By Jessica Dillon
The Martinsville School Board honored its Teachers of the Year during a recent meeting that also included updates on district policies and student-to-teacher ratios.
The 2025 Martinsville City Public Schools Teachers of the Year are:
- Cynthia Arehart, Clearview Early Learning Center
- Brandi Garrett-Gillespie, Albert Harris Elementary School
- Jemeisha Childress, Patrick Henry Elementary School
- Karla Scales, Martinsville Middle School
- Brian Joyce, Martinsville High School
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Angilee Downing provided an update on class sizes across the division. K-3 class ratios are 1-to-16 at Albert Harris and 1-to-15 at Patrick Henry. In grades 4-5, Albert Harris averages 1-to-15, while Patrick Henry averages 1-to-23. Martinsville Middle School averages 1-to-17, and Martinsville High School averages 1-to-25. These figures exclude specialists.
“For the ratios for all teachers, these include the specialists,” Downing said. “So if the ones assigned, they’re also specialists — again, reading specialist, special education teachers, media specialists — they’re not necessarily assigned classes.”
Including specialists, overall ratios are 1-to-12 at Albert Harris, 1-to-14 at Patrick Henry, 1-to-11 at Martinsville Middle School and 1-to-12 at Martinsville High School.
Communications and Community Outreach Coordinator Callie Hietala presented several policy updates, including revisions to policies IGBGA, IGAG and GPCD. She said the major updates include “the addition of new protections preventing employees from being disciplined for administering an opioid overdose reversal medication in good faith.”
Additional updates addressed legal references, formatting and background check procedures, including options for covering fingerprinting and background check costs.
