001I call to order the York County regular school board meeting for February 24th 2025 good evening everyone and welcome to tonight's meeting how about that snow are we all tired of it now we know that this winter weather has caused some challenges and we truly appreciate the flexibility and understanding shown by parents students and staff I now would like to share with you the ycsd mission statement the mission of the York County School Division is to ensure every student is valued supported and challenged through learning experiences which prepare them for a successful future will you now join me in a moment of silence now I will share some information about our pledge leader KY Brookman a first grader at D Elementary School koi is known for his sense of responsibility every day he arrives at
002school with a positive attitude and is ready to dive into his work his teachers and classmates can always count on him to be Dependable making him a standout student koi has proven himself to be a stellar role model for his peers his actions consistently reflect the values we strive to instill in all our students doing great work accepting responsibility and remembering to be safe and embracing kindness outside of school Ki loves playing golf basketball and anything that has to do with virtual reality he enjoys making new friends and trying new things he recently tried snowboarding which he loved ky's character makes him a truly well-rounded student whether it's helping his classmates are taking on a new challenge Koy embodies what it means to be a Dar dolphin please join me in welcoming Koy Brookman as
003he leads us in the Pledge of Allegiance [Applause] tonight I put allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible liberty and justice for all we will now recognize our seniors of the month for each school we also have seniors from last month joining us so we will welcome them as well when your name is announced please stand along with your family members while we hear about your accomplishments we'll first start with brutin High School Mr schaer tell us about that yeah he got it right yes we have seniors everywhere this month let's see for February the senior of the month is Kelsey Evers go ahead and everybody stand yeah there you [Applause] go brutin high school is proud to acknowledge
004Kelsey Evers as our uh student of the month Kelsey's academic journey is marked by her commitment to Excellence her involvement in Cross Country Soccer and field hockey teams demonstrates her dedication to teamwork and her ability to lead with Grace and resilience as president of the senior class a peer achievement leader and membership in the CH chemistry Honor Society and Ro Kappa Honor Society uh Kelsey has shown remarkable leadership inspiring her peers through her example and fostering an environment of mutual respect and and collaboration her selection to represent brutin High School at Virginia girl State and her acceptance to speak at the FBI Nori future training agents program Our Testimony to her leadership potential and her commitment to Civic engagement Kelsey's understanding and empathetic nature or qualities that set her apart she consistently strives to view
005situations from all perspectives a trait that will serve her well in her future studies and career in international relations her ability to connect with others whether on a debate team forensics team or through various volunteer activities highlights her versatility and adaptability congratulations [Applause] G just keep rolling okay keep rolling all right now we're going back to January and this is uh the senior of the month for brutin for uh January and it's Sophia Lea go ahead and say up guys sophiaa is one of the best and brightest at brutin high school through her involvement in the governor school for Science and Technology she was selected to participate in a summer uh highly selective internship at Jefferson lab this opportunity reinforced her resolve to pursue a career in engineering additionally Sophia is an extraordinary student leader
006as captain of the brutin high school color guard Sophia's determination and creativity are instrumental in maintaining the quality of the team's performance her ability to choreograph and teach extensive routine speaks volumes about her commitment and resourcefulness Sophia's commitment to stem education is equally impressive as vice president of the roots for stem Club she has played a crucial role in providing Hands-On stem experiences to Young students particularly particularly those from lower income backgrounds her work in organizing after school camps and collaborating with with local organizations has touched the lives of hundreds of children igniting their interest in science and engineering the overwhelming response to their recent robotics camp illustrates Sophia's extraordinary uh ability to engage and inspire a new generation of learns congratulations [Applause] here okay Mr pyic tell us about our Grafton senior of the
007month yes I would like to invite Aaron banza to stand up with her family and be recognized as a senior of man for [Applause] gra Grafton High School is proud to recognize Aaron banza as February senior of the month a dedicated leader in outstanding student Aon has served as SCA class president for both her Junior and senior Years playing a key role in reinstating the junior prom she approaches all aspects of life with a determination not striving for Perfection but working tirelessly to create a better future for generations to come Aaron excels both academically and athletically an incredibly driven student she believes that nothing is impossible and that she can accomplish anything she sets her mind on as a member of the Grafton High tennis team she was she has worked her way up to
008become grafton's number one player and a team captain she is also the DECA president a Deca state qualifier and fbaa Regional champion and state qualifier and has competed in indoor track Beyond school she's actively involved in the techu leadership team further demonstrating her commitment to personal growth and Leadership a well-rounded student and exceptional Ral Aaron banza is an easy choice for this recognition congratulations aarin [Applause] okay next we have uh Miss fman who will tell us about tab high school thank you uh and we have two this time uh for February lordes olivencia [Applause] stand tab High School is honored to announce lordes olivencia as our senior of the month for January whoops sorry it says February at the top and it says January in the body sorry about that lordes is an exceptional student
009whose dedication to academics leadership and community service makes her a deserving nominee for this recognition lordes has demonstrated resilience and determination in her pursuit of Excellence maintaining a rigorous academic schedule while actively contributing to her school and Community lordes is deeply committed to helping others as evidenced by her volunteer work with the Peninsula SPCA Key Club and as a mentor to Young dancers that are student Studio her leadership skills shine in her roles as president of the psychology Club under Secretary General of the model United Nations and co- captain of the forensics Club notably her participation in Model United Nations and co- co- captain of the forensics Club sorry it was double typed here notably her participation in Model United Nations has allowed her to overcome a variety of challenges and grow into a confident
010and articulate leader her academic achievements speak to her strong work ethic including excelling in advanced and college level courses consistently throughout her High School career she is also an active member of the National Honor Society National English Honor Society Spanish Honor Society and Beta Club Lord's passion for criminology and criminal justice has inspired her to pursue a career in law enforcement specifically lordes aspires to work on the behavioral analysis unit of the FBI her unwavering dedication to making a difference both in her school and in her future career makes her an outstanding representative of tab High School her compassion intelligence and Leadership make her truly deserving of this recognition as senior of the month congratulations lordes and this one should be right for January we have Ryan [Applause] prel tab High School is honored to
011announce Ryan prel as our senior of the month for January Ryan embodies the qualities of an exemplary student and leader through his dedication to academic Excellence extracurricular involvement and Community Service as a highly engaged member of tab High School Ryan balances a rigorous academic workload with his passion for the Performing Arts and Leadership roles a talented and versatile performer Ryan has taken on lead roles in numerous school productions including Greece the play that goes wrong and Legally Blonde Beyond acting he was selected as the Director of the one act play cut for 2024 demonstrating his ability to manage and inspire a cast and crew also shares his passion for theater with the Next Generation by volunteering as an assistant director and backstage Mentor for Community Theater camps and Productions Ryan's leadership extends into Deca where
012he served as the vice president of member engagement and into the thespian Honor Society where he serves as a liaison he has also been recognized for academic achievements earning induction into the National Honor Society Mu Alpha Theta and beta honor soci Society whether mentoring young performers competing at Deca events or engaging his peers through his vibrant school spirit Ryan exemplifies hard work creativity and kindness Ryan plans to further his education in business while continuing to explore his passion for the Performing Arts his well-rounded character and unwavering commitment to Excellence make him an outstanding representative of tab high school as January senior of the month nominee congratulations [Applause] Ryan and I get to tell you about our York High Senior of the month York High School is proud to recognize Brady Brady Connor as our senior
013of the [Applause] month as captain of the football team Brady exemplifies leadership and teamwork inspiring peers with his dedication and sportsmanship Beyond football Brady coaches Upward Basketball sharing his passion for sports with younger athletes this role not only showcases his commitment to Athletics but also highlights um his ability to mentor and Inspire the Next Generation Brady is highly recommended by his teachers for this recognition due to his consistent academic excellence and dedication to learning faculty members describe him as genuine sweet personable qualities that make can stand out as a remarkable individual his peers Echo these statements noting that he is always willing to lend a helping hand or offer support whether on the field in the classroom or within the community he consistently demonstrates a commitment to making a positive impact we are honored to
014recognize him as our senior of the month and are excited to see the great things that he will continue to achieve congratulations Brady we're going to now move into our student service Awards and our volunteer Awards so Dr shander would you please go down to the front for these recognitions we will be combining our award recipients according to their school so I will ask Dr Lindsey kid D Elementary principal to step forward and remain upfront while information is shared about both the student service award recipient and the volun of the month for Dale excuse me Dare Elementary first we have our student service award recipient Kenington wall Mr Richardson will you please tell us about Kensington as she comes up FR I will Kensington wall is a shining example of kindness compassion service and service
015at both school and her community she serves as team leader for dares anchored for Life program program providing support for transitioning students by giving tours to new students supporting those moving away and providing kits to students with parents on Military deployments throughout last year's food drive for Thrive Peninsula Kenzie was an integral part of the team helping to bring our school together for our community Kenzie also volunteers alongside her grandparents every week with the PTA cut and paste team preparing materials for teachers Kenzie is a dedicated member of the youth volunteer Corp of Hampton Roads she has volunteered at chat's Camp a horse camp for children with autism helping campers explore the outdoors ride horses swing on zip lines and engage with sensory boards and navigate Trails she has played bingo with senior citizens at
016local at a local nursing home assisted with the installation of a fence for the goat camp at blueberg Gap Farm and cared for babies at The Crossroads Community Church Nursery our school is proud to call Kenzie a dared dolphin and we are thrilled to celebr celebrate her as our student service award recipient congratulations Kenzie now we have our volunteer of the month for Dare Elementary Miss Kristen riddle Miss riddle can you please join Dr shander and Dr kid up front and Mr Richardson would you tell us the about Kristen riddle has been an incredible asset to DAR Elementary School and it with great appreciation that we recognize her as our volunteer of the year she is always ready and willing to lend a hand no matter the size or nature of the task whether helping
017in classrooms donating supplies or contributing to school celebrations Kristen consistently goes above and beyond to support the school Community Kristen is currently serving as the PTA president always stepping up to ensure that any event or initiative is a success she gives her time and energy generously she's also been all into tutor an an Allin tutor program facilitator and consistent substitute teacher spending more days at the school than not she is a driving force behind the parent teacher Partnerships that enhance our school's success Kristen's unwavering dedication to supporting Dar elementary students families teachers and staff has made a profound and lasting impact her kindness and commitment and tireless work ethic make her a true gift to our school Community Kristen's support makes a splash in the lives of our D dolphins congrat congratulations [Applause] Christen now
018I would like to ask Miss Lisa jalo Coventry Elementary School principal to step forward and remain upfront while information is shared for both the student service award recipient and the volunteer of the month for Coventry Elementary School the student service award recipient this month for Coventry Elementary is Chris Christ pascalis Mr pich will you share about Christian as he comes up [Applause] front Christian is an honorable student and exemplary School citizen he can often be found helping others in need and is and is a friend to everyone Christian has positively contributed to his school Community through his involvement in service oriented clubs he represented his class as a student ambassador for two years in this role he welcomed new students ensuring they felt comfortable in their new school and assisted with the program's kindness grams
019service project benefiting the school's cougar Comfort closet for the last two years Christians has served as a member of the caring Cougar Club he has become a leader within uh within this club often supporting others with the task needed to facilitate schoolwide service projects Christian's impact extends Beyond commentary he is involved with St George Coptic Orthodox Church he volunteers each year at the church's Egyptian Festival helping with setup and transporting food to station during the festival Christian is a member of the church chorus attending weekly practices and participating in performance during the during the year he also serves as a young Deacon assisting with the weekly Services Christian Compassion and empathy are unsurpassed making him truly worthy of his recognition congratulations [Applause] the volunteer of the month for Coventry Elementary School is Mr Tim kryer
020Mr kryer would you please join Dr shander and Miss jalo up front while Mr pyit shares some information about [Applause] you Coventry Elementary School is proud to honor Mr Tim kryer as our 2025 volunteer award recipient a graduate of the US Naval Academy Mr ker served 24 years as a naval officers becoming before becoming an educator he earned his teaching certification through the troops to teachers program and taught eighth grade science for 23 years receiving honors such as troops to teachers teacher of the year of of for Tidewater Newport News public school teacher of the year and Tidewater stem Teacher of the Year Mr kryer has volunteered as the commentry Elementary School uh at commentry elementary school since 2019 where he his granddaughters now fourth and seventh grades are currently and former cougars he has
021worked across grade levels sharing his passion for science with Hands-On lessons including building planter boxes butterfly habitats bottle rockets and exploring topics like sound waves and light Mr crer has also re retied our Learning Gardens planted buls provided seeds set up bluebird nest camps and crafted benches for Outdoor Learning spaces as a Master Gardner Mr kryer is involved with the York Learning Garden healthy Virginia Lawns and the Tre Stewart program his dedication to education and the community has had a lasting impact on Coventry and we are grateful for his contribution thank you Mr [Applause] CR and finally I will ask Miss Candace Welch Queens Lake Middle School principal to step forward and remain up front while information is shared for both the student service award recipient and the volunteer of the month for Queens Lake
022Middle School the student service award recipient this month for Queens Lake Middle School is Jour Canada Journey sorry [Applause] apologize Mr schaer will share some information about Journey as she comes up front Journey canid exemplifies a deep commitment to service both within our school and The Wider Community she has dedicated her time and energy to helping at new uh news Zion Baptist Church where she assists in distributing book bags and school supplies for the upcoming school year and has volunteered as an assistant for youth activities during Easter Journey was instrumental in the organization of the two 2024 Powderpuff football event at Queen Queens Lake taking on the responsibility of recruiting staff volunteers organizing teams creating practice schedules and designing advertisements flyers and t-shirts her leadership extends beond event planning as a current cheer captain she
023leads by example balancing her responsibilities while maintaining an honorable status Journeys selflessness organ organizational skills and ability to inspire others have made a lasting positive impact on both our school and the surrounding Community congratulations [Applause] Journey the volunteer of the month for Queens Lake Middle School is Miss Jamie kit Miss kit would you please join Dr shander and Miss Welch up front while Mr Shapers Shi some information about you Jamie kit is the perfect nominee for this award she has been an incredible asset to the Athletics program whether it's being the team mom giving kids ride home rides home when needed or simply offering her time and support Jamie always goes above and beyond for football season she provided a pregame meal for the students after school before every game in a cafeteria and both
024the coaches and students were incredibly appreciative of this gesture she has also played a key role in organizing the eighth grade night at bruden high creating posters for all the eighth graders and setting up a backdrop for families to take photos additionally she helped decorate and set up for the football banquet contributing her time and effort to ensure everything ran smoothly Jamie has also been a huge support for the basketball program and coordinated e8th grade night for our boys team has run a spirit store and provides our students the opport opportunity to look great in their Queens Lake green and gold attire throughout the school year Jamie is truly deserving of this recognition and we are so grateful for everything she has done for Queens Lake Middle School athletics this year congratulations [Applause] Jamie next
025we'll have our York foundation for public education presentation and Mr Schaefer will share some information about that thank you I'd like to invite Mr Rich shook York foundation for public education member to step forward and assist Dr shandor as he presents gifts to each of our award recipients please come up front when you hear your name called congratulations to KY Brookman a first grader from Dar Elementary School course for reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at tonight's school board meeting we'd also like to recognize tonight's student service award recipiant kenzy n Maul from Dar Elementary [Applause] School Christian bcal from Coventry Elementary [Applause] School and joury Kennedy from uh Queens Lake Middle School [Applause] we all we also congratulate our seniors of the month for this month and last month Kelsey Evers and Sophia Lea from
026brutin high school all right Aaron veranza from Grafton High School Lord alencia and Ryan from tab high [Applause] school and Brady Connor and Julia Cooper from York High School yeah one sorry special gifts from cookie text and edible tweet are being presented on behalf of York foundation for public education in partnership with her donor Jean foca of cookie text edible tweet a Sweet Frog gift card is also being donated by Derek Mahan from uh Sweet Frog join me and congratulating all of our award [Applause] recipients sh you can stand up get where you need to get get the pictures you need to get sorry last one keep those smile yay [Applause] before we go on to acent on academics we have one more recognition that we would like to acknowledge tonight the vsba board of
027directors announced that the week of February 17 through the 21st is also School Board clerk Appreciation Week got her come on up Nicole Miss Nicole Howard [Applause] Nicole serves as the executive secretary for the superintendent but also serves as the school board clerk she plays a pivotal role in assisting Schoolboard members superintendents in our local schools our appreciation for her is year round but this evening we want to publicly thank and recognize her she is responsible for organizing and keeping accurate records of the meetings and proceedings of the school board recording all receipts and dispers ments and Records all official acts by the board she maintains frequent contact with the public including parents and employees on behalf of the school board and the superintendent she is often required to work extra hours attending Schoolboard meetings
028and other required events Nicole thank you for all you do for the board and our schools and I appreciate you keeping me and Miss Goodwin straight in the agenda sitting meetings and keeping Dr shandel were on track at times too but thank you again congratulations [Applause] okay now we will have our Accent on academics Dr shander would you introduce this month's Accent on academics yes thank you I'm sorry I'm not feeling well as you can probably hear my voice uh thank you Miss Goodwin tonight we have the pleasure of having students from grafted Middle School here to tell us about the music technology course this program Fosters dig digital literacy problem solving and prepare students for future career opportunities and now turn uh the microphone over to assistant principal Ashley mmore she's going to introduce
029her team Miss mmore we can clap [Applause] all right good evening Madame chair members of the board and Dr shandor it is my pleasure to highlight the music technology course at Grafton Middle School this Innovative program is designed to address the growing need for creative and Technical skill building preparing our students for the demands of the 21st century in today's rapidly evolving world World creativity and Technical proficiency are essential the music technology course provides students with a unique platform to explore and develop these skills through Hands-On projects students learn to compose produce and edit music using industry standard software and Equipment this not only nurtures their artistic talents but also enhances their technical abilities giving them a well-rounded skill set here to tell us more about the course is our wonderful music technology teacher Mr
030Eric musle White and four of our amazing students from the course Ariel Brown James hobbert Noah Jung and Scarlet Winkles thank you Mrs McLemore um good evening uh everyone uh we're very excited to offer this music technology course uh to our Grafton Middle School students we are currently in our second year of this brand new course and the engagement excitement and enrollment growth generated has truly been gratifying to see the music technology course is a one- semester class that covers several aspects within the Arts AV technology and Communications Career Cluster and is meticulously designed to align with the key competencies required for Future Ready graduates students engage in collaborative projects fostering teamwork and communication skills and along the way develop critical thinking and problemsolving abilities as they navigate the complexities of music production Central to
031the course is the exploration of music production through writing arranging tracking and mixing using technology the course also includes lessons on the history of the music industry and the business behind it students are also given specific critiquing guidelines what we call kshh feedback and practice applying constructive criticism to aesthetic judgments throughout the semester here to tell us more are four students from the music technology class Ariel Brown James hobbert Noah Jung and Scarlet Winkles okay hi I'm Ariel Brown and I would like to show you the equipment we use in the music technology course our main item we use in class is of course our school laptop computers in our computers we use soundtrack was which is a DA or digital workstation sound trap is just like a recording studio where we can record mix
032and create sounds music loops and even entire songs we also use this mini piano keyboard with our computers and soundtrap to create Melodies cords and drum beads we also use online resources to produce an electronic press kit or EPK we also use our EPK to develop our artist Persona and to store our completed project through the semester here's James to tell us about the process of making songs hi I'm James hoper here you will see the process I use to create an original song In soundtrack here you can see the purple squares I'm highlighting to choose drum patterns patterns work best when making drum beads next it's always a good idea to audition sounds to see what you may like after adding a base sound I like to play back the audio to see if
033it works here you can see the individual tracks being built next you can see how I entered individual synthesizer sounds with the mouse [Music] and here's the track so far and now the completed project with some more added tracks and editing [Music] now here's Noah to talk about the sound collage project hi I'm Noah Jung here's a video of my Sonic collage project titled spooky hallway our assignment was to make a collage of sounds um to represent a thought or idea okay when you come up to the podium be careful where you rest your hands there are consequences okay okay I started out with this piano sound to make it a spooky oh yeah my two words were I think spooky hallway so I added the piano sound cuz it sounded cool and then this
034it was this part so so I did tapping noise it was originally supposed to be like a water dripping but I made it more rhythmic and I added some base uh cuz that's when I decided to make it like a real beat instead of just a Sonic collage and [Music] here's Scarlet to tell us more about the class hi I'm Scarlet Winkles I'm here today to express and share with you all my time in the music technology course at Grafton when I arrived at the first class I was unsure of what would come my way it was a completely new thing to me but I was so excited to see what I was in store for after just a class or two I quickly realized my expectations were exceeded I learned so much about the
035basics like rhythms harmonies Melodies tber and tone Tempo and many more I also learned more specific things like how to use effects with technology use soundtrack and layer different sounds to make a new hit I feel so fulfilled after taking Music Tech and I don't regret it it wasn't too difficult to learn how to make cool music music and everyone had different styles that came out in their projects some were very funny some were chaotic and some were really impressive with how they were put together with different pieces I think music technology would be a perfect course for somebody who's passionate about music somebody who likes to express their creativity loves to collaborate with others or somebody who simply wants to have a good time thank you Ariel James Noah and Scarlet in our second
036year of the program we have doubled enrollment numbers the course is extremely popular and the students are highly motivated by the cultural relevance of the course recording music that they created we look forward to starting a music technology course uh music technology 2 course next year and I'm planning teacher collaborations with the make ity business program as well as Music For an upcoming GMS podcast series for read Across America week we are also in talks with the Grafton High School choir uh director about providing music for a future singing competition featuring Grafton students and faculty music education in York County has a great past and a bright future it is with pride and confidence that I look in both directions thank you very [Applause] much we would like to invite questions or comments I have
037one yes um have you ever put any lyrics along with the music that you've created yeah we have um so there are rare times when people will add lyrics but personally our class is very shy about their voices on the microphone so that's a very rare ordeal but it can happen cuz cuz there is a microphone in soundtrack okay that's I was just wondering if if you had thought about if if anybody was into creating poetry or anything and then putting it to the music absolutely um we do have uh lots of opportunities for vocals to be added in different ways um we also have jingle writing as a part of the course where they have to make a commercial come up with an idea come up with a product create the music and then
038the the jingle for the words behind it yes how fun I'd love to hear some of those sometime we can arrange that well that's that's just awesome I mean this is this is very cool and uh have you ever thought because uh I have an associate that does beats okay and sells the beats and rappers and all they they buy the Beats from them and all you could actually be training for that couldn't you uh yes we could I believe we'll need to speak to the lawyers about profits and sharing uh but yes we're on it yes sir that's cool what do you guys done a wonderful job uh just seeing Mr schaer bopping his head to the Rhythm like I was like yeah brought some fun to the board so we appreciate that uh
039who's the best in doing this everybody raise your hand there we go let's be honest you guys are champions I just want to tell you guys you done for phal job and I wish I could hear all of it all of your Creations that would be awesome we would love to have you visit sometime that'd be great yeah thank you so is this a course you could recommend for somebody who's maybe not very musically inclined yeah definitely you learn like all of the basics about music and like you learn how like to use different notes and you learn what the different vocabulary terms are in the course so you don't need to have any experience to be involved with it that's great it's great job love it thank [Applause] you the board is now going
040to take a short recess to meet with award recipients and their families okay all right we will now reconvene the meeting we don't have any unfinished business to discuss this evening so and no presentations so we're going to roll right into um comments of citizens we have two opportunities to speak this evening the first is the general topics and the second is a forum specifically relating to comments regarding the FY 26 operating budget before I open for public public comments I'll share some remarks the school board provides a public comment period for the public to comment on topics Dain to the business of the school board the school board expects that each speaker will be courteous modeling Civility and respect for our students we ask that speakers direct their comments to the Schoolboard as a
041whole and not just to one individual speakers will present their comments at the podium each speaker may speak for up to three minutes a timer is visible to speakers from the podium and speakers should conclude the remarks when the red light comes on the timer will begin after you state your name and District if a concern is brought to the board's attention a staff member will reach out to you to follow up I now open the public participation for comments of citizens okay our first Speaker tonight um is Pam Pas show good evening my name is pampush show I reside in District 4 the general public seems to have a misunderstanding of what the US Department of Education actually does what it does not do is create curriculum academic sports or social programs the department
042is responsible for Distributing congressionally approved funds to students and schools while overseeing their use to maintain accountability and compliance with Federal Regulations they also uphold federal education priorities such as civil rights protections and support for disadvantaged students and ensure Equitable access to educational opportunities they provide funding for K through2 education as well as support Student Financial Aid such as AEL Grant and post-secondary education they collect and analyze data to identify Trends and best practices they support research including teaching techniques some of the programs that are supported by the department are individual education plans for physically and mentally challenged students Head Start Student Financial Aid research grants in early childhood learning I want to stress they do not determine what your child is taught that is done at the state and local level Elon Musk and
043his court jester Trump have promised to obliterate the US Department of Education York county is a military compassionate Duty station which means this is a community where parents of handicapped students are stationed will this still be funded does your child have an IEP does your child participate and head start without AEL Grant or student loans can your child attend college if your child is your child lgbtq plus a minority a non-Christian a female or an immigrant who will no longer have protections against discrimination about 9% of the York County budget is funded by the US Department of Education while it is not a large portion of the budget if we have to fund it ourselves we will have to ask the supervisors for increased funding or we will have to make Cuts perhap perhaps parents
044won't like it if these cuts are banned sports teams or clubs and can no longer be funded of course we can fire teachers increase class sizes and cut curriculum we must also consider cuts to Medicaid because we will have more sick students as they will no longer have health insurance we will experience the loss of federal funding for free or reduced meals resulting in hungry children thank those who really don't care about the consequences of their actions to include Donald Trump Congressman Rob Whitman and Governor Glenn yunan as well as Virginia Congressman Ben Klein who has submitted a bill to close the Department of Education thank the voters who heard Trump's promises to destroy democracy and deconstruct our government and thought it was a good idea those who say this won't affect them will be
045surprised when the results of this lunacy come knocking on their door because it is only a matter of time I personally believe our children deserve better it is a Pity that not enough people share that belief which is evident by their silence thank you our next speaker is Mark Forest uh good evening my name is Mark Forest I live in District 5 my daughter attends tab high school I'd like to thank all the Schoolboard members Dr shandor and administrators at York County School Division for the work you do to make our school system literally the best in the state tonight I'm here to talk about something will bring opportunity to many of our students students which has been left out of the budget for far too long I'd like to talk about adding vhl sanction
046boys and girls Varity lacrosse to York County Public Schools as a beef brief history boys and girls lacrosse has been a club sport in Grafton tab in York High School since 2007 that's 18 years as a club sport in these schools over that time these Club programs in yourk County have asked several times uh for the school board and previous administrations to progress to full Varsity status and participate in the Virginia High School Le our most written proposal was put forward to ycsd Administration October of 2024 this proposal included monetary and Equipment contributions totaling approximately $60,000 to a team startup and offset costs of the school system unfortunately we discovered last week that a proposed goal to add lacrosse the schools for spring 26 Season was not included in the current budget after asking we
047were informed that there was not enough funding and that other local school divisions are prioritizing construction of turf fields before they convert their current club lacrosse programs of vhsl our proposal has effectively been put on pause yet again we know the current ycsd Administration is working on it the principles the athletic directors in each school have voiced their support and they have been amazing 18 years as a club sport should be proof enough this the sport is sustainable and it continues to grow this spring Graft in York and tab high schools will have approximately 150 students combined playing boys and girls club lacrosse these player numbers are comparable to and most times exceeding the numbers for other current varsity sports teams for many student athletes this is only this is the only sport they will
048play in high school the current Club teams play at the help of the Hampton Rose Lacrosse League to play each player must register with hrlax and pay a $225 registration fee as you can tell the registration equipment and club fees alone can be cross prohibitive for some students and even consider playing lacrosse most programs have extra equipment to donate to kids who want to give it a try however the $200 plus registration fees can be exclusionary for some students even with fundraising in addition to having self-fund their sport High School lacrosse players in York County are excluded from using many school facilities including weight rooms practice fields indoor facilities and athletic trainers because they are not recognized Varsity Sport by the school they're a club York County has an accomplished history of players who have
049gone on to play into division one two and three NCAA Collegiate levels however no one would ever know there are no trophies in the display case for the Championships they have won nor any pictures on the wall from the multiple USA lacrosse all Americans that have come through YC St schools plan on club team makes them ineligible to be recognized for the athletic accomplishments such as all district All Region All State and limits their exposure to scholarships our teams are good and ready to challenge at the highest level neighboring school systems in Richmond and Virginia Beach has successfully added VHS all lacrosse and are actively looking for teams to play here on the peninsula I want to thank the administration for your time thank you all next speaker is David seagull yes right uh good
050evening I'm David seagull uh District Five I have two students at tab uh high school and I'm here as well to support tab lacrosse uh York lacrosse and Grafton lacrosse uh 18 years is a long time to be denied access to vhsl and the recognition these students deserve um we've proposed in October as Dr Forest said um almost a zero fund we're funding the vhsl we have the money we have the equipment we have everything needed it's plug and go and yet we keep being denied so uh students need their recognition my daughter plays on the field hockey team at tab uh tab High School is 80 and0 they were here just a few months ago you celebrated them they play teams all the way up in Northern Virginia they play teams in Fredericksburg we're
051also being told that we're not allowed to play teams or we're not allowed to go vhsl because there aren't any teams in our district well there are teams in our district wburg James City County has agreed to go as soon as we go but then they say oh well York County says well no we'll go when they go and here we are caught in this conundrum we need to go we need to be the leaders we need to be to show everybody in the region who we are we're leaders we're not followers so please I hope you can have an opportunity to take a look at our proposal it's zero sum money we have the money we have the funds we have the equipment uh my daughter plays for the field hockey team she's got
052three state Rings three time state champion she's on the wall and York at the tab gym when I walk in I can see her okay we have a boy who's a senior this year at tab lacrosse he made the United States u8 national team he won't see his face at tab high school yet he wears tab gear when he plays it's a shame a travesty he can't come back to his Alma moer and look at his face this is time for it to go we need to be vhsl we need the recognition for these students they're missing out on opportunities for scholarships they're missing out on a lot and it's 18 years of success at at all the schools please take our our concerns seriously um my last and most important thing yeah I already
053did that that's all I have thank you thank [Applause] you okay next we have um Tim Edward Edwards good evening everybody my name is Tim Edwards I'm from District 3 both of my boys are York high school graduates and for 10 years I was a coach of the York York High School boys lacrosse team with last year being my last season like to thank youall for what you do um and for all your hard work I know it's not easy uh I'd like to encourage the board to continue to work to add varsity boys and girls lacrosse to full vhl full V vhsl status we've had healthy Club programs as um we've mentioned at tab Graft in New York for almost 20 years over those 20 years have been our teams have been very successful
054and competitive within the HR LAX Club league with both boys and girls winning numerous playoff games and championships with lacrosse in the area being a club sport many student athletes have not had the opportunity to participate because of the financial barrier lacrosse is athletically welcoming to all their Sports we've all had football basketball track baseball softball wrestling soccer players transition to Lacrosse and become very successful all of us involved over the years have worked diligently to ensure that as many players have the opportunity to play as possible many of our players have missed opportunities with Allstate honors and academic recognitions which has had an impact on college careers and resume building even with the barriers we have all had players that continue their lacrosse and academic careers at a college level even though I've been
055out of coaching for a year it appears there should be a sizable monetary contribution for startup which shows to me and should show to you you all that the level of commitment is there from families students and the community we're the only area in the entire Eastern Seaboard seab board that does not have lacrosse as an official Varsity Sport whole whole East Coast yourk County School Division is known for giving their best for giving their best opportunities to students as you saw with the m for example with the music students earlier this evening adding lacrosse as a vhsl sport would extend those opportunities I would again like to encourage the board and school leadership to continue to work and add lacrosse to full vhsl status thank you for your time and your hard work thank
056you our next speaker is Carrie Chi uh good evening I'm car I reside in District 4 and tonight I want to speak about concerns I have regarding special education funding in the coming years Virginia received 2 and a half billion in federal education funding in 2024 making up 12% of our state school funding of that 3467 million was designated for special education under the individuals with disabilities Education Act if the Department of Education is dismantled These funds will not transfer to the states instead they will be reallocated to other Federal priorities creating a crippling financial gap for Virginia schools even with Federal funding Virginia is already underfunding education ycsd is projected to be underfunded for the 25 26 school year while Surplus in money that um in the state general funds remains unallocated money that
057could support our schools a state budget proposal is on the table but it will require Governor yonan's approval we need strong advocacy from local leaders including this board to push for this passage with funding Cuts programs like 504 plans and IEPs will suffer special education is not optional it's a necessity these students will become members of our community and Workforce and it's crucial that they receive the services they need to reach their full potential I want to also push back against the misconception that IEPs and 504 plans are handed out too easily that is simply not the case I've personally been through an almost year-long process to secure an IEP for my daughter and it required teacher observations many many specialist assessments and medical evaluations no parent walks into a school and is simply and
058accommodations the process is thorough data driven and requires Specialists the funding that supports these evaluations and ins Services is at stake dismantling Department of Education and failing to adequately fund K through2 schools at the state level is shortsighted it's the equivalent of stepping over dollars to pick up pennies it's not going to lower federal debt it's going to weaken public education and Ill prepare our future Workforce I urge you school board members to take action Advocate at the state level speak out against these cuts and fight for full punding funding of our Public Schools I truly believe that push back from the local level to the state level can truly make it up to the federal level and make a make a difference our children's Futures depend on it thank you for hearing me out
059thank you all right our next speaker is Jillian rice um Jillian rice District 5 good evening Dr shandor Madam Madam chair and esteemed members of the school board my name is Jillian rice and I'm a senior at tab High School currently serving as one of the three captains of the tab girls lacrosse team tonight I am here to advocate for the inclusion of Lacrosse as an official vhsl sport in York County lacrosse is recognized as one of the fastest growing Sports across United States and it is imperative for our schools to embrace this trend and its potential benefits not only does the cross offer students the chance to build strength speed and coordination but it also Fosters teamwork resilience and Leadership skills much like the other vhsl recognized Sports the TBL Lacrosse Club was established
060in 2007 making the club as old as myself over the past 18 years the sport has experienced significant growth in our region last year our girls roster consisted of 14 players whereas this year that number has expanded to 23 this increase in participation reflects the sports growing appeal and underscores the importance of formalizing it under vhsl transitioning lacrosse to vhsl status would also have benefits in terms of accessibility and inclusivity as it would help reduce the cost barriers that often limit involvement many students regardless of their financial background would be able to participate in Lacrosse this year it cost $225 per person to play in the Hampton Roads Lacrosse League along with the additional fees to the tab Lacrosse Club and USA lacrosse playing a sport for your high school should not cost this much
061money making lacrosse a vhsl recognized sport would allow tab lacrosse to receive enough funding to tremendously decrease these fees per student then students who may not be able to afford the original high costs would finally get the chance to participate furthermore making lacrosse a vhsl sport would provide players with the opportunity for state level recognition currently as a club sport we are ineligible for honors such as all district All Region and all state the highest recognition available is All Conference despite the dedication and effort we put into the game I'm myself have received all conference honors the past three years but never got the chance to be considered past that level formalizing lacrosse under vhsl would allow athletes to receive the accolades they deserve for their hard work as someone who has missed out on
062numerous opportunities duing to Lacrosse only being a club sport I find it unfair to myself and my teammates that we are unable to be recognized beyond our league any longer so I urge you to please add lacrosse to the ycsd budget to make it a vhsl sport and allow future students to be able to get the opportunities and recognition I never got the chance to receive thank you thank [Applause] you our next speaker is John and is it Anderson good evening uh board members my name is John and I live in District 4 uh I am the York girls head coach uh I have three children that have played or are currently playing lacrosse for the past 15 years and two are currently playing in college uh I would like to talk about the how
063and wise of adding vhsl sanctioned girls and boys lacrosse to New York County Schools can happen and why it's needed clubs will contribute significant startup funds equipment and uniforms help defray the costs associated with the new sport lacrosse programs will generate revenue on their own uh through tickets for games and fundraisers to help sustain it much like other sports uh this will trct other schools within the bay Rivers District to add a lacrosse once they see the success of the York County programs this happened with the Virginia Beach teams uh there will be no shortage of vhsl teams to play from our area including Virginia Beach and Richmond this will add another viable op option for athletes who could not play before due to high costs and give all students the opportunity to play lacrosse
064now I would like to uh add a letter from my son JT Anderson class of 2020 at York High School and uh right and what lacrosse has done for him lacrosse is the entire reason I'm where I am in my life right now and couldn't be more thankful for the sports and its entirety lacrosse gave me the opportunity to become a strong leader on and off the field help me find my voice and to always work hard for what you want it is the oldest organized sport in North America but that doesn't tell you the lineage of people who have been positively impacted by the game I play Division One lacrosse at hobar College Geneva New York which is a program rooted in Tradition not only because of its location but also because it's home
065to 16 national championships between the division 2 and division 3 level levels before being elevated to the D1 landscape the game means the role to the players both past and present and being able to interact with many of these individuals has deepened my understanding and love for the sport starting my career playing in the HR LAX league for the York toown Titans in elementary school has now transformed into a lifelong appreciation for the sport and what it can offer I've had the opportunity to travel up and down the Eastern Seaboard go to Deerfield Academy and play on the number one team in the country meet people who have been instrumental in my growth as a person and all this while currently playing on the same grounds that the game has played 100 years ago there
066is no other game in the ground quite like it called the fastest game on two feet the sport has parts that everyone can enjoy whether it's speed finesse power Tempo strategy lacrosse offers a blend of many people's favorite sports the sport will finally be included in the 2028 summer links I believe it should become a varsity sanction in our area I'd like you to consider adding High School lacrosse as a vhsl sanction support in the 2025 2026 budget all right our next speaker is denil Francis good evening my name is denil Francis District 2 my child niece and nephew are current York County students there are so many concerns to be addressed regarding the ongoing presence of Linda Fairman on our school board fairman's pattern of cherry-picking facts to misrepresent situations destroyed any hope that
067she would be able to build trust with the public her grandstanding behavior at meetings trying to draw highly partisan public figures into her drama only highlights the lie she based her Schoolboard campaign upon her lie to voters that she was going to remove politics from our schools Fairman leaking documents to her friends that appear amateurishly altered while disregarding Foya Norms that allow public access to original communication holds true to her historical behaviors with our schools that Linda Fairman cannot be trusted yet she continues to posture and waste the publ and school divisions time after all her anti- diverse University equity and inclusion statements and having not attended a single School event all year she recently made a brief appearance at one of our division's largest diversity equity and inclusion events the unified Tigers basketball game
068those of us there saw it for the hollow gesture it was and in fact some families questioned whether she had ill intent in being there Linda Fairman has never shown support of the best interest of our students or School Division as parents staff and students we know Linda Fairman cannot be trusted unless it's to land York County in legal trouble lastly let me close by focusing on hope hope as I ask York County School Division to move forward with renaming McGruder elementary school as a brutin graduate myself this is important there is valid documentation and known history on why McGruder needs to be renamed the current name is in violation of policy against naming our schools after people and most importantly our children the students know the history and they know why the name change
069is so very important please take action to rename McGruder Elementary School to brutin Elementary School it's hope our students deserve thank you thank [Applause] you our next speaker is yavon Johnson good evening School Board my name is yavon lyette Johnson I'm representing brutin District and I'm going to start by reading a poem first they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a communist then they came for the Socialist and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist then they came for the trade unionist and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew then they came for me and there was no one left
070to speak out for me I am here today and I am this poem was written by a pastor Martin nilore who was initially an anti-semitic Nazi supporter he changed his tune when he found himself in a concentration camp for speaking out against the Nazis and in a time when history is being whitewashed and Rewritten identities are being lost so I am standing here on behalf of those who came before me I'm standing here speaking for the descendants of the ancestors who served this nation in every conflict and War since the Revolutionary War I'm standing here as a former student of Frederick Douglas and when Frederick Douglas when all the schools were integrated frederck Douglas was renamed McGruder Annex the people that were forced to go to McGruder was because the the people that um when
071they integrated the white parents did not want their children to go to a school named after a black man however black students were forced to go to a school that was named in the Jim Crow era and is an honor to the Civil War Confederate general John Bankhead McGruder who ordered the burning of Hampton on August 7th 1861 targeting fugitive slaves and Contraband next year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation to have any school named in honor of a traitor to the United States of America who defended of anyone who defended the institution of slavery is a disgrace and a slap in the face to all of us it's time to rename McGruder to brutin Elementary thank you thank you our next speaker is Mary [Music] Lasser good evening Mary ler
072brutin District I want to concur with the comments about the um lacrosse team all students should be able to um participate in sports and get if there's an opportunity to get in scholarship they should have that opportunity I've had many Grand children and nieces and nephews that have gone on to college so that's a great opportunity I've also advocated for my grandson that had U an IEP and you really need to support those children they need that I'm here tonight to talk about the um name renaming of muda Elementary and I I it's it's time and I'm waiting for a response from you all with something definite when are we going to be put on the agenda we have proven everything that we need to prove to you about all of those false statements that
073were in the newspaper uh that you had educated the um students and parents that attended McGruder that was never done uh the false statement that that school was named in honor of uh the black predominantly black community of muda that was not true uh your county needs to be honest you need to let the parents know that this school system has not always been had schools named after um regions like like that the fallacy is out there saying you've had two schools MCA I'm not sorry not McGruder you've had Frederick Douglas and James Welden Johnson that were changed when integration started so I am waiting for your responses I almost didn't come tonight because it's like what good is it going to do are they just ignoring me are they just kicking the can down
074the road but uh it's time that we get on an agenda and start something uh definite about this thank you thank you all right next speaker is Dr Alan Ken kened all right uh good evening Madame chair members of the board uh I'm Alan Kennedy I live in district one and uh I would like to applaud you uh for um for your uh first reading tonight that's to come on the public comment policy um which literally recognizes is the right to well applaud uh so uh so I I I applaud you for that I think it is a step in the right direction to recognize the constitutional right to freedom of speech um and that brings me to my second Point uh that that not so long ago uh the now former chair uh of
075this board uh Linda J Fairman um had threatened to have the sheriffs drag me out of here because I dared to stand and applaud and because of the content of my speech now we recognize that that is unconstitutional and yet miss Fairman now seeks to get back in the get the chair um to become chair again uh and she said as much in January um when she violated fo Foya uh in order to present a letter that appears to be altered although the second page does mention Chad green um so I'm I suspect that's what was uh um altered and then when uh when that was pointed out she then went back with the help of AC Cordova uh AC cordoza and got a letter uh signed by the by attorney general Jason Marez um
076which all rests on this idea aide that if the uh which comes down to um to saying that she could not have been removed as chair um because she had to be allowed to serve out the one-year term and yet I think it's a legally contested issue um because uh because the law doesn't actually say that and the attorney general acknowledges that but then tries to make the tries to make the argument that in the absence of such a law um you as board members should be prohibited from removing Miss Fairman what I think this shows is that that Miss Fairman has friends in high places Chad green AC cordoza who want to reinstate her despite all of the the violations of Foya all of the violations of the Constitution uh and all of the
077disrespect that she has shown to toward the citizens and taxpayers and students of York County so I hope uh that you will stay the course uh I I applaud uh our our chair our vice chair on your election and thank you for the work that you do thank you okay we next up have Logan is it Kane or con con cone okay uh hello I'm Logan con and I live in District 5 uh good evening I'm a sophomore at tab high school and I recently transferred as a freshman from HRA to play lacrosse um I playing lacrosse that tab uh gave me a community where I could meet new people and make friends in a place where I otherwise didn't know anyone else uh I've been playing lacrosse for a long time and I'm seriously
078considering playing in college however it's very difficult for me to get exposure as it's only a club Sport and uh Club statistics are not viewed the same as vhsl statistics at the next level uh adding vhsl lacrosse to your County Schools would greatly increase the exposure that I could get as well as many many other athletes that I personally know share similar Ambitions as me in playing lacrosse at the next level uh thank you so much for your time and I really hope you consider this issue thank you all right next up we have Deanna Ricks good evening board members and Dr shandor um my name is Dina Ricks I reside in district one I'm here to discuss policy B ddh about public comment at board meetings public comments on the workings of uh the
079school division by teachers staff students and community members is important to the good governance of ycsd at the last work session the board worked on the bdh policy and I have to say good job I Echo Dr Kennedy's uh comments you took into account the needs of the public to make comments and made adjustments based on the issues that had occurred last year now I want you to remember that the public that held board members accountable last year who advocated for changes and who who you may view negatively are actually reasonable people you can work with to make changes to ycsd and make it the best that it can be including making lacrosse a San IED Sport and renaming McGruder elementary school thank you thank you oh it's on Can You Hear Me Maybe I
080need to lean in more so I now close the public participation for comments and citizens we will next have um the public hearing on the Y uh FY 26 operating budget Dr shander do you have any remarks before we begin I do just just a few thank you um so before the public form I I wanted to share that I presented my budget at the February 10th um board work session and I presented this as a needs-based budget um that we we do have some new revenue from the state uh due to our 401 students so we received approximately $4.3 million from the county we received $500,000 local miscellaneous was $300 and 389,000 increase for federal I also shared the differences between FY 25 and FY 26 at the state and the county level at
081the state level um in fy2 we've received $8.5 million of an increase compared to 4.3 million this year and locally re we received 2.1 million in fy2 and we're set to receive 500,000 this year the budget supports the budget presentation that I presented um supports each of our strategic plan priorities Collective commitment supportive culture highly effective talent and Future Ready graduates the total expenditure needed is over $8.7 million we do have a budget gap of just over 3.1 million so I'm going to say that one more time so our community fully understands that we have a budget Gap of 31 million so my uh total proposed budget is 20,7 52,6 126 million thank you very much for the opportunity to do you're welcome okay I now open the public hearing on FY 26 operating budget
082we have one speaker our speaker is Todd hogland Todd hogland uh District three um first I do want to Echo all of what the uh lacrosse people are saying my daughter played for the championship uh women's lacrosse team at York high last year and um she honors her time with the lacrosse team um Dr shandor I I appreciate um you sharing I'm sorry I'm not supposed to talk to one person I appreciate that Dr shandor shared uh the information in the budget I I understand that budgeting for an entire school district is difficult I I acknowledge that uh I am here to speak on behalf of the teachers of York County who I believe are underpaid overworked and are really struggling um even though uh some states have increased their average pay um for teachers
083it is not kept up with the inflation that has also increased over the years to the point where teachers are actually making 5% less than they did 10 years ago based on inflation the national average pay for a teacher is $695 the average pay for a teacher in Virginia is $ 63,360 putting Virginia at number 25 of all 50 states the national Center for Education statistics say that the national average for a teacher number of years is 14.5 years Virginia's average for teachers is 14.4 years I currently am in my 19th year of teaching however I on step 14 because of the step freeze that was instituted before I was hired uh my steps have not been returned to me and to the point where I'm currently earning $ 69,1 123 if I was on
084the correct step I'd be earning $ 72,5 18 this is real I'm a father of five children I have to pay the bills I'm missing money because I'm staying honest and true to York County Public Schools I could be earning 72,300 31 if I go to Hampton I could be earning $8,250 if I go to Newport News I don't want to do that I love York County Schools I speak almost every meeting because I care about this division um teacher pay there was a study that was reported that teacher pay uh continues to shrink in what's called a pay Gap um that teachers in Virginia are actually earning 73% of what their same educ ated peers are in other fields so basically we are being punished for being teachers because of pay if I was
085receiving what the national pay Gap average is I'd be earning 94,6 189 if I was making what the Virginia Gap is which is bigger I'd be earning over 100,000 I'm not asking for that I'm asking for consideration of livable wages all right was there anybody who did not sign up to speak that would like to speak oh didn't you on the budget sign the oh okay sure come on up Pam puso District 4 uh the general assembly right now is talking about having a special session because they don't know what the federal government's going to be doing where they may lose funding um you're going to have to face the same problems because we don't know what's going to be cut and if we're already losing money how much more will we lose and I
086think it's incumbent upon every one of you to contact our state legislators and our federal legislators and let them know that you can't function when you can't even put out a decent budget because you don't know what you're going to get so please contact people that can make a difference because you don't have the ability to tax us unfortunately our Board of Supervisors does and if you are desperate for funding they will in fact have to raise their taxes so thank you thank you anyone else that didn't get to speak on budget that wanted to speak okay all right I now close the public hearing on FY 26 operating budget and we'll move forward with our agenda we're going to move into Matters by the board this is where each board member has the opportunity
087to speak so we'll first start with District Five Miss Fairman thank you very much Madam chair um um I had the wonderful opportunity to visit both tab high school and tab Middle School uh last week that uh I did happen to forget to bring them uh two large rolls of like poster paper that classrooms can use and things so Dr shandor I'll send you an email when I can take those over um for their use for the art department or whatever uh wants to use it it was donated by Domin power when they had closed out their thing um their main uh power station here in New York County and I had already delivered the the large roles to uh the elementary schools in District 5 uh as well as Mount Vernon Elementary so I
088will make sure that both tab high and tab middle get those it was uh it was wonderful watching the uh Unity Club basketball game the assistant principal took me around and she said it's going on right now would you like to see it and uh it was very loud in there so I could only handle for a little bit of time but it was uh wonderful to watch uh everybody excited and cheering and the game that I watched it was uh students against faculty which is always fun I know um back when I was teaching in the the schools it was always exciting to watch my fellow teachers U play the students um let's see it was also really nice I had the opportunity walk uh through some of the hallways um met the uh
089the art teacher had a chance to talk with her um met the U Spanish teacher spoke with her uh for a little bit she had some students in the classroom like I said most of them were at the basketball game and then I had the opportunity to walk through the hallway where the U the history classes were and saw some wonderful uh student uh posters and things so it was nice to see that they had created things with their hands for their learning for the the different uh parts of History the different uh eras it it was really nice to see that um I had the wonderful opportunity to then go to tab middle saw my old classroom where I used to teach and some of the teachers were still there and uh who were
090there when I was uh a full-time teacher and that was nice to see them again and see them working with the students in the classroom I'm still concerned with the uh amount of time on Chromebooks and I know one of the things that the um the Virginia Department of Education actually has a booklet called digital devices in the classroom and on page six it actually has it broken down uh for the amount of time students need to have screen time and that includes not only in the classroom but also at home and for ages 2 to five uh is one hour screen time per day total ages six and up uh they have it here that it's 2 to three hours per day for elementary students and 3 to four hours per day for secondary
091students and I know how how that adds up after a while from what you're doing in the classroom to uh testing any assignments that you're doing in the class and then going home and having homework and so I I know I'm probably beating the drum again but I would really like to take a look and see how we can make sure that we're not overloading the students with that screen time because more and more reports are coming out that it's detrimental to their eyesight it's detrimental to their brain development things like that the the amount of time on the screens it's a it's a useful tool but we can't be on it all the time and so that's one of the things to um look at um and I know some of the people here
092they um don't like when I bring up the Dei review although we need we're going to need to address this because there are ties to the federal money of making sure that we've removed the Dei from anything and that doesn't mean that we are removing the special ed Department special ed is not Dei we had special ed when I was teaching here 20 years ago that uh before the Dei program was put together as a movement um we need to get make sure that we go through our mission and vision statement and strategic plan um one of the things that I brought up when we were uh voting on our literacy plan was the hmh I think it's hooton Mifflin parcour I've got the hes right on that um the actual literacy program looked really
093good and in looking at the at the books and some of the readings my concern was that that company their main website was all Dei and pushing that particular movement Al together and if we're going to be removing that we need to take a strong look at that um the cultural competency video that's required for everyone to watch through the vector trainings uh it forces everyone to acknowledge their implicit bias which is a main part of Dei and CRT um so yes colleagues we do have this here unfortunately and the other part is uh I'd like to know back me know what SE program we're using I know when it was first being discussed right after uh the lockdowns when we're coming back into school that it was uh on our website that it was
094castle and one of the documents from the castle website is Seal is a lever for equity and Equity is not equality um and there there are some concern concerns with that and I would really like to um to take a look at that and see what we're what we're doing and how much we're spending onal and if it is really helping our students uh we've always taught character we've always taught the Golden Rule I know when we were teaching in the classroom we weren't spending thousands of dollars on a program that um leads to some issues uh let's see on my notes sorry uh for transparency I'd like to put out that uh we should add to our Schoolboard web page on the York County School Division web page our bios for each of us
095so that anybody going to us you're not just seeing the names you're not just seeing the pictures you can see our background see what we've done things like that um and also I would like to propose that we put specifics on the training we've taken and attended so that everybody can see what courses we've taken uh where it was um you know if we traveled for it or if it stayed here I'd like to propose that and I'd also like to propose for transparency that we post all professional development uh for review by parents and um and our citizens who are paying for everything uh so they can see you know what we're all being trained on here uh have some other things but I know um time is getting late so I will just
096save those for um the future um discussion I would like to say on on the budget I know it's going to be tight and with everything that's going on I think we're going to have to do our own version of what's going on at the federal level to take a look and see where we can trim more if we don't have the money coming in the taxpayers and I'm one I don't have a closet somewhere that has extra taxpayer money you know to put towards everything that it's it's going to take us doing the doing the hard job and and really tightening the belt and I know that's difficult and we need to make sure that we are getting for our students and the teachers what they need in the classroom to support the academic
097excellence and academic achievement that's what we need to be focusing on on as well as what um the group tonight brought with lacrosse because the physical aspects of what students learn helps them in their academic achievement and so we if we could take a look at that and I hope that the board will um be revisiting that U to see about adding lacrosse they've already proven their um their worth and their time in lasting for 18 years and doing quite well I think they've Pro proven it uh bit it's going to be tough finding it in the budget but I think we can do it thank you very much thank you okay we'll move on to Mr pich thank you madam chair um I would like to just uh brief you on uh it was
098a somewhat short month that we had uh due to the snow uh I would like to give praises to all of our staff for and teachers uh for taking care of us during those snow days and uh helping our students stay on track uh with the studies I know with my kids that help quite a bit so thank you for that uh during the last 30 days I actually met with the supervisor Sheila n uh we discussed our budget shorall like Dr shander was mentioning that we do have a gap uh we are considering uh we're taking a very serious how to bridge the gap and do the right thing for our teachers for our students for everybody um I really believe Dr shandor and uh entire uh Team Mr Bowman's Team Works diligently to
099help us get through this thing and I think with the government with the governor's budget we might be able to get some answers and closure to that um I attended the Grafton science fair uh this there was one of the highlights of this snowy season just to see so many Brilliant Minds that we have uh it's incredible that was one of the first events I attended last year when I got to the board and seeing uh kids growing and participating again in some of the new adventures and new uh experiments um some of the things that kind of caught my eye going through it that I was blown away was um how spacecraft can be slowed down When approaching a planet like Mars using atmospheric drag so that is our Middle School student I believe
100it's like it's amazing uh there was a lot about water filtration homemade filters how to uh a lot of our students care about our planet about our environment about the future what what is to bring um one of our students designed a bridge he had a couple of the models of bridges that he built and how much of the weight they can wear was just the and I think he was also in middle school at the time actually right now um also uh techniques used in a space mission to recycle water for long duration missions our students done this they just I canot make it up and um I think this is what Dr Skinner said and I just want to say thank you Dr Skinner for you and your staff for putting such an
101amazing Fair um it was just amazing but her words that I believe she uh spoke was the the world needs scientists we need people people that are curious that want to think about solutions to the problems we face and that kind of stuck with me because that's the child childhood curiosity that we all had and I think it's in deep inside of us that we do have these problems that we facing and we are scientists trying to resolve some of those issues and I see us here as a board an entire ycsd being those scientists we do face the problems uh but we have Brilliant Minds Brilliant Minds that look for the future and what we can do to help and uh do better uh another thing I want to update uh I had the
102New Horizon board uh of trustees meeting uh again one of the amazing sessions uh we got presentation by the governor School of Science and uh it was about aquaponics research project uh one of my my actually my uh senior of the month for the last uh month was part of that program uh it just uh what what it is uh aquaponics is a food production system that combines aquaculture which is raising fish or prawns in tanks with Hydroponics which is cultivating plants in water they create an entire system ecosystem of grazing food from the fish to the plants and water being recycled and fed it just uh once when I saw it I could not believe that we do have something like that literally in our backyard and that our students are actually thriving in
103this in this field uh New Horizons we had uh we had a financial report present to us and as of uh end of December because that was the first meeting in the year uh we were at 56.1% in revenue and 43% in expenditures um doing really well uh new Horizon keeping track of all the expenses uh trying to stay on a budget and they their staff worked highly and I want to say thank you to them and actually superintendants for uh working really hard on uh that project um CT programs fees is getting increased uh we had presentation my concern with was that will that affect any of the students not being able to participate and uh it will not there was options for the payments and uh the expenditures that's increased it's uh just
104to reflect the uh inflation right now on the courses and on materials needed for the studies um and all of the students and parents will receive the copy of the increase uh whenever they received the acceptance letter in May uh we do have a audit report that's in progress for the fi 2324 uh we're goingon to have the update soon on that uh we do are we are working right now on a budget development uh as of January 2 31st uh the draft of superintendent uh draft was submitted to superintendents with the divisional cost allocations for review on March 18 draft of uh the budget for 25 uh it's going to be reviewed by superintendant on March 25th presentation of the budget was going to be done to the Board of Trustees uh some time
105frame in April or May uh the budget is going to be approved by the superintendent and on May 27th we're going to it's going to be submitted for the approval by the Board of Trustees uh just like to remind everybody that uh on top of uh febb Black History Month it's also CTE month and I would like to recognize all of our staff at ycsd uh for as a CT month for their hard work and I want to congratulate him for everything uh that being said that would be all for me thank you Mr schaer yes I'm going to be a little bit quicker tonight um I'd like to thank uh the school district for taking care of uh of us through the snow and I'm going to thank them for the asynchronous uh learning
106days because those were actually very very well thought out as you know my wife's a teacher in first grade she was in meetings on those days and developing plans and uh had made the packets up for her kids uh which in early grades k32 that's what they did and then uh the upper grades then go on to Canvas but it was uh it was very good and it worked and I'd say thank goodness for that screen time uh but also Dr shandor correct me if I'm wrong but uh special ed doesn't not fall under the eye for inclusion yeah but I'm I'm inclusion is a setting in special education corre thank you yep all right um I'd I would did like to say that uh I got to attend a elementary school dance at Waller
107Mill and it is the cutest thing to see those little kids take their moms out and dance with them and uh the little girls take their their dads out there and their ideas of fancy dresses to go uh to these dances it just blow you away I mean I saw some some pretty neat outfits I got to be the one that uh took the money for the concessions and they always work me hard whenever I'm there they they take advantage of it but uh we had a great time there I've been able to uh attend a couple of basketball games which is a lot of fun and looking forward to uh uh to the next series of spring Sports um and looking forward to read Across America which is right upon us can you believe
108it man and that's that's going to be great because I love to be able to go into each of the schools and read I mean it's just it's just so much fun uh but there we go there you are Mr Richardson all right thank you thank you very much um I I just want to say one thing about the McGruder name change that uh I've had some conversations with the superintendent I know a couple other board members have had separate conversations I believe with him as well um they're just verifying some of the research on that that they have to do um and then of course the cost involved you know what that's going to be probably going to be minimal but you know you got to think all this through all the way through
109um and I know that what I'd like to see as us discuss it at one of our upcoming work sessions hopefully um but Dr shandor can you just really brief yeah just really briefly and um I'm disappointed that they had walked out before we had the opportunity to bring this up um Dr Carol and Dr Aaron Butler have spent a great deal of time um researching as well um they've gone to what's the name of the library Dr Carol swm schw the schwam library okay uh they've done a lot of research they've talked to former students and a number of other researchers up in the Williamsburg area um Dr Carol is is finalizing a report that he's going to submit to the board hopefully in the next week or so so we'll give you all
110the information that you need to guide the next steps of that decision um Miss ler who was here I responded to an email from her last week I believe right before the snow I think Dr Carol may have as well and then I'm not sure if Miss and Miss Goodwin has responded too so all three of us have responded so we're working on it it just it just you know it's not going to happen overnight I understand I just want to reiterate that you know you're doing your other jobs and then this is something else that was added the one that you're trying to accomplish as well so thank you for the time in doing that uh it's certainly appreciated uh but I just wanted to let everybody know it's it's being worked on it's
111being looked at we're going to discuss it um um that's all I have thank you well thank you um I just want to thank everybody that came out to speak tonight um I know that you all have a lot more important things that you could probably do besides coming and sitting at a board meeting but it shows that you care and that these are issues that you're passionate about um just understand that um delay on you know what appears like delay is not necessarily denial or that we've just kicked it aside um there's a lot of different things that we all have to work on um outside of many of us having full-time jobs and so we try to prioritize things like it's budget season we're trying to get through that but everything that you've
112shared tonight the board is definitely going to um take to consideration and discuss um uh you know the the I know the ongoing battle of not being paid enough as teachers and the steps uh you know that's an ongoing thing and we definitely want to be able to do something it's just how do we do it and when can we do something um I totally understand I remember when I was working in the county this was years ago I think half of the time that I was here half of the eight years I think we were frozen so I didn't see those and it is unfortunate um the lacrosse thank I know they're not here but just a shout out for the students that came out to speak um I love it when I see
113students come out and speak and I was lacrosse mom so I have a big heart for lacrosse um and I'm impressed that 18 years as Club that's really amazing um so we're going to see what we can do um you've already heard about what's happening with McGruder so just rest assured that we're working on those things um I wasn't able really to get out and about as much in the last um month and a half just a lot of things and with the weather um but I was able to make the Yorktown um Women's Club Art Exhibit where they displayed the art for our uh ycsd students that was last Tuesday and it did not disappoint um we have so many talented uh K through 12 students who are very artistic and I'm always like
114in awe when a kindergartner can do better art than I can but a shout out to the art teachers because I know that they help develop that Talent um oh and the other thing I wanted to mention is that I did receive some emails and uh you know requests about what are what's going on with ice and the VD or the Federal Department of Education and how is that all going to flush out and I definitely you know the board members are aware and Dr shander is going to be addressing that um a little later this evening okay that's all I have um you may want to add Saturday night the Yorktown night at the Admirals oh yes so um I was able to go to Yorktown Admirals game and drop do what's called puck
115drop um it was Yorktown day and um so we were celebrating Yorktown and did I I don't our students end up going there I didn't see okay they did I think I had stepped out during the time when our students actually came out to sing um but yeah so I they sang and um I was asked by our Board of supervisor Miss Sheila the chair Miss Sheila n to uh join them in dropping a puck out on the ice and it was really great because you get to sit in the Penalty Box and you get to see the players up close a little intimidating at times but um they won yes and they and they won we were one goal short of free Crispy Cream Donuts yeah yeah but it was good oh and on
116that note I did forget to mention that I too did meet with our um my board of supervisor for my District Wayne drewy and we had a long discussion about the budget um and I advocated for our needs especially pointing out specifics on how lean we are in many areas already and our per pupil costs are probably one of the lowest around yet we are able to maintain that standard of being third in the state and first in the district so um you know we're working hard on that end too so I don't want to see any programs cut I don't want to see you know things not happen so we're working or I'm working some of us are working I guess we're all working all right thank you very much so now I'm gonna
117ask Mr pich this is the fun part of meeting oh what's this the financial matters all right mad name chair like to uh present claim certified for payment for January 2025 significant expenditures for janary instructional related expenditures total approximately $ 31,44 and includes payments to Allied Healthcare Beautiful Mind speech care sta Partners Maximum healthc Care Services New Horizons plb Academy sh R the Falcon Center payment for technology related items total approximately $ 79,3 and includes payments to Avi equipment CDW Cox Communications Virginia Business Systems then payments for operations and maintenance totaling $286,200 and includes payments to Cintas Dominion Energy Ferguson Enterprise grinder hrsd Reliance Acquisitions Republic Service Riverside paper Virginia Natural Gas payments for school nutrition services totaling 1,255 600 and includes payments to Alto Harley Gold Creek foods and sedesco payments related to capital
118projects totaling 1, 31,200 and includes payments to AP acquisition Continental contractors mobile EAS shik communication Simpson unlimited Steiner Mo Corporation Thompson Consulting moving on to consideration of approval of financial report for January 2025 significant changes relating to the operating budget for January revenues state revenue is approximately 6.4 million higher in January F525 when compared to jary f24 FY 24 the changes is due to the increase in student enrollment at risk funding and at at State's portion of the 5.5% compensation increase for fy2 federal revenue is approximately 3.1 million less in FY 25 due to the expiration of onetime Asser stimulus Grant in fy2 for expenditures expenditures for instructions are approximately 4.3 million higher in January 25 when compared to January 24th due to the 5.5 increase in salaries increase in employer Health Care Health premiums
119and additional position added for fy2 now significant changes related to the school nutrition budget for revenue and expenditures School nutrition revenue is approximately $180,000 higher in January fy2 due to the increase in meal served for fi25 Food Service expenditures are approximately 28,000 higher in fi25 this is also due to the increase in meals served for the school year consideration of approval of resolution 2506 resolution 25-6 requires the board's approval authorizing pre uh procurements of more than $100,000 or changes orders greater than 50 $50,000 there are four items on the resolution tolling $756,000 the details of which can be viewed on the board docks Madam chair I would now move to approve financial matters as listed I second Howard oh wait discussion is there any discussion I have a question on uh the fiscal year 25
120School nutrition report at the bottom um it just says the Food Service revenue for January 2025 is up $180,000 when compared to January 2024 due to increase in meals served then number two it says the Food Service expenditures reflect an increase of 27,7 18991 this is also a result of increase in meals served in fiscal year um uh I guess just looking at it that the expenditures are more than the revenue is that an issue that we need to look at or um Madam Madam chair members of the board and Dr shandor um that question um it so it it can be in the timing of which the expenditures occur okay so um what we've seen um with some of our expenditures um uh we're purchasing a lot of equipment um and so we're having
121a spin down of a large a rather large fund balance that was generated through um the covid years where meals were provided free to our students but the federal government was providing us that money so we have a very large fund balance that we are uh spending down as required by the Department of Education so we should see expenditures month-to mon month exceed our Revenue um for Food Service um the meals do cost uh money um we have seen a little bit inflation in the cost of the of the Food Services um our food supplies and of course labor is always a concern for us cuz we do Outsource our food service operations and um we have seen an increase in our labor for this year as well okay thank you I was just concerned
122that you know making sure that we were going to be keeping up with the revenues for those expenses what's not shown on that report is of course our fund balance uh we have about a $4 million fund balance that we're spending down aggressively and we hope to have that uh done here in the next six to eight months okay great thank you very much any other questions all right Miss Howard a motion was made by Mr pich and seconded by Mr Richardson to approve of financial matters as listed Mr Richardson yes Mr Schaefer yes Mrs Fairman yes Mr pich yes and Mrs Goodwin yes the motion passes 5 to zero all right so now we'll go over uh the consent calendar um we have approval of personnel actions approval of minutes from a regular meeting
123on January 27th 2025 a special meeting on February 7th 2025 a work session on February 10th 2025 a special meeting on February 10th 2025 and a special meeting on February 18th 2025 of approval of donations in the amount of $1,876 approval of a student activity in overnight field trip for the York High School njrc to participate in the national orienteering championship um I'd like an approval approval of consent calendar is listed I'd like to have a motion and a second I would like to make a motion to approve the consent calendar is listed are there any questions I think there's just a typo it's on the agenda I just want to make sure it wasn't on um for the the meeting for the for the actual meeting for February 10th it should be 2025 and
124it's typed in as 2024 I've done the same thing you know typing that was in the minutes list oh the minutes okay oh that one no okay so I would like to amend it with change to be 2025 okay is that it all right Miss Howard a motion was made by Mr pivit and seconded by Mr schaer to approve the consent calendar as listed with a correction of the minutes to 2025 Mrs fman yes Mr Richardson yes Mr Schaefer yes Mr pivit yes and Mrs gwin yes motion pass 5 to zero we have no action items um we don't have a policy discussion we do have a policy first reading Miss Barry are there any changes since the work session at the work session the board provided some comments uh as to policy BBH KD
125uh and we did make the changes uh on page one um however was to be removed um but um when we researched it uh use of however is the grammatically correct terminology uh using with the semicolon uh so that's why that is still in there on page three uh the board had decided on a 45 minute time for public comment uh if uh there were more people beyond the 45 minutes the board would vote majority vote would rule to extend the time or not otherwise the remaining speakers would uh speak at the end of the the board meeting um the brief periods of Applause or cheering um it was suggested that brief or um reasonable be used uh however that concerned uh staff as to still creating um subjectivity uh so we were looking at
126brief periods of Applause or cheering in parentheses limited to approximately 15 seconds in duration so that would give you a smaller time frame which would be more reasonable but it also uh gives a time limit and I believe those were the only ones I think it was uh me that brought up the time limit I'm good with the 15 seconds that's that's certainly reasonable not a problem right then we have a uh policy second reading action um are there any changes since the last reading any questions comments there are no changes since the first reading for the rest of policy K okay can I please have a first and a second to approve revisions to policy K School community relations right I would like to make a motion to approve changes to policy K School
127community relations right and I'll second okay there you go any discussion okay all right Miss Howard a motion was made by Mr pich and seconded by Mr Schaefer to approve the revisions to polic K School community relations Mr schaer yes Mr pich yes Mr Mr Richardson yes Mrs Fairman yes and Mrs Goodwin yes the motion passed 5 to zero all right I will now turn it over to Dr shander for the superintendent's report thank you Miss Goodwin again good evening board members um first I wanted to rec also recognize Miss Howard for her work as the board clerk um as you know she supports me daily which as you know is a big chore for her um she's kind she's patient uh she's thorough she works really hard to meet the needs of the families
128and staff members and and of course you as board members so thank you Miss Howard I have just a couple items this evening so um the chair and vice chair have asked me to share some information related to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ice so I'm going to ask Dr Carol to to come to the podium to share some information Dr Carol okay thank you Dr shandor members of the board uh it's been about five weeks since president presid Trump signed an executive order that would allow ice to go into uh schools hospitals uh churches um to date there have been no documented cases of that happening however we are prepared uh we first uh received legal consultation from Mrs Barry also from the vsba and vas all of those con all those
129uh guidances were aligned we also spoke to sheriff Montgomery and major West about any interaction they' had with ice they had already had some conversations uh with the ice office here in uh Hampton Roads and we feel like we have a a good take on what would happen if there was to be a a visit from Ice to any of our schools and it's in line with what we've heard on the national news that that would only be if they were out looking for a serious Criminal um so we gave direction to our principles at the first principal meeting after um that announcement and we gave them the direction that number one they will uh follow policy Jed which they were all well aware of and that talks about at the end of that policy
130who's authorized to take students off of a um off of school grounds and it is no different than any other law enforcement uh situation that we might have we occasionally have an arrest that happens at a campus but that's also with a lot of coordination with the school but what has to be present is there has to be a warrant that is signed either judicial or administrative and we gave them steps to follow and that they would not be uh handling that on their own there are contact people at the school board office that would help them verify that the warrant is legitimate and then they would also be contacting parents during this time and then the last thing is there might be a request for uh information on individuals and we would have that
131directed to Mrs Barry so she could review the request and it would be in line with what we already do with any directory information and that uh that concludes my report on that thank you Dr Carol uh I have uh Mr um Mr Richardson and Miss Goodwin also asked that I briefly share some information related to the impact uh if the Federal Department of Education was shut down so essentially we receive over uh $21 million in the following program so I'm going to list these for you so we receive federal dollars from title one which is improving basic instruction for economically disadvantaged students title two which is Mentor teaching and PD uh title three which is limited English proficiency title four student support and academic enrichment uh uh title 6B which is special education Title
132One CTE which is Carl Perkins and then title 6B special education preschool um we also received funding from Impact Aid you okay okay I was the one who was coughing the whole meeting uh impact a for 8.7 million uh DOD heavily impacted 1.2 million and then we have a series of competitive grants so we receive competitive grants from the federal government from the security equipment Grant do Meri time uh Noah which is the meaningful Watershed educational experiences uh doia foreign language Grant um and the 20124 doia World Language so those are those competitive grants could be impacted again we don't know because we don't have all the information but um what we're understanding is the competitive grants could be affected however all of the title grants that I listed earlier um won't be affected by
133the PA in federal funding so impact Aid um Mr Bowen did contact the office of impact Aid and at this point in time impact Aid is a specific Congressional appropriation it should not be should not be affected um the as I mentioned earlier the comp the competitive grants could be affected but our title grants will not be affected any questions related to that just wanted to provide that information for the board and for our how much are we looking in competitive grants I'm so sorry uh our competitive Grant total is about 6.1 million um let's see finally uh I think uh most of us are H are hoping that winter is behind us uh and then we can move on with the school year we appreciate all of our staff and students and parents effort
134during this the days we were out again uh board members I appreciate you recognizing their hard work during those days off we also um make want to make sure that we um shout out the gentlemen and guys and ladies who were out actually in the snow you know spreading salt on our sidewalks and and scraping the uh the parking lots so we really appreciate all the work they do um when they get out there when we have bad weather uh finally I I want to wish all of our winter athletes uh the best as they compete at the state levels next week we had a number of our Sports uh vhsl push them back to next weekend I believe it was indoor track swimming and potentially wrestling so um hopefully um the board will be
135able to recognize some state champions at the next meeting this concludes the superintendent's report thank you all right look for brutin to do it again in swimming okay all right is there anybody uh who did did not sign up to speak this evening on either topic last call that would like to speak at this time okay thank you everyone for your input and for being here this evening the meeting is now adjourned