Linda B. Askew

The special meeting focused primarily on personnel actions, where five recommendations for appointments were presented and unanimously approved: Miss Megan Almond as Director of Elementary School Leadership, Miss Rhonda Charmers Harmon as Principal of Richneck Elementary School, Miss Sharita Holland as Elementary Principal (location to be determined), Mr. Maron Mcwain as Secondary Assistant Principal (location to be determined), and Dr. Jeremy Riggs as Elementary Assistant Principal (location to be determined). Board members shared comments regarding various recent district achievements, including the 200 Men Breakfast honoring high-GPA male students, recognition for Teacher of the Year and Temporary Staff of the Year award recipients, and congratulations to students in dual enrollment and the IB program. Board members also extended condolences to the families of Tommy Raymond Senior and former school board member Teddy Hicks. The board expressed excitement for the upcoming graduations and acknowledged the hard work of students and staff.

The meeting commenced with student presentations, including an invocation poem and the Pledge of Allegiance. Key discussions involved recognizing outstanding employees and partners, specifically the Bus Driver of the Year, Rookie Bus Assistant of the Year, Rookie Bus Driver of the Year, and Top Mechanic. The Child Nutrition Services Department presented awards for the Best Overall Cafeteria in both early childhood/elementary and secondary divisions. Furthermore, the board recognized Jane Hammond, an education reporter for The Daily Press, for induction into the Virginia School Boards Association Media Honor Roll. Action items included the approval of a Dominion Energy easement at Todd Stadium. A significant portion of the meeting included a report on the proposed accreditation matrix, highlighting substantial improvements in on-time graduation rates (reaching 93.4%) and significant decreases in dropout rates since 2008, noting performance ahead of state averages across various student groups. Public comments raised concerns regarding classroom safety during student altercations and the accreditation status and proficiency requirements of magnet schools.

The organizational meeting commenced with the invocation and pledge of allegiance. Key agenda items included the board organization, specifically the election of the Chairman for the 2025-2026 school year, resulting in the selection of Dr. Terry Best. Following this, the board elected a Vice Chairman, selecting Ms. Alger. The consent agenda was approved, which covered items such as the appointment of the clerk, deputy clerk, agents, and deputy agents, as well as approval of the 2025-2026 tuition rates and the proposed meeting calendar. Action items involved approving personnel recommendations for three new assistant principal positions. The board also approved the 2025-2026 student fees. Discussions ensued regarding the 2025-2026 Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, focusing on cell phone policy and disciplinary consistency. Furthermore, the board addressed new policy items under school board governance and operations, tabling discussions for policies BJ (Electronic Participation in Meetings from Remote Locations) and BE (Schoolboard Legislative Program) to allow for further review and alignment with updated strategic planning documents.

The regular meeting commenced with acknowledgments and recognition ceremonies. Recognitions were given to a student who served as a page in the Virginia General Assembly, members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Hilton for contributions to Carver Elementary School, and the budget team for receiving the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 2024 fiscal year budget document. Additionally, the athletic director of War High School was recognized as the 2025 Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Class 5A Athletic Director of the Year. Regional champions for wrestling and swimming/diving from various high schools (Demby, War, Woodside, Menchville) were honored. The Woodside High School theater team, 5B one-act play champions, also received recognition. Other discussions included the success of dual language immersion programs, the Artistic Verses poetry event combining art and literacy, and the conclusion of the Middle School volleyball season.

The meeting commenced with student presentations for the invocation and the pledge of allegiance, followed by recognitions for financial literacy achievements. Warwick High School and Woodside High School were recognized as 2017-2018 Blue Star schools for student performance on the Wise financial literacy certification test. Twelve Newport News educators were honored as 2017-2018 Gold Star Teachers for high student pass rates on the same certification exam. The division was also recognized for the second consecutive year with the Dorothy McCullough School Nutrition Award for excellence in child nutrition programs. Public comments included a presentation from Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity regarding their adopted school (Carver Elementary) and band program (Denbigh High School) support, a request to amend dress code rules concerning headwear and shoulder tops, and recognition of student leader Mireya Jones for her work with the BLOOM organization and other initiatives. A brief presentation acknowledged the approval of a donated plane to aviation students. The consent agenda, including minutes from the board retreat and work sessions in October 2018, financial reports, and personnel reports, was approved. The Superintendent also introduced Dr. Wendy Nichols as the new principal for Woodside High School.