The Henry County School Board met June 12 to close out the fiscal year, wrapping up a series of expenditures. These included funding for air conditioning in the gym at Axton Elementary, lighting upgrades across the division, and updates to several school board policies to meet new state requirements.
Director of Policy and Legal Services Christy Landon presented several state-mandated changes that will take effect July 1. Many of the changes focus on opioid and overdose-related issues. These include criminal background restrictions for employment, requirements for opioid antagonist storage and training, cardiac emergency plans, a new student overdose notification policy, and updated classroom instruction on opioid overdose response.
New requirements for advanced math placement in grades 5 through 8 will also go into effect. Students can now be automatically enrolled, with parents having the option to opt them out. Policies regarding cell phone use, student health services, and seizure medication access are also being updated. These changes will be voted on during the July 10 meeting.
Categorical transfers approved by the school included $1.2 million from the instruction category to the maintenance category and $150,000 from the administration, attendance, and health category to maintenance. When approved by the Henry County Board of Supervisors, the funds will be used to install air conditioning in the Axton Elementary gym, at a cost of $55,000, and upgrade parking lots and lighting at several county schools, totaling $850,000.
The bulk of the outdoor work will take place during the school year, while indoor work is scheduled around student breaks. Havtech of Roanoke was awarded the Axton gym air conditioning project, making Axton the final school in the division to receive gym air conditioning. The lighting contract was awarded to Triangle Electric of Ridgeway.
Up to $3.15 million will be allocated to the school division’s Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) trust fund, pending availability of end-of-year funds. An estimated $41.2 million in year-end payroll and vendor obligations is also projected for FY25.
The next board meeting will be held July 10 at 9 a.m. at the Administration Building, to accommodate summer hours.
