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READY? LET'S GO.THE MIC IS ON IF YOU WANT TO USE IT OR, YEAH.
WE'RE SO GLAD YOU ALL ARE HERE.
I'M THE SUPERVISOR FROM DISTRICT THREE, AND THIS IS A JOINT, UH, TOWN HALL MEETING WITH SUPERVISOR FROM DISTRICT FOUR TWO.
AND WHAT IS YOUR NAME AGAIN? NEIL.
I GOT TO TELL Y'ALL I'VE REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH NEIL SPOON HOUR.
I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HIM UNTIL I GOT INVOLVED AND SO FORTH, BUT IT'S JUST BEEN A REAL PLEASURE.
THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY IS, NEIL, DON'T, DON'T SCREW IT UP.
OF COURSE, VIC CARPENTER, OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
WE'VE GOT OUR CHIEF FERGUSON HERE.
HUH? OH, WE GOT JONATHAN LYLE HERE FROM DISTRICT FIVE AND, AND JOSH GILLESPIE.
UH, DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
AND I'M GONNA, LET'S SEE, WHO HAVE I OVERLOOKED ANY, HAVE I OVERLOOKED ANYBODY? NEIL BOARD.
UM, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO INTRODUCE THE SCHOOL BOARD PEOPLE HERE.
MICHAEL, I CAN DO THAT FROM ARTIE.
YOU WANT ME TO DO THAT NOW? DR.
PR? I, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE DR.
PROMAR, OUR SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO, MRS. KAREN SING AND REPRESENTING DISTRICT THREE, MS. ANGELA ALLEN.
WE ALSO HAVE OUR, UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR IS STEPHANIE WEISS HERE WITH US THIS EVENING.
AND AS I LOOK AROUND, I THINK THAT'S ALL FROM THE SCHOOL SIDE.
ALRIGHT, NOW WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, VIC CARPENTER.
APPRECIATE EVERYBODY COMING TONIGHT.
IT'S ANOTHER GREAT NIGHT IN GLAND COUNTY, BUT IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT NIGHT IN GLAND COUNTY.
THIS IS JUST SUCH A NEAT PLACE TO BE AND LIVE.
UM, I WILL ASK Y'ALL TO, UH, JUST TAKE A SECOND AND, UH, HAVE SOME PRAYERS FOR NOT ONLY PEOPLE IN NORTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA, BUT FLORIDA, WHICH IS FIXING TO BE HIT BY ANOTHER MASSIVE HURRICANE IN UPCOMING DAYS.
AND, UH, WE MAY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES AS A COUNTY TO RALLY AGAIN, WE HAVE PEOPLE RALLYING AS WE SPEAK TO SEND SUPPLIES AND HELP AND RESOURCES, UH, TO OUR, UH, OUR SISTER COUNTIES IN VIRGINIA.
SO, SO JUST PLEASE KEEP THEM IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, UH, AS THIS WEEK GOES ON.
BUT I'M GONNA START BY TELLING YOU TONIGHT, THIS IS ABOUT UCHIN COUNTY, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
AND WE START, YOU KNOW, WITH WHAT IS THIS? THIS IS A TOWN HALL MEETING AND WE TRY TO DO TOWN HALL MEETINGS ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR.
UM, THE FALL, WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE AND UPDATES ON SOME OF THE PROJECTS WHERE WE ARE.
THIS IS THE SECOND ONE THAT WE'VE DONE THIS FALL.
WE DID ONE LAST THURSDAY OVER AT DOVER BAPTIST CHURCH, AND THEN TONIGHT, AND THEN WE'VE GOT TWO MORE, ONE COMING UP ON THE 22ND AT, UH, BYRD ELEMENTARY, AND THEN ONE COMING ON THE 26TH AT SALEM BAPTIST CHURCH.
TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE COUNTY, THE SCHOOL, THEN TAKING QUESTIONS.
SO THE IDEA IS TO HOPEFULLY ANSWER, UM, WHATEVER SITUATIONS YOU MAY HAVE OR SEE OR BE CURIOUS ABOUT.
SO WE'RE GONNA START BY TELLING YOU ABOUT JUST, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY'S WORKING FOR YOU, UH, THE PRIORITIES OF YOUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
THEY'VE MADE A CLEAR NO PARTICULAR ORDER, FINANCIAL, EXCELLENT, HIGH QUALITY CORE SERVICES, PUBLIC SAFETY, KEEPING GUC AND RURAL LOW TAXES AND QUALITY EDUCATION.
AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE KEEP IN FRONT OF US AS WE GO THROUGH THE DAY.
WE START WITH THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE WORKING FOR YOU, YOUR STAFF, EXAMPLES OF THE STAFF.
WE HAVE THE AWARD-WINNING STAFF.
ARE WE WITH THREE, UH, EXCELLENCE AWARDS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, TO OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF? AND THEN ON OUR FINANCE STAFF, THE DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD FOR 2024 FROM THE GFOA, WHICH IS ABOUT THE 11TH YEAR IN A ROW THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THAT RECOGNITION.
SOME OTHER THINGS WE'RE DOING TO LEARN ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY.
WE'RE RIGHT NOW FINISHING UP WHAT WE CALL THE SOUTHEASTERN INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY.
ONE OF THE, THE MESSAGES THAT THE BOARD HAS HEARD IS THAT, UH, THAT, THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF GROWTH ON THIS COUNTY.
SO THE INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY IS INTENDED TO GIVE US A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT GROWTH IMPACTS WILL MEAN.
AND WE'VE TARGETED IN THIS, YOU SEE THAT GREEN CIRCLE THAT'S, UH, BASICALLY THE AREA AROUND 2 88 AND PATTERSON AVENUE, UH, IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF FUTURE POTENTIAL GROWTH.
AND THAT'S LOOKING AT THAT AREA AND
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THE IMPACT GROWTH WILL HAVE ON IT.SO THE IMPACT ON ROADS, THE IMPACT ON SCHOOLS, THE IMPACT ON WATER, THE IMPACT ON SEWER, THE IMPACT ON PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRE SHERIFF, THOSE AREAS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AND THE SPECIFIC IMPACTS THAT THAT AREA COULD ABSORB.
SO WE'VE MODELED THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS FOR IT.
ONE OF THOSE SCENARIOS, IF EVERYTHING HAPPENS, JUST LIKE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SAYS IT'S GOING TO, ONE OF WHICH IT GEARS MORES TOWARDS THE MIXED USE FUTURE WHERE SINGLE FAMILY, MULTIFAMILY, RETAIL, IT'S KIND OF MIXED IN THERE.
OR ONE, IF IT GEARED MORE TOWARD AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WHERE IT'S MORE LIKE MANUFACTURING OFFICE BUILDINGS, MEDICAL, UH, THOSE KINDS OF, OF ASPECTS TO IT.
EACH ONE OF THOSE WILL CREATE A DIFFERENT IMPACT.
ONE MIGHT USE SCHOOLS MORE, ONE MIGHT USE ROADS MORE.
AND SO WE'VE DEVELOPED WITHOUT A MODEL AND THAT MODEL WILL ALLOW US TO INPUT THE DATA AS WE RECEIVE IT AND HELP US IN OUR PLANNING AS WE GO FORWARD.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE DOING IS THE COUNTYWIDE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.
NOW, I THINK MOST OF ALL HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE I 64, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GO THE ASHTON ROAD AREA, AND WE KNOW HOW THAT CAN BACK UP.
SO ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE BIG STORIES THAT'S BEEN FOR A WHILE, AND IT'S GOING TO BE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, IS THE ASHTON ROAD, I 64 INTERCHANGE, UH, THE DDI, THE DIVERGENT DIAMOND INTERCHANGE.
DDI THEY CALL IT, IT'S UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW, THE ENGINEERING OF IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, NOTHING IS FAST IN GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH INTERSTATES.
SO THIS IS A PROJECT THAT'S GONNA TAKE ABOUT SEVEN YEARS FROM START TO FINISH WITH COMPLETION AND VISION IN 2031.
IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO ZS CROSSROADS AND YOU'VE GOTTEN OFF AT THAT INTERSECTION THERE, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA BE AT ASTON ROAD.
NOW, IN THE MEANTIME, THE PARKING RIDE LOT IS ALREADY UNDERWAY.
SO IF YOU KNOW THE PARKING RIDE LOT THAT IS THERE NOW, IT'S GONNA BE RELOCATED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE.
AND SO THAT'LL BE DONE ABOUT NOVEMBER OF 28.
SO THAT'LL HAPPEN SOONER THAN OTHER PARTS OF IT.
ANOTHER ASPECT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS ON 2 88, THIS STUDY IS UNDERWAY FOR A NEW INTERCHANGE.
NOW, THIS IS LONG-TERM PLANNING.
THIS IS 20, 25 YEARS IN THE FUTURE, BUT YOU'VE GOTTA START PLANNING NOW FOR THOSE KIND OF PROJECTS.
SO THE ROUTE 2 88 INTERCHANGE STUDY IS UNDERWAY TO GIVE A BETTER IDEA OF, OF THE IMPACTS OF GROWTH AND THE NEED FOR NEW ROUTE INTERCHANGE.
ALSO, IF YOU EVER DRIVE IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTY ON HOCKET ROAD, AND THE STOPLIGHT RIGHT THERE AT THE FOOD LINE, THAT'S HOCKETT ROAD, IT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO HIGHWAY SIX, PATTERSON AVENUE.
WELL, IF YOU'RE COMING UP THAT WAY, YOU GET TO THE STOPLIGHT, YOU GOTTA MAKE A HARD RIGHT THEN A HARD LEFT TO GET TO THE INTERSTATE.
THE REALIGNMENT PROJECT IS GONNA BUILD A NEW CONNECTOR THROUGH A ROUNDABOUT 'CAUSE WE LOVE ROUNDABOUTS IN GLAND.
SO IT'S GONNA TAKE YOU THROUGH A ROUNDABOUT TWO, UH, TO THE ROAD TO TAKE STRAIGHT TO HIGHWAY I 64.
SO YOU WON'T HAVE TO DO THAT DOUBLE JAG OF GETTING FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER.
OTHER TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS MORE CLOSE TO HERE.
IF YOU GET OFF AT OILVILLE ROAD, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BACK UP PRETTY BADLY SOMETIMES.
SO A PROJECT FOR THAT IS UNDERWAY AS WELL.
THE, UH, INTERCHANGE THERE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE A DDI, IT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER ROUNDABOUT.
THE ENGINEERING IS, WE ANTICIPATE IT BEING COMPLETE IN 2028, SO LESS THAN FOUR YEARS FROM NOW.
WE EXPECT THAT'LL BE DONE AND COMPLETED.
SO WHEN YOU GET OFF THAT INTERCHANGE, TRAFFIC WILL KEEP MOVING REAL CLOSE TO HOME.
AS YOU KNOW, WE FINISHED RECENTLY THE ROUNDABOUT IN FAIRGROUNDS ROAD, BUT WHEN THAT PROJECT STARTED, WE HAD TO SCALE IT BACK BECAUSE THE RESOURCES WE HAD AVAILABLE, WELL, WE'RE NOW ABLE TO CONTINUE AND FINISH THAT PROJECT, WHICH IS GONNA MOVE IT ALL THE WAY TO HIGHWAY SIX.
SO ESSENTIALLY WHERE THE ROUNDABOUT RIGHT NOW BY TAYLOR STOPS, IT'S GONNA KEEP GOING THROUGH THAT LAND AND CONNECT OVER TO HIGHWAY SIX.
THAT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF TRAFFIC OFF OF THE LITTLE ROAD RIGHT HERE AT THE STOPLIGHT AS PEOPLE COME THROUGH.
AND THEN THEY HANG A RIGHT TO GO TO GEORGIA'S TAVERN AREA.
THEY CAN JUST KEEP GOING STRAIGHT TO THE ROUNDABOUT TO HIGHWAY SIX AND THEN HANG A RIGHT TO GEORGIA'S TAVERN.
IT'S ALSO GONNA OPEN UP THAT PART OF THE, UM, COURTHOUSE AREA, THE GREATER COURTHOUSE COMMUNITY FOR, FOR, FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
THE COUNTY AND THE SCHOOL OWN IT'S LAND THAT, UH, HAS NOT GOT ANY CURRENT USE BY THE COUNTY, BUT IT'D BE VERY PRODUCTIVE IN TERMS OF PROVIDING, UH, RESOURCES OF, OF SHOPPING, OF RESTAURANTS, SO THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THIS PART OF WHAT THAT'S GONNA ALLOW US TO DO AS WELL.
AND THEN ALSO RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO HERE, IF YOU'VE EVER GONE TO THE FARMER'S MARKET AND, YOU KNOW, FOR BIG EVENTS, UH, PEOPLE WILL CROSS THAT ROAD.
IF YOU GO TO CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING, GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.
BUT IF YOU GO TO THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING, YOU'LL SEE PEOPLE WALKING UP AND DOWN THAT ROAD.
IT'S DANGEROUS FEDERAL HIGHWAY 5 22.
SO CROSSWALK IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.
WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT REALLY DONE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, UH, TO EARLY NEXT YEAR.
THAT'LL THEN GIVE A A, A REGULATION CROSSWALK THAT'LL BE SAFE, THAT'LL BE LIT AND LIGHTED SO PEOPLE CAN CROSS SAFELY FROM THE FARMER'S MARKET AREA TO THE NAPA FIELD AREA, AS THEY CALL IT, OR THE LOWER PARKING LOT TO THIS BUILDING.
LET'S MOVE BACK OUT EAST AGAIN.
AND THERE'S SEVERAL MAIN UTILITY PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY NOW.
THE COUNTY'S, THE MAJORITY OF OUR UTILITY SYSTEM IS IN THE EASTERN
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PART OF THIS COUNTY, AND A VERY LARGE PROJECT, A FORCE MAIN REPLACEMENT.FEW YEARS BACK THERE WAS VERY UNFORTUNATE SITUATION WHERE A, UH, RATHER OLD FORCE MAIN OF OURS JUST KIND OF COLLAPSED AND HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.
WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF WRAPPING UP WITH THAT ONE.
NOW IT'S BEEN ABOUT A $9 MILLION PROJECT, SO NOT AN INEXPENSIVE ONE.
BUT THE FINAL RESTORATION IS, IS FINISHING UP EVERYBODY WHO LIVED THERE.
IF YOU DIDN'T LIVE THERE, YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW.
IT'D BEEN GOING ON ANOTHER ONE, THE HUNO HILLS WATER AND SEWER.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THAT PART THAT WAS NOT TIED IN TO SEWER AND WATER SERVICE.
WE PUT IT IN YEARS AGO, BUT IT WAS ALWAYS ON THE PLAN THAT THEY WOULD GET IT.
IT'S, IT'S IN THE FINAL STAGES OF WRAPPING UP AS WELL, UM, OCTOBER END OF THIS MONTH, REALLY, WE HOPE THEY'LL, I'LL BE TIED IN FOR THAT ONE TOO.
SO LET'S GO TO SOME OF THE COOL STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING AROUND HERE.
HOPEFULLY SOME OF YOU ALL HAD A CHANCE TO GO SATURDAY TO STATION.
FIVE'S, A DEDICATION REDEDICATION TO THE BUILDING.
A GREAT EVENT WAS OUT THERE BEFORE THAT.
THE LIVE BURN STRUCTURE WAS DEDICATED TO THE TRAINING CENTER.
TRAINING CENTER IS JUST NOT TOO FAR FROM ME, AROUND THE CORNER OFF OF MADDEN'S ROAD, AND YOU CAN SEE A PICTURE OF IT THERE AT THE TOP LEFT.
WE ALSO JUST RECENTLY RECEIVED A NEW TANKER TRUCK.
UH, THAT'S ONE OF TWO WE'LL BE RECEIVING.
THAT ONE'S GOING TO STATION SIX IN HAYSVILLE.
UH, THE NEXT ONE THAT WE'RE RECEIVING, CHIEF'S GOING TO FOUR.
GOING TO STATION FOUR AND FIFE, UM, FIFE, WHAT A GREAT PLACE.
UM, I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THERE.
SO, UH, TWO NEW TRUCKS COMING INTO THE COUNTY.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS REALLY COOL, AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE KIND OF FIT IN WITH OUR REGION IS WE NOW HAD TWO TRUCKS THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY NEED ANYMORE.
WE COULD HAVE SOLD 'EM, BUT INSTEAD THEY'RE TWO COUNTIES THAT DON'T HAVE THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE DO.
SO WE'RE DONATING OUR TRUCKS TO THEM, THEM, THEY'RE STILL GREAT TRUCKS, THEY'RE STILL VERY USABLE.
UM, BUT THEY DIDN'T MEET WHAT WE NEED ANYMORE, SO WE'RE SURPLUS THEM TO THOSE COUNTIES.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, AND I'M SORRY, I'M, UH, KING, KING, KING CHARLES, CITY, COUNTY, CUMBERLAND COUNTY WILL BE PICKING THEIRS UP.
AND NOW OF COURSE, GOTTA TALK ABOUT FAVORITE PART.
OUR ANIMALS, OUR ANIMAL SHELTER.
WE'VE GOT ONE OF THE MOST RENOWNED ANIMAL SHELTERS IN THE REGION.
HOPEFULLY ALL OF Y'ALL HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE IT, TO GO THERE.
BE PART OF IT GOES BACK YEARS WHEN OUR COMMUNITY RALLIED TOGETHER TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT WAS, WAS VERY STANDALONE AND UNIQUE.
AND YOU'RE GONNA LEARN A BIT ABOUT SOME OF OUR LITTLE FRIENDS THERE AS THE NIGHT GOES ON.
BUT FROM THERE, SOME OTHER GREAT THINGS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING, GONNA KEEP YOU UP TO DATE AND ON, AND THAT'S OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARENA.
AND I'M GLAD TO SAY THAT JUST LAST WEEK, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UM, CAME TO, UH, APPROVAL OF A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN OUR EDA, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
UM, WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING IS THEY APPROVE $580,000 THAT WILL BE SPENT ON DOING A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE IS COMPLETING DUE DILIGENCE TO INCREASE ONE OF OUR PRIME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SITES FROM A TWO TO A FOUR TIER TWO TIER FOUR.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? WELL, THE TIERS TELL YOU HOW READY A SITE IS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THE HIGHER THE NUMBER IS, THE MORE READY THEY ARE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE MAY SAY, WHY DOES THAT MATTER? THE REASON WHY THAT MATTERS IS BECAUSE QUALITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS CRITICAL TO MAINTAINING GOLAND AS A RURAL COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE QUALITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WHERE WE HAVE WATER, WHERE WE HAVE SEWER, WHERE WE HAVE ROADS, HIGHWAYS, AND INTERSTATES, THEN IT'S ALL GONNA FALL ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE HOMEOWNERS.
AND SO ONE OF THE GOALS THE BOARD HAS HAD FOR MANY YEARS IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE 85% OF OUR COUNTY IS, IS RESIDENTIAL RURAL.
15% IS DEVELOPED, AND OF THAT 15%, IT WOULD PROVIDE ABOUT 30% OF THE REVENUES.
AND BY DOING THAT, THAT ALLOWS US TO KEEP THE COUNTY IN A STATE WHERE WE ALL WANT IT TO STAY.
SO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS CRITICAL TO ENSURE THAT HAPPENS.
ALSO, PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS A WATER AND SEWER FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR OILVILLE INFRAS INFRASTRUCTURE STUDIES FOR OTHER, UH, PRIME LAND IN THE COUNTY.
UM, GETTING MORE INVOLVED IN HELPING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, PROVIDING SOME GRANT FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR THEM FOR EXPANSIONS, AS WELL AS SUPPORT FOR OUR SMALL TOURIST ORIENTED, OUR WINERIES, OUR BREWERIES, THOSE KINDS WHERE YOU SEE THE SIGN OF THE ROAD THAT TELLS YOU TO FOLLOW, SUPPORTING THEM IN THAT ASPECT OF IT.
AND THEN WE'RE WORKING ON CREATING WHAT'S CALLED A TECHNOLOGY ZONE OVERLAY TO INCENTIVIZE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES TO COME TO GOLAND, THE KIND OF INDUSTRY WE WANT.
WE DON'T WANT SMOKE STACKS, WE DON'T WANT THINGS THAT POLLUTE, BUT WE DO WANT THE KIND THAT ADD VALUE TO US.
SPEAKING OF VALUE, ANOTHER THING IS ONE OF THE MORE POPULAR THINGS WE DO EVERY YEAR IS OUR TIRE AMNESTY AND DOCUMENT SHREDDING.
AND IT'S HELD, UM, JUST OVER THE COURTHOUSE ON FAIRGROUNDS PROPERTY.
LAST YEAR WE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE COME, COME, BUT WE RAN OUR TRUCKS.
SO PEOPLE, UH, WE HAD TO WAIT AND BRING ANOTHER TRUCK IN BECAUSE WE HAD SO MUCH COMING IN.
ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS THIS YEAR IS WE'VE EXPANDED IT TO AGRICULTURAL TIRES TOO.
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IF YOU'VE GOT FARM TIRES, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN BE PRETTY BIG, UH, YOU CAN BRING THEM AS WELL, NO COST.YOU JUST HAVE TO SHOW THAT YOU'RE A PROOF OF GUC AND RESIDENCY WHEN YOU BRING IT HERE.
NOW LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CARTER CARTER'S ONE OF OUR FRIENDLY LITTLE FRIENDS, SIX, 7-YEAR-OLD MALE FRIENDLY NEUTERED HOUSE TRAINED AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
HOPEFULLY YOU MAY HAVE A CHANCE TO GO BY AND VISIT WITH 'EM.
SO WHAT'S GOING ON? CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY AND THIS PART OF THE COUNTY, IT STARTS BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT OVER HIGH-SPEED INTERNET.
SEVERAL YEARS BACK, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MADE A VERY STRONG COMMITMENT TO, TO WORK WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS TO GET HIGH-SPEED INTERNET TO AS MUCH OF THIS COUNTY AS, AS WAS POSSIBLE.
THE BOARD COMMITTED SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS OF RESOURCES FROM OUR SHARE OF IT, AND TENS OF MILLIONS HAVE BEEN COMMITTED FROM THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
YOU SEE A, SORRY, YOU SEE THE MAP THERE THAT'S SHOWING THE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE IN, WHERE YOU SEE BLUE, THERE'S ALREADY SERVICE THERE.
SO PRETTY MUCH ALL OF I 64 AREA HAS IT.
IF YOU'RE ON CVEC POWER, UM, ONE OF OUR, UH, PARTNERS IN OUR CO-OPS, UH, IF YOU SEE THE, UM, GREEN THAT'S UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW, SO IT'S A LITTLE CORNER UP IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER ON THE MAP YOU MAY SEE.
AND THEN AGAIN, THEY'RE WORKING ON THE MAKE READY WORK, WHICH IS FINISHING THAT MIDDLE MILE, GETTING READY TO START BEING ABLE TO TIE INTO PEOPLE'S HOUSES.
I KNOW MY HOUSE, I'M EXCITED BECAUSE I SAW THEM OUT THERE DOING SOME SPLICING SOME WEEKS BACK, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO BEING ABLE TO KNOCK ON A DOOR AND SAY, YOU'RE READY TO SIGN UP.
SO THAT WHOLE AREA OF THE COUNTY IS UNDERWAY FOR THE MIDDLE MILE, WHICH WILL FINISH UP AGAIN, HOPEFULLY SOMETIME MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR.
AND THE FINAL CONNECTIONS WILL BE HAPPENING IN 2025.
UH, THE GOAL IS THAT AS MUCH OF THIS COUNTY AS THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS ARE, WILL BE DONE BY, UH, END OF 25.
NOW, I MENTIONED TO YOU WHEN I STARTED THIS UP AT THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING AND, AND WHAT A GREAT PLACE GLAND IS.
YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THIS AND YOU KNOW, BUT I, I BELIEVE THAT GLAND IS A HALLMARK MOVIE.
OKAY? YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THAT BEFORE YOU'VE HEARD ME TALK.
BUT YOU CAN START THE SEASON AND END THE YEAR.
AND SO MANY THINGS HAPPEN HERE THAT JUST LIKE FROM A HALLMARK MOVIE COMING UP IN TWO WEEKS, OUR, OUR COUNTY FALL FESTIVAL, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PIEING CONTEST, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SACK RACES, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SCARECROW COMPETITIONS.
YOU'RE JUST GONNA HAVE NEAT EVENTS, FAMILY FRIENDLY RIGHT OVER NEXT DOOR TO US OVER AT THE, UM, UM, COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION.
THEN IN NOVEMBER YOU MOVE INTO COMIC FEST, WHICH IS A MODERN POPULAR CULTURE OF, OF COMIC BOOKS, UM, COSTUMES.
UH, THEN YOU MOVE INTO HOLIDAY SEASON OR HOLIDAY MARKET NOVEMBER 23RD, AND THEN THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING WHERE SANTA COMES ON A FIRE TRUCK.
WE HAVE THE BIG CHRISTMAS TREE SET UP RIGHT THERE IN UH, NAPA FIELD.
UM, IF WE'RE LUCKY, IT MIGHT SNOW A LITTLE BIT DURING IT, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST, IT'S JUST A NEAT KIND OF AN EVENT.
BUT ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE COME UP SHORTLY, OUR FIRE RESCUE SHOW, AND THAT'S GONNA BE COMING UP ON OCTOBER 12TH, UH, WHICH IS THIS COMING SATURDAY.
SO FIVE O'CLOCK TO NINE O'CLOCK OVER AT THE, UH, HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, THERE WILL BE A SHORT FIREWORKS CELEBRATION AS PART OF IT AT THE VERY END OF IT.
SO AGAIN, GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO COME OUT AND SEE.
I MENTIONED THE OTHER UP THERE IS THE, UH, OCTOBER 5TH WE OPENED THE NEW, UM, NEWLY RENOVATED STATION FIVE HERE IN THE COURTHOUSE.
OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE JUST AS INVOLVED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO THE NATIONAL DRUG TAKE BACK OCTOBER 26TH IS GONNA BE HELD.
UM, IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER MEDICATIONS, YOU KNOW, DON'T DUMP 'EM, DON'T FLUSH 'EM, BRING 'EM IN AND TURN 'EM IN THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THEY'LL MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET DISPOSED OF LEGALLY AND CORRECTLY ADDITIONAL THINGS GOING ON.
OF COURSE, RASIC FALL FESTIVALS COMING UP ON THE 19TH AND THE 20TH.
IT IS THEIR SINGLE LARGEST TOURISM EVENT IN THE COUNTY.
20, 30,000 PEOPLE WILL COME TO GLAND FOR THAT ONE DAY OF REALLY TWO DAY EVENT.
UM, ALSO IF YOU HAVE FOLLOWED, YOU SEE THAT THE COUNTY IS NOW STARTING TO CELEBRATE THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
UH, THE 1776 IS WHEN THE DECLARATION OCCURRED.
IN REALITY, UH, THE BOSTON MASSACRE ALREADY OCCURRED IN 1770.
SO WE'RE YEARS INTO THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
ONE OF THE HALLMARK EVENTS THAT WE CAN CELEBRATE HERE IN GLAND WAS WHEN THE MARQUIS TO LAFAYETTE CAME HERE AND VISITED 200 YEARS AGO.
SO YOU SEE NOVEMBER 2ND, WE WERE GONNA BE CELEBRATING WHEN LAFAYETTE CAME TO GOLAND COUNTY IN 17, LEMME SEE,
SORRY MY MATH SKIPPED ME FOR A SECOND.
IN 1824 WHEN HE CAME HERE, AND THERE'LL BE A CELEBRATION OF TUCKAHOE PLANTATION AGAIN IN GOLAND COUNTY.
SO MORE OF THE EVENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING IN THE COUNTY FOR YOU.
NOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON LOCAL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STRESS IS LET'S STAY LOCAL.
OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, EDA AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, THEY'VE, THEY'VE GOTTEN BEHIND THE OPEN REWARDS.
IF YOU'VE GOT IT ON YOUR PHONE, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, WHENEVER YOU SHOP LOCAL AT ANY PARTICIPATING VENDOR, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR RECEIPT AND THEN YOU CAN GET CREDITED
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5% OF THAT MONEY BACK TO SPEND IN GOIN COUNTY.SO YOUR MONEY YOU SPEND COMES BACK TO SUPPORT YOU AND IT SUPPORTS OUR LOCAL VENDORS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WHICH I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DOWNLOAD ON YOUR APPS.
AND WHILE YOU'RE DOWNLOADING, HOW ABOUT PANCAKE PANCAKES? SUCH A SWEET LITTLE THING THERE.
SO WHERE ARE WE GOING? TELL YOU WHERE WE'RE GOING.
WE START WITH THE BUDGET BECAUSE THE BUDGET IS REALLY WHERE WE GO AND THE BUDGET IS THE GUIDELINE THAT WE FOLLOW.
THE BUDGET TAKES WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS HERE FROM YOU AS A COMMUNITY AND PUTS IT INTO ACTION.
WE'VE ALREADY STARTED THAT PROCESS INTERNALLY.
DEPARTMENTS ARE ALREADY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THEIR, THEIR GUIDANCE OVER WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE COMING YEAR AND TO START PLANNING A BUDGET FOR US.
WE START HOLDING INTERNAL MEETINGS WITH THEM THROUGH JANUARY.
I'LL PRESENT A BUDGET TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN THIS COMMUNITY IN FEBRUARY.
THEN WE'LL START WITH THE TOWN HALLS ON THE BUDGET IN MARCH TO GIVE YOU THE CHANCE TO REALLY GET INTO THE BUDGET YOURSELF AND SHARE THAT FEEDBACK.
THEN THERE'LL BE A PUBLIC HEARING AFTER THAT.
THEN THE BOARD WILL ACTUALLY ADOPT IT AFTER THAT BASED ON WHATEVER INPUT THEY HAVE HEARD FROM YOU AND WHATEVER INPUT THEY HAVE INTO IT FOR A FINAL BUDGET IN APRIL.
PART OF THAT, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, ARE OUR PRIORITIES, OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN EDUCATION.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, I HOPE YOU DO THAT.
WE JUST REOPENED THE ELEMENTARY, THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
THAT WAS THE SINGLE BIGGEST INVESTMENT THIS COUNTY'S EVER MADE IN ANYTHING.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE INVESTED MONEY IN YOUR, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, YOUR SHERIFF'S VEHICLES, UH, YOUR FIRE AND RESCUE.
AND THEN COMING UP, WE'VE STARTED THE PROCESS TO REBUILD A, A NEW COURTHOUSE IN THE COURTHOUSE.
NOW, THE OLD COURTHOUSE WE'RE GONNA MAINTAIN, DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT'LL BE THE FIRST NEW COURTHOUSE WE'RE BUILDING IN 200 YEARS WHEN THAT ONE GETS BUILT AND DEDICATED.
TALKED ABOUT PEOPLE COMING AND EVENTS.
LEMME TELL YOU ABOUT THE TOURISM IMPACT THIS YEAR.
WE HAD, BASED ON WHAT STATISTICS GIVEN TO US BY THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, $89 MILLION OF TOURISM IMPACT IN THIS COUNTY.
633 JOBS, $3 MILLION IN LOCAL TAXES FROM SALES TAXES WE WOULD COLLECT GAS TAXES, WE WOULD COLLECT, ET CETERA.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE STATE OF VIRGINIA TELLS US TOURISM DOES IN GTIN.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE HAPPENS IN GTIN, YOU BUY GAS.
AND WHEN YOU BUY GAS, THIS IS CRITICAL BECAUSE ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO WE STARTED COLLECTING GAS TAXES OF WHICH A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THAT MONEY STAYS IN GLAND.
TO DATE, OVER $9 MILLION HAS BEEN COLLECTED IN GLAND FOR GLAND COUNTY USES.
SO SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT I WAS TALKING TO YOU ABOUT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF WE HAD NOT HAD PEOPLE BUY GAS IN GLAND.
SO PART OF A PLEA IS THAT WHEN YOU'RE OUT SHOPPING FOR GAS, IF YOU CAN JUST WET A FEW MORE MILES TO GET HOME AND FILL IT UP SOMEWHERE HERE BECAUSE YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU FILL IT UP HERE.
IF YOU FILL IT UP IN HENRICO, THEY LOVE IT.
BUT THAT BUILDS ROADS IN HENRICO.
IT DOESN'T HELP BUILD ROADS IN GLAND.
TAP ALONG FEMALE 10 MONTH OLD.
LOOK AT THAT HAPPY LITTLE FACE.
IT'S SO HOW DO YOU GET INVOLVED IN WHAT WE DO IN GLAND? WELL, SOME OF THE THINGS, WE HAVE AN ELECTION COMING UP OCTOBER 14TH, UM, COUNTY OFFICERS CLOSED.
BUT ON THE 15TH IS YOUR LAST DAY OF REGISTER TO VOTE.
LAST DAY OF REQUESTS BALLOT BY MAIL OPEN IN-PERSON VOTING, AND THEN ELECTION DAY ON THE FIFTH.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING WE TELL PEOPLE IS VOTE, PLEASE VOTE OTHER WAYS YOU GET INVOLVED AS YOU PARTICIPATE IN MEETINGS LIKE THIS, YOU VOLUNTEER, YOU VOTE, YOU RUN FOR OFFICE OR YOU SUBMIT AN INTEREST IN SERVING ON SOME OF OUR BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T DOWNLOADED SHERIFF'S APP, PLEASE DOWNLOAD IT.
SHERIFF'S APP HAS GOT A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION AND DETAIL ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR ROADS.
AND IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN FIXING AND GO ON I 64 AND IT'S DEAD STOPPED, AND YOU SAY, GOSH, I WISH I'D KNOWN THAT.
THE SHERIFF'S APP TELLS YOU WHEN ROADS ARE CLOSED, LANES ARE CLOSED, TRAFFIC'S BACKED UP AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE DIFFERENT ROUTES.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE STRONGEST THINGS IS IT'LL POP UP AND TELL YOU THAT, THAT I 64 IS CLOSED.
BROAD STREET ROAD IS CLOSED BECAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT OR WHATEVER.
ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD SIGN UP FOR IS CODE RED.
CODE RED IS THE COUNTY'S EMERGENCY ALERT.
THAT'S HOW WE LET YOU KNOW WHEN SOMETHING OF A CRITICAL NATURE IS HAPPENING.
WE DON'T USE IT OFTEN FOR THAT REASON.
'CAUSE WHEN WE USE IT, WE WANT YOU TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
SO IF THERE ARE TORNADO WARNINGS, IF THERE'S SOME SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT THAT'S HAPPENING, UM, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A CASE WHERE, WHERE ONE OF OUR WATER LINES WENT OUT AND WE NEEDED TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY, THEY COULDN'T USE THE WATER FOR 24 36 HOURS TILL IT WAS FIXED.
SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE CODE RED STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DOWNLOAD CODE RED.
OTHER WAYS? WELL THE COUNTY'S GOT AN APP, THE COUNTY APP, YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR NOTIFICATIONS.
A VARIETY OF CHECKS YOU CAN DO TO SAY, I WANNA BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS OR THAT OR THIS OR THAT.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SAY, PLANNING AND ZONING, YOU CAN INDICATE THAT THEY'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN SOMETHING'S HAPPENING AND PLANNING AND ZONING.
THEN YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, OKAY, OR OTHER PARKS AND REC OR SOME OF THE OTHERS.
SO YOU SHOULD REALLY SIGN UP FOR THAT.
BUT ALSO JUST HAVING THE COUNTY APP ON YOUR PHONE BECAUSE IT'S THE COUNTY APP, OF COURSE EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE THE COUNTY APP
[00:25:01]
ON THERE AND THE WEEKLY EMAIL ALERTS WILL SEND OUT WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS TO YOU AS WELL.THAT KIND OF TELL YOU THE SUMMARY OF EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST WEEK IN THE COUNTY.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETS EVERY FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH.
THERE AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE US ON SOCIAL MEDIA, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, UM, INSTAGRAM, UM, LINKEDIN, AND UH, YOUTUBE.
SO WE'RE ON ALL THOSE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. FINALLY, DR.
SLUMP FRIENDLY LOOKING LITTLE KITTY, HOW CAN YOU SAY NO TO THAT? SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THIS COUNTY.
THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE MOMENT IN THE COUNTY.
WE'LL TAKE SOME QUESTIONS AFTER THIS IS OVER, BUT FOR NOW I'M GONNA TURN OVER TO DR.
I, UM, I WANNA START BY TALKING ABOUT WAYS THAT THE SCHOOLS AND COUNTY ENTITIES OVERLAP AND HAVE REALLY GOOD STRONG PARTNERSHIPS.
WE HAVE A VERY STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
THEY PROVIDE REALLY FREE OF COST TO THE SCHOOL DIVISION, FULL-TIME, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS FOR EACH OF OUR FIVE CAMPUSES, AND THAT'S A VERY, VERY UNIQUE SETUP.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY PROVIDE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR ALL OF OUR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND SCHOOL FUNCTIONS, RECIPROCITY FOR THAT WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR LARGE EVENTS.
WE CATER OUR, UH, CULINARY ARTS STUDENTS PROVIDE THE FOOD IN THE MILLS FOR THOSE OCCASIONS WITH FIRE AND, UM, RESCUE AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF CONDUCTING A SERIES OF SIMULATIONS AND A SERIES OF MEETINGS WHERE WE'RE TRAINING OURSELVES ON HOW WE SHOULD RESPOND SHOULD WE EVER HAVE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION INVOLVING OUR SCHOOLS.
SO I THANK, UH, CHIEF FERGUSON AND HIS DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS ROBIN HILLMAN FOR THAT.
ANOTHER WAY ROBIN HELPS IS THAT SHE GIVES US GOOD INTEL WHEN WE HAVE INCLEMENT WEATHER COMING IN.
I RELY ON THE SAFETY AND WEATHER REPORTS THAT SHE GIVES AND I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE 14 MONTHS AND WE'VE ONLY HAD ONE EARLY RELEASE, TWO DELAYED STARTS AND ONE CLOSURE, WHICH I THINK IS PRETTY GOOD.
BUT THOSE DECISIONS ARE DUE IN GREAT PART TO INTEL THAT WE RECEIVE FROM HER DEPARTMENT.
YOU HEARD MR. CARPENTER TALK ABOUT CUTE ANIMALS WHO ARE UP FOR ADOPTION.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT SMART KIDS.
I THINK IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT CUTE ANIMALS AND SMART KIDS IN THE SAME NIGHT, YOU'VE HAD A PRETTY GOOD TIME.
THE FALL TOWN HALL GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU THE STATE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO CONVEY TO YOU WITH CONFIDENCE THAT THE STATE OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS VERY STRONG.
WE HOSTED OUR READING OLYMPICS AT BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THIS PAST SPRING, AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I TALK ABOUT WILL BE THINGS THAT HAPPENED, SUCCESSES FROM LAST YEAR LEADING INTO WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE GOING THIS YEAR.
EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SENT A TEAM TO THE READING OLYMPICS AND THIS WAS WELL BEFORE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT.
WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN CUTTING EDGE.
I'M VERY PROUD TO SHARE THAT BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE EAGLES WON THE READING OLYMPICS THERE AT THAT SCHOOL ADDED TO READING, ADDING TO WINNING THE READING OLYMPICS.
BIRD WON FIRST PLACE IN THE LEGO ROBOTICS COMPETITION.
BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAS DONATED BY ITSELF OVER 1,500 POUNDS OF GOODS TO GLAND CARES GLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN ITS OWN RIGHT.
BY THE WAY, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE INVESTMENT THAT THE COUNTY HAS MADE INTO THE BRAND NEW SCHOOL.
THAT SCHOOL IS OVER 105,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE AND RIGHT NOW SERVES OVER 525 STUDENTS.
THAT IS THE LARGEST SINGLE ENROLLMENT WE'VE EVER HAD IN THIS COUNTY.
FOR ONE LOCATION, WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF THAT, BUT G IN ELEMENTARY ALSO HOSTED GIRLS ON THE RUN, A VERY LARGE CHAPTER OF THAT THAT TEACHES GIRLS SELF-ADVOCACY AND HEALTHY COMPETITION.
LAST SPRING WE HAD LOOK AT THESE CUTE KIDS LAST SPRING WE HAD, UH, A READING NIGHT OUT AT THE BALLPARK WITH FLYING SQUIRRELS.
A VERY POPULAR EVENT TO PROMOTE LITERACY.
RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS THE ONLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT I'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED THAT EMPLOYS A HOUSE SYSTEM.
THOSE KIDS GET AFFILIATED WITH A HOUSE WHEN THEY'RE IN PRE-K AND THEY MAINTAIN THAT AFFILIATION FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR TIME IN SCHOOL.
ALL THE RESEARCH SHOWS WHEN YOU CAN FIND WAYS TO CONNECT KIDS, BE IT THROUGH EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN SPORTS AT THE SECONDARY SCHOOL OR INITIATIVES LIKE THIS AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, YOU ARE HEIGHTENING THEIR ABILITIES TO PERFORM BETTER ACADEMICALLY.
WE ALSO HAVE AN OUTDOOR PAVILION AT RANDOLPH AND IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN IT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
IT'S ACTUALLY BACK IN THE WOODS BEHIND THE SCHOOL.
UH, THIS WAS DONE IN PARTNERSHIP OF A LOT, UH, WITH A LOT OF AGENCIES AND GIVES OUR KIDS OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE THEIR LEARNING OUTSIDE.
SUCCESS JUST ISN'T, UM, ISOLATED AMONG OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS,
[00:30:01]
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, MIDDLE SCHOOLS WHERE KIDS CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT TO GET ALONG WITH.OTHERWISE, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WONDERFUL THINGS THERE AS WELL.
HAD I STOOD BEFORE YOU THIS TIME LAST YEAR AND WHEN I STOOD BEFORE YOU THIS TIME LAST WINTER TALKING ABOUT BUDGET, GOLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL HAD A DESIGNATION THAT WAS RED FOR ENGLISH AND THE WAY THAT THE STATE MAKES THOSE DESIGNATIONS YELLOW, I MEAN GREEN IS LEVEL ONE, YELLOW IS LEVEL TWO, RED IS URGENCY LEVEL THREE, OUR ENGLISH SCORES WARRANTED A LEVEL THREE IN ONE YEAR.
THEY TURNED THAT AROUND COMPLETELY AND I'M PROUD TO REPORT TONIGHT THAT THAT IS NOW GREEN LEVEL ONE FANTASTIC WORK.
ALL DUE IN PART TO THE LEADERSHIP AT THE SCHOOL AND THE ENGLISH TEAM THERE.
THE HIGH SCHOOL HAD AN ENERGIZED AND ENGAGED DAY WHERE THEY OFFERED 38 OFFERINGS TO THEIR STUDENTS DURING THE DAY WHEN KIDS OTHERWISE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THERE.
AND THEY CAME OUT AND THEY LOVED IT SO MUCH THAT THEY'RE GONNA REPEAT THAT EFFORT.
THIS YEAR ON THE BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP FRONT, WE RECEIVED A HEAVY DONATION EQUIPMENT FROM SERGEANT THAT VALUED AT NEARLY $80,000.
THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WILL ALLOW OUR STUDENTS AND OUR HEAVY EQUIPMENT PROGRAMS TO PRACTICE WHAT THEY'RE BEING TAUGHT ON A MORE MODERNIZED PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
AND WE ARE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO OUR PARTNERS AT SERGEANT.
WE HOLD MOCK INTERVIEWS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT'S DELEGATE DAVID OWEN THERE, WHO'S ACTUALLY INTERVIEWING ONE OF OUR STUDENTS.
AND WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS WITH GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, LET ME NOT FORGET OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
THAT'S A VERY, VERY STRONG PARTNERSHIP.
THEY HELP US PLAN OUR BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE.
AND LAST MARCH WE HAD I THINK THE LARGEST TURNOUT THAT WE'VE HAD IN SOME TIME AT LEAST SINCE COVID WITH BRINGING FOLKS OUT AND SHARING WITH US THE TYPES OF SKILLS THEY WANT OUR GRADUATES TO HAVE TO BECOME THE TYPES OF EMPLOYEES THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
ALMOST AS IF I KNEW THAT WAS THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE HAD A CTE SIGNING DAY LAST JUNE, A FEW DAYS BEFORE GRADUATION, AND 28 OF OUR STUDENTS WHO YOU SEE HERE, ALONG WITH THE PEOPLE REPRESENTING THE COMPANIES WHO EMPLOYED THEM, SIGNED TO BE EMPLOYEES AT SPECIFIC CORPORATIONS.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THESE STUDENTS WALKED ACROSS THE STAGE ON JUNE THE EIGHTH AND GOT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
AND ON JUNE THE 10TH THAT MONDAY, THEY WERE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES EARNING COMPETITIVE WAGES.
THAT'S DUE ENTIRELY TO THE STRENGTH OF OUR BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS.
AND LET ME BRAG A LITTLE BIT ON THE REST OF THE GRADUATING CLASS.
OF THOSE 218 STUDENTS, 60 OF THEM HAD EARNED AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE FROM J SERGEANT REYNOLDS PRIOR TO GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL.
OF THOSE 60 48 OF THOSE STUDENTS GRADUATED WITH THE HIGHEST DISTINCTIONS FROM J SERGEANT REYNOLDS.
THAT'S OTHERWORLDLY FOR A COMMUNITY OUR SIZE.
OUR COMMUNITY IS THE LIFELINE OF THE DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM AT J SERGEANT REYNOLDS.
AND IT'S AMAZING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE SIZE OF OUR COUNTY IN COMPARISON TO OTHER LARGER LOCALES, 74% OF OUR GRADUATES EARNED ADVANCED STUDIES DIPLOMAS, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST DIPLOMA YOU CAN RECEIVE.
98% OF THE LAST COHORT GRADUATED ON TIME.
THAT NUMBER, I WISH I COULD SAY IT'S HISTORICALLY HIGH, BUT WE PEAKED AT ONE OTHER TIME IN 2020.
BUT 98% OF YOUR KIDS GRADUATING IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF.
AND I'M ALSO PROUD TO SAY THAT EVEN UNDER THE NEW ACCREDITATION MODEL, ALL FIVE OF GLAND COUNTY'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS REMAIN 100% FULLY ACCREDITED.
WE'VE SEEN SOME INCREASES YEAR OVER YEAR.
82% OF OUR STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY IN READING IN ENGLISH.
THAT IS FIRST IN THE REGION AND 14TH IN THE COMMONWEALTH.
FOR CONTEXT, THERE ARE 131 SCHOOL DIVISIONS ACROSS THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
I KNOW THIS SLIDE SAYS 1 32, BUT I BELIEVE COVINGTON CITY AND ALLEGHENY COUNTY MERGED A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
SO IT'S 1 31, BUT STILL NOTHING TO SCOFF AT IN MATHEMATICS.
83% OF OUR STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY.
THAT'S UP THREE POINTS OVER LAST YEAR.
SECOND IN THE REGION, EIGHTH IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA NICHE RATES US THE NINTH BEST SCHOOL DIVISION ACCORDING TO OUR SCHOOL REPORT, THE 12TH BEST SCHOOL DIVISION, ACCORDING TO THEIR WEBSITE AS A SEPTEMBER 30TH IN THE COMMONWEALTH AND FOR THE SEVENTH YEAR RUNNING THE NUMBER ONE SCHOOL DIVISION IN THE RICHMOND AREA.
YOU CAN APPLAUD IF YOU'D LIKE.
THIS IS WHAT REALLY EXCITES ME.
AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE 2,642 STUDENTS THAT'S UP 71 STUDENTS
[00:35:01]
FROM THE END OF LAST SCHOOL YEAR.WE HAVE NEARLY 50 MORE KINDERGARTNERS THAN WE HAD THIS TIME LAST SCHOOL YEAR AND 473 STAFF MEMBERS SERVING THESE YOUNG PEOPLE DAILY.
OF OUR STAFF, WE HIRED 41 NEW TEACHERS REPRESENTING ABOUT 18% OF OUR TEACHER WORKFORCE.
10 OF THEM WERE AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, NINE HIGH 13, MIDDLE EIGHT SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS AND A SCHOOL COUNSELOR.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS SHOWS YOU THE AVERAGE YEAR OF SERVICE BY OUR TEACHER CORPS.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR TEACHERS ARE SERVING, OH, I DID NOT CHANGE IT.
ARE SERVING YEAR ZERO TO FIVE.
THAT MEANS THAT IF WE WORK TO RETAIN THESE PEOPLE, WE SHOULD BE GOOD FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
BUT RETAINING THEM IS OUR CHALLENGE.
I'M PROUD TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE 12 NEW COURSE OFFERINGS FOR OUR KIDS TO TAKE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
FOR A HIGH SCHOOL THAT HAS FEWER THAN 850 KIDS TO HAVE 12 NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING AND NEW COURSES IS EXCITING TO ME AND I'M VERY PROUD TO HAVE THAT FOR OUR STUDENTS.
WE'VE RECEIVED DISTINCTIONS IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND COMPUTER SCIENCE AND HAVE GOTTEN GRANTS IN BOTH AREAS.
AND LAST YEAR WE HAD FIVE INDIVIDUAL APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS.
GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS NOW AN APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL DIVISION SHOWING OUR COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION AND HIGH INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY FOR MANY YEARS RUNNING.
WE'VE RECEIVED THE GFOA DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AND MRS. WEISS IS HERE TONIGHT TO TAKE THE BOW FOR THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE HEARD, BUT OUR CHIEF FINANCE OFFICER FOR 12 YEARS, DEBBIE WHITE IS RETIRING SOON AND SHE REMINDS US FAIRLY REGULARLY THAT SHE'S GOT IT'S DOWN TO EIGHT DAYS LEFT.
BUT SHE HAS BUILT A LEGACY THAT I'M EXCITED TO HAVE MRS. WEISS CONTINUE.
ALL FIVE OF OUR SCHOOLS RECEIVE STERLING STUDENT ACTIVITY FUND AUDITS, SHOWING AGAIN OUR STEWARDSHIP FOR PUBLIC RESOURCES.
AND IF YOU DIDN'T COME TO THE OPEN HOUSE FOR UCHIN ELEMENTARY BACK ON JULY THE 18TH, I'M GONNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO ARRANGE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TOUR THAT FACILITY.
IT IS A FIRST RATE STATE OF THE ART SCHOOL AND I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF IT.
MY DAUGHTER GOES THERE, SO I SPEND A LOT OF TIME THERE DROPPING HER OFF, BUT I ALSO SPEND A LOT OF TIME THERE AS A SUPERINTENDENT.
AND THERE'S AN ENERGY THAT'S GOING ON IN THAT SCHOOL RIGHT NOW THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE.
SO YOU MAY BE THINKING THAT'S THE GUY WHO LAST WINTER SPENT A WHOLE LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF A MARKET ADJUSTMENT TO MAINTAIN OUR TEACHER CORPS.
AND THAT WAS ME AND GRATEFULLY TO OUR SCHOOL BOARD AND OUR SUPERVISORS AND MR. CARPENTER.
WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT MARKET ADJUSTMENT FOR OUR SCHOOL DIVISIONS, 240 TEACHERS.
I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT MARKET ADJUSTMENT MEANT FOR OUR FOLKS.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE WERE OF THE SEVEN SCHOOL DIVISIONS THAT WE WERE COMPARING OURSELVES TO IN THE GEOGRAPHIC REGION.
WE WERE FIFTH, SIXTH, OR SEVENTH IN MOST BANDS.
HAD WE JUST DONE A 5% INCREASE, OUR TEACHERS WITH NO EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE BEEN THIRD.
AND WE WERE ALWAYS VERY COMPETITIVE THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE AT ZERO TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT.
IN OTHER WORDS, OUR STARTING SALARY HAS TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH EVERYONE ELSE, OTHERWISE WE CAN'T BRING PEOPLE IN TO GET 'EM STARTED.
WE WOULD'VE BEEN FOURTH YEARS, FIVE THROUGH 10, FIFTH 15, AND STILL NEAR THE BOTTOM FOR OUR MOST VETERAN TEACHERS WITH 2025 AND BEYOND YEARS OF SERVICE WITH THE MARKET ADJUSTMENT, THAT COMMITMENT THAT OUR COMMUNITY MADE TO OUR TEACHER CORE, WE'RE NOW THIRD AT STEP ZERO.
WE'RE SECOND FIVE TO 10, SECOND AT YEAR 15, THIRD AT 20 AND THIRD AT 25.
GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS RANKS IN THE TOP THREE SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN THE METRO RICHMOND AREA FOR TEACHER SALARIES THANKS TO THAT ADJUSTMENT.
AND NEARLY 60% OF OUR TEACHERS SURVEYED SINCE THEY RETURNED TO SCHOOL THIS YEAR SAID THAT THAT MARKET ADJUSTMENT WAS AN INFLUENTIAL FACTOR IN THEIR DECISION TO CONTINUE TO TEACH FOR GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION ON THE STATE OF THE SCHOOLS FOR THE FALL AND MR. CARPENTER AND I WILL TAG TEAM ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
WHILE WE'RE WAITING ON A QUESTION, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR SHERIFF WHO'S IN THE ROOM, AND ALSO SHERIFF, IF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN, WAS MOST RECENTLY SWORN IN AS THE SECRETARY
[00:40:01]
FOR THE STATEWIDE ASSOCIATION OF SHERIFFS.THAT'S NOT THE OFFICIAL TITLE OF THE ORGANIZATION, BUT SAME.
AND SO HE'S NOW THE LEADERSHIP OF THE ENTIRE COMMONWEALTH, WHICH ONCE AGAIN JUST SHOWS YOU THAT THE GLAND PUNCHES SO FAR ABOVE ITS WEIGHT AND WHEN WE COMPARE IT TO OTHERS.
MY QUESTION IS FOR BOTH OF YOU AT THE SAME TIME,
IT'S NEARLY A SEVEN DECADES OLD BUILDING, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF YOU NEED WATER IN SEWER TO OPERATE A SCHOOL SAFELY.
SO, SO, UM, THAT SCHOOL BEING SO OLD, IS THERE ANY HOPE THAT WE WILL GET A A A A SCHOOL THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE, YOU KNOW, WATER IN SEWER ISSUES? FIRST OF ALL, LET, LET ME TO MY KNOWLEDGE, IT'S CURRENTLY NOT UNDER ANY ISSUES OF FAILING WATER OR SEPTIC AND THEY'RE NOT ON PUBLIC SYSTEMS AT RANDOLPH, SO, SO THEY'RE ON WELL AND SEPTIC SYSTEMS THERE AND NONE OF THOSE ARE FAILING TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
PART OF THE COUNTY'S LONG RANGE.
CIP DOES SHOW A NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BEING BUILT IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY IN THE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME IN THE NEXT 10 TO 15 YEARS.
SO A NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WOULD OBVIOUSLY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THOSE ASPECTS OF IT AND DR.
ARDI CAN MAYBE ADDRESS MORE ABOUT THE BUILDING ITSELF, BUT THAT WILL AND THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS BEING BUILT OUTTA NECESSITY OF, OF AGE DUE TO THE AGE OF THE CURRENT SCHOOLS BOTH THERE AND EVENTUALLY AT BYRD, BUT NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE THERE'S NEED RIGHT NOW FOR GROWTH CAPACITY BECAUSE OF THE REZONING THAT WE DID TO PULL KIDS OUT OF THE CURRENT RANDOLPH ZONE AND OUT OF THE CURRENT BIRD ZONE, TWO GLAND ELEMENTARY, THAT STILL HAS GROWTH CAPACITY INSIDE THAT BUILDING.
IT CREATED SPACES AS MENTIONED THURSDAY NIGHT AT BOTH BIRD AND AT RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO THE NEW SCHOOLS AREN'T COMING OUT OF A NECESSITY FOR ACCELERATED GROWTH, ALTHOUGH WE ARE EXPERIENCING SOME OF THAT AND MAY CONTINUE TO WITH THE SUBDIVISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT IN THE COUNTY.
BUT THEY'RE BEING BUILT BECAUSE THE OLDER SCHOOLS ARE APPROACHING 70 YEARS OLD EACH AND HAVING SOME CHALLENGES AS A 70-YEAR-OLD SCHOOL MIGHT HAVE.
WHEN YOU PUT ON, SOMEBODY SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT BACK THE LEARNING COTTAGES POSSIBLY THAT NO MA'AM.
MISINFORMATION MA'AM? NO MA'AM.
WE WILL NOT HAVE LEARNING COLLEGE JUST BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THE GROWTH CAPACITY.
WE TOOK APPROXIMATELY A LITTLE UNDER A HUNDRED STUDENTS OUT OF RANDOLPH AND THEY WERE NOT QUITE AT, THEY WERE JUST A LITTLE OVER CAPACITY AT THE END OF LAST SCHOOL YEAR.
SO LET'S SAY IF WE TOOK 85 TO 90 STUDENTS OUT, THEN WE STILL GOT NOW GROWTH CAPACITY FOR THOSE 85 TO 90 STUDENTS.
FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS WERE GRANDFATHERED IN.
A LOT OF FIFTH GRADERS FROM RANDOLPH OPTED TO STAY AT RANDOLPH.
IF THEY HAVE A SIBLING WHO'S, UH, KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FOURTH GRADE, WE GAVE THEM ONE YEAR GRACE TO STAY WITH THAT OLDER SIBLING.
AND THEN NEXT YEAR THEY TOO WILL TRANSITION TO GUCCI ELEMENTARY.
SO THAT'S GONNA CREATE SLOTS, NOT THAT WE NEED THEM RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T, BUT THAT'S GONNA CREATE ENROLLMENT SPACE AT RANDOLPH AS IT CURRENTLY EXISTS.
AND THE SAME AS THE CASE FOR BIRD.
COULD YOU TELL ME HOW MANY OF THE, UH, THE NEW STUDENTS CAME OUT OF? YOU SAID THERE WERE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WAS THE BIGGEST, UM, UH, HAD ADDITION WITH WITH STUDENTS.
NO, HOW MANY OF THEM WERE AT, AT, UM, OLT? OKAY.
I CAN GIVE YOU LAST YEAR'S ENROLLMENTS.
LAST YEAR RANDOLPH HAD JUST UNDER 400 STUDENTS TOTAL, I BELIEVE THEIR NUMBER WAS AROUND 386, 387.
GINO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS AROUND 3 35 AND BIRD WAS HOVERING LAST YEAR, SOMEWHERE AROUND 260, 270 STUDENTS.
THOSE WERE LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS.
RIGHT NOW, RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS PROBABLY CLOSER TO THREE 20.
BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS PROBABLY CLOSER, NOT PROBABLY SOMEWHERE AROUND 230.
AND WE HAVE OVER 525 STUDENTS AT GUC ELEMENTARY.
THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S BRAND NEW.
YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S GOT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE TO ACCOMMODATE.
AND WE DID A REZONING PROGRAM TO, TO EASE SOME OF THE POTENTIAL TENSIONS WITH GROWTH AT THE POLAR OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE COUNTY.
SO YOU, YOU ARE GONNA BE KEEPING AN EYE ON, I THINK, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE GOOD FOR YEARS TO COME FROM A CAPACITY STANDPOINT.
NOW, FROM A FACILITY STANDPOINT, THAT ALL DEPENDS ON THE EBBS AND FLOW OF THE FACILITIES AND WHERE WE ARE IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANS.
[00:45:01]
AND DISCUSSIONS SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE FOR SCHOOLS TO BE BUILT, NEW RANDOLPH NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.AND BECAUSE WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT SCHOOL STAYING IN SERVICE FOR, FOR SOME YEARS STILL, THE CIP DOES SHOW INVESTMENTS IN THAT FACILITY IN UPCOMING YEARS, MAKE SURE THE HVAC SYSTEMS WORK, ET CETERA.
SO IT'S NOT A SCHOOL THAT'S ABANDONED, WE'RE STILL MAINTAINING IT, WE'RE STILL SUPPORTING IT.
AND THE PLAN HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO LAST US 10 TO 15 MORE YEARS.
THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE, THE ASSUMPTION, THE EXPECTATION AND THE REALIZATION FOR HOW IT'S GONNA WORK.
IF YOU GO INTO EITHER OF THOSE SCHOOLS, YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN A 70-YEAR-OLD SCHOOL.
THEY'VE BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED IN TERMS OF OUR CUSTODIAL AND IN TERMS OF, UM, THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE TO REVITALIZE THE SCHOOLS.
BIRD JUST THIS PAST SUMMER HAD A PARTIAL ROOF REPLACEMENT.
THERE HAD BEEN SOME HVAC WORK AROUND THE SAME TIME AT RANDOLPH.
AND THESE ARE MORE THAN JUST PATCH JOBS.
THESE ARE HIGH QUALITY INSTALLMENTS THAT WORK TO EXPAND THE LIFE OF THESE FACILITIES.
MR. CARPENTER, WE'VE SEEN SOME PRETTY GOOD SUCCESS WITH THE TEMPORARY STATION ON SANDY HOOK ROAD.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE I'D LOVE TO.
SO, UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO FOLLOWED THE, UM, WHERE THE COUNTY IS, AS YOU KNOW, BACK ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, A REFERENDUM WAS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS AS COUNTY THAT'S GONNA LET US DO SEVERAL THINGS.
ONE WAS BUILD THIS AMAZING NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
ONE IS TO BUILD A NEW COURTHOUSE I MENTIONED, AND ONE IS TO BUILD A NEW FIRE STATION AND THAT FIRE AND ALSO TO BUILD A CTE.
BUT SO THE FIRE STATION WAS GONNA BE FOCUSED ON THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
BUT AS WE STARTED GETTING INTO THAT PROCESS AND LOOKING AT IT, WE DETERMINED THAT THAT PROBABLY THE TIME WASN'T QUITE YET READY FOR THAT LOCATION.
WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE OTHER LOCATIONS THAT MIGHT NOT BE BETTER.
SO THE DECISION'S BEEN MADE NOW TO SHIFT OUR FOCUS FROM THE EASTERN PART TO THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
SO AS YOU, IF YOU EVER GO DOWN WHITEHALL ROAD AND 5 22, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A HOUSE WITH A BIG SIGN THAT SAYS FUTURE SITE.
I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT A FUTURE SITE ANYMORE.
IT'S A SITE THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY AND WE STARTED THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A PERMANENT FULLY STAFFED STATION THERE.
CURRENTLY IT'S GOT A A, A PART-TIME AMBULANCE, WHICH HAS BEEN A LIFESAVER.
AND THE CHIEF CAN TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES WE HAVE SHAVED MINUTES AND MINUTES, WHICH SAVED PEOPLE'S LIVES BY HAVING THAT VEHICLE THERE.
SO ADDING A FIRETRUCK TO IT AS WELL, THIS IS GONNA MAKE IT EVEN BETTER.
SO MR. MENNA, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
IT IS UNDERWAY AND IT'S GONNA BE AN AMAZING ADDITION, UM, TO THIS COUNTY, THIS COMMUNITY.
JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON HER, HER QUESTION.
SO YOU PULLED FROM EITHER END OF THE COUNTY ON THE OLD EXISTING ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, THE NEW G ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT, AT 510 STUDENTS, A LITTLE OVER FIVE 20.
IS THAT A CAPACITY? WHAT IS THE CAPACITY FOR THAT SCHOOL? THE CAPACITY OF THE SCHOOL? 6 75.
SO THERE'S ROOM FOR GROWTH, THERE'S ROOM FOR GROWTH IN ALL THREE SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW BY OVER A HUNDRED STUDENTS EACH.
HOW DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO THE, THE MIDDLE OF THE, THE HIGH SCHOOL? WHERE DID THAT STAND?
I'LL TALK ABOUT ENROLLMENTS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
WE SAW A LITTLE BIT OF AN ENROLLMENT UPTICK AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL BY ABOUT 21 STUDENTS.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WE LOST A NET OF ONE STUDENT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, I BELIEVE I'VE BEEN TOLD, AND MS. WHITE, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M, I'M WRONG ON THIS.
I BELIEVE THAT THE HIGH SCHOOL AT ITS HIGHEST NUMBER HAS HAD ABOUT 870 STUDENTS THIS YEAR.
WE'RE HOVERING SOMEWHERE AROUND, I THINK THE LAST NUMBER THAT I SAW WAS 830 SOME ODD STUDENTS.
SOMEWHERE, SOMEWHERE THERE THEREABOUT.
AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL COMES IN A LITTLE BIT UNDER 600.
SO THAT COMPLEX HOUSES ABOUT 1400 STUDENTS.
I WOULD IMAGINE WITH THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF IT, IT HAS ROOM TO GROW, BUT BECAUSE IT'S A SHARED COMPLEX, IT DEPENDS ON WHERE THE GROWTH IS.
WELL, ONE'S A COMMENT AND ONE'S KIND OF A QUESTION.
UM, SO I HAVE A CHILD IN ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, GIRLS ON THE RUN WAS A GREAT PROGRAM.
I KNOW IT'S AN OUTSOURCE PROGRAM.
UM, AND I KNOW IT COULD BE A BIGGER AND BETTER PROGRAM, BUT A LOT OF IT WAS THE COST.
YEAH, I THINK IT 150, $175 MAYBE TO ENROLL, WHICH, OKAY, THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A HUGE AMOUNT OF, WHEN YOU'VE GOT A KID IN SOCCER AND YOU'RE PAYING FOR THAT AND IN SOFTBALL AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, MAYBE YOU LOOK AT IT TO SEE, UM, IF THERE'S A WAY FOR THE, FOR THE SCHOOLS TO MAYBE DECREASE THAT COST.
FOR SOME OF THOSE FAMILIES THAT KIND OF LOOK AT IT AND GO, WOW, I'M SPENDING EVERYWHERE I'M LOOKING.
I'D LIKE TO GET MY KID INVOLVED.
BUT IT'S, IT'S A CHUNK OF CHANGE, SO.
MAYBE JUST A RECOMMENDATION TO MAYBE KIND OF LOOK AT THAT JUST SO WE CAN EXPAND IT AND MAYBE GROW IT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, THE DIG SITE FOR THE CTE PROGRAM IS IN THAT EXPANDED ROAD, RIGHT? THAT'S GONNA GO ON THE ROUNDABOUT? UM, NO, NO, NO MA'AM.
THAT WON'T BE AFFECTED WHATSOEVER, RIGHT? NO, NO, NO.
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IS GOING BASICALLY, UM, RIGHT NOW AND THE FINAL, UM, LAYOUT OF THE ROAD IS IT'S IN ENGINEERING.SO WE, WE ARE STILL HAVING TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHERE WETLANDS ARE, UTILITY LINES, RUN ALL THAT IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHERE THE ROAD WILL EXACTLY GO.
BUT IT'S GONNA BE IN THAT AREA THAT'S BASICALLY BETWEEN THE HIGH SCHOOL AND BETWEEN UM, THE OLD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IT'S GONNA COME SOMEWHERE ROUGHLY OUT TO WHERE THE UM, MOBILE HOME PARK IS.
IT'S GONNA COME OUT SOMEWHERE IN THAT PARK.
CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY WHERE, BUT SOME IN THAT AREA.
BUT, UH, TO MY KNOWLEDGE IT'S NEVER BEEN DISCUSSED AS CTE BEING IN THAT AREA.
OKAY, BUT THEY'RE NOT, ISN'T THERE DIG, LIKE DON'T THEY HAVE A GARAGE OR IS THERE SOMETHING THAT'S BACK THERE? BECAUSE I HEARD THAT THAT WAS GONNA BE A DIG SITE.
I MEAN MAYBE THEY TOOK SOME FIELD DIRT FROM THERE.
DIG SITE? YEAH, DIG SITE WHERE THE, UM, CT E STUDENT.
WELL THEN I'LL, I MEAN, OKAY, WELL IT, WELL THEN IT'S, IF THAT GETS DEVELOPED, THEN YES, OBVIOUSLY WE'D HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER SPOT.
BUT PART OF THE BOND ISSUANCE IS THAT CREATING A NEW CTE CAMPUS BUILDING SOMEWHERE.
AND SO IDEALLY THAT WOULD BE PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT WE WOULD DO.
ONE OF MY GRANDCHILDREN GOT CAUGHT IN AUSTRALIA WITH THE COVID AND COULDN'T LEAVE.
SHE ENROLLED IN J SERGEANT REYNOLDS GOT AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE AND FINISHED UP AT WILLIAM AND MARY AS YEAR AT THE SAME TIMEFRAME.
I'VE GOT GRANDKIDS LIVE, THREE OR FOUR MILES OF THE CROW FLIES FROM HERE AND THEY COULDN'T CONNECT WITH THE SCHOOL DURING COVID.
CAN ANYBODY GIMME MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION WHEN INTERNET IS COMING TO ROCKCASTLE ROAD?
I DON'T KNOW THE DATE, BUT AS, AS I ALLUDED TO EARLIER, THE PHASE OF THE PROJECT WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW IS THAT WHAT THEY CALL THE MIDDLE MILE, WHICH IS DOMINION OWNS MOST OF THE POWER LINES THERE, BUT DOMINION IS NOT GOING TO PROVIDE THE INTERNET SERVICE.
SO A THIRD PARTY CALLED FIREFLY IS GONNA PROVIDE THE SERVICE.
SO DOMINION HAS TO GET ALL OF THEIR LINES STRONG AND READY 'CAUSE THEY OWN THEM.
SO THAT'S THE PHASE THEY'RE AT NOW IS DOMINION.
AND DOMINION IS IN CHARGE OF THAT.
FIREFLY'S NOT IN CHARGE OF THAT.
THE COUNTY'S NOT IN CHARGE OF THAT.
DOMINION IS IN CHARGE OF THAT.
THEY GIVE US TIMELINES FOR WHEN THEY'LL BE DONE WITH CERTAIN AREAS.
NOW I BELIEVE THE ROCKCASTLE ROAD AND, AND, AND PAUL DRUM RIDE IS KIND OF OUR, OUR LIAISON WHO KEEPS UP WITH THAT ON A BETTER BASIS.
I I THINK THAT'S KIND OF IN THE SHORTER TIMEFRAME, IS IT NOT? SO EXACTLY CORRECT ON WHERE IT IS IN THE PROCESS.
AND HAPPY TO SAY THAT FIREFLY HAS ACTUALLY DONE EVERYTHING THEY CAN DO WHILE THEY'RE WAITING FOR DOMINION TO FINISH.
THEY'RE RIGHT NOW DOMINION IS, UH, FIREFLY IS PROJECTING THIS FALL TO BE ABLE TO START DOING CONNECTIONS IN THE ROCK CASTLE AREA.
SO THEY'VE DONE EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR THE CONNECTIONS TO THE HOMES.
SO THEY'VE GOTTEN THEIR LAST MILE BUILT IN THAT AREA.
THEY'RE WORKING ON OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTY TO START DOING ENGINEERING OR LAST MILE WORK IN THOSE AREAS WHILE DOMINION'S FINISHING UP THEIR WORK IN THOSE OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
BUT IT'S THE ROCK CASTLE AREA.
THEY'RE PROJECTING RIGHT NOW, FALL OF THIS YEAR TO DO IT.
IT'S GONNA TAKE A NUMBER OF MONTHS ONCE THEY START DOING CONNECTIONS.
BUT FIREFLY HAS NOT BEEN SITTING AROUND AND WAITING.
YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN A LOT OF WORK GOING ON, BUT THEY'VE GOTTEN, EVERYTHING THEY COULD DO WHILE THEY'RE WAITING IN DOMINION IS ACTUALLY ACTIVELY FINISHING UP THEIR PIECES OF SPLICING SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY THEN MOVE ON TO THAT CONNECTION PHASE.
SO I WOULD SAY YOU SHOULD START SEEING STUFF LATER THIS YEAR AND THEY'RE GONNA KEEP ROLLING UNTIL EVERYBODY UH, WHO'S SIGNED UP FOR IT IS CONNECTED.
HE'S BEEN TO ONE CONNECTION ACROSS FROM
SAID I STOPPED AND ASKED HIM, WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET HOOKED UP? HE SAID, WE DON'T HOOK YOU UP.
SO, SO HE IS A, UH, IF I'M CORRECT, HE IS A, UH, SUBCONTRACTOR FOR DOMINION.
WORKING ON THEIR PIECE OF THAT, DOING THEIR SPLICING THAT THEY NEED TO DO, CONNECT THAT SO THAT THEY CAN, THEN FIREFLY CAN COME IN AND FINISH DOING THEIR PIECE.
THEY GOTTA SPLICE INTO IT AS INTO DOMINION'S PIECE.
AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO, THEY'VE ALREADY RUN AGAIN, AS I SAID, THE LAST MILE PIECE IN THAT AREA.
THE ONLY THING OTHER THAN THAT THEY'RE WAITING ON TO NOW DO WILL BE THE CONNECTIONS TO THE INDIVIDUAL HOMES AND FOLKS WHO'VE SIGNED UP FOR SERVICE.
THE FRUSTRATING PART OF THIS IS THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT ACTION IS HAPPENING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S SLOW, WE DON'T SEE ANY OF IT.
THEY TELL US THIS IS WHAT WE'VE DONE.
WE'VE NOW GOT THE, THE, GOT THE LINES RUN PAST THIS MANY HOUSES.
BUT, SO FOR TWO YEARS NOW, THINGS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING, BUT YOU DON'T SEE IT.
'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE IT UNTIL SOMEONE ACTUALLY COMES AND HOOKS IT UP TO YOUR HOUSE.
BUT WHERE WE ARE IS, IS THEY TELL US IS THAT WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF THAT INTERMEDIARY PART OF IT, WHICH HAS TAKEN TWO YEARS OF ENGINEERING AND DESIGN AND THEN RUNNING IT FROM ALL THE LINES.
[00:55:01]
CIRCLE SPOOLED UP ON THE POWER LINES, THAT THAT MEANS THAT THEY'VE GOT THE POWER OR, OR, OR THEY'VE GOT IT THERE, BUT THEY'VE GOT WANNA TALK ABOUT SPLICING? THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT IN MY PRESENTATION.I GOT EXCITED 'CAUSE ONE SUNDAY THERE WERE THESE GUYS IN THIS BIG TENT RIGHT ACROSS FROM MY HOUSE.
THEY SPENT THE ENTIRE DAY THERE.
SO
SO, SO DOMINION'S NOT A PROBLEM.
DOMINION IS A VALUED PARTNER IN THIS WHOLE PROJECT, JUST LIKE FIREFLY IS.
FIREFLY IS OWNED BY CENTRAL VIRGINIA ELECTRIC CO-OP, AND AS WELL AS HANOCK ELECTRIC CO-OP IS ANOTHER VALUED PARTNER.
SO CVE STARTED THIS WHOLE PROJECT ACTUALLY TO FOCUS ON THEIR AREA AND THEN EXPANDED FROM THAT.
AND WE HAD TO GO AFTER GRANTS PARTNERING WITH THEM AND WITH OTHER REGIONAL BODIES TO GO AFTER GRANTS TO FUND THE EXPANSION OUTSIDE OF CBES TERRITORY.
AND SO THAT'S LED TO, UH, ADDITIONAL COMPLICATIONS INTO IT IN FUNDING MECHANISMS AND ALL OF THAT.
BUT, SO I WOULD NOT, DOMINION IS NOT WHATSOEVER HOLDING IT UP.
THEY'RE A VALUED PARTNER IN IT.
IT, WHEN YOU BUILD A NETWORK, IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO BUILD IT THE CORRECT WAY.
SO WE, WE DO APPRECIATE THE PATIENCE, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY PRAYERFUL THAT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.
THESE AREN'T QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO ANSWER ANYMORE.
ONE OTHER QUESTION FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT.
I'D BE INTERESTED, HOW MANY TEACHERS LIVE IN
SO AS I SHARE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE ABOUT 240 TEACHERS LAST YEAR, OUR NUMBERS WERE THAT 42% OF THOSE TEACHERS LIVED IN GOLAND.
58% OF THEM LIVED OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY.
THAT WAS LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS BECAUSE WE'VE HIRED 41 NEW TEACHERS.
THE MAJORITY OF THOSE NEW HIRES LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY.
SO NOW WE'RE ABOUT 36% GOLAND RESIDENTS MAKE UP OUR TEACHER CORPS.
AND THE REMAINING 64% ARE IN OUTSIDE COUNTIES OR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.
GOT TIME FOR A FEW MORE QUESTIONS AND THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE, WE'LL STILL BE HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT WE'LL TRY TO BE, UH, MINDFUL OF YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, THE I QUESTION ABOUT STRATEGIC PLAN.
I KNOW I'VE ASKED YOU ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
YOUR PRESENTATION INCLUDED GREAT DETAILS ON THE PRIORITIES OF THE COUNTY AND THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS THAT IT HAS SUCCESS INDICATORS AND I THINK THAT THAT IS CERTAINLY A WAY TO SHOW ACCOUNTABILITY.
AGAIN, YOUR PRESENTATION WAS GREAT.
YOU HAD SOME GREAT VISUALS TO SHOW PEOPLE WHAT A DIFFERENCE YOU'RE MAKING.
BUT CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT EXPIRED 2018? YES MA'AM.
AND THE, AND AND THE PLAN DID EXPIRE.
THE BOARD HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY'RE READY TO MOVE ON.
WE SPENT THIS YEAR GETTING THEM ACCLIMATED.
SO WE'RE GONNA START THE FORMAL FULL PROCESS.
WE STARTED IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR PULLING THE BOARD TOGETHER TO START GETTING TOGETHER AND TALKING ABOUT GOALS AND OUTCOMES THEY WANTED TO SEE.
THEN WE HAD A JOINT MEETING WITH THE EDA, UM, SOME WEEKS BACK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A JOINT MEETING WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD COMING UP IN DECEMBER.
AND ALL THAT THEN IS GONNA SET THE STAGE TO START A FULL SCALE.
AND, AND, AND A FULL STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, CAN TAKE A WHILE.
SO IT'LL BE AT LEAST A 12 MONTH PROCESS.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT.
YOU HAVE TO PULL PEOPLE TOGETHER.
YOU DON'T JUST, JUST WRITE IT ON THE BACK OF A NAPKIN.
SO WE'VE BEEN OPERATING VERY, VERY WELL.
AND AGAIN, THE BOARD HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY'RE READY FOR SOMETHING NEW.
WE'VE GOT A FULLY NEW ENGAGED BOARD.
IT'S GIVEN US, UM, GREAT OUTCOMES.
IT'S GIVEN US GREAT GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT.
THE SCHOOL DIVISION HAS BEEN DOING THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN ON TIME FOR THE YEARS, SO YOU WOULD PROBABLY FIND SOME GOOD HELP OVER THERE.
'CAUSE IT IS A HUGE, IT'S A HUGE UNDERTAKING.
KMAR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL YES MA'AM.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN, UM, UNDERSTAND NORMAL PEOPLE, REGULAR PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT INFORMATION THAT SAYS THAT ALL OUR SCHOOLS ARE ACCREDITED WITH THESE NEW STANDARDS REALLY DOES MEAN THAT IS HUGE.
SO IT'S OUR STUDENTS, THANK YOU.
EVERY STAFF MEMBER, THE FIRST PERSON THAT PICKS THE CHILD UP ON THE BUS TO THE PEOPLE THAT COULD FEED THE CHILDREN WITHOUT QUESTION KEEP OUR BUILDINGS AND, AND OF COURSE OUR, OUR AMAZING TEACHERS.
OH, IT'S JUST, THAT IS AMAZING.
ARE WE LOOKING AT AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL POSITION AT SOME POINT? FUNNY THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT, THAT WE, WE ARE MEETING WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD ON THE 17TH TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES AS A SCHOOL BOARD.
AND I SHARED WITH SENIOR STAFF THIS MORNING THAT THERE'S ONE PRIORITY THAT I HAVE TO BE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS ROUND.
AND THAT'S A ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL'S POSITION AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
[01:00:01]
FOR CONTEXT OF WHY THAT'S NEEDED.NOT ONLY DOES MS. MCKAY IN THIS INSTANCE HAVE, UM, WELL NEARLY 200 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS, BUT THOSE 200 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS COME WITH ADDITIONAL STAFF.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL STAFF, THAT'S ADDITIONAL PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE TO EVALUATE.
AND OUR EVALUATIONS FOR TEACHERS IN THE COMMONWEALTH ARE VERY LABOR INTENSIVE AND IT ALSO IS ADDITIONAL PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE GOTTA COACH AND DEVELOP.
I APPRECIATE YOU'RE ASKING IT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT PROVIDING.
I HAVE ONE MORE CHALLENGING QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT YOU'RE AN INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER.
SO YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THIS.
UM, WATCHED A PRESENTATION BY DR.
C***S THIS MORNING, OUR STATE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT STRATEGIES FROM THE STATE LEVEL AND UM, YOU HAD GREAT EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE ARE ENGAGING OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
BUT ONE OF THE ENGAGEMENT, UM, OPTIONS SHE SPOKE ABOUT WAS MORE CHALLENGE ON THE CLOCK HOURS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WITH ALGEBRA, HER EXAMPLE WAS ALGEBRA ONE.
SOME STUDENTS WOULD GRASP ALL OF THE ALGEBRA ONE CURRICULUM IN 90 HOURS.
ANOTHER STUDENT MIGHT TAKE 270 HOURS.
SO RATHER THAN CALL THEM A FAILURE AT 90 HOURS MM-HMM.
BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT HOW THAT HAPPENS DAY TO DAY, I'M A LITTLE WORRIED THAT THAT MEANS A LOT MORE OF TEACHERS BEING FACILITATORS AND OUR KIDS BEING MORE AT COMPUTERS.
THAT'S A GOOD THING AND A BAD THING.
'CAUSE WE, WE DO KNOW FROM COVID, WE DON'T WANT OUR KIDS JUST LEARNING.
AND OUR CHALLENGE, OUR CHALLENGE, AND I REALLY SHOULDN'T CALL IT A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY, MANY ADVANTAGES TO AN ALTERNATING A B SCHEDULE WITH YEAR LONG COURSES.
BUT A LOT OF PLACES THAT IMPLEMENT THAT WORK, PARTICULARLY FOR ALGEBRA ONE, WHERE THEY HAVE EITHER DOUBLE BLOCKED OR THEY HAVE ALGEBRA ONE, PART A, PART B, THEY OPERATE ON A FOUR BY FOUR SCHEDULE, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS THAT THEIR COURSES ARE SEMESTER LONG AND THEN AT THE SEMESTER MARK THEY SWITCH.
WE DO HAVE SEMESTERS, BUT OUR KIDS TAKE THE COURSES FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE YEAR.
SO WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO OFFER AN ACCELERATED ALGEBRA ONE? I CAN'T SAY THAT WE DON'T ALREADY.
I BELIEVE THAT WE DO HAVE SOME COURSES WHERE KIDS CAN BE ACCELERATED IF THEY HAVE THE ACUMEN TO MOVE AT THAT PACE.
AND WE HAVE COURSES THAT MOVE AT A SLOWER PACE FOR KIDS WHO MAY STRUGGLE.
I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW IF IT'S TO THE LEVEL OF WHAT YOU JUST OUTLINED, BUT WE DO HAVE THOSE PARAMETERS.
I WILL, I WILL HAVE TO SAY, I WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND YOU GOTTA FORGIVE ME FOR THIS, BUT IT WAS ONE MORE DAY IN MY LIFE.
ANYWAY, LET'S GET, YOU'VE ENJOYED WITH ME IN RECOGNIZING WHAT EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP WE HAVE AND, AND WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE AND WE'RE ALL PROUD TO BE AT GOOSE LANDERS.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
WE HAVE STAFF THAT'LL BE AROUND STILL FROM PUBLIC SAFETY, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, MYSELF, DR.
KAMAR ALSO, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE HALL, DR.
YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THEM? YOU CAN.
I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT, I GUESS I BETTER, UM, I GET IN TROUBLE WHEN WE DON'T HAVE COOKIES, SO I PROBABLY SHOULD GIVE CREDIT WHEN WE DO THE COOKIES THAT ARE OUT FRONT.
AND I ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO TAKE AS MANY AS YOU WANT.
WE PREPARED PLENTY ARE MADE BY OUR CULINARY ART STUDENTS UNDER LEADERSHIP OF CHEF ERBA.
AND IF YOU'VE NEVER HAD ONE OF OUR CULINARY COOKIES, I WANT TONIGHT TO BE YOUR FIRST.
AGAIN, WE'RE HERE FOR QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.