Warren County School Board confirms officers, appoints committees and approves budget hearing dates

The Warren County School Board on Jan. 8 elected its leadership for 2025, approved committee and representative appointments, accepted several donations, set public-hearing dates for the fiscal 2026 budget and authorized legal action related to a deed of easement.

The board elected Doctor Pence as chair and Antoinette Funk as vice chair. The board also appointed Mrs. Lowe as its representative to the Mountain Vista Governor’s School governing board, named Rob Ballantine clerk and Sarah Spotsch deputy clerk, and designated Doctor Charles A. Coster to attend board meetings in the superintendent’s absence for 2025. The board approved appointments to the budget and building committees as presented.

The board approved the meeting calendar for 2025 as amended to allow flexibility on two dates (Aug. 6 and Nov. 5) if the board of supervisors uses those days, and authorized advertising two public hearings on the FY26 budget to be held Feb. 5 and March 5, 2025, with alternate dates of Feb. 19 and March 19 if weather forces cancellation.

The board accepted a $6,520 donation from the Hike Kids Foundation to be distributed to the division’s five elementary schools and accepted a separate set of community donations (clothing, winter outerwear, food items, store cards, mattresses and holiday gifts) earmarked for students experiencing housing insecurity through the district’s McKinney-Vento liaison.

From its closed session, the board approved the personnel report and personnel report addendum and authorized school board counsel to proceed with litigation related to a deed of easement as discussed in closed session.

Most motions were approved by voice vote or roll call. When the board called for roll call votes the members present voted in favor; motions were recorded as approved where indicated in the meeting transcript.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to convene a closed session pursuant to Virginia Code section 2.2-3711 to discuss personnel matters and an easement dispute — approved (roll call recorded as affirmative). - Election of Doctor Pence as chair — approved (roll call affirmative). - Election of Antoinette Funk as vice chair — approved (voice/roll call affirmative). - Appointment of Mrs. Lowe as Mountain Vista Governor’s School representative — approved. - Committee appointments (budget committee, building committee) — approved as presented. - Appointment of Rob Ballantine as clerk and Sarah Spotsch as deputy clerk — approved. - Designation of Doctor Charles A. Coster to attend meetings in superintendent’s absence (01/21/2025–12/2025) — approved. - Adoption of the 2025 school board meeting calendar as amended — approved. - Authorization to advertise public hearings for the FY26 budget for Feb. 5 and March 5 (with Feb. 19 and March 19 rain dates) — approved. - Acceptance of the Hike Kids Foundation donation ($6,520) — approved. - Acceptance of community donations to support McKinney-Vento students — approved. - Approval of 01/08/2025 personnel report and personnel report addendum — approved. - Authorization for school board counsel to proceed with litigation on the deed of easement as directed — approved.

The board generally handled routine organizational business at the start of the year and took the actions above by majority/voice or unanimous roll call votes as recorded in the transcript. Several items that had required or recommended follow-up (calendar location changes, budget-advertising language and hearing logistics) were left for staff to finalize and post.

Ending

The meeting adjourned after completing the organizational and action items and the board moved on to other agenda topics.