School board elects 2020 chairman; new members’ tenures begin

Arnold Williams Jr. (center) on Monday took his seat as the new chairman of the Warren County School Board flanked by fellow School Board members James Wells (left) and Catherine Bower (right). All photos by Kim Riley.

The Warren County School Board during its January 6 meeting elected Arnold Williams Jr. the new chairman for 2020 while two new board members took their seats at the dais for the first time.
“It’s extremely an honor to be chosen as the chairman,” Williams told reporters during an interview that followed the board’s Monday night organizational meeting. “I hope I can carry forward what past chairmen have done for the school system because it’s all about the children.”

Williams replaces long-time School Board member Catherine Bower, who previously served as chairman for the last six years. On Monday, Bower was unanimously elected as the board’s new vice chairman.

Also sitting at the dais to begin their four-year terms were new School Board members Kristen Pence, representing the South River District, and Ralph Rinaldi, representing the Shenandoah District. Both were elected in November 2019.

Returning School Board member James Wells, who represents the Happy Creek District, also was present at Monday’s meeting, which included two closed sessions — one prior to the meeting and one held after the meeting. No announcements were made following either closed session.

All together now. The 2020 members of the Warren County School Board are (from right front) Ralph Rinaldi, Kristen Pence, Catherine Bower, Arnold Williams Jr., and James Wells.

Moving forward, School Board Chairman Williams said the School Board’s biggest challenge this year is finding a new superintendent. The role is currently being filled by Interim Superintendent Melody Sheppard, who replaced her former boss, Greg Drescher.

Drescher, who served as Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) superintendent for the last five years of a 37-year career in education, took early retirement effective January 1 to be home with his ill wife, while at the same time being confronted with possible involvement in the ongoing Front Royal Warren County Economic Development Authority (EDA) financial scandal.

While serving as WCPS superintendent, Drescher simultaneously served on the EDA Board of Directors, as chairman in 2017-2018 when the EDA fiasco started to unfold. He stepped down from the EDA board in March 2019 and in mid-September 2019 was indicted by a special grand jury along with 13 other former and current Warren County public officials on two misdemeanor counts of misfeasance and one count of nonfeasance. The charges against the defendants were dropped in October 2019 when a Warren County Circuit Court Judge declared that both misfeasance and nonfeasance were not crimes in the State of Virginia, but the investigation is ongoing.

Upon Drescher’s departure from WCPS, Sheppard moved up from her position as WCPS Assistant Superintendent and has seamlessly maintained business as usual, both for the school system and for the Warren County School Board, which now starts the process to find a permanent replacement.

“Our biggest challenge is getting a new superintendent,” Williams told reporters on Monday. “But I think we’re in a good spot. We’re at the beginning of the new year so we’ve got time to look and not be rushed.”

A new superintendent likely won’t be hired until later this year or even in early 2021, Williams added.

In addition to that challenge, Williams said the School Board faces two other top priorities: ensuring the renovation of A.S. Rhodes Elementary School is completed successfully and retaining a strong and qualified teacher workforce with improved salaries.

“We just need the retention of schoolteachers. In any business you’re in, turnover will kill you,” said Williams, who explained that compared to surrounding school systems, Warren County’s teacher pay scale falls short, resulting in increased numbers of teachers leaving after roughly the five-year mark.

In May 2019, the School Board approved a pay increase after the school district’s 2019-2020 budget was approved by the Warren County Board of Supervisors (BOS), specifically for teachers and other staff members having 11 years to 25 years of experience. The pay raise is part of phase one of the School Board’s three-phase plan to increase the pay scales for WCPS teachers so that they’re competitive with surrounding school districts, Williams said.

Williams also said that he’s hopeful for additional pay increases once the BOS approves a requested second step pay increase for teachers as part of the three-phase plan. “We’ll get there, one way or another,” he said.

In addition to the chairman and vice chairman elections of Williams and Bower, respectively, School Board members also voted unanimously to reappoint Robert Ballentine as the 2020 clerk of the School Board. Ballentine, who first served as deputy clerk from July 2001 through June 2007, has been the School Board’s clerk since July 1, 2007. Ballentine is also director of finance for WCPS.

Four other appointments also were unanimously approved by School Board members during their organizational meeting:

1.) George R. Smith, Jr. as deputy clerk of the Warren County School Board for a term beginning January 1, 2020 and ending December 31, 2020. Smith is also WCPS director of personnel;

2.) School Board member Pence as School Board representative on the Mountain Vista Governor’s School Board;

3.) School Board members Williams and Rinaldi as Building Committee representatives; and

4.) Smith also as designee to attend School Board meetings in the absence of the division superintendent.

Several Action Agenda items were unanimously approved, as well.

First, School Board members approved the 2020 School Board meeting calendar, which sets meetings on the first Wednesday of each month beginning at 7 p.m. and the third Wednesday of each month beginning at 5 p.m., except during July and December, when meetings are scheduled only for the first Wednesday of the month. The meeting normally scheduled for Wednesday, November 18, 2020 has been moved to Tuesday, November 17, 2020 to avoid conflict with the Annual Virginia School Boards Association Convention.

Next, the members unanimously adopted two resolutions — one authorizing payment of bills in emergency situations and in months with only one School Board meeting; the other authorizing the payment of compensation for all employees and school bus operators under written contract and of all other employees whose rates of pay have been established by the school board and “for whom certified time sheets or other evidence of services performed have been received,” according to the agenda.

Additionally, the board authorized advertisement for a public hearing on the fiscal year 2021 budget at the February 5, 2020 School Board meeting. If that meeting must be cancelled due to inclement weather, for instance, the public hearing would be held Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at 7 p.m. in the School Board Administrative Building.

Lastly, School Board members approved a new copier lease for the Warren County School Board Office. The 36-month lease — which calls for payments of $699 per month for a total contract cost of $25,164 or $8,388 per year — replaces the previous copier lease that expired in December 2019, said WCPS Technology Director Timothy Grant.

Finally, the School Board accepted what Chairman Williams called “a greatly appreciated” $1,500-donation from the Cedarville Ruritan to WCPS elementary school nurse clinics to purchase any necessary supplies.

The Warren County School Board’s next regular meeting and work session will be on Wednesday, January 15 at 5 p.m. in the Warren County Government Center board room.

Warren County School Board members and staff start the new year. From left: Interim Superintendent Melody Sheppard; South River District School Board Member Kristen Pence; Happy Creek District School Board Member James Wells; Chairman Arnold Williams Jr., representing North River District; Vice Chairman Catherine Bower, representing Fork District; Shenandoah District School Board Member Ralph Rinaldi; and Robert Ballentine, School Board clerk and WCPS director of finance.