[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"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","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,75,87],{"_32":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":73},"mediaId",6099187,"mediaKeyId","2820638-43000179bb6b9bdb6f3b35df285873c1","parentId",2820638,"title","Community Outreach Coalition and student urge continued TRIO/federal-grant support at Portsmouth school board meeting","audioSeconds",69,"startMs",2974000,"endMs",3043000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2820638-43000179bb6b9bdb6f3b35df285873c1&start=2974&end=3043","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2820638-43000179bb6b9bdb6f3b35df285873c1/thumbnail_2974000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6099187/Virginia/Community-Outreach-Coalition-and-student-urge-continued-TRIOfederal-grant-support-at-Portsmouth-school-board-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6099187-37620f89306411ad26404c8773358173/orig.mp4?Expires=1769954056&Signature=agzTzztMYCZhkCDbrsqGYWNxMxEBqizE6dSqzw1-zmfQAwXK~snFQ9tSCOBbNZzXxFsvmU40nP3SrxYqOjs11DQLWavWgEA7S7weZpEwde8QlFvSZmqZwBPTjN8XTUAruVJQUBDl1gRBqV7jIhmRynmub0s84x15yTEGj0uuzLYYgnGHYBDeAK-vUQGRZW8Obr~tcy8FSg--tVjty0jQdObnaNXRAqfYnA4LAwAEBMILEfGwk2gFXCrHodpJDatwUV63D4dBCwwYkEdf0lyoxX0Raym6763YRcOF4rVp4Tzv-8wLkpM~otEYbHuYDnB9REbbL70PpC-S13b2AQWjKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Portsmouth City Public School","date","2025-03-28T12:41:25Z","article","A representative of the Community Outreach Coalition and a high school student addressed the Portsmouth Public Schools Board on March 27 to describe the local impact of TRIO and other federally funded college-readiness programs and to ask for continued support amid concerns about federal grant funding.

Dr. Kendra Robinson, identified herself as the CEO and founder of the Community Outreach Coalition and said the nonprofit serves about 500 middle and high school students across the division. Robinson told the board that 90 students are participating in a reset remediation program at three middle schools and that federal grants are a significant funding source for the Coalition's services. She described recent advocacy trips in which students met Speaker of the House Don Scott and other delegates in Richmond and, she said, two students spoke with senators in Washington, D.C., to explain the programs' importance.

\"Federal grants are a significant source of our funding and with potential funding cuts on the horizons, it has been more important for our students to have their voices heard,\" Robinson said.

Christina Hatcher, introduced as a sophomore at IC Norcom High School and a TRIO participant, told the board her TRIO experience began in a reset remediation program and expanded into Talent Search and an internship. She said college tours changed her future plans and that she recently met state and federal legislators to advocate for program support. \"TRIO isn't just a program. It's a path to success,\" Hatcher said.

Board members thanked Robinson and Hatcher for the testimony. The speakers framed TRIO as a conduit to academic support, college exposure and civic advocacy for participating students; Robinson asked the board to continue partnerships that enable the Coalition to serve students.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Regular Meeting 3.27.25","oneSentenceSummary","A Community Outreach Coalition representative and a student said federal funding supports academic and college-readiness programs serving hundreds of Portsmouth students; they urged the board to continue backing TRIO and related services amid potential federal cuts.","taxTitle","PORTSMOUTH CITY PBLC SCHS, School Districts, Virginia","taxId",14514,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":76,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":77,"_40":78,"_42":79,"_44":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6099192,"Portsmouth schools highlight social studies push: living-history events, VDOE crosswalks and SOL implementation",513,3158000,3671000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2820638-43000179bb6b9bdb6f3b35df285873c1&start=3158&end=3671","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2820638-43000179bb6b9bdb6f3b35df285873c1/thumbnail_3158000.jpg","/articles/6099192/Virginia/Portsmouth-schools-highlight-social-studies-push-living-history-events-VDOE-crosswalks-and-SOL-implementation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6099192-e0b7ae3b0bd3587f58464d7019cdd9b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1769954056&Signature=EkWRKd5MgwvKzhrGe-ACOhWiXF6OKJIzTX2sExnWXuLS2in8YaS1eBb7izTvXtKrfZjQzK5hFgkiziFntOpysJ3L~cCu93HrPGZbTWmpxpsG-OCczciznKLwu0dPh1fZo6v32CqPv-3TwYKKV-~pIJvxVt4mn9FjL-OhbxyhKSsrk9~aUpTXVK7hlIYCl4XoS3HF7BuHa1rm1dcmEmJVYowZJ-NAY01W3-8n~Wg9-8VqAMv3sWKpozZDACr7ZDMbOZTKtAK1E4~KkRexTOw6mOyDXCVmdeFIaNCuJgLY4zNyIg5gBvrH-wL0TQrxs1CPGipHBz~OhobyAQUS6-mSIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Portsmouth Public Schools' curriculum leaders told the school board on March 27 that the division has expanded experiential social studies activities this year and is preparing to implement new Virginia standards of learning for history and social sciences in 2025–26.

Carla Jacobowski, the division's elementary social studies coordinator, described partnerships with History Alive, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, the American Civil War Museum, and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation to provide hands-on learning opportunities. Jacobowski said the division took students to a living-history event that included a reenactment of the Battle at Scotts Creek and activities tied to Virginia's 250th celebration; she said students also participated in mock elections and voting activities that engaged K-12 students in civic practice.

\"These sessions have provided strategies for integrating primary and secondary sources to support historical inquiry,\" Jacobowski said, describing professional development for teachers aimed at building literacy and historical thinking skills.

Secondary social studies leaders and guest speakers also highlighted field trips and classroom activities: visits by the city registrar to explain voting and to offer voter pre-registration opportunities for students, a courthouse visit by Waters Middle School eighth-graders to examine the local judicial branch, and a mock assembly-line activity to teach industrial-age labor issues.

Jacobowski told the board that the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has released crosswalk documents and that the division has posted the materials in its curriculum platform, EduPlanet, to help teachers prepare for the new standards. \"The new standards of learning for history and social sciences are scheduled to be fully implemented in the school year 2025–26,\" she said; curriculum staff said they will share additional VDOE instructional guides as they become available.

Students who participated in learning events appeared in a short video played for the board; speakers in the video described the events as more engaging than textbook learning and said they gained historical perspective from the activities.

Board members asked questions after the presentation; Vice Chair Atkinson said she planned to attend a related community event and thanked staff for the work. Jacobowski and colleagues closed by inviting board support for continued classroom and community partnerships as the division transitions to the updated SOL framework.

","Curriculum leaders presented a year of social studies programming March 27, describing reenactments, museum partnerships, mock elections and new Virginia Department of Education guidance to be implemented in 2025–26.",{"_32":88,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":89,"_40":90,"_42":91,"_44":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6099197,"Portsmouth school board approves proposed FY 2025–26 operating budget, calls on city to cover $6.7 million shortfall",2825,2373000,5198000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2820638-43000179bb6b9bdb6f3b35df285873c1&start=2373&end=5198","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2820638-43000179bb6b9bdb6f3b35df285873c1/thumbnail_2373000.jpg","/articles/6099197/Virginia/Portsmouth-school-board-approves-proposed-FY-202526-operating-budget-calls-on-city-to-cover-67-million-shortfall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6099197-5eb0f03570c9ceb6ff25b4eb2acd135b/orig.mp4?Expires=1769954056&Signature=Ns83f90wqVuL3WkaPbTYKNUrRXOZuZj9y7Mqbd1taqFhOD~RY-aLcb8zl~ymQcQMwyz6CIZgkDD1xhQdPTEFmRp~4yErr-lDdAA3FzPZsqqsLwyy1IIh5-Sges7JhcYz-sXLbhK4QjUF-u3M-v2jRFNJqQ8O-lmG3fNP-NMcFUBmYUBq5uM8sFheEykqJwlvF09kR2qcpU2VzvReRnzZk7TBi5nXFZxqBpXqvy5uKRUo86XAgvqXWvMgZgD21iX0zKONXX58zZg0xJ6RcENRswbsM1pKPH3ERRlmN~wDABRYB8B3lyTpb3fsT1FBPryWM2vVBfaZ1oUsA1mXcIdgBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Portsmouth Public Schools Board unanimously approved a proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2025–26 at its March 27 regular meeting, but board members pressed city leaders to provide roughly $6.7 million more than the city manager's proposal to fully fund planned staff compensation increases.

Board approval followed a staff presentation of revenue and shortfall figures. Finance staff said the division's total revenue baseline was $78,746,746, which had included a contingency tied to last year's state salary increase. After adjustments staff said the city's base revenue contribution for the coming year stood at about $75,642,160; the city manager's proposed budget added approximately $5,736,165 to local revenue, bringing local funding to about $81,000,003 and leaving the division about $6.7 million short of the school board's proposed spending plan.

That shortfall matters, members said, because the board's request was intended to cover a compensation study and step increases designed to retain and recruit staff. \"We are neither asking for wants; we are asking for needs,\" Vice Chair Atkinson said during the discussion. Several board members urged constituents to follow city council action and asked council members to reconsider the city manager's recommendation.

Superintendent Dr. Eli Bracey III told the board that, if the city's proposal remains unchanged, he would review existing programs and present \"unpopular recommendations\" to reduce spending. \"I'm gonna have to take a hard look at some existing programs and make some unpopular recommendations to the board,\" Bracey said.

Board members described potential consequences if the additional local funding does not materialize. Members noted classroom coverage by long-term substitute or virtual instructors and cited the division's difficulty retaining teachers without competitive pay. \"We pay you very well year one through four. You get your training, you get paid, then you leave to get paid more somewhere else,\" one member said, arguing that compensation is a driver of turnover.

Motion and vote: Vice Chair Atkinson moved to approve the proposed operating budget; Miss Sessoms seconded. The board carried the motion on a roll-call vote described in the meeting as unanimous among members present.

The board's approval at this meeting is a step in the budget process; the division will forward the proposed operating budget to the city and continue negotiations and public advocacy to secure additional local funding. The board and staff repeatedly urged residents and stakeholders to follow the city council's deliberations and contact council members about the funding gap.

Acknowledging the uncertainty, finance staff and board members said they would return with specific recommendations if the city does not increase support. The superintendent said any program reductions he might recommend would be presented to the board for consideration.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the proposed FY 2025–26 operating budget by unanimous roll call. The motion to approve was moved by Vice Chair Atkinson and seconded by Miss Sessoms.

","At its March 27 meeting the Portsmouth Public Schools Board voted unanimously to approve a proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2025–26 that depends on additional funding from the city; finance staff said the city manager's proposed package left about $6.7 million unmet, putting planned compensation increases at risk.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Community Outreach Coalition and student urge continued TRIO/federal-grant support at Portsmouth school board meeting

Portsmouth schools highlight social studies push: living-history events, VDOE crosswalks and SOL implementation

Portsmouth school board approves proposed FY 2025–26 operating budget, calls on city to cover $6.7 million shortfall