Roanoke City Public Schools: School Board Recap: December 14, 2021

Press release from Roanoke City Public Schools:

12/15/2021

The School Board recognized and provided awards to the seven students who were named Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Program: These students are among 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation and were recognized for exceptional academic promise. Featured School: Forest Park Academy Forest Park Academy Program Director Patricia Maxey shared an overview of the academy's purpose and culture as part of the School Board's monthly Featured School series. Forest Park Academy (FPA) was founded in 2008 by Roanoke City Public Schools as a non-traditional learning option aimed at providing students with the opportunity to graduate on time. Students from both William Fleming and Patrick Henry high schools are invited to attend if they are committed to attending classes daily, making positive behavioral choices, and focused on graduating with their cohort. Students interview with FPA to ensure they will be a good fit. Ms. Maxey noted the close-knit community, which fosters close relationships between students and staff who celebrate achievements large and small at Forest Park. "Almost every single student mentions the relationships they have with the teachers and their ability to achieve better at Forest Park because of that intimate learning environment," Ms. Maxey said. Faculty go out of their way to find inventive learning opportunities for their students, according to Ms. Maxey. Forest Park is also home to the iAccelerate Virtual Academy. Faculty teach in-person sections as well as virtual sections, and they have learned to integrate learning supports across all platforms. Equity Scorecard RCPS has published an interactive storyboard for the new Equity Scorecard, which contains information about student enrollment, graduation information, student achievement, staff, and funding. The scorecard can be accessed by clicking here. clicking here Preview of 2022-2023 Budget RCPS is in the early stages of building the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. Chief Financial Officer Kathleen Jackson provided a timeline and a brief overview of what to expect. RCPS will receive an initial 2022-23 school funding forecast from the City of Roanoke later in the week. The Governor's biennial budget will be introduced on Dec. 16. The School Board is scheduled to adopt the categorical budget in March 2022 and approve the line-item budget in June 2022. Virginia ended the 2020-21 fiscal year with a significant surplus, 2021-22 revenues are exceeding budget, and revenue increases are expected for the next two fiscal years. As a result, sufficient funds are expected to be available for the 2022-24 biennium to meet state budget requirements. RCPS' priorities include incorporating equity into budget decisions and developing a budget that reflects instructional priorities, Mrs. Jackson said. Reducing class sizes is also a priority; RCPS has set a goal of meeting Virginia Department of Education recommendations of 24 to 25 students per core class. Currently, secondary schools have multiple classes of 30+ students in core subjects. Employee compensation is another priority, including competitive salary increases. RCPS is currently conducting a compensation study with Management Advisory Group to ensure fair, transparent, and equitable pay across job classifications. Annual Outsourcing Report Chief Operations Officer Chris Perkins and RCPS' partners in food services, security, health services, substitutes, and transportation provided an overview of the annual outsourcing report. This report contains background information, funding details, vacancies, and other related details. The School Board expressed overall satisfaction with the services provided by these partners. The full report can be accessed by clicking here. clicking here Public Gifts The Board publicly recognized and thanked the following donors for supporting RCPS: Company/Individual Amount of Donation Acquisition Title $1,000 Anstey Hodge Advertising Group $1,000 Dehaven Transportation $250 Freedom First $1,000 Gentry Locke $250 Karisma Salon $1,000 Kirby Cundiff Insulation $250 Magic City Ford $1,000 Member One Federal Credit Union $500 Plant Culture $250 Vinton/Brambleton Computers $500 Walker Family $500   To replay the December 14th School Board meeting, click here click here click here

This press release was produced by Roanoke City Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.