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Clark County School Board: elections, committee appointments, policies and memorial garden approved
Summary
At its July 21 meeting the Clark County School Board elected new leadership, approved committee appointments, accepted donor funds for instructional equipment, adopted policy updates for first and second reading, approved a reflection garden at Clark County High School, and approved personnel and emergency response items after a closed session.
The Clark County School Board on July 21 completed officer elections, appointed members to standing and advisory committees, approved policy updates for first and second reading, accepted a small donor grant for instructional equipment, and approved a memorial reflection garden at Clark County High School.
Elections and leadership: The board conducted a roll-call vote and elected Katie Kerholbert as board chair and Clay Brumbach as vice chair. Following the election the board appointed Katie Kerholbert to the Joint Administrative Services Board for the remainder of 2025.
Committee appointments: The board appointed Clay Brumbach and Steve Nucci to the Budget and Finance Committee for calendar year 2025, and appointed Casey Kennedy to the Policy Committee for calendar year 2025. The board also approved slates of returning and new members for several advisory committees (Gifted Advisory Committee, Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee, Special Education Advisory Committee, and School Health Advisory Committee). In several cases the school board liaison positions were tabled until a new board member is seated.
Policies and cell phone rule: The board approved recommended updates from the Virginia School Boards Association for first and second reading. The most substantive change noted was adoption of a VSBA-aligned policy that reflects recent state law making PreK-12 "bell-to-bell" student cell-phone-free zones; the board adjusted its local rules so its high-school level provisions align with the new state requirement and moved detailed consequences into a regulation to support administrators. Board members asked staff to notify families about the change prior to the school year.
Donations and appropriations: The board approved a supplemental appropriation of $1,419.96 from the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation to purchase an LG smart TV and mobile cart for use with the Anatomage table at Clark County High School. The board also approved a $3,768 interfund transfer from the operating fund to the school debt fund to cover a shortfall in the Build America Bond interest subsidy line item.
Reflection garden: The board approved a request from Nina Pierce to establish a reflection garden at Clark County High School in memory of Hayden Smallwood and Madison Mallory. Pierce and families will fund and maintain the garden; the board member offering to fabricate a bench and vocational students offering shop time were noted during discussion.
Closed session actions: After a closed session to discuss personnel and safety plans pursuant to the Code of Virginia, the board voted to approve the personnel agenda and to accept emergency response plans that were reviewed in closed session. The board stated the closed-session actions produced votes expected at the meeting.
Why it matters: The meeting established new board leadership and committee memberships that will set agendas and oversight for the coming year; the VSBA policy alignment on phone use implements a new state law that will change schoolwide student device rules; the approved appropriations and garden are concrete near-term actions affecting programs and facilities.
