Loudoun County school board meeting. Um, we'll start with disclosures and I will start as a member of the Loudoun County School Board. I make the following disclosure to the school board and to the general public in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding the budget Andor health, insurance, and related benefits. And any other discussion that may include, or affect benefits for lcps employees, specifically, as a school board member, I am eligible to receive health insurance and related benefits as an lcps employee. These
benefits. However, affect thousands of employees, well, in excess of the statutory 3 employees, whose interests may also be affected of which I am included, I can and will participate fairly objectively. And in the publicist, this disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for 5 years. Miss Chandler. Thank you. Madam chair as a member of the Loudoun County School Board. I make the following disclosure to the school board and to the general public in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding the budget, Andor health, insurance and related benefits, and
any other discussion that may include or affect benefits for lcps employees. Specifically, as a school board member, I am eligible to receive health insurance and related benefits as an lcps employee. These benefits, however, affect thousands of employees, while in excess of the statutory 3 employees, whose interests may also be affected of which I am included, I can and will participate fairly objectively. And in the public interest, this disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for 5 years. Thank you. Uh, Miss Chandler, Mrs. Griffith. Thank you.
Madam chair as a member of the LD County School Board and make the following disclosure to the school board and to the general public in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding the budget and our health insurance and related benefits. And any other discussion that may include, or affect benefits for lcps employees, specifically, as a school board member, I am eligible to receive health insurance and related benefits benefits as an lcps employee. These benefits, however, affect thousands of employees, well, in excess of statutory, 3 employees, whose interests may also be effective, which I am, I am
included, I can, and will participate fairly protective objectively, excuse me. And in the public interest, this disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk. Of the school board for 5 Years. Thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Griffith. Uh, Miss LaBelle as a member of the laden County School Board, I make the following disclosure to the school board and to the general public in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding the budget Andor health, insurance and related benefits. And any other discussion that may include, or affect benefits for lcps employees, specifically, as a
school board member, I am eligible to receive health insurance related benefits as an lcps employee. These benefits, however, affect thousands of employees. Well, in excess of the statutory 3 employees, whose interests may also be affected of which I am included, I can and will participate fairly objectively. And in the public interest, this disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for 5 years. Thank you, madam chair. Thank you. Miss label, Miss
shirreff. Thank you. Madam chair as a member of the Len County School Board. I make the following disclosure to the school board and to the general public in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding the budget Andor health, insurance and related benefits. And any other discussion that may include, or affect benefits for lcps employees specifically, as a Latin as a school board member, I'm eligible to receive health insurance and related benefits as an lcps employee. These benefits. However, affect thousands of employees, while in the excess of the statutory 3 employees, whose interests may also be affected of which I am included, I can and will participate
fairly objectively and In the public interest, this disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for 5 years. Thank you, Miss chernoff and we will move on to item 3 approval of the consent agenda uh board members. Do you have anything? Uh are there any changes to be made to the consent agenda? Seeing none. Uh, before we vote on the consent agenda, we will have 1 proclamation to read our Proclamation recognizes February as Black History Month and will be read by Dr. Rasheed. Thank you, cheer.
Whereas Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a noted black scholar born in Virginia and the son of enslaved, parents initiated negro history week on February 12th. 1926 and whereas the celebration of black history expanded from 1 week in February to Black History Month in 1976 and whereas during Black History Month we recognize and celebrate the contributions influence and spirit that black African-Americans have demonstrated since the Inception of our country And whereas especially during a black history month, we
acknowledge and highlight the many achievements and profound contributions. Made by black African-Americans to the economic cultural spiritual educational and political development of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the entire United States and whereas 7.4% of enrolled Loudoun County Public Schools. Students are black African-American and 6.7% of the lcps. Work force has self-identified as black African-American. And whereas 97, 7% of black African-American students graduated on time from
lcps in 2024 compared to 90% of all black African-American students in the state of Virginia, in the same year. And whereas Loudoun County Public Schools has adopted a commitment to equity to ensure student growth and success for every child, create culturally responsive environments where all students see themselves represented, Foster a sense of belonging eliminate opportunity, gaps and increase division-wide efforts in diverse recruitment hiring and retention. And whereas the School Division continues to
collaborate and partner with various Community Based individuals and organizations to further, its efforts in forming strong relationships in a culturally sensitive, responsive and appropriate manner. and whereas the Loudoun County School Board continues to operate with the equity committee, composed of various invested parties from Loudoun Community to demonstrate. Its Its commitment to closing opportunity gaps for all students and creating an educational environment where all students can benefit benefit from high-quality rigorous educational
programs. And whereas during Black History Month, we focus on the critical role of Education in the history and advancement of black African-Americans. Now, therefore we the Loudoun County School Board. Do hereby, Proclaim February 1st, through February, 28th of 2025, as Black History, Month, and Loudoun County Public Schools. Be it further resolved, Olved at the Loudoun County School Board. Strongly encourages our staff and Community to observe recognize and celebrate the culture Heritage and contributions of black
African Americans to our country. The Commonwealth of Virginia are beautifully diverse County and our schools, not only during black history month. But throughout the entire school year in witness, where the loud and County School Board issues, this proclamation to honor and recognize the contributions of black Americans whose impact is evidence. Both nationally and globally. Thank you, chair. Thank you, Dr. Rasheed, I will. Now entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda. Motion to approve the consent agenda. I have a motion, uh,
by Miss shernoff, is there a second? Second second, I have a second by Dr. Rasheed it's been properly moved and seconded to approve the consent agenda at this time. We will go ahead and vote to approve the consent agenda. Uh clerk please. Open the vote. Board members, please record your vote. Clerk, please close and display the vote. And that motion passes 6, uh, with, uh, Mrs. Griffith in abstention and
Miss Donnie a chair, Vice chair. Donahue and Mr. Estrie, absent for the vote. Seeing that we will move on to the advisory committee update. With the loud and education Alliance of families. Presented by Sherry Colby Leaf chair. Hold on. Can you hear me? Okay. Okay, it's on now we. All right, all right. Good evening, chair Mansfield. Uh, school board members. Dr. Spence lcps staff member of the community. I am Sherry Colby chair of the L education
Alliance of families. Also known as Leaf. I represent Clan Creek Elementary in the central lden district, and have been involved with Lee for 3 years serving as the alliance's chair for the past 2 years. This evening, I'm pleased to share Leafs Alliance update for the 2024 2025 school year. Next slide, please. Lees purpose is to empower and inform parent leaders of students within lcps per the leaf Charter. Bylaws Leaf alliance members as liaison helped to connect their communities, to the school board and the division
Our representatives from schools throughout our division, participate with the goal of supporting Leafs 2-way communication approach. This model allows parents and Educators to work together to review, challenges explore options, and provide feedback to those making decisions in the best interests of lcps as youth. Next slide, please, As we enter year 3 of leaf, we have representation from 56 of lcps. 100 Schools, including instructional centers. This year's schedule has just passed. It's halfway mark with 5
of 8 meetings, completed all meetings continue to follow, Leaf Le agendas. These agendas are created with the membership voice at the Forefront. A collaborative approach to meeting planning shaped by our shared input feedback and discussions. Among alliance members. This purpose ensures that our agendas reflect the diverse perspectives priorities and evolving needs of the group fostering, meaningful conversations and productive outcomes. That align with the committee's goals. Next slide, please, We continue to follow an established communication Cadence
that supports reminders and feedback opportunities. We have meeting reminders sent 3 to 5 business days. Before the meeting our agenda is posted to business days before the meeting, and we provide a meeting summary 5 to 7 days after the meeting. Since we focus on 28 communication between the division, the alliance and members respective. Communities leaves me leadership values feedback as a key component of our communication Loop which includes policy reviews. Next, slide please.
Understanding that each year varies, especially with policy review Cycles. I am happy to share that 28 policies have been shared with Leaf members for feedback. In fact, several policies have been reviewed directly during meetings allowing for real-time feedback to be submitted. This has enhanced engagement and ensure that member voices are actively considered and policy discussions next. Slide please. As with the development of many committees initiatives and projects, I am proud of the evolution and progress. The
alliance has made over this last year. This year's leadership includes an almost fully volunteer board. Vice chair of planning is Karen Miller. Vice chair membership is Bradley McKinney and the vice chair of communications is Dmitri briskin. Our goal. Next year is to have an alliance member take over the secretary position, which has been supported by lcps staff, up to the state. Next slide, please. Now that we have entered the second half of the school year, the 2025 2026 membership Drive will begin soon. Leave
leadership and staff will start reaching out to schools in March for members. Member participation and will continue efforts to achieve 100% representation from schools. We review and adjust our Outreach each year. Since our recruitment cycle. Differs from other committees, our committee meets and support schools. According to the school calendar, August through June. Principals nominate a school representative with the endorsement of the parent organization where they exist. Then the names are shared with the school board for approval. This timeline is driven by Leafs bylaws, which
makes early recruitment essential before parent organizations have their final meetings in May next slide, please. There are several exciting updates to share including the Contin continuation of the collaborative conversations portion of our agendas, which we introduced last year. They implementation of direct feedback with policies. The development of working agreements, the inclusion of call to action goals. As next steps before meeting a German each of these additions aligns, with Leafs practices with other
advisory groups, enhancing our Effectiveness, and impact. Next slide, please Our collab, collaborative conversation, agenda item, and protocol is a structured framework. Designed to guide our group discussions in a way that promotes meaningful inclusive and productive dialogue. This approach ensures that all participants have a voice discussion. Stay focused and goals are met. It encourages thoughtful reflection, active listening and constructive feedback. Each meeting Fe features 2 to 3 guest speakers, who share valuable relevant
insights from across the division. Topics are identified based on feedback from our membership ensuring discussions remain timely and relevant. In fact, during our most recent meeting we provided another opportunity for representatives to suggest new topics, we recognize that priority shift throughout the year, which is why Le leadership actively seeks input to reflect the evolving needs and interests of our communities next slide, please, A standing part of our collaborative conversations rotation, includes a focus on Direct feedback with
policies. Led by our dedicated School Board member representative Lauren, shernoff This rotation provides an opportunity to review, both General and specific policies, depending on the cycle. We heard from members that understanding policy language was a challenge. Many weren't sure, what to look for, what questions to ask, or how to provide meaningful feedback this rotation, addresses, those concerns directly Lauren breaks down key, components, helping members connect with the, what, What and why behind the policies?
What's been, especially, impactful is the real-time feedback process as policies are discussed members. Can submit their thoughts, through a feedback form, ensuring, their voices are heard immediately. The response has been overwhelmingly positive next slide, please. Our alliance has grown in fostering collaboration, evolving from basic meeting Norms to more intentional working agreements. This shift was supported by the implementation of an interactive process facilitated by Renee Dawson the director of family and Community engagement, also known as
face. It was a natural time to introduce Miss Dawson and the work of face to leave members. As the acronym suggests, our Leaf members are representing their schools in essence. They are the face of their communities while serving leaf and its Mission both during meetings. And in conveying the information gathered and shared Over the course of 2 meetings. We explore the purpose and role of working agreements. Gathered member insights to shape their agreements and reviewed and refined drafts based on collaborative feedback.
The working agreements as seen here are now shared at the start of each meeting serving as a living guide to support respectful, focus and effective discussions. Next, slide, please. To strengthen connections between meetings, we've introduced call to action goals as next steps. These are small yet meaningful to-dos designed to help members actively engage with their schools administrators and ptas pto's. Recognizing the diversity of our group. We found that awareness and confidence in 2-way, communication varied by implementing. These goals, we encourage members
to share key meeting takeaways coach members and Gathering feedback and Community, insights, and Foster stronger connections within School communities. These actionable steps. Keep communication lines. Open and sharing our work remains responsive to the voices. We represent next. Slide, please. During each meeting members, receive materials with related links flyers and key information to share with their communities. For example, in our last meeting important, we highlighted important spring dates for High School athletics, a flyer and reminder about a free webinar with
lcps, athletic trainers and Anova concussion, experts free online, Family, Academy workshops and links to budget presentations. To support continued engagement members, receive a recap email within 36 to 48 hours. After each meeting this recap outlines key points, important, links, and contacts members have found this especially valuable as notes. That seemed clear during meetings can raise questions. When reviewed later, the recap helps bridge that Gap. Next slide, please
In closing as chair. I'm pleased to be a part of lease continued development and contributions. As an established parent voice with an lcps, moving a large group forward as always a work in progress. In addition, an essential element of moving a group forward in a positive and productive manner is trust, which is built through, courtesy kindness honesty and the habit of commitments. And this is why Leaf leadership has been intentional about asking for feedback. Adjusting agendas to meet group needs. Can in communicating regularly with members, we will
continue to do. So moving forward. Thank you for the opportunity to share our Leaf update. I'm happy to answer any questions. You may have. Thank you, Miss Colby. Um, I was wondering, do you guys, uh, collaborate with msac or CAC, at all? That's an excellent question. I actually have had contact with msac and cak and we are planning to try to meet as committee chairs and see where some of our work May overlap and we could work together. So that's something that we're working for in the future. I mean, 1 thing that cak and Mack really
in particular cak as well is, is that policy? Right looking at those policies and providing feedback. And that's, you know, that might be somewhere that you guys can come together and training or whatever. Yeah, absolutely. Just and we are really grateful to Lauren because she has really helped us break down with the policy. Looks like our members were really struggling with they're looking at the policy and not understanding, well, what type of feedback should we be giving? And so moving to that collaborative conversation framework and having that policy, rotation,
and Lauren there has really helped uh, our members understand what the policy looks like, what type of feedback to give. So we're really grateful for her time and dedication to our group, as well as the lcps staff that I work with Joan and Christina, and Kim. And Renee, it really is a collaborative effort. I'd say, with lcps staff, our members, my committee, and then with mature enough. And I think that's the only way you can work collaboratively, collaboratively to move forward with this work. So, I'm really pleased with what direction we're moving into.
Cool. Um, thank you any other discussion or talks? Yes, Miss chernoff. Thank you for your kind remarks. Um, the feeling is mutual, it's 1 of my favorite evenings of the month. Um, this hard work even since the last time you updated us, I feel like has shifted into a really safe trust space. When we slide into these meetings, there's no real pretense or breaking down of walls. It's we've gotten very much comfortable with the process and, and people know what to expect and they
They're very open. And we've had some tough conversations within the policy. It's tough for the leaf to really come with, like a suggestion from the whole group, because it's so representative of diverse opinions, but we really have been able to ask those tough questions and it's been in my opinion, really enlightening to learn what people are interested in and, and what's driving their thinking about policy. And um, Sherry's leadership is just absolutely top-notch. And she teaches here too, in Latin County Public
Schools, so no surprise there. That she's excellent. Thank you. Thank you. Any other comments? Thank you so much. I appreciate the opportunity. All right, um, with that, we will move on to item 5, our work session, uh, Department of Business and financial services FY 255 second quarter, Uh, Financial review by, uh, Miss Sharon. Will it be our Chief Financial Officer? You know. Miss Willoughby. Can we wait a second and have uh Mr. Struy,
do his uh disclosure? Thanks. Thank you. Madam chair as a member of the law County School Board. I make the following disclosure to the school board and to the general public in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding the budget and or health insurance and related benefits and any other discussion that may include or affect benefits for lcps employees. Specifically. As a school board member, I'm eligible to receive health insurance and related benefits as an lcps employee. These benefits. However, affect thousands of employees, well, in excess of the statutory, 3 employees, whose interests may also be effective of which I am included, I can and will participate fairly objectively and
in the public interest, this disclosure will be reflected in the public records of this Clerk of the school board for 5 years. Thank you, Mr. Mr. Jeffy. Now miss Welby, it's all yours. Thank you. So, I'm here. This afternoon to present the second quarter financial review of um, our funds. The full financial report is available in board docs and I will present the highlights with a focus on the changes from the first quarter projection um that was presented in the fall. Starting with our school, operating fund.
While revenues are still falling, short of the budget. There has been improvement from the first quarter as a result of more favorable sales tax collections. Overall, the projected revenues are projected to fall short of the budget by 2.4 million but is still an improvement from last quarter's 5.7 million. Um, projected shortfall Expenses are projecting a surplus of 38.3 million and that is primarily from Personnel savings. And is the same from last quarter's projection. This results in a fund balance projection of 23.9 million.
After deducting, the 12 million for carryover into FY. 26, that was approved as part of the FY, 26 budget, The fund balance though is already changed from the school board action last Tuesday, when the school board moved about 500,000 from the FY. 26 budget to FY 25 years in funding as part of the balancing and adopting of the FY 26 budget. So, technically, we're closer to about a fund balance of 23.5 million. Typically around this time, we start thinking about our year-end funding requests. However, we will not do that
this year for 2 Reasons, First with the answer uncertainty, about our federal revenue streams. We want to ensure that there is no disruption to services for our students. So we want to hold our fund balance in reserve, just in case, any of our federal funding streams was interrupted. As this, um, Reserve would offset any lost Federal funding Again, there is a lot of uncertainty of what any impact could be, and we are just being fiscally cautious to ensure our operations are covered.
Secondly, as described in the financial report, we are allowed to transfer year-end funds to our health Self Insurance Fund. Similar to what we did last year, to help Shore up the health fund and that is Our intention again this year, I'll go into more detail. Um, here shortly on the health uh, Self Insurance Fund and why this is needed. Moving to our school nutrition fund. The school nutrition fund is also showing Improvement when compared to the first quarter projections with revenues and improving by about 3 and a half million dollars.
This is the result of increased meal participation where we are seeing modest increases occur month over month. On the expense side, we see changes within specific line items but overall, the total expenses remain nearly the same as the first quarter. This results in an improved fund balance of 18.4 Million last quarter, we were projecting 14.9. This is a positive Improvement but the school nutrition program is still running a net loss and relies on fund balance to offset Revenue. Shortfalls, we continue to
review ways to increase revenues and decrease costs. As part of the management of the school nutrition program. 3 of our self- insurance funds, the workers, comp fund, the short-term disability fund and the Virginia local disability program fund. Our relatively stable with minimal changes from the first quarter. Projection costs continue to be in line with budget expectations in all 3 funds are projected to maintain. Its 2-month, minimum Reserve balance, so now our health Self Insurance Fund, Last quarter, I shared concerns about the challenges facing
our health Self Insurance Fund. And as we progress through the fiscal year costs, are continuing to rise further straining this funds financial position While revenues remain largely in line with budget projections claims costs continue to outpace them significantly. Pharmacy claims in particular, have had a substantial impact with our overall claims projection increasing by an additional 6 million dollars. Just from the first quarter. To help control these Rising costs. We recently issued a
pharmacy RFP aimed at achieving more effective cost management plan for both employees and lcps as the insurer. as a result of these escalating costs, the fund balance, is now projected to go negative by 933,000, as I noted noted during the school, operating fund portion, we plan to transfer funds from the school, operating fund to the health Self Insurance Fund to cover this shortfall and maintain a positive fund balance. However these transfers are only temporary fixes.
Underscoring the need for long-term strategies to increase revenues and reduce expenditures. Key efforts include the pharmacy RFP I mentioned and the recently approved. 12% premium increase that was part of the FY, 26 budget, Additionally, the proposed changes to the retiree health benefits to help control costs. While preserving choice for a retirees would be another strategy that we will discuss in more detail and seek school board approval at a work session next month. Managing a self-insured health benefit program for over
13,000. Active and retired employees requires balancing comprehensive coverage with financial sustainability. This will be an important consideration as we discuss retiree health benefits during this March work session. Next, we have our Capital funds, the first fund again is the capital asset preservation program fund that holds funding from the county to address, major maintenance and system replacement projects that exceed the value of dollars and have an expected lifespan of over 10 years.
The cap funding is flexible to allow staff, the ability to manage emergencies and other high priority needs. You will see in the report that the costs are categorized by work type. Such as HVAC plumbing and electrical. And when compared to the first quarter report, there are some fluctuations of spending projections between these categories. However, all funds are projected to remain fully spent any surpluses that may occur in 1 area will provide funding for areas that are projected to have a shortfall The other Capital fund is the capital Improvement program
fund that accounts for the expenses related to construction and renovation of facilities, land acquisition, best purchases and certain renovations. The expenses and and the report are by Capital spending categories, such as Construction contract, and land acquisition. As. I'm sorry, we are projecting a cost overrun in this fund by about 42.7 million and this was part of the school board's request of County year in funds that the county approved on January 7th. So we will see. I think we have actually
already received the 42.7 million but since this Second quarter, projection is for activity through December 7th, that has not been reflected. In the report once that additional appropriation is reflected, then that will clear. The, the deficit that is being projected. And with that that concludes the second quarter financial review presentation, and I'd be happy to take any questions. Thank you, Miss Willoughby, um, board members. Do you have any questions? Okay, seeing none. Looking forward to that. Work session in mind in March.
uh, we'll move on to 5.02 Department of academics program evaluation update presented by Dr. Ryan Tyler, director of research assessment and school Improvement, and Dr. Blake lock. Supervisor of research and evaluation Oh, and Dr. Alice Thank you, chair Mansfield. Good evening board members. This evening, we I am joined by Dr. Tyler and Dr. Blakelock
Who were just introduced. We are going to walk you through the program. Evaluation process aligned to policy 3310. Most of the detailed conversations moving forward after this evening, will happen in the performance. Monitoring committee before some reasons and full evaluation reports are provided to the full board and the public, So I'll turn it over to Dr. Tyler Thank you, Dr. Ellis. Uh, so today we will be discussing, uh, continuous improvement from as a core value of 1 lcps, and how to inform in the program evaluation work. Uh, we
will be taking a kind of a 3 year view of the program evaluation work looking at some of the programs that were the topics of our Focus for last year, including the Highlight on 1 of the programs. There are programs currently in the schedule for this year and there will be highlights of those and the introduction of proposed topics for next year, according to policy, 3310 a discussion between, uh, the superintendent, and the board. So I will hand it over to Dr. Blakelock to take us through continuous Improvement and the role that it plays our program evaluation and uh, some of the programs that
have been our Focus. The last couple of years Dr. Tyler Our approach to program evaluation is rooted in the 1lc 2027, strategic plan for excellence, core value of continuous Improvement. We encourage programs to engage in continuous Improvement, both to ensure the program is being implemented with Fidelity and that the programs achieving the results for which it is designed. Continuous Improvement is a cyclical process. That follows the plan do study act, or pdsa process. During the planning phase program, staff engage in the
design. At the beginning of the program, our modification of a program that already exists. This includes identifying the data that will be collected to measure the success of the program. the do phase consists of implementing the program, the data was collected, during the study to determine how well the program produced, the desired outcomes, and the ACT phase consists of reflecting on the program and the outcomes to then inform the planning phase of the next cycle. So it's a very it's a circle keeps on going around and around. so,
Looking at a couple of the pieces that we have here. Um, 1 of the research offices goals, has been to use program evaluation to help create a culture of continuous Improvement. In addition to the programs that have been on the schedule, we have had staff from other programs approached us to create a program evaluation design. We've also helped new programs, develop evaluation designs during their planning phase. We take a collaborative approach to program evaluation so that the evaluation is done with as opposed to being done to program staff.
This helps program staff understand how the program evaluation aligns with continuous Improvement. The research office supports program evaluations by providing technical expertise. We walk program staff through guided, through the process of developing, the logic model, creating the evaluation design and collecting and analyzing data. We also serve as a project Model Management, uh, function to make sure that everything stays on top. Um, and is moving forward. The role of the program sponsors to serve as the subject matter expert, they provide the content for the logic model
and the evaluation design and response to guiding questions from the research office staff. So the way these meetings typically look is we will look at a portion of the logic model. Say um ask some guiding questions, give some homework. And then we come back together and we go through this process. A few times until we have the logic model in the evaluation design. So, oh sorry. I'm not Apologies. I jumped ahead too fast. Um, So, I'm now going to turn it back to Dr. Ellis for a moment to talk about the role of the school board and the performance monitoring committee. Yes, so very briefly. Um as I mentioned the bulk of these
conversations are really going to happen with the performance monitoring committee as they monitor data division-wide, they will help staff, um, determine the programs to be evaluated and then we will bring summaries to the full School Board, um, in the future. So, this is a relatively new process. The the policy is relatively new. Um, and so we hope to, to, um, develop a regular Cadence of these discussions in PMC and then reports to the full School Board. Um, and then additionally, I will say that,
um, The all of the program evaluations will be posted publicly on the research website, um, for anyone to view. Thank you, Dr. Ellis. Um, so if we go, there we go. There are 4 phases to a program evaluation. Um, first 1 is to develop a logic model and this helps program staff um Define the program. Um, it helps them identify the connections between the needs of the program as serving the goals of the program, the activities of the program engages
in to meet those goals and the outcomes, these activities will yield. We look for a through line in these in the for these Concepts to make sure everything is connected for each, the goals of the program. So, when we think about that in terms of the pdsa process, the goals and needs piece is going to be the planning phase and the activities is going to be the do phase looking at the data from the outcomes is going to be the study phase. The evaluation design is informed by the logic model. So that includes research questions, what is needed to collect data on the research questions, who's responsible
collecting the data? Um, and the research office will work with program staff to develop data collection tools, to make sure that the data is coming in on an ongoing basis. Um once the evaluation design is completely collected until the um as data is collected until the end of the school year and we analyze it over the summer. So looking again it's more of the study saw part of the set and then reports are written during the Slate. Summer early fall that allows for that reflection that you would see in The act. And then again, back into the planning side of it with the pdsa
so, When the report is done, we take a look at all the data, we analyze it. We usually put it into some kind of graphical or chart format um and provide some conclusions. The we share it with the program sponsor and program staff um or the subject matter experts, and it is their role at that point to take a look at the conclusions. Take a look at the results and develop some recommendations for the program. For what a path forward for that program could look like based on whether it's a Fidelity issue, whether it's an outcomes issue. Um, we then present the reports the, uh,
PMC and the full board. We also, um, as Dr. L said, uh, post them on the research office website. So right here, we have um, the programs that we did last year as you can see, all of them have been published except for the alternative. Um, Education program, that program just started this year. Uh, we have these evaluation designed for it, so we'll have data available for that 1 in the summer. Um, the ones that are published, um, they are up on the website as well. So that, um, they can be viewed by. Um, anyone who would like
to see how those programs, um, performed as well as the outcomes and the recommendations that program staff have have made. So we're going to go into the professional learning 1, a little bit is just kind of an example of some of the structure of the reports. So these reports, the over the full reports include several sections, includes a description of the program, the research questions, the results from the data collection, the conclusions and the recommendations. So this slide right here, shows the research questions for the professional learning program,
that we came up with at the beginning of last school year to study over the course of the school year. The next slide shows the conclusions and we frame this in terms of both strengths and opportunities for improvement. We want to have a nice balanced approach to what that report looks like and how we've looked at the data. And so you'll kind of see uh a balance of both of those factors here inside of um the um conclusions here. And then we go to the recommendations. Um, so these were
recommendations that were developed by the professional learning office. Um, so the report summary that is in the board packet provides more detail about these recommendations. Um but I do want to call attention to that last bullet which is evaluation and adjust. This speaks to the uh, programs engagement in the pdsa continuous improvement process because they're going to look at how they've done this year and kind of adjust as necessary. So for the programs that we have for this year, um, as you can see, most of them are in the data collection. Phase we move through the logic model and um evaluation design um,
get them there. Um so we have those uh research questions as well. And I will uh turn it over to Dr. Tyler about the programs that are potentially slated for next year. Thank you, Dr. Blake luck. So that's taking you through the first 2 years of the view. Looking at the programs that are on the schedule for last year, the ones that we will be reporting out on later this year on this year's schedule. About a year and a half ago, the previous board and staff had identified tentative topics. So what you see on this slide are topics from about a year and a half ago and the
staff now, and the uh leadership will bring these forward potential topics moving forward for 2526. So Dr. Ellis is going to take us through a more of an explanation of the different roles if needed as far as the role of school board versus uh, the PMC Thanks, Dr. Tyler, um, so we are happy to address any questions that you might have around the program evaluation process and certainly open to feedback. Um, we will then share the program evaluation reports that were on, um, a
previous slide with the performance monitoring committee. Um, they already have a very full schedule so we will try to Squeeze in working with um chair Estee of that committee. Um squeeze in those program evaluation reports um as quickly quickly as we can. We'll also have a conversation with PMC to um, to finalize the final topics that are on slide 13. Um, we'll get their feedback to see if there are any, um, topics that we might be missing and have a conversation about about moving forward and then we will start the
program assessment process. Um, and by assessment we mean that um, Dr. Blake Locke and his team work with the program experts or the program sponsors to determine um if the program is appropriate for evaluation. So for example, if a new program is being implemented year 1 is probably not an appropriate time to do an evaluation and so we would have that discussion with the program sponsor and slate it for coming years. On the other hand, if there's a topic if there is a question, um, that keeps coming up by board members, or
members of the public about another program. It, it may be time to evaluate a program that hasn't been evaluated or looked at, um, in quite some time. And so, we'll have that conversation with the performance monitoring committee and keep the board updated as we proceed. And so with that I will turn it back over to you chair Mansfield. Um thanks very much. Thanks y'all for your presentation. Um, I'm wondering if there if we do any curriculum review. As a program.
So thank you for that question. And um we have recently done a curriculum audit the um Department of teaching and learning just completed a curriculum audit and is working through the recommendations of that audit. And actually, we do plan to bring that topic to you in. I think maybe even the next. Um, Dr. Spence, correct me if I'm wrong. The next um, work session, an overview of that, curriculum audit. Um, We do not typically review curriculum as as a program.
But doing the audit, is a very important thing for us to do. I would just be interested in how into reading is. Is coming along um board members, any other questions? Discussions thoughts. Something. Okay, thank you so much. and with that, We will move on to Department of uh Support Services energy and sustainability update presented by Mr. Kevin Lewis, our chief operation officer and Clark. Siped Center. Is that
correct? Uh, director of sustainability. Ask that question. Um, really quick. Uh, Dr. Ellis Dr. Dean, I just wanted to Dr. Dean asked me a question, and I just wanted to be sure the board knew, even though it goes through the performance monitoring committee, it will still be coming to the board afterwards. Correct, is that correct? Yes, ma'am. And we'll talk with the performance monitoring committee about the level of detail that is appropriate. And again, everything will be posted on the website and open to feedback on what that looks like moving
forward. Thank you. Thanks, chair, Mansfield. Members of the board. We are thrilled tonight to be here to talk to you about our program, our history of our program, some of the successes we've had over time and to talk to you a little bit more about the journey we've had so far and where we're headed with our, our history of um sustainability which has largely been focused on energy management and energy conservation over the last couple of decades. So we want to talk about that and then, uh, I'll go through a few slides.
And his disciple will follow that up with some of the future with the sustainability things, you know, as any other sustainability program, we we focus on the triple bottom line which has a an economical function, an environmental function and also a social function and we hope to touch on hope to touch on each of those tonight to let you know how we are making impacts in on, on each of those areas as we make decisions every day, and that's going to be important. Part of tonight's conversation is we do make decisions every day and we have a large group of people and you all each of you are a part
of that process. We make decisions on how we manage our energy, how we do projects and systems, How We Do policies and procurement. And so those things have an impact on our natural environment our built environment and believe it or not the instructional environment. And that's 1 of the things we want to talk about tonight is our buildings. Do have a significant impact on the instructional environment. We're going to share our history. Um, and some of the uh successes we've had over time um, Mostly we want um sorry I lost my place there. So we want
you to go beyond what we've done so far and and talk a little bit about and go into and help you understand the, how and the why and then more importantly than that is help. You join us with understanding of why it's important. Why the things we do in our energy program in our building programs? Why that's important not only to the school system and our built environment, but to the system as a whole, I know that we've had a number of questions. Manfield Miss Griffith, you were both asked questions during the CIP about energy projects Mr. Roughy and I
visited a few schools to talk and look and see how those systems and and how they operate and how they can affect that. Uh Mr. Shernoff had the pleasure in the last few weeks of visiting the school and dealing with a, a system failure and so And that's important because those decisions as we build our CIP every year we we talked about making sure that we have a system in place that every 1 of our schools, that keeps that environment, true, and the system that we had, the problem with 1 of our schools is being replaced this summer and we almost made it um and and unfortunately it
wasn't a catastrophic failure. It was a failure of the control system which gave us some hassles to get figured out but some of the folks that are on our team are really really skilled at doing that. But that's an example of how we can infect that and and the better we'll prepare. We are the more projects we do, the better. Uh we plan our CIP and our cap, the more or I guess the less impact we have. Have on the on the um, the classroom environment. So we are upgraded to manage these resources. We have limited amount of money but uh, we want to do that. So we
have the most impact on the class uh, every day our team of Architects and engineers and scientists and energy managers make decisions, um, through our energy program and also, um, through our Capital program, for to help us build that, that sustainable future. We need to be on that Leading Edge, but not the Leading Edge. So, we need to be careful. We need to make sure that we make decisions that are smart. We have had people trying to sell us solar panels and ground Source heat pumps for 25 years. And it wasn't until the last
couple of years that they were able to convince our team that they actually work. And they actually are designed and do what they say they're going to do and not just what the brochure says. So those decisions were made over a long period of time. With lots and lots of thought. so we do want to be um mindful of spending money in the classroom and so we do have that impact on there and so as as we talk through this you know just picture of those students in there if they're in the classroom and they're thinking about how cold it is or how hot it is, then they're not focused on what they're supposed to be there.
Same with the staff. So I do want to talk a little bit about our fantastic team that I have with me tonight. So, I've had some folks join me here at the table. Um, right beside me, you'll see you'll hear from Clark cyper in a few minutes and then beside her. You have Don trainer as our executive director of, uh, facilities operations. Bill Wowhead is our director of facilities and what our newest and most shining stars. Uh, we have Miguel salup, who is our energy supervisor, who has been here for a very short time, but made a fantastic impact on our program and helping us understand how we use
energy and how we manage energy. We also have, uh, Joe pascarelli and Kathy devans. Joe is our director of construction and Kathy is our architect who should be waving at you right now. From the back of the room, they're they're here with us as well. Um, and are part of, uh, those decisions that we make every day on our our program. A lot for an introduction but I think it's important to get a good handle on all the things that we are looking towards doing. So tonight, we are going to be working.
Um, on some significant. Um, Educational processes for our, our background and context. You'll see here. We've had a long history of energy is uh Energy Management. As I mentioned, we've been benchmarking every uh, kilowatt hour and every therm of gas that we use since 1993. We have a great history of that and we've also been able to attract our energy avoidance based on the things that we could do uh and the things that we are doing. And so today we've received or we've uh avoided 130 million
dollars worth of costs. Uh that's more than it costs us to build. Watch some Mountain Middle School so we have saved enough money to build an entire school and that's pretty significant over the life of the program. We're perfectly aligned. We Believe with the um, 1 Elsie strategy. And we also believe that tonight you're going to see and that we have built an entire program over the last couple years around the school board's resolution in 2020 on climate action for climate change. And that was to have asked us to reduce the carbon footprint integrate M, um, mitigation
strategies in our student learning, and you'll hear lots about that in a few minutes from Mr. Site. And expand our Environmental Education. Also part of this, our long-term obligation is, um, you know, continue to keep these projects with an eye towards our emerging Technologies as things change every single day and how we can make things better through that. so, I want to talk about Um our energy program and what it? What an actual energy program is. So it's divided in certain programs and these
are the things that Mr. Wowhead and Mr. Salup are engaged with all day. Every single day we are and it's broken down into 3 categories. You see, there are energy management and that is how we manage the energy. That's delivered to our our campuses and and how we, how we bring that into our buildings and in our campuses and use that the facility efficient facility, efficiency management is, you know, how we do energy, efficient building and design, and those things are all done with our design team, as I mentioned, Mr. Pascarelli, and Miss Devens are back there and that's
their team that goes through those designs every day. Um, in addition to the projects that Mr. Wowhead and Mr. Salute, do and our energy program and our cap. The energy management projects project portion of that is how we track and improve, how we use our energy each day. So to dig a little bit deeper on that, you'll see there are each of those buckets are broken down a little bit more and, you know, utility management. I don't know if any of you have trouble reading your electric bill at home and how complicated that can be with all the Riders and a different
disclaimers that go in there. But we have a 110 of those to do every month and so that's quite a, a a process to go through. And we have staff that takes care of that. And make sure we're not, uh, being charged things for things, we haven't done, the bills are in line and it's amazing how much money you can. Save just by watching your bill closely, Um, we also have a and I'm not going to touch on all of them. But, you know, the Galant demand load Management program. We are part of a program that sheds load every so often when things get really hot or really cold and we just
participate in that 2 days within the last couple uh, weeks with the cold spell and hopefully no, 1 not that but we set buildings back a few degrees in the building to uh be able to shed that load and help the energy companies manage through those high demand times. Um, without any impact on the interior environment at all. We also have um, a significant program with our energy management system. So every space in our building is monitored for temperature and humidity um and in some cases
cases CO2 levels and so that's done centrally. Um, by Mr. and his team and then so we we can see when there's a problem and we can adjust to that as well. And so those are all done remotely uh energy management process itself. You You know, you see many um accolades and awards from our buildings for getting this uh, energy star awards, and so, that's where you start to see the students get involved in that and get excited about that. And so, we'll talk more about that as we go on this evening.
You see example of that? Um here where on you know the um a um, a couple pictures of where we have our school environment put in, um, engaged in this process, you know, we have 82,000 students in 13,000 staff and as they grow and thrive in our schools, our buildings are a big part of that. And this is what happens in our schools every day and you see on the left there, we have an energy star actually the the left and the right are both energy star presentations. They're when they get their plaque after
achieving that goal and sometimes that's as simple as turn. The lights off. When you leave the room helps us uh conserve that energy. And that's how we get the the students involved and the 1. In the middle is a solar presentation that Cardinal Ridge Elementary School. So um, more programs and more exposure to our students and our staff are allow them to be a part of our program and to help us move forward. Comes in a lot of packages. Uh, we created the Advanced Energy task force years ago and that's a group of folks. Mostly the ones you see here tonight and the rest of our
design team, that go through. And and look at how we can continue to save energy on all of our campuses and with all of our systems and over time, we've changed the systems that we've designed and and managed. So I mentioned we've been tracking it since 1993. So we have great data to be able to figure out where we have successes and where we need to have uh, Improvement on that. um but Midway down, you see that designed to earn the energy star and that's a really important thing that Miss Devon's and her team take into account what it would take to earn
an energy star so that are designs are done so that they actually meet those standards once the buildings installed. installed. And so it seems simple but it's 1 of those things from a planning perspective that allows us to know that when we open the building, it's going to meet those standards and save the energy. We say, Um in most recently we've started incorporating the leadership and energy environmental design. Uh thanks to Dr. Spence and his leadership. We are participating in that process which is a way that we can help show leadership in our our community, but also with our students and staff in those buildings.
Why is it important? That's a big part of why we're here today. We know that we need to to provide that safe and learning environment for the students and for the staff, we know, we need to save energy, but we also know that we need to be leading by example, in our community to show the taxpayers that we are making good use of their dollars and we're not um, spending things that we don't need and that we are concentrating on the important things and keeping that interview that environment safe and warm or cool, whichever the case may be and showing those students how important that is. So we
have some examples of some of those things, um, and it's sometimes hard to relate to some of these numbers and those of you without an engineering background. But 7 megawatts MW is megawatts. That's a whole lot of lots. Um and so we have solar solar Solar arrays at 17 of our schools. Um, these systems will pay for themselves, and I mentioned earlier about making decisions over a long period of time. Um, we waited until that was true. Um, no matter what they said, in the brochures, we waited till we could prove that from an
engineering perspective that they really do pay for themselves in 20 years, and they have a life of 35 years. So from 21 to 35, that's all free money as they say. Um, We are guaranteed 660,000 in savings and avoided utility costs and we're applying right now. We think we qualify for 1.2 million dollars in tax credits, which would end up being a check to the um, the county of Loudoun or the schools. However, that works out. But so that would result in real money coming back to our our pocket and hopefully
be able to put back into our program. Um, so projects have a guaranteed lifetime savings that we've done so far of 20.9 million and um I may have mentioned I don't think I did but the program we're using right now with our Energy service contracts. Um provide us with a guaranteed savings and so if we don't meet those savings the contractor has to pay for those. And in this particular case over the first year and a half or so of of tracking that they have actually exceeded their promise to us. And so those are that you'll see there are 377,000 in addition
to all the others that we saved. So far. So it's been an extremely um successful program. You see their 1 bullet is we are producing enough energy right now to pay the electric bill, for 10 of our elementary elementary schools. So it's a significant contribution to our bottom line into our, um, carbon footprint. We have 44 schools with LED lighting throughout the interior, we have to replace lights anyway. So now we're replacing them with at the end of their life with the new
technology. And we, we were kind of surprised that how well they've been received with the interior environment. Everywhere we go. We hear about how much, how the Improvement of the space is and how much brighter it is and how much it has impacted, that learning environment. We're hearing that right here in this building with with work that we've done with those same lights. Um, we continue to work on that with, you know, a focus on making sure that we can get in those classrooms and make that impact their, um, with this new technology and a lot
of that works done over the summer some of us done during the year, but we do our best to to um, have as little impact as possible. We now have 4 schools with geothermal well fields and so we went through there. You see that? I think that's Ashburn, Elementary, a photograph of that. As we were out there digging those Wells. And so there are um a couple hundred of those each each. School. And so what that essentially is is that's that takes the place of the. If you picture your house that air compressor that compressor unit, that sits outside, making
all that noise, that's where we're rejecting and gaining the heat. So we're using the Earth, the heat from the earth, um, and reverse of that in the cooling system as well. Uh, those are tremendous systems, um, It's really important that you note that first zero energy, school is aspirin, elementary school. And that means that, that school is now producing more energy than we are using. And 1 of the reasons is we're using less energy because of this geothermal well and we're making that energy off the the solar panels on the roof. So that is the first 1 we've
done and I believe may have been the first school in the country. I think I've heard or close to that for an energy performance contract. So we are um doing things that not many people are doing and we're reaping the benefits from that in many ways. Um, as I've described So, we also have um, a lot of work going on on equipment selection, uh, more efficient, uh, information, uh, more efficient. What am I thinking about equipment that there you go. So you see there at 1, the picture is a it's a chiller unit. That's new at high efficiency. You also see the lights in 1
of the classrooms that we've done. The other thing that these LED lights, do we can use fewer lights uh, to do the same space. So we have fewer fixtures and much, much less energy consumption and provide the same levels of light. But then, the quality of light is Even better. So there's many things that we're gaining from that that program. so, Summarizing these, the energy stuff and I promise to that Mr. Talk, um, we are national leader energy star. We are the only school system in the country is that earned this,
uh, partner of the Year. Sustained Excellence for 13 years and growing we have, we have reduced our utility budget. We talked about that during the budget adoption, our utility budget. For this coming year, is 2 million dollars lower because of the programs we've done. And so, as you walk away, want to know why? And why it's important right there is 1 of those. We are actually paying for that and reduce our costs and allowing that money to be spent in other ways. Uh, We've offset tremendous amount as I mentioned earlier, 10 elementary schools worth of energy consumption with our
Um, solar panels on the on those 17 schools. And we continue to improve that indoor and outdoor lighting as we as we move forward and 1 of the things, I didn't mention to our stadiums. Now have all led the new, um, football soccer stadiums that we produce have LED lighting on there, which allows us to zero that light better. So we have less spill in the neighbors. People don't complain about it and it's a better light for the athletes as well. So it hits just about every function that we have in the school system and um, we were happy to be able to share
that information with you. And now I'm going to let Mr. Talk All right. Do you need a breath because we just threw a lot at Right? We've spent this last little bit learning all about the lcps, energy program and its many remarkable achievements and many ways. Um, and it's really those achievements that have laid the foundation for an expanding emphasis on sustainability division-wide, um, our lcps office of sustainability opened in December of 2023, um,
and building on the last 30-some. Odd years of really impressive, energy, management and efficiency work. Um, this office is tasked with developing a comprehensive framework for integrating sustainability into who we are and how we operate. Just a very small tasks, right? Um, the successful integration of sustainability into who we are and how we operate as clearly going to require collaboration across every single department, and Division in our system. And
we're going to make sure that we're celebrating. What's already happening? I know I was able to visit with special programs committee back in September and we talked about environmental science and all the cool stuff that's already happening in our schools. We want to keep building on that. And we want to keep inspiring and equipping all of us to do even more, So, an important first step in that is us really figuring out what is sustainability and because we have smart and thoughtful students, my first go-to is to always ask them
what is sustainability to you. And so, up on the screen, can see in some of our own students words, what they think sustainability is. And I call out the words balance right balancing. What we want right now and what we know is good for the future, our ability to have enough our ability to keep our planet going. They are Planet Warriors for sure. Um, and, and I, and I dig it, right? Because our kids need to have a say in this, and so inspired by informed by our
students, thoughts around sustainability, as well as countless hours of conversation. Listening sessions, collaborative brainstorming, I I love to throw things up on the wall and get people's feed. Back on it. We have come up with this working definition. Of how we as lcps might Define sustainability. I'm going to give you a minute to read through it on your own. So, again, let me call that a few words for you. It's that holistic approach to Mission and operations. And of course,
we're talking about Mission and operations now, and in the future, we're integrating those 3 major emphases. That Mr. Lewis has called out from the very beginning that triple bottom, line of the economics, the environmental aspects and the social aspects of sustainability. Your color-coded pieces here are specific to lcps and we're going to go into those in just a minute. These are Focus areas that have emerged in the last year as important to us and where we think there's the greatest potential for the most impactful
change moving forward. I also want to make sure that we underscore that last line, right? Embracing, sustainable practices, actually doing it right? The behavior we're modeling. What we teach? We're leading by example, in all that we do and then you recognize that last line. Yes those are familiar words to all of us. Sustainability is not something extra that's tacked on to our work together. It's not even part of what we do sustainability is a driving force that influences, all of
our work and our work is our mission to empower all students to make meaningful contributions to the world. Now, I did mention that this is a working definition. So I want you as a board and everybody else who's sitting behind me, right to think about this as a snapshot in time, okay? And that's what we've been doing for the last year. We kind of put these ideas up, we get feedback on them and then we continue to refine them and we're working actively to refine this, as well as the information on the next slide.
and we're going to go there next. So I can help you to understand where this working definition came from. And um particularly as we drill down into those 3 color coded emphases, So I was going to release all of these piece by piece for you. So as not to um overwhelm you with all the text on this slide but we've captured all of it at once and so let me recognize that this is the most dense of all of my slides. I promise there are pictures coming but I do think it's important for you to be able to take a look in this
snapshot in time of this over Arching shape that's starting to form when it comes to this, um, framework for sustainability. And and what this reflects is in the last year, there have been several priorities that have begun to emerge from our work, with students staff, and Community Partners. Let's take a look on the left. First. These are the economics of sustainability and this is where you you recognize, you see that clear focus on building on and expanding the energy
program that we just spent several minutes talking about, right? Much of this work, of course, is led by our dedicated facilities, operations, and design and construction teams. And and you can see those strategies pinpointed down below. These are what are emerging as these top strategies to continue to focus on to expand our efforts. On what we recognize is that when we conserve resources and improve efficiencies across the system, through things, like strategically managing our utilities
and our buildings that Accept those utilities and our use of those energies by designing our buildings in, really smart ways by retrofitting. And renovating those buildings in really smart ways. And in thinking, strategically about how we operate. Every single day, we use less and we avoid costs, And avoided costs. Save operational dollars period. Then you've seen the impacts of that? That Mr. Lewis, um, was able to summarize for you. Now, look at the middle section, the environmental aspects
of sustainability. So in addition to conserving environmental resources, um, there's also several efforts emerging as potential priorities in our division that all can be linked to this, this desire to reduce our carbon footprint. And what I mean by that is when you reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, that your activities, put out into the atmosphere, but whether that's so your transportation, your buildings, your waist, whatever it may be, your whole portfolio of buildings and activities. When you reduce the emissions that you put out, you reduce
your carbon footprint and um you will remember um 2 from us highlighting and spotlighting, that school board resolution, this has a direct tie to to the charge there for lcps to reduce. Its carbon footprint, the top strategies that are spotlighted at the bottom. Um, these are, these are ideas that have really begun to take shape and where we think we could potentially re reduce our carbon footprint, the most things, like, replacing High emission, fossil fuels, with electricity based
Alternatives, integrating renewable energy, you've heard about solar. You've heard about geothermal again tonight? Um, the green buses and Fleet are really interesting because did, you know, That K through 12 school systems Across the Nation operate more than 480,000 school buses. That's a lot of buses, right? And transportation overall is the largest source of greenhouse gases in America. We recognize that zero to low emission vehicles
Potentially can reduce emissions by considerable amounts, and that's why our transportation department is piloting. Things like electric buses, like, uh, Propane, fuel buses, and other electric vehicles, reducing and recycling waste. Um, also offers great potential to save energy and reduce landfill emotions. Um, just recently within the last couple of years lden, County government released their own energy strategy and they able to report that 73% of County government operations. Emissions, come from the landfill 73%. How can we help, right? We technically if you looked
at all of our cafeterias or 1 of the largest, if not the largest restaurant, Right in Loudoun County. How can we help? And you'll recognize that much of. This is not. New lcps is already a leader but in developing a comprehensive sustainability framework. We're going to help ourselves set smart and bold goals, and also measure progress towards achieving those. Now finally, let's take a look at this uh, third section, the social aspects of sustainability, um, which are also
called out. I think in our school board resolution around um expanding Environmental Education, And making sure that we're supporting student advocacy and, and voice. The best way that we think we can do that. Under the sustainability framework is by cultivating environmental Literacy for all. And what do we mean by that? We mean integrating knowledge skills and experiences at every grade level and in every content area. So that lcps students, not only understand all these things that we're talking about, but also our
equipped and inspired to address environmental and sustainability challenges. And this is not work, that's just for scientists, right? Or energy managers or hippie Tree, Huggers maybe we've got some of those in the room too, right? This work is for all humans, write any human that relies on our environmental and social systems, right? And any human in our division that we want to prepare to be problem solvers and change makers.
That's what this work is all about. How are we going to do that? You can see some of those emerging strategies there, right? We know we've got to get kids outside. The benefits are just Countless, we know we've got it integrated into existing curriculum, and we've got to provide our Educators with the support, they need to make this type of learning happen. It can't be 1. More thing sustainability is not 1 more thing. It's a driving force and we know we need to expose our students to those traditional and emerging careers in these
types of field. Take a sight back because I know again, we're throwing a lot at you at night, but I want you to check this out. Can you spot the opportunities to align with the standards? Can you see how the 5 C's could be embedded? Here, can you see the different Pathways for learning the different ways to inspire and equip, our Educators? And to collaborate strategically with Community Partners? Integrating sustainability. Division-wide helps Advance the
lcps mission. And our strategic plan. I hit the mic instead of the clicker. We're going to keep listening and learning. I told you this is a snapshot in time, right? We have had so much fun. I mean, some of this scratches the surface of what we've been able to do together over the last year, thinking about everything from sustainable sustainable design, standards all the way to feedback on these emerging priorities. You see it here we're also trying out a few of these ideas already because
not only does that type of early effort, provide platforms for early action, right? We need to celebrate some of those successes. It's what gets people excited. But we also recognize that early actions give us ways to, um, ensure that we're engaging, students, Educators, and community members and that they have a voice in how our framework is shaping up. What's under this quote, is a screenshot of our new green team's cohort. You can't see them, don't tell them. We accidentally covered up their faces. But our new
green teams program is a wonderful example of 1 of these early efforts. 25 of our 100 schools are participating this school year. Each of those schools has named a green team lead, that is coordinating and facilitating activities on student inquiry and action for the environment in their schools, and there's a ton of flexibility on what that looks like. Sometimes it's native planting, sometimes it's school garden. and sometimes, it's Student Le recycling. I talked to somebody just the other day about potentially, um, piloting, reusable trays and
Cutlery, right? Cool stuff is happening in our schools and you can see here Hugh Brockway from up at love. Its fell Elementary is talking about, it's it's good for our Educators. And for our students with lasting impacts on both, Another great example we talked about curriculum integration. This curriculum cohort is a year-long effort. Um, we have 11 Educators from multiple schools, in our division. This is a partnership with the science, the department of science, they are meeting together and
designing a series of connected lessons, and activities for grades K through 3, that enables students to learn about their Watershed, to identify, a problem to come up with their own Solutions. And then test some of those Solutions. It's awesome. Right. Community Partners are engaged Hansen Park Loudoun water more than Park have all hosted us this year and provided training. To our teachers, they're developing kits of supplies that will support our Educators and implementing these lessons. All of this is funded by a
grant from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and these lessons and kits will be available next year. For all of our Educators cool stuff is happening in our schools. And finally, we don't have time to go into some of these statistics. But I tell you, if you throw this in front of these kids, they start to ask questions immediately 30% of food grown in the US is wasted. Every 10 seconds. 20, tons of food is thrown away. It's the equivalent of a school bus. Kids start asking questions, why? If we have 30% of our
food is tossed out. Why do we still have people who are hungry? Right. That's their innate curiosity. That drives learning and it's awesome student research. We're doing a food. Waste audit at Belmont Ridge. Um, Middle School at the end of this month, where students actually sort waste and they're going to weigh it, and they're going to collect data and they're going to analyze that data and interpret it and come up with some potential Solutions. All of this is student LED. All of it is enriching learning. I'm going to end here, and then pass it to Kevin for 1 more slide. Um, I wanted to list out some of these additional
collaborative activities. Um, I want you to know that lcps. Truly is leading, by example, at multiple scales, um, Statewide regionally nationally. Um, it has been a delight for me to represent our School Division and many of these fora. Um as a parent of 3 lcps students, I am so proud of us for for having this desired integrate sustainability into who we are and how we operate and I thank you for the opportunity to give you this update tonight. Okay, so we invite you to join our journey.
On the why? And the what? And most importantly, why is it most? Why is it important we shared? We have schools that generate more energy than it uses. We shared that we reduce the energy budget, we're sharing the what's happening in the classroom and impact on our students and our staff and those are react resulting in in true learning opportunities. The green teams are growing, the enthusiasm is expanding in all of our schools. So we've stressed throughout the presentation that we are making decisions every day that can either have a positive or A negative impact on that budget and that environment.
And by we, I mean, everybody in this room decisions from HVAC systems to students turning off the lights or staff. Turn off the lights when they leave the classroom. The previous board made the the decision to give us Guidance with the 2020 action plan for um, climate action, reduction plan. And so um, we are going to be back here in May um, with something for this board to consider our sustainability, action plan, that we're going to come and look into the future and look and see what things we uh,
can continue to do, can continue to expand and, um, work with the board for your endorsement of that to give us continued guidance on where we go for the future. So, I will apologize. I know, we talked really fast with a lot of information, but we wanted to get all that to you and leave time for questions. So at this point we are happy to have take any questions you may. Have. Board members. Do you have any questions? Yes, Mrs. Griffith. Um, it's not really a question but um I do appreciate well I do have questions after this but I appreciate the conservation um and your excitement. Um but we need to make
sure the money that we are investing and this is very costly. Um for long-term projects are not coming at the expense of much-needed, School, repairs and Renovations. Um, I've mentioned this before, uh, there are several schools in the Ashburn District as well as other districts. That need repairs, Renovations and building updates. Um, I brought up recently, the training room at Broad Run High School at that's been pretty much been sitting empty for a while. Since Renovations were done, is an example, not to mention money. That was spent on building privacy restrooms
at uh, Broad Run High School instead of much-needed, Renovations of that weight room, I'm also um, concerned about Renovations for Hillsboro, I bring that up a lot. Uh, and Guilford Elementary School and other than Phase 1 of replacing, you know, uh, HVAC units and FY, 25 and replacing the gym floor. Uh and FY 26. There are no other interior Renovations plan for G Gilford. Um why did these repairs? These Renovations get continually
overlooked or kicked down the road when we have millions to spend on solar panels. Um and geothermal, well, Fields parents, should not have to come to school board. Meetings begging for inclusive, playgrounds and renovations to their children's schools. When we have millions to spend on solar panels repairs and renovations to our aging schools should always take precedent over, um, our carbon footprint. So in the now here. Um basically and you're looking ahead but but I know as of right now, a lot of repairs need to be
done. Um, and with that um I do have, um, some questions for you. Um, Once the solar plant panels are up and running at all 21 schools, uh, where solar panels are currently in service or under construction. Um, is this about 17 million Is that correct? Can you give me the cost that we've invested in the solar panels at all the schools? I I don't know the total cost on the top of my head now, Um, I thought I saw somewhere that it was about 17 million.
Um, how much money will we save in energy costs per per year? Once all 21 schools are up and running? Um how many years will it take to recoup recoup? Our total investment? When can we expect to see 1.2 million in in pending tax credits for fy24? That's already you know we're in 20 uh we just passed 24. What is the life cycle of these solar panels? When will we need to be replaced them? How long do they last? Um, that's 1 question. I don't know if you want
to answer it and I I realize we're running up on 6 oclock. So this was a very long presentation and others might have questions. So I can also send these to you, but um, I think my point is, um, me personally, I care more about the renovations of our schools, first before, uh, sustainable conservation. Uh, energy and conservation. So if you can answer the first, uh, this first First question for me about the solar panels um and how long will be waiting to see uh money coming back in our
investment. Yes ma'am. The information on the solar panels was on 1 of the slides and I didn't flip through to find it but they have a 20 year life cycle. I mean I'm they have they have a 35 year life cycle and the 20-year payback, so they will for themselves in 20 years. And then from that point on, I think I called it free money after that where all the energy savings that we have from years 20 to 35. So it'll be 15 years of that period where those those will be generating power that is, uh, free to us after they're paid for Parents are concerned now and and and people that work at
the schools, the teachers um, are concerned now about Renovations, so that they're not thinking ahead uh, as far as you are. Um, And also, we've spent over 14 million on LED lighting at 32 schools. When will we see uh the money back and 302 years? Can you uh these numbers are still accurate, just asking. asking. Yes, ma'am. So that all plays into the reduction in 1 of the slides, we talked about that, we've reduced our
um, energy budget for next year about 2 million dollars. So you're seeing those numbers and you're seeing that savings right now. If we we have time and I can also send these to you. Um uh you also said with geothermal systems that have been installed at 3 schools with 6 under design and construction the cost savings over 60-year life. Cycle of all schools is projected to be 140 million. How much have we invested to date into geothermal well fields for these schools? And how
much are we projected to spend on an additional 6 schools? Can you also explain geothermal and how that works? Absolutely, we'll take that down as a question. So we get all the numbers and and can make sure they're, they're accurate and, and explain all the the facets of the program. I do have 1 more um the 2020 School Board resolution on action for climate change needs to be reworked. Um, not really a question, especially since none of the school board members that were involved in drafting the resolution. And signed the resolution are sitting board
members. So I would be happy to work with my colleagues, to draft a new resolution on that. Thank you. Are there any other questions? Yes, Miss Chandler. Um, thank you so much, uh, to your team for this very informative. Um, presentation. Um, I have to say Your Enthusiasm is infectious, um, and I I I can't imagine um having had the opportunity to work in the schools in the past um, that this is something that's very accessible to our students. Um, 1 of the things that I remember, from
many, many years ago in sub training is just a little tip that they gave us, which was if you've lost control of the classroom start talking about global warming because these kids care about it a lot. Um, and I, I did have some experience with that being true. Um, You know, I think this is a I I just really appreciate Innovation and I also am so grateful that you outlined in your presentation. All the ways that lcps is working to
save loud and taxpayers money. Um, and it is it is really an innovation. We are going to have to pay the light bill anyway, but if we can save money doing it. That means that that's money that we can spend somewhere else. So thank you for that. Thank you, Miss Chandler. Any other? Questions. Seeing thank you very much for your presentation. I learned a lot and um, There's a lot of exciting things going on here. Um, so with that, we will, um, go ahead and recess for
um, dinner and we will reconvene at 6:30, The board's now in recess. Good evening, the board is coming out of recess at this time. And we will continue with the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem. The Pledge of Allegiance. Is going to be uh I guess Moline Fiona and Reese are leading the Pledge of Allegiance, Allegiance, from lburg elementary school. The students are involved in Girl Scouts
and they are part of Mrs. Sarman Fusion DCI program At this time, I'd like for everybody to rise 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, 1 nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all. Yay.
Thank you for coming on such short notice um Girl Scouts and Leesburg Elementary, I appreciate that. Um, at this time. I'd like to take a moment, a personal privilege. And recognize 2 individuals, whose work behind the scenes is essential to the smooth operation of this board and our School Division. In honor of school board. Clerk appreciation week, we want to express our sincere gratitude to our school board clerk
Sherry burn. And Deputy Clerk. Hope Casserly for their outstanding service and dedication. Sherry has served as our clerk since 2019 ensuring. That every meeting runs seamlessly. Every record is accurate and every detail is handled with professionalism and care. Her knowledge, patience and organization. Keep us all on track and we are incredibly grateful for her leadership. In this role. Hope joined as Deputy clerk in 2023 and has quickly become
an invaluable member of this team. Her support efficiency and attention to detail, make a tremendous impact. And we are so fortunate to have her alongside Sherry. On behalf of the entire board. We thank you, both for your commitment, hard work, and all the many ways you contribute to the success of lcps, because y'all are the best. Come on up here and get your Now, we'll get back to the agenda and item 9. Our student
staff recognitions um, and I think this will be presented by John petillo. oh, thank you for that because I had Derek Perry, but I appreciate that. Okay. And um, I will let him Take the Lead. Thank you so much. Good evening, Madam. Chair, Dr. Spence and members of the school board tonight presents an opportunity to extend our heartfelt recognition to the outstanding individuals, and teams, from lcps, who have exemplified Excellence by clenching state
championships in vhsl athletics, their unwavering commitment, Relentless dedication and tireless efforts calling it and remarkable achievements. In this past fall, we would also like to recognize the county champions in our newly, expanded Middle School intramural program and that's where we'll start. Our first recognition extends, down into our middle schools, this year's expansion of the Middle School, intramural program to all 18 schools means a lot more competition in each of the 4 Sports in order to Garner a County Title and this year's lcps. Intramural champions in flag, football are the harmony Hornets.
Down here. Smile. Thank you guys. Congratulations. And now we have the pleasure of recognizing our high school programs. In the fall of 2024 lcps, high schools captured 5 vhsl team state championships this past fall. Our first team being recognized tonight is the briarwoods competition cheerleading team, which captured the vhsl class 5 state championship. It is the school's eighth championship in competition, cheerleading, congratulations Falcons. Great. Thank you, ladies.
The Loudoun County, High School competition cheering team is the next team to be recognized tonight. As they captured the vhsl class 4 state championship with the victory. The program achieved back-to-back state titles, and they also got to perform in the Macy's. Thanksgiving Parade this fall, congratulations to our captains. Congratulations girls. The loud and Valley High School field hockey. Team is the next team to be recognized tonight. Is they captured the vhsl class 4 state championship? The program has achieved
back-to-back state titles as well? Everybody looks right here. Thank you. Congratulations spikings. Our next team be recognized tonight. Is the volleyball team from Riverside High School? Which captured the vhsl class 5 state championship. It was a School's First Volleyball championship. Graduation. Our last team to be recognized tonight is the golf team from from Independence. High School for capturing the vhsl class
5 state championship on the Lands Down Golf course. This is their fourth state championship title in a row. Thank you and great job, tigers. Next, we'd like to move on to our vhsl individual state. Champions Ben Baker from brierwoods, high school, emerged victorious in the vhsl class 5 golf state championship with an exceptional performance. He shot an impressive 67 at the Lands Down Golf Course to secure his second straight State title. Congratulations, Ben Step back.
Let's move on, then. Riverside High School is Thomas, Ray Triumph in the vhsl class 5 state championship. For boys cross country. Clocking, an impressive time of 1557 on the challenging. Oland's 5K course. Congratulations to you Thomas. Next up, Lan County, High School's, Michael T triumphed in the vhsl class 4 state championship for boys cross country as well. He clocked an impressive time of 1554 on the
challenging outlands. 5K course Congratulations. Michael. Our next recognition goes to a school that is accomplished a first in lcps history, by winning the 2023 2024. Vhsl National Guard cup presented by the Virginia Army National Guard Independence, High School earned, the highest point, total in vhsl class 5 Athletics. The National Guard cup is the equivalent of winning a state championship as an entire athletic department. Congratulations to Independence High School on being the first ever Loudoun County, High School
to achieve this honor. Graduations the Tiger. Our next recognition is for schools that exemplified great sportsmanship. Throughout the 2023 2024 school year and achieve, the vhsl stay in the game award. Not an easy thing to do this year. Riverside High School and Broad Run High School will recognize that the vhsl fall membership meeting as 2 of only 47 member schools to Received this honor, congratulations to the Spartans and to the Rams. Great job, guys. In closing, we extend our congratulations
to each and every individual and team for their outstanding achievements, your dedication, perseverance, and unwavering commitment have brought honor to yourselves your schools and the entire lcps Community. Congratulations once again. All right, and I think we are now at 9. 0 3. Loudoun Education, Foundation innovation in education, grant at Leesburg Elementary School. Presented by Shaun, Lacey, principal Leesburg Elementary School, Gail sarman the
gifted resource teacher, Leesburg Elementary School students and Leesburg Elementary School. That was a lot of Leaseburg Elementary School. Thank you so much for spotlighting. Our school, our students, and our project. Um tonight you will hear briefly about the 3 phases of our Leaf funded school store project straight from some of our students and our previous and, um, current DCI and fusion gifted. Students, first off liya overson will tell you about our problem identification and
and idea, generation phase, which involved the students, identifying a problem defining, the problem and, um, coming up with a solution helping to write revised edit and actually submit the application for the LF Grant, so Leila, if you would come on up. Next slide, please. We can come back to the video at the end, if that's possible, wait to embarrass to use the stool. So I appreciate that. Just stop talking through it, if you know, all right next.
Slide please. Thank you. It started with a single idea. The idea was to fix the shortage of pencils, missing supplies, lack of fidgets in Law School, Miss sarman, and the fourth, and fifth grade Fusion students decided to fix it. They researched Solutions persuaded decision makers and found in the school school store after almost a year of work. They applied for received a grant to start the school store. Now, they're selling cool, new items like slime at cheap prices and are doing great. Some of the Prophet went to Make A Wish Foundation. Ronald McDonald House in St. Jude's, that's how
it was started when we first started this school store, it was the 2022. 2023 school year, when we were first starting it was we were figuring out like, where the school store would go. When students could shop at the school store. So then opening a school store that students could actually purchase items from it seemed like a far-off goal. Like something that was never going to happen. But when we were writing the application to the to the grant, it was like it was right there in front of us and we could actually we were actually going to be able to open the store and and do it. It was really in a big way to
learn in that we were able to to Take. Take the Take the Wheel I guess. In our Own project. And, um, Make our own mistakes and learn from them and figure. Learn about marketing and starting a business. With actually doing it. That's what made this project. Special, thank you. Thank you. Lila second, you will hear from Edward Acuna
about the development phase, which involved extensive research and planning Edward come on up. Next slide, please. Next slide. Thank you. Okay. The idea generation planning phase was very helpful, in preparing us for the development phase, which was a big cumbersome. But we learned so much. We learned about intermediate, we learned about capital and intermediary resources. Operating operating expenses.
we also learned a about, Scarcity. We also, and we also learned about profit, and managing and marketing a small business. We also experienced some fabulous struggle, while we were Pro, what we were in the process of doing it. Thank you, Edward. Good job. Thank you. Our third student to speak tonight is Colin everheart. Who will discuss the third and current phase of our project. The implementation phase. Come on up. Call in next slide,
please. Next slide, please. Next slide, please. We spent so much time on both the idea generation and development phases. That implementation went pretty smoothly. Our Flyers ads, and commercials helped build excitement. The fourth and fifth grade Fusion in DCI, students loves helping the young customers count, their money, add up their costs and receive change. The younger students seem to be learning from us. They love the school store, don't we all I will now speak to you briefly about how the Eagles Nest
has completely exceeded our expectations next slide. Next slide please, thank you. The authenticity of the Eagles Nest project has provided a highly motivating, engaging, realworld, retail experience, which is preparing all of the students in our whole school, with much more than just money, math skills. The um, retail environment is teaching all of our students. Firsthand a lot of new vocabulary um about the economic realities of spending saving earning opportunity, cost and
scarcity as employees. The fusion and DCI students have experienced the law of supply and demand marketing strategies Profit margins and um distribution philanthropy and so much more. The curriculum has definitely been enriched in enhanced with rigor and Challenge and fun. So in addition to growing as leaders and innovators creative thinkers, collaborators communicators and critical thinkers, the fusion DCI students have grown, as contributors, the
students themselves researched and selected St. Jude Children's Hospital to um, as their first charity, which they were able to make a charitable donation of 40097.19 cents after only 4 months of operation. So, I am so proud of the Leesburg Elementary students. And um I am so grateful to the Les for their generous, grant our presentation will close tonight with a few words from our leader, Leesburg Elementary principal Mr. Shaun
Lacey. Next slide, please Madam chair to the board to Dr. Spence in the school board, as well as those that make up Latin County Public Schools. Leesburg is just proud. We're just proud of this opportunity. Many times we could write about what our students can and cannot do, but we just wanted to put it on display tonight. I want to thank Miss Armand, as well as our entire staff that participate in this program. The students talked about convincing some of those decision makers, I think that was me. So it was easy because these students are well impacted by it, when we talk about 1,
1 lcps. We look at our school Improvement planning. We wanted to find ways to create quality oral student interactions. This impacted our core instruction. These are the type of things that we bring to lburg. These are the type of things that allowing County does and we thankful for the loud Education Foundation for supporting us. Thank you for having us tonight. Thank you very much. Um, and thank you all for coming and joining. And speaking with us today, y'all did a great job. Okay, um, we will continue with item 10 student School
Board, representative comment. Tonight, our student School Board representative is Angelo con a senior at Broad ran high school. Who is very excited to be the school board representative He is on the Executive Board of the student council Association. The president of rho Kappa, the science social studies, Honor Society, Vice president of the National Science, Honor Society and holds leadership positions in various clubs. Angelo found his passion in varsity swim team. He loves
everything about swimming. He's a swim instructor and goes to the pool in his free time. Angelo has big plans for the future, he plans on attending college mostly and I think he got Accepted into a college that maybe he'll tell you a little bit about when he gets here. Um, so he's excited to be Broad, Run students school. And I I, uh, and having a successful career in business Angelou said, I'm excited to be a Broad. Run student School Board representative for the 2024, 2025 school year. Welcome, Mr.
Can, and the floor is yours. Thank you for the introduction and for this opportunity to speak here. Good evening. My name is Angelo seon to introduce myself. I'm a senior at Baldwin high school and have a very involved with the school. I'm a part of the Executive Board of the student council president of the social studies on the society, vice president of the science on the society and captain of The Voice League. Swim team, over the 4 years, that I've been a Spartan, I've gotten the opportunity to witness the magic that Baldwin has to offer. Boadwine has a very diverse student body clubs, like the
black student union, Asian Student Association, and Hispanic Student Union allows students to express their cultures freely at the end of February. The black student union and Survey of African history. Class will hold an in-school assembly to honor and celebrate Black History Month. Looking at the other clubs at Baldwin, we have many clubs to vote it to giving back to the community clubs like Key Club, interact and NHS, allow students to volunteer Key Club has recently won win a clothing and food drives to to collect goods. For those in need with hundreds of hours
of volunteer work completed by students every semester. It is a United broad 1 and help the Astro Community during hard times. The Baldwin student council has also hosted events to keep school spirit up. We had a successful 2024 homecoming several pep rallies, the hyped up the whole school and some wacky spirit days like minion Monday and anything by the backpack Day That Shook Up the average school day, Baldwin has earned many awards over the past year, either became Regional Champions and earned the Capi Award for best stage crew, Deca, sent over 20 competitors to compete
at the International Development conference and had 9 teams placed in the top 20 in the world. Finally, our marching band won. First place in our class at the parade of Champions winning, best color guard, percussion, music, and general effects. Looking at Baldwin Athletics, we won many different titles over the past year. Our golf team became District Champions and this past weekend. The voice of gymnastics team won the district championship for the first time in 26 years. Most impressively we had 2. Huge wins in tennis huge.
Congratulations to Neil P for becoming Stave runner up for boys, tennis singles, and to Lexi R becoming state champion for girls. Tennis singles, our girls RC tennis team swept the season, having a 21 and 0 season in winning States. For being founded all the way back in 1969, Broadway, has a very rich history with many school records. That haven't been touched in a while. However, our Varsity track team broke 2 of them in the past season. To week B. Spoke the 3,200 meter School record that was set
in 1974 and our 4 by 800 relay also broke the school record with personal bests from the team members. Baldwin has has a tradition called Sport and seminar a Time designated for club meetings. During the school day. I have found this 30 Med minute monthly Tradition at extremely helpful, many students like myself, have sports jobs and other outside activities. That interfere with Club schedules sporting seminar provides an easy and valuable way for students to get engaged with clubs at the school without the outside school commitment. I highly suggest
other line, the county schools to pick up a similar tradition. It's been an honor to be a sporting a Broadway for the past 4 years. And I'm sad to go. However, I know our school has a bright future ahead. I would like to thank the board members, essay faculty, and especially my amazing principal Mr. Spage, thank you so much for having me. Thank you, Mr. Sean, for being here and for your comments. We'll now move on to item 11 actually before that uh, Vice chair. Donahue would you like to go ahead and Do your disclosure?
Certainly, thank you madam chair as a member of the 11 County School Board. I make the following disclosure to the school board and to the general public in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding employee salaries, the budget, and or health insurance, and any other discussion that may include or affect salary and benefits for lcps employees. Specifically, my spouse, my minor children and I are enrolled in lcps, health insurance, that may be affected by any potential changes to employee salaries the budget, and or health insurance. Additionally, my sister-in-law is an lcps employee who does not reside with me and is not dependent on me. These subjects include thousands of
employees while in excess of the statutory 3 employees, whose interests may be affected of which my spouse. My minor children, my sister-in-law and I am included, I can and will participate fairly objectively. And in the public interest, this disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for 5 years. Thank you Vice chair. Donna Hugh now we will move on to the superintendent report presented by Dr. Iran Spence. Thank you, madam chair and members of the board, I guess since he didn't tell you, I'm going to brag on him because it's my because it's my alma mater that Angelo got accepted
to the University of Virginia. Congratulations. So it is my uh pleasure to also share other good news from around the school division this evening and I'll start with this. I know that we recognized our school board clerks this evening, but I also want to acknowledge that February is School Board appreciation month. And I'd like to thank our school board members for your work and your dedication to the lcps community and to our students. The work that our school board engages in. As I think, our community understands is a vital impact on our students and our school and our community and your actions and decisions
ensure that our students have access to a high-quality education. So again, sincerely, thank you for all that you do and for your dedication to this work. And I think they deserve a round of applause. Next more than 90 student Equity ambassadors and minority student achievement advisory committee student delegates participated in a skill building workshop on Monday, February. The 3rd this event, which was organized by the division of diversity, Equity inclusion. And accessibility was designed to Foster collaboration between these student leaders, and their school communities, and to promote inclusion in their schools. The students represented all of
our secondary schools, Trey Baker, who is an emmy-nominated and award-winning spoken. Word artist was a special guest at the event and he led the students in a poetry and storytelling Workshop. Encouraging them to elevate their voices and connect with their community. student Equity ambassadors are student leaders who strive to help ensure that their schools are welcoming and inclusive and affirming environments for all of our students and the insect student delegates support the mission of msac, which is to help ensure that all of our students have the opportunity to, to thrive and succeed in lcps schools. Next, the US Department of Agriculture food and nutrition
service and partnership with action for healthy, kids has honored lcps as school nutrition services with the Innovation and nutrition education award. This recognition highlights lcps as commitment to educating students about nutrition through initiatives, like the taste at Tuesday and Fear Factor Friday promotions lcps, showcases scratch made recipes utilizing locally grown produce along with educational, posters designed by The Academy of Loudoun Graphics, students, uh, graphic design students that
emphasize the health benefits of the produce item being featured. Additionally lcps, School nutrition services was celebrated for hosting its first ever food show in October, where students and parents had the opportunity to provide feedback on new menu items while learning more about nutrition and available Community Resources, Next we want to congratulate Jeff shudy. The Student Activities coordinator at Woodgrove High School who was selected as this month's shine Award winner. Mr. Shudy was recognized for his work in, creating an Innovative and
efficient system for monitoring and improving Woodrow's, attendance rate, since the pandemic would grow like many schools in the region and nationally have struggled with absenteeism but Mr. Shy recognizing this and working with a team created an attendance tracking system that has significantly reduced absenteeism at Woodgrove his dedication. Extended Beyond his school as he shared this process with other schools, helping them streamline, their attendance system, Shine which stands for spotlighting Heroes and education is a joint lcps and loud, and Education Foundation initiative,
which recognizes our lcps. Staff members, who go ahead and Beyond in support of our students and the community shine award, recipients receive a gift coordinated by the loud and Education Foundation. And this month's prize was sponsored by Sigma for more information about this. You can see the Shine website, which is shown right there on this slide for details on how you can nominate and nominations are welcome from any member of our community, students parents and faculty. Next, we want to congratulate Adam Olden. Well, Odin welder. He is a guitar teacher at Belmont, Ridge. Middle
School and he was recently featured as yamaha's 40 under 40 for 2025 Mr. Odin welder was nominated for his student centered approach. For example, he invites his students to request many of the songs that the guitar on Ensembles perform and then he arranges those songs allowing students to Showcase their talent. Yamaha launched, the 40 under 40 music, education advocacy program in 2021 to celebrate and recognize outstanding Young music educators, who are making a difference by
growing and strengthening their music programs in their communities. Congratulations to Mr. Odin welder. Speaking of Music Parkview, High School recently received a Cordoba Fusion guitar as a donation, from Loco music, a local nonprofit that celebrates local music and raises funds to help support local musicians. The donated guitar is a handmade Spanish style guitar and Parkview music teachers. Claude Le Grand and Miroslav lancar selected, this instrument to help round out the musical opportunities available to their students last year, Loco music presented
the guitar program at Freedom. High School with a guitar, a bass, and 2 amps. And since 2017 Loco music has provided over 60,000 dollars and grants to local musicians and music programs. And we want to share our many thanks uh with them for this donation. Next, the second annual Better Together, Community dinner allowed, our lcps, families and staff, the opportunity to connect enjoy a meal together and celebrate students. This was hosted by the minority student achievement, advisory committee, and the deia division, and this event also
featured, an exhibition of Student Art during the meal, was a potluck of dishes. Showcasing our communities ethnic and culinary Traditions. Participants viewed, the artwork submitted by students. And some of the students were present for the event, including students from lcps as newest School Henrietta Lacks Elementary School, who were displaying the books? They'd written about their school's, namesake? All students, who shared artwork were presented with certificates of appreciation? The United for wellness lcps is 7th, annual mental health, and wellness conference. And resource fair was held on
Saturday, January 25th at Watson Mountain. Middle School and provided approximately 400 lcps community members with the opportunity to learn about and better, understand mental health and wellness. Strategies nearly 40 sessions, provided parents and community members with guidance, to help them be more aware of Youth Trends and tips to support their families and Dr. Michelle piece of Virginia Commonwealth, University's Department of forensic science provided the keynote presentation where she presented highlights of her Research into the dangers, posed by e-cigarettes and Vapes.
Throughout the event, participants visited the resource Fair, which featured over 100 local businesses, nonprofits, local government agencies and representatives from various lcps offices. We also had student volunteers there to help guide visitors. And the event was organized by the office of student. Mental Health Services with much appreciated, support from the Department of student services and other lcps, departments. Madam chair. That concludes my report this evening. Thank you. Thank you Dr. Spence And that brings us to item 12 public comment.
Thank you for engaging with the school board through the public comment process, the school board, welcomes comments from Loudoun. County residents and believes that strong Community engagement and outreach are important. Components of a successful school system. Speakers must limit the comments to the time. Allotted based on the number of speakers and the agenda. This evening, all speakers have been allotted 1 minute each for public comment, please be advised that speakers who missed their time slot will not be called at a later time. All audience members shall maintain maintain civility,
decorum and respect for the functioning and dignity of the school board at all times. Please remain seated, and less arriving departing speaking at the podium, or during a break. Violations of Civility decor and respect include shouting heckling during Applause or other noise which disrupts or delays. The meeting obstructing speakers from being able to see the school board and vice versa, interrupting speakers, attempting to speak when not called to do. So by the chair and approaching a speaker or otherwise attempting to
intimidate, disparage or distract to speecher speaker staff, member or other meeting attendees speakers should refrain from vulgarity obscenities defamation profanity and other like breaches of respect nor May speakers Target criticize or attack individual students. Andor individual in division employees during public comment as a reminder School Board policy. 2520 States speakers may not Target criticize or attack individual students during public
comment, Speakers should communicate those concerns to their school principal or an appropriate School official, the school board requests that the comments on an individual student or employee related matter. Not be shared at public meetings, where the disclosure could violate applicable confidentiality requirements. Speakers should face the day as and direct their comments to the school board. Per lcps policy, 2520 member of the of school board will not answer questions or respond directly to the public during public comment period. Violations of decorum or civility. By any meeting attendee,
may result in the chair, directing staff to remove the attendee for from the remainder of the meeting. Repeated or persistent violations of decorum or civility by the audience, may result. In, on the decision of the chair public comment being tabled, until a later point in the meeting's agenda. Limiting the number of attendees in the meeting room during public comment for safety reasons or the public comment period ending for the evening. Copies of materials for board members. Should be given to the public information officer in the media box at the back
of the boardroom. Before the start of the meeting, please provide 12 copies of the materials. Under no circumstances May a speaker approach. The deis the public is reminded that access to school board meetings Meetings is available through lcps, TV on Comcast channel, 18 and 1070, HD and Verizon FiOS channel 43. The live stream of the meeting may be viewed on the website. We look forward to hearing your comments. We will now start with our virtual comment public comment.
Our first speaker is Brenda bankton and the second 1 is Laura colossi. Courting deia while project 2025 is targeting it. Thanks for not canceling Black History Month. Thanks for promoting thinking in an indifferent world. Great minds like a think. The rose saw a few when brains wrought truth fades.
Social media's algorithms for profit undermine cultural diversity, says, kanpur of Toronto. Metropolitan you. project 2025 is fearful of independent critical thought enough that they targeted lcps of all the districts in the US. Project 2025 is clueless about loud and support for public education. Stay strong. Thank you. Our second speaker is Laura colosi followed by
arold colossi. C. And I and the parent of an lcps student with disabilities, I stand in support of banning seclusion in in lcps schools. This is not just my personal opinion, Ms. Randy, winegardner president of the American Federation of teachers said, in a statement to the Hearst newspapers in 2022, quote, physical restraint should be used only when there is imminent danger of injury and only when imposed by trained staff. Secluding students should never be allowed nor should mechanical restraints. End, quote, seclusion is
disproportionately imposed on students with disabilities like my child. There's no research to support it to use. It is time for lcps to ban seclusion in our schools and utilize all alternative approaches like those used in Fairfax County to Res, to reduce restraints and eliminate seclusion Thank you. Thank you errol's colossi followed by Alex Bennett? my name is Harold colossi and I'm a parent of a
Hi, my name is Errol colossi and I'm a parent of an lcps student with autism. I'm speaking out against seclusion in lcps, schools back in 2011, the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Services Administration, conducted a study entitled, the business case, for preventing and reducing restraint uh and seclusion use in the context of inpatient and Residential facilities for kids. in this study, the agency found that quote restraint and seclusion are very expensive violent and potentially harmful procedures, the prolonged recovery and raise the
cost of care reducing and preventing their use can yield significant uh savings enhance the quality of treatment and result in increased inpatient and residential providers who have reduced their use and changed their organizational culture and practice. Uh, many of them report that the benefits in a savings exceed, the cost of associated with their use, the agency concluded, quote, the status quo is no longer acceptable and cannot be tolerated. Any longer the same is true for our Public Schools. Thank you. Um, Alex Bennett followed by Carrie hishe.
collective bargaining is the foundation of a fair and just workplace. It ensures that employees have a voice and that their concerns are heard and that Agreements are reached through. Mutual respect and transparency but for collective bargaining to work both parties must act in good faith negotiating honestly sharing information openly and honoring their commitments. Unfortunately Loudoun County Public Schools and representatives have continued to act in bad faith with the Lea, which threatens to undermine the very process that is meant to strengthen our schools. They
are trying to limit the topics of negotiations before we even start, it's about trust and respect for educators and students that they serve in Loudoun County must do better. We demand transparency. We demand accountability and I would like to close that when teachers in the county, email, the school board, which I have emailed, all of you multiple times, I would appreciate appreciate if you would email me back Miss, shernoff has. But I've yet to hear back on multiple instances from
Thank you, Carrie, hishe followed by Marcia Kelly. Good evening. My name is Carrie hishe and I'm the parent of 2 lcps students, as well as a special education teacher within the county. a 2018 study by Grafton Integrated, Health Network of Virginia, based facility for individuals, with intellectual Developmental and psychiatric disabilities published in advances in neurodevelopmental disorders. Found that a trauma-informed approach to challenging behavior, all, but eliminated, restraint, and seclusion while also reducing
staff injuries and helping patients meet goals. Grafton's model focused on Comfort Over Control. Use response, blocking understanding behavioral intent and creative alternatives to restraint and seclusion. It also saves 16 million and lost time, turnover and workers, compensation costs Lcps. Already uses the tools developed by Grafton such as the ukro mats. It is time to implement the full model and ban seclusion in our schools. Thank you. Thank you, Marcia Kelly.
My name is Marcia Kelly. I'm the parent of 2 lcps students and I urge the school board to please ban seclusion. Now, there are safer and better ways to support students with interfering behaviors, 3 years ago, in response to a lawsuit over its use of restraint and seclusion Fairfax County Public Schools partnered with lives in the balance to implement Dr. Ross Green's collaborative and proactive Solutions or CPS model data shows that Fairfax went from
over 600 restraints and over 1600, seclusions in each of 2 school years before intervention to less than 200 restraints and nearly zero seclusions in the 3 years following CPS implementation as a parent. I want to know that every child in lcps is safe supported and treated with dignity. The data is clear, there is a better way and it is time for lcps to follow suit. Thank you for your time. Thank you. And now we'll start with our in-person. Um,
starting with Jordan noure followed by Michael kiniki. Good evening, Jordan new grey, I'm an athletic trainer and parent here for lcps, I just want to make sure I showed up tonight to thank each of you, um, for your support and prioritizing, uh, student health and safety by adding 11 11, athletic trainers to the budget. Um, I want to thank Ray Mitchell. I want to thank Derek Ferry Zara Smiley. Um, again, we're very appreciative of the parents students and administrators coaches teachers other medical professionals including doctors at the National Sports Medicine Institute
Dr. Blackstone of Virginia concussion initiative, at George Mason, the director of Cardiology at Inova, uh, the senior associate athletic trainer at the University of Michigan, they all came out spoke on our behalf, the last couple of months. Again as the only Medical Professional having to uh make potential life or death decisions. After school decisions that could have legal ramifications affecting the entire District. Unlike any other position at lcps it's reassuring to see you all, value the health and safety of our students so again really appreciate it. Thank you Thank you. Michael ceniki, followed by Daniel Brubaker.
My name is Michael kotel, Nikki athletic trainer at lcps. Simply thank you. And we are excited as a group to be able to provide a service for our students. So I know there's a lot of discussion behind this behind the scenes. So simply thank you guys. Thank you, Daniel Brewbaker. Followed by Ava tally. As president Trump pointed out this week. The United States are ranked highest in the world and cost per pupil for education. But we're now in number 40, among the Nations and performance,
Soon, God willing, the travesty the fraud, the crime, against the American people, that is known as the Department of Education, will be no more. you all have sought to add 176 million dollars to the already inflated lcps, budget in 2026 at 7% increase, more than 400 new full-time employees. Even as lcps enrollment is flat or in Decline, The Democrats among you approve are approving a budget spending 2.8, million of our tax dollars, pushing deia
priorities, throughout the lcps organization and outright Defiance of President Trump's order. Inviting even more legal cost and negative press to Loudoun County. You Democrats are allowed to share racist misogynist and anti-science Views with your superintendent. However and election is coming this year and the citizens like myself are going to make sure that the people know how you are using our money. Thank you. Thank you, Ava tally, followed by Brayden Willis. Hi, we're all on the um list but if it's okay we decided to
to all come up together because we're all speaking about the same thing. Um do you are you I'm sorry. Are you each going to be doing a minute each? No, no, we're all. No, no, no. Just a minute together. Yeah. Okay, okay. Did you? Hi. My name is Ava tally and I got a test score high school. I'm Sarah Lufkin and I go to Briar Woods High School and I'm Rachel Zahra and I also go to briarwoods high school. We just wanted to say a thank you for a second athletic trainer. This will make a huge difference
difference to all of the athletes across the county and we appreciate you all very very much. And we thank you for taking the time and being willing to hear our voices which Allows us to be the best athletes that we can be. That's all we just want to say. Thank you. Thank you. Can I ask y'all's name again so that if it's on here so I can. Yeah thanks uh Ava tally. Ava tally. Okay Sarah Lufkin. Okay, and Rachel Zerega. Thank you. Thank you.
Brayden Willis followed by Leila. Abu salai. No Brayden Willis. Uh, Leila Abu Ali. And then that will be followed by uh Jackson Smith. Hello, my name is Ila. I'm a George Mason Athletic training student and I was a prior Rock Ridge. High School student athlete. When I was at Rock Ridge, I sustained a concussion and through my recovery and later volunteering. I worked
with Cole Powell, where I saw, how hectic, and busy the athletic training facility. Can get, thank you so much for adding a second athletic trainer to the high school settings, they not only evaluate and Rehab injuries. They also do administrative tasks and they work with other health. Healthcare practitioners. And They respond to Medical emergencies. Thank you so much. Thank you, Jackson Smith, followed by Chris Countryman. No Jackson Smith, uh, Chris Countryman followed by.
Nia Davis. Or nasiah Davis. Good evening tonight. I am not as optimistic as I was last time I spoke here tonight. We're faced with lcps Administration, trying to stop collective bargaining before. It's even begun yet again. You the school board have adopted a resolution, Dr. Spence has stated that collective bargaining is a strength of the school division. So now, it's time that both the school board and superintendent, direct the rest of the school
division to follow through. Leah has been empowered to bargain on behalf of the employees, we continue to stand ready and able to bargain in good faith. But we will not sit by being treated with the same disrespect that has brought us to the need for collective bargaining in the first place. So make no mistake. We also stand ready if forced into battle. Our goal should be the same. I know that we will not agree on everything but we are all empowered. Let's engage with
with each other, in good faith to enrich lcps. Thank you. Messiah Davis. Followed by Matt O'Donnell. Good evening. My name is Messiah Davis, and I am a senior at John champe, high school student body president and a proud member of varsity field, hockey and lacrosse teams. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. First and foremost, I want to sincerely. Thank the school board for approving. The crucial role of a second athletic. Trainer for all elf lcps high schools. This decision is a
Monumental step towards ensuring the health and safety of student athletes across our country. Our our County and I deeply appreciate your commitment to prioritizing our well-being. However, while this approval is a significant Milestone, it is crucial to see it through by keeping it in the budget and ensuring ensuring implementation in the next school year. Lives truly depend on it. To our to, to Sarah on our behalf of every athlete at John champe, high school. Thank you. Thank you for your Timeless
dedication, your patience, and your unwavering commitment to our health and safety. We see you, we appreciate you. And we know that without you, we will not be able to do what we love. Now, it's time to ensure you get the support you need. Let's keep the commitment in the budget and make it a reality next year. Thank you. Thank you Matt O'Donnell, followed by Brianna Hernandez benthos. Good evening. I like most parents want a school year that starts and adheres close to Labor Day and Memorial Day as
possible. Don't pick 1 of the choices that the administration is giving you First, you don't have to. Secondly, be careful. It's a little bit of a sales trick. I called a dual alternative clothes and sales. I give you 2 choices with either a particularly great. But I hope you fret over the decision and forget to say no. The confusing part for me is we like you to tell the superintendent and this Administration? What to do? You say? Give me a budget. You hand, you a bit of a mess. Make sure our kids are getting an Effective Education and
our test scores are not so great. Alright, give me a good schedule. Here too bad options that require no imagination on our part just to prove it and don't ask any questions. So be very wary, people with Effectiveness issues always ask for more time and more money. So and congrats to everyone that was recognized tonight. Thank you. Thank you Brianna Hernandez. Followed by Zachary Sheehan. Good evening, School Board. My name is Brianna Hernandez
bantos and I'm a senior of Parkview High School in a track athlete. Sincerely, I would like to First say, thank you for considering into the new budget of next year to track athlete at 2 athletic trainers. This new, um, proposal is definitely going to help many athletes in every in all the counties to succeed in their goals, and into their dreams. Mr. Lucas, our athletic trainer has always had a long long line of athletes waiting for him either to get injuries checked out to do their exercise or check over with him a
recovering injury. Additionally with the renovation of our new school building. He is also required to go to 2 far places in order to check through games, this new proposal has definitely and will definitely help him out and protecting us and also checking Over Us in any case of emergencies or injuries that can may happen in any game or practice. I once again would love to say thank you for considering this proposal until next year budget and good evening and thank you. Thank you, Zachary Shihan. Followed
by Willy, William Hooper. Good evening. Um I'm a senior at Parkview, High School in a track athlete and thank you for having a second of accepting. The second approach, uh, athletic trainer last year, I had an injury. And every time I went to the trainer's room it was always full with bunch of people and Uh our athletic trainer coach Lucas was out of this head, like struggling. Trying to get people out and in and I had to work outside.
uh, on my stuff and like, uh, uh, since our, we since we don't have a field and a lot of Uh, soccer and like lacrosse, it's going to be a different places. Um, it's going to be better if we had 2 athletic trainers, 2, 1 1. Go to Lacrosse. 1. Go to soccer, or whatever, but I like to say, thank you and for everyone that accepting the proposal for the second trainer. Thank you.
Kristen Washington, followed by Corey brune. Skip someone, did I skip someone? I'm sorry. Did I get Um I had William who Okay that was Zachary. Sheehan and now I'm sorry and William Hooper. Hi, good evening. My name is William Hooper and I'm the parent of uh 2 LC students. I appreciate the opportunity to speak tonight, 1 to bring to your attention, that School links. The call as a College Planning tool is failing to provide adequate and effective information to the students counselors and Families.
As evidenced by the materials that I believe each 1 of you has there are unbelievable number of problems and it's not just me as a single end user. I've actually managed to confirm this other users and other states as well as here at lcps. The information that is, uh, being messed up is unbelievable. It's showing things for example, that MIT or Harvard has admittance rates over 30%. It identified, a school district in Upstate, New York, as being a degree granting institution and and 1. Example of I
have for Dominion High School, 16 out of 18, students had identical weighted and unweighted gpas, unweighted gpas that were are correct, unweighted gpas that were in excess of 4.3 which is mathematically impossible. so, I'd like to encourage the school to Thank you. Um, And so now it's Kristen Washington. Correct. Followed by Corey Brunei. Um I just want to say before I say what I came here to say
that seclusion is barbaric. Those students aren't giving you a hard time. They are having a hard time and what they need is connection and not isolation. what I came here to say, is, Dyslexia I have been fighting for 3 years for support for my 2 children with dyslexia which by definition needs, specialized instruction, I have been lied to by the
assistant principal telling me. They haven't used Lucy. Caulkins in years, I Foya the request In 2022 and 232324. It was units of study for reading and writing, authored by Lucy Caulkins. Like, I don't understand why it's so hard to get support for my children, who struggle to read, especially when 50% of our students and forth. Through eighth grade in 2023 were breeding at low Prof. Thank you.
A Corey Brunei. Followed by Laura kamacha. Good evening. My name is Corey Brunei and I'm an English learner teacher at Broad Run High School. Leah won the election to be the exclusive bargaining representative. And while Leah is eager to get going lcps, is already committing an unfair Labor practice and we haven't even started Section 1 of the resolution is like the glossary where all important terms are defined to make the rest of the resolution make sense. For example, collective bargaining
is defined as to negoti to negotiate in. Good faith with respect to wages benefits and working conditions. According to section 1, we are only allowed to negotiate 4, working conditions for this first. Contract benefits and wages are not part of that number 4, but lcps wants to protect they are By the way, the first 5 words of the definition of collective bargaining are to negotiate in. Good faith. Hm. Lcps will never outperform its educators.
Thank you. Laura kamacha followed by Heidi bunka. No, Laura kamacho. Heidi bunka. Aaron Cano. Followed by Isabella Ortega. Hello and good evening. My name is Aaron kungl and I serve as the current chair of msac, msac, strongly supports policy 1040 because it affirms lcps commitment to equity, inclusion, and equal opportunity. For all students. This policy must be unambiguous in its language explicitly
stating where lcps stands in upholding, the rights of every student. A strong well-defined policy, ensures accountability, and reflects our shared responsibility to create learning environments, where all students feel safe, valued and empowered to succeed. In Sac, urges, the board to adopt policy 1040 as a clear, and unwavering commitment to equity and education. Thank you. Thank you. Isabella Ortega, followed by Liz karate. I'm sure others will address your more frivolous spending.
my issue today stems from the 2.8 million dollars. You insist on wasting on deia or more accurately division or raise your intolerance and anti-American policies in our schools as pointed out by 1 of your own. This money, could go to special needs more trainers or increases in teacher salaries. Instead, you continue to waste our money and abuse your power to keep racism alive in our schools. These policies you fund, tell my friends, they are racist, And me that I'm incapable because our skin is different. Let
me tell you as a so-called Brown woman because that is all you seem. That seems to matter to you. That I have worked every second of every day to get to where I am, but with these policies, you are telling me and all students that we are worth nothing, more than a melanin deposit. Deia at its core ensures. That every student, regardless of background ability or identity fails at the fundamentals of Life by being too preoccupied, with the color of their skin only, then to abandon its Targets in a never ending cycle of of victimhood. I implore you to set the proper example at
any devices, please, reload the mic. This is karate followed by safiya Witt. Good evening members of the school board. My name is Liz karate and I'm the chair of our special education advisory committee policy. 5345 restraint and seclusion of students is a very difficult policy. It is 1 that our community has wrestled with intensely for over 7 years. When the story that led to Gigi's law came to light since then seak has continuously advocated to end seclusion in Loudoun County
Public Schools. This year, our seak members voted unanimously to recommend Banning seclusion. we would not be Paving the way through unchartered Waters, Fairfax County, public schools, ban seclusion in 2021. The state of Maryland, banned seclusion in all of their Public Schools back in 2022. We want our students and our teachers to be safe. Seclusion does not accomplish that. Research tells us that it leads to increasingly dangerous behavior and that it is not an evidence-based practice. Please vote
to take this step forward for our school community and end seclusion in lcps. Thank you. Thank you, Sophia whitward. Followed by Sarah plattenburg. Hello. My name is Sophia whittwood and I'm a senior at John champe, high school first. I would like to say thank you school board for approving additional athletic trainers in our high schools. My peers and I believe that it is important to have 2 athletes for better coverage over sporting events especially with the upcoming spring season.
There will be many events happening simultaneously, and having 2 athletic trainers ensures, the safety of all the teams as an athlete. The athletic training room can be very hectic and having another athletic trainer. um, we'll make a big difference again. Thank you for your support of athletic trainers and student athletes. Thank you. Sarah. Like am I am at Sarah plattin B. No. Sophia whittwood. That was Sophia whittwood, right?
And then we had Sarah platten Berg followed by Brianna Graves. No, Sarah platen Brianna Graves. Followed by shahnaz Khan. Can you hear me? Okay, great. Hello and good evening. I am Brianna Graves, a special education, teacher, and a Native American. I'm here today in regards to funding deia quoting Dr. Spence, I'm committed to ensuring that every student in our school division, has the opportunity to thrive. Learn and seek, my question is, what does a data show when
defending deia since not? Every student in lcps, had the opportunity to be successful in the case from last year, I continuously reached out to Dr. Spence regarding discrimination, towards the special education, cast students at the Academy. Do you remember what you did? You did nothing after my numerous attempts, including seeing you in person for support. I'm not the only 1. So don't pretend that you support inclusivity because you don't. What is your agenda in defending deia? Is it because you don't like the president as seen on your social media
or to make teachers, like me, who see something? Say something be silenced, including a horrible teacher review that still follows me to this day. I look forward to hearing from you all regarding my inquiries, including supported data for your stances. However, thank you. Thank you. Followed by Sandy Sullivan. good evening, school board members in response to the seclusion incidences occurred that occurred in 2018 that led to the passing of Gigi's law. The special ed uh the special education ad hoc committee was formed by the
Loudoun County School Board to address Community concerns relating to these incidences. The final recommendation number 2 from this committee was clear. Expand interventions, increase deescalate the ukuro restraint, free crisis management approach. The plan was to First provide better tools than eliminate seclusion. 7 years later despite implementing, all these recommendations lcps still hasn't and its seclusion Seclusion is not a solution, it is not a tool. If a child is
repeatedly, secluded means their needs are not being met instead, we must create supportive spaces and provide resources, especially for vulnerable students like nonverbal children, who can't advocate for themselves. And we need to provide evidence-based tools for our teachers and staff. Thank you. Sandy Sullivan followed by Matt. Rodding. It is time the school board adopted the collective bargaining resolution lcps employees voted for loud and
Education Association to bargain for them. It is time to move forward and bargain in good faith. The resolution States bargaining will include 4 working conditions and salaries and benefits not just for working conditions, our employees are being shut down before. Bargaining can even begin. This is a disrespect to the collective. Bargaining process. Lcps is missing the critical opportunity to make lcps stronger. It's time to move forward to engage in collective. Bargaining over working conditions and salaries
and benefits. Thank you. Matt radek, followed by Linda Larson. Good evening. I'm a parent of a student athlete at Rockridge High School and also a volunteer coach. I want to thank the school board for voting to approve the budget last week for 11 additional athletic trainers and I'm presenting tonight. The emphasizing importance of continuing to support this measure as a parent and Coach. I've witnessed firsthand the hard work and long hours athletic of the athletic training staff for our students and children, 1 trainer does the work of many people without fail. At the end of each day, there is a line of
students outside the athletic training room, waiting to receive whatever service they're in need of so they can return to the field court or Matt as soon as possible. With this demand an athlete, can wait up to 45 minutes. To get his hand taped that should only take 30 seconds. It gets far more complicated when the trainers are split between different facilities out on the football field or in at volleyball practice. I want I want to emphasize the continued support for this budget measure. and, As it gets ready to go up to the Board of Supervisors.
Thank you. Linda Larson. Followed by Valerie shaenfield. Hello, I'm a parent of an LCP uh Rock Ridge, High School. Student athlete and a former student athlete. Thank you for the vote to have 2 athletes at each School. My daughter had 1 of the worst concussions at Rock Ridge. From what the athletic trainer told me with the help of the trainer. Mr. Cole, Powell. She was able to get the support, she needed to recover the experience, affected her so much, so that she is now in school to become an athletic trainer.
My son is in the football program currently at Rock Ridge. And is used Mr. Paul's services and other school trainers? When the teams travel to help wrap so he doesn't get injured himself during play. However, because of the volume of people that may need help or the trainer is busy elsewhere, or dealing with an urgent matter. Sometimes, his warm-up is cut short or he is late to practice having 2, full-time. Trainers will go a long way to enable coverage at multiple sporting events when they happen at the same time. Again, thank you for voting to increase the number of Stew of athletic trainers in the lcps. Thank you, Valerie, show and field, follow followed by
Carla solola. Hi. Um, I'm a parent and I'm here tonight because my family has been living through a nightmare 1 that no child or parent should ever have to adore. Last school year, my job was repeatedly secluded. Without my knowledge. Stop surrounding him, forcing him to a wheelie chair and pushed him quickly down the hallway into a small windowless room, with only a desk, and a chair. You should all have a picture of this room. Um, staff stood in the doorway blocking his exit, while he
was expected to somehow be able to self-regulate alone, scared and without any tools or support my child wasn't being. Oh, and he was being punished for struggling instead of receiving care and understanding. He was isolated and traumatized. This tool was taken on his devastating. He stopped eating he lost 6 pounds in just 1 month, he became consumed by anxiety. Thank you.
Carla. Solola. Followed by Daryl Dawson. I'd like to continue with Mrs. Shane and Fields for the remarks. I repeated seclusion of her son, didn't just push him out of the classroom. It shattered his sense of safety and robbed him of his of, his ability to feel secure around adults. He's not been able to return to school since February, 7th of 2024, Mr. Shane and felled, cannot begin to describe the Heartbreak of watching her child suffer like this. She is
pleading with you. I am pleading with you also as a member of cak to not Allow seclusion to continue. It must be prohibited so that no other child would suffer this harm. We also ask you to inspect the use of cool down rooms to ensure that they aren't informal seclusion spaces staff. Need better training to prevent crisis before they happen resources, like the cpi's reframing behavior and sensible Solutions. Why toolkit offers trauma-informed Alternatives
investing in proactive? Strategies will not only protect students but will also support staff. Thank you. Thank you. Daryl Dawson, followed by Melissa w. Good evening. I am Daryl Dawson. Middle School teacher at senica? In the spirit of fairness and Equity, Leah is advocating for a collective bargaining to begin. Forward to move forward without delay. We strive for fair wages, compensation benefits and improved working conditions. However, it has become apparent that lcps.
Are making efforts to Stonewall and stymy. I'm in the business of the 5 C's, not the 2, SS accountability and transparency are core tenants to negotiating. Together through collective bargaining, we can create a workplace that respects and supports every educator. Let's Stand United for a brighter future. Thank you, Melissa W. Followed by Andrea wisoff. Good evening, everyone. On January 8th, 2025, the US Secretary of Education. Dr.
Miguel Cardona, released a dear colleague letter to inform Governors and school officials that the department, quote remains concerned that children continue to be subjected to restraint and seclusion practices even though these practices are harmful to children and despite lack of evidence that these practices are effective end quote. failing to ban seclusion is inconsistent with lcps as 1 LC
2027, strategic plan, which says, quote, every student should be have the support to feel safe happy and cared for in school. You may hear staff say that they still 7 years later. Need this tool of seclusion in their tool box, but It is past time to keep this rusted. Broken tool that harms children. We need to substitute it for a shiny new tool that's research-based. Thank you. Uh, Andrew wisoff. To Dr. Spence and the board members who voted to protect
deia chin. Amanda add DJ has words for you Racism never should have happened so you don't get a cookie for reducing it, to the board member who supported adding to the budget before voting against the budget. I listen, I judge to the administrators who claimed that collective bargaining would cost $3 million. That figure was not in the budget. Are you incompetent or a union busting liar to
our lgbtq students? You belong. To our students who are not American citizens. No, 1 can steal your Humanity. Finally, black lives matter. Thank you. And with that, we end our public comment. Um, we are going to go ahead and go into recess for 10 minutes. The board will be back on at 8:00. All right, the board is back from recess and we will
continue with item 13. Our action items. Uh, our first 1 is 13.01, human resources and talent development, 2026 2027, students school calendar options. Um, Miss Poland before any emotions are proposed. Would you please provide since it's been a couple weeks? Um, us with a little synopsis around the calendars, please? Is she not here? I'm right here. Sorry, I already. Oh, there you are. Oh, you already came up. Yes, I can even see
you through this thing. Sorry, I was trying to be proactive. I know we're all very excited for calendars. Okay, so good evening as you may recall, 1 of hrt's goals is to provide staff and families with multi-year school calendars to support long-term planning. as such HRT brought before the board 4 calendar options for the 2627 school year as an information item. At the November 12th 2024 meeting tonight. After receiving
stakeholder feedback, we are bringing back those options with additional information in the hopes that the board will take action to approve a school calendar for the 2627 school year. Oh sorry, I forgot. I have the clicker. Lcps is committed to supporting every student in pursuing and reaching their full potential and empowering them to make meaningful contributions to the world. Establishing a thoughtfully crafted school. Calendar is a foundational step toward fulfilling this mission.
The students school calendar serves, as the foundation upon which we build an Effective Teacher work schedule. Together, these 2 calendars is established. The standard that guides the development of all of our other staff calendars. But before moving forward, with the survey results on preferences for the 2627 school calendar, I'd like to take a moment to remind you of the school, calendar development process, including the guiding principles reflected in our current calendars. The development of the school calendar follows lcps policy
and regulation, 740. As well as Virginia code and other relevant laws. Policy and regulation 7040 provide guidelines for student and teacher calendar. Development school holidays, staff development days, inclement weather procedures and other scheduling considerations Virginia code requires all School divisions to offer, either 180 instructional days or 990, instructional hours each year.
Lcps exceeds this requirement as our students receive 6 hours and 15 minutes of instructional time, daily 45 minutes more than the state minimum. Another important factor in calendar. Calendar development is House. Bill 1148. Which moved the Virginia June primary election from the second to the third Tuesday in June. This change could impact the last day of school and other student related events.
In addition to the laws and policies that guide school calendar development, we have established a set of guiding principles based on extensive stakeholder feedback. This feedback gathered through, surveys discussions with advisory committees insights from the school board members, and public comments has played a crucial role in shaping. These guiding principles, which continue to inform, our calendar drafts. The Guiding principles include a school year, that begins 2 weeks before Labor Day and ends in the second week of June.
A 2 week. Winter break and a full week for spring break. A target of 180 instructional days. Recognition of 1 holiday for significant religious observances from major world religions along with these guiding principles HRT, is also heard and responded to feedback regarding Gap days. School days that sell between existing student holidays creating disruptions in continuity to address this concern. We've removed those Gap days from the 2425 and 2526
calendars and hope to continue that practice. As you can imagine developing a school calendar that meets the needs of more than 80,000 students and their families is a complex and multifaceted process. This calendar must not only comply with lcps policy and Virginia code, but also serve. As the foundation for approximately 26 additional staff calendars impacting, more than 13,000 employees. At the same time, it must align with our core values and
the goals of the 2027, strategic plan for excellence. We recognize the weight of this responsibility and the number of lives affected by these decisions. Before we discuss the draft 2627 school calendar options. I want to briefly highlight, the key factors that shape their development. As a reminder HRT continuously gathered feedback to inform the development of the 2627 school calendar options. This process included ongoing engagement with the school
board as well as input from student teacher and principal advisory committees. This year we also introduced a new calendar committee with representatives from across the division to ensure a broad and diverse perspective in the development process. In addition, to these discussions, we conducted surveys with staff and Families 5, distinct. Surveys were distributed to our student teacher, and principal advisory groups, the calendar committee and staff and Families. These surveys gathered input on key factors such as the
start and end date of the school year. Length of breaks school holidays quarter lengths alignment with neighboring, counties and total instructional days for students. This slide provides a snapshot of the survey results broken down by key areas. School calendar, structure breaks and alternative calendar options. As you can see, no single option represents a clear majority reflecting the diverse preferences of our stakeholders. It is important to recognize that adopting. A
school calendar is a decision that will not achieve unanimous satisfaction. However, the feedback gathered through this survey has been instrumental in shaping our Our approach. We received 20,987 survey responses. Which have been aggregated here to provide a comprehensive view of stakeholder input. These insights were pivotal pivotal in shaping, the draft calendar options, ensuring that stakeholder input was
thoughtfully considered throughout the development process. Following the initial presentation of the calendar options to the school board HRT. Received several questions regarding the proposed, start dates, and compliance with Virginia code. I am happy to confirm that all 4 calendar options, fully comply with state regulations. This compliance has been verified through direct confirmation from vdoe. Lcps was granted a waiver to open prior to Labor Day. For
the 2011, 2012 school year. And with that waiver it remains in effect today. As a result lcps, May begin the school year more than 14 days before Labor Day, Without requiring an additional waiver. Additionally, we have also confirmed that this waiver does not require lcps to close schools on the Friday before Labor Day, which we previously thought we we did. Following our presentation of the draft calendar options. At the November 12th, 2024, school board meeting HRT, sent a
follow-up survey to families staff, and the teacher, principal and student advisory committees. We asked them to rank the draft calendar options based on their preferences. In addition, the survey gathered input on the potential future consideration of a year-round calendar and provided an opportunity for open-ended feedback on the proposed calendars. Now let's move on to the survey results over the next few slides. I'll walk you through the key insights that we gathered.
For the next next few minutes though, I would like to take a moment to remind the board of some key details of the 4D, for the 2627 school year that were originally presented to the school board. At the November 12th 2024 meeting All options presented have a 2-week, winter break and a 1-week spring break. And all options maintain the current number of holidays. Option 1. Being the most closely mirrored to our current calendar
structure, maintains a 180-day instructional year, for students, with a first day of school being Monday, August 17th, 2026. The main change in this calendar is the shift from a Thursday, start to a Monday, start. while Monday is not the preferred start Day based on feedback, this adjustment is necessary to accommodate Election Day on June 15th 2027 and ensure that sufficient
instructional days occur prior to that date. This calendar option includes a last day for students of Friday, June 11th 2027. and provides teachers, with 194 assigned work days, a start date of Monday, August 10th, 5 days, prior to students first day. the Friday off before the Monday, Labor Day Holiday 14, professional development days and the last day for teachers of Tuesday, June 15th.
Options 2 and 3, both sought to address a key concern by various stakeholders. The desire for an earlier end of the school year, that aligns more closely with the completion of. So and AP exams N include a last day of school. For students of Friday, May 28th. In both cases some compromises are necessary to accommodate these requests, while maintaining a balance of
instructional time. in option 2, we maintain 180 instructional days for students, have a first day of school starting Tuesday, August 4th, which allows for 2 a days and 2 B days. And the last day of school for students, again would be Friday, May 28th. However, for teachers this option, still maintains 194 assigned work days. However, has a significant earlier date which is Monday July 27th and is 6 days before
students start They have a last day or they have off the Friday before the Monday Labor Day. Holiday 14, professional development days and a last day of Tuesday, June 1st if selected we recognize this would be a significant shift. And the first year of this calendar would provide for a shorter summer break, which is why we are also, including another variation that may be more palatable.
Option, 3, reduces the number of instructional days from 180 to 174. Has a first day for students as Wednesday August 12th 2026 and a last day of Friday May 28th. this provides teachers, a start date of Monday, August 3rd, which is 7 days before students and reduces the number of assigned work days by 1 to 193.
It provides for 19, professional development days. And a last day of work of Friday, June 4th Again with either option, 2 or 3, we acknowledge that adopting an earlier. Start will result in a shorter summer break in the first year. However, if maintained future years will see a return to a more typical break between the school years. Option 4 is similar to option 3 in terms of the number of instructional days with 174, instructional days for
students. The main difference in this option is the shift of spring break to the week after Easter. This change was a committee recommendation aimed at slightly decreasing the number of instructional days between spring break and the end of the year school year. Focusing on a more balanced break schedule and potentially creating the same week for spring break each year. this option reduces the number of instructional days, has a first day of school. As Thursday August 13th, which is
aligned with our current practice of starting on a Thursday and a last day of school for students of Friday, May 28th. This option does reduce the number of assigned work days for teachers by 1. To 193 has a start date for teachers of Monday August 3rd, which is 8 days before students start. 19 professional development days, and a last day for teachers of Friday, June 4th. And I would like to point out that the work days at the beginning of the school year
could be used for multiple items such as the completion of required, professional development, classroom setup planning and more. This would not necessarily require that teachers are in the building the entire time. based on the results of the lcps school calendar, option survey this slide highlights the top 2 preferred options for the 2627 school year based on a weighted score. For all groups, combined option, 4 was the top Preferred Choice.
Staff and advisory committees ranked this option as their number 1 and families. Ranked this as their option to, for all groups. Combined Option, 1 was the second Preferred Choice while families rank this option as their number 1 Stagg ranked. This option is their number 2 and advisory committees ranked this as option 3. Option 4 was the least Preferred Choice by all groups. And additional survey question asked, whether lcps should consider developing a year-round school calendar option in
the future. To help respondents visualize this possibility. The survey included a draft illustration of a potential year-round calendar. As shown on this slide 49% of all respondents did not express interest in pursuing a year-round calendar. However, the difference between those in favor and those opposed was not as significant as we initially anticipated. This indicates while there is no overwhelming support there. Remains a level of Interest worth considering.
Moving forward. We will continue to explore alternative calendar structures and assess their potential benefits. Ensuring that future calendars. Aligned with the evolving needs of our students, families and staff. This live reflects a summary of the feedback received from the survey where respondents were offered the opportunity to share any additional feedback about the calendars based on the responses. The comments received were summarized into 4 different categories. Year-round school calendar
concerns suggestions for improvements and general sentiments. The categories do not necessarily represent that these are recommendations whether a summary of written feedback received from survey respondents. I would like to note that the open-ended survey responses may at times. Diverge from the results of close-ended questions as feedback tends to be disproportionately provided by individuals who are dissatisfied while those with neutral or positive experiences are often less
inclined to comment. this pattern is evident in the survey, where out of a total of 14,152 respondents. Only 26% of respondents or 3,744 submitted open-ended comments. 2 examples where this trend is evident, Early start dates, the comments, reflected a strong preference for starting school closer to labor day. However, the survey results indicated that the majority of respondents 61% preferred in early start in early August or
2 weeks before Labor Day. While only 31% expressed a preference for starting after Labor Day or only 1 week prior. And alignment with neighboring districts, the comments indicated, a strong preference for aligning with neighboring districts. However, the survey results showed this is to be a relatively neutral topic with 49% of respondents stating it was not important or expressing. No preference while 51% indicated it held some degree of
importance. I know that was a lot to digest but it is my hope that we have provided the board with well, thought out and researched options and the information necessary to confidently discuss, and ultimately decide how to move forward, as a division to support our students and staff for future years. We are hoping that tonight. You will adopt a student school calendar for the 2627 school year. We recognize that these options will not please everyone.
But have made great efforts to listen and respond appropriately. To support our staff and students and set them up for success. once adopted hrd, will work collaboratively with the Department of academics on the allotment of non student. Working days to meet educator needs and will provide clear definitions of identified days and communication regarding flexibility and availability of remote work on some of those days. Further HRT will begin the work to draft. The 202728
school. Calendar options to bring to the school board in the spring. these options will be modeled off of feedback received during this latest development process, and ultimately, the calendar you adopt, And will further support our goal to provide staff students and families with Advanced school calendars so that they can plan their lives appropriately. Thank you for your time and I'm happy to answer any questions. You may have. Thank you. Miss Boland, um board members.
Typically we after something, typically for our action we go ahead and have a base motion. Um yes, Vice chair, Donahue Thank you, madam chair. I would like to make a motion for the Loudoun County School Board to adopt a calendar for the 2627 school year. I have a motion on the floor. Do I have a second? Second, I have a second by uh, Mr. Astrophe. Um, the motion's been properly moved and seconded.
Uh, is there any discussion? Miss sure enough. Thank you, madam chair. Um and I wanted to thank Miss Boland and her team for their work um for the extensive feedback that was taken and for all of the effort that was put in to bring 4 options that are in compliance with all the different requirements that we have. Um, after receiving significant feedback, indicating that none of the 4 initial calendar options. Received, a majority of the combined stakeholder support and that options 1 and 4 were
the most favorable. I began this week to seek an alternative solution while I recognize, there is no perfect calendar. As Miss Boland pointed out the feedback, prompted me to look into adjustments. That could maybe be better support, the community's requests. in my view, Shifting, the school board, Shifting the school year, to the end, the Friday, before Memorial Day, weekend would benefit lcps in the long run, by allowing for more instructional days to be maximized before. Testing in May, this change would support maximizing that instruction
earlier in the year. However, I understand that this transition will result in a shorter more challenging summer for for a year, if we choose that path with that in mind. Um, and with the gracious help of the HRT staff, they helped me develop a hybrid option that still moves. The end of the school year earlier, while also aiming to minimize the impact on that first summer. My goal was to maintain as close to 180 instructional days as possible. Avoiding the trend of shortening, the school year, which is of personal importance to me.
We were able to reach 179 days in the hybrid model. Creating a calendar is indeed as Miss bullan says, turns out a complex task. She's telling the truth adjusting 1 element, often impacts many others with limited options, to modify. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have done a deep dive into this process with her and her team to learn the intricacies of calendar design. My top priority as I expressed is always to maximize
instruction. I am pleased with the result and hope to gain the support of the board and the support of our community. Additionally, my proposed option asked for various compromises to accomplish this unique transition. I have outlined my rationale for those in a crosswalk chart, which I've posted on my social media pages. And I understand that these have an impact on various different stakeholders in various different ways. I want to remind the public that we are. Only voting on The 2627 school year, at this time,
once this calendar is set. We will be looking at subsequent year options in the spring. With your permission Madam chair. I'd like to walk through my crosswalk chart and proposed options, and I also would be open to answering any questions about the proposed calendar. Um, look forward to your thoughts. And I am eager to listen to both my colleagues and the public. Um, you wanted to do that right now, your crosswalk? Or did you want to wait? It's up to you guys. If you think that would be beneficial to walk through those? It's similar to
what Miss Bolan put out for each option. I think that's explained. Go ahead and do that right now. Yeah. Okay. Um so like I said we kind of looked at Option 1 and option 4 sort of table option 2 and 3 since those were were seemed to be the least palatable so for what we're calling I guess the sure, sure, enough hybrid option. Um, his a start date from Option 1. On. So teachers would report on August 10th and have 5 work days before the students report on August 17th.
Um, the compromise there is that we are starting on a Monday and I will admit even after lots of feedback in the last 24 hours. This is definitely not the most popular option and we saw that in the survey results as well, but it would allow us to finish on a Friday rather than lump over into a Monday and keeps us at 179 instructional dates, The rationale there, is that option 4 had teachers reporting August 3rd and this gives them an entire extra week of Summer. The next piece is um a it would be a shift for us. This is
taking our current religious holidays, the 4 extra religious holidays, from the main religions that we support and turning them into cultural, observance days that would make them school days. That would be excused absences, and we have policies that outline, those requirements, um, for attendance for students and teachers, and I will defer to miss Boland. After this, to possibly answer those questions, this allowed us to move the last day from Option From June 11th to June 4th paired with a subtraction of 1
instructional day, which got us to the 179. so like I said, instead, the rationale for the compromise here is that instead of having these days off for everyone, they will be excused. Absences for all who observe and per policy staff will be and regulation staff will be directed not to have any major summatives projects and due dates. And I believe there's a list of other things that are included in that. I truly believe that this is the solution to get us to 179 instructional days and minimize the impact of a shortened summer. It also changes 3 4 de weeks to 5
full day weeks and 1 3 day week to a 4 day week which gives maximum routine consistency and instructional time. Uh, these 4 days seem to be very impactful for various options. They create shorter instructional weeks throughout the year as well as make the school year a week. Shorter minus 1 day. So additionally, converting those into instructional days, allows more flexibility with teacher work days and still honors their contracts. Without this, I
think teachers would need 4 additional work days to lengthen their year, further condensing, summer, I acknowledge that this will require families who observe these holidays to take their students out for excused absences when they have had these holidays off in past years. And I know that that is not an easy decision. But I'm asking for honest feedback and I truly want to listen from these groups. The last piece was to keep spring break that is not tied to Easter and become a fixed week, each year based on when the
third quarter ends. So spring break would be tied to the end of the quarter, and not the Easter holiday, which also draws on the cultural observance philosophy. Um and again this comes from option 4 and I do want to point out that it is the week after Easter in this calendar. But in other years it would not necessarily be based off of where the third quarter ends and where Easter falls because it is a holiday that jumps around a lot. Um, so with that I am happy to address different concerns.
I have certainly seen a lot of feedback, um, this week on the 4 options and additionally, in the last 24 hours, been bombarded, with, with a lot of different feedback. So, I am hopeful that we can navigate this conversation together. Appreciate you listening Yes, uh Dr. SE Dr. Thank you. Cheer. Um and um thank you Miss chernoff, thank you, Miss Boland. Um So um I was looking at Option 1 all the way to 4 uh Miss chernoff. You said you worked on this calendar option with Miss Bolan.
Bolan. So miss Bolan is this option? Like 5 is is it safe to say this is another option from lcps? No, no. So, this is strictly only from Miss shernoff. That's correct. She so any board member has the ability to work through an alternative option, but given the complexities, it's often difficult them for them to do it without our assistance. Um, because changing 1 Thing could impact so many other things. Um,
So, it is not necessarily 1 that staff put forward, it would be, um, Miss chernoff's option or or not really a fifth option. It is, it's separate from the original options, okay? Because I was going to ask you, I guess, I'll ask Miss Sherlock then instead, if you can explain the holiday replacement. Um, in terms of all the religions, uh, that, that you had said, like, um, I guess you said the, the major religions And then you said excused absences if you can clarify on
that. Yeah. And I'll lean in with Miss Boland on some of this also because a lot of it is in policy as well. Um, so the real, the real impetus for this conversation started with how do we sort of create a transition year, for that very short summer. It's because if we switch to a very early end of at Memorial Day, then we're starting very early. Well, and off, 2, it was July and then early August, especially for teachers. So how do we help to maximize summer in this
transitional year? And there's really only so many days that you can play with. Um and so for me it was important that we sort of got to Option 1 by moving that week down and moving the summer up 1 week. So we had to get a couple of weeks there. And so for me the days that seemed based, because people seem to really want a 2 week, Christmas break or winter break in the schedule. Um, and also Given all the other circumstances. Really the only other
holidays to play with are the 4 other holidays that we celebrate, additionally, in the survey data. Um, there was 7,411 people that wanted to maintain holidays and there was 7,633 people that wanted to decrease. I realized that that's close and I realized that this is, you know, a sensitive shift. But we also have provision in policy for religious excuse to absences. So miss Boland I believe that we had reviewed policies 7730 and policy. 8110, could you help clarify on
that? Uh yes, thank you Miss. Sure enough. So staff, policy is 7730 religious. Accommodations and student policy is 8140 student, attendance requirements and procedures which both provide the opportunity for staff and students to observe a religious holiday without their absence being non-punitive. So what were the major holidays that that you're including, yes? So versus the ones that you're not that you're excluding, I I kind of lost track. So it's the 4 additional holidays, beyond what we would call, I think federal
holidays, correct, Miss Bolan, so it's Eid Diwali, learn Lunar New Year and yam kapor or Rasha Shana based on where they fall and just that's not we have to the regulation, actually is uh, yam, kapor, yam Kippur but we actually voted this last time, okay? For rosh Shauna and that is in our regulation 7040. Yeah. And I do recognize that in the regulation that we have now for our calendars in policy 7040 and its subsequent regulation. That if this was a shift that we
made, there would have to be staff directed changes. And then with the um you said the other holidays you had mentioned. I don't I don't know if I'm if I heard you wrong. I don't know if I you said that those were the main holidays and then you said something about excused absences, Yeah. So there's the holidays. The rest of the holidays are the federal holidays. So it's indigenous people day. It's President's Day Martin Luther King day. So these are those 4 additional holidays that we have recognized in the past and lcps from the main 4 main religions. I think is how we
classified them that we have added in as 4 additional days, so the other day the federal holidays would remain, okay? Um, is there any? Other discussion. Yes, ma'am Miss, Dr. Deans my thoughts. My thoughts are that? The. Um, Miss Bolan and her staff have already vetted the full options. With all of the different. Uh, groups. That we would not.
Venture away from those options that have already been given to the public. And to staff and to principles, and to student groups. I, I think that venturing away from what Mrs, Bolan and her staff have Legitimately vetted with the different groups. Would be something that would be. Uh, not be as acceptable as those that have already been
vetted. I don't know if that's a question or a statement. Mrs. Bolan. But um my my my thoughts are that if we venture away from what they what, what those groupings have already said, yes, or no, to even though none of the none of them of them Prevail over the other, that, that, that would be problematic on all part that we've taken their power away from having the opportunity to vet Versus.
Uh, at least going with 1 of the 4 options that the staff has already presented to the public. Um, Miss Mullen. Do you want to speak to that? First. So I think there's no easy answer. Um, I I do know that Miss chernoff, uh, did post for feedback on Facebook, I believe. Um, I'm not sure how many people, uh, responded. Um, we have in the past had, uh, additional options, uh,
presented or requested by board members when we brought forward Um, calendar options. So this board would have an opportunity to pause this as an action item which is not my favorite uh would pause this as an action item. Um, allow for additional feedback or responses if if they so chose to um move forward with considering Miss chernoff's option and allow for additional time for constituent feedback to them,
bring back as an action item. Once again, at the February 25th meeting. Yes, Dr. Deans I would say that the audience that might have seen the option on Mrs. Showoffs. Facebook page would not be the ah, ah, ah um, A large audience, um the people from Broad Run, the people from other communities. So therefore I I don't think that
the Facebook Action. Would be 1, that should be considered for the entire County. And I'm not suggesting, I'm just providing information. Yes, Mrs. Grievous. Uh, thank you, madam chair. Um, I would like to make a motion to pause this, put it on pause and have further discussion. Um, I think further discussion has to be had with the constituents as far as whether or not we want to start after uh, Labor Day. Um, and Miss shernoff
suggestions to, um, for the holidays to be excused absences. Um, I think, you know, we should put that out there to our constituents, and I, I understood what you meant by the, the Facebook, not everybody sees that, but it would probably have to be another survey. So I would like to make a motion to put this on pause and, and get that out and get that done. Second wait. Excuse Me, Miss Vice chair. Donahue. What was your motion? Exactly. I'm sorry. I'd like to make a motion, uh, to put this on
pause, um, and do another survey or have further discussion on these calendars. um, it so Are you postponing this action item for further discussion and action? Yes. Ma'am, postponing, thank you. And and so then this would be taken up for Action again, February 25th. I think we need to get the feedback we need to get more feedback uh possibly doing another survey uh with Miss chernoff's uh Amendment would you call that a your
Amendment Merna? With your Amendment. First of all, I think the motion that you're wanting to make is that we posed pone, this action item until further discussion and action. And taken again at action item on February 25th. Um, and we'll have more information at that time. I hope to have uh, more information uh, on a survey or Miss chernoff's Amendment. okay, that would be a separate motion for our survey but
um, so, I'm just trying to get that. That motion. Exactly. um, So are you wanting a survey? Or are you wanting to put this this on action? Um, February 24th, info item. That's okay. I think we should do. Okay. Thank you. All right, so we're going to postpone this action item for tonight. And then we'll have more discussion as an action item on February 25th. You want it on information on the 25th.
Excuse Me, Miss Mansfield, can I just add something? Yes, please. So I just touch base with the team and we would need at least 10 days to turn around a survey. Bringing if, if the intent is for us, to send out a, a survey and get the results back, having it come back on the 25th, is really not possible. Okay, does that change your motion Mrs? Griffith, um, it would still be an info item for further discussion. Um, it
would not be an action item to a later. Uh, a later board meeting Okay, we have a motion on the table. Do I have a second? Yeah, I have a second. Yes, unless I can amend. You can. But wait, you need to Second it. And then we have discussion. You can make an amendment to the amendment. Is that correct? Mr. Allen thank you, madam chair. Um yes, if there is a second then that that would need to go to discussion, there could be an amendment to that Amendment or if there's no second then
that motion would fail and then you can make another amendment correct. Second. Okay, that motion has been seconded. Um, Okay. Now, is there any discussion on this and on this motion for to the amend, the base motion? To go to to post P postpone. This action item. To information on February 25th. Okay. Is there any discussion?
No, there's plenty of discussion. Okay, let's go with chair. Donnie Hugh. I mean, Vice chair, Donnie Hugh, and then we'll go down the line. Uh, thank you madam chair. I moved to amend the motion amend the amendment. Amendment the amendment. Thank you. To. Continue this item for Action at the next meeting. Okay. Uh, do I have a chair by? I mean a oh my God. I have a motion on the floor by by Vice chair. Donahue
To postpone, this action item from further discussion and then take it up again as an action item on February 25th. Second, I have a second by, uh, Vice chair. I mean by Mr. Esty boy. I need more water. Um, okay, so is there any discussion on that motion? Yes Miss uh Mr. Astrophe and then sure miss sure enough. Thank you, madam chair. Um I'll hold my uh comments on Miss chernoff's Amendment once we get back to that. But um on on the topic of
Um, of postponing it. I I agree with um, Vice chair, Donna Hughes. Assessment that um we should take this back to action the next meeting. I think we have Done an exhaustive amount of G data Gathering, and getting feedback in, in, in the survey. I think that, um, a lot of the points that were brought up in Mission off's Amendment were really, uh, well, thought out. Uh, they bring out, uh, a unique perspective, um, and they allow us to look at the
first 4 options in a way that's, um, more thorough even. Um, and so, I think that, um, delaying it passed, you know, action at the next meeting or potentially issuing a survey. I think just delays the decision-making process, I think, um, HRT and Miss Boland have, uh, given us a, a of support in crafting, our own uh, versions or flavors of these options. I don't know that we would need another survey or a significantly uh more amount of time.
Thank you, Mr. Strefy Mr. Enough Thank you. I agree with Mr. Strefy in giving us a couple more weeks um and I just want to clarify that, that would be because we do want to hear back for for feedback and I just feel like I need to a little bit. Clear my name and clarify. My intentions, um, this was based off of the feedback that I did put out on my socials and an effort to acknowledge that maybe a compromise between 1 and 4 could
be reached and I do feel very strongly that that was driven out of all the things that were given to us through the feedback, through the surveys, through the committee and then through additional feedback, which I did personally asked for and solicit from. And so, I don't while that may not be enough to move the needle to get you to support it, I respect that, but I do want to be clear that I stayed within the parameters of what staff had given
given. It was not to undermine the work that staff had done. It was to kind of work to see if we could find something in between the 2, most popular options given that there wasn't majority support. I absolutely support giving people 2 weeks to digest all of this especially since I'm throwing this in the mix. Um but I wanted to make sure that that intention was clear. These things were driven solely out of community feedback from various Levels to try and get to the best solution. Thank you, Mr. Enough, I have to speak for myself. I understand that
you're not. You're doing this with good intentions. It's not to undermine staff in any way. Uh, Dr. Rashid just for clarification. This will come back as action at our next school board meeting. Am I correct for this amend the amendment? Yes. Okay, thank you. If we pass it. Miss Bell. Thank you, madam chair. I was just trying to Second motion when I was jumping up and down, but thank you, Miss chernoff for the effort that you made. I appreciate it very much. Thank you.
Okay. Seeing no more discussion. Let's go ahead and vote on the amend, the amendment, which is to postpone, this action item, to make it action on February 25th. Okay. Um, all right, so let me get this. All right clerk. Please open the vote. Board members please, um, record your vote. Clerk, please close and display the vote.
that motion passes unanimously and so because this passes unanimously that would um amend this amendment here but we need to go back to the base motion. As amended. So clerk this clerk, please uh open the vote. Board members, please. um, do you have to? So we have amended the amendment, right? So then we have to go back up and vote on the base motion as
amended by that Amendment. It's to go ahead and postpone this action item. To make it to be taking. To be taken again, you know, Mr. Allen, do you want to go ahead and just explain this to people? Sure, thank you. Madam chair. Um, essentially you're casting your votes on the base motion as amended just confirming the vote. You just took for the record. Clear clear. Yeah, good. Okay. He said, it's so much better than I could.
All right, let's go ahead and vote on. The amendment on the amendment. I mean, Yeah. Okay clerk please open the vote board members. Please vote. Clerk, please close and display the vote. That motion passes unanimously. Great okay. And my computer just messed up. So, you're going to have to wait a second. While I Get.
Situated again. Sorry. All right, let's move on to the second. Action item. 13.02 the legislative audit and policy committee. Revision of 1040 equal opportunity for equitable. Safe and inclusive environment. um, presented by Act, uh, Miss Chandler. Do you want to go ahead and make a mo motion? Yes, thank you. Madam chair. I move that the Louden County School Board approve, the recommended revisions of policy 1040, equal opportunity for Equitable
safe and inclusive environment. I have a motion. Do I have a second? I have a second by second. By uh Vice chair. Donahue the motion has been properly made and seconded. Is there any discussion? Yes. Oh, do you want to speak to your motion? First? That would be nice. Go ahead and speak to your motion. Thank you. Um, this policy which dates back to 1976, and is considered a foundational policy was brought forward for updates because of changes to the Virginia code, the updates that are presented tonight. Include staff suggested
changes and changes made in committee and changes made to incorporate parent advisory committee recommendations Um, parent advisory committees are so important to us at lcps and they are made up of parents and community members who advocate for the rights of their students. Um, we also know that Virginia's laws reinforce the parents fundamental, right to make decisions with regard to their child's upbringing and care. These parents, as I mentioned, when we brought it forth for information are telling us exactly what their children need
to be successful. They are giving voice to what they need from us to improve their children's education. It's our responsibility to empower their voices and ensure that all students have access to Quality education. This policy puts parents at the head of the table. Shows, deep respect for the individual and ensures everyone has a chance to succeed. This policy is about students. It's our responsibility as a board to ensure that we meet the needs of all of our students. Providing them with opportunities, that ensure everyone has a shot.
Access and belonging are the end goals here. Reaffirming our commitment that we are. 1 LC reinforcing that we as a community, have a commitment. To our students. And that our students can. Receive a commitment from our community. We have a stake in them and they have a stake in US. And with that, I would like to ask Mr. Allen to share his thoughts or to share Thoughts with us on the appropriateness of the school board proceeding with the uh
approach recommended by or coming out of the LMP committee. Thank you, Miss Chandler. Um, as I shared when its policy was considered as an information item, it's within the board's will and purview to precisely articulate or memorialize its commitment to an equitable safe and inclusive environment. And what that might look like for this School Division. Uh, it's my understanding that typically, it has been recognized as permissible for a
locality to afford more protections where they wouldn't be inconsistent or counter to applicable law. Thank you, Mr. Allen is there any discussion? Yes, Mrs, Griffith. Thank you, madam chair, and thank you. Uh, Mr. Allen um, as far as this policy goes, um, I feel like the terms are undefined. It doesn't match the law. That was passed. Um, so I do have an amendment. Um, but also Corrections go, uh, with the amendment. I moved to
strike everything in the, in this version that has been presented. But the first sentence, which is online, 6 and 7, um, to add the following this school board affirms a commitment to this principle for all persons. In with the Virginia Human Rights Act, VA code section, 2.2 3900. Um, it should read as follows the Loudoun County. School Board is committed to providing an equitable safe and inclusive learning and working environment the school board affirms a commitment.
To this principle for all persons in accordance with the Virginia Human Rights Act, um, Virginia code section, 2.2 3900. Um, because of this, uh, Amendment we would be removing the following lines 17 to 20 Which says, uh, regardless of perceived or actual race, religion, ethnic or national origin citizenship or immigration status, sex pregnancy, child, birth, or related medical conditions. Age marital status sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, socioeconomic level,
military status or disability With that. Um, We removed the following from a line, 27-28 particular particularly in. If directed at the personal characteristics listed that, I just mentioned I have a motion from Mrs. Griffith for an amendment. Oh, I had do I have? What is that? While your Amendment a little bit more but we could start with that. Is so this isn't your whole Amendment. I have some more amendments to it. Can I continue?
Okay, okay, so let me, let me see where I was now. Um, so line that reads mistreatment bullying harassment and otherwise, harmful actions are prohibited. Remove the following from lines, 28 to 31, the school board and lcps acknowledge inequity on the individual level, such as bias speech, and harassment, and Injustice at the institutional, or systemic level, such as discrimination, have a harmful impact on the community. Historically, in today from line,
40, replace the word codifies with a firms. Uh, from line, 41, remove the words, intentionally comprehensively and systematically. Uh, remove the following, from lines, 43 to 48. This makes the school boards commitment, more stable and sustainable for the future. This policy is intended to be a dynamic document. Responsive to Pro to present the future needs relative to the goal of maintaining an equitable environment for all students staff, the division, and the
community, it serves to, that end, the superintendent and superintendent is authorized to develop implementing regulations in school procedures, uh, to operationalize this policy, Um, the paragraph should then read. And I know this is a lot, the policy of firms. The school boards commitment to education equity and to look at barriers and resource allocations, which may be creating desperate desperate, uh, experiences regarding access and opportunity. So I know that's a lot. But um, I felt like this policy um, didn't
match the Human Rights Act and previous law. That was passed. Thank you. Do I have a second? Yes, Mr. Bell. I second Mrs. Griffith's motion. Okay, it's been properly moved and seconded. Is there any more? Is there any discussion? Oh yes. um, I would like to thank Miss Chandler, for bringing this forward and the entire legislation audit committee. Um, as
I look at the first part of this document, it does mention restraint and seclusion. Which is a big issue, not the document we're writing, but the introduction. That you have there. And I'm glad to see that we are actually looking at restraint and seclusion. And getting rid of that. I can't find it again. I've got too many tabs. Open
inclusive learning. Yeah. And safe work, safe and inclusive, or okay. Thank you. Yeah, thank you for bringing it Forward. Miss chandelle. That was all I was saying. Okay. Um, any other discussion? Seeing no more discussion. We will vote on Mrs. Griffith. Um, Amendment um, Clerk, please open the vote. Board members, please record your vote. Clerk, please close and display the vote.
And that motion does not pass 2 to 7, with Miss Chandler, Dr. Deans, this Mansfield Vice chair. Donna Hugh Mr. Struy. Miss chernoff. And Dr. Rasheed in opposition. All right, we go back to the base motion. Is there any more discussion? Yes, Miss shernoff. Thank you, chair Mansfield. Um, we've been, I feel like we've been working on this for a while a long time. Um, I just want to express like again, I still have some concerns
about a regulation. I don't mean to drone on it, but I'm looking into how we can address that before. I vote on a policy. I I struggle with that when especially when it's new. I think when there's an existing regulation, it's easier. Sometimes because you can see the red line changes and how they're going to implement that. But with this being from scratch, um, I do struggle with that. I also just wanted to clarify, um, what Mr. Allen had told us, um because things are in flux. And so, while we are still following the Virginia Human Rights Act, should the
Virginia Human Rights Act change due to a federal mandate or federal law change would, then this policy have to go back through revision process in your understanding. Thank you, Mr. Turnoffs. So I'm going to answer that more broadly to the extent, any applicable Law changes. Then we'd bring it into conformance with law. And just as context, um, this is back before the board and before the l&p committee, because as of July 1st 2440, as
class, so to the extent applicable Law changes, um, that would Prompt this coming before the board again. I appreciate that. Thank you for that clarification. Any other discussion? Seeing none, we will go ahead and um vote. Clerk, please. This is on the base motion. Can you repeat the base motion again? Sorry my apologies. The base motion is just to approve the staff, the recommendations for um 1040 equal opportunity for Equitable
safe and inclusive environment. The red line copy. All right clerk. Please open the vote. Board members, please record your vote. Clerk. Please close and display the vote. That motion passes. Was uh, 7 to 2 with uh, Mrs. Griffith and Miss shernoff in opposition. All right, we will move on to 13.03.
Legislative audit and policy committee. Revision of policy 2420 meeting procedures presented by. um, Miss Chandler, Miss Chandler. Do you have a motion. Thank you. Madam chair. I do I move that. The Loudoun County School Board approve. The recommended revisions to of policy 2420 meeting procedures. I have a motion. Do I have a second second I have a second by Dr. Rasheed, it's been properly moved and seconded is there any discussion or actually um Uh, Miss Chandler. Would you like to speak to your motion?
Yes, thank you. Madam chair. Um, this policy also was brought forward for updates in response to changes made in the Virginia code. Uh, the policy ensures that this the board's meeting procedures are clearly articulated and follow the Law changes made to this policy, primarily relate to establishing Quorum for a virtual meeting in the event of an emergency with the expansion to allow a person with disabilities or their caregiver to participate remotely. But count towards the quorum Thank you, Miss Chandler. Um, is there any discussion?
Seeing no discussion, we will move forward with the vote clerk. Please. Open the vote. Board members, please record your vote. Clerk, please close and display the vote and that motion passes unanimously. Okay, we will now continue with our information items, starting with 14.04. The um, finance and operations committee. Revision of policy, 6140, free and reduced priced meal services presented by Mr. Astrophe. Chair of fno Thank you, madam chair board members. Um, we have policy
6140, uh, free and reduced price meal services, um, coming out of the finance and operations committee. Um, these changes um are the summary of the changes are related to um VA code updates, um for the most part. Um, and I will pass it on to Miss Willoughby to share any details related to the policy change. Thank you. I think you um, have summarized the changes as well. I'll just add that what we are adding in the language
is in addition to being requirements to comply with the Virginia code is um reflective of what our practice had been and continues to be. So there's not any substantial changes to the process is just being more transparent and what that process is and the information associated with the free and reduced application program. Thank you, Miss Willoughby, uh, board members. Do you have any questions? No. Uh, would you like to put this on consent for the February 25th school board meeting?
Um, that will now go on to consent for the February 25th, 2025 school board meeting. Well, moving on to 14.02 stern Services. Committee revision of policy, 5345 restraint and seclusion of students presented by uh Vice chair. Donnie Hugh chair of the student services committee. Thank you very much, Madam chair. Paul revisions for policy. 5345 first came before the student services committee last spring, in order to make amendments, uh, on our 5-year cycle to update with changes
to the Virginia code, the policy revisions first came before the committee is in a April. Um, and then, uh, we're put on hold pending Community feedback until the fall. Um it appeared before it was on our agenda multiple times. Um most recently as an information item in December after which we scheduled a work session in mid January and then
the policy revisions were scheduled as an action item at our January 24th monthly meeting. There are several documents on board docs. Um, so I would like to walk you all through it so that you know what you're looking at. Um the there were staff proposed revisions presented to the committee at the January meeting and multiple sets of amendments that were proposed and voted on. So the documents that are available in board docs
1 is the red line version that came out of committee by non-unanimous but majority vote. There is a clean version of that policy. Chair Mansfield has proposed additional amendments, which are in which are, uh, a separate board document, uh, there is the community feedback specific M, msac feedback and specific CAC feedback on these recommendations, and there is an additional uh set of proposed amendments.
Uh, as comprehensive amendments as well. so, there are, um, That is a a basic outline. Um I would like to uh ask Madam chair is Indulgence for me to invite Miss, Richardson to add whatever background she thinks is appropriate. Yeah, and before we do that, I want to remind everyone that for as a foundational matter for recommendations um we go
with what has the version that is voted on out of committee? Um, and not proposed amendments. Miss Richardson. Good evening, chair mannsville. Vice chair. Donnie Hugh members of the board. Dr. Spence and my distinguished colleagues. Um, Mrs. Donna you, you did a wonderful job of summarizing, all of the actions. taken by the committee since April 2024 to date with the final Red Line, copy coming out of committee January 24th,
2025. Um, I think the largest substantive changes to the policy as it now, stands is the complete removal of of seclusion and making it a prohibited practice in lcps. That is what is before the board for for consideration coming out of committee. Board members. Do you have any discussion? Yes, Mr. Uh, Vice chair, Don Hugh Thank you, madam chair. I have had many conversations with members of cak with
parents in the community and with others who have a very vested interest in how we ultimately come out on this policy. And I am aware that there are high emotions understandably when we are having these conversations. That being said, I While I am not going to sit here and say, I think that seclusion is good or something that we should be using in our schools, I don't. I think that we should be doing our
best to minimize it as much as possible. but that being said, I have some concerns that if we wreck categorize seclusion as a prohibited practice, that there may be some unintended negative consequences for our staff. And for those reasons, I did not support those amendments in committee and I have proposed a different version of the policy. To go forward. And I invite my fellow members.
To read all of the versions that are available. And 1 of the things that I had. hoped to ask everyone to keep in mind, is we have a very specific definition of what seclusion means and we have that and I assume Mr. Allen will correct me if I misspeak here but we have this very specific definition of seclusion in our policy because that is how it is defined under federal law and Regulation. And we must we must keep track
of reported instances of restraint and the use of seclusion as defined by federal authorities and report it to the federal government. That is the reason why our definition is so narrow. When it comes to seclusion, I have. I have heard from many people. Some very troubling. circumstances that they have learned their children have faced in our schools, And it is concerning and it is upsetting. But when I have discussed those instances with those
families and also with our staff, my understanding is that many of them would not meet our definition of seclusion, 1 of the parents who spoke during our public comment today, who described? A very traumatic, a series of traumatic incidents with her child in which he was placed in a room. Uh, with a staff member in the doorway, that does not count as seclusion as we currently Define it. I think that that needs to change.
I have had that conversation with Miss Richardson. I have asked her, we've discussed it in committee and we have asked Miss Richardson and her staff to prepare a draft policy that will cover other circumstances that don't quite meet the definition of seclusion as it is defined by the federal government, but will still provide guidelines for the exercise of such situations. And uh, parental notification. Acceptable circumstances. Acceptable actions, Etc.
And I had requested that. While understanding why there is a movement to remove seclusion altogether or to turn it into a prohibited practice under this policy? I had proposed that we hold off on making that change until after the student services staff. Drafts a new policy to address. What we're temporarily referring to as isolation and exclusion.
And see how that policy plays out in our schools. I also know that our ins instances of seclusion are very low in numbers. and I have concerns, as I said, if we recognize second was happy that their number of seclusion instances was reduced but not completely eradicated and my fear is if our staff is in a situation where they are dealing with
students in crisis, and this policy applies to all students, it does not, it is not specifically for specialized students and it is not a behavioral intervention. It is their emergency safety procedures for when our staff is dealing with emergency situations and students in crisis. My concern is for staff who have to make the split-second decisions of how to respond to keep themselves and everyone else in the room. Safe. And what I fear is that they may be thinking in their heads.
That they want to take a certain action and then fear that they shouldn't because it is a prohibited practice. and if it becomes a prohibited practice, my understanding, is that that could lead to, um, HR investigations, if seclusion does still happen and potential adverse employment action to staff, Those are my concerns. Those are the reasons why I do not support re categorizing seclusion as a prohibited practice at this time. Thank you for your, um, thoughts, uh, chair. Uh, Vice chair
Donnie Hugh. So we were talking about training of staff and we're talking about seclusion. Seclusion is a very, uh, little uh, very specific definition. Um, I think that there were other there. There were other things that we were putting in there, um, as well like physical restraints. Physical restraint, shall be a discontinued as soon as Inman risk of serious physical harm or injury to sell for others, presented by the emergency situation had dissipated. There's some other, uh, items in
there. Talking about augmentative communication as well and sign language during restraint. Um so it's not just Uh, getting rid of seclusion. Uh, I think that The interesting part about seclusion. Is that there is on 8, vac 275050 seclusion, standards for use it, it talks about a specific room designated by the school to be used by for seclusion. My understanding is
that here in lcps, we do not have seclusion rooms. Is that correct? Yes, chair, Mansfield. That is correct lcps. Does not designate specific rooms for the use of seclusion. Seclusion can also be um, when you are at the door, but you put a mat in front of the door. Is that correct? yes, if there is a barrier between you and the person being held in that room contained in that room, then that would meet the definition of seclusion.
As far as notification and and Reporting we have to by law 8v 2756060. No matter what when any student has been physically restrained or secluded regardless of its in our in our policy we still have to put together an incident report. Is that correct Mr. Allen chair mansfeld, um, that is correct per 8, Vic 20750 D60, but I defer to um, Miss Richardson as well to confirm
Miss Richardson. Thank you, Mr. Allen and Mrs, Mansfield. Um, yes that is correct. We are uh required to report all instances of restraint and seclusion. so it doesn't, you know, we do have the opportunity, we do have the election, whether or not to Use seclusion or not use seclusion, same with restraint and then even if we do not use uh do not elect to have seclusion. Um, well, first of all, we don't have any
seclusion rooms so I don't know that it could really be seclusion. Um and then secondly, we have to notify and Report any way. um, according to code. my understanding was that during our committee, meetings that we were talking about training and that there was a a, um, fear or, for lack of a better word that we would not be able to train people if we did not have uh, seclusion, if
seclusion was a prohibited action and I don't know that, that is specifically. True. Because again, in code, we have to train people. Um, and then also, that was 1 of my amendments, was to make sure that everybody was trained. I my now my understanding is that perhaps Miss uh Lisa Boland. Miss Boland has some um, Thoughts about that. Thank you, chair Mansfield. Uh, I think the number 1
concern or thought is regarding the Conflict in those 2 items for staff members. Um, making them aware that they're being trained on the use of seclusion. But then, uh, identifying it as a prohibited action in policy that could potentially cause confusion on the staff member, especially in a moment when My guess is it's going to be a heightened moment where they
are uh responding and reacting in regards to the situation in front of them. And so they are not going to have the time to think through. I've been trained on this but it's a prohibited action. Uh, those those 2 seem to conflict with 1 another, uh, additionally, it, it is concerning as Miss Donna, Hugh stated. Because if they do, then use seclusion as a way to respond in 1 of these situations based on the fact that Is prohibited by by policy HRT. Would be required to take
some form of action. Uh, in regards to a, a violation of policy. That was going to be my Amendment. Yes, Dr. Deans I have more to say but yes Dr. Dean you can go ahead and speak. My concern is with Miss, uh, Donna Hugh in terms of saying it is prohibitive. Um, and also, as I read in the policy, it says that it cannot be put in an IEP even if that
inclusion of that information would be from the parent um having worked in a mental hospital for adolescence, having worked in a residential facility for adolescence. Um, there are students who have uh, shown in their history of being runners. and there are times that to prevent a runner from Leaving the facility and or leaving the campus that.
Restraint is 1 of the options. and the parent actually has written that within uh, the admission papers to the staff and and and I know we are public school but we received some of those same students from those, um, Facilities back into our public school and if you have a runner and you know, that that child is going, may run uh,
and run into a a an area that is that is dangerous. Then it can't be prohibitive to restrain the child. It can be recommended but not prohibitive. so I think that I think that making seclusion and restraint prohibitive, Would as Mrs. Um, um, Bolan said, put Employees in dire straight situations in their efforts to
protect a child's safety. Dr. Deans it's only for seclusion, not restraint. It was only prohibiting. Seclusion, not restraint when a principal and an assistant principal are investigating something in a school. A child is set in the office and kept separated from the other child. To get the facts of the matter that is seclusion, he is not allowed to leave the principal's office or the Dean's office in that investigative process. Again, it is same
thing, seclusion, um, yes, ma'am, but at the same time, according to code, that is not seclusion By definition by definition in code, it is not seclusion. I think that you're putting your employees in a predicament that they will not be able to Get out of. um, Does anybody else have any other questions? Yes. Dr. Rashid there was a picture. Um, I don't know. That was publicized taken by another picture by another student. So by accident
of a child, um, in seclusion is that current practice at lcps. does anybody remember the name of that famous picture, that's, that's her, uh, that hates her forget that name, because that picture really resonated, is that current practice, according to the definition, Of seclusion with lcps. Is that, is that how it is? Is that I think all that. Mr. Richardson answer that? Thank you, Dr. Rasheed for your question. Um, know what you
saw in that picture was not and is not, it is not our current practice in lcps. As you have heard, some of our public commenters say um that terrible incident led to um changes across the state of Virginia, with restraint and seclusion in schools, our practices now are um certainly more student centered and only used as a last resort. Okay, thank you. Oh yes. Miss libel.
I would like to read. What is at the beginning of page? Uh, policy 5345. Maintaining a safe and productive. Environment for student learning is a high priority of Laden County public schools for both students and staff. a multi-tiered approach systemic, uh, multi-tiered, systemic approach to include positive behavioral interventions and supports or PBIS, shall be used to address the needs of
students with behavioral behavioral challenges physical restraint and seclusion safety. Procedures shall only be used consistent with this policy and Associated regulation lcps recognizes restrictive. Emergency Pro procedures are used as a last resort. The intent of this policy is to ensure that every effort is taken to
eliminate the use of restraint and seclusion, which shall be permissible only as a last resort, after consideration of every other available, alternative course of action. Now, having said that at the very beginning, our goal is to eliminate both seclusion and restraint um, we in our budget, the other night, put in for more uh behavioral specialists to work with teachers. If there
needs to be um restraint we also have uh besides our staff staff, having been trained in the use of restraint We also have sro's in the building if they're large. Um, Students and I have wrestled with a few of those. I have been 52 years working in education and I've only had to use restraint 4 times and never had to seclude a child. So if
we really mean to remove restraint and seclusion, we need to get on with it. We have the training, we have staff. additional staff that we've put into place and we know what positive behavioral interventions are PBIS and we just Seclusion is like putting somebody in solitary confinement. Aren't we beyond that? Think about this. It's not helping the child, it's causing more anxiety, more
stress. And that's part of the reason that that child may not be able to deal with the situation in the classroom, but Putting him in a solitary confinement. Situation is not the answer, I'm sorry. Thank you Mr. Bell, I have to say I've worked inpatient as well as well as um uh non-public schools. What they were used to be called in California uh with uh dual diagnosis. Kids. I've done seclusion. I've done restraint. Um,
1 and and it it traumatized well as the kid. Um, and I can tell you that even in a seclusion room if you, when you shut the door and you still looking It's harder to get to the kid when they go and they bang their head on the door and have a bloody nose. And they harm themselves. So um it's it's it's harder to go back in there. It's this is not an easy um, thing to think about
uh, and I don't know that we have any evidence about um, Increased harm to staff on on uh in Maryland, when they took it away from all all schools. Um, so anyway, I believe over the point. Any other questions? Yes, Miss Donahue. Thank you, madam chair. I would like to ask, Dr. Spence or Miss Richardson. If they have an opinion.
I think, um, generally speaking and, and I think uh, Mr. Richardson would agree with me on this. We view seclusion as an absolute measure of Last Resort. Um, I think the numbers in lcps, the reported numbers to the state of seclusion would support that view and I think we share similar concerns that have been expressed tonight. About, um, how our staff. Would be trained and then would handle situations uh, that
arise in the moment that in the past have. in those very rare instances, um, Led to seclusion for the safety of staff and or the students in the, in that situation. I don't know. Miss Richardson if you want to add anything to that. Thank you, Dr. Spence. I absolutely agree with you. I do believe that our numbers in lcps, certainly reflect that it is the absolute. The absolute Last Resort. When students are in crisis, we make sure that we exhaust all lesser
interventions to return students, back to Baseline, so that they can re-engage within structure. I hear that people say that restraint and seclusion is intended to limit energy injury and danger to the student and teacher, I just don't see the data that supports that. Um, in fact, I see the opposite when we're given new tools and we're giving the tools like ukeru and mant training. so, um, We can move on if anybody else has any questions.
Miss sure enough. Thank you, madam chair. Um, I too, have spent probably more time, engaging different folks on this policy than anything, so far in the last year and a half. Um, it's a sensitive issue. Its Serious. It's obviously emotional. Um and so and I think listening back there was definitely those sentiments brought through
Um I also share concerns about staff uh and really, what I think has been highlighted for me most in this process is that we have as we always do but especially in these areas and I think there were strides with the behavior Specialists and the different alternative centers in the budget and, and different strides that are happening. We have some tightening up to do we especially maybe on the professional learning side and the training side of all of
this. I I get concerned that maybe someone wants to that may be feeling like we're moving that from our policy and prohibiting. It would set a chain reaction in motion for more supports to go in place and that makes me wonder that shouldn't we have those supports in place? So that's kind of where my thinking is on that end. Um, and then I suppose, if if seclusion is removed and is a prohibited practice
What would or is there any way to have in a regulation or in policy, God forbid a teacher or someone else? Another student get hurt that then seclusion was felt that it was needed, that there would be a review process in place or a protocol for educators to be able to unpack. All of what has happened and why? Um, this is just not as black and
white as sometimes policy wants it to be. And so that is my question and then I do have 1 further question on your Amendment, about training, chair Mansfield. But if you looked like you wanted to respond to that first part. Well, I'll let Miss uh, Richardson respond but but there is A report. That is by code that has specific language. Um, talking about why you did it, who did it, their training, all the rest of that, um, as well, as debriefing
afterwards and things, but Mr. Richardson, can you speak to that? I guess, just to clarify. Would that report be received looked at or received differently if we make it a prohibited practice for the educator piece? Miss Richardson. Thank you. Mrs. Chernoff for that question. Um, uh, chair Mansfield is correct. We do by code as a School Division already half practices in place which require us to document all of the incidences we document. Who is involved
the time frame in which the incident is taking place and then we go through a d briefing. So we debrief on the implementation of mant. And oo and oo and if there was an instance of s occlusion, then we discuss all of the factors around that situation, we talk about it as a team. We also make sure that members of our unified mental health Team are there for staff members as well as the student following an incident. Um, and the same protocol is follow
Followed for restraint. Um, would it cause us to look at those things differently? I think we would have the same lens. We're still looking for, um, the antecedents that lead to crisis behaviors in some of our students. How, how might we, as the Educators make adjustments to our instruction to our physical environment, from the layout of the classroom, to the flow of the students that are in the space, may be a reduced number of transitions. So we're
always using that opportunity to reflect on our practices and our interventions. Um, might it have a different layer and might we need to, um, add some additional questions. Um, should seclusion become a prohibited practice and it is implemented so that we are able to then provide human resources and talent development. The correct in the correct information that is quite possible. Um, and that is something that we would certainly need to
consider depending on the action of the board. Thank you. I have taught with students that had significant behaviors and where rooms were evacuated to keep the rest of the kids safe and there. There were plans in place and all of that and I can tell you the last thing you're thinking about in those situations is what did the policy say what's going to happen to me, right? If I violate this policy, it it happens quickly. And as Miss Bolan said, it's heightened
and so, I'm just trying to think through if there's some if we are going to head in that direction if there is some provision that would need to be put in place to put to make sure that that report includes those things. So maybe further discussion with you and and even miss Boland might be appropriate in the next couple of weeks. Should we feel that that could be a provision? That could help support? Make sure that teachers don't feel like if they violated policy to keep themselves or others safe that they, that
there would be a chance to express that. Should I ask my question about your Amendment? So, my question, did you say are you sticking with the amendment that's online for the training? So would that be would you see that training as separate like a separate seclusion and restraint training or could that piece be tucked in? I know you and I offline talked about really understanding what that definition is and you need to understand what it is if you're not, if you're
going to be prohibited from doing it, um, for sure, so I guess just a little bit more clearity about how you would see that operationalized, um, in terms of, What? Miss Bolan said also about training on something that's prohibited, how could we Help make that more efficient for our teachers. Um, And to ensure that the best outcome is there, I guess as my question. So first to your training, in a heightened moment, that's what training is for and practice.
Um, And and giving them more tools, as far as proactive, positive Behavioral. um, but my, um, So it would be while the use of seclusion is prohibited practice. Under this policy staff will receive training on the definition. Yousef and procedures for the appropriate use of seclusion outlined in the accompanying, regulation to this policy and the current regulation does have um, If if you look at it, it does have some criteria there
under seclusion. So I also look at it as okay, so we train people we in people's education, they look at 3 queuing to make to do the literacy. But that's a kind of a prohibited practice nowadays, but you got to know what it isn't. What it is in order for you to stay away from it as well. And what are the positive techniques in order to not have to use the 3? It's a
yes, Dr. Deans A question I guess for Mrs. Richardson, um, is homebound considered Seclusion, when the student can no longer be served in the public classroom and has to go on homebound. Thank you for your question, Dr. Dean's know. Um, Homebound and please do keep in mind. We have homebound in instruction, which is, um, more medically based. And then we have homebased in instruction which is either an
administrative and an ad, administrative determination or an IEP team or Section 504. Team has made that D that D termination because the student is in their home and always under the supervision of an adult and either, um, a staff member from lcps is coming into the home or working with the student virtually that does not meet the legal definition of seclusion. But during homebound, there are days that the the parent
may say this is just not a good day, you're not safe to be here. So come back tomorrow. So it it is a, a type of separation. Um, in addition to the instruction and then instruction may not have take precedence because of the child's behavior for that day as determined by the parent. I just wanted to to to, to just put Some exceptions. So that the word prohibitive.
Would would would would would, would would be considered. Thank you, Dr. NES, any other questions? Yes, chair, Vice chair. John you. Thank you, madam chair. I was hoping to ask Miss Richardson, if she could share with us. Uh the most 2 or 3 years, most recent statistics on use of seclusion and lcps. Sure. Thank you for the question. Vice chair. Donna Hugh. For and please do note, um, School Board. You we do have a
formal report forthcoming on restraint and seclusion, which is our annual reporting to you all that comes up next month. Um, which is more comprehensive and includes data on our students and private day and residential facilities. For the 2324 school year, there were 4 total instances of seclusion. 3 of those instances belong to 1 student. For the 2223 school year.
There was a total of 3 instances of seclusion. For the 20. 122 school year, there were 5 instances of seclusion with 3 instances belonging to 1 student. For the 2122, you said. Yes, that is correct. The information that I got from you before, there was
nothing on 2122 because I have the paper here. Is that from our presentation from last year? Mrs. Mansfield it was when we were having a discussion. Well I I'm certainly happy to send the board the data that I'm looking at right right now. Okay, for 2122 Any other questions? Yes Mr. Bell I noticed that we have 1 student that that had 3 instances
uh in 2 years, it's probably not the same student, but 1 of the things that we should consider, if we have a child that repeatedly. Needs. Um, sorry. Seclusion. that perhaps we need to look at whether a public school is the proper placement form and I'm sure that that is done in the discussion after when, when you are debriefing, the situation. Also, I'd like to point out that if you're going
to seclude someone, you're going to need to get them to the place where they're secluded or to be secluded that might involve restraint. At that point, you should have, um, the sro's there, the behavior specialist there, all of those people, making sure that everything goes properly. uh, so looking at the, um, Intent of of the emergency having to seclude a child. You
will have witnesses, you will have all sorts of people to support the staff member that is making that decision. So I think you need to Again, remember that. 3 instances. Is. Something that needs to be looked at but the rest of the numbers that we have are so low as as to be almost non-existent. Obviously they were non-existent during coid and that kind of covers what. Dr. Deans was trying to point out with
children having a bad day. It could also account when you have the students coming back into a public school and not being able to cope with being with a large group. So, that is another thing that might come up when you're having your your, um, debriefing Any other discussion? Yes, chair, Vice chair, John Q. Thank you, madam chair. I was, I would like to ask Miss Richardson to respond to miss Le Bell's point about 3 instances with 1 student and what that means is as far as
whether that's student, should continue in public school or not. Thank you, Vice chair, Donna here for that question. Um, those are standard questions that we ask. um certainly um during the D, the D briefing time, um, if a a student is already eligible under the Ida for special education, that could be something that a team is already contemplating whether or not. Um, the public, um, School setting continues to be the students least restrictive in
environment. please also note that when we are looking at private day, placements, For students with disabilities. And we are fortunate in lcps to have very few placements, because we do have, um, a nice rep. Uh, replication of the Continuum of special education services within our School Division. Um, we are sort of at the mercy of those private entities, looking over the admission packets, and of course they are getting requests from the um, School divisions across Region 4, um,
some of whom are not as robust in their Staffing and resources as as lcps. And so sometimes we do have to be creative and provide additional supports to maintain school-based placements while we are working with families to secure private day placements but certainly that can be a consideration for students along the continuum Thank you Mr. Richardson, any other questions? Seeing. Yes, Mr. Bell
Thank you, madam chair. Just 1 more brief. Reminder. We were talking in our last little conversation, I'm supposing mostly about special ed students because we were referencing IEPs, and, and that kind of placement. We also have, um, our our, uh, General ed students. Some Times have meltdowns motions, Etc. And we do have other options. We have virtual distance
learning, we have our alternative programs, and if it's, it's just a really bad thing. I hate to say it. There's also the option of expulsion but That's very rare as well. So when we're looking at seclusion, there are so many other options. It's, it's It shouldn't even come up. It just the last resort as we say we recognize that sometimes it's an emergency and but it should be a last
resort so I don't think that it really needs to be there. Are there any other? Yes, Mr. Stray Thank you, madam chair. Um, and hearing all of the the back and forth and all the information presented and the various viewpoints, I think, you know, both Both sides are both arguments have been really well. Articulated and this is a, this is a really difficult topic altogether. Um, the only thing that I keep thinking about amongst all of the information that was presented and all
the viewpoints is that when you look at restraint, you have lots of tools for restraint at your disposal. Um, and you have you, you can consider whether the student is in, uh, a special education student. You can consider, Um, so many different ways to, uh, make that restraint least restrictive as possible. You can use communication throughout the process. There are, um, techniques that you can use within um, restraint to deescalate.
Um but the issue I have with seclusion is you don't have that, it is obviously it is a last resort but it is a practice with which we know is just to Um at in in its final final moments, the purpose is to remove harm either from that student or from others. Um, but you don't Have. And this is an assumption that I have. Maybe you can clarify Miss Richardson. What What is the Spectrum? Um, of practices within seclusion
that you could utilize how do you restrict seclusion? Um and what what are the decisions that um an educator can make when utilizing seclusion maybe? Um you can elaborate a little bit on that. Um, I'm just trying to compare the 2 And whether we we can just remove this practice all together. Um, and just rely on the other practices to include restraint, um, as a last resort and just remove seclusion altogether. What would be some of the arguments around? Um, some of the points that I just made,
Thank you, Mr. Is Jeffrey for those questions. Um, I will tell you, as a practitioner of 28 years, having been a um, teacher of students with emotional disabilities. That's what the state of Florida referred to them as I spent 2 years of my teaching career with a padded room inside of my classroom. And so what are some of the things that you think about in the moment? Certainly it is knowing the student it is. Um, knowing what their anec typically are that lets, you know,
whether you can verbally continue to engage with the student that lets, you know, sort of the timing in which you can enter their space, that lets you know, whether or not you can offer some of their preferred items. That lets you know, whether maybe it is just they need their preferred snack or a Break. Um, these decisions that we are making as Educators. When students go into crisis, you're making split-second decisions and it does require knowing
the student and these practices are implemented with a team because no 1 person. Should bear this responsibility when someone goes into a crisis within our school setting and so that team model affords, you the opportunity in real time to assess the situation and to make decisions. Truly in that moment. Um, that could best benefit the student, whether it is a seclusion situation or or a
restraint, I will tell you as a practitioner for 28 years, um, restraining students is much more. Um, Traumatic. Than affording, someone's space. Again, it is Will talking to someone heighten them will touching them heighten them, or will it calm them down? These are all the things that we have to know for some of our students we have that data right? Because some because some of them have very prescriptive plans
For others. We don't because again this policy is applicable to all 82,000 plus students. And so, um, we have to be to be prepared and our school based teams are prepared for any type of Crisis event. Thank you for sharing those thoughts. I think sometimes it also has to depend on the, on the, on the kid. Um, the student whether or not restraint is more certainly
physically. More harmful. But whether or not its Emotionally more harmful as well for seclusion. Any other questions? No. Thank you, Miss Richardson for coming. Oh Dr. Rasheed know Carrie. I was just thank you. Madam chair and Dr. Rasheed Yeah, for helping me get my words out here. Um, I was just thinking of your last statement about which is
more harmful for the student. They're both harmful if you're going to seclude, you have to restrain first, so that's 2 strikes, that you're making on that student's emotional state as opposed to just 1 and that's something you should consider. If you can do anything, uh, walk them up and down the hall, let him remove himself from the room with supervision. That is so much better than taking him and putting him in a
secluded place. You talk about him, harming others or the staff. He can also harm himself in that room and as as Mrs. Manfield has pointed out. He could be banging his head against the wall. He could be hanging banging his head against the window. If it's the classroom, he can be throwing furniture around if if you remove the class, as a s seclusion, uh, task um, solution. So the child can get
hurt in Seoul in. In seclusion. Yes, he can also get hurt during restraint, but chances are the people have been trained in how to restrain a person. Uh, the staff that will be there and you're not doing this alone. You just have to hang on momentarily and help will come because you will send somebody to get it. I know that thank you. Yes, Chardonnay Vice chair. Don Hugh.
Thank you, chair. Mansfield. I I don't think that my my understanding and I would like to ask Miss Richardson, if you can confirm is that it is not necessarily the case that an individual who is subject to seclusion in all circumstances is always going to be subject to restraint first. Because I I asked that question in our committee meeting. Do they always go together and I believe your answer was, no, they don't. That is correct. They they do not. You could find yourself in a situation where you can safely seclude a person and
never have to physically touch them. And sometimes just the act of being alone is calming It's important to know that in the instances that we have gone over that have met the threshold of seclusion. We have always had sight sound supervision and it has not always been a linear process of if restraint, does not come the student down, then you go to seclusion. Again, I go back to Split Second decisions knowing the student knowing the
setting knowing the other. Other students that are around knowing the next closest adult, being able to get to the radio or to the classroom phone to call the bit team. It those are multiple decisions that have to take place in a very short time frame for the safety of all involved. Thank you, Miss Richardson. I I would just like to point out, also, miss label's, example of a student who is in crisis and may end up throwing a chair across the room. Yes, that could happen. And if we are saying we're going to
ban seclusion and therefore, the staff cannot leave the room, cannot leave the student in that room. We're putting our staff in danger. We are taking away a tool. That is going to help. Keep them safe. In an emergency situation and could subject them to physical harm and adverse legal employment consequences and I'm not comfortable with doing that. Miss Donna Hugh. Should there be any furniture and a seclusion room? Madam chair. My understanding is we don't have any rooms that are designated as seclusion rooms, but if a
circumstance arises where a child or a student is in crisis and the rest of this class needs to be evacuated. There may have to be education where a We are a classroom is used Force, collusion purposes. Is that seclusion? I mean I am asking because according to code there should be a seclusion room with and there's different criteria. Definite criteria for the room, Mr. Allen Thank you, madam chair, and Miss Donna Hugh. If you just
give me a a moment, please, Uh, according to 8, vac 20-, 750 dash, 50 references. Um, any seclusion room or area? So theoretically um it it does out um seclusion area that's separate and apart from conceivably from a seclusion room and if I is there certain criteria there, Yes, Madam chair. Um, I'm happy to read this section, um,
for the board. Under 8 BAC 2075025050 seclusion standards for use. That's the title section. A school division's electing to use seclusion as permitted by this chapter. She'll meet the following structural and physical standards for rooms designated by the school to be used for seclusion. Subsection 1, any seclusion room or area shall be free of any objects or physical features that may cause injury to the student subsection 2? Any seclusion room or area shall
be of sufficient dimensions, and shall have sufficient, lighting heating, cooling and ventilation to comport, with the dignity and safety of the student subsection 3. Windows in the seclusion room, shall be constructed to minimize breakage and otherwise prevent the occupant from harming himself and subsection 4, all space in the seclusion room shall be visible through the door either directly or by mirrors. So Mr. Allen do you mean that if there is a chair in the room that that means it does not the practice does not
qualify as seclusion. Thank you, Miss Donna Hugh. So to the extent, the chair could be conceived as an object or physical feature. That may cause injury to the student arguably, it could be Okay. Dr. Rasheed and then I think we can discuss. It's almost it's 10 oclock. So if you could just remind me, um, how did this come out of the committee? It it passed, right? It passed with Miss LaBelle and Miss Mansfield in support of that this version, okay? And what
is the uh, procedure as to when it when it passes, and it comes up here to the, to the board. If you, if you can remind me, I'm not sure what happens. Then it's on for information tonight. Okay, let's move on. Um, thank you. time. Um, We'll move on to um the next item. 14.03 student behavior and accountability committee review policy. 8230 procedures
for disciplinary. appeals to the school board presented by Miss label chair of the espac committee Miss label. Forgot to turn that on again. Uh, Thank you, chair Mansfield. Uh, we went through the procedures. We went through the materials from cak and msac. We made changes. Um and 1 change. We we did not make that msac asked for
because it had to do with time and constraints and I see that Mrs. Scan's here if you would like to talk about this we didn't have a whole lot of uh, comment. Back from people. Yes, thank you. Good evening. I would be happy to um, There you will see on the red line document that there is a lot of red. So there was an appearance um that there were a number of changes. I will state that the vast majority of
the changes were made to provide Clarity context and more precise alignment with the code of Virginia. Some of the changes that were made. In the revised policy or at least recommended are as follows. Um, the revised policy does name the aspect committee as the 3 member committee, which will consider student disciplinary appeals, which is in accordance with policy 2310 Committees of the school board.
Um in order to align with the code, we also made clear in this policy that a family or a student can appeal a reassignment decision or an exclusion decision to the school board that is provided in code, but had not been previously included in our policy. We also added to the policy, a parents ability, or a student's ability to appeal a reassignment to a different
comprehensive School. While that type of appeal is not required by code, we do wish to recognize the seriousness of that sanction and believe that it would be appropriate to allow for an appeal. um, we we provided that I am the director of the office of school administration. The current policy does state that I would be present during espac deliberations. The recommended revision to the policy is that I would not be
present during espac deliberations, um, simply because I think that could create an appearance of impropriety as I do, sit on the side of the administration during hearings And then finally, um, we made the change that in the event of a non-unanimous, aspect decision. an appeal to the full board would typically occur on the written record rather than in a hearing unless the school board chair, decides that a hearing should be held
Thank you, Mrs. Scanlin I I think that it is very clear now. Um, Or should be hopefully that was our intent. Uh, And I'm open to anybody who wants to ask questions. Before we ask questions really quick, um, we have to per our policy. Take a temperature. Check if we want to end now and or if we want to continue So, thumbs up to continue.
Or thumbs down. Thumbs up to continue the board meeting. Yeah, the whole board meeting. It's 10:00. We're going to continue on. Does anybody have any questions? Vice chair, Donahue Thank you, madam chair. Uh, I I had some. Big picture thoughts that I would. Appreciate input from our colleagues. Um, because I was curious why this policy has um has this the student
discipline appeals being heard only by espac and I understand it is the the well do answer is because that's what it says in policy 2310. but I was trying to ascertain if there's a particular reason why the appeals are assigned to be heard only by esbach in policy 2310 in comparison to 2350 which provides for the administrative appeals to go before the standing committee or select appeals committee or whatever it is that we rotate through to hear vhsl appeals and special
permission appeals. Um and I, I can Envision that there might be compelling reasons why it would be better to keep the student discipline appeals only with espac. Um, you know, but I also thought That is to be someone of a surface, inconsistency. I wonder why we're doing them differently. And I also uh I know Miss Miss label has made efforts to incorporate other board members into being able to sit on a back appeal panels when
um when possible. Um but it it also struck me as a a somewhat um disbalancer. Um and and also an important aspect of The student community that most of us don't have much access. To what's going on. And so for, for those reasons, I wondered if, uh, if my colleagues had any interest in, considering potentially making some sort of change to the
way that the appeals are heard, Yes, Mr. Bell I was going to see if Miss scanlin has any idea why espac always has the same 3 people for all the Appeals? Thank you for the question. I, I really do not have insight into that, um, as I've been in my position now for approximately 14 months. So, I just don't have the institutional history to be able to explain why that
decision was made. I think we would have to bring it back to for another we would have to do that other policy, not this 1. The committee policy? Yeah, we'd have to admit that. So does anybody have any questions and and you know that's what would that be LNP? Yeah, I think LNP. Okay. Um, so there's chair here from LNP and so maybe she can take a
temperature check of that some time. Um I have the same issue with this policy and I'm hoping um to work with you on revisions. Uh the second paragraph on the clean copy um is similar to the other policy. Oh I'm sorry. You know what? I'm in the wrong policy I guess I'm getting tired. Sorry. I think we're all getting tired, Mrs. Griffith. Okay, so is there any other? Any other questions for this policy? No. Okay. Um, do we want a thumbs up to place us on consent
action for the February 25th school board meeting? And that is not. Okay, if you don't want it. Okay, that's unanimous. It'll go to the um consent action item for the February 25th, school board meeting, okay, Miss label 14.04. I review policy 8235 weapons presented by um, Miss label, chair of s back. thank you, madam chair, the committee uh reviewed the
weapons policy, the biggest change that I can tell you about, is that prior to us reviewing this, there were only 2 classes of weapons, A and B. We now have 4, which, um, Clarifies. What weapons are really the dangerous weapons? Some are are required to be reported by policy, uh, state law. And some of the others are just kind of Things that might be used as weapons but are technically not
not weapons. Like, oh, if you're working with a bottle and and then you turn around and hit somebody over the head with, it is bottle of weapon. I mean, that's what we were clarifying, things like that. And then you have things, like toys that are considered weapons. So I, I think that mostly this policy was to clarify and give an opportunity for administrators on the uh, CND policy to have a little bit more leniency rather than to have to treat everything
as an A or B level weapon. Do you have anything to add Miss scanlin? I think that was a very good summary uh thank you for that I guess I would add just a couple of things um for the board's knowledge. First of all, in revising, this policy we did keep safety um, Forefront in in our minds in the revisions. the weapons categories A and B, Each of which are statutory
Weapons, Under the code of Virginia, continue to require, uh, 10 days suspension and a referral to the office of school administration. There is no change there, um, again, with safety in mind, um, we did allow Flexibility with what we're calling our category C and D weapons. Um, however, even with those weapons, a principle always would have the discretion to suspend for up to 10 days and refer to the office of school administration.
So really, the only weapon as defined in the current policy that would no longer result or could no longer result in a referral to the office of school administration is a toy. This policy does recognize that toys are not weapons. Um with 2 important exceptions, 1 is a toy that would be classified as a look alike weapon. A toy that has the
appearance to a reasonable person of an actual weapon under this policy. A toy that looks like a weapon is a category C weapon. The other exception for toys would be a spring-loaded or battery powered shooting device, you might be familiar with with Orbeez. Um, Orbeez are exactly that they're sold in the toy department but sometimes they find their way into our middle schools. Um,
and while they are toys, um, if they are used to threaten intimidate injure or harm, another person, a an item like that would be a category D weapon. Finally, I would share with the board that this was a very collaborative process. Um, before undertaking the revisions, we surveyed all of principles we invited 15 principles, 3, or excuse me. 5 from each of the 3 levels to participate in a focus group
to look at recommended revisions and make, um, changes or edits to that. Of course, we sought feedback from our colleagues in, um, the department of school leadership. I sought feedback from uh, Mr. John Clark in, uh, Safety and Security to make sure that their views were considered as well. Thank you. Thank you, Miss scanlin. Any other questions on this policy? Uh, board members. Would you? Oh, did you have a question?
Yes, Mr. Chernobyl. Sorry. Um late, uh, I just wanted to let the board know that there was 1 section of the policy that just sort of gave me a little bit of pause and it was Section 1. 19 lines 193 to 200 in the red line version that's on board docs uh when it talks about category a weapons. So those are your guns and your bombs and your, I think pneumatic weapons and are anything are Sorry, I'm really tired. Um yeah that um so it talks about
about special circumstances here. So in with the discipline, you're given a 10-day suspension and then, um, you know, decided whether or not you would have expulsion and that would usually be knowledge of the school board, but the special circumstances, it says, Osa May determine based on the facts of a particular case at special circumstances exist and no disciplinary action um or any or another disciplinary action or another term of expulsion is appropriate that they can make that determination my
concern with that and and I'm I'm thankful to Mr. Allen and Miss Galan and Miss Mitchell who jumped on a call with me to kind of talk about this process. Those are likely to never, we're never informed of those as a school board. Um, and so I have a little bit of pause with that. It's not that I'm questioning that what the decision was or that there's that, I don't trust that that wasn't based on fact, Of the particular case and that special circumstances were granted. But I think that these weapons are serious enough that I would like at least to know about that. And in the
code, it does say that the school board may be informed, or may find know about it. Um, but I will likely be bringing an amendment that will, um, require that we be informed of that. And so I'm working on language with uh, Mr. Allen and the team. Team to kind of um, make sure that there's a distinction that we're not questioning the decision, or that the school board is not deciding those special circumstances. It's still stays with Osa, but at the very least, I feel like in these circumstances with the severity of these weapons, we should at least know that that was decided. So just putting
that on your radar. I'll have it on board docs with the next agenda. Thank you. Miss chernoff. Any other questions? No. Okay, so that is The answer to my next question which this will not be going. This will be going to action on uh February 25th, not consent, okay. Next we will move on to 14.05 Department of academics access Academy, final operational agreement presented by Dr. Alice And chief academic officer and Mr. Allen, our division
Council Thank you, madam chair. This evening, we are sharing with you. The final organizational agreement between George Mason University, Loudoun County, Public Schools, and Northern Virginia Community College. I want to extend a huge thank you to division Council specifically Mr. Allen and Miss euwing for their efforts over the past several months. To get this agreement to this point. uh, because it has been so long, since many of you have, um, talked about access Academy, we wanted to provide a
brief overview, um, for you, as you review the agreement, um, before approving. So, um, access Academy or accelerated college and employability Skills Academy is a VOE approved, College partnership, lab school in partnership with George Mason, and Northern Virginia Community College. The access Academy application submitted to vdoe specifically states that a lab school on supporting the transition of at risk Learners into college and hydro man careers in the field of Information Technology.
An announcement um, as announced back in August at our special programs and centers committee meeting Potomac Falls will be our host site, um, for the Loudoun County location, um, The Academy will be open to all students in Virginia and students will be selected through a lottery. So I want to clarify quickly that the lab school is intended to be accessible for at risk students, but is required by the Commonwealth to be open to all students. The access team plans to address this, through an open Lottery, process and targeted Outreach and recruitment to
students such as students attending our campus program and abbid. The program is designed for students pursuing a standard diploma. The program is on track to begin in the in August of 2025 enrolling 30 students per grade level from grades 9 through This slide shows a road map of where we've been on this journey back. Beginning, back in March of 2024. When lcps was first first approached by George Mason VOE approved. The access Academy in April of 2024 and we began planning
in Earnest with their team. Uh, We've presented to the special programs and centers committee throughout this process. But as I mentioned, it has been a couple months, we are excited to have the operational agreement for you this evening. Um, this slide shows just a couple of celebrations and program accomplishments we've been working on, um, in addition to, um, creating the operational agreement. They um, we have been having weekly planning meetings, we have visited the fuse Center that's coming along quite nicely
and is almost ready to receive students. Um, we have a um access director and access coordinator. And the planning has been ongoing. This next slide is the proposed admissions timeline. This timeline for this current year, for August of 25 is, um, not the typical timeline once we, once we complete this first round of admissions, we will then, um, get on track and align this timeline with all of our other special
program admissions, uh, timelines. So it won't be, it won't be separate in the future. Um, but because of the development of the operational agreement, we, we are delayed a little bit in our Outreach efforts so those efforts will begin in Earnest. Um, after the agreement is signed So very quickly. Next steps are as follows. Um first each organization lcps, Mason and Nova are working to obtain signatures from their leaders, and we plan to bring this back to you for potential action on February 25th.
The team will begin Outreach and recruitment efforts immediately and initiate the admissions Lottery process. And we will also continue to finalize all of the logistics for the program. Um and provide updates through the special programs and centers committee and I'll ask Mr. Allen, if he wants to speak specifically to the agreement or just it back to you for questions. Thank you, Dr. Alice I'll be brief uh our legal team and specifically assistant division Council, Janice Ewing spearheaded Drafting and negotiating.
The operating operational agreement for the access Academy with legal counsel of George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College, to ensure defined roles and responsibilities. And to ensure the interests of the school board, our safeguarded, the finalized, operational agreement, and its relevant, governing documents attached as exhibits consists of over 120 Pages, they're posted to board docks for your review. Happy to entertain any questions. Mr. Mr. Esty
thank you very much for the information. I'm also super excited that we'll have students at the fuse Center I think that's going to be incredible. Um just a quick question on the admissions. It's um, so you mentioned that we Um, that it's eligible for all students. But this program is specifically for at risk students, could you clarify that Mr. Strefy for that question. Um, so originally in the application George Mason was, um, intending to Target at
risk students, um, the Virginia Board of Education, um, indicated in the lab school applications that universities with, um, K12 Partners were completing that enrollment must be open to all students in the Commonwealth and programs could be tailored to meet the needs of particular students or particular Community. Um but again it's open to all students. So rather than um so we are having an open life.
Battery process rather than having specific criteria for a lottery that would limit the lottery to certain applicants, applicants, we will, um, make sure we are, uh, using Recruitment and Outreach strategies to Target students. That would typically be under represented in special programs such as TJ and the academies and things like that. but this election process would not, um, would not focus on at risk. Students correct? When did we find out about that? Um, because I don't remember that coming out in committee or, um, it's been. It's been an
Outcome of ongoing conversations that George Mason has has been having over the past several months, okay? Because it, it changes really the the, the nature of The the program. I mean, like what made this? I can only speak for myself. What made this exciting for me? Is that We were targeting at risk. Students for these types of opportunities where The opportunity itself. Um, Uh, giving them access to these opportunities that they might not have have had access to. So that that's kind of. I'm sorry that I'm just
Recognizing this. Now I wish I would have caught it sooner before the meeting, I would have asked you about it. Yes, no, I appreciate that. I, I will also add that our colleagues at Mason have, um, assured their board. They, they have put together an Advisory Board and are required by, um, by the lab school application to have an Advisory Board. They are still continuing to focus on employee. Liability skills. Um, They are focusing on providing financial support So
students will earn many dual enrollment credits in this process. Um they are providing career counseling support and networking really supporting that transition to higher ed or employment. So students will have the option. So the focus has remained the same. Um, but they are required to have a lottery open to all students. I will also add that the program um leads to a standard diploma, which is a significant difference. Um, Compared to other special programs. Um, so I think that
will help as well. Yeah, I believe it is an amazing program. It's a wonderful opportunity and I, uh, I, I do remember that. Um, the program is open to students outside of lcps, obviously, is there, um, is there um, do we know how many lcps students this would be open to or is this um, opportunity coordinated by GMU and lcps, but it's completely open. We don't control the numbers or anything. It's just um, we are facilitating this program.
For the state almost, thank you for that question. Uh, so the in writing it is open to everybody in the Commonwealth. Commonwealth. They would apply through the lottery process. They would then become lcps. Students, they would become Potomic fall students and graduate from Potomac Falls High School and the access Academy. Um, It is likely that most of the students will be loun County Public Schools students because of the location. Uh, so we
have not we have not designated a certain number of seats again. Um, based on guidance from Boe, um we are required to keep it open to any student in the Commonwealth. Okay? but I'm confident that the majority of students will come from lcps understood and then the transportation is specifically for lcps, students, Thank you. Dr. Deans so, if all students can apply What about transportation? What about? Living arrangements. Would they live on jmu's campus?
No, thank you for that question. Transportation will be provided by lcps um students outside of lcps will pay tuition or the actually the um, the School Division from where those students come from similar to our partnership with, um, Fairfax County for TJ, um, lcps pays the cost of tuition for lcps. Students to attend TJ, it would be very similar. It is a traditional High School Day program. So, students will attend, um, PTO
Falls, High School, in 9th and 10th grade 5 days a week, and then students will attend school on a normal school day. Um, actually, it's adjusted so that students can come back to pick Falls to participate in after-school activities, but they will participate in 11th and 12th grade at the fuse Center at the Mason fuse Center 5 days a week. And we will provide transportation to the few Center. All all through for clarity. It is not an expectation that we provide transportation for students to reside out of
District. Yes, thank you. For the 10th and 11th graders. Um, I'm sorry for the 10 11th and 12th graders. What prerequisites? Are are in place for them to go into the academy? If they haven't gone through the first year of of access of the access Academy, Thank you for that question Dr. Dean so the prerequisites include a um a a conversation with a school counselor, to
make sure that the students can participate and meet all of their graduation requirements for a standard diploma. And there is a summer bridge program that will happen. Um, for students participating in the 11th and 12th grade. Thank you. Mrs. Griffith. Thank you, madam chair. I guess I'm not quite understanding if it's a lottery. Um, you can still get rejected, I mean, you can get chosen, but then you're going to look at their academic record and if they're not, uh, if they don't meet
the um, what was it? The, um, They have an issue or they're something with their being a learner. I'm sorry, it's not in front of me at the moment but, um, um, at risk learner. Sorry. So basically, um, there's a lot lottery and then you somebody wins the lottery and you're going to analyze them to see if they're at risk. Is that how it works? It, it I'm kind of not following how this is going to work with a lottery system.
No, thank you. Thank you for that question. Sorry, if I, um, confused things, I'm also a little tired. Um, so the only we want to make sure That students are able to graduate from the program in in their 4 years of high school. And so if a student Is able to do that and is selected through the lottery. Then there are no, there are no other checks and balances it is a pure lottery. So we are not identifying students. As at risk, we just want to make sure that any student who
um, Participates in the lottery and um earns a seat through the lottery process meets graduation requirements. So, it's really not at risk, you correct? Okay. So I would remove that from this presentation. Understood and we were using language from the application that George Mason submitted to Boe. Mrs. Griffith, it kind of changed over time which is during the presentation. I don't know if you heard that. But what is the cost for this?
So, George Mason received funding through, vdoe for the lab school. Um, so we have paid for, um, a partial, um, FTE for a lcps coordinator to work directly with the access Academy staff. Um but else but lcps is not covering additional costs. Dr. Deans I'm sorry, I thought I was on, I'm sorry. Um, on slide
number 6, it says program, hiring JMU access directed lcps, access coordinator. where does Nova, um, fall in terms of the Um, administration of the academy. Virginia Community College will provide the credentialing for many of the dual enrollment courses that students take at the fuse Center in their 11th and 12th grade year, um, which is great. We are quite familiar with, and really
strong partners of Nova and their, um, and their dual enrollment courses. Any other questions? No. Okay. Um, board members. Can I get a thumbs up for this to be placed on consent? That's not unanimous. Okay. That's not, it's not a unanimous. Okay. Um, All right. We'll continue. Thank you very much, Mr. Allen and Dr. Alice Okay. Moving on.
To item 15 are closed. Meeting Vice chair. Donahue, do you have a motion? Yes, thank you, madam chair. I move that the Louden County School Board recess this public meeting, and enter into a closed meeting, pursuant to 2.237 of the code of Virginia, for the following discussion and consideration of the acquisition of real property for a public purpose or of the disposition of publicly held real property. Where discussion, in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public
body as authorized by Virginia code section 2.237 a sub 3 And consultation with legal counsel pertaining, to actual, or probable, litigation, where such consultation or briefing. In open meeting would adversely affect the negotiating, or litigating posture of the public body, as authorized by section 2.237 of the code of Virginia and consultation with legal counsel employed or retained by a public body regarding a specific legal matter related to a former public employee as authorized by section 2.237, a
sub 8 of the code of Virginia. Vice chair has made a motion. Do I have a second? I have it. Go ahead. I have a second by Mr. Stephy. It's been properly moved and seconded that the law and County School Board go into. I'd like to just see a discussion if I could If I, if there any discussion, thank you, chair Mansfield. Sorry about the interruption. I'd like to discuss, not to into closed session. And that's because, and I say this in all seriousness, that it's late and it's 10:35 and we're going close to 11:00. So I'd like to propose going with
this closed session at the next school board meeting if that's okay. And I'd like to verify that if I could do that with Mr. Allen. Thank you, Dr. Rasheed, uh, yes, that if that's the will of the board the board could vote to either postpone. Um, the closed. If, if it does um, let me consult maybe consult with Mr. Lewis just to see if there's any time sensitive matter. Yes, give me a minute please. Thank you. Thank you for bearing with us. Um, neither is relatively
times Sensitive, uh are crucial that it would have to go forward tonight. So it's well, the board if it wants to entertain Dr. Rashid's motion. Chair Mansfield. Board members. Is there any other discussion? Because we have a What you call that an amendment. To the motion. Uh, substitute motion substitute motion. I'd like to make a substitute motion to postpone the closed session for today. I'm sorry, emotion or motion.
Emotion sounds like a dance. Do it. All right. Do you have a second? Second. I have a second by Vice chair, Donnie Hugh. All right, we're voting to not go into closed session. It doesn't need to be. No. Mr. Allen that's correct for a motion to postpone, its majority. so, if you vote, Yes, then we do not go into closed.
No, if you really want closed, if you vote, no, we go into closed. So if you vote, Yes, you don't go into closed. Yes, thank you. Thank you. Clerk, please open the vote. For members, please record your vote. Clerk, please close and display the vote. That motion passes. We're going into close. I think right? No, we're not going any clothes, we're not
going to close. Okay. Thank you. Okay. So we're not going into closed and all of these. Go to its 54. With Miss Chandler. Miss Mansfield, Mr. Jeffrey. And Miss chernoff, in opposition. Um, okay, so then we will be skipping all the way up to and all of those issues will go on to the February 25th. School Board. Meeting. Or we get to come into a Saturday night.
All right, let's go on to 6, uh, item, 16, uh, board member comments and committee reports 3 minutes. Miss Bell. Dr. Rasheed No. Um, this month, the special programs in centers committee received an update in the Academy of global and Li linguistic studies proposal agls would be a new special program offered in lauding County with 2 tracks. The Global Leadership pathway would feature partial immersion in the Arabic language and the global business pathway would
feature partial Chinese immersion each of these career focused Pathways fit with loud and proximity to the government military and private sector hubs around Washington DC. Spcc will consider whether to bring this proposal before this full School Board in the coming weeks, stay tuned. Additionally, the committee indicated to staff that we support a special programs interest survey to go out later. This school year. It's been 3 years since the last survey and we believe that it's time to once again. Get perspectives and feedback about what lcps currently offers and could offer in the future. Thanks.
Thank you, Dr. Shed Miss shernoff. We had our curriculum and instruction meeting last Wednesday. We did discuss Lexia Core 5 in elementary school and its uses and Lexia power up. After extensive feedback was collected, lots of Q&A. If you're interested in either of those platforms, I would take a listen. And then we also talked about credit um, through testing for the state seal of bi literacy. Uh if you want to receive the seal and you are literate into languages, currently, we do all that
testing in house in lcps. So we're looking to adopt a testing platform to meet the demand, um, as well as expand the languages offered, which was totally fascinating and really cool. That's all I had. Thank you. Miss chernoff Mr. Sty Thank you, madam chair next week, the, uh, finance and operations committee will meet on Tuesday, February 18th at 4:30 p.m. We'll also have our performance monitoring committee on the same day, 6 p.m., um, and on Thursday, February 20th, we'll have the, uh, School business Partnerships council meeting, um, Thursday morning at 8
a.m. February 20th, so, no other updates. Vice chair, Donna Hugh. Thank you, madam chair, the loud and Education Foundation. had their, uh, fundraiser old docs, rocks for teachers, on February 1st, at the old docs, Brewery, to benefit, uh, some of Leafs initiatives. And they raised 18,000 dollars, which is more than twice, what they raised last year. It was their second year doing the event, so, uh, it was very Exciting to go. And, and uh, observe, it was a lot of fun.
Um, Miss Chandler was there, uh, and and a number of other, uh, luminaries, uh, from our local community. Um, so it was a great event. Uh, I was very excited to be part of it. Looking forward to next year, uh, and the student services committee. Next meeting will be, uh, a week from today on Thursday, February 20th, at 4:30. That is a time change from what was our normal meeting time last year for 30, not 5:30 and I have no idea what we're talking about. Hopefully, it will be slightly less weighty than restraint and seclusion or
special permission which has been dominating our, um, our meetings, the last few months. That's it for me. Thank you. I have nothing new to report Dr. Dean The equity committee was um able to bring in Dr. Robert Greene who worked at some point in his career with uh, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior and he and his family came to share their experiences with the equity committee. And Dr. Ellis also presented to the equity committee and
indicated that she can share more about the, the special programs at our next meeting. Thank you, Dr. Dean Miss Chandler. Thank you, madam chair. Um, This. The legislative season has been very exciting. Um and has offered many opportunities to visit Richmond. I think, I've been every week since the season, the session started. Um, that Trend will continue next week. Um, when we are going with some of our, um, School business partners, um, which
is very exciting opportunity for those Partners. Um, not only to meet our Aladdin delegation, but also, um, to meet with some members of, um, the governor's, uh, Administration. We are also looking forward to having our LMP meeting next week and, um, I will just say again, uh, to add to Miss Donna Hughes, um, the leaf uh event was wonderful. Just a, a fantastic experience. I'm so happy to hear that. It was a financial success and it was delightful
um to meet Dr. Green and hear his experience. Mrs. Griffith. Thank you. Madam chair. I'm just excited to report that I'll be attending light Ridge High School this weekend they're having having the loud and Symphony Youth Orchestra in concert at 2 pm on Saturday. So if you can make it, that would be great. Please support the Arts. Thanks. Thank you. Um okay. Uh, we'll move on to item 17, new business, any new business. Saying no more business. We will move on to item.
Yes. Yeah, Mrs Griffith. Thank you, madam chair. I have 2 items. Um, it has come to my attention and I'm sure the school board um, that agenda documents when agenda goes up onto uh for school board meetings or for any meetings documents tend to to get posted uh later than they should be and we need to get a head start on those documents. So per our Retreat um we hadn't, we had a a situation where the presentation was presented like an hour before. Um they
presented. So what I'm asking is, as far as new business is that um, we discuss, um, the agendas and make sure that this is not continuous that we can get a start a head. Start at school board members to take a look at documents with the agenda when they're posted. So, um, For a long time and I believe Wes had mentioned the policy for a long time. That's how it used to be. And now, all of a sudden, I noticed it'll be an hour 2 hours before presentation when there when documents are uploaded onto
the agendas. Also, I'd like to also get back to uh, 10 to 15 slides for presentations if we could do that as well. So, I'm certainly hoping we can discuss that because it would make it easier on us and we wouldn't be here. So late. So having the items ahead of time to give us a head start And then slides going back to 10 to 15 slides per presentation. That's number 1. Number 2 regarding um this is separate regarding the vsba ruling and executive orders.
I'm hoping that 8040 may be discussed. Uh Miss Donahue at your next student services meeting on January. Uh I'm sorry. February 20th at 4:30 here in the admin building. I think it's time that we bring it. Uh, we have a discussion and we eventually bring it onto the agenda. Um so thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Griffith yes. Drh just for a new business. I'd like to have a discussion. I think we already mentioned this in the retreat about um the sharing of districts. So that would be great to have that just as a discussion or an
information. I thank you. Discussion during an information item. A discussion. I'm not sure what it would be suitable for such a topic like that. Okay, I'll talk to Mr. Okay, thank you. Miss Sharon off, to you have new business. Uh, know, I just, I believe that at the LMP meeting, we are going to discuss a Communications, are our Communications policy with that sort of lens in mind. Um, discussing sort of the newsletters and we're going to have a sort of a conversation around jumping off what we talked about at our
Retreat. So maybe that might scratch the itch but we'll maybe see. So that's next week. Yes. So that is going to be a, a, a sidebar conversation. I believe as part of 1 of our agenda items for LMP. Miss Allen, I think there might be 2 separate issues, because, for example, uh, Dr. Rashid, I think she said had 44 Schools. Okay, that she represented versus algani and having 20, that's not something that we can tackle with our specific policy, um, because you do have overlap, um, at
certain schools, just based on how the districts are drawn. So I do think that probably be more of a A different topic. A board slash label question. Okay, any other new business? No. Okay. Seeing as there's no more business. The February 13th, 2025 Loudoun County. School board. Meeting is now adjourned. Please drive safely home.