[{"_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",6165363,"mediaKeyId","5424247-ae006f1f2b1602e78ec715417c980d97","parentId",5424247,"title","Board sets listening sessions for school consolidation: July 30 and community events in August","audioSeconds",1112,"startMs",3489000,"endMs",4601000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5424247-ae006f1f2b1602e78ec715417c980d97&start=3489&end=4601","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5424247-ae006f1f2b1602e78ec715417c980d97/thumbnail_3489000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6165363/Virginia/Board-sets-listening-sessions-for-school-consolidation-July-30-and-community-events-in-August","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165363-e93d832c76883d2f9977a130e9d19cde/orig.mp4?Expires=1774891011&Signature=NaXB~SSNSnStmEon1eHILDKIHVW2bwIVGMQMK-WZ28NDBK4WtBZfUJYyyydsCiZGgq-JxqK6jyd9qaJqqM9c0tpVrqfqjL-uxgca5pJ6aRIedi0QiH~oCIsJ4bXyyHSWF26vSc7eJLgI~i0IvTPsNl-DwoXk-lPiqNShhHE0Lmkn2MG3DOptIVZ0wkbUuWu2v1uPINGmO-3xJnsCnU4yQ~1ht3YyA7hstczGeyELe2EBQ7G4l~mSJ4aXt0IpATCK2USNqx8fZ~CQpEJZ8K6xoMfLODTgZmIJyVMBmKzoBSIk9inppHAnnZ69FsWyYJMy6EfjqLe7fdqFV6F1ZABKpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Norfolk City Public School","date","2025-07-18T15:31:21.033Z","article","The Norfolk School Board established dates and formats for community listening sessions about proposed school consolidations, scheduling in‑person events at Norview and Lake Taylor High Schools on July 30, a community outreach presence at a district back‑to‑school event in early August, and plans for additional meetings and a virtual option.
Board members asked consultant Mister Sturtz to confirm his availability; staff and board agreed July 30 was the most feasible date for Mr. Sturtz to lead two same‑day sessions (1–3 p.m. and 5–7 p.m.) at Norview and Lake Taylor to reach different parts of the city. The board asked staff to begin advertising those dates immediately.
Members also agreed to participate in the district’s unity/in‑the‑community back‑to‑school event (previously held at Norfolk Scope) as an opportunity for Saturday outreach and suggested having a staffed table or dedicated room for shorter listening sessions at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to meet families where they already gather. Board members directed the communications team to prepare a QR‑coded survey and a short five‑slide presentation adapted from the retreat materials to ensure consistent messaging across sessions.
The board also discussed offering a webinar/webinar‑with‑Q&A option or a Zoom webinar for community members who cannot attend in person. Staff said they would research the platform configuration (registration and moderated Q&A) to allow remote participation while controlling audio access.
No formal vote was required; the board reached consensus to advertise the July 30 sessions and the district community event participation and to add at least one virtual listening session. Staff said they will return with additional dates and finalized logistics and will post outreach materials once the schedule is complete.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","LIVE School Board Meeting: 7-16-25 (4:00 p.m.)","oneSentenceSummary","The board agreed to advertise several community listening sessions on school consolidation—July 30 sessions at Norview and Lake Taylor, an outreach presence at a community back‑to‑school event in early August, and plans for additional dates including a virtual option.","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},6165366,"Community members press for transparency on ELC pilot; resident files FOIA request for program documents",1020,7920000,8940000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5424247-ae006f1f2b1602e78ec715417c980d97&start=7920&end=8940","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5424247-ae006f1f2b1602e78ec715417c980d97/thumbnail_7920000.jpg","/articles/6165366/Virginia/Community-members-press-for-transparency-on-ELC-pilot-resident-files-FOIA-request-for-program-documents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165366-78d9226bea8a29b82a741504cdd5dc90/orig.mp4?Expires=1774891011&Signature=BLB5Uqld1Mn2aB67ko5lrYdQhd5culKzqakFO7MNv7dYogQH8W0R~6BcJgea8ImLkygkYfoVy~w8RKHtzfjZbFqeqqWOQVgH7~MFTTPvw-n3ylD9kGthWEHv8D7-PmSSnHNq4C9brinQb0BoKuydxYq7bPheyvq4lybg~Uf0uc10GBBBzjf9OrouHiN8zOPoJG0wp~Psnv1D-OnExuKarso7gRa6HREGmqxmby1Iwu-Jh2fQLoUg1~UyH3nlHUNC3BP2cxBl9fIXJEkMRHOK1Q3CvA2SRzaHKUi50qXvnoIc1Xx4p-0-bNjJbVux0Q6tgLfTwBqjjcjNZBJBYqJRNA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several community speakers at the July 9 business meeting urged greater transparency and accountability for the Equity and Excellence Learning Centers (ELC) pilot and said the program lacks clear needs assessments, enrollment and outcome metrics.
Keenan Baskerville, who attended the ELC retreat presentations, said the ELC report lacked sufficient sample sizes and transparent meeting minutes and called for committees, needs assessments and clearer outcome measures before further expansion. \"There was insufficient data collection with only 94 total survey responses across 4 schools,\" Baskerville said.
Community organizer Elise McMath (New Virginia Majority, Norfolk chapter) and others said after‑school and wraparound services must be community‑driven and accessible, citing Jaycox families’ stated need for before‑ and after‑care. McMath said the ELC pilot’s funding and implementation should be transparent and tied to measurable outcomes such as enrollment, absenteeism and academic or behavioral changes.
Carl Poole formally submitted a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request on the record seeking policies, program descriptions, MOUs or partnership agreements, evaluation tools and internal task‑force documents from July 2024 to the present. Poole asked for electronic documents only and requested a cost estimate before any fees are charged.
Board members and staff did not take immediate action on the FOIA request, which is a public records filing; staff acknowledged the need for clearer public updates and said the ELCs would be the subject of continued conversation and, in some cases, additional oversight options such as community advisory committees.
The public comments and the FOIA filing signal community demand for more detailed, publicly available documentation of ELC goals, partner roles, funding use and outcome metrics as the pilot continues.","Public commenters criticized the Equity and Excellence Learning Centers pilot implementation and lack of public data; a community member submitted a FOIA request for ELC policies, MOUs, evaluations and task‑force records.",{"_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},6165371,"Board debates nonnegotiable measures on staffing, suspensions and engagement; members call for metric rewrites",842,1434000,2276000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5424247-ae006f1f2b1602e78ec715417c980d97&start=1434&end=2276","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5424247-ae006f1f2b1602e78ec715417c980d97/thumbnail_1434000.jpg","/articles/6165371/Virginia/Board-debates-nonnegotiable-measures-on-staffing-suspensions-and-engagement-members-call-for-metric-rewrites","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165371-190941500a46f1d2758d820bbc960a5d/orig.mp4?Expires=1774891011&Signature=NoWOqFqTsB0D2G-xL3O6PkfDdOzi92D7I0tSc~sreabjGRJzPwnCgoeotTuMHxksIHfVWQJgwiCwrU8ylWWwDOZEchL2b7dOk2i29iXlT6F3iJR3BZ-kDjPA75ApvJUf7YKVOlLlM~8SXUPHtx9NA90MF5yGWokei-pSBQFu0dluJAzjGJdIsELKI8q6nETXIxhzE1r204Cveg9VB435WBU8Hps1IE2YP9pp6YH6UBeKa8IylZCtgIV5YDYUficx603-wyOpiTKVu5ahaFSVfWH2ODJUmxPqMWeSorSzym83A6Jb3afmVELACSvYCKweujes~h9alOtyUjyoXb6mFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The school board reviewed its annual “nonnegotiables” report on July 9 and questioned how some measures are defined and measured—especially staffing targets, suspension‑demographic measures, and advanced‑course representation—asking the administration to revisit metric language and targets.
Interim Superintendent Dr. James Pohl presented five nonnegotiables including curriculum alignment, staffing fill rates at identified schools, disciplinary disproportionality, equitable advanced‑course enrollment, and inclusive community engagement. For staffing, Pohl said 18 schools were not fully staffed on the first day and that targeted supplements at four Early Learning Centers (ELCs) achieved a 22.2% improvement for that progress measure after one school (Lindenwood) came off the list.
Several board members challenged progress measures tied to demographic percentages. One member noted the Hispanic long‑term suspension percentage rose from 7% to a projection of 14.5 and said the measure, as worded, appeared to reward an increase. Pohl and others explained the intent: to reduce overall suspensions while bringing suspension rates closer to a school’s demographic composition. Members suggested adding explicit language to the metric—\"while not increasing the total number of suspensions\"—and to consider focusing specific measures on the subgroup of greatest disproportionality (for example, Black students) rather than aggregating all subgroups when that produces counterintuitive targets.
On advanced‑course enrollment (nonnegotiable 3.2), board members said striving for demographic parity without also stating how overall enrollment should change can give the misleading impression of reducing some groups. Members pointed to the district’s gifted “emerging scholars” strategy as a precedent for targeted recruitment and said the nonnegotiables should be revised to emphasize increased enrollment of underrepresented subgroups while holding overall participation steady or growing.
Regarding community engagement (nonnegotiable 4), the board noted inconsistent survey practices across departments in prior years and praised a new centralized process through the media team to ensure demographic questions and dual‑language availability on divisionwide surveys; the administration expects closer compliance and higher rates next year.
Board members described the nonnegotiables as an iterative, first try: they praised the focus on data but asked administration to return with clarified metrics, revised language to avoid perverse incentives, and a plan tying measures to resources and accountability. No formal vote was taken; the discussion ended with direction to rework certain progress measures and to include clearer guardrails on counts vs. percentages.","Board members and the interim superintendent reviewed the annual nonnegotiables report, raised concerns about how some progress measures are calculated (particularly suspension and advanced‑course representation metrics), and agreed to revisit and clarify those measures and associated targets.",{"_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},6165376,"School board asks staff for school‑by‑school suspension data and schedules discipline report",993,2206000,3199000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5424247-ae006f1f2b1602e78ec715417c980d97&start=2206&end=3199","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5424247-ae006f1f2b1602e78ec715417c980d97/thumbnail_2206000.jpg","/articles/6165376/Virginia/School-board-asks-staff-for-schoolbyschool-suspension-data-and-schedules-discipline-report","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165376-b273fc085e35c3d34697b927fe96446b/orig.mp4?Expires=1774891011&Signature=UJ2mmkyzNTdZIJYwh6W56MUOtBU6Mipkh9uuSQQmagZYVMRdaeqX6eRnRpHbt0C2EosWaCu~ELhKIe16RfHsN1hoEbnADEfDMSLJHzVDLe~cbuXljzC8kstH7WQzzT9dZCb6Yhzp5NkWNBr-qMl6OcC-xI1Lgi0MQRHws41pwH1iW9ZAKhtTHQBZvjKsw4E6jRChY2c3n-moKRNWDKJeDmljhI2iKWuUsp7ZBCjCo5L6nR8-s~ysr6wnMoDXksg7U5Luug-rVD~HOhxy~KlU3StcoldCXt--jmBHSzHMKKUYeeJ8EaJSxBU61oPzi9KjBWYDmisOdqTRdw~tM74DEw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Norfolk School Board asked administration to compile school‑level suspension data, broken out by short‑ and long‑term suspensions and student subgroups, and agreed that staff will produce a discipline report for board review in the first quarter.
Board member Doctor Martin requested a districtwide run of short‑ and long‑term suspension counts by school and subgroup and asked that the report include school demographic breakdowns so the board can compare suspension rates with school populations. “I would like to see the data, for individual schools,” Martin said when discussing disciplinary disproportionality.
Interim Superintendent Dr. James Pohl said the district can generate the reports from Synergy and estimated staff could provide them within about a week, subject to redaction needs for identifiable records. Pohl also said the division already reviews serious incidents monthly and that MTSS and PBIS work contributed to recent declines in suspensions.
Board members and staff discussed the purpose and next steps. Doctor Boyle volunteered to prepare a discipline report with senior staff and executive directors that would present previous‑year data, school‑level comparisons, and recommended supports; Pohl said the report would be scheduled in the first quarter once final data are available. The board clarified it wants the dataset to show each school’s demographic composition and short/long suspension counts by subgroup, not only aggregate district totals.
Members raised concerns about implementation and fairness. Some members cautioned that increased monitoring or added staff could temporarily raise incident counts because more infractions may be observed; others said additional supports—mental health counselors, deans, or tutoring—should be prioritized over security staffing. Several board members emphasized the report is intended to identify trends and align resources equitably across schools, not to single out individual students or staff.
The board did not take a formal roll‑call vote; the request to produce school‑level disciplinary data and a follow‑up discipline report was taken by consensus at the workshop. Staff said they will prepare a public report and an in‑depth work session rather than only a packet of raw numbers.","Board members requested school‑by‑school short‑ and long‑term suspension data broken down by subgroup and directed staff to produce a discipline report and a follow‑up work session to examine disparities and resource allocation.",{"_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},6165381,"Interim superintendent: preliminary SOL data show mixed progress toward math and reading gap goal",1085,385000,1470000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5424247-ae006f1f2b1602e78ec715417c980d97&start=385&end=1470","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5424247-ae006f1f2b1602e78ec715417c980d97/thumbnail_385000.jpg","/articles/6165381/Virginia/Interim-superintendent-preliminary-SOL-data-show-mixed-progress-toward-math-and-reading-gap-goal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165381-a723deb7ac758139c42119b4ea847ed5/orig.mp4?Expires=1774891011&Signature=ZXorQyezOHnGDDm0fvNWDXoKGEiDcnor3~5APskvCkfUaKYsQ89yICAUqRuOKdOfm5s4i5HzIAc8ArcFY3IztxO7e7SU3CtcgdZUozU0YUFoc8jpqZMR5H6xZSDa7TFjulXq1u5nGFJRmogYWiCX80kNW2g-wRsb4~lNUb8N~RYtM3YuMBHlA-8czoDo3v2Srs-npPNuF98rVzcFOXP6de~g7yo78fjXVHeBQO07E~DaBqyMIeQN6nwDuWOSHL6F~NrqrB7ul~9MbLDltM5ST09DUhuW6ocVmhW4jzxbFqfsYNJZq~U82M9B3ULQpD9wPAcptSvwZvGpM5C77ZM3aA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Interim Superintendent James Pohl told the Norfolk School Board on July 9 that preliminary, division-held SOL results show improvement in pass rates across most student groups but that performance gaps in reading and mathematics remain larger than the board’s 10% target.
Pohl, presenting the board’s Goal 4 update on reading and math achievement gaps, said the data are internal and subject to small changes when the state publishes final results. “The goal is to make sure that no gap is greater than 10% by the end,” Pohl told the board, and he emphasized the board’s dual aim of narrowing gaps while maintaining growth for all students.
The administration’s slides and Pohl’s briefing said reading pass rates rose in the “all students” cohort and in subgroups including Black, White, students with disabilities (SWD), economically disadvantaged (SES), English learners (EL) and Hispanic students; mathematics showed pass-rate gains and smaller gaps compared with the baseline year (2022–23) for most subgroups. Pohl noted one exception: the gap between SWD and non‑SWD did not shrink to the desired level even though both groups’ pass rates improved.
Board members asked for school-level detail. Pohl replied that the district does not have many outliers: some schools show widening gaps while others show strong narrowing, and the overall pattern is “pretty consistent” across schools. He said the division will continue monthly collaborative data meetings that drill from divisionwide pass rates to standard‑level results and that the English and math offices will develop professional learning focused on strengthening Tier 1 instruction.
Pohl described recent program evaluations with a third party (Hanover) on software products: higher usage of Lexia and Edmentum correlated with student gains, particularly in elementary grades, while IXL was phased out because it did not show similar results. He said middle school implementation fidelity for Lexia is a specific target; the division is also evaluating interim assessment tools such as STAR and a student growth assessment to select a better interim measure for next year.
The administration listed next steps: continued subgroup and school‑level analysis, targeted professional development, refinement of curriculum documents to clarify instructional priorities, and expanded tutoring and university partnerships to support middle‑grade reading blocks. Pohl told the board the division will use the summer leadership institute and school comprehensive support plan (CSSP) structures to strengthen implementation.
Board members pressed whether current five‑year targets should be adjusted or whether the district needs accelerated strategies to meet them; Pohl said goal‑setting and target‑setting were established with the board, and he recommended a strategic‑planning refresh before the 2025–26 cycle ends so the board and administration share benchmarks and implementation priorities.
The discussion was framed as analysis and planning; the board did not take a formal vote. The administration emphasized data refinement and implementation fidelity as the primary levers for narrowing gaps while sustaining overall growth.","Interim Superintendent James Pohl told the school board the division’s internal, not-yet-state-released Standards of Learning (SOL) results show pass-rate growth in most subgroups but persistent achievement gaps above the board’s 10% goal; the administration outlined data analysis and professional development steps.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board sets listening sessions for school consolidation: July 30 and community events in August

Community members press for transparency on ELC pilot; resident files FOIA request for program documents

Board debates nonnegotiable measures on staffing, suspensions and engagement; members call for metric rewrites

School board asks staff for school‑by‑school suspension data and schedules discipline report

Interim superintendent: preliminary SOL data show mixed progress toward math and reading gap goal