[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6115933,"mediaKeyId","2734727-464ab288ea847506afdc272d9f67ed3f","parentId",2734727,"title","Public speakers raise concerns about Booker T. Washington school conditions and workplace climate","audioSeconds",229,"startMs",11835000,"endMs",12064000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2734727-464ab288ea847506afdc272d9f67ed3f&start=11835&end=12064","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2734727-464ab288ea847506afdc272d9f67ed3f/thumbnail_11835000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6115933/Virginia/Public-speakers-raise-concerns-about-Booker-T-Washington-school-conditions-and-workplace-climate","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6115933-3d5141435a474a50279343bcd2d50be1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770986009&Signature=E0i9~jkTrT2p3JC9XIrM3dY-l3Rit5RVUayxE32f10c79x55jjyEGCxNMQr4vOcZU6tWX3KJ4LiwPl0TzklZJ5JZlQPffCLYMz8pjIybWLN4Z6jo3~mJZiEt-KVF9pFT64qWxcNbVzsttydY2yv2lmRyEEMhyCqGr-l7L9XTxUqzxwe8D~NbB22pOVKjjFxxrR6l5KdjNqEHp21mANYEdzpnxeFMzYvRt2d1xKl-n-PHvPY9lFrRrERL1KBXwdrSxM15hP26jaDtVi6eXPuposXmBEQkhPK6fKIR35wClgDdQD89cX3Mm~TDXgblR4xOgn417u~OB7C31DbJ9HBTHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Norfolk City Public School","date","2025-03-20T12:29:39Z","article","At the March 19 Norfolk Public Schools business meeting, six public speakers addressed the board during the citizen-comment period, raising separate but overlapping concerns about workplace climate for teachers, facility conditions and alumni involvement at Booker T. Washington High School, and transparency around a proposed increase in board compensation.

Rakita Robinson, a first-grade teacher who identified herself as a member of the National Norfolk Federation of Teachers, said staff have experienced a \"toxic environment\" and asked the board what steps teachers can take if they feel targeted by administration. She told the board staff have adapted to unreasonable demands and asked about resources for educators facing harassment or discrimination.

Yvonne Wagner, representing the Unified Alumni Group of Booker T. Washington, and Jacqueline L. Scott, a 1966 Booker T. Washington graduate, urged the board to address multiple concerns at Booker T. Washington High School: frequent fire-department responses that disrupt instruction, low enrollment, ongoing mold and rat problems, requests for certification that mold has been removed, and questions about the school's STEAM curriculum implementation and equity in student distribution across schools. Wagner asked whether windows needed tinting to prevent people from seeing into the school and asked for documentation resolving prior asbestos concerns.

Catherine Tyler, a 39-year NPS retiree and current adult-education teacher, noted a Booker T. Washington graduate had received a superintendent-of-the-year award in the region and offered that as positive news for the community. Liz Albert, a community member with no children in NPS, raised transparency concerns after learning the board had discussed a proposed salary increase for board members at a retreat and urged the board to re-open the discussion in full public view. Diane Bacon announced a Shoes That Fit distribution of sneakers at Richard Bowling Elementary on a forthcoming date and invited board members to attend.

Speakers were limited to three minutes each under board rules. Board members did not respond to public comments during the meeting; staff and board did not announce formal follow-up actions during the public comment segment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","LIVE School Board Meeting: 3-19-25 (4:00 p.m.)","oneSentenceSummary","During public comments at the March 19 meeting, teachers, alumni and community members raised concerns about workplace toxicity, building conditions at Booker T. Washington High School (including mold and rodents), low enrollment, curriculum and transparency on board compensation.","taxTitle","NORFOLK CITY PBLC SCHS, School Districts, Virginia","taxId",14513,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6115938,"School board waives regulation, approves educational facilities planning steering committee appointments",171,13716000,13887000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2734727-464ab288ea847506afdc272d9f67ed3f&start=13716&end=13887","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2734727-464ab288ea847506afdc272d9f67ed3f/thumbnail_13716000.jpg","/articles/6115938/Virginia/School-board-waives-regulation-approves-educational-facilities-planning-steering-committee-appointments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6115938-ad3eec3da0fa2559be6271e30b21db7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770986009&Signature=maKFXKLynIQz2zYix1xkuen-Hd5pbAnKWY8f3vcFrxcd4RdhtAeFY2pDxC7T0lG4z7DJinHlK8~xAmh5h4tiTFi8QqNCZmYU3KlsWU3mIFzdUmOREQLKL6k4b3DcLKn7gdxFU2SozhDiRMxrkGDMxKLOwjBYFuTna0KciaESnuMBw23JFPLbK6jXW5lGV0uBcaApqaw9wE0btCAbr5lZUoUUKGaUiuLx8pi702h2DAnZv3VSIrEQkYRPri6CT0NM2W3DSyIejsJ9BiUT1F~dkVDHayRYOSnov2FeWPLgWi16rtUZy1MczzyRr1AlPtuWm9A5R76rdvnyHxa2AsVVDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On March 19 the Norfolk Public Schools board voted to suspend regulation BCF-R, which ordinarily requires that citizen advisory committee appointments be presented at one meeting and voted on at a subsequent meeting, and then approved a slate of citizen members to the Educational Facilities Planning Steering Committee that evening.

Board counsel and staff advised that the regulation permits appointments to be posted and brought forward for vote at a later meeting. The board voted to waive the regulation after a motion to suspend it and a second; the roll call showed the motion to suspend was approved. Following that vote, a motion to approve the posted list of candidates was moved and seconded and passed by roll call.

Board members said they wanted the steering committee work to proceed without delay; one member said time was of the essence with the end of the school year approaching. The updated list of appointees was available to the public at the meeting, and the board chair called the vote after brief remarks and congratulations to those appointed. The board did not enumerate the full list of names on the floor during the public portion of the meeting; staff confirmed an updated list had been posted.","The Norfolk school board voted to suspend its regulation requiring staggered public consideration of advisory-committee appointments and approved the slate of citizen members to the Educational Facilities Planning Steering Committee at the March 19 meeting.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6115943,"Norfolk school board adopts $772.9 million all-funds operating budget for FY 2025–26",204,13510000,13714000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2734727-464ab288ea847506afdc272d9f67ed3f&start=13510&end=13714","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2734727-464ab288ea847506afdc272d9f67ed3f/thumbnail_13510000.jpg","/articles/6115943/Virginia/Norfolk-school-board-adopts-7729-million-all-funds-operating-budget-for-FY-202526","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6115943-9b1ad462846304f6ade4556aac8d27a3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770986009&Signature=fDzQCInor9lu~4CuRoNlcttzBguUtTCHR~hkEvm4y0cOHtv~InWU2xc256bLb1lYbZlA7EE4lX2E2i1yMc-VuyUrFbdO8MfqKfi3Lm5MTQzqmGLy2npe2cR5m-2XKXmBnQld8-hBYYLzE6g--cDcgytYtuH0IHxNaUhd0Z07OWxIOetGPwAK2o9qYkSvw9FVtTYdnlnhKttQlqwruc3XoJ97h8D0mwH1SAQG0dynhFCglpbEK1XkQAAE-r5Tri9NG6p877SKzTrkFxoIbdwunSjg0jUET9b7hAJMuFWjBTE3z67mi9DalcU6V23s17lutAOBRY8wCIJL-N9~UtDXwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On March 19 the Norfolk Public Schools board approved the division’s proposed fiscal year 2025–26 operating budget, adopting an all-funds plan the administration described in its presentation as approximately $772.9 million.

The budget presentation listed components as: a $450,000,000 general fund, a $26,900,000 school nutrition fund, a $42,800,000 grants and special programs fund, and a $253,000,000 capital improvement projects fund, for an all-funds total the administration stated as $772,900,000.

Board members moved and seconded the motion to adopt the budget; the motion carried in a roll-call vote with six members voting yes and one member voting no. The board’s roll call shows the budget passed after a brief discussion in which a member expressed opposition, saying there was insufficient evidence that the proposed budget advanced the board’s stated goals and asking for a more disciplined, strategic approach to ensure equitable resource distribution at harder-to-staff schools. The board did not amend the budget that night.

During the financial-report portion of the meeting staff had earlier summarized year-to-date collections and expenditures for the fiscal year that began July 1, 2024, noting general fund collections of roughly $294 million through February (reported as approximately 63% of the general fund budget) and that expenditures plus encumbrances were roughly $301.7 million (about 64.6% of the budget) for the same period.

The budget adoption followed the board’s vote to approve the consent agenda and other items earlier in the meeting. The board asked follow-up financial questions during the meeting about specific lines in the February financial statement and requested additional detail on certain encumbrances and credit-card transactions; staff said it would provide clarifying information as a follow-up.","The Norfolk Public Schools board voted 6–1 on March 19 to adopt the fiscal year 2025–26 operating budget. One board member opposed the budget, citing concerns over equitable distribution to harder-to-staff schools.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6115948,"Norfolk school board reviews progress and shortfalls on advanced-studies diploma goal",1911,169000,2080000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2734727-464ab288ea847506afdc272d9f67ed3f&start=169&end=2080","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2734727-464ab288ea847506afdc272d9f67ed3f/thumbnail_169000.jpg","/articles/6115948/Virginia/Norfolk-school-board-reviews-progress-and-shortfalls-on-advanced-studies-diploma-goal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6115948-af30adb2e0815ec29bbdaff92b0bdd5e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770986009&Signature=iqmGA8vL2Phn1kNx7TaN1XppsBovBGU6YUDxu-zZbBAMoQIwSH4NWTAkPMeKZXTi4TmKsuHxtoaoR9h-0A286B5NjWNr4m~qFT9oj8tHQveTZ7Z2ewQGLqHw5trKbu1BqQ0dbBKufG3wo89WuwQVODFHrI~TR9AG7bnOHVuqTWIzOge1c~Gw9O6nimnX1Q0yuqnTioQGgjSRXbnUe9y7jZ7SyUMp~WUfeHq~WzlLqKCNYG9HMSspCbvr~ZJQkhVpVzXqhmJ8lauLNjgX3B1GeFNxnIN214W7yshWLfkOSuIS1opj5yEoVPuF6RpQpc4hYgFLXySkdkXLLvY~58~dIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a March 19 school board workshop, Norfolk Public Schools staff reviewed interim measures tied to Board Goal 5 — the percentage of NPS graduates receiving advanced-studies diplomas — and reported that the district's cohorts are currently off track to meet board targets.

Dr. Pohl, presenting the standard report, told the board that when the goal was set the district average was 35.3% and the state average was 51.5%, and that the board’s long-range aim is for students to meet or exceed the state average by the end of the 2026–27 school year. For the class of 2027, the board set a target that 47% be on track for an advanced-studies diploma; staff said the cohort showed a 1.2-point decline from first to second quarter and is currently off track to meet that target under the metric the district uses.

The report identified mathematics and science as the courses with the highest failure rates for the 2027 cohort and noted that foreign-language enrollment and credit completion are a key part of the advanced-studies metric: \"any current student in this cohort that is not enrolled in a language course or that has not completed credit in a language course would fall off of the metric,\" Dr. Pohl said. Staff described MajorClarity (academic and career planning) and Edmentum courseware as among the district’s tools to identify at-risk students and deliver targeted interventions.

Board members asked for more detailed breakdowns. A board member requested a “detailed breakdown of the failure rates by school and demographics and population,” and staff responded that while such demographic breakdowns were not included in the slide packet shown that evening, school-level monthly data meetings and principal briefings are conducted and the administration can provide a school-by-school, demographic breakdown on request.

Discussion also covered cohort specifics: the district follows four-year graduation cohorts, which can shift if students repeat grades or change enrollment, and that transition to a 4x4 schedule could give some students additional chances to take the language sequence needed for the advanced-studies diploma. Staff cautioned that many of the strategies described are longer-term and that the current cohorts entered high school before the board set the goal, limiting how quickly course enrollments can be changed.

Board members pressed for clarity on the courses driving failure rates. Staff said algebra and geometry showed higher failure rates in high school math and noted that when students fail unit assessments teachers can assign targeted Edmentum modules to reteach standards and reassess during the year rather than waiting until year end. Staff also said the division is working to ensure language offerings are available in all middle-year programs but identified occasional staffing and course-request limits that have prevented some students from enrolling.

Next steps described by staff include continued counselor-identified interventions, use of Edmentum for targeted remediation, family engagement in early intervention meetings, expansion of MajorClarity work into elementary grades, and department-level professional development to improve instruction.

The board did not take a vote on the measures that evening; members asked staff to return with more granular school- and demographic-level data to help target interventions.","At a March 19 school board workshop, Norfolk Public Schools staff reported declines and ongoing interventions across three cohorts tied to Board Goal 5, which seeks to raise the percentage of graduates earning advanced-studies diplomas to meet or exceed the statewide average.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public speakers raise concerns about Booker T. Washington school conditions and workplace climate

School board waives regulation, approves educational facilities planning steering committee appointments

Norfolk school board adopts $772.9 million all-funds operating budget for FY 2025–26

Norfolk school board reviews progress and shortfalls on advanced-studies diploma goal