Southampton County school board approves special-education annual plan and routine expenditures; debates 2025-26 calendar and hears instructional, safety and ID

The Southampton County Public Schools board approved its special-education annual plan and the March bill list and heard several routine program and facilities requests, while devoting extended discussion to the proposed 2025-26 academic calendar.

The special-education annual plan was presented by Dr. Taylor, director of special education, who described the plan as an agreement between the local division and the Virginia Department of Education. "The annual plan is just a flow through operation...application between the local school board and the Department of Education," Dr. Taylor said. The plan documents included an interagency agreement with the sheriff’s office signed in November 2024, a stated maintenance-of-effort requirement, and program funding allocations. Dr. Taylor told the board the division’s maintenance-of-effort amount for special education this year is $5,900,000 and that floating funds for staff salaries, materials and equipment total $654,237; she said the division funds 27 special-education positions from those sources. The plan was moved by Mister Smith and seconded by Miss Lane; the board voted to approve the plan.

The board also reviewed the preliminary…