001Good evening. I would like to call to order the regular meeting of the Newport News School Board for Tuesday, September 16th, 2025. On behalf of the members of the school board and Dr. Mitchell, I welcome each of you present this evening and those who are watching on TV and online. A quorum is present to transact the business of the school division. We will begin tonight's meeting with the invocation and pledge to the flag. Here to do the honors is Kayla Leget, our school board student representative. That's Kyla Leget. I'm sorry. Kyla. Thank you. Good evening, members of the school board. Superintendent Dr. Mitchell auditorium guest and our viewing audience. My name is Kyla Leget. I'm a senior at Menchville High School and I'm serving as a student representative to the school board. As we begin
002a new school year, I would like to share a poem with you called The Bridge Builder written by Maya Anthony. They stand at life's riverwide building bridges side by side. For the ones who come after to tread over challenges where once they led. With every stone and every beam, they craft a path. They weave a dream. Not for themselves, but those to come. A legacy that won't come undone. The bridge stands firm against the tide. A testament to those who've tried. To lead with heart, with foresight clear, for a brighter, boundless frontier. Thank you. Now, please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. You may
003be seated. Thank you, Kyla. And at this time, I would like to recognize Councilman Rob Coleman. in the audience tonight. Thank you so very much for coming. Did you want to say something tonight? Sure. Madame Chair, vice chair, superintendent, uh coun I mean council members, school board members, and our fellow citizens here. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I just wanted to come by today and uh just pop in and just show my support. Uh I've always been very supportive of the school system and always been so appreciative of the incredible job that each and every one of you do to care for our students and to get them ready for that next step in their lives. And I know we're we have a very close relationship between the council and the school board
004and we want to continue with that relationship moving forward. And I just wanted to also give u just a little public service announcement that we will be having a uh public safety committee meeting tomorrow. I'm the chair of the public safety committee. Mr. Mark Stewart is on our committee. He represents the school system. He's done a phenomenal job. He's been an integral part of our committee. But uh we'll be talking about tomorrow. will be talking about our new vape shop ordinance that we're going to be putting forward on the 23rd that's really focused on limiting the number of vape shops we have in the city and also probably well not probably we'll be looking at how do we keep those vape products out of our children's hands. So, also we'll be uh talking about truency.
005Um, and you know, we all know there's a straight line between truency and crime rates in the city. And we're going to be talking about how we can partner with you guys to help get that message out and just talking about how important it is to get our children into school and get them in the classrooms and like I said, getting them ready for that next big step in their lives. So, uh, a lot of great things are happening. Miss Algera reached out to me today about the public safety committee meeting. Hope that you guys can join us. All are welcome. Citizens are welcome to join us as well as tomorrow at 1:00 in city hall. Uh we'll be talking about some great things and looking forward to hearing about some great ideas from you
006and the rest of our citizens. But thank you again for this opportunity and thank you for everything you do for the city of Newport News and our children. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. As advertised, citizens may submit comments via email up to 30 minutes prior to our meeting time to be included in the official meeting record. For those of you joining us in person, the board considers this an opportunity to listen to your comments. Please understand, we will consider your concerns. We ask that you comply with our three minute time limit. As you begin your comments, a green light will come on. A yellow light signals that you have 30 seconds remaining, and a red light and beep indicates your time is up. As your name is called, please come forward. Mr. Tom Aean, and
007he will be followed by Reverend Natalie Cham. Uh good evenings uh everybody. It's a privilege to be here with you all and to share some thoughts. Uh I want to take a moment to reflect on all that has happened this past week. As a man of faith and a conservative leader, I was sickened by the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I believe it was simply put a demonic attack on Charlie Kirk, free speech, the church, and America. The sadness I feel for his family is heavy knowing that Charlie was a believer in Jesus makes it sting a little less because he is now and has been embraced by his Lord and Savior Jesus and he has heard these wonderful words, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Those of us left here must pick up and continue
008sharing the message. God loves all people and through his son Jesus, you can have a personal relationship with God. More speech and civil debate, not less, is better. Anyone who took joy in Charlie's death has no place teaching or leading our children. For that matter, anyone who took to social media to share their joy over Charlie's assassination should not be surprised if they are fired from their jobs and shunned by society. This type of abborant behavior, dancing on the grave of a person or physically hurting or killing someone because you disagree with their political beliefs must stop. And unfortunately, unless there are public repercussions for such behavior, it will not stop. Those people should feel the repercussions of their actions. Period. America is the shining city on a hill and is a great force for
009good in this world. Never let anyone tell you differently. Now is the time to stand up and be counted. We are all Charlie Kirk now. We must speak truth with gentleness and love. Do not be silent because of what happened to Charlie. If we do, evil wins. Let us be men and women of honor and carry the torture truth forward into this dark world. God bless Charlie's family and God bless America. Thank you. Reverend Chamberlain will be followed by Mr. Jim Batterson. Good evening. I'm Reverend Natalie Chamberlain. My pronouns are she and her. As you all know, I am part of a coalition of citizens who've been attending these meetings for the past couple of years. We support equality and the respectful treatment of all children, including trans and other LGBTQIA plus youth. I'm well
010aware that you have no intention of changing policy JBP, but I'm not here for you. As I said last month, I am here for all the trans students and staff and those who love them. I'm not by nature a cynical person. My time before this body is going a long way toward changing that. I know you will not use your power to protect trans and other queer students. But there are two things that you need to know whether you like them or not. The first is that neutrality in the face of oppression is siding with the oppressor. In this case, you're making your students less safe by pretending that changing policy JBP doesn't matter. And second, I'd like to share some statistics that come from the Trevor Project. You have a written copy of these,
011so I'm only going to lift up a couple of them. First, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24. One out of six students nationwide, grades 9 through 12, seriously considered suicide in the past year. And each episode of LGBT victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increases the likelihood of self-harming behavior by two and a half times on average. You can't pretend that your neutrality doesn't matter. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Jim Batterson will be followed by Miss Jackie Batterson. hadn't divided up. So, all right. Um, I'm I'll go ahead and figure they can. Okay. I'm Jim Batterson, a resident of Newport News. A way of credentials, three generations. My mother, I, three daughters, graduated from Newport News public schools. I taught math and physics
012at Menchville High School, have served on this board, and served as senior adviser to the Commonwealth's for STEM initiatives during Governor Kaine's administration. The statistical basis for my comments tonight is found in the latest CDC YRBS survey of more than 20,000 US high school students, which shows there to be 3.3% self-identifying trans and another 2.2% 2% gender questioning children in grades 9 through 12 nationally translating to some 435 trans or questioning children in our Newport News high schools. These data support Reverend Natalie Chamberlain's concerns in her testimony last month regarding mental health issues affecting these children with some 300 children across Newport News high schools affected. Reverend Chamberlain also testified regarding the increased incidence of suicide related thoughts and actions among our trans and gender questioning children which was documented at fully four times the
013rate of of the already too high cisgender high school population or 171 Newport News high school children laying out a suicide plan and 33 carrying it out to the point of requiring medical attention. Reverend Michael Bernett made some modest suggestions for changes in procedure JBP to bring a closer to supporting policy JB less ideological and perhaps lowering the pathologies among our trans and questioning children. He questioned he he suggested simply calling children by the name and pronoun they prefer. The governor's restrictive anglopile anglophile guidance has no place in and demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of our d of our diverse community called children only by commonly associated nicknames such as Peg, Jen, Bob from Margaret, Jennifer, and Robert. Indeed, by this authoritarian and arbitrary and capricious government overstep, Tiger Woods would have carried the
014handle Eldrich with his non-standard nickname Tiger, which was chosen to honor a South Vietnamese colonel who was a great friend of his father, not permitted in Virginia. However, I've been more dis most disappointed over more than a year now. To the best of my knowledge, not a single board member has spoken up in defense of these fragile children. You have an opportunity at every meeting under the final agenda item matters by the school board. You act as if you were impotent to anything to do anything about a procedure. The legislative history of having procedures presented to the board along with the policies the board approves is so that the board can be assured the procedure that staff implements comports with the approved board policy. And if it does not, as with JBP, we require the
015superintendent to rework it and continue to bring it back to the board until it does. By your own policies, any board member can request the chair add an agenda item. Will your silence in these situations continue even if the governor were to follow Florida's frightening example and eliminate vaccination requirements for children entering our schools putting not only those unvaccinated but those most vulnerable classmates and imunompromised teachers parents and grandparents in the community in deadly peril. This board needs to understand its duty to lead and stand up and do it for our children and the community. Thank you. Miss Jackie Adderson will be followed by Mr. Christopher Johnson. Tonight, I wear red in solidarity with the Newport News School employees in their quest for collective bargaining. Good evening, members of the school board. September is suicide
016prevention month during which September 10th was designated suicide prevention awareness day. On that day, we committed to building a world where every young person feels safe and supported and never alone. This includes our LGBTQ plus young people, including our transgender children, many of whom attend schools in this school district, and do not fall under the definition of transgender students and your policy JB. This policy, which you have in place, states that you respect the rights and dignity of all students. Your procedure JBP does not do that. You refuse to acknowledge the trans children's chosen names and preferred pronouns. These trans children's anxiety and fear have increased exponentially with the trans phobic executive orders put in place by the federal and state governments. These policies signal to these children and their families a chilling and uncertain
017future. Our transgender children report that they receive a high level of support from some of their peers, but only 17% feel highly supported at home. It is vital for schools to actively work toward creating a welcome environment for these children. Please review and change your procedure JBP. I will end with two quotes. The first is from George Dai. We must learn from the past not to repeat it. The erosion of rights and the targeting of communities based on fear and prejudice must be challenged at every turn. And from Dedric Bonhof Hoffer, silence in the face of evil is itself evil. We will not be held guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is in itself an act. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Christopher Johnson will be followed by Carolyn Pope
018Franc. Thank you. Good evening. Um I'm Christopher Johnson, husband to know Samantha Johnson. I work at the USPS. I'm a proud union member and vice president of my local branch 609 at Newport News. I'm here to encourage the school board to bring up the topic of collective bargaining for a vote. Forming a union can have positive effects for the school district. It can reduce turnover, help with conflict resolution with staff, uh creates an environment of cooperation and shared goals. I urge you to bring forward the vote for collective bargaining and let the process of good faith bargaining and mutual respect begin. There's a lot of hard topics going on right now and you guys have a very hard job. I urge you to consider that the union could help. They'd be willing to participate in
019having these tough conversations. It's nice to have people on both sides working together for one shared goal. Thank you. Thank you. Miss Pope will be followed by Gabriel Marquez. Good evening, Dr. Mitchell, Dr. Best, and the rest of the school board. We thank you for this opportunity to speak before you this evening. This weekend, I listened to a podcast on Stacy Abrams um broadcast and it was entitled Assembly Required. The particular topic talked about dismantling public education. We know right now that there is an attack on our public education system and it was said during the broadcast that public the public good is best served by a public education and right now the public education system is in the fight for its life and we must be unified in this fight. It is not the
020union against the board but this is a fight that we have to fight together. our president um Miss Pringle has been fighting. She is using lawyers to fight on the behalf. We know that at the beginning of our school year, $7 billion dollar was being held up to public schools. But because of the fight that went on through the unions, that money was released. It was unpaused. And right now, there is a fight going on in Congress. and they're looking to cut 15% of the educational budget. And we cannot let this happen. And I just encourage you to just look and to work with the union because we're not at each other. We're not at odds with each other, but we all want the best for our young people and we know that. She left
021um this at our union's annual event. She charged the membership with seven points. She said, "Every day, this is what I want you to do. One of these points, if not all of them, one, educate. Two, communicate. Three, organize. Four, mobilize. Five, litigate. Six, legislate. And seven, elect. It's so important. As a teacher at Woodside High School, I'm about to retire, but my battle doesn't stop. My battle does not stop. And I am here to fight for the children, but I want to fight on a collective front with our school board because Washington is after our children. We must educate them if nothing else. And we have to fight for the funding to do it. I know you struggled with your budget this year because you didn't know where the funds were coming from, but
022that's what we're here for collectively. Thank you. Thank you, Gabriel Marquez. Followed by Dr. James Graves. Gabriel Marquez. Oh, he left. Got the grace. Everyone know it's raining outside. So y'all excuse my rain jacket and I would have been in a suit or something. But good evening everyone. There's a my statement is coming around. As you all know, August 16th, I presented to you all the resolution for collective bargaining. Let me thank you for accepting the resolution. Not voting on it. I'm saying accepting. I ain't say vote, but I want to let you know that it is a good reason for us to come together, which we always been together, but collective bargaining will bring a situation where our contracts are not just a one pager. It has everything in it that any employee can
023look at for their job from job description to sick leave to personal leave. Everything will be in writing. So I urge you to be the first city in the Hampton Rose area to vote yes for collective bargaining. All the other cities up north, Arlington, Richmond, they already got it. They voted for it. But let me tell you this, there's people in our department that need this. cafeteria workers, security officers, bus drivers, they need something to fall back on. And if the school board, who I know very well, most of you, will vote yes on this collective bargain, you will see a change because people want to have a contract that they can look at and say, "This is what I can do and this is what I cannot do." And not just about policies, it's
024about contract. and you will see a low turnover of teachers and staff leaving the city because they got something to work for. And I want to let you know that I appreciate every one of you and that these months are coming in the future that we all sit down and we say yes. Let's get our people to the table. Let's listen and let's do what we got to do to help our kids, to help our teachers, to help our staff, but above all to help our community. I want to say thank you very much for listening to me and I hope you accept my statement and I appreciate your time. Thank you. Thank you. Next will be Miss Carolyn Jones followed by David Breman. Okay. Good evening. My name is Carolyn Jones. My pronouns are
025she, hers, and first of all, I fully support trans students and staff. I just started teaching ESL in Newport News this fall, and I'm here to talk about collective bargaining, but because I deeply believe it is a matter of public importance, in part because your teacher and staff shortage is a matter of public importance. I have already seen many issues that I think are related to your teacher shortage. The main issue this month is that we are tr drowning in an absolutely absurd number of meetings. In September alone, I am scheduled to have 11 meetings, events, and trainings required outside of contract hours. Some have been less than an hour, but one next Thursday is an hour and a half, and back to school night next week is from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on a
026Tuesday night. There are only 20 school days in September. So over half of my assigned work days now have extra longer hours with no comp time, no extra prep time, and no additional compensation. I'm already losing daytime prep time multiple times a week due to legally important ESL meetings. So in addition to already staying late to call parents about discipline, call parents about meetings, meet with co-teers, do legally important paperwork, make and print materials for classes, the list goes on. I and many other teachers are being forced to spend at least 10 extra hours at school this month in addition to everything else we already have to do year round. Four of those meetings I mentioned are standard faculty and department meetings. You know, they come with the territory. The excuse for five of the
027other meetings is that I am a new hire. However, you already made me come in starting August 4th for in for seven extra paid days of new teacher orientation. And I'm not actually new to teaching. I'm going into my eighth year of teaching overall. I am fully licensed and I have completed four years of teaching ESL here in Virginia already. So, I'm not new to the subject matter or the legal requirements involved. To be clear, this seems to be a problem across multiple schools in the division. I have unfortunately heard from new teachers at other schools as well. We need divisionwide limits on teacher working hours and excess meetings. We know we signed up to work long hours, but it seems that this school division does not understand how much extra strain you are putting
028on teachers. Therefore, we need a meaningful collective bargaining agreement as soon as possible. My colleagues deserve better working conditions. And my students deserve more consistent and stable staffing across schools. And I have to have a sustainable job if I'm going to last 25 years until retirement. My five-year plan involves getting married and having kids. That comes first. My future husband and my future family come first. So, if this isn't going to be sustainable for me, I I don't know what to do. Collective bargaining is not a magic wand, but we need it. We need it as soon as possible. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. David Brema. And he will be followed by Miss Mary Boss. Good evening, uh, board members. I'm David Bman. He him. Um, Tidewater DSA, who also would have been represented tonight
029by Gabriel Marquez, um, has started a petition to support the NNPS bus drivers who face intolerable working conditions. At present, we have collected 203 signatures from the community and we demand that the board support collective bargaining and work to address the issues that the bus drivers and NNPS staff face. I remain disappointed by inaction on allowing negotiation as a group that could have resolved issues exacerbating staffing shortages and inaction on allowing measures of trans dignity by not revising procedure JBP to allow the use of preferred names without a note and to allow confiding in counselors insteading instead of forcing them to out people. That's all. Thank you. [Applause] Hello. Uh, Mary Voss, NNPS teacher, parent, and graduate. Um, as always, I want to speak in support of collective bargaining, also known as contract negotiations, uh,
030which will give NNPS employees a seat at the table and importantly, an opportunity for us to share input on tangible ways to improve our schools and improve employee retention. A couple of examples of things that could be improved that I frequently hear from other NNPS employees um including at my school's principal's advisory committee are uh one the need for an employee sick bank. Uh teachers sometimes face medical emergencies, extended illnesses or surgeries that exhaust their sick days. A leave bank gives them a safety net so they don't have to choose between their health and their paycheck. Um, it breaks my heart to see a co-orker crying because her sick leave is almost out, even though she's surrounded by co-workers who would love to donate leave to her. Um, number two, the need for bi-weekly paychecks
031for NNPS employees. More frequent paychecks make budgeting easier. Um, employees can manage bills, loan payments, and household expenses more effectively, reducing reliance on overdraft fees or short-term credit. Um, this also would allow teachers to with reduced stress uh, focus more on teaching and um, support for students. Many other districts have a sick leave bank and bi-weekly paychecks and NNPS employees deserve those same opportunities which would also help with employee retention. Um, if a previous staff survey in an NPS suggested that employees don't support a sick leave bank, I think a more accurate survey is needed because I can tell you as a teacher of 17 years here, it's a very popular concept. Um, speaking as an individual, I also have to say that the last week has been a difficult and discouraging one for me
032as a teacher and I imagine for many other educators as well. Um, obviously political violence should never be celebrated. That goes without saying as a human and a professional. Um, but what the Trump and Yncan administrations are doing to educators is not about political violence. It's about taking advantage of a hot button issue to overstep into the personal and professional lives of educators. Yncans, Virginia State Superintendent, announced that the VDOE would revoke teacher licenses if their social media posts quote violate professional standards or quote show inappropriate contact conduct. I don't trust Yncan's VDOE or the Trump administration at all to determine what are professional standards and inappropriate conduct. They could say that posting fact-based criticisms of Trump or Yncan or their allies violates professional standards. They could say that posting about support for a teachers
033union is inappropriate conduct. Scrutinizing teacher social media amidst a major teacher and schoolworker shortage is also poor policy. There already aren't enough people going into education and this kind of harassment and big brother treatment will lead to even fewer people entering the education field which is exactly what Trump and Yncan want given that their end goal is to defund public education. I'm also wondering where was the scrutiny of teacher and staff members social media after Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were ruthlessly murdered. Why weren't flags flown at half mass for them? Uh clearly this is not about political violence but about an opportun opportunistic excuse to harass and intimidate public educators. Finally, please stand up for LGBTQ plus students against Yncan's bigoted attacks um on these this vulnerable population. Um and thank
034you for standing up for our immigrant students against ICE entering our school buildings without a warrant. Please continue to do so. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you for your comments and thoughts this evening. We will now move on to section three, the consent agenda, which includes 3.01 minutes from the work session, August 19th, 2025. 3.02 minutes from the closed meeting, August 19th, 2025. 3.03 minutes from the regular meeting August 19th, 2025. 3.4 four financial reports including the revenue and expense reports for June and August 2025 child nutrition report 3.05 the personnel report 3.06 revised school board meeting calendar 3.07 easement Mville Road 3.08 08 budget transfer. At this time, can we have a motion to approve the consent agenda? I move to approve the consent agenda as presented. Second. It's been moved
035and seconded to approve the consent agenda. Are there any questions? Any discussion? A question. just just because it it looks like this uh document regarding the easement hearkens back to my time as the chair and I do see my signature on the document but um I would just like some recollection of uh the easement this quick claim that was it looks like it was we we discussed it back in 2022 but it looks like we're executing it now. So, you would like what? Like some explanation of why we're voting, why why it's on the consent agenda now and what we're voting on, what it what the action is that we're taking. Mr. Fair. Thank you, Mr. Brown. I'm not sure what's in your packet, but there should be a diagram, and you can see that
036they're extending the easement to the right. It's on the same path that was approved during your tenure as chair, but their request is to extend it a little bit to the right. They're going to continue to use the previous approved easement as well. Okay. So, this this document here is we we've already um quick claimed a portion and we're we're going to do an additional portion. Correct. It should be outlined in red. Okay. If you have the same thing that I was privy to, it slides over 15 or 20 feet to the right as you look down. Okay. I'm looking for I'm looking for and it might not be in color. That's not That's much clearer when it's in. Yeah, it just moves up closer to the right looks like the BC charge, but it's
037that extension to the right. And just and I guess just the the other follow on question would just just be what additional land spaced at Dominion Energy need that we are extending this easement further. I I believe if I'm not mistaken, they ran electricity to one of the athletic fields. I think that that's their continued request for the utilization. Okay. So, so we need we needed electricity run to the athletic fields and then they are doing some work. I think combination of us and the city. Okay. Okay. That makes sense. Okay. Thank you. Are there any other questions, discussion? Miss Buffalo, call the role, please. Aean, four. Brown, four. Harris, four. Hunter, four. Slaw, four. Alger, four. Best four. Motion passes 70. Thank you. We will move to section five, reports and information 5.01, counseling
038and mental health supports. Dr. Mitchell. Thank you so much, Madam Chair. This evening, we are fortunate to hear from Miss Maddie Bell Sombra. She is our executive director of the Office of Special Education and Student Support. collaborate collaborating with her two colleagues that are here with her, Miss Lisa Evans and Linda Ascu, as well as their teams. Our student support teams have really strengthened our mental health and well-being services through a collaborative multi-tiered model. So, our partnerships with community organizations have expanded to provide wraparound care for students and families. So tonight, Miss Simra will present an update on Newport News Public Schools efforts to promote mental health and well-being. And tonight, she's going to highlight some recent data trends, some program goals, and some future steps as we continue to invest in the success of
039our students. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Mitchell. Good evening, Madame Chair, Madame Vice Chair, members of the board, and Superintendent Dr. Mitchell. Tonight, I am honored to share how Newport News Public Schools is supporting student success through our school-based mental health and school counseling programs. Joining me today are Miss Linda Ascu, supervisor of mental health and student supports, and Miss Lisa Evans, director of school counseling. Mental health is a critical factor in our students ability to succeed academically and socially. Research shows that when students feel safe, supported, and emotionally regulated, they are able to engage in learning, build meaningful relationships, and achieve at high levels. Prioritizing mental health also strengthens our schools as learning environments. It reduces barriers such as disruptive behavior and chronic absenteeism while fostering safer, more positive spaces for all students and
040staff. Importantly, schools often provide the only point of access to these supports for many of our families. By embedding mental health supports in the work of schools, we not only promote equitable access to care, but we also help students develop resilience and life skills that prepare them for success beyond graduation. Our approach to student support services is grounded in a multi-tered system of support framework or MTSS. At tier 1, we provide universal supports designed to reach all students. These include schoolwide prevention and wellness initiatives such as social emotional learning, classroom guidance lessons, and programs that promote resilience, inclusion, and a positive school climate. The goal at this level is to foster a supportive environment where all students can thrive. At tier 2, the focus shifts to students who are beginning to show signs of need
041and may benefit from more targeted supports. Student support professionals provide small group interventions and short-term individualized assistance such as skilluing groups, mentoring, academic or attendance support, and regular check-ins. At this level, staff also conducts screenings like suicide risk assessments and participate in threat assessments, helping us identify and address concerns early before they escalate. At tier three, we offer the most intensive individualized services for students with significant or ongoing needs. This includes therapeutic counseling, crisis response, and highly personalized support plans. Staff may coordinate intensive case management, work closely with families, and connect students with community-based mental health providers. Our school psychologists and school social workers also play a critical role here, conducting specialized evaluation to support special education eligibility decisions as well as functional behavior assessments and individualized behavior intervention plans. This tiered framework ensures that
042every student receives the right level of support at the right time, whether through proactive wellness efforts, targeted interventions, or intensive individualized care. Our mental health program has a clear objective to provide timely, accessible, and comprehensive support that allow students to thrive. Our goals are to improve student well-being and mental health outcomes, to boost academic performance, and to strengthen partnerships with families and community providers. We know that when students feel supported, they can focus on learning, and when families are engaged, students succeed. Our school-based mental health program is unique among student support services provided in Virginia school divisions. NNPS is proud to boast a dedicated mental health workforce staffed by highly qualified professionals. In addition to our professional school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers, NNPS employs mental health therapists and student support specialists who
043are all specifically licensed or credentialed as providers of mental health services in the state of Virginia. By combining evidence-based practices, student centered individualized supports, and staff expertise, NNPS has built a comprehensive and responsive school-based mental health program. Collaboration among our student support service professionals is the foundation of effectively supporting the mental health and well-being of our students. Professional school counselors, student support specialists, and mental health therapists each contribute in a distinct yet complimentary way. School counselors promote academic achievement, career readiness, and social emotional development for all of our students. Their primary role is prevention and early intervention, designing and delivering lessons, small groups, and schoolwide programs that equip students with the skills and mindsets they need to thrive in school and beyond. Student support specialists respond as individual needs arise. They provide check-ins and mentoring,
044address crises, and serve as vital connectors to families by linking them to school and community- based supports. Their focus ensures that students experiencing barriers to learning remain engaged and supported. Mental health therapists bring clinical expertise to students who require more intensive intervention through therapeutic counseling, evidence-based treatment, and collaboration with families. They address significant mental health challenges that impact a student's daily functioning and well-being. This collaborative model strengthens outcomes, maximizes resources, and ensures that students receive the right level of care. Now that we've outlined the framework for how supports are delivered, I'd like to share some data that highlights the impact of our mental health and school counseling services. Over the past three years, we've seen steady and significant growth in both student support services and mental health therapy referrals. Student support services showed their sharpest
045rise. Services increased from about 8,700 in the 2022 2023 school year to more than 16,000 this past year, nearly doubling since the program's inception. Mental health therapy referrals also continue to climb, growing from 889 referrals in the 2223 school year to 921 in 2324 to over 1,200 in 2425, a 36% increase in just three years. This trend tells us two important things. First, that the demand for mental health services continues to rise. And second, that families and schools not only know about these services, but also trust them as a reliable and accessible source for help for our students. This slide highlights student support services data from the 2024 2025 school year. Our professional school counselors remain a consistent daily presence in every school. Last year, they delivered over 5,500 classroom lessons aligned to academic, career,
046and social emotional learning, facilitated more than 3,100 small groupoup sessions to build coping, organization, and conflict resolution skills, and conducted nearly 48,000 individual sessions, providing students with personalized support to problem solve, set goals, and stay on track. Our student support specialists provided over 16,000 supports from crisis response to student check-ins to engaging with families. Their work ensure student facing barriers to learning receive timely practical help that keeps them connected to school. Our mental health therapy therapists receive more than 1,200 referrals for school-based therapy. Of these 97% of students were served directly through our program while the remaining 3% were com connected to community providers ensuring continuous access to care for every student in need. Now these numbers reflect more than services delivered. They represent students gaining essential life skills, building resilience, and staying connected to
047school. Foundations that are critical not only to their well-being, but also to their academic success and future readiness. The numbers we just reviewed highlight the ongoing everyday supports our teams provide to help students thrive. But there are also moments when our schools face unexpected challenges that go beyond the day-to-day services. In times of crisis, such as the loss of a student or staff member or other significant events, our mental health team is deployed to provide immediate on-site support. This includes grief groups, counseling, and follow-up care for students and staff. In the 2024 2025 school year alone, the team responded to 10 significant crisis events. This critical service helps ensure our schools remain not only places of learning, but also communities of safety, healing, and support when they are needed most. Our school-based mental health and
048counseling programs are strengthened by the trusted partnerships we have built with community providers. These partnerships allow us to extend support beyond the walls of our schools and ensure that students and families receive the full range of services they may need. Through our partnership with the Hampton News Community Hampton Newport News Community Services Board, students can be seamlessly referred for comprehensive outpatient and crisis services. Similarly, our collaboration with the National Counseling Group brings therapeutic date treatment services into our schools for eligible students. We are also proud to support our military connected students through the family through the military family life counseling program which addresses the unique needs of children and youth in several schools with high concentrations of military families. The New Horizon's Family Counseling Center at the College of William and Mary provides another essential
049layer of support by offering free short-term counseling services to families. Finally, our partnership with William and Mary School of Education not only provides professional learning opportunities for our staff, it also strengthens the school psychologist pipeline by supporting graduate students through practicum and internship placements in NNPS schools. Together, these partnerships create a comprehensive network of care that amplifies the impact of our in-house programs and ensures that students and families have access to timely, effective, and specialized support. As we look ahead, our focus is on expanding the impact of this program in three key ways. First, we plan to expand professional learning. Professional school counselors, mental health therapists, and student support specialists will expand training offerings that equip teachers and administrators with the skills they need to recognize early signs of mental health concerns and respond effectively
050within the scope of their own roles. Second, we will strengthen family partnerships. Professional school counselors will continue to engage families in academic and career planning while also serving as a bridge to highlight the connection between learning, career readiness, and mental health. Meanwhile, our mental health therapists and student support specialists will expand parent workshops, resource sharing, and crisis supports, ensuring families feel informed, connected, and supported. Finally, we will deepen our use of data to drive continuous improvement. By analyzing referral patterns, service delivery data, and student outcomes, our team can identify gaps, monitor progress, and refine services to reach students more effectively. I want to close by thanking the board and especially our superintendent, Dr. Mitchell, for your steadfast commitment to the well-being of our students and staff. Mental health is not separate from academic success. It
051is the foundation of it. By investing in this work, we're not only helping students heal and grow, but also preparing them for lifelong success. Together, we're building a stronger, more resilient future for every NNPS student. This concludes my presentation and at this time, Miss Ascu, Miss Evans, and I welcome any comments or questions that you may have. Thank you. Any comments, questions, board members? Amen. Yes. Um I and this I'd like to get a better understanding of and I will admit I come at this from having done work in health care and had some healthcare clients. Um when do we refer out to outside providers? What do we do inhouse? Do we do things inhouse that could be built through Medicaid? Do we do that? Um, I know but prior to COVID, CSB had some
052group therapy that they were able to do in the schools, but then they weren't able to because they changed how the state changed how they handled mental health for Medicaid purposes, how that was structured. So, now I'm seeing community services board again and then that national counseling group. So what do we refer out and when and how and what are how much intensive mental health care are we providing in the school division you know versus outside providers. Sure. So probably a good data point to start with and I'm going to refer back to um this data slide right here. Um we do provide quite a bit of in-house in-house support. So, for example, for the referrals that we did receive from um whether it's um teachers or student support teams referring for assistance for mental
053health therapy, we were able to maintain 97% of the cases that were referred to us. We were able to provide services inhouse. 3% we did refer out. Um usually when that happens is because either the level of care that they need is extends beyond what we are able to provide here. Um, our partnership, you spoke about community uh, based providers. Our partnership with the Hampton News Community Services Board is uh, particularly not focused on in in school supports, but it's focused on outpatient services. So, it's a complement to supports that may be provided. Um what I would say and and Miss ask you invite you to jump in if I'm missing information is that we will first and foremost address the issues here and if we need more wraparound services that is when we're reaching
054out to the partners for complimentary or additional services that 3% that we spoke about is when we could not u meet those services within the division. Okay. And if families say had coverage else and they wanted to say thank you but we want to get our their own therapist or whatever. Would you work with them to Oh, absolutely. So, that's also part of our tier 2 supports or our referrals and and working with families very closely. We offer a com we have um we maintain a community referral um handbook for lack of a better word that looks not just at mental health referrals but any kind of support um that a family may needs because often when they're coming to us because they need help in a particular area, there might be areas that we
055realize that they might need support. you know whether it is through you know provision of child care or questions related to housing. So we are able to do that warm handoff to providers that specialize in those areas. So that's part of what um part of that framework that would be like a tier 2 service. Yeah, I I would like to see um some data in terms of how it impacts the school building. For example, regarding u tier three um let's say discipline data perhaps. Have you considered using some of that to um to measure the effectiveness of the program? I think that is that so that's a great thought. when we talked about um what is it that we're really looking at doing some of our next steps is um looking at our data systems
056and how they talk to one another because of the especially for our tier three services or mental health referrals all that data is struck in in a separate way from where our student outcome data would be. So matching that up has been a challenge, but we're really right now looking at exploring to see how is it that we can more specifically tie to some of the outcomes that we want to see. For example, um tracking very specifically to um our attendance data, our discipline data, so we can link the level of service not in an individualized way but as an aggregate to specific student outcomes. So that's one of our um that's not the next step slide. Where is there? There it is. Our data driven improvements. But that's that's really a great thought and
057and really just in line with what we're hoping to do. Thank you. Okay, Mr. Brown. So, just piggybacking on what Miss Alger brought up. Uh, so the data the database that we have right now that covers student data and the one that covers mental health um counseling, they're not integrated together. And I suppose what is the um have we looked at uh a project to to integrate the two so that such that you'd be able to have another column in this in this uh u in our student uh data center to add these counseling sessions to tie to a particular student. So we are exploring possible solutions. Um so we are looking very specifically at that. We in fact have a demo um scheduled for later this week to look at that does vary um
058addition to our student information system because of confidentiality reasons. Our current student information system um could not manage that level of information which is the reason why it's kept separate. We need to be uh very mindful of that with the data. There are solutions that are starting to spark up because of interest. Um so we are starting to explore what what might that look like for us. So the so the current company says that their their database cannot accommodate the type of data that we we gather from counseling that and and they so it's not a matter of we couldn't pay them more to expand their database. They're saying their their database wasn't designed and can't accommodate. So very specifically our our um internal student information system synergy um the current system does not manage
059counseling data. They do have a an different module that could be purchased for that purpose. Okay. Um, so we are looking to see what that looks like. Okay. Any M Harris? Hi. Um, thank you for this presentation. Um, I I'm always it's very important to me in regards to access and people having the the information. Um, so how are we how are we kind of getting this information out to our parents engagement uh folks that are wrapping theirelves around these particulars that have these specific needs. Um, and my I have a two-part question. Um, I know too Dr. We just went to I went to my first New Horizons board meeting and saw had a presentation from the family counseling center um out of William and Mary and they talked about wanting to uptick their
060their numbers. Um how does that work? So if if a referral goes out and and it and I'm just in terms of process if a referral goes out do they come to the stu the Newport new student does a new student go to them? How does that for the for the New Horizons William and Mary counseling service that is there that is there? Oh yes in at that center and the way that we we spread the information for example um you know we first and foremost we do it through our um um specialized student personnel. So our student support services staff on an annual basis. We make sure they are updated with everything that is available here. We just had a presentation from um the counseling center that again is refreshing. make sure that everybody
061is fully aware that that is an extra possibility for an add-on service um so that if they need to refer they know exactly how to how to do that. Okay, any other questions? I just had a comment. All right. Um my comment is just in amazement over these numbers. Looking at um almost 48,000 individual sessions that you're doing for our students is unbelievable. Um and I I know firsthand that many say they come to Newport News because of these services. And so I just want to, you know, thank you and your team for providing something that's worthwhile and and meeting the needs of our students. Thank you. And I want to say um thank you as well. And the numbers are a testament to the work that you do and the increase. So evidently the
062word is getting out and and it's good that when students and families and staff know that they need it or that they know it's available and they're taking advantage of the service. So thank you as well. Thank you. Thank you so very much. And thank you for the opportunity to share. So it's another way in which we get the word out. Yes. Right. Thank you again. At this time we have our 5.02 membership report. The 10day count. Board members. You've received a copy of this report. Are there any questions? Yes, I'll just ask the the one question in terms of we as we've watched this um through the pandemic and over the last number of years that uh the numbers are ticking down ever so slowly but they continue to tick down maybe a few
063hundred students each year and has the coordination happened because we do have a member of council in the audience. So just so does the coordination happen in terms of looking at our demographics of our city and the number of citizens. Uh so is it a um number of citizens in the city and they're just not having as many children or is it uh you know another is it another dynamic that would allow us to better predict and project uh over the next few years because we had some discussions just in our work session this uh this evening about our capital plans and how how we configure our schools and and what what population so I'm very interested in what population of students are we configuring our division for um going forward right and what is
064what is this actually is this just a a micro trend uh that is going to uh adjust itself away or is this more of a long-term type of a trend where we're seeing that we're going to continue to sort of just tick down um over the next decade or so? I I will start out and I looked out at Rob Coleman and he was shaking his head. Yes. Um in terms of uh people are not having as many children. Uh we also have um a decline in the number of families that are transferred here for military services which is also has an impact on our our numbers. But I will say this while the trend continues to go down um this year it has slowed a bit. So you know we're looking to see is
065that going to continue. But I would say you know just for the for you but as well as for the the um viewing public um that trend is not just us it is across across the whole across the whole across the whole state whole country and country country. Any other questions? All right. The construction point 5.03. The construction report 5.03. Board members, you have received a copy of this report. Are there any questions? Hearing none, we'll move to on to item 5.04, comments by the superintendent. Dr. Mitchell. Good evening again. Thank you, Madame Chair. Um, we are excited um to share highlights from the first few weeks of school. We have two slides that show our students and our staff. They returned with a great amount of energy. Um, and the opening days were certainly
066filled with enthusiasm, smiles, and a strong sense of community. These first few slides show the excitement as our schools open their doors to welcome back not only our students, but our families and our staff across the cities. We are excited to also share that uh Newport News public schools recently received recognition in the bright spots and bold solutions section of the department of education all in Virginia grant progress report um for something that uh as a matter of fact Miss Sombra who just presented her department created what's called an attendance hub and it gives staff tools and information for improving attendance. So, we certainly appreciate the nod from the Virginia part department of education and they have reached out to ask if we would be willing to share our strategies with other divisions around the
067state because we saw a significant uh decrease in chronic absenteeism last year. And I'm going to put you on the spot because I don't have the number in my head. Do you remember what the percent of decrease was? in the previous year to 18%. Super excited about that. A lot of hard work and we appreciate the partnership with the families that helped us to make it happen. Today is National IT Professional Day. Our professional technology staff, they support teaching and learning. They maintain our hardware, software, networks, student information system, and they ensure our network security as well. So, special thanks to our technology team for all that they do to keep everything running smoothly, not only for our students, but for our staff as well. And the board. This is true. And the board. Right,
068Deb? And the board. Um, I'm so sorry. That's okay. uh several board members, staff, and and myself had a wonderful opportunity to join the Southeast Day community day parade. This was a chance to connect with families, with partners and community members while also showcasing our students and our staff as part of this very long-standing tradition of pride and partnership in Newport News. And please mark your calendars because this coming Saturday, September the 20th, there will be the Denbigh Day parade. So, please make sure you turn out and show your support. And I see Dr. Gray smiling because he he knows all about the Denbigh Day parade. So, please come out and support um that that parade. It's a lot of fun, a lot of energy. Hopefully, it won't be quite as hot. It was pretty
069hot last week. Right. Right. It was pretty hot. Um, National Hispanic Heritage Month is uh started yesterday and it runs through October the 15th. The midepptember start date actually coincides with the Independence Day of several Central American countries. The month celebrates the cultural impact and history of Hispanic and Latino Americans in our country. And last but not least, we have a lot of things coming up. I did mention earlier about the Demi Day parade, which is September 20th, but we also have September 30th, it is high school back to school night. And you see the time from 6:00 to 8. Then on September 24th, we have middle school back to school night from 6:00 to 8. And then our preschool and elementary school back to school night is September the 5th from 5 to 7.
070And I encourage all parents, all caregivers, all family members to please come out to our back to school night. And then October the 10th, schools are closed for students. It's a half day for teachers for professional development in the morning and family conferences in the afternoon. I do also want to stress that there will also be uh parent conferences or family conferences held throughout the week. So if if families are unable to make it that night, please contact with your contact your school and your school will make arrangements to work around a way to have the conference for you even if you can't come back that night. Um moving on, these events represent our ongoing commitment to our strong partnerships between our families, our staff, and the community. And together we are ensuring that this
071school year has begun on a positive and very engaging note. Madame Chair, that concludes my comments and remarks for this evening. Thank you, Dr. Mitchell. We'll now move on to item six, another another opportunity to hear from the public. Are there any additional cards? Thank you. We'll move the to we'll move the agenda to matters by the school board and we will begin with our school board student representative. Thank you. Thank you. Recruitment for the student advisory group on education, also known as SAGE, is underway and will be ending next week on September 24th. If any interested high school students are looking for an application, it can be found in their student support suite with their student support specialist. Last week, I had the privilege of meeting with Superintendent Dr. Mitchell to discuss potential projects
072for stage SAGE students and will continue to meet with her in the upcoming weeks to plan for the first SAGE meeting. Lastly, I had the pleasure of participating in the Southeast Community Day parade earlier this month, and I'm looking forward to joining the Menchville Marching Monarchs in this upcoming Denbigh Day parade this weekend. Thank you all for coming out. We all value your time, and I hope you guys stay warm in this chilly, chilly weather. Thank you. All right, Mr. Brown. Okay. Well, I too I'm looking forward to the Denbigh Day parade. I'm going to go and get myself some Tootsie Rolls to go into to go into my bag um for the candy that I'll be throwing out. I found out that the the Tootsie Rolls, they really they project well. Um so I've
073been I've been practicing throwing taught me how to I've been I've been practicing my my throw. So I always say to the young people, uh if you have not yet learned to catch, all right, just make sure just at least cover your face, okay? Because I don't want your parents to look at me with the side eye, you know, because I hit you in the head with the candy. All right. So, please just at least be prepared to uh cover your face uh because the candy is is coming because I'm going to get it I'm going to get it out to you so that way you're not in the street. All right. Um so, very much looking forward to Saturday and seeing everyone at the Denbigh Day parade. Uh looking forward to uh it's a
074great start to the school year. I hope that all the fall everyone participating in fall sports is uh having a great time and getting ready for their their games and it's going to have a lot of fun and their matchups. I hope to be able to attend at least uh one of the games a few of the games uh this this season. And so looking forward to seeing all of you participate in that and uh hopefully you're having a great start to this first marking period. Uh and you're enjoying your school year. So with that, that's that's all I have. Thank you, Mr. Bal, Miss Aman. Um we too had a good start to the school year. Um I've now experienced middle school without middle school sports and I'm now going to experience middle school
075with middle school sports. And it's it's neat. It's it's an wonderful layer on the middle school to see the the kids wanting to try out and the teams. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this this this year plays out. Um so I plan to be at the Denbigh Day parade. I will not be throwing candy. I'll be doing my best to walk in hand candy because with my luck I would throw it and hit somebody. So safer just to hand it out. But that is a it's always a wonderful. Thank you. Next we have um Miss Harris. Yes. Um as many of my colleagues uh alluded to before, the Southeast Day parade was an exceptional time. Um I missed the cars. I got there. I missed Cars, but I still walked and I found
076Dr. Best. Okay. And we and we and we trucked it on foot for a little bit. Um so no, but no, always an amazing time um um with the community. I I did also too a few weeks ago have an opportunity to take a morning route on a school bus. Um I was like undercover bus and um it was a very interesting experience. Um from checking out the bus and all the engine and the lights and making sure all the things were where they needed to be. Um to the different stops and the dispatches coming in and out and back and forth and how you all how bus drivers collaborated with one another and hey can you grab this person from this stop and it was amazing to see all the collaboration and how that
077piece went. Um kiddos coming on the bus falling asleep spilling water on their on the person next to them all the things. Um, so it was extremely interesting and then after that I was able to speak with the director of transportation just about processes and challenges and how those things are worked through. So that was very very um insightful. Um my my next project is to get on an afternoon route to to see where we're all where the magic really happens is what I'm told on a Friday. Do it on a Friday. On a Friday. Um so just wanted to let you all know you know we we we hear you. um we are trying to get into those crevices to really um um figure out how to navigate this thing and and do it
078in the right way. Um I also want to remind people my my uh children uh not too happy about this, but um eighth and 10th grade registration for PSAT is coming up. Um I know some schools have already sent out their messages. Um I have a woodsider and a elephant stirer. So, um just wanted to remind that to tell your students um your your kiddos um it's important to kind of get that type of preparation and that platform um as they prepare for whatever their path may be. So, that's all I have. Thank you, Mr. Hunter. Oh, thank you. Um Madame Chair, um I typically don't say a whole lot, but I do have something to say today. And um so what we have been listening to folks for a couple years about the LBGT
079um and and their concerns and I heard this week has been troubling for all of us no matter what side of the table you sit on. But one thing I did hear because we forgot about the school shooting. We heard about the college shooting but we forgot about the school shooting. And um all both of these are correlated and what you come back and say is if you see something say something. So even the person who did the apparent assassination of the person on the college campus apparently he had been talking to his family members who turned him in. Say something. Okay. So when we come to this LGBT, I'm going to tell you I'm a school board member. I'm with you. Okay? I'm going to say something. I'm going to say something. So I'm
080with you. I'm 100% with you. We as board members, our main job is to ensure that every student, every student gets a safe and best education they can here. I don't care your color, your creed, your Democrat, you know what your religion is, you know, if you're Democrat, Republican, independent. We here take an oath as a school board member to ensure that each and every child, student here is safe and they're here in an environment that's safe. So, I don't want someone to come back and say, "Hey, we had school board members up here and not one of you stood up and said that we were with you." No matter a vote or doesn't Sometime it doesn't take a vote. Sometimes it just takes a voice. And so, I just want to let you know
081this voice here, this voice here, we hear you super cared, loud and clear. And if you do see something, say something. If you see someone that's being harmed or being bullied, see something, say something. You hear someone talking negative about someone, see something, say something. This, you know, this this has been a a troubling time for me. You know, I work at a university. After that shooting, we were on lockdown as well. So, it's just not a oneway, you know, one side another. We are in a we're in a space that we've never seen ourselves here in America. And so I want to make sure that great things are happening here at Newport News Public Schools. And so I'm going to tell you if you see something, say something. If one of the students out
082here that feel uncomfortable, reach out to me. Reach out to me because we need to know. I don't just need to hear from, you know, come here and tell us. But I've heard it. I want to let you know today. I heard it. And I can tell you many of my school board members, if not all of us are sitting up here do hear you. And you know what? It took someone today to says, you know, we haven't heard from you. We hear you, but no one has spoken out. You've spoken out. At least I heard you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Hunter. Mr. Law. Well, thank you. Um, back to Douglas and throwing can wanting um Tootsie Rolls. I thought you wanted them to eat. Um, this school year is going to be a
083challenge because we're going to have to struggle to stay focused on the main thing as being the main thing. We've already started the beginning of this school year with so much that we've had to navigate as a community, as a country. Um, and for us and our educators to be able to stay focused on making sure that we do think of each student and get them educated and allow them to be children and not deal with what we're having to deal with is going to be huge. So, our work is really cut out for us. Um, uh, Mr. Hunter, I do appreciate your words. I think they are very indicative of many of us on this board. So, thank you for your voice tonight, Miss Alton. Thank you. I'm sorry. Great. Um, I'm going to
084start with something light today. We had a trolley tour and um both council um councilwoman Vick and Councilman Eley uh invited both Dr. vest and myself um to ride on a trolley with them around uh the south district. And what we did was we helped uh the folks who attended the tour to make connections make connections throughout parts of the city and make connections with the importance of our schools being as hubs. And so it was a great uh great opportunity. It was different than a forum. Um it included questions. Uh people had um you know opinions, shared opportunities and all we did was take it in uh and and of course uh had discussion. So I want to give a big shout out uh to our our council count counterparts um for for what
085they did today. Um I am Latina and not many people know it. uh they see me, they can't figure out who I am. But my parents were immigrants. Uh and I can tell you that I was the first one born in this country. Uh and we worked hard. Uh we worked very hard because we always have to figure out how to prove ourselves. Uh and truly I, you know, being the first one to graduate from high school, imagine that. Uh college and all these things. um to to celebrate Hispanic heritage means so much more than just those words. Uh it's a celebration of resilience and what our families are going through even today. So, please recognize that. Um Gary, thank you so much. Uh this is why we're we're we're close souls because uh Gary
086speaks the truth and I want to thank you for uh standing up for the LGBTQ community. Uh I I feel the same exact way. Um I have stood up um since the moment my child was born and uh and I um you know my thing is uh I'm with you. So thank you all and uh And and oh last thing, these folks right here, we are working hard behind the scenes. I can promise you that. Uh we um do so much. And Dr. Mitchell, we are constantly meeting and figuring out what is it that we can possibly do to make things better and to keep things the main thing and to remove those distractions so that our children can learn, right? and so that our children can be accepted. So, I wanted you to know
087that as well. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Alger. So, I don't know where to start. I'm trying not to go over so much what they've already covered, but um it was a a pleasure participating in Southeast Community Day um parade. And I'd like to thank all of the administrators, teachers, students, and all staff members that took time out of their busy day for that Saturday so soon after school had just opened to come out and to celebrate. So that was a wonderful um occasion. So thank you for that. Um also I would like to thank the Newport News alumni chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority for putting over 600 books into the hands of Newport News public school students. and they gave us these pins that uh to wear tonight that says reading matter and
088as you all know we have an initiative across the division so thank you to the new news chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority um the Newport News alumni chapter thank you so very much um the mayor also kicked off his book club so we have reading coming from all directions and then I also like to extend a congratulations to the mayor and Mrs. Jones for the birth of their um son for their son Let's see. The tour was fantastic. We did get to connect about schools and communities and and how we um work together and the needs and the importance and how one affects the other. So, that was great. Again, um thank you to Councilman Elely and uh Councilwoman Vic and to all of the community uh people that came out. And just keep
089your eyes and ears open because um Councilman um Elely said we're going to do that at least every quarter. So, if you have an opportunity to uh take part in that, do that um as well. And so, speaking of the bus drivers, I shared this story with Dr. Mitchell. So, I'm responsible sometimes for two of my great nieces and I kept one overnight. So, I had to get her to the bus stop to get to school. And so, running behind and with my luck, I got behind not only one bus, but two buses. So when I got to her bus stop, the bus had pulled up to the corner, had stopped, he had closed the door. So one part of me, the human part was saying, "I'm right here. He's right there. He's going to
090open the door and let me on." But he did not because now the school board member and the former employee came back to me. He cannot after they close that door. They have certain procedures and and regulations and and things that they have to do for the safety of the students on the bus, for their safety, and for the safety of all of those around them. So, he didn't let me on the bus. So, I had to take my great niece to her school, which happened to be Carver Elementary School. And actually, I had really kind of forgot about it. But as I walked her across the crossway, he was coming through the circle on his bus and he opened the window and he just started apologizing. And I said, "Sir, you don't have to
091apologize to me. You are simply doing your job. I want to thank you for doing your job and you don't have to apologize." And and I'm saying, "Did somebody tell him I was on the school board?" I hope he wasn't. But I I really don't think that's what it was. I think he was just a nice person who was trying to do his job. So, I want to say thank you. I didn't get his name to the driver. His bus said 135 at Carver Elementary School. Um, so if if anybody please let him know I appreciate him and I'm not going to be late um anymore. So, we we thank you bus drivers. And I'm going to piggyback on Mr. Hunter. So sometimes it does take one person. Um we have been discussing the transgender
092issue since the time the uh procedures were put in place. It's we've been back and forth back and forth back and forth. But sometimes like Ms Surles law said, you have to keep the main thing the main thing. And there's something about Newport News. When you say Newport News, it attracts clicks. It attack it attracts listeners. If the news leads with a headline, if they say Newport News as opposed to pretty much any other district, they know they're going to get some extra traffic. So, trying to keep the main thing the main thing. I think that kept us from keeping the main thing the main thing. So, if you need me to explain that more, I'll be more than happy to, but I too stand with uh Mr. Hunter. So, I want the record to
093reflect that as well. So, that's all I have to say. And at this time, I move uh that we have a motion to go into close session. I move um the school board convene a close session meeting pursuant to Virginia Code section 2.2-3711 uh.81 A1 of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The subject of this portion, no one told me that you couldn't hear me. Of this session is to discuss or consideration of pro prospective candidates for employment, assignment, appointment, promotion, performance, demotion, salaries, disciplining, and appointees regarding the discussion of specific employees. Second. Second. We have a second. Okay. It's been moved to second that we go into a close session. Who was second? Miss Harris or Miss Aman. Okay. Any questions, discussion? No discussion. Miss call. Aman for. Brown. for. Harris. for. Hunter. for.
094Surles law. for. Alger. for. Best. for. Motion passes. 7-0.