Kathleen Brown elected chair; Tonietta Weems elected vice chair as board adopts organizational items

At its annual organizational meeting on Jan. 14, the Virginia Beach School Board completed officer elections, approved routine organizational items and adopted its meeting schedule through June 30, 2026.

Elections and officer appointments Kathleen Brown was elected chair by a vote the clerk counted as six votes for Brown. The clerk announced the six members voting for Brown as: Mister Callan, Kathleen Brown, Tonietta Weems, K. David Culpepper, Mister Bohenstein and Miss Dwyer. After the chair election Brown presided over the remainder of the meeting.

Tonietta (Tonnie) Weems was elected vice chair following a separate round of voting; the clerk reported a six‑vote majority in favor of Weems and announced the result.

Routine organizational business and votes - Clerk and deputy clerk appointments: The board moved and approved the superintendent’s recommendations for clerk and deputy clerk; the clerk reported 11 ayes on the motion. - Meeting schedule: The board approved the proposed schedule of school board meetings through June 30, 2026; the clerk reported 11 ayes. Board members discussed a possible future change of meeting day to reduce conflicts with city council; members agreed to have the superintendent return later with alternate calendars rather than change the current year’s schedule. - Adoption of agenda and minutes: The board adopted the Jan. 14 meeting agenda (11 ayes) and approved the Dec. 10, 2024 minutes (11 ayes). - Consent agenda: The board approved a consent agenda that included several policy review recommendations (Policy 6‑33, 6‑63, 6‑72), multiple HVAC and kitchen projects at elementary schools, a temporary construction easement and other items. The clerk reported 10 ayes for passage of the consent agenda. - Personnel report: The January 14, 2025 personnel report and administrative appointments were approved (motion by Miss Melnick, second by Miss Rogers); clerk announced 10 ayes.

Procedures and nominations The superintendent explained the nomination and colored‑paper voting procedure used for officer elections; nominations did not require a second and nominees were allowed to speak. Several board members used a public records (FOIA) review of attendance data to support nominations and comments. Former chair Miss Melnick declined a nomination to serve another term.

Ending note Board members also discussed committee assignments, school visit swaps for incoming members and reminders about upcoming events and deadlines including the teacher‑of‑the‑year banquet and the conflict‑of‑interest form due Feb. 3. The board moved into a closed session later in the evening to consult legal counsel on pending litigation.