DRAFT SCHOOL BOARD BUSINESS MEETING Sept. 14, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. PUBLIC MEETING ROOM PRESENT: Ann C. Coker, Bermuda District; Ryan M. Harter, Matoaca District; Kathryn S. ​ Haines, Midlothian District; Dorothy L. Heffron, Vice Chair, Clover Hill District; Debbie G. Bailey, Chair, Dale District; Mervin B. Daugherty, Ed.D., Superintendent; Dr. Thomas Taylor, Deputy Superintendent; Dr. Sharon Pope, Chief Academic Officer; Dr. Lisa High, Chief of Schools; Bob Meister, Chief Financial Officer; Josh Davis, Chief Operations Officer; Wendell Roberts, School Board Attorney; Stephanie Frick, Assistant School Board Attorney; Tim Bullis, Executive Director of Communications and Community Engagement; Dr. Kimberly Hough, Executive Director of Human Resources and Talent Management; Dr. Joseph Tylus, Executive Director of Constituent Services; Brian Jones, Executive Director of Technology; Shawn Smith, Director of Government, Policy, and Media Relations; Dr. Morgan Debusk-Lane, Coordinator of Research and Evaluation; Nick Oyler, Coordinator of Student Health Services; and, Robert McDaniel, School Board Clerk. A. MEETING OPENING Mrs. Bailey called the meeting to order at 6:34 p.m. ​ Mr. Harter provided the invocation. ​ Mrs. Haines led the pledge of allegiance. ​ B. CONSENT AGENDA ● Agenda Adoption ● Approval of the Minutes ○ Aug. 11, 2020 Board Retreat ○ Aug. 11, 2020 Business Meeting ○ Aug. 25, 2020 Work Session ● Memo #101-20: Revisions to School Board Governance Handbook ● Memo #102-20: FY2021 - Acceptance of New Grants ● Memo #103-20: FY2021 Grant - Claude Moore Scholars ● Memo #104-20: Recommended Personnel Actions ● Memo #105-20: Appointment of Members to Advisory Committees ● Memo #106-20: Approval of Revisions to the Audit and Finance Committee Bylaws ● Memo #107-20: Approval of Revisions to the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee Bylaws ● Memo #108-20: Approval of Additional Budget Appropriation for Human Resources in FY2021 Mr. Harter moved to approve the Consent Agenda as presented, and the motion was seconded ​ by Mrs. Heffron. ​ ​ Mr. McDaniel called the roll on the motion. ​ Vote: AYE - Coker, Harter, Haines, Heffron, Bailey NAY - None The motion was approved. Dr. Daugherty announced the following administrative appointments: ​ ● Jennifer Andrews, Principal of Greenfield Elementary ● Elizabeth Baber, Principal of Matoaca High ● Monique Booth, Director of Elementary School Leadership - Title I ● Scott Carson, Director of Construction ● Sheryl Doswell, Principal of Falling Creek Middle ● Arianne Hayes, Principal of Chalkley Elementary ● Michael-Jon Rodney, Principal of Providence Middle ● Natasha Wade, Principal of Salem Church Elementary ● Dr. Amanda Voelker, Principal of James River High C. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens were given the opportunity to submit their comments via an online form. 127 total comments were received and distributed to the School Board prior to the start of the business meeting. These comments are attached as Appendix A. Citizens were also given the opportunity to address the Board in person. The following speakers did so: 2 ● Karen Badman, a CCPS parent, expressed disappointment in the School Board and ​ shared her concerns regarding the Chesterfield Education Association. ● Dan Waidelich, a CCPS teacher, shared his concerns regarding the fact that CCPS ties ​ digital identity to a person’s legal name, discussing how this negatively affects transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive students. ● Kate Flinn, a Midlothian District resident, shared her concerns regarding the Career and ​ Technical Education program. D. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT 1. Project Restart Update Dr. Taylor introduced the presentation. ​ Mr. Oyler provided the Board with an update from the CCPS Health Committee, recommending ​ that Cohort #1 return to face-to-face instruction based on the most recent data. That return would begin on Sept. 29. Dr. Taylor discussed the plan for a phased return to in-person instruction. ​ Discussion centered around the VDH community transmission metric and recent increases in the ​ COVID-19 data. Mrs. Bailey expressed her excitement at the return of Cohort #1. ​ Mr. Jones provided the Board with a technology update and a debrief on the login issues that ​ occurred on the first day of school. Discussion topics included: the Chromebook ordering timeline; Google Meet platform security; ​ the potential to engage with a technology consultant; the lessons learned from the previous week’s challenges; tech monitoring practices; Chromebook replacement practices; tech funding; plans for future investments in technology; and, the call center. In response to Board questions, Mr. Jones stated that additional funding would not have ​ ​ addressed the tech challenges that occurred the previous week and that the expansion of RapidIdentity capacity did not cost additional dollars. 3 Dr. Taylor reiterated the Health Committee’s recommendation to return Cohort #1 to in-person ​ instruction and shared next steps in the process. 2. Annual Strategic Plan Update Dr. Debusk-Lane provided the Board with its annual update on the Imagine Tomorrow strategic ​ ​ ​ plan. E. ACTION ITEMS 1. Memo #109-20: FY2021 - Appropriation of Federal CARES Act Funding Mr. Meister presented Memo #109-20, recommending that the School Board accept ​ $28,072,000 in appropriated Federal CARES Act funding. Mrs. Heffron moved to adopt Memo #109-20 as presented, and the motion was seconded by ​ Mrs. Coker. ​ Mr. McDaniel called the roll on the motion. ​ Vote: AYE - Coker, Harter, Haines, Heffron, Bailey NAY - None The motion was approved. F. ITEMS FOR BOARD REVIEW Mr. McDaniel presented the following items to the Board for review: ​ ● Magisterial District Improvement Funds - FY2021 ● FY2020 - June - Preliminary Expenditures vs. Appropriations (Unaudited) ● FY2021 - July - Expenditures vs. Appropriations ● Board Committee Reports ● PreK Update: May Budget Amendment and June 2020 Report ● Draft FY2022 Budget Calendar G. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS 4 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens were given the opportunity to submit their comments via an online form. 127 total comments were received and distributed to the School Board prior to the start of the business meeting. These comments are attached as Appendix A. Citizens were also given the opportunity to address the Board in person. The following speakers did so: ● Annette Ruzicka, a CCPS parent, asked that middle and high school students be ​ provided their own CCPS email addresses. ● Carolyn Schallmo, a CCPS parent, shared her concerns regarding the School Board’s ​ relationship with the Chesterfield Education Association. She also expressed concern regarding equity in the virtual learning environment. ● Rick Pilgrim discussed a building at 2500 Turner Rd. that he believed the school ​ division could use. ● Reginald Stinson discussed a building at 2500 Turner Rd. that he believed the school ​ division could use. ● Sonia Smith, CEA President, praised the adaptability of the school division, its teachers, ​ and its staff. H. SUPERINTENDENT’S REMARKS Dr. Daugherty thanked Food Services for their work distributing meals during the pandemic. He ​ thanked the Operations Department for their efforts in preparing the school buildings for the return of students. He also thanked the Human Resources Department and the Tech Call Center staff for their efforts. He discussed the previous week’s challenges and the school division’s response. He also responded to Ms. Flinn’s comments regarding the Ford NGL program, stating that CCPS has no relation to Ford NGL and adding that the CTE program is a very important part of the school division. Dr. Daugherty stated that he was excited to start bringing students back to the buildings but that the community needed to understand that the division had to follow health and safety guidelines with regard to bringing back additional students. 5 I. ANNOUNCEMENTS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND SCHOOL BOARD COMMENTS Mrs. Bailey announced that the School Board would hold a work session at 3 p.m. on Sept. 29. ​ J. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Mr. Harter moved to adjourn the meeting. ​ ​ Mr. McDaniel called the roll on the motion. ​ Vote: AYE - Coker, Harter, Haines, Heffron, Bailey NAY - None The meeting was adjourned at 8:16 p.m. ______________________________ Debbie G. Bailey, Chair ______________________________ Robert W. McDaniel, Clerk 6 APPENDIX A: PUBLIC COMMENT FOR SEPT. 14, 2020 SCHOOL BOARD BUSINESS MEETING Comment Period FIRST NAME LAST NAME MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT COMMENTS Agenda Items Jessica Romero Midlothian I am writing to urge you to allow elementary school students to return to in person schooling. Teachers and administrators are trying their best, but young children cannot learn in front of a computer screen all day (not to mention the widespread technology problems the county is having). Every day the children are at home is another day they are falling further behind, and becoming more and more disengaged from school. For the sake of their emotional and educational well-being, they need to be back in school with their peers. Agenda Items Samantha Janney Midlothian Sadly, watching what has happened with virtual schooling this first week, it's clear that schools can't simply 'flip a switch' and go virtual. There is a reason online schools spend years teaching, training, and setting up their schedules for an actual learning environment. Between the tech issues and kids crying in front of computers longing for the days