March 17, 2021
NewsDaily NewsMarch 17, 2021

March is VSBA Equity in Education Month
In an effort to encourage equity in education, the VSBA Board of Directors has designated the month of March as VSBA Equity in Education Month. For more information on the month-long webinar series, a copy of the governor’s proclamation and additional resources follow the link above.

March 17, 2021, VSBA March Hot Topic
Join us as we gather virtually for an informative and important conference. This conference will be focusing specifically on multiple hot topics in education. You will hear from three leaders in public education throughout the event speaking on the topics of Race and Equity…

4% raise included in Fredericksburg proposed budget for fiscal 2022
The Fredericksburg City Council is currently looking over the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2022. If the council approves the budget, public schools in Fredericksburg will receive $30.4 million in funds to support school operations. A portion, about $1.8 million, will go toward a 4%…

McLearen takes top honors
Madison County High School junior Kate McLearen has received top honors for her artwork. Last week, McLearen’s painting was selected as the winner of the high school division of the Virginia School Boards Association’s (VSBA) Central Regional Art Contest. Student art from…

Virtual no more, Suffolk students begin return to classrooms
A bundle of nervous energy, she was ready for a unique first day of school, wearing her Creekside Elementary School shirt and mask, ready to greet the other Gators marching in. She was ready to meet kids she already knew as friends thanks to virtual learning, and as they…

Trickling Back Into the Classroom in Alexandria
Last week, certain young students arrived for their first day of school in Alexandria Public Schools. This week, some students returned to middle schools and T.C. Williams High School. “Everyone was so excited to welcome back our students this morning. It has the energy of the…

Richmond school leaders push back year-round school plan to 2022-23
Richmond Public School leaders voted late Monday night to operate on a traditional calendar for the 2021-22 school year and committed to year-round school for the 2022-23 school year. School leaders initially said they would no longer take a vote on the year-round school…

Women’s History Month: Jamestown H.S. student recognized for documentary about first female West Point grads
Kathryn Miller is a military B.R.A.T., or, “Born Rough and Tough.” Her father is on active duty and her mother is a U.S. Army veteran. Throughout her young life, she has been a student in eight different schools. Before moving to Virginia this past summer, she previously lived in…

Covington Schools Librarian Honored
Covington City Public Schools librarian Barbara Childs-Barber has been named the 2020 Roanoke Regional Librarian of the Year and state semi-finalist by the Virginia Association of School Librarians. Childs-Barber has been the librarian at Edgemont Primary School and…

PGCPS allows 737 students to return for in-person learning in second semester
For the second semester of the 2020-2021 academic school year, Prince George County Public Schools has allowed a total of 737 students to return for in-person learning including 376 from the elementary level and 361 secondary students. The data was presented at the March 1…

Redistricting zones approved by New Kent School Board
With Quinton Elementary School coming online in Fall 2022, New Kent’s School Board approved a redistricting plan during Monday night’s work session. Board members approved 3-0 on a third option proposed after feedback from the public during its March 1 regular meeting…

RCPS board submits preliminary $13.6M budget to supervisors
The members of the Rappahannock County Public School Board voted unanimously on Monday night to present the county with a proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year to the tune of almost $13.6 million. The school’s proposal is about $644,359 greater than that of the 2021…

Superintendent expects second semester to be better than first for students
Shenandoah County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Johnston said he expects the second semester to be better than the first for students in the division. Johnston addressed how things were going with students during and after last week’s Shenandoah County School Board…

BCAT/WBHS students win regional Scholastic Art Awards
Three Roanoke County students who attend William Byrd High School and the Burton Center for Arts and Technology received awards in the February regional Scholastic Art Awards hosted by the Fine Arts Center of the New River Valley. They are Urunna Anyanwu, Nick Boksa, and…

Gar-Field High School to drop its ‘Indians’ mascot next school year
Gar-Field High School will retire its “Indians” mascot at the end of this school year at the request of student leaders who have called on the school to make the change “to promote a culture of respect and expand understanding for all,” Principal Matthew Mathison said Monday. In a…

Where are students learning?
Around the time Governor Ralph Northam asked school administrators to offer in-person learning by March 15, roughly a third of students were in fully-remote school divisions. Data updated Monday by the Department of Education said 4% were in fully-remote school…

2021 VSBA Title IX: Best Practices In Training & Compliance
With claims of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct hitting newsstands everywhere, Title IX coordinators and other senior staff need to be confident in their knowledge and enforcement of their divisions’ policies. Prevention and thorough investigations are the best ways to…