit Greer Elementary and our English learners? Also, my students wanted to share No asusto, nosotros nos sentimos triste porque Mr. Saunders se va. Thank you. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Uh next I have Stephanie McNerney. >> [clears throat] >> Good evening. My name is Stephanie McNerney. Um I live on Rickey Road in the Jewett division. I am a parent of three Greer students. I'm also Greer That I wasn't prepared for that. Um I'm also a Greer and Jewett alumni. And I'm a pediatric nurse practitioner at UVA working with children with disabilities, including those in foster care and immigrant communities. I share that to name my perspective and to say this process has not been designed to hear many others. I'm here with my friends here to to
037continue to disagree with the decision to move Steve from Greer and the process used to select his replacement. I sent a letter, and I appreciate the warm tone that I received in response. But weren't there a plan to reconsider and make this process equitable is not enough. The process still does not meaningfully include the full diversity of Greer families. Rescheduling the single parent interview day for a candidate reinforces the perception that a decision has already been made. If this is for show, it disregards families' time and voice. We have not heard how this change serves the whole division. Instead, it feels like one school is being served at the expense of another. Schools are not interchangeable. They are ecosystems of trust. History shows us that when we accept this is just how it's done, we
038often perpetuate harm, especially for those most vulnerable. Just because moving principals has been common practice does not mean it should continue without reflection. Unexamined systems do not become more equitable over time. They deepen existing gaps. Dr. Saunders example wise servant leadership. He has helped to build a school where students feel known, staff morale is strong, and in the current climate, that is amazing. Look. >> [snorts] [sighs] >> So, this is your leadership moment. You have heard the impact of this siloed, opaque decision. Be transformative leaders. Show our students the impact matters more than the intent, and that values like equity and inclusion are only meaningful when they are enacted with transparency, humility, and accountability. You chose to move very quickly, and you can also choose to pause, widen the circle, and make this right. Thank
039you. >> [snorts] >> Thank you. Um next I have Julia Bruno. Hi. My name is Julia Bruno. Uh I live on Magnolia Drive in the Jack Jewett district, and I'm a parent of a kindergartner at Greer Elementary School, and of two more children who are proud graduates of Greer. I have been a Greer parent for the past 10 years, with three different principals, I might add, and plan to be at Greer as a parent for the next five. I'm here tonight to speak regarding the decision to reassign Greer Principal Steve Saunders to Crozet Elementary School. It will come as no surprise that after writing emails to everyone on the board and Superintendent Haas that I do not agree with this decision, and ask for it to be reviewed and overturned. However, what I'd actually like
040to spend my time talking about tonight is the broader themes the decision has brought up for me regarding the how and why of our county's hiring procedures, and whether or not we have the courage to reexamine them. Ultimately, trust is built on transparency, engagement, and accountability. I believe the county is aligned with these goals. Dr. Haas has highlighted that we are, quote, committed to engaging students, staff, and families meaningfully. To that end, an explanation is required in this instance and in the future. Families, students, and staff deserve some kind of rationale if a decision is made for them regarding leadership. How is it decided that a principal is reassigned versus having an open hire process? What factors lead to this decision? How are we measuring the benefits and cons of reassignment? How is feedback from
041families and staff regarding this instability of reassignment informing future hiring practices? I have received one clarifying point, um from an email and board member regarding hiring and reassignment is, quote, "When the superintendent determines that a leadership change or reassignment is necessary to accelerate progress, whether at Greer, Crozet, or elsewhere, it is his responsibility to make that decision in service of the division as a whole." I can understand that we at Greer are community within a wider community at ACPS. Given there are four other elementary schools rated distinguished, why was their leadership not asked to help a recently designated off-track Crozet? Why did it fall to your most vulnerable Title 1 school? You are asking us to trust the process, but to quote a recent New York Times article citing a Yale report on higher education,
042it is hard to trust the process when rationale seems inexplicable and has the appearance of benefiting the already advantaged. The truth is, without any explanation, there is an uncertainty of the fundamental purpose and mission, which erodes our trust. These are not rhetorical questions. I am actually asking for answers, even if I won't always agree with them. This is how we build trust. Thank you. Thank you very much. Um next I have Jennifer McDonald. Not here? Okay. Um last I have Tanya I'm sorry, Wanchek Wanchek. >> [cough] >> Hi. Um I'm Tanya Wanchek. Um I'm in the Samuel Miller district, and I am here to talk about the high school test retake policy that allows students to retake all their exams. Um so, I have a child in Monticello High School now, and two others that
043are younger and will be going there. And so, I wanted to give a just a perspective on that policy, um from my child and their parent, and um I also teach at UVA in public health sciences, so from that perspective. So, for my child, I have found that it really has not just taught her how to game the system, and I have other parents that have felt said the same thing about their child, that they no longer have to pay attention to deadlines, and they don't study for that first test because they can always retake it. Um as a parent, at first, I thought Parent Square was Parent Square was great. I online, I could see her grades and how she's doing. But as I started to look at her grades, she would have missing
044assignments or low grades, and I'd ask her about it, and I'd be like, "Oh, it's fine. I can take it later." And she's right. She was fine. She took it up took it later, but it meant I couldn't follow how she was doing to the point where I almost just gave up on Parent Square because it didn't tell me any information on how she was actually doing. Um and then the final point is um teaching college, I just don't feel like this policy of not having students take that exam seriously the first time around is really the message we want to teach students going on into college. Um So, I don't know what the solution is. I haven't studied this issue in depth. I appreciate that the idea of meeting students where they are, second
045chances, but I don't think this policy of blanket always retake a test um is really helping students. It's I think it's really giving them the wrong message and teaching them the wrong the wrong thing about deadlines and working hard to get through that first test. Thank you very much. Um I just want to make sure one more time Jennifer McDonald is not here. Okay, then that concludes public comment. Thank you. Thank you so much Vice Chair Spillman and thank you for everyone who brought public comments forward tonight. The next item on our agenda is the approval of our consent agenda. Do I have a motion to approve tonight's consent agenda? I move to approve tonight's consent agenda. Move by Ms. Spillman. Do I have a second? Second. Second by Ms. Lee. All those in favor
046of approving tonight's consent agenda. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Tonight's consent agenda um is passed. Uh the next point on our agenda is uh 7.0 school division business. Uh the first point 7.1 is our special education annual plan for the 2026-2027 school year and I think for the first time um I am going to invite Ashley Stroutsneck and I Stroutsneck. Thank you. Um Ms. Spillman, the director of special education to present that plan. Thank you. We promise we'll give you more than 3 minutes. So, just give us a second while we get everything together. >> [laughter] >> Good evening, Chair Berlin, Vice Chair Spillman, school board members, Dr. Haas, and cabinet members. Tonight I am here to share the special education annual plan for Albemarle County Public Schools for the 2026-2027 school year. My name is
047Ashley Stroutsneck and I am the director of special education. Um I'd like to also recognize and thank the uh special education administrative team who is also here with me tonight for the work that they do every day and in support of our annual plan. So, here's the agenda for tonight's um overview of the plan. Um we'll start with a kind of a current state of special education. We'll look forward um into next year. We'll discuss what the annual plan is, uh the components of the annual plan, and then at the end if there's any questions. >> [clears throat] >> So, the Albemarle County Public Schools Strategic Plan Learning for All is at the center of our work as educators and it continues to be the center of our work on special education. Our current state
048um for a little bit of data for our special education uh looks at um numbers of the increase of special education students over the years. So, this shows the current state of special ed in ACPS as of December 1st. The December 1st count is the benchmark number that we use to compare year-to-year numbers. It is used by the Virginia Department of Education as a common check across the state. You can see the increase of students from the 2020-2021 school year up until this current December 1 count, which was at 2,030 students. This next slide shows um This next slide indicates how the budget request for additional staff is needed to help meet the increasing needs of the students. So, currently we have one behavior specialist and one learning disability specialist um who support all special
049education teachers and schools with academic and behavioral interventions, best practices for specially designed instruction, crisis management, and legal compliance. In addition, you may be aware that we have been partnering with UVA through grant for our um adapted physical education interns to support schools. The program with UVA is ending next year, so adding an additional APE teacher would allow for collaboration with the current APE teacher and to provide required services throughout the division. So, with the student needs are increasing in severity and intensity across schools, increasing increased staffing will ensure we maintain high safety standards, full compliance, and a consistent learning environment for our students. It also supports inclusive practices and least restrictive environments. These are the positions that will continue to support the division's mission for high-quality instruction and also supports the work we do
050through the following components of our annual plan. As we look forward to what the annual plan is, federal regulations IDEA 2004 requires every school division to submit a special education annual plan. It is required to be shared with SEAC and approved by the school board in order for any state or federal funds to be appropriated for the education of students with disabilities. I previously shared this annual plan with the special education advisory committee SEAC during um our March meeting and will now review it with you all. So, there are four components to the annual plan. They are the regional jail agreement, part B set-aside funds, CCEIS, and federal funds. On page eight of the annual plan document, you will see the details of this section. School divisions with a local or regional jail inside their
051jurisdic- jurisdiction are required to establish an interagency agreement. So, ACPS has an agreement with the Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Jail. This agreement provides an ACPS special education teacher who provides uh special education services for persons in the regional jail between the ages of 18 to 22. So, this staff member also supports the regional um GED program as well. Part B set-aside funds. Uh the second component of the annual plan is focused on part B set-aside funds. Details about this portion can be found on page 11 in the document. IDEA requires that each school division to spend a portion of their IDEA part B allocations on special education instruction and related services to students with disabilities who are placed in private schools by their parents. This position is our special education teacher Mike Armstrong who provides case
052management and consultative services to private schools with special education students. Um it also supports in the con- um child find and special education evaluation procedures for students with disabilities placed in private schools that are in ACPS boundaries. Um in addition, the set-aside funds um provide up to 14 students with vouchers for speech and language services. Um one student with a voucher for occupational therapy. And with this um an annual required meeting with private schools and parents of students with disabilities at those private schools is held and that was held this past February. CCEIS stands for comprehensive coordinated early intervening services. So, previously we were mandated by the Virginia Department of Education where we had to set aside 15% of federal funds towards these services due to being disproportionate. Um since we are not identified as
053a CCEIS division anymore, we do not have to set aside those funds. So, you may recall last year was the first year we did not have to do this and we continue to be um a non-CCEIS um a division for this year as well. The fourth component of the annual plan is federal grant fund funds, which can be found on pages 13 and 14 of the document. ACPS utilizes the federal grant funds in two ways. Um funding of our A base teachers, which is approximately 36 teachers, and then funding approximately two early childhood special education or ECSE teacher assistant positions. So, for our A base teachers, they provide direct services to students in A base programs in their least restrictive environment. And for those of you who um may not be familiar with A base
054and base, base stands for building appropriate supports with evidence-based practices. Um so, what is A base? It's designed for students with autism. Um they um access grade level core academic instruction in general education environment, intensive resource support model. Teachers and teaching assistants are trained in evidence-based practices, and these programs are supported by board certified behavior analysts or our BCBA's. For the funding of our two early childhood special education teaching assistant positions, these positions work directly with ECSE students eligible for IDEA 619 services, serving ages 3 to 5. These positions are under the direction of an ECSE special education teacher, and also provide services in ACPS school. ACPS currently has nine ECSE classrooms and three AECSE classrooms. So, that is an overview of the IDEA annual plan for the 2026-2027 school year. As you know, for
055next steps for the special education department, many of you know that we are, you know, partnering with the Berkeley Group for an independent review of our special education in the division. And once that review is concluded, we definitely will be sharing the report with you and can provide provide a more comprehensive view of special education and where we're going with an ACPS. Any questions or comments from my colleagues? Just would like to ask you when when do you anticipate that review would be done? We're anticipating it to be complete by the end of this school year, so we would have the review for our next school year. We want to begin that work. I'd love to I'd love you to come and report on it when that's finished. I'm glad to hear that we've maintained
056our progress on the CCEIS. Yes, thank you. And I and I know there is a formula on for CCEIS. And I guess my question is how is that monitored? Like obviously there is a piece of data that we look at, and then is that then also looked at by Dr. Hayes or Dr. Host to kind of make sure I just always think about it like one set of eyes, and then we have a conversation to check and say yes, we're in agreement. Just curious about how that that works. For CCEIS? Correct. And whether or not we are Not that we are so I know we're compliant, but just how that process works cuz my understanding my you know, my belief is that we have to maintain a certain level, correct? And so, how are we
057self-monitoring both ourselves looking at the data, and then I would say someone outside of special education looking at that data to say yes. So, how do we acknowledge that? Does that make sense? Yes, I I think a lot of the work that we do with our indicator work and with the of the reporting to VDOE in that partnership helps kind of us monitor to make sure that we're staying in compliance. Does that answer your Yeah, that I think the thing I would add and and this is something just that I've and learned through experience is that when we when we make reports to VDOE, the because the state essentially has a statewide student database now, it's not like it's one huge database with the thousands of students in it, but many years ago with the
058state shifted to every student having their own unique ID, and when we transmit data, it's it's in some respects like doing your taxes where they have the same data that we have. So, when you submit it, it's it's not really just like you turn it in and then you kind of hear back from it later. They scrub through it, they look to see if there's any issues. If there are, they push it back, we have to go back through it again. So, it's a recursive process until it gets to the point where everybody agrees that the the data is is right. And it's pretty much the same thing with you name it. Like our our discipline crime and violence reports, our SOL testing, everything goes through a pretty collaborative process, I would say. But at
059the same time, they're they have the same data, so they can say, "Wait a minute." So, they're we're not self-reporting. They're they're using their data to report on that. >> ultimately have to They ultimately the Virginia's held accountable ultimately by the federal government. So, if they are submitting bogus data or data that hasn't been accurately um subjected to scrutiny, then they could lose funding for Virginia. So, it's a It's it's interesting to watch it play out over time because um I always thought you turn something in and it wasn't and if if it wasn't right, it was like to equate it to our grading policy in the past you would just get a zero, and then you don't get a chance anymore. You messed it up, it's too late. But it's really more like our
060policy, which is let's get it right. So, we're going to push it back to you, make the corrections needed to make cuz we're we're we know that the you have data, and lots times it's it's in the favor of the school system because the state wants the data to accurately reflect its progress for Virginia. Thank you for sharing that. That's helpful. I just didn't know understand how if that we were kind of self-monitoring or but there's a a larger process that that goes into and that we are then reported back. So, thank you. Appreciate that. Any other questions or comments? Thank you so much for your work on this report. Yes, you have 3 more minutes. And >> [clears throat] >> and thank you for noting that this has always been through CEAC, has been
061reviewed by CEAC. So, this will be on our [clears throat] consent agenda next week for action. And then and again, we are absolutely interested in that Berkeley data, and I know you are working, you know, to give people enough time, but also so that we can have that information by the end of the year so it can be actionable as we're working on processes processes and policies and information for the next year. So, we will definitely make sure we can bring that as soon as it's available to the board for discussion. Yes. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Rizzuto. Our next point is 7.2. This is our last this is our second to last fiscal 27 budget update. We have two points on the agenda tonight that Maya Kumazawa will be
062discussing. First, the teacher bonus, and then the budget as a whole. Good evening. I'm Maya Kumazawa, director of budget and planning. And this evening, as Dr. Berlin stated, I will cover some information about the FY26 state bonus, and then cover an updated school fund balancing scenario for FY27. Just a quick note, these next two these two slides have been updated as of about 4:30 this afternoon based on VDOE guidance that was shared with school divisions just this afternoon that was a little bit inconsistent from what we had heard previously. So, we updated as fast as we could what the most recent information was and updated some numbers on this slide and the next slide. So, if you pulled this presentation earlier, it's going to look just a little bit different. So, just a quick overview,
063the state has approved the FY26 caboose bill, which includes a one-time bonus for SOQ positions. To receive state funding of about $725,000, ACPS must provide a minimum of total bonus that equals at least $2.3 million to all employees. ACPS has the flexibility in the bonus amount paid per employee, or ACPS can provide an equivalent compensation increase in FY27 to pull down the state funding. So, two examples, the example interpretation for a bonus is that the cost for ACPS would be $1.6 million, and that's combined with the state match, that would be equivalent to $600 per employee. The interpretation for an equivalent action salary increase would if we wanted to go that route would cost ACPS about $2.4 million, and that would require an additional approximate 1% salary increase in addition to what's already in the
064proposed FY27 budget. So, this proposal is updated, and this is one example of how a bonus could be distributed. And the design of this is based on how we typically distribute these state bonuses. That is to provide a certain amount to full-time employees including part-time employees 0.7 and above. So, 0.7 to 1.0 FTEs would receive $800 in their June 18th paycheck, and then regular employees below a 0.7 FTE would receive a $600 in the June 18th paycheck. And typically what we do is provide a 75% of the full-time amount for employees that are less than 0.7. This proposal is subject to negotiations with the Albemarle Education Association, and so we would bring back um more details on exactly what the distribution would look like. So, the total estimated funding in this proposal is $2.3 million,
065$1.6 paid by ACPS, and $725,000 paid by the state. The estimated in implementing this proposal is listed on the right side of the slide. Our projected fund balance at the end of the current year based on our current financial practices, we would we're projecting to end at at about $6.2 million. With the recommended bonus, that would decrease that amount to $4.6 million at the end of this year. That does leave us with the amount that we had proposed previously on how to use one-time funding in next year's budget, which I will cover in the next section. And so if you were to approve the recommended uses, that would be $3.3 million that's taken out of fund balance and then at the end of next year, we would be left with $1.3 million in our fund
066balance. Again, that's very far out. These are fairly conservative projections, but that is the impact that it would have to our fund balance if we were able to provide the proposal as stated here. So I'll pause here for questions. Not looking for any action, just questions and discussion. And we would hope to come back with a recommendation next week for action. Questions from the board? I know everyone needs to sit in the with the numbers for a second. So I I think you mentioned that this is something that we've done in the past. Is that recent past and and in a similar fashion, has the money to pay for this come from a fund balance? I believe last bonus was last year and in that scenario we were able to just distribute the state the
067state portion and we didn't have to provide a local match. In this instance, it is required that you pay the local match in order to pull down state funding. So they are structured differently, but we have paid bonuses um at a fairly regular cadence whenever the state proposes it. Other comments and questions? Just the comment I always make when the state says they're going to give them a bonus, we end up paying 2/3 of it out of our either fund balance or operating budget. So they get the glory and and we write the check. This is this is approximately the size of the bonus we had last year, isn't it? I can't quite remember, but I think it was a little less because we didn't have a local match. Yeah. Was that because you could
068it we you could spread it across the employees? That was that was the other different rule. >> Right. We just just used state funding. >> We just took the state funding and what we did was we everybody got the same instead of um supplementing it to match the original amount that the state was saying. And I believe during I don't believe I know during the pandemic, there were some whopping uh there were some bonus money that was going on from the state and we were able to use things like mid-year savings to be able to afford to do that too. So it's not quite like the same as fund balance, but it's it's money that would eventually become a fund balance and what I would say too is we know what happens to our fund
069balance. If we start to accrue a lot of fund balance, it becomes when you exceed 2% of the operating budget, it becomes something it becomes CIP money at that point for the local government. I'm glad you brought that up because part of the reason why we're projecting a higher fund balance is because of savings in salaries as well as health care because of the change in the calendar in the school year calendar, we're seeing a one-time health care savings compared to what we budgeted. Yeah, it's not it's not due to an over projection of the operating budget, it's due to changes that came about after our budget was developed that have resulted in health care savings. And so Miss Kumazawa, Mr. Schmidt, and Mr. Zimmerman have been really monitoring very closely revenue and expenditures so
070they're able to see that savings. And as I said, rather than rolling this into fund balance, which when it grows and reaches beyond that 2% cap, local government can then take that funding and put it in into the CIP and it's not earmarked for for the schools at that point. That's another just another part of the strategy. Other comments? Just just a question. I mean if this is coming back next week, are we saying or or no? If it's significantly different, I would say we would come back and present, but if it's this scenario, it would be on consent for action. There's a deadline of May 1st that we have to [clears throat] say whether we're going to take the state money or not. So that's the deadline we're working on. I guess the question
071is the subject to negotiations with AEA between now and on the consent agenda next week, what does that what would that even involve? So [clears throat] what we would ask sorry, what we would ask the board to do is approve the use of an amount of funding pending the outcome of negotiations with the AEA over how that funding will be disbursed. Okay. So it would be in this scenario approving the use of $1.6 million in the current year to provide a one-time bonus. Right. So there could be some negotiations on the 800 and 600 and how that is distributed. Okay. Thank you. And then that final decision late stays with the with AEA and the negotiating and we don't have to come back and make a final termination on that. We're not we're not in
072essence opening our agreement with AEA. So we don't need to resign an agreement. And I'll defer to Mr. Black, but my the both the resolution and the collective bargaining agreements provide an opportunity for the negotiating teams to come together and make interim decisions without having to ratify with the entire employee group or have the board vote on the contents of those changes in between new contracts. Right. And without dispensing any legal advice in a public setting, typically this type of thing once an agreement is reached, it's codified in a side letter or an addendum to the collective bargaining agreement and it's quite common. Thank you. Thank you. >> [clears throat] >> The other question again, I didn't mean to ask for legal advice, I apologize. The other question I have is that we will designate
073that this happens. We would designate that this happens for all employees even though there is a portion of our employees that are not covered by collective bargaining, but that would be part of the we would need to say that yes, those those people that are not part of collective bargaining because of their special circumstances are covered by this. The intent of the state bonus is that it is for all employees. So I don't know if because we have to meet the collective bargaining rules and the state's rules, so I don't know if we'd necessarily separate it. But we'll we'll confirm. Okay. I have another question. Any other I mean again, I think everyone I guess I shouldn't speak for every I think this board has spoken a a lot about the fact that our teachers
074and our professional staff and our you know, paid at the 24 out of 51 states, 24th in the country. And so anything we can do to is to continue to support them in the work that they do, I think is important to us. I think the timing of this and the fact that it's coming from our our fund balance is where as we're thinking about difficult decisions, I think it's hard. But again, the most important people to be supporting are those people in our front lines. So anything that we can do to support them, I think is is important. Anything else? Not on that. >> [clears throat] >> I feel like Miss Osborne's thinking about No, I do we need to be clear about whether or not to do the bonus or the salary increase
075in the following year? Yes, that needs to be decided by May 1st. But you don't need that information now. I mean if that is a direction you would want to recommend, we would need to know that this evening. I I like the bonus idea. A one-time bonus. >> Yes. I agree. Okay. I think I'm for the bonus also. I'm assistant >> [laughter] >> Thank you so much. Dr. Berlin? Yep. Before we talk about our our budget funding request, so tonight we will have our last discussion about our budget and then next week we will vote on it. But I've connected with my fellow board members and we just wanted to make a a statement together. We won't be reading this in unison though. Last night the Board of Supervisors decided to take a 6.4 decided
076to take 6.4 million from the ACPS portion of shared county revenues in fiscal 27 and again in fiscal 28 to place a total of 12.8 million in an undesignated capital improvement program CIP reserve. This creates a shortfall in the school board's balanced funding request, which we must address in order to adopt the ACPS fiscal 27 budget next week. It also creates uncertainty with regard to our growing CIP needs. Although we provided a comprehensive list of capital priorities and followed up with a balanced CIP proposal to fund improvements to Stony Point Elementary, Albemarle High School, and Western Albemarle High School based on available revenues in the board's 5-year CIP, both proposals were were rejected. The chair acknowledged that we provided requests in compliance with their CE CIP process and admitted the system is not working. However,
077they decided not to fund any new construction projects in their 5-year CIP plan. I am happy to report that there is strong interest in fixing this broken CIP process on both sides, and I look forward to working with Chair Galloway and my fellow members of the school board along with the Board of Supervisors to work together on a learning and planning process to find a solution so that we may finally modernize our aging school infrastructure. While this is all disheartening, we must acknowledge the reality that the Board of Supervisors tax policy over the past 10 years has reduced the share of taxpayer funding of public schools in favor of other government programs and services. This shift in priorities must shape our decision-making going forward. The Board of Supervisors made clear that they fully support funding
078the collective bargaining agreement and increased costs for maintaining current programs and services. They explicitly noted that the 2.4 million dollar reduction to our proposed operating budget was targeted at program proposals for new programs and services, which we brought forward as a well-thought-out initiative and were initiatives to reduce student achievement gaps. And so, as we consider how to best improve student learning and eliminate achievement gaps, we have to accept the reality that any new program or service recommended will likely require elimination of existing program, services, or staff. We had a number of key new positions and services that the board believe will help make us uh make us make considerable gains in our achievement gap. So, rather than eliminating those positions and services, we asked the superintendent and staff to review our budget and identify any
079area that we may need to cut in order to provide funding to these new priorities. That's what we will hear tonight, and that is the mindset we will likely have to approach our budget process going forward. So, Ms. Kumazawa, if you will share our updated budget recommendations for us to discuss. Um, before we get into the service reductions, I wanted to provide an update on the technical changes that are being recommended. The first two that you see here were presented at the last meeting. Uh, that's a decrease in VRS rates and a decrease in the payment for K Tech. Two new ones have arisen, um, which are increases that swing the budget the other way, and that always happens. When something goes up, there's there's always offsetting things. Um, but licensing costs, um, we're anticipating
080needing an additional $170,000 due to the restructure of our licensing costs, including, um, time and attendance system and our financial systems. Um, in addition, uh, we're looking at, um, fuel in more detail. While we know that $200,000 probably will not cover the projected increase for next year, um, knowing that we don't have a finalized state budget, which means we can't truly finalize our budget, we didn't want to recommend service more service reductions in order to pay for fuel until we knew what the entire revenue picture looks like. So, in this scenario, um, we're proposing part one of a projected fuel increase of, um, $200,000 with the expectation that we will come back to you, um, later on to provide a better estimate for what next year might look like. And as we move more through
081time, we will have better information. So, the longer we wait, um, we'll be able to have a better estimate for that. So, in total, these four technical adjustments, uh, would add $60,000 in our expenditures as a starting point. Um, and then, as Dr. Berlin alluded to, these are the school fund expenditures reductions in this balancing scenario. It is updated, um, from the last version. Uh, the first service reduction is to, um, reduce school renovation and construction projects by eliminating the proposed transfer to the CIP, which was about $4 million. Um, next Um, next, [clears throat] um, is the scenario to eliminate the STEP program. Um, the short-term education program, or STEP, is designed to reduce out-of-school suspensions, address disproportionality, and support students in developing self-regulation behaviors. >> [snorts] >> Through our regular logic model review
082process, STEP has remained consistently in the yellow status, and while staffing is allocated for this each year, the program has not been implemented with fidelity to its original intent. So, in this scenario, um, the program is discontinued as a division-wide initiative beginning in the 26-27 school year, um, and that would provide a savings of about $450,000. The third item on here is to reduce division services FTE, um, at a target of $500,000. Uh, this amount has been increased from $400,000 in the last iteration to address, um, some of the technical changes and these other changes. And then finally, um, the largest change in the budget would be a decrease in the transfer to technology replacement of $1.4 million. However, we are proposing to use one-time revenues in order to offset this decrease. So, there would
083be no change to the replacement cycle next year. It would just be a change in the source of funding. Um, so it's kind of like the one-year band-aid um, to move into next year. So, these total reductions equal $6.4 million. As I mentioned earlier, we also have recommendations for the use of the budgeted use of one-time fund balance, and so I'll actually start on the bottom on this slide. That's the the $1.4 million at the bottom is the proposed use of one-time money in order to replace the recurring money that's going away. So, that's, um, the update on this slide. Um, other technology equipment replacement includes, um, $800,000 for display equipment, and then moving up the slide, um, these remain unchanged from the last version, um, providing $600,000 in additional transfer to the textbook fund,
084um, for instructional resources, um, $90,000 for security equipment on buses, and $210,000 for security camera equipment in buildings. These total to $3.15 million, and this would be part of the FY27 budget that would be included, um, but it does not impact the gap because we we have revenues that equal these expenditures. So, in summary, um, we have technical updates that add $60,450 in expenditures. Uh, we're recommending uh, one-time security, textbook, and technology purchases of $1.7 million, and that's fully paid for by fund balance, and then our service reductions equal $5.0 million. The total expenditure change is a decrease of $3.25 million, and when you add a decrease in expenditures plus an increase in revenues, which is the use of fund balance, that equals the $6.4 million gap that we started off with. So, that gap
085will be closed in this scenario. Um, I know I went through that really fast. There were a lot of numbers. I'm happy to repeat anything more slowly if you have questions. >> [snorts] >> It made sense. Questions and comments from the board. So, this puts us at a balanced budget scenario. Yes. >> Correct. Okay. Um, I appreciate the logic model use for identifying cuts. I I think you know, obviously, you know, we want that STEP program to be working, and it looks like it's maybe not going the way that we wanted it to go, and um, it's it's I think this is good. Thank you. Can you clarify with me the, um, cost it sounds like we're postponing the cost of, um, technology, uh, computer, um, I guess it's the hardware. We're We're putting that
086off by a year. Is that fair? >> No, the replacement cycle would continue as originally proposed. The difference is that we are not proposing to dedicate recurring revenues to fund that. We'd be We're partially partially it would be funded by one-time money that after you spend it, it's not there the following year. So, in order to continue it in year two, we'd have to come back with, you know, new revenues to support that. So, it will continue as in the original schedule, um for basically for one more year, and then after that, we'd have to re-look at [clears throat] how to fund that. Other comments and questions? Just, um given how fuel prices have been all over the place, how do we even project I mean, the the $200,000 increase is I I I confess,
087I don't know what our monthly expenditure for fuel has been this past year, but I'm assuming and maybe Miss Miss Gelner's here, so I'm sure she knows. >> [clears throat and cough] >> If if if I'm >> [laughter] >> if I'm not putting you on the spot I don't have all of the answers, but I can answer that one. We spend about $150,000 every month, and last month it was $250,000. So, adding a $200,000 cushion is not a robust cushion. We're going to keep talking about it. Which is why we said phase one. >> [laughter] >> Um we I think it's a situation that's continuing to evolve. Um we know we know there needs to be more. We're going to wait to see how the state goes, and like any budget, we're going to have
088to manage and plan to it. But, we at this point, what we know now, that's not enough. It's my understanding that we we don't just go to the gas station every month. I mean, we we have contracts with providers for the whole school year with some sort of inflation factor. I mean I'm sorry to put you on the spot, Miss Gelner. We do, and we have a much lower market rate. So, you know, you see at the fuel pump it's 580 for diesel right now, and like 409 [clears throat] for um gas, the gas that we use. And most of our fuel is the diesel price, but we we still pay we're we're paying a higher price now than we've ever paid in our highest years. So, there's something in the contracts that here's the
089contract price plus is kind of And we have a we have a market rate that we get, but it has also increased as the inflation has gone. Make it expensive enough, it may justify electric buses. >> [laughter] >> Yes. No, I'm just kidding. Eventually. We can do that. Got to find the money for that, too. I've been told several times that I need to stay out of the operational weeds and stay in my lane, so I'm going to limit my comments mostly to a general kind of 30,000-ft perspective. And I want to say thanks for answering my many many questions. I'm responsible for probably 40% of the questions you got. Um in my opinion, based on lots of conversations with community members, we're spending an excessive amount of money on division services, positions, and programs,
090some of which have little or no impact on actual student learning. Test scores in recent years among uh several groups of students have actually declined, although the budget has increased significantly. In the investment world that I'm a part of for the last 24 years, we call that uh poor return on investment. >> [snorts] >> We can't keep doing the same thing and expect different results. I'm glad that there is an effort underway to evaluate the effectiveness of each of the 144 division services positions. I would recommend, however, that teachers and principals be included in the opportunity to participate in those evaluations. I believe if done properly, we will be able to save perhaps two to four million dollars going forward. I think this adjustment that's a part of the um new budget is a is
091a start, but I believe we can we can do more. I have two specific suggestions for us to consider for FY27. The first is to eliminate the one-to-one computer program for students in K through five. Study after study points to the detrimental impact of screen time for students, especially in the elementary grades. I'm not certain, but I believe this could save us close to a million dollars. Second, I'd like to challenge each of the 144 division services staff and the seven of us on this board to spend a few days a year in the classroom as TAs or subs. This would save ACPS between 20 and 40,000 dollars per day and give us a little taste of what it's like to be a teacher. So, I offer up that as a consideration for the new
092school year. I can tell you I spent half an hour at Woodbrook reading to students this morning, and it was the highlight of my day. So, again, thank you for all the work you you and your team have put in. Um you've seen this slide before. It speaks to the reductions that are kind of a summary [clears throat] of what will be included in this scenario for FY27. So, we're adding um a decrease of half a million dollars in secondary teaching assistant FTE related to the step program, and then half a million for division services FTE. But, if you look back at the previous two years, um significant reductions have been made as well. So, when we look at the upcoming budget, it's not like we, you know, fill these reductions back up. They're maintained
093from year to year. They're carried forward. So, with these reductions, we would be up to 10 million dollars um since FY25. And we just don't want to lose sight of that as we move forward in the budget process. So, regarding um $600,000 for textbooks from the one-time funds, it's concerning to me because we made a commitment to follow through on the Bellwether report, and a lot of that was in curriculum, things like that. So, I want to make sure that just because we're sliding [snorts] over $600,000 from one-time source, that we know that we we are committed to funding the recommendations that the Bellwether report made, correct? We're not abandoning that, are we? No, the $600,000 in is in addition to the ongoing proposal to increase it by 800,000. Yeah, so that stays. So, this
094is a one-time bump, Okay. but it's not It's not replacing No, it's not replacing. Okay. I thought you're supplanting. >> No, anything that is not on these slides are maintained in the draft funding request. The only one that's supplanting is the technology. It's on the same screen, that's why I was like, wait. Wait. No, I'm glad you brought that up cuz that is could be um interpreted differently. Where are we on the um math instructional assistants? Didn't we have as one of the new programs Yes. two six? That would be maintained in this scenario. Okay. We had dis- we had discussed cutting that to only two, so we're back to the original Yes. >> proposal. So, these changes are changes to the funding request. Sorry, I should have started out with that. They are not
095changes to the last version. Okay. These are changes. So, anything on here is the only change you will see in terms of service levels from your budget book. That's what I thought, but I wanted to hear it coming from you. And I did compare this to the last version a few times, I can see why there might be confusion. So, that makes sense for everyone. It does. Thank you for that clarification. That was going to be one of my questions. Other questions because before I ask a couple. No, this was very clear. I'm going to piggyback on Mr. Dillenbeck's comment around technology. I think I'm not ready to make that call. However, I do believe I think we talked we brought this up last time is we are seeing more research coming out about the
096effects of technology, particularly on our youngest children. Uh we have been receiving an increased number of requests from parents or concerns from parents asking about it. Particularly if you look at our last set of questions that we received, were very specifically about K I'm sorry, pre- the question was around pre-K three. We don't provide technology for pre-K, but K three, and then uh four and five. Um on our list of work sessions, I don't think it's been scheduled, but um that we have dis- we have kind of put forward, I think, is one getting some researchers here to talk about that. But, I think also getting some instant parents and teachers to talk about those effects. I am I would be hesitant to make a a rash change right now, just knowing how much of
097our infrastructure is in in what we have been working with teachers on for the past five years is using technology, because that is what the the world was doing. I think we are seeing that effect, so you know, my my suggestion, and I actually like that it's just a one-time now, so that we can this board can take some time um in the next six months as we begin to prepare, believe it or not, for the the next budget, um to think about that, to see the effects that it would have on on teaching, right? Because so many of our services are coming through technology at apps right now, and how would we now need to think differently. Um but, I do want to say I think it is something that we should be we
098should be looking at um and thinking about the effects of technology and and all children. I know I'm just uh particularly talking about younger children. Um I know the um technology committee met today and they would There was a 2-day airplane mode um test that um happened. And so, I just think it's something that this board should look at, um but also knowing that the cost of eliminating that technology will come with the cost of of in- in- increasing, which is why we did increase textbooks this year. So, um so, I just wanted to acknowledge that and just and and just and lift it up. So, for cutting on that. I did want to go back to the the new cost that you mentioned on slide I'm sorry, I'm looking at this. On slide six,
099the licensing cost for human resources, I assume that's software licensing, not licensing like cuz we don't pay for licensing of teachers. And so, do we have an idea is that a one-time cost or do we believe that's going to be an incremental cost to technology kind of going forward? It's an ongoing new cost. >> Okay. Okay. And so, that's a cost that comes because we made the decision, which I think was a is the right decision to move from the combined county human resources to our own because of our own unique needs. Um but I again, just something for us to continue to keep an eye on. Um and then I just wanted to also note um you know, I think one of the comments we all made at the beginning of you know, if
100we are going to be doing these evaluations of our programs and we see something that is in yellow for two more than two ti- two years, how are we we need to as a board, if we're going to be fiscally responsible, uh and we're going to have these logic models, we need to to um to live by that and not say we're going to keep we're going to keep trying even though it's yellow. And so, I appreciate the the staff kind of listening to that, acknowledging that, um and moving forward with that. And so, because I think it's something very important for this board to do that for the for the staff to do, to continue to continue to evaluate those programs, to bring that information forward. I would ask, you know, one of the
101things I noted in my comments is we're going to be looking kind of across the Board of Supervisors enough, how do we do some more kind of planning and learning together. Um and I want this board to be moved to be looking at some of those things earlier about [laughter] around those evaluations so that we can we can begin to that so we can understand um and make earlier recommendations about those programs uh potentially um that we feel should be eliminated. And then I just wanted to remind everyone that I believe this is the first time that um in the math proposal that we have a um uh we have uh a data that is a requirement and if we are not meeting those requirements of of of changes for the students that we will
102then reduce and then and then eliminate those programs because it's just it's something that we need to do um to be fiscally responsible. So, I think that those are all of my comments and questions. Can I have just one um note on what you were talking about with technology? And I I'm very much on board with um studying and learning more about the effects of technology on children because I think there are also I mean, it's weighing the positives versus negatives. It's not like everything is solely negative. I think it does help with um certain things, but I just um I would just urge us to really consider uh how we think about those things and maybe remove it initially from budgetary considerations because like with anything else instructional, we have to think about it
103instructionally first and then make the entire analysis before we look at then what expenditures would be um to just sort of separate it from those two things. Uh I would agree and in in our analysis, I mean, clearly excessive screen time for anybody K through 100 is is bad idea. So, I would like to know more how how how technology is used in the classrooms, particularly earlier years. Uh how much screen time are we actually talking about? Because national studies saying, you know, some 14-year-old glued to their screen is, you know, having mental health issues is really not a very good basis to make decisions about the importance or how it's used. And maybe maybe the answer will be in when we do an analysis, modifying how we use them and not because I think
104all of our kids need to have they need to be tech sa- savvy. And uh so, how do you balance those different variables? Well, I have a real-world example. Ellen and I went to Scottsville a couple weeks ago and the and the kids were using iPads to learn how to spell, I believe. And learn how to write. So, that's part of the that's part of what they're doing. I want to thank you as well for if we got to make cuts, let's cut something that's not working. The STEP program, I I'm amazed that it it's it's stayed on for so long. And let's keep as many as much cuts as we can away from the classroom. So, thank you. And Jim, I'd love to I worked as a sub before and I'd love to do
105it again. Bless you. Thank you. >> So, yeah, I just want to I I think since we're now talking about substitutes for the second time, I just want you to be aware that division services staff are out subbing in the buildings every day. Um they periodically, we actually get an all call for the whole third floor to go out because a school has um had many staff out or it's almost going to the school for the day because of an influenza outbreak. And I I just want to be careful it some comments that I hear, I think I need to speak up and say that I do get concerned about an us and them mentality that the people that work here on the third floor or at um Seminal Place or in our building services
106staff that that somehow the work that we're doing is not important to the school system. I would say that 144 people is such a tiny fraction of our budget. The lion's share of our budget is salaries and benefits. That's 85% of the budget. That's for all of our employees. I would question the use of one data point at one time each year to talk about return on investment for our students. Um I know that I'm not a great investor. If I was, I'm I'd probably be retired a long time ago. But what I've always been told to look at the long haul and that you should be looking at data points over years and years and how is how is the the fund or the the stock performing? And I think that there are a
107lot more variables that go into play around how you make an assessment of whether you have a quality organization, a company, a business. And it's usually not just looking at one day when so many things could be impacting uh this in in this case, it's students. And I really don't think it's fair to hold our teachers uh to that standard because ultimately, it's our classroom teachers that make the biggest difference. So, I would really I I just want to say that I would question that narrative that public education is not a good return on investment. We are Albemarle County Schools is a microcosm of school systems in Virginia. We represent all demographic groups. We represent all economic strata. We outperform the state in uh on the averages. It is true that we have gaps in
108performance. And if it was a company, we would go in and analyze those gaps and figure out what we could do to make a difference. And day by day, we make a tremendous difference for those kids. Um I will say that we do we have a survey that we uh have started this year with our leadership team to give a feedback on division services departments. Uh when I presented the the staffing reduction uh program to our principals yesterday, uh one of the questions was, well, how will we have input as to, you know, providing feedback on the different departments? And that's how we're I'm I'm doing that based on the feedback survey that that we provide to them so that they can let us know how we're doing. That is a nascent project. Uh we
109just piloted it this year. So, over time, you know, I think that the data will become um more critical or or more important to that to that part. But um again, we're out I mean, I've I try to substitute two or three times a year. I go out, you know, drive buses when I can, things like that. Um all of us our heart is in the classroom. Um I think there's this idea that you uh aspire to head off to the third floor and that's like some nirvana and uh it it's hard work. And uh we're here to support teachers. We're here to support kids. And um I think we should work together as one. And I think that we do. We're We're not going to be perfect. We're going to have bumps in the
110road. We're going to disagree over decisions. But it's all one team. Um there just happens to be some of us that don't spend every day Although, if you come up here any given day and walk through the hallway, you don't see too many people in any of any of the offices um because they're out in the schools doing work supporting supporting our educators and kids. So, I just wanted to share that. I feel like that substitute con- conversation, we're we're substituting. That's good to hear. >> there to help. Yeah, that's good to hear. Thank you, Dr. Haas. Before we conclude, I just ask this, is it possible to bring for- to just to bring I I I just like it's not in this deck, it's in another deck, just the the what those new programs
111are, just as a reminder. Or I Or we could just say them out loud. I just think it's important um as we move into the I know we're all clearly aware of them, but as we move into, you know, uh moving to a balanced budget, um you know, during a difficult time, you know, acknowledging what we did have to cut, but acknowledging what we were able to do, um I think it's so important and I think it says a lot about what we um as a school division and [clears throat] board together value. I can try to do it off the top of my head, but if you have a slide that would help. Um you know, we, you know, it's the the collective bargaining agreement, um which I kind of one of the first
112in the state I you you you could be a test. Um the collective bargaining agreement, um you know, one of the first one of the earliest in the state in which we were able to not only provide additional um financial support for um our teachers and our licensed staff and for professional staff, but we were also able to provide them a number of um supports that they had asked for um around um uh uh leave and um planning time, which is very which is so important for um for teachers every day, uh both for their wellness as well as for them to be able to um come to work and be happy in a in a a very stressful environment. Um and then we were able to include and I appreciate this board and I'm
113so thankful for this board um for for standing by um the math specialists because a number of years ago we talked about this deed. It's not just literacy, it's also math. Those go together. And that we were able to keep those in the budget by making additional cuts. Um and then um lastly, um the special education. You know, we've had many conversations with our SEAC team and our and our families with children with delays and disabilities, and they have asked for us to continue to support um the increase um in both um numbers of children um as well as of intensity, but while also having some of those children included or as many of those children as possible. And so, what we were able to do and include in this budget both looked at achievement
114and also looked at inclusion and looked at wellness and support of our teachers and staff. So, I just wanted to to end by saying how much I appreciate um this board by standing together to make those things um important as well as working hand in hand um with the with the school staff to to make that happen. So, thank you. And so, will you remind us where we are um and what our next steps are? Yep. I appreciate um those words because what I can do is provide a summary before a budget adoption next week to show all the things that are in the budget that we haven't been been able to focus on these last few weeks. Um but that is scheduled for next Thursday. It sounds like this current balancing scenario has um
115consensus approval from this board. So, um I we would bring forward the budget numbers that support those changes um for you to take action and you for you to appropriate or request appropriation for those um funds. And I can provide a summary along with that next week. But you did a great job. Thank you so much. [snorts] And then you can get some sleep. Thank you, Ms. Kamusalova. >> [clears throat] >> Uh the last item on our school division business today is our um uh discussion of our achievement gap advisory committee charter. Um and Dr. Haas um is going to introduce this item. Thank you. So, um when the new board members came on, I was really excited uh when Mr. Dillenbeck proposed the idea of having a gap committee advisory uh to the school
116board. Uh The primary reason I would say so is because it's a it's a long-standing issue um in Amel County schools, but also nationally, all across the state. Um it's something that uh is a problem, I believe still, that can be solved and we're not going to fail at it unless we we quit. Um but as long as we keep working on it and keep it front and center, um that's that's how we're going to work on it and get it resolved. And so, the genius or the beauty of that proposal and what what I would propose is that it become an actual advisory committee to the board. There are There are board committees that are made up of a couple of board members and staff member and they work together. There are also advisory
117committees to the board. Uh an example would be the the SEAC committee, uh the school health advisory board, ACES, those types of programs where the the important part of it is it's a forever committee that doesn't just it's not episodic. Like all of a sudden we see we've got a problem happening, we throw some some efforts at it and then we move on to the next issue. This would be a consistent program. So, what I want to do is uh turn things back over to uh Chair Berlin and Mr. Dillenbeck. I uh took the liberty of drafting um a charter for the committee and shared that with them to get feedback on it, came back with another draft, and so we're at a point where now where it is a draft and it's an opportunity
118for the rest of the board to take a look at it, weigh in, and really it truly is a board committee, an advisory committee, so I want to put put it where it where it belongs. Thank you. Thank you so much, Dr. Haas, and thank you for working with us on this. Mr. Dillenbeck, I wanted to just turn it over to you. You know, again, thank you for this was I think in your first board meeting is we actually when we were talking about those committees and you asked that question. And so, I so appreciate that and I wanted you to just talk a little bit about that why, again, particularly for you as a new board member um who has been and former teacher who has really been watching from outside. Yeah, as as
119Dr. Haas mentioned, this has been uh an issue um for quite a while and one of his top priorities is addressing the achievement gap between um white students and students of color. So, my thought would be to um involve various members of the community, uh teachers, principals, parents, students, um other board members and staff um to come together to say what what have we done in the past that seems to be working that maybe just needs more time, and what what do we need to try to do differently if we're not getting the results that that we we want to see. And I think it's going to be important to talk to other school divisions um around Virginia and elsewhere to find out how did they what what did they do to uh reduce or
120eliminate the achievement gap in their districts. So, we don't need to reinvent the wheel. Um So, we're going to be inviting various members of the community to be a part of this. And I think the intention is to have people serve for a two-year period uh with the possibility of renewing or upping for a a second term. Um And again, it's not to make any policy decisions, but instead to bring information and suggestions, recommended uh suggestions to the rest of the board for us all to discuss and and vote on. So, we'll give it a try. Thank you. That's great to The the last Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, no, I was just going to add that in the timing of that, too, would be similar to what we've done with SEAC and uh and SHAB
121and the other ones where they report like in early in the budget season or during the budget season so that if there's funding implications for something that the board wants to try, then we can address it in the budget. Uh the when we did the analysis, Katrina Nicholson and I put together the ACES uh committee, and we had uh Jamie Gelner, who was here just here when she was doing program evaluations, come up with a couple of models. I mean, it's a very different model with SEAC versus ACES. ACES is very strongly modeled on long-range planning where each e- the thing that I was thought was missing from the char- the proposed charter was uh who does the appointments. I mean, for for both the um ACES and long-range planning, there is an appointee by
122each school board member, uh and then there are specific appointees by uh the superintendent, and there are um staff supports in in that work as well. I particular- I'm obviously biased because that's a model we chose for ACES, but I think it makes it more formal uh and it gives all of us uh an attachment to the work of that group by our appointee. So, I would highly recommend looking at that. >> Mhm. It's a good idea. It's good. I appreciate that. That is a good That is a very good idea. I'm just going to read a little summary and then there are some discussion questions I can put forward for the board. So, the proposed achievement gap committee is designed to support the school board in maintaining a sustained focused effort on improving outcomes
123for all students, particularly those with long-standing gaps in achievement access and opportunity. I think it's important that we're not just talking about an achievement gap, right? We're talking about access as well as opportunity gaps. Will serve in an advisory role helping the board stay grounded in both data and lived experience. Its work will include reviewing being disaggregated student outcomes, identifying systemic barriers, and offering recommendations aligned with the strategic strategic plan. Membership is intentionally broad and representative and I think everyone noticed, but I think it was important for Jim and I and for Dr. Haas that there will be students on this committee and they will be full voting members and not um just observers. As well as family staff and community members. With an emphasis on ensuring that those most impacted by the achievement gaps
124have a voice in this work. The goal is not to create something new for its own sake, but to strengthen the board's ability to consistently monitor progress, elevate community perspectives, and ensure that closing gaps remains a central and ongoing governance priority. So, I think though you know some of the speakers today were talking about how are we making sure that we're getting the voices of the community, particularly teachers and parents and children and students and that's that's something important for this board and that's something that we're we're doing as as part of this community. And then I think the other piece is to me is I think I've mentioned this before I'm a calendar person and I don't want to have a committee reporting to us when we can't take action on it. And so
125that we are intentionally kind of the executive committee would start would do some planning in July so that we can start right at the beginning of the school year so that we could do something to have some data, some information available so that this will help with our budget planning next year. So, it will just be one piece of that puzzle that we're trying to do. Making sure is again as I said when we summarized what we are doing this year, those budget decisions that we're making I think made the best chance to have us have impact on students and student achievement and opportunity and I want us to continue doing that. So, Are you guys open for a little discussion? I'm looking I'm looking to my right and left and to my right. I
126get I guess I you know I'm going to put three questions forward, right? This is This is important work, right? And so how can this committee best support the board in keeping the attention on achievement gaps in a way that is consistent, actionable, and aligned with our strategic plan? I'm just going to do these all three at once. Does the proposed membership structure ensure that we are hearing from the right voices, especially students and families most impact? And is there anything else we should adjust to strengthen that? And then how should the committee's recommendation and updates be structured so they are meaningfully inform board discussions, priority, and decision-making over time. So, you have those questions in front of you, but wanted to see kind of com- I know Dr. you already made a comment and
127I appreciate that about who does the appointments and I think that really goes into making sure we're hearing from the right voices. But other things as we think about this about this committee that we need to consider and again this is a this is a draft that we would we would move forward and amend as needed. I think this is great idea. I would like for for this board as our demographics have changed to do some internal work with the equity committee before we launch into something involving a whole lot of other people. I think if we can get a check on some of our own problems and biases first. I know that we did some work when I was on the board early and that was really helpful. So, I wondered if we could
128do a work session or something like that with our some members of our equity committee early in the stage. I I appreciate you lifting that up and I'm looking at Ms. Schmidt. So, we've brought up two things tonight. First, we talked about this a work session around technology and research and I think this one probably should precede that one because one of the things we've talked about is as this board kind of continues to come together as a full board, we many of us have joined at different times and there's different information that some of us have had and different work that some of us have done. And so, I appreciate you lifting that up and I think it's an important piece for us to do. I don't like and I would you okay if
129we do it not note that in here, but just agree to do it as a work session. >> Right. Soonish. Yes. Yes. And actually that's something that we can probably share we uh as we plan those work sessions, we should we can add that either next week or the next board meeting what are those intended topics as soon as I think we did something around courageous conversations or something. I don't quite remember, but it it was pretty good. And I would just add that those were professional development sessions that were closed meetings. It's pretty intense and there's a lot of self-disclosure. So, I I would just throw out there that it they weren't work sessions. Dr. Harrison conducted more than 20 individual PD sessions. Of course, we're it was during this pandemic so the people
130had more time on their hands to attend 1-hour Zoom meetings with with us and the cabinet participated as well. So, but I I would just want to share that those are were professional development sessions that the board was able to really open up and have those conversations. That was good. It was professional development as well cuz it it it did feel like professional development more than Yeah. anything else. So, we can think about how to best Thank you for that clarification cuz that was before at my time. So, we should think about how to how to structure that in a way that is appropriate for the time that we have, but also gets at that core and what do we need you know if we need to do some type of professional other professional development
131session. Um how we how we could do that. Yeah, cuz I and consider maybe scheduling an additional time for that because we actually have three more work sessions in this calendar year, May, September, and October. I think that's I mean I think that's an I mean if this if this board is about continuing to understand the achievement gap and as I look across you know the board, we are a white board. And we need to understand except for except for No, except for you. I'm sorry. Except for you. I didn't I didn't mean No, I didn't mean to I was about to say that. I'm sorry. I was literally about to say that. Okay. Sorry. Apologies. Exactly. Exactly. No, I agree. Yeah. Agreed. We are really losing a lot of sensitivity and like understanding of
132these things and I think jumping into this while again a great idea needs a lot of understanding that people do not have. Thank you for saying that. Other comments, quest thoughts? I mean is this something I mean I think that's a question is is what what do we need to do as we move forward into that? I mean what I would like to see, I mean in addition to what both my [clears throat] colleagues have raised, um I would just almost like to have a map of what we're doing. I mean what is what I mean we have math specialists, we've increased our special ed support, we have the bellwether, we had a good check-in last June about how we were doing you know, our strategic plan versus the bellwether, but I sort of want
133to see a report card or at least a map of what we are doing right now. We have literacy, you know, we have reading specialists, we have technology support, we have a lot of stuff going you know, we have culturally responsive education certifications and I would just like to have a big mush of it. A map of it and see how it fits together and are there synergies that we could you know, promote or conflicts we can reduce or sensitivities we can raise. Um almost before the committee even started. And since this has been a 20-year problem, I wonder if looking at that map and thinking about okay, this year things slightly got better in 2011, it got better. What did we do differently 20 you know, that longitudinal thing because this is not new.
134I'm sorry, where are you getting 20? >> going to say what 20? It was forevermore. >> was it good and then 20 years ago it No, but but the date the state data I could only go back 20 years. So, that's why I chose 20. Okay. Um so, it's been a never-ending problem. Some years were slightly better than others or there things that we did differently and I know there is some institutional memory that we have here. But again, none of it was great. So, maybe it's not even worth looking at. So, is the will of or the suggestion of the board to pause to do um some to do um uh self-reflection equity equity professional development um and mapping and then look at this later? I think we need to do both and and
135rethink the charter, you know, um Right. I mean, I think if we're going to do it, we need to be ready to do it. >> Yeah. And just keeping in mind that that doesn't pause the work. Right. Agreed. So, it's really the board's oversight and policy direction around it. I would say also just the the doing some work this summer around identifying very specific thematic goal for a short-term such as next year uh to go after. I know you know, the the we don't have we won't have the the results of the SOL testing until, you know, more than a month from now, but um watching our interim reading results throughout the year our our I know at the cabinet level and the division leadership level our thematic goal this year was to increase our
136black students reading by I mean, for me to say I was effective it needed to be a 3% growth to be highly effective 8% and we focused on that and the work that we've been doing has been very focused on that and you're seeing the needle move. So, there is a power of the board that we all need we all need a reset, I think, around uh courageous conversations about race uh Dr. Kaiser and Dr. Hayes and I have been engaging with uh Gene Cash um who has the conversations about race. different person, but I think that's that should also be an a forever project because as soon as you take your eye off of it your biases get creep right in again, okay? But I think that the the operational work is going to
137go on. So, I don't want you to worry that it's like, well, we're pausing to to be to develop, you know, and so nothing will happen. I know on our policies we have an equity checklist every time we have a new policy. But I wonder how any of our actions in the last year would have been or decisions would have been different if we did had that mental equity checklist on every single decision that we made. And I think even back to the capital improvement thing would the preschool have gone up on the list because that would make a heck of a more bigger difference than some of these other things. If we're thinking about our number one goal is to um reduce the opportunity So, I'm hearing that we would like to ask cabinet
138particularly Ms. Schmidt just because I know she's looking at those light work sessions, but but or however we want to do this to make some recommendations or we can we can work together if there are suggestions again for those of you who have been here before of of professional development that um was useful and helpful. Um that we can begin to schedule um throughout the into our calendar either as a work session or as a professional development you can make some recommendations to us that we can discuss. Um and then uh Dr. Akuff, I think did the idea of mapping I apologize. Um uh do we also want to direct um staff to um work on the the map of those projects or do we want to hold on that? I just want to just
139make sure we're um I'm enticed by that. I mean, I know we can lay it all out from the strategic plan, but I think a visual uh to help bring it all together would be would be valuable. Yeah. So, we we we'll take the direction. >> will hold on this. We will and though we will come back if we could come back next I know we have a lot since it's only a quick turnaround. If it's not possible to bring back the suggestion about professional development we can do it for the uh I can't do it off the top of my head the May second you know, the the the first meeting in May and then we can talk about what is possible around the map that I know will take much longer particularly as
140we're moving into the end of the school year and graduations and and everything. So. >> Maybe we could do some professional development this summer when things are a little calmer. And the um the charter is independent of those things. So, we can make the changes to the charter if the if the board agrees with what Dr. Akuff suggested um then we can we can bring back that draft of like really just taking it from um the ASIS committee process that's already outlined in the advisory committees to the board policy. We can put that in there and bring it back for another look to for the board cuz I know there's some urgency to get things going so you can queue up participants going into the school year. Sounds great. I genuinely do not have um
141faith that we can do all the work that we need to do the internal work that we need to do so that we don't get I can't remember which of my colleagues said this um people involved in a thing that we don't know what we're doing with it. So, I I really would just put a hard pause on this until we do all that mapping and professional development. Right. I mean although it would be lovely to have all the recommendations rolled out next September for the budget run out I think it's more important to see what we're Let's do it right. >> Let's yeah. Okay. Thank you. Thank you for lifting that up. Thank you for lifting that up. Um uh next point on our agenda is 8.0 other business. Do we have any other
142business by school board members or the superintendent? If do does anybody have anything cuz I have a couple items. I realize it's too it feels like it's like 95° in here. I I know I I thought about asking but our student I student Yeah, I thought about asking I thought about asking if you had the magic key to turn the the air conditioning on. >> Local government keep it hot to keep the meeting I don't know who to text. Usually I can text Jeff Ram in the in the building, but I don't know who to text today. I think we can blame the supervisors. Yeah, I was going to ask if he knew where the key was for the air conditioning. Um so, I do want I do I have two just two brief one's
143brief the other one's a little more, but um we in reference to the grading guidelines um there is a uh survey going out tomorrow. It's blasting out to all teachers tomorrow morning uh in the weekly digest for the super for the compass and uh it it'll go out through all the emails and it's also slated to go out to our principals on Monday through the superintendent's advisory bulletin and it's a it's a grading practices survey so we can get um we can get a current lay of the land from all of our educators and also uh my my my uh emphasis in the survey was to find out like we had the the go the stated objectives in the board policy which are very broad. What I'd like to know is what teachers are currently
144doing in in the direction of that policy that's working for them. So, that uh rather than inventing something based on the the research or, you know, the books that come out or things like that there's there there are success stories all around the system around teachers increasing engagement through practices that they have. So, I uh we're going to be able to to do that. I do want to talk a little bit about Greer. I will say that um you know in doing this work uh either as the assistant superintendent deputy superintendent superintendent over the last well, more than a decade I've participated in a lot of principal transfers. a lot uh over time. There are there's 24 schools in the system and every year we we look at the whole lay of the land all
145the principals have various experiences, years of experience, different certifications and when it starts to coalesce around planning is generally in January. Uh Mr. Redington sends out a survey to all the principals and it's called an intent survey. So, what's your intent for next year? We ask every principal, what is your intent? And some principals let us know before that uh what they're thinking. Um we get all kinds of responses like, well, I'm retiring. Uh there was one one principal that we're filling a vacancy now let me know in August that he was going to retire. But we get various responses. Many say I'm going to I'm staying put. Some say I'm staying put, but I'm looking around for jobs outside the system or in other fields or some say I'm retiring um and we we
146put all that together it gives us a general sense of the churn that we're going to need to deal with um going into the spring and the summer. So, it Dan follows that up with individual conversations with every principal to find out more about what their their plans are and what they're open to and that's important because we will have vacancies with our principals. Um even in there was a year a few years ago where I told the board I don't think we're going to have any vacancies. Then we ended up with like six as we got into the summer. So we have to know what the interests are of the sitting principals so that as openings come up we can then make make decisions. But it's an ongoing conversation with each principal. There is
147no snap decision about moving one principal from one place to another. That would be a disaster if if we did that. And as I've said for the most part we've been pretty successful over the years in terms of those changes. So we start in January we talk about it and we keep working with the principals who have said they would like a change or they're looking for a change or they're going to retire or they want to stay put. We do emphasize stability and long-term tenure. I would say that over time the tenures have gotten a little shorter because it's intense work. And so at the schools the day of the Ben Hurt 30 years as principal of Albemarle High School I think those days are over. We have principals that range right now from
148a handful of years and really Josh Walton is our longest serving principal right now. In fact we named the school after him as a result. Just a little humor there. We do want stability. We also want to ensure that each school has the leadership it needs to move forward. So the two things go hand in hand. We also um So talking specifically about Greer at this point and I really can't I'm not going to talk talk about confidential conversations that I've had with Dr. Saunders or anybody else involved with. That's just never going to happen. I would need to turn in my resignation while I was doing it. So let's just be clear about that. It's not a cone of silence. We don't keep secrets. It's just a fact that we don't talk about changes
149in our personnel whether it's a teacher a custodian a principal anybody. We don't talk about it. And I'm not going to talk about it. Um So Greer for about 11 years had a principal named Matt Landahl. He transferred at the end of his tenure he transferred to what was then Cale Elementary School which is now Mountain View. After him there Robin Bowling had a four-year tenure. When I became superintendent principal started there named Jill Lee. She was only there one year and I went to uh you know we went to a transfer and Dr. Saunders transferred from Baker Butler. I hired him to be the principal at Baker Butler. He had a successful run there. I asked him at that time if he would transfer. It's all in the past and he made the transfer.
150So transfers do occur. In fact last year when Baker Butler opened up when Brad Hendrick took a position in the city we transferred a principal from a Title One school Nancy McCollum. The school is thriving under her leadership Red Hill and had not been thriving and after several years of her leadership was thriving. We asked her would you please you know consider would you consider Baker Butler and she now that's where she is. Paula Gatley successfully is the principal at Red Hill and she came from Stony Point and all three schools are doing great this year because we have great leadership in our school system. We've we've grown a strong bench and we bring people in from the outside to try to shake things up and make a difference where maybe we haven't been able
151to or maybe it's been incremental improvement instead of some something better than that we could strive for. And it is true the key player after the teachers is the principal. Um So when we look at when we look at Crozet Crozet has principal vacancy Dr. England is retiring. That school is a great school. In fact I was just out there today everybody knows now but she was awarded the leader of the year award for our school system as part of our teacher of the year first year teacher of the year and support education support specialist. She through nominations and division level review and other principals review and my final review she won that award. So that school is a is on a on a good track. All of our schools are on a good track.
152They receive labels from time to time but I would hold them up. We take care of kids. Greer is also a strong school. Many good things happening. Steve's been there for seven years. A lot of great things happening at that school. And and the staff there has has been phenomenal. But it it can also that doesn't mean it's not appropriate for new leadership with a fresh perspective there as well. Doesn't mean that that doesn't mean that. We've got a hiring process. Frankly I am disappointed they didn't move forward with the interviews yesterday. We were trying to conduct them simultaneously with Agnor. Agnor went through with their interview process. We have a diverse candidate pool. We have a diverse committee for Greer that at least in my conversations with individual committee members I haven't talked to
153all of them but they were pretty excited to get started and and get started in the process. So I am disappointed about that. But we'll move forward next week. That's that's the plan to do that. I wanted I do want to acknowledge the impact to Greer. I think we've all been through or at least from my perspective I've worked in schools as a teacher when the principals have changed. I had good relationships with those principals. I was disappointed when they left and when the new ones came in I was even a little cold shoulder but over time had some of the best relationships I've ever had with those new principals and I think everybody here that's been a teacher could could say the same thing. And they make a difference and they can all make
154a difference. I want to assure the board as I have before that these decisions are made thoughtfully with the whole the whole school system in mind. That's my role is to look at all the schools and all of our programs. And and they're made in consultation with my colleagues and with the principals involved all the way through the process. So let's I'm looking forward to the process to play out and I'm excited about the next possibilities for all of our schools. Mr. Superintendent I'm not >> [clears throat] >> You can't talk Do we have any other business before the board? With no other business before the I just one just one thing. Um I had hoped to say something about transportation when Jamie was still here but perhaps Ms. Schmidt can convey it. I would
155love to have a brief update on transportation where we are. We have not heard any I've recently run into two in two different events two different bus drivers who who sing Ms. Gelner's praises and since we haven't had any crises in the past few months I think we need to recognize the work they're doing she's doing and the whole department is doing because as we can all painfully recall it has been a sore point and I don't and given that she also her department also had the highest Gallup scores I think we need to recognize the work that they do. Yeah I would will gladly relay that and I agree with all of that but I will also use it as an opportunity as we are continuing to struggle with hiring. There's a lot of
156good things happening a lot of improvement but because you don't hear all those stories we we will be reinstating an employee referral bonus and other things so we are trying to get the word out so we would be glad to have a public conversation on that I I agree. We typically schedule that in the July time frame. So we'll look probably maybe June or July and just give a general update. I mean even though I haven't heard anything from from my my plants in the bus driver field I mean you know saying that the mornings are covered but the afternoons might not be and there's so little And there's to no follow the staff there right now. So if there's someone [clears throat] sick it's really challenging. So anything this board can do to support
157that work. Absolutely. That would be great. Thank you. Anything else before the board? With that I will adjourn us at 10 to 9 tonight. Thank you so much. >> Mhm.