School Board Discusses Annual Update and Previews Fall Boundary Process

Announces Four Days/Week of In-Person Instruction for Pre-K Students in Hybrid Model

The School Board discussed the 2021 Annual Update and previewed the timeline for the 2021 Fall Boundary Process at its April 22 meeting.

The Annual Update documents the operational decisions made for the upcoming school year to keep stakeholders informed about the strategies used to manage next year’s enrollment growth. The Fall Boundary Process will include middle and high school boundary refinements and possible boundary refinements for Abingdon and Drew elementary schools.

The full presentation is available on BoardDocs.

Monitoring Reports
The Superintendent presented the 2020-21 School Year Update, announcing that APS all PreK students in the hybrid model will shift to four days per week starting the week of May 3. APS has been providing four days of in-person learning for students enrolled in Countywide Special Education Programs since November. The Superintendent reiterated ongoing work by Facilities and schools to maximize capacity with 3-foot distancing to serve as many students in person as possible this school year and noted that nearly 1,000 students have been admitted from waitlists for hybrid instruction in April so far.

The Superintendent also noted that APS has worked to serve as many students in person at least two days per week as possible due to the 3-foot distancing, remaining flexible and allowing changes from virtual to hybrid. Some other school divisions have more capacity because they have not allowed changes from one model to another.

The Superintendent’s presentation also included updated enrollment in each model and a detailed update on waitlists by school. Both are available on the website. View the presentation from last night’s meeting or watch the video.

Human Resources Update – Staff provided an update on Human Resources. The report highlighted data, lessons learned, bright spots and recommendations moving forward. The full presentation is online.

Appointments
The School Board appointed Daryl Johnson as the new Director of Strategic Outreach. He will lead communication and community engagement related to planning initiatives such as boundary processes, the Instructional Programs Pathways and provide leadership for the Engage with APS! communication platform. His appointment begins immediately.

Recognition
Minority Student Achievement Network students reported on their work on Intersectional Social Justice Collaboration.

For More Information
Citizens who want to comment on any items discussed at the School Board meeting should email the Board at school.board@apsva.us or call 703-228-6015. Citizens may call 703-228-2400 on the Monday after the School Board meetings to listen to a meeting summary.

For more information on how to participate in School Board meetings in person, visit our website.

School Board meetings are also broadcast live on Comcast Cable Channel 70 and Verizon FiOS Channel 41; live-streamed on the APS website, and re-broadcast on Fridays at 9 p.m. and Mondays at 7:30 p.m. immediately following the meeting. All materials and minutes will be posted to the website at aps2016.apsva.us/schoolboard upon School Board approval at a subsequent meeting.