School Board Reviews Food Services Successes, Special Education Funding at Work Session

The Warren County School Board’s April 23 work session showcased major progress across student nutrition and special education programs, highlighting both the daily work happening inside schools and the behind-the-scenes planning that supports student success.

Food and Nutrition Update: A Million Meals Served

Nickole Brown, Director of Food and Nutrition Services announced that Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) has served over one million meals this school year. With 480,170 reimbursable breakfasts, 526,410 reimbursable lunches, and 61,515 equivalent meals served to adults and through à la carte sales, the division’s total meal count reached an impressive 1,068,095 meals to date. Financially, the food service program is healthy, boasting a year-to-date surplus of $420,284.78.

Brown emphasized the importance of visual appeal in school meals, noting that students are more likely to try colorful, exciting dishes. Some of this year’s popular new offerings included po’boy sandwiches, pesto flatbreads, and a pimento chicken sandwich that was well-received at secondary schools. International flavors also found their way into cafeterias, with shawarma flatbreads featuring homemade tzatziki sauce making appearances on menus.

Student feedback continues to shape future menus. Paper surveys revealed a strong preference for Chinese food options, leading WCPS to offer Chinese-inspired dishes every Friday at the middle and high schools.

Brown also celebrated Camden Ferguson of Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School, who won Sodexo’s 2025 Future Chefs competition with her creative Orange Chicken Taco recipe, now submitted to the national level.

Facilities improvements were another highlight, with Skyline High School receiving a newly installed walk-in freezer and a brightened cafeteria featuring a fresh coat of canary yellow and white paint along with updated signage.

Brown addressed parent concerns raised on social media earlier in the year, assuring the board that all feedback was carefully reviewed and improvements made as needed. She praised her team’s hard work and responsiveness to both public and internal standards.

Special Education Annual Plan Presented

Director of Special Services Danelle S. Sperling, Ed.S., presented the 2025-26 Special Education Annual Plan, which is a required component for maintaining federal grant funding through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Sperling explained that the plan covers five key areas: preschool special education (Section 619), K-12 special education (Section 611), services at the RSW Regional Jail, proportionate set-asides for private school students, and maintenance of effort requirements.

Warren County’s current enrollment includes 654 students with disabilities, representing around 13% of the division’s student body. The most common disabilities identified are other health impairments, autism, and specific learning disabilities.

The plan projects $1,510,011.74 in funding for the next school year, with approximately 55% coming from federal sources, 34% from state funding, and 11% locally funded. The federal funds primarily support the salaries and benefits of 21 special education teachers.

A notable update was the reduction in funding for the jail educator position at RSW Regional Jail, due to a welcome decrease in the number of incarcerated individuals requiring special education services.

Sperling emphasized the division’s commitment to providing a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for all students with disabilities and ensuring services are delivered alongside their non-disabled peers whenever possible.

The Special Education Annual Plan will be presented to the Warren County Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) on April 28 before coming back to the School Board for final approval on May 7. It must be submitted to the Virginia Department of Education no later than May 9.