Several residents spoke during public comment at the Henry County School Board's meeting, urging the board to address teacher retention, morale and staffing shortages.

Willie Martin, identifying himself as a Reed Creek District resident, described multiple generations of his family who taught in the county and said turnover has become "staggering." He said a prospective teacher with family ties to the division was not granted an interview and that his own daughter left after one year for a division that paid more for a graduate degree. "Teachers are afraid to speak their minds for fear of retribution," Martin said, and he urged board members to "quit sugar coating what is happening in our schools and find solutions to what ails us."

Jan Turner, speaking for a former teacher who recently left the division, said classroom disruptions and safety-care responses were sometimes frequent enough to prevent learning. Turner also criticized aspects of state policy, saying the Virginia Literacy Act had "taken away the teacher's creativity" in that teacher's view. "It's impossible to have a safe learning environment," she said, and asked the board to engage directly with teachers who have left so it can address specific causes.

Mary Martin, who said she has family with long histories in the district and a daughter who taught for more than 30 years, acknowledged the limitations of local control and urged voters to consider state and county funding decisions. "A lot of these changes have to come from the state and federal level," she said, while also expressing confidence in Superintendent Dr. Blake Lewis.

Board members listened during the public comment period; no formal board action was taken in response at the meeting. Residents who offered to provide particulars were told the board would accept follow-up information.

Why it matters: School staffing affects day-to-day instruction, planning time, and continuity for students. Speakers tied departures to pay differentials, working conditions, discipline and district policy implementation, and asked the board to examine hiring, interviewing and substitute availability.

Next steps indicated in the meeting: Residents offered to provide names and particulars to the board or superintendent for follow-up; no specific board direction or formal motions were recorded in the transcript during public comment.

Ending: The board proceeded from public comment into awards and the consent agenda after hearing three speakers about staffing and morale concerns.