School Board Update
May 11, 2021
Arlington School Board
Email: school.board@apsva.us
Website: www.apsva.us
Location: 2110 Washington Boulevard, Arlington, VA, USA
Phone: 703-228-6015
Twitter: @APSVaSchoolBd
Summary of the May 6, 2021 School Board Meeting
The School Board approved the FY 2022 Budget totaling $700,933,893 at its May 6 meeting. The budget includes a compensation increase for all staff and implements revised enrollment projections that reduces enrollment by 525 students resulting in a savings of $3.4 million. To read more about the adopted FY22 budget, visit the APS website.
Citizen Comment at School Board Meetings
In order to meet safely, the Board will take all necessary steps to protect the community, staff, and Board members as they conduct public business. This includes adjusting meeting procedures to comply with health and safety guidelines. For the in-person School Board meetings, Public Comment on Agenda and Non-Agenda items will continue to be heard at the beginning of the meeting and will be limited to 1 hour.
At each meeting, the Board will hear from a maximum of 30 speakers and each speaker will have up to 2 minutes to comment. A maximum of 15 speakers will be allowed to comment in person and the remaining slots will be given to call-in speakers. All speakers must sign up in advance and indicate whether they want to speak in person or to call into the meeting. A lottery process will continue to be used to select speakers if more requests than available slots are received.
The School Board expects that each speaker will be courteous, modeling for students how one can respectfully disagree with others’ views. Speakers will address their comments to the entire School Board and not to individual Board members, the Superintendent, staff members, or the audience.
The Board will continue to refine plans going forward to allow as much public participation in meetings as possible, and appreciates the community’s patience as procedures are adjusted. Additional information will be posted at https://www.apsva.us/school-board-meetings/sign-up-to-speak/
Superintendent's Weekly Update
The Superintendent will provide a School Year 2020-2021 Update as a Monitoring Item at all upcoming School Board meetings. Watch School Board meetings at https://www.apsva.us/school-board-meetings/watch-school-board-meetings/.
Pop-up Vaccine Clinics for 16+ at Schools
Arlington County is awaiting approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Federal Drug Administration (FDA) on expanding the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12-15 years. The Arlington County Public Health Division is working to staff weekend clinics targeting Arlington children, ages 12-17, and scheduling information will be released soon after the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is expanded.
APS Celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Let’s celebrate our teaching heroes! It’s Teacher Appreciation Week!
In May, we will celebrate all our employee groups:
- May 3-7: Teacher Appreciation Week
- May 5-6: Teaching Assistants
- May 7/10: Food Service Staff
- May 11-12: Extended Day Staff
- May 13-14: Bus Drivers & Attendants
- May 17-18: E-Scale Staff
- May 19-20: Custodial and Maintenance Staff
- May 21/24: Administrative Assistants
- May 25-26: Principals & Assistant Principals
A Month of Bike, Walk and Roll to School Day? Let’s Roll with It!
Understanding the New Virginia Math Pathways Initiative
The Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative (VMPI) is a joint initiative among the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). The Initiative supports the Profile of a Virginia Graduate by redefining mathematics pathways for students in the Commonwealth to address the knowledge, skills, experiences, and attributes that students must attain to be successful in college and/or the workforce and to be “life ready.”
Through collaboration with other stakeholders across the Commonwealth, the VMPI state task force will make suggestions for institutional changes that will strengthen the alignment between K-12 and higher education mathematics while ensuring that students are better prepared for college and career success.
The VDOE is inviting families to attend upcoming information sessions to learn more about VMPI. Participation in these sessions will help the VDOE, and ultimately APS, redefine math course options. Tune in to the VDOE YouTube channel at 6:30 p.m. on the date below to participate:
- Tuesday, May 25 – Advanced Pathways in grades 11 – 12
Help Choose Arlington’s Next Logo
The Joint Facilities Advisory Commission (JFAC) Seeking Members for Two Committees
The Joint Facilities Advisory Commission (JFAC) has created two committees to explore two questions raised by Arlington Public Schools and are looking for members of the public who have an interest and expertise in these areas to join one of the two committees.
The questions the committees are looking into include:
- How do other jurisdictions integrate school facilities needs in land use studies, such as sector plans, which often increase permitted residential densities?
- How do other Virginia jurisdictions incorporate schools in public/private partnership agreements?
There are three meetings. One was held on April 28 and the remaining two are being held from 7-9 p.m. on May 19 and June 23. The JFAC will create a report with its findings from these discussions and will share them with the Arlington School Board and County Board.
If interested in serving on one of the two committees, contact Kathleen McSweeney, JFAC Chair, at mcsweeneykathleen@gmail.com.
School Board Open Office Hours
The Board recognizes that the open meeting format is no longer a productive medium for participants to share their comments. The Board will modify Open Office Hours to ensure everyone’s opinions and input is respected and everyone is treated with decorum. Information on how to sign up for future Open Office Hours will be sent when plans are finalized.
Upcoming Open Office Hours:
Monday, May 17, 2021 with Cristina Diaz-Torres from 6 to 8 PM
Monday, May 24, 2021 with David Priddy from 6 to 8 PM
The schedule for Open Office Hours for the 2020-2021 school year is posted at https://www.apsva.us/contact-the-school-board/open-office-hours/.
Updates for the School Year 2020-2021
APS has the following information available for families:
- The APS COVID-19 webpage has the latest updates and new FAQs about instruction, technology, meals for students, family resources and more.
May 10 Summer School Update: https://www.apsva.us/post/may-10-summer-school-update/
iPad Screen Time Setting Disabled During SOL Testing Window: https://www.apsva.us/post/ipad-screen-time-setting-disabled-during-sol-testing-window/
COVID-19 Testing for Student Athletes: https://www.apsva.us/post/covid-19-testing-for-student-athletes/
COVID-19 Testing: https://www.apsva.us/school-year-2020-21/health-safety/covid-19-testing/?utm_source=COVID%20Testing&utm_campaign=f5April16
Class of 2021 Graduation: https://www.apsva.us/school-year-2020-21/class-of-2021-graduation/
Safety at School: https://www.apsva.us/school-year-2020-21/health-safety/safety-at-school/?utm_source=ventilation&utm_campaign=f5feb26#top
- Project Extra Step Provides Support to Families Experiencing Homelessness: https://www.apsva.us/student-services/homeless/?utm_source=project%20extra%20step&utm_campaign=f5feb12
APS COVID-19 Dashboard: https://www.apsva.us/school-year-2020-21/aps-covid-19-dashboard/?utm_source=APS%20COVID%20Dashboard&utm_campaign=f5oct2
- Need assistance? See who to contact at https://www.apsva.us/post/who-to-contact-for-help/
Questions related to APS and the change in operations due to COVID-19 can be sent to engage@apsva.us