Coraggio Consulting
Henrico County School Board Monthly Meeting, Thursday, April 30, 2026

Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026
Place: Henrico County School Board, Virginia
Length: 54m (video)
Official meeting video (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhaK9EAvM6A
Official meeting portal (Henrico County Public Schools, Diligent Community): https://henricoschools.community.diligentoneplatform.com/Portal/MeetingTypeList.aspx

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 2026-10-25. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:03] I would like to welcome everyone to the April 30th, 2026 monthly meeting of the Henrico County School Board. Colleagues will start off with the approval of the agenda. Is there a motion to approve the agenda? I move that the school board approved the agenda for tonight's meeting.

[00:00:19] Thank you, Mrs. Shea. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you, Mr. Young. All in favor, say aye. Aye. The ayes have it. The agenda is approved. Dr. Cashwell. Thank you. Good evening, members of the board and to all of our guests and visitors. We will begin our meeting, as we always do, with the Pledge of Allegiance, and we are so pleased to have students from Ward Elementary School here to lead us in the pledge.

[00:00:43] They're joined by their principal, Dr. Tiffany Chapman-Smith, who's going to come forward to the podium and introduce the students who will be leading us in the pledge. Dr. Chapman-Smith, if you want to come forward. Good evening, everyone.

[00:01:08] I'm Dr. Tiffany Chapman-Smith, the very, very proud principal at Ward Elementary School, And it is my delight and pleasure to introduce to you tonight a representative of some of our student leaders at Ward who have joined us to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance tonight.

[00:01:24] The students you see before you, they are house leaders. They are house DJs. They may be on SCA. So they're just a very small representation of the wonderful leadership that we have at Ward Elementary. And we are so happy they're representing us tonight. So thank you.

[00:01:40] And I'm going to turn it over to our wonderful students. - All right, if everyone would please stand as you're able. - I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[00:02:10] - And if everyone would please remain standing for a brief moment of silence. And that concludes our moment of silence. You may be seated.

[00:02:26] And how about a round of applause for our students? And our next item is gonna be a performance by Colonial Trail Elementary. So we're gonna make our way to the front.

[00:03:00] - Madam Chair, members of the board, Dr. Cashwell, colleagues and guests. My name is Erin Franklin and I'm the K-5 lead teacher for music. It is my pleasure to introduce our performance highlight this evening, Colonial Trail second graders under the direction of Sandy, Mrs. Sandy Nguyen.

[00:03:17] Mrs. Nguyen is in her 31st year of teaching with 28 of those years in Henrico County. And this is her 17th year as the music teacher at Colonial Trail Elementary.

[00:03:33] She achieved national board certification in early to middle childhood music back in 2013. She has also completed Henrico's aspiring leader academy, the diverse learner specialization and teaching and learning specialization.

[00:03:49] Mrs. Nguyen has been teacher of the year at both Twin Hickory and Colonial Trail Elementary as well as Henrico's Music Teacher of the Year in 2013. She is proud to bring 19 of her 118 second graders to share a little levity with you tonight.

[00:04:08] In honor of April Fool's Day, they will sing two songs from their March Silly Songs program. The students will perform two selections, Enjoy the Show, and Yodelady. Tonight, we have in attendance their very proud Associate Principal Whitney Beck, and we ask that you please stand to be recognized, miss Beck and now please help me welcome to our stage colonial trails second graders under the

[00:04:39] direction of mrs. Sandy Nguyen. Good evening chair Irving, school board members, Dr. Cashwell and

[00:08:56] guests. I am Tiffany Lewis, the chief empowerment development and opportunity officer and I am excited to introduce our first recognition this evening which honors the work of the HCPS student Equity Ambassadors. As a reminder, the Equity Ambassadors program includes students from each high school who engage with their classmates and one another in meaningful conversations about issues affecting their school communities. Through leadership development, cultural exchange, and peer connection, students gain the tools to advocate for themselves and for others.

[00:09:32] Equity Ambassadors have a pivotal role in organizing events where differences are celebrated and in leading discussions where all voices and points of view are valued. Let's hear from a few of our Equity Ambassadors about what that looks like at their schools.

[00:09:52] - I got involved with Equity Ambassadors because I was at Brown High School, the only Brown Muslim student, and I felt like I had a hard time belonging, and I thought if I joined Equity Ambassadors, I would be able to help other students with that.

[00:10:13] - I really wanted to do it because I wanted to help my community and my school. I wanted to figure out problems. I wanted to solve them and make our school a better place. I wanted to be able to have more involvement within my school outside of sports.

[00:10:28] I got inspired to join from my sister. She joined when she was in high school, and I saw the great work that they were able to do. Well, I found out about it through our Deep Broad News channel. I got really involved because my teacher at the time, Ms. Farmer. The senior English teacher was the head of Equity Ambassadors.

[00:10:46] Ms. Bagby. She said, "Do you want to join Equity Ambassadors?" I said, "Why not?" It seemed like something that I was interested in. She talked about how it was like spreading equity and trying to improve our school, and I was very much interested in that. And she was like, "You'd make a great fit."

[00:11:01] And I was like, "Okay." Basically, Equity Ambassadors, what we do at our school is try to find different ways to unite everybody here at our school and try to find ways to represent people who may not have as much representation at our school.

[00:11:20] And right now we're at Culture Day, and basically what we're doing is we're trying to show all the different cultures that we have here at our school. - I've done a lot of things. Example, Thanksgiving, we did hands, and people wrote what they were thankful for, and we stuck them up on a turkey.

[00:11:37] - We did inclusivity week. We had this activity where we played different languages all around Asia, and then they had to guess. - This year we had a community closet and there was a lot of old clothes in some of the classrooms. So we went through and we deemed what was still wearable and we distributed it out so kids in need could come and get clothes.

[00:11:57] - Every time we've done a big event, I get a sense of pride. This year we had even bigger turnout for Multiculture Night and that felt really good. - So each year we try to follow a theme and this year we were really working on taking next steps.

[00:12:13] So we try to work and make college plans, like taking harder courses, things like that. - Through Equity Ambassadors, we were able to create programs like the Cultural Fair and like the Olympics that we've held that were meant for integrated service students to have a chance to play with other variety of students.

[00:12:33] - I do think I've grown a lot, but I've become better at just getting out of my own friend group and including others within our own conversations and making steps to become a more well-rounded person with other people, not just my friends.

[00:12:52] - It makes you feel happy, to be honest with you. It makes you feel equal to others. It makes you, 'cause a lot of kids my age, they feel like they don't got a voice, but here, I feel like I have a voice.

[00:13:13] - I want to sincerely thank all our Equity Ambassadors for their leadership, their passion, and their compassion this school year. Tonight, the board is pleased to recognize the following representatives from each high school. Joining us from the Academy of Virginia Randolph, Ambassadors Ja'Cory Whedon, Andrea Ward, and Zion Burt, and equity champion Monica Bagby, for their Rubik's Cube fun event to promote community and creativity through art and games, and the Butterfly Project event to promote awareness

[00:13:46] about Holocaust survivors through storytelling and art. From Deep Run High School, Ambassadors Ziggy Utah, Ari Mustafa, and equity champion Jody Beeland, and their principal, Dr. Brian Fellows, for Inclusivity Week, allowing students to participate in interactive games, sample foods, and play trivia about different people around the world, and for their Culture Night event, to bring the Wildcat community together

[00:14:23] to celebrate diversity by sharing food, fashion, and talent, including dancers and musical performances. From Freeman High School, Ambassadors Sahani Muthukumar and Equity Champion Daniel Lewis for the AP Course Fair Day to promote awareness and diverse representation and academic opportunities for all, and for Culture Day to celebrate Freeman's diverse experiences

[00:14:56] and backgrounds. Representing Glen Allen High School, Ambassadors McKinley Sutton and Luke Rutkowski, and equity champion Casey Farmer, for the BAC, which is an acronym for Building a Culture of Kindness Inclusivity video, to promote awareness of different identities, backgrounds, and lived experiences with Glen Allen High School, and for the Multicultural Night event to strengthen bonds by promoting a shared sense of belonging and mutual appreciation for Glen Allen's diverse heritage.

[00:15:33] From Godwin High School, Ambassadors Vertika, Manoj Kumar, and Equity Champion Nick Zinni for the Mental Health Luncheon to promote balance with games, regulation techniques, and social-emotional learning skills for students to utilize with school-life balance, including assignments and tests.

[00:16:06] Representing Henrico High School this evening are ambassadors Imani Damal, Camden O'Garris, and Lauren Lewis, and their equity champion, Alexis Mays, for the Henrico Christmas Mother lip sync battle to collect books, food items, and funds for the Henrico Christmas Mother, and for their Culture Day event, where students showcase their cultural traditions and backgrounds, including a collaboration with the BU Modeling Club for a cultural attire fashion showcase.

[00:16:39] From Henrico Virtual Academy, ambassadors Tori Hendrickson and Nat Ramirez, and equity champion Jennifer Caper for Friends Fest to promote a shared sense of belonging, community, and peer-to-peer connection, including games and dinner.

[00:17:03] Representing Hermitage High School this evening are ambassadors Izel Nyanyi, Tanmayi, Achikanath, chaganti and britney claros santos for the hallow stream i'm sorry the hallow steam in partnership with dumbarton elementary school with workstations and makerspace opportunities to promote belonging and creativity and a free movie event to promote connection community and

[00:17:36] social emotional learning from highland springs high school ambassadors aaron miller julia peck and Oleander Lawton and equity champion Erica Armstrong Baas for the third annual AP Dual Enrollment Fair to promote a welcoming and informative environment where students could engage directly with their peers currently enrolled in AP or dual enrollment classes

[00:18:11] and for their Living History Museum event in celebration of Black History Month to provide an interactive and immersive experience for students and staff to explore black history through an interdisciplinary lens. Representing Tucker High School this evening are ambassadors Joseph Gwaltney and Misha M-Tiaz and equity champions Javaria Masrour and Melvina Roan for the Bright Point Community

[00:18:47] College and Chesterfield Professional Career Center college tours to promote post-secondary access and pathway knowledge, and for the annual cultural fair and community event to promote belonging and the celebration of diversity. And last but certainly not least, joining us this evening from Verina High School, Ambassadors Nazifa Prami, Awa Ba, and they're here

[00:19:20] celebrating their cultural fair where students made crafts, tasted foods from other countries, and learned about diverse cultures and for their women's history month spirit week where students and staff dressed as various famous women artists to promote awareness and appreciation as you can imagine we have several other equity ambassadors and program supporters in the audience this

[00:19:51] evening will you please stand to be recognized finally i would like to ask um members of the the Division of Empowerment, Development, and Opportunity to join us in the front for a photograph.

[00:20:12] Coming to the front, we have Education Specialist Ms. Jasmine Bates, Student Voice Coordinator Ms. Tiffany Dabney. Mr. Kyle McCullum is also up here with us. Not here with us this evening, but still contributed to the Equity Ambassadors Program are Ms. Paris Boynes and Ms. Gina Alexander.

[00:20:32] So we thank all of our ambassadors and their champions for the hard work that they do.

[00:20:38] Thank you very much.

[00:21:43] - Evening, Chair Irving, school board members, Dr. Cashwell and guests. My name is Eileen Cox, Chief of Communications for Henrico County Public Schools. And tonight I'll be introducing tonight's second recognition, the REB Awards. Since 1988, the REB Foundation has partnered with the Community Foundation to recognize Richmond area teachers who have distinguished themselves by their inspiring classroom performance.

[00:22:09] the foundation support these teachers through grants and award programs the grants with these grants teachers can continue their love of learning and pursue cutting-edge study in their fields although the first recipient of the reb award for teaching excellence is unable to join us this evening we still want to take a moment to celebrate her accomplishment from the ace center at hermitage amanda drinnen will use her fifteen thousand dollar grant to embark on a safari spanning six countries across africa to explore diverse landscapes cultures and wildlife now please

[00:22:48] welcome to the stage this year's second recipient of the 2025 reb award for teaching excellence from brooklyn middle school ellen jewel using her fifteen thousand dollar grant to travel to london and Quebec. Ellen will research British and Canadian perspectives on the American Revolution and how these impact U.S. relations with these countries. Congratulations, Ellen. Additionally,

[00:23:25] the community and REB foundations recognize principals who surpass the everyday demands of their jobs to positively impact the learning environment. The award stresses management and communication skills and the ability to inspire, encourage, and advocate for their school.

[00:23:43] please welcome the reb award winner receiving the reb award for distinguished educational leadership in henrico county public schools short pump middle school principal dr jessica seal dr seal received a ten thousand dollar cash grant in addition to a twenty thousand dollar grant for school projects the school grant will be used to carry forward short pump middle school's student leadership course the middle school cornerstone project congratulations to our

[00:24:21] reb award recipients we're excited to see the continued positive impact you have at your school and across the henrico community good evening my name is rebecca harden and i am the education specialist for library services and i'm excited to continue recognizing more of our outstanding school faculty the hcps school librarians of the year please welcome the elementary school librarian

[00:24:55] of the Year from Seven Pines Elementary, Emily Underwood. Joining her is Henrico's Secondary School Librarian of the Year from Short Pump Middle School, Lisa Chandler. The School Librarian of the Year Award was created to recognize the full body of work of each librarian, not just

[00:25:32] their accomplishments, for that year. Nominated and selected by their peers and supported by their colleagues and administrators, the winning librarians are amazing models of collaboration and innovation who transform learning and grow lifelong readers these awards recognize the achievements of our librarians throughout the year and their lasting impact on our educational educational community they are celebrated for their innovation collaboration and dedication to fostering a love of reading and learning please join me in giving these extraordinary librarians

[00:26:05] a round of applause good evening chair irving members of the board and dr cashwell my name is Mike Califatis. I'm the art education specialist and will be continuing the recognition of student artists that we began last month. To conclude tonight's recognitions, we will be acknowledging

[00:26:44] the secondary students whose work is on display for the school division's annual school board art show. The theme for this school year's youth art month was "The World Needs Art" and before inviting the students to the stage, I would like to thank them for sharing their art and their point of view of the world, your creativity and expression open the Henrico community to exciting new perspectives. Now please join me in welcoming our outstanding student artists. From Brooklyn

[00:27:18] Middle School, Asher Klee, Leslie Fernandez Cesaris. From Holman Middle School, Madara Menakandan. From Hungry Creek Middle School, Charlie Von Herbalis. Also from Hungry Creek

[00:27:52] middle school, Roz Sinclair. From Moody Middle School, Emily Kim. Also from Moody Middle School, Shalini Priya Simseti. From Pocahontas Middle School, Aldana Fitzum-Feleke. From Kuyakasin

[00:28:24] Middle School, Harper G. Also from Kuyakasin Middle, Sasha Dunham. From Short Pump Middle School, Amy Chen. Also from Short Pump Middle School, Lenny Deneuve. From Tuckahoe Middle School,

[00:28:55] Audrey Hanenberg. Also from Tuckahoe Middle School, Claire Robjent. From Freeman High School, Isabella Moncrief. From Glenallen High School, Max DeVivlin. From Godwin High School, Claire Melton.

[00:29:26] From Henrico High School, Center for the Arts, Ace Gomez. From Hermitage High School, Ava Cipanelli. Also from Hermitage High School, Lanaya Teasley. And from Tucker High School, Brooklyn Kirby. Please join me in giving all of our secondary school student

[00:30:02] artists a round of applause. I would now like to invite our students and their guests to join me in the cafeteria to view the artwork not on display in the

[00:30:19] auditorium. Thank you so much. Congratulations again to everyone.

[00:31:02] Outstanding work. We will now move on to recognition of Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Month. Mrs. Atkins. Environmental Literacy and sustainability month whereas Earth Day is celebrated during the month of April and whereas the Henrico County School Board recognizes environmental sustainability as a priority and strives to reduce the divisions overall carbon footprint reduce greenhouse gas emissions protect our local environment

[00:31:37] conserve nature resources and reduce cost savings with emerging energy technology and whereas Henrico County Public Schools is committed to carefully stewarding environmental and energy resources to enhance the quality of life for all who live work learn and play in the community and whereas Henrico County Public Schools is committed to carefully stewarding environmental energy and energy resources and recognizes that new clean energy

[00:32:16] technologies can provide financial savings and improve efficiencies for schools including but not limited to solar energy and whereas Henrico County Public Schools is committed to incorporating high performance building design specification in all new construction that should meet or exceed commercially available standards and whereas supporting student leadership through community partnership such as the Henrico environmental

[00:32:50] action resource team or HART and participating in environmental initiatives which enhance student learning experiences and whereas implementing a division-wide environmental literacy plan aligned with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement is an ongoing commitment.

[00:33:14] And, whereas promoting the health and wellness of students and staff through sustainability initiatives that enhance school environments, supporting outdoor learning, and foster student engagement in environmental stewardship is a priority.

[00:33:32] Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the School Board of Henrico County Public Schools recognizes April, 2026, as Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Month, recognized by the School Board of Henrico County Public Schools this 30th day of April, 2026.

[00:33:56] - Thank you, Mrs. Atkins. Now move on to recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month. - Whereas mental health is essential to everyone's overall health and well-being, and it is important to recognize that mental health is a critical component of learning for the over 50,000 students served by HCPS, and whereas more than one in five, 22.1% of U.S. youth ages three to 17 have a diagnosable mental disorder, and 20% of Virginia youth reporting at least one major depressive episode in the last year, with 50% of all mental health conditions beginning by age 14, and whereas one in five adults struggle

[00:34:35] to address mental health issues in a given year, and every person, regardless of age, race, gender, or background, deserves access to mental health care and support, and whereas early identification and effective treatment of mental health conditions can make a profound difference in the lives of children, youth, and families, and whereas through Henrico Cares Action Plan, HCPS is committed to ensuring Henrico's youth and families have access to high-quality, timely mental health care services to meet their needs over time, and whereas Mental Health Awareness Month provides an opportunity to raise awareness, educate, and celebrate the strength and resilience

[00:35:15] of youth and adults living with mental health challenges, as well as the professionals and caregivers who support them. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the School Board of Henrico County Public Schools recognizes May 2026 as Mental Health Awareness Month. Thank you, Mrs.

[00:35:33] Shea, recognition of Jewish American Heritage Month, Mrs. Consul. Jewish American Heritage Month. Whereas the Jewish American community stands as a representation of historical and cultural impact, strength and resilience spanning across the history of the United States.

[00:35:53] and whereas Henrico County Public Schools recognizes its strength in diversity, and whereas Jewish Americans have made and continue to make robust impacts on the legacy of our community and bring enduring cultural traditions to our schools, our county, our country, and our world.

[00:36:14] Now, therefore, let it be proclaimed that the school board of Henrico County Public Schools recognizes May 2026 as Jewish American Heritage Month. And it observes it with appropriate programs and activities throughout our schools, recognized by the school board of Henrico County Public Schools this 30th day of April 2026.

[00:36:38] Thank you, Mrs. Kinsella. Mr. Young, recognition of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. All right. Whereas more than 14 percent of students in Henrico County Public Schools are of Asian American, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander Heritage, and whereas Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders comprise one of the fastest growing demographic groups in Virginia, and whereas Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have made and continue to make valuable contributions to the

[00:37:14] vitality of our community and bring rich cultural traditions to our schools, our county, our country, and our world. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the School Board of Henrico County Public Schools recognizes May 2026 as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and observes it with appropriate programs and activities throughout our schools, recognized by the school board of Henrico County Public Schools this 30th day of April 2026.

[00:37:41] Thank you Mr. Young. Dr. Cashwell. Thank you members of the board. The next item on the agenda is the Henrico Highlight, our opportunity to showcase the incredible teaching, learning, and community engagement happening in schools and classrooms across the county. Tonight we celebrate a partnership between our career and technical education programs and the ABLE Center, a non-profit organization committed to supporting women. Through this partnership, students from the ACE Center at Highland Springs Cosmetology Program had the opportunity to learn from licensed professionals about customer service,

[00:38:19] communication, and professionalism through real-world application of skills, not just makeup, during a unique day of beauty. Take a look. We are a Beautiful Lady Exploration Center. We're a nonprofit organization where we support women who are on a journey of becoming better mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, neighbors, and friends. We collaborate with beauty professionals and service providers who can help women on their journey. It's super important because sometimes you don't know what you're

[00:38:55] getting into until you're in the industry and I think it's great that they get a time to actually experience the day in the life. This particular day is called our day of beauty. Makeup, hair, and then a photo shoot where they can actually have a headshot and they can take that picture with them and use it for whatever they want to I think that so far I've learned so many great things we went over proper shampooing techniques and what orders to do that and how to keep everything sanitized we went over a client consultation and making sure our client gets what they want and I'm getting a trim after I haven't got a trim in six months so I can't wait to see

[00:39:30] what that's gonna look like I think they learned the art of customer service so making sure that the customer is served in every tiny detail from just now I helped the student put the towel around the client's neck so she wouldn't have to hold the towel so things like that also not being fearful of shampooing and blow-drying at first I was nervous because it was a new environment I haven't been in before but being around people and doing it more and more it has been easing my nerves my experience I was there from 2015 to 2017 and I graduated from the Kazzataji program with my license. Thank you. And I definitely feel like

[00:40:10] it prepared me. So I actually was introduced with Ms. Lanise, who's one of the owners of this salon. She did my mock interview. Ms. Williams and Ms. Cher just do a great job of finding stylists to come and help us learn. And so they had a bunch of volunteers come in and Ms. Lanise did my mock interview. And I remember Ms. Williams was just like, y'all make sure y'all take it serious because some of these stylists may be looking to hire. And she called Ms. Williams and wanted to hire me.

[00:40:34] and I went in and shadowed with her in 2017, and I literally been working with her ever since. - Always learn, never feel like you know enough, 'cause it's always more to learn. The industry is always evolving. So be open for feedback and be open to learn all the time. - I really enjoy being in the salon.

[00:40:49] I definitely see me doing this after high school and opening my own salon. - Very special thank you to the more than 50 beauty professionals and volunteers for participating in this mentorship and day of learning.

[00:41:09] Our students will remember this experience for years to come. And speaking of creating memories, bus drivers at Verina Elementary experienced a day they won't soon forget. They met the governor this week as Governor Spanberger visited the school to celebrate National Bus Driver Day.

[00:41:29] She was joined by Virginia's Secretary of Education, Dr. Smith, and school board member, Mrs. Atkins. There were smiles, gifts, and even a few autograph requests. In tonight's Heart of Henrico, we honor and celebrate some of the amazing HCPS bus drivers who keep us on the road to success.

[00:42:00] - It is so important to make sure that during Bus Driver Appreciation Week, we are celebrating the people who get our kids to school. - She's been here longer. - Oh, we have been here. - In this case, we're at Verina Elementary, And the kids were exuberant and said they love their bus drivers and it was wonderful to just be able to say thank you to all those who make it all possible for the kids to get to school safely and get home.

[00:42:22] So nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. I think that this was a very important day for our drivers being recognized by the governor. And I think that thank you is something that goes a long way with our drivers.

[00:42:41] They're the first thing that a student sees, and the last thing that a student sees each day. So our job is to set their day straight and make sure that they have a very successful day at school. Heartfelt thanks to Governor Spanberger and Dr. Smith.

[00:42:58] And equally important, a big thank you to all our Henrico School Bus Drivers for the care they provide our students. Traveling tens of thousands of miles each year to get our students to and from school safely. you are the heart of Henrico. Mr. Chair, that concludes our highlights. Thank you, Dr. Cashwell.

[00:43:20] We'll now commence with the HCPS mission statement. Henrico County Public Schools, through engagement with our families and community, equips students with the knowledge and skills to be ready for life and a successful future. Thank you, Mr. Shea. The next item on the agenda is the public forum. This is the time when citizens are invited to address the school board on any matter of concern about the school division citizens have signed up in advance and will be given three minutes to address the school board speakers will be called upon to speak in the order in which they signed up and may not relinquish their spot to someone else we ask that

[00:43:59] each speaker come to the microphone and clearly state their name and school affiliation if applicable and the subject of the remarks before speaking after stating your name please paste the number you were given in the cart near the podium speakers must make their must present their remarks to the school board, not the audience, and may provide copies of their comments to the school board clerk. The use of obscenity or defamation is strictly prohibited and will be ruled out of order. To assist you in tracking your time, there's a timekeeping system displaying the elapsed time on the screen. Speakers will also receive a notice from me when the time has expired. The school

[00:44:35] board is here to hear from you today. We will not be responding to speakers concerns or questions during the public forum, however, a Henrico staff member will follow up with speakers. Stakeholders have also had the opportunity to provide written comments through an online form in advance of the meeting. Those comments are shared with the school board members prior to the meeting and posted in board docs for public record. Equal consideration and intention will be given to both written and in-person comments. We appreciate your attendance here this evening

[00:45:04] and for providing your input. The first speaker is speaker number one. Speaker number one. Okay. Speaker number two. Mr. Chairman, members of the board, Dr. Cashwell, all school board employees in the Henrico school community, my name is Bill Pike, a retired educator. My topic is worrying.

[00:45:43] In the opening scene of the movie Mr. Holland's Opus, principal Helen Jacobs is talking with her new band director, Glenn Holland. It is Mr. Holland's first day on the job. Mr. Holland tells his principal that he never expected to be teaching in a high school. He confesses that he only earned his teaching certificate to have something to fall back on. Mrs. Jacobs states to Mr. Holland, "I don't think of teaching as a fallback position. I grow nervous around people who do. Knowing myself as a confirmed worrier and whiner, I grow nervous when I

[00:46:20] read in the Henrico Citizen about the budget bickering between our Henrico County School Board and Board of Supervisors. Experience tells me public posturing like that rarely has a positive impact for either board. Those moments of frustration can actually sow negative seeds which just might hinder future dialogue between both boards at a critical time. Yes, advocating for a fully funded budgets and meeting personnel requests is important to that process, but do you realize how many school boards in Virginia would sell their souls to the devil

[00:46:58] for a 971 million dollar budget our world has changed it is more complicated i saw that first hand on april 16th when i attended the faith-based leaders luncheon on the campus of virginia randolph i learned more about the needs of our schools and how relationships and our diverse communities are being established to meet those needs at the end of the day bickering and whining between the school Board and Board of Supervisors isn't going to address the needs of our students and teachers.

[00:47:33] However, building relationships will. Think about this quote from Abraham Lincoln: "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" Thanks for your time, your leadership, and for listening to a rapidly aging, grumpy geezer.

[00:47:50] Good luck the last month of school year. Thank you, speaker number two. Speaker number three. Yes, my name is Frank Calhanna. I'm here with L. Francis Brown, and we're here representing the Henrico NAACP's Educational Committee and right off the bat we want to say thank you for everything that you did especially during the month of February and in case you missed anything Alicia Adkins has actually a three-ring binder where I put all of

[00:48:26] this together and presented it to the board with and it's in a thumb drive that it can be done. Four years ago we came before the board asking for permission to do Black History Month in the schools we've done it now three years in a row as far as i know we are the only county and the only school district in the state that is doing it so hats off i think we deserve a thank you for that now this year the third year we're doing this it was it was the best year we had and we're looking at expanding upon it next year what do i mean by a better year this year well for the

[00:49:01] first time this year we actually had four video conferences with elected officials on the state level right into the classroom. Top of the spot was Don Scott, who did a video conference at Verina High School for over an hour to 75 students, and it went extremely well. But not to be outdone, Leslie Mehta did a video conference with third graders, four classes of them, and I must say the third grade students were very well behaved and they ended up asking a lot of great questions. We also

[00:49:36] did have a very good conference with with Senator Ayer and Senator Carol Foyer but we also had a presentation in person by Misty Roundtree at the Three Chop district and also I can't go to all of them but you'll see in the three-wing binder all of the people and I must point out that at least you were the first one that has been at all three of our presentations so thank you for doing that. So going down the list, we could do more, but one final one is that

[00:50:11] when we were at a presentation at Fairfield Middle School, the two students came up and actually asked to do a video conference with our speakers, and they did, and they presented them to the students. And we have talked to other schools about doing that next year. And good evening. I am Elle Frances Brown, she/her pronouns, and I am a retired school psychologist in Henrico County County Public Schools, but it is my pleasure here to serve as a secretary of the Henrico NACP and present as certificate to representative from

[00:50:51] Verina, Alicia Atkins, and it says, "Henrico NACP Black History Celebration recognizes Alicia Atkins, Verina representative, for your commitment to ensuring black history is acknowledged in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I stand representing Mr. Frank Callahan, L. Francis Brown, and our president, Monica Hutchinson, presented today, April 30th, 2026. And this is for Ms. Atkins. And then we also have a commemorative

[00:51:26] Henrico County NACP t-shirt for you. And it says, and still the fight continues. And you got Thank you.

[00:51:44] I know this is not protocol, but I think this is important. Thank you, speaker number three.

[00:52:02] Thank you to all speakers who came out tonight and provided public comment. We will now move on to the approval of the consent agenda. Are there any requests from my colleagues that an item be separated for school board discussion and/or individual action?

[00:52:20] Hearing none, is there a motion? I move that the school board accept, adopt, approve, and or award items 8.01 through 8.08 on the consent agenda as presented. Thank you, Mrs. Kinsella. Do I have a second? Second.

[00:52:37] Thank you, Mr. Young. All in favor say aye. Aye. The ayes have it. Items 8.01 through 8.08 on the consent agenda are approved. Colleagues, we will now move on to unfinished business. Does anybody have any unfinished business?

[00:52:55] Hearing none, we will now move on to the naming of the Deep Run High School Auditorium. Dr. Fellows, the wonderful principal of Deep Run High School, is in attendance for this.

[00:53:13] And I'm super excited as the representative of Three Chops to get this done. Do I have a motion to change the name of the Deep Run High School Auditorium? I move that the school board waive the one month notice period to name or rename a subpart of a school or school facility and name the auditorium at Deep Run High School, the Cheryl M. Gibson Auditorium, in honor of Cheryl Gibson.

[00:53:44] Thank you, Mrs. Shea. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you, Mrs. Kinsella. All in favor, say aye. Aye. The ayes have it. The one month notice period has been waived and the naming of the Deep Run High School Auditorium has been approved.

[00:54:00] uh dr fellows do you have anything that you'd like to say nice and short thank you um we'll now move on to new business colleagues do we have any new business hearing none uh we will move on to the announcement of the meeting dates the school board's next meeting will be a work session on thursday may 14th 2026 at 3 p.m followed by a monthly meeting at 6 30 p.m meeting times may be adjusted as needed this meeting is adjourned

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