School Board approves WCPS spending requests; receives updates on drug testing, health insurance coverage

The Warren County School Board on Wednesday, November 4, approved requests from Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) to spend more federal pandemic-relief funds awarded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act totaling more than $349,000.

School Board members also learned from WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger that the school division on October 30 sent its termination letter for The Local Choice, the current health insurance provider through Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, which is locked in contract negotiations with regional medical provider Valley Health.

WCPS also “is ready to have a request for proposal for other insurance providers to be posted by November 6,” Ballenger told School Board members during the meeting. “So, we will start moving through that process and see where it lands.”

During his superintendent report, Ballenger also provided “a clarification” regarding a potential random drug testing program being implemented for the 2021-2022 school year.

“There have been some questions about drug testing in the schools. Right now, Warren County Public Schools does not have a drug testing program. We do not have a policy in place. We do not have a program in place,” Ballenger said.

During the School Board’s previous meeting on October 21, Ballenger requested that two board members serve on a committee to evaluate and to develop a possible plan. School Board members Catherine Bower and Ralph Rinaldi volunteered to serve on the committee, and the board voted unanimously to accept their membership on the committee. Other members are also being sought, according to the superintendent.

“If there’s anything to come up from that committee, that would not be implemented until next year after the board would have to, of course, approve it and give time for public comment on such a policy,” said Ballenger. “I just wanted to clarify that we do not have a drug-testing policy in place, but we are going to review one and we can develop one for our school system.”

The School Board members acted on several items related to WCPS spending of CARES Act funds. The board — including School Board Chairman Arnold Williams Jr., and members Kristen Pence, James Wells, Bower, and Rinaldi — unanimously approved (contingent on available funds) all the requested expenditures, which included:

• $200,835.18 for K-5 math textbooks. WCPS Director of Elementary Instruction Lisa Rudacille, who made the WCPS request, said the pandemic has increased the school division’s need for virtual tools to best serve its students. Based on teacher and administrator feedback, she said WCPS opted to adopt the Go Math! series published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for kindergarten through fifth grades.
• $72,775.64 to purchase a one-year digital add-on for AP Physics and Environmental Science and a seven-year digital license for Biology and Chemistry. “Due to the potential for additional funding through CARES, and increased emphasis on virtual instruction and virtual resources, we would like to add a digital component for students taking AP Physics and Environmental Science for one year,” said WCPS Director of Secondary Instruction Alan Fox. “Additionally, we would like to purchase a seven-year digital license for Virginia Miller and Levine Biology and a seven-year digital license for Pearson Chemistry. The Biology and Chemistry purchase also include a class set of textbooks.”
• $75,468 to purchase network firewalls. “Warren County recently increased our network bandwidth to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps),” explained WCPS Technology Director Timothy Grant. “In order for WCPS to make full use of the increased bandwidth, we need to purchase new firewalls for our network.” The purchase price includes a spare firewall, as well.

Ballenger also reported that newly ordered tablets for pre-K and kindergarten students are in and have been distributed so these students will have a technology reboot November 9-13. Chromebooks should arrive on Friday, November 6, and they will be distributed next week, so grades one through five will have a reboot November 16-20. Reboots are to get everyone up to speed on the new devices and Schoology program being used online.

The superintendent also said that the division is “moving quickly through” its coronavirus relief funds and has purchased virtual textbooks and hardcovers that are currently being distributed and has ordered temperature scanners and camera support.

Some sample scanners were onsite during the School Board meeting, with one located at the front door of the Government Center and another in the meeting room. The scanners may be used as a standalone item or on a bus. “These can help with allowing a lot of people to come in [the school buildings] at one time,” said Ballenger, noting that more temperatures can be scanned using these tools compared to using a hand-held thermometer. “And because it’s getting a little colder, standing outside and taking temperatures will not be any fun,” he said.

The Virginia High School Leagues (VHSL) released mitigation guidelines for return to participation, reported Ballenger, and schools are now working through them to develop a plan. “We had our first meeting today with athletic directors to discuss what we can and cannot do and they’re working with the other schools within our district to come up with some uniform guidelines that maybe they could all adhere to,” said Ballenger. “But it’s going to be different at each site, I can tell you that right now.” Final plans will be sent to parents as soon as possible, he added.

Ballenger also recognized three Warren County School Board members with awards from the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA), which annually recognizes school board members for their dedication, time, and hard work through the VSBA School Academy. He recognized and presented the VSBA awards to Vice Chairwoman Bower and member Wells, who earned the Certificate of Recognition, and to Chairman Williams, who earned a Certificate of Achievement.

Additionally, Ballenger highlighted two national awards presented by The College Board to local student Gabriel Smith, a Skyline High School senior who received both the 2021 African American Scholar Award for Excellence in Academic Achievement and the 2020-2021 Rural and Small Town Scholar Award for Excellence in Academic Achievement. Smith received both awards at SHS on October 23, said Ballenger, who added, “This is an outstanding accomplishment for Gabe and for Skyline High School.”

In other news, WCPS Assistant Superintendent Melody Sheppard presented the proposed 2021-2022 school year calendar for the board’s consideration. “The assumption for next year is that school will be normal,” Sheppard said. “We are hoping that is going to be the case — the power of positive thinking.”

Developed by committee with at least one representative from each school, key information regarding the proposed calendar is listed below.

• July 27, new teachers arrive, while veteran teachers would return on August 3, 2021.
• August 10, 2021 – First Day of School
• September 6, 2021 – Labor Day holiday
• October 8, 2021 – End of 1st Advisory
• October 11, 2021 – Professional Development Day
• November 2, 2021 – Professional Development Day on Election Day
• November 11, 2021 – Holiday Veterans Day
• November 22 – 26, 2021 – Fall Break – This would be new because attendance on that Tuesday and Wednesday drops off significantly, Sheppard said. However, employees working a 250-day calendar still would be required to work or request vacation time off for those days.
• December 21, 2021 – End of 2nd Advisory/1st Semester (87 days in 1st semester)
• December 22, 2021 – January 4, 2022– Winter Break for Students
• December 22, 2021 – January 2, 2022 – Winter Break for Staff
• January 17, 2022 – Holiday
• February 7 and 8, 2022 – Professional Development Days
• February 21, 2022 – Holiday
• March 14, 2022 – End of 3rd Advisory
• March 21 – March 25, 2022 – Spring Break
• April 15 – April 18, 2022 – Holiday
• April 29, 2022 – Professional Development Day
• May 30, 2022 – Holiday
• June 9, 2022 – Last Day of School
• June 10, 2022 – Professional Development Day

In total, the proposed calendar has six built-in weather make-up days, Sheppard said, and students would not be in school for more than 180 days. “If we do not miss six days due to weather, the days will be taken from the end of the school year,” she added.

Wednesday night was the first reading of the proposed 2021-2022 school calendar. The second reading and discussion will be during the School Board’s November 17 meeting and the recommendation for approval will be at the December 2 meeting. The board meets next this month on a Tuesday because of a conflicting conference that falls on its regularly scheduled Wednesday night meetings.

Watch the rest of the meeting to hear from principals at Diversified Minds/Brighter Futures and the Blue Ridge Technical Center, who reported on some of the events happening at their WCPS centers during this first quarter of the 2020-2021 school year.