The Montgomery County School Board meeting covered several key topics in under 90 minutes. They discussed and approved a drug prevention grant, adjustments to the school calendar, special education and grading period plans. A budget update was provided and science textbook adoption was discussed. A presentation was given on plans for a new STEM academy. All motions passed unanimously with minimal discussion on routine matters.

1. Montgomery County (VA)
Schools Board Meeting

2. Notes
 I decided to attend a Montgomery County
School Board meeting for two reasons:
1. There is a possibility that I may move to this area
within the next several years so I thought I might
gain a perspective on the educational climate.
2. Most in the class probably attended meetings
relatively close to the Stafford / Fredericksburg
area, and I wanted to bring something new to the
table.
 Due to scheduling confines and
whatnot, however, I had to attend this meeting
online.

3. Information About the
Board + Meeting
 Regular session took place on Tuesday, April 2, 2013, at the
County Government Center in Christiansburg, Virginia.
 A closed session took place from 6:15pm – 7:37pm; the open
session was from 7:37pm to almost 8:30pm.
 Members
 Chair: B. Wendell Jones – not present
 Vice Chair: Joseph T. Ivers
 Phyllis Albritton
 Penny Franklin
 Drema Foster – not present
 Jamie M. Bond
 Sarah Woosley
 Superintendent Brenda Blackburn was also present.
 Attendance was very limited to only several adults and
presenters.

4. Board Members

5. Order of Events
 Meeting was called to order, followed by the
Pledge of Allegiance.
 Agenda for the meeting was adopted.
 Closed session
 Board members discussed these matters behind
closed doors, however motions and voting took
place in public. They voted on the expulsion /
reinstatement of three students as well as the hiring
of one personnel member.
 Open session began at 7:37pm.
 Certification & Public Address

6. Order of Events Continued
 Approval of Consent Items – these items were
presented for the Board to approve; all were
consented
 Field Trips (5)
 Community Foundation of he New River Valley Spring
2013 Grant Proposals (6)
 Montgomery County Educational Foundation Spring
2013 Grant Proposals (13)
 Personnel Report – Report depicting personnel
changes within the county, includes resignations
(there’s elementary positions open!)
 Payment of Bills – motioned, seconded and voted
“Ay” to pay the bills (over $10 million)

7. Order of Events Continued
 Items for Discussion, Information and Action as
presented by Superintendent Brenda Blackburn
 Proposed Grant – Montgomery County Prevention
Partners Drug-Free Communities Project
 Adjustment of the School Calendar for 2013
 Special Education Plan for SY 2013 – 14
 Nine-Week Grading Period for Secondary
 Budget Update
 Textbook Adoption, Science grades 3-5
 Governor’s STEM Academy, Presentation by Patricia
Guadreau and Rick Weaver

8. Montgomery County
Prevention Partners Drug-
Free Communities Project
 Board was presented with grant proposal funded
by the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy.
 Totalling $126,969 per year for five years
 Purpose: continue community outreach and
drug-use prevention throughout the schools.
 Motion carries, all present in favor

9. Adjustment of the 2012-2013
School Calendar
 Due to inclement weather, MCPS will finish out the year with
the current calendar at 178 days and over 1,023 instructional
hours. The Code of Virginia requires 180 days or 990
instructional hours, with hours based on the shortest school
day (elementary).
 It has been proposed that they move the last school day from
Monday, June 3, 2013 to Friday, May 31, 2013; teacher work
days will move as well. They will still be within code for
instructional hours, at a total of 177 days, and 1,017.50 hours.
 There was a lot of discussion on this matter, even considering
the idea of moving it to Thursday, May 30. But after
deliberation and considering potential care needs for
younger children, etc., May 31 was determined to be the
ideal.
 Motion carries, all present in favor.

10. Special Education Plan for
SY 2013-2014
 The proposed Special Education Plan was
presented and discussed in a previous meeting.
 No further discussion was had here before put to
vote.
 Motion carries, all present in favor.

11. Nine-week Grading Period
for Secondary
 Originally presented as information only.
 In March, 441 teachers, middle and high
school, were surveyed on the potential moving
from a 6-week grading period to a 9-week
grading period. Of those 441 teachers, 95% (417)
were in favor of the change.
 The Board decided to vote and move this to an
action item.
 Motion carries, all in favor.

12. Budget Update
 Superintendent Brenda Blackburn gave a very
brief update on the 2014 FY budget.
 Interestingly enough, MCPS has received $9.4
million fewer dollars from the state since 2007-
2008. They are banking on a $600,000 funding
type this Fiscal Year.
 This was an information type and they will have
further discussion on the budget in coming
meetings.

13. Textbook Adoption, Grade
3-5 Science
 The science textbooks for grades 3-5 have become
outdated and over the course of 2011, teachers were
given materials on several new options to test and review.
The public had a chance to review the possible books in
January 2012.
 A list of three books have been recommended and the
purchase request will be submitted in a future meeting.
 Vice Chair Joe Ivers expressed his concerns at the fact
that we are still using textbooks in the classroom. This
spurred an conversation that was particularly interesting –
how to handle the budget issues and restrictions while still
keeping up with 21st century demands. In the end, Joe
Ivers finished with saying that he wants to see every
student have an iPad that they can take home and use
for educational purposes.

14. Governor’s STEM Academy
Presentation
 MCPS has been working diligently on a proposal to the Virginia
Department of Education to install a Governor’s STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math) Academy in the schools.
 This is a very specialized course load that has a lot of elements.
 Capstone Project – Robotics building
 Emphasis on the sciences and programs for working once graduated
 Meant to increase interest in these areas.
 Working in cooperation with local colleges and universities (Radford,
Virginia Tech, etc.)
 For more information, the entire presentation from Rick Weaver and
Patricia Guadreau here.
 This was an information only item that will require much further
discussion.

15. Order of Events Continued
 Unfinished Business
 There was no unfinished business.
 Board Retreat
 Discussed and reminded board members of the retreat
to take place in the near future.
 New Business
 No new business
 Announcements
 No announcements
 Motion to adjourn; in favor by all present, adjourned
before 8:30pm.

16. Final Thoughts
 I thought that this board meeting was the exception to the rule – it
was incredibly short and with minimal money matters discussion. All
of the members worked expediently and even moved an item
from information to action, which I might have thought as unheard
of. My expectations of what a board meeting consists of were
completely destroyed. I found the board members to be
interesting as well as interested in the schools. I thought the topics
discussed were important as well as engaging. And I really look
forward to seeing their STEM academy in action. It definitely
reaffirms my hopes to teach in this district.
 I was also incredibly grateful that the meeting was taped and
available online. I do wish that the camera angles had changed
because viewing was only a little complicated by small views
(hard to tell who was speaking).