Warren County School Board recognizes Royal Examiner; votes to add kindergarten ‘floater’

Mike McCool, Royal Examiner’s publisher accepts VSBA Media Honor Roll award. Photo and video by Mark Williams, Royal Examiner.

The Warren County School Board recognized the Royal Examiner for its public service and approved the addition of one kindergarten floater teacher during its October 2 meeting.

The School Board announced on Wednesday that it has submitted Royal Examiner Publisher Mike McCool’s name to the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) “in recognition of his support for all of the School Board work and for the public school students in our community,” said Melody Sheppard, WCPS assistant superintendent for administration.

“We want to thank him for his commitment to the students in our division,” Sheppard said, reading a statement from the dais. “His work has aided in focusing on the goal of providing the best public schools we can have for the students who attend them.”

McCool received the recognition certificate as a 2019 VSBA Media Honor Roll Recipient from Sheppard and School Board Chairwoman Catherine Bower.

“I really appreciate it and all the things that you do,” McCool told them in accepting the certificate Wednesday night, adding that he sees “bigger and better things” happening in a joint collaboration with the county DECA program, which prepares leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges.

“We thank you for your help,” Bower added.

In School Board action on Wednesday night, members unanimously agreed to add one floater kindergarten teacher position at Leslie Fox Keyser (LFK) Elementary School due to increased classroom sizes.

Because WCPS receives roughly $124,000 in funding from the K-3 Primary Class Size Reduction Program for LFK Elementary School, the school district is required to keep K-3 class size enrollment at 24 students or fewer in order to retain the funds, explained George Smith, WCPS director of personnel.

LFK currently has four kindergarten classes with student enrollment in each at 24, 24, 25, and 26 students, Smith said, entitling the school to a “floater” position, which is a teacher who would follow LFK kindergarten classes through their K-5 experience.

If the numbers do not justify the position, then it would be absorbed into another vacant elementary position through attrition or the position would not be refilled, he said, adding that any teacher candidate who applies for the floater position would be made aware of these stipulations prior to the official hiring process.

Normal staff attrition, as well as grant funds, would support the floater position, Smith said, pointing out that the floater model has been used previously in other WCPS schools.

“When the students go into sixth grade, will that teacher move to another school or will you be able to absorb those extra children throughout extra classrooms … or is this just specific to the grant for K through 5?” asked School Board member Arnold Williams, Jr.

“It’s specific to the grant,” Smith answered, “but it’s a K through 3 class-size reduction … so we can maintain a smaller classroom and we can also maintain the funding that comes along with the grant.”

Bower asked if there’s an extra classroom for the new floater and Sheppard said LFK staff “is actually working through the logistics right now” to form the fifth kindergarten classroom there.

Williams moved to approve the request, which was seconded by School Board member C. Douglas Rosen before being approved by the full board.

In other action, School Board members approved adoption of the Certificate Corporate Resolution from Corporate Planning Network for the school district’s Section 125 Flexible Benefits Plan.
WCPS has provided employees the opportunity to participate in a Section 125 Flexible Benefits Plan since January 1, 1989. Under the plan, employees may make pre-tax contributions for health care, dependent care, and health care flexible spending accounts.

Smith told School Board members that the request is “a housekeeping detail” to continue plan participation and it was unanimously approved.

Also approved “with gratitude” from the board was a donation of snacks by Katherine Glascock for food insecure students at each of the schools in county.

Sheppard also provided School Board members with the first reading of the 2020-2021 school year calendar for their consideration. She also distributed it countywide for comment. The second reading and discussion will be during the board’s October 16 meeting and a recommendation for board approval will be during its November 6 meeting, Sheppard said.

The calendar also must be accepted by the Warren County Board of Supervisors, she added.

Discussion of 2011B and 2012B Bond refunding opportunity was discussed in the work session.

After the regular meeting, the School Board went into a work session. Watch the regular meeting and work session in this exclusive Royal Examiner video: