Local News
WCPS Administrators Update School Board on Increased Staff Needs
Some Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) administrators and staff are facing increased responsibilities outside their contracted duties that are impacting their regular jobs, they told the Warren County School Board during its Wednesday, March 20 work session.
For example, higher numbers of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests are interfering with the regular duties of WCPS Assistant Superintendent of Administration George “Buck” Smith and WCPS Interim Director of Technology Doug Stefnoski.
One original FOIA that he had to work on was almost a million pages, said Smith, who often has to spend time outside his contracted hours — on weekends and after hours — to finish FOIA requests.
When FOIA requests are broad, it can sometimes take Stefnoski three to five days to pull all the information needed for a request.
“If you were to take the $16 per quarter hour and multiply that, that’s like $512 a day for just what I’m doing because we’ve got to jump through a couple different systems to get it just down to even PDFs that [Mr. Smith] can go through,” Stefnoski told the board. “So it’s time consuming, very time consuming. And not particularly fun to be perfectly honest.”
Filling FOIA requests isn’t part of their job descriptions, nor specifically, anyone else’s in WCPS. Still, someone has to do them because state law permits citizens of Virginia, businesses trading within the Commonwealth, and media representatives with circulation within Virginia to have access to public records and meetings of public bodies, with some specific exemptions and exceptions.
Smith pointed out that all public records are presumed to be open and may only be withheld if there’s a specific statutory exemption that applies. “There are lots of exemptions that you have for FOIAs,” he said. “The last I looked, there’s probably almost 100 or so.”
Currently, WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger said that WCPS does not charge for FOIA requests, even though the school division could and should.
“We have not charged at all. I think that the board should strongly consider that we go ahead and charge for some of these FOIAs that are coming in,” Ballenger said. “Just recently, there were three of us in an office for a day, doing nothing but [redacting documents] with black markers” to ensure they met legal requirements before fulfilling the FOIA request.
“I appreciate having this conversation this evening,” said Board Chair Pence. “I don’t know that everyone on the board realizes — although I think we have a good idea now — how much time you’re spending as an assistant superintendent working on FOIA requests. And money aside, you’re not getting to do the job of assistant superintendent when you’re doing that.
“So I think, we’re not going to solve it right this minute, but long term we also really have to be thinking about how we will address these FOIA requests moving forward,” she added. “There really is going to need to be a job for that because [Stefnoski’s] got all his stuff to be done; I mean everybody has stuff that they should be doing for our students and not spending 15 or 25 hours on this in addition to their jobs.”
Pence (above) said she’s not in favor of adding some cost to it, largely because the cost isn’t really going to solve the issue. “Because they’re still going to be spending their time doing it,” she said.
Lo asked why WCPS is not currently following existing policy on charging for FOIA requests. Smith answered that it’s basically been “a historical practice rather than any other reason.” He also suggested that if the division hired a communications director, then that position could handle FOIA requests.
Andrew Selman, a local government and school board lawyer with Sands Anderson who provides legal services to WCPS, clarified for the board members that the Freedom of Information Act prohibits charging parents who want to review their students’ education records.
“The school division may not charge the fee for parents to look at their own children’s records and emails,” Selman said. “Whatever constitutes the student’s scholastic records, and that’s fairly broad under FOIA, so there can be no charge for those.”
Editor’s note: The 11-page Virginia FOIA document Smith presented during the work session portion of the School Board’s meeting is available online at https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/warren/Board.nsf/files/D3D53F0E43F4/$file/Freedom%20of%20Information%20Act.pdf.
More work session items
According to other WCPS administrators and staff who presented during the work session, there are more examples of areas needing additional employee coverage, including special education, nurses, bus drivers to transport homeless students and students with disabilities, and K-8 reading and math specialists, among others.
For instance, Angie Barbe, the special needs route coordinator in the WCPS Transportation Department, told the board that it’s been difficult to keep up with staffing the buses that transport students who have IEPs and other requirements for special transportation.
The bus drivers on these routes are handling “our most needy students with the most demanding needs,” Barbe said, and they’re only getting paid $12 an hour.
“We’re having a really hard time keeping drivers that are willing to do the long hours,” she said. “And it’s really hard to keep them to transport our most difficult students at that pay rate. Just to build on that… they carry a lot of additional responsibility and they go above and beyond.”
The minimum wage in Virginia is currently $12 an hour. Virginia’s state minimum wage is set to gradually increase each year. In 2025, it will increase to $13.50 an hour and on January 1, 2026 will reach $15 per hour for workers whose employment is covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and to public employees. A higher minimum wage may also be required by the FLSA for some workers.
Another need was cited by Randa Vernazza, WCPS Director of Pupil Services and Principal of Non-Traditional Education, who said she could use another teacher.
“Currently, being the principal and the director has been challenging,” Vernazza said. “Next year what I’d like to do is devote more time to the Director of Pupil Services role. I’d like to work more on developing discipline matrices that are consistent among all schools and that we’re meeting with fidelity.
“And I feel like if we can make discipline and behavior more manageable, that’s going to align with better instruction in the classroom, increased test scores — I mean it’s just going to be this domino effect,” she said.
While devoting some more time to the Director of Pupil Services role, and possibly still overseeing non-traditional because the position is still part of that behavior portion, Vernazza said perhaps someone else could do the day-to-day leadership in the building itself.
Other needs were discussed during a presentation on federal accountability by WCPS Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Heather Bragg, who noted that four of the division’s schools recently were federally identified for support and improvement based on data from the 2022-2023 and 2021-2022 school years.
The Warren County schools federally identified for support and improvement along with the student populations in need are: Skyline Middle School – Students with disabilities; E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School – Students with disabilities and white students; Leslie Fox Keyser Elementary School – White students; and Warren County Middle School – Students with disabilities and multi-race students.
Bragg said that Skyline Middle School has been identified consistently as needing support and improvement, and it seems to continue to be with students with disabilities.
“I do think that the turnover rate to some degree with our students with disabilities and our special education teachers at Skyline Middle School has impacted that consistency there,” said Bragg. “Skyline Middle has our highest turnover rate and our most inexperienced teachers staffing that building and that does make a difference.”
Bragg said WCPS is also struggling to get substitute teachers in these classrooms. “I do think that the discipline behaviors do have some impact on it, but also, you know, there’s not that established mentoring staff there either,” she said.
“Teaching is a hard job,” added Bragg. “When you have that hard job, you are facing those discipline problems in your classroom and you don’t have a very big toolbox for how to manage classroom behaviors.”
Watch the Warren County School Board Meeting of March 20, 2024, on these exclusive Royal Examiner videos. The meeting was about 4 hours and was divided by agenda points. Video by Mark Williams, Royal Examiner.
Warren County School Board – March 20, 2024 – Part 1 – FY2025 Budget Presentation and Public Hearing
Warren County School Board – March 20, 2024 – Part 2 – Food Service Update, FOIA Update
Warren County School Board – March 20, 2024 – Part 3 – Leave Policies
Warren County School Board – March 20, 2024 – Part 4 – Action Agenda
Local News
As Opening of Youth Center Draws Near, the Reaching Out Now Family Looks to the Past for Inspiration
As Samantha Barber and Toby Hire sat, side by side, holding hands on April 26 in a yet-to-be-furnished room of the Raymond E. Santmyers Student Union and Activity Center in Front Royal, Virginia, there was a very real sense of water, which is stopped by nothing. “Water is my serenity,” Samantha said in this conversation with the Royal Examiner. It maneuvers its way around any obstacle in its path, if not eroding the obstacle altogether, and that is precisely what the Reaching Out Now (RON) family, of which Samantha is the president, has done in its endeavor to provide Front Royal and the wider Warren County region with a youth center, opening soon, where students can come to play, relax, have fun, develop strong bonds of friendship, and explore what they want to do with their futures.
The youth center is necessary, and the stakes are life and death. The brilliant lives and tragic early departures of Harlee Hire and Nathan Jenkins, the first to suicide and the second to a boating accident, inform the RON family of their mission to reach young people. There is this awareness that life is incredibly fragile, and the only way to face it is through community. It is as simple as asking: “Are you okay?” That is precisely what RON intends to do through the youth center so that young people in Harlee’s position do not fall through the cracks.
Harlee loved water. And by all appearances, she could overcome any obstacle. Through tears, “She was a great friend,” her mother Toby said as Samantha gripped her hand. Harlee practiced radical encouragement. It was not uncommon to hear her yelling shameless compliments like: “Your butt is looking fine today!” And even in the early months of 2022, after her friend Nathan’s boating accident in January and before she attempted suicide on May 10 and officially passed on May 11 and the Honor Walk donation of her organs on May 13 at UVA, she clung tenaciously to life. “I am going to do this, Miss Sam,” she told Samantha at a fashion show RON was hosting. And she walked down the runway.
“It is a sacrificial gift,” Samantha said of the youth center. “Nathan would have loved this,” Susan Jenkins said, standing outside the Santmyers building in May of 2023, and as soon as she said it, it began to rain. Indeed, a little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now, to quote the musical production of Les Miserables. There is a very real sense that both Harlee and Nathan continue to live through the youth center as the RON family remembers them and strives to reach young people in their position. Especially Harlee’s. While it is impossible to predict an accident like the one that occurred for Nathan, Samantha, and Toby both feel strongly that intervention is possible in the case of young people who are struggling with mental health issues.
In fact, May will be Mental Health Awareness Month for RON as they host three different athletic events in memory of Harlee and Nathan through their Safe at Home program. On May 9, a varsity girls’ softball game will be held at Skyline High School at 6 p.m. They will host a community baseball day on May 11, between 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Bing Crosby Stadium. And on May 25 at Skyline High School from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., they will host a community softball day. In order to get tickets, go to reachingoutnow.org
There is no need to be perfect. Samantha is frank about the impact this trauma has had on her health. “You have rheumatoid arthritis,” a doctor told her. He explained that she had internalized so much psychological pain that it had a very real manifestation in her physical health. But this is just one more obstacle that can be overcome through the support of friends offering real, physical comfort. You can be broken, Toby said. It is okay. It is the broken kids that RON wants to reach. If you are in trouble at school, we understand, Samantha emphasized. If you have weed in your backpack, we understand. This is not a matter of selecting the crème de la crème of students who are already gifted and exceptionally motivated. It is a matter of reaching all the kids and helping them understand their potential.
In the unfurnished room at the youth center, a room named in honor of Nathan and intended to be a game room, the Nate (DAWG) Game Room, Samantha, and Toby agree wholeheartedly that there is nothing wrong with just playing games if you are not playing them alone. Toby said this is the most connected yet disconnected age. The goal of the youth center is to help young people connect authentically.
Community Events
Updated: ‘Phony Ponies’ Give a Competitive Edge to FR Rotary Downtown Pub Crawl Fundraiser
On Friday, April 26, the Front Royal Rotary sponsored a downtown Front Royal “Pub Crawl” featuring a Phony Ponies “horse race” ticket holders could bet on to add to the Rotary fundraiser, and a little reward for their knowledge of the relative prowess and breeding of the involved Phony Ponies. Or as one pre-race announcer informed the crowd, “We’ve got three stallions and two old mares in this race,” which was met by some boos from the filly-supporting contingent.
And it was one of those two filly mares that led the five-horse field across the finish line after three laps around the Gazebo in the in the Main Street Downs Raceway shortly after 7:30 p.m. — that was “Blazin’ Botox” (Warren County Sheriff Crystal Cline), followed in order by “Money for Nothing” (Front Royal Rotary President Ken Evans), “Closing Real Fast” (Front Royal Police Chief Kahle Magalis), “Bullseye” (Warren County Rotary President Michael Williams), and “The Old Gray Mare” or was that “Mayor” (Front Royal Mayor Lori Cockrell).
It was a highly competitive race with some post finish line challenges offered by runner up Money for Nothing, whose jockey Evans noted an unapproved by the Racing Commission pre-race change into borrowed running shoes by the winner, as well as some out-of-my-lane territorial elbow-bumping by Blazing Botox to keep him in his 2nd place position. WAIT, do horses have elbows? I guess phony ones do.
Jockey Cockrell explained her disappointing 5th place finish, noting she had locked in behind Bullseye/Williams early in the running. However, it ended up being a bad spot to draft, as Bullseye appeared to be having an equipment break-down in front of her, as in a drooping “saddle” threatening that stallions stability and which she had to pull back from for caution’s sake.
On the more serious side, the second annual Talk Derby To Me Pub Crawl fundraiser was in support of Rotary International’s eradicate polio worldwide effort. More information about Rotary’s efforts to end polio can be found at this website: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/ending-polio
Involved and supporting downtown businesses included Vibrissa, the On Cue Sports Bar & Grill, Buckle & Belle Boutique, sponsor of the “Phony Ponies” race, C&C Frozen Treats, Pavemint Smoking Taphouse, Honey & Hops, Catamount Lounge, and Garcia & Gavino. Hope we didn’t miss anyone, and we’ll update as necessary if we did.
And in a late update, individual sponsoring of the Phony Ponies was provided by: Ken Evans, ReMax Reality sponsoring Evans on “Money For Nothing”; CSM Aesthetics sponsored “Blazin’ Botox” and jockey Cline; Clint Pierpoint, Next Home Reality Select sponsored “Closing Real Fast” with Chief Magalis on the saddle; Lori Cockrell for Mayor sponsored “The Old Grey Mare” with the mayor riding; and Shenandoah Valley Axe Throwing Co. sponsored the saddle-failing “Bullseye” with Williams keeping his stallion upright.
And if you missed the fun and excitement, here are a few more shots.
Local News
UVA Health Prince William Medical Center Unveils Renovated Cardiac Cath Lab
In a significant advancement for heart care, UVA Health has proudly announced the completion of a comprehensive two-year renovation at its Prince William Medical Center. The hospital’s first cardiac catheterization lab, established in 2011, has been transformed into a state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology (EP) lab.
This renovation marks a pivotal upgrade in the facility’s capabilities, incorporating cutting-edge technology and equipment. The modernized lab is set to enhance the treatment of complex heart conditions and elevate the level of care for heart attack patients within the community.
Donna Staton, the Chief Operating Officer at UVA Health’s medical centers in Manassas, Haymarket, and Culpeper, emphasized the impact of the upgrades, stating, “We are thrilled to bring this state-of-the-art technology to patients right here at home, reducing the need to travel anywhere else in the region for this level of complex care.”
The newly introduced EP technology is a first for any cath lab across the UVA Health System, reflecting the organization’s commitment to pioneering patient care. The Prince William cath lab team has collaborated closely with electrophysiology staff from UVA Health University Medical Center to integrate and optimize these advancements.
Andrea Klosinski, director of emergency services, cath lab, and cardiopulmonary lab at Prince William Medical Center, shared her pride in the team’s effort and dedication. “The opportunity to offer expanded services in a more efficient, comfortable, best-in-class environment right here in Prince William County has inspired us—to learn, to grow, and to keep hope alive,” she remarked.
In addition to the renovated lab, a second cath lab was introduced in 2020 to cater to the increasing demand for heart and vascular services. This expansion ensured continuous service provision as the original lab was being upgraded.
UVA Health Prince William Medical Center has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Hospital” for heart attack care. It also boasts the American Heart Association’s Stroke Gold Plus Award. BlueCross BlueShield has designated it as a center of distinction for knee and hip replacement.
With both cardiac cath labs now operational, UVA Health began welcoming patients to the renovated facility on April 25th, promising enhanced care capabilities and continued excellence in health services for the community.
Local News
Samuels Public Library Youth Programming Events for May
These are the events being presented by the Youth Services Department at Samuels Public Library during the month of May 2024. More information about Samuels Library and the programs and services available can be found at www.samuelslibrary.net or by calling (540) 635-3153.
The Library will be closed for Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th.
Wednesday, May 1
10:15 AM – Toddler Story Time. Bring your toddler to a potpourri of simple stories, fun songs, and a cute craft on Bears. Siblings welcome. Registration is required.
11:00AM – Preschool Story Time. Come for an enjoyable hour filled with Bear stories, exciting sing-alongs, finger plays, and a nifty craft. Registration required.
Monday, May 6
11:00 AM – Music & Movement for Babies & Toddlers. Join our relaxed and joyful time with your little ones as we listen to music while learning some basic movements and multisensory activities designed to delight your baby. Registration is required.
Tuesday, May 7
10:30 AM – Homeschool Hub. For ages 6-11. Children will work together as they go through the scientific method, gathering data, and drawing conclusions. The topic this week is Building Bridges. Registration is required.
Wednesday, May 8
10:15AM – Toddler Story Time. Bring your toddler to a potpourri of simple stories, fun songs, and a cute craft about Trains! Siblings welcome. Registration is required.
11:00AM – Preschool Story Time. Come in for an enjoyable hour filled with Train stories, exciting sing-alongs, finger plays, and a nifty craft! Registration is required.
Saturday, May 11
All Day – come find us at Family Fun Day and learn about our Summer Reading events!
Monday, May 13
11:00 AM – Music & Movement for Babies & Toddlers. Join our relaxed and joyful time with your little ones as we listen to music while learning some basic movements and multisensory activities designed to delight your baby. Registration is required.
Tuesday, May 14
4:30 PM – Science Scouts. For ages 6-11. Children will investigate a different STEM-related topic bi-weekly. This week’s theme is Building Bridges. Registration is required.
Wednesday, May 15
10:15AM – Toddler Story Time. Bring your toddler to a potpourri of simple stories, fun songs, and a cute craft about Green! Siblings welcome. Registration is required.
11:00AM – Preschool Story Time. Come in for an enjoyable hour filled with Green stories, exciting sing-alongs, finger plays, and a nifty craft! Registration is required.
Saturday, May 18
11:00 AM – Unpacking the Garden with Wee Ones. Join the Master Gardeners as they teach about preparing the garden for planting, doing a scavenger hunt and planting a sunflower. For ages 3-6, with a parent. Registration is required.
12:00 PM – Unpacking the Garden with Green Thumbs. Join the Master Gardeners as they teach about preparing the garden for planting, doing a scavenger hunt and planting a sunflower. For ages 6-11. Registration is required.
Monday, May 20
11:00 AM – Music & Movement for Babies & Toddlers. Join our relaxed and joyful time with your little ones as we listen to music while learning some basic movements and multisensory activities designed to delight your baby. Registration is required.
Tuesday, May 21
10:30 AM – Homeschool Hub. For ages 6-11. Children will work together as they go through the scientific method, gathering data, and drawing conclusions. The topic this week is Dissect a Flower. Registration is required.
Wednesday, May 22
10:15AM – Toddler Story Time. Bring your toddler to a potpourri of simple stories, fun songs, and a cute craft about Gardening. Siblings welcome. Registration is required.
11:00 AM – Preschool Story Time. Read With the Sheriff! This week we will have a special guest from the Sheriff’s office! Come in for an enjoyable hour filled with Garden stories, exciting sing-alongs, finger plays, and a nifty craft! Registration is required.
Saturday, May 25
2:30 PM – Teens Connect. For ages 12-18. Join us for a Mystery Event! Will it be games? Will it be crafts? Come find out! Registration is required.
Monday, May 27
The Library will be closed for the holiday.
Crime/Court
McDonald Criminal Convictions Sentencing Hearing, Part 2, Set for Late May
In the wake of the April 9, Part One Sentencing Hearing of former Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Jennifer McDonald, the website court calendar of the 10th Western District of Virginia has finally posted a date for Part Two of that hearing. That date is Wednesday, May 29, 2024, on the 10 a.m. docket in the Harrisonburg federal courthouse where McDonald was convicted of 30 criminal counts related to the FR-WC EDA “financial scandal” circa 2014 to 2018. Those who have followed that story since it began unraveling, including on these pages from the fall of 2016 to late 2018, will recall an estimated $26-million in EDA assets was moved to unauthorized or what is now believed to be fraudulently presented uses. Trial testimony indicated McDonald moving about $6.5 million to her personal use unauthorized by the then EDA Board of Directors.
As reported in our coverage of that April 9 hearing, Part Two will hear Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon’s rulings on a number of objections filed by both the prosecution and defense counsels to the precedence of evidence submitted by the other side in written summaries to the court leading up to the April 9th start of McDonald’s sentencing hearing. Also argued on April 9 were “Forfeiture” of defendant McDonald assets, “Restitution”, and “Special Conditions” being sought at sentencing from both the prosecution and defense. While Judge Dillon ruled on a number of these objections on April 9, she took some under advisement, seeking written support from both sides to their motions arguments.
In addition to those rulings, prosecution and defense counsel are expected to make final arguments in support of their sentencing proposals, and Judge Dillon will set a date for Part Three of the Sentencing Hearing. Part Three is when the 47-year-old McDonald is anticipated to find out the court’s ruling on arguments for relative leniency to prison sentencing guidelines, six years, by her legal team versus the prosecution’s high-end request. The prosecution is seeking a 22-year sentence with 24 months sought for an Aggravated Identity Theft conviction of McDonald regarding the use of Truc “Curt” Tran’s name in one involved “financial scandal” real estate transaction, tacked on to a total of 240 months (20 years) being sought on McDonald’s other 29 convictions on fraud and money laundering counts.
Chamber News
Progressive Automotive Gears Up for Growth with New Commerce Avenue Location
The Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Lori Cockrell welcomed Russell Lineburg of Progressive Automotive to their newly expanded location at 190 N Commerce Avenue in Front Royal. The event was marked by a joyous ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local dignitaries, community members, and the enthusiastic team behind Progressive Automotive.
Russell, known for his dedication to quality automotive services, expressed his gratitude towards his family, employees, and loyal customers who have supported his journey. “It’s not just a growth of space,” he mentioned, “but a leap towards serving our community better with more efficiency and dedication.”
Mayor Cockrell commended Russell for investing in the community and creating a trusted service that citizens rely on. “It’s businesses like Progressive Automotive that create jobs and foster community spirit,” the Mayor said.
Progressive Automotive opened its doors in 2012 and has since outgrown its initial location due to its robust clientele and expanding service offerings. The new space features more service bays and advanced equipment, allowing for a wider range of automotive repairs and services, from oil changes to engine and transmission work.
During the event, Russell shared a glimpse into his business’s history and growth. “It was about taking a risk with what we had, and it’s paid off with hard work and community support,” he reflected.
The new location on Commerce Avenue is more spacious and accessible, promising easier entries and exits for customers. This move signifies an expansion and a commitment to being a cornerstone in the community for automotive care.
Russell’s vision extends beyond business growth. He is passionate about cultivating talent within the automotive industry. He constantly seeks to hire and train the next generation of technicians, ensuring that essential skills continue to thrive in the community.
As Progressive Automotive prepares for future growth, Russell and his team remain focused on delivering high-quality and customer-centric services and ensuring that every client receives the best care. The community is encouraged to visit the new location and enjoy the reliable service synonymous with Progressive Automotive.