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Loudoun County School Board, Annual Organizational School Board Meeting, Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Date: Tuesday, January 3, 2023
Place: Loudoun County Public Schools / School Board meeting (see BoardDocs / LCPS-TV)
Length: 25m (video)
Official meeting video (Vimeo / LCPS-TV): https://player.vimeo.com/video/786100359?rel=0
BoardDocs (School Board): https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/loudoun/Board.nsf/Public

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 2026-10-20. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:00] Jennifer Evans, Director of Student Mental Health Services. January is Mental Wellness Month, and Jennifer leads a team of dedicated and talented professionals who work each and every day to address the mental and emotional wellness of LCPS students, staff, and families.

[00:00:18] I am also happy to announce that LCPS will be hosting a Mental Health and Wellness Conference on January 28th at Light Ridge High School. You should have received information and an invitation to this conference, and more information is available on your website on our website please rise and join us in the pledge of allegiance 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

[00:00:53] thank you I have been notified that at-large school board member Denise Corbo would like to remotely participate in tonight's school board meeting Ms. Corbo please state your location whether this is a medical or personal matter and if anyone is present with you thank you

[00:01:24] I am at my daughter's house I am alone and this is for a personal matter thank you Ms. Corbo I will now entertain a motion that Ms. Corbo's request to participate remotely for a personal exemption be granted so moved second moved by Mr. Beatty and seconded by Mr. Sorotkin all those in favor please say aye that motion will pass unanimously with all board members present for the vote

[00:01:59] Welcome to the meeting Ms. Corbo with Ms. Sheridan and Ms. Corbo absent for the vote. I have also been notified that Sterling District School Board member Brenda Sheridan would like to remotely participate in tonight's school board meeting. Ms. Sheridan please state your location whether this is a medical or personal matter and if anyone is present with you. Thank you Dr. Ellis.

[00:02:27] I am at home in Sterling. I am asking for a medical exemption because I am positive for COVID and I am alone. Thank you, Ms. Sheridan. I will now entertain a motion that Ms. Sheridan's request to participate remotely using a medical exemption be granted. So moved. Second. That motion was made by Mr. Sorotkin and seconded by Mr. Morse. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye.

[00:03:05] Thank you. That motion will pass unanimously with those members present for the vote with Ms. Sheridan absent. Ms. Sheridan, welcome to the meeting. Thank you. As Deputy Superintendent, and designee of the superintendent acting as chair this evening I will request nominations for chair of the school board for the 2023 calendar year no second for nominations is required the floor will remain open for nominations until there are no additional nominations I will then take a

[00:03:41] roll call vote starting with the first nomination and proceeding through each one as needed until one nominee receives a majority of the majority vote additional rounds of nominations may be required in order for one nominee to secure a majority vote and be elected. Once a chair has been elected, I will turn the meeting over to the chair, who will continue with the process of filling the remaining positions using the same process through which a chair was chosen. I'll

[00:04:11] now take nominations. Mr. Morse? Thank you. I nominate Ian Sorotkin to serve as chair. Second. Second. Are there additional nominations? Ms. Corbo? Thank you. I believe that professionalism is a true hallmark of strong leadership and jeff morris has been a true professional in his time as chair of the laden county school board mr morris has consistently worked to bring the school

[00:04:50] board together through communication if you reach out to jeff with a concern point of order i believe we're just taking nominations and not speaking to the motion at this point i believe that i have been um approved yes make a statement miss corbo mr falconi is going to to respond, I believe you're out of order.

[00:05:15] - Thank you, Mr. Reeser. So in a typical motion process, the way we would proceed is there'd be a motion and then there would be a second, and then there'd be an opportunity for discussion because there's no seconds here, there's only nominations, and there's nothing in our policy that expressly prohibits commenting on a nomination.

[00:05:40] So I think that if they're – so this would be, I think, the time to do it. Okay. Thank you for the clarification. No problem. Ms. Corvo. Thank you. Thank you. I'll continue. Mr. Morris has consistently worked to bring the board together through communication.

[00:05:56] If you reach out to Jeff with concern, you can count on a response and a genuine conversation with a vested interest in doing what's best for children. While we don't always agree on every topic, there's always been a mutual sense of respect. I know that I'm not alone in the opinion that Jeff Morris serves on the board for all of the right reasons.

[00:06:17] He's a team player whose motivation is making the school system better for our entire community. Strong leaders are driven to build consensus and navigate conflict in order to progress so that things can change. It is my hope that the incoming chair will work to cultivate a strong working relationship with every member of the school board.

[00:06:42] That the newly elected chair will be responsive to communication, publicly supportive of his fellow board members, and collaborative when developing solutions. Earlier today, I was planning to nominate Jeff Morris once again as chair for the 2023 calendar year.

[00:07:00] However, during our conversation, Mr. Morris made it clear that he would decline the nomination. So I'm honoring his wishes and withheld my nomination. I want to thank Jeff for his leadership over the past year, and I'm looking forward to continuing to work together with him and the entire board to help navigate LCPS into a bright future.

[00:07:20] Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Corvo. Additional nominations? Okay. At this time, we have one nomination. All in favor of Mr. Sorotkin serving as chair, please say aye.

[00:07:40] Point of order, Madam Chair. I believe it has to be a roll call vote for the policy. Yes. Ms. Reeser? Yes. Mr. Mahedby? Yes. Mr. Polifco?

[00:07:59] No. Mr. Sorotkin? Yes. Mr. Beatty? No. Mr. Morse? Yes. Ms. Ogadegby?

[00:08:15] Yes. Ms. Corbo? No. Ms. Sheridan? Yes. That motion will pass, 6-3, with Ms. Polifco, Mr. Beatty, and Ms. Corbo opposed.

[00:08:44] And I will now turn it over to Chair Sorotkin. Thank you, Dr. Ellis. Mr. Morse, I want to take a moment to thank you sincerely for your leadership of the school Board over the past year during extremely challenging circumstances. You and I have often remarked privately to each other about how different we are politically and also how wrong our initial impressions of each other were. I've treasured the positive working relationship that we have had for the last three years and especially over the last year working in

[00:09:20] board leadership together to implement a strategic plan and put the focus on our students and academic excellence. Being chair of this board at this time is a public service and I want to take a moment to thank you for yours. Thank you for the last year. At this time we will move on to item 3.02 on the agenda for the election of the school board vice chair which is per policy is conducted using the

[00:09:53] same mechanism as for chair. So I will open the floor for nominations at this time and I will also nominate Mr. Meheve for the position of vice chair. Are there any additional nominations? Seeing none, I'll close the floor for nominations and we will take a roll call vote for Mr. Meheve as vice chair.

[00:10:22] Ms. Reeser? Yes. Mr. Meheve? Yes. Ms. Polifko? No. My vote is yes. Mr. Beatty? Yes. Mr. Morse? Yes. Ms. Okadegbe? Yes.

[00:10:39] Ms. Sheridan? Yes. Ms. Corbo? Yes. That motion will pass 8-1, with Polifco opposed. Congratulations, Vice Chair Mahedvi. We'll now move on to item 3.03 on the agenda, election of the VSBA official delegate and alternate.

[00:11:02] The only official duty of the official delegate is to vote during the VSBA delegate assembly once a year and take action on the school board's positions on the VSBA legislative positions. So I will open the floor for nominations for the VSBA delegate at this time.

[00:11:21] And I will nominate Ms. Reeser to be the school board's VSBA delegate. Are there any additional nominations? Seeing none, I will close the floor for nominations and we'll take a roll call vote.

[00:11:37] Ms. Reeser? Yes. Mr. Mahedvi? Yes. Ms. Polifko? No. My vote is yes. Mr. Beatty? Yes. Mr. Morse? Yes. Ms. Ogadegbe? Yes. ms sheridan yeah and ms corbo yeah that motion will pass 8-1 with polifco opposed and we will now move on to the vsba delegate alternate i will open the floor um yes miss reaser um i i was

[00:12:15] going to make the nomination i thought you were finished i'm sorry i haven't opened the floor for nominations yet thank you uh at this time i will open the floor for nominations for the vsba delegate alternate miss reaser um i nominate chair sorotkin the chair has been nominated are there any additional nominations seeing none i'll close the floor for nominations and we'll take a vote on sorotkin being the vsba delegate alternate we'll take a roll call vote miss reaser yes mr

[00:12:52] mehedvi miss polifco no my vote is yes mr baity yes mr morse yes miss ogadegme yes miss sheridan yes and Ms. Corbo that motion will pass 7-1-1 with Polifco opposed and Ms. Corbo abstaining from the vote we will now move on to item 3.04 on the agenda a resolution approving the Loudoun

[00:13:27] County School Board's organizational business for Cal excuse me for calendar year 2023 is there a motion Mr. Mahedvi thank you chair I move that the Loudoun County School Board approve the resolution as presented in the board docs I move that I move to approve this has two motions in there I move to approve the London County School Board

[00:13:49] 23 organizational resolution as follows is that right thank you the resolution reads whereas the Court of Virginia 22.1 - 76 requires the London County School Board at its annual organizational meeting upon the recommendation of the acting superintendent reference references to acting superintendent

[00:14:27] throughout this resolution shall be deemed to refer to the permanent superintendent once a permanent superintendent is appointed by the school board and the permanent superintendent assumes office to make the appointments off and to set compensation for the clerk and the deputy clerk and to specify the amount of the corporate surety bond for the clerk and the deputy clerk and whereas the code of Virginia section 22.1-69 requires the attendance of the acting superintendent at all school board meetings with limited expect exceptions but permits in cases of the disability or inability of the acting superintendent to attend the designation of an acting superintendents

[00:15:05] designee upon school board approval and the acting superintendents desires to have a designee approved and whereas the state of board of education the virginia department of education the virginia department of transportation and local state and federal agencies including the town of leesburg percival and middleburg the county of loudon as well as other outside entities require the authorization of the school board in order for the acting superintendent or in the absence or inability designees of the acting superintendents to sign and execute any and all necessary reports documents requisitions project management correspondence land use applications and

[00:15:43] documents grants and all other official correspondence and whereas the code of Virginia section 22 1 dot 22 dot 1 dash 3 1 1 authorizes the school board to appoint impartial hearing officers to take evidence and make recommendation to certain types of employee grievances grievance appealing hearings and whereas the court of Virginia section 22 22.1 - 72 permits the school board at its annual meeting in January to fix the time for holding the regular meetings for the ensuring year and section 21.1 - 86 stated the school board has a duty

[00:16:21] to meet with the people of the school division for consultation regarding matters of the interest to the division and whereas school board policy 20 22 - 22 10 implements the code of Virginia section 22.1 - 86 which sets the rules for special meetings as allowed by the code of Virginia section 22.1 - 72 and whereas public law 81 - 874 requires school board to appoint and authorize representative for all matters pertaining to impact aid and whereas the

[00:16:56] The Court of Virginia section 21.1-122 requires the school board to examine claims for payment, approve where appropriate, and to authorize the payments of claims, as well as authorizes the school board to appoint by resolution an agent and a deputy agent to act in agent's absence or in incapacity to examine claims, approve as appropriate, and to authorize payment of approved claims, provided the agent and the deputy agent provide a corporate surety bond to be paid from operating funds and whereas the school board desires to delegate approval and signing authority for contracts for the purchases of goods

[00:17:34] and services to the acting superintendent or designee who is authorized to procure goods and services according to the statute and applicable purchasing regulations in amount not to exceed $250,000 for a single contract provided the procurement has been funded in either the operating budget or the capital improvements budget for FY 23 or FY 24 budget as appropriate and to execute change orders or modification for contracts for goods services and construction which shall not exceed the greater of $50,000 or 25% of the contract price and to approve the contracts in amount that results from previously comparatively awarded

[00:18:12] cooperative agreements by other jurisdictions in accordance with policy 4320 and whereas the code of Virginia section 21 22 dot 1 dash 122 subsection c authorizes school board to adopt a resolution which authorizes the payment of salaries which has been earned and are due and whereas the code of virginia title 22.1 authorizes the acting superintendent or designee to assign personnel to positions with school board approval now therefore therefore be resolved by the school board that one the following apartments upon the recommendation

[00:18:48] of the acting superintendent b and they hereby are made effective from the date of this annual organization meeting until the school board's annual organization meeting in January 2024 a the clerk of the school board Sherry Brun with compensation in accordance with a Fair Labor Act and surety bond set at 1 million dollars be deputy clerk of the school board hope casserly with compensation in accordance with FS FLSA and the surety bond set at 1 million designees of the acting superintendent to attend school board meetings in the absence or or inability of the acting superintendent to attend will be and hereby are the deputy superintendent,

[00:19:28] the interim chief of staff, the permanent chief of staff, once a permanent chief of staff has been appointed, the chief financial officer, the chief human resource officer, the assistant superintendent for student services and the chief operating officer. The acting superintendent or in the absence or inability of the acting superintendent, the following designees of the acting superintendent are hereby authorized to sign and execute any and all necessary reports, documents, requisitions, project management correspondence, grants, and all other official correspondence required by the State Board of Education, the Virginia Department of Education, as required under attachment B, the Virginia Department of Transportation

[00:20:06] and local, state, and federal agencies, including the Town of Leesburg, Percival, and Middleburg, and the County of Loudoun, as well as other entities, and that the authority of all previously authorized individuals is hereby superseded and replaced as follows.

[00:20:21] Acting Superintendent, Daniel Smith, Doctor of Education, designee, Ashley Ellis, Doctor of Education, Neil Slevin, Interim Chief of Staff, Sharon Willoughby, Lisa Boland, and Kevin Lewis, or designees for all matters related to construction, transportation, land acquisition, land use, and planning.

[00:20:42] D, unless a school board chair specifically requires the presence of the acting superintendent or designee, attendance of the acting superintendent or designee is not necessary at special meetings of the school board. Unless the school board chair refers a license employee dismissal matter to the full school board for hearing the following are appointed as Impartial hearing officers under the authority of the code of Virginia section 22.1 - 311 and division and division council After receiving direction from the school board chair shall and is authorized

[00:21:12] Select from the list when needed honorable Joanne F. Alper Honorable Paul F Sheridan Honorable John E. Wetzel Kevin L. North and such other duty qualified individuals from the McCammon group to the acting superintendent or designee is authorized to a court assign personnel to positions in accordance with school board policy 7302 with without further school board action this three the schedule of regular board meetings contain in attachment a B and

[00:21:49] Hereby is adopted subject to change by the school board chair with appropriate notice the attached meeting schedule is current as of This meeting date January 3rd, 2023 the school board chair has the option to modify meetings meeting dates and times For the most current meeting schedule check the calendar website calendar at lcps.org For the acting superintendent or designee is authorized to represent the school board in all matters pertaining to public law 81-874 by the chief financial officer be and hereby is appointed to serve as a school board agent with full authority to examine

[00:22:27] Approve an authorized payment of claims against the school board as set out in the code, Virginia section 22 dot 1 dash 122 section B and that the executive director of financial services Business and financial services will be and hereby is appointed to serve as a school board's deputy agent as described herein Six the acting superintendent be and hereby is authorized to draw special warrants Duly countersigned by the clerk or the deputy clerk for compensation earned by administrative, license and clerical employees.

[00:23:01] Seven, the acting superintendent or designee be and hereby is authorized to procure goods and services according to the statute and applicable purchasing regulations in amount not to exceed $203,000 for a single contract provided the procurement has been funded in either the operating budget or the capital improvements budget for FY23 or FY24 budget as appropriate and to execute change of order.

[00:23:24] orders or modifications to contracts for goods, services, and construction, which shall not exceed greater of $50,000 or 25% of the contract price, and to approve contracts in any amount that results from previously competitively awarded cooperative agreements by other jurisdictions in accordance with policy 4320.

[00:23:41] Eight, the Chief Operation Officers B and hereby is appointed to serve with full authority as a school board representative on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Fiscal Impact Committee. I will second the motion. is there any discussion on the organizational resolution seeing none all in favor uh to approve the organizational resolution please raise your hand and say aye aye that motion will pass unanimously board members that concludes the business of the organizational meeting we have a separate meeting

[00:24:17] tonight for a personnel hearing i've been notified it will take approximately 10 minutes to get the parties involved to enter and to reset the room for that and so we will call that to to order in approximately 10 minutes. But as for the organizational meeting, we are adjourned.

[00:24:33] Thank you, board members.

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