[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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",6167890,"mediaKeyId","5409976-93e85a4d989d4cdd9df1c4ae0339f256","parentId",5409976,"title","PCPS outlines recruitment push and 82 school‑based vacancies; board questions central‑office staffing","audioSeconds",441,"startMs",7511000,"endMs",7952000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5409976-93e85a4d989d4cdd9df1c4ae0339f256&start=7511&end=7952","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5409976-93e85a4d989d4cdd9df1c4ae0339f256/thumbnail_7511000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6167890/Virginia/PCPS-outlines-recruitment-push-and-82-schoolbased-vacancies-board-questions-centraloffice-staffing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6167890-616191920041f4fdb5479bbfac0b397c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770614489&Signature=mayp8mF1d3fQaA3nFHllcYkjI0MqBSJy-kVm73l8b4ORkdI25s4H28hwIdW9YrJc~4BqEU555aRg3Byqf9eW8Qr5q7R-E6GID4zqMdcMGeMw0aAEQtVQgS2uVGiqHY4FCtI2-q-buC38IDAeEQTcGxsUpsUbWlTaAWa-N0MNtP96Vk3XLCYZEiF3sTKVDYV4rpUVyUVguLdyCa1UJtmWbc353JU3N0D5WCJINVDWAZXylyUV53J3GdKqdC5MHXJuUi6NLaIQcX~nvR69cd63oueNBCCaaCJc6q8B17nB7S-JJT8d-uabCL~gLX~cxfZRIe7dBL9cOjL6yVufJyJeow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Petersburg City Public Schools","date","2025-07-17T10:50:15.23Z","article","Petersburg City Public Schools’ human resources office presented a multi‑pronged recruitment plan to the school board on July 16 and released vacancy counts that prompted questions from board members about central‑office staffing and pay.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Shamika Long Lane and personnel specialist Duane Brown outlined tactics including boosted social‑media ads, targeted ads, career pop‑ups at Vernon Johns Middle School and the Petersburg Public Library, and a digital ad that ran on displays at Richmond International Airport. “One of the things we are going to be doing is employee branding,” Brown said, adding the division has begun using QR‑code job ads and boosted posts to increase clicks.

HR said the Frontline applicant tracking system, launched May 1, increased average applications per week to about 35. The division reported a school‑based vacancy snapshot of 82 positions (44 early childhood/elementary, 16 middle/high and 6 school‑based administrative vacancies) and a separate 41 vacancies in the school board office (35 “other” vacancies and 6 administrative slots) while the team completes a position‑control data cleansing project.

Board members pressed leaders for more detail. Halby Miles noted the 41 central‑office vacancies and asked how many employees the central office should have; Brown said the HR team was still validating the data. Miles said dollars rather than advertising will determine whether the district can recruit and retain staff: “If we take that same money and give it to certified licensed teachers, I’m quite sure we’d get some people in here.”

HR described recruitment results from small local events: two career pop‑ups at Vernon Johns and two at the public library produced 44 attendees and five hires. The team also said it is testing boosted ads and airport screens and expanding posting channels to EdJoin, Handshake, Indeed and K12JobSpot. It reported sign‑on bonuses already awarded to several hires at schools identified as comprehensive or targeted support.

Several board members and the superintendent raised retention as a priority. Dr. Lane and Dr. Brown described recent retention bonuses, a revised onboarding and orientation program, an exit‑survey process and plans for a compensation and classification study to benchmark pay. “Retention is the key,” Dr. Lane said; Superintendent Brown added the division will commission a full comp‑and‑class review and cited past board action raising pay for certain staff.

The board did not take a vote on policy or budget in the HR presentation, but members asked HR to return with more granular vacancy and salary ranges and to accelerate efforts to validate position data and identify waste or realignment opportunities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Regular Meeting - July 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Petersburg City Public Schools’ HR office outlined a stepped‑up recruitment effort July 16 after Frontline implementation, reporting about 35 applications per week and a snapshot of 82 school‑based vacancies and 41 central‑office vacancies while the district completes a data‑cleansing project.","taxTitle","PETERSBURG CITY PBLC SCHS, School Districts, Virginia","taxId",57196,"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},6167896,"Family Services Inc. pitches in‑school therapeutic day treatment; seeks MOU with Petersburg schools",1718,4843000,6561000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5409976-93e85a4d989d4cdd9df1c4ae0339f256&start=4843&end=6561","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5409976-93e85a4d989d4cdd9df1c4ae0339f256/thumbnail_4843000.jpg","/articles/6167896/Virginia/Family-Services-Inc-pitches-inschool-therapeutic-day-treatment-seeks-MOU-with-Petersburg-schools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6167896-8bb2127e2464c3613066ee589cc90f7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770614489&Signature=DK3TgeeMVKBPVydYBbGfBZxlwjoG-0KpuxamRQ4c2XVvkUknNbI0eVTETHZT7NIVKUP9QGxGXkoYpm~2NMyYmn6DzbiTDYgvvKnpkr-0vE9ow4Mhn~oDeOqc7txZtrXphf~rIKnsaxitQ0si29BDQ1G1RRxm3oVJThNXlzHIXWZmq8JsCbe48lcNnj9m6Cib6bvEHR2yN4bi8UfByFvMNKnhw8eopa62bcinkPwoAHCC2NtCCs28KiWtGEdTFr~4nzIU7S2S5yVH3-RrU~p1KO7ZZXoZCryFg6BWIOc6EIc-48ms18xNttXHZ8LzyCIEzkdd8ySNM40PDNp-CCyyXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Family Services Incorporated told the Petersburg City Public Schools board on July 16 it can place clinicians inside school buildings to help students with disruptive behavior and avoid suspensions, but it needs a memorandum of understanding from the division to begin.

The presentation, given by Courtney Curtis and Kennard (Kennard/Kenara in the transcript) Curtis of Family Services Incorporated and clinical director Shantel Cooper, described a Therapeutic Day Treatment (TDT) model that places qualified mental health professionals into classrooms for individual and group sessions, crisis intervention and real‑time behavioral supports. “It is a program where our actual QMHPs would be coming into the building and helping children with their behaviors,” Courtney Curtis told the board.

Family Services said the program aims to keep students in class by de‑escalating incidents in the moment, building rapport with teachers and students, coordinating with families and providing follow‑up clinical work. “Our primary goal is to keep them in the classroom,” Shantel Cooper said, adding that individualized treatment planning and close oversight of staff are core elements of the service.

The presenters described the program’s referral and insurance process: referrals can come from counselors, teachers or district staff, a clinical assessment is completed, and services are billed to Medicaid when eligible. Family Services said it is credentialed with insurance payers and that services would not require the district to place money in the budget. “We would need an MOU from the school system stating that we can come into the school. There’s no charge for our services from you all… everything is through Medicaid,” Courtney Curtis told board members.

Board members asked operational questions about target schools, referrals and documentation. Family Services identified Cool Springs and Lakemont elementary schools as initial targets and said it already provides TDT to some students from those schools. It said eligibility reviews are done by clinical staff, and that insurance approvals may sometimes deny coverage; nevertheless the presenters said they work with students even when insurance denial occurs because the school need is present.

A student who had completed the program, Keanna Graham, described clinical and family supports she received and said the services helped her stay on track in school. Board members on the disciplinary committee and others praised the program and asked district staff to follow up. Board member Bernard J. Lundy Jr. thanked the presenters and the student for a “great” presentation; board member Halby Miles asked for clarity on referrals and MOU requirements. Superintendent Brown and board members agreed to arrange a meeting with district leadership to discuss next steps.

No formal board vote was taken on the proposal. The district plans follow‑up meetings between Family Services and school administrators to draft any MOU and to clarify referral, documentation and logistics before providers begin delivering TDT inside classrooms.","Family Services Inc. presented a school‑based therapeutic day treatment program to Petersburg City Public Schools on July 16, asking the district for a memorandum of understanding to place Medicaid‑funded clinicians in Cool Springs and Lakemont elementary schools to reduce suspensions and support classroom behavior.",{"_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},6167876,"School board approves procurement and personnel‑related actions including teacher recruitment contract",226,13866000,14092000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5409976-93e85a4d989d4cdd9df1c4ae0339f256&start=13866&end=14092","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5409976-93e85a4d989d4cdd9df1c4ae0339f256/thumbnail_13866000.jpg","/articles/6167876/Virginia/School-board-approves-procurement-and-personnelrelated-actions-including-teacher-recruitment-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6167876-7fd31f19cbcdb025a40d523a7dc9b50f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770614489&Signature=OoBpRiiZegsk5uGu2SmlZBPT4ElYFNoOYnecRmmkLtwhFVg~EKUdn~c6dTu66g3lH-voz20DDWt95n0qCLyDAXvxIjHZ4FLJHTClF3kbXpWplBOvQGbanAoda3tXz1SjT9o6L0Y4YiBTsbkaOEX3N0vzhPhqJ1lF~nM3n~aneaymBvtsC8YfsJmv6Y0SVHMvqwOBRgyGvWpFKQx4mfgYK8VDPJGpMjXa9g9fIqrch15zfnFiNIQFsR4a~IRgR4aSU2X9EldPgjCnqGDPsNCYRdWmvE7nKdV4uNvqv3tNRNuAhT8LsMFuPAFM5dXIgIMNMK~A6AACit1lBqWP~KYNlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Petersburg City Public Schools board approved several procurement and personnel items in its July 16 meeting, authorizing district contracts and job‑description changes intended to fill classroom vacancies and support special‑education services.

Key approvals recorded at the meeting included authority to spend $285,000 with University Instructors to recruit, train and support two additional special‑education teachers for the 2025–26 school year. Superintendent Brown told the board the district had previously authorized University Instructors to recruit 13 content‑area teachers and said the new request expands support specifically for special education. The motion carried.

The board also approved a one‑year contract with I and M Shuttle and Transport to provide transportation supports for students with disabilities and re‑authorized an annual contract with Therapy Connections for physical‑therapy services in schools. The student fee schedule for 2025–26 was approved as presented, and job descriptions were adopted to split the prior grants director role into a fiscal grants manager and a programmatic grants manager, and to formalize a teacher and staff development coordinator role.

Superintendent Brown explained the grants role split is designed to create internal checks and balances between fiscal oversight and programmatic oversight; the new roles will sit in finance and academics as appropriate. Board votes on these items were recorded as carried with no roll‑call tallies presented in the public minutes.

The district also filed the Virginia Department of Education form identifying the superintendent’s designee for official business during absences (first designee: Chief Academic Officer Paul Brown). The board took no action on policies beyond the scheduled first and second reads during the meeting agenda.","The Petersburg school board approved a set of routine and targeted actions July 16, including authorization to spend $285,000 with a teacher‑recruitment vendor for two special‑education hires, contracts for student transport and therapy services, the student fee schedule and new job descriptions for grant management and staff development.",{"_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},6167881,"CFO reports preliminary FY25 close: $4.6M general fund balance; consolidated budget ~$99.3M",275,11888000,12163000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5409976-93e85a4d989d4cdd9df1c4ae0339f256&start=11888&end=12163","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5409976-93e85a4d989d4cdd9df1c4ae0339f256/thumbnail_11888000.jpg","/articles/6167881/Virginia/CFO-reports-preliminary-FY25-close-46M-general-fund-balance-consolidated-budget-993M","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6167881-0d723ef1f20698464278d21009b90b16/orig.mp4?Expires=1770614489&Signature=RLFM2bp4xrCvimkLY6FextPi-3lbF7WDNVhRyOr0psZ9WoPdWzlZXbfPQes0OelrlO58XFhdZPYYZyNzzYxY3dt9ngtmuVM74lj65AoFEax38Uij4QeIgEZyvke3vwKLejWOBWmwk2jCQD9F89FyOQtlPMYseP9~1jat~ximDzMMNwvvPrTqTuwOuMMF9dQv~okRXY45wv1wb5AQ0qTU2EcCzZaIIDE2UxT5R7jka2~Jvj~ASEuJzp8Q1iQ3fIzsbs9k7EPoO527cGCBWbQ-1skP-1nUn8QnHG8WD0gAYTDeMI9HaPPGEn34JPZwV2K-9sqDaFGWDOsh69gFQjFi-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Petersburg City Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Matthias Greenwood presented a preliminary year‑end financial update to the school board on July 16, reporting a general‑fund balance of approximately $4.6 million and a consolidated fiscal‑year‑25 budget of about $99.3 million with roughly $14.7 million remaining before final encumbrance reconciliation.

Greenwood told the board the fiscal‑year‑25 revenue budget included $15.76 million in expected city transfers (including nutrition and CIP support), and that the district’s consolidated spending across general fund, food service and grants stood at approximately $84.6 million, leaving the $14.7 million balance subject to year‑end adjustments. “These figures may be refined pending final encumbrance reconciliations,” he said.

The CFO also reviewed Head Start accounts: a federal allocation of about $1.4 million and non‑federal contributions around $350,000 with roughly $31,000 remaining. He said donated services exceeded projections and that the district will review unused ChildPlus access for Head Start.

Board members asked for more granular information. Halby Miles sought the total cost of finance‑department consultant support; staff said details presented included consultants engaged across multiple years and that a calendar‑year breakdown could be produced. Greenwood and staff provided a consultant total reported in the meeting (consultant payments totaling approximately $593,793.92 across vendor engagements) and said they would reformat numbers by fiscal year on request.

Board members also asked how the district would monitor projected casino revenue the city expects to dedicate to education. Greenwood said finance is tracking the city’s revenue analytics and will monitor actual receipts so the district can plan capital and programming investments if projected casino funds materialize.

Greenwood emphasized that final numbers remain subject to year‑end close and that an updated report will be provided in the August reporting cycle. No budget adjustments were approved at the meeting.","Chief Financial Officer Matthias Greenwood presented preliminary fiscal‑year‑end numbers showing a $4.6 million general‑fund balance and a consolidated budget of about $99.3 million with $14.7 million unspent; board members asked for details on consultant spending and plans to monitor casino revenue.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6167886,"New PCPS communications team reports social‑media growth, airport ad and crisis plan work",732,10001000,10733000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5409976-93e85a4d989d4cdd9df1c4ae0339f256&start=10001&end=10733","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5409976-93e85a4d989d4cdd9df1c4ae0339f256/thumbnail_10001000.jpg","/articles/6167886/Virginia/New-PCPS-communications-team-reports-socialmedia-growth-airport-ad-and-crisis-plan-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6167886-d7b9d3eb4e56c14bb8fd8895a1dc7b26/orig.mp4?Expires=1770614489&Signature=mE4eO8LFducY4UcOEN4Dvr-qdMvHLq6tBkxaVrEHNzKOZOJqf2roQHqap1yk8LzcRhLa4We6RFy4sioHsq16zy9QlY5RM60Vbk9dreunZ4PovkrI4lkHRTkO33SRPnj83fhkZYnsCzxP0Rde9DSFesDjuEA~ZEIDn1IPoGRLr7ND4gqXtO5VVQprPK83MTQtJkD2y~4XnuFqxJ1epHG8YS2OrXVKHarsXnZH~FKJ9uymJhDTpKoZzSbtetk6srpDvWfIx2G9A2adcwhkxXq-2R1uJdPqjOEF8MfdeiTjs~AG4rKXGWAHvf16lTKPnTJPQo1WuGcqRitLukrEEC7zyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Petersburg City Public Schools’ new communications team briefed the board July 16 on branding, social media growth and a series of planned projects, including a communications audit and a crisis communications plan aligned with incident management practices.

Chief Communications Officer Chelsea Von Geeran, communications specialists Frank Akins and Jacory Coleman said the department has refreshed the district website, produced marketing for Westview preschool and the immunization campaign, and launched social accounts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, BlueSky and TikTok. “Since March on Facebook, we've gone from 9,865 followers to 10,543,” the team reported; TikTok followers increased by more than 1,000.

The team described a paid digital ad that ran on Richmond International Airport baggage‑claim screens and said it is exploring other paid media, including highway and interstate digital signage. Board members cautioned that single‑owner digital boards are costly; one board member said an exclusive board cost could exceed $10,000 while rotation advertising might be available for several hundred dollars per month.

Communications reported it has been proactive with the media and credited its work with generating coverage for student competitions, a Vernon Johns medical classroom ribbon cutting and athletic‑department expansion. The team also described new internal processes, a workflow tool to replace an older Google Form for communications requests, and a plan to create a communications request system to track projects division‑wide.

Board members asked about public access to FOIA request logs after the district discontinued use of a third‑party “Next Request” portal. Communications said the district now publishes FOIA requests through a PCPS FOIA email and will research restoring public‑facing transparency tools; staff said the Next Request contract had been costly. The team said it will provide cost information for returning to a public FOIA‑tracking service.

Planned work includes a three‑year communications plan, a digital flyer distribution system, social‑media guidelines, a crisis communications plan tied to emergency management, media training for administrators and an upcoming communications audit. The board had no action items tied directly to the communications report but welcomed further cost and process details.","The district’s newly reconstituted communications department reviewed outreach work since March — including an airport digital ad, social‑media growth and plans for a communications audit, crisis communications plan and digital flyer system — and answered board questions about FOIA tools and external ad costs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

PCPS outlines recruitment push and 82 school‑based vacancies; board questions central‑office staffing

Family Services Inc. pitches in‑school therapeutic day treatment; seeks MOU with Petersburg schools

School board approves procurement and personnel‑related actions including teacher recruitment contract

CFO reports preliminary FY25 close: $4.6M general fund balance; consolidated budget ~$99.3M

New PCPS communications team reports social‑media growth, airport ad and crisis plan work