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Manassas board adopts new officer term rules, approves cell‑phone policy; other state-driven policies fail to pass
Summary
The board approved a modification to its organizational meeting policy adding term limits for chair/vice-chair and adopted the VSBA cell-phone model policy; three state-driven policy revisions on employment/contractor eligibility failed in recorded votes.
The Manassas City School Board on Tuesday approved a change to its organizational rules to limit how long a member may serve as chair or vice chair, adopted a new student cell-phone policy, and rejected several Virginia code–driven model-policy updates concerning employment and contracting. The board voted 4–3 to adopt a proposed revision to Policy BCA (School Board Organizational Meeting). Under the change, the chair would be limited to serving more than two years during any four‑year term and the vice-chair position would rotate among members until each member had an opportunity or declined to serve. Board members Mrs. Bridal and Ms. Miles spoke in favor, arguing term limits build leadership capacity; Dr. Jones, Vice Chair Spall and Chair Seberg opposed the change. On technology in schools, the board approved VSBA’s model policy JFCM on student cell-phone and smart device possession and use and simultaneously retired the district’s prior JEDA portable electronic communication device policy. The JFCM motion passed unanimously, 7–0. Several state-driven policy updates recommended by VSBA drew votes but failed to pass. Motions to adopt revisions to GCDA-M (Effect of Criminal Conviction or Founded Complaint of Child Abuse or Neglect), DJF (Purchasing Procedures) and KQ (Commercial, Promotional and Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships) were each defeated by recorded votes of 0–7; legal staff had advised the board it was permitted to decline model updates required by changes in state code. Separately, the board approved a large package of policies across governance, facilities, personnel, instruction, students and community relations in a bundled vote earlier in the meeting. That bulk action passed 7–0. Ending: The board’s procedural change on officer term limits will take effect as revised policy; the unanimous cell-phone policy adoption replaces the previous district policy and will be incorporated into regulations; three policy updates tied to recent state code changes did not receive board approval.
