2021 Budget Workshop, May 6, 2021
Join us for the VSBA’s Budget Training workshop to learn more about the importance of The Board’s Role in Developing the School Budget. In this virtual workshop, based on member requests, board members will learn their role in the budget process and how it relates to the…
Petition Signature Requirements During COVID-19 Pandemic
Item 86#1c– Lawmakers in the Virginia Genera Assembly gave final approval to budget language that creates uniformity in collecting petition signatures for state and local offices during a state of emergency as declared by the Governor due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During…
SpaceX internet partnership to extend to more counties after Wise Co. Schools families see success
A constellation of satellites in space is helping several families have reliable internet access for the first time in Wise County. News Channel 11 first reported in December 2020 that the Elon Musk-founded company SpaceX had partnered with Wise County leaders. Launching Starlink…
Above and beyond: Richmond Public Schools student graduating with 5.0 GPA, multiple associate degrees
Harold Aquino is not your average high school senior. The teen will soon graduate from George Wythe High School in Richmond at the top of his class. He has a 5.0 GPA and is set to receive multiple associate degrees. “This whole journey started off in my eighth-grade year,” Aquino…
Alexandria schools will not switch to three feet of distance inside classrooms
Alexandria City Public Schools will not immediately switch to three feet of separation inside classrooms, going against guidance from the federal government and the trend in Northern Virginia, where all other major school systems recently opted for that distance. Alexandria…
F.C. City Schools 1st to Fully Reopen in Northern Virginia
“They came on foot, by car, bike, scooter, and bus to fill classrooms for the first time this year. Tuesday, all enrolled Falls Church City Public School students went back to class, all together, at the same time, for the whole day!” The eloquent, poetic words of the schools’ public…
U.S. Cellular announces winners of Black History Month art contest
Portraits of Martin Luther King Jr., Ruby Bridges and Thurgood Marshall were winners in the 14th annual Black History Month art contest sponsored by U.S. Cellular. The three winning artists from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia were announced during a March 26…
Virginia’s Albemarle school district to spend $1.5M on security upgrades
With about $4 million in savings from the current fiscal year, Albemarle County Public Schools in Charlottesville, Virginia, will update classroom technology and school security systems. About $1.5 million of the funds will go to proposed security upgrades, including a buzz-in camera…
NCPS brings last group of students back to classroom
Nelson County Public Schools has accomplished what it set out to do at the beginning of March: bring all grade levels back into a hybrid format by the end of the month. The division welcomed back its third and final phase of students to hybrid learning — consisting of a blend of two in…
Can kids bounce back?
Kids are resilient. Right? At least that’s the conventional wisdom — that children innately bounce back from adversity. But what about during a prolonged pandemic, when they’ve been isolated from not just their friends, but also their teachers and other supportive adults? When their…
Alexandria school board re-christens schools whose namesakes were racist
Alexandria City Public Schools has renamed its flagship high school — T.C. Williams — as Alexandria City High School, and re-christened an elementary school previously named for a Confederate naval officer. Matthew Maury Elementary School will become Naomi L. Brooks …
Henry County Public Schools will overhaul math instruction for the first time ‘since the 1800s’
Henry County Public Schools, following an initiative across Virginia, will take its math program out of the 19th century and into modern times. It’s through the Virginia Mathematics Pathway Initiative, a joint movement among the Virginia Department of Education, the State Council of…
Lunchbox Weather at George C. Round Elementary School in Manassas, VA
StormWatch7 Meteorologist Brian van de Graaff had a virtual visit with the 4th graders at Round Elementary in Manassas, Virginia this week. It was a big day for the students on their first day back in the classroom. The combined online and in-person students enjoyed the presentation…
Virginia district disciplining student who posted ‘abhorrent’ George Floyd meme
A Virginia school district is taking action after a student shared an offensive George Floyd meme on social media that was shared by others. An unidentified Cave Spring High School student posted the image after the school beat their rivals at Hidden Valley High School in…
VSBA 2021 Food for Thought Competition
The VSBA would like to invite you to participate in the eighth annual Food for Thought Competition, a friendly competition between Virginia’s school divisions to showcase their programs that combat childhood hunger, provide healthy school meals, and encourage…
VSBA 2021 Newsletter, Issue 3
Read the latest issue of the VSBA Newsletter to learn about upcoming events, read a synapse of the regional meetings that have taken place, and read about legislative updates.