In the School Board’s future: renovations, opt-out forms, food service contracts

Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) on Wednesday, February 16 provided Warren County School Board members with details on a hefty plate of topics they will need to vote on in the coming months.

Board Chair Kristen Pence, Vice-Chair Ralph Rinaldi, and members Antoinette Funk, Andrea Lo, and Melanie Salins gained information from WCPS staff about planned renovations at Leslie Fox Keyser (LFK) Elementary School and the Blue Ridge Technical Center; the accessibility of counseling opt-out forms; and proposed food service contracts, among other items.

WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger also presented the board with the division’s fiscal year 2023 proposed budget — which the Royal Examiner covered in a separate story — and in action, voted to accept the meeting agendas despite some pushback from one board member.

In the proposed budget for the school year 2022-2023, Ballenger pointed out that WCPS has identified $8,100,025 in federal funds to help support a renovation project at LFK, which is considered one of the school division’s highest-priority expenditures.

WCPS Assistant Superintendent for Administration George “Buck” Smith explained to the School Board that the 46-year-old LFK had additions constructed in 1988 and 1993, and a parking reno occurred in 2012, but the school hasn’t had major updates since then.

Situated on 10 acres, the 60,000+ square-foot school, which serves 535 students, has an open pod classroom design concept that Smith said was popular in the 1970s, but which doesn’t serve students well today. The School Board last year approved Grimm + Parker Architecture Inc. to design the renovation and HVHC replacement and in November 2021, WCPS staff began working with the firm to develop the design and construction timeline, Smith said.

Stephen Mundt, a partner with Grimm + Parker, updated board members on the LFK schematic design, which also includes replacing all the school’s electrical systems, including fire alarms, the intercom, the PA system, and clocks. A new generator also would be installed for the building, he said, and all the lighting and technology infrastructure would be replaced.

Additionally, Mundt said a new, restricted, secure entry vestibule would be created at the front of the school to replace the open area that visitors walk into when they enter LFK. After the reno, visitors entering the school would move into a registration area for check-in with the school office where staff would then buzz them into the school.

“This is very important for the safety of the school,” said Mundt, adding that a new, electronic card system would be installed for all the doors to also enhance security.

The design also includes building real walls to provide classroom separations and to eliminate the open concept, he said, noting that all windows and glass doors would be replaced, as would all flooring and ceilings.

Stephen Mundt, a partner with Grimm + Parker, updated board members on the LFK schematic design.

ADA-compliance improvements also would be made, such as in the restrooms, and the clinic and offices for the principal and assistant principal would be relocated. The stage in the cafeteria would be removed to increase space and kitchen renovations and storage also are planned, according to the design.

The tentative schedule would be to start construction in January 2023 with a completion date set for the summer of 2024, said Mundt.

Because there’s an existing stage in the LFK gymnasium that would be updated with new steps, board member Rinaldi asked if those steps could somehow be childproofed. He said he was concerned about kids being in the gym and accidentally “flying into the steps.”

Mundt responded that the design would not make the steps “any more childproof than they are now,” but that the suggestion could be discussed with division leadership and the LFK principal.

Board member Funk was curious about why the design proposed moving school administrators from their location within the front-of-school administrative offices. Mundt said the current school leaders no longer want to be located behind the main office because they think it is less accessible to students. Instead, he said the principals want to be more connected with the student body. “It is a common design to pull them out,” Mundt said, “and this is an arrangement they were most happy with.”

More information will be made available to the School Board on the design schematic and related work bids for the project, according to Smith and Mundt.

Opt-out forms
The second work session item was a discussion on the accessibility of opt-out forms being included in the Student Code of Conduct and Yearly Review of Counseling/School Superintendent Materials.

While WCPS plans to update its website and locate all forms online, School Board Chair Pence said the conversation needed to be started about how the board wants to make the opt-out and/or permission forms accessible in print to parents and guardians — for instance, should all the forms in the Student Code of Conduct be available in the front of the handbook or in an appendix, or should supplemental pages be added.

Ballenger said that the plan is to have the new website up and running for the start of school this August, and a division committee is looking at possible vendors now.

Pence suggested that in addition to the website forms and printed forms, the division also could have information tables set up during Back-to-School nights. The idea is similar to presentations made recently by WCPS counselors on their programs and lessons during the recent open houses after the board voted to suspend the Second Step Social-Emotional Learning Program, which has since been restarted.

“That would be a perfect time for parents to review materials in person,” she said.

“We can have opt-out forms available there, too,” suggested Ballenger, who reminded everyone that parents also may request to come in and view the counseling materials at their school.

Board member Lo suggested getting some feedback from the counselors on the content of the actual opt-out form, which is in a format requesting an opt out from the entire counseling program rather than specific lessons. While several checkboxes on the form would be too overwhelming, maybe the counselors could help guide the board on finding a middle ground between the two, Lo said.

Pence asked for opt-out form samples to be available for board review in May. WCPS leaders agreed to provide them.

Sodexo contracts
Smith made two presentations on proposed food service-related contracts: the Sodexo Food Service Management Contract Renewal and Sodexo Custodial Contract Renewal for the school year 2022-2023. Board action on the renewals will be requested at a future meeting, Smith said.

WCPS Assistant Superintendent for Administration George “Buck” Smith explained to the School Board the Sodexo contracts.

He called the division’s relationship with Sodexo, which has provided such services to WCPS for several years, “a model partnership” and said WCPS recommended both contracts be renewed for the following year.

One highlight of the foodservice management contract, Smith said, is that WCPS does not pay for meals that are not served nor items that are not used, creating a strong incentive for both WCPS, which saves money, and for Sodexo, which strives to serve high-quality meals that get eaten. Sodexo also contributes thousands of dollars in scholarships and charitable giving to the division.

The management contract would increase $11,000 over the current contract, said Smith, who noted that WCPS “can handle the increase quite easily.” Overall, he added, the increase isn’t bad considering the nation’s current 7 percent inflation rate and the increased rates being charged for lunches and breakfasts.

The proposed Sodexo Custodial Contract Renewal, which covers 56 employees, would increase 2.5 percent for the next school year, which Smith said is cheaper than if WCPS employed those 56 individuals and provided them with benefits.

The board will consider the contracts at its March 2 meeting.

Board action
Prior to the start of its work session on Wednesday, in usual business, the Warren County School Board had to vote whether to accept or modify the agenda, and then to do the same for the consent agenda.

Board member Rinaldi made a motion to accept the agenda. While awaiting a second on the motion, Salins objected, saying a personnel item was added too late and it also needed to be made available to the public for comment.

The item she was referring to was a personnel matter that was going to be discussed during a closed meeting held at the end of the work session. Personnel issues are not typically made public, according to WCPS staff.

Salins was reminded about the WCPS Policy Manual, revised as of September 1, 2021, which states:

“Agenda Preparation and Dissemination — The Superintendent and Board Chair shall prepare an Agenda for each regular meeting and work session. Except as permitted at the discretion of the Superintendent, every item to be placed on the Agenda shall be received in the Office of the Superintendent and distributed to the school board, by the close of business on the Monday (48 hours) preceding the meeting.

“The Superintendent may add an action item within 48 hours prior to the meeting with the approval or at the direction of the school board chair. Items that are critical to the operation of the school system may be added prior to the start of the meeting. This may include personnel matters, finance, or items critical to the operation of the division.

“After the initial publication of the meeting agenda, Board members will be provided a description of any changes or additions to any agenda items.”

This policy is available online HERE.

Lo then made a second to accept or modify the agenda and the board voted 4-1 to accept it with Salins voting nay.

Then the board had to vote on the consent agenda, which includes the January 5 meeting minutes; the February 16 clerk’s report; the February 16 personnel report and personnel report addendum; and a compulsory attendance request for release. Following a motion by Rinaldi to accept the consent agenda, with a second by Funk, the board voted 4-1 to accept it with Salins voting nay.

The board then voted unanimously to convene a closed meeting to discuss the employee personnel issue, as well as the superintendent’s midyear evaluation.

School Board work session covers WCPS proposed 2022-2023 budget