MINUTES

Stafford County School Board Regular Board Meeting

February 27, 2018 7:00 p.m.

School Board Chambers Alvin York Bandy Administrative Complex 31 Stafford Avenue // Stafford, 22554

1. CALL TO ORDER 1.01 Call to Order/Roll Call School Board Chair Patricia Healy convened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. with the following School Board (Board) members present: Patricia Healy / Chair (Rock Hill District); Dewayne McOsker / Vice-Chair (George Washington District); Dr. Sarah Chase (Falmouth District); Jamie Decatur (Griffis-Widewater District); Irene Egan (Aquia District); Holly Hazard (Hartwood District); and R. Pamela Yeung (Garrisonville District). Also present were Superintendent Dr. W. Bruce Benson; and Clerk of the School Board Melissa Hall.

2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2.01 Presentation of National Colors and Pledge of Allegiance

3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA 3.01 Approval of Agenda Ms. Egan moved, and Ms. Decatur seconded, that the Board approve the February 27, 2018 meeting agenda with the following revision: Add School Board Member Comments immediately after Item 5.01 (Citizen Comments). The motion passed unanimously.

4. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS 4.01 Awards Tammy Houk, principal of Brooke Point High School (BPHS), announced that BPHS student Jake Grimsley was selected to participate as a tenor in the 2017 Great American Marching Band at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. Daniel Hornick, principal of North Stafford High School (NSHS), announced that NSHS student Alexandra Leake was chosen as a Harry F. Byrd, Jr., Leadership Scholar.

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Dr. James Stemple, principal of Mountain View High School (MVHS), announced that the MVHS team has won the Virginia High School League Group 5 field hockey championships. This team won the same competition last year. On behalf of Stafford Head Start and Stafford School Nurses, Stafford Head Start Director Kathy Massie thanked and recognized the Stafford County Lions Club. The club has assisted in completing vision and hearing screenings for students – 6,210 students received vision screenings across four high schools, seven middle schools, and all seven elementary schools, as well as Head Start. Additionally, 480 students received hearing screenings. 4.02 Proclamation – Social Work Appreciation Month The School Board issued a proclamation to recognize February 2018 as Social Work Appreciation Month. 4.03 Proclamation – Music in Our Schools Month, Youth Art Month, and Theatre in Our Schools Month The School Board issued a proclamation to recognize February 2018 as Music in Our Schools Month, Youth Art Month, and Theatre in Our Schools Month.

5. CITIZEN COMMENTS 5.01 Citizen Comments Heba Soliman: Ms. Soliman is an 11th-grade student at Stafford High School. She stated that, due to the numerous school shootings that have occurred across the nation over the past year, she and her fellow students are extremely nervous about their safety at school. She stated that the school division should install more security guards and cameras, and implement stricter consequences for those who make threats. She also stated that teachers and staff should begin teaching social and emotional skills to help young people learn how to control emotions, recognize others’ feelings, and negotiate. (Ms. Soliman provided a written copy of her comments.) Caylee Curfman: Ms. Curfman is a 12th-grade student at Stafford High School. She stated that, according to USA Today, there have been 25 fatal school shootings since the Columbine High School massacre 19 years ago. She also stated that she has been in lockdowns that were chaotic, with no one knowing what to do. She believes lockdown drills should be conducted on a recurring basis throughout the school year, and that newly hired teachers should also receive lockdown training immediately upon entering the school division. The training should instruct staff and students on how to react to a lockdown when they are at lunch, between classes, at the end of the school day, etc. (Ms. Curfman provided a written copy of her comments.) Sophie Capra: Ms. Capra is an 11th-grade student at Stafford High School. She stated that, according to Mental Health America, rates of youth with severe depression in America increased from 5.9% in 2012 to 8.2% in 2015. Additionally, 76% of youth have insufficient or no treatment options, even for severe depression. Keeping in mind that students spend an average of 6.62 hours per day and 181 days a year in school, it is vital that school divisions provide adequate resources for students who are struggling with mental health issues. She urged the School Board to implement support groups, educate staff on the warning signs of student depression, and post suicide prevention posters in schools. (Ms. Capra provided a written copy of her comments.)

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Jacqueline Capra: Ms. Capra is an 11th-grade student at Stafford High School. She stated that the school division should add more security cameras and school resource officers (SROs) in the schools. Additionally, students should be trained on how to respond during an emergency when they are in an outside area of the school (for physical education classes, etc.), during lunches, and during class changes. She polled a number of students and staff at her school, and none of them were able to explain what the division’s response plan was for students who find themselves in these areas during a lockdown situation. Ms. Capra also stated that the division must keep up with the growing mental health issues experienced by youth today. (Ms. Capra provided a written copy of her comments.) Sandra Morofsky: Ms. Morofsky stated that she is a native of the county, and her children attended Stafford schools. She urged the School Board to start a new program in the division called Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). According to her research, the Commonwealth does not yet have a SADD chapter. This is an after-school program, with each chapter being run by the students along with a school staff member. Ms. Morofsky stated that she lost her beloved grandson last year to suicide in another state. His school has started a SADD chapter. She added that there is a student named Lily Hoit at Brooke Point High School who is very interested in starting a SADD chapter at her school. Ms. Morofsky provided her contact information so that school division staff could contact her to discuss this suggestion in detail. (Ms. Morofsky provided a written copy of her comments.) Lily Hoit: Ms. Hoit is a sophomore t at Brooke Point High School. She stated that she is very interested in starting a SADD chapter at her school. She believes that mental health issues could be solved through this program. Ms. Egan asked Ms. Hoit to contact her to discuss this suggestion further. Roxanne Allegretti: Dr. Allegretti is a local pediatrician who has a daughter at Brooke Point High School. She stated that a national group called Youth in Power will hold a national school walk-out event for 17 minutes on March 14. This is to honor the 17 people who were killed at the recent school shooting in Florida, and to show the nation’s leaders that citizens are serious about the need for improved school safety. Dr. Allegretti urged the School Board to allow students to participate in this event, and to not penalize the students for taking part. Lindsey Ross: Ms. Ross stated that she has a daughter at Gayle Middle School. She read a moving poem that she wrote about school safety. Andy Hayes: Mr. Hayes is president of the Stafford Education Association. He stated that teachers are contacting the association for direction on how to handle the current school safety conversation across the country. How should they handle student walk-outs? Mr. Hayes also urged the School Board to table their scheduled vote on the proposed Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) budget. This would allow teachers, school employees, and local citizens to review the six documents that were distributed this afternoon. Amanda Hamilton: Ms. Hamilton stated that she and her family are Department of Defense personnel who recently moved into the county. She stated that without proper training and instruction, staff are unable to properly and consistently follow school safety measures. She has been able to walk into her child’s school without being stopped by staff or having her identification verified. Jack Cavalier: As chairman of the Public Safety Committee of the Board of Supervisors, Mr. Cavalier stated that he wants the School Board and the Board of Supervisors to work together on the issue of school safety. He stated that the two boards should commit more resources to ensure school security. It is imperative that the boards develop a new action plan for school security and implement it promptly. He stated that the sheriff is fully willing to work

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with the school division on this issue, and he recommended that the School Board consider bringing in an outside consultant, as well. Mr. Cavalier also strongly urged the School Board to insert a placeholder in their proposed FY19 budget for security enhancements. He will support the funding for that. Jennifer Lombardo: Ms. Lombardo is a paraprofessional at a Stafford County school, and she has personally attended one of the active shooter training events provided by the Sheriff’s Office. She recommended that the school division implement this as a new required training for all employees on an annual basis. Amy Hall: Ms. Hall encouraged the School Board to prioritize new construction in their capital improvement plan. Schools are so overcrowded that some students have to sit on the floor in the lunchrooms. This overcrowding presents a safety hazard, as students would not be able to safely move around during an emergency situation. Atani Walter: Ms. Walter stated that her daughter’s school (Gayle Middle School) recently experienced a lockdown situation. She said that none of the parents have been briefed on exactly what caused the lockdown. School division staff have not adequately communicated with parents, which leaves parents feeling insecure about their children’s safety. Additionally, Ms. Walter stated that our students need more enrichment activities to keep them occupied and engaged. She volunteered to assist in making this happen. Kristin Kainer: Ms. Kainer is a substitute teacher at Falmouth Elementary School, and her background is as a mental health professional. Her daughter will be transitioning to Gayle Middle School next year. Ms. Kainer said that school staff did not adequately communicate with parents during and after the lockdown at Gayle Middle School. Staff did not send a message to parents to assure them that the students were safe and well. Each parent had to call the school to find out if their child was safe.

6. BOARD MEMBER COMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMENTS 6.01 Board Member Comments Ms. Egan stated that she has received numerous emails from parents regarding school safety. She stated that Stafford County already has an entry buzzer system at every school. She added that she does not support arming teachers with guns. She does support putting a full-time SRO (a deputy sheriff) in each school. Guns in schools should only be permitted for sworn law enforcement officers. Teachers are likely unprepared to take a life, especially a student’s. Additionally, unlike teachers, sworn law enforcement officers are required to train and qualify in firearms on a monthly basis, and train in how to safely participate in an exchange of gunfire with an assailant when there are numerous innocent civilians nearby. The also undergo repeated trainings to prepare them for the possible need to take the life of another person. She also stated that if teachers wanted to carry a firearm at work, they would have become law enforcement officers rather than teachers. Ms. Egan urged citizens to write to their legislators to encourage them to provide funding for school safety enhancements. She also asked the School Board to be prepared to include funding for school safety enhancements in its next budget (FY20). Dr. Chase thanked those citizens who made comments this evening regarding school safety and student mental health. She plans to bring her mental health expertise into the current ongoing discussion about school safety. Mr. McOsker stated he takes school security very seriously, as does the entire School Board and division leadership. The division has excellent security policies and procedures in place;

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however, training may need to be implemented on a more frequent basis for students and staff. Additionally, as a security professional within the federal government and a combat veteran, Mr. McOsker stated that he is absolutely convinced that, first and foremost, there should be an armed, trained, sworn law enforcement officer in every school. He also thanked Mr. Cavalier for being at today’s meeting, and welcomed the new Board of Supervisor member for the George Washington District. Mr. McOsker stated that he will be holding a town hall meeting for citizens within the George Washington District on March 8 at Ferry Farm Elementary School, beginning at 7:00 p.m. He urged parents, students, and citizens to attend the event. Mr. McOsker stated that he wants to let the school administrative assistants know that he has heard their recent complaints about their inadequate pay levels, and fully supports their requests for an overhaul of the salary scale. Ms. Hazard thanked the teachers and staff at Gayle Middle School for the professional manner in which they handled the recent lockdown situation. She also stated that tragedies can either divide or unite a community. She hopes that the current ongoing turmoil following the recent school shooting in Florida will drive people to keep talking about the issue. Ms. Hazard added that students are the best source of information about possible threats from within the student body. Students are the ones who hear about possible dangers first. She also stated that the community should decide what type of schools it wants to have for our children. Ms. Hazard stated that the superintendent and School Board will hold a listening tour on March 7 at 6:00 p.m. at North Stafford High school. This event is open to all citizens, and is intended to be an opportunity for members of the community to ask questions and make comments to Dr. Benson and School Board. Ms. Decatur thanked Kirsten Sandberg-DaSilva from the Head Start Program for the handmade soap that she and her class of students gifted to each of the School Board members. Ms. Sandberg-DaSilva was recently chosen as the Stafford Head Start Program’s Teacher of the Year. Ms. Decatur thanked those citizens who spoke this evening about school safety and mental health. It is long past the time for making lasting changes in our society to ensure our children are safe in schools. She fully supports the drive to put at least one full- time SRO in each school, and is also willing to explore the possibility of using handheld metal detectors in schools. In closing, Ms. Decatur stated that staff and teachers need to undergo recurring training on the proper use of the existing security protocols. Ms. Yeung stated that school shootings are on the rise. In fact, there are so many that not all of them make the news. She believes that teachers should teach and leave school safety to trained law enforcement officers whose job it is to keep schools safe and secure. Ms. Yeung stated that she also wants the division to implement risk assessment protocols for those students who are isolated and in need of mental health assistance. However, she wants a fair and comforting environment for students, to ensure that they feel safe in seeking help. Ms. Yeung stated that this is Black History Month. She questioned whether the division is disciplining the right students and in a fair and equitable manner. Are staff overlooking those who need help with behavioral and emotional problems? As an example, her 17-year-old African-American son has been stopped in his vehicle by law enforcement officers for no discernible reason on three separate occasions during the past month. She is in constant worry about his safety, and has to teach him how to safely interact with law enforcement officers as a young black man.

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Ms. Yeung stated that some in the community want teachers to be armed. However, there is a lack of diversity within the division’s teaching staff and many teachers have not undergone diversity training. Without the benefit of diversity (or diversity training), educators are not likely to understand behaviors of some groups or races of people. Based upon this lack, Ms. Yeung is adamantly opposed to arming teachers, and is a proponent of gun control. Ms. Healy thanked those students, parents, staff, and members of the community who came to today’s meeting. She is also grateful for Mr. Cavalier for addressing school security, and thanked Board of Supervisor (BOS) chairwoman Meg Bohmke for being in the audience. She suggested that the School Board and superintendent organize a community forum in the next month or so to talk in-depth about school safety. Thoughts and prayers are not enough; a commitment to action and change is needed.

7. SUPERINTENDENT’S COMMENTS 7.01 Superintendent’s Comments Dr. Benson stated that school division staff value diversity. His Equity, Diversity and Opportunity Committee will hold its inaugural meeting tomorrow. Dr. Benson also reported that the division will soon hire an outside firm to analyze the few employee pay scales that still need to be modernized (for administrative assistants and several other employee groups). Dr. Benson announced that the annual Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Game will be held on March 16 at Stafford High School at 6:00 p.m. The game will pit law enforcement officers against teachers and school staff. Tickets will cost $5 per person or $10 per family, and proceeds will be donated to the local DARE program.

8. CONSENT ITEMS 8.01 Approve the Minutes for the February 10, 2018 Special Called Meeting, the February 10, 2018 Work Session, and the February 13, 2018 Regular Meeting. 8.02 Approve the February 27, 2018 Personnel Report of Resignations and Appointments. 8.03 Approve the Superintendent’s Proposed Revisions to Policies and Regulations as Assigned to and Reviewed by the Department of Student Services. Ms. Hazard moved, and Ms. Egan seconded, that the Board approve the Consent Agenda items (Items 8.01 through 8.03). The motion passed unanimously.

9. ACTION ITEMS 9.01 Approve the Nomination of the Bringing Occupational Opportunities to Schools (BOOTS) House Program for the Virginia School Boards Association’s Excellence in Workforce Readiness Award, and Authorize the School Board Chairperson to Sign the Nomination Packet. Dr. Chase moved, and Ms. Yeung seconded, that the Board approve Item 9.01. The motion passed unanimously. 9.02 Approve the 2018-2019 Middle School Program of Studies/Course Catalog. Ms. Egan moved, and Ms. Yeung seconded, that the Board approve Item 9.02. The motion passed unanimously. Ms. Hazard complimented staff on streamlining the process. She expressed her concern that the counselors at the larger schools have to meet with every eighth-grade student and parent

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to lead them through the transition to the next grade level, while also having to perform their regular duties. 9.03 Approve the FY19-FY28 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Infrastructure Projects. Mr. McOsker moved, and Dr. Chase seconded, that the Board approve Item 9.03. The motion passed by a vote of five (5) yeas [Chase, Decatur, Healy, McOsker, Yeung] to two (2) nays [Egan, Hazard]. Ms. Egan stated that she will not support the rebuild of Ferry Farm Elementary School right now, with most of the growth being in other areas of the county. She would support a renovation of the existing school if that were to be offered as an option. Mr. McOsker stated that the Ferry Farm Elementary School renovation or rebuild has been bypassed for over a decade. It is not fair to the residents of that district to continue neglecting their school, which is the oldest one in the system. 9.04 Approve the Award of a Contract to Motorola Solutions of Linthicum Heights, Maryland, in the Amount of $1,639,000, Using Carry-Forward Funds, for the Procurement and Installation of a New Radio System in Support of Transportation Services. Ms. Hazard moved, and Ms. Decatur seconded, that the Board move this item from Information to Action. The motion passed unanimously. Ms. Hazard moved, and Ms. Decatur seconded, that the Board approve Item 9.04. The motion passed unanimously.

10. INFORMATION ITEMS The following items were presented for the Board’s information with action scheduled at the March 13, 2018 meeting unless otherwise noted. 10.01 Approve the FY19 Budget. Chief Financial Officer Chris Fulmer stated that the proposed FY19 budget is for a total of $295,814,894. (This is an increase of approximately $16.9 million over last year’s budget.) Mr. Fulmer explained that the superintendent submitted his proposed FY19 budget to the School Board on January 16, and the School Board then requested a few changes during their February 10 work session. The revised version of the proposed budget that is being considered at this time reflects those requested changes, which included: Increasing the proposed enhancements to the pay scales for bus drivers, bus monitors, and paraprofessional (a proposed enhancement of approximately $1.1 million); reducing by four the proposed request for full-time-equivalent (FTE) teaching growth positions; and some additional benefit, salary, and health insurance savings. Dr. Benson reported that the School Board is scheduled to present the approved budget to the BOS next Tuesday. Therefore, if the School Board does not approve the budget today, there will need to be a special called School Board meeting next Monday to vote on the matter so that the budget can be presented the following evening to the BOS. Ms. Hazard stated that the budget first needs to be revised to include the school safety enhancements that need to be funded. Therefore, she suggests postponing a vote on the budget until staff are able to incorporate a placeholder into the budget for those safety costs. Ms. Egan stated that the revised budget documents were only provided to the public and the School Board an hour ago, during the School Board work session. She did not support bringing the matter to a vote today. She also reported that all citizens can view the newly

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provided documents in the electronic agenda for today’s meeting, which can be accessed via the school division’s website. Ms. Decatur agreed that the budget needs to be revised to include a placeholder for security enhancements. She was not ready to vote on the budget today, without that addition. The School Board agreed to schedule a special called meeting next Monday (March 5) at 5:00 p.m. in the School Board Chambers to review and discuss the FY19 budget proposal after staff have inserted the requested placeholders for security enhancements. 10.02 Approve the Award of a Contract to Motorola Solutions of Linthicum Heights, Maryland, in the Amount of $1,639,000, Using Carry-Forward Funds, for the Procurement and Installation of a New Radio System in Support of Transportation Services. This item was moved to Action (see Item 9.04 above). 10.03 Adopt a Resolution Authorizing an Application to the Virginia Public School Authority (VPSA) for the Sale of Bonds in an Amount Not to Exceed $9,875,000 With the Objective of Providing Net Proceeds of $9,405,000 for the 2018 Spring Pool. Ms. Healy explained that this bond sale is intended to raise funds for two previously approved construction projects: The rebuild of Anne E. Moncure Elementary School ($8,390,000) and the interior finishes at A.G. Wright Middle School and Garrisonville Elementary School ($1,015,000). 10.04 Approve the Superintendent’s Proposed Tuition Fees in Accordance With Policy 5703 (Tuition Fees for Non-Resident Students). Ms. Healy explained that existing policy allows the division to charge fees to non-resident students who are brought in from another state for placement in a Stafford County foster home. The fees will not be charged to the foster families; they will only be charged to government agencies in other states when they send foster children here. The School Board is required to establish these fees every year. The Commonwealth does not provide funds for these non-resident students. The non-resident fees would not be charged in cases where a child is placed by the out-of-state agency pursuant to an adoption plan.

11. ANNOUNCEMENT OF UPCOMING MEETINGS 11.01 Next Meeting of the School Board The next meetings of the Board will be a special called meeting on March 5, and a regular meeting on March 13.

12. ADJOURNMENT 12.01 Adjournment The Chair adjourned the meeting at 9:22 p.m.

Patricia Healy, Chair Stafford County School Board

Melissa D. Hall, Clerk Stafford County School Board

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