1. School Board Meeting
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Closed meeting 6-7:30pm
Public meeting 7:30-10pm
200, Berkley St., Ashland, VA

2.  I. The board will assert its role in the community
as the educational policy leader of public
education in Hanover County.
 “Policy: School boards set the general rules about what is
done in the schools”
 II. The board will promote the delivery of
effective instructional services as the primary
responsibility of the entire school community.
 “Curriculum and assessment. The board develops
curriculum…[and] implement and report on state
assessments”
(Ornstein, Levine, & Gutek, 2011)

3.  III. The board will demonstrate leadership in and
support efforts to attract and retain the best
qualified employees.
 “Staffing. …the board is responsible for hiring all school
district employees”
 “Employee relations. School-board members are
responsible for all aspects of employee relations”
 IV. The board will monitor the effects of
significant fiscal influences and consider plans for
their effective management.
 “Fiscal matters. The board must keep the school district
solvent and get the most out of every tax dollar”
(Ornstein, Levine, & Gutek, 2011)

4.  V. The board will embrace additional
opportunities to promote its accountability to
the public.
 “Community relations. The school board must
respond not only to parents but also to other
members of the community.
(Ornstein, Levine, & Gutek, 2011)

5.  I. Manage the impact of prevailing budget/fiscal trends.
 II. Form salary/benefit proposals that support Hanover’s
competitive position and reflect market adjustments where
necessary.
 III. Promote instructional programming.
 IV. Implement and monitor action plans.
 V. Develop and maintain a responsive, systematic approach to
long-term building maintenance, construction, custodial services,
furniture/equipment replacement, technology system upgrades,
other operating efficiencies, and long-range financial stability.
 VI. Identify the impact of emerging issues and mandates on the
school budget.

6.  John F. Asxelle III
(Beaverdam District)
 Earl J. Hunter, Jr.
(Henry District)
 Robert L Hundley, Jr.
(Chickahominy District)
 Henry D. Lowry, Jr.
(Ashland District)
 Robert L. Wood
(Cold Harbor District)
 Glenn T. Millican, Jr.
(Mechanicsville District)

7.  Teachers
 Students-
 Award winners
 Working on projects requiring school board
attendance
 Speakers
 Parents and young children

8.  Open Session
 Invocation (Prayer)/Pledge of Allegiance
 Approval of Minutes
 Consent of Agenda (Approval of Superintendent’s
Recommendations)
 Action Agenda (Approval of Preschool Initiative)
 Information Items (Status Report/Calendars)
 Topics for next session
 Adjourn
(The majority of these items were discussed and decided
upon during the closed meeting)

9. Certificates Award in Recognition of…
 VSBA School Board Appreciation Month
 2012 Stock Market Game Winners- 3 students from Atlee HS
 2013 winner of VA History Writing Contest- John Roakes (laptop
to student/$1,000 to school awarded)
 2012-13 NCWIT Award for Aspiration in Computing- Vanessa
Gentry (1 of 2 in VA), Atlee HS
 Hanover’s 2013 Spelling Bee Champion- Yashna Nainani (4/5 yr.
winner), Chickahominy HS
 VA School Counselor of the Year- Elizabeth Beatley, Pole Green
Elementary

10. Guidelines:
 Each speaker is allotted 3 minutes to present
their views to the board at the podium.
 Groups are allowed 6 minutes to present.
Main topics of concern based on speakers (~12):
 Budget cuts- Pay to play, IB test fees
 Defense of teachers

11.  Anthony Smith (Hanover HS student): Student
survey of disconnect between school board
and teacher concerns; provided breakdown of
technology requests, how to fulfill them
through departmental grants with student
essays, projects, etc.
 Daniel Chen (Hanover HS student): Worked on
project with Anthony; presented on teacher
time budgets and need to allow more
planning time

12.  Carol R. (Patrick HS student): Provided
general perspective, including defense for
student opinions, viewing teachers with more
respect and higher pay, fear that budget cuts
will drive away quality teachers; also against
pay-to-play indicative
 Randy Wright (Middle School Teacher): In
favor of raising taxes to increase budget;
argued political views are impacting school
decisions

13.  Jordon Goodman (Lee Davis HS student): Against
requiring students to pay for IB testing; encouraged
reimbursement for testing due to additive sums of
multiple test taking
 Katie G. (Lee Davis HS student): Same views as Jordon;
students can not afford to pay for testing
 Speaker: Support retired teachers as part-time
educators to save budget money
 Renee (Lee Davis Physics instructor): Must come up
with creative solutions to problems given time
constraints and limited materials (used simulation
example she uses in the classroom with popsicle stick
construction.

14.  Parent: Against limiting students with pay-to-
play because students that are unable to pay
will not be as successful or competitive as
they could be if schools continued to provide
free sports
 Group of 3 students: Proposed raising taxes
and fund raising in order to pay for IB testing;
provided personal stories of financial
struggles of their families

15.  Board members seemed genuinely interested and
took notes
 Students agreed on the two key issues: No pay-to-
play and schools should continue to pay for IB testing
 Touching that students were concerned with the
possible financial struggle effects of the budget cuts
 After all comments, Daniel Chen stood back up to
speak: He had “crunched numbers” during the talk of
raising taxes on food in the local areas and found that
the board could cover costs by doing so
 Appreciated the passion of everyone that made
comments

16.  An overall informative experience
 Decisions seemed to have been made during
the closed meeting and simply announced to
the public
 Nice to see board members engaged
 Surprised there was a prayer to begin meeting

17.  On the evening of February 21, the School Board
unanimously adopted the 2013‐2014 Annual
 Financial Plan including…
 a Total Operating and Debt Service General Fund Budget of
$177,701,129
 a Textbook Budget of $1,043,378
 a Food Services Budget of $7,179,978
…totaling $228,267,000.
 The 2013‐2014 school budget has been provided to the
County Administrator as the next step in the budget
development process.
 School Board members expressed their appreciation for the
public’s engagement as a budget shortfall of $5.4‐million
was closed.

18. Hanover Schools final budget decision leaves some unsettled...
http://wtvr.com/2013/02/22/hanover-schools-final-
budget-decision-leaves-some-unsettled/

19.  Hanover County School Board. (2012). HANOVER COUNTY PUBLIC
SCHOOLS SCHOOL BOARD GOALS July 2012- June 2013. Retrieved
online
http://hanover.k12.va.us/schoolboard/School%20Board%20Goals%2020
12-2013%20Approved.pdf
 Hanover County School Board. (2012). Hanover County School
Board 2012-2013. Retrieved online
http://hanover.k12.va.us/schoolboard/School%20Board%20Goals%2020
12-2013%20Approved.pdf
 Hanover School Budget Decision. [Video File] Retrieved online
http://wtvr.com/2013/02/22/hanover-schools-final-budget-decision-
leaves-some-unsettled/
 Ornstein, A., Levine, D., & Gutek, G. (2011). Foundations of education.
(11th ed. pp.212-13). Belmont, CA.: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.