[1:59] Mhm.
[3:54] » Mhm.
[11:42] » Good evening. [clears throat] I'd like
[11:43] to call the Lynchburg City Schools
[11:46] school board meeting to order, our
[11:47] reorganization meeting.
[11:49] I notice now that we don't have any
[11:51] electronic participation because all of
[11:53] our members are here, our new members as
[11:55] well, so welcome.
[11:57] Uh at this time, could we please stand
[11:59] for the pledge of allegiance and moment
[12:00] of silence?
[12:02] Flag is right.
[12:04] >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
[12:07] United States of America and to the
[12:09] republic for which it stands, one nation
[12:13] under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[12:16] justice for all.
[12:18] >> Please remain standing for a moment of
[12:19] silence.
[12:37] Thank you.
[12:41] » [clears throat]
[12:43] >> You've all had an opportunity to see the
[12:45] agenda.
[12:46] Um can I have a motion to approve the
[12:48] agenda?
[12:49] >> Motion.
[12:49] >> Second.
[12:50] >> Okay.
[12:51] All right, Ms. Day.
[12:55] » As I call your name, just say yes or no.
[12:57] Ms. Royal.
[12:57] >> Yes.
[12:58] >> Mr. Barron.
[12:59] >> Yes.
[13:00] >> Mr. Conner.
[13:01] >> Yes.
[13:02] >> Mr. Ali.
[13:02] >> Yes.
[13:03] >> Mrs. Lowry.
[13:04] >> Yes.
[13:05] >> Dr. Gupta.
[13:06] >> Yes.
[13:06] >> Dr. Farmer.
[13:07] >> Yes.
[13:08] >> Mr. Powell.
[13:08] >> Yes.
[13:09] >> Mr. Shaw.
[13:10] >> Yes.
[13:10] >> Motion passes.
[13:13] >> All right, the next agenda item is
[13:15] selecting a school board chair.
[13:17] I'm going to open it up to nominations
[13:19] from the floor. If you're nominated, and
[13:21] please know you can nominate yourself.
[13:23] If you're nominated, then I'll see if
[13:25] you
[13:26] accept the nomination and then we'll
[13:28] move forward the voting process. So, are
[13:30] there any
[13:31] >> I'd like
[13:32] >> Okay.
[13:33] >> I'd like to nominate
[13:36] >> I want to nominate Dr. Gupta.
[13:37] >> Gupta.
[13:38] >> Okay.
[13:39] >> I second the motion.
[13:40] >> I third it.
[13:42] >> I fourth [laughter] it.
[13:44] >> Are
[13:46] Do you accept the nomination?
[13:48] >> I'll take 15 minutes to think.
[13:50] >> Okay.
[13:50] >> Thank you.
[13:51] >> Okay. Thank you. Are there any other
[13:53] nominations?
[13:57] Okay, since he's accepted, Mrs. Day, if
[14:01] you could take the vote, please.
[14:03] >> Mrs. Mrs. Royal
[14:04] >> Yes.
[14:05] >> Mr. Barron
[14:06] >> Yes.
[14:07] >> Mr. Conner
[14:08] >> Yes.
[14:08] >> Mr. Ali
[14:09] >> Yes.
[14:10] >> Mrs. Lowry
[14:11] >> Yes.
[14:12] >> Dr. Gupta
[14:13] >> Yes.
[14:14] >> Dr. Farmer
[14:14] >> Yes.
[14:15] >> Mr. Poe
[14:16] >> Yes.
[14:17] >> Mr. Shaw
[14:18] >> Yes.
[14:19] >> Motion passes.
[14:20] >> Okay.
[14:21] All right, thank you. Congratulations,
[14:22] Dr. Gupta.
[14:23] >> Thank you for your
[14:25] >> [clears throat]
[14:25] >> confidence.
[14:27] >> All right, with you.
[14:29] >> This time is
[14:30] >> You don't have to move here.
[14:31] >> Oh, we move I'm trying to figure out
[14:33] where we're going. Okay. You know what
[14:35] it is? Cuz
[14:36] I thought this was my seat, but it
[14:37] moved.
[14:38] Okay. Okay, we're going to get this.
[14:41] It is, very much so. All right.
[14:44] we're going to get it.
[14:45] I got it.
[14:46] Yeah, you got it.
[14:47] >> I know, right?
[14:49] When we all have bags.
[14:50] >> [laughter]
[14:51] >> You got it?
[14:51] >> Yeah.
[14:53] you got it.
[14:53] >> That's the direction we went.
[14:55] >> [clears throat and cough]
[14:56] >> Okay.
[15:06] » Thank you for your confidence.
[15:08] And you know, as I said, my goal is to
[15:11] treat everybody same and follow the
[15:13] rules equally with everybody, and that's
[15:15] what we have done.
[15:17] And the focus is on academics and
[15:19] nothing else. Anything which distracts
[15:21] us
[15:22] uh we take it out of the equation.
[15:25] After that, having said that, I wanted
[15:27] to recognize uh our attorney. Could you
[15:30] please stand for public so they can see
[15:33] our new board members can recognize.
[15:36] Uh she is our 911 call. When we
[15:39] >> [laughter]
[15:39] >> need help,
[15:40] uh Attorney Towns, Oak Towns. So, uh
[15:43] she's been very helpful.
[15:45] And in difficult times, she's very, very helpful.
[15:49] Thank you very much, Attorney Towns.
[15:51] [clears throat] We appreciate everything
[15:52] you do for us.
[15:54] >> [applause]
[15:56] » Next is the 2016-2017 school board vice
[15:59] chair election. Is there a nomination
[16:00] for that?
[16:02] >> I'd like to nominate Mr. Connor.
[16:04] >> I second it.
[16:05] >> I third.
[16:06] >> Other nominations for vice chair?
[16:12] Okay.
[16:13] Madam Clerk, would you please please
[16:14] call the roll?
[16:15] >> Mrs. Royal?
[16:16] >> Yes.
[16:17] >> Mr. Barron?
[16:18] >> Yes.
[16:18] >> Mr. Connor?
[16:19] >> Yes.
[16:20] >> Mr. Arline?
[16:21] >> Yes.
[16:21] >> Mrs. Lowry?
[16:22] >> Yes.
[16:23] >> Dr. Gupta?
[16:23] >> Yes.
[16:24] >> Dr. Farmer?
[16:25] >> Yes.
[16:25] >> Mr. Poe?
[16:26] >> Yes.
[16:27] >> Mr. Shaw?
[16:28] >> Yes.
[16:28] >> Motion passes.
[16:29] >> Thank you.
[16:30] And let's swap the seats.
[16:42] » Use your plug for a moment.
[16:56] » Do you want to say something in your
[16:57] acceptance?
[16:58] >> Um
[17:00] I would Yes, but I would after we
[17:02] >> Yeah, I'm just here.
[17:04] >> Just thank you for your
[17:06] um confidence and um I look forward to
[17:09] an exciting year. Once again, this year
[17:12] is going to be 100% focused on
[17:15] academics.
[17:17] I see we coming up. We coming up.
[17:20] >> Yeah.
[17:24] » Thank you, Mr. Connor. Next is 2627
[17:28] appointment of board clerk and deputy
[17:29] clerk that committee. Do you recommend
[17:31] those names? Uh
[17:32] >> Yes.
[17:33] >> All right, go ahead.
[17:34] >> Um the recommendation, of course, is Ms.
[17:37] Tyna Daye for clerk of the school board
[17:39] and then uh Jill Connelly Mayes for
[17:41] deputy clerk of the school board.
[17:44] » Any objections?
[17:46] Madam Clerk, would you please call the
[17:47] roll? When you call for yourself, that's
[17:48] all right, right?
[17:49] >> You never say yes.
[17:52] >> [laughter]
[17:54] >> I'm just kidding.
[17:57] » Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Daye, for what
[17:58] you do for the board. Thank you, sir. We
[18:00] appreciate, ma'am, you every day.
[18:02] Sometimes
[18:04] uh irrespective of time, whether you are
[18:05] on clock or not, you do anything.
[18:07] So [clears throat]
[18:08] >> Amazing job you do.
[18:11] >> [applause]
[18:13] >> Madam Clerk, call roll. Roll call roll
[18:15] call five to one.
[18:16] >> This is what you want.
[18:17] >> Yes.
[18:17] >> Mr. Barron.
[18:18] >> Yes.
[18:19] >> Mr. Connor.
[18:20] >> Yes.
[18:20] >> Mr. Allen.
[18:21] >> Yes.
[18:22] >> Mrs. Laury.
[18:23] >> Yes.
[18:23] >> Dr. Gupta.
[18:24] >> Yes.
[18:24] >> Dr. Farmer.
[18:25] >> Yes.
[18:26] >> Mr. Poe.
[18:27] >> Yes.
[18:27] >> Mr. Shores.
[18:28] >> Yes.
[18:28] >> Motion passes.
[18:30] >> Thank you. Next one is the appointment
[18:32] of the agent and deputy agent that
[18:33] committee.
[18:34] >> Yes, for the agent um for the school
[18:36] board, Sonya Jamison, uh chief financial
[18:39] officer, and then the deputy agent for
[18:41] school board, Barbara Ripkin. I never
[18:43] say her name correctly. I apologize.
[18:45] Assistant finance director.
[18:46] >> Any objections?
[18:48] >> Mhm.
[18:48] >> Madam Clerk, would you please call the
[18:50] roll?
[18:51] >> Mrs. Laury.
[18:52] >> Yes.
[18:53] >> Mr. Barron.
[18:54] >> Yes.
[18:54] >> Mr. Connor.
[18:55] >> Yes.
[18:56] >> Mr. Allen.
[18:57] >> Yes.
[18:57] >> Mrs. Laury.
[18:58] >> Yes.
[18:58] >> Dr. Gupta.
[18:59] >> Yes.
[18:59] >> Dr. Farmer.
[19:00] >> Yes.
[19:01] >> Mr. Poe.
[19:02] >> Yes.
[19:03] >> Mr. Shores.
[19:03] >> Yes.
[19:04] >> Motion passes.
[19:05] >> Next is the appointment of designee of
[19:07] the division superintendent that
[19:09] committee.
[19:10] >> Yes. Um the recommendations for Dr.
[19:12] Jennifer Davis, my deputy superintendent
[19:14] to serve as my designate.
[19:16] >> Any objections?
[19:18] Would you please call the roll?
[19:19] >> Mrs. Royal?
[19:20] >> Yes.
[19:21] >> Mr. Barron? [clears throat]
[19:21] >> Yes.
[19:22] >> Mr.
[19:23] >> Yes.
[19:23] >> Mr. Allen?
[19:24] >> Yes.
[19:25] >> Mrs. Lowry?
[19:25] >> Yes.
[19:26] >> Dr. Gupta?
[19:27] >> Yes.
[19:27] >> Dr. Farmer?
[19:28] >> Yes.
[19:29] >> Mr. Poe?
[19:29] >> Yes.
[19:30] >> Mr. Shaw?
[19:31] >> Yes.
[19:31] >> Motion passes.
[19:32] >> Next is ditch meeting time and location
[19:35] of school board meeting.
[19:37] Um, I think I'll I'll go to um, Mr. uh,
[19:42] Barron.
[19:42] >> Yes, sir. Yeah, I'd like to make a
[19:44] motion. We usually have two meetings a
[19:46] month, regular session and then the work
[19:48] session and just in conversations in
[19:50] addition to all the committee meetings
[19:52] that we have. I think if we just use our
[19:53] committees efficiently, we don't need
[19:55] that extra work session. So, I'd like to
[19:57] make a motion that we only do the one
[19:59] meeting on the third Tuesday of the
[20:01] month instead of the work sessions as
[20:03] well.
[20:04] >> Is there a second on that motion?
[20:05] >> Second.
[20:05] >> Seconded.
[20:07] >> [laughter]
[20:10] » Is there discussion on that motion?
[20:12] >> [clears throat]
[20:13] [laughter]
[20:22] >> I would like to just say I would I I
[20:24] think cuz, you know, to me it's about
[20:26] efficiency and making sure we're using
[20:28] our resources uh, appropriately
[20:30] including human resources in every
[20:31] meeting we do, our staff has to pull
[20:33] things together and to set agendas and
[20:35] so on and so forth. And so, I think for
[20:38] that reason alone. But then on top of
[20:39] that, it makes it easier when we
[20:41] centralize information to single
[20:43] meetings for the month. Having it
[20:45] [clears throat] after the city council
[20:46] has met, having after the finances have
[20:48] been sort of short up from the month
[20:49] previously, just makes it a lot easier
[20:51] to have that information consolidated
[20:53] for public to have access to that and to
[20:55] communicate things more effectively. So,
[20:57] I think all around it's a win. Uh, and
[20:59] then if we have to, we need a second
[21:00] meeting in the month, we can call a
[21:01] special session and and that's usually I
[21:03] think we're all pretty flexible with
[21:05] stuff like that. So.
[21:07] >> Mrs. Lowry?
[21:08] >> And also
[21:08] >> I was thinking the committee reports.
[21:10] So, if usually we just report, but if
[21:12] people have questions at that time for
[21:14] clarity, we can just get a little bit
[21:15] deeper. So, we can they can ask us
[21:17] questions
[21:18] >> [clears throat and cough]
[21:20] [snorts]
[21:20] >> And the
[21:21] people sitting out there thinking this
[21:23] board just meets for hour or two, goes
[21:26] home
[21:27] never come back. People on disciplinary
[21:29] will find out as you guys did this 4-5
[21:32] hours each week and it's very time
[21:34] consuming job and it's not paid, so
[21:37] it takes a lot of out of you on an
[21:40] ongoing basis and um
[21:43] so I think me me making one meeting will
[21:45] make it a little bit of release of
[21:47] pressure on those members whose
[21:49] committees are pretty intense.
[21:51] That would take a lot of time. Yes.
[21:53] >> And also on top [clears throat] of that,
[21:54] we not only have our committee meetings,
[21:56] but you're visiting the schools and
[21:58] you're talking to teachers and you're
[22:00] going here and there and to events that
[22:02] the schools are have I mean it's not
[22:04] just a meeting and committees. There's a
[22:05] whole lot going on, so this will make it
[22:08] a little nicer.
[22:09] >> Just for the record, the being on the
[22:11] disciplinary committee was not the
[22:13] primary MOTIVATION FOR ME.
[22:14] >> [laughter]
[22:16] >> IT WASN'T ABOUT ME. I'M
[22:19] >> A disclaimer
[22:21] >> [laughter]
[22:21] >> Oh, Pastor Nigel, good.
[22:23] >> So, I was said there are no legal
[22:24] ramifications for us to do this.
[22:27] >> Oh, no.
[22:27] >> Give you a history about
[22:29] when I came to the school board, we used
[22:31] to have one school board meeting.
[22:33] >> Right.
[22:33] >> And then we moved to two. I think we
[22:36] went back to one, so we have done the
[22:38] cyclical things.
[22:40] >> Why don't we do that from the beginning?
[22:42] >> [laughter]
[22:46] » Okay.
[22:47] >> So, it just uh
[22:48] it provides
[22:50] it takes because we have to have agenda
[22:52] preps, so her staff is occupied every
[22:54] other Tuesday in the morning for an
[22:56] hour.
[22:57] So, the more meetings you have, the more
[22:59] Ms. Day is occupied earlier in the
[23:01] morning for those 8:15 meetings. So,
[23:04] then it'll be one comprehensive prep for
[23:06] the whole month and it takes frees up
[23:09] time for the committee meetings, which
[23:10] you'll be releasing in a minute. Once we
[23:13] do this meetings time, I'll announce the
[23:15] committee assignments.
[23:16] Uh other discussion?
[23:19] >> Just real quick clarification. So, these
[23:21] dates that we're looking at here on the
[23:22] agenda, the second group of dates is the
[23:24] ones we're now proposing is those that
[23:26] third Tuesday or
[23:27] >> can read those dates out loud because in
[23:29] November
[23:30] uh November 17th is the date we have ESB
[23:34] meeting. So, I was proposing to change
[23:36] that to November 10th.
[23:37] >> And that's the
[23:38] >> Okay.
[23:39] >> It's an early day. Madam Clerk, would
[23:40] you please read out loud for public the
[23:43] board meetings?
[23:44] >> Do we need to I'm sorry, do we need to
[23:45] actually vote on that movement first?
[23:48] >> No, this will be all together.
[23:49] >> All together. Okay. Okay.
[23:52] >> Uh the proposed new dates that you're
[23:54] asking for the school board meetings
[23:55] will be Tuesday, July 21st, Tuesday,
[23:59] August 18th,
[24:01] Tuesday, September the 15th,
[24:03] Tuesday, October the 20th, Tuesday,
[24:05] November the 10th,
[24:07] Tuesday, December the 15th,
[24:09] Tuesday, January the 19th, 2027,
[24:13] Tuesday, February the 16th, Tuesday,
[24:15] March 16th, Tuesday, April 20th,
[24:19] Tuesday, May 18th,
[24:20] Tuesday, June 15th, and Tuesday, July
[24:23] 20th. And I have made copies.
[24:25] >> And you have the copies for the
[24:26] committee meetings on the board docs for
[24:28] people to see.
[24:29] >> Yes.
[24:30] >> when the committees meet. So, that
[24:32] document is public. And so, what we are
[24:34] doing is
[24:36] we would be voting on
[24:38] meeting once a month on third Tuesday
[24:40] and approving those dates and times for
[24:41] the committee meetings along with that.
[24:44] We'll combine this. Want to modify your
[24:46] motion?
[24:47] >> Well, one more one more question. Uh is
[24:49] the July 20th, 2027 is that the
[24:51] reorganization meeting or
[24:52] >> Yes, sir.
[24:52] >> that's separate from the It is the
[24:54] reorganization.
[24:54] >> Yes, sir.
[24:55] >> Okay. Cool. That's it.
[24:56] >> Well.
[24:57] no, it has to be earlier.
[24:58] >> It needs to be earlier.
[24:59] >> Yeah, I said that would be earlier.
[25:00] >> That's just a regular meeting.
[25:02] >> So, that one's not on the list.
[25:03] >> That that'll be decided at the tail end,
[25:06] you know,
[25:07] as we're heading in that direction.
[25:08] >> Fair enough. Okay, just that was it.
[25:10] >> That will be a special meeting.
[25:12] >> Fair enough.
[25:13] >> Just like today.
[25:13] >> That'll work.
[25:14] >> So, it has not
[25:15] it could be Tuesday, it could be
[25:17] Wednesday, it could be Thursday,
[25:18] depending on where
[25:19] July 1st. For people who are watching,
[25:21] they might be wondering why July 1st.
[25:24] Because the board is not seated till we
[25:26] vote on it and approve. Otherwise, the
[25:28] superintendent has to run the district
[25:30] as board as well as the superintendent.
[25:32] That's too much.
[25:33] >> Yes.
[25:34] >> So, that's why
[25:36] the board is seated on July 1st and we
[25:38] have a board reorganization meeting on
[25:39] July 1st. And July 1st happened to be a
[25:42] Wednesday and that's why we're meeting
[25:44] today.
[25:45] So,
[25:46] Mr. Barron, would you modify your motion
[25:48] to include the meeting dates and times
[25:50] and then I'll announce the membership
[25:52] >> Yes, so I move that we set these meeting
[25:55] dates as read by Ms. Day
[25:58] to be approved for our
[26:01] calendar
[26:02] 2026-2027.
[26:04] >> Including the committee meetings and
[26:06] we'll we'll do the membership in a
[26:07] minute.
[26:08] >> Yes, sir.
[26:08] >> Would you please call the roll?
[26:10] >> [clears throat]
[26:10] >> Mrs. Royal.
[26:11] >> Yes.
[26:12] >> Mr. Barron.
[26:12] >> Yes.
[26:13] >> Mr. Ali.
[26:14] >> Yes.
[26:14] >> Mr. Connor.
[26:15] >> Yes.
[26:16] >> Dr. Gupta.
[26:16] >> Yes.
[26:17] >> Mrs. Lowry.
[26:18] >> Yes.
[26:18] >> Dr. Farmer.
[26:19] >> Yes.
[26:19] >> Mr. Powell.
[26:20] >> Yes.
[26:21] >> Mr. Shaw.
[26:22] >> Yes.
[26:22] >> Motion passes.
[26:23] >> Now, the secondary as part of that
[26:25] process as a board chair
[26:28] and vice chair, our job is to appoint uh
[26:31] committee members to different
[26:32] committees.
[26:33] And the way I have chose I've done each
[26:36] year is
[26:37] I replace members who leave and then in
[26:40] their place put them in unless their duties are much more higher level.
[26:44] So, Madam Clerk, would you please call
[26:45] the membership as assigned and it's on
[26:48] board docs. Uh
[26:50] Finance and Facilities.
[26:53] >> Would you want to start with the first
[26:54] two, Steve?
[26:55] >> No, no, no. The committee membership.
[26:59] >> Who's on what committee?
[27:00] >> People.
[27:01] >> Right. Okay, Finance and Facilities will
[27:03] meet on second Tuesdays of each month at
[27:05] 3:30. The members will be Mr. Connor,
[27:08] Eileen, and Royal.
[27:09] >> So, Mr. Connor, is it Who's the chair?
[27:12] >> Mr. Connor will be chair.
[27:13] >> Yeah.
[27:15] Mr. Eileen and
[27:16] >> Mrs. Royal.
[27:17] And then, Legislative
[27:19] Advocacy.
[27:20] >> Legislative Advocacy Committee will meet
[27:23] on third Tuesdays of each month at 3:30.
[27:26] Members chair will be Dr. Farmer, Mr.
[27:28] Shaw, and Mrs. Royal.
[27:30] >> And then, is the Academic Success
[27:32] Committee.
[27:33] >> Academic Success Committee has now been
[27:35] moved to the first Tuesday of each month
[27:37] at 3:30.
[27:38] Chair, Mrs. Royal, Mr. Barron, and Dr.
[27:41] Farmer.
[27:42] >> Um which one am I missing? There's
[27:44] Academic Opportunities, which is an ad
[27:46] hoc committee. Mr. Poe and Dr. Farmer.
[27:49] Mr. Poe is chairing that committee.
[27:51] And I'm missing one committee.
[27:54] >> Discipline.
[27:55] Go ahead.
[27:56] >> [laughter]
[27:57] >> Discipline Case and Data Review will
[28:00] meet every Thursday at 3:30 as needed.
[28:03] Members are chair, Mr. Poe,
[28:06] Mr. Barron, and Mr. Shaw.
[28:09] >> Thank you. And that takes care of the
[28:11] Then we have ad hoc um
[28:14] work groups.
[28:15] >> The only ad hoc committee we have
[28:17] >> No, no, sorry. The work groups. Policy work groups. You have that list
[28:21] with you?
[28:21] >> I do not have that list with me.
[28:22] >> That's all right. So, um we'll we'll
[28:24] post that on BoardDocs. Uh what happens
[28:27] is every school board School board's
[28:29] role is to make policies.
[28:31] Superintendent's job is to run district
[28:33] on a day-to-day basis. As I I was
[28:35] telling Mr. Connor yesterday, think
[28:37] about we own the home, but we have those
[28:41] Cracker Barrel
[28:43] uh chairs outside the home on the porch.
[28:46] As people drive by, they see us sitting
[28:48] on the porch rocking our chairs. They
[28:50] think we live inside the home. We don't.
[28:53] We had the home and we were rented it to
[28:55] the superintendent.
[28:56] >> [laughter]
[28:57] >> She can be as early as she wants inside
[28:59] the room. There's nothing we can do
[29:00] other than get an eviction notice to get
[29:02] her out OF THE HOME.
[29:04] >> [laughter]
[29:08] » I'M JUST
[29:09] >> [laughter]
[29:10] >> PEOPLE SAY
[29:12] SCHOOL BOARD WHO RUNS the district is a
[29:14] superintendent and runs the district. We
[29:16] make policies to run the district. And
[29:19] sometimes that's where Attorney Towns,
[29:21] correct me if I'm wrong, right? That's
[29:23] the legal thing that she's the operating
[29:26] officer.
[29:28] The day we appoint her, she takes over
[29:30] the district and we basically have one
[29:32] employee, i.e. superintendent.
[29:35] And rest is all under her. So, if you go
[29:38] to anybody else, we're bypassing her to
[29:40] buy to go to that person.
[29:41] >> I have um
[29:43] after we vote on the meeting, I have
[29:45] some govern I'd like to do a governance
[29:47] reminder.
[29:48] And I
[29:49] teach um fair but I have something
[29:51] prepared.
[29:52] >> All right, wonderful.
[29:54] Madam Clerk, would you please call the
[29:55] roll?
[29:56] >> The roll has been called.
[29:58] >> The for the meeting to change the
[29:59] minutes.
[30:01] >> It's being called, are we good? Go
[30:02] ahead.
[30:04] >> Okay, um once again, thank you for um
[30:07] trusting me again as vice chair.
[30:09] Um one of the things that I want to
[30:11] share is is um
[30:15] the discipline committee
[30:17] meets every week.
[30:19] And we it was like pulling teeth last
[30:21] year to get substitutes cuz sometimes
[30:24] things come up and one of the members is
[30:26] not able to be there and we really need
[30:28] to have three members in attendance
[30:31] at each meeting.
[30:32] So, I was I was talking to Dr. Gupta
[30:36] about making a schedule and locking
[30:38] everybody in, but I would like to see is
[30:41] if um when Mr. Poe reaches out and say,
[30:43] "Hey, I need a substitute this
[30:45] Thursday." that we can do that without
[30:48] having to but if we if he ends up having
[30:50] a lot of meetings with only two members,
[30:52] then we'll probably have to say, "Well,
[30:54] November, Dr. Farmer, you're the
[30:56] designated sub.
[30:58] December, you know,
[31:00] Ms. Royal, you'll be the designated
[31:02] sub." And it may only be once every now
[31:05] and then, but we need to make sure that
[31:07] we always have three members on that
[31:08] committee. Cuz some of the decisions
[31:10] that are made
[31:12] could possibly be challenged to appeal
[31:14] >> Right.
[31:15] >> by parents or you know, so we need when
[31:17] you have three members, then
[31:20] that get you know, sometimes two out of
[31:22] three vote and the parent has the right
[31:24] to appeal.
[31:25] >> [clears throat]
[31:25] >> And then last time last year, Pastor
[31:27] Nigel and Dr. Farmer took most of the
[31:29] weight of substituting, so thank you
[31:31] very much. We appreciate you doing that.
[31:34] >> And my other question is do you want to
[31:36] pick two subs so it the it's consistent?
[31:40] >> We'll work it out because as we move,
[31:42] the discipline committee chair is Mr.
[31:44] Poe, so he'll work it out.
[31:45] >> Okay. All right.
[31:45] >> He'll let us know
[31:46] >> Yeah.
[31:46] >> when we need it.
[31:47] >> That's it's on his shoulders now.
[31:49] >> Well, and and I couldn't last year
[31:51] because of the tutoring I do, but I have
[31:53] no tutoring [clears throat] set, so if
[31:55] I'm
[31:56] designated as a sub, I'll just make sure
[31:57] I don't tutor on Thursdays.
[31:59] >> Okay.
[32:00] >> And that that coordination and
[32:01] responsibility is Mr. Poe. That's why I
[32:03] was telling him we
[32:04] >> want to make sure that he doesn't have
[32:05] to really cuz we really need it's it's
[32:08] one of the most important and I think we
[32:10] made a lot of headway last year.
[32:14] Um and we now have opened up um
[32:17] you know, well, that's all
[32:19] >> Go ahead.
[32:19] >> Let me let me get to my governance
[32:21] stuff.
[32:22] But I'm excited about what we're doing
[32:24] as a district for the students.
[32:27] This is a board governance reminder.
[32:30] These are all based in policies. Our
[32:32] board policies are in the B section
[32:35] of the policy manual, so if you want to
[32:38] um look at them individually cuz some I
[32:41] didn't take the entire policy for each
[32:43] one, but all of our governance policies
[32:46] are in they start with the letter B.
[32:50] >> [cough]
[32:50] >> You go into the policy [clears throat]
[32:51] manual, you'll find them under board
[32:53] governance and operations.
[32:56] Okay?
[32:57] Now,
[32:58] before we go into tonight's agenda, I
[33:00] would like to take a few moments to
[33:01] provide governance reminder for all
[33:04] board members.
[33:05] As we continue our work together as some
[33:08] members begin their service on the
[33:10] Lynchburg City School Board, this is a
[33:12] good opportunity to revisit the
[33:14] governance practice that guide our work.
[33:18] The government framework is established
[33:20] through school board policy and intended
[33:23] to ensure transparency,
[33:25] consistency, accountability, and
[33:28] effective leadership. These policies
[33:30] help define our respective roles and
[33:33] establish the processes that allow us to
[33:35] work collaboratively on behalf of our
[33:38] student, staff, and community.
[33:40] I would like to remind everyone that
[33:43] communication between the school board
[33:45] and the superintendent should follow our
[33:48] established protocols. Information
[33:51] requests from individual board members
[33:53] should be routed through the board chair
[33:56] and communications intended for the full
[33:59] board should likewise flow through the
[34:01] chair so that all members receive the
[34:04] same information at the same time.
[34:08] I want to remind board members that in
[34:09] accordance with board policy, written
[34:12] notification should be provided to the
[34:14] superintendent at least one day prior to
[34:16] visiting a school. This allows school
[34:19] leadership to be informed while ensuring
[34:21] minimal disruption of the school day.
[34:24] Just for clarification, not really when
[34:27] you're bored, we're not asking for
[34:28] permission, it's just notification. Hey,
[34:31] I want to go by Ford Hill and Bass
[34:33] tomorrow.
[34:35] So that and then she may say, "Hey, well
[34:37] we have a staff meeting or
[34:39] um that principal is out with medicals."
[34:42] You might not know. So that notification
[34:44] the day before just say, "Hey, I would
[34:46] like to go um to Sandusky and and visit
[34:50] with the principal." So it's just a
[34:52] protocol and it's
[34:55] you know, so we're not just you know, um
[34:57] bouncing
[34:58] >> Uh-huh.
[34:59] >> Did you say that if you want if you were
[35:01] sending an email or something to either
[35:03] Superintendent Maggett or to anyone else
[35:06] that that email would go through the
[35:09] chair first or is that the way that I'm
[35:11] just asking a question?
[35:13] >> Okay.
[35:14] If you are requesting
[35:16] information from the superintendent
[35:19] then you should it should go through the
[35:21] chair.
[35:22] >> Okay.
[35:23] >> Um just give you common sense or common
[35:26] understanding.
[35:28] She Nobody can work for nine bosses.
[35:31] >> Oh yeah, that makes sense.
[35:33] >> So um that way any information goes to
[35:36] him, he communicate and then when it
[35:38] comes back, if it's for everybody then
[35:40] it'll be shared to everybody broadly.
[35:43] But otherwise, she'd get nine different
[35:45] requests all day long and and and and
[35:47] her staff would be running. So we just
[35:50] it's centralized that way.
[35:52] Okay? And like I say, once again, it's
[35:55] we just it's just asking you to do it
[35:57] because it's the right thing to do.
[36:00] >> Let me just clarify one thing there.
[36:02] When you're a committee chair and
[36:04] there's a staff designee of that
[36:06] committee, right?
[36:07] They coordinate with that staff designee
[36:09] directly.
[36:10] >> [clears throat]
[36:10] >> So Ms. James is for finance, so the
[36:13] finance chair will coordinate that has
[36:15] the
[36:16] superintendent become superintendent's
[36:18] designee at that time by default.
[36:20] >> Likewise, academic success is Dr. Davis.
[36:24] Um
[36:24] Ms. Dr. Sumner is not here with
[36:26] discipline, but Dr. Summers you you
[36:28] know, and um
[36:30] you know, so that's what we do.
[36:32] Um let's see. Where was I? Okay, is
[36:35] equally important
[36:37] to remember that our role as board
[36:39] members is one of governance. We are
[36:41] responsible for establishing policy,
[36:44] providing fiscal oversight,
[36:47] ensuring legal compliance, and setting
[36:49] the vision and direction for Lynchburg
[36:51] City Schools.
[36:53] Growth, opportunity, and success.
[36:56] Um day-to-day management and operation
[36:59] of [clears throat] the school division
[37:00] rests with the superintendent and staff.
[37:03] Individual board members do not have the
[37:05] authority to direct employees or make
[37:08] decisions on behalf of the board outside
[37:12] of official board action.
[37:14] These are policies.
[37:16] I also encourage each of us to remain
[37:18] actively engaged in our committee
[37:20] assignments, come prepared for meetings
[37:22] by reviewing materials in BoardDocs, and
[37:25] participate thoughtfully in committee
[37:27] discussions before recommendations are
[37:30] brought to the full board for
[37:31] consideration.
[37:33] >> Can I say something there?
[37:34] >> Mhm.
[37:35] >> The committee, just like board agenda,
[37:38] goes public but 48 hours, at least 48
[37:40] hours prior to the meeting.
[37:42] So, the board clerk should not wait till
[37:44] 11th hour is the meeting going to happen
[37:46] or not.
[37:47] So, if you're planning to cancel the
[37:48] meeting, let the board clerk know that
[37:50] the meeting will be canceled. Otherwise,
[37:52] please do give her the agenda and
[37:54] discuss it with your committee members
[37:56] [clears throat] so she can make it
[37:57] public. That's legal requirement, right?
[37:59] You got to make that Attorney Townsend,
[38:01] is it? That's public information under
[38:04] It comes under You know,
[38:06] >> It is noticed you know, within
[38:09] the 24-48 hours or so.
[38:12] If you know earlier, even better.
[38:14] >> Yeah. So, that information needs to be
[38:16] made public. Uh poor board clerk
[38:18] shouldn't be running around saying is
[38:19] the meeting going to happen or not, do I
[38:21] have the agenda? So, that's the
[38:23] committee chair's responsibility to make
[38:24] sure she has the agenda and she's able
[38:27] to comply with the law.
[38:29] Go ahead, sir.
[38:29] >> Thank you.
[38:30] >> Okay.
[38:30] Rather than review each policy this
[38:33] evening, a comprehensive board
[38:35] government reference will be emailed to
[38:38] each board member following tonight's
[38:39] meeting.
[38:40] The document includes the applicable
[38:45] >> applicable
[38:47] >> Thank you. school board policies,
[38:51] communication expectations, and school
[38:54] visitation procedures, committee
[38:56] responsibilities, and other governance
[38:58] guidance that will serve as a resource
[39:01] throughout the year. I encourage
[39:03] everyone to review it and keep it
[39:05] available for future reference. And I
[39:07] need to add one more
[39:10] um that I'm missed adding on here.
[39:13] Communication with the media.
[39:18] We have one spokesperson with the media,
[39:21] and that is the board chair.
[39:24] If you are contacted by the media and
[39:27] you
[39:28] want to share with the media, the first
[39:30] thing you need to do is let him know
[39:32] that that they've contacted you and
[39:34] you're going to speak with them, and you
[39:36] have to clearly state to the media that
[39:40] you are speaking as an individual and
[39:43] not on behalf of the Lynchburg City
[39:45] School Board. And sometimes you may have
[39:48] to repeat that during the interview just
[39:51] to remind, "Hey, you asked me a question
[39:52] that sounds like you want information
[39:55] from the board. I'm not representing the
[39:57] board. I'm speaking as an individual."
[40:00] Very important, um because we run into
[40:03] some legal issues when we Once again, we
[40:05] can't have nine spokespersons.
[40:09] Um but we're not restricting anybody
[40:11] from speaking to the media. We're just
[40:13] asking that um you understand that your
[40:16] position and role when you speak to the
[40:18] media. [clears throat]
[40:19] So, thank you.
[40:20] >> What do you want to clarify?
[40:21] >> Yeah. You meant your first amendment
[40:22] right is to be able to speak,
[40:25] but then you speak for yourself. You
[40:26] don't represent the board in that
[40:28] speech.
[40:29] So, this not preventing the freedom of
[40:31] speech. Just making sure that we are not
[40:33] putting board at at a liability.
[40:38] >> So, thank you for your continued
[40:39] commitment to serving the student Oh, go
[40:42] ahead.
[40:42] >> Yeah, was could you address the protocol
[40:45] for closed sessions?
[40:47] Would that be possible?
[40:48] >> Well, closed session we will announce
[40:51] it'll be on the agenda that we will have
[40:53] a closed session.
[40:55] We will announce and then vote to go
[40:58] into closed session. Anything that's
[41:00] discussed in closed session is
[41:02] confidential and not to be released
[41:05] outside of closed session.
[41:07] >> I let attorney Tong, would you be kind
[41:09] enough to talk to us about the closed
[41:11] session legal requirements, please?
[41:14] Because that's very important because
[41:16] that's a line we
[41:18] >> [clears throat]
[41:18] >> we have to maintain.
[41:21] The
[41:21] legal compliance which are required.
[41:23] Yeah, go ahead.
[41:24] >> The closed session requirements are
[41:26] under the Virginia Freedom of
[41:27] Information Act. And while it's
[41:30] important for boards to be transparent
[41:32] and share information, there will be
[41:33] times that you all will have things to
[41:35] speak about that
[41:38] are not able to be disclosed to the
[41:39] public at this time.
[41:41] Just like your student discipline
[41:43] meetings. Those will generally be closed
[41:45] session meetings because you're talking
[41:46] about students and student records.
[41:48] There'll be times perhaps we'll talk
[41:49] about contracts
[41:51] where in negotiation we don't want to
[41:53] disclose our negotiation tactics to outside
[41:58] council and outside
[42:00] participators. And so,
[42:03] when you go into closed session,
[42:05] there will be a
[42:07] line from the Virginia Freedom of
[42:08] Information Act disclosing as to why
[42:11] we're going in the closed session. You
[42:13] all will vote on that, go into closed
[42:15] session, we'll discuss the matters that
[42:17] need to be discussed at that time, then
[42:19] you all will come out, and then there's
[42:22] a certification that nothing was
[42:24] discussed in that meeting but what was
[42:26] put on the closed session agenda. So, if
[42:30] we're if you go into a student
[42:31] discipline and then start talking about
[42:35] uh uh a contract for a new business,
[42:40] then that wasn't on the agenda. So,
[42:43] you'd have difficulty certifying that was the only topic. So, you would
[42:48] certify that you talked about what was
[42:50] on the closed session, and then there
[42:52] may be some action items after you come
[42:54] out of the closed section session that
[42:56] you will act on, and that is information
[42:58] that is open to the public. So, then
[43:01] that is something that will be on the
[43:02] agenda
[43:04] um
[43:05] that
[43:06] will be disclosed. However, the
[43:08] discussion itself will be in closed
[43:10] session.
[43:11] Um if you all find that you have any
[43:13] questions about anything about the
[43:14] closed session,
[43:15] uh please feel free to give me a call,
[43:17] but I think that's the general the
[43:19] general thoughts about how closed
[43:20] sessions are handled.
[43:21] >> Things discussed in closed session are
[43:23] confidential, right?
[43:24] >> Correct.
[43:24] >> There's no discussion outside. If you
[43:26] are in discipline, your three members,
[43:28] the fourth member has no business
[43:30] knowing what you three members talked
[43:32] about.
[43:32] Um
[43:33] neither me nor superintendent, anybody
[43:36] has no business knowing what was
[43:38] discussed among those three members in
[43:40] that closed session. Right? Am I uh
[43:42] >> Correct. Correct, like that. Unless it
[43:44] becomes an issue for the full board,
[43:46] then it's appropriate for the school the
[43:48] full board to get that information.
[43:50] >> And Dr. Rooper, and um this sounds for
[43:52] our new um members, um she said give her
[43:55] a call, so I don't know if they have her
[43:56] number.
[43:57] >> And I will eventually. That's that's one
[43:58] of the reasons why I'm here today. You
[43:59] see uh some cards in my hand, so I will
[44:02] reach [clears throat] out to you all and uh discuss uh setting up a meeting
[44:05] just to go over some legal requirements
[44:08] for being a board member.
[44:09] >> do you charge per hour?
[44:10] >> [laughter]
[44:11] >> Not enough.
[44:12] >> 1 million.
[44:15] » But no, thank you all for the for the
[44:17] moment.
[44:18] >> Thank you, Ernie Towns. Thank you.
[44:20] >> Thank you.
[44:20] >> Go ahead, sir.
[44:21] >> That's good.
[44:21] >> Okay.
[44:22] Thank you for your continued commitment
[44:24] to serving our students, families,
[44:26] staff,
[44:27] and community of Lynchburg City Schools.
[44:29] I appreciate your service and look
[44:31] forward to our continued work together
[44:33] on behalf of the students of Lynchburg
[44:35] City Schools.
[44:36] >> Thank you.
[44:38] >> Um three things. Um
[44:40] the business partners meeting we had
[44:42] yesterday, if we like I showed you what
[44:44] I've signed up to help in schools do, I
[44:47] showed that to you, but am I doing
[44:49] protocol right? Should I have gone
[44:50] through you first or that was open?
[44:53] >> Yes, that that was something open and
[44:54] you you shared it with me.
[44:55] >> Yeah, I shared it with you. I just
[44:56] wanted everybody to know. Okay, and the
[44:58] second thing, I always do the schedule
[45:00] of visiting the schools every year. You
[45:01] want me to send that to you every month?
[45:03] I do it the first two weeks.
[45:04] >> That you can work out with me.
[45:05] >> Okay. And then the third thing was can
[45:07] we cancel the Equity and Success um July
[45:10] meeting because we just met last week
[45:12] and the meeting was last week. Okay, so
[45:14] I'm thinking there's not much going on.
[45:16] So the next one will be like August 4th.
[45:18] Okay.
[45:18] >> You can work that out with me.
[45:19] >> Okay.
[45:20] >> Now once again,
[45:22] out of policy and respect, if you have a
[45:26] schedule like she does where she knows
[45:28] she's going to be visiting schools, just
[45:30] we're just saying don't don't just pop
[45:32] into a school.
[45:34] Um and start directing the staff. Just
[45:37] let the superintendent know that you
[45:39] hey, I'm a um I'm going to be at this
[45:40] school because there's reasons for us to
[45:43] go. I'm looking forward. I I made
[45:45] commitments at our meeting yesterday. I
[45:46] made some commitments that they will see
[45:48] my face this year and they are they can
[45:51] say they're going to hold my feet to the
[45:52] fire to expect to see me. They want to show us what they're doing.
[45:56] Everybody, I'm telling you I feel a
[45:58] level of excitement this year that I
[46:00] haven't felt before. The principals and
[46:04] APs and staff, they are excited about
[46:06] what, you know, the direction they're
[46:08] going and they want to show us what
[46:09] they're doing. So, all we ask
[46:12] >> so that everybody knows, a lot of times
[46:14] when I visit because a lot cuz I I'm a
[46:16] retired teacher and I have friends in
[46:18] all three levels, elementary, middle,
[46:19] high school. All I do is walk around and
[46:21] just say hi. I don't sit and observe a
[46:22] class. I don't do any of that stuff. I'm
[46:25] just a friendly face, just being visible
[46:27] because when I started my term, the
[46:29] first time they just said, "We never see
[46:32] school board members." So, I was just
[46:33] being visible. That's all I'm doing.
[46:35] That's all I do. I'm usually there 5 to
[46:37] 10 minutes max and I'm out.
[46:39] >> [laughter]
[46:39] >> So, I'm not there very long.
[46:41] >> We have a chain of command for and we
[46:44] have a grievance procedure in the school
[46:45] district.
[46:46] So, if I have a complaint then I I'm a
[46:50] If I'm a teacher, I go to my principal,
[46:51] right? And they go to
[46:53] There's a chain of command there and
[46:55] they follow before they run over
[46:58] because we don't control the day-to-day
[47:00] operation
[47:02] of the school district.
[47:03] >> And so, if you do see something that bothers you or you don't think is
[47:07] the right way that they should be doing
[47:09] things, don't try to correct It's not
[47:11] your job to try to correct it on the
[47:13] spot, but it is [snorts] your job to
[47:14] notify Drop an email to Dr. Gupta. If
[47:17] he's not around, drop it to me and we'll
[47:19] make sure that it's directed through the
[47:21] right chain of command so it's
[47:23] addressed.
[47:26] » Hey, go ahead.
[47:27] >> And I can just real quick I I appreciate
[47:28] all the clarification. I think this was
[47:30] something
[47:31] Maybe I just have a short memory, but I
[47:32] don't remember going to this detail
[47:34] level of detail when I started last
[47:35] year. So, I think it's very helpful.
[47:37] And it's been a learning curve when it
[47:39] comes to cuz I think the perception for
[47:41] the community is that we're not
[47:43] accessible, we're not paying attention,
[47:45] we're not we're not communicating well.
[47:47] And so, I definitely want to encourage
[47:48] us to be diligent in how we communicate.
[47:50] And part of this protocol is about
[47:51] directing communication so that it's not
[47:53] just haphazard. And so, that's been a
[47:55] learning curve for me. But, one of the
[47:57] things I I did come upon
[47:59] I was talking to Dr. Majette the other
[48:00] day. I'd noticed in our policies that
[48:01] you just went over, there's a personnel
[48:04] advisory that that
[48:06] superintendent appoints at the beginning
[48:08] of the year.
[48:09] And I won't get into that whole thing
[48:11] now, but there's also a parental
[48:12] advisory that goes
[48:14] out every year. And for the public
[48:17] listening, I think it's important so
[48:18] that we can focus on legislation and
[48:20] policy and things like that. We can
[48:21] gather information that helps inform
[48:23] policy, but if you have things that you
[48:24] want to talk to somebody about there are
[48:26] those appointees on those
[48:28] committees, your parental advisory and
[48:31] the personnel advisory that are great
[48:33] people to go to and communicate with.
[48:35] And I just think I think we want to open
[48:37] up communication, but there are these
[48:39] protocols and procedures
[48:41] that may seem restrictive, but we also
[48:43] have these other channels. I didn't know
[48:44] about those personnel
[48:46] advisory or parental advisory until I
[48:49] started looking at the policies. So,
[48:51] just saying it in public for public to
[48:53] know, I didn't know as a school board
[48:55] >> number.
[48:55] >> Now, hopefully we can start using those
[48:57] channels properly and get the
[48:59] communication flowing.
[49:00] >> Sometimes we are reactive, the other
[49:01] times we are proactive. And this time we
[49:03] are reactive cuz when we see the goofy
[49:06] business going on, we got to make sure
[49:08] that we react and outline and reiterate
[49:11] because the assumption was that
[49:13] everybody has read the governance
[49:14] policies. They are on the board docs.
[49:17] They are for the public to see and the
[49:18] board members to see.
[49:20] But it looks like they were missed, so
[49:21] that's why we wanted to make sure that
[49:23] this time
[49:24] all the the book chapter is there. If
[49:26] somebody has not read that chapter, we
[49:28] remind them there's a chapter in the
[49:29] book which outlines the policies. So,
[49:32] that's what's happening right now. Go
[49:33] ahead, Dr. Majette.
[49:34] >> So, I just wanted to add in. Thank you
[49:36] for bringing that up, Mr. Barron,
[49:38] because that was one of the things um
[49:41] the individuals for both committees were
[49:42] chosen. I I got here and just
[49:45] you know, had to adopt what was already
[49:46] there in place. And a lot of them were
[49:48] virtual. He and I have had this
[49:49] conversation a lot. We're already set up
[49:51] virtual. The parents were already
[49:53] chosen. The staff that participated was
[49:55] already chosen. And while the staff does
[49:58] participate, I mean, you pretty much
[50:00] will have every location
[50:02] with some of the parents, they some
[50:04] didn't participate. And so we're working
[50:06] through a process now of doing more of
[50:08] an application process, making sure that
[50:11] we understand that how I if I'm Shawn
[50:13] Smith and I'm going to be the
[50:14] representative for, you know, um say
[50:17] Heritage Elementary, then my
[50:19] responsibility is is being a point of
[50:21] contact. Whatever we discuss in that
[50:22] meeting that other parents can share
[50:24] concerns with them or get information to
[50:26] them or, you know, or getting
[50:28] information back from us because
[50:29] sometimes just sending out the recording
[50:31] isn't enough because it only goes to
[50:32] those people who are part of it. But
[50:35] that was one of the things, you know,
[50:36] people were chosen. It was already
[50:38] selected, so I just kind of fell into
[50:39] the pattern of what it is. But as we got
[50:42] through it uh this year, um we started
[50:45] internally having with the team having
[50:47] conversations about this has to be
[50:48] different. It's so impersonal being
[50:50] virtual. I want to be able to sit with
[50:52] the parents and have a conversation if
[50:54] you're a representative for a site. And
[50:56] then even with personnel having it all
[50:58] on Zoom is just impersonal. And you
[51:01] can't really sit and have those
[51:02] conversations. You're just answering
[51:03] questions. So
[51:04] I'm glad you brought that up, but he and
[51:06] I had that conversation and
[51:08] we are streamlining that process so that
[51:10] it's more collaborative and we can
[51:12] actually connect with people.
[51:13] >> another comment or let me just continue
[51:15] with I'll come back to both of them. Do
[51:17] you want to share how many classrooms
[51:18] you visited in last one year and what
[51:20] you did?
[51:21] >> Uh
[51:21] >> [clears throat]
[51:21] >> it's 480. I had an opportunity to visit
[51:24] every classroom. And I got to sort of um
[51:27] they they the teachers gave me some
[51:29] grace and got to co-teach with a few of
[51:31] them, but
[51:32] >> The observations are being implemented
[51:34] as we know what we observed will be
[51:36] implemented in the coming months and
[51:38] years.
[51:38] >> Well, a lot were implemented as we moved
[51:41] along because poor Dr. Davis, the moment
[51:43] I got in the car and had a signal cuz I
[51:46] don't have my phone out in front of the
[51:47] kids. I always have my little pouch. But
[51:49] literally, I'd get in the car and
[51:51] because I had one-on-ones with the
[51:53] principals and things anyway, but even
[51:56] after having conversations with them
[51:57] one-on-one and then doing my visits, if
[51:59] I saw something and when I say it saw
[52:01] something cuz teachers would pull you
[52:02] aside and say, "Hey, you know, I like
[52:04] this or I need help with that."
[52:06] Um or if I saw something with facilities
[52:08] that, you know, "Hey, we may want to go
[52:10] touch up this wall or do something for
[52:13] Mr. Marshall." I'd sneak in to get a
[52:15] picture of something so that I could
[52:16] describe it and he would just get a
[52:17] random picture in a text message. So, as
[52:19] we went along, um because the visits
[52:22] aren't to be critical. I just really
[52:24] enjoyed myself in seeing kids and
[52:25] meeting teachers one-to-one. But at the
[52:27] same time, while you're there, if you
[52:29] see something that needs to make the
[52:30] environment better for them,
[52:32] I can't wait a whole year to address it.
[52:34] So, they every time I had a visit, they
[52:36] heard from me.
[52:38] The moment I got in the car.
[52:39] >> Yeah. Thank you, Mrs. Loud.
[52:41] >> What do you say, promptly?
[52:42] >> The purple notebook.
[52:44] >> Yes, I write around with the notebook.
[52:45] Yes.
[52:46] >> Like the sink when I sent the thing
[52:47] about the sink.
[52:48] >> Yes, you did.
[52:49] >> Um I for our new um
[52:51] members, one thing I did when I first
[52:53] started was I just even though I wasn't
[52:54] going to remember all of them, I read
[52:56] all the policies. I took a whole
[52:58] afternoon and read all the policies so
[52:59] if it came up again, I was familiar or
[53:02] realized, "Oh yeah, I remember reading
[53:04] that." Just to help yourself. So, just
[53:07] so you know, that was helpful for me.
[53:09] >> And also, I wanted to make sure um
[53:12] that we get the applicant When is the
[53:14] process to get the
[53:16] um parent members of our committees?
[53:18] >> I'm doing the process now because in the
[53:20] past, the principals just picked whoever
[53:22] it was going to be. And so, it they they
[53:25] selected someone, people were selected.
[53:28] This time, I'm going to do a process
[53:29] where we can get more collaboration.
[53:32] >> we should have a parent rep on academic
[53:35] success, finance, and facilities.
[53:37] >> Oh, that and that's something separate.
[53:39] This is not me. Yeah. That's a committee
[53:41] something separate.
[53:42] >> Okay, but I'm saying when you going to
[53:44] make sure that
[53:45] we know that application process goes
[53:48] out for people interested in serving,
[53:50] the parents interested in serving on our
[53:52] committees.
[53:53] >> Yes, I think Austin had also did
[53:54] something
[53:55] >> think last year I don't Did we have some
[53:57] I don't think we had any a parent in
[53:59] finance last year.
[54:00] >> We did not.
[54:01] >> And we need to have a parent
[54:03] representative. So, I know it's an
[54:04] application process, a notification, and
[54:06] an application process.
[54:08] >> That's separate. Okay.
[54:10] >> So.
[54:10] >> Go ahead, Mrs. Lloyd.
[54:11] >> I think having those meetings in person
[54:13] will be a good idea. I was on the parent
[54:15] advisory committee, and it's hard
[54:17] >> having it
[54:19] >> in Zoom. But, in the past I I think what
[54:21] they did was they kind of picked the PTO
[54:23] presidents of the school, and that's
[54:25] where the parents would come from. At
[54:28] least the year I did it, I think that's
[54:29] what the principals did.
[54:31] >> Got you. Okay, that that's helpful. I
[54:33] wasn't sure if it was just
[54:35] >> That's what they did. They They just
[54:36] picked like the the PTO president and
[54:38] vice president of each school, and then
[54:41] that's who was on the parent advisory
[54:43] committee.
[54:43] >> Perfect. Perfect. Thank you.
[54:45] >> Any suggestions you have this channel it
[54:47] to the superintendent.
[54:48] >> Okay.
[54:49] >> I think different committee members who come, different task force will come
[54:52] for the board for approval.
[54:54] >> Okay.
[54:54] >> And we board as a as a group on those
[54:57] memberships.
[54:58] And um
[54:59] >> But, not for mine.
[55:00] >> Not for you.
[55:01] >> for mine.
[55:01] >> No, not for you. You got an independent
[55:03] kingdom.
[55:05] >> [laughter]
[55:06] >> All right, any other questions?
[55:09] All right, next one is the consent
[55:10] agenda. Is there a motion to approve
[55:12] consent agenda?
[55:13] >> Motion.
[55:14] >> Okay.
[55:15] >> Second.
[55:16] >> Madam Clerk, would you please call the
[55:17] roll?
[55:18] >> Mrs. Royal.
[55:19] >> Yes.
[55:20] >> Mr. Barron.
[55:21] >> Yes.
[55:21] >> Mr. Alleyne.
[55:22] >> Yes.
[55:22] >> Mr. Tucker.
[55:23] >> Yes.
[55:24] >> Dr. Gupta.
[55:24] >> Yes.
[55:25] >> Mrs. Lloyd.
[55:26] >> Yes.
[55:26] >> Dr. Farmer.
[55:27] >> Yes.
[55:27] >> Mr. Powell.
[55:28] >> Yes.
[55:29] >> Mr. Shaw.
[55:29] >> Yes. [clears throat]
[55:30] >> Motion passes.
[55:31] >> Thank you. Next is informational items.
[55:33] The next school board meeting is July
[55:34] 21st at 5:00 p.m. in school board.
[55:37] Please remember we have only one school
[55:39] board meeting from here on on every
[55:41] third Tuesday.
[55:43] >> And mine will be electronic. I'll be on
[55:45] the website
[55:46] >> your personal information will share
[55:48] with the board clerk not on camera.
[55:50] Thank you.
[55:51] The meeting is adjourned.
[55:53] >> Thank you. Thank you.