Aug. 17 school start date approved; WCPS to offer virtual learning academy

The Warren County School Board at its Wednesday, May 19 meeting and work session unanimously voted to change this year’s school start date to August 17 for Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) and learned that WCPS will move forward with plans to create an online learning academy to start this fall.

School Board members — including Board Chairman Arnold Williams Jr., and board members Kristen Pence, Ralph Rinaldi, and James Wells, with Board Vice Chairwoman Catherine Bower absent — approved a revised 2021-2022 school calendar that reflects changes made by WCPS administrators in response to concerns raised by parents and division employees.

The changes move the first day of school from Aug. 7 to Aug. 17 and the last day from June 9, 2022, to June 3, 2022. The board will consider the draft school calendar for the 2022-2023 academic year at its next meeting on June 5, according to Assistant Superintendent for Administration Melody Sheppard.

Assistant Superintendent for Administration Melody Sheppard reviews the school calendar with the School Board.

During the School Board’s work session portion of the meeting, WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger said that the school division is working to establish an in-house virtual academy for students in grades 3-12. No vote or action was taken by the board as this was just a discussion with the superintendent about plans for the program. Once the details are worked out, the plan will be submitted to the School Board for action.

Because WCPS has “a lot of students who maybe weren’t successful in a brick-and-mortar but who have been very successful” with online learning during the altered pandemic school schedule, Ballenger said the school division would like to offer a virtual academy or some type of virtual learning option for students during the upcoming school year and possibly beyond.

“We want to make sure as educators that all of our students are successful,” Ballenger told the School Board members. “So, do we want to shut down this opportunity for that student or that group of students who struggle in the classroom with their peers, but they have been online and thrived?”

Ballenger said that most schools across the Commonwealth will offer a virtual component during the upcoming 2021-2022 school year, and there is also an existing online learning program offered by the Virginia Education Department entitled Virtual Virginia for grades 6-12. “Virtual learning is here to stay,” he said.

The cost difference between Virtual Virginia and a WCPS-developed virtual academy would cost a little more to do as more staff would be needed, for instance, “but not by a lot,” Ballenger said, adding that it would cost WCPS $3,600 per elementary school student and $175 per secondary school student for each ½ credit for a semester. Developing such a virtual learning program is not in the budget, Ballenger pointed out, but neither is Virtual Virginia. “That would be an extra cost coming out-of-state aid,” the superintendent said.

“If it costs a little more, then that’s okay,” commented School Board Chairman Williams. “It’s the cost of doing business. And our business is educating our children.”

And there’s already community interest in a WCPS virtual learning offering, said Ballenger, who cited a WCPS survey showing that of the current number of students enrolled, 71 elementary school students are interested in virtual learning; 53 students in grades 6-8 are interested, and 84 students in grades 9-12 are interested.

Likewise, WCPS reached out to home-instruction parents and 42 elementary school students are interested; 21 at the middle school level are interested, and 24 at the high school level are interested, said Ballenger.

Ballenger said that in addition to a WCPS virtual learning program or Virtual Virginia, there is a third option: “We can do nothing and make everyone just come back to school,” he said. “And there are students who we would lose by not offering virtual learning.”

“Personally, the do-nothing [option] — that’s off the table as far as I’m concerned,” Williams said. “Virtual Virginia? Yeah, that’s nice, but I’d much rather it be us because this is our community. It would be so much more personable to have it in-house.”

Board member Wells agreed and said WCPS should “take the leap and see what it can do with a virtual learning academy.” Rinaldi also was on board with the plan and asked if students from other counties would be able to transfer to the WCPS program. Ballenger said yes.

“We will work on this plan over the next few months,” said Ballenger, noting that details will be worked out regarding the program’s total cost, the number of teachers needed, course work, the overall process, etc., and then he will present it to the board.

“I feel it’s important to offer this virtual component not just next year but beyond. This is something that I think is sustainable. This is something that I think is needed, especially within Warren County, and I think we can provide a good quality program and give the students and families what they need,” said the superintendent.

Other actions taken
The School Board took other actions earlier during its meeting and unanimously approved several other items, including:

• The purchase by WCPS of new security equipment in the amount of $208,500;

• The annual $18,765.30 fee for the WCPS Human Resources Department to continue use of the Unified Talent’s applicant tracking, records, contracts and job board software as part of its management system;

• Three contract awards. An $80,200 contract to Vertex Roofing Inc. to replace the shingle roof on the gymnasium at Skyline High School; a $32,052 contract to John Lake Paving Inc. to resurface the asphalt for the bus loop at A.S. Rhodes Elementary School; and a $41,142.70 contract to The Gordian Group to perform the necessary concrete replacement to the stairs and sidewalk at Skyline Middle School; and

• Two memorial scholarships. The Shell Harris Memorial Fund scholarship, which is awarded to a Warren County or Skyline high school student who wishes to pursue a career in the arts, design, or creating writing, and the Faye Smoot Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a volunteer serving his or her community.
Board members also accepted with gratitude a $16,400 check from Giant-subsidiary Martin’s that will be used toward food services for WCPS students.