001The 3rd, 26th. Uh good evening everyone and welcome to this evening meeting. As we move into the home stretch before spring break, we can feel the energy building across our schools. With students and staff continuing to work hard to finish the stretch of this school year strong. We are so hopeful that arrival spring will bring more consistent warm weather giving our students and staff the opportunity to enjoy the time outdoors and recharge. Thank you all for being here this evening and for your continued support of our schools and community. With that, I would like to share the YCSD mission statement. The mission of the York County School Division is to ensure every student is valued, supported, and challenged through learning experience which prepare them for successful future. At this time, I would like to ask
002you to join me in a moment of silence as we remember a York County Elementary student who recently passed away. This loss is a deeply felt across the entire school division and community. Thank you. This evening we are pleased to have Grayson Ortiz, a fifth grader from Grafton Bethel Elementary, here to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Grayson is an active member of our school community who brings a positive positivity, kindness, and leadership to everything she does. As a dedicated member of Anchored for Life, she helps raise money for charity, welcomes new students with the tours and welcome kids, and supports classmates whose military families deployment or movement ensure every student feels valued and connected. Grayson is also involved in a several school organizations. She is sings at the in the Grizzly Chorus Club
003and is a key member of the Battle of the Books team, which recently earned first place at the division battle. Outside of school, she plays volleyball, swims on a summer team, and is an avid reader who completed over 100 books last year. Grayson is a positive role model and truly embodies the qualities of positive Grizzly. We are proud to celebrate her leadership and contribution to Grafton Bethel. Please stand as Grayson leads us in our pledge. America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Grayson. Uh tonight we have the honor of recognizing the Bruton High School girls swim girls swim team and boys indoor track team. Dr. Kero, would you like to share? All right, thank you, Mr. Pivic. So, yes, we're
004honoring two of Bruton's teams tonight. So, first of all, will the Bruton's girls Bruton girls swim team and coaches, please stand. The Bruton girls swim team uh has just Coach why don't you just come on up to the microphone then. Uh the Bruton girls swim team had just has just won their fifth VHSL Class 2 championship in a row. This team was absolutely dominant this year scoring a total of 386 points. This 200-point win, that was the margin of victory, 200 points. Uh uh was was the most dominant they've had during this run. This victory was a team effort. They earned multiple first place finishes, but more interestingly, they had many races where they had multiple swimmers finishing in the top three. Big thank you goes to Coach Ted Lynch and Evan Lynch, a Bruton
005swim team alumnus, for their dedication to the swim program. So, congratulations, coach. So, coach, do you have anything you'd like to share? So, yeah, sure. I I I apologize that none of my swimmers could make it. After five times, it's a little hard to drag them out. It's It's getting to be old hat. A week A week A week just week ago, they were at the Virginia capital being recognized at the house by the House of Delegates. So, I some this little local thing is a little hard to get to. But actually, it's uh they a lot of the swimmers are at a national swim meet this week. Um and they're they're uh a number of them are in Florida getting ready to go to uh a big competition. And uh a couple other I
006know one other was is coaching somebody. And so, it's just a busy schedule. It was diffi- difficult to get them out. Um they really appreciate the support. I appreciate the recognition. And uh let's make it six next year. All right, thank you. Thank you, coach. Please send our regards to your swimmers. Uh we're going to move into the Mr. Pivic, you got one more. Cuz Bruton just wins championships, apparently. Uh do we have any track members today? All right. Track team, please stand up. Uh the Bruton boys indoor track team completed the three-peat at the VHSL Class 2 state indoor meet. This means that the Bruton boys now have won four of the last five state indoor meets in Class 2. This victory was a true team effort. This group secured first place finishes in
007the 55-meter dash, 4 by 200 medley a relay I'm sorry, mixing up with swimming. Relay, uh and this was a meet record. And earned points in eight individual events and two relays. A A big thank you goes to Coach Bowman, Coach Falls, Coach Curry, and Coach Kunkel for their dedication to the Bruton track program. So, congratulations, guys. And coach, could you come up and say a few words? Well, I don't know if there's any more words that could be said about that. I mean, four out of the last five state championships have been brought home to Bruton. Um outdoor we've been pretty successful as well. And we'll hope to see you guys here again in uh few months. >> In a few months, you're doing great. >> All right, thank you. All right, AND COACH
008COACH, COACH, I'M SORRY. COULD you share any of the individual state champions that you have if they're here tonight? Um okay, yeah, sure. Let's see. >> [clears throat] >> We got Johnny Askew in the 55. Go ahead and keep standing there cuz you were in the 4 by 2 as well. Uh AB, you were in the 4 by 2, weren't you? And Will Moter is in the 4 by 2. Um interesting side note, actually I like to tell stories when I get up here. Like last year with Josiah Gallegos run jumping across the finish line to win us a state championship. Uh Will Moter here uh in the middle of his celebration of just setting a record-breaking time in the 4 by 2, uh went ahead jumped up in the air, came down, sprained his
009ankle. >> [laughter] >> He's healing up. He's healing up, but uh yeah, you know, uh I get this uh worried little uh text message, "Hey, you got to go check on Will Moter." I'm like, "Oh, you know, I'm thinking, 'Oh, no, something's really bad.'" I get over there and the trainer says, "Well, he hurt himself celebrating." So, you know, but uh the rest of the team, you know, it's coming down to the end of end of the quarter here and they're uh they're all real busy. I got a bunch of messages saying, "Hey, coach, I got a paper due tomorrow." and stuff like that. So, uh but uh they do uh appreciate the recognition that they're getting tonight. All right, thank you, coach. >> Thank you. All right. Uh we will have a a quick
010pause right here to bring athletes up for picture with the board. After the picture, our state champions are welcome to leave so that we may let our seniors of the month families and academic academic presenters family come in. Thank you. Uh now we will recognize our seniors of the month for each school. When I When your name is announced, please stand along with your family members while you while we hear about your accomplishments. For Bruton High School, we're going to have Mr. Shafer. Thank you, sir. Go ahead and stand up, Taylor Kate. This is Taylor Kate Wincoop and her mom, Melanie, and her dad, Eric. And y'all stand up, too. You get to be embarrassed with her. There you go. All right. Taylor Kate is known for her commitment, teamwork, and strong character. She balances
011academics, athletics, and leadership roles while consistently striving to make a positive impact on our school community. Throughout high school, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership and service. She currently serves as the vice president of National Honor Society helping organize service projects and support academic excellence. She was elected class treasurer for all four years of high school, reflecting her peers trust in her responsibility and integrity as she managed class funds and supported school events. A dedicated athlete, Taylor Kate was a varsity field hockey captain during both her junior and senior years, leading her team with positivity, accountability, and strong communication. She also participates in the Fellowship of Christian Ath- athletes, contributing to faith-based service and community-building activities. Taylor Kate plans to major in political science and will attend JMU in the fall. Congratulations. There you go. Congratulations.
012I'm going to ask Lena Lambert and her family to stand up and be recognized. Grafton High is proud to recognize Lena Lambert as our March Senior of the Month. Lena is an exceptional student whose creativity, integrity, and leadership elevates every community she serves. A dedicated member of the York County School of the Arts, she has excellence ex- excelled in advanced techn- uh technical theater, completing over 100 production hours in a single year, and contributing as a scen- scenic designer, crew lead, and assistant stage manager. She further strengthened her craft through a 6-week pre-college conservatory program at Carnegie Mellon University. At Grafton, Lena serves as a president of Clipper Ambassadors, leading effort to welcome new students and support school events. Beyond school, she has completed more than 300 hours with the Poquoson Animal Welfare Sanctuary, where
013she is supervised evening volunteer teams and supports the daily care of more than 65 cats. President. Academically, Lena has earned highest honors each year, AP Scholar with Honor recognition, national recognition program honors, and multiple academics and service society inductions. She is inventive, dependable, and compassionate, an outstanding representative of Grafton High School, and we are honored to celebrate her with these achievements. Congratulations. I would invite um Ms. Firman to read for the high school Senior of the Month. Could Mariana Gayton please stand with her family? Mariana's strong academic record reflects her ability, discipline, and intellectual curiosity. She consistently challenges herself with rigorous coursework and shows a clear drive to excel. Her recognition as an AP Scholar with distinction and her steady presence on the honor roll highlight both her capability and commitment to excellence. Mariana's passion
014for the arts is central to who she is. Through extensive involvement in theater and membership in the International Thespian Society, she has built confidence, collaboration skills, and creative leadership. As the founder of his successful Etsy jewelry business, she demonstrates initiative, time management, and entrepreneurial talent while balancing school responsibilities. Peers and adults alike recognize Mariana for her empathy and emotional intelligence. Whether mentoring younger students, leading Bible studies, volunteering, or working in child care, she brings compassion, responsibility, and a genuine desire to support others. Mariana is a thoughtful, resilient, and purpose-driven student who aspires to lead with authenticity and integrity. She is well prepared to make a meaningful impact in her future endeavors. Congratulations, Mariana. Senior of the Month for York High School, Ashton Kessler, he's not present tonight, but he will be recognized for on our
015next regular board meeting. With that, we move into the student service awards and volunteer awards, so I would invite Dr. Carroll to walk down to the podium. Uh also, I'll ask Ms. Jennifer Humble, Grafton Bethel Elementary principal, to step forward and remain down front while information's shared for the both student service award recipient and volunteer of the month for Grafton Bethel Elementary. All right, if Harper Saunders would come forward, please. Grafton Bethel is proud to recognize Harper Saunders as recipient of this year's student service award. Harper has demonstrated exceptional service, leadership, and a meaningful impact on fellow students in the school community. As a member of the Principal Advisory Club, Harper helped create the pres- present present our town hall discipline meetings, giving students a voice and supporting a positive school culture. She also helped
016plan the Bingo with a Beat event and served as a leader during Kindness Week, organizing and running the Candy Gram fundraiser that spread encouragement throughout the building. Harper also continues contributes as a member of the Grizzly Peer Mentoring Club, where she is paired with a younger Grizzly. She serves as a caring role model, offering guidance, support, and kindness. Outside of school, she is a member of Jack and Jill of America, which is an American leadership organization for African-American mothers and their children. Harper is also involved in her dance troop and is an active member of Calvary Chapel Church. Harper's leadership, dedication, and service have made a lasting impact on Grafton Bethel. We proudly congratulate Harper Saunders on this well-deserved award. Congratulations, Harper. Yes, I would like to invite uh volunteer of the month for Grafton
017Bethel Elementary, who is Ms. Kristen Waters. So, Ms. Waters, please come up and join us while Mr. Richardson shares more information with you. We are excited to congratulate Ms. Kristen Waters as the recipient of this year's volunteer award. Kristen serves as our PTA vice president and continually gives her time, energy, and heart to support our staff, students, and the entire Grafton community. Kristen has organized our back-to-school breakfasts, lunches, and staff appreciation week, helping staff feel valued and supported. She also led the remodeling of the teachers' lounge. Her contributions didn't stop there. She spent part of her summer helping with school organizational pro- projects to ensure classrooms and learning spaces were ready for our Grizzlies. Most recently, Kristen collaborated with the Principal Advisory Group to support an event planning activity for our Bingo with a Beat
018celebration. She also worked with the group during the Candy Gram fundraiser for Kindness Week. Her willingness to partner with both students and staff highlights her dedication to creating meaningful community-building experiences for everyone at Grafton Bethel Elementary School. Kristen's commitment to making Grafton Bethel the very best it can be is truly inspirational. Thank you, Kristen, for all you do. Your service, leadership, and kindness make a tremendous difference. Congratulations. One more congratulations to Harper Saunders and Ms. Waters for those recognitions. Uh both the student service awards winner and volunteer of the month for the Bruton could not be with us this evening, so they're going to join us on our next uh regular meeting. Now, I will ask Ms. Lisa Gelona, Coventry Elementary School principal, to join us for her volunteer of the month for Cov- uh
019Coventry Elementary School. That would be you. So, I would like to invite Ms. Molly Lewis to come forward. Cov- Coventry Elementary is thrilled to honor Molly Lewis as the this year's volunteer award recipient. Molly is wrapping up her final year as an elementary school parent. During her time at Coventry, she she has been an active and involved member of our school community. She served as PTA vice president of programs during the 2022-23 school year, overseeing the success of many PTA programs and initiatives. Following her time on the PTA executive board, she found- founded and chaired the PTA Helping Hands program. Since its fou- founding, the PTA Helping Hands program has supported teachers and staff, lightened workloads, and positively impacted students' learning. It has created a welcoming environment for families to volunteer in our schools and
020complete projects for teachers at home. Most importantly, it has also created a space where families can build friendships and strengthen the sense of community and belonging that defines Coventry. Working with families and watching Helping Hands thrive has been Molly's biggest PTA accomplishment. Her passion, leadership, and commitment to building connections reflect the best of the Coventry community and will be missed. Please join us in thanking Molly for her many contributions to Coventry Elementary School. Congratulations. Woo! All right. Congratulations to all the recipients this evening. And I'll ask Mr. Schaefer to share about from your foundation. >> Yes. I'd like to invite Mr. Terry Mack, uh York Foundation for Public Education member 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
021name called. Congratulations to Grayson Artis, a fifth grader from Grafton Bethel Elementary School for reciting the Pledge of Allegiance tonight. We'd also like to recognize uh tonight's student service award recipient, Harper Saunders from Grafton Bethel Elementary School. Okay, we also congratulate our seniors of the month for the month of March. Taylor Kate Wincoop from Bruton High School. Lena Lambert from Grafton High School. And Mariana great Gayton from Tabb High School. Special gifts from Cookie Text and Edible Tweet are being presented on behalf of the York Foundation for Public Education in partnership with our donor, Jean Fiocca of Cookie Text and Edible Tweet. A Sweetfrog gift card is also being donated. Join me in congratulating all of our award recipients. >> [applause] >> YEAH. SO, ON BEHALF OF YFPE, RIGHT NOW, I just want to like
022let you know, for the seniors especially, YFPE works with PTAs and with the school district here to raise about $60,000 for our schools and our students. Right now, we've started to open up the scholarships for our seniors, okay? So, I just wanted to say get on our website, YFPE website, look it up, and you'll be able to go there and seniors can apply for scholarships. Also, if you're a golfer, our big fundraising event is coming up. Uh that's going to be our golf tournament on June 17th. So, if y'all got a foursome or yourself or have some friends, appreciate if you come on up so that we can build our our war chest of money to give back to each of the schools. Thank you again. Thank you. Next is Accent on Academics, Dr. Carroll.
023All right, thank you, Mr. Pivic. Uh tonight we have the pleasure of having students from Magruder Elementary School uh highlighting their after-school club, STEAM, S T E M, uh developed in partnership with the College of William & Mary. I will now turn it over the presentation over to Mrs. Lisa Ruffier, principal of Magruder. Mrs. Ruffier. Good evening, Mr. Pivic, members of the board, and Dr. Carroll. I'm Lisa Ruffier, proud principal at Magruder Elementary School. And tonight we are pleased to present Rooted in Wonder, reconnecting with nature through STEAM, highlighting how school is partnering with the College of William & Mary to provide meaningful hands-on learning experiences through our Eco Club. Through this partnership, students explore the natural world while engaging in science, engineering, the arts, technology, mathematics, and in ways that are both creative and
024purposeful. These experiences help students build curiosity, confidence, and a deeper understanding of how learning connects with the world around them. First, I'd like to introduce to you Lelani Cummings. She's a student at Magruder Elementary who will share her insight on how this club experience supports our division's mission and strategic plan priorities. Good evening. My name is Lelani, and I am in fifth grade at Magruder Elementary School. Being a part of the Eco Club has helped me learn in fun and exciting ways. We work together, share ideas, and learn how to take care of the environment. This shows how collective commitment because we are all helping each other and our community. At our school, we believe every student should feel valued, supported, and challenged. And Eco Club helps us do that by giving us opportunities to
025learn in new and meaningful ways. The Eco Club also helps us become future-ready graduates because we are learning important skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and creativity. For me, this club makes me makes learning feel real. I get to explore nature, ask questions, and think about how I can make a difference in the world. Good evening. My name is Lori Williams, and I'm proud to represent the College of William & Mary as part of our alumni community supporting this part- partnership with Magruder Elementary School. Through this collaboration, we work alongside students in the Eco Club to provide hands-on STEAM experiences that connect learning to the natural world. This partnership reflects the powerful impact that we that colleges and universities can have in enriching K through 12 education, bringing ex- expertise, real-world connections, and expanding opportunities directly to
026students. Each ses- session is designed to spark curiosity, encourage problem-solving, and engage students in meaningful exploration. Students with diverse interests and strengths come together to explore, create, and apply what they are learning in the classrooms through activities such as observing plant life, designing eco-friendly habitats, and analyzing environmental data. A key component of the program is exposure to career pathways. Guest speakers, including alumni, faculty, staff, and students, share how their work connects to environmental science and sustainability, helping students make connections between their learning and future opportunities. Through this partnership, students are not only building critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity, but also gaining and but also gaining confidence as they begin to see what is possible for their future. Next, we invite you to take a closer look at Magruder Elementary School's Eco Club in action. This
027video demonstrates how our partnership with the College of William & Mary is expanding hands-on learning opportunities, deepening students' connection to the natural world, and inspiring curiosity through meaningful STEM experiences. The actual team from William & Mary inspired the [music] a plan, a grant, and an administrator's dream. >> [music] >> They were both William & Mary professors, and they were parents in our school. It was a very wonderful opportunity to extend the resources, the educational resources, >> [music] >> beyond the boundary of the college. It is a great encouragement for the kids to learn that there is a possibility of higher education, but also to see all our alums who are working in different positions in different organizations. They can see so many professional careers in this setting. So, what I like most about Eco Club
028is that we [music] do all these fun activities, and uh we learn about nature, which is probably my favorite part. I've going to make a map, and [music] it was fun because somebody actually came in who made maps >> [music] >> and showed us the different maps. Our students have just flourished with this club. We see them curious about nature, talking with one another, interested in the different careers. >> We went on a field trip to Yorktown, and we went to >> [music] >> um like a park, and we got to like pick up seashells to solve fossils. I got to bring the stuff home, and I got to talk about it with family. It makes me feel like there's a way that I can stop pollution, and that I can save our resources that
029that are nonrenewable. So, I feel like this experience helps them to go out, encourage them to play around in the nature, [music] and like we saw in the meetings, they have been asking so many questions. They are very creative. They are so curious at this stage. There's a a lot of activities and it's really cool learning about [music] nature and all these animals that live in the wild and how [music] they go through their life. It's just fun. It is now my pleasure to introduce two Magruder Elementary students, Nora Carey and Trian Joshi Joshi, who will share more about their experiences with our Eco Club. Good evening. My name is Nora Carey and I'm a fourth grader at Magruder Elementary School. My favorite part of Eco Club is getting to learn outside and explore nature.
030One of my favorite activities is keeping a nature journal where I write and draw about what I observe like plants, animals and changes in the environment. This helps me think like a scientist by asking questions, making careful observations and trying new ideas. Eco Club has helped me understand how important nature is and how people can have jobs that help protect the environment. It makes me excited to keep learning and maybe even have a job like that one day. Good evening. My name is Trian and I am in fourth grade at Magruder Elementary. One of my favorite parts of Eco Club is planting seeds and watching them grow. Taking care of the plants and seeing how they change each week has taught me patience and responsibility. By exploring how plants grow and learning about the environment,
031I understand more about how people can take care of the earth and the jobs that help protect it. Eco Club shows me that even as a kid, I can make a difference and take makes me excited to keep learning and thinking thinking about how I can help the world in the future. Thank you for the opportunity to share how Magruder Elementary is helping students reconnect with nature through meaningful STEM experiences. Our Eco Club reflects the power of partnerships, hands-on learning and student engagement in preparing future-ready graduates. At this time, we would be happy to answer any questions you may have. What's your What's the most exciting thing that you have either learned Um I would say the most exciting thing I've done in in the STEM or Eco Club is that like we get to
032go to on field trips during the weekend like every couple of like months every year and we get to do like fun activities and go have fun. Uh I say there's a lot of fun things about Eco Club so it's kind of hard to choose. We get to plant plants, watch them grow, take pictures. I think it's really fun. I think my favorite part about Eco Club is learning about nature and how we can help it. What about the College of William and Mary student? Um I would say we just did a lesson this past week about identifying plants and the kids all got a flip book and it was really cool. We got to go outside and they all got to um take what we taught them in a lesson and put it to
033action. So it was really cool to see. Great. Thank you all. Yeah. Uh I mean this is great. It really is. Uh the question is Lisa, when you first started out, you said that it started with a grant and a partnership with William and Mary. Is it going to just keep going? That is my hope. Um this is our second year with this club and like I said, William and Mary reached out to us initially and just had this complete proposal and it was amazing. And so we're in our second year and it is my extreme hope that we continue this um pathway of experiences for our students. Thank you. So you guys are doing amazing job. I've got to tell you that. So proud of you. Uh what did you learn one thing that
034you can share with all of us that we can do to help our planet, our earth, our environment? >> [clears throat] >> I think that you can just do simple things. Maybe just by recycling, picking up things off of the ground, compost, help plants grow. Just things that just simple things cuz it can make a big impact in the world. I'd say to probably like she said uh get compost. Use any scraps you have like banana peels, orange peels, just put them into a box and outside and they'll grow. But also you can make a garden and it'll be a lot easier uh to get food and to find it. So yeah. I'd say doing um specific things like planting trees and just spending time in nature. Yeah. So Trian, you mentioned something that you
035learned to be patient watching seeds grow. Are you still having that patient? You do? That's good. There you go. And one one more thing for Nora. You said you like keeping a journal, nature journal. How does that look like? Uh well basically you can just find stuff outside to write and draw about. Basically just create your own adventure. Nice. Thank you. So I have a question for you. Do you all have a like a vegetable garden that you keep at the school? Like you plant and grow and harvest. Do you have that? Yes, ma'am. How's it doing? Um it's doing really good except during winter. It's That's always my favorite part when spring comes is is planting the seeds and trying to see them grow and and then having like a big plant at the
036end where I actually get vegetables from it. That's really cool. I'm glad that your school is doing that. Well, thank you very much. Appreciate you guys. At this time, board will take a short recess to meet with the award recipients. Thank you. All right. We will now reconvene the meeting and we're going to be moving along our agenda with unfinished business and at this moment we don't have any for this evening. As far as presentations, we're going to have VPCC annual presentation. So Dr. Carroll, can please share some information about this? All right. Thank you, Mr. Pivic. Board members this evening, we are joined by representatives of the Virginia Peninsula Community College, also known as VPCC. Uh they're going to present their 2026 state of the college update. Uh so uh representatives from the school,
037please uh approach the podium. We look forward to your presentation. Good evening, everyone and thank you so much for having us. Um we're delighted to be here on behalf of Virginia Peninsula Community College to share a little bit with you about progress at the college and some of our exciting new initiatives. Um so before we get started, um we'd like to introduce ourselves to you. I'm Steven Felker, Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Transformation at the college and I'll ask my colleagues to introduce themselves. Good evening. I'm Tracy Wright, Director for Campus and Community Initiatives at our historic Triangle campus located in Williamsburg. Good evening, everybody and thank you for welcoming us. I'm Kerry Brunio. I'm the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Welcome. Um so we'd like to start off this evening with sharing what
038we think is very exciting and positive news, which is that we're we're growing once again as a college. So many of you may know that um community colleges in particular had been on a downward trend in enrollment um for a number of years. Um we're excited that we have um broken that trend um and are now in a growth mode. We've had two consecutive years of enrollment growth now and are well on our way to a third that we'll be finishing up here soon. Um so we we really attribute that to some amazing partnerships we've been put putting in place, um greater community visibility and engagement of the college um and really trying to pull back some of the the easy-to-fix um barriers um to students um easily being able to admit to the college
039and enroll with us. Um also want to share a little bit about the breakout of of students that we serve and this is particularly with their academic credit programs. So think of these as our associate degree programs, our certificate programs that we offer at the college. Um and I'm pleased to share with you all that York County residents make up the third largest um group of our enrollment um and that's really been driven in recent years by some extraordinary growth in our dual enrollment programs um which my colleague um Kerry Brunio will share a a bit of more about with um more with you here in a little bit. But we're really pleased about that that partnership and that growth that we've observed. One of the other big and really successful areas or sectors that
040that we work with at the college. So I was mentioning to you the academic programs that we offer, those longer term programs up to 2 years with the associate degree that we offer. The other really big area that we offer is in our short-term training programs. So you can think about these as programs that are as short as as a couple of weeks to as long as a few months to really get our residents skilled up and trained in having an industry credential that they can take and market and and get a job in a great career from. So we for a for a number of years now have been fortunate to have a state program called FastForward which has made those programs even more accessible to our residents of this area. And what that
041does is it has a system where students only pay 1/3 of the cost of these programs and then upon completion of the program and earning the industry certification, the state pays for the other 2/3, right? So it's a really great program. A lot of our students with other financial aid have very little cost to engage in these programs which is really important to them being able to engage and and get these great certifications and careers. As you can see, we've had so much want and demand for these programs that we've struggled to keep up the funding side of things. So that's something that we're really working on and and trying to find great ways working with the the Commonwealth to even support these programs more. They've had really explosive growth almost 150% growth since they
042began and growing at 20% per year. So really that area of what we do that's really attractive to the community and something we want to continue to grow. There is an opportunity there that we see certainly with with York County residents. So you recall from the previous graph that York County residents make up the third largest overall group of our enrollment across our localities but not as many are taking advantage of these short-term training and credentialing programs. So something we certainly see as a wonderful opportunity working with the school division to to look at additional ways that we can bring students into these great programs. Thanks Stephen. So turning now from looking at a post-graduation folks in your area, we would like to talk a little bit about our trends in dual enrollment. For all
043high school dual enrollment students, we've also been growing rapidly not too differently from our overall enrollment growth for high school graduates. One change that we expect to increase that growth even further is that now each high school in the state of Virginia needs to offer the uniform certificate of general studies to the students at each high school which is a 30-credit credential that students could have the opportunity to complete a concurrent with high school graduation. And in that area this graph that I show you here is based on the address of dual enrollment students in our localities and you can see very clearly that between the first pie chart of 2021-22 and the 2024-25 year, we've seen significant growth in York County schools for students who are participating in dual enrollment due to some of
044the strategic initiatives that they have had for their students. And another way to look at that here is the number of students for last academic year on record 24-25 compared to all the way back at 21-22. So significant growth there in opportunities for students to gain college credit while still enrolled in high school. Well, we know the important thing to you all is how our students doing. Are they completing? And this slide shows you that our students we're experiencing I should say an increase in our completion rates across all of the areas that we look at. Another important thing that I would think is important to you here in York County is what happens to our students once they finish their degrees. And the nice thing about students who attend a community college is they're
045more likely to stay in the community in which they earn their degree when compared to those who attend four-year institutions. So it's a great investment of or growing our skill set in our communities. And then the next really important thing is are they getting jobs? You know, that's one of the reasons that individuals pursue a degree. And so as you look here across all of the different categories, our students are employed within a short period of time after they have completed. You'll notice that the largest the group that has the highest percentage of employment within 18 months of graduation are career technical graduates, those who are earning those associate's degrees. And then 77 almost 78% of our short-term for FastForward students who complete their certifications have jobs within 6 months. And then those that go
046on to a four-year institution to finish up their bachelor study are also employed within 18 months. But we don't sit back and rest on our laurels. We're constantly trying to improve our campus and make sure that we're providing the highest quality spaces for our students and for our communities that our campuses support opportunities to. So we have um in 2021, some of you might recall doing COVID that we had an unfortunate collapse of the roof in our theater on the Hampton campus. And we're really happy to report that in January we celebrated its grand reopening and it's a beautiful state-of-the-art theater. If you haven't had a chance yet to make it, we have a spring production coming up at the end of April and to the 1st of May. So maybe your schedule will allow
047you to come and check this out. We also opened last January of 2025 the Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Development in partnership with Newport News and it is just an amazing classroom learning lab for our students where they walk just down the hall and they're at a beautiful child care center, the Peak Child Early Childhood Development Center where they have opportunities to put into practice the things they're learning in the classroom. And then um just this Wednesday actually, we're going to be uh cutting the ribbon for our new uh trade center in Newport News. And so this is a partnership with the city of Newport News Marine Industrial Base which will offer some work-based training for members of the community. And then we have a new academic building. So if you've driven by the
048Hampton campus or just going on the Interstate 64 and you look up over and you see, "Oh, something's going on. Why is there a building no longer there? Two buildings no longer there." Well, we have demoed it in preparation of a new academic building that will be coming online in spring of 2029. So it's great and exciting things are happening. But don't just take it from me. I'd like to for you to focus on some voices of our students. Every semester we conduct a student satisfaction survey to keep our finger on the pulse of what our students are experiencing in and out of the classroom. And so as you look, you can see some voices, but I'd like to bring another voice into it. This student wrote, "I wouldn't want to go to school anywhere
049else. I've enjoyed every professor I've ever had I've had over the years and I take much appreciation into how personable each one has been and how helpful they were." So that kind of sums up the experience that we're providing to our students. We want to create an environment where they're learning great things that prepare them for the next steps in their lives, whether that's transferring to a four-year institution and I can tell you on my campus almost any day you can come and there's a four-year institution where it's our sister William and Mary, whether it's Hampton University, Christopher Newport University, they all are coming to seek and recruit our students because we know we're graduating students that are prepared for that next step. Or rather we're graduating students who are earning that associate's degree that
050go directly to the workplace, our students are prepared and ready. And with that, we'll open the floor for any questions and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to be with you this evening. Thank you so much for presentation. Board member Cindy? I do. Can you talk just educate me a little bit on what would a short-term FastForward certificate program look like? What would that be? Can you give me some examples of what that is? Those are some of the higher demand workforce type position certifications. It could be welding, carpentry I believe is one. What are some of the others? Help me out, my colleagues. Some in the health professions. Mhm. Yes. So those types of high demand careers that and it's based on the local needs. So looking at the data for our various communities tells
051us the programs that we need to offer those FastForward programs in. >> And they're short-term like 6 months or something for them to get the certification. >> Sometimes even shorter. Okay. Okay. You mentioned in that in that program, I'm sorry, that 1/3 is paid by the student and then 2/3 are picked up by the state after completion. What happens if they don't complete? Great question. Yeah, so it's an incentive-based program, right? So part of the idea of the state funding going to it is that there's an expectation that the student completes the program which initiates the state paying for 1/3 and then also that they get that industry credential, right? Because that's really the marketable piece, right? That's the kind of exam and test at the end that says you've got the skills to enter
052into that that profession. So if the student does not complete one or both of those, then they are still you know, have to make up that that difference of the cost. But we have um it varies by program, of course, but most of our FastForward programs have somewhere around 95% completion rates and the credentialing rate is upwards of 80%. So most students complete and that's kind of the model, right? It's such a short-term program, it's such an intensive program that almost all students complete, come out with the industry certification and then really have those marketable skills. Is there a connection between the student who complete and employers after the program complete? Yeah, so most of those programs are they're really intertwined with regional business and industry, right? So there's there's almost a direct pipeline. Like
053I'll just use welding as an example, right? Like our whole region cannot produce enough certified welders, right? So those students are basically on a track where if they complete and get those certifications that an employer is already lined up for them. And that's pretty much how most of these programs work. So you saw the employment rates are particularly high for those programs and that's because they're developed in partnership with business business and industry. Before those programs can even become eligible for that FastForward funding that is you know, state subsidized, there has to be attestations and and work to confirm that there is high demand for those jobs and those certifications and there's a whole application process with that. So that really ensures that that employer connection is there and that students have a job pretty
054much ready and waiting for them when they complete. Those some those employer connections, are they consistent or do you have to keep going out and basically farming you know, what you're looking for based on the students you have and what certifications they're getting? They're pretty much they're pretty consistent. Yeah, there's so many we have we're fortunate to have some really large regional employers in a lot of these business and industry areas and they're really strong partners to the college. So both in the health care side, we have major health care systems that really need graduates from the college. We of course have the the substantial area around shipbuilding and marine trades. So those are are pretty easy to maintain. I'd say you know, IT and other areas have more kind of smaller businesses that are
055looking for graduates, but still you know, such a strong demand in those areas that it's we're obviously constantly working with our industry and business partners, but really for the most part they're waiting and coming to us looking for for graduates in these areas. Okay. So the majority of your partners are here in this locality, Tidewater, Hampton Roads area? Do you have any outside for any students who are looking for outside or it's mainly just here? Yes, so the that entire program is really based around regional need. So that's the kind of what qualifies them to be in this FastForward destination and receive state funding. So for the most part it's regional connections, but the good thing about all of the industry certifications that students earn through those need to be what's called portable, which means
056that you know, they're not specific to Hampton Roads, they're not even specific to Virginia. So really a student can take those anywhere in the United States and have a very marketable skill set. Great. Thank you for doing that. I do have a question regarding the dual enrollment. It's been big priority for us to offer more through enrollment and I'm seeing by the numbers that we are growing enrollment in it, but I'm not sure did I get correctly that we in 21-22 we were 6.4% of our of the total dual enrollment was the York County, but now it's 4.6. Uh So how do we increase and is there something that we can do or you help us out to have more of our students come and have the dual enrollments available? I think I couldn't see
057from color. Is that York County light green or No, it's gray. It's gray. So I was going to say those don't sound like your numbers. So >> it from here. >> Your county has gone from 9.3% to 26.8%. >> it is significant. >> Yeah, very significant growth. Does that answer your question? >> Yes. Okay. You you also get the award for most growth over that period. >> Yes, for sure. Thank you. Any other questions? No. Thank you. Appreciate you guys coming. Thank you so much >> much. >> the presentation. All right. Next is comments of the citizens. And before I open for the public comments, I will share some remarks. The school board provides public comment periods for the public to comment on matters related to the board's business and duties. School board policy KD
058BDDH 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 incites criminal behavior or that creates an actual disruption of the meeting. We ask that the speakers directly direct their comments to the school board and not to the members of the audience. Violations of the school board policy KD BDDH may result in a warning or termination of speaker's time by the chair. This sanction is immediately appealable to the whole board at the speaker's option. Each speaker may speak for up to 3 minutes. Speakers will present their comments at the podium. The time is visible to the speaker from the
059podium and speaker should conclude their remarks when the red light comes on. The timer will begin after you state your name and the district of the area of residence. I now open the public participation for comments of citizens. First, we have Ms. Pam Pucciarelli. Good evening. I'm Pam Pucciarelli, District 4. Dr. Carroll, congratulations on your appointment to the role of superintendent and I want to wish you immense success. The Trump administration is intent on implementing its extremist anti-public education agenda. The voucher program's goal is to starve the public schools of resources of our students need and funnel these resources to discriminatory and unaccountable private schools to give tax cuts to billionaires. Hampton Roads Academy is an outstanding school with a federal school voucher of 4 to 7,000 dollars. Can you afford the tuition cost of
060almost 17,000 to 24,000 dollars plus the cost of transportation, books, uniforms, athletics, and enrollment deposits. Vouchers give students who are already enrolled in private schools a financial treat, but it does little to the average income parent who can still can't afford to pay the balance for a private school. So who profits? The well-to-do. The rest of you will just have to adjust to less funding for public schools with fewer programs and more crowded classrooms. The rich get richer, you don't, and your children will pay the educational price. The almost complete destruction of the Department of Education is stripping programs for low-income students, special ed, and civil rights protections against discrimination based on race, gender, disability, religion, and place of birth. Dismantling the Department of Education means defunding programs that feed, educate, and protect our most
061vulnerable and underserved students. It means censoring what teachers teach, banning books, and forcing a MAGA mentality on our public education system to include the rewriting of history and science where proven facts will no longer be taught. For higher ed students, Pell Grants, federal student loans, and loan repayment forgiveness programs are at risk of being abolished or severely cut. Perhaps you are Christian, but you are you comfortable with the school system imposing your religion on all students regardless of the religious beliefs of their families. Are you content with allowing ICE raids in your schools, dragging our children and employees without judicial warrants, and conducting in the most violent manner? Because of the Trump administration, the cost of providing an education has risen due to tariffs and the higher cost of utilities and fuel. Under Trump, inflation
062rates are climbing. When you have a finite amount of money and you must still provide technology, facilities, and bus maintenance, heat, air conditioning, water, and transportation, something must be cut to pay the bills. The redistricting referendum is not the right thing to do. It is the necessary thing to do to rein in Trump's decimation of public education and hold him accountable for these deplorable actions. I strongly urge you to vote, so yes, so that there is a greater chance Virginia will be represented by a Congress that will demonstrate and support the value of free public education instead of spouting false talking points to get elected. This is to protect the future of your children's superior educational experiences in York County. Vote yes for our children. Thank you. All right. I'll invite Ms. Mary Lassiter. Good
063evening. Mary Lassiter, Bruton District. Tonight I will present a bit of York County history. Today at Matthew Whaley Elementary School and Mrs. McBee's fourth grade class, Reverend Dr. Carlin Lassiter, the Village Initiative, and I presented a segment of the history of eminent domain that displaced well over 600 families to make way for the Naval Weapons to make way for the Navy Mine Depot, which is now the Naval Weapons Station. Um >> [sighs] >> I lost my place, but anyway, um that we have been invited into James Williamsburg James City County schools for ever since uh 2023, and not once have we been invited into York County schools. They we have been uh Hampton History Museum has hosted us, and now the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond has shown an interest in telling
064the story. When the residents went to court during the commandeering, they met right here on this soil to plead their cases to the Navy. And I'm sure a lot of you do not know that, and I'm sure that you are not teaching the the uh students that either. Uh there were three military displacements during World War I. I'm sorry, there were three military displacements due to war. The reservation in Mulberry Island, now Fort Eustis, occurred in 1918, and Magruder, now Camp Peary, were displaced in 1942. Some York residents say, "We don't want our history replaced." When discussions arise about changing the name of Magruder Elementary. Well, we don't want our history ignored. Neither do we want it given under a false narrative such as Magruder School was indirectly named for the murderous Confederate General. Excuse
065me. >> [clears throat] >> When the current president added his name to the Kennedy Center, it was not indirectly named for him, nor was the Kennedy Center indirectly named for John Fitzgerald Kennedy. >> [clears throat] >> A first name was not necessary to honor either man. Magruder Elementary has not taught the students about the general's history. There are several uh distinguished people that have come out of the reservation, such as Edward Radcliffe, who was a Medal of Honor recipient during the Civil War. John Augustus Roberts was the first black Justice of the Peace in York County. And I'm here tonight to say, "Don't cry about we don't want our history uh erased when you're not even teaching your local history, which is American history." Thank you, Ms. Lassiter. With only two citizens sign up for
066the speaking, I close public comments session. At this moment, we move into the financial matters, and I will ask Ms. Goodwin to share financial matters with us. Yes, I get to have all the fun now. >> Yes, it is. >> [laughter] >> Bear with me while I go through the consideration of approval of claims certified for payment. We have claims certified for payment for the month of February 2026. Um these are instructional related expenditures total to approximately $566,515, and I'm just going to hit some of the highlights of the higher ones. These are payments to New Horizons in the amount of $84,930 for tuition for special education. Olde Towne Research Foundation, um $43,675 for technical assistance on the DoDEA Maritime Grant. Plan B Academy, $51,950 for CSA tuition. And SH Varsity, $126,880 uh for CSA
067tuition. And this information is on BoardDocs if you want a deeper dive into some of the other expenses. Um payments for technology related items totaled approximately $166,350 and include payments to uh Microsoft for $98,000, which was the renewal of Microsoft annual support. That was one of the bigger ticket items. We also had payments for operations and maintenance totaled $608,240 and include payments to Dominion Energy for $214,500. This is division-wide utility services um for December. And the Treasurer of York County for $210,000, $210,230. This is grounds maintenance, video services, fuel, extra duty for our deputies. Um again, more significant expenditures. We also had payments for administration that totaled approximately $97,250, and that included uh payments to places such as Riverside Hospital, which is our athletic trainer for athletic Excuse me, trainer services. We also had payments
068related to school nutrition that totaled approximately $510,000 and include payments to the largest one of this uh Sodexo for $508,000, and that was for our food service operations. Uh we also had payments related to CIP projects that totaled approximately $175,700 and included payments to uh RRMM Architects for $76,900, and this is for Tab High, uh A&E, and the Matthews Group for $44,250, which was for the Bruton band room renovation. >> [laughter] >> Um consideration uh Excuse me, significant changes relating to the operational budget uh for February revenues, state revenue in February 2026 is approximately $5.8 million higher than in February 2025. This increase is primarily driven by higher student enrollment, additional special education funding, and expanded funding for support positions. For expenditures, total operating expenditures for February 2026 is approximately $3.6 million higher than February
0692025. 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 in Excuse me, increase in enrollment. Um insignificant changes relating to the food service budget, um there were no significant changes in revenue or expenses in the school nutrition budget. And uh re- consideration of approval of Resolution 26-16. Resolution 26-09 requires the board's approval authorizing procurements of more than $100,000 and change orders greater than $50,000. There were five items on the resolution totaling $3.87 million, the details of which can be viewed on BoardDocs. Mr. Chairman, I now move to approve financial matters as listed. >> I'll second. Thank you very much. Uh any questions or discussions of this? Actually, I do have a couple of questions. Uh Dr.
070Carroll, uh uh in Resolution 26-16, we have uh replacement York Middle Middle School gymnasium. No, actually not that. Give me a second. It's uh actually I have a question on um Where is it? I think that thing got changed out of the what I had in my notes. But uh what what is the this uh iStation that's uh wireless display for $150,000? Okay. >> [clears throat] >> Excuse me. Thank you for the question. So, the iStation is the station the computer station where the teachers work from in their classrooms >> [clears throat] >> so they can uh it is their computer station. They also can project onto uh onto the the screen or or their uh board. The Vivi is a component of that system that allows uh that's something that's uh new with us
071in the last year and allows the teacher be able to use their laptop all around the room. Mhm. So, they're not locked that one area of the room and they also can move and sometimes [clears throat] work with the student and be projecting to the room and talking to the whole room. Uh that is a a pricey item, but the uh but the Vivi was deemed the best version that was available. This is a subscription where if something uh breaks or goes down, fails, it gets replaced. Uh we do have other companies that we vetted and those were all you bought by the piece and then if it failed, you had to replace that. And we did that for about the same cost and yet we have that protection if things don't work, but it's
072a component of the iStation that allows the teacher to move around and to project both uh video and audio. Thank you. Uh and as far as I I'm always had concern about the energy consumption and cost that we uh occur in and I made a comment, I believe last uh month on our expectations of our electric bill that's going to be. So, like now I'm seeing right now it's significant than was compared to the other. Do you know are we higher than what we were being before or are we kind of within the range? Uh I know Mr. Bowen's been tracking that. Uh so, Mr. Bowen, would you like to speak to the electrical bill? Thank you, Dr. Carroll. Chairman Pivarnik, members of the board. Um so, we looked at our uh we continually to
073monitor continually monitor our utility costs. We're seeing costs increase um across the state. Um for us, we are part of a consortium that we receive special rates. However, our costs have increased as well, but when we compare our our cost for utilities from July of 2025 through February and compare that to 2026, we are actually slightly lower than we were in 2025. So, um that was a little bit of surprising uh a little surprise when we looked at that, but you know, often weather and temperature can can have a drastic uh impact on those costs and while it's hard to say that's exactly the the cause why we're paying less this year because we have to look at that weather data, but it the good news is is that we are slightly below what we
074were in 25. Right, but I would add we haven't seen the last of the winter bills. Correct. Yeah. Maybe where it gets us. So, I would I would still hold my breath on that. All right. We'll just kind of keep track on that. Uh and also I noticed on one of the items that we made a payment to the county for the fuel. Now, with all of this that's going on with the cost of fuel rising, how does that impact us in our budget? Well, it can have a significant impact on us. Um and so, that's something we're always concerned about how major fluctuations in fuel prices. So, what typically happens in that case is that uh we may have to come back to the board um in in May and ask for a transfer
075of funds to operations. And usually that comes from the instructional account because instructional accounts make up 75% of our budget. And so, when we typically have um a fund balance at the end of the year, it's a collection of a number of instructional items. And so, if we have an overage in the operations budget related to fuel or even utilities, then we'll come back to the board and and ask for you to move those funds to to make that section of the budget um whole. So, do I understand that right that you move from instructional to uh to the energy issue? Well, so what so what happens there is instruction is where most of our employees are. So, if we have unfilled positions, that generates the highest balance of unspent funds. And so, that that
076then provides us with a the funding then to move over into operations if that's if that's needed. We've had to do it in in the past, but I can't say now that that's going to be needed until we get closer to the end of the year. Thank you for that explanation. Thank you, Ms. Bowen. All right. Now, we have first and second. Ms. Howard. A motion is made by Mrs. Goodwin and seconded by Mr. Richardson to approve financial matters as listed. Mr. Richardson. Yes. Mr. Shafer. Yes. Mrs. Fairman. Yes. Mrs. Goodwin. Yes. And Mr. Pivarnik. >> Yes. The motion passed 5 to 0. All right. We are having a consent calendar in front of us and I'm going to need the motion for approval of personnel actions. Minutes attended by all board members from a
077special meeting on February 20th, 2026 and a special meeting on March 17th, 2026. Uh the Carl Perkins Grant application. Instructional materials adapt uh adoption for selected elementary and secondary courses, English grades 6 through 8, math grades 3 through 8, algebra 1, geometry and algebra 2 and also consent calendar approved as listed. I'll move approval of the consent calendar as listed. All right. Second. Ms. Howard. Actually, any questions? Discussion. Ms. Howard. A motion is made by Mr. Richardson and seconded by Mr. Shafer to approve the consent calendar as listed. Mrs. Goodwin. Yep. Yes. Mrs. Fairman. Yes. Mr. Shafer. Yes. Mr. Richardson. Yes. >> And Mr. Pivarnik. Yes. Motion passed 5 to 0. Under action items tonight, we have uh three items and the first one's going to be consideration approval of minutes from a special meeting
078on February 27th, 2026. Can I have please motion and second? I'll make a motion to approve the minutes. Second. I'll second. All right. Ms. Howard. A motion is made by Mrs. Goodwin and seconded by Mr. Richardson to approve minutes from a special meeting on February 27th, 2026. Mrs. Goodwin. Yes. Mrs. Fairman. Abstain. Mr. Shafer. Yes. Mr. Richardson. Yes. >> And Mr. Pivarnik. >> Yes. Motion passed 4 to 0 with one abstention. I need uh also motion and a second for a consideration approval of proclamation for the month of the military child for April 2026. I have first motion. >> I I would make a motion to uh approve the proclamation of the month of the military child for April 2026. I'll second. Ms. Howard. A motion is made by Mr. Richardson and seconded by Mrs.
079Fairman to approve a proclamation for month of military child, April 2026. Mrs. Goodwin. Yes. Mrs. Fairman. Yes. Mr. Shafer. Yes. Mr. Richardson. Yes. And Mr. Pivarnik. Yes. Motion passed 5 to 0. Very good. And I would like to invite Dr. Carroll to read the proclamation. All right. Thank you, uh Mr. Pivarnik. Board members, you just approved the following proc- proclamation. Uh month of the military child, April 2026. Whereas April is month of the military child, a special month to recognize and pay tribute to military families and their children for their daily sacrifices made and for their commitment, courage, and unconditional support of our armed forces. And whereas Wednesday, April 15th is designated as National Purple Up Day for all school personnel and students to wear purple in honor of our military children, in particular the
080students of the York County School Division, which has the highest concentration of military children in Virginia. And whereas the Commonwealth of Virginia is proud to be home to more than 78,000 children whose parents serve in the military and are stationed in Virginia. And whereas Virginia has the highest number of military school-age children in the nation and is committed to being an active participant in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for military children, which facilitates military children transitioning in school systems across state lines. And whereas the children of our service members continue to make significant contributions to schools, communities, the nation, and our Commonwealth despite [clears throat] prolonged and repeated absences of one or both parents. And whereas in partnership with the Virginia Department of Education, Virginia's public schools remain committed to the care and education
081of the children of the men and women of our armed forces. And whereas the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact for military children has awarded Purple Star designation to all York County School Division schools for their excellence in supporting military connected children and their families. And whereas by partnering with school liaison officers, military leaders, educators, and community organizations, the Virginia Department of Education provides the unique support needed for military service members and their families during all stations of transition and deployment. And whereas month of of military child reaffirms our commitment to ensuring excellence in schools, child care, and youth services for military children who face unique challenges that other children their age may never experience. So, now therefore, be it proclaimed on this 30 23rd day of March in
082the year 2026 by the school board of York County, Virginia, that April be hereby celebrated as month of the military child in all York County School Division schools. Thank you, Dr. Carroll. All right, we are moving to the third item of action item. It's consideration of approval of resolution 26-17, a resolution approving the proposed fiscal year 2027 operating budget and the fiscal year 2026 expected budget. Dr. Carroll, can you please have [clears throat] Actually, can I can I have a motion for the first and second? Um I'll make a motion uh to consideration of approval of resolution 26-17 approving the proposed fiscal year 2027 operating budget and fiscal year 2026 expected budget. Thank you. I'll second. Any discussion? All right, Mr. Pyevich, I just wanted to ask Mr. Bowen, chief financial officer of the division,
083to make a few remarks before the vote. Thank you, Dr. Carroll, Chairman Pyevich, and members of the board. The budget development of fiscal the fiscal year 2027 budget began in October with schools and departments submitting prioritized recommendations and identifying opportunities for cost savings. Throughout the process, staff engaged with board members, held two budget work sessions, and leveraged the Let's Talk platform to solicit and incorporate community feedback. A preliminary budget outlook was presented in December followed by updates to the board in January regarding anticipated state and federal funding. On February 9th, the superintendent formally presented the proposed operating budget for consideration, and a public hearing was held on February 23rd on this budget. This evening, the school board is asked to approve the recommended proposed budget for FY27, which will then be forwarded to the Board
084of Supervisors for their review and consideration. Final budget actions will return to the school board once the state and county budget actions have been completed. And this conclude my comments. And board members, I'd like to extend a sincere appreciation to the staff and community members who provided thoughtful input and feedback throughout the process. Thank you. All right, Ms. Howard. A motion is made by Mrs. Goodwin and seconded by Mr. Shafer to approve resolution 26-17 approving the proposed fiscal year 2027 operating budget and the fiscal year 2026 expected budget. Mr. Richardson. Yes. Mr. Shafer. Yes. Mrs. Goodwin. Yes. Mrs. Fairman. No. And Mr. Pyevich. >> Yes. The motion passed 4 to 1. Thank you. Uh under policy, we don't have any policy [clears throat] discussions. And under the first reading, we have policy G personnel. Dr.
085Carroll. Mr. Pyevich, there've been no changes since the last reading. Okay. And uh we don't have any second readings. And at this time, we're going to move to the superintendent's report. So, Dr. Carroll. Dr. Carroll, it's your first time reporting. Floor is yours. All right, thank you, sir. Uh first, I'd like to start with reminding the public that the board voted last week to change the school calendar on April 21st to be a student holiday. The basis of the staff recommendation was that this is the [clears throat] date of the special election, and 11 of our campuses are now our polling places, and the major reason for this change is twofold. Number one, open doors for voting compromises our security processes. And number two, full parking lots uh make voting difficult, and we do not
086want to be uh inhibiting anyone's access to the polls. Uh we also continue to enjoy, for lack of a better word, inaccurate weather forecasts. So, I want to thank the entire school community for your patience on these days because we've we've seen some interesting ones this year. Uh some activities that I've uh taken part in since last week when uh this was official, I visited a number of classrooms with uh Mrs. Fairman at Tabb Middle last week, uh as well as attended our special education open house and resource fair that was the Grafton Complex. Special Education Department did a fantastic job. I've been to a few of those, and that was the best one that I've seen. And uh the latest CTE Advisory Committee meeting. Also, Mr. Bowen, Mr. Kilburn, uh and I will be
087participating in the Board of Supervisors budget hearing uh here tomorrow to discuss the proposed budget approved here tonight and the latest on the Tabb High School renovation. So, we look forward to taking part in that. Other than that, I've been taking part in my entry plan activities. I've begun meeting individually with all of our senior staff. I've started uh today visiting faculty meetings. Uh the first one was with YRA this afternoon. This process will take probably until the rest of the year uh hitting faculty meetings as they go, and I continue various document reviews. And uh those are some of the things I've been a part of, and that concludes the superintendent's report. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Carroll. Uh we are moving to the comments of citizen who did not sign up to this
088uh to speak previously. Is there anyone who wishes to speak at this time that didn't get the chance to sign up? No. Uh at this time, thank you everybody everyone for participating, coming here, and sharing with us uh your thoughts, uh the board for voting, and uh being able to enjoy our presentations from our students and their awards. Um I will uh remind everybody that we will not have a work session in April due to the spring break, and our next meeting will be regular meeting on April 27th here at York Hall. This meeting is adjourned.