January 25-26, 2021, VSBA Capital Conference, Virtual
Advocacy by local school board members is a year-round job but is never more critical than when the Virginia General Assembly is in session. With the Virginia State Capitol and Pocahontas Building closed to visitors for the unforeseeable future, it is imperative for school…
School Board Eyes Additional Conduct Regulations for Members
Two weeks after issuing a formal, public reprimand of one member, the Loudoun School Board on Tuesday is scheduled to consider a new set of policies designed to govern how members interact with the public, staff and press. The staff-proposed Policy 1035, titled School Board…
Winchester School Board approves division-wide equity policy
Winchester Public Schools now has a division-wide policy to hold the school system accountable in providing equitable outcomes for all students. The School Board approved an equity policy during its regular business meeting on Nov. 23. The five board members present…
Colonial Heights schools’ will have virtual learning for week
Colonial Heights Public Schools announced the district will have virtual learning all this week. The school district announced on Nov. 17 that students will learn at home following the Thanksgiving holiday from Nov. 30 through Dec. 4. That announcement came a week after…
Head of the Class in Alexandria
Following months of heated debate, the Alexandria School Board voted Nov. 23 to rename two city schools, including T.C. Williams High School of “Remember the Titans” film fame. In a 9-0 unanimous vote, the board moved forward in the process to rename both T.C. Williams High…
Chairman Wray presents State of the County Schools address
In normal years, the Roanoke Regional Chamber hosts the Roanoke County State of the County and the State of the Schools addresses together at a breakfast meeting. Members of the Board of Supervisors, School Board, Chamber, Roanoke County officials and staff, and…
CHS student gave presentation on Y Street to annual convention
A Charlottesville High School student recently made a presentation at the Virginia School Boards Association’s virtual convention. According to a release, Jamez Lynch, Jr., a senior at CHS, gave a presentation to school board members, superintendents and other school staff…
Hanover seeks input on 2020-21 school year calendar, includes option with flexible learning days
Hanover County Public Schools is asking for public input on two academic calendars: a traditional option and one that includes flexible learning days. Flexible learning days are asynchronous and have students participate in learning activities from home. A frequently…
In new environmental studies program, Virginia Beach students get a hands-on experience
Without access to the scientific equipment they’d have in the classroom, the inaugural class of Virginia Beach’s high school environmental studies program — meant to be hands-on and immersive — has had to get creative at home. So when Jordyn Lewis, a junior in the program…
Henrico County Schools won’t play winter sports
Henrico County Schools will not participate in any Virginia High School League (VHSL) winter sports for the 2020-21 school year due to the coronavirus pandemic. School officials announced the decision Monday in a message to families in staff, saying it was made to best protect the…
New capacity limits squeezing high school sports budgets, will keep parents from attending games
Local high school athletics departments are grappling with the logistical fallout from Gov. Ralph Northam’s new statewide measures to contain COVID-19, which include a limit of 25 spectators for sporting events, down from 250 in previous regulations. Virginia High School League…
As COVID-19 cases climb, first-graders set to return to Prince William County classrooms Tuesday
Approximately 3,000 first-graders in Prince William County are set to return to classrooms on a part-time basis starting tomorrow. They will join kindergartners and pre-kindergartners who returned Nov. 10, despite an ongoing spike in COVID-19 cases. As of Monday morning, the…
Virginia boy among top 20 finalists for Nickelodeon’s ‘Kid of the Year’
12-year-old, Elijah Lee of Chesterfield is among the top 20 finalists of Nickelodeon’s “Kid of the Year” award. Elijah, a 7th grader at Swift Creek Middle School, is being recognized for his work to fight against child abuse. It’s something that Elijah takes personally after an old classmate…
York County Schools shift to remote learning this week to prevent potential coronavirus spike
The York County School Division is reminding its students and parents that it has switched to a remote platform this week to prevent a potential virus spike. “As we have evaluated the potential for a spike following the holidays and the time required to contact trace with confidence, all…
Lynchburg-area school divisions report 13 new positive cases of COVID-19 this week
Thirteen new positive cases of COVID-19 were reported in school divisions around the Lynchburg area this week. Lynchburg City Schools along with Campbell, Bedford, Amherst and Nelson county schools have reported 188 total cases of the virus in their schools and facilities…
Chesapeake schools will stop funding its beloved radio station, WFOS. Will it survive?
Turn your radio dial to 88.7 FM and you’ll hear “stuff that nobody else will touch in the area.” Blues, beach, R&B, bluegrass, classical. That’s how Annalisa Roughton, the radio station’s longtime operations manager who at 9 years old was the youngest person to appear on air…
December 9 & 10, Two Part Insights for Budget Basics & Finance 101
Virginia public school budgeting will be discussed, including roles of elected officials, fiduciary requirements, stakeholders, and budget reports. Revenue categories will be explained, including state formulas, federal funding, local funding, and tax rates. Reserve your webinar…
Missed the Virtual VSBA Annual Convention? It is not too late to register to gain access to over 35 hours of educational content. Contact your school board clerk for more information.