Virginia School Boards Association President Dr. Cardell Patillo attended Tuesday night’s Gloucester County School Board meeting held in the T.C. Walker Education Center auditorium as part of the VSBA President’s Road Show. He has visited over 20 school boards throughout Virginia so far this year.
Patillo remarked that he was impressed by the meeting, particularly with the students who provided presentations to the board.
Among these student presenters was Student Advisory Committee representative Lauren Landry who updated the board on happenings at Gloucester High School. She said students are adjusting to the new weapons detection system, which was implemented at the school late last month, with minimal problems.
Landry also said that the division enforcing its no cell phone policy has had a positive impact on school culture. “I see kids talking to each other again,” she said.
One problem Landry did raise to the board is the lack of seating during lunch, citing that two of her friends had to share one seat earlier that day. Since seating has decreased due to the GHS renovation project, Landry suggested implementing a four-block lunch schedule to decrease the volume of students in the lunch area at one time.
The school board also listened to a presentation on the health and medical sciences program at GHS. Suzanne Nester and her students explained the impact of the program on their lives, leading to many students pursuing careers in the health care industry.
Students have many options for course offerings, including sports medicine and health assisting careers. There are also several dual enrollment health sciences class options with Rappahannock Community College available for them to take.
Currently, the health and medical sciences students are holding a series of presentations at Page and Peasley middle schools to prepare interested students for potential course paths they can take once they reach high school.
Also during the meeting, Jack Moore of Gloucester Rowing Association asked the board to consider absorbing the transportation costs of the crew program. The program operates on a very small budget, he said, and the team has to shoulder the costs of transportation.
Moore said that the division absorbing this cost would allow any student to participate in rowing no matter their family’s financial situation. Due to the team’s limited budget, it is also unable to update equipment when needed.
Several parents spoke during public comment about the impact crew has had on their students, including providing them with leadership and teamwork skills, as well as with physical and mental strength.
The school board recognized Landry, Leila Nester, Jacob Garrett and Grace Shrewsbury as seniors of the month. Beth Duke was recognized as the school board’s volunteer of the month for her eight-year tenure assisting with the GHS band program.
Anita Parker also joined the school board for her first meeting since being named interim school board member for the Petsworth District seat last month. She will complete the remaining time on Karen Espinoza’s term, which is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2025.