<a href="https://www.vsba.org/meetings-conferences/capital-conference/">January 25-26, 2021, VSBA Capital Conference, Virtual
</a>Advocacy by local school board members is a year-round job but is never more critical than when the Virginia General Assembly is in session. With the Virginia State Capitol and Pocahontas Building closed to visitors for the unforeseeable future, it is imperative for school…

<a href="https://www.vsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/New-Board-Member-and-Super-Orientations-Brochure.pdf">January 26, 2021, VSBA Orientation for New School Board Members and Superintendents, Virtual</a>
Becoming a new school board member or superintendent is an honor and a privilege. Enjoy a successful and less stressful transition by attending the VSBA Orientation for New Board Members &amp; Superintendents. Many important topics will be covered, including the roles and…

<a href="https://www.wdbj7.com/2020/12/28/grayson-county-public-schools-endure-challenging-year/">Grayson County Public Schools endures challenging year
</a>When we last saw Superintendent Kelly Wilmore, he was showing us cracks in the wall of Independence Elementary school. An August earthquake caused more serious damage south of the state line in North Carolina, but it definitely left its mark on Grayson County Public…

<a href="https://www.asumag.com/planning-design/new-construction/article/21151204/replacement-elementary-planned-for-isle-of-wight-county-va-district">Replacement elementary planned for Isle of Wight County (Va.) district
</a>The Isle of Wight County (Va.) district is planning to break ground soon on a new Hardy Elementary School in Smithfield, Va. The Smithfield Times reports that the design for the new school is modeled on Florence Bowser Elementary in Suffolk. It will be built in back of the…

<a href="https://www.newsleader.com/story/news/2020/12/29/schools-remain-virtual-until-covid-data-improves/4060356001/">Waynesboro teacher starts petition to keep schools virtual until health metrics improve
</a>As we enter the final week of winter break for local school divisions, Kathryn Brown is hoping school officials will watch the health data closely before sending students and staff back into the classroom. For now, all three public school districts — Augusta County, Staunton and…

<a href="https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/buchanan-county-public-school-officials-vote-to-consolidate-grundy-hurley-and-twin-valley-high-schools-in-southern-gap/">Buchanan County Public School officials vote to consolidate Grundy, Hurley and Twin Valley High Schools in Southern Gap
</a>Buchanan County Public Schools (BCPS) officials hosted a public hearing Dec. 29 in regard to school consolidation plans. This followed after Buchanan County Board of Supervisors requested the school board postpone the meeting due to the ongoing surge of novel…

<a href="https://wtop.com/virginia/2020/12/falls-church-city-schools-plan-to-have-all-students-back-in-classrooms-in-january/">Falls Church City Schools plan to have all students back in classrooms in January
</a>Students in Falls Church, Virginia, are slated to begin returning to classrooms on Jan. 5, the school said in an update on Tuesday. The school system paused all in-person instruction in late November due to rising coronavirus case counts in Northern Virginia. The goal is now to have…

<a href="https://www.wdbj7.com/2020/12/29/botetourt-co-public-schools-to-resume-athletics-jan-4/">Botetourt Co. Public Schools to resume athletics Jan. 4
</a>After entering an agreement with six other school divisions regarding guidelines for the return to athletic competition, Botetourt County Public Schools announced Tuesday their withdrawal from those measures. Effective January 4, 2021, the schools will resume athletic competition with…

<a href="https://www.brunswicktimes-gazette.com/article_d39f9652-4945-11eb-a908-cf0e77e785a5.html">School Board receives FY21 budget tracking reports
</a>Dr. Kristy Somerville Midgette, Division Superintendent, provided the FY21 tracking report for Brunswick County Public Schools to the Brunswick County School Board. She said as of Nov. 30, 2020 the division has expended $7,478,021.86 from the categorical budget and received…

<a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/12/29/948866982/a-quiet-and-unsettling-pandemic-toll-students-whove-fallen-off-the-grid">A Quiet And 'Unsettling' Pandemic Toll: Students Who've Fallen Off The Grid
</a>For American families and their children, school is more than just a building. It's a social life and a community, an athletic center and a place to get meals that aren't available at home. The pandemic has disrupted — and continues to disrupt — the lives of U.S. students in profound…

<a href="https://www.theprincegeorgejournal.com/news/prince-george-schools-go-environmentally-friendly-in-2020/article_7834e72e-460a-11eb-ab12-0fe3282a6784.html">Prince George schools go environmentally-friendly in 2020
</a>The Prince George County Public School system introduced numerous programs and revisions to make the division more environmentally-friendly in the fall semester of the 2020 school year. “We are in our infancy in terms of our green sustainable environment programs and we are…

<a href="https://newsadvance.com/news/local/rustburg-middle-school-demolition-kicks-off-to-make-way-for-new-school-building/collection_6fb3656a-baea-5827-a96a-1a5c3ec7ec64.html">Rustburg Middle School demolition kicks-off to make way for new school building
</a>Demolition of Rustburg Middle School has officially begun to make way for the long-awaited new middle school, a $41 million project slated to be completed in fall 2022. Most of the current middle school will remain untouched until the 2022 move-in, but the agriculture shop, the only…

<a href="https://smithfieldtimes.com/2020/12/29/iw-schools-face-achievement-attendance-challenges/">IW schools face achievement, attendance challenges
</a>Students, teachers and families are dealing with a landslide of coronavirus-related challenges. There’s changing schedules and new technology platforms. There’s masks and social distancing. Important experiences like sports, clubs and homecoming are curtailed or…

<a href="https://www.progress-index.com/story/sports/2020/12/29/hopewell-prince-george-winter-sports-update/4078158001/">Hopewell winter sports to be decided in special meeting, while Prince George carries on
</a>With COVID-19 numbers continuing to rise in the Tri-Cities area, the prospects for local high school winter sports continues to exist in a fluid state. Will there be a winter sports season? Petersburg has already pulled out of winter sports. Will other divisions follow suit? Hopewell…

<a href="https://www.vsba.org/services/board-training-development/new-virginia-freedom-of-information-foia-training/">NEW- Virginia Freedom of Information (FOIA) Training
</a>The requirements of FOIA impact every school board meeting, from initial notice of the meeting to what must be included in the minutes. Board members’ thorough familiarity with FOIA helps school board meetings flow smoothly and shows the community that the board is committed…