Stafford School Board 8 26 2025

001Okay. All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> No. >> Mr. Bett, I will hand it over to you. >> All right. Good evening. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, excited to be here tonight with Dan Riper from Home Adviserss who we've had the privilege of working with for the last nine months uh conducting our compensation and classification uh study of uh service employees. uh you should have in the packets that Miss Hall prepared uh but not just the presentation uh that you have before but also the uh the report uh that is the final report from Bolton. Um but I thought uh as I did for the finance and budget committee uh I thought I would take just a few minutes to give a little bit of background uh grounding of uh why we did this

002uh study in the first place, why it makes sense to go with an outside vendor to complete it. Um and uh some of the recommendations right at the top so uh as framing for what Mr. going through. So, um, just as a quick, uh, preview, uh, the recommendations that came out of Gold's report, uh, had a number of action steps for, uh, us as a division to help improve our compensation structures for our service employees. uh getting tighter on uh our definitions of uh certain families, career levels uh for clarity. Uh updating our job descriptions, again, improving that clarity. Um simplifying our pay grade structure and uh then adopting a more rubric based approach for classification as we go forward. Um we already have a handful of uh next steps that we have been pursuing

003uh as part of this. Um and so there's no recommended action by the board at this time. This is going to be uh something that feeds into the fiscal year 27 budget planning. Um so uh just as a quick background uh of uh why do a classification study at all? Um it is best practice uh not just in the education sector but uh the working sector overall to do a periodic reassessment of positions. Um gives you the opportunity to say hey does the job description for those positions still match the duties? Uh are are internal uh pay practices uh equitable for people uh doing similar roles uh or roles with similar scope of authority, impact uh and influence the organization. And is what we're paying competitive compared to our peers uh in the area and

004it makes a lot of sense to use an external vendor to do this um for a couple of reasons. One, reliable access to better information. Uh Mr. Ber and his team uh have the ability to access uh market information that we simply do not. Um it also gives us the neutral unbiased point of view that can give uh not just uh our office but this board and all of our staff uh a sense that it was uh a neutral point of view to do this assessment. Um this was also timely. The majority of our service positions have not been assessed in uh six fiscal years. Uh and we've had a major reorganization since then. So we knew going into this that there was some risk that things had gotten out of alignment. So it was

005timely to do this uh to have a chance to uh reassess things. Um we focused on service positions for this for a reason. So not all employees were included in this study. Um the we included administrative clerical roles are skilled and semi-skilled trades technology and skilled professionals on our operating department. Our main reason for this is that these roles are ones where there are strong comparisons not just to other school divisions but to the public sector at at large and also to the private sector. The jobs in these categories exist outside of K12 schools. The categories we didn't include are ones that are e it's either easier to model inhouse or e not easy easier to model in house like our administrators our license positions uh where we've done uh the license positions in particular

006we've done work or there are things where it uh we've already taken recent action for example transportation staff this board is deeply familiar with how much action we've taken on bus drivers the last several years we just this p uh past year uh did a substantial change to our instructional support personnel pay So those groups were not overdue for a sense of um the last thing and then I'm going to stop talking and let our expert MRE uh give their presentation is just to give a little bit of grounding of some terminology because there's a lot of terms that can kind of get mixed up with one another. Um for the purpose of this when we talk about a job a job is a unit of work that uh is completed by a human. It

007is not uh uh you know that term could be used to mean a lot of different things but for our purposes today it is a unit of work. Um classification is when you are looking at a job and thinking about how does that get grouped with other things taking into consideration the external market and then how you place that on a pay scale. A pay scale is well what it sounds like ranges of pay that jobs of similar classifications are assigned and then a position is an actual role that is aligned to jobs and assigned to a pay scale based on classification uh to which employees are hired and employed. Um, I think those first and last terms often get used interchangeably. Um, you know, what's my job? What's my position? Uh, so we just

008wanted to clarify that to help guide some of the things that were considered through this analysis. That's enough framing for me. Um, and if that's all right, I will hand it over. >> Thank you, sir. >> I can support back or you can >> just thank you uh for the opportunity to talk to you tonight. kind of walk over the summer report. I am Dan Rurer. I'm the president of for rewards which is the division of compensation consulting and um other types of services um kind of under that broad umbrella of organizational effectiveness. the um one of the reasons hopefully uh in deference is that you hired us because we actually know a lot about this um been doing it for 35 years and it's painful when I think about how much I've actually thought

009about the difference between classification and a job and what it means how it fits into systems. So if I get a bit fidious uh please uh just ask me questions as we go through and we'll try to to move forward. So the way the report's laid out a brief introduction uh we did a review of the current program uh for these positions. So by that review it's really looking at the system that's in place now and trying to determine what parts of it are effective uh where there might be some issues with it. And this is before we actually get into how much a person's paid particularly how much um that job they're in relative to market would be. So, um, it is to me the really big deliverable or the big benefit that walking

010away from this is there's certainly a point in time picture uh that that Patrick and his team will walk through too when you get into costing and some of those things, but it's really a system that that if you can get it implemented regardless of of how long it takes you to transition to to from a financial perspective, it should help you remain competitive. you know, it should help deliver on the objectives that you're looking for like people having a perception that pays fair across um their peers without knowing exactly what their peer does necessarily having that. So, uh then we'll talk about market benchmarking and then the specific recommendations that we have. So, if I'm going to flip over to page two, if you're uh following along at home, the um this is old

011framework. It's kind of compensation 101. And it's it's not to to um really the purpose of this is so that folks understand um if there's some person's pay that's out of alignment, it could be a number of things because this is all an interrelated sort of system. And you know when we start to look at the definition of a classification compared to a job compared to a position you know as you guys move forward looking at policies those are all going to have policy implications you know uh potentially in terms of how you want to move forward. So, you know, a key with this is um quality job descriptions help drive right pay policies. You know, there's a big driver and all of this as we looked at it is um trying to keep in

012mind that there's a certain philosophy that school system has. Um there's a certain type of employee that you think is going to be uh more successful here um that you really want to try and recruit and retain. And a lot of what we talk about from a design perspective are things that help support that. So just um kind of a recanting of methodology, we looked at every piece of information we could get and then some uh on the uh current compensation program um for the the service staff. Uh we also spent a lot of time doing interviews uh with individuals and on page four we list the individuals we actually talked to um just you know for posterity's sake. Uh we did try to um get some more than one but tried to get some

013representation from high school administrators and just weren't able to get those folks on the schedule. Um I guess you know as they were were doing their planning and those sorts of things. So, um I believe that that the the data, the matches, all of those other pieces are are still repres well well represented. Um but you'll notice there's none of those individual table. So, just a high level overview u the the good things that are going on. Uh there is a formalized approach for job descriptions and job documentation, meaning there's a system that's in place. uh there's a wellestablished exempt and non-exempt status you relative to the fair lab standards act. So there's no sort of of one person saying it's this and another person saying it's it's another thing. Uh there's a published schedule

014of active jobs with grades and ranges identified from a a pay transparency and uh certainly so that the the board knows where individual jobs are graded in those items. And then certainly there's a number of pay policies that govern starting rates, pay adjustments, and how it should be managed. Um, as we dug through all of that and uh looked at it systemically, there are really four main areas from a a redesign perspective that um we we feel like uh the school system should investigate, start to make changes on. And I think um Patrick and his team have already started talking about some of these. Uh first are job descriptions. um they are all over the board uh in terms of of the types of information they collect, the the thoroughess of it. Um they're all

015uh very situational. You know, you might be trying to hire somebody, so you need something quick. It's all transactional. So, there's all an explanation for why they are that way, but it is certainly a very important effort as you as you really look at fairly managing pay. And it's all about that perception that folks have is having that process down and a little bit of of discipline and rigor as you're working with department heads and managers to No one likes to write job descriptions. They're difficult to do well. Um it it I can write job descriptions well, but it takes me a week to write one for a secretary. It's so painful getting the words correct. That said, that that exercise is still important. And um uh that certainly I think is something going forward

016will will be beneficial and we'll talk a little bit more um a job title hierarchy. So it's really a consistent use of titles uh to help folks understand some of the levels and different roles across the organization. Um there are discussion of a couple different approaches for job evaluation and just there's there's a lot of of nuance to it but basically a job evaluation system allows you to compare one of your jobs to another outside of just what the going rate in the market is to determine well you know in terms of how what we think of value of work this job is worth more to us to get that that relative picture. And then lastly, the pay structure design. Really trying to work through something that both is consistent with the market for these

017roles and competitive, but also with some of the other structures that are in place. So it kind of fits that same cultural presentation. From a market benchmarking perspective, uh we reached out to 16 different uh public sector and school system employers. uh we never get complete participation but when we get over 50% we're very happy and from a sample perspective particularly with um the folks who've uh participated here certainly being um around you both slightly to the north and uh certainly a little bit to the south. One of the differences we don't really look at pay ranges as we're going from institution to institution. U we collect unidentified actual pay data. So we actually have records on over 35,000 employees through our matching process. They are assigned to 1,200 different jobs. You don't have 1,200

018different jobs, right, that we're we're pricing here. But um that is sort of the depth of of what that is. We do uh follow because we collect the data with the way we do and we promise that confidentiality uh to to do so. We do follow Department of Labor and Federal Trade Commission guidelines on price fixing and that's basically we just hold it confidential and only provide summary statistics. So, and I'll just be be fair about it. Normally, we'll also compare your structure to market. This is a comparison of your actual base pay, but the structure is is so undefined in terms of of how it's designed and kind of how it fits to market, there really wasn't a spot we thought we could compare to. So, we really focused here on on your actual

019pay. So, if you compare it to just the peers, um, you would be 95.3% of the 50th percentile. And if we're looking at actual pay, because certainly there's some variability in um performance, experience in a job, a lot of those things, if if your pay is within plus or minus 10%. So if it's from 90% to 110%. We'd still say you're generally competitive. So what this is presenting is uh in our mind is you don't really have a competitive risk. Um doesn't mean you're at market. It doesn't mean you're where you want to be on an individual basis, but this is this is in the ballpark as you would do a comparison to a broader market. So, not just the peers, but looking at some uh some of those jobs that you can compare outside

020of the peers um in the general industry or it could even be um expanded public sector roles um to the extent that those ones exist. The comparison is still very close at 94.5%. As you would expect, if we're going to compare you to the 75th percentile, you are um less of a percentage. And just definitionally, what's there assuming folks kind of have a feel for what the percentiles mean, but basically the the 75th percentile is a figure below which 75% of all of the rates reported to a job occur. So, you know, if you're talking about 100 people have been reported to a certain administrative role, the the person who's at the the 75th or that 70% 75th percent highest >> or 75% of the rates are below that. >> Just out of curiosity, um

021when we look at this percentiles, um is it based on the beginning of the steps in the scale or at the end? Are we >> This is actual pay. >> It's just Okay. >> Right. And that's that's where we just we really couldn't base looking at your current structure. There's just nothing defined around where to start, where to end. >> Okay. >> Knowing too that we were going to just blow put a new one in. We didn't worry so much about how you're structured currently. >> If I Yeah. And if I can offer a little color on that. Um you in terms of the positions that were assessed during the study are on three of the different of our pay scales. Um there is the uniform scale that includes uh most of our uh service

022positions in more of our operating departments. There's the uh the C scale or the clerical scale that has our administrative support and accounting support positions. Both of those are non-exempt employees and they're on stepping grade scales. And then there are some positions that were part of this study that are on the A or administrative uh scale uh that are pay bands. They are not step and grade scales and most of the positions that are classified under those scales currently are exempt positions uh rather than non-exempt. And the rules of the road for how uh salaries are calculated and how people uh progress on those scales differ. Um and that is uh you know as I as I give the preamble to this it's the we hadn't done a study in six years and a lot

023of things have happened uh in six years that we knew had introduced risk that we had gotten out of alignment and that's exactly part of what uh Mr. Ber is speaking to here. >> Can I just get some clarification because you've got two sets of percentages there, right? You have a percentile score and then you have a percent underneath it and I'm just not clear what it means. So Sure. um that 89.2% in the 75th percentile, what does that mean? >> Oh, to the 75th percentile. Yeah. So, we we took your um overall average pay. So, this is on a person by person basis how we get there. So, we take a person's actual pay >> and compare that to the market statistics for their job that we developed. >> There is a rate at

024the 75th percentile. So, um let's say administrative assistant is and this isn't going to um equal 99.2% by the way um is 60,000. >> The 75th percentile for that job is 70,000. It's simply dividing 60,000 um by 70 and that would give you that ratio. So, so I'm just So, are we saying that that I'm not sure which are we saying that uh like what percentage of our 620 employees are at the 50th percentile? >> No, it's not that kind of statistic. It's not a frequency. Um it's it's really just looking at at overall how you're comparing. So >> So is it good or is it bad? I don't know what's good. He said it was within 10% right away. >> So, it's in the ballpark on actual pay, but it really depends on um

025how long each individual's been in their role. If >> I'm just >> Yeah, I was going to say who are the peers the school are the peers the school districts versus >> these are but this is the all general. So, >> so there's all general here are the peers. So there's the 10. >> So the 10 are the peers, right? So who are all general? >> So then we also used additional surveys. So we have a fairly robust library versus private >> and correct there's a lot of of private organizations, commercial enterprises that are in that in that data potentially. >> Okay. So we know who the peers are. >> The other one is it were there about half of the ones that gave information were school districts. >> Yeah. No, I get that. But

026those are still I think they're saying all 10 are the peers and the other ones are just somewhere else >> from a larger database. >> So we don't know who we're being >> right. >> Um I think I think that's where hopefully you'll to some degree trust us to scope the data correctly that it's represented. So it is certainly geographically based in terms of where you're located. >> For me it's like it's it's not necess it's how the peer number relates to the larger number. So if our peer number was like 72% right but all general was still at 101 that might tell you something about the entire >> like kind of local industry. >> So >> but our benefits are different. I mean I >> that's true if you look at the schools versus

027say you know a private sector business I mean we have a lot more holidays. We have you know you know we have a different uh compensation package. Um, so I'm not sure I would really, but they're not that we're not that far. >> And again, it is this is this is this this is not this is the results of an analysis. >> We're not making any recommendation on this. >> No, I know, but I'm just trying to >> figure. So, it sort of suggests that we're relatively competitive not only to our peer groups, but to general job categories that are similar in our geographic area. The reason the reason that we we actually have that statistic in there is because more often than not you'll hear from one of your administrative assistants or another that

028well this is a school system but you know there are all these other employers out there where the pay is higher. So we actually include that in these data and it's it's not substantial. It it's essentially the same with these levels. >> So yeah. So just I mean I think in my mind when I looked at this and I'm not sure if I'm hearing you say it's a comparable admin to an admin when you're looking at like that kind of thing, right? So we're not looking specifically >> at like so when you talk percentiles, maybe this is not of everybody in education, but when you talk percentiles to me, I'll give you an example. When I took my GREs, they're like, "Congratulations, you're in the top 5% of your whatever." I mean, when I took

029my English ones, when I took my math ones, I was in the 95%. And I'm like >> right or vice versa because I don't even know the number. Do you understand what I'm saying? That's where that gets confusing because it's like if I'm in the top 5% that means 95 I did better than 95% of the people. That's a percentile that we kind that's where my mind is but that's not what this is actually telling us because there's not >> we're like it's not like if I'm looking at this peer number at 25%. Like when I read this, I look at this like, okay, we are in the 20 25th percentile of comparability, comparability, which means 75% of the workforce is better than us. Do you know what I'm saying? >> Well, sort of, but

030but this is this is a definitional thing and and hopefully you can >> because there is there is no being in the 90th percentile. Okay? >> Because the 90th percentile in in any form fashion is a specific statistic. You know, it is a specific score or or GMAT or any of that. Okay. >> So, you can say you're above the 90th or you could be exactly at or below, but it is a discreet stat. >> Um I I I think >> um my my guess is it'll be aided if we keep going and talk a little bit. >> Sure. >> You can just explain this in a different way with other other things because I still don't know what these numbers think. >> Um you know what? I'm not above hopping on the whiteboard and

031showing you what um >> we're not above watching you do it. But just bottom line, this to me says, and tell me if I'm wrong, that we're not in bad shape with these percentages. I mean, is that >> we could do we could always do better or does this say we're >> good? >> I'm going to I'm going to complicate that as well too because you said I mean, if we're looking at what the position is one to one, right? Just take ad administrative assistant or whatever just as one random one. If our job descriptions aren't clear and our people are doing the work of four positions that that's super impactful on the at the end of the day. >> No, the matches are are exact. It's not not a question of the scope difference.

032>> Okay. Right. >> Okay. >> And I guess before we move on from this from that grid, what so the 25th percentile where we're at like 101 and everybody's kind of at 101 102%. Does that mean that essentially the more somebody earns we are more competitive versus like maybe entry level at the se am I understanding the way that percentile so like if the 75th percentile might be the lesser qualified or the lower um earlier career is it >> we don't the lower pay it could usually that's what it would be but we don't have that that >> but the 75th percentile is a lower salary number is >> is higher higher >> it's higher So at the lower end, the 25th percentile is a lower end salary. We are more competitive >> for our

033at the lower salary range which could be >> entry level. >> And then as the potentially as people stay longer and therefore maybe get cost of living or progression in their salary, we become less competitive. Is that >> sort >> kind of >> kind I mean but that the the level of experience in the job >> certainly does impact that. >> This is I mean this is basically as you would look at saying we want to be at the 50th percentile from a target perspective. >> Okay. >> This is this is coming up with what that 50th um would look like. Similar with the 75th being there. >> Um >> that's the picture from way up here. If we really wanted to analy for us, not years of service for all these people, right? >>

034It's not years of service as much as the job. Well, >> and I think as we as we get a little further and we're going to be able to show that this is an overall average of all the employees that were included in the study and all the different positions and that you what this looks like for individual employee implications for individual job types, job families, career levels, it might look a little bit different >> based on their what did you say? Yeah, I call it yours. I guess you call it a time and job is the same thing to me. But >> but it it's not. I mean, for us, it's just a statistical thing in terms of where someone should be paid in the job and like what's competitive and what's not. But

035it's up to you completely from a philosophic perspective how you would want to wait overall tenure compared to maybe how long someone's been in a particular. >> He said that we might have more clarity when he continued. Let's get there. >> Yeah. So um I think these are fairly straightforward although we will come back. So uh we've made some recommendations on on improving the job titling structure and a lot of that really has to do with if you use a title say like a coordinator that it's either managing people or it's not you know it's it's sort of reserved for that and it's all about you know uh the perception of having a fair pay system. it's it is sort of the reality. So it helps work perform that uh we have suggested also using

036in particular our system because we already have all your jobs mapped to it but it's a very straightforward approach using job families and then career levels that allow you to um regardless of of where the organization folks are. you can use the same leveling system across to try and get that sort of the approach to equity and um have some some basis for describing why someone's in a particular grade why their job is the one of the questions and I think it it looking at the peer group in particular um and the the robustness of the data uh two of the practical questions on the compensation philosophy and there's some other nuance that goes into the the overall policy is that you really focus on the the peers, but but even broadly more broadly than

037that, kind of the the local public sector market and local being, you know, somewhat to the north and then somewhat to the south, but trying to stay within uh public sector organizations and and school systems for sure. Um part of that for us is there are jobs you know even in this area of study that really don't have a comparable role in the general industry and you really struggle trying to manage internal equity kinds of situations back >> and then within that specific market um assuming that the data um I know for this study but assuming future analyses um the the data is as robust would be really looking at the 50th percentile as you're setting your structure, you know, where where to put that. And at the risk of opening um another can, um

038if it's at the 50th percentile, um it would be half the folks in the market are below that and half are above. So, it's really right >> and to your to 100% at the 50th percentile. >> Exactly. >> Okay. So we're not that far off if you look at your number >> from from being at risk of losing people from the market. >> You're not. But that's where you have to look at it individually and then what you're using for the face. >> But but if we were aiming for 100 and we're at 95, you know, it's a lot better than aiming for 75. So the only thing that I would I would add to that Miss Haley >> is to say we target the middle of the market target the 50th percentile but to

039your point because we do have step grade scales we take into consideration um comparable relevant years of service a important question to establish is at what point in the career progression at what point of experience etc and role is are we expecting to hit that target. Do we want the beginning of the pay scale to be at that 50% mark? Do we want it to be somewhere in the middle of the pay scale? Do we want it to be towards the top? And that's a philosophical decision to make as a division and as an employer to where we would like to uh have that competitive point be hit. Um because again, you if you were to look at individual employees and their comparison to the median market pay, you might find someone that says, "Whoa,

040we have an employee that's 160% of the 50th percentile." that employee also has 33 years of relevant experience. So we might not say that's necessarily a problem. The reverse is also true. But in terms of how we uh this board wants to move forward uh with this, it would be establishing from a philosophical perspective at what point in our scales do we want to target that 50%. Is that >> Yeah. And that and that that decision was because that didn't exist for the three other structures. we really didn't have a good sense because you designed the structure around that to come up with whether you want to start with the hiring rate. Um I cannot see this and I'm assuming you can you can see it perhaps >> but what we're suggesting is it's 20

041steps which um if you were in a school system that might be a lot of steps but certainly I think it's it's consistent. Um, individual jobs get into grades. I'm just doing a quick check here. Okay. Individual jobs get into grades based on their classification. So that classification is uh the job family and the level they're assigned to. Uh that has been priced in the market. And um it has been established that I believe this is based on um setting that uh 15th percentile at step 12. So it it is it is um allowing a few years to get people to um that that 50th percentile but then also allowing um some continued earnings above that to recognize time and job service. What's the difference between these steps? Couple weeks we've started out with like

0422.45, then we went to 3%. Is there a standard percentage difference between the steps? >> You know, I should have that off the top of my head. We do not have that. It's it's going to be about two and a half to 3%. >> Yeah. >> But use both of those numbers in the past >> and it could be even less because um 20 steps are quite a few, you know, for these these roles. So the the range from um entry to the the maximum rate would tend to be a little bit less um than if you're talking about um >> but it's but it is uniform between among the >> I I believe it's it's uniform in the sense that there's a defined policy. Um sometimes we will um I wish I could call

043it up. Sometimes we'll have the percentage steps a little quicker. So like maybe three for the first few steps >> and then I'm just curious for >> Thank you for had something like this and the only reason we've gone away from it was because we couldn't afford to make these steps every year and so employees would think they were owed >> steps when we just didn't have a step. So you might have a lot more experience at a certain level because you didn't get a raise for three or four years. It's just it's it's >> great if you can afford it. >> Well, that's a big part of the communication challenge with the launch of the new system. Um it's it is doing everything you can do to help folks understand that um the the

044financial condition in any particular year affects movement of steps but also affects whether the the steps themselves move whether the whole structure moves. >> Okay. >> I can actually fill in the the data points question that the propetive scales would have the uh the 50th percentile of market midpoint of market at step eight. that the steps would be at two 2.5% uh in >> step eight >> uh at step eight would be the target to hit the 50th percentile. >> Okay. >> The steps from 1 to eight would have 2.5 uh% increases. Beyond step eight it would be a 2% increase. So get up to that midpoint faster. And then >> when you presented this to the fab though, you indicated that that steps do not necessarily mean >> right >> every year you would

045get that that that it might be there might be a merit piece along the way here as to whether you took your steps. Did I am I remembering that from >> No, I I think that's a possible way as you talk about pay delivery how to change pay. It's what you want to base you know each step and change it on. So similarly, if someone's on a performance improvement plan, there's a case to have them say on the same step, you know, because there's no progression. On the opposite side, if there's some clearly clear way you can identify someone who's a superstar, maybe there's two steps, but it's all that clarity of of identifying. There's also the issue that we talked about at the fab um about the distinction between uh are you doing a

046step to recognize longevity to uh to recognize continued strong performance in a role uh versus a market adjustment uh for a scale because ultimately year-over-year pay increases are uh taking those factors into account. And so um if we if the board did want to pursue a 20step scale at this it would be you know right now our scales are constructed based on 30 and then we have 12step u approaches for people beyond that. So that we would need to revisit how people would be placed on this. That's okay. That's a normal part of a process of uh of moving through this. uh we would just then have to say okay so what would be our um consistent implementable approach going forward to Mr. Healey's uh point um you know one of the concerns that you

047face is you know can you confidently adopt you know consistent year-over-year rules of what step advancement might look like when you're uncertain of the fiscal environment um and taking into account that component again of the what's the market adjustment piece versus the longevity uh piece. So those are those are policy decisions for the board to make >> at FAB. was the recommendation that this be like part of a work like a dedicated work session around budget. this would have be I think >> because I know like across the street when they're talking about pay they do actually differentiate this is a raise this is a step and this is a market pay adjustment and they've factored those three pieces in and whatever we decide I think we need to use the same language so that

048we all know exactly >> for both this scale and for the license scale >> I mean for all the things but if that if it's language that the county is already using with success and understanding I think it's only in our best interest adopt the same language. >> I also think it makes more sense in explaining it to the board of supervisors. Well, this is our market adjustment. This is our step and you know >> Yeah. >> So I think then we're using the same >> but first we have to adopt. >> So can I just ask do you have certain job titles or positions um associated with each of these 11 grades? >> Yes. >> Keep going page. >> Yeah. I mean, I don't think they're not listed in this detail. >> Um, but

049I'm assuming that's something >> the um I >> I'm not sure what what Stafford County has by way of pay system, >> but um there are some common definitions that um we we work really hard with clients to help them categorize things correctly. So maybe um if the county is not doing it quite the right way, there's a way for you to lead the charge. Um there's really only two major potential increases. One would be something that's that represents kind of broad market change, longer term structure. And that's the something you would use to adjust this entire piece. Uh percentage wise, that's 2% max, something like that. And then there's the the step piece which would replace merit. I mean unless you put in something that would be that equivalent from an individual piece. So

050when you get into market adjustments, it's really going to be something that's a promotion related. So it's going to be a reclass that's based on someone's job changing. Um the market could move for one particular job. It's it's really not that common. >> We've seen that with transportation. Yeah, that's that's a good example, right? But that's also where you start to change the grades of jobs. So, it's it's a promotional increase or it's a a reclassification. >> And that's where our peers come in because if we're all competing for the same pool of qualified individuals, >> that could drive, you know, that >> Oh, absolutely. >> percentile number up most likely. And and I'll say then the work that we've done with Holden around this um if I were to go back several years to

051the um departmental reorganization um that was put into place for fiscal year 23, one of the driving factors there was to flatten position titles and uh in doing that what we lost was a lot of the market nuance that was relevant for industry uh as a result. So, um the work with both and uh Mr. Burton speak to this uh as well with the classification system that they've recommended that they've used to pressure test our positions. um brings that piece back to bear um to say yes um scope of authority, scope of influence, um scope of impact on the vision, supervisory responsibility, qualifications needed, years of experience, but then also now let's take into account what the relative industry is. When you take each of those factors into account, it's how you end up with

052where a job would be placed onto one of these pay scales based on classification. So let's seeing this we this is going to take a lot of discussion moving forward. Let's let's get through the presentation then we can bring this back. >> So um because we did assign all of the jobs to grades uh we were able to compare uh employees um their actual pay to where they fell in the the range. So we weren't really looking at the the percentage of who is on which step because that's going to be a separate exercise. But what we're showing you, this is some of the frequency distribution. So, uh, the range location is the first column. So, you can see we have the 90 to 110% in the shaded blue. And we're saying if the actual

053pay is within that range, you really don't have too big of competitive risk. It doesn't mean that person is being paid equitably, but it means they're probably not going to leave. >> Um, who knows though? Sometimes people have all sorts of reasons. And an extra correct an extra 5% is enough to say okay. >> Um so then the competitive posture for us is if it's less than 80% of that step eight um thank you for correction on that less than step eight um we would say that is less than competitive. Um the 80 to 90% is low end. I mean, it's less than competitive, but it's close. And as long as it's someone who's newer in the job, it's probably um in good shape. And then you get into the the higher pieces. Um we

054didn't have this. This actually does reflect, I believe, and and Patrick, you might want to with the average service we have. A lot of this is also looking at how long they've been in the job, >> right? >> That's right. The average service reflects um um a blend of their overall service time in Stafford County along with their weighted factor of their time in their current role. So this is meant to take into account their credited service that place them uh on their scale. So what you're seeing here is that those with lower levels of credited service are below that competitive range and those with higher levels are well above the competitive range. I think that kind of gives the sense that our current pay ranges might be too wide um because they're starting too

055low and maybe going higher. >> Yeah. What's your and that and that's part of it and I think you're going to also look overall is we set we set the structure at step eight because just definitionally after eight years um we would expect someone who's hired the the entry to to make it to the 50th. So what we're seeing though is is you have folks with a lot of experience and it's still only that 95 point something percent. So so on its face it seems like you're competitive but because you have such a tenure and experienced staff it's actually less than competitive as we look at the structure you have um overall um you're very close at 98.4% 4%. But if you look at 23.1 quarter of the staff are below 80%. >> Look at

056their average service though. Isn't that >> it's still >> indicative though because they're making less money because they have less years of and I'm just trying to >> if they had higher service then they probably would have a higher percentile would not >> you have you have those average service of 8.3 years they're still 80 to 90%. There's still almost 20% of employees who again definitionally we would think would be closer to that 50th percentile or be well within the competitive range who are not. >> And what's the competitive range again? >> 90 to 110. It's the shaded blue. >> Okay. 90. But that says low end. What does that mean? >> That means they're below that. So you have 20 20% of your employees are below the competitive range. But their average service is

0578.3 years. >> A long time to stick around. >> Which is where you would expect it to be, right in the mid to 50%. >> Really the goal should be that everybody should be in the competitive range. Is that really >> I mean you probably want to have 60 70% in the competitive range. >> Long tenure folks, people who've been in the job would be higher. Some of it depends on how much hiring and how much turnover you have. You know, if your average service is if you break it people who are under one year, um you know, you would hope that they're um closer to 80%. 85, but that's just timing, right? So, and I'm just pointing this out because this is where I think the the finance group sort of there's some more

058work to do as you look at where people are paid and then how to work through that process. Uh certainly as you're looking at this chart, this is looking at the compar ratio. So, this is uh for a particular functional area. um as we assigned them to uh job families. Uh functions are just a group of families and um we compared the actual pay for people who are in jobs that are assigned to these functions to step eight on the structure and that gives us this the CR or the comp ratio which is actual pay divided by step eight. So you can see uh for contracts and procurement just use that as an example. Uh there's only there's four people so it's a smaller sample. Their pay is at step eight overall which you would

059think is they're right at your 50th percentile target. However, their average service is 23.6 years. >> And that's my >> that maybe that's an anomaly but they shouldn't but but maybe should they be at a higher rate? They should be higher than >> is some of this driven by market conditions. For example, transportation is highly competitive. At one point, we were struggling to get >> But this isn't all of this isn't drivers. >> No, but the transportation is 110.8%. >> But it's 17 years. >> Yeah. Then but we also have a longevity. >> It is it it's all of this from your actual pay. If you think about how people get paid and why they get paid what they do, all of this there's there's historic reasons why people are compared to market the way

060they are. >> But is it also kind of cyclical? Like if you take safety and emergency management, it's only 5 years of service. The average is 76.7 making it the lowest. And because it's probably the lowest, we have higher turnover, which means we only have five years of service as average. Is that >> for 76.7? I would expect you to have like a year and a half of service. >> Okay. >> I mean to be to be fair and and I think part of that is >> Oh, so they like us. They stick around because they like us. >> I mean a lot of these have more than 10 years. >> And and I would say that there are any number of things where there's nuance in this uh where you know that that job

061category is one where there's some nuance as to why the employees that are in that group might have lower levels of experience as well. So that might be something that could typically bring back to whenever the longer discussion is. >> Okay. >> But this but but but for me this is the hard part with these sorts of studies particularly when there's a a conscientious desire to to have folks paid correctly >> because it's there's a lot of discretion. There's a lot of subjectivity even determining what someone's years of experience at a particular job are and equivalencies and some of that. So um it is it is definitely important. >> So the average service is in that particular position. >> Correct. That's >> okay. So it's not just service. >> It's not service time overall. It's

062it's it's a blended number, but we can get into that. >> I'll add um since Dr. Warner brought up the student transportation number that is somewhat directly tied to the work we did in transportation because our our folks that are paid in transportation office are somewhat based off of if our bus drivers are driven up then the office staff that are coming from a driver into maybe some sort of office manager role or area manager role. They're going to be a little bit higher too. And so I think it's a lot of experience when you say 110, but it was tied to some of the work we did a few years ago to make our bus driver pay competitive. >> Yeah. And then I wonder if student health isn't because we have contract services for

063some of that like psychologists and stuff which I know cost us a bit >> but they're not support the other thing to keep in mind with this um and I I'm afraid I glossed over it. I should not um this is this is a future projection and I apologize for not cleaning this up. Um this is for 2027. uh just looking at at realism implement information. So this is actually projecting the market out an additional year. So some of these comparisons, you should be below market just based on typical. Uh so we talked about the pay adjustments and and certainly there's the rationale potentially of factoring in some type of performance but it's really there's there's sort of a for this group there's a a general increase that that would be structure related that you

064know kind of like the rising tide the entire thing would move and depending on how many people you have at the maximum rate if any um generally that's usually the the group of employees that are looking for that particular increase and then um beyond that certainly there would be step increases potentially. So just if we look at this on a preliminary basis uh it would be uh $850,000 approximately on an annualized basis to bring the base pay rates up to the structure entry points. So for those those group that were the below 80% and and probably some of the either 90 to excuse me the 80 to 90% they're below the minimum they're below the entry rate of of the the 2027 structure. And then um if we wanted to just put employees then on

065the the step that's closest to wherever they are currently, it would be an additional 159,000 uh per year to do that. So um those two actions are are would be common implementation actions. The next steps beyond that would be to say so is you're on step six. should you be on step 10 or or should you be on step five? >> So how do you determine that? >> So that's the next step that my office is taking recommendations. And one of the things that we have as among our action steps over the next several months as we're preparing for the board retreat in November is developing a number of implementation options. Um, and alongside each of those implementation options would come along with it, the rules of the road of how we would make those

066determinations. >> So, so I'm, you know, I'm I'm very concerned about what the budget's going to look like next year with opening three schools. >> So, are there things that we can do with this recommendation that >> like like we paid for this study to be done? If we don't have money, is there still something we can do to make progress? >> And that's and that's the implementation scenarios that we'll be developing. >> We'll be talking about it >> and and putting people on a step doesn't necessarily reflect years of service, >> right? >> I would love to have the money to actually implement this, but I the reality is opening three schools. Um, and then my other question is where do our licensed staff fall? Are they at the 50th percentile? I believe that

067our uh license scales are going to be a subject for FAB next week. >> Okay. >> Or I'm just curious just knowing what Prince William salaries look like versus ours and I'm like if I'm going to do this for this group, how much is it going to cost me to do it for the actual majority of our staff? And I will say for fab next week we we won't have the percentiles but we were asked to kind of take a look at some of our our compar comparative divisions and take a look at that for teachers and administrators. >> If you haven't done already can you please have this on the list of topics to consider for the retreat agenda >> I think I thought so >> to to to implement this as you say

068getting someone on a step is not reflecting user experience. The one thing we suggest though is if you do implement this for 2027, >> people's pay is going to be higher. So, so the 852 538 will go down. It won't be such a big piece, but making sure everybody's at least at the the entry level. >> So, it sounds like there needs there's a Patrick department process that needs to happen before a board process needs to happen. Again, that's us developing scenarios for consideration. >> Can we can we also look at the ones that are significantly under? Yeah. The ones that are at the 79%. I mean, realistically, we can't do it all. >> Yeah. >> You know, and we're going to have a plan. I would like to have a plan to address the

069ones that are in the significant. >> But to Dr. Chase's point, I mean, I don't think we need a study to tell us that our licensed staff are under Anyway, we know that. Do we want to just know about what percentage like do we want to? >> Well, I mean by the competitive I have a >> I have a study and a plan for one. >> Okay. I see. >> I don't have a study and a plan for the other. >> Okay. >> So, do I then say because I have a study and a plan I will take care of this group, but because I don't have a study and a plan, I won't take care of this other group. >> That's my concern. >> I think >> I I also just I'm sorry. No,

070I I hear what Dr. Chase is saying, but I think to be fair, we have paid a significant amount of we uh time and attention to that license scale, at least since I've been on the board, and trying to bring them up without a study and a report on that end as well. And so I feel like service staff actually really did need this report and this process to kind of like for us to look into where they're at because we've had a harder time I think advocating since we can't advocate for both. We've had to, you know, have mom and dad fight over who gets fed at the dinner table, right? Over and over year after year. So for me, this is a big step in letting the service staff know that we see

071them and we understand because we have put a lot of time and effort into really prioritizing the and I don't know what if it'll turn into phases or steps or cycles of the moon later on. But I just suggest that whatever it is, it is I mean I I hate to say but it needs to really come down to basic. It needs to look very basic on paper because it is exceptionally complex to people to really kind of understand what they're looking at and how it works. And even hearing like I don't come in at step one if I'm a first year teacher and then the next year I'm step two or the next year I'm step three and I'm automatically just climbing. Like if it's a range of years of service that are tied

072to a step and those kinds of things, some of that stuff just needs to be more easily available because I don't think people understand it. >> Well, yeah, I'll be for this. there'll be a definite policy and I just I mean put it on but for some of the other items I mean from from a communications perspective I think he has a they have a good handle on it. this study um how it gets launched, you know, how it sits with other groups and all of that. You have to look to this group >> and I'll say that is uh initial step and I do want to be cognizant of I know that there's a full agenda after this. Um uh but uh there are some initial steps on the left. Um that uh what

073we have been doing over the last several weeks uh since uh the presentation of the FAB is that we've been doing briefings uh with each department giving them an overview of this study and giving them a sense of what uh our next steps would be to get some initial feedback. there is a great deal of interest uh from amongst our department administrators to dive into the job description work. Um and so we're looking forward to hopefully continuing to work with Bolton this fall uh on on that job. >> Should we pay for that with that or is that going to be another >> we have not uh we have not paid for it uh yet. So >> but but it it's going to be different. We're not writing job descriptions, >> right? like to do

074that. It takes a week to >> Don't give him the second English. >> I was paying attention GPT. >> Oh, you can't do that. >> Well, okay. I just I'm just wonder but but that is the first of of the many processes that are going to go through including the job description revisions to to have the terminology and descriptions more accurately reflect not just duties but also the content factors um that develop those scenarios. >> So is that coming fast now that I'm >> all right so he said that food is available. >> Okay. noticeably missing from um your study that you did was anybody that was in this classification range. Like you stayed administrative, you stayed directors, but you didn't include anybody that's actually uh a part of this study. Is there a reason

075why? >> Um oh, in terms of the initial consultations, yeah. >> Um so that's an excellent question. I know uh food is here. So Kong may make sense. Uh Mr. if you can say a little bit about what those department consultations were. >> Um, we we really try to get to what the nature of the jobs are and what the intent is. So, we're not trying to to get a sense from employees in this instance uh around their perception of pay and some of those sorts of things. So we really do focus at a much higher level because we're trying >> I will say separate from the uh the consultations they did with each department to get a sense of the work that that department the uh operational functions within schools needed to uh complete.

076Alongside of that, because we were relying on the job descriptions as the unit of comparison for the market analysis, we also reached out to all employees that were in positions that were among those studied and asked them for feedback on their current job description to say >> that's what I was curious about because I didn't see that >> right because that that wasn't part of what Bolton's work does. We did that as our part of that to help run a parallel process of >> what pieces do we >> where are we on job description >> um to identify whether there things like oh this is a place where we need to do a much deeper look um once we got this analysis to do versus what they are doing. If it's if we see the

077employee has a very big s different sense of perception of what their duties are compared to what the job description has and if what came back into this study was a recommendation that looks very different from what our current compensation structure has that tells us that's a place we need to look more deeply. Okay. Um it also g it also gave us an opportunity to get some helpful feedback of places where we've collapsed job titles. >> Um again is working or not? >> Uh is it working or not? And so are there places where we should actually maybe it doesn't have a compensation effect. Maybe the positions are still >> at the same pay raise where we tease out a couple of different job titles for the sake of clarity for the sake of clear

078>> expectations. Okay. All right. Thank you. That made me feel better. >> So our next item is going to be budget priorities. Thank you very much. >> Thank you for another one. >> Thank you. A lot of descriptions today. Thank you. I was trained in the government to get started or you waiting for back. >> We need one one more person here, right? >> Two more people. >> You can get set up though if you're set up. >> Yeah, there's not a whole lot to set up. >> I mean, the compensible factors we use are the same though. >> They were put in place. >> They are pretty much the same. I >> get that. I get that versus an underpop populated school. They're just going to based on volume alone, the numbers are going

079to be different, >> right? But I just want to make sure that since we're now putting it as a goal and it's out there with redistric, >> I don't think people know the differentiated the allocations that we paying attention. This has been a budget priority our entire >> our entire term. >> Yeah, that's my only concern. I didn't have any problem with any of the wording. >> Now, is this going to be for the schools after the redistricting with the redistriced population? So, we >> which ones and do we know which title versus >> Yeah. >> And and are we going to do the rolling title or we going to just >> No, I thought we got away from >> No, I just I don't know. on just yet, but >> we did it for

080a great thing and and >> we checked with we checked with Eve and how we were able to do that and and even the way that you went ahead and made decisions around title last year, you you built in that monitoring year this year. So, you made that decision so that wouldn't so they wouldn't continue to receive title funds after redistricting. So, you did that in advance, >> right? Yeah. Because that's you and I after the last problem. We had schools that had, you know, that would never have qualified that were still title schools because they rolled over. >> Yeah. >> And really, I think as you as you adopt your budget parties, that helps to guide me as I put together a budget and present to you based on these these priorities and and

081then, you know, obviously when we present the budget, when I present the budget, I can give you some dollars around these, but until we present the budget, I think it becomes a little bit difficult with just the actual dollars, but it does definitely guide our work in our budget in the budget proposal. Okay. >> So, I do want to add, you know, really the change to this year, there's a little bit of wording tweaks uh in the descriptions, but we also just added references to the strategic plan goals that stay tied to. So, really wanted to make sure it was tied to strategic plan. >> Okay, beautiful. >> And I'm counting and I noticed strategic plan 4 has the least number of it shows up the least. >> Just saying that >> because it's free.

082It's an odd thing that I >> don't we have five though. >> We have four. Okay. All right. Good. >> So, I did hear some conversation around combining two and four and just want to make sure we have clarity. If that's consensus of the board, we're happy to do that. We just I heard that suggestion a couple times, but I just >> Well, both of them are similar. They talk about ESOL students. I think it's just securing the resources to address academic performance. to differentiated school site funding as a tool to do that >> that follows the student population and then um again addressing specific issues like it does in two which is absenteeism. >> Does anyone have a problem with combining them? >> No, >> let's let's combine them and then >> so I'm

083personally I'm thinking we actually keep two and then we add some of the background information under two to include the differentiated school. >> Right. Right. And for me, I don't really want us highlighting ESOL after hiring 30 plus ESOL teachers that >> just I just think focus on student individual population, school population. >> So then it's whatever their needs are based on >> their students. >> That meets their needs. >> So moving from budget priorities to CIP. >> All right. You make sure Jason and Matt Correct. while uh Mr. Towery and Mr. >> Mr. White join >> seen you in ages. >> I'm fast. >> Make up some time after the first. So, we are uh kicking off our our CIP process, our whole um FY27 budget process. We talked about budget priorities for the

084operating budget shifting over to our capital improvement plan. Um I've shared a draft budget calendar with y'all previously that showed that we are kind of getting an extra month for the CIP this year. We realized we're have been adopting the CIP really early. It's before we're able to finalize our enrollment projections. So then we run into this situation where we have old enrollment projections and new enrollment projections coming out after the CIP's been adopted. So we're able to work with the county. They weren't really using our information yet. So hey, let's wait a month. Let's get better information to the schoolboard to to make those final decisions off of. So um we have like an extra month, but it still is a lot of information to digest and potentially if there's any adjustments, we need

085time to make those. So we still want to start the process early. We discuss it with FAB C in August and coming to the school board in August as well. And almost every meeting between now and and November, we're going to be coming back and seeing if there's any changes. >> So instead of in October, we're approving it. Yes, >> ma'am. November. >> Y >> Well, we don't meet with them until January anyways on it. Right. >> Right. >> Y >> Okay, great. Thanks, Chris. one here. >> All right. So, >> um just here's our agenda for today. So, we're going to talk a little bit about just refreshing everybody on the CIP process, how it works yeartoear, and then we'll go over some of the updates from last year and some key changes for

086this year that we're proposing moving forward. And then we wanted to hone in a little bit on some things that we think should be a focus for the board this year. Um, and then we do have a couple handouts that you should have in front of you here that have the draft um large capital list as well as the uh draft 3R list um here in front of you. Of course, this is just one small component of the larger CIP, but it's the most looked at um kind of documented in the CIP. So, moving forward here, this is the wrong this way. There we go. Okay. So, this is really I think the board is familiar with this, but for those members of the public who may also be watching or just anybody in general,

087it's important to remember that as Chris pointed out earlier, we have the operating side of the budget, but then on the capital side of the budget, we really have two main components. We have large CIP projects which is anything from you know our our new big construction with the high schools and elementary schools. We do have some large replacements in there um as well as our what we term critical systems and restoration projects. So these are larger u projects something think of the magnitude of five six seven 8 million or more right and then we have our three R projects which are is a much longer list of projects u but it's it's all the what we'd say are smaller dollar items not that five million is a small dollar item but in terms of

088the the buckets of all the different paving and roofing projects safety and security projects those types of things right those are going to fall into our threehour uh categories There's a variety of inputs obviously that come into the CIP process. Everything from our um leadership team, principles, folks on the cabinet, obviously um but the board, the community members, but then we're also talking with our maintenance um team. We're looking at facility data, work order data. This has really been a focus for us the last two years to start building out the asset management side of our um CIP program to make sure that we have data that will help us um as we go through and try to determine make decisions on whether or not to fix this roof first or that roof first and

089bring that information in as part of the process. >> Do you do like a facility study on every building every year or is that rotating? It's on a cyclical basis. So, not every building every year. We have them all on a fiveyear cycle. Um, but they were so they were all recently done within the last three or four years. Okay. >> Um, and then we're trying to spread those out a little bit more to get them a little more frequently. Okay. >> Um, but they are on a fiveyear cycle. >> So, I I think there's um just important to remember that the CIP is dynamic in living, right? So, we're always looking down the road, 10, 15, 20 years out, even in in our minds at different things. Although the CIP is really reflecting that

09010-year term, we're thinking longer term, but then we're also looking at the medium-term items that are coming up in that 5 to sevenyear window. And then when we get to the short term, that's really the time period where we want to be very precise with our budgets, our estimates, scope, things of that nature. But things out in that middle or certainly in the longer term tend to have much more variation to them. Um, in terms of price, scope, um schedule, those types of things. Also, um we we every year we spend a year doing the CIP. We kind of joke about that, right? Like >> we spend one year every year doing the CIP and then turn around and spend another year doing the CIP. But the cadence is is important to remember how we

091march through this CIP process. So, for example, we just started, we're in August here now, so we're at the second line here. We are now in the middle of what we would say would be year zero of our current FY26, the FY27 CIP that you all just approved last spring. So, we're here speaking to you today about the FY27 CIP. As we know, we'll go through ultimately through November, January, February. you all will work with um the board of supervisors to come to some consensus on that. Right around January, February, we get the enrollment accommodation plan and we start on our end the planning for next year's CIP to be sitting in front of you next August, a year from now. So, we begin at that point engaging with principles and other stakeholders and then

092working towards um getting to next August at this point. So, there is overlap between the different CIP processes as we're approving one. We're in the middle of developing the next one. And that's important as we get into some of the input and remembering when we should or should not adjust, make adjustments to our CIP. So, this is the schedule that we have moving forward over the next few months. Um, we're here today at the board work session on August 26. We will be back in two weeks to talk with the board um um in more in depth a little bit about a couple subjects which I'll go over here in a minute. In particular, we want to touch on um at that September 9th meeting um modulars, a little bit more about um Hartwood Elementary

093School, what to do with that site long term, the Rising Star Day School um program, elementary school 20 and middle school 9. So looking at some of the key projects that the board approved, board of supervisors approved last year, um we've seen a real um we've seen a lot of progress the last couple years with our three R spending and I think this has been a real win um for for the division as a whole. I think that this board has appropriately put a lot of great focus there. Um CIP advisory committee has been a huge part of that as well. I think you get to hear from them in a couple weeks on some some additional input that they have into our uh scoring process moving forward. They've been doing some great work. We're

094excited for them to bring that to you. Um also the Hartwood rebuild, very excited that is now under design. We just had actually had another one of our weekly meetings this morning. Um we're getting ready within the next probably four to five weeks to have those plans across the street at the county for first review. North Stafford uh fine arts wing, we've already had kickoff meetings on that. We've got um some concepts that we've already developed with the architect middle school 9. It's sitting out there in 2038, but it's it's on the CIP now with some approval coming. It's it's kind of crazy to think about and that's one of the things we want to start talking with you all about at the September 9th work session, but that's on there now and it's it's

095got approved funding. And then the budget parking, which was also a huge win, and then of course our some of our critical systems projects. This is something that the board put some effort into starting a couple years ago to pull some of those um phased uh 3R projects out of the 3R list and get them into large capital projects. We've seen that now starting we just started design on Rodney Thompson Middle School uh for that effort and we're excited of course for Gail Hampton Oaks and Winding Creek to come along there too. >> So do we know yet when Drew will be put out to bid? Drew, we anticipate should be out to let me see what month are we >> August end of August. >> Yes. So, we um I I will go back

096and and double check and verify this, but I believe Drew is scheduled to be bid at sometime in the spring of next year and I can get you a more exact date on that. >> Okay. So, and the the >> because our I'm sorry, our goal is to break ground on that in summer uh summertime next year. >> 27th. Okay. 26. >> Okay. And and the cup process like the conditional use permitting is that like I I know you said that was happening this month. Has it gone through yet? Are we still waiting on? >> We are currently scheduled for the September 21st 24th. It's it's a it's a work session with the planning commission in September and anticipating a final work session with the board of supervisors in October. >> Okay. just kind of

097>> this is probably a final question more so than you, but I see that middle school 9 is actually projected to be above high school 7, but I'm wondering if that's I mean one of the reasons for building Drew the way we were and the size and capacity is that we thought it would take pressure off of our middle schools that we wouldn't need the middle school as soon. But I do have to wonder especially with the age of North Stanford if the high school 7 might be something that we have to move up and swap those. >> And it's it's a great point and actually one of the things we want to talk about in here with Nor Stafford is doing an interior project on that school to consider extending the life of that

098school as much as we reasonably can um to get to get that closer to that. We're estimating 2040 2045 I'm sorry 2045 2050 mark for when that school would be offline. Uh but so that's something to keep in mind longer term. Uh but in terms of middle school 9, I think ultimately we want to take a look you all with where we need the seats, right? Where is it in the north? Is it in the south? And start taking a look at that from um an operations perspective as well. So we we'll talk about that a little bit more the September 9th. >> Well, and if we can find land. >> Yeah, that's the other reason. I see a huge number of permits to use land for data centers and it's not clear whether we

099have land available for schools. >> We can just send our kids there to learn amongst all of >> they're big enough. >> Yeah, >> that's true. That's one of the reasons in September 9th, you know, we need to start getting direction from the board on, hey, where do we general location and where we want that next middle school 9, high school 7, so we can start searching for land, right? And we'll we'll start up our joint land acquisition committee and then start targeting that. That's my concern is that given we have a very narrow urban services corridor that we should be looking at these land acquisitions now >> if we have is I'm sure that like for the middle school there's it's anticipated it'll be out in the Hartwood area >> because we have Well,

100my question then is and I don't know if this is like legally allowed. Can we make a CIP item a landing? like can you give us $5 million if that's the threshold for a CIP project? Can we work with the county to make a CIP item in the budget where we are committing to purchasing land that you know obviously would be jointly approved for future purchases before any slashall of these future development projects. the county actually already established um land bank funding a couple of years ago and so there's money set aside um and really they won't but you know their policies don't allow them to approve a CIP project unless we have the land you know they want us to plan in advance so we're working with their staff now and that's part of

101the reason why hey we want direction on middle school 9 high school 7 now so we're not searching for that when it gets approved you know the year before we need to have it in advance >> in in searching I mean I know that they have I don't know what the policy says, but if they are approving something that's going to happen in the next 5 or 10 year cycle, can part of that timeline be buying land now when it's cheaper so that we have it >> available >> and it also right I mean my I have concerns just that that Drew did not go in our first like our preferred location, right? So, it's going where it's going. And elementary school 19, we stole a lot from Brook Point to put that elementary school

102there. So, I'm just concerned about we're talking about all these projects, but do we really and and I'm not an expert on where land is available in Stafford County, but I'm concerned that that we've got all these projects, but then we're going to again be picking maybe less desirable sites because we don't have >> But I also want to see I mean, I think it was critical to my thought process in in location of 19 is Lionel's projections, right? because you know it again we've done this so many times putting schools where we don't always need them but have a spot and I would like to make sure that we're choosing a location based on Lionel's projections of either you know time travel or growth or whatever it is. I just want to make it

103make sense, not just like, oh, here's a spot of land. We'll just make >> there and figure out. >> Well, maybe I shouldn't say this an open meeting, but what I >> Hold on. I'll get ready. >> No, I'm making I'm just saying, you know, I've been I've been looking at a lot of things from the county perspective and looking at land and looking at applications, etc. There is a lot of land. It's not true that there's not a lot of land in Stafford. The bottom line is we ain't got no money to pay for to buy that land, but there is land, right? So, I think if we could start having meaningful conversations with the people across the street, then we can really start with what we can afford. You know what I mean?

104What we're willing to afford. >> To Dr. Chase's point, there's currently land, but these these data center conversations are out of control. >> I never said that. Well, I'm just but I'm saying that's where >> they're looking to suck up all that land. So whereas it's available now for us and then how safe would it be to put a school near a data center. I mean let's be realistic like we have to get also have to have data center conversation as well if that's what we're going to do because that they're eating up land left and right and and there's just going to be no place for us. >> That's kind of my point in saying this quarter. It's the >> it's so even if there's land available, it may not serve our purposes because

105if there's no water and electricity and sewer there, >> propane. >> So, one of the one of the things that >> we already know what septic tanks and what else like so let's not do that. >> Things I think >> we've been working towards the last couple years and we're getting ready. We're looking at a proposal for it now uh from from a company to help us develop what a facility master plan and the facility master plan because I think what we're describing here is in the CIP cycle sometimes we're looking at that two to three to five year cycle and that's kind of what we have a good feel for in terms of um costs and enrollment projections those types of things but we need to be looking 20 years out 30 years out

106for a facility master plan and start to think a little bit more about like this facility, North Stafford needs to be replaced in 20 years, let's say. So when we go to replace North Stafford, do we replace it in 18 years and put it at this location so we can use it as flex space for two years while we're doing these renovations over at Kate Waller Barrett and Mure might be up for renovation. So those are the types of things that we're missing right now in our process that a facility master plan will help us bring to that larger conversation. And then a big part of that is the land acquisition component, right? And so we've been working towards that the last two years. I think we will get there. Um it's just it's taking

107some time and we're getting these processes in place. I think we've made a lot of progress the last two years and um and I think you know this year we've taken another significant step forward um in terms of working through what what and these are staff's recommendations um kind of what we're proposing here ultimately the board obviously has to do this but um a couple key changes that we're proposing to this year's CIP one is for the Mountain View High School um to come from a phased component project in the 3R uh list that it was kind of partially there before and and now as we've moved a year or two ahead in the 3R it's it's fully shown itself up in the 3R list. So pulling that into our large capital list. Also we've

108made a couple adjustments to um the uh Colonial Forge budget parking um in terms of some of our numbers there pretty minor. I think it was about a million dollars overall and the total scope of things. We have continued annually to re-evaluate that 3R project list. Um, like I said, I think that the CIP advisory committee has got some good feedback that they're going to bring us in a couple weeks on a process for that moving forward. So, but some changes there. And then we right now we're proposing that the elementary school rebuilds for Falmouth, Stafford, Ferry Farm, and Grafton get adjusted out one year um based on what we're seeing of the overall facility conditions and as well as just to try to keep our overall capital spending in a in a reasonable um

109realm. Um and then again, as I mentioned before, talking about the North Stafford High School interior renovation. So, you're talking about moving the um currently the Mountain View Critical Systems is slated for FY 36, >> correct? >> 37. You're talking about moving it up or is that where you want it? >> We're bringing it on to this list. that was previously on this list in four or five different components. >> But is that a >> is that a over multiple like how how long that project or how >> so most of these projects like for a high school for for a critical system renovation it's probably going to take about two years but >> okay >> two two to three but right now it's taking us seven to eight >> because we're breaking it up

110over seven seven to eight summers. Yeah. Okay. >> And at times it's just not fully getting done. That's actually part of what happened with the North Stafford interior work. We did all the mechanical work and somehow in there a lot of the interior work >> got bumped >> got got bumped and ran out of money and we're realizing that now we need to finished with Brooklyn's work. >> Yeah. >> HBAC will finish up. >> I'm sorry. I get lost in the phases too. Sorry. >> Next summer I believe. Right. Next summer I think the final phase of HBAC at Brook will be done. then we can start over >> and then start the interior work. >> No, we go to the next high school. >> So, >> and I and I think part of the

111conversation we would like to have in September, I think we're going to bring back on modulars. And so, there is some thought around how do we how can we do these projects, right? Potentially using some modulars as swing space might allow us to do them, you know, quicker and and not spread them out. So, there may be some options. >> I remember he's talked to us about that before. So, that's going to be interesting. So in a couple of weeks the CIP advisory committee will come and do their presentation for us. Correct. We will bring this back again. So you know we have some time to ask our questions and have any conversations that are necessary. >> Correct. >> When is the three on three? >> Next week Thursday. >> Do we have maybe Is

112it too late to add the land bank? >> They've already taken stuff off. >> They already taken stuff off a >> really? >> Yeah. >> I know. Let me let me just cuz I want to be sens when they said they they met >> me maybe. >> Yeah, >> you did. >> I mean topics that people don't want to talk about. >> Well, wait a minute. We're It's It's our meeting. >> We had to have an agreement for us to talk about it, right? No, >> they just don't understand. >> We have an agenda for Thursday the 28th. The >> meeting that meeting is set. I think the land bank is definitely something we need to discuss, but it's not going on this agenda. >> I was going to say next year the meeting will

113be again for another year. >> We do have another meeting. The next meeting is scheduled. Joint schools working committee is December. What time does it >> get cancelled close to the holidays? They'll get cancelled. >> So, um Jason, if you could just highlight I think we've just got probably a few minutes left. So, I don't know what the highlight you want to take out of this. >> So, uh again, we'll be back in two weeks. Um some of what we'll be talking about there is listed here and I'll go over that in a minute. >> But again, the focus we believe for this year should be on adjusting the the project timing for rising star. we have a difference in our time schedule versus with the county. Same thing with elementary n uh 20 and

114high middle school nine. And then of course maintaining the advocacy for 3R. Um these slides here just detail that a little bit more specifically for uh some details on those. We've already talked about 3R. So our upcoming discussions here. Um so I've I slipped like three or four slides there real quick for you. Um so again it's September 9th we're going to come back and talk um and focus a little bit more in on modulars future use relocation removal rising star and day school how we want to bridge the intermediate gap between um the dates that we have the dates the county has the long-term plans for the Hartwood site and talk a little bit about middle school 9 location so we can start looking at land for that and then of course we'll be

115back again in October for um another work session and then hopefully approval in November the Hartwood site long-term plans. Um, do they have any plans after that's or not? Um, do you know about putting any of that urban services in there? Like this up to be able to use the building as something other than >> so we'll Yeah, >> tying in county resources to it. >> Right. So, right now there's no there's no plan for water and sew out there. Okay. >> Um, but >> it it is a it is a valuable um site for us to use. um for potential flex space for a while while we're looking at um the day school, the rising star, those types of programs. So, we'll talk. >> Yeah. The day school gets closed, we need to fix

116that. >> Any questions? Could we get the projections for high school 7? what it would um what it would look like um out towards when we plan on replacing it with these projected is online. >> Dr. Robertson, I just unmuted. Can you hear me? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Hello. Thank you for being here. >> Thank you for having me. >> So, for the sake of time, we're going to um move through the first few slides. This is a continuation of our conversation where we were exploring potential consolidation scenarios for CGS. And so these first few slides you've previously seen the kind of background to um the program and um to the governor's school and it structure. So where we want to begin is with the scenarios and the criteria that we use um to evaluate

117each potential scenario. with criteria being travel and transportation, facilities, enrollment, staffing. Um, and we want to kind of preface our conversation our conversation by sharing that upon our exploration of uh the two other scenarios, we found that there were some new challenges that that presented themselves. Okay, so this is just the timeline as previously discussed. for now uh in August where we are sharing this information with you all for to allow for an informed decision moving forward. This is an updated uh map of all of our schools and their locations for you to reference as we talk through uh the scenarios. So we have three scenarios um that we want to talk through today. Two being new, one being um one site which would house all 360 students. Uh the second scenario would be two

118sites. one would house 240 students and the other would u maintain 120 students and then the third site the third option would be our current model. So two new scenarios in comparison to our current model of three sites. So option one uh would be where we would con you all would consider consolidating from our three sites down to one site. So when we look at all of the criteria here, we're able to see the impact of doing so. In terms of travel and transportation, we would see a potentially large increase in ride time for students uh in terms of their transportation in the mornings as well as the afternoon. We would potentially also see an increase in the amount of buses needed to travel from one site to another. We already have buses that are

119traveling, but with the increased number of students, we may need additional buses to transport students. And then we also have to keep in mind our sight dependent traffic concerns that we're already mitigating based on travel in the morning as well as the afternoon. In terms of facilities, um we will be looking at having to transfer CGS technology uh to that one site as we'll see consent item tonight, the update of the broadcasting uh technology. So that technology would have to be moved. depending on the site that could potentially be selected, there will be an additional need for lab space and then also the additional need just for classroom space in general for those students dedicated to CGS. Likewise, we would see an overall uh increase in enrollment and that increase in enrollment would lead to

120an increased need for for staffing in general um because of the increase in the overall enrollment of the school. But then also potential increase in contract length because our CGS teachers uh do have a 10.5 month um contract. We would also see potentially a decrease in staff availability for the main school because we would see main school uh staff then moving to potentially uh support those CGS classrooms. Option two would be to potentially consolidate from three sites to s to two sites. So similar impact um but not as great as consolidating to one site. So you'll see similar information shared here. Uh again, increases in uh impact on travel, facilities, enrollment, and staffing, but not as great as moving to just one site. So the third scenario is the one that we currently have and

121the one that uh we recommend that we stick with. um it would have the least impact on travel time as students are assigned to locations based on on their geographic location being mindful of travel time. In terms of facilities, um two of the three facilities currently are adequately providing classroom space for students who would need to uh work on a lab space at North Stafford and we have a potential solution for that moving forward. In terms of enrollment, we would see a minimal impact because students wouldn't be moving. Um, and in terms of staffing, we would continue to maintain our current staffing that's previously been shared, and we would continue to work with Dr. Alejandro to address the people to teacher ratio that we see um that has historically been an issue, especially as students

122move into their junior and senior year and begin to take more specialized courses. Other things that we considered during our exploration process, uh we thought about our nonCGS locations, High School 6, Mountain View, uh and Brook Point. Uh we felt that these sites were not feasible um due to an increase in cost. They may provide additional travel complications because we don't have CGS students currently going to those sites. And in addition, we will be introducing a new program to those sites. So there would be some implications there. There's a desire uh to maintain the commitment to 90 students per grade level. I think we previously um talked about that. Um there would be additional costs uh requiring CGS uh funds. So again we just updated um they just updated their broadcast technology. So that would

123require additional funding to support there. Uh we will also think about the attrition and retention um based upon each site. Um, there are also transition factors if we move to either one of the other scenarios. And you'll see in the appendix there, we've detailed what the phasing in and phasing out process could look like at each site and the impact that that would have on staffing as well as students because again, if we're moving students, that's not just um that doesn't just impact CGS staffing, but it could mean additional school counselors because of their SOQS or administrators. um there may be an impact on the size of lunches and and the overall bell schedule. So, those would be things that we would definitely need to think about if you all were to consider consolidating. There's

124also an opportunity to maximize enrollment in the math uh sections. Again, when students get into the 11th grade, that's where we see a drop in the people to teacher ratio, and that's something that Dr. Aandro has been working on. Trace, anything you want to add thus far? I'm trying to be mindful of time. >> Nope, I think you've covered it. All right, thank you. >> Let's roll. All right, so staffing implications. As mentioned, there's an appendix that's attached that goes through this in detail, but when we're talking about cost and what this would cost us, we have to think about it in terms of potential transition years, which would be years one through three if we're moving students into two or one site. So there would be CGS specific staffing needs if we're phasing out

125in one or two locations and phasing in uh in another location. So there will be an increase uh and staffing needs for CGS at the receiving school and a decrease in the phasing out um location. there will be a potential need for additional 10.5month contracts at the consolidated sites, the receiving sites. And we approximate that to be roughly $5,000 uh per teacher each in FY 26, but this is all dependent on um the schedule for that building as well as staff credentials. Um high-end estimate would be no more than $50,000 in terms of impact in any given fiscal year, but uh likely lower. and then staffing exceptions would have to be made within the main school as they grapple with um receiving those um those new students as well. So we would see an impact

126there in terms of cost. If we look forward to full implementation once the phase in and phase out process uh would be complete, we can see here an estimation of the overall total staffing impact. So if we're looking at option two, which would be moving to from three to two sites, we're looking at roughly 0.5 to a 2.0 reduction um in FTEES reduction to one site, we're looking at one to 3.5 um in terms of FTE, a reduction that we would experience. What do you when you say reduced FTEES reduced FTEES where? >> So F the need for FTEES there I believe in the in the main school. >> So the main school would end up losing a a half to two teachers. >> That's let me rephrase that. Sorry to jump in. So that

127is >> even worse >> because the governor school students, right? >> This is but this is something >> the the estimate here is the number of uh full teacher FTEEs that are needed to deliver the CGS program and the number of staffing adjustments we make to CGS host schools to uh make up for the fact that CGS teachers carry a smaller uh number of sections than uh main school teachers. So, excuse me. With consolidation, the total number when you add all of those up, um, would be slightly lower. It's a range because some of this depends on who the specific uh, educators are, what they're endorsed in, the courses that they can cover, the exact number of students think. That's why it's uh, that's why it's a range. and but saying it's a reduced FTE

128the better way to put it would be is a reduction in the number of FTEES necessary to deliver the CGS program and the impacts on the main school from offering the CGS program what would be done with that whether it's an actual reduction of FDS or a repurposing of those FDES to do other things would be a policy decision >> does that >> and and if you jump in it really is around the delivery of math instruction. So, if the all the all the planets align and we can consolidate our geometry courses um in a way that would allow us to reduce a section of geometry or a section of of pre-calculus. That's where that reduction comes in. But again, we have varying numbers over the course of the last 5 years to to know

129that it doesn't always align that way. So that's why that range is there as well. Thank you Patrick. >> But then you have this statement says the most likely scenarios would be an overall reduction of one FTE overall and consolidating to two sites and two FTEEs. So you give us a range but then you have this other >> like a qualifying statement. >> Yeah. Yeah. I would say like we want to emphasize the range because that is the range of potential scenarios. This is our best guess of what uh the most likely outcome would be. >> Okay. So then overall there also may be a reduction in the number of 210 day contracts required under the consolidation because we would have a higher pupil toteer ratio um in CGS. Um but again it depends on

130credentials of um of staff scheduling. I believe we have like maybe a couple of teachers, Tracy, correct me if I'm wrong, that are like dual endorsed who were teaching multiple subject areas and so that plays into it as well. Um, but again, we don't know about any future staff that may come on board and what endorsements they may bring to allow for more efficient staffing of our CGS um program. >> Can I ask how long has the program been at North Stafford High School? Tracy, I >> it was the last one that came on, but I don't >> I thought was the last one. >> Oh, four was. Okay. Well, how was how long has the one been at North? >> 20 years. >> I don't have that data, but while we're talking, I'll look

131it up. >> Okay. So my question is is in that all this time they don't have a lab which is disappointing because that puts them at a disadvantage compared to and I did read the report um I talked with Sarah about this a couple summers ago >> um where Norstaff it was mentioned in the reports that Northstepford does not have one >> and my question is why not >> um but also I know that um chemistry is not taught in their CGS labs. It has to be taught in the main school labs, >> but CGS has a schedule that's like a Monday, Thursday, Tuesday, Friday. >> So, how is that scheduled? Did they just take one chemistry lab in the school just for CGS >> because basically >> um you know they they have such

132a differing schedule and with the upper class and I know >> I don't know how >> No, you're correct. They are using a main school lab which does then impact the scheduling for the main school classes. Tracy are is CGS using one dedicated lab space. Are they using multiple lab spaces there at North? So if it's a north specific we do have a classroom that our science teachers are able to do some labs but clearly not chemistry labs. So um if any chemicals are being used so they do use a north um lab for that and then we preschedu those. So, as you said, our schedule is different than the main school schedule, but we have the luxury of having our schedule set for the entire year with revisions each month. And so, our teachers

133have worked with the main school teachers to accommodate that. >> So, in the interest of time, since we do have to have the presentation on 1819, can we do a quick poll of the board to see if people are interested in further exploration of any of the consolidation options at a future board meeting? >> Dr. Warner? No, I I do not I I don't want to incur any additional costs that we are going to be in a tight budget cycle next year. We don't know what it will cost to remove equipment to reconsolidate things to transport students. There's a lot of unknowns there and besides we have six high schools, I think having three sites makes sense. >> Do you have any interest in any consolidation? >> No. Yes. >> I don't think so, but

134I'm still want to listen. Well, we're >> Well, yeah, we I don't I do not I but let me just >> Wow, the amount of work. So, this is >> this is so informative. No, you guys did a fabulous job and I think it should be >> very thorough >> the depth and level that you went through because it is complex to understand. So, I just I appreciate the amount of energy and effort that went into putting this together, but I I don't I don't see the need. >> I do. Um I just like I said I'm curious as to why CGS funding hasn't gone into doing better job at North um in all scenarios where you say transportation. I just feel like all of our specialty centers and IB are all in the same

135transport. So we could even say that as a challenge or a negative if you will in all of our specialty centers. So I don't see that we're literally if we talk about consolidating from three to two, you're talking about, you know, starting with 30 students. So I just feel like it's definitely I still have questions. Um and I would like for someone to sit with me because I'm not comfortable keeping it at S3. Um, like I said, I don't feel like um, North has given the support that it should have. Um, and if there's if the state and is paying for this, then I think more should have gone to improving the lab situation at North. Um, so that's that's where I am. That's >> I'm I want to explore consolidating into two but my

136rationale is that two things. One is efficiency and secondly I'd like to look at the the applications. If you look at the past two years the number of applications has dropped fairly dramatically which is most likely because of our other specialty centers. I mean our students now have you know many more options than they had before. The reason that we have it in three schools is because the school board at the over the years has wanted to have a quote specialty program at each of our five high schools and Mountain View and Brook Point had IB. So that's how we ended up getting the um Governor School of Forge. So, I don't think there's any magic, at least for me in maintaining three, particularly with all the other choices that our students now have. And

137and I would when I was talking with um Dr. Smith last week, I asked about potentially even looking at two schools of um 60 each rather than what do we have now? We have 30. 30 each. But you know, not just to go and do it, but to to look at it because of the number of applications, the need that we have somewhere else. So I know I know I wasn't sure whether I heard you right. Did you say 60 at each of the two schools would have to be >> Well, cutting if if we went to two sites at some point. I'm not saying we should do it now. I think there's a lot more that needs to be reviewed, but potentially we may not need as many seats >> as we have. Well,

138maybe we do. Maybe we don't look at these numbers. This is going down dramatically. And we don't know how many of these applicants applied for other programs and maybe even accepted the other programs, right? Because you can can't you apply for more than one of these special >> very few. >> Well, well, I don't know. Well, then send me the numbers and you know I increase. So anyway, I'm I'm interested in >> the last year of 8.9% matters of and and I'm not, >> you know, I'm I'm not a pro or a con, but I think in the interest of efficiency, it's not a matter of how much is it going to cost to move the lab initially. It's over the term of years, you know, what is what best meets the needs of the

139students. So that's why I would be interested in pursuing that. >> Yeah. I mean, I I think for me there continues to just be this concern about next year's budget and to add additional costs for next year's budget and the next couple of years budget as we do the transition. Um, I just think the timing of this is sort of hitting at a bad time. So, I'm fine with leaving it the way it is. Um, I would have liked to explore it. I am also not married to the timeline, but for this reasons Dr. Um, Miss Healey and Miss Randall stated, "I have strong concerns and I have for a long time about the administration of North CGS and the lack of investment um, in resources overall there. They're kind of like the forgotten CGS.

140um that you know regardless of what's decided here today I hope that we look at that and then um I think as far as the consolidation we can kind of table it for a future year for further exploration but certainly not the rush or time sensitivity to get it in for the next academic year. So then can we put that on the on the agenda for something to look at North's um lab or lack of lab? >> Yeah. So I can commit to when when we we redistrict next year, there will be additional space in North Africa and so we I can commit that we are going to work with CGS to address that >> that uh that lab need that we have there. >> Also how is the main school affected by the use

141of chemistry labs? Is it increasing our enrollment in chemistry in the main school for the use of because chemistry isn't going to be done in a biology lab. It has to be done in a chemistry lab. So I'm just curious how much of the main school chemistry time is consumed and how has it affected the enrollment of our chemistry classes? >> You're talking about after we do the lab or you talking about it now? Well, the lab has nothing to do with chemistry because the lab is only going to be like a regular science lab, but chemistry labs are different because they require their hoods and whatnot. So, I'm curious how much time I do want the lab information for North, but I also want the information for how much mainstream main school is affected

142by the use of CGS using their chemistry. >> Dr. Smith, >> go ahead. At at Forge, for example, at Forge, we have one science lab and it is equipped as a chemistry lab. So, all four of our science uh classes are able to exist in one lab. >> We don't use any outside labs. >> But not at Stafford. >> No, Stafford too. staff the only one who doesn't have lab doesn't have a dedicated but we've identified spaces that we could we could very well consider >> and so that we adjust our agenda to add elementary 1819 down there >> will be our funding >> we'll do it that way he will amend the agenda on the floor to add 18/19 down there No, no, >> we're not discussing today. We're deciding. >> I can get

143it done in two minutes. >> Well, that's what you got is do you want to do that? Get it done in two minutes. >> All right. I don't want >> Or we can do it out there. I mean, it doesn't matter. >> Does that include finding it? That's pretty. >> There it is. >> Let's go there. >> There it is. >> All right. >> We follow the process just like we did last time. >> For naming and >> for naming mascots and colors. Okay. There's the policy which you already know. >> Yep. >> We had our engagement period in June. >> We had our public hearing uh public input meeting on June 12th. The committees met on July 8th and 10th. These were the members of the committee. For elementary 189, I'm sorry, 18. We

144landed on a primary recommendation of Berea Elementary with Oscar otter or foxhounds and the school colors of purple, gold, and navy. We have two alternate ideas. FallsRun Elementary or Little Falls unless the high school is named Falls Run and then we would do uh Little Falls Elementary as our as our um back up. These wanted Foxhounder Otter with school colors of purple, navy, and gold. Elementary 19, we landed on a primary recommendation of Brookside Elementary Blue Jays with an alternate as the owls. Their colors were turquoise, navy, and lime. >> Our alternate was Crow's Nest Elementary with an Osprey as the primary mascot and alternate of the crows and their school colors with lime, navy, and turquoise. Next up, you'll get them in another work session, general public comment tonight, final adoption at your September

145meeting. >> Thank you. I told to the flag of the United States of America and to the rep for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for I'd like to extend Oh, we're gonna do Okay. I'd like to extend gratitude this evening to the Brook Point High School Navy RO JOTC members of tonight's color guard are Lyanna Lewis, Bradley Figureroa, Juliana Garcia, Aosa Odias. The instructors of the Brook Point High School JOTC program are Master Sergeant Selwin Reed and First Sergeant Jason Palano. Miss, could you please take the role? >> Yes, ma'am. Dr. Chase, >> Miss Een, >> here. Miss Guy, >> Miss Hollstead, >> Miss Healey, >> Miss Irish, >> Miss Randall >> here, >> Miss Sigman >> here, >> and Dr. Warner is here. Madam Chair, you have a quorum. >>

146Thank you. >> Miss Haley, did you have a change? Oh, no. We don't have to change the agenda. Is there a motion and a second for the agenda? >> Motion to approve. >> Second. All in favor, please cast your votes. >> That motion carries unanimously. Is there a motion for the consent agenda items? >> Motion to approve. >> Second. Please cast your votes. >> That motion also carries unanimously. Dr. Smith, are there any announcements of administrative personnel appointments? >> Yes, ma'am. Members of the board, I am pleased to introduce several administrators that you just approved on your consent agenda. So, first I'd like to introduce Miss Amanda Black who will be the new assistant principal at Northstar Northstar Early Childhood Education Center. Miss Black will lead Northstar early childhood education center as a new assistant

147principal. She started her career as an active duty military in the United States Navy before moving to a career in education as a middle school teacher in Florida. She joined the Stafford schools team five years ago as an ECSC resource teacher and most recently served as the coordinator of early childhood education for the last two years. Miss Black earned her bachelor's of arts degree in history and literature from Old Dominion University and a master's degree in special education. She also earned a master's certificate in applied behavior analysis from George Mason University and a certificate in educational leadership from the University of Mary W and Mary. Congratulations, Miss Black. >> Thank you. All right. Um, Dr. Smith, Madam Chair, members of the school board, I had to write my thank you on a card even though

148it's short because I was going to get up here and I knew I was going to forget what I was going to say. But I just wanted to say, um, thank you for the opportunity to serve Stafford County's youngest learners as the new assistant principal at Northstar. Um, we're off to a great start for this year and I look forward to seeing what this year will bring. And I wanted to say a special thank you to Dr. Warner. I didn't realize it was your last time with us. And so, Dr. Warner has been with us for a while and been a tireless advocate for our program. So, I just wanted to say a special thank you and I look forward to working with the next person that's going to take over that role. So, thank

149you very much. [Applause] Next, I'd like to introduce Dr. Tina Bryan, assistant principal of Colonial Forge High School. [Applause] Dr. Brian will join the administrative team at Colonial Forge High School as the school's new assistant principal. She joins us from Fairfax County Public Schools where she served as a special education teacher for seven years and the education for employment opportunities teacher for six years. Dr. Brian graduated with a degree in special education from the University of Memphis and also earned a graduate certificate in instructional design technology from the University of Memphis. Her graduate certificate in English language learners is from the University of California, San Diego. She earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the American College of Education and a graduate certificate in school leadership from Longwood University. Welcome to team Stafford. Dr. Brian,

150[Applause] >> thank you so much. Good evening, Madame Chair, members of the board, and Superintendent Smith. I am so excited to be part of the Colonial Forge leadership team as assistant principal and it is my honor to serve the community and such dedicated staff. I would like to extend my thanks to principal Terry Hampton for her amazing guidance and support. And I'd like to thank all the other dedicated staff members I work with such as Rob Bingham who tonight is being the volleyball person for me. So, thank you. Um, and also Stephanie Dori for her Stafford County leadership experience. It's awesome to work with her. And for Mr. Tim Roberts for his institutional knowledge and for Jeff Barry with his outstanding school spirit and activities leadership. It is my honor to serve Stafford County and

151I'm really passionate about creating a safe and learning environment for our community. Thank you so much. >> Next, I'm pleased to introduce Chad Gardner as our new director of fleet services. [Applause] Chad is the new director of fleet services for team Stafford. He is a familiar face having served as the service team lead and a long-standing member of the Stafford community. Mr. Gardner graduated from Stafford High School where he started his studies in automotive technology. Went on to earn his associates of occupational studies degree in automotive truck and industri Industrial Technology from the Universal Technical Institute in Houston, Texas. And most recently, he completed the experienced supervisors institute at VCU Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. Currently, he's working on a bachelor's degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University. Congratulations, Mr.

152Gardner. [Applause] >> Thank you, Dr. Smith. Thank you, board. Um, just want to say uh thank you for the opportunity. I've been with Stafford Schools for quite some time and it's done uh done wonders for me and wonders for my family and my wife and my two kids are here with us with me tonight. And um I just want to say that uh Fleet is a really special place and I realize we're probably some of the most removed from the classroom, but uh you know we it's really a special place. We do a lot for you know the schools and and the county side as well. And any of you who've never been down to Fleet, I invite you to once once the dust settles, we got a lot going on right now, but uh

153I invite you to come down and take a you know give us a visit, take a look and see what we're all about. Thank you. [Applause] Next, I'd like to introduce Mr. Nicholas Leon, director of athletics and activities for Stafford High School. Mr. Leon here with us. Maybe we'll give him a hand anyway. Just a couple of things about Mr. Leon. He will join team Stafford at Stafford High School as our new director of athletics and activities. He joins us from Charlotte, North Carolina, where he served as the athletic director for South Meckllinburgg High School for two years. Prior to this role, he was an athletic director and physical education teacher at international schools and in North Carolina for 10 years. He orchestrated a 350,000 facilities improvement plan and rebranded the athletic department at South

154Meckllinburgg. He holds a bachelor's degree in human nutrition, foods, and exercise from Virginia Tech and a master of science and sports management from Western Carolina University. Mr. Leon also earned a graduate certificates in project management and secondary education and is a certified master athletic administrator. We're excited to welcome Mr. Leon. [Applause] Next, I'd like to introduce Miss Sarah Skinner, who will be the new assistant principal at Brook Point High School. Miss Skinner has been a part of team staffer for 15 years as a substitute teacher, a paraprofessional, a math teacher, and most recently as the dean of students at Brook Point High School. She served on curriculum committees for the freshman success course, and for the elite freshman course. She also started the Stafford County Pop-Up Prom free dress drive. Miss Skinner earned her Bachelor

155of Arts degree in Integrated Studies from George Mason University and a master of education in secondary education from the University of Mary Washington. She earned her post-graduate degree in administration and supervision from ODU. Congratulations, Miss Skinner. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. This is awesome. First and foremost, I'd like to thank you guys so much for this opportunity. I am truly grateful and I'm deeply honored to step into the role of assistant principal of Brook Point High School. Stafford County Public Schools has been my home since second grade. I attended Fairy Farm Elementary, Gail Middle School, Stafford High School, and I am a proud graduate of this district and I'm also a proud daughter to two incredible retired Stafford County students. And then the many roles that were mentioned within this county who I

156have called home for so long. It has really helped me and shaped me to prepare me for this moment as an assistant principal for a county that has helped raise me and now gets to help raise my boys. and I get to do so alongside the most amazing administration team. And for that, it is my greatest privilege. And I am so thankful for the chance to continue to work with the most incredible and outstanding staff, students, and families at Brook Point High School. And I look forward to an amazing year and amazing years ahead. Thank you guys so much. And one more >> and one more appointment like to recognize uh Miss Abby Wicker, director of research evaluation and strategic improvement. Miss Wicker joined team Stafford in 2021 as the coordinator of competitive grants and

157has served as the position also as the assistant director of research evaluation and strategic improvement for the past three years. In this position, she has secured and managed over $8 million in competitive grant funding over the past four years and supported development and management of our division strategic plan. Prior to her time with Stafford schools, Miss Wicker worked with the Kids Involvement Network in San Antonio, Texas for 12 years, as the 21st century director and as a training coordinator. She has also worked as an executive director for the San Antonio YMCA and the deputy director for the UP Partnership and as a business owner of a residential and commercial improvement company. Miss Wicker earned her bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a master of science

158degree in organizational leadership from Our Lady of Lake University. Congratulations, Miss Wicker. >> Thank you. I'm more nervous than normal, so paron. Um, but I just want to say thank you. I come on the heels of two incredible uh women, Dr. Towry and Dr. who have helped grow our department which allows us to do more for our students and our families. So I am incredibly enthused about continuing that journey and and grateful for the opportunity. [Applause] >> Miss Sigman, that concludes the appointments. Okay, we'll move forward with our awards and recognitions. Good evening, school board members and Dr. Smith. This evening will recognize students and staff that epitomize our values of students integrity, respect, community, opportunity, and excellence. We begin by celebrating the Stafford Middle School boys track team. Gentlemen, please call forward as you

159hear your name called. The Stafford Middle School track team captured the state title in the boys 1600 meter relay. The relay team included Kian Kelly, Gavin Ethan Towry, and Lloyd Newman. Lloyd Newman also took home the state championship in the 100 meter hurdles. We know the essential role coaches play in encouraging their athletes. And we also congratulate the head coach Carl Zulowski. Gentlemen, right here, [Applause] and assistant coach Kelly Moore for their role in preparing these young champions. Congratulations team on these outstanding accomplishments. We're going to take a photo. Don't go anywhere. back this way. Next, we'd like to recognize AG Wright girls track team for bringing home the state championship in the 4x400 meter relay. Ladies, please come forward as I call your name. The winning relay team of Alia Williams, Callie Brown, London

160Mlennon, and Lauren Ule raced their way to the top, showcasing incredible teamwork, determination, and speed. Adding to the victory, Lauren Ule also earned state recognition with an outstanding performance in the 800 meter run and impressive achievement. We also extend a thank you to their coaches, Lata McClendon, James McClendon, Andrea Jackson, and Ronald Robinson for your exceptional leadership in guiding the team to victory. We are so proud of these athletes and their coaches for their hard work and commitment. They are true champions on and off the track. [Applause] Congratulations. Finally, we're proud to celebrate another historic win recognizing a group of young men who have not only made school history, but county history. Earlier this month, the Colonial Forge High School boys track and field team capped off their season by capturing the Class 6 state

161championship. It was a first for any team in Stafford County and a moment of pride for our entire community. Just days later, four of Forge's students, four of Forge's standout seniors, can you say that three times fast? took their talents to the national stage. Competing at the 2025 New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia, the Eagles 400 meter relay team soared past some of the nation's best, winning the national title with a blistering time of 40.69 seconds. In doing so, they not only edged out the top team from Florida by mere hundreds of a second, but also shattered the Virginia state record they had just set at the state championship. To put that into perspective for those of you who, like me, are not mathematically inclined, that's an entire lap around a standard track in 40.69 seconds.

162Gentlemen, as I call your name, please come to the podium to be recognized. Our 4x100 relay state champions who set a new state record and the New Balance Invitational National Champions, Malik Dark, Brian Harris. Brian is also the state champion in the triple jump. Matt Fischer and Owen Charlotte. Uh we had another state champion Taan Daniel in the high jump. Is Taan in college? and their team members Sean Hill, Curtis Kibler, Aiden Hopkins, Jaden Richards, Mason McConnell, Fipa Maya, Yin Elabli, Pearson Badra, and Christopher Lynn. We also like to thank their coaches, Sean Hill, Holly Brimhol, Miriam Robinson, Tara Fuller, Leslie Cardwell, Patrice Hopkins, Mike Roberts, and Amanda Flood. [Applause] Gentlemen, we are incredibly proud of you. Your achievement is a testament to the talent, teamwork, and tenacity. To the coaches, thank you for pouring

163into our students and encouraging them along the way. We wish you all continued success, and we cannot wait to see where you soar next. [Applause] We'll move on with our Student Representatives report. Miss Irish. >> Good evening everyone. As the school year begins again, we're excited to see student engagement picking back up. Back up. Over the summer, Lillian represented students on the naming committees for elementary school 18 and 19, where she provided input for the names. And now that the school year is underway, we're looking forward to gathering even more student voices. One of our first projects will be sending out a student feedback form. We've had this mostly ready to go for a while now, but we figured sending out during the summer months when no one's checking their email would not be a

164good idea. We're also starting to talk about together and looking through options for helping to encourage peer-to-peer tutoring at the schools and with the goal of creating more opportunities for students to support each other and get involved with their schools. As the school year continues, we're eager to build on this momentum and keep finding ways for students to share their perspectives and help shape their communities. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Citizen comments. Three minutes are allotted to each speaker or group. Speakers shall identify themselves by name and organizational affiliation. Speakers shall also announce the purpose or topic of their comments. Citizen comment which is profane or abusive or which threatens imminent physical harm shall be ruled out of order. Um Miss Hall if you'd like to call forward our speakers. >> Yes ma'am. Madam

165chair there are three citizens signed up to speak. The first is Michael Bradshaw. He'll be followed by Shamgar Connors and then Shannon Fingerholes. >> Is Mr. Here, Mr. Connors. >> Mr. Connors, if you can't act like a human being, I will ask you to leave. >> That's exactly what this is all about. Meow. Meow. Woof. Woof. That means Shamgar Connor's Heartwood District. I speak like that because in all aspects except physical, I am a wolf. It's a shame I have to explain that because so many bigots out there are not inclusive and only speak English and not animal lease. My pronouns are meow by the way. Now this is all about we know what we 20- the policy 2420-P in the Stafford policies and regulations technically allows legally boys to use the girls bathrooms, locker

166rooms, and other spaces by elevating sexual orientation and gender identity to a special protected class. The superintendent has total control of this policy by the way. I printed it if you want. So, thank you for supporting all the trans students, especially over non-trans students. Our our superintendent also comes from Loun County where they they just rightfully suspended two boys for 10 days where they dared to ask why a girl was in their bathroom. Hopefully, he'll do the same here when that happens. Now, I'm here representing a group called Furry Gamers against Trump. That's gamers spelled g- a y- rs. I'm here to discuss the bigotry going on in the schools, which we all just witnessed two seconds ago. As we all know, from children telling their parents, there are furries in sta in every school

167in Stafford right meow all the way down to elementary schools. They bark, meow, hiss, and crawl around on all fours in the classrooms. And you let them do it. But right meow, there's extreme bigotry for anyone who's a furry, Theion, alter, or otherkin. For those who don't know, a Theion is an individual who identifies as a non-human animal to some degree. Also, a furry is basically just a trans animal, or as I like to call them, tran animals. Now, since I and other students like me identify as being a furry, we're devastated as to why our gender identity and sexual orientation are being ignored to discriminate against in Stafford schools just like I was discriminated against when someone demanded I act like a human. I'm here today to request for my Tranimal Ferans that all

168schools put kitty litter boxes in all the bathrooms to properly respect our gender identities and sexual orientations. Since my littleer friends support going trans at a very young age, they should easily accept what trans animals need to be inclusive. Schools should also supply a kitty litter that changes color if there's an illness for public health reasons and inclusivity. My trainable fur kins are tired, okay, of being expected to use toilets for peeing and pooping. Everyone knows that toilets should only be used for drinking only. Another request we're making is that schools have a gender marker for records, but no option to change your species. That's so bigoted. If we can support trans children, we need to support furry species as well. We also need tuna in the cafeteria every day. We also need scratching posts

169in every classroom. And also, if people want to say hello to each other by sniffing their rear ends, there needs to be an exception in school policy laws to happen. All right, I sorry. Now, we all know the founding fathers were all trans furries because they wore huge wigs and fur coats. This is our rights as Americans and illegal immigrants to express ourselves. And so we need this to happen in Stafford because we're letting policy 2420-P which was in the notes today to be reviewed and nothing was supposed to be changed. And I did want to mention one thing. Here's a Facebook post from one of our schoolboard members. She put it on her page. We can't name them because they're allowed to name us but not them. But anyway, love you guys. Please support

170diversity and inclusivity. Shannon Finger Holtz, Hartwood District. Um, I spoke at the board of supervisors meeting last week and I'd love to speak at the board of supervisors meeting also this week, but unfortunately I can't because our board of supervisors meeting and our schoolboard meetings are on the same day. And I know I've asked for this a few times. Um, so I would be interested in having the school board meetings and the board of supervisors meetings on separate days on the weeks, especially with the board of supervisors increasing their schedule. Um, it makes it hard for us to advocate on both sides of the street because they control all of the money. So, just want to say that again and thank you guys. And um, y'all do a lot of work and staff here does

171a ton ton ton of work. And I know it's the beginning of a new year, but they never stopped working over the summer. So, I definitely want to thank them and uh thank them for all the work they're going to do this year. Thanks, guys. That's it. Mr. Bradshaw is not returned. No. >> Is Mr. Bradshaw here? >> Okay. Move on with our action items tonight. The first one is 8.0. 01 appointment of a school board member to serve as the board's liaison to the Head Start Policy Council for the term of September 25th through August 26th. >> Motion to um for Dr. Chase to serve as the liaison for Head Start. >> Second. >> Is there any discussion on this? >> Okay, please cast your votes. That motion carries unanimously. Thank you, Dr. Chase,

172and thank you for your service, Dr. Warner, after five years on the Head Start Policy Council. >> Uh, item 8.02, selection of the name, mascot, and colors for high school 6. Miss Hollstead, would you like to Do we have a presentation? Are we just moving forward to Miss Hollstead, would you like to make the motion? >> Yeah. Uh motion. Do I have to make it like separate or just motion to approve? >> You have to No, you have to choose one >> to start the discussion. >> Uh anyone >> motion the one you want to approve? >> What do you want to vote on? >> Oh, okay. Motion to name high school six uh Hartwood Stallions. >> High school wouldn't be called Hartwood Stallions. >> Hartwood High. No, it would be it would be Hartwood

173>> Heartwood High Stallions, >> but they would be the Heartwood High Stallions. >> So, okay. Motion to approve naming Hart High School 6 Hartwood High Stallions. >> Second. >> Okay. Is there discussion on this item? >> I just had the question of why we're picking the alternate recommendation rather than the primary recommendation of the committee. >> So I well a because you said it didn't matter which one I chose. That's number one. So I picked that one because then she said pick the one that you wanted. That was the one I actually voted for. I also have spoken a bit to some of the Hartwood constituents and they have put forth a you know outside of the committee which was important to hear and to get it going but they really there's a lot more

174than just those people on the committee and even though I appreciate it they really I think they really like the idea of the stallions the thing that came up more frequently than not in conversation was they could envisualize a storming stallion mascot and so that was a little bit more favorable for them so that's why I put that one first. Not to dismiss the work of the committee or anything like that. It's just I have had further conversations with the Hartwood community. >> Miss Hilly, I I just want to confirm the name would be >> Hartwood High School. >> Okay. Because you said the name would be Hartwood High Stallion. So, I just wanted to make sure what we're voting on. So, it's Hartwood High School and the mascot would be the Stallion. Okay. That's

175that's all. Uh, I I do want to say I appreciate the work of the committee. Um, but we are here representing our constituents and I'm going to defer to Miss Hallstead's recommendation here. Um, you know, in my vote on this motion. >> Is there any other discussion? Miss Randle's thinking about it? >> No. >> Dr. Smith. Chair, I just wanted to point out I know there's been a recommendation that's the name, the mascots and colors and so I didn't know if you wanted to include that just as a part of that or you're going to do that separately. So just wanted to provide a point of clarification there >> because they are different than the primary. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Are they different? I I can provide clarity on the recommendations if you'd like or

176if you >> Yeah, I mean I if you want to do that but then >> so so the recommendation for the uh the primary was Falls Run High School Falcons with colors black, gold, and silver. The alternate was Hartwood High School Stallions, black, silver, and gold. >> You you could have a >> Can I make a friendly amendment? amendments to the motion. >> Okay. So, I would like to make a friendly amendment to recommend that High School 6 is Hartwood High School with a mascot of stallions and the colors of black, silver, and gold. Who seconded me? >> Oh, >> I I just want to say I do appreciate all the work that the committee did and I do appreciate it that that it's um Miss Holstead's magisterial district. I just personally favor the Falls

177Run just because Hartwood High sounds like a Disney musical. But um that's just my opinion. And so um this is exciting. This is this is an exciting step to be able to name our high school and start moving it forward. >> A very distant third All right, no other discussion. We are voting on naming high school six uh Hartwood High School with the mascot of the stallions and the colors of black, silver, and gold. That motion carries six to one. >> Congratulations, Hartwood High School. Item 8.03. This is the approval of proposed changes to the graduation dates for the 2526 and 2627 school years. Dr. Smith. >> Yeah. Dr. Robertson, uh, our executive director of high schools will come to present. >> Good evening, Madame Chair, Madame Vice Chair, members of the school board, and

178Dr. Smith. Tonight, you have before you a proposal to modify our high school graduation schedule for the 2025, 2026, and 2026, 2027 school years. For at least the past two school years, graduation ceremonies for our comprehensive high schools have been held on two days, resulting in three graduation ceremonies being held on one day and the remaining two being held on the other. Currently, Brook Point and Colonial Forge are scheduled for May 28th at 6:30 p.m. and Mountain View North Stafford and Stafford High School are scheduled for May 29th at 6:30 p.m. Following this year's ceremonies, we conducted an afteraction analysis. An initial meeting was held on June 4th with all high school principles, the chief of schools, representatives from transportation, and myself. Feedback was also solicited from safety and security communications as well as local

179fire, EMS, and our sheriff's office. There were multiple concerns raised to include traffic flow, as well as adequate coverage from fire, EMS, and the sheriff's office. Additional consideration was discussed for the opening of our new high school, which was newly named this evening, thereby increasing the number of ceremonies occurring on the only currently scheduled two days. These options were reviewed by principles and cabinet members in June and July with the proposed scheduled currently before you receiving support of all high school principles and cabinet with the understanding that they would rotate time slots annually. Captain New Hart of the Sheriff's Department also provided feedback and his support of our proposed option to move to three different dates uh with time slots on each of those day one each of those dates, one time slot per day.

180He strongly feels that this proposal would allow for more adequate coverage from fire, EMS, and the sheriff's department. In addition, the safety and security task force consisting of the sheriff's office, EMS, fire, and emergency management have made a recommendation that we schedule no more than two graduation events on concurring dates and times because doing so creates doing more than that would create a risk to life safety due to the strain on public safety resources. Each site requires multiple public safety units to conduct traffic management, security, and EMS services. They feel that they will be able to do so with no more than two schools holding a ceremony per time slot per day. All stakeholder groups, including principles with knowledge of their school communities, feel that the proposed schedule before you this evening would help to

181mitigate logistical challenges and address concerns raised in our afteraction analysis, thereby providing an enjoyable experience for graduates and families alike. >> Thank you. >> Any questions? >> Thank you. Well, is there a motion first and then motion to approve the proposed time change schedule for the 2526 graduations? >> And the 26 >> 27 second. >> Okay. Um, Miss Randall, did you have a question or discussion? >> Um, I don't really feel comfortable voting for something that's TBD. Like I just I don't mind approving the 2526, but I kind of think I want to wait till I know more specifics about the 26 27. Also, I can't tell from the calendar >> is in 27. Is Memorial Day the 31st or the 24th? 31st? >> In 27. >> Yeah, it's not on the um calendar, but

182I I didn't Memorial Day in 27 is that on the 30 >> so on the 31st. So that's following. And the reason why we have TBD for the schools is that there would be a rotation of the school. So we would still hold those same we're asking to hold the same dates and time slots but then the schools would rotate in terms of whose ceremonies would be held on that Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Um, and so because we feel like we have some time between now and then, we didn't want to preassign schools time. >> But if you're doing it in a rotation, what is the problem with I'm I'm not I'm just curious. >> No. And so some of some of the things that we discussed, for example, is that we want to be

183prepared for inclement weather, right? >> Um, some schools are more prepared than others. Uh, some facilities are more prepared than others, right? And so we wanted to make sure when we assigned for 2627 that all schools were adequ adequately prepared to go inside should that be necessary. We just want to be mindful in our planning. >> Okay. So will there be some because I know the evenings are more um concerning about storms coming up. >> Correct. Um we had a great time with a tornado watch at Stafford. Um but so would they always be relegated to a school that could handle a coming in? Will they always be relegated to and yeah >> that is our current thought process. Correct. >> Okay. So there really wouldn't be a rotation for the schools that can handle

184going inside. They would just always be rotating. >> Not at this point until we would until we felt comfortable that the other schools would be able to handle time correct and move inside appropriately. Okay. And is there a reason why we're not like bringing this now? And I I I know we do a lot to try to get public input. >> Yes. Um, and the reality is we probably wouldn't, >> but I just wondered why we wouldn't just give it until the like here it is and then next meeting allow if any like I said it's >> usually our thought processes are allow the public and and then >> we don't get that. >> No, sure. I think our goal was to bring it to you all. We discussed it at length um in cabinet

185as well as with principles and they have the opportunity to go back to their schools and and talk with their communities as well. And our goal is to communicate any changes as soon as possible so that families are able to to make any necessary plans and arrangements. I know that in some buildings principles are already receiving requests about graduation information. So our thought process was just trying to be as timely and as early as possible in in our communication if we were looking to make a shift. In addition to the the recommendation that came forth from from the safety task force, we just felt a sense of urgency in terms of bringing this forward for consideration. >> I I have no problem with making an alternative plan. I guess I just really would like a

186little bit of opportunity. Like I said, >> may or may not happen. I don't know. Okay. >> But for a decision process, I think I'd want to wait. But if that's not the will of the board, so be it. But I just um I do appreciate, you know, the amount of work that you guys did to confer with partners that we need to have involved in graduations. Like I said, Dr. Chase and I had the really big fun part of being in a tornado warning. Um Mountain View as well. Um so, you know, those were fast twists of plans. Um, and I appreciate all that work that principles have to have with you and like I said with our other community partners. So, thank you. I appreciate it. >> Dr. Chase. >> Yeah. So, so

187um, you know, I think it's important to keep in mind that the sheriff's department is saying don't do three at once and if we leave it the way it is, we have three at the same time. Um, and let me just echo what uh, Miss Randall said. Um, it's pretty crazy to be in that gymnasium and to know that if it had changed from a watch to a warning, we all would have had to get out of that gymnasium very quickly. And I don't personally think we would have been able to do it safely. So, from my perspective, I want all our graduations in the morning because the tornado warnings almost always are in the evenings and the afternoons. So from a safety perspective, um I'm very supportive of this plan. >> I um just

188a couple things and to Miss Randall's point, I just feel like we could we could let this go on and on and I don't think we would get one way or the other. There would be dissension somewhere amongst the ways because there's no way to really handle all of this without whatever. I do want to ask two questions. One, I will assume that and this isn't on here because high school six won't have Oh, Heartwood High. >> Yes, Heartwood High. I have to get used to that now. Oh, that's so exciting. Hartwood High won't have um a senior year, >> correct? >> Silver, black, and gold. Black, silver, and gold. But anyway, um they won't have a senior class for this one, but the following year then our single unit would be two and that's

189how we would rotate. Correct. Okay. Now, do you guys have a sense of how you would rotate these? Would the schools be a lottery like you're just calling to see or you just going to rotate them on a circular basis? We've talked about just looking at how they're currently scheduled in rotating, but the decision in terms of what that would look like would involve all principles and they would have input in terms of our selection process of who would go in which time slots for 2627. >> Okay. And my last thing, just because this comes up every time for graduation, can we please reiterate for the public why it is impossible for us to have a single venue, five high school graduation program, please? Well, I I think the answer to that is pretty obvious.

190There is not a a venue within close proximity that would allow for a similar experience. Um I would say the closest largest venue we have would be the expo center, but it doesn't have like that that stadium seating that we would need. I think parking would also be a concern as well. We just don't have the venue in our immediate area that would allow for um a comparable or or an enhanced experience for our families and students. >> If I might add just a little bit more to that because we did we've looked all over to see what might be possible. We've looked at, you know, FredNat Stadium, there's nowhere to go indoors if there's a weather event like we had, right? If you look at the expo center the last time we looked people,

191our graduates would be able to bring maybe one person with them. And we know that's not the experience you want. you can't how you gonna you're going to choose one family member, one parent. We know that's not the experience they want. And so we don't have that facility. We did look up north and and Eagle Bank Arena is is very packed and also very expensive. Um I would say it's about 20 to $25,000 per school to go and and graduate there and so we don't have that as well. So, um, yes, it is it is very much a challenge and we don't have a great solution except for this schedule to try to go in the morning, go in when we not going to have the weather events or least likely to have those weather

192events, spread them out um, so that we can accommodate that. >> I appreciate that. I just and I definitely I I support this. I think this this makes all the sense in the world. I just it's that conversation that can from my emergency management background as well. I didn't want to say that. See, but she said it. So just, you know, whatever. That's right. She did. >> Miss Healey, >> I I understand the need for the change and I support a change, but I'm going to vote against this because that I I told Dr. Smith when I was advised of this last Thursday that I think the community deserves an opportunity to have notice and some input. Um, and Dr. Chase mentioned, you know, have them all in the morning. This doesn't meet your criteria.

193Um, so I I'm not sure it's ideal. I also agree with Miss Randall. Um, I don't think there's any immediate need to set it for the um 2627, particularly since it's all TBD. I I don't think I'd ever vote for something that was TBD unless it was to come back to the board to confirm that. But I I I don't like the idea of making decisions that affect the community because we all know how important graduation is to the families and we have probably over 2,000 um I don't know what the numbers it varies 2500 depending on the year um graduates and and then the thousands of people that are affected. So, I'm I'm not going to support this, but it's not because I don't see a need for a change, because I I think

194that makes sense, and I appreciate all the work you've done with working with the, you know, the safety and and fire and rescue and the and the sheriff's department. Um, but I just I don't understand the the reason why we have to do it tonight and not two weeks from now. Um, that's me. >> That's that's my approach. I asked Dr. Smith if he had, you know, run it by his current advisory committee could at least we would have had some parental input but there wasn't >> there wasn't time for that either. So basically this is a unilateral decision on the part of the board based on the recommendation and I'm I'm sure it's a wellfounded recommendation but there has been no community exposure other than if somebody happened to look at the agenda that

195came out Friday evening between then you know and now. So that's the reason I'm I'm not going to support this and I I would like to put my objection on the record to approving a schedule that has TBD for you know almost two years from now. >> Do you want to make a substitute motion? Well, my substitute motion uh and and I don't know if this would be acceptable to the board would be to bring this back at the next meeting and and have it reviewed to see if we can fill in those blanks and also to look at what Dr. Chase suggested was having them all in the morning. I mean, then it's not going to be a matter of a lottery and if people want to go at night and they only get

196to do it every, you know, couple years or whatever, um I I don't know. I've I think one of the problems with the other one in the morning if and I could be wrong is school is happening that first day >> of graduation. So >> correct >> and in both years >> in both years it's >> correct the first day of graduation ceremonies for both years is the last day of school. >> Last day of school. So that's >> so that's the other reason why we moved it to the meeting >> but one has >> to the evening. Excuse me. >> The proposed schedule for 2526 has it Thursday, Friday and Saturday. >> Correct. So the first evening for so for example for the 2526 school year the 28th is the last day of school

197which is why we'll be looking at an evening ceremony as opposed to the morning. The other thing is we didn't want to move too far beyond the end of the school year because honestly at that point staff is starting their summer break um and we want to make sure that um we are mindful of that in terms of expectations for their attendance and support for for the event. And so that's why you will notice for both years that we don't go any more than two days beyond the end of of the school. >> Perhaps we should look at the school year and to see if we could make the school year end on Wednesday so that we could have a graduation on Thursday. Anything is possible certainly at Hartwood High since we're going to be

198in Disney World. >> Heartwood side. I so with all due respect though I I hear what everyone is saying about the public the comments but this was all precipitated from public comment like we got enough public input to say fix this >> and they all what all the parent like at graduation time all the emails that we get you need to fix this you know and I mean every year for three years everyone has >> a particular issue with the way it's conducted because it's we're trying just to shove it's you know 10 pounds of potatoes in a 510 pound bag. So, I get what we're all saying about weighing in on this exact schedule, but this schedule is exactly from public comments. It's what we heard and what the superintendent has heard and what

199everyone has heard, the principles over time about us coming up with an answer to the graduation issue >> and principles brought all of that information to our June 4th meeting. And that's why we were intentional about holding it so close to the end of the school year, while information was still fresh and while they were still um receiving feedback in terms of the the parent and community experience of the graduation ceremony. So although it may not be in writing here, that feedback was considered and brought forward to the meeting that we had um June 4th with >> So I'd like to second I'd just like to second um Miss Healey's substitute motion. Can I ask a question? On the Maya on the May 2027 calendar, you were saying being respectful of staff time and I

200see that the 27th is a staff work day, but is the 28th also a staff work day or are we asking them to come? I'm on the May 2027. >> You're on the 2027 calendar looking at May. >> But I'm seeing the 26th as last day of school. I see the 27th. no school staff work day. >> So if we're proposing a graduation on the 28th, are we asking them >> to come on a day that's not theirs? >> So that was the case as well this this school year and so principles work with staff members in terms of the time that they spent in graduation and any additional time that they may have needed in order to wrap up um grading and things of that nature to close out for the school year. So

201that was also something that they worked through and mitigated this past school year. >> Okay. I I I was just curious if we were >> Dr. I do have to agree with Miss H. Hallstead. I think a lot of these complaints have been coming up over graduations for the last years, especially um some because traffic problems are concern and we have to work with our community partners. I have no problem with amending the 25 26 graduations, but I'm wondering if we can delay the 26 27 until we have a more clear idea of what um that schedule is actually going to be instead of a TBD. >> And um and and and at least this way we're giving families a lot of notice ahead of time when graduation is. They can plan for it. They

202can anticipate travel needs and other things. So, so Is that a friendly amendment to >> That's a friendly amendment to my original motion, which I think we have to vote on the substitute motion first. >> Yes. >> Listen up. >> Okay. >> Mine was just to bring it back next >> to two weeks from tonight. >> Reooking to the original >> the evening graduation. >> Is that a sub second substitute motion? >> Go ahead. No. Okay. >> Yes. >> Dr. Smith. >> Thank you, Miss Sigman. Um, so just a couple of points here I just wanted to make. So the the reason that we brought you 2026 uh with the schools filled in is it was based on feedback from principles and public safety. And so I think is there is some rationale here. So,

203as we've talked with them about, so Colonial Forge is the most equipped right now to go inside if needed. And so, we have that and they're already on a Thursday night. When you look at the the Friday the 29th, you have Brook Point and Mountain View on the two different sides of the county. And then on the Saturday the uh the 30th, we have North Stafford and Stafford. So, those were intentional and working with public safety about, you know, spreading them out on different parts of the county. The thought around 26 27 is to approve the structure, right? So kind of have one at, you know, no more than two at a time so we at least can share that with families. And then we would announce the the dates or the actual schools a

204year in advance, but it would be after we got through graduations in 2026. Got the feedback. Let's see how it goes. Um, and we're happy to bring that back to you if you'd like. We wanted to approve the schedule, the the structure of the schedule, so families knew, hey, there's going to be, you know, more no more than two each night, but here are the the the three dates it could be. So that was the rationale and thinking behind that so we could communicate as much as possible but also leave us some flexibility based on needs and what takes place so we can actually uh take action on things a year in advance and bring that back. So just want to share that clarity. >> Okay. Um you need something you have something >> that

205makes sense. So, you're saying like if we were to go ahead and approve the structure, you know, someone could say to their, you know, grandma, aunt Jimmy or no, aunt Jim, aunt, uncle Jim, whatever, whatever. I'm tired. I'm sorry. I only have one cup of coffee today. But basically, like families know in 2026, these are the three days of graduation. So, I'm not going to make plans to leave before that day, right? So, that gives you a little bit of structure for for people because that's a lot of the issues sometimes when you do dates. They've already booked their cruise or, you know, family's already come in on a different day. Well, now you can tell your family, it's one of these three days. I don't know. I won't know for a year, though. So,

206that's not necessarily a bad idea, but understanding the why of the TBD makes it make better sense for me. Um, and I do understand that we do normally try to bring things to the public twice before we vote on them. Um, I understand why we wouldn't this time because this is being driven by public comments and public complaints, but mostly in my head, the reason why I would vote to to go with this is because of the safety aspect. And there's I mean, I would assume no one in the public would disagree with that. But even if everyone in the public did, I would still vote for it because of the safety aspect. So that's it. >> Dr. Chase. Yeah. So, I don't really see two weeks as being a huge delay in making this

207decision. And there are times when our families or the public notice something that we don't. And so, I would like to give that opportunity um and not assume that that they won't because I'm often surprised that there's something I hadn't thought of that a parent brings up that ends up being an important thing. So, I just I I anticipate that that this will go through either tonight or in two weeks, but I think it's important to allow um families to to weigh in. >> But I just to capitalize on that though. So, so there are things that we that a parent might bring up to us, but then that will require going back if we're going to then we're just telling the public that every consideration that's being put forth has the potential to kind

208of go through the rigorous process that we've put this this actual schedule through. So, I think that's a mistake just because we could do this all year and never get anywhere if that's the way we're going to be because then folks will say, "Well, I presented this. You didn't take that. You didn't do this. You didn't do that." We brought our experts together and we asked our experts what works for them. Well, but I mean, we have to go. >> This was not selfinitiated. If the board had initiated this, I would look at it differently because we would have built in possibly time to have parent input. But this is something and I again I'm not objecting to the change. It's the process and it's leaving the parents out because it's so important. Graduation is

209so important. And and I also have to, you know, share Dr. Chase's, you know, concern about the evening. If if we're so, you know, adamant about it being a safety issue having it at night, then why not try to look at our schedule unless the committee said absolutely there's no way we can touch our school schedule. We cannot possibly, you know, end school on Wednesday. But I haven't heard that. And and I respect what you're saying, Miss Hollstead, but I did not hear when I talked to Dr. Smith last week and I haven't heard from Dr. Rice that that this was based on input from, you know, the the community. And if if if that's the case, then perhaps that would address my concerns, but it's still not letting people know before we make a

210decision. So, you know, the board's going to vote on this. You vote on what you want to do. I would prefer to give it that two weeks. I don't think two weeks in between now and you know the end of May is going to make that much difference in terms of planning because people can assume it's going to be one of these three days. But I would ask that we go back and look at whether they can all be in the morning the same time on different days, three different days and not have that evening. So we won't be in that position because if we say that we have a school that is most capable of accommodating an inside graduation, then that's pretty much going to lock them in. >> That's not the case because

211it also has to do with the size of the graduating class. So once, for example, North has a reduced capacity, they will likely be the school that is able to accommodate an inside graduation because they just won't have as big a class. Forge happens to kind of align the planets in having a class size that is also able to move inside based on facility size >> for next year. Is that >> for next year? Is that the Yeah, I don't have all these facts and I and I appreciate >> I'm a forge senior so parent. So, >> but you have more information than I do. So, that's when we had this discussion earlier today. I said, I'm assuming that you have more information than I do and I'm assuming that you most likely learned about

212it before last Thursday. But I'm glad I had that opportunity to get it in advance, albeit, you know, not a whole lot in advance. So if we all have the same facts, then maybe we'll look at it differently. That's all. And this is not, you know, this just an example of sharing information. If we all share, and this is not reflected on you, Miss Sigman, but somehow we all need to get all the information so we're not, you know, second guessing or you're saying it's based on this or that. I'm like, gosh, I didn't didn't read it in the memo because you all know I'm a and I will read it. You know what's what's in front of me and I'll and I'll listen too, but I I just I I don't know why we

213can't have two weeks, but I you know, just >> I Well, I'd like to vote. >> I would actually like the opportunity I have a couple of questions. one um the concern I had as far as the rotation in the structure. Um my initial concern was making sure that North and Forge are generally regardless of what the rotation is are not at the same time um because there's only three miles that separate them. So >> Mountain View as well >> and that's the other thing that we're considering is satellite parking. For example, there are some schools who share satellite parking locations. So it would either mean identifying additional locations or making that those ceremonies did not occur during the same time slot. >> Well, that's generally gen of course I'm familiar with the North Forge

214traffic pattern um for obvious reasons, but um again that's the experts to figure out like how do you put that in an order where >> even though we're rotating in a way that's fair that we are not creating traffic conjunctions that we don't anticipate for year four of the rotation versus year six. Um I it's no secret I have a senior. Um so I have kind of been in the graduation game for the past four years. Our daughter is in the choir so they are often kind of participating in in uh graduation um in a different way and therefore our preparations even to get the choir on the field. Are they inside? Are they outside? Where are they going to be? I mean, these are conversations that I in particular have been personally privy to

215uh in apparent capacity. And you know, the stress I mean, the years where the it's always blue skies for the 10-day forecast, oh, our fingers are crossed real tight. Um, but this year was kind of the first year I think uh that we did have, you know, a strong reason for concern on weather and that ended up, you know, thank goodness we were able to move inside and, you know, have a great event. Um, as a parent, I appreciate, you know, the safety factor first most of all, especially, you know, we got to know how to get grandma with her assistant devices and making sure that she'll always be able to get to where she needs to be. Um, if for me it is we are I can't imagine that we are not going to

216make the change and allowing for community feedback. I think the community recognizes the need to make this change. I know we've talked about it a couple of years now about having to um go to two graduations a night. I think we all anticipated that the timing would be when high school 6 had a graduation. Um but due to the increased class sizes we have um making each graduation larger in anticipation of the new high school opening that makes it more complicated because we do not have a backup plan for these large class sizes to come inside. So to kind of break them up now and putting them at a timing so that if we need to go inside, we can. And if we aren't going to be able to move inside that we have a

217spot, a timing in the day that is um more weather friendly is scheduled. I think that what we will hear in feedback is I recognize that we need to make a change. Just don't change me. And that is not necessarily a fair request for community members to make because we are working with um lowercase r resources limited um because we just don't have that many days. We don't have that many locations and we have to get all of them done in a relative amount of time. Nobody's going to want to wait a week for graduation because of a weather delay. Um, that being said, if the only feedback is going to be, don't move my night or my day, I don't think we should be waiting two weeks for that request. I think that we

218need to uh make a decision for at least 2526 so that schools and families and everybody and the law enforcement um and first responders can prepare for that and plan for that as far as staffing goes and budget and all that kind of stuff. Um, I do understand it is stressful to think of a TBD, but I when Miss guy said you we're earmarking the three days and then we'll figure out based on graduations what that recommendation is. I can get behind that too. So I will be supporting uh approval tonight because I do think it's in the best interest of uh families who are planning for graduation to know even with that two weeks um notice. Is there any other discussion? >> Okay. So the first um motion, Miss Healey, if you would restate

219the substitute motion so that we have that clear for the vote >> to defer the decision on this um matter until the next meeting to have it come back at the next meeting and to have the superintendent uh review whether there is a potential uh change in the evening meeting to have that in the morning when it would be either that um Thursday morning and I understand that would require school um ending on Wednesday, but I I don't think that that's impossible u at this point. I mean, we have if we'd have to start a day early or somehow look at the schedule during the year, that's always a possibility. And then if we really, you know, are um adamant about it being um you know, safer to have them in the morning, they would

220all be in the morning. I have I have no problem with with the, you know, with with having them over three days. I don't have a problem with these, but I also want to give the public um the parents particularly an opportunity to to weigh in and and I I would imagine we we'll get a lot of support for this because it is um you know there's a lot of traffic. It's a lot of stress um you know getting there and you know this should be better you know for for our families as well. But it is a significant change and and I I would like to give them the opportunity to to have those comments. Thank you. >> She had me I was like, "Okay, maybe we can just wait two weeks. I know

221we don't want to. I just I just want to go home." But I get it. I get it. Right. But until you started talking about changing the actual date that the school is going to end. >> That's right. >> Yeah. And that and that's where you lost me because we don't know all the plannings that goes into doing the calendar. And I do know when you mess with something, you mess with 10 billion gazillion things. So that's where you lost me on that one, which means I'll vote no. And it was said to >> We're gonna cast our vote on the substitute motion. >> Within two weeks, >> he can come back and say it's impossible. >> I'm going to cast our vote on the substitute motion to defer. >> Oh, wait. What's that yellow?

222I'm sorry. My bad. I meant to do red. The motion fails even with that vote 43 but 331. >> No, it was >> okay. So, but for the record. Okay. >> Yes. Let's call the vote again. Motion fails with Dr. Chase, Miss Healey, and Miss Randall voting yes and Dr. Warner, Miss Sigman, Miss Guy, and Miss Hollstead voting no to the original motion, which would be to approve the proposed changes to the graduation dates for the 2526 school years as published with your you had an amendment. >> Okay. No friendly amendment, the original. Okay. >> Well, then I have a question for the um if we vote on this and we vote with the TBD, are we voting when the actual TBDs are filled in or is it you vote for the TBDs, therefore the

223schedule like I'm I'm curious. >> We know the TBD because I I appreciated Dr. Smith's explanation that these are just placeholders, right? And we will use this year to to look at the graduations. >> So will we be responsible for voting for the next >> will it come on consent >> just for the structure but not we we will probably have to bring back I would imagine >> well I I wouldn't assume probably anything unless it's part of the motion. >> So our so we would bring back you would bring back to us next year this the actual schedule for >> we would we'd be happy to bring you back the schedule next year. Um I I I would say it would be in June or in August. Just thinking about if it had time

224to do our after action. Um thinking about if these are timely. >> This means we are agreeing to a 6:30 p.m. graduation on Wednesday uh May 26. I mean I will note that the reason we have probably never had a weather problem before is before two years ago our graduations were always in the morning. We never had an evening graduation. So I Yeah. So, we'll do whatever. But >> about that, >> but we also did have like grandma's fainting in the at 8:30 in the morning, which is why it was great to have it in the evening because we were tired of people passing out. My family member being one of them. So, it's like you're danged if you do and you're darned if you don't. So we we will voting for the 2526 graduation

225schedule as proposed the 2627 >> um framework and with a final resolution on the >> schools >> in August 2026 >> 2026 >> after action. >> Okay, I hear you. Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Okay, please cast your votes. That motion carries five to two with Dr. Chase and Miss Healey dissenting. >> Thank you. >> Okay, superintendent report. >> All right, board members and staffer community, I have been excited to to share the updates and the exciting things that are taking place across our division. I want to share a few updates and really highlight the incredible momentum we're on building across our school division. From student transitions to transportation and award-winning programs from technological improvements, we are off to an incredibly strong start. I also am very pleased to report that the start of the

2262526 school year for Stafford County Public Schools transportation was a resounding success. Let me take a moment that [Applause] [Music] um let me take just a moment. We'll share this video recap with you. I think we'll scare [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] So this was not just a smooth start. It was a testament to the hard work and new efficiencies we have put into place. Our team reported only minor typical delays that are common on the first day of school and we successfully managed them. Strategic improvements directly contributed to the most significant success of the week. Our afternoon routes were completed earlier than they've been the past two years, and on the first day alone, our every bus was back in by 6:09 p.m. This is an outstanding achievement and a win for our students

227and our families. The feedback from our principles in the community has been overwhelmingly positive and this successful first week sets an excellent standard for the rest of the year and it's thanks to all the dedication and planning for our transportation team and our and our staff. This year also represented our best opening staffing status in seven years. We open the school year with 98% of our classroom teaching positions filled with the same percentage filled among our licensed positions, which includes our classroom teachers as well as our classroom specialists, counselors, social workers, and other related service providers. Our new licensed educators come with an average of eight years of experience and we're pleased to add them to our workforce supporting our student learning. In the cases where we do have remaining VA vacancies, our human resources

228and talent development team has worked closely with schools to identify options for inschool coverage of needs and they prioritize recruitment and on boarding of long-term substitutes and new staff. The summer months were filled with strategic preparation and projects that benefited students and families. Our facilities and maintenance team completed over $36 million in improvements which include continued construction at elementary school 18 and 19 Hartwood High School, cleaning and maintenance of 4 million square foot of classrooms and offices and processing over 5,000 work orders. So much work takes place over the summer. And as we welcome students back, we're committed to ensuring every student, staff, and family member receives a safe, engaging, and welcome environment in our schools. Their efforts ensured that students return to schools that were safe, clean, and ready for learning. And we appreciate

229all of their hard work. I also want to take a moment to talk about something truly special, the launch of our new mobile family engagement vehicle, Scout. We rolled it out at our pack pal party at the beginning of August and the feedback has been phen phenomenal. Scout, which stands for strengthening community through outreach, understanding, and trust, is our commitment to bringing our schools directly to the community. It offers everything from free books and school supplies to important resources on enrollment and wellness. And this isn't just a vehicle. It's our way to build trust, bridge gaps, and provide real support right where our families are. Parents and students are already saying it's so cool inside, which is exactly the kind of energy we want to create. And I'm incredibly proud of this initiative and all

230the good it will do. Speaking of community goodwill, our re-imagineed school supply drive, the Empower Pack Project provided over 1,400 backpacks filled with essential school supplies, helping students to start the year prepared, confident, and valued. Backpacks were personalized by student favorite color or theme. And this truly allowed for community members and pack pals to connect their goodwill to a real student. This couldn't have happened without countless volunteers, community partners, and empower pack pals who gave their time and resources. These efforts strengthen the connection between school and home, ensuring students have the tools and support they need to succeed. And I personally want to thank every partner and person who supported this important work. The summer months are also a busy time for the major professional learning events that kick off our school year. This began

231in July with Admin 360, a three-day orientation event for new principles and assistant principles. And this is where department leaders provided critical updates for them to start their new roles successfully and provided guidance around how to address issues that may arise during the first months of the school year and how we can support our schools. This strong relationship between school leadership and central departments is critical to enable our instructional leaders to spend as much time directly with students and teachers. The last week of July brought us prep to success. This is an annual celebration that welcomes all of our new licensed hires. Nearly 400 educators participated, which included new hires as well as current staff that have transferred into new subject areas. This helps to ensure we have a strong start to the school year

232as they're in their new roles. New hires have the opportunity to spend time learning the ins and outs of their new building, build relationships with their peers, mentor and new administrators, practice working with critical instructional technology tools, and benefit from professional learning sessions on both academic content and strategies for instruction and classroom culture to help them succeed. The feedback from participants has been tremendous with nearly 75% of participants responding that nine out of 10 felt that they felt prepared for the school year and more connected to their school community as a result of the week's activities. Many educators hired from other divisions remarked that it was the best orientation experience of their careers. A huge thanks to human resources and talent development team along with communications, academic programs, student services, technology, and our school leadership

233teams for making this event a success. Finally, as all of our staff returned from summer the first week of August, staff had the opportunity to participate in the divisionwide welcome week professional learning opportunities. Our educators gathered by content and grade levels to focus on curricular materials and instructional moves that helped us deepen our strengths in tier one instruction this year, which is one of our critical themes for division divisionwide growth we introduced at summer leadership academy. Again, the feedback was very strong with most participants agreeing that professional learning provided was relevant, engaging, and effective. Transition day. To help our kind kindergarteners, sixth graders, and ninth graders feel more comfortable, we hosted transition day for our newest students on August 11th, which is the day before everyone else returned on the 12th. This provided them an

234opportunity to meet with their teachers and classmates, tour the school, learn about clubs and activities, and how to get involved, but also do it in a in a environment that's personalized and supported. The feedback from both students and staff has been overwhelmingly positive, and it's something we are proud to have pioneered. The first week was a testament to the hard work of our entire team. Teachers did an outstanding job of welcoming students and establishing a positive classroom environment from day one. Our support staff and administrators worked tirelessly to ensure operations ran smoothly from bus routes to cafeteria services. The collective effort and dedication of our staff was instrumentmental in creating a strong and welcoming start to the school year. Feedback was especially encouraging or how everyone felt supported and connected to our students. This strong

235start created a positive school climate directly supporting student engagement, motivation, and achievement. And I'm excited to build on this early momentum to ensure we support each and every student in their path to success. As you know, new devices were deployed and they were deployed to fifth grade, middle school, and nth grade students. Middle school students will maintain the same device while they are in middle school and nth grade students will maintain the same device all through high school. We created digital device agreements that outlines all fees and repairs or replacement of a device and it also includes information on our acceptable use policy. Parents were required to sign the device agreement before a student was issued a device. Information on optional insurance was also researched and also provided to families. Our department of technology has

236done a tremendous job of supporting the opening of school and I'm very appreciative of their efforts. We are also we are thrilled to share that the Stafford County has earned the 2025 creating excellence advisory committee award and this is for both region three and the entire state. This prestigious honor from the Virginia Department of Education recognizes the outstanding work of our career and technical advisory committee by connecting instruction to tangible career applications. CTE programs increase student engagement, motivation, and long-term achievement, preparing students for success in college, careers, and life. Thanks to their guidance and partnership with our educators, our students have access to hands-on, real world learning experiences that prepare them with the skills, confidence, and knowledge to succeed. This award celebrates the impact of teamwork, and dedication on student success. SC strong nutrition supports

237our strong learners. I'm also proud to let you know that Stafford County Public Schools nutrition services has been honored with the healthy meals incentives awards from the USDA food and nutrition service which is in collaboration with the action for healthy kids. This recognition highlights our division's commitment to enhancing nutritional quality of school meals through innovative strategies. As part of this initiative, the nutrition department has significantly increased scratchmade and locally sourced foods on our student lunch menu. The primary objective has been to reduce the use of processed prepackaged foods while also increasing the nutritional content in our school meals. As you know, this year we also launched the business and IT center at Colonial Forge High School. It's designed to equip students with the skills, experience, and mindset to thrive in tomorrow's economy. And the center

238offers five dynamic pathways including business administration, business IT, cyber security, data analytics, and entrepreneurship. The business and IT center reflects Stafford School's commitment to ensuring meaningful post-secondary outcomes and expanding our opportunities to reach each student. At the same time, we launched the second year of our virtual learning program. Orientation sessions prepared over a hundred students with expectations, strategies, and device training, ensuring they were ready for success in the virtual environment. These initiatives increase access, opportunity, and student achievement by promoting providing both college ready pathways and highquality learning opportunities for all students. I'm also excited to share that we are working with local universities to support those students who continue on with enrollment in college. We have anou with George Mason University to provide direct admissions to qualifying seniors with a GPA of 3.25 or higher

239at the end of their junior year. That we simplified the college application process and we expanded pathways to higher education through thisou. Qualifying students that meet the GPA requirement that ended their junior year and are good standing at the time of graduation will automatically receive admission. We plan to en message eligible students directly next month so they can opt in and receive more information about this program. And speaking of bright futures, today I was proud to be a part of a team that presented a Mountain View High School junior, Elias Copelan, and his parents with a $40,000 big SC future scholarship provided by College Board. The scholarship recognizes students who take important steps to plan for their futures after high school, including exploring careers, planning for college, and identifying ways to pay for post-secary education.

240The $40,000 scholarship awarded to Copeland is part of the monthly big future scholarship program. Students qualify by completing actionable steps such as creating career, college, and scholarship list, completing the FA FASA, and applying to colleges. No essay, test score, or GPA was required, and families with lower incomes received double entries in the drawing. This recognition highlights the importance of entar planning for life after high school and directly aligns with our board's strategic plan, mission, and vision. In closing, over the last two weeks, I had the pleasure of each visiting each of our schools, our facilities, and programs, and I heard time and time again that our opening of school this year was the best they had ever experienced. For some, it was the best opening in just a few years they've been with us here

241in Stafford. Others mentioned a decade or more, and others said it was the smoothest opening of their their entire career. In a few cases, and I'll specifically mention a transportation employee and a second grade teacher. These were individuals that that decided to change their retirement plans and stay with us longer due to the exceptional opening and support they received as we open school. And with that, I hope you are just as proud as I am of the work we're doing. the strong start of our first two weeks and the amazing year ahead. Thank you and this conclude my remarks. >> Very nice. >> Thank you very much. >> We will move on with our board member comments and any committee reports. Dr. Chase. >> Sure. Um I had the the pleasure of um going with

242uh Mr. Jason Towry to uh the first day of school at Stafford High School, Felmouth Elementary School, and Drew Middle School. And uh let me say it was wonderful. Um I don't know how we did it before we implemented transition day because I still noticed plenty of kindergarteners weren't really sure where they were supposed to go. Um and I can remember saying, "Now, what grade are you in?" And they had no idea. And then I said, "How old are you?" And then they'd say, "Five." And I was like, "All right, let me send you to the kindergarten area of the school." Um, they were incredibly cute. Uh, lots of parents at Stafford High School trying to cut the car rider line and the SRO was there to read them the riot act. Um, and then

243at Drew Middle School, very impressed that the last bus showed up at 9:25. Every other bus was there before the bell rang. Um, I don't think I've ever seen that. So, um, huge kudos to transportation. Um, they really they really, uh, stepped up and, um, I know last year there were things that many of those things were beyond their control. Um, and I think they realized that they really wanted to to show that they could they could do that. And, um, kudos to Dr. Smith, his first first year as superintendent opening the school. I thought he did a great job. and uh great team. Um I went to the CIP advisory committee last week and um as was mentioned during our work session, very excited for the advisory committee to bring forward what they've been

244working on in terms of how to rank projects for the 3R. Um really have worked hard to come up with a mechanism to do that more objectively. So that'll come in September. Get ready. It's great. And then um last night I was at the DEI advisory committee. Um we didn't have everybody there but it was uh still worthwhile. And I just want to say uh we have a lot of people come make comments about DEI. Um you know the school board has to report to a lot of people. So we have to report to the local constituents. We have to report to the state. We have to report to the federal government. The state requires us to provide quite a bit of information about different groups of students and that's not something we have a

245choice about. That's what state the Virginia Department of Education requires us to do. So, I just wanted to say that because we've so frequently of late had people coming and talking about that and maybe not understanding that we are required to um report data about different groups of students. And then my last uh comment is just to really encourage people to advocate for the FY27 budget. I know it's early days yet, but we're going to be opening three schools next year, and we still need money to give staff salary increases. We still need money for uh curricular changes, all that kind of thing. So, um I hope that the community will step up to advocate with the board of supervisors um so that we uh advocate early, advocate often because it is going to be

246a challenging year. Thank you. Uh, Dr. Warner. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to say it was so nice not to have made the headlines of any of the local papers this year. I am so excited for the way the school year started and I just am very optimistic about how it's going to go. I congratulate Dr. Smith for his first opening and it was extremely smooth. Um, I want to extend a thank you to Mr. Maki who helped kind of go into transportation and helped sort through some of the transportation issues we were having. And I think the tiered system for our elementary schools has really been uh very beneficial. Um I'm very excited to see how this year plays out and I will be visiting some schools next week. I usually

247try to leave them alone the first week of school because it's crazy. Um I do want to say that um Dr. Chase and I attended the uh conference on education through VSBA. It's nice to interact with our fellow schoolboard members and understand that many of the issues we face are issues that are faced across the Commonwealth. Uh we talked about special education and recruitment and offering more support to our special a teachers because that population of students is is growing. Um we talked about communities um in schools and I know that Miss Holstead is is interested in that and ways that we can maybe get more partnerships with the health department and find space in our schools for mental health supports and other things. Um it was just um we did I did go to

248the AR seminar but I decided that our AI program AI program is way ahead of theirs. So, um, I think that we're off to a good start and I think that I appreciate all the committees that are going to be presenting to us as we start entering the budget cycle, although I don't feel like the budget cycle ever ends anymore >> and um, it is going to be a challenging year. Um, and we have a lot of expenses with opening three new schools. We have growth that we are always struggling with and considering. Um, and we want to make sure that we are able to offer our staff licensed and and uniform salary scale the most competitive salaries we can. So that is our goal and going forward I hope to work on that. Thank

249you, >> Miss Hollstead. >> Um, yeah. So I I mean I only have a couple things. I I think it's funny. I Dr. Smith, I'm dying to know if you held up a picture like one of those little boards in front of you and said my first first day as superintendent. I was I was like really searching for that picture. But so if if you don't have it, you might want to go back and make one because that's an important ritual. Anyway, um I will say this year on the first day of school, I had my phone in my hand and I often talk about not obsessively refreshing your screen to check things, but I did that day refresh my email like every three minutes waiting for like this. I was like, "Oh, please don't."

250Um, so yes, kudos to transportation and congratulations on a on a a successful first day, but also more importantly to the folks that did have issues that reached out to us. Um, I appreciate Dr. the expedience within which you have answered concerns, have done the research, have gotten back to the parents. So, thank you so much because it is a challenging time. I I want to just kind of capitalize on that as well as say, you know, when we start out a year with this kind of positivity, dare I say, parents, please don't be negative or at least try and Yeah. Right. Sorry, we need more wood. No. Um, so just remember like you know, we can all the time. I'm not been on Facebook for a long time now, like not searching and scrolling

251the pages, but people send me screenshots of everything. I'm in the habit now of whenever somebody sends me something that's a little stressful, I send him a glass half full gift just so that I can maintain a little positivity on the situation. So, there's a lot of challenges in the beginning of the school year. And I, you know, uh it's very easy to come back and scream at us and say that we don't care and that we are putting efficiency over safety. I personally find that a little bit offensive because as we can all see the number one priority of this school system is the safety of our kids. Now that doesn't necessarily mean we get it right all the time, but we do at the instant that it's pointed out to us act to

252change it to make sure that it becomes safe. So just let's start this year off happy and stay happy and use happy words. No matter how unhappy you feel, you can turn your frown upside down. Oh god, I said that out loud anyway. I wasn't gonna I wrote it down and then I crossed it off but I said it. Okay. Um I want to comment on two other things. Um Margaret Brent folks and Mountain View High School folks. Okay. First the traffic stuff. So we have asked for us to kind of look into how we can make these um first couple weeks less painful with the traffic and the flow in and out of there. We we do recognize that it is something that needs to be looked at. We have asked for several things.

253Now, I am gonna say on the on the outside of that, somebody put a dog park right next to our elementary school and didn't add a separate entrance for that dog park. And not only that, they didn't turn the entrance for the people to come into the dog park away from the school. So, we have just taken what was a very large issue and potentially made it a lot larger. So, please be aware that if you email us on it, I've spoken to several parents who are concerned about it and what it could what it could possibly mean for us. I want to be very clear, the school board didn't know. We were not engaged in any conversations. There were no meetings. So, please, if you're coming to us, just remember that this wasn't a

254lack of communication on our part. Okay? I love dogs. I am >> a dog trainer. >> I am a dog trainer. I love dogs more than anything. I just I want parents to know that there wasn't a whole lot of transparency on this particular piece of the pie. So So that is an issue. However, the good news is Dr. Smith is working very hard as well to help. Mr. Chowry, I guess this is on you, that little island there to address some of the ways that we can mitigate those circumstances. So please understand that we recognize some of you may have concerns about it and we are aware of them. Um and I love dogs. That's all I have to say on that one. The final thing I just want to say is that, you

255know, I, you know, I how I feel about a lot of different things. The budget process this year for me as I'm on my way out the door is going to be a little bit more conflicting, I think, because I really there's so much information out there for um to absorb and to process it. So, so to anybody that's running for school board and to anyone that's considering coming on board, please pay careful attention to the previous years of budget struggles and budget conversations and discussions that have gone on because you don't want to be taking that on the second you walk in the door in January and you walk smack dab into budget season in January. Like you are in the fire from the second you the second essentially you start, right? um the

256board, this board goes on a retreat every November. It is super important because that's where we go and we really open up all of these discussions and can really get down into the weeds on that one. So, so just to anybody running for any of these seats, whoever it may be, incumbents, returning, new members, new faces that will be here, it's so important that you hear me say, understand the budget, understand what our staff goes through to create that budget, what we're looking at, what our needs actually are, what the nuances are, because it is deeper than you actually think. And I just want to tell everybody that uh it was a great summer and I hope you all had a great summer and it's actually nice to see you ladies and sit up here

257with you. So that's it. >> Miss Healey. Well, I can attest to Miss Holstead's love of dogs and she has a great command of dogs. I had a I had a granddog and I love that dog, but she had a lot of issues. And we had Miss Hallstead come over and I'll never forget the first time she took the dog and the dog's like and and Miss Hall says, "Nuhuh. Nuhuh." And the dog was like, "Whoa." I'm like, "That's what we need to do here on the school board." Nuhuh. But she she is a she is amazing. She's a dog whisperer. She's helped me with other dogs as well. But um I want to congratulate Dr. Smith on an incredibly successful school opening and you've you've set a new bar. But but I also have

258to to compliment and congratulate Mr. Fulmer because poor Mr. former for the past few years has has gotten my uh laments about issues we've had particularly with transportation which have all been wiped out. It appears not all but but significantly um number of them. Yes. But but Mr. Fulmer really I I very much appreciate because I'm like you know they work for you. what are you doing here? And you you got you got it right. So, you know, the inspiration starts at the top. You, Dr. Smith, are as good as your staff. So, your staff makes you look good. You inspire them. I'm not sure, you know, which comes first, the chicken or the egg, but um you know, you're you're you're it for team Stafford. And and I want to thank all of team

259Stafford because it Stafford is a team. And I think the people coming to these orientations realize that, you know, it's it's a family here and, you know, we have we have our problems, but we work together and it's all it's all for the kids. So, it's it's it's been great. And and also, uh, Dr. Schultz, the the responses you've been, you know, sending to people, I I I found them to be very thoughtful. I think you recognize, you know, the the the concerns and the the angst that people are going through and, you know, I feel when I read your responses that you really are, you know, doing everything you can to get all the information and to try to help, recognizing that we're not going to solve all the problems. We can't do everything

260everybody asks us to do, but we can, you know, look into it. We can treat people with respect and and and that's what I I I see the biggest difference I see right now. um is the respect. It's it's not only within the staff, but it's it's with the members of the community. So, thank you. Thank you all. Um exciting times. Another school year. I think our um our school board representative said something. She says, "We're back in school again." Now, for her, this is her last time because she's a she's a senior, but yes, we're back in school again. and and the um students keep coming and we still keep meeting their needs. So, thanks thanks to everyone. Um at the uh the um school health advisory committee meeting last week, um they had

261a debrief about the presentation that they gave and they they raised a question. They said, "Well, what's the school board going to do with our recommendations?" I said, 'Well, that's a good question because we have in the past, you know, had, you know, different opportunities to address, you know, the the recommendations either, you know, singly or, you know, in a group at the retreat. But I would like to ask our our chair and our vice chair to keep that in mind when you're planning agendas whether it be for the retreat or one of our work sessions or you know that that we do go back to these um recommendations from our advisory committees because they they put a lot of thought and time and effort you know into it and they have some some great

262suggestions um particularly the ones that don't cost anything. They're they're they're they're much easier than the ones with a a price tag. But but all of them and and if we can, you know, have some plan for that, it'd be nice to let our our committees know because we're getting through the cycle, you know, of the um addresses. And then they had another question which I thought was interesting. And this was something that, you know, I'd like to, you know, um to find out and and I'm I'm sure other people may be interested. They said, "Well, there weren't a lot of people at the meeting." And I said, "Well, that doesn't mean they're not going to see your report because they may, you know, watch it later or they may read it online." And they

263said, "Do you know how many people actually watch it?" I'm like, "Well, I think there's at least, you know, 10 or so." But, um, that's a question. So, if we have that information, it would be nice to put that out, you know, because that I thought that was an interesting question. I'm always amazed when I run into somebody, you know, in in the grocery store and the street and they go, "I saw your saw your schoolboard meeting." I'm like really you watched it but um it was it was it was a question and and and theirs was in the context of u you know how many people are hearing the message that we you know that that we're putting out and the recommendations we're we're making. So if we if we have that information it

264would be helpful um you know to to share that with with everyone. So anyway keep up the good work. We've got you know a holiday already. I mean, what more could you ask for? A four day weekend coming up. So, congratulations, >> Miss Randall. >> Thank you. I'd also like to say welcome back. And I'd uh love to give Mr. Wilcott a standing ovation. Oh my gosh, you did so good. And all the team that was included from central office to transportation, fleet services, everybody that jumped in to make this year start off great. Second, I hope you all had some um moments over the summer that put things into a couple of different buckets for you. The first I hope was a memory making bucket, a trip or an experience of some kind. Um

265for me, my family was supposed to be a cruise for two, me and my husband to Alaska. Somehow became a cruise of 17. Still very memory making. Um I hope you found something relaxing. I hope you watched a sunset or a sunrise, read a book, coffee or tea with a friend or walk and talk. Um, I hope you had something learning again, a walk-in talk, following a new recipe, self-help, a visit to a museum, a job place, or some other type of learning. Third, I'd like to welcome back staff. I enjoyed seeing so many of our leaders come together to tackle instruction. Big shout out to Dr. Smith. I heard so much feedback about the instructional leadership that he showed um for that occasion and I just really appreciated hearing that feedback. I would also

266like to thank what I can only call the Bandy Bunch. Um as we've all set up here, family, the Bandy Bunch all came together and formulated a an amazing uh new teacher orientation and welcoming back returning staff. no detail was left out and I really appreciate that. Um, I've enjoyed my committees that I get to be on. Uh, I'm serving new on our legislative committee, governance tomorrow. I've done gifted this month, this week, transportation, and parks and wreck. And with mentioning parks and wreck, don't mean to um bring everything down, but it's one committee that I've really enjoyed serving on. I'm only just a liazison. I have no voting, no say so power. I just enjoy listening and learning and working with them. But I lost one of my members of the parks and wreck.

267He was with the Aqua District, uh Vince Applegate. I've worked with him for five years and uh he passed away suddenly um in July, end of July. Um we didn't find out until August. Um so I'd like to give out um my condolences to his family and friends. uh he was a very special and kind person. So um I will miss him a lot. Um but I do want to thank everyone for their work, their uh encouragement and um dedication to making sure that students were at the forefront. Um but the staff that came back and supported them just knocked it out of the park. And I'm not including just the ones in the schools, but also the bandandy bunch, too. So, thank you very much, >> Miss Guy. >> I'll make it quick. Um,

268want to welcome everybody back. I have no idea why I am so exhausted and also giddy at the same time today. But, um, so I apologize for my unprofessional behavior, but I was laughing at all of you women. It just took forever. Anyway, I Yeah, you did. Yeah, you did. Well, Miss Haley did. But the point I want to make is I'm so I'm so sorry. I'm so happy to be here. I think I know we're going to have a fantastic year. Um, everybody at transportation knocked it out the park really. I was joking saying, you know, that's about my leadership, but it's not. It has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with the hardest working people from the bus drivers to the attendants to Chris Fulmer. You as well maybe.

269No, Mr. Mackey. I think Chris Fulmer. I like Chris Fulmer and our superintendent, but everyone at transportation, people whose names I don't know. That's the only reason why I don't I don't say you. I see transportation staff here. Um, we've had a rough go of it year after year after year. And I actually overslept on the first day of school. I'm just I'm just being truthful. But I woke up and checked my phone and was like, maybe it's not the first day of school. Because I was so confused with where the emails were. I I just I didn't understand why people weren't texting me or complaining. And I know that maybe to a family, you know, maybe like the one person or the the few people who didn't have that perfect first day. I acknowledge

270you too. I'm not saying that, you know, you you weren't frustrated or your feelings weren't valid, but at the I mean, come on. I'm sorry. I'm still giving I'm giving us a minus. So, us meaning transportation and and staff. I think um I I'm just I'm really proud. I was looking for the news people to talk about how amazing we were as opposed to um downing us. Um I do also want to give my condolences to um the individual that we lost in the Aqua District. I I never met him, but you told me how amazing he was and then I saw something on social media. It was an anecdote about him and so I was like, "Oh man, you know, I missed out. Didn't get to meet him." Um and that's it. I just

271hope everyone has a great school year and um me and Alyssa are almost done and we're going to be shenanigans for the rest of the meetings. I'm just letting you know. Thank you. >> Shenanigans. >> Does anyone else remember that they were going to uh do a duet for us? They promised their first year and that hasn't happened yet. Just saying. You have a few >> You just didn't see it. >> I've been at every meeting. Um gosh, what a whirlwind back to school has been. I am so grateful for the effort everyone has put in to welcome our students back to school. Um I definitely want to echo everyone congratulations, thank you, gratitude, snaps, all of it to uh for a strong start from transportation. I know, you know, it's never perfect. We shouldn't

272strive for perfect. We should just get better better every day. And I too um checked my email. I too was checking my Life 360 app because I've got a travel student, a transfer student. I know if they're on time, that's a good sign for elementary. Uh I have a bus stop at the end of my driveway. Watch that like a hawk. I was just so pleased with uh having such a strong starting point to build on moving forward. Um I also want to thank all of our faculty and staff for your efforts in creating classrooms that are welcoming, engaging, and fun places to learn. My kids are so so so excited to be back at school. Um, and I think mostly because none of them in none of them go together. They are all in

273different buildings. Um, families, I cannot encourage you strongly enough to please, please, please join and support your PTO's, PTAs, and PTSOs. It means so much not just for the students, but for the faculty and the staff in the buildings to know that you are there, that you are engaged, and you are supporting their efforts. Um, research does show that schools with active parent engagement have students that perform better academically and have lower incidence of absenteeism. So, I am very, very grateful to our parents who help make our schools better places to work and to learn. Neighbors, even if you do not have children in our schools, you can help support them. Follow your local schools on social media so you can support their upcoming events and effort efforts. You could drop off a donation for

274a canned food drive or candy for a trunk or treat. You could part contribute to a teacher wish list. You can dine out on spirit nights as well. So, a portion of your purchase benefits one of our schools. Check the calendar to go watch a sporting event, theater, chorus, or music performance, or attend an art exhibit. I'll say it again, you should not be bored in Stafford County. Our schools always have so many cool things going on. Uh, strong schools build strong communities, and I think that is something that we all want. Um I'm a little floored that most of my colleagues brought up budget. I am not ready but I want but I you know we do recognize that um our community has significant needs. We have made significant progress uh towards those needs

275and I think we are on good trajectory. Um, and I just carry with it that hope and that these conversations we've been having year over year over year have um, brought us to a place where um, they do understand that we have a grasp of we actually have a grasp of what we're doing. Like we know what's going on in our buildings and what those needs are down to the micro level. Um, that we can, you know, I'm sure Mr. Towry has a list of every air filter that's been changed in every building and exactly how much that cost. Right? So everything every conversation we have that builds credibility with our funding partners whether they are here or in Richmond or in DC I think is a conversation worth having and I look forward to

276having them um in every facet and format we can. and we uh could use all the help and support we can get. Um because this job is a big one. We don't expect every member of the community, every member of any other board to know our job as well as we do. Um, and we just hope that we are um, good enough to at delivering the message to be able to move forward with opening our three new buildings in a way that is um, a benefit to this community in a way that we've been preparing for not just the years that we've been building these schools, but for the decades we've been waiting for them. Um, so and the decades we'll have in them. These are these are major investments. Um, so with that, I

277just want to uh announce that our future meetings, we are actually we only have a two week gap between this and our next meeting. So we will meet on September 9th uh with a work session at 5:00 pm and a business meeting at 7. We also will meet on September 30th. We have a budget roundt with representatives from our PTO's, PTAs, and Head Start policy council at 6 p.m. to be immediately followed by a schoolboard work session. Um and with that we are adjourned.