News Release
For Immediate Release
May 17, 2023
Contact
Gina Patterson, executive director
434-295-8722 or gina@vsba.org
Five School Divisions Complete VSBA’s Inaugural Fiscal Governance Cohort Program
Charlottesville, VA – The Virginia School Boards Association recently facilitated the first-ever Fiscal Governance Training Program, which saw board members and staff representing five schools – Danville City Public Schools, Isle of Wight County Public Schools, Lynchburg City Public Schools, Petersburg City Public Schools, and Prince Edward County Public Schools – come together in small groups to enhance their knowledge of governance, school finance, teaching and learning, budget management, and communication.
Through in-depth activities and discussions of best practices, participants had the chance to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their school division fiscal governance teams and learn alongside other exceptional fiscal governance teams. The program included four training sessions that focused on the successful integration of school finance, instructional leadership, school division governance, and administration to improve student outcomes.
“We are grateful for the opportunity for our school division team to participate in the Fiscal Governance Program facilitated by the VSBA,” said Lucy Carson, chair of the Prince Edward County School Board, “this program allowed us to connect with other school divisions to discuss best practices related to teaching and learning, school finance, budget management, and communication and how these components must work in harmony to improve student outcomes. We are confident that the skills and knowledge we gained through this program will help us enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of our school division fiscal governance team, ultimately leading to improved student outcomes.”
Five school divisions were selected to participate in the first cohort. It was important to facilitators to have a diverse sampling of school divisions from around Virginia to participate in the small group training to bring multiple perspectives to the table. The sessions allowed for school division staff and school board members to not only learn from the facilitators, but from one another through discussions and insight sharing. The cohort members will have the opportunity to continue the relationships they have fostered through the training to benefit their school divisions and their communities.
VSBA Executive Director, Gina Patterson, applauded the dedication of the cohort, stressing that strong fiscal practices are crucial for school divisions now more than ever. She also congratulated all the participants for completing the Fiscal Governance Training Program.
About the Virginia School Boards Association
Virginia School Boards Association, a voluntary, nonpartisan organization of Virginia school boards, promotes excellence in public education through leadership, advocacy, and support. The Association offers conferences, information, training, and counseling designed to meet the needs of the Commonwealth’s educational leaders.