<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://heraldcourier.com/news/area-schools-struggle-with-virus-related-absences/article_ca7dcc88-e0b1-5d4e-ad1a-48075168273f.html">Area schools struggle with virus-related absences
</a>Schools don’t seem to be fueling the region’s current wave of COVID-19 cases, but they’re certainly feeling its impacts. In addition to the challenges of keeping in-person classrooms safe and virtual classrooms running smoothly, multiple area school systems are dealing with a…

<a href="https://www.newsleader.com/story/news/2020/11/23/covid-cases-waynesboro-close-kate-collins-middle-school/6400673002/">COVID cases in Waynesboro force closure of middle school
</a>Kate Collins Middle School was closed Monday and will be closed again Tuesday following several positive COVID-19 cases in the school. Jeffrey Cassell, Waynesboro Public Schools superintendent, sent a letter to families of students this weekend informing them that three…

<a href="https://fredericksburg.com/news/local/education/fredericksburg-school-board-approves-one-time-1-000-bonus-for-staff/article_114e1532-0e4b-551e-a3f9-8a34d9d07e04.html">Fredericksburg School Board approves one-time $1,000 bonus for staff
</a>All contracted employees of Fredericksburg City Public Schools will receive a one-time bonus of $1,000 next month. The city School Board unanimously approved the bonuses at a special called meeting Monday morning. The bonuses are intended to “recognize the challenging…

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/remember-the-titans-school-new-name/2020/11/23/7c2d75e6-2db2-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html">Alexandria City schools will rename T.C. Williams High, of ‘Remember the Titans’ fame
</a>The Alexandria City School Board voted unanimously to rename T.C. Williams High School on Monday night, ending months of heated debate over whether the city’s flagship school — made famous by the movie “Remember the Titans” — should bear the name of a racist former…

<a href="https://roanoke.com/sports/high-school/virus-would-keep-roanoke-valley-public-school-sports-sidelined-in-winter-if-season-started-now/article_d68568e4-2dd7-11eb-a057-1314c100d560.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1">Virus would keep Roanoke Valley public school sports sidelined in winter if season started now
</a>The delayed VHSL winter sports season is scheduled to open Dec. 21 with the start of boys and girls basketball games. However, if the season began this week, a number of Timesland schools would be on the sidelines. School administrators within the Alleghany and Roanoke…

<a href="https://www.pilotonline.com/757teamz/vp-sp-wjcc-schools-cancels-winter-athletics-20201123-g5ovmwkzwfeh7dt4b3oif3c7iq-story.html">Williamsburg-James City County Schools cancels winter sports season because of coronavirus surge
</a>Citing the rising number of coronavirus cases, Williamsburg-James City County Schools on Monday became the first large school district in Hampton Roads to cancel athletics for the 2020-21 winter sports season. The decision was made after consideration by WJCC Schools…

<a href="https://www.nbc29.com/2020/11/23/new-reports-detail-deepening-segregation-by-race-poverty-virginia-schools/">New reports detail deepening segregation by race and poverty in Virginia schools
</a>Nearly six decades since the groundbreaking desegregation decision in “Brown v. Board of Education,” two new studies of Virginia schools report the commonwealth’s schools are still deeply divided by race and poverty. More than that, the problem has only gotten worse over…

<a href="https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/virginia-reports-new-high-as-district-adds-first-school-outbreak/article_a3e9f86c-7e28-5d4e-9471-271132a163aa.html">Virginia reports new high as district adds first school outbreak
</a>The Lord Fairfax Health District added 114 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, its third highest single-day report of the pandemic. Virginia saw its highest jump in statewide cases Monday, reporting 3,242 new cases, according to the Virginia Department of Health’s online dashboard…

<a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/fairfax-county-public-schools-has-returned-all-students-in-group-4-to-virtual-learning">Fairfax County Public Schools has returned all students in Group 4 to virtual learning
</a>Fairfax County Public Schools announced Monday that all of its students currently listed in Group 4 have been transitioned back to virtual learning due to COVID-19 concerns. FCPS says it has already told parents about the switch which it says is due to health metrics reaching a…

<a href="https://dailyprogress.com/news/local/education/committee-will-start-murray-elementary-school-naming-review-tuesday/article_6e87d6dc-2ddc-11eb-8e8d-d3ba1e7906b1.html">Committee will start Murray Elementary School naming review Tuesday
</a>The fourth school name review in Albemarle County will begin Tuesday. An advisory committee made up of 16 school and community members has been selected to review the name of Virginia L. Murray Elementary School. They’ll hold an organizational meeting Tuesday from…

<a href="https://dailyprogress.com/community/orangenews/news/gordonsville-gets-grant-to-improve-sidewalks-near-gbes/article_f71f7c1e-2da2-11eb-8de6-43c5ea6b2e2d.html">Gordonsville gets grant to improve sidewalks near GBES
</a>The Town of Gordonsville and Orange County Schools will receive more than $450,000 as part of a Safe Routes to School grant that will fund sidewalk and crosswalk improvements near Gordon-Barbour Elementary School (GBES). The Virginia Commonwealth Transportation…

<a href="https://www.wavy.com/news/education/york-county-to-shift-to-all-virtual-learning-after-thanksgiving-winter-break-grades-7-12-could-return-in-january/">York County to shift to all-virtual learning after Thanksgiving, winter break; grades 7-12 could return in January
</a>York County Public Schools will temporarily shift to an all-virtual learning model in the week following Thanksgiving and winter break. Those are November 30-December 4 and January 4-8. Superintendent Dr. Victor Shandor said in a statement the move to shift learning online…

<a href="https://www.whsv.com/2020/11/24/vdh-advises-local-schools-to-transition-to-fully-virtual-model-after-thanksgiving-break/">VDH advises local schools to transition to fully virtual model after Thanksgiving break
</a>Just days before Thanksgiving and despite suggestions to not travel, the Virginia Department of Health gave Virginia schools guidance on what to do after the holiday break. Schools realize that inevitably students and their families will be traveling and on Monday schools in this…

<a href="https://www.wavy.com/news/education/back-to-school/virginia-beach-schools-to-return-students-with-disabilities-to-in-person-learning-dec-1/">Virginia Beach schools to return students with disabilities to in-person learning Dec. 1
</a>Virginia Beach City Public Schools has decided some students will return to in-person learning after Thanksgiving. In a letter sent to families Tuesday night, school officials said students with disabilities will come back to campus on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Class sizes are limited to no more…

<a href="https://www.vsba.org/meetings-conferences/webinars/live-webinars/">December 9 &amp; 10, Two Part Insights for Budget Basics &amp; Finance 101
</a>Virginia public school budgeting will be discussed, including roles of elected officials, fiduciary requirements, stakeholders, and budget reports. Revenue categories will be explained, including state formulas, federal funding, local funding, and tax rates. Reserve your webinar…

<em>Missed the Virtual VSBA Annual Convention? It is not too late to register to gain access to over 35 hours of educational content. Contact your school board clerk for more information. </em>