The main focus of the March 11 meeting of the Martinsville School Board was the Comprehensive Six-Year Plan for the 2024-30 school years. The plan outlines the goals the board will be working towards for the next six years, along with various topics such as funding for special education and school bus safety.
Schools Superintendent Dr. Zebedee Talley reviewed several sections of the plan that he highlighted as significant goals for the board such as increasing family engagement while reducing the number of suspensions and absent students each year, with a goal to reduce them by an additional 10 percent.
Student businesses Stitchify and The Kennel also were discussed.
“I don’t know anyone who has started student businesses like we have,” Talley said, adding that both businesses have been profitable, and the students take a lot of pride in them. The board also strives to educate students so that they are world ready.
Talley said he had visited classrooms with school principals the week before to gauge how many students were keeping track of their grades as a step towards being more involved in classrooms.
The board plans to implement systems and assessments through digital portfolios that the students are making.
“We want to make sure that each student leaves with some type of computer skills, ready for the work world, and also have some type of certificate in some area that they can work in,” Talley said. “We want to make sure that all of them have an industry credential in something when they leave school so they can enter into the work world if necessary.”
The Comprehensive Plan also states that this is being done by maintaining AVID certifications at all K-12 schools. The three and four-year-old preschool program will continue to be supported.
The board is implementing system data protocols to help with decision-making and improve teaching and learning in schools, as well as a system for monitoring and providing feedback on classroom and special education plans. The Comprehensive Plan states that this will help integrate professional development and alignment on both the content and cognitive levels.
The topic of recruiting and retaining staff also was discussed.
“I’m glad to report at this point that it looks like we are going to retain well over 90 percent of our staff this year,” said Talley. He added that the number of retained staff has been growing each year.
City schools also will focus on WIDA, which is a language proficiency standard that helps students whose first language isn’t English. The program is designed to enhance the education of multilingual students in the school system.
Continuing to focus on maintaining a safe and orderly environment also is in the plan. The administrators are having parent conferences and talking to teachers to ensure a safe learning environment. The board has been meeting with the Harvest Foundation to provide more mental support for students, teachers, and staff both via telehealth and in-person sessions.
The schools have hired resource officers for all but one of their schools, Clearbrook Elementary, and are in the process of acquiring an officer for that location.
Talley also discussed potential safety protocols for games and using more metal detectors to keep after-school activities safe. Wellness plans and nutrition are also a priority. Talley said the food program is booming, and students have been taking advantage of school food.
He noted how passionate parents are about their children’s education, and discussed a community gymnasium to hold events at Martinsville High School.
An amendment to the board’s policy under JHCD was approved to allow training for school nurses and local health department employees who are assigned to work at city schools. They, along with designated staff members, would administer lifesaving medicines that are used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The medicine will be used to save the lives of students and staff who are suffering or are about to suffer the life-threatening effects of an opioid overdose. Only those who have completed training in accordance with the Martinsville City Police Department will be able to administer the medications.
School bus safety was discussed, along with the option of installing four outside cameras on select buses to capture traffic infractions that could endanger students’ safety. The buses are also equipped with GPS and panic alarms that send out their location to the police to further protect students in case of an emergency.
The board also approved the school year calendar for the 2024 – 2025 school year. Talley said the calendar mirrors those used in county schools and the Governor’s School as closely as possible. Testing for students will take place after spring break with enough time to give students the ability to go over testing materials.
In other matters:
*Kaneshia Coles, family resource center coordinator, gave a brief overview of the United Way Growth & Opportunity Center, highlighting the benefits of the center. The center’s aim is to help support families in the community and reduce cases of child abuse.
*Dr. Cynthia Tarpley, executive director of special education/student services, presented the special education plan to the board, asking for their approval to submit an application to the Virginia Department of Education to fund the special education teachers and special education paraprofessionals.
There are currently about 240 special education students in grades K – 12 and around 31 special education students ages 3-5; money will also be set aside for children not enrolled in city schools. For the 611 funds, $598,799.94 are being requested, and for the 619 funds $8,064 was requested from the state. The board unanimously approved the request.
*Recognized The Martinsville High School Basketball Team for reaching a state game.
*Recognized students in indoor track, wrestling, swimming, and diving.
*Recognized Louis Campbell for participating in Dancing For The Arts.
*Recognized participants in “The Little Mermaid Jr.”
*Asked for donations to Martinsville High School After Prom.
