Mathews County School Board chairman John Priest, vice chairman Melissa Mason, and member Bambi Thompson were among the Virginia school board members, educators and legislators taking part in the Virginia School Boards Association Legislative Advocacy Conference, which was held Sept. 20 in Charlottesville.

The purpose of the conference was to give participants the opportunity to learn about upcoming issues for the 2019 legislative session and to learn about hot topics in education.

Sessions included a discussion on school safety with Virginia Public Safety and Homeland Security secretary Brian Moran, and Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety manager Donna Michaelis; panel discussions on equity in rural school divisions and broadband access, and prep for the 2019 General Assembly session by VSBA lobbyist staff. ...