001[music] Heat. Heat. [music] [music] I'd like to call our meeting back to order. See, Mr. Lindon, will you please read us out of closed? Yes, Madam Chair. I move that the Rono County School Board come out of closed session for the following. To discuss the investigation of a student matter pursuant to the Scholastic record exemption at 2.2-3711A2 2-3711A2 of the code of Virginia. And to certify that to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements under this chapter and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which the closed meeting was convened were heard, discussed, or considered in the meeting by the school board. Second. Madame Clerk. Mr. Greenway. Yes, ma'am. Mr. London. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Hudson. Yes, ma'am. Miss Clemens. Yes, ma'am.
002Item 2.03, action from closed. Yes, madam chair. I move that student 2025-2026-07 be held in oance and the student be placed in an alternative education program under the conditions of a contract as developed by the superintendent. I'll second. Madame clerk. Mr. Greenway. Yes, ma'am. Mr. London. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Hudson. Yes, ma'am. Miss Clemens. Yes, ma'am. And Madame Chair, I move that student 2025-2026 08 be held in obeyance and the student be placed in an alternative education program under the conditions of contract as developed by the superintendent. I'll second. Madame Clerk. Mr. Greenway? Yes, ma'am. Mr. London? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Hudson? Yes, ma'am. Miss Clemens. Yes, ma'am. Welcome everyone. Will you please stand for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation
003indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Item 4.01, announcement of changes in the agenda. We do not have any. Item 4.02, approval of agenda. Do we have a Motion to approve the agenda as submitted. Second, Madame Clerk. Mr. Greenway? Yes, ma'am. Mr. London? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Hudson? Yes, ma'am. Miss Clemens? Yes, ma'am. Item 5.01, 01 recognition of William Williamird Middle School Terrier Safety Squad as the 2025 Youth of Virginia Speakout Club of the Year, Miss Katie Hutcherson and Miss Leslie Jordan. Good evening, Madame Chairwoman, members of the board, and Dr. Nicely. Thank you for having us this evening. Tonight, I am proud to recognize the Williamird Middle School Terrier Safety Squad for being named the 2025 Yaso Club of the Year, sponsored by Mrs. Leslie Jordan and Deputy Mullins, this exceptional group of student leaders
004has set the standard for excellence in youth traffic safety education. Under their guidance, the Terrier Safety Squad has developed innovative peer-led programs that engage the entire student body and community in promoting safe choices as drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Their work includes schoolwide campaigns supporting seat belt use, pedestrian awareness, and distracted driving prevention delivered through creative activities, outreach events, and partnerships with local law enforcement. Yoso recognized the Terrier Safety Squad for its strong student leadership, community outreach, and effective programming. Here to tell you a little bit more about the Terrier Safety Squad this evening are Mariah Eubank. And then representing sincere man who could not be here is deputy Mullins. And representing Lake and Windendell who could not be here is Miss Jordan. Interior Safety Squad is important to me because we help promote traffic safety.
005I really enjoyed helping with the M crash last year. Again, I'm reading on behalf of Lake and Wendell. She says, "The thing I love most about the Terrier Safety Squad is we promote safety and raise awareness about safety on the road. One of my favorite events we did in the past is for sure the fall festival. It was so fun because it was open to the community and I think that's the event that we raised the most awareness at. Good evening. Um, I'm representing Sincere Man. Um, he really enjoys being on the interior safety squad because it helps bring awareness to driver safety and seat belt safety. Some of his favorite activities were going to be Kundiff for the Halloween safety presentation and downtown Benton Truck or Treat who is representing the club today. Sorry.
006[laughter] Congratulations. Look out that way. Moms and dads, go for it. Don't go anywhere. Got one last one here. Go once. Go twice. Item 5.02, recognition of Deputy Mullins as the 2025 Youth of Virginia Speakout SRO of the year. Miss Katie Hutcherson. I'm also pleased to recognize Deputy Mullins this evening who was honored as the 2025 Yovaso School Resource Officer of the Year for his continuous support and mentorship. Together with Mrs. Jordan, Deputy Mullins has successfully built lasting relationships with our students and their families and continues to be an invaluable member of Terrier Nation. We are so proud of the Terrier Safety Squad's hard work and dedication to making a positive impact on the school and community. truly representing the spirit of WBMS by being terrier strong and future ready. I tried. Um, Madam Chair,
007members of the board, um, Dr. nicely and Sheriff Orange. Um I appreciate the opportunity again. It's a very humbling um award. Um but again um it's a studentled club. Um while I do appreciate the award, I believe it's a club award as well. Um the students put in a lot of time and effort um to do these events and it's really showing. um our club has grown to grown to 25 kids um which is the max number that we could have. Um however um I want to recognize Miss Leslie Jordan um with her strong mentorship. Without her um none of this could be possible. Um she puts in countless hours. Her tireless dedication and genuine care for our students um is that steady hand that steers them in the prevention club year after year. Um,
008like I said, without her, it wouldn't be the same. Um, what makes us proud is that this work isn't about recognition, but it's about the impact. Our students are stepping out of their comfort zones, pledging to make safer decisions, and standing up for one another. They're proving that when you create the right culture, students do not just join a club, but they become the driving force that inspires change within Terrier Nation and throughout our community. Um again with this strong club um of empowerment, safety and hope um we give the community and all the kids um on on Wayenberg campus. Um thanks for believing in them. Thanks for believing in us. Um and again Terry Terry Nation, Terry Strong. Thank you. Let me say what makes us proud. you and we appreciate you. We appreciate
009you and everything you do for our schools. We thank Come on up, Sheriff Orange. And we thank you, Sheriff Orange, because if you, as you recall, a couple years ago, we had to go to bat to uh see if we could keep you because we were switching over to the the police department handling our SRO's and I thought maybe there was going to be a mob if we didn't [clears throat] get this. So, thank you, Sheriff. Come, we'll get Don't go anywhere. All right, very good. Thank you. [applause] [snorts] Item 5.03, recognition of the Glimmer High School boys soccer VHSL class 2 threetime state championship team, Miss Corey Franklin and Mr. Josh Jones. Good evening, Madam Chairwoman, members of the board, Dr. Nicely. I can't even express how proud we are of these young men,
010this program. They left it all on the field this summer and won their third consecutive state championship. And the amount of time and hours that they put into achieving this is absolutely incredible. I'm going to turn the floor over to their head coach and coach of the year, Mr. Josh Jones. First, I'd like to uh thank the school board for hosting us this evening. Uh we are obviously missing several members uh from our 2025 team. That was a really good team [laughter] as we uh graduated 13 seniors um as well as we currently have many in football and basketball practices. I'd also like to thank our tremendous administration at Glenver High School as they constantly support and provide opportunities for our academic and athletic programs to be successful. They are a huge reason why our
011school alone has won 48 team state championships. Uh, I also want to thank our coaching staff, Andy Clapper, Logan Boyd, Bob Van Gervin, Rich Drew, and Chandler Suffin for all they do to pour into these students and into our soccer program. And of course, a huge congratulations to our student athletes for achieving an unbelievable third straight state title this past year. Many of these players have contributed to our success over the last five years where they have compiled an overall record of 98 wins, three losses, and two ties and outscored our opponents 531 to 56, won five consecutive Three Rivers District Championships, five consecutive Regency Championships, and are currently on a 61game unbeaten streak. This year, under the leadership of our captains, Jake Williams, Aiden Hilton, and Kian Fischer, we were able to compile a
012230 and 0 overall record while outscoring our opponents 134-3. The defensive group, led by goalkeeper Grayson Shepard and defender Jake Williams, recorded a staggering 20 shutouts as our squad only trailed for four minutes the entire season. State player of the year Kian Fischer led us offensively with 25 goals and 12 assists. We were able to defeat Clerk County 3 to1 in the state semifinals and Brutin High School two to nothing in the state final on June 14th. Aiden Hilton and Adam Saunders netted the goals in the second half to claim the victory and cap off the three repeat and the unbelievable season. I'm also very proud of how our guys play the game, recording an unbelievable only four yellow cards throughout their 23 games this past season. This shows our guys discipline and mental fortitude,
013which gives us an advantage on the field. It's been rewarding to see the culture in our soccer program evolve over the past several years. These players were able to achieve great things this year due to their competitiveness, their passion for the game, their unselfishness, and their physical and mental toughness. These attributes will lead these individuals as they take their next steps in life. It has also helped establish standards for future student athletes in our program at Glenver High School. Our motto best is the standard has set the tone in our program as our goal is always to perform our absolute best in whatever we do. We are never playing a scoreboard or an opponent as we are always in competition with ourselves to give our best each and every day. This trait will pay off
014in life as we encourage our student athletes to constantly give their best in everything that they do. Thank you for your time and the recognition of our school, our community, our team, and these awesome student athletes. THANK YOU GUYS. MR. COME ON UP. Athletic director at the town. So going to work. [applause] Coach Jones, what's the next sport? I know you coach more. So, I actually left middle school basketball practice early. So, I see Coach Jones up at Glimmer. Anytime I go to Glenver, Coach Jones is there doing something. So, thank you for everything that you do. It's it's a statement. Wonderful community, wonderful kids and the coaching staff. I mean, you just don't win three state championships for by chance. So, great job. Thank you for everything you do. Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate you.
015Thank you. Item 5.04, recognition of Tina Coffee as the Virginia Technology and Engineering Education Association Elementary Teacher of the Year, Miss Kim Bradshaw. Good evening, Madame Chair, board, Dr. Nicely, Dr. Sulttus. Um, I would like to bring another elementary winner to you all this evening at the annual VTEA conference in July. Tina was named the Virginia Teacher of the Year for the elementary level. Tina is the ITRT for Hermanel Horn, Oak Grove, and Fort Lewis elementary schools. She's an exceptional educator whose dedication has profoundly impacted students, fellow educators, and the broader educational community. She works with the staff and administration at each school to make programming accessible and exciting for learners of all backgrounds and abilities. In March, she will represent the Commonwealth of Virginia as the teacher of the year at the International Technology
016and Engineering Educators Association Conference in Virginia Beach. Tina coffee. [applause] So, first off, thank you for this recognition. I'm very grateful to work in a division that truly values innovation and technology. I want to take an a moment to acknowledge the incredible people I get to work with every day. My principles Julie Sandzmire, Jennifer Grley, and Kim Smith bring unwavering support and trust, and they consistently champion meaningful student centered technology integration. I'm so lucky to work alongside them and all the fabulous teachers at my three schools. Kim Bradshaw, our director of elementary education, provides clear guidance and creates conditions that allow this work to flourish across our schools. And I also want to recognize Jeff Terry in the back and our technology department. They are the unsung heroes behind the scenes. Their work keeps classrooms
017running smoothly and ensures that teachers and students have what they need to succeed. They also work hard to provide innovative programs and to keep our network safe. And of course, the ITRT team deserves a special shout out. So, my team, they inspire me, challenge me, and remind me daily what collaboration and passion for teaching can accomplish. I'm proud to learn and grow alongside such a dedicated group. Thank you again for this honor and for your commitment to our schools. Anything else? All right. CONGRATULATIONS. [applause] Item 5.05, recognition of Miss Tessa Erggo, preschool teacher at Pinforest Elementary for accomplishments in the Virginia Quality Birth to Five Evaluation System. Miss Beth Harmon. She comes. Good evening, Madame Chair, members of the board. Tonight, we're proud to recognize Miss Tessa Erggo, preschool teacher at Pinforest Elementary School, for
018her outstanding work in early childhood education. Under her leadership and commitment, Pinforest Preschool has achieved the highest rating of exceeds expectation in the Virginia Quality Birth to Five Evaluation System, earning placement in the excellence honor role. According to the Virginia Department of Education, this distinction is reserved for early childhood sites that demonstrate exemplary teacher learning, teaching and learning interactions, uh, highquality curriculum implementation, and continuous improvement. We would also like to note that Pinforest Elementary is only one of 39 public preschools across Virginia to earn this distinction this year. A clear indicator of Miss Erggo's dedication to our youngest learners and her success in fostering the kind of early experiences that set our children on a path to lifelong learning and becoming opportunity ready. Miss Erggo, thank you for your dedication and service, your innovation in
019the classroom, and your unwavering belief in children's potential. we applaud you and celebrate your milestone. And she has a team of people here to uh to recognize her. Charlie. [laughter] Congratulations. first go anywhere. CONGRATULATIONS. [applause] Item 5.06, school spotlight, Northside High School, Miss Jill Green. Good evening, Madame Chair, members of the board, Dr. Noxley and Dr. Sulttus. Thank you uh for allowing us to come tonight to showcase and brag a little bit about North Side High School. And I tried to put some things together that you may not know about us. Um so there's some data, but I know that Mr. Williams and Mr. Riley will will give you all that. Uh so I'm going to share some Viking vitals. You may or may not remember that North Side High School is the only high
020school that has free uh lunch and breakfast opportunities for our students. So during the month of September, that's the amount of meals that we serve to our students. That's very impressive. Uh probably the most impressive stat on an early dismissal, which the students love, our staff maybe not so much, we serve 700 lunches within 90 minutes. Uh and they are back to back to back. So, our students clean up after themselves because if they leave at 10:30, the next group comes in at 10:30. So, you imagine serving that many meals. Um, that's very impressive. Um, 2425 school year, we also enrolled more students than any other high school or any other school in the county. We enrolled 114 students during that school year. We go to staffing in February, not knowing what those 114 students
021are going to want to take. Uh, that's kudos to our registration team, our counseling department, and uh, Dr. Rippy. Uh, a couple years ago, Mr. Riley and Dr. Nosley came to me and we talked about the need for our students to believe in themselves and push themselves. Uh, so we have had a focus on, uh, having more students register for AP in dual classes and we've almost doubled that in two years. So, uh, kudos to our students for that. Uh, for a fun fact, imple implementation of our club days for inclusive and traditional days. We just have good old fun uh twice a year for our inclusive. Our high school kids sign up for things like art, gaming, bad mitten, pickle ball, uh book book club, um international club, prevention club, chess club, crocheting. High
022school kids still like to crochet. Uh coloring, volleyball, theater, outdoor, just to name a few. Uh that's been something I think the students have enjoyed. Uh the next one is Mr. Williams said I could share that we are projected to be distinguished. So with that said, this group right here, this is what makes us special. It is our staff. Uh the distinguished title carries a lot in terms of the accountability uh wording right now. Uh we were on the bubble the first the first round that came out, we were on track. Whatever they want to call us, we're just really special and it's because of this group right here. So they're not with us tonight. U but the staff at North's near and dear. Uh, I'm going to turn this over. Uh, Miss Light is
023going to introduce and talk about a couple slides. Uh, Miss Light is our liaison with our staff in the PTSO, which is what we're going to highlight tonight is our PTSO. We probably have one of the largest parent teacher organizations, student organizations. When I came, we did not have anything. So, in five or six years, uh, I think Miss Light will share with you where we were and where we are. So, Miss Light, would you like to share? All right. So, first I want to talk about our opportunity ready presentation. So, in the 2425 school year, we at Northside had 181 out of 254 seniors do their presentations. Um, that's 71% in our first year. So, we were really excited to see their hard work and their dedication through their passion projects. Um, our students
024did everything from building homes for Habitat for Humanity to helping to clean up our NS NHS community. They've collected food for our local food banks, made cards and ornaments for the Ronald McDonald House, Toys for Tots. You name it, they've done it. Um, our students showcase their talent and their passion for caring for our community through this project and it is wonderful to see all the great things they're doing to make Reno a better place to live. Now, we'll move on to our PTSO. So, um, in the 2324 school year, we had 260 PTSO members. 79 were students. Um, the 2425 year, we had 250 members, 65 were students. And then this year we have 331 members. 169 of them are students. Um that's almost 100 members added over two years. Um this PTSO group
025makes huge impacts in our community. I have some special kids with me tonight. So normally our PTSO does a senior representative. Um but this year we actually had so many highly qualified kids that we created a senior advisory council for our seniors. Um so these kids who are standing around me, we want to recognize all the hard work that they've been doing. Um they come to our board meetings and they work concessions and they work spirit shop. But the most important thing they do is provide their insight into what students need and want at our school. So, Haley O' Conor, Jaylen Merchant, Kennedy Helm, Don Apparicio, and Nyla Anderson. We just wanted to make sure that we recognized our whole council. I'm going to turn it over to Matt Harris, our president, to talk a
026little bit more about the PTSO. Members of the board, thank you for allowing us to talk to you guys about how wonderful uh our PTSO is. Um, the PTSO continues to make a major difference in the culture and spirit of our school community. Uh, we are proud to to say that we donate over $20,000 each year to athletic teams and student clubs. Plus, we also do a one large end of the year gift uh that goes directly back to the school. Uh, this is from concession sales and membership um membership um dues as well as community donations. Uh we also fully fund the after prom celebration. Um that after prom creates a safe and unforgettable night for our juniors and seniors. Throughout the year we focus on building community spirit and appreciation through special treats
027and events. Um from fall festivals to holiday surprises as well as back to school treats for students and teachers. Uh we provide lunches from local favorites like S's um and and Patty's uh catering who also um assists with our concession uh stands as well. Uh we sponsor DJs and tailgates for uh big basketball and football games. Uh PTSO is just not fundraising. We're fueling school pride, supporting our students and staff, and strengthening North Side community each year. At North Side, every dollar from our concession stand goes right back into our schools. Uh thanks to our amazing parents, students, and community volunteers who keep it running. Uh these funds help us improve our campus and celebrate our students and staff all year long. Um in the past, uh in 2023, we added outdoor patio furniture for
028our students and staff to enjoy lunch outside. Uh just this past year, we installed a new LED backlit sign. It's at the front of the uh entrance of the school on the gym. Uh it's a bright showcase of of Viking pride. And another thing that we do each year is we fund the senior banners as you see in the picture there. Those are all we do those for every sport and also and also the marching band. Um those are displayed throughout different various fields and gyms. Um and then at after that season's over the uh senior is allowed to keep that banner of them. Uh we host student tailgates for the members to enjoy and and come together. We also offer volunteer hours for um for our students to get those hours through concession shifts
029um and again provide um meals and treats throughout the year. Uh to talk about the uh PTSO sponsored afterprom, I'll turn it over to the uh PTSO vice president uh Jenny Hungate. Hey, thank you so much for um uh acknowledging our effort uh this year here. Um we have had a great time with all of these kids. Um after prom last year we had uh 344 students sign up for our afterprom um which is incredible. Um almost every single one of them stayed the entire night too. Um that effort is large in part due to our community um the partnerships that we have with um V or YOvaso. They were they awarded us with a thousand dollar grant this year uh which helped pay for our afterprom um the last two years and again this
030year we'll be hosting after prom at uh the leap launching pad the launching pad. Uh the kids have a fantastic time there. Um we do everything that we can to try and keep them there the entire night. Um just creating an atmosphere for them that uh that they're going to have an unforgettable night. We include a silent disco the last couple of years, a live DJ, airbrush tattoos, blowup games, photo booths. Um, and through the support of our community, we were able to send every single junior and senior home with a gift at the end of the night. Um, that's like an Amazon wish list wishlist gift uh that they were able to take with them and a t-shirt. So, anything that we can do to try and entice them to stay uh that entire
031night and the last couple of years we've been really successful with that and uh and hope hope to continue that on. Um North Side High School is is definitely community powered. Um the things that we're able to do are definitely uh in large part to those those relationships that we have. I can just have 30 more seconds. Um, I'd like to recognize um two of our other board members in attendance. Uh, our treasurer, Leah Stro, and our volunteer coordinator, uh, Jill Giles. They they are in attendance tonight. I also like to thank Miss Green for her encouragement, um, from the administration and her input. Um, I would also like to especially thank um, our teacher liaison, Missy Light. I truly do not think uh, that our PTSO would be as successful without her. Um, Missy
032volunteers. Um, not only do we get Missy, but we get her family. Um, her her husband, her even her father and her son, they donate their time. Um, as you saw in one of the pictures and, uh, our our council members were behind a, uh, a, um, a desk essentially that her husband made for our homecoming parade. Um, she's a driving force with our membership uh, numbers the way they are. She's our voice inside the schools. Um she's our biggest cheerleader with the with the students and the faculty. Um so I do think that the PTSO is truly strong and better because of Missy Light. So I thank you Missy for your I'll close and I just want to say I tell my ninth grade parents this u and this is one of the reasons
033I picked our PTSO night to be um showcased. Uh if you think that when your child comes to high school that's a time for you to set back as a parent, you are sadly mistaken. uh we need you involved and the community and the parents of North have certainly stepped up and I think that's evident by everything that they have done for us continue. So I appreciate and I thank you all [applause] the screen don't go anywhere I've seen firsthand the job you've done there at North Side and it's been fantastic. the uh the success we've had starts with your inspirational leadership there, but it also requires a lot of community involvement. So, thank you to all those parents that you've been able to to talk into getting involved and the student involvement since you've
034come to North Side has been tremendous. So, keep up the good work and uh appreciate everything you're doing. I'll echo Mr. Lyndon's comments. It's nice when I come by the school and to see how the kids react when they see us coming down the hallway and just the cool relationships that you have with everybody. I know you're really making a difference there. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] Item 6.01 report by student advisory council representative Mr. Bear Tyrie. Good evening, Madam Chair, Dr. Nicely, Dr. Sulttus, and members of the board. The student advisory council met on Wednesday, November 5th. Members welcomed Emma Rotamp from Glenn Middle School as the new eighth grade representative. Dr. Sulttus presented information on potential future policies under consideration by the division. Students were invited to share their thoughts and provide feedback
035to help inform planning. Council members engaged in discussion and asked questions on how new policies could promote safety, health, and student well-being. Student representatives shared updates from recent principal meetings at their schools. Some of the highlights include Denver High School is making updates to their drug and safety uh education programs. At Cavespring High School, students recently held their annual trunk or treat. They've also instituted a high- five Friday where each Friday an athletic team visits a local elementary school to welcome the students into the building. The night's aid just completed their drive for change campaign which promotes safe driving and the FCC FCCLA club sponsored ink don't drink a temporary tattoo activity promoting healthy choices. At Caves Middle School, students held a holiday donation drive and a Christmas party to support fellow student Camden Theamong.
036At Hidden Valley Middle School, students participated in a glow social dance. William Bird High School held a graduation event honoring Kandum Theimong. This was a meaningful community moment of unity and support. Council discussed establishing clear attendance and membership expectations for SSA participants. I made a motion to begin adding an attendance requirement as part of the bylaws. Proposal received unanimous support. We will look at drafting a policy to be considered for adoption in the months ahead. Finally, our next monthly meeting will be held on January 7th. The council will be welcoming guest speaker Jamie Estrada, the supervisor of nutrition for RCPS. Thank you for your continued support of student leadership and voice in Renault County Public Schools. Thank you. Item 7.01, Public hearing regarding proposed sale of parcel number 086.12-02-18.0000-0000. A public hearing is now open
037regarding the proposed sale of schoolboard parcel number 086.12-02-18.00-0000. This property is located adjacent to Caves Middle School. Is there anyone who wishes to address the board on the proposed sale? All right, the public hearing is now closed. Item 8.01, hearing of citizens for agenda topics. We do not have any. Item nine, consent agenda. Do we have a motion to approve? So move second. Madame clerk. Mr. Greenway. Yes ma'am. Mr. London. Yes ma'am. Mr. Hudson. Yes ma'am. Miss Clemens. Yes ma'am. See item 10.01 2026 20227 course registration guide. Mr. Mike Riley. Good evening madam chair members of the board. Dr. Nicely. Tonight, the instructional department brings the 2026-27 course registration guide to the board's consideration. Um, it is an action item. So, at the end, we'll ask uh that you you vote on this. Um, I
038do want to thank Dr. Sulttus and Mr. Sir for presenting this at the work session. Several of us were out of town at a national middle school conference. Um, they presented it at the work session. I think there were some questions. um we went to work and there are a couple programmatic changes that we have made that we want to bring to your attention before we see if you guys have any questions for us. The first one, all of our seniors starting next year will be registered for their opportunity ready uh portfolio defense. Many of you have seen them do that. Our expectation this year and we'll talk about it during our rec our information later in the board meeting. But, uh, we're hoping all our seniors this next year will present their defense. You
039saw Miss Green talk about how excited they were, and several of you saw some of their students present last year. But next year, what we want to do is have all the seniors registered for a course. Um, it will be nonredit bearing, but the one change we did make is next year will also not be graded. So, it'll just be recognized that they completed it, but it won't receive a grade. We want to make sure that our teachers and students are ready before we add a grade component to that in the future. The other piece um is our center for visual arts. As you know, it's going to be moving to North Side High School next year. Um we uh asked uh Miss Cubberly uh to talk to Miss Green and look and see if
040there's a way we could get that CVA1 class face to face. They did locate a room that we feel like we can use. We had Mr. Okay, let's go over take a look at that space. We feel like we can offer it there. It will need to be uh retrofitted for that class at a cost of approximately $60,000 and Mr. Kaggels will be bringing that to the board for your consideration in terms of funding that. So, that is one of the programming changes we've made is we're going to be able to offer CVA1 at North Side High School during that school year. We'll have CVA 1 through four offered there in two different classrooms with the same staff in the same setup. All the other um parts of the registration guide are the same as
041they were presented. So at this time we want to see if you have any questions. We have a motion to approve. Second discussion. just want to thank you for our arts program. Anybody to think that we think any less of of our arts program because we're moving it physically, but I'm glad we're getting that class in person. Thank you. Yes, sir. Any other discussion? Madam Clerk, Mr. Greenway? Yes, ma'am. Mr. London? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Hudson? Yes, ma'am. Miss Clemens? Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Item 10.02, June 30th, 2025, audit and year end results. Miss Susan Peterson. Good evening, Madam Chair and members of the board. Uh, tonight we are presenting the June 30th, 2025 annual comprehensive financial report, also known as the ACER. This is for your review and approval. The full report is available on
042boards and it is on the finance website under the 2024 2025 reports. We will we have sent the electronic file to the print shop and as soon as it is ready um we will send copies to you. Sorry, my computer glitched out. Um so uh the audit process uh does require significant preparation across the division. So, I do want to take time to thank our bookkeepers, our principles, central office staff and leaders for all of their and the finance staff uh for all of their efforts. The teams work very carefully each day to manage the fiscal operations, ensure proper use and accounting of funds and support a smooth audit. Their work reflects strong stewardship of taxpayer funds and student resources. The act for itself does provide a complete picture of our financial activity for the
043year and serves as the final step in each of our budget cycle years. While the entire document is informative, I do encourage you to review the management's discussion analysis that begins on page 19 as it offers a clear overview of this year's financial results and key trends. I'd like to extend my appreciation to the Brown Edwards team, specifically Mr. Chris Bant, the partner, Mr. Travis Gilmore, the manager, and Mr. Ethan Harles, the in charge in the back, um, for their work throughout this process. Earlier today, the audit committee met with the auditors and received the results of the audit, and I'll let Mr. Gilmer take a few moments and share that with you, Susan. Uh, well, good evening. My name is Travis Gilmer. I'm a director with Brian Edwards, uh, here to do the presentation
044of our audit of the school board for 2025. uh results of the audit as Susan mentioned uh and related deliverables were uh discussed in great detail in the audit committee meeting that we held earlier. Um as always, you know, really want to thank Susan and her team for all they do to make sure this process goes as smooth as possible. Um and just sort of a reminder about the the audit process. It starts in April uh and obviously wraps up now. We spend hundreds of hours uh on the audit and so it really requires a good working relationship and so we're just very appreciative of the relationship that we have with the schools. Um I just want at a very high level kind of go over the two deliverables uh that you have as Susan
045said. The first one is the annual comprehensive financial report. Um there's really two phases to the audit. There's the financial statement audit opinion and then there's a compliance audit opinion. Uh and so I'm happy to report that both were clean and we had no findings or issues that were noted uh during our audits. The single audit opinion which is normally presented with the uh the county report uh will not be presented uh at least at this time as OM has yet to issue the final compliance supplement and so a separate single audit opinion on the federal funds will be issued at a later date once that's available. And just as reminders, uh the schools expended $13.9 million of federal funds during the year. Uh and we actually audited two federal uh programs this year. One
046being ARPA and the other being child nutrition. Uh and so far I'm happy to both uh report that both are clean. Uh we have no findings or issues that have been noted during the single audit. Uh and then the other uh communication that you have is the required communication with those charged with governance. Uh this is a letter that communicates information such as the most sensitive estimates during the audit, uh posted and unposted adjustments, uh any difficulty that was had during the audit, any differences of opinions and things along those lines. Um happy to report that we have no journal entries this year and the letter that we issued is very uh standard. And then lastly, attached to this letter is a copy of the signed management representation letter obtained at the end of the
047audit. Thank you so much, Travis. Um, I do want to go ahead and switch gears real quick um and highlight our year-end surplus and carryover. So, in your packets at your desk, you flip past the first pull report, you will see um the year- end surplus carryover report. Uh this shows the final balances by fund, including the general fund carrier. We did review the general fund activities with you on September 4th and since then there have been several audit adjustments that my team had to record. Um these adjustments included recognition of additional revenue of $11,612, additional expenditures of $60,750 and reduction of incumbrances by 57,785. Net impact of these uh changes is to increase the capital major capital allocation by $4,324 and a similar matching increase for the minor capital allocation. So there were no
048reductions from what I share with you. Uh the amount going into the major minor capital will be slightly more. The second page in your packet presents the appropriation summarized by category to comply with the county's ordinance requirements. We will will this car request to the board of supervisors on December 16th for the first reading of the ordinance and then the second and final reading will occur in January. I can answer any question or Mr. Gilmer can answer any questions if you have any. I just like to say great job to you and your staff as always. Do we have a motion to approve? Make a motion to approve discussion. Mr. Greenway. Mr. London. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Hudson. Yes, ma'am. Clemens. Yes, ma'am. Item 10.03, June 30th, 2025 OPED Trust Fund Financial Report. Miss Susan Peterson.
049Thank you. Tonight I am presenting the June 30th, 2025 financial report for the school's OPE Trust. The school division administers a retirement medical plan for employees who retire at age 55 or older with at least 10 years of service who have en been enrolled in a health plan for at least 12 months. Retiree premiums use a blended rate that combines active and retirey claims which lowers the cost for retirees. In 2025, the employee extended work plan provided up to $3,000 to each eligible employees medical premium for up to five years. To manage long-term liabilities, the school board participates in the VML Veco Op trust with the county. This allows us to invest in assets specifically for retirey medical benefits. As of June 30th, 2025, the school's trust balance was $2.1 million. A local finance board
050meets quarterly to review contributions, fees, investment activity, and performance. Uh the AP trust report is attached um as the last page of that packet and I can answer any questions you may have. Do we have a motion to approve? Motion to approve. Second discussion, madam clerk. Mr. Greenway? Yes, ma'am. Mr. London. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Hudson. Yes, ma'am. Miss Clemens. Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Item 10.04, approval of sale of portion of Kring Middle School property. Mr. Todd Kaggles, Madame Chair, members of the board, Dr. Nicely, Dr. Sultas uh if you will recall David Andrews with TC uh TSCG attended a previous work session and presented a proposal to purchase from the school board approximately point4 acres along Ranch Crest Drive. That piece of proper property was formally divided into two parcels identified as tax ID number
05186.12-2-11 and 86.12-2-10 as indicated on the survey map. Uh Mr. Limeburger, could we get the other graphic? Just wanted to make sure that we've seen that map that uh is posted publicly. Uh so it's those two uh parcels outlined in red. Those two parcels were subsequently uh rolled into the Caves Middle School property and they now do not exist separately. Those property lines were abandoned at some point in the past and the property was made part of tax ID 86.12-2-18.00- 00-0000 which encompasses the entire Kring Middle School campus. The board did express a willingness to consider the sale pending an appraisal and a satisfactory offer. The board then authorized me to negotiate with the potential buyer to obtain a satisfactory agreement. Having reviewed the appraisal and having received an offer consistent with the appraised value,
052including the purchaser paying all costs associated with the sale and having held the required public hearing, it is my recommendation that the board take action to approve the sale of this property pending a satisfactory survey and subdivision of the lot which matches the previously abandoned lot designations. Do we have a motion to approve? I'll make the motion to approve. discussion. Quick question on the information they had proposed property lines that that is not what they're interested in purchasing. Uh from from the Ballser survey? No, sir. It's just those two lots as indicated on that map. Any other discussion? Madam clerk. Mr. Greenway. Yes, ma'am. Mr. London. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Hudson. Yes, ma'am. Miss Clemens. Yes, ma'am. Thank you, John. Thank you. Item 10.05, approval of engineering study for William Middle School softball field. Mr. Todd
053Kaggles. Uh, we were asked to present a proposal this evening to fund engineering and permitting work for a potential project for a softball field to be constructed on the grounds of William Middle School. Based on previous experience with similar project staff is recommending approval of $25,000 from minor capital special project projects to fund engineered plans for the forthcoming project. Make a motion to approve. Any discussion? Madam clerk. Mr. Greenway. Yes ma'am. Mr. London. Yes ma'am. Mr. Hudson. Yes ma'am. Miss Clemens. Yes ma'am. Thank you. Item 10.06, American Education Week Resolution. Dr. Ken Nicely. Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board. This is always a wonderful thing to be able to bring to you each year as we celebrate American Education Week this week. So, we uh recommend that you adopt the following resolution of
054recognition. Whereas public schools are the backbone of our democracy, providing young people with the tools they need to maintain our nation's precious values of freedom, civility, and equality. And whereas by equipping young Americans with both practical skills and broader intellectual abilities, schools give them hope for and access to a productive future. And whereas education employees, be they substitute teachers, custodians, teachers, bus drivers, or librarians or many other roles, work tirelessly to serve our children and communities with care and professionalism. And whereas schools are community catalysts, bringing together adults and children, educators, and volunteers, business leaders, and elected officials in a common enterprise. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Rono County School Board does hereby recognize November 17 through 21st as the 104th annual observance of American Education Week and each school will be receiving
055a donation uh for the principal to use for their faculty on behalf of the school board if you choose to adopt the resolution. Thank you. Have a motion. I'll make a motion to adopt the resolution as presented by Dr. Nicely. Any discussion? Yes. Not only do I hope we approve that, which I'm sure we will, but would like to share that, you know, I think I've said it probably to the point that I got some blowback during this last campaign. But I think we have the best staff, second to none in anywhere in the state of Virginia or the United States. We have amazing people and we appreciate each one of you. Madam clerk, Mr. Greenway. Yes, ma'am. Mr. London. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Hudson. Yes, ma'am. Miss Clemens. Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Item 11.01, opportunity
056ready update. Miss Kim Bradshaw and Mr. Mike Riley. Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board. We wanted to take just a little time tonight to give you guys an update on where we're at with our opportunity ready work. You've heard us talk a lot about it. You've heard schools talk a lot about what they're doing. So, we wanted to start with just a brief history to kind of catch everybody up to how we got here and then talk about some of the exciting things that are going to be happening this year. Of course, as you know, it's been about a decade now that we've been operating with our Rona County uh public schools profile of a graduate. Uh about again 10 years ago, we got together with a large stakehold uh group of stakeholders
057from across the valley to come up with really the skills we knew students were going to need to be successful when they left high school, when they left our schools. And we came up with our opportunity ready skills. We want them to be critical thinkers. We want them to be good citizens, collaborators, communicators. We want them to be centered and creative. So again, we developed those with community input and have been operating with those is kind of our central idea for what students need to be successful to be opportunity ready when they leave our division. Of course, we know that doesn't happen in a vacuum. We know there's a lot of pieces that go into that. When Miss Green was up here talking about everything that makes North Side tick, you think of all the
058staff members, all the support staff, the teachers, the bus drivers that make that happen. We know that all those things need to happen for our students to be opportunity ready. First, we know we need a balance. Um, we're super excited. Miss Green was talking about the fact that North High School is going to be distinguished. Um, and that goes back to not just the fact that their students have those opportunity ready skills, but they're also deeply in learning the content. they're successful on the end of the state so test. So we have a balance where we want to make sure our students have those skills but also have deep content knowledge and Renault County Schools has done a great job with that. We want to make sure there's a strong school and classroom climate where
059staff and students feel a sense of belonging. We want to make sure that our staff is growing professionally. We want to make sure that we have the best support tools and services in the valley to make sure that our students and staff can thrive. And then of course we want a strong learning culture in each of those buildings. What we did to really move this work forward, we had the prof profile of a graduate, but honestly if that's where you stop, it really just becomes aspirational. It's a poster, it's colorful, we talk about it, but it doesn't necessarily mean anything unless there's a way we can start to measure it. So we looked at how do we go about measuring this. So in 2021-22 several years ago we started with a group again of stakeholders
060to come up with developmentally appropriate what we call performance outcomes. They're I can statements and by developmentally appropriate we actually have them broken out by elementary, middle and high school where they're I can statements around three of our C's. We chose collaboration, communication, and critical thinking because we felt like those were going to have the most impact in the classroom. Those were going to be very instructionally relevant and give our teachers really something to focus on. So, we then took those I can statements and started having students develop portfolios of your work, curating some of their best work. And the following year in 2022 23, we started with phase one. It was the initial phase where we had one high school piloted senior defenses. Um we started that first year uh with a handful of
061students defending their portfolios. Several of you were able to see that that year. And then we had one middle school and three elementary schools that started with student led conferences where they would take their work and they would either talk to their parents or at the senior level they would defend to the panel and talk about how that was evidence that they had mastered those opportunity ready skills. And of course several of you have gotten to sit on some of those over the years and seen some of the really amazing work that our students do. The next year in phase two, we expanded that to three high schools um that had senior defenses, three middle schools, and nine elementary schools that had studentled conferences. Then last year in phase three, the final pilot phase, all
062five of our high schools had senior defenses. And of course, we were super excited to see the numbers that Miss Green talked about where they had almost 70 over 70% of their students present in that first year. All five middle schools and all s 16 elementary schools had studentled conferences last year. So that kind of wrapped up the pilot phase. And really what we want to talk to you guys about this this uh evening is what we've got planned for this year. We're super excited that at the high school level, we're going to have senior defenses. And last year when we approved the calendar, the school board approved two virtual days at the high school. Um 9th through 11th grade will be at home. We'll make sure they have work, but we want to make
063sure that all staff are prepared and ready to score defenses so that our goal is all of our seniors will have an opportunity to to defend a portfolio during those two days. High schools are working right now with their kids to make sure they're starting to prepare for that. make sure teachers are trained and are able to score those defenses. We're going to be working to make sure if there are transportation issues, we can get them there because we want to make sure that our seniors have a chance to defend their portfolio. And we really want to make this a celebration of learning and make sure that they have a chance to share with us the amazing things that they've learned and mastered. Um, and one of the cool things about those defenses is we
064allow the seniors to really personalize those. They get to choose those artifacts. And again, if you've seen those, you know the pride those students put into those artifacts and the excitement that they have as they're able to share those things. At the middle school level, we're going to have studentled conferences. On April 22nd is the day we've designated for that. It's an early dismissal day that'll allow us to do some during school and some afterchool studentled conferences. We wanted to make sure that all of our parents had an opportunity uh to participate in that. There are a few schools that will actually be doing some conferences outside those states just to make sure that we have opportunities for all our parents at the middle school level to come in and hear their students articulate how
065they've mastered those skills and look at the evidence that those students have provided. And of course, the elementary school's also going to be doing some things this year with the student government. At the elementary school, we're continuing with full implementation, which means all of our elementary schools will be participating, and this is for grades three through five. Um the elementary schools have given feedback that they are just amazed at how well the students are able to present the information to their parents. Um one of the things that I think was a a big aha for everyone is that um the teachers felt like maybe maybe the students weren't going to be able to present but the students all were able to shine because you all know when they come home from elementary school and you
066say how was your day? It was fine. And they're very they don't go into detail, but boy, when they sat down with their parents, they really went into detail and explained all of their artifacts. So, it was great. We're going to do um our conference is on February 9th, which is our parent teacher conference day. So to this point, up to this point, we've had over 1,400 elementary students uh participate in student le conferences and we've had over 1,200 middle school students uh share their goals and growth with their parents. And so we just look for those numbers to grow even more this year since we are in full implementation. Um students at every level are building confidence and ownership and of course having their own agency with their learning. um opportunity ready. We mentioned
067North Side High School, which we're very proud of of their seniors, but over 300 of our seniors this past uh May did earn the opportunity ready seal on their diploma. And these students were recognized for having critical thinking skills, communication, collaboration, and they're not just graduating with their diploma, but with a seal that says they're ready for whatever that next step might be in their future. Um, as you all know, we were recognized as one of 24 school districts uh with the Carnegie Foundation looking to reimagine what high school will be for our students for the future. So, we're very excited about that work and the opportunity ready work um works very seamlessly with the Carnegie Institute. We're serving as a model of how intentional performance assessments and student leading or studentled learning can transform
068readiness. And we did take a team to present at a national conference. Um, and they had a great turnout with the session sharing how we look at opportunity ready from the elementary all the way through our seniors and and preparing our graduates. We continue this work is is not complete by any means. Um, we are continuing to expand our studentled conferences so that all students have a opportunity for to participate. We don't want, just like Mike was saying earlier, we don't want parents um the inability to maybe come to a parent conference to be the um the barrier between a child presenting and not presenting. So, everybody's working on different ways that we can make sure all of our students get to participate if it's virtual with their parents or maybe it's with a staff
069member within their own school if they're not able to participate with their parents. We are continuing to expand deeper learning experiences in all of our class classrooms. That's K through 12. That is a mission that everyone has as part of our strategic plan and part of our goals for each individual school. And we want to ensure that every student in every school and every classroom is truly opportunity ready. They're ready for whatever their next step is. If you're at the elementary level, you are ready for middle school. If you're at middle school, you're ready for the high school experience. And when you graduate from Ronut County, we know you're ready for whatever that next step might be. Military workforce, college, whatever that next step is for for that individual. Together, our educators, our students, our
070parents, and our community members are continuously redefining success because we always want to know what what does the workforce need? What what do our graduates need to be successful in all of the venues that they have um at at their will. We are proud of our progress and we're continue we're committed to moving further and we want to make sure that all of our students are opportunity ready. We just wanted to end with our mission because our mission is what keeps us focused. We we our mission is to prepare every student in every school and in every classroom to be opportunity ready. So we appreciate you. And do you have any questions for either Mike or myself? Well, I do have one question going back to Well, first off, I think Dr. Nicely, didn't you
071start the C change? Well, I'm sure it was. Yeah, I'm sure it took, but I think back to the earlier days on the board. I remember that that started with like three C's, wasn't it? If I'm four and Okay, it's four. Okay. I thought we started with three and then went to four and five. But nonetheless, the only question I have is on the elementary level. I worry a little bit about our teachers in that respect. Um do we so we give two virtual days at the high school level. Do we need a couple of days at the elementary level? And and the reason I say that is because of all the so testing and so forth that that goes gets thrown in there. I love what we're doing, don't get me wrong, but I'm
072just wondering, you know, we already know that our elementary teachers, it's hard to find that space and time during the day for them to have some extra time to prepare or to just take a break really to give them just a few minutes. Um, so I just wonder if coming down to the third grade level, which again, I love the idea. I don't maybe it's not quite as intensive and I got to see the high school in person, but I didn't get to see the elementary. I hope to get see that this year. Um, do we think we need a little bit of extra time built in for the elementary teachers? It is certainly something that we can consider. I mean, we work very closely with our administrators and with our teams uh to determine
073what their needs are. At this time, the elementary the way it the format is set up um looks a little different. uh you in one classroom you might have five students at the same time in different areas of the classroom presenting with their their families. So it does look a little different at the elementary level than it does say even at the middle school level where the student is actually standing and presenting their information to their parents which has a different feel. At the elementary level it's a little bit more community based and related and you have multiple students presenting at the same time. Well, the high school that's phenomenal. The opportunity ready and being able to present. I think it really prepares them for college in a lot of ways. Uh, you know, just
074being able to stand up in front of people first step, let alone that then you're going to defend, you know, the criteria. But, um, so I I just worry a little bit about our elementary teachers in that respect. So, but I I love the idea. Thank you. I'd just like to commend Dr. nicely for his vision with this program. I mean, it has it's come such a long way in the three, four years um of of doing this and I remember when we started, I think it was just Hidden Valley High School, but to get it in in all these schools now and vision and and the teamwork that it took to put it together, just want to say thank you for what an outstanding uh outstanding program this has become. Thank you. Thank you.
075Thank you. [clears throat] Item 12.01, hearing of citizens for non-aggenda topics. We do not have any. Item 13.01, report by Reno County School Superintendent, Dr. Nicely. We've had a longer meeting uh than normal this evening, so I'll try to keep my remarks a little briefer. Um I want to begin though by acknowledging the wide variety of recognitions we have this evening and how they symbolize the incredible number of programs we have in Runup County Public Schools. The incredible students, student athletes that we have, the incredible teachers, staff members that we have, and this includes uh Miss Peterson, our chief financial officer. I want to thank her and again congratulate her and her team for an excellent um audit report. It's it's truly something that we don't want to take for granted. Uh it's truly something
076that they continue to deliver each year and uh doesn't happen by accident. Uh speaking of um Oh, I'm sorry. Also want to thank Miss Green for her excellent leadership at Northside High School in their school spotlight presentation this evening. She truly and genuinely cares about each student and believes in their potential and success has been has been noted. Um and then speaking of North Side, I want to congratulate our combined choirs from North Side High School and North Side Middle who are the featured vocalists for the state Veterans Day ceremony held last week in Richmond and attended by the governor. Uh we got to hear some video a video clip of that. So I can say they sang beautifully and they also drew high praise from those who organized uh the program. So, I want
077to thank Miss Ashley Gallian, the choir director at North Side, for all the extra effort and time it took to make that possible for the students and the veterans uh that were honored and also thank all of our schools who presented Veterans Day programs last week. By the way, either during the school day um or uh in the evening. I know the veterans uh they honored, appreciated it, and these programs are always a powerful way to instill a sense of civic responsibility and patriotism in our students. um each month, including just last week, representatives from the PTAs and PTO's gather um together and meet to share ideas for programs and fundraisers. And so I was so pleased to see that was a huge uh port of emphasis in North Side School Spotlight this evening. Very
078appropriate. all of these representatives um these parents who and also and teachers in some cases um they represent um a large number of parent volunteers who actively participate in helping our teachers and students in a wide variety of ways. And I also want to take a moment to thank all of our parents and staff who put in tons of extra hours of volunteer time to make all these programs and events possible on behalf of these um parent organizations. This past Thursday, marketing students from all of our high schools converged on the Reno College campus to compete in the annual DECA competition. These marketing students made us proud in the way they represented Reno County Public Schools and their high schools and showed off their interviewing and marketing skills. So, congratulations to them and the teachers
079once again who prepared them to compete. Um, I want to thank Miss Clemens and Mr. London for helping Dr. Sulttus and me present at the You guys know you're doing this. We're going to present at the schoolboard uh uh school association conference later this week and we're going to proudly share with the other school districts the innovative work we're um have done here in Reno County schools on our opportunity ready graduate program about which you heard an update this evening from Mr. Riley and Mr. Miss Bradshaw and I want to thank them for their continued leadership in this uh in this effort. And it did start with a vision many years ago that we um uh formed uh around our C change framework as well as our opportunity ready graduate profile of a graduate uh
080which really um uh rose from the input of teachers and principles and parents talking about what we wanted our schools and our classroom experiences look like for our kids. Um I did go to Mr. Mr. Riley and Miss Bradshaw um uh probably about this time last year, maybe two years ago, and said we need to accelerate this in terms of our opportunity ready graduate program and they have just been fired on all cylinders and can and as well as our principles and our teachers and staff to make that happen. So, I just want to thank them again. Um our next community meeting about the dangers of smartphones and social media is going to be tomorrow evening at six o'clock and that one's at Kring High School. And all those meetings are open, of course, to
081anyone in the public. And the complete listing of those meetings is on the uh the the website. Finally, as you um acknowledge in your resolution, this is of course American education week, which is a time each year to pause and celebrate the institution of public education and its everexpanding role of educating children, not just on academics, but on skill skill building and developing the mindsets needed to get along with others and develop uh ways to solve problems. Public schools try very hard to be all things to all people, which is sometimes an impossible task. But there is no doubt that strong public schools are needed more than ever to bring people together and prepare graduates for future success. None of this is possible without educators and staff who show up every day and give 100%
082and more. We take time to thank them and elevate the crucial and valuable work they do. Thank you. Thank you. Item 14.01, 01 reports and inquiries of board members. Mr. Greenway, we'll have you go first. Yes, Madam Chair. Thank you. Mr. Limeberger, do you have my picture? I don't I don't [laughter] I don't know if anybody knows this guy, but uh my company, we sponsor the uh dogs games, and this guy came out and led the choir for the uh Look at Yeah, there you go. He zoomed in. This guy [laughter] came out, I don't know if anybody knows him. but led the choir for the national anthem on this particular night. And uh I got the chance to say hello and they did an awesome job. It's uh it was Veterans Day, I believe,
083wasn't it? And was it the Friday night? Yep. So uh but you know, did a great job. It was so cool to see you out there and I' I've seen you last year, too. But this time I took a picture. I said, I'm going to capture this moment and and send it to you. Um so thank you for your service and and for all the gentlemen there. Um, and I think there were some ladies in there as well. Um, so real quick, I just want to uh move to uh we just went through an election time. Uh, we had a uh we had a it's very engaging, very uh fulfilling u if the outcome's the right way obviously. But I want to thank the uh Venton district voters. Um, you know, it's it's humbling and
084it's uh it's very rewarding too to uh really didn't do a lot of campaigning during the season. Went to the polls early, went uh and and worked uh voting day, did a little online stuff, but uh you know, I felt like uh my record hopefully would speak for itself and and I think it did. Um you know, I had a lot of things working against me. had a lot of people working against me. I had my own board of supervisor representative worked all day from 6:00 in the morning till 7 at night handing out my opponent's uh info. I had the election mistake that I made on the form, you know. So, they certainly publicized that. Thank you media for for all you did for that. Appreciate that. Um and then uh you know just
085uh then I had some of the other group that uh comes to see me quite often or see us in the the boardroom. But uh you know at the end of the day it was a what I consider an overwhelming victory and I'm I'm really appreciative to the Venton district voters. Thank you for uh you know for your show of support and for that I'm going to double down and work twice as hard for Rona County Schools and for the Venton district. Um yes, the Venton district. I'm going to also continue to support and push and work as hard as I can to make sure our school systems facilities and and such are on par with the rest of the county. And I want to make sure that uh county school system stays uh at
086the top of the the state of Virginia. Again, I say this I said it many times and and I you know, we're we're essentially judged on the scores uh of our students um you know from around the state. uh were kind of lumped in with with that group and we were sixth in reading, I'm sorry, sixth in math, seventh in reading out of 131 districts in the state of Virginia. And I have said this for about three or four months now. I think that's something we need to figure out how we need to promote that, show that to everyone. I try to say it everywhere I go and uh it doesn't happen by accident. Dr. Dr. nicely and staff absolutely amazing at at uh you know, you've heard some of it here tonight, the opportunity
087ready and and some of the our our seniors uh you know, defending their their uh projects and and coming out of schools that uh I don't know that that's been done uh you know, ever before. Maybe, but uh you don't hear of that very often in in the high schools and and even down to our third grade, we heard. So, uh, thank you to the staff. Thank you everyone that, uh, that participates with our schools and thank you for having me back. I want to also say that, uh, this is one of the things I'd like to do over the next uh, year is I'd like to put memorials at each of our schools if we can. I don't know what that means. I don't know if that's like a a dogwood tree and a
088plaque, you know, that's a dedicated space to recognize our teachers and for everything they mean to our community. It's a small thing. I realize it's not a uh not, you know, putting more money in their pockets. I I realize it's not patting them on the back, but hopefully if they ride up to our schools at each school, especially in the Benton district, I'm going to make that happen whether we, you know, agree on the whole district. I think everybody would agree with that. I'd love to do it at least, you know, at our schools and get somebody to help sponsor that, whether it's a company or Lions Club that I'm a part of or the Benton Moose Lodge or somebody that would participate with us to make those memorials available for our teachers that at
089least they draw and drive up to each school and say, you know, we are supported, we're appreciated. And uh I think through this last couple months, I I think our folks know they're supported and I think they know they're appreciated and and I just want to double down on that and give them a space to to say that. And then last, I I just want to reiterate that, you know, I brought this up a few probably up to a year ago about the actual revenue versus a versus the estimated revenue that the schools get from our counterparts at the board of supervisors. We are supposed to get uh the percentage of actual revenue as far as I can tell unless somebody can show me something different and maybe uh you'll do that. But until you
090can do that, um we've been shorted the last probably the last decade, maybe not with CO withstanding that we're not getting part of the revenue that the schools deserve. And so I'd like to see if we're not going to give that to the schools, I think that money ought to be used to pay down our debt, our debt service. And uh you know, that money should not be used to to just go back into the general coffers and and spent in some other way. I think you know, as a in a conservative approach, we would use that that revenue that's portion of that that's an increase from property taxes. we would use that to pay down our debt service and to again double down from their point of view um on our school system and
091and how proud we are of our school system. I'm I'm happy to have played a small part, but I have no uh no foggy notion that it comes from Dr. Nicely and the staff. Uh if it weren't for you all, you know that this place could be a a whole different So, we appreciate everything y'all do. And that's all I've got. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. London. Thank you, Madam Chair. I probably should have done this when we went over the uh Brown and Edwards presented on the audit um tonight, but uh having sat on the audit committee for the last few years, I just want to thank uh Susan and and your entire staff. You guys do such an incredible job. And when Brown and Edwards come in, it's they can't find anything that
092you guys do wrong, it seems. So, that's uh just so refreshing and um and nice to know that that you guys are doing such a good job with all the funds because they are public tax dollars and um and you guys just do an incredible job. So, want to say thank you for that. Looking forward to the VSBA conference this week um over there in Williamsburg. is always a fun event and looking forward to presenting and showcasing our opportunity ready program. So with that too, I'd also like to piggyback on Tim's comment. I want to thank the voters in the Holland district for allowing me to continue to serve for another four years uh as a temporary steward as Dr. Nicely mentioned last meeting for not only the Holland district but all of all of
093Rono County. Um I appreciate their confidence in me and and the decisions that this board has made over the the past eight years and um just want to say thank you there. So also would like to just acknowledge my opponent. She is she was very passionate. She's intelligent. She is obviously a fantastic mother. Got to spend a lot of time with her not only over at early voting but also on uh on election day. and um her she she was very passionate and her heart is in the right place and and she's going to do some wonderful things in this community. I'm I'm certain. So, Sullivan uh got to spend a lot of time with Sullivan over there, too. He uh joked with him that that someday he may decide to be on a school
094board, but I know he's probably has bigger and better political plans than uh than this position. So, that's all I have. Thank you, Mr. Hudson. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to congratulate our soccer team at Glimmer High School again, the three-time state champions. I mean, that's just amazing. We listened to Coach Jones talk about all those stats and that's just unreal. It's a testament to our community and our staff and our coaches. And like I said, Coach Jones is a wonderful individual. He's so active in our community. Coaches every sport. I mean, year round he's there. He's either coaching or helping take care of the fields. And um also I know we'll probably in the near future have our girls cheerleading and our boys cross country state championships uh just here in the last
095week or two. So we'll see some more green come through here. Very excited. It looks like we win state title after state title. I'm just kind of wondering when the rest of you guys are going to show up. But [laughter] wow. I'm just kidding. Call us out. But um and I'd also like to recognize Deputy Mullen uh you know the Yaso SRO of the year. Um, I took part in SR as an SRO. I took part in Yoso uh for many years. It's a great organization. They do a lot of good things. Um, you know, they they try to teach the dangers of driving intoxicated and drug use and things like that and wearing your seat belts. They do a lot of good things and Deputy Mullins is just stellar. Yes, he is. And the
096community like Sheriff Arms, I think like you had mentioned that uh they had cried out, please don't take him away. So, you know, so glad we were able to keep him there. He's a great great asset to the school and the kids and the community. And I think he coaches over there too, right? Coaches football. He helps with everything. Yes, he does. Great. Um, again, recognize Tina Coffee and Tessa Erggo for their staff awards. I mean, and to echo Mr. Greenway's comments, I too believe that we have the best staff in this valley. I know some of them personally, know some of them professionally, and they are just amazing people um that truly truly care about the kids. I see it every day. Um, You know, talking about Jill Green earlier, like Dr. Nicely said,
097she truly cares about the kids. And not only can you see it in her actions, but when I walk down the hallway with her at times, the kids are happy to see her and they come up and they high-five her and they want to talk to her and and that's just a testament to the job she's doing there and great numbers obviously that she mentioned and um wonderful parent organization. So, it's exciting to see her out tonight. and uh Tim, David, I'm glad you guys are back and uh look forward to at least two more years with you before I have to run again. So, I know we'll accomplish some great things in the next two years. So, that's all I have. Thank you. Dr. Sus and I participated in an interview as part of
098the Virginia Department of Education's evaluation of the Ron Valley Governor School. Um the director, Mr. Levy, and all of his staff at the Governor School do a wonderful job. Um, and I think I can speak on behalf of Dr. Soldiers that we were happy to be a part of the interview process and provide positive feedback on the impact that the Governor School makes on not only our students but across our entire area. Last week, I had the privilege to be a part of the Veterans Day celebration at Green Valley Elementary School. They put on a wonderful program every year. Um, they had several brave students read poems and all grade levels participated in the musical selections. Um, the veteran speaker, Army Staff Sergeant Matthew Brooks, was introduced by his wife, Rebecca, who is a teacher
099at Green Valley, and his daughter Sandy, who is a I think a second grader at Green Valley. So, thank you to him and his family for being part of the celebration. And thank you, of course, to all of the veterans for their service. Um, as Mr. Lynon and Dr. nicely mentioned, we are going to the BSBA conference this week and I do look forward to being able to talk about the opportunity graduate program um and share that with other school districts from Virginia. So, we look forward to that. Um also want to say congratulations to the Kring cheerleaders for winning their third state championship. So, we they will be recognized here and so take that Mr. Hudson. [laughter] So, I'm sure we'll have them here to should recognize them. But a third time is a
100pretty big accomplishment. So, [laughter] so look forward to that. Um, and if there is nothing else, I just want to say um happy Thanksgiving to everyone and we hope that you enjoy that time with your family and meeting adjourned.