Warren County School Board Advances Plans for Student Safety, Substitute Shortages, and Future Growth

The Warren County School Board held an extensive meeting this week, covering a wide range of issues including staffing shortages, student safety, meal programs, and the impact of local housing developments on school resources. The meeting opened on a somber note as board members remembered Mary Riley, an instructional assistant at Warren County Middle School who had been with Warren County Public Schools for over 20 years. Her recent passing is a significant loss to the community, and the board asked that her family be kept in the public’s thoughts and prayers.

Consent Agenda and Discipline Reports

Following the approval of the meeting agenda, the board discussed concerns related to the discipline report, particularly how incidents from non-traditional programs like Diversified Minds and Brighter Futures are logged. These programs are designed as temporary placements for students, aimed at addressing behavioral or academic challenges before they transition back to their regular schools. However, it was noted that incidents from these programs are not always clearly tracked in the system. The board agreed to investigate ways to improve the tracking and reporting of incidents to ensure a more accurate picture of student discipline across all programs.

School Resource Officers Report on School Incidents and Vape Awareness Program

The School Resource Officers (SROs) provided an update on school safety. There were 22 incidents in September, a slight increase from 20 in August. The SROs explained that the uptick was primarily due to the transition back to school after summer break, which typically brings more threat assessments as students adjust. The board also learned about the district’s first vape awareness course, launched to combat the growing issue of student vaping. This course is offered monthly for students caught with vape possession on school grounds and is designed to educate them on the health risks associated with vaping. The course will be held on the second Tuesday of each month and includes a test to ensure students grasp the material.

ESS Staffing Report: Addressing Substitute Teacher Shortages

One of the main topics discussed was the challenge of filling substitute teaching positions. Representatives from Educational Staffing Solutions (ESS), which helps the district manage substitutes, reported on efforts to improve recruitment and retention. The district has seen some progress with the addition of 71 new staff members since August, but filling positions remains challenging, especially on Fridays and Mondays when absences are highest. To combat this, ESS has implemented “wraparound subs,” specifically assigned to work on these high-absence days. ESS also noted improvements in how absences are logged, with schools being more proactive in submitting absence requests, which has helped reduce the number of unfilled positions.

In a positive development, the board was informed that the overall fill rate for substitute positions had increased from 70% in August to 71% in September. When factoring in building-based substitutes, the fill rate rose to 83%. Additionally, the district has hired 20 new long-term substitutes. New communication methods, such as a shared Google Doc for long-term requests, have improved coordination between schools and the ESS team.

Expanded School Meal Program and Farm-to-School Partnership

The district’s food services department provided an exciting update on school meal programs. Thanks to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), all students are receiving free meals this year, and the district has already served 381,733 meals—a significant increase compared to last year. The spike in meal service is primarily due to the expanded summer feeding program, which added over 100,000 meals to the total count.

Additionally, the district has entered into a new farm-to-school partnership with Shawnee Springs, a local farm in Winchester, Virginia. This partnership will give students fresh produce such as apples, peaches, squash, and zucchini. The board was particularly excited about this development, as it will diversify meal options and provide healthier choices for students.

Upcoming events were also shared, including a special Halloween-themed menu on October 31st featuring “mummy dogs” and vampire-themed parfaits and the district’s annual Thanksgiving meal on November 14th.

Discussion on Proper School Planning and Local Development

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to addressing the impact of new housing developments on the district. Board members expressed concerns about the strain that new homes and apartment complexes could place on the county’s schools, particularly regarding increased student enrollment. It was noted that proper financial contributions from developers, known as “proffers,” may not keep pace with the demands these new developments place on the school system. The current proffer agreement offers the schools only $3,300 per student, which the board feels is insufficient to cover the costs associated with educating additional students.

The board emphasized the need for better collaboration between the school district, town, and county governments to address this issue. They discussed forming a liaison committee that would allow the school system to have a more direct role in discussions about future development projects. By being involved earlier in the planning process, the school district hopes to advocate more effectively for resources to handle the influx of students. The board also plans to update its student yield formula, which estimates the number of students new housing developments will generate, to ensure more accurate projections.

Budget Adjustments and Financial Planning

The board approved a financial adjustment to close out the fiscal year 2024 budget. $230,000 will be transferred from the operations and maintenance budget to cover an overage of $62,000 in the administration, attendance, and health category. The primary driver of this overage was higher-than-expected legal fees. This adjustment ensures the budget remains balanced and compliant with county and state regulations.

Setting Goals for Reporting and Strategic Planning

In line with the district’s ongoing effort to align with its comprehensive strategic plan, the board discussed ways to ensure that future reports on academic progress, staffing, and student outcomes are more closely tied to the district’s long-term goals. They agreed to implement a more structured reporting system, with regular updates tied to the objectives laid out in the strategic plan. This would allow the board and the community to better track progress on key initiatives, such as student achievement, teacher recruitment and retention, and transportation needs.

The board emphasized that all future decisions, including budget allocations and staffing needs, should be directly tied to the comprehensive plan. By maintaining a strong focus on these goals, the district hopes to ensure that it meets the needs of its students and community now and in the future.

Closing and Next Steps

As the meeting concluded, the board moved into a closed session to discuss personnel matters. The next steps include further discussions with local officials about the impact of residential development on the school system and more detailed reporting on progress toward the district’s strategic goals.

Key Points from the Meeting:

• The board remembered Mary Riley, a longtime instructional assistant, for her decades of service.
• Student safety remains a priority, with a slight increase in school incidents and the launch of a new vape awareness course.
• ESS reported improvements in substitute staffing, though challenges remain on high-absence days.
• The district’s food services have expanded, with more than 380,000 meals served so far this year, and a new farm-to-school partnership will provide fresh produce to students.
• The board emphasized the need for better collaboration with town and county officials regarding the impact of new housing developments on schools.
• Budget adjustments were made to cover an overage in administrative costs, primarily due to attorney fees.
• The board plans to implement a more structured reporting system to better track progress on strategic goals.

The next meeting will feature further discussions on transportation and weather-related decisions as part of the district’s strategic plan updates.

After the closed meeting, the Warren County School Board certified that only public business matters identified in the motion to go into the closed session were discussed in compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The motion for certification was seconded, and a roll call vote confirmed unanimous agreement by the board members.

Following the certification, the board moved to approve the personnel report and the personnel addendum. A motion was made and seconded, and the vote to approve the personnel report and addendum passed unanimously.

The meeting was then adjourned.

Watch this exclusive Royal Examiner video on the Warren County School Board Meeting of October 16, 2024. Video by Mark Williams, Royal Examiner.

This video is after the coming out of the closed session. Thanks to Warren County Public Schools for providing it to the Royal Examiner.