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Southampton County schools report strong opening, WHRO services highlighted; principals flag enrollment and staffing pressure
Summary
WHRO presented services and an estimated return on investment; principals reported open houses and early enrollment snapshots, while staff described a possible overcrowded classroom at Nottoway and steps to monitor transfers, enrollment and staffing.
Berta Schmidt, president and CEO of WHRO Public Media, told the Southampton County School Board on Sept. 8 that the public-media nonprofit provides multimedia courses, classroom resources and regional student contests and reported the division’s $8,200 investment in WHRO services returned roughly $665,000 in direct and indirect value.
Superintendent Dr. Shannon (presenting the division’s superintendent’s report) and principals from the district summarized the start of the 2025–26 school year, reporting strong open-house attendance, early assessment and placement testing, and start-of-year professional development for teachers. Principals described grade-level routines, family engagement events and efforts to deploy interventions required under the Virginia Literacy Act.
The board also heard an enrollment concern at Nottoway Elementary: principals reported 31 students in one classroom at the opening and said the district is monitoring the first 10 days of attendance and transfer paperwork to determine whether the class will retain all students or whether some students who transferred in will return to their home schools. Superintendent Shannon said the division will use the 10-day report to confirm who is entitled to remain in-district and that budget constraints—reflecting recent reductions that eliminated positions—complicate an immediate hire of an additional teacher. The district said options being considered include reassigning students or hiring a full-time teacher’s aide if the class population remains unchanged.
Instructional leaders described multiday new-teacher orientation, mentor training, and professional-development sessions covering classroom management, the Virginia Literacy Act, online curriculum tools and math platforms. The division reported 87 of 89 teachers have completed a required state EOP course. Principals said intervention and placement testing (STAR Math and Lexia) are being used to place students into intervention and acceleration programs.
Operations and maintenance staff reported transportation and facilities updates including modular installations in progress, a remaining section of a modular unit awaiting final installation and inspection, and planned work on middle-school windows identified during review with architects and engineers. The maintenance report also noted traffic and drop-off adjustments at some buildings to improve flows during arrival and dismissal.
The board’s discussion focused on monitoring enrollment trends, ensuring compliance with state literacy requirements and balancing staffing decisions with budget limits. No districtwide staffing decisions were finalized at the meeting; several principals noted enrollment continues to change daily and the district will report updated counts after the 10-day monitoring window.
