Coraggio Consulting
Albemarle County School Board Regular Meeting, Thursday, February 12, 2026

Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Place: Albemarle County Public Schools / School Board meeting, Virginia
Length: 2h 22m (video)
Official meeting video (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwuWbIxRhZo

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-14. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:10] everyone can take their seats please good evening everyone wonderful to see everyone here and i'm so excited to see our all of our student representatives as well i am ready to call this february 12th meeting of the albemarle county school board back to order do we do not have any motions coming out of our closed meeting but do we have a closed meeting certification yes i move that the board certify by recorded vote that to the best of each board member's knowledge only public business matters lawfully exempted from the opening meeting requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and identified in the

[00:00:49] motion authorizing the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered in the closed meeting. Second. Moved by Mr. Dillenbach, seconded by Ms. Lee. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? We have certified the closed meeting and we are going to move into roll call and during this portion it is just a chance for each of us on the dais to introduce ourselves both so that you can put a name with a face if you're in the audience but for those people who are joining us remotely so that they can as they hear a voice they can put a name to

[00:01:25] it so I am going to start with mr. grant I'm Jason Grant chief communications officer Maxwell keys on our high school student representative Kate Acuff Jack Jewett district Bob Beard Samuel Miller district Ellen Osborne Scottsville District. Rebecca Berlin, Whitehall District. Allison Spillman, at-large Representative. Jim Dillenbeck, Rio District. Judy Lee, Rivanna District. Matthew Hawes, Superintendent. Josiah Black, Chief Legal Officer. Anne Redding, Chief HR Officer. Christine Thompson, Clerk of the Board. Erin Stone, Assistant Division

[00:02:03] Counsel. And thank you to all of our officers who are serving to protect us tonight. We appreciate you and the time that you spend serving us. I would like

[00:02:14] move us now to the pledge of allegiance I would now like for all of us to take a

[00:02:47] moment of silence thank you so much the next portion of our agenda is 3.0 the approval of our agenda do I have a motion to approve the agenda board I move we approve tonight's agenda sorry a second ms lee second moved by ms osborne seconded by

[00:03:20] ms lee all those in favor aye aye any opposed our agenda for today has been approved our next section is 4.0 and at this time i will open the floor for any announcements from school board members or the in superintendents prior to our planned presentation this is often a time that that we will also do committee updates.

[00:03:46] - I have one. - Yes, Ms. Osborne. - The TJ ACE committee, which is Thomas Jefferson Adult and Career Education Committee, met a week ago, two weeks ago, just to discuss what adult education was happening in our area, and it's a consortium.

[00:04:05] TJ ACE is moving to the PVCC campus, which might make it slightly harder for folks to get there for services, But they're working on transportation. Last year, they served 883 students.

[00:04:21] And of those, 342 were Albemarle residents. So we have a good chunk of people there. Focused on core academic skills and career pathways. And one new thing is they're looking at the Pear Pro certification, which could potentially help us with our teaching assistants.

[00:04:40] Thank you so much. Do we have any other announcements? We had a meeting, the first meeting of the year of ACEs, which is for environmental sustainability. And we heard from Katina Dudley about the work her team is doing on understanding how environmental sustainability is integrated into our curriculum and what questions need to be asked.

[00:05:00] And that's as part of our state mandate. So I'll also note that it's moving to Tuesday. So if now anyone wants to jump on that committee, it's on Tuesdays at 530. Ms. Lee, do you want to note anything about our visit to Stoney Point this week?

[00:05:17] Our visit to Stoney Point this week. Yes, we had a lovely visit to Stoney Point to just see some of their needs. I thought it was what Principal Jensen had done with the challenges that they've had with that building has been wonderful, but I would love to see her not have to face those challenges and so she can put more into the instructional leadership there.

[00:05:39] Thank you so much. And I also attended and appreciate the time that Family Council and all the school took to put together that time. I have a few announcements. Ms. Osborne and I went to Mountain View this week with Dr. Haas, had a great visit.

[00:05:56] Love their immersion program. Blown away that kindergartners who I think 80% of them had not spoken Spanish before starting kindergarten and they were already speaking fluently, which blew my mind. And then Mr. Dillenbeck and I went to family council last night, and they were talking about wraparound services, which is just the amazing things that we're doing for our community members.

[00:06:22] And then last thing was Dr. Kaiser asked me to join the board for Star Hill Pathways, the advisory board, and we had a meeting today, and we were talking about how to teach those students goal setting and to think beyond high school and what their futures might be.

[00:06:40] look like and how to set those goals what the obstacles may be in the way what supports they have it was really impressive our next meeting is in April thank you so one interesting thing about the Mountain View visit is we kind of got to see how the sausage is made because we saw a few minutes of a PLC meeting for third grade teachers doing math one last thing for me is I went to the SEAC meeting this week and they had the presentation from the parent educational advocacy training center and that was about how students are referred to and become

[00:07:18] eligible for special ed services it was an overview of the process thank you for sharing i would just we had have had a few meetings of the alamorell foundation for education and we are looking for additional board members if people are interested one of the projects that that AFE has adopted is looking to provide support for more dental care for our students.

[00:07:48] In talking with some of our principals, that's the largest unmet need. Yesterday, a group on the task force went to Augusta County, which has had a program of dental preventive screening dental care in schools for the past 20 years, where they send a team out to every school twice per school year.

[00:08:12] So we're looking into those sorts of things. Also, just in terms of field trips, the school board was invited to one of the field trips of third graders to Paramount Theater. And Mr. Dillenbach and I actually went, and you've not lived until you've been in an auditorium with 400 or 500 third graders who were very excited about the program.

[00:08:36] And the program was very creative. It was about space, but it was really about relationships and being adventurous, and it was great fun. And there were kids in there who had never been into the Paramount Theater. There were kids who had been there, and they were acting like they were old hats. And then there were, I think, the CEO of the Paramount program said, and one of those students says, well, my mother's performed here.

[00:08:58] So we have all different levels of experience, but it also underscores how important it is that we have guaranteed every one of our students at least two field trips during the year. - Thank you so much. I think we are going to do, School Board Student Representative Maxwell Keyes of Albemarle High School, introduce members of the Albemarle High School Black Student Union, and they will share an update on their spring retreat, upcoming events, initiatives, and will present a student-crafted proclamation in honor of Black History Month.

[00:09:32] - Yes, before then, I would like to make a few announcements. - Would you like to do your statement before? - Yes, ma'am. - Yes, okay, perfect. So just for the public, so every time we have a student representative here, we have them make a statement.

[00:09:47] And so this is Mr. Keyes' first time on the dais. So of course, first welcome, and then please share. - Yes, thank you. Well, Madam Chair, members of the board, February is School Board Appreciation Month, and on behalf of the ACPS student body, I wanna take a moment to recognize and thank you for your service.

[00:10:07] As a student representative to the school board, I have learned firsthand how much time, thoughtful deliberation, and care you bring into this role. You dedicate long hours to engaging with our community, listening to the challenges that are brought forward, and providing leadership to help find solutions so that students can succeed.

[00:10:27] I am especially grateful for your shared commitment to ensuring that every student, regardless of their background, circumstance, or zip code, has access to high-quality education. You consistently ask how decisions will affect students and how you hold the school division accountable for achieving meaningful outcomes.

[00:10:49] As a student representative, we have learned that leadership in public service often requires engaging in complex and sometimes difficult conversations. It means considering different perspectives and having the courage to bring forward not only our own voice, but the voices of those we represent.

[00:11:08] On behalf of the entire student body, thank you for your service, for giving students a real voice in the decision that shaped our education, and for your continued dedication to the success of all ACPS students. Thank you. So you have a number of things to do.

[00:11:29] Should we move to the Black Student Union presentation? Yes, ma'am. Okay. Do you want to probably go down with your partners, or are you more comfortable doing it up here? Yes, I can introduce them from up here and they can come up.

[00:11:48] Yeah, okay. Perfect. Come on up. Great. Come on up. We're so excited to have you here. So take it over, Mr. Keyes. The Black Student Union at Omaha High School has long been a strong and dedicated community of black leaders. In this school year, the HSBSU has reached new milestones.

[00:12:08] This evening, we are pleased to share an update from two of our senior leaders, Tumpe Mwenechania and Sienna Robinson. They are joined by the BSU's co-advisors, Ms. Lenica Barnes, an experienced science teacher, and Mr. Tim Hamlet, a well-respected career specialist.

[00:12:25] So without further ado, it is my honor to present the Albemarle High School Black Student Union. Hi guys, my name is Sienna. My name is Tumpe.

[00:12:41] And we are from the Albemarle Black Student Union. Our mission is to promote inclusivity, community, and interconnectedness throughout and about the black community at Albemarle High School. So about our spring retreat, last month Albemarle's Black Student Union hosted a retreat at Ivy Creek Natural Area with over 40 students in attendance and multiple faculty and administrators present.

[00:13:10] Our goal was to promote youth leadership, encourage stronger academics from our black student population, and discuss how we plan to celebrate Black History Month within our school community. We started by learning about the rich history of Ivy Creek, a story of black excellence that we were surrounded by.

[00:13:25] We knew we wanted to take advantage of having so many different black voices in one space And we want to make the most of our time by fostering our connection early on We continued on to planning for black history month to figure out how we then wanted to connect to our school community Then we had an open and honest roundtable discussion about our academic performances Students were able to speak up about struggles They face that hinder their ability to succeed in classrooms and sharing our collective stories and holding ourselves accountable we were able to come up with strategies like taking advantage of our peer tutoring center and

[00:13:58] establishing a discipline within ourselves to balance the student-athlete life. These we hope will improve each of our students' academic lives and make us one step closer to closing the achievement gap. Lastly, we were honored to host Zion O'Brien as a guest speaker because she has been a great example of using your youth to your advantage and kick-starting change that is long-lasting. She told us her experience of taking the initiative to get the Robert E.

[00:14:22] Lee statue taken down and becoming the youngest elected member of the Charlottesville School Board. Having a young successful black woman in our space allowed us to ask questions that can prepare us for our futures as successful black leaders. We were able to talk about dealing with microaggressions and professional spaces, what it takes to be a change maker, and even how to manage mental health during high pressure times of your life. In the end, our retreat not only brought us together for a moment of community and celebration, but also inspired students to do more prepared for their futures. So now we're going to talk about our experience as ACPS students.

[00:15:01] One student one challenge that a lot of black students face is a strong prevalence of low expectations. I know a lot of black students who have straight A's who are not shouted out as much as their other peers so definitely something we need to fix. Also there's very few black students in AP classes. I personally have taken 12 and I've only had I think five black students across my four years at Albemarle High School take AP classes with me. AP classes prepare students for the future and we definitely need more black students in them as we are the future microaggressions are also prevalent for peers and adults throughout communities in general and also in western charlottesville monicello and albemarle those hinder our learning environment and when these

[00:15:40] those also need to stop we also feel pressure to represent our entire race often during history discussions students who are not black feel like they can't speak up but definitely students of all races should feel comfortable to add to hack history and just discuss how can make it better for the future so some ideas that we came up with on how to help and counteract these issues were one to interrupt biased behavior immediately we notice a lot of times the microaggressions and a sort of casual racism kind of gets swept under the rug and are not addressed and we believe that if teachers and faculty hold the students accountable then the behavior

[00:16:17] will decrease and students won't feel so comfortable expressing this hate towards us second we think that creating safe spaces for open conversations will allow other students and black students to engage in our culture and learn about history from different perspectives and it will benefit all of our learning thirdly we think checking in after impactful events especially in our current political climate there's a lot of controversial things being said and a lot of tensions in the air and knowing black students knowing that we have someone in our corner and someone that supports us through these hard times is

[00:16:54] really beneficial to our learning and feeling safe in our school environment last we think that we should or that students should be encouraged to take leadership roles and advanced coursework because they are how we remain competitive and how to prepare for the future and we want students to take the most advanced course possible so that they can be prepared for the future and now we will read our proclamation for black history month whereas black history is American history, and is fundamental to the story of our nation contributing profoundly

[00:17:30] to the development of our society, culture, economy, and democratic ideals. And whereas, the legacy of leaders such as Harriet Tubman, Thurgood Marshall, Shirley Chisholm, and John Lewis, along with countless other advocates, educators, artists, scientists, and community leaders, reflects the courage, brilliance, and determination that shaped nation and advance justice and opportunity for all. And whereas Black History Month provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the achievements, resilience, excellence, and lasting contributions of Black Americans, while also acknowledging the historical and systemic

[00:18:08] challenges faced in the continued pursuit of equity and equality. And whereas the students of Alabama County Public Schools, including the Black Suit Union of Alabama High School, demonstrate leadership and commitment by organizing meaningful events and educational opportunities such as Black STEM inventor lessons and cultural celebrations and the Black Business Expo to ensure all students feel supported, valued, and affirmed within our schools. Whereas Albemarle County Public Schools' mission is working together as a team, we will end the predictive value of race, class, gender, and special capacities for our children's success through high quality teaching

[00:18:45] and learning for all. We seek to build relationships with families and communities to ensure that every student succeeds we will know every student acps values are centered around equity excellence family and community and wellness now therefore be it proclaimed that albemarle county public schools hereby recognize and celebrate february 2026 as black history month acknowledge all students staff families and community members to participate in activities education service and reflection that honor the rich heritage culture and contributions of black Americans. Be it further proclaimed that we call upon our school community not only to celebrate

[00:19:25] during Black History Month, but to continuously support, uplift, and affirm black students, black history, and black culture, recognizing that our shared history, present, and future matter every day of the year. Thank you. And I would like to thank the Black Student Union for writing this. Oftentimes these are written by our Albemarle County staff, and this time we reached out and this was something that was important to me to have this written since it is for the students that it's written by the students so thank you for

[00:20:04] the time that you took doing that did you would do we want to have some questions or do you want to is there any are there any moves coming out of that I just want to say first of all that was super impressive so job well done and it's not easy to stand up in front of us and this group and I was really struck by your comments about microaggressions and I think that there has been a push amongst in the community for right-to-be training for our teachers and staff and I'm not sure it's made a lot of headway within the central office and within the division and I think that that's something you guys really showed

[00:20:44] the need for that and so I think I and I hope my fellow board members will push to get that done in our schools so that teachers and staff members are equipped to handle those situations when they happen as they're happening and stop them right away so thank you for bringing that up thank you I thought you guys's points were very realistic and and very brave to say so thank you for speaking thank you thank you would we like to thank you would we like to move this into looking at my fellow board members I would like to move this into

[00:21:23] record by doing a formal vote on this if that is okay so I'm gonna and what that what that is doing is there's a proclamation but then by taking a vote and each of us taking a stand we put our names in addition to you having your names on it we put our names behind it and it goes officially into the record which I think is very important so do I have a motion from my colleagues I would like to move to make the black history month proclamation part of our official record? Second. Moved by Ms. Spillman, seconded by Ms. Lee, and also Mr. Dillenbeck. I would

[00:21:59] actually like to take a voice vote on this, Ms. Osborne. Yes. I'm sorry, Ms. Thompson. Ms. Thompson. Dr. Acuff. Apologies. Dr. Acuff. Yes. Mr. Beard. Yes. Mr. Dillenbeck. Yes. Ms. Lee. Yes. Ms. Osborne. Yes, again.

[00:22:25] Ms. Billman? Absolutely. Chair Berlin? Yes. So moved. By a vote of for and favor, zero opposed. I am so proud to move the proclamation written by the Black Student Union into our official record.

[00:22:41] So thank you very much for your time and for everything that you're doing. Thank you. Chair Berlin, I would just like to ask a question of staff. We've been talking about the relatively few number of black students who take AP classes for some time.

[00:23:03] I would just like to have some sort of update at that. I mean, I absolutely believe that one of our speakers only had a few, but I would like to have some sort of update on the demographics of who's taking AP classes as well as dual enrollment.

[00:23:20] I mean, I know it's probably in our state of the division, but if you could just send it out to us I would be greatly appreciative thank you thank you for asking that and my only addition is I'd like to see it by pure number as well as by percentage mr. keys do you have another's anything else madam chair I do yes thank you so much so madam chair members in the board again this my name is Maxwell keys and I'm a senior at our mall high school and a student representative to the school board this evening I want to revisit a growing

[00:23:56] issue within our school communities especially at our mall high school an issue that has contributed to division within our school community and demands our attention now for the betterment of our students. But first I'd like to take us back in time six years ago to Mountain View Elementary School where conflict arose over a door poster seen on slide one. This poster was put up during Black History Month however was forced to be removed because it was

[00:24:34] deemed disruptive to the learning environment. Some may say it's just a poster but others may say it's a representation of something much deeper this past school year an approved student-led club has continuously made students feel unsafe unwanted and discouraged from attending school this club has displayed posters and targeted locations containing offensive and exclusionary slogans these posters are not advertising a club but representing

[00:25:09] a judgmental and disunified community these messages directly contradict our division stated goal of helping all students thrive messages that I believe simply do not belong in our schools panorama education a K through 12 data driven education platform with a focus on social emotional learning and school climate recently released data stating students who feel safe and supported are are ten times more likely to make significant gains in reading and math than peers in a poor

[00:25:45] school climate. Likewise, teachers in a supportive environment are also 62 percent less likely to leave their school. So now, I'm calling on the school board to revise and clarify our division's policies regarding student-led clubs and their place within our school communities. No club, approved by administration, should create an environment where students feel uncomfortable or even marginalized our schools must be a place where students can learn and where teachers can

[00:26:20] educate without disruption this is not an argument about free speech it is an argument about whether we are allowing students to thrive and whether we are truly fostering an equitable learning environment as a school board our responsibility is to stand up for equity in our learning environments so i challenge the board and everyone listening to reflect on this question is the work we are doing truly creating a better more united school community because unification

[00:26:58] supports education thank you thank you very much mr keys chair berlin if i may uh first mr keys thank you that was uh very powerful and very well said i appreciate your comments um chair berlin i'd also like to echo mr keys's sentiments on the occasion of school board appreciation month because i work closely with you i know how many hours you put into your roles and you have busy

[00:27:38] lives outside of your school board work i know that being a school board member can also sometimes feel like a thankless job you feel like you please none of the people none of the time but i also know that you're all in this work for the same reason it's because at your core you care deeply about our students and our teachers and our staff and i admire that and i appreciate your work very much i'd also like to pass out some certificates to each of you from the virginia

[00:28:05] school boards association thank you dr berlin so following up on the school board appreciation

[00:28:48] madam chair and members of the board february is school board student representative appreciation month and as max so eloquently expressed appreciation for school board members i think it's important that we recognize and thank our student representatives for their service to the the board as well. You're not here for a line on a resume, as I think Max just demonstrated. You are here doing real governance work. You show up, you listen, you ask smart questions, you bring forward what you are hearing in classrooms, hallways, clubs, buses, lunch lines, and everywhere

[00:29:24] in between. That perspective cannot be replicated by any report or presentation. You also do something that is harder than it looks you represent students across the division not just your own friends your own school or your own experience that takes maturity it takes courage and it takes a willingness to speak up even when it might feel uncomfortable and to do it respectfully and thoughtfully your presence keeps us honest in the best way you remind us that behind every policy budget line and program decisions there are actual students with actual

[00:30:03] lives you help keep the work grounded in what matters most learning belonging safety opportunity and preparing students for what comes next so max max million amy claire and leighton on behalf of the outmall community thank you for the time you give the voice you bring and the leadership you are building right now we are grateful for you and we are better because you're at the table

[00:30:32] our chief of human resources dan redding is distributing certificates to the students while as as dan finishes that up i beg the board's indulgence i did have a few updates on various things that have been um popping but first uh i would ask like to ask uh miles nelson to come

[00:31:11] up uh school counselor appreciation also just to briefly to describe a grant that he recently brought to Albemarle County Schools around student mental health wellness hello good evening good evening chair members of the board and Dr. Haas thank you for this opportunity to speak with you tonight again wanted to begin by recognizing that we're just coming off national school counselors week this is an important moment to pause and to highlight the incredible work that's happening every day in our schools across Albemarle County Public Schools our school counselors along with their colleagues mental health support specialists school psychologists nurses in addition to

[00:31:50] administrators they show up for students in ways that often go unseen they listen to worries big and small they help students navigate friendship anxiety academic pressures they respond to crises they connect families and resources they create places within our schools and communities where students can feel heard and valued this work is the heart this this work is at the heart of our schools the foundation of student support services on behalf of the division i want to publicly thank them for their compassion professionalism tireless commitment to students and families

[00:32:27] with that i'm also excited to share an update that directly supports and strengthens these efforts acps was recently awarded a state telehealth grant for mental health services through the virginia department of education and the department of behavioral health and human i'm sorry department of behavioral health and developmental services this grant provides three hundred thousand dollars with the potential for continued funding over the next five years for a a total of 1.5 million dollars to support student mental health. Through the grant we are launching a new partnership with Cartwheel, a school-based health counseling provider to expand access to mental health services for all of our students. Cartwheel is a school-based health counseling

[00:33:05] provider that specializes in working with children adolescents and families. When a student needs more support we will now have an additional option to connect students and their families quickly to licensed clinicians through secure virtual appointments. This partnership helps address One of the most persistent challenges we hear from families and staff: timely access to care.

[00:33:26] Right now community wait lists for mental health services can be weeks or even months long. For a child who is struggling today that can feel overwhelming. Cartwheel gives us the ability to offer additional pathway for care that is faster, easier for family to access, and coordinated directly through our schools. This service does not replace the critical work of our school-based mental health professionals or our community providers. Instead it builds upon their work.

[00:33:54] counselors will continue to be the first point of contact they will help identify student needs connect with families and coordinate referrals cartwheel simply adds another layer of support for ongoing when ongoing counseling is needed through this grant services are available to students across all acps schools this program includes individual counseling family support and consultation with school staff to ensure that everyone is working together on behalf of students this reflects our ongoing commitment to caring for the whole child over the next few weeks administrators and school accounts and school based mental health professionals will be completing training and setting up accounts and families will begin hearing more information about

[00:34:32] the program how it works and how referrals can be made we are truly excited about this opportunity and what it means for our students and our staff and our families it allows us to respond more quickly and to partner more effectively with families and to support our counselors and mental health team with additional tools and resources so thank you for your continued support for student wellness now we're on campus schools and i'm happy to answer any questions uh what is the timing and the length of the grant so the grant is it's per year um and it should be renewable for up to five

[00:35:08] years um what types of mental health providers are available through cartwheel is there a minimum i know that like better help and things like that have all come under fire for not having high standards for their they're all licensed clinicians so they all should be licensed professional counselor is a licensed clinical social worker they should all be anybody so through the virginia board of counseling it should meet any standard to provide telehealth counseling within the state

[00:35:41] of virginia so if i'm a if i'm a parent and have a kid who's struggling and how do i take advantage of this yeah so you reach out to your school talk to the school counselor tell them that you're interested in telehealth services and so they actually have services available from 8 a.m to 8 pm so generally services can start within seven to ten days so that's phenomenal for any mental health service i know this is online um will all of our do all of our students have access to the high-speed internet that they'll need to access this or will they access it i mean from school

[00:36:21] so that's where families would need to connect with their school if you don't have access to high-speed internet we've worked with technology in the past for hot spots right and if and working through the school there is the potential to have sessions throughout school but we always have to look at capacity space and timing so if if you cannot get access at home there's a potential for school also but you have to work with the school to make sure that we have space and availability we just need to make sure families know that yes thank you any other questions so i So I know Dr. Haas, you said you had something else.

[00:36:59] I know Ms. Billman has one other thing, and then I have one other thing. - Yeah, I've got a good handful here, so thank you, Miles. - Thank you. - Thank you, everyone. - Thank you so much. - Congratulations on the grant. - Thank you, Miles. Do you wanna ask Dr. Kaiser has an update on the requested revisions to our club policies, guest speaker policies, et cetera, that our department's been working on?

[00:37:28] - Good evening, Chair Berlin, Vice Chair Spillman, board members, and Dr. Haas. I wanna provide a brief update on the review of school board policy IGDA related to clubs and outside speakers. In November, we conducted a comparative analysis to identify gaps between the ACPS policy and peer districts grounded in themes identified by the school board.

[00:37:56] The policy review committee discussed potential revisions aligned to those themes. Since then, we've gathered input through a presentation to the Family Council and through targeted interviews and focus groups with students, staff, and families most directly connected to this policy area.

[00:38:17] We will also be presenting this work to the Student Leadership Cabinet on February 26 to ensure student voice continues to inform the revisions. A revised draft will be shared with the Policy Review Committee next week and is scheduled for presentation to the school board on March 12th.

[00:38:38] We look forward to bringing the revised policy forward for your review. Thank you, Dr. Kaiser. Thank you so much, Dr. Kaiser. And I truly appreciate the work that you're doing and the team are doing to bring student voice and family voice into that conversation.

[00:38:54] And again, thank you to Mr. Keyes for continuing to lift that up. I appreciate it. Okay, I've got just two more items. One, that's kind of a hot topic right now. I just want to provide a brief update to the board regarding potential student walkouts that are being discussed for tomorrow, February 13th, particularly at Atmaugh High School and Monticello High School.

[00:39:17] At this point, participation levels are unclear, but we are monitoring the situation closely. We certainly, I guess I would say I certainly, I don't want to speak for everybody, but I certainly applaud the students for their leadership and their desire to make their voices heard.

[00:39:34] At the same time, our primary responsibility remains student safety and well-being. We have been in ongoing coordination with the Albemarle County Police Department and the Albemarle County Executive's Office. We have also provided guidance to the principals at both schools to communicate clearly within their communities, including advising students not to leave school grounds.

[00:39:57] All parties should share a common focus on ensuring safety while minimizing disruption to learning. And I'll keep you updated on what's going on. Thank you so much. The other item is we, as everyone is, I'm sure, uncomfortably aware, we've missed many days of school due to an unprecedented ice storm.

[00:40:21] And one of the things we're working on right now is a debriefing process, an after-action process with all of our departments. It is going to be comprehensive. I've just reviewed transportation. We'll also look at building services, communications, human resources, and each are reviewing their operational response, staffing, communications, and also potential policy changes if we need to make them moving forward.

[00:40:50] I want to emphasize that a whole lot went right during this event and that our staff in transportation and building services engaged in physically exhausting work. I would describe it in many ways as back-breaking work so that we could actually be open now, let alone during the event.

[00:41:14] But we will keep learning from this, and we will make improvements moving forward. As this information is compiled and analyzed, we will prepare a high-level summary report for the board. That report will include operational recommendations and, where appropriate, potential policy revisions for your consideration.

[00:41:34] Our goal is to ensure continuous improvement while making our focus on safety, clarity, and responsible decision-making. And that's all my items. I apologize for the length of... No, thank you so much. Those are important announcements. Ms. Spillman? Yeah, mine actually piggybacks on Dr. Haas.

[00:41:52] We received many emails about Snowmageddon and everything that went on, and one of the things that was repeatedly brought up was the potential for virtual learning during a closed, extended closure like we had. And we have heard that there are equity issues and coordination issues.

[00:42:11] Dr. Haas and I had an extensive conversation about this and I think it would behoove us to do a feasibility study and have his office look at what would be required for us to move to having a virtual option, what that would look like, how many days we'd be closed before that would kick in, what sort of training and technology and infrastructure would be required. I think it would be less than pre-COVID times, but Dr. Haas was open and thought that the timing was right for us to do that. So I guess officially Dr. Haas I would like to ask for a feasibility study to be

[00:42:49] presented to the board on the potential of having virtual learning when we have extended closures. Yes ma'am. Thank you. Thank you, and I have one last announcement and in a way it's funny because This person is the backbone of our school board, and because of that, this is actually not on the agenda because she does all of that.

[00:43:17] So if we put it on the agenda, right. So it is also School Board Appreciation Week, and we want to honor the essential administrative work that Christine Thompson provides to the school board, the staff, and to our community. There's so much that she does.

[00:43:40] so much that she does um in front of you behind the scenes making sure that i call the right votes i announce the right names um we could not do this without her she is our lifeline and i so so appreciate um so i have a small token of love from the school board and the cabinet to share with you

[00:44:00] so when i started as chair we said that we were going to extend announcements to share more with the community and we really did that didn't we so we are really working to keep you informed but also

[00:44:35] i know we have some important votes today so i want to keep us going um so the next thing i have on my agenda is um is 5.0 public comment um and i have asked um miss spillman to oversee our public comment for tonight thank you chair berlin we welcome public input for meetings to sign up to speak during the public comment period you can do so in several ways online sign up is available from 9 a.m on the monday of the meeting week until 2 p.m on the meeting day by phone call school board clerk's office to sign up until 2 p.m on the meeting day in person sign up at the meeting is

[00:45:12] available from 6 p.m until the public comment period for in-person meetings only please note that the public comment is not if that public comment is not received at special board meetings unless specified on the agenda each speaker will have three minutes to speak with a chair with board consent and reduce this to two minutes should there be 14 or more speakers the maximum number of people or groups that may speak at a meeting is 20 in the event that there are more than 20 people or groups who wish to speak at a particular meeting each speaker will be assigned a number and numbers will be drawn to determine which people or groups will have the opportunity to speak those who do not have the opportunity to speak at a particular meeting may sign up to speak at a subsequent meeting and or

[00:45:52] may submit written comments to the school board's consideration. Speakers should state their name, address, or voting district. Address comments to the school board. Limit comments to school board governance or school division operations. Provide written statements and supporting material to the clerk.

[00:46:07] The school board will use a timer to track each speaker's time. Once the time is up, speakers are asked to wrap up their comments. To maintain respect, please refrain from clapping or other audible forms of support. You may raise your hand instead. debate with the school board is not allowed and the projection system is for staff presentations only do i have the list looks like we have um three speakers tonight um the first is jimmy

[00:46:44] baloo if i pronounced that correctly i'm sorry if i didn't good evening i'm jimmy baloo from the scottsville district excuse me can you move the microphone yeah thank you all right i would like to begin by welcoming the new board members i hope that your service here sir could you move the speaker just a little bit closer so we could hear you sorry i know it's a little tough you're tall are we good now yeah thank you all right as i said i want to welcome the new board members and hope that your service here will not just be defined by discussion by discussion but by action

[00:47:24] transparency accountability and responsiveness to the families that you serve on december 19th i submitted an open letter to this board aside from a brief reply stating that the letter had been forwarded to the staff attorney no other board member acknowledged it not one at the same time dr berlin apparently had time to review my google i'm sorry my linkedin profile multiple times but did not have the time to message or respond to my letter families deserve engagement not avoidance the reason i am here tonight is to address the special education system in albemont

[00:48:00] county in september of 2024 i formally requested an iep evaluation for my child i was told it would happen quickly said it stretched out for nearly a year and a half at one point after months and months of delay my child was deemed ineligible due to an eye exam by a school nurse who is not a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist only after persistence back and forth did we finally reach a completed evaluation and receive a firm draft iep on february of 2026. that timeline is

[00:48:35] unacceptable by any means at the iep meeting on february 9th there was no school administration present apologies there was no outreach from the school administration beforehand the assistant director of special special education did attend attend only by zoom she couldn't be bothered to come out to stone robinson okay that's fine during the meeting both the special education teacher and my child's classroom teacher agreed that the supports i was requesting were appropriate reasonable and necessary yet i was told those services could not be implemented not because they were excessive not because they were inappropriate not because the school not because

[00:49:14] they weren't needed it was because the school does not have the staff to provide them let me be clear staffing shortages do not erase a child's legal rights so i asked the board directly why are we drafting ieps that cannot be fulfilled why are teachers acknowledging legitimate needs that the system refuses to meet why are families expected to accept we don't have staff as an answer if we lack the staffing then the staffing must be addressed if resources are misallocated they must be re-evaluated but the solution cannot be to lower the service to match shortages this is

[00:49:50] backwards our children deserve more than paperwork compliance they deserve implementation our teachers deserve the staffing support to do their jobs properly and families deserve honesty and accountability i also have reached out thank you one second to request the number of students at stone robinson the number of special ed students and the number of staffing why is that information not readily available what is the percentage sir your time is up thank you um submit sir you can

[00:50:29] submit um your additional comments to the chair um and we will address them thank you um number two is phil reese from rivana madam chair members of the school board my name is phil reese i'm from the rivana district i have three kids in this in the school system as you begin the budget process

[00:51:04] tonight, you will have to grapple with two important but sometimes competing interests. One, helping ensure our students receive a world-class education, and two, helping Albemarle County become affordable. The larger the school budget is, the higher our taxes go up and the less affordable it is to live here. There are a lot of pressing needs in our schools, as you all know that, and I think most of you want to build a new high school. As you know, it's going to cost around a quarter of a billion dollars. If you're going to ask taxpayers to foot that bill, the data to support a new high school must be clear and obvious to the taxpayers.

[00:51:44] I don't think it is clear and obvious right now. I've shared some of that data with you via email. According to ACPS's own estimates, this is not my data, 10 years from now, there will only be a 146 student over capacity across the three high schools.

[00:52:02] That, to me, suggests that a new 1,500 capacity high school would be overkill. But regardless of what you decide to do about a new high school, I would strongly encourage you to start finding savings in the budget right now. Find areas that do not directly improve educational outcomes for our students.

[00:52:21] In the last seven years, ACPS has only added 160 students. But in the same time frame, the superintendent has hired 83 teachers, 117 support staff, and 69 administrators.

[00:52:37] So for every one student added in the last seven years, our superintendent has hired 1.7 new employees. That is financially unsustainable to our county. I'm glad to hear that our teachers are getting a raise. They deserve it more than anybody.

[00:52:53] But our superintendent and school boards still need to find ways to trim the budget. I encourage you all to closely examine the school budget for our administrators. They receive much higher salaries than our teachers, but not every administrative position is vital to improving the educational outcomes for our students.

[00:53:12] Thank you. - Thank you very much. And finally, we have Mary McIntyre from the AEA, and she has requested a special request tonight for five minutes 'cause she is speaking on behalf of the entire organization on this special night.

[00:53:34] - Hi, my name is Mary McIntyre. I live in the Rio District. I'm a reading specialist, a mother of one ACPS student, and I'm the proud president of the Albemarle Education Association. I'm grateful for the opportunity to address you today because today is a historic day for us and for you in more ways than you know.

[00:53:53] Today, after more than four years of work, we will become, hopefully, the ninth school division in Virginia to have ratified bargain contracts. Most bargaining campaigns that last this long do not succeed. So simply reaching this point is a major accomplishment. But I'm also excited to announce that we have surpassed 50% union membership in our licensed bargaining unit.

[00:54:14] And we are two new members away from reaching 25% membership of our education support professionals bargaining unit. Since we started this campaign in June of 2021, our union has grown from 460 members to 1,073. We now have the second highest membership density in Virginia.

[00:54:33] For the second year in a row, we have the highest membership growth in the entire VEA, and we now have a trained union rep in more than 90% of all work sites. You don't just have a unionized workplace. You have one of the strongest public sector unionized workforces in Virginia, and that is something that we should all be proud of.

[00:54:52] It has been my absolute honor to serve the employees of ACPS as the president of the AEA for the past year and a half, but I wanna make it clear that the accomplishments of our union are not because of me. the records I've been able to find going back to 1951, I am at least the 37th president of the AEA.

[00:55:10] We could have never gotten to where we are today without the work of those 36 people before me, mostly thankless, frequently frustrating, but really important work. I reached out to as many past presidents as I could get in contact with and asked them to attend today as special guests because I want them to see the fruits of their labor and to know and feel how much we appreciate the work they did that helped us get here today. I ask now if you are a past president of the AEA, will you please stand so that we can acknowledge your hard work. Everyone up to them. Thank you.

[00:55:47] Y'all really do not have to stand up. It's okay. Now I want to say more thank yous. Thank you to the VEA and the NEA for the resources and the support throughout this process, including our current UNISERV director, Bob Fink, and our former UDs, Becca Saxon, Dave Oberg, and John Baldino.

[00:56:15] Thank you to our incredible bargaining team who you met at the last meeting, and to your bargaining team for their hard work. Thank you to Tim Klobuchar, our lead negotiator, for moving here from Minnesota and bringing your union values with you. Thank you to Dan Redding, your Chief Human Resources Officer, who is willing to have the tough conversations and has talked me off a ledge once or twice.

[00:56:36] Thank you to you for not giving up on this or on us. And last, thank you to our members for the faith and the trust that you have put in us. I remind you, AEA members, that I am not the union. You are the union. Now, today is not the end of anything. It's really the turning of a page.

[00:56:54] We still have a lot of hard work ahead of us. The road that brought us here was rocky, and things will not always be smooth as we shift into the new reality we so aspirationally bargained for. It is our intention to strive for good, transparent communication, to operate with integrity, and to address issues as they arise, and to give each other some grace as nearly all of us will be implementing bargained contracts for the very first time.

[00:57:19] These contracts are not perfect but they are wide-reaching and they are creative. They bring clarity and consistency for both staff and leadership. In one big chunk our employees have gained things that they have asked for for decades and we are confident that this will improve employee morale and retention.

[00:57:38] We hope you will use them to recruit new teachers and support staff. We want you to brag about them, advertise them, and like us, brainstorm ways that they can be improved in the future. I look forward to working with you and continuing to represent ACPS employees in a progressive and productive relationship that makes our slogan, Strong Staff, Strong Schools, a reality.

[00:58:03] Thank you.

[00:58:24] Thank you very much. That concludes Public Comment. The next thing on our agenda is approval of our consent agenda. I do want to make one note on our consent agenda tonight. Item 6.8, for information, family life resource for adapted curriculum.

[00:58:45] The CIEC committee did not reach the, was not able to review the family life supplement at its February meeting and will review it in March. This item is informational and does not require board approval at this time.

[00:59:02] Chair Berlin, I would like to go ahead and pull that anyway and allow SEAC to have time to review that to make sure there aren't any changes and have it brought back next month in the March 12th meeting. Okay. So the motion that I would need would be to pull that agenda item and to approve items 1 through 7 as well as 6.9.

[00:59:27] So moved. Moved by Ms. Spillman, seconded by, or I'm sorry, moved by Ms. Dr. Acov. Second. And then seconded by Ms. Spillman. All those in favor?

[00:59:42] Aye. All those opposed? We are moving forward with the approval of the consent agenda. So items 6-1 through 6-7 include, and then 6-9 have been approved. and we pulled item 6-8 to allow the SEAC committee in its March meeting to review that.

[01:00:06] Thank you so much. Our next agenda item is 8.0. This is an action item, and this is a vote on the collective bargaining agreement for the 2006 school year.

[01:00:26] I do, we had a lengthy discussion, a lengthy presentation and a lengthy discussion, But I do always want to make sure I give my colleagues time if there are any questions or any comments on the floor before we take a vote. As I mentioned last time, I am appreciative of the progress toward greater benefits for teachers and support staff.

[01:00:52] I also would urge the board to consider future significantly better increases in wages for teachers, especially in the competitive environment in which we live. As a former teacher, I recognize that a 3.75% raise is raised, but not a great one.

[01:01:14] So I look forward to continued discussion about increasing those wages. Are you suggesting we look at a different market basket for our comparison shopping that we do? Is there a locality you would like us to include in that that we're missing?

[01:01:30] - I'd love us to look at Charlottesville City Schools. - I think they were in our market basket. - Yeah, yeah, so. - Thank you for noting that. I appreciate your comments. - Madam Chair. - Of course, Mr. Keyes. - As a student, it is truly incredible to see all the teachers gain what they want.

[01:01:49] And it shows a representation of working for what you want. And it's a great, it's great to see for the students. - Thank you so much. Are there any other comments or any questions from my colleagues? I just wanted to mention one bit of feedback that I got from a principal just about the difficulty that we have hiring substitutes.

[01:02:11] And so I hope that there is some forethought into the HR work that's going to have to be done to do that if there are the extra hours within the contract. Thank you.

[01:02:29] So seeing no further discussion, so we are voting on the correct collective bargaining agreement that was shared with us and that we have all had the opportunity review digitally. There are paper versions in front of me. If any of my colleagues need a second to take a look.

[01:02:46] This is a roll call vote, but first I'm going to see if I have a motion to move this vote forward. I move that we as a school board approve the collective bargaining agreements as presented to us by the AEA and negotiated between the AEA and the school board. Second.

[01:03:05] Moved by Dr. Acuff, second by Ms. Spillman. We will move forward in a roll call vote, Ms. Osborne, on the collective bargaining. Yes. My god, I'm sorry, I apologize. Osborne, Thompson. We're gonna see, I could just look at it.

[01:03:22] Ms. Thompson, wow. I need more caffeine, everyone. Apologies. Or maybe - Maybe less, or maybe less, okay. So Ms. Thompson, we would like to take a roll call vote on this important matter. - Mr. Dillenbeck. - Yes.

[01:03:37] - Ms. Lee. - Yes. - Ms. Osborne. - Yes. - Ms. Spillman. - Yes. - Dr. Acuff. - Yes. - Mr. Beard. - Enthusiastically late, yes. - And Chair Berlin. - Yes. - Motion carries.

[01:03:54] - By a vote of seven in favor, zero opposed, and zero abstaining, our collective bargaining agreement passes.

[01:04:01] would like to take a break. It is important in life to take a moment to celebrate even though that is something we don't often allow. I am taking chair's discretion to allow that today.

[01:04:41] Because that did pass we will now move into the official signing of the agreement. I am asking myself Ms. Spillman and Mr. Redding to move forward to the signing and Ms. McIntyre and Mr.

[01:04:57] Kobachar to sign on behalf of the unions so I'm going to use chair's discretion and we are going

[01:10:19] to take a break ahead of the funding request so it is officially it is 7 40. we will be in recess under a break until 7 50 and at that time we will have dr haas's funding request going forward thank

[01:10:39] you so much okay meeting of the albemarle county school board february 12th um bring back into

[01:23:08] session i will give everyone a moment to grab their seats yes and their water and their snacks uh thank you josh so the next item on our agenda tonight is the superintendent's presentation of the fiscal year 26 27 draft funding request um and dr haas will be presenting this um before he

[01:23:45] begins i just wanted to make a note one of the things is this is the official presentation um And all of the school boards, members were just given this, what do you think, Roslyn, in my 300-page, 400-page binder of all of the, he will be doing the over, but this is all the background material.

[01:24:08] This is also not in paper form, but digitally, all of everything that we have is available to the public so that they can also see all of the data behind it. The way this works tonight is this is the official presentation of the request.

[01:24:28] One of the things Dr. Haas will talk about is how over the next special work sessions as well as school board meetings, the school board will be presented by different people from the cabinet information on multiple pieces of information, and then that will be up for discussion and questions.

[01:24:51] So the way tonight generally works is you won't see the school board digging in and asking questions and specific questions around this funding request for my colleagues. If you have a few, that is fine. But because there is so much information, one of the ways we will often do this is we're kind of listening to this funding request.

[01:25:10] We spend some time digging into the details because we literally just received this at the beginning of the board meeting tonight. And then in the subsequent meetings, we will have robust discussion and questioning regarding it. So just wanted to share that, that format, and Dr. Haas will be talking more about that in his presentation.

[01:25:31] So without further ado. Thank you, Dr. Berlin. So this, yeah, it's a marathon, and this is, you're at about a 5K right now. So good evening, board members, members of the school community, our staff that's here. Tonight, we want to begin by saying thank you.

[01:25:49] Thank you to students, families, employees, and community members who shared their voices and priorities throughout this process as to where we are right now. Thank you to our school and division leaders who brought forward thoughtful ideas grounded in the needs of their schools. I also want to thank the superintendent's cabinet for your leadership, analysis, and guidance, and our financial services team. I want to thank Rosalind Schmidt, our chief operating officer, our financial services team, Maya Kumisawa, director of budget and planning. Of course, Jackson Zimmerman, who's our school's financial officer, and Brooke Conover,

[01:26:28] senior budget analyst, for their careful collaborative work on this draft. Finally, I want to recognize Jennifer Butler, deputy chief communications officer, Jason Grant, chief communications officer, and Lauren Hunt, communications coordinator, for their excellent work on budget communications, community engagement, public responses, and the preparation of these materials our 26 27 draft funding request is grounded in a simple belief the decisions we make today shape the futures of the students we serve and the future of the community tonight we'll

[01:27:05] walk through the progress we are seeing the challenges that remain and the disciplined investments we believe will move us forward can't seem to move my slides forward though christine you know what's up? Can't move forward. That's it. Thank you, Jennifer. Thanks again, Jennifer.

[01:27:37] Okay. Public education is our community's most important investment, one that strengthens our workforce, sustains a thriving Alton Ball County community, and shapes our students' futures. Alton Ball County Public Schools invests in every student so they are prepared to learn, contribute, and lead in a diverse and evolving world. That commitment is not abstract.

[01:27:59] It's operationalized through our strategic plan, Learning for All. Our strategic plan anchors the work of this division and guides every major funding decision we make. At its core, the plan is focused on ensuring that every student has access to engaging, meaningful learning experiences and the support they need to succeed.

[01:28:24] That purpose is reflected in our vision and grounded in the shared values of equity, excellence, family and community, and wellness. Our strategic goals focus on three priorities, thriving students, affirming and empowering communities, and equitable transformative resources.

[01:28:42] These objectives shape how we evaluate needs, set goals, and align investments and make decisions across our school division. So the question before us is, how are we doing? At mid-year point, as we saw recently, our strategic plan continues to guide steady progress across academic outcomes, student supports, and organizational health.

[01:29:10] Reading and math results are trending upward overall, including improved outcomes for several student groups, though significant achievement gaps remain. Science results are slightly lower than at mid-year last year, but showing encouraging growth trends.

[01:29:25] At the same time, attendance has reached its strongest second quarter levels since prior to the pandemic, and chronic absenteeism continues to decline across the school system. Taken together, these indicators tell us three important things.

[01:29:42] The system continues to stabilize after the pandemic, conditions for learning are improving across our schools, and the momentum we've been building is real. But progress alone is not our only goal. equity requires that we look more closely where gaps persist when we look across multiple years of student data we see consistent progress in key areas tied to our strategic plan standards of learning results are trending upward overall and we already meet or exceed state averages with this with the SOL

[01:30:18] test with students with disabilities exceeding state averages for the first time ever last year on time graduation rates continue to rise and remain above state averages. At the elementary level, literacy data show continued progress in reducing the number of students identified as high risk for reading difficulties, and this is a key indicator measure with the Virginia Literacy Act.

[01:30:43] Division-wide, Albemarle County Public Schools ranks among the top performing school divisions in the state when compared using the Virginia Department of Education accountability framework. At the same time, achievement gaps persist and school level performance is not yet consistent across the division. While the majority of our 24 schools are cited as distinguished, we have the largest proportion of distinguished schools in the state and the top performing elementary school in the state. Six of our schools are remained, remain rated

[01:31:20] below state standards on the accountability framework. An important reminder that continued focus and target support, targeted support remains necessary and we must keep listening to what is and what isn't working at the classroom level and making adaptations. These outcomes, both our successes and our challenges, are influenced by the stability and capacity of our system.

[01:31:44] Organizational health remains a critical strength for Albemarle County Public Schools as we sustain the work of our strategic plan. Teacher retention remains higher than before the pandemic and our vacancy rate at the beginning of the school year remains lower than prior to the pandemic. Both are beating state averages and outperforming our competitive peers, also beating national averages, reflecting the value educators place on working in Almond County Public Schools. Results from the ACPS employee engagement survey conducted by

[01:32:20] Gallup show that employee engagement continues to increase, supporting continuity, focus, and stability across the schools. Over the past two years, the The division has adopted new reading and math curriculum. With those major transitions in process, schools are now focused on implementation with fidelity, and we are seeing that focus translate into improved student performance.

[01:32:45] In short, our 2,800 plus ACPS team has the organizational stability and expertise needed to advance our strategic priorities. That strength positions us well, but it does not remove the capacity and infrastructure pressures we continue to face. More schools are now operating above 95% capacity, highlighting a key constraint that affects school climate and our ability to fully meet student needs. When we look

[01:33:15] across both our student outcomes and organizational health, a clear picture emerges. That picture shows a strategic plan driving meaningful progress across our school system. Academic outcomes are improving, but achievement gaps remain and required focused supports along with increased accountability particularly in our transformation schools attendance gains must be sustained and overcrowding continues to affect learning environments in several schools the draft funding request before

[01:33:50] you is grounded in these three realities or in these realities it prioritizes investments that strengthen student outcomes support staff and ensure resources are aligned with the goals of our strategic plan. The draft funding request is also shaped by six principles approved by the school board nearly eight years ago. Veteran board members will recognize them as the foundation for how we approach every funding request. Fiscal responsibility remains foundational. We align resources with

[01:34:27] our mission to support student success while maintaining long-term financial stability. Community engagement is essential. Families, staff, and business and nonprofit partners and community members help shape and inform our work. To attract and retain a strong workforce, we prioritize competitive compensation through market-aligned salaries and benefits. We also focus on sustainable operations using best practices to manage facilities, transportation, and services efficiently. Every proposal brought forward

[01:35:02] in this request is aligned with the strategic plan and board priorities, and decisions are informed by data using performance measures and logic models to guide investments and ensure funds are used effectively. Together these principles keep our budget focused discipline centered on and centered on student success. Consistent with our commitment to community engagement we have engaged in intentional listening through the development of this draft budget. Starting

[01:35:38] last fall we saw input from across the ACPS community through multiple aligned processes. This included advisory committees and leadership groups, a community-wide survey that generated our largest budget response to date, and ongoing school board feedback through the state of the division, accountability framework reports, and mid-year reviews of division and school level data with the board. This engagement identified shared priorities, highlighted areas of concern, and directly informed the recommendations reflected in this

[01:36:13] draft funding request. Before we discuss our recommendations, it is important to understand the financial context in which this draft funding request was developed, beginning with our revenue sources. ACPS funding comes from three primary sources: local, state, and federal revenues. You will notice a larger percentage increase in the state side, about 16.5%. That increase reflects the restoration of the state funding that had been reduced in the prior years the

[01:36:49] prior two years rather than new or expanded support local revenues are increasing by about seven point two percent which aligns with growth in local tax assessments and reflects expected formula driven growth not a material expansion in available funding this comparison helps clarify that the revenue growth reflects restored state funding and structural local growth, not a significant shift in overall funding capacity. That context is important as we

[01:37:25] examine how these revenues are projected and allocated. Local funding is the primary driver of Albemarle County Public Schools operating budget. This is because the Virginia Department of Education's local composite index determines that Albemarle has a relatively strong ability to pay based on tax base and adjusted gross income. To support long-term planning, we project local revenues based on commitments adopted by the Albemarle County Board

[01:38:00] of Supervisors as reflected in the county's fiscal year 26 adopted budget. School operations are funded through a long-standing local tax revenue formula used for at least 30 years. Now we know that because we found, I won't say the oldest, but the longest-standing member of our finance team, Jackson Zimmerman, who's not here, who's been here for at least 30 years, and he said it was here when I got here that they were using that allocation. That allocates 54 percent of the increase in shared revenues to public schools. It is important to note that the Board of Supervisors is the only

[01:38:39] public body authorized to levy taxes and determine the total amount of local revenue available. The school board develops its budget within the funding level allocated to public schools through that process. We are grateful on behalf of our students, staff, families, and community for the Board of Supervisors valuing public schools and providing a consistent, predictable, and reliable funding stream. We must all agree that when Albemarle County sees revenue growth, it is fair that our public schools who play a critical role in that growth can rely on local tax revenue funding, a

[01:39:18] predictable funding stream to plan for our children's future. With our revenue framework in mind, we can now turn to how this draft recommends to allocate our revenue to its best use for kids. This view of the ACPS operating budget shows how each dollar is allocated before any new strategic investments are considered.

[01:39:40] The largest share of the budget, shown here in purple, supports our current level of service and accounts for 94 cents of every dollar we spend. This includes salaries and benefits, required staffing and services, and ongoing costs of operating our schools. Additional portions reflect required cost increases and the opening of two new school buildings this fall, Mountain View Upper Elementary School and Ace Academy Lambs Lane Campus. And after I had made some comments about this presentation recently,

[01:40:17] Christine Peterson, the new principal at Mountain View Primary, reminded me that we're really opening three schools, not building three schools, but we are transitioning the Mountain view elementary to mountain view primary uh coming this fall commitments tied to our recently adopted collective collective bargaining agreement are shown here in green this category addresses compensation increases and working conditions and benefits for all acps employees and accounts for 3.8 of the total operating budget or approximately four cents of every dollar we spend one strength

[01:40:55] of the collective bargaining agreements is that they bring greater clarity and predictability to staffing costs over the next three years while also reinforcing the workforce stability i referenced earlier strong retention low vacancy rates and growing employee engagement providing educators and education support professionals in a meaningful with a meaningful seat at the table strengthens acps internally and helps us remain competitive externally all of this finds its way our kids and their quality of life and learning. Together the commitments

[01:41:31] reflect or reflected in the purple and green categories account for the vast majority of the budget and significantly limit the discretionary flexibility available. The remaining 2.2% or just two cents of every dollar represents the area where the school board has limited but important strategic flexibility. This is where decisions are made about priorities, timing, and the scale of investments. Our draft budget was developed with significant fiscal constraints. Large portions of our budget are non-discretionary or tied to

[01:42:11] contractual obligations, realities that shaped our work from the outset. Importantly, this process did not begin from a clean slate. Over the past two years, ACPS has had to reduce or eliminate multiple programs and positions, resulting in approximately $10.5 million in operational savings.

[01:42:31] Those trade-offs have included the elimination of elementary foreign language program, the JROTC program, reductions in instructional coaching and other school-based positions, reductions in division level and school-based staffing, and the deferral of investments such as furniture replacement, technology replacement, and guaranteed field trip experiences.

[01:42:52] I share this to underscore that the few strategic investments before you this evening reflect careful prioritization after difficult decisions and continued commitment to fiscal discipline. We have been clear about the fiscal constraints shaping this budget and the trade-offs already made over the past two fiscal years.

[01:43:18] With only a small portion of the budget available for strategic investment, we approach this work with discipline and focus, while remaining grounded in the feedback we receive from the community, the staff, and the board. when the board speaks we listen you have been leading us through this process all throughout the year within the insights you find the questions you ask and the direction you provide so I don't think there'll be surprises from that engagement several consistent priorities emerged maintaining small class sizes strengthening math instruction and the use of student learning data expanding

[01:43:56] hands-on career-based learning opportunities for secondary students ensuring access to high-quality instructional materials, and increasing specialized supports for students with disabilities. A note on class size. Class size remains a clear priority for our community. Anytime we survey the community, it's number one in the survey. Given our constraints, further reductions are not feasible. Reducing class size by just one student division-wide would cost approximately four million dollars. However, the proposals before you are designed to maintain not increase current class sizes which do remain

[01:44:34] below pre-pandemic levels at all school levels based on these priorities and our analysis of impact sustainability and fiscal feasibility the draft funding request includes five targeted strategic proposals designed to advance these priorities within our fiscal constraints over the next several slides I will walk through each of these proposals at a high level we will have opportunities for deeper discussion during the upcoming budget work sessions for

[01:45:10] Virginia's accountability framework emphasizes career readiness in fact they've got a scoring rubric that they use it's called the three E's employee or education employees meant or enlistment that's what they call it the three E framework it emphasizes career readiness credential attainment and successful transitions beyond high school. Career and technical education pathways are a required component of that framework, reflecting the Commonwealth's expectation that school divisions prepare students academically while also

[01:45:44] supporting workforce and post-secondary readiness. To state it simply, preparing students for life beyond high school is central to our vision and it's the right thing to do. This proposal reflects the second year of a multi-year commitment to Scholar Studios as the program continues to scale and enrollment grows and it is growing. Particularly at Ace Academy, Lambs Lane Campus, Scholar Studios are not optional add-ons. They are a core part of how ACPS meets Virginia's expectations for secondary schools and prepares students for

[01:46:24] post-secondary education, enlistment, and employment. Scholar Studios are intentionally designed around smaller learning environments, specialized staffing and strong connections to industry and post-secondary partners. Many CTE courses are capped at 20 students due to instructional design equipment and safety requirements, conditions essential to program quality and student outcomes. As enrollment grows, sustaining program quality requires staffing and operational supports beyond traditional high school ratios. This funding builds on last year's implementation work to ensure that student

[01:47:03] supports, access to rigorous career-aligned pathways, and program quality keep pace with growth and facility capacity. High quality instructional materials are foundational to equitable teaching and learning, yet our investment in these resources, particularly textbooks, has not kept pace with either rising costs nor with the needs of our educators.

[01:47:33] Over time, relatively flat funding has led to uneven student access to update textbooks and core instructional materials. This places a greater burden on teachers and contributes to variation in students' learning experiences that we hear about. This strategic investment establishes a sustainable funding baseline for textbooks and other essential instructional resources, including technology and databases. It aligns with recommendations from the 2023 Bellwether Report, an independent review that identified consistent access to high-quality

[01:48:11] instructional materials as a key driver of instructional quality and student learning. Across our division we are seeing growth in both the number of students receiving special education services and the complexity of their needs. That growth places increased demands on existing staffing. This proposal responds directly to that reality by adding targeted staffing: a behavioral specialist, an adaptive PE teacher, and a learning specialist to

[01:48:49] ensure compliance with federal and state requirements, as well as recommendations from our Special Education Advisory Committee. It also supports safe and inclusive learning environments and ensures students receive consistent, individualized instruction aligned with their IEPs and Virginia standards of learning. This is not an expansion of programming, but a necessary adjustment to meet current demand and sustain inclusive practices. The math and data support specialist proposal addresses a persistent challenge across the

[01:49:27] division. While overall math performance has improved modestly, achievement gaps remain. This strategy responds by embedding instructional and data expertise directly in schools with the greatest needs. These specialists strengthen core math instruction and support teachers and analyzing student data and help schools make informed instructional decisions day to day. This This is a capacity-building approach designed to improve the quality and consistency of math instruction across classrooms and produce sustained gains over time and across enrollment

[01:50:05] groups. Over the past two years, Outlaw County Public Schools has built the capacity to make this one-time transfer through difficult reductions and discipline budgeting decisions, including reductions in staff and reorganization.

[01:50:27] that time, the local composite index has returned to more typical levels, restoring state funding that had previously been cut. Rather than immediately reversing prior operating budget reductions, this proposal reflects a measured and strategic approach. We are recommending a one-time investment of a portion of these restored funds into the school capital program. This approach mitigates future fluctuations in state funding, supports long-term budget sustainability, allows the division to address pressing facility needs while maintaining a

[01:51:04] stable and responsible operating budget. Our recommendation to make a one-time transfer to the school capital program is grounded in a robust community-informed planning process. Through the capital improvement program and the work of the long-range planning advisory committee, school construction and renovation consistently emerge as a top community priorities. Capacity, modernization, and accessibility needs are identified across multiple facilities with particular urgency at the secondary level. These are needs that cannot be

[01:51:41] addressed through the operating budget alone. They require long-term planning, dedicated capital funding, and deliberate sequencing over multiple years. This approach allows us to advance critical construction and renovation projects while preserving operating budget stability, avoiding ongoing commitments that may be difficult to sustain. In short, a recommendation aligns community priorities with sound financial stewardship, addressing pressing facility needs while protecting long-term sustainability. After reviewing our

[01:52:21] strategic progress, examining our fiscal realities, and outlining our proposed investments, this slide brings those elements together. The 2026-27 draft funding request reflects total anticipated operating revenues projected at 311.3 million dollars. These figures incorporate current estimates across local state and federal funding sources and are aligned with the assumption that assumptions and constraints discussed throughout this

[01:52:54] presentation. At this stage of the process we are presenting a balanced draft funding request with with anticipated revenues aligned to our projected expenditures. As in prior years, these figures will continue to be refined as additional information becomes available and as we receive further guidance from the school board.

[01:53:21] The budget development process is far from over, and the work ahead will continue to be collaborative. When the board speaks, as I said, when the board speaks, we listen. You have helped shape and guide this process all along with students and families at the center of every decision and as i said earlier we're we're just not at the beginning of the beginning but the end of the beginning and i just want to pause with this young man

[01:53:54] here at one of our schools working on phonics and think about the future right think about these young people these young adults that are that have become a big part of our lives and we were celebrating them as members of our student school board i uh every once in a while you'd be working these jobs in schools and doing long enough um and i had an epiphany which would

[01:54:27] probably not be an epiphany for you but for me it was um have i know all of you been out to see our school musicals right at the high schools i mean they are amazing i remember when i first started in Alamo County in 2004 I went to went to see the musical and it was Chicago and I thought oh you know I'm used to student musicals this will be kind of a snoozer and I couldn't believe the quality of the production and the professionalism of the students it was just amazing it just blows you away so

[01:55:06] if you haven't been to one I really encourage anyone that hasn't been to one of our musicals so please attend you will it'll be well worth well worth the attendance and so but every year Sherry and I go out to all three of them and it's a it's a joy last year we attended Legally Blonde at Western Mall and it was it was great just as usual I usually sit in that upper tier so I could stretch my legs out a little bit right there at the edge and students were lined up there were students in the play that were lined up to run through the

[01:55:42] audience back to the stage and I don't know why in particular because I see the kids almost every day but looking at these students I it dawned on me that none of them were born when I came to Alton ball County schools back in 2004 in fact most of them weren't the students I was looking at weren't born when I came to work in this building and I thought about that and there lived experiences and how they play out annually we talk about the budget we say well we gather our revenue for that year we spend the money for that year it's

[01:56:20] one year at a time but the reality is is that it's not really one year at a time it's when you back up to to this student this is his time in school within a decade he'll he will I hope always be one of our students and make his way through the system and I wonder what will he do as he makes his way my hope is that he can do what he dreams to do and be who he hopes to be will he have a

[01:56:57] lead in a spring musical will he study and practice engineering or culinary arts or civic impact through his gifts and the love and of learning the love that he receives from his teachers and educational support staff the learning he receives what will he give back to us during that time like like these students and giving back to us now because of all that was poured into them

[01:57:28] over their time in our school system every decision reflected here is guided by a simple question what does this mean for students and the futures they are building that question and the commitment has shaped every recommendation before you I'd like to close by highlighting several key milestones in the budget development process beginning with our first budget work session on February 19th which will focus on expenditures including the

[01:58:06] strategic proposals outlined this evening. Second work session on February 26th will focus on revenues and will be informed by the county executive's recommended budget which is scheduled to be presented to the Board of Supervisors on February 25th. That same evening the school board will host a public hearing providing an important opportunity for students families and staff and community members to share feedback directly with the board on March 4th the Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the county executives recommended budget offering another key opportunity for community input as the

[01:58:43] county budget moves forward our final school board work session on March 5th will focus on next steps as we move toward finalizing the divisions funding request which is scheduled for the school board approval on March 12th. The Board of Supervisors is expected to approve the county's fiscal year 27 budget and set the tax rate on April 22nd followed by the school board's adoption of our 26/7 school division budget on April 23rd. Throughout this process board members and members of the public can visit k12albemarle.org/budget

[01:59:18] to access up-to-date information supporting documents and the complete budget development calendar. Questions may be directed to budget@k12albemall.org, starting now. You start asking questions. And thank you for your time and your thoughtful consideration this evening. I really appreciate it. Thank you, Chair.

[01:59:43] Thank you so much, Dr. Haas. And let's leave on the screen these two pieces because I think they're very important. As I said at the beginning, all of the documentation that the board receives is available to the public on the budget, and this email, budget@k12albemar.org.

[02:00:04] As individuals, be it myself, be it Maxwell, be it my father who is retired and living here, anyone in the county who has a question about the budget, it gets sent in here. The team and the finance team answer it, and then all of those answers are made public.

[02:00:23] So it is a wonderful and important piece as questions arise. So I encourage everyone to take advantage of those two things. And then the third thing I ask everyone to take advantage of is the public hearings. Just like we are always available for public comment, there are meetings that we have specifically designated at public hearings.

[02:00:46] And I am asking the public to consider making sure that they come out or virtually and provide public comment on the budget because it is something that we listen to. And I encourage constituents, whether you have children in schools or not, students, teachers, it is important for us to hear from everyone in the county.

[02:01:12] So as I mentioned, because of the structure, this isn't a time where we go deep into questions because we now need to go into the budget. But I do want to leave the floor open for my colleagues to see if there's any points of clarification or questions that come up immediately.

[02:01:28] One quick comment, I noticed in the list of five priorities, in my opinion, what's missing is improved focus on reading or continued focus on reading.

[02:01:44] I think I would urge Dr. Haas to include that as a top priority. at the picture of the young black student I know that at Woodbrook Elementary School 75% of the students of color did not pass the third grade reading SOL last year and that needs to be addressed obviously and we're making progress I'm glad to see the the new curriculum but I would

[02:02:16] urge us as a board to consider how we can continue that progress and speed up that progress other comments or questions do we have information about what is going to present be presented in that kind of the cadence of information or is that something that the team is still working on or that you would like input on the plant you want to know what the agenda is for the work sessions correct

[02:02:54] the first one will be an overview of our expenditures so um we'll talk about that that dollar bill and how those costs are broken out and what make up those costs in more detail and there will also be a walk through the budget book to see where you can find all those pieces of information and then the second work session will be focused around revenues including special revenues because there are some questions about that our school fund state revenues and our school fund local transfer and that will follow the the day after the county executive's budget recommendation so that what that's why that was planned and then the third work session will be

[02:03:33] for follow-up and discussion and how you all want to move forward okay thank you so much any anything else do we have a time yet for the presentation to the board of supervisors i'm hold i'm holding 1 p.m on my calendar i don't know if we have if that has been finalized yet usually won't we'll here probably two weeks before. Okay. But it usually runs between one and three. Okay. But it's

[02:04:09] March 16th. Is that correct? March 16th. Is that right? Yes. Matt, could you go back to the last slide on the list of, or Christine, the last dates? I just want to make sure I have them all. Is it? Thank you. Thank you. A huge thank you to Dr. Haas and the operating and finance teams for

[02:04:43] for their work on this and i look forward to many hours um reading through um with a magnifying glass and a a highlighter i know my colleagues do as well the next piece i have on the agenda is um agenda 10.0 other business and today dr kaiser is going to speak for a moment about proposed adjustments to the 2006 2007 school calendar and remind me on this this is is this

[02:05:17] something we are voting on or is this just a piece of info a point of information for for review thank

[02:05:23] you good evening again uh daphne kaiser assistant superintendent for a school community engagement

[02:06:11] i'm having a is it just me am i having a little i'm having a little trouble hearing today for some I'm raising this one more time, apologies. - Good evening, Chair Berlin, Vice Chair Spillman, board members, and Dr. Haas.

[02:06:29] - I'm just gonna do a little reach out. In the audience, I don't mean to pick on anyone. Heidi, can you hear okay? Okay, okay. Apologies, Dr. Kaiser, keep going. - That's okay. Good evening.

[02:06:45] Tonight's presentation is for a board review of proposed adjustments to the 26-27 academic calendar. This is not an action item this evening.

[02:07:01] We are sharing the rationale, school community feedback, and proposed updates before returning for approval on a future consent agenda. The work aligns with our strategic plan, commitment to high-quality teaching and learning for all, ensuring that our calendar supports sustained professional learning and predictable scheduling for families directly supports student success.

[02:07:41] Tonight, we are requesting a board review of two items. First, adjusting the placement of two professional learning days in the 2026-2027 calendar.

[02:08:04] Second, explicitly listing potential snow makeup days on the calendar. We will also share school community feedback gathered through a division-wide survey and seek board input before returning for action.

[02:08:34] As a reminder, over the past two years, we have implemented several intentional shifts. Alignment with the Charlottesville City Schools and surrounding division. Earlier start and end dates. Ending semester one before winter break.

[02:08:51] Maintaining consistent major breaks. meeting state and contractual requirements. These shifts were informed by extensive school community input and remain intact under this proposal. Across surveys and committee discussions, the community emphasized calendar alignment, early start and early end, semester ending before winter break and predictability of breaks. These priorities shape the current 2026-2027 calendar

[02:09:31] and are not changing with this proposal. During the implementation of the 2025-2026 calendar, we received consistent feedback that the current placement of professional learning days is imbalanced, especially the first semester. Staff expressed that clustering the professional learning days limits sustained professional learning, coaching cycles, and instructional

[02:10:09] improvement. There was also feedback that pairing the professional learning days near holidays reduces fragmented instructional weeks. The feedback led to the proposed adjustments. We are proposing two adjustments. Move the September 25th PD date to September 8th. This places the PL day adjacent to Labor Day and creates approximately four weeks before the next

[02:10:49] professional learning day. And then the second adjustment move the February 16th date to January 19th. And this provides approximately seven weeks between the November 2nd and January 19th date, and again between the January 19th and March 18th date.

[02:11:16] Importantly, no instructional days are added or removed. Teacher contract days remain unchanged, and the overall structure remains intact. This slide affirms that school start date remains August 12th.

[02:11:40] School end date remains May 27th. We have 177 instructional days, and the contract structure remains the same. Nothing structural changes beyond the placement of the two PL days.

[02:11:56] The purpose of these adjustments is to improve the distribution of PL days, support sustained professional learning, reduce fragmented weeks, maintain alignment with neighboring divisions, and preserve consistency between the two calendar year.

[02:12:29] we gathered division-wide survey feedback from both staff and community members. Overall, responses were generally favorable to both proposed adjustments. Those in favor appreciated the clustering days to simplify planning and travel and creating more concentrated long weekends.

[02:12:51] Those opposed expressed concerns about potential learning loss, child care challenges during longer breaks, and continued changes to the calendar that had already been adopted. Among staff, feedback was generally favorable, particularly regarding the more even distribution of PL days and the need for additional early year professional learning.

[02:13:22] There was more concern about the January 19th shift. Some staff noted quarter three as an important time for data analysis. They preferred spreading breaks more evenly and several expressed interest in making the day after winter break a teacher workday instead.

[02:13:43] Overall, however, staff sentiment supported the September shift more strongly than the January shift. Community feedback mirrored staff feedback in several ways.

[02:13:59] Families were generally favorable to both adjustments. Many preferred fewer, more concentrated four-day weekends over more frequent three-day weekends. Similar to staff, families expressed less support for the February to January shift, citing its proximity to winter break.

[02:14:21] A smaller group preferred more evenly spaced three-day weekends rather than clustering days. In addition to the two adjustments to the school year 26-27 calendar, we are proposing to explicitly list potential snow makeup days at the bottom of the calendar for clarity.

[02:14:47] Proposed dates in order of consideration, January the 19th, February the 15th, March the 18th, and March 19th. The number of days used will depend on weather conditions.

[02:15:04] Flexibility will be maintained during the spring semester. This change improves transparency and predictability. Tonight, we are asking the board to review adjusting the placement of the two PL days, adding explicit snow make-up dates.

[02:15:25] Again, these changes do not alter the instructional time. They maintain contractual requirements, respond to school community member feedback, and improve clarity and professional learning continuity. And then at this time, we welcome the board's feedback.

[02:15:45] This seems reasonable to me. Thank you for your work on this, Dr. Kaiser. The only question I have, this kind of goes back into my research days, is you rarely see distribution like that on a survey, right?

[02:16:03] It's just that, I was just pointing to Ms. Spill, and then you often don't see, like, so many people against, like, it's definitely favorable, but you often don't, the number of people that only gave it a star, right? You usually see something a little more like that occur or something.

[02:16:18] it's just a very interesting distribution so I don't know if there is anything in that data that we could look at I've been again we're not moving we're voting on it today but I did that is in there into their comments or is there is there a concern of without again making sure we keep it confidential of like a type of employee like I just am trying to understand it's just an interesting this is my geeking me geeking out a little bit so apologies for the late night um but it's just an interesting piece so I just wanted to look at those if there's anything we we could do to look at those one stars again.

[02:16:49] Okay. We can definitely do that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. The next piece on our agenda is other business by board members and superintendents, and I have an apology here.

[02:17:08] I failed to allow Dr. Redding to acknowledge the negotiating team. You are a doctor. I am not a doctor. My initials are DR. See, I gave you a degree.

[02:17:23] You should've just been quiet. I'm just teasing. Okay. I apologize that I did not ask Mr. Redding to acknowledge his negotiating team as part of our presentation. So I just wanted to give a moment for him to be able to highlight those people who supported the efforts.

[02:17:40] So if you would like to come up to the dinners or speak there, wherever you're most comfortable. I would just like to thank the members of our management side negotiation team for collective bargaining. to leave, but principals Stacey England, Ashby Johnson, and Joe McCauley, budget analyst Brooke Conover, of course Josh Black, chief legal officer, was part of the team, and Jamie Gellner, our director of transportation, all worked with me and worked with the union negotiating

[02:18:16] team to bring out what we think is a really solid collective bargaining agreement. Thank you so much, Mr. Redding. And please extend my apologies for not recognizing them during the signing ceremony. So is there any other business or comments before us before I close for the evening?

[02:18:36] I had one. I wanted to uplift what Maxwell and his colleagues were talking about in terms of low expectations. It's something that I have heard feedback on ever since I joined the board in 2019. I think it's a real problem, and when we look at the work that we do as a school board, obviously the funding request is very, very important.

[02:18:59] The budget is very important. I don't know how we can go about making that a better situation. Bellwether called it out, too. I can't think of any funding new program that would help that.

[02:19:16] We already have an anti-racism policy, and I hear about it, and I know about it a lot, and I know it's a real problem. I know that when Maya asked us for feedback on what we should be developing the budget on, we talked about closing achievement gaps, but when we talk about that, we talk about reading specialists, we talk about materials, we talk about things, but there is a pervasive culture of the low expectations that we don't talk about.

[02:19:43] I mean, we talk about it periodically, but I'm just struggling here thinking, how can we actually make some change on this? So that's something that I'd love to get feedback on, to discuss it sometime. I mean, this is something that I would, I think, discuss, but I would look to our students.

[02:20:03] You are the people, like the four in front of me, I have her still there, and all the students. You are the people who experience this on a daily basis. So maybe one of the things we can think about Dr. Kaiser is, and Ms. Roberts, is how do we, do we have a conversation as part of Student Senate, but I think thank you for lifting that up.

[02:20:32] And obviously, I would like the cabinet as well to be involved, but to me, listening to those students who see it, who hear it, and experience it, and to have them help us think about what we could do would be very helpful in my mind.

[02:20:49] Absolutely. Thank you for bringing that back up, Ms. Lee. I 100% agree with that. Sienna made a great point by saying she could remember maybe five or six other people in her AP classes that looked the same way as her. Two of them were in the same room as her. So if we think about what that means, it's a true problem and we most definitely need a solution.

[02:21:17] So I'd love to be on any committee or any advisory board supporting that. - So if the cabinet can take that advisement, particularly with a focus on how do we lift up student voice as part of what their lived experience is and how do we address that?

[02:21:39] Are there any other comments in front of me or questions? Seeing no other, I am going to adjourn today's meeting at five minutes before nine. Thank you all so much, I appreciate it.

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