[0:00] meeting of the Washington County School Board to order. Uh first, I'd like to

[0:03] welcome everyone to tonight's Washington County School Board meeting. I know

[0:07] there have been a lot of mixed feelings and strong opinions surrounding the tax

[0:10] referendum, our CIP needs, and the discussion about the possible

[0:13] unification of Patrick Henry and Holston High Schools. With all of these

[0:18] conversations happening at the same time, I understand how it can create a

[0:22] lot of confusion, concern, and frustration.

[0:25] As a member of this board, we are also citizens of this beautiful county. We

[0:30] live here. Our families are here. And we care deeply about our schools and our

[0:34] community. But we have also been given the responsibility of making some very

[0:38] difficult decisions about the future of our schools. We may not have all the

[0:42] answers tonight, but we are committed to listening. We will hear your concerns,

[0:47] look at the information, and carefully consider all sides before making these

[0:51] important decisions. All I ask is that we remember that we are all on the same

[0:56] team. We may not always agree, but we can [clears throat] disagree

[1:00] respectfully. We will respect respect each of you and

[1:04] I ask that you show the same respect to us as we work through these difficult

[1:09] issues together. With that being said, madame clerk, item

[1:13] 1.02, determination of quorum. We have seven members present.

[1:18] Now I'd like to ask Boy Scouts Flag Guard Troop 222 from EB Stanley

[1:26] Wesley Barry and Ryan Wiseman to lead us in the pledge of allegiance.

[1:31] » Please stand up for the pledge of allegiance.

[1:34] I aliance to the flag of the United States of America [clears throat] and to

[1:40] the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with

[1:46] liberty and justice for all. >> Please be seated.

[1:50] » Thank you.

[1:59] » Item 1.04. Now, we'll observe a moment of silence. uh if y'all would please

[2:04] join me in a moment of silence to [snorts] uh think about things that may

[2:08] have happened in our communities and around the world and and any things that

[2:12] may be happening in your life. So, please join me in a brief moment of

[2:15] silence.

[2:33] Thank you. Item 1.05, approve the meeting agenda.

[2:41] » Mr.

[2:45] Motion by made by Rasnik, second by Dr. Frederick to approve approve the meeting

[2:49] agenda. Is there any further discussion? And none. All in favor signify by

[2:53] raising your right hand. Post likewise. Motion carries. 70. Madam clerk,

[2:59] item two is student school board representatives report.

[3:04] Kate, you want to go first? >> Sure, I'll lead off.

[3:07] » All right. Hello everybody. My name is Kaden Singleton. I'm the schoolboard rep

[3:11] for Abington High School, EB, and those engulfed elementary schools. Um, so my

[3:18] report mainly I'm going to, you know, discuss the things that happened last

[3:21] year at our school that were good and things that are coming up for us this

[3:24] week. So, upcoming this week, we have our homecoming dance and game. Our theme

[3:28] this year is Hollywood. Our SCA announced that this past week, you know,

[3:32] it was my just my idea. You know, don't tell them I said that, right? [laughter]

[3:36] But we will be playing Gate City, big rival. Everybody come. It'll be exciting

[3:40] and it'll be right down there at 700 p.m. Um, what happened two weeks ago is

[3:45] we beat John Battle 62 to6.

[3:49] » [laughter] >> But um last year in athletics we won I'd

[3:54] like to congratulate our volleyball, girls basketball, and softball for

[3:58] winning their state championships. That's a crazy feat. And I think I heard

[4:00] Mr. Grace say that has not been done before potentially. So that's a huge

[4:05] feat for Abington to have. Um a couple weeks ago we had our club day, our first

[4:11] club day where we signed up for clubs and we had crazy turnouts and students

[4:15] joining clubs and already those clubs have already done service project. I

[4:19] know my club, Families for Families, has already done a food drive and raised a

[4:23] whole lot of food for people that'll need it most. So, seeing these kind of

[4:26] good things happen out of these high schools is great to see. Our one act

[4:30] team, which is our competitive theater team, has just started these past two

[4:34] weeks, and they're already looking incredible. So, I'm very excited to see

[4:37] where their season take them. The marching band is set to do their first

[4:41] performances Friday, and they yet to be seen by anybody but the marching band.

[4:45] So, pretty excited for that. So, make sure to come to our halftime show to see

[4:48] that, too. And I'll wrap it up with thanking Dr. Perent for including me on

[4:53] the capital improvement plan committee. It's been cool to see the ideas that

[4:57] have been floated around from that. And then I'd like to thank the school board

[5:00] and Miss Kumbo for allowing me the opportunity to be a school board rep.

[5:03] So, thank you guys. >> Then I'll start off where Kane left off.

[5:08] Thank you very much Dr. Perigen for and members of the board for having me here.

[5:12] I'm Zim Moser, the representative from Patrick Henry. And thank you Dr. Dr.

[5:15] Duncan and Miss Montzobias for this wonderful opportunity. Well, it's a

[5:19] great day as it always is to be a Rebel. Our football team is off to a wonderful

[5:23] start with a 1-1 record versus two class 2 opponents, including a big win Friday

[5:28] evening versus Lebanon. Our golf team is off to a wonderful start as well and

[5:32] under the direction of our new coach, Mr. John Hicks. Our cross country and

[5:36] volleyball teams recently hosted large events at Patrick Henry. Coach Love

[5:40] directed the Becky Self cross country invitational a couple of weeks ago and

[5:43] Coach Miller hosted the Patrick Henry Invitational volleyball tournament. And

[5:47] for those of you who don't know the Becky Self, it is big. It is huge. It

[5:50] takes over Emery and Glade. That's how big it is. Um they finished, the

[5:54] volleyball team finished with a 22 record on Saturday, defeating Ji Burton

[5:58] and Southern Gap with a loss to West Central and Happy Valley, but we don't

[6:02] talk about that too much. Both [snorts] events brought many different schools

[6:05] from Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee to Patrick Henry. And both

[6:08] events were highly successful. As we mentioned, uh Patrick Henry has some

[6:12] wonderful new teachers this year. Uh and they seem to really be enjoying uh being

[6:16] part of the Rebel Nation. We have Miss McIntyre in our science department, Miss

[6:20] Harrison in Agg, and Mr. Keane in PE, Miss L in business, and Mr. Carpenter is

[6:26] directing our marching band along with Mr. Markham, who as you all know is

[6:29] completing his workout year. And we're just so thrilled to have them. Um our

[6:33] esteemed and and Dr. D put this part in the Scholastic Ball team. So, I promise

[6:37] I'm not bragging on myself. Our esteemed state championship winning scholastic

[6:42] bowl team was recently invited to participate in the prestigious Tennessee

[6:45] Scholars Bowl competition that will be filmed at PBS Studios in Knoxville,

[6:49] Tennessee. So, that's a little publicity for both Patrick Henry and Washington

[6:52] County. So, we love to see that. Then, Patrick Henry's student council is

[6:55] stronger than ever. We are currently or constantly working to serve the students

[6:59] of Patrick Henry as well as those in our surrounding communities. We began the

[7:03] year by ensuring that our freshman and new students had a seamless transition

[7:06] into Patrick Henry and they're doing quite well. And we did this by offering

[7:09] campus tours and assisting with orientation. At the end of August, we

[7:12] hosted a rumage sale at Mete Elementary that brought the community together

[7:15] while simultaneously helping raise money for Patrick Henry. We are currently

[7:19] working with Nicewonger Children's Hospital uh in Johnson City to provide

[7:22] crayons and a coloring book to each child and are in close contact with the

[7:26] coordinators at Nicewonger. We were on the phone with them earlier today. So,

[7:29] just a little more about how Patrick Henry is dedicated to helping the

[7:31] surrounding community as well. Other than that, our one act team's off to a

[7:34] strong start like Cadence and our homecoming theme is we will always love

[7:38] you Rebels because we just love Dolly Park. So, uh that's that's how it's

[7:42] going at Patrick Henry and we can't wait to get a great thing going.

[7:47] » I don't think TJ is >> TJ is on his way. I think he got held up

[7:50] with band practice. Is that right? Yeah. So, we can we can always squeeze him

[7:54] back in once once TJ gets here. Does any board member have any questions for

[7:58] Caitlyn or Zen >> comment? Mr. Chair, I just want to

[8:02] congratulate you for um and also thank you for committing next year to serving

[8:09] as school board rep. Uh really excited about um hearing about all the events at

[8:15] your schools and also want to commit you on ser community service projects

[8:18] because again like I think that um being able to give back to your community is

[8:23] so composable. TJ, what's up? [laughter]

[8:29] » Just bad practice. >> I know. I'm gonna talk to Mark Collins.

[8:33] [laughter] >> Would you like to give a report and talk

[8:36] about everything that's I know don't want to put you on the spot. They just

[8:40] finished with their reports. Would you like to talk about all the wonderful

[8:43] things happening at John B? >> So, Battle is doing some great things as

[8:47] we have uh started during the breakfast hours. We have done something called

[8:53] battle bruise which in the breakfast hours we serve coffee during uh of

[8:58] course like I said breakfast hours for the 36th time but um it's basically just

[9:03] to give the kids like a little oomph of energy throughout the school day and it

[9:08] it really does help with not only the the energy side of things but it gives

[9:14] the kids kind of like a happy feeling to come to school because a lot of the time

[9:17] you know they don't like school and of course you know they like coffee, you

[9:22] know, sometimes get ice in it or whatever. But that's that's a good thing

[9:26] that we've been doing. And um I would probably say

[9:32] we're not really doing good in sports right now, but [clears throat]

[9:36] we've never really [laughter] been doing good in sports right now, but um our

[9:40] school is kind of uplifting our football team. We had a uh I wouldn't say a pep

[9:44] rally, but we had a miniature pep rally throughout the the hallways the other

[9:48] day. Um it was a it was a good time. Normally

[9:52] I go home but I was there for it. [clears throat] I was rooting on the

[9:55] team Thursday about battle but you know and u yeah other things have been going

[10:00] on. A lot of um grades have been coming up. Teachers have been you know talking

[10:07] a lot better about their students and overall just

[10:12] I guess better environment. Um the kids have been doing really good.

[10:18] Well, I want to say I know John Battle has an amazing band

[10:21] » which are which are our best. >> And also I think you have a couple

[10:25] really strong lady golfers. >> Yeah.

[10:27] » And volleyball team's doing really well. >> Yes, I think

[10:31] » that's like the only two >> golf and volleyball.

[10:36] » Anybody else have any comments or questions for our student reps?

[10:42] » Mr. Mr. Chairman, Zoom, when is the PBS? >> Um, it is coming up at the end of

[10:47] October into bleeding into early November depending on how well we do.

[10:51] So, end of October. >> Congratulations on that.

[10:55] » Thank you very much, Mr. Bucket. >> Who will you be competing against down

[10:58] there? You know, >> uh, we'll be competing against other

[11:01] teams that have been invited from across East Tennessee and probably the

[11:05] Knoxville area. Uh, we're [clears throat] just lucky that they

[11:09] reached out to us Virginiaians asking us to come. Anyone else from Virginia?

[11:12] » I don't believe so. I think we're the >> Don't quote me on that. No, just us.

[11:17] Just us. >> Just us.

[11:19] » Good luck. >> So, Zen, is that the with last year's

[11:23] team or this year's team? >> That'll be with this year's team.

[11:25] Awesome.

[11:29] » Well, thank you all and keep us informed the rest of the year, too. Appreciate

[11:32] it. [snorts] >> Uh, item number three, superintendent

[11:35] report. >> All right. Well, um, so good job, guys.

[11:39] And I'll tell you, as y'all can probably tell from their personalities, when we

[11:42] had all five of our school board reps in the room at one time, it was uh it was

[11:46] pretty exciting. They're they they are definitely have some personality and

[11:51] [clears throat] enjoy enjoy being with them. Um so very quickly, I as early in

[11:58] the morning, I'll be heading out to DC to present at the Stronger State,

[12:02] Stronger Outcomes Conference. Um, I'll be discussing our progress with uh with

[12:07] our partnership with the Appalachin H Highlands Housing Partners, Wellspring

[12:11] Foundation, and then the other regional school divisions in the Wellspring

[12:14] footprint about how we can improve our instructional opportunities uh in the

[12:19] construction trades, build a stronger workforce because I think we all know

[12:22] that there's a huge need for that uh more construction employees in our in

[12:27] our region. and hopefully that will also lead to more affordable housing options

[12:32] for families in our community too. So really excited about the work that we're

[12:35] doing there and [snorts] we're going to share that with other rural communities

[12:37] across the nation um tomorrow afternoon. So it's going to be a a fast trip up and

[12:43] a fast trip back. I would also uh tell you that of course you know our our

[12:47] theme for this year is to crush the box and to think about all the things that

[12:50] we do and and to if we're if they're working and they're they're they're

[12:54] doing well to stay after them. But if there's ways that we can improve it to

[12:58] try to come up with new ways to do things that make that the things that

[13:01] we're doing now even better. Our staff is buying into that and we already are

[13:04] seeing some really exciting initiatives uh [clears throat] already and we'll

[13:08] start sharing some of those at our board meetings in the upcoming future. One of

[13:11] the things I think you ought to keep your eyes out for is there's going to be

[13:14] a group of teachers who are going to come together to develop a podcast to

[13:18] highlight uh those box crushing ideas. And there's already a couple of those

[13:22] episodes in the planning process and hopefully we'll get those rolled out

[13:26] either late fall or or early winter. And then finally, uh we will we I think some

[13:32] of you were able to attend the groundbreaking that we had at AON

[13:35] Elementary for the inclusive playground. Senator Warner and other dignitaries

[13:39] were there and Senator Warner's office put out a pretty a pretty good uh video

[13:44] here. We just like to share that with everybody.

[13:51] We did something really cool. We did a groundbreaking [music] for a new

[13:55] playground that's going to literally get built in eight days and [music] met one

[14:00] family. They had twin kids. One had special needs. Currently they [music]

[14:04] couldn't wait. >> My name is Kayen Kissa. I am a fifth

[14:07] grader here at Adam Elementary. [music] I also have my twin brother here with

[14:12] me. His name is Connor. Connor and I are looking forward to spending [music] a

[14:18] lot more time in this last year of elementary school. Playing as much

[14:23] together as we do at home. And it hasn't always been easy to play with Connor

[14:28] since there are places they can't get to. Thank you to everyone who has made

[14:32] this playground possible. >> Their twins were born at 27 weeks. At

[14:36] two weeks old, Connor almost died and should have died, but the good Lord

[14:41] chose to save him. As we've gone along, you see, boys are at very different

[14:45] ability levels. And their ability to play and to have that normal twin

[14:50] experience has been very limited. Connor loves to play. He loves to slide. He

[14:55] loves to swing. With with a traditional playground, that's very hard to keep him

[15:00] safe. this playground is going to have the

[15:03] opportunity for them to play together on it and then to make some wonderful

[15:08] memories. I I can't adequately tell you how thankful we are for this. Thank you

[15:14] so much to everyone [music] that made this happen. We're really appreciative

[15:18] for their family and for all the future families that get to come here and have

[15:22] their children play on. >> Brandon, your comments were

[15:26] extraordinary [music] and every family has been touched by God in different

[15:30] ways. The ability twins play together, share together. There's a lot that goes

[15:35] on inside a classroom, isn't there? But quite honestly, there's an awful lot

[15:39] that goes on as well in a playground where you get a chance to meet people

[15:44] and build those friendships that can last a lifetime. The fact that the twin

[15:49] boys are now going to be able to have this kind of activity together and not

[15:53] separate is really extraordinary.

[16:00] really excited about these inclus

[16:06] excited about these the groundbreings we've had for the two inclusive

[16:09] playgrounds. We have another uh request into uh to Senator Warner, Senator

[16:15] Kane's office to do two more of those. And of course on our CIP plan that we're

[16:19] we're talking about later, we have inclusive playgrounds planned for all of

[16:23] our all of our elementary schools. So really excited to see those things come

[16:26] to light, but also to see the impact that it's going to have not just on on

[16:31] the CLI family, but you know, families that we have in our division now. That's

[16:35] all I have. Happy to answer any questions, Mr. Chair. Anybody got any

[16:39] questions for Dr. Far?

[16:44] We'll move into public comment. Thank you, Dr. Far.

[16:48] Uh at this time I'll give if anyone has not signed up that wishes to speak uh

[16:52] the signup sheet is on the podium.

[16:57] Dr. Wallace is giving that I'll go over public comment which is item four on the

[17:03] agenda. Person persons desiring to address the school board regarding

[17:07] educational issues and policies under the purview of the body's authority will

[17:12] be afforded an opportunity to speak. Those addressing the board are requested

[17:16] to sign the form at the podium prior to the opening of the meeting.

[17:19] [clears throat] Each individual will be allotted three minutes to address the

[17:22] board. A yellow flag will notify the speaker of

[17:27] the end of two minutes. A red flag indicates the speaker's a lot

[17:32] of time has expired and the speaker will be asked to stop. All portions of the

[17:36] meetings are electronically recorded for the purpose of being able to review the

[17:40] proceedings for clarification.

[17:44] For clarific for further clarification, please see the board school board policy

[17:49] B DDHKD public [snorts] participation at

[17:53] schoolboard meetings. So I do ask that we be respectful as I read

[17:59] earlier tonight, not only to the board and our employees and to each other when

[18:04] someone's speaking. You know, I think this was said at Holston High School,

[18:07] please, a lady said, "Hold your applause so I can get my three minutes in." So

[18:10] let's let everybody get their three minutes in. Okay. Uh, I've got six

[18:14] people signed up and the first is uh Albert Howard.

[18:20] Albert, if you'd like to come speak.

[18:33] My name is Albert Howard. I am 13 years old and vice president of the student

[18:37] council association at Damas Middle School. I disagree with the idea of cons

[18:43] of consolidation between Holen High and Patrick Henry High. This idea carries

[18:48] many concerns to our students, teachers, and our town. Many students already have

[18:55] a long drive to our school and this idea will make this much worse. And this also

[19:00] means more maintenance for school buses, more gas, and a lot more absences and

[19:05] less after school activities. Did you know that our superintendent proposed a

[19:09] consolidation plan for Bristol, Virginia public schools in 2018?

[19:16] Just just a year after the plan took effect, there was a 75% increase in

[19:20] transportation cost. The transportation budget went from 1.32 million to $2.3

[19:26] million. Why does this matter for Holston and

[19:29] Patrick Henry? We are 19 times the geographic area of Bristol, Virginia. I

[19:35] [clears throat] believe transportation should be closely examined before

[19:37] consolidation savings are assumed. Also, the town of Damascus was hit hard after

[19:45] Helen. We have worked hard to rebuild and consolidation would be a huge

[19:52] setback. Not too long ago, Dr. Perigan came to

[19:57] our school. He told us about the idea, but he only told us about the new

[20:02] football fields and stuff that appealed to kids. Just like the sparkly carrot I

[20:06] have dangling in front of of you. He he manipulated me and my peers.

[20:14] Not once did I hear a single good idea about consolidation. At our schools, the

[20:19] teachers are more than just teachers. They're onetoone tutors. When you don't

[20:23] understand something, they stop to explain it to you. At a larger school,

[20:27] kids wouldn't get this kind of education.

[20:29] We have many new students who come from larger schools in the area and they have

[20:35] told me personally their stories of what it was like at larger schools. They told

[20:40] me what it was like being bullied for every little characteristic on their

[20:43] bodies. They talk about how our students are happy and familyike and how they

[20:50] thrive in this type of setting. I am proud to say that I know everybody by

[20:54] name and they know me. If I if we have to consolidate, you will erase another

[21:00] rural school and there there are always an option for bigger schools for those

[21:04] who want. But if we lost Holson High, we lose so much more than just a larger

[21:11] school can ever offer.

[21:16] All

[21:19] right, Sarah Steel.

[21:24] » My name is Sarah Steel and I live in Connor Rock and I'm here as a taxpayer.

[21:30] I do have a kid that goes to Holston as well, but my

[21:36] what you had said earlier, uh, Mr. Wilson, is is correct. This is such a

[21:41] huge complex issue and you can't even I don't know I this has been all consuming

[21:48] since I found out about it and mainly it's consuming in regards to

[21:53] [clears throat] how fast proposing this tax is. I'm not understanding why we're

[21:57] rushing to do a special election for this. Um we I haven't seen a comparison

[22:03] side by side. I am a 100% for a 1% sale sales tax if it doesn't include

[22:10] consolidation because I don't know what that looks like. I don't know what how

[22:15] much money is going to be spent on a new building versus what's left over. Um and

[22:20] I don't think we should we should be rushing this decision at all. Uh you

[22:26] guys need time to look and be able to give us as taxpayers a side by side.

[22:31] Tell us how great a consolidation would be. Give us the numbers. Give us the

[22:35] numbers if we didn't. Give us the numbers if we consolidate within our own

[22:38] community. Someone like myself, I don't want my

[22:42] children being on the school bus as long as they're going to have to be if they

[22:45] go to all the way to Patrick Henry. I know they say that there's not a site

[22:50] planned out or whatever, but I'm pretty sure we all can probably agree it'll be

[22:54] delayed. So, with that being said, I'm I'm opposed to it

[23:00] and because you guys haven't given us enough information, but you want us to

[23:04] go out and vote in March on something. It's like, hey, let's pass it and then

[23:08] we'll tell you what you're getting. Well, I am not a fan of that. So, my

[23:13] suggestion is why can't we wait till November [clears throat] next election

[23:17] cycle and not spend what is it like 40,000 to 60,000 for a special election

[23:22] is the research I've done. So, with that being said, and my time is up, let's

[23:28] pause. Let's wait and let's get let's get some numbers so that we know how to

[23:33] vote. >> That's all.

[23:42] » Mont Montana Strickland.

[23:47] [clears throat] >> Hello. [gasps]

[23:51] Sorry, guys. [laughter] Good evening. Uh, my name is Montana

[23:54] Strickland. I live in Glade Spring and my children attend Ray Valley

[23:57] Elementary. I am a Washington County parent, taxpayer, and citizen who cares

[24:02] deeply about our schools and the future we are created for every child in this

[24:06] county. I am here tonight because I strongly oppose the proposed Holston

[24:10] Patrick Henry unification plan as it currently stands. I want to ask the

[24:15] board one simple question. Have we truly stopped to ask whether spending more

[24:19] than 150 million on a high school that will serve less than 9% of our current

[24:25] students based on the current enrollment is that the best investment for

[24:28] Washington County's children? That's a whole lot of money on a little tiny

[24:32] piece of the county. It's a whole lot of money because 150 million is just not a

[24:37] number on a spreadsheet. It is taxpayer money. money that could repair roofs,

[24:42] replace outdated plumbing and mechanical systems, address overcrowding, improve

[24:47] classrooms, and meet the needs across the county. We have schools like

[24:51] Abbington Elementary, John Battle, and Wallace Middle with significant needs of

[24:55] their own. Abington has recently experienced an asbestous related

[24:59] incident during construction, [clears throat] and Wallace Middle

[25:01] School was more than a century old, and all three are overcrowded with future

[25:05] housing developments being built right next to them. Yet, we are discussing an

[25:10] enormous financial obligation to build a new school primarily for students from

[25:15] two existing high schools. And that totals roughly 600 kids between those

[25:19] two schools. Kind of irrational, okay? And the district has roughly 7,000 kids.

[25:25] That leaves a lot of those kids with nothing because once this money is

[25:28] spent, it is tied up, okay, for like 20 years. Um, why? If the answer is that

[25:34] our children deserve better facilities, then I agree. But don't all of our

[25:37] children deserve better facilities, not just the students in the Holston Patrick

[25:41] Henry district. And I love Holston. I went to Holston. But I think we have to

[25:44] look at this, you know, as the overall picture. Who suffers when we dump all of

[25:49] that money over there? Who is left behind? What repairs aren't addressed?

[25:53] Um why should one group receive a brand new building while others continue

[25:57] waiting for basic repairs and upgrades? And let's talk about price. If the uh

[26:02] project cost taxpayers roughly 150 million or more, including tens of

[26:06] millions in interest, we need to understand the opportunity cost. What

[26:10] will we not be able to afford to build because we choose this project? What

[26:14] will be delayed? What will have to wait? What will students inherit decades from

[26:18] now because of this? This county has already spent a few hundred,000 dollars

[26:23] to have these studies done by Thompson and Linton that all said these schools

[26:27] can continue housing students for another 60 years if the MEP repairs are

[26:32] made. The money will be there supposedly in this tax to cover those MEP repairs.

[26:38] Why build one new school when you can fix everything that we have in the

[26:41] county? I strongly oppose moving forward with

[26:45] this until the board can demonstrate publicly, transparently, and financially

[26:49] that this is the best investment for our taxpayers dollars. I'm left questioning

[26:53] whether there are additional consolidation plans that have not been

[26:56] fully disclosed. A hundred million dollar plus schools serving two areas

[27:00] with declining populations raises legitimate questions about enrollment,

[27:04] long-term planning, and whether it is truly a rational investment. Thank you.

[27:14] Cameron Deusk.

[27:19] » My name is Cameron Deusk. I've been a resident of Washington County, Virginia

[27:23] since 2009 and currently have four children that I'm raising in the

[27:26] Damascus, Virginia community, attending Ray Valley and Damascus Middle Schools.

[27:31] I was raised in Atlanta and chose this area for my family due to the community.

[27:36] My great-grandfather was on the board of supervisors for Washington County and my

[27:40] great-grandmother was a teacher at the Rock School in Damascus. The town is not

[27:43] dying and Holston is not failing. It is well researched and documented that

[27:48] there are significant benefits to smaller class sizes and that increased

[27:51] per pupil expenditures yield higher graduation rates and higher test scores.

[27:55] While the issue of consolidation should take these facts into consideration, it

[27:59] seems that financial reasoning has been cited for the need for consolidation.

[28:03] Just to complete MEP projects for the high school facilities that would remain

[28:07] open, either as high schools or middle schools, it would cost over $94 million.

[28:11] This does not even touch the elementary and middle schools that are in need of

[28:14] improvements and upgrades. The firm that you contracted to complete the

[28:17] facilities assessments determine the following needs and costs. I'm not going

[28:21] to go through each one, but it's between$2 to10 million for all of the

[28:25] schools um in that study. Just for those

[28:29] schools, not counting the central office and the many other bit um school

[28:33] facility buildings, that's 31,833,43.50.

[28:38] This also does not include the cost of the many upgrades and plastic grass

[28:42] promised area schools. If the proposed 1% tax is expected to generate 200

[28:48] million and the proposed unified high school and CTE center cost approximately

[28:52] 100 million, your facilities assessments just for those buildings listed above

[28:55] requires 126,556,442.99.

[29:01] Where's the additional money for all these other projects coming from? Before

[29:04] even breaking ground on any projects, the tax is not projected to generate the

[29:07] amount of money that is needed per your facility's assessment. Your facilities

[29:11] assessment [clears throat] also state schools are in quote safe and fair to

[29:15] good conditions. My opinion, one, slow down. There's no

[29:20] need to waste taxpayer money on special election and push these projects through

[29:23] immediately. Put the 1% tax on the November ballot. I am personally in

[29:27] favor of the 1% tax. It generates money from non-W Washington County residents.

[29:30] I am not in favor of spending half of that budget on consolidation that is

[29:34] unnecessary and financially irresponsible for the entire county.

[29:38] Two, collect the tax and spend the money on all county schools and facilities

[29:41] that are in need. Three, if per pupil costs are such a concern, there are

[29:46] several [clears throat] options. Redistrict appropriately, disallow uh

[29:50] school transfers, or change the current school grade model. Additionally, what

[29:54] would the cost per pupil comparison look like if athletic facilities, field

[29:58] houses, and playgrounds were taken into consideration for that calculation? Rule

[30:03] school closures happen, and this is generally due to a failing town or

[30:06] failing school. neither of which is happening. There are industries and

[30:09] homes coming to Bristol and having in areas and with more people working

[30:12] remotely and able to choose where they live. Neighborhood schools are a high

[30:15] priority with the amount of money going into Damascus, especially after the

[30:19] flood. This is a step in the wrong direction. Quite literally, put the tax

[30:23] on the ballot and take consolidation off the table, support community, and be

[30:26] financially responsible with our taxpayers money. Why would you close the

[30:29] most successful school in the county? It simply does not make sense. If it's not

[30:33] broke, don't fix it.

[30:41] Austin Stanley.

[30:49] Good evening, members of the school board. I'm asking you to reconsider the

[30:52] proposed consolidation of Patrick Henry and Holston High Schools. Not because

[30:56] our high schools do not need the investment, but because consolidation is

[30:59] enormous and permanent solution to problems that may have better answers.

[31:03] First, we need to be realistic about the financial commitment being discussed. A

[31:07] 1% sales tax is being presented as an alternative to a 15 cent property tax

[31:12] increase, but it does not guarantee that property taxes will not be increased

[31:15] later. I have seen this firsthand living in Kirksville, Missouri. In 2024, the

[31:20] school district passed a $33 million bond promoted as a no tax rate increase

[31:25] measure. Just two years later, the district held a hearing to increase its

[31:30] property tax levy. The reason is simple. Building a facility is not part of the

[31:34] expense. We have to operate, maintain, staff, heat, cool, and transport

[31:38] students for it for decades. And sales tax revenue is not guaranteed. We are

[31:43] talking potentially taking on approximately $200 million in debt. That

[31:48] debt payment remains whether the economy is booming or in a recession. Tourism

[31:53] can decline, consumer spending can fall, people can shop online or across county

[31:57] lines. If sales tax revenue does not meet projections, where will the money

[32:01] come from? Ultimately, the burden comes back to the taxpayers. But my greatest

[32:05] concern is what consolidation would cost to our communities. Patrick Henry and

[32:08] Holston are simply not buildings where students attend class. They are

[32:12] community anchors. Friday night football games, basketball games, concerts,

[32:15] graduations, meetings, and school events bring people into Glad Spring and

[32:18] Damascus areas. Those people stop at gas stations, eat at restaurants, visit

[32:23] stores, and support local businesses. When you remove a high school from a

[32:26] rural community, you remove more than a school. remove activity, identity, and

[32:31] one of the things that make the community attractive to young families

[32:33] around here. And most importantly, consolidation is not our only option.

[32:37] Before asking taxpayers to approve a new tax and committing this county to a

[32:41] massive centralized product, show us a serious comparison of the alternatives.

[32:46] What would it cost to renovate and modernize both Patrick Henry and

[32:49] Holston? Could improvements be phased over time with the full long-term consol

[32:54] cost of consolidation including transportation, utilities, maintenance,

[32:58] staff and site development, and future operating expenses. Our students deserve

[33:02] excellent facilities, but they also deserve adults willing to make careful

[33:06] decisions transparently and with an understanding that schools do not exist

[33:10] separately from the communities they serve. Once Patrick, Henry, and Holston

[33:13] are gone, we can simply not bring them back. Please do not make a permanent

[33:16] decision until every responsible alternative has been seriously and

[33:20] reasonably and publicly considered. Please preserve Patrick Henry, preserve

[33:25] Holston and preserve the communities that depend on them and if it's okay

[33:28] with the board. I do have a packet that I created if it's okay to hand that out

[33:33] to be passed around to look at.

[33:47] Cindy Fields.

[33:53] » Good evening. I'm Cindy Fields. My family has been a member of the Patrick

[33:57] Henry community since the first freshman class when the school opened. I

[34:02] graduated in 87 and have had three children there on scene from 2011 to

[34:07] 2024. For 13 years, we as a family have done just about every job that you could

[34:12] think of to support our schools. And today, we are still supporting them. All

[34:17] this to say that if there's one thing that I think these communities are

[34:21] unified on, it's that everyone loves their communities. They support their

[34:25] schools. Over the last few weeks, I have read, listened, and pondered the best

[34:30] way to look at this because I believe that Dr. Perigan has crafted a plan

[34:35] because he wants to offer the best for the students. And I believe that you,

[34:39] the board, serve because you want the same thing. I've served in a number of

[34:43] executive leadership roles throughout my career, almost 35 years, where you often

[34:48] must make tough decisions and lead change. And I understand this is a tough

[34:52] topic. But I and many others have many questions and concerns. When you want to

[34:58] make a change, you must first clearly identify the need for the change. We

[35:02] have heard multiple reasons, but it seems reasons are given. In the next

[35:05] statement, the reasons don't make sense. The next step is to include your

[35:10] stakeholders in the process of looking at possible solutions and carefully

[35:14] studying all aspects of the challenges. You know, I enjoy keeping up with what's

[35:19] happening in the area. I enjoy social media, but I have not enjoyed over the

[35:24] last few days hearing from people that we have become the comedy of the region.

[35:28] I've honestly been terrified that as I scrolled I would accidentally like one

[35:33] of the many name calling memes that have circulated. I don't agree with that. Dr.

[35:38] Eie Stanley must have been a part of the decision in the early 70s to follow the

[35:42] crowd in building our open classroom elementary schools.

[35:46] A decision that took most teachers only one day to decide that was the worst

[35:50] idea ever and the school system then felt uh spent years putting those walls

[35:55] back in. There is a big movement to consolidate, but I encourage us as

[36:00] leaders and as citizens not to just follow the crowd, but to really study

[36:03] our problems before we jump into this. This is more than an enrollment issue

[36:08] and one that all leaders and citizens need to address if we're to maintain a

[36:13] successful local economy. No one can truly predict the future enrollment, but

[36:19] we can predict that if the wrong decision is made, decades of unborn

[36:23] children will have to live with it in many ways. I appreciate all of you.

[36:26] There's no comparison to the quality of our buildings or the access to programs

[36:31] that our children have as compared to other localities. Dr. Perigan, I don't

[36:35] believe that you deserve horns. But I do believe that we all can agree that the

[36:40] strategic delivery of this plan has gone horribly wrong, pitting neighbor against

[36:44] neighbor. I think you can put that yellow hat back on, though, and I think

[36:49] that we can all fix this. I propose that the board step back, slow down, and

[36:53] create volunteer work groups from each community, including Abington and Battle

[36:58] because they have a large subdivision coming. Together as volunteers, I

[37:04] believe we can work together to come up with some solutions and study the plans.

[37:09] Thank you. >> Thank you.

[37:14] Okay, that's all that I have signed in for public comment.

[37:19] So we will move now. [clears throat]

[37:27] We'll move into our back into our meeting with the consent agenda. I have

[37:33] items 5.01 through 5.08. Is there any of these that need to be pulled and looked

[37:37] at closely or [clears throat]

[37:44] motion to approve by Mr. Bucket, second by Dr. Frederick. Is there any further

[37:48] discussion? Hearing none. All in favor signify by

[37:52] raising your right hand. Opposed? Likewise. Motion carries 70. Madam

[37:56] clerk.

[38:00] Item number six, 6.01 through 6.12. Uh, first reading policies for

[38:06] consideration. Is there anything there that anybody wants to pull or look at or

[38:10] discuss? >> Mr. Chair, uh, the, uh, volunteer coach.

[38:17] It's >> I say

[38:23] action. >> Got you.

[38:30] » I'll make a motion to approve. >> I second.

[38:32] » All right. Motion by Mr. Henderson, second by Miss Nichols to approve item

[38:35] 6.01 through 6.12 on first reading. Is there any further discussion?

[38:42] Hearing none. All in favor, signify by raising your right hand.

[38:46] Likewise, [clears throat] motion carries 70.

[38:50] » Item seven, action items. Item 7.01, >> professional staff, athletic coaches,

[38:58] too. Yeah. I I just like to say I'm I'm I'm for this policy. Uh the one thing I

[39:03] would like to to say is this. I think our head coaches have the right to have

[39:10] those volunteers if they need them. if it doesn't [snorts] supersede the

[39:15] numbers that they need in coaching. But uh the uh there are c certain situations

[39:21] where they they need those volunteers. Of course, they're not getting paid. Uh

[39:25] and they're they're there for a good reason. I think the the old policy we

[39:31] had uh it was similar like for travel ball coaches and stuff like that that

[39:36] were trying to come in there and take over and maybe had some of their kids on

[39:40] the team. So, I think as long as the head coach has the uh has the autonomy

[39:46] to to uh direct those those coaches and uh put them in the right position and

[39:53] they need to be uh I'm for that policy. I just want to make sure that they

[40:00] » Anybody else have any questions or concerns on item 7.01 through 7.03?

[40:06] » Mr. Wilson, I I think we probably ought to allow Dr. was to present each of

[40:09] those items. They're a little bit different. Present those. We had pulled

[40:12] those off for that purpose. Sure. >> Yeah.

[40:15] » Hold on, Miss Anderson. Do you have >> I will wait to

[40:18] » Okay. >> for number two.

[40:19] » Go ahead, Dr. >> Sure. U these are both GC-R and R-R1,

[40:25] which are actually regulations. Just so you know, by our policy, regulations can

[40:29] be approved by superintendent. Typically, we we have taken those before

[40:33] the board historically, I should say. Um but they by policy, they can be

[40:37] approved. That's why it's on here for an action item tonight because we thought

[40:40] it might need to be approved and put in place. So, just thought I'd share that

[40:43] with you. In the first one, GC-R, really what you have is a list of, if you

[40:47] remember last year, we added some middle school positions. So, the chart has been

[40:51] updated, but really [clears throat] the biggest change in GC-R is under

[40:56] volunteer coaches. I figure if you know, we talked about this at length, but if

[41:00] we're going to allow those individuals to work potentially one-on-one with our

[41:03] kids, we basically have two layers of background checks. Volunteer background

[41:07] check is a pretty thorough check, but it does just goes through B checks. Um, as

[41:11] an employee, you have to go through a fingerprint background check and then

[41:14] you also have to go through child protective services. So, we we rewrote

[41:19] we rewarded what those coaches will have to go through. It'll just be the

[41:23] coaches, not chapters. That that part of the policy or regulation will stay the

[41:28] same. The coaches now that are going to be volunteers will have to also go

[41:31] through the full background check. So, that is a little bit of a change. I

[41:34] wanted to make sure it's a little bit of a financial responsibility there. I

[41:37] think it goes from a $19 B checks to it's about $40 for the two of those

[41:41] background checks, but we felt like the opportunity is going to be there. We

[41:44] kind of do this across the board, student teaching, things like that.

[41:47] Anytime students are going to be uh or adults are going to be one-on-one with

[41:51] our students, we we prefer they go through the full background check to

[41:55] make sure there's nothing on background check. That's the biggest thing in GC-1

[41:58] or GC-R. Uh GC-1

[42:02] or GC-R-1 is very similar. It's in the same vein.

[42:06] It's kind of our procedures for volunteer chaprons. And so all those

[42:10] procedures are in place. None of that's really changing. You really got to flip

[42:13] to the very end to see that we took a couple things out I thought were just

[42:17] didn't make sense. Uh for example, the coach must hold preseason meeting with

[42:21] parents, guardians, and athletes. That's head coach's job. That's not really an

[42:25] assistant coach and certainly not a volunteer coach's job. But the big uh

[42:28] bullet that was removed there is that volunteer coaches may not coach their

[42:32] own child in their sport of responsibility. That part has been

[42:35] removed from the regulation. So that's the biggest changes that you have.

[42:41] » Mr. Chairman, if I can add the the reason that we brought this change is

[42:45] the issue was brought up. Dr. OS met with our high school principles and

[42:50] athletic directors and they uh they believe [clears throat] that that's what

[42:53] served their athletic departments best. We've had this policy for several or

[42:57] this regulation for several years now and they uh all of our principles and

[43:01] athletic directors agreed that it was time to to change that to open up more

[43:05] opportunities to have additional coaches with our ads.

[43:09] M >> Anderson,

[43:10] » I understand that once voted on and passed this becomes effective as

[43:15] tonight. >> Yes, ma'am. So as Dr. Wall said earlier,

[43:19] regulations truly by our board policy, I can just make those regulations, approve

[43:25] those regulations, notify you of them. Historically, our board adopted

[43:28] regulations just like policy. So there's not a requirement for the first or

[43:32] [clears throat] second reading, but to stay along with that same practice of

[43:35] having board approve regulations. We're recommending that be read and approved

[43:40] on first reading. And so yes, and and and as a result of that, effective

[43:45] tonight. Yeah. need to approve each of these separately though. Yes, sir.

[43:49] » So, let's go to item 7.01, which is GC-R-

[43:53] profofessional staff athletic codes. >> Mr. Chair, make a motion to approve

[43:58] seven.

[44:02] » I had a motion by Dr. Frederick, second uh by Mr. Pucket. Uh is there any

[44:06] further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor signify by

[44:10] raising your right hand. Post likewise. Motion carries 70. Madam clerk, item 7.0

[44:16] 02 is file GC-R-1. Chafferon volunteer.

[44:22] » Mr. Chair, I'll make a motion to approve file GC-

[44:26] R-1. >> Second.

[44:29] » Motion made by Mr. Henderson, second by Miss Raznik to approve file GC-R1. Is

[44:34] there any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor, signify by

[44:38] raising your right hand. Oppose. Likewise. Motion carries. 70. Madam

[44:42] clerk. Now item 7.03, 03 which is PPE public private education facilities and

[44:48] infrastructure act talk about that Dr. Perry.

[44:52] » Yes sir Mr. Chairman uh last year I want to say it was in December this board

[44:56] approved the ability to use PPE as a procurement procedure. Um now what the

[45:02] next step in that process is to approve those guidelines. We have uh we've been

[45:07] working with Maguire Wood uh out out of Richmond who are the Virginia's expert

[45:12] on public private education or public private partnerships to make sure that

[45:16] we have the right guidelines in place. And so that's what you have before you

[45:19] tonight. This will be a regulation to that PPE policy. And what PPA does, it

[45:24] gives you an alternative to the standard procurement process instead of the

[45:28] typical you've got to go out and you got to go procurement for an architect and

[45:32] then you've got after you get an architect, you got to get those plans

[45:34] and then you got to go out the and have procurement for the construction part of

[45:38] it. This brings architects and contractors together and they can also

[45:42] bring in financers if they if they would like. They can also bring in uh you know

[45:46] the public public entities to be a partner in that. And so it opens up a

[45:51] whole lot of creative opportunities for how you go through a construction

[45:55] process. Whether it's a small project or a large project, it gives you that

[45:58] opportunity. Schools, utilities are are able to do that. The uh the pin um the

[46:05] train station um um was built using that. And [clears throat] anyway, so

[46:10] it's not just for schools, it's also for public utilities. Uh you can have either

[46:14] an unsolicited proposal or you can actually solicit proposals. It can work

[46:18] either way. And then it goes through different phases. You have a conceptual

[46:21] phase where you get some general ideas and you get a more detailed phase and

[46:25] then you work into a comprehensive agreement. Uh, one of the the really

[46:29] great things about a PPA, it allows you to negotiate whenever you're building

[46:35] you have a project going on, it allows you to negotiate a guaranteed maximum

[46:39] price. And so if if you request change orders and make that price go up,

[46:44] obviously you have to take care of those. But if something happens because

[46:47] materials go up or there's delays that that are not controlled by the owner, uh

[46:51] whoever it is that's building that project has to to you know provide the

[46:56] guaranteed m maximum price that was agreed on in the beginning. It also is

[46:59] an encouragement for uh the owner and for the builder to uh have a plan ready

[47:06] to go in the beginning and not to make a lot of change orders because you also

[47:09] will negotiate is if you stay under that guaranteed maximum [clears throat] price

[47:13] that there's a share of the savings and so that encourages the contractor to

[47:17] come in under budget but it also encourages the the owner not to cause

[47:21] the project to go in the budget as well. So, uh, this gives us a lot of

[47:25] additional opportunities as we go forward. And, um, again, I recommend

[47:29] that the board approved these guidelines to follow up with our PPA approval.

[47:37] » What's the board's feeling?

[47:41] » I move to approve the PPA guidelines as presented.

[47:46] » Motion. Is there a second? I'll see. Motion by Miss Nichols, second by Mr.

[47:50] Pucket Pucket to approve the PPE uh guidelines. Is there any further

[47:54] discussion? Okay. None. All in favor signify by

[47:59] raising your right hand. Likewise. Motion carries 70. Madam

[48:03] clerk. Item number eight, presentations and

[48:07] discussions. 8.01 is committee appointment by the chair. And at this

[48:12] moment, I would like to appoint Miss Debbie Anderson to our CIP committee.

[48:17] Thank you for being willing [snorts] to serve on that.

[48:22] I know we have numerous meetings coming up and that's one of the committee

[48:26] meetings. I think somebody ref we've done that. Uh we've had two

[48:32] meetings already and uh from community members and and and and

[48:37] well students and educators and board members and everybody apart. So, uh,

[48:44] we're working on that diligently to to put I think there's 40ome individuals on

[48:49] that committee and trying to put all these ideas together and to do what's

[48:54] best for our entire county. So, 8.02 is conceptual facilities plan. Dr. Bar,

[49:08] » you can pull up the plan. >> I got it right there.

[49:10] » Oh, I was looking at the other screen. I'll put I'll put on both sides.

[49:13] » All right. No, no, no. That's uh I'm I'm right eye. So,

[49:17] » I got you. I got you. All right. >> Uh Mr. Chairman, members of the board,

[49:21] just wanted to provide a quick update to the conceptual plan that we've put

[49:26] together that is connected to um the re the potential new revenue stream that

[49:31] would be made available if citizens of Washington County were to approve a

[49:35] referendum to increase our retail sales tax by 1%. Now, this is just because

[49:41] this is um you know, there's some things on this list that wouldn't be there if

[49:44] we didn't have a new revenue stream, but this the potential for a new revenue

[49:48] stream opens up a lot of opportunities. Some of the things that you'll see on

[49:51] here are currently on our uh five-year CIP plan, but a lot of these things are

[49:56] not on that because we don't have the current revenue based on what what's

[50:01] coming into the county currently to do some of these uh projects that we we

[50:06] would love to do, but we just don't have the revenue to do it. The sales tax

[50:09] referendum, if approved by the voters, would open up that opportunity. Um, you

[50:14] know, and so it was mentioned that this is moving really fast. I I would say

[50:18] that I think in the coming weeks that this is really going to slow down

[50:22] tremendously. Uh the reason it's going so fast is, you know, a whole lot of

[50:26] things coming together at the same time. A late budget approved um by the general

[50:31] assembly that allowed the opportunity for the sales tax referendum uh along

[50:35] with the about the same time that happened, we got the draft plan from

[50:39] Thompson and Linton. Since then, we've got the the full uh the full report from

[50:43] Thompson and Linton. Uh then we had a joint meeting with the board of

[50:47] supervisors uh who then at that point requested that not only that we have a

[50:51] plan together before they consider the sales tax referendum but also uh wanted

[50:56] to see that if at least the consideration of consolidation was going

[51:00] to be part of that plan. And so that happened about a month ago tonight. I

[51:04] think August 8th is when we had our joint uh our joint meeting with the

[51:07] board of supervisors. So I can certainly agree uh with that that this has been

[51:12] like drinking out of a fire hydrant. a lot of information has gone out quickly,

[51:16] but I think uh you know kudos to our community to being willing to come to

[51:20] the table and have these conversations. Uh I've had several meetings outside of

[51:24] the school division. We've al also had several internal meetings. We've brought

[51:28] people together as Mr. Wilson as you said earlier from every facet of our

[51:32] community. Uh whether it be uh our the county administrator and their office,

[51:36] students, uh you know, uh employers from our region uh or right here in our area.

[51:42] So we've brought a lot of folks together to look at the plan and make suggestions

[51:45] to the plan and that plan has definitely morphed over that period of time. Uh but

[51:50] the plan it addresses the mechanical, the electrical and the plumbing needs

[51:54] that have been identified by the Thompson Linton study. It also

[51:58] identifies new construction and then of course potential consolidation which

[52:02] we've heard a lot about this evening. I will say it's very important to keep in

[52:07] mind that this is only a conceptual plan. This board does not have a vote

[52:11] scheduled on any part of this plan anytime in the near future. I think the

[52:15] board of supervisors uh according to their agenda. We'll be talking about the

[52:19] sales tax referendum this evening. And so, you know, it is again the request of

[52:23] this board to have um the sales tax referendum come up uh in in a spring

[52:29] election so that we can um be part of this amazing opportunity that Virginia

[52:34] has. 47 other school divisions are or localities have this referendum on the

[52:40] November ballot and there are sever several other divisions that plan to do

[52:45] it next year. Some as part of a special election and some as part of the

[52:49] November election. But it is um this is a conceptual plan for the board of

[52:54] supervisors to know that we do have a plan that we have community input on the

[52:58] plan so that they can make a an initial decision about whether or not that they

[53:02] want to put the sales tax referendum on an upcoming ballot. And so I think after

[53:07] that decision is made, we're going to have a lot of time as a community to

[53:11] slow down and to answer many of the questions that you heard in the public

[53:14] comment session tonight because I know even members of our own board uh have

[53:18] several questions about uh you know the financial part of it, the transportation

[53:23] part of it. There's definitely a lot of questions that need that h have been

[53:27] asked that still need to be asked and that definitely need to be answered. And

[53:31] I think uh once the decision about the sales tax referendum is made by the

[53:35] board of supervisors, that'll give us a lot of time to sit down, stand up, come

[53:40] together as a community to talk about each each of those issues. Um I will say

[53:45] that the conceptual plan that you see there is much different than the very

[53:49] first one that we've released. And that's because as we've had community

[53:52] input, we've made changes to the plan. We've adopted the timing of the plan,

[53:56] how we're going to how we would propose that you pay for each of the projects,

[54:00] where they fall on that timeline, and have even added some things to that

[54:04] timeline as well. Um the so and so I'll just very briefly go over that plan. Of

[54:11] course, this is on our our um capital improvement plan. No matter what, safety

[54:17] vestibules, we still have five of those out of our 16 schools that still are yet

[54:21] to be done. and those will those will stay on our plan and we'll take care of

[54:25] that with our general operational budget whether or not uh this the the sales tax

[54:30] referendum is approved. So that is our number one priority above everything

[54:34] else. You know nothing makes our schools more safe than our school resource

[54:38] officers and they are we having those in every building definitely make it safe

[54:42] but the safety vestibules that we've added at most of our schools now are

[54:46] definitely a big deterrent too and will at least slow down the bad guys if

[54:49] they're trying to go in in at that entrance. Uh we've we also a very big

[54:54] instructional need and we've talked about this multiple times. Evie Stanley

[54:58] has the largest band out of even all of our high school bands in the county and

[55:02] they are crammed 250 some I don't know >> 263

[55:06] » 263 um so that that's their numbers this year and and we really don't have a

[55:11] space large enough for them. We don't have closet space large enough for them.

[55:15] And so building a band room for EB Stanley estimated at $2.2 $2 million is

[55:20] um is um at the top of the list as well. And then STEM labs and science labs, our

[55:25] high school science labs are in desperate need of an an overhaul. Uh

[55:29] STEM labs are are needed in our elementary and our middle schools as

[55:33] well as our science labs. And so that has made it to on the list. We mentioned

[55:37] earlier the inclusive playgrounds. We we have two of those funded already. We

[55:42] potentially have two more of those funded. And so I think the decision at

[55:46] that point is do we go ahead and wait for the federal government because those

[55:49] are coming through congressional earmarks and we know how slow the

[55:52] federal government can work sometimes. I think a decision will have to be made is

[55:56] do we continue to wait on the earmarks to cover that or do we go ahead and bite

[56:00] the bullet and and pay for that with some of the proceeds from the sales tax

[56:03] revenue. And then, you know, one of the things that throughout all the meetings

[56:07] that we've had, regardless as it's a meeting with the local tea party or the

[56:12] League of Women Voters or if it's a a comm the community meeting that we had

[56:16] in the Damascus area last week, one of the things that we've had the most

[56:20] support for is a constructionbased CTE center. And so, that is definitely on

[56:24] the list. That that is one of the things that I'll be presenting about in DC

[56:28] tomorrow. uh the partnership that we have to increase building trades not

[56:32] just in Washington County but all over southwest Virginia. And so and then that

[56:36] also leads to the discussing the potential unification of Patrick Henry

[56:41] High School and uh and Holston High School. And so we uh you know will

[56:45] continue discuss that that would uh that would be a decision that is made way

[56:49] later with plenty of notice and plenty of input um from our community and also

[56:54] from the the school board and board of supervisors. And so all along that time,

[56:59] we would also be improving our high school athletic facilities there. Uh,

[57:03] you know, in 2004, we had a a pretty significant building project that went

[57:09] all across the division. You know, if you look at the additions that were

[57:12] added on to our elementary and middle schools that was a result of that

[57:15] facility plan back in 2004. The only remaining large items from that 2004

[57:21] plan are our auxiliary gyms. About that same time, uh, girls basketball moved

[57:27] from the fall to the winter and has caused a huge, uh, huge scheduling

[57:31] nightmare for our high schools and for our middle schools, too, as they try to

[57:35] schedule those gyms to try to get folks, uh, or all of our athletes opportunities

[57:39] to do that. So, improving those athletic facilities, looking at the multi-purpose

[57:43] out outdoor services as well. And then sometime at the end of this, you know,

[57:48] this past year, we we reszoned our transportation zones. And in some areas

[57:52] where we reszoned, we've saw significant increases and and leveling of our

[57:56] schools that were overcrowded. Uh at other schools, we've seen minimal

[58:00] impacts even though that we uh we have seen some changes in those enrollments,

[58:05] but minimal impacts. And so before this year, Greenale and Valley uh Greenale

[58:10] Elementary and Valley Institute Elementary had really small enrollments

[58:13] below 300 each. And so now based on the the new transportation zones that we've

[58:18] seen those enrollments uh increase very significantly. So that doesn't mean

[58:23] they'll stay that way. And so I think you know sometime in the next three or

[58:27] four years we need to revisit uh the see what the enrollments are looking like at

[58:31] at Greenale Elementary and Valley Institute Elementary and depending on

[58:35] what those enrollments look like make a decision based on that as well.

[58:40] And then five years from now, we've we've heard also mentioned tonight the

[58:43] new neighborhood that is being built down on King Mill Pike. Um the that

[58:48] ground is broken and there's a lot of uh infrastructure being built and

[58:52] potentially by Christmas having five homes uh ready to move into potentially

[58:57] up to 70 homes by the end of the school year going into next year. And then in

[59:00] five years at the end of that cycle, they would have if all the homes go in

[59:06] on time, 323 new homes. uh beside of one of our our high schools, sorry, one of

[59:12] our elementary schools with the largest enrollment. And so at that point, we

[59:16] need to in 2030 2031 need to take a look at the enrollment again in that area.

[59:23] The Bristol area has pretty uh significant pretty consistently over the

[59:28] last 10 years had small increases in enrollment. Last year all four uh Valley

[59:33] Institute, High Point, Wallace, and John Battle all four had slight increases in

[59:37] enrollment. uh this year uh Battle did and Valley did. Of course, High Point

[59:42] did not because we transferred th those the zones there and Wallace had a short

[59:47] uh small decrease in enrollment. But if that trend continues, the new

[59:51] neighborhood comes online, obviously at that point, we would need to look at the

[59:54] enrollment trends there too. And so then as you look at the other um you know 11

[59:59] schools that we haven't talked about in that you've got our plan would be and

[1:00:02] we've worked with Thompson and Linton since the report came out to kind of

[1:00:06] take those MEP needs and space them out over the next 27 years

[1:00:10] » 25 plus >> yeah 25 years plus and um putting the

[1:00:15] most urgent ones at the front of the list and and working our way down

[1:00:18] through the end of it thinking that you know if we have a goal that we try to

[1:00:22] get try to get all of our schools don't do all of the MEP needs But do the MEP

[1:00:27] needs it gets us to where our schools are approaching 100 years old. So

[1:00:31] there's more I think I'll get the numbers wrong but there's several

[1:00:34] thousand or a few thousand schools across the entire Commonwealth and

[1:00:38] there's only a handful that are over a hundred years old. I mean it'd be great

[1:00:42] if we could get 130 years out of each of our schools. But that is just that's not

[1:00:46] what history has told us. That's not what trends have told us. And so I think

[1:00:50] if we plan, you know, for 2046 when if this sales tax referendum is approved,

[1:00:55] when that sales tax would uh sunset, then at that point we've we've uh helped

[1:01:01] those schools get to that point and new decisions can be made about what what

[1:01:05] needs to be the future of our our building process then too. And so if you

[1:01:08] look all along the line beginning in 2026 2027 at the top uh we we would

[1:01:14] start immediately taking part of the uh estimated $10 million of annual uh

[1:01:20] revenue [clears throat] and applying that towards the MEP needs. Uh as we

[1:01:24] build the safety vestules we would do that as well uh paying cash for that.

[1:01:28] The STEM labs the even the band room at EB Stanley the science labs paying cash

[1:01:33] for those as we go. Again, I the board of supervisors will also tell you the

[1:01:38] financial adviserss who made that projection estimated $10 million as a

[1:01:43] conservative estimate. They also did not include any increases over the next 20

[1:01:48] years. But if you look at the history of our sales tax revenue uh in Washington

[1:01:53] County over the last decade, it's 2 to 4% every single year that those revenues

[1:01:58] are going up. And again, I agree with Mr. Barry and the board of supervisors

[1:02:01] and those financial adviserss that we need to budget conservatively as we're

[1:02:06] thinking about that. But also know that if we look at history and what those

[1:02:10] trends tell us unless we have another great recession which some of us lived

[1:02:14] through and when we were we were in principles in buildings that that that

[1:02:18] great recession was was definitely you know a whole another world and a whole

[1:02:22] another ball game. But I do I do think that we can follow this plan and then

[1:02:27] once you get so if you're building a CT center or if you're building a

[1:02:30] consolidated or a unified high school, obviously you'd have to take bonds out

[1:02:34] for that. And then as you're looking at the uh athletic improvements, whether it

[1:02:38] be auxiliary gyms or or what have you, then you could look at a combination of

[1:02:42] a a bondpay as you go process there. And so that's a quick summary um about what

[1:02:49] where the plan is today. Uh Mr. Wilson, you you you saw that very early. You I

[1:02:54] think you'll agree that that is very different [laughter] than the plan we we

[1:02:58] put out two and a half three weeks ago and I think it'll continue to change as

[1:03:03] we move forward. The in the meantime um we have also contracted with Welen

[1:03:08] Cooper uh from the from UVA. They do us enrollment projections for the entire

[1:03:13] Commonwealth of Virginia, but we've contracted with them to get an

[1:03:17] up-to-date enrollment projection for the county as a whole first and foremost.

[1:03:21] and then also for each individual high school attendance area. And so they'll

[1:03:26] begin that process September 30th for whatever reason. That is the kind of the

[1:03:30] day that we say that's our hard count for enrollment. So once those September

[1:03:34] 30 numbers are, Weldon Cooper will begin their process and I think we'll have a

[1:03:38] full projection from Welding Cooper. Not just about our county as a whole, but

[1:03:43] what does it look like in the John Battle? What's projections for the John

[1:03:46] Battle attendance zone? What's the projections for the Abington attendance

[1:03:49] zone? what's the projections for the Holston attendance zone and what are the

[1:03:52] projections for the uh Patrick Henry attendance zone. So, we'll have some

[1:03:56] really good information that'll help make this conversation that we're having

[1:03:59] more robust and and um you know help us make better decisions about how we move

[1:04:04] forward. The other thing is we are I hoped that by today I would have our

[1:04:08] first quote. We obviously will get financial advice as well about the this

[1:04:14] option uh other options as well. So, I we're expecting to get two quotes this

[1:04:19] week about a financial team that does one of the the ones that I've talked to

[1:04:24] so far. I've got another meeting tomorrow, but one of the ones that we've

[1:04:27] talked to already, this is one of their specialties. They go into localities

[1:04:31] where consolidation is being considered. And um they look at your transportation

[1:04:36] costs, they look at your staffing cost, they look at, you know, the cost to

[1:04:39] build, they look at the opportunity cost that you either leave leave on the table

[1:04:43] or that you miss. and then they provide a recommendation about what the best

[1:04:47] option moving forward is. And what I like about the one company that we I've

[1:04:53] talked to already is they gave me an example of a report they gave a a

[1:04:57] division where consolidation was considered but it wasn't recommended.

[1:05:01] And they've showed me another report where consolidation was recommended and

[1:05:04] it it followed through. And so I think having an unbiased expert provide

[1:05:09] financial analysis on this plan and two or three other plans uh not just you

[1:05:15] know this is not the only plan that will be considered as we move forward. I mean

[1:05:19] we'll look at multiple plans and we'll have a financial analysis on those

[1:05:22] multiple plans. So I do think there is going to be a lot more information. uh

[1:05:26] we've given um we've been very transparent with the information we've

[1:05:30] provided so far, been very open to take additional input and hopefully we'll

[1:05:35] continue to get input and and make this plan better. What I would love to see is

[1:05:39] additional recommendations. You know, if this is a good idea, let us know. If

[1:05:44] it's a terrible idea, let us know that, too. But then give us give us another

[1:05:48] option of what you think might be a better idea. And I promise you, we'll

[1:05:51] we'll look at it and give it give it due consideration. And um you know I do I

[1:05:56] think that this plan will continue to grow and to evolve and to get better.

[1:06:02] And um that's it. That's all that I have to

[1:06:06] share. Happy to answer any questions about the plan or about the process or

[1:06:10] about the uh the welding cooper study or the financial analysis that we're

[1:06:14] looking to have. >> Mr. Chair, I know this board's all about

[1:06:18] people. >> Yes, sir.

[1:06:21] » All right. Talk with the timeline. I know we don't know on the new one, but

[1:06:25] what was the timeline on our uh grants that we got from Senator Warren and

[1:06:29] Senator Kane? You remember >> we we've already got the the the grant

[1:06:33] for two of those, >> right? What was that timeline? We we in

[1:06:37] the uh >> it's it took about two years for us to

[1:06:40] submit. Now, if you you hear the federal government talk about continuing

[1:06:44] resolutions or approving a budget, every time there's a continuing resolution,

[1:06:49] our request gets pushed down. In order for that uh request to be granted, the

[1:06:54] final federal budget has to be approved. And so that, you know, in my opinion, uh

[1:06:59] you know, you're looking at $350,000 per inclusive playground. With the $10

[1:07:04] million that I think at least we'll be generating annually at the sales tax

[1:07:07] referendum. My recommendation would be to go ahead and and and to mark those

[1:07:12] off the list and get them done. >> About that

[1:07:16] board is Yeah. Any other questions or comments?

[1:07:23] Mr. Ras, >> I just want to follow up on what Mr.

[1:07:25] Henderson was saying. Have they actually programmed and started? Where are we at?

[1:07:29] » Well, that was a ceremony. So, uh >> I know he was saying we could get it

[1:07:32] done in eight days. >> And once they get started, it'll be

[1:07:34] eight days. Dr. Wallace, I think Friday or Monday is the hope is this they

[1:07:39] should Yeah, we were hoping they would be there maybe today. Some of the stuff

[1:07:42] coming in got delayed. They're going to try to bring it all in one work on them

[1:07:45] a little bit simultaneously at the same time. So, um, but he said probably

[1:07:50] Friday at the latest Monday start, but once they break ground, it'll go quick.

[1:07:55] » And I think that since he promised that to Senator Warner and he asked for

[1:07:58] updates, I think they're going to have a little bit of pressure on it to he he

[1:08:01] flat out promised he >> That's right. He did.

[1:08:06] » Dr. Frederick, >> can uh you review a little bit because

[1:08:09] the questions come up several times [clears throat] about why our board had

[1:08:12] recommended to the board of supervisors and some of our joint finance meetings

[1:08:16] to look at putting this on the ballot in the spring versus next November.

[1:08:22] [clears throat] >> Yes, ma'am. Um so, as I mentioned

[1:08:25] earlier, 47 localities have it on the ballot in November. that is I mean the

[1:08:32] architects and the building contractors that serve schools in the Commonwealth

[1:08:35] Virginia I think are a little caught off guard by you know what would that look

[1:08:39] like if all 47 of those pass and so we know that there's going to be additional

[1:08:45] localities that are waiting for the second year to do that as well and so

[1:08:49] the reason that I recommend the spring election is for a couple reasons but

[1:08:54] financially the sooner we we couldn't get all the information and have this

[1:08:58] process and get a plan together, get community input. We in order to get on

[1:09:02] the November ballot, we would have this November ballot, we would have had had

[1:09:06] to have everything done by like August 12th. And there just wasn't time to do

[1:09:10] that. And so we knew that we needed to postpone it. But we didn't want to wait

[1:09:14] till the next November because then you're behind 47 other potentially 47

[1:09:19] other school divisions. Anybody else that does a special election and you

[1:09:25] know you're in line right beside anybody that has on next November's ballot. If

[1:09:29] you look at the cost of increase, we just got a report um this past week

[1:09:34] about the increase in one quarter of um you know projects went up if you started

[1:09:40] a project here versus at at the end of the next quarter and the increased cost

[1:09:45] to that is substantial and and you know $30,000 I think would be the cost of a

[1:09:49] special election. what we would lose and what we could actually put into our

[1:09:53] building buildings by waiting an additional six months or two quarters uh

[1:09:58] would be far far far more than the 20 thou $30,000 that we' paid for a special

[1:10:03] election. And so that's that's the reason for it. The other thing too is

[1:10:07] you know it makes it a an issue on its own. I mean the issue then becomes well

[1:10:13] two things. It's are are you interested in the sales tax and are you interested

[1:10:17] in in improving school facilities? and it doesn't get caught up in the middle

[1:10:21] of other um potential referendums like a bill. You know, for example, this

[1:10:25] November, there's three other referendums that are on the ballot.

[1:10:34] Any other questions or concerns? Dr. Prison, thank you and thank your team

[1:10:38] for working on this uh as we've asked you to do as well as the board of

[1:10:42] supervisors has asked you to do. And we really appreciate all the time. It's

[1:10:47] like you said, like we've all said, it's going to take some time and and we've

[1:10:50] got a lot of individuals putting input on this as well as community. So, we'll

[1:10:55] see how it all shakes out. >> Thank you very much.

[1:10:59] » All right. Item number nine, new business. Is there any new business that

[1:11:01] needs to come before this board?

[1:11:08] Hearing none update by the board. Start with Miss Nichols.

[1:11:16] Thank you, sir. Um, so good evening. Uh, I want to begin and I want to

[1:11:21] acknowledge that, you know, tonight's meeting did come at a time when emotions

[1:11:26] have been running high and the discussion surrounding the potential

[1:11:30] consolidation of two of our high schools has sparked passionate opinions

[1:11:34] throughout the community. And I totally understand why these decisions impact

[1:11:38] students, families, staff, alumni, and literally the future of Washington

[1:11:43] County. and people care deeply and that's reflected in the turnout and the

[1:11:47] engagement tonight and I'm really thankful for each of you being here. Uh

[1:11:52] I want to be really clear that community input matters. It matters to each of us

[1:11:56] that serve on this board and public dialogue matters and honest disagreement

[1:12:01] matters and in fact they're essential to effective decision makingaking. We

[1:12:06] welcome differing viewpoints and people who ask hard questions and engage in

[1:12:11] vigorous debate about the future of our schools. Um but you know as uh it's been

[1:12:16] pointed out in public comment the last couple of days we've seen a lot of

[1:12:19] anonymous social media posts, a lot of misinformation, personal attacks, even

[1:12:24] AI generated images targeting central office staff and other individuals like

[1:12:28] my beloved Taylor Swift. Um but in all seriousness um uh you know these folks

[1:12:35] are doing the job they were hired to do. These employees

[1:12:38] [cough and clears throat] do not run for elected office but the folks sitting

[1:12:41] here in this dis have um the folks at central office are professionals that

[1:12:46] are serving our students [clears throat] and our school division. And yes

[1:12:49] everyone has a right to express their opinions and advocate for the future

[1:12:52] they believe is best for our schools. Um but with the that right comes a

[1:12:57] responsibility to engage honestly and respectfully and um attacking people and

[1:13:02] the misinformation and target of employees and private citizens. They

[1:13:06] don't strengthen our community or advance us to constructive solutions on

[1:13:11] how to solve these problems. So if we truly want to create positive change, we

[1:13:15] got to engage with each other with honesty and respect and accountability.

[1:13:21] Um, and yes, like some of those AI images and stuff, yes, they uh generate

[1:13:24] the clicks and the controversy, but they don't build trust or solve problems or

[1:13:29] that's not modeling the behavior for our students that we want. Um, you know, we

[1:13:35] expect from them. I mean, students get in trouble for online bullying all the

[1:13:38] time and like, you know, even it's uh in our consent agenda, we just approved

[1:13:42] like that it's anti-bullying month. And so I mean definitely we need to model

[1:13:47] the behavior um for because they're definitely watching us. Um and I also

[1:13:52] want to address what I believe has become a point of confusion in our

[1:13:55] community. The discussion surrounding the potential school unification and the

[1:14:00] proposed 1% sales tax referendum. In my mind they are not the same issue.

[1:14:06] While many people have connected the two I strongly believe they need to be

[1:14:11] evaluated separately. The 1% referendum is not a vote on unification. It's about

[1:14:16] creating a dedicated funding source for capital improvements for the entire

[1:14:22] county and it's going to benefit students all across Washington County.

[1:14:26] Um so, uh I really feel that they deserve

[1:14:30] to be, you know, viewed separately and regardless of where someone stands on

[1:14:35] future organizational discussions, the facility needs that we have in each of

[1:14:38] our buildings are real. Students throughout the county deserve safe,

[1:14:42] modern, functional learning environments. Whether it's the remaining

[1:14:45] of the safety festivals, improvements to John Battle, you know, for us them to

[1:14:50] have a wrestling room, Wallace Middle School to have auxiliary gym, Evie

[1:14:54] Stanley to have a band room, the new CT centers that we need so desperately to

[1:14:58] provide better career pathway opportunities for all of our students.

[1:15:01] Um, these are investments that's going to benefit all of our students and our

[1:15:06] communities countywide. So, um, as we move forward, I really hope that we can

[1:15:10] have two separate conversations. One about the long-term structure of our

[1:15:13] schools and the other is about meeting the facility needs that exist right now.

[1:15:18] When we fuse those discussions together, I think we really risk losing sight of

[1:15:23] both. So, while we may disagree on the path forward, I believe we're united in

[1:15:28] one common goal, and that's providing the best possible opportunities for our

[1:15:31] students here in Washington County. And they, as I mentioned, they're watching

[1:15:35] how we conduct ourselves, and they deserve to see adults model respect,

[1:15:39] integrity, and thoughtful disagreement. And um I'll get off my soap box now. And

[1:15:45] on a more positive note, um uh it was a tremendous honor to participate in the

[1:15:49] commemoration of Bill and Betty Brooks at our first football game of the

[1:15:53] season. Their contributions left a lasting mark in our community, and it

[1:15:56] was wonderful to see so many people come together to celebrate their legacy. And

[1:16:00] thank you, Mr. Chair, for joining me. We had a great evening. Um, and uh, also I

[1:16:06] want to encourage my fellow board members and education advocates to

[1:16:09] participate in the legislative uh, advocacy conference in Charlottesville

[1:16:13] on September 17th. It's an important opportunity to engage in the lawmakers

[1:16:17] and discuss the issues that directly impact our schools, staff, and our

[1:16:21] students. And uh, lastly, I do want to thank everyone who's taken time to be

[1:16:25] involved in this process and who uh, came and who spoke this evening. Whether

[1:16:29] we agree or disagree on any particular issue, our shared commitment to the

[1:16:33] children of Washington County must remain at the center of every

[1:16:36] conversation, every decision we make. And I know that we as board leaders, I

[1:16:40] mean, um, every decision that we make is like we are thinking of that's the heart

[1:16:45] of every decision of the students, what's best for all students here in

[1:16:48] Washington County. Thank you, >> Mr. Anderson. Mr. Sure. I got one

[1:16:51] question to ask about that uh battle cheer Trojan Yale. Which are you or Miss

[1:16:57] Nichols going to do that? >> Well, let Adam did. I got horn play Mr.

[1:17:02] Brooks. >> Yeah, we are playing a recording of

[1:17:05] Billy at every ball game. So, >> thank you, Mr. Sher. I was going to

[1:17:08] bring it up. Mr. Brooks was a good great mentor of mine as well. And I really

[1:17:14] appreciate you and Miss Nichols doing what y'all did down there. And Mr. King.

[1:17:19] I knew Jimmy and Mr. Brooks were real good friends. But uh I want to thank

[1:17:24] everybody coming out tonight. Uh we're this board is transparent. I don't want

[1:17:30] anybody to think that we're doing anything behind closed doors. That

[1:17:34] that's not going to happen. I'm not going to be a part of it. I can tell you

[1:17:38] that right now. If that if that's happening, I'm not going to be a part of

[1:17:41] it. And I'll blow the whistle on it. I will. Uh it's not going to happen. And

[1:17:46] uh uh I appreciate Miss Fields your statement about the uh the uh Facebook

[1:17:52] and things. Uh and you know the people that get on his Facebook and they don't

[1:17:56] put their name or uh or send send a letter. They don't sign the letter. I'm

[1:18:01] going to tell you I don't put any any uh snuff in that. Uh I'm I'm man enough and

[1:18:06] I know these folks on this board uh they're they're professional enough. If

[1:18:10] you ask have have something to ask us or our staff here at the central services,

[1:18:15] come to them and ask them. They they will answer your questions and they

[1:18:19] won't give you the runaround. Uh and uh I really appreciate, like I said,

[1:18:24] everyone coming out tonight. I'm a Patrick Hendry graduate. Uh and a proud

[1:18:29] proud Rebel. By golly, we didn't win as much when I was up there. [laughter]

[1:18:34] we were playing on a lot of bigger teams with that. But anyway, uh I I'm proud of

[1:18:39] my school, my my alma m. And uh I just want to tell you folks that uh we're

[1:18:45] here to do what's right by our students, not just at Patrick Henry, not just at

[1:18:50] Wholesome, but ma'am, all over the county. I I really appreciate your

[1:18:54] statement about that [clears throat] as well. And uh we want to do what's right

[1:18:58] by all of our students and all of our schools or we shouldn't be on this board

[1:19:02] right now. tell you that right now. Uh and uh a couple things that I want to

[1:19:07] mention. Uh Tuesday, September the 15th at 5:30 at the Hydroscap Community

[1:19:14] Center in the gym. Myself, Dr. Perigen, and Mr. Pucket are going to be over

[1:19:20] there uh for a little town hall and he he's he's want to hit every area. So

[1:19:26] that'll get Brumley Gap, Haiders Gap, Poor Valley, and Red Hill. How many

[1:19:31] people can know where Red Hill is besides me? Okay, there you go. So, but

[1:19:36] anyway, that'll get all those folks over there. Uh thanks to Dr. Duncan, Miss

[1:19:41] Pucket, and Miss Burke. Uh they're going to send out uh uh invitations to all

[1:19:46] those families over there. And we hope to to see those folks over there next

[1:19:51] Tuesday night at 5:30. And Miss Anderson, I didn't get a chance to get a

[1:19:55] hold of you today when I found this out. Mr. Gobble has got a date. You may

[1:20:00] already know it. He's got a date for, and correct me if I'm wrong, he said

[1:20:04] this prom was going to be Reach for the Stars or something like that. The name

[1:20:08] of it, our special uh prom on November the 7th at EO, Miss Rasnik, we're going

[1:20:17] to have our special ed prom. Is that right? I'm sorry, Dr. Stanley. Is that

[1:20:22] correct? Is that Reach for the Stars? What was

[1:20:25] » I think you're right. >> Okay. Well, don't name it just because I

[1:20:29] said it [laughter] anyway, but it's Reach for the Stars. It

[1:20:33] It'll incorporate all of our special needs students in the county uh I guess

[1:20:39] of a high school age, whatever to come in and have their own prom and uh

[1:20:45] they're going to uh have uh music, have different things that they can do. Uh

[1:20:50] myself, um Miss uh Anderson, uh Mr. gobble. Uh we uh contacted some folks

[1:20:57] for donations, for food, things of that nature. It's it's going to be a great

[1:21:02] time. Uh and uh uh we're and then it's like our unification games we had uh

[1:21:08] down at the uh the track. Uh I'm I'm really a stickler for uh helping our

[1:21:16] special needs kids because I did have a special needs son when uh when

[1:21:21] he he was 21 when he passed away. But uh uh I'm I'm a I'm back to special needs

[1:21:27] and our special ed department here. But uh so that that's going to be November

[1:21:32] the 7th. We'll get some times and I'm sure we'll get invitations out Dr.

[1:21:35] Stanley uh and things of that nature. So Mr. Chair, that's that's about all I

[1:21:41] got. I talked longer than Dr. Brley when he's on this board.

[1:21:44] [laughter and clears throat] >> Thank you, Mr. Mr. P.

[1:21:47] » Thank you, Mr. Chairman. if we have any time left. [laughter]

[1:21:51] Uh again, I'll echo their comments. We have received a lot of input from

[1:21:56] community members. Um a lot of in opposition, a lot in favor of that the

[1:22:02] discussion. Uh and as they said, if if we are approached respectfully and

[1:22:08] professionally, we will have dialogue. Uh you know, we all have received some

[1:22:13] anonymous messages, whether it be social media or what what have you. Uh, I can't

[1:22:18] speak for all the other members, but I won't respond to those. Uh, I'm glad to

[1:22:23] talk to anybody. I won't have, sometimes we won't have any answers. Sometimes I

[1:22:26] won't have many at all. Uh, but I'm glad to talk and, uh, listen and, uh, take,

[1:22:33] uh, feedback back to our board. Um, I've tried to respond to all of them. There's

[1:22:39] some so long I'm going to have to take a little bit. I'm not a fast reader, so

[1:22:42] it'll take me a while to read some of the longer ones, but I I will try to

[1:22:46] respond. as I can and and really, you know, my my

[1:22:49] biggest point, as Miss Nichols said, is these really are two two different

[1:22:55] topics. Uh you can't combine them together and and have a have an accurate

[1:23:00] conversation. Uh and I've tried to spread that, try to get people off

[1:23:04] social media, uh to talk with Dr. Farajin, to talk with us, go on the

[1:23:08] school website, has a ton of information. Um, but at the same time,

[1:23:15] if it had been crickets from Damascus and Glade, I would have been concerned

[1:23:20] in other ways. So, I'm glad there's feedback. I'm glad there's emotion and

[1:23:25] there's pride and, you know, I fully respect that. I'm a Glade I'm a Glade

[1:23:30] guy, PH guy, and you know, this is this is a hard discussion for me as well, but

[1:23:35] you know, it's one that, you know, whether or not we feel like it should

[1:23:38] have happened years ago, it's got to happen. And we're not we're not can

[1:23:42] kickers. We're not going to kick problems uh down to the next generation.

[1:23:45] We're going to we're going to face them and work together and build consensus

[1:23:49] and come up with the best solution we can. So I do appreciate the feedback. Um

[1:23:55] and as far as school reports, uh I did attend Metabuse's uh back to school

[1:24:01] batch. Uh I don't know how they do it. Goodness gracious. Uh uh they did

[1:24:07] separate the kids, got them out on the playground, fed them snacks and wired

[1:24:11] them up for the parents while they were getting educated about what was going on

[1:24:14] in school. And when I was walking to my car, it wasn't med flight. I can't

[1:24:18] remember the name, but pardon me for that, but the helicopter did come in and

[1:24:22] got them even more jazzed up before sending them home. So, we do appreciate

[1:24:26] them participating uh in that. And uh the after school program at Med View is

[1:24:32] packed to the gills. 125 kids with a waiting list. So that's great. And the

[1:24:37] safety vest school been best. We've been following that along. It's it's going

[1:24:42] well. Looking good. And Glade Middle kicked off the schoolwide

[1:24:50] reading uh program. So anxious to see how that goes. And Zen, thank you for

[1:24:54] your report on the high school. Congratulations to to all of those

[1:24:58] especially this class this classic that's exciting stuff we watch all

[1:25:07] » I just want to state that this has been an incredibly hard week

[1:25:14] filled with a lot of emotions and it has been one of the most

[1:25:19] difficult that I've ever had to go through but I

[1:25:24] am proud of our community. Sometimes we know that things are not

[1:25:32] easy. But with a heavy heart and a very heavy

[1:25:38] heart, I'm trusting

[1:25:42] that with time and understanding

[1:25:48] and given correct answers and directions and our community

[1:25:56] being a part of possible other decisions that will understand why

[1:26:06] this path is necessary. I'm proud of our community

[1:26:11] and I know they've had a hard week as well. I'm thankful that my children

[1:26:19] have allowed me to continue as school board member

[1:26:24] uh because I love you all and I love being a part of this

[1:26:31] board. Thank you. Mr.

[1:26:36] Mr. Paul um I do [clears throat] just wanted to

[1:26:40] say that um as Mr. Pucket said I am trying my best to read all the emails

[1:26:45] that come through. I am not responding to them. I am letting our chair but did

[1:26:49] want to let everyone know that as I get chance I'm trying to read read through

[1:26:53] them as he stated some of them are very lengthy. Um, so please know that I also

[1:26:58] want to echo everything that's already been said, but I really want everyone to

[1:27:01] know that spoke tonight that I do appreciate you and I appreciate you

[1:27:04] being respectful coming into this meeting. I didn't know what to expect. I

[1:27:07] don't have social media, but I have a teenage son and co-workers who shows me

[1:27:11] what's posted and based on the things some of the things that have been

[1:27:14] posted. I didn't know what to expect tonight. So, I appreciate you all that

[1:27:18] are here tonight. You have been very respectful to us and you have brought

[1:27:21] true concerns and needs to us. Um, and I just want you to know that I appreciate

[1:27:25] that. As it's already been stated, we do want to make the best decision for our

[1:27:29] communities. [clears throat] I think that there are things that have to be

[1:27:31] looked at at both ends of the spectrum. Um, but this is just the beginning of

[1:27:35] conversations and I know as it's already been stated, it's felt rushed, but this

[1:27:39] please know this is the beginning and things did happen faster than we had

[1:27:42] wanted that to happen, but we are listening. Um, and hope that as Debbie

[1:27:47] said at the end of the day, you know, we can come to a final agreement of what's

[1:27:51] best for our schools. But just appreciate you all tonight and just like

[1:27:55] I said, I can't repeat enough you all being respectful here tonight. It's been

[1:27:59] a while. That's all. >> Dr. Frederick,

[1:28:02] » I want to echo my fellow board members comments and that um I really do

[1:28:06] appreciate you all coming out and um having taught in Damascus for eight

[1:28:11] years, I know the community there and love it and have former students that

[1:28:15] are now have parents and it's not possible because I'm not that old, but

[1:28:20] [laughter] but I will. Um but I do appreciate you all um and know just how

[1:28:25] tight your community is and um and I I repeat what my fellow board members have

[1:28:30] said. Nothing's been decided. The only thing that's been decided is that very

[1:28:35] late in the summer, we found out about this referendum and we've been trying to

[1:28:39] navigate how to go about um making that possible for our community. And so, um

[1:28:45] we've been usually summers are kind of quiet for boards. It has not been that

[1:28:50] way this summer. Uh it's been very very busy summer, but I think there's a lot

[1:28:55] of opportunity that could come with this referendum um for all of our schools.

[1:28:58] And I look forward to hearing more of your comments and thoughts on that

[1:29:02] because the more dialogue we have, the more brains we have in the room, the

[1:29:06] better the ideas will be and that will only serve our students um in the future

[1:29:10] um in the best way possible. Um on that note, Mrs. Raznik and I we did um meet

[1:29:16] with uh all of our schools that our our constituents feed into. So I think we've

[1:29:21] been to four four schools at this point. uh Waga, Abington Elementary, I was

[1:29:26] there just briefly and then Evie Stanley, Abington High, the CTE Center,

[1:29:31] just to hear from uh their administration and kind of really to

[1:29:35] show us, let our eyes see where some of the issues and concerns were in the

[1:29:40] buildings and that was very, I think, eye opening for both of us. And we also

[1:29:45] asked them to prioritize things like what are the critical needs that you

[1:29:49] need to have met, you know, most quickly. Um and and so that that was

[1:29:54] just very informative because we're in the schools and everything, but

[1:29:57] sometimes when you're in there quick, you don't notice some of the things that

[1:30:01] folks that are in those buildings every day see. So, I want to I want to say

[1:30:05] thank you to the principles and assistant principles that toured with

[1:30:08] us, the teachers that spoke with us and um giving us that time to see some of

[1:30:12] our facility um needs. Um, I will also uh say that um one of

[1:30:19] the things that we heard at every school was Mr. Baldwin's a rock star.

[1:30:24] [laughter] Uh and and honestly, I think what

[1:30:28] impressed me was just how clean our schools are. Like our custodians, our

[1:30:32] maintenance staff, they do an amazing job. You know, a month into school, the

[1:30:36] floors still shine. Um and uh that just speaks a lot to the care that our staff

[1:30:42] give to our facilities. And so shout out to your folks, Mr. Baldwin and and you.

[1:30:47] Every all the principles know they can call you and he'll say yes.

[1:30:53] He always says yes. >> That's good. [laughter] That's good. We

[1:30:57] like clean schools. >> Um but um also just on an Abington note

[1:31:02] this week, homecoming week. So not only is that for Abington High, EB's got a

[1:31:07] lot going on. Abington Elementary's got a lot going on. Waga has a lot going on.

[1:31:11] There's dress up days, there's carnivals, there's everything to all

[1:31:15] culminate this Friday night um at the Falcon Stadium for uh our homecoming

[1:31:20] game with Gate City. Should be a great game. Um and um I will also say I heard

[1:31:26] about this uh podcast, but one of the cool things that we got to see at

[1:31:31] Abington High was a new media room that I know Miss Hope has been helping them

[1:31:35] on, but they actually have the equipment there to do podcasts. and I really love

[1:31:41] listening to Mr. Gobble's podcast, but I'm looking forward to these other

[1:31:44] podcasts that will will be produced with our students and our staff. Um, that's

[1:31:49] just a great opportunity and one more thing that we do here in Washington

[1:31:52] County to provide opportunities to our students. So, thanks Miss Hoke for

[1:31:56] stepping in there in an instructional role and uh and that's all I have.

[1:32:02] » Thank you, Dr. Frederick. Uh, I have also been reading numerous emails

[1:32:08] and responding as quickly as I [clears throat] possibly can myself and

[1:32:11] Dr. Persian and we'll continue to do so. I know I went to Holston High School the

[1:32:16] other night and and what a turnout. You should be proud of your community,

[1:32:20] Debbie. As we're proud of [clears throat] and

[1:32:24] you know, uh, listening to everyone, that's what we've got to do.

[1:32:30] We've got to listen to everybody to make an educated answer uh and a solution.

[1:32:35] So, that's exactly what we're going to do. I know things have moved fast. We're

[1:32:39] trying to slow it down as much as we possibly can. A lot of that is not our

[1:32:42] fault, but it is it's the cards we've been handed and and we're having to move

[1:32:46] with them. So, that's what we're doing to make sure everything gets

[1:32:49] accomplished that needs to get accomplished for our county, for the

[1:32:52] kids, for the employees of the school system, and for the citizens. We want to

[1:32:56] provide the very best that we can possibly do. I can speak, I think, for

[1:33:00] everybody on this board. There's not a person on this board that doesn't care

[1:33:03] about our kids or our communities. Uh we're on this board because we wanted to

[1:33:07] make a difference. That's why we ran for office, every one of us, all seven of

[1:33:11] us. And and that's what we try to do. We listen to our constituents and we do

[1:33:14] what we think is best for the entire community and the entire county. And

[1:33:18] that's what we'll continue to do. you know, some [clears throat] things some

[1:33:22] things haven't been talked about in a long long long time. But, you know, you

[1:33:25] can't only not talk about something for so long. And, you know, we got to have

[1:33:29] discussions. We got to have the discussions to figure out the solutions.

[1:33:33] And so, I look forward to many more discussions to figure out these

[1:33:36] solutions. But, as Miss Nichols and Mr. Pucket alluded to, we've got to try to

[1:33:40] keep the tax referendum and and and the CIP needs sort of separate. Uh, I think

[1:33:45] those got pushed together sort of by our board of supervisors

[1:33:50] urging us to do so and and you know we're all elected officials and I'd like

[1:33:55] to keep our board our board and the board of supervisors board of

[1:33:57] supervisors and I'm going to advocate that our board make our decisions and

[1:34:01] and and you've got my word on that. I'm not afraid to make enemies where I need

[1:34:05] to make them. So, uh, you know, we've got a a lovehate relationship there. You

[1:34:10] know, that's where a lot of our funding comes from. So we've got

[1:34:13] » it's so love. >> It's so love. [laughter] Yeah. So but

[1:34:17] you know that's we're going to work very hard to get to

[1:34:22] the right answer. I can promise everybody that they can that and little

[1:34:27] not in on John Battle. Uh TJ uh varsity girls just beat Gate City in the first

[1:34:33] set 25. So it's looking promising for the volleyball. [laughter]

[1:34:37] » TJ's going to have a hard time with the volleyball team.

[1:34:39] » He is have a hard time volleyball team. I better watch my daughter.

[1:34:42] never was really good at volleyball. >> Yeah. But

[1:34:47] with that being said,

[1:34:52] I think I look forward to the to the continued conversations that we need to

[1:34:56] have in this community and and so we come to our educated answer. So that

[1:35:00] being said, uh Madame Clerk, update to the board by the superintendent.

[1:35:06] » Well, as Miss Nichols indicated, there's several workshops, conferences, and

[1:35:09] webinars coming up. listeners on that.

[1:35:14] » Thank you. Before we do the resolution to end open

[1:35:19] session, I would like to thank again everybody for coming out tonight. It

[1:35:22] means a lot. It means a lot to our board and and if you do have questions or

[1:35:26] concerns, please email us or call us. Our emails are on the website. Be more

[1:35:30] than happy to answer a good email, but like most have said, I'm not on social

[1:35:34] media, so if you try any social media, my wife shows me some of the posts which

[1:35:38] I don't really care for. So I I just stay away from social media. So that

[1:35:43] being said, uh is there a resolution to end open session?

[1:35:46] » Mr. Chair, I make a motion that the board convene in close session after a

[1:35:50] 5m minute break for the purpose of discussing the following matters is

[1:35:53] authorized by section 2.2-3711A of the code of Virginia. Section

[1:35:57] 2.2-371182

[1:36:01] request for release from compulsory school attendance and religious

[1:36:04] exemption 2026 2027 cases 18 through 19 section 2.2 2-3711A1.

[1:36:12] Discuss performance of specific individuals. Consider employment of

[1:36:15] specific individuals. Consider transfer of specific individuals. Consider

[1:36:19] resignation of specific individuals. Consider specific individuals with

[1:36:24] non-eing assignments to receive coaching supplement only and subject to one VHSL

[1:36:28] approval and two within number of positions approved for coaching.

[1:36:32] » Second. >> Motion made by Mr. Raz, second by Mr.

[1:36:35] Henderson to end open session. Is there any further discussion

[1:36:41] hearing? None. All by raising your right hand. Likewise, uh we'll reconvene in

[1:36:47] close session and after a 5m minute Thank

School Board Meeting (Regular Meeting) - Sep 08 2026

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