At last night’s School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy provided a progress report for three community processes that are underway for decisions related to the APS 3-5 Year Action Plan. He highlighted the current areas of engagement that are underway with the community:

1. The Drew Model Visioning Process is focused on articulating the school’s direction and ensure that it is attractive to students and their families, embraces the school’s rich history, and prepares students for the future. Several opportunities are available for the community to provide feedback and a final vision is expected later in the spring.
2. The New High School Focus Process is underway to determine the instructional focus of the new high school planned to open by 2022. The community is invited to get involved and the Board is expected to make a final decision by June to inform siting decisions. A joint meeting of the Advisory Council on Instruction (ACI) and the Facilities Advisory Council (FAC) will be held on Wed, Feb. 15 to begin this process, and a community survey will be conducted in February and March to gather input.
3. Revision of the Enrollment and Transfer Policy is being undertaken to blend school options, ensure equitable access, simplify the policy and standardize practices. Community conversations begin later this month, and community input will shape the final revisions. A revised Policy and the accompanying Policy Implementation Procedures (PIP) are expected to be approved in June and will be implemented for the 2018-19 school year.

Dr. Murphy also reviewed a new feature on the APS webpage – Engage with APS – that now makes it easier for the community to find information about all of the current and future opportunities for public engagement and feedback. The link to this new section is featured as a new “Tab” at the top of the APS home page, and as the first link under “Quick Links” on all school websites. The direct link to the section is aps2016.apsva.us/engage and a separate message highlights the many features of the section to help community members participate in these processes.

OTHER MONITORING ITEM:
Academic Support PreK through Grade 12:
Student Services and Counseling staff presented an update on academic support that is provided to students, and how their work supports student success. They summarized the ways in which they help students develop life skills, provide social and emotional support, and ensure that students have access to academic advising and information that will lead to college and career opportunities upon graduation. They provided recommendations to enhance the support that students receive, including courses that are matched with career pathways, expanded career awareness and exploration programs, and additional supports for students who require responsive services. The entire presentation is available to the public on BoardDocs. 

ACTION ITEMS:

• Contract Award for Construction Management Advisor Services for the New Elementary School at Jefferson: The Board awarded the contract for Construction Management Advisor Services to MBP to provide full design, construction and close out phase CMA services including reimbursable and third party testing costs. The total fee for these services is $1,057,548.
• Contract Award for Architecture and Engineering Services for Relocation of Administrative Offices to Sequoia Plaza Two: The Board approved a contract award in the amount of $766,601 to Studio Twenty Seven Architecture.

INFORMATION ITEMS:

• Revision of Select Student Services School Board Policies: Staff proposed minor changes to the policies for Foreign Exchange Student Programs and Student ID Badges. The changes are delineated in policy revisions posted in BoardDocs.
• Construction Contract Award for Early Work Package 1 for the New School at Wilson: Staff recommended approval of a contract award for early work Package 1 to Gilbane in the amount of $810,002, for the new school at the Wilson site.  Staff also recommended establishing a Package 1 owner construction contingency of $100,000.
• Construction Contract Change Order for Abingdon Elementary School Renovation and Addition Project: Staff presented a proposed change order for switchgear replacement at the Abingdon Elementary School’s Renovation and Addition Project. The change order would be funded by the project’s contingency and is incorporated into the current funding available approved by the School Board so no increase in funding is necessary.
• Resubdivision of the Stratford Park Property: Staff recommended the Board approve and accept the transfer of title to the Stratford Park parcel from the County Board. This site is planned for the new middle school addition at Stratford.
• Property Vacation and Dedication for the New Middle School at the Stratford Site: Staff presented property vacation and dedication items for approval as part of the new middle school addition at Stratford.

Detailed information about these items is available on BoardDocs.

RECOGNITIONS:
The School Board recognized Wakefield High School seniors Nicholas Cadby-Spicer, Alana Ceesay and Anderson Escobar who received a four-year, full-tuition scholarship from the Posse Scholarship Foundation to attend a partnering institution. The awards are each worth more than $140,000.In recognition of School Board Appreciation Month, Arlington County Council of PTAs President Chris Ditta honored and thanked Board members for their hard work and dedication to students and their families.

NEXT ARLINGTON SCHOOL BOARD MEETING:
The next School Board meeting is at 7:30 on Thu, Feb. 16. The agenda will be posted one week before the meeting on BoardDocs. A full list of other meetings during the month of February is available online.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Citizens who want to comment on any of the 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 of the meeting will be posted to the website at aps2016.apsva.us/schoolboard upon School Board approval at a subsequent meeting.