School Board Holds Final Regular Meeting of the 2017-18 School Year

Adopts 2019-28 Capital Improvement Plan and Approves Several Policy Revisions

At its June 21 meeting, the School Board adopted the 2019-28 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), as part of a comprehensive plan to address growth in APS student enrollment. The CIP totals $631.46 million and includes $411.63 million in requested bond funding over the 10-year plan. The Board’s adopted CIP includes construction, renovation and infrastructure projects to add capacity across all school levels, including:

• 725 new elementary seats at Reed, scheduled to open in 2021
• More high school seats at the Education Center and Arlington Tech, including:
  • 600 seats at the Education Center opening in 2021
  • 250 seats at Arlington Tech (at the Career Center) opening in 2021
  • 800 seats at the Career Center in 2024
• Plans for additional seats beyond the range of the 10-year CIP, including:
  • 725-750 additional elementary seats in 2029
  • 300 additional middle school seats in 2030

The CIP will now be considered for inclusion in Arlington County’s CIP, which informs the projects that will be included in the November 2018 Schools bond referendum. The full CIP press release is available online. Additional information on the CIP is available on BoardDocs.  

OTHER ACTION ITEMS

The Board approved also approved the following policy revisions and other items:

• FY 2018 3rd Quarter Fiscal Monitoring Report – The Board approved the fiscal monitoring report for this year’s third quarter.
• Revisions to School Board Policy 40-3.1 Unpaid Meal Charges – The Board approved revisions to this policy to align with USDA and Code of Virginia requirements.
• Revision of School Board Policy 25-1.12 School Hours/Compulsory Attendance – The Board approved the revised policy, which clarifies attendance law exemptions related to a “bona fide religious training or belief.”
• School Board Policy 25-3.6 Use of Service Animals in Schools – The Board approved the policy to ensure that persons with disabilities have the opportunity to be accompanied by their trained service animal on school property in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Contract Amendment for Architecture and Engineering Services for the Yorktown High School Internal Modifications – The Board approved a contract amendment of $46,669 for the added scope and established $538,854.92 as the fixed-price total.

Revised policies and additional information on these items is available on BoardDocs.  

APPOINTMENTS

The School Board made the following new appointments for the 2018-19 school year:

• Cameron Snyder – Interim Principal at Henry Elementary School
• Carolyn Clark – Supervisor, Minority Achievement
• Jeff Nicklaus Luttrell – Supervisor, Library Services
• Claudia Vasquez – Director of Counseling, Arlington Career Center
• Jennifer Gildea – Assistant Principal, Arlington Traditional School
• Catherine Hwang – Assistant Principal, Hoffman-Boston Elementary School
• Ragan Sohr – Assistant Principal, Barrett Elementary School
• Gabriela Rivas – Assistant Principal, Barcroft Elementary School
• Diana Jordan – Assistant Principal, Thomas Jefferson Middle School

MONITORING ITEMS

The School Board received updates on the following items:

• Annual Report: Advisory Council on School Facilities and Capital Programs (FAC) and Staff Response – Staff shared the FAC’s annual report and response, which includes identifying new approaches to increase efficiencies in cost and use of space for growing enrollment, without compromising excellence in teaching and learning.
• Annual Report of the Budget Advisory Council (BAC) and Staff Response – The chair of the BAC presented the report and staff presented its response, which includes providing data around per pupil costs, such as smaller class sizes, teacher pay, and planning factors, to assist with budget planning.
• Report from Friends of the Planetarium – Board members of the Friends of Arlington’s David M. Brown Planetarium (FOAP) presented an update on its community activities during the 2017-18 school year as a result of its ongoing collaboration with APS.
• Internal Audit Annual Report – Staff presented updates on Medicaid reimbursement for school based services; sale of APS assets; facility rentals; APS devices assigned to students; and an external Construction Cost Study for APS.

Full presentations are available on BoardDocs.   

INFORMATION ITEMS

• Construction Change Order for the Career Center Internal Modifications – Staff presented a change order proposal for Career Center internal modifications, adding scope for signage and environmental graphic improvements, totaling $161,578.
• Amendment to Adopted FY 2019 Budget – Staff proposed amending the adopted budget by allocating $383,019 of additional ongoing State revenue to the School Operating Fund ($331,362) and to the Grants and Restricted Programs Fund ($51,657). The amendment brings the FY 2019 budget to a total of $640,131,422.
• Transfer of Bond Premium to Capital Reserve – Staff requested that the School Board authorize the transfer of $15,204,776 to the Capital Reserve for funding various APS capital project needs.

Information on the above items is available on BoardDocs. 

RECOGNITIONS

The School Board opened the meeting by recognizing the outstanding achievements of many students, including:

• Anuj Khemka, Thomas Jefferson Middle School graduating class of 2018, winner of the 2018 IB Student Excellence Award for IB Middle Years Program (MYP) World schools;
• Morgann Noble and Marian Cespedes-Montalvo from Kenmore, finalists in the Future Business Leaders of America National Competition;
• Williamsburg Middle School’s First Lego League Robotics team, recipients of the State of Virginia Most Innovative Design Award;
• Eleven student National Scholastic Arts award winners at the middle and high school level;
• Sixty-six students, including seven who received perfect scores, recognized for outstanding performance on the National Latin exam; and
• Multiple athletics achievements, including Washington-Lee and Wakefield Track & Field honors; the Wakefield Boys Soccer team, including two players who made all-state; and one Yorktown student named to the All-State Baseball team. 

NEXT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

The School Board will hold an Organizational and Regular Meeting (2110 Washington Blvd.) on July 2 at Noon. The agenda will be posted one week before the meeting on BoardDocs. The Board will resume its regular meetings in the fall. 

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. 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.