School Board Meeting - April 27, 2026

001Good evening. I call to the order of York County School Board meeting for April 27th, 2026. Uh tonight I would like to make an announcement that uh currently our BoardDocs system is down. So, any BoardDocs uh presentations that we have uh supposedly available tonight are not available for this time. It will be later on as soon as it is is going to be available for the public to see. Uh I'm uh going to move with the our program. Welcome to this evening's meeting. As we enter the spring season, our schools are entering a particularly busy time of year filled with testing, events, and end-of-year activities. We recognize that this can feel like a lot for students, staff, and families, and we want to encourage everyone to take things one step at a time and not

002becoming overwhelmed. This is a time to stay focused, support one another, and finish the year strong. We appreciate and continue the education across our division and look forward to all that remain all that the remainder of the school year will bring. I will now like to share the YCSD mission statement. The mission of York County School Division is to ensure every student is valued, supported, and challenged through learning experience which prepare them for successful future. Please join me now in a moment of silence. Thank you. This evening we are pleased to have Catalina Torres, a first grade from Magruder Elementary, here to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Catalina is an exceptional example of first grade citizenship. She consistently provides an outstanding role model for her peers. Catalina is always on task, whether participating

003in class activities, working independently, or contributing through uh thoughtful answers during lessons. She always puts forward her best effort. Catalina has dem- demonstrated great perseverance and dedication, showing remarkable growth in reading, writing, and mathematics since the beginning of of her first grade. Her focus and a strong work ethics makes her one of the top academic students across all subject areas. Beyond her academic strengths, Catalina is one of the kindest students we had pleasure to teach. She extends friendships to all classmates, and many students enjoy being around her because of her gentle and inclusive nature. Catalina is also a talented young artist, whether illustrating her writing assignments or drawing her enjoyment. She demonstrate impressive skill and attention to details. Her artwork enhances her storytelling by adding meaningful visual details. Catalina shows the potential to become successful

004portrait artist in the future. Please stand as Catalina lead us in our Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> [applause] >> Tonight we are pleased to recognize several of our schools who are receiving the Virginia Distinguished Purple Star School Award. Dr. Brian Fee Freeze, associate director of student services elementary, will now come forward to make this presentation. Dr. Freeze. Good evening, Chairman Pyevich, board members, and Dr. Carroll. The Virginia Purple Star designation is awarded by the Virginia Department of Education to military friendly schools that have demonstrated a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation's military. Among other requirements to earn the designation, student

005schools are required to provide professional development to staff about the needs of military connected students, provide resources for student and family support, and maintain a peer-to-peer support program. Tonight, during the month of the military child month of the military child, um we're pleased to recognize 11 YCSD schools who were selected to receive the designation again this year. Schools have to apply every 3 years, and this year we had 11 schools who were eligible to apply. All 11 were selected, which means that the York County School Division is one of just six school divisions in the state that has all of our schools, again for the second consecutive year, recognized as Purple Star schools. So, principals or assistant principals, as I call your school, please come forward to receive your certificate and your challenge coin from

006Dr. Carroll. These were sent directly to schools by VDOE, and we're proud to recognize them tonight. So, earning the Purple Star designation for a second time, Mount Vernon Elementary with Principal Dr. Jackie Barber. Queens Lake Middle School represented by Assistant Principal Dr. Matt Covington. Seaford Elementary represented by Principal Principal Barbara Nagel. York High School represented by Assistant Principal Tara Firth. And York River Academy represented by Principal Holly Sheffield. Earning the Purple Star designation for the third consecutive time, Bethel Manor Elementary and Principal Anthony Friedman. Grafton Middle School Principal Tiana Anthony. TABB ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL BETH WELCH. WALLER MILL ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL Sherry Vandegrift. Yorktown Elementary Assistant Principal Heather Roberts. And Yorktown Middle Principal Amore Michael. Please join us in one more round of applause for all of our 11 SCHOOLS THIS EVENING. >> [applause] >> WHAT AN

007HONOR AND PRIVILEGE. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH. We will now recognize our seniors of the month for each school. Uh when your name is announced, please stand along with your family members [clears throat] while we hear about your accomplishments. Uh we're going to start with Bruton High and Mr. Shafer. Yes. Adrian Odondo is a senior of the month for Bruton High School. Proud to recognize Adrian as our senior of the month. Adrian is a student whose academic interests and leadership experiences reflect a strong commitment to physics and global engagement. He actively pursues opportunities to deepen his intellectual curiosity while allowing him to support and mentor others. One of Adrian's most formative experiences was working with physicist uh Mark Sher on a freshman seminar examining the intersection of physics and philosophy. Okay. Particularly in the context

008of time travel. Uh Engaging [snorts] in advanced theoretical discussions broadened his perspective on physics and reinforced his desire to pursue the field at a higher level. Adrian will either pursue astrophysics or quantum physics in college in the fall. In addition, Adrian is a member of Bruton's varsity soccer team and a club team where he applies discipline, teamwork, and perseverance, values that also define his academic and leadership pursuits. Adrian has also uh demonstrated leadership as an SAT tutor through the Schoolhouse website. Drawing on his strong SAT performance, he has completed over 1,000 minutes of tutoring and reached students in 10 countries, placing him in the top 10% of tutors by global reach. Congratulations, Adrian. I'll ask Ms. Fairman to introduce the Tabb High School Senior of the Month. Tabb High School is proud to recognize David

009Brooks. If you and your family would stand? David is honored for his exceptional leadership, academic excellence, and service to the Tabb High School community. Throughout high school, he has demonstrated integrity, discipline, and a genuine commitment to others, earning the respect of peers and faculty. Academically, David has excelled in rigorous coursework, particularly in upper-level mathematics. Over 3 years in advanced math classes, he consistently volunteered to solve problems, assisted classmates, and challenged himself. He has thrived in demanding coursework while participating in National Honor Society, Beta Club, DECA, and Unified Tigers, reflecting strong dedication and time management skills. David is equally committed to service. As an assistant coach and unified partner with the Area 22 Special Olympics golf team, he devotes time, often on Saturdays, to patiently supporting athletes of varying abilities, even beyond the compet- competitive season.

010>> [snorts] >> As a football team captain, David led by example and encouraged teammates. He is also an accomplished track athlete, competing and winning at the state level. Across academics, athletics, and service, David embodies responsibility, humility, and dedication. Thank you, DAVID. MS. GOODWIN IS GOING TO INTRODUCE THE York County High School Student of the Month for the this month and previous month. Yes. So, our Senior of the Month for York High School, April, is Kamari Harold. If you would stand with your family. >> [applause] >> York High is proud to recognize Kamari Harold as our Senior of the Month. Kamari is a hardworking student who has made a significant impact on our school's community, and she truly embodies the spirit of York High. Noted for her determined mindset, Kamari has completed the New Horizons Medical

011Assistant program, gaining her NHA certification while also taking some of our most rigorous [clears throat] math and science courses. She's also participating in the YCSD Early College program, where she's fully enrolled at Virginia Peninsula Community College, earning credits credits towards her college degree. In addition to her academic success, Kamari's hard work carries over into athletics and volunteer work. Kamari has been a member of the YHS field hockey team, along with numerous volunteer hours through food drives, serving on the media team at church, and being YHS's master ticket taker at all our athletic events. Most importantly, Kamari's ability to show compassion for others can be seen through her time serving as leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and her mentorship through Riverside Family Medicine. We are proud to honor her as our Senior of the

012Month, and we can't wait to see all the great things that she will achieve in her future. CONGRATULATIONS. >> [applause] >> AT THIS MOMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE Amelia Martinez and her family to Oh, one more. I'm sorry. >> [laughter] >> Hold on. Russian. Um we I would like to honor our Senior of the Month for March who was not able to be here last month. I would ask Ashton Kessler and his family please stand. Yeah. >> [applause] >> York High School is pleased to recognize Ashton Kessler as our March Senior of the Month. Ashton is a dedicated and accomplished student who is on track to successfully complete the rigorous IB Diploma. Ashton is well known by our by our teachers as he has an insatiable desire to learn and has research and writing

013skills that are far above the average student. He was also recognized by his teachers for the William and Mary Leadership Award for his hard work ethic and leadership qualities. These abilities have also been duly noted by others as Ashton was selected to attend NASA's VAST program last summer, where he was able to showcase his intellectual abilities. Beyond academics, Ashton has made a significant impact on our school community through his involvement in the YHS band, where he serves as a trumpet player and high brass section leader. He is also the president of our French Honor Society and has been a huge asset in assisting with Yorktown's Sister Cities French Market. His hard work and dedication are inspiring, and he truly embodies the spirit of York High School. Ashton has made a lasting and positive impact on

014our school, and we can't wait to see all the great things that he will achieve in the future. CONGRATULATIONS. >> [applause] >> MY APOLOGIES FOR JUMPING IN AHEAD, but anyhow, I would like to invite Amelia Martinez and her family to please stand up. >> [applause] >> Grafton High School is proud to recognize Amelia as our Senior of the Month, and we are excited to celebrate her outstanding accomplishments. Amelia exemplifies leadership, dedication, and service throughout her high school career. As the commanding officer at our NJROTC unit and a chief petty officer, she has earned the trust and respect of her peers through integrity, adapt- adaptability, [clears throat] and perseverance. She She has completed multiple uh demanding leadership academics, including command course at the Citadel, demonstrating resilience, discipline, and commitment to personal growth. Amelia's achievements extend beyond

015leadership roles. She has earned numerous local and national awards for academic excellence, leadership, and community service, consistently representing Grafton High School with pride. Amelia is known for mentoring younger cadets, volunteering with the VFW Post 3219, and supporting school and community events. She balances these responsibilities with maintaining high academic honors and preparing for the future through scholarship applications and career planning. We are incredibly proud of Amelia's hard work, character, and determination, and honored to recognize her as a Grafton High School Senior of the Month. Congrat- Congratulations. Dr. Carroll, this time, would you like to join us in this presentation? I will ask Ms. Lisa Rocher, Magruder Elementary principal, to step forward and remain down front while information is shared for both the student service award reception and volunteer of the month for Magruder Elementary. The student

016service award recipient for Magruder Elementary is Zalaya Zalaya Langford. How did I get it? Zalaya. Zalaya. Zalaya. Very well. Ms. Shaver will share about Zalaya as she comes to the front. >> [clears throat] >> All right. Zalaya. >> [applause] >> There you go. Zalaya is a wonderful panther cub who consistently goes above and beyond to make a positive impact in our school and community. She helps our classroom running smoothly through her outstanding citizenship and leadership. Paraprofessionals, resource teachers, and other support staff often share how grateful they are for the way Zalaya leads by example and supports others. She's also a dedicated member of our creative writing club, faithfully attending meetings each week throughout the entire school year. She demonstrates both perseverance and creativity. In addition, Zalaya volunteers weekly by reading to our preschool students and

017working with them to support their social, emotional, and academic growth. Beyond the classroom, Zalaya partic- participates in competitive cheer, where she excels as a tumbler, base, and back spot. Most importantly, she is a true team player who consistently encourages and builds up those around her. We've been incredibly fortunate to have Zalaya as a panther cub since kindergarten, and we eagerly look forward to seeing all of her future accomplishments as she continues her journey at Queens Lake Middle School. Congratulations. Yeah. Come back. Yeah. All right. Congratulations, Zalaya. The volunteer of the month for Magruder Elementary is Ms. Angela Sabe. So, Ms. Sabe Sabe. Sab Sabe. Sabe. I apologize for that. Ms. Sabe, please come up from while Ms. Shafer shares information about >> Okay. Yeah. >> [applause] >> Magruder Elementary has the pleasure of recognizing someone

018who has made a truly meaningful difference in our classroom and in the lives of our students. Our school thrives because of caring adults who give their time, energy, and hearts. And this volunteer is an a shining example of that generosity. This year we are honored to recognize Ms. Sabe Mrs. Sabe who has volunteered more than 190 hours during the school year. Mrs. Sabe has been a steady, positive presence for our students each day. Whether she is working with small groups, listening to young readers, preparing classroom materials, or simply offering a smile and words of encouragement, she consistently demonstrates what it means to support children as they learn and grow. What makes Ms. Sabe especially remarkable is the kindness and patience she brings into every interaction. Our students feel supported, valued, and confident because they know

019someone is always there cheering them on. Because of her dedication, students receive increased opportunities for small group and one-on-one reinforcement, and they are better for it. Her willingness to give her time has helped make learning more fun, meaningful, and manageable manageable for both students and teachers. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> I now ask Ms. Danisha Baysmore, Tab Middle School Principal, to step forward and remain down front while information shared for both the Student Service Award recipient and Volunteer of the Month for Tab Middle School. The Student Service Award recipient for Tab Middle School is Manoli Earl. Do I Manoli. I got it. So, Ms. Fairman, would you please share information? I sure will. Manoli Earl is an eighth-grade student at Tab Middle School. Her teachers and classmates describe her as kind, responsible, and a hard worker.

020Manoli is an active member of the TMS community, serving on our TMS Tiger Trek, a club to welcome new students, the National Junior Honor Society, and the award-winning Odyssey of the Mind team. She also started the Pay It Back Service Club, a club that helps out at Mount Vernon and Bethel Manor Elementary School. When she is not in school, you can find Manoli volunteering at Grace Episcopal Church, at Safety Town during the summer, or practicing her figure skating. Please give a wonderful congratulations to Manoli Earl. >> [applause] >> SO, THE VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH FOR TAB MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND I think I got this one, it's Laura Braxton. >> [laughter] >> Ms. Braxton, please come up while Ms. Fairman shares information ABOUT YOU. >> [applause] >> LAURA BRAXTON IS AN outstanding Tab Middle School parent.

021When she is not spending time watching her children play sports, she is volunteering at the Tab Middle School dances, eighth-grade day, and more. Her colleagues state that she is kind-hearted, positive, and always willing to go the extra mile. Tab Middle School appreciates Mrs. Laura Braxton and all that she does to make TMS great. Thank you. >> [applause] >> We have the Bruton High High Student Service Award winner and Volunteer of the Month with us this evening, Dr. Ellis Pope. Can you please join Dr. Carroll? Here. >> [applause] >> Thank you. This The Student Service Award recipient for Bruton High School is Jordan Barton Green. Mr. Shafer, would you please share information about Jordan? >> This year's Student Service Award recipient >> [applause] >> is an outstanding young leader who exemplifies excellence in both academics and

022service. Not only does he excel in the classroom, but he also works part-time with the school's IT department, providing valuable technical support to staff and students. His creativity has enhanced the school environment through artwork that helps beautify our building. Known for his kindness and willingness to help, he is frequently entrusted with giving tours to new students, ensuring they feel welcomed from their very day. Through his actions, positivity, and strong work ethic, he serves as a role model for the entire student body. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> The Volunteer of the Month for Bruton High School is Ms. Laura Goodwin. Ms. Goodwin, please come up front while Mr. Shafer shares information about you. >> [applause] >> THIS YEAR'S VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR IS AN EXCEPTIONAL parent whose dedication has made a meaning meaningful impact on the Bruton

023High School community. She successfully coordinated the PTSA Reflections contest, ensuring students had a supportive and organized platform to showcase their their creativity. In addition, she consistently lends her time to Bruton High School PTSA events, helping to create positive and engaging experiences for students throughout the year. Beyond her volunteer service, she also contributes to the school as a long-term substitute teacher, supporting classrooms and strengthening learning strengthening student learning. Her commitment, reliability, and generosity make her an invaluable member of the BHS family. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Congratulations to all award recipients. At this moment, I would like to introduce York Foundation for Public Education and ask Mr. Shafer to share about that presentation. Well, I got a lot tonight. >> [laughter] >> Oh, I'd like to invite Mr. Rick Shook, YFPE member, and Mr. Derek Mahan from

024Sweetfrog to step forward and assist Dr. Carroll as he presents gifts to each of our award recipients. Please come up front when you hear your name called. Congratulations to Catalina Torres, a first-grader from Magruder Elementary School, >> [applause] >> for reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at tonight's School Board meeting. We'd also like to recognize tonight's Student Service Award recipients. Zalaya Langford from Magruder Elementary School. >> [applause] >> Manoli Earl Earl from Tab Middle School. >> [applause] >> And Jordan Barton Green from Bruton High School. >> [applause] >> We also congratulate our Seniors of the Month for March. Adrian Ordondo from Bruton High School. >> [applause] >> AMELIA MARTINEZ FROM GRAFTON High School. David Brooks from Tab High School. >> [applause] >> And Kamari Harold and Ashton Kessler from YORK HIGH SCHOOL. >> [applause] >> SPECIAL

025GIFTS FROM COOKIE TEXT AND Edible Tweet are being presented on behalf of the York Foundation for Public Education in partnership with their donor, Gene Fiocca of Cookie Text and Edible Tweet. A Sweetfrog gift card is also being donated by Derek Mahan. Join me in congratulating all of our award recipients. >> [applause] [applause] >> And now board will go to the recess to take small break to meet with all of our recipients and their families. We will now reconvene the meeting. And at this moment, we don't have any unfinished business for this evening. Dr. Carroll, can you please share some information about this evening's this evening's presentations? Yes, thank you, Mr. Byvik. Uh This evening, Ms. Tremaine Hopkins, Director of Special Education, will present the 2026-2027 annual plan for Title VI-B. Ms. Hopkins. Thank you, Dr.

026Carroll. Good evening, board. Good evening. So, tonight I am before you to share information about the special education annual plan and grant application. So, I am going to begin by sharing the annual plan requirements. Then we'll look at our current student demographics and our funding landscape. From there, I'll outline the 2026-2027 grant application. And then we'll close out with a request for consent and next steps. The provisions of the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the regulations governing special education for children with disabilities in Virginia requires local school divisions to demonstrate their eligibility for federal funding. This includes completing the special education annual plan and grant application. The annual plan outlines how the LEA will use federal and state funds to provide special education services. Additionally, annual plans must be reviewed by the local

027school board as well as our special education advisory committee. As a function of IDEA, we are preparing an annual plan for use of federal funds, specifically the Title 6B Section 611 and 619. Section 611 serves as the umbrella of grant funds as it covers ages 3 to 21 while the Section 619 grant fund specifically addresses preschool age children 3 to 5 with disabilities. In developing the annual plan, we are required to provide notice of the child find process as well as special education supports available to children with disabilities who attend private or home schooling. As such, our team provided written notice to all private and home school families within our locality. This notice afforded private and home school families an opportunity to participate in a virtual information session which was held on February 2nd. Also,

028on March 3rd, we reviewed this proposed annual plan with our SEAC committee. When applying for federal funds, school divisions must certify that they will comply with several requirements outlined in the grant and address any barriers to equitable access for students with disabilities. I would like to highlight a few of these areas for you now. As noted, we certify that we have in effect policies, procedures, and programs which are administered to comply with IDEA and its federal implementing regulations. YCSD must also report on its previous year's use of funds which I'll speak to further on the next slide. Additional certifications of the annual plan include providing special education services to students who are in jail. However, this is not applicable to YCSD as the physical geography of our correctional center is located within the Williamsburg-James City

029County locality. Finally, when mandated by the state, certain school divisions are required to reserve 15% of their federal funds for coordinated early intervening services. I am pleased to report that we are not a division that is subject to that requirement as we have not been identified as a school division who has a significant disproportionality of students with disabilities. As I mentioned on the previous slide, when applying for a grant funds, the school division must report how they have implemented the previous year's funds. This information before you illustrates YCSD's use of the Section 611 funds from last year. Funds were used for the salary and benefits of the positions recorded here. Also note in the funded column, this does not reflect YCSD's total staffing. However, additional staffing for our programming is captured in the far right

030column. YCSD's implementation of the 619 grant, the preschool one, were used to also, as indicated in the grant application. This grant helped to fund three half-time paraeducators' salary and benefits. Proportionate set-aside is a component of the grant that requires school divisions to set aside funds for students who are parentally placed. Parentally placed students are those who are home schooled or who have been placed in a private school by their families. The Virginia Department of Education uses a calculation tool to determine the required set-aside amount when providing special education and related services to parentally placed students. The York County School Division is required to set aside $4,542 for parentally placed students. For several years, these funds have been used to provide speech language services for those students who may require it. The Title 6B grant also

031requires school divisions in Virginia to meet a maintenance of effort obligation. This is often referred to as MOE. MOE requires that school divisions spend at least the same amount or greater on special education that was spent the previous year. YCSD has consistently met MOE requirements. Next, I'll provide a snapshot of YCSD's special education student demographics and funding. Before we dive deeper into the grant, I invite you to review the special education demographics for our division so that you have a perspective of special education student enrollment. The December 1 count is a report of students receiving special education in our division at one single point in the year. As you can see, our student count has increased. In our most recent unverified December 1 submission, our student count is presently 1,895 students, an increase of 135

032students from last year. This slide shows the historical Title 6B funding. You'll notice that there is a steady growth in funding for several years, but now we see a decline for the past two cycles. I'm sure you're inclined to know why. As such, I'll share the published published information on the federal IDEA funding. IDEA funding is not based solely on the number of students served. Instead, the US Department of Education uses a three-part formula when distributing funds to states and in turn school divisions. First, there is a base amount which reflects what each division received in 1999. Second, 85% of any new funding is allocated based on the overall population of children, not just students with disabilities. And finally, 15% of distributed funds is based on poverty levels using the census data. Thus, funding can

033decrease even when the number of students with disabilities increase because IDEA IDEA funding is not primarily based on special education enrollment. I also believe it's important for you to know the total cost required to fund special education programming in our school division. In the FY25 annual school report, special education programming expenses totaled nearly $31 million. To cover these expenses, funding from local, state, and federal budgets were utilized. As you can see, the majority of special education programming is covered by local at 68%, state funds at 20%, and federal funds at 12%. Next, I'll share our requested use for the 2026-2027 funds. As I shared with you, this grant application is divided into two areas, Section 611 and Section 619. Like many of the grants we receive, the Title 6B grant has a 2-year award period.

034For example, the grant funds that we are applying for now will have an effective date of July 1, 2026 and a spend down date by September 30th, 2028. The chart before you illustrates our proposed plan for the Section 611 funds in the amount of $2.4 million. As you can see, the majority of the funds will be used for employee salary and benefits. Restricted indirect costs represents the administrative costs related to the implementation of our programming. This cost is calculated at 2.5% of the grant award totaling $59,248. This chart illustrates the funding request for Section 619, the preschool grant, in the amount of $54,020. As you can see, the majority of the funds are also used for employee salary and benefits totaling $52,713. There is also restricted indirect cost accounting for $1,307. In closing, our next

035steps are to obtain consent from the school board tonight as presented in your consent agenda, and submit the application to the Virginia Department of Education by May 8th as required. At this time, I'll take any questions you may have. I do have some question but I don't know about the processing. So, anybody else? So, when you say uh restricted indirect cost, give me an example of what that would be. So, that's professional development. Right? So, in order for us to provide high-quality instruction to our students, we would provide professional development to our staff. So, the cost that that might incur. And that's something that the grant would not cover? No, it's our fund is taxed at that amount. I don't know if you want to add any um information, Mr. Bowen. So, there [clears throat]

036are a number of um federal grants that we manage and and because of that, the federal government recommend recognizes there's a cost to implement these programs. And [clears throat] so, for our title grants, they only allow us a specific uh indirect cost rate. And basically, what that's what that does is that reimburses us for our administrative time. So, um Ms. Hopson Ms. Hopkins uh salary um for the clerical staff there, that money comes back to us to support some of that uh local funding. Our local lo- local effort. Got you. Thank you. Dr. Hopson, I don't have the presentation in front of me uh but you're talking about uh process of application that for disability, we we have to open it to the public with the homeschoolers. Uh how does that process actually work? Do

037would do families have to apply to be part of that or So, we send information to our families to let them know that they are entitled to receive special education support if they do decide to homeschool their student or home private school. And so, we share information. Of course, they have to be a student that's eligible for special education services. As a school division, we have decided that that service is a speech language service. So, you would also need to qualify for that. Um we do also share information just about if you suspect that your child has a disability and you are a home school student or your student attends a private school. So, that's the other criteria in this in this notice that we provide to them. So, if you suspect your student has

038a disability, we share information about what that child find process looks like, if we believe we need to consider evaluations for your student. And at that point, we would administer those evaluations and determine if we needed to offer faith to that family. And just tie into that uh we have I'm seeing an uptick in enrollments in special ed uh that's almost 139 Mhm. this year. The does that directly correlate correlates to the amount of money that grant is giving us or not? No. So, when we apply for the grant, we can only apply for the amount at which we have been previously awarded. So, we are applying for 2.4 million because that's the previous award that we received. Um unfortunately, the funding criteria doesn't allow for us to apply for an amount that's uh equivalent,

039if you will, to our growing population of students. Um I will say I'm greatly appreciative of the support so that our division uses to ensure that our programming is high-quality and effective for our students. And and you mentioned in the formula three parts that uh the basis based on number from 1999. What what's the significance about 1999 that they flattened out? Unfortunately, I'm unsure. I'm unsure of how that was determined um at that time. Okay, thank you. I have a question. There was a slide that it it discussed how uh the grant you have to apply for at least the same amount or more Mhm. the next year. Now, I can understand that when you see our numbers are increasing, that makes sense. If at some point in the future, we have decreased numbers, how

040Right. So, I think you're referring to the MOE, the maintenance of effort, where we have to spend the same amount. And I will invite Mr. Bowen to add a few details there, but that's certainly a consideration that he and I will talk through if we were to have a significant student decrease or, you know, staffing decrease. There's anything that you want to add for the maintenance of effort. The maintenance of effort for special education is the one thing that I'll always worry about. All finance directors worry about because it's uh you're held to four tests. And if you don't pass one of those four tests, then uh you could pay them back money to the federal government. But what it what it means is if if all things remain the same, if you have 1,500

041special education students this year and 1,500 next year, um then you have to spend the same amount of money. You have to maintain that level of expenditure effort on the same kids. The problem is is that the number of kids are changing, the disabilities with those students are changing. And so, you're you're having to provide more services generally every year. And so, you have to budget as part of the annual plan, we have to budget to what our maintenance of effort is. So, we reported from the 25 annual school report what our maintenance effort was for our students. And it is what what you what you spent for state funds is one test, what you spent from local funds, and what you spent from state and local funds. Um and then there's uh there's another

042one that I can't remember right now, but state local state state plus local. And then you divide that by the number of students and you come up with a per capita per student average per per student average. And so, what if we spent $15,000 on per student last year about with local funds, we have to spend $15,001 this year or next year. And so, that's the challenge. Um but that that is that's the maintenance of effort. And once you meet one test, if you all you have to do is meet one test, but going forward the next year, if if you're going to meet maintenance of effort, it has to be that same test. You can't pick and choose between which test you meet. So, it's important that you try to meet all four tests

043every year. And fortunately for us, uh last year we met all four and I think the previous year we did, but there have been times where we've only met two of the tests. And so, that's where the challenge really Thank you. All right. We put in uh about 15% of our budget to the special education. So, I just want to say it's a significant investment on our end and I we appreciate teachers and uh all the staff what you guys do for our students that that do have the special needs. Uh we we just doing the best we can and I know you guys are doing the best you can as well. So, thank you. Thank you. All right. Thank you. We are having a HR paper and updates, Dr. Carroll. Yes. Thank you, Mr.

044Pievic. All right, I'm going to ask Dr. David Wrights, the chief human resources officer of the division, to come up to detail requested changes to the pay plan. Uh before he starts, I do want to state at the outset that you're going to see a number of changes here uh requested. I believe that these will add to our sound and streamline organizational structure. I also want to although [clears throat] you're going to see a lot of changes, the worst-case scenario for an addition to the organ- uh the operating budget is less than $37,000. So, this is we're talking about a good number of changes, but a very small amount of uh of our funds. So, with that, I'll turn over to Dr. Wrights. Thank you, Dr. Carroll. Chairman Pievic, members of the board, this evening

045I'm going to present to you some staff restructures for several of our school board office departments and the budget impacts. First, I'm going to start with our Department of Instruction. And so, the department is realigning existing existing budgeted positions to better support expanded K-12 advanced learning pathways, including middle school, high school, and high school credit courses, dual enrollment, advanced placement, and oversight of the IB, gifted, and specialty programs by strengthening program alignment and oversight with no increase to our staffing. These changes involve the realignment of existing currently budgeted positions and do not result in the creation of any new FTE positions and minimal compensation increases. So, here is the pay plan update for our instruction department. The first few the first section is our budget neutral. So, we are taking um three positions and doing

046some title changes. We are doing the coordinator of online learning to the coordinator of advanced learning. Our program coordinator for gifted will be the advanced learning specialist K-8. And then our coordinator for and writer grant coordinator and writer will be the coordinator of grants and instructional engagement. Then we have some position adjustments at the bottom which additional funding is required, but those costs are covered, like Dr. Carroll stated, by additional attrition. We're converting one existing online specialist to the coordinator of virtual learning. One existing program coordinator of our SOA to the specialty program administrator and converting an existing program coordinator for IB to advanced learning specialist 9 through 12. Our next section is our IT department. And the information technology department is restructuring to align existing budgeted roles with the growing complexity of the division's

047technology environment, including cybersecurity demands, expanded cloud services, increased device management, and rising expectations for reliable instructional technology support. This reorganization improves functional specialization, leadership focus, and service delivery while realigning existing positions, titles, and compensation with no increase in staffing levels or the budget. So, these [clears throat] next two slides really focus on our IT department. The first thing is we're taking and collapsing this the assistant supervisor of computer maintenance, creating a new position called the technology services and training supervisor, converting three existing positions our computer support technician twos to computer support area supervisors, taking an existing position assistant manager of network and systems administration to the assistant manager of endpoint and academic technology support, a program analyst senior to an assistant manager of application support, and then converting our logistics support technician to our lead

048logistics support technician. The next slide is also budget neutral and all of these current titles will be title changes and at this time I'm not going to read each one of them. And you guys have the slides in front of you. And each one of those again, like I said, are title changes. And so, those are just reflective of what I had stated earlier with the restructure with that IT department. Next, we're going to turn to the human resources department and HR department is updating an existing role to reflect the evolution of responsibilities following the implementation of our HRS, which is our human resources information system 2 years ago. This change involves the realignment of existing current positions, do not does not result in the creation of any new FTE positions and minimal compensation increases.

049We're going to convert two existing human resource technician positions to an HR operations analyst. Dr. Wright, just a quick question. >> When you say convert two existing positions, that means like out of these are not the only two positions that we have that we converting. There's So, we have currently right now two human resources technicians. One is housed in our staffing department and the other one is really over in our benefits and compensation. So, we're taking those two existing positions, making them and converting them into the new title of the HR operations analyst. Mr. Paivec, yes, in that situation, those are the only two. In the IT department, we're talking about three positions out of I forget if there's eight or nine. Three would be eligible. >> one of them. Okay. Thank you. Now, we're

050going to transfer over to our finance department. The finance department is updating existing positions to better align titles and compensation with the duties currently being performed. The budget and financial analyst position is being retitled to budget and financial analyst two based on findings from the quadrennial review, while the grant accounting analyst position is being retitled to grant accounting analyst two in response to the departmental growth and expanded responsibilities. These changes involve the realignment of existing currently budgeted positions and funds within the finance department and minimal compensation increases. Here we have a title change of our budget and financial analyst, and this is the one that I talked about through the quad review will become a budget and financial analyst two. Convert one of our existing to a grant accounting analyst to a grant accounting analyst

051two, and then we will be creating a new position, a Medicaid program coordinator, and that the cost for that will be covered by the revenue that they bring in through that current position. Lastly, we turn to our student services department and the student services department is updating existing roles to align with revisions to our Virginia code that was effective July 1st, 2020 that's coming up July 1st, 2026 and updated state accountability and residency requirement that emphasizes attendance support, truancy intervention, dropout prevention, and chronic absenteeism as key measures for school performance. These adjustments realign existing roles to strengthen oversight of attendance, enrollment, and residency compliance while ensuring timely targeted support for students at at-risk absenteeism and non-graduation. These changes involve the realignment of existing currently budgeted positions and funds within the student services department and minimal

052compensation increases. This one we will take currently our coordinator of enrollment and attendance, and we will convert that to the new title of coordinator of attendance and student support. We will also convert our community outreach coordinator to our coordinator of enrollment and residency, and then we will be create a new position, supervisor of school nutrition programs, and that cost will be covered the cost of that position will be covered by the sufficient school nutrition fund. Dr. Wright, is that one of the required by law positions? Yes, ma'am, by the federal government. Yes. I just wanted to let make sure that people knew that that's why that was being created. Yes. Thank you for bringing that up. >> And and I would add, Ms. Fairman, that that was also already previously submitted with the with the

053budget in February. So, that's that one's already set aside, but thank you. >> [snorts] >> I'm going to take all that I talked about and try to combine it all into one slide as far as how the budgetary budget adjustments work. So, with our finance, human resources, our instruction, and student services departments, you can see those are the impacts on the budget. And then we also have the IT department. The impact is still results in a $3,772 savings. Then we have our school nutrition through the operating budget neutral side, and that is the position position we talked about for the supervisor of school nutrition, and then we have the Medicare Medicare $52,000 position that is being covered by the revenue that it brings in. Dr. Wright, do you think that program will make it sufficient

054funds to cover that cost? Yes, sir. So, at this point in time, the billing that we do for that specific area within special education will allow us the opportunity to capture more students and get more money for that. Yes. And that is it for our HR updates. Any questions? No. Thank you, Dr. Wright. >> Thank you, Dr. Wright. At this moment, we're going to move to the budget update. Dr. Carroll, do you have any comments? Yes, Mr. Paivec, I'd like to ask Mr. Bill Bowen, chief financial officer, up to the podium to provide a budget and legislative update. >> [clears throat] >> Mr. Bowen. Thank you, Dr. Carroll. Chairman Paivec, members of the board, and Dr. Carroll, um this evening's presentation provides a background um to resolution 2623, which is item 12 on the agenda

055this evening. And um if approved, it would authorize the superintendent to accept and expend an additional state appropriation for the purposes of providing a $1,500 bonus to employees. I want to begin by putting this program in context compared to prior state bonus initiatives. In previous years, the state provided bonus funding that school that allowed school divisions to simply distribute that funding across all employees. This made the program relatively straightforward and to implement. This program, however, is fundamentally fundamentally different. It requires a local match, which means we cannot solely rely on state funding. As a result, providing an average $1,500 bonus becomes becomes significantly more challenging and places additional pressure on our local budget. So, the key takeaway for this is that the this is not flexible funding. It's very structured, it's conditional, and it's compliance

056driven. So, as we look at the certification and payment timeline, there are very tight timelines that we have to adhere to. Dr. Carroll must certify participation and our compliance approach by this Friday, May 1st. School divisions do have the option to provide the bonus either in fiscal year 26 or 27. However, state funds will be distributed on June 1st, 2026, regardless of when the issue payments are issued. Importantly, bonuses must be paid within a single fiscal year. So, we can't pay part of the bonus in fiscal year 26 or 27. It has to be made in one fiscal year. And then we're responsible for defining the employee eligibility. So, part-time employees were not specifically addressed in the legislative language and or segregated from full-time. So, it is our intent to provide everybody with a bonus.

057However, we may structure that to be something higher for full-time and something lower for part-time employees. So, the participation requirements, participation is optional, but once we opt in, compliance is mandatory. And when it comes to bonuses, this is something that we all it's always our intent to um opt in. Uh we don't want to leave state money on the table. However, because of the compliance requirements around this money, it does make it a lot more challenging. As I mentioned, bonus may be issued in '26 or '27. The funding for the bonus was provided by the state only on those SOQ funded positions support positions instructional and support positions. So, which it makes it more challenging for us. Um the required local match was based on the local composite index and must accompany be used in

058a company with the state funds. The matches required regardless of when the issue is payment. So, if we make it the payment in '26 or '27, the match is required. However, this is this is the the problem that many of us have had with this uh language. If we provide the regardless of when we provide the bonus, the state um is giving us the money in FY '26. And so, the required match is going to is going to you know, lay in FY '26. That's where it's going to rest in '26. So, we give the money in uh '27, we still have a match requirement. So, regardless Now, this this wouldn't normally impact us in York County because our local government has about 90% of all school divisions, they provide more than what's minimally required.

059Um but however, there are a handful of school divisions that their their locality only provides them with just the the minimum or just above the minimum. And so, the the restrictive language that that follows this uh this program is not allowing every school division to participate in the bonus. So, it was a real surprise to us all that this language came as it did uh with this program because not everybody is able to participate um and then not everybody is able to participate at the full $1,500 level. The state does allow for an equivalent action pathway. This means that we're not strictly required to provide a flat $1,500 bonus. However, we must demonstrate that the total compensation provided meets or exceeds the required threshold. And I'll walk you through what has to be provided here.

060So, as of now, the way the state budget is for FY '27, there's a there's a 2% budget that we are required to pay if we're going to receive that compensation funding from the state. So, what you have to do is you have to take that 2% for all employees. What's that calculation? And then you have to take what's it going to cost to get to provide a $1,500 bonus to all employees. You add those two figures up, and then you compare it to the actual compensation that you're going to provide to your employees. So, in our budget now, it's 2% required, we're providing two 3.25%. So, you take that 3.25% you subtract it from the the the first two calculations. And then if you exceed that, I'm sorry, if if the numbers are less,

061then we have met the equivalent action and nothing needs to be provided to the employees and we don't have to incur any additional expense. However, if you're going to receive the bonus funding and you're and you're over that, meaning that the $1,500 bonus and the 2% required uh compensation exceeds what you're going to provide in in excess compensation, then to provide the bonus, you have to kick in additional money. And that's where we currently are. Based on the calculations the rough calculations we've done, we're going to have to add additional funding. And but that's going to come to us in '26. As the state hasn't finished their budget process, um we are going to receive that bonus money, but we'll have to add some additional money to it. Hopefully, that will come in the form

062of one-time money that we'll be able to do it. Our intent is to provide the $1,500, but as it looks right now, um without seeing a final state budget, we can't commit to that. So, the resolution includes um language to provide the equivalent action. Um and that will be something less than $1,500 to each employee. However, we will have matched um with the bonus and with our excess compensation that we're required, we will get to the $1,500. That's what our that's what our plan is. I know that's complicated. Um we've been struggling with this uh for for many weeks. We've had several conversations with a group of finance directors and VDOE just recently hosted a a webinar for all the 100 finance directors joined in across the state. And as a result of that, they

063came up with clarifica clarifying business rules. Um that really didn't clear much up. But anyway, um we're just waiting for at this point we're just waiting for the state to complete its budget process. And when that happens, then we'll uh provide additional information to the board. If in fact we are able to provide a $1,500 bonus to employees in FY '27, we will bring that to back to the board also and share that information. Just a quick question on resolution that it's uh talking about 1.4 million uh that's required. Uh and it's requiring local match on it that it would be uh 770,000, I believe. Uh so, what what would be the cost to provide uh roughly for 1,900 employees that $1,500 bonus? So, you're right. So, um the state's given us um I believe

064almost 1.4, and we have to match up with $770,000. So, that's about 2.1 2.4 million um to give almost 1,900 employees a $1,500 bonus would be $2.8 million. So, we have a gap there uh which we don't have in our budget. That's why we can't afford to pay for this in FY '26. We don't have the matching funds to do so. So, um again, we'll just wait to see what the state will do. So, the required match we don't have. Yes, so the required match we do not have also. Now, where we would typically get the required match is from local government. Um and so, uh or we'd have to find it within our budget. And and we're not we're not at a point at this time that we have $770,000 laying around that we

065could say we're going to use that to match the state funding. We just we can't do that. So, it's best at this point to say we're going to address this issue um in FY '27 and also, you know, use it as a retention and recruitment measure. Now, are are we different than most other school divisions or are they in the same boat? Uh the school divisions are doing a lot of things. Um I see that some of the smaller school divisions are trying to get it paid as soon as possible. If they have the money, then they're doing that. There are I've heard from a number of colleagues that uh smaller school divisions that cannot afford it at all. Right. Um or their local government has indicated they're not going to provide any additional funding

066because to you know, this is a local government versus school division is that local government's not providing their employees with a bonus. Uh so, we're not going to give the school divisions to provide the funding to provide their employees a bonus. And that happens, and that's why we wouldn't go back to the to the county to ask for an additional $770,000. Um there there is a reasonableness to that. We realize this is a school only function, and we're going to try and manage the bonus within our funds. Mr. Shafer, I would add just in region two, they're all over the place between '26 and '27 and the full 1,500 and less. So, it's it's a mixture, and I think it just depends on the fiscal the fiscal situation for each school division. >> Mhm. Yes,

067some school divisions are allowed to maintain um reserve funds. Um our reserve fund sits on the county side, and we we just don't see that as an appropriate measure to to use those reserve funds. But yeah, so the school divisions are doing a lot of different things. So, it's it's either 1,500 or nothing, and uh they only are going to provide funding for the SOQ positions, which is about 50-something percent of the positions, correct? The The other option that you could do is you could take the 770,000 and the 1.4 million. So, it's 2. almost 2.1 million Divide that up by the 1,900 employees. It's less than $1,500, but you've spent the required local match and you've spent the state funding. The problem is we don't have the $770,000 to do that. Um and so,

068if we had a reserve fund that sat on our side of the house, we could discuss that with the board, and that could be an option for us. But we don't have that money. Not not now. So, could we look at um the overall budget and figure out areas where we might not have to spend as much as we want in that particular area to find some savings in order to help cover this? So, we're in that process now. Um we begin this process in late February where we start looking at all of our accounts and projecting payrolls out through the end of the year. Um and so, it's really early in the process, and this process is evolving all the way through um August because we have payrolls that we we pay for employees.

069We call them accrued payrolls where they're 10-month employees, but we pay them through 12 months. Yeah. through for 12 months. And so, their payrolls are made in July, so we have to we have to project those payrolls, and then we have to apply them back to FY '26 uh the budget. So, it's just too early in the process to say yet if there's savings and where those savings will come from. There will be savings. We will end as we always do um in the black. However, I I just can't tell you how much and where. Mr. Bowen, even though you cannot break the bonus paying it out in two parts, you could expense it in two parts, correct? We could have some end of year in '26 and then some from '27. So, that we

070could do. So, if we had an end of year fund balance, which we typically do, that goes back to the county, we could ask the county to reappropriate that for partly for for funding the bonus and use it for our traditional things like CIP and and and technology and buses. Textbooks and those kind of things. And we have a we have a big price tag for textbooks coming up. That's something else we have to keep in mind. I know also with the the gas prices up, are we in good shape there or we still we hitting the bottom there on that? We're seeing that that um budget start to drop considerably there in that line item. Yeah. All right, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Bowen. Uh before I open for public comments, I will share

071some remarks. The school board provides public comments period for the public to comment on matters related to the business or duties of the school board and school division. School board policy KD BDDH governs these public comments periods. I would encourage citizens to review this policy prior to speaking before the board. Briefly, the school board expects speakers to refrain from any speech or conduct that is clear violation of the law such as abusive or threatening language that incite criminal behavior or that creates an actual disruption to the meeting. We ask that the speakers direct their comments to the school board and not to the members of audience. Violation of the school board policy KD BDDH may result in writing or termination of a speaker's time by the chair. This sanction is immediately appealable to the whole

072board at the speaker's option. Each speaker may speak up to 3 minutes. Speakers will present their comments at podium. A timer is visible to speakers from the podium and speakers should conclude their remarks when the red light comes on. The timer will begin after you state your name and the district or area of residence. I now open the public participation for comments of citizens. We have two. And the first will be Miss Pam Pushaw. Good evening. My name is Pam Pushaw. I'm in District 4. In the 1797 Treaty of Tripoli, the Ottoman Empire was asked to allow safe passage for US ships in the Mediterranean. The empire needed assurances that the US were not crusaders fighting Islam. Article 11 of the treaty partially states, "As the government of the United States of America is in

073not any sense founded on the Christian religion, as it has itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility of Muslims, is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between these two countries." The treaty was passed unanimously by the Senate and signed by President John Adams. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and Abraham Lincoln were all deists. America was founded on the principles of religious freedom, not Christianity. Fighting godless communism in the 1950s brought about In God We Trust and One Nation Under God. Texas now requires posting of the Ten Commandments in all classrooms. Louisiana [clears throat] enacted the same law and was blocked by federal courts. Arkansas is being sued because it unconstitutionally pressures students into religious

074observances. Oklahoma has put Trump Bibles in their classrooms. In the fourth grade, I attended a newly constructed school. For the first time, school events in the auditorium were started with a Christian prayer. 40% of the students were Jewish. As a child who was not raised with religious teachings, I was very uncomfortable. There is a movement in America by Christian nationalists to force their religious beliefs on everyone else, even if they themselves do not follow the teachings of the Bible or Jesus. I truly wish our school division would teach mandatory comparative religion class. The level of ignorance of those who practice differing beliefs is astounding. Christianity and Islam are based on Judaism. Many religions share the same similar teachings. We need to stop demonizing agnostics and atheists. We must respect those with different ideologies. I do

075not want to see this board adopt policies that impose Christianity on their student population. By merely stating non-believers can be excluded, the very act of exclusion is extremely divisive and a bullying tactic. Trump's Department of War is spending $1 billion a day to kill Iranians. Imagine using that money to fund more teachers for smaller classes, newer renovated schools, free lunches for all, new textbooks, technology, and higher teacher salaries. We could fund health care so all our students remain healthy. We could fund universal preschool to prepare children for a successful learning experience or fund mental health care to have fewer school shooters. At the last regular meeting, you were told that funds from instruction would be needed to pay for shortfalls caused by higher cost of utilities and fuels and the tariff-induced higher prices on everything.

076Thank warmonger, six-time bankruptcy expert, and Jesus impostor, Donald Trump, for making it much harder to offer the best education possible for all of our children. Thank you. Thank you. Miss Kenya Waller. Good evening. My name is Kenya Waller and I live in District 1. Um I came here to speak more on the IB program at York High School, the school I attend. Um I've been made aware that the school board has been really cracking down on the criteria that all classrooms should have about 15 students to be considered for a class. However, the IB program, while it is currently very small, this rule is making it more difficult for students to stay in the program. Um this will and essentially what I'm saying it is going to decrease the amount of students that are enrolled

077in the program, which of course will decrease that class size altogether. I know that the rule has been made an exception for the IB program to allow for 10 students. However, this is still insufficient, I feel. Um my class size, class of 27, we have 11 students. And so, by giving students the option to take one class or another will still result in five or six students in a class, which does not make that 10 student requirement, which results in more classes being cut. Um when we were applying for the IB program, one thing that was heavily emphasized was the promise of the small class sizes, that which was a heavy incentive for many students. Um again, this will also narrow many students' options between like French or Spanish. I know that recently the um

078upcoming French IB 11 class was cut. And so, the students who had been taking that class, French, for since eighth or seventh grade are now being cut in the 10th, 11th grade, will be forced to either take Spanish or to drop IB altogether, which I feel in my opinion is quite unfair to those students. Um this also creates instability for some teachers. My my French teacher, Miss Kennedy, um she has expressed to us that not only will her class be combined with two other classes, our IB 11 12 class for next year will be combined with the IB the French three of the French two class. And that is not only very hard for my teacher, but that is also very difficult for us to prepare for that IB exam at the end of the

079year. Um this of course will also create instability for but that class was also cut, even though about five to seven of those students signed up for it. Um this will also and make students take classes that they know that they will not excel in. For example, I was forced to take IB I had the option of IB chemistry or IB biology. Those are not my strong subjects. I would have rather taken IB physics had I been given that opportunity. Um and this will also force students to take classes that will not suit their desired major in college. Um right now, there's discussion of cutting a math class. And should that class be the calculus class due to the prerequisite requirements for that class, it will force students to take calculus or allied statistics, which

080may harm them when they go to college. Thank you. I now close the public participation for comments of citizens and we're going to move to financial matter. Now, I will ask Ms. Goodwin to please discuss the financial matters. Yes, I get the exciting stuff. >> [gasps] >> Okay. So, we had instructional related expenditures totaling approximately $376,460. And some of the highlighted areas of expense were New Horizons for $100,900 for tuition for special education, Plan B Academy $52,100 for CSA tuition, and the Faison Center for $38,800 for CSA tuition. We had payments for technology related items that totaled approximately $142,990. Some of those higher expenses were Cox Communications for 50,500 for PRI Metro Ethernet and internet services and Virginia Business Systems for $41,000 for print shop printers copier fleet payments. Payments for operations and maintenance totaled

081450,530 dollars and some of those payments included Dominion Energy for 157,700 which is our division-wide utility services for February. And through the treasure of York County $127,900. This was for fuel extra duty for deputies Decker registration reimbursement. Six advisors five students. We had payment for administration that totaled approximately 51,500. A big chunk of that was for VRSA which was for 39,450 dollars. That's for workers compensation comp claims. And then payments related to school nutrition which totaled approximately 595,000 800 dollars and the biggest chunk of that was for Sodexo which is 584,900 and that was for our food service operations. We had payments related to the CIP projects which totaled approximately 75,260 dollars and included payments to Mobilease Modular Space for 41,100 and those are for modular trailer rentals and Chick Communications for 33,670 dollars for

082Tabb Bruton and York High Auditorium renovations. Uh significant changes relating to the operation budget state revenue in March 2026 is approximately 5.3 million higher than in March 2025. This increase is primarily driven by higher student enrollment additional special education funding and expanded funding for support positions. Uh total operating expenditures for March 2026 is approximately 4.5 million higher than March 2025. This is reflective of the 3.5% salary increase for the year. An increase in health premiums and additional positions added in FY26 due to SOQ mandates and the increase in enrollment. Uh some significant changes related to the food service budget. Um there are no significant changes in revenues or expenses in the school nutrition budget. Uh consideration of approval of Resolution 26-24 requires the board's approval authorizing procurements of more than 100,000 dollars and change orders

083greater than 50,000. There are five items on the resolution for FY26 totaling 1.24 million and there are 20 items on the resolution for FY27 totaling 11.74 million. The details of which can be reviewed on board docs. When it is available. Mr. Chairman I now move to approve from the financial matters as listed. I'll second it. Very good now we'll have a first and a second. Is there any questions or comments? No. Hearing none Miss Howard. I feel like that was a tie for the second who seconded that. >> Mr. Shafer seconded. >> Shafer Shafer got it. Thank you. A motion was made by Mrs. Goodwin and seconded by Mr. Shafer to approve financial matters as listed. Mr. Richardson. Yes. >> Mr. Shafer. Yes. Mrs. Fairman. Yes. Mrs. Goodwin. Yes. Mr. Pivic. >> Yes. The motion

084passed five to zero. Thank you Miss Howard. Uh we're going to move to the consent calendar which I'm going to go briefly over the list which we have approval of personnel actions approval of minutes for the regular meetings listed. Approval of donations in the amount of 1800. Approval of 26-27 annual plan for the title 6B federal funding. Approval of pay plan updates. Approval of lease agreement with the Amateur Athletic Association Union of the USIND Edgar Randall Basketball Club. Approval to authorize the superintendent to execute amendment number three to the food service agreement between the county county school board of York County and Sodexo operations. Approval of an overnight trip to the YCSD students to participate in the region regeneration international science and engineering fair. Approval of an overnight trip for the Bruton High School band.

085And if I can have approval of the consent calendar. I move approval of the consent calendar as listed. I'll second. Thank you. Any questions or discussions? Hearing none Miss Howard. A motion was made by Mr. Richardson and seconded by Mrs. Goodwin to approve the consent calendar as listed. Mrs. Goodwin. Yes. Mrs. Fairman. Yes. Mr. Shafer. Yes. Mr. Richardson. Yes. And Mr. Pivic. >> Yes. The motion passed five to zero. Thank you Miss Howard. We are moving to the action items for consideration approval of resolution 26-23 which is resolution approving additional state funding for the purpose of a staff bonus. Can I have a motion and a second? >> I'll make a motion to approve resolution 26-23 approving additional state funding for purposes of the staff bonus. I'll second. All right. Any discussion? Hearing none Miss

086Howard. A motion [clears throat] was made by Mrs. Goodwin and seconded by Mr. Shafer to approve resolution 26-23 approving additional state funding for the purpose of a staff bonus. Mrs. Goodwin. Yes. Mrs. Fairman. Yes. Mr. Shafer. Yes. Mr. Richardson. Yes. Mr. Pivic. >> Yes. The motion passed five to zero. We don't have any policy discussions and we don't have any first readings at this time. As far as the policy second reading we have policy G. Do we have any changes Dr. Carroll? Mr. Pivic no changes since first reading. Okay. Can I have a motion and second to approve policy G as presented? I'll make a motion to approve policy G. Personnel matters. Second. I'll second. Mr. Shafer. Miss Howard. Actually sir any Any discussions I'm sorry. I do have some comments on some things. Um

087in in going through and on page 16 uh excuse [clears throat] me and I'm sorry since we don't have it in front of us on the board docs. I was wondering why um the phrase the school board shall define professional ethical manner and it gives very specifics on that. Why was that eliminated? Sure. We'll have Dr. Wrights come up to the podium. Thank you. Thank you. Miss Fairman which policy were you referring to? Uh I was going through page 16 the overall policy. I think it was like the entire packet. G personnel. It's what was online. Right. >> like 144 pages. Obviously I don't have comments on all 144. I just have a few. Cuz each one is divided into different there's a G and a GBA and a GAD. So I was just wondering

088if there was a specific policy I was going through I was going through the whole packet that was online. Um regarding that and it was it was numbered what was available online for review. It was numbered one through 144. The first few pages are just a chart giving like a review of things and then it went into specifics and so I believe it was all in order. The copies that I brought were divided into each one of the policies itself. So I don't have those numbered. You have it now? Is this the chart you're referring to? Yes. Uh and so you continue to scroll through that. It should tell you that it's like one through 144 pages. Does that document show that to you? Yes at the top. So go down to page 16. It's

089uh page 16 uh it was under the section employee handbook. Okay. Paragraph three. And it was the quote the school board shall define professional and ethical manner and it went on to specifics there and I was wondering why the specifics were removed. So based off of all these edits, we take the edits from the VSBA and um what the state requirements are, and so we tailor it to those edits, and those were the recommended edits to be taken out. Um and I don't know if if um Ms. Berry, if you know of anything differently of based off of the edits that we took. I'm sorry, this is >> [snorts] >> It's employee handbook. And it is under GA, yes. Totally re- With with all the policies and with GA, we we restyled the way the

090language was written to create more uh guidance to the employee because the first language seemed a little vague. And so, we were trying to give a little more specificity to the employee. >> Correct. GA was typically in the beginning only a few paragraphs, and we really made it several pages so that we were specific when we had employee discipline that we were able to cite a lot of this within this policy itself. So, we were able to um guide our employees to know those expectations clearer and have more examples. >> Right. I guess when I was reading through all the paragraphs, and I read through all 144 pages of this thing. Um >> [laughter] >> the um it says the school board shall define, and it had professional and ethical manner, and I didn't see

091those particular things outlined elsewhere, but we can go on from there. Um on page 30 of the overall document, um the let's see, the sec- it's like the second paragraph on page 30, right above um the section administration, um it's talking about communication. And the quote um in the sentence was by law, court order, or when necessary This is when you don't communicate, or you're not required to communicate, whether it's by law, court order, or when necessary to protect the right, safety, or well-being of students. And I was concerned that this was keeping information from par- from parents um in reading that particular uh paragraph. It identifies, you know, the times that you do include the communication, but this was like the exception if it's by law, court order, but the phrase that was concerning

092or when necessary to protect the right, safety, or well-being of students. And you know, what's been seen throughout the country and different areas, um and it's been in the media, it's been in the courts, the issue where they've kept information from the parents. And I'm concerned that this opens that door or that window. Ms. Fairman, this language is actually um required in conjunction with an agreement we made with the Office of Civil Rights uh a few years back uh that we will not prohibit or restrict communication with parents. That means we will not say you're not allowed to speak with this teacher, or you can only speak to uh the school administration on this, you know, one email a week. We can't restrict parent communication uh except if there's a court order. So, it's >>

093So, it's not keeping information from the parents. >> No. No. Okay. Um in reading it, I didn't get that completely. On page 33, um and this has been brought up in the past when we've looked at some other policies. I do not agree with the addition of um gender identity in that list. Um because what law requires that phrase to be added because I'm concerned that it becomes a compelled speech issue um with the First Amendment and religious rights um >> [snorts] >> by identifying that specific I gender identity versus all of the other ones are listed in there. I'm I'm worried that this can fall into compelled speech if it's interpreted a certain way. And I believe this one uh when you go down to legal references, the Virginia Human Rights Act is one

094of the legal references. Uh we're This is an employment section, and so under the Virginia Human Rights Act, uh employer employee, that is a requirement of the law. And that's a Virginia state law. So, it falls under the Virginia Rights Act, which is the Virginia Code 2.2-3900. And it is the um the Virginia Values Act, which prohibits that discrimination, and that is by law, we have to use those within that based off of employment. >> And by law, that that phrase has to be included in there. Yes. Okay. Thank you for that clarification. Uh the bottom of page 33 to the top of 34, um I didn't understand why uh this was removed. The school board shall provide facilities, programs, and activities that are accessible. Um dealing with um disabilities. I didn't know why it

095was removed that we are to provide facilities, programs, and access- activities for um if I remember right, this was anybody who was hired. I didn't know why that was removed that we are to provide for that. That may have been replaced, put into There's a discrimination policy. Mhm. That may be up there. I think it is GAB. Or GA. Okay, I'll put a question down on that. >> GB. GB. I'll put a question mark with that. And I think many times that is the case that they are removed and they're put elsewhere. I think that would be helpful for some board members to see that if it's removed, this this is just removed and placed elsewhere. That would be helpful. >> that would help. I I tried to look I know there on the right-hand

096side, there was a column that identified some things of what it was. I just didn't see it on that one. Yeah. Unless unless I missed it. It may be up in the graph. Okay. On page 34, under notice, um of course, shall be legal terms a mandate. Why was it chan- Why was shall be changed to is, uh present tense? If a policy is a directive to make sure that we're doing something, I didn't understand why that particular phrase was changed, shall be to is. I don't I mean, if we basic- we use all of our um edits based off of what is required for us to put in there, and that formatting is what is being required for us to take out, and so that's the reason why that we use that verbage, shall

097be to is. Not a huge difference between the two, but um I think the the probably the main reason for changing it was that shall be means that it's not there now, whereas is means we have it there now. It's not something we're going to do. It already is done. Okay, thank you. Uh let's see, you got that. On uh the on page 37, the bottom of 37 to the top of 38, why was the directive of how to report retaliation removed? The report of retaliation, um this is policy. We have an SOP on reporting retaliation and the process and the steps and the workflow of what that looks like. Um and so, we captured it within the policy, but it is through um an SOP that we have that, too. Okay, and I was

098wondering when an employee um faculty or staff turns in an issue. Um is there somewhere on that document that informs that employee of how to, you know, either where it is in in policy or where it is in the handbook, or actually on that form of how to report retaliation for this particular um reporting. I'm not sure if it refers to the actual policy within that form, but with on that in that form itself, it walks the whoever is reporting it step by step on what they have to fill out to send to the Human Resources Department. And once we receive that, then we call that employee, and then we start the investigation of um based off the information they sent us. That That form has witnesses on there, it has dates and times, it

099has the whole entire um rendition of exactly what they're reporting that we are able to use to start our investigation. So, it is very detailed on what they send to us. I guess, you know, being a former employee here for 20 years, I would like to see that we make sure that our employees know how to handle a situation so they're not When that happens, you're under a lot of stress. You're not only have You not only have reported something and then if if retaliation does happen, you might not think about how to go about handling that second report of retaliation. That I would like to see us find a way of making sure the employees know ahead of time that, "Okay, if this happens, this is how you go about doing that." And a

100lot of times that's through our conversations that we have. So, if someone does a report for investigation, they bring that report to human resources. One of the first things we state to them is give them the assurance that we have policies against retaliation. So, we want them to be as honest with us as possible whenever we start an investigation that retaliation is not an option for whoever they are reporting because we have those policies in place to protect them. Thank you. As I know how important that is. Um on page 73, jump ahead. Why is uh {quote} "tuition reimbursement removed"? Is that in another area? It is. We we offer tuition reimbursement and um and through our human resources department, everyone gets the $1,000 a year through tuition reimbursement and the application is available to

101them not within this policy itself, but it is available to them through other avenues. Okay. Thank you. Um page 83, section A. Um where it says the superintendent shall inform the school board, is there a timeline or a deadline for this notification? And the same thing with 83 on page 83B, um regarding uh employee shall be dismissed, is there a timeline or a deadline on those? I didn't see one listed. It just says the superintendent shall inform the school board. Is that within a certain number of days, certain number of weeks, sometime during the year? Well, employees have a timeline that they have to report these items um through um our employee handbook. And so, they have a certain time requirements. Once those time requirements, if they're met, then it's reported to the superintendent. And

102up to this point, I know Dr. Carroll within that day, he will report back to the school board because we are we are always sending him notifications of things that are happening in our schools or within our employees. So, um timeline-wise, as far as I would know, it would be immediate to our school board if we have a issue. >> Just to fill in, actually, that's part of the contract with the Dr. Carroll that we have. The it's the timely communication. Uh and I think so far the Dr. Carroll and actually entire staff demonstrate to us that that they are very on top of telling us of any issues coming up. So, Oh, I agree. I was just wondering why it wasn't included in policy. Um be or do we just make sure that we

103put it into contracts? It's It's in the contract. I know that was Well, it says right here that you'll be that we'll notify you. And then in our contract, then it says timely. So, uh as long as it fits within the time frame of the investigation and the action. And part of policy GA, we always talk about professional ethical and it would be fall within that um area that he would report it immediately, not within months. Yeah, that that applies to executive staff, also. Okay, thank you. Um let me see. Oh, there was one This may just be um a typo or caused when you cut and paste. On page 85, it talks about a substitute teacher. Go about halfway down the paragraph. It says division superintendent, division superintendent of public instruction. I didn't know

104if there needed to be a comma between the two division superintendents or [snorts] if it should be division superintendent of public instruction on a case-by-case basis. When I read it, it just kind of jumped out that I wasn't sure what it was meaning. So, division superintendent or division superintendent of public instruction, um I didn't I didn't see the is or in there. When I first read it, there was no >> There is not. That's what it was. It was just division superintendent, division superintendent. And I didn't know if it was missing a word, missing a comma, or if I was reading that wrong that there's a different title for something. >> And I believe it there should be an or within the two of them separating. Okay. >> Mr. Barry, do you know? I thought

105it required permission from the superintendent of public instruction to have a substitute teacher working beyond that time period. Um So, it should It's probably just doubles division superintendent. Take one out. So, the the >> call the question if we could. And do I have a second? Second. Okay. All right. So, like to move on to the Okay, you have to have a um a vote on Yeah, so No, not a vote on the overall, but a vote on the calling the question. That's That's not the calling question. We need to vote, right? Yes. Call the question. Yeah, call the question. >> a motion to call the question. I make a motion to call the question. I second. I mean to end the end the discussion. Okay. A motion was made by Mr. Richardson and seconded

106by Mrs. Goodwin to call the question. Good. Yep. Okay. Um Mrs. Goodwin? >> Yes. Mrs. Fairman? No. Mr. Shafer? >> Yes. Mr. Richardson? >> Yes. >> And Mr. Pivic? >> Yes. All right. We're going to We do have a motion first and second on table for the policy G. So, we're going to move on to the vote. Okay, a motion was made by Mrs. Goodwin and seconded by Mr. Shafer to approve revisions to policy G personnel. Mrs. Goodwin? Yes. Mrs. Fairman? Uh um I'm going to abstain since I didn't address the other three items I had. Mr. Shafer? Yes. Mr. Richardson? >> Yes. >> And Mr. Pivic? >> Yes. Motion passed 4 to 0 with one abstention. >> Thank you, Ms. Howard. And at this time, I would like to just remind the board members

107that all of these policies are submitted to us in advance for the review. Uh and I would encourage every one of you to once when you review it, submit those questions in the email format to Dr. Carroll so he can get appropriate answers. Uh don't hesitate to ask questions in the during the vote or during the first or second reading. Uh but I would encourage everybody to submit their questions uh in advance before the staff to be prepared and able to answer those. Yeah, Mr. Pivic, I would just add that we're happy to answer any question. And when we get them ahead of time, it helps us to be as accurate as possible so we make sure those answers get to you accurately. And we'll make sure that no mistake is made as we're we're

108trying to work through it you know, in real time. >> Thank you, Dr. Carroll. All right. So, Dr. Carroll, uh I will now turn time over to you to share your superintendent report with us. Thank you, Mr. Pivic. Uh just a few items tonight. Uh first of all, I would just want to recognize all those principals from the 11 uh Purple Star schools. Uh we're now getting to the point where we're getting third third challenge coins, right? And um so, we're certainly proud of that work uh and that we have been a division-wide for a couple of years now. Uh I continue to work on my entry plan activities. I've completed interviews with all uh entry executive staff. I've visited about 2/3 of our faculties now. Uh tomor- I'll be at with two tomorrow and

109that'll only leave about a handful left. So, working through that process. Uh we're also um another round of classroom visits is going to come. So, I think that's all or almost all scheduled at this time. So, looking forward to getting in classrooms with you all before uh uh the standardized testing starts. Uh also want to mention that I was at the vast spring conference uh this weekend and today and went to a couple of sessions before I left to to get back here tonight. Um also, we've had a couple of excellent events here recently. I went to the tab middle science expo. I mean, it's all encompassing uh around the school. Excellent activities and and family engagement there. So, I had a great time uh at that event. Also, we were at Yorktown Elementary School.

110I think a number of us were for the naming of Ms. April Insley as the Region 2 Teacher of the Year. Want to recognize her. And on May 5th, uh some of us will be up in Richmond, and those eight teachers that are finalists and will be uh they'll name the state teacher of the year. And so, cross your fingers for Ms. Ensley. Um and then um and that's it. That's that that concludes the report. Thank you very much, Cheryl. Appreciate it. Uh is there anyone who wishes to speak now that did not get the chance to speak at the public comments? No? Thank you, everyone, for your input and being uh here this evening. Our next meeting will be work session here at York Hall on the May 11th at 6:00 p.m. We have

111some closed session this evening, so I would like to invite our board member one of the board members to take us to the closed session. I move that York County School Board convene in closed session pursuant to Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711 A1 of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act for consideration and discussion regarding specific candidates for appointment to the following advisory committee, uh gifted advisory committee. As matters addressed in closed session are confidential, no minutes or recordings are permitted. I have a second. Second. Thank you. Ms. Howard. A motion is made by Mr. Shafer and seconded by Mrs. Goodwin to approve the York County School Board to meet in closed session as stated. Mrs. Goodwin? Yes, Mrs. >> Fairman? Yes. Mr. Shafer? Yes. Mr. Richardson? >> Yes. And Mr. Patevich? >> Yes. The motion passed

1125 to 0. Thank you. We are now in closed session.