|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By MARY EVA CASSADA
Special to The News & Record
The phalanx of gray-black-olive-navy suitcoats (and no women) on the
dais should have been a signal: This is a very new Halifax County
School Board.
The Trustees, with a majority of new members, held their first regular
meeting Monday night and split their first two decisions: on electing a
chairman and on changing the day of their monthly meetings.
That the board would come to loggerheads over such quotidian issues
might strike some a troublesome signal that this new board won't work
in unison to get things done; for others, it's a positive sign of
independence and a break with the old chumminess.
First, new Trustee Joe Gasperini nominated veteran Trustee Steve
Anderson as chairman.
Then, new Trustee Stuart Comer nominated veteran Arthur Reynolds.
The failed vote on Reynolds: 4-4, with Snead, Reynolds, Comer and Potts
voting for him.
Ultimately, Reynolds withdrew his name from consideration, citing board
unity.
Even then, voting on Anderson for chairman, the vote was 6-2, with
Comer and Potts voting nay.
Reynolds then nominated Gasperini for vice chairman; he was approved
unanimously.
(Also elected were staffers Robin Mahan as clerk and Amy Throckmorton
as deputy clerk.)
In a separate vote, trustees split on moving the meeting date from the
second Monday of the month (as it currently is) to the second Thursday
of the month, to accommodate new member Comer's schedule. That motion
was made by Snead.
Gasperini had made a motion to leave the dates as they are, seconded by
McDowell.
Could he vote twice since the day didn't matter to him, asked Long.
(Yes, was the answer since there were two separate motions.)
The vote to keep the meeting day as is failed 4-4, with Snead,
Anderson, Comer and Potts voting against it.
The second vote, on moving to a Thursday night, passed with Gasperini
and McDowell the holdouts.
That puts the first meeting on the new day on Valentine's Day. "Bring
your wives to the meeting, guys," quipped Anderson.
The board later came together to unanimously approve a feasibility
study of making a personal finance class a graduation requirement for
freshman entering in the fall of this year.
The proposal, by new Trustee Joe Gasperini, is designed to teach
students basic life financial skills: obtaining credit, getting loans,
balancing a budget, avoiding predatory lenders and handling banking and
insurance. School Superintendent Paul Stapleton said about eight
schools in Virginia make it mandatory and that, if approved, the
classes could start in the fall.
Before implemented, however, the staff would have to look at hiring
teachers, making classroom space and getting permission from the state
Board of Education.
By adding a requirement, "We are taking away a student's ability to
take an elective," noted Stapleton.
"I like the idea of having this in our curriculum," said Reynolds.
A report is expected next month.
In other business:
• Finance Director Bill Covington reported on the expedited budget
timeline: work session Feb. 5 and Feb. 19, a Feb. 28 public hearing and
a presentation to the Supervisors the next day.
Snead suggested appointing a budget committee so the whole school board
would not have to be involved.
Long said he thought, given the board's overall inexperience, that
everyone should be in on it.
Snead's motion passed with Long voting no and Potts abstaining.
• Covington said fuel costs, given current prices, pushed spending
$100,000 over budget already. He expects the cost can be recouped by
not buying new buses as planned, or by running smaller buses on some
routes.
• Trustees heard a report from State Director of Career and Technical
Education Elizabeth Russell about Halifax County High School's No. 1
status in participating in industry certification programs.
Last year, Halifax turned out 475 certifications, surpassing even huge
urban school districts. No. 2 was Virginia Beach City with 273.
By comparison, locally, Danville's George Washington High and
Lynchburg's E.C. Glass had only 35 and 36 certifications, respectively.
Vocational teachers were lauded for their support of the students.
• A task force was set up to keep tabs on school security. Snead made a
motion for the committee to include himself and Comer (both current law
officers) plus faculty. Potts amended it to include parents and staff.
Parents and staff who would like to volunteer are asked to call Robin
Mahan at the School Board office, 476-2171.
Superintendent Paul Stapleton reported that he had met with Larry
Bishop of the State Police, new Sheriff Stanley Noblin, Commonwealth's
Attorney Kim White and a designee for South Boston Police Chief Jim
Binner (who was sick) "to discuss —working closer together."
• The class pictures are still being refurbished and the School Board
will eventually decide where to hang them, Deputy Superintendent Larry
Clark said.
He is still seeking more class photos from Mary Bethune High School. If
available, they would be copied and returned to the owner. Call
476-2171.
The old composite pictures were removed from what's now the middle
school when the building was recently renovated.
• This is Principals Appreciation Week as designated by the governor.
The next regular meeting is Thursday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. at the Halifax
County Middle School.