Washington County school board: calendar change, three new CTE courses and other motions approved

The Washington County School Board voted on a package of calendar, course and administrative items and approved all motions presented on the agenda.

The board voted to move the last day of school from Wednesday, May 21, to Friday, May 23, to adjust instructional hours across the division. The superintendent recommended the change after staff calculations showed that four schools (Abingdon Elementary, Ray Valley Elementary, Damascus Middle and Holston High School) would reach 997 clock hours and the remaining schools would total 985 clock hours under the current calendar; Virginia law requires 990 clock hours for full state funding. The superintendent told the board the division had waivers already approved for 67 and 74 hours for schools that missed fewer and more hours, respectively. The motion to adopt the new last day passed, 7-0.

The board also adopted graduation dates set by board policy; the superintendent said Patrick Henry High School independently moved its start time to 7:30 a.m. to avoid overlapping with other local graduations. The graduation-date resolution passed, 7-0.

On career and technical education (CTE), the board approved three new course offerings: - Fisheries and Wildlife Management (proposed for Holston High School; no additional staffing required at present) — approved 7-0. - Utility and Heavy Construction (program to introduce earthwork, excavation and utility work; will require shop/classroom space, simulators and a dig site; start targeted Jan. 2026 if logistics and funding allow) — approval to move forward passed while one member was absent (vote recorded as 6 yes; one member, Dr. Brandon, stepped out during the vote). - Dental Careers (planned off-campus instruction at Mission Dental of Virginia and other partners; small initial enrollment planned; program targeted for fall 2026 if logistics and approvals work out) — approved 7-0.

Other procedural actions approved by the board: - Permission for board member Jenny Nichols to participate by teleconference was approved early in the meeting (vote recorded as 6-0 at that point; Ms. Nichols then joined the meeting remotely). - The consent agenda (items 6.01 through 6.1) was approved 7-0. - The board moved to a closed session for personnel matters under the Virginia Code; the motion and the convening of closed session were approved, 7-0.

Votes and outcomes summarized (motions recorded as presented on the agenda; mover/second not consistently named on the record): - Approve remote participation by board member Jenny Nichols — Passed (yes 6, no 0). - Approve meeting agenda — Passed (yes 7, no 0). - Approve consent agenda (6.01–6.1) — Passed (yes 7, no 0). - Move last day of school from May 21 to May 23 — Passed (yes 7, no 0). - Adopt graduation dates per policy — Passed (yes 7, no 0). - Approve Fisheries & Wildlife Management course (CTE) — Passed (yes 7, no 0). - Approve Utility & Heavy Construction course (CTE) — Passed (yes 6, no 0; one member absent for vote). - Approve Dental Careers course (CTE) — Passed (yes 7, no 0). - Convene closed session for personnel matters authorized by Virginia Code — Passed (yes 7, no 0).

Why it matters: The calendar change preserves state-required instructional hours for funding and reduces the need for additional make-up sessions; the approved CTE courses expand local career pathways in agriculture/fisheries, construction/utility trades and dental careers and could feed local workforce pipelines if funding, licensure and facilities are secured.

What’s next: The board directed staff to work through logistics on the new CTE offerings (teacher endorsements, simulators/equipment, class location and partnerships) and to finalize local calendar details with supervisors. The superintendent and CTE staff will return with implementation details and any funding requests in future meetings.