The June 9 meeting of the Chesterfield County Public Schools board resulted in a 2021-22 calendar with a pre-Labor Day start being unanimously approved. That school year will start Aug. 23-24, 2021.
Board chairwoman Debbie Bailey said they were approving the calendar now so that parents can make vacation plans for next year.
Midlothian District board member Kathryn Haines said a vote among parents in her district favored a pre-Labor Day start 65-57. The teachers she asked all favored a pre-Labor Day start because they believe it’s better for students, she said.
In addition, the board halted the year-round calendar for Falling Creek Middle and Bellwood Elementary schools for the 2020-21 school year due to COVID-19. Instead those schools will be on a traditional calendar for the coming school year.
The start dates for students this year are Sept. 8 and 9, depending on grade level.
Reopening options
Superintendent Merv Daugherty said he plans to present options for reopening district schools at the board’s June 23 meeting.
“We’ve been meeting with [the county Department of]Risk Management to prepare to open,” he said, noting there are 126 pages of checks the district has to go through. These include health and safety and legal points.
A survey will be disseminated to area parents and teachers. “We may need additional work sessions,” he said.
“Our economy does not move forward unless our schools are operating,” Daugherty said, adding that some students will likely still be doing virtual learning from home in the fall and some will be in school buildings.
During the meeting, the board unanimously passed a resolution opposing racism and stating that CCPS is an inclusive learning environment for all students.
The board also adopted some policy changes effective July 1 based on legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly this year, including an update of the school district’s non-discrimination policy. Clover Hill board member Dot Heffron noted before the vote that June is LGBT Pride Month before the vote.
Boundary lines
Matoaca District member Ryan Harter asked that an item dealing with elementary school rezoning be pulled from the consent agenda. It would move the undeveloped Lake Margaret subdivision in The Highlands from Ettrick Elementary in the Matoaca District to O.B. Gates Elementary in the Dale District.
Bailey noted that all of the students from The Highlands attend Gates. She said that the development, which is currently under construction to include 66 senior homes, will not have any students for the coming year. In a future construction phase, 276 single-family homes are planned with an estimated 39 children.
Bailey said it is important that those children attend the same elementary school as the rest of their neighborhood. She also said that capacity at Gates would not be a problem.
Haines said the item was added “last-minute on the agenda,” but Bailey disputed that. Haines asked for a work session to get public feedback.
“I don’t see a reason. It’s been talked about. It’s been discussed,” Bailey said, adding that moving the students from Ettrick to Gates would have a minor impact on the racial balance in either school.
Heffron said she was reassured about Bailey’s position because Bailey is a longtime resident of the community. However, she said there was no harm in waiting. “I’m curious to hear where the friction is,” Heffron said.
Bailey alluded to what that could be about when she said: “If it’s the racial issue because we’re taking a high-end neighborhood out of Ettrick … the impact (on the student population) is minimal, six-tenths of one percent.” That would assume that all 39 students are white.
Bailey agreed to table the issue until August when it was clear that Haines, Harter, and Heffron supported tabling it.
Laptops for Bird
As part of the consent agenda, the board approved a $538,800 e-Learning Backpack grant for laptop computers for students at L.C. Bird High School. The grant requires a 20-percent local match.
