Warren County Public Schools bids a fond farewell to 25 retirees

Hmm, food – retiring and remaining public school staff (not to mention media) mingle near the food table prior to start of 7 p.m. school board meeting. Photos/Roger Bianchini

During a reception a half hour prior to the start of the monthly meeting of the Warren County School Board on June 6, tribute was paid to 25 members of the public school system who are retiring following the 2017-18 school year.

As Schools Superintendent Greg Drescher noted during the meeting, those retirements equated to 624 years of service to the county’s public school system and the community’s children.  And while only five of those retirees were actually present, those five represented an accumulated 126.5 years of experience themselves.  As for those who weren’t there, well we’re guessing some hit the retirement road hard and fast, while others just might not want to be reminded they are old enough to retire.

Of the retirements, Drescher said, “I thank all of our retirees for their many years of service.  Education is a profession that you make a positive difference in the lives of our community’s future every day.  Most who have spent time in education wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

From left, WCPS retirees Joanne Richmond, Jayne Coulter, Jackie Jenkins, Anne Jeschke and Ruth Ann Henry pictured with WCPS Superintendent Greg Drescher – Drescher led the school board in thanking those present and those not for their total of 624 years of service to county public schools.

The retirees were a combination of teachers and other licensed personnel, including from the “Brighter Futures” and “Diversified Minds” programs, as well as members of the Transportation and Maintenance Departments.

During their individual reports, all school board members expressed gratitude to the retirees for their service to the system and the community’s children in whatever capacity they served them.

During a report later in the meeting, Director of Personnel Buck Smith cited the loss of a total of 63 licensed personnel, including 14 from the list of retirees.  Smith later explained that those 63 are personnel licensed by the state related to school instruction or administration.

Smith told the school board the math departments at the middle school and high school levels were particularly impacted by personnel losses.  Smith playfully asked if any remaining teachers might be interested in getting a math degree and switching departments to help deal with the losses.

However, no hands went up in response to Smith’s query – of course most of the teachers present were retiring – but we’re sure when the message gets out, the math books will start flying off the shelves (maybe).

“Math has been and is difficult to fill,” Drescher later told Royal Examiner.

Other business

Drescher happily noted that Ressie Jeffries Elementary School had met all required benchmarks in the past year’s SOL testing, and would join the system’s other school is “being fully accredited in the next school year” – GO RESSIE!!!

The Skyline High School softball team was acknowledged for earning a ticket to the VHSL State Softball championships – GO LADY HAWKS!!!

In other business as the 2017-18 school year closes, a number of annual service contracts and budgets were also approved or re-approved, all by unanimous board votes.

After the reception and accolades the school board got down to the business of appropriating funds for the coming school year.

On that list was an adjustment to cafeteria worker hours and salary scale. The daily hours worked was adjusted up to seven, which more accurately reflects the actual time spent on the job, Assistant Superintendent Melody Sheppard explained.

Other approvals included acceptance of a new dumpster service contract ($58,710); renewal of the HVAC contract on the 15^th Street building described by Maintenance Director Mike Riley as the “soon-to-be Brighter Futures building” ($78,911); of the HVAC project at Ressie Jeffries to Air Serve at a cost not to exceed $151,127.

Riley also reported on a contract for refurbishing of both high school tracks at a cost not to exceed $133,335.  The maintenance director explained he anticipated realizing 5 to 7 more years of use before the system faces total resurfacing of the high school tracks.  Riley later explained to Royal Examiner that based on contractor quotes the total cost of replacing both the Warren County and Skyline High tracks is currently estimated at $550,000 – $262,500 for Warren and $287,500 for Skyline.

The school board also approved funding for several technology-related contracts ($16,250 and $78,000); a technology purchase so that all 6 thru 12 grade students will have individual chrome-books to work at school and home with – that $595,361 expenditure comes from a combination of carryover, local, and Virginia Public Schools Authority funding sources; a technology access building re-wiring contract ($27,900); a preschool initiative; a “behavioral support coach” for special needs students; and an agreement extension for the substitute teacher service now known as ESS Northwest LLC, formerly Source4Teachers; and two insurance program adjustments.

It was explained that the preschool and behavioral funding were largely, if not totally state and/or federally-funded programs.