School Board office to move to Northwood
By WILLIAM PAINE
Patriot Publishing
Tuesday evening’s school board meeting began with Superintendent Rob Graham recommending the expulsion or long-term suspensions of four Pulaski County Public Schools students.
School board members voted unanimously to support Graham’s recommendations, which resulted in one student being expelled, while two other students were suspended for the entire fall semester. A fourth student will be allowed two months to complete the GED program at the PCHS Cougar Center before leaving the school system.
By far the most significant aspect of Tuesday evening’s meeting came in the form of an action item regarding the “Northwood Project,” which Superintendent Graham presented to the board.
The action item allows the school system to take funds from its Capital Improvement account to pay for roof replacement, fiber optic installation and asbestos abatement at the former Northwood Elementary School building. Funds from this account will also be used for architectural planning.
The passage of this action item served as the official public notification that Pulaski County Public Schools will move their offices from their current location at the bank building on the corner of Washington Avenue and East Main Street in Pulaski to the Northwood Elementary School building, which, until recently, served as the home of the Southwest Virginia Governor’s School.
The cost of these renovations is expected to total approximately $800,000. In addition, the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors has agreed to loan the school system up to $1.5 million, if renovations cost more than expected or if plans change significantly.
Vice Chair Gina Paine mentioned that the cost of rent for the current location of the school board offices has risen dramatically, as have repair costs for the building. PCPS must pay for all needed renovations costing more than $5,000.
Chairman Josh Taylor noted that PCPS has already installed two new roofs on the building, adding, “We do all the renovation.”
Recently, the air conditioning system of the PCPS office building failed. The cost of replacing the AC system in the building was estimated at $25,000. Fortunately, Director of Facilities Jess Shull was able to get the system functioning again, but this was a temporary fix.
“It’s unreliable but we’ve got it working now,” said Shull.
Graham expressed his desire to have all administrative offices moved to Northwood by the summer of 2025 and that the new home of the PCPS would have a “really nice boardroom.”
According to Graham, the School Board first moved into the Washington Avenue building in the 2003-04 school year.
The school board voted unanimously to appropriate the funds for renovating the Northwood building.
After recognitions of teacher, student and employee of the month, the board recognized Laura McDowell and Angela Price for their work with the PCPS Book Bus.
Over the summer the Book Bus made 40 stops and gave away 1,569 books, 200 stickers and 1,600 freeze pops. The program, which was only conceived in April of this year, was considered a great success and will continue in the summer of 2025.
Megan Atkinson, Director of Career and Technical Education, gave a presentation about physical education. Atkinson, who began her career as a Phys. Ed teacher, went into detail about physical education, health education and driver education courses that are offered to PCPS students.
“Fantastic,” said Taylor at the end of Atkinson’s presentation.
Paine inquired about the Social and Emotional Development aspect of the PE program and Atkinson agreed to send her the details of the curriculum.
Student Representative Jeremiah Turner updated the board about recent prayer circles hosted by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, one of which was dedicated to the PCHS students who were involved in a serious car crash following the first football game of the season.
Owing to the popularity of these gatherings, Turner suggested that the FCA hold prayer sessions once a month at the school’s Little Theatre. Superintendent Graham replied that this could be easily accomplished.
Turner also suggested that PCPS students have access to study halls, which would allow students who have afterschool activities or jobs to get homework done at the school without having late nights upon their return home.
Lastly, Turner suggested that the schools use the PA systems to remind students of club gatherings and other activities that take place at the schools.
Paine asked if announcing these events over the PA system would be more effective than sending students emails, which is done as a matter of course.
“I think it would be more effective because if they’re like me, I generally don’t look at my emails,” responded Turner.
“Finally, someone admits it,” quipped Taylor, as many in the room laughed out loud.
Though no action was taken on the matter, the school’s cell phone policy was also discussed at the meeting. The guidance given by the Virginia Department of Education is to ban cell phones from “bell to bell,” meaning the entire school day.
Currently Pulaski County High School allows students to bring their cell phones to school, but only allows them to be used before the start of the school day, at the end of the school day and during lunch.
Students in grades 6 through 8 are allowed to have their phones but are prohibited from using them, even on the bus ride home.
Graham said that these cell phone policies were working well and suggested that they be maintained. However, he suggested that cell phones be banned entirely in kindergarten through 5th grade.
The policy with students who use their cell phones when they are not allowed to use them has been changed since last year, when a student had to be caught five times before there were any consequences.
At the middle school for example, the new rule is that the first time a student is caught using a cell phone during unauthorized times of the day, that cell phone will be confiscated and the parents of that child must retrieve the device.
Punishment for unauthorized cell phone usage and general cell phone policy will be standardized throughout the school system when the school board votes on the official cell phone policy at an upcoming meeting.