Local News
Community weighs cameras-in-classrooms proposal for special ed students
From left, WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger and Warren County School Board members Andrea Lo, Kristen Pence, Ralph Rinaldi, and Melanie Salins meet on July 12.
Several residents and staff from Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) addressed whether the school division should install cameras in the classrooms for students in special education during the Warren County School Board’s Wednesday, July 12 meeting.
The School Board, at its June 21 work session, discussed possibly adding cameras in preschool and special needs classrooms and recommended that WCPS staff develop a potential board policy related to cameras in the classrooms. The school division’s legal team has provided a draft policy for review by the School Board, which also considered the proposed item later during its meeting.
“I appreciate the camera discussions that I’ve had and the opportunity to speak with several teachers and several parents over the past multiple weeks since this first came up,” said Board Chair Kristen Pence on Wednesday, noting she has received “lots of varying viewpoints and really good input from everybody.”
“And that’s really what we need because when I first heard about the cameras, I, as a parent, thought that it sounded like a great idea,” Pence said. “But I didn’t see everybody’s aspect of it. And so, of course, we’re still kind of working our way through it and looking forward to some more discussion as we go through this evening and the next couple of board meetings.”
School Board Vice Chair Ralph Rinaldi and board members Andrea Lo and Melanie Salins also were present at the meeting. Board member Antoinette Funk was absent on Wednesday.
Maria O’Brien (above), a Warren County resident in the Fork District, said that as a mother of a special needs student who has challenges with communication, she supports the proposed installation and monitoring of cameras in special needs classrooms. O’Brien expressed concerns about students needing more protection from abuse, such as what occurred recently in a WCPS elementary school.
“Children with special needs, especially those whose special needs involve the ability to communicate, cannot be expected to perfectly articulate what has happened in the classroom or their interactions with teachers,” O’Brien told the School Board. “Further, they may not recognize that what has happened to them or another student is wrong, especially if it’s something that’s ongoing. They may think that they are to blame.
“So in order to protect the children, we need to have something that’s more objective than what a child is saying to a parent,” she added. “And with different situations in the home, that communication can break down at home, as well.”
O’Brien added that having cameras in these classrooms could also be helpful for teachers if they’re falsely accused or threatened by older students in the high school setting. “So I don’t think this has to be parents versus teachers,” she said. “It can be something that’s mutually beneficial.”
Sarah Griffith, a special education teacher at Skyline High School, also spoke. She is a parent of four students who have graduated from WCPS and another who is still in school and has a 504 plan, which provides services and modifications to the learning environment so the child may access an education that’s equal to what other students receive.
“I would like to let you know that a growing number of our educators are becoming concerned with the conversation surrounding these policies,” Griffith told board members. “First and foremost, we feel this is a very discriminatory policy.”
Special education students already struggle to find their voice and a place in a general education setting, said Griffith, and putting cameras in their classrooms would further segregate them from their peers.
“Students will know the cameras are there. I work in a high school. They are very bright. Even the ones that do not speak,” she said, adding that some have anxiety and myriad other issues that may hinder them from entering a classroom if they see the cameras.
Griffith also said that using the terminology “special needs classrooms” is inappropriate because these students are not contained in one classroom. “Our students are dispersed throughout the building for much of their day. So unless we’re going to put cameras in every single part of that building, I do not feel that this policy is going to protect them,” she said.
Along those same lines, Joseph Adams, chairman of the Skyline Middle School Special Education Department and the learning center coach for WCPS secondary schools, said that the way the policy is written, his classroom would be considered a self-contained special education classroom.
“Having a camera in my room, it’s fine,” Adams said. “They’re going to see me teach, they’re going to see my kids grow, and they’re going to see the amazing activities we do in my room. But at the end of the policy, it says it’s here to protect the well-being and health of special education students. Where is that protection in their science class, their history class, their electives?”
Adams said he teaches sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade special education students, some with severe cognitive impairments and some with behavioral supports, who are in 15+ different classrooms in his building.
“Where is there protection in those rooms? They’re protected for only two hours with a camera in my room, but there are five other hours in a day,” he said. “If we’re going to do this, and we’re going to adopt this… we need to make sure all the special education students are protected, and that would mean putting cameras in every single classroom… not just those that would be defined as a self-contained classroom.”
Shea Steele-Kuhn, another Warren County resident, has a son in inclusion classes in seventh grade at Skyline Middle School. She agreed with Griffith and Adams. “I want my child, who is in all classrooms, to be protected in every classroom,” she said.
Steele-Kuhn also wants to ensure that if a child in special ed has a bad day in the classroom, that footage of such incidents isn’t randomly released on the internet.
“I understand that through the policy that the principal would be privy to this information, that other parents would be privy to this information,” she said. “I did see that the photos, that their images would be blurred, but it said ‘possibly be blurred.’ It doesn’t say that it would for sure be blurred. I’m worried about my child being in a fishbowl. I don’t want my child to be in the experiment for this, and then something goes completely wrong.”
Teachers also shouldn’t feel the need to leave WCPS because they are under additional scrutiny if cameras are installed in their classrooms, said Steele-Kuhn. “I have been very blessed to have a great team for my kid’s entire life, and I’m very nervous because his pre-k teachers are no longer in the county, and I’m nervous that we’re going to lose even more amazing teachers in this county over one incident.”
Jane Baker (above), the retired principal at Blue Ridge Technical Center (BRTC), said the center has had cameras in classrooms for at least the last 15 years. “And when I say classrooms, they are in our labs, such as our automotive lab, our electricity lab, those types of classrooms, where students are using a lot of different equipment,” Baker told the board.
“What I would say is that footage is never accessed unless there is some type of accident or a reason for it to be accessed,” added Baker. “I would also say that there is more likelihood of a student’s features and whatever we want to say, whatever people are afraid of, actions and activities, being put out into the public by other students with cell phones than there are from cameras that would be in the classroom.”
BRTC serves all students in special needs or regular ed classrooms, she said and has never experienced any issues with cameras in the classrooms.
The Draft Classroom Video Surveillance Policy
Later during the School Board meeting, WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger and WCPS Assistant Superintendent of Administration George “Buck” Smith presented a draft board policy related to cameras in the classrooms known as Policy JOAA, which has been developed by the school division’s legal team.
No action was taken Wednesday on the draft proposal, which may be found here:
“This is just the first version, and since there was not a lot for our attorneys to go off of, they did pull from various areas,” Ballenger told the board. “If you notice, this policy starts out talking about pre-K and special needs classrooms, but then towards the end, it just focuses on special needs. That needs to be cleaned up, depending upon whatever direction the board wants to go. This is the first draft. This is the first shot.”
Ballenger said a survey will be sent out to help the School Board members decide how to proceed.
Actions Taken
The School Board did take action on several other agenda items and unanimously approved the following:
- The 2023-2024 Memorandum of Understanding between WCPS and Quiet Mind Psychotherapeutic Services Inc., a private agency that provides outpatient therapy and mental health services to individual students enrolled in WCPS. Fees for services are billed through individual insurances, through self-pay, or through an agreement between the company and WCPS, according to WCPS Interim Director of Special Services Shamika McDonald.
- The WCPS and Skyline CAP Contract, Warren County In-Kind Contributions, Special Education Memorandum of Understanding, and the Memorandum of Understanding between WCPS VPI and Skyline CAP Head Start. McDonald said that the agreements outline work and procedures that include the referral process, disability services, communication, and shared leadership at the local level.
- The amount of $20,668.26 to renew the PowerSchool Unified Talent Software System, which WCPS Personnel Director Jody Lee said offers a paperless solution for the application and hiring of employees and also serves as a storage location for all employee records.
- A $42,280.52 contract with Shenandoah Refrigeration Inc. of Winchester, Va., to install a new walk-in freezer at Skyline Middle School. Smith said it will be used for the school and for emergencies if another school walk-in would have a mechanical failure. “This would cut down on deliveries due to space limitations,” he said, adding that the funding for the project will come from the Food Service accounts.
- A total of $199,981 to purchase technology software and support services from several vendors that include firewall subscriptions, Microsoft licensing, a warranty for network switches, an internet filter, student self-harm monitoring, Chromebook inventory, classroom management, and network security, among other services.
- The mutual release and settlement agreement with Sodexo Operations, LLC regarding the 2022-2023 school year’s custodial services for WCPS. “Due to ambiguous wording in the original RFP and contract, a misunderstanding existed whether it was a fixed cost or a cost plus contract,” Smith explained. “Through negotiations with Sodexo, an agreement was arrived at that allowed both parties to participate equally” to split costs associated with overage services. The 2023-2024 Sodexo renewal specifies that the contract is a fixed cost contract agreed upon by both parties.
- Student fees for some classes at BRTC and at WCPS high schools. Baker said some fees increased and others stayed the same. “Some of the classes that are represented with a higher use of consumables because everything has gone up, so we had to ask for an increase in those fees,” she explained. “What I would say is that we’ve never refused a child entrance into a class when fee payment was not capable of being made by the family. So I just present those fees, which include dual enrollment, as well as the technical and career classes, as well.”
- Contract in the amount of $19,524.78 for the n2y Unique Learning System, which WCPS Special Services Deputy Director of Special Services Dena Lee said is a computer-based program designed specifically to help students with significant learning needs master their Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning (VESOL). The system provides comprehensive and current instruction, including materials for teaching and learning every core subject, plus life skills.
- A contract renewal with Public Consulting Group Inc. (PCG) totaling $43,656.00 plus an 8 percent cost settlement to be paid at the end of the school year. PCG offers services to WCPS for its IEP generator system, a program provided by the Virginia Department of Education. Lee said the program also contains Virginia IUP, IEP translation, and EdPlan Parent Connect, among other services.
- The WCPS Special Service Restructuring Plan for 2023 is designed to respond to new demands, develop more effective programs, increase accountability, and increase student services provided by the school division, said Lee. As part of the restructuring, reclassifying duties will be assigned to the previous AT/Medicaid coordinator, and stipends will be added for six staff members who will coach staff on implementing programs, Lee said.
- Adding five more days to the 200-day teacher contract at Skyline Middle School for two instructional coach contracts will cost roughly $3,000. As part of Skyline Middle School’s schedule change to a seven-period class day, two teaching positions have been reassigned as instructional coach positions that will work to support teachers with strategies for instruction, classroom management, and student-centered coaching. Instructional coaches in the division work an additional five days beyond the 200-day teacher contract, said WCPS Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Heather Bragg.
- A copier lease contract in the amount of $89,964 will be awarded to Document Solutions Inc.
Speed cameras in school zones
Prior to the community participation portion of the School Board’s meeting, Front Royal Police Department Chief Kahle Magalis came to the podium to answer any questions from board members regarding speed camera enforcement.
The topic is being discussed by the Front Royal Town Council, Magalis said, and he wanted to answer any questions the School Board members might have.
“The Town Council is still batting it around, deciding which way they want to go with it,” he said, “but I understand that there are more questions, and I’d be happy to answer any of those.”
In comparison, Chair Pence said that School Board members are a different audience, and they wanted to hear about the potential for speed cameras being erected in several school zones.
“And just so parents and our community members can be aware of which school zones we’re talking about, we’d like a brief synopsis,” she said.
Magalis said the department has decided on locating the cameras at four locations: Skyline Middle School, Ressie Jeffries Elementary School, A.S. Rhodes Elementary School, and on Leach Run for Warren County Middle School.
“We weren’t going to try to do all of them at one time. We figured we’d start with the four where we kind of have the most issues that we typically see. Some of the bigger roads with the higher speed limit more frequently traveled roads,” the chief explained.
He added that a speed study was done in which five days’ worth of data was collected — from four days when school was in session and one day when school was not in session.
“The numbers were fairly, I wouldn’t say shocking, I’m not shocked by it, but I think a lot of people probably would be,” Magalis said. “I get complaints about speed in town every day. And a lot of those speed complaints typically come from people who’ve witnessed this in school zones, and of course, they’re concerned over children. So we looked at it, and this [solution] seemed to make the most sense for us.”
Once a contracted company sets up the cameras, tickets would be generated for speeds in excess of 10 miles per hour. “I don’t think it’s really asking that much to slow down 10 miles per hour for a quarter of a mile,” said Magalis. “At that point, if you were going to be late for something, you were going to be late anyway.”
Magalis said the topic has never been about generating revenue for the police department, and if there is a violation, it’s vetted by a front-row police officer who actually has to go through and look at the camera footage. The speed measurement equipment is calibrated every 35 minutes and is validated twice a year. And it’s the same technology that local police officers use in their cars when they’re writing tickets, he said.
It’s also a civil penalty if a person is caught speeding. They would be fined $100, the violation doesn’t count against a person’s license, and there are no points associated with it, he said. “It’s not even a criminal traffic violation,” he said. “It’s a civil thing.”
There would be no costs for WCPS related to an outside company coming in and setting up and operating the cameras, Magalis added.
Watch the School Board Meeting of July 12th on this exclusive Royal Examiner video.
Local News
VDOT: Warren County Traffic Alert for May 20 – 24, 2024
The following is a list of highway work that may affect traffic in Warren County during the coming weeks. Scheduled work is subject to change due to inclement weather and material supplies. Motorists are advised to watch for slow-moving tractors during mowing operations. When traveling through a work zone, be alert to periodic changes in traffic patterns and lane closures.
*NEW* or *UPDATE* indicates a new or revised entry since last week’s report.
INTERSTATE 66
Mile marker 0 to 7, eastbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through May 31.
*NEW* Mile marker 2 to 1, westbound – Overnight right lane closures for pavement patching, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. through Thursday night.
*NEW* Mile marker 9 to 7, westbound – Right shoulder closures for sign work, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
*UPDATE* Mile marker 11 to 12, eastbound and westbound – Left lane closures for Route 647 (Dismal Hollow Road) bridge inspection, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.
INTERSTATE 81
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through May 31.
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound and southbound –Overnight lane closures and traffic-lane shifts as needed, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. through December 2024. Shoulder closures 24/7. Work zone speed limit: 55 miles an hour. Work is related to southbound acceleration ramp extension and bridge widening, with estimated completion in late 2024.
PRIMARY ROADS
No lane closures were reported.
SECONDARY ROADS
Route 658 (Rockland Road) – Closed to through traffic between Route 340/522 (Winchester Road) and Route 705 (Fishnet Boulevard) for the construction of a bridge over Norfolk Southern Railway. Estimated completion: December 2025
Vegetation management may take place district-wide on various routes. Motorists are reminded to use extreme caution when traveling through work zones.
Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511 or at www.511Virginia.org.
Local News
Warren County School Board Deep Dives into WCPS 2024-2025 Budget Needs
Potential employee raises aren’t the only thing being considered by the Warren County School Board as it continues developing the 2024-2025 budget for Warren County Public Schools (WCPS), which has several areas of both immediate and future needs.
From left to right: School Board members Andrea Lo, Antoinette Funk, Kristen Pence, and Melanie Salins during their Wednesday, May 15 meeting and work session.
During the work session portion of its four-hour May 15 meeting, School Board Chair Kristen Pence, Vice Chair Antoinette Funk, and members Andrea Lo and Melanie Salins heard from WCPS staff about exactly what is needed for the next school year and beyond to help successfully educate the school division’s roughly 5,000 students. Board member Tom McFadden, Jr., was absent.
WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger pointed out to the School Board that everything from the teacher salaries to the health insurance, janitorial services, technology increases, math screener, substitutes, playground mulch, additional staffing, and buses, are currently driving the 2024-2025 budget.
Some highlights of specific needs for WCPS during the upcoming school year and included in its 2021-2026 comprehensive plan are:
Teachers
In addition to discussing the additional costs associated with raising the salaries for teachers, instructional assistants, and other employees, WCPS staff talked about adding more teachers and/or extending contracts.
For example, WCPS Personnel Director Jody Lee (pictured above) said the agriculture teaching position should be increased from a 10-month to 11-month contract. Agriculture classes are growing in size, he said, as are ag teachers’ responsibilities, which pretty much have extended over 12 months, despite them having 10-month contracts. WCPS also could benefit from adding another ag teacher position, according to staff.
“Most of your ag teachers are going to be 11- or 12-month employees because they do stuff over the summer time, and so this would not take away from needing [an]other position,” said Lee. “This is just something that needs to happen because they’re working over the summer and with their stipend that they receive that should only cover the extra hours during the school year not just for the summer as well.”
Ballenger agreed, adding that if the school division gets a Land Lab — which in Virginia provides agriculture students with hands-on opportunities to gain on-farm experience — it will have animals that need to be taken care of on a daily basis, all year long.
“So as the [ag] program grows, you’re going to see that we need to compensate for ag teachers’ time,” he said. “And it’s just what needs to be done.”
In other teacher-related areas, School Board members also again discussed a proposed 3 percent salary increase plus a step for teachers and instructional assistants, as well as a proposed 3 percent increase inclusive with a step for all other roles.
The Warren County Board of Supervisors, which funds a big chunk of the WCPS budget, has publicly said it supports such raises.
Substitute teachers
The current debate is whether to outsource the process for hiring subs or to bring the system in-house. At its meeting on Wednesday, the School Board did not decide which route to take but weighed recommendations from WCPS staff.
Currently, Educational Solution Services (ESS) is contracted by the division to hire substitutes but there have been complaints from teachers, substitutes, and even board members about the company.
Lee said he and Kendall Poe, deputy director of human resources and finance for WCPS, formed a committee to analyze the situation and make a recommendation to the School Board.
For outsourcing, they put together a request for proposal and received information from six companies. After narrowing the list down to three companies (EduStaff, Kelly Education, and ESS), Lee said the committee decided that WCPS should continue using ESS.
Among the reasons why, Lee said, are the comfort level of working with ESS, a long-time contracted company; ESS will provide a new absence management system and an on-site representative; ESS also offers nurse subs, an area of need for WCPS; and the costs were, while higher than the current budget, roughly about the same markup for all three companies.
“Kendall and I would also like a fair opportunity to make the corrections that we know we could have done a better job on our part and ESS is owned up to and is willing to do their part to make the partnership work,” said Lee, referring to complaints levied against ESS.
“I think there’s things on our end that we need to do better and I would like the opportunity to do that,” he said. “We know what we need to do now. We know how we can manage this better and give our principals direct contact with a representative that’s going to be in our building every single day and can help fill those short notice call-ins or whatever the case may be.”
“I’m disappointed that this committee was apparently tone deaf to the fact that ESS has really just dropped the ball repeatedly,” said Salins, who supports bringing the sub hiring system in-house.
Technology
WCPS Interim Technology Director Doug Stefnoski, who also coordinates instructional technology, explained why his department is requesting a $600,000 increase in the budget.
“I just wanted to point out that even though the narrative that we’ve been talking about is to use this cash to buy PCs because of the security upgrade that we discussed previously, that this is not really about just a one-time expense,” Stefnoski said. “I wanted to talk about the reasons why I’m asking this to be a permanent increase to our budget.”
Stefnoski (pictured above) said that the division’s current technology needs have already exceeded what’s been allocated, while unfunded needs from the previous school year were pushed onto this year’s budget.
“Long story short,” he said, “these expenses got us in the red already.”
And while WCPS does get funding from the federal E-Rate program — which is a discount program, not a grant that allows it to make technology-related purchases — the school division is required to have a 30 percent match.
“This is something that we rely on for purchasing a lot of our internet equipment, also for paying our internet bills,” Stefnoski explained to board members. “So, in my opinion, to not be able to have the funds to match this is basically throwing money away.”
And when he said that WCPS needs PCs, Stefnoski explained that “it’s really a function of we don’t have enough funds in this particular cost center to be able to develop an appropriate refresh schedule so that we can plan out our expenses over a longer period of time.”
Right now, he added, WCPS is “functioning in the emergency mode trying to get the $600,000 to cover the PC needs we have now, but that would only take care of our current need for that. We still have other needs.”
For example, WCPS must consider having a regular Chromebooks turnover schedule, as well as battery backups, wireless access points, and switches. And while some of this can be funded through the E-Rate program, the division still needs to have the funds in there to be able to develop a plan for that, he said.
“And in some cases, some of these things are not a guarantee that we would get the funding,” said Stefnoski, adding that rising costs are another consideration.
“So, if we’re just level funded in this cost center, then next year we’re already gonna be further in the hole because we don’t have enough to cover just the inflated costs for some of these programs that we use,” he said. “I want to say we don’t have enough to cover what we’re already trying to meet for the school needs. So we do need a larger budget for technology.”
“You’re just catching up and putting band-aids on things you’re working on?” asked Pence.
“Yes,” said Stefnoski. “I mean, these guys here, the techs, they’re the MacGyvers, the magicians, the mavericks. They’re holding stuff together with bubble gum and duct tape to make things work. But at some point, we need to be able to get the equipment that we need for our teachers and our students to do their jobs.”
Other expenses related to the proposed technology department budget increase include laptop upgrades, hardware purchases, and increased security (i.e. cybersecurity, data security, and physical security, such as cameras and speakers).
“I really can’t underestimate how bad that can be for a school system if you don’t have appropriate security in place,” Stefnoski said. “We do have a great team working towards making sure we have a secure system, but anything we can do for that would help.”
Future needs
As part of its 2021-2026 comprehensive plan, WCPS staff also spotlighted some future needs for consideration, including a higher starting pay rate for incoming custodians to stop the high turnover rates; school bus replacements, expanded bus routes, and higher fuel costs; rising preventative facilities maintenance costs; and recruiting, employing, and retaining highly qualified staff, among other areas.
Work continues
Nothing in the 2024-2025 budget is a done deal yet, according to WCPS Finance Director Robert Ballentine, who said the Virginia General Assembly recently approved the state’s budget and WCPS will wait, along with the Warren County supervisors, to see how that plays out locally.
“I’m anxious to see exactly what that means,” said Ballentine (pictured above). “I don’t know if there’s going to be more money or less money or maybe it’ll be exactly the same as we’ve built into what we’ve done up to this point. But that could affect things either in a positive or negative way.”
And the County also hasn’t yet voted on its budget, which includes funding for WCPS.
“We don’t have a final budget,” Pence said, “so I think it’s appropriate for us to talk about the things that we can do and what we can do with some of the extra asks and needs that we’ve had. I mean, ultimately we still need to put forth the budget that we need. Everybody seems to agree on the teacher increases. Everybody agrees on the teacher additions, that we need a reading specialist, and the ag teacher.”
“I’d like to make sure we keep the four reading specialists because I think that’s just a non-negotiable,” added Funk.
Video by Mark Williams, Royal Examiner.
Local News
School Board Accepts New Scholarship Honoring Former Warren County High School Student
A new scholarship accepted with gratitude by the Warren County School Board at its May 15 meeting honors a former high school student who passed away last summer.
School Board members Chair Kristen Pence, Vice Chair Antoinette Funk, and members Andrea Lo and Melanie Salins voted 4-0 to accept the new scholarship opportunity that begins with the Class of 2024 at Warren County High School in the amount of $500. Board member Tom McFadden, Jr., was absent.
Called For the Love of Josh Scholarship, the award honors Joshua Braden Lillard, who died by suicide on August 19, 2023. He was a senior at Warren County High School.
Dorothy Hicks, above at the podium, presents the For the Love of Josh Scholarship to the School Board on May 15 in honor of her son, Josh Lillard. WCPS Assistant Superintendent Heather Bragg stands nearby.
Since Josh’s death, his mother, Dorothy Hicks, told the School Board that a big part of her family came together and formed a nonprofit organization, also called For the Love of Josh.
“We want to support other teens and give to other teens, plus much more,” she said. “We greatly appreciate all of the community, especially Warren County, for everything that they have done for me and my family and for Josh. They were there for me before he did this and tried to help me with him.”
Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Heather Bragg thanked Josh’s family “for their time, contribution, and support of Warren County High School graduates.”
In other action during the board’s meeting on Wednesday, the Warren County School Board approved changes to Codes GDBD-R Support Staff Leave and Absences, and GCBD-R Professional Staff Leave and Absences to reflect the school division’s sick leave payout incentive.
Originally presented during the board’s March 20 meeting, this was the third and final reading of the teacher and instructional assistant sick leave payout incentive changes, according to WCPS Personnel Director Jody Lee.
Specifically, regarding the Support Staff Leave and Absences, instructional assistants in WCPS will be eligible to opt in to receive payment of unused sick leave. The eligibility requirements include: having a sick leave minimum balance of 31 days at the beginning of the school year; balance requirements of a minimum of 30 days after payout; a payout minimum of one day with a maximum of 10 days; and an opt-in form completed by August 31, according to the code change.
“Eligible instructional assistants will receive $50 per unused sick day at the end of the current school year in July,” said Lee, who clarified that the changes will be in effect for the next school year, not during the 2023-2024 school year.
Then, regarding Professional Staff Leave and Absences, sick leave payout will be available for: qualified classroom teachers in pre-K through 12th grade, special education teachers, ELL teachers, and athletic trainers, said Lee, adding that these listed qualified teachers are eligible to opt in to receive payment of unused sick leave.
Eligibility requirements, according to the code change, include: a sick leave minimum balance of 31 days at the start of the school year; balance requirements minimum 30 days after payout; payout minimum of one day and a max of 10 days; and a completed opt-in form by August 31.
Eligible qualified teachers will receive $100 per unused sick day at the end of the school year in July, said Lee, again clarifying that this is for the next school year.
Lee also provided payout leave examples. For instance, an instructional assistant would bring home $32.30 for one day leave paid; would bring home $161.50 for five days leave paid; and would bring home $323 for 10 days leave paid.
Meanwhile, teachers would bring home $64.60 for one day leave paid; $323 for five days leave paid; and $646 for 10 days leave paid.
On Wednesday the board also held a work session, which the Royal Examiner also covered in another story. The School Board’s next regular meeting will be held on June 5.
Video by Mark Williams, Royal Examiner.
Local News
E. Wilson Morrison Early Act Club Spearheads Pre-Memorial Day Remembrance
On Thursday, May 16, the Early Act students at E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School (EWM) held their third annual pre-Memorial Day ceremony, paying tribute to those from Warren County and their country who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
The school choir, “The Bobcat Chorus,” led by EWM Choir Director Thomas Hassett, sang the National Anthem. The Early Act students and guests planted American Flags along the school’s sidewalk to remind their classmates and visitors to the school as Memorial Day approaches May 27th of the deep respect the EWM family possesses for those who have given their all and their family members.
Royal Examiner thanks Early Act sponsor Michael Williams for alerting us to this event and for his photo assistance, which was credited.
The EWM main entrance-way got a Memorial Day is approaching makeover Thursday afternoon, May 16. See scenes from that Memorial Day Tribute below. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini — Photo 2 Courtesy Michael Williams
Students prepare as ‘The Bobcat Chorus’ led by Choir Director Thomas Hassett presents the National Anthem. Photos Courtesy Michael Williams
Chamber News
Service Title LLC: A New Chapter Begins with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
Community leaders and local business owners gathered to celebrate the grand opening of Service Title LLC’s new location. The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked a significant milestone for Christy Heflin, Raymond Heflin, and their partner Kellea Shaney.
Nike Foster, Executive Director of the Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce, kicked off the event by expressing enthusiasm for the new venture. Chamber President Byron Biggs and Front Royal Mayor Lori Cockrell shared their support and admiration for the team.
“Thank you, everybody, for being here today. We’re so excited to help cut the ribbon on this new venture,” Foster said. Biggs added, “I’ve known Christy and Ray for a while, and they are wonderful with their clients and the community. We’re glad to have them in our community.”
Mayor Cockrell reminisced about the building’s history and her long-standing relationship with the Heflins. “I’ve known Christy and Raymond for a long time. They are great people and business people who do a lot for our community. Congratulations on this new venture.”
Christy Heflin expressed her gratitude to the crowd, saying, “We’re excited about this new space and look forward to many years to come.”
After the ceremony, publisher Mike McCool spoke with Christy, Raymond, and Kellea about the new Service Title LLC. “We are a full-service settlement agency, providing title insurance and handling all kinds of real estate settlements,” Christy explained. “Kellea works on the title binders and commitments, and Raymond and I work with clients at the settlement table.”
Raymond Heflin highlighted their extensive experience in the industry. “We’re also lenders with Alcova Mortgage and hold real estate licenses with Brenda Morris of Morris & Company Realty. This new venture is a different side of the business for us.”
Kellea Shaney, who has been with Service Title since it opened in 2009, expressed her excitement about the new chapter. “I’m excited to be continuing my job with Raymond and Christy. It’s great to serve people on this side of the business.”
Service Title LLC serves the state of Virginia and is working on obtaining a license for West Virginia. The company aims to provide a seamless and efficient real estate transaction experience for bankers, brokers, agents, or private individuals.
The community’s support for Service Title LLC’s new venture was evident, reflecting the company’s longstanding relationships and reputation for excellence. As the real estate market continues to evolve, Service Title LLC is well-positioned to offer comprehensive real estate services in the valley.
For more information about Service Title LLC, contact Kellea Shaney, Senior Title Insurance Underwriter and Settlement Processor, at kellea@servicetitlellc.com.
Local News
Warren County Board of Supervisors Advocates for Teacher Raises in Upcoming Budget
The Warren County Board of Supervisors (WCBOS) has strongly supported prioritizing teacher raises in the Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) budget for the 2025 fiscal year. The Board is advocating for a budget that accommodates a 3% raise for teachers, including step increases and hiring an additional agriculture teacher at Skyline High School.
John Stanmeyer, Shenandoah District Supervisor, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “I think we have found some great solutions that allow the School Board to provide their employees what is needed while also addressing the funding challenges we have faced throughout the County.”
Chery Cullers, the Warren County Board of Supervisors Chairperson, echoed this sentiment, expressing optimism about resolving the budget challenges. “I’m excited to see these funding challenges come to a close with priorities on public safety and teacher salaries as we resolve this upcoming budget season,” Cullers remarked.
The WCBOS has requested that the School Board prioritize these labor-related increases over any non-labor expenditures. This collaborative effort between the WCBOS and the WCPS School Board aims to finalize a balanced budget that addresses the needs of teachers and enhances the quality of education in Warren County.
As the budget planning continues, both boards are committed to working together to ensure that the final budget supports the community’s educational priorities and financial well-being.
Stay tuned to the Royal Examiner and the Warren County government website for more updates on the budget discussions and decisions.
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